Glens Falls Business Journal - October 2020

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OCTOBER 2020

Report: Some Parts Of Region’s Job Sector Glens Falls Business Improvement District Slowly Rebounding Despite COVID-19 Helps Spruce Up Downtown Properties Since COVID-19-related job losses peaked in April, the education services, retail trade and other sectors in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan statistical area (MSA) have slowly bounced back, according to a report from the Center for Economic Growth.

However, as of July, hard-hit sectors such as leisure and hospitality, and healthcare and social assistance have been slow to reduce their yearover-year losses or even seen them widen, the report said.

Data from the state Department of Labor shows signs of economic recovery in the AlbanySchenectady-Troy MSA that includes Saratoga County. The metro had 421,700 nonfarm employed workers as of last July. While that represented a 46,800 job, or 10 percent, loss from a year earlier, it was narrower than the 15.3 percent loss the metro had sustained in April.

However, the economic recovery was slower in the Glens Falls MSA (Warren-Washington), the report said, where the year-over year nonfarm jobs loss only narrowed from 18.7 percent in April to 16.8 percent in July.

By July, most Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA sectors were still seeing year-over-year employment losses, CEG said. Transportation and warehousing was an exception, with flat job growth. Leisure and hospitality had led the region in year-over-year job losses in April, totaling 72,300.

By July that loss had narrowed by 25,500 to 46,800. But that was only 35.1 percent fewer lost jobs from April’s peak. In contrast, retail trade, which had seen the metros second most job losses in April, had narrowed its year-over-year job losses from 10,300 in April to 4,300 in July, or 58.3 percent fewer lost jobs. The educational services sector actually had more jobs reported in July

than a year earlier, whereas it had experienced a 9.9 percent year-over-year decline in April.

Regardless of this progress, several sectors had greater year-over-year job losses in July than in April. Healthcare and social assistance’s losses went from 7,700 to 7,900. Government’s losses likewise widened, from 2,600 to 5,300, said the report.

Employers’ interest in hiring, as measured by regional job openings, has risen sharply since sinking to a low 2,330 openings in May, according to CEG. By August there were 5,411 job openings in the eight counties – a 132.2 percent increase.

However, that marked an 18.9 percent decline when compared to a year earlier, according to data from the state Department of Labor’s JobsExpress database.

While job opening growth was seen across all occupational categories from May to July, only four had seen year-over-year gains during that period. They were: • Healthcare support (up 268.2 percent since May and up 60.4 percent year to date).

• Personal care, personal service and gaming (up 515.4 percent since May and up 21.2 percent year to date).

• Installation, maintenance and repair (up 183.9 percent since May and up 1.3 percent year to date).

• Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (up 72.5 percent since May and up 11.4 percent year to date).

In contrast, education, training and library had 1020 percent more openings since May but was down 44.6 percent over the year. Business and financial operations had the steepest yearover-year decline at 59.3 percent.

Since COVID-19, CEG said it has stepped up its Continued On Page 4

This is the logo of the Glens Falls BID, formed to enhance the value of the property downtown and the experience of the people who work, shop and live there.

Courtesy Glens Falls Bid

ANDREA HARWOOD PALMER The Glens Falls Business Improvement District organization has been around for awhile, but its membership feels it has been under the radar.

A rebranding is taking place to improve that.

“It became apparent over our last few months of strategic planning that we needed to make people more aware of the BID—what we’re doing, what our purpose is. We’ve been around for 15 years, and we’ve done a lot of projects, and we’ve been very quiet about it,” said Dan Burke, BID president.

“The board said, ‘You know, it’s important that people know what we’re doing. We need to give them the opportunity to get excited, get

energized and join in.’ The rebranding launch made sense. It’s important that people know as a state and local entity, we’re spending money well,” Burke said.

The BID began around 15 years ago.

Burke has been there from the beginning.

The city asked business people who were also property owners to look into forming a Business Improvement District and it became a reality. It began to form around the time Centennial Circle was being constructed in Downtown Glens Falls.

“We started slow. Our budget wasn’t very big.

Nonetheless, one thing led to another. We put in crosswalk signs, some trash cans, we did a Continued On Page 14

Burch Bottle & Packaging Purchases Tourism Officials in Lake George Region Web Graphics Building In Queensbury Launch Effort To Bring More People To Area

BY CHRISTINE GRAF Waterford-based Burch Bottle & Packaging, Inc. has purchased the former Web Graphics building in Queensbury.

The 12-acre property was purchased for $2.5 million and includes a 76,000-square-foot warehouse with five loading docks. It is located at 428 Corinth Road, approximately one mile west of Northway Exit 18 .

According to Burch Bottle vice president George Ide IV, it was the property’s proximity to the Northway that was one of its major selling points.

“We had been looking for a new location for about two years,” said Ide. “We were looking for more space. It’s not an easy thing to find an existing space, and we didn’t want to build. This is a great area—a growing area—with a good shipping lane.”

The company is currently headquartered in a 50,000-square-foot leased facility located on Hudson River Road in Waterford. Burch Bottle has been in business for over 35 years and is a leading supplier of glass and plastic containers and metal packaging components. They distribute products to customers in many industries including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, health and wellness, personal care, and chemical and industrial. The company also offers custom mold design.

Burch Bottle has about 24 employees and plans to hire additional employees after relocating to Queensbury. Renovations of the building are underway, and the company hopes to occupy the space by the end of the year.

“We’re doing substantial upgrades, but it’s basic stuff like carpeting and landscaping—sprucing up

Burch Bottle & Packaging purchased this former Web Graphics building in Queensbury. the building,” said Ides. “In the future, we may be looking to expand the building or putting up a new building in the back.”

Ide said business has been growing steadily over the past several years but was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is currently dealing with supply chain shortages.

“Different customers have been impacted in different ways, and we had some of our food and beverage customers that haven’t been able to make it,” he said. “Our business is back up, but at the beginning it was rough sailing for everyone.”

In the Lake George region, officials have undertaken an effort to make it easier for people to have custom-made fall fun and discover less crowded places.

Leading hospitality organizations in the region have teamed up to provide rich travel and outdoor experiences for visitors and help local people discover what’s in their backyard while staying safe.

“A demanding daylong hike on trails less traveled in the Adirondacks? Biking in rugged terrain? Or antiquing followed by a gourmet dinner? It’s all available in the Lake George region this fall,” said a release from Warren County Tourism, LakeGeorge. com, Look Media and Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce announcing the initiative.

The groups are working together to produce customized weekend itineraries to help visitors make the most of “summer’s second act,” the release said. The itineraries will be distributed via email blasts from the different organizations and promoted through social media on a weekly basis this fall.

The first itinerary was the 12 Best Towns for Fall Foliage, developed by the Warren County Tourism Department. This piece provides maps and easy directions to help people discover all that is available in the 12 towns in Warren County.

The second is “An Autumn Weekend Getaway in Lake George: 48 Hours of FallFilled Fun!” which was developed by Mannix Marketing’s LakeGeorge.com.

Hospitality organizations in the Lake George region are promoting safe activities.

Courtesy Lake George Chamber of Commerce

“Summer soaks up the spotlight, but fall is the Lake George region’s best-kept secret, with all the fun of hiking, biking and boating plus spectacular foliage by day and crackling wood fires at night,” said Warren County Tourism Director Joanne Conley.

“Lake George is the close-to-home escape to fresh air, wide-open space, backwoods, and beautiful back roads,” said Sara Mannix, president of Mannix Marketing, which owns LakeGeorge.com. “We hope to help visitors Continued On Page 3

2 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020

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Personnel Briefs

Seeley Office Systems has hired Ashtin Givens as a business development specialist.

Givens brings with her nearly six years of experience in business development and client management. She has worked in many different industries and has helped support organizations both big and small.

She holds a B.S. in human development and family relations from SUNY Plattsburgh.

In her roles prior to joining Seeley Office Systems, Givens was responsible for cultivating new business relationships in the greater Capital Region.

* * * Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Blake Realtors announced that Mary Ellen Boese has joined the staff as a licensed real estate agent.

Boese has lived and worked in Saratoga Springs for more than 20 years.

She received her masters in business administration degree from Sage graduate school.

Boese is an active outdoor enthusiast. She resides in Saratoga Springs with her daughter and son.

* * * The Courtyard Marriott, 365 Canada St., Lake George, has announced the hiring of Jennifer Carusone as sales manager.

In this capacity Carusone will be responsible for bringing trade groups, business trav-

After Delays Caused By COVID-19, Brothers Open Evergreen Bicycle Works •

elers and private events to the region as Lake George continues to grow as a year-round destination for business gatherings and tourists alike.

Prior to joining the Marriott, Carusone spent years in advertising prior to launching a 10-year career as a recognized diamond jewelry expert.

* * * Cost Control Associates in Queensbury promoted Dana Benidt to senior analyst.

Benidt joined the company in 2017 as an energy analyst.

Benidt is a 2017 graduate of William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics. She was on the dean’s list and a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon National Honorary Mathematics Society.

She is a resident of Queensbury.

* * * KeyBank announced that Sean T. Wade been named vice president and relationship, commercial banking, for the Capital Region.

In his role, he is responsible for business development, portfolio management and acting as trusted advisor for commercial banking clients throughout the Capital Region.

Prior to joining KeyBank, Wade worked for Pioneer Bank as a commercial banking Continued On Page 12

Kyle Cozzens, co-owner of Evergreen Bicycle Works with his brother Randy, works on a bike in their shop at the Fort Edward Train Station facility.

BY LISA BALSCHUNAT Kyle and Randy Cozzens, brothers and business partners, intended to open Evergreen Bicycle Works in the Fort Edward Train Station complex in April, but COVID-19 hit and put the brakes on their meetings with the village Planning Board until June.

“We had our sales tax certificate, keys to the building we were renting, our LLC, but not full approval from the village,” said Kyle, a seasoned bike repair expert and former U.S. Air Force aircraft mechanic.

The Cozzens, Fort Edwards natives, worked with the Washington County Local Development Corp. in February and were raring to go, but then the pandemic hit.

“We had to wait,” he said. “We worked inside and tried to stock our shelves, but it was hard to get inventory at that time, too.”

Kyle said he knew that with the COVID-19 shutdown, Evergreen Bicycle Works would be challenged because the shop wouldn’t be open at the start of bike season.

But in June, the Planning Board scheduled a Zoom meeting and within days of the necessary municipal approvals the new shop opened for business.

