“Heroes” in mythology are endowed with great courage and strength; they are celebrated for their bold exploits. “Heroes” can also be people who risk or sacrifice their lives. My heroes are those entrepreneurs noted for building thriving regional corporations and for nurturing our communities through their generosity of time, treasure, and talent. Communities grow and […]
“Heroes” in mythology are endowed with great courage and strength; they are celebrated for their bold exploits. “Heroes” can also be people who risk or sacrifice their lives. My heroes are those entrepreneurs noted for building thriving regional corporations and for nurturing our communities through their generosity of time, treasure, and talent.
Communities grow and prosper in large measure because their business leaders recognize that each generation serves as a building block for the next. Our predecessors handed this generation a heritage, a shared meaning of something beyond just the material — a special spirit. It’s our responsibility to expand and pass this legacy on to those who follow in our paths.
That’s why The Business Journal created the Legacy Awards — to recognize our inheritance and to honor those who keep the spirit alive. This year, we recognize a half-dozen, area titans of industry: Bill Pomeroy of CXtec and TERACAI; Frank Berrish, recently retired CEO of Visions FCU; Frank Giotto, the CEO of Giotto Enterprises, a complex of 10 companies; Jay Bernhardt, CEO of JGB Enterprises; Norm Swanson, CEO of the Woodbine Group; and Terry Wood, the CEO of Willow Run Foods Inc.
These six companies employ nearly 2,000 people, generate about $1 billion in annual revenue, and own or lease about 2.7 million square feet of space. Three are manufacturers/distributors of products including communications and networking gear, hoses and couplings, and fiber optics. One is in financial services; another in the development of commercial real-estate, warehousing, and hospitality; and the last is a food distributor. Three are headquartered in the Syracuse area, two in Greater Binghamton, and one in the Mohawk Valley.
All six heroes are active in their respective communities. They are enriching their communities and making all of our lives better. As one so aptly put it: “I’m not just developing a business; I’m developing people.”
Please join us Dec. 5 at the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse to recognize these Legacy honorees for their accomplishments. Together, we can pass our heritage to the next generation to keep the legacy alive.
Norman Poltenson is publisher of The Central New York Business Journal. Contact him at npoltenson@cnybj.com