Rich Burns, manager of customer & community engagement at National Grid presents a $100,000 grant award to (left to right) Rachel Karp, Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce Executive Director; Elizabeth Cooper, ANCA Executive Director; and Danielle Delaini, ANCA Entrepreneurial Economy Program Director.

National Grid has awarded $100,000 to the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) to support the regional nonprofit’s North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) and a skills-building and networking conference for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The grant award will advance the CBIT partnership’s ongoing work supporting local business transitions, including its Small Communities. Big Opportunities.: Own a North Country Business Conference on February 12-14, 2023.

The grant is funded through National Grid’s Project C initiative, which supports projects across New York State with a focus on clean energy and sustainability; workforce development; neighborhood investment and community engagement; and environmental justice and social equity. Project C is funded by shareholders of the regional energy company.

“Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, we have seen a dramatic rise in owners reaching out to CBIT who are eager to accelerate their exit strategies from three-to-five year plans to more immediate exits,” said ANCA Entrepreneurial Economy Program Director Danielle Delaini. “National Grid’s support comes at a crucial time and will help to attract and support both local and out-of-state entrepreneurs interested in taking over North Country businesses.”

Delaini said the National Grid grant will also allow CBIT partners to provide succession planning support for business owners through 2023. “These resources will help prevent business closures, darkened storefronts and job losses throughout the North Country,” she said.

“The Center for Businesses in Transition changes the trajectory for businesses in the North Country,” said Alberto Bianchetti, National Grid’s regional director of customer and community engagement. “It shifts the course for a store or service at the end of its respective lifecycle to a period of rebirth, preserving its presence in the community and ensuring that their customers can continue to rely on the products and services that are essential to a vibrant community.”

The Small Communities. Big Opportunities.: Own a North Country Business conference is set to take place both in-person and virtually on February 12 to 14, 2023, on the heels of Saranac Lake’s ten-day Winter Carnival. The event’s in-person reception, workshops and networking opportunities will be based at The Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake.

“The CBIT program has been incredibly beneficial to our Saranac Lake area businesses. We have business owners who are now thinking ahead and planning their transitions to retirement and entrepreneurs who are exploring our area businesses,” said Rachel Karp, executive director of the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are excited to be hosting the conference in Saranac Lake so we can showcase what an amazing place it is to live, work and play. Saranac Lake is rich in history, has a vibrant arts community, and we hope attendees will have a chance to enjoy some of our Winter Carnival festivities.”  

CBIT hosted its inaugural Small Communities. Big Opportunities.: Own a North Country Business conference, which took place virtually, in February 2021. Over 180 people registered for the online event, with smaller groups connecting through informational workshops and matchmaking sessions.

Registration for the three-day in-person conference costs $100; participants who sign up by January 20, 2023 receive a discounted early bird rate of $80. The virtual option costs $75 with a $60 early bird rate. Online registration opens on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at www.adirondack.org/SCBO. Questions about the event may be directed to CBIT at transitions@adirondack.org.

CBIT was established by ANCA in 2018 with funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission in order to address the loss of area businesses by connecting business owners with potential buyers, planning tools and existing succession planning services. The partnership is currently comprised of 13 community liaisons and partners across ANCA’s 14-county service area, including representatives from the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation, Adirondack Park Agency Economic Services, Essex County Industrial Development Agency, Franklin County Economic Development Corporation, Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton County Economic Development, Lewis County Economic Development, Living ADK, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center, Ti-Alliance, and Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at www.ownanorthcountrybusiness.com.

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