Category Archives: Business News

Italian Restaurant, ‘Saluti,’ Opens On Canada Street In Lake George After COVID Delay

August 14, 2020August 14, 2020

Jimmy Hartwyk is the co-owner of Saluti, a new Italian restaurant at 25 Canada St. in Lake George. After a delay caused by the coronavirus, it opened Memorial Day weekend.
Courtesy Saluti

By Jill Nagy
Saluti, a new Italian restaurant at 25 Canada St. in Lake George, got off to a rocky start. They opened in February but had to close down in March because of the COVID pandemic. Then they re-opened after Memorial Day.
According to co-owner Jimmy Hartwyk, the biggest problem now is staffing because of the federal government cut-off of the usual stream of temporary workers from overseas.
But, “Things are going really well for us,” Hartwyk said, “I am pleasantly surprised.”
“It is not the year we thought we would have,” he added.
Requirements for social distancing limit capacity and, in general, “throws a wrench into our business plan.” For example, they are not yet serving lunch. On the plus side, “Our landlord has been very gracious” and, so far, “we are very lucky,” he said.

Exhibit Of Famous Pinball Machines Is Ongoing At Universal Preservation Hall

August 14, 2020August 14, 2020

The interactive Rock & Roll Hall of Fame exhibit, Part of the Machine: Rock & Pinball, is ongoing at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.
Jim Gilbert

Universal Preservation Hall opened the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame exhibit Part of the Machine: Rock & Pinball on July 26 for a two-month run.
The interactive exhibit showcases rock-themed, playable pinball machines and combines them with merchandise and artifacts to explore the artistic portrayal of artists and bands.
Part of the Machine: Rock & Pinball is presented at UPH by Adirondack Trust Co. UPH, a partner in the Proctors Collaborative, is selling tickets for 90-minute blocks throughout the run.
Tickets will be available for admittance at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day and hours are extended to include 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. admittance on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The event concludes on Saturday, Sept. 26. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and are available at universalpreservationhall.org.

SUNY ADK Degree Technical Trades Management Help People Open Businesses

August 14, 2020August 14, 2020

A new associate of occupational studies (AOS) degree is geared toward journeyworkers like this, interested in taking on a management role or opening their own businesses.
Courtesy SUNY Adirondack

SUNY Adirondack announced a new degree program, Journeyworker: Technical Trades Management, for its Fall 2020 semester.
The associate of occupational studies (AOS) degree is geared toward journeyworkers interested in taking on a management role or opening their own businesses.
“We’re excited to offer this opportunity to trained, skilled workers throughout the nation,” said Kristine D. Duffy, president of SUNY Adirondack. “This degree provides a strong foundation in the best business and management practices to round out their invaluable hands-on expertise.”

Common Roots Brewing Co., At The End Of A Challenging Road, Is Ready For The Future

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020

The owners of Common Roots Brewing Co. opened their business in a new building after its original one was destroyed by fire. V&H Construction built the new structure.
Courtesy V&H Construction

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Common Roots Brewing Co. is open at its new, expanded facility at 58 Saratoga Ave. in South Glens Falls.
The 15,000-square-foot facility is on the site of the company’s original brew house that was gutted by fire in March 2019. It is open seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m. for to-go sales only from the new taproom.
It will open with beer-to-go service and outdoor on-premise seating, as allowed by guidelines imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A gastro pub-style menu will be rolled out with food to go.
Phinney Design Group in Saratoga Springs designed the structure. V&H Construction of Fort Edward built it.
Christian Weber founded the company with his father, Burt Weber, in 2014.
“We understand it’s a destination spot for a lot of people,” said Weber. “The experience of coming to Common Roots has always been really important to us. Right now, the only thing more important than the experienced and the culture, is safety. Safety is our number-one priority so our staff and customers have a safe and comfortable experience.”
The facility has a restaurant with a state-of-the-art kitchen and wood-fired pizza oven, in addition to an expanded tap-room, conference room for events, four Tesla charging stations outside, an expanded biergarten with two fire pits.
With the re-opening, Common Roots has brought on new professional positions to the team. Dan Biddiscombe, former general manager of Downtown Social, joins the management team. Also added were Chris Grasso and Rich Wilson, both formerly of City Beer Hall, and Greg Hutchinson, formerly of Three Penny Taproom.

Aviation Mall Reopens After Green Light From State; Many Safety Guidelines Are In Place

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020

These signs on an entrance to the Aviation Mall in Glens Falls remind shoppers of the safety measures that have been imposed due to the virus pandemic.
Courtesy Aviation Mall

In accordance with the announcement made last week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Aviation Mall will opened July 10 for on-property retail, dining and eligible entertainment following the official New York Phase Four guidance.
As part of its re-opening, Aviation Mall introduced significant changes to its safety and sanitizing policies and procedures, along with Healthy Shopper Guidelines with Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations everyone must follow prior to entering the property, mall officials said.
Aviation Mall will operate under modified hours of operation, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Texas Company’s Plan To Buy Former GE Property In Fort Edward Falls To COVID-19

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020

WL Plastics in Fort Worth was closing in on the purchase of this former GE property.

