Saratoga Business Journal - March 2021 by Saratoga & Glens Falls Business Journal

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Saratoga County SBJ P.O. Box 766 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

VOL. 26 NO. 01

HH The Business Newspaper of Saratoga County HH

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MARCH 2021

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Great Escape Will Reopen On Weekends As GlobalFoundries Eyes Investing Millions To Of May 1; Daily Operations To Begin June 24 Expand Operations At Its Chip Plant In Malta

The Steamin’ Demon at the Great Escape will be among rides available when the facility opens in May for weekends and select dates. Full operation is scheduled to start June 24. After a full year closed to the public, The Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor is set to reopen this spring for the 2021 season. The Lake George theme park, which was not given government approval to open in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to return this year promising a safe environment, officials said. The Great Escape will be open weekends and select dates starting May 1, with daily operation beginning June 24. In February, the state announced outdoor amusement parks can

Courtesy Great Escape

open—with a third of their normal capacity— by April 9. Additionally, the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark will be back to full operation beginning March 26. “We are ready to welcome our guests back to The Great Escape,” Six Flags Great Escape Resort park president Rebecca Wood said in a press release. “The health and safety of our guests, team members, and community remains our top priority and we are implementing extensive Continued On Page 5

Saratoga Race Track To Open July 15; Officials Await Word From State On Fan Attendance The New York Racing Association (NYRA) will open the 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course on July 15. NYRA said the meet will feature 76 stakes races, worth $21.5 million in total purses. The summer meet will conclude on Monday, Sept. 6. In February, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues with a minimum reserved seating capacity of 10,000 will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning on Feb. 23, with approval from the state Department of Health. All attendees must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event and adhere to health and safety requirements, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing. NYRA will continue to closely monitor state-issued regulations to determine how they impact Saratoga Race Course, officials said. Additional details on fan attendance and tickets for the 2021 summer meet will be provided as it becomes available. The 2021 summer meet, which will offer at least one stakes race every live racing day, will be highlighted by the 152nd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 28 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 7, as the anchors of two of the most prestigious racing days in North America. The Saratoga meet will also include the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, both

These machines at the GlobalFoundries plant in Malta are part of the multimillion investment made to create the original plant. The company is eyeing more expansion within the building. BY R.J. DELUKE GlobalFoundries is still moving forward with plans to expand at its plant in Malta. The company said abut $1.4 billion will be invested in projects at three of its sites, the others being Singapore and Dresden, Germany. Some media reports in March said the $1.4 billion will be split approximately in thirds as money goes to all three. But Laurie Kelly, GlobalFoundries vice president, global communications, said “it’s not as precise as of right now” as to how much each project will get. “All of our sites will grow where it makes the most sense.” Nonetheless, millions of dollars can be expected. She said there are still many things that have to be worked out, including the subsidies and incentives to be provided by the U.S. government and the state of New York as parts of the CHIPS for America Act passed last year. The funding has not yet been appropriated. “The funds from the federal CHIPS bill will absolutely accelerate the plans to grow the site,” Kelly said. “The beauty of the CHIPS bill is it has bipartisan support. So that’s a bonus in terms of

Courtesy GlobalFoundries

appropriations. We have a new administration. … Obviously we would love (the appropriation) sooner rather than later. But I can’t venture to guess when it would happen.” Growing demand for chips has made clear the need for faster than normal growth at GlobalFoundries, leading to the expansion plans. In June of last year, the company secured a purchase option agreement for approximately 66 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to the Fab 8 Malta facility. The parcel is located at the southeast end of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Saratoga Technology + Energy Park (STEP) campus, adjacent to Stonebreak Road Extension. If the company decides to exercise the option to purchase the land for development, it would be subject to zoning regulations and client demand. There exists within the current facility a vast space that is vacant. It was built with the possibility of future expansion in mind. “There is still opportunity for us to grow Continued On Page 19

Annual Saratoga Showcase Of Homes Being Planned For Three Weekends This Fall

NYRA will open the 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course on July 15. Courtesy NYRA

previously run during the fall meet at Belmont Park. Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day. Whitney Day will feature three Grade 1 events, led by the Whitney at 1 1/8 miles offering an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Continued On Page 16

The 2021 Saratoga Showcase of Homes Committee is planning this year’s edition of the area’s premiere new home tour. Now in its 25th year and celebrating its silver anniversary, this annual community tradition has contributed over $1.3 million dollars to local charities. The Saratoga Showcase of Homes will be over three weekends this fall—Sept.18-19, Sept. 25-26 and Oct. 2-3. It will feature award-winning builders showcasing new construction. Other special events surrounding the milestone event anniversary will be announced at a later date. Organizers said the Showcase of Homes Committee has an extensive marketing and promotional campaign in development that includes official media sponsors in newspapers, magazines, television, online, social media and more. Anyone interested in entering a new home in the event or becoming a showcase sponsor

can contact Barry Potoker, Saratoga Builders Association executive director at 518-366-0946 or email bpotoker@saratogabuilders.org. The 2021 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event will benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Saratoga Showcase of Homes tour was re-imagined in the form of a Showcase TV special. Last year, $10,000 was raised for to these charities from the proceeds. For more information, visit www. saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. The Saratoga Builders Association Inc. is a specialized professional trade association. Its membership includes residential and commercial builders, developers, remodelers, building material suppliers, sub-contractors, financial institutions, architects, engineers, realtors, attorneys and other industry professionals.

2 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021

Saratoga Harness Track Is In Its 80th Season; The Barber Lounge In Wilton Provides A No Fans Allowed Due To COVID Restrictions Relaxed Atmosphere And Social Distancing

Saratoga Harness runs racing on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but thus far this year no fans are allowed because of COVID restrictions. Saratoga Harness kicked off its 80th season of live harness racing on March 1. Races will run three days a week, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with a first post at noon through the first four months of the season. Track officials said the 2021 season will feature a full slate of New York Sire Stakes action, along with new betting options. In addition to the Pick 5 with a guaranteed pool, Saratoga will be introducing two new bets geared toward building jackpot-type payoffs, the Jackpot Super High Five and the Pick Six Jackpot. Due to state COVID-19 guidelines, no

Courtesy Saratoga Casino Hotel

spectators are allowed at the track. However, fans can wager remotely on the races through Saratoga Casino Hotel’s online wagering platform, saratogabets.com, or on any other state-approved online wagering platform. For more information on the raceway’s safety procedures, visit saratogacasino.com. The track is part opf the Saratoga Casino Hotel facility, located on Crescent Avenue. The casino features slots, a 117-room luxury hotel, electronic table games, Vapor, Morton’s The Steakhouse, casual dining restaurant, three full-service bars including a sports bar, deli and a variety of guest services including valet parking and coat check.

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Matt Shufelt, left, owner of The Barber Lounge in Wilton, looks on as Tristan Saunders works with a customer at the business at 628 Maple Ave. in Wilton. BY JILL NAGY The first time Matt Shufelt picked up a pair of hair clippers was in 2005 in a college hockey team locker room, cutting his teammates’ hair. “I realized I really enjoyed it,” he said. Today, he is the owner of The Barber Lounge at 628 Maple Ave. in Wilton. Shufelt and the two other barbers at the Barber Lounge, Tristan Saunders and Madison Butler, have worked in Saratoga area barber shops for several years. Shufelt managed Vinny’s on Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs for four years. “We had great followings,” Shufelt said, and, consequently, “we’re doing well.” The Barber Lounge is designed as a place to hang out, watch TV, have a drink (complimentary), or just sit in front of one of the two fireplaces. There are four separate waiting areas, a bow to COVID restrictions. According to Shufelt, that is likely to be a permanent arrangement. With 2,000 square feet of space, the shop has plenty of room for people to socially

distance. There are five barber chairs, also spread out. “Everything is spread out. People have to feel safe,” he said. The business is a barber shop, not a salon, Shufelt said. People come for a haircut, not a styling. They are treated to hot towels and a neck shave along with the cut. A typical cut costs $30. The barbers will also “do eye brows and ears if you want it,” he added, noting that hair doesn’t always grow where you want it to. “You gotta make sure you clean the guy up.” The shop also offers a line of grooming products: shampoo, conditioner, pomades, grooming clay, beard balm and more. He has his own product line called Jovani. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Appointments can be made by telephone at 518 871-1683, or online at www. thebarberloungesarartoga.com. Walk-ins are welcome after 9 a.m.

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SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021 • 3

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Business Report The Safe Re-Opening Of Saratoga County

BY SKIP CARLSON In 1918, the world was fighting the Great Influenza, a pandemic that killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people. As I prepared to become the chair of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce in 2021, I wish that I could have spoken to those business leaders who formed the chamber back then. I would have appreciated any advice they could have offered about dealing with a pandemic. But like most of us, there was no one with firsthand knowledge of that pandemic to help guide us through this one. We had to figure it out ourselves; for our families, our businesses, and the community we all love. We were all in some way flying a plane while building it. Under the leadership of Kevin Hedley, our 2020 chair, I think this past year was perhaps our Chamber’s finest moment. The Chamber provided relentless communication about the resources and data that really mattered. The Chamber promoted the Stronger Together campaign and lived this mantra as it forged a collaboration with Discover Saratoga, the City Center, the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership and the Saratoga Springs DBA. The Chamber was a beacon of hope working to Save Our Locals and to answer thousands of questions that arose as our economy was shut down and later reopened. Throughout the last year, the Chamber often reminded us of the city’s motto: Health. History. Horses. Here in Saratoga, health has always come first. Now with vaccines available and more doses on the way, we’re finally turning a corner. We now have an opportunity not to just slow the spread of the virus but to stop it. As we work toward that day, we have to remember to put our health first. The full reopening of our local economy cannot take place until we achieve herd immunity. That’s why the Chamber’s number

Long Fundraising Campaign At Skidmore, Ending Dec. 31, Raised Record $229.4 Million •

Skip Carlson, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce board chairman. Courtesy Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

one goal is to encourage people to get vaccinated when it is offered to them. We’ve partnered with Saratoga Hospital to celebrate those who choose to get vaccinated with an ‘I Got the Shot” promotion. We hope seeing your friends, family, neighbors and people you trust in the community getting the shot will inspire everyone to follow their lead. Getting the shot puts our collective health first. It sets the stage for reopening our economy. Last year, thanks to the work of Mind Genomics, we commissioned a survey of 3,000 people who want to visit Saratoga. They all wanted to visit again. But twenty-nine percent suggested they would not return until a vaccine was available. Similar percentages said they would feel safer if they saw employees wearing masks. There was a clear preference for outdoor venues and taking part in outdoor activities. This could mean that a safe reopening of Continued On Page 14

Creating Our Future: The Campaign for Skidmore has raised a record-setting $229.4 million from 27,193 donors to support innovative opportunities and liberal arts experience for students, while continuing to build resources for the future, school officials said. The seven-year campaign, launched in October 2013 and concluded on Dec. 31, 2020, was marked by major milestones for Skidmore and meaningful acts of generosity from alumni, parents, friends, retirees, students, faculty and staff. “Strengthening a creative, collaborative and community-centered future for Skidmore has always been at the core of Creating Our Future,” said President Marc Conner. “Our commitment to this vision for the future remains steadfast.” Officials said gifts raised through the campaign are strengthening every aspect of the Skidmore experience. Donations are helping to fund construction of the new Center for Integrated Sciences (CIS); support critical priorities through the Skidmore Fund; bolster scholarships and financial aid; enhance athletics, health and wellness initiatives; fund innovative exhibitions and programming at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery; and increase career development opportunities. The first phase of Skidmore’s Center for Integrated Sciences, the largest academic initiative in the college’s history, opened in fall 2020 with the completion of the 58,000-squarefoot North Wing, home of the departments of computer science and mathematics and statistics. The state-of-the-art facilities will support modern research and world-class instruction while furthering interdisciplinary connections. When the entire project is completed in 2024, CIS will host all of Skidmore’s 10 science departments and programs. As the need for student scholarships and financial aid continues to grow, officials said Creating Our Future has improved access to a Skidmore education through programs such as the Davis UWC Scholars program, which supports opportunities for international students, and Glotzbach Scholars,

In the last year of the campaign, gifts played a critical role in addressing unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, including costs associated with reopening campus and creating a safe residential environment for teaching and learning. “Faculty, staff and students have demonstrated resilience, adaptability and creativity,” said Conner. “We know they are grateful to the donors who support Skidmore’s continued success. The Creating Our Future campaign is an important indicator of what our community can accomplish together in the years ahead.” Far surpassing its initial fundraising goal of $200 million, Creating Our Future became the largest campaign in the College’s history by nearly $13 million. Officials said a record-setting number of individuals and organizations made gifts and commitments and volunteered their time and talents to the campaign, including 27,193 individuals and organizations who made donations; 6,336 alumni and parent volunteers who encouraged ongoing connections and financial participation; and 48 faculty and staff volunteers who led the campus campaign that involved 689 current and former employees and retirees. Volunteer leadership includes co-chairs Susan Gottlieb Beckerman ’67 and Tom Wilmot ’99 and original co-chairs Nancy W. Hamilton ’77 and W. Scott McGraw P’12. “This campaign brought our community together in important ways, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the support and engagement of alumni, parents, faculty and staff, foundations and other friends of the college who joined together in their support of Skidmore and our students,” said Hamilton, current chair of the board of trustees. “Going forward, our collective support will continue to keep Skidmore strong and true to its mission of delivering a life-changing education to our students and preparing them to thrive and lead lives of consequence after graduation,” said Conner.

