North Country Showcase is a unique marketplace that brings together the best of the products grown and produced in Northern New York.
The idea for North Country Showcase grew out of the community action group, ReImagining Our Tomorrow (RIOT). Locally produced products were previously not available in a central location, resulting in a fragmented market.
The idea to unite these products under one roof in a community-owned venture is unique. Past efforts have been limited to sole proprietors attempting to purchase inventory or manage consignment relationships. Community involvement is key to driving success.
Investment
$100/share│When you invest you are betting the company’s future value will exceed $100,000.
The Opportunity
The one-stop shopping approach of North Country Showcase for locally sourced products is a catalyst to drive tourism in the area. The region produces high-quality goods that suffer from a lack of exposure.
Now is the right time for this venture. North Country Showcase is aligned with the region’s movement toward a more tourism-focused economy. Additionally, North Country Showcase is part of the broader "Shop Local and Shop Small" trend.
The local market for the physical location is unique with access to Canadian day tourists and tourists from across the globe visiting the region for various events. Additionally, offering products in an e-commerce store will allow us to expand our reach beyond our local region.
While there are similar stores, none have a structure focused on community ownership and involvement. This focus allows us to be more involved in local events, from hosting local artists and producers in workshops and tasting shows, while also working to grow the region’s economy.
North Country Showcase currently operates a retail storefront, The Showroom, in the St Lawrence Centre mall in Massena, NY. The Showroom is filled with products from local vendors. Vendors are able to have their products in the showcase in one of the following three models:
Additionally, our leased space at the St Lawrence Centre includes a separate event space, The Workshop, for special events including artist demonstrations, classes, book readings, and tasting events. The space provides an additional revenue source, and the events draw more customers to the store.
Our customer base will be focused on both St. Lawrence County residents and visitors to the area in our mall location. We plan for our products to be varied enough to appeal to all types of visitors and meet the needs of those who want to take home a “Piece of the North Country”.
Located just five minutes from the Canadian border and the City of Cornwall, and one hour from Montreal and Ottawa, we also hope to attract many Canadian visitors to our location. We hope to offer them a welcoming experience with quality products, helpful information about each vendor and the area’s attractions. We will also regularly host demonstrations by our vendors of how their products are made.
North Country Showcase Inc is managed by a volunteer board of nine directors elected from the shareholders. A group of three volunteer officers, president, vice-president/secretary, and treasurer are appointed from the elected directors. Professional management and store staff are to be hired as needed. Currently North Country Showcase employs one full-time staff member with extensive retail experience to operate the store on a daily basis. Other store functions are completed through volunteer shareholders, including space improvements, store staffing, website development, and vendor selection.
Set to open on Saturday, July 8, North Country Showcase, Inc. is a unique marketplace that brings the best local products hand carved, hand blown, woven, crafted and painted, all produced in the North Country region, under one roof.
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne said she is impressed by the work entrepreneurs are doing in Massena to re-energize a community that has faced a number of challenges in recent years.
The opening of a single retail shop at the St. Lawrence Centre mall Saturday has sparked new hope among local officials that the region may be on the verge of an entrepreneurial revival
...A new kind of anchor: a group of residents who had formed a company, North Country Showcase, to sell wares from local artists.
Close to 90 crafters and artisans have signed on the sell their work through the North Country Showcase. The shelves are lined with bowls, cups, quilts and mittens, but the shop also stocks rustic porch swings and chainsaw carvings of bears.
Maximum 652 shares of common stock ($65,200)
Minimum 100 shares of common stock ($10,000)
| Company | North Country Showcase Inc |
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| Corporate Address | 6100 St Lawrence Centre, Massena, NY 13662 |
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| Description of Business | North Country Showcase Inc is a retail storefront showcasing products from local artists and crafters. Our mission is to be a catalyst for economic growth in the North Country. |
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| Type of Security Offered | Common Stock |
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| Purchase Price of Security Offered | $100 |
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| Minimum Investment Amount (per investor) | $100 |
A crowdfunding investment involves risk. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. These securities have not been recommended or approved by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. Furthermore, these authorities have not passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this document. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not pass upon the merits of any securities offered or the terms of the offering, nor does it pass upon the accuracy or completeness of any offering document or literature. These securities are offered under an exemption from registration; however, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not made an independent determination that these securities are exempt from registration.
As we reach the final few hours of our campaign, we wanted to thank everyone who has supported our venture! We are thrilled to have so much support and want you all to know your investment will be put to good use to help North Country Showcase succeed and grow! Thank you all!
Thank you to everyone for your support! We have reached our minimum goal for our campaign. Now is your last chance to invest more before our May 30th deadline.
Your support in our local initiative will ensure our 100+ small local vendors continue to have a place to showcase their amazing products.
Thanks to everyone's amazing support we have reached 80% of our goal. We have 1 month left in the campaign to reach our funding goal. We would like to encourage everyone to share our campaign via social media using the share buttons found on our Start Engine page and let your friends and family know.
We are excited to keep this venture going and want you to know your support is truly appreciated! Thank you again!
Thank you to everyone that has invested in our campaign so far. As of today we have reached 62% of our $10,000 goal. We are excited for our future and want to reach and surpass 100% as soon as possible. Please take a moment to share your excitement about this venture via social media, email, and however else you can spread the word. The Share button is at the top of the page and will help you with posting to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Email.
Thank you again for your support!
We are seeing excellent response to our crowdfunding campaign, thank you to everyone who has invested! We are nearing 40% of our goal and we are only just two weeks into our campaign. Don't miss your opportunity to invest and share the campaign with everyone you know! We are excited for the opportunity this campaign will bring!
Thank you to everyone who has invested so far! We've got 8 investors within the first 3 days of our campaign. We are extremely excited to share this opportunity with everyone and hope you'll become part of our success.
We are officially live with our crowdfunding offering! We are so excited to make the opportunity to invest in our local products marketplace available to everyone. This has been a true labor of love, growing from 33 Vendors and 3,000 square fee to over 100 vendors and 11,000 square feed in 5 months. Our showroom is beautiful and we invite everyone to come take a look.
Even if you aren't investing, be sure to share our campaign with everyone you know. This is a unique opportunity to invest local and support local small businesses.
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