Saratoga Business Journal - October 2022

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL

MLB Construction Celebrates 75 Years Of Being A Major Contractor In Capital District

Saratoga County Airport Gets $230 Million For New Terminal With modern Amenities

MLB Construction, established in 1947 in Albany, under the name McManus, Longe, Brockwehl Inc., is celebrating 75 years in business.

Operations started from the attic of the Longe household. Throughout the years the company expanded, changing its name to MLB Industries in the mid-1970s, and later to MLB Construction Services LLC.

As it celebrates its landmark anniversary, James M. Dawsey, MLB president, said the company is “in the process of our next leader ship/succession transition. This should take care of MLB Construction for the next 20-30 years. Based on what this next team has learned, it will make it easy for them to do their transition after this one.”

He said the company “will continue to do what we do well—higher education, K-12,

medical, resorts and historic renovations. We are also licensed up and down the east coast and will continue to build in these markets.

“We also plan to push into the housing market, both affordable and market rate. We want to continue to grow our design-build side in all the above markets.”

MLB’s list of clients over the years includes Skidmore College, who MLB has partnered with for over almost 60 years. MLB handled construction management for the Center for Integrated Sciences building, home of Skid more’s new science and learning center. The $97 million multi-phased project consists of four phases. Phase 3 is underway and will be completed in May 2024.

Another long-term client of MLB’s is the New York State Racing Association (NYRA).

Owners Of Saratoga Casino Hotel Purchase Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel In Mississippi

Saratoga Casino Holdings LLC—owner of both Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs, and Saratoga Casino Black Hawk in Black Hawk, Colo.—has acquired Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel in Natchez, Miss.

And a subsidiary company pf Saratoga Casino Holdings, Magnolia Buffs Casino LLC, has been issued a gaming license by the Mississippi Gaming Commission to operate the casino.

The closing date to complete the acquisition was Oct. 3.

“We are excited to add Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel team members to the Saratoga family,” said Sam Gerrity, Saratoga Casino Holdings chief ex ecutive officer. “The acquisition of Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel will expand our portfolio of gaming assets and further diversify our business.”

Officials said Tim Morrissey, current Gen eral Manager of Saratoga Casino Black Hawk, was named general manager of Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel. Morrissey has over 12 years of gaming expe rience in the destination casino resort industry and brings knowledge in overall operations, database analysis and casino marketing to the position.

He will oversee and manage all of the day-today operations at Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel to ensure the company continues to prosper and re mains an integral part of the Natchez community.

“I’m excited to join the Magnolia Bluffs team and become a member of the Natchez community,” said Morrissey. “I’m committed to operating a first-class gaming facility and building on the success of the current operations. It starts by creating relation ships with our guests, team members and the com munities that we serve - I’m ready to get started.”

New York state has designated $230 million in awards to nine upstate airports for revital ization projects that reimagine and further modernize airports across upstate New York.

Among the allocations will be $27 million to the Saratoga County Airport for the construc tion of a new, state-of-the-art, energy-efficient terminal building with modern amenities that provide a first-class user experience and design elements that reflect the character of the region.

This funding comes from the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revital ization Competition, a competitive solicita tion which aims to promote, revitalize and accelerate investments in upstate commercial passenger service airports, helping to create airports for the 21st century.

According to state officials, the new build

ing’s first floor will provide two spacious pas senger waiting areas, a multi-media conference room, and a café and ice cream counter that will open onto a courtyard with outdoor access.

The lobby area will feature a display area for automobiles from the Saratoga Automobile Museum, while the second floor of the building will provide space for pilots as well as a restau rant area and an exhibit area for local artists.

The hangar portion of the building will be finished with aged, reclaimed wood to mirror the look of the many Saratoga County horse and agricultural barns, while a solar array on top of the hangar roof will help reduce the airport’s collective carbon footprint.

“Our upstate airports are our gateways to local economies and make lasting impressions, connecting New Yorkers and tourists to the

Maura Tuffey Named Director Of Two Medical-Surgical Floors At Saratoga Hospital

Maura Tuffey was named nursing director of two medical-surgical floors at Saratoga Hospital, including the hospital’s orthopedic and bariatric (weight-loss) surgery units.

The Saratoga Springs resident has nearly a decade of nursing experience in roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she served as a nurse operations manager at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, where she oversaw operations, fiscal management, quality of care, and clinical outcomes on a number of nursing units.

Tuffey also mentored new nursing graduates, charge nurses and other nurse managers; played a key role in developing the hospital’s approach to caring for COVID-19 patients; and strengthened patient safety protocols.

She has been recognized with the Josie King Award for patient safety and the DAISY Nurse Leadership Award.

“Maura’s leadership, experience, and emphasis on patient-centered care make her an ideal fit for our team,” said Toni Bishop-McWain, vice president and chief nursing officer at Saratoga Hospital. “Coming from another Magnet hospital, she also shares our commitment to nursing excellence and empower ment, exceptional care and patient satisfaction.”

A member of the Albany Med Health System, Saratoga Hospital was the first facility in the Capital

Region to attain Magnet recognition, which is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice.

Tuffey has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica and a master’s degree in nursing and healthcare leadership from

Continued

Magnolia Bluffs Casino in Natchez, Miss., on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Maura Tuffey is nursing director of two medical-surgical floors at Saratoga Hospital.

Courtesy Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel

Courtesy Saratoga Hospital

The Saratoga County Airport is getting $27 million in state funding for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, energy-efficient terminal building, with modern amenities.

©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

MLB handled construction management for the Center for Integrated Sciences building at Skidmore College, the $97 million multi-phased project being done in four phases.

Courtesy MLB Construction

Downstate Businessman Purchases Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM In Clifton Park

Dennis & Co. Auto Group of Pearl River in downstate Rockland County has acquired Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM at 1780 Route 9 in Clifton Park from owner Jim Zappone.

The transaction was finalized in August and is the 11th dealership owned and operated by Dennis & Co. Auto Group. It is the second auto dealership bought by the group in the Albany region in 15 months

“We are excited to welcome the successful Zappone team into our family of dealerships,” said Brian Dennis, Dennis & Co. CEO and founder. “We are committed to growing our team of great employees and customers and are proud to grow our presence in upstate New York.”

“The acquisition of the new Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store enriches our presence in the community and gives customers more choices for quality vehicles. We treat people the way we want to be treated, and we are committed to providing our customers with the best service and care,” he said.

The newly acquired dealership operates as Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Clifton Park.

The auto group made its first investment in the Albany region in 2021 when it bought the 60-year-old Carmody Ford—now Greenwich Ford—at Routes 29 and 40 in Greenwich.

Dennis & Co. owns and operates 11 dealerships in New York and New Jersey, representing brands including Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.

Brian Dennis founded Dennis & Co. in 2006 with a single dealership, Riverdale Chrysler Jeep, and has steadily grown the company into a major automotive dealership network in the Metropolitan New York region.

The group also owns and operates a used-only dealership and two collision centers. The group has 700-plus employees.

Nursing Director

Duke University. A registered nurse, Tuffey also is board certified in medical surgical nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

She is the northeast regional president of the New York Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders and a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Tuffey also is a medical volunteer for area road races, including the Freihofer’s Run for Women, CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge and Susan G. Komen Race for the

Cure.

Saratoga Hospital provides care at more than 20 locations. It has maintained Magnet designation for nursing excellence since 2004. The hospital is a member of the Albany Med Health System, which also includes Albany Medical Center, Albany Medical College, Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital and Visiting Nurses Association of Albany. For more information: www.SaratogaHospital. org or www.facebook.com/SaratogaHospital.

New 24/7 Automated Services At Cudney’s Launderers Offer Customer Convenience

BY JILL NAGY

Cudney’s Launderers and Dry Cleaners, in business in Saratoga County for 70 years, has advanced its technology to provide a new service for customers.

Customers can call track their finished dry cleaning on a computer screen at Cudney stores and a conveyor will automatically deliver it. The robot-like machine allows the company to offer 24/7 service.The machine also accepts dirty laundry for processing.

Cudney’s had a similar kiosk facility for 10 years but this one has been up and running for a little over month. Owner Joyce Ure describes it as “almost like an ATM for your clothing.”

Some people prefer to deal with a person, Ure admits, and, she adds, “We love that, too.”

Hours when attendants are present vary

among the four Cudney’s locations in Saratoga Springs, Hampstead, and Wilton. Addresses and hours are on the its website, cudneys.com. The telephone number is 518-584-9427.

This year, Cudney’s is celebrating 70 years in business. The present owners purchased the company from the Cudney family five years ago, Ure said, “but it is still a family business.”

Her husband, Joe, is the other co-owner; son Daniel works full-time and is head of IT; and son Joshua, who is still in school, works there parttime.

