Saratoga Business Journal

‘ReStore’ Sells Donated Furnishings And More; Proceeds Go Straight To Habitat For Humanity

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

The Southern Adirondack ReStore of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties is now open, helping raise money for the nonprofit group.
Courtesy Habitat for Humanity

The new Southern Adirondack ReStore of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties opened to the general public with a ribbon cutting on October 2nd.

The ReStore, at 1373 Route 9 in Moreau, is the first in the area.

Sustained largely by a team of volunteers, Southern Adirondack ReStore is the Habitat for Humanity-style thrift shop, selling new and lightly used home furnishings, decorative accessories, lighting, appliances, building materials and more.

Donations made by area businesses, decorators, contractors and residents, support the ReStore. Donations go to the store and are tagged for sale. Proceeds of each sale go to Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties and its efforts to build and maintain affordable homes.

Through ReStore, Habitat is able to provide affordable home improvement items and furniture to local families, while also diverting usable materials from local landfills each year.

The store is nearly 7,000 square feet.

Customers Can Get Hair Cutting And Specialized Skin Care Services At Revive Salon

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

Leslie Shea, left, and Juliet Martino are the owners of Revive salon, at 3257 Route 9, Saratoga Springs. They offer services including hair color, hair cutting, manicures, pedicures and more.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth

The owners of Revive salon, at 3257 Route 9, Saratoga Springs, understand that both men and women like to feel and look their best.

Juliet Martino and Leslie Shea have worked hard to create a salon that they are proud to call their own.

Martino said that she and Shea have worked together in several other locations. Since opening on Route 9 this past summer, business has never been better for either of them.

“I became so booked I had to expand my business. And Leslie wanted to get more into skin care,” said Martino. “Business has been amazing. It has provided us a chance to expand. Our business is now doing better than it ever has. Our goal is to grow our hair and skin services to maximum potentia.”

Martino, 26, has eight years experience in the hair industry, is a licensed cosmetologist and specializes in hair color. Shea, 35, is an aesthetician and nail technician. She has been providing skin care and nail treatments for over 10 years.

“She started her skin care adventure at a dermatologist then moved to the salon industry to grow her own business, “ said Martino.

Personnel Briefs: October 2017

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Guilderland, a 127-bed nursing facility that provides rehabilitation and nursing services to patients who require either short- or long-term nursing care following hospitalization, has appointed James Connolly of Saratoga Springs administrator.

In his new position, Connolly, a licensed nursing home administrator, will be responsible for the direction, supervision, compliance and maintenance of the facility’s day-to-day operations, as well as its adherence to federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Connolly, who has more than 35 years of experience in the health care field and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, has been honored on numerous occasions for this contributions to healthcare and community service in the Capital Region.

He holds an undergraduate degree from Hamilton College and masters degrees in both business administration and public health from Columbia University.

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Daniel D. Bruno, co-owner of Bruno & Bruno Financial Services in Saratoga Springs, was named a member of the 2017 Chairman’s Council of New York Life.

Members of the Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3 percent of New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement.

Bruno has been a New York Life agent since 2007 and is associated with New York Life’s Albany General Office in Latham. Bruno and Bruno Financial Services is not owned or operated by New York Life or its affiliates.

He is a graduate of New York Life’s Advanced Planning Group’s Coaching Series, a client-centered planning process with the goal of helping clients crystalize their planning objectives and design appropriate solutions.

Bruno is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

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Arrow Financial Corp. announced Edward J. Campanella joined the company as senior vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer for Arrow, and executive vice president and chief financial officer for the company’s lead subsidiary, Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co.

Arrow is the parent company of Saratoga National Bank and Trust Co. and Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co.,

Campanella will be responsible for planning and management of all finance, treasury and accounting functions for Arrow, which reached a record $2.7 billion in assets at the end of the second quarter, according to company officials. He will be based in Glens Falls and report to Arrow President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Murphy.

Campanella served as CFO of National Union Bank of Kinderhook. He brings 19 years of finance and banking experience to Arrow. Prior leadership roles include treasurer and director of finance at Opus Bank in Irving, Calif., and treasurer at Cambridge Savings Bank in Cambridge, Mass. He began his career in finance as an analyst for Darling Consulting Group.

