No. 5 - Rochester Top 100
Griffith Energy
About Griffith Energy: Full-service energy company that provides fuel oil, propane and gasoline.
Rank on Top 100: 5
Top Executive: John A. Hamilton
Employees: 550
Website: www.griffithenergy.com
We asked John A. Hamilton, president and CEO, to talk about his company.
Question: What has been Griffith's biggest accomplishment since buying the company from Energy East Corp. in October 2003?
Hamilton: Our revenues have almost
tripled in three years. Our employees
are focused on taking care of our customers, one at a time.
Hamilton: Our growth is driven by both internal growth of new customers as well as acquisitions of existing businesses in our territory. We are always looking to provide the best service possible to each of our current customers and they tend to talk to their neighbors.
Question: What do you foresee for your local employment?
Hamilton: Our employment growth will be a modest increase tied
to our ability to remain competitive in the marketplace. We are operating across New York state, but
Rochester is our headquarters. As we
grow across our region, our employment will grow here in Rochester.
Question: What signs of optimism do you see for the local
economy?
Hamilton: Our business supplies many types of customers such
as contractors, trucking companies, farms, etc., as well as homeowners. Many of our commercial customers are growing
and as they grow, so do we. We owe our
success to all the people that do business with us.
Question: What are the best and worst things about doing
business in Rochester?
Hamilton: The region provides access to an excellent employee
base. Our employees tend to work for the
company for a long time and are enthusiastic, energetic people. Most people think the weather is a downside,
but we take that downside and warm people's homes, so for us it is a positive.
Question: What reform issue should be of highest priority for
the new governor?
Hamilton: New York state comparatively has significantly more
regulations and as such has created a government workforce to enforce
them. That leads to higher taxes than
elsewhere, which causes stress on our business.
The process surrounding the state budget needs to come out into the
public view and be better understood.
Year-over-year increases in government spending need to be held to
inflation or less.