Category Archives: Business News

By Paul Post

Revolution Rail Company has begun offering adventuresome rail bike rides at historic Riverside Station in Riparius, its fourth Warren County location in addition to North Creek, Thurman and Hadley.

The company also has a challenging 20-mile round trip out of North River, on the old Tahawus line that it purchased three years ago, out of bankruptcy.

“This is an example of a business that takes the attributes, which make this place special and then turns it into enterprise,” said Jim Siplon, Warren County Economic Development Corporation president, during recent ribbon cutting ceremonies. “It doesn’t compromise the values of the (Adirondack) Park, but enhances them. It’s a role model for how we’re going to grow going forward in a way that’s aligned with the place, but doesn’t threaten it.”

Farther south, Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway had its best year ever last year, with 37,000 passengers, and continues to grow with a variety of year-round, special themed trips such as Moonlight Moonshine Express, a Sunday Funday Sundae Train, Autumn Explorer, Pumpkin Picker and Candy Cane Express, its most popular ride, at Christmas time.

By Paul Post

Sylvain Cloutier made it all the way up to the NHL during his 21-year pro career.

He’s in the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame for his outstanding play with the Red Wings, IceHawks and Frostbite.

He also has extensive minor league and major junior experience behind the bench, but most important, he’s a proven winner, which made him the best choice among nearly 50 candidates to become the Adirondack Thunder’s new head coach.

“We did like the fact that he has a history in Adirondack,” team President and General Manager Jeff Mead said. “The biggest factor is we think he’s the right person to lead our team back to the playoffs and compete at the highest levels of the ECHL on a consistent basis.”

The 51-year-old Cloutier was introduced to dozens of enthusiastic fans who turned out for a July 15 press conference at Heritage Hall in Cool Insuring Arena. He takes over a team that set a franchise attendance record last season, but also went from first to worst in the ECHL’s North Division standings.

By STAFF WRITER

Daifuku launched this spring at 756 Upper Glen Street in Queensbury Plaza following a two-week renovation of the previous Zou Japanese Steakhouse in March. The updates featured a full interior makeover, a broader menu, and a rebranding under the Daifuku name.

“We did a complete overhaul and rebranding to establish Daifuku as a fresh Asian fusion spot with a wide-ranging menu that includes sushi, hibachi, ramen, and poke bowls, along with traditional Japanese and Chinese cuisine,” said Heather Thompson, manager at Daifuku.

The 4,200-square-foot venue now boasts a larger bar area, a new sushi counter, a semi-private lounge, and a private dining space for small gatherings, plus a main dining area and a hibachi room featuring six tables. “We also introduced a distinctive traditional Japanese raised tatami-style seating area, where guests sit on cushions on tatami mats around low tables. It might be the only one like it in the region,” Thompson added.

By Anne Donnelly

In the bustling design world, where trends come and go, Joël Lynn Designs is a testament to passion, heritage, and a deep understanding of what makes a house a home. Owner Joël Lynn Ralph, whose showroom in Glens Falls will celebrate its second anniversary in July, has built a thriving business focusing on kitchens, baths, and more.

Design, for Ralph, is not just a profession; it’s a family legacy. She explains, “I had a great uncle who used to build cabinets. My mother’s father was a builder. So, having graph paper in our house and drawing up plans was always just a natural thing. When my parents were renovating their home, my mom was drawing up plans on graph paper, and my older brother taught me how to measure the squares to see how many feet are in the square.”

Ralph’s career journey into kitchen and bath design started when her brother, who owned a kitchen and bath company, asked her to help organize his showroom. Curious about the design process, Ralph would take the designer’s plans home. “I used to draw over them and try to understand what all this was about.”

However, the leap to establishing her own business came after COVID. She started representing a cabinet line but soon found herself inundated with calls from people asking her to design kitchens for them. What began as a side endeavor quickly grew organically, with calls continuously coming in. She worked from home for about two years before opening her showroom.

By Anne Donnelly

Cleome Table + Bar has quickly become a standout in Glens Falls’ popular dining scene, marking the hometown return of chef and co-owner Jakob White.With culinary experience in Boston and the Virgin Islands, White brings a distinctive mix of skill and passion to an experience that resonates with locals and visitors alike.

Since opening in April on South Street in Glens Falls, Cleome has become a popular spot for dinner, drinks and shared plates.

