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Feb. 3, 2011 -- Goshen, NY -- Javier Jiminez of Frank's On Time Painting works on the nearly completed headquarters of the Ruby Group on Route 17A in Goshen. The Ruby Group rebuilt its building after it was destroyed by fire in February 2010.

By Betsy Kraat

Dec. 13, 2010 -- GOSHEN, NY -- The Ruby Group, a Goshen, NY-based development, consulting and construction-management company, recently started work modernizing a large catering hall in Lodi, NJ, the company's third catering hall project in the last three years.

"The Ruby Group has experience designing and building catering halls, restaurants, community centers and other facilities that deal with food-service, which is a unique niche in construction," said Howie Berman, the Ruby Group principal guiding the Lodi project.

In Lodi, The Ruby Group is serving as construction manager and general contractor for a project that will modernize the interior and exterior of the former Princess Chateau catering hall, which will reopen early next year as The Elan. The 15,000-sf facility was built approximately 50 years ago and had become rundown and outdated before a new owner purchased it earlier this year with plans to completely renovate the interior and spruce up the exterior. The Ruby Group was brought in by the owner prior to the purchase to help assess the condition of the building and plan the eventual renovation.

"When the catering hall reopens, people who had been there in the past won't be able to recognize it," Berman said. "The interior will be completely renovated and the exterior will receive new roofing, landscaping and signage. There also will be improvements to the parking and traffic flow."

The Elan is the latest food-service project for The Ruby Group. Earlier this year the company started a two-phase Design/Build expansion at Brotherhood Winery, a historic vineyard in Washingtonville, NY. The Ruby Group is expanding the winery's existing production facility and building a new catering hall, all while enabling Brotherhood's existing business to proceed without interruption.

The Ruby Group also has experience incorporating catering facilities in not-for-profit buildings, having guided the construction of the Monroe-Woodbury Jewish Community Center in Monroe, NY. In addition to a sanctuary and classrooms, this 20,000-sf facility includes a large Kosher kitchen and catering hall that is used for weddings, family events and private parties.

The changes in Lodi will be visible as soon as people enter the building, Berman said, with the transformation of the existing one-story entry into a dramatic, two-story atrium with the bridal and groom suites overlooking the new space. The ballrooms will be completely renovated, receiving new wall coverings, new flooring (a mix of carpeting and hardwood dance floors) and contemporary lighting fixtures such as wall sconces. In a nod to the past, the Grand Ballroom's ornate chandelier will be retained.

The renovations also will improve access for disabled people, providing easy entry to all of the public spaces for the first time.

The Ruby Group: www.rubygrp.com

By Kathy Kahn

Dec. 3, 2010 -- Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Unfortunately for the principals of The Ruby Group, the smoke they smelled when they drove up to their Goshen headquarters in February was their own building, gutted by an electric fire.

“A combination of off-site data backups and help from our vendors turned what could have been a disaster into a non-event,” said Pete Berman, a principal in the family owned company. “We were open for business the day after the fire. Work on all of our projects continued without interruption; our clients probably wouldn’t have known anything was amiss unless they read about it in the newspaper.

“It did create a challenging spring and summer, working at home and in temporary trailers on the site” said Berman, “but we were able to complete the planning phase and start construction about eight months after it happened, a quick turnaround for a project like this.”

The 4,200-square-foot, two-story building going up on Goshen’s Route 17A is designed to reflect the pre-war homes, barns and farmhouses that surround it. The Ruby Group will occupy the second floor and have four office/retail spaces available on the first; one already has a tenant secured.

Green technology will play a major part in its construction: waterless urinals, high-efficiency spray-foam insulation, an insulated attic and heat-recovery ventilators on mechanical equipment are just a few of the energy-efficient and ecologically sustainable ways the family will re-build.

“Our new headquarters will be an example for our clients of how to ‘go green’ and keep it affordable,” Berman said. The new building, which will cost approximately $370,000 when completed, is expected to be open for business by February.

Nov. 28, 2010 -- Monticello, NY -- Homes and businesses that enhance the appearance of Sullivan County were recognized at the 2010 “Sullivan Showcase Awards” on November 11 at the Eagle’s Nest in Bloomingburg. The annual awards are sponsored by the Sullivan County Board of Realtors and Sullivan Renaissance.
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By Taryn Clark

Nov. 11, 2010 -- Goshen, NY -- New student housing at SUNY Sullivan in Loch Sheldrake received Gold level certification under the National Green Building Certification Program.

The National Green Building Standard program is administered by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center and requires an independent review of a building’s design, citing, energy efficiency and sustainability for applicants to receive certification.