Campanella earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Suffolk University in Boston. He succeeds Terry Goodemote, who in February announced his intent to retire as Arrow CFO after more than 20 years of service to the company, including more than 10 years as the chief financial officer.

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Wonderland Grooming Offers Personalized Services For Any And All Breeds Of Canine

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

Laura Acquavella opened Wonderland Grooming in August. In addition to her certification as a groomer, she is certified in animal CPR and knowledgeable in canine first aid.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth

During her first week of high school, Wonderland Grooming owner Laura Acquavella, walked into a neighborhood dog grooming salon and asked for a job sweeping up. That job was the first step toward her dream of owning a pet grooming business.

After eight years of working at two grooming salons, while attending school, Acquavella received her Bachelor of Science degree in sociology. She worked in federal service for almost 20 years, before retiring this past winter.

She said it was during that time that she made the decision to never lose sight of her ultimate goal of not only being a groomer, but being her own boss as well. She became a certified dog groomer and graduated from the Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy in Clifton Park in 2013.

She worked as the head groomer at a local dog boarding facility and volunteered her grooming services to rescue dogs.

“I never lost sight of what I really wanted to do. My plan was to wait until retirement, but then I decided it was just time to do it, and it has been great,” said Acquavella.

Development Groups, BOCES Organize Event To Raise Awareness Of Job Needs In Area

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

The Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC), along with the Saratoga-Warren-Washington Workforce Development Board and the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex (WSWHE) BOCES, are collaborating with employers and school districts to launch the inaugural annual Career Jam.

The event, to be held at HVCC’s TEC-SMART, 345 Hermes Road, Ballston Spa, on Oct. 25 in Malta, aims to promote area job opportunities to raise awareness among eighth and ninth grade students, their families and educators of the direct skills and jobs needed in the region.

Organizers said highlighting these job options earlier can help influence student education and training choices and retain their talents to fill local jobs that can drive future growth.

“We are excited to partner with key stakeholders in business and education to deliver this first-of-its-kind event in our region,” said Dennis Brobston, president of SEDC. “This student-employer exchange is in direct response to the voiced concerns of business leaders and educators wanting to better align skills development with needed workplace job opportunities.

“The number one challenge for businesses of all sectors and sizes in recent years is finding workplace ready employees. By collaborating with area school districts, the regional BOCES, and the area Workforce Development Board, we identified from our friends in the North Country this fun, engaging method to bring young people and employers together.”

Founder Of Fingerpaint Wins ‘Top Boss’ Award

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

Ed Mitzen of Fingerpaint in Saratoga Springs is a Digiday Top Boss award winner.
Courtesy Fingerpaint

Media and marketing publication Digiday has named Ed Mitzen of Fingerpaint in Saratoga Springs, as one of its Top Boss award winners.

Mitzen, who founded the agency in 2008, won the award from Digiday in its full-service industry category. Fingerpaint has offices in downtown Saratoga; Conshohocken, Pa.; Columbus, Ohio; and Scottsdale, Ariz.

The company ranked No. 1 on this year’s Albany Business Review List of Largest Advertising, Public Relations, Digital and Creative Agencies in the Albany area ranked by total local staff with 100. In 2016, Fingerpaint had nearly $30 million in local revenue.

Other winners in the Digiday awards this year are the heads of companies such as Bleacher Report and Hypr.

This year’s Digiday Top Boss Awards go to senior executives from Mindshare, Bleacher Report, AdColony and others who are building positive relationships with their employees.

The Top Boss Award recognizes managers who go above and beyond to deliver results, build a strong team dynamic and provide mentoring.

Business Briefs: October 2017

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

The Malta Business & Professional Association (MBPA) recently hosted the ninth annual Taste of Malta at Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART in Malta.

The evening featured a variety of area restaurants who served samples of their best fare to over 200 attendees. As they have for the past seven years, the MBPA donated event proceeds to the Ballston Spa Central School District to support educational enrichment programs and initiatives.

This year’s event raised $4,000 for the Ballston Spa Partnership for Innovation in Education Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region. The funding will be used to support the district’s Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Early College High School, implemented at TEC-SMART in partnership with Hudson Valley Community College.

