Rochester Business Journal
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RoclmsrER BusINESS}OURNAL Fast Start Profile Special Report John Klein’s Michelle Roberts As interest rates Sisu Eats gives helps companies have inched fresh look to defne what they upward, CRE healthy fast are. Page 4 loans are still food. Page 2 attractive. Page 11 VOLUME 34, NUMBER 48 WWW.RBJ.NET MARCH 1, 2019 Wilson Brighton Securities Foundation brings largesse celebrates 50 years home to Roc By VELVET SPICER Te Marie C. & Joseph C. Wilson Foundation will come full circle this year as it restates its commitment to Rochester through a renewed focus on poverty reduction and investment in the region. Te organization, established by Xe- rox Corp. founder Joseph Wilson and his wife in 1963, has through the years funded a number of local and national eforts around social justice issues. But when the foundation’s board—all sec- ond, third and fourth generation Wil- sons—discovered that its hometown’s poverty rate, especially among children, was among the highest in the country, they chose to take action locally. “Tey’ve refected more recently on the needs in Rochester, most impor- tantly relating to the poverty issues that we have,” said Megan Bell, execu- tive director of the Wilson Founda- Photo by Gino Fanelli tion. “And they were really struck by From left, Doug Hendee, chief sales officer at Brighton Securities, and Jai Ramachandran, CEO. Since Ramachandran took the poverty work that’s happening.” charge in 2014, Brighton Securities assets under management have risen from just under $1 billion to nearly $2 billion today. Although deeply committed to the Story, page 5. foundation and its causes, Wilson de- Continued on page 8 Cemetery Alleson workers saw layoffs coming Drones draw By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA a springboard lef about six months ago and as soon international as he was gone, the writing was pretty From the moment Alleson of Roch- much on the wall.” for book on audience to RIT ester Inc. was sold to a private equity A Worker Adjustment and Retrain- frm in November 2017, there was con- ing Notifcation on the New York State black lives cern that mass layofs were on the ho- Department of Labor website posted By DIANA LOUISE CARTER rizon. on Feb. 26 indicated 129 employees will By VELVET SPICER Ten when CEO Todd Levine lef be terminated at the Alleson plant. One hundred people from eight the company midway through last “Tese are just great people; they countries attended a workshop at Te Rev. Tomas James was born year, the anxiety regarding a possible love their jobs,” Powderly said. Rochester Institute of Technology this into slavery in Canajoharie, Mont- plant closing heightened. Te separations, which will take week to learn about drone technolo- gomery County, in 1804. When he Trepidation became reality this place between May 24 and the plant gies and their uses and make connec- was 8 years old, his mother, sister and week, when workers at Alleson Ath- closing date of June 7, were confrmed tions in the feld. brother were sold, and he watched as letic, a subsidiary of North Carolina- in a statement by the company. One Some came to share their scientifc his mother was captured while trying based Badger Sportwear, were told warehouse worker has been with Alle- fndings on ways to use or confgure to escape, hog-tied and carried away. their manufacturing facility would son for 39 years and another for 35 drones, known scientifcally as un- Eventually James gained his freedom close in the spring. years, Powderly said. manned aerial vehicles or UAVs. Oth- and at 19 made his way to Rochester, “Tere was a big fear and it’s been Alleson’s call center in Henrietta, ers hoped to gain more funding for where he became an ordained min- lingering,” said Gary Powderly, busi- where 35 union-represented employ- drone-related science or more busi- ister and missionary in the African ness agent with the Rochester Re- ees work, will remain open and the ness. gional Joint Board of Workers United Continued on page 32 representing Local 388. “Todd Levine Continued on page 30 Continued on page 31 > $2.00 14 I 1)1111 HIll]~ 1) Recognize a passionate legal professional! 