Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 1
SBJ
P.O. Box 766
Saratoga
Springs, NY
12866
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
VOL. 18 NO. 8
HH The Business Newspaper of Saratoga County HH
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U.S. POSTAGE
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GLENS FALLS, NY
12801
PERMIT #600
October 2013
www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
Embassy Suites Hotel, Saratoga Springs, Poll Says State Voters Likely To Approve
Could Be Done By Third Quarter Of 2014 Casino Legislation As Worded On Ballot
Officials for DCG Development, Hilton Worldwide and other dignitaries donned hard hats
and grabbed shovels for a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new hotel in Congress Plaza.
By R.J. Deluke
Construction has been under way for weeks,
but ground was officially broken on Oct. 3 for
the new hotel project in Congress Plaza – an
Embassy Suites Hotel.
In the spring, DCG Development, Clifton
Park, announced it was going to construct a
6-story hotel in the plaza after demolition of a
group of buildings in the plaza’s northwest corner, across from the CVS Pharmacy. The facility
had no affiliation at the time, but has since
become part of the Hilton Worldwide group.
Officials said it would be the third Embassy
Suites Hotel in New York state and the first in
the state with Hilton’s “latest design concept.”
Donald MacElroy, vice president of DCG,
said the hotel is expected to be finished in the
third quarter of 2014.
The hotel will have its own restaurant, as
well as an indoor swimming pool and hot tub.
There will be 5,000 square feet of meeting
space.
Buildings have been demolished and the
main contractor, Bast Hatfield of Clifton Park
is already doing excavation work. But officials
Continued On Page 17
When New York voters head to polls in
November, they are likely to approve the
constitutional amendment to legalize the
expansion of non-Indian casino gaming, according to the results of a Siena College poll
release Sept. 30.
Saratoga Springs is believed to be in the
running to be a location for one of those
casinos. The facilities proposed are Las
Vegas-style casinos, as opposed to a facility
dominated by electronic machines, which
is currently the case with Saratoga Casino
& Raceway.
According to the poll, 55 percent of registered voters would approve an amendment
that will appear on the ballot in November.
Eventually, up to seven casinos could be
designated by the Legislature. Saratoga
Springs is said to be a strong possibility to
land a casino in the first wave.
The ballot language voters will see states
the casinos are intended “for the legislated
purposes of promoting job growth, increasing aid to schools, and permitting local
governments to lower property taxes through
revenues generated.”
Forty-two percent of voters said they
would vote against a ballot measure with
such language, according to the poll, while
voters appeared split when asked about
expanded gaming without being presented
with the ballot language.
The poll states 51 percent of voters described the amendment language as fair.
Some 43 percent said it was unfair and only
includes arguments in support of gaming,
ignoring arguments in opposition.
Asked whether they “support or oppose
passing an amendment to the state constitution to allow non-Indian, Las Vegas style
casinos to be built in New York,” voters are
evenly divided, at around 6 percent each.
That is closer than a poll from a month
earlier, when 49 percent favored the amendment and 42 percent opposed.
“Clearly, the wording on the ballot for
the casino amendment matters,” said Siena
College pollster Steven Greenberg. ”When
voters are asked a generic casino gambling
amendment question they are evenly divided, with New York City voters opposed and
downstate suburban voters and upstaters
mildly supportive.
“However, when voters were provided the
specific wording they will see on the ballot, a
majority of voters from every region and from
every party say ‘yes,’ they would approve the
casino amendment,” he said.
“Is the way the amendment is described
on the ballot fair? A small majority says it is.
But it largely depends on whether voters support or oppose the amendment. More than
two-thirds of amendment supporters say the
wording is fair, while two-thirds of opponents
say it is not,” Greenberg said. “A majority of
Democrats, Republicans, downstaters, and
men think the wording is fair. Independents,
upstaters and women are closely divided.”
“While more voters support the amendment and think it’s fairly worded, there
is more intensity on the opposition side,”
Greenberg said.
He stated that only 7 percent of supporters say they will be very upset if the amendment fails, while 22 percent of opponents say
they will be very upset if it passes. Overall,
40 percent of supporters will be at least
somewhat upset if it fails but more than twothirds of opponents will be at least somewhat
Continued On Page 7
Business Showcase, With 140 Exhibitors, Levitas Starts New Cookie Shop Downtown
Again A Success For Saratoga Chamber While Keeping Yogurt Store On Broadway
Throngs of people attended the recent Business Showcase at Saratoga Springs City Center,
where exhibitors from more than 100 industries took part in the networking event.
Employees at the new Plum Dandy Cookies and Milk shop on Railroad Place, Saratoga
Springs, exhibit some of the sweet treats available in the establishment.
Courtesy Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Business Showcase
on Oct. 3 at the Saratoga Springs City Center,
522 Broadway.
With over 140 exhibitors representing
over 100 industries, the Business Showcase
proved to be the biggest networking event the
Chamber held again this year, officials said.
“From the Twin Bridges to the town of Day,
there is no better B2B networking event for
businesses located in or looking to do business
in Saratoga County,” said Chamber President
Todd Shimkus.
Ianniello Anderson P.C. was the 2013 presenting sponsor of the Showcase.
The first 144 people through the door
received a pint glass and a free drink ticket
from Ianniello Anderson P.C. In addition,
everyone in attendance had the opportunity
to have their photo taken at Smile Lounge
Photo Booth’s location
Sponsors of the Showcase included Gold
Sponsors: Adirondack Technical Solutions
and the Adirondack Trust Co. Silver Sponsors: CDPHP, Digital X-Press, NBT Bank,
Continued On Page 10
Stock Studios Photography
Barbara Brewer La Mere
Philip Levitas, owner of family businesses
Plum Dandy Frozen Yogurt and Plum Dandy
Cookies & Milk, readily acknowledges his
family as his source of inspiration for his
business.
His father, Larry Levitas, and grandfather
both owned restaurants. The recipes for his
mother Diane’s home-baked cookies, from
family traditions and other sources, were
the ones tweaked and selected for inclusion
at Levitas’ newest business venture, Plum
Dandy Cookies and Milk.
Plum Dandy Frozen Yogurt on Broadway
in Saratoga Springs, has been open since
Levitas moved here from Rockland County
in 2010.
Plum Dandy Cookies & Milk opened in
mid-September at 33 Railroad Place in the
new downtown Market Center building that
houses Price Chopper, Feigenbaum Cleaners and Greenhouse Salads.
Levitas plans to open another yogurt
shop in Malta later this year.
The look and feel of Plum Dandy Cookies
Continued On Page 14
2 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Personnel Briefs
• Megan
Reising joined Franklin Community Center as the
new family outreach
educator.
She was recently
working as a family liaison at a local patientcentered advertising
agency, the Patient
Experience Project.
Prior to that, she served
families in the Capital
Region at Wildwood Programs. Reising has
been involved in various school systems and
community non-profit organizations, including
Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne.
She has a master’s in education from SUNY
Plattsburgh as well as a degree in marketing
and social studies from Bryant University in
•
Rhode Island.
Reising will be assisting local families of
elementary-aged students with the planning
and coordination associated with Franklin
Community Center’s after-school program,
Project Lift.
*
*
*
We b I n s t i n c t i n
Saratoga Springs recently hired Gina Minelli as project manager.
With a background in
public relations, Minelli
brings years of experience in proactive communication and cus-
tomer relations.
Her career has spanned several industries,
including hospitality, travel, health care and
education. She has been a professional copywriter and editor.
*
*
*
Charlene Rousseau of Clifton Park
joined the team at Signature Homes Realty.
She brings 15-plus
years of real estate expertise to the resale and
new home division for
the company.
Rousseau specializes
in working with buyers,
sellers and relocation customers.
Contact Rousseau at 365-7586, or crousseau1231@nycap.rr.com.
*
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Marj Mendez, a Saratoga Springs certified health coach with
Take Shape For Life
(TSFL), a weight management and healthcare business, recently
received her health
coach certification
through a specialized
program developed by
the MacDonald Center
for Obesity Prevention
and Education (COPE).
*
*
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Fingerpaint Marketing welcomed Ashleigh
Nolan to its account service team and John
Lenss to its project management team.
Nolan joins Fingerpaint’s account service
team after earning
her master’s degree in
communication from
the University at Albany. She completed
a graduate internship
at Fingerpaint, where
she contributed her
marketing talents to accounts including Glens
Falls Hospital, UpsherSmith and Emma Willard School and was
instrumental in the creation, implementation
and analysis of quantitative and qualitative
research studies.
Nolan also has a
bachelor’s degree in communication from the
University at Albany.
Lenss work for eight years at FutureMedia
Interactive, handling daily business operations
from project scoping and production planning
to issue tracking and quality assurance. He
managed a team of designers and programmers; developed and maintained project plans,
timelines and budgets; and ensured adherence
to industry best practices.
Lenss graduated from American University
and holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia
development and design.
*
*
*
Saratoga Hospital welcomed Dr. Andrea
Yolanda Carrasco,
a family practice physician, to Saratoga Family
Physicians at Malta.
Carrasco received
her medical degree
from the Universidad
de la Frontera School
of Medicine in Temuco,
Chile. She completed
both an internship and residency at St. Clare’s
Hospital in Schenectady.
Carrasco is board certified in family practice,
and will be in practice at 6 Medical Park Drive,
suite 206, located on the second floor of Malta
Med Emergent Care in Malta.
*
*
*
Hodgson Russ announced Jennifer M.
Boll and Thomas J. Collura have joined the
law firm as partners in the Corporate & Securities, Estates & Trusts, and Tax Practice Groups.
They will divide their time between Hodgson
Russ’s Albany and Saratoga Springs offices.
Boll focuses her
practice on corporate,
tax, and estate and
business succession
planning matters. She
advises privately held
companies and individuals on a wide range of
corporate and tax matters, including mergers
and acquisitions, real
estate, financial transactions, and complex
trust and estate matters.
In addition to her legal practice, Boll is a
lecturer for the master’s in taxation program
at the University at Albany and an adjunct
professor at Albany Law School.
Collura counsels privately held companies
and their owners on a wide range of business
and tax matters, including choice of entity;
Continued On Page 20
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 3
Chocolate Bars, Truffles, Fudge, Ice Cream High Performance Learning Center Seeks
Are Sweet Treats At Kilwins On Broadway To Boost In-House Company Performance
Kilwins, known for candy and ice cream treats, opened in August at 422 Broadway,
Saratoga Springs, in the new mixed-use building, The Washington.
By Jill Nagy
People can indulge their Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory fantasies at Kilwins, a
new candy shop at 422 Broadway in Saratoga
Springs in the new Washington building.
The bustling shop, called The Chocolate
Cafe, makes more than half of the products it
sells, including ice cream, on site. Most of the
rest comes from the Kilwins plant in Petoskey,
Mich., though some baked goods come from the
Placid Baker in Troy.)
The offerings are mostly chocolate, ranging
from bars to truffles, as well as a variety of flavors of hand-crafted fudge and other specialties
like peanut brittle and caramel apples. Some
of the treats are prepared in the front of the
store where customers can watch.
The shop opened Aug. 2. Its owner, Bill
Hoffman, is full of admiration for his landlord, Bonacio Construction. “It was not easy
to get me and the (Northshire Bookstore,
next door) in at the same time and in August,” he said. The two stores will share the
Washington building with 14 apartments, a
spa and other businesses.
Hoffman is in the process of completing
construction of a cafe that will connect with
both the candy store and the book store. He
hopes to open soon. The cafe will serve soup,
salads, sandwiches, coffee and other beverages.
“It will be a quiet little spot to take a book
and sit and read,” he said. iPads will be available for reading. “I’ll do a very good coffee,” he
Stock Studios Photography
said, “but I won’t try to compete with Uncommon Ground,” a coffee shop less than a block
away.
Despite what Hoffman refers to as a “strong
informal relationship,” there is no business
relationship between the book store and the
candy shop. He expects Northshire to use the
cafe space for readings, book group meetings
and other events.
Hoffman grew up in Loudonville and graduated from Shaker High School, but he left the
area soon afterward. He lived in Michigan for a
while, where he discovered Kilwins chocolates
“and I loved them.” He later moved to Newport,
R.I., and, after six years working there, felt a
need for a career change and wanted to enter
a completely different field. That was when he
opened his first Kilwins.
Recently, he was looking for a location for a
second outlet and settled on Saratoga Springs,
a city he knew from visits to his family who still
live in the area. Now, he is planning to move
to Saratoga.
“It’s an absolutely wonderful community,”
he said.
The store has three full-time employees and
the equivalent of four more in the form of parttimers, mostly students. After the summer, he
expects to cut back to three or four full-time
employees supplemented by some part-time
help on the weekends.
Kilwins can be reached at 683-3500. Its
website is www.kilwins.com.
the LargEr we get the more we need you.
as both the Saratoga and Glens Falls Business Journals increase in size,
we need more writers to cover the many business stories we publish.
Contact Harry Weinhagen, Editor at 581-0600.
By Ali Munday
As kids reluctantly trudged back aboard
the school bus in September, Dr. Phil Harnden, president and founder of the High
Performance Learning Center (HPLC),
opened the doors of his new business in
Malta Commons Business Park, just off of
Exit 12 on the Northway.
HPLC is part of Commonwealth Centers for High Performance Organizations
(CCHPO) – a network of independent
consultants founded in 1989 that focuses
on identifying “best practices” to measurably improve organizational performance,
efficiency and effectiveness in both the
public and private sectors, and improving
the work experiences of employees and the
communities they serve.
Their client list includes private sector employers such as Caterpillar, GE and
Mobil; federal agencies including the CIA,
Department of Defense, the Department
of Homeland Security and NASA, to state
and local government agencies throughout
the U.S.
Centers for High Performance Organizations diagnose problems that impede an employer’s overall performance. No employee
is considered invaluable to the process of
improvement during a review. Harnden
conducts a thorough and systematic assessment of leadership style, organization-wide
processes and systems. By applying the latest research and practical approaches, he
assists employers in improving team work
and skills, and enhances problem-solving
with personalized strategic planning, project management sessions, team development activities, consulting interventions,
mediation, and group and individual skills
workshops.
HPLC occupies a 2,800 square feet renovated suite in the old Malta Commons,. It
has conference and training space for up
to 40 attendees.
DCG Construction is the property’s
landlord.
Harnden’s interest in organizational
performance and leadership styles developed while attending the Merchant Marine
Academy on a federal scholarship, when he
joined a group of like-minded colleagues
to discuss why certain people and organizations were interesting, and why some
were more successful than others. Later,
during a 23-year engineering career with
Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, he became
increasingly involved in developing and
facilitating team training and leadership
modules, eventually becoming certified
to administer a variety of individual and
organizational assessment tools.
In 2002, while working full-time, Harnden earned his Ph.D. from RPI in organizational behavior with a focus on organizational change and development. He then
joined the CCPHO network of consultants.“
“Some people have been hurt by previous
leadership. So, you would think the biggest
resistance may reside in this group, but
of the older, more experienced workers,
High Performance Learning Center has
a conference room for up to 40 attendees.
Stock Studios Photography
one-third become very interested in this
idea, and the potential for organizational
change and improvement,” said Harnden
of the process his company carries out.
“They become the best change agents, and
strong advocates for moving their employers forward. They see it as improving their
legacy to their employer.”
For all the years of learning and developing assessment tools, Harnden traces his
desire and success in understanding the
function, structure and efficacy of businesses to a much simpler time, and getting
on that school bus.
“My dad was in the Air Force. As the
oldest of seven kids in a family that moved
every three or four years, that meant new
schools,” he said. “I was a natural organizer.
