PLATTSBURGH — Garry Douglas called the recent visit from Jean Charest, a former Quebec Premier, and a Quebec business delegation to Plattsburgh literally and symbolically important.
During such a tense time between Canada and the United States thanks to tariffs and remarks about making Canada the “51st state”, Douglas, president and CEO of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, said he was “delighted” when Charest reached out and said he wanted to bring a delegation of several businesses to Plattsburgh to meet and workshop.
“It was especially timely … to convey in the current atmosphere that while government to government there are these disputes going on — that hopefully will be resolved now that we’ve had a Canadian election with a new government ready to negotiate — we can’t suspend business to business interaction,” Douglas said about the visit.
“It was important that Jean Charest kind of showed the way that in the midst of all this, we’re still going to keep doing these kinds of missions and outreach between our two countries — that needs to continue.”
‘A GREAT VISIT’
The visit included a tour of a Quebec-based manufacturer in Plattsburgh, a reception and dinner at the Valcour Inn on Lake Champlain, a Fireside Chat with Charest and former Congressman William Owens facilitated by Douglas, a half-day version of the chamber’s special workshop on Doing Business & Succeeding in the U.S., and a roundtable with three Canadian companies with U.S. operations.
“Two of them have facilities here in Plattsburgh, so we were specifically able to kind of be validators of how great it is to work with these people, and the expertise is really important. It’s a great place to do business,” Douglas said.
“So all in all, we left with some great new friendships and some connections who have already made other referrals to us, and it was a great visit.”
The event included representatives of the Quebec Delegation General and the Canadian Consulate General in New York as well as several local elected officials.
Though there were politicians in attendance, Douglas said they actually avoided talking about politics.
“It was a very positive, congenial atmosphere, I think, in part because we didn’t get pulled into dwelling on what we already know,” he said.
“‘We know we’re dealing with that, that’s bad. We hope it’s going to work out soon. Let’s talk about the future,’” was the intended message instead.
‘NEVER A BAD TIME’
Especially now, Douglas said at any workshop or group meetups he does with Canadian businesses, someone always asks if it’s a bad time to do business with the United States.
He said he made it clear that there’s “never a bad time” to do business here.
There is truth to that statement as Douglas said cross-border business appears to be on the upswing.
Though passenger traffic from Canada into the North Country saw a 31% drop in March, Douglas said truck traffic actually went up 12%.
“Business will always do business,” he said.
“It will always find the way to do business around things and impediments that are put in its way, whether it’s a tariff, whether it’s the pandemic, whether it’s the new border restrictions that came in after 9/11, the way will be found.”
‘WE HAVE THAT TEAM’
Though there will always be some unforeseen challenges that arise — whether it be the COVID-19 pandemic or the current Trump Administration-led tariffs — Douglas assured they always have a team ready to help businesses that need it.
“We have the experts here to help you through whatever those circumstances are,” Douglas said.
“What they are today is going to be new circumstances five years from now, of some kind that we’re not imagining, and you have to have the team behind you to deal with those when they come up and we have that team.”
Douglas is confident the most recent visit will result in more business for the North Country, with follow-ups already having been made.
“I think some actual business will come out of it,” he said.
“And compliments to my team, who put everything together … I had one attendee say ‘this is the kind of event I would have expected in Washington or some big city.’ We really did a high, high-level event for a high-level delegation, and I’m very proud of that.”