Saratoga Business Journal

Rochester-Based Real Estate, Development Company Building Apartments On Route 67

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

This rendering shows the style of apartments planned by Conifer Real Estate, Development and Management Co. along Route 67 in the town of Ballston, near East Line Road.
Courtesy Conifer Realty

By Maureen Werther

Conifer Real Estate, Development and Management Co. based in Rochester in the early phases of building a new apartment community on 10 acres along Route 67 in the town of Ballston, near East Line Road.

Conifer Realty, which has developed residential communities and commercial properties in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania, purchased the property from Hal Schultz, formerly head of H.R. Schultz construction and local real estate developer. Schultz originally envisioned the land to be developed as both commercial and residential property. But he revised his plans, choosing to market it as a residential property.

The property was sold last July. Conifer broke ground in December.

Skidmore Professor Develops App That Tells User What To Eat, When They Should Exercise

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

Dr. Paul Arciero, a researcher and Skidmore College professor, has developed the GenioFit app.
Courtesy American Heart Association News

Noted researcher Dr. Paul Arciero has devoted his career to helping people get more active and eat more natural, healthier foods.

It all started in the dirt of a community garden.

“Some of my fondest childhood memories come from tending that garden with my mother,” Arciero said, recalling the hot summers harvesting in rural Connecticut. “Going there with her, tending to the earth, getting dirty – that was my introduction to healthy nourishment.”

The key themes of fitness and family continue with some of Arciero’s latest work as well. He recently developed a new app, with help from his son Nick, a developer and coder. The GenioFit app lets a person know what they should eat and when they should exercise, Arciero said. He leads exercise videos in the app, as well as guided meditations.

“GenioFit embraces all the fundamental premises and mission of the research I’ve done, the organizations I represent, and who I am,” Arciero said. “It’s imperative that we engage in lifestyle strategies that engage healthy eating and exercise. There’s a synergy that lets us derive a significantly greater benefit when the two are together.”

He has spent 25 years at Skidmore College where he is a professor of nutrition and exercise science and director of the Human Nutrition & Metabolism Laboratory.

Arciero has published over 50 peer-reviewed scientific journals, but his education in the world of healthy living didn’t all come from the classroom or the laboratory.

Mental Health Organization Names Judge James Doern As Its 2017 ‘Citizen Of The Year’

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

Judge James Doern was honored by the Saratoga County Citizens Committee for Mental Health.
Courtesy SCCCMH

The Saratoga County Citizens Committee for Mental Health (SCCCMH) named Judge James E. D. Doern as its 2017 Citizen of the Year.

Judge Doern was honored at the group’s Mental Health Matters benefit at Longfellows Restaurant on May 3.

According to the mental health organization, Judge Doern’s community commitment dates to the early 1990s, beginning with his work with Rotary and continuing through the present with his dedication to a number of advocacy and human services organizations.

As Saratoga Springs City Court Judge for 18 years, he recognized the impact of un-met mental health, addiction, housing, transportation, and employment needs on people’s ability to function happily and productively in our community. As a result, Doern has worked tirelessly to improve the scope and collaboration of the community’s services.

In 2015, he was the force behind the establishment of a monthly gathering of human service providers, the mental health and substance abuse coalition. The purpose of this group is to identify and then rectify gaps in the continuum of care.

Bodyworks Professionals To Donate Massage Proceeds To Saratoga’s Wellspring Organization

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

For the second year in a row, Bodywork Professionals has chosen Wellspring, an agency working to end relationship and sexual abuse in Saratoga County, as the recipient of donations for its “Try Thai” short-format massage sessions.

All money donated by participating clients goes directly to the Wellspring charity, the company said.

Rebecca Morris, a Thai yoga massage practitioner for the past nine years, will be offering 30-minute sampler sessions at Bodywork’s 11 Spring Street location from 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, May 25.

“Thai yoga massage is a comfortable introduction to bodywork for many people. The client wears loose clothing and lies on a floor mat and the therapist gently administers stretches and range of motion techniques on the whole body. It’s useful for athletes, helps those with back and hip pain, and fine for pregnant women as well,” said Nick Pavoldi, owner of Bodywork Professionals. “Teenagers and college students—with their heavy school backpacks and tight necks and shoulders from frequent use of technology—can also benefit.”

Berkshire Hathway HomeServices Blake, Realtors Marks 95 Years Of Philanthropy

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

JoAnn White, a vice president of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake, Realtors spearheaded efforts by the company to help the city’s Code Blue program for the homeless.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Maureen Werther

During a recent luncheon at the Hall of Springs celebrating Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake, Realtors 95 years of helping residential and commercial buyers and sellers across the Capitol Region, the prevailing theme was as much about giving back to the community as it was about being successful in business.

Blake Realty was founded in 1922 by Samuel Blake and has flourished under four generations of family guidance. Throughout the course of its history, the family owned-and-operated company has sponsored a wide variety of local and regional philanthropic causes, and it has encouraged employees and agents to do the same.

The company has gone through several iterations, from Blake to Prudential Manor Homes, to its recent acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway. Despite the changes of name, the culture continues its philanthropy. JoAnn White, vice president of the company’s Saratoga Springs office on Broadway, has always embraced the philosophy of giving back, through her team’s ongoing support of the city’s Code Blue program for the homeless.

Skidmore Community Service Helps Nonprofits

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

By Jill Nagy

For at least 25 years, community service has been a part of life for Skidmore College students. Currently, approximately 50 percent, including all 400 athletes, participate in fundraising or community service activities, according to Michelle Hubbs, coordinator of the Community Service Office at the college.

