The award recognized the county's "innovative and effective use of incentives in the economic development of Dutchess County," DCEDC officials said. In particular, the magazine focused on the county's use of the Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Economic Development Zone, now named the Empire Zone, which offers tax credits and incentives to businesses of all sizes.

"To be selected for a top-three position in an international competition for the effective use of incentives as an economic development tool is highly gratifying," says Kathleen Sullivan Norat, president of the DCEDC. "The Empire Zone has served Dutchess County well. Recent enhancements by Governor (George) Pataki make the program even more effective in creating new jobs."

The use of the Empire Zone helped secure the attraction of the Gap to build a massive distribution and warehouse facility, which will create 2,270 new jobs when completed, the retention of Philips Semiconductors operations and 950 jobs and IBM's selection of Dutchess County for its $2.5 billion semiconductor chip manufacturing plant, county officials note.