By Christine Graf

Certified public accountant Brian Stidd has opened his own firm at 11 South Street in Glens Falls. Prior to opening Stidd CPA, PLLC, the Siena College graduate worked for Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli LLP in Queensbury. He has almost 20 years of experience working in public accounting and the private sector. 

“I have an entrepreneurial spirit and always wanted to open my business,” said Stidd. “I enjoy working with clients, and I also enjoy the technology piece of the business.”

Stidd specializes in business and individual tax planning, advisory and preparation, and general business accounting and advisory. He also provides outsourced accounting services to small businesses that don’t have accountants on staff.

“A lot of small businesses need more than just bookkeeping but aren’t quite ready for or in need of a CFO for hire,” he said. “My clients have anywhere from $100,000 in revenue to $2 million-$3 million in revenue.”

On the tax preparation side of his business, Stidd prepares tax returns for small businesses as well as individuals with complex tax issues. Clients have convenient access to their tax returns via a secure portal .

Unlike most CPA’s, he does not bill by the hour. 

“I offer fixed-fee, value based pricing with package options to meet the client’s needs,” he said.

Although Stidd has no employees, he said he anticipates expanding his firm.

“I’m looking to add people in by the fall of 2024.”

For more information, visit stiddcpa.com

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Provided by Meghan Murray, CRPC®

When you plan to retire at a certain age, you can follow a strategy that incorporates your investment moves, your health insurance and other factors. But what happens if you’re forced to retire earlier than you anticipated?

Unfortunately, this situation is not that uncommon. About 40% of Americans say they have been forced into retirement, according to a recent survey from Edward Jones and Morning Consult, a research firm. If this were to happen to you because of a layoff, company downsizing or a health issue, would you be prepared to maintain your lifestyle today — and in the future?

Everyone’s situation is different. If your forced retirement happened only a short time before you actually expected to retire, you might not need to take any steps at all. But if it was a matter of a year or more, you may need to look into the following areas: 

• Cash flow – Obviously, a sudden, unexpected loss of employment will affect your cash flow. And if yours was the only source of income for your household, the situation could be especially concerning. Still, you may well have options that can help. You might find a part-time job, for one thing — many employers hire seniors for various types of service-oriented work. And if you’ve built an emergency fund containing several months’ worth of living expenses, now might be the time to tap into it. You also might need to start withdrawing funds from your IRA and 401(k), though, ideally, you’d like to delay this move as long as possible, as these withdrawals may be taxable. 

• Health insurance – Health insurance can be a major concern if you face an unexpectedly early retirement. Once you’re 65, you’ll be eligible for Medicare, but what if you haven’t reached that age? Through the COBRA legislation, you might be able to remain on your employer-based health insurance for a while — typically 18 months after your job ends. However, COBRA is expensive: If you’re qualified, you might have to pay the entire premium for coverage, up to 102% of the cost of the plan, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. If you’re married, you might be able to get on your spouse’s health insurance, but if this option isn’t available, you could explore a Marketplace plan by visiting the healthcare.gov website. 

• Social Security – A forced early retirement could affect your decision on when to start taking Social Security. You’re eligible to begin collecting payments at 62, but your checks will be considerably bigger if you wait until your full retirement age, which is likely between 66 and 67, depending on when you were born. If your sudden retirement puts you in a real cash crunch, you might have to start taking payments regardless of your age, but if you have enough in savings, or your spouse’s income is enough to keep you afloat, you may want to wait as long as possible so you can get the larger checks. Of course, if your retirement comes while you’re still several years away from Social Security eligibility, you won’t have to make this now-or-later decision right away. 

Being forced to retire before you planned can certainly be challenging. But by looking at the options available to you, in terms of finances and health insurance, you may well find choices that can help you minimize the disruption to your life.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

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Fort Hudson Nursing Center will receive $800,000 through a New York State grant to increase training capacity in healthcare facilities.  This highly competitive program was open to all nursing homes, hospitals, and diagnostic and treatment centers in New York. Only a small percentage of applications were approved for a portion of the $22.5 million available statewide over a two-year period.

