ROCHESTER

B U S I N E S S
H A L L O F FA M E
2018

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP UNLOCKING BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL

People might not get all they
work for in this world, but
they must certainly work for
all they get.
-Frederick Douglass

What we do during our

working hours determines
what we have; what we do in
our leisure hours determines
what we are.
-George Eastman

Alesco Advisors salutes

Rochester leaders of the
past and those we
celebrate today.

From inventors to social

reformers, Rochester
continues its strong
history of innovation and
leadership.

Here's to an even brighter

tomorrow, planting the
seeds of the future for the
Flower City.

www.alescoadvisors.com
Table of Contents
4
Junior Achievement celebrates 10 Carl Myers
50 years of helping develop Myers started Sweeteners Plus after becoming
unhappy with the result of the sale of his first
entrepreneurs sweetener business.

6 Jim Gould 12 Michael Mandina and Rick Plympton

Gould, the founder and CEO of Alesco Advisors
Mandina and Plympton have grown Optimax
LLC, used a steady hand to guide investment
from a startup to an optics powerhouse that is
advisory firm past early obstacles.
still expanding in Wayne County.

8 Andrew Langston 14Pursuing creativity,

A pioneer in broadcasting, Langston founded
the first black-owned radio station in New
they built Rochester
York after being rebuffed by television.

This year’s Rochester Business Hall of Fame inductees will be honored on Oct. 16 during a dinner at the
Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
Publisher: Suzanne E. Fischer-Huettner; Editor: Ben Jacobs; Special Products Editor: Colin Hogan; Copy Editor: Bill Alden; Reporters: Bennett
Loudon, Kevin Oklobzija, Nicole Sheldon, Velvet Spicer; Events & Marketing Coordinator: Jessica Sims; Account Managers: Jean Moorhouse,
Michelle Sanfilippo; Special Projects Manager: Kady Weddle; Advertising Design Supervisor: Sarah Sansom; Graphic Designer: Jennifer
McNally; Business Manager: Maria Kelly.

2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 12, 2018 3

 Honoring the Best.
Benefitting who’s next.
By PATRICIA LEVA
E
very year the Rochester Busi-
ness Hall of Fame inducts new
members who have helped shape
our Region as business owners and
innovators. They have made extraordi-
nary contributions to their industries,
given generously to our community, and
serve as excellent role models for the next
generation.
Junior Achievement takes great pride
in helping prepare and inspire the next
generation to follow in the footsteps of the
exceptional men and women of the Roches-
ter Business Hall of Fame. The 2018 class
is a special one for JA, as we celebrate our
50 year anniversary this month.
It was October 1968, when 33 individ-
uals, representing business, government,
education and clergy, rallied around
a vision for the next generation – one
which not only provided the skills to be
successful in a burgeoning manufacturing
economy, but also the inspiration that
would fuel the continuation of invention
and innovation that Rochester had be-
come known for. With a $50,000 invest-
ment from both Eastman Kodak Co. and
Xerox Company, and a commitment of
their employees to share their expertise,
Junior Achievement of Rochester, New
York Area, Inc. was born.
Over the next decade, business and
education converged, as JA matched tens
of thousands of students with industry
mentors, after school hours, to help them
4 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
develop and run their own small business-
es. To this day, I hear countless stories
(and sometimes I am even shown the
actual products!) from alumni of the JA
Company Program, many of whom credit
their success to this single JA experience.
In the early 80’s and beyond, Junior
Achievement took the basic tenants of
the JA Company Program inside the
classroom, developing a K-12 continu-
um of programs focused on preparing
for success in any career – including
financial literacy, workplace readiness
and entrepreneurial skills, all delivered by
a community volunteer.
Today, we reach over 14,000 student in
25 counties, and continue to focus with
earnest in the Rochester City School
District, where the need for skills and
inspiration is greatest.
We have also introduced digital
program delivery, and have more
student-based events, competitions,
opportunities for networking and schol-
arships than ever before. We continually
collaborate with educators to help fill
their needs, as evidenced by this year’s
launch of the JA Youth Entrepreneurial
Summit, and the upcoming launch of the
JA Stock Market Challenge.
While we demonstrate the impact of
our programs by testing for knowledge
gain and behavioral changes, we know
we can do more in the years ahead. We
have a bold vision for the future, one that
takes an even more active role in helping
to reduce poverty, increase graduation
rates, and fill the gap of skilled workers in
a variety of industries.
As part of our anniversary, we have
launched a capital campaign that will
bring a state-of-the-art, hands-on
learning lab for 12,000 middle and
high school students in our region. The
17,000 square foot “JA Discovery Cen-
ter” will be located in the historic former
firehouse at Eastman Business Park, and
will showcase “replica” businesses and or-
ganizations – providing students with an
engaging learning environment that re-
flects the workforce demands of our local
economy, and empowers them with the
knowledge, skills and confidence to un-
lock greater economic opportunity. The
JA Discovery Center has had measurable
impact on over 400,000 students in cities
such as Washington, DC, Atlanta, and
Detroit, to name only a few. It will be
the first of its kind in New York State.
In the future, we will continue to
explore additional proven opportunities,
like the JA Discovery Center, that provide
a collective impact approach to meeting
the needs of the community. An example
is the recent introduction of 3DE by JA
USA, a unique JA-run high school that
integrates curriculum, professional devel-
opment and business partnerships into
the daily academic experience.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention
that our 50-year milestone is even more
meaningful as we share it alongside our
national partner, JA USA, which marks its
100th anniversary this year. As I am often
reminded, when you start marking your age
in centuries, it doesn’t mean you are old, it
means you are adaptable, innovative, and
ready for the future. Special thanks to all
of our stakeholders who have supported
JA throughout the last 50 years, especially
those members of the Rochester Business
Hall of Fame, who are the role models for
this bold vision for the future.
Patricia Leva is president and CEO of
Junior Achievement of Central Upstate
New York Inc.
 2 0 1 8

