VISIONARY LEADERSHIP UNLOCKING BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL

HALL OF FAME
2 0 1 7
 Your curiosity helped
pave a path to success.
RMSC
Congratulates
the 2017
Rochester
Business Hall
of Fame
Inductees.
The RMSC celebrates your
innovation, inspiration and
dedication to our community.
As we help educate the next
generation of thinkers, you are
providing a guiding light.

Visit the
Rochester Business
Hall of Fame Exhibit
at RMSC
Supported by

+ Science Museum
+ Strasenburgh Planetarium
+ Cumming Nature Center

657 East Avenue, Rochester NY, 14607 • 585.271.4320 • RMSC.org

Table of Contents
4
Junior Achievement unlocking the 12 Victor Salerno
next generation’s boundless O’Connell Electric Company Inc. has doubled
its business under Salerno, and has extended its
potential reach beyond the Rochester area.

6 Christine Whitman 14 Rob Sands

Driven to learn, Whitman has led local
Sands has maintained his family’s legacy,
companies to success. Today she is chairwoman
growing Constellation Brands to a more than
and CEO of Complemar Products.
$7 billion company and contributing time and
money to local organizations.
10 William Levine
Levine’s business skills led him to philanthropic
endeavors. Over the last 20 years of his life,
16Pursuing creativity,
the William & Mildred Levine Foundation
they built Rochester
donated more than $20 million to local charities.

Publisher: Suzanne Fischer-Huettner; Editor: Ben Jacobs; Associate Editor: Lisa Granite; Special Products Editor: Colin Hogan; Copy Editor: Bill Alden;
Reporters: Amaris Elliott-Engel and Mike Costanza; Sales Coordinator: Jessica Sims; Account Managers: Jean Moorhouse, Michelle Sanfilippo and John Sousa;
Special Projects Manager: Kady Weddle; Advertising Design Supervisor: Sarah Sansom; Graphic Designer: Michael Duntz; and Business Manager: Maria Kelly.

Cover design by Michael Duntz. Submitted photos. © 2017 by Rochester Business Journal Inc. All rights reserved.

Congratulations
Christine Whitman
on your induction into the
Rochester Business
Hall of Fame
from your employees at

2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 6, 2017 3

 Unlocking the next generation’s
boundless potential
PHOTO BY KIMBERLY SIMPSON
Patricia Leva says Junior Achievement believes that every
student, no matter their background, has boundless potential
and can follow in the footsteps of the Rochester Business
Hall of Fame laureates.
2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame inductees
Ron Ricotta and Mike Nuccitelli
4 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
By PATRICIA LEVA
There is not a week that goes by where
I do not hear some inspiring story of
a young person who, against all odds,
reframes his or her vision of the future
and gains the belief that he or she can and
will be successful. This personal sense of
self-efficacy (or “I can” attitude) is one
of the most important elements in the
complex variables that contribute to a
student’s ability to achieve.
At the core of Junior Achievement’s
mission is the belief in the boundless
potential of today’s young people.
Regardless of socioeconomic situation,
we believe that youth are born into this
world with unlimited energy. When
purposeless, this energy can turn toward
mischief, crime or other negative behav-
iors. But when harnessed and inspired, it
can lead to hope, optimism and empower-
ment—and ultimately, successful futures.
JA’s sequential K-12 programs are
designed to both instill knowledge and
inspire youth. Focused on financial
literacy, career awareness, work readiness
and entrepreneurial thinking, the JA
experience provides students with the op-
portunity to practice life skills needed to
be successful alongside an adult who can
provide relevant examples and encourage
them to follow their dreams.
This past academic year, JA mentors
reached more than 14,000 students in
Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Elmira
and Corning. In Monroe County alone,
JA partnered with nearly 500 educators,
Continued on page 5
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
Continued from page 4

reaching over 8,000 students, more than half

of which were from the Rochester City School
District. While focusing in the RCSD is certainly
a priority, we believe that every student needs to
read and write financially, think entrepreneurially
and be ready to compete in the world of work. Un-
til these life skills are required for high school grad-
uation, we will continue to see many high school
seniors unable to pass a basic financial literacy test
— and employers continuing to provide soft skill
training at a high opportunity cost.
One of the most important issues facing our
community today is the lack of skilled workers for
the in-demand jobs available here. There has been
much research on the rich capabilities and assets
of the Finger Lakes region and the key industry
clusters important to transforming our economy,
such as optics/photonics/imaging, next generation
manufacturing, agriculture, higher education and
research, and others. Many parents, teachers and
SUBMITTED PHOTO
guidance counselors may not have careers in these JA’s BizTown and Finance Park “discovery centers” throughout the country are inspiring
fields on their radar. youth to be prepared and engaged in their local economies.
JA curriculum and mentors can play a significant
role in exposing students, at a young age, to these laboratory in Eastman Business Park that will al-life decisions that are made every day by adults.
opportunities of the future. In the coming months showcase the best of our Finger Lakes economy. We know that no one organization alone can
you will hear more about the bold vision for the After 13 lessons in the classroom, students in JA have impact on the many important issues in our
future of JA in Monroe County, one that involves Biz Town® become “citizens,” running the economy community today. We are fortunate to operate in
bringing a scientifically-proven JA model to Roch- of our future: creating and obtaining jobs, making a community that embraces collective impact, and
ester to address these workforce and financial issues financial decisions, paying taxes, electing a mayor JA is well positioned and eager to do our part. We
head on, while bringing authentic, memorable and and even donating to charity. believe that every student, no matter their back-
experiential learning to an entirely new level. A few years later in JA Finance Park®, youth ground, has boundless potential and can follow
Two sequential programs, JA Biz Town® in fifth leave behind their lives as students and take on life in the footsteps of the Rochester Business Hall of
grade and JA Finance Park® in middle/high school, in this mini-city, with a career, credit score, debt, Fame laureates that we proudly celebrate this year.
will be implemented in our region. This launch will family and financial obligations. They quickly learn Patricia Leva is president and CEO of Junior
include the construction of a hands-on learning the importance of a career to a lifestyle and the re- Achievement of Central Upstate New York Inc.

