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 familyowned business, the Arnoff Global Logistics division has outgrown its warehousing space and will soon break ground on a new 100,000-120,000-squarefoot 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 place.”
Noting that some companies have seasonal businesses and could even deplete their inventories during the year, Arnoff said clients are charged less as
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Affordable Housing Is Becoming An Increasingly Serious Issue In The Region
BY PAUL POST
In the iconic film “Field of Dreams,” a mysterious otherworldly voice tells Ray Kinchella (Kevin Costner), “If you build it, he will come.”
But unlike rural Iowa, Saratoga Springs doesn’t need a baseball diamond.
The issue is lack of affordable housing for middle-income people such as teachers and healthcare workers whose talents are critically important to essential 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.
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 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
Continued On Page 11
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. Th rough the years, their business developed a reputation as a market leader throughout Vermont.
Stewart’s Shops, a family- and employeeowned 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.
BuonaSera On Saratoga Lake In Malta Is Operated By Experienced Restaurateurs
BY HELISE STAMOS
BuonaSera, an Italian restaurant, opened in Malta in July.
Owned by Jimmy and Danielle Hartwyk, it occupies the building that formerly housed the Nostalgia Ale House & Wine Bar on Saratoga Lake. The building was completely renovated by Jimmy and Kevin LaPorto, his uncle, who is a retired New York state corrections officer.
Jimmy, the executive chef, has 30 years of experience in the restaurant business. He and Danielle previously owned Biscotti Brothers Cafe and Saluti in Lake George as well as a restaurant in New Hampshire. Danielle is one of the hostesses in the new enterprise.
“What I love about running a restaurant is seeing people gratified by every plate I prepare,” said Jimmy.
The menu includes pan seared diver scallops over homemade grilled bread with pancetta, red onions and roasted peppers. There is also chicken francese, veal or chicken parmesan, sautéed muscles with red peppers, red wine and herbs.
Satma Guermraoui, a baker, is also on staff. She has been creating delicious cakes and pastries for diners.
The restaurant has seating indoors for 175 diners and 40 outside, weather permitting.
They also cater parties and weddings at times when they are not normally open.
The restaurant is open The restaurant is open Sunday-Tuesday 4p-9p, Thursday-Saturday 4p-10p and closed Wednesday. To view the complete menu go to buonaseraonthelake.com.
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 in the process of acquiring the assets of the Jolley Associates convenience store chain as well as S.B. Collins.
Saratoga Business Journal photo
Chef Jimmy Hartwyk and his wife, Danielle, recently opened BuonaSera, an Italian bistro. Saratoga Business Journal photo
Personnel Briefs
The Arrow Family of Companies has announced the promotion of Lisa Wichelns to Vice President, Branch Manager of the Saratoga main office for its subsidiary Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company.
Wichelns is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the branch and meeting the fi nancial needs of the community. She brings 18 years of fi nancial services experience to Saratoga National Bank, most recently as West Avenue Branch Manager and previously in mortgage lending and bank management.
Wichelns is a member of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation and volunteers for the American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter. She is a graduate of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Executive Institute and is a former board member of the Stillwater Community Center.
Isabella Ronda and Erica Riekert, have joined Franklin Community Center’s Project Lift program as Family Outreach Coordinators. Both will play vital roles in preventionbased afterschool program within the Saratoga Springs City School District.
Project Lift has long been a cornerstone of support in the Saratoga Springs City School District, committed to making a positive im-
pact on the lives of the community’s youth. Th is free, prevention-focused after-school program serves students in grades 1 through 5 across all six elementary schools in the district.
Ms. Riekert brings a wealth of experience from her work in education and the nonprofit sector. Her previous roles include Education/ Curriculum Coordinator at Saratoga Independent School and Education Director at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
She holds a Master’s degree in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology from the University at Albany and a Bachelor’s in History - Secondary Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
Ms.Ronda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University at Albany, where she focused on courses related to children and families overcoming challenges. Her background also includes an Associate’s degree in Human Services from Hudson Valley Community College. Her experience as a substitute teacher at Van Schaick Grade School in Troy allowed her to build strong bonds with students, supporting their educational, social, and emotional well-being.
Ms. Ronda will be overseeing the program at Division Street and Dorothy Nolan Elementary Schools, while Ms. Riekert will manage the programs at Caroline Street and Lake Avenue Elementary Schools. They join Rachel McCann, who continues to administer the programs at Greenfield and Geyser Road Elementary Schools.
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.
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.
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
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 follow-up 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.
Zachary Cole, PT, DPT, has expanded his physical therapy practice by opening a second location in Glens Falls.
Area Students Honor Veterans On Th is Year’s Saluting Branches Day Of Service
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, Na-
tional 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.”
Maria And Mark Dailey To Be Honored At Event
Wild About Blue will be taking place on Sunday, October 20, beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the Wishing Well restaurant in Wilton.
This event is Wilton Wildlife’s main fundraiser of the year and will be celebrating all of the successes of the organization in environmental education, outdoor recreation, and conservation.
At the event will be the presentation of the Metamorphosis Award, which was created to recognize people who have created transformative change in the community, just as the Karner blue butterfly and other species go through remarkable transformations in their life cycles.
This year Maria and Mark Dailey are being honored. The Daileys established The Christopher Dailey Foundation in memory of their son, turning their personal loss into meaningful and impactful projects in the community. The Christopher Dailey Memorial Youth Gymnasium that they built at Gavin Park serves many thousands of people each year, improving their health and bringing people together in positive ways through sports and other activities. Their Annual Turkey Trot and Golf Tournament raise funds to support organizations that serve youth, focusing on those with disabilities or who face other challenges in life.
The Daileys have created positive and dramatic changes in so many ways in the community and Wilton Wildlife is honoring them with the 2024 Metamorphosis Award. Past recipients are Joseph Bruchac III, Laura Clark, Larry Gordon, Art Johnson, the Lake Avenue School Outdoor Education Program, Heather Mabee, Kathy O’Brien, Bob Rice, Maria Trabka, and Jane Adams Wait.
Tickets for Wild About Blue are available for $100 per person and can be purchased online at www.wiltonpreserve.org or by calling the Wilton Wildlife office at 518-450-0321.
People who are not able to attend can still support the event by participating in the online auction. The auction will open on Monday, October 14 and will close at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20. The link to the auction is www.32auctions. com/WildAboutBlue2024
Benefit Shift
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.
