Glens Falls Business Journal - May 2022

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MAY 2022

Hacker Boat Co. Moves Into The Season Historic Fort William Henry Museum Opens Operating Out Of New Queensbury Location With A New ‘Augmented Reality’ Exhibit

Hacker Boat Co. owner and CEO George Badcock poses with some of the new and restored HackerCraft vessels being worked on at the firm’s new Queensbury manufacturing facility.

BY PAUL POST Hacker Boat Co. is awaiting a new season, located now in Queensbury where it acquired a 6.4-acre manufacturing and office complex less than a year after moving its operations there from Ticonderoga.

The business shifted operations to the former Perkins Recycling plant at 315 Corinth Road, just west of Northway Exit 18, last September. The manufacturing and office complex sold for $2.35 million.

The move to Queensbury was necessitated in part by a simple need for more space. Hacker now has 40,000 square feet to work in, about 25 percent more than before in Ticonderoga.

The former recycling plant has been completely remodeled and retrofitted for new boat building and restoration jobs.

“We reinsulated everything, new walls, new

Paul Post

lighting, all new piping, compressed air, electrical and pressed air drops,” said owner and CEO George Badcock, who purchased the company 11 years ago.

“We also have a wood and varnish shop where we work on all the pieces.”

“When we moved here we hired eight people immediately, without even advertising,” he said. “We have more people coming in for jobs. There’s a lot of pride in this building because people working on these boats are proud of what they’re doing. They’re craftspeople. They come to work and enjoy doing it.”

A 10,000-square-foot storage building is full of boats, most of them finished and awaiting delivery.

Plans are also in the works for a showroom and additional storage on the front side of building.

The company has retained its marina and storage Continued On Page 15

A new ‘Augmented Reality’ experience at Fort William Henry , created by Frameless Technologies, puts the viewer directly into the siege of the for, according to museum officials.

The Fort William Henry Museum, a cultural destination and landmark located on the southern shore of Lake George, nestled amid New York’s Adirondack Mountains, is open for the season and is introducing a brand-new Augmented Reality (AR) exhibit inside the North Barracks.

“Fort William Henry is ushering in a new era of engagement by collaborating with various stakeholders and partners. These enhancements are the first of many to come to understand our collections better and tell the story of Fort William Henry’s deep and rich heritage in a more inclusive and accessible way,” said Kathy Muncil, president/ CEO of Fort William Henry Corp.

“Fort William Henry is a must-see destination, a center of learning, and an interactive, multifaceted experience,” said Lindsay Doyle, executive director. “The history of Fort William Henry is of

Courtesy Fort William Henry Museum

significant importance to our region. We are committed to welcoming all to visit, providing even more opportunities to explore this special place.

The new AR experience, created by Frameless Technologies, puts the viewer directly into the siege of Fort William Henry, museum officials said. It features a view of the fort, the entrenched camp, and the French firing at the fort. Viewers can manipulate the AR by moving their phones to explore more of the surrounding area. The stylized AR image reflects one day of the siege, Aug. 8, 1757.

Instructions on downloading the app and viewing are available.

“As a leader in delivering a premium historic destination experience, we are thrilled to welcome visitors back to Fort William Henry for the daily visitation season. We look forward to building Continued On Page 7

Renovations At Glens Falls City Hall Among Michael Bittel Retiring As President, CEO Of Projects Aided By $2M In Federal Funding Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce Standing outside Glens Falls City Hall in April, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced that the Adirondack Region will receive over $2 million for essential local projects through the bipartisan omnibus spending package for the federal fiscal year 2022.

According to Schumer, the projects include making repairs to Glens Falls City Hall, funding major water upgrades to the Canalside Energy Park in Fort Edward, rehabilitating Fort Ticonderoga, and boosting Warren County’s childcare programs.

“These community led projects are the embodiment of the needs for the Adirondack region, from preserving our history through Fort Ticonderoga and Glens Falls historic buildings, to addressing the need for more child care programs and modern infrastructure to help Warren and Washington counties grow like never before,” said Schumer.

The investment in the Adirondack region includes: • $439,000 for City Hall. It will fund substantial structural renovations and energy upgrades. Glens Falls City Hall was built in 1900 and has served as the headquarters of the city’s civic affairs since Glens Falls was incorporated as a city in 1908. The building

Scaffolding is up at Glens Falls City Hall as renovations get underway. is a part of the Three Squares Historic District which is on the National Registry of Historic Places for the areas prevalence of unique and Continued On Page 14

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce is involved in a search to replace its president and CEO, Michael Bittel, who has announced his retirement from the organization.

Bittel will be retiring in June.

“It has been an honor to love and serve our great region for the past four years,” Bittel said of his tenure Our community is so wonderful because of our greatest asset, our people.”

The ARCC board of directors of hired Bittel in 2018. He took the reigns from Marti Burnley, who was named interim president after Tori J.E. Riley left the position in September of 2017.

“I have been spoiled to work with a great team at the ARCC who will carry on the torch of loving and serving our community,” said Bittel, expressing thanks to the ARCC Board and his staffers Paricia Rogers, Amanda Blanton, Carol Ann Conover and Karen Mattison.

“I have worked extremely close with Michael since his arrival at the Chamber in 2018,” said Marc Monahan, ARCC board chair and regional executive vice president of NBT Bank. “From day one, Michael showed up ready to work and connect the Chamber with our entire business community. Throughout his tenure with the ARCC he has shown a passion, drive and desire to help all of our members and supporters.

Michael Bittel has been president and CEO of the ARCC since 2018.

“Although the past couple of years have been extremely challenging as we navigated the constant pressures of the pandemic, we are stronger today than ever before” Continued On Page 16

2 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022

Amore Pizza Moves Into Nearby New Space, Creates More Room For On-Site Dining •

Rick Grabowski tosses a pizza at Amore Pizza in Queensbury with his grandson, Damien, looking on. The new location of the pizzeria is the former TD Bank North space at 340 Aviation Road.

BY JILL NAGY Rick Grabowski has moved his Amore Pizza next door, doubling the space, including more spacious room for food preparation and production.

The new location, the former TD Bank North at 340 Aviation Road, Queensbury, opened over a month ago.

“Everything is new” in the space, he said. They spent seven months renovating the premises before they moved in.

“Our new storefront has lots of windows, offering a bright and inviting space,” he said.

“We’ve been needing more room to cook for many years.”

The shop can now seat about 20 customers for indoor dining but is still primarily a take-out and delivery operation. They deliver within three to five miles of the restaurant.

In addition to New York City, Neopolitan and Sicilian style pizzas, Amore offers chicken wings, calzones, and hot and cold subs, as well as nonalcoholic beverages.

Grabowski has been making pizza since he moved to the area from Long Island as a teenager. By the age of 20, he had his own shop,

Courtesy Amore Pizza

Rick’s Pizza, in Saratoga Springs. He sold that business after five years and in 1990 moved to Queensbury with his wife, Janet, and their two daughters, Nicole and Christine. They bought a pizzeria at their former Aviation Road location called Boppitt’s, but quickly renamed it Amore Pizza.

Over the past 32 years, the Grabowski family has operated Amore Pizza. Recently, a grandson, Damien, joined the crew. There are 18 employees, including Stacey Dudley and Cheryl Smith who have worked at Amore for more than 10 years.

“We have built a great business over the years, having had great employees and customers alike.

While we had outgrown our space, we still loved our location. So, when TD Bank closed next door, I knew it was time to make a move,” Grabowski said.

The old location did not stay vacant for long, he said. It its now undergoing renovation and will soon house a computer services business.

The restaurant is located in Evergreen Plaza, near Northway Exit 19 and Queensbury High School. It is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

The telephone number is 518 792-2285.

Personnel Briefs

The Adirondack Trust Co. announced it has named Bobbi Jo Lucas as senior vice president, chief retail banking officer.

Lucas joined the bank in April and is responsible for the administration, growth, and efficient operation of the bank’s retail network, including oversight of the bank’s 14 branches in Saratoga and Warren counties.

Prior to joining Adirondack Trust, Lucas’s 30-year career focused on retail banking and management. With more than 14 years of leadership at Fift h Third Bank, she provided direction to 82 financial centers across six regions in eastern Michigan.

During her tenure there, she also played a lead role in retail staff recruitment, hiring, and development.

Lucas earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kaplan University, and a business diploma from the Center for Banking Education.

She has served as an executive board member for the Boy Scouts of America—Water and Woods Council; committee co-chair for the Flint Institute of Art’s Art on Tap Event; past president of the Genesee Valley Rotary; board member for the Genesis Hospital Foundation, and more. *

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Nick Kelly has been hired as sports/ reunion sales coordinator at the Lake George Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, a division of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce and an extension of the Warren County Tourism Department.

Kelly, a SUNY Oneonta graduate and Minerva native, has a background in hospitality and sales. He launched his professional career in Chicago at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Group and completed a management training program while building knowledge in the food and beverage industry and maintaining relationships with vendors and staff.

Kelly worked as beverage sales representative for Frederick Wildman and Sons, as well as Anheuser-Busch, overseeing extensive accounts throughout the Adirondack Park and Northern Capital Region.

His position involves establishing relationships with regional and national sports and reunion event planners to ensure that Lake

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George area destination assets are top of mind with decision makers.

Overall, Kelly’s role is to prospect and generate new professional relationships as well as maximize current business in the sports and reunion group business market to achieve booked business and overnight room goals. *

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Upstate Agency, LLC, part of the Arrow Family of Companies, hired Chad Mallow as employee benefits practice leader.

Mallow will lead the strategic growth of Upstate Agency’s employee benefits division and drive the ongoing expansion of services within the greater Capital Region. Additionally, he will oversee the servicing and retention of employee and group health benefits programs and group health advisors.

He brings more than 20 years of employee benefits program experience, knowledge and program management to the position. Prior to joining Upstate, he held client manager and account executive roles in local markets and is a licensed Accident and Health insurance agent with New York state.

