Glens Falls Business Journal

Artificial Intelligence Apps Are Among Those That Can Aid Companies In Today’s IT World

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

Dawn LeGere is the president and co-owner of Empiretech, with an office in Queenssbury.
Courtesy Empiretech

By Jennifer Farnsworth

For small business owners, navigating through all of the IT options available can seem overwhelming.

Among them is the use of AI, or artificial intelligence, which can provide countless benefits to a business The trick is learning how pick and choose what best meets company’s needs.

According to Dawn LeGere, president and co-owner with her husband, Carl LeGere, of Empiretech, which has an office in Queensbury, more and more apps and platforms that harness the abilities of AI will, and have, become available for all types of small businesses to use.

LeGere said people are becoming accustomed to using apps like Siri and Alexa in their personal lives, becoming more comfortable in adopting and utilizing AI. She said businesses should continue to look for apps that track consumer behavior, “bots” that provide automatic online customer communication and feedback and AI systems that streamline and enhance HR procedures.

Many more types of AI enterprise level technologies will continue to become available and affordable for small businesses.

Business Advisor Michael Cruz Pens Book That Guides People Through Hiring Process

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

Michael Cruz of Lighthouse Advisors LLC has written a new book available at Amazon.

By Susan E. Campbell

A new book by local business advisor Michael Cruz is aimed at helping managers at all levels acquire the skills to employ the best people and retain them longer.

“Hire The People You Want (And The Questions You Must Ask To Get Them)” aggregates the insights and tips Cruz has acquired helping clients of his consulting firm, Lighthouse Advisors LLC out of Queensbury, to manage their rapid growth, for which building infrastructure, support and an executive team are key components.

“Most people don’t have the skills to hire the best candidates and no one wants to take the time to learn,” said Cruz.

Before founding his firm in 1999, Cruz ran marketing departments in the corporate sector and honed his skills as a communicator.

StoredTech Named Again By Inc. Magazine As One Of The 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

Mark Shaw started StoredTech in 2010. The company has an office in Queensbury.
©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth

IT provider StoredTech has again been recognized by Inc. magazine’s as one of the fast-growing companies in America.

The company was added to Inc.’s top 5000 list for 2018, something StoredTech owner Mark Shaw said is due to their unwavering focus on customer service.

Inc. is a monthly publication focused on growing companies. It named StoredTech 2,555 out of 5,000 in 2017.

In 2016, the company was ranked 1,113 in the magazine’s ranking of 5,000. According to the magazine, StoredTech showed a 167 percent growth over the last three years.

“A fanatical focus on customer delight. If our clients are delighted, they share that with others and the ability to grow is so much easier,” said Shaw.

Shaw started his company in Queensbury in 2010. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of voice, data, video services and equipment. Their headquarters is in Queensbury, with branch offices in Plattsburgh and South Plainfield, N.J. They provide IT support and project management, cloud services, outsourced IT leadership, and business services to businesses, healthcare groups, municipalities and nonprofit organizations.

Business Report: Corporate VPNs

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

By Michael Hatalla

We often hear from our business customers that their employees are working remote or outside of the office on a more regular basis. Whether home or a local coffee shop, these employees need a safe way to access corporate data securely.

There are a few ways to accomplish this. If your company has a proper firewall in place, most will support either an SSL VPN or IPSec VPN solution.

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN is an encrypted connection, or tunnel, between your computer and the firewall at the office over the internet. This type of connection makes it appear that the user is on their local network, regardless of their location.

Habitat For Humanity Plans New Project In Granville For A Family That Meets The Criteria

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

By Jill Nagy

More than 40 people attended a kick-off luncheon to announce a Habitat for Humanity project in Granville and gauge interest in the home-building project.

Telescope Casual Furniture, a manufacturer in Granville, emerged as the lead sponsor. The project received “a very warm reception,” according to Adam Feldman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties.

Habitat for Humanity builds subsidized housing using a combination of volunteers, donations, and the “sweat equity” of the family who will own the home when it is completed. At its peak, a project may have 100 or more volunteer builders on site, including a contingent of people who coordinate the work and bring in a crew of 50 volunteers to join an equal number of local volunteers.

Local Developer To Renovate South Street Building Into Commercial Space, Apartments

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

By Maureen Werther

Chad Nims, a real estate developer and owner of Nims Outdoor Services, recently received approval from the city of Glens Falls to move forward with his plan to invest $2 million in renovating and building apartments at 46-56 South Street.