Environmental conservation and forestry students joined professional arborists recently to perform tree care and site beautification at Saratoga National Cemetery.
Courtesy
Publication Date: November 7, 2024
Publication Date: December 12, 2024
GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL
9 Broad St. Glens Falls, NY 12803 (518) 581-0600 • HarryW@saratogabusinessjournal.com • www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
Sales and Customer Service Harry Weinhagen Mary Longley
Production Manager Graphic Precision
Contributing Writers Susan Campbell Ann Donnelly Jill Nagy Christine Graf Paul Post
Do Elections Influence Stock Markets/Economy?
BY MATTHEW BURNELL
As we approach the 2024 presidential elections many people are wondering will this election have a major impact on the economy and markets? You may have heard the expression: Don’t let how you feel about politics overrule how you think about investing. According to the Pew Research Center, they ran a study asking subjects to rate economic conditions as good or excellent over time. It was no surprise that Republicans rated economic conditions more favorably when a Republican was President and Democrats rated the economic conditions more favorably when there was a Democrat as president.
Looking at just the last four presidents and the S&P 500 performance, during President Obama’s eight-year term the S&P returned 16.3% and President Trump’s term the S&P returned 16%. President Biden’s term through August of this year the S&P 500 had returned 12.5% and going back to 2001, President Bush’s term saw S&P 500 returns at -4.5% over that period. President Bush began his term during the dot com bubble and ended during the subprime mortgage crisis. Coming out of this crisis President’s Obama and Trump were in charge during a historically postive market run, while as President Biden stepped into office during the Covid pandemic. So, there were certainly some large economic factors that greatly affect the Stock market regardless of which party was in power.
Regardless of who the winning party is, crucial to a president’s success in implementing their agenda is the configuration of Congress, comprised of the Senate and House of Representatives. In the long run, it is policy, which matters more for the economy and markets. It is often the case that rhetoric about policy differs from actual policy implemented once elected.
Monetary policy, fiscal policy, economic growth, labor markets, and corporate profits are likely better areas to focus on when thinking of market performance. Focusing on two areas, Fiscal and Monetary policy are likely key agenda items for both parties.
Fiscal Policy, which is determined by congress and the president, encompasses the power to tax and the power to spend. Neither branch of government can make a fiscal policy decision without the involvement of the other. The president may propose a certain fiscal policy action, such as raising tax rates for the wealthy; however, unless Congress passes legislation to raise tax rates for these individuals, no change will occur. Even if Congress does pass legislation, the result will likely be somewhat different than the president’s proposal as negotiations including concessions for both parties are likely.
Broadly speaking, the large fiscal deficit will likely grow as generally Republicans favor tax cuts and Democrats favor tax credits and spending. Changes in the rate of government taxation affect the amount of corporate earnings, the amount of consumer disposable income, and the incentives for individual workers to produce. One major fiscal policy issues the parties will need to address is the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs with many provisions set to expire in 2025. A few
of the major provisions set to expire include the increased standard deduction and elimination of personal exemptions, increase of the child tax credit, widened tax brackets at lower tax rates for the majority of taxpayers, elimination of the qualified business income deduction for owners of pass through entities which are often small business owners, elimination of the bonus depreciation and the elimination of the $10,000 State and Local Tax Deduction for Federal tax purposes.
Monetary Policy is set by The Federal Reserve which is party neutral and influences the overall money supply which affects general economic behavior. The Fed’s tools in monetary policy include changing reserves required by banks, changing the discount rates that the banks pay for short term loans from the Fed and conducts open market operations in which the Fed either sells government securities which in turn decreases the money supply with the intention of contracting economic activity or buys back government securities and thus adds money to the economy with the intention of expanding economic activity.
Big news recently was the Fed cutting the interest rates. What this means is the Fed cuts the discount rate (the rate at which banks can borrow from any of the Federal Reserve Banks) with the target of influencing lowering the rates banks lend to each other for short term borrowing. When banks can borrow funds at lower rates and lend more money, they increase the supply of money in circulation, and this stimulates demand. We saw the opposite of this when the Fed started increasing rates back in 2022 with the intent to cool the economy and curb inflation by making it more expensive to borrow money for both businesses and consumers. The difficulty is that results of rate changes are not known right away (lag), so the Fed’s timing and rate adjustments success is not known until sometime in the future.
While the above are certainly not all inclusive and the economy and markets are much more complex than what can be written in a few pages, hopefully this helps to think about how policies affect the economy as a whole and markets.
Matthew Burnell, Financial Advisor, HK Wealth Management Group, Clifton Park. Courtesy of HK Wealth Management Group
NBT Bank And NBT Insurance Agency Unveil Expanded Office Space In Saratoga Springs
NBT Bank and NBT Insurance Agency celebrated the unveiling of upgraded and expanded offices for the sister organizations at 295 Broadway in Saratoga Springs with a ribbon cutting recently.
Office renovations include expansion to fully occupy the 12,000-square-foot building, including the addition of seven new NBT Insurance Agency offices. Additional upgrades include a revised office configuration to promote collaboration among the 37 employees based at this regional hub location for NBT.
As the regional hub, employees represent multiple divisions within the company, including Retail and Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Mortgage, Wealth Management and Insurance.
President of Wealth Management and Regional President Ruth Mahoney said, “NBT has had the honor of serving Saratoga Springs for more than 25 years. As our company continues to grow, we’re excited to expand our presence with this modernized space.”
President of NBT Insurance Agency Tucker Lounsbury said, “We view this office expansion as a commitment to providing enhanced services, greater accessibility and a stronger, more engaged support network for our Saratoga County customers.”
President of the Saratoga County Chamber Todd Shimkus said, “In many cities, commercial office space remains vacant after the pandemic which is why it is so vital to recognize organizations like NBT Bank and NBT Insurance Agency who are investing in office expansions here in Saratoga Springs. As more people work downtown, they often patronize local shops, stores, and restaurants before, during, and after work which helps our local businesses to succeed, grow, and thrive. I see NBT’s local employees out and about downtown all the time and it’s awesome that there are now more of them here to do the same.”
NBT officials also presented a donation to the Dake Foundation for Children. The Dake Foundation provides children with disabilities access to equipment and services that will give them more opportunities for participation within their families, communities, and with their peers.
Dake Foundation Executive Director Sarah Burns said, “We are so thankful for our partnership with NBT Bank and for their continued support of our mission. This donation allows us to continue to provide independence, inclusion and fun for local children with disabilities — and we are honored to be part of the incredible generosity that NBT Bank provides to our local community.”
