Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Christine Graf

In the early days of the pandemic when non-essential businesses were forced to close, companies relied on information technology professionals to help keep their businesses running.

At Glens Falls-based TIMIT Solutions, software professionals helped customers by writing software that allowed them to work remotely. TIMIT works with small to medium-sized companies around the globe to develop software applications that improve efficiency.

“If people are working from home, they are having to do things that normally they might have done in the office using old fashioned paper and pen. We help to digitize some of those things on the software end of it,” said Tim Montgomery, one of TIMIT’s three principal owners.

When the pandemic shut down non-essential businesses, many companies reached out to TIMIT to write COVID screening software which in some cases needed to be HIPPA compliant.

“We had some local customers that deal with the medical and healthcare industry, and they need a HIPPA-compliant screening setup where they would have fully encrypted end-to-end data and people could do that on their cell phones from wherever before they were to come into the office or meet with somebody outside of the office. We did that for customers in multiple states.”

Within these application, all personal health information was fully encrypted to ensure patient privacy.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Adirondack Axe  has moved to a new location in the Aviation Mall. Owner Steven Greene said the new spot allows for more space for not only axe throwing, but also other activities.

The business has added a knife throwing room, a private throwing room and a paint room experience “where you get a 16×20 canvas, choice of paint colors, a suit, and goggles to make your masterpiece,” said Greene.

Adirondack Axe was created to bring a unique experience to the North County which used to be the heart of the logging industry, according to the company website. 

The Greene family started the business in 2019 as a way for people to experience the sport of axe throwing. With over 20 years in the tourism attraction business, Greene said they are especially excited about the mall location near Dick’s Sporting Goods.

“We have a lounge area which helps us with parties and events. The new location is working well with better exposure, foot traffic, and just a better overall presentation,” said Greene.

By Lisa Balschunat

40 Oak Classic American Grille restaurant opened in the spring at 925 Route 9 in Queensbury and for the past few months has been building its staff and fine tuning its schedule.

In October it introduced a new fall menu. It also recently expanded its hours to include breakfast six days a week, and the bar now features five local beers on tap.

“We’ve come a long way,” said Jim Campione owner and operator.  “We’re keeping it fresh and keeping it local. We are a family run business. We are not a chain and we look forward to serving visitors and locals here for years to come. We want people to come in, have a seat, have a drink and a great meal.”

The restaurant is currently open six days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., but is closed Tuesdays. 

“We have a sign on the front door asking for people’s patience,” Campione said. “Like many other businesses, we are understaffed right now, but are doing our absolute best to serve our customers in a timely fashion.”

The restaurant presently has 20 people on staff and is looking to hire 20 more.

The breakfast menu includes omelet and Egg Benedict variations, pancakes, French toast, Belgian waffles, homemade sausage over biscuits, and classic breakfast sandwiches, wraps and quesadillas. 

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

A new space-themed candy store has opened in the French Mountain Commons outlet center on Route 9 in Lake George.

Business partners Chad Rabinovitz, Jeffrey Small and Zach Moore had the grand opening for The Candy Space on July 8. The store has thousands of different candies, toys, cotton candy and space-themed paraphernalia, as well as 180 bulk bins of candy.

Rabinovitz and Moore had been talking about opening a store together in an empty retail space Moore had available at the outlet center.

“I said, ‘Here’s the deal. I’m in if it’s a candy store’,” said Rabinovitz.

“I’d love to say there was a ton of market research that happened, but the reality is I’ve always wanted to open a candy store. So that’s how it happened,” he said.

After the business partners made the decision to open a candy store, Rabinovitz started playing with ideas of what the business model should be and how they would offer something that didn’t already exist. With Amazon being the current retail leader in candy sales, Rabinovitz knew he needed to give people a compelling reason to come into a brick and mortar location.

by Andrea Harwood Palmer

Christy Alexander has moved WorkSmart to 237 Glen St. in Downtown Glens Falls.

Alexander is the sole owner of WorkSmart, and the anchor tenant for the historic 1914 building.

The structure most recently housed the downtown branch of TD Bank.

WorkSmart was previously housed in the Homestead Funding building on Warren Street near the traffic circle. When Alexander was initially searching for a new space for WorkSmart, 237 Glen St was for sale. She said she immediately saw the possibilities. With the vast amount of space, she felt the need to further validate the business idea before risking the investment.

“After testing the market and gaining traction, I began to dream bigger,” said Alexander. “We began to explore the opportunity to bring new life to the old lobby.”

V&H Construction was the general contractor on the renovations.

Alexander said planning the new space was a collaborative effort, with WorkSmart members giving feedback and insight throughout the process.

Alexander said the new space will impact existing and prospective clients tremendously.

“Offering fully furnished private offices with a premier business address will elevate our clients’ businesses,” she said. “Frictionless access to client meeting spaces makes it easy to project a professional image to clients. Creative spaces make these kinds of resources accessible with minimal investment.