There are 22 other employees and finding good ones is “more difficult than it ever was before,” Ure reported, “It’s a struggle.”

In addition to dry cleaning, the company offers round-the-clock laundromats, tailoring and alterations, and rug cleaning service.

Joyce Ure, owner of Cudney’s Launderers and Dry Cleaners, deposits a bag of clothing at the new automated system that allows 24/7 drop off or pick up of laundry and dry cleaning at their stores.

A downstate group purchased Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM in Clifton Park.

Entrepreneur Plans To Open Woodworking Shop That People Can Use For Projects

BY PAUL POST

John Haller never eases into anything.

Fresh out of RPI, he co-founded MapInfo, a tech-based company that quickly grew to 1,000 employees, went public and is now a division of Pitney-Bowes. Then he launched SportsSignUp, an online firm designed to help groups create, grow and manage youth sports programs. It was purchased by Time Inc. and is now called Sports Illustrated Play.

But upon moving to Saratoga Springs, Haller purchased a grand old Victorian home on Union Avenue, and while helping out with renovations he discovered a brand new passion for woodworking.

Leaving software development behind, he’s made an 180-degree about face by jumping into a more blue collar, hands-on type venture called Saratoga Joinery. Plans call for converting the former Saratoga Children’s Museum at 69 Caroline St., which he purchased for $2 million, into a full-scale community woodworking shop for people to gather, learn about this activity and work on projects of their own.

Much like tech development, Haller said woodworking involves great deal of creative problem solving, just the kind of challenge he enjoys tackling.

“In the end, with software, you have something that works, a program,” he said. “What’s cool with woodworking is that you have something you can actually show people they can understand, like a piece of furniture, something you built. You get to use your hands, feel things, smell things. I find that really super.”

If all goes according to plan, the nonprofit firm will open early next year, but it won’t be easy because converting a former museum into a machine shop is no easy task. Electrical systems must be upgraded to support large equipment and there are also strict requirements for dust collection and air quality.

“We have to come up with plans to meet code, submit them to the city and get them approved,” Haller said. “We’re at the mercy of so many people right now.”

The first floor will house a machine shop where people can use a table saw, planer, drill press and joiner. Then they’ll go upstairs to work on projects in a bench shop, with 12 to 15 individual stations.

“The equipment is very important,” he said. “The better and sharper the equipment is, the safer it is to use and the better your product comes out.”

Haller plans to hire full-time safety staff to monitor activity at all times, so no one is ever working alone.

Last winter, he took a three-month class at the renowned Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, which allowed him to see how a first-class shop operates.

“It was amazing,” Haller said. “We showed up at 8:30 a.m. and stayed till 6:30 p.m. There was class work and shop time. Teachers roamed around and helped us out. That total immersion was really neat. I got to see what happens when you put people with a common interest together. It’s so much more than a YouTube video. It’s interactive, you’re getting feedback. You get to see what other people are doing. It was really great and I made a lot of friends.”

“I also got to see how a shop works with 12 people using it at the same time,” he said. “How to keep things safe; how to prevent bottlenecks when everybody wants to use a table saw.”

The Caroline Street location provides easy, walkable access to downtown, which he hopes will help integrate the Joinery into Saratoga’s arts community. He also sees possible synergies between the shop and the large Northeastern Woodwork-

ers Association Showcase and Fine Woodworking Show, held each year in March at the Saratoga City Center.

Haller has actually created two different entities to get the enterprise up and running. One is called 69 Caroline LLC, which owns the building. Saratoga Joinery is a separate nonprofit firm, which will run the operation.

In essence, Haller is fronting costs during the venture’s early stages, with hopes that it will eventually be self-sustaining.

“We’re trying to give it the best chance of success by not having the burden of massive rent,” he said. “I’m buying the building and making it available for free to the non-profit until it gets some legs under it and can pay some rent. We need memberships. It’s going to take time before we get enough revenue to pay all the salaries, electricity and overhead.”

“I’ve had good business fortunes over the years,” he said. “It’s what I want to try to do for the community. So we’re giving it infusion to get it up and running properly. It’s going to be a neat place with great equipment. But at some point it’s got to make enough money to pay for its own expenses.”

Haller also envisions the shop as a place where woodworkers join forces on projects to benefit the community, such as park benches. His wife, Michelle, works for an Albany-based nonprofit called The Red Bookshelf, a literacy program that provides free children’s books on bright red bookshelves to ensure that all kids can own a book, regardless of income level.

Possibly, local companies will provide funding to buy lumber for such projects while the Joinery covers the expense of actual production, he said.

Whether building a birdhouse or nice furniture, Haller simply wants to provide a place where others can experience the joy of woodworking he’s found.

“I never thought of myself as artistic or creative, but everybody is,” he said. “It’s fun to be in an environment where you can express that. While up in Maine, away from my normal demands of home, I learned that I do have patience, that I can sand something for six hours because I’ve got nothing else to do. I was never willing to devote that amount of time to things before.

“Just like any hobby you get into, the more you dig into woodworking the more fascinating it gets in terms of wood grain and techniques for joining things. There are different magazines, lots of videos. There’s so much information and neat tools. It’s really just fun to learn more and push yourself.”

SUNY ADK 'Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp' Offers Hands-On Learning

SUNY Adirondack has added an Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp to its Workforce Development course offerings.

The course includes a tool kit for each student, as well as OSHA’s Lockout Tagout (LOTO) certification training and examination.

“Th is is a great opportunity for interested individuals to receive hands-on training in a field that is in immediate need of skilled applicants,” said Caelynn Prylo, dean of continuing education and workforce innovation at SUNY Adirondack.

Career services are embedded in the course and include presentations by area job centers and recruitment opportunities with local employers.

With its new bootcamp, SUNY Adirondack “has taken a strong step in helping to fi ll a need for this skillset in the Capital Region, and in preparing students for careers in advanced manufacturing,” said Jordan Steller, senior director of human resources at GlobalFoundries.

The Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp is one of three 12-week courses offered by SUNY Adirondack’s WRAP Reimagine grant, under the SUNY Reimagine Workforce Preparation Training Program, fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

For no cost, qualified applicants can participate in workforce training programs in electrical maintenance, sterile processing or python for data analytics. Interested individuals must be at least 18 years old and have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These courses are geared toward people seeking occupational skills for a career in the high-demand industries of manufacturing, information technology and health care, officials said.

SUNY Adirondack offered WRAP Reimagine-funded courses in 2022, in health care and information technology-related fields.

“Seeing participants successfully work toward their professional goals through the WRAP grant is exciting. The college is helping individuals improve their lives and develop-

ing a skilled workforce to meet the needs of regional employers,” Prylo said.

The bootcamp is offered in person at SUNY Adirondack’s Saratoga Center and teaches participants a strong foundation in basic math applications and conversions, measurement and scientific notation skills, an introduction to AC and DC currents, safety protocol, including PPE and LOTO certification, an introduction to PLC equipment and relay communications, hand tool use, and use of continuous improvement models used in modern manufacturing environments including Lean and Six Sigma.

The course is held from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursdays through Dec. 12 at SUNY Adirondack Saratoga, 696 Route 9 in Wilton.

In Python for Data Analytics, the interactive program is offered virtually and teaches students fundamental programming concepts using Python as a tool for collecting, analyzing and visualizing data. The class meets online twice a week in three-hour sessions.

Terri Squire of Monroe County was among participants in the fi rst Python for Data Analytics program.

“Learning to code by yourself can be daunting,” Squire said. “WRAP helped me get over that hurdle. The program was really well done.”

In the Sterile Processing Technician course, Adirondack partners with Saratoga Hospital to offer free grant-funded training. The program, using content from Condensed Curriculum International (CCI), is offered at SUNY Adirondack Saratoga and Saratoga Hospital, and teaches participants hands-on aspects of processing equipment to ensure safe medical care. The class meets twice a week in three-and-a-half-hour sessions. Nearly every student in the last cohort secured new employment at the end of the course.

To learn more about WRAP Reimagine Grant, visit www.sunyacc.edu/great-futureshigh-demand-careers-start-here. For information on the training programs, visit form. jotform.com/220183711247146.

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Saratoga Children’s Museum is being converted it into a new venture.

Albany Med To Rebrand Hospitals In Its System, Including Saratoga And Glens Falls

The Albany Med Health System is embarking on an evolution of its brand to reflect the unity of its member organizations and its commitment to provide the widest range of medical and surgical services to patients across northeastern New York.

Albany Medical Center, Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, and the Visiting Nurses will now share a common visual identity anchored by the Albany Med Health System name and logo.

This representation draws upon the identity of Albany Medical Center as the region’s academic medical and tertiary care center. It also conveys the collaborative extension of adult and pediatric specialties from the hospital to community-based locations and to the home.

