Glens Falls Business Journal

During COVID Pandemic, Attorneys Face Challenges In Courts And Business Law Cases

February 18, 2021February 19, 2021

Matthew F. Fuller, partner at Meyer, Fuller & Stockwell PLLC in Lake George.
Courtesy Meyer, Fuller & Stockwell PLLC

By Susan Elise Campbell
As businesses adjust to the unprecedented challenges of a pandemic, so do the attorneys who advise them.
“There have been a whirlwind of legal issues that we never thought we would have to deal with,” said James T. Towne Jr. of The Towne Law Firm PC, with offices in Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls.
Unique issues about government relief, bankruptcy and foreclosures, contracts, COVID-19 fraud, cybersecurity and much more are on a daunting list of topics attorneys are being challenged to address this past year.
“During the first 120 days we were confronted with a variety of labor and employment inquiries,” said Towne.
Many of these were rooted in the logistics and liabilities of sending non-essential staff home to work and as a condition of employment, he said.
“Managers are accustomed to taking their laptops and working from home, but maybe not the support staff,” he said. “Matters come up about restrictions on the equipment taken offsite, using that equipment for personal matters, and businesses not enforcing obligations in connection with work performed at home.”
Matthew F. Fuller, partner at Meyer, Fuller & Stockwell PLLC in Lake George, said that whether an employer can mandate that staff get vaccinated has “no clear cut answer. If someone gives you a straight answer, don’t listen.” He is addressing the issues of testing and vaccinations for the municipalities he represents.
“There are conflicting directives from the federal government and from the governor’s office,” Towne said. “In New York, different classes of employees need to negotiate their contracts,” he said. “If the municipality’s internal staff is under a collective bargaining agreement we have to go through that agreement very carefully to see what we’re dealing with” as to what can be mandated.

Business Report: Preventing Small Business Fraud

February 18, 2021February 19, 2021

Paul Zarecki, CPA, is a partner with Ferraro, Amodio & Zarecki, CPAs.

By Paul Zarecki
Small businesses are more likely to become the victims of fraud than larger businesses.
Small businesses are the most vulnerable to occupational fraud and abuse, according to the Association for Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). In its 2020 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, ACFE cites that the smallest organizations, 100 employees or less, suffered higher median losses than did the largest organizations (10,000 employees or more).
While the largest companies suffered losses of $140,000 on average, small businesses’ losses averaged $150,000, based on its survey.
Considering the potential losses and how much more of an impact $150,000 is to a smaller business than a larger business, it befits small-business owners to make the prevention of fraud a priority. Though no business owner wants to feel it employs unscrupulous people, sometimes temptation or personal financial pressures can push even the hardest working, most trusted employee into perpetrating fraud.
Here’s how you can prevent fraudulent activity in your workplace:

LayerEight, Formerly PrimeLink Managed Services, Grows IT, Cybersecurity Services

February 18, 2021February 19, 2021

LayerEight, an IT company, was formerly PrimeLink Managed Services.
Courtesy Vicki Marking, PrimeLink

By Jennifer Farnsworth
It has been a little over a month since LayerEight, formerly PrimeLink Managed Services division, has reintroduced itself to the business community as a new subsidiary of the 118-year -old Champlain Telephone Co.
In keeping with the telephone company philosophy, LayerEight officials said it will focus on personalized customer service by specializing in IT, cybersecurity and construction services for telecommunications infrastructure.
The company is based out of Plattsburgh, however Vicki A. Marking, its sales and marketing director, said there are a number of well established clients as far reaching as Saratoga County, with the ability to serve satellite offices across New York State.
“The demographic in the Glens Falls and Saratoga area really match with what we have in the Plattsburgh area. We have a sweet spot for certain size businesses who are looking for personalized, local IT support,” said Marking.
She said when the coronavirus first hit last March, business exploded for them in many ways that were initially unexpected. With so many people having to work from home, being able to set people up with networks for a “home office” became a growing demand.
They also were being sought out for their ability to provide IT cybersecurity.
“All of sudden our clients were finding themselves in an unplanned situation where they were having to connect to work servers, and having to think about confidentiality and security, and all from home,” said Marking.

