May - Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

Ken Ellis, president and CEOAn aerial view of ADG’s Cohoes facilitywhat’s happening in the ocean,” Ellis said.“The studio contacted us last August, weinstalled by December and filming beganin January in Taiwan. The studio sharedits wave requirements for the film, and wecustomized a system to fit what they werelooking for.”ADG recently purchased AlpineProducts, LLC, which manufactures theAlpine Mountain Coaster, a ride thatmany ski areas have installed in order togenerate year-round revenue. “It’s a perfectfit with our manufacturing facility, and givesus a product outside the aquatics industry,”he said.Ellis spends much of his time travelingto help clients decide how to build orexpand in anticipation of the summercrowds. He acts as a consultant, offeringconstructive opinions on the best ways toincrease revenues.“You’re only as good as the folksyou have working with you,” he said. “Iam incredibly proud of the employeesof this company and what they haveaccomplished. So the challenge is to beable to customize and be very efficient atthe same time. Our management teamaverages 10 years of history with ADG,and some have more than 25 years with thecompany. We’ve all learned on the job, andwe share advice all the time. A lot of ourbusiness is that way, we bring ideas fromour customers to produce their vision. Thatis where I get the most satisfaction.”The glamour of ADG’s workmanifests itself in waterparks andrecreational facilities, but its bread andbutter comes in the form of everyday,commercial swimming pools where peopletake a dip for fun or fitness.“We’re a true manufacturer; we buyflat steel and shape, weld, and ship it. Sadly,there aren’t as many manufacturers in NewYork as there used to be. There’s a senseof pride in the work we do. Although wedesign and build huge waterparks, even ifwe produce a regular swimming pool filter,it’s filtering water in a pool where peopleare enjoying themselves.” •Although ADG designs and builds waterparks, its breadand 18 butter | acchamber.org remains commercial | techvalley.org swimming pools