PLATTSBURGH NAMED ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S "TOP TEN MICRO CITIES OF THE FUTURE"

The Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the selection of Plattsburgh, New York as one of North America's top ten "micro cities of the future" by fDi Magazine, a global publication dedicated to foreign direct investment.

fDi's April/May edition ranks Plattsburgh ninth among all of the micro cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico in terms of its position for future progress and growth. Plattsburgh was also ranked third in North America for "best human services" and fourth for being "the most cost effective location."

"This is international recognition of all that is happening in the Plattsburgh-North Country region," states Garry Douglas, President of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce."For a prestigious magazine that serves the international investment markets to look across North America and single us out as one of the top ten up and coming micropolitan areas is just incredible. It once again confirms that we and our economic development partners have been doing the right things to position us for the future . But more importantly, it now confirms that the international marketplace is taking notice."

This is the first year that fDi has developed rankings of cities within North America, taking into account such factors as:

* Economic potential
* Cost effectiveness
* Human resources
* Quality of life
* Infrastructure
* Business friendliness
* Development and investment promotion

According to Douglas,this recognition "affirms that we are pursuing the right strategies, and itwill become another powerful marketing tool as we move forward. You just can't buy the kind of attention and credibility this sort of ranking by fDi brings us."

Douglas credits "our entire team of local, state and federal officials, andour economic development partnership, including the Chamber, the Development Corporation, the City Community Development Office, PARC, Empire State Development, OneWorkSourceand others."Strategic factors include Plattsburgh's continuing emergence as "Montreal's U.S. corporate suburb" and as a strategic gateway and hub within the Quebec-New York Corridor.

"The most exciting thing about this recognition," notes Douglas, "is that it is an assessment of our future and not just a snapshot of the past."