Rochester Business Journal – October 28, 2022
By: Kevin Oklobzija
Having grown up in Rochester, John Loury knows very well the history of the Eastman Kodak Co., from the global powerhouse George Eastman created to the product-altered, scaled down version that operates today.
His great grandfather was a security guard at Kodak Tower. His grandfather and father both worked in Building 110 in perforation of 35mm film and Kodak Motion Picture film stocks.
So even as his own small business continues to enjoy strong growth – Cause + Effect Strategy (CE Strategy) just moved into new office space in downtown Rochester – those red illuminate letters of KODAK atop the corporate headquarters provide direction. “I have an unencumbered view of the Kodak Tower from my office,” Loury said, “and it’s a reminder to keep pushing, that there’s more work to be done!
L-R Eric Webber, Michael Sutton, John Loury
Loury is president of CE Strategy, a business intelligence consulting firm that uses data insight and analytics to help clients grow. The company was founded in 2015 by Loury, Eric Webber and Michael Sutton, who services as vice president of client service.
There has been steady year-over-year growth as more clients seek answers and direction from data. Over the past three years, revenue increase by 54 percent.
The move from Henrietta to 205 St. Paul was all part of the initial CE Strategy five-year plan. Except they encountered a COVID-19 roadblock which delayed the relocation by more than two years. They were preparing to sign a leas back in early 2020 when the pandemic put much of the world on pause. They finally cut the ribbon last week.
“If I had signed that lease , it probably would have been on of the saddest decisions I’ve ever made. But now we are so excited to celebrate a 100 percent privately funded relocation, to get downtown and help have and impact on the Rochester economy.”
John Loury, President, CE Strategy
Moving to the city had been a goal. Loury said they wanted space that “was more in line with the clientele we have. This was a very thought-out strategic initiative to get down here.”
The two year pause in plans provided an opportunity to move into the Chapin Building, which sits just off the Inner Loop. Architecture and engineering firm CPL had vacated earlier this year, so CE Strategy took a portion of their former fourth-floor space, about 2,300 square feet. That’s 1,400 square feet more of office that they had on John Street in Henrietta, which Loury called “right sizing.”
“We’re right on the edge of where the city begins along the old-school thorough-fare.” Loury said. “It was the gateway at one time and it could be the gateway again.”
The building is owned by Rainaldi Brothers Inc., which Loury said provided “the opportunity to rent from an old family friend.”
Rooms all have glass doors with auditory privacy. There are three virtual meeting rooms, as well as a phone-booth style room.
“The space is very conducive to hoteling,” Loury said. “Your laptop is your passport in this office.”
CE Strategy has a staff of 16, though most are remote. Six employees with call the new space their home while the other 10 are located in New York City, Boston, Houston, and India.