“Our people are the backbone of our brand,” said Albany Med Health System President and CEO Dr. Dennis P. McKenna. “We are one team, 16,000 professionals strong, standing ready to care for the three million people of our region. When patients see the Albany Med Health System brand, they can rest assured they have a direct connection to the most advanced quality services and the largest team of health care experts from the Mid-Hudson Valley to the North Country. We are partners along every step of the journey—because good health makes anything possible.”

“A common, integrated electronic medical record platform will play a key role in fulfilling the promise of the Albany Med Health System: increased collaboration, more timely diagnoses and enhanced, coordinated care,” said Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Jill Johnson VanKuren. “Once the platform is in place, every patient at every system location will benefit.”

Officials said consumers are increasingly seeking easy access to highly specialized care. The Albany Med Health System expands access through collaboration. One brand identity explains the strength and scope of the system from primary to urgent, hospital, surgical, postsurgical, and home care. It demonstrates the links between community hospitals and Albany Medical Center’s advanced services, which extend additional resources through the region and for patients who require a higher level of care.

The system includes four hospitals, 1,520 beds, nearly 100 specialties, 800 physicians, 125 locations, the region’s only children’s hospital, the Albany Med Health System Visiting Nurses, Albany Medical College and a biomedical research

enterprise.

A public awareness campaign was launched with the tagline With You for Everything, that officials said is emblematic of the moments in life the system workforce shares with patients and students and the limitless potential personal health promises.

Hospital names will remain the same and will be shown alongside the Albany Med Health System name and logo. Outdoor signs will begin to transition in 2023.

With a shared identity, hospitals will reinforce their connection through a unified electronic medical record. The implementation of Epic, the electronic medical record that will be used across the Albany Med Health System, will have far-reaching impacts that will lead to better experiences for patients.

The platform allows for a patient’s whole health story—with accuracy and security as the leading priorities—to be accessible by any clinician they see within the system. It also redoubles a commitment to patient-centered care.

According to officials, one electronic medical record will also lead to a singular online portal for patients of Albany Med Health System hospitals. Both are expected to go live in 2024.

The patient portal will be accessible through a new Albany Med Health System website that will represent all system hospitals, Albany Medical College, and the Visiting Nurses. The first pages of the website will be visible by the end of the year, with full development expected to be complete in 2024.

In addition to building awareness of the system, the brand campaign seeks to inspire job seekers of the many career opportunities that exist within its organizations by showcasing members of the workforce and their essential role in our region.

The brand also celebrates the Albany Med Health System’s distinction as the largest and only locally governed health care system and the region’s largest private employer. Its identity, and efforts to become more financially solvent, aim to preserve the System’s independence.

McKenna explained, “With leadership in our own hometowns, all decisions are made here, not elsewhere. Our patients have guided our growth, and through continued integration, we will remain the team you trust now and for many years to come.”

Unified Beerworks In Malta Adds A Kitchen And Restaurant To Its Craft Brewery

Colwell Law In Albany Opens New Office, Serves Saratoga, Washington Warren Counties

BY ANDREA HARWOOD

Albany-based matrimonial law firm The Colwell Law Group has opened up a second location at 18 Division St., Suite 310, in Saratoga Springs.

Kevin and Mary Colwell, husband and wife, founded the law group 17 years ago, and began focusing exclusively on family and matrimonial law about 8 years ago.

Kevin Colwell says he always wanted to be a lawyer.

“Quite frankly, I was bad at math so I knew I had to go to law school,” he said.

Colwell’s first job out of law school was at the public defender’s office. There, he saw the huge impact that family law attorneys have on people’s lives. He saw how pervasive court rulings were on people, and how it really mattered to families and even generations. Those years made a big impact on Colwell.

When you have representation that is not so good, it has a tremendous adverse effect. On your finances, on your emotional state, on your whole life.”

“We make a positive impact on the people we work with,” said Colwell. “And it helps us take care of our employees. We work hard to have a very good atmosphere here in the office.”

The Colwell Law Group has around 25 employees with 10 associates, said Colwell.

The Colwell’s needed more capacity for the firm in Albany. Rather than go out and move the entire office, they chose to open another space somewhere else. Since the firm has been servicing clients in Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties for years, they chose to go north of their Albany office.

BY JILL NAGY

Unified Beerworks at 7 Old Stonebreak Road in Malta has added a kitchen featuring Mexican and South American-inspired dishes. Co-owner Erika Anderson describes the menu as “high-end gourmet tacos” and burritos.

The kitchen opened with little fanfare in late May and business grew slowly.

“It took a little bit for people to know we were out here,” Anderson said. It also gave the owners and chef Michele Hunter a chance to work out the details.

Anderson and her husband and co-owner, Jeff Mannion, began Unified Beerworks as a taproom and tasting room in 2018. Beer is brewed on site.

According to their website, Gannon prefers hazy New England-style IPAs and and stouts. Anderson is more into “fruity sours and funky saisons.” Brewing began as a hobby and turned into a passion. She was a computer science major with a minor in art and he studied biology.

For the kitchen, Anderson said, “we

try to get everything as locally sourced as possible.” gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options are offered, including vegan chorizo sausage. The choice of menu was influenced by the fact that tacos “really pair well with beer” and “we all love tacos.” In addition, Malta has “a ton of pizza places but nothing like this.” She described the menu as simple but versatile.

Customers can eat inside, get take-out, or eat on the patio. The restaurant can seat more than 100 people inside and another 50 on the patio. The patio is decked out with flowers, plants and, this time of year, pumpkins.

In the days before the COVID pandemic, food trucks provided the beer drinkers with food. Until the kitchen was built, Unified Beerworks offered a limited snack menu.

The brew pub is open Tuesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. It is closed on Monday. The telephone number is 518 289-5078.

After that, Colwell got a job as city attorney in Hudson and worked for the Department of Social Services for a short stint before working as an associate for a firm in Albany. When that firm dissolved, Colwell and several other partners came together for a joint venture.

Colwell said he naturally gravitated toward the family and matrimonial sector of the law. Several years later, he met his now-wife, Mary, who also happened to be practicing family and matrimonial law.

“It just came naturally at that point,” said Colwell. “The clients who came to us tended to need representation in family and matrimonial matters, and they were a natural fit for us.”

The business started growing exponentially around 2016, Colwell said.

“We provide very high-quality legal services for people who are going through divorce and child custody,” said Colwell. “We make a difference in people’s lives.

“Saratoga Springs seemed to be a natural point to choose, to relieve some of those North Country clients from making that long commute,” said Colwell.

“The people in this area are nice and the courts are great to work with,” said Colwell.

Colwell says anyone entering in the difficult season of divorce should talk to an attorney as soon as possible.

“My advice is to talk to a lawyer as soon as you can. It doesn’t have to be our firm, although we would be honored to talk to anyone who has they need. Above all, you need to talk to a practitioner who is focused on family and matrimonial law.

“Don’t go to a generalist who practices door law. Don’t talk to your well-meaning friends and relatives who tell you how it worked out for them, or your cousin who’s been divorced three times and thinks they know how it should work out. Every case is a little different. Talk to someone who does this for a living,” said Colwell.

The Colwell Law Group can be reached at 518-832-5278. The website is www.colwelllaw.org.

Michele Hunter is the chef at Unified Beerworks in Malta, which has added a kitchen featuring Mexican- and South American-inspired dishes.

©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

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Contributing Writers

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Veterans Business Council Of Saratoga Chamber To Host Breakfast On November

The Veterans Business Council of the Saratoga County Chamber will host a breakfast program featuring Retired Admiral Phil Davidson at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Holiday Inn-Saratoga Springs.

Admiral Davidson is the former 25th Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), America’s oldest and largest military combatant command.

The admiral will speak to timely perspectives on Russia, Ukraine, China and Taiwan and what that means for the U.S. economy and what it looks like for the prosperity of the United States.

“The Veterans Business Council of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is eager to welcome Admiral Davidson. He provides expert perspective on current events that will likely impact our lives and businesses for the foreseeable future”, said Erica Choi, chair of the VBC.

Individual tickets are $25 with sponsorship opportunities available at www.SimpleTix. com/e/vbc-breakfast-tickets-116727.

The Veteran’s Business Council of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce mission is to facilitate opportunities for our military veterans residing in Saratoga County. Efforts will be to connect them with the business community to enhance their

MLB

MLB was awarded the general contract for a major hospitality project for Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs. The 36,000-square foot, three-story, climate-controlled 1863 Club near the track’s fi rst turn offers guests a variety of hospitality options and premier modern amenities.

The club, opened in 2019, consists of a restaurant, luxury suites, private event hall for up to 100 people. There are balconies off the second and third floors providing sweeping views of the track.

