Category Archives: Business Briefs

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market indoor winter season returned to the Wilton Mall on Nov. 6.

Alongside many returning vendors, the winter market also features some new vendors and products, such as alcohol-infused ice cream at Boozy Moo!, (house) plants at J. Adkins Cultivation, Scandinavian baked goods at parchment, and several fan favorites who were new vendors at the markets this summer.

This season, the market was also be able to bring back several of its seasonal events, such as holiday celebrations, Maple March and more.

Markets will run each Saturday from 9:30 am to 1:30 p.m. and will feature 50-plus vendors selling a full range of locally produced items including fresh farm items, ready-to-eat foods, artisanal products, and holiday gift items.

The market will be located in the mall’s food court, accessible from the TrustCo mall entrance or from the building’s interior.

Although face coverings are not required inside the Wilton Mall, the mall and the Saratoga Farmers’ Market both recommend customers wear a mask to help keep the indoor markets as safe as possible.

The market will continue to space vendors out where possible and provide extra hand washing and sanitizing opportunities. Management is evaluating returning its online ordering and curbside pickup program.

* * *

The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association (BSBPA) is encouraging all businesses in the village’s downtown area to decorate their storefronts for the shopping season.

For the past few years, the BSBPA has recognized businesses whose window decorations and displays have enhanced the Village of Ballston Spa during the holiday season. Businesses with decorated windows whose lights are on the evening of Nov. 30 will be judged and the winners will be announced in time for village festivities on Dec. 3, including the Holiday Parade, village Christmas tree lighting and First Friday. 

Winners will be presented with specially designated “contest winner” signs to display in their businesses for the holiday season and photos of the windows will be featured on social media and on the BSBPA website, ballston.org.

* * *

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame changed its hours in October and will be open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The museum will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays through May. It will also be closed on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 25), Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), Christmas Day (Dec. 25), New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1).

The museum’s new signature film “What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame” will be shown daily at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the museum or online at www.racingmuseum.org.

Families visiting the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as part of the Discover Saratoga Family Fall Event weekends on Oct. 23-24 and Oct. 30-31 will receive a fall take-away bag with goodies and autumn-inspired activities.

The museum is also offering free admission to students ages 6-18 and college students with school identification from Friday, Nov. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 28. Families visiting those days can take part in a museum-wide scavenger hunt. Children ages 5 and under are always free with an accompanying adult.

For more information about the Museum, including special events and program offerings, call (518) 584-0400 or visit  www.racingmuseum.org.

* * *

The Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC) will hold its  annual golf outing fund raiser on Thursday, Sept.23, at Airway Meadows Golf Club, 262 Brownville Road, Gansevoort.

The event consists of registration and a  “grab ‘n go lunch” at 11:30 a.m. The 9-hole scramble shotgun start begins at noon. And there will be a party on the patio cocktail reception from  2:30-4 p.m.

The cost is $175 for members and $225 for non-members. The cost for the party on the patio only is $45 for members and $60 for non-members,

To register, visit saratogaedc.com/our-investors/events/2021-annual-sedc-golf-registration.

***

The Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund continues to accept grant applications from eligible nonprofit charities until the submission deadline of Aug. 31.

Grant information and application forms may be obtained from the Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund website at ATCCF.org.

The fund was established in 2009. The primary mission is to perpetuate the spirit of giving that is integral to the quality of life in our region by providing flexible options for planned giving. The resulting yearly Lend-A-Hand Grants help improve the quality of life and address issues of common concern in the area.

In 2020, the Community Fund awarded 37 Lend-a-Hand Grants to local nonprofit organizations.

Since the inception of the Autumn of Giving Match Campaign in 2013, the Lend-A-Hand Grants program has provided more than 235 grants, totaling nearly $462,000 to local nonprofits. Grant awards have supported programs in such diverse areas as veterans outreach, STEM education, summer lunch programs, wildlife education, homelessness prevention, youth services, the arts, and more.

Grant recipients will be announced by the Fund’s Independent Advisory Committee in December. The Community Fund welcomes nonprofit organizations to apply for grants that represent new and creative programs.

* * *

The Saratoga Builders Association Inc. announced the awarding of two student scholarships.

One is the annual SBA scholarship for $1,000 and the other is the annual “Bob Best” memorial scholarship for $500.

Luke Baringer of Wilton, a senior at Saratoga Springs High School, won the SBA scholarship. He  will be attending Clarkson University in the fall to study civil engineering and architecture design.

Brendan Lee, a senior at Salem Central School, won the $500 scholarship. She attends WSWHE BOCES at the F. Donald Myers Education Center.

The Saratoga Builders Association makes student scholarship awards available annually to high school seniors or college students who are planning to pursue a career in the construction industry.

* * *

Saratoga Mortgage, a service of Saratoga’s Credit Union, is offering a unique outdoor expo to help consumers better prepare and understand the home buying process. 

The expo will be held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 10, at Saratoga’s Credit Union’s Ballston Spa branch, 444 Geyser Road, Ballston Spa.

The event is open to the public and all are welcome to stop by and meet with representatives to gain knowledge on how each organization plays a role in the home buying process. 

Representatives include a mortgage originator, a real estate agent, financial advisor, and home insurance agent who will collectively educate attendees on how they can help new and existing home owners. Each representative will be ready to meet with individuals to discuss their needs.  Meet with one or with all representatives and learn how they can help you on your journey.

Reservations are not required.