I was always the new kid, wherever we went.
I was always observing groups, just to see
how, and where, I fit in.”
HPLC is located at 100 Saratoga Village
Boulevard, Suite 8, Ballston Spa. HPLC can
be reached by e-mail at pharnden@highperformanceorg.com, and by phone at 265-2899.
To learn more about HPLC’s services, and
how they can fit into a business plan, visit
www.highperformanceorg.com/hplc.
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4 • Saratoga BUSINESS JoUrNaL • octoBEr 2013
NEXt ISSUE
SPECIaL SECtIoN
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Year-End Tax /
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Holiday Gift Guide
Publication Date: Novmeber 5, 2013
BSt Merging With New Jersey company
to Form SaxBSt, offering More Services
Sax Macy Fromm & Co. PC of Clifton, N.J.,
and Bollam, Sheedy, Torani, & Co LLP (BST)
headquartered in albany, will merge the two
accounting and business consulting firms,
effective Jan. 1.
The new company, to be named SaxBST,
will rank among the top 100 firms nationally,
with more than $45 million in combined
annual billings, according to the two companies.
SaxBST will maintain offices albany,
Mineola, N.Y., and Clifton, N.J.
“Coming together made a great deal of
sense for our two practices. Both firms’ approach to servicing clients and helping them
realize their dreams are perfectly aligned,”
said robert Paz, managing partner of SMF.
“Creating one firm allows us to provide an
even deeper level of expertise and a better
focus on each client’s unique challenges.
each firm features some service offerings
that the other does not, further contributing
to the synergy of this merger.”
“People and relationships are the DNa
of our new union. we are driven to see our
clients succeed by providing solutions that
exceed expectations and assure their success,” said Stephen L. Ferraro of Saratoga
Springs, BST managing partner. “Sax Macy
Fromm shares many of the same values that
drive our business, including a commitment
to highly personalized client service, deep
industry expertise, and a dedication to
employees and the communities we serve.
“Combining these two well-respected
firms creates a positive-thinking and futureoriented organization with a superior industry reputation.”
Ferraro said for upstate New York clients,
there will be no changes except that “there
will be additional resources at our disposal
that we’ll be able to bring to the table” when
talking with clients that include many in the
Saratoga region.
He said there are niche areas each
company has that will now be beneficial to
clients across the board. For example, he
noted, SaxMacy Fromm has a large wealth
management/trust/estate planning segment
that can be put to good utilization in the
Saratoga region. That company is also strong
in construction and real estate markets.
BST has a much stronger presence in the
government audit area and that’s one of the
things that will benefit SaxMacy Fromm in
the merger.
The professionals at SMF and BST also
will contribute to SaxBST’s forward-thinking
philosophy, the partners said. Many hold
key leadership positions in numerous professional and business organizations and
are often sought to share their expertise at
industry events.
Ferraro said some strategic planning
meetings have already been held to determine processes and procedures that
will benefit customers through the entire,
larger, geographic area when the merger is
completed.
SMF has been named as a “best place to
work” by trade and business publications,
and both firms have long been recognized for
their outstanding community involvement
and charitable endeavors.
Once the merger is complete, SaxBST’s
multi-disciplinary accounting, tax and
financial consulting services will continue
to meet the needs of privately held companies, family-owned businesses, not-for-profit
entities and high-net-worth individuals
throughout the New York tri-state area, firm
officials said.
The firm’s industry segments and niches
include commercial real estate, construction, manufacturing and distribution, employee benefits, retail, financial services,
medical and professional services, not-forprofit, government and labor unions.
tourism Bureau Video aimed to attract
Destination-type Weddings to Saratoga
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Publication Date: December 10, 2013
Call Today To Reserve Space
(518) 581-0600
Fax: (518) 430-3020
Saratoga BUSINESS JoUrNaL
The Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau
recently launched its first wedding-specific
promotional video.
“we are excited to launch this video in support of our strategy to attract more destinationtype weddings to Saratoga County,” said Todd
Garofano, bureau president. “Saratoga has such
a diverse offering of unique venues, attractions
and facilities, perfect for the ultra-elegant
affair to a cozy outdoor barn reception and
everything in between. This video captures the
essence of that and illustrates to future brides
and grooms and wedding planners alike all that
Saratoga has to offer.“
In just a few days on the Internet, the
three-minute video gained over 240 views on
YouTube, he said.
The video can be found at www.youtube.
com/watch?v=Lv0f-JwY5g0 on the bureau’s
YouTube account, www.youtube.com/user/
discoversaratoga
The video was produced by Modern Mix
Marketing and the wedding videography was
provided by Bigler Productions and Philip
Coltart Films. The bureau also offered special
thanks to Christine a. wheat Special events
Firm LLC and katie O’ weddings & events.
For information on how the tourism bureau
can help plan and facilitate a wedding, call
Tom ellis, destination wedding and social
market specialist at 584-1531, e-mail tom@
discoversaratoga.org or visit the website, www.
saratoganyweddings.com.
Those with a business that serves the wedding
market, interested in learning about the benefits
of membership with the bureau, contact Connie
Crudo, membership sales and service manager
at 584-1531, connie@discoversaratoga.org.
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 5
Kate Winslow’s Love For Beads As A Kid Saratoga Harness Drivers Donate Funds
Leads To A New Business In Ballston Spa To Franklin Community Center Project
Kate Winslow opened A Bead Just So at 49 Front St. in Ballston Spa, where people can
go to buy beads and other supplies, make jewelry, and take classes on site.
By Barbara Brewer La Mere
Kate Winslow fell in love with beads at
age 12 when her mother first took her to
visit a store in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga
Bead.
From that time on, Winslow was there
every other weekend. At age 18, she started
working at the store and knew within a
couple of days that she wanted to own a
bead store of her own one day.
She finds working with beads a great
way to be creative and a very relaxing, fun
medium. In the eight years that followed,
Winslow “could not have asked for a better
teacher” than Saratoga Bead owner Linda
Schrade, either in terms of the craft or the
business, she said.
When Schrade closed Saratoga Bead,
Winslow began looking for a venue and
eventually found it in 1,000 square feet of
basement space located at 49 Front St. in
Ballston Spa.
She opened her shop in June, A Bead Just
So, with lots of help from family. Business
has been picking up steadily as the area
beading population discovers that they are
no longer bereft of a full-service bead store.
People can come in to buy beads and other
supplies, make jewelry, and take classes
on site. Winslow also does jewelry repair.
Winslow sells beads in various shapes
and sizes from all over the world. Materials
include wood, glass, porcelain, crystal, and
even paper. Small boys, says Winslow, are
especially intrigued by the availability of
beads made from bone.
A Bead Just So, a one-woman operation,
sells beading wire in various gauges as well
as cording and leather strips for stringing
beads. Winslow said beading projects are
available to fit every kind of budget.
Sue Le Cuyer, who taught classes at
Saratoga Beads, is teaching at A Bead Just So.
The shop is open seven days a week. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, they
are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday
and Thursday hours are from noon to 8 p.m.
Sundays are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For Ballston Spa’s First Friday events, A
Bead Just So stays open until 9 p.m.
Birthday parties can be scheduled, as
well as “ladies night out” events. The class
schedule can be found on Facebook. Winslow can be e-mailed at winslow.kate.m@
gmail.com. The store’s phone number is
309-4070.
Franklin Community Center Executive Director Kari Cushing and her daughter Alexa
(front, center) pose with drivers from Saratoga Casino and Raceway who helped Project Lift.
For the fifth year in a row that drivers from the
Harness Track at Saratoga Casino and Raceway
chose Franklin Community Center and its Project
Lift as the target of a charitable donation.
On Aug. 27, drivers at the track donated their
drivers’ fees for an entire day to the center.
Project Lift received $6,000. That donation
consists of the $3,000 in driver’s fees which are voluntarily given up by the drivers and then matched
by ther casino.
“The work that the Franklin Community Center
staff does with Project Lift is really appreciated by
everyone in the community. Saratoga Casino and
Raceway is proud to match the generous donation of our driving colony,” said Skip Carlson, vice
president of external affairs.
Barry Segel, president of the Saratoga Harness
Horsepersons Association, said “the horsemen
value all of the services the Franklin Community
Center provide, but Project Lift is special to us in
that it helps provide role models and education
to children that hold the key to the future of our
community.”
Project Lift is an after-school prevention program for at-risk youth in grades 1 through 5. Serving 75 children and their families in the Saratoga
Springs City School District each year, it’s one of the
center’s most important programs, officials said.
Funding cuts and a struggling economy continue
to affect Franklin Community Center and Project
Lift, leaving staff to find supplemental income.
Courtesy Saratoga Casino & Raceway
Services to Project Lift families stretch farther
than a basic after school program, center officials said. Offering a safe, caring and structured
environment, Project Lift’s approach heightens
children’s social and emotional competence,
improves decision-making skills, offers lessons on
the prevention of tobacco, drugs, alcohol and bullying, boosts self-esteem and helps strengthen the
bond between child, family, school and community.
All of the families enrolled in the program
utilize the agency’s ancillary services, including
food, clothing, school supplies for the entire family,
holiday assistance and summer camp scholarships.
Franklin Community Center feels the program
is too important to too many families to see it
dwindle, and the donation from the drivers is
always an asset.
“We consider ourselves so fortunate to have
such a strong relationship with Saratoga Casino
and Raceway, the drivers and staff. They not only
understand the need in our community, they strive
to help meet those needs throughout the year” said
Executive Director Kari Cushing.
Jaime Williams, associate director of the center,
said Project Lift “has seen multiple funding cuts
over the past few years leaving staff searching for
ways to ensure the program remains a consistent
and positive opportunity for the children, families
and schools we serve. We are extremely grateful to
the drivers and Saratoga Casino and Raceway for
their continued support.”
6 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Albany Med Uses New Technologies To SAIL Program Gets Health Care Contract,
Train Doctors In Advanced Procedures Prepares For Fundraiser Gala On Oct. 20
Albany Medical College, one of only three
facilities in New York State to be designated
as a Karl Storz Center of Excellence, recently
demonstrated new technologies being used to
train medical students, residents, physicians
and other health care professionals from
throughout the region on the most advanced
minimally invasive surgical procedures.
The training equipment was provided
through an in-kind educational grant program
from manufacturer Karl Storz EndoscopyAmerica and mirrors state-of-the-art technologies installed in Albany Med’s new operating
rooms, college officials noted.
Albany Med surgeons are now using this
type of equipment, available in the region only
at Albany Med, to perform minimally invasive
bariatric, cardiac, gynecological and urogynecological, thoracic and urological surgical
procedures, among others, according to the
college.
Albany Medical College faculty will use the
granted equipment exclusively for training
residents, physicians and other practitioners
from both Albany Med and the surrounding
community in anesthesiology, emergency
medicine, general surgery, otolaryngology, and
cardiothoracic surgery.
“As an academic medical center, Albany Med
has a responsibility to provide the latest and
most advanced techniques and technologies
in ways that benefit patients in the region,”
said Dr. Henry S. Pohl, vice dean for academic
administration. “In order to ensure that all
patients will receive the most updated care,
the academic medical center must educate
practitioners, champion the team approach to
care and engage in research that will translate
into the best possible care.”
“We are grateful that this recognition by
Karl Storz Endoscopy-America allows us to
enhance our training mission and provide the
highest quality of education and service for our
region,” he added
The goal of the Karl Storz Center of Excellence program is to support and promote teaching, education, research and development to
enhance minimally invasive surgery through
technology innovation.
“Albany Med’s long-standing leadership and
innovation in minimally invasive techniques
embodies Karl Storz Endoscopy-America’s
mission to advance medical technology through
education and innovation,” said Charlie
Wilhelm, President and COO for Karl Storz
Endoscopy-America, Inc.
“Ultimately, and most important, the beneficiaries of these programs will be the patients
cared for by the health care providers who are
able to acquire and sharpen their skills through
one of our many educational programs,” Dr.
Pohl said.
The training equipment is located in the
Patient Safety and Clinical Competency Center,
Albany Medical College’s facility for training
students and others on all aspects of patient
care, including surgery, examinations and
patient interactions.
Albany Medical Center is one of the largest private employers in the Capital Region.
It incorporates the 651-bed Albany Medical
Center Hospital, which offers the widest range
of medical and surgical services in the region,
and the Albany Medical College, which trains
the next generation of doctors, scientists and
other health care professionals, and also includes a biomedical research enterprise and
the region’s largest physicians practice with
nearly 400 doctors.
For more information: www.amc.edu or www.
facebook.com/albanymedicalcenter.
Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc., is an
affiliate of Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG, involved
for more than 65 years in reusable endoscope
technology, encompassing all endoscopic
specialties.
Saratoga BUSINESS JoUrNaL
2002 Business Of The Year
The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County
P.O. Box 766 • Saratoga Springs, New York 12866
(518) 581-0600 • Fax: (518) 430-3020 • www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
editorial: rJDeLuke@saratogabusinessjournal.com
advertising: Harryw@saratogabusinessjournal.com
Publisher & Editor
Harry weinhagen
Associate Editor
r.J. DeLuke
Editor Emeritus
rod Bacon
Sales and Customer Service
Harry weinhagen
Production Manager
Samantha Bacon-racine
Photographer
Stock Studios Photography
Contributing Writers
Lisa Balschunat raymond Brown Susan Campbell Pamela Fisher ann Hauprich
Barbara Brewer LaMere Jill Nagy katie Navarra eva weaver Maureen werther
Saratoga Business Journal is published monthly, the second week of each month, by weinhagen associates, LLC
and mailed to business and professional people in Saratoga county.
Saratoga Business Journal is independently owned and is a registered tradename of weinhagen associates, LLC, P.O.
Box 766, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 (518) 581-0600. Saratoga Business Journal is a registered tradename
in New York.
Saratoga Business Journal has been founded to promote business in Saratoga county and to provide a forum that
will increase the awareness of issues and activities that are of interest to the business community. Subscription
price is $25.00 per year. Third class postage paid at Glens Falls, New York.
rights to editorial content and layouts of advertising placed with Saratoga Business Journal which are the creative
effort of its contractors, and printing materials supplied by Saratoga Business Journal are the property of Saratoga
Business Journal and may not be reproduced by photographic or similar methods, or otherwise, without the specific
authorization of Saratoga Business Journal.
The Southern Adirondack Independent
Living Center (SAIL) will hold a Harvest Gala
from 5:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Oct.
20, at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs.
The event will feature live and silent
auctions, 50/50 raffle, cocktails and sitdown dinner and dancing. It benefits SAIL,
a non-profit corporation that relies heavily
on donations for continued operations.
SAIL recently received a state Department of Health contract for the new Health
Benefit Exchange Navigator Program.
The contract covers the counties of
Warren, Washington, Clinton and Essex
counties. Individuals, families and small
businesses with fewer than 50 employees
can be enrolled into its health care plans.
Jocelyn Blanchard of Hudson Falls, director of outreach services at SAIL, heads
up the program. It will allow SAIL to offer
services to more people in the counties
they serve.
According to SAIL, it will promote independence and wellness in the community in
an accessible, friendly format. The agents
for the program are referred to as navigators. The navigators are independent agents
attempting to pair clients with the most
appropriate health insurance plan. There
is no incentive to enroll people in any particular plan.
Officials said staff will be available nights
and weekends.
Enrollment began Oct. 1. Those enrolled
through December will be the first to have
active insurance when the various insurance plans go into effect, SAIL officials said.
More than 7,000 services were provided
last year and the demand for assistance is
growing, according to SAIL.