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- Laureate Sponsors -

- Entrepreneur Sponsors - - Video Sponsor -

- Investor Sponsors -
®

- Shareholder Sponsors -
ACC Business | Bank of America | Burke Group | DeCarolis Truck Rental | ESL Federal Credit Union
Finger Lakes Community College | Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce | Greater Rochester Health Foundation
Home Leasing Construction | Key Bank | JP Morgan Chase | LaBella Associates | Paychex | Ron & Mary Pluta Family | Rochester
Institute of Technology | St. Bonaventure University | Stifel Financial | University of Rochester Advancement/ Noyes Health
Valley Fuel | WDKX-FM | Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation
- Special Thanks -
Constellation Brands | 29 Design Studio
The Rochester Business Hall of Fame is proudly presented by:

Proceeds from this event will enable students in the Greater Rochester area to participate in Junior Achievement programs focused on financial literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship.
Gould’s steady hand steered
Alesco past early obstacles
JIM GOULD

6 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame

By NICOLE SHELDON
T
his year, investment advisory
firm Alesco Advisors LLC
surpassed $4 billion in assets
under advisement. But the firm had
a rocky start after its founding in
2000.
“The first several years were really
difficult,” says Jim Gould, founder
and CEO. “We were undercapital-
ized. We had some of the wrong
people in the organization. It took
us three and a half to four years
before we had the ship righted and
moving in the right direction.”
It’s been mostly uphill since then.
The financial crisis in 2008 and 2009
posed another obstacle for the in-
vestment company, but it was able to
weather the storm relatively smoothly.
“Fortunately, because we have
relatively low overhead compared
to most other firms, we were able
to get through that in pretty good
shape both in terms of having a
favorable performance compared to
most others, and we were also going
through a period of time where we
St. John Fisher College is proud to support Hall of Fame inductee
were expanding and getting a lot of
new clients,” says Gould. “So, we had
a revenue boost to offset the market
value declines of the portfolios.”
In 2006, Gould oversaw an
expansion into the Buffalo market.
Ten years later, Alesco Advisors dug
roots in San Francisco.
Working with a consultant from
BlackRock—an international
investment management compa-
ny—opened Gould’s eyes to the San
Francisco market.
“This (consultant) had seen many
different firms around the country
and when she wrapped up her work
here she said that she loved Alesco,”
says Gould. “She loved the culture, the
company, our investment approach.
She said if we ever wanted to open up
an office out west to let her know.”
Three years later, Gould received a
call following through with that offer.
Gould says that he plans to see
continued geographical expansion
of the company, though he isn’t sure
of the exact location. He expects
a move to the east to a region like
Albany, Syracuse or even Boston.
Jim Gould, a longtime and loyal friend and donor.
2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 12, 2018
Gould is a St. Bonaventure
University graduate. He received
his bachelor’s degree in accounting,
and has maintained close ties with
the college. In fact, he received the
Gaudete Medal from the school, an
award for “one who has inspired,
encouraged and enlightened others
through their personal and profes-
sional lives.” He also sat on the St.
Bonaventure Board of Trustees for
almost a decade and served as the
St. Bonaventure Rochester Alumni
Association president.
The firm as a whole has achieved
notable accolades under Gould’s
leadership. In 2017 and 2018, Ales-
co Advisors was named to Financial
Times’ 300 Top Registered Invest-
ment Advisors, and was ranked as
one of Forbes’ 2015 Top Wealth
Managers.
Prior to founding Alesco Advi-
sors, Gould spent 13 years at Clover
Capital Management Inc., where he
rose through the ranks to president
until stepping away to launch his
own investment management firm.
Not only does Gould pilot Alesco
FEARLESS IS RISING
TO THE CHALLENGE
Advisors, he also lends his expertise
and time to local organizations that
he has fostered long-standing rela-
tionships with, including St. Ann’s
of Greater Rochester, St. John’s
Home and the Diocese of Rochester.
In addition, Gould most recently
joined the board of directors for the
Greater Rochester Health Founda-
tion, where he serves as secretary
and treasurer.
Highly accomplished and a lead-
ing investment advisor and business
owner in the community, Gould is
well-deserving of joining the ranks of
the Rochester Business Hall of Fame.
“I don’t understand how (I’ve
been chosen as an inductee), but
I am honored and humbled,” says
Gould. “I’d also like to express my
appreciation for the selection com-
mittee that they’re willing to look
at small businesses for nominees to
the Hall of Fame because I think
it’s a reflection of how our economy
operates. Many people work for
smaller organizations and I think
it’s wonderful that the selection
committee recognizes this.”
7
 Pioneer in broadcasting, Langston
gave a voice to Rochester minorities
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

