WILTON — Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL) relocated its Saratoga County office to 3065 NY-50, inside Wilton Mall. “Wilton Mall offers SAIL and the community we serve an accessible and innovative new location, more centrally located to the heart of Saratoga County,” said Tyler Whitney, deputy executive director of SAIL, a nonprofit organization that provides services to help people living with disabilities achieve the greatest level of independence possible. 

With offices in Saratoga, Queensbury and Plattsburgh, SAIL provides an array of services, including a free medical equipment loan program, health insurance enrollment services including Medicaid and Medicare, home assistance and help with filling out community resource applications, among others. “This new space provides a warm environment in which our staff can continue to assist our community members on their journey toward independent living,” Whitney said. “We find that repurposing a location once used for retail is a trailblazing idea that can bring new life to shopping centers.”

Founded as Glens Falls Independent Living Center in 1988, SAIL opened offices in Saratoga in 1994 and Plattsburgh in 2013. The organization was renamed in 2007 to better reflect its commitment to providing services throughout the North Country, Glens Falls and Saratoga regions. The nonprofit organization is funded through donations and grants. To support SAIL and its services, visit their website: www.sailhelps.org. 

SARATOGA — According to documents filed with the Saratoga County clerk’s office on September 27, the DelMonte Hotel Group out of Rochester has purchased the Homewood Suites by Hilton on South Broadway. The hotel, which includes over 100 rooms, is the firm’s second acquisition in the community in the past year. The property was purchased for $15.25 million.

Alex DelMonte, chief executive of the hotel group, acquired the hotel from Turf Hotels of Latham and Pioneer Cos. 

This acquisition follows the group’s previous purchase of the Hampton Inn & Suites hotel in downtown Saratoga Springs in December 2021. DelMonte bought that property from Turf Hotels and developer Frank Parillo for $28.25 million. That deal included the real estate, a two-story parking garage, the business, plus furniture and equipment. The DelMonte Group, whose portfolio includes hotels in three different states, has expanded its presence in th region over the past few years. The company now has six Marriott and Hilton properties in Albany, Troy and Saratoga Springs.

Let’s talk about insurance. 

I know, it’s dry like an overcooked steak. I get it.

But it’s also important, and in my world it can be critical.

Today we’re not talking general insurance, however; we’re talking SUM insurance.

Many of you have probably never heard this term before; and that’s generally good – it means you’ve never had to use it. 

SUM stands for Supplementary Uninsured Motorist, and SUM insurance is a part of your auto insurance policy. SUM encompasses both UM (uninsured motorist) and UIM (underinsured motorist) and is meant to step in if you are severely hurt in a car accident, but the other driver either has no insurance or (more likely) does not have adequate insurance coverage to protect/compensate you.

Here’s a fun fact: Everyone in New York has some minimum level of SUM coverage, which means the good news is that you already have some. The bad news is that the bare bones limits are $25,000 per policy, which is woefully inadequate. 

Let’s look at a common scenario in our practice: Person 1 – we’ll call her Jane – is driving down the street and is T-boned by Person 2 – we’ll call him John – at an intersection. Jane breaks her leg in two places, and in addition to requiring a substantial surgery, has a long recovery and is out of work for six months. Jane owns a successful chiropractic business, and while she is able to get coverage during her absence, it costs her a substantial amount of money.

Jane comes to us for help, and one of the first things we do is investigate how much insurance John has to adequately compensate Jane for her physical and economic losses. Unfortunately, we learn early on that John has a minimum insurance policy, and only maintains $25,000 worth of liability coverage. This is inadequate, but it is also relatively common.

From here, one of two scenarios will occur. 

In scenario #1, Jane has the New York State minimum SUM coverage of $25,000. Because that amount is the same as the other driver’s insurance, Jane cannot make a claim and she is capped at recovering $25,000 from the other driver’s insurance company. In most instances this constitutes the entirety of Jane’s recovery, which does not even come close to making her whole.

In scenario #2, Jane has thought about SUM coverage, and has increased the coverage on her policy to $500,000. Now, once she has exhausted John’s coverage of $25,000, she can look to her own insurance carrier under the SUM portion of the policy. Jane can now obtain something close to a complete financial recovery for her injuries and losses as a result of the accident.

The kicker here – SUM coverage is relatively cheap. Adding substantial coverage to a policy will cost, maybe, a few hundred dollars per year. 

Our world deals with loss, assessment of fault, and risk management. Increasing SUM coverage is something that anyone who owns a car can do, and it can make a significant difference if you find yourself severely injured in an automobile accident.

This is something that I talk about quite a bit, for good reason. This year alone I have had several clients come to me following a very severe accident, only to find out that the other driver has minimal coverage and, critically, that the client has minimal SUM coverage as well. It can be a very difficult conversation in cases involving severely injured individuals. 

The takeaway for this week: talk with your insurance agent or go online and look at your policy. Increase your SUM limits as much as you are able. Like any insurance, hopefully you’ll never need it, but if you do, you’ll be glad you have it. 

Coming next time: the other side of the coin – do you have enough coverage?

If you have questions about SUM coverage or injuries after an accident, give us a call. We’re always happy to chat. 518-308-8339, www.doraziopeterson.com

Disclaimer: This column is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or the basis for an attorney-client relationship, which may only be achieved following consultation and execution of a formal engagement agreement.

