BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM — North Country entrepreneurs, companies and agencies will soon have access to federal funding for training and access  to innovation resources to improve their operations.

FuzeHub, a nonprofit focused on helping New York State manufacturing and technology companies increase competitiveness and growth, is launching a major, statewide effort to expand access to innovation resources for entrepreneurs in underserved communities.

The firm will be backed by about $375,000 in federal grant funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to launch the effort, which will, in part, focus on Northern New York companies along with those in other areas of the state.

“FuzeHub will be working closely with Potsdam-based CITEC Business Solutions, which serves as the regional NY MEP center for the North Country, to understand and meet the unique needs of manufacturers and tech firms in St. Lawrence County,” John Mackowiak, a spokesman for FuzeHub, told North Country This Week.

“For example, they may explore new solutions to better serve companies in rural areas that don’t have the same density of support resources as more populated towns and cities.”

Mackowiak said FuzeHub and CITEC will work together with local manufacturing companies and nonprofit organizations in St. Lawrence County and other areas of the North Country to identify new ways to reach and serve entrepreneurs in underserved communities.

"The North Country's entrepreneurial spirit is strong, but access to resources has often been a challenge, especially for underserved rural communities that don’t have the density of resources and advisors typical of more urban areas,” said Steven Lockwood, Executive Director, CITEC Business Solutions, in a FuzeHub press release.

“This FuzeHub-led, SBA-funded program will bridge that gap, providing our innovators with the tools they need to turn their ideas into successful manufacturing ventures. We thank our federal representatives for recognizing the importance of investing in diverse entrepreneurial talent across all regions of our state,” said Lockwood.

As part of the New York Manufacturing Partnership (NY MEP), FuzeHub and CITEC have a long history of supporting small- and mid-sized manufacturing companies in St. Lawrence County — and they are eager to help more local manufacturers become more competitive, pursue new innovations and accelerate their growth, Mackowiak told North Country This Week.

FuzeHub credited senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer with helping to secure the funding.