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Brooklyn Navy Yard Welcomes MWBEs and Small Manufacturers

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is more than an urban manufacturing hub: It offers an employment center for local residents, as well as training, leadership and consulting services available to the local business community.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is more than an urban manufacturing hub: It offers an employment center for local residents, as well as training, leadership and consulting services available to the local business community.

Brooklyn Navy Yard, BK Reader, MWBE, small business development, business services, business spaces, small businesses, small manufacturers, BLDG 92, New Lab, Admiral's Row, Clare Newman,
Photo credit: Brooklyn Navy Yard

As the Brooklyn Navy Yard continues to expand, it wants the local community to know: its doors are wide open! Thus, on Thursday, January 25, the urban manufacturing hub is hosting a special meet-and-greet to introduce local MWBE businesses to the affordable industrial spaces at the Yard.

"It is particularly important to us that everyone in the surrounding community is aware of the opportunities that the Navy Yard offers," says Clare Newman, chief of staff of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. "With the expansion of our new spaces and the existing buildings, we want to make sure that small manufacturers and MWBEs are aware that these spaces are available to them, and that we are here to support their businesses."

Over the last decade, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has become home to 400 companies that are employing more than 7,000 New Yorkers. Currently, the Yard is comprised of the New Lab, a 84,000- square-foot multidisciplinary design and manufacturing hub; BLDG 92, an exhibition, visitor and employment center, to promote Yard tenants and to provide enhanced job placement services; and Building 77, the largest complex in the Navy Yard, which includes a 60,000-square-foot ground-floor food manufacturing hub that serves both as a public gateway as well as the central gathering point for Navy Yard businesses.

Managed by the nonprofit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, the Yard is more than just a commercial space, emphasizes Newman.

"The Brooklyn Navy Yard is a unique, not-for-profit landlord that is in support of small manufacturers and MWBEs to create high-quality jobs," she says. "Small businesses can rely on us to help them with growing their business through our business support services."

The organization operates an on-site employment center solely dedicated to connecting local residents with jobs within the yard. Additionally, the Yard's business support services offer training, leadership and growth support as well as 1-on-1 consulting services. And events like the upcoming meet-n-greet for MWBEs are important to the Yard, Newman adds.

"So much of what we are trying to do is about creating economic opportunity for our surrounding area which is - in New York City and Brooklyn - very diverse. These areas need diverse opportunities," says Newman. "Reality is that there are barriers for MWBEs. It is important for the Yard to offer equal access to these diverse opportunities."

Small manufacturers and MWBEs who are interested in the upcoming happy hour can expect to discover the Brooklyn Navy Yard, both as a manufacturing hub and industrial space, as well as its mission. Attendees will also get to learn more about the specifics of and opportunities within the existing spaces, as well as projects like Admiral's Row, the future home of the popular supermarket Wegmans.

"This initiative is really important to us and we will continue to create these events so that we can forge real relationships. We're growing, expanding and we're not going anywhere," says Newman. "And we want the community to know: Our doors are open!"

Brooklyn Navy Yard Happy Hour with Local MWBE Business Owners 

When: Thursday, January 25, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: BLDG 92, 63 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

RSVP: Jalicea@bnydc.org




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