Glens Falls Business Journal

KPM Restoration Outgrows Saratoga Facility, Moves Into New Warehouse, Offices In Malta

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Jamie Kennedy is the owner of KPM Restoration. The company repairs water damage, does mold remediation and other commercial cleaning throughout the Capital Region.

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.

Coronavirus Pandemic Curtailed Business For Landscapers, But Business Is Rebounding

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Lanette Akerson is the owner of Plant Doctor, based in Glens Falls.

By Christine Graf

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many offices throughout the country, Glens Falls-based Plant Doctor lost half of its commercial clients. The interior and exterior plant design service company has customers throughout the greater Capital Region and Lake George.

But many of Plant Doctor’s previous corporate clients are re-enlisting her services as they transition their staff back into their offices.

“Most all of my business is commercial—a lot of law offices,” said owner Lanette Akerson. “The lawyers are, by and large, working from home and I lost half of them. Half of them still retain our services even though the offices are half-manned or not manned at all.”

It was in the midst of this significant downturn in business that The Desmond Hotel in Albany reached out to Akerson and asked her to design the landscaping for the hotel’s two atriums. The $75,000 project was the largest project in her more than 20 years at Plant Doctor.

“It was a huge project. We worked on it together and came out with an amazing result,” she said.

As a result of that project, Akerson’s gross revenue for 2020 equaled that of 2019. Her net revenue was also positively impacted after she made the decision to significantly reduce her expenses.

“Before COVID, I had four commercial vehicles and a car. I’m down to one commercial vehicle and a car. I also had five part-time staffers, and after COVID, I now have two,” she said.

Southern Adirondack Realtors Hire New President, CEO To Administer Operations

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Densay Sengsoulavong is the new CEO of the Southern Adirondack Realtors.

Southern Adirondack Realtors has a new chief executive officer.

The association has hired Densay Sengsoulavong as CEO.

Sengsoulavong will administer the association’s operations including its financial management, governance, and member services. He will also collaboratively engage with elected officials, community leaders and other stakeholders on behalf of Southern Adirondack Realtors.

The hiring follows the retirement of Luisa Craige-Sherman, who led SAR affairs going back to 2015.

Sengsoulavong was selected after a nationwide search conducted by SAR’s Personnel Committee headed by Southern Adirondack Realtors 2020 President Catherine McDonough.

“We look forward to having Densay join us as our association grows over the coming years. His vast experience will help ensure SAR and its members continue serving the community and their clients through ever changing times,” said McDonough, emphasizing the association and real estate industry’s anticipated growth.

“Realtors are woven into the fabric of the community, and a vibrant housing market is the foundation for achieving great quality of place. It’s only fitting that SAR be engaged in the public conversation and its members be thought leaders,” said Sengsoulavong. “I admire the Southern Adirondacks Realtors commitment to the community. They demonstrate that for a region to grow and prosper, purposeful collaboration is needed, and I am excited to join those efforts.”

‘Skin Renaissance’ In South Glens Falls Offers A Variety Of Treatments And Products

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Shelley Riopelle, owner of Skin Renaissance Spa in South Glens Falls, offers a full menu of skin treatments and modalities, body treatments, facial treatments, foot soaks and waxing.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

Skin Renaissance Spa opened in early March at 142 Saratoga Ave., South Glens Falls, across the road from the Hannaford Plaza.

Shelley Riopelle has been a licensed esthetician for over 25 years. Previously, she worked at a spa in Saratoga for 10 years.

When COVID-19 hit and the state ordered businesses to shut their doors, she considered retiring. After time passed and businesses started to reopen, Riopelle realized she missed the work and wanted to get back into it.

“I decided that instead of going back to work for someone else, I would open my own spa,” said Riopelle. “Pandemic or not, I wanted to give it a go and see it where it takes me.”

The spa offers a full menu of skin treatments and modalities, body treatments, facial treatments, foot soaks and waxing.

Riopelle is a state licensed medical esthetician.

Yvonne Manso Carved Out A Career as A Sales Director In The Construction Industry

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Yvonne Manso is a sales director with the D.A. Collins family of companies, www.dacollins.com.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

It might be that Yvonne Manso has the ability to ensure confidence in her customers when it comes to the quality of the product, because quite simply Manso believes in herself.

As a sales director for D.A. Collins, Manso has spent the past 14 years earning a solid reputation in a historically male dominated industry. Her work ethic and spirit brought her to the forefront of the construction materials industry.

She is originally from Michigan. After high school, Manso served two years in the military and four years in the reserves. She later moved to Las Vegas, working in the hotel industry for 14 years. After meeting her husband, a native of Saratoga County, she found herself moving to the area and in need of a job. She landed a position at D.A. Collins as a sales coordinator.

“The hotel industry is so different and I had no experience in the construction field, but I was lucky enough to find a company that trusted I could learn the business. And I did,” said Manso.

When she first began, she could sometimes sense apprehension when contractors would see a woman show up on a job site. She said she did not let that deter her. In fact, It motivated her to learn the ins and outs of the business. Now, contractors know they are dealing with a seasoned pro.

“It has gotten so much better over the years, but I really had to prove myself, which I wanted to do. I wanted to learn all that I could so that I would feel confident in what I was doing. I knew I had to spend time at the plants and really work hard to gain enough experience to have the confidence I needed,” said Manso.

Brad LaCross Operates ‘Legendary Auto Salon,’ Helping Protect Car Exterior Finishes

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Brad LaCross gave up a career in IT and opened Legendary Auto Salon in Queensbury, a business that specializes in protective finishes for automobiles.

