Category Archives: Business News

SUNY ADK ‘Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp’ Offers Hands-On Learning

October 17, 2022

SUNY Adirondack has added an Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp to its Workforce Development course offerings.

The course includes a tool kit for each student, as well as OSHA’s Lockout Tagout (LOTO) certification training and examination.

“This is a great opportunity for interested individuals to receive hands-on training in a field that is in immediate need of skilled applicants,” said Caelynn Prylo, dean of continuing education and workforce innovation at SUNY Adirondack.

Career services are embedded in the course and include presentations by area job centers and recruitment opportunities with local employers.

With its new bootcamp, SUNY Adirondack “has taken a strong step in helping to fill a need for this skill set in the Capital Region, and in preparing students for careers in advanced manufacturing,” said Jordan Steller, senior director of human resources at GlobalFoundries.

The Electrical Maintenance Technician Bootcamp is one of three 12-week courses offered by SUNY Adirondack’s WRAP Reimagine grant, under the SUNY Reimagine Workforce Preparation Training Program, fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

For no cost, qualified applicants can participate in workforce training programs in electrical maintenance, sterile processing or python for data analytics. Interested individuals must be at least 18 years old and have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These courses are geared toward people seeking occupational skills for a career in the high-demand industries of manufacturing, information technology and health care, officials said.

Advokate Communications And Marketing Group Moves Its Offices To Glen Street

October 17, 2022

Kate Austin, seated, owner and CEO of Advokate, in the company’s new office with Cam Cardinale the company’s marketing and communications director.

Advokate LLC, a design, communications and marketing firm, has relocated to 333 Glen St. in Monument Square from 16C Exchange St. in Glens Falls.

A ribbon-cutting and open house at Advokate’s was held Sept. 28 for the occasion, co-hosted by the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“We had been remote for two years and it felt like time to scale the office down, but then we found the perfect suite in the Traveler’s Building,” said Kate E. Austin, founder and CEO of Advokate.

“The new office space is accessible by elevator, includes conference room availability, two private offices, and feels like a level-up to us,” she said. “With the size of our team now, it was time to structure the company for growth. And we realized that once we felt safer meeting in-person that we really preferred it over Zoom.”

New Owners Of ‘Pure ‘N Simple’ Store Continue To Sell Locally Produced Products

October 17, 2022

Andrew and Kristen Holt, new owners of the Glens Falls health food store Pure ‘n Simple, pose in the East Washington Street business with their children.

By Christine Graf

Husband and wife Andrew and Kristen Holt are the new owners of the Glens Falls health food store Pure ‘n Simple.

The couple purchased the business from longtime owners Paul and Bonnie Savard. It is located at 4 East Washington Street.

Pure ‘n Simple sells a broad range of vitamin and mineral supplements as well as bulk foods including nuts, fruits, grains, and flours. They also offer an assortment of other grocery items, many of which are vegan, dairy free, and gluten free. Although the store does not currently sell produce or meat, the new owners hope to carry these products in the future.

Kristen is a native of Upstate New York, and the couple moved to the Glens Falls area seven years ago after spending the first four years of their married life living Kenya, Africa.

While in Kenya, Andrew worked as the country director for an NGO (non-governmental organization) that operated schools, orphanages, and medical clinics.

After moving to New York, he was the pastor of a church in Saratoga Springs for several years. He now works full-time for the U.S. Postal Service. Kristen was a stay-at-home mom to their four children before they bought Pure ‘n Simple. She is now the store’s only employee.

Albany Med To Rebrand Hospitals In Its System, Including Saratoga And Glens Falls

October 17, 2022

The Albany Med Health System is embarking on an evolution of its brand to reflect the unity of its member organizations and its commitment to provide the widest range of medical and surgical services to patients across northeastern New York.

Albany Medical Center, Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, and the Visiting Nurses will now share a common visual identity anchored by the Albany Med Health System name and logo.

This representation draws upon the identity of Albany Medical Center as the region’s academic medical and tertiary care center. It also conveys the collaborative extension of adult and pediatric specialties from the hospital to community-based locations and to the home.

“Our people are the backbone of our brand,” said Albany Med Health System President and CEO Dr. Dennis P. McKenna. “We are one team, 16,000 professionals strong, standing ready to care for the three million people of our region. When patients see the Albany Med Health System brand, they can rest assured they have a direct connection to the most advanced quality services and the largest team of health care experts from the Mid-Hudson Valley to the North Country. We are partners along every step of the journey—because good health makes anything possible.”

