By Garry Douglas
The North Country Chamber recently conducted its Annual Strategic Planning Retreat with two over-arching conclusions:
• 2024 has proven to be a very strong year for our strategic objectives.
• 2025 is a time to continue our strategic commitments, consolidating advances now in play while securing further progress.
There are many elements of our recent success, including an amazing transition at Nova Bus, $20 million from Governor Hochul for the $41 million BETA Technologies project; the dedication of infrastructure, opening the former county airport for industrial development; a record number of Red-Carpet sessions with Quebec businesses with several in play; and the strong return of our Canadian friends, creating a very strong year for tourism.
Going forward, we are committed to well-focused efforts around two strategic economic pillars:
• Our uniquely broad and deep connections with Quebec.
• The strength and further potential of our place in Advanced Manufacturing, particularly Transportation Equipment and Aerospace.
The basic aim will be to further maximize relationships, growth, and new opportunities related to transitions and to the multiple economic intersections between these two pillars.
Our commitments and endeavors will remain multi-faceted but will definitely include:
• North-South: Maintaining and growing our unique role in Quebec-New York and Canada-U.S. matters of all kinds as Quebec’s key U.S. partner.
• Human Capital: Sustaining and expanding our multi-faceted range of commitments to assisting North Country employers with their challenges in meeting recruitment and skills needs while simultaneously enhancing the economic well-being and quality of life of the people in our region.
• Government Affairs: Our special approach will remain an over-arching priority, standing as a key element of the means by which we will be able to successfully “move the needle” in the pursuit of our regional objectives and opportunities.
We call our strategic approaches “Advanced Chambering” and are committed to making 2025 an even more impactful year.
