State is providing incentives for CRFS expansion

ALBION – The economic development agencies for Orleans County and New York State are each providing some help for Claims Recovery Financial Services to move into the former Chase call center and add 150 jobs.

The company already employs about 600 people in Orleans County at the Olde Pickle Factory in Medina and next door to Chase in Albion.

Empire State Development has offered CRFS an $872,500 incentive package to assist with job creation and retention, which includes a $472,500 wage tax credit and a $400,000 capital grant to help pay for new computers, desks and other office furniture.

The Orleans Economic Development Agency approved a $250,000 low-interest loan from the Orleans Revolving Loan Fund. That money will help CRFS with some of the upfront costs for creating the new work spaces. The EDA also will approve a sales tax abatement for the equipment purchases.

The Chase building at 231 East Ave. has been acquired by Roger Hungerford and his development company, Talis Equity. Hungerford owns the Olde Pickle Factory in Medina.

The EDA board of directors hasn’t met to discuss a tax abatement plan for the building, which is assessed at $4,046,000. The EDA approved a 10-year abatement plan for Chase in 2011. That first year Chase didn’t have to pay any taxes to the local governments. With each following year, the company would pay 10 percent more of a $4,046,000 assessment until the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) expired in 2021.

Once Chase shut down the Albion site, the PILOT was cancelled and the property returned to the tax rolls at 100 percent of its assessed value.