Playing the Long Game

By Rachel Dutil

Standing: Garry Douglas, Danielle King, Rachel Dutil, Christine Peters, Christina Ubl; Seated: Aaron Roth, Todd McCarthy

Some of the most influential people in Clinton County were seated at my table at the 36th annual Strictly Business Forum. The discussion was both robust and engaging. The main takeaways were the North Country’s resiliency and business diversity. Creative, out-of-the box thinking, thoughtful implementation of new technology, and collaboration between business and educational institutions will continue to be key as we navigate a rapidly changing world.

Joining me were:

Danielle King, President and CEO, The Development Corp (TDC)

Aaron Roth, Branch Manager, KAS Environmental Consulting

Christina Ubl, Co-owner and Certified Financial Planner, Clute Wealth Management

Christine Peters, Clinton County Administrator

Garry Douglas, President and CEO, North Country Chamber of Commerce

Todd McCarthy, owner, Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel

Even in a challenging political and economic climate, participants had a positive outlook on 2025 and cautious optimism moving into 2026.

“It’s been both a challenging year and a historic year of progress,” Douglas summarized. “We welcomed five major industrial investments from Quebec and Alstom was awarded $3 billion in new contracts over the summer, but tariffs have caused a lot of uncertainty. That has been a great problem because you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” he said.

That uncertainty has impacted TDC King noted. “In the early second quarter, we saw a lot of tariff panic where companies were banging on the door looking for space, but not a single one of them ended up coming,” she said. Vacancy in TDC buildings is higher than in recent years, but that has allowed King and her team to do marketing and continue conversations with companies they’ve been talking with for several years.

Peters took over as Clinton County Administrator in October following Michael Zurlo’s retirement. She moved into that position from her role as the county’s Commissioner of Social Services. “I went from looking at humans to looking at dollars,” she said. “There was a lot of concern over the impact the tariffs would have on our local economy, but sales tax revenue is up. I had low hopes for 2025, but I’m ending up with positives.”

“By evidence of the numbers, we are doing things better here than some of the other border counties in the state,” Douglas said, touting the Chamber’s marketing team for its efforts to nurture relationships with markets downstate and in New Jersey “so we are not so dependent on Canadian tourism. We also have a very strong business environment, particularly with manufacturing that has caused a real uptick in business-related travel.”

Roth noted environmental consulting at KAS has been busy in 2025. “We do a lot of due diligence with property transactions, and a lot of health and safety stuff with new industries. We’re on the leading edge with what’s going on.”

“We have seen a significant increase in people planning for retirement and for businesses that are ready to transition,” Ubl said. “Our business has been focused on how to help those two groups.”

McCarthy explained, “My business was relatively flat in 2025, but with all the obstacles we’ve had, I view that as progress.” His largest area of growth has been what McCarthy referred to as Store 7, his internet business. “The tariffs are here, and some prices have to go up. I think if you’re fiscally minded and detailed in your business, you’re going to figure out ways to accommodate.”

Workforce Issues

“I’ve surrounded myself with a great team,” McCarthy explained. “We have loyal managers who have been with us for years. We’re blessed, but if you don’t appreciate them and take care of them, that’s a heavy hit.” He noted that since the pandemic his stores are closed on Sundays, giving his staff a guaranteed day off each week.

“A lot of companies are going to struggle in the coming years with the retirements of older employees who have a lot of institutional knowledge. How are they going to transition new employees into those roles and provide them with the necessary knowledge and training.” Roth offered.

“The County has been aided by the Civil Service Administration’s decision to remove testing requirements and allow people to apply for jobs based on qualifications,” Peters said. “Once that happened, it alleviated a hiring burden. We began to see people who had not been able to apply and they became valued employees who are passionate about their work.”

Ubl recently found success with a new employee hired with the help of a local employment agency. “There weren’t a lot of great resumes coming in, so I went that route and I’m really, really happy we did.” She noted the difficulty of finding employees with financial industry experience in the North Country. “Because of that we’ve started hiring for personality. We hire the person, not the resume.”

Peters agreed, “You cannot train somebody to be positive or to show up on time. COVID really impacted this generation going into the workforce.”

Workforce development continues to be a strong focus for TDC. King touted the recent Manufacturing Day which paired regional high school students with area companies. The students were able to spend time with company reps to get an understanding of their business model. “There are global opportunities here in the North Country that come with unique careers that students and their parents don’t know about. We are breaking down those information barriers.”