Home Brewer Parlays His Enthusiasm For Quality Beer Into A ‘Nano-Brewery’
BY JILL NAGY
At Ferdle Turtle Brewing Company, owner/ brewer Alexander Fredell brews his beer one barrel at a time.
He refers to his operation as a nano-brewery, smaller even than micro. Still, he keeps four beers on tap: dark lager, lager, India pale ale, and a “rotational” selection.
A tasting room takes up about half the space.
In late September, Octoberfest, a malty, slightly sweet brew, was “flying out the door” and a pumpkin ale was almost ready to replace it.
“It’s a nice problem to run out of beer,” Fredell said.
The brewery is located at 161 Broad Street (Route 29) in Schuylerville. It is tucked in under Sweet Lou’s Bistro and “we try to play off each other,” Frerdell said.
Ferdle Turtle doesn’t serve food, except for some chips and salsa, but people can bring their beer upstairs to Sweet Lou’s or bring their food down to the brewery. Fredell is starting to serve a 12-inch pizza.
Fredell started as a home brewer. During the Covid pandemic, he said, “I switched my career path,” and been working at a brewery, a somewhat larger operation than his present one: about 50 barrels at a time.
“Now, I am down to one barrel at a time,” he noted.
Family members invested in the new busi-
Arnoff
Continued From Page 1
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 highend 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
ness, and his wife and a cousin’s husband are involved in the business.
It takes six to eight hours to brew a barrel of beer. Then it is allowed to cool down. Yeast is added and the mix ferments for about a week. After that, he explained, the beer goes into kegs and “we blast it with CO2.”
Eventually, Fredell said, he would like to expand into a bigger production facility, but he is concerned that the product may lose its personality if his operation gets too big.
“I like having my hands on,” he said.
He is licensed as a farm brewery, which allows up to five locations but requires using New York sourced grains and hops. New York state, once a center for hops production, is getting back into growing hops, he noted. The yeast does not have to be local.
In the future, he said, he would like to try using local fruit in some sour beers. He has blueberries in the freezer to start with. For now, though, “I just want to be comfortable.” He is pleased that “people really love our product.” Fredell grew up in Saratoga. “Ferdle” was a high school nickname. He added “turtle” because “I am kind of a slow person” he explained. Ferdle Turtle Brewing Co. is open from 3:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m. Thursday; 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday; and from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday.
For more information go to ferdleturtle. com.
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 longerterm.
“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.
NBT officials present a check to the Dake Foundation for Children at the recent opening of their new office space in Saratoga Springs.
Barbering Friends Open Ballston Spa Barber Club In Carousel Village Shops
BY JILL NAGY
Raffael Rispo and Gilberto Barron-Nunez have been friends for many years. They learned barbering together and, for almost 10 years, worked for the same company. Now, they have their own shop, Ballston Spa Barber Club in Ballston Spa.
“It’s just a barber shop,” Rispo explained. The “club” reflects their strong interest in sports. There are no membership requirements or dues. “We want to cater to all kinds of people, he added.”
The shop is located in the busy Carousel Village, between a gym and karate studio, near several restaurants and a hair salon, and across from a former Pizza Hut morphing into a Ted’s Fish Fry.
“The barbershop fits in well here,” Rispo said.
Walk-ins are welcome, encouraged in fact, but they also accept the appointments.
Most of the shop’s business is haircuts. They also give “really good shaves, especially hot towel shaves,” he said. “We love doing that.”
For clients who do not shave, they trim, sculpt, and otherwise take care of beards.
“A lot of our client have beards. They are very prevalent,” he said.
They also see a lot of children and offer a discount rate for those 12 years of age or under.
Rispo and Barron-Nunez are joined in the
shop by two other barbers, Shane Cook and Pierre Lamoyne. A fi ft h chair is vacant but could be available to a barber with experience and a following. Rispo’s fiancee, Allison Wildy, a hairdresser, practices in an adjoining room.
In the four months since the shop opened, business has been “very nice,” Rispo said. He fi nds that people are excited to have a barber shop in the area, particularly in a very active plaza with plenty of parking.
Neither of the principals is from the Saratoga area. Rispo is from Yonkers. Barron-Nunez is from Los Banos, California. Rispo has family in the area and the two often came to visit and “just loved the area.” Eventually, they stopped visiting and became permanent residents. Rispo’s father was a barber and tried unsuccessfully to get him interested in the business right after high school. He resisted and tried other things. When nothing else worked out, he joined his father’s shop, Major League Barber.
Both the Barber Club and its owners are very involved in the community, Rispo said. The shop sponsors soccer teams every season and they are involved in school sports activities. Both have school-aged children.
Ballston Spa Barber Club, located at 2100 Doubleday Avenue, is open
Ballston Spa Barber Club owners Gilberto Barron-Nunez (center left) and Raffaele Rispo are flanked by barbers Shane Cook (left) and Pierre Lemoine.
Saratoga Springs-Based Uncommon Grounds Chooses Queensbury For Its Fift h 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 fi lls 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 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 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. “Th is 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 fi ll all the positions, a situation many employers are faced 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
Business Briefs
The Board of Directors of Arrow Financial Corporation (NasdaqGS® - AROW) on October 2, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.28 per share payable October 29, 2024 to shareholders of record on October 15, 2024. This represents a 3.7% increase to our quarterly dividend and is in lieu of the 3% stock dividend the Company has declared in recent years. This cash dividend marks the 46th consecutive quarterly cash dividend declared by Arrow.
“We are pleased to deliver enhanced value to our shareholders with the increased cash dividend,” said Arrow President and CEO David S. DeMarco. “So far this year, we have returned more than $6.4 million of capital to shareholders through share repurchases, in addition to the regular quarterly 2024 cash dividends of $13.6 million paid to date. Our continued success allows us to offer increased returns to our shareholders.”
Saratoga Hospital has replaced its CT scanner in the Emergency Department with a state-of-the-art Siemens X. Cite model, thanks to the generosity of key community donors. The Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild and The Robert and Lisa Moser Family Foundation contributed the lead gifts to the project, as well as generous support from Bill and Susan Dake, Mike and Linda Toohey, and Millennium Medical Imaging.
