Chamber resumed its practice in November of conducting an “Annual Strategic Planning Retreat” with our Board, incoming Board Members and management staff — this time for an evening and a day at the new Saranac Waterfront Lodge in Saranac Lake. The opening dinner featured our friend and partner, Martine Hebert, the new Quebec Delegate General read more
Chamber Wise
STILL OUR FUTURE AND THAT FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Our region’s special economic integration with our northern neighbor has been the single greatest driving force in our economy for more than 25 years and — despite the protracted interruption of cross border travel from Canada — it remains so. And we have every reason to expect that the best is yet to come. Our read more
THE STRATEGIC RETREAT IS BACK!
For at least twenty-seven years, the North Country Chamber’s board and management staff, along with a number of invited guests, had engaged in an annual Strategic Planning Retreat in the fall. Over that period, this process transformed our regional chamber from the old Clinton County version, created a set of economic development principles that guide read more
IT’S LIKE DÉJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN… ONLY DIFFERENT
AS WE ARE HOPEFULLY CONTINUING to move past the pandemic, the #1 challenge being confronted by employers is the availability of workforce. It’s not geographic as it is being experienced nationally and in Canada and Europe, and in rural, urban and suburban areas alike. It’s not sectoral as it is being experienced in manufacturing, retail, read more
ARE WE THERE YET?
THE TOPIC OF THE SUMMER is the border and what progress we can achieve toward reopening. And so, I am focusing on the border in this column, though I am writing it in mid-July, not knowing how all of our efforts may or may not impact things by the first of August. It’s like a read more
One More Recovery Opportunity for Our Small Businesses
OVER THE LAST 15 MONTHS, the North Country Chamber has committed itself to assisting area businesses survive the pandemic and recover from its impacts in a number of ways. One of these has been to advocate for federal and state business support of various kinds and then to provide information, guidance and assistance in accessing read more
A SUMMER LIKE NO OTHER
And so, we head into a summer like no other, with the border expected to remain largely closed to non-essential travel and with the continuing (if hopefully diminishing) impacts of the pandemic and lingering business and travel restrictions. The impacts continue to be very uneven. While some hospitality related businesses dependent on our Canadian friends read more
WE’RE ALREADY AT THE HEART OF THE GREEN ECONOMY
“What can we do to be part of the green economy and clean energy jobs?” This question has become routine when meeting with someone we haven’t met with before to discuss economic development in the North Country. And my answer is always the same. We were 25 years ahead of the curve when we decided read more
Where NY Meets Montreal – Ou New York recontre Montreal
Spring is a time for renewal and the North Country Chamber has been renewing its brand and presentation in several respects in recent weeks. March first saw the official launch of our new Chamber logo, creating a modern look that is more representative of a multi-faceted, regional business and economic development organization. But we weren’t read more
TIME FOR A NEW LOOK
Some 25 years ago, as we set about morphing the Plattsburgh & Clinton County Chamber into a new regional entity for the North Country, we created a new logo. Stressing water and mountains, it was comfortable as an expression of our geography and even of our long-time engagement in tourism marketing. It came at a read more