Category Archives: Business News

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) aid the 2018 season at Saratoga Race Course concluded on Labor Day with the second highest all-sources handle in history, despite a summer meet that was inundated with more than 10 inches of rain.

Total all-sources handle generated during the meet was $659,083,459, in spite of the fact that 50 races were forced to be taken off the turf, nearly double the number from 2017 and almost as many as the prior two years combined, officials said. A total of 27 races were taken off the turf in 2017 and 25 in 2016.

On track handle for the 2018 Saratoga meet surpassed $148.8 million. Total paid attendance for the 2018 Saratoga meet was 1,124,149, marking the third consecutive season that paid attendance has exceeded 1.1 million fans.

By Maureen Werther

The Lazy Dog Cookie Co. is about to expand their growing business into Canada.

Co-owner Amy Augustine began baking blissful bites for dogs of all shapes and sizes in 2001 from her and husband Keith’s home in northeastern Pennsylvania. The couple are lifelong dog lovers and Amy wanted to create treats that would be both delicious and healthy, right from her kitchen. 

She began bringing treats in for her co-workers’ pets and, according to her husband, the business just naturally began to grow. 

The Saratoga Hospital 36th Annual Gala held on Wednesday, August 1, raised $317,520. More than 1,000 people attended the summer event, enjoying this year’s theme of “Havana Nights,” with Cuban-inspired cuisine and lively Latin music under the tents at the Polo Meadow at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

 The annual gala is a major source of support for  Saratoga Community Health Center, which provides primary care, dental, behavioral health, and addiction medicine services to the community, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

By Jill Nagy

In only three years, Empire Exhibits and Displays Inc., has outgrown its production and warehouse space in Mechanicville and plans to add another 5,000 square feet of storage and warehouse space on 2.7 acres in Halfmoon. 

“We’ve maxed out and had a chance to set ourselves up for future growth,” owner and CEO Craig Koehler said.

The project has been in the works for about a year, Koehler said. The company bought the land for $370,000 last December and hopes to break ground this fall. 

St. Peter’s Health Partners, along with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, celebrated the opening of St. Peter’s Urgent Care – Saratoga Springs with a ribbon-cutting ceremony n Aug. 26.

The facility, located at 377 Church St. in the same building as St. Peter’s Primary Care, began serving patients on Aug. 13. 

It is the sixth urgent care facility operated by St. Peter’s Health Partners.

Saratoga Casino and Hospitality Group has taken over full ownership of Ellis Park, a thoroughbred track and instant racing machine parlor in Henderson, Ky.

 The sales transaction of Ellis Park to Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group was complete and the group became the official new owners of the property on July 30, casino officials said.

“We’re very excited to own such an historic property,” said Daniel Gerrity, president of Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group. “We look forward to learning even more about the Henderson and Evansville (Ky.) communities, and we’re eager to work toward our goal of delivering an experience that goes above and beyond guest expectations.”

By Susan E. Campbell

Hannaford is slated to open a Ballston Spa supermarket and pharmacy off Church Avenue at Route 67, bringing to 50 the number of its stores in New York state.

According to spokesperson Eric Blom, the Scarborough, Maine-based chain filed a site plan with the town Planning Board and is “hoping for speedy consideration.”

He said several locations were considered and a number of factors carefully researched before the company selected a site for the new build. 

New York state has awarded $22.1 million in funding to Albany International Airport as part of a $42.1 million project to modernize the facility. 

The grant funding is part of the $200 million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition passed in the 2017 state budget. 

To complement the state’s investment in Albany airport, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $50 million project to construct a new highway connector between the airport and the Northway in the town of Colonie, to ease traffic congestion and provide a more direct route to the airport. 

The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is set to host the 2018 Saratoga County Business-to-Business Expo on Thursday, Oct. 4 at the Saratoga Springs City Center.

The event will start at 3:30 p.m. for members and vendors and at 5 p.m. for non-members. It will conclude at 7 p.m.  Non-members pay a $5 fee,

The Adirondack Trust Co. is the presenting sponsor of the expo.