Each of the donors have a longstanding history of supporting Saratoga Hospital. Members of the Volunteer Guild perform a vital role within the Hospital, with more than 200 volunteers providing upwards of 60,000 hours of services annually in hospital locations. Lisa Moser previously served on the Saratoga Hospital Foundation Board and currently sits on the Albany Med Health System Board. The Dake family has supported Saratoga Hospital for over five decades, with Bill and Susan Dake both serving on the Hospital Board of Trustees. Mike and Linda Toohey have consistently supported hospital programs and initiatives, and Millennium Medical Imaging, Saratoga Hospital’s medical imaging provider, contributed through a philanthropic partnership.
The Siemens X. Cite CT scanner offers advanced imaging capabilities that will enable quicker, more precise diagnoses, significantly enhancing the hospital’s ability to provide timely care.
Selling a Company
As someone who has sold businesses for over 20 years (including my own), the most common question I get asked is, “What is my business worth?” The honest answer is that value is very buyer dependent, as all have varying motivations. However, the bedrock of business value is cash flow.
There are many types of cash flows buyers use to determine value, but the most common is adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA). This is calculated by adding back expenses to EBITDA to exclude items that do not represent ongoing operations.
Common adjustments include one-time expenses, excessive owner compensation, discretionary expenses, charitable contributions, and non-market rent expenses. To buyers it indicates the annual return on investment in your company. An industry, company specific multiplier is applied to to adjusted EBITDA to estimate a value.
Buyers want to see at least three years of demonstrated cash flow. If you are in a business cycle sensitive business, a five year or longer lookback may be required. If your business is growing rapidly, a trailing twelve months (TTM) is the most relevant measure.
ThielGroup is a business advisory service that provides brokerage, M&A, and valuation services throughout upstate New York and New England.
Interested in discussing how we can help you sell your business? Give me a call. I have been selling companies for 20 years!
(518) 599-0219
kthiel@thielgroup.com www.thielgroup.com
Since 1992, customers have been enjoying the fresh bagels, pastries and exotic coffees available at Uncommon Grounds. Courtesy of Uncommon Grounds
Entrepreneurial Women
Heidi Owen West’s Retail Outlets Are About To Expand With A New Store In Albany
At 16, she began working at concessions at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and “I loved it... loved working with people,” she said.
She continued at SPAC through high school and college. Also, while still in high school, she worked at Filene’s department store in Albany. When she was in college, she worked with her mother, Kay Owen, herself a serial entrepreneur, at her mother’s business, Indulgence Cafe and Bakery.
Owen West describes her mother as an “entrepreneur at heart” who left a state job to open the cafe and bakery. She sees a “lineage of entrepreneurial spirit” running through her family.
Mother and daughter abandoned the bakery and cafe in the late 1990s to open Lifestyles of Saratoga, a women’s apparel store at 436 Broadway. The store, according to Owen West, offers a “curated selection” of sustainable women’s brands, the best known of which is Eileen Fisher. The store carries several small batch brands and tries to meet the needs of women of all body types and sizes and offers a broad selection price-wise, Owen West noted.
As Lifestyles began bursting its seams, the space next door became available and Caroline and Main was born, a shop catering to a somewhat younger and more contemporary clientele. She begun designing some of her own products, working with local designers, and bringing in local bands of items like jewelry and candles.
Meanwhile, a seating area at Lifestyles began filling up with men, West recalls.
“They wanted their own space,” she said.
That led to Owen West’s third enterprise, Union Hall Supply Company. Lots of leather and dark wood, a tasting bar with local beers and ciders, “an environment where they want to stay a while,” and a selection of “the clothing that men live in.”
Now, almost 30 years since opening Lifestyles, Owen West is about to open a second Union Hall Supply Company, this one at Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany. This is her first business venture outside of Saratoga.
“It’s a big change for our organization and an exciting one,” she said. “It’s a learning process.”
The new shop is three times the size of the Saratoga outlet. It is also a half-hour’s drive away, a little different from three stores on the same block. For now, it’s “all hands-on deck” for a mid-October opening.
Owen West can look over her four-store empire and say, “I own it all.”
Actually, it is owned by an LLC, she clarified, but “I run the whole thing.”
Although her mother has been gone for 10 years, Owen West remembers her as a person “with a lot of vision, who took a lot of risks.” Working along side of her, “we taught ourselves and each other.”
Owen West may run the whole thing, but she is assisted by a team 20 to 30 employees, “a highly trained and very knowledgeable staff.”
She is thinking now about developing a consistent way to train new staff.
Owen West said that she “absolutely” plans to keep all three Saratoga stores. For now, she has no plans to expand further but, she noted, “I’m not good at sitting still.”
She is a hiker, trying to climb all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks. So far, she has conquered 15 of them.
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
Sabrina Houser is the owner of Capital CFO+ in Saratoga Springs.
Courtesy of Capital CFO+
Courtesy of Heidi Owen West
Shipology Provides An Invaluable Link Between Entrepreneurs And Their Clients
Every Penny Bookkeeping Provides A Suite Of Services To Help Its Clients Succeed
BY ANN DONNELLY
Shipology, a woman-owned fulfi llment center, is making waves in the e-commerce industry by providing essential logistics services to small businesses.
Founded in 2020, Shipology offers a range of services, including warehousing, inventory management, and shipping, to help entrepreneurs streamline their operations and focus on growing their businesses.
The idea for Shipology was born from the founders’ own experiences running e-commerce businesses. Sheri Wytrwal, who was working as a marketing professional, started Wetplants.com to sell high-quality aquatic plants online from her home. After encountering significant challenges with shipping time frames and costs, she reached out to friend Amanda Schermerhorn, who was working as a director of operations for an e-commerce company. According to Wytrwal, “I went to Amanda’s house in tears because over 40 percent of my orders one week arrived dead because they took over two weeks to ship to clients.”
Together, the women started a business that addressed the need for a more personalized and efficient solution. By leveraging their expertise and understanding of the industry, they created Shipology to address these pain points for other entrepreneurs.
The founders initially tested their idea for the business with members of the Saratogabased Palette Community of female-owned businesses.
“The idea for Shipology came from our own experiences in e-commerce and difficulty with fulfi llment, as well as talking with other women entrepreneurs with similar issues. We started helping them solve these issues and knew we needed to turn this into a business.”
In 2020, Wytrwal and Schermerhorn started working out of their garages and fondly remember their fi rst milestone of shipping five packages in a day. The following year, they had outgrown their home base and moved into a
warehouse in Menands, eventually taking on 8,000 square feet. They have just completed a move into a 40,000-square-foot space in Watervliet. They now ship an average of 500 to 1,000 packages daily.
