Category Archives: Business News

The  Saratoga Economic Development Corp.’s  (SEDC) launched its new startup incubator and early stage small business accelerator at an event on April 12 at Bow Tie Cinemas in Saratoga Springs attended by more than 250 people.

SEDC launched SPARK Saratoga in response to business professionals and entrepreneurs requests to make experienced business mentors available to accelerate early stage growth businesses.

“The mission of the incubator is to inspire, mentor and accelerate startups and early stage businesses through a proven mentor network model marshalled to support entrepreneurs by bringing them through an initial in-depth market opportunity and business gap analysis, and agreeing to an action plan,” the corporation said in a new release.

Access to financial funding networks will be potentially available as well, officials said. All ages and sectors of businesses can visit the web-based portal, www.SparkSaratoga.com, to learn more or submit an idea for evaluation.

The Wesley Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Wesley Community in Saratoga Springs, will host its annual gala at the Saratoga Golf and Polo Club 6-10 p.m. Saturday, May 20 at the Saratoga Golf and Polo Club, 301 Church St., Saratoga Springs.

The theme of this year’s event is “Bond Style,” which will invite attendees to enjoy an evening filled with the style and suspense synonymous with the classic James Bond films.

Proceeds will support the renovation of the resident activities room at The Wesley Health Care Center. The residence caters to aging adults who may have significant, chronic medical needs requiring daily assistance. The room serves as a social hub for the residents, and provides a venue for performances, religious services and other social gatherings.

“The annual gala will be a fun, festive night to support a wonderful cause, and it will certainly make a difference for all the residents that call the Wesley Health Care Center home,” said Tom Roohan, honorary chairman of the gala, alongside his wife, Kristie.

“The Wesley Foundation continuously helps the many seniors who depend on the outstanding services available at the Wesley Health Care Center,” said Kristie Roohan. “We are honored to help organize the annual celebration, which will further assist The Wesley Community in meeting the needs of its residents who require daily care and support services.”

The presenting sponsor of this year’s gala is the Adirondack Trust Co. which recently presented a $10,500 donation to the Wesley Foundation in support of its 2017 special events, all of which are dedicated to raising funds for the renovation of the resident activities room.

“We are very pleased to support The Wesley Health Care Center and the outstanding service they provide to their residents,” said Charles V. Wait, Jr., executive vice president of Adirondack Trust. “We are equally pleased to once again serve as the primary sponsor for this year’s gala that raises critically needed funding for the development of the resident activities room. This room enriches the lives of the residents and also provides them with an important social area as well.”

By Maureen Werther

Conifer Real Estate, Development and Management Co. based in Rochester in the early phases of building a new apartment community on 10 acres along Route 67 in the town of Ballston, near East Line Road.

Conifer Realty, which has developed residential communities and commercial properties in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania, purchased the property from Hal Schultz, formerly head of H.R. Schultz construction and local real estate developer. Schultz originally envisioned the land to be developed as both commercial and residential property. But he revised his plans, choosing to market it as a residential property.

The property was sold last July. Conifer broke ground in December.

By Maureen Werther

During a recent luncheon at the Hall of Springs celebrating Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake, Realtors 95 years of helping residential and commercial buyers and sellers across the Capitol Region, the prevailing theme was as much about giving back to the community as it was about being successful in business.

Blake Realty was founded in 1922 by Samuel Blake and has flourished under four generations of family guidance. Throughout the course of its history, the family owned-and-operated company has sponsored a wide variety of local and regional philanthropic causes, and it has encouraged employees and agents to do the same.

The company has gone through several iterations, from Blake to Prudential Manor Homes, to its recent acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway. Despite the changes of name, the culture continues its philanthropy. JoAnn White, vice president of the company’s Saratoga Springs office on Broadway, has always embraced the philosophy of giving back, through her team’s ongoing support of the city’s Code Blue program for the homeless.

The Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival was recognized for its landmark 40th anniversary by the State Legislature on April 25 in a joint resolution sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Marchione and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner.

Presented annually by Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) since 1978, the two-day festival is one of the longest running and most acclaimed events of its kind. Present for the occasion were Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC’s president and CEO; festival producer Danny Melnick, president of Absolutely Live Entertainment; and William Sullivan, director of sales for Freihofer’s Baking Co., the title sponsor of the festival since 1998.

“The 40th Anniversary of the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival is a milestone worth celebrating, not only for the longevity it represents, but for its contributions to this extraordinary, uniquely American art form, which marks  its own 100th anniversary this year,” said Sobol. 

“In each of those 40 years, this festival has showcased the jazz giants, innovators and rising talents whose music has kept the genre thriving, evolving and expanding to new audiences. At its most personal, this event has been, and continues to be, a meaningful and joyous part of the lives and memories of countless people, including many for whom it’s an annual tradition. It all adds up to an impressive legacy and one that grows with each new season,” she said.

The event is also an annual boost to tourism in the city.

The festival, originally titled the Newport Jazz Festival – Saratoga, was founded in 1978 by iconic jazz impresario George Wein, the creator of the celebrated Newport Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and several other nationally recognized music events. 

Circus Smirkus, an international youth circus, returns to the outdoor soccer field at the Saratoga Casino Hotel for four performances this summer.

It is a fundraiser for the Waldorf School on York Avenue in Saratoga Springs.

The event on July 11 and 12 is part of the circus’ 30th anniversary “big top tour.” Performances are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Tickets are $25 for adults 13 and older and $20 for children 2-12. Children younger than 2 are free on an adult’s lap.

This year’s tour continues the tradition of Smirkus theme-based shows. This year it is “Midnight at the Museum.” It creates the excitement of an adventure through the hallowed halls of a magical museum. Attendees “will embark on an enchanted journey with astonishing aerialists, courageous clowns, and wily wire walkers as they explore a museum that springs to life when the clock strikes midnight,” circus officials said in a news release.

It features 30 budding circus stars ages 12 to 18 from 13 states—California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington—as well as Canada and Zambia.

The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs first brought Circus Smirkus to Saratoga in 2007 as a fundraising and outreach event.

The Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau held its 32nd annual meeting and dinner at the Saratoga Springs City Center in March where the organization highlighted the successes of 2016, reviewed initiatives for 2017 and welcomed new members to its board of directors and Executive Committee.

Successes were listed in the 2016 annual report. It showed that the convention/group business continued to grow throughout 2016. More corporate group, sports and wedding leads and associations signed multi-year contracts again in 2016.

The year saw 627 events hosted, compared to 422 in 2015. Those events resulted in 90,908 room nights, up 11.8 percent from 2015. The estimated economic impact of those figures was $57 million last year, compared to $45 million in 2015.

  The report said the group market contributes one in five room nights in Saratoga Springs.

Recognized at the dinner were those elected to serve on the Executive Committee for 2017-18. They are Cindy Hollowood, chairperson, Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs;  Thomas Newkirk, immediate past chairperson, Saratoga National Golf Club; AJ Bodden, incoming chairperson, Townsquare Media Group; Marianne Barker, treasurer, Impressions of Saratoga; and Robert Berrey, at-large officer, The Gideon Putnam.