IN OSWEGO COUNTY, NY.

Nestled on the south eastern shores of Great Lake Ontario,Oswego County is where some say you’ll find the

most beautiful sunsets in the world.

The quality of life in Oswego County is what makes us oneof the premier places to live and work in New York State.Strategically located within a two-hour drive to Rochesterand a 45-minute drive to Syracuse, Oswego County alsoboasts a State University with more than 8,700 students,a productive and experienced workforce and abundant

energy production, an extensive transportationinfrastructure and a thriving and diverse economy.

Within Oswego County, you’ll find the best in education,workforce development, healthcare, affordable housing aswell as artistic, historical and cultural diversity. Our sur-

rounding rivers, lakes, and forests offer a bounty ofrecreational activities any time of the year.

Friendly neighbors and a welcoming community are just acouple more reasons why Oswego County is more than agreat place to do business; it is a place easy to call home.

ECONOMIC DIVERSITY

From manufacturing, retail, transportationand power generation to education, agri-culture and recreation, Oswego Countyhosts a wide variety of industry that con-tributes to the economic strength and diver-sity of our community.

• Workforce: 60,000

• Top Industries: Education, manufacturing,retail, transportation/utilities, recreation.

• Occupations: 25% management; 24%sales/clerical; 21% production/transporta-tion; 16% service; 13% construction/mainte-nance.

• Jobs: 40,600 private sector; 10,100 publicsector; 3,200 self employed.

• Average Income: $43,821

• Products: dairy, paper containers, frozenvegetables, fresh fruit and vegetables, wire,boilers/heat exchange equipment, alumi-num, baked beans, electricity, soaps, ma-chinery, wine.

Everybody’s business.

This page, from top: The inner-workings of Sithe’senergy plant in Scriba; Retail stores of many kindsmake life convenient in Oswego County; The FultonCompanies in Pulaski is one of several local manufac-turing firms; Agriculture is good business and a time-honored tradition around the area; Oswego County isa base for transportation services used for nation-wide commerce.

Opposite page: New York Bold onions, a homegrownproduct that has recognized tremendous marketdevelopment through branding strategies andcooperative efforts.

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Oswego County provides a wide arrayof opportunities for people looking fornew skills, improvement of existing skillsor simply personal enhancement througheducation.

• 46 elementary and secondary schools.• Oswego State University offers more than100 undergraduate and graduate degreeprograms to over 8,700 students per year.• Cayuga Community College in Fultonoffers more than 100 courses in businessand liberal arts to 650 students per year.• Syracuse University, LeMoyne College,Cornell University, Ithaca College, Universityof Rochester, and Rochester Institute ofTechnology are all within a two-hour driveof Oswego County.• Oswego County Board of CooperativeEducation Services (BOCES) in Mexico of-fers adult education, distance learning, in-dustrial training and migrant education.• The Center for Business and CommunityPrograms, located on the SUNY Oswegocampus, administers workforce and smallbusiness development programs throughoutOswego County.

From classroomto workplace.

This page, from top: Cayuga Community College’s Fulton campusoffers courses from art to business to fit your schedule; Manybusinesses like Huhtamaki Packaging Worldwide in Fulton offerapprenticeships in their facilities; SUNY Oswego’s Sheldon Hallserves as a training site for the NYS Department of EnvironmentalConservation and other services; High schools in Oswego County areequipped with state-of-the-art equipment to give students acompetitive edge after graduation; SUNY Oswego, located on theshores of Lake Ontario, has more than 8,700 students in over 100graduate and undergraduate degree programs.

Opposite page: An instructor from North Coast Software, teachescomputer courses at Operation Oswego County’s Business ExpansionCenter.

HEALTHCARE

Two hospitals, various skilled nursing facili-ties, top-notch pediatricians, retirementliving options, health clinics, laboratories,cancer treatment, maternity care and thelatest surgical procedures are all availablewithout leaving Oswego County.

• Over 260 bed capacity between two cen-trally located hospitals.

• Home health aides available to residents.

• 14 nursing/adult homes

• Mental health division for inpatient andoutpatient psychiatric services.

• Satellite health service centers, including aVeteran's Administration facility, conve-niently located throughout the county.

• More than 20 service organizations avail-able for people with disabilities.

A communityof caring.

This page, from top: Two hospitals, various skilled nursingfacilities and more make quality care easy to find inOswego County; A pediatrician examines a young patientat her Oswego office; Some of the latest technology andmedical equipment are in Oswego County such as thisradiation oncology treatment room at the Seneca HillHealth Services Center; A couple stand outside Bishop’sCommons assistive living facility in Oswego; There aremore than 100 physicians on the Oswego Hospitalmedical staff.

Opposite page: Radiologists practice at both A.L. LeeMemorial Hospital and Oswego Hospital.

HOUSING

Whether your dream home is a stately his-toric estate, an urban loft, a contemporarytownhouse or you’re looking to custombuild a new home, Oswego County haswhat you’re looking for in a place you canbe proud to call home.

• Size: 968 total square miles

• Population: 122,000

• Average home value: $74,200

• Out of 53,000 homes, 62% are occupiedby owners. Vacancy rate for these homes is2.2%.

• Major architectural styles in OswegoCounty include Victorian, Greek Revival,Colonial, Second French Empire, Federaland Euro-Contemporary.

A place to call home.

This page, from top: Oswego County offers many historicalhomes at affordable prices for potential homebuyers; A newcommunity development is being constructed in the City ofFulton. New housing is easy to find in Oswego County;Townhouse living like this is found in many areas of thecounty; A farmhouse west of Pulaski is an example of thevariety of housing available in the county; Both country andcity settings are easily accessible like this home in KingsfordWoods in the City of Oswego.