Shipology’s unique selling points lie in its ability to store and inventory products for its clients and its efficient shipping process. When orders arrive, whether B2C or B2B, they ship them out using rates they have negotiated due to their overall volume and relationships with the shipping companies.
“We have the packaging here available to use. The idea is that we can be a cost savings hub. They don’t have to invest in employees for warehousing or the warehouse space itself,” says Wytrwal.
Like any business, Shipology has faced its share of challenges. However, through strategic planning, adaptability, and a focus on building a solid team, Shipology has successfully overcome these hurdles and experienced significant growth. Th is adaptability should reassure potential customers of Shipology’s ability to handle any challenges that may arise.
Shipology’s commitment to providing exceptional client service is a critical differentiator. The company’s founders emphasize the importance of building solid relationships with their clients and understanding their unique needs. By offering personalized support and tailored solutions, Shipology helps businesses of all sizes achieve their goals.
“Anytime someone new comes to us, we see it as a really fun challenge,” says Wytrwal. “How can we help this business grow and act as a partner for them? One of our clients got on the Today Show a couple of weeks ago, and thousands of orders were pouring in. Our team’s excited because it builds this extra sense of accomplishment around how to get all these orders out the door, but look at what our client just did!”
Because of their original connections and
Continued On Page 16
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 judgment-free 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.
A variety of services are offered by Lourene Bouffard through Every Penny Bookkeeping. Courtesy of Every Penny Bookkeeping
Rafferty
Shipology partners with e-commerce entrepreneurs to provide warehousing and shipping services designed to ensure optimum coordination with their clients.
Office / Commercial / Residential RE
Boylegroup Works With Furniture Purveyors And End-Users To Ensure Mutual Satisfaction
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
Ballston Spa-based Boylegroup represents manufacturers in the commercial furniture industry, serving the Capital Region, Central, and Western New York. The company acts as a link between furniture manufacturers, commercial furniture dealers, and end-user customers. Their diverse customer base includes universities, businesses, and hospitals.
Among the manufacturers represented by Boylegroup are OFS, a manufacturer of office furniture; Carolina, a manufacturer of furniture for healthcare applications; and Vondom, a manufacturer of outdoor furniture.
“We have furniture dealers throughout the state, and we act as the middle man between the dealer and the manufacturer. We are the local arm for the manufacturer,” said Boylegroup Account Manager Jill Jones. “We help customers with anything that they need help with when placing their order for the furniture. We show them samples of our products and give them quotes and pricing along with drawings and layouts. And, if they have a warranty claim, we would help them with that.”
According to Jones, Boylegroup works extensively with architects and designers throughout the state. “We have a designer on staff, and they contact her when they are working on a project and want to use our furniture within their project. They would send the layouts to her and then she works with them to choose products to fit the space and the design.”
Boylegroup’s designer, Natali Cobb, also works with individual clients, assisting with space planning, material and finish selection, and furniture specification and design.
“We have dealers throughout the state.
These dealers manage the ordering, delivery, installation, and after-sales service of the furniture. We work closely with them, providing product expertise, training, and support to ensure they can effectively present the manufacturer’s offerings to the end-users,” said Jones.
Local dealers include Charlie’s Office Furniture in Queensbury, SCI Furniture in Albany, and Accent Commercial Furniture in Colonie.
Boylegroup has worked on many projects in the Capital Region including at Albany Medical Center, Saratoga Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital, and SUNY Albany.
For more information, visit www. boylegroupny.com
Saratoga Springs Boasts The Lowest Office Vacancy Rate In The Capital District
BY PAUL POST
“Saratoga is a uniquely vibrant county in upstate New York There’s just no other way to look at it.”
That, in a few words, sums up the continued strong demand for Saratoga County office space as firms large and small are attracted to the area’s healthy business climate and attractive quality of life that helps bring top-level talent to the region.
“We just released our first half report,” said Associated Broker Tom Savino, of CBRE Upstate. “Firms want to have a presence in downtown Saratoga because they can use it as a recruiting tool for people from outside the area. In Clifton Park we’re back to pre-COVID levels in terms of activity. There was a fair amount of empty space, some of which was left behind by healthcare consolidation. Then a large building was donated to the school district, which took that off the market. “Tenants coming back had to go somewhere, so space that had been empty for a while is now beginning to fill up,” he said. “It’s across the board. I’ve dealt with attorneys, engineering firms, a variety of things. There’s no specific industry that gobbles up the space.”
Demand is strong from both existing firms seeking to expand and small start-ups in search of a place to launch and grow their business.
“It’s a combination of both,” Savino said.
CBRE is the largest commercial brokerage firm in the country.
In 1998 Robert Cohn Associates, the largest commercial brokerage firm in the Capital District market at the time, became a partner office of CBRE.
Ownership remained local.
despite a nearly $2-per-square foot decline from the first half of 2023.
Albany’s lease rate ($21) is second highest while Glens Falls (approximately $17.50) is the area’s lowest.
Total Capital Region market inventory increased for the first time since 2021 due to both an increase in new construction and a decrease in the number of buildings that were removed from inventory for conversion, the report says.
But although new construction had a large impact on the report’s findings, the pipeline of future construction is limited. Planned and ongoing construction includes a 45,000-square-foot expansion for the Prime Group at 395 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Prime Group acquired the building, previously occupied by Fingerpaint marketing agency (Barnes & Noble before that) last year. The expansion replaces previous plans for ground-up construction of a 160,000-square-foot, mixed-use building at 269 Broadway.
Proposed projects that may hit the construction pipeline include a 116,000-squarefoot medical center in Wilton, and a 60,000-square-foot building in Saratoga Springs, the report says.
Saratoga County’s low office space vacancy rate is also in stark contrast to the nationwide trend, which increased by 10 basis points to 19.1 percent during this year’s second quarter.
Savino cited recent history at Congress Park Centre (333 Broadway), which CBRE represents, as an example of the strong demand for office space in Saratoga Springs.
In April 2023 CBRE-Albany combined with the CBRE offices in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse to become one entity, CBRE Upstate. It handles sales and leasing for all types of commercial real estate from industrial to multi-family.