With up to 300 employees at times during construction, the originally scheduled 24-month project was completed in eight and a half months. The $30 million dollar project won a 2020 Jeff rey J. Zogg Build New York Award.

Regarding the current labor shortage in the construction industry, MLB is partnering with Expertise, a project creating local career discovery videos and displaying them in a way that is easy for educators and students to use in high school and college classrooms to create interest in careers in construction.

Looking ahead, the company is expanding its digital portfolio in the metaverse (a virtualreality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users), creating 360 videos to document existing conditions and showcase completed projects to future clients.

MLB takes pride in the fact that historically, 90 percent of its business is with repeat clients. The company said the majority of its work is

Admiral Phil Davidson, former commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command.

Courtesy Veterans Business Council

knowledge of employment opportunities, job or entrepreneurial training, and new business development.

The council will also seek additional opportunities in support of our local veterans. Visit www.veteransBusinessCouncil.com for more information.

in the private sector and includes healthcare, education, retail, and hospitality. The remainder is work completed with public projects and through their Facility Services division.

“As MLB focuses on keeping their work local and clients happy, the company is beginning to take on a bigger and more developed team expansion. MLB plans to add more superintendents, project engineers, and preconstruction roles,” the company said in a statement.

“The company has a strategic plan for the future of MLB and how to give back to its employees along with how to service its clients better. With hopes for another 75-plus years ahead, MLB is very excited to play such a large part in the future of the construction industry.”

As far as hiring, Dawsey said MLB will push for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in hiring practice.

“We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of DEI. Over the past two years we have expanded our New York overhead and are now concentrating on our North Carolina office,” he said.

“We are now dealing with supply chain issues, both delivery and pricing. As is everyone,” Dawsey said. “Not knowing how the economy will be affected by the lingering pandemic, labor and material shortages, interest rates, the stock market and tensions on the world stage, the construction industry is tightening up and becoming even more competitive.”

Chuck Ciaccia

Jude Gosh

Dave Weiss

Spencer Agan

Dennis Choiniere 47

New Owner Of Shear Gold Salon And Spa On Saratoga Lake Says Business Is Booming

BY JILL NAGY

Sydney Reichart is the new owner of the Shear Gold Salon and Spa at 1456 Route 9P on the north end of Saratoga Lake.

The salon is a well-established business and Reichart worked there for three years before buying it in April.

The new owner is a licensed cosmetologist who trained at the Paul Mitchell School in Schenectady. She is joined by three other cosmetologists and an esthetician. For now, the four employees work for Reichart on a commission basis but, she said she expects them to be ready to practice on their own at the shop after six months to a year of training. They will have the opportunity to build their own clientele.

Shear Gold offers a range of hair services—including Hollywood blowouts— as well as facials, eyelash and eyebrow enhancements, makeup, manicures, and “anything that enhances appearance,” she said.

So far, she said business has been “phenomenal.” She already had an established clientele and is building from there. She said she “loves it. ... We all enjoy coming to work everyday.”

The salon is located in the Stewart’s Plaza at the head of the lake. The telephone is 518-886-1099.

The salon is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Coffee Bar Opens At Finishing Touches Home Decor In Malta, Enhances Visitor Experience

BY JILL NAGY

Visitors to Finishing Touches home decor shop can now enjoy gourmet coffee and home baked treats at the Coffee Bar, recently opened inside the shop.

The shop is in the Collamer House, an 1880s building at 450 East High St. in Malta near Northway Exit 13.

Owner Shelley Walker expects the coffee bar to enhance the experience of people coming into Finishing Touches, a home design and gift shop.

The Coffee Bar offers a range of coffees including espresso, latte, and other European style coffee drinks as well as the shop’s house blend, breakfast blend and decaffeinated American-style coffee. Walker said that one of her regular customers is so fond of the lowacid house blend that she buys the coffee beans by the bagful. A house specialty is affogato, vanilla ice cream with espresso poured over it. Hot chocolate and half a dozen varieties of tea are also available. Th is time of year, anything can be ordered with pumpkin spice flavoring.

The coffee shop has a bar top and cafe tables inside the store and some outdoor seating. Walker plans to add a sofa and chairs. Coffee is also available through the service window of Cookies and Cream, an ice cream shop also housed in Finishing Touches, but slated to close soon for the winter. That outlet presently features cider doughnut sundaes. Walker owns all three businesses and the building.

Walker has been an interior designer for almost 25 years and has had her own shop for 10. She has been at her current location for three years.

During the summer, about 10 employees, most of them parttime, worked at the food outlets at Finishing Touches. Many of them were students who have now returned to school and Walker is seeking to replace them. Once she has her staff fi lled out, she will set new hours.

Future plans include a pop-up shop selling jewelry, photography, and other items from local artisans. A “women’s night out” is also in the works. Details will be on the Finishing Touches website, fi nishingtouchesstore.com. The new hours will also be posted on the website. People can also reach Finishing Touches by telephone at 518 584-1490.

Doug Ford Vice President Curtis Lumber Company Reads

SARATOGA

The Coffee Bar offers a range of coffees, latte, espresso, and European style coffee drinks.

Shear Gold Salon and Spa at 1456 Route 9P on the north end of Saratoga Lake is a well-established business. Owner Sydney Reichart worked there for three years before buying it in April.

Saratoga Photographer.com

Businesses Can Participate In Free Online Cybersecurity Summit Run By U.S. SBA

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will host a free, virtual National Cyber Summit on Oct. 26 to help introduce American small businesses to tools, tips, and resources to bolster their cybersecurity infrastructure in addition to exploring new trends and challenges entrepreneurs are increasingly facing.

“America’s small businesses are pivoting to digital technologies and online strategies at historic rates to reach new customers and improve operational efficiencies, but that pivot has also exposed them to significant new threats from ,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

“Our SBA team has mobilized to support them against these potentially disruptive threats with cybersecurity resources and trainings across our resource partner networks, as well as through our recently launched Small Business Digital Alliance. Launching the SBA’s first cybersecurity summit will help us build on that work and ensure America’s 33 million small businesses and innovative startups can pivot safely online and grow resilient businesses.”

“As our small businesses pivot more and more into cyber space to expand their market, we want to insure that they connect effectively and safely,” said SBA Regional Administrator Marlene Cintron. “This is a timely and responsive effort for businesses trying to regain and improve market share.”

“We are energized to bring actual solutions to the table for America’s small businesses,

which continue to inspire us all with hope and resilience,” said SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid.

The summit comes on the heels of the recently announced awardees for the SBA’s new pilot program created to help emerging small businesses steel themselves against .

Registration for the event is open to all and free. Sign up at www.bit.ly/SBACyberSummit.

Comprised of digestible and compact segments, attendees will have the opportunity to network and access practical tips, problem-solving strategies, industry trends, threat avoidance, and small business testimonials in order to learn how to help small business owners defend themselves against cyberattacks.

Officials said are a growing threat to small businesses and the U.S. economy. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, the cost of cybercrimes against the small business community reached $2.4 billion in 2021.

Small businesses are attractive targets because they have information that cybercriminals want, and they typically lack the security infrastructure of larger businesses.

According to a SBA survey, 88 percent of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack. Yet many businesses cannot afford professional IT solutions, have limited time to devote to cybersecurity, or do not know where to begin.

BY MARK SHAW

The economy is bumpy, but technology and outsourcing can make it smoother.

The fi rst thing we all do during uncertain economic times is look for ways to save money and get the most bang for our buck. Just like with anything else, we can seek savings and efficiencies with technology.

All business owners have grown dramatically more dependent on technology to run their businesses, manage their information, and support their remote and onsite workforces. When considering your in-house IT staff, or in many cases what we often call the one-man band, you uncover lack of skills in one area or another. One small team does not possess the knowledge and skills about every aspect of the vastly rapid changing IT world.

Th ink about the laundry list of items that your in-house IT staff needs to be familiar with to provide daily support for your business. Your IT, telecommunications and security needs go on and on, but below are a few of the items needed to have expertise in:

• Computers and laptops

• Networks

• Security

• Access control (physical doors)

• Cameras

• Phone systems

• Soft ware and applications

• Microsoft or Google email platforms

• Firewalls

• VPN`s and remote access

• Cloud based solutions

Th is list doesn’t even begin to account for the daily support needed to help the  end user who forgot a password or gets an error on a website. These issues need immediate attention for smooth daily operations.

Most small businesses think that one IT person can manage all of their needs. While

your existing team might be capable to cover most topics, it will most likely be for a brief period of time. In the consulting world, we see this all the time. One person ends up having ten years of IT background, but not ten years of education, experience, and growth. It is rather one year, replicated ten times over.