The organization has offices in
Queensbury and Ballston Spa. Its mission
is to promote the independence, equality
and dignity of people with disabilities in
all aspects of personal and community life.
Services provided through SAIL enable
people with disabilities of any age to gain
control over their lives through information
and referral, assistive technology assessment and loan, peer counseling, individual
and systems advocacy, independent living
skills, computer and job readiness training, errand support and voter registration,
officials said.
SAIL can do educational programs on a
variety of insurance and disability issues,
tailored specifically a company’s needs.
For more information, to donate a basket
or other item for the auction, or to volunteer at the event, contact Anna Livingston
at SAIL at 792-3537.
For more information about SAIL’s new
program, contact Blanchard at 792-3537 or
by e-mail jblanchard@sail-center.org.
Business Briefs
•
•
Tech II Business Services Inc. was named
to the Elite Partner Innovation Network by worldwide leading remote monitoring and management
Technology (RMM) provider Lab Tech.
Members of this elite group are known as innovators in their field who continually strive to
bring innovative service management and IT to the
market. The companies in this Elite group are selected for their expertise, superior technology and
commitment to offering their clients a streamlined
and simpler delivery of IT Technology.
The Partner Innovation Network is a worldwide
community that collaborates with Industry peers
to promote Industry-leading best practices for
delivering Monitoring and Management software.
Tech II Business Services is a Saratoga Springsbased technology company established in 1983.
*
*
*
Hudson River Community Credit Union
(HRCCU) was presented last month with the
Corinth Merchants’ Association Merchant
of the Year Award for 2012-2013 in a ceremony at
the HRCCU Operations Center in Corinth.
The association said HRCCU was recognized for
its commitment to the community and dedication
to providing quality, outstanding products and
service to those who live, work and vacation in
the Corinth area.
The Corinth Merchants’ Association is a
non-profit corporation who’s mission is to raise
awareness of local businesses, service groups and
agriculture, while promoting community spirit
Corinth and to support, encourage and network
with members on endeavors and issues of concern.
HRCCU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative
owned and governed by its members in Warren,
Washington, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties or
the Towns of Cohoes, Watervliet and Green Island.
It has five branches located in Cohoes, Corinth,
Glens Falls, Hudson Falls and Troy.
*
*
*
The Saratoga Convention & Tourism
Bureau hosted a successful two and a half
day a familiarization (FAM) on Aug. 25-27 for
qualified meeting and event planners as well as
industry media.
The annual tour educated and informed planners who have never been to Saratoga or may have
been but needed to learn more about Saratoga as
a destination.
Attendees came from across New York state,
New York City, New Jersey and as far away as
Georgia. There were over 30 participants, said Todd
Garofano, convention bureau president.
His sales team will be following up with each
participant to get feedback and entice groups for
meetings and events in Saratoga.
*
*
*
Habitat for Humanity of Northern
Saratoga, Warren and Washington
Counties is teaming up with Tubby Tubes
Company in Lake Luzerne this October on a
new a family friendly fall festival.
“Haunted for Habitat” will be every Saturday
in October from noon to 8 p.m. and Sundays from
noon to 4 p.m., with admission only $9. Families
and individuals will have the opportunity to enjoy
the great outdoor slides that Tubby Tubes is known
for, as well as participate in fun family friendly fall
activities. A portion of the proceeds go to Habitat
for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and
Washington Counties latest build, which will be
starting in March of 2014.
More information is available at Tubby Tubes
website at, www.tubbytubestubing.com or call
them at 696-7222.
*
*
*
The National Committee for Quality Assurance
(NCQA) released its 2013-2014 Health Insurance
Plan Rankings, and all four CDPHP commercial
health plans, as well as CDPHP Medicare Choices
HMO and CDPHP Select Plan (Medicaid) were
ranked as the best in New York state.
NCQA’s Medicare Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013-2014
CDPHP Medicare Choices HMO ranked #1 in
New York state (#9 nationally)
The rankings included:
CDPHP Select Plan (Medicaid) ranked number
one in New York state (nine nationally).
NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings
2013-2014
CDPHP commercial products ranked number
one in New York state.
CDPHN (HMO/POS): Number one in New York
state (18 nationally).
CDPHP (HMO): Number one in New York state
(19 nationally).
CDPHN (PPO): Number one in New York state
(26 nationally).
CDPHP UBI (PPO): Number one in New York
state (26 nationally).
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization
dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA
accredits and certifies a wide range of health care
organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and
practices in key areas of performance.
Continued On Page 21
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 7
Former Athlete Sells ‘Clarity Juice’ Using Two Women Set To Open Spa Botanicals
All-Natural Ingredients From Local Farms And Healing Spa At Henry Street Locale
Sydney Peyser, owner of Clarity Juice, said she wants to encourage people to return to
their roots by drinking vegetables and fruit in their most raw form.
A raw, local, fresh, cold-pressed juice company has taken root in Saratoga Springs. As
a result, Clarity Juice by Syd is available for
purchase in two Saratoga Springs farmer’s
markets.
Founded by Sydney Peyser, the company
seeks to encourage people to return to their
roots by drinking vegetables and fruit in their
most raw form.
According to Peyser, “as an athlete who
played Division 1 Lacrosse for Lafayette College, I wished there had been a drink that had
all-natural ingredients, that was energizing,
refreshing and hydrating. This is why I created
Clarity Juice.”
Her goal is to get middle school, high school
and collegiate athletes to realize the potential
of a raw power drink that she feels will take
their game to the next level.
“As an athlete, my objective was to be stronger, faster and to be present in the game with
a sharp, clear mind. I was intentional with my
workout schedule, but did not think about
what I was eating or drinking at the time, and
Courtesy of Clarity Juice
how that was affecting my sports performance.
“Clarity Juice is a company that believes
in the whole picture. When you drink Clarity
Juice, you are being intentional with what you
put in your body and how it will fuel you. It is
health on the go”, said Peyser.
The company is using a Norwalk Juice Press
that enables juice to taste better with no oxidation, she said.
Peyser supports local farmers whose products are certified as naturally grown. Those
include the Kilpatrick Family Farm, Echo
Creek Farm, Pleasant Valley Farm, Quincy
Farm and Scotch Ridge Berry Farm.
Clarity Juice by Syd is available at the following places and times: Saratoga Farmer’s Market
on High Rock Avenue in the Food Vendors Tent,
on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; and at the
Spa City Market, next to the National Museum
of Dance on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on Clarity Juice,
go to www.clarityjuice.com or e-mail info@
clarityjuice.com. The company also has a
Facebook page.
Franesa Pyle, right, and Nicole Fellini offer the services of massage therapists, an
acupuncturist, an herbalist, a Reiki practitioner and more at their new business.
By Jill Nagy
When Saratoga Botanicals and Healing
Spa opens its doors in mid-October, it will
offer a variety of natural, mostly organic,
cosmetics and beauty products made by the
owners, Franesa Pyle and Nicole Fellini.
In addition, the shop, at 80 Henry St.,
Saratoga Springs, will offer the services
of massage therapists, an acupuncturist, a
medical doctor trained in osteopathic medicine, an herbalist, a Reiki practitioner, an
aroma therapist, a nutritionist, and estheticians, as well as a selection of regular and
herbal teas.
The aim is to offer “health and beauty for
people on the inside and outside,” Pyle said.
The owners met about six months ago.
Pyle, who had a marketing and advertising
Stock Studios Photography
business in Saratoga, advertised for someone to share her offices. Fellini, a certified
public accountant with an accounting and
tax practice in Boston, answered the ad and
moved in.
As the women got to know one another,
they discovered a similar dissatisfaction
with the cosmetic and skin care products
available to them on the market.
“We were both a little frightened of the
things in skin products,” Pyle said. Both of
them wanted to find natural products that
they would feel safe putting on their faces
and bodies. Eventually, they began to create
their own products to meet their criteria.
In addition, Fellini had been training as
an aroma therapist and was certified by the
Continued On Page 12
Siena Poll
Continued From Page 1
upset if it passes.
By a 74-24 percent margin, voters agree
that legalizing casinos will create thousands
of jobs. They agree casinos will generate
new revenues for the state and localities,
65-31 percent. They agree, 57-42 percent,
New York has enough gambling outlets already. And they agree casinos will increase
societal problems, 55-44 percent, according
to the poll.
“Although a majority of voters agree with
two arguments against casinos, they more
strongly agree with two arguments in support of casinos – jobs and new revenues,”
Greenberg said. “Given the importance
voters place on jobs and revenues, it’s no
surprise that tying them to the amendment
increases support and overcomes meaningful concerns about the sufficiency of existing gambling outlets and potential societal
problems from casinos.”
The Siena poll included 807 registered
state voters, with a margin of error of 3.4
percentage points.
Stock Studios Photography
Richard Ferguson
Vice President, Loan Officer
Saratoga National Bank,
Reads
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL
8 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL
SPECIAL SECTION
Office / Technology / E-Commerce
Tech II Business Services Witnesses Huge drb Business Interiors Has New Showroom
Growth, Change Over Its Three Decades For Its Numerous Lines Of Office Furniture
From left, Peter Farley, Eric Guby, Daniel Bardin and Douglas Gillson stand in the
Wilton headquarters of Tech II Business Services, which has been in business for 30 years.
By Jill Nagy
From a one-man operation selling and
installing telephone systems, Tech II Business Services Inc., has grown in 30 years
to a company providing computer system
management services, video surveillance
and, still, telephone systems to more than
1,000 customers.
There are now more than 30 employees,
nearly all of them engineers, and the company
is housed in its own building on Route 50 in
Wilton.
Company founder Eric Guby remains active
as president and CEO. He has been joined by
Dan Bardin, chief operating officer; Doug Gillson, vice president for technology; and Peter
Farley, vice president for sales and marketing.
The 30th anniversary is “just a milestone
in business,” according to Farley, with no
particular celebration planned.
The company is a managed system provider, designing and installing computer
systems and servicing them after they are
up and running. Most of the service is done
remotely, either from the company’s Wilton
headquarters or, in some cases, from an
employee’s home.
Gone are the days when a customer complaint prompted Tech II to send out a truck
and service person to look at the problem,
Farley noted. About 85 percent of the work is
Stock Studios Photography
done remotely and the focus is on proactively
monitoring clients’ networks, spotting problems before they become serious.
A growing part of the company is the provision of “cloud computing” services, which
allow customers to store data off site. Despite
the name, data entrusted to “the cloud” is
stored in very earthbound data centers. Tech
II is in the process of opening its second such
center. Still, Farley said, “cloud computing is
just going to hit the sky.”
Video surveillance systems are another
area where Farley sees continuing growth.
The systems allow small to medium-sized
companies to monitor their people and assets.
Tech II uses video surveillance technology to
keep an eye on its own data centers as well,
and those are also managed remotely.
The company began life in a basement on
Madison Street in Saratoga Springs. Then,
they moved to a facility on Saratoga Lake,
where they remained for eight years. Thirteen
years ago, Tech II acquired Power Solutions, a
Glens Falls company, and, at about the same
time, purchased and moved to its current
Wilton facility on Route 50.
The video surveillance business was added
about 18 months ago. For now, Farley said, the
company’s current space is adequate, largely
because changes in technology have reduced
Continued On Page 10
Dorothy and Dan Bullis of drb Business Interiors on Regent Street in Saratoga Springs,
relax for a moment in the company’s new commercial furniture showroom.
By Lisa Balschunat
Standing in her new creative design offices at 153 Regent St., Saratoga Springs, in
a historic building, Dorothy Rogers-Bullis,
president/owner of drb Business Interiors,
insists, “if you don’t have space that works
for you, you don’t work well. We takes raw
space and trick it out to make it a great space
to work in.”
Rogers-Bullis’ interior design company offers expert advice and quality office furniture
to suit the needs of small businesses and large
corporations, public spaces, restaurants,
small offices, manufacturing space and more.
Backed with 30 years of experience, Rogers-Bullis and her design staff look at a space,
account for the functional requirements, then
meld them with a blend of hardware, fabric
and color. The aim is to create a business
office or commercial space that is stellar in
both design and functionality.
Since 2008, drb has worked with hundreds
of clients throughout the country including
hospitals, libraries, banks, small businesses,
state government offices, schools and even
an organic farmer, to design work space,
procure commercial furniture and install the
final configuration to provide a pleasing and
functional work area that will stand the test
of time, she said.
“Knoll is our main line,” Rogers-Bullis said,
“It is classy, quality, reliable and it doesn’t go
out of style. The Knoll tulip chair, the sprite
chair, and the most sought-after ergonomic
desk chair, the Generation, go unmatched.
Knoll products have unbelievable warranties. They are durable, they are sleek, they
are classic.”
Stock Studios Photography
Though Knoll is drb’s main furniture line,
the design team also has access to over 100
lines of commercial office furniture from wood
and glass, fabric and leather, made in the USA
products, green office products, and lines
such as Nucraft Global, OFS, Stylex and Kurg.
drb has a full showroom in its’ newly purchased building. With an experienced and
trained design and sales team of nine, drb
creates both “inspirational and functional”
office and business design space, she said.
Since its opening in 2008, originally on
High Rock Avenue, drb has assisted numerous
hospitals, libraries, banks, colleges, universities, restaurants, manufacturing facilities and
small businesses.
“We are excited to be in this old Skidmore
College theater building,” she said. “Now
clients can visit drb, walk our showroom and
imagine the possibilities.”
The staff at drb spend “a tremendous
amount of time with the end user and/or commercial designers in the conception phase,”
said Daniel Bullis, vice-president. “The design, procurement and installation has to be
right the first time. We interview our clients
to fully understand their needs, work with
commercial designers if need be, handle the
measurements, work up renderings of color,
layout and furniture to provide the user with
space that makes sense to them.”
drb clients can enter the two-level, 2,500
square-foot showroom to sit in the chairs,
pull up to a desk or conference table, try out
a work space, see the colors and touch the
fabrics. Clients will find in the drb Technology
Center a user-friendly way to brainstorm a
Continued On Page 17
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Saratoga BUSINESS JoUrNaL • octoBEr 2013 • 9
grant to Help School District Expand Its Saratoga Springs company, Fixt, Looks at
Program Dealing With clean technologies New Ways to Handle Help-Desk Support
The Ballston Spa Central School District is
the recipient of a NYS Pathways in Technology
early College High School (NYS P-TeCH) grant
to expand the district’s program that focuses on
the clean technologies and sustainable industries.
The program is one of only 16 projects from
around the state to receive support, was recently
announced by Gov. andrew Cuomo, who said the
partnerships would prepare nearly 6,000 students
statewide for higher education and a pathway to
the work force.
“we are making sure our students are more
prepared for life after graduation by linking the
skills we teach in the classroom with the needs
of 21st century employers,” Cuomo said in a news
release. “This groundbreaking program will give
students across the state the opportunity to earn
a college degree without taking on significant
debt from student loans while also starting on a
pathway to a good-paying job when they graduate.
These public-private partnerships are a model for
success for our students, our employers and our
regional economies.”
The district is the lead fiscal and implementation agency and is proud to have Hudson Valley
Community College (HVCC) as the lead higher
education partner and industry giants GlobalFoundries, Cisco, and TrC as lead business partners to fully implement and fulfill all of the roles
and responsibilities of NYS P-TeCH program,
district officials said.
The district, along with its higher education
and business partners, currently operates the
highly successful Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries early College High School
(eCHS), a program that prepares students for college and careers in the fields of energy efficiency,
renewable energy, and advanced technology
including semi-conductor manufacturing.
