Bob Wilmers: Good for M&T, Good for Buffalo

Nice,

Too bad they had to throw in the same tired Buffalo stereotypes of Beer Cold and Sports

M&T's support and participation in local institutions is admirable, and Wilmers' stweardship has been steady at the helm. It's too bad that the article starts off with a Buffalo weather cliche, but by suggesting that M&T's values are Buffalo values, Fortune does Buffalo a favor where Forbes' insipid lists sought only to exploit unfortunate misperceptions. Bottom line: in an industry that was losing value and confidence at unprecedented levels, M&T managed not only to keep its head above water, but to still remain profitable.

It's a week for challenging cynicism, perhaps it was Susan Boyle who got that ball rolling. Most BRO devotees will agree with investing in local community, and that people who bank at a local branch will be more likely to use more services there, creating local job growth and investment. M&T is good for Buffalo, and Buffalo is good for M&T.

Hopefully other companies considering WNY as an operations site will interpret this article similarly.

Well, Buffalo made another unfortunate Forbes list today.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/us-cities-where-its-hardest-to-get-by.html

Yeah what a crappy picture, but then again the inferiority complex doesn't help. There's always two ways to go, be embarrassed or fight, Buffalo needs to do a better job of saying "f'you" and being the scrappy kid on the block rather than just taking it and being defeated so easily.

Well, whether one agrees with Wilmers or not he is involved, his only minor drawback was opposing a charter school at AM&As years ago. When one takes a look at the major industrial, commerical and professional leadership in Buffalo and Western NY, they are largely un-involved: Delphi, Ford, GM, 3M, Dunlop, Dupont, Contract Pharmaceuticals, etc and Buffalo suffers for that lack leadership in the private sector. It basically leaves Buffalo with a 2nd or 3rd string list of players (business and unions) more intent on feeding off the city than in major projects to bring the city back.

The advantage of Wilmers is that he is not like the string of people who have made money off demolition and parking lots.

Even major players like GreatBatch and Wendt are more concerned about charities and non-profits than in civics and economic growth which is good...but we need leaders to build both our culture and our economy.

Lets not forget that it took a control board to pull local leaders out of their respective caves.

Too bad they had to throw in the same tired Buffalo stereotypes of Beer Cold and Sports

Yeah, why would anyone mention that it's cold, our love for sports and our prolific beer drinking that was once proudly trumpeted on this very website as a primary reason Labatt's moved their offices here.

Why be so self loathing? Embrace what we are, screw everyone else.

Golly what asinine writers at that magazine. The comment that Wilmers is not a "typical Western New Yorker" should be spat back at Fortune. Here's a city whose arts patrons just voiced again how passionate they are for culture in our city (by being designated again Best Arts destination/midsize city), and Fortune in its wisdom resorts to a false cartoon to portray the roughly million individuals in the area.

thrilling that a beer company moved all 20 employee's here due to our sad drinking habits. brag when a real employer moves to the area .

PaulOak,
Wilmers is not typical of any city, and every city needs more concerned, generous, and sensitive philanthropists -- the point is that myopic writers at magazines like Fortune set a man like Wilmers against what they in their unabashed ignorance see as the "population" of a certain place. Imagine Fortune making a out of Los Angeles and its migrant workers, factory workers, celebrities, unemployed, hair stylists, waiters, accountants and painters. They wouldn't think to do that, but they do with cities they don't really know or take time to learn about.

Sorry for calling you PaulOak--we often agree but not that much!

You overlook the fact that Wilmers was greatly involved in (some might say personally responsible for) the hiring of Dr. James Williams as Buffalo Schools Superintendent and the thus all the subsequent horrors of mismanagement, cronyism, and near total destruction of classroom morale.