By Erin Nudi

GlensFalls.com

Fitzgerald Brothers Beverages of Glens Falls have installed the soda fountains at restaurants; stocked the soft drink coolers at convenience stores and hired people for summer jobs or full-time positions.

The company is a family-owned, sixth-generation Pepsi distribution company in Glens Falls.  Although they exclusively bottle and distribute Pepsi, Fitzgerald Bros. got its start distributing various alcoholic beverages beginning in 1857 in Troy.

Until Prohibition was enacted, they even brewed their own beer, Fitzgerald’s Beer and Ale.

In 1960, the company purchased the former Pepsi Bottler on Dix Avenue in Glens Falls, and from 1986 to 2011,  distributed all of the Coors brand products to area customers as well.

Today, Fitzgerald Bros. operates out of the same Dix Avenue location and provides Pepsi products and self-service vending to over 950 customers in Warren, Washington, and Saratoga counties.

All customers are within 60 miles of the Glens Falls facility and include schools, hospitals, grocery stores, restaurants, convenience stores, and dozens of other types of businesses.

Fitzgerald Bros.’ connection to the community extends beyond customers. The company is  involved in local nonprofit organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Operation Santa Clause, Glens Falls Kiwanis, Glens Falls YMCA, South Glens Falls Marathon Dance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fitzgerald Bros. provided free beverages to a dozen local school districts to support lunch programs, and has provided free beverages to area nursing homes, Glens Falls Hospital, Glens Falls Housing Authority and others.

The members of the Lake George Association have overwhelmingly approved its merger with The FUND for Lake George to create a new, preeminent lake protection organization that officials called “a historic and inspiring show of support for the future of Lake George protection.”

Ninety-eight percent of LGA voters voted in favor of the merger. The  plan now goes to the Office of the New York State Attorney General for final review and approval.

Officials said the newly created organization will retain the LGA name. The LGA was  founded in 1885.

“The future of Lake George protection is brighter than ever,” said Pete Menzies, president of the LGA board of directors. “We are thrilled and thankful to the LGA membership for their tremendous vote of confidence in what these two outstanding organizations will be able to accomplish together. As they always do, LGA members have stepped up to protect Lake George.”

Jeff Killeen, chairman of The FUND for Lake George and the chairman-elect of the new organization, said, “We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity and responsibility that has been granted to us. With so many water quality threats looming, Lake George has never needed us more. And I can say without hesitation that our combined staff, board of directors, members and many community partners are up for the challenge. The new LGA will bring our Lake’s already-unrivaled level of protection to new and essential heights.”

The new LGA will be focused on action, working collaboratively with public and private sector partners to achieve breakthrough performance in water quality protection programs that are guided by world-class science and supported by community education, awareness and advocacy, officials said.

Protection programs will focus on the Lake’s most pressing threats: harmful algal blooms; nutrient loading from wastewater and stormwater runoff; invasive species, both aquatic and the new terrestrial threat, hemlock wooly adelgid; and road salt contamination;  all of which are compounded by the effects of a changing climate.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

Maura Forcier purchased MinkyMink, a clothing and accessory shop in Downtown Glens Falls, in 2016.

“I was working in healthcare marketing for several years. I wasn’t passionate about it,” she said. “My dad and I were talking about his upcoming retirement. He had worked in medicine for decades. I just couldn’t picture myself working in health-care marketing for 20 or 30 years. It got me thinking. What do I actually want to do with my life?”

Forcier had worked in retail in Saratoga Springs as a side job for years. She loved working with customers, helping people find outfits, and managing the marketing and social media of the clothing shop in which she worked. She decided to open her own boutique.

Forcier had been a long-time customer of MinkyMink when previous owner Shonna McTiernan had the shop. Forcier and McTiernon started chatting, and McTiernon disclosed she was ready to sell the business.

Forcier worked with SCORE after work hours every week to develop a business plan in preparation of running her own retail store. In July 2016, she and McTiernon finalized the sale of MinkyMink.

SUNY Empire State College named Kim S. Stote as dean for its School of Nursing and Allied Health.

Stote, Ph.D., MPH, RDN, succeeds M. Bridget Nettleton in the role.

Prior to her new role as dean, Stote served as the associate dean of health professions for the School of Nursing and Allied Health, and has been a faculty member since 2009.

“Kim has been an invaluable member of our School of Nursing and Allied Health, and has the skills and experience necessary to fulfill this important role,” said SUNY Empire State College Officer in Charge Nathan Gonyea. “Kim is the right person at the right time for this position.”

“I am honored to serve as the dean for the School of Nursing and Allied Health. This is an interesting and challenging position that aligns well with my background and strengths. I continue to be impressed with SUNY Empire State College’s culture of innovation, which offers alternative learning experiences that encourage student success through degree completion,” said Stote.

She is a clinician scientist conducting research on understanding how dietary components interact with physiological, sociological, and environmental factors that affect the health of the population. Her research experience also includes investigating the effects of differing food components in human health which resulted in a twice Fulbright Scholar award as the research chair of nutrisciences and health, at the University of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island, Canada.