Category Archives: Business News

By Rachel Phillips

In 2014, a participant at the Red Hook Criterium bike race in New York City crashed into a metal barricade. Due to his broken ribs, the patient began to suffer respiratory problems. Fortunately, Event Medical Services of New York was onsite and able to provide basic life support and get the person in an ambulance in under three minutes.

A year later, after a full and speedy recovery, he was able to participate in that same race once again.

“If it had just been an ambulance, they couldn’t have gotten to him so fast inside the track like that,” said Travis Dunklee, owner and founder of Event Medical Services of New York, based in Lake George. “That’s where our motto ‘When seconds count, count on us’ comes from, because more often than not we’re there in 30 seconds.”

Upon realizing there was a gap in the market for affordable, proactive, and effective event medical services, Dunklee started his business in 2007 out of the desire to help his community.

Hiring an ambulance to attend large-group events is often a necessary precaution, but it can cost upward of $150 an hour. There’s also no guarantee the ambulance will stay on site if an emergency calls it away.

The providers of Event Medical Services of New York, however, will be present for the duration of the event, no matter what happens, and their services come at an affordable rate, said Dunklee. The staff is often the first line of defense before an ambulance is able to help.

A collaborative effort among  MJ Properties, Fairchild Square LLC and the Clifton Park IDA and Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has helped win over $394,000 of local incentives to boost $3.23 million in new private investment in Clifton Park.

The investments are expected to attract 27 new jobs and retain seven area jobs over the next three years, according to SEDC.

“As part of attracting and retaining talent and businesses to grow jobs, Saratoga needs an inventory of competitive spaces,” the agency said in a statement.

SEDC said $2.3 million of private investment will deliver a 25,000-square-foot new spec building to be programmed for future warehouse or office space projected to stimulate 15 new jobs within three years. Another $950,000 of private investment will deliver a 7,500-square-foot building that will be the new home of MJ Properties, retaining seven local jobs.

The other half of the building will be available for lease and is projected by SEDC to attract 12 new jobs within three years. Construction of the buildings will start in January at 8 and 12 Fairchild Square, Clifton Park.

The Saratoga Builders Association raised  $75,000 from the 2017 Saratoga Showcase of Homes to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties.

The association said it is the highest amount raised since 2011 when the donation amount was the same. The Saratoga Builders Association has now contributed over $1.1 million dollars to local charities from the event.

The Saratoga Showcase of Homes concluded its 22nd year in October, with 14 award-winning builders presenting 18 homes. This year’s tour had nearly 4,000 visitors touring the new homes on display over three weekends.

The 2017 Saratoga Showcase of Homes “People’s Choice” award winners were also announced.

McPadden Builders won in the Classic Home category, Marini Homes in the Executive Home category and Bella Home Builders (Cedar Bluff) for the Luxury Home category.

By Liz Witbeck

Four new building lots in Saratoga Springs, being referred to as the Reserve at Ohonte Way are available for purchase and development. The 14-acre space offers country living within the city limits, off of Kaydeross Avenue West and Route 9.

It is less than two miles from Northway Exit 13 and downtown Saratoga Springs.

After three years of planning and approvals, Kaydeross Partners LLC has developed the Reserve at Ohonte Way.  Wayne Perras, Realtor for Keller Williams Realty, is representing the property.

“It took a long time to carve this out because it was a virgin lot,” said Perras.

The Reserve at Ohonte Way was named to honor the indigenous Mohawk tribe from the region. Like the word “Kaydeross”, “Ohonte” is also a Mohawk word, meaning “grass” or “green.”

The development offers country living, said Perras, so that residents can enjoy a sense of peace and solitude, away from the busy downtown center. Evergreen trees and a running stream provide the backdrop of the property.

The Adirondack Trust Co. had a successful year for its lending through the U.S. Small Business Administration, bank officials said.

For the year ending Sept. 30, the bank approved 42 SBA 7(a) loans, amounting to more than $3.45 million. This makes Adirondack Trust Co. the top lender in Saratoga and Warren Counties as a locally headquartered community bank, officials said.

“We are very pleased with the results of our SBA lending activities this year.  For the fifteenth consecutive year, we were the most active locally headquartered and locally owned bank in both Saratoga and Warren counties, both in terms of number of loans made and in terms of the total dollars loaned, said bank President Stephan von Schenk said.

“Since our founding in 1901, this has been the center of our work. Every day, we work closely with locally owned and operated businesses, and we are proud to be able to help them grow by making SBA and other financing programs available. We are only as strong as our community, and the core of our mission is to continually serve that community and go above and beyond.”

In addition to helping business owners achieve their financial goals, The bank’s SBA lending program assisted in creating 101 new jobs across 20 businesses in the region, putting more dollars into more local pockets, according to the company.

Saratoga Brewing and DeCrescente Distributing Co., with help from the local community, raised $16,000 through an annual coaster and pinup program, in support of the Saratoga WarHorse Foundation.

“Now in our third year, this program has evolved tremendously,” said Max Oswald, general manager of Saratoga Brewing. “New organizations have come on board and put their own unique spin on the program, from hosting events like Kentucky Derby parties and Keep the Pint Night to creating a 5K team. While some of the players have changed, the mission has remained the same: to increase awareness of Saratoga WarHorse and the amazing job they do for our vets.”

Saratoga WarHorse offers veterans a three-day experience that is effective for those struggling to adjust to life after military service. The program is provided at no cost to the veterans.

According to the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Defense, roughly 22 military service members take their own lives every day. Reasons include the challenge of adjustment and transition to life after military service, as well as the negative stigma around seeking help in the military community.

Saratoga WarHorse provides an interactive experience between off-the-track thoroughbreds and veterans. By utilizing the silent language of the horse, a mutual trust and  bond is established that goes beyond verbal communication, according to the organization.

By Susan E. Campbell

Financial professionals helping clients plan for a comfortable retirement are accustomed to preparing for unknowns. But what happens when foundational systems like income taxes and health care are on the verge of massive change?

“People think things are unpredictable, but they are not,” said Stacy Clifford, president of Holistic Wealth Advisors in Clifton Park. “We can only plan on what we know, while being flexible and nimble based on changes down the road.”

Clifford said her biggest challenge today is constant negativity in the media, which “casts a cloud on people into thinking they will never have enough” to live on in their retirement years.

Her firm’s holistic approach to financial success can be likened to physical health and well-being.

“If your doctor says you have high blood pressure and high cholesterol and are feeling down, there are still positive aspects of your health,” said Clifford. “It is similar in the financial field. My challenge is getting people to feel positive but not complacent.”

Clifford tells clients that saving as much as they can and making sacrifices in the short term are key to realizing long-term goals.