Lisa Balschunat

“We’re very excited to be the new business in town,” Kyle said.

The brothers originally wrote up a business plan to create a mobile shop in a truck, but after meeting with the WCLDC and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), the Cozzens decided to create a brick-and-mortar shop.

Randy, the younger of the two, brings several years of retail experience to Evergreen Bicycle, while Kyle brings his mechanics expertise, completion of a two-month SUNY Adirondack business start-up course and training from the United Bicycle Institute in Portland, Ore. “At this point, we’re looking to hold a grand opening in the spring of 2021,” Kyle said. “We’ve got projects in the works to carry us through winter, like marketing the shop and working on expansion plans … We already have some ideas to create an outdoor seating area and disc golf goal on the lawn next year.”

Evergreen Bicycle Works is located at 71 East St. at the Fort Edward Train Station, near the Old Champlain Trail. The shop is open Wednesday through Sunday.

For more details and to schedule a fall bike tune up, visit www.evergreenbicycleworks. com.

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 • 3

Adirondack Orthodontics Opens Its Fifth Glens Falls Hospital, Massachusetts General Location On Broad Street In Glens Falls Collaborate On Local Stroke Center Services

BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH Opening a fifth location seemed like a natural progression for Adirondack Orthodontics, a locally owned and operated orthodontic practice that serves patients across the Capital Region.

The newest office at 88 Broad St. in Glens Falls is now part of the largest locally owned and operated practices in the Capital District region.

As the founder of the practice, Dr. Sergey Berenshteyn said he had many patients travelling from northern Saratoga and Warren counties down to his Clifton Park office. Opening up a spot that was closer for those travelling south down the Northway for care seemed like an obvious decision to make.

“I knew we already had a client base in that area and I knew going to Glens Falls would not only make it easier for those patients but it would also allow for us to bring in new patients in the more northern areas,” said Berenshteyn.

Berenshteyn said the new location needed some renovations but nothing major. The office is part of a suite that opened up and was recommended to him by a friend who was already there practicing pediatric dentistry.

“The opportunity for the perfect location opened up and so we were confident that it would be a good match. We are thrilled to offer caring and compassionate orthodontic treatment to children, adults and families in the Glens Falls area,” he said.

The March shutdown of orthodontic practices due to COVID-19 was something that Berenshteyn used as an opportunity to research the opening of a fifth location, as well as how to safely be able to provide care to his patients once the closure ended.

“Luckily in dentistry we already have so many safety protocols in place so we felt confident in our ability to provide care in a safe way. Through a number of safety controls, staff training, adding purifiers and filters, and restructuring the number of patients we have

Dr. Sergey Berenshteyn founded Adirondack Orthodontics in 2012.

Courtesy Adirondack Orthodontics

in the office at a time, we feel confident in our ability to provide safe care,” he said.

Berenshteyn credits some of his success to his philosophy of providing individualized personal care when assessing each patient.

He said this is the best way, he believes, to develop a unique personal health and aesthetic plan.

He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine. He completed an additional year of general practice residency, followed by two years of post-graduate orthodontic training at the University of Detroit Mercy in Michigan.

Adirondack Orthodontics has other offices in Albany, Latham, East Greenbush and Clifton Park. The Glens Falls office can be reached at (518) 631-9771. For more information, visit www.adirondack orthodontics.com.

Tourism Effort

Continued From Page 1 find the week-long or weekend vacation that really works for them during these beautiful but quieter fall days.”

“Our goal is to help our visitors make choices that lead to a great experience,’’ said Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Many people are seeking a break from the stress in a healthy place with wide-open space — but each visitor’s ideal experience can be quite different.’’

Additional itineraries to be unveiled this season will help visitors envision possibilities such as: • Kick off a fall vacation with a relaxing, handcrafted cocktail and dinner at one of the region’s leading farm-to-table, fine dining or wood-fired pizza places. Wake up Saturday for

golf overlooking the lake or a moderate hike up Prospect Mountain. Pause for a leisurely lakeside lunch and a wine tasting by a roaring fire in the evening • Sleep late in the big, comfy beds in one of the Lake George region’s luxury hotels and inns, find the champagne chilled and chocolates on the pillow. Poke around in the antique shops and retail stores. Consider a candlelight dinner for two or a stroll along the shoreline or through the pumpkin patch.

• Make it a true warriors’ weekend by taking on Tongue or Crane Mountain. Rent a mountain bike and tackle the rugged terrain of the southern Adirondacks, and end the day with a brisk run by the lake, followed by a restorative local beer or two.

Glens Falls Hospital (GFH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) announced a collaborative effort to offer Teleneurology as part of the New York State Stroke Center located at GFH. Massachusetts General Hospital is recognized as one of the premiere medical centers in the world. As a result of their clinical experience and research efforts, the physicians at MGH have over 20 years in the field of teleneurology, diagnosing and managing a spectrum of disease, from the “common” stroke to the rarest of cerebrovascular conditions.

The physician faculty of the Mass General Stroke Service care for patients with complex cerebrovascular disease, in all phases of care from prevention to acute intervention and recovery. They care for strokes of all types, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, and due to a variety of causes such as atherosclerosis, infection, vasculopathy, inherited disorders and other rare causes.

“Collaborative efforts such as these are a crucial way to leverage the latest advancements in virtual care,” said Dr. Anand Viswanathan, director of MGH TeleStroke Services, and associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. “We are proud to join together in making expert neurovascular care available to patients in New York’s Capital and Eastern Adirondacks regions.”

“Glens Falls Hospital is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get with The Guidelines-Stroke initiatives,” said Cassandra Moore, director, neurology and stroke program Cassandra Moore, Glens Falls Hospital’s director of neurology and the stroke program. “Now, with our MGH teleneurology partnership, stroke patients and their families

can be even more confident of the diagnosis, treatment, and after care should a stroke affect their lives” said Moore.

Using advanced video-conferencing technology, patients who present with stroke symptoms can be quickly and effectively diagnosed by a teleneurologist in collaboration with the clinicians in the Emergency Department.

The pilot of this program allows for both GFH Neurologists and MGH Neurologists to visually participate in the patients care when they present to the ED with a stroke emergency 24/7 – 365 days a year.

In conjunction with the video-conferencing software GFH and MGH share time sensitive brain imaging across a secure cloud network to help with the diagnosis of stroke and have integrated IT systems to ensure documentation is flawless in these urgent situations.

All of the MGH physicians who are participating in the GFH/MGH partnership are certified by the state Department of Education, and credentialed at Glens Falls Hospital.

Glens Falls Hospital (GFH) maintains a service area that spans 6,000 square miles across five diverse counties.

The main hospital campus is home to the C.R. Wood Cancer Center, the Joyce Stock Snuggery birthing center, the Breast Center and a chronic wound healing center.

For more information visit www.

GlensFallsHospital.org.

Glens Falls Hospital is an affiliate of the Albany Med Health System, which also includes Albany Medical Center, Columbia Memorial Health and Saratoga Hospital. The region’s largest locally governed health system, it has 1,520 beds, more than 800 physicians and 125 outpatient locations throughout the Capital Region.

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4 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020

Glens Falls Farmer’s Market Set To Continue At Cool Insuring Arena Starting In November

A vendor prepares soup at the Glens Falls Farmer’s Market operating at the South Street Pavilion. In November it moves to Cool Insuring Arena.

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

The Glens Falls Farmers’ Market summer hours are continuing through October, every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the South St. Pavilion.

But starting in November, the market will have a new location, the Cool Insuring Arena, officials said.

In the interest of keeping our customers safe, organizers sought out a large venue for social distancing purposes.

The Glens Falls Farmers Market is considered an essential business during this time, and will remain open.

“We seek to serve our community with the best possible locally produced food so that you have the high quality ingredients needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” market officials said.

We are here for you. For updates on market hours, location, and new vendors, please check our Facebook page as that will be updated regularly. You can visit it by clicking here.

The Glens Falls Farmers Market follows these

Courtesy Glens Falls Farmers’ Market

safe practices while visiting the market: 1. With a customer’s permission, vendors will sign credit card slips for people buying tokens.

2. People should refrain from visiting the market if they have flu like symptoms, colds, or any other illness. Anyone exhibiting signs of illness will be politely asked to leave for the community’s well being.

3. People should wash hands and not self-serve items from vendors tables.

4. If someone feels the need to cough or sneeze, visit a wash station afterward.

5. People should refrain from touching their face while at the market. If they do, feel free to use a wash station afterward.

6. Remember to stay six-plus feet away from others while attending the market 7. If at all possible, send only one member from a household to the market 8. Following the guidance from the CDC, masks are required.

2000 Business Of The Year

Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce P.O. Box 766 • Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 581-0600 • Fax: (518) 430-3020 • www.glensfallsbusinessjournal.com

Editorial: RJDeLuke@glensfallsbusinessjournal.com Advertising: HarryW@glensfallsbusinessjournal.com Publisher & Editor Harry Weinhagen

Washington County New Business Registrations SEPTEMBER

Associate Editor R.J. DeLuke Editor Emeritus Rod Bacon Sales and Customer Service Harry Weinhagen Production Manager Graphic Precision Contributing Writers Susan Campbell Jill Nagy Jennifer Farnsworth Christine Gaf Andrea Palmer Rachel Phillips Lisa Balschunat Glens Falls Business Journal is published monthly, the second week of each month, by Weinhagen Associates, LLC and mailed to business and professional people in Warren and Washington counties.

Glens Falls Business Journal is independently owned and is a registered tradename of Weinhagen Associates, LLC, P.O. Box 766, Saratoga Springs, New York l2866 (518) 581-0600. Glens Falls Business Journal is a registered tradename in New York.

Glens Falls Business Journal has been founded to promote business in Warren and Washington counties and to provide a forum that will increase the awareness of issues and activities that are of interest to the business community. Subscription price is $25.00 per year. Third class postage paid at Glens Falls, New York.

Rights to editorial content and layouts of advertising placed with Glens Falls Business Journal which are the creative effort of its contractors, and printing materials supplied by Glens Falls Business Journal are the property of Glens Falls Business Journal and may not be reproduced by photographic or similar methods, or otherwise, without the specific authorization of Glens Falls Business Journal.

