MALTA — Jim Dawsey, President of MLB Construction Services, says that every building project has to “start with a strong foundation.”

And the strong foundation established at MLB has helped the company reach 75 years of business, which was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

There was a large crowd on hand to celebrate the achievement, and Dawsey made note of three local business chambers in attendance: The Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, and the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“We do a lot of work in all those different areas, but I mean, for that to be recognized by all these groups, it’s just a great feeling,” said Dawsey.

Speakers at the event included Malta Town Supervisor Mark Hammond and New York State Senator Jim Tedisco, who mentioned that MLB built the Memorial Field House at Union College in Schenectady, where Tedisco played basketball as a member of the Dutchmen men’s team. 

“It’s been a tough year, two years, three years, with this pandemic,” said Tedisco. “To think you’ve grown and expanded and are doing projects, and it’s been 75 years, is an unbelievable achievement.”

Tedisco presented MLB with a 2022 New York State Senate Empire Award, in recognition of “outstanding contributions, and dedication to the growth, prosperity, and betterment of their community,” Tedisco said.

Dawsey said the foundation laid by the company’s three founders, Fred Longe, John McManus, and Don Brockwehl, helped guide him in his role as President of MLB.

“I was lucky enough to work with all three of those guys,” Dawsey said. “They just taught me the right way to do business, especially in the construction field. You have to have respect, honesty, and transparency when you’re dealing with people.”

Dawsey highlighted the 1863 Club at the Saratoga Race Course and the science center at Skidmore College as recent MLB projects that stand out, and also mentioned a 1980s project with a hydroelectric plant at the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County.

“There’s like 12-foot diameter pipes that come out of the dam and go down to the city. We put a hydroelectric plant in front of those pipes going down to the city, so that we could generate power at the same time,” Dawsey said. “They used to have a fountain on that site, we put the fountain back so that the people could still enjoy everything that they remembered from growing up at that point. I think that was one of the most fulfilling jobs that I did.”

Dawsey, a Schenectady native, said he feels that the local area is “really alive,” noting the transformation that he’s seen through the years. 

“This whole area in general is just coming back, it’s really alive,” said Dawsey. “There’s a lot of young people that are now staying here in this area, and some people actually moving to the area, whether it’s for Global Foundries or for whatever reason. I think it’s a real growth area now within the state.”

And with 75 years of experience already under their belts, MLB will hope to continue to build and grow for the next 75 years.

“That’s the goal,” said Dawsey.

Paul Smith spent roughly 35 years in the construction industry, building homes. Now, he’s found a new career selling them.

Smith began working with Keller Williams Capital District roughly four months ago, beginning a new venture as a real estate agent. 

“I have done every facet of building homes, from start to finish to out the door,” said Smith. “Up until February, when I had to have major neck surgery and have my neck replaced, which I never would have thought possible. But hey, here we are.”

Smith said he was told by his doctor that he would not be able to continue construction. He said a friend recommended he try real estate, and the idea took off from there.

“I had to really step back and think, what could I do that I’m going to give the most back to the community?” Smith said during an appearance with Mike Nelson of Glens Falls Today’s ‘Chatting With’ series. “I had a buddy of mine that’s in real estate say, ‘Why don’t you get into real estate?”

He said he pondered the idea for a couple of weeks, and decided to jump into the world of realty.

“I got thinking about it, did some reading on it, and said, ‘Let’s go after it,’” Smith said. “I signed up for the course, a 70-hour course I did in nine days.”

Smith noted that his background in building homes has provided “a lot of knowledge” that carries over into real estate. 

“It’s very helpful to my clients, because when we look at a home, I can kind of go through with them, and I can visualize what they want to see,” Smith said. “That’s what I did for basically 28 years when I owned Hourglass Tile. I made people’s visuals come true. So now it’s the same thing in the home.”

Smith said that he tries to cater to his clients’ needs, asking them exactly what they are looking for in a home.

“I’m going to approach things differently than everybody else,” said Smith. “I have a different adage and a different attitude in how you’ve got to go about selling a home. I don’t want to just stuff it down somebody’s throat. I want the home that they get to be the exact one they want.”

Outside of work, Smith has a “drive for competition,” saying he has completed four Ironman triathlons and seven half-Ironmans. 

“I drive for the harder something is,” Smith said. “That’s why I’m going to be good at real estate. I’ve got that drive that just wants to move forward. I don’t care what’s in front of me, I’ll conquer it.”

He said that these triathlons show the tenacity of a person, and noted that qualities like this carry over into his real estate work.

“The customers that know that you’ve got that drive know that you’re never, ever going to give up on them,” said Smith. “They’re going to know you’ve got their back. If you can do that, you can do anything.”

Smith also spent time discussing the current state of the real estate market, saying “it’s going to be a slow trend” upward.

“I think by next summer we’re going to see it be more of a buyer’s market,” Smith said. “I think we’ll see more inventory, and what we need to see is everything leveling off, coming back to baseline. … It’s still a good market, and we’re seeing a little more inventory coming on. Not as much as I’d like to see, but it’s slowly growing.”

Smith mentioned the merits of buying versus renting, saying, “I always tell somebody, marry the house, date the rate.”