“Being part of the Albany Med Health System means much more than just five institutions sharing a common look,” said Paul Scimeca, president and CEO of Glens Falls Hospital. “It is more important now than ever to show the region we are working together toward a common goal of providing everyone with high quality healthcare—and to showcase the great careers our friends and neighbors can have at all of these excellent institutions.”

Officials said consumers are increasingly seeking easy access to highly specialized care. The Albany Med Health System expands access through collaboration. One brand identity explains the strength and scope of the system from primary to urgent, hospital, surgical, postsurgical, and home care. It demonstrates the links between community hospitals and Albany Medical Center’s advanced services, which extend additional resources through the region and for patients who require a higher level of care.

Warrensburg Dealership Is Part Of AgPack Program That Give Farmers Special Benefits

October 17, 2022

The idea of farmers helping farmers find a return on their truck investment resulted in the creation of AgPack. Seven years later, AgPack benefits to farmers and growers could quickly add up to nearly $30,000 in real operational savings, say those in the program.

Krystal Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (CDJR) at 3940 Main St., Warrensburg, recently completed the stringent requirements to become a local Certified Agriculture Dealership making them eligible to offer AgPack to their farm and grower customers.

AgPack is a collaboration of agricultural companies who, collectively, organized a specialized package of discounts and rebates on things producers have to buy anyway.

The process calls for a farmer to purchase or lease a qualifying farm truck or SUV from a Certified Agriculture Dealerships. In doing so, they have to verify their agricultural enterprise with the dealer. Once the dealer has notified AgPack, the farmer or rancher will be contacted by an AgPack representative within a week to begin redemptions

“Believe it, or not, AgPack is free with the purchase or lease of a qualifying new, or pre-owned, farm truck, or SUV, from a Certified Agriculture Dealership,” said Pat Driscoll, CEO of Certified Agriculture Dealers/AgPack. “Plus, AgPack can be stacked on top of any incentive, rebate, fleet or VIP program the local dealer can offer.”

“More than anything, farmers and ranchers want—need—the most durable vehicle money can buy,” added Driscoll. “We know because we’re ranchers and farmers, too. And that’s what we want. Our focus is to make sure our agriculture family gets an honest to goodness return on their truck investment.”

Businesses Can Participate In Free Online Cybersecurity Summit Run By U.S. SBA

October 17, 2022

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will host a free, virtual National Cyber Summit on Oct. 26 to help introduce American small businesses to tools, tips, and resources to bolster their cybersecurity infrastructure in addition to exploring new trends and challenges entrepreneurs are increasingly facing.

“America’s small businesses are pivoting to digital technologies and online strategies at historic rates to reach new customers and improve operational efficiencies, but that pivot has also exposed them to significant new threats from cyberattacks,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

“Our SBA team has mobilized to support them against these potentially disruptive threats with cybersecurity resources and trainings across our resource partner networks, as well as through our recently launched Small Business Digital Alliance. Launching the SBA’s first cybersecurity summit will help us build on that work and ensure America’s 33 million small businesses and innovative startups can pivot safely online and grow resilient businesses.”

“As our small businesses pivot more and more into cyber space to expand their market, we want to insure that they connect effectively and safely,” said SBA Regional Administrator Marlene Cintron. “This is a timely and responsive effort for businesses trying to regain and improve market share.”

“We are energized to bring actual solutions to the table for America’s small businesses, which continue to inspire us all with hope and resilience,” said SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid.

The summit comes on the heels of the recently announced awardees for the SBA’s new pilot program created to help emerging small businesses steel themselves against cyberattacks.

Renua Energy Works With Solar Projects, Installs Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

September 19, 2022September 19, 2022

Dave Byrne, owner, and Nick Schupp, project manager, on site in St. Lawrence County at a 5-megawatt solar project designed and permitted by Renua Energy. Courtesy Renua Energy

By Paul Post

Dave Byrne’s deployment to Iraq and Kuwait gave him a first-hand appreciation for the need to promote energy independence and bolster national security through solar as a renewable resource.

“Without any formal business training or experience, I started working for a Hudson Valley-based solar company as a residential installer and worked my way up from there,” said Byrne, a West Point graduate. “Many years later, I decided to start Renua Energy, as I saw a need for certain customer-centric solutions and I enjoy building from the ground up.”

