Category Archives: Business News

By Paul Post

Morcon Tissue’s move from Eagle Bridge to a larger Greenwich site is expected to accelerate already fast-paced sales that have grown from $20 million to $125 million annually since 2013, when President and CEO Joseph Raccuia purchased the firm.

Morcon buys large rolls of paper—more than eight feet wide—from domestic and overseas suppliers and converts it into disposable napkins, towels and tissue for the away-from-home market, which includes restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals and sports arenas.

It recently secured contracts to supply all Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants across the U.S., as well as AMC Theatres and half of all Dunkin’ franchises.

Morcon is moving into 90,000 square feet of leased space at a former Essity paper company facility that Fort Miller Group purchased earlier this year.

“It just gives us room to grow,” said Raccuia, former president and CEO of both Finch Paper in Glens Falls and South Glens Falls-based SCA Tissue North America. “We’ve got an excellent workforce. If we moved any more than 15 or 20 minutes from that Eagle Bridge facility, we ran the risk of losing employees. This allows us to retain them and pull more from other places such as Schuylerville, Saratoga Springs and Moreau. It gives us more hiring options.”

Morcon began using its new site for storage and warehousing on July 1. Plans call for moving machines there in January.

Essity vacated its Greenwich converting facility in July 2023, at the same time its South Glens Falls paper mill closed, eliminating 300 jobs.

KeyBank has named Erica Choi Capital Region market president, effective immediately. A 10-year banking veteran with 25 years of leadership experience, Choi will continue to serve as sales leader for KeyBank’s Commercial Bank in the Capital Region. She will succeed Fran O’Rourke, who has announced her retirement after serving as Capital Region market president since 2021.

 As market president and Commercial Bank sales leader, Choi will drive collaboration and coordination of KeyBank activities and resources in the market, serve as the face and voice of KeyBank in the community and manage a team dedicated to providing expertise and financial solutions to middle market clients in the Capital Region.

 “Erica has played an important role in Key’s success in the Capital Region since joining the Commercial Bank team as a senior banker in 2020,” said Michael McMahon, executive for Commercial Banking in Upstate New York. “Her client-focused approach, reputation as a motivational and team-oriented leader and role in the local community make her well poised to assume the role of market president. Fran O’Rourke leaves big shoes to fill, and Erica is just the person to carry KeyBank into the future in the Capital Region.”

 Prior to joining KeyBank, Choi worked for Bank of America in Albany as Middle Market relationship manager. She has also worked as senior area manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Albany, N.Y., senior brand manager for Beech-Nut Brand in Amsterdam, N.Y., and senior associate brand manager for Kraft Foods in Glenview, Ill.

By Paul Post

Jon LaRock’s restaurant odyssey has taken him from a South Glens Falls pizza shop to America’s last orange-roofed Howard Johnson’s, which he ran in Lake George before its closure several years ago.

“I started out at Ernie Jacobie’s (currently Humbuggs) at the corner of Gansevoort and Bluebird roads in South Glens Falls,” he said. “I used to pump gas for him across the street. Then one day he said, Do you want to start doing dishes? I said, Sure! Then I got into cooking. I was 15 years old.”

Last spring, with more than a half-century of experience under his belt, LaRock opened The Diner House at the corner of Main and Beech streets in Hudson Falls. Open daily, it specializes in breakfast and lunch menu items.

“This goulash is delicious,” Charles Mahay, a regular customer, said between bites. “And he makes a great hot turkey sandwich. I’ve had all the breakfast choices. I like them all. The Lumberjack special is my favorite.”

LaRock said he spent $5,000 to renovate the small space, a former aquarium shop. Now, after developing a local customer base, he plans on moving to a larger site, the former Seeley’s Restaurant, just down the road on Upper Broadway in Fort Edward.

Janice Durant established New Trails Business Consultants, Inc. in Queensbury a year ago. With more than 20 years of experience in franchising, she founded the company to help individuals transition from corporate careers to business ownership. She is passionate about empowering people to control their futures through entrepreneurship. “They might have always had that dream of being their own boss and working for themselves, maybe developing a family-owned business,” says Durant, “and I help them to explore opportunities.”

Durant’s own entrepreneurial journey began with a Sandler Training franchise in Albany, which she co-owned with her sister, Lorraine Ferguson, for 11 years. The experience provided her with firsthand knowledge of the benefits of franchising, including a standardized methodology, marketing support, and a pre-existing brand. After selling the franchise, she worked at Sandler’s corporate headquarters, where she led the franchise department and assisted new owners in getting started.

Durant, however, yearned for the independence of being her own boss again. “I was raised in a family of entrepreneurs—generations of business owners, including father-and-son teams, brothers, and married couples, all collaborating.” She felt a strong inclination towards consulting, a career she discovered through attending franchise conventions.

For individuals seeking to become a franchise owner, Durant’s services are complimentary. The franchisors compensate her for bringing them qualified leads. She begins by understanding the prospective owner’s “why”—what motivates them to seek business ownership. She looks for individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to follow a proven process.

