Paid attendance in 2022 was 1,075,586, which is the seventh consecutive season with paid atten dance north of 1 million, excluding 2020 when fans
The 2022 meet ended Labor Day.
Saratoga County Chamber Of Commerce To Host B2B Event In October At City Center
The New York Racing Association, Inc. an nounced that all-sources wagering handle surged to a record $878.2 million during the recently completed 2022 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race
The Expo is open to local businesses and the public from 3:30-7 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to interact with fellow busi ness professionals to grow their network and find future potential partnerships.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Com merce, in partnership with the Lake Cham plain Chamber of Commerce, is promoting the expanded service offered by Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express and a route that connects Saratoga Springs to Burlington, Vt.,
Service of the expanded Ethan Allen Express officially began on July 29 with a celebratory event at Burlington’s Union Station. The ex panded service will depart Burlington daily at 10:10 a.m., arriving in Saratoga Springs at 1:55 p.m. The service will depart Saratoga Springs
In addition, he served as bank secrecy of ficer; oversaw construction and fit-up of five new bank branches; researched, recommended and implemented new technology offerings for customers and employees; and developed and led the integration process for the bank’s acquisition of Patriot Federal Bank.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Com merce will hold its 2022 B2B Expo on Thurs day, Oct. 6 at Saratoga Springs City Center.
The Ethan Allen Express route, run by Amtrak, travels between Rutland and New York City daily and now includes stops in both Burlington and Saratoga Springs.
The Chamber said over the years, the B2B Expo has become the premiere networking event, gathering professionals and organiza tions from across the Capital Region together in one Attendeesspace. are encouraged to register ahead of time. Active Chamber members will enjoy complimentary admissions. At tendance for the general public and others will be $5 and a business card collected at the door.
were not permitted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, officials
The record setting 40-day meet generated average daily handle of $21,955,299, which is also the highest such figure in the history of Saratoga, according to NYRA.
Courtesy Pioneer Courtesy Saratoga Couny Chamber
Clifton Park Man Named Executive VP And Chief Administrative Officer At Pioneer
The networking event attracts attendees from a variety of industries, representing the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
record of integrity and innovation, and a strong commitment to impeccable customer service, he will be a tremendous asset to our organization and our clients.”
A licensed CPA, Signor was previously a shareholder at the accounting firm of Pattison,
VOL. 27 NO. 07 HH The Business Newspaper of Saratoga County HH SEPTEMBER 2022 SBJ 9 Broad Street #7 Glens Falls, NY 12801 U.S.PRSRTSTDPOSTAGE PAID GLENS FALLS, NY PERMIT12801#600 www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
Averagesaid.daily attendance was 26,890.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce B2B Expo is set for Oct. 6 at City Center.
“Every year, we look forward to hosting our annual B2B Expo and providing orga nizations throughout the county with the opportunity to network and hopefully build lasting, collaborative working relationships,” said Todd Shimkus, Chamber president.
Courtesy Amtrak
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
Saratoga Springs attractions such as the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Live Nation, the Saratoga Casino Hotel, UPH, Caffe Lena, the National Racing Museum, and the historic Saratoga Race Course are just a few of the many venues Burlington residents will now be able to “Burlingtoniansenjoy. are known for their love of the arts and nature, and for their diversity
“This summer’s record handle, incredibly strong attendance and the highest ever viewership of Saratoga Live on FOX Sports demonstrate the enduring and expanding appeal of Saratoga Race Course,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke. “NYRA extends our thanks and appre ciation to the fans who visited Saratoga this sum mer or watched and wagered from home. We thank our owners, trainers and backstretch community for their dedication and commitment to the horses that make it all possible summer after summer here at theTheSpa.”summer
Thomas Signor, Pioneer executive vice president and chief administration officer.
daily at 5:56 p.m., arriving in Burlington at 9:55“Thisp.m. expanded service will not only in crease tourism between these two great cities but encourage residents to take advantage of what both vibrant regions have to offer in terms of year-round events, activities, and unique attractions,” said Todd Shimkus, president, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
of Commerce
Continued On Page 16Continued On Page 14 Continued On Page 13 Continued On Page 13
featured 417 races, including 218 on dirt and 199 on the turf. Inclement weather forced 16 races off the turf. Average field size was
On-track handle, which includes New York residents wagering via NYRA Bets, was $152.3 mil lion, or 10.5 percent higher than the $137.8 million wagered on-track in 2021.
Irad Ortiz Jr. captured the Angel Cordero Jr. riding title as the jockey with most wins at Saratoga Race Course in 2022. NYRA reported a record $878.2 in overall handle this year.
TheCourse.figure eclipsed the previous record of $815.5 million established in 2021, by 7.7 percent.
Prior to joining Pioneer, Signor spent 16 years at Kinderhook Bank, rising from internal auditor to executive vice president and chief operating officer. In that position, he provided oversight and management of the operations, retail loan servicing, IT, compliance, electronic banking, and facilities departments.
NYRA: Saratoga Race Course Attendance Tops Two Million For 7th Straight Year
“We are delighted to welcome Tom Signor to the outstanding executive team at Pioneer,” said Pioneer President and CEO Tom Amell. “With recognized expertise and demonstrated leader ship in all facets of community banking, a proven
Amtrak Expands Its NYC-Rutland Service, Adding Saratoga Springs, Burlington Stops
The Ethan Allen Express route, run by Amtrak, travels between Rutland and New York City daily and now includes stops in both Burlington and Saratoga Springs.
Courtesy NYRA
Officials said it provides residents with a more convenient way to travel between both cities for business and pleasure.
Pioneer, a financial institution in the Capital Region with offices in Saratoga County, has appointed Thomas Signor of Clifton Park as executive vice president and chief administra tionInofficer.thatrole, he will oversee all bank opera tions, including deposit and retail loan opera tions, compliance, risk, information technology, security, and facilities management.
“We invite everyone in the Saratoga region to join us for what is sure to be a day full of impactful networking with organizations and professionals from across a variety of industries,” said Shimkus. “We’re grateful to our sponsors and would like to thank them
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PROUDLY REPRESENTING THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BUSINESS COMMUNITY We take care of you so you can take care of business! The Washington County LDC is an equal opportunity leader, provider and employer. Washington County Local Development Corporation County Municipal Center 383 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY 518-746-2292 • info@wcldc.org • Loan programs for possible financing • Business training programs • Start up, expansion and relocation assistance • Commercial shovel-ready site information Visit us WCLDC.orgat Like us Facebookon
Jennings comes to the Tang from the
She relocated to the region after having served more than 25 years in senior level positions at both community and international financial institutions. Most recently she was the senior vice president of retail strategy and delivery at Landmark Credit Union in Wisconsin.
tor industry is so vital to the global economy,” said Raman. “I am really looking forward to working with GlobalFoundries’ global team of talented engineers, technicians and business leaders. Its diverse talent pool is a real strength and their relentless commitment to developing their employees was critical in my decision to join the leadership
Kristin Chlopeck, executive director of the TriCounty United Way.
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“Pradheepa joins us with a proven track record of driving impact through thoughtful, strategic human resources leadership, delivering a bestin-class employee experience that sets the stage for success, growth, and innovation,” said GF President and CEO Dr. Thomas Caulfield.
Courtesy GlobalFoundries
“Employeesteam.are a company’s most important resource, and I have spent my career creating HR systems to engage, develop, and empower talent.”
Julie & Co. Realty has hired David Frederick as the newest member of its brokerage in Saratoga Springs.Frederick is an upstate New York native, having grown up in Corinth and Saratoga Springs. He has performed as a standup comic in a career that has taken him from New York City to Los Angeles, but he and his wife chose to settle in Saratoga Springs to raise their two daughters.
Billok regularly represents employers in state and federal court, defending against actions alleging violations of employment laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, including class actions, as well as collective and class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York Labor Law (NYLL).
“I am incredibly excited to begin my journey at GlobalFoundries at a time when the semiconduc-
Ballston Spa National Bank announced the addition of Cynthia Minuti in the new role of senior vice president and chief customer officer.Minuti joins the executive team as a senior leader responsible for the oversight of wealth management, retail banking and marketing. As the company’s chief customer officer, Minuti will focus on branch and brand expansion, optimization of the customer journey and delivering an exceptional omni-channel customer experience.
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College has hired Njeri Jennings as the new Laurie M. Tisch educator for K-12 and community programs.
GlobalFoundries has appointment of Pradheepa Raman as chief people officer, joining the leadership team in Malta.
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An experienced human resources executive with demonstrated success in driving positive change to the employee experience and building organizational resiliency through skills development, Raman will be responsible for leading all aspects of GlobalFoundries’ worldwide human resources efforts.
Kristin Chlopecki was named the new executive director of the Tri-County United Way, succeeding Brian Bearor, who resigned in April.
positively impact our area nonprofits.”
Raman joins GlobalFoundries from Stanley Black & Decker, where she held the dual roles of global head of human resources and chief transformation officer for the company’s largest business unit.
administration.*
In the last 10 years, the Tri-County United Way has raised almost $6 million from local people and businesses and provided financial support to more than 50 local charitable organizations and programs.Theorganization is run by a volunteer board of directors of local business leaders and public officials donating 99 cents of every dollar locally in Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties.
Longyear Museum of Anthropology and the Picker Art Gallery at Colgate University, where as assistant educator she was responsible for K-12 and family outreach, educational instruction, and in-gallery education.Sheearned an master’s degree in museum studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a bachelor’s in history from The College of Wooster. She has also worked at the Weatherspoon Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery, and the National Museum of Bermuda.
Jennings will develop and lead educational programming for families, schools, libraries, and community groups both in the museum and around the Capital Region. The Tisch educator also serves as a key liaison between the museum and educators at the elementary and secondary levels, developing interpretive materials and teacher training.
Bond, Schoeneck & King announced that Michael D. Billok of the firm’s Saratoga Springs office has been recognized in the 2022 New York Super Lawyers upstate edition in employment and labor.
