David Reh of Victor, N.Y., Awarded Clarkson University Honorary Degree

Potsdam, NY (05/13/2017) — David Reh '62 of Victor, N.Y., owner and managing partner of Ravenwood Golf Club, was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree at Clarkson University's 124th Commencement on Saturday, May 13.

The degree was awarded for "his steadfast commitment to technology innovation and entrepreneurship, the twin engines of progress, and for his dedication to shaping the next generation of business creators and industry leaders."

"Owning a company is not for everyone, it can be lonely and it can be scary, but I hope to tease a couple of you into trying it," said Reh in his remarks to the students. "If you do, it will provide you with a vehicle to bring life to your ideas, build an organization around them, and have the satisfaction of providing livelihoods to a lot of people."

Reh is the founder, past president and owner of the Raytec Group Inc., which he formed in 1971.

Raytec consisted of two principal operating companies: Gorbel Inc., which manufactures jib and work station cranes, and Retrotech Inc., which specializes in the design, installation, modernization and support of automated material handling systems. Today, the Gorbel and Retrotech brands are recognized throughout the world.

In 2011, Reh was inducted into the Rochester, N.Y., Business Hall of Fame. He is currently the owner and managing partner of the award-winning Ravenwood Golf Club in Rochester.

Reh, and his wife, Sue A. Reh, are passionate advocates for higher education. Their commitment to supporting and shaping business and entrepreneurship education culminated in the establishment of the Reh Center for Entrepreneurship at Clarkson University.

The Rehs have continued their support through an endowed chair and an endowed professorship, which supports permanent faculty positions with a focus on entrepreneurial leadership.

David Reh sits on numerous boards, and is a Clarkson Business Leadership Council member. He also serves on the Simon National Council and the Executive Advisory Committee for the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in industrial distribution from Clarkson and an MBA from the University of Rochester Simon School Of Business.

Clarkson University educates the leaders of the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as an owner, CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. With its main campus located in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the Capital Region and Beacon, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university with signature areas of academic excellence and research directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through more than 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and the health professions, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo and connect discovery and innovation with enterprise.

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