“You own the home, but you can always refinance down the road. If you buy it now and it’s high, you can always change that rate,” said Smith. “But if you can get into the home that you want to be in, if you plan on being there 10 years, you’re smart to do it.”

Smith’s focus is on Warren, Washington, and Saratoga Counties, but he said that he “will work with anybody.”

“That’s what I’ve done for 28 years, I’ve worked with all facets of customers,” said Smith. “Every house has its value, and I’m there to show that customer what in that house that they’re looking at is the value.”

Bob Fitch wears a lot of different hats. The State Farm agent has had his own location in the Capital Region since 2011, emphasizing the personal touch that his team provides to their clients.

Fitch said many of his family members have been involved with insurance, noting that he got into the business to help people.

“My father was in the business. My grandfather, my uncles. It’s one of those things I never thought I would get into, but over time, helping people out was huge,” Fitch said during an appearance with Mike Nelson of Glens Falls Today’s ‘Chatting With’ program. “And insurance really does that. When somebody is in a time of need, they need somebody to lean on, to have conversations with, and help navigate them through the tough times.”

Fitch said he has worked at State Farm for nearly 22 years, mentioning he formerly worked with the company’s 24-hour service line.

“I found out there that I really like working with individuals, coaching them, training them,” said Fitch, who was living in Florida at the time. “At that point, my wife and I decided to move back up to the Capital District, and place our family in the Saratoga/Wilton area, and open up my own agency.”

The Bob Fitch State Farm agency has been open since 2011. Its exact location, listed as 1461 US-9 Suite 1 in Fort Edward, is “right in the middle of everything,” Fitch said.

“It’s like the furthest northeastern point of Saratoga County,” said Fitch of his office’s location. “We have a mailing address of Fort Edward, but we’re located in the Moreau/South Glens Falls area. We’ve got Gansevoort addresses right behind us. It’s interesting. We like to tell people we’re located right off Exit 17, Route 9 North. We’re right in the middle of everything.”

He also mentioned that his agency is licensed to serve all of New York State. And as far as services go, Fitch emphasized the personal touch that his agency strives to provide.

“We’re really evolving into an organization or a small company that puts our clients first, as far as a personal touch, figuring out how we can help that individual,” said Fitch, who named home, auto, disability, and life insurance as some of the offerings from his agency. “We also do other things as well, like we work with banks locally. We work with retirement accounts as well. So we wear a lot of different hats. We really want to make sure that we’re meeting our clients’ needs.”

Fitch also mentioned the idea of full coverage, noting that it “is different for everybody.”

“It’s basically saying, let’s take a look at your portfolio as far as your assets go. What your net worth is, how much you earn a year, how much you’ll earn in a lifetime. We don’t want one car accident to rob you of your retirement, to impact your lifestyle going forward,” Fitch said. “Each one of our policies covers each individual differently.

“It’s up to us, and our responsibility, as a licensed individual in the insurance industry, to make sure we’re protecting your family and yourself personally with a personal protection plan. That’s really how we do it. It’s a lot of in-depth conversations.”

This effort can help provide stronger, more personalized coverage, as well as more support, Fitch noted.

“We’re there to help guide you through claims. We’re there to make sure we’re asking the right questions,” said Fitch. “When you call our agency, you’re working with the same group of individuals.”

He mentioned a recent case of a fire, saying he visited the location the following day to offer support.

“The next morning, I was up at the fire taking pictures, walking through the process, before our claims department even gets on top of it,” Fitch said. “Just to make sure the individual knows that, you’re going to be alright. We’re going to get you through this.”

Fitch said that is one of the reasons he signed up, emphasizing the high level of involvement and support that the agency can provide.

“When things like this do happen, catastrophic events, I’ll tell you, there’s a lot going on. When you call us, we’re going to go put you in the right direction,” said Fitch. “There’s a lot of memories, and it can be very emotional for our clients. But we’re there to help them through that emotion too.”

Fitch also discussed the idea of giving back to the community, saying, “I love working with the communities, and most importantly I love working with our youth.”

“I’ve got three kids of my own,” said Fitch. “Giving back in the sports world is huge. I grew up playing sports, I love coaching. Similar to what I do at work with my career.”

Fitch is a coach for the Saratoga/Wilton Blue Sox travel baseball organization, and also mentioned he coaches basketball and football.

“Our youth’s our future. If we’re not giving back to our youth, our future’s going to be in trouble,” Fitch said. “They need people like us to step up and volunteer in the community and help coach and be good role models for them.”

Fitch also mentioned charity work done by the agency, including partnerships with golf tournaments. He said the agency recently invested in what he referred to as “a golf ball cannon.”

“It’s pretty awesome, there’s a few in the area already,” said Fitch. “To be able to shoot an air-compressed golf ball 300 to 400 yards is a lot of fun.”

He also emphasized that it is a “great way to interact with golfers, meet new people, and give back our time.”

“Also what we do is, for every time you fire the golf ball, we take a $10 donation,” Fitch said. “At the end of the tournaments, we take that money and we turn it back over to the foundation.”

He said that just over $1,100 was raised for the Glens Falls Civic Center Foundation during a recent tournament at Hiland Park Country Club using this method. 

“It’s a good feeling, to know that money is going to a local charity or local event,” Fitch said.