4 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021

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‘Down To Earth Aerial’ Specializes In Making Virtual Tours Using Drone Video Production

Home / Real Estate Insurance / Medical Services Entrepreneurship

Publication Date: April 14, 2021

This photo of Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs was taken by Down to Earth Aerial, a company specializing in drone photography and video production.

Cosntruction Education / Training / Personal Development Health / Community Services Publication Date: May 5, 2021

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BY CHRISTINE GRAF After the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted the cruise industry, Capital Region native Chris Spangler found himself in need of a new job. Spangler had been employed as a tour guide in an Alaskan town that was a stopover point for cruise ships. “Thanks to the pandemic, the cruise ship business obviously tanked which removed my Alaskan job,” said Spangler. As a result, he decided to open his own business, Down to Earth Aerial. The Saratoga-based company specializes in drone photography and video production. “I really enjoy aerial photography and flying drones, so I tapped into some of the contacts I have in this area in the construction industry and the real estate industry and worked to build a photography business specializing in aerial photography as well as virtual tours,” said Spangler. He said it can be especially helpful in the effort to market commercial real estate to investors who are not familiar with the area. It is also useful in marketing residential real estate because it offers a different perspective on the property. “It’s really nice for people who aren’t from the area to be able to look at a plot that they are considering and be able to see the surrounding area from the air,” he said. “And with the real estate industry for homeowners, it’s just a really nice way to show off the entire space as well as break up the images from just standard terrestrial shots of the house inside and out. It gives you a different viewpoint from up in the air. The big thing we try to talk to clients about is showing what they have from a different perspective.” Spangler’s customers also include homeowners interested in purchasing aerial photos of their homes. “Drones are still relatively new to the market, so a lot of people have never seen even their local area from 400 feet up in the air. In upstate New

Courtesy Down to Earth Aerial

York, which is a really beautiful place, looking at your house from up in the air can offer a really neat perspective and give people a nice look at a piece of property that they may have lived on for 20 years,” he said. Down to Earth Aerial also offers interior real estate photography services. Spangler uses a special camera to create interactive virtual tours of property interiors. “The tour allows you to move through a home or a building. In this time of social distancing, it’s a nice way for people to be able to essentially visit a house from the comfort of their own home,” he said. “It actually feels like you are inside the house. You can move around to different places. And, unlike in a video, you have full control of the time you spend in each place, as well as what it is that you want to look at.” The company also creates virtual tours for commercial spaces and recently completed one for Universal Preservation Hall in downtown Saratoga Springs. “Using it for spaces like that allows businesses to show off their space and helps people understand what it is they would be renting or visiting. In this world of not traveling and social distancing, virtual tours can be incredibly valuable to businesses because it’s a very immersive, high-detail virtual tour,” said Spangler. Down to Earth Aerial also offers commercial videography services and simple television commercial production. The company was recently hired to create a marketing video for Adirondack (SunKiss) Balloon Flights in Glens Falls. “We went out with them on a number of different flights and filmed the entire ballooning experience,” said Spangler. Business has been “better than expected,” and Spangler predicts it will be the virtual tour aspect of his business that will expand most rapidly in 2021. For more information, visit www. downtoearthaerial.com.

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021 • 5

Saratoga Springs Family Dentistry Develops SUNY Empire State Has Scholarships For Program To Help People Without Insurance Student Frontline Healthcare Workers BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH Saratoga Springs Family Dentistry practice aims to put people at ease in regard to their dental health, even if they have lost their insurance. Office Manager Bonnie Symon said all seven locations are taking part in a program that offers affordable dental care to those who may have lost their dental insurance or who never had it at all. “We have had a great response to this, with a lot of people signing up. It’s a wonderful option for people and helps to give them some assurance that they can get the care they need without worrying about how to pay for it,” said Symon. Symon said with COVID-19 pandemic, many patients found themselves losing their insurance and with that came the worry of how to find quality dental care that they can afford. She said they have reached out to local employers who have been vulnerable to the shaky economy, especially small businesses. The plan offers member-only free exams, x-rays, and cleanings, plus 15 percent off all other dental services. There are three plan options for routine cleanings and exams, diagnostic X-Rays, and discounts on treatment. Symon said enrollment takes effect immediately without the hassle of claims and insurance. The annual plans range from $299 to $599, depending on a person’s age and needs. The plans cover up to two exams, routine cleaning, necessary X-rays and youth sealants. There is also a periodontal plan, discounts on whitening and invisalign and discounts on sleep apnea appliances.

Symon said Saratoga Springs Family Dentistry plans to continue the program for as long as there is an interest. It is available at the Saratoga Springs office, 286 Church St., as well as their six other locations across the area. “We have no plans to end the program. It has been beneficial to many patients,” said Symon. Symon said the process is simple and details can be found on the website at www. saratogaspringsdentists.com or by calling the office at (518) 584-8150.

Great Escape

Continued From Page 1 sanitization and safety measures to deliver a safe and entertaining experience for our guests.” Opening weekend will mark the debut of a new ride called Adirondack Outlaw, which was originally scheduled to open last year. Once open, The Great Escape will be operating under state and local guidelines for crowd capacity limits. The park has established attendance caps that will be well below the park’s theoretical capacity in order to allow for proper social distancing. All guests will need to make a reservation at www.sixflags.com/reserve. Members and season pass holders will receive booking priority over single-day and group ticket buyers. Officials said guests who need singleday tickets will be able to reserve during the purchase process, which will include acknowledging their understanding of the company’s health policy and watching a brief video describing new social distancing and sanitization procedures. Guests will be contacted electronically (either by email, text or both) the day before their scheduled visit to confirm their intent to visit and their continued healthy status. Guests may cancel their reservation without penalty any time before 8 a.m. on the day of their scheduled visit.

Six Flags Great Escape Resort officials said safety of park guests and employees is always the company’s top priority, and it will continue to meet or exceed the New York state safety guidelines through the implementation of safety measures and protocols such as required mask wearing and health screenings for guests and employees, strictly enforced social distancing, extensive sanitizing and disinfecting, modified food service processes and mobile ordering, extensive COVID-19 training for all frontline team members and informational safety signs posted throughout the park. The facility is currently hiring team members to fill 1,500 positions. Both the Theme Park and Lodge are hiring for all positions, including admissions, food and beverage services, ride operations, housekeeping, games, lifeguards, park services, security, marketing and retail. Applicants may apply for jobs in a completely virtual and contact-free environment. Applications can be completed online and interviews and training will all be done virtually; onboarding is contact-free. Interested applicants must apply online at sixflagsjobs. com and select “Lake George, Great Escape.” Anyone needing assistance with the application process should contact Human Resources at (518) 792-3500, ext. 3369. More information about The Great Escape is available online at www.sixflags.com/ greatescape.

SUNY Empire State College is celebrating 50 years of academic achievements and excellence throughout 2021. Founded in 1971, SUNY Empire State began as a bold re-imagining of higher education, one focused on increasing accessibility and opportunities for students. Officials said that for the past five decades, SUNY Empire has transformed the face of student-centered, accessible, equitable education, ushering in a world of possibilities for busy adult learners. The college began utilizing mail-in correspondence and satellite feeds in the 1970s and was one of the first to move to internet-based and blended coursework in the mid-1990s. Since then, SUNY Empire has been at the forefront of distance and online education and continues to explore new pathways for students of all ages to pursue their educational and career aspirations. SUNY Empire’s mission aligns with that of the State University of New York’s, which aims to provide students with accessibility to the highest quality academic, professional, and vocational programs, officials said. During his State of the University System address, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras not only highlighted SUNY Empire graduate student Nelson de Jesus Castilla Jr., who became the first Latino chief to serve on Stony Brook’s campus while pursuing his master’s degree at SUNY Empire, but he spoke of the recently announced SUNY for All campaign. SUNY developed the program for economically struggling New Yorkers, and to increase access and support for our nation’s servicemembers and veterans, while also expanding micro-credential courses for lifelong learning. Upon completion, students will be automatically accepted to any of SUNY’s 30 community colleges or SUNY Empire, with application and orientation fees waived. “SUNY Empire State College continues to experience remarkable growth, from new programs and academic partnerships to stateof-the-art technologic advancements,” said SUNY Empire State College Officer-in-Charge

Nathan Gonyea. “The first 50 years was just the beginning. We are constantly finding ways to engage our students, to develop new academic programs, and to ensure students are fully supported academically and personally while completing their education. SUNY Empire’s nearly 90,000 alumni and 16,000 current students make us proud every day. Their stories are encouraging and empowering, and we are fortunate to be play a role in their success. This tradition of excellence is one I am proud to be a part of.” SUNY Empire officials anticipate continued year-over-year enrollment growth, with particular strength in graduate programs, which have increased more than 20 percent. As COVID-19 has highlighted the need for more healthcare professionals, prospective students are exploring SUNY Empire due to the highquality, affordable degree and certificate options, officials said. The School of Nursing and Allied Health saw a more than 8 percent boost in students since last spring when the pandemic first hit. SUNY Empire’s commitment to meeting student needs is evident through the college’s expanding academic programs on the undergraduate, graduate, certificate programs, and the first-ever Ed.D. in educational leadership. New areas of study on the undergraduate level include addiction studies, security studies, and psychology, a graduate certificate in public administration, and a new certificate program focused on Indigenous studies. Other initiatives developed by the college include the Empire Opportunity Program, the Center for Autism Inclusivity, and the Shirley A. Chisholm Center for Equity Studies. SUNY Empire State College educates 16,000 students per year in person, online, and through a blend of both, at locations in every region of New York and at eight international sites worldwide. SUNY Empire awards more than 3,000 degrees annually and 94 percent of graduates stay in New York state, according to the college. To learn more, visit www.esc.edu.

6 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021

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National Park Service Names Morlock New Superintendent At Park In Stillwater Leslie Morlock will be the new superintendent of Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater. Morlock begins her job on March 28. “The victory at Saratoga changed the entire course of the American Revolution,” National Park Service Regional Director Gay Vietzke said. “The park has an important role to play as we get closer to America’s 250th birthday in 2026. Leslie’s background in planning, visitor use management and partnerships provides a crucial skill set needed to lead the park as we approach this milestone.” “I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve as superintendent at this pivotal site in the history of the United States,” Morlock said. “Saratoga National Historical Park is a unique place to learn about a key turning point in American history, explore nature and honor those who walked the hallowed grounds before us. I look forward to working with the dedicated park team, the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor, other partners, and the community to preserve this important site for future generations.” Morlock comes to Saratoga from Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, where she served for eight years as chief of strategic planning and project management. During this time, she oversaw a variety of programs, including safety, lands, leasing, project management and environmental compliance. Morlock spearheaded the planning effort for the park’s newly released Visitor Use Management Plan. Prior to joining the National Park Service, Morlock worked for county governments in Colorado, Pennsylvania and

2002 Business Of The Year

The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County P.O. Box 766 • Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 581-0600 • Fax: (518) 430-3020 • www.saratogabusinessjournal.com Editorial: RJDeLuke@saratogabusinessjournal.com Advertising: HarryW@saratogabusinessjournal.com Publisher & Editor Harry Weinhagen Associate Editor R.J. DeLuke Editor Emeritus Rod Bacon Sales and Customer Service Harry Weinhagen Production Manager Graphic Precision Photographer Stock Studios Photography Contributing Writers Susan Campbell Jill Nagy Jennifer Farnsworth Christine Graf Andrea Palmer Lisa Balschunat Saratoga Business Journal is published monthly, the second week of each month, by Weinhagen Associates, LLC and mailed to business and professional people in Saratoga county. Saratoga Business Journal is independently owned and is a registered tradename of Weinhagen Associates, LLC, P.O. Box 766, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 581-0600. Saratoga Business Journal is a registered tradename in New York. Saratoga Business Journal has been founded to promote business in Saratoga county and to provide a forum that will increase the awareness of issues and activities that are of interest to the business community. Subscription price is $25.00 per year. Third class postage paid at Glens Falls, New York. Rights to editorial content and layouts of advertising placed with Saratoga Business Journal which are the creative effort of its contractors, and printing materials supplied by Saratoga Business Journal are the property of Saratoga Business Journal and may not be reproduced by photographic or similar methods, or otherwise, without the specific authorization of Saratoga Business Journal.

