Saratoga Business Journal

Entrepreneurs In Malta Add Coffee Bar To Its List Of Businesses; Car Hop Service Coming

June 13, 2022

Doug Dockendorf poses inside the Coffee Bar at Finishing Touches, which serves a variety of beverages including latte, espresso, cappuccino, hot chocolate and iced coffee.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Christine Graf

In the two years since Shelly Walker relocated Finishing Touches Home Décor from Wilton to 450 East High St. in Malta, she and husband and business partner, Doug Dockendorf, have been very busy.

After moving the interior design and home décor shop, Dockendorf, the owner of several local businesses including Priority Electrical, redesigned a small section at the back of the property.

In June 2020, they opened an outside-service ice cream shop called Cookies & Cream in the space. During the busy summer months, Cookies & Cream employs a staff of 10 part-time employees.

In addition to hard and soft serve ice cream, they serve sundaes, shakes, floats, non-fat yogurt, Dole Whip, and ice cream cookies out of four windows. Outdoor seating is available, and landscaping is being added to the property to further enhance its already attractive outdoor space.

Customers can also enjoy their ice cream while strolling in Collamer Park which adjoins the property.

Business Briefs: June 2022

June 13, 2022

CAP COM Federal Credit Union and its charitable giving arm, the CAP COM Cares Foundation, announced the foundation’s Infrastructure Grant Initiative.

A total of $100,000 will be awarded to 10 Capital Region nonprofit organizations at a special luncheon later this year.

The Infrastructure Initiative program formalizes the CAP COM Cares Foundation’s commitment to be a strong community partner and support projects that nonprofits often find difficult to fund.

The beneficiaries of the Foundation’s initiative rogram include:

AIM Services Inc., Saratoga County; BlueLight Development Group, Albany County; Eden’s Rose Foundation, Albany County; Foster Can Inc., Rensselaer County; Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, Rensselaer County; SAFE Inc. of Schenectady, Schenectady County; Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County; St. Catherine’s Center for Children, Albany County; To Life!, Albany County; and Women’s Employment Resource Center (WERC), Albany County.

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The Saratoga County History Center announced the publication of a new book on local history.

“Off the Northway” is a compilation of 83 articles written by longtime local journalist Stephen Williams, who retired after a 42-year career at the Daily Gazette in Schenectady.

The book, a collection of his weekly “Off the Northway” columns and other stories spanning the period from 2005 through 2020, will be released and become available for sale beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 28 at a presentation and book signing by the author at Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton St., Ballston Spa, the home of the History Center.

Pre-registration for the event can be made at brooksidemuseum.org. The book will also be available at local bookstores, additional book signing sessions to be announced, and at amazon.com

“Off the Northway” provides a reporter’s up-close perspective on the events that impacted people living in Saratoga County during this 15-year period and reflects on the changes seen across the county stemming from the construction of the Adirondack Northway six decades ago.

For more information, please contact the Saratoga County History Center or James Richmond at saratogacohistoryroundtable@gmail.com.

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State Opens Application Period For Its Annual Regional Economic Development Initiative

June 13, 2022

New York state has launched Round XII of the its annual Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.

Several area companies and development projects have been helped over the years by funding from this initiative.

Round XII includes core capital grant and tax-credit funding to be combined with a wide range of programs from 10 state agencies that will provide funding for prospective projects. As with Round XI, $150 million in grant funds from Empire State Development will be available to projects on a continuous basis, in order to be responsive to the immediate needs of communities.

“The Regional Economic Development Councils have been transformative for communities across the state, and we will continue supporting impactful projects that align with each region’s strategic goals,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “Through Round XII, we are addressing one of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—in our state’s economic development strategy by supporting New Yorkers in developing the skills they need to succeed, both today and in the future. The REDCs will identify strategies to ensure employers in growing industries have access to the skilled labor they need to be competitive, helping usher in a more prosperous New York for all.”

This year, the Regional Economic Development Councils will prioritize workforce development, with a specific focus on developing and funding job training and placement programs that address the current and future needs for talent of employers in the state and each region, officials said. As part of this focus on equitable growth, each Regional Council will work in concert with ESD and the new Office of Strategic Workforce Development to create a tailored regional strategy identifying the specific jobs and skills needed by employers in that area of the state.

The Regional Councils and ESD will then seek to fund programs that help workers meet these specific needs.

Earlier this year, Hochul created a new Office of Strategic Workforce and Economic Development within ESD. The office’s purpose is to leverage ESD’s expertise in working with businesses in New York state to inform the design of workforce training and placement programs.