H
e came to Rochester with
the intent of providing
weather forecasts to televi-
sion viewers. He ended up creating a
landmark radio station instead.
Andrew Langston was a pioneer
in broadcasting, founding the first
black-owned radio station in New
York. WDKX-FM (103.9) signed
onto the airwaves at 5:30 a.m. on
April 6, 1974, and the station has
been making an impact in the com-
munity ever since. The station, with
an urban contemporary format, con-
tinues to consistently rank among
the top three in the Rochester mar-
ket in audience surveys and remains
an active community partner.
“He gave a voice to the voices,”
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said.
And to think that radio wasn’t
Andrew Langston’s chosen pro-
fession when he moved from New
York City to Rochester in 1960.
He relocated so he could go on TV,
accepting a weather position after
impressing station officials with his
audio tape. Except when he arrived
and station management learned he
was black, the offer was rescinded.
Over the next 14 years, Langston
worked as a barber, sold men’s clothing
and became an insurance agent for
Prudential. Along the way, he envi-
sioned someday owning a radio station.
He created many lasting relationships
through those sales jobs, including one
with Xerox founder Joseph C. Wilson.
Wilson supported Langston’s
dream of owning a radio station and
agreed to let the broadcast antenna
sit atop the Xerox Tower. Their
“contract” was written on a napkin.
The antenna site was the least of
Langston’s worries, however. He
was competing for the final avail-
able FM frequency in the Rochester
market and spent parts of six years
in front of the Federal Communica-
ANDREW LANGSTON tions Commission, stating his case
for station approval.
Langston believed there was a lack
of entertainment and information for
the black community. He continued

8 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame

to push for his station, realizing a new radio voice in
Rochester could fill a void.
“The opposition was strong,” Rev. Franklin Flor-
ence said in the station’s 40th anniversary video
in 2014. “Those persons that were in media at the
time did not want Andy, or other blacks along
with him, to have access (to the airwaves).”
But Langston finally prevailed and
WDKX became a reality in 1974. The sta-
tion call letters are a tribute to black heroes:
D for Frederick Douglass, K for Martin
Luther King and X for Malcolm X.
Langston was well prepared for the
venture. A native of Dawson, Georgia,
he earned a bachelor of science degree in
business administration from City College
of the City University of New York in 1951
and an MBA in finance and economics from
New York University in 1954.
Despite his business acumen, there were
early struggles for WDKX. His first landlord
refused to allow his station to broadcast, so he re-
located to a barely passable facility for the launch.
All this did was reinforce one of Langston’s
favorite sayings; “Do the best with what you got.”
Langston and WDKX certainly have done that.
Over his career he was named Broadcasting Pio-
neer of the Decade and was a member of the New
WHEN IT’S TIME TO SERVE, WE’RE
ALL SYSTEMS GO.
Proud to support the Rochester Business Hall of Fame.
York State Broadcasters Association’s inaugural operate the station. Both father and son declined
Hall of Fame class. That Hall of Fame is a Who’s offers to sell the station, preferring to remain a
Who of broadcasting excellence, including Walter local, independent voice for the community.
Cronkite, Charles Osgood, Mike Wallace and “He gave citizens of Rochester that family
Al Roker, along with local stalwarts Don Alhart, owned radio station, that outlet to talk about
Janet Lomax, Rich Funke and Brother Wease. what’s important to you, what’s important to
“WDKX has had a major, major impact in this citizens of Rochester,” Warren said. “For WDKX
Despite his business acumen, there were early struggles for
WDKX. His first landlord refused to allow his station to broad-
cast, so he relocated to a barely passable facility for the launch.
All this did was reinforce one of Langston’s favorite sayings;
“Do the best with what you got.”
community,” Lomax said in the station’s anniver- to be alive and well long after his passing is a testa-
sary video. ment to his fighting spirit.”
Said the late Louise Slaughter, the long-time Langston was immortalized in 2014 by the City of
member of the U.S. House of Representatives, in Rochester with a street in his name. Andrew Langston
the anniversary tribute: “He was in every sense a Way runs along the east side of Parcel 5 in downtown
friend and a mentor.” Rochester, connecting East Avenue and Elm Street.
Andrew Langston died in 2010 at the age of koklobzija@bridgetowermedia.com/(585)
82. His son, Andre Marcel Langston, continues to 653-4020
2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 12, 2018 9
Myers broke from family tradition
to launch something sweeter
By VELVET SPICER