Congratulations! “If your actions inspire others to

dream more, learn more, do more,
and become more, you are a leader.”
2017
-- John Quincy Adams
Rochester Business
Hall of Fame
Inductees

Communicating your image ®

200 Lucius Gordon Dr. • Rochester, NY • 585.424.3880

www.hammerpackaging.com • @hammerpackaging James E. Hammer, President & CEO
2008 Hall of Fame Inductee

2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 6, 2017 5

 Finding purpose
in breaking boundaries
Driven to learn, Christine Whitman led local companies to success
SUBMITTED PHOTO
When she became CEO of CVC, Christine
Whitman taught herself the business: “I was
constantly trying to learn more about the
business at hand,” she says. “I probably way
overcompensated for it.”
Congratulations to the 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame inductees.
We thank you for your contributions to our community.
6 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
By AMARIS ELLIOTT-ENGEL
Christine Whitman calls herself an “accidental
entrepreneur.”
“I just wanted to work for a company that I was
proud of,” Whitman says.
As an undergraduate at Syracuse University,
Whitman studied psychology and biology. Her
first job was as a research assistant in the University
of Rochester’s biochemistry department, where she
separated materials to be able to distill samples for
use in research.
Then she moved to CVC Inc., a supplier of
thin-film process equipment for semiconductor and
data-storage companies, in 1978. There she applied her
experience with the University of Rochester to a prod-
uct that was distilling large-molecule weight materials.
She worked her way up to become CVC’s vice
president for marketing, sales and research and de-
velopment. The people running the company at the
time wanted to retire, and Whitman says she felt
there was no one else besides her to ensure CVC
would continue to grow and survive. In 1990, she
led a buyout by management and became CVC’s
president and chief executive officer.
As the CEO, Whitman had to do a lot of trav-
eling to Silicon Valley and to Asia. She also had to
teach herself a business involving material sciences
and engineering when her background was more in
the social sciences. So, Whitman took night cours-
es to give her the background she needed and used
her time on airplanes to study as much as possible.
She also hired experts to assist her.
1600 Bausch & Lomb Place, Rochester, NYRochester
14604
Her dedication paid off handsomely: Over the
next decade, Whitman grew the business tenfold,
achieving $100 million in revenues. In 1999, CVC
was acquired by Veeco Instruments Inc. Whitman
served as the president and CEO of Veeco during
that transition before retiring to found her own in-
vestment partnership, CSW Equity Partners LLC.
Not just an accidental entrepreneur, Whitman
also “accidentally fell into a role that was extremely
male-dominated. I think it was because I started
at the University of Rochester. I didn’t feel any
gender bias there, so I never felt as though gender
was going to hold me back.”
It was a wake-up call to enter the corporate
world in the technical field, she says.
“I had to work much harder than all the males
around me. I was constantly trying to learn more
about the business at hand. I probably way over-
compensated for it,” Whitman continues with a
laugh. “I did know more than anybody else.”
A product of her dedication to learning, CSW
Equity Partners LLC has been investing in startups
for the last 15 years. Some of those investments
have included technology companies that focus on
natural language and voice automation technology.
Now Whitman is the chairman of companies CSW
Equity Partners LLC has invested in and grown,
including Soleo Communications, VoicePort and
OneStream Networks.
In a change of pace from investing in new
companies, CSW took on Complemar Products as
Continued on page 8
■
hselaw.com
Buffalo Albany Corning
■ ■ ■ New York City
585.232.6500
 UP CLOSE &
DEVOTED
For half a century, Fisher alumnus Vic Salerno ’66 has set an extraordinary example of
the virtues of goodness, discipline, and knowledge. His tireless efforts and generous gifts
have transformed the way our School of Business students learn at Fisher and succeed in
the community. His inclusion in the Rochester Business Hall of Fame is also a testament
to his inspiring leadership as the CEO of O’Connell Electric, a tenure characterized by his
passion for business, his ability to create trusting partnerships with customers, and his
belief in building strong relationships among his employees.

sjfc.edu On behalf of our students, Vic, we proudly salute you for this most deserving honor.
 Whitman’s company,
CSW Equity Partners LLC,
invested in Complemar
Products in part to help
“preserve and create
jobs that pay higher than
minimum wage and pay
health care benefits in a
safe environment on a
busline,” providing easy
access to work, she says.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COMPLEMAR

Complemar CEO Christine Whitman presents a
recognition award to employee George Smith.