Fort Hudson’s successful grant application provides two opportunities for furthering health careers during 2024 and 2025.  The first provides funding for current Fort Hudson certified nursing assistants to pursue their nursing degree. In addition to covering tuition and fees, selected students will have a reduced work schedule during the program with supplemental financial support

The second program will provide paid training for new certified nursing assistants just entering the field. Fort Hudson has offered free training and currently offers several classes throughout the year.  This grant extends the training opportunities to evening programs, with all trainees paid during the training period. In addition, there is substantial investment in post-training mentor oversight and support for both certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses as they begin their new careers

Amanda Waite, Nursing Center Administrator, stated “Fort Hudson is committed to supporting its talented workforce and creating opportunities for those who wish to pursue advancement. Our goal is to open doors for those who might otherwise be unable to take this step and be a partner in their future success at Fort Hudson.

According to Kayla Winsman, Fort Hudson Health System’s Director of Human Resources, “The healthcare workforce crisis has taken a toll on employees and providers. Fort Hudson is proud to offer yet another path for highly qualified individuals to pursue their career goals and directly benefit those in our care.”

Fort Hudson accepts applications for its nurse aide training program on a rolling basis. Currently certified nurse aides and licensed practical nurses are invited to apply for current positions.  Tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness programs are available for eligible candidates

Fort Hudson Nursing Center has 196 beds and is the only not-for-profit nursing home in Washington and Warren Counties.  It offers short term rehabilitation, specialized dementia care, subacute clinical services, and long term care. 

It is an affiliate of Fort Hudson Health System, a non-profit multilevel senior health care and housing provider located in Fort Edward.  Other programs include two adult day care programs; licensed and certified home care; care management; and a senior retirement community. Fort Hudson home and community services cover over 10,000 square miles from Saratoga County to the Canadian border.  For more information, call (518) 747-2811 or visit www.forthudson.com.

The post Fort Hudson Nursing Center Receives Grant To Increase Training Capacity In Its Facilities appeared first on Glens Falls Business Journal.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Looking into the year ahead, Glens Falls Hospital is expanding or introducing several services designed to help improve the experience of being a patient in, or a visitor to, the hospital, according to President and CEO Paul Scimeca. 

“We are very proud of the care we provide,” said Scimeca. “We are a safety net for a very large service area, which covers 6,000 square miles of the Adirondacks.”

Many patients funneling down to Glens Falls Hospital from this large region need care for age-related medical conditions, reflecting the demographics of the general population. 

Others have behavioral issues to address and few places to go. To benefit this segment of the community, Scimeca said the hospital is in the process of relocating its Behavioral Health Crisis Unit so that it can be expanded from seven beds to 13.

“This unit is part of our emergency department and is moving into an under-utilized space adjacent to the emergency room,” he said. “We have a significant number of patients, particularly pediatric and adolescent patients, who need crisis care.”

The expanded unit will accommodate that influx of patients who come through the ER with non-medical issues and that are behavioral in nature. 

“They may have an acute crisis or some other behavioral health issue to address,” said Scimeca. “The crisis unit brings together the professionals, the social workers, physicians and psychiatrists, who work with that patient to develop a plan to support their care.”

At times a patient has both medical and behavioral issues and in such a case, Scimeca said, the hospital is committed to “making sure we treat the whole patient.”

Another recently relocated program that Scimeca is pleased to announce is the Hearing Center for those who need diagnostic care or hearing aids to be prescribed or fitted, he said.

“This program is now at 101 Ridge Street, a space we rent and which will better serve our growing senior population,” he said. “It’s important to note that our region is primarily a Medicare population. In fact, we are one of the oldest regions in the country, demographically.”

Thus, the Hearing Center is geared toward patients aged 65 years and older. It is centrally located in the heart of downtown, near the hospital, and accessible by public transportation, he said. 

“But more importantly, it provides a larger space for accommodating the growing number of patients,” said Scimeca. “This should meet the needs of the region for quite a while.”

Another service the community can access is the relocation and expansion of a community pharmacy within the main campus. 

“Right here in the lobby of 100 Park Street we have a pharmacy available as a convenience for patients at the hospital,” he said. “Now anybody can use it and have continuity of care by a pharmacist whether you’re a patient of Glens Falls Hospital or not.”

“The newest piece is that pharmacy hours are expanded to Saturday mornings starting January 6th,” said Scimeca.

“There is not only public transportation straight to the front door, but also, Monday through Friday, valet service can park your car for you while you pick up a prescription or speak with a pharmacist,” he said.

“Again, it makes it easier for our elderly patients to access a pharmacy,” he said. 

In the areas of technology and equipment, Scimeca said “we are regularly improving and updating, especially in oncology and cardiology and surgery, reflecting on our community as an aging population.”

