Category Archives: Business News

The International Motorcoach Group (IMG) named Brown Coach of Amsterdam as its 2017 Operator of the Year at the Strategic Alliance and Marketing Meeting’s awards banquet sponsored by Prevost and held at its Nashville, Tenn., service center.

Brown Coach is thee parent company of Upstate Transit of Saratoga LLC.

In December 2005, Upstate Transit of Saratoga was purchased and became part of the Brown family of transportation. Upstate Transit of Saratoga LLC, with over 20 years of tour planning experience, offers chartered bus service, tours and line service in the Capital/Saratoga region.

The award was accepted by Stephen Brown, vice president of Brown Coach, on behalf of his brother Robert, their families, and the team at Brown Coach.

Each year, IMG recognizes one of its own for the honor.  The award is based on a criteria of operational excellence, safety performance, best practices, community and motorcoach industry involvement and engagement within IMG.

The Hyde Collection’s annual gala raised $150,000 to benefit the museum’s programs and exhibitions.

Some 170 people attended the Oct. 6 event, which celebrated the opening of “A Shared Legacy: Folk Art in America.”

“We are thrilled with the generosity of our supporters,” said Interim Director Anne Saile. “We could not have asked for a more perfect evening.”

Among those in attendance were Sam and Pat Hoopes, whose $50,000 sponsorship of the event inspired others to donate and helped The Hyde exceed its fundraising goals for the gala, officials said. The Hoopes family helped welcome folk art collector Barbara Gordon, from whose collection the exhibition is drawn.

The event was emceed by WAMC personality Joe Donahue. Board of Trustees Chairman Karl Seitz presented former Museum Director Erin Coe with an award of appreciation for her years of service.

By Maureen Werther

At the end of the 2017 summer tourism, there are divergent opinions about who should oversee marketing and promotion of the region going forward.

Members of the Warren County Lodging Association (WCLA) have been lobbying to create a Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which would operate as a business and take over the marketing, advertising and promotion functions that have been the job of Warren County Tourism Department.

Frank Dittrich, member of the WCLA and part owner of several hotels and inns in Lake George, is among those pushing for a change. He and others insist that the increased revenues from room occupancy taxes are the result of increases in room rates and not increased levels of occupancy.

The 2017 Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Expo saw 62 regional businesses exhibiting and strong crowds, Chamber officials said.

Held on Sept. 21 at The Queensbury Hotel, the event provided area businesses a chance to gather, network and connect in an exhibit-style setting. It gives members an opportunity to showcase their businesses and services that they provide.

Complimentary food samples and various door prizes were also part of the event at the hotel.

“We have received a lot of positive feedback on the event,” says Marti Burnley, ARCC interim president. “It was great to see some familiar faces and a lot of new ones as well. Plus, the Queensbury Hotel did an amazing job. I think everyone really enjoyed it.”

The premier sponsor was Capital Financial Group Inc. Presenting sponsor was Glens Falls National Bank and Glen Street Associates was the Photo sponsor.

SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Empire State have forged an agreement to open a seamless new pathway for business students to earn a graduate degree.

The articulation agreement allows qualified Bachelor of Business Administration students at SUNY Cobleskill to transfer smoothly into the Master of Business Administration in business management program at SUNY Empire.

The agreement enables SUNY Cobleskill BBA students to cross-register for up to nine credits of SUNY Empire MBA coursework, and establishes a framework for developing a combined BBA-MBA program registered jointly by both institutions.

“SUNY Cobleskill is dedicated to creating learning pathways tailored to continuous and suitable student progress from secondary school through to their desired goals,” said Marion Terenzio, its president. “This new partnership with SUNY Empire State College gives our business students a valuable opportunity to continue seamlessly to a graduate degree program.”

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) reported that the recently completed summer meet at Saratoga Race Course set a record for all-sources handle with $676.7 million being wagered during the 40-day meet.

That surpassed the record of $648.3 million wagered in 2015. This year’s handle was up 4.5 percent over last year’s figure of $647.3 million, NYRA officials said.

On-track handle was $157 million, just missing the record $157.6 million wagered in 2015, but up 3.4 percent from last year’s figure of $151.8 million, NYRA said.

Total attendance, or paid admissions, for the summer was 1,117,838, just off the record of 1,123,647 set in 2016, officials said.