Saratoga Business Journal

Adirondack Trust Co. Opens Branch Office In Luther Forest, Sharing It With Stewart’s

June 9, 2017

A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the new Adirondack Trust Co. branch in May. The office is located a quarter-mile east of the Route 9 and Route 67 traffic circle.
Courtesy Adirondack Trust Co.

The Adirondack Trust Co. in May opened its new Luther Forest office, located a quarter-mile east of the Route 9 and Route 67 traffic circle, next to the Stewart’s Shops on Luther Forest Boulevard and Route 67.

The Luther Forest office is the company’s 13th branch location. Officials said it is unique in that it shares an interior connection with Stewart’s, making it convenient for customers to buy groceries and bank in one location.

The new location also features drive-up banking, a 24-hour drive-up ATM, night depository and customer banking stations, and is open until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony included Bill Dake, chairman of the board of Stewart’s Shops’; Charles V. Wait Jr., executive vice president of Adirondack Trust; Vincent DeLucia, supervisor of the Town of Malta; Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, as well as other Stewart’s Shops, bank staff and community members.

“We are proud to open our Luther Forest Office, which marks our 13th location, making banking with ATC even more convenient for our customers,” said Wait. “This new location serves a busy east-to-west Route 67 corridor and complements our southern Saratoga County tier branches in Malta and Round Lake.

Racing City Brewing Co. Set To Open Tasting Room And A Production Facility In Late July

June 9, 2017

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Saratoga Springs will become home to a new wine and beer production facility that will include a tasting room.

Tony and Debreen Oliva said what was a Fedex warehouse at 250 Excelsior Ave. will soon be known as the Racing City Brewing Co.

The couple started in Fort Edward with a tasting room known as Oliva Vineyards. Debreen Oliva said over the last six years she and her husband talked about having a place in Saratoga where they could not only make beer and wine, but also have a tasting room. Oliva said she and her family have a passion for horses and track season, so when a Fedex small business grant was available, they knew it was time to make a move.

“The old Fedex building is at the perfect corridor and we are thrilled to be in Saratoga. It combines everything we love. Saratoga has always been our dream. We love everything about it,” said Oliva.

She said the property offers them 20,000 square feet, including space for a 4,000-square-foot tasting room. The couple plans to incorporate food. Initially, they will be relying on food trucks and light fare, but by next year they plan to have a kitchen and serve pub fare. Currently, they have five employees but plan to hire more as they grow.

Oliva said they were just given final approval in April, but plan to have the brewery open for business by the end of July, in time for track season.

‘Camp Bow Wow’ Day Care And Boarding For Dogs To Open At Former Giffy’s Bar-B-Q Site

June 9, 2017

By Jennifer Farnsworth

The former Giffy’s Bar-B-Q on Route 9 in Clifton Park is undergoing quite a change. The building is being transformed into a dog boarding and day-care franchise under the direction of owners Matthew and Marlene Beck.

The couple said they will be up and running this fall, providing services to Saratoga County as part of their Camp Bow Wow franchise.

“We have now closed on the property and construction is underway,” said Matthew Beck.

The facility will be part of Camp Bow Wow, which has approximately 140 pet-care facilities nationwide. Services include grooming, training, day care and boarding.

J. Luke Construction Co. of Schenectady is doing the work and a grand opening is expected this fall. Camp Bow Wow has an Albany location that has been very successful, said Beck. He feels the convenient location for Northway commuters and residents of Saratoga County will do equally well.

Beck said the Clifton Park site will be a smaller version of the Albany facility. All staff will have practical training in dog behavior, certifications in pet first aid and dog CPR.

Camp Bow Wow will be looking to welcome busy professionals needing pet care during the week, as well as those who are heading out of town and need a safe place for their pet. Samuel Dearth, owner of the Albany location, said they have developed a strong customer base with many loyal pet parents.

Saratoga CoWorks To Provide Space, Services For Entrepreneurs In SEDC SPARK Program

June 9, 2017

A collaborative agreement with established flexible office space operator Saratoga CoWorks and the newly launched SPARK program of the Saratoga Economic Development Corp. will empower locally based entrepreneurs with mentoring support and access to potential capital to help promote, retain and grow new businesses in the region.

