Stephen Tomb Navigates Arctic Wilderness and Albany Business Sales
Before helping Upstate New York entrepreneurs execute their exit strategies, Stephen Tomb, Business Broker and Consultant at Transworld Business Advisors of Albany, spent nine days off the grid navigating 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts and polar bear territory on Baffin Island.
Driving four hours from Warren County to Ottawa before flying into Iqaluit, Nunavut, Tomb embarked on a long-awaited subarctic paddling expedition along the Soper River. The adventure balanced wild river runs, tundra hikes, and First Nations cultural stays with the grounded perspective he brings back to local business owners across Saratoga and Warren counties.
Tundra Winds, Whitewater, and Polar Bear Fencing
To reach the starting point of their nine-day journey, Tomb and his six fellow group members loaded themselves and 150 pounds of gear into a Twin Otter bush plane, banking hard turns before landing directly on a river gravel bar just ahead of a rainstorm. Equipped with inflatable canoes, the team paddled Class 3 whitewater, fished for Arctic char, and watched herds of caribou sprint along the riverbanks to escape the region’s ferocious mosquitoes.
For Tomb, the challenges of the subarctic provided a much-needed mental break from his day-to-day work. “I just find, being off the grid, not connected for a week or two really does help you reset,” he said.
The group did not escape the elements entirely. At one point, 60-mile-per-hour gusts snapped their tent’s ridge pole and lifted the entire shelter—with all of their gear inside—right off the ground. Along with the intense weather, they also had to plan for apex predators. Because Baffin Island is active polar bear territory, they separated their kitchen area a half-mile away from their sleeping quarters and eventually deployed a solar-powered electric bear fence to secure their perimeter near Soper Falls. Their trip concluded with a First Nations homestay, where an elder served raw caribou, narwhal, beluga, and seal, and the group played traditional games crafted from seal bones.
Guiding Local Owners Through Business Transitions
Back home in Upstate New York, Tomb channels his energy into helping small businesses—the lifeblood of local communities—navigate their own complex journeys. Working with Transworld Business Advisors of Albany, Tomb helps founders avoid simply closing their doors and selling off their assets piecemeal due to burnout.
“We’re part of the process from a value, doing valuations all the way through, consulting on exiting, having that runway,” Tomb said. He and his team manage the marketing, financial vetting, and buyer screening so that owners can focus on running their daily operations confidentially.
Currently, Tomb is working to match buyers with several local establishments. His active listings include a Saratoga County specialty food prep company doing $250,000 in gross sales with a loyal subscription base, as well as a 60-year-old plumbing and HVAC company with eight employees. He is also brokering a Warren County wine and liquor store pulling in $600,000 in top-line revenue, and a turnkey bar and restaurant with more than 20 employees and $1.2 million in sales.
Whether paddling subarctic rivers or preparing a 60-year-old trade shop for its next owner, Stephen Tomb believes sustaining small businesses is essential to keeping Upstate New York communities thriving. “I want to keep those businesses open and operating and get young families back into our community making good money,” he said. Business owners in Saratoga Springs, Warren County, and the Capital Region preparing for their next chapter can learn more about valuations, exit planning, and active local listings by reaching out to Transworld Business Advisors of Albany.
