Ground Will Be Broken Soon For A New Warehouse For Arnoff Global Logistics
BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL
At headquarters in Malta, Arnoff Moving & Storage has built an enhanced logistics and delivery system for clients who need warehousing, packing and shipping services as their inventory is transferred or sold.
According to Daniel Arnoff, chief relationship officer and fifth-generation member of the family-owned business, the Arnoff Global Logistics division has outgrown its warehousing space and will soon break ground on a new 100,000-120,000-square-foot facility to suit their expansion trajectory.
Arnoff said the new warehouse is necessitated by the growth their clients are experiencing and by the influx of new clients who need a streamlined and cost-effective way to store and ship goods.
“The goods could be retail items purchased on
the internet or parts we stock that a local manufacturer might need if their machine goes down,” he said.
Arnoff said companies can better focus on their core business if they outsource to this division the kinds of logistic services they specialize in. Doing so is more flexible and cost effective than maintaining inventory and handling shipping themselves for two main reasons: outsourcing eliminates certain fixed costs, and it allows economies of scale clients cannot achieve on their own.
“We charge clients based on actual storage space used and volume of orders they give us any given month,” he said. “Otherwise the client would have the fixed overhead of a warehouse whether they use all or a part of it, a staff to pack and ship products, and a processing system in
Continued On Page 4
Stewart’s Shops To Purchase Jolley Associates And S.B. Collins Operations By End Of Year
Stewart’s Shops has signed an agreement to purchase the assets of Jolley Associates convenience store chain and S.B. Collins, including its heating oil business Clarence Brown of St. Albans, Vermont.
The acquisition, which requires federal regulatory approval, is expected to close by the end of 2024. Terms of the deal remain confidential.
The transaction includes the purchase of 45 Jolley stores including five in New York, two in New Hampshire and 38 locations in Vermont.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to acquire a company with such an impressive reputation in a market that we’ve been watching for many years,” said Stewart’s Shops president Gary Dake. “One of the primary reasons we were drawn to this deal is because of the quality and the character of Jolley’s employees.”
The acquisition also brings together two longtime family businesses.
Jolley Associates was founded 50 years ago by brothers Bruce and Robert Jolley. Through the years, their business developed a reputation as a market leader throughout Vermont.
Stewart’s Shops, a family- and employee-owned business, was founded in 1945 and grew to 360 convenience stores throughout upstate New York and western Vermont.
“We are proud of what we have accomplished
over the years and we are happy to know that Stewart’s is providing our employees an opportunity to have ownership in the business and will continue to treat them well,” said Bruce Jolley, president and co-founder of Jolley Associates.
The New Owners Of Union Square Have Ambitious Plans To Improve The Building
BY PAUL POST
Ryan and Erin Connor are just the right people to develop a property ideally located for taking advantage of Glens Falls’ ongoing economic rejuvenation.
The couple, both RPI grads, recently purchased the three-story, 45,000-square-foot Union Square building at 9-15 Broad Street, just around the corner from South Street, a cornerstone of the city’s revitalization.
The acquisition, financed by NBT Bank, was for approximately $1.6 million.
“The prior owner, Tom O’Neil, did a lot of capital improvements,” Ryan said. “He upgraded gas service, installed an elevator. The building’s got great bones. We’re going to further that a bit, focusing on the roof and grounds. From there we’ll be looking to add
a mix of commercial and residential space depending on where it is in the building.”
There’s currently an eclectic mix of business and professional tenants such as a day spa, chemical firm, mortgage group, legal and architectural firms occupying spaces ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet.
But the building, including a spacious basement in addition to three overhead stories, is only half full and the wide-open top floor is completely vacant. This space, with a separate Pine Street entrance and ample parking, is most suitable for apartments and it’s within easy walking distance of downtown shops and restaurants.
“We’re looking to develop the building to best suit the community, but apartments are
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Uncommon Grounds
Expands North To Queensbury With Its Fifth Location
BY PAUL POST
Emily Ellenbogen has done just about everything at Uncommon Grounds, from baking and kitchen prep work to set-up and hiring for the company’s newest store at 751 Upper Glen Street in Queensbury.
The site has quickly caught on with students, young professionals and small groups of seniors; anyone looking for a quiet place to work or simply relax and enjoy delicious fresh-roasted coffee and tempting baked goods, made on site from scratch.
“Uncommon Grounds is the ‘third place’ for customers,” Ellenbogen said. “You’ve got home, you’ve got work. Uncommon Grounds is the third place. We like people to feel comfortable here, sitting doing work or just relaxing where they don’t have to be pressured to do things at home or work. They’re here to do whatever they want.”
The spacious, 8,000-square-foot tastefully designed location fills a retail venue previously occupied by a Recovery Sports Grill restaurant whose walls were adorned with huge television screens and all sorts of sports memorabilia. That noisy atmosphere has been replaced by a much more cozy setting with handsome wood paneling, a dropped tin ceiling and hanging plants
The store opened on September 4 and occupies a corner space in the Glen Square plaza building
New owners Ryan and Erin Connor are set to revitalize Union Square in Glens Falls with commercial and residential spaces. Their plans aim to contribute to the city’s ongoing growth and transformation.
owned by Albany-based Nigro Retail Properties.
The large strip-mall type building is also home to Tractor Supply and Dollar Tree, and a Big Lots retail store that’s in the process of closing. The plaza
Arnoff Global Logistics saves its clients time and money through its warehousing and shipping operation in Malta.
Courtesy of Arnoff Global Logistics
Stewart’s Shops is acquiring the assets of the Jolley Associates chain as well as S.B. Collins. Glens Falls Business Journal
Uncommon Grounds opens its fifth location at 751 Upper Glen Street in Queensbury. Glens Falls Business Journal
An Experienced Chef Opens Southpaw Bistro
On South Street In Glens Falls
BY JILL NAGY
Three weeks after Craft 9 closed the space at 7 South Street in Glens Falls was reborn as Southpaw Bistro. The new restaurant, under owner-chef Shaun Hazlitt, opened with a ribboncutting in September .
Hazlitt worked for the Murphy family, owners of Craft 9, for five or six years and, he said, he had an excellent relationship with them.
“They are wonderful people,” he added.
The space needed only minor renovations and updates, some cleaning and a little painting, he said.. Hazlitt liked the look and ambience of the place and did not want to change that. It has a rustic industrial feeling, nothing stuff y or pretentious, he explained.
He plans to serve “the best burger in town,” a mix of beef and pork from Grazin’ Acres Farm. He will, as much as possible, use locally sourced ingredients in order to “showcase how incredible our local producers are,” he said.
The menu will change every two or three weeks, “depending on what comes out of the ground,” he noted. He will include vegetarian options and a children’s menu, and will be able to accommodate vegans as well. Southpaw Bistro also has a full liquor license.
The restaurant can seat 120 people in the dining room, bar, and on a patio. There is an “absolutely amazing” full-time staff of 12.
Hazlitt is not a leftie. His wife is, but the restaurant is not named for her. The “South” part of the name reflects the bistro’s location on South Street; the “paw” part plays off the bear theme of Hazlitt’s other business, Big Bear catering and food trucks.
So far the restaurant is attracting a mixed clientele, “a little bit of everyone,” Hazlitt said. Friday night is the busiest time but, he noted, “I
have no complaints about the rest of the week.”
At first, the bistro was only open for dinner but he started serving lunch at the end of the month.
Work by local artists is on display at Southpaw, one or two artists at a time for a month, some of which is for sale. Hazlitt also plans “Gallery Nights” when people can have a drink and meet the artist. In the future, he plans live music. The response to a Facebook post inviting musicians to apply, was “almost overwhelming. We are slowly working our way through,” Hazlitt said.
As one of the few restaurants open on Monday, Hazlitt plans to host “industry nights” when workers from other restaurants can meet and mix—and eat.
