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2009 Vision Award - William S. Hein & Co. Inc.
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The founder of Pleasant Company, Pleasant Rowland said, “You can spend your life looking over your shoulder, or you can spend your life looking ahead.” Looking ahead is exactly what the Hein family has been doing for over 80 years.
In the 1920’s Fred O. Dennis, the great uncle of William S. Hein, Jr., began his business selling law books and legal forms. In 1934, at the tender age of 16, William S. Hein joined his uncle in a company that was developing into a major law library supplier. Dennis secured rights to supply out-of-print Government Printing Office documents and soon afterwards secured the publishing rights to the first 25 volumes of Yale Law Journal and many other legal periodicals and legal classics. After 27 years as an apprentice to his uncle, William Hein and his wife Ilene were ready to service the legal industry and formed the current company, William S. Hein & Co., Inc. Their goal was “to provide the best customer service in our industry.” With a solid vision in place, the company excelled. Within just a few years Hein became one of the major law book reprinters in the United States and soon expanded into original publications.
Adapting to the changing needs of customers is essential for business success. In 1974 Hein began diversifying the business with the creation of a microform division to meet the needs of libraries and their shrinking budgets. In addition, the company expanded into other law library services, including legal periodical distribution, subscription services, and continuations services.
On the death of William S. Hein, Sr. in 1976, his son William S. Hein Jr. joined the dedicated staff to lead the company into the electronic age. The firm acquired Nebrich Bookbindery to give the company total quality control over all of its book productions. The 1980’s brought an international focus to the company with expansion into Australia, Japan, Western Europe, South America, and Israel. In 1983, the original Dennis Company was acquired and Hein became the world’s largest distributor of legal periodicals in both hard copy and micro format.
Continuous improvement has always been the benchmark at Hein. The 1990’s brought the company to digital imaging and the ability to deliver high-quality reprint titles. Hein is recognized as a leader in the preservation of retrospective legal materials.
Today William S. Hein & Co. owns more than 700 hardcopy legal periodical titles, has archived over 9 million law review images on microform or digitally, and has more than 65 million images of monographs and government documents.
For its commitment to providing the best and for always looking ahead, the Niagara University Family Business Center is pleased to present to the William S. Hein Co., Inc our Vision Award. We thank you for the opportunity to honor you and your employees. Accepting the award tonight is Shannon Hein, Vice President of Sales.
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2009 Vincentian Award - EGW Personnel Staffing
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In 1969 Eugene “Gene” Wach began EGW Personnel Staffing, offering temporary staffing solutions to area businesses. It instantly became a family business with the inclusion of his wife, Nancy. This union created more than just a successful business, but also a great family with sons Thomas, Jeffry, Donald, and Timothy.
Today, EGW Personnel Staffing continues to provide its clients qualified personnel on a direct, temporary or contract basis with multiple offices and operations in New York under the direction and leadership of Thomas, president/CEO and Jeffry, its chief operating officer. This year marks its fortieth anniversary.
EGW was built on a basis of honesty, integrity and hard work and a lot of 3x5 cards. Back then the staffing industry was in its infancy and few understood the impact that such firms would have on many of America’s fastest growing companies who relied on their services to help them grow.
Providing opportunities for individuals to find meaningful employment and the opportunity for financial self sufficiency is rewarding in and of itself, but “how it is done” is what distinguished EGW from others. The first point of EGW’s 10 point Family Creed says it all. “Mission. As a family, we are committed to first serving God, each other and our community.”
While a lot has changed since its humble beginnings, especially in the area of technology, the firm’s overriding beliefs of “honesty, integrity, and hard work” have not. Founder Gene always stressed that trust is earned through their interaction with customers and candidates. That is why, for example, non-family employees are given the same opportunities as family members to grow in their job. EGW is committed to removing barriers that hinder employees’ and candidates’ ability to do their best job and is proactive by providing employee, candidate, and client education. EGW generously contributes to the community in company time and profits. The Wach family has been actively involved in Junior Achievement, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Buffalo Area Engineering Awareness for Minorities (BEAM).