The terrace offers a streetscape view of the Civil War Soldiers Monument and City Park—delivering on White’s vision of a space where “people can come together over delicious food and then have a unified experience that they could talk about and share.”

White’s culinary journey began during an uncertain time in his youth. Cooking, originally a hobby, became a calling thanks to the encouragement of friends and family. A pivotal moment came when his family asked him to cook Christmas Eve dinner.

“It felt like a lot of pressure at the time,” he said. But the positive response—especially to his signature “creative touch”—solidified his belief that “people may enjoy the things that I can create.” Another early success was winning a category at the Bands and Beans chili cook-off in Lake George, prior to attending culinary school.

By Rod Bacon

For years, Emmett Smith, co-founder and CEO of Saranac Lake-based Northern Power & Light, and Dr. Jeffrey Flagg, economic development director for the City of Glens Falls, discussed hydro-based projects but couldn’t find one that was actionable. 

That changed when the Glens Falls Community Hydro Project went live on May 21. The project is delivering clean, renewable energy to National Grid customers in Warren, Washington, and Saratoga counties and beyond. 

Northern Power & Light has partnered with Boralex Hydro Operations, Inc., a developer of environmentally friendly projects that owns and operates the Warrensburg Dam. They operate 199 wind, solar, and hydro facilities in the United States and abroad.  

Customers enrolling in the program are guaranteed a 5 percent saving on their energy bills. Qualifying low-income customers may see savings of up to 25 percent.

Cost savings are due in part to the recent implementation of the H-Value, a pricing structure that enables small-scale hydro producers to participate in New York state’s Community Distributed Generation program. This policy reform allows the energy producers to provide cost savings for customers, similar to incentives available for solar producers.

Editor’s Note: July 7, 2025
This article incorrectly stated in the headline that BOCES had broken ground on its new $96 million Wilton campus. The groundbreaking has not yet occurred. The headline has been updated to reflect that the event is forthcoming.

By Paul Post

BOCES officials are eagerly awaiting groundbreaking for a $96 million campus that will increase capacity for current programs such as construction trades while making new offerings such as green energy and a standalone electrical course possible.

Plans call for three buildings totaling 290,000 square feet on 25 acres at the corner of Ballard and North roads, just off Exit 16 in Wilton. Two buildings would be for special education (grades K-6 and 7-12) and a third for career and technical classes.

 The complex would replace the current Southern Adirondack and F. Donald Myers learning centers in Hudson Falls and Saratoga Springs, respectively.

A BOCES program for special education elementary students at the Sanford Street School in Glens Falls would also move to Wilton.

“Currently we tend to have a wait list for our programs,” BOCES District Superintendent Turina M. Parker said. “So we’ll be able to take more students into current programs. And some programs we’re only able to offer at one center now. All programs will be offered at the new center, so it expands our capacity to serve all 31 school districts in the five counties we serve. It expands our reach for students across the region.”

Capital Region entrepreneur Daniel T. Pickett III has been elected chairman of the Albany Med Health System board of directors, beginning a two-year term July 1.

Pickett is founder and CEO of AptiHealth, a behavioral-healthcare company that connects high-need patients with comprehensive care, and CEO of Hudson River Capital Holdings, a private investment firm. He previously served as president of Zones and CEO of nfrastructure, two global technology companies, and joined the Albany Med board in 2012 when it oversaw only Albany Medical Center and Albany Medical College. Today, the board includes 30 members guiding a system that spans multiple hospitals, outpatient sites, the Albany Med Research Institute and partnerships with affiliated organizations across northeastern New York.

“A strong health-care network allows communities to thrive,” Pickett said. “Having 16,000 colleagues who live and work here means we understand local needs. It is an honor to lead a System that remains independent and able to define the future of care. As we move forward, we must develop new approaches to meet patients where they are.”

Pickett plans to focus on workforce development, expand access to specialized services such as cardiac and oncology care, and deepen integration among the System’s hospitals. The Albany Med Health System, the region’s largest private employer, offers more than 60 specialty services across 125 locations in New York’s Capital Region and the Hudson Valley, with an annual economic impact exceeding $2 billion.

Recent expansions include bringing pediatric specialties to communities that previously lacked them, launching mobile health units to serve rural areas, and investing in graduate medical education partnerships to train the next generation of providers. The System also continues to invest in telehealth and remote monitoring to reach patients in their homes and reduce barriers to care. Through charity-care programs and community clinics, Albany Med provides free or discounted services to underserved populations.