WHITMAN
Continued from page 6
a turnaround venture of an existing company that
was struggling. Whitman is serving as chairwoman
and CEO of the company, which she calls a “mini
Amazon” that packages and fulfills product orders
for third parties and manages their returns.
Part of the reason CSW invested in Comple-
mar was to protect jobs in the Rochester area,
Whitman says. Her co-investors and she are “trying
to preserve and create jobs that pay higher than
minimum wage and pay health care benefits in
a safe environment on a busline” providing easy
access to work, she says.
Whitman also is serving as the first woman to
chair Rochester Institute of Technology’s board
of trustees. Her partnership with RIT has been a
long one, as she has been recruiting employees with
technical skills for her businesses for several years.
In her spare time, Whitman is an “evangelist” for
growing business in Rochester. Her future projects
include support for a business accelerator cooper-
ative that will move into the old Sibley building
downtown this winter and creating a business plan
contest called “Luminate” for photonics companies.
While Rochester has lost a lot of large em-
ployers, Whitman believes there is hope for the
future.
“Hopefully these types of companies will be part
of the solution to replace the manufacturers that
have left town,” she says.
Amaris Elliott-Engel is a
Rochester-area freelance writer.

www.rit.edu

Rochester Institute of Technology congratulates

Christine B. Whitman, chair of RIT’s Board of Trustees,
on her induction into the Rochester Business Hall of
Fame. We commend her leadership, integrity, and
commitment to excellence. She serves as an inspiration
to RIT and the greater Rochester community.

8 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame

Congratulations
Rob Sands on your induction into the
Rochester Business Hall of Fame!

Your selfless commitment to building strong

communities is evidenced through your years
of volunteer service and support to Rochester
Regional Health.

We are so grateful and proud.

Sincerely,
Your 17,000 family members at
Rochester Regional Health

Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic

Newark-Wayne
Community Hospital
Rochester General Hospital
United Memorial Medical Center
Unity Hospital
 His ‘hobby’ helped the
region’s children
William Levine’s business skills led him to many philanthropic endeavors
By MIKE COSTANZA
The late William Levine had a kind of unusual
hobby.
“He used to always say ‘My hobby is to make
money and give it away,’” says Todd Levine, presi-
dent and CEO of Alleson Athletic. William, Todd’s
grandfather, co-founded the Henrietta-based sports
apparel company almost 85 years ago.
William appears to have thoroughly enjoyed
that “hobby.” By the time he died in 2013, he
had built Alleson Athletic into a brand known
throughout the United States and Canada. Acting
on his desire to “give it away,” William devoted a
great deal of time, energy and money to helping
local institutions serve the needs of the region’s
children. He was also a dedicated family man who
was married to his wife, Mildred, for nearly 60
years until her death in 2002.
William was born in Brooklyn, one of two
children of Russian émigrés. The family moved to
Rochester, where William obtained his diploma
from Benjamin Franklin High School. He went on
to graduate from Niagara University. One of his
classmates was the late Robert Wegman, who made
Wegmans Food Markets Inc. the envy of grocery
chains worldwide before his death in 2006.
In 1933, in the midst of the Depression,
William joined his father, Abe, to found Alleson
of Rochester—the name is an amalgam of “Abe
Levine and Son.” Day after day, the pair sewed
men’s caps and apparel in the basement of a down-
town Rochester warehouse. William was the firm’s
first president.
Hard working. Visionary. Dedicated. Successful.
Many words can be used to describe tonight’s honorees, who have each put their stamp on our local
business community. LeChase congratulates the 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame inductees.
10 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
“Abe was a cap-maker—he would sit at a machine
and sew. Bill was really the person that had the business
mind,” explains Todd, who began calling his grandfa-
ther “Bill” after joining the family-owned company.
Abe and William got their first break in 1935,
when Champion Products, which was then a local
company, hired their firm to make sports clothing.
In 1933, in the midst of the
Depression, William joined
his father, Abe, to found
Alleson of Rochester —
the name is an amalgam
of ‘Abe Levine and Son.’
The firm started its own sports apparel brand
in about 1965, and now does business as Alleson
Athletic.
Todd joined Alleson in 1994, and William took
him under his wing. Todd jokes that the experience
left him with “a million Bill-isms,” or sayings that
his grandfather used.
“You have to be able to take care of your people.
If you can’t take care of your people, get out of
business,” Todd says, quoting William.
205 Indigo Creek Drive | Rochester, NY 14626 | lechase.com
William’s prodigious business skills were also
memorable.
“He had an unbelievable math mind,” Todd says.
“He was notorious for being able to figure everything
out in his head before anybody could do it on a
calculator.”
Atop that, Todd’s grandfather brought a com-
monsense approach to his work.
“He saw through the difficult and confusing to
see the main points,” Todd says.
Not content to limit his business activities,
William also invested in Rochester-area real estate,
and even became involved in banking.
“He started the First National Bank of Roches-
ter,” Todd says. “He did it with a few friends and
ended up taking it public.”
M&T Bank acquired First National in 1999.
At the same time, William sought to give back
to his community—especially its children. In the
1980s, he created the William & Mildred Levine
Foundation and began following his philanthropic
aims with greater vigor.
“Bill’s foundation, over the last 20 years of his
life, gave over $20 million to charities in the Roch-
ester area,” Todd says.
Many well-known local nonprofits have benefit-
ed from that foundation’s largesse.
“He bought the original land for Camp Good
Days for them,” says Todd, the foundation’s current
president.
Camp Good Days and Special Times is a recre-
ational facility for children who are suffering from
Continued on page 11
®
LEVINE
Continued from page 10

