Glens Falls Business Journal

AARP: States Must Accelerate Pace Of Improving Long Term Care Services For Elderly

July 12, 2017

With baby boomers beginning to turn 80 in 2026, states must accelerate the pace of improving long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older people and adults with disabilities, according to AARP’s new state scorecard released in June.

The report, Picking Up The Pace of Change: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers (Scorecard), shows that although most states have made some progress, the pace of change overall remains too slow and has not kept up with demographic demands.

LTSS includes assistance with activities of daily living provided to older adults and people with disabilities who cannot perform these activities on their own because of physical, cognitive, or chronic health conditions. The types of assistance include such things as help with bathing, dressing, managing medications, preparing meals, and transportation, as well as support for family caregivers.

“This Scorecard sounds the alarm, but it also provides a range of tools states can use to spark new solutions and create systems that are aligned with the new realities of aging and living with a disability,” said Susan Reinhard, RN, Ph.D. and senior vice president and director of the AARP Public Policy Institute. “The proposed cuts to Medicaid—the largest public payer of long-term assistance—would result in millions of older adults and people with disabilities losing lifesaving supports.”

The Scorecard was funded by AARP Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund and the SCAN Foundation. It is the third edition of the Scorecard.

Officials said the Scorecard ranks states based on their performance on LTSS in five main categories: affordability and access; choice of setting and provider; quality of life and quality of care; support for family caregivers; and effective transitions between nursing homes, hospitals and homes

Within the five categories, states are scored on their performance in 25 specific indicators, including such things as Medicaid spending, nursing home cost, home health aide supply, antipsychotic medication use among nursing home residents, long nursing home stays, employment rate of people with disabilities, and support of working caregivers.

90-Room Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Opens In Queensbury Near Northway Exit 18

July 12, 2017

The newly constructed Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, off Northway Exit 18, at 216 Corinth Road in Queensbury, is now open. It has 90 rooms and many amenities.
Courtesy Prestige Hospitality GroupThe newly constructed Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Queensbury is now open.

Located off Northway Exit 18, at 216 Corinth Road, the 90-room property is managed by Prestige Hospitality Group and was constructed by Bette & Cring Construction.

Jerry Nudi, former owner and president of Warren Electric, is the hotel owner.

Jessica Van Hall, who has been with Prestige Hospitality for 10 years, is the general manager and opened the property along with newly appointed director of sales Amanda Berrigan.

“The area of downtown Glens Falls is changing significantly. It’s growing with different demands now more than ever,” said Berrigan.

“Lake George has so much to offer in its natural state and to now have businesses support the area 365 days a year, is truly making a difference. Every season has its own events and festivals, bringing new people to the area, and being able to accommodate these guests at our property is very rewarding,” she said.

Northeast Power Systems In Queensbury Is Planning An 11,000 SF Warehouse Expansion

July 12, 2017

Northeast Power Systems Inc. designs and manufactures medium-voltage, metal-enclosed power capacitor banks and harmonic filter banks like these for use in electric power systems.
Courtesy NEPSI

By Maureen Werther

Northeast Power Systems Inc. (NEPSI) is planning to add more than 11,000 square feet of additional warehouse space to accommodate its growing business.

NEPSI, located at 66 Carey Road in Queensbury, designs and manufactures medium-voltage, metal-enclosed power capacitor banks and harmonic filter banks for use in electric power systems.

The company was founded in 1995 by brothers and RPI graduates Paul and Peter Steciuk. It first operated out of a small garage space in the former Tobin’s First Prize factory in Albany. Three years later, in 1998, they received their first $1 million order. In 1999, they began private labeling systems for General Electric Co.

Another brother, Frank Steciuk, joined the team in 1999, the same year the company relocated to Queensbury.

During its 22 years in business, the manufacturing company has expanded its design, manufacturing and testing facilities, as well as its global reach. NEPSI provides power solutions to several industries around the world, including mining, utilities, industrial, renewable energy, chemical, petroleum and pulp and paper.

NEPSI doubled its capacity in 2001 and again in 2011, while continuing to increase the sophistication and performance capabilities of its equipment. Each unit sells from $50,000 to more than $1.5 million, and NEPSI is on target to generate $30 million in revenue in 2017, a record for the company, officials said.