Mallow has an associate’s degree in communications from SUNY Adirondack College and currently lives in Ballston Lake.

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Upstate Agency, LLC, part of the Arrow Family of Companies, hired Chad Mallow as employee benefits practice leader.

Mallow will lead the strategic growth of Upstate Agency’s employee benefits division and drive the ongoing expansion of services within the greater Capital Region. Additionally, he will oversee the servicing and retention of employee and group health benefits programs and group health advisors.

He brings more than 20 years of employee benefits program experience, knowledge and program management to the position. Prior to joining Upstate, he held client manager and account executive roles in local markets and is a licensed Accident and Health insurance agent with New York state.

Mallow has an associate’s degree in communications from SUNY Adirondack College and currently lives in Ballston Lake. *

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022 • 3

Local Man Known As A ‘Ghost Hunter’ Has Small Business Association Creates Training Plan To Re-Imagine The McGregor Prison Program For Use By Small Business Leaders

BY CHRISTINE GRAF When South Glens Falls native Steven Brodt was 5 years old, he had what he would later consider a paranormal experience.

He said while sleeping over at his grandmother’s house, he woke in the middle of the night and saw an old woman sitting at the end of his bed. Ten years later, Brodt saw a picture of his great grandmother for the first time and surmised she was the woman he saw when he was 5.

“I can still picture her to this day. It was very clear and very real. As I got older, I became very interested in how it was possible that I saw what I saw,” he said.

When he was 16, Brodt and a friend established a nonprofit group called the South Glens Falls Paranormal Society. They purchased digital voice recorders, night vision cameras, handheld video cameras, and electromagnetic field detectors and offered free paranormal investigative services to the community.

“We did some local investigations in South Glens Falls and with the Historical Association of Moreau at the Parks-Bentley Place. We gave a presentation of our findings at the house, and once people found out about that, we started getting calls for residential and business cases,” said Brodt.

“To this day, we do all residential and business cases free of charge. We only charge when we do public events.”

Over the years, Brodt conducted numerous public events including those at Parks-Bentley Place in South Glen Falls and Skene Manor in Whitehall.

“We would bring all of our equipment in and teach people how to ghost hunt,” said Brodt. “Our group would split the money with the historic site so that they could use the money for renovations or whatever they needed it for. We used the money for things like new equipment and travel expenses.”

In 2019, Brodt established a business called Haunted Nights. In addition to hosting ghost hunts throughout the country, he and his wife, Sidney, own Be Social Marketing, a digital marketing company in Glens Falls where the couple resides.

A graduate of Saint Rose with a degree in entrepreneurship, Brodt is on the road hosting sold-out events almost every weekend. He is well-known in the ghost hunting world and was featured on the Travel Channel as well as Discovery +.

Brodt is now partnering with a fellow ghost hunter, real estate investor Mark Erskine, to purchase the former Mount McGregor Correctional Facility in Moreau. They submitted a plan to the state over a month ago and are hopeful it will be approved.

Erskine and his wife, Deanna, live outside of Chicago and met Brodt through their mutual interest in ghost hunting.

“They help out at my events all of the time and Mark has always wanted to own an historic site.

We’ve both wanted to own a haunted location,” said Brodt. “We decided now was a good time to go for it.”

The Mount McGregor property contains more

A South Glens Falls native is seeking to put the former McGregor prison to a new use. than 30 buildings with a total 550,000 square feet.

Over the course of more than 100 years, it has been home to a hotel, a tuberculosis sanitarium and a WWII veterans rest camp. For that reason it is eligible to be listed on the National Historic Register.

According to Brodt, former correction officers who worked at the facility said they witnessed paranormal events there. Several reported seeing a little girl in a white dress running through the halls of what was once part of TB sanitarium.

Although Brodt and Erskine plan to host ghost hunts at the property if their plan is approved, that is just the tip of the iceberg.

“If we get it, the ghost hunts will be just a very small aspect of what we are going to do,” said Brodt. “We are going to open a full heritage museum where we will go through the history of the mountain starting from when it was a hotel.

We are going to have historic tours, photo tours, farmers markets, and craft fairs. There’s a 400seat theater that we are going to restore so that we can do open mic nights, comedy nights, and documentaries.

“We want to restore the 1915 mission-style chapel so we can do weddings. We have a lot of plans and the ghost part is a way that we will generate income to restore the buildings immediately.”

If their proposal is approved, Brodt said they will hit the ground running.

“If we got the call today, we would go out and celebrate and then tomorrow we would be right to work patching holes in the roof,” he said.

Even though the Erskines live in Illinois, Brodt said they will be “elbow deep” in the project.

“They aren’t just throwing money at this. It’s Mark’s baby, and he thinks about it 24/7 and really cares about it. It is just as important to them as it is to us. It’s a beautiful place, and we want to bring life back into it so that we can bring the community up there. We’re trying to honor every part of the mountain’s history.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Upstate New York District Office announced the start of local recruitment for T.H.R.I.V.E. (Train, Hope, Rise, Innovate, Venture, Elevate), a free national training program for small business leaders.

The SBA is currently recruiting small business applicants who have been in business for at least three years; who have annual revenues of at least $250,000; who have at least one employee other than the owner; and who can commit to participating in the six-month program from July 5 to Dec. 16.

“T.H.R.I.V.E. is a unique SBA program that can be instrumental for entrepreneurs aiming to grow or expand their small businesses.

Throughout the course, participants will receive core business knowledge, work directly with a business coach, meet with peers and develop a three-year Strategic Growth Plan,” said SBA Upstate New York District Director Bernard J. Paprocki. “We will select 20 participants for the Upstate New York cohort, and I strongly encourage small business owners who are ready for growth to consider applying for this opportunity by the May 31 deadline.”

T.H.R.I.V.E. provides complimentary entrepreneurship education and training for executives of high-performing small businesses.

Over six months, the executive entrepreneurship training series includes in-person coaching and virtual, self-paced instruction. Paprocki said the hybrid program allows participants to work with a network of experienced subject matter experts in core business topics like accounting, business strategy, marketing, and human resources customized for the unique needs of small business owners.

Small business owners can learn more regarding eligibility, how to apply, program format, and locations by visiting www.sbathrive. com.

“T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined initiative will provide up-and-coming small business leaders with tools, knowledge, and access to the best and the brightest minds in economic development to help them accelerate their growth and help them become competitive in an increasingly global economy,” said Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

She said T.H.R.I.V.E.’s reimagined design will focus on engagement, problem-solving, and peer-to-peer interaction within the cohorts.

In addition, the new hybrid format promotes an ecosystem of business connections among business peers, government leaders, and the financial community. As a result, T.H.R.I.V.E., Emerging Leaders Reimagined will help build sustainable and scalable businesses that promote economic development within their communities and the U.S. overall.

“Under Administrator Guzman’s leadership of action and outcomes, we are committed to transforming our learning ecosystem to be timelier and more relevant and meet small businesses where they are right now,” said Mark Madrid, SBA associate administrator of the Office for Entrepreneurial Development.

“We embody this approach with T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined. With this reimagined curriculum building on our rich history, we will expand access to more small businesses, and more locations and increase accessibility through a virtual component. We are energized, mobilized and ready to go,”

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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 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 Harwood Paul Post 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.

‘Creative Chameleon’ Relocates In The Shirt Factory, Increases Supply Of Retail Products

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL Moving into Suite 101B at The Shirt Factory, 71 Lawrence St., Glens Falls, is enabling the owner of The Creative Chameleon, Cie McCullough, to expand her offerings of unique games and crafts for young people.

“I love this building,” said McCullough, sole proprietor since 2018. “The owner does so much for us.”

Going from 500 to nearly 900 square feet gives McCullough more room to add retail products, some of which are from different parts of the world, she said.

The shop has a wide assortment of doit-yourself offerings for the creative child, puzzles, yarn and paper crafts, paintable ceramics and magnets, wood and wicker crafts, plus playing cards, books, journals, and many more items and activities, she said.

“Our biggest sellers are UGears and Eugy craft kits,” she said. “To my knowledge no one else in the area stocks these kits. The ‘U’ in UGears stands for Ukraine, and the distributor is a Ukrainian man who was looking for toys for his own kids. UGears are in a category all their own.”

McCullough had ordered a kit online and “fell in love with the company and their cleverness,” she said. “The child builds something amazing out of the wooden pieces and it moves, usually on its own or with a small spring or elastic band,” The end result will be a model vehicle, clock, building, animal or something else with moving parts.

“There’s a moving horse with leg joints and a jewelry box with a secret compartment,” she said. “Adults like UGears too, and grandparents just love my store.”

Eugy Kits are from Australia. These are cardboard crafts that form different animals and “are a big draw when people walk by,” said McCullough.

Each cardboard piece is like a slice that stacks together on their sides “and becomes a cute shabby animal,” she said. “There is information printed on the cardboard to read about the animal, wherever in the world it comes from.”

“Everything in the kit is biodegradable, including the ink and the little vial of glue,” she said.

Other international finds are beads made from Acai berries and another sustainable resource called Tagua, also known as ‘vegan ivory,’ she said.

“Tagua is a nut from Brazil that can be carved,” McCullough said. “Two women moved from Brazil and are making the beads in Scotland now. They are helping the Rainforest by putting more emphasis on alternative materials, buying from local sources and giving money back to the Brazil-

Cie McCullough is the owner of The Creative Chameleon in Glens Falls. ian communities.”

While about three-quarters of her business is retail, McCullough also has studio space where up to eight patrons can sit and paint an item they purchased, such as a molded plaster figurine or a magnet.

“We had a group from Big Brothers/Big Sisters come in to paint and we gave them a small discount,” she said. “I am all for any qualified group that wants to contact me in advance to come in and get a percentage off the retail price.”

McCullough started The Creative Chameleon in 2014 with a business partner who later took a full-time job. That was in 2018, so when the coronavirus hit, McCullough faced the challenges of closing down temporarily’ “I contacted clients and told them if they needed indoor projects for their kids, I would deliver them,” she said.

