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Sunday, September 30, 2018 • Plattsburgh, NY 12901
A look into
manufacturing in the North Country
Look on page 8 to learn more about Northern Culinary, a top shelf private label production company.
Photo by Kayla Breen
Clinton County No manufacturing these stats: aims high for Clinton County tops old airport state, country in growth By Joe LoTemplio
By Josh Miner
PLATTSBURGH — Clinton County has high hopes for the site where aircraft once took off and landed on a daily basis. "We want to see economic development, we want to see jobs, we want to see growth out there," Clinton County Legislature Chairman Harry McManus said. "With Norsk out there as an anchor, we think we will see more and more ancillary businesses there." The future development of the former Clinton County Airport off Route 3 in the Town of Plattsburgh is a high priority for the county, McManus said. He and other county officials are hoping the property will stimulate the local economy and boost job opportunities for the region.
PLATTSBURGH — The North Country has always been a place where people worked hard and were proud of the work they did. In no other industry is that more apparent than manufacturing. While many parts of the state and the country have suffered stagnation or even sharp declines in manufacturing, Plattsburgh and the surrounding areas have seen just the opposite. An August 2018 report from economic developer Victoria Duley of the Development Corporation shows manufacturing growing by over 1 percent a year in Clinton County for over five years.
STRONG SITE The property is positioned well to be successfully developed, Deputy County Administrator Rodney Brown said, as it is located adjacent to the successful Air Industrial Park, with easy access to Route 3 and Interstate 87 and at the end of a strongly developing growth corridor. "The former airport may have seen its last flight activity, but we believe the property will contribute strongly to the continued growth and development of Clinton County," Brown said. LAND TRANSFERS Clinton County Airport was originally constructed by the military in 1942-43 and, shortly after World War II, was transferred to the City of Plattsburgh. The city deeded the airport to Clinton County in 1968.
Economic Developer Victoria Duley holds the Manufacturing in Clinton County: August 2018 analysis that she authored. PHOTO PROVIDED
This slightly outpaced national growth, which was 0.8 percent a year. New York state, however, saw a loss in manufacturing jobs at a rate of 0.6 percent, making Clinton County an exception to the negative statewide trend. As a result of this and low overall unemployment, wages have recorded a steady increase. SWEET SPOT You don't want too much growth all at once with a small population, Duley said. "It's quite honestly the sweet spot," she said of the steady growth in Clinton County. Duley said one reason the county has defied New York's state's trend is that many communities made a drastic shift away from manufacturing after the recession. While those communities found other ways to survive, the North Country continued to stick to what it does best. "Other communities shifted," she said. "We stayed true, stayed the course of slow, steady growth."
BRINGS IN MONEY Manufacturing is vital for the local economy, Duley said, since it's an industry where new money is constantly coming in from other areas. In retail, for example, money that's already here is either recycled or it leaves the area. However, when manufacturing is doing well, it can drive other industries. It accounts for the largest portion of Clinton County's gross domestic product, at over $489 million. The industry also employs 3,561 people in Clinton County and provides more than 1,500 jobs for secondary and tertiary support businesses. GROWTH continued on 11
AIRPORT continued on 10
Eyes of the World on Plattsburgh
Career counselor guiding others
Preparing for the “real world”
Growth of aviation technology brought to light See page 5
Learn more about Kevin Patnode at Coryer Staffing See page 6
Beekmantown Central School teaching lasting skills See page 7
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North Country Manufacturing
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
RAMP program gives new highschool grads a taste for work By Bob Bennett PLATTSBURGH — Devin Weber was honored with the Mold-Rite Plastics “My Boss Thinks I Rock” award in July. That’s a big deal when you consider the company has more than 500 employees. It’s an even bigger deal when you consider that he'd just started working at Mold-Rite that month as a recent high-school graduate. Weber is a participant in the Coryer Staffing’s RAMP program, a full-time, post-grad, work-experience initiative that puts recent graduates to work at area businesses such as Mold-Rite, a 400,000-square-foot, around-the-clock plastics manufacturer. “They’re really a huge aid to us from a production standpoint,” said Eric Zeisloft, Mold-Rite’s plant manager and vice president of operations. “This is the first real job for most of them, and they’ve been an absolute pleasure to work with. “It’s been nice for me to watch these young adults grow. Some of those who struggled at the beginning are now doing amazing. "It’s been a really good program.” ONE MORE YEAR Coryer developed RAMP — which stands for Ready, Able, Marketable, Proven — to fill the entry-level labor gap by connecting recent high-school graduates with a structured, disciplined post-grad work experience in the three sectors that predominate the North Country industrial landscape: assembly, manufacturing and warehousing/logistics. “I believe that there are a lot of people out there who run headlong into college because they believe it’s what they’re supposed to do,” said David Coryer, co-founder and chief operating officer of Coryer Staffing. “We envisioned a program that would give you one more year to better inform you as to who you are and what you like to do and don’t like to do. “This program gives you one more year to grow up, if nothing else. “At the end of that year, you will have worked a full-time job. You’ll have matured to a certain degree. You’ll have a couple dollars in your pocket, and you just might make a better decision about where you go to school." ORIENTATION Holding down a job is a good thing, Coryer noted. “We are absolutely in support of people advancing their education, becoming a productive member of society, participating in the local economy. “It’s unhealthy to sit on the sidelines. It’s unhealthy not to participate in the economy.” Recent graduates from four Clinton County schools — Peru, AuSable, Plattsburgh and Beekmantown — underwent an orientation July 13 at Clinton Community College, where they learned about work-related topics and life skills, including transportation to and from work, attendance, time management, professional etiquette, conflict resolution and managing workplace relationships. The RAMP participants reported at 7:30 a.m. July 16 to Mold-Rite for their first day of work, and as of September, they had completed 99 percent of the available work hours there. JOB ROTATION Most of the participants are serving as machine operations. One is a process technician, and another works in the warehouse, Zeisloft said. Coryer will allow the 13 program participants to rotate to a new company every quarter if they wish. A number of them have already decided to stick with Mold-Rite full time, Zeisloft said, while others will be moving on to try out a new company. At least three other companies have expressed interest in employing the program participants, Coryer said. Others will likely move on to college as a result of their experience. WORKER SHORTAGE “There’s a lot of really good things about that program,” said Paul Grasso, president and CEO of the the Development Corporation, which promotes the RAMP programs to the employers it works with. He said that some RAMP participants are already making more money than their parents ever made. “When you look at this program from an economic-development perspective, workforce is the No. 1 thing people are looking for,” Grasso said. There are about 1,600 available people in the area workforce, he added, and since manufacturing isn’t for everybody, companies are struggling to find workers. “If you could bring this program to scale, I think the effects would be dramatic,” Grasso said. “I think you would find a lot more people going into manufacturing. I think you would find retention higher.” SAFER HARBOR By the same token, RAMP can help workers weed out their options, Grasso said. “Sometimes the expectations of recent highschool graduates about what a manufacturing job is and what you can expect from it are dramatically different from reality because they have nothing to base it on," he said. “I think this gives them a much safer harbor. “If you go to work for Mold-Rite by applying to an ad and then you quit because you don’t like it, you’re a 'quitter.' “If you go into a program like this, which isn’t designed for you to be there for 30 years, and decide after three or four months that manufacturing isn’t for you, that’s not a bad thing.”