The pact will provide physical space and future educational programming at Saratoga CoWorks’ facility on Regent Street in Saratoga Springs.

Entrepreneur project companies who go through SPARK Saratoga analysis of their business idea or early stage companies who agree to a growth action plan to help them reach milestones will be eligible to access flexible space, at reasonable terms, managed by Saratoga CoWorks, officials said.

SEDC, through its Advance Saratoga startup advisory team of proven professionals, will develop programming in speciality business practices to help entrepreneur project teams. Skills ranging from legal and personnel challenges, marketing and advertising on a budget, to capital raises, will be developed to educate early stage companies for growth.

“To Advance Saratoga, we have been listening and learning from our community based members to promote, retain and grow businesses and jobs,” said Dennis Brobston, president of SEDC. “Launching SPARK Saratoga was just the beginning of how we aim to attract and retain talent that will accelerate locally based opportunities to grow the jobs and wages needed to bolster our future. Now, we can afford entrepreneurs going through our initial project analysis and agreeing to growth-action plans access to attractive space in Saratoga Springs.”

SUNY Empire State, SUNY Ulster Enter Pact To Address Demand For RNs In New York

June 9, 2017

SUNY Ulster President Alan P. Roberts and SUNY Empire President Merodie A. Hancock sign a pact allowing for former’s college nursing students to transfer easily to SUNY Empire State.
Courtesy SUNY Empire State

SUNY Empire State College and SUNY Ulster have formed a new partnership to address the demand for registered nurses in New York state to have completed a bachelor’s degree.

Thanks to the partnership, graduates of SUNY Ulster’s nursing program will transfer seamlessly to SUNY Empire’s RN to BSN program, college officials said.

SUNY Ulster’s nursing graduates also will be able to complete upper-division SUNY Empire RN to BSN courses through a blend of online and face-to-face learning at SUNY Ulster’s campus.

“We can take our nursing program and bring it to Ulster where it’s needed,” said Merodie A. Hancock, president of SUNY Empire. “Our partnership provides a highly regarded, convenient baccalaureate degree option. We’ll share faculty, leverage SUNY Ulster’s facilities, so that students will be able to stay close to their homes, communities and places of employment, complete their BSN and move on with their careers.”

“This is a unique opportunity for registered nurses looking to attain their BSN for career advancement and professional development to do so right here in Ulster County affordably,” said Alan P. Roberts, president of SUNY Ulster. “We are delighted to partner with Empire State College to expand access to this degree, which is in high demand, and feature our partnership as a model for other RN to BSN programs.”

Wesley Community Acquires Home Health Provider, Will Offer In-Home Care Services

June 9, 2017

The Wesley Community in Saratoga Springs, pictured here, has Senior Solutions, and will now be able to offer health services to clients outside of this compound.
Courtesy The Wesley Community

The Wesley Community has acquired Saratoga Springs-based home care provider Senior Solutions, which will enable the senior services organization to offer in-home care to clients and residents.

The move expands the service offerings of the Wesley Community from its Saratoga Springs campus to a home-based setting, and extends the geographic footprint of the organization from beyond Saratoga and Warren counties to include the adult aging population within the Schenectady area, officials said.

The acquisition also allows the Wesley Community to add another level of service to its continuum of care model, which includes independent and enriched living, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care options for seniors.

“Aging at home is an important priority for many adults and their families. Wesley Senior Solutions provides the senior population with an alternative option beyond the traditional residential care currently available on our campus,” said Wesley Community CEO Brian Nealon. “All of us at The Wesley Community are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care, and this new offering will allow us to bring that same level of service to clients who wish to remain in the comfort of their own home.”

Vent Fitness To Open In Saratoga Springs; Will Have ‘Interval Training’ Classes For Members

June 9, 2017

Vent Fitness will soon open at 307 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs.

By Jill Nagy

At the new Vent Fitness facility in Saratoga Springs members have to share the data collected by their heart-rate monitors. The idea, according to marketing and promotion manager Germaine Wright, is to keep things competitive and to promote “compatibility and camaraderie” and encourage people to “reinvent together.”