Opposite page: An Oswego County family gathers in theliving area of their historic home.

HISTORY/ARTS/CULTURE

From its humble beginning as the furthestfrontier border during the Revolutionary Warand the most important battlefront in the Warof 1812, to today with its historic museums,concerts, festivals, farmers markets and artgalleries, Oswego County is a historical andcultural treasure that awaits you.

• Oswego State University’s Tyler Art Galleryand Waterman Theater are open to the com-munity to enjoy cultural performances, artexhibits and theater productions year round.• Two historic lighthouses, more than 15history museums.• 34 sites related to the Underground RailroadFreedom Trail located throughout OswegoCounty.• At the end of the Second World War, his-toric Fort Ontario in Oswego was used as anemergency refugee center for victims of theNazi Holocaust, the only one of its kind in theU.S. The Safe Haven Museum now com-memorates the plight of the inhabitants of therefugee center.• Productions such as Hansel and Gretel,HMS Pinafore, The Magic Flute and Susannahthrill audiences of the Oswego Opera Theatre.

A rich heritage ofculture and creativity.

This page, from top: Fort Ontario on the Oswego Harbor hasplayed an important role in U.S. history from the War of 1812 toWWII; The historic Selkirk Lighthouse, built in 1838, provides aunique sight along New York State’s Seaway Trail in Pulaski; A localcommittee has worked with many area artists in designing largehistoric murals around the City of Oswego like this one at Paul’sBig M store on West Utica Street; The National Historic LandmarkTug LT-5 is on display at the H. Lee White Marine Museum atWright’s Landing in Oswego; SUNY Oswego’s Tyler Art Galleryexhibits student work and more throughout the year.

Opposite Page: A string quartet plays at Port City Cafe and Bakery.Music, art and history are abundant around Oswego County.

RECREATION & LEISURE

No matter what time of the year it is, it’s neverhard to find something fun to do in OswegoCounty. Within our borders, you’ll find sandybeaches, vast forests, white water rivers andserene lakes, community festivals, nationalattractions, and some of the most spectacularfishing in the Northeast.

• Each year, Harborfest brings more than250,000 people to Oswego for four days offamily fun including awe-inspiring fireworks, amajestic tall ships battle, entertainment stages,and more than 100 admission-free perfor-mances and children's events.• The waters and tributaries of eastern GreatLake Ontario lure both veteran and noviceanglers with species such as walleye, cohoand chinook salmon, steelhead and browntrout.• Oswego County is home to more than 10 ofthe most beautiful golf courses and drivingranges in Central New York. Links vary frompar three courses to par fives.• During a typical spring migration, 40,000hawks may pass over Derby Hill Bird Obser-vatory in Mexico. In the spring of 1995, aworld-record 19,531 red-tailed hawks werecounted between March and May.

Four seasons of fun.

This page, from top: Salmon River Falls is a picturesque stop nearOrwell in northern Oswego County; Cross-country skiing provideswinter fun in the Winona State Forest near Boylston; Harborfestbrings thousands to the shores of Lake Ontario every July for music,fun and fireworks; Water sports during sunset are one way to spendthe summer evenings by the Oswego Lighthouse; Anglers fromacross the country come to Oswego County each fall for a world-class fishing experience.

Opposite Page: A young girl plays in the sand at Sandy Island Beachin Sandy Creek. It is one of several swimming and recreationalcenters across the county.

PROGRESS

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Oswego County has the benefits and pro-grams that keep businesses growing. Weare focused on the creation and retention ofjobs, strengthening our economic base byproviding assistance to local industries andattracting and assisting new industry tolocate in the county.

• Transportation: 2,000 miles of highway;CSX Rail System; fully-equipped countyairport and 45 minutes from Hancock Inter-national Airport in Syracuse; modern, deepwater Port of Oswego.• Power: Three nuclear power plants, 10hydroelectric plants, four natural gas andfossil fuel power plants, all with an installedcapacity of over 5.5 megawatts output.• Special incentive programs: we canhelp eligible businesses receive real prop-erty tax abatements, sales tax exemptions,job training, Empire Zone (EZ) benefits, lowinterest financing and utility discounts, plusother targeted business incentives.• Business Incubators: new businessesand industry can receive special attention atthe Start-up Facility and the Business Ex-pansion Center.• Industrial Development Agency: pro-vides financing and incentive benefits andadministers revolving loan programs.

Keeping things growing.

This page, from top: An Alcan employee inspects the scalped surfaceof an aluminum ingot; Huhtamaki Packaging Worldwide in Fulton isone of the top ten employers in Oswego County; Aluminum, cementand asphalt are a few of the materials transported out of the Port ofOswego Authority year round bringing ships to the picturesqueharbor; Located 15 miles from Hancock International Airport, theOswego County Industrial Park in Phoenix has full-service sitesavailable for business development; Sonoco Flexible Packagingoperates a flexible packaging division in Fulton.

Opposite Page: Production employees at Birds Eye Foods packagefrozen strawberries at the Fulton plant.

Thank you...Operation Oswego County thanks the individualsand businesses whose assistance helped make thisbrochure possible...

Alcan; Birds Eye Foods; Cayuga Community College; FortOntario; Fulton Thermal; Harbor Festivals, Inc.; HuhtamakiPackaging Worldwide; Metal Transportation, Inc.; OntarioOrchards; Oswego City School District; Oswego CountyDept. of Promotion and Tourism; Oswego County Historical

Society; Oswego Health; Paul’s Big M; JC Penney; Port CityCafe and Bakery; The Reynolds family; Rowlee Construc-tion; Sithe; St. Luke Health Services; SUNY Oswego; H. LeeWhite Marine Museum