The district started the program in 2011 with
HVCC and NYSerDa at the college’s TeC-SMarT
facility in the Saratoga Technology + energy Park
in Malta. Officials said it has expanded to include
over 25 business partners and enrolls over 110
students from 20 high schools in seven counties
Faculty members answer questions about
programs at a recent orientation.
Courtesy Ballston Spa Central School District
for the fall 2013 semester.
The district’s proposal includes the continued
expansion of the eCHS, increasing educational
opportunities for at-risk and underrepresented
youth from around the region in related careers
and continuing the development of pathways
with HVCC to create seamless sequences of study
leading to associates degrees in the areas of information systems, energy efficiency, renewable
energy, or advanced technology.
The grant supports the collaboration with business partners to further develop the eCHS curriculum and to provide mentoring, job shadowing,
workplace visits, and field experiences. District
officials said it also will further create a career
placement plan in collaboration with over 25 current supporting businesses that ensures program
graduates are first in line for open positions with
business partners from across the sector.
For additional information please contact
Laurel Logan-king, assistant superintendent
for curriculum, assessment and pupil services,
Ballston Spa Central School District at lking@
bscsd.org or 884-7195 ext. 1330.
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Craig Skevington created the company Fixt to support users facing technical problems
on any device, from smartphones and laptops to PCs and tablets.
entrepreneur Craig Skevington says his
new company, Fixt, is now ready for prime
time after a year in operation supporting 15
paying companies and supporting 260 users.
Fixt (fixtright.com), based in Saratoga
Springs, is reinventing traditional IT and
help-desk support for users facing technical
problems on any device, from smartphones
and laptops to PCs and tablets, according to
its owner. Those problems, he said, range
from connectivity and basic operation to
such programs as Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, or setting up e-mail.
Fixt’s services also include performance
monitoring and tune-ups, data backup, and
virus and Spyware protection. Fixt’s propriety technology allows its support engineers
to provide users with on-demand assistance
as if they were right there, Skevington said.
Skevington invested $300,000 into Fixt,
which is targeting companies with between
one and 150 employees. He said the company is expected to generate over $5 million
in annual revenue and employ 50 people
within the first three years.
“People are much more mobile and they
depend on help right now,” Skevington said.
“Providing support for you isn’t a matter of
knowing where your desk is. You need support that’s designed to help you wherever,
whatever, whenever.”
Skevington said he founded Fixt as he
witnessed the number of workers using
mobile devices skyrocket in the past few
years. By some estimates, as many as 30
Continued On Page 10
10 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Tech II Business Services
Continued From Page 8
the need for physical space. They no longer
have to store service trucks, for example.
Farley termed the company a “value-added
reseller,” that is, a company that designs and
installs systems using components manufactured by other companies. They do not
manufacture equipment.
Tech II has clients throughout the Capital Region and, as local companies expand
overseas, some international clients as
well. The client list includes major banks
and health care systems as well as smaller
companies.
Security is a major concern for a company
with constant access to clients’ computer
systems. Farley emphasized that Tech II restricts its employees’ access to clients’ operating environments and does not access
critical data files, such as medical records or
financial data.
In addition, “we have proper security within
our company,” including background checks
and fingerprint checks for new hires, Farley
said. He said the company has been “stresstested” for security measures and received
SSAE-16 certification, a stringent international standard.
As the company has grown, so has its work
force.
“This is a fairly high industry for turnover,”
Farley said, but noted that there are people
who have been with the company 20 years
or more. Finding new hires is “always a challenge,” he said, “You have to hire the right
people.”
The company is located at 4289 Route 50.
Its website is www.tech-ii.com. The telephone
number is 587-1565.
Fixt
Continued From Page 9
million Americans work remotely at least
one day a week, according to Global Workplace Analytics.
“Workers are more scattered and more
dependent on technology,” he said. “And
when something doesn’t work for an employee, they’re stuck. There’s nothing they
can do. It’s ‘employee down.’”
While the problems aren’t always complex, it takes experts to quickly diagnose
the problem and offer fast solutions. Skevington said one example of a user issue
might be difficulty accessing a document
on his or her tablet.
“Is the problem my tablet? Is there a
problem with the app I’m using? Is the problem with the server out in San Jose where
the document is stored? Is the problem with
the Internet trying to connect to it? Is it a
configuration issue? Most users can’t begin
to ask the right question let alone answer
it,” he said.
Skevington said Fixt was created with
both the end-user and corporate IT support staff in mind, because it works with
both. Most “employee technology problems”
aren’t difficult to fix once you understand
the problem, he said.
He said his company’s automation and focus on the user allows it to offer services at
a more affordable rate, beginning as low as
$15 per employee per month. The primary
question is one of responsiveness. IT staffs
typically have to drop what they are doing to
help, taking time while disrupting their day.
“This is our focus,” Skevington said. “We
don’t build servers for you. We understand
what the user is going through and the
kinds of trouble they get into.”
“We had one call at 7 a.m. from an employee on the road, about to give a presentation at 8:30 a.m.,” Skevington cited as an
example. “He’s clearly stressed because he
can’t access his presentation. He has no
idea what the problem is. We went through
a checklist and couldn’t connect to him
online. We called the hotel front desk and
learned he hadn’t paid the $10 for Wi-Fi. For
an IT person you just woke up because you
didn’t realize you didn’t have Wi-Fi. That
really upsets them.”
“That’s the world we’re living in,” Skevington said. “Before if it didn’t work, I
rebooted and that fixed it. Now it’s like, I
don’t know what the problem is, let alone
where it is, but I need it fixed now.”
Skevington has started seven companies,
some of which have gone on to become
publicly traded and land spots on Inc.
Magazine’s fastest-growing companies lists.
He can be reached at 580-9844 or cskev@
flowmgt.com.
Showcase Of Homes
Continued From Page 1
Saratoga.Com, Spa.Net and The Wesley
Community.
Culinary Sponsors: Black Diamond Caterers and Prime at Saratoga National. Media
Sponsors: Albany Broadcasting, Coffee News
of the Capital Region, Empire Broadcasting
Corporation, Saratoga Business Journal,
Saratoga Today, The Saratogian and Milton/
Geyser Wilton Reports.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit membership organization representing more than 2,400 business
members throughout Saratoga County and
the Capital District.
•
Business Report
•
Common Sense Security Audits
By Mark Shaw
I used to work with an ex-military IT guy who
would look at new PCs with in the box and say
“Wow, what a security threat”, I would laugh
and ask him what would make them the most
safe. He replied “Never turn them on.”
We would both laugh and I would then state,
“OK, so we have the worst and best cases for
security, now we have to find a middle ground
and make it useable for the end user”
When it comes to security, isn’t that really
the point? If you focus too little or too much
on security you start to lose sight of what the
computer and network are there for. The entire
concept of a computer system, software and a
network are to provide productivity for the user
and efficiencies for the company. When we drift
from this concept we end up losing site of what
we as IT have been working towards in the first
place. Technology for the masses.
In the world today security is such a buzzword that everyone and anyone has advice on
the topic and everyone wants to be an expert.
There are companies who have created White
Hat Hacker certifications (White Hat is the
industry term for a “good” hacker who helps
people, not a bad one which they term Black
Hat) that take only five days to get certified in
and then apparently you are an expert. When
I see these people practicing, I can’t help but
feel like I have the brand-new doctor and I am
their very first patient.
While any certification is a good start, for
a security auditor to really be effective they
have to be a number of things. There has to
be a proven track record in their organization
and among their staff. Preferably it would be
nice to see a minimum of 10-15 years of core
competency in the security field.
It is also best if that company or auditor
focus solely on security and nothing else. If the
same company that is handling the audit also
sells all the tools for remediation of any issues,
isn’t there a conflict of interest at this point?
How unbiased will anyone be if they have the
“perfect” solution to the problems they found?
The best audits have the security company do
the audit, and the trusted IT resource internal
or external review and then make the remediation’s that make sense.
Over the last few months more and more
security focused sales pitches are being lobbed
at the small and medium business market,
and we are all finding ourselves watching the
large enterprises time and time again make
headlines for leaking out credit card information, our social security numbers, our e-mail
addresses, our phone numbers or worse.
This is a real issue and there is no change
this will go away. The goal of any small business
is to remain secure while also being able to
work. Turning off the power on your technology
is not ever going to be the answer
When I worked in a large multinational
I used to find myself surrounded by Ph.D.s
in the research and development lab all the
time. There were people who would moonlight
Mark Shaw, president, Stored Technology
Solutions (StoredTech).
Courtesy ????
working with NASA on ways to better calculate
distances to other stars by using the earth to
the moon as a base demonstrator. Many times
I hardly understood what they were saying
technically, but I understood the concepts. I
would sit with some of the best and brightest
of this team at lunch and we would talk about
how they would have a hard time with common
sense items.
That is how the term “tree people” was
created. What are tree people you might ask?
Great question, they are the people who are so
smart that they can look at any tree and tell
you the genus, phylum, and species of it, and
then walk right in to it. The roaring laughter
from all sides of the table that day was a one of
the highlights of my career there. It is the day
when people from the Ph.D. side realized that
there are so many cases where all the education, certifications, degrees and other academic
achievements lose out to common sense.
The story is fitting because time and again
the biggest breaches I have seen to security
come from the certified professionals. People
with the best intentions can often create the
biggest disasters.
Here is some common sense security audit
advice for everyone with a business:
1: Do not allow anyone to run any application
on your network
2: Do not share any administrator or network
passwords
3: Do not allow anyone physical access to
any of your network devices
4: Do not allow people to take photos of
the hardware, serial numbers or any network
devices.
Any legitimate network security audit will
be done from the viewpoint of the attacker to
the network. Under no circumstances should
you hand someone your passwords and provide
them physical access to the network. If you
do, you have compromised your network immediately. Now, one or more third parties have
access to your physical Internet addresses and
passwords to get behind your present security. This is not how a security or penetration
test should be performed. It should be done
from outside of the network with no internal
or confidential information shared. A firm, with
background in this area, would try to breach the
network in the same means a hacker would and
would not require any details or need physical
access to the machines.
Just the other day one of our clients stated
that their large firm calls it an “audition” to
work with their company. If you can get in from
the outside, you can present your findings and
we may then do business with you.
Every day small and medium sized businesses are approached about security, using
a common sense approach and vetting this
vendor as you would any other will go a long
way to ensure your continued security.
Mark Shaw is president, Stored Technology
Solutions (StoredTech).
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 11
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL
SPECIAL SECTION
Entrepreneurial Women
Spa Cascada Owner Turned Her Passion Catherine Hover’s Paint & Sip Business
For Wellness Into A Successful Business Expands, Opening A New Latham Shop
By Erin Silk
Amy Snider is the owner of Spa Cascada
and Boutique on Broadway in Saratoga
Springs where clients receive in resultsoriented skin care treatment while relaxing
in a beautiful hacienda-style spa.
“I feel very fortunate to be able to bring
the true spa experience back to the place
where spas originated,” Snider said of
Saratoga Springs.
“Cascada” is Spanish for waterfall and is
also a source of inspiration from Snider’s
many years spent in Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico, working in spas before returning
to Saratoga where she grew up.
Snider already had a scientific background as a former athletic trainer and
dental hygienist, but she knew she had
found her true passion in spa and skin care.
“Spa exposure really got me interested in
skin science,” said Snider, who has taught
as a national skin care educator. She moved
back to the area in June 2003 and attended
the Aesthetic Science Institute in Latham
to learn the latest in skin treatments and
wellness theory.
In June of 2005, Snider made her passion for wellness a reality and opened Spa
Cascada where she loves educating clients
about their skin and about how to focus a
healthy skin regime to make it part of their
lifestyle.
Amy Snider of Spa Cascada and Boutique
educates clients about skin care.
Stock Studios Photography
“Once you use quality products and
become educated about how and why they
work, you really start to see results,” she
said.
Snider said people can become easily
overwhelmed by the advertising for skin
care products and that they may not always
realize that products work differently for
everyone.
“We promote wellness and we pride
Continued On Page 16
By Erin Silk
A person calling up Saratoga Paint &
Sip Studio can safely feel that chances are
they’re in for a good time.
The cheerful outgoing message for this
popular art studio and bar announces “Hello! Hello! Hello! If you are having a Paint &
Sip emergency, hang up now and e-mail us
at info@saratogapaintandsip.com.”
That’s Catherine Hover, studio owner and
New Orleans native who opened this unique
art studio in April 2012 that calls itself a
“new way to paint the town.
The success has been such that Hoover
recently opened a second studio. In September Saratoga Paint and Sip Studio’s
Newton Plaza in Latham held a grand
opening party. A ribbon cutting ceremony
was held in participation with the AlbanyColonie Chamber of Commerce, made
formal the opening of the second.
The concept is funky. The atmosphere
is more like a night out than a serious art
class. Budding artists at this make-yourown painting studio can grab a drink at
the bar with friends before settling down
to create.
Hover credits the success of her business
with the usual word-of-mouth advertising
that comes from happy customers and
says social media has given the venture
an incredible boost. But, she also brings
Catherine Hover likes to encourage creativity
in others at her Paint & Sip Studio.
Stock Studios Photography
to the studio a southern hospitality and
personal touch that keeps people coming
back to class.
“Fifty percent of our patrons are repeats,”
said Hover. “I try to remember our guests
and call them by name. It’s me they will usually see behind the bar so I like to engage
them and find out why they came.”
She says that in today’s digital age,
people aren’t necessarily communicating
Continued On Page 16
12 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Spa Botanicals
Continued From Page 7
What is Elder Law?
Elder Law is an area of legal practice that is
quickly growing as the population ages. The
idea behind Elder Law is unique because it
deals holistically with the whole person, rather than handling just single legal issues. Elder
Law also deals with Medicare and Medicaid
issues, including clearing up misconceptions
about what Medicare and Medicaid will and
will not pay for.
For many people, the primary concern of
Elder Law is making arrangements for incapacitation when they can no longer manage
their affairs. Needless to say, the cost of necessary care and how to finance it is especially
important. While the purchase of long-term
care insurance can help offset costs, such insurance is difficult to acquire when an insurance company realizes the elderly individual
is likely to make a claim. Unfortunately, most
people begin to think about long-term insurance when it is too late. (As insurers sometimes point out, you can’t insure a building
when it is ablaze.)
To protect yourself make sure you have all
your legal paperwork - Trusts, Wills, Powers
of Attorney and Heath care Proxies in place
before an emergency occurs. Begin planning when you are YOUNG don’t wait until
retirement. Last but not least, work with an
attorney who understands estates, trusts and
protecting assets, while helping to insure you
will be able to afford the care you need.
To find out more about Elder Law, Tax,
Estate and Medicaid Planning,
contact Debra Verni, Esq. at the
Herzog Law Firm P.C. 518-465-7581 or
dverni@herzoglaw.com.
You can also visit
their web site at www.herzoglaw.com
Attorney advertising
National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy and the Alliance of International
Aromatherapists. At the same time, Pyle
was completing training as an herbalist and
a master level Reiki practitioner.
According to Pyle, the change in professional direction has been “wonderful. It’s
interesting when you take a new path. It
just takes you down the river,” she reflected.
In addition to selling their health and
beauty products, the two “want to educate
the public about what’s in the products they
buy” on the regular market and the possible
harm some of them may do. Eventually, they
may add a line of cleaning products as well.
Saratoga Botanicals will be a retail store
and a “healing spa.” Supervising the healing
spa will be Dr. Heidi Rasmussen, a medical
doctor who does osteopathy, according to Pyle,
and who takes a “mind, body, spirit approach.”