“The role of business in society is to help people improve their lives” - Charles Koch Plattsburgh New York Facility Georgia-Pacific is proud to have contributed to our local economy and the Plattsburgh community for over 55 years. Our success to date is largely due to the many long-term employees who possess the virtue & talent and have developed the capabilities necessary to work in a manufacturing environment to meet the ever-changing challenges of the industry we compete in. Up to now, we have relied heavily on our local school systems to provide foundational skills needed for entry level positions. Once hired, it becomes the organization’s responsibility to teach and train employees to help them acquire the level of skill & knowledge needed to operate high-speed equipment utilizing the latest advanced technology to help us create value for our company and society. As our industry has become more technologically advanced, our ability to bridge the gap between entry level and the knowledge & skills needed to run the more advanced technology has widened to the point where we struggle to provide the necessary training at a reasonable pace because the learning curve is very steep. In today’s competitive industry, one way to maintain competitive staffing levels and operate a safe and reliable manufacturing facility is to have the same folks who repair and maintain the equipment, operate the equipment. Technicians who operate and perform preventive and corrective maintenance, which is reminiscent of something we could have learned from the farming industry some time ago. The ability to hire advanced skills and knowledge in mechanical, electrical and instrumentation will undoubtedly determine our long-term success. In addition, we will still need to train folks on knowledge specific to the equipment via the original equipment manufacturers and rely on them for troubleshooting the more complex problems as we do today. If you or anyone you know would like to join our GP Team, please visit our website at www.gp.com/careers to see what career opportunities may be of interest to you.
Join us where the road ends... Camso Manufacturing USA, Ltd. 1 Martina Circle Plattsburgh, NY 12901 (518) 561-7528
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4
North Country Manufacturing
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
ETS makes connections, grows service area By Toni Smith PLATTSBURGH — The business model for ETS Inc. is not only working, it's thriving. Over 30 years ago, Hope Coryer started the staffing business with an advertisement and a phone. "There was not a staffing company in Plattsburgh at the time. She saw a need," said ETS CEO Deborah Cleary, who is Coryer's daughter. Her mother started by finding the candidates, placing an advertisement in the local paper and connecting those who responded with local companies looking for employees. A lot of time has passed since those first phone calls Coryer made, and many people, candidates and clients, have walked through the doors of the Plattsburgh company's office. "We meet thousands of people every year," Cleary said. ONE-STOP SHOP In 2017, ETS conducted over 4,000 screenings and placed over 3,000 applicants with businesses that matched their skills, according to the firm's brochure. Some of those applicants were searching for a new job, some, resume advice, and some were switching job fields altogether. According to Amber Parliament, ETS director of marketing and engagement, ETS is a "one-stop shop" where clients can update resumes and receive career counseling advice. ETS staff guides clients along the pathway to find perfect placement, she said. "We are a matchmaker, but overall we've evolved into a company that manage(s) the hiring process from beginning to end," said ETS Vice
President of Operations Jesse Krell. And that means that recruiters at ETS work not only with people looking for employment, but with the employers to find great staff. "We have a lot of great companies in this region, and we have a great workforce, but sometimes the two are like two ships passing in the night," Krell said. "We want to spread awareness to job seekers and help them along in the process." DIGITAL FOREFRONT Recently, ETS expanded its territory to the Burlington area as well as the Saratoga region, opening up the job field for local workers who may not have had access to possible positions there before. "We've been in Plattsburgh only during those (30 plus) years. We wanted to keep growing as a company," Krell said. Growth in today's market means going digital, and ETS is on the forefront of using the latest technology to stay in touch with candidates and employers along the process. Interacting with the workforce can be done through email at any time. Resumes can be submitted via smartphone apps at 2 a.m., or, as Cleary noted, applicants can apply for jobs through Facebook. "The job landscape has gone digital," he said. HIGH TECH, HIGH TOUCH Though fundamental needs of companies or job seekers haven't changed all that much in the years that ETS has been serving the local community, how the staff caters to and delivers to those needs has changed through technology, according to Krell.
NORTH COUNTRY MANUFACTURING
PHOTO PROVIDED
The use of proprietary search and screening tools helps match the right candidate to the right position. "We want to be utilizing the latest and best technology, but hopefully in a way that allows us to spend more time with each person and tailor our custom process for everyone," Krell said. In this way, the human interaction is not lost. At ETS, they refer to this process as "high tech, high touch," meaning that there is a dedicated person working with clients throughout the search who checks in on them, presents the latest tips, newsletters and up-to-date job information regularly. EASING THE WAY Parliament noted that ETS has access to many jobs that aren't even listed in typical help wanted advertisements or on job sites. As a "career hub," the firm has its finger on the pulse of the community and understands the needs of the lo-
cal workforce and employers. ETS staff works with clients from all different fields and has a dedicated recruiter for the manufacturing industry, which is on the rise in the Plattburgh because of various initiatives to promote it and the presence of growing companies, including Norsk Titanium. Plattsburgh has become a hub for manufacturing jobs. "You can have a great career in manufacturing," Parliament said. The proximity to Canada creates a uniquely desirable location for companies to establish manufacturing businesses in the North Country, too, Krell noted. "We want to help companies attract and retain top talent, and we want to provide a tremendous amount of value (to job seekers). Hiring is not easy; we want to make it easy for companies, and we want to make it easy for job seekers as well," he said.