Business Briefs: February 2021

February 18, 2021February 19, 2021

Glens Falls Hospital will begin restarting elective/non-emergent procedures beginning Feb. 22.
“Glens Falls Hospital staff will be reaching out to our patients to confirm rescheduled dates for their surgeries and procedures,” said the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer Paul Scimeca. “We’ll continue to increase capacity as quickly as possible in order to care for those patients waiting for a surgical procedure.”
The hospital curtailed non-emergent procedures voluntarily in late December as the number of hospitalized COVID patients increased at GFH and throughout the region. This was to redeploy staff to medical/surgical units to care for the increased number of inpatients.

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The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce Women in Business group has transitioned back to virtual meetings until further notice.
The group had been meeting in a hybrid format, with virtual and limited in-person attendance as an option, since September but chose to go back to virtual-only meetings as of its January meeting.

Noble Gas Solutions Opens A Facility In South Glens Falls, Adding Warehouse Space, Offices

January 15, 2021January 18, 2021

Noble Gas Solutions manufactures and sells dry ice, among other business services.

By Christine Graf
Albany-based Noble Gas Solutions is planning to open a third location at 15 Third St. in South Glens Falls.
The wholesale distributor of gasses and welding supplies also has a location in Kingston. Noble Gas was founded in 1940 as Albany Welding Supply Co. and owner J. David Mahoney worked there for 10 years before purchasing the business in 1986.
Approximately 60 percent of the company’s sales are generated from the gas arm of the business, he said. Noble Gas sells medical, specialty, industrial, and consumer gasses as well as gas and cryogenic packaging. Their packaging product line includes cylinders, tanks, manifolds, and liquid cryogenic dewars.
“We started by getting into selling specialty gasses for universities and for laboratories, and it just evolved. We sell so many different gasses. We sell helium to florists, gasses to veterinary clinics and pharmaceuticals. It’s very diverse,” said Mahoney.
Noble Gas also carries a full line of welding, metalworking, soldering, brazing, and fume elimination supplies.
The company sells, rents and repairs welding machines.

Stec: State Must Help Businesses Hurt In Pandemic, Resist Temptation To Raise Taxes

January 15, 2021January 18, 2021

Sen. Dan Stec’s 45th District includes Warren and Washington counties.
Courtesy Assemblyman Stec

By State Sen. Dan Stec
As the 2021 State Legislative session gets underway in Albany this month, the first order of business must be reestablishing its role as a co-equal branch of government.
Since March, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has exercised unprecedented authority to deal with the myriad challenges created by COVID-19. He was granted this authority by the Legislature at a time of great uncertainty and when there was a need to quickly respond to mitigate the spread of the illness and avoid our health care system becoming totally overwhelmed.
Fortunately, we have moved beyond that critical time. Remaining vigilant to prevent the virus from spreading is certainly still very important. But the coronavirus vaccine now offers great hope that we will be able to get back to ‘normal’ in the near future. As we begin a new session of a newly elected Legislature, it seems to me the time is right for lawmakers representing all regions of our state to discontinue the governor’s emergency power and fulfill their critical constitutional role.
We are all well aware of the financial challenges that lie ahead. While revenues for all levels of government are down, the real story is what our businesses, especially small employers and lower-wage workers, have been enduring. Small businesses drive our economy and their recovery must now be our priority.

In Virus-Impacted Year, Winterfest Replaces Winter Carnival On Four February Weekends

January 15, 2021January 18, 2021

A new event, WinterFest, is planned for the four weekends of February, replacing the Lake George Winter Carnival.
The new event, created because of the impact of COVID-19, entices visitors to attend socially distanced, safe outdoor events such as cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, winter “fat tire” mountain biking and dine in the Lake George area.
Participants will get a wristband, obtainable in advance online, that will serve as the ticket to horse-drawn carriage rides around Lake George and hot cocoa stations.
The website where wristbands will be on sale is www.lakegeorgewinterfest.com.
“WinterFest is the new way to get outside and really enjoy the wide variety of family-oriented socially-distanced recreational opportunities in the Lake George region of the Adirondacks,’’ said Christian Dutcher, who is organizing the event.

