Watson accepted state offer to stay in 2004
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- February
- 22
Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., the drug maker that plans to close its Carmel plant by the end of 2010, agreed in July 2004 to stay in Putnam County in return for $2.75 million in grants and tax benefits.
At the time, the company was considering a $25 million, 80,000-square-foot addition to its 110,000-square-foot operation on Stoneleigh Avenue in Carmel.
A.J. Carter, a spokesman for the Empire State Development Corp., said in an e-mail to The Journal News today that the company agreed to preserve the 450 jobs it had and add 100 more jobs by this year in return for the pacakge, which included a $250,000 grant and $2.5 million in tax credits.
But in February 2005, Watson, which is based in Corona, Calif., notified the state the project was under review, Carter said. The state’s offer expired in July 2006 and no money was ever provided to the company, Carter said.
Watson announced this week it would close the Carmel plant, a warehouse in Southeast and a lab in Danbury, Conn. within three years, taking 600 jobs out of the area.
“We’d be happy to speak with the company to see whether there is any assistance we can provide that would reverse the decision to close the Carmel and (Southeast) operations,â€? Carter said.
A Watson spokesperson did not return phone calls.
Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and, with Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, asked the company to reconsider its decision.
This entry was posted
on Friday, February 22nd, 2008 at 3:51 pm by Allan Drury.
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