The certification means the EcoGreen Community Housing project that the Ruby Group of Goshen built at SUNY Sullivan meets National Green Building and Energy Star standards and for energy efficiency and sustainable construction.
tclark@th-record.com

By Alyssa Sunkin

Sept. 19, 2010 -- Ask small-business owners what they think of a new tax credit to offset the cost of their employees' health insurance premiums, and they'll probably shrug.

"I don't know much about it," they respond. Or, "I don't know if I'm eligible."

Employers will be consulting their tax professionals to determine if they qualify for the credit worth up to 35 percent of the insurance premiums they pay for employee medical coverage.

The subsidy, which goes into effect Thursday, is part of the health-care reform law passed six months ago. It is intended to help small businesses pay for employee medical coverage and entice employers not currently offering insurance to start doing so.

Peter Berman, CEO of builder and developer company the Ruby Group, offers a high-deductible plan to his nine employees, though only four participate. Berman said the company contributes half of the premium.

He's not sure if his Goshen-based business qualifies for the credit, but he plans to ask his accountant. He said the extra cash would certainly help out, especially as the company continues to grapple with the recession.

"Anywhere we can save money is fantastic," he said. "In these times, there are so many taxes and hidden fees in New York, anything that helps to offset that makes it a bit easier."

While the credit may help businesses already offering health insurance, one local insurance broker doesn't think it will entice businesses to incur the extra costs of introducing plans.

"I think it's going to lighten the burden for those that are already offering the benefit," said Russ Heyman, the managing member of Misner Benefits in Woodbourne. "It's almost as if you are getting a refund for the cost you are laying out for your employees. But I don't see that is enough an incentive to get employers to offer it when they otherwise wouldn't."

Mike Reger knows the importance of health insurance. His son was premature, and Reger spent his insurance plan's deductible by the baby's second day of life.

Reger, who owns the On the Way Gourmet Cafe in the Town of Tuxedo, wants to offer insurance to his six employees. But it's too expensive at the moment, even with the credits. He hopes he'll be ready in two years.

A recent report from a nonpartisan research foundation predicts that a fraction of small-business owners will begin offering insurance to their employees as a result of the credits.

About 16.6 million workers are employed by small businesses that are eligible for the credit, the Commonwealth Fund said. But the organization estimates that only 3.4 million workers will be employed at companies that take advantage of the credit by 2013.
asunkin@th-record.com

OTHER HEALTH-CARE PROVISIONS

These changes begin Thursday:

• Young adults up to age 26 can stay on their parents' health plans. The law applies regardless of living situation, degree of financial independence, marital or student status.

• Children who have chronic or pre-existing medical conditions cannot be turned down for coverage, dropped or excluded from plans.

• Insurance companies are banned from imposing lifetime limits on benefits. Insurers must notify people who had exceeded their lifetime limits that they no longer apply, and provide an enrollment period for those who had left their plans.

• Annual benefit limits increase gradually until they are prohibited in 2014. Between Sept. 23, 2010, and Sept. 23, 2011, health plans cannot impose annual limits of less than $750,000.

• All health plans are required to cover preventative care services recommended by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, as well as immunizations for children, adolescents and adults recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These requirements will come in 2011:

• Medicare beneficiaries are entitled to an annual wellness visit with no co-payment.

• Beginning Jan. 1, a new Medicare coverage gap discount program will provide a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs to Medicare Part D enrollees who spend enough on prescription drugs to enter the doughnut hole.

• Beginning Jan. 1, employers and self-employed people may participate in a national voluntary insurance program to purchase community living assistance services.

• Employers are required to disclose the cost of employer-sponsored health benefits provided to employees on W-2 forms beginning in the 2011 tax year.

• The current tax on nonmedical expenses paid from health savings accounts or medical savings accounts is increased to 20 percent.

• Over-the-counter drugs not prescribed by a doctor cannot be reimbursed through a health reimbursement arrangement or flexible spending account. Such expenses cannot be reimbursed tax-free through health savings accounts or medical savings accounts.

Source: The Commonwealth Fund

Sept., 2010 -- South Fallsburg, NY The Ruby Group (TRG), a Goshen, N.Y.-based development, consulting and construction management company, met a fast-track construction schedule for new student housing at Sullivan County Community College (SCCC), and the first residents moved in late August.

"We only had two or three months to complete the building and be prepared for students arriving, which was an aggressive schedule," said Howie Berman, the Ruby Group principal who supervised the SCCC project.

