Location, Location, Location!! The North Country’s advantageous position on the north/ south corridor that connects Canada to the U.S., is one of our greatest assets. In this issue of Strictly Business we bring you a look at some of the companies and people who are taking full advantage of our location.
In this issue we recognize A.N. Deringer as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. The largest privately held customs house broker in the country, Deringer was established in St. Albans Vermont. In 1941 the company created its first location in New York when it opened an office in Rouses Point. Thirty years later a service center was built in Champlain. Today Deringer has customer service centers in 16 states but Champlain remains its largest.
A visit to Nova and Prevost Bus’s plant on the Banker Road in the Town of Plattsburgh was a fascinating experience for SB writer, Carol Blakeslee-Colin. Subsidiaries of Volvo North America headquartered in Quebec, Nova and Prevost found an ideal location in our area that would allow them to fulfill the Buy America requirements of the industry.
NAmTrans, a subsidiary of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, is designed to serve, support and raise awareness of the transportation equipment and aerospace cluster in northern New York. Read about its efforts and get to know its director, Joel Wood in this issue.
North Country Garage Door owners, Joe and Celine LaBarr’s story is the type of article I particularly enjoy. They took a chance, established a business, worked hard, treated their employees well, and have earned their success.
Our article “All on the Same Team” offers a look at seven North Country women who are juggling family and business responsibilities in an amazing way. Read their story and you will wonder how they find enough hours in the day.
This month’s Insight article features Doug Hoffman who is best known for his successful CPA practice with four offices across our area. In his SB profile you will learn about the start of his career as the comptroller of the 1980 Winter Olympics and how he has evolved professionally.
And then Garry Douglas wraps up this issue with a report on the Chamber’s Strategic Planning Retreat. As always, the Chamber’s ambitious plan is focused on maximizing its impact for North County business success.
I can recall when our location, in the tiny northeast corner of New York State, was considered a liability. We were viewed as isolated and it was thought our chances to find a place on the world stage were virtually non-existent. That mindset held the area back for decades but thanks to modern transportation and forward-thinking leadership we have found incredible opportunities… and that’s good for business.