2019 TERRAIN
2019 SIERRA POWERTEX IS AN INNOVATIVE, FULL SERVICE BULK SHIPPING SOLUTIONS COMPANY, OPERATING LOCALLY SINCE 1977. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ZERO DEFECTS, ON TIME DELIVERY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
North Country Manufacturing
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
5
Eyes of the world on Norsk, Plattsburgh By Josh Miner PLATTSBURGH — Home of a major military base for years, the North Country has long had a history with aviation. Norsk Titanium, however, has put Plattsburgh on the map with aviation technology. And its product, developed by applying the principles of 3-D printing to titanium manufacturing, has brought the area the attention of aviation and aerospace professionals across the globe. The North Country has become home to the world's first industrialscale, high-technology manufacturer of titanium components for air travel. The company's patented Rapid Plasma Disposition process takes titanium wire and melts it in an inert, argon gas environment. EXPANDING Representatives of Norsk say there is no sign of slowing down, either. “We plan to continue to expand,” said Scott McNulty, site manager and director of operations for Norsk. “As we continue to grow, we'll continue to bring more jobs in. As we continue to grow, we'll look for other companies to move here.” Norsk plans on having a second building open by the beginning of 2020. The new 80,000-square-foot facility at the former Clinton County Airport will require another wave of skilled workers to keep up with increased staffing demands, McNulty said. LITTLE WASTE Traditionally, parts manufacturers do what is known as subtractive manufacturing, where they start with a piece
of titanium and machine away up to 98 percent in order to create the part. This has to be done in bulk, even if only one part is needed for an order. Norsk's Rapid Plasma Disposition process melts titanium wire in an inert, argon gas and deposits the wire with complete precision, meaning you may lose up to 10 percent at most. This process allows Norsk to sell its parts at a huge savings for their clients at a much quicker pace. As a result, they've been able to provide high-wage jobs in the North Country. Not only is Norsk bringing employment, but there are support businesses that are required to finish and assemble the parts they make. McNulty expects that many of those companies will eventually set up shop here in the area, bringing even more job opportunities. “It will make sense for us economically and logistically for another company to move and do that work here,” he said. 20-YEAR PLAN The transportation cluster of rail, with Bombardier; road, with Volvo Group's Nova Bus; and now aerospace, with Norsk, was the result of a 20-year plan to develop the Aerospace & Transportation Equipment Cluster here in the area. New York state backed the plan with $125 million in order to set up Norsk's production infrastructure. A total $30 million was also allocated for Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute, which McNulty said has, so far, trained two of their employees. Paul Grasso, president and CEO of the Development Corporation, said programs like CV-TEC, the Aeronautical Institute and Clinton Commu-
nity College's Institute for Advanced Manufacturing produce the kind of workforce that high-technology manufacturers need here.
EXCITING TIME While it's an exciting time for aviation and related manufacturing, Grasso said many people in the area aren't aware of it. “There's a lot going on that no one knows anything about,” he said. “We have a real opportunity to attract aviation here.” Being the first of its kind in the world, Norsk will become a magnet for other high-paying jobs in the area, Grasso said. He sees the technology as a disruption in the industry that the aviation world as a whole can't ignore. Companies that have long been established here might also become more competitive with their pay and benefits, in order to keep pace with aerospace businesses like Norsk, he said. STUCK TO VISION Sue Matton, vice president of economic development with the North Country Chamber of Commerce, said the area has always had some small aviation-related operations but nothing on the scale of Norsk. “Mostly they were small companies; they had a product they specialized in,” she said. One of these businesses, Matton said, is Landry Simulation. A Canadian company, it specializes in aerospace simulators. While Landry has been here for nine years, she said, it is relatively unknown. Getting a company the size of Norsk to locate here took many years, however. While the chamber and partners
were focused on developing the transportation cluster as a whole, developing the aerospace segment took the longest. Matton said local representatives went to trade shows in places including London and Paris for years, trying to court these types of companies. “It was not something that just happened,” she said. “Our community has had a vision, and we stuck to that vision. People ask, 'How have you had so much success?' "Every day we're working toward that vision.” LENGTHY PROCESS Norsk was the breakthrough they were looking for, she said. “Norsk Titanium is that big success,” Matton said. “This is a company from Norway, and their product of 3-D printed additive manufacturing in titanium was a completely new thing in aviation manufacturing. "They had to prove it was going to be stable and strong. And they did that; it took them 10 years to do that.” Because of the nature of aviation manufacture, Matton said, approval from the Federal Aviation Administration can take many years. “This has raised the profile of the Plattsburgh area," she said of Norsk's caché. "When we go now to other places, conferences, we're identified now with Norsk. "Norsk is an innovator, and they were the first ones to have that on an industrial level,” Matton continued. “It's a buzz in the industry; it helps all of our economic-development efforts.” Having this technology housed in Plattsburgh, she said, has brought the eyes of the world here. “They now recognize Plattsburgh.”