Courtesy National Park Service

New York and as an archeologist in the private and public sectors. She started her career at Hawai’s Volcanoes National Park. Morlock holds a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and environmental studies from Grinnell College and a professional graduate certificate in Leadership for Public Lands and Cultural Heritage. Morlock is originally from southeastern Minnesota and has been living in the Pennsylvania-New York region for the last 19 years.

Personnel Briefs •

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Leslie Morlock will be superintendent of the Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater.

Roohan Realty announced that Jaime Williams has joined the team as a licensed real estate salesperson. For more than 17 years, Williams has worked at Franklin Community Center, a nonprofit human service agency in Saratoga Springs. She was involved in program management, fundraising and development. During her tenure, she had the opportunity to form many lasting relationships with both donors and clients, and those relationships were the highlight of her time there. In addition to her involvement with Franklin Community Center, she also serves on the board of directors for the Ballston Spa Education Foundation. Jaime is originally from Massachusetts and moved to Ballston Spa in 2003.

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Bartlett, Pontiff, Stewart & Rhodes PC announced that Victoria M. Craft of Saratoga Springs has joined the firm as an associate attorney. Craft’s undergraduate education was at SUNY Albany where she received her B.A. in 2017. Her legal education was at Albany Law School where she received her J.D. in 2020. While at Albany Law School, Craft was a board member and committee member of the Government Law Center. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2021. Craft is a member of the Warren County and New York State Bar Associations. She is also a member of the board of trustees of the Chapman Historical Museum. Her primary areas of practice are criminal defense, general litigation, estate planning, family law and real estate. She resides in Saratoga Springs.

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021 • 7

Kim Stote Named SUNY Empire State Dean Of School Of Nursing And Allied Health SUNY Empire State College named Kim S. Stote as dean for its School of Nursing and Allied Health. Stote, Ph.D., MPH, RDN, succeeds M. Bridget Nettleton in the role. Prior to her new role as dean, Stote served as the associate dean of health professions for the School of Nursing and Allied Health, and has been a faculty member since 2009. “Kim has been an invaluable member of our School of Nursing and Allied Health, and has the skills and experience necessary to fulfill this important role,” said SUNY Empire State College Officer in Charge Nathan Gonyea. “Kim is the right person at the right time for this position.” “I am honored to serve as the dean for the School of Nursing and Allied Health. This is an interesting and challenging position that aligns well with my background and strengths. I continue to be impressed with SUNY Empire State College’s culture of innovation, which offers alternative learning experiences that encourage student success through degree completion,” said Stote. She is a clinician scientist conducting research on understanding how dietary components interact with physiological, sociological, and environmental factors that affect the health of the population. Her research experience also includes investigating the effects of differing food components in human health which resulted in a twice Fulbright Scholar award as the research chair of nutrisciences and health, at the University of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island, Canada. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at SUNY Oneonta, went on to complete a dietetic internship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and became a registered dietitian/nutritionist (RDN). She earned a Master of Public

Business Briefs •

Health from the School of Public Health at the University of South Florida, a Ph.D. in nutrition science from Syracuse University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. She holds a research appointment at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany and is participating in Harvard Medical School’s global clinical scholars research training program Class of 2021. “Dr. Stote’s program development, research strength and faculty leadership perspectives will help to propel our nursing and allied health programs to the next level,” said SUNY Empire State College Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Meg Benke.

Saratoga Bariatric Surgery and WeightLoss Program, a service of Saratoga Hospital, has been awarded the Blue Distinction Center designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. The designation, from BlueShield of Northeastern New York, is reserved for nationally accredited bariatric surgery programs that meet rigorous, objective standards for quality of care, patient safety and outcomes. Saratoga Bariatric Surgery and Weight-Loss Program has been a Blue Distinction Center since 2015. The program also is recognized as an Aetna Institute of Quality Bariatric Surgery Facility and is accredited as a “comprehensive” center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. Bariatric surgeries are among the most common elective surgeries in the U.S.—and the most effective treatment for severely obese patients, officials said. These procedures allow patients to achieve substantial, sustained weight loss. That, in turn, can improve or resolve serious obesity-related conditions, such type 2 diabetes. * * * The Adirondack Trust Co. has again secured a 5-Star rating from BauerFinancial, a bank rating firm. A five-star rating indicates that the bank excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, asset quality and much more. Earning and maintaining this top rating for 58 consecutive quarters puts Adirondack Trust in a prestigious bracket as an exceptional performance bank. BauerFinancial, Inc., based in Coral Gables, Fla., has been reporting on and analyzing the performance of U.S. banks and credit unions since 1983. No institution can pay for or optout of a BauerFinancial rating.

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Red Roof Inn Clifton Park announced it ranked 11 out of more than 650 Red Roof hotels nationwide. Red Roof hotels across the nation are divided into Districts, and in Clifton Park’s District they ranked second out of 50 hotels. This district was ranked the number one district in the nation. Red Roof Inn Clifton Park located off Northway Exit 9 and Route 9. In addition, Red Roof Inn Clifton Park recently completed a renovation of their rooms, lobby, and hallways. * * * The Capital New York Branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA) has awarded CHA Consulting Inc. (CHA) three 2020 Project of the Year Awards, including the Roosevelt II Bathhouse project in Saratoga Spa State Park. CHA’s award-winning projects — City of Troy Seawall Stabilization, Roosevelt II Bathhouse, and the Albany International Airport Parking Garage — were recognized at the Capital Branch APWA Virtual Awards Banquet. Roosevelt II Bathhouse was named Public Works Project of the Year – Historical Restoration/Preservation (costing less than $5 million). Renovating the iconic Georgian Revival‐ style bathhouse, which had been closed since the late 1980s, is part of a plan to make the building a center for arts and wellness. Funded through the New York Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative, the restoration represents the significant investment to ensure Saratoga Spa State Park remains a treasure of the state park system.

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Banking / Asset Management Dealing With Payroll Protection Plan Issues Advisors Insurance Brokers in Clifton Park Occupying Time And Effort At Local Banks Acquired By Large Life, Health Distributor BY JILL NAGY Area banks have been upgrading their online and digital services but the big push in 2020 appears to be administering Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) small business loans. “It was an all-hands-on-deck situation; we recruited everyone to help out,” recalled Charles Wait Jr., president and CEO of Adirondack Trust Co. The bank processed $100 million worth of loans in the first round and he expects another $50 million during the second round. “It’s been an interesting 12 months,” he ref lected. Similarly, Marc Monahan, Glens Falls and Saratoga regional executive for NBT Bank, welcomed the PPP program as a way to stay in connection with existing customers as well as a way to bring in new ones. “They need an account with us but they can open an account and apply for a loan on the same day,” he said. NBT has a dedicated website for PPP loans and, according to Monahan, they processed more than 3,000 applications last spring. “The past year has altered how we communicate with our customers,” Monahan said. NBT has enhanced its mobile banking services, including mobile deposit (deposit checks using the camera on your smart phone), online payment services, and online bill paying. The drive-throughs are open and customers can visit the bank lobbies by appointment. However, he finds that customers increasingly prefer using electronic services. “We continually look to add and improve services,” he said, but, for now, he is “very satisfied.” At Adirondack Trust, Wait expects to announce new enhancements to their mobile banking services toward the end of the year. The bank is about to open a new branch in Glens Falls that will add drive-through services in Glens Falls. The bank’s other big project in 2020 was sale of a Monopoly-type board game that used Saratoga Springs landmarks instead of the standard Monopoly locations. The game is manufactured by Hasbro. Proceeds from the sales, at $49 a game, went to the Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund to help fund area nonprofits. The bank sold 5,000 games in five months, according to Wait. All in all, the community fund raised $80,000 for organizations in the Saratoga and Glens Falls areas during 2020.

Adirondack Trust continues to offer conventional banking services. “Digital is the wave of the future,“ Wait said, “But we want to accommodate as many people as possible.” The growing preference for digital services may, in part, ref lect the current pandemic restrictions. “It’s going to be interesting to see what happens this summer.” For the PPP loans, customers apply through an online portal, Monahan explained, and they receive the necessary documents electronically. Bank officers can assist applicants by explaining what documentation is needed, and provide guidance on how to approach the process, he said. Then, the bank verifies the paperwork and submits it to the Small Business Administration. If the loan is approved, the money goes directly into the applicant’s bank account. “We try to minimize personal contact,” he said. Both banks are now assisting last year’s successful applicants as they apply for forgiveness of their loans, if appropriate. The SBA is revising the forgiveness application and some of the requirements are a moving target, but Monahan expects a final application form in mid-March. Demand for new loans remains strong, although not as great as last spring, Monahan said. Wait agreed. Even after the PPP program ends, “We will still see a need for small business relief,” Monahan said.

From left, Brian Johnson, director of business development; Bob Vandy, president; Kevin Johnson, CEO; and Pete Kelly, COO, all of Advisors Insurance Brokers in Clifton Park. Advisors Insurance Brokers in Clifton Park has been acquired by Integrity Marketing Group, LLC, a large national independent distributor of life and health insurance products. As part of the transaction, Kevin Johnson, CEO of AIB, will become a managing partner in Integrity. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “Integrity is committed to innovating insurance by bringing together skill sets that complement our growing roster of platform partners,” said Bryan W. Adams, co-founder and CEO of Integrity. “As we’ve gone through this global pandemic, Americans realize the importance of life, health and long-term care insurance coverage now more than ever. By adding Advisors Insurance Brokers to the Integrity platform, we are able to serve more Americans and help them with these planning needs.” AIB began in 1992 with a focus on long-term care insurance and planning in the New England region. The company has evolved to offer life insurance, fixed indexed annuities and a wide range of insurance products.

