Small Business Council and Greater Rochester Enterprise Economic Summit, Eyes on the Future Upstate Economic Czar Daniel Gundersen and National Experts Among Scheduled Participants
The Small Business Council of Rochester, an affiliate of the Rochester Business Alliance, and Greater Rochester Enterprise will host Eyes on the Future, a Greater Rochester Region economic summit, on Tuesday, June 12th, at St. John Fisher College from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.Designed to promote economic development, job growth, and entrepreneurship in the nine-county Greater Rochester Region, Eyes on the Future features a panel discussion moderated by Brian Taffe, host of the statewide cable news program, Capital Tonight.

“The event offers a unique mix of perspectives from professionals involved with economic development and corporate relocation, with an emphasis on ways to improve recruiting and retaining businesses and jobs in Greater Rochester.”

Panelists scheduled to participate include: Daniel Gundersen, Upstate Chair of the Empire State Development Corporation; Ken Schoetz, Chief Operating Officer of the Upstate Development Corporation; directors of economic development agencies from several of the nation’s fastest growing counties; and national corporate site selectors. Governmental research experts will discuss regional economic trends and forecasts.“Eyes on the Future will serve as an upbeat, positive dialogue, leading to immediate actions and tangible results,” said Thomas C. Ioele, immediate past president, Small Business Council of Rochester, an affiliate of the Rochester Business Alliance. “The event offers a unique mix of perspectives from professionals involved with economic development and corporate relocation, with an emphasis on ways to improve recruiting and retaining businesses and jobs in Greater Rochester.”

“The goal of Eyes on the Future is for attendees to learn how economic development is everyone’s responsibility,” said Dennis M. Mullen, president and CEO, Greater Rochester Enterprise. “Each person needs to serve as an ambassador to champion our region and its many assets. Eyes on the Future will provide attendees with information and tools they can use to help promote economic growth.” Economic development officials from three of the nation’s fastest growing counties will share their success stories and discuss the practices, policies, and initiatives that are working to spur the economy in their markets. Economic development officials on the panel include Ron Weisinger, executive director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority in Carson City, Nevada; Larry Pelton, executive director of the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, Florida; and Kenny McDonald, Senior Vice President, Economic Development Services, Charlotte Regional Partnership, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Site selectors will discuss the criteria that they consider when evaluating a market on behalf of companies looking to expand and relocate. Site selectors on the panel include Gene DePrez, Americas and co-global leader, PLI-Global Location Strategies, Associate Partner, Strategy and Change, IBM Global Business Services; and Dennis J. Donovan, principal, Wadley-Donovan

Gutshaw Consulting.

Admission to Eyes on the Future is by pre-registration only and free to members of the Small Business Council, Rochester Business Alliance, and Greater Rochester Enterprise. Cost is $25 for non-members. To pre-register or for more information, please go to www.eyesonthefuture.biz.

Eyes on the Future is sponsored by AXA Advisors, Bonadio & Co., Citizens Bank,

Employee Relations Associates, Inc., Empire State Development Corporation, Eric Mower and Associates, Excellus, Johnson Controls, MWI, Inc., OS-Cubed, Inc., Paradigm Environmental Services, Inc., Phillips Lytle, Relph Benefit Advisors, and St. John Fisher College. Eyes on the Future serves as one of several events planned throughout 2007 to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Small Business Council.

 

 

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Getting Lean and Clean
Last year at this time, HTR-MEP announced its Green Suppliers Network (GSN) initiative--a new service designed to work with small and mid-sized manufacturers to achieve measurable economic and environmental benefits. The program is a partnership of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency and, in the Finger Lakes Region, Empire State Development (ESD).

HTR’s leadership in this area was recognized at the recent 2007 Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Conference. Dick Krause, HTR Project Manager and developer of the local program, received the MEP “Innovator of the Year” award from MEP National Director Roger Kilmer and National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler.

Since the announcement, HTR-MEP has led the nation in implementing the GSN program. “Lean & Clean” Reviews of company operations have been initiated at 14 local firms. Waste prevention projects are underway or being developed at each of the companies where reviews have been completed. Other projects, including business strategies, sales and marketing, and Lean operations training are also in progress, based on general business findings from the reviews. HTR’s leadership in this area was recognized at the recent 2007 Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Conference. Dick Krause, HTR Project Manager and developer of the local program, received the MEP “Innovator of the Year” award from MEP National Director Roger Kilmer and National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler. In addition, Jim Gulliford, EPA Assistant  Administrator in charge of the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances visited Rochester on April 26th. As part of his tour of local facilities implementing Green programs, he asked to visit Pliant Corporation in Macedon where one of  HTR’s Lean & Clean Reviews has led to projects which have eliminated significant quantities of waste, resulting in major cost savings.

Under the GSN program, manufacturers receive a Lean & Clean Review of their operations. The review focuses on identifying waste in all its forms--time, labor, money, energy, emissions, etc. This assessment would normally cost $7,000, but is subsidized by the federal partners, bringing the net company cost to $4,500. Subsequent waste prevention projects that implement the review’s findings are eligible for ESD and federal support totaling $10,800 for the first project.

To learn more about Lean & Clean Reviews, please contact

Dick Krause, MEP Project Manager at (585) 327-7930 or

Richard.Krause@htr.org.

