Glens Falls Business Journal

Floral Divine Provides The Complete Range Of Floral Arrangements For Weddings

October 22, 2024

Weddings are a speciality for Floral Divine’s owner Mindy Ryzuk.
Courtesy of Floral Divine

By Jill Nagy

Floral Divine, Mindy Ryzuk’s shop at 21 Cooper Street in Glens Falls, focuses on preparing floral arrangements for wedding and other events. She is just coming off her busiest wedding season, from April to October, when she decorates between 10 and 18 weddings.

Ryzuk has been a floral designer for 30 years, mostly with a florist in Allendale, New Jersey, and has had her own business for four and a half years.

Floral design is almost a sideline for Ryzuk. She is also a massage therapist. In fact, her space in the Shirt Factory is divided in two by curtains and a large cooler for flowers. On the other side of the cooler is the massage studio.

For weddings, Ryzuk can provide the whole package: bridal bouquet, table pieces, candles, arches and other large structures. She begins by consulting with the bridal couple. She finds that some people know exactly what they want; others have a color scheme and budget in mind and they work from there.

Most of the flowers come from a distributor in Albany. She also buys flowers from local growers when they are in season.

ARCC Business Awards Honor Achievements of Local Businesses And Nonprofits In 2024

October 22, 2024

Celebrating excellence at the 2024 ARCC Business Awards, recognizing businesses and nonprofits for their remarkable contributions to the community.
Courtesy of ARCC

By Amanda Blanton

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC), along with 250 guests, gathered at the Queensbury Hotel Conference Center in early October to celebrate 44 nominees across seven categories at the annual ARCC Business Awards. The event, held annually, is the culmination of months of preparation by a group of volunteers and ARCC staff. The result is a beautiful breakfast ceremony honoring the accomplishments of the business community.

The nomination process began in May, resulting in a record number of nominations. Throughout the summer, the volunteer Business Awards Nomination Committee met with and interviewed each nominee. After completing the interviews, the committee reconvened to discuss key takeaways and score the nominees.

After hearing brief summaries of each business and nonprofit, the winners for 2024 were announced:

Large Nonprofit of the Year: Behavioral Health Services North (BHSN), celebrating 150 years of service, focuses on providing mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and support to families in the North Country.

Building On Last Year’s Momentum, Adirondack Thunder Coaches Are Confident Of Strong Year

September 25, 2024September 25, 2024

Veteran forward Ryan Smith will once again contribute significantly to the scoring tally when the Adirondack Thunder take to the ice for their 2024-2025 season.
Photo by Andy Camp

By Paul Post

The Adirondack Thunder captured the ECHL’s North Division and Eastern Conference championships last year with a franchise record 97 points.

They also drew an all-time high 4,239 fans per game including 16 sell-out crowds, and their extended six-week playoff run saw gross revenues reach $4 million.

Profits have been invested in both on- and off-ice improvements to make the fan experience even better as the Thunder set their sights on bringing a Kelly Cup championship home to Glens Falls next spring.

“The arena and team had their best year ever, which is real exciting as we head toward 2024-25,” said Jeff Mead, Thunder and Cool Insuring Arena general manager. “When this team started 10 years ago we sold 550 season tickets. Last year it was just north of 1,600 and we expect to be over 2,000 this season. So we’re pretty excited about where we are as an organization.”

The Thunder recently signed Head Coach Pete MacArthur and Assistant Coach Mike Bergin to new two-year deals. It was just over 24 months ago that MacArthur, a rookie head coach, inherited a last-place team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2019.

Glens Falls Currently Undergoing Significant Revitalization With Plans For Future Projects

September 25, 2024

Timber beams are set as construction continues on the 6,000-square-foot South Street Market Square project.
Glens Falls Business Journal photo

By Paul Post

Raul’s Mexican Grill is offering new menu items to keep up with growing competition, and its owner has expanded his business footprint to stay at the forefront of Glens Falls’ fast-paced revitalization.

“When I started in October 2007 there wasn’t much here,” Russ Porreca said. “I could list the restaurants that were open at the time. Now we’re saturated with Mexican restaurants.”

In response, he’s bringing back popular fried chicken and waffles, previously offered at the former Chicken Shack, which he owned adjacent to Raul’s near Centennial Circle. Raul’s will also feature hardwood smoked brisket, beef and pork dishes.

In February 2021, Porreca purchased the former Dizzy’s Chicken building at 72 South Street, near the intersection of Broad Street, with plans to move Raul’s there when his lease at 164 Glen Street expired.

But in May, he purchased the downtown building, home to 162 and 164 Glen Street, for $800,000. The three-story building, at the corner of Hudson Avenue, has upstairs apartments in addition to first-floor commercial space.

Porreca recently leased his South Street site to long-time chef Shannon Hart-Hume who plans to open a unique new restaurant by early December, tentatively named Bastard Restobar. The eatery will have an eclectic menu offering Korean, Italian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes.

NBT Bancorp Expands Footprint Into Western New York By Merging With Evans Bancorp

September 25, 2024

NBT Bancorp Inc. (“NBT”) (NASDAQ: NBTB) and Evans Bancorp, Inc. (“Evans”) (NYSE American: EVBN) has announced they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Evans will merge with and into NBT. This merger will bring together two highly respected banking companies and extend NBT’s growing footprint into Western New York.

“We are enthusiastic about this opportunity to partner with Evans and are confident it is a high quality and incredibly impactful way to expand NBT’s presence into Western New York,” said NBT President and Chief Executive Officer Scott A. Kingsley. “Adding the greater Buffalo and Rochester communities to the markets served by NBT is a natural geographic extension of our footprint in Upstate New York where we have been very active and successful for nearly 170 years.”

