CLAYTON, N.Y. — New York Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner RoAnn Destito recently announced that a cleaning business in Jefferson County has been certified as a service-disabled veteran-owned business (SDVOB).

The New York OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD) issued the certification to River Rat Cleaning, a business located in the St. Lawrence River community of Clayton. The firm says it provides residential and commercial cleaning services throughout the Thousand Islands Region and Jefferson County. Tristan Smith, who retired from the U.S. Army in 2018, opened River Rat Cleaning in 2020.

River Rat was among five newly certified businesses announced by OGS on March 15. The DSDVBD was created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014 through enactment of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act. As of March 15, a total of 859 businesses were certified in the state.

For a business to receive certification, one or more service-disabled veterans — with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (or from the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs for National Guard veterans) — must own at least 51 percent of the business. Other criteria include: the business must be independently owned and operated and have a significant business presence in New York, it must have conducted business for at least one year prior to the application date, and it must qualify as a small business under the New York State program. Several more requirements also need to be met.