Category Archives: Business News

By Jill Nagy

For those mothers who complain that their daughters never come, Laurie Abele has a suggestion: rent a daughter from her service, Daughter for Hire. The “daughters” can provide any non-medical service including housekeeping, grocery shopping, or transportation.

Since she began business on September 30, Abele has found that demand is greatest for transportation and help with laundry, especially if doing the laundry includes trudging up and down stairs.

Employees are subject to national background checks. They receive orientation and training before they start and, annually, training in assisting people with Alzheimers. Although employees receive specialized training in dealing with Alzheimers sufferers, the services are available “to anyone who needs care,” she said. Approximately six weeks in, she had 23 clients  “but it is growing everyday.”

For now, Abele is working out of her home in Gansevoort. She is looking for office space in Saratoga. Daughter for Hire is a national company, she explained. The nearest other office is in Latham.

Abele is a former elementary school teacher but also spent time with a different care company.

Six Flags Great Escape Lodge, one of Lake George’s premier family resort destinations, has announced the opening of Hurricane Grill & Wings®. As the hotel’s brand-new, flagship dining option, the restaurant brings a vibrant, laid-back atmosphere with delicious menu offerings to resort guests and the Lake George regional community. 

“We are so thrilled to open the doors to Hurricane Grill & Wings,” said Six Flags Great Escape Resort President Rebecca Wood. “This restaurant is truly something special. From the stunning design concept to the mouthwatering menu full of variety for the whole family, we can’t wait for our guests and local neighbors to enjoy everything this brand-new dining experience has to offer.”

“This opening marks a milestone for Hurricane Grill & Wings—our first theme park location to date,” said President and Chief Operating Officer of Hurricane Grill & Wings Gregg Nettleton. “Our brand’s motto is live with flavor, which perfectly embodies the excitement and thrills that come with Six Flags. We can’t wait to serve our expansive menu to the guests at thepark while they take in these moments—from our hot and crispy wings to juicy burgers.”

By Ann Donnelly

Saratoga-based Small Packages is a company built on the idea that gift-giving should be personal and stress-free. 

Owner Riham LaRussa, who took over the company in late 2022, aims to empower customers to find the perfect gift for any occasion. Each gift box is curated with a personal touch, ensuring the recipient feels unique and valued.

Small Packages offers a variety of gift boxes, each filled with high-quality products, 85 percent of which come from women-owned or minority-owned businesses. 

“These brands don’t get as much attention, so we want to highlight and showcase these and help you discover new brands and products,” says LaRussa.

The gift boxes are suitable for a wide range of occasions, from birthdays and new baby arrivals to self-care and holidays. Small Packages also allows customers to create custom gift boxes, selecting from various products on the website that suit their budget and the recipient’s interests.

In August 2017, an ambitious flautist emailed a highly recommended harpist, and inquired if she might want to play some duets together – and, thus, Stringwynde was born. 

The artists each hold graduate degrees in music and perform in a variety of musical genres. As individual performers, their appearances have included solo recitals, chamber ensembles, symphonies, and many private events. As versatile educators, they have taught countless private music students as well as working in both public and private school classrooms. 

Flautist Melanie Chirignan and Harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher are well known throughout the Capital Region, and specialize in music of the Celtic tradition. They will be performing in the Long Room at The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum on November 16 at 3 p.m. This concert is sponsored by a grant from Saratoga Arts, The Music Performance Trust Fund of the American Federation of Musicians and the Saratoga County History Center.

By LEE COLEMAN

The new exhibit “From New York to the Nuclear Navy” at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs has proven popular with museum patrons.

Courtney Burns, military history director at the museum, said since the exhibit opened in late June an increase in museum attendance has been seen.

“We’ve seen a rise in attendance, people coming specifically to see the exhibit,” Burns said.

The temporary exhibit runs through June 2025 at the museum at 61 Lake Avenue.

The exhibit highlights the history of the U.S. Nuclear Propulsion Program and the contributions and advancements of the program in New York state.

Burns said the idea for the exhibit originated when a retired Navy officer who was once stationed at the Navy’s Kenneth A. Kesselring nuclear propulsion site in West Milton, not far from Saratoga Springs, asked why the nuclear Navy program was not mentioned in museum exhibits.

Museum officials and others from the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, which operates the museum, contacted the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, which represents several nuclear Navy sites in New York state and beyond.

By Paul Post

Ryan and Erin Connor are just the right people to develop a property ideally located for taking advantage of Glens Falls’ ongoing economic rejuvenation.

The couple, both RPI grads, recently purchased the three-story, 45,000-square-foot Union Square building at 9-15 Broad Street, just around the corner from South Street, a cornerstone of the city’s revitalization.

The acquisition, financed by NBT Bank, was for approximately $1.6 million.

“The prior owner, Tom O’Neil, did a lot of capital improvements,” Ryan said. “He upgraded gas service, installed an elevator. The building’s got great bones. We’re going to further that a bit, focusing on the roof and grounds. From there we’ll be looking to add a mix of commercial and residential space depending on where it is in the building.”

There’s currently an eclectic mix of business and professional tenants such as a day spa, chemical firm, mortgage group, legal and architectural firms occupying spaces ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet.

By Susan Elise Campbell

At headquarters in Malta, Arnoff Moving & Storage has built an enhanced logistics and delivery system for clients who need warehousing, packing and shipping services as their inventory is transferred or sold. 

According to Daniel Arnoff, chief relationship officer and fifth-generation member of the family-owned business, the Arnoff Global Logistics division has outgrown its warehousing space and will soon break ground on a new 100,000-120,000-square-foot facility to suit their expansion trajectory.

Arnoff said the new warehouse is necessitated by the growth their clients are experiencing and by the influx of new clients who need a streamlined and cost-effective way to store and ship goods.

“The goods could be retail items purchased on the internet or parts we stock that a local manufacturer might need if their machine goes down,” he said. 

Stewart’s Shops has signed an agreement to purchase the assets of Jolley Associates convenience store chain and S.B. Collins, including its heating oil business Clarence Brown of St. Albans, Vermont.

The acquisition, which requires federal regulatory approval, is expected to close by the end of 2024. Terms of the deal remain confidential.

The transaction includes the purchase of 45 Jolley stores including five in New York, two in New Hampshire and 38 locations in Vermont.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to acquire a company with such an impressive reputation in a market that we’ve been watching for many years,” said Stewart’s Shops president Gary Dake. “One of the primary reasons we were drawn to this deal is because of the quality and the character of Jolley’s employees.”

The acquisition also brings together two longtime family businesses.

By Helise Stamos

BuonaSera, an Italian restaurant, opened in Malta in July.  

Owned by Jimmy and Danielle Hartwyk, it occupies the building that formerly housed the Nostalgia Ale House & Wine Bar on Saratoga Lake. The building was completely renovated by Jimmy and Kevin LaPorto, his uncle, who is a retired New York state corrections officer.  

Jimmy, the executive chef, has 30 years of experience in the restaurant business. He and Danielle previously owned Biscotti Brothers Cafe and Saluti in Lake George as well as a restaurant in New Hampshire. Danielle is one of the hostesses in the new enterprise. 

“What I love about running a restaurant is seeing people gratified by every plate I prepare,” said Jimmy.  

The menu includes pan seared diver scallops over homemade grilled bread with pancetta, red onions and roasted peppers.  There is also chicken francese, veal or chicken parmesan, sautéed muscles  with red peppers, red wine and herbs.