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“We are so fortunate to have a local person who is already on our United Way team and is as experienced a leader as Kristin and is prepared to accept these broader responsibilities,” Moore said in a news release. “Kristin was the unanimous and enthusiastic choice of our search committee.”
Prior to that, she served as the company’s chief talent innovation officer. Before Stanley Black & Decker, Raman served as head of talent, diversity, and employee engagement at Samsung Electronics America, and in several human resources leadership roles at global technology company Avaya.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with the TriCounty United Way for eight years and have truly learned the meaning of community. The people of this area are sincerely generous and I have learned so much from watching the work of the local agencies that help so many people and the donors who make it possible for the agencies do their good work,” Chlopecki said. “I am honored to be chosen to be the team leader for the Tri-County United Way to help
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Frederick has performed stand-up comedy at places such as The Comedy Cellar in New York and the Hollywood Improv in Losa Angeles. His experience in the latenight entertainment has given him people skills that translate into the world of real estate.
2 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 ••
Zack Moore, chairman of the Tri-County United Way board of directors, said he is happy to have someone who is already a part of the organization take the job.
Personnel Briefs
GlobalFoundries Adds Pradheepa Raman To Leadership Team As Its Chief People Officer
With the addition of the new chief customer officer position, Margaret de Koning , who has served as the company’s executive vice president and chief banking officer since 2005, will assume the new role of executive vice president and chief credit officer.
Pradheepa Raman, chief people officer, at GlobalFoundries, working out of Malta.
Chlopecki is a Glens Falls High School graduate. Before joining United Way, she worked in fashion publishing in New York City after earning degrees from Ohio University and New York FIT. She said she is looking forward to bringing leadership of the United Way team the “financial and creative skills that made her successful in business.”
Tri-County United Way Names Kristin Chlopecki As Its New Executive Director
In this capacity she will retain responsibility for the oversight of commercial banking, retail/residential lending and treasury management. She will now also be responsible for the oversight of credit
Courtesy Tri-County United Way
Official said that as GlobalFoundries continues to expand its global manufacturing capacity, key areas of focus for Raman will be recruitment, talent development, and advancing the company’s culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
She has served the organization for eight years as a business manager and director of resource development before accepting her new position with the board of directors.
The event included complimentary cocktails from DIAGEO Brands, 90+ Cellars and DeCrescente Distributing Co.; food by Mazzone Hospitality; silent and live auctions, Santore’s World Famous Fireworks, Creative Endeavors’ artwork, photos by Cathleen V. Duffy Photography and Silly Snaps Photo Booth, valet parking and music by Cryin’ Out Loud.
Business Briefs
“We specialize in drinking water. We do bacteriological testing, we do minerals and metals analyses, we do organic chemical testing and so forth,” said Collins.
A crowd of 435 guests, dressed in various splashes of color, attended.
Pre-registration for show cars is now open. Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are also currently available for businesses and organizations that would like to be a part of the show.
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
The event typically draws over 400 show cars. Organizers are anticipating a large turnout for the 20-year anniversary.
The company’s clients include local and state health departments, municipalities, and local business and restaurant owners. Private homeowners also make up a large portion of their customer base.
Fireworks sponsors, Michael & Linda Ballestero, Jack & Debra Cottrell, George Sr. and Carol Hannah, Matt Hickey, and Leigh and Kimberly McConchie. * *
The event is free to spectators. To learn more, visit www.ballston.org.*
The company’s Malta location is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.crenvlab.com.
In addition to cars and trucks, there will be food and merchandise vendors, a kid’s zone with a bounce house and activities, live music and a trophy presentation at the end of the day.
Come join us for an evening of fun to include games, music, food & drinks while getting to know more about these three amazing charities that we are happy to support. There will be silent auction items, giveaways, corn hole competition & live music from Kenneth Blatt all while enjoying the many offerings of Single Cut Brewery.
“There’s not a lot of lab presence in that area.
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 • 3
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Space is limited so to reserve your spot contact Nico at Nico@empirefa.com or 518-608-0775.
Capital Region Environmental Lab Says New Office In Malta Leads To Business ‘Uptick’
A state and EPA approved environmental laboratory, the company tests drinking water and non-potable water.
That would be in the future. We are settling into our Malta location, and our biggest challenge right now is just getting the word out about what we do and acquiring new business.”
A military veteran, Collins has a degree in chemistry and more than 30 years of environmental laboratory experience. LaPorta holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from SUNY Albany. She and Collins met working at Bender Laboratory, a water testing lab operated by St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.
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The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association will hold its 20th annual “The Way We Were” car show on Sunday, Oct. 9 on Front Street.
Stewart’s Shops announces its milk has been named the best in New York state by the Cornell University Department of Food Science.
Brian Collins, lead technical director, and Erika LaPorta, technical director, work with testing equipment at Capital Region Environmental Lab.
In 2020, St. Peter’s announced plans to sell the lab after deciding to exit the environmental testing arena. Collins and LaPorta purchased the business from the hospital in October 2020 and renamed it Capital Region Environmental Lab.The majority of the company’s 10 employees were previously employed by Bender Laboratory. Chemists, environmental scientists, and clinical laboratory technologists make up the majority of the staff.
The Malta satellite office is for sample drop offs only and was opened due to customer demand.“Wehave some very good clients in that area, and they asked if we could open another facility to make it more convenient to drop off samples,” said Collins. “Right now, we do not do any testing there. If we decide to do that, we need to apply to the state for certification and approval.”
Empire Financial Advisors is hosting their first annual charity event October 6th from 4-7PM at Single Cut Brewery located at 6 Fairchild Square Clifton Park. The event is to benefit three non-profits that their advisors are actively engaged with, CAPTAIN Community Human Services, Hope House & The Blue Star Mothers of America.
Capital Region Environmental Lab, a fullservice water testing lab, recently opened a satellite office at Suite 231 of 7 Hemphill Place (Parade Ground Village) in Malta.
“We are really excited for this year’s show,” said Dan Barner, car show committee chairperson. “It’s always a great event that brings people downtown to support our businesses and it is an important fundraiser to support the excellent work that the Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association does. We’re doing our very best to make it extra special this year in celebration of the show’s 20th anniversary.”
A record $187,000 was raised at The White Party with a Splash of Color, a benefit for Saratoga Bridges, held on July 16 at the Saratoga National Golf Club.
Sponsors at the event included: visionary sponsor, Michael & Stacie Arpey; partner sponsors, Charles Schwab/Maureen Parker, Coalesce; advocate sponsors, ACCENT, Aim Services, Inc., Axiom, Ballston Spa National Bank, Bond, Schoeneck & King, Colonie Mechanical Contractors, DeCrescente Distributing, Otto Cadillac, RDM Asphalt & Construction, and UHY LLP Certified Public Accountants;
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The award was presented on Dairy Day, Sept. 1, at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. The recognition is part of Cornell’s New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program.
Cornell University collected samples from New York state plants in October and May. The samples of whole milk, 2 percent, 1 percent, and fat free milk were scored on various criteria, including best flavor. Milk samples are judged on microbial analyses, fat determination, freezing point and flavor.
The Rensselaer-based company is owned by Brian Collins and Erika LaPorta.
Since opening the Malta office, the company has seen an uptick in new business in Saratoga County.“Wepicked up a big client which has been really helpful for us,” said Collins. “We also picked up some mobile home parks and a lot of private residences.”Astheylook to the future, Collins said he and LaPorta are considering opening an office in Dutchess County or Greene County.
“We do a lot of private resident testing,” said Collins. “A lot of times, when you turn the news on, you will see stories about water concerns. That prompts people to give us a call. They may just want their water tested or they may have specific problems—smells, discoloration in the water—or somebody in their family is sick and they are concerned. We field a lot of questions from a lot of different people for a lot of different reasons.”Allthe testing is done in the company’s 2,200-square-foot facility that is located across the Hudson River from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Courtesy Capital Region Environmental Lab
Stewart’s works with 20 local dairy farms to source raw milk. They pick up the milk daily, process and bottle it themselves at a manufacturing plant in Greenfield.
FiberCity Project In Saratoga Will Continue Soon; Homes May Go Online Th is Winter
Courtesy SiFi Networks
Todd Shimkus, president and CEO of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce said the project “is nothing short of revolutionary and will serve as an economic boon for our already strong economy. The best part is that the SiFi team is making a $32 million investment in our community, which is a game changer for Saratoga Springs and the region.”
SPECIAL SECTIONNEXT ISSUE Call Today To Reserve Space (518) 581-0600 Fax: (518) 430-3020 SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
“Installing in the greenspace with other utilities is a less invasive construction methodology. SiFi has assured us that they will be working with residents to communicate any issues during construction,” he said. “Throughout the recently completed phase,
“We’re enormously excited and proud to bring this world-class network to Saratoga Springs,” said Heaps.For please visit https:/www. sifinetworks.com
Office Technology / CommercialE-Commerce/ResidentialRealEstateEntrepreneurialWomen Publication Date: October 6, 2022 YearWellnessEndTax / Financial Planning Holiday Gift Guide Publication Date: November 3, 2022
Construction resumed after Labor Day.
SiFi’s public interaction was great and the installation was a success. Only a few weeks have passed and you would hardly notice there was construction.”
The first homes on the network are slated to golive this winter.
One key element of the FiberCity network is that it will be made available to every address—business, residential, and institution—within Saratoga Springs. This includes low-income housing units that are typically passed over by internet service providers.“Webelieve that everyone in the community deserves high-speed fiber infrastructure. Our FiberCity Aid program helps cover the cost of fiberoptic service for deserving households. We’ll work with the city to get a list of households that qualify for the deeply-discounted service,” Heaps said.
“We took great care to replant grass, place fiber conduit under driveway pavers, and to avoid tree roots in the construction process,” said Robert Heaps, corporate vice president for SiFi Networks. “During construction, our team of community relations professionals went door-to-door to answer questions from residents.
Work continues this month on the next phase of the Saratoga Springs’ FiberCity project, a $32 million endeavor that will see fiber infrastructure available to every household, business, and institution citywide, officials said.
