From a business and economic perspective, one of the most overlooked assets in our region is education. I recently had the honor of attending an A Community Together (ACT) for Education meeting with retired West Irondequoit Central School District Superintendent ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

Early in this 2019, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is reflecting on the past while planning strategically for the future. A great deal has changed here since the Industrial Management Council merger with the Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce formed ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

I have a difficult time understanding the controversy surrounding New York State tax incentives that led Amazon to locate half of its East Coast HQ2 facility in Long Island City. I expect this development to create 25,000 jobs and have ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated its 32nd annual Rochester Chamber Top 100 Awards, recognizing our region’s fastest-growing, privately held companies. The Rochester Chamber Top 100 is the biggest business event of the year in our area, and it ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

I recently had the honor of attending The Business Council of New York State’s annual meeting where Duke and Columbia public policy professor and retired IBM Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Stan Litow received the Corning Award. ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

I recently had the pleasure of traveling with a delegation of Rochester-area leaders to Columbus, Ohio to meet with that region’s key economic development agencies. Our group consisted of representatives from Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Greater Rochester Enterprise, University ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

I have received a great deal of positive feedback on my Rochester Business Journal column from May, which was titled, “Now is the time to reinforce our civic and regional pride.” As a follow-up to that column, I want to ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce has enjoyed a very strong, teamwork-driven relationship with Greater Rochester Enterprise and Empire State Development over the past year. I applaud GRE CEO Matt Hurlbutt, ESD Finger Lakes Regional Director Vinnie Esposito and their teams ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

One of the great challenges we face here in Rochester is the fact that we have a large amount of jobs that we are unable to fill. Employers looking for workers cannot find the qualified help that they need. With ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

As a lifelong resident of this region, I could not think of a place I would rather live. However, I have witnessed what I interpret as an erosion of regional pride by many over the last several years. When we ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

I was recently honored along with Monroe Community College President Anne Kress to have Gov. Andrew Cuomo select us as co-chairs of the ROC the Riverway advisory panel. Work is now underway by the group to develop a comprehensive plan ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

We are in the midst of a tough New York State budget season with many difficult decisions to be made. All regions of the state are pulling for things that are important to them, with the Finger Lakes region no ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

I recently wrote a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos after the Buffalo-Rochester Metro Corridor proposal for Amazon’s second headquarters did not make the cut to the 20 potential sites. The letter thanked Mr. Bezos for the opportunity for us ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

I recently accepted an invitation meet with the board of directors for the Council of Agency Executives. Several members of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce senior leadership team and I participated in a wide-ranging roundtable discussion about the most ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce was extremely pleased to receive 5-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last month. This top designation recognizes sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and a positive impact on the community. Local chambers are rated ...

Tagged with: On Business Robert Duffy