cancer. Year-after-year, children and their families

have come to the nonprofit’s Keuka Lake campus
to enjoy the outdoors and rest up for combating
the dread disease.
Another substantial contribution from the Wil-
liam and Mildred Levine Foundation helped create
the William and Mildred Levine Pediatric Surgical
Suite at UR Medicine’s Golisano Children’s Hospi-
tal. The suite, which opened in 2006, is specifically
designed to provide pre-and-post-operative care
for children. Though Todd was unable to state the
exact amount of the foundation’s donation as of
press time, he says it “easily” came to $1 million.
More recently, $1 million of foundation funds
supported the construction of the Golisano Chil-
dren’s Hospital’s Neuromedicine and Behavioral
Health Center. The three-story building houses a
number of pediatric clinics, including the William
and Mildred Levine Autism Clinic. Designed to
accommodate autistic children, that clinic opened
its doors this year.
From the way Todd speaks, such projects are just
the beginning.
“My grandfather’s foundation will go on in per-
petuity to continue the mission he started, which is
to promote health care and well-being for children
in our community,” Todd says.
Though William loved working, he and his wife
also deeply enjoyed traveling the world—especially
with their family. The couple took their children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren to such far-
flung locales as Israel, Egypt, China and Thailand.
“Imagine about 20 of us trekking to all these SUBMITTED PHOTO
places all over the world,” Todd says. Haiti, those employees turn out team uniforms un­ William Levine, who died in 2013, used to
William continued to work at his family’s com- der the company’s own brand and for such firms as say, “My hobby is to make money and give it
pany into his early ’90s, when a fall left him unable Under Armour Inc., and New Balance Athletics Inc. away,” according to his grandson Todd Levine.
to do so. He died in 2013, at the age of 94. The firm has warehouses in Henrietta; Memphis,
“He let his actions and his successes speak loud-
Alleson Athletic has come a long way from its Tenn.; and McAllen, Texas, and sells its products
origins in a Rochester basement. Over 1,250 are on throughout the United States and Canada. er than his words,” Todd says.
the firm’s payroll worldwide — including 250 in the Not that William Levine would have bragged Mike Costanza is a Rochester-area
Rochester area. Working at factories as far away as about his accomplishments. freelance writer.

Joining forces for an important cause.

KPMG LLP is proud to support Junior Achievement and congratulate tonight’s
honorees who make outstanding contributions to the Rochester community,
while serving as role models for young people.

kpmg.com

© 2017 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative
(“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The KPMG name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International. NDPPS 710706

2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 6, 2017 11

 Improving
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Victor Salerno credits those he works with
for helping make O’Connell Electric Company
Inc. what it is today: “You have to have a great

the Rochester
team, or you’re not going to accomplish
anything,” he says.

region and
beyond
Under Victor Salerno’s leadership,
O’Connell has doubled its business
By MIKE COSTANZA

For Victor Salerno, business growth is essential.

“If you’re not growing, you’re having problems,” says the
73-year-old CEO of the O’Connell Electric Company Inc.
Salerno’s leadership of the Victor-based firm has helped to
more than double its business, as well as extend its reach far
beyond the Rochester area. In addition to heading O’Connell,
he sits on the company’s board of directors and is one of its six
stockholders.
Salerno was born at Fort McClellan, a now-defunct U.S.
Army post in Alabama where his late father, Victor Salerno
Sr., was stationed during World War II (Salerno does not use
the title “junior”). One of four children, he attended Eastridge
High School and then went on to St. John Fisher College.
After graduating from college in 1966 with a bachelor of
business administration in accounting, Salerno took a position
in the Xerox Corp.’s accounting department. The job lacked
the challenges he desired.
“I hated it — had nothing to do there,” the Pittsford
resident says. “I swear they were stockpiling people; they were
growing so fast.”
Less than six months in, Salerno applied to the firm that is
now Deloitte LLP.

Continued on page 13

VISION, LEADERSHIP AND INSPIRATION

Congratulations
Victor E. Salerno 99 Garnsey Road
Pittsford NY 14534
from your friends at Harris Beach 585-419-8800

harrisbeach.com

ALBANY BUFFALO ITHACA MELVILLE NEW YORK CITY ROCHESTER SARATOGA SPRINGS SYRACUSE UNIONDALE WHITE PLAINS NEW HAVEN, CT NEWARK, NJ

Harris-Beach_2017-Roc-Hall-Fame.indd 1 9/21/2017 3:02:07 PM

12 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
SALERNO
Continued from page 12