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Campagna Restaurant in Malta is hosting its annual charity dinner to benefit the Malta Veteran Appreciation Program (MVAP), a local organization that provides charitable support services to veterans. Last year’s event raised over $4000 to help fund MVAP’s many activities including special projects and facilitation of needed services.

The event begins Sunday October 8th at 5 p.m. and will include a champagne happy hour, a four-course meal prepared by Campagna’s Executive Chef Mark Graham, numerous raffle and silent auction items, and live entertainment.

Tickets are $85 per person and can be purchased in advance calling Campagna at 518-289-5693.

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Soroptimist International of Saratoga County, an international volunteer organization for business and professional women, is seeking women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families and are in need of financial assistance to go back to school.

In addition to being the primary wage earner, the applicant is required to: have a financial need; be accepted or enrolled in an undergraduate or vocational skills training program; be a resident of any of the locations where there is a Soroptimist chapter; and not have previously been a recipient of this award,

Soroptimist members are ineligible.

To apply for the grant, email a request for an application to Cynthia Eletto at cynthiaeletto@gmail.com Applications must be returned to Soroptimist International of Saratoga County by Nov. 15.

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Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund Opens Fifth ‘Autumn Of Giving Match Campaign’

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

The Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund announced launched its fifth Autumn of Giving Match Campaign on Oct. 1. The campaign brings together the ATC Community Fund, Adirondack Trust Co. and community-minded individuals and businesses to raise donations to benefit the Fund’s annual, local, charitable Lend-A-Hand Grant Program.

The campaign’s goal is to raise a minimum of $50,000 in donations from the community, similar to the results of last year’s match campaign, officials said.

Contributions are derived from donations, fund raising initiatives sponsored by generous local business campaign partners, and sponsorship/ticket sales for the signature event, An Evening of Autumn of Giving, which will be held at Longfellow’s on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Adirondack Trust will match all money raised during the month of October.

Speaking on behalf of the ATC Advisory Committee, volunteer chairwoman Caroline Putman said the campaign offers an opportunity for all contributors “to ‘double’ their money for their community with their donations for this campaign. We are extremely grateful to the Community Fund’s supporters that have been with us since the beginning, and those that have since joined. With community members participating in our business partners’ innovative October events, everyone can add even more.”

West Ave. Shopping Plaza Sells For $4.3M In Busy Local Commercial Real Estate Market

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

This shopping plaza on West Avenue was recently purchased by 60 West Avenue LLC.

By Liz Witbeck

As Saratoga Springs expands with businesses and homes, companies are looking outside of downtown for places to build. Developments on West Avenue are among growing areas in the city.

Lookout Saratoga LLC recently purchased a strip mall at 60 West Ave. in Saratoga Springs. The plaza contains approximately 30,000 square feet of commercial space.

60 West Avenue LLC purchased the former G. Heath King furniture store within the strip mall in 2007 and renovated it into its current condition—a 30,000-square-foot shopping plaza.

The new owner, Lookout Saratoga LLC, is an independent investor with some similar properties in the Capital District .

The plaza sold for $4.3 million, according to real estate companies involved in the transaction.

Revised MLS Service Pays Royalties To Real Estate Agents That List Their Properties

October 6, 2017October 9, 2017

Realtors can get royalty payments for listing homes for sale at First Choice MLS.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Susan E. Campbell

A Multiple Listing Service provides up-to-date databases of properties for sale that those in the real estate industry use and rely on regularly.

Sellers get maximum exposure to a regional market of prospective buyers. Buyers get quick, and free access to listings and have an easy way to refine searches and make comparisons.

Brokers who help one another sell properties are ensured of receiving a commission for their role in a successful transaction.

Locally, it is taking on a new twist.

But Stuart Thomas of Reality Realty of Saratoga, a director of the Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Association of Realtors Inc., said he had an issue for decades that he and some of his long-time associates have recently resolved.

Thomas has taken the lead in creating a new kind of MLS, called First Choice MLS. He said it is the first known service that monetizes an MLS. It becomes a source of income for real estate professionals, even if the properties they list don’t sell during the six-month contract period.