Category Archives: Business News

Former Owner Of Crafters Gallery In Saratoga Opens Motorcycle Shop In Wilton

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Roger Goldsmith opened the Saratoga Motorcycle Center in Wilton in September.
©2020 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Jill Nagy
“The end of the riding season is not the most appropriate time to open a motorcycle shop,” said Roger Goldsmith, who opened the Saratoga Motorcycle Center at 4284 Route 50 in Wilton in September.
Like so many other businesses, the opening of this one was delayed by the pandemic-related shutdown. It was to open in the spring, but Goldsmith moved ahead even as autumn approached.
Goldsmith owned the Crafters Gallery in downtown Saratoga Springs for 24 years, selling it in 2017.
“I’ve always been a motorcycle enthusiastic and wanted to do something like this,” he said.
He purchased a vacant lot and had a 5.000-square-foot building designed and built by JAG Construction, specifically for his purpose. The motorcycle shop occupies 3,000 square feet and the rest is available for lease.

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Center For Economic Growth Names New Chief Economic Development Officer

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Katie Newcombe is the new CEG chief economic development officer.
Courtesy CEG

The Center for Economic Growth (CEG) announced that Katie Newcombe was named its new chief economic development officer.
She comes to CEG with more than a decade of experience in economic development, spanning multiple states and public, private and nonprofit sectors. Since 2014, Newcombe has led economic development for National Grid in the Capital Region.
“Katie’s depth and breadth of economic development experience makes her an ideal fit for this newly created position. She will lead CEG’s business attraction and expansions activities, direct and implement strategies for innovation, entrepreneurship, business growth, workforce and talent,” said Mark Eagan, CEG president and CEO. “Katie has a strong history of collaborating with stakeholders to move high-impact projects forward and we are excited to welcome her to our organization.”

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Mitzen Family, New Owners Of The Bread Basket, Give Business Profits To Charities

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Ed and Lisa Mitzen are the new owners of The Bread Basket in Saratoga Springs. ©2020 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth
The Bread Basket Bakery is under new ownership as of July.
As Bread Basket Bakery founder Joan Tallman enters retirement, Ed and Lisa Mitzen, the bakery’s new owners, purchased the business and pledged to keep the bakery a Saratoga mainstay the same, according to marketing director Pascal Salvatore.
The Mitzens own Fingerpaint, a prosperous marketing company in Saratoga Springs.
Salvatore said the building has undergone some minor updates and renovations, but “everything is still the same on the menu. Everything is still the way Joan made it.”
Updates to the bakery included new floors, coolers, updated display cases and fresh paint.
“We removed some drywall and found some amazing windows that we were able to uncover. It’s a building from 1933 and we want to really preserve that historic feel,” said Salvatore.
Tallman’s son, Matt, remains as the bakery’s general manager.

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Pearl-Mansman Turns At-Home Baking Business Into ‘Darling Doughnuts’ Storefront

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Natascha Pearl-Mansman, is co-owner of Darling Doughnuts on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. She offers a large variety of glazes and flavors available on a regular rotation basis.
©2020 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Jill Nagy
After a series of delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Darling Doughnuts opened at 441 Broadway in Saratoga Springs at the end of July.
Natascha Pearl-Mansman, co-owner of the shop, said they have been making and selling 1,000 doughnuts a day.
“We no longer sell out by 11 a.m. but business is really steady,” she said.
The owners signed the lease for the shop in November 2019, but ran into “a lot of hurdles.”
Just as construction got underway and the owners were starting to hire staff, the state-ordered shutdown was imposed. Even after things eased up, only one person at a time could work in the building—and it was usually Glenn Severance, Pearl-Mansman’s business partner.
Work was completed just before Pearl-Mansman’s second daughter, Georgia, was born.
“I never anticipated opening a storefront during a pandemic, let alone while nearly nine months pregnant, but here we are,” she said.
Darling Doughnuts are made from a yeast-based dough that ferments for 15 hours before it is ready. It is a long, slow fermentation, she explained, like sourdough but without a sourdough taste.
The doughnuts are made with fresh natural ingredients sourced within 100 miles of the shop and flavored with “real things.” The yeast dough gives a better texture, making a “very fluffy” doughnut, Pearl-Mansman said.

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Prosperity Partnership Creates Plan For Development In The Village Of Ballston Spa

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Officials launch an economic development plan at a ceremony marking the restoration of Wiswall Park fountain, fed by the historic San Souci Spring, previously capped for several years.
Courtesy Saratoga Prosperity Partnership

The Village of Ballston Spa and the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, a Saratoga County-based economic development organization, unveiled in October a comprehensive and customized economic development plan designed to promote future growth and drive long-term prosperity in the village.
Prosperity Partnership said the effort was guided by input from hundreds of citizens and community, business and government leaders. The blueprint outlines a strategic and tactical approach to attracting visitors, residents and businesses to Ballston Spa by enriching and promoting the assets, resources and character of the village.
It is a product of the Saratoga Partnership’s Next Wave Communities initiative.
“The plan heralds a new beginning for the Village of Ballston Spa and makes it abundantly clear that we are open for business,” said Ballston Spa Mayor Larry Woolbright. “I’m particularly proud that our village is proactively taking this important step forward, undaunted by the impact of COVID-19 on the state and national economies.”

