KindNest, a hub for alternative, holistic fertility and pregnancy services and resources, is a new business in Ballston Lake.
Sarah Denio, founder of KindNest, 1 Rosell Drive, said the business grew from her personal experience navigating fertility challenges, including pregnancy loss, on her way to becoming a mother of two daughters.
By Greg Hitchcock
Saratoga Springs-based Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service is acquiring family owned Plattsburgh Distributing, a distributor of Budweiser, Rolling Rock and energy drinks in the North Country.
Terms of the sale were undisclosed.
“It’s a great opportunity to grow our business,” Saratoga Eagle president Jeff Vukelic said. “It’s a family owned business, and we felt a lot of synergy there.”
Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service is also a family owned and operated business founded in 1933.
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) as opened the sale of full-season ticket plans at The Stretch for the 2019 meet at Saratoga Race Course.
The Stretch, which debuted in 2018 and is located in the grandstand at the Top of the Stretch, is a private hospitality area featuring modern and upscale amenities in a casual environment with breathtaking views of thoroughbreds rounding the final turn.
Reserved seating options at The Stretch available for seasonal plans include middle dining tier tables ranging from six to eight seats; reserved bar seats; and premium reserved seats. Full-season plans can be purchased exclusively through the NYRA Box Office by phone at (844) NYRA-TIX, via email at boxoffice@nyrainc.com or at www.nyra.com/saratoga.
By Greg Hitchcock
Saratoga County has taken its place as an economic powerhouse trending to continue growing into 2019, with nearby Warren and Washington counties benefiting from this growth.
According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, 17 counties in New York state had employment gains from June 2017 to June 2018 with Saratoga County having the largest gain up 2.7 percent.
“All three counties have grown their private sector over the last five years with GlobalFoundries kicking off this growth,” said Andrew Kennedy, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Economic Growth, an economic and business development agency serving as a primary point of contact for businesses interested in growing in or moving to the Capital Region.
By Christine Graf
The Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency, a public benefit corporation created to encourage the construction and expansion of industrial and commercial facilities, is a key cog in the economic development efforts in Saratoga County.
Since beginning operations in 1980, the IDA has approved financing arrangements for 119 projects.
“Those are the ones that have been approved and assisted financially. There have been a number that have not even been considered,” said IDA Administrator Michael Valentine. “There is an application process, a review process and certain standards that somebody coming in needing assistance has to go through.”
New York state is putting $23.6 million in infrastructure funding to support safety enhancements, modernization of facilities, operational improvements and local business development at 31 airports statewide.
These projects are funded through the state Aviation Capital Grant Program initiative and complement the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition, which provided $200 million to modernize airports across Upstate.
“New York’s airports represent the front door to our local communities and are critical to facilitating tourism and business development,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “A world-class airport is crucial to regional economic growth, and by investing in the modernization of our local airports we are creating vibrant communities where people want to live, work and play.”
By Christine Graf
Three years ago, Tricia Nussbaum opened The Food Florist in Ballston Spa. She described her business as a mobile food company.
The Food Florist food truck she operates is available to go to farmers markets, local schools and businesses. She also sells frozen, oven-ready meals at a retail locations. All food is made from scratch with a combination of local, organic, and all-natural ingredients, she said.
By Susan E. Campbell
Media marketing solutions and health and wellness services are being covered in the career of Antoinette DiMascio.
DiMascio is chief financial officer of Newkey Media Solutions and founder of Newkey Esthetics and Wellness in Ballston Lake, two seemingly disparate businesses. Yet there is an overarching theme under which she connects them—relationship enrichment.
“Whether building a brand or employing therapeutic techniques, it’s still about working on a relationship,” said DiMascio, who is a licensed cosmetologist and asethetician, a certified yoga instructor, and a doctoral candidate in metaphysics and religious studies.
By Christine Graf
Linda Brown of Spire Business, Inc. never set out to start her own business. She had a successful career in money management and financial planning when she took a maternity leave in 2002.
While on leave, a CPA asked her if she could help some of his clients with QuickBooks.
“I never went back to corporate America,” she said. “As a financial planner, you work 70 hours a week and I really didn’t want to do that.”
By Jill Nagy
Customer service is important to any business, including banks. So keeping up with the latest in technology is important, as banks compete to retain and draw customers.
Online apps that allow customers to make deposits, move money to other people’s accounts, as well as check their own accounts; ATM’s that accept cash deposits and return a photographic record of a check deposit; and branches smaller and more streamlined that offer a range of financial services, including insurance and investment services, are all services banks now offer.
To eliminate telephone customers waiting “on hold,” Saratoga National Bank has made employees more available with direct lines and company-issued cellphones. Customers can reach them easily and anytime, said David DeMarco, the bank’s CEO.