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Mettawee River Meeting House 114 State Route 22 A Granville, NY 12832

Do for you Construction 58 Brayton Rd. Fort Ann, NY 12827

Areana Cabinets 11 Rock St. Greenwich, NY 12834

Shawn Barrett Big Creek Farm 3696 State Route 149 Fort Ann, NY 12827

Simply Devine Hair Salon 122 Main Street Greenwich, NY 12834

Busy Birds Boutique 3306 State Route 4 Hudson Falls, NY 12839

The Clean Bee 20 Maynard Street Hudson Falls, NY 12839

Truck Itt 16 Crowley Rd, Hudson Falls, NY 12839

North Country Outdoor Services 49 Old State Route 149 Fort Ann, NY 12827 Willow Creek Photography New York 2270 State Route 4 Fort Edward, NY 12828 Faded Clipz Barbershop 128 Broadway Fort Edward, NY 12828 36East 36 Ethan Allen St. Fort Edward, NY 12828

Mr Potato 1193 Farley Rd. Hudson Falls, NY 12839

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 • 5

‘Pretty Hot Mess’ Shop Moves Back To South Merger of Center For Economic Growth Glens Falls With Its Array Of Skin Products With Capital Region Chamber Gets Approval

Angel Isaac, owner of Pretty Hot Mess, poses with her daughter Aurora Tufares near her shop South Street in Glens Falls.

ANDREA HARWOOD PALMER Pretty Hot Mess has moved back to South Glens Falls at 139 Saratoga Ave. in the Hannaford Plaza.

Owner Angel Isaac opened the shop in 2018 and moved to Warren Street in Glens Falls in 2019. She said the move back to South Glens Falls was prompted by a need for more space.

“We’ve grown significantly in the last year. We needed more space, plus we wanted our shop to be more handicap accessible and have more room for wheelchairs,” said Isaac.

Isaac credits word of mouth and referrals from the medical community for the shop’s growth.

“We finally have a lot of medical providers on board with our products, and a lot of those medical providers are sending people our way instead of writing them a prescription. A lot of people are turning to more natural alternatives as opposed to prescriptions. Definitely our oils were popular during the whole Coronavirus scare. A lot of people were using them to keep themselves from getting sick,” she said.

She said the shop’s most popular medical product by far is CBD. The new space is 6,500 square feet, with plenty of room for shopping.

“We’re bringing in an entire men’s line of products and clothing. We’ve definitely made the store much bigger and bringing in multiple new products that people will love. Everything we sell is natural, organic, no chemicals,” said Isaac.

Autumn Wells

“We have an entire hemp infused skin care line that just went bonkers. I was just published in an international magazine, the CBD Journal, for my skin care line. We have a hemp line for shampoo, body wash and massage oil. We have an intimacy line now, for women experiencing intimacy issues—that one has been a huge seller,” said Isaac.

Isaac makes the skin care products herself. The line is called Pretty Hot Mess Skincare.

“We definitely are extremely busy with CBD, and I think it’s only going to continue to grow, especially once people realize how much it helps them and they don’t have to turn to narcotics or over the counter pain medication that can be toxic to the body over time,” said Isaac.

“We have professional sanitizers, keeping the store completely sanitized. Customers will need to maintain social distancing and wear a mask.

We’re meeting all the CDC guidelines.”

“We really want to make sure we’re catering to the handicapped and elderly population. We’ll have a sitting area.”

“We’re also bringing in Aura Photos, and we’ll have treatment for that. Aura Photos are taken with a biofeedback machine that takes pictures of your auras and your chakras,” she claimed. “If they’re out of balance, we can help you get them back in balance. We also have treatment rooms for tarot card readings.”

The business can be reached at 518-223-0306.

Its website is www.theprettyhot mess.com.

BY R.J. DELUKE Investors in The Center for Economic Growth approved in October the idea pursuing an affiliation with the Capital Region Chamber.

Under the affiliation, CEG would retain its identity and remain a legal entity whose sole member would be the Capital Region Chamber. CEG would have its own board of directors and representation on the Chamber board.

The changes will take place starting Jan. 1. Chamber members approved the idea in September.

The Capital Region Chamber and CEG informed their memberships in June that their boards had formed a Joint Task Force to consider potential affiliation.

“After conducting a comprehensive due diligence review, we are pleased to report that both boards have concluded that it would be in the best interest of the shared missions of each organization for CEG and the Capital Region Chamber to align under one organizational structure with a unified vision and coordinated strategy,” a letter to membership, over the signature of Mark N. Eagan, CCE, president and CEO of the Capital Region Chamber, and Paul Milton, Chamber board chair, said.

Eagan will continue to lead CEG as CEO and president. He plans to hire a senior economic development executive to oversee CEG’s portfolio of work.

The change came after Andrew Kennedy, who was CEG’s CEO and president of CEG, left to join the lobbying firm Ostroff Associates. He worked with CEG on a limited basis until the affiliation was approved by investors, officials said.

The joint task force formed by the two boards of directors concluded that it would be in the best interests of both to align under one organizational structure with a unified vision and coordinated strategy, said a statement

from the Chamber.

“The organizational structure of the Capital Region Chamber was intentionally designed to be inclusive and welcoming of other aligned organizations that may wish to affiliate,” the Chamber letter said. “Under the affiliation model being recommended, CEG would retain its identity and remain a legal entity, whose sole member would be the Capital Region Chamber. CEG would have board of directors and also have representation on the regional Chamber board.”

CEG will continue to provide regional economic development services such as advising businesses on sites and incentives, providing regional economic data and analysis, and supporting the Regional Economic Development Council and regional economic development strategies. CEG will remain the Federally designated Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center and support the Chief Executives Network composed of area manufacturers.

“The Capital Region Chamber is united to drive economic prosperity with one vision, one mission for one region,” officials said.

The Capital Region Chamber was formed by the 2015 affiliation of the Albany-Colonie and Schenectady County chambers. The merged entity took on the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County as an affiliate in 2019.

The Center for Economic Growth is a nonprofit economic development organization that works to market the Albany region, attract investment and provide services to help businesses grow. It’s backed by more than 250 local companies and organizations that give annual contributions at different tiers between $1,500 and $50,000.

CEG will continue to provide regional economic development services such as advising businesses on sites and incentives, providing regional economic data and supporting regional economic development strategies.

Cherri Allen Front Desk Agent Home2 Suites By Hilton in Queensbury Reads

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

6 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

SPECIAL SECTION

Commercial / Residential Real Estate Former Copperfield Inn In North Creek Governmental Data Says Employment Is Purchased, Transformed Into Phoenix Inn Slow In Nonresidential Construction Sector

The Phoenix Inn has 31 guest rooms and suites, complete with marble bathrooms. It offers ecologically friendly bath products and are heated and cooled geothermally.

BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH At the heart of the new Phoenix Inn in North Creek is owner Diana Espalza, who not only bought the former Copperfield Inn, but transformed the space into a successful resort—all during a pandemic.

Espalza, originally from Colombia, South America, said she dreamed of owning her own hotel her entire life. When she came upon the Copperfield Inn property, she knew it was the space she wanted.

“I love construction and I fell in love with this building at first sight,” said Espalza.

It was last December when Espalza purchased the inn and COVID-19 happened in March. She took time to learn more about the business and come up with a vision for what she wanted. She said the name “Phoenix” came to her after she went through what described as a rough experience.

“Like the Phoenix is reborn from the ashes, that is what I hope to do in my personal life. I am trying to make this building as successful and prosperous as it once was,” said Espalza.

She renovated the heating and air conditioning system and made structural improvements to the roof and several rooms. She added patio space.

Espalza has also enjoyed introducing her

Courtesy Phoenix Inn

culture through Hispanic food and music on Latin Thursdays.

The start of the summer season was slow, said Espalza, but she things changed as the months went on and COVID-related restrictions eased somewhat.

“Business has started to pick back up. The safety precautions have been different, but manageable.

Our visitors are 90 percent New York residents.

My staff is mostly local. We are really hoping for business to continue to pick up as the fall starts,” said Espalza.

The Phoenix Inn will host weddings and offer catering in addition to housing visitors, she said.

The inn has 31 guest rooms and suites, complete with marble bathrooms. As a “green” hotel, they offer ecologically friendly bath products and are heated and cooled geothermally. They accommodate weddings in the classic ballroom with a parquet dance floor, space for a band or DJ, a gift table, a welcome table, a cake and dessert table and a space to accommodate food stations.

Tappers Tavern is on site with a collection of beverages that compliment the menu.

To learn more visit phoenixinnresorts.com/ or on Facebook at @phoenixinnresort.

Construction employment increased nationally by 26,000 jobs in September to a total of 7,245,000, but the gains were concentrated in housing, while employment in the infrastructure and nonresidential building construction sector remained little changed, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released Oct. 2.

Association officials said the pandemic was prompting strong demand for new housing as more Americans work from home, while undermining private-sector development of office, retail and other types of projects and forcing many local and state governments to cut construction budgets.

“Construction is becoming steadily more split between a robust residential component and generally stagnant private nonresidential and public construction activity,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, noting that in the three months since June, residential construction employment has increased nearly 3 percent while nonresidential employment has slipped 0.2 percent. “As project cancellations mount, so too will job losses on the nonresidential side unless the federal government provides funding for infrastructure and relief for contractors.”

The AGC of America-Autodesk Workforce Survey, released last month, found that 38 percent of respondents—whose firms perform all types of nonresidential construction—expect it will take more than six months for their firm’s volume of business to return to normal, relative to a year earlier. That percentage topped the 29 percent who reported business was already at or above year-ago levels.

A likely reason for the more pessimistic outlook is the rapid increase in postponed or canceled projects, the economist said.

He noted that the latest survey found 60 percent of firms report a scheduled project

has been postponed or canceled, compared to 12 percent that had won new or additional work as a result of the pandemic.

The employment pickup in September was mainly in homebuilding, home improvement and a portion of nonresidential construction, Simonson noted. There was a rise of 22,100 jobs in residential construction employment, comprising residential building (6,600) and residential specialty trade contractors (15,500).

There was a gain of 4,000 jobs in nonresidential construction employment, covering nonresidential building (5,300), specialty trades (2,100) and heavy and civil engineering construction (-3,400).

The industry’s unemployment rate in September was 7.1 percent, with 700,000 former construction workers idled.

These figures were more than double the September 2019 figures of 3.2 percent and 319,000 workers, respectively.

Association officials said that nonresidential construction was likely to continue to stagnate while the pandemic persists without new additional federal coronavirus recovery measures. Those recovery measures must include liability protections for businesses that are protecting workers from the coronavirus, new infrastructure investments and funding for depleted state and local construction budgets, they added.