We recently sat with a business owner and his top internal IT guy who had an array of problems. The IT guy was screaming at the top of his lungs to anyone who would listen, “I have 27 years’ experience in IT.” He was not wrong; he has been doing the same thing for 27 years. Which is why the server he was building looked directly out of the 1990s.

Internal IT teams and solo IT staff tend to spend so much time in the business, they don’t see future technology trends or major flaws in the systems they are building. They are moving so fast to just keep it all working. They

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

Courtesy StoredTech

M&M Digital Printing Moves To More Spacious Location As The Business Grows

Business Report

Employers Deal With ‘Quietly Quitting’

BY ROSE MILLER

There is a term floating around the TikTok work circles. I like to follow TikTok’s workplace trends discussions because I get to hear what employees are talking about. Similar to the way restaurateurs follow Yelp, some employers follow social media such as TikTok, Reddit, and Twitter to hear what the work force is saying about their employers and their work environments.

There is a phrase called “quietly quitting” and it is catching on quickly.

What I found as a surprising discovery was that the term doesn’t mean they are actually leaving their jobs. Instead, they have decided not to take their jobs too seriously. Young professionals are stating they reject the idea of going above and beyond in their careers. The idea is to stay at the company but focus time on things they do outside of work. They have decided to pass on promotions, pay and titles.

BY PAUL POST

In response to rapid growth, 10-year-old M&M Digital Printing has moved to a spacious new location, giving the firm three times more room to work with.

The business was previously housed in the Seeley Office Systems building, 95 Broad St. in Glens Falls, and began operating out of the former Community, Work & Independence building on Upper Glen St., Queensbury, on Aug. 26.

“At the old location we were packed in like sardines, on top of each other,” said Matt Flint Sr., company owner-founder.

“We only had 950 square feet. Here we definitely have room to grow. There’s more space and it makes the work flow easier. Buying capability also opens up because we have more warehouse space. At the old location we could only stock so much paper, which means we had to pay more for smaller volumes. Now we can buy larger volumes, so that brings the cost down.”

A former Web Graphics production manager, Flint launched out on his own after tiring of the corporate world. He and his son, Matt Flint Jr., the operations manager, are two of the firm’s four employees.

M&M’s small size and state-of-the-art equipment gives it the flexibility to turn jobs around quickly, which has fueled unprecedented sales.

“We’re probably the only printer in New York state that offers same-day or nextday service on many items,” Flint Sr. said. “People come in all the time and say, ‘Can I have this today or can I have this tomorrow?’ There’s really not anybody else that does that. That’s where we’ve really grown our name and brand, by providing that type of service. Someone calls and says, ‘Hey, I’m really in a pickle, can you get this done?’ Nine times out of 10 we can.”

“We’ll do almost anything that’s a paperbased material, from an envelope, business card or letterhead to prescription pads, mailers, brochures, flyers, post cards, calendars and everything in between,” he said. “It’s such a huge set of offerings.”

M&M also handles larger items such as banners, signs, stickers, labels, posters and architectural prints.

This month Flint Sr. is traveling to a large industry trade show in Las Vegas to learn about the latest equipment, with an eye toward possibly expanding the types of jobs M&M can do.

“This trade show will show me a lot of things that are available and what the new technology is,” he said. “We could be expanding what we do now, to have more capacity, or we could expand into different offerings such as direct-to-garment and 3D printing. I haven’t really pinpointed that yet. It would mainly be for small quick runs. That’s what we specialize in. Generally, for large runs I tell customers if it doesn’t fit in our wheelhouse, or I don’t feel we can be competitive with big commercial brokers, I’ll forward them to someone else in the industry.”

Flint Sr. had already begun working with digital equipment while still employed by Web Graphics and wanted it to be his focus when starting his own small, new business.

“I knew I didn’t want to go into the offset printing world,” he said. “With offset you have such large set-up fees for plates, ink and chemicals. Digitally you don’t have any of those things. And we wanted to specialize in quick turnaround times. In the offset world, you definitely can’t do that.”

“We definitely push a lot of things through here on a daily basis,” he said. “At any given time we could have 200 orders in-house. It’s been a great experience to say the least.”

They are setting some firm boundaries like refusing to work overtime. They insist on leaving right at five. Others advertise the fact that they will only do enough to get by. Unlike their senior managers, they don’t want their careers to be confused with personal identifies.

Remember these are young professionals and it’s not uncommon for younger employees to, at first, refuse to climb the corporate ladder, only to end up changing their minds later. Gaining a mortgage, spouse and children can change perspectives and priorities in a drastic way.

I’m a ‘70s girl and I can remember my generation saying not to trust anyone over 40 years old. It was a time when young people were “anti-establishment” only to become the establishment later in their lives.

The difference today is the impact of what HR professionals call “learned behaviors.” Gen X, who are now between 40-50 years old and young professionals in their mid-20-30s have watched their parents and grandparents give it their all, be consumed by their work and sacrificed family time, only to be tossed aside when corporate margins decreased, even slightly. They learned people were disposable.

They lived through the tragic 9/11 attack, where devoted employees stayed in the building and held their posts. They learned dedication can kill you. They lived through a pandemic, with all its dislocating effects, which blurred the boundaries between work and life. They learned to disengage.

Are they wrong? Is it bad to refuse to let work worries rule over your life? In listening to some

of the TikTok posts, these workers still get their jobs done. It’s not that they don’t work hard. It’s just that they have decided not to stress over any of the details or deliverables.

They are creating priorities and career is not at the top of the list. And it’s important to note that these same sentiments cross generational lines.

This may be bad news for some employers because studies indicate that employee engagement is at an all-time low. Quietly quitting means doing the minimum required and not much more. More than half of the workers surveyed by Gallup fell into this category.

Many employees are not signing up for extra training, they aren’t subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality, and they are not even socializing with colleagues.

But fear not. At the end of the day humans are not a one-size fits all species. There will always be slackers, worker-bees, and the very ambitious. Even some TikTok posts are arguing with the quiet quitters, saying they do not represent the workers who find purpose in what they do.

And there it is—a tip for employers to increase engagement by making sure they communicate the purpose of what they do, why they do it, and especially how the worker contributes to that purpose. When engagement is low, the mission must be communicated and demonstrated clearly and often.

In all fairness, the phrase is not encouraging workers to be lazy. Instead, it is actually a reminder to maintain balance and avoid burnout. I believe any generation can agree with that.

Matt Flint Jr., M&M Digital Printing operations manager, and Andrew Shelton, press operator, prepare architectural wide-format prints. Their service area stretches from Albany to Plattsburgh.

Rose Miller is the president of Suite Advice, LLC.

Courtesy Rose Miller

Commercial

Dutchess County Man Invests $15 Million In Commercial Properties In Saratoga, Malta

BY PAUL POST

Alan Schnurman epitomizes the American Dream. Raised by his single mom, a seamstress, in Brooklyn, he slept on the couch of an affordable housing unit with no room of his own.

Fast forward a few decades, he and business partner, Gary Seff, recently bought up more than $15 million worth of commercial properties in Saratoga County.

“I was passing through Saratoga Springs a while back and didn’t see any vacant stores,” said Schnurman, 77, a retired lawyer and Dutchess County resident. “I saw a very vibrant community. I did a little research and found out about GlobalFoundries and how jobs were coming into the county. I was looking for a place to diversify and decided this was it.”

His first local acquisition, on his own, was Red Roof Inn on Old Route 146 in Clifton Park. Next, he and Seff, owner of Fountainhead Construction Co. on Eastern Long Island, purchased the Bank of America property at the corner of Route 146 and Clifton Country Road in Clifton Park.

Recently, they paid $1.67 million cash for the historic 472 Broadway building in Saratoga Springs, which was the long-time home of Menges & Curtis Pharmacy and deJonghe Original Jewelry. On the same day, they bought a 17,800-square-foot retail plaza at 4 Kelch Drive, off Northway Exit 12 in Malta, whose tenants include Five Guys, Jersey Mike’s, Starbucks,

ATT, a beauty parlor and pizza shop.

Plans call for renovating the currently vacant upper floors of the downtown Saratoga Springs building, at the corner of Lake Avenue, into upscale apartments.

The Malta site has two undeveloped pads for a two-story business, a 10,0000-square-foot building and a one-story, 5,000-square-foot building.

Real Estate

Signature ONE Realty Group’s New Location Enters The Final Stages Of Its Renovation

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

Signature ONE Realty Group is within weeks of moving into its new space at 2460 Route 9 in Malta, according to owner Cindy Quade.

This is the first time in Quade’s 35-year real estate career that she is taking on a total commercial renovation. It is also the first time Quade and her agents will conduct business from a place she owns, rather than rents, she said.

