PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Brady Meixell, Government Relations and Business Services Manager of Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation
1:19:18
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135 sec
Brady Meixell from Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation testified about the importance of Industrial Business Service Providers (IBSPs) in supporting industrial businesses and their workforce. He highlighted the critical role of industrial jobs in providing strong wages and career pathways, and detailed the services offered by IBSPs.
- Meixell emphasized the need for increased IBSP funding, citing static contract amounts despite rising costs.
- He requested a 50% increase in IBSP funding, indexing to inflation, and a shift from 1-year to 3-year contracts.
- The testimony highlighted SBDC's impact, working with over 250 unique businesses and providing workshops for 73 businesses in 2024 alone.
Brady Meixell
1:19:18
Thank you so much.
1:19:19
Good afternoon, chair Farias and members of the committee on economic development.
1:19:23
I'm Brady Meixle, the government relations and business services manager for the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation.
1:19:30
We're a mission driven nonprofit that's been supporting industrial biz businesses and their workforce in Sunset Park, Red Hook, and Gowanus for over 40 years.
1:19:38
And our work is possible due to the industrial business service provider contract.
1:19:42
Industrial jobs are extremely important to our communities as they provide strong wages, low barriers to entry, and career pathways for those without college educations, and those for whom English is a second language.
1:19:55
As an IBSP, our organization provides a wide range of free support services so that industrial firms can continue to do business in Brooklyn.
1:20:03
We help businesses access financing, find new space to operate, navigate city agencies, and help register as NWBEs among other things.
1:20:11
We also play a critical role in connecting industrial manufacturing businesses to each other.
1:20:16
And finally, we offer educational courses and workshops to businesses to help them grow their revenue and job offerings.
1:20:22
In 2024 alone, SBDC has worked with over 250 unique businesses.
1:20:27
We had 73 businesses take part in our workshops and trainings this year.
1:20:31
The IBSP contract is a vital source of funding which allows our organization to continue to operate, but we also leverage it alongside other sources providing significant return on the city's investment in us.
1:20:42
However, year after year, it becomes more difficult to continue to maintain our staffing and provide these free services while the IBSP contract we rely on has remained static and not adjusted for inflation.
1:20:53
Given the crucial challenges ahead of us transitioning to a green economy, rising costs, and halting the headwinds of gentrification, Our industrial jobs are more important than ever.
1:21:02
We ask the committee and city council to ensure that our organizations can continue to offer these important services by including 3 items in relation to I b p IBSPs in next year's city budget.
1:21:13
A 50% increase in IBSP funding, indexing the funding to inflation, and shifting the funding from a 1 to a 3 year contract.
1:21:20
Thank you for your time today, and thank you for your continued efforts to ensure quality jobs and equitable economic growth across New York City and for your focus on the industrial sector, as shown by scheduling this hearing to begin with.
1:21:32
We we greatly appreciate it.