4 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022
One month after SiFi Networks completed construction on the first phase, the city’s Department of Public Works confirmed that the construction methodologies used in the greenspace public rightof-way met the department’s stringent standards.
City DPW Commissioner Jason Golub says the city has been pleased with the greenspace construction methodologies of the $32 million FiberCity project.
further information,
Ryan E. McMahon, executive director, said the project will usher in a new wave of digital connectivity. “We’ll be able to better manage the flow of traffic, make it easier for drivers to find parking spaces, enhance the visitor experience, and make the cost of delivering government services more efficient. Most importantly, it’ll be nice to stream video and download files without buffering and slowdowns.”
Darryl Leggieri, president, Discover Saratoga said the hospitality sector in Saratoga Springs “has a sharp focus on enhancing the visitor experience. Becoming New York state’s first gigabit city with the first open access network will serve to bolster our position that Saratoga Springs is a great place to live, work, visit, and enjoy. Our hotels are particularly excited about the promise of this network as it will be a vast improvement to the visitor experience.”
In green space construction, a narrow incision is dug either behind the curb or sidewalk to lay conduit that houses fiber cables. Underground radar and water jets are used in the process to avoid harming tree roots during construction. Residents along Myrtle, Marvin, and Van Rensselaer Streets who experienced firsthand what green space construction entails, told officials that they were pleased, according to the company.
DPW Commissioner Jason Golub said that so far, the city has been pleased with the network’s greenspace construction methodologies.
“In the three-week construction period, the city did not receive a single complaint, which is what we’ll continue to strive for in the next phases of construction. In fact, people were coming out of their homes to thank all of us, which was great. Saratoga Springs’ FiberCity is a transformative project that will serve to connect all city residents and businesses to the digital economy.”
Andrea Harwood
In 2001 he moved to Clifton Park and then expanded into a new building at 1593 Route 9, the firm’s current home, in 2008. The location couldn’t be better as Saratoga County is upstate New York’s fastest-growing county, and one of its
Kevin Hedley, center, poses with staff in the office of Hedley & Co. in Clifton Park, an accounting firm he started 30 years ago that services commercial and individual clients across the U.S. ©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 • 5
In addition to its own growth, the firm has had to keep pace with unrelenting the fast-paced tech nological change during the past three decades. In 1992, the internet and email were still new to most people.“Technology has changed things considerably,” he said. “It’s a double-edged sword. In some ways it’s made things more difficult. There are forms and schedules that didn’t exist a couple years ago, and forms and schedules that did exist have gotten bigger and more complicated. There’s more ques tions, more things that need to be completed.
( 8 7 7 ) 3 3 1 - 5 2 2 0 w w w . s t o r e d t e c h . c o m C y b e r S e c u r i t y S t r u c t u r e d C a b l i n g M a n a g e d S e r v i c e s C l o u d C o m p u t i n g B u s i n e s s V o I P S u r v e i l l a n c e S y s t e m s O f f i c e 3 6 5 2 4 / 7 / 3 6 5 I T S u p p o r t I T C o n s u l t i n g C u s t o m e r D e l i g h t In IT Together Custom Technology Solutions We take care of your IT needs So you can focus on your business! Customer Delight
Jennybase.Jo’s Smoothie Bar is at the Glens Falls Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, The Food Truck Corral at The Shirt Factory on Thursdays, a pop-up on Maple Street next to Glens Falls City Park on Friday morn
For business clients, Hedley & Co. does every thing from accounting system design to financial reporting, fringe benefit policy and succession planning. They even helping new businesses learn how to get started. For individuals, in addition to wealth management the company offers estate planning, IRS and state tax representation, and personal income tax preparation and planning.
Hedley, who grew up near Troy, is a 1987 Siena College graduate. He started out working for a couple of other firms, one in Massachusetts and another in New York. But most of his time was spent doing audits when he wanted to specialize on tax work so he earned a master’s degree in taxation from SUNY Albany and stepped out on his own, starting at a small office in Troy.
Jennie Jo’s Smoothie Bar Mobile Unit Can Travel To Provide Product At Local Events
clients all over the country, in neighboring states, up and down the Eastern seaboard and the West Coast as well,” Hedley said.
Plans call for adding new software programs over the next several months “to make sure we’re staying ahead of the technology curve, continuing to be out in front for our clients and help in every way that we can,” he said.
“On the positive side,” he said, “modern technology allows us to work from home,” Hedley said. “We’ve been doing that for years. Obviously, COVID accelerated it more. Phone systems can be rerouted anywhere as long as there’s an internet connection. We don’t have to worry about missing calls from clients (at the office).”
Haley Gerarde and husband Michael Gerarde operate Jenny Jo’s Smoothie Bar.
most“Butprosperous.wehave
Hedley & Co. In Clifton Park Have Provided Accounting, Financial Services For 30 Years
BY PAUL POST
The current menu features all-vegan, non-dairy, soy- and wheat-free smoothies with no added sugars. While Gerarde plans to keep those options available, she will be adding more traditional smoothie flavors for a wider market. In particular, she said she would like to add smoothie flavors with a yogurt
Gerarde is considering a small brick-andmortar space in The Shirt Factory for the winter months. She is developing a business model to provide a subscription program for local businesses, where she would go to specific locations on specific days to deliver smoothies.“I’llkeep the delivery radius small, within about four miles, because I want to keep the integrity of the smoothies I’m delivering,” saidBusinessesGerarde.
Thirty years later, his Clifton Park-based Hedley & Co. has nearly a dozen employees including two other CPAs, Kristen E. Bus and Joanna Piscitella, serving commercial and individual clients across the“We’reU.S. very fortunate that our clients think enough of the work we do, and how we do it for them, that they’re willing to share it with their friends and colleagues,” he said. “It’s strictly word of mouth. We don’t do any marketing outside of Saratoga County. The fact that I’ve got clients from 30 years ago, including some from Florida, is a testament to what we’re doing.”
Haley Gerarde has opened up a new business, Jenny Jo’s Smoothie Bar. The Lake George native operates the mobile smoothie truck in the greater Saratoga and Glens Falls region.Gerarde purchased the business in early 2021. The smoothie truck was previously known as The Smoothie Shoppe. Gerarde renamed the business and the truck to Jenny Jo’s Smoothie Bar upon acquisition. She op erated the business briefly as The Smoothie Shoppe as she waited for her signage to be completed.Gerarde has two daughters, Genevieve (Jenny) and Josephine (Jo), the namesakes of herYearsbusiness.ago when the business was owned by previous operators and known as The Smoothie Shoppe, Gerarde would take her daughter Jo down to the Spa City Farmer’s Market to get smoothies. She began follow ing The Smoothie Shoppe on social media, and eventually connected with the owners.
Aside from his work at the firm, Hedley is a frequent lecturer on the topics of taxation, business administration, and management and is also a frequent guest on local television news programs. He has taught individual income tax at SUNY Albany; business valuations at New York University; and corporation tax, partnership tax, family tax planning, and trust and estate taxation at Siena College.
“We deal mainly with smaller businesses with under $50 million in revenue,” he said. “A lot of those are also wealth management clients that we help with financial planning and assist with investments. We don’t do any publicly traded corporation work.”
He’s also been an expert witness in New York State Supreme Court cases on tax and accounting matters.Hedley is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and the society’s Personal Financial Planning Committee. He has also earned the prestigious Certificate Education Achievement in personal financial planning.
Rule number one, a guiding principle for the firm’s success is “being honest with yourself, your employees and customers,” Hedley said. “They’ve got to have confidence in what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and feel as though you’re doing it in their best interest.”
“For example, now we have to get information about health insurance, which wasn’t needed 10 years ago on a tax return. Now we’ve got to know, do you have it? Do you not have it?”
Kevin Hedley left the security of an established accounting firm to start his own one-man practice.
BY ANDREA HARWOOD
ings, and the Spa City Farmers Market on Sundays. Additionally, Jenny Jo’s frequently has pop-up events.
interested in a regular delivery schedule, employee appreciation days and other events can contact Gerarde directly at jennyjosllc@gmail.com.Thebesttokeepupwith Jenny Jo’s is on social media via Facebook and Instagram at @jennyjosllc.
Around a year ago, one of the previ ous owners showed interest in selling the business. Gerarde already had interest in starting a business, perhaps a brick-andmortar breakfast place. When she heard the smoothie shop business was for sale, she inquired right away.
The practice does considerable work for clients in the service and construction industries.
Editorial: Advertising:RJDeLuke@saratogabusinessjournal.comHarryW@saratogabusinessjournal.com
and Customer Service Harry Weinhagen Mary Longley Production Manager Graphic Precision Photographer Stock Studios Photography
Well maintained property along the visible Route 9 corridor is available for lease! Located between exits 11 and 12 of I-87, the property offers a 2296 SF building, newly paved driveway, parking area for 4/5 vehicles and 0.19 acres. The building features block & concrete construction, metal roof, 12’ ceilings, office space, kitchen, restroom with shower, washer/dryer and storage area with overhead door. Perfect for a variety of professional office users. Contact Amy for details! COMMERCIAL FORLEASE 2244 Route 9 | Round Lake $2750/Month + Utilities This is a rare leasing opportunity in downtown Saratoga Springs...an end cap in a retail plaza! The space offers 2130 SF and features large front windows for great natural light and a mix of open space with private offices. This highly visible plaza is conveniently located on one of the main entrances into the city and offers parking for 34 vehicles, monument sign and signage above the suite’s entrance. Great space for retail. professional services or office users. Call Amy or Gerard for more information. 170 S. Broadway | Saratoga Springs $18/SF + NNN & Utilities Amy Sutton | 518.527.3564 |asutton@roohanrealty.com FORLEASE Amy Sutton | 518.527.3564| Gerard Wise | 518.265.2420
2002 Business Of e Chamber of Southern Saratoga County
ConvInt.ai (Conversational Intelligence), founded and owned by Virender Aggarwal, of Singapore, uses artificial intelligence to locate top candidates not only for IT companies, but those in other industries such as insurance, healthcare and the rapidly expanding field of cannabis production.