“Until businesses are confident enough to invest in new development projects and state and local governments are able to invest in public works, the commercial construction sector will not be able to fully recover,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer.

“Protecting honest employers, improving our infrastructure and helping state and local officials fix schools and improve other public facilities will create the jobs people need and the momentum our economy requires.”

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 • 7

Saratoga Olive Oil Opens Store/Warehouse In Adirondack Winery In Lake George Will Moreau, Eyes Popup Shop In New York City Move Ahead With Expansion Despite Delays

This new Saratoga Olive Oil store in Moreau has a 7,500-square-feet of warehouse space and 3,000 square feet of retail space.

BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH The success of Saratoga Olive Oil has led to an expansion with a new store at 1341 Saratoga Road in Moreau.

The company opened a facility that has a 7,500-square-foot warehouse and 3,000 square feet of retail space.

Owner Clint Braidwood said they had been searching the last couple years for a warehouse facility. He came close to purchasing land and building a warehouse with Munter Enterprises in W.J. Grande. Industrial Park, however, John Munter, owner of Munter Enterprises, suggested that they look into the facility in Moreau.

“He thought it would be a great fit for us.

It was indeed a perfect fit for Saratoga Olive Oil Company. We now have warehouse space, the ability to expand our warehouse and corporate offices, a front retail space and a photo room in our front building,” said Braidwood.

The new spot will offer discounted and discontinued items, as well as bulk items, a concept Braidwood anticipates will do well.

Braidwood founded the business with his

Expert electrical service.

©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

wife Barbara and brother Chad Braidwood in 2011. He said when the pandemic hit, they were all worried.

“COVID was really scary when it hit.

Especially for a retail business. We didn’t know if we would survive it,” said Braidwood.

He said the fact that so many people turned to cooking at home as opposed to going out, worked to their benefit.

“People were staying home and cooking, which fared very well for us. In addition, we were considered an essential business as we were in the food manufacturing business.

These different factors really helped us, “ said Braidwood.

Braidwood said their brick and mortar was down 90 percent at the start of April, with their online business was up 500 percent.

“We are still trending at a 20 percent decrease for brick and mortar and a 200 percent increase online. We hope that brick and mortar will come back to full strength next year when a possible vaccine becomes available,” he said.

He credits the online business with helping Continued On Page 9

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This is the Queensbury headquarters of Adirondack Winery. Owner Sasha Pardy says there are plans to build an additional structure that will house the wine production and a tasting room.

ANDREA HARWOOD PALMER Adirondack Winery continues to move forward with expansion plans in Queensbury.

“The experience we’ve had throughout the pandemic has been surprising,” said owner Sasha Pardy.

“We’ve definitely been fortunate. People have enjoyed wine. So while we’ve experienced the 50 percent capacity limitations in our tasting room, we’ve been able to supplement that with our shipping and wholesale sales.

We opened up tastings at our Queensbury location as well. We’ve been able to spread out our lines.”

The winery had started the expansion project in the spring. When COVID hit, owners Sasha and Mike Pardy weren’t sure what was going to happen. They were going through the approval process for an expansion in

Courtesy Adirondack Winery

Queensbury. They had been thinking ahead to get approval for long-term plans so they would be prepared when they were ready to build.

The owners are not exactly sure when they will break ground.

“In an ideal world, we’ll be ready to open by spring of next year. But who knows what’s going to happen between now and then. We’re following the plans in place to get to the point where we are ready to build,” said Pardy.

“We’ve been bursting at the seems for quite a long time now,” she said. “We’ve gotten to the point where we have a few storage units and we’re putting equipment in the garage at our house. That’s when we started to say, ‘We need to build this thing sooner rather than later.’”

The new location will house all of the production. The current building will host Continued On Page 14

8 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020

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Entrepreneurial Women Juicin’ Jar Thrives Through Coronavirus Lake George Native Goes From Cake Pandeimic In Glens Falls Exchange St. Shop Decorator To Owner Of Her Own Bakery

Cristina Hanchett, right, owner of Juicin’ Jar in Glens Falls, poses in the shop on Exchange Street with business manager Nicole Laubenheimer.

BY LISA BALSCHUNAT Six years ago, Cristina Hanchett took a chance on a small South Street storefront to open her business, the Juicin’ Jar. The menu was packed with healthy blender and juice drinks, wraps, salad and what has become the establishment’s famous waffles.

“When we opened in Glens Falls we also had a place in Lake George,” Hanchett said. “Things were happening downtown and we wanted to be a part of it.”

In 2016, the Juicin’ Jar moved into the small café space within Milk and Honey, 16 Exchange St., and most recently absorbed the inventory and first floor of the previous gift shop that closed.

“We will continue to offer some items that Milk and Honey carried, like the local honey, teas, bath soaps, lotions and greeting cards,” she said.

“My sister, Nicole, and I opened this business to support our community on a path to a healthier lifestyle,” Hanchett stated. “We use all fresh ingredients and purchase as much from local sources as possible. With our expansion we will now be a café, market and gift shop.

“We are so excited to introduce our organic food market section. We will have flour, sugar, grains, seeds, beans, peanut butters and jams … produce, eggs, cheese and milk from local farms,” said Nicole Laubenheimer, Juicin’ Jar business manager.

The gift shop will carry kitchenware, aprons

Lisa Balschunat

and yoga items, as well.

Laubenheimer said the café also is expanding its baked good offerings.

“We’ve hired a part-time pastry chef to bake doughnuts, pies, cakes, gluten free options and special holiday pastries,” she said.

Susan Duncan was recently hired as a parttime clerk. She was previously a buyer for the Glens Falls Food Co-Op for four years.

When COVID-19 struck in March, Hanchett said she closed the Juicin’ Jar doors to have time to digest the state requirements and guidelines.

Once she and her staff were comfortable, she created a “to go” option, with fare wrapped in food containers.

Hanchett operated the café with limited hours and revised the menu.

The business was afforded some relief through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP).

“Everyone was unsure at the start, but we figured it out,” Hanchett said. “We still have to live life and function as a business.”

Laubenheimer indicated that renovations to the additional 1,500 square feet have been ongoing for several weeks. The kitchen and seating capacity have been expanded and a window bar is being installed. The walls will continue to showcase local artist’s work.

The café has partnered with Door Dash to provide customers a delivery option, and this autumn it will continue to offer outdoor seating as long as the weather permits.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF Lake George native Leah Stein worked in the area as a park ranger and environmental educator. She then shifted gears and worked at a bakery in the area. In 2013, she decided to go out on her own.

“I grew up in a tourist town with tons of entrepreneurs around me,” she said. “A lot of people had their own businesses, and it was always something that was in the back of mind as an attainable goal.”

She opened Leah’s Cakery, located in the historic West Side General Store building at 3 Curry Street in Round Lake, in 2013.

When Stein made the decision to change professions, she enrolled in the culinary program at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC). She comes from what she describes as a “culinary inspired” family, and she fell in love with baking as a young girl. It was while making custom cakes as a side job while working in environmental science that she decided to pursue baking full time.

While still in culinary school, Stein worked part-time making custom cakes at the former Queen of Tarts bakery in Guilderland. After graduating from SCCC 2008, she taught baking courses at the college for six years.

“I tried to balance teaching with running the shop, but I went without a day off for over three years,” she said. “I love teaching and would love to get back into it some day.”

Today, Stein puts all of her energy into her business. After purchasing the 3 Curry Street property, she spent $50,000 to get her shop up and running. She hired Stein Construction of Lake George, a company owned by her brother David, to do the renovations.

“I had to completely gut the space,” she said. “Even though there were four walls, I pretty much had to build it from the ground up.”

Stein opened Leah’s with the intention of focusing on custom cakes, but she decided to supplement her income by offering coffee and a limited selection of baked goods to walkin customers. She had no idea that would become the mainstay of her business. In 2017, she put an addition on the building for a 16seat dining area.

“That really took off a lot stronger than I expected in the beginning. I opened up in a location that really needed that community spot. There weren’t many places to go get a cup of coffee and chat with your neighbor besides Stewart’s,” she said.

Stein has been overwhelmed by the support she has received from residents of Round Lake. She has lived in the village for the past

Leah Stein opened her own bakery, Leah’s Cakery, in 2013. ©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

18 years and lives with her daughter on the second floor above the shop.

Stein started out as the bakery’s only employee but now has nine employees including two full-time technically trained bakers. She and her staff make 100 or more special order custom cakes a month. They also make non-custom cakes that can be purchased by walk in customers.

Cinnamon buns are the bakery’s most popular item, but they also sell a variety of muffins, scones, cookies, and pies. Everything at the bakery is made from scratch Not long after Leah’s Cakery opened, the town of Malta installed a municipal parking lot next to her shop. The parking lot provides access to the Zim Smith Trail, and foot traffic at the cakery has increased dramatically due to its use, she said.

Leah’s closed to walk-in customers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but reopened in June. While the shop was closed, Stein got an ecommerce site up and running in just a few days. The site allowed customers to place online orders for pickup.

“We were doing all kinds of things when we were shut down,” she said. “We were making pizza dough. I was selling soup by the quart.

We had a variety of different things we were offering.”

“One thing I’ve realized in the baking industry is that no matter what is going on in economy, everyone loves cake and sweets,” she said.

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 • 9

Marj DeVit Finds Challenges In Running Sweet Beet Bistro, Closed This Year In Glens Falls Based Thermal Associates Greenwich, Plans To Re-Open In Glens Falls

Marj DeVit heads Thermal Associates, a heating and air conditioning business in Glens Falls that was a pioneer in air source heat pump technology during the energy crisis in the 1970s and 1980s.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF It’s been more than 40 years since Marj DeVit and her husband, Marty, opened their heating and air conditioning business. The Glens Falls company, Thermal Associates, was a pioneer in air source heat pump technology during the energy crisis in the 1970s and 1980s.

During the 1980s, Thermal Associates was one of the first companies to introduce geothermal heat pump technology to the region.

Geothermal heat pumps can heat, cool, and supply hot water to a home by transferring heat to or from the ground. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the use of geothermal technology can reduce energy bills by up to 65 percent compared to traditional HVAC units.

Because geothermal heat pumps require no fossil fuels to operate, they emit significantly less CO2 than traditional units. Approximately 40 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions result from the demand for heating, cooling, and hot water.

