Members of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 773 are finding more work in the area.

©2016 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Susan E. Campbell

After nearly three years of anticipation, local union officials say the economy upstate may be on the verge of a healthy growth spurt.

Recent years have been slow for the building trades. But technology firms throughout the Capital District and parts north have played a big part in projected business growth, said Scott B. Martel, business manager of the U.S. Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 773.

“As tech firms expand, more businesses come to the area to supply what those firms need,” Martel said, furthering the demand for qualified tradesmen across the commercial building industry. Lately most contracts for Local 773 have been in the public works sector, he said.

From September 2015 through April 2016, 90 apprentice plumbers and steamfitters took part in the most recent training school, meeting for three hours, three times a week, following a full work day, Martel said. The apprentice program lasts five years, but even the most experienced journeymen continue classroom training and practical experience to keep up their skills.

Craig MacDonald started Suburban Services Group in Burnt Hills over three decades ago.

Courtesy Suburban Services Group

By Maureen Werther

Craig MacDonald, owner of Suburban Services Group in Burnt Hills, started his company 36 years ago, and he doesn’t mind saying that the first 15 years were a struggle.

In fact, MacDonald’s career path took a lot of twists and turns before he was able to build the successful business he runs today, which has been providing heating, air-conditioning and stand-by generators area residents and businesses since 1980. He knows what it is like to start out in one direction, only to find out it may be the wrong path.

MacDonald has gone from working for a telephone company in the New Jersey town where he grew up, to serving in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War, to selling fire hydrants in upstate New York. Each of those experiences played a role in guiding him along the slow, often circuitous path to success.

“I wasn’t terribly happy selling fire hydrants and I started thinking of other things I could do,” he recalled. He knew he didn’t want to work for anyone else. “So, I started my own remodeling company.”

“I did everything from foundation to roof” in the remodeling business, he said. This was during the early 1980s, and it coincided with a large number of GE layoffs. “It was a tough business anyway,” he said. “But, on top of it, you had all these GE guys out there now, looking for work. Basically, anyone who had a pickup truck became a contractor.”

This rendering shows the three-story building that is proposed for 61 Lawrence St. in Saratoga Springs. It will have four two-bedroom apartments and two three-bedroom apartments.

Courtesy Brayton Construction

By Jill Nagy

Developer Bill Brayton is expecting to break ground soon on a six-unit luxury apartment development at 61 Lawrence St., in Saratoga Springs.

It will be built by his company, Brayton Construction Inc. in Albany. He said he is waiting for one last approval from the city before beginning work.

The project is called Hidden Fountain Commons.

The development will consist of a three-story, 3,420-square-foot building, with four two-bedroom apartments and two three-bedroom apartments, built in a Victorian-style building with a wrap-around porch. He plans two retail spaces on the first floor and 29 parking spaces.

Dan Camarota, a remodeler, says glass showers like this are becoming popular.

Courtesy Custom Renovations

By Molly Congdon

People’s homes are full of precious moments and memories that people like to preserve.

Many people want to stay in the same place but there are changes that must be made to make it possible. Many people remodel for accessibility, gravitating toward open designs.

People also give their homes a face lift to increase resale value or because they want to make their living situation more enjoyable. Instead of moving forward with new construction, some prefer to renovate.

“Since the big banks mortgage collapse, I believe more than ever that people are leaning toward renovating their homes and protecting the investment that they already have,” said Dan Camarota, owner of Custom Renovations in Saratoga Springs. “Upgrading their existing home into a dream kitchen or mini spa or a family room basement is much more affordable then taking the chance with a new, higher mortgage for their ‘dream home.’ They are already invested right where they are, so they make it as comfortable as possible for much less than buying a new home.”

The market in Saratoga and Glens Falls is a hot market, said Greg Raczkowski, owner of Inspired Designs. “I think because of the recession a lot of people are a little gun shy to buy new. Back before the recession, interest rates were so low, when people wanted to renovate or remodel they would just say, ‘Well, why don’t we just sell our home and buy a new house.’ It was an easy transition and it made sense at the time.”