Glens Falls Business Journal

Hunt Companies, Construction Company In Argyle, Mapping Out Family Succession Plan

July 15, 2019

Officials of the Hunt Companies, including husband and wife Amie and Juan Gonzales in the forefront, pose at the company’s headquarters on County Road 45 in Argyle.
Andrea Palmer

by Andrea Palmer

Hunt Companies Inc. (HCI) is a general contractor in Argyle that recently underwent Phase 1 of succession planning, as Amie Gonzales was voted in as president at the annual shareholders meeting in January.

The company was started by Amie’s parents, Dennis and Cindy Hunt, over 30 years ago. Juan Gonzales is the chief financial officer, as well as Amie’s husband. When Gonzales began visiting then-girlfriend Amie many years ago, he saw first-hand the grit Denny and Cindy put into keeping the company running.

“Their vision was, as a general contractor, to take care of the team and take care of the employees through all the ups and downs,” said Gonzales. “They went through the full spectrum of what a lot of small businesses go through—paying payroll with credit cards, taking money from their personal savings to keep the company alive, Denny spending hours upon hours in the field during the day and then hours upon hours on the laptop at night. Keeping the company afloat.”

The Hunt Companies niche is the restaurant business, specifically fast food. They have done work for McDonald’s in Boston and the surrounding region. Hunt Companies has also done work with Popeye’s, Taco Bell and other restaurants.

New Storage Units Being Constructed On Bay Road In Queensbury Near Duke Concrete

July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

Cerrone Builders and DA Collins are partnering on a project to build Bay Road Self Storage in Queensbury. The first phase of the project will be four storage buildings.
Andrea Palmer

by Andrea Palmer

New storage units are going up on Bay Road next to Duke Concrete.

Bay Road Self Storage is in the midst of construction, with Cerrone Builders leading the project.

Cerrone Builders and DA Collins are partnering on the project. Kubricky Construction, a subsidiary of DA Collins, owned the property on which the units are being built.

Gianni Simone is a partner at Cerrone Builders.

“It’s a joint venture between us and DA Collins. We’re partnering with subsidiary Kubricky on the property and DA Collins on the construction,” said Simone.

“Right now we’re starting with Phase 1, which is four buildings. We’re going to end up with roughly 60,000 square feet of non-temperature-controlled space in the standard sizes. We’ll also have outdoor storage as well for boats and RVs,” said Simone.

National Group: 39 States, Not NY, Added Construction Jobs; Workforce Shortages Noted

July 15, 2019

Texas and West Virginia Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains as Louisiana Has Worst Losses; California and North Dakota Experience Largest One-Month Gains, While New York and West Virginia Lag

Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between May 2018 and May 2019, while construction employment increased in 31 states and D.C. from April to May, including New York state, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Association officials said the new construction employment data underscores the need for new federal investments in career and technical education programs as well as immigration reform.

“Construction demand remains strong, and contractors increased their workforce in most states over the past year, yet the record number of job openings at the end of April implies contractors would add even more workers if they could,” said chief economist Ken Simonson. “With the unemployment rate now near a 50-year low, it is more challenging than ever for contractors to hire and retain qualified employees.”

AHI Gets Grant To Aid Telehealth Tech Center

July 15, 2019

The Adirondack Health Institute has received a grant from the Charles R. Wood Foundation to develop a Telehealth Technical Assistance Center.

Funding will be used to expand telehealth capacity over a 12-month period in nine North Country counties to improve care, support patients post-discharge, and serve the needs of aging residents.

“The Telehealth Technical Assistance Center’s vision is to connect multi-sector collaborators such as health care providers, school administrators, health workers, and community members through telehealth, a vital service with huge potential for making a positive impact in our rural communities,” said Katy Cook, project manager, Telehealth, AHI.

“Telehealth has caught the attention of many in the health care field in recent years, but has yet to reach its full potential,” said Cook. “The potential to impact community members’ lives with telehealth technology is significant and this endeavor has the chance to impact thousands of North Country residents by improving access to the care they otherwise would not seek due to travel, work, and family constraints.”

Business Report: 3 Imperatives of Strong Leadership

July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

Michael Cruz, president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.

All leaders wonder how they can get more from their people. The basics are not hard. The execution is.

First, leaders need to have a vision for their business. They need to have a plan for where they are going. How they will serve their customers. They need to help everyone know first thing first. In short, they need to help set priorities. People who work in companies need to know what to do – when you are not watching!

In order to achieve your priorities, you need the right people. You need strong players. Which means you need to hire well. That means that you have to hire for the right traits. Traits include soft skills like the ability to make good decisions and perform that extra service. Sell the customer the right products. And, help your customers be happy. Break down what you think success is and train and coach people to get there. You need to remove bad employees. Toxic ones. The ones who bring the rest of your team down. You probably believe you cannot afford to lose anyone. But getting rid of toxic people saves everyone else!