C
arl Myers was not plan-
ning to open another
sweetener manufacturer
when he sold his first sweetener
business, Western New York Sugar
and Syrup, to Archer, Daniels
Midland Co. in 1980. But he felt
compelled to when he found ADM
had decimated what he had built
since founding the company a
decade earlier.
Under a management contract,
Myers had stayed on with ADM,
serving as head of production with
the understanding that ADM had
planned to grow the operation. He
didn’t like what he saw.
“They took 80 percent of the
business and threw it out the
window, along with about 80
percent of the people that worked
down there,” said the 76-year-old
president and CEO of Sweeteners
Plus Inc., a Lakeville, Livingston
County, manufacturer of a wide
range of liquid and dry sweetener
products for companies such as
Dunkin’ Donuts. “So that’s why it
behooved me to start Sweeteners
Plus and get separated from them.”
It was a decision that served
him—and the community—well.
Sweeteners Plus has grown its
customer base and delivery oper-
ation substantially during the last
three decades. Myers began with
six full-time employees when he
started the new business in 1983.
Ten years ago Sweeteners Plus had
100 employees.
“We exceed that right now,”
Myers said.
Myers, like his father and
grandfather before him, began his
career as a brew master at Genesee
Brewing Co. In fact, five genera-
tions of Myers’ had served as brew
masters. The tradition stopped
CARL MYERS with him when a friend introduced
him to sweeteners.
“Fortunately I moved on to the
sweetener business where I had an
opportunity to make more money.
The brew masters weren’t the king

10 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame

of the roost like they used to be,” Myers said. “In
the early days they ran the brewery like they owned
it, and that’s the way it was.”
In 1970, Myers had the foresight to buy an in-
terest in a privately-held railroad: Livonia, Avon &
Lakeville Railroad Corp. Myers chose Lakeville for
his sweetener business because of its proximity to
the railroad, which he felt would be advantageous
for inbound goods shipments.
A portion of the track passes through Sweeten-
ers Plus’ 30,000-square-foot industrial complex,
and the company also owns a trucking company.
Sweeteners Plus’ philosophy is “long haul by rail
and short haul by truck.” The philosophy enables
the manufacturer to use its railroad for the majority
of inbound raw materials, while finished products
are shipped with company-owned trucks and driver
employees.
Myers and his team are known for their ongoing
initiatives to improve operations and reduce waste.
Sweeteners Plus sells empty sacks to a recycler for
reuse; recycles all cardboard and paper products;
recycles rinse water and uses it twice before dis-
charge; recycles all lubricants for the Sweeteners
Plus fleet; and has reduced gas, electric and air
consumption by 14 percent in the last three years.
In 2008, Sweeteners Plus received the Livingston
County Chamber of Commerce Business of the
Year Award.
Congratulations
Carlton Myers
on your induction into the
Rochester
Business Hall of Fame
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE
INSURANCE
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
We’re proud to support the
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lawleyinsurance.com
30 North Union Street, Rochester, NY
“This is a company that doesn’t rest on its lau-
rels,” said chamber President Cynthia Oswald.
The Ann & Carl Myers Charitable Foundation ... Sweeteners Plus has
Inc. in 2015 donated a total of $1.3 million, which
includes gifts to UR, Aquinas Institute and Roches- grown its customer base
ter Melanoma Action Group, among others.
The Myers family donated $2 million toward the and delivery operation
$5.8 million cancer center at Nicholas Noyes Memorial
Hospital, an affiliate of University of Rochester, for the substantially during the
Ann & Carl Myers Cancer Center. The center makes
state-of-the-art cancer treatment accessible to residents
last three decades. Myers
in Livingston, Allegany and Steuben counties.
Myers said what he has enjoyed most in his
began with six full-time
career is being his own boss for 50 years, adding
that he couldn’t have achieved the success he has
employees when he
without his staff. started the new business
“We’ve had a lot of good people go through here,
and a lot of people have stayed here,” he said. “I in 1983. Ten years ago
take pride and get up each and every morning for
that reason alone.” Sweeteners Plus had 100
But he also commends his wife, Ann, for her
hard work making Sweeteners Plus what it is today. employees.
“I’ve got a dear wife who worked right alongside
me and she still works in the business,” Myers said.
“She’s been a tremendous asset to me. She and I
enjoy what we’re doing and enjoy being the owners
of this company.”
vspicer@bridgetowermedia.com / 585-653-4021 /
@Velvet_Spicer
The Brown Group
Stephen Brown, AIF®, C(k)P®
Managing Director/Investments
Jim Goetz, CIMA®, ARPC
Senior Vice President/Investments
(585) 454-3985 | (844) 233-8607
375 Woodcliff Drive, Suite 104 | Fairport, New York 14450
PROUD PARTNER OF THE
ROCHESTER BUSINESS
HALL OF FAME
2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 12, 2018 11
 In Optimax, Mandina and
Plympton form a winning team
By BENNETT LOUDON as semiconductors, aerospace, and medical instru- Messenger project for NASA.
ments for the military and industry in the United Mandina at first studied philosophy and psychol-