IAM continuing success story after one year By Jeff Meyers PLATTSBURGH — The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College has been up and running for a year now, and all involved are celebrating the facility’s success and promising future. The institute, known best by its initials, IAM, is a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art home to the college’s technology programs. IAM also serves as a regional hub for education for the area's manufacturing industry. “We’ve met with at least 50 businesses who understand what is happening in the manufacturing world,” said Ray DiPasquale, president of Clinton Community College. “Through our discussions, we’ve been able to ask about the needs of those businesses and have developed a program to meet those needs. “Manufacturing in general is growing, and manufacturing in this region is growing tremendously,” he added. “At IAM, we want to make sure we are working with manufacturers to help fill the positions they need, whether it’s top-notch engineers or machine operators.” TRAINING PARTNERS The two-story facility, which opened in August 2017 and was built with a $12.7 million grant from
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New York state, offers training programs for such manufacturers as Nova Bus, Bombardier, MoldRite Plastics and Norsk Titanium. DiPasquale expects to see the list of training partners grow as the college continues to meet with new businesses across the region and into Canada. “These are high-paying jobs with real opportunities for people,” he said of the positions available for people entering the manufacturing workforce. “There are openings that can be filled locally or anywhere in the world. “I continue to be amazed at the growth of business in the manufacturing industry. "It’s an honor to have this facility available at the local level, to provide this kind of service for new workers who come here to be trained for whatever job they have.” READYING EMPLOYEES IAM’s Advisory Board, which includes faculty and members of the manufacturing community, meets regular to ensure the programs stay on top of the needs the industry faces each day. “It’s encouraging to see the growth and number of businesses that are supportive of the college and the IAM,” DiPasquale said. “Our first year as been really successful, especially with our employee-development training,” said Duane Bibeau, one of the faculty members at the facility. “Employees are working on develop-
ing skills and fundamental safety issues.” Employees typically spend four eight-hour shifts at the center to complete their training, Bibeau noted. More than 250 employees from industries across the region have already participated, he added. Training will differ with each employee and focuses on the skills industries have identified as important for their employees to master. The facility is also quite an attraction for students who may be considering a career in manufacturing. “We’ve had over 2,000 students tour the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing,” DiPasquale said. “We’re even helping to introduce manufacturing to seventh- and eighth-graders.” HIGH INTEREST DiPasquale said the facility was more like a “ghost town” than a thriving new initiative during those first months of operation, but by spring semester, things picked up in a hurry. “The place caught on fire,” he said of the regional surge in interest. “Since January, we have far exceeded anything I envisioned.” He remains extremely optimistic for the academic programs that utilize the facility. “There’s a lot of room for growth, a lot of potential,” he said, noting that Clinton has an active transfer program with Clarkson University and is working closely with SUNY Plattsburgh and Potsdam as well. IAM continued on 6
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North Country Manufacturing
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
Career counselor, retired teacher guiding others By Meg LeFevre PLATTSBURGH — Career development is a lifelong process. Whether you’re taking a gap year after high school to gain work experience and earn money, climbing the ladder in the prime of your career or embarking on a post-retirement position, continuing to develop yourself professionally is the key to success. Coryer Staffing’s Kevin Patnode is giving young people the benefit of his experience as their career counselor. Earlier this year, he retired after 27 years of teaching history at AuSable Valley High School. For 20 of those years, he simultaneously served as a Plattsburgh town justice. Now, Patnode is pouring his wisdom and youthful energy into a new mission: helping Coryer Staffing grow the regional workforce. TEACHER, JUDGE, MANAGER Patnode always wanted to be a teacher, but when he graduated from AuSable Valley High School in 1974 there were no jobs in education. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business and Human Resources from SUNY Plattsburgh, all the while working on his father’s farm and stocking shelves and bagging groceries at the Grand Union. In 1979, he and his wife moved to Saratoga with the Grand Union manager trainee program. Patnode quickly moved up the ranks at the grocery store chain, first as a night manager and then as general manager at stores in Hudson Falls and Glens Falls. Patnode worked to support his family but wanted a more meaningful career. “I was in a job that I did not enjoy for 12 years. Sometimes you have to do that. But the biggest freedom is when you have the confidence in yourself to make a change,” he said. In 1989, Patnode left his job at Grand Union, cashed in his 401k and moved his young family back to Keeseville. He completed his Master of Science in Teaching at SUNY Plattsburgh in a year and a half and came full circle when he returned to AuS-
able Valley High School as a history teacher in 1991. As a teacher, Patnode was known for high-energy history lessons that opened his students’ eyes to the world, for using tough love to ensure each and every student was successful, and for being a positive, supportive force throughout the school. As town justice, his tough love on the bench was similarly known — to law enforcement and attorneys and those appearing before him at the lowest point in their lives. Patnode ran for town justice five times, twice unopposed. As he campaigned door to door, he was often welcomed in by the very people he had sentenced to time in jail or other unpleasant dispositions. “I never tried to punish anyone, and I was always beyond fair,” he said. CAREER COUNSELOR Patnode said the second most freeing moment in his life was when he retired from teaching in June and decided to work for Coryer Staffing. — “knowing that I don’t have to work, but the people I work with make me want to be here," he said. "They care enough about the people that work with and for them to provide a service.” That service is career counseling. It is an investment on the part of Elizabeth and David Coryer, cofounders of Coryer Staffing and the groundbreaking RAMP (Ready, Able, Marketable, Proven) program, to help build the entry-level workforce by connecting recent high school graduates with full-time work experiences at for a variety of industrial employers throughout the North Country. High turnover in entry-level positions is an accepted cost of doing business for most companies in the assembly, manufacturing and warehousing/logistics sectors. Smaller companies estimate annual turnover of around 10 percent. Other companies hesitate to reveal concrete numbers; turnover is just huge, they say. With Patnode on board to guide RAMP participants into and through their first year of meaningful employ-
IAM continued from 5
“The key to building these growing programs are the people who come in here for training,” said John Kowal, vice president of academic affairs at Clinton.“As those people share information (about their training experiences), word is going to spread about the benefits of our academic programs.” FOUNDATION FOR JOBS Degree programs that utilize the facility include Computer Information Systems Environmental Technology, Mechanical Technology and Renewable Energy Technologies. “Regular academic enrollment has been down a bit, but we are consistently seeing our students coming back (to complete the program),” Bibeau said. “These students are building a foundation for nice, good-paying jobs when they graduate.” SEEING SUCCESS Matthew Snide, who is originally from Mooers and graduated from Northeastern Clinton Central School, is in his fifth semester of studies at the institute and believes the experience will lead to a successful career. Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College. FILE PHOTO
ment, the young adults are proving to be among the most reliable cohort of employees, completing an average of 99 percent of available hours, including regular and overtime. Patnode is a constant support for these employees as they navigate the industrial workforce, counseling them on life skills, including transportation to and from work, attendance, time management, professional etiquette, conflict resolution, managing workplace relationships, even opening their first bank accounts. CLIMBED THE LADDER Patnode’s expertise has extended beyond RAMP as well, enhancing professional behavior and communication at many levels, including new candidates, Coryer Staffing employees and HR managers at client companies. He has the perfect background to be a credible and trusted adviser, operating under the “I would never ask my employees to do anything I won’t do” model. Patnode worked in the warehouse at Grand Union before becoming a manager there; he worked the night shift before the day shift; he worked his way through college and then followed his heart back again to earn his master’s degree. He did all this because supporting his family was his top priority, because, as he said, “sometimes when you are working, you are forced to ask, ‘do I want my family to suffer because of my inability to be stable and caring enough to provide for them?’ That’s what I tell some people. “You can work full time and enroll in school," he continued. "I did it. And I’m not a brainiac. I’m not gifted. I didn’t have a huge support system. "My wife was with me, which was great, but we didn’t have a lot and we made it work.” ACHIEVING SUCCESS “Most people know there’s value in work and being steady and consistent and reliable. Some people don’t see that or have forgotten it. My job is to help people see that,” said Patnode.