In the early years of the business, DeVit worked from home handling phone calls, scheduling service calls, and performing accounting tasks.

She has a degree in chemistry but found that working from home for Thermal Associates was very conducive to family life. After the youngest of their five children entered nursery school, she transitioned to working at the company office.

Thermal Associates purchased its building on Thomson Avenue in Glens Falls 30 years ago. For the past 20 years ago, they have also operated a business incubator called the Great Idea Factory out of their building. The Great Idea Factory currently has six tenants, including the Yoga Nook, one of the original tenants.

After Marty suffered a stroke in 2018, DeVit and their son, Adam, a teacher by training, became equal partners in the business. Their daughter, Ginna, has a degree in physics and works for the company as a service technician.

Their son-in-law, Austin, does installations, and their daughter-in-law, Andrea, works on the business side of operations.

Courtesy Thermal Associates

Thermal Associates has 10 employees, and DeVit estimates that geothermal represents half of their business. Marty first learned about geothermal energy at a trade show, and he traveled to Sweden to learn more about the technology.

“He was a real innovator and had great ideas,” said DeVit. Geothermal installations are much more technical and therefore more expensive than conventional installations. The higher cost of geothermal heating systems are partially offset by rebates and tax credits offered by the state and the federal government. These incentive programs have made geothermal energy much more attractive to Thermal Associate’s customers.

“With the rebate programs that are available and the tax credits, the costs come very close in line with conventional heat,” she said. “When there is natural gas available, there may be not as much of a cost saving. When it’s competing against oil or propane it’s very conducive and it will be cheaper in the long run. But some people don’t want to go that way, and we do conventional heat too.”

DeVit admits that working in a male dominated field has its challenges for both her and Ginna.

“I’ve had to prove myself,” she said. “For a long time, I was service manager and I had some challenges in convincing some men mostly that I knew what I was doing. And I know my daughter, on a daily basis, is challenged. On a daily basis, people question if she is capable. It’s certainly a challenge to be a woman being out in the field doing what she does. Even the tools aren’t made for women’s hands.”

“For me, it all comes down to customers, employees, and relationships,” she said. “I love the customers, and I love being a good employer.

We give top benefits to our employees and keep them as long as we can. We work hard to keep our employees. We value them and value their families. We’ve had some employees who have been with us for 30 years.”

For more information, visit www.thermalassociates.com.

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BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH Sweet Beet Bistro, which closed its business in Greenwich, plans to re-open at a spot in Glens Falls in the spring.

According to bistro owner Johanna von Geldern, they are looking to re-open by Mother’s Day at the latest.

Von Geldern has found a way to create a bistro that values farm-to-table food and the community where it is grown. It’s a concept that she says she learned on the job . She is excited to bring it to her new location next year.

When COVID-19 hit in March, von Geldern said they closed their doors in Greenwich. With capacity limited to 50 percent and without outdoor seating, she said the business could not have survived. She then decided it was time to relocate in order to keep the business going.

In Glens Falls, she said, the new space will be slightly larger with its own bar area, a separate dining room and extensive patio space.

“We will have a full liquor license and craft cocktails with fresh herbs like lavender and syrups made from scratch like ginger syrup.

Better kitchen space will give us more ability to play with the menu,” said von Geldern.

With Greenwich being a rural location with a population of about 2,000, von Geldern said she really tried to focus on making the bistro have community ties.

“I came up with a program called ‘community membership.’ where people could purchase a membership in the restaurant and earn a credit toward 10 percent on their house account.

It helped me survive winters. It created an interesting connection between the restaurant and our customers who were members,” said von Geldern.

A graduate of the College of Saint Rose, von Geldern received her master’s degree in education and had a career in teaching elementary school for over 16 years. As the standardized testing pressures got more intense, she said the gap between her philosophical beliefs and mainstream pressures of standardized testing motivated her to make a change.

“I sold a property and began searching for a

small business that I could purchase and run, to completely change my career and become an independent business owner. My girls and I had always daydreamed of running a B&B or owning a small café,” said von Geldern.

She began searching for places to possibly open up and while visiting her daughter she discovered the Greenwich property, which had been operating as a bistro.

“Once I made the commitment everything seemed to fall into place, From finding a friend to rent my townhome within 24 hours, to selling my car, and then finding my amazing chef. There was a one-month transition into ownership,” said von Geldern.

One of the biggest challenges, von Geldern said, is that she had to learn about her own strengths and weaknesses, particularly in hiring and firing employees.

“Part of the main philosophy I had in opening Sweet Beet was the energetic awareness of creating a restaurant atmosphere of making people feel welcome and cared about, understanding the energy of where the food was coming from and how it was raised and handled, and the energy and attitude of the employees working to prepare the food and serve the food in an intimate space,” said von Geldern.

One thing that will not change is Sweet Beet’s philosophy on using the high quality local foods, said von Geldern.

“We will continue to offer a solid variety for special eaters with vegan options, gluten free options and also plan on bringing back our highly demanded grass fed burger from St. Croix Farm Inc. And having a staff with positive dedicated energy, who feel a sense of ownership in the business will still be a key component.

“Our core staff is coming with us to the new spot and with a culinary school nearby. We hope to harness the potential passion of students who want to study with our amazing chef. We miss our loyal customers and can’t wait for the day we have a grand reopening celebration,” said von Geldern.

There is information about Sweet Beet Bistro at sweetbeetbistro.com.

Saratoga Olive Oil Opens In Moreau Continued From Page 7

him to take care of his employees. The company is now in a position to hire more.

Braidwood said after getting Moreau off its feet the company is moving forward to open a popup kiosk at the Bryant Park Winter Village in New York City starting on Oct, 30. and running through Jan. 3.

“We are super excited to be part of the Bryant Park Winter Village tradition. This will be our first year in New York City with many more to come I hope,” said Braidwood.

For more information, visit saratogaoliveoil. com. The Moreau location can be contacted at 844-465-4836.

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10 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Office / Tech / Ecommerce Integrated Staffing Moves New Headquarters To 463 Maple Avenue In Saratoga Springs

BY JILL NAGY Like many businesses during the corona virus pandemic, Integrated Staffing is having “a weird year,” according to co-owner Dhianna Yezzi. In the midst of it, the company moved from Glens Falls into new, larger space at 463 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.

Integrated Staffing is a locally owned and operated temporary, temporary-topermanent, and permanent staffing agency.

The new headquarters was once a house. An addition to the front of the building provides office space for five people in an open space off the former front foyer. Construction began before the pandemic but was halted because of it.

“It took about two years, but we finally have our addition,” she said. Its former office at 22 Hudson St. in Glens Falls is currently vacant but “we have the space and can open if needed.”

The company’s Albany satellite office is open by appointment only.

Among the challenges for the company during COVID-19, is that it works with NYRA to supply workers at Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park. With the facilities closed to spectators in 202, they need less staff which, means less business for Integrated Staffing.

The company, however, has been marketing itself nationally and staffing clients from Target stores to Kansas State University as

•

Dhianna Yezzi, in front, poses with her staff in front of Integrated Staffing headquarters. ©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

well as units of New York state government.

They provide IT, clerical, warehouse and similar workers, on either a temporary or permanent basis.

“We can market nationally since everything is virtual,” Yezzi said . In Kansas, for example, Integrated Staffing has a receptionist and a mailbox. Everything else happens in Saratoga Springs.

Integrated Staffing is certified as a womanowned and disabled-person-owned business.

Business Report

Cybersecurity Is Different, So Treat It So

BY MARK SHAW Businesses are starting to wake up to the growing need for cybersecurity. Your worlds have changed, and everyone rushed on day one in April to take their computers home, get VPNs set up and now you are in a mixed state.

Some staff are home, others are in the office full time, others swing in and out of the office on a flexible schedule. This has produced some wonderful changes in the way we work; it has also provided cyber criminals a series of new methods to attack.

What we are seeing is a growing need to treat cybersecurity differently. This is not an IT problem. Your internal or external technology resources should not be the same. You need to consider a clear separation of church and state in your organization.

Why? I`m sure you are asking why would you need a second company involved in your day to day technology? I have an IT team, why do I need someone else? I have an outsourced IT firm, why wouldn’t they be good enough?

Let`s spend a few moments and discuss the rationale for having a separate and completely distinct cybersecurity firm.

Would you go to your dentist and ask them to check out a pain in your foot? Would you hand over all cash flow to one person with no oversight? Probably not, right? As a business owner you need to be sure that you have the right people in the right places with checks and balances.

Often, we hear that the businesses think that their current IT leadership, be it internal or external, can handle it because they know

•

Mark Shaw, president and CEO of Stored Technology Solutions Inc. (StoredTech).

Courtesy StoredTech

us best and would therefore be the best people to do the job. That sounds great until you have a breach or an exposure, and you start to question everything. I like to describe it like this.

We all remember the days of doing papers for school. We would write them, read them, re-read them and try the bottom up method where we read from the bottom to the top. At that point we are positive there are no grammar mistakes, not a single flaw in punctuation, A-plus here we come. Then the paper comes back B-plus. Woah.What happened?

It`s simple. You did all the work, you had the Continued On Page 11

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 • 11

•

Business Report Develop Compliant Policies And Procedures

BY ROSE MILLER As fall and winter approach, employers will not only have to plan for the on-going pandemic, but they must also address the challenges faced by working parents, a stressed workforce, decisions involving onsite versus a remote workforce and possibly shutting down again.

These decisions involve creating comprehensive and legally compliant policies and procedures.

It is also a time for employers to think about a comprehensive approach to its company’s benefits.

Like every aspect of the business, employers need to assess how the pandemic has impacted their entire benefit offering. They need to also consider how new federal and state mandated leaves interplay with paid time off policies and insurance benefits. Based on their findings, they may want to revise what type of benefits are critical to both the company and its employees.

According to the annual MetLife Benefit Trends Survey for 2020, generational demographics show a glimpse on how businesses should revise their benefit offerings and possibly reallocate funds to better meet employee needs.

The benefits survey shows: • Health Insurance continues to be a top “must have” for employees of every age with 95 percent for Boomers, 88 percent for Gen-X, 81 percent for Millennials and 68 percent for Gen-Z. • Another must have is a 401(k) with 69 percent of Boomers, 80 percent of Gen-X, 68 percent of Millennials and 60 percent of Gen-Z wanting this benefit.

• Company provided Auto Insurance was surprise must have with 70 percent of Boomers, 70 percent of Gen-X, 67 percent of Millennials and 44 percent of Gen-Z marking auto insurance a desired benefit.