In 2018, he left his day job and threw himself full time into the fledging venture with just a handful of employees. Today, the South Glens Falls-based business has 14 workers and has successfully designed and permitted 31 community solar projects across upstate New York that offset the production of nearly 6.2 million tons of harmful carbon emissions.

In short, community solar is a large array of solar panels at an offsite location that allows customers to access such power without installing panels on their homes. Developers build and operate the projects, and energy delivery companies like National Grid purchase and distribute credits generated by the projects to participating customers.

Hospitality Group’s Projects On Glen And Park Streets Will Add Vitality To Downtown

September 19, 2022

Ben Miller, operations manager for Park Street Hospitality, says the building at 126 Glen St. in Glens Falls will eventually be renovated, but may soon have a tenant on an interim basis.
Glens Falls Business Journal

By Christine Graf

A local business has plans in the works to further strengthen Glens Falls as vital part of the North Country economic engine.

Business owner and preservationist Elizabeth Miller recently purchased 126 Glen St. for $845,000. A former Saratoga Springs teacher, she is the owner of Doty Machine Works in Fort Edward and Miller Mechanical in Glens Falls. She has already invested millions of dollars to renovate several historic properties in the city including Park Theater and 15 Park St.

Her newest property at 126 Glen St. was built in 1890 and was the former home of Look TV. The 11,500-square-foot building will require a significant investment, and her property development company is working with city officials to apply for funding through Restore New York. The Restore New York Communities Initiative provides municipalities with financial assistance for the revitalization of commercial and residential properties.

According to Miller’s son and business partner, Ben Miller, operations manager for Park Street Hospitality, “The building needs a lot of work. It needs a similar amount of work to what the building at 15 Park St. has needed. We don’t have firm plans for a full gut and renovation right now. We have a tenant who is interested in renting the ground floor in as-is condition and putting a business in there.

Adirondack Regional Chamber To Host B2B Event Oct. 19 At Queensbury Hotel

September 19, 2022

People browse exhibitor booths at a previous ARCC B2B Expo at the Queensbury Hotel.
Courtesy ARCC

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) will hold its B2B Expo on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4-7 p.m. at The Queensbury Hotel, 88 Ridge Street in Glens Falls.

The showcase event encourages networking within the business community. It features exhibit booths from regional businesses, as well as food samples, drink specials and door prizes.

“The ARCC Business Expo is a favorite event of our members and business community. We are really looking forward to this event, as it’s a great opportunity to showcase our businesses. I would encourage everyone to stop by and discover new businesses and reconnect with old friends,” said Tricia Rogers, ARCC president and CEO.

The business showcase features 80-plus regional businesses on display, with plenty of opportunities for networking. It is free to attend, with fees to exhibit.

ARCC Members can register to exhibit on the ARCC website at www.adirondackchamber.org/events.

Visitors are encouraged to bring plenty of business cards, Rogers said.

Warren & Washington IDA Names Charles R. Barton As Its First Chief Executive Officer

September 19, 2022

Charles R. “Chuck” Barton, CEO, Warren & Washington Industrial Development Agency.
Courtesy Warren & Washington IDA

With a goal of expanding and enhancing services to existing and prospective new businesses and fully capitalizing on opportunities at its Canalside Energy Park in Fort Edward, the board of directors of the Warren & Washington Industrial Development Agency appointed Charles R. “Chuck” Barton as its first chief executive officer.

The IDA began considering such an appointment earlier this year as interest in its services and the park have been steadily growing and requiring greater levels of staff attention, officials said. IDA Chairman David O’Brien, town of Hampton supervisor in Washington County, has been serving as de facto CEO for several years in a volunteer capacity. But he and his fellow board members felt that a full-time chief executive could take the organization to new levels of success.

“The opportunities for the IDA to help retain and expand existing local businesses and help new businesses start or relocate here have never been greater than in today’s economic climate, and we are thrilled that Chuck will lead us into this new era of service to our region,” O’Brien said.

“Chuck’s vast experience in business management, finance, and manufacturing gives him a deep understanding of the challenges faced by companies today and how the IDA can best serve them. Chuck also brings to his new role a strong commitment to community service in general and economic development in particular, as evidenced by his service as a volunteer board member with our IDA and before that with EDC Warren County.”

“Regional cooperation and coordination on economic development are essential to our counties’ long-term success, and I can say from personal experience that Chuck epitomizes that collaborative spirit,” said Jim Siplon, president of EDC Warren County. “It was my pleasure to work with Chuck when he was a board member at EDC, and I look forward to collaborating with him in this exciting new role.”