The Niagara University Family Business Center is honored to recognize the spirit in which EGW Personnel Services operates in our community, and for the assistance they have given to thousands of individuals to find the right job and to their clients, the employers, who are the foundation of our community. We are pleased to present EGW Personnel Staffing with our Vincentian Award. Accepting the award is Thomas Wach, President and CEO.
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2008 Family Business of the Year - Perry's Ice Cream
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Making life’s moments better. It’s more than a motto for the Perry family. It’s the way they’ve been doing business for close to a century.
Now in its fourth generation, Perry’s Ice Cream continues the tradition of excellence that started in 1918, when broom maker Morton Perry purchased a small dairy in Akron, N.Y. There, he and his son Marlo made small batches of ice cream on the kitchen stove and delivered them in horse-drawn wagons. Today, the ice cream manufacturer continues to make its product a batch at a time, but its production facilities, still located in Akron, are one of the most modern in the country, and its distribution area covers New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New England and Virginia. The company also offers distribution services for Ben & Jerry’s, M&M Masterfood, Häagen-Dazs and Nestlé. Through its quality products, Perry’s makes life’s moments better for its many dedicated customers.
Perry’s Ice Cream is also committed to making life better for the community. Under the leadership of Brian Perry, Morton’s great grandson, the company sponsors charitable teams, supports nonprofit agencies and donates products to community organizations throughout Western New York. Brian Perry exemplifies this commitment to service as well, and volunteers his time to a number of organizations including the Akron Lions Club, the Village of Akron Planning Board, Junior Achievement of Western New York, and WNY Wellness Works. Most recently, he helped establish an industrial refrigeration curriculum at Erie Community College to meet the new federal guidelines for ammonia system safety and operations.
Tonight, we are happy to honor the Perry family members for their dedication to making life’s moments better with the Niagara University Family Business-of-the-Year Award. Accepting the award tonight is Brian Perry, executive vice president and vice chairman.
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2007 Leadership Award - Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, CM - President
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Rev. Joseph Levesque is the 25th of Niagara University. He started his presidency with his “President’s vision statement” – 15 personal goals to be achieved during his tenure at Niagara. It started with “I wish to see that our students receive a world-class education.” Another goal, or I should say, passion is: “To use the resources of NU to Revitalize Niagara Falls. In just six short years he has transformed Niagara into a premier academic institution. In 2006, Niagara University Seniors in a nationwide study, ranked NU higher than the national average on four of five benchmark areas and equal in the fifth.
In 2007 NU was cited as one of the best places to work in western New York.
Niagara continues its commitment to provide its faculty, staff, and resources towards the revitalization of Niagara Falls.
This year we were reaccredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education with rave reviews by the visiting team. In their final report they wrote:
The appointment of Fr. Joseph Levesque, C.M., as the twenty-fifth president of Niagara University has tapped into deep pockets of vitality and creativity that have been trapped in the recesses of the rocky foundation of the institution. Talent, vision, and collaborative energies have been unleashed within a restless faculty and an eager staff. They are being empowered to create a new style of learning that has transformative powers of its own.
Fr. Levesque, you a truly a great leader that has transformed a University into excellence and for this we give you our leadership award and thank you for this opportunity to honor you.
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2006 Family Business of the Year - Lincoln Moving & Storage, Inc.
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In 1914, when John Palisano, the grandfather of our honoree, was operating a local grocery store, his son victor “Jimmy” Palisano saw an opportunity to diversify using a horseless carriage and enter into the moving and cartage business. In 1925, this new venture was named Lincoln Moving and Cartage and actively engaged John and his six children. This entrepreneurial spirit eventually led the Palisano family to operate nine different companies with one special common thread “dedication to excellence in service to its customers.”
On Jan. 1, 1977, the year of the blizzard, our honoree John Palisano, the grandson, bought Lincoln Moving & Storage of Buffalo, Inc. from his father and his uncles. An entrepreneur in his own right, John saw an opportunity to expand by joining the Atlas Van Line as an agent owner. In addition, with the help of his five sons Lincoln Moving & Storage diversified into household goods warehousing, public warehousing, an archival record storage facility, a document shredding company, specialty office and industrial moving, and operation of the Western New York Foreign Trade Zone in Lackawanna, New York.