O
ptimax Systems Inc. President Michael Man-
dina and CEO Rick Plympton lead the na-
tion’s largest prototype optics manufacturer.
They supply precision optical components, such
States and overseas. ogy at St. John Fisher College, but an interest in
Optimax focuses on small volume, high-quality math drew him to the field of optics. He transferred
jobs with quick delivery. Their projects include to Monroe Community College where he received
parts for the Mars Rover Mission and the Mercury an associate’s degree in optics technology in 1975.

MIKE MANDINA (L)

& RICK PLYMPTON

12 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame

 While still a student at MCC,
Mandina started working at Ilex Op-
tical Co. as a process engineer.
In 1976, Mandina and another Ilex
engineer started Cormac Industries
Inc. Six years later, Cormac was sold
to Melles Griot Inc., which was based
in California at the time.
Mandina became Melles Griot’s
manufacturing manager, while
pursuing a bachelor’s degree in
applied physics at SUNY Empire
State College, plus taking business
and engineering classes at Rochester
Institute of Technology.
Mandina received his Bachelor of
Science degree in applied physics at
Empire State College in 1984.
Also in 1984, after being promoted,
first to operations manager, and then
to general manager of Rochester oper-
ations at Melles Griot, Mandina hired
Plympton, who was still a student at
Finger Lakes Community College.
Plympton earned three associate’s
degrees at FLCC — engineering
science, business administration and
computer science.
Prototype Optics In One Week
Rochester Business
Hall of Fame
2018 Inductees
For your vision, leadership, commitment and inspiration in our community
Mike Mandina and Rick Plympton
Congratulations from your friends at Davie Kaplan
Plympton worked at Melles Griot
from 1984 until 1995 at various
locations around the world. While
he worked at Melles Griot, Plympton
earned a bachelor of science degree in
optics from the University of Roches-
ter in 1987. He later earned an MBA
degree from University of Rochester’s
Simon Business School in 1999.
Mandina left his job at Melles
Griot in 1990 and joined Optimax,
which was a startup at the time, as
a part owner and president, and the
company’s first full-time employee.
Plympton returned to the Roches-
ter area in 1995 and Mandina hired
him at Optimax in 1996 to use his
marketing and sales skills to help
build the customer base.
Annual sales reached $3 million in
1997. By 2006, sales grew to $13 million
and they had to turn down work because
they couldn’t meet the demand. By
2013, sales reached about $15 million.
Optimax was one of the first com-
panies to adopt a new technology for
lens grinding and polishing developed
at the UR’s Center for Optics Manu-
®
Davie Kaplan, CPA, P.C.
www.daviekaplan.com
2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 12, 2018
facturing.
Using computerized technology
was a major departure from the tradi-
tional approach of having skilled arti-
sans do the grinding and polishing.
In a continuous effort to stay on
the forefront of innovation, Optimax
has collaborated with five universities,
including UR and the University of
Arizona. Mandina and Plympton track
the latest research developments at the
schools and apply it to their company
to stay ahead of competition.
“The company originally pursued
limited-run projects, but as we grow
bigger and bigger, our marketing is
still around small-volume, but we’re
being approached to take on more
production projects,” Plympton said.
While Plympton is regarded as the
marketing and sales genius at Opti-
max, Mandina focuses on operations.
His desk is on the shop floor along-
side the employees he’s often coaching
and mentoring.
The company, located on Dean
Parkway in Ontario, Wayne County,
now employs about 300 workers and
President & CEO
Mike MandinaRick Plympton
1000 First Federal Plaza Rochester, New York 14614
expects to add 59 more after doubling
the size of the facility to 120,000
square feet by expanding into a build-
ing next door.
“This adds capacity for supporting
projects that we prototype as well as
adding the capability to expand on
product offerings,” Plympton said.
“We hope for continued success
and another expansion in the future,”
he said.
Mandina and Plympton are aware
that there are business opportunities