The hospital is undergoing a system change with the entire Albany Med Health System as it transitions to a single electronic medical record later this year, he said.

“If you’re a patient anywhere in the Albany Med system you will be able to have a single medical record that will go with you and make it easier for caregivers to see your entire profile,” said Scimeca.

“All affiliates have to convert data from existing EMRs into the new format, and our hospital has been working on this for well over a year,” he said. “Albany Med will first go live in March and the other three hospitals in the system will follow in October.”

Scimeca said Glens Falls Hospital has made significant progress in recruitment, despite industry-wide challenges. 

“We have been very successful with our nurse residency program, especially within specialty areas of nursing, which allows us to develop the next generation of caregivers,” he said. 

“Recruitment is a long-term problem that won’t be solved quickly, but we have had great success and will continue down that path,” he said. 

To make the patient experience better, Scimeca said a new café was opened in the hospital lobby in December. The Park Street Bistro is open seven days a week and provides a place for staff, patients and visitors to get food in an atmosphere different from the hospital cafeteria. 

“It has been very well received, has a wonderful menu, and people are really enjoying it,” he said.

In 2023 Glens Falls Hospital brought back its therapy dog program and there are now 20 specially trained and certified dogs supporting patients and staff, said Scimeca.

“These are volunteers throughout the community and the program continues to expand by word-of-mouth,” he said. “The puppies are such a great addition to the team.”

The post Significant Upgrades To Glens Falls Hospital Means Improved Health Care For Residents appeared first on Glens Falls Business Journal.

The Conkling Center, which offers senior-directed programs and services for community members 55+, is preparing for its 125th anniversary celebrations in 2024. The organization started as The Glens Falls Home and was incorporated in 1899 to provide residential services for aging women. In 1999, the adult home closed. The Glens Falls Home partnered with The Eddy, the residential division of Northeast Health (currently the Continuing Care division of St. Peter’s Health Partners), and founded the Glen at Hiland Meadows in the Town of Queensbury. The Glens Falls Home relocated the remaining residents to lovely new quarters at the Terrace in the Glen complex. 

After the Glen at Hiland Meadows opened in the early 2000’s, The Glens Falls Home began operating and providing senior directed programs and services, including On-The-Go Transportation that started up on November 1, 2012. In 2014, the board decided to change the name to The Conkling Center in honor of Mary Conkling, who contri buted her family home for the original Glens Falls Home.

“Our mission is to enhance the quality of life of seniors in the community directly and indirectly by providing services, programs, and opportunities to meet their ever-changing needs,” says Executive Director Joan K. Tarantino.

Programs offered by The Conkling Center include the On-The-Go Transportation Program, the Ice Melt Program, and various programs touching on topics within the areas of Community Awareness, Health and Safety, Legal, Educational, and Inter-Generational. They often collaborate with individuals and organizations to offer programs and services to the community.  “In the past, and we anticipate we will again in 2024, we held an Elder Law Summit and worked with local elder law attorneys to put that together,” says Tarantino. “We also do a veteran’s breakfast with the Greater Glens Falls Senior Center.”

Program Manager Tricia Golden, researches topics of interest to seniors and develops, markets, and oversees in-person and virtual programs. 

The On-The-Go Transportation Program, run by part-time Transportation Coordinator Michael Gleason with one full-time and two part-time drivers, provides door-to-door transportation to community members 55+ via two accessible vans, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. This service transports users to medical and rehabilitation appointments, banks, grocery stores, hairdressers, restaurants, and other destinations within a 20-mile radius of Glens Falls. Since 2012, the program has transported more than 2.300 riders over 378,355 miles.

As many older adults live alone and need help in maintaining a safe outdoor walking surface  during the winter months, The Conkling Center’s Ice Melt program distributes ice melt to the senior centers and other senior service organizations in Northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties at no charge to any senior in need of ice melt. The goal is to keep seniors safe and prevent as many falls as possible due to snow and ice melt buildup around their homes. 

The Conkling Center also provides valuable resources and information, including a Legal Resource Guide for the Elderly, Memory Loss, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Communication DVD, and Housing Directory for Local Counties. 

“Our focus is on seniors, but we also get a lot of questions from family members on resources or to get questions answered, so we also serve as a resource hub for a variety of things,” said Tarantino, who is a valuable resource herself with over 40 years of not-for-profit leadership, management, and direct program experience.

