Category Archives: Business News

Lockheed Martin and GlobalFoundries announced on June 12 a strategic collaboration to advance U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and innovation and to increase the security, reliability and resiliency of domestic supply chains for national security systems.

Officials said the collaboration will enable Lockheed Martin to more quickly and affordably produce secure solutions that increase the competitiveness and national security of the United States.

The companies will leverage GlobalFoundries’ differentiated technology and trusted manufacturing practices to increase anti-fragility in microelectronics systems and supply chains. The collaboration will explore critical needs in semiconductor innovation and secure manufacturing across a range of advanced and next-generation chip technologies, including 3D heterogeneous integration for optimized chip packaging that improves performance; silicon photonics for low-power and high-speed data transport; and gallium nitride on silicon to help chips work at higher temperatures.

Officials said the companies will also work to develop a chiplet ecosystem to produce chips more rapidly and affordably.

by ann donnelly

Salty Buns is a new quick service restaurant in the food court of Wilton Mall that offers a range of sandwiches and hot dogs on pretzel buns. 

Owners Jon Locke and Alison Packer had always wanted to open a restaurant and sought a unique idea. 

“When restaurants have limited availability specials on pretzel buns, they are so popular. We love pretzels, and we love restaurants, so we came up with the idea for this restaurant,” said Locke. 

The business opened at the beginning of June, and the owners are delighted at the success they have seen early on. 

“Each week, sales have risen. From 800-900 customers in the first week to approximately 2,000 customers in the third week,” said Locke. “The word has spread, mainly on Facebook, and we have had customers that traveled from as far as Connecticut.” 

Before deciding to locate in the mall, Locke and Packer had in-depth discussions with the owners and management and decided it would be the best location for them to get started. 

“They outlined their plan for the future and painted a clear picture that now is the time to set up here,” said Locke. “Name brand stores, Planet Fitness, the DMV, and Glens Falls Hospital draw people in. I stand here every day, and I see the mall coming back to life with many young people, in their teens and 20s, spending time here. Now many are coming just for Salty Buns.” 

The Capital Region Jaguar Club of New York (CRJCNY) will hold its eighth Jaguar car show event in Saratoga Springs in August.

The lawn show portion of the event will be held on the grounds of the Saratoga Auto Museum in the Spa State Park. Past years have seen up to 40 classic and modern Jaguars such as XKs, Mark IIs, E-Types and newer F-Types, even a 1955 D-Type.

There may also be new models, possibly a 2023 Jaguar I-Pace Electric (subject to dealer availability).

Attendees are typically not just from the immediate Capital District but from around New York, New England and Canada, organizers said.

The program schedule is:

Friday, Aug. 18, dinner at the Gideon Putnam. It is not included in lawn show registration fee Attendance not required to participate in the Saturday lawn show.

​​Saturday, Aug 1., lawn show at Saratoga Auto Museum. (Rain date is Sunday, Aug. 20). It includes a car-care clinic, helpful tips on how to keep a Jaguar looking its best.

by Ann Donnelly

Sonya and Ryan McFadden opened the wine bar Kindred at 84 Henry St. in June in Saratoga Springs, at the location where they previously ran Flatbread Social. 

“We first got the idea of opening Kindred because of trends we saw,” said Ryan McFadden. “For the first time in a long time, people under 40 are becoming more interested in wine.”

The McFaddens, who also own Henry Street Taproom, aim to provide a warm and inviting space to enjoy a glass of wine with friends. 

“Wine has a reputation of being an elitist beverage, and we want to help get rid of that stereotype. Ultimately, we want Kindred to be a comfortable place for people,” he said.

 As they do with the beer selection at Henry Street Taproom, the glass and bottle list at Kindred will rotate to allow customers to try wines from different vineyards, focusing on wineries practicing organic winemaking. “There is nothing pretentious or elitist about Kindred. Wine is fun, and we look forward to sharing our selections with our customers.” 

By Sara Mannix

Artificial Intelligence is already being used daily in marketing agencies to conduct buyer persona research, data analysis, create designs and edit photography, and even build code. 

As of this early stage, we have decided that while AI has its strengths, it works best when complementing the skills of a proficient marketer. I share the viewpoint of my colleague Karl Sakas, who aptly stated, “Anyone can create average work with AI. But if you want above-average work, you’ll need humans using AI.”