Saratoga Business Journal is published monthly, the second week of each month, by Weinhagen Associates, LLC and mailed to business and professional people in Saratoga county.
Tim and Kathleen Montgomery are the owners of TIMIT Solutions.
•
Aggarwal has more than 35 years of tech industry experience. His firm’s website says ConvInt.ai is “an intelligent AI-based, cloud native conversational platform, built on the most contemporary technology stack, designed to accelerate corporate officials and recruiters in fulfilling their recruitment needs and redefining the experience for the candidates and jobseekers.”
Publisher
Saratoga Business Journal is independently owned and is a registered tradename of Weinhagen Associates, LLC, P.O. Box 766, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 581-0600. Saratoga Business Journal is a registered tradename in New SaratogaYork.Business
Montgomery was working for General Electric Co. near Boston when he founded TIMIT Solutions in 2012 and moved the firm to his native Queensbury in 2014.
Susan Campbell Jill Nagy Jennifer Farnsworth
Local Company Provides Service To Help IT Companies Fill Jobs Quickly And Efficiently
BY PAUL POST
Contributing Writers
Both recruiters and candidates can interact using their preferred channel or chat platform to register, initiate or take an assessment.
administration skills. “We give you a link to access our product,” Montgomery said. “You go in and decide what skills you’re looking for and pick those from our database. Now you’ve created a role. That’s step one.”
“The candidate clicks on a button or link that says you’ve been selected as a candidate for this job opening with these skills,” Montgomery said. “You could have thousands of people completing assessments. All you do is sit back and wait for the results.”Candidates are asked to answer a number of job-related questions. ConvIntl.ai decides the next question to asked based upon the previous answer, and continually redefines what a difficult, medium-difficult or easy question is based upon how all respondents answered that question.
So bottom line, the service tells employers the best people to choose from based upon their responses.“Nowif they want to call a few candidates, they can do that,” Montgomery said. “It’s a good idea, we recommend it. For example, they might want to ask: You answered Question 3 right, why did you answer that way? The HR director can also ask questions that aren’t part of the assessment, like are you willing to relocate? What is your salary expectation?“Intheend, the HR director is very confident the person is suitable for that job. They can focus on all the important aspects of recruiting and not waste time reading resumes and questioning candidates on skills they may or may not be experts in.”
A Queensbury firm and its Singapore-based partner are helping companies worldwide with a new high-tech hiring service that purports to finds key employees quickly and efficiently while saving valuable time and money.
For example, a company might need a sales force developer with expert or even medium
The service completely eliminates the cumbersome process of sorting through and reading lengthy resumes, which may or may not be truthful.“Once you put a job description out there on Dice.com or Montster.com, people have technology that can create a resume based upon that job description,” Montgomery said. “There’s not a lot of honesty in the candidate search process any more because a lot of resumes we have found are duplicates of others or they aren’t resumes that represent the“Thindividual.”attellsus two things,” he said. “First, resumes aren’t worth the paper they’re written on any more and two, you’re spending an enormous amount of time reading multi-page resumes, which might be seven to 10 pages long for tech people. We’re saying don’t bother with that. Other companies do similar types of things, but we believe we are the only one that is not just accelerating, but eliminating steps in the hiring Companiesprocess.”interested in using ConvInt.ai are given a free two- to three-week pilot run, which includes training in how to set up specific questions, and “how to assess what you get back and what to do with it,” Montgomery said.
Next, the employer decides how long it wants to offer the job, perhaps four weeks. Candidates may be invited to consider the position, using only their name and email address, or it can be posted on a job board or the company website.
Companies are then given a candidate assessment report that shows which questions a person got right or wrong, and how they answered each question. The report also tells if the candidate agreed to being video taped while answering questions. This helps ensure integrity by showing how long it took to answer questions, and proving that they answered questions on their own without seeking outside help.
Christine Graf Andrea Harwood Paul
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Journal has been founded to promote business in Saratoga county 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. ird class postage paid at Glens Falls, New York.
(518) 581-0600 Fax: (518) 430-3020 • www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
TIMIT Solutions can be found at timitsolutions. com.
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6 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022
Year e
“Our first customer in New York City went from an average of two to three months per hire to just three days using our tool,” said Tim Montgomery, owner and president of TIMIT Solutions LLC. “Our primary target is businesses that hire a lot of people. We’ve initially engaged with some very large IT (information technology) companies in India.”
“Many human resources people aren’t technically savvy and don’t know much about who you need to hire for the cannabis industry, the types of people and skills they need,” Montgomery said. “This tool makes them an expert in all of those areas because we’re asking expert questions on theirEarlierbehalf.”intheir careers, Montgomery and Aggarwal became acquainted as members of India-based Satyam Computer Services’ global leadership team.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and John Hendrickson, husband of Marylou Whitney, unveil the sign in August renaming a city street in honor of the iconic philanthropist.
The purchase price for the 31,500-squarefoot plaza was $3.95 million, said Tom Roohan, president and owner of Roohan Realty.
Adirondack Trust financed the purchase. The deal closed in July.
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 • 7 SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
Diamond Brady Plaza currently has a little more than 2,000 square feet available for lease, including an office that was used by Merlin Development staff.
A big attraction in obtaining the building was the fact that Roohan and his family own nearby property on Broadway and Phila streets, he said.
A portion of the state highway system in Saratoga Springs was dedicated in August to Marylou Whitney, an iconic figure in the community and the horse racing industry at Saratoga Race Course.
State Sen. Daphne Jordan said the local race course “was shaped, strengthened, and supported by Marylou Whitney’s generosity. Her advocacy helped the racecourse stay open and helped the Saratoga meet draw over a million annually. Her horses were recognized as regular fi xtures at the Travers stakes and she claimed victories and a distinguished career as an owner.
“Marylou was also a consequential figure who did philanthropic good works on behalf of backstretch workers and retired thoroughbreds. In addition, she was a founding member of SPAC, helped to establish the National Museum of Dance, worked to restore the National Museum of Racing, and provided years of support to Saratoga Hospital. Marylou Whitney Way will forever be associated with Marylou Whitney and the contributions she left to Saratoga Springs.”
Bruce H. PresidentClements Clements Insurance Brokers Inc. Reads
A ceremony was held at the race track that included the governor, local and state dignitaries, racing industry officials and John Hendrickson, Whitney’s“Marylouhusband.Whitney’s years of dedication to Saratoga will live on forever, reflected in the work she did throughout her life,” Hochul said. “She was larger than life, a trailblazer of her time, and her memory will be a lasting legacy here and today I am honored to dedicate to her a piece of the city she so loved. I thank the Whitney family for their continued work here and I am grateful to be able to remember Marylou as the legend and friend she is to so many.”
Courtesy NYS
Diamond Brady Plaza in Downtown Saratoga Springs Purchased In July By Tom Roohan
The property needed a “high level spring cleaning,” but no major repairs or renovation work, just cleaning, painting, and some roof repairs, he said.
Marylou Whitney was a staple in the Saratoga area and the horse racing community, alike. She accomplished legendary philanthropic efforts on behalf of backstretch workers and retired thoroughbreds and she played a vital role in shaping Saratoga County as it exists today. She played a key role in ensuring the Saratoga Race Course remained open, and her horses were
BY JILL NAGY
Part Of Union Avenue Near Race Course Renamed ‘Whitney Way’ For Iconic Marylou
competitive on the NYRA circuit for decades, claiming victories at both the Belmont and Travers
The Diamond Brady Plaza on Putnam Street in Saratoga Springs.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com
One of them, Wasabi, recently expanded its patio and added a roof. But there are vacancies the new owners hope to fill, according to Roohan.
Eddie Bauer building at 340 Broadway and the former Saratoga National Bank building at 368 Broadway, home to the Impressions of Saratoga gift shop.
The plaza has tenants including the Wasabi Saratoga, a restaurant and bar; DZ Restaurants, Putnam Place bar and music venue, and KBC Design Studio, a kitchen designer.“They are all nice people and I hope they will stay,” Roohan said.
DavidStakes.O’Rourke, NYRA CEO, said, “No one has meant more to the continued success of Saratoga Race Course than Marylou Whitney. NYRA was honored to celebrate Mrs. Whitney’s lasting contributions to the sport and to Saratoga by dedicating the clubhouse entrance in her memory. And now today, Marylou Whitney Way will serve as the gateway to Saratoga along Union Avenue, an incredibly fitting way to continue to honor Mrs. Whitney’s remarkable life and legacy.”
Roohan Realty recently purchased the Diamond Brady Plaza on Putnam Street in Saratoga Springs from real estate developer Bruce Levinsky and his company 63 Putnam Street LLC.
Roohan and his siblings also own the
Gov. Kathy Hochul designated a portion of Union Avenue as Marylou Whitney Way. It covers Route 9-P, between the Northway and East Avenue in Saratoga Springs that leads to, and is adjacent to, the historic race course.
BY JILL NAGY
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com
With the acquisition of Goodemote Physical Therapy in Saratoga Springs, Capital Area Physical Therapy and Wellness, headquartered in Malta, has grown to three offices (the third, in Queensbury).
“We did everything, at first,” Marsh said, from greeting patients to cleaning the restrooms. “But, slowly and surely, it been to grow.”
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Capital Area Physical Therapy And Wellness Adds Saratoga Springs Office, Its Th ird
The phone number for all three offices of Capital Area Physical Therapy and Wellness is 518-3663240. The company website is CapitalAreaPT.com.
Capital Area Physical Therapy expects to incorporate Dr. Goodemote’s practice into the business with little change. All but one staff member is stayingDuringon.the months of negotiations with Goodemote, “it was nothing but a wonderful relationship,” Marsh said. While the former owner is still available to answer questions, Marsh said, he is not otherwise involved.Theacquisition allows the company to provide more resources. The business also benefits from the Goodemote practice’s excellent reputation in the community, Marsh said.
The practice began in 2013, with only two therapists, Dr. Andrew Gaetano and Dr. Evan Marsh, who had been college classmates.
The practice is “growing back” after cutbacks that became necessary during the COVID pandemic.