Many programs are available at no cost to participants or only with a  fee to cover the cost of materials. You can support the work of The Conkling Center in several ways. Community members may volunteer to help with various projects and programs. Individuals and organizations may make gifts and donations on a one-off, annual, quarterly, or in-memory or to support a specific program or event.

The Judge J. Timothy Breen Golf Tournament occurred for the first time in May 2023 and was a huge success, drawing 100 golfers. The tournament will occur this year on May 23, 2024, at the Hiland Park Golf Course. Sponsorships are available at various levels. 

A 15-member Board of Directors governs The Conkling Center. Four members and one elected community member serve on the Board of The Glen at Hiland Meadows.

The Conkling Center is located at 79 Warren Street in Glens Falls. For further information go to https://www.theconklingcenter.org/.

The post The Conkling Center Celebrates 125 Years Of Supporting 55+ Community Members appeared first on Glens Falls Business Journal.

2023 was an eventful year for the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council, more commonly known as LARAC, whose mission is to enrich the quality of life in Warren, Washington, and Northern Saratoga Counties by supporting arts and culture through promoting, developing, sponsoring, networking, coordinating, and providing arts activities and services. The organization undertook a revamp of its branding and the development of a more user-friendly website and had significant additions to its offerings.

In June 2023, LARAC held its 52nd annual Arts Festival, featuring local, regional, and national artists offering various products such as jewelry, home goods, food items, fine art, textiles, etc., and live entertainment by local musicians. The 2023 show included 165 artists, compared to the five to ten artists participating in the first festival in 1972. That year, Executive Director Phil Casabona says, “A group of people passionate about the community and understood the importance of art and the number of artists in the area founded the organization.” 

LARAC introduced a new arts festival for local artists under 40 in August 2023. According to Casabona, 

“For the first time since LARAC’s founding, the staff is primarily under 40, so we decided to actively support our counterparts, younger artists that are getting started and may not be able to afford to participate in the main June festival.” 

The second LARAC Locals Under 40 Fine Arts Festival occurs on Saturday, August 5, 2024, in Glens Falls’ City Park. 

2023 also saw the opening of the LARAC Mountain Gallery on the corner of Maple and Bay Streets. The organization is working hard to raise the $40K needed through their annual fund and community and business sponsorships to keep the doors open through 2024. The Mountain Gallery’s yearly schedule of eight exhibits concludes with an additional Members Show during the holiday season. The Mountain Gallery is also a workshop space, meeting, and event venue.

The Lapham Carriage House, a beautifully restored Victorian carriage house in the historic district of downtown Glens Falls, houses the main gallery and gift shop. The LARAC Lapham Gallery holds seven shows a year, each featuring two to three artists. The gift shop offers handmade local arts and crafts. Six weeks before Christmas, the entire gallery turns into a holiday shop. In 2023, the holiday shop included the work of approximately 75 new and returning artists.

In 2024, LARAC will give away approximately $100K in New York State Council on the Arts funding to artists and organizations in Warren and Washington Counties through three categories: Program Support for Organizations Grants, Individual Artist Grants, and Arts Education Grants. Alyssa O’Neill, Community Outreach and Grant Director, facilitates this program.

“I feel that we are standing on the shoulders of giants,” says Casabona. “We truly believe in the impact that art makes on people and the community, the cultural impact that has. We wouldn’t be here this long if it wasn’t for strong community support year after year. We are only here because of that and will always continue to do our part.”

Casabona, an artist with a Fine Arts degree, started as a volunteer at LARAC approximately 20 years ago when he first moved to the area. He then went from working one day a month to part-time and then became the full-time Festival Coordinator. In addition to Executive Director, Casabona also has the roles of Festival Director and Gallery Curator.

Current programs at LARAC include:

LARAC Lapham Gallery, 7 Lapham Place, Glens Falls.

Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Current Show: LARAC Members Show at the LARAC Lapham Gallery

Featuring over 100 works by LARAC members

January 19 – February 21, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, January 19th, 5 p.m.

LARAC Mountain Gallery, 21 Bay Street, Glens Falls.

Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Current Show: NCA Members Show at LARAC Mountain Gallery

Featuring over 50 works by members of North Country Arts

January 12 – February 14, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, January 19th, 6 p.m.

Find more information on the LARAC website: https://www.larac.org/

The post Building On Past Successes, LARAC Anticipates Strong Support For Its Arts Programs appeared first on Glens Falls Business Journal.