This is Hazlitt’s first time as a restaurant owner. However, he has been cooking in other restaurants for 13 years and operating other people’s restaurants. Although he never attended culinary school, he said he has worked with and learned from many of the great chefs in the area.
Hazlitt is also an enthusiastic outdoorsman, sportsman and co-owner, along with his brother, Jim, of Adirondack Elevations, a not-for-profit the provides therapeutic outdoor activities for veterans and first responders. He began nine years ago by organizing hunting expeditions for Purple Heart recipients. When he realized that not everyone was comfortable with firearms, he expanded the repertoire to hiking, skiing, biking, and similar outdoor activities. He included all veterans and first responders in his target audience. The not-for-profit company was formed two years ago.
Southpaw Bistro is open from 11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information and to view the menu go to southpawbistro.com.
Husband-And-Wife Veterinary Team Will Soon Move Practice To State-Of-The Art Facility
BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL
Moreau Animal Clinic is within months of relocating to a new facility designed by Nick and Jill Outterson, the husband and wife veterinarians who purchased the practice in August 2018.
“After being in a general veterinary practice and Nick in emergency medicine, we were looking forward to the next step, and practice ownership was next on the list,” Dr. Jill said.
Moreau Animal Clinic had been a singledoctor practice for 50 years when the Outtersons relocated from Albany to take it over, she said.
In the years that followed, it became more of a challenge with two practitioners working out of a clinic that had been set up to accommodate only one, they said.
“With two of us, we have grown the practice quite a bit and have also added a full-time associate who we have been mentoring the past three years,” said Dr. Jill.
Now the Outtersons are soon to move from 1674 Route 9 in South Glens Falls to a brand new facility at 1-3 Nolan Road, a quarter mile south of their current location.
Northern Builders had done some work on the Otterson’s personal home and “stepped up” when the builder they had working on the clinic didn’t work out, Dr. Nick said.
“This is one of their first commercial properties and we’re happy we went with them,” said Dr. Jill.
There were a few things the Outtersons wanted to do for themselves and for the community they serve as they planned the new structure.
“We have had to manage our time and get creative with limited space,” said Dr. Nick. “But we will soon have room to do more things, be more efficient, and keep things moving so patients are not waiting like they do for a human doctor.”
The new location is off the busy main road the clinic is on now and Dr. Nick said it will be easier for clients to get in and out, especially the older clients. There is also easier and more ample parking on Nolan Road.
“There will be five exam rooms instead of three and a larger surgery suite, as well, which will allow us to do more surgeries,” he said. “We are also adding a dedicated dental suite that we did not have before.”
Moreau Animal Clinic already had upgraded
its diagnostic equipment such as digital x-rays and digital ultrasound and the capability to do in-house lab work, which can facilitate the doctors with more in-depth cases and treatments for their feline and canine patients, Dr. Jill said.
These capabilities are more like those offered by an emergency animal clinic than a general practice. But the Outtersons said they saw a need they wanted to address in the community, which is urgent care.
“There is no emergency clinic here. The closest are in Latham or Vermont,” said Dr. Jill. “We are not equipped for emergencies, but urgent care is a priority of ours and we want to help if we can.”
“It’s hard to get an appointment with your vet sometimes, no matter where you are, and we hold same-day sick appointments for our clients,” she said. “But we also get other calls every day and while would love to tell everyone yes, we can’t always fit them into a fully booked schedule.”
If a pet has a laceration it may be critical to seek emergency care, she said. But for an ear infection, an emergency hospital may have to a six to eight hour wait to be seen.
“For simpler things and non-life-threatening situations, our team will do what we can to fill in,” said Dr. Nick. “Our niche is general veterinary practice, plus or minus urgent care.”
The Outtersons got their degrees in Colorado and spent time in California, where Dr. Jill is from. Then 10 years ago they relocated to New York, where Dr. Nick is from. He said that when they are not building a hospital and growing the practice, the couple is busy raising three little boys.
Moreau Animal Clinic is one of the practices that rescue organizations contact when their cats need medical care and is dedicated to educating people about cat rescue and “helping them make the best decision for pets and families,” they said.
“We are excited to accommodate this community better and to help as many animals as possible as our practice grows,” said the Outtersons.
Watch for a grand opening at the end of November, weather permitting, and visit www. moreauanimalclinic.com for information about hours and services.
The team at Southpaw Bistro, (left-right) kitchen manager John Rolf, chef/owner Shaun Hazlitt, and sous chef Sean Cole, work together to offer customers a memorable dining experience.
Glens Falls Business Journal photo
Drs. Nick and Jill Outterson, owners of the Moreau Animal Clinic, will be relocating to a state-ofthe-art facility within a few months.
Saratoga Business Journal photo
Saratoga Springs-Based Physical Therapy Practice Opens A Second Clinic In Glens Falls
BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL
MVPT Physical Therapy opened a second clinic in Glens Falls last month.
The business was founded by Zachary Cole, PT, DPT, a former athlete who started Sports PT of NY 16 years ago in Saratoga Springs, now located at One West Avenue. But he rebranded after merging into Cypress Heath Partners, a network of clinics spanning five states. Under this model, Cypress Health owns both clinics and Cole is their managing partner.
MVPT is bringing to the North Country the same needed therapies and guidance that has grown his Saratoga clinic to a staff of six. Cole is the sole practitioner at the new clinic.
“To grow our business and serve as many people as we can, we are confined by the space of the Saratoga clinic,” he said. “We expanded into Glens Falls because from a health care perspective there are a lot of people, but from a physical therapy perspective it is not as dense an area.”
“The new clinic puts within reach the range of physical therapy services residents may not have had at their fingertips,” he said. “North Country patients who had been traveling down to Saratoga now get easier access to physical therapy in their home town.”
Research shows that when people have easy access to physical therapy, they are more likely to attend, and much more often, he said.
“If you attend sessions more often, you are going to get better quicker and spend less money to do it,” Cole said.
“The message I want to get out to the community is, if you are injured get to the clinic early,” he said. “I’m building relationships with high school coaches and athletic directors to get their athletes to the therapist quickly and then safely back onto the field.”
Cole said his practice treats all kinds of injuries and patients, from young ones to weekend warriors, and with skiing being a “good and popular sport” in nearby mountains he is able to provide patients “high quality care” without the travel.
One specific factor behind the growth of physical therapy as an industry is that more people are steering away from pain medications in favor of the common physical therapy treatments and modalities, he said.
“Medication is a bandaid that won’t address the concerns, whereas physical therapy can be utilized as a frontline approach to health care,” said Cole.
While physical therapy is not considered primary care at this time, as is internal medicine or urgent care, Cole said professionals like
himself and organizations like the American Physical Therapy Association are pushing to be Direct Access providers, Cole said.
“Direct Access would open the way for physical therapists to be the first provider to see patients without a prior referral,” he said.
This means practitioners like Cole actually help triage patients who would otherwise have to go to another provider for x-rays, MRIs, and other diagnostics, he said.
“Direct Access differs from state to state, and in New York the law requires physical therapists to have practiced at least three years here,” he said. “It would cover ten visits or thirty days, whichever comes first, as long as the injury is deemed something that can be treated with physical therapy.”
Without this access, the patient would have to see an orthopedic specialist or primary care physician first for a referral, which would take more time and likely also necessitate a followup visit to that provider. These added steps increase the cost of care, Cole said.
“Their physician may have just told them to go to physical therapy in the first place, so we want to bypass the obstacle and get help quickly,” he said. “Then we become the leading providers for orthopedic care.”
Cole believes his clinic’s connection with Cypress Health benefits both patients and his business. His decision to partner his smaller practice with a bigger group opened up resources like an updated medical records system and updated equipment, plus the opportunity to expand with less risk.
“The goal is to establish ourselves, build a strong case load in Glens Falls, and add staff as our patient base allows,” he said.
