SBJ 9 Broad Street, #7 Glens Falls, NY 12801
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
VOL. 30 NO. 07
HH The Business Newspaper of Saratoga County HH
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
GLENS FALLS, NY 12801 PERMIT #600
SEPTEMBER 2025
www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
Morcon Tissue Moves To Larger Greenwich Saratoga Racing Season Delivers Strong Facility To Support Rapid Sales Growth Attendance And Major Economic Boost BY PAUL POST Morcon Tissue’s move from Eagle Bridge to a larger Greenwich site is expected to accelerate already fast-paced sales that have grown from $20 million to $125 million annually since 2013, when President and CEO Joseph Raccuia purchased the firm. Morcon buys large rolls of paper—more than eight feet wide—from domestic and overseas suppliers and converts it into disposable napkins, towels and tissue for the away-fromhome market, which includes restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals and sports arenas. It recently secured contracts to supply all Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants across the U.S., as well as AMC Theatres and half of all Dunkin’ franchises. Morcon is moving into 90,000 square feet of leased space at a former Essity paper company facility that Fort Miller Group purchased earlier this year. “It just gives us room to grow,” said Raccuia, former president and CEO of both Finch Paper in Glens Falls and South Glens Falls-based SCA Tissue North America. “We’ve got an excellent workforce. If we moved any more than 15 or 20 minutes from that Eagle Bridge facility, we ran the risk of losing employees. This allows us to retain them and pull more from other places such as Schuylerville, Saratoga Springs and Moreau. It gives us more hiring options.” Morcon began using its new site for storage and warehousing on July 1. Plans call for moving machines there in January. Essity vacated its Greenwich converting facility in July 2023, at the same time its South Glens Falls paper mill closed, eliminating 300 jobs. Morcon tried to buy the 230,000-squarefoot Greenwich building, but Essity refused to sell to a competitor. Fort Miller Group bought it for $4.5 million, despite being outbid by Morcon. Fort Miller Group purchased the building to consolidate operations for two of its
four subsidiary firms, Access Anvil Corp. and TYMETAL. Access Anvil specializes in overhead doors, fence and gate installation, and the Scott System, which makes urethane formliners, concrete formwork and thin brick inlay systems for the construction industry. TYMETAL is a leading manufacturer of perimeter security systems, including commercial, industrial and correctional gates, and crash barriers. Access Anvil was previously located on Route 9 in Glens Falls and in Greenwich. “Now they’re all together in the same location,” said Rick Schumaker, Fort Miller Group director. “That’s the main reason for buying the building. It’s in spectacular shape. We didn’t have to do much at all. We renovated the offices and moved Access Anvil in right away.” Likewise, TYMETAL is continually expanding, so the former Essity building gives it room to grow, too, he said. Fort Miller Group also owns Fort Miller Precast, which manufactures precast concrete infrastructure for highways, bridges and utilities, and FM Service Corp., which makes burial vaults. The group’s four companies employ 580 people. After Access Anvil and TYMETAL moved to the former Essity plant, there was still a great deal of vacant space, which Morcon is now leasing. Morcon buys paper on the open market from U.S. suppliers and others in Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Italy. About 80 percent of the paper it buys is recycled. The rest is virgin grade, mostly from fast-growing trees such as eucalyptus found in warmer climates. “The U.S. is the number one user of disposable napkins, towels and tissue per capita,” Raccuia said. “This is the place everybody wants to come to sell paper. There’s plenty of opportunity for us to buy and convert paper.” Morcon’s corporate headquarters are at 18 Continued On Page 7
Fans filled the Saratoga Race Course grounds during the 2025 summer meet, which drew more than 1 million visitors and generated nearly $450 million in local economic impact. BY PAUL POST Dust is still settling from 49 days of Saratoga racing, which attracted more than 1.2 million fans and generated over $1 billion in all-sources wagering. But local officials already are anticipating an even better season next year when the Belmont Stakes returns to the historic track for a third and final time, complemented by major plans to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026. This year’s regular 40-day Saratoga Race Course meet was preceded by the five-day Belmont Stakes and four-day July 4 racing festivals. “Saratoga County has enjoyed not only international and national media exposure, but the economic impact is considered significant and substantial,” said Greg Connors, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation president. “An independent analysis of the impact on Saratoga
Paul Post photo
County by the world-class racing industry estimates $9 million dollars per day in economic impact realized. The easy math, of course, is that the 49 days of thoroughbred racing added close to $450 million dollars to the Saratoga County economy.” “We will begin planning for another Belmont Racing Festival soon and as the Saratoga 250 celebration fast approaches, Saratoga County and the Capital Region will again attract both international and national attention as well as recognition for our welcoming hospitality, vibrant business districts and four-season recreational opportunities,” he said. All-sources handle for the 40-day meet was $791,129,471, including a record $49,651,341 of wagering on Whitney Day and $54,309,929 on DraftKings Travers Day, the third highest Continued On Page 10
Saratoga International Flavorfeast Marks 10th Standard Fare Offers Diners Foods They Anniversary In Downtown Saratoga Springs Remember In Interesting Presentations The Saratoga International Flavorfeast will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 11, showcasing food and culture from around the world in downtown Saratoga Springs. Presented by Saratoga Food Fanatic, Network Saratoga and Discover Saratoga, the event features international cuisine from local restaurants and vendors, offering $2 food samples from countries including Ireland, Italy, India, Guatemala, Spain and Mexico. Passport maps will be available beginning at 11 a.m. at the Spa City Motor Lodge, Division Street and Broadway. The day will also feature multicultural performances such as African drumming, Asian dance, fiddling and accordion music at several downtown locations. A full list of restaurants and performances will be posted the week of the event at www.saratogaflavorfeast.com. Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Flavorfeast is supported by community partners and sponsors including Prime Group Holdings, Adirondack Trust Co., Stewart’s Shops and the Saratoga Springs City Center. Proceeds
Colorful cultural performances will highlight the 10th annual Saratoga International Flavorfeast. Courtesy Saratoga International Flavorfest
benefit the Franklin Community Center Food Pantry. For sponsorship, restaurant or performer participation, call 518-365-3459.
BY ROD BACON A pair of entrepreneurs well versed in the hospitality industry have launched Saratoga Springs’ newest dining venue. Clark Gale and Zac Denham, who created Bocage Champagne Bar on Phila Street in 2022, have opened Standard Fare directly opposite it. Touted as “A Fresh Take on Comfort Food in Saratoga Springs,” the owners say they are taking popular menu items and elevating their presentation. “Our focus is on creating dishes that we all have familiarity and warm memories of, and present them in a really great way,” Gale said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel on dishes like meatloaf or pork chops or roast chicken but we’re delivering them in a way different from the traditional presentation.” The executive chef creating this delightful fare is Connor DeMarco, who also oversees the kitchen at Bocage Champagne Bar. A Saratoga Springs native, he has created unique cuisine at Lillian’s, Merry Monk, Fish at 30 Lake, Rascals Steakhouse at Crossgates, The Merc, Prime, and Cantina. He also spent some time working on the southwest coast of Florida. “Standard Fare isn’t just about food, it’s about energy,” said Gale. “You can feel it in the dining
Standard Fare, Saratoga’s newest full-service restaurant, opened recently on 21 Phila Street. Saratoga Business Journal
room, see it in the kitchen, and taste it in every bite. We’ve been blown away by the creativity of the kitchen team.” Continued On Page 10