for them in other places, such as
Arizona and California, and even
Europe.
“Having a presence there would be
beneficial,” Mandina said.
“We’re just compelled to be here at
this time because of the rich infrastruc-
ture going on because of incentives
and the critical mass of resources that’s
alive and prospering in the Rochester
area right now. We get wonderful
support from the local community col-
leges and universities” Mandina said.
BLoudon@BridgeTowerMedia.com
/(585) 232-2035
585-454-4161
13
 Pursuing creativity,
they built Rochester
Rochester Business Hall of Fame inductees by year:
2001
t John Jacob Bausch and
Henry Lomb, who co-founded
global eye-care leader Bausch &
Lomb Inc.;
t Chester Carlson, whose
revolutionary invention launched
Xerox Corp.;
t George Eastman, who built
Eastman Kodak Co., one of the
most recognizable brands in the
world;
t Frank Gannett, founder of
media giant Gannett Co. Inc.;
t James Gleason, who has
made Gleason Corp. a world
leader in gear production
technology;
t Kate Gleason, a trailblazer in
manufacturing and real estate;
t Thomas Golisano, Paychex
Inc. founder and Rochester’s
first billionaire;
t Marvin and Richard Sands,
the father-and-son team whose
Constellation Brands Inc. is the
world’s largest wine company;
t Austin Steward, a
pioneering businessman and
abolitionist;
t Robert Wegman, creator of
the Wegmans Food Markets Inc.
supermarket empire; and
t Joseph Wilson, who led
Xerox to worldwide growth and
renown.
 Western Union Telegraph Co.
Kate Gleason,
2001
14 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
2002
t Matthew Augustine, owner
of Eltrex Industries, founded as
a response to Rochester’s 1964
race riots;
t Ernest Del Monte, chairman
and CEO of E.J. Del Monte
Corp.;
t Frederick Douglass, a
former slave who became an
orator, politician and newspaper
publisher of international
renown;
t Jacob Freeman, an
orphaned Hungarian immigrant,
and Jeremiah Hickey, who
co-founded Hickey-Freeman,
one of the most successful
clothing manufacturers of its
time;
t Martha Matilda Harper,
founder of the country’s first
franchising operation and a
proponent of women in
business;
t Nelson and Norman
Leenhouts, brothers and
co-founders of Home Properties
Inc., a real estate investment
trust that operates on the East
Coast;
t Nathaniel Rochester,
founder of Rochester; and
t Hiram Sibley, founder of
2003
t Burton and Charles August,
brothers and co-founders of
Monro Muffler Brake Inc., an
industry leader;
t Patrick Barry, who co-ran
Mt. Hope Garden and Nurseries,
helping to develop it into the
world’s largest such operation;
t John D. Brush, who built
Sentry Group from a
Depression-era start;
t Bal Dixit, founder and
chairman of Newtex Industries
Inc., who built a global firm on
his substitute for asbestos;
t George Ellwanger, who
established and co-ran the
world-famous Mt. Hope Garden
and Nurseries in the 19th
century;
t James Wilmot, who
founded Wilmorite Properties
Inc. in 1950; and
t Louise Woerner, CEO and
chairwoman of HCR Home Care,
which she founded in 1978.
2004
t Ralph Cantisano, whose
family introduced the popular
Ragu brand of pasta sauce and
who formed and led Cantisano
Foods Inc.;
Louise
Woerner,
2003
Robert Wegman,
2001
t Howard Coles, whose
newspaper, the Frederick
Douglass Voice, gave
Rochester’s African-American
community its public voice;
t Max Farash, who
transformed a commercial
air-conditioning business into
one of the region’s leading
construction and real estate
development firms;
t Philip Nothnagle, owner and
chairman of Nothnagle Realtors
and founder of Nothnagle Home
Securities Corp., the first
nonbank mortgage lender
licensed in New York;
t E. Philip Saunders, who has
steered a wide range of
enterprises, including the Sugar
Creek chain of convenience
stores, W.W. Griffith Oil Corp.
and Truckstops of America; and
t F. Ritter Shumway, who
assembled a manufacturing
empire that culminated in the
creation of Sybron Corp.
2005
t Ezra Andrews and James
Briggs, the early leaders of
Lawyers Cooperative Publishing
Co.;
t Ronald Fielding, who
helped pioneer changes that
 Your curiosity
helped pave a path
to success.
RMSC Congratulates the 2018
Rochester Business Hall of Fame Inductees.
The RMSC celebrates your innovation, inspiration, and
dedication to our community. As we help educate the next
generation of thinkers, you are providing a guiding light.

