Category Archives: Business News

By Christine Graf

After encountering countless pandemic-related delays, the owners of Dancing Grain Farm Brewery in Moreau hope to open their craft brewery in July.

For owner Rachel McDermott, a Cornell University graduate with a degree in applied economics and management, Dancing Grain is more than a business.

“For me, it’s a passion project. This is how we secure our family farm for the future,” she said.

A farm girl at heart, McDermott grew up on her family’s grain farm, WestWind Ag in Schaghticoke. The farm is owned by her father, James Czub, and uncle, Robert Czub. In 2016, the brothers purchased the 308-acre Moreau property, a former dairy farm, where the brewery is located.

McDermott and her husband, attorney Sean McDermott, live in the remodeled farm house on the property along with their two-year old son. Six years ago, McDermott left a successful career as an investment banker on Wall Street in order to join the family business.

“I always had a desire to be closer to my roots,” she said.

Under her leadership, WestWind Ag diversified operations and invested in new processing equipment and expanded planting operations to include brewers and distiller’s grains—grains that are used in the production of Dancing Grain’s craft beers.

By Jill Nagy

After a decade handling insurance claims, Kyle Magne is, for the first time, an agent with his own office, Magne’s State Farm Agency at 200 West Ave., Suite 102, in Saratoga Springs, just north of Saratoga High School.  

He is reveling in his new role. 

“In claims, you get to help people and you never see them again,” he said. As an agent, he looks forward to establishing long-term relationships with clients. His office offers “a plethora” of insurance products as well as financial products. 

In recent years, State Farm has been emphasizing financial products, including mutual funds, as well insurance, he said. Magne hopes to add services as a financial planner to his agency. 

“That’s my goal, I hope within a year,” he said. Overall, “Our mission is to educate people so they know what they have.” 

What Magne referred to as his team, includes another licensed agent and two others who are studying for their licensing examinations. 

“We’re having fun we’re helping people, we’re happy,” he said. 

Zobel & Co. Kitchens, a kitchen design and custom cabinetry showroom located in the Union Square Building in Glens Falls, announced the addition  of two new product lines, signaling continued growth for the firm in residential  renovation and construction.  

The firm now offers a  line of cabinetry made  especially for outdoor living, along with fully custom and semi-custom cabinetry  lines, the company said.

“In the past, outdoor kitchens were a harder  investment to make because of our short summers,” said Arthur Zobel, owner and  senior designer. “But now many folks are working from home or spending the full  summer at their vacation house so elevating their outdoor space makes great sense.”   

Zobel & Co. Kitchens now offers the NatureKast, a 100 percent weatherproof line of outdoor cabinetry designed to withstand the dramatic weather changes of the region. 

Death Wish Coffee Co. based in Saratoga Springs has launched a new offering, Espresso Roast. 

The company said the new roast features “a smooth aroma with notes of cocoa, caramelized sugar and black cherry, for an intense taste and double the strength.”

A proprietary blend to Death Wish Coffee, Espresso Roast is certified fair trade and USDA organic like its other coffee products.

Espresso Roast is the first product to debut Death Wish Coffee’s new look, featuring signature lightning bolts and vibrant colors to quickly communicate roast varieties and flavors. Death Wish Coffee’s other products, including Dark Roast and Medium Roast, will transition to the new look later this year.

“Our consumers are looking for a premium coffee experience at home with a rich, intense flavor and a base for espresso drinks to channel their inner barista. Espresso Roast delivers a smooth, never-bitter cup every time, no matter how it’s brewed,” said Mike Pilkington, CEO of Death Wish Coffee. “Espresso Roast joins our everyday line-up of Dark Roast and Medium Roast, along with our seasonal flavors, to give coffee consumers the variety they’re seeking.”

By Paul Post

Munter Enterprises Inc. has not only survived, but thrives in the area’s highly competitive construction industry by paying close attention to detail and staying fully engaged with customers

“The personal touch, I think, is what really sets us apart,” said John Munter Jr., who co-owns the firm with his brother, Mike. “And we have very talented crews for all the different aspects of a project.”

The Middle Grove-based firm, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, was founded in 1972 by John Munter Sr. and his wife, Rosemary. Their sons incorporated the firm purchased it in 1998.

“Dad started with GE at their Malta rocket engine development and test site then moved to their ICBM facility in Burlington, Vt., and back to the nuclear sub and large generator facilities in Schenectady,” John Jr. said. “That’s about when he decided to go into the construction business for himself. Mom was the bookkeeper. They started out doing a lot of work for industry and some homebuilding, all over the region from Lake George to Saratoga County.”

By Susan Elise Campbell

Progress is slow but steady on North Spring Run, a proposed  apartment complex in northeastern Saratoga Springs according to Michael Birkby, senior project director of Conifer Realty. 

The firm is under contract to purchase property at 131 Excelsior Ave. and build 102 apartments in the complex. 

The Rochester-based developer plans to construct two buildings on the 4.2 acre site that had been home to Olde Saratoga Brewery.  The company owns and manages some 15,000 apartment units in four states and has multifamily complexes in the Capital District and parts north.

“We are hoping to obtain site plan approval before the end of summer and move quickly toward a closing,” Birkby said. “Construction may begin as early as the end of this year.”

Birkby said a demolition permit will be needed for tearing down the existing buildings and that the site plan, area variance, and architecture review permit applications were submitted in April. 

By Jill Nagy

Golfers and members of the general public alike are discovering a new restaurant at the Ballston Spa Country Club. 

Iron’s Edge, located at 1366 Amsterdam Road (Route 67) in Milton, serves lunch and dinner seven days a week at the clubhouse and in addition, has an auxiliary kitchen at the turn of the golf course for players who cannot wait until after they finish their round.

The restaurant is owned and operated by Chad Dorrough and Chris McCarthy, who also operate The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club in Stillwater. They opened The Hideaway in 2019. Iron’s Edge has been open since April.

Although the golf club is private, non-members can play Monday through Thursday. The restaurant is open to the public everyday. 

The owners see many of the same customers week after week, according to Dorrough, as many of the more than 400 club members make a habit of stopping at Iron’s Edge. He said that is different from their experience at The Hideaway, located on a public course with more of a turnover of players.