By Christine Graf

In addition to sanding both new and old cabinet doors, Sanding & Handyman Solutions LLC, a Queensbury-based company, sands entry doors, new and old molding, hardwood floors, barn board, and a variety of other materials.

 The company, established by husband and wife Mike and Christine Thorne, does not offer any type of painting or finishing services. 

“We started by selling brush sanding equipment, and we now use that equipment to sand cabinet door,” said Mike Thorne. “People bring their doors to us after they clean them, and we sand them down. The doors are then ready for primer and paint.”

It was through the sanding business that Thorne connected with a contractor who does house flipping in the Albany area. The man needed help with some of the jobs and enlisted Thorne for help. 

“When I started working with him, I was able to re-hone my skills from years ago—doing full remodels, building decks, and other basic handyman services,” he said. “In my past employment, I was a salesman for an abrasives company, but prior to that, I did all sort of construction work.”

United Ag & Turf has opened a  new state-of-the-art facility in Greenwich for selling its John Deere, Stihl, Honda and other products that support residential and commercial landscaping, compact construction equipment needs, and area farms. 

The facility replaces the Schaghticoke building that served as a John Deere dealership for over 40 years. 

The 25,200-square-foot building, located at 217 Route 29 in Greenwich, sits directly next to the Washington County Fairgrounds. It is a full-service store featuring an 11,500-square-foot service department, with 6,000 square feet  of warehouse space and a showroom. Munter Enterprises of Middle Grove was the general contractor.

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to not only expand and better serve customers in the greater Schaghticoke/Easton/Greenwich area, but also provide our excellent team here with the best in facilities and improvements to help them continue to perform at the highest level,” United Ag & Turf president Scott Miller said.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in recent years and the demand for the quality products and services that United Ag & Turf offers makes this investment in the area a great fit. We look forward to being a part of the community for many more years to come.”

The Open Door Mission has named an interim executive director to implement the mission’s next phase of growth. 

 Jamie Munyon was selected as interim executive director. He has been with the Mission since 2016, currently serving as program director and previously serving as director of shelter services. 

Previous executive director Dean Brown has stepped down and back into ministry at his local church.

Since 2016, Open Door Mission has embarked on an aggressive campaign to extend programs to the homeless and those impoverished serving Warren, Washington and Northern Saratoga Counties. 

Current projects nearing completion include the 52 bed men’s shelter and the Life Path Program floor. The increase in beds will allow the Mission to accept more people into the Life Path Program, officials said.

By Andrea Harwood

Winklepickers in Lake George has expanded at a new location at 222 Canada St.. 

Additionally, store owners Rachel and Dave Dutra are running an AirBnb on the second floor of the new building.

Winklepickers carries mid-to-high-end gifts, novelties, souvenirs, art and décor. Most items are made locally. The store features an exhaustive collection of hand-made loose-leaf teas and hand-made spices from Rachel’s Spice Co.

The Lake George House of Jerky is also located inside the Winklepickers store. 

“I take pride in this space, and in what we’re providing the Village of Lake George,” said Dutra. “I frequently bring in fresh flowers and make sure the floor looks inviting. We aren’t just another T-shirt shop. We’re proud to represent Lake George with a quality store.”

“Winklepickers is for visitors and residents alike,” said Dutra.

“We grew up here and we love this town,” said owner Rachel Dutra. “When we open a store, we’re providing the best quality products and the best quality service, because we believe people deserve that.”

By Andrea Harwood

Haley Gerarde has opened up a new business, Jenny Jo’s Smoothie Bar. The Lake George native operates the mobile smoothie truck in the greater Saratoga and Glens Falls region.

Gerarde purchased the business in early 2021. The smoothie truck was previously known as The Smoothie Shoppe. Gerarde renamed the business and the truck to Jenny Jo’s Smoothie Bar upon acquisition. She operated the business briefly as The Smoothie Shoppe as she waited for her signage to be completed.

Gerarde has two daughters, Genevieve (Jenny) and Josephine (Jo), the namesakes of her business.

Years ago when the business was owned by previous operators and known as The Smoothie Shoppe, Gerarde would take her daughter Jo down to the Spa City Farmer’s Market to get smoothies. She began following The Smoothie Shoppe on social media, and eventually connected with the owners.

About a year ago, one of the previous owners showed interest in selling the business. Gerarde already had interest in starting a business, perhaps a brick-and-mortar breakfast place. When she heard the smoothie shop business was for sale, she inquired right away.

Sharp Presents gift shop has opened at Aviation Mall next to Dick’s Sporting Goods. 

Their products include locally made and sourced gift items and specialty foods as well as unique gift items for special occasions. Their specialty is creating customized, one-of-a-kind gift arrangements for any need or occasion, the company said..

 “In early 2016, the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga contacted us to create gift arrangements for their VIP clients throughout the summer. During our work with the Gideon Putnam, we came to realize there was a need for a specialized gift shop and gift arrangement business in this area,” said James Joseph, owner of Sharp Presents. “We pride ourselves in offering a distinctive and professional gift giving solution.” 

Joseph has years of professional design training and has created thousands of gift designs throughout his career.