The location at 14 Larose Street was chosen because it is “very open and clean” and in a high traffic area near Hannaford at Exit 18, Cole said.
“Passers-by may not need physical therapy services at this moment, but when they do we hope they will remember us,” he said.
“The people we have met so far have been very welcoming and accommodating,” said Cole. “We strive to be more than a physical therapist and to have a deeper connection as part of the community supporting local charities and events for people in need.”
MVPT Physical Therapy treats all common needs and some that not all practices offer, such as vestibular rehabilitation, cupping therapy, and golf rehab.
Follow MVPT on Meta and visit www.mvptphysicaltherapy.com for more information and health tips.
Halloween Festivities Are Planned At Trunk-Or-Treat Event At Up Yonda Farm
Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center’s annual “Trunk or Treat” event will be held Saturday, October 26.
The staff at Up Yonda will have a variety of fun activities and at least 20 Trick-or-Treat stations for kids to enjoy, with the festivities running from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be pumpkin decorating, wildlife exhibitions and free books along with plenty of treats for costumed youngsters.
This event is open to all ages. Dress up in your Halloween best and Trick-or-Treat among decorated vehicles, decorate your own pumpkin, and check out Up Yonda wildlife exhibitions that will include a live raptor display.
A number of local organizations have committed to decorating vehicle trunks for
treats, including Bolton Fire Company’s Ladies Auxiliary, Bolton Fire Company, Bolton Community Church, Bolton Emergency Medical Services, Bolton Police Department and Bolton Central School PTO.
In addition, the Bolton Free Library Board of Trustees will be handing out books, Friends of Up Yonda Farm will offer pumpkin decorating, and representatives of Silent Wings Raptor Rehab and Education Program will bring their birds for viewing. Donations of candy, pre-packaged snacks, or prizes for the best decorated trunk contest are being accepted.
Up Yonda Farm is located at 5239 Lake Shore Drive (Route 9N) in Bolton Landing.. Log on to www.upyondafarm.com for more information.
Zachary Cole, PT, DPT, has expanded his physical therapy practice by opening a second location in Glens Falls.
Courtesy of MVPT Physical Therapy
Local organizations will be decorating automobile trunks at the annual Trunk or Treat event later this month at Up Yonda Farm in Bolton Landing.
Courtesy of Up Yonda Farm
Jason George Owner
Wellness
Year End Tax / Financial Planning Holiday Gift Guide
Publication Date: November 14, 2024
Non-Profits
Retirement Planning
Holidays
Publication Date: December 19, 2024
GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL
2000 Business Of The Year Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce
9 Broad St. Glens Falls, NY 12803 (518) 581-0600 • Fax: (518) 430-3020 • www.glensfallsbusinessjournal.com
Normally the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville is a quiet and peaceful place. On September 18 it was a buzz of activity as Environmental Conservation & Forestry Instructor Dennis Flynn and 16 of his students joined professional arborists from around the state and Vermont for the 10th Annual Saluting Branches Day of Service, one of 100 sites in the national event.
Students performed tree care and site beautification using the skills they’ve acquired in their Career and Technical Education (CTE) program to honor those who gave so much. This year the students concentrated on raising the tree canopy six feet in one area of the property. They used the drone to survey the trees and map out their work.
“Every year it astonishes me how quickly the students perform. They did their jobs so quickly and effectively that they even made a dent into our overflow work. The chipping and stump grinding is a huge help,” said Michaela Shelton, who is the distribution forester for the Mechanicville division of NYSEG who was the site leader for the day.
The WSWHE BOCES students worked with professional crews from NYSEG (Avangrid), Asplund, Lewis Tree Service, New Leaf Tree Service, National
Grid, Greater Heights, J.S. Tree Service and Excavation, LLC, and Homestead Tree Service.
“The fact that these kids learn to safely use the equipment at such an early age will prepare them for any number of opportunities, whether with a utility, in the private sector or even a highway department. They will have a lot of options,” said Shelton.
Seth Kenyon, a senior in the program from Galway High School, said, “It is great to meet the companies who participate in the event. Communication skills are really important since first and second year students work together on this project. We all get to run the chipper and practice pruning. The second year students get to practice tree felling.”
Julianna Deloatch, a senior at South High, said she is interested in the arborists that are at the event. “I really like tree cutting and even climbing the tree to get the job done. Ropes are better than the bucket.”
Instructor Dennis Flynn said, “This is my eighth year participating in the day of service. I even have several former students here with us. Three work for Asplund and two are enrolled at Paul Smiths College.”
Arnoff
Continued From Page 1
place.”
Noting that some companies have seasonal businesses and could even deplete their inventories during the year, Arnoff said clients are charged less as inventories go down and given more space as they get their inventories back up.
“A company basically eliminates their logistics fee during their slow season,” he said. “When they need us to ramp back up again we are right there and ready.”
Especially for a smaller or start-up business when it has no orders or inventory, Arnoff said the savings from their flexible services “can really impact that company’s bottom line.”
Arnoff Global Logistics owns and operates its proprietary logistics system, which Arnoff said is a digital computer program that allows them to put bar codes on every item coming into their warehouses. The code carries such information as a description of the item and its location, size and weight, date in and out, and allows Arnoff to track other specific data points for clients if they need it.
This system ties into the client’s order management system and can feed back to the client when inventory is running out, Arnoff said.
“We have a client in London that sells very high-end items online,” he said. “An order comes in through their website and once it is paid for, that order comes automatically into Arnoff’s inventory management system and alerts our team to pull, pack and ship the item.”
Customers can track their shipment online and so can the client company, and more. The system allows clients to easily monitor inventory levels, see how fast certain items are selling, and “prepare to keep levels where they need to be to support their customers’ purchasing,” Arnoff said.
“We can set up parameters in our system so the client will get an automated email telling them it’s
time to reorder this SKU,” he said. “Generally the onboarding process is part of the cost to partner with them so that the account is a success.”
Onboarding refers to the in-depth details Arnoff collects about the items and will be relied upon to suggest the most cost effective methods to ship them.
“Because we are a multi-client warehouse, we may have one company shipping 20 items that week and another company 50, and another 100,” said Arnoff. “Now we have the buying power of shipping 170 units and pass the savings on to all three clients.”
Another of the division’s offerings is consolidation services, which can be short-term or longer-term.
“If there is a chain building a new store or renovating a restaurant, or example, we will be the central receiving point for all the materials from various manufacturers,” said Arnoff. “That could be equipment, signage, furnishings, décor, all of which is then delivered to the site all at once on an Arnoff truck.”
Arnoff staff then unpacks and assembles everything so that “the store can open in a couple days,” he said. “We can create a ‘just in time’ delivery for any client.”
The Arnoff family is looking forward to expanding Arnoff Global Logistics with the new warehouse and hopes to break ground before it freezes.
“The Town of Malta has approved the plan and we are talking to companies about preordering storage space,” Arnoff said.
“This will be a high bay structure 30 feet tall and since most warehouses in the Capital Region are lower, we can allow a much more cost effective option for our clients,” he said. Visit www.arnoff.com to learn more.
Environmental conservation and forestry students joined professional arborists recently to perform tree care and site beautification at Saratoga National Cemetery.
The Adirondack Council Has Issued Its 43rd Annual State Of The Park Report
The Adirondack Council and the Adirondack Park are “Poised for Action” as 2025 approaches, according to the 43rd edition of Adirondack Council’s State of the Park Report, released recently.
The Adirondack Council’s annual State of the Park Report is comprehensive annual assessment of environmental conditions, social issues and government actions for the largest park in the contiguous United States. Its current 43 editions serve as an almanac of important park events and decisions affecting generations of New York residents.
“The Adirondack Park had a good year in terms of water quality funding, a new draft of the State Wildlife Action Plan, approval of a Climate Superfund Act and significant improvements in river habitat for native trout,” said Adirondack Council Executive Director Raul J. Aguirre. “All of those wins will require additional action and collaboration in the coming months to achieve their intended goals.
