The Southern Tier has long been a region of opportunity. Growing up in Binghamton, I witnessed firsthand how thriving industries provided for families and sustained vibrant communities. But over the past few decades, we have watched prosperity slip away.

The Southern Tier once thrived on manufacturing that provided stable, middle-class jobs. But as companies moved production overseas in search of cheaper labor and materials, the foundation of our local economy eroded. Between 1990 and 2013, Binghamton lost 70 percent of its manufacturing jobs and saw a 14 percent drop in population. In the last decade, the region has made some gains, particularly in sectors like clean-energy research, but the broader challenge remains: Our region is still playing catchup while other parts of upstate push forward with economic-revitalization efforts.

The driver of upstate’s broader economic gains is the onshoring of key industries and supply chain businesses that the pandemic exposed we as a nation has lost far too much of.

Having spent my career at the intersection of global supply chains, manufacturing, and energy innovation, I have witnessed the sweeping changes reshaping the national economy. Annual construction spending in manufacturing has tripled since 2020, soaring to $234 billion. Clean-energy innovations have surged from $78 billion in 2018 to more than $240 billion in 2023. As the nation rethinks its reliance on foreign supply chains, the Southern Tier has a chance to be part of this revival — but only if we act decisively and urgently.

We need a more strategic approach to economic development, one that balances immediate needs with long-term growth. Companies like mine looking to expand need a mix of existing buildings that can be quickly retrofitted, such as the Huron Campus buildings, and shovel-ready sites that can accommodate rapid construction of facilities, such as the proposed and much-needed Broome Technology Park. Having this combination doesn’t just make it easier to get businesses up and running. It signals that our region has a long-term plan for economic growth.

Other regions are already streamlining processes, developing business-ready facilities, and making themselves competitive to attract industries of the future.

Take Rochester and the Mohawk Valley as prime examples. They are demonstrating what’s possible when business, housing, and public resources are brought together in innovative ways.

Rochester’s Eastman Reserve, for example, is transforming part of the Eastman Business Park into a mixed-use hub, blending housing, business opportunities, and public amenities. Similarly, the reimagined Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome has evolved into a thriving business and technology park, complete with housing, art installations, and recreational spaces designed to attract and retain workers.

These communities understand that businesses aren’t just looking for land; they’re looking for a vision — a place where employees can live, work, and thrive.

The Southern Tier should be that place.

As someone who helps lead a major supplier operating across diverse supply chains, I see firsthand the importance of positioning ourselves not just as leaders in a single industry, but also as supporters of many.

For example, on a regional level, this means leveraging our academic research prowess via Binghamton University to attract semiconductor testing and packaging companies that could support Micron while also leaning into tech-driven agricultural processing businesses that bolster the farming industry stretching across upstate. Landing both requires us to be open-minded about how to deliver the unique sites and resources they each need.

The bottom line is clear: Greater Binghamton must act with urgency. We are not just competing with other states; we are competing with regions across New York that are already taking bold steps to secure their economic future. Binghamton has a legacy of innovation, but we cannot move forward by clinging to the past.

We must ensure that the next generation sees the Southern Tier as a place where they can build meaningful careers in communities where young people want to set down roots, raise families, and contribute to a thriving local economy.

It’s time we thought bigger, or let this once in a generation opportunity slip away.      

Jennifer Lupo is VP for technology solutions, supply chain, and leasing at Toyota Material Handling North America, which includes The Raymond Corporation.