Saratoga Business Journal

Project Proposed For Malta Town Center Area To Have Retail Space And Apartments

July 7, 2017July 19, 2017

This is a rendering of a four-story. 60,000-square-foot building that will be built by Windsor Development Group. It will have retail on the first floor and apartments above.
Courtesy Windsor Development Group

By Jennifer Farnsworth

The building up of Malta’s town center is continuing, aided by a project being done by Windsor Development Group of Clifton Park.

The company is planning a large development that will be in the heart of the town center, featuring a eateries, retail space and apartments—all in an area that residents can walk to.

The property will be located in Clifton Park, in front of the Village Plaza shopping center, with an address of 11-15 Clifton Country Road.

Bob Miller Sr., CEO of Windsor, a real estate development and professional property management firm, said the space was an immediate draw to him because it coincides with Malta’s vision for a town center that will draw people in.

“The goal is to bring people into the center, this is definitely a project that will help to accomplish that,” said Miller.

Miller said there are two separate properties that are part of the project, and Windsor Development will be tackling one at a time. The project calls for a 7,100-square-foot building and a four-story. 60,000-square-foot building.

Local Plumbers Union State-Of-The-Art Training Center Key To Filling Jobs In Region

July 7, 2017

At the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 773 training center in Queensbury, instructors teach the current technologies for the fast-changing industry. Here, they work in a ‘clean room’ setting.
Courtesy Local 773

By Maureen Werther

For the 450 members of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 773, the outlook regarding the future of jobs is good. Its state-of-the-art training center in Queensbury continues to prepare journeymen for the fast-growing list of jobs in and around the region, union officials said.

Located at 37 Luzerne Road in Queensbury, the team of expert instructors and support staff at Local 773 serves seven counties that span from Saratoga County to the Canadian border. They provide qualified pipefitters, welders, plumbers, HVAC workers and fire-suppression experts to industries ranging from commercial and light industrial to high-tech companies such as GlobalFoundries.

The $5-million facility was built in response to the rapid increase in apprenticeships the union experienced seven years ago, officials said. It was located on Bluebird Road in South Glens Falls but was no longer able to accommodate the union’s growing membership.

“Our members decided to invest in growing,” said Nelson Charron, marketing representative for Local 773 and longtime member of the union.

New Building Proposed On Lake Avenue On Parcel That Currently Houses Moby Rick’s Seafood

July 7, 2017

By Maureen Werther

When local attorney Tom West and his wife, Renee, began looking for investment properties in the city, their first thought was to buy a two-family house.

But, when their son, Andrew, came to them with an idea for bringing 9 Miles East Farm products and menu offerings into the city proper, their focus turned to a local market that has been a mainstay on Saratoga’s east side since the 1870s.

The small parcel of land on the corner of Lake Avenue and Warren Street has been home to one kind of market or another since 1873, when Pepper’s Market and Deli first opened for business. In 2012, the market became home to Moby Rick’s Seafood, a destination for fresh fish and accompanying delicacies straight from the wharfs of Boston and Long Island.

Rick Lofstad Jr., owner of Moby Rick’s, had been looking for ways to reinvigorate his market. Meanwhile, 9 Miles East Farm Pizza owners, Gordon and Mary Sacks, had also been toying with new strategies for expanding their farm-to-table enterprise in Schuylerville.

When owner Robert Pringle, decided to sell the Lake Avenue property, it set up a “perfect storm” for the Wests, Lofstad and Sacks to transform the property into a combined farm-to-market and net-to-market destination.

“We signed on the property the first day we saw it,” said West, whose law firm, The West Firm PLLC on Broadway, focuses on environmental law, litigation and transactional issues.

“This was a spur-of-the-moment enterprise,” he said.

NYRA Names Architect For New Track Building

July 7, 2017

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced that SOSH Architects has been selected as architect of record for the proposed At the Rail building at Saratoga Race Course.

