Saratoga Business Journal

Trading Card Hub Started At The Shirt Factory, Now Has Multiple Mall Locations

January 22, 2024

Chad Phinney, owner of Trading Card Hub, shown at his Aviation Mall store location with a few of the Pokemon cards he has available.

By Christine Graf

Twenty-four-year old Queensbury native Chad Phinney was just 19 years old when he opened Trading Card Hub in the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls. At that time, he was selling sports trading cards on eBay.

“I was buying cards and reselling them, and I started making a lot of money doing it out of my parents’ basement. It just grew and grew until it got to the point where I had so many cards,” he said.

“My store originally sold just sports cards, but everyone wanted Pokémon, so I started getting into that.”

After about one year in business, Phinney found himself in need of a bigger space. He relocated his store to the Aviation Mall, and the following year, he considered relocating for a second time to the Wilton Mall.

“When I was renegotiating my rent for Aviation, I was in talks with Wilton. I ended up getting a good deal at Aviation and Wilton, so I decided to keep Aviation and open a second store at Wilton,” he said.

“A lot of the people who come to our Pokémon card trading events live in Saratoga, and they had been asking for a store there.”

Coworking And Flexible Spaces Significant Part Of Office Trends In The Coming Year

January 22, 2024January 23, 2024

Dorothy Rogers-Bullis is owner and president of drb Business Interiors in Saratoga Springs.

By Dorothy Rogers-Bullis

The keyword in workspace design for 2024 is going to be “flexibility.” Employees and employers alike are looking for solutions that give them an array of design, construction, and furniture options to choose from. A few examples:

Operable walls for multi-use spaces

In today’s work environment, putting 22 chairs around a conference table and only using the room for that one purpose is a waste of space and ultimately money. Instead of dedicating office square footage to a single function — like a large conference room — a more cost-effective option is to find multiple ways to use that same space, and operable walls are one simple solution. These walls are easy to move and can be reconfigured to utilize a space in many ways. Turn an area into a multifunctional space for work, meetings, dining, parties, or even a multimedia room.

Recreate your downtown office at home

Few good things came out of the pandemic, but many employees would argue that there is one: the flexibility to work from home. More and more people are working remotely or in a hybrid environment where they are in the office for part of the week and working from home the remainder. Given that an increasing number of work hours are being spent in home offices, people are putting a greater emphasis on functionality. In some cases, hybrid workers are even recreating their “downtown” office at home, using the same furniture and design esthetic so that on a video call, customers wouldn’t know if they are at home or in the main office.

Entrepreneur’s Restoration Of Brill Manor Turns Historic Home Into Wedding And Events Venue

January 22, 2024

A complete restoration has turned Brill Manor in Wilton into the area’s newest wedding and events venue.

By Christine Graf

In what has been his largest endeavor to date, local entrepreneur Michael Blaauboer has completed the restoration of The Brill Manor. Located at 683 Saratoga Road in Wilton, the property is one of the area’s newest wedding and event venues.

Originally known as the Brill House, the home was built in 1850 by John Brill. The 31-acre property has changed hands many times over the years, and many locals remember it as the Pepper Turkey Farm. Famed LPGA golfer Dottie Pepper grew up there, and her father, former Major League Baseball Player Don Pepper, ran the farm after his father died.

“Dottie’s parents have been extremely generous in sharing details of the property with me,” said Blaauboer.

In late 2020, Blaauboer acquired the historic property, one that had been neglected for years. The house was in a state of disrepair, obscured by overgrown foliage that rendered it invisible from the road.

Career Jam Launches The Student First Project To Honor Firm Founder Ryan Van Amburgh

January 22, 2024

Career Jam, a company that has inspired over 16,000 students in the Capital Region to explore diverse career pathways, has launched a significant expansion with the establishment of a nationwide non-profit organization, The Student First Project, Inc., in honor of recently deceased company founder and CEO, Ryan Van Amburgh.

The Student First Project’s vision is to transform students’ lives by prioritizing their needs, aspirations, and potential. The organization will not only fund existing initiatives through Career Jam but also establish parallel programs in the near future. Aarika Van Amburgh, Ryan’s wife, has been named Executive Director and will be leading the organization and carrying forward the Van Amburgh family values of community and education.

