By Rachel Dutil
I’ve moderated a Table at several Strictly Business Forums, but this year was different.
It was a milestone — a celebration of 35 years of the magazine’s success. The crowd was larger and the enthusiasm was unmistakable. Joining me at Table Four were:
Scott Allen, Managing Partner, AES Northeast
Kyle Bostwick, Buoyancy Advocate, Valcour Island Marina
Garry Douglas, President and CEO, North Country Chamber of Commerce
Michele Friedman, CVES Director of Career and Technical Education
Bill McColgan, President and CEO, Mountain Lake PBS
Christine G. Peters, Esq., Commissioner, Clinton County Department of Social Services
The discussion at our table kicked off with a recap of 2024, which all agreed was a good year in the North Country. “If it were any better, somebody would be investigating us,” Garry Douglas said. “It’s been a great year for the economy in the area, particularly for efforts that are laying foundations for the future.”
Christine Peters recognized that although business is booming, homeless numbers are on the rise. She cautioned that regionally we need to consider both short-term and long-term solutions to address the issue. “A lot of people need social services,” she said.
Kyle Bostwick began, “When we purchased Snug Harbor Marina in June of this past year, it was a completely distressed asset. For that reason, we made the decision not to operate and not to open the docks, but rather focus on building new infrastructure and being ready for 2025.” The location – on Route 9 south of Plattsburgh — will be re-branded as the Valcour Island Marina when it opens for the 2025 season. “I can tell you that at our other marinas, it was a very strong year. I think folks are becoming a bit more cautious about how they are spending their resources.”
Scott Allen offered, “At AES (Architecture, Engineering and Surveying) 2024 was a good year. We had a five percent increase in gross revenue. Our funding division secured a $27 million grant for municipal water and wastewater projects. We’re very proud of that. And we moved. We are back under one roof, which has been our goal for many years,” he said, referring to the company’s new location on South Platt Street in Plattsburgh.
According to Michelle Friedman, “CVES is experiencing our highest number of high school students participating in career and technical education programming. We’re seeing renewed respect for the skilled trades and career development in conjunction with post-secondary pathways. One of the most resounding advances we’re seeing is the mindset shift that it’s not necessarily high school, college and then work. There are opportunities for on-ramps and off-ramps where you can train in high school, work for companies like Norsk Titanium and Beta Technologies and then use the skills you’ve earned to advance.” Friedman also expressed excitement about the news that CVES will take over the operations of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing.
“From a mission standpoint, this has been a really great year,” Bill McColgan said of Mountain Lake PBS. “We’ve expanded our partnerships with nonprofits throughout the region and we’ve built relationships on both sides of the border that weren’t there before. We’ve expanded our educational content and developed new materials designed to meet New York State standards.” From a financial standpoint, 2024 was a good, but not great year for Mountain Lake. Changes in the industry continue to be the biggest challenge for the organization. “We know we need to be meeting our viewers where they are, and increasingly that is not on our linear television channel,” McColgan said, adding that MLPBS serves a large population of Canadian viewers, and the rules are different for streaming across the border.
Workforce Issues
The region’s ability to provide workforce training will continue to be an asset for economic development, but meeting staffing needs will likely continue to be a challenge moving into 2025.
“Clinton County Social Services currently has 166 employees and we struggle to both recruit and retain,” Peters offered. “One thing that’s been really nice is the health program, which has wiped out the need for civil service testing. You only need to have the qualifications for the position to be considered,” adding that the drawback is that many applicants don’t have human services exposure. “It can take a toll on you,” she admitted.
The North Country Chamber of Commerce has become a leader in providing workforce training programs. “We’re currently administering ten workforce grants, a couple of them in collaboration with CV-TEC, the rest with other partners,” Douglas said. “On behalf of our employer community, particularly our manufacturers, the Chamber has stepped up to be a conduit for available funding and to translate that funding into meaningful responses.”
Friedman echoed Douglas and touted the program that CV-TEC offers in collaboration with BETA Technologies. “BETA came to us four years ago and said, ‘We are going to need specialists to paint carbon fiber aircraft. There’s no program in the world that does that, but we need to do it. Will you help us?’ So, believe it or not, working with them and the FAA, we created an Aerospace Coating Applicator Specialist training program that’s embedded in our auto-collision repair technology program. What happens in career and technical education is really workforce development.”
Douglas explained that one of the key areas that convinced Micro Bird to come to Plattsburgh was, “We had the capabilities to meet their future workforce training needs, which is a key consideration now in any decision to locate or expand a manufacturing operation.”
Bostwick added that once you’ve attracted employees, you need to work hard to retain them. “Whether I’m looking for a seasonal employee or whether Lake Champlain Transportation is looking for a highly skilled, role-specific member of the team, it’s important that once you identify them, you do what is necessary to keep them. You’ve got to make sure they feel good about your company. Valcour Island Marina will put a lot of emphasis on culture. We plan to go to great lengths to find great people and keep them by creating an environment they want to work in.”
Mountain Lake PBS’s size and non-profit status can make it hard to compete with larger organizations. “We’ve got a wonderful area here to sell to people if they’re willing to come in and really take a look at it,” McColgan said. “Because we are not going to be able to pay the salaries available in larger commercial entities around the country, it’s about finding that person who wants the lifestyle that you can find in the North Country and a community-oriented mission. A collaborative environment, a lack of silos, and a widespread dedication to doing whatever it takes for the organization to succeed — these are at the core of our success, along with the community support we rely upon and appreciate.”