Business Report: Nuts And Bolts Of Construction Financing

July 12, 2017July 12, 2017

Sarah Lewis Belcher is a senior counsel with Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC.
Courtesy Bond, Schoeneck & King

by Sarah Lewis Belcher, Esq.

So, you have a great new project you want to start building ASAP to enable you to get in the ground and/or have the shell(s) up before the weather turns and/or to meet your completion schedule?

If you need a construction loan to finance the project, knowing the financing process can help expedite closing and your ability to get started.

The earlier you involve your lender the better. In addition to the usual underwriting review, the lender and its construction consultant will need a number of items concerning the project. Having a package of these materials ready can help speed the review and, therefore, the closing.

The construction documents that often must be provided include: plans and specifications, detailed construction budget, construction schedule, fixed price/guaranteed maximum price contract with the general contractor (GC)/construction manager (CM), architect/engineer’s contracts, municipal approvals including building permits, payment and performance bonds, builder’s risk insurance and consents to contract assignments from the GC, CM, architect and/or engineer.

These items will be reviewed by the lender and its construction consultant to confirm the project described in the plans and specs may be completed for the amounts in the budget and within the time frame in the schedule.

The construction loan process in New York state requires the preparation and filing of a building loan contract/construction loan agreement. If a lender doesn’t file such a document with the clerk of the county in which the real estate is located, the lender’s security interest established by its mortgage will be subject to mechanics liens that may be subsequently filed.

State Spending $4.5 Million To Repair And Pave Four Warren, Washington County Roads

July 12, 2017

New York state will put some $4.5 million into four road projects this summer and fall in Warren and Washington counties.

Officials said it is part of $27.8 million set aside for projects to pave and repair 134.2 lane miles of state roads across the Capital Region.

The infrastructure investment includes projects in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties. The projects will be completed this year, officials said.

The local projects include:

• 3.5 miles on Route 22, between Broadway (county routes 30 and 153) and Mahaffy Lane, in the town of Salem, Washington County ($980,000).

• 9 miles on Route 313 from the state line with Vermont to Anaquassacook, east of Eldridge Swamp State Forest, in the towns of Jackson and Salem, Washington County ($1 million).

• 2 miles on Route 8 between Route 28 in Wevertown and the Hudson River at Riparius in the town of Johnsburg, Warren County ($1.25 million).

• 6.6 miles on Route 418 from River Road to Ridge Avenue at the Route 418 bridge over the Schroon River in the towns of Thurman and Warrensburg, Warren County ($1.3 million).

Mannix Marketing Wins Award For Designing Website For Eddy Senior Living Community

July 12, 2017

Mannix Marketing was recognized with a 2017 Summit Creative Award in the category of website redesign for the design of the this Eddy Senior Living Communities website.
Courtesy Mannix Marketing

Mannix Marketing, a woman-owned, full-service digital marketing agency, has been recognized with a 2017 Summit Creative Award in the category of website redesign for its design of the Eddy Senior Living Communities website.

This year’s competition included over 5,000 entries from 24 countries around the world.

The Summit Creative Award, celebrating its 23rd year, recognizes and celebrates the creative achievements of small and medium advertising and marketing agencies around the world. Judged by an international panel of industry experts, more than 5,000 entries from 24 countries were submitted in this year’s competition.

The award-winning website, Eddy Senior Living Communities (A Division of St. Peter’s Health Partners), features independent living, enriched housing and assisted living, and memory care communities for seniors in upstate New York.

StoredTech Develops New Service Model Provides Clients New Equipment Options

July 12, 2017

StoredTech president Mark Shaw, center, with staffers Brett Cofer, left, and Timothy Cruz.
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Susan E. Campbell

Technology is central to every company and organization in this 21st century. Even if the only hardware on site is a telephone, not much business will be conducted without it. And if it breaks, somebody needs to fix it or replace it.

But what if a team of IT professionals were already on the pulse on all the business systems in a company, monitoring networks and anticipating what might go wrong next? What if instead of calling an IT consultant, your IT consultant were calling the company?

This is the premise that drives Queensbury-based StoredTech and its new service, CloudCare. StoredTech was founded in 2010 by Mark Shaw to “provide a significantly different approach to IT consulting.”

“In the 1980s and 1990s, if you had a computer problem you would call the IT guy to come fix it,” Shaw said. “It should be the polar opposite.”