Laura Newey, a nurse practitioner with training in medical aesthetics, operates Bellatas Medical Aesthetics in Saratoga Springs, providing skin care services, including botox treatments.
Although COVID is still around, there are no more requests for telehealth. Hands-on treatment is back. Some patients and staff members still wear protective masks, but they are not required.
BY JILL NAGY
8 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022
Bellatas Medical Aesthetics Moves Offices From Clifton Park To Saratoga Springs
multiple needles, resurfacing the skin, promoting collagen growth, and reducing wrinkles.
Within a month, it will have 13 physical therapists on staff and eight administrators.
Robert Rehberger, a physical therapist with Capital Area Physical Therapy and Wellness, works with a patient at the company’s new office in Saratoga Springs.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com
Laura Newey has been a nurse practitioner at Saratoga Hospital for many years and still works in the hospital emergency room and is part of its urgent care service. She added medical aesthetics to her practice in 2019 with an office in Clifton Park. She moved to Saratoga Springs thisShesummer.shares office space with a non-medical aesthetician but, for now, has no employees. Plans are for her to grow her practice and, in time, bring in others. Her husband has a full-time job as vice president of marketing for Atlantic British, a distributor of Land Rover parts and Patientsservices.canmake appointment online at BellatasMedSpa.com or by telephoning 518- 8936120. Initial consultations are free of charge.
Currently, the practice sees approximately 1,400 patient visits a month in Malta; about 500 (but “growing steadily”) in Queensbury; and 750 a month in Saratoga Springs, said Marsh.
Doing physical therapy without physical contact required “a lot of creativity,” Marsh said. “Telehealth” became a buzzword. The therapists had to learn to analyze movement visually and, generally, be very adaptive.
Physical therapy without in-person contact “was challenging,” he said.
The new Saratoga office is located at 3 Maple Dell, near Northway Exit 15.
Bellatas is a made-up word meaning the state of being beautiful (bella), according to the owner’s husband and marketing person, David Newey. Her practice is a level beyond that of a non-RN aesthetician, but not at the level of a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, he said. But dermatologists and plastic surgeons incorporate aspects of medical aesthetics in their medical practices.Themost popular treatment at the Bellatas spa is botox, injections of low doses of the botulism toxin, used to smooth wrinkles and tighten skin. Newey recently added microneedling treatments, which uses a machine called Morpheus 8, that lightly pierces the skin with
The business, called Bellatas Medical Aesthetics, provides skin care, including botox treatments, microneedling, and treatment of skin pigmentation issues.
Newey said his wife is the only practitioner in the area trained to use it. She also offers laser treatments to even out pigmentation of the complexion, removing age spots and blemishes.
Laura Newey, a nurse practitioner with additional training in medical aesthetics, recently moved her practice to the Blackmer Building at 28 Clinton St. in Saratoga Springs.
After receiving her initial training in EMDR, she completed a sports performance EMDR course. At the time, her teenaged son was in the midst of a baseball batting slump, she said. Despite attending clinics and working with batting coaches, he was still struggling at the plate. It wasn’t until Lofink started to work with him, applying what she had learned in her trainings, that things finally improved.“Heended up really flourishing this year,” she said. “He was on the freshman baseball team at Ballston Spa and had the highest batting average on the team. He’s also rocking it on his travel baseball team right now. It was such a big turnaround for him.”Not long after helping her son, Lofink decided to incorporate athlete training into her practice and opened MindBody Fusion this April. When working with an athletes she starts by eliminating physical causes, such as injuries or medical conditions.
“There’s not a lot of awareness around this, but it’s really growing,” she said. “People are starting to understand that the mental and psychological part are just as important if not more important than the physical.”Lofink’s clinical practice is full, but she is accepting new clients for athlete training. She also offers training for teams and coaches. For more information, visit www.mindbody-fusion.com.
“I put my calendar out three weeks before I opened, and I was full before I officially opened my door,” said Lofink. “I’ve been full since the day I opened, and I probably turn away three to five people a week who are reaching out for help. That’s reallyLofihard.”nkis trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), a psychotherapy treatment endorsed by the American Psychological Association and Word Health Organization. EMDR is designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.
Courtesy YMCA
“Once we can rule out the physical side of things, any slumps or anything that is going on is a direct relation to emotional pain. The mind works in very mysterious ways,” she said. “We really dive into what is happening emotionally for them that is causing this block for them. It may be nothing related to sports.”Asan example, Lofink mentioned a baseball player who was excelling in practice but couldn’t deliver during games.
While working with him, Lofink learned that his grandfather had recently passed away. His grandfather had been an important part of his life, and the two had a special ritual they would perform before each one of his games.
Dake Family Makes $3 Million Donation To Fund Wellness Center At New Senior Center
The undertaking will create a new wellness environment for residents from children to seniors living in the greater Saratoga region. The relocation of the Senior Center to the West Avenue campus will free up the current center space for other civic organizations to operate, which will benefit the entire community.
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
spaces and wellness centers devoted to public health - something the Dake Foundation and Stewart’s Shops have been consistent with in their giving for decades. An indoor “adventure center” which will include a play space, a new gymnasium, as and a shared lobby area between the Y and the Senior Center, are also parts of the plan.“Saratoga is nationally recognized for its dedication to healthy living, and this project is not only a natural extension of that, but is taking a revolutionary approach to the many benefits of intergenerational wellness,” said Saratoga Regional YMCA CEO Scott Clark. “At a time when social interaction and healthy bodies are more important than ever, we are so thrilled to be able to create this special space for our community. We are so grateful to all of our benefactors who are helping to make it a reality.”
training, a form of biofeedback that teaches people to consciously control variations in their heart rate.
When working with all clients—athletes and non-athletes—Lofink utilizes heart rate variability
“The absence of that ritual really affected him in a way that he wasn’t able to articulate or understand,” said Lofink. “So, we processed the trauma of losing his grandfather and not having him at the games anymore. Everything really corrected at that point.”
The new building will supply additional space and will come fully equipped with new fitness
‘MindBody Fusion’ Owner Works To Help Athletes Reach Their Full Potential
Heather Lofink, a local Licensed Mental Health Counselor, is on a mission to help athletes reach their maximum potential.
Heather Lofink opened her MindBody Fusion business in Saratoga Springs.
Although Lofink received a certificate in sports psychology while earning her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, the work that she is doing differs from sports psychology which is typically more long-term. On average, she works with an athlete for just 10 to 15 hours.
“It’s meant to be short-term. It’s different than sports psychology, which is about the pressures of sports and how to live with that. People come to me when they are really in trouble—when everything else has Althoughfailed.”EMDR is widely utilized by professional athletes, it is still relatively unknown.
Depending on the needs of the individual athlete, Lofink may also use bilateral stimulation which targets the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for the flight, fight, or freeze response.
“I teach them about their autonomic nervous system and how to harness it,” she said. “If something feels stressful—if you are on the free throw line and the game is one the line—your heart rate goes up and your respiration goes up. You are going to start sweating and having all sorts of stress responses, and that is not helpful to your body. With heart rate variability training, we use biofeedback/neurofeedback, and I teach them how to lower their respiration and how to lower their heart rate in times of stress.”
“He was a rock star batter, but he just couldn’t hit. His parents had tried every clinic and everything else that they could do,” she said.
A Saratoga Springs native, Lofink worked at St. Peter’s Addiction Recovery Center before opening her own private practice in the One Roof health care building at 58 Henry St. in Saratoga Springs in February 2021.
Stewart’s Shops/Dake Family recently donated $3 million to support the Saratoga YMCA and Saratoga Senior Center’s joint project.
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 • 9
The YMCA has been dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the greater Saratoga community for over 150 years. This expansion project will provide much-needed additional space for the Y when post-COVID operations are currently requiring more space in exercise areas to better support public health, officials said.
“I use Bi-Tapps, which are basically little buzzers that you hold in your hands,” she said. “What we are doing is engaging both hemispheres of the brain to distract the amygdala so that we aren’t having that stress response anymore.”
This is a rendering of the new Saratoga Senior Center to be built adjacent to the Saratoga YMCA. Stewart’s Shops/Dake Family donated $3 million to the project.
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He recommends laptops users purchase either an external monitor or external keyboard. When
focus their efforts on the propulsion systems of large airplanes. Since that time, the company’s engineers have been tasked with building an electric version of a jet“Weengine.built our first version last year, and it’s been in testing. We are planning to do test flights of our electric jet engine in 2023 or 2024,” said Engler. “We’re testing it first on the ground in our laboratory. Then we will be going to a simulated altitude chamber. Step number three will be actually putting it on an airplane and flying it.”
“We really work on patient education and preventing back pain through positioning and ergonomics,” she said.
Since the start of the pandemic, chiropractor Dr. Brad Elliott, owner of Elliott Chiropractic in Clifton Park, has seen an uptick in the number of patients seeking care for back, neck, and shoulder pain. “Home workstations have kept providers like me busy,” he said. “There’s been a lot of overuse injury from working from home without a doubt. I’ve seen a lot of neck, shoulder, and upper back issues and a lot of nerve and muscle-based issues from forward head carriage.”
A large-scale study conducted in Japan showed that increased work from home has led to an increase in lower back pain, and Google searches for the words “back pain” reached an all-time high in January 2022. Poor ergonomics in the home office are thought to be partially to blame for the worldwide surge in back pain.
“These foot problems lead to early amputations and early death, and it often tends to be in veterans,” he said. “It costs the medical system billions and billions of dollars. It’s a large social problem and a large economic opportunity, and that’s really the same as with electric airplanes.”
The company has already formed partnerships with NASA and the United States Air Force as well as EasyJet in Europe and VivaAerobus in Mexico.
After identifying that 98 percent of carbon emissions in the aerospace industry come from planes larger than 100 passengers, the company chose to
“A lot of the times when we are on the computer we are slouched and our head is forward. Our ears need to be aligned with our shoulders and our shoulders need to be aligned with our hips when are sitting.”
Because the majority of Wright Electric’s 20 staff members are engineers, Engler said the company was a perfect fit for the Capital Region.