“It’s become more and more evident every day that my husband, Ryan Van Amburgh, impacted the lives of many. I can see clearly how his loving, humble, and generous service to others will have a lasting impact on generations to come,” said Aarika Van Amburgh.

The decision to launch The Student First Project came as Ryan was battling mesothelioma cancer along with other health complications during the past year. Ryan’s family launched a campaign to fund the nonprofit on December 21, 2023, while a hospice nurse was at their house admitting Ryan. The goal was to allow Ryan the opportunity to witness the realization of his dream for the non-profit while he was still alive.

Unfortunately, Ryan passed away at home on Christmas Day with his wife, Aarika, and two children, Carter, 17, and Sophie, 16 in February, by his side, along with their closest family and friends. The Van Amburgh family believes that The Student First Project will preserve Ryan’s legacy and progress his vision into the future. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered.

Capital Cardiology Associates Expands Presence with New Saratoga Springs Location

January 22, 2024

Dr. Nicholas Kondo stands in front of Capital Cardiology’s new office location at 34 Congress Street, Suite 103, in Saratoga Springs

By Jill Nagy

Capital Cardiology Associates opened an office at 34 Congress Street in Saratoga Springs last fall, with a formal ribbon-cutting in December. This is the practice’s sixth office in the Capital Region.

The Saratoga office is a temporary location. In the fall of 2025, they expect to move into a new multi-speciality practice in a new building near the Wilton Mall. The Wilton location will also include a cardiac urgent care walk-in office, a “hallmark of Capital Cardiology,” according to Dr. Lance Sullenberger, the chief operating officer and a 15-year veteran of the practice.

Dr. Nicholas Kondo, a long-time Saratoga cardiologist, is at the new Saratoga office for three-and-a-half days a week. Other physicians from other offices will rotate in as needed. In Dr. Kondo’s absence, a nurse practitioner, nurses, and other medical personnel will be available. Some of the staff members have transferred to Saratoga from other offices; others are new hires. The office is equipped for diagnostic imaging. Dr. Kondo is currently accepting new patients, according to the organization.

Saratoga Hospital Anticipates an Exciting 2024 as the Backbone of a Lifelong Care Center is Planned

January 22, 2024January 23, 2024

Jill Johnson VanKuren, president and CEO of Saratoga Hospital.

By Susan Elise Campbell

The strategic focus of Jill Johnson VanKuren since she took over the helm of Saratoga Hospital as president and CEO in September 2022 has been on establishing a Center for Successful Aging that meets the needs of the community’s growing population of seniors. At some time during the third quarter of 2024 the Hospital will be switching over to a new electronic medical records system that VanKuren said “will provide the backbone” for a comprehensive center that brings together services supporting seniors along a continuum of care throughout the aging process.

“Albany Med is about to start their implementation of a new medical records system in the first quarter,” VanKuren said. Then affiliates under the Albany Med Health System will follow.

Saratoga Hospital is slated to integrate its records around October, she said, and “that is the Hospital’s main focus for this year.”

“This implementation has actually been several years in the making for us,” according to VanKuren. “It is more difficult than one might think to transition to a new EMR on face value, much less to do it as a large system with many different perspectives melding into one.”

But for VanKuren, the change means more than just coming under an improved EMR that reaches across the entire Albany Med network, she said.

“It’s the basis of my strategy as a new leader in developing the Center for Successful Aging,” said VanKuren. “This is a collaborative, interdisciplinary model of care as people age that starts with integrated medical recordkeeping among those disciplines.”

Experienced Exercise Professionals Planning To Open 13th Orangetheory Site In Wilton Mall

January 22, 2024

Jackie Orr, head trainer at Wilton Mall’s Orangetheory Fitness, anticipates the opening of the franchise’s 13th location.

By Christine Graf

Less than 10 years after opening their first Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) franchise in Niskayuna, Paola and Jim Horvath are preparing to open their 13th location. Situated in the Wilton Mall, the 3,100-square-foot fitness studio is on schedule to open its doors in March. For the Horvaths’ franchise partner, Mike Altieri, the Wilton Mall will be his eighth location.