“At our core, we are built on a foundation of unmatched customer service that we were not willing to compromise for any partnership opportunity,” said Johnson. “Integrity values that legacy and offered a vision for our next phase of growth. We will retain the boutique-like feel our customers have always appreciated, while providing them with cutting-edge resources and technology we never could have provided on our own. We’re excited to become part of such a legendary team.” “What attracted us to Integrity is their innovative spirit and the way they are innovating the industry,” described Bob Vandy, AIB president. “This partnership provides us with the effectiveness and new efficiencies that we can now bring to our existing broker, producer and consumer relationships. The scale and reach that Integrity possesses is going to complement and expand our capabilities more than we ever could have done on our own.” Officials said AIB’s expertise in life insurance will dovetail with Integrity’s partner network, which is made up of best-in-class agencies Continued On Page 16

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Business Report What Can Investors Learn From 2020

BY ROB SNELL Now that we’re a few weeks removed from 2020, it’s a good time to reflect on such a momentous year. We can think about developments in the social and political spheres, but we also learned—or perhaps re-learned— some valuable lessons about investing. Here are four of them: • A long-term perspective is essential. Volatility in the financial markets is nothing new, but, even so, 2020 was one for the books. Of course, the COVID-19 outbreak was the driving force behind most of the wild price swings. Soon after the pandemic’s effects were first felt, the S&P 500, a common index of U.S. large-cap stocks, fell 34 percent but gained 67 percent by the end of the year. Consequently, investors who stuck with their investment portfolios and kept their eyes on their long-term goals, rather than on shocking headlines, ended up doing well. And while 2020 was obviously an unusual year, the long-term approach will always be valuable to investors. • Investment opportunities are always available. The pandemic drove down the prices of many stocks, but it didn’t necessarily harm the long-term fundamentals of these companies. In other words, they may still have had strong management, still produced desirable products and services, and still had good prospects for growth. In short, they may still have been good investment opportunities and when their prices were depressed, they may also have been “bargains” for smart investors. And this is the case with virtually any market downturn – some high-quality stocks will be available at favorable prices. • Diversification pays off. Bond prices often move in a different direction from stocks. So, during a period of volatility when stock prices are falling, such as we saw in the weeks after the pandemic hit in March, the presence of bonds in your portfolio can lessen the impact of the downturn and stabilize your overall returns. And this, in essence, is the value of maintaining a balanced and diversified portfolio. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification can’t

Adirondack Trust Co. Will Open New Glens Falls Branch This Year With More Services •

Rob Snell, financial adviser with Edward Jones Financial in Saratoga Springs. Courtesy Edward Jones Financial

guarantee profits or prevent all losses.) • The market looks ahead. The pandemic-driven market plunge may have been stunning, but it made a kind of intrinsic sense. After all, the sudden arrival of a pandemic that threatened lives, closed businesses and cost millions of jobs doesn’t sound like a positive event for the financial markets. But the strong rally that followed the initial drop and continued into 2021 has surprised many people. After all, the pandemic’s effects were felt throughout the rest of 2020, and are still being felt now, so why did stock prices rise? The answer is pretty straightforward: The financial markets always look ahead, not behind. And for a variety of reasons—including widespread vaccinations, anticipated economic stimulus measures from Congress and the Biden administration, and the Federal Reserve’s continued steps to keep interest rates low— the markets are anticipating much stronger economic growth, possibly starting in the second half of 2021. All of us are probably glad to have 2020 behind us. Yet, the year taught us some investment lessons that we can put to work in 2021 and beyond.

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This is a rendering of the new Glens Falls branch of Adirondack Trust Co. nearing completion at the corner of Main and Pine Streets. It will have a drive-through window and plenty of parking. BY JILL NAGY A new Glens Falls branch of Adirondack Trust Co. is nearing completion at the corner of Main and Pine Streets. The branch will be a two-story building with a drive-through window and plenty of parking, according to Charles Wait Jr., the bank’s president and CEO. The building will replace the current branch on Maple Street. That branch will remain open until the new building is ready, probably in mid-April, Wait said. The present location does not allow for a drive-through and there is limited parking. The added space at Main and Pine will allow Adirondack Trust to provide additional services. For example, Wait said, loan or mortgage officers can be posted there. A ribbon cutting is planned, along with

Courtesy Adirondack Trust Co.

grand opening promotions in partnership with other businesses. The building was designed by architects Balzar & Tuck. The Adirondack Trust Co. is an independent, locally owned and operated, community bank offering a wide variety of business and personal financial services. The bank has more than $1.4 billion in assets and 13 branch offices. It offers banking, trust, insurance, and wealth management services, and originates real estate mortgages, both residential and commercial, and commercial business loans throughout its primary market area. The bank is a Bauer 5-Star Rated Superior bank. The bank’s website is AdirondackTrust. com. The bank’s website is AdirondackTrust.com

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Economic Development Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership Aids SEDC: Region Seeks To Bring In More Power Local Businesses Dealing With COVID Issues Capacity To Help Attract Large Businesses

Shelby Schneider, President and CEO of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, talks with Jim Beaudoin, owner of JJB 125 Bath in Ballston Spa.

Dennis Brobston, president of Saratoga Economic Development Corp., says the Capital Region no longer generates more power than it consumes and additional power is now being imported.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF For the past 12 months, the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership (SCPP) has helped more than 1,000 local businesses navigate challenges related to COVID-19. President and CEO Shelby Schneider said the organization hit the ground running during the early days of the pandemic. The agency is not membership based and offers assistance to Saratoga County businesses of all sizes. “We did a survey right away to help understand how the business community was being impacted by the shutdown and what sort of resources they considered to be critical. We also helped quantify how many jobs were being impacted,” she said. “This was the kind of information we were able to push up to our federal and state representatives so that they knew what the issues were. We were able to give them hard data on what the economic impact of the shutdown looked like for our business community.” The Prosperity Partnership played a vital role in educating local business owners on

the resources that were available to them, she said. They held multiple webinars related to Phase 1 of the economic stimulus package which included Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loans. “It’s critically important to work with our community, county, state, and federal government to understand federal stimulus packages and make sure we are communicating those to the business community,” said Schneider. “Businesses do what they do well, and navigating a gauntlet of regulatory environment or funding sources is not necessarily something they are aware of.” Some businesses had no existing relationship with lenders and others needed help completing their PPP applications. In total, 3,416 Saratoga County businesses received PPP loans, the most of any county in the Capital Region. “We helped facilitate a lot of that. We provided those business to business connections to connect businesses with the Continued On Page 11

BY CHRISTINE GRAF For the past 42 years, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has been a driving force for economic growth in Saratoga County. They have helped to generate more than 17,500 new jobs, $12 billion in investment, and $34 million in annual tax revenue for the county. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was a successful year. The agency worked on 11 projects that resulted in investments of $121.3 million—more than the previous 4 years combined—and the creation and retention of over 1,100 jobs in the county. SEDC focuses heavily on attracting manufacturing, warehouse and distribution and corporate headquarters to the area. “We are looking for manufacturing of all kinds,” said SEDC President Dennis Brobston. “But we are precise in targeting companies that offer good paying jobs that are above the national average for the type of jobs we are looking at. We also want companies that have been in existence a long time or have good funding behind them and companies that

want to be here long term--companies, like Ball Corp. and Quad Graphics, that are well funded and do a good job of taking care of their people.” According to Brobston, Saratoga County is an ideal location for warehouse and distribution centers because it is within a day’s drive to just under 40 percent of the entire population of North America. Although plans aren’t finalized, he said it’s possible that a warehouse or distribution center could be built on a 245-acre property in the Luther Forest Tech Campus. The property was optioned by Indiana-based real estate development and investment company Scannell Properties. Scannell built the Amazon Distribution in Schodack and has built large facilities for a wide range of companies including FedEx, General Mills and Alcoa. If the company moves forward with developing the property, several thousand well-paying jobs could be created, he said. The Luther Forest Tech Campus is also Continued On Page 11

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Applications Being Accepted For Capital Region Chamber’s Tech Valley Class Of 2022 The Capital Region Chamber is accepting applications for the Leadership Tech Valley (LTV) Class of 2022. With a network of more than 1,300 graduates, LTV unites individuals from diverse fields and backgrounds to learn more about themselves as leaders and how to best serve their organizations and community. The program starts with a retreat in September, which includes leadership training, personal development, and teambuilding activities. Eight subsequent sessions are held each month from October through May, followed by a graduation ceremony. The monthly sessions are themed around various elements of our community to serve as a catalyst for expanding awareness in economic development, community service, leadership, diversity & inclusion, education, government, community health and arts &

culture. Each session offers a unique opportunity for participants to have an inside look at some of the area’s most innovative organizations; connect to top business, government and civic leaders; and enhance their professional networks. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, May 7, at 3 p.m. There will be three virtual information sessions held on March 16, March 30 and April 13, where individuals will have the opportunity to learn more about Leadership Tech Valley and the application process. Register at capitalregionchamber.com. To learn more and download the application, visit capitalregionchamber.com. For additional information, contact Brandi Landy, director of talent development, at 518431-1414 or blandy@capitalregionchamber. com.

SEDC Continued From Page 10 expected to grow in the next decade with the addition of another GlobalFoundries facility. SEDC continues to work closely with the company, which has approximately 3,000 employees and a payroll of over $300 million. SEDC also works with companies that are interested in locating corporate headquarters or regional offices in the county. As an example, Brobston mentioned the State Farm regional claims center that located in Malta in the 1980s and brought many well-paying jobs to the area. It is because of the county’s limited resources in terms of sites with approved zoning and available utilities that SEDC is selective when deciding what companies to work with. The Capital Region no longer generates more power than it consumes, he said, and additional power is now being imported from the north and west. Imported power is more expensive. As a result, some local companies operate on an interruptible power supply. During periods of peak usage, these companies must either shut down or pay higher rates. According to Brobston, “We need more capacity if we are going to grow our businesses. We need more natural gas and more electric power here. Those kinds of expansions are very, very costly. A quarter of a billion dollars was spent on power upgrades at Luther Forest. That got GlobalFoundries here, but beefed up the whole entire regional grid and improved the reliability for all of the companies in the

Capital Region. “We now have to start planning to get next 100 megawatts into our region, and that’s what we’re all struggling to figure out. It all comes down to cost, but it’s so important for us going forward.” For that reason, SEDC is particularly interested in attracting green energy companies to the county. The addition of solar or wind power facilities could help accommodate the region’s growing demand for energy. SEDC works with companies of all sizes and also offers assistance to entrepreneurs who want to start small businesses. “It’s the big one you hear about, but the small ones are the ones that are hiring the most people,” said Brobston. “If you look at Grande Industrial Park, you have Saratoga Eagle who bought Northern Distributing and built a new facility there and have expanded three times. There’s also Greenfield Manufacturing, a small chemical manufacturer that started in small facility in Corinth, built a facility in Grande, and expanded within a few years. These homegrown things are really great.” In addition to working to attract companies to the county, SEDC is focused on growing and retaining the businesses already here. “When we talk about the future, we don’t want our businesses leaving. We do everything we can to help them grow their businesses, whether it be through networking

Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership Continued From Page 10 resource that they need,” said Schneider. Because the Prosperity Partnership is funded primarily through the county’s room occupancy tax, the organization itself was impacted by the pandemic. Dramatic drops in hotel occupancy rates led to a significant decrease in funding. “There was a severe impact on bed tax, and we’ve adjusted our spending as a result,” she said. “We’ve made sure that we are laser focused on what the business community needs.” In order to reduce operating costs, SCPP downsized its office space. In January, they relocated from the Stewart’s office complex to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Building on Clinton Street in Saratoga Springs. “We adjusted spending,” said Schneider. “We pivoted and were out there on the front lines making sure our businesses had the ability to pivot as well. Many businesses are weathering this, but for many, this has been the worst year on record.” Established in 2014, the Prosperity Partnership works in conjunction with the Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC). “We are doing the work that is part of our role which includes business retention and expansion. We are actively working with communities on community economic development planning at the town, city, and village level,” said Schneider. “There’s plenty of work for everyone to go around, and we are all focused on growing business in Saratoga County.” SCPP worked with Ballston Spa for more than a year to create a 72-page economic development plan that was presented in October. The plan focuses on enriching and promoting the assets, resources, and character of the village and was created with extensive input from business owners and more than 400 residents of the village.

“A community that has an economic development plan can leverage that plan to go after funds for infrastructure, water, sewer, telecommunications, planning grants, and things like that,” said Schneider. “Ballston Spa has already used that plan to go after grants for a linkage study and a Complete Streets grant.” U.S. Department of Transportation Complete Street grants are used to ensure that roadways are safe and accessible for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation riders. SCPP is also working with all towns in Saratoga County on an economic development project. Each town received $7,100 from a $150,000 Saratoga County economic development fund. “We worked with every single town throughout Saratoga County to help them identify projects that made sense for their community. Each town has a different complexion,” said Schneider. “For example, Clifton Park focused on environmental impact study for western part of the community.” The Prosperity Partnership also worked with the Town of Malta to secure a $5,000 grant from the Global Foundries Foundation. The funds were used to launch a Save Our Locals campaign that gives shoppers an opportunity to win gift cards by spending $20.21 or more at local business in Malta. “We want to help them get through the most challenging winter months as they are dealing with restricted occupancy and changing consumer behavior,” said Schneider. “We want to focus on small businesses, not just retaining but helping them to grow. We want to encourage people to shop local, support local. It’s the mom and pop shops that fill our downtowns and add to the character of our local communities. It’s critical to keep them here. We’re here to make sure the business community has the tools it needs for long-term survival and growth.”

or incentives. You need to keep what you have and can’t let them sneak out in the middle of the night. Because if they do, that means you didn’t do your job,” said Brobston. For the past three years, SEDC has been working to build relationships with companies in Ireland. Representatives from 36 Irish companies were scheduled to travel to the region in July 2020, but because of COVID-19, the in-person events were replaced with a three-day webinar. The visit has been tentatively rescheduled for October, and Brobston described the level of interest on the

part of Irish companies as “very, very serious.” “Ireland is a very small country of less than 5 million people, but they invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the U.S.,” he said. “They have products ranging from pharmaceuticals to food products. They also have companies doing a lot of work in the equine field, for example software development to track the health of horses.” Brobston said SEDC has more than 50 projects they are working on that could bring hundreds of millions of dollars of investment to the area.