Soon she was getting calls, which better prepared her for reopening the shop to a handful of visitors once restrictions were lifted, she said.

“My biggest goal now is to stay in business,” said McCullough.

While most of the crafts she sells are quiet activities, there are other items for the outdoors, such as books for identifying birds or plants, children’s log books for camping or field trips, and information about outdoor medicine.

The new space opened April 2 with a friend bringing in a live chameleon and two geckos.

“My daughter named the shop when she was 15 and she’s 23 now,” said McCullough.

“Now people bring me chameleons all the time.”

The business website is www.creativechameleongf.com.

Washington County New Business Registrations Bellabud Farm 13328 State Route 22 Whitehall, NY 12887

April

Goodspeed Dumpsters and Cleanouts 13 Broadview Terrace Granville, NY 12832

Paws for Joy Therapy Dog Service 14 Sloan Drive Greenwich, NY 12834

Beatifully Chaotic Boutique 1188 State Route 196 Hudson Falls, NY 12839

Back Forty Farm 263 North Rd. Clemons, NY 12819

Every Layer Counts 268 County Route 54 Schaghticoke, NY 12154

CYA Electrical and General Contracting (Competant yet Affordable) 72 Dick Hill Rd. Granville, NY 12832

Ricks Refrigeration and Plumbing 215 Jerome Dr. Cambridge, NY 12816

JB Equipment Sales 31 Sutliff Lane Salem, NY 12865 Dougs Drywall 225 Broadway Fort Edward, NY 12828

Fitzgeralds Home Improvement Specialist 54 River St., Apt. B Hudson Falls, NY 12839 Tigers Treeworks 17 Baker St. Hudson Falls, NY 12839

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022 • 5

Northern Insuring Agency Experiences Exercise Yard At McGregor State Prison Growth, Moves Into New Bay Street Offices Will Be Utilized By Historic Grant Cottage

Northern Insuring Agency Inc. expanded its presence in Glens Falls by moving offices to 21 Bay St., more than doubling the space it previously occupied.

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL Northern Insuring Agency Inc. has expanded its presence in and commitment to Glens Falls and north country communities by moving offices to 21 Bay St. The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting event at the new office on Tuesday, May 17.

Doubling the space from the former suite at 136 Glen St. will enable the agency to add staff, provide a comfortable conference space, and attract more people traveling in and out of the city, Deena Giltz McCullough, CEO, said from the company’s headquarters office in Plattsburgh. There is a another satellite in Potsdam.

In its 90-plus years, Northern Insuring has had many offices in smaller communities but moved strategically into select communities with higher populations and economic growth potential, McCullough said.

“We thought when we came into Glens Falls from Massena that the traffic circle would be a high visibility location,” she said.

“We could watch people going around the traffic circle, but they weren’t looking at us,” said Melissa Davidson, who runs commercial sales from the Glens Falls office.

“It was a narrow space and parking was difficult,” McCullough said. “Now we can have management level training sessions and client conferences without taking over someone’s workspace.”

Three years since situating at Glen Street, Davidson said Northern Insuring “is better positioned to grow the business. We are all very high energy here, we are in a stunning, building, and there is better parking,” McCullough said.

There is a search underway currently for a parttime administrative assistant with flexible hours and another full-time person may be added in the future.

Northern Insuring is a third-generation family business. McCullough took over the leadership role from her father, Roderick Giltz in 2008. She said her management style is different from that of her father and her grandfather, E. Glenn Giltz, who joined the agency in 1933 and became president in 1941, and not because she is the first woman at the helm.

Ashtin Givens

When her grandfather passed away and her father assumed the presidency, he asked McCullough, recently married, if she would consider joining the agency. McCullough and her husband were living in Texas where he was stationed with the Air Force. They agreed.

“Women were in support roles but now I was the only female salesperson,” she said. “This was unusual because insurance is a male-dominated industry, more so back in 1985.”

“A post card came in one day asking us to bid on a policy. It was from a farmer and the sales team said, ‘Let’s give this to the new girl,’” said McCullough.“ “My family treats people with dignity. We were raised that way, and it has served me well in life,” she said.

McCullough’s philosophy as a leader is “the customer is not always right, but should be listened to.

So should employees. This is an important distinction to me,” she said. “People are stretched and people have bad days, especially during these tough times.”

Davidson said that with COVID-19 and many businesses closing or changing hands, people began to be more cost conscious.

“There are many agencies in this market,” she said.

“We are continuing to grow the name and the office move has increased that already.”

“There are no additional offices planned because so much is done electronically,” McCullough said.

“We have a nice triangle of offices going here, a strong culture and a strong balance sheet.”

“Organic growth is the best way to grow through our clients and our own hard work,” she said. Her role as CEO charges her with “strategic planning, thinking long term, and being clear about what our values are as a company.”

McCullough’s son Colin has been on the sales team for several years and represents the fourth generation at Northern Insuring. Her brother Randy Giltz has made his career at the agency and is senior vice president. Both are in the Plattsburgh office.

People can learn more about auto, home, life, health and business insurances, employee benefits, and other products for individuals and businesses at www.northerninsuring.com.

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The former Mount McGregor State Correctional Facility’s four-acre exercise yard in Moreau has been transferred to Grant Cottage State Historic Site, The newly transferred land will accommodate new site amenities, including an outdoor pavilion for programs and events, accessible parking and historical interpretation of the original Hotel Balmoral, the first development on Mount McGregor.

The cottage, on the hotel grounds, was offered as a residence to President Ulysses S. Grant to complete his memoirs at the end of his life. Before his death in July 1885, Grant spent the last five weeks of his life at the cottage, writing his memoirs while battling cancer. The cottage, which has since been linked to the 18th president, became a historic site in 1890 and remains essentially the same as during his stay.

In April, to celebrate Grant’s 200th birthday and promote the opening of the 2022 season, State Parks and the Friends of Grant Cottage unveiled a National Historic Landmark plaque, which is inset into a boulder at the base of the flagpole in front of the cottage.

The site was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in January 2021, making it one of only 275 properties to receive the designation in New York state. National Historic Landmarks are historic properties that illustrate the heritage of the United States.

“We’ve seen growing interest in the educational programs and events at this National Historic Landmark,” state Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. “This parcel provides room for more visitor services, while helping to preserve the historic site’s landscape setting and integrity. I’m grateful to our state agency partners at the Office of General Services and Empire State Development for making the transfer of jurisdiction a priority.”

Office of General Services Commissioner

This residence is where President Ulysses S. Grant went to complete his memoirs.

Courtesy NYS Parks and Recreation

Jeanette Moy said, “The Office of General Services is proud to play a role in the preservation and expansion of the Grant Cottage Historic Site at Mount McGregor. Working with our partners at State Parks and ESD, our combined efforts will increase the opportunities for visitors to learn more about the history of New York State and the nation.”

Hope Knight, Empire State Development acting commissioner and president and CEO-designate, said historical and cultural attractions, like the cottage, “tell the story of New York’s unique people, places and heritage and are an important tourism draw to the region. As the state continues to drastically reduce its incarceration rate, finding new uses for shuttered facilities like Mount McGregor State Correctional Facility is important for the health and vitality of the communities that surround them and we are thrilled that this parcel will serve as a historical and educational draw to the region.”

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6 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

SPECIAL SECTION

Construction

Company Wants To Build 3-Story Building U-Haul Brings New Life To Former Kmart With Retail Space, Apartments In Queensbury Store Property On Dix Ave. In Queensbury

This is a rendering of a three-story building that Foothills Builders wants to construct in Queensbury.

The first floor would be commercial space, with apartments on the upper floors.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF Foothills Builders, a family owned residential construction company, is pursuing plans to build a mixed-use building at 78-80 Main St. in Queensbury.

The company was established in 2013 by Joe Leuci and his father, also named Joe. Since that time, they have built close to 100 homes including two subdivisions in Queensbury and numerous homes in Corinth and Moreau. The proposed threestory building is located on the Northway Exit 18 corridor.

“We’re excited to be what we hope will be the transformation of this corridor between Exit 18 and Glens Falls,” said Leuci. “I think it would be huge for the area if that stretch can be developed.”

If approved, the 25,000-square-foot building will include 7,000 square feet of leasable space on the ground floor. The space can be split up to accommodate at least four tenants, he said.

“We don’t have any tenants because we haven’t advertised yet, because we haven’t been approved yet,” said Leuci. “Once we begin construction, we are going to start that process.”

The upper floors would contain a total of 20

Courtesy Foothills Builders

one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments. They will range in size from approximately 600 to 800 square feet. One-bedroom apartments will have small balconies, while the two-bedroom units will have walk-out balconies.

“I think that having balconies built into the units is a nice feature,” he said.

Rents are likely to range from $1,100 to $1,600, but exact numbers have not been finalized for what Leuci describes as “high end” apartments. If all goes as planned, leasing could begin as early as next spring.

“We have another planning board meeting at the end of May, and I’m hoping within the next two planning board meetings that we will be approved,” he said. “We are hoping to start construction this summer.”

Construction is expected to take about a year, but the timeline is difficult to project due to ongoing supply chain shortages that builders have been grappling with for more than two years.

Foothills Builders is also seeking approval to build 77 townhouses on Ridge Road in Queensbury at the former Mead’s Nursery and Garden Center.

Doing so would require the property to be rezoned.

From left, U-Haul employees Brittany Dooley, Levi Parmerter, Glendon Binette, Martin Burnell, Guilliano Amelo Sr. and Heather Beysey pose at the company’s new facility in Queensbury.

BY PAUL POST America is a nation on the move, as nearly 20 people million are expected to relocate this summer. U-Haul’s purchase of former Kmart stores, including one at 308 Dix Ave. in Queensbury, helps ease such transitions by giving customers convenient services from rental vehicles to trailer hitches, storage containers and supplies designed to protect fragile items.