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Showcase Of Homes Virtual Event Raises $10,000 For Two Charities In The Region

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From left, Barry Potoker of Saratoga Builders Association, Adam Feldman of Habitat for Humanity, Michelle Larkin of Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Lisa Licata of Sterling Homes.
Courtesy Saratoga Builders Association

The Saratoga Builders Association presented checks totaling $10,000 to two area charities, the result of money raised from this year’s Showcase of Homes event.
Funds went to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties.
This year, the live 2020 Saratoga Showcase of Homes tour, where people buy tickets and physically visit the homes, was cancelled due to health and safety concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s edition of the Saratoga Showcase of Homes was a “re-imagined” event in the form of a one-hour TV show special hosted by CBS-6 News Anchor Liz Bishop.

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Saratoga County Capital Resources Corp. Donates Funds To ‘Save Our Locals’ Project

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Officials gather as Saratoga County Capital Resources Corp. donated $10,000 to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s Save Our Locals campaign.

The Saratoga County Capital Resources Corp. has donated $10,000 to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s Save Our Locals campaign.
The funds will be used to create a help line for use by businesses in Saratoga County during the pandemic, as well as to create boosted social media posts and videos to promote hundreds of local independently owned businesses, officials said.
The Save Our Locals campaign will also include a new take out promotion to support area restaurants and an online gift card promotion to support local shops, stores, salons and spas, florists and home goods, wineries, breweries, hotels and any other Saratoga County business that sells gift cards online.
“The Capital Resources Corp.’s board of directors voted unanimously to support this Save Our Locals campaign,” said Anita Daly, corporation chair. “We all realize just how important it is to help our local independently owned firms across all of Saratoga County as they face restrictions and limitations to stop the spread of COVID-19.

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Locally Owned ‘Your CBD Store’ In Clifton Park Offers Products And Education

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Jennifer Modaffari is the owner of Your CBD Store in Clifton Park, part of a nationwide chain that offers pain management products and provides education on CBD.
©2020 SaratogaPhotographer.com

Your CBD Store celebrated the opening of its Clifton Park store on Oct. 8.
According to the company, in less than two years, Your CBD Stores has grown with over 600 locations in 40 states. Founded with an emphasis on education and community, Your CBD Store is a member of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce.
The store is located at 22 Clifton Country Road, Suite 140 in Clifton Park. It is locally owned and is managed by Jennifer Modaffari.
She said she looks forward to helping the community of Clifton park and beyond by educating them on the benefits of using high quality CBD products.
“We are a comfortable, high-quality learning environment where customers can try our products and leave knowing exactly what is in our CBD products,” Modaffari said. “We just released a line of USDA-certified, organic CBD products and we are so excited to share them with everyone,.”
“We are not just another retail chain. We are a large family of store owners who truly care about educating and improving the quality of life in communities around the nation using high quality CBD ,” she added.

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Witt Construction Seeks To Build Another Hotel, Apartments And More At Excelsior Park

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By Christine Graf
Witt Construction of Saratoga Springs is seeking approval to build a mix of 63 townhouses, condos, and apartments as well as a 60-room hotel, spa, restaurant and commercial space at Excelsior Park.
Located near Northway Exit 15, Excelsior Park is an upscale luxury apartment community. It is already home to 105 apartments, 30 condos and a 100-suite Marriott Residence Inn.
Company president John Witt began working on the project 20 years ago.
“We put it under contract in 1999, and we went through a major process going through EIS (environmental impact statement),” he said. “We ended up with a special use permit which allowed a hotel, spa, mixed use townhomes, and condos. In 2006-2007, we had the hotel up and the first 30 condos built and sold.”
Just as Witt was about to begin construction on additional condos, the 2007 economic crisis occurred and Witt halted work.

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‘Bride And Gown’ Moves To Saratoga Springs, Providing Gown And Necessary Accessories

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Eliza DeRocker has moved her Bride and Gown business, previously located in Glens Falls,to the upper level of Saratoga Closet, 38 Van Dam St., Saratoga Springs.
©2020 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Eliza DeRocker has moved her Bride and Gown business, previously located in Glens Falls,to the upper level of Saratoga Closet, 38 Van Dam St., Saratoga Springs.
DeRocker also owns Saratoga Closet.
“Being in the same spot, I don’t feel so split between the two. I was going back and forth up to three times a day. I love just being in one location. It has really allowed me to enjoy the atmosphere at both places that I have tried to create, which is comfortable and relaxed,” said DeRocker.
She earned a fashion design degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.She designed for Wathne Limited for Chanel and was the stylist for Lilly Pulitzer, as well as having her own line of handbags and clothing, all before opening Bride and Gown in Glens Falls in 2013.

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