“I answered a blind ad that a friend of mine had

sent me, because I was complaining to everybody,”
he says.
Deloitte hired Salerno as a junior accountant.
As a CPA for the firm, he performed audits and
provided tax and business advisory services.
In 1971, Salerno headed to greener pastures: as
a vice president for O’Connell. He seems to have
found the challenges of the construction business
to his liking.
“Construction is a high-risk,-high-reward type
of industry,” he asserts.
Salerno took O’Connell’s helm in 2006. Under
his leadership, the full-service electrical contracting
firm has nearly doubled sales, which totaled just
under $160 million at the end of its last fiscal year.
It appears poised to do even better this fiscal year.
“The way things are trending in our backlog,
we’ll do over $200 million,” Salerno says.
The company has grown in a physical sense, as “We sent 30 bucket trucks and over 60 linemen PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOHN FISHER COLLEGE
well. From a 2006 payroll of no more than 40 peo- to Florida to help with the anticipated hurricane Victor Salerno, family members and school
ple, O’Connell has risen to employ over 650, most officials at the ribbon cutting ceremony for
damage restoration,” Salerno says. the building named in his honor at St. John
of them at five New York State locations. About 60 Salerno credits those he works with for helping Fisher College.
of those in its pay are located at the firm’s Albany make O’Connell what it is today.
offices, which opened in 2015. “You have to have a great team, or you’re not a big part of it was graduating from St. John Fisher.”
“There’s a lot of opportunities in that area — going to accomplish anything,” he says. The 27,000-square-foot building, which opened
a lot of government work, which we do,” Salerno said. In addition to steering O’Connell, Salerno has in 2013, houses the college’s School of Business.
You don’t need to go far to find one of O’Con- also sought to give back to his community. During Salerno has lent his leadership skills to other
nell’s projects. The firm did the electrical work the three years he chaired St. John Fisher College’s nonprofits, and at one point chaired the Rochester
for the $145 million Golisano Children’s Hospi- Board of Trustees, he helped pick the institution’s Museum and Science Center’s Board of Trustees.
tal, which opened in 2015, and just finished an current president: Gerald Rooney, who took office He is the executive board member and treasurer of
approximately $40 million job for the New York in July of 2015. the Rochester Builders Exchange, and is involved
State Electric and Gas Corp. Right now, O’Con- “It was quite interesting,” Salerno says. “We had with other organizations as well.
nell is in the midst of a $2.5 million electrical about 50 or so candidates that were qualified.” When not at work or volunteering, Salerno likes
upgrade of the boilers of the Eastman Business Salerno’s generosity to his alma mater has to spend time with his wife, Eileen, and family at
Park’s powerhouse, which is slated to be complet- exceeded gifts of his time. His $2 million donation the couple’s vacation home on Canandaigua Lake.
ed by the end of this year. helped fund the building of the Victor E. Salerno The avid golfer also enjoys working on his game.
Reaching beyond New York State, O’Connell Center for American Enterprise. “I’m getting very, very close to breaking 100,”
has worked on projects up and down the East “My wife and I discussed it, and very quickly Salerno says. “It’s one of my goals: breaking 100.”
Coast. On Sept. 7, the firm dispatched crews to came to the conclusion we should do it,” Salerno Mike Costanza is a Rochester-area
tackle the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. says. “We’ve been very fortunate and successful, and freelance writer.

Leading the way

Deloitte is proud to support Junior Achievement of Central Upstate
New York and this year’s Business Hall of Fame inductees Vic Salerno,
Rob Sands, Chris Whitman and William Levine. Their contributions to
free enterprise and the Rochester community have set new standards
for our current and future business leaders.
Copyright © 2017 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.

2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 6, 2017 13

 From humble beginnings
to a worldwide brand
Family business values remain the same with Rob Sands at the helm
By BEN JACOBS
Rob Sands had big shoes to fill when he took
over as president and CEO of Constellation
Brands in 2007. His father, Marvin Sands, and
brother, Richard Sands, had already built the com-
pany into the largest wine company in the world.
That success has not slowed at all, as Constel-
lation reached $7.3 billion in sales this year and
employs nearly 9,000 people worldwide.
“We’ve come a long way from our humble
beginnings in 1945 as a small wine producer
in upstate New York,” Rob Sands says. “What
excites me most about the future of our company
is reaching more consumers, creating more jobs,
supporting more communities, and driving lead-
ing industry growth.”
Constellation has relentlessly acquired brands
worldwide in an effort to stay ahead of its com-
petition and provide options across the alcohol
categories—wine, beer and spirits.
“It starts with our consumers,” Rob Sands says.
“We understand our consumers and strive, not
only to meet their current drinking preferences,
but also to anticipate and respond to what they’ll
SUBMITTED PHOTO be reaching for next.
“We’ve come a long way from our humble “We have the high-performing brands across all
beginnings in 1945 as a small wine producer in three categories and can deliver on what consumers
upstate New York,” says Rob Sands, president are looking for.”
and CEO of Constellation Brands.
Rob Sands’ Rochester Business Hall of Fame
induction continues a family trend. Marvin Sands
and Richard Sands were members of the first
induction class in 2001.
For All You Bring Our Community
We salute you, ROB SANDS.
Congratulations from your friends at HB Cornerstone.
99 GARNSEY ROAD, PITTSFORD, NY 14534 | 585-419-8907 | HBCORNERSTONE.COM
HB Cornerstone is a subsidiary of Harris Beach PLLC.
Cornerstone_2017-Roc-Hall-Fame.indd 1
14 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
“It means a lot to me to be able to join my
father and brother in the Business Hall of Fame,”
Rob Sands says. “I think it’s a nice affirmation of
our long-standing community involvement, our
work through the Sands Family Foundation and
Constellation Brands, as well as my work through
the chamber.
“We are committed to our roots in this community.”
Rob Sands has been interested in more than just
following in his father’s footsteps as a success-
ful businessman. He also strives to continue his
father’s philanthropic spirit. Last year, the Sands
Family Foundation donated $61 million to the
Rochester Area Community Foundation.
“Our family feels fortunate to be able to give
back to the community where we live and conduct
business,” Rob Sands says. “When it comes to our
family’s legacy, what matters the most is that we’ve
honored the founding principles my father set
from the very beginning, most importantly, giving
back to our community.”
In addition to donating money, Rob Sands also
donates his time and expertise. He is chairman of
the board of the New York Wine and Culinary
Center and the Greater Rochester Chamber of
Commerce.
Rob Sands didn’t join the family business
straight out of school. After earning his law degree
and J.D. from Pace University School of Law in
1984, he began his career as an associate with Har-
ter Secrest & Emery in Rochester. He joined Con-
Continued on page 15
9/21/2017 3:06:35 PM
 SUBMITTED PHOTO
Rob Sands, middle, and Constellation Brands
employees at Obregon Brewery in Mexico this year.