The staff will also include several massage
therapists, one of whom, Sharon Minnick,
is currently in Thailand learning Thai yoga
massage techniques. There are two more
traditional Shiatsu massage therapists already hired and Pyle is looking for more. An
esthetician will perform facials, using the
owners’ products.
Acupuncture services will include facial
treatments that, according to Pyle, will be
a safe substitute for botox treatments. The
treatments, she said, will stimulate areas
where wrinkles lurk and ”diminish the lines.”
For clients who need a break from all the
pampering, there will be a self-service tea
bar, as well as teas to take home.
The shop will be open Tuesdays and
Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and
Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The telephone number for Saratoga
Botanicals is 306-4108. The website, for
additional information or to place an order for Saratoga Botanicals products is
www.saratogabotanicals.com.
Women Heading Up Local Agencies Find
Ways To Improve Services, Save Money
By Jill Nagy
Directors of three human services agencies
have been putting their heads together to
share ideas, information and, most recently, a
fundraiser. They refer clients and volunteers
to one another and, recently, two of them
shared bread.
These cooperative efforts benefit the agencies and help save money. They also involve
other agencies in the area that could benefit
from shared information or services.
“I’ve always been a big fan of not duplicating
services and we want our sponsors to know that
we are trying to work together and collaborate,”
said Lois Celeste, director of the Saratoga Adult
and Senior Center, one of the organizations
active in the collaboration.
Linda Toohey, then with the Saratoga County
Chamber of Commerce, was the catalyst for getting them together about three years ago, according to Celeste. It was then that “we started
talking about what we could do together,” she
recalled.
A joint fundraiser last July — on the first
dark day of the Saratoga Race Course meet
— was their first major project, noted Michelle Larkin, director of Rebuilding Together
Saratoga, an organization that provides free
home repairs to elderly, disabled or low-income
people or veterans.
Her organization, the Senior Center, and the
Franklin Community Center, jointly sponsored
a barbecue catered by Brooks Barbecue. They
charged $10 or $12 for a ticket, modest amounts
by fundraiser standards, and ended up raising
close to $6,000 for the three organizations.
The Senior Center and Franklin Community
Center are ”almost neighbors, they are right in
our back yard,” Celeste noted, and her organization often sends members to the Community
Center for assistance the Senior Center does
not provide. The Senior Center also worked
together with the Domestic Violence organization on a project on elder abuse, she recalled.
Kari Cushing, who directs the Franklin
From left, Lois Celeste, Kari Cushing and
Michelle Larkin find ways to cooperate.
Stock Studios Photography
Community Center, sees the collaboration as
a natural.
“We work closely together, we have similar
clienteles, and our supporters like the idea of
collaboration and pooling resources,” she said.
On an informal basis, they share volunteers
and refer clients to one another. When the
Community Center building needed repairs,
Rebuilding Together sent volunteers. They
also sent painters to help spruce up the Senior
Center.
Recently, when the Senior Center was closed
for emergency repairs, Rebuilding Together
volunteers donated baked goods to the Community Center.
Cushing also recalled that, in the past, her
organization and the Employment Opportunity
Commission (EOC) each provided Thanksgiving and Christmas food gifts to community
members; now, the EOC looks after Thanksgiving and the Community Center is responsible
for Christmas.
There is day-to-day collaboration among the
Continued On Page 17
Divorce & Family Law
Separation • Divorce • Premarital Agreements • Custody • Visitation
Child Support • Paternity • Adoptions • DWI • Traffic Tickets
Real Estate • Bankruptcy • Criminal Law
Tammy J. Arquette, Esq.
www.arquettelaw.com
990 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY 12065
(518) 373-9300
We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the bankruptcy code.
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— THE —
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Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 13
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL
SPECIAL SECTION
Commercial / Residential Real Estate
Breweries Are On The Rise In The Region; Strong Rental Market, Steady Commercial,
Munter Enterprises Has A Hand In Many Rebounding Single-Family Seen In County
By R.J. DeLuke
Commercial and residential developers
in Saratoga County are finding that work
is brisk in the area, with a trend in recent
years of people having a stronger interest in
rental properties than single-family homes.
Mixed-use properties are under way in
many areas, combining rental units with
space for shops and offices. That’s happening not just in the city of Saratoga Springs,
but in outlying areas as well.
And John Witt, president of Witt con-
George de Piro, chief brewing officer at Druther’s Brewing Co. in Saratoga Springs, stands
among kegs of beer brewed on site for bar patrons and diners at the restaurant.
Stock Studios Photography
By Lisa Balschunat
Mike and John Munter, both with years
of experience in the construction business,
continue to build on the foundation their
dad began when he broke ground on his
business in Middle Grove in 1972.
Over the years Munter Enterprises has
worked from foundation to roof tops for
businesses including Allerdice Hardware,
Saratoga Springs; Stewart’s Shops; Oscar’s
Smokehouse, Warrensburg; Shepard’s
Square, Lake George.
Most recently breweries have become
steady work. The company has done work
for the Olde Saratoga Brewing Company
and Druthers Brewing Company in Saratoga
Springs; Shmaltz Brewery in Clifton Park,
and now Davidson Brewery, in Queensbury.
“Brewery systems are very similar to
manufacturing facilities we’ve worked
on with highly sophisticated processing
systems,” said Mike. “We understand the
systems and, yes, we now have a niche.”
Micro brew pubs and full production
breweries are growing across the country
during the past decade. Saratoga and
Warren counties are no exception. Anyone
looking to whet their whistle with a finely
crafted brew in the region can choose from
vast array of brews -- from wheat to stout,
red to brown, India Pale Ale (IPA) to Extra
Special Bitter (ESB), and Belgian to Porter.
Hopped brews, wheat brews, ones with berry
accents, smoked, rye and malt-crafted are a
few of the choices that are as numerous as
Continued On Page 19
struction in Saratoga Springs, notes that
after a sluggish period of about four years,
the market for single family homes in the
area “is coming back.”
Witt said the rental market “is huge”
thanks in part to GlobalFoundries, the microchip manufacturing plant in Malta and
the work force it has brought to the area.
But there are also “empty nesters” wanting
to get away from the upkeep of a full home,
and there are young families starting out
Continued On Page 14
14 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Real Estate Market
Continued From Page 13
who prefer to rent before investing, perhaps
later, in a home.
For Hal Schultz of HR Schultz Real
Estate Development, an area of development is opening up west of the Northway in
Malta. That area “has always been kind of a
sleeper,” he said, and now that it has been
rezoned from industrial to light industrial,
which allows for commercial and residential mix, it is ripe.
Schultz has 40 acres at Eastline Road and
Route 67 in Ballston. He said the east side of
the Northway has always received the most
attention, especially with GlobalFoundries
plant landing there. Schultz’s project will
bring a mix of residential, commercial and
office space. It’s being called East Line
Commons.
The state also has money to improve the
intersection of Route 9 and Route 67, and
improved roads in that area will also be a
benefit, said Schultz.
He said from his perspective there
is high interest for apartments and low
interest for commercial. In rural areas,
he sees “new urbanism,” with buildings
being built close to the road. Condos and
townhouses are part of his plan in Malta.
He has 142,000 square feet of buildable
apartment space.
Originally, Schultz considered large
buildings out front that required a lot of
parking. That has been revised to 21 townhouses and buildable apartment space
“Route 67 is a sleeper. With the zoning
change, there’s much more appeal,” he said.
There is a lot of vehicle traffic in that
area, which opens up the potential for
mixed-use development.
“There are a awful lot of small businesses
that don’t want to go over [south of] the
Twin Bridges” that take Northway travelers into Albany County. They want to be
in Saratoga County and the activity there.
Nonetheless, the area is still tied to the
Albany market and is only 20 minutes away
from Albany International Airport, he said.
Cecil Provost owner of both ProRealty of
New York and Saratoga Construction, said
the market for commercial real estate has
improved in the last few years, “though
financing is still a challenge” with banks
being more cautious about loaning funds
than thy wee five years ago.
As far as residential, he acknowledged a
stronger market for renting in the area, noting “there are also many more apartments
in Saratoga than there used to be ... A lot
of people are renting first, seeing if they
like the area.”
Provost said the re-sale market for
single-family homes is still strong
Witt said his company is currently busy
in the home renovation market. But he is
also involved in redesigning a project called
Excelsior Park on 50 acres near the crossing
of Route 50 and the Northway.
It was originally planned for some 200
condominiums and some mixed-use space,
but condos stopped selling. It will become
120 apartments ad 60-plus townhouses,
with a community pool and community
space; also walking trails, Witt said.
It will have about 50,000 square feet of
commercial space. Witt said that while
mixed-use is popular, in areas where there
isn’t dense residential population “its not as
easy to lease the commercial space.”
As far as single-family homes go, Witt said
he is seeing a call for smaller homes that
require less maintenance. The floor plans
are more open, with open kitchen space
and, overall, plenty of storage in the home.
Schultz feels the economy is picking up
and that has more effect than anything on a
strong market for commercial and residential development, including the existence
of GlobalFoundries.
“We’re very busy on the construction
side,” said Provost, noting that his niche
is somewhat different. He builds homes on
land already owned by the customer. That
can involve vacation homes, second homes
or tear-down/rebuild situations.
He said buying vacant land is not easy,
but the residential housing market is “back
to a healthy situation.” Banks want to do
business with people who “have a job, have
good credit and have some money in the
bank. That’s the way it should be.”
Plum Dandy Cookies & Milk
Continued From Page 1
and Milk is more modern than Plum Dandy
Yogurt’s more classically Saratoga Broadway
location, but is imbued with a constant
wafting of the smell of cookies baking.
The milk, sold in pint glass bottles, is
from Battenkill Creamery. Three professional bakers have converted Diane Levitas’s recipes into bigger batch equivalents.
The ingredients are all-natural, including
butter from Kriemkill Dairy’s grass-fed
cows, said Levitas. Belgian chocolate is
used. The chocolate chips are made with
Dead Sea salt
Kettlebell cookies, featuring Broadway
Kettlecorn and English toffee have been
a favorite thus far, the owner said. Gooey
Louies, with Belgian chocolate, chocolate
chips and caramel with a chocolate truffle
center, covered with pink Himalayan sea
salt have been a big hit as well.
The cookie emporium features Wi-Fi
access. Tables and counters offer customers room for iPads along with their
cookie plates and milk glasses. There are
gluten-free cookies available. Levitas is
researching sources of cookies prepared
in wheat-free environments for those with
extreme gluten sensitivity.
He said holidays will bring options of
cookie gifts, platters, and catering. Kid
parties are options at all locations. There
may be cookie delivery service in the future.
Levitas said he loves having a small business in Saratoga where he appreciates the
supportive community. He enjoys providing
people with fun places to congregate.
In turn, he uses local products like
Broadway Kettle Corn and apples from
Saratoga Apples in his shops.
The frozen yogurts that Plum Dandy
sells in the Broadway location (and soonto-open locations at Ellsworth Commons in
Malta and in Troy) are available in both tart
and sweeter varieties. Plum Dandy Frozen
Yogurt shops provide customers with opportunities to make their own frozen yogurt
sundaes with a variety of toppings including
fresh fruit, nut, and granola options.
There are seasonal variations in the
variety of yogurt flavors offered, including
current offerings of pumpkin, cinnamon
roll, and snickerdoodle. The holiday season
will bring a peppermint-flavored option.
Some interior design updates will be
implemented at the Broadway location in
January.
The website address for Plum Dandy Cookies & Milk is plumdandycookiesandmilk.
com. The phone number is 583-7588. Plum
Dandy Frozen Yogurt can be found online at
plumdandyyogurt.com. The phone number
is 871-1525.
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 15
•
My Turn
•
Archaic Scaffold Law Hurts NYS
By Annemarie Mitchell
There has been a lot of buzz lately about the
New York state Scaffold Law. It is an archaic law
on the books that predates workers compensation,
liability insurance and OSHA, and its intent was to
protect workers from unsafe working conditions
while building high rises.
Many other states also had similar laws in place
back then, however New York is the only state that
still has the law on the books. There is no dispute
from anyone that employees should be provided
with a safe work environment and that every precaution be taken to ensure the safety and health
of the employee. It is also agreed that should an
accident happen, and an employee is injured on
the job that they be provided with medical attention and compensation for their injury.
Workers Compensation and OSHA are now
there for those very reasons. The trouble with
the Scaffold Law is that it holds the contractor
and property owner 100 percent liable. It does
not matter if the plaintive is intoxicated, ignoring safety rules or equipment, or even breaking
the law when the injury occurred. According to
the Court of Appeals, the Scaffold Law “imposes
liability even on contractors and [property] owners who had nothing to do with the plaintiff’s accident.” This affects every tax payer and property
owner in New York state.
Because the law allows virtually no defense, it
has become one of the most frequent sources of
litigation in the state of New York. Sixteen of the
top 30 publicly disclosed lawsuit settlements in
New York in 2012 were due to the Scaffold Law. Of
those cases, fully 25 percent of those were against
public entities, including the largest Scaffold Law
lawsuit of 2012, which was against a school.
In addition to the cost of your tax dollars on
massive legal settlements, the Scaffold Law raises
the cost of insurance for our public entities – insurance that you as a taxpayer pay for. The School
Construction Authority of New York estimates that
this law costs them $75 million annually – enough
to build two or three new schools every year, or
repair 75 schools, or hire a thousand teachers.
The Scaffold Law also imposes outrageous and
unnecessary costs on our public infrastructure. It
is estimated that the Scaffold Law will add at least
$100 million to the cost of the Tappan Zee Bridge
reconstruction alone, and the cost to public infrastructure statewide is likely near $1 billion a
year. Think about what else we could do with an
additional billion dollars annually. Think about
the all the roads and bridges we could rebuild.
Annemarie Mitchell, CEO and president
of Legacy Timber Frames Inc.
Courtesy Legacy Timber Frames Inc.
Think about all the jobs that we would add to
our economy with a billion dollars in additional
infrastructure investment.
Not only does this increase the cost to the public,
it also increases the cost to small businesses like
mine. Because of the absolute liability imposed by
the Scaffold Law, general liability insurance for a
contracting company like mine can be ten times
higher than it would be in any other state. And
those costs are shared by everybody. The money I
spend on insurance, is money that cannot be spent
on jobs and investment into my business. Liability
insurance premiums are based on payroll, not a
flat fee like auto insurance, so it also affects what
we can pay our employees; any raise we give an
employee costs us more for insurance.
And that is if I can get insurance at all. Despite
a strong safety record, only a handful of insurers
will write construction insurance in New York.
Most of the national carriers have left the market,
leaving only a handful of carriers who are forced to
charge unbelievable premiums to cover the costs
of a potential lawsuit.
And that’s one of the major problems with the
Scaffold Law. Since it is an absolute liability standard, a company’s safety record is irrelevant, the
actions (or even intoxication) of the plaintiff are
irrelevant, training programs are irrelevant. None
of that is admissible. Essentially, the only thing
the court does is decide how much you will pay.
You may be asking yourself why this law still
exists, and who would defend a law that costs so
much and does so little. Well, the personal injury
trial lawyers love the Scaffold Law. They collect
millions in contingency fees while having to do
little to no work proving their case. And the trial
lawyers plow much of their Scaffold Law profits
back into the coffers of Albany politicians.
And many of the politicians themselves work
for law firms who make millions on Scaffold Law
cases. Google “Scaffold Law” and the first law firm
to come up in the search is the firm that employs
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Over the years,
despite several bills, multiple editorials and a massive public outcry, Silver has never once brought
Scaffold Law reform to a vote in the Assembly.