By Paul Post 

The area’s oldest, most well-known car wash company is suddenly facing stiff competition from a Georgia-based firm that’s entered the market as part of a campaign to double in size, with 500 locations in nearly two dozen states by the end of 2025.

Family-owned Hoffman Car Wash, founded in 1965, currently has 30 centers including a new one on Route 9 near Exit 17 in Moreau and plans to add more sites in Glens Falls, Halfmoon and Bennington, Vermont, this year.

Each new site costs about $7 million to develop including property purchase.

But Tidal Wave Auto Spa recently opened a new facility on Quaker Road, Queensbury, a short distance from a Hoffman Car Wash. And in July 2022 it launched a South Glens Falls site and plans to add another one on Route 9 in Queensbury, where Uno Pizzeria & Grill is currently located.

Founded in 1999 in Thomaston, Ga., Tidal Wave plans to add 19 new sites in New York state including five now under construction at Colonie Center, Poughkeepsie, New Hartford near Utica, Auburn and Niagara Falls.

Tidal Wave founder and CEO Scott Blackstock is close friends with Chick-fil-A executives and models its business practices after the popular chain restaurant’s, said Brandi Michal, operator and managing partner of Tidal Wave’s new Queensbury facility.

“We pride ourselves on Chick-fil-A service or better so we always have someone greeting you with a smile and give you a perfectly clean car in a most attractive business setting,” she said.

But Hoffman’s CEO Tom Hoffman Jr. said his Albany-based company welcomes the challenge. “It makes us a better company,” he said. “Competition always makes you think about serving customers better. To differentiate yourself from competitors is really the American way.”

Hoffman’s new Moreau car wash building has the same Adirondack-type design as one first introduced at the corner of Route 50 and Northline Road in Saratoga Springs. 

The handsome style, developed by Phinney Design Group of Saratoga Springs, has lighted rooftop cupolas.

“We like to make our places bright and colorful,” Hoffman said. “We have a landscape crew and grow our own flowers in greenhouses in Albany.”

In 2020, Hoffman’s moved into a $5 million new corporate headquarters in Albany. Its territory is from Queensbury to Kingston and in Central New York from Utica-Rome to Binghamton including an Oneonta facility.

A Hoffman-owned subsidiary, innovateITcarwash, writes the software to control the wash process, builds motor control centers and makes the dispensing systems for washing solutions. Hoffman’s also uses a water purifying system to reduce spotting, softens water to help solutions dissolve, and builds its own water recycling equipment.

Conveyor systems are built by Glens Falls-based Miller Mechanical Services.

“We do the final assembly,” Hoffman said.

Tidal Wave’s website says it’s one of the top five conveyor car wash companies in the country and has made the Inc. 5000 list for America’s fastest-growing companies since 2020. In addition to New York, it plans to expand in Alabama, Tennessee and Pennsylvania this year as well.

“A Tidal Wave recruiter contacted me and within two weeks I was on an airplane down to Georgia, did training, came up here and have been running the ship ever since,” Michal said.

She started out as managing partner of the South Glens Falls car wash and made the lateral transfer to Tidal Wave’s new Queensbury site, which opened Dec. 6.

Those two sites were previously called Smart Wash, owned by Beatrice and Michael Greenough, the new owners of Mr. Bill’s Carhop in South Glens Falls. Tidal Wave completely gutted and remodeled both locations inside and out.

But Hoffman’s and Tidal Wave aren’t the only ones vying for a slice of the car wash pie. Yates Scott Lansing and brothers Ken and Dave Jersen recently opened Buster’s Car Wash near the corner of Route 9 and Stonebreak Road in Malta, a main entrance to GlobalFoundries’ huge semiconductor plant. 

The Jersens own Waterford-based Jersen Construction Group. Lansing owns Lansing Engineering, located in the Bluth Building, a short distance from Buster’s, which he and the Jersens developed 13 years ago in the their first business venture together.

The Bluths were a dysfunctional family that developed properties in the popular sitcom, “Arrested Development,” which appeared on Fox and Netflix from 2003-08. Buster’s Car Wash is named for Byron “Buster” Bluth, one of the show’s characters.

Unlike Hoffman’s Adirondack-type architecture, the $4 million Buster’s facility was designed with Tech Valley in mind, giving it a more modern look.

After considerable research, equipment was purchased from industry leader Sonny’s The Car Wash Factory, and the building was done by Modernwash, which has projects throughout the country.