With more than 1,500 studios in 25 countries, OTF is one of the most well-known fitness franchises in the world. OTF group workouts are specifically designed to boost metabolism and burn fat. The workouts are based on the five heart rate training zones, and all participants wear OTF-provided heart rate monitors while exercising.

“We offer hands down one of the best full-body, one-hour workouts that you are going to get anywhere,” said Jackie Orr, Wilton Mall OTF head trainer. “It’s a one-stop shop. You are getting cardio and strength training under the guidance of extremely qualified, experienced personal trainers and coaches. And, because it’s in a group fitness atmosphere, the energy is through the roof. It’s a lot of fun.”

Significant Upgrades to Glens Falls Hospital Means Improved Health Care for Residents

January 22, 2024

President and CEO Paul Scimea, Glens Falls Hospital is expanding its services.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Looking into the year ahead, Glens Falls Hospital is expanding or introducing several services designed to help improve the experience of being a patient in, or a visitor to, the hospital, according to President and CEO Paul Scimeca.

“We are very proud of the care we provide,” said Scimeca. “We are a safety net for a very large service area, which covers 6,000 square miles of the Adirondacks.”

Many patients funneling down to Glens Falls Hospital from this large region need care for age-related medical conditions, reflecting the demographics of the general population.

Others have behavioral issues to address and few places to go. To benefit this segment of the community, Scimeca said the hospital is in the process of relocating its Behavioral Health Crisis Unit so that it can be expanded from seven beds to 13.

Hoffman Car Wash Seeing New Competition As Other Companies Establish Sites In The Region

January 22, 2024

Tidal Wave Auto Spa has opened several car washes in the area.

By Paul Post

The area’s oldest, most well-known car wash company is suddenly facing stiff competition from a Georgia-based firm that’s entered the market as part of a campaign to double in size, with 500 locations in nearly two dozen states by the end of 2025.

Family-owned Hoffman Car Wash, founded in 1965, currently has 30 centers including a new one on Route 9 near Exit 17 in Moreau and plans to add more sites in Glens Falls, Halfmoon and Bennington, Vermont, this year.

Each new site costs about $7 million to develop including property purchase.

But Tidal Wave Auto Spa recently opened a new facility on Quaker Road, Queensbury, a short distance from a Hoffman Car Wash. And in July 2022 it launched a South Glens Falls site and plans to add another one on Route 9 in Queensbury, where Uno Pizzeria & Grill is currently located.

Founded in 1999 in Thomaston, Ga., Tidal Wave plans to add 19 new sites in New York state including five now under construction at Colonie Center, Poughkeepsie, New Hartford near Utica, Auburn and Niagara Falls.

Area Ski Resorts Tout Significant Improvements To Attract Slope-Bound Vacationers To Region

December 18, 2023

State-of-the-art snowmaking equipment is an integral part of West Mountain’s upgrades designed to attract winter vacationers to the slopes.
Coutesy West Mountain

By Paul Post

Co-owners Spencer and Sara Montgomery, and financial backers, have spent nearly $20 million on capital upgrades since purchasing West Mountain 10 years ago.

In preparation for this winter they’ve added a $500,000 Winch Cat to the large fleet of grooming machines and covered base lodge floors with safe, clean carpeting.

But the biggest investment is in personnel with a new food and beverage director, rental shop manager, snow sports person, full-time ski tuner and a larger, more skilled snowmaking crew.

“It feels like we’re getting some really good professional people in here,” Spencer Montgomery said. “Hiring has been really tough the past three years. Now we’ve got a good overnight snowmaking crew. Really robust, hardworking guys. That makes all the difference because nights are when you get all your production. Someone always has to be watching the pumps, pressure and guns.”

“Hiring and mild weather were very challenging last year,” he said. “We got through it and this year feels good. We’re looking forward to an awesome season.”

The Queensbury resort plans a Dec. 16 opening to get all the kinks out and be ready for Christmas week.