Category Archives: Business News

By Christine Graf

After working in information technology for 23 years, Mike Miller was laid off from a local tech company during the pandemic.

His unexpected layoff prompted him to pursue his dream of opening a comic book store. In September, he opened Cosmic Cape Comics at 9 Hampstead Place in Saratoga Springs. The store is located in The Springs, a luxury apartment and commercial complex located off of Weibel Avenue.

Cosmic Cape Comics carries a large variety of comic books, role playing and board games, trading card games, and collectibles.

“COVID gave me the opportunity to explore a new career,” he said. “I’ve been passionate about comic books for a quite a long time. In the basement of our house in Wilton, I had probably 60,000 comic books.”

Miller’s interest in comic books began when he was living and working in Chicago, a city with many comic books stores. He started reading mainstream comic books and attending comic book conventions.

“I started meeting a lot of comic book artists and writers, especially the independent guys trying to break into the industry and publish their own comic books,” he said. “I started realizing how much more there was out there beyond the mainstream comic books. That’s when I started getting into independent comic books. It broadened my horizons in the comic book field.”

A coalition comprised of small businesses, unions, nonprofits, and trade organizations have launched We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition designed to educate New Yorkers regarding the importance of the sport of horse racing to the New York economy.

From downstate labor unions to upstate local restaurants and hotels, We Are NY  Horse Racing has garnered statewide support.

The horse racing economy includes farmers, trainers, horse breeders, horse owners, racetrack employees, dozens of labor unions that support racing operations, backstretch workers, veterinarians, and racing officials as well as seasonal and part-time jobs directly tied to big events such as the Belmont Stakes or the annual summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course.

Officials said that as a driver of tourism both downstate and throughout upstate New York, horse racing is a big  business for the hospitality sector at a time when hotels, bars and restaurants continue to face  uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recently concluded 2021 summer meet in Saratoga saw an average daily attendance of more than 26,000. 

According to a study published by the American Horse Council in 2018, horse racing in New  York state is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact. In addition, the broader equine industry is New York’s second-largest agribusiness, generating good-paying jobs in every county and corner of the State. The sport of horse racing drives an industry that sustains hundreds of small businesses on and around the 11 racetracks currently in operation in New York. 

By Jill Nagy

Saratoga Candy Co. in Saratoga Springs, purveyor of peppermint pigs and hand-made chocolates and fudge, is moving this month—a temporary situation because work will start soon on the renovating the Adelphi Hotel on Broadway.

The candy store, around the corner on Washington Street,  is attached to the Adelphi.

But the store isn’t moving far—only 32 steps around the corner to 353 Broadway, according to store owner Dawn Oesch.

The building now housing the store, part of the Adelphi Hotel, will be torn down and replaced by a new six-story mixed use building. The new building will include new space for Saratoga Candy Co. The store will have access both from the street and from the hotel.

The move comes at the busiest time of year for the business. In a typical year, Saratoga Candy does about one-third of the year’s business in November and early December, the owner said.

The store has already been filling holiday orders and Oesch would have been happy if the move took place after Christmas. But, she said, “I’m really grateful that they’re including us in their plans.”

The temporary home is a little smaller than the current shop. On the plus side, Oesch said, it will have giant windows at “perfect viewing height for children.”

Northwestern Mutual’s Anderson Financial Group, a leading financial security firm based in Saratoga Springs, opened a new office at 3257 Route 9.    

The team, led by wealth management advisor Joseph M. Anderson, has continued to grow over  the past few years. The office space is freshly renovated and includes a newly finished second  floor, as well as a gym, well-equipped kitchen, and other amenities for the staff. Officials said clients will appreciate the modern, professional atmosphere, easily accessible parking, and spacious meeting  rooms. 

“We look forward to welcoming our clients to our new office and continuing to be part of the fabric  of the Saratoga Springs community,” said Anderson. “Our firm has been helping secure the  financial futures of families and businesses locally, and across the country, for more than 40 years.  We now have an amazing space to allow for our continued growth and higher level of service for  our current and future clients.”

Officials said the Anderson Financial Group “is committed to making a positive impact and improving the lives of  others. Through a proactive approach and problem solving, they design creative solutions with   “purpose and passion. Their 16-member team takes pride in helping people and businesses  achieve confidence, clarity, security, and peace through financial planning.”

By Jill Nagy

As Daigle Cleaning Systems approaches its 10th anniversary, the Albany-based company is expanding its reach northward, in part through the purchase and absorption of Care Clean of Saratoga, a similar company based in Clifton Park.

The merger, completed in August,  gives the company a base in Saratoga County as well as additional customers and employees, according to Derek Foster, president and co-founder of Daigle Cleaning Systems.

He envisions the company growing its customer base in Saratoga, Warren, and Schenectady counties. In addition, the combined company can offer additional services to Care Clean customers such as carpet, tile, and other floor care and commercial window washing.

The company has always served customers in the Saratoga area and as far north as Lake George. A foothold in Clifton Park will make that part of the business more efficient, Foster said. For example, he noted, an employee who lives in Clifton Park will no longer have to report for work in Albany.

Foster and his mother, Michelle Daigle, founded Daigle Cleaning Services in 2011. Both are still active in the business.

Maria Decker, a local business woman, first became involved with the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement in 2011, when SEFCU’s Chief Administrative Officer Barbara Hess invited her to a Circle of Red Meeting.

At that meeting, Decker heard a statistic that astounded her.

“When I heard that one in three women die of heart disease, I couldn’t believe it,” she said, and joined the Circle of Red on the spot.

Since then, Decker has worked to raise awareness about women’s heart health. To honor her efforts, Decker was given the 2021 Jane Golub Crystal Heart Award from the American Heart Association at the 2021 Go Red for Women Luncheon set for Friday, Nov. 12, at the Albany Capital Center.

After joining the Circle of Red, Decker quickly became involved with the BetterU, the annual heart-health improvement program that about 12 women participate in, and whose efforts are showcased at the Go Red for Women Luncheon.