All three companies’ new car washes opened for business in December, and all three firms offer unlimited wash packages and fund-raising opportunities for local non-profit groups and charitable organizations.

Hoffman’s currently employs 636 people. Hiring quality help is one of the firm’s biggest challenges when opening new sites, Hoffman said.

“We primarily hire from within,” he said. “Through training and education we’re able to develop staff.”

In Glens Falls, a proposed new Hoffman’s is slated for the Steve’s Place restaurant site at 194 Broad St. A spring ground-breaking is anticipated.

A second facility in Halfmoon will be a bit farther south of the current one on Rout 9. 

“We look at all kinds of different factors when choosing a location, but mainly a heavy commercial area where there are big box stores, restaurants, grocery stores, population and traffic,” Hoffman said. “It helps to have the experience of owning all these locations, to know what areas work well and which ones don’t. Fortunately we’ve had more winners.”

The post Hoffman Car Wash Seeing New Competition As Other Companies Establish Sites In The Region appeared first on Glens Falls Business Journal.

By Paul Post

 Washington County has a great deal of untapped tourism potential that could boost the local economy with more comprehensive, strategic promotional planning.

 That’s what officials told local business and civic leaders during a presentation hosted by the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce at Sandy Hill Arts Center’s fifth-floor event space in Hudson Falls.

 “Tourism may look a little different for us, but it exists and it’s definitely impacting the county,” said Laura Oswald, county director of economic development, planning and tourism. But a recently-obtained grant will fund a separate, new full-time tourism director’s position that’s expected to be filled in the coming weeks.

 Washington County doesn’t have a world-class race track, performing arts center, theme park or popular summer resort town like Saratoga and Warren counties. There isn’t a single hotel and there are less than 100 motel units.

 But Washington County Fair, which attracts more than 100,000 people annually, is the state’s third largest, and Hick’s Orchard in Granville draws thousands of patrons from throughout the region each weekend in autumn.

 Likewise, countless people pass through towns such as Fort Ann, Whitehall, Greenwich, Cambridge and Salem en route to Vermont ski resorts in winter, and communities throughout the county host a variety of special events and festivals each summer. With better promotion, travelers would be encouraged to stop, see what’s available and spend more time and money at local shops, restaurants and businesses.

 “Tourism metrics are typically measured by heads in beds, how many people check into hotels,” Oswald said. “Then you can create metrics that tell you, for every one person they probably stop at a gas station or go to a restaurant so you can estimate your economy.”

 Because it has so little lodging, such information is hard to come by in Washington County. “What we do have is a significantly growing presence of short-term rentals,” she said.

 County Administrator Melissa Fitch said Airbnb rentals generate considerable revenue for the county.

 County Budget Officer and Hebron Supervisor Brian Campbell said roughly 20 percent of the county’s 29,000 housing units are short-term rentals now.

 “Some of these places would never have been saved, fixed up or rejuvenated,” he said. “They’re buildings that would have just disappeared. Now they’re back to where they’re livable for people who want to rent them for a weekend. Eventually, they may go back on the market if their owners can make more money flipping than renting.”

 Similar to tourism, Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Henke, of Argyle, said a great deal of unnoticed home-based business has popped up in recent years, generating self-employment and tax revenue for the county.

 “We did a survey recently and I don’t think there’s a single street in Argyle that doesn’t have at least two home-based businesses,” he said.

 Mostly rural, small-town Washington County doesn’t project the same image of affluence as neighboring Saratoga and Warren counties. But Campbell said the county, thanks to pandemic-related stimulus money and skyrocketing sales tax revenue, has never been in better financial shape.

 The county received more than $11 million as its share of American Rescue Plan Act funding, a $1.9 trillion federal program designed to help state and local governments impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fitch said the county used most of this for much-needed capital projects.

 “Supervisors tell me all the time that we’re a poor county,” Campbell said. “We’re not a poor county. Even though times have been tough, we came out of COVID almost unscathed. The amount of money that’s poured in is phenomenal.”

 He said sales tax, mostly from online shopping, has increased $10 million from $20 million to $30 million during the past five years. “That’s huge,” he said.

 During COVID, when people couldn’t leave home, residents shopped online instead. Many people also decided to use the Internet rather than drive to Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs or Clifton Park when gas prices were close to $4 per gallon.

 Now, online shopping has permanently changed many peoples’ buying habits, keeping considerable extra sales tax revenue in the county.