StoredTech’s approach is to get ahead of a problem and propose early solutions before the emergency call needs to be made. In some cases problems are fixed remotely before the customer even notices it, he said.

“We see some things that look bad, maybe with the network or servers, so let’s fix them before they get very bad,” said Shaw. “Don’t wait for failure.”

By actively managing customer relationships in such a way, StoredTech becomes a proactive partner invested in the success of that client company. It has tools that monitor all kinds of hardware: firewalls, computers, servers, data storage, telephones, security cameras and access control systems. Its product line is being expanded all the time, so rather than sending clients to a different third party firm for resolution, the firm continually becomes an expert in additional areas of need.

Business Report: Paper To Digital Transformation

July 12, 2017

Rick Gallup, owner of Document Solutions of the North Country.

By Rick Gallup

One of the many challenges facing business owners and managers today is the transformation of documents from paper to digital. Although most people agree that this change is necessary, implementation is not a simple process.

Why go from paper to digital? Remote workers have access to information on many devices from virtually anywhere. If important documents are trapped in paper format, you are not fully utilizing the tools that mobile technology provides.

Another reason is that digital documents make it very easy to store and retrieve large volumes of data. Other reasons include cost savings, security, and sustainability, to name a few.

What are the challenges? First there is acceptance. Most people are resistant to change. Getting everyone on board is essential to a successful digital transformation strategy.

Then there is the process. Some companies will choose to eliminate printers, or install software that restricts printing. These can be effective measures, but only if you have a good understanding of the workflow, and how this action may impact it.

The path to transformation can be divided into four stages (understand, educate, execute, and improve). First you must understand how and where you use paper today. The distinction between “good” and “bad” paper can identify areas where you really need to use paper, and areas where you don’t.

Business Report: Don’t Ask!

July 12, 2017

Michael Cruz, president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.
Courtesy Lighthouse Advisors LLC

By Michael Cruz

Hiring the right people for your organization is critically important, right? And, interviewing people is the way we determine if they are the people you want. Typical questions often include – Where do you see yourself in 3 years? How do you handle conflict? What are your strengths (or weaknesses)? These are terrible questions. Don’t ask them!

I often work with clients on hiring issues. We work on ways to ensure new hires are a 90% fit to their company. Good interviews take preparation. Few people take the time to prepare to ask purposeful questions. Before we figure out what to ask, we need to understand why you should not ask the questions above.

Where do you see yourself in three years? What do you want them to say? How does their answer tell you much about them? If I meet you somewhere, could you answer that question? Don’t ask it. Focus your questions on what you want them to do in the next three years.

How do you handle conflict? This one is a little different. We all need to handle conflict at work. The phrasing of this question is hypothetical. People will answer based on what they think you want to hear. Whoever told you that they scream at people? Or that they will pout? Instead, ask them to Give me an example of a time that you had a conflict with a coworker? Tell me the situation and describe how you handled it. This change in phrasing allows you see what they do in that situation. It is no longer hypothetical. It is behavioral. It describes their actual behavior in that situation.

‘Open Studios’ Tour Comes To Region In July, Promotes The Quality Of Local Artists’ Work

July 12, 2017

Greenwich artist Karen Koziol points to materials that go into the making of her art. She is part of the Open Studios of Washington County tour July 13-16
Courtesy Open Studios of Washington County

Some 20 artists in Washington County will be displaying their works and promoting artists in the area when Open Studios of Washington County makes its biennial return to the region July 13-16.

The event has brought thousands of visitors to local studios while generating significant revenue for participating artists. It has also raised the visibility of the artists in the communities in which they live.

“Open Studios is a great opportunity for people to discover the extraordinary talent of our regional artists,” said Sue Sanderson, organizer of Open Studios of Washington County. “This year we have a record 20 artists. Many are nationally and internationally acclaimed. Those who aren’t are making their mark. And all support each other.”

She said the diversity of the artists is important to the success of the tour. Established tour artists attract an engaged audience and bring credibility to the event. First-time tour artists offer collectors the opportunity to discover new talent.

Greenwich artist Karen Koziol experienced the enthusiasm for new artists during the 2015 tour. “Doing the tour was absolutely exhilarating,” said Koziol. “People were really engaged and interested in what I was doing, why I was doing it and how I was doing it. I made some great connections.”