SANDS
Continued from page 14
stellation—then Canandaigua Wine Co. Inc. — in
1986 as general counsel overseeing legal affairs.
“When I started at Constellation, I was in a
newly created role as in-house counsel. My job
was to focus on the legal aspects of growing the
company and bring many of the skills I gained to
our growing family business and help launch us to
our next level of success,” Rob Sands says. “Mostly,
I think the rigor of the law practice was great
preparation for meeting the demands of leading a
growing Fortune 500 company.”
Rob Sands worked his way through the ranks as
Canandaigua Wine Co. Inc. became Canandaigua
Brands Inc. in 1997 and then Constellation Brands
Inc. in 2000. He became executive vice president
and general counsel in 1993, then chief executive
officer of Constellation International in 1998.
Throughout all of the growth under his leader-
ship, Rob Sands has prized his employees for their
dedication to their work and their community.
“Our company has many successes, but none
of them would be possible without our people,”
he says. “They are an example to me and to this
community because of their unending capacity and
commitment to reflect and honor our family busi-
ness values both at work and in the communities
where we live and operate.
“People are our most valuable assets and people
are one of our core values.”
Ben Jacobs is the editor of the
Rochester Business Journal.

H I -T E C H O F F I C E S PA C E
AVA I L A B L E F O R L E AS E

RIVERWOODTECHCAMPUS.COM

2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 6, 2017 15


Rochester Business Hall of
Fame inductees by year:
2001
n John Jacob Bausch and Henry
Lomb, who co-founded global
eye-care leader Bausch & Lomb Inc.;
n Chester Carlson, whose
revolutionary invention launched
Xerox Corp.;
n George Eastman, who built
Eastman Kodak Co., one of the most
recognizable brands in the world;
n Frank Gannett, founder of media
giant Gannett Co. Inc.;
n James Gleason, who has made
Gleason Corp. a world leader in gear
production technology;
n Kate Gleason, a trailblazer in
manufacturing and real estate;
n Thomas Golisano, Paychex Inc.
founder and Rochester’s first
billionaire;
n Marvin and Richard Sands, the
father-and-son team whose
Constellation Brands Inc. is the
world‘s largest wine company;
n Austin Steward, a pioneering
businessman and abolitionist;
n Robert Wegman, creator of the
Wegmans Food Markets Inc.
supermarket empire; and
n Joseph Wilson, who led Xerox to
worldwide growth and renown.
2002
n Matthew Augustine, owner of
Eltrex Industries, founded as a response
to Rochester’s 1964 race riots;
n Ernest Del Monte, chairman and
CEO of E.J. Del Monte Corp.;
n Frederick Douglass, a former
slave who became an orator,
16 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame
Pursuing creativity,
they built Rochester
2001, Chester Carlson
politician and newspaper publisher
of international renown;
n Jacob Freeman, an orphaned
Hungarian immigrant, and Jeremiah
Hickey, who co-founded Hickey-
Freeman, one of the most successful
clothing manufacturers of its time;
n Martha Matilda Harper, founder
of the country’s first franchising
operation and a proponent of women
in business;
n Nelson and Norman Leenhouts,
brothers and co-founders of Home
Properties Inc., a real estate
investment trust that operates on the
East Coast;
n Nathaniel Rochester, founder of
Rochester; and
n Hiram Sibley, founder of
Western Union Telegraph Co.
2003
n Burton and Charles August,
brothers and co-founders of Monro
Muffler Brake Inc., an industry leader;
n Patrick Barry, who co-ran Mt.
Hope Garden and Nurseries, helping
to develop it into the world’s largest
such operation;
n John D. Brush, who built Sentry
Group from a Depression-era start;
n Bal Dixit, founder and chairman
of Newtex Industries Inc., who built a
global firm on his substitute for
asbestos;
n George Ellwanger, who
established and co-ran the world-
famous Mt. Hope Garden and
Nurseries in the 19th century;
n James Wilmot, who founded
Wilmorite Properties Inc. in 1950; 2003, James Wilmot
and
chairman of Nothnagle Realtors and
n Louise Woerner, CEO and
founder of Nothnagle Home Securities
chairwoman of HCR Home Care,
Corp., the first nonbank mortgage
which she founded in 1978.
lender licensed in New York;
n E. Philip Saunders, who has
2004 steered a wide range of enterprises,
including the Sugar Creek chain of
n Ralph Cantisano, whose family
convenience stores, W.W. Griffith Oil
introduced the popular Ragu brand
Corp. and Truckstops of America; and
of pasta sauce and who formed and
n F. Ritter Shumway, who
led Cantisano Foods Inc.;
assembled a manufacturing empire
n Howard Coles, whose newspaper,
that culminated in the creation of
the Frederick Douglass Voice, gave
Sybron Corp.
Rochester’s African-American
community its public voice;
n Max Farash, who transformed a
commercial air-conditioning business
2005
into one of the region’s leading n Ezra Andrews and James Briggs,
construction and real estate the early leaders of Lawyers
development firms; Cooperative Publishing Co.;
n Philip Nothnagle, owner and n Ronald Fielding, who helped
FEARLESS IS
BEING A LEADER
 Congratulations
ROB SANDS
ON YOUR INDUCTION INTO THE ROCHESTER BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