AMSTERDAM —On September 30, Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, an award-winning baby and toddler food manufacturer, hosted its 6th annual “Beech-Nut Gives Back” drive-thru food distribution event for local families in need. The drive-thru event provides baby food, fresh produce and shelf-stable pantry items. They placed 1,015 boxes of food in the trunks of cars as traffic wound through the parking lot of the Amsterdam-based headquarters and manufacturing facility.

Boxes contained Beech-Nut jars, pouches, and Crispeas, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables from regional farms including Genecco Produce, Mancuso Marketing & Sales, Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards, and bread from Bimbo Bakeries. Additional shelf-stable pantry items were donated by the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.  

Amanda Ettinger, Consumer Engagement Manager and co-chair of Beech-Nut’s “Helping Hands” community-service initiatives, said, “This event is something our associates look forward to each year. As a company in the business of feeding young children, we are committed to challenging the issue of food insecurity right here in our local community. We appreciated the chance to come together as a Beech-Nut family to host this event.”

Since 1931, Beech-Nut® Nutrition Company has been a leader in the baby food category and is the #1 jarred baby food on the market. Beech-Nut operates a state-of-the-art LEED certified manufacturing facility in Amsterdam, New York where it produces a variety of organic and conventional certified baby and toddler foods. Beech-Nut is a subsidiary of Hero AG of Lenzburg, Switzerland, a global leader in consumer goods and infant feeding. For more information, visit www.beechnut.com. 

ALBANY — Pursuit, an Albany-based provider of alternative business financing, has recently announced Chris Levy as their new Chief Executive Officer after former CEO Patrick MacKrell’s retirement on Sept. 30.

Chris Levy previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Pursuit, where he headed all company operations, shaping policies, culture and growth. 

After interning with Pursuit, Chris joined the team full-time in 2012 as an underwriter. Shortly after that, he was promoted to oversee the credit department and ultimately served as Chief Credit Officer. Chris’s deep knowledge of SBA underwriting, credit, policy management, and team management has allowed him to continue to expand his role at Pursuit throughout his tenure. Chris oversaw Pursuit’s administration of the Paycheck Protection Program, which resulted in over 11,000 loan approvals for $780 million. Chris’s leadership has resulted in thousands of small businesses obtaining financing to start and grow their operations.

Chris was a member of the Albany Business Review’s 40 Under 40 class in 2022 and received the Coleman Report 2019 SBA Emerging Lender of the Year award. Chris holds a BS in Finance from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business and received his Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School. He is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

For more information about Pursuit visit pursuitlending.com.

SARATOGA — The Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District (SLPID), which is committed to the protection and improvement of Saratoga Lake, has begun generating donations through the Hannaford Giving Tag Program. The Giving Tag Program, launched in February 2020, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support by making a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work, while being good to the environment. Shoppers purchasing the $2.50 reusable Community or Fight Hunger Bag at any Hannaford store can direct a $1 donation online to the Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District using the attached tag.

“Through the Hannaford Giving Tag Program is the opportunity to give to local food pantries and food banks, providing nourishing meals to those in need plus protect the environment by using reusable shopping bags and assist the Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District with continuing educational outreach and lake quality programs. Within seven days of purchasing a Hannaford reusable community shopping bag, use the attached tag and submit the code online, directing the extra $1.00 to be used toward the Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District,” said Lake District Administrator Cristina Connolly in a press release.  

The Lake District is a non-profit government agency. Founded in 1986, ensuring the preservation of real property values and public recreational activities by improving water quality. SLPID employs Lake Stewards to inspect and wash incoming and outgoing boats for aquatic invasive species spread and prevention, conducts educational outreach programs for the public, water testing, and aquatic weed harvesting, among other tasks. Learn more about the Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District by visiting SLPID.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — HR Compliance Experts LLC, a leading provider of outsourced human resource services, employee handbooks, regulatory compliance solutions, and workplace investigations headquartered in Pittsford, has recently announced the acquisition of Saratoga Human Resource Solutions, Inc. With this acquisition, HR Compliance Experts increases its presence in the Greater Capital Region of NY State.

“The acquisition of Saratoga HR Solutions expands our ability to provide small and mid-sized businesses with the expertise and individualized, client-focused, cost-effective human resource solutions they need,” said Frank Cania, President and Founder of HR Compliance Experts. 

“For almost two decades, hundreds of businesses have trusted Saratoga HR Solutions to help develop their employment policies and practices, resolve complex employee relations issues, train employees, and so much more. The client-focused mindset of the HR Compliance Experts team aligns perfectly with the commitment to ethical business practices and solutions our clients have come to expect,” said James Marco, Jr., Saratoga HR Solutions president.    

With today’s competitive employment landscape, and increasingly complex regulatory environment, employers recognize that the importance of having access to expert human resource guidance and support is more critical than ever before. The client-focused consulting services available from HR Compliance Experts, along with the knowledge and expertise of our team of certified HR professionals, provide employers with an effective and efficient way to address their most complex employment issues.

Saratoga Human Resource Solutions, Inc. will be rebranded as HR Compliance Experts LLC. There will be no disruption of services or customer relationships as a result of the acquisition. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.