Photo provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Captain James Diefenderfer, Commanding Officer of the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa, spoke to attendees of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s Veterans Business Council Annual Breakfast on October 28 in Saratoga Springs.
According to the Naval Sea Systems Command, Captain Diefenderfer’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (5), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various unit, campaign, and service awards.
Captain Diefenderfer’s shipboard assignments include: USS Chosin (CG 65) as First Lieutenant; USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as Reactor Mechanical Division Officer; USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) as Operations Officer; USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as Reactor Training Assistant; and USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) as Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer.
While in Command of USS The Sullivans, his ship earned the Battle E twice, won the Battenberg Cup, deployed independently to 5th and 6th Fleets, and with the HMS Queen Elizabeth Strike Group to 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleets.
Ashore, he served as Shift Engineer at the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa at the S8G/AFR Prototype, on the Navy Staff in the Navy Warfare Group (OPNAV N515), and on the U.S. Northern Command Staff as a Missile Defense Officer and as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — If you’re seeking stardom, head to Hollywood. If you’re a finance bro, take the next train to Lower Manhattan. If you grew up addicted to Nintendo or “Halo,” the best destination might be Upstate New York.
Few businesses are reeling in as many talented young gamers as Rushdown Studios, a video game company based in Saratoga Springs that’s stocked full of developers. Launched in 2021 by three people, Rushdown has grown at a rapid pace. This year, they have 30 employees. In the not-too-distant future, they project they’ll have 100. They were profitable in year one and doubled their revenue in year two. Thus far, the company has contributed to a number of notable games, including “PUBG,” “Among Us,” “League of Legends,” and “Last Epoch.”
What is Rushdown’s secret sauce that allows them to thrive in a small city known more for horses than high scores? Co-founder and CEO Kirk Becker said much of his company’s success revolves around its growing reputation.
“The video game industry, as much as the market cap is massive, it really feels like a small industry,” Becker said. “You see the same companies, the same people, at video game conferences. At [the Game Developers Conference] in San Francisco every year, there are so many familiar faces. If someone gets a bad reputation early on, it’s really hard to dig yourself out of that hole.”
Rushdown’s early successes have allowed them to court prospective hires with companies like Riot Games (“League of Legends”) and Blizzard Entertainment (“World of Warcraft,” “Diablo”) on their resumes.
“Talent from these studios want to come work at Rushdown,” Becker said. “That’s awesome.”
Some developers may want a change of scenery, fleeing giant companies in crowded California cities for the serenity of Upstate New York and Vermont. Others, however, may stay put. Roughly half of Rushdown’s workers are local, while the rest are remote.
“A lot of times if you’re hiring someone with [C++ and game engines] expertise, you’re taking them from another Upstate New York video game studio if they’re in the area. So we hire remotely,” Becker said. “But [back-end engineering] talent is much more accessible in Upstate New York, so we might lean towards hiring those folks to be in office.”
Although many people in the industry live and work in California, Upstate does have some enticing advantages over the West Coast.
“There are people who are like, ‘I’d love to work in the Adirondacks and still have the same job working on games,’” said Andy Polidore, Rushdown’s co-founder and COO.
Polidore also said that an East Coast time zone allows Rushdown to work well with both West Coast-based companies and partners in the U.K. and Europe. In other words, New York is conveniently placed right in the middle of major video game companies across the globe.
As Rushdown’s staff and client list both continue to grow, the company hopes to become large enough that it can build its own games from start to finish. Having a larger company would “unlock different types of work that we can say yes to,” Becker said. “Why that’s important to us is because we all love games and we would love to work on a game end-to-end and own the entire thing, and have someone pay us to do that.”
Rushdown is actively hiring for a variety of positions and currently has five openings posted to its website. To learn more about the company or view its job listings, visit www.rushdownstudio.com.
MALTA — A free community event about the role of physical therapy in knee arthritis and replacement will take place at Saratoga Physical Therapy Associates office in Malta on November 16 at 1 p.m.
The talk, titled “Having a Knee Replacement? A Physical Therapist Can Help,” will be presented by physical therapist Matt O’Neil, a partner with Saratoga Physical Therapy Associates. O’Neil has been practicing physical therapy for three decades, specializing in working with patients with knee-joint arthritis, including before and after replacement. Topics to be covered include: osteoarthritis overview, conservative management through physical therapy, and total knee replacement before and after care.
