I cover Upper New York State north of and including Orange and Putnam Counties (see List of Counties). The territory that I cover for several of the companies that I represent varies in the Southeastern Area (the Lower Hudson Valley and the Catskill Mountains). I don’t normally cover Rockland and Westchester Counties, New York City, and Long Island.

Upper New York State isn’t entirely an East Coast territory. It’s also a Great Lakes territory. The majority of its population and industry is a strip of clusters within a few miles of Lake Ontario. It’s the southeastern portion of an emerging international strip city of about ten million people anchored on the north by Toronto. The majority of Canada’s population lives closer to this territory than any other territory in the USA.

Upper New York’s principal city is Buffalo, one of six cities in Erie County and neighboring Niagara County, that comprise the Niagara Frontier. One sixth of this territory’s population and industry are concentrated there. Rochester is the second largest city and Syracuse the third.

The Niagara Frontier is characterized by many basic industries: metalworking, chemical, automotive, and machinery. It was one of the historic cradles of the aviation industry in which numerous companies there continue. At one time Buffalo, “the Queen City”, was the world’s leading grain handling port with an active grain exchange. Eight railroads once connected it to East Coast ports. Many new companies with sophisticated technologies are developing there.

Rochester, “the Flower City”, is our principal high technology center. The largest company there is Eastman Kodak. Many other companies like Xerox have developed there. In addition to being the imaging capital of the world, the Rochester area has the largest and fastest growing collection of electronics companies in Upper New York State. It’s the territory’s hingepin. The Rochester area was at one time a major supplier of seeds and nursery stock to the nation, hence its nickname.

Syracuse, “the Salt City”, is the principal city nearest the geographical center of Upper New York State and its crossroads, so many service industries have located here. Lockheed Martin has a major plant here.