The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday announced the 2021 Top 100 list of the fastest-growing, privately-owned companies in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region.
The Chamber, with KPMG LLP and presenting sponsor ESL Federal Credit Union, will reveal the 35th annual rankings during an in-person celebration at the Joseph R. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center on Nov. 4.
“The Greater Rochester Chamber Top 100 program serves as the perfect illustration that Rochester has indeed moved from a company town of a few major employers to a place made up of industry from every sector,” said Chamber President and CEO Bob Duffy. “This year we are excited to see a strong cross-section of well-established companies and startups competing for a coveted spot on the list. The 2021 Greater Rochester Chamber Top 100 companies employ close to 67,000 people and reported total revenue of over $14 billion in the most recent fiscal year. The economic impact generated by these businesses has real and lasting influence on our community, and we are proud to have them in our region.”
The annual list is presented alphabetically and includes companies in numerous industries, from commercial printing to transportation to manufacturing and more.
To be eligible for the Greater Rochester Chamber Top 100 program, companies must be privately owned, headquartered in the nine-county Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region and have earned at least $1 million in revenue in each of the three most recent fiscal years. The Greater Rochester Chamber Top 100 rankings are calculated based on revenue, considering both dollar and percentage growth. Individual company revenue information is held confidential.
Rochester’s 10-year-old IT and software developer Avani Technology Solutions Inc. has taken the No. 1 spot on this year’s Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Top 100.
The chamber on Tuesday revealed the region’s 100 fastest-growing privately owned businesses, which will be honored Nov. 1 at the 32nd annual Rochester Chamber Top 100 awards dinner at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
System engineering and photonics technology company Precision Optical Transceivers was the second fastest-growing company in the region, while construction management and design build contractor Taylor, the Builders rounded out the top three.
“This year’s Rochester Chamber Top 100 list shows the fabulous success and amazing diversity that exists in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region’s economic engine,” chamber President and CEO Bob Duffy said in a statement. “Service companies appeared most on the list, followed by construction, technology, manufacturing and financial. The 100 companies combined for more than $12.1 billion in total revenue and employed nearly 23,000 people in the Rochester area.”
To be eligible for the Top 100, businesses must be independent, privately held, headquartered in the nine-county Finger Lakes region and have revenue of at least $1 million in each of the three most recent fiscal years. The program recognizes Rochester’s reputation as a region of innovation spurred by a strong entrepreneurial spirit, officials said.
“I attribute Avani’s success to leveraging technology platforms to serve our customers and employees better, faster and more responsively,” Avani CEO Sameer Penakalapati said. “We are also constantly adding new skills and competencies and focusing on areas that matter most to our customers. Staying focused and frugal while growing the business is also important.”
Todd Davis, CEO, Precision Optical Transceivers
This is the fifth time Avani has appeared on the Rochester Chamber Top 100 list; last year the company ranked 14th. The company has 425 employees, including 30 in Rochester.
“A large contributor to our success has been our customer-facing model. Whether in production, engineering or sales, our team members go the extra mile to fulfill customer needs and build strong relationships along the way,” Precision Optical CEO Todd Davis said. “Our customers feel confident in our products and expertise, which I believe is crucial when building long-term partnerships.”
Davis also credits the company’s unique culture and employee benefits for Precision Optical’s success.
Jim Taylor, partner, Taylor, the Builders
“It is rooted in the philosophy that happy employees will take care of their customers and the business will in turn take care of itself,” he explained. “We strive to ensure that our employees feel happy and fulfilled within their roles.”
Precision Optical—which made its Top 100 debut this year—was founded in 2011 and has 37 Rochester-based staffers.
“The people who work here helped us land high on the Rochester Chamber Top op 100,” said Taylor President Karl Schuler. “There are so many talented people in this world. We have some and the competition has some. You can’t control the talent level of your competition, but you can control your own effort and commitment to excellence. Hard work will always beat talent. Know what you don’t know, learn something every day and work hard.”
Karl Schuler, partner, Taylor, the Builders
Taylor, the Builders was founded in 1984 and has 32 local employees. The company is headquartered in Penfield and has appeared on the list four times.
“Rochester Chamber congratulates the Top 100 businesses and wishes them continued success and growth,” Duffy said.
Renewable energy, waste services and cardiac safety enterprises edged out 97 other businesses for the top spots in the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Top 100 this year.
SunCommon NY, a distributor of renewable energy generation, including solar and wind projects, took the No. 1 spot on the 31st annual list of the area’s fastest-growing privately held businesses.
SunCommon founder and CEO Kevin Schulte attributed his company’s growth to both the future of solar energy and SunCommon’s culture.
“We started as a value-led business in 2002 and became a certified benefit corporation in 2015,” Schulte said in a statement. “We grow because of our values and commitment to the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. Promoting ourselves as a member of the values led business community has presented us growth opportunities in sales, hiring and our connection to the community.”
Waste Harmonics LLC, a waste services broker, took the second spot on this year’s Top 100, while cardiac safety and respiratory services laboratory iCardiac Technologies Inc. rounded out the top three.
“I don’t believe you can achieve the growth we have without a strategic plan and a focus on customer retention,” Waste Harmonics President and CEO Michael Hess said. “They feed off each other. Customer retention has always been a core strength of ours, which is our foundation for customer references and referrals for new business.”
The Top 100 is a Rochester Chamber and KPMG LLP program that ranks businesses based on both dollar and percentage growth.
“The Rochester Chamber Top 100 list serves as a wonderful example of the Rochester and Finger Lakes region’s positive economic evolution,” Rochester Chamber President and CEO Bob Duffy said. “The leading number of companies on the list came from the service, manufacturing, technology and construction industries. We congratulate all of the Rochester Chamber Top 100 businesses and wish them continued success and growth.”
To be eligible for the Top 100, businesses must be independent, privately held, headquartered in the nine-county Finger Lakes region and have a revenue of at least $1 million in each of the three most recent fiscal years.
“iCardiac’s rapid growth is attributable to our ability to blend deep scientific insight with unparalleled customer support,” said iCardiac President and CEO Alex Zapesochny. “We have always recognized that offering great science and technology is important, but it’s not enough. A company must also excel in the human factors, such as proactive communication and dedication to our customers’ goals.”
The annual Top 100 celebration will include an awards dinner and pre-dinner reception Nov. 2 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
A full list of this year’s Top 100 can be viewed on the Rochester Chamber’s website.
(c) 2017 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-363-7269 or email [email protected]
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