Sullivan County Community College Dormitory Corp.'s new building is at the forefront of the new generation of student housing that is built recognizing the specific needs of the students and with a high degree of sustainability.

The new townhouses resemble traditional New England homes, with porches, pitched roofs and exterior walls with clapboard siding and shingles. The building cost about $1.5 million to design and build. The Ruby Group worked with Sullivan County Community College Dormitory Corporation to enter into a cutting edge Public Private Partnership that involved TRG leasing the land on campus and being responsible for everything from municipal approvals, financing and construction to long-term management of the housing facility. The Ruby Group has contracted with Longley Jones Management to handle the property management.

The EcoGreen Community Housing meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Energy Star and National Green Building Standards, and is targeting Gold level certifications in both programs. The Ruby Group has been a pioneer in building environmentally friendly housing and is one of the few construction companies in the nation that has built a home that received the top-level, Platinum LEED rating for energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity.

The modules were built by Haven Custom Homes at a factory in Pennsylvania and were installed in only three days during June. A total of 18 modules are positioned atop a Superior Walls pre-cast, insulated concrete foundation system.

"SCCC's new building will be very energy-efficient for decades to come," said Berman.

Sept., 2010 -- LOCH SHELDRAKE -- Sullivan County Community College’s second dormitory opened Tuesday so the community could see the townhouse-style building.

The facility, the second dorm on the Loch Sheldrake campus, cost just under $1.5 million to construct and will house 48 students in three adjoining residences.

College President Dr. Mamie Howard-Golladay was thrilled with the accomplishment.

“We’re doing this in phases; this is the first phase,” she said. “It truly is a wonderful public-private partnership.”

The Sullivan County College Dormitory Corporation, in partnership with The Ruby Group, the developer-builder, funded and built the modular structure, which features two students per room with a maximum of 16 students in each of the three eight-bedroom units.

By Coleman Wood
Sept. 6, 2010 -- Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. -- Goshen, N.Y.-based The Ruby Group has completed construction for a new student housing project at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake. The $1.5 million project was designed in a townhome style and contains a total of 48 beds. Three of the bedrooms are handicap accessible. Residences also contain living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms. The new dorms were constructed with modular units and resemble traditional New England homes, with pitched roofs, clapboard siding and porches. The Ruby Group will be seeking LEED and Energy Star certification for the project.

The new dorm was built in a public-private partnership between The Ruby Group and Sullivan County Community College. The school is leasing the land to the developer, which is responsible for building and operating the dorm. Longley Jones Management will be managing the property on behalf of The Ruby Group.
Click Here To View Direct Link

By Leonard Sparks
Aug. 25, 2010 -- LOCH SHELDRAKE -- Students will not begin moving into Sullivan County Community College's new $1.5 million student residence until Friday, but an open house on Tuesday offered a first look at a project expected to lessen an on-campus housing shortage at the 1,700-student campus.

College and county officials and returning and incoming students spent the afternoon touring the 11,000-square-foot residence. The three New England-style town houses will house 16 students each. They feature eat-in kitchens, living rooms, high-speed Internet access and laundry rooms.

"I think it's wonderful," SCCC President Mamie Golladay said while standing in a first-floor bedroom. "I just love the spaciousness (and) the cleanliness."

Goshen-based company The Ruby Group developed the project, using factory-made modules built by Haven Custom Homes in Linthicum, Md.

The modules were trucked from a factory in Pennsylvania, and it took just three days to install them atop a pre-cast, insulated foundation.

"It would have taken a month or two to stick-build the housing on the site using traditional building methods," said Howie Berman, a principal with The Ruby Group.

The Ruby Group arranged financing for the project and will lease the land from the Sullivan Community College Dormitory Corp. Students will pay $3,250 per semester, plus $50 per semester for cable and Internet access and utilities.

Incoming freshman Amber Callahan moved between floors Tuesday, trailed by her aunt, Coffy Dunn, and two young cousins, 6-year-old D.J. Dunn and 8-year-old D'Chae Dunn.

Callahan, an 18-year-old Bronx resident who will major in liberal arts, already picked out a room on the third floor. She liked the size of the bedrooms and bathrooms.

"The rooms, they don't look cluttered," she said. "I prefer this to the (old) dorm."

Tamara Marcus, a 20-year-old sophomore majoring in liberal arts and humanities, toured the building with her friend, 19-year-old sophomore Jesenia Vere.

Marcus will make the transition from the old dormitory to the new housing this weekend, when students officially return to campus.

"It makes you feel like you're at home," she said. "Here you can cook. You have your own bathroom."