Engler’s interest in electric airplanes was piqued ten years after he visited a web site that allowed him to calculate his personal carbon footprint.
A few years later, when Engler was given the opportunity to start another new company, he had what he called a “light bulb moment.” Knowing that electric airplanes were on the horizon, he decided to do what he could to accelerate the adoption of this technology. “Iwanted to try to accelerate it by a decade or so,” he said. “That was the original goal of our company–to accelerate the adoption of commercial electric aircraft by ten years.”
Developer Of Electric Airplanes Moves Its Headquarters To STEP Tech Park in Malta
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
“What I found was that it turned out that each time I ate vegetarian, it had a relatively small impact on my carbon footprint. But a single flight had a huge impact,” he said. “Subsequently, there has been a lot of research on this, and it turns out you would have to eat vegetarian for over a year to offset the carbon from even a single New York to Chicago flight.”
10 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022
Courtesy Wright Electric Continued On Page 11 Continued On Page 15 Expert electrical service. 518.389.7411 MrElectric.com/Queensbury Locally Owned and Operated Franchise
Home Work Stations Can Lead To Back Woes; Experts Have Advice To Help Prevent That
Aviation company Wright Electric has moved its headquarters to the 280-acre Saratoga Technology + Energy Park (STEP) in Malta.
Co-founder Jeff Engler, a Hudson Valley native with a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, is an entrepreneur who has also worked in the private sector. He previously co-founded Podimetrics, a company that designed the SmartMat, a medical device used for the early detection of foot ulcers in diabetics.
tables or in Accordingrecliners.toBuher, “You want the desk at a certain height so that your feet will be flat on the floor. You don’t want your knees to be higher than your hips. You want your arms at a height where your elbows aren’t reaching up too high or reaching down too low. If your desk is too low, you are going to get that rounded spine of your upper back. Your thoracic spine needs to be extended and your neck needs to be over your shoulders.
When it comes to ergonomics, Elliott said laptops are particularly problematic because it is almost impossible to sit correctly when using one. In order for the hands and wrists to be positioned at the correct angle, the head must be tilted down which puts pressure on the cervical spine.
Their Wright Spirit Aircraft builds on a fourengine, 100-passenger platform and transforms it to an all-electric, zero-emissions aircraft serving onehour flights. Wright Electric’s mission is to eliminate carbon emissions from all flights under 800 miles by the year 2040.
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
“I have certainly seen an increase in all of this because people have been more sedentary since COVID, and they are all working from home. During COVID, I did tele-rehab, and I had a ton of people from New York City who were really trapped in their apartments. I worked with them to correct their seating, correct their posture, and give them exercises to counteract everything that they were doing.”
Jeff Engler is co-founder of Wright Electric, which moved its headquarters to Malta.
Founded in Boston in 2017, the company is developing zero-emissions electric airplanes for short regional flights. Their electric motors and motor controllers are versatile and will be able to serve other industries including the maritime industry, according to the company.
Denise Didio Buher, PT, owner of Orthopedic and Spine Physical Therapy in Queensbury, said her practice has also seen an increase in the number of patients seeking treatment for back and neck pain.
Buher is trained in the McKenzie Method, a biopsychosocial system of musculoskeletal care that emphasizes patient empowerment and selftreatment. She also does ergonomic assessments for individuals and companies.
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When seated at a desk, Elliott said feet should flat on the floor with the head centered over the torso and the elbows at or slightly above 90 degrees. And although it should go without saying, he cautions people against working at coffee
BY PAUL POST
Typically, each project has a large anchor tenant such as a municipality or hospital, which has good credit and uses a lot of energy. This takes a certain degree of risk off the table by ensuring the project has a reliable source of income. The large anchor tenant may use 60 percent of the solar project’s electric generation. The rest is divvied up among residential and small business users, which must average less than 25 kilowatts of usage.
with lumbar support. If you don’t keep the arch in your lumbar spine—your low back—that will affect the whole spine all the way up from the back to the neck. Most importantly, you need to support your lumbar spine into what we call the lordosis position which is more of an arched position versus a rounded forward spine.”
And third, customers want to know how they’re going to be billed. In some cases, they’re sent a second invoice in addition to their regular utility bill, a situation most people want to avoid.
Elliott and Buher both recommend the use of telephone headsets and adjustable standing desks. Headsets prevent a person from tilting their head to the side and cradling the phone between the ear and shoulder. Adjustable standing desks enable a person to alternate between sitting and“Istanding.lovestanding desks because standing and walking are so good for the spine,” said Buher. “Standing is a nice break for the spine, but you do need to be able to sit. You need to change your position throughout the day.”
Because women typically have shorter legs, she recommends women buy chairs with shorter depths. Seat depth refers to the measurement taken from the back of a seating area to the front. For both men and women, she advises against using rocker office chairs which have an unstable base and therefore do not provide adequate
Buher and Elliott, people working with multiple computer screens are at risk of developing neck pain that results from constantly turning the head to one side to look at a screen. This can be counteracted by turning the head to the opposite side multiple times throughout the day.
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 • 11
“Every 20 minutes, change position for 20 seconds,” he said. “We like to have people stand up and lean into extension with their low spine for 20 seconds. And look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to get your eyes off that screen.”Achieving proper ergonomics in the home office can be a daunting task, and for those who need assistance, Buher offers ergonomics consults both virtually and in person. For more information visit www.orthopedicspinept.com.
Both practitioners say that the single most important piece of advice they have to offer on ergonomics relates to having the proper chair.
Community solar is a large array of solar panels at an offsite location that allows customers to access such power without installing panels on their homes. Developers build and operate community solar projects, and energy delivery companies like National Grid purchase and distribute credits generated by the projects to participating customers.
Buher offers similar advice and said, “The most important thing is getting a chair
Chuck Ciaccia
Jude Gosh Dave Weiss
Continued From Page 10 Solar panel installations like this at offsite locations allow customers to access such power without installing panels at their businesses or at their homes. Courtesy NYSERDA Professional Development Classes Invest in your company, your employees, and yourself through professional development September 13th Nonprofit Financial Management capitalcfollc com/professionaldevelopment Explore more classes at: 26F Congress Street #158 Saratoga Springs NY 512866 18 350 4020
It’s an easy way for residential and small business owners alike to offset the current 8.5 rate of inflation by shaving up to 10 percent off their electric bills.
“If a solar project is already active, customers can start seeing savings within two to three months of signing a document. If the solar project is still in development, it could be six to 12 months depending on the project timeline. We try to get people in sooner rather than later.”
“There’s very little downside with this,” said Nathan Giebel, EnergyNext LLC vice president of energy services. “It’s a win-win, which is why they’re so popular. We partner with a lot of chambers of commerce. That’s how a lot of businesses come to interact with us.”
So Giebel suggested finding a project that involves just one Nationalinvoice.Grid, simply because of its large service area, has the most opportunities for community solar in upstate New York.
Home Work Stations
33 years
Accordingsupport.to
Community Solar Projects Are A Way For Businesses, Residents To Save On Bills
“The biggest thing people care about is, How much am I going to save? What’s the guaranteed savings percentage? Most are 10 percent. Some are 5 percent. If you see something less than 10 percent, there’s probably something better available,” Giebel said.
“The state requires that a certain percent of each project’s solar power be available to small users,” Giebel said. “We currently have three partners available for subscription in the National Grid service area. There’s pretty good availability rightTonow.”getstarted, EnergyNext first confirms that a potential client is eligible for community solar by checking their electricity usage. “We need a recent invoice,” Giebel said. “Then we’ll send them a PDF contract or enrollment link depending on who the provider is with the best opportunity.
Second, contracts are typically long term, perhaps up to 20 years. So clients might want to know if it’s possible to get out of an agreement without incurring any fees. Giebel said this is usually possible, with a 60- to 90-day advance notice window.
Continued On Page 15 Since 1945 Eastern Heating and Cooling, Inc. has been serving commercial and industrial customers through Upstate New York, Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont with designs, installation and maintenance service. When faced with difficult complex problems, experience matters Quality People. Buildin g Solutions
using an external keyboard, a laptop stand can be used to elevate the screen so that the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level. For proper positioning of the screen, Elliott said to place it approximately an arm length away.
Elliott also recommends stretches for the lower back to counteract the effects of sitting for long periods of time.
EnergyNext is a division of Chicago-based Satori Energy and has an office in Saratoga Springs.
The National Grid website provides an easy, step-by-step process for getting enrolled in communityNationalsolar.Grid says this a good time to shop for solar, for three main reasons. They are:
28 years
There are three main issues the firm helps clients navigate when deciding which community solar project to enroll in.
If the chair itself does not provide adequate support, he suggests using a cushion or rolled up towel to fill the lumbar spine–the five bones in the lower back.
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“You want to have lumbar support for your lower back so that you can sit back against the backrest,” said Elliott. “It’s pretty simple stuff, but if you are out at the edge of the chair, everything is in flexion (bent). A month or two of that, and you are going to have issues. Simply said, you want a chair that fits the length of your femur. If you are in a chair where the saddle is too deep and you can’t get back against it, you aren’t going to have support.”
12 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022
Companies are continuously looking to attain strong employees yet are struggling because valuable workers are fleeing to seek other options with stronger compensation. Often a potential employee will be willing to take a salary decrease if the benefits package is more robust with a higher employeeWhencontribution.interviewing, be open and communicative with interviewees. Be clear about your company’s contributions toward health insurance. If a potential employee does not ask, inform them if they will receive health benefits right away or if there is a waiting period. Either way, offering health coverage shows employees your company cares are invested in them.
and life insurance.
Located at 1673 Route 9 in the Healthplex Fitness office complex. It is in Clifton Park but has a Halfmoon mailing address.
was a shift to working from home. It is not always possible to make this happen exclusively but aim to be flexible. Offering a flexible schedule, summer hours, a hybrid option, or even fully remote can make your company more desirable. Additionally, giving employees a little more choice makes them happier, feel valued, and thus are moreProvideproductive.apositive employee culture. A negative work environment has become a growing trend for employees seeking new opportunities. A major benefit employers can add is camaraderie. It does not always need to be fun and games but offers opportunities for employees to develop relationships and build morale. Provide office lunches, and host company get-togethers, picnics, or holiday parties.
