Celebrating the Businesses That Strengthen Our Community
Every community has businesses and organizations that do more than simply open their doors each day. They create jobs, solve problems, support their neighbors, invest in their employees, and find new ways to make our region a better place to live and work.
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Awards provide an opportunity to pause and recognize those contributions while celebrating the people and organizations behind them.
On Thursday, October 8, more than 200 business and community leaders gathered at The Queensbury Hotel for the 2026 ARCC Business Awards breakfast celebration. The event featured 33 nominees across seven categories, highlighting businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community champions making a meaningful difference throughout our region.
This year’s nominees represented an impressive cross-section of our local business and nonprofit community. From family-owned businesses and emerging entrepreneurs to major employers and organizations addressing important community needs, each nominee demonstrated the talent, resilience, and dedication found throughout our region.
“Each year, this event reminds us of the extraordinary talent, resilience, and dedication that exists throughout our business community,” said Tricia Rogers, President and CEO of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce. “These organizations are creating opportunities, supporting their neighbors, and helping our communities thrive. We are honored to recognize their contributions and celebrate their success.”
The 2026 ARCC Business Award Recipients
Steven M. Sutton Small Business of the Year: McCann’s Pharmacy
McCann’s Pharmacy has served residents of Warren, Washington, and Saratoga counties since 1896. Four generations of pharmacists have carried on the family tradition, providing trusted pharmacy and medication-compounding services while maintaining the hometown character for which the business is known. Its familiar sign on Main Street in Hudson Falls remains a nostalgic local landmark for generations of customers.
Large Business of the Year: The Queensbury Hotel
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, The Queensbury Hotel has spent the past decade under new ownership investing in its property, people, and downtown community. During that period, the hotel invested more than $7 million in infrastructure, amenities, and cosmetic improvements, grew its team, increased occupancy from 40 percent to 60 percent, and partnered with other downtown businesses to create special celebrations that contribute to the local economy.
Professional Business of the Year: Saratoga Pure Water Systems
Saratoga Pure Water Systems provides bottle-free water and ice solutions designed to eliminate the need for heavy water jugs, deliveries, and storage. The locally owned company has grown to serve more than 600 businesses and organizations, with nearly 2,000 systems in the field. Its success is also rooted in the personal service and customer relationships it has built while helping businesses make workplace water service more convenient and manageable.
Small Nonprofit of the Year: Glens Falls Area Youth Center
For more than five decades, the Glens Falls Area Youth Center has invested in the future of the community by supporting its young people. Carrying forward the work of her late father and the Center’s founder, Matt Congdon, Molly Congdon-Hunsdon and her team provide a safe and supportive place where young people can learn, grow, build friendships, and discover their potential, all at no cost to their families.
Large Nonprofit of the Year: Glens Falls Hospital
Glens Falls Hospital has cared for the health and well-being of the community for more than 125 years. Through outreach, education, partnerships, and services designed to make care more accessible, the hospital continues to invest in the people and communities it serves. The hospital employs 2,600 people across more than 20 regional locations and serves 14 counties, making it the region’s largest employer.
Rookie Business of the Year: Bandstand Brew Works
Bandstand Brew Works opened its doors in Warrensburg in October 2024 and has quickly developed into a place where the community can gather. The family-friendly brew pub offers live music, trivia nights, and a variety of community events in a welcoming atmosphere. What began with a passion for brewing in a garage has grown into a business centered on connection and creating an enjoyable experience where guests can feel at home.
Community Champion: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks is making a lasting difference in the lives of young people throughout the community. When traditional one-to-one mentoring could not meet the growing need, the organization developed a group mentoring model that allows it to reach more children, including many who are waiting to be matched with a mentor. The model has been successful enough to be shared with other organizations across the country. The organization also provides support and advocacy grounded in the belief that every child deserves dignity, opportunity, and the expectation that they can succeed.
Celebrating Collective Impact
The Business Awards represent the culmination of months of work by ARCC staff and volunteers. Members of the Business Awards Nomination Committee volunteered their time to interview each nominee before meeting to score the nominations and determine the recipients.
While the ceremony recognizes recipients in each category, its message extends far beyond any single award. Every nominee represents a story of perseverance, innovation, teamwork, and service. Together, they illustrate the role that businesses and nonprofit organizations play in building strong communities and creating opportunities for others.
One of the most meaningful aspects of the event is the opportunity to bring people together. In a room filled with employers, entrepreneurs, nonprofit professionals, community leaders, and supporters, there is a shared understanding that success is rarely achieved alone. Local organizations rely on dedicated employees, loyal customers, committed volunteers, trusted partners, and strong community connections.
The Business Awards celebrate those relationships and the collective impact they create. They also offer a chance to recognize the accomplishments, dedication, and contributions represented by every organization nominated.
As another Business Awards celebration comes to a close, the event leaves behind more than a list of recipients. It reminds us of the important work happening every day throughout our region and the many individuals and organizations investing in our communities, supporting one another, and contributing to a thriving business environment.
Congratulations to all the 2026 ARCC Business Awards nominees and award recipients.
