Issuu

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

GBJ 9 Broad Street #7 Glens Falls, NY 12801

VOL. 34 NO. 07

PAID

GLENS FALLS, NY 12801 PERMIT #600

HH The Business Newspaper of Warren and Washington Counties HH

www.glensfallsbusinessjournal.com

SEPTEMBER 2022

Renua Energy Works With Solar Projects, Hospitality Group’s Projects On Glen And Installs Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Park Streets Will Add Vitality To Downtown

Dave Byrne, owner, and Nick Schupp, project manager, on site in St. Lawrence County at a 5-megawatt solar project designed and permitted by Renua Energy. BY PAUL POST Dave Byrne’s deployment to Iraq and Kuwait gave him a first-hand appreciation for the need to promote energy independence and bolster national security through solar as a renewable resource. “Without any formal business training or experience, I started working for a Hudson Valleybased solar company as a residential installer and worked my way up from there,” said Byrne, a West Point graduate. “Many years later, I decided to start Renua Energy, as I saw a need for certain customer-centric solutions and I enjoy building from the ground up.” In 2018, he left his day job and threw himself full time into the fledging venture with just a handful of employees. Today, the South Glens Falls-based business has 14 workers and has successfully designed and permitted 31 community solar projects across upstate New York that offset the production

of nearly 6.2 million tons of harmful carbon emissions. In short, community solar is a large array of solar panels at an offsite location that allows customers to access such power without installing panels on their homes. Developers build and operate the projects, and energy delivery companies like National Grid purchase and distribute credits generated by the projects to participating customers. “We play a critical role in the development of community solar projects by providing civil, environmental, survey and electrical design solutions,” Byrne said. “In essence, we do everything in order to get projects to the ‘notice-to-proceed’ stage so that construction can commence. “We’ve played a prominent role in New York’s community solar market as the projects that we’ve Continued On Page 9

Ben Miller, operations manager for Park Street Hospitality, says the building at 126 Glen St. in Glens Falls will eventually be renovated, but may soon have a tenant on an interim basis. BY CHRISTINE GRAF A local business has plans in the works to further strengthen Glens Falls as vital part of the North Country economic engine. Business owner and preservationist Elizabeth Miller recently purchased 126 Glen St. for $845,000. A former Saratoga Springs teacher, she is the owner of Doty Machine Works in Fort Edward and Miller Mechanical in Glens Falls. She has already invested millions of dollars to renovate several historic properties in the city including Park Theater and 15 Park St. Her newest property at 126 Glen St. was built in 1890 and was the former home of Look TV. The 11,500-square-foot building will require a significant investment, and her property development company is working with city officials to apply for funding through Restore New York. The Restore New York Communities Initiative provides municipalities with financial assistance for the revitalization of commer-

Glens Falls Business Journal

cial and residential properties. According to Miller’s son and business partner, Ben Miller, operations manager for Park Street Hospitality, “The building needs a lot of work. It needs a similar amount of work to what the building at 15 Park St. has needed. We don’t have firm plans for a full gut and renovation right now. We have a tenant who is interested in renting the ground floor in as-is condition and putting a business in there. “That will tide us over until we are ready to make a bigger investment in the property. Our current undertaking at 15 Park has been huge, so we want to take a little breather before we move on to this one.” In order to accommodate the unnamed potential tenant, Miller said they will be making some improvements to the building’s HVAC and electrical systems. The property has its own parking lot, which will benefit Miller’s hospitality business at 15 Park. Continued On Page 12

Adirondack Regional Chamber To Host Paul Scimeca Named President And CEO B2B Event Oct. 19 At Queensbury Hotel Of Glens Falls Hospital, Replacing Shugrue The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) will hold its B2B Expo on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4-7 p.m. at The Queensbury Hotel, 88 Ridge Street in Glens Falls. The showcase event encourages networking within the business community. It features exhibit booths from regional businesses, as well as food samples, drink specials and door prizes. “The ARCC Business Expo is a favorite event of our members and business community. We are really looking forward to this event, as it’s a great opportunity to showcase our businesses. I would encourage everyone to stop by and discover new businesses and reconnect with old friends,” said Tricia Rogers, ARCC president and CEO. The business showcase features 80-plus regional businesses on display, with plenty of opportunities for networking. It is free to attend, with fees to exhibit. ARCC Members can register to exhibit on the ARCC website at www.adirondackchamber.org/ events. Visitors are encouraged to bring plenty of business cards, Rogers said. Exhibit setup that day will be 1-3 p.m. For more information, contact Carol Ann Conover, member services and events manager, at 518-798-1761 ext. 220 or by email at caconover@

People browse exhibitor booths at a previous ARCC B2B Expo at the Queensbury Hotel. Courtesy ARCC

adirondackchamber.org. ARCC serves more than 1,000 members, predominantly in Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties.

Paul Scimeca, who has served Glens Falls Hospital for three decades, was named the hospital’s president and CEO after serving in an interim role since Jan. 1. Glens Falls Hospital is a member of the Albany Med Health System. He succeeds Dianne Shugrue, who retired in December 2021. Announcing Scimeca’s appointment to staff, Glens Falls Hospital Board of Governors Chair George Ferrone said, “Over his 33-year career at Glens Falls Hospital, Paul has learned every aspect of our clinical and administrative operations. He is respected and admired not only for the depth and breadth of his health care knowledge, but also for his commitment to the Glens Falls Hospital teams he leads, and the communities they serve.” “Paul was the unanimous choice of our Board for good reason,” Ferrone added. Scimeca earned a bachelor’s degree in planning from New York University and a master’s degree in health services administration from Russell Sage College in Albany. He has held positions of increasing responsibility since joining Glens Falls Hospital in 1989 as communications manager. Scimeca was promoted to director of community services in 1994 and executive director of Adirondack Medical Services in 2000. He later became vice president of physician practice and

community health, overseeing the hospital’s 16 primary and specialty care practices, and led the development and implementation of the hospital’s Continued On Page 16