 “We’re really in good shape,” Campbell said. “It’s just trying not to spend it faster than you bring it in, just like your own budget at home.”

 In November, the county adopted a $132 million budget for 2024.

 However, Campbell said the county has direct control over less than 20 percent of this, as most is allocated to mandated state programs such as Medicaid, which costs $230,000 per week.

 “It’s not just big things, it’s continual little things popping in,” Henke said.

 For example, the state Labor Department now requires all employers, large and small, to provide a private room and unpaid break time for breastfeeding mothers to pump breast milk at work. “There are certain specifications and we had to find a place to build a room,” Henke said. “There’s no money in the budget for that. Mandates take away from other things we could be doing.”

 “Our budget’s good for about four months from January 1 to April 1 because then the state budget comes out and ruins everything you did,” Campbell said. “This is like the calm before the storm. The state mandates everything they want you to do that you’d never do if they didn’t mandate it. Citizens are the most important part of the budget because they have to pay taxes. They just want to know that it’s going for something they need or they’re interested in. It’s not always that way because of mandates.”

 “It’s becoming more of a challenge every year,” Fitch said.

 Looking ahead, Campbell said Washington County is well positioned for new housing growth when GlobalFoundries moves forward with plans for a second, large semiconductor plant at Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta. Construction is expected to begin in the next few years creating thousands of new jobs.

 “They’re running out of places to build houses (in Saratoga County) and people like to live rurally, they really do,” he said.

 Once home to small farms and some centuries-old houses, Hebron now has a number of million-dollar estates, indicating a major shift in local demographics.

 “It’s a quality of life issue,” Campbell said. “That’s what we try to do when we make budgets, is protect the quality of life. It’s hard to keep that if things are growing out of control or they aren’t growing at all. There’s a happy medium we’re trying to get to.”

The post Comprehensive Strategic Promotional Planning Could Boost the Economy of Washington Co. appeared first on Glens Falls Business Journal.

By Paul Post

 Co-owners Spencer and Sara Montgomery, and financial backers, have spent nearly $20 million on capital upgrades since purchasing West Mountain 10 years ago.

 In preparation for this winter they’ve added a $500,000 Winch Cat to the large fleet of grooming machines and covered base lodge floors with safe, clean carpeting.

 But the biggest investment is in personnel with a new food and beverage director, rental shop manager, snow sports person, full-time ski tuner and a larger, more skilled snowmaking crew.

 “It feels like we’re getting some really good professional people in here,” Spencer Montgomery said. “Hiring has been really tough the past three years. Now we’ve got a good overnight snowmaking crew. Really robust, hardworking guys. That makes all the difference because nights are when you get all your production. Someone always has to be watching the pumps, pressure and guns.”

 “Hiring and mild weather were very challenging last year,” he said. “We got through it and this year feels good. We’re looking forward to an awesome season.”

 The Queensbury resort plans a Dec. 16 opening to get all the kinks out and be ready for Christmas week.

One of West Mountain’s biggest economic impacts is a $2 million annual payroll. It employs 350 people at peak times and has a full-time, year-round staff of 30.

 “We try to provide hourly and salaried full-time positions now so we don’t lose people in the off-season and then have to try to find good people again,” Montgomery said.

 The center sells about 100,000 lift tickets, but a recent study estimates that another 150,000 people such as parents watching ski races, and guests at West Mountain’s summer attractions (ropes course, children’s camp), come on the property each year. The racing program is led by Thomas Vonn, who coached his wife Lindsey to an Olympic gold medal, and former World Cup racer Steve Lathrop.

 While anticipating a strong winter season, the Montgomerys are eagerly awaiting development of a roughly $200 million project that would make West Mountain one of upstate New York’s only true ski-and-stay resorts.

 Plans call for a 60-80 room hotel in a village-type setting with a full-service ski store, grocery market, spa, athletic club, coffee shop and restaurant surrounding a new high-speed chairlift, all located near the existing Northwest base lodge. Additional phases working up the mountain would include condominiums, timeshares and custom-built, single-family homes.

 The Montgomerys hope to submit a 250-page Planned Recreational Development proposal to the town board in January. Ultimate approval must come from the town planning board following extensive review.

 “The earliest groundbreaking would be fall of 2024,” Montgomery said. “We’d probably start with the hotel and conference center. It’s complex because there’s a lot of moving parts. Some people from Glens Falls and Queensbury, such as empty-nesters, will want to downsize, get a nice condo and live in a resort-style development. It’s a real lifestyle type of thing. Then there’s the tourism element where people buy a condo or timeshare they can rent out when not using it.”

