News & Views

We congratulate Mark Gentile, President & CEO of Odyssey Software, on his recent award from the Rochester Small Business Council. At their annual luncheon, Gentile was named Business Person of the Year in the category of businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

This past weekend, four GRB employees arrived before sunup to help set up a blood drive at the Perinton Rapid Laser Wash, owned by clients Mark and Michelle Landers. Mark's amazing story of surviving an aortic dissection prompted the Landers to host the blood drive.

L to R: Dave Cushman, Kate Turner, Reece McKenzie, San Gueli.

Celebrating 15 years of banking service to Rochester, GRB hosted an anniversary celebration September 14 at our Linden Oaks headquarters. Thanking our employees, board members, and clients, GRB Chairman Phil Saunders and GRB President & CEO Phil Pecora also spoke about the bank’s growth.

The Greece Chamber of Commerce today announced the six finalists for their Small Business of the Year Awards.  GRB is proud to be the presenting sponsor of this event for the third year in a row. Highlighting the successful, entrepreneurial, and community-minded small businesses that abound in Greece, there are two award categories this year. The Microenterprise of the Year (10 employees or fewer, and less than $2 million in revenue) joins the Small Business of the Year category.

GRB has been awarded five stars in Bankrate.com's Safe and Sound Ratings Service for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. A 5-star rating is the highest award rating and is defined as a "Superior" ranking of financial strength and stability.

GRB client Mark Landers and his wife Michelle run a successful car wash business, building and opening their most recent one with financing from GRB on Rt. 31F in Perinton.  They have three kids, and lead a busy life as small business owners.  Last March, Mark nearly died.

CJ Rapp, inventor of Jolt cola, recently launched a new beverage. Karma water debuted locally in September.

From coverage in the Democrat & Chronicle:

Rapp said he made it a point with the new company to involve other Rochester-area businesses in various aspects of the enterprise.

"There are 10 to 12 locally based companies that have a business role with the new company," Rapp said. "There is tremendous talent in this community."

Among the local businesses involved are ValTech, Hammer Packaging, Martino Flynn, The Bonadio Group and Wright Wisner Distributing Corp. These local firms and others are doing parts of the overall process, such as manufacturing and distributing the caps and labels, designing the bottle and marketing the product using traditional and online approaches.

As reported back in April, GRB Chairman Phil Saunders donated $10M to the University of Rochester Medical Center. The gift supports clinical care and research in neuromuscular disease, and underscores Saunders' desire to give to organizations that attract money and jobs to the region.

Photo via URMC.

As we work to help small business in Rochester grow even in these challenging economic times, it made sense for us to take advantage of federal funds available for just that purpose. GRB is one of 20 community banks nationwide to receive part of $253 million in capital through the Treasury Department's Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF).

Part of the Small Business Jobs Act, the SBLF was established to encourage community bank lending to small businesses. Read the Daily Record article here.

Clients enjoyed free Ben & Jerry's ice cream one afternoon in July as part of our 15th anniversary celebration.

This month's Monroe County Business Brief has two GRB-related items. Commercial Banker, Pat Murray was honored earlier this summer as one of two County Bankers of the Year. His second time winning this accolade, Pat referred four projects to Monroe County Economic Development, all of which successfully closed.

GRB client Pactech Packaging, Inc. is highlighted in the Business Profile. A manufacturer of flexible packaging, Pactech recently moved to a 127,000 s.f. facility in Ogden, utilizing Monroe County's SBA 504 program to purchase and renovate the building.

Join GRB in supporting the Bivona Child Advocacy Center by dining at Pellegrino's on July 28, 29, and 30. Bring in this flyer to either of the Pellegrino's locations between 3 - 8pm and 20% of your purchase will be donated to Bivona. Click Continue Reading for more details.

GRB has been a supporter of Bivona Child Advocacy Center for a number of years. This nonprofit facilitates a collaboration of professionals who specialize in child abuse. They protect, treat, and counsel children and their families so the journey of healing can begin. Click here for more information.

Rochester Institute of Technology's Nathaniel Rochester Society has given its highest honor to Phil Saunders, founder of TravelCenters of America, chairman and founder of Genesee Regional Bank, owner of Saunders Management Co. and a member of the RIT bord of trustees. Click below for more or read the RIT news release.

GRB Chairman Phil Saunders is not only an entrepreneur and philanthropist, but is also an avid outdoorsman who hikes, hunts and fishes on 3,000 acres he has come to own in the sleepy, picturesque Livingston County township of Ossian.

GRB fielded a team of 19 employees running and walking in the annual JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge on May 24. 

Continuing his philanthropic work for the Rochester area, GRB Chairman Phil Saunders has given a $10 million gift to the University of Rochester Medical Center’s neuromuscular program. Donating to organizations that bring jobs to the area is a priority for Saunders.

The Greece Chamber of Commerce announced today the winners of their 2011 Civic Awards. GRB is proud to be a sponsor of this event, which highlights the impressive people and places that are working to make Greece an even better place to live and work. The awards ceremony will take place on 4/28 at the Greece Marriott.

We've broken out the pedometers...the Eat Well Live Well Challenge has begun!

It's a little strange to blog about myself, but I'm posting this RBJ article because my story exemplifies the culture at GRB.  Three years ago, I joined GRB after a 13-year career in museums. 

Every year the RBJ recognizes Rochester’s best business websites. Winning websites are selected by a panel of judges, with awards presented in 11 categories.  At this morning's awards ceremony, GRB won "Best of the Web" in the banking/finance category!  Read the RBJ article here.  Photos after the jump.