Saratoga Business Journal

Schuylerville Public Library’s New Pavilion Will Add Space For Events And Storage

February 13, 2023

The Schuylerville Public Library is getting a new pavilion that will provide much-needed space for meetings, programs and storage.

The state Education Department has awarded $119,850 in Public Library Construction Grant funds to the library as part of a program designed to assist libraries undertaking major construction and remodeling projects.

The library recently completed some renovations such as lighting upgrades, a 500-square-foot addition and projects to make its facility fully accessible.

Official said the future pavilion will be approximately 27×27 feet on the northwest side of the current library property and feature a covered area for picnic tables and public programming, as well as secure storage.

“We are thrilled to have received this grant. Library services are essential for the well-being of all of our patrons including children, teens, adults, and seniors. This project will also allow the library to serve more of the community’s needs with additional space for outdoor programming, which has been incredibly popular in the last few years. We appreciate all who made this project possible,” library board president Amy Carpenter said.

AgroChem To Expand Manufacturing Facility In W.J. Grande Industrial Park

February 13, 2023

In response to fast-paced growth and a need for more efficient operations, AgroChem wants to build a 25,000-square-foot addition to its current 36,000-square-foot facility.
Courtesy AgroChem

By Paul Post

Rob DeMarco’s firm, AgroChem, got a toehold in the dairy industry with a foot bath solution that keeps cows healthy and productive.

The product, Healmax, is now one of about 100 hygiene and sanitizing products the Saratoga Springs-based company sells to farms throughout the U.S. and around the globe from China and Japan to Eastern and Western Europe.

“Most people don’t realize just how big the dairy industry is in the U.S. and the world, and how many hygiene-type products are required,” said DeMarco, who founded AgroChem with his father, John, in 2005.

Dairy, with about 3,500 farms, is the largest component of New York’s $5 billion agriculture industry. Nationwide there are nearly 9.2 million milk cows and New York ranks fifth in production behind California, Wisconsin, Idaho and Texas.

In response to fast-paced growth and a quest for more efficient operations, AgroChem has plans for a 25,000-square-foot addition to the firm’s 36,000-square-foot facility at W. J. Grande Industrial Park, which it moved into seven years ago after starting out in a trailer and small rented space.

Affordable Housing Project Being Planned On Land Near The Saratoga Casino Hotel

February 13, 2023

Liberty Affordable Housing Inc, based in Central New York, plans to build some 220 housing units near Saratoga Casino Hotel. This is a rendering of what will be built.

By Paul Post

By some estimates there are 1,500 unfilled jobs in and around Saratoga Springs including vital positions such as teachers, police, firefighters, nurses and public works employees.

Part of the problem, local officials say, stems from lack of housing that allows people to live where they work.

A Central New York firm’s proposal, called Liberty Saratoga Apartments, could help the situation by providing 212 affordable housing units at the corner of Jefferson Street and Crescent Avenue, near Saratoga Casino Hotel.

“The need is huge,” said Stephanie Ferradino, an attorney for Rome, N.Y.-based Liberty Affordable Housing Inc. “The more housing we have, the better able we are to meet that need. Look at the hospitality industry. So many restaurants now aren’t open seven days per week, in part because they can’t find the staff.”

Ferradino, of Saratoga Springs, said the 250-unit Intrada Apartments off West Avenue had a wait list of 300 applicants last summer.

“They’re full,” she said. “They went to capacity almost as soon as they were built.

‘Industrial And Performance Machining’ Is Name Of BOCES Program With A New Aim

February 13, 2023

The WSWHE BOCES has changed the direction for its career and technical education machine tool technology program. Its new title is Industrial and Performance Machining.

The Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services (WSWHE BOCES) announced a new name and direction for its Career and Technical Education (CTE) machine tool technology program.

The new title—Industrial and Performance Machining—reflects the industry today and better positions the program to prospective students, officials said.

Officials said the program places a heavy emphasis on high-tech equipment and precision in the machining of component parts for automobiles, performance vehicles, industrial machines, and more. This consists of fabricating component parts to specification for these applications using milling, drilling, grinding, and boring machines.

While “Machine Tool Technology” is often used by technical colleges, WSWHE BOCES administration and educators said that students did not immediately identify the program in line with career goals.

Developer Is Planning To Build 20 New Houses Close To Northway Exit 10

February 13, 2023

By Paul Post

A Niskayuna developer hopes to purchase 32 acres just west of Northway Exit 10 with plans for 20 new single-family homes on 1.5-acre, heavily wooded lots.

Each new house, in the $600,000 to $700,000 price range, would have a professional office with a dedicated entrance and parking, although this could be just for the owner’s use.

“It doesn’t have to be where someone is bringing in outside clients or customers for business,” said Chris Myers of Concord Development Company LLC. “It’s literally 90 seconds off the Northway, which I think is going to appeal to a lot of people working not only the Albany area, but the Saratoga area as well.”

People such as real estate agents, insurance agents and attorneys work from home quite often, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a major shift in the way many firms conduct business, allowing employees to work from home, which can be much cheaper than maintaining a “brick-and-mortar” office setting.

“I’m not sure we’re marketing to any specific group,” Myers said of the project.

Business Briefs: February 2023

February 13, 2023

The return of Hattie’s Mardi Gras in Saratoga Springs raised over $100,000 to combat food insecurity in the region.

After a four-year hiatus, the Jan. 28 fundraiser at the the Canfield Casino garnered funds that will be donated to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. Business for Good co-founders Ed and Lisa Mitzen served as hosts, alongside CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota as emcee.