It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Be flexible. A huge effect of COVID-19
Formerly employed by a single insurance company, Ferlazzo now sells policies from 15 carriers. He said his client base stretches across the Capital District.
Foursurance Agency LLC provides insurance for anything with four wheels, four walls and even four paws, Ferlazzo said.
After only a few weeks, Ferlazzo said business has been good.
The office is staffed only by Ferlazzo and Bob Reilly, a colleague.
Don Ferlazzo opened a new independent insurance agency, Foursurance, located at 1673 Route 9 in Clifton Park in the Healthplex Fitness office complex. InsuranceJOURNAL/Employee Benefits
Foursurance Agency LLC In Clifton Park Provides Home, Automobile, Life Insurance
Recruiting • •
Basically, the company handles auto, home
Benefits Help Businesses Retain Employees
Don Ferlazzo opened a new independent insurance agency in August in Clifton Park.
BY JILL NAGY
All of these can build camaraderie among employees and build a better, more positive working culture.
All of these make them feel valued and appreciated which in turn increases their productivity.
The company website is foursurance.com and the telephone number is 518-978-4044.
Courtesy
“There are a lot of fours in life that need protecting,” he said, adding he wants to be people’s “forever agency.”
Renee Walrath, president, Walrath Recruiting Inc., Saratoga Springs. Walrath Business Report
BY RENEE WALRATH
The bottom line is, that offering a more vigorous compensation package to employees not only benefits them but benefits your company. Providing health insurance, PTO, flexible work schedule, and creating a positive atmosphere lets your employees know you care and are invested in them.
“Life insurance can help protect your family from a crippling fi nancial burden in the event you or your spouse passes away,” says the company website. “Whether you’re newly married, raising a family or nearing retirement and want to leave a nest egg behind, we can help you fi nd a life insurance policy that fits your needs and your budget.”
If the past few years have taught us anything it would have to be that life is ever-changing and situations can change at the drop of a hat. Benefits have shifted from being just part of an employment compensation package to a focal point of employment and a draw for top-tier talent.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com SPECIAL SECTION SARATOGA BUSINESS
Employees are more likely to accept a position and remain with a company that provides them with excellent health benefits. This in turn, increases employee retention and reduces costs for companies. With less turnover, companies do not have to continually recruit, onboard, and train newOnemployees.topofoffering health insurance, ensure that your interviewees are aware of your company’s policy on accumulating paid time off (PTO) days, sick days, vacation days, and holidays. These benefits can sometimes be just as important to a potential employee as health coverage and is often a deciding factor in accepting a position.Providing employees with time off can decrease their stress, anxiety, and mental health oftentimes increasing their productivity. In addition, encouraging employees to use their sick days allows employees feeling under the weather to stay home thus preventing more employees from getting ill. This can help ease more employees from getting sick and ultimately prevent a decrease in productivity.
SUNY Empire State Partners With Amazon To Help Its Employees Learn New Work Skills
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with SUNY Empire on our Career Choice program to give our employees access to pursue the education path that fits their passions. Whether employees are looking to fi nish their bachelor’s degree at SUNY Empire or build on their foundational skills of English proficiency or GED preparation with our national partners, we’re prepared to meet our employees wherever they are on their educational journey.”
The program will provide funding for products that manage the financial risk associated with climate change, supporting the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal of reducing carbon emissions 85 percent by 2050.
“Addressing the financial risks from climate change through the research, development and advancement of insurance innovation for clean, efficient technologies is a win-win for New York
State Seeks Companies To Develop Insurance Policies To Promote Clean Technologies
is supported through NYSERDA’s Novel Business Model and Offering initiative, which promotes new business models, commercial service or product offerings, and tools that enable scaling of climate solutions through customer acquisition or increased capital flows. This program works together with NYSERDA’s innovation and entrepreneurial support programs to advance innovative technologies to market.Officials
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Koskey, Rath & Florio, PC of Valatie, N.Y., where he managed internal audits for community bank clients. He also served as chief compliance officer for Paradigm Capital Management, and most recently was vice president and chief risk officer for National Bank of Coxsackie.
“I am thrilled to join the exceptional team at
businesses and consumers alike,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “The availability of this important R&D funding will ultimately support new business models that seek to overcome barriers for bringing new products to market and build on Gov. Hochul’s all-encompassing approach to achieving a carbon-neutral economy by NYSERDAmid-century.”willaccept applications from qualified organizations through Oct. 12.
for their generosity in making this event possible.”Businesses interested in attending the B2B Expo as a participant or sponsor are encouraged to register for booth space ahead of time by emailing Andrea Cole at acole@ saratoga.org.
Signor is a graduate of Siena College, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting.
The program administrator will also select innovative insurance ideas, products, and services, such as insurance for residential and commercial renewable energy projects, that will develop new business models to enable future climate technologyThsolutions.eprogram administrator will be awarded up to $1.5 million to work with managing general underwriters (MGUs) and managing general agents (MGAs) that can research, develop, and test new insurance products, and it will award up to $5 million in competitive grants which are anticipated to be announced in 2023.
The college will also begin offering college courses on site at Amazon’s Career Choice Classrooms in Staten Island and Albany in the spring of 2023. In the U.S. alone, the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 Amazon employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.SUNY Empire was selected to Amazon’s Career Choice program, in part, because of its unique position within the SUNY system as a pioneer and leading provider of online and hybrid education and supports for working adults. The college is also a national leader in prior learning assessment (PLA), evaluating
Thomas Signor
Chamber B2B Event
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will select a program administrator to develop the new initiative, manage operations, leverage industry expertise, and boost research and development to establish new risk models.
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Officials said partnership with SUNY Empire will make it more convenient for Amazon’s hourly employees to earn their undergraduate degree online, in person at SUNY Empire locations, at Amazon Career Choice classrooms located across New York state, or a combination of all three.
SUNY Empire State College President Lisa Vollendorf said, “through our participation in the Amazon Career Choice program, we will build the diversity of our students and provide access for Amazon employees to affordably and conveniently earn college credit for their experiences while they work, earn their degrees, and tend to their personal and community commitments. We are excited to provide access to educational opportunities to Amazon employees.”
SUNY Empire State College has been accepted as a premier member into the Amazon Career Choice program, an education benefit that empowers Amazon employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere.SUNYEmpire is the fi rst institution within the SUNY system to partner with the Amazon Career Choice program.
“New York state is leaving no stone unturned in our fight against climate change, and that includes investing in industries that will develop and advance clean, green technologies,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “By promoting innovative policies that will create more sustainable climate technology, we are taking bold action to meet the challenges of climate change. My administration remains laser focused on supporting key initiatives that will benefit both businesses and consumers while contributing to our state’s nation-leading climate efforts.”
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and granting college credit for relevant prior work and life experience.
State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “I’m excited about the collaboration between SUNY Empire and Amazon and the resulting investment in the New York state workforce. Th is is an attractive opportunity for working adults who need flexible, affordable educational options so they can earn their college degrees while working and supporting their families.”
Pioneer, and to have the opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking, community-minded financial institution,” said Signor. “From an unparalleled dedication to serving its customers, to an unwavering commitment to the highest standards, to a supportive culture that values each employee, Pioneer is well-positioned for growth, and I’m excited to be part of it.”
A scoring committee will evaluate all proposals based on the published criteria. Each applicant must show how they can promote the research and development needed to bring new insurance products and services to market to meet the state’s climate and clean energy goals. This includes soliciting new insurance ideas, managing the development and growth of the program, and reducing risk for climate technology solutions andThservices.isprogram
said since 2009, the state has invested more than $28 million through NYSERDA’s entrepreneurial support programs, supporting nearly 374 companies and generating more than 1,700 jobs. More than $1.8 billion in private investments and $200 million in project finance capital have been created while helping bring more than 589 new and improved clean energy products to market, including LED lighting systems, home appliances, longer-lasting batteries, and more efficient heating-and-cooling systems.
Funding for this initiative is provided through the state’s 10-year, $5.3 billion Clean Energy Fund.
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 • 13
A new program focused on the research and development of new insurance policies and products to promote the adoption of clean technologies across New York state is on the way.
Th rough its Career Choice program, Amazon provides funding for employees’ tuition, books, and fees with no lifetime limit on participating.SUNYEmpire and Amazon are collaborating to hold fall information sessions for Amazon employees across New York state, beginning with the company’s two Staten Island distribution centers, as well as distribution centers in Albany and Buffalo. The goal is to eventually expand the partnership to eligible employees in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Continued From Page 1
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“At Amazon, we’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere,” said Carley Graham Garcia, head of community affairs at Amazon in New York.
Last year, SUNY Empire’s graduates were awarded nearly 45,000 PLA credits, saving them time and money in completing their undergraduate degrees. SUNY Empire offers more than 110 online undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.
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A wide array of working artists and restaurateurs call the three-block stretch on the west side of Saratoga Springs home.
14 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022
Jeff Budge will continue his decade-long tenure managing book shop operations.
In-line with this refreshed, forward-looking mindset, the group also launched a new logo and formalized its relationship with the Saratoga Book Festival.Thefestival was established in 2019 by a group of local bibliophiles and first held in fall 2021 with fiscal sponsor oversight from the Friends. Lead festival founder Ellen Beal now serves as Friends vice president.
“The result of our pandemic experience is a stronger, more focused organization,” said Ingram. “Jen is the perfect person to help us reach our potential to support the library and our community.”
For book shop hours, visit friends.sspl.org.
“With the addition of this new Amtrak train line to our sister city, we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to discover—or rediscover—our many arts and culture destinations such as the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Caffe Lena, the Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Arts, Yaddo and our vibrant downtown, with independent and antiquarian bookstores, live music 365 days a year, and restaurants to suit every taste.”
The Beekman Street Arts District is guided by the nonprofit organization Saratoga Springs Arts District, Inc. (SSADI) and sponsors the annual Beekman Street Art Fair held in June, Friday night pop-up art events during the warmer months, and Frostbite Friday in the winter.