“Many times during the conversations, we may uncover that they are more well-suited for starting their own independent business,” explains Durant. “Or maybe they just need to stay in the corporate world. So together we explore, really uncover, what they’re looking to achieve in their life, and I just guide them down the right path.”

By Nancy Nissen, Esq.

With back-to-school now underway, New York state Gov. Kathy Hochul’s smartphone ban, included in her “distraction-free school” policy approved as part of the New York State Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, took effect this fall for the 2025-2026 school year. Gov. Hochul’s goal builds on earlier actions targeting social media, like the SAFE for Kids Act, which limits addictive feeds, and the Child Data Protection Act, which restricts companies from collecting minors’ data. The phone ban continues this agenda, helping to protect and care for students’ mental health and promoting student success in the digital age.

Hochul’s “bell-to-bell” smartphone ban requires that districts ban all personal internet-enabled devices including smartphones, tablets and smartwatches on school grounds for the entire school day. This requires all devices to be switched off and stored throughout the day. Districts must submit plans on how they will manage devices.

There are exceptions for the use of devices to manage a medical condition, language translation, specific educational purposes, and the use of devices as part of a child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan. The plan, passed by both the New York state Senate and Assembly, and was signed into law by Hochul as part of the 2026 state budget, applies to public school districts, charter schools, and BOCES schools. Private schools and higher education institutions are not covered by the law.

What’s Included the Smartphone Ban

The smartphone ban prohibits unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day. Districts have been allowed to create their own plans for storing smartphones and other devices, with all schools and BOCES programs required to submit their policies by Aug. 1.

The governor’s plan includes $13.5 million in funding for schools who need to purchase storage solutions, and also requires that schools provide parents a way to contact their children during the day when necessary. However, it is currently unclear how districts will ensure that is possible.

From the shores of Lake Champlain to the heights of Mount Defiance, Fort Ticonderoga offers picturesque views around every corner and family-friendly activities this fall that capture the essence of the season. Ticonderoga’s defining history and signature stories are highlighted through innovative story telling on a grand scale, historic trades, daily soldiers’ life programs, enriching guided tours, thrilling weapons demos, boat cruises, endless outdoor activities, captivating signature events, and premium exclusive experiences.

“Surrounded by magnificent autumn backdrops of the Adirondacks and Green Mountains, the epic beauty makes Fort Ticonderoga a must-see destination any time of year, but especially during the fall,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga president & CEO. “Daily offerings bring visitors into Fort Ticonderoga’s defining story through hands-on activities, programs and exhibitions which inspire the joy of learning together for families and visitors of all ages, while gaining a deeper understanding of our nation’s past and its meaning to us today.”

Family Friendly Fall Fun

By Rod Bacon

A restaurant channeling the cruizin’ culture of the ‘50s and ‘60s, and paying homage to a popular song originated by Big Joe Turner that was covered by Bill Haley & His Comets, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and even The Beatles, among others, opened last month in Queensbury.

 Shake, Rattle & Roll, owned by Fort Ann concrete contractor Dale Baldwin, has been taking shape for the past five years.

“We worked on it in the winter when concrete work was slow,” said Baldwin. 

The 3,024-square-foot building was erected by Peterson Builders Framing Contractors of Charlotte, N.C. Baldwin’s son, Travis, did all the finish carpentry and his daughter, Amanda, performed the painting and staining tasks. Glens Falls-based E&T O’Connor did the site work and DE Contracting of Lake George did the paving. Cerrone Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning of Queensbury installed the plumbing and heating. 

The restaurant, which will be open from April through November, serves hamburgers and “Hound Dog” hot dogs, with sides of  french fries, mac-and-cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans. Twelve flavors of ice cream that can be ordered in cones, sundaes, floats, or banana splits, are offered for dessert. The ice cream, which can also be ordered from a walk-up ice cream window, is from King Brothers Dairy in Schuylerville.

By Paul Post

Four of seven commercial spaces at developer Chris Patten’s latest project, 46-56 South Street in Glens Falls, are already accounted for.

Katy’s Wine and Whiskey Bar and Jud’s Tavern are scheduled to open when work on the three-story, mixed-use building, with 20 second- and third-floor apartments, is completed this winter.

“I really want to bring back South Street,” Patten said. “To do that we need to generate foot traffic with bars and restaurants.”

The large previously-vacant building, at the corner of South and Elm streets, was recently painted a handsome navy blue and white, and will transform dramatically at night with multi-colored lighting along the roof line.

Nearby, Patten is also redeveloping 10 Broad Street, site of a former Rite Aid store, with construction of a three-story structure comprised of a 56-space ground-floor parking garage and 24 high-end apartments overhead.

The two projects combined total $11 million – $5 million for 46-56 South Street and $6 million for 10 Broad Street. The latter project is called The Point.