Saratoga Business Journal

Caroline Hommel, Loan Originator, Reflects On 30 Years In Local Home Mortgage Industry

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Caroline Hommel of Homestead Funding has been a mortgage originator for three decades. She says the economy and housing market in the Saratoga area are healthy and strong.
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Susan E. Campbell
The mortgage market is driven by a variety of complex factors that make the times look more or less attractive to those seeking to buy, renovate or refinance a home.
A mortgage originator for three decades, Caroline Hommel of Homestead Funding has experienced just about every permutation and combination of circumstances imaginable, from severe market corrections to record-setting interest rates.
“There have been so many highs and lows over the years. Mostly highs,” said Hommel. “The relationships with customers are certainly high points.”
Hommel joined Homestead Funding in 1995 after a few years as assistant to the PR and communications director for the New York State Association of Realtors and then as a mortgage broker for a small firm.

Sandra Foster, A Womens Rights Activist, Has Operated The Village Pizzeria Over 30 Years

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Sandra Foster has owned and operated thew Village Pizzeria on Route 29 in Galway for more than 30 years and also produces gift baskets and bottled pasta sauces.
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Rachel Phillips
For more than 30 years, diners have been enjoying the age-old family recipes and hand-crafted breads and sauces offered by Village Pizzeria on Route 29 in Galway.
The restaurant, which opened in 1988, is owned and operated by Sandra Foster, along with her partner Joseph Guerrera, and is managed by her daughter, Jessica Mancinone.
Foster’s professional career began in 1969, when she became the first female licensed barber and men’s hair stylist in Waterbury, Conn. At the time, cosmetology and barbering were segregated by gender, and Foster pioneered the transition that brought into being the unisex salons that are now standard today.

Natalie Sillery, Owner Of Saratoga Trunk, Enjoys Helping Nonprofits In The Community

March 5, 2020March 10, 2020

Natalie Sillery is in her 25th year as owner of Saratoga Trunk in Saratoga Springs. ©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Natalie Sillery is in her 25th year as owner of Saratoga Trunk at 493 Broadway in Saratoga Springs and shows no signs of slowing down.
“My husband and I were in print publishing back in the 80s in New York City,” said Sillery. “I grew up in Rensselaer. My parents were getting older and infirmed. Our business ended after 12 years or so, and we moved from New York City to the town of Brunswick.”
“I was caring for my mom, who had slow progressive dementia moving into an Alzheimer’s situation. I also had a great aunt I was caring for. I took my mom in with me, and my dad had 24 hour care. I knew I had to work for myself,” said Sillery.
She put together a couple business plans.

New CEO Of Saratoga Prosperity Partnership Has Passion To Help Business Communities

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Shelby Schneider is the president/CEO of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership.

By Christine Graf
A shortage of new, young talent in the workforce is one of the issues the Saratoga Prosperity Partnership deals with, said Shelby Schneider, its new president and CEO.
The economic development organization was established in 2014 to enhance economic growth in Saratoga County.
Schneider, a mother of four who lives in Wilton, earned a degree in management and business administration from Skidmore College. She entered the economic development field in 2000 and spent thirteen years working at Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC). During her early years at SEDC, she served as the Empire Zone Coordinator. The Empire Zone tax incentive program allowed qualified businesses to take advantage of a variety of tax credits.
“I oversaw the New York state tax incentive program and administered it on behalf of county,” she said.

Business Report: Consistent Leadership Key To Economic Success

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Kevin Hedley is the 2020 board chairman of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
Courtesy Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

By Kevin Hedley
I first became involved in the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce at the invitation or more accurately the insistence of Jessica Petraccione of First National Bank of Scotia. The Chamber had just formed its Twin Bridges Council and Jessica was the first person to lead it.
Forming the Twin Bridges Council was part of a larger effort to get more business owners with operations in Clifton Park, Halfmoon, and Mechanicville more involved in the Saratoga County Chamber.
Soon after getting involved in the Twin Bridges Council, I was approached about serving on the Saratoga County Chamber’s board of directors and a year or so later became the organization’s treasurer.
And here we are in 2020 and I’m the volunteer chair of the board of directors of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
One of the reasons the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is still thriving as it enters its 102nd year of operation is the fact that it has had tremendous volunteer and professional staff leadership.

