HOST INTRO: This week, WXXI is looking back at the events and people that made news in 2019.

Today,
News Director Randy Gorbman looks back at some of the key business moments in the Rochester-Finger
Lakes region in 2019.

GORBMAN: It’s almost impossible to do a wrap up of the year in business without referring to
Wegmans. Not only because it’s one of the region’s largest employers, but also because of its avid
following in this area and around the country.

The Rochester-based grocery chain hit a milestone this year, opening its 100th store in Raleigh, North Commented [DY1]: It felt like we needed to note that the
Carolina, in September. The following month, Wegmans opened its 101st store at the Brooklyn Navy milestone was hit this year. What do you think?
Yard. 25,000 customers visited the supermarket on that first day, an opening day sales record for the
company.

Among those waiting in the rain was Audrey Latman Gruber. She and her husband got in line at 6:30 on
a Sunday morning:

GRUBER: I made fun of my husband for the thought of going his early, but apparently he wasn’t alone,
and there were people in the front of the line who were Wegmans aficionados who had been to
multiple openings, were wearing shirts, and had been there much earlier to be the first in line.

GORBMAN: Another one of the area’s largest employers is the University of Rochester, and that
institution played a part in news that affects a major retail hub in Henrietta.

We learned in November about big expansion plans in the works for the Marketplace Mall.

The University of Rochester, the town of Henrietta and Wilmorite, the mall owner, announced plans for
a new tenant – the UR Medicine Orthopedics and Physical Performance Center.

The project is expected to be completed by 2023.

Xerox has been making some news in recent weeks, with word the company has made a bid to acquire
HP.

The Board of directors at HP, however, rejected that takeover offer, saying that it undervalues their
company. And HP also raised some questions about Xerox’s financial health.

The back and forth continued, with Xerox saying it will take its case directly to HP shareholders.

Another big development this year has been the growth of Greenlight Networks, the Rochester based
internet provider that is now owned by Paychex founder and philanthropist Tom Golisano.

It was announced just recently that Golisano will be investing 100 million dollars in Greenlight to help it
expand into Erie and Niagara counties.

Greenlight is still building out its infrastructure in the Rochester area as well.
Greenlight’s CEO Mark Murphy says that his company would like to expand throughout Upstate New
York

MURPHY: For us it’s really going to be determined based on the interest that we see, outside of
Rochester, and we certainly are seeing a lot of people going to our website in other parts of New York
State and beyond that are looking for alternatives to current either cable or phone company.

GORBMAN: Greenlight also recently announced a partnership with Le Chase Construction to help speed
up its expansion efforts in the Rochester area.

There were a couple of major developments in the media world locally and nationally this past year. One
hits close to home for WXXI as this organization acquired the alternative weekly publication, CITY
Newspaper. It was a deal that was months in the making, as the founders and publishers, Mary Anna
and Bill Towler were getting ready to retire and looked to WXXI as a potential buyer of that paper that
began in 1971.

The acquisition became official this year, and Mary Anna Towler said she is really looking forward to
seeing what the two organizations can accomplish together.

TOWLER: I think more journalism, I think we think the community needs a lot more journalism and we
think the two forces combined are going to be doing really good stuff.

GORBMAN: Also on the local media front, the Democrat and Chronicle’s parent company, Gannett, was
acquired by New Media Investment group, the parent company of Gatehouse Media, which has roots in
the Rochester area.

GateHouse has local holdings that include the Rochester Business Journal, the Daily Record, the Daily
Messenger in Canandaigua and several suburban weeklies.

Michael Reed is the CEO of New Media. He says this deal will make the entire operation stronger.

REED: The combination of new media and Gannett is a unique opportunity to reposition both companies
for long term growth, and importantly, to support quality journalism.

GORBMAN: The combined company, now headquartered in Virginia, is expected to look for up to 300
million dollars in savings, and that is anticipated to result in some layoffs, although the companies say
they will also look at other ways of becoming more efficient.

Randy Gorbman, WXXI News.