“When our lease came up for renewal this spring, I gave our agents the choice of staying on or working remotely,” said Quade. “It was unanimous. They would work out of their homes and meet on Zoom and at restaurants.”

Quade purchased the turn-of-the-century building in 2018 with thoughts of remodeling and occupying in one or two years. Originally a schoolhouse that was “added to and propped up over the years,” the structure was rich in history and nostalgia, she said.

“I had several contractors looking at the building and found it would not be feasible to do a remodel,” she said. “Even if I did remodel, there would still be some issues with the structure. We needed to tear it down.”

Quade said she was “working out the design and my vision when COVID came. I had watched Franco Construction Services build Little Achievers Child Care nearby on Route 9. They kept that project moving even when it was difficult to get labor and materials.”

Quade hired the Ballston-based firm.

“The Francos are small and independent, like I am, and very hands-on,” she said. “They listened, they were patient, and they did a great job. This was my first commercial project, although having sold new construction helped me.”

Quade said it “made sense to relocate the new building on the parcel” and construction is in “the final stretch. We will be in by the end of the year.”

“The exterior design is sprinkled with a lot of residential elements. It is a beautiful building” sharing some of the arts and crafts features that Franco Construction built for the day care, said Quade.

“Inside is very open and we are doing some unique features, like a coffee station,” she said. “We hope our neighbors will come in and visit us.”

The 2460 Route 9 address is just south of the Dunning Street traffic circle, so Signature ONE will be “easy to find and provide plenty of parking and space for events. We will have room to do so

much more for the community,.

Her favorite charities are the Mohawk Hudson and the Saratoga humane societies. When she organized a neighbor-wide garage sale, all proceeds when to those two organizations.

Quade said she grew up in Latham and has been in the Malta area for 27 years.

“I’ve seen the transformation in Malta and it’s a gem with room for more positive growth,” she said.

She is working with Dave Rosenberg of Brix Wine & Liquor and another collaborator on Malta Business Works. Its mission is to bring together local businesses and find ways to make Malta even better for its businesses and the community they serve, she said.

“The business climate is really wonderful,” said Quade. “This community is also accessible to everything, from downtown Saratoga to Clifton Park and Albany.”

To real estate agents, Quade says, “any interested in joining Signature ONE should contact me. Once we are in the new space we will bring on a few more agents, and then consider ourselves full. My goal is not to grow in quantity but to develop who we have.”

Signature ONE has an ice cream social every summer and a donuts and cider event in the fall. Visit signatureonerealtygroup.com for more information.

An investor bought this 17,800-square-foot retail plaza at 4 Kelch Drive in Malta.

Cindy Quade’s Signature One Realty Group is moving into new space in Malta.

Saratoga Photographer.com

Business Report

Area Housing Market On Strong Footing

BY STEVEN LUTTMAN

Former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil made famous the phrase “All politics is local”. The meaning being that while problems exist on a national level, at the end of the day voters care most about issues close to home.

I would make the argument that real estate, much like politics, is predominantly a local matter. Do country-wide trends matter? Certainly yes. Monitoring data like the monthly Case-Shiller Home Price Index will provide good insight into the overall health of housing.

Does it accurately reflect what’s currently happening in your neighborhood? Oftentimes not at all. Predicting the future of local housing markets can be more art than science. If you don’t believe me, ask Zillow.

The real estate platform lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year due to its iBuyer algorithm overpricing offers made to sellers. As of the writing of this article, publicly traded shares of Zillow Group (ZG) were down 52 percent year to date, vastly underperforming the S&P 500 (SPY) as a whole by roughly half over the same period. Computers are great, but boots on the ground still count for something.

What we do know is that taking a long-term viewpoint, the Capital Region housing market is on sound footing. Our two largest employers (healthcare and local / state government) represent sectors unlikely to see a contraction in staffing, regardless of external economic events. While negative net migration in the state is concerning, this is overwhelmingly a downstate problem.

Census data points to our area as experiencing minimal change, with some outliers like Saratoga County actually growing in population. Recently announced expansions at Global Foundries in Malta, Plug Power in Bethlehem and an offshore wind tower factory at the Port of Albany should all help the cause.

In April, mortgage rates had eclipsed 4.5 percent for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2018. I made the argument that borrowing costs remained very attractive despite the fast runup we had seen. Interestingly, the elevation of rates from the start of the year to the date of that article is very similar in size compared to what we’ve seen since. Lenders are now advertising 30 year fixed rate loans north of 6 percent.

By this point we are all familiar with the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool inflation by increasing interest rates. Whether or not this policy is already working can be difficult to discern, as many economists believe it can take no less than six months for changes in rates to fully make their way through the system. Meaning the 75 basis point hike Chairman Powell implemented in late September may not truly be felt until the end of the first quarter of 2023.

This aggressive approach to rate hikes (five times so far this year) has three distinct possible outcomes; rates are not raised enough and inflation becomes entrenched within our economy, rates are raised too much causing growth to stagnate and ultimately triggering a recession, or a “soft landing” is achieved where rates are increased sufficiently to slow inflation but not to the point of cratering the economy. Two of the three don’t sound overly appealing. How are consumers reacting to the rise in the cost of housing? Back in June, John Burns Real Estate Consulting published research that found the monthly payment required to own a single-family starter home had eclipsed the cost to lease a similar property by $839 per month. While this data is heavily weighted toward major metros, the message is still relevant to us. While rents have increased by double digits over the past 12 months, ownership costs have made renting a very attractive option.

While nationally home prices have retreated off all time highs, here in the Capital Region the trajectory remains upward. The Greater Capital Association of Realtors (GCAR) reported an August median sales price of $300,000, an all-time high. Given the current velocity in which sales occur it would take two months for today’s inventory of available homes to be absorbed.

Six months is generally considered to be a healthy market. It’s worth noting that sales data is a lagging indicator. The majority of transactions closed in August were negotiated and agreed to in June and July.

For folks interested in listing their home it’s important to have appropriate expectations from the outset. Transactions historically decrease around year-end holidays, so you may not see as many offers as you’d like and as quickly as you’d like.

For someone interested in buying, my guidance has changed little. Having your financing lined up in advance of touring homes is viewed less as an advantage than it is as table stakes. It’s unlikely your first few offers will be accepted, so become comfortable with rejection. If today’s elevated costs of home ownership will pose a strain on your finances, then consider a property with a short-term rental component.

Predicting the direction of markets can oftentimes be a fool’s errand, but examining trends can provide a helpful working hypothesis. Nobody should hope for a repeat of the double digit gains we witnessed the past two years, as that growth over the long run is both unhealthy and unsustainable. Given the Fed’s appetite to wage war on asset prices, a slight decline in home values is not impossible.

However, given the limited housing supply and steady demand for Capital Region properties, an uptick in prices by a few percentage points in 2023 seems to be the most likely path forward.

Airport

beautiful destinations that the Empire State has to offer,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “By making critical investments to further modernize facilities across upstate New York, we are lift ing upstate airports to new heights and providing a 21st century transportation experience that travelers expect and deserve.”

The Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition was administered by the state Department of Transportation and was open to upstate commercial passenger service airports and airports providing specialized service for commercial aircraft and/or corporate jets.

Applicants were encouraged to apply for funding a single project or a program of projects that will help meet the demands of the 21st century. Examples of eligible activities included but were not limited to the planning, design and construction of: state-of-the-art boarding concourse and concession areas, terminal expansion or rehabilitation, improved security screening, opportunities to move passengers more safely and efficiently with improved distancing during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, new innovations in contactless technology and an increased focus on cleanliness and disinfection.

Projects submitted for review by eligible airports were evaluated based on established criteria, including but not limited to innovation in design, passenger amenities and experience, operational efficiencies, and economic effectiveness for the airport’s region.

“Upstate New York’s airports are gateways that open the door for expanded opportunities in business, travel and tourism,” said DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. “As we continue to modernize our transportation network across the state, these investments will significantly improve the passenger experience and operations of facilities across the state, helping to ensure an efficient flow of people and goods, and continued economic activity across all upstate communities.”

Commercial Property

The nearly $5 million Malta purchase is financed by Saratoga National Bank & Trust Co.

The bank’s board chairman, Raymond F. O’Conor, said investment and expansion in Saratoga County have increased as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic wane.

“Although we may see an economic slowdown, principally due to higher interest rates, Saratoga County will remain more attractive than many other regions due to its quality of life and overall economic vitality,” he said. “The vibrancy of Saratoga Springs is critical to the success of Saratoga County. However, the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta, the commercial corridors at Exits 15 and 16 in Wilton, and other key locations around the county are fertile ground for future economic growth.”

Schnurman’s slow, steady path to successful real estate investment began more than 40 years ago. From Brooklyn College, he went to New York Law School, pursued studies during the day and drove a cab at night.