The roughly 26,000-square-foot building was a garment factory for many years, according to Nims. In the last 15-20 years, the second and third floors sat idle, with the first floor being occupied less and less in recent years. Northway Communications will continue to remain as a tenant on the first floor, according to Nims.

Nims purchased the building in the fall of 2017 from investor Peter Shabat. A native of the region, Nims grew up in Hudson Falls and opened Nims Outdoor Services in 2003, a business that handles commercial facility maintenance, snow plowing, landscaping, excavation and construction. The company employs approximately 40 people.

Second Highest All-Sources Handle Reported By NYRA For 2018 Saratoga Racing Season

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

A horse is led down the walkway through the backyard at Saratoga Race Course.
Courtesy NYRA

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) aid the 2018 season at Saratoga Race Course concluded on Labor Day with the second highest all-sources handle in history, despite a summer meet that was inundated with more than 10 inches of rain.

Total all-sources handle generated during the meet was $659,083,459, in spite of the fact that 50 races were forced to be taken off the turf, nearly double the number from 2017 and almost as many as the prior two years combined, officials said. A total of 27 races were taken off the turf in 2017 and 25 in 2016.

On track handle for the 2018 Saratoga meet surpassed $148.8 million. Total paid attendance for the 2018 Saratoga meet was 1,124,149, marking the third consecutive season that paid attendance has exceeded 1.1 million fans.

Promotions In The First Half Of Thunder Season Includes Military Appreciation Night

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

The Thunder’s home season will kick off at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls on Oct. 20 against the Brampton Beast. It will feature a light-up stick giveaway, presented by Saratoga Eagle.
Courtesy Adirondack Thunder

The Adirondack Thunder has announced the promotional schedule for the first half of the 2018-2019 season.

The Thunder’s home portion of the season will kick off at Cool Insuring Arena in downtown Glens Falls on Oct. 20 against the Brampton Beast. It will feature a light-up stick giveaway, presented by Saratoga Eagle, as well as a pregame party starting two hours before 7 p.m. puck drop.

Tickets are on sale now including the Stewart’s Four Pack: four tickets to opening night, four Thunder water bottles, four games of bowling at Kingpin’s Alley and a $20 gift card to Stewart’s Shops.

Ray Energy Opens A Propane And Rail Truck Terminal In Hampton, Near Vermont Border

September 14, 2018September 14, 2018

This is part of the new propane rail and truck terminal in Hampton, operated by the Troy-based Ray Energy Corp. The company serves nine states in the Northeast, plus areas in Canada.
Courtesy Ray Energy Corp.

By Jill Nagy

Ray Energy Corp. recently opened a new propane rail and truck terminal in Hampton, near the New York-Vermont border.

A formal opening with ribbon cutting and an open house was held on Aug. 23, but the company has been using the new facility since March.

The company, headquartered in Troy, serves nine states in the Northeast, plus areas in Canada, from a network of five rail terminals, nine pipeline terminals, and a marine terminal. They are termed a midstream wholesale propane supplier They neither produce gas nor sell it on the retail market.

The newest Ray Energy plant is a 21-acre facility with four 60,000-gallon fuel tanks. The new 21-acre facility has a 16-spot rail siding (with an operational capacity of 28) and on-demand switching provided by Vermont Railroad. The company’s railcar mover provides the ability to offload 16 cars per day.

46th Edition Of The Adirondack Balloon Fest Returns To Glens Falls Area September 20-23

September 14, 2018September 14, 2018

Puddles and Splash, balloons from the United Kingdom, will make their debut at the Adirondack Balloon Festival this month, piloted by Andrew Holly and Ben Alford from Bristol, England.
Courtesy Adirondack Balloon Festival

The Board of Directors of the Adirondack Balloon Festival announced details of the 46th annual event to be held Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 20-23.

In celebrating 46 years, the festival’s logo and theme represent shared and celebrated traditions of the region—ballooning and hiking. The event is set to celebrate the majesty of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks.

The event kicks off Thursday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at Crandall Park in Glens Falls. Events continue throughout the weekend at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury.

This community-supported event remains free of charge. Organizers said the festival attracts 125,000-150,000 people to the region each year and is the largest balloon festival on the East Coast of the U.S.