North Country
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
Transportation Equipment
Tourism
Cleantech and Renewable Energy
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 forceGeorge 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.
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.
Population 2024
Labor Force Status 2024
Age Distribution 2024
Education Attainment 2024
Data source: ZoomProspector (Applied Geographic Solutions)
Doing Business in the North Country
Tax-Based Incentives
Operational Support
Growth Support
Innovation Development Support
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.
61 Area Development Drive
Plattsburgh, 12901
United States
317 Washington Street
2nd Floor
Watertown, NY 13601
United States