Geography

Major employers

The Jamestown area has a few large manufacturing plants that are major employers in this region. These include Bush Industries (makers of ready-to-assemble furniture), Cummins Inc. (manufacturer of diesel engines; the heavy duty engine plant is located in the Town of Busti, just west of Jamestown, but still called the Jamestown Engine Plant or JEP), SKF AeroEngine (formerly MRC Bearings), TitanX Engine Cooling Inc., Jamestown Container Companies (corrugated container manufacturer), Truck-Lite (makers of truck lighting systems), "Blackstone" (makers of sheet metal), "Jamestown Electroplating Works Inc" (Metal Plating Finishing Service), and "Water Street Brass Corporation" (manufacturer of decorative brass hardware). The area was once known as the "furniture capital of the world" for its many talented furniture and brass hardware manufacturers. Chain stores have opened in recent years in the surrounding area, including Walmart, KMart, Wegmans, Sam's Club, CVS, and Rite Aid.
"The Connection" an outsource phone call center has become a major employer on the corner of Second and Washington Streets in Jamestown housed in the Furniture Mart building, and headquartered out of Minnesota.
WCA Hospital (Women's Christian Association) was founded May 23, 1885, and included a nursing school until Jamestown Community College filled the need with a two-year RN nursing program. It currently has a school of Medical Technology and Radiology Technology. Though Jamestown General Hospital still stands on Jones Hill, it is no longer publicly owned, and is now part of UPMC Chautauqua WCA. It houses mental health units as well physical, drug and alcohol rehab units. The main campus of UPMC Chautauqua WCA is on the corner of Allen St and Foote Avenue.
At present, the greater Jamestown area remains at the center of an impressive agricultural region. Among the area's leading producers are Welch's, Mogen David, Kraft Foods and Red Wing. Of all the counties in New York State, Chautauqua County has more farms than any other (about 2,200). Although its primary agricultural product is milk, Chautauqua County is also the State's greatest producer of wine and jelly grapes. The area's production of Concord grapes is one of the largest in the nation, second only to California.