Saratoga Business Journal

State REDC Grant Program, Absent During COVID Year, Returns With July 30 Deadline

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

New York state has launched Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, officially kicking off a new decade of economic development in a post-pandemic recovery.

The program, which has helped fund many development projects in the region, did not operate during 2020.

The 2021 funding round includes more than $750 million in state economic development resources, officials said. The Consolidated Funding Application opened May 10, enabling businesses, municipalities, nonprofits and the public to apply for assistance from dozens of state programs for job-creation and community development projects.

The deadline for applications is Friday, July 30, at 4 p.m.

To date, through the competition, the Capital Region REDC, which includes Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties, has been awarded $673 million for 933 projects.

“The COVID pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on our state, but now is our time to build back better and stronger than before and create a New York that serves our children and their children and their children,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “It’s going to be hard. It’s always hard to do what has never been done before. But after what New Yorkers have been through this part year, there is no challenge they can’t meet today.

“We’ve done this before and it’s worked tremendously well, but it’s more important this year than ever before because the stakes are higher this year than ever before.”

Over the past 10 years, the Regional Economic Development Councils have revitalized the state’s economy through a community-based and performance-driven approach to economic development. This year, the state will again leverage the expertise of the REDCs to invest $750 million in strategic, regional efforts to drive the recovery in every corner of the state.

“As we enter the 11th round of this initiative and as the state continues to move forward following the devastating effects of the pandemic, we are committed to this bottom-up approach to foster regional partnerships and make strategic investments,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, chair of the statewide Regional Economic Development Councils. “New York has seen tremendous growth in all 10 regions through the REDCs.”

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Practice In Malta Treats Patients From Infancy To Age 21

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

The occupational therapy practice sensory tOT spot is open in Malta.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

Amy Catalfamo, OTR/L, has opened a pediatric occupational therapy practice called sensory tOT spot at 3 Hemphill Place, Suite 104, in Malta.

Catalfamo began the business venture two and a half years ago, as a community-based mobile therapist. She travelled to day care centers, preschools and homes to see clients.

She moved into her Malta location in March.

“At this point, it felt like the right time to open a brick and mortar location,” said Catalfamo. “It’s always been my dream, to open a practice of my own to meet the needs of kiddos in the community.”

Catalfamo sees patients from infants to 21 years. She utilizes numerous therapy techniques and follows a “family-centered, child-directed and therapist-guided practice model.”

Catalfamo said she always knew she wanted to work with children. Her mother operated a home daycare while she was growing up. It was her mother who suggested she go to school to become an occupational therapist.

Catalfamo completed her undergraduate work at Russell Sage College. She attended Sage Graduate School for her doctorate degree in occupational therapy, working at her mother’s daycare while attending school.

“When I graduated, I got my first job working with elderly patients in a nursing home,” she said. “It was totally opposite of where I thought I would land. I learned a lot and grew a lot.”

Owner’s Decision To Open Native Sun Flowers In Halfmoon Became ‘A Dream Come True’

July 12, 2021July 15, 2021

Timmy Emanuel operates Native Sun Flowers on Route 9 in Halfmoon, where people can find hanging baskets, herbs, perennials, annuals, houseplants, bedding plants and more.
©2021 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth
It was almost 20 years ago that Timmy Emanuel developed a business plan at SUNY Cobleskill as part of the curriculum. At the time, he came up with the name of his business—Native Sun Flowers.

Emanuel eventually put that plan to work and his dream is now reality. He operates Native Sun Flowers on Route 9 in Halfmoon, where people can find hanging baskets, herbs, perennials, annuals, houseplants, bedding plants and more.

His passion for horticulture runs deep and can be found in all the detail he has laid out for the business, including the logo. He said the meaning of the yellow and orange floral symbol stems from his Zia Pueblo people background.

Emanuel has 30 years of experience as a greenhouse grower. He began his career in 1991 working for the NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation in New York City. He said he worked in a small tropical greenhouse that was built specifically for hospital patients’ horticultural therapy.

“After working for several years at the hospital I decided to move to upstate. I moved to Schenectady and found a job working for a small mom-and-pop greenhouse in Niskayuna,” said Emanuel.

After moving to the Capital Region, he enrolled in the horticulture program at SUNY Cobleskill, graduating in the spring of 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in plant science. After graduating, he moved to New Hampshire, working for Pleasant View Gardens where they grow the Proven Winner brand of plants. He also gained experience working in Connecticut and New Jersey before returning to New York

Couple Opens A ‘Nothing Bundt Cake’ Franchise In Clifton Park, Their Second Shop

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

This Nothing Bundt Cake shop in Clifton Park is the second location for owners Matt and Melissa Gleason. It sells 10 flavors of cake, including a gluten-free option and a rotating seasonal flavor.
©2021 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth

It was love at first bite for Nothing Bundt Cake franchise owners Matt and Melissa Gleason.

