Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Christine Graf

When business partners Michael Dubb and Larry Roth began redevelopment of the historic Rip Van Dam in downtown Saratoga Springs, they planned to build apartments in the 200,000-square-foot building. 

After conducting extensive market testing, they changed course and now plan to market the 79 available units as condominiums.

“It became apparent to us that there was a pretty strong need for this type of living,” said Dubb, founder and chief executive officer of the Beechwood Organization, a large developer of residential, single-family and multi-family housing in New York state. “We collected a list of several hundred people who are interested.”

By Paul Post

Alan VanTassel stays in business by working himself out of a job.

After 30-plus years in corporate America, he recently launched his own Moreau-based firm, Velocity Sales, which helps entrepreneurs achieve their sales vision and goals.

“Sales is an area of difficulty for most small business owners,” VanTassel said. “They’re passionate about what they do, but their experience is not often in sales. At some point they get to a place where sales are declining or they’re frustrated with revolving-door salespeople coming and going, and can’t attract good talent. Clients hire me on an interim business. We don’t just consult, we actually do the work for them.”

“The model is to help them build a sales structure they don’t have, to help them get their business to the next level,” he said. “I’ll help them hire salespeople, do weekly ride-alongs and attend sales meetings. I can be part of the business and run sales while developing a long-term strategy or plan. After 12 to 24 months I’d be gone.”

Early in VanTassel’s career, he traveled the country for Melville Corp., the parent company of numerous nationwide chain stores such as Thom McAn shoes, Marshalls and KB Toys. Then he was a regional sales manager for Stride Rite shoes before moving to Verizon, where he managed sales in its upstate New York market’s messaging division.

Most recently, VanTassel spent the last nine years working for StoredTech.

Right before this, however, in 2000 he launched his own Glens Falls-based technology firm, which laid the groundwork for his newest venture, Velocity Sales. 

Daniel T. Konstalid, an experienced senior financial officer with an extensive background in higher education, has been appointed vice president for finance and administration and treasurer at Skidmore College. 

Konstalid will begin his role on June 15 and serve as the college’s senior officer in all financial and business matters. He joins Skidmore from Gettysburg College, where he has served as vice president for finance and administration and treasurer since 2006.  

At Gettysburg, Konstalid has led the formation of a financial strategy for the college to advance key programmatic initiatives and ensure its continuing financial stability while overseeing financial, accounting, budget, treasury, and endowment management; facilities planning and operations; human resources; risk management; and auxiliary services. 

Among his many duties, he also served as a member of the faculty finance committee and the campus emergency response team.  

“Skidmore will benefit greatly from Dan’s strategic insight and management skills, and he brings exceptional expertise to this important leadership role,” said Skidmore College President Marc C. Conner. “His keen judgement, financial acumen, and exceptional understanding of the value of the liberal arts in today’s world will help ensure that Skidmore College continues to prosper and that our students thrive.” 

Konstalid previously served as vice president for finance and administration at Le Moyne College in Syracuse; controller and director of budgets at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.; and senior audit manager at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Syracuse. 

The Town of Greenfield unveiled a new “green” playground at its Brookhaven Park & Golf Course at 333 Alpine Meadows Road on June 6. 

The playground features materials made by Kompan, an Austin, Tex-based manufacturer of commercial playground equipment. It features Kompan’s new GreenLine products, developed from repurposed materials such as ocean waste and fishing nets. 

Greenfield was the first in the country to purchase and install Kompan’s new GreenLine products, according to the company.

Kompan said it uses recycled materials, including textiles, food packaging, plastic bags, and discarded fishing equipment to create its raw materials and reports that its emissions have reduced 50 percent from before the introduction of the new method. Kompan proudly uses a verified method to specify CO2 emissions through Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification services. 

Kompan launched its GreenLine products in 2021.

“We are pleased to offer our residents an environmentally state-of-the-art playground and outdoor recreation space at Brookhaven,” said town Supervisor Kevin Veitch. “It is part of our vision to expand our recreation spaces while preserving the natural integrity of our beautiful, wide open spaces here in Greenfield.”

The playground, which cost the town $130,000, includes a large climbing piece with two slides and a fire pole; a swing set with infant, single and multiple user options; a spica spinning pole; an arc tunnel climbing net; and five free-standing GreenLine pieces including a toddler train and carriage; an albatross seesaw; a dune buggy rocking toy; and a tipi carousel spinning toy. 

Sunrise Management & Consulting in Latham has grown its multifamily apartment portfolio with the purchase of Halfmoon Garden Apartments in Clifton Park and Canfield Apartments in Gansevoort. 

The sale was brokered by Dean and Ryan Taylor of Continuum Commercial Realty, and SEFCU financed the transaction. 

Sunrise will manage the communities.

“Halfmoon Garden Apartments and Canfield Apartments are valuable assets that fit nicely into our portfolio,” said Jesse Holland, president of Sunrise Management & Consulting. “We were impressed with the way the longtime owners cared for the properties and wish them well in their retirement. We look forward to getting to know the residents.”

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Hudson River Valley Greenway announced that two projects were completed to improve a total of 4.2 miles of the Empire State Trail in the Capital District, to assure the trails remain accessible to bicyclists, walkers, and runners of all ages and abilities.

In Waterford, the state Hudson River Valley Greenway partnered with Saratoga County to rehabilitate a 1.2-mile section of the Empire State Trail. The project, which is part of the Champlain Canalway Trail, improved a 20-year-old trail section that runs north from Main Street (Route 32) in the village and town of Waterford. Saratoga County constructed the improvements. 

A new stonedust surface, safety fencing, and improved trail entrances were installed to facilitate public use. The Hudson River Valley Greenway provided a $275,000 grant to Saratoga County to fund the project, which began in September. 

The Waterford trail is built on the towpath of the original Champlain Canal, which operated from 1823 to 1918, until the modern canal was relocated to the Hudson River.

“Improvements to these historic trail corridors provide a great new place for cycling, running, walking and cross-country skiing in Albany and Saratoga counties,” State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. “New York xtate continues to lead the way in enhancing our parks and trails and connecting more people to outdoor recreation.”