By Christine Graf
North Country Facilities Management and North Country Snow and Ice Management will be relocating their headquarters from 207 Maple Street in Glens Falls to 415 Big Bay Road in Queensbury.
The company hopes to receive its certificate of occupancy by mid-September.
According to chief executive officer Michael Merrill, North Country has outgrown its Glens Falls location and store equipment at seven different locations throughout the area. The company is also in need of a location that provides easier access to the Northway.
“We need more day-to-day operation space and a better location. That’s what’s bringing us to Big Bay Road,” he said. “We will be right near an exit (Northway Exit 18). Right now, our days start with 10 to 20 crews fighting for 20 to 30 minutes to get to an exit.”
North Country will be leasing the 1.72-acre property with the option to buy. It includes a vacant, 5,500-square-foot warehouse that will be used for offices, a repair shop and equipment storage.
According to Merrill, the company plans to renovate and expand the existing warehouse. The current building is not large enough to meet current or future needs.
Lake George Has Strong Summer Season, Eyes Getting More Year-Round Business
By Rachel Phillips
For the businesses in Warren County, the end of summer sometimes means business slowing, or even coming to a full stop as they close up shop until next year.
Tourism in the Adirondacks is a $1.5 billion industry, which supports over 21,000 jobs, officials say. Of that sum, Warren County takes in 42 percent of the region’s tourism sales.
Officials report the 2019 summer tourist season was strong for local businesses.
Data collected from Smith Travel Research reports that Warren County’s occupancy was up to 78.63 percent in July, and 81.6 percent in August, an increase of 4.6 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.
The report is compiled from the data offered by participating hotels in the area. In addition to the percentage of available rooms booked during each month, it also follows the prices of rooms throughout the seasons. For example, the average rate of a hotel room in August was around $203, and in February it was only $128. While only one source of data, the report can help locals and business owners to understand the area’s economic patterns.
According to Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, there were a number of factors that played into the area’s successful summer season. In addition to new large-brand hotels in the area, Mintzer said the new Adirondacks welcome center, located between Northway exits 17 and 18, helped increase business.
Michael Barrett To Replace Neil Woodworth As ADK Executive Director In November
The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) announced that Michael Barrett was appointed as the new executive director of the organization, which will be effective in November.
The appointment was unanimously approved by the ADK board of directors at its Sept. 28 meeting.
ADK’s previous executive director and current chief executive officer, Neil Woodworth, will remain with ADK for several months to facilitate the transition and will remain of counsel to ADK for the near future.
“Michael is a proven and dynamic leader with years of success as an advocate and policy maker. We look forward to him joining ADK,” said John Gilewicz, ADK board president.“We thank Neil for his decades of service and his tremendous contribution, not just to ADK but to New York state.”
“We welcome Michael Barrett to the Adirondacks and we look forward to working with him in the years ahead,” said William C. Janeway, executive director of the Adirondack Council. “His experience will serve him well as we all work to protect the park’s ecology, beauty and wilderness, and improve public recreation.”
“For more than 35 years, Neil produced results through his dedication, passion, expertise, knowledge, vision and ability to lead volunteers and staff,” said Janeway. “Neil has had an incredible positive impact on the preservation of wildlands, protection of and opening to the public of waters such as Little Tupper Lake, the Boreas Ponds, and education of outdoor enthusiasts.”
Barrett is a former foreign language interrogator for the U.S. Army. He went on to obtain his law degree in 2002 before serving as an attorney to the NYS Assembly Codes Committee. He later held executive-level positions in both the Spitzer and Paterson governor administrations.
ARCC Annual Business Expo Schedule For Oct. 16 At Queensbury Hotel In Glens Falls
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) will hold its annual Business Expo on Wednesday, October 16, from 4-7 p.m. at The Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls.
Featuring over 80 businesses, the showcase event encourages networking within the business community. Many businesses will be engaging with attendees through games, contests, product demos and more.
This business showcase features exhibit booths from regional businesses, as well as food samples, drink specials and door prizes
“The ARCC Business Expo is an excellent way to discover, connect and network with regional businesses,” said Amanda Blanton, ARCC marketing and communications manager. “We love the excitement this event brings to the region.”
East Cove Restaurant In Lake George Makes A Comeback Under New Ownership
By Jennifer Farnsworth
Longtime fans of the East Cove restaurant in Lake George can experience a comeback after a three-year hiatus.
The business reopened on July 10.
New owners oversaw renovations to the building at the intersection of Beach Road and Route 9L in Lake George, including an updated kitchen and relocation of the bar area, according to general manager Kevin Chudyk.