• Voluntary benefits scored lower than 50 percent with 44 percent of Boomers, 34 percent of Gen-X, 49 percent of Millennials and 34 percent of Gen-Z finding this benefit as needed.

Most employer provide life insurance yet company auto insurance was rated much higher by employees. According to data collected by the Society of Human Resources, there some other important trends that reinforce the new normal of blending work and home life.

A revision to the trend to have one pool of paid time off began with New York and other states mandating Paid Family Leave. Everyone is waiting to see if the federal government’s Family First Corona Response Act will be extended beyond Dec. 31. There is the new mandated sick leave beginning in 2021.

If the PTO allocated time includes family and sick, the pool should be reduced accordingly.

Rather, employers may want to consider supplementing wages for leave of absences. We are also recommending employers to carve out the mandated sick leave that will require a carryover when the PTO policy does not.

Wages that were factored for travel/time or

Cybersecurity

Continued From Page 10 best intentions, but you lacked a second set of eyes. Small things were missed that would be picked up quickly had you had someone else review it. You were so close to the work being done; you missed some basic things. This is exactly why your current technology resources should not be doing your cybersecurity. Sure, they are great people who do great things, but they are checking their own work.

Cybersecurity in today’s world demands that you have a second set of eyes. In this

• •

Rose Miller is president of Pinnacle Human Resources LLC. Courtesy Pinnacle Human Resources LLC

geographic location (big city versus small city) may be adjusted while travel may be reduced or factored downward to match the home location.

Wellness and mental health benefits should be considered to address employee anxiety, increased drug/alcohol use and domestic violence all of which have reported to increase significantly during the pandemic.

Telemedicine and telehealth services are increasing popular and successful. They have proven to reduce health insurance utilization.

More frequent pay period processing is a reoccurring request. Some payroll companies are offering this as a value add.

A workplace survey by Deloitte on recruiting and retaining Millennials and Gen-Z have some specific benefit requests from these groups. They are: They are two times more likely to stay in a company that have a demonstrated diverse and inclusive workforce.

The company benefits include professional development/tuition reimbursements/student loan assistance.

Family-related benefits such as family planning, childcare assistance, adoption assistance, eldercare and transition back to work programs.

What we can surmise from this data is employees are seeking a holistic mix of programs and benefits to support them and help them navigate the stresses of the pandemic and their careers.

In the midst of the pandemic, work and life are blending more than ever before and employees are responding by requesting more meaningful employer support and resources that can help them better manage this blend.

Companies that create benefits that support their employees’ new normal are better positioned to meet the evolving challenges of the pandemic and increase company performance while supporting its employees. case it wouldn’t be a missing comma, it could be your company’s data and life blood of the organization. It could be a small oops that now has you dealing with a PR nightmare and possibly closing your business. In that moment, the idea of one set of eyes managing your organization’s technology and cyber security doesn’t seem so cost effective, or simple.

The threats are complex, you have great people doing your technology, don’t put them or your company in a bad spot. Get a cyber security company to partner with your technology team. Do it for them, do it for your peace of mind. There is a lot going on right now, we could all use one less thing to worry about.

Business Report We Need More Heroes

BY MICHAEL CRUZ Not all heroes wear capes. Heroes are those people who get stuff done. They focus on results. Heroes see obstacles as challenges to be overcome.

To them, adversity is just another challenge. In the end, neither obstacles nor adversity get in their way.

Heroes lead. They think clearly. They do not panic. They define problems and come up with strategies to solve those problems.

Some lead people. Some lead others by example. Yet, they always focus on getting results.

Companies and organizations led by heroes learn to quickly adapt. Times change and so must we all. Companies need people who know how to help initiate and manage changes. Companies need to support hero behavior. And to support them, they will find people to help them.

Not all problems can be solved by brute force. Heroes listen to others who have other ideas to get to good results. People buy-in to solutions better if they are heard. It helps the hero sharpen the problem-solving plan.

At work, heroes need strong organizations behind them. Those companies will take a long-term view. As heroes, solve problems, they might violate rules and take chances, especially if this includes fixing customer problems. They need some latitude from the organization.

Management needs to enable hero leaders.

•

Michael Cruz is president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.

Courtesy Lighthouse Advisors LLC

Sometimes heroes will be overzealous.

They might break a little glass along the way to problem solving. If the hero, in the end, makes a mistake, address it later. Don’t stop the hero. That will only dampen their enthusiasm.

Heroes are optimists by nature. They have to think that they can make things better. Heroes inspire others around them. Companies that are moving forward probably have lots of heroes at all levels of the organization. We need more heroes. Now more than ever.

Virtual Meeting On Cyber Liability Insurance Scheduled By ARCC For Wednesday, Oct. 23 October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month and the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce is conducting a session to discuss the importance of cyber liability insurance.

ADKtechs Cyber Security Roundtable Series: Cyber Liability Insurance will be held 19-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. It will be a virtual event via Microsoft Teams.

The event is free.

Keynote speaker will be Jeremy Deason, account executive at Associates of Glens Falls Insurance.

Jared Humiston, owner/president of Adirondack Technical Solutions will be the facilitator.

Deason has brokered property and casualty insurance products for the construction, hospitality (resorts, hotels & restaurants), nonprofits, sports and recreation, wholesalers and distributors and other sectors.

Associates of Glens Falls Insurance is licensed in all 50 states, with over 50 years’ experience.

Their areas of specialty include property and casualty services, cyber liability resources, account management, claims management, loss control management, and OSHA compliance.

Additionally, Deason has experience developing risk management and loss control programs for his clients, to help them avoid and mitigate losses across all coverage lines, including the high frequency loss areas of general liability and workers’ compensation coverage.

Humiston opened ADKtechs in 2005. Over the years, ADKtechs has had steady growth while aiming to provide exceptional customer service, invest in the community, and make continued education a part of everyday practices.

Humiston and his team have received regional accolades including Washington County Small Business of the Year (2013 and 2019), Steven M. Sutton Small Business of the Year (2014), and the Ethics in Business Award (2017).

People can register at www. adirondackcha mber.org /events/detai ls/ adktechs-cyber-security-roundtable-seriescyber-liability-insurance-3987.

More information is available by contact ARCC’s Amanda Blanton at ablanton@ adirondackchamber.org.

12 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020

REGIONAL STOCKWATCH Stock Name

Closing Price

Closing Price

Closing Price

Closing Price

09/18/2020

09/25/2020

10/02/2020

10/9/2020

Albany Int’l

54.50 49.54 51.11 54.74

Arrow

27.47 25.14 25.69 27.19

AT & T

28.93

Ball

82.89 81.47 82.67 90.26

28.04

28.68

28.32

Ballston Spa National Bank

42.25 42.25 41.50 41.50

Bank of America

25.21 23.49 24.21 25.36

Best Buy

105.58 105.97 112.42 116.59

•

Business Briefs

SUNY Adirondack has earned reaccreditation by the prestigious Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an independent national association that evaluates institutions of higher education to assess their level of academic excellence and success in meeting the needs of students.

Higher education institutions must be accredited to be eligible to receive funding for financial aid to offer students. SUNY Adirondack was last accredited in 2008.

SUNY Adirondack received commendations in several areas, including proactive and strategic planning and responsiveness to community needs; academic assessment procedures; leveraging grant funds to support college goals; strategies to reduce time needed for English remediation; addition of the agricultural business degree program; and its 15-year history of offering a lecture series to support professional development.

SUNY Adirondack’s next Middle States accreditation review will take place in 2027-28.

* * *

Citizens Bank

27.16 24.43 26.21 27.96

Espey

18.65 19.40 18.50 18.30

General Electric 6.88 6.11 6.39 6.84 Hilton

89.64 85.93 87.96 91.37

Home Depot

275.19 268.55 279.31 285.92

Int’l Paper

42.05 41.16 40.48 42.67

Key Corp

12.65 11.71 12.22 13.12

Lowe’s

160.10 159.55 166.49 173.23

Martin Marietta

225.22 226.07 240.55 273.10

M&T Bank

101.78 91.30

McDonald’s

220.27 218.18 222.67 224.83

National Grid

54.75 54.64 59.92 60.64

NBT Bancorp Inc.

28.76 26.67 27.27 28.51

Plug Power

13.56 11.65 14.14 18.43

Quad Graphics

3.51 2.98 2.93 2.99

Starbucks

84.95 84.30 86.57 90.01

Sysco

67.63 62.01 63.17 67.98

Target

148.82 154.35 159.10 163.71

93.53

* * * The Glens Falls Collaborative has announced a Halloween house contest for the month of October.

City residents are asked to decorate their homes for the Halloween season. Friends and neighbors will then vote for their favorite display at the Glens Falls Collaborative website, glensfallscollaborative. com.

The competition is limited to houses in Glens Falls only. The Collaborative asks that the displays be PG-13 and suitable for most audiences.

The display and voting period will run through Oct. 30. The winner will be announced on a Facebook Live stream on the Downtown Glens Falls Page at 10 a.m. on Halloween morning and the winner will be contacted immediately after. Judging will only include the portion of a yard or house that is visible from the driveway or street. This is a socially distanced event.

Visit glensfallscollaborative.com to register for the contest and to vote.

101.37

The TorontoDominion Bank

The Double H Ranch will host its annual gala on Saturday, Sept. 26, to raise funds and awareness for the innovative Camp@HHome program launched this spring in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Led by chairpersons Lisa and Robert Moser, guests will gather “around the virtual campfire” while enjoying food delivered by Mazzone Hospitality, complemented by s’mores kits and games provided by the ranch thanks to sponsors.

The live and silent auctions will take place online with items starting at $50. Registered supporters will be able to view the items, place bids and “buy it now,” starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept.

24. The auction will remain open until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Bidders can register for free at doublehranch. cbo.io, and do not need to be attending the virtual event on Saturday in order to participate.

Items include weekend escapes, gift certificates and home enhancements.

For more information, email Robin DeMattos, rdemattos@doublehranch.org.

•

Aviation Mall will be hosting a community blood drive with the American Red Cross on Friday, Sept. 25, from 1-6 p.m. across from the Peter Harris store.

The American Red Cross has a constant and ongoing need for blood and platelet donations. The Red Cross is testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The Red Cross hopes testing will provide critical insight into whether donors may have possibly been exposed to coronavirus, as some COVID-19 carriers can be asymptomatic.

The Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need. As hospitals resume surgical procedures and patient treatments that were temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, donors are urged to give now.

For more information or to make an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or sign up online at redcrossblood.org with sponsor code: AVIATIONMALLNY.

46.94 45.81 46.64 46.88

Kaspien Holdings 8.44 7.50 7.57 7.03 Trustco Bank

5.74 5.16 5.37 5.64

Verizon

60.35 59.39 59.24 59.33

Walmart

135.29 137.27 140.50 142.78

This list of quotations is provided through the courtesy of Robert M. Schermerhorn, CFP®, Saratoga Financial Services, Securities offered through LPL Financial /Member FINRA & SIPC, located in Saratoga Springs, NY. www.SaratogaRetire.com

Personnel Briefs Continued From Page 2

relationship manager. He has also worked for NYBDC as a credit analyst and Trustco Bank as a branch manager. He has 11 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Wade earned his bachelor’s degree from Union College in Schenectady. He is also a graduate of Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Institute.

Cost Control Associates promoted Meighan Kramer to senior analyst.

Kramer joined the company in 2006 as the energy department assistant. In 2014 she was promoted to analyst.

Kramer is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz with a bachelor of science degree in anthropology.

She lives in Glens Falls with her husband and three children.

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 • 13

Former Schoolhouse In Washington County Is Nominated To Register Of Historic Places

Business Registrations •

This former one-room schoolhouse in Greenwich served one of the mill hamlets that developed along the Battenkill River during the 19th century. It closed in 1944 and is currently vacant.

The state Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 18 varied properties to the state and national Registers of Historic Places, including a former one-room schoolhouse in Greenwich, Washington County.

State and National Registers listing can assist owners in revitalizing properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

Greenwich School District School No. 11, Center Falls, opened in the 1850s. The one-room schoolhouse served one of the mill hamlets that developed along the Battenkill River during the 19th century. The school closed in 1944 and is currently vacant.

It is located at the intersection of Ryan Road and Route 29 in the Center Falls area of Washington County.

The nominated building is an amalgam of 1850 and 1927 spatial and finish features with little in the way of subsequent alteration from that point forward, according to the application filed with the state. It retains a large majority of its historic finishes within and without, excepting the loss of fiber board wall and ceiling surfaces, which were installed in 1927, and the removal of a chimney which once serviced a stove within.

It has undergone a certified rehabilitation to allow for its re-use, and it remains a good representation of a mid-19th century oneroom schoolhouse with subsequent 1920s modifications meant to keep it in active educational service.

It consists of two sections erected during separate building campaigns; the main block was constructed in 1850 and a rear wing was added in 1927. The 1850 section was of the characteristic rural one-room school type and was erected with load-bearing brick walls, interior sawn and hewn framing, and plaster and wood finish, according to the application filed with thew state.

Courtesy NYS Board for Historic Preservation

It was modified with the addition of the rear frame wing in 1927, which accommodated new restrooms, and at which time alterations were also made to the original construct to bring the building up to current educational standards.

The school functioned continuously as an educational facility for those Greenwich town children who resided near the mill hamlet of Center Falls, alongside the Battenkill River, and it remained in service until school consolidation and centralization occurred in the town in the mid-1940s, the application states.

“The nominations highlight the broad diversity of our state, its people, and their stories. This recognition helps support ongoing efforts made by many people over the years to protect and appreciate New York’s fascinating history,” said Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Erik Kulleseid.

Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation at State Parks Daniel Mackay said the Division for Historic Preservation is committed to designating and supporting historic places that represent the histories of the state’s diverse population.

The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects, and sites significant in the history, architecture, archaeology and culture of New York state and the nation. There are more than 120,000 historic properties throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

Once the recommendations are approved by the commissioner, who serves as the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the state Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register.

Panther Mountain Traders Margaret Curtis 6283 Route 9 Chestertown 12817

Rooted in Wellness Joan Dawes 18 Merritt Road Queensbury 12804

Come BR Guest Cheri Jones 105 Equinox Drive Lake George 12845

Kay’s Kleaning Joshua Pultorak 17 Douglas Ave. Queensbury 12804

Jeanne Just Cuts Jeanne Jaacks 3831 Main St. Warrensburg 12885

Hart Intuition Nutrition Jena Hart 22 Willow Road Queensbury 12804

CJF Builders Christopher Ferrone 20 Sanford St. Warrensburg 12885

Auto Bonn Mobile Car Wash & Detail Service Noah Bonn 53 Masters Commons South Queensbury 12804

Wells Beach Communications Jack Bartlett 52 Stock Farm Road Chestertown 12817 Adirondack Blooms Chelsea Davis 866 Schroon River Road Warrensburg 12885 Baby TYTY Boutique Staci Brennan 35 Michelli Road Lake George 12845 Lea’s Housekeeping Lea Andersen 9B Washburn Ave. Glens Falls 12801 Hike with Jackson Jackson Donnelly 136 Ottawa St., #2 Lake George 12845 Storm Windows Publishing International Robert Matthews 24 Bass Bay Road Silver Bay Finley’s Boutique Jesse McDonald 165 South St., Apt. 2 Glens Falls 12801 Craftable Design Matthew Greenwood 24 Zenas Drive Queensbury 12804 Artifice Technologies Co. Brenden Sullivan 220 Ridge St. Glens Falls 12801

Little Rascals Family Daycare Center Kimberlee Tooker 7 Luzerne Road Queensbury 12804 Dunbar Pest Control Nicholas Dunbar 10 East Branch Drive Queensbury 12804 Unicorn’s Jewelry Box Amy Beh 561 Howe Road Lake Luzerne 12846 Upstate Morning Glory Bakery 147 Bay St., Apt. 3 Glens Falls 12801 Fly Fast Group Spencer Bray Jacob Zanoni 14 Hudson Ave., Apt. 304 Glens Falls 12801 Rounds Fir Farm Lee Rounds 71 McGlashan Road Chestertown 12817 It’s the Icing On Top Mary Margaret Hlywa 106 Bay St. Glens Falls 12801 Proper Trim and Carpentry Daniel Reed 10 Victory Court Warrensburg 12885

•

14 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020

Videoconferencing Will Be Used To Present First Virtual Taste NY Producers Showcase Registration is open to buyers and other attendees for the first-ever Virtual Taste NY Producer Showcase, scheduled for Oct. 27.

The event, to be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., featuring 60 New York food and beverage companies.

Retailers, restaurants, grocers, specialty markets, schools, institutions and distributors are encouraged to register online by Oct. 20 at www. lakegeorgechamber.com/tasteny. There is a $5 fee for buyers to participate.

The Virtual Taste NY Producer Showcase will utilize Webex, an interactive video conferencing platform that will enable vendors to present their product and tell the story of their company in a virtual format.

Buyers and vendors will have the ability to communicate via a chat feature immediately following each presentation to discuss pricing or offer additional information. In addition to the virtual presentations, both buyers and vendors will receive an electronic directory of all participants before the event so that they can be both prepared and follow along easily during this fast-paced virtual food show.

There are 60 New York food and beverage companies registered to share their products virtually on Oct. 27, ranging from farm products

to processed foods to alcoholic beverages and everything in between from all corners of the state.

Examples of businesses registered include Albany Distilling Co. in Albany County, Hidden Pastures Dairy in Lewis County, Kilcoyne Farms in Washington County, Send Me Waffles in Schenectady County and Whalen’s Horseradish Products, Saratoga County.

The Virtual Taste NY Producer Showcase is being hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Washington County and the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Taste NY. For more information about the showcase, call the Taste NY Market at the Adirondacks Welcome Center at 518-487-0045 or visit www. lakegeorgechamber.com/tasteny.

The Virtual Taste NY Producer Showcase is a pilot project for the state’s Taste NY program and follows a series of in-person business-to-business networking events the program hosted over the last two years. Taste NY is the official eat-local, drink-local program for New York state, intended to highlight the quality, diversity, and economic impact of food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in the state.

Learn more about Taste NY at www.taste. ny.gov.

Adirondack Winery

maintenance of City Park.

What the organization could really use is involvement.

“We need to let people know more about the BID’s mission and what we’re trying to accomplish. Our goal is making people more aware, and giving them the opportunity to come and help. Volunteers and good ideas are always needed,” said Burke.

The BID is overseen by a board and has no paid staff.

“What’s next for us? The fountain on Warren Street, between St. Mary’s and the parking lot.

That’s gone dry. It’s been in disrepair, shut off and drained. We’re taking a hard look to see what we can do with that space,” he said.

“Our mission is to enhance the value of the property and the experience of the people who work, shop and live there. It can be little things.

Those things add up. We’ve accomplished a lot,” said Burke.

He cited the city, the library, the board, and before volunteers for helping accomplish the tasks.

“The City of Glens Falls has been wonderful in supporting us. All of those folks, over the years, have put a lot of thought and effort into this, to make it better. Downtown is an incredibly spectacular area, especially compared to what it was 20 years ago. The BID had a part in helping to do that. That’s what we keep in mind, and that’s what keeps us motivated,” said Burke.

The public is welcome at BID meetings.

Meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month and are currently being held via Zoom or phone. More information can be found at www. downtownglensfalls.org.

Continued From Page 1

Restaurants Offering Indoor Dining In & Near Glens Falls Finally - indoor dining has reopened in the Glens Falls region! You can now enjoy a delicious meal with friends, family or your special someone, regardless of the weather. Area restaurants in downtown Glens Falls and throughout the surrounding region have opened their doors and are booking inside tables. Some require reservations, others do not, and some have set seating times, so be sure to check the restaurant’s website or give them a call in advance to be aware of any specific requirements. You will also want to have your face mask at the ready.

Many restaurants are offering both outdoor dining areas as well as indoor seating, and some are continuing to offer takeout as well. Make plans today to return to a favorite dining spot, or to try some place entirely new!

Morgan & Co. Restaurant

Experience fine American dining in downtown Glens Falls at Morgan & Co. Every dish offers a unique and innovative twist on original recipes. Morgan & Co. also caters events from weddings to reunions and more!

Park 26

Park 26 is an innovative restaurant that offers locally-inspired, modern American cuisine that’s perfect for a date night, business dinner or family celebration. Located inside The Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.

Peppermill Family Restaurant

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. the Peppermill is a true family-run restaurant. Allow John, Vicky and sons to show you why the Peppermill Family Restaurant in South Glens Falls has been serving the community for over 27 years.

