Watertown, NY.

North Country

Contact Steve Hunt
Industry Contact Regional Director Steve Hunt

From small towns and cities to rural settings, a strategic location for businesses

Join a growing number of successful companies that have discovered how doing business in the North Country opens the door to the North American market. With its proximity to Canada, from Watertown to Plattsburgh to Lake Placid, the region is a gateway to U.S. and Canadian companies seeking growth opportunities. The region’s colleges and universities provide critical workforce development and R&D infrastructure. State investments have grown the area’s tourism and global sports industries in the area, anchored by the stunning Thousand Islands and 6-million-acre Adirondack Park. Explore a region with a future that’s truly wide open. 

Key Industries in the North Country

A New York State farm.

Agribusiness

New York State agribusiness, supporting leading companies, is fueled by farms, rich natural resources and innovative agricultural startups.
Alstom Image

Transportation Equipment

New York State is the nation’s largest producer of equipment for the transit industry and a hub for unmanned aerial system development.
row boat in storage on Adirondack Lake

Tourism

Record numbers of visitors to New York State’s diverse regions—from the Adirondacks to Montauk—create jobs and a sizable economic impact.
Three wind turbines in a large field

Cleantech and Renewable Energy

New York State, a leader in clean tech and renewable energy resources, is growing a green economy—aiming for 100% clean power by 2040.
Monaghan (Medical) has been a contributor to the Plattsburgh economy for many years. Our commitment to continue to invest in the Plattsburgh area and employees is a testament to the commitment and quality of our work force
George T. Baran, Trudell Medical Limited Executive Chairman

The North Country’s diverse industry clusters are represented by key employers including Alstom, Kraft Heinz, Arconic, Norsk Titanium and the Trudeau Institute. They benefit from critical R&D infrastructure and workforce development from the area’s colleges and universities, including Clarkson University, SUNY Canton and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing.  

view of lake at sunset in the Adirondacks

Proximity to Quebec and Eastern Ontario makes the North Country uniquely suited to U.S. and Canadian companies, with border crossings in Alexandria Bay and Champlain having ranked in the nation’s top 10 for truck traffic entering the U.S. The region offers access to deep-water shipping through the St. Lawrence Seaway ports at Ogdensburg and Montreal (the second-largest inland port in North America) as well as access to the Champlain Canal that connects Lake Champlain and Montreal with the Hudson River to New York City. 

Spanning Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, the region also offers rich cultural venues and activities, supported by state investment in projects including: modernization of Olympic winter sports venues and visitor attractions in Lake Placid; downtown revitalization and waterfront resiliency; the Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel and conference center in Clayton, and the Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake; and Tupper Lake's popular Wild Center. New York State recognizes the importance of recreational opportunities in attracting visitors and retaining the region’s valuable workforce. 

North Country By The Numbers

Image
Icon image of a tractor

50+

companies make up the region’s Transportation Equipment Cluster 

Image
Teal Icon stats breaker funding graphic.

$27.7B

Total Gross Regional Product (2023) 

Image
icon of a store front

$3B

spent by travelers during 2023 

Population 2024

Labor Force Status 2024

Age Distribution 2024

Education Attainment 2024

Data source: ZoomProspector (Applied Geographic Solutions)

Doing Business in the North Country

Construction of the New NY Bridge in New York's Mid-Hudson Region.

Tax-Based Incentives

All forms of tax incentives that enable savings and cost advantages to businesses.
Man presenting a slide featuring a building rendering on the screen

Operational Support

Programs offering assistance or training to ensure more competitive businesses.
growth_support_overview.jpg

Growth Support

Funds, loans and other means of financial support to stimulate business growth.
People working and talking in co-working space in the Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center

Innovation Development Support

Leverage New York State’s unparalleled investment in world-class tech assets, programs and expertise to grow your business.

Explore opportunities in the North Country region

Visit the North Country Regional Economic Development Council site to see strategic plans, current projects and the latest economic data, plus access funding applications and more.

Regional Office

The North Country regional office works hand-in-hand with new and existing businesses to help identify economic development programs to support business growth and expansion—for building new facilities, relocating a business, expanding operations and workforce and entering new and global markets. 

Image
Steve Hunt, North Country Regional Director
Steve Hunt
Regional Director

61 Area Development Drive
Plattsburgh, 12901
United States

317 Washington Street
2nd Floor
Watertown, NY 13601
United States