Craft Brewery, Lao Food Business Thrive In Schuylerville After Pandemic Setbacks

June 13, 2022

Pam and Bret Pradachith-Demler are co-founders of Bound by Fate Brewing Taproom.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Christine Graf

After years of planning, Bound by Fate Brewing Taproom opened its doors at 31 Ferry St. in Schuylerville in February 2020.

Just six weeks later, bars and restaurants were restricted to offering takeout only as a result of the COVID shutdown. At the time, the taproom served no food and did not package its beer.

“We had a very small operation and were selling beer by the glass,” said CEO Pam Pradachith-Demler who co-founded the business along with husband, Brett Demler, and his brothers Evan and Ryan Demler.

Evan and Ryan have extensive industry experience but are not involved in day-to-day operations. Brett serves as head brewer and brews the beer in a barn located on the couple’s Schuylerville property.

During the shutdown, the taproom invested in a crowler machine, which enabled them to package their beer in 32-ounce cans. Because of pandemic-related law changes, they were allowed to sell their craft beer on the street outside of the taproom.

Greenfield’s New Green Park Has Equipment Made From Recycled Materials From Ocean

June 13, 2022

The Town of Greenfield unveiled a new “green” playground at its Brookhaven Park & Golf Course at 333 Alpine Meadows Road on June 6.

The playground features materials made by Kompan, an Austin, Tex-based manufacturer of commercial playground equipment. It features Kompan’s new GreenLine products, developed from repurposed materials such as ocean waste and fishing nets.

Greenfield was the first in the country to purchase and install Kompan’s new GreenLine products, according to the company.

Kompan said it uses recycled materials, including textiles, food packaging, plastic bags, and discarded fishing equipment to create its raw materials and reports that its emissions have reduced 50 percent from before the introduction of the new method. Kompan proudly uses a verified method to specify CO2 emissions through Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification services.

Kompan launched its GreenLine products in 2021.

“We are pleased to offer our residents an environmentally state-of-the-art playground and outdoor recreation space at Brookhaven,” said town Supervisor Kevin Veitch. “It is part of our vision to expand our recreation spaces while preserving the natural integrity of our beautiful, wide open spaces here in Greenfield.”

The playground, which cost the town $130,000, includes a large climbing piece with two slides and a fire pole; a swing set with infant, single and multiple user options; a spica spinning pole; an arc tunnel climbing net; and five free-standing GreenLine pieces including a toddler train and carriage; an albatross seesaw; a dune buggy rocking toy; and a tipi carousel spinning toy.

‘Breakfast And Breeding’ Horse Farm Tour Offered This Summer During Track Season

June 13, 2022

The New York Racing Association has announced plans for the first-ever Breakfast and Breeding Farm tour package at Saratoga Race Course.

The tour, presented by the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), will be offered every Friday, beginning July 15, and will accommodate up to 40 guests.

The all-inclusive fan experience package features: a buffet breakfast at Saratoga Race Course; an opportunity to watch thoroughbreds during their morning training; a round-trip, open-air trolley ride from Saratoga Race Course to Old Tavern Farm; a 90-minute guided walking tour of an active thoroughbred breeding farm; and admission to Saratoga Race Course for the day.

The package is available for $55 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for each weekly Friday tour. Tickets may be purchased at NYRA.com.

“The inaugural Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm package is an exciting behind-the-scenes opportunity for visitors to Saratoga to experience a different aspect of the sport,” said NYRA Vice President of Communications Pat McKenna. “To be able to combine morning training with a visit to a breeding farm followed by an afternoon at the races is a trifecta fans won’t want to miss.”

The package begins with the buffet breakfast at Saratoga Race Course between 7-9:30 a.m. Guests can arrive at any time for breakfast during these hours. Following breakfast, fans will board the trolley, courtesy of CDTA, at the clubhouse entrance and embark on a 15-minute ride along picturesque Saratoga Lake to Old Tavern Farm for a 90-minute experiential and educational walking tour of one of the region’s premier breeding farms.

Fans will arrive back at Saratoga Race Course at approximately 11:45 a.m., well in advance of post time for the start of racing at 1 p.m.

Fans Of ‘X-Files’ Television Show Can Buy Collectibles At New Shop/Museum In Wilton

June 13, 2022

Jim Thornton is one of the owners of the X-Files Preservation Collection and Collectibles in Wilton, where people can get collectibles and view mementos from the TV program.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jill Nagy

Fans of the television series “X-Files” can get their shot of nostalgia and mementos to take home at the X-Files Preservation Collection and Collectibles in Wilton.