6 EXCELLENCE NOMINATE TODAY! Nominations close March 22, 2019 74470 77330 INLAW 0 WEEKLY PAGE 2 ROCHESTER BUSINESS JOURNAL 03.01.19 rbj.net/fast-start Entrepreneur gives a fresh look to healthy fast food Restaurant in Greece shows good taste with locally sourced fare By NICOLE SHELDON he fast-food industry has a game- changer in town. Sisu Eats, which Thas been open for about six months, is the brainchild of John Klein. Klein, 28, has been sitting on the idea for a healthy fast-food restaurant for a while. Since graduating from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship, marketing and man- agement in 2013, Klein has been build- ing this concept in his mind. And now it’s come to fruition. Located at 2570 Ridgeway Ave., Sisu Eats has all the time-saving benefits of a fast-food chain from speedy service to a drive-through option. What makes Klein’s establishment different is that the menu items won’t clog your arter- ies. Klein hired a top-notch chef, Scott Riesenberger, who has worked at high end restaurants in New York City and studied under Michelin-rated chef Marc Meneau in France. Riesenberger has ce- liac disease, an immune disease in which Photo by Kate Melton gluten—a protein found in wheat, rye John Klein and barley—attacks the small intestine. Sisu Eats’ menu is entirely sans gluten, money into the local economy rather says. “When I went to the drawing board a lot on.” a refection of the head chef ’s mastery at than sucking it out.” and looked at the numbers I thought Klein also expected the community to gluten-free cuisine. Klein always had the entrepreneurial Greece was a great place to prove the be more understanding of his progres- “Our menu is predominantly organic, spirit inside him, and he spent a lot of concept, and that’s all we’re afer here, sive food model, but he has found him- mostly locally sourced except for prod- time in college coming up with difer- proving the concept to get it into other self relaying the importance of why Sisu ucts like avocado or lemons,” says Klein. ent business ideas. Tough he has been areas and keep putting money into the Eats chooses not to work with big retail- “It’s an awesome combination of a trust- sculpting the concept for Sisu Eats for local economy. ers that are always stocked and why cus- worthy source; it’s healthy and tasty— the past six years, he spent time in the But, Sisu Eats isn’t intended to remain tomers should care that they use locally done in an almost gourmet fashion and corporate world building his resume. a solo location. source products even if it costs an extra it’s relatively comparable to what you’d Afer graduating from college, he “It’s meant to show that there’s a dif- dollar. pay at a place like McDonald’s—and you held a marketing role for a health care ferent way to do fast food and in a larger “Tis Upstate New York area is usu- get it just as quick.” company in Washington D.C. It was in s c a l e .” ally one of the last dominoes to fall On the menu hungry patrons will fnd the capital that his wheels really started Klein has accomplished a lot since progressively for food concepts that a variety of salad bowls, grain bowls, turning about food when he experi- opening the doors of Sisu Eats in Sep- are trending in the rest of the United broth bowls, soups, toasts, pressed juic- enced sweetgreen, a restaurant chain tember 2018. He has rolled out numer- States,” says Klein. “But at the same time es and blended smoothies. Klein also that champions sustainability, local ous menus, launched the drive-through we’re an area that loves our community, incorporated a build-your-own bowl service, implemented delivery through sourcing and animal welfare. so it should be a relatively easy bridge feature onto the menu for those who platforms like GrubHub and Door Dash Klein also grew up in a household to cross, but it’s been more challenging prefer to pick and choose their ingredi- and started catering. In what takes most with both parents in the medical feld. than I expected.” ents. companies years to build up to, Klein His father sat on one end of medicine as While there are sure to be many “We ofer the eating model that every and his team of 20 have checked of the an orthopedic surgeon, while his moth- more ups and downs as Klein navigates person deserves,” he says. “You deserve er sat on the other end with a master’s list in just months. life as a restaurateur, he is not the type to feel good about what you eat not only dgree in holistic healing and alternative Kicking of Sisu Eats has not been of person to throw in the towel. because it’s healthy for you, but because medicine. any easy feat by any stretch. Klein has “I don’t think I’m ever done. I have you’re helping someone nearby.” “Te overlap is that it boils down to experienced major roadblocks along the plenty of other concepts in my head, Klein felt compelled to turn his con- what you’re eating,” say Klein.