By Christine Graf
Fort Worth-based WL Plastics, a subsidiary of Carson, Calif.-based Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA, has abandoned plans to acquire more than 25-acres of property at the former General Electric dewatering site in Fort Edward.
GE ceased operations there in 2015 after spending 8 years and approximately $1.7 billion to dredge PCB-tainted sediment from the Hudson River.
WL Plastics, one of North America’s largest manufacturers of high density polyethylene pipe, first expressed interest in the property two years ago. It would have been their ninth location.
In December 2019, the Warren-Washington County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) voted unanimously to offer the company approximately $2 million in incentives. The package included up to $871,500 in sales tax incentives and $1.19 million in property tax breaks. WL Plastics planned to invest $17 million in the property and create 50 well-paying jobs.
According to a written statement released by the company, their plans to build a new plant in Fort Edward were no longer “economically viable” a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company relies heavily on the oil and gas industries which have slowed considerably in recent months due to COVID-related industrial declines and travel restrictions.
Dave O’Brien, chairman of the IDA, said he was expecting WL Plastics to close on the property in the coming weeks. No one at the IDA was aware the deal was in jeopardy.

Report: Warren County’s Concentration Of Medical Supply Jobs Is Highest In The Nation

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic underscores the importance of the domestic manufacturing of medical equipment and supplies, according to Ed Bartholomew, president and CEO of EDC Warren County.
Bartholomew said that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data is revealing for the first time that Warren County has the nation’s highest concentration of jobs in that industry. According to a Center for Economic Growth (CEG) data analysis, over 1,509 jobs with total annual wages of nearly $93 million.
For over 50 years, Warren County’s medical equipment and supplies manufacturing industry has been making high quality products, earning the area the name Catheter Valley.
Today’s companies in Warren County, such as AngioDynamics, Becton Dickinson (BD) Bard, Delcath Systems and Medline Industries, have kept that tradition alive, Bartholomew said.
BLS recently started disclosing the number of jobs in Warren County’s medical equipment and supplies manufacturing industry. The data shows that in 2019 the county had 1,509 jobs in the industry, resulting in an 18.2 location quotient (LQ). That LQ represented the nation’s highest concentration of jobs in this industry among more than 500 U.S. counties for which full employment data is disclosed, according to CEG.

OxiFresh Carpet Cleaning, Serving Customers Throughout Region, Has A New Owner

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020

Andrew Allen, new owner of OxiFresh Carpet Cleaning, does work from Queensbury to Albany. He is looking for space to house his business in the Saratoga area.
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jill Nagy
OxiFresh Carpet Cleaning has a new owner, but he promises customers, “there will be no changes in your relationship with OxiFresh.”
The only difference people will notice, said new owner Andrew Allen, is “when speaking to management you will now be working with me.”
Allen was a technician and then manager with the company for three years. He began in 2017 as a technician. A year later, he was manager of operations.
While he worked his way up, Allen was also a student at SUNY Adirondack where he earned a business degree. He was simultaneously a full-time student and a full-time employee at OxiFresh.
This year, the employer offered to sell the franchise to him and he purchased it.

Bolton Landing Gift Shop, Local, Opens A Second Store On Canada St. In Lake George

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020

People gather at the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of Local on Canada Street in Lake George, which sells a variety of gifts with their logo, a drawing of the lake.
Courtesy Local

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Local, a gift shop in Bolton Landing, has just opened a second gift shop in downtown Lake George.
The Canada Street shop offers all of the sought-after goods they’ve been selling in their Bolton Landing store since 2014.
Co-owners Matt Peterson and Domenick Pfau took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony last month to celebrate the opening.
“For us, we wanted to be more accessible to our customers that live more near the southern end of Lake George. We know as well as anyone that the drive up (state Route) 9N in either summer or winter can be harrowing so we wanted to make it just a little bit easier for those locals,” said Pfau.
He said they felt the time was right to make their mark in Lake George, where they expect to see a lot of foot traffic from both local residents and visitors.
“Lake George Village is a much larger market than Bolton Landing, based on sheer population, and we thought it was time to become an addition to their boardwalk. We’re excited to not be another T-shirt shop in a tourist town, but a lifestyle brand that adds value to the shopping experience and community,” said Pfau.

Despite Pandemic, Lake George Officials Say Early Summer Business Was Strong

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020

Lake George region hospitality businesses reported a banner weekend for bookings and sales for the first official weekend of summer. Many say reservations for the important July 4th holiday weekend are strong as well.
Canada Street in the village of Lake George and Main Street in Bolton Landing were bustling as visitors flocked to the Southern Adirondack region’s lakes and re-awakening tourist attractions for a warm, sunny respite.
“People need a break. They’re eager to get out and enjoy the fantastic weather. They’re coming to Lake George to hike, bike and paddle, to go out in boat, and some people just enjoy sitting on the beach reading under a brilliant blue sky,” said Gina Mintzer, executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce reopened the Lake George Village Visitor Center at 1 Beach Road on June 20 for the season with precautions and protocols in place. The center will now be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
As the Warren County Tourism Department kicked off a new advertising campaign and temperatures soared to 90 degrees, Capital Region day-trippers and overnight guests made their way to America’s first summer playland to have some fun safely.