Category Archives: Business News

SUNY Adirondack has extended its deadline for incoming student scholarships for qualifying students in the fall 2021 semester. More than $400,000 will be offered to new students, ranging from $200 to full-tuition awards.

Scholarships recognize and support academic achievement, adult learners and veterans, students with financial need and those admitted into specialized fields of study. To be eligible to receive a scholarship, admission and FAFSA applications must be complete by June 1. The deadline was extended, allowing those considering attending college greater opportunity to decide.

“Students will automatically be eligible for scholarships, without having separate applications,” said Robert Palmieri, vice president of Enrollment and Student Affairs. “Through the generosity of supporters of the SUNY Adirondack Foundation, we are able to give more students financial support.”

Scholarships are available for all majors, but certain populations and fields of study are guaranteed awards. Among them are all incoming students with a high school GPA of 90 and higher; all adult learners ages 24 and older; all veterans; all TRIO Upward Bound graduates; and everyone with a high school average of C-plus or higher who is accepted into the following majors: accounting, agricultural business; broadcast media production; creative writing; criminal justice: substance abuse services; engineering science; fine arts; health education concentration; hospitality management; information technology: computer networking; information technology: cybersecurity; information technology: information security; mechatronics; media arts; nursing; and outdoor education.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

The Adirondack Trust Company opened a new branch at 79 Main St. in Queensbury, near Northway Exit 18.

The branch opened for business on April 5 and has two drive-thru lanes, parking, a free WiFi hot spot, Saturday hours, a private conference room, and 24-hour ATM access with image capture capabilities.

Munter Enterprises of Middle Grove was the general contractor and Balzer & Tuck Architecture of Saratoga Springs designed the building.

Charles Wait Jr., CEO, said the bank has been seeking a convenient location with more building space for quite some time. The nearby Maple Street branch in Glens Falls did not have a drive-thru. The Maple Street branch is closed. The Bay Road branch will remain open.

“Our desire was to build a bigger and better location that was more convenient for our customers,” said Wait. “We’ll be able to service all of our customers from all of our major business lines, from one convenient location.”

The new branch houses nine full time retail banking employees, and four additional professionals from commercial banking, lending, insurance and wealth management. The branch will be managed by assistant treasurer and branch manager Lynette Matt. Amy Liles is the assistant branch manager, and Chiao-Link Blazejowsk is the head teller.

“We have a great team here,” said Wait. “Everyone working for and with the branch did such a nice job getting everything ready.”

The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce 2021 Four-Seasons Travel Guide is out, featuring “pro tips” for visiting the region.

It also has photography submitted from locals and visitors alike in an effort to spotlight the people that mark the region as a destination.

Chamber officials said the submitted photography and pro tips will also be used in a social media campaign and considered for the 2022 Travel Guide. Photos and pro tips are continually being accepted via this link.

The guide, which is available in both print and digital format, includes a lodging grid to help people sort through the region’s many accommodations. It also has Chamber member listings of attractions, dining, shopping, and other businesses.

This year’s guide also includes interactive features such as a coloring page and word puzzles to provide some extra activities for people of all ages.

The Chamber prints 70,000 copies of the guide annually and distributes them strategically around the Northeast, at AAA offices and through direct mail, by request. 

“With COVID-19 restrictions and new intel from where our visitors were coming from, we were able to readjust our distribution plan in 2020 to place the guides where they’d be most likely to be picked up. In 2021, we made similar changes to our distribution plan to match current intel,” said Executive Director Gina Mintzer.

The Park Theater will host Rochmon Record Club for a series of listening parties from April through June.

Hosted by Chuck Vosganian, a Rochmon Record Club Listening Party is a multi-media event designed to educate and inspire listeners. Audiences will learn about the history of the performers, and dive deep into the songs and stories that informed these iconic albums.

By listening together, we hear the music again for the first time,” said Vosganian.

The first listening party on April 29 will focus on the Eagles’ fifth studio album, “Hotel California” (1976). The second on May 26 will focus on Carole King’s second studio album, “Tapestry” (1971). The third on June 30 will focus on Queen’s fourth studio album, “Night at the Opera” (1975).

Audiences will have the opportunity to listen to these albums on the The Park Theater’s state-of-the-art sound system. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event will begin at 7 p.m.

There will be a bar and food available for purchase.

Tickets are $12 per person. There will be limited seating and tickets must be purchased in advance.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.parktheatergf.com or phone The Park Theater Box Office at 518-792-1150.

Learn more about Rochmon Record Club by visiting www.rochmon.com.

By Jill Nagy

The owners of Freedom Boat Club on Lake George have started a $1.24 million overhaul of the marina.

Matt O’Hara, one of the owners, said renovations will include a rooftop deck, an elevator, a new building facade and a members’ lounge.

His plans for the marina itself focus on growing the service department. He is also upgrading the wastewater system.

Phinney Design Group of Saratoga Springs did the design work for the project and BBL Construction Services of Albany is supervising the work. O’Hara expects the project to be completed by next fall.

It is part of a myriad of activities on Lake George regarding marinas.

The estate of John Salvador Jr. has sold Dunham’s Bay Boat & Beach Club on the southeast part of the lake for approximately $1.1 million, according to deeds that were filed in March in Warren County.