The repurposed former retail store in Queensbury gives new life to the property.

“I’ve seen several (former Kmart stores) that have sat too long,” said Levi Parmerter, U-Haul area district vice president. “You can’t use them and bad things start to happen. People start to break in and steal the copper and HVAC units. It becomes a nuisance you don’t want.”

“So this is a good use of the building for sure,” he said. “There are not a lot of retailers that can come in and fill a 150,000-square-foot building any more. Brick and mortar retail isn’t what it used to be.”

U-Haul bought the 25-acre Queensbury site for $7.1 million and purchased 12 other Kmarts across the U.S. in 2019 for $62 million.

Paul Post

U-Haul slowly modified the local site, including installation of 470 interior climate-controlled storage units, and 214 outside in the large parking lot. It spent $2 million revamping the local property.

The Queensbury Kmart first opened in 1994 and closed in March 2019.

“The building itself was fairly simple to convert,” Parmerter said. “The problem was getting our product and use to fit what the town had it zoned for and wanted. That was a bit of a challenge.”

For example, former 40-foot-high light poles in the parking lot have been lowered to 20 feet, and new landscape features such as trees and bushes were planted around the perimeter.

Parmerter said company president, chairman and chief executive officer Joe Shoen personally visited the Queensbury site before approving its purchase.

U-Haul will continue to operate a second, existing Queensbury site near Northway Exit 18, where most of its business is truck and trailer rentals, along with some storage units.

Continued On Page 7

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022 • 7

Common Roots Plans To Build A Second Structure With Restaurant, Brewing Spaces

BY PAUL POST A smile crossed Bert Weber’s face when a Cape Cod barkeep urged him to check out a new beer made by Common Roots of South Glens Falls.

“It’s really good, you should try it,” the tavern worker said.

Little did he know that Weber and his son, Christian, own the business, which is one of Saratoga County’s fastest-growing craft breweries.

“It never gets old when we go to a spot we’ve never been to, walk in and there’s a Common Roots beer on tap,” Christian said.

The Webers have a $3.2 million expansion plan in the works.

Plans call for acquiring a two-acre parcel adjacent to the brewery, at 55 Saratoga Ave., and building a large facility for warehousing, storage, a separate farm-style brewery that will produce wildmix fermentation beers, and a large restaurant capable of hosting special events such as weddings.

The owners said the project will free up more space in the existing building for additional brewing capacity. The Webers expect to increase production from 8,000 to 12,000 barrels per year. Several new tanks will be added to the main brewery this summer, allowing Common Roots to introduce more new beers, in smaller batches if needed, adding to its already extensive list of 90 different brews.

“We create an annual calendar,” Christian said.

“For the most part we’re scheduled to brew 15 new beers every year, or more than one per month. Some stay in the tap room, some go out for distribution.”

The new tanks will occupy space now used for storage in the main building. Temporary off-site storage will be used while awaiting construction of the new facility. Site work is slated to begin by mid- to late-summer.

The new two-acre parcel is on the same side of Saratoga Avenue (Route 9) as the main Common Roots building, but separated by Marion Avenue.

“It will take time for steel to come in and get slabs poured,” Christian said. “We’d like to have it wrapped up by this time next year.”

Primary financing is by Berkshire Bank, although the Webers have obtained $450,000 from Empire State Development, the state’s economic development agency. Funding was approved by the Regional Economic Development Council and includes a $250,000 grant and $200,000 worth of tax credits under ESD’s Excelsior program.

Common Roots must meet certain benchmarks, such as creating new jobs, to obtain the funding.

The new farm-style brewery will have 12 employees, with the new second restaurant adding even more.

Bert Weber said Common Roots has been quite successful in finding qualified, good help despite a severe labor shortage problem that plagues many businesses. “Our company philosophy is to treat people well and pay them well,” he said. “We have very little turnover. So far, so good.”

“And a craft brewery is still a fun environment to work in,” Christian added. “We have established this community presence, which maybe attracts people to the company, too.”

The Common Roots Foundation, with a 10-member volunteer board, distributed $10,000 last fall to worthy area causes, and a second larger round of funding will be approved this spring.

The Webers launched Common Roots in 2014, with just four beers on tap.

The new expansion is the latest chapter in

Bert Weber, left, and son Christian Weber are expanding their Common Roots business. ©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

a comeback story for the brewery, which was completely gutted by fire in late March 2019. The Webers immediately began making plans for a bigger, brighter, more state-of-the-art facility with a restaurant, which the old building didn’t have. They had just laid the foundation for a small kitchen when the blaze occurred.

“It’s always been about creating a certain experience when people come here,” Bert said. “Obviously making a nice, great quality beer is the main goal.

But enhancing that with food was always part of the plan, whether it was a food truck or our own little kitchen to create that better experience for customers.”

While cleaning up and rebuilding from the fire, Common Roots operated out of temporary space just down the street.

The Webers encountered another big setback in 2020 when the new building’s planned opening was delayed by COVID-19, which closed restaurants and taverns in major markets such as New York City, and eliminated on-premises taproom sales at the brewery.

Common Roots beer is found in 10 other states, primarily in the Northeast, but the Webers’ main focus is keeping the local area well-supplied.

The pandemic had at least one silver lining by giving them more time to get new systems up and running. The time of also allowed them to learn how to operate a restaurant, which they’d never done before. A second restaurant in the new facility will have the same menu and beer on draft as the current eatery, but with more space for large parties.

“We want this to be a destination,” Christian said. “We’re fortunate to get tourists from Saratoga and Lake George.”

There’s no mistaking that Common Roots’ main goal is producing high-quality products with a commitment to serving a local customer base. “For us it’s not about volume,” Christian said. “We’ve decided, after these new tanks are put in, that we aren’t growing any more. They’re really to supply our local wholesaler. Most of the beer we produce stays right in our home territory.”

“The brewery is built on community,” he said.

“South Glens Falls really accepted us so we want to be that kind of steward back to them.”

BURGOYNE QUALITY HARDWARE & LUMBER

New Exhibit

U-Haul Property

family memories, fostering enjoyment in our site’s beauty, and inspiring visitors to discover the power of the past and its meaning to us today,” said Doyle.

Daily programs bring to life epic chapters of history and signature stories through interactive programs and, living history events, special programs, hands-on family activities, and more, she said.

The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 30.

Current tours available at the site include: • Daytime living history tours. Step back in time with 18th-century guides and experience life at a British fort in 1755. Watch live musket and cannon firings and play 18th Century games. Talk with British regulars, provincial troops, and rangers to learn more about this exciting time in Colonial America.

• Weekend haunted history tours. Fort William Henry’s surrounding area has been the scene of battles. Hear tales handed down over the years and the personal experiences of guides leading the tour.

Fort William Henry was a British fort in the province of New York. Its construction was ordered by Sir William Johnson in September 1755, during the French and Indian War, as a staging ground for attacks against the French position at Fort St. Frédéric. It was part of a chain of British and French forts along the important inland waterway from New York City to Montreal, and occupied a key forward location on the frontier between New York and New France.

In 1757, French general Louis-Joseph de Montcalm conducted a successful siege that forced the British to surrender. The Huron warriors who accompanied the French army subsequently killed many of the British prisoners. The siege and massacre are famously portrayed in James Fenimore Cooper’s novel “The Last of the Mohicans.”

After the 1757 siege, the French destroyed the fort and withdrew. While other forts were built nearby in later years, the site of Fort William Henry lay abandoned for two centuries. In the 19th century, the ruins became a destination for tourists.

Interest in the site’s history revived in the 1950s, and a replica of the fort was constructed.

The museum website is www.fwhmuseum. com.

“We outgrew that location a long time ago,” Parmerter said. “We were looking to expand our climate-controlled market and have another site for trailer hitch and truck rentals. Plus we have warehouse space for mobile storage units here (Dix Avenue), so this site gives us a whole line of products.”

The Queensbury facility has a retail showroom, plus an area for connecting trailer hitches and bike racks to customer cars and trucks. The property allows people to pull into a covered bay to load and unload interior storage unit items.

“They’ll be out of the elements with overhead doors down behind them,” Parmerter said. “It gives the customer a real good sense of security. If they’ve already filled their garage, their attic, this will be an extension of their home. That’s exactly what this represents.”

At present, 40 percent of the facility is filled with climate-controlled storage units and large wooden, portable U-Boxes that can be filled with belongings and then shipped to a person’s destination when they’re finally ready to move.

“A lot of times people move to a new job, college or fly across country and stuff comes right before or after them,” Parmerter said. “We drop the container at a customer’s house. They can load it at their leisure. Then we’ll pick it back up and store it here until they move, and need to ship it one-way.

U-Boxes fit in the back of a tractor-trailer. People can rent however many they need. You put things in once and take them out once, when boxes are delivered.”

A five-person team led by general manager Glendon Binette is responsible for marketing and keeping customers satisfied.

“A lot of our customers are repeat so we strive to provide good service so they continue to use us.

That’s what has to happen here,” Parmerter said.

The biggest customer base is people picking up and dropping off things after buying a new home within the greater Glens Falls area, he said.

“Plus, a lot of people from New York City are moving into the area, buying second homes in Lake George or the Adirondacks,” he said. “There are also a lot of one-way rentals such as kids going to college within New York state. More people are moving every darn day.”

Continued From Page 1

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8 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022

Wind-Chill Factory In Ballston Spa Offers StoredTech Grows Further In North Carolina Ice Cream, Food Off The Grill And Mini-Golf With Acquisition Of NOAH IT LLC Company

Brandon and Keely Whalen of Wilton recently opened Wind-Chill Factory, a seasonal ice cream, food, and miniature golf business at 3 Trieble Ave. in Ballston Spa.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF Husband and wife Brandon and Keely Whalen of Wilton— whose family opened the Wind-Chill Factory in Ticonderoga in 1996—recently opened Wind-Chill Factory, a seasonal ice cream, food, and miniature golf business at 3 Trieble Ave. in Ballston Spa. The flagship location of Wind-Chill Factory was opened in Ticonderoga by Brandon’s father, Bobby Porter. Brandon grew up working at Wind-Chill Factory. He met his future wife while they were classmates in high school. Keely’s parents, John and Roberta Cooper, own Frenchy’s, a roadside food and ice cream business in Crown Point in Essex County.