The combined organization will have the highest deposit market share in Upstate New York for any bank with assets under $100 billion and will result in a network of over 170 locations from Buffalo, NY to Portland, ME.

NBT’s primary subsidiary, NBT Bank, N.A., has 154 locations in seven northeastern states. With 107 of those locations in Upstate New York, NBT’s banking franchise currently stretches west to east from Syracuse to the Capital District and north to south from Plattsburgh to Binghamton and the Hudson Valley. Evans, headquartered in Williamsville, NY had assets of $2.26 billion as of June 30, 2024, and 18 locations in the Buffalo and Rochester markets.

Local Businesses And Civic Groups Support Tri-County United Way’s Kids With Packs Program

September 25, 2024

Tri-County United Way has announced its partnership with Nemer Motor Group in leading the Kids With Packs program, which supports local schools.

Joining forces this year are partners including the Lions Club of Glens Falls, the Charles R. Wood Foundation, Target and The Post-Star.

This program ensures students across Warren, Washington, and Northern Saratoga counties have essential school supplies, setting up local schools for a successful start to the academic year.

The success of this year’s Kids With Packs program is further bolstered by the dedication of a record breaking number of volunteers who participated in the Kids with Packs Assembly Day held at Nemer Ford on August 23.

Leading up to the assembly and distribution of supplies, Tri-County United Way works closely with local educators and community leaders throughout the academic year to identify areas of greatest need per school. This proactive approach ensures that resources and funds raised for this program are allocated where they will have the most significant impact, particularly in under served communities.

Selling a Company

September 25, 2024October 2, 2024

As someone who has sold businesses for over 20 years (including my own), the most common question I get asked is, “What is my business worth?” The honest answer is that value is very buyer dependent, as all have varying motivations. However, the bedrock of business value is cash flow. There are many types...

Personnel Briefs: September 2024

September 25, 2024

Adirondack Winery has announced the appointment of Courtney Rankin as the organization’s inaugural female winemaker. With over six years of experience in winemaking, she will assume the responsibility of overseeing the production of over 35 wines and six hard ciders, as well as leading the development of new wine and hard cider releases for the company.

Ms. Rankin’s career started by getting involved in the craft beer industry. After completing her bachelor’s degree in film and screen studies, she changed direction to study craft beer brewing at Schenectady County Community College, where she got firsthand experience with local brewers. Through this introduction to the beverage industry, she found Galway Rock Winery in Ballston Lake. She started out apprenticing as the assistant winemaker for the owner and winemaker, Kate Soldani, learning the world of winemaking by, again, getting hands-on experience.

At Adirondack Winery, Ms. Rankin’s responsibility for wine and cider production will more than triple. Adirondack Winery’s wine production reaches 20,000 cases annually, while its Extreme Heights Cidery brand is fledgling. The Queensbury wine making facility has capacity to grow to a 50,000 case annual production volume.

Shortly after starting her new position at Adirondack Winery, Ms. Rankin demonstrated her expertise in the field by passing the Level 1 Sommelier exam. To earn this status, she had to pass a wine theory exam in which she was tested on different wine types and the various regions they represent.

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The Adirondack Pub & Brewery Expands Its Facility Along With Craft Beer Offerings

September 25, 2024

Adirondack Pub & Brewery celebrated completion of its expanded brewing operation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently.

In its 25th year of business, Adirondack Pub & Brewery has expanded its footprint with a new 3,000-square-foot addition adjacent to the pub, bringing the total size to approximately 15,000 square feet. This expansion, which includes new equipment to increase brewing capacity and meet the rising demand for diverse craft beverages, was made possible by funding from the State Development Craft Beverage Micro Grant Program.

Among the new offerings introduced since the expansion is a canned hard strawberry lemonade called “Cliff Jumper.” Beyond its variety of beers, the brewery has also launched a selection of beverages that include canned hard lemonades and teas, hard ciders made from New York State apples, hard seltzer, and the popular Bear Wizz Root Beer.

John Carr, owner of Adirondack Pub & Brewery said, “We are incredibly grateful to the state of New York and Empire State Development for this generous grant, which helps support economic growth and jobs in the Lake George Area. This has been instrumental in helping us expand our operations and continue to craft high-quality beverages right here in Lake George. This grant not only allows us to meet the growing demand from our customers but also reinforces our commitment to contributing to the local economy and community.”

Adirondack Pub & Brewery, established in 1999, is open year-round and supports a variety of jobs in the Lake George Area. State and local officials joined at the ceremony to speak to the economic impact of this brewery expansion on the local economy. The brewery was also presented a joint citation by State Sen. Dan Stec and Assemblyman Matt Simpson’s offices.

A Wide Variety Of Luxury Watercraft Is Available Through Comitti North America

September 25, 2024

Discerning boating enthusiasts on Lake George have purchased a variety of watercraft from Comitti North America.
Courtesy of Comitti North America

Since 1956, family-owned shipyard Comitti has been building bespoke, heirloom-quality boats in Lake Como, Italy, that are prized by discerning yachtsman, families and superyacht owners alike for their timeless lines, Italian craftsmanship and high level of customization. Now, these elegant runabouts and tenders, which range from 22 feet to 42 feet, are being offered exclusively in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean through newly formed distributor Comitti North America, headquartered in Saratoga Springs.

Among the models Comitti North America is introducing to the North American market year are the new 25’8” One 780 and 32’6” Isola 33, as well as a “super custom,” bespoke version of the popular Venezia 28 model paying homage to Comitti and many of the most coveted European runabouts from the ’60s and ’70s. Each of these models is now making its U.S. debut. Comitti North America also has several other Comitti models located in the U.S. available for viewing by prospective dealers and retail clients.