Regional Profile

The Best Location Is More Than a Location, It’s An Asset.

The Drum Country Region is located in North Central New York State about 70 miles north of Syracuse. It is nestled between Lake Ontario to the west, the St. Lawrence River to the north, and by the majestic Adirondack Mountains to the east. Named after the Fort Drum Army Installation, the region’s largest employer, Drum Country is comprised of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties.

Population and Labor Force

Drum Country is home to Fort Drum as well as many long-standing corporations, and is also an emerging hot spot for renewable and alternative energy companies. Drum Country is proud to highlight another kind of energy--a labor force that has grown nearly 4% since 1999. In fact, 29% of retiring soldiers--and their spouses--stay in the area after they retire from service.

The Fort Factor

Fort Drum is woven into the fabric of the Drum Country Region. The post provides employment for more than 4,700 area residents and generates approximately $1.5 billion annually in direct economic impact. Soldiers, spouses and their children stationed at Fort Drum, the majority of who live in the communities surrounding Fort Drum, are a driving force to continued economic growth and development in the region.

Major Employers

You see a soldier, we see a workforce: it’s a message our region’s employers know, and the reason so many strong businesses call Drum Country home. Some of our representative major employers include:

Representative Drum Country Employers
Company	Description	Employees
Fort Drum	Civilian employees at army post	4,782
Alcoa	Manufactures aluminum	1,367
Stream Global Services	Call center	700
Kinney Drugs	Regional drug store chain	500
ACCO, USA	Office Supplies	373
Kraft Foods	Manufactures cream cheese products	325
Car-Freshner Group	Manufactures air fresheners	300
Defense Support Services	Repairs helicopters	300
New York Air Brake	Manufactures braking systems for rail cars	300
Community Bank N.A.	Provides bank services	230
LCO Destiny	Manufactures picture frames	220
Fibermark	Manufactures specialty fiber-based materials	190
Climax Manufacturing	Manufactures coated paper products	190
Corning, Inc.	Manufactures specialty glass and ceramics	145
Otis Technology	Manufactures gun cleaning kits	140
Interface Solutions	Manufactures gasket sealing systems	110
Source: Drum Country Business 2010

Transportation

Close Connections, International Reach

Industry in the Drum Country Region enjoys fast and convenient access to national and international markets. Our proximity to Canada is advantageous to cross-border trade, while the Free Trade Agreement and excellent highway systems allow easy access to the Northeast and Midwestern U.S. markets as well as major Canadian markets. In fact, 75 percent of Canada’s manufacturing capacity is within a 500-mile radius of the Drum Country Region. Many businesses in the Drum Country Region can easily access major US centers like Boston, Philadelphia, New York City and Buffalo, as well as Canadian centers like Toronto and Montreal, all within 300 miles. Additionally, Interstate 81 traverses the region which is part of The Capital Corridor, an integrated bi-national transportation network linking innovative regions between Ottawa, Ontario Canada and Washington, D.C.

Highways

The following highways go through or are adjacent to Drum Country:

• Interstate 81, a major north-south corridor, connects southward to I-90, a major east-west corridor, in Syracuse.
• U.S. Highway 11 and State Highways 12, 26, and 37, among others, cross the region.
• Canadian Highway 401, accessible across the St. Lawrence River at three points in Drum Country, is a major east-west corridor between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.
• Canadian Highway 416 connects Canadian Highway 401 with Canadian Highway 417 and is an important trade route to Ottawa and eastern Ontario.

Rail

Commercial, non-passenger rail service in Drum Country is provided by CSX, a Class I railroad, the largest freight railroad system in the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S.

• The line service Drum Country is part of is CSX’s main line connecting Montreal with Syracuse. From Syracuse, the main line connects to New York, Buffalo, Boston and on to several locations into the Midwest.
• Within Drum Country, numerous spurs and short lines connect to additional locations.

Waterways

The Port of Ogdensburg is the only US port on the St. Lawrence Seaway and the only port on the Great Lakes designated as a Port of National Defense. The Port is closer to Northern Europe than most other US Ports, making it highly economical for ships to travel to and from Ogdensburg.

• The Port of Ogdensburg is a US Customs port of entry with full customs services and is a designated Foreign Trade Zone.
• Using bulk-loading conveyors, the Port of Ogdensburg can load 100-pound material at the rate of 1100 short tons per hour. The Port also has the ability to provide shore-side cranes ranging from 50-220 tons. Roll-on/roll-off service is available.
• The 27’ harbor and slip depth can provide sea vessels with access to the Great Lakes and world ports.
• The Port of Ogdensburg is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and offers:
• 148,000 sq. ft. of warehouses
• 1,120 ft. of docking
• Unlimited stevedoring services
• Heavy equipment including rental cranes
• Railroad facilities connecting with CSX Transportation

Airports

Drum Country provides easy access to airports for passenger, charter and cargo service, including:

• Ogdensburg (Ogdensburg International)
• Massena (Richards Field)
• Potsdam (Damon Field)
• Watertown (Watertown International)
• Syracuse (Hancock International)
• Ottawa, Ontario (Ottawa International)
• Montreal, Quebec (Dorval International)
• Montreal, Quebec (Mirabel International)