“My husband’s family lives in Baton Rouge, La., and they all raved about the Nothing Bundt Cakes there,” said Melissa Gleason. “His mom sent us a white chocolate raspberry cake and that was all it took. The cake was amazing.”

She said it was after trying the mini-cakes a few years back that she started thinking of how she could bring it into the area.

The first one was in Albany in 2017. The two opened a second location of their bakery business in March in the Clifton Park Center Mall.

She said the franchise does demographic studies and helps select the locations.

“In Albany, we renovated an existing space and in Clifton Park we moved into a brand new space. We looked into opening one because there were none in New York … We are aiming for Saratoga next,” said Gleason.

Gleason said they worked with a franchise approved architect to give the bakeries the same look and feel, with the layout in each bakery being very similar. The locations also have consistent cake size options and flavors.

“We have cute retail samples and cake displays. We carry four sizes of cake, our smaller bundtinis, which come by the dozen, our individual bundtlets, and our eight- and 10-inch cakes,” she said.

Facing Pandemic Challenges, SPAC Makes Major Improvements And Opens For 2021

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

Saratoga Performing Arts Center has undergone many physical changes since is last saw a performance in 2019, pre-coronavirus pandemic.

Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC president and CEO, reflected on the challenges and opportunities presented by 2020 and looked ahead to its reopening in 2021, at the SPAC board of directors annual meeting in June.

Following a year of a shuttered amphitheater stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SPAC will welcome back all three resident companies—New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. On the last weekend in June, it hosted the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival and concerts presented by Live Nation have returned.

“On Monday, May 18 of 2020, SPAC did the unthinkable. In the middle of glorious high spring weather, after 53 continuous years of presenting on our beloved and legendary stage, we cancelled an entire season and left the doors to the amphitheater locked—a profound and solemn acknowledgement during some of the darkest, early days of the pandemic,” said Sobol.

“And yet, here we are. After what now seems an eternity, the amphitheater is open, the lawn is thick and green.”

In 2020, with generous funding from Live Nation, Empire State Development, and the state Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation, SPAC completed its major new capital project, The Pines@SPAC.

The project restored park-like aesthetics to the grounds and opened up original site lines from the Route 50 gate to the Victoria Pool. It provided for new and expanded restrooms and concessions areas and new measures for safety and security.

Business Report: Witnessing The Recovery

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

Stephen Kyne, CFP, partner at Sterling Manor Financial LLC in Saratoga Springs.
Courtesy Sterling Manor Financial LLC

By Stephen Kyne, CFP

For anyone with an economics background, the last year has been an interesting opportunity to witness the theories and accepted tenets put to the test.

We’ve seen an unprecedented shutdown of much of the private sector, a displacement of workers in nearly every sector, a breakdown of the supply chains providing the basic necessities of everyday life, and a massive taking from future taxpayers to help keep businesses and households afloat while government agencies debate a myriad of policy solutions of varying efficacy.

At its core, what this year has shown us is that economies are far too large an infinitely interconnected to be manipulated with precision: every policy has unintended consequences. Some of these turn out to be beneficial, and some to our detriment.

Because the economy was in such a strong position prior to the pandemic, we believe the timeline and breadth of the recovery will be relatively short and wide. Had we been in an economic downturn at the end of 2019, we would be singing a very different tune.

The U.S. government pumped $5 trillion into the economy last year in an effort to help households and businesses bridge the pandemic. While the intention is laudable, it is not without consequences. This money will need to be paid back at some point, with interest, by our children and grandchildren. Expect future tax rates to consequently be higher than today.

Having increased the money supply by 30 percent in just one year, the economy is now awash in cash, and is ripe to experience higher rates of inflation than many of us have seen in a very long time.

For over a decade, inflation has been extremely tame, but that is unlikely to last. Cases in point: the price of gas is up over 20 percent from pre-pandemic levels, and used cars are up 30 percent while clothing is up 7 percent. Higher inflation hurts the most economically vulnerable among us, including low-income families and the elderly, and may further exacerbate social inequities we are purportedly committed to quelling.

After Pandemic Problems, Travel Agencies Are Finding People Are Anxious To Get Away

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

Anne Gordon of Love Life Travel in Saratoga Springs says her business is booming.

By Christine Graf

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2020 is on record as the worst year ever for global tourism. Worldwide travel revenues decreased by $1.3 trillion and are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

This applies to older people seeking getaways from work or retirees with time on their hands.

“I’ve been in business for 47 years, and this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” said Ed Plog, president of Playbill Travel in Saratoga Springs. “I’ve been through airline defaults, fare wars, 9/11, and the Great Recession, and I’ve never experienced anything as bad as this for the industry.”