Despite the political obstacles, we believe that
we can pass sensible reform to New York’s most
broken law. The business community has joined
with mayors, school boards, affordable housing
advocates, taxpayer groups, minority and women
owned business coalitions to call on the governor
and Legislature to reform this law.
This law is costing everybody and only benefiting one group: the New York State Trial Lawyers.
We cannot let this powerful special interest
continue to harm our businesses, municipalities
and schools.
The Scaffold Law is one of the greatest symbols
of New York’s unfriendliness to business. If Gov.
Cuomo is serious about making our state “open
for business” he needs to shut down the Scaffold
Law once and for all.
Annemarie Mitchell is CEO and president
of Legacy Timber Frames Inc. and vice president Capital Region Builders and Remodelers
Association.
16 • Saratoga BUSINESS JoUrNaL • octoBEr 2013
core and cardio training are Featured Master’s Degree In Nursing Education Is
In Workout Sessions at rock Your Fitness offered online By Empire State college
rock Your Fitness LLC, a company offering
total body workouts for men and women of
all ages and fitness levels, recently opened
in Malta.
Founded by certified personal trainer Becky
weyrauch, rock Your Fitness provides both
group and individual classes featuring a combination of core and cardio training.
Training sessions are held in the morning
at the Saratoga-wilton Soccer Club (formerly
Charbonneau indoor soccer facility) on route
9 in Malta, next to Tree Paad.
“rock Your Fitness is an ideal opportunity
for participants to experience a variety of motivating workouts in a safe, fun and inspiring
atmosphere,” said weyrauch, a Clifton Park
resident who has taught challenging and motivating fitness classes for more than 10 years.
“I’m excited to help my clients achieve their
fitness goals using my philosophy on exercise
and healthy living. My approach promotes a
healthy lifestyle balancing family, work and
exercise while having fun and enjoying life,”
she said.
workouts include the use of TrX Trainers,
free weights, battling ropes, medicine balls and
Becky Weyrauch, right, trains one of her
clients at Rock Your Fitness in Malta.
Courtesy rock Your Fitness
kettle bells, which challenge the entire body in
every plane of motion, she said.
Visit the rock Your Fitness Facebook page
for available workout times (www.facebook.
com/rockYourFitnessLLC). For additional
information, contact weyrauch at 522-9765
orbeckyrock@nycap.rr.com.
Paint & Sip
Continued From Page 11
directly with each other anymore and she
hopes her studio helps to bring back some
of the human contact that is missing.
Hover has an educational background
in fashion design and said her business
sense comes from her father who is also an
entrepreneur. She and her husband fell in
love with Saratoga and when they moved
to the area in 2012. Hover wanted to find a
creative outlet.
“These studios are popping up all over
the country,” said Hover, “ and when we realized that Saratoga didn’t have one, it was
my ‘ah-hah’ moment, that the area would
be the perfect fit for this type of venture.”
Hover likes to encourage creativity in
others. Many of Saratoga Paint & Sip’s
guests, which include young and older,
men and women – even some bachelorette
parties – haven’t painted since their grade
school years.
“Some people come in without much
confidence in their artistic abilities and I
like being able to open their eyes and show
them they can create something they can
be proud of.”
It’s Hover’s philosophy that patrons, and
the artists she employs, treat the studio like
it’s their own.
“I want people to be able to relax and have
a fun atmosphere to create in. I think that
the concept fits really well with the Saratoga
community and its visitors,” says Hover.
Patrons can view the painting schedule
via an online calendar that features subjects like “Saratoga Vases,” “New York Starry
Night,” and even a “Paint Your Pet” event.
These two-hour sessions sell out quickly
and can also be booked for private parties.
a different artist guides each class.
Hover would like to keep expanding
Saratoga Paint & Sip Studio in the Northeast, perhaps as far into Vermont.
“we’ve made Saratoga our home now.
we love the area and plan to continue to
invest in our community and in the region,”
said Hover.
Visit saratogapaintandsip.com to sign
up for a session at the Saratoga or Latham
studios.
• Small businesses have new options through the NY Exchange
• Make informed decisions when purchasing Health Insurance
• Local and honest support coordinating your benefits
• Affordable Care Act compliance
• Turning 65? Senior health plan information
• Call EBC to schedule a complementary consultation
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Brandon Ture
ebcweb.com | 494 Maple Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 | 518-587-5252
Employee Benefits Center, LLC is a full service insurance brokerage firm.
empire State College’s School of Nursing has announced a new online master
of science in nursing education, with the
first cohort of students expected to start
in January.
research has demonstrated the positive
correlation among higher levels of education obtained by nurses and improved
outcomes for patients, college officials said.
“Better-educated nurses have everything to
do with healthier people,” said Bridget Nettleton, dean of the college’s School of Nursing.
The online M.S. in nursing education was
developed for nurse educators, whether
they are faculty at colleges and universities,
or nurse educators working in hospitals or
other health care centers.
“This program will give working nurses
the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree
in a flexible, online format that will allow
them to maintain their careers and other
life commitments at the same time. Further,
empire State College’s online master’s
nursing program will increase capacity
for nursing education, something that is
urgently needed,” said Nettleton.
according to the american association of
Colleges of Nursing, nursing schools turned
away more than 75,000 qualified applicants
from bachelor’s and graduate nursing programs in 2011 alone, due to insufficient
faculty, clinical sites, classroom space,
clinical preceptors and budget constraints.
a shortage of nurse faculty is cited as an
especially pressing need by nursing schools
reporting to the aaCN.
The program received grant funding of
$276,000 to train students in high-need
career fields throughout New York state.
Distributed for the next three years, the
funds will be used to accelerate online
course development for the program.
The empire State College School of
Nursing, which enrolled its first class of
students in the fall of 2008, was established
to address the shortage of baccalaureateprepared nurses and nurse educators in
the state.
Designed for early to mid-career nurses
who want to advance their education and
careers as leaders in health care organizations and community health settings, the
undergraduate program today enrolls more
than 1,000 students.
SuNY empire State College was established in 1971 to offer adult learners the
opportunity to earn associate, bachelor’s
and master’s degrees from the State university of New York.
In addition to awarding credit for prior
college-level learning, the college pairs
each student with a faculty mentor who
supports that student throughout his or her
college career. Students engage in guided
independent study and course work on
site, online or a combination of both, which
provides the flexibility for students to learn
at the time, place and pace they choose.
Officials said the college serves more
than 20,000 students worldwide at more
than 35 locations in New York state and
online. Its 70,000 alumni are active in their
communities as entrepreneurs, politicians,
business professionals, artists, nonprofit
agency employees, teachers, veterans and
active military, union members and more.
Spa cascada
Continued From Page 11
ourselves as a team to treat everyone as an
individual – every time,” she said.
In addition to skin care treatments like
facials and laser therapy, Spa Cascada offers treatments in massage and body wraps
to help rejuvenate the entire body.
There are so many spas around the world
and clients can choose the kind of experience they want to have. “I really want my
clients to feel removed from reality when
they enter the spa,” said Snider.
To promote this goal of transformation,
Snider and her skilled therapists work to
maintain a tranquil feeling throughout a
client’s visit.
“we strive to provide a calming experience combined with trained, professional
treatments.” It’s this synergy and friendliness of her staff that Snider said has helped
her to build a loyal customer base.
“we feel so honored and fortunate to
build our clientele through word-of-mouth
and positive referrals,” she said.
Spa Cascada expanded in November of
2010 to include a boutique salon, located
downstairs from the spa. This shop offers
a “makeup and lash bar” and consultations
with an on-site makeup artist for clients
who are want to try out a quality make-up
or learn a new technique to complete a
special look.
Snider has enjoyed watching the spa
grow and is excited about future plans.
In October, Spa Cascada will begin to
host monthly ladies’ nights where guests
can sample a 30-minute treatment while
enjoying wine and cheese and a night out
with friends.
Or, clients can learn more about reducing
sun damage and overall skin rejuvenation
at Spa Cascada’s monthly seminars and
experience complimentary 30-minute treatments like the popular oxygen treatment – a
natural way to rebuild skin from the inside.
Spa Cascada and Boutique is open Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, or
to book an appointment, visit cascadasalonandspa.com.
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 17
drb Business Interiors
Continued From Page 8
project with the design team. After a detailed
information session, the client will see a
virtual image of the space they are maneuvering. drb uses state-of-the-art computer aided
design (CAD) system coupled with the most
current software to show a client the space
from ceiling to floor, and the colors and textures 360 degrees, before any procuring the
actual interiors.
“Every job is different,” he said. “We
spend a tremendous amount of time in the
design phase to make sure we understand
their needs. It’s got to be right the first
time. The measurements, renderings of the
space, color, layout to procuring furniture
and installation are all part of our services.”
“If a client needs a particular kind of seat,
for a hospital lobby, for example, that needs
to be cleaned with bleach, but they want it to
look good and be comfortable and durable, we
can make it happen,” Rogers-Bullis said. “If
someone wants a contemporary look, a classic
feel or a high-tech slant, we do that, too. We recently designed an office for an organic farmer
in Argyle. He had limited space. We maximized
it and make it work well to suit his needs.”
Many local businesses and organizations
like the Saratoga Public Library, Saratoga
Hospital, Adirondack Trust Bank, SUNY
Plattsburgh and AIM Services, have turned
to drb to coordinate space as they build, grow
or expand.
drb also works within the confines of manufacturing spaces.
“We have one client that needs production
space reconfigured frequently depending on
the month. We have all of their floor space
data on our server, and on a back up server,
so at different times during the year so we
can reconfigure the space accommodate
their needs,” Bullis said. “To make this happen seamlessly, we offer them space in our
warehouse in Malta to store several units
until they need them back again in the
production line.”
If drb’s half-year business results are any
indication, he anticipates increasing the staff
by one and capitalizing on future growth opportunities in Saratoga County, the Capital
District, Tech Valley and Upstate New York.
drb Business Interiors is a New
York Women Business Enterprise. For
more information call 306-5233 or visit
www.drbbusinessinteriors.com.
Embassy Suites
Continued From Page 1
from DCG, Bast Hatfield and Hilton Worldwide
took the time to launch a formal groundbreaking ceremony, attended by local officials and
dignitaries.
Karen Whitman, director of development,
Hilton Worldwide, said the end result “promises
to be Saratoga Springs’ best hotel,” noting that
DCG “has proven to be an exemplary franchisee
for Hilton.”
She said “during the week, it’s a business
hotel ... but on weekends it’s really a different
environment because families love us.”
MacElroy said the city has been very cooperative with the project, and while there are
a few issues still being worked out with the
city’s Design Review Commission, DCG plans
a “very aggressive schedule” to get the project
completed.
Dennis Brobston, president of the Saratoga
Economic Development Corp., said the hotel
project “shows the dynamic growth still available to Saratoga Springs and the county.”
He said having an investment of this size
within the city is key to continuing economic
development successes. “Money does move the
engine of business,” he said. “We expect to see
more of that (investment) because of things
like this (the new hotel).”
Mayor Scott Johnson said the hotel was
emblematic of the continued economic growth
“that continues to build on what Saratoga is and
will become in the future.”
Such projects expand the tax base, make it
more affordable for residents and businesses in
the city, which is “key to our economic future,”
the mayor said.
Frost Hurff Architects in Saratoga Springs,
working with The LA Group, designed the hotel.
Women Heading Up Local Agencies
Continued From Page 12
three entities, Cushing noted, and every few
months, the directors of those organizations,
and others, meet. They discuss topics like
salaries and benefits, resources they may be
able to share, where to get the least expensive
routine supplies — all the nuts and bolts of
operating a not-for-profit social service agency.
The groups will next meet at Captain’s Youth
Shelter in Malta, a facility operated by Captain
Youth and Family Services in Clifton Park.
They will tour the facility and catch up on one
another’s activities, said Celeste.
Invitations have gone out to Saratoga Center
for the Family, the Domestic Violence and Rape
Crisis Center in Saratoga Springs, Shelters of
Saratoga, and EOC, but, Celeste emphasized, it
is not an exclusive group. The more organization that get involved, the better.
Rebuilding Together is about to celebrate its
10th anniversary with a party at the Saratoga
Polo Club on Oct. 10, called “10 on 10/10,” Larkin pointed out. Proceeds from the celebration
will be used to purchase building supplies. The
organization expects to complete 100 projects
this year.
“Our goal is to help people in their homes
and to keep them warm, safe and dry,” she said.
The Community Center attempts to provide
such basic services as food, housing, household
goods, counseling and after school child care.
Rebuilding Together is located in Gansevoort
and can be reached at 587-3315. The Saratoga
Adult and Senior Center in Saratoga Springs
can be contacted at 584-1621. Franklin Community Center in Saratoga Springs can be
reached at 587-9826.
•
Available Residential
Real Estate Properties
We’d like to promote your residential property. Call us, 581-0600.
•
120 Meadowbrook Road, Saratoga Springs - Jim Collins of Roohan Realty is the
listing agent for this vacant land listing. A rare find in the city of Saratoga Springs
with Saratoga Lake access, the property has been subdivided into two building lots of
approximately 2 acres each. Located in a lightly populated, private
area of fine homes, the lots offer Saratoga Lake access; electric, gas
and water available at the road and the survey as well. They may
be purchased individually for $290,000 each or both for $580,000.
Please call Jim at 320.4631 for more
information.
587.4500
RoohanRealty.com
18 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Business Registrations
REGIONAL STOCKWATCH
Stock Name
Closing Price
8/30/13
Closing Price Closing Price Closing Price
9/6/13
9/13/13
9/20/13
Albany Int’l
32.27
32.76
33.41
35.91
Arrow
25.39
25.63
26.32
25.77
AT & T
33.83
33.41
34.32
34.31
Ball
44.42
44.40
44.46
45.79
Ballston Spa
National Bank
35.51
35.51
35.51
35.00
Bank of America
14.12
14.36
14.49
14.44
Barnes & Noble
13.67
13.48
13.51
13.20
Best Buy
36.00
37.02
38.28
38.30
Crystal Rock
Holdings, Inc
0.86
0.85
0.88
0.90
Espey
28.36
27.65
28.00
28.48
First Niagara Financial 10.10
10.07
10.33
9.91
GAP Inc.
40.44
40.39
41.64
41.55
General Electric
23.14
23.16
23.78
24.01
Home Depot
74.10
72.70
75.11
77.00
HSBC
52.42
55.32
55.89
55.14
IBM
182.27
183.03
192.17
190.02
Int’l Paper
47.21
47.86
48.67
47.79
Key Corp
11.67
11.90
11.97
11.57
Lockheed Martin
122.42
123.73
127.25
128.00
Lowe’s
45.82
45.60
46.86
47.84
M&T Bank
113.34
114.98
111.93
111.53
McDonald’s
94.36
96.26
97.35
96.90
National Grid
57.56
57.79
58.47
60.38
NBT Bancorp Inc.
21.42
21.55
22.03
22.59
Panera Bread
164.02
165.25
166.98
168.43
Plug Power
0.53
0.68
0.56
0.57
Quad Graphics
31.34
30.34
31.09
30.40
Staples
13.91
14.07
14.43
14.81
Starbucks
70.52
71.57
75.57
76.12
Sysco
32.02
32.04
32.88
32.57
Target
63.31
63.29
63.76
64.55
Time Warner
60.53
61.45
62.56
64.30
Trans World
4.53
4.65
4.66
4.39
Trustco Bank
5.84
5.83
6.09
6.08
Verizon
47.38
46.34
47.76
47.78
Walmart
72.98
72.59
74.36
75.83
This list of quotations is provided through the courtesy of Robert M. Schermerhorn, CFP,
Saratoga Financial Services, Securities offered through LPL Financial / Member: FINRA
and SIPC, with offices in Saratoga Springs, NY.
