Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Montreal-based information technology company, Insum Solutions Corp., will begin operations on the Plattsburgh State campus as part of New York state’s START-UP NY Program.
This deal will create 16 new jobs, which will be filled by recent PSUC graduates and alumni or other local community members. So far, two recent graduates have been hired by Insum.
“Insum’s mission is to hire, train and make available to our customers, the best team of Oracle APEX specialists to help them develop quality and innovative solutions on time and budgets,” according to Insum Consultant Jason Quach.
He said Insum is also hoping to be involved on the PSUC campus by organizing contests and sponsoring events.
Aside from job offerings, Insum will also invest $55,000 in equipment, upgrades and server lines, as well as a new internet infrastructure to service customers.
START-UP NY is the state’s tax-free program associated with colleges and universities. The program brings job opportunities and business growth to both schools and companies, a “win-win for the company and students,” according to PSUC President John Ettling in a press release.
PSUC Chief of Staff Keith Tyo said Insum is a “good fit” for PSUC and its programs. He also said Insum is a “very unique situation,” as it is a Montreal-based company looking to get a “foothold” in the United States.
“The strategy behind Insum’s expansion and participation in the START-UP NY program is closely related to the company’s working relationship with the computer science department at SUNY Plattsburgh,” Tyo said.
Insum’s office space is located in Redcay Hall. They will begin to hire more people as early as January, and will offer internships to computer science students.
PSUC Professor and Insum Consultant Martin Mailloux, who proposed idea of collaborating with Insum, said the internships offered by the company will be offered as a full-time, paid position.
The internship will be convenient for students who live on campus, according to Mailloux, because it is on campus and within walking distance of most dorms and apartments.
Students who partake in the internship will gain hands-on experience working with software development for clients all over the country and Canada.
Mailloux said working for both Insum and PSUC helps him to integrate Insum into the community, as he can help on both fronts throughout the day.
Tyo predicts Insum will eventually need more space in the community as the business begins to flourish.
“My concern is that Insum is going to outgrow its space, but that is what we want,” Tyo said of potential growth.
According to a PSUC press release, Insum President Michael St. Amour said the company is working with the college because it believes a skilled labor force and good technical background is beneficial to the company’s stateside growth.
“The strategy behind our New York state expansion in Plattsburgh is closely related to our ability to replicate the success we have in our Montreal development center,” St. Amour said in the press release. “We create new IT positions and give graduates the opportunity to find a job locally. We train them on Oracle APEX technology, coach them on how to analyze and develop using best practices and supervise them closely to assure high quality deliverables.”
The Oracle APEX program is a component of the Oracle computer language software, used to develop secure and efficient web applications.
Thirty nine businesses have joined START-UP NY in this phase of the program and plan to expand business through colleges and universities. The program has committed to creating 817 new jobs across respectively assigned campus communities and invest more than $30 million statewide over the next five years.
START-UP NY currently has a total 202 committed companies to create over 4,400 new jobs and a total investment of more than $251 million over the next 3-to-5 years.
Other fields of work promoted by the program include biotechnology, manufacturing, research and development for medical devices, and aviation services, among others.
“This program continues to attract companies with visionary goals to every region of our states and is playing a key role in revitalizing those communities,” Cuomo said in a press release.
“The unique model of partnering innovative companies with our world-class colleges and universities not only creates new jobs, but also leverages hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment to stimulate regional growth.”
Email Marissa Russo at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