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Women in Business

Mandi Marra Operates A Successful Property Teacher Takes Her Passion For Fitness And Preservation Company in Ballston Spa Turns It Into Business During The Pandemic BY ANDREA HARWOOD PALMER Mandi Marra began her property preservation company out of Ballston Spa four years ago. “It’s a complicated business. It’s an everevolving industry,” said Marra. The company manages bank owned assets such as foreclosures. M&K Preservation acts as a third party to the bank that owns the foreclosed property, contracting with national mortgage field companies such as Mortgage Contracting Services LLC. They are the eyes and the ears for the company out in the field. Marra began her career working in the back office of a friend who owned a similar company in a different region. “I was really inspired by her and the work she did. She taught me how to navigate everything, and I decided to give it a shot for myself,” said Marra. Marra works within an hour radius of Ballston Spa, and works with different national mortgage field companies, to avoid any semblance of competition between the two businesses. Over time, the company grew to include seven other employees and five company vehicles out on the road. Marra employs her own contractors full time. Each are supplied with a company work truck. When M&K Preservation first gets a service request, her company assesses the distressed property for repair costs. Locks are changed and plumbing is winterized. The contracting agency decides how much money they want to put into repairs, and M&K Preservation completes the work. M&K Preservation also maintains and services bank-owned properties to

Mandi Marra operates M&K Preservation LLC in Ballston Spa. Courtesy M&K Preservation LLC

avoid municipality penalties on snow and grass maintenance. New York state has legislation addressing so-called “zombie properties,” imposing a responsibility upon mortgagees or their servicing agents to inspect, maintain and secure abandoned and otherwise vacant properties. M&K Preservation, LLC is considering a small expansion into the Syracuse area. Otherwise, Marra intends to keep the business intentionally small, centrally located and within reasonable control. While the day starts for the team at 7 a.m. when the trucks hit the road, Marra’s day ends far after everyone else has gone home. M&K Preservation, LLC is located in Ballston Spa.

BY CHRISTINE GRAF When the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shuttered fitness studios, Shenendehowa middle school teacher and local spin instructor Brittaney Deitz found herself with a lot of free time on her hands. Prior to the pandemic, she was teaching spin classes five to six days a week at a local studio. “I enjoy motivating and inspiring people, and it brings me such joy to teach classes and share health and fitness with others,” said Deitz, a Clifton Park native. “So those first few weeks of the pandemic were really tough. I didn’t even have a bike at home because I was at the studio so often that I didn’t need one.” After a friend gave Deitz a bike, she started doing workouts at home and posting details about them on social media. People began reaching out and encouraging her to teach virtual classes. She was skeptical at first and considered it unlikely that people would be willing to purchase spin bikes for their homes. The bikes are expensive and were difficult to find at the height of the pandemic. Her husband, Justin, encouraged her to pursue the idea and surprised her by setting up a home spin studio in their living room. Three days later, Deitz taught her first sample class on Zoom with six students. The following day, she opened up her free classes to anyone who wanted to participate. “All of sudden out of nowhere, I had hundreds of people signing up to take my free classes. It was all from social media and word of mouth. That’s how this has taken off,” she said. “And what really blew me away was the number of people who went out and bought bikes when I started this whole experience.” Deitz had a loyal following at the spin studio where she taught for many years, and her 25-person classes typically filled up one month in advance. Her virtual teaching platform now allows her to have an unlimited number of riders in her class. “I would have wait lists longer than the number of people I could fit in a class. It was frustrating for people to try to get a spot,” said Deitz. “This is so much better because it’s unlimited, and I think people are really enjoying working out at home. It’s quick. It’s convenient.” Bolstered by the success of her free classes, Deitz and her husband decided to take the business to the next level. They invested thousands of dollars in cameras, lights, microphones and flat screen televisions that

Brittaney Deitz started online streaming classes that include people from all over the country. Courtesy Brittaney Deitz

allow her to see her class participants. Deitz then expanded her offerings and began charging $35 for a monthly subscription that allows access to unlimited live classes and an on-demand library of recorded classes. Single class rates are also available, as are free introductory classes. “I can keep the cost lower because I don’t have the overhead of renting studio space and buying bikes,” she said. “And I have five different formats that people can try for free.” In addition to teaching 30-, 45-, and 60-minute classes, Deitz teaches classes off of the bike. Her “Body by Britt” classes focus on strength, training, endurance, toning and flexibility. “As much as I love spin, I feel that in order to have a well-rounded fitness level, you have to get the weight training in. I try to use minimal equipment in my classes and always give modifications to make it accessible to people at all different fitness levels,” she said. Although her classes are interactive, participants have the option of turning off their cameras. The majority leave their cameras on, but some prefer not to. “That’s another beautiful thing about these workouts. You can do them in the comfort of your own home without worrying about being judged or critiqued. Some people start out with their Continued On Page 13

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SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021 • 13

Sweet Caroline’s Pies Offers Array Of Sweet U.S. Census: Millions Of Women Living With Products From Its New Storefront In Wilton School-Aged Children Didn’t Work In January

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL Customers with a sweet tooth are visiting Sweet Caroline’s Pies at its new location at 20 Gordon Lane in Wilton, near Northway Exit 16. Owner Carolyn Zinn said she had built a following from her pie stand on Ballard Road and took the risk to rent a retail shop months into the coronavirus pandemic. Zinn is a Wilton native who had been away for 20 years when she returned with her husband and family to take care of her aging mother. She had a baked goods and catering business for 10 of those years in Wisconsin. Customers there called her “Sweet Caroline” and when the time came to start the bakery she always dreamed of, she chose her nickname for her business. Five years ago, Zinn was running a private lodge in the Catskills doing the cooking. Then she obtained the licenses to bake out of her home, focusing on fresh local produce from Saratoga Apple in Schuylerville and Ariel’s Farm in Gansevoort. She still bakes the apple pies and strawberry pies that are sold at those farms and also supplies Ariel’s with fresh biscuits to serve with the farm’s homemade jams. Over time, Sweet Caroline’s added turnovers, cupcakes and other delectables to their offerings. Scones are popular, Zinn said, as are quiches and “delicious homemade cinnamon raisin bread.” “For a while we had a stand on the highly trafficked corner of Ballard Road and Northern Pines, and that’s when business took off,” said Zinn. Her husband can build a pie, too, Zinn said, and as co-owner of the bakery shop, he “is getting more hands-on as the business continues to grow ... I get such good support from him. And our daughters and my sister help out as needed.” The building at 20 Gordon Lane was not Zinn’s first choice. A rental situation she was

looking at earlier fell through. That’s when she and her husband, Todd, set up the stand behind Stewart’s, helping draw the loyal clientele that has followed them to the new storefront. “The word-of-mouth has been amazing since we opened December 2020,” she said. The building is the former Stewart’s Shops location on Ballard Road. It has a separate entrance to the commercial kitchen and a large parking lot, Zinn said. There is plenty of outdoor area to set up some umbrella tables so “people can stop and enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of pie outdoors when the weather warms up,” she said. “I’ll be making more berry jams in the summer and maybe Todd will build some picnic tables.” During colder temperatures, customers can try a hot cocoa bomb. There is safe seating inside and “the middle area is kept open so customers feel comfortable” with social distancing. Zinn said the setup is “beautiful. It was meant to be.” Looking ahead, Zinn wants to develop a website, continue adding new baked items using local ingredients, and provide wholesale opportunities for other local businesses. “There is plenty of space here to stock food and gift items on our shelves to help support other small business owners,” she said. “Sweet Caroline’s Pies is in a great community and a very good location. More and more people are coming down from Glens Falls and Queensbury for our sweet treats, and it helps that we are so easy to find and have excellent parking ... We are constantly adding different things to our menu so that there’s something sweet for everyone.” Sweet Caroline’s Pies is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hours will expand with warmer weather. Pre-orders and curbside pick-up are available. For more information, search for sweetcarolinespieswiltonon Facebook.

FROM U.S. CENSUS BUREAU Around 10 million U.S. mothers living with their own school-age children were not actively working in January—1.4 million more than during the same month last year, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on employment overall but especially on mothers’ paid labor. The 10 million not working accounted for over one-third of all mothers living with schoolage children in the United States, according to the Current Population Survey. Last spring, between March and April, some 3.5 million mothers living with school-age children left active work — either shifting into paid or unpaid leave, losing their job, or exiting the labor market all together. Some 45 percent of mothers of school-age children were not actively working last April. The school year began in earnest months ago but deep into the academic year, school systems are still trying to figure out how and when to return to in-person classes. Some have found ways to juggle work, child care and virtual schooling. By January 2021, more than 18.5 million mothers living with their own school-age children were actively working — still 1.6 million fewer than in January 2020. While the recovery has stalled, employment of mothers has all but caught up to fathers in term of pre-pandemic patterns. By January 2021, mothers’ active work status

was 6.4 percentage points lower than in January 2020 and fathers’ active work status was 5.9 points lower, narrowing the initial gender gap of 6.4 points in April to 0.5 points in January. Media reports say moms have been hit harder than fathers. But are they true? In a word, yes—at least initially, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. At the onset of the pandemic, the share of mothers actively working decreased more than fathers. Mothers declined 21.1 percentage points while the share of fathers dropped 14.7 points in April 2020 compared to the previous month and to the same month the previous year. The two most cited reasons are: • Mothers are more likely to work in service and other jobs heavily impacted by pandemic closures. • Mothers carry a heavier burden, on average, of unpaid domestic household chores and child care, which, during a pandemic that draws everyone into the home, disrupts parents’ ability to actively work for pay. Their work patterns went through similar down-and-up cycles even before the pandemic. Many take leave or stop work during the summer months and take interim breaks when children are not in school every year. Even in January 2021, an additional 210,000 mothers were on paid or unpaid leave compared to the same month the prior year. Similar to the pattern for all workers, unemployment spiked for Continued On Page 16

Brittaney Deitz

on social media, Deitz created a private Facebook group, Virtual Fitness and Spin Classes with Britt Deitz, that has more than 1,500 members. Her group includes people from all over the country and the world, she said. Deitz has hundreds of subscribers, and although she could make fitness her full-time profession, she enjoys teaching and has no intention of giving up her career as an educator. Instead, she will continue to motivate and inspire people in both of her chosen professions.

Continued From Page 12 camera off and they might take classes for three or four months. Then all of a sudden their camera is on because they are comfortable. I had a few clients who said their New Year’s resolution was to take classes with their camera on,” said Deitz. In addition to promoting Britt Deitz Fitness

14 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021

REGIONAL STOCKWATCH Stock Name

Closing Price 02/05/2021

Closing Price 02/12/2021

Closing Price 02/19/2021

Closing Price 02/26/2021

Closing Price 03/05/2021

Albany Int’l

74.76

73.63

79.80

79.05

87.84

Arrow

31.03

31.09

31.42

31.60

33.98

AT & T

28.93

28.80

29.00

27.89

29.62

Ball

89.39

89.68

90.48

85.39

82.21

Ballston Spa National Bank

47.00

53.00

Bank of America

32.37

33.37

34.54

34.71

36.93

Best Buy

114.53

120.51

118.00

100.35

102.85

Citizens Bank

39.94

40.52

42.51

43.44

44.30

Espey

19.33

20.25

19.50

19.30

18.96

General Electric

11.40

11.73

12.02

12.54

13.60

Hilton

111.67

112.14

116.91

123.68

122.87

Home Depot

278.86

277.51

279.64

258.34

253.52

Int’l Paper

47.03

49.18

48.95

49.65

54.15

Key Corp

18.57

19.07

20.15

19.95

20.66

Lowe’s

175.03

177.16

177.54

159.75

158.58

Card Catalog

Richard Kessinger Owner

Martin Marietta

297.60

330.83

336.34

336.87

329.79

M&T Bank

140.40

142.23

149.97

150.94

156.35

McDonald’s

212.58

213.90

212.24

206.14

207.37

National Grid

58.64

59.23

59.08

55.89

57.63

NBT Bancorp Inc.

