Category Archives: Summer Construction

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.”

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.”

By Jill Nagy

“We can do a site inspection without leaving our desk” and drafting no longer requires pencil and paper or the dreaded drafting pen, said Ed Garrigan, the president of C.T. Male Associates, about the impact of new technology on his field of engineering and surveying. 

“Some old-school people like me” still sketch on paper now and then, he aid. But he remains enthusiastic about the “amazing” changes he has seen in his profession and his company, largely in the last five to 10 years.

“It’s a challenge to keep up,” he said.

By Maureen Werther

Construction is expected to begin soon on  a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott near Northway Exit 18.

It will have 97 rooms, with WiFi and a workout facility, according to Tyler Herrick president of Spruce Hospitality Group. Herrick and his partner Zack Moore, son of Ed Moore, manage the Queensbury Hotel and they will manage the Fairfield as well. Ed Moore is the owner of the Queensbury Hotel and will own the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott.

 The mid-market hotel will help attract more sports tourism and bus/coach tour groups to the area, said Herrick. It will also provide more rooms for people coming to Glens Falls for trade shows or business meetings.

By John Frega, esq.

Every construction project features unique and interesting challenges. But drafting your construction contract documents should not be one of those challenges. 

Here are five important matters to consider when drafting and managing your construction contracts:

1. Determine the appropriate payment model. 

A renovation and expansion project is underway to transform the home of North Country OB/GYN (NCOG) at 90 South St., Glens Falls, into a regional destination for women’s health. 

The present site, in the center of Glens Falls and across from Glens Falls Hospital, is being redone to create a welcoming and modern center designed to increase accessibility, expand services and improve the patient experience.

“As our only facility dedicated solely to women’s health, we are thrilled to give this important practice the home and space it deserves to better serve our patients,” said Dr. Tucker Slingerland, CEO of Hudson Headwaters. “By enhancing the current location rather than building from scratch, Hudson Headwaters is adding to Glens Falls’ wider revitalization efforts while furthering our mission to provide accessible, high-quality health care to everyone in our communities.”

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.

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.