“The program has definitely been worthwhile,” he said, noting that he picked up his interest in industrial technology from his father, Eugene Snide. “It’s the best program you can get.” Snide has completed an internship at Bombardier and is looking at career opportunities that may lead him across the globe. “If you can perform well and meet all of your expectations, you can really go a long way in this field,” he said. “If you understand what you learn here, you will succeed.” CUTTING EDGE Other programs, such as Drone Technology, may be developed in upcoming years, DiPasquale noted. “We’re on the cutting edge (as a society) in a lot of areas,” he said. “It’s what the country needs and Clinton County needs. "Clinton (Community College) wants to be the providers for new programs.” “We’re making sure we design this place for flexibility to meet those approaching needs,” Kowal added. Both men praised the staff at the facility for meeting the needs for both manufacturing trainees and the college student body. HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT The first floor features a High Bay Area, which houses the Machine Shop, Welding Lab and Student Project Area. The high ceiling allows plenty of room to accommodate for a variety of training needs. Equipment includes a forklift, aerial lift, computer-controlled and manual lathes and computercontrolled mills and routers. Welders and plasma cutters are also available, as well as 3D printers and scanners, laser engravers and printers/cutters. Students who succeed in the program can be eligible for such positions as computer programming and engineering, network administration, engineering assistant, quality control and testing specialist and systems engineer. Training is also provided for repair positions in the field.
Kevin Patnode. PHOTO PROVIDED
“Most of the time I’m just a cheerleader. I ask, ‘What’s your plan? What’s holding you back?’ They answer, ‘Me.’ "And I say, ‘Let’s get a plan laid out to get you past this.’” He thinks it’s important to acknowledge that we live in a fast-paced, demanding, often overwhelming world, and success is different for everyone. “To some people, success is paying rent every month on your own apartment and having a reliable automobile. To others, success is having a $500,000 house with a Mercedes in the driveway. "We can all succeed; we just succeed at different levels.” High achievers regularly seek out and rely on mentors to provide guidance and career advice to help them excel in their fields. So, of course, entry-level employees benefit from similar support, and it creates a foundation for successful long-term careers. Patnode’s role as a career counselor in the RAMP program is to see this group through its first year of employment so that in the end, there is a pool of individuals who are well-prepared to make decisions about their futures, equipped with the appropriate life skills, professional experience and personal accomplishment to carry them throughout their future. “Let’s afford people a better standard of living,” said Patnode. “When the least of us succeeds, we all succeed. Especially when the least of us succeeds, we all succeed.”
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North Country Manufacturing
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7
Project-based learning teaches lasting skills By McKenzie Delisle BEEKMANTOWN — Beekmantown Middle School is prepping teens for the "real world" by posing realworld questions. English teacher Rebecca Hamilton asks her seventh-grade students: How do you solve the trash problem on Mount Everest? The world's highest mountain above sea level is littered with thousands of tons of waste left behind by daredevil climbers, but the altitude and terrain make removal near impossible. "We present the problem to them as if the Nepalese government has asked us to help find a solution," she said. "It's a real problem with no solution." Through the project-based learning experience, students research, brainstorm, calculate and present "sharktank"-style pitches to an expert panel of student judges. Hamilton said one group of students pitched a redesigned a helicopter made from lighter materials to fly in the higher altitude. "They had a claw to retrieve garbage like empty air canisters," she said. "They have to use information that they know is true, and they have to come up with something that's realistic. "The criteria and rubrics are student created and student led." NEW APPROACH Solving high-stake hurdles is just
one way project-based learning is challenging Beekmantown's students. Hamilton described the program as a teaching philosophy. "It's how we organize ourselves. It's how we identify," she explained. Beekmantown's seventh- and eighth-grades operate under the model, with the exception of those in advanced-placement classes. "It's different from traditional education because we can manipulate their schedule," Hamilton said. The time a typical student would spend listening to lectures or taking tests in core subjects is instead spent critically thinking, working in groups and performing cross-curricular projects. "We teach them to be professionals," the English teacher said. "We have high expectations of self responsibility, and we make them do collaboration on a daily basis. "The purpose is to start to get kids ready for the working world." BLOSSOMING The team of teachers recalled a student who was once exceptionally shy: Garrett Stevens. "Seventh grade was not a successful year for him," Hamilton said. "That was before we started the program." Stevens was in the pilot model of project-based learning his eighthgrade year. "He came in, and immediately in our first major project we put him in
Eighth-grade students in Seth Spoor’s technology class at Beekmantown Middle School weigh pieces of blue clay to form the nose of their straw rocket. KAYLA BREEN/STAFF PHOTO
Eighth-graders Trinity Terpstra (left) and Dylan Fessette begin working on a mass vs. range straw rocket experiment in Seth Spoor’s technology class at Beekmantown Middle School. KAYLA BREEN/STAFF PHOTO
as a CEO of his group," special-education teacher Kelly Newell said. "He flourished. He became a leader, and he continues to impress us." Stevens accredits his current level of confidence to project-based learning. "It helped a lot with my public speaking," he said. "I ended up having to speak to a lot of adults that I had never met and didn't know. "It was definitely an outside-of-thebox experience." GROWTH IN CONFIDENCE Superintendent Dan Mannix has noticed a widespread increase in selfassurance since the program has been implemented. Students make better eye contact, he said, and stand up straighter and can present to hundreds of their peers with ease. "It's incredibly noticeable how they see themselves as young business men and women," he said. "These are seventh- and eighthgraders, and the confidence level they are projecting in early adolescence — you just don't see it. "I've certainly seen confident young men and women, but to see a whole cohort year after year — it's powerful." ADAPTING TO CHANGE Technology teacher Seth Spoor said project-based learning is adaptable. As the needs for students and for workforce change, this style of learning is able to respond, he said. "I think the kid we have now compared to the kid we had 20 years ago,
their attention isn't as long; they're more into the tech; they're less into verbal communication," he said. To adjust, Spoor said, the teachers present projects that allow for more technology and have a greater focus on public speaking. "We know they're not getting that interpersonal communication the way kids used to," he said. "Maybe kids would get there on their own by the time they're a junior or a senior. "I think this program helps the students get there by the time they're in ninth grade." WORKING TOGETHER Eighth-grade student Dylan Fessette recalled a project from the previous year where he and his team had to create a restaurant business model, complete with an operating website and baked dish. "It was kind of stressful, because we only had 45 minutes to make a certain food," he said. His group masterminded Cookie Monster Popcorn: popcorn with blue-dyed white chocolate and cookie crumble. Fessette said his experience with project-based learning has been a good one. "I think that instead of sitting down and taking tests and substituting that for a project, we're learning collaborative skills," he said. "So when we get into the real world and we have to do a project, we're not complaining or having problems with other people."