“They purchased it when I was two years old, so I literally was born and raised in the industry,” said Keely Whalen of Frenchy’s. “Brandon was also raised in the exact same kind of business. He worked there all through high school and up until he joined the Navy.”

The couple married in 2015 and lived for several years in Connecticut while Brandon was stationed there They relocated to the Capital Region in 2019 after he was reassigned to the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa where he serves as an instructor.

The Whalen’s have always dreamed of opening their own Wind-Chill Factory location.

“We’ve always said that we wanted to do that,” said Whalen. “Brandon’s getting out (of the Navy) in a year-and-a half, and we saw the place in Ballston Spa and decided to ask if the owner was open to selling.”

©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

The business, Mr. Bill’s, was not for sale at the time. The owner made the decision to sell after being approached by the Whalens.

Before opening Wind-Chill Factory on April 7, they restored the miniature golf course with 18 new greens. They also purchased some new equipment and reconfigured the interior.

“There was a lot we had to do, and it was long process,” she said.”We worked 13 hours a day, and we are both there constantly. I am there Monday through Friday during the day, and Brandon comes on his way home from work and spends a few hours.”

Wind-Chill Factory is a seasonal business with outside seating. In addition to serving soft and hard ice cream, it offers a grill menu that includes hot dogs, hamburgers, cheese steaks, fish and chips, salads, clams and shrimp.

They also plan to host a classic car show every Wednesday.

The business employs 35, and the number is expected to increase during peak summer months.

“Our Ticonderoga location is very well-known,” said Whalen. “When people go camping at Lake George, they will drive from Lake George to Ticonderoga just to go there. It’s a very popular Adirondack favorite.”

According to Keely Whalen, “Our long-term goal is to open more locations, but right now we want to make sure our attention is focused on getting this running absolutely as smoothly as possible.”

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StoredTech has acquired the assets of NOAH IT LLC in North Carolina for an undisclosed sum.

Mark Shaw, CEO at StoredTech, said the move was made to increase its growing Raleigh, N.C., presence. NOAH IT’s employees joined StoredTech.

The acquisition is effective immediately. All of the NOAH IT staff are working out of StoredTech’s Raleigh office.

This acquisition brings more clients to StoredTech’s Managed Service Provider (MSP) platform and, it brings more services to NOAH IT’s base of clients.

“We are always looking for ways to expand out footprint. Allan and the NOAH IT team certainly does that. We are also excited to offer more comprehensive services to our new clients.”

Shaw said.

Allan Polak, founder of NOAH IT, said “this combination brings more depth of support and services to our clients. StoredTech has grown immensely here in Raleigh, and we are excited to be a part of it ... “I was extremely impressed with the StoredTech team’s total focus on customer delight.”

Both Shaw and Polak became more confident about the combination because there was so much similarity in their business models. NOAH IT clients will see a mostly seamless transition.

StoredTech is a leading Managed Service Pro-

Mark Shaw’s StoredTech is expanding further in the Raleigh, N.C., region. ©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

vider providing IT services to hundreds of client organizations. They provide support to clients in all aspects of their IT so that the clients can focus on their core business.

StoredTech has offices in Queensbury, Albany, Plattsburgh and Raleigh, N.C.

Taste NY Producers Showcase Rescheduled; Now Set For Sept. 22 at SUNY Adirondack The Taste NY Producer Showcase, originally scheduled for April 28, was rescheduled to Thursday, Sept. 22.

Organizers said the in-person portion of the event was rescheduled to allow more businesses time to prepare and register for the event.

The event on Sept. 22 will take place in the Northwest Bay Conference Center in Adirondack Hall at SUNY Adirondack, 640 Bay Road in Queensbury.

Admission is free. Booth space for producers is $25 and includes a breakfast, a networking event and two morning workshops to help producers expand their reach in the marketplace.

Registration for the showcase in September is open for both attendees and vendors.

In the meantime, two free virtual workshops were held on Thursday, April 28, to help farmers and agricultural producers in the Adirondack region and New York state grow their businesses.

Local restaurants, wholesalers, and other businesses looking to connect with local food and beverage producers will have a chance to in September to meet face-to-face at the Taste NY Producer Showcase.

This business-to-business expo event is intended to help farmers and agricultural producers in the Adirondack region and New York state grow their businesses and encourage hotels, restaurants, bars, retail locations, and institutions to purchase local products.

This showcase will be the third businessto-business food show organized by the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Adirondack Region Food and Farms Business Expo was held at SUNY Adirondack in Dec. 2019 followed by a first-of-its- kind Virtual Taste NY Producer Showcase in Oct. 2020, which featured 60 producers in a virtual environment, a modification made in response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are pleased to return to the in-person format in September with a showcase that offers 50 New York state producers an opportunity to connect with potential wholesale buyers and attendees from the Adirondack region,” said Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Mintzer.

For more information and to register, contact the Chamber at (518) 487-0045 or visit www.lakegeorgechamber.com/tasteny.

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022 • 9

Huddle Bay Motel And Cottages On Lake GlobalFoundries Lands $117M Pact With U.S. George Purchased By Capital District Group Department Of Defense For Work In Malta

base, as part of the nation’s effort to sustain its semiconductor manufacturing capability necessary for national and economic security.

Our agreement will ensure access to 45nm SOI semiconductors critical to Department of Defense strategic systems, and is the latest collaboration in the longstanding partnership between the Department of Defense and GlobalFoundries to provide silicon-based semiconductors for defense aerospace applications.”

The first chips from the agreement are targeted to begin delivery in 2023.

GlobalFoundries employs nearly 3,000 people at Fab 8 and has invested more than $15 billion in the facility. Its Fab 8 is in compliance with both U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and highly restrictive Export Control Classification Numbers under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

GlobalFoundries is working with the U.S. government to secure classified status for Fab 8.

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as opposed to some other places where they work against you.”

Bolton Landing Beach Resort LLC is also purchasing a second nearby property that has 26 cottages and cabins as well as a hotel.

They expect to close on the property in early May. Both properties have beach rights and will have a total of six dock slips available.

“We do property management with our long-term rentals and self-storage units, and this was the first opportunity that we’ve really seen to get into short-term rentals,” said Ramsey. “Property management is all pretty much the same when you are talking about self-storage and long-term rentals, but the short-term rentals is something we haven’t gotten into at all. This was a good opportunity for us.”

The properties will undergo extensive renovations, and Ramsey plans to hire a general manager to run them. Renovations are being handled by contractors Jacob and Lucas Weaver. Huddle Bay renovations are expected to be completed by Memorial Day, and work on the second property will stretch into the summer.

“They need a lot of work, so we will renovate both of them,” said Ramsey. “The total purchase price of both is $1.8 million combined, and we will probably put another $1.3 million into renovations. We are going to redo everything soup to nuts.”

Ramsey would like to acquire additional vacation properties in the coming years.

“I’m very bullish on Lake George, Saratoga Lake, and Sacandaga (the Great Sacandaga Lake),” he said. “Our plan will be to specifically expand on those lakes.”

Courtesy GlobalFoundries

FO

BY CHRISTINE GRAF Real estate investor and tech company entrepreneur Christopher Ramsey and his investment partners have purchased the Huddle Bay Motel and Cottages on Lake George.

Under the name Bolton Landing Beach Resort LLC, Ramsey and his partners purchased Huddle Bay Motel and Cottages for $900,000 on April 14. The 13-unit 4576 Lakeshore Drive features cabins, motel rooms, and efficiencies.

The Schenectady native and Siena College computer science graduate is the founder of Virtual Moving Technologies of Schenectady.

His company provides moving companies with software that enables them to prepare virtual moving estimates. Virtual Moving Technologies has 150 employees throughout the country with 20 located in Schenectady.

Ramsey also owns numerous rental properties in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy as well as 17 self-storage facilities.

According to Ramsey, town and village officials were accommodating throughout the entire purchase process.

“There are a lot of old motels in Lake George that are being demolished and converted into condos, and the Town of Lake George needs more short-term rentals,” he said. “They rely on tourism to succeed, so one person that demolishes 35 units and builds a 20,000-square-foot house doesn’t bring in much revenue for the town. The town and village of Lake George have been very helpful in pushing for short-term rentals. Any time that the town and village is on your side pushing for it, that’s very helpful—

GlobalFoundries in Malta has a government contract with the Department of Defense.

FO R

Huddle Bay Motel and Cottages, a 13-unit Bolton Landing property, was purchased by Christopher Ramsey of Virtual Moving Technologies in Schenectady and two investment partners.

As part of the nation’s effort to sustain the microelectronics manufacturing capability necessary for national and economic security, and in support of an executive order entitled America’s Supply Chains, the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $117 million agreement to GlobalFoundries.

GlobalFoundries, headquartered in Malta, will transfer its 45 nanometer (nm) silicon-oninsulator (SOI) semiconductor manufacturing process from its Fab 10 facility in East Fishkill, to its Fab 8 facility in Malta, the defense department announced in a press release.

The effort is a follow-on from an $8 million award issued last year through which GlobalFoundries conducted initial engineering baseline activities for the transfer.

Federal officials said the agreement will ensure access to 45nm SOI semiconductors critical to Department of Defense strategic systems.

The agreement is the latest collaboration in the longstanding partnership between the Department of Defense and GlobalFoundries to provide silicon-based semiconductors for defense aerospace applications.

