Updates from the North American Center of Excellence for Transportation Equipment
Economic Aid Act: Business Assistance & Other Highlights
On December 27th the President signed into law the Economic Aid Act, a $900+ billion COVID-19 stimulus package that included a number of new and updated business assistance provisions such as additional funding for first and second-time Paycheck Protection Program loans, additional funding for the grant portion of Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, a number of favorable changes to the Employee Retention Tax Credit, and more.

Even before the bill was signed into law, your team at the Chamber and NAmTrans got to work. Updating our website, including information in our e-newsletters, answering your questions directly, and arranging webinars to help spread the word about the changes and updates to these programs for our members, cluster companies, and greater business community.

We've taken this opportunity to highlight some of the biggest changes below and we encourage you to review these options, even if you've looked into them before.

We have also updated information on federal and state COVID paid leave programs.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) - a forgivable loan program designed to help you keep your employees on payroll.

  • Many local lenders are now accepting applications for both first-draw (first-time) and second-draw (second-time) PPP loan applications.

  • Allowable expenses have been expanded and now include operating expenses, supplier costs, and worker protection costs.

  • Forgiven PPP loans will no longer count as taxable income.


  • We did host a webinar with the SBA to discuss the changes to the PPP and EIDL programs. A recording can be accessed here.

  • More information including participating lenders and the sample application form can be found here.
Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) program - a tax credit that can be claimed both retroactively for 2020 and for quarters 1 and 2 in 2021 to help reduce payroll expenses by witholding certain employer/employee payroll taxes. Eligible employers may qualify for a credit up to $19,000 per employee if they qualify for the full credit amount in 2020 and both quarters in 2021.

  • Previously, businesses had to choose - PPP or ERTC - so many did not claim the credit. Note: Even though businesses can now receive a PPP loan and use the ERTC, the two programs cannot be used for the same wages - more information is forthcoming.

Welcoming New Advisory Board Members
Since it's formation in October 2019, the NAmTrans Advisory Board has proven to be an an invaluable resource, providing timely and valuable feedback and planning guidance for our organization as we support and grow our North Country Transportation Equipment and Aerospace Cluster.

As we enter the new year, we have sadly had to say goodbye to a few dedicated members of our board who have moved on to new opportunities or retired. We will certainly miss them and wish them well in all of their future endeavors!

We are excited however to welcome a few new faces to the board. Take a minute to meet them below or check out our full board here.
Drago Repas, Director of Operations - IEC Holden Plattsburgh

Drago Repas is the Director of Operations at IEC Holden's Plattsburgh site. Drago has over 30 years of manufacturing experience, having served in various roles, with the last 15 years focused in locomotive and rail transportation.

Drago moved to Plattsburgh from London Ontario, Canada three and a half years ago with his wife and two children (son & daughter).
Guy Joannette, Managing Director - AQ B3CG - Interconnect Inc.

Guy Joannette was recently appointed Managing Director for AQ B3CG - Interconnect Inc. Guy is a seasoned and fully bilingual executive with more than 30 years of experience in the fields of manufacturing, operations and business development within the aerospace, power sports and mining industries. 

In the past, Guy worked for Bombardier, Mecachrome, Mesto, Soucy and Derichebourg serving customers such as Airbus, Boeing, Stelia and their supply chain. He holds a college degree in Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering.

He is a father of four children and in his spare time enjoys running, hiking, tennis, and golf.
Cluster News
Norsk Titanium Grows Commercial Aerostructures Customer Base
Norsk Titanium, a global leader in additive manufacturing of aerospace-grade titanium components, announced production deliveries of new Boeing 787 Dreamliner components to Leonardo’s Grottaglie Plant, based in South Italy and part of Leonardo’s Aerostructures Division. This delivery adds a third production customer to Norsk’s growing commercial aerostructures customer base and represents Norsk’s first recurring production order from a European Union based Aerospace company.

“We are pleased to be Leonardo’s supplier,” said Karl Fossum, director of customer programs for Norsk. “This delivery marks a significant increase in the number of additively manufactured parts previously manufactured from titanium plate. It also is an important step towards our mission to provide an alternative to titanium forgings in aerospace applications.”
Wabtec's Battery-Electric Locomotive
Wabtec Corporation and BNSF Railway have joined forces to explore the future potential of battery-electric locomotives. On January 4th, the two companies announced that they had begun testing their battery powered locomotive technology in revenue service between Barstow and Stockton, California. The test is part of the companies' efforts to explore the future of battery-electric locomotives.
Wabtec has produced a video to demonstrate how the process works (see below).
Stratolaunch Chooses LMS for Hypersonic Test Vehicle
Liquid Measurement Systems, Inc. (LMS) has been awarded a contract to design, develop, qualify, and deliver the fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS) for Stratolaunch’s Talon-A hypersonic flying testbed.

Stratolaunch designs manufacture and launch aerospace vehicles and technologies to fulfill several important national needs, including the need to significantly advance US hypersonic flight test capabilities and help improve the nation’s ability to design and operate cutting-edge hypersonic vehicles.
MetalCraft Marine Launches Prototype Unmmaned Vessel
Last summer, a boat on the St. Lawrence River turned heads when it appeared that no one was driving it. Spoiler alert: no one was.

The prototype unmanned vessel was built for the U.S. Coast Guard by MetalCraft Marine U.S. - one of a variety of high-powered aluminum patrol, fire, and workboats that are built right here in the North Country. 
Upcoming Events
IMPULSION MTL International Fleet Forum:
Charging Infrastructures & Batteries

When: January 26th 12-5pm
Where: Virtual

The IMPULSION MTL International Fleet Forum is hosted by our partners at Propulsion Quebec, co-presented by the government of Quebec, and organized in collaboration with various partners, including the city of New York.

The event on January 26th will focus on the topics of charging infrastructure and batteries. Use the button below to learn more and register.
Virtual Management & Leadership Essentials Training hosted by CITEC Business Solutions

When: Both Series Begin on February 17th
Where: Virtual
Cost: $750 per employee; $700 per employee if multiple employees

CITEC Business Solutions will be hosting two training series, a Virtual Management Essentials program and a Leadership Essentials Training program, both beginning on February 17th.

Both six-week programs will be offered online in two hour blocks, twice per week.

For more information or to register, click the button below.
ExploreIP: Canada’s IP Marketplace is a free online tool for businesses, creators, entrepreneurs and innovators to discover intellectual property (IP) held by Canadian public sector institutions.

Through ExploreIP, users worldwide can easily contact patent holders to discuss and negotiate a licensing arrangement, leverage ground-breaking research and discoveries, and stimulate collaborations that could help launch the next big innovation.
ExploreIP has a variety of technology categories including, but not limited to, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, instruments, and more.

Users can also use the database to locate and contact research organizations with technology relevant to their specific industry for potential collaborations. 

For more information please contact Senior Outreach Officer Frederic Papillon via email at frederic.papillon@canada.ca or by visiting ExploreIP's website using the button below.
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