Committed to Western New York these businesses have created quality jobs. In addition, the Foreign Trade Zone provides opportunities for companies to locate in Western New York and take advantage of government sponsored tax breaks while employing Western New Yorkers.
While most family businesses are lucky to survive a single transfer to a son or daughter, the Palisano’s are now working on their fourth transfer to John’s five children – great grandchildren of the founder. Not surprisingly, instilled in each is the drive to provide value and excellence in service to its customers. That commitment has helped the Palisanos to remain a leader in their industry. For example, while other companies were looking to find short cuts or implementing cost cutting measures the Palisanos introduced GPS tracking on its shipments. Adapting to a change in times, their document shredding trucks tackle customer needs on-site providing assurance to their customers that the “work has been done properly and effectively.”
While the equipment has changed considerably over the nearly 100 years since John Palisano started his business, the vision that launched the company has not.
The Niagara University Family Business Center is pleased to honor Lincoln Moving & Storage of Buffalo, Inc., John Palisano and his five sons as the Niagara University’s Family Business of the Year.
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2006 Leadership Award - Jack Conners, Publisher - Business First of Buffalo
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In 2003 Niagara University College of Business created the FamilyBusinessCenter to serve the needs of family owned businesses in Western New York. Family owned businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy and especially so in our community. The Center is committed to providing our members with practical “family advice” as well as “best business practices.”
Today we honor a company and its leader who has been doing that each week for more than twenty years: Business First of Buffalo and Jack Connors, Publisher and President.
The idea of publishing Business Journals began in the 1970’s and by the 1980’s every major city with a skyline had one. Business First of Buffalo began operations in October 1984. To succeed in business person must stay one step ahead of every one else, or at least stay in step. Newspapers devote two whole pages to business news. That is just about right to list who has been promoted at firms. National business news is too general to be valuable. Business Journals developed to fill that void. What are your competitors up to? Articles about up coming firms as well as established firms help promote growth.
Business First of Buffalo through its dedicated staff and the leadership of Jack Connors has developed a grassroots editorial relationship with local businesses providing local businesses the opportunity to research business opportunities, tack competitors, and identify trends before they are reported elsewhere.
Business First of Buffalo has been a leader among the 41 papers owned by American City Business Journals. It leads the group in longevity of its management and staff tenure. That should come as no surprise. Jack Connors is a well respected leader among his staff and the community, a tribute to his great character and leadership. He is gives passionately of his time to the Library Board, the YMCA, and Heritage Oak. Under his leadership Western New York family businesses have been able to compete and grow.
The NiagaraUniversityFamilyBusinessCenter is pleased to honor Business First of Buffalo and Jack Connors, Publisher and President for the Leadership they have provided to the Western New York business community.
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2005 Family Business of the Year - Wegmans Farm Markets
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In 1950, when Robert Wegman assumed the presidency of the supermarket chain his father and uncle started in 1916, he had a plan in mind. He was determined to make it a great place to work.
Year after year, he has succeeded in reaching that goal. This year, for the eighth consecutive year, Wegmans was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. It not only made the list, it was ranked at the very top. Fortune has also named Wegmans to its Hall of Fame, as one of 22 companies that have been on the list since its inception.
There are many reasons why Wegmans is a great place to work, but the main one is Bob Wegman. One of his first steps after becoming president of the family-owned business was to raise all salaries. Within a couple of years, he implemented fully paid health care. Later, the company added a defined contribution retirement plan, a 401K plan and an employee scholarship program, which has given nearly $54 million in tuition assistance to 17,000 employees since it began in 1984.
In 1976, Bob’s son, Danny, was named president. “We have tried to create an environment where our people’s ideas are listened to,” said Danny Wegman, “and where they feel empowered to make decisions that impact their work.” In 2004, Danny’s daughter Colleen Wegman assumed the presidency. She represents the fourth generation of leadership.
Today, Wegmans is a 68-store supermarket chain with 32,000 full- and part-time employees in stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia.
“We always believed that the path to great customer service begins with treating our own employees as family. If our people feel valued and supported, they will give the best to our customers,” says Bob Wegman.
