Category Archives: Business News

Skidmore College announced that Jacqueline Conrad will become Skidmore’s new vice president for communications and marketing as of July 5. 

She will be continuing her successful 30-year career in the private and nonprofit sectors, including 18 years leading her own communications firm and the last nine years at Cambridge College in Boston, where she is currently vice president of communications and public relations. 

Conrad’s appointment follows a national search that attracted an array of exceptional candidates from across the country. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Jacqui Conrad to Skidmore and into this critical leadership role,” college President Marc Conner said. “From her leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Cambridge College and elsewhere, to her impactful work in every realm of higher education outreach and communications, Jacqui is precisely the strategist and entrepreneurial thinker Skidmore needs to lead our talented communications and marketing team. 

“She impressed all of us involved in this search with her experience, her poise, her creativity, and her commitment to being part of a caring and committed community. I am delighted to welcome such a strong colleague, and I look forward with great anticipation to the creativity, marketing expertise, and passion for positive change she brings to Skidmore.”

By Paul Post

Unlike the Marines, area builders need a whole lot more than “A Few Good Men.”

A severe nationwide labor shortage is being felt locally, too, as understaffed firms can’t keep up with customer demand.

Several factors have contributed to the labor shortage. First and foremost, many skilled workers have aged out of the industry and there hasn’t been enough emphasis put on showing kids the careers this field has to offer, builders say.

“During the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, they were encouraged to go to college, regardless of whether or not that was going to benefit them,” said Matt Whitbeck, owner of Whitbeck Construction in Wilton. “So there’s this big segment of the population that feels that if they aren’t using their diploma for something, it was a waste, even though they’re taking on jobs they’re not passionate about or care about. They take them just to pay back student loans.”

In addition, COVID helped give rise to a whole new type of employment that is much less demanding than construction. 

Saratoga CoWorks, a coworking provider in Upstate New York catering to professionals, entrepreneurs, and remote employees since 2014, is opening its third downtown Saratoga Springs location. 

Located at 92 Congress St. on the second floor, the 5,000-square-foot space will feature flexible private offices and suites, meeting spaces and shared coworking areas, for rent by the day, week or month, ownership said.

This newest Saratoga CoWorks location is being completely renovated by the organization’s cofounders, Daniel Bullis and Dorothy Rogers-Bullis (who also own drb Business Interiors), prior to the grand opening in August. The facility, which has ample natural light, will feature a modern aesthetic with top-quality, ergonomic office furniture, they said.

The space also will have state-of-the-art technology including enterprise-class WiFi, and rentable conference/meeting rooms equipped with projectors and Apple TVs. Free on-site parking, a new kitchen, and comfortable breakroom seating is also included.

By Jill Nagy

After a brief foray into the wedding business, Matt and Suzy Mazzone are now in the lawn care business. 

They recently purchased the franchise rights for Lawn Doctor in the Clifton Park, Ballston Spa, Schenectady and Amsterdam region. Beginning with a customer base of zero when they started in April, they now have close to 200 customers as they go into the peak lawn care season. There are a lot of lawns in their territory and they said they see a potential for 60,000-65,000 customers, beginning with 300-400 this year.

Lawn Doctor is a weed and feed operation: fertilizing, weed control, insect control, power seeding, aeration, etc. The do not cut grass but will advise on how to have it cut, Matt Mazzone explained.

The Mazzones see this new venture as a complement to their other business, M Zone Logistics LLC, which provides last-mile delivery services to the Amazon facility in the Montgomery County town of Florida.

 “We want to provide consistent work over the year,” Mazzone said. People order more from Amazon in the fall and winter, he noted, while the demand for lawn services is greatest in the spring and summer. Their approximately 80 employees can be cross-trained to work for both companies.

“We were blown away by what they had to offer” he said of Lawn Doctor, in the way of customer service and technology. “I think they have been phenomenal with their training and start-up,” he said, “They have patented machinery and formulations. A top agronomist came to help up to make sure we are building the right programs.”