HIGH TECH ROCHESTER...The innovator’s Edge
WWW.HTR.ORG

 

 

 
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Rochester, the Affordable, Hidden Gem
Rochester is rated the sixth most livable U.S. city out of 379 officially-defined metropolitan areas in the upcoming 25th anniversary edition of Places Rated Almanac. Each of the 379 metro areas is rated and ranked using nine factors that influence the quality of a place: ambience, housing, local economy, transportation, education, health care, crime, climate, and recreation.Rochester should rank high on the recreation scale due to the vast number of offerings. Highland Park hosts the annual ten-day Lilac Festival reaching 500,000 plus visitors. Within the six counties, there are 50 plus annual festivals in addition to the various city annual festivals: Cold Rush, East End, Corn Hill, Park Avenue, Clothesline Art Show, Rochester International Jazz Festival, High Falls Film Festival, Puerto Rican Festival, Carifest, and Rochester River Romance.

Our 20 plus museums, theaters, and cultural attractions include the Susan B. Anthony House, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Memorial Art Gallery, George Eastman House and Museum of Photography, Garth Fagan Dance, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Strong National Museum of Play, Geva Theater, Blackfriars Theater, Downstairs Cabaret, and the Seneca Park Zoo.
Rochester is home to several professional sports teams, including: Red Wings Baseball, Raging Rhinos Soccer, Razorsharks Basketball, Americans Hockey, Rattlers Outdoor Lacrosse, Nighthawks Indoor Lacrosse, Raiders Indoor Football, and the Rochester Twilight Criterium Bike Race.

Rochester is said to have more golf holes per capita than any other northeast industrial city with more than 60 public, private, and semi-private courses. There have been several major golf competitions in Rochester including the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, and the annual LPGA tournament.Rochester offers variety and quality in arts, culture, and recreation, but what makes Rochester a gem is our affordable cost of living for the overall quality of life.

City of Rochester
R. Carlos Carballada
Commissioner, Economic Development
THE CITY OF

ROCHESTER
WWW.CITYOFROCHESTER.GOV

 

 

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International Investment
The story of Leuze lumiflex reinforces our message that Monroe County is a great place to live and do business. I was proud to join Dr. Harald Gruebel, Managing Director of Leuze Electronic in Germany, and Joerg Woerner, Head of Development at Leuze lumiflex, to open the company’s new Research and Development Center in Perinton. Leuze is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of optoelectronic sensors. They currently employ four engineers here and expect to add up to 30 engineering positions. These are high quality, good paying jobs.

Joerg Woerner said, “If you do serious business in optoelectronics you have to be in Rochester.” We are one of the top areas in the country for degrees granted in science and engineering. With our highly skilled workforce, leading colleges and universities, and a strong base of high-tech companies, our community has the talent and resources needed to support cutting-edge research and development.Leuze’s success emphasizes the role county government must continue to play to create more jobs and grow our economy. We need to help idea-generating companies develop new products and bring their technology to the marketplace.

Joerg not only recognized our community as a great place to do business, but also as a great place to live and raise a family.Joerg and his wife Barbara, who moved here from Germany, speak highly of our community’s warmth and friendliness. They tell how impressed they are with the quality of our schools, that they love the lakes, wineries, and landscape. They recall how their friends in Germany couldn’t believe it when they told them they saw deer in their backyard!By promoting our many assets, from our leadership in innovation to our excellent quality of life, we will attract even more companies, jobs, and families to Monroe County.

Maggie Brooks, County Executive
MONROE COUNTYWWW.MONROECOUNTY.GOV

 

 

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Great Venues + Great People = Great Networking
What do the Memorial Art Gallery, Max of Eastman Place, Inn on Broadway, Brio, and the Wild Hearts catamaran all have in common? Well, they all offer great food and experiences within the Monroe County borders. And they all are run by professional, customer-friendly staffs. But what’s really unique about this group? They are all venues for Digital Rochester events!  That’s right! Digital Rochester--the same group that has brought you free beer and networking for over seven years--will be giving you opportunities this spring and summer to build personal and business relationships, learn about great Rochester companies--and--discover some of the great venues Rochester has to offer.Here is just a “taste” of what we’re talking about:
→ In April, were you one of the many professionals who joined us at the Inn on Broadway for a great time of networking? 

→ In May, you saw us at the Memorial Art Gallery where we heard from Maurice Zauderer, CEO of Vaccinex, and RTEmd chief, Bob Ruppenthal, about the challenges and exciting developments at these two healthcare-focused technology companies.

→ On  June 5th, you will find us again networking like crazy. Join the hundreds of Rochester professionals who will be coming out to celebrate life and the

return of summer.

And look for our next Knowledge Upgrade and Rising Stars events also being planned for June and July. Check out our Website for all the details. So join us! Come to these exciting events and introduce yourself to someone. Invite your colleagues and increase your company’s visibility and connections. And if reaching over 4,000 Rochester-area technology and business professionals would be good for business, consider sponsoring a Digital Rochester event. By sponsoring an event, your company’s name and product info is guaranteed to reach a targeted, qualified audience that is passionate about creating a successful, thriving Rochester

community.

For information regarding Digital Rochester events and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.digitalrochester.com or e-mail us at info@digitalrochester.com.  We look forward to connecting with you!

Josh Bouk
Vice President of Marketing, Pervasive Solutions
DIGITAL ROCHESTER
WWW.DIGITALROCHESTER.COM

 

BSM

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