Visit the
Rochester Business
Hall of Fame Exhibit
at RMSC
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657 East Avenue, Rochester NY, 14607 • 585.271.4320 • RMSC.org

made municipal bond funds popular
nationwide;
t Francis and George French, whose
ingenuity made French’s Mustard an
American food classic;
t Thomas Gosnell, who expanded
Lawyers Cooperative into the second-
largest law book publisher in the United
States;
t R. Wayne LeChase, who grew his
firm into one of the top 20 construction
companies in the Northeast, and
t John Riedman, who built one of the
nation’s top privately held insurance
companies.
2006
t Morton Adams, who helped a
partnership of small canners and a
farmers’ cooperative grow into a nearly
$1 billion business;
t Laurence Glazer and Harold
Samloff, who built Rochester’s largest
real estate developer and property
management firm;
t Dennis and Laurence Kessler, who
created an eatery empire with nearly 70
restaurants;
t T. Carl Nixon and Thomas Hargrave,
who guided the growth of the city ës
largest law firm; and
t Walter Parkes, who built one of New
York’s largest electrical contractors.
2007
t Ronald Bittner, who led Rochester’s
phone company as it doubled in size to
nearly $2.5 billion in revenue;
t Richard Dorschel, who built a car
dealership into a $300 million business
with 500 employees;
t George Hamlin, who nurtured a
community banking institution with
more than $1 billion in assets;
t David Kearns, who encouraged
diversity and quality as CEO of Xerox
Corp.; and
t William Stolze and Herbert Vanden
Brul, co-founders of RF Communications
and champions of entrepreneurship.
2008
t Arunas Chesonis, who built Paetec
Holding Corp. into a telecom force;
t James Hammer, whose Hammer
Packaging Corp. became a global
printing powerhouse;
t Raymond Hickok, who led Hickok
Manufacturing, the world’s largest maker
of men’s belts, and the Young
Presidents’ Organization;
t Robert Hurlbut, a pioneer in the
nation’s shift from traditional nursing
homes to senior living facilities;
t Elliott Landsman, who created three
successful real estate and construction
companies; and
t John “Jack” Wehle, who grew
Genesee Brewing Co. into one of the top
breweries in the nation.
16 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
2009
t James Cunningham, whose luxury
carriage firm was the largest employer
in Rochester in the 1880s;
t John LiDestri, who leads a $500
million food company with strong local
roots;
t Thomas Judson Jr., who has
transformed the firm his great-
grandfather founded into one of the
largest commercial construction
companies in the Northeast;
t Ferdinand and Gregory Smith, who
have built Jay Advertising into a
nationally known firm; and
t Ford and Subaru dealer Kitty Van
Bortel, whose Subaru franchise ranks
among top U.S. dealers for sales.
Laurence Glazer, 2006
2010
t Thomas Bonadio, founder of the
Bonadio Group, one of the first public
accounting firms in New York to expand
beyond auditing and accounting to
business advisory and financial services;
t Harlan Calkins, chairman and CEO
of Rochester Midland Corp., a cleaning
and disinfectant company founded by
his grandfather with operations in five
dozen countries;
t Abraham Feinbloom and William
Feinbloom, founders of Champion
Products Inc., an athletic wear company,
and pioneers in garment manufacturing; Richard
t Fred Gordon Jr. and Lucius “Bob” Dorschel, 2007
Gordon, whose Mixing Equipment Co.
became a world leader and innovator in
the manufacture of industrial mixers;
and
t John Summers Jr., who grew his
father’s business, Jasco Tools Inc., into a
holding company for four firms,
including the largest tool-and-die
manufacturer in Rochester.
2011
t Joseph Klein, who built Klein Steel
Service Inc. from a tiny family operation
into a leading regional business;
t David Reh, who made his mark
through Gorbel Inc., Retrotech Inc., George Hamlin, 2007
Ravenwood Golf Club and other
ventures;
t Rob, George and John Norris, Suzy
Hofsass and Anne Wells, third-
generation owners of Seabreeze
Amusement Park, one of the oldest
parks in the world; and James
t Henry Ward, who built Ward’s Hammer,
Natural Science Establishment into a 2008
worldwide provider of science
specimens and equipment.
2012
t Frederick Berkeley III, who grew
Graham Corp., co-founded by his
grandfather, into an international
company while preserving local jobs;
Congratulations
CARL MYERS
on your induction into
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the Rochester Business P: 315-234-1100 | F: 315-234-1111 | www.bcpllc.com
Hall of Fame!
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Outstanding leadership. Exceptional results.

