SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL • APRIL 2020 • 7
Area Distilleries Switch To Making Hand Sanitizer To Help Prevent COVID-19 Spread BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH With the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation, using hand sanitizer is one of the strong recommendation of health agencies around the globe. To help bolster supplies locally, some businesses have turned completely away from their normal mission and are making sanitizer. Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery in Queensbury is one, since distilleries have the necessary equipment to transition to sanitizer, which has a high percentage of alcohol. Since the state ordered the temporary closure of bars and restaurants last month, owner Matt Colucci is responding to the need for sanitizer. “We are more than happy to get to work. Essential businesses who have to stay open need it for their employees, so we are working hard to try and help make that happen,” said Colucci. The distillery was about to lay staff off until the government asked distilleries to stay open to produce the desperately needed product. Colucci said SheetLabels in Queensbury is donating the labels and Burch Bottle and Packaging in Waterford is providing the bottles. SheetLabels Chief Executive Officer Adam Gray said they have been at work producing the labels needed by various local distilleries in order to prepare product for distribution. “It has been a great opportunity for us to get to work and help the community, “ said Gray. At Upstate Distilling Co., in Saratoga Springs, owner Ryen VanHall said as a result of their recent move, their distillery was not operational at this point, however VanHall plans to be joining the effort. “I’ll be going down to Yankee Distillers and assisting them with their production,” said VanHall. The Clifton Park distiller is another involved in the hand sanitizer production effort. Yankee Distillery in Clifton Park has also created a hand sanitizer. It is available for purchase 64 oz. refill bottles. Yankee Distillers will also allow customers to fill any container they bring in for 50 cents per ounce from a sealed tank in the tasting room, according to said Matthew Jager, co-founder and distiller. Purchases are limited to 64 oz. per household or one gallon per business for the first batch as Yankee Distillers continues to source and produce raw materials for the next batch. If any business owners or institutional buyers need more for their organizations, they
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Bottles of hand sanitizer are being produced at Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery. Courtesy Springbrook Hallow Farm Distillery
can e-mail us at info@yankeedistillers.com. VanHall said Upstate Distilling is also selling off their on-hand inventory of whiskey and cocktails, donating 50 percent of the proceeds to local charities. At Lake George Distillery in Fort Ann, owner Robin McDougall has his company responding to the call for help. “We decided we wanted to do something for our community in this time of need and we knew we had the ability to make the product. Once the federal government and the state government relaxed the rules that were required to make it and provided us with the World Health Organization’s formula for the product, we decided to begin,” said McDougall. He said they outsourced the products needed to produce the sanitizer, glycerin and hydrogen peroxide, then started making 1,000 bottles to hand out to our community. They also received aid from SheetLabels. “SheetsLabels very generously donated 1,000 labels to our cause,” said McDougall. Springbrook has set up an online fundraiser to offset costs and allow them to distribute free sanitizers to the public. The GoFundMe page is at www.gofundme.com/f/free-handsa nitizer?ut m _ source=facebook& ut m _ med iu m=socia l& ut m _ c a mpa ig n=p_ cp+share-sheet.
Business Report Plan When You Work Remotely
BY DOROTHY ROGERS-BULLIS I’ve had so many calls over the last two weeks from clients preparing to work from home. drb Business Interiors is known for designing and furnishing the most productive spaces to work in, and now is doing so for clients conducting “business and school out of the home” sessions for the next few months. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the new work space standard calls for multiple workspaces for multiple types of work. From the business professional who needs to conduct Zoom calls throughout the day, to the children who are being homeschooled, all are sharing the same home and space. It can get very stressful just to find a productive space to work, especially in your own home. It’s important to plan when you work remotely. Here are some tips: • Test your technology and plan ahead for all logistics. Do you have all your necessary tools? Cords, headset, mouse? Have you tested all your technology? Does Zoom work? How do you look to others? What is your backdrop? There is much to consider here. • Your new Space. Consider the setting. Where will you conduct ‘work’? Make sure it will have the least amount of distractions possible. If natural light is available, it is recommended to have a window and a green plant on your workstation • Structuring your day. Spouses, roommates and children. Have a planning meeting the evening before to go over schedules. With multiple workers in the same house it’s important to know who is needing quiet times for meeting calls. • Consider you daily rituals. Do whatever it takes to ‘be at work’. This means getting dressed in presentable work attire. You will get a lot more work accomplished if you have taken a shower and ‘traveled’ to work, even if it’s to the next room.
Parking Garage Project Continued From Page 1
workers in downtown Saratoga Springs to survive and thrive.” Question can be directed to McMahon at ryanm@saratogacitycenter.org.
Dorothy Rogers-Bullis is owner and president of drb Business Interiors in Saratoga Springs. Courtesy drb Business Interiors
• Taking multiple physical breaks throughout the day is imperative. It gets your blood flowing and helps with the creative problem solving challenges. Get good exercise. Whether this means going for a walk, run or You tubing a workout. It does not matter what exercise you choose, what matters is daily exercise. • Stay current with video social chats. Maintaining your connections visually is imperative. You don’t realize how much socializing we do at the water cooler until you don’t have that anymore. • Use the best task chair and have your work area the correct height for your keyboard and monitor. Try standing throughout the day or working at the counter will help with your work output. We take for granted our work task chair we left at the office. Use your best option at home. Learn, grow and remember everyone is in the same situation.
Flat Rock Center is being built on the northern portion of a parking lot located on Maple Avenue, across from the Saratoga Springs City Center, with High Rock Avenue as the property’s eastern border. It will be four stories high on the High Rock Avenue side and three stories high on the Maple Avenue side.
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