In the future, I envision AI playing a central role in streamlining various tasks within a marketing agency. For instance, my personal AI assistant would notify me of scheduled calls, such as an upcoming appointment I have with Alessandra in Italy. It would conduct research on Alessandra, her business, and her industry, providing me with valuable information before the call. 

AI would enable real-time translation, voice mimicry, and visual alterations during the video call to ensure seamless communication. Once the call concludes, an email follow-up would be automatically generated, summarizing the meeting takeaways and next steps. These action items would also be added to my task management system and scheduled accordingly. Furthermore, I could delegate the task of writing a proposal to my AI assistant, which would send it on my behalf. Once engaged, the billing process would also be automated by AI.

In the creative department, the collaboration between the creative director and an AI designer would expedite the process of designing logos, taglines, branding colors, messaging pillars, and website concepts, all optimized to Google’s strictest standards. With the assistance of AI, the design process could be accomplished within hours as opposed to days. Subsequently, the website engineer would work alongside a coding assistant, utilizing AI to expedite the website development process, reducing it from months to hours.

By Christine Graf

New York-based Legacy Sports Holdings has announced plans to open an indoor and outdoor pickleball facility in Ballston Spa. 

Located at 4 McCrea Hill Road, Legacy Pickleball Club will be situated on four acres of property that the company purchased for $2.7 million. The site includes a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, one previously occupied by Mullin Moving and Storage. 

The warehouse will house eight  indoor pickleball courts, a locker room, a lounge area with a bar that serves beer and wine, and a pro shop. Legacy Pickleball Club will have both indoor and outdoor courts.

The location was chosen after plans to construct Legacy Pickleball Club on Route 9, across from the Malta Drive-In, were abandoned. The facility would have been located adjacent to  townhouses that are being built by builder Anthony Caruso. 

Michael Xirinachs, Legacy Pickleball Club general manager, said there was also some concern about being located so close to a residential neighborhood.  In some parts of the country, homeowners are lodging complaints about noise generated by early-morning pickleball players. 

“The group didn’t want to spend $4 million, build it, and end up in litigation with the duplex owners. So, we made the executive decision to forgo that piece of land and look for another location,”he said.

The Saratoga Regional YMCA launched the public phase of its capital campaign on  May 5 at its Saratoga Springs branch on West Avenue. 

YMCA staff, members, major donors, volunteers and community partners gathered for a kick-off celebration, followed by a tour of the construction site.

Officials said the pressing need for greater socialization, increased healthy living programming, and safe and affordable childcare options was apparent when the YMCA decided to embark on the expansion project.

Attendees at the May event were able to tour the construction site to envision “a renewed, vibrant and connected intergenerational wellness hub,” officials said. 

The expanded facilities will include a new wellness center that will have several spaces for weight training, group exercise classes, athletic training and chronic disease prevention programming. 

A new gymnasium will help accommodate the growing demand for pickleball leagues, summer day camp, youth sports and before and after school programming. It will also include a new Youth Adventure Center, which will be an indoor play space with a horse racing theme. Parents may use the space for supervised play for children six weeks to 10 years, enabling more families to take advantage of the YMCA.

“Transformation has changed and informed the very way we see the world and our place in it,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center at the board of directors annual meeting on May 18.

At the meeting, SPAC leadership and staff reflected upon a successful 2022 season and considered the trajectory of the institution’s collective efforts to serve art, artists, and the community of Saratoga Springs and the Capital Region.

  “No longer just an amphitheater, we see SPAC as the perfect confluence of human-made and natural beauty,” Sobol said. “We see SPAC as a refuge, a place of healing, a place where all people are welcome, and all cultures are celebrated.   In our hearts, we understand our mission—to connect people to people—and to our planet. And we undertake this important work with recognition of the profound importance of beauty and art in the cultivation of compassion and the creation of a just world.” 

SPAC announced that it ended the year with $470,000 of operating reserves. This was attributed to fundraising efforts supported by members, the board of directors, the general public and the utilization of $1.5 million in critical federal grants for budget relief from COVID. 

The reserves will be used to help SPAC navigate the challenging 2023 season ahead, officials said.