Category Archives: Construction Planning

By Christine Graf

Middle Grove-based Munter Enterprises, a construction and real estate development company that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, continues to experience high demand for their services. The family-owned business offers design-build and general contracting services to commercial and industrial clients, providing them with comprehensive guidance through all stages of construction.

“We’re seeing a lot of activity in terms of our manufacturing clients that are needing to expand and build. This is good news because that means more jobs, and these local manufacturing jobs are vitally important to keep our economy strong,” said Michael Munter, vice president of Munter Enterprises.

The company has numerous projects in the works including two at the WJ Grande Industrial Park in the City of Saratoga Springs. Within the park, they are constructing a 50,000-square-foot building for Soleno, a Canadian company that manufactures drainage pipe used for storm water management. For Soleno, it will be their first U.S. manufacturing facility. The company has announced that they will consider adding a 25,000-square-foot expansion to the building in the coming years if demand for their product continues to rise.

Their second industrial park project is a 30,000-square-foot expansion to a building Munter Enterprises originally designed and constructed for AgroChem in 2015. AgroChem produces advanced chemical solutions that help dairy farmer produce high-quality milk with maximum efficiency. 

Updated March 6, 2024

By Rod Bacon

When Tom and Cindy Albrecht founded Hilltop Construction in 1975, Tom was a one-man crew. Forty-nine years later the company boasts 36 skilled craftsmen and covers an area that stretches from Albany to Schroon Lake, New York.

After 46 years of hard work and dedication to the company and the community Tom and Cindy retired in 2021.

The company is now owned and operated by their daughter April Washburn, son Tom Albrecht Jr. and April’s Husband Dan Washburn .

“We’re in a unique region where the construction industry is doing really well,” said Dan Washburn, vice president of commercial operations. “We have found our niche and continue to grow each year.”

One reason for the company’s success, said Washburn, is that they have built up a loyal clientele that knows their projects will be done on time, on budget, and with quality workmanship.

The Design/Build firm does both residential and commercial projects. 

“Our projects are custom designed and built to fit the desire of each individual customer ” said Washburn

On the residential side the company specializes in extensive home renovations as well as custom built homes from Saratoga to Schroon Lake.

By Christine Graf

Queensbury-based Northern Mechanical Services has been providing HVAC services to residential and commercial customers throughout Warren, Washington, and Saratoga counties since 1992. The company’s technicians and installers specialize in heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, zoning, plumbing, and indoor air quality design

“We service and install HVAC and plumbing, but we focus more on HVAC,” said company vice president David Crear. “Two-thirds of our business is commercial, and the other third is residential.”

On the commercial side, the company tends to work on smaller projects for a diverse client base. In terms of residential work, they focus primarily on repairs and replacement, with new construction representing a very small percentage of their residential business.

While both commercial and residential business remain strong, Crear reports that residential consumers have reduced spending.

“We have seen a lot of interest in some of the clean heat programs– moving towards dual fuel which could be a heat pump with gas or propane. There’s been a lot of interest in those types of things, but overall, you can tell that people have pulled back from spending.

With a staff of 28 employees, Crear said the company has no plans for expansion

By Christine Graf

F. H. Alexander of Schaghticoke has been providing commercial construction, design/build, and commercial renovation services to customers throughout the Northeast since 1991. Last year was a busy one for the company, with crews working on projects in Ticonderoga, Moreau, Oneonta, Plattsburgh and beyond

In Moreau, they built an Alltown Fresh truck stop, one that opened just a few months ago. For F. H. Alexander, it was their third Alltown Fresh. The others are located in Schenectady and Livingston. 

The company also completed construction of a Hoffman Car Wash in Oneonta as well as a Dunkin Donuts in Plattsburgh. Construction of Paper and Pencil, a new restaurant in Ticonderoga, will wrap up after all of the kitchen equipment arrives. 

“We have absolutely nothing local going on at the moment,” said company president Frank Alessandrini. “We do have a small fitness center addition to the Marriott Fairfield at Exit 12 in Malta that’s coming up this spring. We also have a structural renovation project in Albany that’s also supposed to happen in the spring.”

Currently, F. H. Alexander has three Dunkin Donuts remodels underway in Plattsburgh. This summer, they will start construction of a new Dunkin Donuts in Malone, one that will include a restaurant, donut production facility, and retail rental space.

By Paul Post

This winter’s mild weather has been a hindrance for those who enjoy outdoor activities such as ice fishing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. But it’s been a big help to contractors such as Hilltop Construction, which is handling a $4 million expansion and makeover of Drive Garvey’s Hyundai dealership on Dix Avenue in Queensbury.

The business, which includes selling Hyundai’s high-end Genesis vehicles, is nearly doubling in size. Also, the current facilities—from service bays to bathroom tiles—are getting completely redone.

“We’re even replacing furniture, lighting fixtures and switches, and everything is going to be as environmentally kind as possible,” said Mark Garvey, who owns the business with his daughters, Shannon Bruhns and Kyle Garvey. “We really had no choice, but to do it. Hyundai has grown by leaps and bounds the past few years. Our sales are up about 18 percent from 2021. Our best sellers are SUVs.”

“We’re revamping 98 percent of the store inside and out,” he said. “Everything is going to be brand new. We’re adding a second floor to the existing building that will have five huge offices for sales, management and our e-commerce business.”

The Parts Department is getting a second floor, too.

In December, industry sources reported that South Korea-based Hyundai surpassed General Motors as the world’s third-largest automaker by volume (3.3 million), surpassed only by Toyota (5.1 million) and Volkswagen (4 million).

The Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services (WSWHE BOCES) announced a new name and direction for its Career and Technical Education (CTE) machine tool technology program.

The new title—Industrial and Performance Machining—reflects the industry today and better positions the program to prospective students, officials said. 

Officials said the program places a heavy emphasis on high-tech equipment and precision in the machining of component parts for automobiles, performance vehicles, industrial machines, and more. This consists of fabricating component parts to specification for these applications using milling, drilling, grinding, and boring machines.

While “Machine Tool Technology” is often used by technical colleges, WSWHE BOCES administration and educators said that students did not immediately identify the program in line with career goals.

In an effort to continuously offer programs and curricula that best support our students and the current job market, the transition from Machine Tool Technology to Industrial and Performance Machining reflects a growing need to reach high school students interested in machining careers.