December 12, 2022
The idea that Bombardier – and later Nova Bus — would attract dozens of parts and service providers to the North Country may have seemed too good to be true at first. It wasn’t. In this issue to Strictly Business, we bring you a look at several companies who have set up shop here and are thriving as a result.
Our cover article offers you a look at one of the newest members of the North Country’s transportation cluster – Michelin. The internationally known manufacturer purchased Camso, formerly Camoplast, a maker of rubber tracks for a range of all-terrain vehicles. It currently employs 230 and has plans to expand. Don’t miss the story of the company’s evolution.
Seifert Transit Graphics is one of those companies that starts from humble beginnings and then takes off. Three generations ago John Seifert was hand lettering buses in Utica. Today the company is turning out high-tech custom wraps for the transit industry and applying them to the buses Nova and train cars Alstom are producing in Plattsburgh.
Fuji SEMEC, a manufacturer of custom train door systems, has seen its workforce and physical plant more than quadruple in size since the start of the pandemic and it is actively recruiting. Currently the company is building components for two New York City projects and one for the Long Island Railroad. ConnectAll may be the smallest of our featured companies – currently just three employees – but it is well known for its assembly of stainless-steel braided hoses for the mass transit industry.
While there has been a great deal in the media about the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, SB spoke to Joel Wood, Director of the North American Center of Excellence for Transportation Equipment (NAmTrans) to get his take on what it will mean for our area. See what he has to say about the process and its likely impact. Our Insight article this month features Tammy Perrotte-Sears, a well know area realtor and the driving force behind the area’s annual Christmas Bureau effort. It is through her effort and that of her dedicated team that will make a difference for so many area children this holiday season.
While no one really knows what the economy will do in 2023, we asked Dr. Colin Read to share his thoughts about what may be coming. After decades as a professor of economics and finance, and a prolific writer on all things financial, he provides SB readers with his look ahead.
And then Garry Douglas wraps up this issue with the announcement that the North Country Chamber of Commerce has earned a five-star rating from the U. S. Chamber of Commerce – something less than one percent of Chamber’s achieve. Good news, but not surprising. Our Chamber is an amazing organization that never stops working for area businesses. The idea that the North Country would see growth in the number of companies that reallocated to support our transportation manufacturers has come about.
…and that’s good for business.
Herbert O. Carpenter, Publisher
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