The New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) announced in May the recipients of the 2022 NYS Tourism Excellence Awards.

Among them was the Save Our Locals program of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, created to bring awareness to community members on how crucial it is to shop at local, independent businesses to help ensure their survival as restrictions on businesses due to COVID-19 continues to take a toll.

The campaign encouraged residents and out-of-town visitors to spend at least $20.21 at any locally owned Saratoga Springs business.

The outstanding work of New York State’s destination marketing organizations, attractions, and other tourism-related businesses in all forms of marketing, destination management and stewardship are recognized through the state’s annual awards program.

Those organizations, businesses, institutions, and individuals will receive their awards and be honored at a special ceremony at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City on Oct. 27.

By Jill Nagy

Fans of the television series “X-Files” can get their shot of nostalgia and mementos to take home at the X-Files Preservation Collection and Collectibles in Wilton. 

The combination shop and museum opened on April 30 with visits from Chris Carter, creator of  the drama series, and Keith Arbuthnot, an actor who played monsters on the show, as well as fans from around the world, according to Jim Thornton, one of the owners of the collection.

Visitors can view a collection of props and costumes actually used in filming episodes of the series, some of them contributed by Carter. Thornton and his wife and business partner, Kelly Anthony, began collecting X-Files memorabilia in the 1990s. 

“I loved the show and thought: Wow, I’d like to own something from it,” Thornton recalled. By 2019, the couple had accumulated enough items to fill a moving truck and they drove it to X-Fest, an X-Files convention in Chicago.

Thornton thinks that someone who saw their display in Chicago must have contacted Carter and told him about it. Shortly afterward, Carter “found us” and donated a few things, he said. From there, “it progressed and grew bigger and bigger.”

Angelo Mazzone has a new seasonal dining experience, The Porch at Saratoga National. 

The new outdoor offering opened in May at Saratoga National Golf Club.

The Porch is an open-air, gastro pub. The elevated casual dining restaurant overlooks the 18th green, infinity pool, and owl pond. The Porch is surrounded by fresh herbs, planted and grown by the Green Bed Project.

It is open daily for lunch and dinner, dessert, cold and crisp refreshers, and Sunday brunch. 

Hours of operation are weekdays from 11 a.m.  to 9 p.m.; weekends from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and brunch until 2 p.m. It will be open through mid-October, weather dependent. 

Walk-ins are welcome.

The outdoor bar is open daily at 4 p.m.

“There is a special feeling here that can’t be matched anywhere else” said general manager, Heather O’Neill. “Prime at Saratoga National saw a need for a new, modern restaurant … a way to bring guests back to Saratoga National with a new, more upscale casual dining experience.”

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce is involved in a search to replace its president and CEO, Michael Bittel, who has announced his retirement from the organization.

Bittel retired in June.

“It has been an honor to love and serve our great region for the past four years,” Bittel said of his tenure Our community is so wonderful because of our greatest asset, our people.”

The ARCC board of directors of hired Bittel in 2018. He took the reigns from Marti Burnley, who was named interim president after Tori J.E. Riley left the position in September of 2017.

“I have been spoiled to work with a great team at the ARCC who will carry on the torch of loving and serving our community,” said Bittel, expressing thanks to the ARCC Board and his staffers Paricia Rogers, Amanda Blanton, Carol Ann Conover and Karen Mattison. 

“I have worked extremely close with Michael since his arrival at the Chamber in 2018,” said Marc Monahan, ARCC board chair and regional executive vice president of NBT Bank. “From day one, Michael showed up ready to work and connect the Chamber with our entire business community. Throughout his tenure with the ARCC he has shown a passion, drive and desire to help all of our members and supporters. 

“Although the past couple of years have been extremely challenging as we navigated the constant pressures of the pandemic, we are stronger today than ever before”