“Even when we saw wins for the Adirondacks, such as the governor doubling the amount of grant funding available to rural communities seeking to build or replace municipal wastewater treatment systems, there is work to do to see actual projects come to fruition in the North Country,” he said. “Facilitating positive outcomes on the ground from our successful advocacy efforts in Albany and Washington, DC is part of what we envision in the year ahead.”
“In addition, the state has a new draft of its Wildlife Action Plan that is designed to keep healthy wildlife populations intact,” Aguirre explained. “Due for final adoption in 2025, the action plan aims to prevent rare and threatened species from becoming ‘endangered’ by addressing habitat-protection needs before species reach the brink of extinction. This will require the state to become more progressive in protecting lands and waters. The plan also includes the idea of conserving plants as part of a newly holistic approach to wildlife protection.”
Another part of the Adirondack habitat protection effort is succeeding with federal funding, he said. This effort focuses on the removal of no-longer-needed dams from rivers across the Adirondack Park to help native fish populations to recover.
During the Industrial Revolution, many of the Adirondack Park’s rivers were dammed and diverted to create hydro-power for factories, mills and electricity generation. Large numbers of those dams are still in place.
Many are no longer needed. Nearly all of them are barriers to fish passage, preventing the natural spawning of native fish, including trout and salmon. That requires expensive fisheries enhancement programs that monitor local conditions and stock non-native species to replace the missing natives.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Trout Unlimited are working to remove some of the most impactful derelict dams in the eastern Adirondacks. The partners removed two dams from the Saranac River in the fall and winter of 2023, allowing trout and salmon from Lake Champlain to reach spawning areas near the Adirondack border for the first time in more than a century. USF&W and TU are restoring habitat in four rivers connecting Adirondack uplands to Lake Champlain.
“We are also awaiting action from Governor Kathy Hochul, whom we hope will sign the Climate Superfund Act,” he said. “The bill would generate funds for climate stabilization and prevention of damage to fundamental infrastructure, while also calling on climate polluters to pay a share of the clean-up costs. Requiring climate polluters to pay a portion of the bill is an effective way to discourage poor behavior when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.
“We don’t have any more time to waste in solving this problem,” he explained. “This summer we saw dozens of very destructive storms in the Adirondacks, including seven tornadoes in a single day and torrential rains that washed away state highways, again.”
LARAC To Recognize 2024 Grant Recipients
The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC) is hosting a special reception recognizing its 2024 Community Art grantees on Friday, November 1 at 5:00 p.m. at Lapham Gallery.
This year, LARAC has awarded a total of $100,000 in grant funding to 33 recipients for arts and cultural programming and projects in Warren and Washington counties, in partnership with NYSCA (New York State Council on the Arts).
The 33 grantees include 19 Warren and Washington counties non-profit organizations, seven individual artists and seven art education recipients. With this grant support, an estimated 20,000 community members, 5,000 youths, and 1,400 artists will directly participate in quality art programming in communities throughout Warren and Washington counties.
“Arts councils like LARAC are crucial to bringing the benefits of arts and culture across the state by directly supporting artists and projects in their own region. Our creative sector is one of New York’s greatest resources, strengthening our communities, improving our health and prosperity, and driving tourism spending,” said NYSCA Executive Director Erika Mallin. “NYSCA is a proud supporter of LARAC and this program. Congratulations to all this year’s grantees, we look forward to seeing your projects grow and flourish.”
The public is invited to attend this free event to learn more about funded projects taking place in their communities and to enjoy light fare and beverages.
All programs are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council.
Located at 7 Lapham Place in downtown Glens Falls, LARAC’s Lapham Gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Thursdays to 6:00 p.m. To learn more, visit larac. org.
The workforce is undergoing a generational shift. Job seekers’ expectations are evolving, and companies need to evolve with them. Numerous trends are cropping up for 20242025, yet three themes are continually emerging that appeal directly to the future workforce.
First, offer employees a comprehensive health plan that goes beyond standard health insurance. Expand wellness offerings to include mental health support, nutrition counseling, or reimbursement for mindfulness applications. These offerings can energize your employees while also increasing their productivity.
Second, incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This fosters an environment of acceptance and security. Providing DEI training, support networks, and mentorship opportunities will appeal to multiple generations.
Finally, integrate a more personalized benefits package to meet the needs of a dynamic workforce. Allowing choices such as student loan relief, childcare support, or even pet insurance gives employees the flexibility to choose what is important to them. Every company is unique and should understand the needs of its employees to create a successful benefits plan.
GLENS FALLS BUSINESS
Office / Commercial / Residential RE
Commercial Real Estate Broker Finds Demand For Office Space In Glens Falls On Upswing
BY PAUL POST
Craig Darby knows all about ups and downs.
He went back and forth between the minors and NHL for six years before landing a full-time job skating for the Montreal Canadiens.
“There’s negative and positive things that go on during hockey,” said Darby, a retired 15-year pro. “You get called up, you’re encouraged then a week or two later you’re sent down. It’s all about tomorrow’s a new day. You’ve got to be as positive as you can about the next day because good things can happen.”
This outlook has served the 52-year-old Darby well in his second career as an experienced real estate broker for CBRE Upstate, a division of Dallas-based CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm with clients in more than 100 countries.
Business cycles are sometimes more volatile than hard-nosed hockey players battling it out in a Game 7 playoff contest.
But Darby believes demand for Glens Falls-area office space is definitely on the upswing, another key aspect of the city’s economic revitalization that’s transformed downtown in recent years.
During the COVID pandemic, many companies sent their employees home to work remotely. Tribune Media, for example, vacated its large modern building on Media Drive, a short distance from Exit 18 in Queensbury.
However, some firms are now returning to more traditional office settings. Some have downsized and can now afford to operate in smaller, more economical office spaces. Other businesses discovered they weren’t as efficient with people working apart from one another.
Still others really want employees to enjoy their office space, so they want to make it a little bit larger, a little bit nicer.
“I think most if not all firms are going back to the office,” Darby said. “It’s just a matter of what the tenant requirements are. Companies have their own requirements of what they feel is most efficient and brings in the most revenue for them. So there’s a dynamic of people wanting different things that make the most sense for them in particular.”
In downtown Glens Falls, office space is renting or leasing for approximately $17.50 per square foot, the lowest price of any Capital Region city, according to a recent CBRE report outlining first and second quarter trends.
The vacancy rate is still somewhat high, especially compared to Saratoga Springs, which has the region’s lowest office space vacancy rate.
At $27 per square foot, it’s also the most expensive despite a nearly $2-per-square foot decline since the first half of 2023.
Firms large and small are attracted to the Spa City’s extraordinarily healthy business climate and attractive quality of life that helps them recruit top talent.
“Saratoga is a unique market,” Darby said.
To a lesser degree perhaps, but he believes demand for Glens Falls market office space will continue to grow, too. That would especially be true if and when GlobalFoundries pulls the trigger on plans for a second large semiconductor plant at Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta.
At present, there is considerable space in the Travelers insurance building downtown at 333 Glen Street and the former National Grid building at 1 Apollo Drive.
“In Glens Falls, Warren and Washington counties it’s more smaller companies,” Darby said. “The challenge is to find small office spaces. But good quality spaces are available.”
“It is a cheaper option than Saratoga,” he said. “I think there will be more demand moving forward.”
Charlie’s Office Furniture Outfits Everything From Home Offices To Large Cubicle Layouts
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
Queensbury’s Charlie’s Office Furniture has been serving the Capital Region and North Country for more than three decades.
“My father started the business in 1988, and my mom came on board shortly after that,” said Charles McNeil, Jr. who joined the company in 1998, working alongside his parents, Charles, Sr., and Alyce. The family-owned company also has one long-time employee who works in the warehouse and assists with deliveries.