As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the College of Business Administration, we are pleased to note that Bob Wegman was one of our early graduates, having attended Niagara’s Rochester extension.
To recognize the manner in which Wegmans has directed the exceptional growth and development of the family business and to applaud them for the manner in which Wegmans has truly made its employees like family, the Niagara University Family Business Center is pleased to present the 2005 Family Business of the Year Award to the Wegman family and all its employees.
Accepting the award is Ann McCarthy, Wegmans Consumer Affairs Manager.
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Vincentian Award - Robert Sanderson
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Essayist Francis Bacon wrote several centuries ago that an encounter with adversity is sometimes the way to discover one’s inner strengths. “Adversity doth best discover virtue,” is the way he phrased it.
Last November, Robert Sanderson demonstrated both the truth and wisdom of Bacon’s observation after a devastating 16-alarm fire destroyed Kitchen World’s 40,000-square-foot showroom and warehouse in Lockport. The future of the 30-year-old company and its 35 employees hung in the balance, and as president of the company, Bob Sanderson knew he had a decision to make. He didn’t hesitate. Bob had seen the company come too far and achieve too much success to allow an arsonist to end it all.
Founded in 1974 with just two employees and a 15-foot-wide showroom, Kitchen World had undergone three major expansions over the years and grown to be one of the largest kitchen showrooms in the nation. The success of that company led to creation of another when, in 1990, Bob partnered with John Yakich to create Candlelight Cabinetry in Lockport. They watched it grow into a major manufacturing company, with a workforce of 200 and Kitchen Word as its major customer. The two companies combined to make Lockport and Niagara County major players in the kitchen-cabinet industry.
With so much at stake, Bob said it never crossed his mind not to start over. Five days after the fire, Kitchen World was again open for business. Today, its new showroom on Transit Road is 85 percent complete and bigger and better than before, featuring 49 fully decorated displays, plus many new concepts in kitchen design and products.
Bob has been a longtime member of the Niagara County Builders Association and has served on the board of the Buffalo Niagara Builders Association. He is also a member of the national Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing Association. We are also pleased to note that he was a founding member of the Family Business Center of Niagara University’s College of Business Administration.
On the occasion of the Family Business Center’s second anniversary, we are delighted to recognize Bob for his contributions in helping to develop the center as a resource for family-owned businesses. At the same time, we want to compliment him for the dynamic leadership he has displayed in rebuilding Kitchen World, thereby ensuring the existence of 235 jobs and the continuation of two companies that are helping to strengthen our community. We honor him by presenting him with the Family Business Center’s Vincentian Award.
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Dean's Recognition Award - Ed Kilgore, WRGZ, Sports Director
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With more than 30 years of service at WGRZ-TV, sports director Ed Kilgore is something of an institution in Buffalo television. Equally impressive as that longevity, however, is the work Ed has done outside the studio, and that service is what we recognize today.
In 1987, the Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services Foundation, commonly known as the Kids Escaping Drugs Campaign, was created to raise funds for the construction and support of adolescent treatment facilities. Ed has been a vital part of Kids Escaping Drugs since its inception, both through WGRZ’s telethon, held for the 18th time this past April, and as co-chairman of K-E-D’s capital campaign. Because of this work, Ed is a member of its Hall of Fame.
Stacy Roeder, community/media relations director of the Kids Escaping Drugs Campaign, and a good friend of Ed’s, recently said, “Ed has never said no to any request, large or small. He’s willing to share himself and his talents to help others, asking for nothing in return.” Stacey added, “His payback, he’s often told me, is the feeling he gets when he talks to the kids while on the campus, seeing how they progress and then catching up with them after graduation, and knowing they’ve been given a second chance, something Ed truly believes every child deserves.”
Kids Escaping Drugs is not the only charity for which Ed finds time. He has also served on the corporate finance committee for the American Heart Association of Western New York and emcees the “Heart Ball” fund-raiser every year. Even with his sports-anchor duties, Ed still makes time to give back to the community.
Tonight, we honor a man who helps to give kids, and people, a second chance. Ed is truly a Western New York institution. The Niagara University Family Business Center is proud to give the Dean’s Recognition Award to Ed Kilgore for his outstanding community service.