Marc Monahan Leads The Adirondack Regional Chamber Of Commerce 2021 Board

January 15, 2021January 18, 2021

Marc Monahan is the chairman of the ARCC board of directors for 2021.
Courtesy ARCC

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) announced that Marc Monahan, vice president and regional executive of NBT Bank, will again be chairman of its board of directors in 2021.
He replaced Eric Gilbert in 2020.
ARCC also announced the addition of four new board members for 2021.
“The past year certainly has been a challenge, but I believe we have a strong team at the ARCC and an outstanding group of board volunteers to help us make 2021 another successful year. Thank you to all of our members for their continued support of our 100 percent member funded and focused chamber,” said Monahan.
“As we enter into a new year, I am excited to welcome our newest board members and to show our gratitude to our outgoing members for their dedication to the ARCC.”
ARCC President & CEO Michael Bittel said, “We are blessed to have a board of directors who are all passionate about our region and our communities. Under Chairman Marc Monahan’s leadership, the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce has continued to focus on our mission of loving and serving our entire community. Our four new board members will carry on their passion and legacy.”
Monahan joined NBT in 2010 as a member of the retail team. He has over 18 years of experience in banking in various roles within the retail and commercial divisions of NBT. Prior to coming to NBT he worked in the Capital Region as a member of the management team in KeyBank’s retail bank. Monahan started his career in the finance industry as a member of Citi Group.

Personnel Briefs: January 2021

January 15, 2021January 18, 2021

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) welcomed two new team members. Joining the ARCC team are Carol Ann Conover in member services and Karen Mattison as finance manager.
Conover, a South Jersey native, has a professional background spanning multiple business sectors. She began in health care as a nurse’s aide at ACMC through college and went on to become an administrator for a comprehensive cardiac facility by the age of 25 before relocating to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where she began her writing career with a small local paper.
She authored several regular feature columns and she has written food and travel columns and reviews for several newspapers and online journals.
She has worked in hospitality at Davidson Brothers in Glens Falls and most recently The Queensbury Hotel. She has served at the Glens Falls Farmer’s Market with Dickinson’s Delights, and has been an active fundraiser, most recently for the Great Cycle Challenge benefiting Children’s Cancer Charities.
She also operates a freelance writing and social media and marketing business.
Mattison, owner of Busy Bee Bookkeeping, LLC, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the College of St. Joseph after which she worked for a local CPA firm for 13 years. In 2018, she started her own business and obtained her IRS enrolled agent designation in 2019.

Stewart’s Shops Acquisition Of Red-Kap Adds Gasoline Distribution Services, A Few Stores

January 15, 2021January 18, 2021

Red-Kap is a locally owned, family run business, has eight convenience stores, three car washes, a 75-plus dealer network and fuel distribution business.

Stewart’s Shops is announced it is expanding its fuel distribution business with the acquisition of Red-Kap, a locally owned, family run business.
Stewart’s officials said the company will acquire eight convenience stores, three car washes, a 75-plus dealer network and fuel distribution business.
Under the terms of the agreement, Stewart’s will maintain the branding of the Mobil, Citgo, and Sunoco stations and will convert a few of the Red-Kap locations into Stewart’s Shops.
“Stewart’s has always respected the business and our long personal relationship with the Kaplans and their team,” said Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake. “Doing business with people who respect people is always a pleasure. Both organizations come from long local family histories that have helped form the communities where we live.
“The acquisition will add eight corporately run locations and a significant addition of gasoline supply and distribution to local stations. Stewart’s prides itself on vertical integration and support. In the age of COVID-19, with an ever-changing business climate, we look forward to extending this support to the distributor/dealer network.”
Red-Kap, based in Schenectady, owns eight convenience stores from Saratoga to Loudonville, Troy, East Greenbush, and as far west as the Syracuse suburb of Baldwinsville.