The new report says Saratoga Springs has the lowest office space vacancy of any city in the Greater Capital Region including Glens Falls, Albany, Schenectady and Troy. And it by far continues to demand the highest lease rate, about $27 per square foot,
In October 2017, the financial services firm, Ayco, owned by Goldman Sachs, announced that it would move its headquarters from the Spa City to a new 150,000-squarefoot building in Latham.
The single-floor space it vacated had 85,000 square feet.
“Spaces of that size were relatively rare in the city,” Savino said. “We have since leased almost all of it even through COVID -- most of the tenants are financial services type companies -- so it’s a sign of the vibrancy of downtown Saratoga.”
Account Manager Jill Jones helps streamline the office furniture acquisition process. Saratoga Business Journal photo
Workforce
Continued From Page 1
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 first chance to rent the units they build so these people can walk or bike to work,” he said. “This 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.”
In January 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $61.6 million in state funding for a new 202-unit affordable housing complex on Tait Lane east of Allen Drive. The more than $77 million project, done by the NRP Group, has a combination of town homes and three-story walk-up buildings. This rental community brings much needed housing for a vibrant younger workforce who are finding it increasingly difficult to identify appropriate viable cost-effective housing options, families looking for affordable housing in high performing school districts.
But the need for workforce housing is not unique to Saratoga Springs as outlined in two recent studies, one for the Town of Queensbury called “Affordable Housing Strategy,” and another for Lake George-Lake Champlain Regional Planning Board report called, “Building Balanced Communities for the North Country,” which focused on Essex, Clinton, Franklin and Hamilton counties.
The Queensbury report said housing cost stress isn’t at crisis levels, 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 more severe 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 stifling the creation of needed housing include unreasonable density restrictions in community centers and prohibitions on multi-family housing types in residential areas, among others.”
The 'Real Estate Owned' Segment Of The Industry Is Increasing In The Capital District
BY CHRISTINE GRAF
During his 37-year career in real estate, Ballston Spa real estate agent Tom Trevett has worked extensively in the REO (real estate owned) sector of the industry. REO refers to property that has been foreclosed upon and is owned by a bank or other lender.
“I own a full-service real estate company serving commercial, residential, and new construction, but I seem to have found a niche in REO--real estate owned by banks and corporate entities like hedge funds and trusts,” said Trevett, an approved REO broker who works in nine counties throughout the region.
For the companies he represents—companies whose names he prefers not to disclose-Trevett works as the listing broker, a job he described as labor intensive.
“Corporate companies and hedge funds demand a lot from you as far as servicing their properties--weekly inspections, monthly status reports, and broker price opinions every ninety days,” he said.
The REO sector of Trevett’s business took a nosedive at the height of the COVID pandemic. During that time, the government along with many states put foreclosure moratoriums into effect. Although there was a surge of foreclosures when the moratorium expired, the number wasn’t as high expected due to the dramatic growth in home value that occurred during the pandemic. As a result, many homeowners were able to avoid foreclosure by selling their homes in the open market where bidding wars were the norm.
According to Trevett, it wasn’t until this year that the local REO market began to rebound significantly.
“Before COVID, about 80 percent of my business was foreclosures. Th is year, I’m fi nding that the inventory for REO bank foreclosures is increasing again.”
Trevett anticipates that foreclosures will trend upwards, a result of high interest rates and inflated home prices.
“With people are paying $30,000 to $50,000
over list price and high interest rates, I think we will see an increase in foreclosures—not immediately but in the future.”
On the non-REO residential side of his business, Trevett said demand continues to outweigh supply.
“Here in Upstate New York and the Northeast, we’re very fortunate. We’re still seeing multiple offers on properties. When I list a property, I have multiple offers coming in by the next day, and it usually sells $20,000 to $30,000 over list price.”
When attending a real estate conference in Dallas last month, Trevett learned that realtors in other areas of the country are not as fortunate.
“I spoke to a lot of other realtors and brokers from across the country,” he said. “They are experiencing a slowdown because of the interest rates and because of the new real estate laws.”
Trevett is referring to changes in real estate
Tom Trevett has extensive experience with REO (real estate owned) properties. Saratoga
Mama’s Pho House Is The Culmination Of A Long-Held Dream Of Vietnamese Emigre
BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL
An authentic Vietnamese restaurant, Mama’s Pho House, has come to Malta. Mama is Nga Nguyen ( “Graceful Win”), whose first restaurant fulfills a lifetime dream.
Pho is the brothy noodle dish that has gained popularity everywhere. Already customers are coming up from Albany and down from Lake George and Montreal to visit her restaurant since the September 10th opening, Nga said.
“There has been no Vietnamese restaurant past Northway Exit 9,” she said. “Malta is a good location and I love it here.”
When Nga cooks, her dishes link her love of food, family, and her youth during the Vietnam war years.
“Pho is an international dish, like a meatball, and everybody loves it,” she said. “It contains fresh protein and spices and herbs like anise, clove, ginger, Thai basil and cilantro.”
“Pho helps you sleep well and warm up and feel good,” she said.
“When we were sick growing up we would eat pho and it made our stomach feel so much better,” said her daughter Sandy, who makes her home in Florida with Nga’s only grandchild.
“Or when you’re in college and party really hard, have hot pho broth first thing the next morning,” Sandy said.
Nga said she often puts fresh bean sprouts into her pork, beef and chicken dishes for the added protein. All these proteins are common in Vietnamese cooking and Asian ingredients are available locally, she said.
Nga’s mother is Vietnamese and her father is an African American serviceman. When Nga was 15 years old in 1982, she was accepted under a government program to emigrate to the United States.
In 1988, she traveled with her mother and two brothers to Thailand for a week before going to the Philippines as refugees for about a year. Here they were taught to speak English. By the time the family arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1989 Nga was 21 years old.
“That was the year I began to see in my dream that I would have own a restaurant in America,” said Nga.
But first they moved to Massachusetts, where Nga married her first husband, met her “best friend who is like my only sister,” and had her three children.
“After my divorce, I wanted to start over somewhere and my good friend got me a job doing nails at a salon in New York,” she said. “All my kids went to school here.”
Years later the same friend was encouraging Nga to start Mama’s Pho House, and so were her husband and adult children.
Sandy, the oldest, worked on the interiors and designed the menus over the four summer months before returning home to Florida.
Daughter Amanda, a nurse in Massachusetts, helped out the first week with the grand opening.
Son Bill, the youngest, is working front of house as manager and will soon return home to Texas.