“I didn’t sleep much, but I passed the bar and became a litigator,” he said. “When my wife and I got married we got $1,000 in gifts to put into the stock market and lost $500. A thousand dollars doesn’t sound like much, but when you don’t have any money and you have debts from school … I started investing in real estate.”

From Brooklyn, he expanded to Manhattan and then the Hamptons where in 1998 he met Seff, a prominent Suffolk County builder.

Together, they found a prime piece of land in Sagaponack, which ranks among the country’s wealthiest communities, and made a handsome profit on the sale of an upscale home. They’ve been partners ever since and also own commercial property in New Jersey and residential locations in Colorado.

“The secret of stock market investing is diversification,” Schnurman said. “I have transposed that to real estate with a variety of products including land, office space, a hotel, residential and multi-family dwellings. I like small deals, lots of them. That’s why I’m looking upstate.”

Steven Luttman, broker/owner of SJ Lincoln Realty, host of The Expected Returns podcast. Courtesy Steven Luttman

Entrepreneurial Women

Saratoga Scrubs Store Has Medical Apparel And Accessessories For Those In The Field

After Trouble With Labeling Son’s Stuff, Woman Starts A Business That’s Th riving

BY CHRISTINE GRAF

California native and Ballston Spa business owner Michelle Brandriss fell in love with Saratoga the fi rst time she and her husband, David, visited the city during horse racing season. Their dream to settle in the area became a reality after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.

They were living in New York City at the time, and David was working on the 23rd floor of the North Tower. He was among those who were able to evacuate the building before it collapsed.

While working in advertising, Michelle came up with the idea for Name Bubbles, a personalized name label company. At the time, she was a new mom and her son was enrolled in a Saratoga Springs day care program.

“In New York state, day cares require everything to be labeled. I was using Sharpie pens and masking tape to label his bottles. The labels would wear off, so I would redo it every few days,” said Brandriss. “Then I started noticing other women had really nice, fancy labels.”

BY ANDREA HARWOOD

Brooke McBride, a nurse practitioner moved to the area with her family from Vermont about a year ago. Upon arrival, she went to look for scrubs, a standard medical wear, for her new job.

“I did a quick Google search and discovered there was nothing anywhere around me closer of a 30-minute drive away,” said McBride. “I told my husband, ‘We should just open our own’. And so we just went for it.”

She opened The Scrub Shop, a medical apparel and accessory store at 462 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs on Aug. 19. She said business has been very good.

McBride positioned her retail space on Maple Avenue close to Saratoga Hospital, in an area with over 20 different medical offices. She started a grassroots marketing campaign.

“I went to every office in the area that would let me through the doors and I passed out marketing materials,” she said. “We got a lot of customers that way. From there, our customer base grew from wordof-mouth and a strong social media presence.”

McBride works full-time in primary care as a nurse practitioner. Her husband and staff run the

store when she is at work. This is McBride’s first business, though her husband has a degree in business.

“I’ve learned a ton,” she said. “The hardest part was getting the store ready to open. Now that it’s open, it’s not that difficult to day-to-day things. But there were months and months of preparation.”

Inclusivity in sizing was important to McBride. The store carries a variety of sizes from XS to 5X, as well as petite and tall. It has a large men’s selection as well.

“I absolutely love interacting with customers,” said McBride. “When they come in looking for something specific, and I can help them find exactly what they are looking for, and they leave with a purchase they’re happy with—honestly it’s the most fun part.”

The Saratoga Scrub Shop also carries shoes, medical equipment and medical accessories. “Anything a healthcare worker might need during they’re shift, we’ve got it,” said McBride. There are also gift items like jewelry, mugs and stickers.

The store is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.

The Saratoga Scrub Shop can be found on Facebook and on Instagram at @saratogascrubshop. The store can be reached at 518-450-1177.

After learning the women were ordering the labels online, she started researching label companies. She discovered that the biggest custom labels companies were located in Canada and Australia. Much to her surprise, there were no major players in the United States.

“I immediately saw an opportunity,” she said. “I started doing some more research and found out that New York was not the only state that required moms to label things for day care.”

Making the decision to start a business wasn’t an easy one. It meant quitting her fulltime job and dipping into the family savings. Although she saw the potential for the business, her husband was less than enthusiastic. Ultimately, he supported her decision.

Name Bubbles launched in January 2009, with Brandriss operating the business out of her basement. The company specializes in customized waterproof labels for kids.

“It ends up saving time and money because you don’t have things end up in the lost and found,” she said.

According to Brandriss, developing a product that would be able to withstand the dishwasher and washing machine required a lot of trial and error.

“It took quite a long time. I wanted a material that was non-toxic and sourced in the U.S. I found the material through 3M and even had an outside lab test it to make sure that it was safe.”

In the fi rst three months, she had just 17

orders. Then she cashed in an IRA and used the proceeds to purchase online ads through Google.

The ads were successful, and sales began to grow steadily. Before the end of her fi rst year in business, she hired four employees and moved Name Bubbles out of her basement and into a 9000-square-foot space on Science Street in Ballston Spa. The company now has 18 employees, and Brandriss recently expanded with the purchase of a building in Brighton, Colo.

Renovations of that space are underway. She expects the location to be running before the end of the year. It will be staffed by three employees.

“A lot of my customers are out west, and shipping can take five or six days,” she said.

“Rather than expanding our footprint here, I thought it made sense to have a second office.”

Just two years ago, at the height of the pandemic, Brandriss worried her business wouldn’t survive. With schools, day cares, and camps closed, the demand for labels all but disappeared.

“We had a really, really difficult time during COVID. We had to go through some of our savings, and my retirement got pushed back. But we made it through. It was a nail biter,” she said. “The next year, everybody wanted labels. They wanted to make sure there were no germy mix-ups. We had 10 times the normal amount of orders.”

Although business is stronger than ever, Brandriss said COVID taught her a valuable lesson about diversification.

Brooke McBride, right, owner of the Saratoga Scrub Shop, and Chloe Koons, a sales associate, displays some of the apparel that can be purchased at her store.

Michelle Brandriss operates Name Bubbles, a growing personalized name label company.

Saratoga Business Journal

Rachel McDermott Builds Strong Craft Brewery Business On Her Farm In Moreau

BY PAUL POST

While many people were at the beach or enjoying backyard barbecues, Rachel McDermott spent Fourth of July weekend harvesting barley for her new craft brewery.

Ninety percent of Dancing Grain Brewery’s ingredients are raised in fields surrounding the farm-based business, located at 180 Old West Road in Moreau, just south of Northway Exit 17.

“This is all hand-selected intentionally to give you something you can’t get somewhere else, from people who have painstakingly suffered all the trials and tribulations to make it possible,” McDermott said. “I want to grow really good crops. I want to share that story with people who come here to enjoy good beer. This is the first brewery I know of where a grain farm is taking on this production aspect of beer.”

Raised in Schaghticoke on her family’s West Wind Ag farm, McDermott studied applied economics and management at Cornell University en route to an exciting investment banker’s career with firms in Houston and New York City.

But upon turning 30, she took inventory of her life’s goals and gave it all up to come back home and help out on the farm.

Quite simply, the long hours, stress and city’s expensive cost of living weren’t worth it.

In 2017, McDermott started a small specialty grains program at her family’s farm. Two years later, she and her family started taking steps toward creating their own farm brewery.

“I’m always looking at things to see how can you take what you do and make more money from it,” McDermott said. “We had tractors, planters, harvesters. I said, ‘Let’s take all the stuff you’ve invested in over the years and make it work for you’.”

Her vision came to fruition in mid-August when Dancing Grain Brewery began welcoming its first customers. In the evening, patrons sit outside and relax, looking westward as the sun dips out of sight over the picturesque Palmertown Range.

Initially, plans called for a 10-barrel brewing system, but it quickly became apparent it would take up too much space and limit the variety of beers that could be made.

“So we have a 3.5-barrel brew system and eight fermenters instead of four, which means we can really pump out a variety of beer,” McDermott said. “A lot of what we do is somewhat experimental. We want to push the boundaries, we want people to think of beer less as an IPA and more about the malt. The fact of the matter is, you can make beer without hops. You cannot make beer without malt. So we want to have more of a malt-forward brewery because we want to highlight the ingredients we grow.”

Malt-forward means that malted grains are the leading flavor contributor, as opposed to hops or yeast. With a malty beer, people can expect a range of malt-derived flavors, everything from bread, biscuit and toast to nutty toffee, caramel, coffee or chocolate.

At present, grains raised on-site are sent to a malt house, but McDermott would eventually like to make this part of the operation, too.