“We offer both new and used office furniture,” said McNeil. “That includes all of the furniture for corporate offices—everything to panel systems to case goods, things like desks and filing and storage furniture. Of course, we also have a lot of seating.”
Charlie’s Office Furniture also sells specialized furniture for health care environments. Product lines include furniture that is used in waiting rooms and lobbies as well as hospital sleep chairs and medical recliners.
“We also have furniture for education, wellness, and hospitality,” said McNeil. “We’ve done wellness rooms for schools. We also did the SUNY Adirondack food court which was more on the hospitality side.”
According to McNeil, the company prides itself on offering custom solutions, a wide product selection, and excellent service.
“We can customize and special order furniture to meet clients’ needs. One of the things that sets us apart from big box stores is that we deliver and install everything we sell. We offer space planning and design services as well.”
For clients interested in design services, the company subcontracts the services of an interior designer,
one with many years of commercial experience. Located at 5 Highland Avenue in Queensbury, Charlie’s Office Furniture has two showrooms--a 4,000-square-foot showroom for new furniture and a 2,500-square-foot showroom for used furniture. Much of what is featured in the used furniture showroom was purchased from companies that have closed their doors.
“I just went and looked at an office in downtown Glens Falls,” said McNeil. “They’re closing and they gave us a call to come out and take a look at what they have.”
Although McNeil said there is a “decent” market for used office furniture, the majority of his customers purchase new furniture.
“I’m working on a project right now for a client with about 30 offices. We’re assisting them with the layout, the floor plan, and the interior design. Once they order the furniture, we’ll deliver and install it all,” he said.
In addition to meeting the needs of clients with large spaces to outfit, Charlie’s Office Furniture also takes on small jobs. During COVID, McNeil said they worked with many homeowners.
“Right after COVID and for another year or two, we did a lot of home offices. It’s slowed down some, but we just did one in Lake Luzerne. So, we can do something as simple as a small home office or an entire new building. I use outside installation help when needed, so we can scale up or down. I did one job last year that was about 40 cubicle stations.”
Charlie’s Office Furniture serves clients as far north as the Canadian border and as far south as Albany. For more information, visit www.charliesofficefurniture. com.
Charles McNeil Jr. currently operates Charlie’s Office Furniture in Queensbury, which was founded by his parents, Charles Sr. and Alyce, in 1988.
CBRE Upstate’s Craig Darby thinks demand for office space in Glens Falls is increasing. Courtesy of CBRE
Real Estate Professionals Are Optimistic About Market Despite A Challenging Environment
BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL
The buying and selling of commercial buildings and properties in the North Country took a toll during the Covid pandemic, but two local real estate professionals describe the current outlook as “bullish” and “optimistic.” Respectively, these are Bob Sears of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and Mark Levack of Levack Real Estate, LLC, each having more than the 35 years in brokering commercial real estate in and around Glens Falls and Queensbury.
“There is money in the system for people who have a history of developing properties,” said Sears. “The increase in interest rates put a little damper on things, but in general, the banks are willing to lend for projects that are worthwhile.”
Commercial projects are “anything beyond a four-family unit” and include apartments, office spaces, retail stores, medical buildings, malls, mobile home parks, commercially zoned lots, investment income real estate, and more, said Levack. At any given time, there is more activity or growth in some categories than others in this cyclical market, he said.
Trending are mixed use developments with both retail office space and three or four stories of apartments to occupy, Sears said.
“Most of the mixed use projects in the region are one building with up to 10,000 square feet to lease,” he said. “There are enough entrepreneurs in the area that they tend to fill up the offices and retail space.”
Apartment occupancy in Glens Falls runs 90 to 95 percent, Sears said. As video conferencing services and new technologies opened up remote working opportunities during the pandemic, he said many gravitated from New York City, Westchester County, New Jersey and other southern parts during the pandemic to work from home and commute occasionally.
“Economically it makes sense to move here and pay 30 to 50 percent less for a house than where they live now,” said Sears. “To a degree, commercial sales and construction depend on the amount of people coming into the area.”
“There is no net growth based on the EDC demographic statistics,” said Levack.
“We are holding our own when compared to our more affluent neighbors, Saratoga to the south and Lake George to the north,” he said. “But those areas help support tourism, which makes up a quarter of our local economy.”
The opportunities for commercial development are restricted by the Adirondack Park and by the zoning in place, Sears said. To give a perspective, he said that if all commercial properties in Queensbury, Glens Falls and South Glens Falls between Northway exits 18 and 19 from the Hudson River up to Aviation Road could be put onto Central Avenue in Albany, there would still be room to expand on Central Ave.
“I’m not saying we need more commercial zoning,” Sears said. “The area is a bedroom community zoned for residential, as it should be.”
With little inventory, Sears and Levack said developers need to “think outside the box” and repurpose empty office and manufacturing buildings.
The location that is now Harbor Freight was a supply store that Sears sold a few years ago. A pizza shop sitting on three-quarters of an acre is now a tire shop. Levack brokered a lumber yard years back that became the home of Angio Dynamics.
Now many of the paper plants, medical offices, and medical device manufacturers that created jobs for the region and spurred the economy are shuttering or moving out. Once bustling buildings are no longer full, Levack said.
“With an aging population and retiring medical practitioners, health care delivery is becoming more institutional and so the market for medical office space is softening,” said Levack. “Private practitioners cannot compete and are being absorbed into the large medical networks, leaving their special use facility for rent or purchase.”
Even the 54,000 square feet in the many-storied 333 Glen Street building recently vacated by Travel-
ers and Hudson Headwater could be converted to general offices, services, or even residences, he said.
“When workers leave a building to work from home, office space and all commercial real estate becomes devalued across the board,” Levack said.
In turn, this leaves the building owners not only looking for tenants but also for property and school tax relief, because their income does not support their current assessment, he said.
“The biggest concern I have for the region is loss of jobs,” Levack said.
“Manufacturing offers clean, high paying jobs and to see that trend going the other way is going to have the most impact on the local economy,” he said.
Levack and Sears said the high costs of doing business and specifically high corporate tax rates in New York are not conducive to bringing back any of those jobs.
“New York is consistently ranked in the top five most expensive states, but we can take creative steps at the lowest level in government to reverse that trend,” said Levack.
He said third ward councilwoman Diana Palmer has secured a $175,000 grant to create a comprehensive plan to address the buildings and codes and outdated zoning in the region.
“By retooling our commercial codes we can foster future growth and development,” said Levack. “I believe that through proper urban planning we can increase the tax base and help offset the cost of doing business.”
Sears said communities can consider ways to improve the infrastructure to entice new business.
“What we need is smart growth, which is understanding what we have and how to collaborate with surrounding municipalities to streamline growth and eliminate some of the layers of taxation,” said Sears.
“There are 12 municipalities surrounding where I am right now and that’s a lot of layering of governments and taxes,” said Sears. “Collaboration to eliminate redundancy is the best way to think outside the box right now to create a better environment both residentially and commercially.”
“The Town of Lake George and the Village of Lake George are a prime example of combining their municipal government functions,” said Sears. “You don’t need each community to have its own assessor or police department. They can also collaborate county-wide.”
While New York has a challenge to stem the tide of out-migration, Levack said “the good news is, we live in a beautiful part of the world with clean water, clean air, low crime.”
“But we have been a little out of balance and need to attract wealth,” he said.
“This region is the gateway to the Adirondacks and yet is within three and a half hours of New York City, Boston and Montreal,” said Sears.
“The Glens Falls and Queensbury area is a great place to raise a family, a great place to create jobs, and a great place to get ideas,” he said.
Study Shows Workforce Housing In The North Country Is Facing A Severe Crisis
BY PAUL POST
Enough timber comes out of the Adirondacks to build a boardwalk stretching from Queensbury to California and back.
