Category Archives: Business News

Due to concerns regarding the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic, the Lake George Park Commission is delaying implementation of its mandatory boat inspection program until June 1, as opposed to the traditional May 1 date.

Commission Chairman Bruce Young said the decision was made to protect the health and safety of the boating public and the commission’s boat inspection staff.

“The commission must balance the risk of new introductions of aquatic invasive species versus the health and safety of the public and our staff,” said Young. “An analysis of launch data from the past six years of the mandatory inspection program shows a lower risk for invasives introductions in the month of May compared with the summer months. Only 4 percent of annual decontaminations occur in May, and most boats are being launched for the first time of the season.”

SUNY Empire State College will open computer labs at five of its campuses and learning hubs across New York state to the public to help ensure an accurate, complete count in the 2020 census—the first-ever census to be conducted primarily online.
One of the labs is in Saratoga Springs.
Residents will receive instructions from the Census Bureau in the mail that explain how to officially respond to the census online, by phone or by mail. Empire campuses in Albany, Saratoga Springs, Rochester, Manhattan, and Long Island will be open to the community to complete the online questionnaire.

SUNY Empire State College and SUNY Adirondack Community College have approved a phase-one agreement for five joint-admissions degrees in business and management at SUNY Empire’s Saratoga Springs campus.
Under the agreement, SUNY Adirondack students will benefit from increased access to SUNY Empire’s campus in Saratoga Springs, where they can matriculate in bachelor’s and eventually graduate programs in a convenient location upon completing their degree at SUNY Adirondack.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
PrimeLink Fiber Optic Internet and Phone Services is being acquiring by FirstLight, a fiber-optic data, internet, data center, cloud computing and unified communications services provider.
Vicki Marking, marketing manager for PrimeLink, said the sale would be complete later this year.
“We are really excited about it. It will be our local team and FirstLight’s extensive resources. FirstLight’s infrastructure goes all over New York state. It’s a great compliment to them. The local team will remain in place. The transition will be slow and over a long period of time,” she said.

By R.J. DeLuke
AngioDynamics, the medical device manufacturer with facilities in Glens Falls, has stood true to its promise to change—not to become bigger, but better, its CEO said in his remarks at EDC Warren County’s Economic Outlook breakfast in February at the Queensbury Hotel.
“We’re going to change because we have to,” said Jim Clemmer. “So that we have a future and not just a past.”
AngioDynamics has some 480 employees based in Warren County, including production sites, offices and a distribution center in Glens Falls and Queensbury. According to Clemmer, the company is undergoing a major transition because the delivery of health care services has changed.
He said the company needs to have the right products that the health care industry needs. To accomplish that, innovation has to proceed at a faster pace. AngioDynamics is investing millions of dollars into research and is also hiring talent that can bring about its goals, and retraining and training current staff.

Paul L. Dowen, CPA and managing partner of Whittemore, Dowen and Ricciardelli LLP in Queensbury, received the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 31st annual J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award at the organization’s annual dinner on March 6 at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing.
More than 300 attended.
The organization’s award is named after J. Walter Juckett, whom ARCC notes had a remarkable business career and was recognized as a major community leader in his adopted home, the village of Hudson Falls, and the entire region. His leadership and commitment traversed a wide range of civic, charitable, religious, political, business and educational activities.

By Christine Graf
Local entrepreneur Russ Faden is finishing construction on a $2.2 million, 11,800-square-foot plaza at 894 Route 9 in Queensbury.
The project was financed through Pioneer Bank. Once construction is completed, Faden will relocate his Subway franchise currently at 870 Route 9. In addition to Subway, the plaza will be home to Sports Clips and Spectrum.
There are two additional spaces available for rent, he said. The vacant spaces measure 1,700 square feet and 2,400 square feet.
According to Faden, he hopes to have his Subway relocated and operational by May 15. He expects Sports Clips and Spectrum to open some time in June.
Faden operates 18 Subway locations between Northway exits 9 and 20. He employs approximately 100 full-time and part-time employees. Faden and his wife, Carrie, purchased their first Subway in downtown Saratoga in 2007. At the time, he was a full-time officer in the Saratoga Springs Police Department.

Grey Ghost Bicycles in Glens Falls has opened a new store in Saratoga Springs.
Located at 60 West Ave., the new retail space is more than 2,000 square feet and is part of the larger retail strip building that contains other businesses such as Wolberg Lighting Design & Electrical Supply.
According to Steve Fairchild, general manager of Grey Ghost Bicycles, the existing space only needed light modifications, including cleaning and painting, which is being done by the company.
Launched in 2012, Grey Ghost Bicycles is a full-service bike shop. Along with e-bikes and professional mountain and racing bikes, they also sell bikes for children and casual riders. The company recently moved their main store into the former Post-Star building in Glens Falls.

Saratoga Raceway’s 79th season of live harness racing is underway at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
Coupled with the 2020 racing season is the unveiling of the SaratogaBets Simulcast Center, a new trackside venue offering carrel seating, self-service and live teller wagering options, in addition to bar and food service at Diamond Jim’s.
This season the casino will look to build on the success of last year’s performance, officials said, where all-source handle exceeded $48 million and the Saratoga Harness simulcast signal was broadcast to over 400 outlets worldwide.
“We’re very excited to welcome fans back for the 79th year of harness racing,” said John Matarazzo, director of racing operations at Saratoga Casino Hotel. “We look forward to continuing our tradition of exciting and quality racing here at the historic Spa Oval.”

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
The Open Door Mission in Glens Falls recently unveiled expanded space— a clothing pantry, food pantry, barber shop, three new bathrooms, showers and a storage area.
It was built through partnership with area organizations such as CDCHP, Hannaford Supermarket, Habitat for Humanity, Hilltop Construction, Fenimore Asset Management, the Glens Falls Foundation, AJA Architectures, electrician Brian Hayward, area churches, and the UA Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 773 of Glens Falls.
The shelter offers emergency Code Blue shelter to people when temperatures drop in winter months.
Hannaford Supermarket donated funds as well as materials and 100 cases of food to stock the food pantry, in December when the food pantry first opened. The pantry served 218 families in February.