AIME prepares job seekers for manufacturing careers By Toni Smith PLATTSBURGH — The manufacturing industry here is booming, says ETS Inc. CEO Deborah Cleary. "There are hundreds of jobs available in manufacturing at this moment," she said in a recent interview. As a staffing firm, Cleary said, ETS alone had 250 manufacturing jobs available and unfilled at that point, which is not unusual. Why? Manufacturing jobs have long carried the stigma of being undesirable for reasons including perceptions like a dirty working environment and jobs with little room for upward advancement. That could be a contributing factor to the plethora of available job openings, Cleary said. But with advancements in technology, manufacturing jobs no longer resemble those of 40 or 50 years ago. "Manufacturing is changing rapidly," ETS Vice President of Operations Jesse Krell said. LAUNCH A CAREER To keep up with the changing industry, ETS Inc. has, since 2010, partnered with CV-TEC, Clinton Community College and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing to offer a course that prepares adults for careers in manufacturing. AIME, an acronym for the Assembling Industry: Manufacturing and Education program, aims to prepare and train people from around the North Country for new opportunities in manufacturing, according to the program's website www.aimeseminar.weebly.com. "AIME is a great way to tell (people in) the community about how you can launch a career in manufacturing," said ETS Director of Marketing
and Engagement Amber Parliament. The goal of the program is to spread general awareness of the manufacturing industry and the career opportunities it offers to adults who are interested in careers in the field. HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE During the eight-week course, participants receive hands-on experience in the manufacturing industry. They learn the hard and soft skills needed to start and thrive in a manufacturing job. Along with coursework, completed through CVTEC and Clinton Community College, the program gives opportunities to tour manufacturing sites to learn about the day-to-day operations and to earn certifications such as the Occupational Health and Safety Administration OSHA 10 certificate and the National Work Readiness Credential. There are also hands-on experiences with projects and working with tools. "They (participants) can take this class and be completely prepared to get a job," Cleary said. "Most people that go through course end up with a job offer at the end of (it); there is a job seminar at the end." CONTINUED GUIDANCE ETS has a dedicated recruiter who works with program participants and guides them through the job search after graduation, focusing on the hiring process, resume advice, interviewing skills and various other skills needed to be successful. The AIME program is an investment for both the job seeker and the companies searching for employees, ETS said. Its next session begins in early 2019, with the date yet to be determined. For more information, contact Alina Walentowicz at ETS at 518-324-3126.
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North Country Manufacturing
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
Manufacturing Day to show future of local workforce By Jeff Meyers PLATTSBURGH — Organizers of this year’s Manufacturing Day are emphasizing a hands-on approach to highlight varied career opportunities for high-school students across the region. The event, to be held 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing on the Clinton Community College campus, allows area manufacturers to showcase their businesses for students who are interested in manufacturing careers. “This is part of a national effort to recognize and spotlight careers in today’s manufacturing industry,” said Steven Frederick, vice president of institutional advancement at CCC. “The event is specifically designed for juniors and seniors.” BUSTING MYTHS Manufacturing Day was organized nationally in 2012 to change the public’s perception of jobs in the manufacturing field. “The event is designed to dispel the myths of manufacturing,” Frederick said.“If you ask young people what a manufacturing job means to them, they’ll think of their grandfather coming home in greasy clothes after a long day at a messy job.
“Today’s manufacturing jobs spotlight technologies, working with specialized skills.” The activities are also designed to dispel the myth that manufacturing jobs are designed for men. A lot of emphasis is now placed on attracting young women into the field, he noted. WIDE REACH This is the second consecutive year the Manufacturing Day will be held at Clinton’s brand-new manufacturing facility, which opened in August 2017. “It’s geared toward high-school students across the region,” said Alina Walentowicz, marketing and outreach coordinator for ETS Job Placement Services in Plattsburgh. “The area we’re covering is really quite huge. Students will come from as far away as Ticonderoga, Elizabethtown-Lewis and Tupper Lake. “We’re really seeing a lot of excitement from schools for this opportunity to learn about careers in manufacturing,” she added. “It will provide an awareness of what careers are out there and what kinds of training are needed to help get their foot in the door.” “This is the perfect location (for the event),” Frederick added. “Students have a chance to meet members of the manufacturing industry in a state-ofthe-art facility. These employers really
welcome the chance to talk to students.” MORE HANDS-ON Around 300 students participated in the 2017 Manufacturing Day, and organizers are expecting up to 500 students to attend this year’s festivities. It has been broken into two separate sections, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to better accommodate students coming from farther distances. “We want to do a lot of new things this year,” Frederick said. “We’re going to have more hands-on activities, stations set up within IAM where students can get a true sense of what manufacturing is all about.” For instance, Frederick is especially excited about a reality welding simulator that students will be able to try. He actually introduced the simulator to the public during a community information session held at this year’s Clinton County Fair. CCC faculty, students and representatives from area businesses will be on hand to assist students as they move from station to station, Frederick added. The institute’s 3D printing station and working robots should also be popular attractions, he said. 'INVALUABLE' “High-school students will have a chance to see CCC students and what they are involved in (at the college),”
Walentowicz added. “That will be invaluable interaction for them. “The hands-on activities will get kids thinking about what manufacturing has to offer,” she added. “These won’t be complicated activities; they’ll allow students to identify skills they need in the manufacturing field.” Students will be able to meet with employers from such area companies as Norsk Titanium, International Paper and Nova Bus. “We’re hoping for a broad range of students,” Walentowicz said. “Students who are still deciding on career paths and students who have targeted specific industries. “There are so many (career) opportunities in industry.” SKILLS GAP Manufacturing is the foundation of today’s global economy, but people within the industry fear a massive skills gap threatens to leave more than 2 million jobs unfilled over the next decade. Manufacturing Day is designed to help fill that gap and those jobs. Clinton Community College and ETS are joined by the Development Corporation, Workforce Development Board, North Country Chamber of Commerce and CV-TEC in coordinating the annual event.