Policy Changes

“More stringent environmental regulations drive more environmental work,” Roth admitted. “Sometimes what’s good for those of us in the environmental industry is not always what’s good for the business community. I would love to see a more common-sense approach to environmental regulation.”

“Sufficient quality and quantity of power remain the biggest issue facing businesses in the County,” Douglas confirmed. “Power is always the first conversation with businesses considering coming to the area,” King agreed. “It’s a major problem that extends beyond New York State,” Roth added. “It is a global challenge.”

“The methods of manufacturing are changing,” King said. “The types of companies we want to attract take an immense amount of infrastructure and modern power.”

Douglas offered, “The policy mandates have gotten way ahead of the logical need to invest in the infrastructure to deliver power.”

Roth observed, “The need for infrastructure upgrades in water and sewer is great. Kicking the can down the road to allow for us to keep budgets in line in recent years, means now it is time to face the needs.”

Peters noted, “Unfunded mandates are a huge concern. There are new federal policies that are impacting people in poverty. The changes won’t mean we will have fewer people coming in the door. What it will mean is we are going to have a $3.5 million cost that wasn’t here last year.”

“Currently, only a handful of states require financial education in our schools — New York is not one of them,” Ubl emphasized. “Understanding basic concepts such as credit cards, credit scores, interest rates, and income vs. expenses could help people make informed decisions.”

Impacts of New Technology

McCarthy noted, “Technology is critical for monitoring inventory and tracking sales trends, but I want our sales teams to interact with customers. That is an important part of our service,” Fear that his supply chain will become unreliable worries McCarthy. “My suppliers don’t really want to work with independents like they used to 15 years ago,” he said.

Peters implemented a new system to help answer phones in the Social Services Department during her tenure and was pleased with the results. “It was a way to redirect the workforce, not reduce it,” she said, adding that she is considering incorporating a similar option for other county departments.

“We are constantly looking at our processes,” Ubl offered. “In the last few years, we’ve been able to implement an online scheduling program, a secure link that clients can use to upload confidential documents, and a new contact management system providing greater cohesiveness for our team.”

Douglas reminded everyone, “Automation can save jobs from moving overseas.”

Future Opportunities

Douglas viewed defense contracting as a substantial opportunity for the North Country. He noted the Chamber’s continuing support of local manufacturers such as BETA Technologies, Michelin and Norsk Titanium, as well as Canadian defense contractors looking to enhance their competitiveness. “The immensity of the U.S. defense budget is mind boggling.”

Roth noted, “There is opportunity for more synergy between North Country companies that could benefit from working together. The diversity of businesses in the region is a great asset, but improved communication between manufacturing companies could be beneficial.“

Peters noted, “Redevelopment of the former Clinton Community College campus at Bluff Point offers an exciting opportunity. The concept phase is being completed and I hope the property will ultimately be a source of revenue for the County while also providing utility for local families.”

Ubl’s involvement in nonprofit boards has given her insight into what’s happening in education, health, and business. “I’m excited about the opportunities I see. SUNY Plattsburgh has positioned itself as a competitive university that is quick and agile at determining the trends future students are looking for. They’ve implemented new courses and degree programs and have been able to pivot quickly to benefit from enrollment losses that other schools are experiencing.”

Celebrating Our Manufacturing Culture

“This county of 80,000 people should not be able to sustain the manufacturing economy we have and yet it does,” Douglas observed. “It’s a good thing to be a blue-collar manufacturing community. We shouldn’t have Burlington or Saratoga Springs envy.”

King noted, “Economic development is a long game and it’s important to nurture relationships.”

Ubl agreed that patience often pays off. “I got a call last week from somebody I met with 13 years ago. People sometimes make a connection and then they put you in the back of their mind. Then later, when they’re ready, they make a move.”

“My predecessor was big on what he called B-HAGs – big hairy audacious goals,” King recalled with a smile. “A list of these ideas was posted on his door, and it’s something that I have continued as a way to involve all team members in our brainstorming process and to set personal and business goals, however lofty.”

Peters echoed the idea of goal setting. “If you have big things to look for, big rings to grab, it’s energizing every day.”

“We’re in the right sector,” Douglas said, referring to the region’s more than 40 transportation-related manufacturing companies. “People and things will always need to move and here in the North Country we make things move.”

Rachel Dutil is the Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator at the Miner Research Institute.