By Paul Post

Government and employer-driven workforce development programs are critical to overcoming a nationwide labor shortage problem that’s reaching crisis proportions locally as well.

That’s what elected officials told more than 200 people at the recent Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Lunch With Legislators gathering on Feb. 25 at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls .

“There’s not a single employer I’ve visited in my district who’s said this isn’t an issue for them,” said state Sen. Dan Stec.

U.S. Rep. Elisa Stefanik said, “Every small business I go to, every manufacturer, every hospital, they tell me one of their top concerns is attracting labor.”

They discussed a variety of business-related issues with state Sen. Jake Ashby  and Assembly members Carrie Woerner and Matt Simpson. Woerner and Simpson’s districts encompass northern Saratoga County.

During the pandemic, many people discovered they had enough financial resources to retire and opt out of the workforce, Woerner said. “And a lot of people have chosen to stop working for somebody else and start their own business,” she said. “Business starts have skyrocketed the past couple of years (23,745 this January versus 16,862 in January 2019).”

By Paul Post

It wasn’t terribly long ago that some people called for closure and redevelopment of the Glens Falls Civic Center, which had become a financial albatross to its owner, the City of Glens Falls.

There was no hockey team and few other events were held throughout the year.

Now with a new name, Cool Insuring Arena, and under new management, the facility brings an estimated 250,000 people downtown annually, generating welcome revenue for a variety of local business.

In no small way, it’s a major contributor to the city’s economic revitalization.

The community has embraced the Adirondack Thunder hockey team, which is averaging nearly 3,500 fans per game, the most in its history, and almost 10,000 people turned out for two of the most recent home games on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24.

But the center’s most anticipated annual event is this month’s three-day (March 17-19) New York state public high school boys basketball tournament, featuring top teams and players from throughout the Empire State.

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with almost 300 regional business leaders and guests, celebrated the accomplishments of Hudson Headwaters Health Network founder Dr. John Rugge on March 10 at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing. 

At the dinner, Rugge was presented with the J. Walter Juckett Award.

ARCC has honored a community member with the award at its annual dinner event for the past 34 years. 

Juckett  was an active participant in many community organizations, including the Mohican Council of the Boy Scouts, the Lake Champlain Cancer Research Organization, the Adirondack Samaritan Counseling Center, First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, the Salvation Army, and ARCC.

After his passing in 1988, the Chamber’s board of directors created the prestigious J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award. Each year, the award is bestowed upon a deserving honoree, who demonstrates a fierce commitment and hands-on dedication to the betterment of our community. 

“Dr. Rugge had a vision to bring accessible health care to all parts of our region, and with much hard work and determination, he made that a reality,” said ARCC President and CEO Tricia Rogers. “He is an inspiration to us all and we were thrilled to honor him with the J. Walter Juckett Award.”

By Paul Post

When Bob Blais took the office of village of Lake George mayor decades ago, there was only one special event in Lake George, a weekly Tuesday night band concert.

Now there’s an endless variety of year-round attractions such as Americade motorcycle rally, Adirondack Nationals car show, Ice Castles and a full lineup of events at Charles R. Wood Park’s Festival Commons like the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival and numerous concerts.

Together they draw tens of thousands of visitors to Lake George each year, which drives the local tourism economy. But without Blais’ leadership, it may not have been possible.

“People say, ‘How come you’ve been mayor for 52 years?’ It just takes me longer,” he said. “But I like to think when we get it done, we do it right.”

Blais’ career as America’s longest-tenured mayor is scheduled to end March 31 when his retirement takes effect. But his contributions to the area’s economic development will be felt for many years to come.

By Paul Post

Alan VanTassel stays in business by working himself out of a job.

After 30-plus years in corporate America, he recently launched his own Moreau-based firm, Velocity Sales, which helps entrepreneurs achieve their sales vision and goals.

“Sales is an area of difficulty for most small business owners,” VanTassel said. “They’re passionate about what they do, but their experience is not often in sales. At some point they get to a place where sales are declining or they’re frustrated with revolving-door salespeople coming and going, and can’t attract good talent. Clients hire me on an interim business. We don’t just consult, we actually do the work for them.”

“The model is to help them build a sales structure they don’t have, to help them get their business to the next level,” he said. “I’ll help them hire salespeople, do weekly ride-alongs and attend sales meetings. I can be part of the business and run sales while developing a long-term strategy or plan. After 12 to 24 months I’d be gone.”

VanTassel is an alum of Queensbury High School and Adirondack Community College (now SUNY Adirondack). Early in his career, he traveled the country for Melville Corp., the parent company of numerous nationwide chain stores such as Thom McAn shoes, Marshalls and KB Toys. Then he was a regional sales manager for Stride Rite shoes before moving to Verizon, where he managed sales in its upstate New York market’s messaging division.

By Susan Elise Campbell

The husband and wife team of Doug and Alison Bohannon, owners of Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center in South Glens Falls, added a second location to their business portfolio with the purchase of Spare Time bowling alley and arcade at 375 Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham.

The Bohannons said they closed the transaction on Nov. 30 for $3.2 million.

“I have been in the bowling business since 1999, starting out as a pin changer and working my way up through management,” he said.

In 2013 the opportunity was presented to purchase the Spare Time lanes in South Glens Falls. The Bohannans re-named the business Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center and in February 2022 was approached by Spare Time Entertainment about purchasing the Latham location.

“This is a company I was employed by for 13 years and who sold us our South Glens Falls alleys 10 years ago, so we are very familiar with each other,” said Bohannon. “Negotiations went pretty quickly.”

The Bohannons changed the name of the center but have no plans to renovate at this time. Neither will there be staff changes among the 30-plus employees.

The Glens Falls Collaborative will host its annual Wing Fest event on Saturday, April 29,  in downtown Glens Falls. 

The event is a competition between restaurants for the best wings. Tasting is from noon to 3 p.m. and an awards ceremony at the bandstand in City Park at 3:30 p.m. will close out the event. There will be multiple categories that restaurants can win. 

There will also be entertainment in City Park.

The second annual Michael DuBray Inferno Wing Eating Competition will also takes place at 2 p.m. on Glen Street.  Competitors will pay a registration fee of $25 that will go into a Michael DuBray Scholarship Fund and will determine who can eat the most hot wings. The winner will receive a trophy and bragging rights. 

The contest honors Michael DuBray, also known as DeeJay DuBray, who helped found the event and served as its chair and champion for many years. Register for the eating contest at www.glensfallscollaborative.com.

The Collaborative is still seeking  participating restaurants for the event. Restaurants are invited to apply online at www.glensfallscollaborative.com.

By Christine Graf

At the beginning of 2023, Express Pack N Ship in Hudson Falls became a franchisee of Package Hub Business Center. There are more than 1,000 independently owned and operated Package Hub franchises throughout the country.

Located at 3316 Route 4, Express Pack N Ship is a full-service packaging and shipping company that operates out of the same space as Document Solutions of the North Country. 

Both businesses are owned by Rick Gallup who established Document Solutions more than 20 years ago. In addition to selling and servicing office equipment including copiers and printers, the company offers cloud solutions, computer network support, and managed print services.

According to Gallup, before becoming a franchisee of Package Hub, Express Pack N Ship offered Federal Express shipping only. They are now able to offer UPS shipping as well as a variety of virtual office services designed to meet the needs of the growing number of individuals who work from home.