The office serves as a liaison between Skidmore and more than 40 nonprofit agencies in the Saratoga area. Projects are student initiated and directed, Hubbs said, and she provides support and acts as a resource.

Projects vary. One student set out to raise money for an HIV orphanage in Vietnam. He planned a chili contest with volunteer chefs on Earth Day 2016. Other students tutor elementary students and pre-schoolers.

A club called Feedmore collects unused food from the campus dining hall and delivers it to the soup kitchen at the New England Congregational Church. The volunteers have sent 3,100 pounds of food so far this year, according to Hubbs.

Another group works with the Sustainability Office to use compost in the community garden. Students in FeelGood make grilled cheese sandwiches several times a week and sell them to raise money for a national organization dedicated to ending world poverty. The Residential Life program engages students in projects to raise money to provide holiday gifts for local children. Last holiday season, they raised $3,000 to provide gifts for 11 children.

CMK & Associates Real Estate Moves Office To Ballston Spa; Reports Major Growth in 2016

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

CMK & Associates owner and principal broker Christian Klueg poses with staff inside the company’s new office at 108 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa. The group moved from its Burnt Hills site.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

CMK & Associates Real Estate, a licensed New York state brokerage, recently relocated its Burnt Hills office to Ballston Spa to better serve clients within the Greater Capital Region and to provide a larger facility for its growing team

A ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the grand opening was held recently at the 108 Milton Ave., Ballston Spa facility.

CMK & Associates has experienced more than 30 percent growth in the past year, moving from a sold volume of $63 million in 2015 to over $84 million in 2016, according to said owner and principal broker Christian Klueg.

Authentic Asian Cuisine A Staple At ‘Bua Thai’ Restaurant Located At Ellsworth Commons

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

Lek Cameron, center, owner of Bua Thai restaurant Malta’s Ellsworth Commons is surrounded by her staff. Cameron says she is committed to bringing authentic Thai food to the region.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Bua Thai is a restaurant in Malta’s Ellsworth Commons that provides Asian cuisine. Owner Lek Cameron said customers can expect authentic Thai food in an atmosphere that allows them to visit Thailand, if just for an hour or two.

“With our food and uniforms, people come in and can’t believe it. It is like visiting Thailand. You feel like you are not eating the food but visiting the place,” she said.

“I am really feeling so happy right now with things, we are doing quite well,” said Cameron. The restaurant has benefited from growing surrounding businesses like GlobalFoundries.

Cameron is committed to bringing authentic Thai food to the region. She also appreciates customer feedback and is happy to accommodate and customize dishes.

“If it’s not on the menu, we can still try to make a requested dish. We want people to experience just how good Thai food should be,” said Cameron.

Business Briefs: May 2017

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

The Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund is accepting grant applications from eligible nonprofit charities headquartered in the Saratoga, Warren and Washington county areas.

The grant window is open through Sept. 25. Grant information and application forms may be obtained from the Community Fund website at www.atccf.org/nonprofits

The fund was established in 2009 to build an endowment that acts as a perpetual source of funding for the broad array of nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life in the community and to assist them in addressing issues of common concern. The fund also seeks to foster a community spirit of giving by providing donors with flexible ways to manage charitable donations. In 2016, the Community Fund awarded $42,270.00 in “lend-a-hand” grants to 23 local, nonprofit organizations, supporting programs in such diverse areas as veteran’s outreach, mental health services, wildlife education, homelessness prevention, youth services, and the arts.

Grant recipients will be announced by the independent advisory committee in December.

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Saratoga Springs Public Library will hold the next edition of its Brown Bag Lunch lecture series from noon-1 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at the library’s H. Dutcher Community Room, 49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs.

The program is titled “The Burning of the Piping Rock: The True Story Behind the Novel,” presented by author Joseph Cutshall-King.

The historical mystery novel is based on the still unsolved arson of Piping Rock Casino in Saratoga Springs in 1954. The author has woven real people and events into a fictional “solution” of this crime. He will discuss the actual people, including his own family, and events of the Saratoga Springs of 1954 that drove his writing this novel.

It is produced by the Saratoga Heritage Area Visitor Center in partnership with the library and is free of charge.

For more information contact the Saratoga Heritage Area Visitor Center at 587-3241.

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Curtis Lumber, In Its 127th Year In Business, Makes Some Changes To Its Leadership Team

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017

By Maureen Werther

It has been about three months since Curtis Lumber transitioned several key people into new positions within the organization. According to Kylie (Curtis) Holland, a sixth-generation member of the Curtis family, the new corporate management realignment and promotions are working out well for the 127-year-old, family owned and operated lumber and retail store.

During the January transition, Holland moved into the newly created role of director of organizational development, in charge of overseeing human resources, employee training and employee development initiatives. The job allows for a more structured approach to employee training, safety and security programs and it creates a central corporate outreach location for all 21 stores across New York and Vermont, she said.

The other major change involved the creation of three vice president positions. Jon Hallgren, now a senior vice president, began his career with the company 44 years ago and is planning to retire in 2018.

“When Jon transitioned into the position of vice president, we were a much smaller company,” said Holland. “In the past 10 years, we have doubled in size. Jon’s upcoming retirement in 2018 presented a good opportunity to create the new vice president positions,” she added.

In addition to Hallgren’s role as senior vice president, the new positions are held by Liz Irish, who is vice president of information services; Doug Ford, vice president of sales and purchasing; and Rich Keating, vice president of sales and marketing.

According to Holland, Irish’s previous position had incorporated information systems under the umbrella of HR and employee relations. When the separate information systems position was created and Irish transitioned into that role, it left a gap in human resources that Holland could step into.