The company that owns the Genesee Brewery in Rochester will have to look for a new leader. Rich Lozyniak, who became the first CEO of North American Breweries in 2009, after that company acquired the local brewery, will step down after his replacement is found.
The local brewery operation has been owned by a Costa Rican company, Florida Ice & Farm, for just over a year. That company credits Lozyniak with re-invigorating the Genesee Brewery. The company hopes to name a new CEO sometime in the first quarter. Lozyniak says he wants to go back to his main interest during his career, which is helping to turn around companies.
He says the Genesee Brewery is doing well, having doubled production since 2009, the workforce has grown from 330 people to about 530 now. Lozyniak expects more hiring in the summer.
There's another change in the executive ranks at the local brewery. Vice President of Marketing Peter Bodenham, who worked at Genesee for nearly 20 years, wants to return to Canada.