Personnel Briefs: October 2019
Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. announced the promotion of Adam Horowitz to assistant vice president in the Wealth Management Division.
The bank also announced the addition of Leslie D’Angelico as vice president on its Business Development team.
Horowitz evaluates, designs and oversees all aspects of portfolio construction for individual, corporate and not-for-profit plans. He serves the same role for Saratoga National Bank and Trust Co., part of the Arrow family of companies. He is also co-manager of the North Country Equity Growth and Intermediate Bond Funds.
He joined Glens Falls National Bank in 2018 as an investment professional. He brought with him more than 14 years of portfolio management and client relationship experience.
Horowitz earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from SUNY Albany. Active in the community, he is a volunteer firefighter with the Malta Ridge Volunteer Fire Company.
Spirit Halloween Has Costumes, Accessories And More In Aviation Mall
By Jennifer Farnsworth
With Halloween approaching, the convenience of having a costume store nearby is handy and Aviation Mall is taking advantage of that.
The popular nationally known store Spirit Halloween can found popping up in vacant spaces, bringing all things Halloween. One has opened in the local mall.
Mall general manager James Griffith, said business has been steady since Spirit opened and he expects it to continue to increase right through October. Griffith said Spirit’s parent company is Spencer’s.
The mall already has a Spencer’s, making communication easy between the mall and Spirit since they had somewhat of an existing relationship.
“There was mutual interest there, between Pyramid Management, the mall management group for Aviation, and for Spencer’s. It was a perfect fit for our needs and theirs,” said Griffith.
Glens Falls Hospital, Albany Medical Center Start The Process For An Affiliation Pact
Glens Falls Hospital and Albany Med have approved a definitive agreement for Glens Falls Hospital to become an affiliate of Albany Med.
The agreement was approved in September by both boards following a nearly year-long due diligence process undertaken by both organizations. Both will now begin working through the necessary regulatory approvals needed to finalize the affiliation, which is expected to be complete in 2020, officials said.
It’s not official yet. The agreement still needs state and federal approval. That will take about a year, said Albany Medical Center spokesman Jeffrey Gordon.
“Glens Falls Hospital is evolving to ensure we are strong not just today, but for generations to come, and we are excited to have reached another significant milestone toward becoming an affiliate of Albany Med,” said Dianne Shugrue, Glens Falls Hospital president and CEO. “Albany Med has long been recognized as a premier healthcare provider, and we look forward to joining their organization once the affiliation is finalized.”
“Over many years, Albany Med has been working to build a health care system that provides our region access to the highest quality of care possible, and to ensure that residents throughout Northeastern New York can receive the type of care typically available only in major metropolitan centers,” said Dr. Steven Frisch, Albany Med senior executive vice president.
‘CRAFT On 9’ Moves And Expands Popular Venue, Now Located In Downtown Glens Falls
by Andrea Palmer
CRAFT on 9, a brew pub and restaurant has moved from South Glens Falls to 7 South St. in downtown Glens Falls and has expanded its business..
The building was purchased about a year or so ago by Chris Patten, and completely renovated. There are about 18 new apartments upstairs. The building is also home to Hometown Cigars & Lounge at 278 Glen St.
Rob Murphy, owner of CRAFT on 9, and Bill Dingman, general manager, met when they worked together for many years at Bistro Tallulah in Glens Falls.
“When we were designing the place, we wanted to separate sections for dining and for the bar. So we designed the whole front area with the purpose of being a bar and lounge,” Murphy said. “We put the big windows in to keep the place open. Then we invested in a lot for the dining room in the back, apart from the bar area. We think it will be super beneficial to people who just want a drink. We’ll have a smaller, condensed menu with less entrees and more bar fare,” said Murphy.
Glens Falls National Bank Partners With ADK To Fund Seasonal Volunteer Host Program
ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) has partnered with a local bank, Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. to fund the High Peaks Information Center (HPIC) volunteer host program.
Located at the trailhead for many of the Adirondack high peaks, the HPIC is a major thoroughfare for hikers to get on the trail and begin their trek.
Abutting New York’s busiest trailhead, the HPIC serves as a gateway to the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness. In 2017, from the beginning of July through the end of August, there were 27, 251 registered hikers at the Heart Lake Property trailheads, officials said.
The Eastern High Peaks is New York state’s largest wilderness area and is home to the 46 high peaks. One can hike in a landscape that varies from a northern hardwood forest to a spruce-fir zone to arctic tundra. The area is also home to numerous lakes and streams found throughout major New York state watersheds.
According to ADK, over the last few years visitor numbers have been on an upward trend, complicating the integrity of the wilderness experience and the ability to protect natural resources.