Plog said he is “ecstatic” that business is beginning to rebound and that his company’s specialty cruises are once again in high demand.

Because of the widespread COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise ships at the beginning of the pandemic, the cruise industry has been especially hard hit. Before that, it was one of the fastest growing segments of the global tourism industry. Although cruises attract people of all ages, they have always been especially popular with the 50-plus demographic.

At Live Life Travel in Saratoga Spring, owner Anne Gordon said business is booming.

For her clients that are in the 50-plus demographic, the company arranges a lot of what Gordon described as “celebration travel.” For example, she recently planned an anniversary trip to Iceland.

“We do a lot of 50th and 40th anniversaries, and we’re doing a lot more 50th birthdays. We’re also getting a lot of requests for multi-generational trips to the Caribbean for next February break and April break. Families are so ready to vacation again, ” she said. “Everything we do is very unique to each client. Our agency doesn’t have anything pre-packaged.”

Housing For 50 And Over Demographic Puts Focus On Quality More Than Size

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

By Susan Elise Campbell

The 50-plus demographic looking to make their next move in housing is seeking specific amenities and they are willing to wait for and pay for what they want, accoding to those in the industry.

“I work with many at different stages of the 50-plus demographic and they are an active group,” said Cindy Quade, broker and owner with Signature One Realty Group in Malta.

“They are looking to scale back on the size of their next home, but not the amenities,” Quade said. “Some don’t mind even larger parcels as long as there is minimal maintenance to them.”

A single-family home that is maintenance free, and ideally on one level, is the market that her clients are looking for but that is under-served, according to Quade

At The Glen at Highland Meadows, there is typically a waitlist for the independent living arrangements that Eddy Senior Living offers, said Andrea Hebert, executive director of the Queensbury facility.

“The particular size, location or layout of the apartment or cottage they like may not be available when they apply,” said Hebert.

But prospective residents can transition into that retirement community early by joining The Stoddard Club, by which Hebert said applicants can come for dinner and participate in social activities before they move in.

Said, Quade, “New construction is designed for the traditional growing family, and seniors do want new construction,” she said. “At the same time, they do not want to sacrifice one-level living and low maintenance, which is more important to them than square footage.”

With Business Booming, KB Engineering And Consulting Moves Into Offices In Burnt Hills

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

By Jill Nagy

The company’s recent move to new offices in Burnt Hills was a “game changer” for KB Engineering and Consulting, PLLC, after more than a decade working out of a home-based office, according to owner, Kurt M. Bedore, PE.

The firm now occupies a suite of seven offices with a conference area and an executive office for Bedore. He estimated that he currently has about 50 projects underway.

They actually planned the move a year ago but the pandemic caused postponement of the official opening to this spring.

Bedore now expects his growing company to outgrow the space in another year or so. A physical therapy practice previously occupied the space. In fact, they were clients, with KB working on the renovation and expansion of the therapists’ new building.

Recently, the company has been “unbelievably busy” and Bedore would like to add a couple of more engineers to his present staff of four but, like so many other skilled workers, they are hard to find. He especially needs draftsmen skilled in using computer-assist design (CAD). He feels that he offers competitive salaries—$40-$60,000 to start for a junior engineer—and working conditions.

He sees a number of reasons for the increased business aside from the general uptick in the economy. People had projects “on hold” during the height of the pandemic but are now ready to get going.

With people spending more time at home, many private septic systems were overloaded and the owners now need emergency replacements. At the same time, many of the new buildings constructed on the SUNY campuses during their tremendous growth period in the 1960s and 1970s are showing their age, he said.

Companies Find Work Is Plentiful, But Delays In Material Deliveries Creates Problems

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

V&H Construction says his company is booking work for the first quarter of 2022.

By Jill Nagy

Construction work in the area appears to be back on track, though labor issues are still a concern.

“We’re close to having work scheduled out for about a year,” Tom Albrecht of Hilltop Construction in Hudson Falls estimated. Similarly, Rob Holbrook of V&H Construction in Fort Edward, noted that his company is booking work for the first quarter of 2022. Both do projects throughout the Saratoga, Glens Falls and North Country area.

“If you are thinking about a project, you probably should act sooner rather than later,” Holbrook advised.

Both also have similar complaints: a shortage of skilled workers looking for jobs and rising prices and long delays in obtaining materials, including appliances.

Albrecht said business is “fabulous” but there is a “very healthy” shortage of materials and escalating prices. Special order items can take four to 10 weeks to arrive. That delays normal timelines.

V&H, for example, is a dealer for Butler pre-engineered buildings, mainly steel storage and similar structures. Holbrook is experiencing long delays because steel is in short supply and he expects steel prices to increase by about 10 percent a month for the rest of the year.

Lumber prices have also been increasing but that trend seems to be leveling off, he said.