34.42

35.49

35.70

36.23

39.27

Plug Power

65.77

63.19

55.89

48.38

39.30

Quad Graphics

5.72

5.71

5.25

4.38

5.06

Starbucks

106.48

105.30

103.37

108.03

105.20

Sysco

77.08

76.24

76.71

79.63

81.79

Target

188.86

190.75

188.82

183.44

172.61

The TorontoDominion Bank

58.44

59.39

60.54

60.37

62.82

Kaspien Holdings

32.54

31.32

32.00

31.90

30.49

Trustco Bank

6.51

6.77

6.84

6.88

7.33

Verizon

55.32

54.20

56.45

55.30

56.00

Walmart

144.36

144.47

138.34

129.92

129.12

This list of quotations is provided through the courtesy of Robert M. Schermerhorn, CFP®, Saratoga Financial Services, Securities offered through LPL Financial /Member FINRA & SIPC, located in Saratoga Springs, NY. www.SaratogaRetire.com

Re-Opening Continued From Page 3 our economy also likely includes attempting to ensure all residents and visitors that we’re putting their health first in very visible ways. Businesses may want to clean and disinfect their public facilities in as visible a way as possible. In some sectors like health care and food service, public confidence may be improved if employees continue to wear masks. We might consider continuing to use Zoom and remote working as a way to keep our

employees safe. This pandemic has forced us to rethink so much. As an eternal optimist myself, I’d like to focus on the positive lessons. We must continue to realize that we will always be Stronger Together. We should always do our part to support our local businesses and local nonprofits. We really should put health first not just to stop a pandemic but to prevent the spread of all viruses. Putting these lessons into action is the way to reopen our economy. It’s what the Saratoga County Chamber has done this past year and will continue to do. We’re here to help everyone. That’s how we will survive and be able to thrive once again.

P.O. Box 187 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

(518) 944-0359

saratogalawnmaintenance@gmail.com

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021 • 15

MaltaWorks $20.21 Campaign Aims To Help CARES Act Funds Are Still Available For Businesses Stay Open During Pandemic Small Business Loans In Eight Counties The Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, a Saratoga County-based economic development organization, unveiled the MaltaWorks $20.21 Campaign, a promotion designed to help drive traffic to small businesses in Malta that have been fighting to stay open while battling the economic impacts of COVID-19. The program is being done in partnership with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and the Malta Economic Development Committee. The effort is assisted by a grant awarded to the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership by the GlobalFoundries and the Town of Malta Foundation. Customers participating in the MaltaWorks $20.21 program can enter to win weekly giveaways by simply spending at least $20.21 at a small business in the Town of Malta, then emailing a copy of their receipt to info@saratoga.org. Each week, MaltaWorks $20.21 will randomly choose the winners of a $100 and $50 gift certificates. At the end of nine weeks, all participants will be entered into a drawing to win the grand prize of a $500 gift certificate at a business of their choice in the Town of Malta. The program runs through May 2. “This grant offered us the perfect opportunity to join forces with the Town of Malta Economic Development Committee and Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce to accelerate efforts to save our local small businesses, especially locally owned restaurants and retailers that have experienced the worst impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Shelby Schneider, president and CEO of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership. “Small

businesses are the backbone of our communities. They create jobs, help boost the economy, and enhance community character in many ways. I look forward to supporting this campaign and highlighting all that Malta has to offer.” “We are excited to launch this MaltaWorks $20.21 promotion and do our part to help the small and independent small businesses that have been challenged by COVID-19 mandated shutdowns and occupancy restrictions. Especially our local Mom and Pop shops” said Town of Malta economic development committee chairman and Malta Councilman Tim Dunn. “The GlobalFoundries-Town of Malta Foundation should be commended for their efforts to support the small business community and I’m grateful that the Saratoga Partnership and Saratoga Chamber are committing to these efforts. We are all stronger together.” “MaltaWorks $20.21 is a great enhancement to our ongoing #SaveOurLocals campaign and recently launched MaltaWorks website, which aims to support local businesses and nonprofit organizations located in the Town of Malta,” said Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. “The MaltaWorks $20.21 campaign will give our local businesses a much-needed shot in the arm during the most challenging winter months.” Malta businesses, residents, and community organizations can support the MaltaWorks $20.21 effort by visiting the MaltaWorks website at www. saratoga.org/maltaworks where they will find promotional posters to print and share on social media, with the #Maltaworks hashtag.

Plug Power Plans To Build $125M Innovation Center In Rochester; Keep Its Local Presence Plug Power Inc., which has a manufacturing plant in Clifton Park, will build $125 million Innovation Center in Rochester, creating 377 new jobs. The center, located in the town of Henrietta, Monroe County, will be the first world’s first Gigafactory for Proton Exchange Membrane technology, according to the company. The company will use this facility to manufacture hydrogen fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers. The fuel cell stacks are used in its ProGen hydrogen fuel cell engines, which are used to power a variety of electric vehicles including material handling equipment, on-road commercial fleet vehicles, and drones. The electrolyzers are utilized in the generation of green hydrogen from renewable electricity. Renovation work on the facility will begin in the first quarter of 2021 with manufacturing expected to begin in mid-2021.The company’s decision to expand operations and continued investment and job creation in New York is supported by Empire State Development, which is providing $13 million in Excelsior Tax Credits for this major project. Monroe County, Rochester Gas and Electric and Greater Rochester Enterprise are also assisting with the project. “For years, Plug Power has been a critical partner in helping move both the state and nation towards a cleaner, greener future, as well as in helping strengthen local economies and create jobs,”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “This state-of-the-art Innovation Center will not only further establish New York a center for green energy excellence and create hundreds of jobs, but also play a key role in helping reach the goals set forth in our nationleading climate and clean energy agenda.” Plug Power in 2019 announced plans to expand its presence in New York state, investing $3.7 million to establish a Membrane Electrode Assemblies facility in Rochester’s Eastman Business Park, creating more than 80 new jobs. The company had also previously announced an expansion plan in the Capital Region committing to investing nearly $6.5 million to create more than 180 jobs statewide. Founded in 1997 in Albany County, Plug Power created a commercially viable market for hydrogen fuel cell technology and as a result, has deployed over 38,000 fuel cell systems for e-mobility, more than anyone else in the world, and has become the largest buyer of liquid hydrogen, having built and operated a hydrogen highway across North America, according to the company. “We are thrilled to expand in our home state of New York, announcing Rochester, New York as the location for the world’s first PEM stack and electrolyzer Plug Power Innovation Center,” said Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power. “With this decision, we are positioning the company and the region as global leaders in PEM technology, driving scale and industry transformation.”

BY LISA BALSCHUNAT In September 2020, to assist small businesses affected by coronavirus restrictions, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration invested $22.8 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding that created a revolving loan pool to help small businesses. For the past six months, $2.94 million of those funds have been managed in the north country by the Lake ChamplainLake George Regional Planning Board (LCLGRPB). Planning Board Director Beth Gilles said there is plenty of money still available for small businesses in the eight-county area of Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren and Washington counties. Funds target working capital projects, equipment, and purchases related to COVID-19 issues, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and facility upgrades. Entrepreneurs and small business owners who may be retooling their business models could benefit from the CARES dollars. “A restaurant owner who expanded seating with outdoor dining in the parking lot last summer might now decide permanent outdoor seating would be good for business. This loan program could cover that,” Gilles said. Businesses can apply for a revolving loan fund from $25,000 to $150,000 at a fixed rate of 1.9 percent, with up to a seven-year term, with the first 12 months interest only. There is no application fee or closing costs and up to an 84-month loan term is available. Gilles added, “program loan funds may not be used to pay off existing debt, refinance other loans, acquire a position

in a business, investments, expansion of a business or personal expenses.” Through the underwriting process, the LCLGRPB has committed to two loans— one Warren County and one in Clinton County— totaling $380,000. “We have a ton of money left,” she said. “The deadline apply for a revolved loan under the CARES Act is May 21, 2022. The Planning Board office, 1 Lower Amherst St., Lake George, is currently closed, but staff can be reached by phone and email. For more information call the office at (518) 886-5773 or email LCLGRPB Small Business Support Specialist Jamie White at jamie.white@lclgrpb.org. The LCLGRPB was created in 1967 to promote sustainable economic development. The board operates in an advisory capacity and serves as a link between local needs, and federal and state funding programs.

16 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021

LayerEight, Formerly PrimeLink Managed Services, Grows IT, Cybersecurity Services BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH It has been a little over a month since LayerEight, formerly PrimeLink Managed Services division, has reintroduced itself to the business community as a new subsidiary of the 118-year -old Champlain Telephone Co. In keeping with the telephone company philosophy, LayerEight officials said it will focus on personalized customer service by specializing in IT, cybersecurity and construction services for telecommunications infrastructure. The company is based out of Plattsburgh, however Vicki A. Marking, its sales and marketing director, said there are a number of well established clients as far reaching as Saratoga County, with the ability to serve satellite offices across New York State. “The demographic in the Glens Falls and Saratoga area really match with what we have in the Plattsburgh area. We have a sweet spot for certain size businesses who are looking for personalized, local IT support,” said Marking. She said when the coronavirus first hit last March, business exploded for them in many ways that were initially unexpected. With so many people having to work from home, being able to set people up with networks for a “home office” became a growing demand. They also were being sought out for their ability to provide IT cybersecurity. “All of a sudden our clients were finding themselves in an unplanned situation where

they were having to connect to work servers, and having to think about confidentiality and security, and all from home,” said Marking. Marking said they have independent contractors that they work with around the area, so service is available quickly to those businesses who need it. She said one of the most important factors that sets them apart is the amount of time and attention they put into their clients when developing a tailored IT plan that works for them. “We put the time in the front end to develop a plan that works for our customers and we can adjust that as needed, say if their business should grow. We then offer them a set monthly fee which gives them peace of mind to know that whether they call once or 100 times, they won’t be hit with additional costs. They know what to expect in terms of both quality service and cost,” said Marking. She said building long term relationships with the businesses they service is key for success. “When a business needs something and reaches out to us, we know who they are and we know what their needs are. It can be frustrating and time consuming to need customer service and not have the other person on the line know anything about your business. Having that personalized and local service makes a difference,” said Marking. The LayerEight website is www.thelayereight. com. For more information, contact them at 518324-LYR8 or email sales@lyr8.com.

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“Integrity is going to deliver tremendous support for our firm’s infrastructure needs,” said Pete Kelly, COO of AIB. “By joining Integrity, we can focus our energy on what’s ultimately most important — our brokers and clients.” AIB employees will also qualify for the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan, which provides meaningful ownership to Integrity employees. “Including our employees in ownership opportunities is what clinched the partnership for us,” said Johnson. “I didn’t build this company alone; our success is the result of decades of dedication and hard work from our employees. This brings a different dimension to the firm and we’re ecstatic about where our trajectory is headed.”

Continued From Page 8 nationwide led by the most innovative leaders in the industry. As part of this network, AIB will gain access to Integrity’s platform resources which include proprietary technology, such as quoting and enrollment tools, call center capabilities, research and development, data solutions and product development. As a partner, they can streamline business functions by accessing centralized services such as human resources, legal counsel, accounting, IT and a full-service advertising and marketing firm.

Saratoga Race Track Continued From Page 1 Completing the trio of Grade 1s on Whitney Day will be the $500,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies and the $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational, the second jewel of the Turf Triple series for sophomore males in its first running with Grade 1 status. Whitney Day will also include the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares on turf, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure. Whitney weekend kicks off Aug. 6, with the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for sophomore turf milers; the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, presented by Horse Racing Ireland, for 4-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf; and the $120,000 Alydar at nine furlongs for older horses. Whitney weekend concludes on Aug. 8, with three stakes highlighted by the upgraded Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies. The Aug. 8 card will also include the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose at one mile on turf for older fillies and mares. The 152nd edition of the Travers is the centerpiece on Saturday, Aug. 28. It will include seven stakes, including six Grade 1 events, offering $4.6 million in total purse money with automatic berths in the Breeders’ Cup to the winner of the Grade 1, $750,000 Sword Dancer [Turf], the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign [Distaff], and the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina

[Filly & Mare Sprint]. In addition, the Travers Day card will also include the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, a sevenfurlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward, and the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs. Rounding out the signature day at the Spa is the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa for turf fillies and mares. The traditional local prep for the Travers, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, will be held on Saturday, July 31. It will be joined by the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, a sixfurlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, and the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on the turf. Closing out Jim Dandy weekend on Aug. 1, is the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam for 3-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs. Opening Day, Thursday, July 15, will begin with a pair of graded stakes: the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call for 3-year-olds going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass. Saratoga’s first Grade 1 of 2021 is the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares on Saturday, July 17. The following Saturday, July 24, will see the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks take center stage. Closing Day on Monday, Sept. 6, will feature the Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap as well as the prestigious Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful for 2-year-olds going seven furlongs to conclude the 153rd Saratoga meeting.