“I never worked in a bar, but now I’m running a taproom,” she said. “We’re going to do some lagers, some Belgian-styles and porters. Another goal is to do two fruited sours a month. Instead of having a list of 10 IPAs, we’re going to keep rolling out these different fruited sours.”

James Dowell is the head brewer.

McDermott owns Dancing Grain with minority partners Bert and Christian Weber, a fatherand-son duo whose Common Roots Brewery in South Glens Falls has grown over the past few years. The Webers have been willing to share their experience and advice to help McDermott avoid costly and time-consuming mistakes.

Instead of viewing Dancing Grain Brewery as a competitor, they see it as providing critical

mass that helps their business by attracting visitors to a “beer corridor” connecting numerous small breweries from Saratoga Springs to Lake George.

Spurred in part by state legislation that makes it easier to own and operate such businesses, the industry has boomed throughout New York in recent years.

Empire State Development says New York is now number two in the country for most breweries, more than 460, and that beer made in New York has a $5.4 billion total economic impact.

McDermott said she’s spent much of her investment banking career savings, about $500,000, to get Dancing Grain Brewery started.

Commuting from Schaghticoke took too much time each day, so McDermott and her husband, Sean, bought a camper and moved to the Moreau property with her son in order to get work done.

And early this year, a friend and fellow Cornell alum, Amy Del Prado, provided help by letting the world know about Dancing Grain Brewery on social media. So when doors first opened, McDermott was overwhelmed by the response.

“We weren’t initially prepared for the turnout,” she said. “It was like, ‘Oh my god, this is great, now I’m terrified. How do I manage this?’ There was a lot of pivoting and changing taking place.”

All Dancing Grain beer is sold on tap at the brewery.

“We don’t distribute our beer at this point, I don’t know if we ever will,” McDermott said. “It’s really important that people come here because every dollar spent here goes back into this place. We have more to do. There are still some old structures on site and landscaping that can be done.”

West Wind Ag LLC owns the land Dancing Grain Brewery is situated on and her father and uncle, James and Bob Czub, do much of the physical farm work.

One surprising aspect that greets visitors, not found at most craft breweries, is the sound of children playing outside in the peaceful farming setting. “Younger parents in particular want to let kids run around in a safe place,” McDermott said. “At a restaurant, they might spend money on things kids don’t want to eat. We don’t serve food, but we let people bring food in. If you let people experience things the way they want to, they’re likely to stay. They’re likely to come back. But if you bring it in, you take it out. We’re not handling your trash.”

By next summer, McDermott hopes to make paths available through plots of grain where people can learn about malting barley, wheat, oats and rye. “It becomes informative and immersive, which is important, connecting to your supply chain. A lot goes into making beer, from fields to the glass. That’s what we want people to see. It’s really important to us.”

At Complexions Spa, Owner Denise DuBois Brings A Holistic Approach To Her Processes

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL

If beauty were only skin deep, innovative professional aesthetician Denise Dubois would have had no need to evolve her day spa into Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness.

A 1984 graduate of Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics, Dubois opened Complexions Spa in 1987 when “a day spa was not really heard of,” she said.

“The foundation of the business has always been skin care,” said Dubois. “Originally, Complexions occupied 1,200 square feet and had four facial rooms. Besides me there was one other employee who did make-up and answered the phone.”

Today Dubois and her licensed staff offer non-surgical cosmetic procedures, wellness and nutritional consultation and coaching in addition to facials, massage, hair color and design, manicures and pedicures, and more.

Services are performed from two addresses, in Albany and Saratoga Springs, but with one overarching holistic approach.

“Lifestyles impact how we look and feel,” said Dubois. “There is a range of medical spa services we can use once we understand what’s going on in the inside and what a client’s lifestyle is like.”

Dubois said that 10 percent of aging results from genetics. The rest is “extrinsic aging,” or the environmental factors that cause the type of conditions that MediSpa modalities can often address.

“We ask clients discovery questions to get to the root cause of a condition,” she said. “There may be pain, acne, brown spots on the skin, many of which are induced largely by external factors.”

Often the root cause is stress, according to Dubois.

“Stress reduction is the number one reason clients come to the Spa,” she said. “Stress triggers stress hormones that impact health and well-being.”

In 2007, Dubois had the opportunity to purchase 221 Wolf Road nearby the original spa and rebuild it to meet LEEDS Gold specifications.

“The building was completely gutted. Only the foundation and four original masonry walls remained,” said Dubois. “It is the first LEEDS Gold spa in the U.S. for new construction. And this accomplishment took us into our ‘green and clean’ mission.”

Dubois said the additional overhead of obtaining Gold status was quickly recouped by the building’s energy efficiency, and that reducing the carbon footprint is its own reward.

The second location on Broadway in Saratoga was opened in 2014 to “branch out into the community and allow clients another destination,” she said.

Looking back over her decades of entrepreneurship, the green building was one of the top highlights of her professional career. Another is the recent launch of the skin care product line that carries her name.

“Dubois Beauty is a clean product line and a collaboration of two laboratories and several chemists,” she said. The products are designed to clean, clarify, detoxify, nourish and protect the skin using “the best clean, active ingredients and inspired by the nature and spas of upstate New York,” she said.

Educating people has been a goal of Dubois, who earned her life coach certification from IIN, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, along the way.

“I enjoy every opportunity to work with clients and extend nutrition and wellness consulting to them, but also to mentor team members and see them grow over the years,” said Dubois.

Facing COVID together challenged the business, she said. The staff has not yet been fully replenished since the pandemic, but Dubois said that while some providers had to close their doors, Complexions Spa is once again in a growth phase.

“I plan to continue expansion into the medical spa arena with some new procedures,” she said. “I am always looking for ways to grow and help clients.”

One client has been with Dubois since before she started her own spa, and several employees have worked alongside her for more than 20 years.

“It has been a wonderful 35 years,” said Dubois.

Dubois said the industry today looks like it did “hundreds of years ago when people went to European bathhouses to get spa treatments for their health. When day spas started to become popular, many thought of them as a place for pampering. Now we are treating people to help them look and feel their best in body and in mind.”

Visit complexions.com and duboisbeauty.com for more information on products and services or to make an appointment at one of the two Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness locations: 221 Wolf Road in Albany and 268 Broadway downtown Saratoga Springs.

Rachel McDermott poses in front of her craft brewery at Dancing Grain Farm in Moreau. Paul Post photo

Denise Dubois, owner of Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness.

Saratoga Photographer.com

Cooley Kill Restaurant At Golf Course Expands To Allow It To Operate Year-Round

BY JILL NAGY

The Cooley Kill Restaurant and Bar at the Van Patten Golf Course in Clifton Park is now open year-round, serving lunch and dinner and Sunday brunch.

Owners said the change allows the club to expand beyond the limited menu of snacks and bar food previously available.

Part of the clubhouse was renovated to accommodate the restaurant. Zachary Arsenault is the chef, assisted by a staff of about 20. Joe Gunther is general manager and Kurt Thompson is the creative director.

The restaurant offers casual meals in the barroom and on the patio and more formal service in the dining room.

Special events are planned include a trivia night on Wednesdays, pasta night on Thursdays, prime rib night on Fridays, and brunch and football on Sundays.

The restaurant’s schedule will be adjusted to feature those events. The schedule and hours will be posted on the golf club’s website, www.vanpattengolf.com.

The restaurant is named for the Cooley Kill, a stream that runs through the golf course, providing drainage and irrigation

water. The kill was a vital resource for early settlers in what is now Clifton Park.

The address is 924 Main St., Clifton Park. The telephone number is 518 877-5400.

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Michelle Brandriss

Continued From Page 12

“During COVID, I was really able to see where the holes were. You ask yourself, ‘Should something like this ever happen again, what do we need to do to diversify?’”

Ultimately, she decided to establish a second division of the company that will launch in the coming weeks. Called Sticker & Co., it is a custom sticker company that offers a variety of products.

“We can do company logos and decals, but we will also be doing things like waterproof photo stickers. The other cool thing that we are doing that I haven’t seen anywhere is our sticker greeting card,” she said.

The greeting cards will feature a waterproof sticker or reusable wall decal. The decals will not damage walls and can be moved up to 100 times, she said.

Name Bubbles also launched Labels to Last, its senior care division, last November. These custom labels can be used for adults living in nursing homes or other care facilities.

“We are the biggest in North America and we are one of the biggest in world. I only know of one that might be bigger,” she said of the label market. “We have a premier product, we use the best material, and we continue to test our products.”

Brandriss is excited about the future and grateful that they were able to weather to pandemic.

“At the end of the day, I’m just so happy we are here. And that’s just the truth of it,” she said.

For more information, visit www.namebubbles.com

The Cooley Kill Restaurant and Bar in Clifton Park is now open year-round.