“GlobalFoundries is proud to be a longtime supplier to the U.S. government, and we remain deeply committed to meeting the semiconductor technology needs of the Department of Defense, as well as the technologies so critical to our national security,” said company CEO Tom Caulfield. “The strong public-private partnership demonstrated with this new supply and tech transfer agreement is an excellent example of the impact federal collaboration and investment in semiconductor manufacturing can have on strengthening domestic supply chains. Our partnership boosts the national economy, while also securing a strategic and reliable supply of chips needed by the U.S. government for aerospace, defense, and other mission-critical applications.”

The Department of Defense said the agreement with GlobalFoundries “will strengthen the domestic microelectronics industrial

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10 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

SPECIAL SECTION

Education / Personal Development SUNY Adirondack, Great Escape Pact To ARCC’s Women’s Business Council Session Help Students Study And Work Summer Jobs Stresses The Impact Of Succession Planning

Through a partnership with SUNY Adirondack, students can get a job at Six Flags Great Escape, while living on the college campus and taking classes.

SUNY Adirondack and Six Flags Great Escape partner to offer opportunities to SUNY Adirondack students in its collaborative “Work, Learn and Play” program this summer.

Students can earn up to $16.25 an hour, live on campus (if they choose), take a shuttle between the park and campus, receive free park tickets and meals, and keep a flexible schedule so they can enroll in summer classes.

“We are so excited to offer this wonderful opportunity to our students in collaboration with Six Flags Great Escape,” said Kathryn O’Sick, dean for Student Affairs at SUNY Adirondack. “Th is is a great opportunity to earn money while continuing to earn credit this summer, all while having fun.”

The program allows students to stay on campus for the summer, work in various positions at the 150-acre theme park and continue to earn credits toward a degree.

“We will work with students to apply for summer fi nancial aid and offer discounted on-campus housing,” O’Sick said.

SUNY Adirondack’s summer course of-

Courtesy Six Flags Great Escape

ferings include several general education requirements, which transfer seamlessly to numerous public and private institutions throughout the country, as well as online courses.

Two sessions are offered, the fi rst from May 23 to July 1 and the second from July 11 to Aug. 19.

Great Escape is a Six Flags property just a few miles from SUNY Adirondack’s Queensbury campus that boasts a water park, seven roller coasters, dozens of attractions and an annual Fright Fest experience. The park employs more than 1,500 people during its annual summer season, in positions that include ride operation, lifeguard, admissions, food and beverage, park services and more.

“We are thrilled to build this exciting new program with SUNY Adirondack,” said Rebecca Wood, resort president. “Th is partnership showcases the beauty of our community as we work together to grow the next generation of tourism leaders, all while committing our region as the premier location to live, work, learn and play.”

Panelists discuss business succession planning at a summit presented by the Women’s Business Council on May 11 at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.

Succession and continuity planning are business activities that can take a backseat to other things like growing revenues, trimming costs, or running day-to-day business operations.

That idea was the emphasis behind the ARCC Succession Summit, presented by the Women’s Business Council on May 11 at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.

During the afternoon session, a panel of experts discussed why succession is a critical business activity. The intent was to create a culture of regular succession planning and development to ensure upward economic trajectory continues in the region.

The panel explored these three scenarios: • After a starup business survives,what is needed to ensure continuity, employee/client retention, and resilience?

• How do family owned businesses successfully move from generation to generation and beyond?

• For those planning to grow a business then sell it to a key employee or a third party, what needs to be considered now in order to be successful?

“Nine powerful minds, one powerful topic:

Courtesy ARCC

succession planning,” said Juan Gonzales, CFO of Hunt Companies Inc. and chairman of the ARCC’s Veterans Business Network. “These events are life-changing and a staple of what your Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Business council provides to this community. The investment of time you give to these programs are worth their weight in gold. Stay involved because what you learn may save your company or the company you work with one day.”

On the panel were Amie Gonzales, president, Hunt Companies; Wendy Waldron, professional EOS implementer and creator of WaldronWorks; Sherry Finkel Murphy, CFP, ChFC, RICP with the Atrium Group/Northwestern Mutual; Brian J. Stidd, CPA, CVA with Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli LLP; Hilary Stec, assistant vice president, HR business partner and manager of HRIS at Marshall & Sterling; Rose Miller, a senior professional in human resources; Stefanie DiLallo Bitter, Esq. , a partner at the law firm of Bartlett Pontiff Stewart & Rhodes, PC.; Vanessa A. Hutton, associate with McPhillips, Fitzgerald & Cullum, LLP; and Pamela L. Cleveland, CPA, MAFF, senior audit manager, CMJ, LLP.

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022 • 11

•

Business Report Reinveting Oneself

BY ROSE MILLER In my roles as an HR professional, a critical requirement is to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of employment laws, HR best practices and workforce stressors.

It’s a lot. But us HR folks are a resilient bunch.

The successful ones are always ready for change.

Reinvention should be embraced to prepare for change.

I was speaking with a peer group of women leaders the other day. I love this group of “powerwomen”, who come from all walks of life and various careers. They are smart, fun, and empowered. We support each other in many ways, both personally and professionally. We understand how these things are deeply tied together.

The group’s facilitator often presents topics that are thought provoking and it challenges us learn about ourselves so we can lead with more selfawareness. If you have ever worked with someone who was not at all self-aware, you would fully understand the importance of this exercise.

This month, we were asked the question, “if you could reinvent yourself or change something at this point, how or what would it be?”

It’s a rare leader, who hasn’t reinvented himself or herself several times in their career. Look at what the last two years have done. Good or bad, we all needed to reinvent various pieces of our lives.

Businesses needed to shift and pivot. We all had to flex and change to survive. Reinvention became survival.

When it was my time to answer, I began to describe my past reinventions as separate windows in time. I’ve had several windows of opportunity that feel so unique to its own time period. I had my window of single years where I could explore who I am and what I wanted to be.

I had an educational window where I had to juggle working while going to school. Where experience cracked open a window, I found that having a good education opened up more opportunities for advancement.

I watched myself go through my career windows, which allowed me to learn and grow professionally.

I had the good fortune to experience big city windows in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia.

My career led me to work in large scale companies and a small startup. Then I came across a window of opportunity to buy, run and sell a business locally.

I pride myself in keeping the window wide open to learning and growing. Sometimes that means getting a new replacement window.

I always told my sons to learn as much as they could so they can keep their windows of opportunity as wide as possible. My oldest son is autistic,

Skidmore College Creates Fund To Support Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Innovation •

Rose Miller, SPHR, area HR thought leader, speaker, writer.

Courtesy Rose Miller

and I had to work hard to crack open some windows for him that would otherwise be shut without my advocacy. Successful diversity initiatives are meant to kick open some windows that have been systemically shut. Sometimes, the thing is stuck shut from old paint and out-of-date mechanisms. Tools need to be used to pry the window open.

I find leaders create their own windows of opportunity. I found the secret to growth is to keep the window always cracked open to keep the air of new ideas flowing in. Pity the owner that thinks his windows are the only windows in town and closes the window to any new ideas, new ways of doing things or new ways of thinking.

Many fog up their windows with their large egos.

They can’t see what’s going on outside. If an owner shuts and locks up all windows, the air will become stale and the company along with its employees will feel like they are suffocating.

And I’m not suggesting that employees should try to fly out of the window the first chance they get, and especially if they haven’t spent enough time sitting in the room. The grass always looks greener from a distance. And never smash a window that you don’t like. You’ll most likely cut yourself.

Reinvention can take many shapes and each window of opportunity can be unique to its time and place. There is nothing wrong with sitting at your favorite window and enjoying the view. That is something we all strive for.

I’m looking forward to my next window of opportunity. I’m not sure what type, shape and size it will be, but I do know it will only be a window where the fresh air of ideas is coming in and there will be an excellent view.

Skidmore College has created a $10 million initiative in support of its longstanding commitment to a liberal arts experience rooted in creativity that prepares students for thriving professional and personal success.

Officials said a $5 million one-to-one matching pledge along with additional matching gifts created the Sands Family Foundation Initiative for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at Skidmore College.

A century ago, Lucy Skidmore Scribner founded Skidmore College with the vision that it would help students connect the power of their minds and their hands in a new model of liberal education, college officials said. That ambition takes a dramatic step forward with the new initiative, said college President Marc C. Conner.

“Th is extraordinary gift celebrates what Skidmore has always done—nurture creativity and prepare students for life after graduation—and moves us forward in our ability to offer the very model for a 21st liberal arts education,” Conner said.

“The essence of innovation and entrepreneurship is an eagerness to be bold, take risks, look at tough problems with fresh eyes, and be unafraid to fail—the hallmarks of a great liberal arts education. Th is gift from the Sands Family Foundation emphasizes the incredible impact that our commitment to developing exceptional creative and critical skills can have on students,” said Conner.

Rob Sands, a Skidmore business major graduate who is executive chairman of the board of directors of Constellation Brands, explained his personal commitment to this gift.

“At Skidmore, I gained the fundamental knowledge to become a successful attorney and businessman along with an invaluable set of life skills,” he said. “The Sands Family Foundation Initiative promises to support and grow these aspects of the education I experienced at Skidmore—exactly the kind of education I believe our world needs. We are so excited to spearhead the expansion of entrepreneurial thinking for all Skidmore students, and my hope is that, through this support, students will use their talents upon graduation to create or grow new ventures from the Capital District to Rochester and beyond.”

Sands Family Foundation member Bill Caleo, a Skidmore business major who went on to attain his master’s degree in theater and is now a member of the college’s board of trustees, stressed the promise of the gift to

Rob Sands, a Skidmore graduate, is chairman of the board of directors of Constellation Brands.

Courtesy Skidmore College

build on Skidmore’s creative, inclusive, and interdisciplinary education.

“I’m so proud to be able to support my alma mater with this gift,” he said. “I want the world to see that a Skidmore education is truly the best preparation for the 21st century. Our gift is going to provide programmatic support for the kind of entrepreneurial thinking that is a natural and fundamental part of the college.

Th is will literally enable students to learn how to shape their own future.”

