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Month: April 2017

Evans Family Builds Company That Provides Businesses With Renewable Energy Solutions

Posted onApril 7, 2017
Lee Evans, seated, Milt Evans, right, and Kenneth Evans own the ReWire Energy Group.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Maureen Werther

There are a lot of reasons why people decide to open a business. For the Evans brothers and their father, ReWire Energy Group is the result of a strong love of family combined with a commitment to develop renewable and sustainable energy solutions for homes, businesses and municipalities.

In 2012, Milton Evans, a former technology and product-development professional, lost his wife, Corella Brown Evans, and his five sons lost their mother. The lessons she taught about the importance of family stuck with them.

“We vowed to support each other and stay in touch,” said son Lee Evans. They started holding weekly phone calls and during one of them the idea of starting a business together began to form.

Each brother had already amassed an impressive business portfolio, working for companies such as GE, Albany Nanotech, Deutsche Bank, YMCA, Motorola, Glaxo Smith-Kline and others. They brought their combined skill sets to each phone conference, discussing how best to leverage their talents and incorporate them into a viable business model.

By 2015, their business model was ready and ReWire Energy opened for business.

Read More

Business Grows From Making Insulation For Homes To Important Maritime Industry Uses

Posted onApril 7, 2017April 7, 2017
Tom Eletto, with his wife, Cynthia, owns Empire Foam Solutions.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Maureen Werther

Tom and Cynthia Eletto’s company, Empire Foam Solutions, gives new meaning to the phrase, “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Founded in 2008, the company began manufacturing and installing polyurethane foam as insulation in commercial buildings and residences.

However, as an entrepreneur Tom soon began “tweaking” his manufacturing formulations and developed an ultra-high density foam that is resistant to water, making it a valuable product for the maritime industry.

Large boats and barges—many of them up to 300 feet in length—can’t simply be lifted out of the water and re-welded when they begin to rust and deteriorate from age. By analyzing each problem as it arises, Eletto develops solutions that will keep large boats and barges afloat, he said.

Today, Empire Foam Solutions is busy installing high density foam as flotation on barges in several locations, said Eletto. Winning a bid to install foam as flotation on barges working on the Erie and Champlain systems for the state Division of Canals back in 2012 launched the company into the maritime market. They have stabilized vessels in Boston, Rhode Island, Peoria and St. Louis and opportunities are percolating across the country.

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Business Report: What To Do When Demand Exceeds Output

Posted onApril 7, 2017April 7, 2017
Michael Billok, resident at Bond, Schoeneck & King’s Saratoga Springs office.

By Michael Billok

So you’ve invented the next “fidget cube,” found a way to home-deliver hot French fries without a hint of sogginess, or developed the cure for the common cold. The problem is, of course, you are now too successful.

You and your partners don’t have enough hands or time in the day to get done everything that needs to get done, and the few employees you may have are extremely overburdened. You need more workers, yesterday, but of course you have to limit your expense in order to make a profit.

So what are your options?

Option 1: The intern.

I have had this conversation with several entrepreneurial friends of mine. “We have so much work to do,” they have said, “I think I’ll need to bring on an intern.” Now, if this is an intern that will be paid at least the minimum wage (currently $9.70 in our area, or $10.75 for fast-food establishments). My response is to tell them to go for it.

But that is usually not the case—unfortunately, there is a common misconception that “intern” is a word that means “free grunt work”—and they were thinking about bringing on unpaid interns to handle the increased workload. And that is where I steer my friends away from the precipice.

In order for an internship to be unpaid, there are a number of factors that need to be met. But the key point is that for someone to be an unpaid intern, and not an employee, the primary beneficiary of the relationship must be the intern, not the organization.

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‘The Perfect Noodle’ In Mechanicville Serves Up Homemade Pasta, Sandwiches And More

Posted onApril 7, 2017
Tami Demers, right, and husband James Demers, owners of the Perfect Noodle pose in their Mechanicville store with employee Beverly Pignatelli.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Margaret MacDonald

The husband-and-wife team Tami and John Demers celebrated the two-year anniversary of their business, the Perfect Noodle, in May.

Located at 205 Park Ave., Mechanicville, between Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s the store offers homemade pasta and a sense of community as well.

Growing up in Mechanicville before relocating to Stillwater, Tami remembers an Italian corner store “on every corner,” family-owned operations where larger grocery chains have now taken over.

As a child, her grandmother and mother made fresh homemade pasta – something Demers did for her kids, too.

Having wanted to open a business for some time (being a stay-at-home mom), she sought to recreate that sense of community that nourished her as a child.

She proposed the idea to her husband, who conceded with a challenge: If Tami bought pasta from Arthur Avenue in New York City to compare to her own—and he couldn’t tell the difference—they would open the store.

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Company Uses Insulated Concrete Forms To Build Energy-Efficient, Sustainable Houses

Posted onApril 7, 2017
Andy Ellis of Halfmoon Construction stands at the construction site of a new home.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jill Nagy

Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) that fit together like Lego blocks form the skeleton of the Net Zero energy-efficient homes built by Halfmoon Construction of Clifton Park.

The company’s president, Andy Ellis, explained that the forms, called Lodgix Blocks, are set and filled with concrete.

“It gives us a really good base for an energy-efficient house,” he said.

The blocks serve three functions. Ellis said they replace the plywood on the outside, replace the wall insulation inside, and go in place of the framing of a traditionally built structure.

The cost is 8 to 10 percent more than traditional construction but, he said, the cost is recovered in less than three years because of the resulting energy savings. The houses he builds can be finished with any type of siding on the outside and traditional wallboard on the inside.

Currently, the company is building a “100-year house,” with corrugated metal siding and a metal roof.  “It won’t need any repairs soon,” he said.