Fenimore’s Pub

Fenimore’s Pub in the heart of downtown Glens Falls is open daily for lunch and dinner.

Bogey’s Pub & Grill

parking space availability study, we decided that City Park needed some attention. So we went after that,” said Burke.

Between raising money, getting in-kind donations and borrowing money, roughly $500,000 was invested in restoring the park.

Around the same time, Crandall Library was making improvements to its portion of the park.

Distressed trees were removed, new sidewalks and a new sprinkler system put in, and the bandstand received refreshing. Going into the library from Maple Street, benches were put in as well as a brick retaining wall that now acts as a flower planter.

“After all that, we said, ‘You know, our decorations for the holiday season are a little dated, a little worn’. So we went after it. When Glen Street was fixed up, electricity was installed at the base of all those trees you see, for the post part. We were able to invest in the lights, garland and bows you see at Christmas time,” said Burke.

The group had electricity installed near all of the trees at the exterior of the park.

“It’s lit up now because of that project,” said Burke. Based on people’s input, BID added the stairs to the bandstand on the Ridge Street side and put in a new flag and plaques.

“We replaced the beat up wooden benches with composite material that will withstand our winters. The city will install those in the spring for us. And now we’re on to new things,” said Burke.

The BID contracts with Jim Gerarde on the

The Docksider Restaurant

Open year round on Glen Lake in Queensbury, the Docksider restaurant features lunch and dinner with a fireplace for winter and great deck for outdoor dining overlooking the lake.

O’Toole’s Restaurant Pub

Whether you’re looking for a relaxed meal or a night of fun and excitement, you’ll want to come to O’Toole’s. We’ve got the best food, drinks and entertainment in the area! Come on in and experience dining at it’s best. We look forward to seeing you.

Jack’s American Bistro

Jack’s American Bistro was the culmination of a lifetime spent in the restaurant business. After several months of planning in June 2004 the doors were open to a new dining experience in the Glens Falls/Queensbury area.

The Grateful Den

Bogey’s Pub & Grill at Bay Meadows Golf Course, in Queensbury NY, is not just for hungry golfers!

The Grille offers fine Queensbury dining at casual prices!

The Grateful Den offers a different take on traditional pub grub, as well as classic favorites like chicken wings, burgers, and salads. Their menu also includes specialty appetizers, sandwiches, and plenty of craft beer options on tap.

The Silo

Mullen’s Pub

We hate to brag, but The Silo has a reputation for being one of the best places in the region for breakfast, lunch and delicious cider donuts. Looking for jewelry and gifts? The Silo is also the area’s largest retailer of Ed Levin Jewelry

The View Restaurant at Dunham’s Bay Resort

Join us in The View Restaurant at Dunham’s Bay Resort, the Best Kept Secret in Lake George!

Visit Mullen’s Pub on Main Street in Hudson Falls the next time you’re craving some delicious Irish or pub fare coupled with a cold beer.

Farmstead Flatbread

Indulge your pizza craving at Farmstead Flatbread, where they cook their brick-oven flatbread creations right in front of you, and everything is created using fresh, local ingredients.

Coutesy of GlensFalls.com

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 • 15

Habitat Group Starts Building Home In Glens Falls, Its Second Project During Pandemic •

Available Commercial & Residential Properties We’d like to promote your commercial or residential property. Call us, 581-0600.

•

For LEASE 14,000 sf metal warehouse & office space.

This house at 8 Locust Grove in Saratoga Springs was completed by the Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties earlier this year.

Open Span • Truck Docks • 3 Overhead Doors • Heated & Insulated

ST

IN

G

Easy Access to I-87 exit 16. Corner lot at RT 9 and Ballard Rd intersection Will Subdivide - Call for Details 518-879-6175

LI

fewer volunteers work at the construction site at any given time.

The pandemic had a major impact on Habitat’s build that took place at 8 Locust Grove in Saratoga Springs earlier this year. Corporate groups were canceled, and volunteers were restricted. Lowes made a $5,000 corporate donation to help offset costs.

“We were able to complete the Saratoga Springs home on schedule,” said Feldman.

“It was a little bit more expensive than usual because we didn’t use volunteers for two to three months. We had to subcontract out some of the work that would usually be done by volunteers.”

Habitat typically has a total of 100 volunteers per build. Some are skilled while others have no prior building experience. Habitat’s on-site construction manager oversees each project.

Due to the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Habitat will be unable to meet its goal of building three homes this year. They are also relying more than ever on their loyal corporate partners.

“Some are going to write us a check since they have supported us every year and this year is uncertain as to whether or not they will be coming to the build site,” said Feldman.

These partners include Lehigh Cement, Travelers Insurance, Saratoga Builders Association, Telescope Casual Furniture, Curtis Lumber, and BD (formerly CR Bard).

Pro bono professional partners include architect Tonya Yasenchak of Engineering America in Saratoga, and Latham law firm Schiocchetti Abbott Newkirk PLCC. They were also selected to receive funds from a Wells Fargo national Habitat for Humanity grant.

A large portion of the organization’s funding comes from its retail store, Southern Adirondack ReStore. The store is located at 1373 Route 9 in Fort Edward and sells a variety of donated furniture and home goods. All proceeds stay local.

“We are extremely diversified, and I believe in self sustainability,” said Feldman.

It is because of this philosophy that Habitat has been able to weather the COVID-19 crisis and complete the Saratoga Springs home as well as begin work on the Glens Falls project.

“COVID had a huge impact, but we were smart enough, worked hard enough and were lucky enough to take advantage of it,” he said. “We panicked for a week and then said, ‘It’s okay. We have a conservative balance sheet. Let’s move forward, let’s make a plan, and let’s get stuff done.’”

For more information, visit www. glensfallshabit.org. For anyone interested in donating land, Feldman can be contacted at executivedirector@glensfallshabitat. org.

EW

BY CHRISTINE GRAF Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties has started construction of a new home at 9 Hovey St. in Glens Falls. The property was purchased from the city of Glens Falls for $1,000.

The project follows one in Saratoga Springs, at 8 Locust Grove, which was affected by COVID-19, but nonetheless completed in 2020.

“We took over a blighted, asbestosridden, foreclosed on home,” said Habitat for Humanity executive director Adam Feldman of the Glens Falls property. “We had to do asbestos remediation and tear down the home. There was a boatload of expense.”

The more than $30,000 that Habitat spent to purchase and clear the property is much more than they typically spend, but Feldman described the project as a “proof of concept.”

“I wanted to prove to the City of Glens Galls that we are a capable housing partner to help them remove zombie properties,” he said. “I wanted to showcase to the city that we are capable of removing blight, increasing investment opportunities, getting units back on the tax roll, and bettering the community in general through home ownership. If that’s what the community needs, that’s what I’m willing to do.”

The term zombie property refers to vacant homes that have been foreclosed on and abandoned by their owners.

“I don’t think the city has done the math yet, but what does that blight cost the city from a tax perspective, from an investment perspective, from a community perspective?” said Feldman.

He uses 9 Hovey Street as an example.

The dilapidated house that sat on the property was impacting property values on the entire street.

“When we remove the blighted home, it helps the whole street,” said Feldman.

Habitat relies on the support of local businesses and volunteers to build its houses. Corporate partnerships are vital to the organization’s success, and AngioDynamics has partnered with Habitat on 9 Hovey Street. The company provided 50 volunteers for the first three days of the build.

“It’s a really cool experience,” said Feldman. “They are there to build and raise the first wall, and they do it with the family that is going to live there. We love when our corporate volunteers get to engage with the family that they are building a home for.”

In addition to providing volunteers, AngioDynamics is hoping to raise $10,000 from its staff and corporate network.

The company plans to make a matching $10,000 donation.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic,

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Courtesy Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties

5-11 Maple Street | Corinth $319,000 Attractive property located in the center of town! Property includes a 5,415 SF building that has had some extensive renovations including siding, roof and windows. 3 commercial spaces at street level offer large windows, wood floors & beautiful tin ceilings. Remainder of the building is framed for 3 apartments and ready for the new owner to finish. An additional 60’X120” corner lot is used for parking but would be perfect for redevelopment. Solid opportunity! Call agents for details.

Listing Agent: Cynthia Hollowood | 518.207.7682 Anne O’Toole | 518.207.5090

16 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2020 reach. Right now, we’re only offered in Upstate New York by OBG Distribution. They’re working on expanding us into their downstate Continued From Page 7 market, which would include Westchester, Long Island and New York City. For us, that offices and storage. The new structure will have will be significant. Being in Lake George, we a tasting facility, both indoor and outdoor. have a lot of tourists from those areas. To be Construction will happen in phases, so able to be pulled into stores down there will be if a second level is desired in the future, the a good jump for us,” said Pardy. infrastructure will be in place to support it.

Those interested in purchasing wine or JAG Group LLC in Glens Falls will construct learning more can follow Adirondack Winery the building. on social media, or visit the website www.

“We have intentions to expand our wholesale adirondackwinery.com.

Adirondack Winery

Job Sector

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efforts to support local businesses and accelerate the Capital Region’s economic recovery through the following activities: • Assisting companies statewide with reshoring and rebuilding supply chains by leveraging an $800,000 CARES ACT grant.

• Serving as the group sponsor for a first-of-itskind semiconductor apprenticeship program that will train 50 GlobalFoundries Fab 8 workers.

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If you weren’t able to catch the one-hour Showcase TV Special on WRGB Channel 6 hosted by News Anchor Liz Bishop, you can now watch it ANYTIME. Just go to our website and view it there!

• Awarding $200,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds to Capital Region.

• Helping manufacturers recommence operations after the lockdown through the Capital Region Manufacturing Re-Start Program.

• Assisting manufacturers, such as Precision Valve and Automation, pivot to make high-need medical equipment and supplies.

• Manufacturing protective personal equipment for local essential workers, through a Rensselaer County IDA-sponsored partnership with the Center of Gravity and Benet Laboratories at the Watervliet Arsenal.

Participating Builders Beechwood Homes Bella Home Builders Belmonte Builders Caruso Home Builders Degraff-Bloom Custom Builders Heritage Custom Builders Kodiak Construction McPadden Builders The Earth Source Company The West Saratoga Condos Whitbeck Construction Witt Construction

• Donate to our charities at SARATOGASHOWCASEOFHOMES.COM/DONATE • Showcase proceeds benefit:

saratogashowcaseofhomes.com

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