Dutchess County, New York, located less than 70 miles from Manhattan, is a prime location for primary and secondary data centers. Strategically located within a six-hour drive of 68 million U.S. and Canadian customers, 21% of American manufacturers and a $227 billion retail sales market, Dutchess County boasts easy access to major transportation, including Amtrak and MetroNorth Railroads, the Dutchess County Airport, and Interstates 84 and 87, making it a hub of activity for the Tri-State area.

Businesses looking to expand or relocate their data centers to Dutchess County can take advantage of a range of both state and local incentives, as well as an expedited permitting and review process, all through a one-stop shop center at the Think Dutchess Alliance for Business. Data center developers and endusers are eligible for Start Up NY incentives — that’s 10 years of operation tax free. Businesses can also take advantage of traditional IDA programs, as well as utilities incentives for creating new high-tech jobs, revitalizing older abandoned buildings, and upgrading buildings with equipment for back-up generation, advanced energy efficient systems, and more.

Dutchess County boasts robust telecommunications connectivity, competitive reliable, and redundant power and inexpensive utilities rates, offering the necessary resources needed to sustain mission critical facilities. Businesses located in Dutchess County can also take advantage of a highly skilled, educated workforce. Many award-winning institutes of higher education call the County home, including Bard College, Vassar College, and Marist College In addition, Dutchess County is within an hour drive miles from other major education institutions including SUNY Purchase, Pace University, and the United States Military Academy.

The County is home to a strong high-tech community including CyrusOne, GlobalFoundries,andIBM. IBM, founded in Poughkeepsie in 1911, maintains several facilities in the County, including its manufacturing facilities, Customer Solution Center, enterprise hardware and software research and development laboratories, its z13 and high-end Power Systems development and test laboratories and its Systems Executive Briefing Center. The New York State Cloud Computing and Analytics Center, Marist’s Institute for Data Center Professionals, and Hudson Valley Tech Meet-Up also call Dutchess County home, and are major contributors to its thriving tech economy.