•
Cutting Edge Lawn Service
Liam Campbell
48 Dorsman Drive
Clifton Park 12065
Simply Creative By Sarah Ann
Charlene Smith, Sarah Grogan
3 Freight House Road
Corinth 12822
Ray Blair Plumbing, Heating
and Air Conditioning
Ray Blair
6 Prospect St.
South Glens Falls 12803
Saratoga Wig Boutique
Mary Wright, Ruby Grande
28 South Greenfield Road
Greenfield Center 12833
Gary Sales and Service
Gary Latham
230 West Ave., PO Box 585
Saratoga Springs 12866
Hunter Delivery Service
Christopher Hunter
5 Quevic Drive
Saratoga Springs 12866
Deer Spring Farm Landscaping
And Goat Sales
Kenneth Mackie
541 Route 29 , Ballston Spa 12020
Lunch Box
Susan Stanley
864 Route 9
Wilton 12831
Wags and Wiggles Pet Care
Victoria Vicanti
48 Sonat Road
Clifton Park 12065
Pennie Lane
Michele Roth
608 Cindy Lane
Ballston Spa 12020
Cupcaits Cupcakes
Caitlyn Penree, Nicholas Penree
502 Killkenny Court
Malta 12020
Ammas Closet Exchange
Sharon Feldman, Arlene DeFabio
1602 Route 9
Clifton Park 12065
Luxury Taxi
Shahed Hussain
776 Saratoga Road
Gansevoort 12831
J and D Percherons
Denise Ferguson
307 Tennantville Road
Edinburg 12134
Ballston Lake Equestrian Center
Nina Mumby
428 Schuaber Road
Ballston Lake 12019
ZARS
Zachary Mumpf
6406 Route 9N
Hadley 12835
Murdock Home Solutions
Michael Cook
321 Pyramid Pines
Saratoga Springs 12866
Things I Like
Linda Shudt
51 Ella Drive
Fort Edward 12828
I Got U
Walter Boldish
122 Lake Road
Ballston Lake 12020
Harper and Henry
Nicole Russell
16 Meadowbrook Court
Ballston Spa 12020
Zita M. Ryan Real Estate
Zita Ryan
159 Woodlawn Ave.
Saratoga Springs 12866
ADK Arts Boutique
Joseph Turon
Patti Turon
41 Lewis St.
Ballston Spa 12020
JMG Sales and Service
Jeffrey Gould
5955 Greens Corner Road
Galway 12074
AND Architecture and Design
David D’Amore
121 High Rock Ave.
Saratoga Springs 12866
JDC Dance Center
Christina Pastore
404 Geyser Road
Ballston Spa 12020
Jitterbug Day Care
Amy Hill
5831 Sacandaga Road, Suite D
Galway 12074
•
Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 19
Utility of Knowledge Consulting
Gillian Daly Liebowitz
104 Homestead Road
Saratoga Springs 12866
Burridge Consulting
Jared Burridge
6 Brenden Court
Clifton Park 12065
V and S Property Services
Shawn Smith
27E Sue Lane
Clifton Park 12065
Dragonfly Inspirations
Holistic Healing
Kathleen Caldwell
58 Clifton Country Road, Suite 103
Clifton Park 12065
Tom Rudary and Associates
Thomas Rudary
37 Loon Way
Saratoga Springs 12866
Weed Antiques and
Vintage Collectibles
Samuel Weed Jones
11B Lake Desolation Road
Middle Grove 12850
Momentum
Avon Scherff
15 Kadnorida Drive
Gansevoort 12831
Jimmy’s Drywall
James Irvine
145 Maple Ave.
Ballston Spa 12020
The Farm House
Timothy Minholz
78 Beekman St.
Saratoga Springs 12866
Mowz Art
Mark Guarnieri
69 Hyde St.
Saratoga Springs 12866
Nu-Clean
Amanda Rodriguez
155 Eastwood Drive, Apt. C
Clifton Park 12065
Your Advocate
Suzanne Marshall
50 Tyler Drive
Saratoga Springs 12866
Mo’ Tile & Masonry
Michael O’Connor
857 Rock City Road
Ballston Spa 12020
Blake’s Landscape and Design
Robert Blake Jr.
414 Broadway
Mechanicville 12118
Saratoga Radiance
Michele Morehouse
434 Church St.
Saratoga Springs 12866
Coach’s Creations
Paul Hollenbeck
22 Hudson Falls Road
South Glens Falls 12803
JMC Fit
Jyllian Carota
311 Vischer Ferry Road
Clifton Park 12065
Head To Toe Salon
Sarah Hanna
73 Main St.
South Glens Falls 12803
JLS Group
Kenneth Rechnitzer
199 Cary Road
Mechanicville 12118
Tru Blue Home Inspection
Mark Colbath
107 Comstock Road
Greenfield Center 12833
Capital Region Travelling Yoga
Tracy Pearce
8B Woodcliffe Drive
Clifton Park 12065
Diamond Improvements
Michael Reese
503 Middle Grove Road
Middle Grove 12850
North Park Tae Kwon Do
Adam Barrett
1 Barney Road, Suite 126
Clifton Park 12065
ATD Painting
Margaret Caruso
1 Hemphill Place, Suite 103
Malta 12020
Lisa Millis Total Wellness
Lisa Millis
2 Marion Ave.
Saratoga Springs 12866
Lucia Technologies
Erin Bandaru
128 North Sixth Ave.
Mechanicville 12118
FMJ
Michael Famoso
6 Brittany Terrace
Gansevoort 12831
Rocco Levo Consulting
Rocco Levo
224 South Greenfield Road
Greenfield Center 12833
Breweries Growing In The Region
Continued From Page 13
miles between these local establishments.
“At Olde Saratoga Brew, we did structural
work and expanded their space on Excelsior
Avenue,” Mike said. “It’s fun to be involved
with projects that once they are completed
people enjoy so much.”
With a local staff, including six full-time
brewers, the Olde Saratoga Brewing Co.
is the fourth largest brewery in New York
state. The brewery is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mendocino Brewing Co. in Ukiah, Calif. The local operation now brews, bottles
and kegs five famous all-malt craft-brewed
Mendocino lager and ales for the entire
East Coast, as well as Kingfisher Premium
Lager, Saratoga Lager and Saratoga IPA.
Pure cane Olde Saratoga Root Beer is also
bottled here.
“Then,” John Munter said, “in the spring
of 2012 we started a construction project
at Druthers on Broadway in Saratoga, starting on a vacant lot. We worked with 6,000
square feet from the ground up in three and
a half months.”
For Chris Martell it was a life-long dream
to own a brew pub. Public finance lawyer,
turned craft-beer-brewing entrepreneur,
Martell worked hard to generate the financing and convince his investors, including
his parents and neighbors to take a chance
on a few home brewers who never owned a
brew pub, but were daring to dream. They
did and the Druthers doors were opened in
August 2012.
This spring, the Munters worked at refurbished an existing building for Shmaltz
Brewery.
“We did some under-slab work, piping
and fit-up work for the mechanical rooms,
among other projects,” John said.
Shmaltz, after brewing for 16 years
in northern California and in Saratoga,
purchased property and a building to be
refurbished on Fairchild Square in Clifton
Park. The $3.25-million project touts a
50-barrel brewhouse, a custom-made, fivevessel manual workhouse brewhouse, as
well as eight fermentation and two bright
beer tanks manufactured in the U.S. from
Oregon’s JV Northwest, and a 120-bottleper-minute packaging line from Italian
experts at SBC/BC International.
Shmaltz Proprietor Jeremy Cowan projected hiring upward of 10 full-time staff for
the new operation, in addition to the dozen
staffers currently handling sales, marketing
and contract brewing operations. The space
also houses a tasting room and about 800
square feet of office space.
“We are attending the Great American
Beer Festival in Denver soon,” Cowan said.
“Our sales reps will be there to promote the
brewery and the diverse products we offer.
We have a niche market and a unique business model with our He’brew – The Chosen
Beer, and Coney Island Craft Lagers,” he
said. “Our product is sought out from coast
to coast in the U.S.”
“When we opened here in Clifton Park we
new we were on a new adventure – somewhere between terrified and motivated,”
he said.
Breaking tradition they opened their own
production house. “It was a perfect time
to take over and create the exact product
we want for the future,” Cowan said. “This
business venture was a big step and a huge
risk – a good combination for us.”
“Our staff is now getting more comfortable with the new equipment and processes.
Yesterday was our best bottling day yet,”
he noted.
Cowan said praised the Munters for their
flexibility during the process. “Originally
we were supposed to build near Wilton,
but the landlord pulled the lease out and
miraculously in 14 months we pulled off the
move and opened here,” he said. “Mike and
John with us every step of the way.”
Next on tap next for Munter Enterprises
is refurbishing a former cinema and indoor
sports center on Route 9 in Queensbury for
Davidson Brewery. Co-owner Rick Davidson
said the $4.5 million project will include a
50-barrel brew house with packaging and
kegging lines, a visitor tour center, tasting
room and company store. It will include a
three-bay loading dock and silo for grain.
The brewery will initially employ six to 12
people.
Mike Munter said several sub-contractors will be hired for the Davidson’s project,
but the exact number is not yet determined.
The design, custom fabrication and installation of the brewery’s Peter Austin Brick
Kettle British brew system will be overseen
by internationally acclaimed master brewer
Alan Pugley, originally of England’s famous
Ringwood Brewery and co-founder of Shipyard Brewing, Portland, Me.
Davidson Brothers plans to be brewing
beer and soda by the spring.
Washington County
New Business Registrations
SEPTEMBER
Roof Masters
260 Broadway
Fort Edward NY 12828
P.J.S. Enterprise
112 DeKalb Rd.
Granville NY 12832
VRI Productions
191 Whitney Rd.
Fort Ann NY 12837
Matthew Collier
52 McCrea St.
Fort Edward NY 12828
Adirondack Auto
468 Lick Spring Rd.
Greenwich NY 12834
Adirondack Paint
34 Main St.
Granville NY 12832
A Taste of Home
192 Broadway
Fort Edward NY 12828
United Ecosystems
19 Wright St.
Hudson Falls NY 12839
T&T Fitness
16 Juckett Drive
Hudson Falls NY 12839
518 Reefs
19 Wright St.
Hudson Falls NY 12839
Philip Wilson
316 Vaughn Rd.
Hudson Falls NY 12839
Willowood Acres Training
378 Town Line Rd.
Fort Edward NY 12839
20 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
Personnel Briefs
Halstead Named CEO
Of NY Fed Credit Union
The board of directors of First New York
Federal Credit Union, which has an office at 424
Maple Ave., Saratoga Springs, appointed Lucy
Gottung Halstead to the position of president
and CEO.
Halstead is a former vice president of marketing and branch administration for Ballston
Spa National Bank.
Halstead previously held the position of
senior vice president/chief operating officer
at First New York FCU.
The credit union Board of Directors said it
is confident that the credit union has a great
future ahead of it with her leadership.
In her previous position at the credit union,
she played an important leadership role providing strategic management and vision for the
credit union. During her tenure at First New
York, Halstead has been instrumental in supervising branch operations and the management
team and continuously upgrading technological banking opportunities for the membership.
She has also been on the forefront of overseeing
business development and marketing strategies for the credit union, officials said.
Halstead holds a bachelor of arts degree in
public communications from the College of
Saint Rose and is also a graduate of the Stonier
Graduate School of Banking.
First New York Federal Credit Union has
been in business for 76 years, offering all of
the traditional financial products such as mort-
Continued From Page 2
Lucy Gottung Halstead, new CEO for
First New York Federal Credit Union.
Courtesy First New York Federal Credit Union
gages, home equity and auto loans, checking
and savings accounts, share certificates, money
market accounts, education loans, commercial
banking and investments.
First New York FCU is a non-profit financial cooperative which serves more than
29,000 members, with assets totaling approximately $260 million. The credit union was
originally founded in 1937 as Schenectady
Teachers Federal Credit Union, and now
has seven full service branch locations and
operates five in-school branch offices, run by
student volunteers inside the Duanesburg,
Albany, Schenectady, Mohonasen, and Schoharie high schools.
mergers, acquisitions,
sales, and recapitalizations; and business
succession matters. He
represents business
owners, entrepreneurs,
executives, and highnet-worth individuals
on tax and estate planning matters.
He counsels individual and corporate fiduciaries on trust and estate administration
matters, with a particular focus on complex tax
compliance and contested fiduciary accounting
proceedings. In addition to his law practice, Collura is a lecturer and coordinator of the master’s
in taxation program at the University at Albany.
*
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Saratoga Strategic Partners LLC announced
that several associates are now able to offer
products and services through the companies
of National Life Group. Through this relationship, they will be able to provide clients with
access to financial services and products
including insurance, annuities, investment
services and retirement plan services.
The following agents have joined this
network of professionals: Abby Benton,
Billie Boucher, Christopher Koetzle,
Petros Papanicolaou and Michael Ryan.
Card Catalog
*
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Sophia Anna Monsour, D.O., psychiatry, and Sarah Fox, D.D.S., dentistry,
have joined Saratoga
Hospital’s Community
Health Center, located
at 24 Hamilton St. in
Saratoga Springs.
Dr. Monsour received her medical degree from Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic
Medicine and completed a residency and internship at Albany
Medical Center.
Dr. Fox received her dental degree from
University Maryland
Dental School in Baltimore, Md., and completed a residency at
Albany Stratton VA
Medical Center.
The center provides high-quality,
affordable primary
care with comple mentary medical and social services to
any individual who needs it, regardless of
ability to pay.
*
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Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013 • 21
Continuum Wealth Advisors LLC announced
the addition of Stephen R. Markovits, JD, as senior vice
president responsible
for advanced tax and
retirement planning.
Markovits works with
clients to find effective
solutions to the tax issues related to their
business, professional
practice, or to their personal retirement plans.
With his experience as a practicing tax attorney, Markovits has handled tax matters such as
family partnerships, corporate reorganizations,
charitable trusts, family foundations, and IRS
audits. His speciality is in estate and retirement
planning, especially in respect to tax-efficient
strategies involving qualified plans, as well as
the use of life insurance in estate planning.
In addition, he has worked extensively with
business owners and professionals—particularly physicians—in the area of asset protection, helping to properly and legally position
client assets beyond the reach of creditors.
*
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Fingerpaint Marketing hired Allison
Gubala to its account service team.
Gubala has 16 years of expertise guiding
companies through branding and integrated
marketing initiatives.
Prior to joining Fingerpaint, she served
on the account service
team at Palio+Ignite,
where she developed
US and global marketing plans, budgets and
multichannel marketing tactics for direct-toprofessional and direct-to-patient promotions.
She also had a career in retail marketing as
marketing director for Macy’s, Inc., where she
directed national marketing efforts, in several
marketing and commercial analytic roles for
both Macy’s and Lord & Taylor.
*
*
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Bollam, Sheedy, Torani, & Co LLP (BST)
recently announced five new hires.
Kimberly Russ joins the as a senior tax
associate. She most recently worked for the
Ayco Corp., and is an IRS enrolled agent. She
has her master’s in taxation from SUNY Albany.
Russ will serve BST’s Albany and New York
City offices.
Maria Venetz joins the firm as a bookkeeper in the Client Accounting Services
department. She is a certified QuickBooks
ProAdvisor instructor, and previously held
positions as a bookkeeper and office manager.
Venetz earned her associate’s degree from
Bryant and Stratton College and is working
towards her bachelor’s degree.