Cheers!
FROM YOUR CONSTELLATION BRANDS FAMILY

SOMETIMES, OUR HIGHEST HEIGHTS HAPPEN

LONG BEFORE
TAKEOFF.
Proud to support Junior Achievement of Rochester.
 2008
n Arunas Chesonis, who built Paetec
Holding Corp. into a telecom force;
n James Hammer, whose Hammer
Packaging Corp. became a global
printing powerhouse;
n Raymond Hickok, who led
Hickok Manufacturing, the world’s
largest maker of men’s belts, and the
Young Presidents’ Organization;
n Robert Hurlbut, a pioneer in the
nation’s shift from traditional nursing
homes to senior living facilities;
n Elliott Landsman, who created
three successful real estate and
construction companies; and
n John “Jack” Wehle, who grew
Genesee Brewing Co. into one of the
top breweries in the nation.
2005, John Riedman
transformed the firm his great-
grandfather founded into one of the
largest commercial construction
companies in the Northeast;
n Ferdinand and Gregory Smith,
who have built Jay Advertising into a
nationally known firm; and
n Ford and Subaru dealer Kitty Van
Bortel, whose Subaru franchise ranks
among top U.S. dealers for sales.
2010
n Thomas Bonadio, founder of the
Bonadio Group, one of the first
public accounting firms in New York
to expand beyond auditing and
accounting to business advisory and
financial services;
n Harlan Calkins, chairman and
CEO of Rochester Midland Corp., a

pioneer changes that made
municipal bond funds popular
nationwide;
n Francis and George French,
whose ingenuity made French’s
Mustard an American food classic;
n Thomas Gosnell, who expanded
Lawyers Cooperative into the
second-largest law book publisher in
the United States;
n R. Wayne LeChase, who grew his
firm into one of the top 20
construction companies in the
Northeast, and
n John Riedman, who built one of
the nation’s top privately held
insurance companies.
2006
n Morton Adams, who helped a
partnership of small canners and a
farmers’ cooperative grow into a
nearly $1 billion business;
n Laurence Glazer and Harold
Samloff, who built Rochester’s
largest real estate developer and
property management firm;
n Dennis and Laurence Kessler, 2009 cleaning and disinfectant company
founded by his grandfather with
who created an eatery empire with
n James Cunningham, whose operations in five dozen countries;
nearly 70 restaurants;
luxury carriage firm was the largest n Abraham Feinbloom and William
n T. Carl Nixon and Thomas
employer in Rochester in the 1880s; Feinbloom, founders of Champion
Hargrave, who guided the growth of
n John LiDestri, who leads a $500 Products Inc., an athletic wear
the city ‘s largest law firm; and
million food company with strong company, and pioneers in garment
n Walter Parkes, who built one of
local roots; manufacturing;
New York’s largest electrical
n Thomas Judson Jr., who has
contractors.
2007
n Ronald Bittner, who led
Rochester’s phone company as it
doubled in size to nearly $2.5 billion
in revenue;
n Richard Dorschel, who built a
car dealership into a $300 million
business with 500 employees;
n George Hamlin, who nurtured a
community banking institution with
more than $1 billion in assets;
n David Kearns, who encouraged
diversity and quality as CEO of Xerox
Corp.; and
n William Stolze and Herbert
Vanden Brul, co-founders of RF
Communications and champions of
entrepreneurship.
2007, George Hamlin

18 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame

 Congratulations to
Victor E. Salerno,
Rob Sands and
Christine Whitman
from your friends
at M&T.

M&T also honors the accomplishments

and contributions of William Levine.