The result will be a house with 12-inch walls, about double the traditional width. Windows and doors are set-in more and better defined and windows have wide sills. Otherwise, the house will not stand out from its non-sustainable neighbors.

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People Looking To Remodel Their Homes Are Seeking Customized Changes, Contractors Say

Posted onApril 7, 2017
This custom kitchen was done by Hinman Construction of Ballston Spa. Owner Kim Hinman says accessories are important to homeowners, allowing them to express their personality.
Courtesy Hinman Construction

By Jennifer Farnsworth

With spring finally here, local designers and home improvement experts say they will see a dramatic increase in calls from homeowners looking  to make a change.

Trends for 2017 center around the desire for customization; everything from cabinets to tiles, to paint colors.

Craig Vollkommer of Details and Improvements in Glens Falls said as soon as the weather starts to warm up everyone seems to want to start renovating at the same time. His advice to customers is to start making calls to contractors as early as possible in order to get their projects on a work schedule.

“Plan ahead, and prioritize, know what you want. We seem to get the calls all at once, so if you are looking to have something done sooner, rather than later, you need to reach out to designers and contractors now,” said Vollkommer.

Kitchens and bathrooms seem to continue to be the most in-demand, according to Vollkommer. He said people want the newest in bathroom shower options, laminates, granites, custom tiles, and backsplashes. He said that requests for painting is the one thing that never changes.

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Market For Condominiums Is Strong, Boosted By Desire To Live Maintenance-Free Lifestyle

Posted onApril 7, 2017April 11, 2017
Julie Bonacio of Julie & Co. Realty says rooftop terraces like this are popular with condo tenants. This one is at Park Place Condos, 268 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Courtesy Bonacio Construction

By R.J. DeLuke

Sales of condominiums and townhomes are brisk in Saratoga County, local real estate agents say. They have their own particular brand of customer and thus their availability does not affect the sale of single-family homes, whether existing or new construction.

The people who are buying condos are a mix of retirees, young professionals and those who use them as a second home, according to Janet Besheer, owner of Equitas Realty, and Julie Bonacio, founding owner of Julie & Co. Realty.

“In general, it goes back to maintenance-free living,” said Besheer. “People want more of a turnkey environment. They don’t want to have to do anything to the outside … You can just live and play.”

Bonacio said people buying condos are attracted by the low maintenance. “They don’t have to worry about snow plowing or raking leaves. Also, they can shut the door and travel when they want to.”

Condos and townhouses are about 25 percent of the inventory for Equitas, Besheer said. But there are a lot of new, large, single-family homes that are being built in the area on large lots.

Read More

Showcase Of Homes Is Set On 3 Fall Weekends

Posted onApril 7, 2017April 11, 2017

The 2017 Saratoga Showcase of Homes Committee is in full swing planning this year’s edition of the area’s premiere new home tour.

Now celebrating its 22nd year, the annual community tradition has now contributed over $1 million to local charities, according to the committee.

The 2017 Saratoga Showcase of Homes will take place over three weekends: Sept. 16-17, Sept. 23-24 and Sept. 30-Oct. 1. It will be featuring award-winning builders showcasing their new construction.

Tickets for the tour of the homes will remain at $20 per person, the committee said.

Officials said it is shaping up to be an outstanding line-up of homes on display, including those from Bella Homes, Belmonte Builders, Bonacio Construction, Heritage Custom Builders, LaFemme Home Builders, McPadden Builders, Saratoga Builders, Witt Construction and more.

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Ryan Van Amburgh Is Key Figure In Campaign To Raise Funds For Regional Cancer Society

Posted onApril 7, 2017April 7, 2017
Ryan Van Amburgh is nominee for an award based on raising funds to fight cancer.

A local resident and economic development official who has been battling cancer is using his story to help motivate donors during a 10-week intensive campaign to raise money toward curing cancer.

Ryan Van Amburgh agreed to become a nominee in the Upstate NY/VT Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man/Woman of the Year fundraising campaign.

Proceeds raised during the campaign will directly fund cancer research.

For every dollar raised by the Van Amburgh family, Ryan receives a Man of the Year vote until the conclusion of the campaign on May 12. That’s the night of the society’s grand finale event held at 8 p.m. at the Franklin Plaza Ballroom in Troy, when winners will be announced.

One of the top philanthropic events of the year in the Capital Region, tickets and sponsorships for the finale, benefiting Van Amburgh ’s campaign, can be purchased online at www.ChangeTheStory.Today. Direct donations to his campaign can also be made at that site.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has led therapy development initiatives nationwide designed to accelerate better understanding of cancer cells, inhibitors to their growth and increasingly personalize cancer therapies to extend survival rates and quality of life. Its funded clinical trials have generated over 50 percent of the FDA-licensed therapies targeting all forms of cancer since 2000.

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OrthoNY Moves Urgent Care Office From Malta To Saratoga Springs For Orthopedic Patients

Posted onApril 7, 2017

OrthoNY Urgent Care has moved from Malta to Saratoga Springs with expanded hours.

As of April 1, the Saratoga office, located at 5 Care Lane, will offer walk-in, orthopaedic care Monday-Friday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon.

No appointments are necessary.

OrthoNY has been providing orthopaedic urgent care in Albany and Malta since April 2013. In June 2014, a designated urgent care suite, staffed by a full-time physician assistant, opened in Albany on Everett Road.

Last summer, the practice added hours to see patients in Albany, while launching urgent care in Schenectady on weekdays.

OrthoNY officials said that since July 2016, close to 300 patients have been seen each week in Albany and Schenectady, with another 18-22 patients helped each Saturday between Albany and Malta.

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