Pursuant to the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by NYRA in February, SOSH Architects will oversee design, bid and construction administration services for the possible development of a building to be located immediately adjacent to the end of the clubhouse.

Founded in 1979, SOSH Architects has built a global reputation through decades of work in designing, planning and building large scale hospitality spaces, according to NYRA officials.

Separately, NYRA will be consulting with Matt Hurff, partner at Frost Hurff Architects based in Saratoga Springs, during critical design stages of the project to ensure all historic preservation standards are met, officials said.

Hurff has extensive experience working on significant projects at Saratoga Race Course, including renovations to the historic Pony Barn and paddock mutuel building, construction of new dormitories, the Saratoga Walk of Fame and the Clubhouse escalator.

Mannix Marketing Wins Award For Designing Website For Eddy Senior Living Community

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017

Eddy Senior Living Senior Communities Website

Mannix Marketing, a woman-owned, full-service digital marketing agency, has been recognized with a 2017 Summit Creative Award in the category of website redesign for its design of the Eddy Senior Living Communities website.

This year’s competition included over 5,000 entries from 24 countries around the world.

The Summit Creative Award, celebrating its 23rd year, recognizes and celebrates the creative achievements of small and medium advertising and marketing agencies around the world. Judged by an international panel of industry experts, more than 5,000 entries from 24 countries were submitted in this year’s competition.

The award-winning website, Eddy Senior Living Communities (A Division of St. Peter’s Health Partners), features independent living, enriched housing and assisted living, and memory care communities for seniors in upstate New York.

StoredTech Develops New Service Model Provides Clients New Equipment Options

July 7, 2017July 11, 2017

From left, Bret Cofer, vice president of operations, Mark Shaw, president and CEO, and Timothy Cruz, operations manager, pose at the StoredTech office.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Susan E. Campbell

Technology is central to every company and organization in this 21st century. Even if the only hardware on site is a telephone, not much business will be conducted without it. And if it breaks, somebody needs to fix it or replace it.

But what if a team of IT professionals were already on the pulse on all the business systems in a company, monitoring networks and anticipating what might go wrong next? What if instead of calling an IT consultant, your IT consultant were calling the company?

This is the premise that drives Queensbury-based StoredTech and its new service, CloudCare. StoredTech was founded in 2010 by Mark Shaw to “provide a significantly different approach to IT consulting.”

“In the 1980s and 1990s, if you had a computer problem you would call the IT guy to come fix it,” Shaw said. “It should be the polar opposite.”

StoredTech’s approach is to get ahead of a problem and propose early solutions before the emergency call needs to be made. In some cases problems are fixed remotely before the customer even notices it, he said.

“We see some things that look bad, maybe with the network or servers, so let’s fix them before they get very bad,” said Shaw. “Don’t wait for failure.”

By actively managing customer relationships in such a way, StoredTech becomes a proactive partner invested in the success of that client company. It has tools that monitor all kinds of hardware: firewalls, computers, servers, data storage, telephones, security cameras and access control systems. Its product line is being expanded all the time, so rather than sending clients to a different third party firm for resolution, the firm continually becomes an expert in additional areas of need.

“In the past if everything went down, a company could be contacting five or 10 different vendors to fix the phones, the security and other systems,” he said. “Now there’s a holistic approach, the ‘one-throat-to-choke’ model. If it’s broken, StoredTech is there to take care of it all and at a higher skill level.”

Business Report: Recovery From Ransomware

July 7, 2017July 11, 2017

Gerry Freedman is a senior sales representative at the Colden Co.
Courtesy Colden Co.

By Gerry Freedman

As many of you know, in May of this year, the WannaCry ransomware cyber attack was a global event.

This malware strain infected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries.

While this particular attack targeted out of date, unpatched, or unsupported operating systems, it reinforced the need to keep your operating systems current. Additionally, it brought into sharp focus the choice you have if your system is infected: bitcoin or backup.