Northern Culinary: Top shelf private label production By Robin Caudell PLATTSBURGH — Stephanie LaFountain methodically placed liquid broth with a depositor in Ramen Bowls that she set on the production line at Northern Culinary Brands. The niche food manufacturer's products include Saffron Road's Tan Tan Ramen Bowl “with chicken and authentically zesty Japanese inspired broth with notes of sesame and chilies." “This line of Ramen Bowls that we're doing is extremely successful, " said Chef J. Scott Stillman, who is a managing partner of the Plattsburgh firm with John Kwiatkowski. "We just launched two months ago, and they undershot their opening order, and now we're scrabbling to fill. We're making these every day now.” The bowls sell to Publix, Sprouts, Kroger, Wegmans and Whole Foods. BRIGHT BEGINNINGS Stillman and Kwiatkowski studied at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont and the Hudson County Community College's culinary program in Jersey City, respectively, and founded Northern Culinary Brands in 2014. “We were formerly connected to the original company that was here, Home Bistro, back in 2001,” Stillman said. "We were familiar with the facility, and we formed a new company, and this was available — we moved back here.” The company manufactures products nationwide for a dozen customers who distribute them. “We don't have our own brand of products," Stillman explained. "We're a co-packer. We call it private label co-packer. They come to us because we've been in the industry for 30 years. We've got a lot of contacts and experience in this field.” NEVER WENT BACK Back in the mid 1980s, when Stillman was a student, he interned at a company in Fairfax, Vt. “They did restaurants, catering and retail, and it morphed into larger manufacturing after that,” he said. “Then, we moved the company (Home Bistro) over here in 2001.” After culinary school, Kwiatkowski entered New York City's foodie wars. In a bid to leave the hellish grind behind, he relocated to Vermont. He was working in restaurants when Stillman lured him from the dark side. “After the summer, I ended up leaving that restaurant world and never went back to a restaurant,” Kwiatkowski said.“I like this aspect of it.” RECIPES TO MASTER Companies will send an employee to collaborate on the recipes with Stillman and Kwiatkowski. “We have a little R & D kitchen out here,” Stillman said.
“So we work on products. We test them. We do what we call a 'bench top' sample. That means in the test kitchen, and then we do a pilot production. Then, we scale the pilot out to make sure the formula works, and then we go into full production after that.” It took close to a year to launch Goya's line because the company not only revamped the formulas but the bilingual packaging. “Everything had to be both Spanish and English,” Stillman said. “It was a long project.” By comparison, Northern Culinary started working with Saffron Road in March 2015, and the first truckload rolled out three months later. “It all depends on the client and their level experience and expertise coming in,” Kwiatkowski said. “We're experts in development, so we have a diet client that we sell 30,000 to 40,000 meals a week to that's online. It's low-fat, low-sodium." Bistro MD, he said, "is the leading online diet company. We have about 40 items that we sell through them.” The meals generally range between 350 and 450 calories. BY THE NUMBERS Northern Culinary racks up in excess of $10 million in sales annually and employees 85 people, many who come without any food experience — so there is a lot of on-the-job training. “Our kitchen staff, obviously, has training,” Stillman said. “Our lead guy, Zach Martin, is from the Culinary Institute of America. Lonnie Furina, our second in the kitchen, was working in local restaurants, but he decided he wanted to stop working nights, weekends and holidays. This is a good place for someone who has food experience and wants to stay in the food business but have a regular shift.” The company is operational from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is inspected daily by the USDA. Its certifications include FDA gluten-free certified and organic certified.
Northern Culinary worker Cassandra Hill places pieces of chicken inside specially shaped containers. KAYLA BREEN/STAFF PHOTO
“These are all certifications that we have to prepare for,” Stillman said. “We've got a robust QA Department that has to write all these plans that we have to follow, food safety and manufacturing practices.” The company is also Safe Quality Food (SQF) certified. “It's really a third-party audit,” Stillman said. “If we want to sell to Costco, and Costco says, 'Are you SQF certified?' Yes, we are. That's the report and the score, so they don't have to send someone to audit our facility because it's been audited. Something we have to pay for in order to do business with people.” MAIN INGREDIENTS Client Vermont Tortilla Company gets their organic corn from Essex, N.Y. “That's a nice, little closed loop,” Kwiatkowski said. “We source a lot of vegetables through Pray's Market (in Keeseville).” “He's one of our big suppliers,” Stillman said. “It's an interesting business because we're kind
CULINARY continued on 9
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018 CULINARY continued from 8
of behind the scenes all the time. You walk in the store and you buy this and you have no idea that it was made in Plattsburgh. They're everywhere.” The company's mission statement says, in part: "Every serving of a Northern Culinary Brands produced food solution/entree is an opportunity to exceed our customer's high expectations in terms of taste and convenience. It is our pledge, therefore, to make every serving perfect...'” Providing a good work environment is their aim as well. “We really care about our employees,” Stillman said. “We've really expanded our benefits package in the past 12 months. We've invested heavily in equipment." Like other manufacturers, it's a struggle to fill positions, so beefing up benefits is an enticement. "The folks that come here and stick, they really enjoy working here," Stillman said. "But it's not for everyone. It's fast-paced. You're working in the freezer or the cooler. It can be monotonous. It is factory work but with food.”
9
FROM SCRATCH Northern Culinary cooks all its food from scratch with no added ingredients, no preservatives; all natural and organic where needed. And the company is growing fast. “We've doubled our business from 2016 to 2017," Kwiatkowski said. "We're up almost 30 percent this year over last year. I think the economy, in general, is very healthy. Wages are rising. The consumer-price index is down for the first time in a long time.” FLIPPING LOCALS Goya's rice with chicken will not move a lot of units in Plattsburgh because the taste profile is different. “Somebody just said they saw our Goya meals locally," Stillman said. "It took a long time. Usually, you see them down toward NYC where you have more of a Latin population. Now, they're finally getting into this area.”