A project like that would generate worldwide attention without serving any practical purpose.
Recent studies say a great deal more lumber should be used to build much-needed workforce housing that’s vital for sustaining a healthy, vibrant local economy.
“The North Country region is facing a severe and growing workforce housing crisis that threatens to further constrain economic growth, negatively impact local workers’ and households’ quality of life, and disrupt the balance between a year-round and seasonal population.”
That’s one of the key fi ndings in “Building Balanced Communities for the North Country,” a report prepared for the Lake George-Lake Champlain Regional Planning Board focused on Essex, Clinton, Franklin and Hamilton counties.
Similar concerns, although not quite as severe, are raised in a separate “Affordable Housing Strategy” study prepared for the Town of Queensbury.
It says housing cost stress in this Warren County community hasn’t reached crisis levels yet, but will likely increase significantly in the near future because many categories of housing costs for both owners and renters are expected to increase at a rate roughly double the expected increase in household income growth.
“Indeed, by 2027 both renters and owners will have a unit gap at all income levels up to 120 percent of median income “ . “there is likely to be a significant affordability problem” . “and units affordable at or below the 30 percent-of-median income threshold will be largely unavailable leading to many households becoming ‘housing cost burdened’,” the report says.
The North Country study says the gap between income levels and housing costs is much worse in the sparsely-populated Adirondack region, which has few large employers. The “drastically misaligned” situation puts quality housing options out of reach for many people, it says, adding that “workers and their families are being priced out of many employment centers, which results in longer commutes or relocation out of the region” and that “businesses have struggled to attract and retain employees due to local housing challenges, threatening future regional economic growth and vitality.”
Specifically, the report says “the median household income in the region grew by 15 percent from 2015 to 2020 while the median home price grew by 28 percent. The mismatch between income levels and housing prices means a typical household would need an additional $20,000 in annual income to afford a typical median-priced home in the region. Home prices are generally out of reach of most workers and year-round households. Homes that are available at more attainable price points often have quality issues or are located far from employment centers, amenities, quality schools.”
Both the Queensbury and North Country reports point out that the region’s economic conditions and housing availability and affordability are inextricably linked, and that there is no single solution to solving the problem, which requires a multi-pronged approach.
Among their key recommendations, both reports call for a drastic change in zoning regulations to accommodate more affordable workforce housing.
“Current zoning regulations in many parts of the region do not allow for construction of workforce housing,” the North Country study says. “Examples of existing restrictions that are stifl ing the creation of needed housing include unreasonable density restrictions in community centers and prohibitions on multifamily housing types in residential areas, among others.”
But lack of workforce housing isn’t unique to the Adirondacks.
Saratoga County has a critical demand for such housing, especially for middle-income people such as teachers and healthcare workers whose talents are vitally essential to local employers.
“I would say the two biggest challenges to Saratoga County’s continued economic growth are the need for more workforce housing and expanded public transportation,” said Todd Shimkus, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce president. “We continue to have job openings across every sector of our local economy, and for many the applicant pool is limited by the fact that more and more people are being priced out of living close to these jobs or lack convenient and reliable transportation to travel to work consistently.”
“The median sales prices of a home year to date in Saratoga County is now over $400,000 and it is over $600,000 in Saratoga Springs so we are pricing ourselves out of the competition for talent at all levels of income,” he said.
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GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL
Entrepreneurial Women
CFO+ Provides A Number Of Key Business Services To A Wide Variety Of Clients
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
After two decades of working in the nonprofit sector, Schenectady native Sabrina Houser established Capital CFO+ in 2017. The Saratoga Springs-based company provides business management solutions to companies and non-profits of all sizes.
“We focus on five key areas--accounting, marketing, administrative services, business management services, and non-profit management services,” said Houser. “Our services include human resources, payroll, recruitment, grant writing, and leadership training.”
Prior to opening her own company, Houser was the CEO and CFO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region. It was while working there that she came up with the idea of opening her own business.
During the past seven years, Capital CFO+ has experienced rapid growth. Houser now has 40 employees, all of whom work remotely as well as on-site with clients. Her staff includes five directors, each director responsible for one of the five services the company offers.
According to Houser, Capital CFO+ has a diverse client base, one that is split equally between companies and non-profits.
“Our clients include doctors, lawyers, construction companies, and property management companies. On the non-profit side, we have youth organizations, historic organizations, and foundations. We also have a couple of universities that partner with us for their foundations.”
Each one of the company’s clients has unique needs, enlisting Capital CFO+ for as many or as few hours as necessary.
“I used to say somebody that didn’t need anybody over 20 hours a week would be a good potential client for us, but during COVID, people would hire us to cover several people in a department,” said Houser. “Some people might use us for sixty-five hours a week, and other clients that are very small might use us for five hours a month.”
According to Houser, the company schedules intake meetings with all prospective clients.
“During the intake, we learn about their company and what their needs are--what they want to outsource and what they want to keep internally. From there, we build a customized statement of work for them.”
For those clients that need multiple services,
the company bundles their packages, making them more affordable.
“Clients sign on with us in two different ways,” said Houser. “They can pay a flat monthly rate or buy a bank of hours from us. Clients are able to add and take away from their statement of work at any time, so it’s a living document between us.”
By enlisting services from her company, Houser said clients can save money, improve efficiency, and have access to specialized services they are unable to provide in-house.
“Our clients can have a marketing team, they can have an HR team, they can have an accounting team, they can have an admin team,” said Houser. “They get to have a professional that’s working on their business or nonprofit which is a huge advantage to them.”
As Houser continues to grow her business, the labor market has made hiring qualified employees difficult.
“We are always in a growth phase, and I would like to see us grow a little bit more nationally while still keeping our roots in the Capital Region. We aim to hire two people a month, but hiring has been a struggle,” she said.
For more information, visit www.capitalcfollc. com
Local State Farm Agent Serves Her Clients While Contributing To The Community
BY ANN DONNELLY
Paula Traina, a dedicated State Farm agent with offices in Queensbury and Glens Falls, has built a thriving business rooted in community involvement and a passion for helping others. With a strong foundation in the insurance industry and a commitment to personal and professional growth, Traina has positioned herself as a trusted advisor and a valuable asset to the local community.
Traina’s journey with State Farm began in the corporate offices, where she gained a deep understanding of the company’s operations and the insurance industry as a whole. Her experience in various departments gave her a well-rounded perspective that has been instrumental in her success as an agent. She spent most of her career in the Claims area, with the last few in Corporate Learning and Development, which involved a lot of travel.
Driven by a desire for greater autonomy and a desire to impact her community significantly, Traina opened her fi rst State Farm agency in Queensbury in 2018.
“I was all over the country helping roll out different initiatives and training employees to learn those initiatives. It just became a lot from a family perspective, so I started to explore opportunities and see what I could do that would keep me home,” said Traina. “State Farm approached me. They planned to put a brand new agent here and asked if I was interested.”
Starting an agency was a big transition, but Traina’s dedication and strategic approach quickly led to growth and success.
“I was raised in that corporate structure, where I had a large peer group and a lot of daily interaction with people doing the same or similar jobs. You had a lot of people to bounce ideas off of, to talk to and collaborate with.” Traina continued. “When I started the agency, it was like a little silo. Not every agent wants to share the details of their business plan and strategy with other agents, so you’re on your own. Since then, I’ve learned to develop my network of friends, peers, and collaborators, both within the State Farm world and outside.”
In 2022, Traina took over the Glens Falls State Farm office, expanding her reach and further solidifying her position as a leading insurance provider in the region. According to her, “I took over when Dick Saunders passed away after a very long and healthy career with State Farm.”
Recognizing the unique needs of each community, Traina has tailored her services to cater to the specific requirements of her clients, building strong relationships and fostering trust.