Ransomware works by encrypting the data it can access with extremely difficult to break encryption, rendering the data unreadable without the decryption key.

The “ransom” part of the equation comes from the hackers demanding payment in the form of untraceable cyber currency. Payments started at $300.00 in the case of the WannaCry virus. Law enforcement officials discourage paying the ransom, as it emboldens the hackers, and gives them a huge source of revenue to create new attacks.

It is estimated that ransomware attacks are now a $1 billion business.

The best way to recover your data is from a good backup.

A backup that uses its own encryption, provided necessary retention and is shielded from ransomware attacks are the top recommendation of business continuity experts. In addition, a good business continuity system for critical data, which goes beyond mere backup, would allow you to continue working during the event, save money, reduce risk and allow your business to recover its data in minutes or hours, not days.

Saratoga Tech Accelerator Changes Its Name, Now Branding Its Services At STEADfast IT

July 7, 2017

Saratoga Technology Accelerator in Saratoga Springs, a managed IT services company, has changed its corporate name to STEADfast IT.

The name change reflects the company’s broader footprint and dedication to expertise in the area of managed IT support, company officials said.

Along with the re-branding, STEADfast IT is launching their new “white glove” end-user support IT managed services. It includes their proprietary Swift Ticket Resolution Station (STRS) and unlimited remote support service.

“The new name of STEADfast IT emphasizes the core brand promise; to revolutionize how IT experiences are created. Our focus on the human connection and proprietary process combine to create a new standard for IT service delivery,” said Craig Skevington, president and CEO. “As a company with its roots in customer service and technology, we are dedicated to delivering breakthrough levels of service and data to save our customers time and money.”

Business Report: Paper To Digital Transformation

July 7, 2017

Rick Gallup, owner of Document Solutions of the North Country.

By Rick Gallup

One of the many challenges facing business owners and managers today, is the transformation of documents from paper to digital. Although most people agree that this change is necessary, implementation is not a simple process.

Why go from paper to digital? Remote workers have access to information on many devices from virtually anywhere. If important documents are trapped in paper format, you are not fully utilizing the tools that mobile technology provides.

Another reason is that digital documents make it very easy to store and retrieve large volumes of data. Other reasons include cost savings, security, and sustainability, to name few.

What are the challenges? First there is acceptance. Most people are resistant to change. Getting everyone on board, is essential to a successful digital transformation strategy.

Then there is the process. Some companies will choose to eliminate printers, or install software that restricts printing. These can be effective measures, but only if you have a good understanding of the workflow, and how this action may impact it.

The path to transformation can be divided into four stages (understand, educate, execute, and improve). First you must understand how and where you use paper today. The distinction between “good” and “bad” paper can identify areas where you really need to use paper, and areas where you don’t.

Examples of “good’ paper might be when working with organizations outside of your own. They may still require paper to conduct business. Printed marketing materials may be a good way for you to promote your business. Sometimes there may be a legal requirement for a hand-written signature.

An example of “bad” paper would be any time hard copy documents are stored or shared, when it makes sense to do this electronically. Having a good managed print solution in place, can help you understand your current situation.

Stewart’s Shops To Add Charging Stations For Electric Automobiles At 100 Of Its Stores

July 7, 2017

By Margaret MacDonald

Stewart’s Shops is looking to install 100 charging stations for electric automobiles throughout the greater Capital Region, pending approvals.

The move coincides with state efforts to expand services in that direction.

State Sen. Jim Tedisco recently called for the state to approve the new Electric Vehicle Fast Charger Network (EVFCN).

Tedisco, a member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, wrote a letter to the state Public Service commissioner in support of the EVFCN and the Stewart’s plan to install charging stations at shops in his 49th Senate District.

“The plan would be to install an electric car fast-charging network, providing an 80 percent charge in roughly 20 minutes,” Stewart’s spokesperson Maria D’Amelia said.

It would be done in a gradual rollout.