1937

E. Philip Saunders was born in Rochester, NY to Earl and Helen Saunders. Earl Saunders started Independent Oil and Gas Co., a petroleum business which he later sold to Standard Oil Co. (Chevron), only retaining the truck stop.

1952-1955

Saunders attended Livonia Central School and participated in baseball, football, and basketball. His junior year, Saunders pitched a no-hitter and batted .489, which became a school record.

1956

Phil and his high school sweetheart, Carole, attended Livonia High School. After leaving Livonia, Saunders attended Hobart College while working two jobs; one as a night manager on the newly built New York State Thruway and the other as a farmhand in exchange for room and board.

1958

Saunders dropped out of school and began working at his father’s truck stop, eventually investing in the business and buying out the other two “silent” partners.

1965

Saunders built his first truck stop in Ashland, Va.

1966

Started Fleet Control Service (FCS), a type of charge card that truckers could use to streamline billing, prior to the widespread use of credit cards. Saunders also started Meat Dispatch, hauling meat from upstate to New York City and Henrietta Enterprises, which transported goods for Tropicana and Neisner Brothers, a five-and-dime store.

1971

Truckstops of America, Inc. sold to Ryder System; Saunders moved to Florida and became Vice President and General Manager of Ryder’s Fleet Services Division where he continued to add truck stop facilities. Saunders purchased a dairy farm in Dansville.

1975

Saunders returned to upstate New York where he and partner, William A. DeNight, purchased Econo-Car International from Westinghouse Electric Corp.

1977

Served as CEO until Econo-Car sold to Gelco, Inc.

1979

Purchased W. W. Griffith Oil Corporation; founded Travel Ports of America; built the first Roadway Motor Plaza, Inc. truck stop. Roadway Motor Plazas focused on the restaurant side of the business, accounting for 15% of the revenue at a truck stop. The focus was also placed on appealing to tourists, locals, and business travelers in addition to truckers.

1981

Sugar Creek Stores formed in November with the transition of service stations, in conjunction with gas stations, to retail. Richardson Food Corporation was purchased in May; the dessert topping and syrup producer in Macedon, NY benefited from Saunders’ expertise in distribution.

1986

Travel Ports of America completed their first initial public offering. Quaker Oats Company purchased Richardson Food Corporation, of which Saunders had been CEO since 1981.

1987

Sugar Creek Corporation formed in February as a holding company to coordinate the combined operations of Sugar Creek Stores and Griffith Oil. Roadway Motor Plazas, Inc. became a public company.

1995

Saunders, one of the original founding members of National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), performed as acting Chairman, working to change the perception of truck stops to welcoming travel plazas. He helped to host a blood drive that collected over 4,000 pints of blood, making the trucking industry among the top five contributors for donating blood to the Red Cross.

1996

Genesee Regional Bank was founded by Saunders and Dan Gullace; originally Lyndon Guaranty Bank of New York, renamed to re-establish ties to the community as a new locally-owned business. The bank focused on helping to grow small businesses through an "old-school" banking model. The bank made the Democrat and Chronicle's "Top Workplaces" list for the first time in 2015.

1998

Griffith Energy was sold to Energet!x, Inc., a subsidiary of Rochester Gas & Electric. American Rock Salt was founded in 1998 after Akzo salt mine assets were purchased by investors in 1997.

1999

Travel Ports of America sold to Travel Centers of America, Inc.

2000

Saunders founded Saunders Management; Sugar Creek Stores sold to Tops Markets Inc.; Saunders began serving as CEO at American Rock Salt, continuing to do so until 2003.

2001

The Saunders Family Neuromuscular Research Fund was founded at the University of Rochester.

2004

In 2002, Energy East Corp. acquired Griffith Energy in a buyout of RGS Energy Group Inc., parent company of Rochester Gas & Electric, and Energet!x. In 2004, Saunders helped purchase Griffith Energy from Energy East Corp. in order to save local jobs. Saunders was inducted to the Rochester Business Hall of Fame.

2005

Saunders received the RIT Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award in addition to the Livingston County Distinguished Citizen award.

2006

RIT College of Business named in Saunders’ honor; a scholarship fund was established.

2013

Saunders Energy Holdings LLC was founded, operating Valley Energy Services in 2015 and providing fuels to 10 countries. Genesee Regional Bank expanded its services by adding by adding a mortgage department.

2016

10 year anniversary commemorating the naming of Saunders College of Business

2017

Saunders recieved the RIT Volunteer of the Year Award.

2021

Ceremonial groundbreaking event to celebrate the Saunders College of Business Expansion Project, which was made possible through Phil’s $7.5 transformational gift.