The Saratoga Physical Therapy Associates Malta office is located at 2388 Route 9, at the intersection of Knabner Road and Route 9, just south of the Malta Route 9 traffic circle. Questions will be welcome at the talk. Seating is limited, so reservations are requested at 518-899-1140.
Saratoga Federal’s new headquarters at 189 Ballston Avenue. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Federal, a credit union that has served the community for nearly 80 years, recently announced the relocation of its headquarters to a new facility in Saratoga Plaza at 189 Ballston Avenue in Saratoga Springs. The new headquarters will feature modern amenities designed to improve member experience.
“We are proud of our history and excited about our future,” said Don Denofio, President/CEO of Saratoga Federal, in a statement. “Parking downtown is a growing concern for our members. We are pleased to offer 40+ dedicated parking spots, expanded hours, and a drive-thru at the new location.”
The downtown branch at 23 Division Street, which has served as the credit union’s home for many years, will be put up for sale. The Ballston Spa branch office at 444 Geyser Road will remain open.
The Galway Local, located at 5306 Sacandaga Road in Galway, recently celebrated its first anniversary at a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. The cafe and supermarket offers scratch-made dishes, sandwiches, salads, groceries, produce, and more. Photo provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
The Saratoga Ladies of Saratoga National Cemetery, a volunteer group of women honoring deceased veterans, is hosting its annual Veterans Day celebration on November 11 at 11 a.m. The event will include musical selections, essay readings from a local school, a wreath-laying ceremony, and other services. The Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery is located at 200 Duell Road in Schuylerville. Photo provided by Saratoga Ladies.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Julie & Co. Realty announced last week that Ella Caroline Russom has joined the company as a realtor.
Russom first joined Julie & Co. as an intern. She previously focused on college business courses in marketing, hospitality, tourism, and management. She completed the Manfred Real Estate Salesperson Licensing course to help her achieve her goal of becoming a realtor.
BALLSTON SPA — Amber Hensley has been named Assistant Vice President, Business Development Officer of the Ballston Spa National Bank (BSNB), the company announced last week.
In the role, Hensley will be responsible for developing and cultivating relationships with business banking customers across the Capital Region. She joined BSNB following a tenure at Pioneer Bank in Albany, where she served as a Business Banking Relationship Manager. Prior to that, Hensley also managed Pioneer’s headquarters branch, overseeing sales performance and business growth initiatives.
“Ballston Spa National Bank’s rich history and community-centric focus align with my philosophy that banking is more than conducting transactions,” Hensley said in a statement. “It’s an opportunity to partner with our customers in their own space, understand and embrace their unique challenges, and create a customized program to enable their success, whether that’s providing an equipment loan, a commercial line of credit, an expansion loan or other business service.”
The exterior and interior of Union Hall Supply Co.’s new location in Albany’s Stuyvesant Plaza. Photos provided.
ALBANY — Heidi West, a Saratoga Springs business owner whose brands include Lifestyles of Saratoga, Caroline + Main, and the Union Hall Supply Co., has expanded her empire to Albany, where a second Union Hall location opened in the Stuyvesant Plaza last week.
The brick-and-mortar store carries on the same mission as its Saratoga location, to create a refined shopping experience for men seeking well-made goods. Style guides focus on small batch and ethical production practices, hand-picking pieces from brands such as Faherty, Johnnie O, Relwen, Marine Layer, and Rails.
The second location opens as part of the reimagining of the Stuyvesant Plaza, joining a mix of retailers within a mainstay shopping destination that’s been part of the Capital Region since 1959.
Chamber President Todd Shimkus (right) poses with Joann and Matt Swapp of Saratoga Wine Exchange in support of the Love Our Locals $20.24 campaign. Photo provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce is kicking off its Love Our Locals $20.24 campaign, an initiative that emphasizes the importance of supporting local businesses and non-profit organizations.
The campaign will begin on Friday, November 1 and continue until the end of the year. During this time, residents and tourists who support any business or non-profit in Saratoga County by spending or donating $20.24 or more are eligible to enter a gift card giveaway.
Individuals are encouraged to submit their receipts of $20.24 or more online at www.saratoga.org/love-our-locals to enter. Each week, the Chamber will randomly select winners for $100 in gift cards to businesses across the county.
Love Our Locals $20.24 is sponsored by SaratogaWine.com and other area businesses that donate gift cards as prizes.
