A comapany called Innovative Solutions, celebrated the grand opening of its new space at the Riverwood Tech Campus on Tuesday.
The IT service provider has moved into a 19,000 square foot facility that formerly housed Kodak operations on East River Road. The move will allow the company to retain 70 of its current workers while creating 15 new positions.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul talked about the importance of local companies staying in the area.
"Certainly this is just a symbol of a region that is absolutely flourishing. The Finger Lakes region had been given up for dead. And when major employers like Kodak left and a lot of people’s hearts were broken and the community didn’t know how it was going to reimagine itself, a lot of companies like yours stepped up."
She mentioned it was her third time this week in Rochester to celebrate a business announcement.
Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo also celebrated the future of the tech industry in Rochester and the Finger Lakes.
"Standing here in this footprint, to experience the vibrancy, the creativity, the entrepreneurship, the life that is in this room, that is in this building, is simply amazing."
Dinolfo also talked about Innovative Owner and CEO Justin Copie's decision to keep the company local.
“You know what he said? I believe in Monroe County, I believe in the people of Monroe County. I want to make sure that the opportunity that I had, that Justin Copie had in Monroe County, is passed along to other people in this community."
Copie is an RIT graduate, and this new campus is just minutes away from the university, and said it is his mission to run a business where employees “wake up feeling inspired, safe, and return home and feel fulfilled at the end of every single day."
The new space also features space for tech-focused startups to use as a base.