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Lessons to be learned from Toys ‘R’ Us collapse
Toys R Us is closing down and liquidating all of its assets. Similar to another regional example —Tops Friendly Markets— the situation has been linked to the high level of debt held by the company and its inability to respond effectively to the shifts in competition, primarily fueled by the explosion of online retail through […]
Proposed Seneca trash-burning plant could be an asset
On March 9, a Finger Lakes winemaker’s letter appeared here, denouncing a proposal for a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility at the abandoned Seneca Army Depot in Romulus. The writer made a few interesting points, then reality set in. Until NASA or Elon Musk develop rockets full of trash aimed at the sun, there are two methods […]
Local business owners expect improvement in ’18
Large numbers of entrepreneurs leading small businesses in the Rochester area expect the current fiscal year to bring increases in revenues and improved business results. These findings come out of a first-ever study by ESL Federal Credit Union asking our business banking customers to gauge the local business climate heading into 2018. Nearly two-thirds of […]
Obstacles arise to use of patient-centered care
Patient-centered care has emerged as a major common goal across the health care industry. By empowering patients to play an active role in their care and assume a pivotal role with their physician in developing an individualized treatment plan to meet their health care needs, this care model can increase patients’ satisfaction with provided […]
Can Wegmans become better at ‘what they’re not’?
Since Amazon’s $13.7 billion merger with Whole Foods Market was confirmed in August 2017, speculations and reactions about the ripple effect on the grocery store industry have been strong. Amazon’s share price has since gained significant momentum, appreciating over 30 percent. Just last month, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos grew his wealth to over $105 […]
Taking steps to predict sexual harassment
Harvey Weinstein. Kevin Spacey. Donald Trump. It’s safe to say that sexual harassment is in the national spotlight currently, and rightfully so. It’s about time these issues were brought to light, and the perpetrators brought to justice. With increasing media attention, though, also comes increased scrutiny within organizations. How can business leaders correct problematic behaviors […]
If car drives itself, what will you do?
What would you do if you could magically reclaim all the time you spend behind the wheel of a car? Ultimately that’s what a future filled with autonomous vehicles is promising. There are many questions about what autonomous vehicles will be able to do, how reliable they’ll be and how much they’ll cost. But development is […]
China’s influence expands as U.S. throttles back
Since the introduction of widespread reforms in 1979 under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese economy has made great progress and, in just under four decades, it has become the second largest economy in the world, second only to the economy of the United States. Despite their misgivings about China’s dismal record with regard […]
We must fight together to end opioid crisis
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, I was one of four individuals inducted into the 2017 Rochester Business Hall Of Fame. This was a wonderful honor for not only myself but also for my wife, Eileen and our family, our company, O’Connell Electric Co. Inc., and co-workers. The event took place at the Joseph A. Floreano […]
Why should the government subsidize a college education?
With the cost of a college education rising, to seemingly astronomical levels in some private institutions, there has been a lot of discussion about whether and the extent to which the government ought to be involved in supporting the college educations of young Americans. Many now believe that the “American dream” is increasingly unattainable for […]
FCC action on net neutrality could cost internet users
By LOUISE SLAUGHTER An essential element of the successes brought by the internet has been the unrestricted access enjoyed by consumers and businesses alike. This access has been made possible by strong net neutrality standards, a safeguard that has helped protect our freedom of speech online while creating competition and growing innovation. This is […]
Is Rochester too big, too small, or just right?
To answer this question, I shall look at the Rochester metropolitan area through the metric of population. In addition, following the work of Mark Muro of the Brookings Institution, I shall refer to metropolitan areas with a population exceeding 550,000 as big cities and to those with a lower population as small cities. So, the […]