AES has doubled its workforce to 36 people over the past seven years. “It has been a challenge to find young engineers who want to stay in this area,” Allen admitted. “We’re constantly competing with firms from the larger, more urban areas.” Bringing on summer interns from Clarkson University or other engineering colleges and providing them with training and meaningful work has been successful. “Now we’re starting to consider going into the high schools and seeing if we can provide some tuition assistance and summer work to help them through college.”
Friedman emphasized that loyalty and connection are meaningful for students. “We’re finding that when we can expose students to a business or partner early, employers often take an interest in their talent and there is a return on investment. They want to work for the company. Loyalty is key.”
Economic and Geopolitical Outlook
When asked about his economic and geopolitical outlook, Douglas was optimistic. “We’re in good shape. We know how to be friends with whoever the voters decide to elect at any given time.”
McColgan said that his organization has typically enjoyed broad bi-partisan support. “The key to success moving forward is to ensure that people are fully aware of what we provide in the areas of education, trusted information, civic and cultural engagement, and more… and building on our many partnerships with the folks that understand and appreciate the value of what we bring to the community.” MLPBS’ funding stream is made up of several sources including broad-based private donations, corporate support and government funding and grants tied to services. “Our sustainability and ability to serve is driven by our effectiveness in terms of making sure we are of value to the region,” McColgan said.
Douglas emphasized the importance of being studiously committed to regional things and not national issues. “That is the strategy we employ in discussions we have with Senator Chuck Schumer. I never talk to him for a minute about a national issue. I talk to him about broadband investments, staffing levels at the border, Customs funding for the airport — region-specific things. As an area we have found the secret sauce of how to be effective politically no matter what the voters decide.”
Friedman noted that CV-TEC programs support regional workforce needs. “Workforce shortages across industries such as healthcare, transportation, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture remain significant concerns. CV-TEC’s programs, including New Visions Medical Careers, CDL A and CDL B training, and Animal Science: Large Animal Production, are directly addressing these shortages by aligning with high-demand sectors.” She added that the new CTE center that will be completed in 2026 will enhance opportunities for relevant training that meet the needs of regional employers.
AES has touted itself as being “intentionally regional” in providing architectural, engineering, surveying, and funding services to the North Country and Vermont. “Over the past several years states and the federal government have provided funding to local governments that has had a direct positive effect on the communities we serve,” Allen explained, adding that AES has expanded its geographic area to include a wider area of the North Country. “These programs, which are administered by the State of New York and Vermont have allowed communities to move forward large infrastructure projects that normally would not have been realized. As these programs continue in the coming years, we expect to see additional funding entering the North Country.”
Peters drafts an annual budget for her department that is “the largest part of our county budget at $52 million. I don’t think people think of us as an economic engine, but we really are,” she said. The Department of Social Services administers financial assistance programs, supplemental nutrition assistance, employment assistance, children and family services. “We try to be responsible to the taxpayers and keep things within the tax cap and still provide the services that are needed.”
Bostwick praised the region’s natural beauty and proximity to more urban areas, particularly Montreal. “We came to this area in June with the intent of investing to create a place and an opportunity for our lake to be enjoyed by more people. We are looking to the future very positively.”
Community Partnerships
The ability in the North Country to collaborate and work together to achieve success is one of the core strengths of the region.
McColgan observed, “Our work is largely based on partnerships, whether it be with local educators and school systems, our universities, community foundations, museums, arts organizations, independent filmmakers, social service agencies, or environmental groups. When we undertake on-air and on-line initiatives focused on mental health or substance abuse awareness, we work closely with organizations like BHSN, MHAB, Champlain Valley Family Center, county mental health services, and New York State agencies. When we focus on our region’s history and natural beauty, we partner with the Adirondack Experience, the Wild Center, Miner Institute, or folks working in the trenches on solutions to our various environmental issues. We may be collaborating with the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, the Strand, the Plattsburgh State Art Museum, or other cultural and entertainment treasures one day and working with our local cities, towns and villages on important public information initiatives another. While we’re promoting and enhancing the important work they’re doing, they’re promoting and enhancing the work we’re doing. It’s truly symbiotic,” he offered.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of partnerships for our agency,” Peters said. “We interact with everyone from birth to grave. We bury the indigent, so I have a lot of contact with funeral directors. If someone is in crisis, I need to be able to pick up the phone and call somebody and say, ‘I have this person. Here’s what I can do. What can you do?’ I’m constantly interacting with the hospital and the educational system,” she said. “Many people don’t understand what social services are and how many people are served. We are trying to help people help themselves to a better future. So if they need to access entitlements for a period of time, that’s what we need to do. What we try to do is educate through partnerships with local news agencies that highlight the needs of our community and what we’re doing about them,” she stressed.
“Everything in the North Country needs to be a partnership,” Douglas said. “We’re not a big metro area where you can do everything yourself or have such capacity that there’s one player that can do it all. One of the secrets of our success is how well, we collaborate in business, economic and workforce development. We don’t compete. Every area says that, but few of them do it on a day-to-day basis like we do.”
Rachel Dutil is the Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator at William H. Miner Institute.
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