By Jill NAgy

A hobby became a full-time business three years ago when Brad LaCross gave up a career in IT to devote himself to automobile detailing.

His Legendary Auto Salon in Queensbury specializes in protective finishes for automobiles.

LaCross recently signed a 10-year lease on a facility at 75 Carey Road, near Exit 18 of the Northway. It is a brand new facility. In fact, “there are a few things to fix” before his certificate of occupancy becomes permanent.

The shop has 3,800 square feet of work space and includes a custom-built clean room and a training facility. The first training session was in October and attracted auto detailers from across the country. He hopes to help build credibility for a new industry, working with colleagues to develop standards and a certification process.

As an information technology person, LaCross worked as a systems administrator and operated data centers. His experience in running a business carried over into the current enterprise. It also helps in his effort to develop standard operating procedures for everything.

At the same time, he was preparing cars for auto shows and doing other detailing work, using space in the back of an automobile service shop.

Downtown Glens Falls Property Will Partner Restaurant With A Golf Simulator Experience

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

This is a rendering of the exterior of 196 Glen St. in Glens Falls that will become One Below Urban Golf Club in 2022. It will be an eatery and also have a golf simulator for people to use.
Courtesy Daniel McGurk

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

A man with local ties to the resort industry is planning to open a new restaurant in downtown Glens Falls, but won’t be ready until 2022.

Daniel McGurk is planning to renovate a three-story structure at 196 Glen St. for a project that is being called One Below Urban Golf Club.

McGurk and partners purchased the building in December 2019 for $435,000. The interior of the building is currently being renovated and modernized. A full modern kitchen, HVAC and modernized plumbing is being installed.

The building will include golf simulator machines for those who enjoy the sport. But, “We want people to be able to enjoy the space whether they golf or not. Having different levels will help separate that,” McGurk said.

McGurk has been working with AJA Architecture on modernization design and branding for the golf club and restaurant.

“AJA Architecture came highly recommended to us by mutual associates of ours at the Garrison and the East Cove. We liked their vision. They’re really good with utilizing our narrow space so it feels more open. It was a perfect fit to work with them,” said McGurk.

He said customers will “still get that club and restaurant feel. The first floor will be a classic restaurant. You wouldn’t know it’s a golf bar unless you actively tried to reserve golf time. It’s pretty separated,” said McGurk of the design.

Entrances to the bottom level and second floor will lead patrons to the golf simulators. Food and drinks will be available on those floors as well.

Dr. Andrew Garner Offers Membership-Based Direct Primary Care (DPC) Plans

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Dr. Andrew W. Garner, director of Adirondack Direct Primary Care in Glens Falls, has developed a membership-based model for his practice at 8 Harrison Ave.

Adirondack Direct Primary Care is “a concierge level membership model” of care that provides patients with “prompt, personalized, high quality, physician-only medical care” for $100 per month, says Garner in a press release.

The fee for patients age 16-25 is $40 per month. Membership includes all office visit costs. No insurance is required, but patients maintain their health insurance for hospitalization and other services they may require.

He is accepting new patients.

“There is value to this model way beyond the dollar spent,” he said, noting it is “Priceless when you need care.”

He said the service allows a smaller patient panel that allows Dr. Garner to spend more time with patients to provide highly personalized, coordinated and comprehensive care to get to the root cause of problems.

Adirondack Health Institute Starts Network To Strengthen, Promote Better Food System

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Adirondack Health Institute announced the launch of the Adirondack Food System Network, a collaboration of multiple organizations working together as equal partners to better understand system-wide issues, identify gaps, and develop realistic solutions to help strengthen and promote a more resilient food system.

Officials said that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, market supply chain and trade disruptions have limited food accessibility, especially for vulnerable residents lacking access to transportation and the means to purchase fresh food. At the same time, farmers have been faced with significant disruptions in market access, especially due to the closure of restaurants, retail, and other food establishments, and the threat of the loss of market access for area farmers.

A group of Adirondack food system stakeholders across the region have come together to start the Adirondack Food System Network with seed funding from Adirondack Foundation. The Network aims to help food system stakeholders mount a coordinated effort to build back better food systems as the region recovers from the pandemic, centered on the values of collaboration, equity, environment, and lasting success.

“AHI is pleased to be serving as the backbone organization, the coordinating body that will provide support, facilitation, and guidance, for this much-needed collective impact initiative,” stated Nancy Gildersleeve, executive director at Adirondack Health Institute.

Regional Campaign Mounted To Urge NYS Residents To Get A Coronavirus Vaccine

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

A powerful regional campaign, featuring voices of 15 community leaders encouraging everyone to have the COVID-19 vaccine, was launched today, according to the Capital Region Vaccine Network, led by Albany Med.

Entitled “Don’t Hesitate. Vaccinate,” the campaign supports the work of the Capital Region Vaccine Network established at Albany Med to ensure the safe, efficient and equitable distribution of the vaccine across Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties.

The campaign includes television, radio, print, digital and social media ads that encourage residents to receive the vaccine when it is available to them.

“Don’t Hesitate. Vaccinate.” is underwritten by Albany Med, CDPHP, MVP Health Care, Irving Tissue, KeyBank, The United Way of the Greater Capital Region, and Community Care Physicians, PC. Ads will feature leaders from these organizations, as well as those from the Albany County Department of Health, the Black Nurses Coalition, Inc., the Capital District Latinos, the Capital District YMCA, the Glens Falls and Schenectady chapters of the NAACP and the Albany Med Health System affiliates Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital and Saratoga Hospital.