The combination shop and museum opened on April 30 with visits from Chris Carter, creator of the drama series, and Keith Arbuthnot, an actor who played monsters on the show, as well as fans from around the world, according to Jim Thornton, one of the owners of the collection.

Visitors can view a collection of props and costumes actually used in filming episodes of the series, some of them contributed by Carter. Thornton and his wife and business partner, Kelly Anthony, began collecting X-Files memorabilia in the 1990s.

“I loved the show and thought: Wow, I’d like to own something from it,” Thornton recalled. By 2019, the couple had accumulated enough items to fill a moving truck and they drove it to X-Fest, an X-Files convention in Chicago.

Thornton thinks that someone who saw their display in Chicago must have contacted Carter and told him about it. Shortly afterward, Carter “found us” and donated a few things, he said. From there, “it progressed and grew bigger and bigger.”

‘The Porch’ Is A New Outdoor Dining Option At The Saratoga National Golf Club

June 13, 2022

The Porch at Saratoga National is an open-air, gastro pub. The elevated casual dining restaurant overlooks the 18th green, infinity pool, and owl pond.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

Angelo Mazzone has a new seasonal dining experience, The Porch at Saratoga National.

The new outdoor offering opened in May at Saratoga National Golf Club.

The Porch is an open-air, gastro pub. The elevated casual dining restaurant overlooks the 18th green, infinity pool, and owl pond. The Porch is surrounded by fresh herbs, planted and grown by the Green Bed Project.

It is open daily for lunch and dinner, dessert, cold and crisp refreshers, and Sunday brunch.

Hours of operation are weekdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; weekends from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and brunch until 2 p.m. It will be open through mid-October, weather dependent.

Walk-ins are welcome.

The outdoor bar is open daily at 4 p.m.

“There is a special feeling here that can’t be matched anywhere else” said general manager, Heather O’Neill. “Prime at Saratoga National saw a need for a new, modern restaurant … a way to bring guests back to Saratoga National with a new, more upscale casual dining experience.”

Michael Bittel Retires As President, CEO Of Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce

June 13, 2022

Michael Bittel served as president and CEO of the ARCC dating back to 2018.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce is involved in a search to replace its president and CEO, Michael Bittel, who has announced his retirement from the organization.

Bittel retired in June.

“It has been an honor to love and serve our great region for the past four years,” Bittel said of his tenure Our community is so wonderful because of our greatest asset, our people.”

The ARCC board of directors of hired Bittel in 2018. He took the reigns from Marti Burnley, who was named interim president after Tori J.E. Riley left the position in September of 2017.

“I have been spoiled to work with a great team at the ARCC who will carry on the torch of loving and serving our community,” said Bittel, expressing thanks to the ARCC Board and his staffers Paricia Rogers, Amanda Blanton, Carol Ann Conover and Karen Mattison.

“I have worked extremely close with Michael since his arrival at the Chamber in 2018,” said Marc Monahan, ARCC board chair and regional executive vice president of NBT Bank. “From day one, Michael showed up ready to work and connect the Chamber with our entire business community. Throughout his tenure with the ARCC he has shown a passion, drive and desire to help all of our members and supporters.

“Although the past couple of years have been extremely challenging as we navigated the constant pressures of the pandemic, we are stronger today than ever before”

Officials Say Considering Building Trades As A Career Is Becoming More Common

June 13, 2022

By Christine Graf

As the skilled labor shortage reaches an all-time high, educators and trade professionals are working to eliminate the widespread perception that vocational training is not a viable career path for students of all academic levels.

While a four-year college degree costs an average of $127,000, a trade school degree averages just $33,000. Although college graduates earn an average of $16,900 more than those working in the skilled trades, the pay gap is shrinking as companies pay higher salaries to fill open positions in various trades.

Data provided by the U.S. Department of Education indicates that workers with trade school training are slightly more likely to be employed than those with academic credentials. They are also more likely to be working in their field of study and less likely to be burdened by crippling college debt. The amount of student debt in the U.S. has surpassed $1.73 billion.

According to Mike Martell, assistant business manager at IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) 236, students and their parents no longer believe that college is the only option.

“I think it was the case several years ago where high schools and counselors were really pushing people in the direction of college, but I think that has kind of turned the corner a little bit,” he said. “I believe that more people are realizing that a career in the trades makes sense because you aren’t accruing all sort of college debt. You don’t need to go to college and get a four-year degree in order to get a decent job. People are starting to realize that there is another way that is a viable alternative.”