At KPMG, we never underestimate the power of dedicated people with passion. That’s why we want to recognize all the 2018 Rochester Business Hall of
Fame Inductees for their outstanding contribution to our community. You’ve exceeded expectations. And made a positive impact in the lives of so many.

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© 2018 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”),
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 t Frank Chiaino and John Purcell, Fibertech
Networks co-founders, who expanded the
Giovanni LiDestri,
firm in a rough economy from five employees
2009
to 250;
t Michael Jones and Geoffrey Rosenberger,
founders of Clover Capital Management;
t Richard Kaplan, a serial entrepreneur who
has guided companies including Pictometry
International Corp. and Torvec Inc. toward
growth; and
t Frank and George Taylor, whose Taylor
Instruments focused on instrument precision and
customer service at a time when both were rare.

2013
t Lauren Dixon and Michael Schwabl, leaders
of Dixon Schwabl Advertising, founded by Dixon
in 1987;
t Joseph Harris, Selah Harris, Margaret Harris
Sheldon and Joseph Harris, whose family firm
Harris Seeds was launched in 1863 and still
operates nationwide from Rochester
headquarters;
t Robert Morgan, who built Morgan
Management LLC into a multimillion-dollar real
estate ownership firm; and
t Dilip Vellodi, founder of Sutherland Global Thomas Bonadio,
Services Inc., which employs more than 30,000 2010
people worldwide.

2014 explosive growth at Wright Beverage fastest-growing private companies 11 times;

t John Bruning and Robert Hopkins, optical
engineers who as the leaders of Tropel Corp.
were lab-to-market visionaries;
t Paul DeCarolis, who stepped up to lead his
father’s trucking company and built a fleet of
more than 2,000 vehicles;
t Jane Glazer, founder of QCI Direct, a leading
catalog and online business that carried more
than 4,000 products; and
t Claude H. Wright, who led a turnaround and
Lauren Dixon and
Michael Schwabl,
2013
Distributing.
2015
t Mark Davitt, whose ConServe began as a
one-man shop and now employs nearly 800 in
the student-loan collection business;
t Partners Arthur Finocchario, Robert Latour
and Donald Tomeny, whose B&L Wholesale
Supply was ranked one of Rochester’s Top 100
t I.A. “Drew” Morris, who led G.W. Lisk Co. Inc.
from the Great Depression to become a leading
electromechanical products manufacturer; and
t Michael Nuccitelli and Ronald Ricotta, who
built up Nationwide Precision Products, Parlec
Inc. and Century Mold Co. Inc.
2016
t Roger Friedlander, who was a pioneer of
next-day delivery and stockless inventory
through Spectrum Office Products;
t William Konar, whose Clinton Merchandising Inc.
was one of the first U.S. chains of discount drugstores;
t Partners Salvatore LaBella and Sergio
Esteban, whose LaBella Associates P.C. has been
named one of the Top 500 Global Design Firms
by Engineering News-Record; and
t Amy Tait, who co-founded Broadstone Real
Estate LLC and grew it into a $2 billion business.

2017
t William Levine, whose business skills led him
to philanthropic endeavors, with the William &
Mildred Levine Foundation donating more than
$20 million to local charities;
t Victor Salerno, who doubled the business of
O’Connell Electric Company Inc. and extended
its reach beyond the Rochester area;
t Rob Sands, who grew his family business
Constellation Brands to a more than $7 billion
company while also contributing time and
money to local organizations; and
t Christine Whitman, whose penchant for
entrepreneurism has led multiple companies to
Jane Glazer, 2014 success, including Complemar Products where
she is chairwoman and CEO

18 OCTOBER 12, 2018 ▪ 2018 Rochester Business Hall of Fame

We recognize our most precious resource — the
people in our community
Thanks to you and your leadership, our community is a better place as you set new
standards for future business leaders while serving as role models for young people in our
community.

Bank of America congratulates the Rochester Business Hall of Fame 2018 inductees for
helping to make a lasting difference where we live and work.
Visit us at bankofamerica.com/local
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