Regional Profile

There are many factors that can make a county a great place to work. Three factors that make an area suited for optimum business are a competent and available workforce, easy access to major transportation routes and a strong presence by major employers. Fortunately, Jefferson County has all of those components, making it an excellent place to do business.

Demographics and Workforce

Jefferson County has a lower median age than the New York average, which brings a sense of youth and vibrancy to the region as well as a source of labor in the future.

Why Drum Country

Jefferson County is located in the heart of Drum Country, which is the three-county region of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The region gets its name from Fort Drum, which provides employment to over 4,500 area residents and 19,000 soldiers. Since the installation provides $1.4 billion annually in direct economic impact to the local economy, the region’s economy will always be healthy due to Fort Drum’s vitality.

Major Employers

Major companies from several different industries have already discovered why Jefferson County is a great place to do business. These companies include:

• Stream Global Services Watertown
• New York Air Brake Corp
• Car-Freshner Corporation
• Knowlton Technologies, LLC
• Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes
• Bernier Carr & Associates, PC
• Great Lakes Cheese of NY Inc.

Transportation

Jefferson County’s proximity to major markets gives businesses the market access they need. The county is within 300 miles of markets such as Boston, Philadelphia and New York City.
In addition to the proximity to other major markets, there are several methods that Jefferson County businesses can use to get to those major markets.

• Interstate 81 links the county to Canadian markets such as Toronto to the west, Montreal to the east, and Ottawa to the north by connecting with Canada Highway 401 and the 1000 Islands Bridge, respectively. I-81 also connects the county to Syracuse and I-90.
• New York State Route 3 and U.S Route 11 link the county to the rest of upstate New York
• Rail service provided by CSX
• The Ports of Oswego and Ogdensburg, which are an hour away from Jefferson County, provide ocean freight service.

Another one of the region’s highlights is the Watertown International Airport, which has two daily flights to and from Chicago. Another international airport is located in Syracuse, which is less than an hour south of Jefferson County.