* * *

The Saratoga Economic Development Corp. is hosting a virtual six-part Summit Session Series as an extension of SEDC’s recent 2021 Economic Summit. Each Session will delve deeper into an essential topic affecting economic development and possible solutions to challenges within Saratoga County.

The first Session addressing workforce will be held virtually 9-10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 23.

The workforce session panelists are Joseph Dragone, PhD, senior executive officer of Capital Region BOCES; Dr. Turina Parker, assistant superintendent educational and support programs, WSWHE BOCES; Nancy DeStefano, assistant superintendent instructional programs; John Jablonski, vice president academic affairs of SUNY Adirondack; and Jenniffer McCloskey, director of Saratoga County Employment and Training.

Additional topics to be covered in upcoming session include transportation, 5G technology, zoning/planning, water/sewer, and gas/electric.

To register for the workforce SEDC Summit Session and/or to find information on upcoming Sessions, please visit saratogaedc.com/general-news/summit-session-series.

NBT Bank is hosting a webinar series educating business leaders on the latest information surrounding all facets of addressing cyber threats from awareness to prevention and response.

Presenters include NBT Bank director of information security Terra Carnrike-Granata, director of cash management and government banking Margaret Scopelianos, information security manager Andrew Frisbie and NBT Insurance Agency president Tucker Lounsbury.

The events are free to attend, and guests may join one or all sessions.

“Are You Covered? Proactive Controls You Need Now” will be held on Friday, April 23. It will outline how to integrate cyber liability insurance into your cybersecurity program while also leveraging banking controls to protect financial assets.

“After A Breach: Effective Incident Response on Friday,” will be held April 30. The team will share the fundamentals of incident response planning, and tips on how to respond to a ransomware attack or an email account takeover in Microsoft 365.

“Cybercrime Survivors: Stories & Lessons Learned” is schedule for Friday, May 7, and will feature a virtual roundtable hosted by all four of our presenters. The team will discuss valuable lessons from actual cyber-attacks, as well as answer questions submitted on topics from cybersecurity to cash management and more.

To register, visit www.nbtbank.com/CybersecurityRSVP.

* * *

Ferraro, Amodio & Zarecki, CPAs, a forensic accounting, business valuation and business advisory firm and Hudson Forensic Solutions, a boutique forensic firm, have announce a merger.

The union, designed to provide the Hudson Valley with expanded services in business valuations, fraud and financial investigations, economic damage analysis, litigation support, expert testimony, as well as business growth consulting, exit planning and investment banking services.

As a result of the merger, FAZ, based in Saratoga Springs, now also operates out of White Plains, covering Westchester County and the entire Hudson Valley.

Saratoga Bariatric Surgery and Weight-Loss Program, a service of Saratoga Hospital, has been awarded the Blue Distinction Center designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

The designation, from BlueShield of Northeastern New York, is reserved for nationally accredited bariatric surgery programs that meet rigorous, objective standards for quality of care, patient safety and outcomes.

Saratoga Bariatric Surgery and Weight-Loss Program has been a Blue Distinction Center since 2015. The program also is recognized as an Aetna Institute of Quality Bariatric Surgery Facility and is accredited as a “comprehensive” center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program.

Bariatric surgeries are among the most common elective surgeries in the U.S.—and the most effective treatment for severely obese patients, officials said. These procedures allow patients to achieve substantial, sustained weight loss. That, in turn, can improve or resolve serious obesity-related conditions, such type 2 diabetes.

***

The Adirondack Trust Co. has again secured a 5-Star rating from BauerFinancial, a bank rating firm.

A five-star rating indicates that the bank excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, asset quality and much more. Earning and maintaining this top rating for 58 consecutive quarters puts Adirondack Trust in a prestigious bracket as an exceptional performance bank.

BauerFinancial, Inc., based in Coral Gables, Fla., has been reporting on and analyzing the performance of U.S. banks and credit unions since 1983. No institution can pay for or opt-out of a BauerFinancial rating.

* * *

The Adirondack Trust Co. has again secured a 5-Star rating from BauerFinancial, a bank rating firm.
A five-star rating indicates that the bank excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, asset quality and much more. Earning and maintaining this top rating for 58 consecutive quarters puts Adirondack Trust in a prestigious bracket as an exceptional performance bank.
BauerFinancial, Inc., based in Coral Gables, Fla., has been reporting on and analyzing the performance of U.S. banks and credit unions since 1983. No institution can pay for or opt-out of a BauerFinancial rating.

* * *

Eighteen members of the Sterling Homes Real Estate team recently graduated from a New Homes Sales Specialist training program. The education consisted of a five-week intensive course with the top new home sales trainer in the country.

The City Center parking facility, under construction since Sept. 23, 2019, is open.
The new facility, located between Maple and High Rock Avenues, has secure covered parking for over 620 vehicles. The building features a pedestrian bridge over Maple Avenue that leads into the City Center.
It has four electric car charging stations, two green spaces, and a roof top area that can be utilized for parking and convention-related events. Evening hours will have a security guard on premise.
The facility has a pay-per-park system, with the first hour of parking free and each additional hour being $1, up to a maximum of $15 per day. Yearly parking passes will also be available.
To help downtown Saratoga Springs restaurants and retail businesses this holiday season during the challenge of a pandemic, City Center will offer four hours of complementary parking on a daily basis until Jan. 1.
A limited number of yearly parking passes are now available for purchase. Pass holders will enjoy many benefits including: covered parking, electric charging stations, video surveillance and overnight security on site.