StoredTech Expands Its Home Office Space; Owner Expects 40 Percent Growth In 2019

July 15, 2019

StoredTech (Stored Technology Solutions) recently expanded its headquarters at 543 Queensbury Ave. in Queensbury. It now consists of 20,000 square feet of space.
Courtesy StoredTech

By Christine Graf

StoredTech (Stored Technology Solutions) recently expanded its headquarters at 543 Queensbury Ave. in Queensbury. The company leases the space and expanded into an area vacated by a previous tenant.

According to president Mark Shaw, the expansion was precipitated by the company’s exponential growth.

“We added 5,000 square feet, and we are now 20,000 square feet in Queensbury. We are continuing to grow. We have a ton of new business and are adding new clients every week.”

Since being founded in 2010, StoredTech has experienced double and triple digit growth. Shaw predicts 40 percent growth in 2019 and expects sales to reach $11.5 million. Sales in 2018 were $8 million.

StoredTech is a managed service provider (MSP) that provides information technology (IT) support to customers throughout the world. Seventy percent of their customers are located in the Capital Region. They also have customers throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Business Report: Office Space Design Tips

July 15, 2019

Dorothy Rogers-Bullis is owner and president of drb Business Interiors in Saratoga Springs.
©2019 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Dorothy Rogers-Bullis

Your business’s physical space says a lot about you, speaking volumes about your company culture and priorities. If you strive to attract and retain top talent within your organization, you must ensure your workplace is designed to meet those employees’ needs—offering an attractive, ergonomic, efficient space that is tailored to each person’s job function and personal work style.

If you are interested in updating your workspace, but you don’t know where to begin, here are a few of the top new trends we are seeing in the office design industry.

Standing to work

With more research coming out about the health issues associated with prolonged sitting—from neck and back problems to higher rates of obesity—the sit-to-stand desk is a top trend in the workplace. These adjustable-height work surfaces offer the flexibility to perform work in either a sitting or standing position, improving ergonomics.

Business Report: Pets In The Workplace

July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

Rose Miller is president of Pinnacle Human Resources LLC.

By Rose Miller

While in Pennsylvania on business, my husband and I stayed at a “pet friendly” hotel. Second day in, my husband commented that he feels his life has gone to the dogs because we found ourselves eating and sleeping with dogs.

Instead of waking to a crying baby, we awoke to a whining and barking dog needing to be let out. There is a pervasive trend in American society to place the same importance on pets as they do for a human family member. In fact, we hear people instantly complain when young children are in the room, yet there seems to be a greater tolerance for animals.

There is a growing demand for pet-friendly policies in today’s workplace. Companies are dealing with mandated leaves for family caregivers and “pet parents” desire the same type of leaves for their pet responsibilities. A study conducted by the American Pet Products Associations found that 17 percent of employers had pet-friendly policies.

They include: bringing pets to work; furternity (leave for the birth or adoption of a pet); and pet bereavement leave.

NYSERDA Launches Board To Support Efforts To Accelerate New Technologies

July 15, 2019

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has launched of a new Investor Advisory Board to support its efforts to accelerate new technologies and provide broader exposure for emerging companies to the investment community.

The 10-member board came together in New York City for the first time and represents some of the most active and prestigious early-stage financial and corporate investors in the clean energy space.

Alicia Barton, president and CEO, NYSERDA, said, “The expertise of the Investor Advisory Board will ensure New York state is investing in innovative and game-changing technologies, products and services needed to help us reach Gov. Cuomo’s nation-leading clean energy and climate goals. New, disruptive technology is critical to hastening our clean energy future and aggressively fighting climate change, and we are proud of the role that NYSERDA plays in cultivating innovative clean energy solutions here in New York.”

The board features highly distinguished financial and corporate investors focused on early-stage clean energy companies. The board will assist NYSERDA in developing long-term strategic plans and increasing near-term programmatic impact to accelerate the pace of clean energy innovation in New York state. Board members will share best practices about due diligence, portfolio management and syndication of deals to help emerging companies develop and bring technology to the marketplace more quickly.

NYRA Has A Full Schedule Of Special Events Planned For The 2019 Track Season

July 15, 2019

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced a 40-day lineup of entertainment and special events for the 2019 season at Saratoga Race Course, which began Thursday, July 11, and runs through Monday, Sept. 2.

Gates open at 11 a.m. each day with the exception of Travers Day, Saturday, Aug. 24.

The event schedule will feature a number of new happenings alongside returning traditions and perennial favorites. Coca-Cola will return as the official sponsor of the Saratoga Pavilion, the on-track venue where NYRA hosts 40 days of special events. The Coca-Cola Saratoga Pavilion is where fans will gather formany activities.

Weekends at the Spa will feature Berkshire Bank Family Sundays. Previously held on Mondays, the weekly festival invites families and children to enjoy a wide array of free games, attractions and educational activities.

NYRA will continue its tradition of premium giveaways with four giveaway days: Sunday, July 14; Wednesday, Aug. 7; Wednesday, Aug. 21; and Sunday, Sept. 1.