BCW Announces New Data Exchange

The Business Council of Westchester has announced the creation of the BCW Data Exchange, a comprehensive online data center providing current and prospective Westchester businesses, not-for-profit organizations and governments with a multi-platformed, user-friendly source for up-to-date demographic information, statistical analysis and trend data about Westchester County.

The research will be conducted by Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a not-for-profit policy, planning, advocacy and research organization. It will go live on the BCW website in the first quarter of 2018.

Strategic areas will focus upon: demographics, snapshots of workforce data, housing, education, local government, transportation, infrastructure, real estate trends, municipal services and other vital data relevant to the attraction and retention of businesses in Westchester. Customized reports will be available for those looking for a deeper dive into the data.

“We’re pleased to be adding this valuable tool that will also offer an unparalleled resource for our urban centers and communities across the county that are undergoing a major revitalization,” said Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester. She added, “We are fortunate to be working with Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress on this important initiative. They are uniquely positioned to step beyond the limits of analyzing data from a single perspective and take a 360-degree examination of the challenges and issues that impact and shape the communities of Westchester.”

The idea of a comprehensive online data resource to help promote economic development in Westchester is the result of several years of strategic planning by the BCW Board of Directors. Board Member Heidi Davidson, who chairs the BCW’s data committee, said that the new service would fill a real need in the business community. “We live in a world where having and understanding data is everything,’’ said Davidson. “The availability of current data has long been a challenge for Westchester as there has never been a single repository of data for Westchester County. The comprehensive data available through the BCW Data Exchange will fuel the BCW and Westchester’s economic development efforts,” she added.