Jack Dwyer, CPA, joins as tax manager.
He previously served as a tax manager with
UHY and Pricewaterhouse Coopers. He will
serve commercial businesses, real estate and
not-for-profit organizations. Dwyer earned his
bachelor’s degree from Siena College.
Nia Forshee, CPA, joins the firm as a senior associate in the Accounting and Auditing
department. She was previously employed with
a Rochester-based CPA firm, and earned her
bachelor’s degree from the University of Buf-
falo. She will serve manufacturing, construction, and real estate organizations.
Scott Loesch joins the firm as an analyst
in the Valuation, Forensic and Litigation Support department. He graduated in May from
SUNY Albany with a master’s degree in forensic
accounting.
*
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*
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Saratoga Hospital recently welcomed Dr.
Richard Bryan to the Center for Rheumatology.
Bryan received his medical degree from
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He completed a fellowship in rheumatology and a residency in internal medicine
at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Connecticut.
Bryan is board certified in rheumatology
and internal medicine. He will be in practice
at 6 Care Lane, Saratoga Springs.
*
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•
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Daniel D. Tompkins recently accepted
the position of director of sales at Alliance
Worldwide Investigative Group Inc. (AWIG).
Tompkins, an experienced licensed insurance
adjuster, is the previous
owner of a property/casualty adjusting firm that
was acquired by Alliance
at the end of 2012. For
14 years, he served as
president of Streamline
Adjusting Co. Inc. which
now operates as Streamline Claims Service, Inc.
under the Alliance umbrella of services.
Tompkins will be responsible for overseeing
all sales operations of AWIG’s investigative and
legal support services. These include employment background investigations; workers’
compensation/insurance fraud investigations;
process service/legal support; and property/
casualty claims service. He will also identify
opportunities to present services to HR executives, risk managers, attorneys and business
owners as well as build and strengthen new
and existing business relationships.
He earned his bachelor of arts degree in
public justice and forensic science from SUNY
Oswego. Prior to launching his own claims
adjusting company, he worked as a claims examiner for Donald J. Fager and Associates and
as a public adjuster at Adjuster’s International/
Basloe, Levin & Cuccaro.
Alliance Worldwide Investigative Group
is a licensed, bonded and insured corporate
investigative service firm with offices located
in Clifton Park.
Business Briefs
Continued From Page 6
Ringwood Has A Passion For Cooking
By Lisa Balschunat
Lake Ridge Restaurant chef and co-owner
Scott Ringwood grew up with a mom who was
a good cook with a big garden. He lived near
neighbors who raised a pig and a veal calf. He
originally planned to be an auto mechanic, but
got bitten by the restaurant bug when he was
hired as a dishwasher at age 15.
In his leisure time, he drag races alcohol
fueled corvette funny cars, driving them over
200 miles per hour.
Ringwood, known for his exceptional soups
and sauces, is completely self taught. He graduate from high school at 17 and worked at Two
Chefs on Route 9, first prepping the salad bar,
then he worked on the line for three years,
learning all he could about the kitchen.
He worked at Smith’s Restaurant, Cohoes,
for several years. All the while, Ringwood
poured over cookbooks and started experimenting on the stove top.
When he was 20, Ringwood was made chef
at Two Chefs. “I was really too young, but I took
it,” he said. “Who wouldn’t?”
He worked diligently as head chef for four
years, then, in 1986, opened his own restaurant
in Mechanicville, the Magic Skillet. It was open
for three and a half years.
“We experienced many growing pains back
then. We had three business owners. We were
working 100 hours a week, making peanuts.
We lost about $60,000, refinanced our houses,
then picked ourselves up and moved forward,”
he said.
Ringwood also worked as a sous chef at the
Steuben Club in Albany, prepped for countless
banquets and holiday parties. He also did a short
stint at the Old Dater Tavern in Clifton Park.
Since 1990, Ringwood has received several
awards for his culinary expertise, but shies
away from discussing them. “The awards meant
something years ago. Now I simply enjoy what
I do and who I work with.”
“I do make great sauces with unique flavor
profiles, and I like to make salsas and vinaigrettes,” he said. “Anyone can cook a fillet, fish
or steak, but secret is in the sauce.”
The chef said there are more “foodies”
around than ever before.
“The Food Network has changed the food
industry dramatically,” he said. “More people
are leaning toward finer food, smaller plates
and fun plates. I like that.”
Ringwood said he is “blessed with an awe-
*
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Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. announced that registration is now open for the 34th
Annual South Glens Falls Holiday Parade
on Nov. 24.
Community groups, bands, floats and other participants are encouraged to register online at hamel-
resources.com or by calling parade coordinator Gail
Hamel at 761-1220. The sign-up deadline is Nov. 8.
As in past years, the event will begin at 1 p.m.
on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The lineup
will leave from Carriage Traders and Kingpin’s
Alley Family Fun Center and proceed through the
Village of South Glens Falls.
This year’s theme is “Winter Wonderland,” and the
beneficiaries will again be Memorial Detachment
No. 2 of the Marine Corps League Toys for Tots and
the Tri-County United Way’s “Live United” programs.
The parade annually attracts more than 100
floats, school and professional bands, marchers and other groups. It has been sponsored by
Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co.
since 2009.
For information visit hamelresources.com.
Scott Ringwood is co-owner and chef at
Lake Ridge Restaurant in Round Lake.
Stock Studios Photography
some dining room staff.” He has a part-time
chef, Jackie, who has been with him for 16
years, and a sous chef, Michael, who has been
with him for five years. “I have a great service
manager and hostess, Diana and Cathy, and
others -- too many to name them all. We take
what we do seriously, but we also have fun.”
“This business is all about great people,” he
said. “Sharing a meal is the greatest part of
what we do at Lake Ridge, and it is humbling.
You know, it’s all about the wonderful relationships between our customers and our staff.”
Ringwood has a backyard garden. Many of
his signature dishes are made with his heirloom tomatoes, squash and other assorted
vegetables. He’s a guy who loves to till the soil
and play in the dirt.
“I am truly blessed to do what I love to do and
to work with and to meet so many wonderful
people,” he said. “Did you know that Saratoga
Springs ranks above San Francisco on restaurants per capita? Amazing, isn’t it? We have so
many wonderful choices here.”
Ringwood shares his passion for food, people and life at Lake Ridge with his co-owner
Bob McKenna. This fine dining restaurant
features three quaint dining rooms and an
elegant mahogany bar. To make a reservation
call 899-6900.
too Busy to Keep Up With
What’s going on In the
tri-County Business Community?
Need to Know What Your Competition Is Doing?
to get a Concise readable overview, Subscribe to
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P.o. Box 766, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
The National Bottle Museum has resumed
its fall schedule of operations. Hours are 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. , Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday
and Monday.
This schedule will be in effect through the end
of the year. For more information, contact the
National Bottle Museum at 885-7589 or nbm@
nycap.rr.com.
•
*
Attorney Edward V. Wilcenski of the law
firm of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC was presented
with the Marie Ivancich Memorial Award from
the Brain Injury Association of New York State.
According to the organization, the award
is given to an outstanding professional whose
support for the Association is evidenced by
great personal commitment and professional
involvement on behalf of individuals living
with brain injury.
Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC , with offices in
Clifton Park and Glens Fall, concentrates
its practice in the areas of special needs
planning, elder law, and estate planning and
administration.
Meet The Chef
Glens Falls Business Journal
P.o. Box 766, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Go on our website
www.saratogabusinessjournal.com or
www.glensfallsbusinessjournal.com
and click on the subscription tab.
You may also mail your check in the amount of
$25.00 for 12 issues made
payable to Weinhagen Associates LLC
Name
Firm
Address
City
State
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22 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013
•
Available Commercial
Real Estate Properties
We’d like to promote your commercial property. Call us, 581-0600.
MULTI USE SPACE AVAILABLE
22 Hudson Falls Rd., South Glens Falls, NY 12803
• Office/Warehouse/Workshop/Storage/Dance/Sports
• Heat/Lights included with all space!!
• 1550sf Office lobby,conference room,kitchenette,bathroom $1200 mo.
• 1330sf 3 phase electric high ceilings $665/mo.
• 1632sf 10x10 OH door $800/mo.
• 2262sf 10x10 OH door $1100 mo.
• 5300sf 3 offices,high ceilings,dock+grade 10x10 OH doors $2900 mo.
• Other spaces available.
Contact Joe Congel 518 743 1330
Epic Holdings LLC
153 Maple St., Glens Falls, NY 12801
21 Bay Street Glens Falls
Now Leasing
Beautiful Street Level Retail Store Fronts
Overlooking City Park • Exciting Retail Possibilities
Hair Salon, Wine Bar, Florist
1,000 to 6,000 sq feet
Call Glen Street Associates
743-8666
•
Saratoga BUSINESS JoUrNaL • octoBEr 2013 • 23
It’s
Time!
We Have Expanded!
*Available every night in October
Wiener Schnitzel - medallions of
veal breaded pan fried and finished
with lemon caper butter. $21.95
Zigeuner Schnitzle -
breaded pork cutlets pan
fried and served with a
sauce of bell peppers,
mushrooms, onions,
tomato-fillets, red wine
and veal stock. $20.95
Purdy’s Discount
WINE & LIQUOR
Drink Specials
Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale - $6
Barenjager Honey Bourbon - $9
Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale - $6
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen - $8
Spaten Oktoberfest - $6
35 Burlington Avenue
Round Lake, NY 12151
(518) 899-6000
www.lake-ridge.com
Sauerbraten - marinated
sirloin slow braised and served
with gingersnap gravy. $22.95
The Seven Horse
Pub and Restaurant
Join us for
Complimentary Wine Tastings
Friday 4:30-7:30.
Learn and Sample 4-6 new wines every week.
VOTED THE # 1 WINE & LIQUOR
STORE IN THE SARATOGA AREA!
2007 ~ 2008 ~ 2009 ~ 2010 ~ 2011 ~ 2012 ~ 2013
518-584-5400 • www.purdyswines.com
70-72 Congress Street Plaza • Saratoga Springs, NY
Open 7 Days A Week • 1 Block off Broadway ~ Behind CVS
Theabove
Phila
Room
the Pub
Book now for Holiday
and Special Events
Watch your
favorite sporting
events in the Pub
43 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
www.sevenhorsepub.com
(518) 581-0777
One needn’t have a passport to enter
Boca Bistro at 384 Broadway in the
heart of Saratoga Springs, despite the
authenticity of its Spanish décor.
From the tapas to the churros, Boca
Bistro provides guests with an unforgettable dining experience that is rich
in Mediterranean flavor. A hand-carved
wooden door, 200-year-old red brick
walls and copper ceiling panels are all
part of a mosaic that blends earthen
and distressed textures with stylistic
accents.
Boca Bistro’s main menu, created
by Executive Chef Rosalyn Zecchini, is
divided into three sections: Tapas, Dinners and Desserts. Foods prepared in
small bite form at prices ranging from $5
to $12 consist of three main categories:
Costas De Picar (eaten with hands, such
as olives), Pinchos (requiring the use of
a utensil, such as rice) and Cazuelas
(served in a sauce, such as meatballs).
The dinner menu draws attention to
the “ancestry, tradition and humble origins” of Old World Spanish dishes that
were typically the result of ingredients
put together by peasants, farmers or
shepherd families, with products from
their own fields and orchards. Dinner
items range from $6 to $22.
Traditional sweet Spanish desserts –
some influenced by the Moors, others
from recipes that can be traced back to
centuries-old nunneries – are priced at
$6 to $7.
Boca Bistro opens for dinner at 5
p.m. daily. A Happy Hour that includes
a specially selected tapas menu takes
place daily from 3 to 6 p.m. Tel. 6822800; www.bocabistro.com.
For those who are looking for an
evening of exquisite food and elegance,
may we recommend Nové Italian
Restaurant on Route 9 in Wilton. This
popular eatery offers casual, traditional
Italian cuisine in an elegant atmosphere.
The main dining room seats approximately 180 guests, so there’s room
for everyone. A spacious stone patio
overlooks a forest waterfall in the rear of
the property – a quiet setting for dessert
or cocktails.
The extensive wine and cocktail list
features an international selection of
luscious reds and whites, including
favorites Tignanello and Caymus. The
menu, prepared daily from scratch,
ranges from classic Italian-American
favorites such as chicken parm, and
lasagna to featured dishes with a more
exotic flair. From hearty Italian bolognese sauce, a family recipe, to a prime
cut strip steak, the options are endless.
Tempting desserts, including Stephanie’s award-winning cheese cake – a
creamy delightful family recipe – should
not be overlooked. Nové is open 11:30
am til 10 pm daily. Catering and take-out
are also available. Call 583-8877 or visit
www.novesaratoga.com.
Buonappetito !!
The Seven Horse Pub 43 Phila
Street in Saratoga offers one of the
finest pub and dining experiences
in town. Erected in the 1860s and
originally home to Heaslip’s Food
Market, it later became the renowned
Mother Goldsmith’s Restaurant.
Caricatures of well-known patrons from
the 1940s and 50s hang on the walls,
offering glimpses of the past to modern
day patrons.
The spacious yet cozy downstairs pub
has the original brick wall and boasts a
50 foot long red oak bar, well stocked
with draft and bottled beers and complimented by a wide variety of wines and
specialty cocktails.
Everything is homemade, including
a variety of barbecue sauces. Their
award-winning chowder is a unique
blend of smoky lobster bisque and fresh
vegetables, topped with pulled pork and
cornbread. Many other mouth-watering
options round out the menu.
Several large TV’s situated throughout
the pub make it a perfect place to watch
your favorite sports team with friends.
More intimate dining is available
upstairs in the beautifully renovated
Phila Room. The hand-crafted bird’s
eye maple bar and exposed beams
make this a truly inviting and relaxing
Saratoga setting to enjoy a delicious
meal with friends. The Phila Room is
also available for private parties, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions,
and business functions.
Their newest feature is the magically
transformed outdoor street café – Lena
Lane – the cobblestone pedestrian
walkway between The Seven Horse
Pub and Hattie’s. It’s the perfect place
to enjoy the true flavor of Saratoga.
The Seven Horse Pub is open 7 days
a week, from 4pm until 2am Monday
through Friday and from 11am until 2am
on Saturday and Sunday. For reservations call 518-581-0777. On Facebook
and at www.sevenhorsepub.com.
Maestro’s at the Van Dam is a
gathering place for exceptional food and
drink, located in the historic former Rip
Van Dam Hotel, the largest surviving hotel from before the civil war in Saratoga
Springs, New York. Join them for lunch,
dinner or libations in this unique 1840s
setting.
Whether dining in their 90-seat dining
room or enjoying the summer breeze
outside on the columned stone terrace,
you’ll marvel at the exceptional menu
designed daily to tantalize your taste
buds. Their unique and ever-changing
cuisine will appease a wide range of
appetites, whether yearning for a burger
and an ice cold brew, planning a special
event, or gathering friends for dinner.
Maestro’s $33 Prix Fixe offers you a
wonderful three course dinner at a most
reasonble price. Better yet, let the region’s most popular chef John LaPosta
(and Maestro’s owner) “put love on a
plate” as he prepares a sublime meal
just for you at his Chef’s Table.
Maestro’s at the Rip Van Dam Hotel
353 Broadway in Saratoga Springs,
NY. Open 7 Days a Week Year Round.
Lunch 11:30-4pm. Dinner 4pn-10pm.
518 580 0312.
www.maestrosatthevandam.com.
24 • Saratoga BUSINESS JOURNAL • October 2013