College officials said that at Skidmore, entrepreneurship is an ethos and commitment to helping students think and make with the creativity that the global marketplace demands. The college offers existing programs, such as the Entrepreneurial Artist Initiative, the Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership, and the Kenneth A. Freirich ’90 Entrepreneurship Competition. It offers collaborative spaces for innovative practice, such as the nascent Schupf Family IdeaLab, the newly created Center for Integrated Sciences, and the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery.

“The Sands Family Foundation Initiative for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship will channel support to these programs and to similar initiatives in the coming years, further establishing Skidmore as a model liberal arts college for the skills, experiences, and abilities that will help our students thrive in the 21st century,” Conner said.

Founded in 1903, Skidmore College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of about 2,500 students.

12 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022

GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL

SPECIAL SECTION

Health / Community Services ARCC Workplace Health & Wellness Council Health Group Certifies Glens Falls Hospital To Host ‘Reclaim Your Brain’ Seminar For Efficient, Consistent Care Procedures The Workplace Health & Wellness Council of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) will presents an event dedicated to the mental health and wellness in the workplace.

The session is scheduled for 7:30-9 a.m.

Tuesday, May 24, at the Queensbury Hotel, 88 Ridge St., Glens Falls.

The speakers will be Sue McManus, program director with the Employee Assistance Program of the Adirondacks.

She is a licensed registered mental nurse (RMN), and is also a qualified substance abuse professional. She has had a 38-year career in mental health and addiction services both overseas and in the United States.

The topic is “Reclaim Your Brain,” addressing the collective trauma of the past few years in dealing with the COVID pandemic—what it means for individuals, employees, community members and business owners. Sue McManus received her RMN license from the Broadland School of Nursing, Norwich England, her bachelor’s in clinical and counseling psychology from San Jose State University, California, and her master’s in social work (MSW) from SUNY Albany.

The cost is $20 for ARCC members

Sue McManus, program director, Employee Assistance Program of the Adirondacks. and $30 for non-members. A continental breakfast will be provided.

For registration or more information, contact Tricia Rogers, ARCC vice president, membership and community engagement, at 518-798-1761, ext. 229, or by email at trogersatadirondackchamber.org.

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Glens Falls Hospital has been awarded full certification to the ISO 9001, a widelyaccepted quality management system of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. “Glens Falls Hospital is dedicated to providing the safest and most effective healthcare services possible,” said Paul Scimeca, interim president and CEO of Glens Falls Hospital. “ISO 9001 certification not only reflects that mission but helps to empower it. The certificate is just a piece of paper, but the effort required to achieve it fundamentally transforms the way we do business. ISO 9001 is ideally suited to the complex, people-intensive challenges of running a hospital.”

“Glens Falls Hospital has worked hard to achieve this certification, and they have done so with unwavering commitment from their top leadership to make their hospital the best it can be,” says Patrick Horine, president of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. “ISO 9001 certification isn’t just an award or trophy for something you’ve done. It is public evidence that you are at the top of your game with an obvious plan in place to make excellence an everyday objective.”

DNV Healthcare USA said its certification is quickly gaining acceptance among U.S. healthcare providers as a foundation for quality service and patient safety programs.

According to the company, ISO 9001 brings science to the art of caregiving.

It helps to standardize processes around things that are proven to work, by the people doing the work, thus empowering frontline workers while creating an environment of predictability for the entire organization.

The ultimate impact of ISO 9001 within hospitals is the reduction or elimination of variation, so that critical work processes are done consistently and the “best ideas” aren’t held by one person or one department but are ingrained in the organization itself.

Businesses that implement ISO 9001 do so for both the internal and external benefits.

Internally it helps staff create clear and consistent processes of patient care and ensure that progress is constantly being made toward specific quality objectives, the

Glens Falls Hospital has been awarded full certification to the ISO 9001. company said. Externally, it tells the public, as well as insurers and regulatory agencies, that the hospital is not only talking about quality, but is pursuing it with discipline and transparency.

“ISO 9001 is like sheet music for an orchestra. It gets everyone on the same page and helps us achieve our objectives,” said Hillary Alycon, Glens Falls Hospital’s director of quality management and infection prevention.

Glens Falls Hospital, a member of the Albany Med Health System, maintains a service area that spans 6,000 square miles across five diverse counties. Founded in 1897, it operates an advanced health care delivery system featuring 20 regional facilities.

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. GFH is a not-for-profit organization and the largest employer in New York’s Adirondack region, with over 2,300 employees and a medical staff of over 550 providers.

For more information visit www.GlensFallsHospital.org.

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022 • 13

SUNY Empire State Gets Grant To Help Office Of Strategic Workforce Development Boost Enrollment In Its Nursing Program Created To Help Meet Needs Of Employers SUNY Empire State College will enhance nursing program to address the state and nation’s critical nursing shortage The college has received a $245,580 grant from the SUNY system that is expected to boost enrollment in the college’s nursing program and help address the state and nation’s critical nursing shortage, officials said.

The funds are part of a $3 million SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund designed to enable more students to enroll in SUNY’s nursing programs. SUNY Empire will use the money to offset the initial cost of hiring a full-time faculty member and an operations coordinator in its nursing program.

The funding, which will be available July 1 after the state budget is approved, will enable the college to increase enrollment at the School of Nursing and Allied Health by 100 students.

In all, SUNY campuses have more than 70 accredited nursing programs. SUNY campuses were eligible to apply for funding of up to $250,000. The funding can be used in various ways, including curricula development, partnership expansion, and the purchase of instructional equipment and technology.

At SUNY Empire, most of the additional students are expected to come through the Multi-Award Nursing Program that SUNY Empire shares with Nassau Community College (NCC). NCC received $247,000 from the same SUNY funds to expand their nursing program.

SUNY Empire officials also expect more students to enroll through its RN to BSN transfer pathway program that the college has with SUNY Orange. Through that partnership, which was created last fall, nursing students have the option to seamlessly transfer to SUNY Empire’s BSN program after they obtain their associate degree.

The partnership provides scholarship options and allows the transfer of 63 credits earned at SUNY Orange to SUNY Empire, reducing the time to earn a degree and saving students money.

College officials said that across the country, the demand for nurses is increasing as Baby Boomers age. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for registered nurses is expected to grow 9 percent each year between 2020 and 2030. In New York, a report by the state Department of Health projected a shortage of 39,000 nurses by 2030.

28 Arts Organizations In the Region Get Grant Funding For 2022 From LARAC The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC) announced the recipients of its community arts grant program for 2022.

Local artists and organizations will receive $90,781 for arts programming taking place throughout Warren and Washington counties.

The grant opportunity is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the state Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the State Legislature and administered by LARAC. The Community Arts Grant is a re-grant program that provides financial and technical assistance for community-based arts activities.

The goal of the Statewide Community Regrant program is to provide quality arts programming to all of Warren and Washington counties; assist emerging arts organizations; support the artistic expression of Warren/Washington’s diversity; and make arts programming accessible to under-served audiences.

Six individual artists will receive $2,500 each to produce a new work. Rachael Maneely of Queensbury will receive grant funds to create a new body of work called “Lightning Storms in the Adirondacks.” Valentina Sergeera of Hudson Falls will get funds o capture the motions of dance through her body of work called “Dancers in Flight,” and Warren Schultz of Greenwich will be producing a play based at the historic Ulysses S. Grant Cottage on Mount McGregor called “Grant’s Ghost.”

Three arts education applicants were awarded a total of $10,345 for in-school and communitybased programming in 2022. The North Creek Railway Depo Preservation Association of North Creek will host a children’s program “People and Trains That Could,”and artist Catherine Reid of Glens Falls will be teaching a group of Queensbury High School students in her

program “Queensbury High School: The Little Mermaid.” and The Amorak Youth Home of Hudson Falls will host two educational programs this summer named “Amorak Arts and Crafts” and “Music Lessons and Year End Recital.”

For 2022, 37 organizations and Artists applied for grants, out of which 28 will receive funding.

Warren County organizational grantees include: Adirondack Ballet Theater, Adirondack Institute, Adirondack Voices, Charles R Wood Theater, Glens Falls Community Theater, Johnsburg Youth Committee, Lake George Community Band, Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association, Our Town Theater Group, Tannery Pond Center for the Arts, Wiawaka Holiday House Inc. and World Awareness Children’s Museum Washington county organizational grantees include: Agricultural Stewardship Association, Historic Salem Courthouse Preservation Assoc., Hudson River Shakespeare Company, Little Theater on the Farm, Senior Center of Kingsbury and Fort Edward Area, Village of Fort Edward Canal St. Marketplace, and the Village of Granville.

Arts education grantees include: Amorak Youth Home, Catherine Reid and North Creek Railway Depo Preservation Association.

LARAC is one of many arts agencies throughout New York state that offers the Statewide Community Regrant. Workshops are held annually in the summer and fall, free of charge. Applications are due in early winter.

Those wishing to apply for these grants or wanting more information about any of the funded programs should contact LARAC’s community outreach and grant director Alyssa Shiel, at (518) 798-1144, ext. 4, or outreach@larac.org.

Details can also be found at www.LARAC. org/opportunitites.

A state Office of Strategic Workforce Development has been created that is charged with improving the programs and practices to better align with the needs and priorities of today’s employers.

Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed the new office in her State of the State address earlier this year and committed funding that was approved in the state budget.

The $350 million investment in state funding will support wide-reaching, historic and coordinated investment in workforce development across state agencies and authorities and includes $150 million in multi-year funding for new grant programs that will primarily support employer-driven, high skilled workforce training programs.

“New Yorkers are still struggling to find work and opportunity due to the economic disruption of the pandemic,” Hochul said. “This issue is personal to me. I’ve seen steel plants close leaving workers with nowhere to go. With our brand new Office of Strategic Workforce Development, we are doubling down on our commitment to help train and connect New Yorkers with the good-paying jobs of the future.”

Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President and CEO-designate Hope Knight said the new office will optimize ESD’s relationships with the state’s industries and employers “to generate new opportunities for New Yorkers and encourage regional economic growth. Together with our State University system and our agency partners, we can provide businesses with a talent pipeline to catalyze new investments throughout the state.”

The Office of Strategic Workforce Development will function under Empire State Development (ESD), marking a change in workforce development policy to one that is laser-focused on supporting the labor needs of the state’s highest-growth sectors while producing new economic opportunity for un/underemployed and underrepresented workers. ESD will manage the Office in close coordination with agency partners, including the Department of Labor, the SUNY system, and the City University of New York, among others, with a track record of delivering successful workforce training programs.

The new office will leverage ESD’s relationships with employers throughout the state and its standing as a trusted partner in the business community to help identify employer needs early and train New Yorkers to meet those needs, officials said.

To launch this effort, New York State, in

partnership with the Business Council of New York State, has developed a comprehensive online survey to solicit vital feedback from businesses on the skills required for workers to be successful in today’s complex economy, and how New York can prepare and position its labor force to better serve companies’ needs.

Officials said the demand-driven approach will ensure that New York has access to realtime feedback on in-demand jobs and skills to inform its statewide and regional workforce development efforts.

ESD will work hand-in-hand with the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils, which will engage with local stakeholders and help to identify specific skills and industries to prioritize in each region in the post-pandemic economy. The Regional Councils’ local expertise will help ensure each region’s workforce training programs are aware of current and evolving employer needs and allow local training providers to better align their programs to these priorities.

In addition to promoting an industry-driven strategy, ESD will also introduce and administer $150 million in new programs, aimed primarily at meeting high-skilled employer needs to fill in-demand jobs and complement the State’s existing workforce development efforts.

This programming will include performance-based grants for workforce training providers that successfully place trainees in quality jobs, flexible operating funds to help providers cover the costs of program administration, and capital funding to allow providers to make essential capital purchases and/or upgrades to their training facilities. To ensure flexibility to meet changing needs, funding will be available on a real-time, continual basis to generate a pipeline of new workers for regionally-significant industries. As these new programs are expected to launch later this year, the Office will also establish and maintain metrics for tracking the implementation and success of the programs.

Heather Briccetti, president & CEO of The Business Council of New York State, said, “We commend Governor Hochul on overhauling the state’s approach to workforce development to begin with business and industry, and focus on regional- and sector-based workforce solutions for state businesses. The new Office of Strategic Workforce Development will address the growing gap between available jobs and skilled workers, while creating a dynamic workforce skilled for growing industries in the state, and with promising career pathways.”

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14 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022

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influential architecture. Work includes a new roof, replacing the gas-fired boiler heating system with a high-efficiency heat pump and heat recovery system, to make the building more eco-friendly.

• $950,000 to upgrade the former General Electric de-watering facility in Fort Edward into the Canalside Energy Park. The funding will be used by the Warren/Washington Counties Industrial Development Agency to replace the temporary bridge at the entrance to the park; complete wastewater construction; upgrade the existing potable water infrastructure; install a natural gas line to the park; improve the current primitive internal road structure, including stormwater conveyance; and upgrade the electrical supply within the park.

• $205,000 for the Warren County Employment & Training Administration. The funding will be used to recruit, train, and open more childcare provider businesses. The funding

covers the training and state licensing, as well as the start-up costs for the childcare business.

The Adirondack region will benefit from this project because parents will be able to utilize and support a home-based childcare business in their own community and that keeps the revenue and long-term investment at the local level, Schumer said.

• $500,000 to restore Fort Ticonderoga’s iconic and historic walls. Over the nearly 250 year history of the fort, much of the exterior walls have become damaged due to age and weather. The funds will help prevent the loss or further degradation of the site.

Schumer said that Fort Ticonderoga is a significant national historical site, is a vital community anchor in Essex County and driver of the North Country’s tourism economy, and that this preservation funding will ensure that students, families, and other visitors from around the world can continue to visit and learn about the site firsthand.

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The Silo Restaurant

Queensbury, NY 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

Doc’s Restaurant

Glens Falls Area Restaurants Glens Falls and surrounding towns have a variety of casual dining opportunities for every taste, budget and occasion. Find a Glens Falls NY restaurant from the list below.

Park 26

Glens Falls, NY 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.

Jack’s American Bistro

Queensbury, NY 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.

Glens Falls, NY Doc’s Restaurant is an upscale restaurant and cocktail bar in the historic Park Theater in Glens Falls, NY. They offer a delicious modern take on classic dishes, along with a hand-picked selection of wines, craft beers, and creative cocktails!

The Log Jam Restaurant

Lake George, NY Experience lunch and dinner daily in an authentic log cabin. Enjoy signature sandwiches at lunch and succulent prime rib, juicy hand cut steaks, live lobsters, fresh seafood, chicken, and more at dinner. All entrees include our bountiful salad bar.

The Grateful Den

Glens Falls, NY 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.

Davidson Brothers Restaurant

Glens Falls, NY Located in downtown Glens Falls, NY, Davidson Brothers Restaurant & Brewery is a hotspot for unique craft beer and delicious food in a laid-back atmosphere.

Birch Bark Eatery

Glens Falls, NY Birch Bark Eatery offers a wide variety of soups, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and baked goods - and it’s all 100% plant-based. They also offer catering!

Raul’s Mexican Grill

Glens Falls, NY Enjoy everything Mexican at Raul’s Mexican Grill in downtown Glens Falls, where the ingredients are always fresh and the margaritas always flowing! From the tortilla chips to the tacos to the churros, everything on the menu is created with care.

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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022 • 15

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building at Silver Bay on Lake George. A Vermontbased custom wood working company is in the process of buying Hacker’s former Ticonderoga factory.

The luxurious wooden Hacker-Craft brand boats, made with mahogany from Guatemala, sell for up to $600,000.

“Our boat is not an instant buy,” said Babcock.

“No one needs to buy one of our boats. They have to think about it, they talk about it, they come visit us.

That’s what makes this location so much more attractive. It’s easy to get here from Albany, New York City, Boston. We’ve got people flying into Warren County Airport all the time.”

Clients range from Wall Street executives to famous film stars, and boats are sold around the world from Southeast Asia to France, Italy and The Netherlands.

Hacker Boat Co. was founded in Detroit by John Ludwig Hacker in 1908. Silver Bay boat builder William Morgan purchased the Hacker-Craft name in 1959 and eventually moved the firm there.

Badcock, the fourth owner, acquired a majority interest in Hacker Boat in 2008 and bought it outright in 2011.

“The company needed a complete shakeup and turnaround,” he said. “They had a backlog of orders even though we were in the middle of a recession.

That told me there was definitely a demand for these boats. The level of demand from people around the country was surprising. But there was very little restoration work being done and no used boats at all.”

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These are now two big slices of Hacker’s revenue stream, accounting for 25-30 percent of overall business.

Badcock also moved manufacturing off the lake from Silver Bay to a larger manufacturing space in Ticonderoga and hired a naval architect along with production and parts managers and a marina manager. Hacker now employs 36 people including woodworkers, mechanics and upholstery workers.

With increased storage capacity in Queensbury, the company can handle 150 boats now, compared to 60 before.

“It’s an entirely different operation from when I bought into it,” Badcock said. Badcock’s daughter, Erin, the chief operating officer, oversees day to day business.

New boats have the same look and splendor that made Hacker-Craft world famous more than 100 years ago, while featuring 21st century, state-ofthe-art technology. “So they can be used in many different places,” Badcock said. “Engines can be used in salt and brackish water as well as fresh water. It’s a different boat from the 1920s, 30s and 40s.”

Three new models, called the Evolution Collection, were recently unveiled at a major boat show in Fort Lauderdale and plans call for unveiling a fourth new boat this month.

The priority is building the most high-quality boats possible, not volume. Only 11 new boats are currently under production.

“We’re moving this company along, seeing a lot more custom requests than the standard model,” Badcock said. “People want to put a cabin in, put jets on it or have a joy stick to drive it with. We’ve done all those things. We’re seeing more and more of that. That’s a good thing because customization makes our profit margin a lot better than a standard model. The level of interest if phenomenal.”

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16 • GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL • MAY 2022

Bittel Retiring Continued From Page 1 Monahan said the ARCC team “is committed to continue to collaborate, educate, connect, and advocate during this transition. We are already hard at work to find a new leader for the ARCC. The next person will certainly have big shoes to fill, but we are confident we will find the right person.”

During Bittel’s time he was instrumental in increasing revenue, supporting and partnering with an outstanding ARCC team, and utilizing his past

business experience and relationships with local elected officials to advocate for the business community and greater region.

He has served on the Glens Falls Civic Center Coalition, the Glens Falls Business Improvement District (BID), the USDA Farm Service Agency, the Greater Glens Falls YMCA board, the Saratoga/Warren/Washington Workforce Development Board, Warren/Washington County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), the Warren County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Advisory Committee, the Reopen Washington County Committee, and the Warren County Economic Development Task Force.

Prior to joining the ARCC, Bittel was COO at Hometown Healthcare and prior to that co-CEO of The King Arthur Flour Co. in Norwich, Vt. He joined Clifton Park-based Hometown Healthcare Inc. in 2016 as its COO where he was responsible for human resources, operations, customer service, sales, marketing, insurance payer and government relations, and new business development.

Bittel has also served on the Board for the March of Dimes New York, the Glens Falls Hospital board of governors, and the Northwest NY Salvation Army board of directors.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and

government from Skidmore College.

Founded in 1914, ARCC is a membership-funded organization representing more than 23,000 people predominantly in Washington, Warren, Essex, and northern Saratoga counties.

The ARCC is a nonprofit corporation, governed by volunteer board of directors, and does not receive any funding from local, county or state governments.

Its mission is to help regional companies succeed, grow, and thrive and expand economic opportunity throughout the region. The ARCC focuses on the four pillars of advocacy, education, connection, and collaboration.

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