“Dick was an agent within the Glens Falls community for 65 years, so his customer base was aging, whereas the customer base in Queensbury is significantly younger. We’ve had to learn about the new demographic and how to work with them. I could pull from my fi rst job with the Social Security Administration, where I worked with an older population and figured out how to do business in a way that they were comfortable doing business. Now, we have melded the two businesses very well.”
Building a talented and motivated team was one of Traina’s most significant challenges. She has invested in employee development and created a supportive work environment. By fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning, Traina has attracted and retained top talent.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Traina is deeply committed to giving back to the community. She is actively involved in the local Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce board and sponsoring numerous community events. Traina’s passion for supporting local businesses and initiatives has earned her a reputation as a dedicated community leader. Traina has faced unique challenges as a woman entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry. She has learned to navigate the complexities of gender dynamics and has developed strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve her goals. Traina’s determination and resilience have inspired others, demonstrating that women can excel in any field.
Paula Traina is a State Farm agent in Queensbury and Glens Falls. Courtesy of State Farm
Sabrina Houser is the owner of Capital CFO+ in Saratoga Springs. Courtesy of Capital CFO+
Every Penny Bookkeeping Provides A Suite Of Services To Help Its Clients Succeed
BY ANN DONNELLY
Lourene Bouffard, the founder of Every Penny Bookkeeping & Business Services, is a passionate entrepreneur on a mission to empower business owners with financial clarity and confidence. With decades of experience, Bouffard offers a unique blend of expertise beyond traditional bookkeeping.
“I’ve found that bookkeeping is the starting point, but we do much more than bookkeeping. When you delve into the numbers, you gain a deeper understanding of the business,” Bouffard explained.
Bouffard’s journey began with a desire to become a CPA. However, after witnessing the struggles of small business owners firsthand, she made a bold decision.
“After about 20 years or so working in different industries and having various roles in management, payroll, and business advising, I decided that I wanted to go off on my own and do more for businesses that are struggling.”
She realized many businesses lacked the foundational knowledge and systems to achieve financial stability and growth. Seeing this frustration fueled her desire to help bridge this gap and allow business owners to take control of their finances.
“There are so many people who have great business ideas, but they are not sure how to run a business, don’t know how to watch their finances, don’t know what they’re looking for, don’t have the right processes, or the right people needed for their business to succeed financially,” she said.
Every Penny Bookkeeping provides a comprehensive suite of services to meet each client’s needs, including Bookkeeping & Accounting, Business Consulting & Coaching, Financial Analysis & Forecasting, Diagnostic Reviews, Software Training, Payroll Services, and Debt Counseling.
“Debt is a big issue for a lot of businesses right now,” she noted. “We work with clients to help control that debt and get it paid off. We all know that credit scores are important, and it’s even more important for business owners. Your personal score directly affects your business, from insurance, bank loans, and lines of credit, so it’s important to get under control.”
One service she particularly enjoys offering focuses on business growth.
“I have a Growth Planning Program, which is a 12-month program that works on all aspects of the business,” she said. “We work on debt, goals, and resolving specific issues. We discuss dreams, exit plans, leadership, accountability, and developing the required mind sets.”
Bouffard and her team understand that finances can be a source of stress and overwhelming for business owners. She prioritizes building genuine relationships based on trust and open communication, offering judgmentfree consultations.
This manner of doing business has also brought about working with one particular niche of clients.
“We work well with the neurodivergent population, clients that struggle with focus,” she said. “They have great ideas but don’t know how to implement them. One client asked me, ‘How easily are you scared off ?’ Not very. We pride ourselves on being patient and keeping them on track.’
One mistake that Bouffard sees many small businesses make is mixing personal and business accounts - bank accounts, credit cards, insurance policies, etc. “There’s two sides of you now. You’re a business owner, and you’re an individual. It’s just smart to keep things separate and smart so you can see what’s going on in your business,” she explained.
Like many businesses, the pandemic is one of the biggest challenges that Bouffard had to face.
“I had built up a great business, and a year later, Covid hit and I lost all of my business. I told my clients they needed to fire me because they couldn’t afford me. They were struggling to make ends meet. So, I trained them in what they needed to keep their business rolling forward. We thought outside of the box to keep them moving. Some of them came back after Covid. Some of them have not, but that’s okay. So I just basically started all over. It shows other business owners that with some hard work and resilience and getting out there, and just keep trying and making those connections and networking and working together, you can make it happen, but you can’t lose sight of your goal,” she said.
The ability for businesses to efficiently work remotely and virtually allows Bouffard to work with clients much further than her base in the Saratoga area.
“We’ve got clients all over the place. We have clients in many other states like Alaska, California, Florida, Virginia, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin,” she said.
Bouffard advises her clients, “Stay focused on your dreams and goals. It might not be something that you can do on your own. We like to partner with our clients, work with them, help them look outside the box, and see what other things they can do.”
If you’re a business owner struggling with finances, overwhelmed by bookkeeping tasks, or simply seeking guidance for growth, Lourene Bouffard and Every Penny Bookkeeping & Business Services can be your partner in success. Visit their website at everypennybooks.com to schedule a free consultation and discover how Bouffard can help your business thrive.
Floral Divine Provides The Complete Range Of Floral Arrangements For Weddings
BY JILL NAGY
Floral Divine, Mindy Ryzuk’s shop at 21 Cooper Street in Glens Falls, focuses on preparing floral arrangements for wedding and other events. She is just coming off her busiest wedding season, from April to October, when she decorates between 10 and 18 weddings.
Ryzuk has been a floral designer for 30 years, mostly with a florist in Allendale, New Jersey, and has had her own business for four and a half years.
Floral design is almost a sideline for Ryzuk. She is also a massage therapist. In fact, her space in the Shirt Factory is divided in two by curtains and a large cooler for flowers. On the other side of the cooler is the massage studio.
For weddings, Ryzuk can provide the whole package: bridal bouquet, table pieces, candles, arches and other large structures. She begins by consulting with the bridal couple. She fi nds that some people know exactly what they want; others have a color scheme and budget in mind and they work from there.
Most of the flowers come from a distributor in Albany. She also buys flowers from local growers when they are in season.
Also in her catalog are shower bundles, which are bundles of eucalyptus meant to be hung in the shower. The heat of the shower opens the pores of the eucalyptus and scents the room.
Usually, it takes two to four hours to set up
the flowers for a wedding, Ryzuk said. While she occasionally calls on friends to help with a job, “typically, I only take on what I can do myself,” she said. Ryzuk was born and raised in Glens Falls. She spent some time in Colorado and in New Jersey before coming back home to start her businesses. For information, check out Floral-Divine. com.
131 River Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
518-744-7791
mlongley10@yahoo.com
Weddings are a speciality for Floral Divine’s owner Mindy Ryzuk.
Courtesy of Floral Divine
A variety of services are offered by Lourene Bouffard through Every Penny Bookkeeping.
Mary Longley
BY AMANDA BLANTON
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC), along with 250 guests, gathered at the Queensbury Hotel Conference Center in early October to celebrate 44 nominees across seven categories at the annual ARCC Business Awards. The event, held annually, is the culmination of months of preparation by a group of volunteers and ARCC staff. The result is a beautiful breakfast ceremony honoring the accomplishments of the business community.
The nomination process began in May, resulting in a record number of nominations. Throughout the summer, the volunteer Business Awards Nomination Committee met with and interviewed each nominee. After completing the interviews, the committee reconvened to discuss key takeaways and score the nominees.
After hearing brief summaries of each business and nonprofit, the winners for 2024 were announced:
Large Nonprofit of the Year: Behavioral Health Services North (BHSN), celebrating 150 years of service, focuses on providing mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and support to families in the North Country.
Small Nonprofit of the Year: Alliance180, founded by a recent recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal for service in Vietnam, helps veterans, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers heal from trauma through unique equine experiences.