Housing Authorities To Get State Grant Funds

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded more than $2.7 billion to public housing authorities in all 50 states, including those in Saratoga Springs, Mechanicville and Glens Falls.
The funding will allow agencies to make needed capital improvements to their properties. In New York, HUD awarded $653 million to housing authorities in the state.
Locally, the Saratoga Housing Authority received $764,749, the Mechanicville Housing Authority received $301,925 and the Glens Falls Housing Authority received $463,186.
The grants are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which offers annual funding to approximately 2,900 public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate, and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. Housing authorities use the funding to complete large-scale improvements such as replacing roofs or making energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.

Mohr Family Adds DeLucia’s Deli & Grocery To Its Capital District Real Estate Portfolio

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

DeLucia’s Deli & Grocery is under new ownership, purchased by brothers David, Eric and Gregory Mohr in December. Just Meats will move their butcher shop into the location.
Courtesy DeLucia’s Deli & Grocery

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
DeLucia’s Deli & Grocery is under new ownership as long-time owners Ronald, Gilbert and Vince DeLucia exit the business.
Brothers David, Eric and Gregory Mohr purchased the business and some surrounding properties in December. The Mohr family, comprised of seven siblings, holds an expansive commercial portfolio in the Capital Region.
“We started in 2012, taking over Mohr’s Service Center in Saratoga Springs after our father passed away,” said David Mohr. “We also own the Mobil gas station on that corner, as well as a car wash nearby.”

Dr. Joel Reed Stepping Down As Head Of Saratoga Arts After 17 Years With The Group

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Saratoga Arts has announced that its executive director, Dr. Joel Reed, will be retiring at the end of March.
Reed was appointed to his current position at Saratoga Arts, then known as the Saratoga County Arts Council, when its founder Dee Sarno retired in January 2007.
Reed began working for the organization in June 2003 as its associate director after moving to the Saratoga Springs area from Syracuse.
The Saratoga Arts board of directors is engaged in a search for its next director. More information about the position and how to apply can be found at www.saratoga-arts.org/join-our-team.
Board member Meaghan Golden, principal of MGolden Design + Photo and the co-founder of the Women’s Art Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, will serve as interim director from April until the search is completed and a new executive director has settled in.

Gail Brophy, Longtime Purdy’s Liquor Store Owner, Renowned Athlete, Dies At Age 77

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Gail Purdy Brophy, 77, an outstanding area athlete and successful business woman, passed away at Saratoga Hospital on Sunday, Feb. 23.
Born on July 31, 1942, in Glens Falls, she was the daughter of the late George and Elizabeth Purdy, and sister to the late Anne Bliss. She was married to James “Bud” Brophy for 28 years, until he passed away at age 79 in 1998.
She is survived by her two daughters, Mary Brophy Magnus and Kristen (Brandan) Greczkowski. Five grandchildren, Sydney and Zayda Greczkowski, Evan, Kayla and Emily Magnus. Three nieces, Linda (Adrian) Stone, Laura (Dave) Borst, and Debra Apple.

‘Craft On Wheels’ Mobile Bar Company Serves Events In Region Including Saratoga

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Erin Murphy, left, Jim Murphy and Connor Neal are partners in Craft on Wheels, a mobile bartending service utilizing custom vintage vehicles to serve craft beverages.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Business partners Jim Murphy, Erin Murphy and Connor Neal have started a mobile craft beverage service based in Glens Falls, serving the Capital Region and North Country including Saratoga County.
Craft on Wheels is a mobile bar company utilizing vintage vehicles to bring craft beers, ciders and wines to serve at special events like weddings, corporate functions, private parties, festivals, and the like.