Equal Housing Lender. ©2017 M&T Bank. Member FDIC. mtb.com

2008, James Hammer

2010, Harlan Calkins 2009, Kitty Van Bortel

Congratulations to the Rochester

Business Hall of Fame Class of 2017

We help your business deliver®

decarolis.com 585-254-1169

20 OCTOBER 6, 2017 ▪ 2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame


2014, Jane Glazer
n Fred Gordon Jr. and Lucius
“Bob” Gordon, whose Mixing
Equipment Co. became a world
leader and innovator in the
manufacture of industrial mixers; and
n John Summers Jr., who grew his
father’s business, Jasco Tools Inc.,
into a holding company for four
firms, including the largest tool-and-
die manufacturer in Rochester.
2012
n Frederick Berkeley III, who grew
Graham Corp., co-founded by his
grandfather, into an international
company while preserving local jobs;
n Frank Chiaino and John Purcell,
Fibertech Networks co-founders, who
expanded the firm in a rough
economy from five employees to 250;
n Michael Jones and Geoffrey
2015, Mark Davitt
Harris, whose family firm Harris
Seeds was launched in 1863 and still
operates nationwide from Rochester
headquarters;
n Robert Morgan, who built
Morgan Management LLC into a
multimillion-dollar real estate
ownership firm; and
n Dilip Vellodi, founder of
Sutherland Global Services Inc.,
which employs more than 30,000
people worldwide.
2014
n John Bruning and Robert
employs nearly 800 in the student-
loan collection business;
n Partners Arthur Finocchario, Robert
Latour and Donald Tomeny, whose B&L
Wholesale Supply was ranked one of
Rochester’s Top 100 fastest-growing
private companies 11 times;
n I.A. “Drew” Morris, who led G.W.
Lisk Co. Inc. from the Great
Depression to become a leading
electromechanical products
manufacturer; and
n Michael Nuccitelli and Ronald
Ricotta, who built up Nationwide
Precision Products, Parlec Inc. and
Century Mold Co. Inc.

2011 Rosenberger, founders of Clover Hopkins, optical engineers who as

n Joseph Klein, who built Klein

Steel Service Inc. from a tiny family
operation into a leading regional
business;
n David Reh, who made his mark
through Gorbel Inc., Retrotech Inc.,
Ravenwood Golf Club and other
ventures;
n Rob, George and John Norris,
Suzy Hofsass and Anne Wells,
third-generation owners of
Seabreeze Amusement Park, one of
the oldest parks in the world; and
n Henry Ward, who built Ward’s
Natural Science Establishment into a
worldwide provider of science
specimens and equipment.
Capital Management;
n Richard Kaplan, a serial
entrepreneur who has guided
companies including Pictometry
International Corp. and Torvec Inc.
toward growth; and
n Frank and George Taylor, whose
Taylor Instruments focused on
instrument precision and customer
service at a time when both were rare.
2013
n Lauren Dixon and Michael
Schwabl, leaders of Dixon Schwabl
Advertising, founded by Dixon in 1987;
n Joseph Harris, Selah Harris,
Margaret Harris Sheldon and Joseph
the leaders of Tropel Corp. were
lab-to-market visionaries;
n Paul DeCarolis, who stepped up
to lead his father’s trucking company
and built a fleet of more than 2,000
vehicles;
n Jane Glazer, founder of QCI
Direct, a leading catalog and online
business that carried more than
4,000 products; and
n Claude H. Wright, who led a
turnaround and explosive growth at
Wright Beverage Distributing.
2015
n Mark Davitt, whose ConServe
began as a one-man shop and now
2016
n Roger Friedlander, who was a
pioneer of next-day delivery and
stockless inventory through
Spectrum Office Products;
n William Konar, whose Clinton
Merchandising Inc. was one of the
first U.S. chains of discount
drugstores;
n Partners Salvatore LaBella and
Sergio Esteban, whose LaBella
Associates P.C. has been named one
of the Top 500 Global Design Firms
by Engineering News-Record; and
n Amy Tait, who co-founded
Broadstone Real Estate LLC and
grew it into a $2 billion business.

The Rochester, NY Chapter of the

National Electrical Contractors
Association (NECA)
would like to congratulate it’s Board President,
Vic Salerno
on his induction into the
Rochester Business Hall of Fame.

2017 Rochester Business Hall of Fame ▪ OCTOBER 6, 2017 21

Bank of America is honored to support Junior
Achievement and sponsor the Rochester Business Hall
of Fame
Thank you for all that you do in Rochester. Your presence here creates
connections that enrich our entire community, and we are honored to
support the great work you are doing.

Visit us at bankofamerica.com/local
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 2 0 1 7
THANK YOU
to our sponsors
for their generous
support

- Event Sponsor -

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- Wine Sponsor -
Constellation Brands
- Shareholder Sponsors -
ACC Business | Alleson Athletic | Alesco Advisors, LLC | Brown & Brown of New York, Inc. | BSN Sports | Builders Exchange of Rochester/UNICON
Complemar Partners | Constellation Brands | Davie Kaplan, CPA, P.C. | DeCarolis Truck Rental | Ernst & Young | ESL Federal Credit Union
Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce | Susan R. Holliday | JC Jones | JP Morgan Chase | KeyBank | LaBella Associates | The Family of William Levine
Nixon Peabody | Oakland Raiders | O’Connell Electric | Paychex | Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP | Rochester Area Community Foundation
Summers Foundation, Inc. | Sweetwater Energy, Inc. | University of Rochester
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The Rochester Business Hall of Fame is proudly presented by:

Proceeds from this event will enable students in the Greater Rochester area to participate in Junior Achievement programs focused on financial literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship.
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