GRBblog

Welcome to the GRBblog! Get to know GRB, Rochester's only locally owned and managed commercial bank. A commercial bank, but also a community bank, with an entrepreneurial spirit about everything we do. We're committed to Growing Rochester Business and making our community a better place to live and work.

The GRBblog is where we post bank news and information, stories about the great organizations we support, and share relevant local and national business news.


Same-Day Check Processing Begins July 5

Check writing icon

Beginning July 5, 2017, checks you have written will now post to your account on the same day they are received by GRB (typically by 1 PM that day).  Previously, checks clearing your account were processed in the evening and didn’t affect your available balance until the following morning.

The change applies to both individual customer and business accounts.  Up-to-date balances will be reflected in online banking and in the cash available for withdrawal at ATMs.

Same-day check processing provides a more accurate, real-time view of your account and allows you to plan more carefully.  To view your updated balance, simply log-in to your GRBonline account after 1 p.m.  If additional funds are needed to cover checks you have written, you can transfer money online from other accounts or stop in to a GRB branch before close of business.

No other account changes will occur at this time.


Don’t Sing the Blues…Get Your Tickets for GRB Blues Bash 2017

Blues Bash logo

We are happy to announce that GRB is the presenting sponsor for Blues Bash 2017, a one-day-only celebration of blues music with an incredible line up of artists. Slated for Saturday, May 20, Blues Bash will include performances by Rochester favorite Steve Grills, internationally acclaimed guitarist Joe Beard, the soulful Alexis P. Suter Band, singer and harmonica player Tad Robinson and acclaimed blues guitarist, bandleader and producer Dave Specter.

You can go to one, two, three, or all four events. The “Bash Pass” ($50 presale) provides unlimited access to the Bash from beginning to end. Walk-up single tickets will be available on the day of the event for $20 per concert.

Blues Bash 2017 will be held at the Lyric Theatre, 440 East Avenue, in the heart of the Neighborhood of the Arts.  There will also be food trucks and a cash bar.

“Our community has a rich musical history and we are proud to be bringing another signature event to the Rochester stage,” said GRB President and CEO Philip Pecora.  “With an outstanding lineup of award-winning artists and the Lyric Theatre as the venue, GRB Blues Bash 2017 promises to be a fantastic opportunity for blues fans and music fans alike.”

Advance tickets are available at all three area GRB branch locations, as well as online at http://bit.ly/GRBbluesbash.


GRB Mortgage Fundraising for Veterans Outreach Center

Organization logo for the VOC

GRB Mortgage is pleased to announce it is sponsoring a fundraiser to benefit our local service men and women. GRB Mortgage will donate $25 for every residential mortgage application taken in the month of May 2017 to the Veterans Outreach Center (VOC).

For those of you who may not be familiar with VOC, the organization was established in 1973 and provides comprehensive resources to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families through direct service, community collaboration and advocacy. This includes providing a wide range of services such as benefits counseling, job training and placement, mentoring, legal resources, therapy services, housing assistance and much more.

You can learn more about VOC and follow their efforts at www.vocroc.org, on Twitter @VOCROC and on Facebook.

Check back on the GRB home page throughout the month of May to see our fundraising progress! If you are interested in a purchase or refinance, talk to our mortgage team.

Spread the word and we thank you in advance for your support of our local service men and women.


Helping Write Customer Stories Centerpiece of GRB Small Business Week Celebration

National Small Business Week logo

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

As a small business lender, at GRB we know every small business has a story.  We are highlighting our celebration of National Small Business Week by helping tell those stories with in-depth customer profiles on our Web site.  We are proud that our customers are household names that provide vital services, jobs and support for our community.

Look for the accompanying campaign with the theme, “Spotlight on Small Business” in our social media channels.

Featured are:

  • Beers of the World
  • Book1One
  • Gerstner Medical
  • Crosby-Brownlie
  • Radio Social

More information on the week’s SBA-sponsored events can be found on the SBA Web site.


Happy Anniversary!

It seems like only yesterday that GRB moved its headquarters to the new building at 1850 South Winton Road.  But it has been one year already and we took a few moments to celebrate with all of the employees who put in extra hours to make the move possible, and with those who have joined us since.  The building is a sign of the bank’s growth — past and future.  We are grateful for the wonderful employees, board members, partners and clients who helped make it all possible.  Thank you!


GRB Recognized as “Best Company” for Fifth Time

Best Companies Award logo

We are pleased to announce that GRB has been named to the 2017 “Best Companies to Work for in New York” list. This is the fifth year that GRB has appeared on the “Best Companies” list in the small/medium size category. Rankings in the annual program are chosen based on employee responses to the engagement and satisfaction survey, as well as the employer-provided benefits and policies questionnaire. GRB ranked 35th this year.  Thank you to our employees for their hard work and commitment to our clients. You are truly “The Best!”


New GRB Videos Highlight Mortgage Information and GRB Workplace

Check out our YouTube channel for some new videos! You’ll find some great advice on securing a residential mortgage and information on working at — and with — GRB.  The team put a tremendous amount of work into these videos and we hope you find them beneficial. 

Don’t forget to “Subscribe” to our channel so you always get the latest updates on new videos posted by GRB. http://bit.ly/GRBYouTube


GRB Named to Top Workplaces List Third Year in a Row

GRB is pleased to be one of 50 companies named to the list of Rochester “Top Workplaces” for 2017! This is the third year in a row that GRB has made the list. Thank you to all of our employees for making GRB a great place to work — every day. We are also pleased to see how many clients and partners also made the list. Congratulations to all!


GRB Mortgage Raises $1,525 for the Open Door Mission

Collection box with donations for the Open Door Mission

GRB Mortgage is proud to announce that its January fundraising effort for the Open Door Mission has resulted in a $1,525 donation.  GRB Mortgage donated $25 for each mortgage application taken during the month.

Having a place to be safe and warm, especially during the winter months in Rochester, should never be taken for granted.  To continue our support of the Open Door Mission, the mortgage team has also volunteered to serve breakfast at the Mission’s Crisis Center in March and we are collecting food and clothing donations in our lobby at 1850 South Winton Road.

Congratulations to the team for all their hard work and a special thank you to the realtors and customers who helped make our January fundraiser possible.


GRB Mortgage Starts New Year with Benefit for Open Door Mission

GRB Mortgage Starts New Year with Benefit for Open Door Mission

Fundraising progress for Open Door Mission as of Jan. 20, 2017 - 875 dollars

As a residential mortgage provider, GRB has the pleasure of helping hundreds of individuals and families buy homes each year.  As we begin the new year and feel the temperatures dropping outside, it’s hard not to think about those who cannot come home to a warm, safe home.  In Rochester and Monroe County, those who are homeless number in the hundreds on any given night.

To help the Open Door Mission, one of our community’s leading resources for the homeless, GRB Mortgage will donate $25 for every home mortgage application taken in the month of January 2017.  GRB is also collecting donations of coffee, sugar, paper products, bath towels, socks and underwear for men, boots and clothing for women and children, men’s flipflops and twin bed sheets.  The donation box is in our lobby at 1850 South Winton Road.