Two Florida holding companies managed by wealth management adviser Michael Chrys purchased the 9.2-acre marina on Lake George. The purchases were made under the names Mirada 7 LLC and Garner Holdings II LLC, according to the deeds.

by Andrea Harwood Palmer

J. Reid Menswear has moved from its Aviation Mall location to Downtown Glens Falls at 166 Glen Street.

The menswear store, formally known as Jonathan Reid, has rebranded with a new name along with its new location. The store will continue to provide menswear and tuxedo rentals, suits, jackets, shirts, ties, shoes and tailoring services. The store has ancillary items and accessories as well.

“I wanted to return J. Reid Menswear to its original location in Hometown USA,” said owner Jeffrey Ives. “With all the negatives that COVID-19  has brought, I have needed the support of everyone associated with the business community of downtown Glens Falls.”

J. Reid Menswear originally had an office on Glen Street, when former owner Jonathon Segan ran the company, until the mid 2000s. The store has been in operation for 53 years.

It will continue to provide menswear and tuxedo rentals, as it did at its Aviation Road location.

“Getting back to normal is right around the corner with the return to weddings, proms and in-person work. We will be there for all of it with the level of service the community has come to expect from J. Reid,” said Ives.

Most high schools are holding in-person proms this year, with the prom season dominating May and June.

Valiant Search, a search firm that focuses on recruiting for law firms, is now open.

Sean Macari, an experienced recruiter, said he saw an opportunity when many search firms dramatically scaled down or closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He saw the need to help  attorneys, support staff, and law firms get back on their feet as the pandemic starts to subside.

There was also an absence of legal-focused recruiting firms in upstate New York, he said. That inspired him to launch his own company, based in Albany.

“Valiant Search is currently serving law firms in all counties in New York state, however, being based in the Capital Region, we have a particular familiarity and focus on firms in Saratoga and Warren counties,” he said.

“In the wake of COVID, many search firms went through dramatic changes as they shut down or shifted their focus exclusively to bigger firms in the Manhattan area. With this, I saw an opportunity to help those firms in Upstate New York (including those in the Saratoga/Washington/Warren counties area) get back on their feet. As an experienced recruiter myself, I was inspired to start my own company during the pandemic to make sure that these Upstate businesses could have someone to help support them as they look to reopen amidst COVID.”

He said Valiant is  the only search firm that specializes in the legal industry north of New York City, “so we have a much greater presence in these upstate counties—like Saratoga and Warren—than others that focus primarily on New York City. “

“Being from the area and having been through COVID myself, I know the struggle upstate firms have to go through when trying to find employees through these New York City-focused recruiting agencies. A search group focusing north of New York City allows for people looking for a change or to get back to work the option to find something closer and quicker than going through New York City-based groups.”

By Jill Nagy

KPM Restoration, a company that cleans up and repairs premises after fires, floods and other disasters, moved in January to a new facility in Malta.

It consists of a large warehouse and 12 offices. It replaces a facility at 211 Maple St. in Saratoga Springs.

The company is still in the process of moving out of the Saratoga Springs location, according to business owner Jamie Kennedy. Only six years old, KPM outgrew its former quarters, he said.

The company is on-call 24 hours a day and, all 13 of its trucks are kept busy, said Kennedy. The company repairs damages from water pipe bursts, fixes other water damage, does mold  remediation and commercial cleaning .

A large part of the business these days involves COVID-19 cases. Kennedy said the company has done more than 200 COVID cleanups, which include cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing. As a community service, they have done several free clean-ups for schools and firehouses.

Kennedy came to the area from Milbrook, a downstate town near Poughkeepsie, where he had three businesses, a property management company (Kennedy Property Management), a landscaping service and a tree service. He sold them all and moved north.

“I want to spend more time with my family and children,” he said. He and wife, Rachel, have three children.

The Hacker Boat Co. is in the process of relocating its operations to 315 Corinth Road, Queensbury, just west of Northway Exit 18.

Officials said the corporate offices are already  in the new location. The production and restoration operations will move later in the  spring.

The company plans to eventually add a showroom and ships store on the site.

Roughly $3 million is being invested in the move to the 6.4-acre Queensbury site.

Mark Levack of Levack Real Estate in Glens Falls brokered the deal on behalf of Badcock. Perkins was represented by Bob Sears of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Blake, Realtors.

Morgan Marine, the company’s Lake George waterfront facility, comprised of a boat yard, storage facility and show room, will remain at 8 Delaware Ave., Silver Bay.

George Badcock, president/CEO, said the  move “will benefit our employees and existing and prospective customers. The majority of our employees will have a much shorter commute, and we believe the new location will better enable us to attract new employees. The more convenient location will make it easier for prospective customers to view and discuss purchasing a Hacker-Craft.”

The new facility is 40 percent larger. It will allow the company to increase production of new boats for anticipated new markets in Europe and the Middle East, as well as expanding restoration operations.

The company also announced Tome’s Landing Marina in Port Deposit, Md., is now an official dealer for the Hacker-Craft brand.

Tome’s now has two brand new 2021 Hacker-Craft in stock.