Nga does all the cooking but gets help from her husband, Doan Van Ha, with some of the “heavy lifting, prepping food, grilling, and dish washing,” she said.
It’s hard work that Nga said she “loves so much” that she is “not ready to come home at 11 o’clock at night.”
“I am so happy to be cooking all day, every day,” she said.
As a young girl, Nga started her day at market gathering ingredients, cooking dishes at home, and returning to the streets to sell them. Any profit she made supported her mother, stepfather and two siblings, Sandy said.
“Cooking was not just a means to survive but a profound act of love and dedication,” said Sandy. “Every meal Mama makes is an invitation to a piece of history, art, and heart.”
Sandy said her mother was bullied as a girl because her skin color made her different from all her neighbors and that she is “so proud of what Mama has done.”
Nga laughed when she said she hopes to bring another restaurant to Saratoga one day, but for now that vision remains in her dreams.
“I am very happy to welcome everybody to my restaurant,” said Nga.
She is working with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce to have a public event in honor of the opening.
Nga never was able to meet her father. Mama’s Pho House is located at 1106 Ellsworth Boulevard.
Learn more about her story, the restaurant’s full menu, and hours of operation at www.mamsphohouse.com.
Nga Thi Nguyen prepares authentic Vietnamese cuisine at Mama’s Pho House with the help of her husband, Ha Van Doan.
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
Real Estate Owned
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laws that took effect in August of this year, changes that are expected to reshape the entire industry. Sellers are now able to negotiate real estate commissions, no longer required to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent. As a result, buyers must sign contracts with their agents, ones in which they agree to pay a commission to their agent if the seller opts not to. Industry experts predict that these laws could result in a 25 percent to 50 percent decline in real estate commissions along with an increase in flat-fee and discount brokerages.
“We’ll see within the next six months or a
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.
year how this works out for both the buyer and the real estate industry,” said Trevett, noting that FHA buyers are likely to be the most significantly impacted. “First time home buyers going FHA don’t have a lot of money, and if the seller is not willing to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent, it’s going to be difficult.”
When asked about the local commercial real estate market, Trevett said it has been lukewarm.
“The market has been impacted because more people are working from home. But if the properties are priced right, they usually sell. And again, Upstate New York area is unique because we’re not seeing a slowdown like the rest of the country. I’m happy to be selling real estate in Upstate New York because it’s still a very strong market.”
BY JILL NAGY
Saratoga attorney Debra Whitson is on a mission to keep divorce clients out of court.
She advocates and if possible practices collaborative divorce or mediated divorce, processes that empower the parties to resolve issues such as property division and child custody without litigation.
She explained that the parties can resolve the issues between themselves before consulting attorneys. She calls that do-it-yourself divorce. If that fails, they can bring in a neutral third party to mediate. The mediator can keep the conversation going and help the parties work things out. In mediation, each party is usually represented by an attorney. In a collaborative divorce, the parties are joined at the table by experts to assist with issues of property valuation, child welfare,
and others. A divorce coach heads the team. A litigated divorce “is the last stop on the train,” said Whitson.
Resolving issues at the courthouse, that last stop, can be heart wrenching, especially for children, Whitson argues. It is also costly. Legal fees for a litigated divorce can reach $100,000 or more; the total cost, to both parties, for a collaborative divorce typically ranges from $10,000 to $15,000. The reduction in emotional cost, may be even greater. In order for a mediated or collaborative divorce to work, the parties must be committed to complete disclosure of financial and other relevant information and to acting civilly toward one another, Whitson emphasized.
Both mediators and collaboration coaches
Continued On Page 15
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
BY ROD BACON
Th ree business associates have parleyed their experience in the
into a
a
Kevin Joyce, Jimmy Murphy and Erika Fass opened The Post Pizza & More in Middle Grove over Memorial Day weekend. It is located in the United States Post Office building in an area that once housed The Post Cafe. Joyce has owned the building for years, and when the cafe closed the pizza parlor was born.
Prior to opening the pizza parlor, Joyce owned Tinny’s on Lake Desolation for 10 years, with Fass serving as general manager. Murphy has extensive experience creating unique pizza dishes and was brought into the business as the pizza chef.
While the search is on to expand their staff, the partners currently do the majority of the work.
“Everything is made here,” said Murphy. “We make the dough here. We make the sauce here.”
The menu includes breakfast sandwiches, slices of pizza, a 16-inch pizza, a 12-inch cauliflower pizza, a pepperoni roll and a Caesar salad.
They are experimenting with rotating offerings such as a hamburger special and quesadillas.
“We are looking at what’s going to take off and offer them weekly or perhaps seasonally,” said Murphy. “The most popular ones we will probably add to the menu.”
“As our staff grows we want the menu to grow, but we also want to keep things simple and provide quality ingredients,” said Fass.
“We just added Endico Foods to our list of vendors and we’ll be getting Grande cheese, one
of the highest quality cheeses for pizza, from them.”
Fass noted that in the future, daily specials such as grab-and-goes for family night might become an integral part of their offerings.
The restaurant seats 16 people inside with a few seats available outside.
“People are very excited that we’re here,” said Fass. “They’re glad to see that there’s someone in the building and they’ve also been saying that the pizza is really excellent. Jimmy is doing a great job with the recipes and we’ve
Salt & Char
Saratoga Springs, NY
Salt & Char is a Modern American Steakhouse with an inviting and stylish atmosphere that creates the perfect dining experience. Step inside or join us on the veranda for second to none views of Broadway while dining for lunch or dinner.
The Brook Tavern
Saratoga Springs, NY
Just a short walk from the Saratoga Race Course and walking distance from Congress Park, The Brook Tavern is a favorite neighborhood gathering spot nestled at the intersection of Union and Nelson Ave., right in the heart of historic Saratoga Springs.
Lake Ridge Restaurant
Round Lake, NY
Only minutes away from Saratoga Lake, we're the food critics' choice (4.5 out of 5 stars), offering first-rate Continental cuisine in an elegant setting. Exceptional food, great prices and friendly service will keep you coming again and again.
The Wishing Well Restaurant
Gansevoort, NY
The Wishing Well is an award-winning restaurant in Gansevoort, serving the region's finest selection of premium steaks, live lobsters, fresh seafood, and wines. Stone fireplaces, a piano bar, and attentive service are hallmarks of this dining spot.
been getting rave reviews.” She noted that the Town of Greenfield has been instrumental in promoting the business. They participated in the town’s farmers’ market and they will be selling pizza at the youth soccer league at the town park on Wednesdays throughout the season.