Partially packaged Ramen Bowls before being boxed and rolled into a freezer at Northern Culinary. KAYLA BREEN/STAFF PHOTO
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North Country Manufacturing
AIRPORT continued from 1
In 2002, the county made the decision to seek the closure of Clinton County Airport and transfer all operations from there to the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Much had to be done to accomplish that, Brown said, including gaining control/ ownership of land at the Air Base, construction of a terminal building at PAFB and obtaining Federal Aviation Administration approval to formally deactivate and close the County Airport. In December 2007, the county received the FAA nod to close and dispose of the old site. By the end of that year, the county had permanently ended all aviation activities there. CLEANING UP Before the county could re-use the site, however, a number of actions needed to be completed, including: • Environmental Due Diligence Audit, designed to evaluate site conditions at the airport to determine what actions, if any, were needed to result in a "clean site." If any conditions require clean-up, the county had to do so. • Environmental Assessment, designed to analyze environmental factors and impacts, serving as the basis to determine if an environmental impact statement needed to be prepared or a finding of "no significant impact" was warranted. • Purchase the buildings (mostly hangars) from private parties at the former airport. TENANTS BOUGHT OUT Many of the structures at the former airport were owned by private parties, who paid for construction of the buildings and leased the land from the county. Because they had constructed their buildings with the promise that the airport would remain operational for a considerable period, and the county later decided to close the airport, Clinton County was obligated
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to purchase, at fair market value, the privately owned buildings. It also had to pay for expenses associated with their move from the airport to another site. The county, therefore, commissioned appraisals of all the private landowners (24 in total), initiated negotiations for purchase and relocation with each and bought all structures at the former airport. Brown said the county spent about $4.28 million to buy out those tenants. Proceeds from the sale of former airport land can be used to pay off that debt. PARCELS SOLD On July 29, 2016, the county received an official "deed of release" from the federal government, allowing it to transfer title of the former airport lands, totaling 614 acres, to other parties. Brown said that on two occasions, the county solicited requests for proposals for purchase of the former airport property but did not receive serious proposals. So, the legislature opted to hold the property and sell portions as interested parties arise. To date, the county has sold three parcels, 0.7 acres and 2 acres, to two businesses located along Route 3 to expand their operations. It also sold 9 acres to the Development Corporation. The county has executed a purchase agreement to sell an additional 35 acres to a local industry and 21 acres to Fort Schuyler Management Corp. for construction of a facility for the Norsk Titanium operation. Norsk, a pioneering company in digital manufacturing, has said it expects to employ about 400 people at its new plant by the end of 2019. Another 17.5 acres, at the east end of the property off Rugar Street Extension, containing many of the buildings formerly utilized by Commutair, is leased to BOCES, which has indicated an interest in purchasing the property, Brown said.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018 At this point, the county has committed to the sale of all easily developable properties at the former airport, which Brown said are defined as parcels having the adequate street frontage and minimum lot sizes required by the Town of Plattsburgh. Any further sale of properties will likely require the construction of infrastructure, such as roads, water, sewer, electric and natural gas. The county has met on several occasions with the Town of Plattsburgh, the Development Corporation and the North Country Chamber of Commerce to discuss the options available to develop more infrastructure at the site. McManus said a collaborative effort to apply for grants and provide matching funds has been discussed and will likely take place in the near future. The county likely will use funds from its federal tobacco settlement to put up as a match for any grants. "We want this to be our No. 1 priority because I don't know if you can do anything more for people than to give them gainful employment," McManus said. “We are going to invest a significant amount of money in this, and we want to see roads, water and sewer and properties that are ready to go."
REMAINING LOTS In all cases, the value accepted by the county for the sale of former airport land is established by a real-estate appraisal, with a new appraisal completed for each individual sale.
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GROWTH continued from 1 Norsk Titanium. KAYLA BREEN/STAFF PHOTO
"Most of what is made here is going somewhere else," Duley said. STRONG WORK ETHIC The industry was estimated to have $1.3 billion in sales among the 80 manufacturing firms in Clinton County. "Culturally, Plattsburgh has always been proud to make things," said Paul Grasso, president and CEO of the Development Corporation. One of the reasons the area has such a strong work ethic, he said, is because of the long history of agriculture. Working on a farm teaches people how to work hard, and over many years, that strong work ethic has transferred to the manufacturing industry. Now, when many companies are hiring, they look less at individuals and more at how they will fit into their business. "The right person, they can train," he said. "It's not about hiring individual employees, it's about hiring a team." MARKETABLE SKILLS CV-TEC and Clinton Community College's Institute for Advanced Manufacturing are providing the kind of skilled workers the area needs, said Grasso. Programs are also being developed in local high schools, among them Beekmantown, to prepare students for a career in manufacturing. “They turn out some of the best mechanics in the state,” Grasso said of CV-TEC and Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute. “It's not an easy course, but the skills you come out with are very marketable.” OUTPACES NYS, US According to the Duley's report, the average income for manufacturing jobs in Clinton County is $49,008, 10 percent higher than the $44,045 for all industries. The percentage of manufacturing jobs in Clinton County outpaces both the state and the United States, accounting for 10 percent of all jobs here. Only 8 percent of the country's total workforce is in manufacturing, and only 5 percent in New York state. Due to the proximity of Plattsburgh to Montreal, the area is perfect for manufacturing businesses, many of which don't have to pay state income tax. Susan Matton, vice president of economic development with the North Country Chamber of Commerce, said the workforce here is held in high regard by Canadian businesses. Locals "(work) hard, they're diligent, they show up for work," she said, explaining that this type of work ethic has been lost in many parts of the country. “The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing is going to have a big influence. Now they need different skills, so we need to have that in place so those skills can be attained by the people who live here.” NATURAL ADVANTAGE Canadian companies are attracted to the North Country, as it is only 60 miles south of a major transportation hub. They are also drawn by programs New York has in place for manufacturing. Low electric rates in the City of Plattsburgh and Village of Rouses Point also entice many high-energy companies, such as those that work with plastics. “We were just given a natural advantage, being a place where you can open a manufacturing factory, but keep the offices at home and be able to go back and forth in a day,” Matton said. “We've had companies try North Carolina, Texas ... But for some companies, it's just too difficult, so they come here.”
BUY AMERICA Many of the transportation-related manufacturing for state governments is subject to Buy America, she said. So when buses are being made here for New Jersey Transit, for instance, there is an assurance that each step of the process is being done here in the United States. Matton said the transportation sector has been the fastest growing of all manufacturing industries in the area, with an average salary around $67,534. Between 2011 and 2016, this sector added 445 new jobs.
While the first wave of manufacturing in the area tended to be low wage, Matton said, the future is moving in the direction of advanced manufacturing. Jobs like these will rely much less on manual labor and will require a well-trained workforce. According to the most recent data, the average wage in the North Country for workers in advanced manufacturing is roughly $62,604. “These machines are really high tech,” Matton said. “There's very little manual labor left anymore — it's programming, science, technology and math.”
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