Cortland — iSpice, a leading importer, processor, and supplier of herbs and spices from around the world, is expected to move and expand its operations to the former Voyant manufacturing facility in the city of Cortland by early 2024. Based in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, the company expects to create at least 350 jobs at the 500,000 sq. ft. Central Avenue facility over the next five years, a projection that will match the full-time positions lost when Voyant closed its operations there last year. The company currently operates facilities in Alabama, Mississippi, and New Jersey.
An ownership group led by local businessman Bill Clearly began working with iSpice shortly after acquiring the facility from Voyant last December and came to terms with the company recently over interest from many other suitors based primarily on the projected job creation. State incentives to bring the company to Cortland include a low-cost ReCharge NY power allocation from the New York Power Authority, a significant incentive package from Empire State Development, and a pending Payment in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) deal from the Cortland County Industrial Development Agency that would provide property tax and sales tax incentives for the company’s equipment purchases.
“This has been an intense, multi-faceted negotiation that has required the cooperation and good work of many, many partners, including an ownership group that could have gone in different directions but was committed to doing what was best for Cortland,” said CCIDA executive director Garry VanGorder. “There is much more to come and much more to say but this is no doubt a fabulous development for our community.”