The Post Pizza & More is located at 3 Lake Desolation Road in Middle Grove. Business hours are 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. For more information visit postpizzaandmore.com.
The Diamond Club Restaurant
Saratoga Springs, NY
The Diamond Club Restaurant at Embassy Suites is where the world meets in Saratoga to discover a premier dining experience, the region's best happy hour, and top-notch service in a setting you'd never expect.
Morrissey's Lounge & Bistro
Saratoga Springs, NY
Morrissey's Lounge & Bistro in Saratoga Springs is located within The Adelphi Hotel and is the perfect place for good food, drinks, and conversation. They offer an all day menu and three unique dining areas.
Harvey's Restaurant and Bar
Saratoga Springs, NY
At Harvey's Restaurant and Bar, we are proud to be at the forefront of hospitality in the downtown Saratoga region! We are strongly committed to providing only the freshest ingredients, the highest quality of customer service, and daily specials that you won’t find anywhere else.
Wheatfields Restaurant
Saratoga Springs, NY
You can't go wrong with freshly made pasta prepared right on-site using local ingredients! But Wheatfields is much more than pasta: Patrons rave about the hand-stretched pizza, the salmon entrée, and the fried calamari appetizer, to name a few.
The Hideaway
Saratoga Springs, NY
The Hideaway at Saratoga Lake Golf Club is open to the public seven days a week and features a menu with something for everyone. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, and they offer a banquet space for weddings and events.
The Adelphi Wine & Beer Garden
Saratoga Springs, NY
Located at The Adelphi Hotel in downtown Saratoga Springs, the Adelphi Wine & Beer Garden offers sommelier-selected wines, delicious craft beer, and the region’s most inventive and flavorful sushi.
Chez Pierre
Gansevoort, NY
Experience the very best in Country French cuisine and fine dining at Chez Pierre Restaurant, conveniently located on Route 9 in Wilton NY, just minutes north from downtown Saratoga Springs.
The Wine Bar
Saratoga Springs, NY
Looking for a great bar in Saratoga Springs? Look no further. With their selection of 50 wines by the glass in combination with a full bar and separate smoking lounge, The Wine Bar offers the perfect place to unwind in the Spa City.
9 Miles East
Saratoga Springs, NY
9 Miles East in Saratoga Springs uses highquality ingredients to create delicious pizza and fun farm food with big flavors from around the world. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a friendly, casual setting.
The Local Pub and Teahouse
Saratoga Springs, NY
Nestled in the historic Dublin neighborhood of downtown Saratoga Springs, The Local Pub and Teahouse is your friendly neighborhood bar/restaurant serving up traditional English and Irish specialties as well as local craft beers and organic teas.
Kevin Joyce (left), Jimmy Murphy and Erika Fass have brought their expertise in the restaurant business to their new endeavor in Middle Grove.
Courtesy of Post Pizza & More
Uncommon Grounds Queensbury
Continued From Page 7
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.”
Whitson Law Firm
Continued From Page 13
are specifically trained for the work. Whitson and the group that went through training with her in 2013 went on to publicize and advocate for the change.
“We spoke everywhere,” she recalled, even at the Kiwanis Club. “People received the idea really well,” she said, but it did not persuade clients. Since then, she said, growth of the clientele has been “slow and steady.”
She saw growth in her mediation practice during the Covid pandemic. People were reluctant to send their kids to the other parent’s home. The courts were essentially closed, so many couples turned to mediation.
Also during the pandemic Whitson formed an online mediation company, Mediated Online Solutions. Separate from her law practice, the online company allows her to handle cases in jurisdictions where she is a qualified mediator but not licensed to practice law. Previously, Whitson published a book, “Divorce Like a Pro,” that explains the different approaches to divorce. A PDF version of the book can be downloaded free from her website, whitsonlawfirm.com, or the book can be purchased through Amazon.
Whitson’s practice concentrates on matrimonial and family law: divorce, child custody, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, adoption (“our happy work”), and related issues. She is seeing more cases where neither parent seems able to raise a child and a grandparent seeks custody.
Whitson has been practicing law in New York state for 30 years, beginning as a prosecutor in Essex County, working in the “special victims” unit prosecuting cases involving domestic or sexual violence. She said the work was “very, very rewarding.” However, after an unsuccessful run for District Attorney, she left the prosecutor’s office and ”hung out my shingle” in Elizabethtown. Her shingle is still hanging in Elizabethtown, with plans for another office in Plattsburgh. She opened her Saratoga office in November 2023. There are three lawyers in the office, one of them, Martin Cohen, is also a trained mediator.
The Whitson law firm can be reached online at whitsonlawfirm.com. The Saratoga Springs office is located at 63 Putnam Street.
MVPT
Continued From Page 3
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. mvpt-physicaltherapy.com for more information and health tips.
Shipology
Continued From Page 9
the number of referrals they receive from existing clients, about 80 percent of the brands they work with are female-founded, but their continued growth will likely change that demographic. About 20 percent of the businesses they work with are related to the Capital Region. Still, they started getting referrals to some New York City-based businesses, which led to more and then international clients.
Says Wytrwal, “Our international business is quite strong with companies established in Australia and the EU that need that US component to their fulfi llment.”
“We’ve been very fortunate to choose who we work with,” says Wytrwal. “Because we want to make sure it will be a successful relationship. We could say ‘no’ when needed, and your gut’s telling you. I think this is an important business lesson. There have been prospects we’ve had to say no to because we don’t think they’re going to be the right culture fit or we’re not going to be able to meet their expectations. Making sure that we’re partnering with the right business is to set both companies up for success.”
There is no minimum or maximum size for a business to work with Shipology. “We work with some companies that ship five orders a week and have seen the growth and been able to be on that journey with them. Many other fulfi llment centers require a minimum of 200 orders per day because they’re pumping out those super-high volumes. They don’t have that customized, individualized experience. For us, it’s about that relationship,” Wytrwal said.
Looking ahead, Schermerhorn and Wytrwal are ready for the continued expansion of Shipology by investing in its infrastructure, expanding its team, and developing strategic partnerships to serve their clients better. By staying ahead of industry trends and focusing on client satisfaction, Shipology is well-positioned to become a leading player in the fulfi llment market.
To fi nd out more about Shipology, visit their website shipologyus.com.