Census Continued From Page 13 mothers in the spring, increasing by more than threefold its pre-pandemic rate. The unemployment rate for mothers living with their own school-age children was 13.9 percent by April 2020. It was cut more than half to 6 percent in January 2021. Despite that decline, the Bureau said there were some 1.2 million more mothers unemployed compared to the same month the previous year, when mothers’ unemployment rate was just 3.5 percent. Many moms have given up and left the workforce since the pandemic hit: nearly threequarters of a million (705,000) more have given up on work outside the home entirely and some may not return, the study said. Those who do resume work may experience decreased total lifetime earnings due to dropping out or being forced out during the pandemic.

Many children who have gone back to school often only attend in person two or three days a week. Even if they are back fulltime, one case of COVID-19 in a classroom can shutter it for a week at a time. These challenges make it difficult for mothers to hold a steady job, especially one that does not allow remote work. From an economic perspective, mothers of school-age children who have the option may exit the labor market for now. Those who live alone or can’t rely on income of other adults in the household may continue to work (if work is available) — even if that means working outside of their home (nontelework jobs) and leaving children home alone. Living with another working-age adult (age 18-64) does not seem to have spared mothers from doing double duty: Working for pay and working for no pay taking care of children and housekeeping.

Washington County New Business Registrations February Forever Home Gifts 36 Toms Way Argyle, NY 12809

Farmhouse Ferments 18 Academy St. Salem, NY 12865

Beatiful Serendipity Candle Co 3466 Burgoyne Ave. Hudson Falls, NY 12839

Wiggles and Giggles Playcare 108 Belden Rd. Clemons, NY 12819

Ganja Steves CBD Consulting Product Developer and Marketing of CBD Products 107 Pleasant Valley Rd. Argyle, NY 12809

Slateville Cabins 304 County Route 28 Granville, NY 12832

Big Time Photography 13 North Maple St., Apt B Granville, NY 12832 Learning Art Studio 214 Main St. Hudson Falls, NY 12839 Time to Eat 24 W Main St. Granville, NY 12832

Slateville Supply 304 County Route 28 Granville, NY 12832 Savage American Woodworking 103 East Broadway Salem, NY 12865 Royal Design Co. 5025 State Route 22 Salem, NY 12865

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021 • 17

Race Track Will Have ADK Trust Fund Gives Medical Center Near New Childcare Center Relief To Nonprofits Hospital Moving Ahead The Belmont Child Care Association says its new childcare center serving families and children of the backstretch community at Saratoga Race Course is scheduled to open this summer. The 4,300-square-foot center will be located on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga backstretch. Funded by Michael and Lee Dubb, the facility will be named Faith’s House in honor of Faith Dubb, mother of BCCA founder and board chairman Michael Dubb. Faith’s House will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of backstretch workers and horsemen. “All working parents deserve to know that their children are being cared for in a safe, healthy and enriching environment during the workday,” said Dubb, who is a prominent thoroughbred owner in addition to his work with the BCCA. “We are thrilled to extend this important program to the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch community, who provide a vital service to the racing community.” The Saratoga facility will complement BCCA’s sister childcare center Anna House, which serves families of the Belmont Park backstretch. More than 1,000 students have participated in Anna House’s programs since its opening in 2003. “Faith’s House fulfills a dream that the BCCA has been working on for over ten years. We are so excited to bring a winning formula in child care to Saratoga,” said Libby Imperio, BCCA president. The anticipated summer opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa. The opening of the new center is contingent upon licensing approval from New York state and the state Office of Children and Family Services. “The backstretch community is the foundation of the racing industry,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke. “All of us at NYRA extend our sincere gratitude to Michael and Lee, and the entire BCCA staff for their continued dedication and commitment to increasing access to affordable and reliable childcare for families on the backstretch. I would also like to thank our facilities team for their work on this project. NYRA is proud to host this new center of childhood education.” Faith’s House will be operated by Bright Horizons, an organization known for excellence in the child care industry which manages early childhood education programs at more than 1,000 child care centers. More information about Faith’s House, including details on registration and enrollment, will be announced in the coming months. Individuals interested in further details may contact BCCA Executive Director Joanne K. Adams by phone at 516-488-2103 or via email at jadams@belmontchildcare.org. The Belmont Child Care Association works to provide a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in the thoroughbred racing backstretch area located at New York’s historic Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. For more information, visit BelmontChildCare. org.

The Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund has awarded COVID-19 relief funding to local nonprofit organizations through the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, as well as Christ’s Cupboard Food Pantry at the First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa. This contribution will help local nonprofits combat food insecurity throughout Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties and was made possible through the ATCCF COVID-19 Relief Donor Advised Fund, officials said. The ATCCF COVID-19 Relief Donor Advised Fund was created in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the fund was made possible by donations made by community members. “The Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund is thankful to be able to provide funding to these critical organizations that directly help others,” said Advisory Committee Chair Brian Straughter. “Supporting the local organizations that provide direct aid in their time of need is important, and we are grateful to assist in their work.” Many local nonprofit organizations have seen a drastic increase in their food program demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to LifeWorks Community Action’s 2020 Annual Report, the number of meals provided through its food pantry in 2020 increased to over 300,000, compared to the 135,000 meals provided in 2019. “Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund’s generous donation to the Regional Food Bank to assist 14 food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters will make a huge difference for them as they continue to address the increased need caused by the COVID pandemic,” said Regional Food Bank of the Northeastern New York Executive Director Mark Quandt “The Food Bank’s food distribution has grown nearly 40 percent since the pandemic hit the region last March, and many of the agencies we serve have experienced a similar increase in demand. “On behalf of the Food Bank and these 14 agencies, I wish to express our deepest appreciation to the ATCCF for being such a valuable partner in the fight against hunger, especially at this time when the need is so great.” “Since COVID-19, our survivors have relied even more heavily on our food pantry. In the last quarter alone, we distributed more than 5,000 pounds of food to families. The Regional Food Bank is such a blessing to all our nonprofits helping those in need,” said Executive Director of Wellspring Maggie Fronk. The contribution will directly impact the following organizations: CAPTAIN Community Human Services, Family Service Association of Glens Fall, First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa, Franklin Community Center, Inc. , L.E.A.P (formerly Washington County Economic Opportunity Council), LifeWorks Community Action (formerly Saratoga County EOC), Moreau Community Center, Open Door Mission, Salvation Army of Saratoga Springs , Saratoga Senior Center, Shelters of Saratoga, SNACpack Program, Inc. , Veterans & Community Housing Coalition, Wellspring and the Wilton Food Pantry. People interested in learning more about contributing to the ATCCF COVID-19 Relief Donor Advised Fund can contact Caroline Putman at (518) 584-5844, ext. 2330.

Saratoga Hospital has taken the next step toward developing a medical office center on Morgan Street in Saratoga Springs, by submitting a sketch plan application for review by the city Planning Board. The property is located on land behind Saratoga Hospital, which is at 211 Church St. The hospital presented preliminary sketches to the Planning Board to get feedback from board members and the community. The preliminary plans include a medical office center that would allow Saratoga Hospital to bring physicians from offices throughout the city to a single location, where they could more easily collaborate on patient care, officials said. Equally important, because of the site’s proximity to the hospital, in emergency situations surgeons and other physicians could get to Saratoga Hospital in minutes, according to hospital officials. “We have long believed that a medical office center is the best use of this last piece of undeveloped land adjacent to our hospital property,” said Angelo Calbone, Saratoga Hospital president and CEO. “We look forward to bringing the benefits of more convenient, coordinated care to our growing community. This is the next step in fulfilling our commitment.” The sketch plans also address the potential for future development, primarily in preparation for the required state Environmental Quality Review. “Currently, there are no specific plans for future development,” said attorney Matt Jones, Saratoga Hospital’s land-use counsel. “However, to truly assess and mitigate the potential environmental impact, we need to look at the entire parcel. To do otherwise, would be shortsighted.” Saratoga Hospital owns the Morgan Street property, which was included in 18 zoning changes made in 2019 to align the city’s zoning map. The realignment cleared the way for medical office use on the property. A small group of neighbors opposed the rezoning and filed suit against the city. The lawsuit was dismissed in November.

18 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021

Sabor Azteca Mexican Restaurant In Clifton Park Offers Customers An Upscale Experience

Discover Unique Heated Outdoor Dining Options In & Near Saratoga Springs, NY Outdoor dining is all the rage during the warmer months of the year, but during winter, local restaurants have to get a little creative. Here in Saratoga Springs and the surrounding area, some restaurants are offering a variety of heated outdoor dining options, including private igloos and enclosed patios and porches. Find out where you can dine outdoors comfortably in the Saratoga area below! Note: We recommend you call ahead to make a reservation and confirm availability. The Adelphi Hotel The Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs is well known for their exceptional lodging and dining experiences, and during winter, you can dine in a private igloo on the patio. Each private igloo can accommodate up to 6 guests, and the cost is $25 per person. They are available 7 days a week from 11:00am8:00pm, and a credit card is required for all reservations. The Olde Bryan Inn Saratoga's Olde Bryan Inn continues to dish up delicious American cuisine, and now, you can enjoy a meal at a socially distanced table in their enclosed and heated patio area. Take a look at the current menu on their website, and make your reservation for a table on the patio. The Inn at Erlowest Dine under the stars and snowflakes in Lake George when you make a reservation at one of The Inn at Erlowest's heated igloos. Each igloo is reserved solely for your party (up to 6 guests), fully sanitized after each use, and there is a back panel window for air flow. Reservations are required, and there is a $200 food and beverage minimum requirement on Thursdays and Sundays and a $250 food and beverage minimum requirement on Fridays and Saturdays. Morgan & Co. Restaurant Located in downtown Glens Falls, Morgan & Co. is a chef-owned restaurant that specializes in "comfort food with a Mediterranean-Bohemian flair," and this winter, they have enclosed their porch in order to offer heated outdoor dining to their guests. Make a reservation for one of their socially distanced tables and look forward to an amazing dining experience. The Queensbury Hotel Did you know you can also find heated outdoor dining igloos in downtown Glens

Falls? It's true! This winter, The Queensbury Hotel is accepting dinner reservations for their igloos, which have individual heaters. Each igloo can accommodate up to 6 guests, and they require a $25 rental deposit at the time of booking (the deposit will be applied to each check with a minimum $150 food and beverage spend). There will be two seatings per igloo per night, and they will be sanitized after each use. Call to make your reservation today! Fort William Henry Fort William Henry Hotel in Lake George Village is offering fire pit rentals this winter. You can rent a lakeview wood burning fire pit with four Adirondack chairs for 1 hour and 45 minutes. A $25 food and beverage minimum spend is required, and you can learn more and rent online here. Bolton Landing Brewing Co. Take a drive up north to Bolton Landing and enjoy outdoor dining at Bolton Landing Brewing Company's heated igloos, heated enclosure, or fire pits. Warm up as you sip one of their locally made craft beers and dine on tasty pub grub. The Bolton Barrel Another excellent heated outdoor dining option in Bolton Landing is The Bolton Barrel, which is part of the Blue Water Manor family of resorts and restaurants. Call to make a reservation for a private table in one of their heated igloos, and check out their handcrafted food and beverage selections. Nine Pin Cider This winter, Nine Pin Cider in Albany is offering private wood campfire hangouts that are available for two-hour time slots and groups of 2, 4, or 6 people. They can be reserved on Thursdays - Sundays, and the cost is $150 to $300 depending on the group size. Full details are available on their Facebook page. The Hill at Muza The heaters are on at The Hill at Muza in Troy, which offers year-round outdoor dining. This unique restaurant serves Polish and American fare in both their ski lodge-like pub and European-style beer garden with tables, chairs, and flame heaters. They are accepting table reservations for indoor and outdoor dining on Thursdays - Sundays. Listings provided by Saratoga.com

BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL A new restaurant in Clifton Park Center Mall, Sabor Azteca, is offering upscale food and a “taste of the Aztecs” to lovers of authentic Mexican cuisine. Alejandro Morales and business partner Rafael Escamilla have owned restaurants together since 2004. They opened Pancho’s Restaurant on Central Avenue in Albany and left there to open La Fiesta in Clifton Park. Sabor Azteca is their third business venture. “Clifton Park is a big area and has room for another Mexican restaurant, especially one with higher quality ingredients,” Morales said. “Most of these restaurants offer the same food and menu items.” Morales said Sabor Azteca is distinguishing itself by using “a better grade of meat and seafood, such as hormone-free chicken and gluten-free ingredients. When you use real crab meat instead of imitation, people appreciate that. If they try the dish, they know the difference.” He is not a culinary school graduate, but Morales said he loves to cook and works with the chef to create a menu “for a different

patron” than is typically found at LaFiesta. “But we have based many menu items on our experience with Pancho’s and LaFiesta,” he said. Morales said there was no need to look far for a building to set up the new venture. “The location found us,” he said. “Rafael saw it and said it would be perfect for another Mexican restaurant.” Working during the pandemic has hurt, as it has with all restaurants. “Usually critics would have stopped in by now to check out our food,” Morales said. “But we are doing okay and we have very good people working with us.” Morales said Sabor Azteca has the three main ingredients for success: good location, good parking and good food. “We are giving people these best we can because they deserve it,” he said. “I have put my daughter through college being in the restaurant business and want to give back to the customers and thank them.” Visit Sabor Azteca at 20 Maxwell St. in Clifton Park, once the home of Ruby Tuesday’s. For more information and a complete menu, log onto www.saboraztecany.com.

Family Plans To Open Italian Deli In The New Rexford Landing Shopping Center BY JILL NAGY A large Italian family is pooling its experience and expertise to create Raffaele’s Italian Deli and Import at the new Rexford Landing shopping center on Grooms Road. Still under construction, the shop is expected to open in late April or early May. Raffaele Mele, for whom the enterprise is named, is one of 12 children in a family that immigrated from Calabria in 1973. After a short time in New York City, the family settled in south Troy, near relatives that were already in the food business. Mele now lives in Clifton Park. “The family has restaurants all over,” he said, including Latham and Albany and Sarasota, Fla. He has worked in many of them, beginning at age 11. A brother had a pizzeria in the Troy Atrium back in the days when it was a thriving shopping mall. Mele’s wife, Melinda, and a brother, Francesco, own the business along with him. He expects to have other siblings, nieces and nephews helping out. “I love the location,” he said of the Rexford Landing shopping plaza. “It’s a beautiful plaza,.” The plaza is being built by Riverview Construction Associates in Clifton Park. Mele was adamant that the new business will not be a restaurant. It will be a deli and import store. It will offer prepared meals, pizza, subs, and other take-out dishes. Imported meats and cheeses sold by the pound. He also plans to offer catering. Although there will be no restaurant service, there will

be seating, inside and outside, including two long counters with stools, where patrons can sit and eat. He expects to sell beer and wine. Mele does not yet know how many people he will be permitted to seat in the deli, but estimates the capacity at 45. He plans to close the doors at 10 or 11 p.m. nightly. While construction proceeds, Mele is negotiating with potential suppliers. Some are local, like Bella Napoli bakery and the Cookie Factory. Others are in Italy, and still others are in New York City.

SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021 • 19

GlobalFoundries Continued From Page 1

Incredible Nutrition Continued From Page 20 and got to work. Since then, we have had many regulars and have been building our clientele. We are constantly sanitizing our tables and doors to keep our space as safe as possible. Our checkout system is touch free, so you don’t need to worry about touching anything in the process. Additionally, we offer online ordering so we can provide curbside pickup if needed,” said Haggerty. Haggerty said with some gyms closed and sports cancelled, people are bored and constantly snacking, which has brought health and wellness to an all time low.

“As an athlete who has played hockey and other sports my whole life, canceling these activities has caused me to feel lazier and become out of shape. I have gained weight and lost a lot of my drive to be active. This is unlike myself and I’m sure many others are feeling the same way,” said Haggerty. The business is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Information can be found online at incredible-nutrition. squarespace.com, Facebook and Instagram. The phone is (518) 886-8379.

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release. Under the agreement, GlobalFoundries will provide a supply of chips built at Fab 8 on its differentiated 45nm SOI platform. The new supply agreement builds upon the longstanding partnership between the Department of Defense and GlobalFoundries to provide chips for defense, aerospace, and other sensitive applications. “GlobalFoundries is a critical part of a domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry that is a requirement for our national security and economic competitiveness,” said U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who helped pass new federal semiconductor manufacturing incentives in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “I have long advocated for GlobalFoundries as a key supplier of chips to our military and intelligence community, including pressing the new Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, to further expand the Department of Defense’s business with GlobalFoundries, which will help expand their manufacturing operations and create even more jobs in Malta.” “We are proud to strengthen our longstanding partnership with the U.S. government, and extend this collaboration to produce a new supply of these important chips at our most advanced facility, Fab 8, in upstate New York,” said Tom Caulfield, CEO of GlobalFoundries. “We are taking action and doing our part to ensure America has the manufacturing capability it needs, to meet the growing demand for U.S. made, advanced semiconductor chips for the nation’s most sensitive defense and aerospace applications.” The first chips from this new agreement are targeted to begin delivery in 2023.

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within that existing amazing site,” said Kelly, and some of the planned expansion will be in that already-existing space. She said that throughout the COVID lockdown and the added safety procedures required, GlobalFoundries, as an essential business, has been “running fullsteam ahead” with no difficulties requiring major quarantine. “Keeping our employees safe is our numberone priority. Then meeting all this exploding demand is number two … With all safety measures, and we’ve been able to do that,” Kelly said. GlobalFoundries expects to raise around a third of $1.4 billion from its customers that will pre-pay to guarantee supply over the following years, according to the company. Regarding financial incentives provided to the company when it located in Malta, Kelly said GlobalFoundries looks at it more as “coinvestment.” When $15 billion was put into U.S. operations some 12 years ago, “New York co-invested and received an incredible return on their investment ... We’ve had excellent support, but a little less so at the federal level. And now, the federal government recognizes the strategic value of manufacturing chips in the U.S.” Fab 8 in Malta recently received ITAR certification for U.S. Department of Defense production on its 45nm process, expanding GlobalFoundries’ value as a home-grown chip manufacturer to the government. GlobalFoundries officials said the local plant is the company’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility. These semiconductor chips will be used in some of the Department of Defense’s most sensitive applications for land, air, sea, and space systems, officials said in a new

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Available Commercial & Residential Properties

45 Greenfield Avenue, Saratoga Springs $699,000 This historic Saratoga Springs mansion was stylishly renovated into condos in 2010. Located in the desirable North Broadway neighborhood, this airy 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath condominium features an open floor plan, plenty of windows, soaring ceilings, wood floors & incredible trim throughout. The open kitchen includes gorgeous granite, a large center island, stainless steel appliances, stunning custom cabinets & a generously-sized pantry. Step through a set of French doors to the ultimate flex space: a light-filled sunroom that functions as a bright home office & doubles as a guest room with its hidden Murphy bed! Elevator access & a 1 car detached garage add even more convenience.

Listing Agent: Kate R. Naughton | 518.441.8527 knaughton@roohanrealty.com

20 • SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • MARCH 2021

Desire To Move Out Of Large Cities, Is A New Shop Off West Avenue In Saratoga Factor In Popularity Of West Ave. Condos Offers Healthy Shakes And Nutritious Teas

Scott Varley of Keller Williams in Saratoga Springs says the West at Saratoga condos are selling well, in part inspired by people moving from large cities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michael Haggerty and Sarah Dauphinais are part owners of Incredible Nutrition in Saratoga Springs. The business produces and sells healthy teas and shakes.

BY ANDREA HARWOOD PALMER The West at Saratoga, at 116 West Ave. in Saratoga Springs, is a luxury high-rise condo inspired by buyer demand and a desire to live in high-rise condominiums that already exist on Broadway, according to real estate broker Scott Varley of Keller Williams in Saratoga Springs. He is the listing agent for the condos. He said interest in the condos is running high. The average sale price of the Broadway condos is well over $1 million dollars, said Varley. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with many people working from home, have driven buyers away from larger cities. “There are many people who would love to live that kind of lifestyle, but at half that price. In the condo category of the Saratoga Springs market, half a million dollars is very reasonable,” said Varley. “Real estate is the fuel for the engine of a booming economy,” said Varley. “And our area is benefiting from the pivot northward happening in the state right now.” Varley’s team found land zoned properly within walking distance of downtown Saratoga and set about building higher-end condos at a more priceconscious buying point. The condos were built by West Avenue Development Saratoga. The walk from the condos to downtown goes right down Grand Avenue through the arts district on Beekman Street. Pricing starts at $495,000, with a $300-per-month fee that covers all maintenance outside of the individual unit. Homes come with a

six-year warranty. All are two-bedroom and two-bathroom units. Every condo has a balcony that will fit 6-8 people. Units have nine-foot ceilings, ample storage, a butler’s pantry and additional storage on the fourth floor. The units are custom finished to the buyer’s specifications. Varley said most buyers don’t bother spending extra on upgrades because everything is already top quality. “The property is beautiful, and we took things a step further,” said Varley. “When you drive by, you see a very elegant, contemporary building. Then the real magic happens when you step through the door. The reactions from people are astounding.” In the back of the building sits a ground-floor heated garage for residents, as well as additional outdoor parking. The property has a full-sized gym and a private conference room. “The pièce de résistance is that we have the only rooftop pool on a condo between here and Montreal,” said Varley. The property has ground floor commercial space available for sale. The space is 4,000 square feet. He said the top unit recently sold for just under $850,000. Thirty-four units were built, and 10 have already sold. Varley can be reached at 518-281-6808, or at info@scottvarley.com, Online viewing can be seen at www.thewestsaratoga.com.

BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH Michael Haggerty, co-owner of Incredible Nutrition in Saratoga Springs, said his new shop started as an idea to help his fellow Saratogians live a healthier lifestyle. Haggerty said the main goal is to provide healthy and delicious alternatives to a standard diet, with a focus on healthy teas and shakes. They already have favorite tea f lavors like the Whitney, a strawberry raspberry pink lemonade, Cranberry Blue Razz and Firecracker. Haggerty, opened the business in West Hill Plaza at 99 West Ave. in Saratoga Springs. with Sarah Dauphinais and Cynthia Ward—a team on a mission to not only better themselves but others. Haggerty said they knew they wanted to open a business in the city that they love, adding that when they saw their current location open up as a possibility, they knew they had to act. “Once we saw the location at the West Hill Plaza, we knew it was the perfect location. Being right down the road from the high school, college, gyms and other fitness destinations, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” said Haggerty. “Our teas have many benefits other than just being caffeinated. These include the daily dose of vitamins B6, B12 and C. They are also said to be thermogenic, meaning

they jump start one’s metabolism which will helps burn calories. He said the products can replace coffee or unhealthy energy drinks. With protein shakes being popular, Haggerty said they offer a healthy option that is also full of f lavor. “Our shakes are delicious. They are not your common protein shake. Everyone knows the homemade shakes with undissolved protein powder you must chew through with every sip,” said Haggerty. The shakes are calorie friendly, ranging between 200-250, with around 24 grams of protein, 10 grams of sugar, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. “Instead of the quick fast-food that leaves you bloated and uncomfortable, our shakes are a tasty way to stay healthy. Some of our most popular shakes include Toffee Coffee Explosion, white chocolate Reese’s, birthday cake, and Samoa,” said Haggerty. As with many new businesses, opening during a pandemic has brought unforeseen challenges. Haggerty said they signed the lease before COVID-19 hit, with the initial plan being to open in April of 2020. But with COVID-19 shutting down City Hall and many other businesses, the process took much longer then expected. “Finally, we opened in September of 2020 Continued On Page 19