 The business model hinges on being able to siphon off even a small percent of the many downstate residents who pass through Warren County en route to Vermont ski resorts each winter. By having a hotel, guests could unpack their bags and ski without ever having to leave the property.

 “You can have a full resort experience similar to Stratton Village,” Montgomery said.

 Gore Mountain in North Creek opened Thanksgiving Weekend and with more than a foot of fresh snow had over a dozen trails open to the top of Bear Mountain where the gondola unloads, heading into mid-December. Summit trails will open as the season progresses.

 Gore, with four peaks and seven separate areas, has the most terrain of any ski center in the state. A new conveyor-load quad near the base is twice as long as the Bear Cub Poma Lift it replaces, allowing people to access more trails. “It’s great for beginners, first-timers and folks getting back on the mountain for a quick little warm-up run,” Marketing Manager Julia Johnson said. In addition, Gore has also upgraded many of its tower snowmaking guns.

 “We add more every year,” she said. “They’re high efficiency, low energy guns that put out a lot more snow, a lot faster. They’re state-of-the -art so they can be turned on automatically and simultaneously. Crews can turn on a whole trail all at once. And they go directly into pipes, there are no hoses so crews don’t have to connect everything. They just spin out the towers and they’re ready to go.”

 Looking ahead, a spring groundbreaking is expected for the North Creek Ski Bowl Lodge, a new Hudson chairlift, and zip coaster. The lift is projected to be available for the 2024-25 ski season and the completion of the lodge is slated for 2025.

 The new lodge, which replaces the historic lodge destroyed by fire in 1999, will be an 18,300-square-foot facility with a restaurant and two levels of patios with slopeside views. The lodge is positioned to become a popular destination for additional summer activities. The innovative zip coaster will be a unique attraction that combines the features of a zipline and rail system.

 A recent economic impact study said Gore Mountain generated $31.3 million in direct spending in fiscal year 2022-2023.

 “The Ski Bowl project will provide a year-round boost to the business community of North Creek,” Johnsburg Supervisor Mark Smith said.

 This winter, Gore is marking the 90th anniversary of the first-ever Snow Train that carried 378 skiers from Schenectady to North Creek in March 1934, ushering in a whole new era of winter tourism. Business owners, historians and ski enthusiasts are commemorating this historic event with a variety of season-long events such as walking history tours, screenings of vintage films, presentations, concerts, artwork exhibitions, fun races and commemorative giveaways.

 For information and an event listing go to: www.tannerypond.org.

 At Whiteface, crews have installed a new detachable quad lift from the Bear Den Learning Center to a point just beyond the Legacy Lodge at mid-station. It will help skiers and riders at the Bear Den access additional beginner and intermediate terrain while also providing access to upper mountain lifts and advanced terrain.

 This innovative lift, named The Notch, is the only one of its kind in the East. Because it’s actually two lifts in one that operate together seamlessly, riders can unload onto the Boreen trail or continue farther upward to access other trails and the Legacy Lodge.

 This summer, crews added 150 new high-efficiency snow guns to the mountain’s powerful snowmaking system, which last year allowed Whiteface to have summit-to-base skiing for the first time ever on opening day.

 Two new Pisten Bully 600W cats have been added to the grooming fleet and a power line on the Victoria trail has been buried to remove it from view and keep it from being a potential obstacle to grooming equipment.

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Armed with nearly $5.7 million in state and federal funds, Warren and Washington counties plan to develop an industrial park near Champlain Canal Lock 8 in Fort Edward.

 General Electric Company used the 82-acre site as a dewatering facility for its massive Hudson River PCB dredging project.

 When work was done, the property now called Canalside Energy Park was taken over by the Counties of Warren and Washington Industrial Development Agency.

 In November, the IDA was awarded $4,739,000 from the Fast NY Program that will be used to install sewer and upgrade water service in an effort to attract new industry. Another $950,000 in congressional member funding has been obtained from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.

 IDA Chairman and Hampton Supervisor David O’Brien said the property would be well-suited for some type of agricultural processing facility, or a green energy company involved with solar, battery or wind turbine manufacturing.

 It’s hoped that construction on new water and sewer infrastructure can be begin next spring or summer. Such work would likely take about a year to complete, he said.

 The site has tri-modal access via rail, roadway and the Champlain Canal.

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