GBJ 9 Broad Street #7 Glens Falls, NY 12801
GLENS FALLS BUSINESS JOURNAL
VOL. 37 NO. 08
www.glensfallsbusinessjournal.com
HH The Business Newspaper of Warren and Washington Counties HH
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GLENS FALLS, NY 12801 PERMIT #600
OCTOBER 2025
Tech, Manufacturing, And Small Business Growth New York’s ‘Two-Apple Season’ Delivers Drive Warren And Saratoga County Development Exceptional Flavor And Strong Yields BY PAUL POST Interest in available Warren County shovel-ready sites is at its highest point in recent history. The key is matching prospective investors with the property they need. Quite often, firms don’t have to be sold on features such as reliable infrastructure and high quality of life. They come because of prior familiarity with the area. “It’s generally relationships that lead people here,” said Jim Siplon, Warren County Economic Development Corporation president. “They’re referred by somebody they do business with, they’ve been to our area or have a connection to someone in our area. For example, the medical device industry, the Sheridans and Phil Morse, they chose to build that industry here because they had some connection to the place. It’s those relationships that tend to generate the most impact, more than purely listings.” Queensbury Industrial Park near Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport, Tech Meadows in West Glens Falls, and large privately-held parcels off Big Bay and Corinth roads near Exit 18 are prime development sites in Warren County. “Right now we have more than 60 active business inquiries,” Siplon said. “That’s as high as it’s ever been since I’ve been on the job five years. We continue to be bullish about it. Most are from this area, but some are from other parts of the country and world.” Last month, a prospective food-related business visited Warren County. “It was a combination of place and access to some of the raw materials they would use,” Siplon said. Glens Falls was once a hub of heavy industry, not only paper mills, but other large employers that have shuttered their doors, most recently the former Lehigh Cement Company that closed in 2023 after 130 years of operation. Across the Hudson River, the
Mega Storage NY joins new commercial projects fueling regional growth, on Corinth Road. Glens Falls Business Journal
large former Essity paper mill lies idle in South Glens Falls. But the days of chasing similar firms to locate here are long gone, Siplon said. “What we have to do is go after things that have 20, 30, 40 people,” he said. “We have more than 15 breweries, distilleries and wineries in our area now. If you look at the growth of that sector against the loss of traditional manufacturing jobs they’re almost equal. That doesn’t mean that people from Lehigh are working for Northway Brewing now. But we are seeing a move from large, concentrated industrial entities to smaller more craft-oriented businesses.” Prime Arrow, one of many new cannabis firms to locate locally, purchased a nineacre property last year on Stone Quarry Road in Queensbury, near the Army NaContinued On Page 6
Rows of ripening apples at a New York orchard reflect what growers call a “two-apple season,” marked by exceptional color, flavor, and strong yields across the state. BY PAUL POST Industry leaders call it a two apple season. “The color and flavor this year are phenomenal, where if you have one apple it’s so good you immediately reach for another one,” said Cynthia Haskins, New York Apple Association president. “If you haven’t tried a new crop apple yet, go out and buy some. They really are good.” New York is the nation’s second-leading apple producer, surpassed only by Washington state; a $2.1 billion industry that supports nearly 12,000 jobs, a Cornell study says. The impact is especially important to rural small towns and hamlets where farms are located, as there are 150 you-pick destinations that draw huge crowds on autumn weekends. Visitors quite often patronize other small business, too, such as retail shops and convenience stores
Courtesy NY Apple Association
during fun family outings. A recent Warrensburg Apple Festival gave a variety of local vendors a chance to market their products in this Adirondack town. In Argyle, Washington County, McWhorter’s Orchard owner Mel McWhorter said, “We’re very, very busy. We’ve got a lot of activity. Traffic through the building here is very good. Ninety percent of our business is from Warren and Washington counties, but I always look at the address when people pay with checks. We get customers from Crown Point to the Schoharie Valley and some from Poultney, Vt.” Bowman Orchards in Rexford, southern Saratoga County, is a full-fledged agritourism destination featuring a “Stalked: Haunted Corn Maze” and extensive children’s play area with Continued On Page 10
Adirondack Thunder’s Home Opener Kicks ARCC Celebrates Business & Commitment Off Promising Year For Team And Community To Community At Annual Business Awards BY PAUL POST The Adirondack Thunder, under new Head Coach Sylvan Cloutier, can’t wait for the puck to drop at their Saturday, Oct. 25 home opener against the reigning Kelly Cup champion Trois-Rivieres Lions. A successful season, and a wide variety of upcoming non-hockey events, would bolster Harding-Mazzotti Arena’s fiscal bottom line and enhance its positive impact on the downtown Glens Falls economy. “Hopefully in 2025-26 we have a great year on and off the ice with the team and big events; a great season where we can invest all the money back into the building,” said Jeff Mead, Thunder president and arena and general manager. The 46-year-old arena has seen a series of major capital upgrades in recent years, but needs a whole new ice plant, engine room, and ice rink boards and glass, costing an estimated $5 million, he said. Tough, speedy forward Matt Salhany, returning to Adirondack after five years in Europe; defenseman and former South Carolina Stingrays captain Jacob Graves; and 15-year ECHL veteran Justin Taylor are among a core group that Cloutier is counting on heavily to provide leadership for the team’s younger players. “Character, commitment, hard work,” Cloutier said. “We wanted guys with a high compete level and people that want to buy in
Adirondack Thunder Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier prepares for his first season behind the bench. Courtesy Adirondack Thunder
coming into our community, knowing how passionate and knowledgeable our fans are about the game. Obviously you want to win hockey games, but it’s a small community so we need guys who want to be a part of it. That was a very important part of our recruiting.” The Thunder set an all-time attendance reContinued On Page 9
Nearly 270 people attended the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Awards breakfast at The Queensbury Hotel, celebrating the businesses and organizations that strengthen the region. One of the event’s highlights was recognizing the contributions of 45 nominees before announcing the 2025 award winners. Winners of the 2025 ARCC Business Awards were: • Steven M. Sutton Small Business of the Year: Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center — A community entertainment center known for hosting fundraisers and collecting donations to support local causes. • Large Business of the Year: ADNET Technologies — A leading IT solutions provider with an 86–90 percent employee retention rate and a “work-from-anywhere” culture that promotes productivity and satisfaction. • Professional Business of the Year: FitzGerald Morris Baker Firth P.C. — A regional law firm founded in 1936 that operates under the motto “Power in Team.” • Large Nonprofit of the Year: Silver Bay YMCA — A retreat and conference center that has provided more than $1.4 million in community benefits through its programs and services. • Small Nonprofit of the Year: The Hyde
ARCC’s 2025 Business Awards honored local excellence across seven categories. Courtesy ARCC
Collection — A world-class art museum committed to expanding access to art education, workshops, and hands-on activities for all ages. • Rookie Business of the Year: Skin Renaissance Studio — A serene wellness space offering restorative treatments designed to help clients slow down and reContinued On Page 10