Officlials said more than 300 attended. music was provided by Soul Session and Garland Nelson.

In 2021, Hattie’s joined the Business for Good family of companies. All profits of Hattie’s Restaurant are donated to local charities.

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Hudson Mohawk Area Health Education Center (Hudson Mohawk AHEC) will be awarding 10 scholarships of $500 dollars each to individuals who will be entering an approved healthcare related certificate or degree program at a local community college, university or training entity within New York state.

Applicants must reside within the Hudson Mohawk AHEC 10-county service region, which includes: Albany, Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties.

Interested applicants can learn more about the scholarship opportunity by visiting the Hudson Mohawk AHEC website www.hmahec.org or emailing admin@hmahec.org

Applications are due no later than Monday, March 17. Awards will be made in May.

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Business Report: Create Mindset Of Abundance Vs. Scarcity

February 13, 2023

Rose Miller, SPHR, area HR thought leader, speaker, writer.

By Rose Miller

I went to the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Together for a Cure fundraiser where the keynote speaker gave an eloquent speech about being a victor or victim.

Dealing with MS can be daunting on a continual basis. It can impact your ability to live your life fully. The keynote speaker wrapped up a victorious talk with, “Will life happen to you or for you? Do you see your life as a nightmare or a fairy tale?” She told the crowd how MS will not defeat her.

I was reading Michael J. Fox’s new book where he writes about how he takes after his late mother, who had an impactful positive attitude. He said, “She never added up the losses. She’d always look at the gains.”

Boiled down, these two people exhibited a mindset of abundance versus a mindset of scarcity.

Stephen Covey initially coined these terms in his best-selling book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Scarcity mentality refers to people seeing life as a finite pie, so that if one person takes a big piece, that leaves less for everyone else.

Psychology studies have found that children who believe intelligence can be developed were better able to overcome academic challenges versus children who believe their intelligence is fixed in some way. A scarcity mindset can limit a child’s growth.

AARP Survey Finds Seniors No Are Longer Settling For Jobs With Stressful Conditions

February 13, 2023

Many older workers are no longer settling for stressful working conditions or fully in-person jobs, finds a new AARP survey of adults age 40 and older.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a shift in attitudes about work, with more people prioritizing work-life balance and making workplace flexibility as a job prerequisite, the report said.

“Understanding a Changing Older Workforce: An Examination of Workers Ages 40-Plus” shows that flexible work hours are now a job requirement for 79 percent of older workers, while 66 percent say they would only accept a new job if they are able to work remotely at least some of the time. Most older workers (90 percent) also say they require a job that provides meaningful work.

“During the pandemic, many people took time to reexamine their personal goals and how their job fits into their life,” said Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience programming at AARP. “Given the high level of burnout that so many older workers experienced during the pandemic, especially those who are caregivers, it should come as no surprise that work-life balance has emerged as not just a priority but a requirement.”

Over half (53 percent) of those ages 40-49 and 36 percent of all workers age 40 and older are caregivers for an adult, typically a partner/spouse or parent, and report having to work remotely, change work hours, reduce hours, use paid caregiving leave or quit their job altogether to provide care in the last five years, the report said.

Offices Are Laying Off Workers, But Owners Can Still Take Other Steps To Save Money

February 13, 2023

Mark Shaw, president and CEO of Stored Technology Solutions Inc. (StoredTech).

by Mark Shaw

The economic outlook for 2023 is the dreaded R word—Recession.

It`s here. We know the media and our government are not exactly forthcoming saying it’s here, but if you are a consumer you see the change. Technology is often the canary in the coal mine. When tech companies start cutting jobs, that is when we see things starting.

Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and just a few days ago Salesforce, recently cut their workforce. Additionally, the news was just released that the financial sector cuts are coming. These two major driving economic forces are the first to start the layoffs. Next up, all of us.

But as a small business owner there is some comfort in the fact that you can probably find some places to cut costs and save money. Ideally, you have probably been doing this all along as the inflation numbers have grown. When it comes to your technology, if you currently have an IT staff, even if it’s just one person, you can use some cost-effective, time-tested methods to meet your needs.

In today’s world you can outsource your information technology for often a fraction of the cost of retaining a fully loaded employee. Multiple studies shown that firms with 1-10 IT staff members have seen significant savings by outsourcing to an IT consulting firm. I have first-hand experience of the best ways this can and has been done.

SUNY Empire State Agrees To Provide College Credit To Some State DMV Employees

February 13, 2023

The state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has a new partnership with SUNY Empire State to provide college credit to eligible employees. The credits can be used as general learning in any undergraduate program at the college.

To be eligible, a new or current employee must have completed all three components of DMV’s new employee training program (NETP)—License, Registration, and Enforcement—in addition to a customer service component. Current employees must have completed the training since 2013 to be eligible. Those who have done so can receive six college credits from SUNY Empire, which represents a savings of $2,015.20 in tuition fees.

The DMV Statewide Training team will provide proof of completion of the three NETP courses to SUNY Empire for interested employees. The department has assigned staff members to serve as advisors to answer questions and help employees explore this opportunity.

“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to help our employees gain new skills through training and to advance their careers, so we are very excited to roll out this new partnership with SUNY Empire,” said DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Christian Jackstadt. “The flexibility that SUNY Empire provides will allow all our employees throughout the state to take advantage of this opportunity. This partnership is one of many initiatives we have introduced as part of a strategic effort to attract and retain top talent and make careers at the DMV even more rewarding.”