The facility, at 307 Broadway, at the corner of Congress Street, is the fifth in the area for Vent Fitness, but the first to feature a studio concept.

Vent has renovated an existing building to provide 4,600 square feet of space. A mid-June “soft opening” is planned with something more celebratory later in the summer. They expect to employ between five and 10 people, including fitness instructors and office staff.

Members will participate in group classes featuring interval training at various levels of difficulty.

Interval training alternates periods of high-intensity exercise with less strenuous intervals. Every student receives a heart-rate monitor and the data is posted on a screen for all to see. Sharing is compulsory, Wright said.

The gym will also have locker rooms and showers, as well as a lounge area, a live DJ to provide music, a shake bar and a retail sales area, selling athletic clothing and gear and other items that might come in handy during a workout.

Building Trades Businesses That Deal In Renovations, Additions, Doing Well In 2017

June 9, 2017

Dave Bernacki, owner of Capital District Contractors and Decks, said his business has flourished in the areas of renovation, additions and remodeling projects like this one his company did.
Courtesy Capital District Contractors and Decls

By Maureen Werther

Whether it is high-end luxury homes or older homes in need of renovations or additions, most residential builders and remodelers in Saratoga County are doing well in 2017, with no signs of slowing down.

Jim Sasko, owner of Teakwood Builders, has been in business for 21 years and he has seen his company grow from hands-on carpentry—dismantling and restoring historic homes—to building high-end luxury homes.

Sasko said he learned a lot about how older homes are built during his first few years as a small operation. He also learned that there were better craftsmen out there than he was when it came to historic restoration. So, he began to hire those highly skilled people as his business progressed.

Today, Sasko has a team of 10 carpenters, an interior designer, estimators, administrative staff and a client coordinator, which he says is a key position in the company.

The coordinator “keeps order in all aspects” of a construction project, said Sasko. She is responsible for ensuring open lines of communication between the homeowner and the construction team.

Organization Formed To Help Upstate NY Masonry Contractors Market Their Trade

June 9, 2017

Masonry contractors in Upstate New York have formed a new organization to assist in marketing their trade.

The Upstate Masonry Institute (UMI) is the contractors’ new outreach division with the mission to advocate, educate and promote use of masonry in construction projects that span from the Capital Region to Syracuse in the west and up to the U.S-Canadian border.

Upstate Masonry Institute was designed and is dedicated to improving the overall utilization of masonry materials of all types in the Upstate New York area in commercial, industrial and institutional construction projects, officials for the new organization said.

“UMI is here to represent the masonry industry by educating the developers, owners, architects, engineers and contractors involved in the success of masonry construction applications, providing the knowledge and means of increasing efficiency and productivity in masonry, and advocating the increased use of brick, block and stone,” the group said in a news release.

Business Report: Dryer Vents, Chimneys: The Ugly Truth

June 9, 2017

Jamie Wallace is owner of Saratoga Chimney Sweep in Wilton.
Courtesy Saratoga Chimney Sweep

By Jamie Wallace

Chimneys and dryer vents are a mystery to many homeowners and even experienced contractors. Both vent flammable or toxic gases to the exterior of your home, and both are horribly ignored.

This information is especially important when living in or managing apartments or condos.

Let’s start with dryer vents. There are codes and standards for how they are built. Many times, a heating element in the dryer will fail, causing the need for replacement. In some cases the dryer was never the problem, it was incorrect installation of the vent or heavy lint accumulation. This essentially overworks a dryer and shortens its life span significantly.

In 2010, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) stated that over 15,000 dryer vent fires occurred in the U.S. due to dirty dryer vents.

The good news is: it is 100 percent preventable.

The NFPA also recommends a dryer vent be inspected and cleaned as needed on an annual basis, which would drastically reduce risk. When an experienced professional comes out to service a dryer vent, they should also make sure it was installed properly. There should be no vinyl hose connections, no PVC venting, and certainly no screws holding it all together, which act like lint catchers.

These are only a few of the standards and codes that can be checked.