Steven M. Sutton Small Business of the Year: Hunt Companies, Inc., a second-generation family-run general contracting business, has overcome numerous challenges by investing in its employees, leading to its continued success.
Large Business of the Year: Arnoff Moving & Storage, a multi-generational family business celebrating 100 years, has grown from one moving truck to a fleet of nearly 200 trucks and vans, with over 650,000 square feet of versatile storage space.
Professional Business of the Year: Irongate Family Practice, a private, physician-owned family practice established in 1966, is known for its high standards of professionalism, compassion, and dedication.
Rookie Business of the Year: Kopf Property Management, which began with just a pickup truck and a bag of tools, has grown in three years into a property management company with an office, five employees, and a portfolio of over 157 units across four counties.
Community Champion: The Sagamore Resort, known for its philanthropic efforts, provides free use of its recreation center to local students, donates to Bolton Central School functions, and contributes to the Bolton Landing Heat Your Neighbor program to assist with heating costs.
For more information contact Amanda Blanton, Vice Presientvisit Marketing & Communications www.adirondackchamber.org/
Uncommon Grounds
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also includes an adjacent Aldi’s supermarket.
Uncommon Grounds’ new Queensbury store is the northernmost of the Saratoga Springsbased company’s five locations. Founded by Dan Murphy in 1992, its other sites are at 402 Broadway in Saratoga Springs, 9 Clifton Country Road in Clifton Park, and Stuyvesant and University plazas on Western Avenue in Albany.
“The owner just wanted to expand farther north,” Ellenbogen said. “This good space was available and I’m sure having Lake George nearby was part of the decision.”
Glen Plaza is roughly a mile off Northway Exit 19, conveniently situated to capture tourists headed to Lake George and the Adirondacks at all times of years, in addition to the large local market.
Uncommon Grounds serves coffee from Central and South America, India and Indonesia along with Italian and French dark roasts.
Now in her seventh year with the company, Ellenbogen has held a variety of positions and worked at every one of Uncommon Grounds’ stores. Previously she was a shift leader, assistant manager at Clifton Park and company training leader, going to all the different stores to train employees.
So her new role managing the Queensbury site was a natural progression.
The store has created nearly three dozen jobs. But it was somewhat of a challenge to fill all the positions, a situation many employers are faced
Union Square
Continued From Page 1
a need in the area,” Ryan said. “It does seem appropriate for that. They would be for one and two bedrooms.”
The Connors, who grew up in the Glens Falls area, have owned Queensbury-based EBRM Properties LLC since 2008. “Basically we’ve been improving older homes in the Glens Falls area including three on Glen Street, mostly residential up to this point,” Ryan said. “Th is one has more of a commercial aspect than we’ve done in the past. We were wrapping up work on other properties, were looking for our next project and saw this on the market.”
The Connors’ extensive engineering backgrounds are well-suited for their new upcoming plans. Ryan said Erin specializes in layout, materials selection and the general look of things.
“When you get into these old buildings you get into a lot of old construction problems,” he said. “You need to figure out what to do. That’s what I view as my strength, to engineer a solution and also plan out the project itself.”
with in today’s labor shortage era.
“Half of the staff trained in Saratoga for a few months during track season, so they got a lot of experience with craziness,” Ellenbogen said, smiling. “But the last couple weeks before we opened was a rigorous round of interviews and hiring, pretty much every day.”
Now a month after the store’s opening, she’s extremely pleased with her employees’ performance.
“They all have a great attitude,” Ellenbogen said. “Everybody’s still very positive, doing their best and trying to do a good job even though it’s been crazy learning a new store, learning new things, being completely new to the company and training while trying to deal with the crowd. So I’m proud of my staff, too.”
Likewise, Ellenbogen said she’s greatly benefited from the company’s supportive culture. “That’s the thing I love about working here, so many people that care so much about the company,” she said. “I think that’s why we do so well. We’ve been around for so long that we’ve had a lot of time to perfect everything. There’s a lot of care that goes into it. We’ll retry recipes over and over again to make sure it’s perfect before we put it on the menu.”
“My bosses are great, also,” she said. “They care a lot about their staff. That makes it a very special place to be. At some places they talk about it being like family, but it really isn’t. Here I genuinely feel like it’s a family.”
“Over time I’ve grown to love building science and doing general construction,” Ryan said. “I’m always doing something related to construction, whether it’s our own place or apartments. I’m always doing projects, always bringing creativity to them. Erin really enjoys design so she and I complement each other. We always look to challenge ourselves. We take a lot of pride in what we can turn a place into.”
To date, the Connors have renovated 25 apartments near downtown, priced from $900 to $1,400 per month.
“There’s a lot of variables,” Ryan said. “Cost depends on size, is there laundry, parking, is heat included? We defi nitely look to keep our housing affordable and clean. We value good, long-term tenants. There is demand for apartments with amenities and parking close to downtown. That’s what we’ve learned with our experiences on Glen Street.”
“Our strategy at Union Square is incremental improvement,” he said. “We’re going to keep what’s good going and look to further it. There’s a lot of good happening on South Street. You can defi nitely see things moving. We want to contribute to that revitalization with this building.”
Dennis Choiniere
Workforce
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Several obstacles stand in the way of providing more workforce housing. These include, but aren’t limited to: 1) the cost of land, building materials and labor; 2) costs associated to complying with local zoning requirements; 3) occasional local opposition to such housing in certain neighborhoods and communities.
Katherine Tiedemann, the city’s community development planner, said traditional low-income affordable housing is easier to address and navigate because there’s a set income cap. Anybody who makes below this figure is eligible to apply.
Middle-income employees typically aren’t enrolled in other types of assistance programs and are less familiar with affordable housing opportunities, she said.
Under the city’s Workforce Housing Program, there are currently 11 two-bedroom condominiums on Jefferson Street (unrelated to the Housing Authority’s Jefferson Terrace), reserved for buyers at 80 percent of the median income, ranging from $59,400 (one person) to $84,800 (four persons).
But there are currently no vacancies and under the life cycle of any property, people
State Farm Agent
Continued From Page 8
“I would encourage any women thinking to step outside their roles as mothers, employees, wives, and enter the entrepreneurial space – just to dig in. I don’t think you’ll regret it, and you can fi nd the resources you need in the community.”
On October 30 Traina will launch a local chapter of the Christian Business Women’s Connection (CBWC), a community of business and professional women committed to integrating their faith and work. After attending a couple of CBWC events in Albany with Tesha Mihaly, a mortgage professional at Glens Falls National Bank, the two women
typically stay at least 15 years before moving somewhere else, Tiedemann said.
“It’s a very contemporary issue that we’re all facing,” she said. “ A lot of people in the city are talking about it. I don’t know if there’s a direct answer right now.”
Shimkus said, “I think our state is more controlling than flexible in the way they think workforce housing should be built, especially as it relates to working with non-profits versus for-profit developers. Given this situation, I think local and state officials really need to look at using the land in downtown Saratoga Springs where the former senior center is located for workforce housing.”
“Let’s turn that property over to the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority and let them set up a pilot where downtown employees in our hospitality and healthcare sectors will get the fi rst chance to rent the units they build so these people can walk or bike to work,” he said. “Th is is the type of action we will need to take or else Saratoga Springs will become a city in the country exclusively for the wealthy which is not a path to sustaining our economic success.”
decided to bring the initiative to Glens Falls. Each monthly breakfast meeting will include prayer, a speaker, and networking.
Looking ahead, Traina is excited about the future of her business and her continued involvement in the community. She is committed to providing exceptional service to her clients, supporting local initiatives, and fostering a positive and inclusive work environment. With her passion, expertise, and dedication, Traina will make a lasting impact on the insurance industry and the community she serves.
Find out more about Paula Traina, State Farm, on her website: https://paulatraina.com.
To book a place at the CBWC Upstate NY breakfast, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ christian-business-womens-connectionbreakfast-registration-1037181817737.
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