Continued From Page 1 and forward- thinking,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “We can’t think of a better place for our like-minded friends to explore than our very own Saratoga Springs, an incomparable international cultural destination.
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Jennifer Allen, executive director, Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library.
and tradition; and Don Shore of Lesperance Tiles, maker of artisanal tilework for installations and stand-alone art pieces.
The Beekman Street Arts District is home to a new art gallery, The Cottage of Art & Design, at 73 Beekman St., a collective that showcases the work of six local creatives and features jewelry, fiber art, pottery, art quilts, tiles, mosaics, and paintings.
The Friends has long benefited from a generous community of members, donors, and book shop patrons as well as a committed corps of nearly 60 volunteers, Ingram said. The realities of COVID, however, forced the group to close its book shop for months and the organization was forced to rethink how it achieves its mission.
Allen oversees all Friends activities, including its successful used book shop, and will work to expand community engagement and support for the library’s facilities, programs and collection.
Dining is available at Taverna Novo, Kraverie, The Local, and The Barrell House.
Threads, and the Dark Gem Shoppe that are all within a three-block stroll.
For details and event and class information, visit www.CottageArtDesign.com or write info@ CottageArtDesign.com.TheBeekmanStreet Arts District runs from Grand Avenue to West Circular Street. After years of ups and downs, the Arts District continues to evolve with new galleries and shops joining the established
expanded service will provide these employers and others with a new option for commuting to and from these “GlobalFoundrieslocations.has semiconductor manufacturing facilities located near both Saratoga Springs and Burlington that will be well served with this extension into Burlington,” said Laurie Kelly, GlobalFoundries chief communications officer. “We are excited that our GF employees now have the opportunity to travel more easily by passenger rail between our sites. We appreciate the significant investment made by the state of Vermont to make this connection possible, as well as the work by the Saratoga and Lake Champlain Chambers of Commerce to promote the use of this service.”
For more information or to sign up for the Arts District’s seasonal newsletters, visit www.ArtsonBeekman.org.
Courtesy Saratoga Public Library
Cottage Of Art & Design On Beekman Street Houses The Works Of Six Local Artisans
For more information on the Ethan Allen Express, visit www.amtrak.com/ethan-allenexpress-train.
SSADI, with the help of Discover Saratoga and grants from Saratoga Arts, works to preserve and promote the Saratoga Springs Arts District.
Amtrak
A four-block walk from Broadway on Washington Street, the neighborhood offers galleries and working studios open to the public, including the Textile Studio, where people can see handwoven textiles on theAtlooms.Eden Compton Gallery there is fine art. There is also the Stoor Roots Shop, The Vintage Shop, Plum and Crimson Fine Interior Design, Living Resources Gallery, CREATE Community Studios, Grateful
Amejo Amyot is one of six artist partners who share space at the new Cottage of Art and Design Gallery at 73A Beekman St. in Saratoga Springs.
businesses and restaurants on the street.
“We look forward to welcoming our friends from Burlington into our wonderful city,” said Shimkus. “We are excited to have this new rail connection and can’t wait to continue encouraging both our communities to visit each other far into the future.”
Financed by grants secured by preservation minded proponents the Arts District went from vision to reality over 20 years ago.
The Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library has hired Jennifer Allen as its first executive director.
“The Friends saw an opportunity over the past two years to reflect and rebuild,” said Klare Ingram, president of the board of directors. “Hiring a fulltime executive director was long overdue and aligns with how much the organization has grown during its nearly 50-year history.”
Hours for shops on Beekman vary by location, but most are open 11a.m. until 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.
Along with cultural and entertainment experiences, there are a number of businesses with facilities in both communities, including Kru Coffee, Thorn & Roots, Healthy Living Market, and GlobalFoundries. Officials said the
Friends Of Saratoga Springs Public Library Make Jennifer Allen First Executive Director
The festival will be the Friends’ flagship special event. The second annual Saratoga Book Festival will be held throughout Saratoga Springs on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21 and 22.
Allen joined full-time in July, after working with the Friends part-time since the start of the year. She brings two decades of experience from leadership roles in fundraising, marketing, community engagement and education.
The Cottage artists are Amejo Amyot, creator of spiritually motivated clay work and paintings; Meg Dalton, maker of detailed art quilts and wearables; Meryl Davis of Black Bird designs, designer and crafter of enamel jewelry and mosaics; Nancy Niefeld of Two Spruce Pottery, creator of finely crafted sculpture and pottery; Susan Rivers of Greentree Fiber Arts, practitioner of Quilted Alchemy, blending technology
“Our initial engineers were G.E. research engineers. There’s incredible engineering talent in the Albany area.”
“Even though there may be research going on at these big aerospace companies, sometimes it takes an outsider to come in and push the industry forward,” he said.
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Earlier this year, National Grid and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) launched a Solar-For-All program that automatically provides monthly credits to nearly 175,000 income-eligible customers enrolled in National Grid’s Energy Affordability
The CLCPA also requires at least 35 percent of clean energy program benefits to be directed to low-to-moderate income customers. valleys, new kitchen (June 2022) with quartz countertops, updated primary bath, main bath with sinks
Although there are other companies working on electric jet engines, Engler believes Wright Electric is positioned for success.
Continued From Page 10
Community Solar
To meet the goals outlined by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), New York is required develop 10 gigawatts of distributed solar projects by 2025, and 70 percent of the state’s electricity must come from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, by 2030.
nicely
“It basically says that for competitive and environmental reasons that the U.S. has to become a leader in electric aircraft propulsion,” said Engler. “This is a major opportunity to do that.”
updated
• Third, people may begin the process of shopping for solar now and plan for an installation later this year, to take advantage of the low costs and best financial incentives.
ExpandedProgram.Solar-For-All is designed to deliver the benefits of community solar to low-income customers, who are often shut out of renewable energy sources due to cost.
Their proximity to GlobalFoundries gives the company access to the electrical infrastructure that is needed in order for them to test their high-power motors. “For testing those motors, you need a lot of electricity,” said Engler. “We were able to get a space in the same office park area as GlobalFoundries, so there was already a lot of power there. As a start-up company it’s much better to go with a lower cost office space than to have to build something out yourself.” Therecent passage of the CHIPS Act (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America) which was signed into law by President Biden in August, is good news for Wright Electric. It includes the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act which creates a goal for cleaner, quieter airplanes, and accelerates the work that NASA is doing to reduce greenhouse gas and noise emissions.
• Attractive incentives are offered such as the federal investment tax credit, which was extended with the Inflation Reduction Act, meaning users have more time to claim the tax benefit, which provides a tax credit of 30 percent for most solar shoppers.•Second, by reviewing multiple quotes by vetted installers people are able to save about 20 percent from average market pricing.
& walk in shower, 1st floor laundry, built-ins, new furnace, new A/C unit, inground Concord pool and hot tub! Custom patio and huge fenced in yard! 26 Lakewood Drive, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 $649,900 Listing Agent: Anny O’Neil 518.369.4188 | aoneill@roohanrealty.com NEWLISTING •• Available Commercial & Residential Properties We’d like to promote your commercial or residential property. Call us, 581-0600. Card Catalog RichardOwnerKessinger P.O. Box 187 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) saratogalawnmaintenance@gmail.com944-0359 Wright Continued From Page 10
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022 • 15
double
• Runhappy Travers Day generated recordsetting all-sources handle of $55,559,315 as 49,762 paying customers watched Epicenter win the 153rd running of Saratoga’s signature race.
• Fans tuned in to Saratoga Live in record numbers as NYRA’s flagship television program posted its highest ratings ever. Broadcast on the FOX Sports family of networks for the seventh
Among the highlights of the 2022 Saratoga meet:
• Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez secured his record-extending 1,000th career win at Saratoga Race Course when he guided Precursory to victory for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott on Aug. 25.
Grade 1 stakes three years in a row at Saratoga with his victory in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on July 30. The trifecta included wins in the 2021 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial and 2020 Runhappy Hopeful.
• Jockey Joel Rosario set a Saratoga record for most graded stakes victories in a single meet with 12, including his win aboard Epicenter in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.
Continued From Page 1
consecutive year and presented by America’s Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, Saratoga Live featured more than 225 hours of coverage and analysis from Saratoga Race Course.
The Taste NY Pavilion at Saratoga Race Course featured a wide selection of New York craft beers, hard cider, wines and spirits from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks and Saratoga to Cooperstown as a showcase of the state’s robust food and beverage industry.Formore information, visit NYRA.com.
NYRA
• Klaravich Stables was the meet’s leading owner; Chad Brown claimed the H. Allen Jerkens training title; and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. captured the Angel Cordero Jr. riding title.
This year included the debut of the Jim Dandy on FOX, which also carried the Runhappy Travers for the fourth year in a row.
• Jackie’s Warrior became the first horse to win a
• The Wilson Chute made its return to Saratoga Race Course after being dismantled 50 years ago. NYRA reconstructed the historic chute to allow for one-mile races to be contested on the main track.
an active thoroughbred breeding farm.
NYRA continued to make capital investments in Saratoga with the debut of the Paddock Suite, a climate-controlled hospitality area with sweeping views of the Saratoga paddock, located above the newly renovated Post Bar.
NYRA holds the exclusive franchise to conduct thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York state’s horse racing industry, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact.
In partnership with CDTA and Old Tavern Farm, NYRA launched the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour, which sold out prior to the start of the season. Each Friday, guests enjoyed breakfast at Saratoga Race Course followed by a trolley ride to nearby Old Tavern Farm, where they embarked on a 90-minute guided walking tour of
16 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2022
Saratoga Race Course hosted the Budweiser Clydesdales for the first time in more than 15 years. Thousands of fans turned out in mid-August to enjoy photo opportunities with the Clydesdales and to witness them parade on the main track in front of the grandstand.
7.8. In 2021, 416 races were conducted, including 242 on dirt and 174 on the turf. Forty-five races were taken off the turf. Average field size was 7.7.