Finding A Niche

Roger Madigan believed he was walking into a “super high school” when he enrolled at Corning Community College in the mid-1960s. It took only a few weeks for that myth to be shattered.

“The faculty were – and I assume still are – tough,” said Roger. “In a few weeks, we knew we had a job to do and we would be held accountable.”

The hard work paid off, though. After graduating from CCC, he began selling copiers for Xerox. A few years later, he was invited to join a family business – Alfa International Corporation – and became president in 1982. The company imports and distributes food service equipment to establishments like restaurants, supermarkets, and bakeries. Business takes him overseas at least once a year and they service accounts that include Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dunkin Donuts, and Wegmans.

“The company continues to grow every year,” said Roger. “We’re not big, but we fill a niche.”

That’s how he describes CCC, too: it fills a niche. Roger wasn’t really sure where he wanted to go in life, he didn’t want to overspend to explore his options, and he wanted to stay close to home. CCC offered all of that.

“It was a good choice for me,” said Roger. “My time at CCC helped me decide what I wanted to do with my future. It also helped me learn to work with people who bring all kinds of perspectives to the table. It’s just as important to be able to work with people who think like you do as it is to work with people who think differently than you. CCC gave me the chance to build my interpersonal skills.”

From CCC, Roger transferred to Cortland State, receiving credit for all of his CCC coursework and earning a degree in Economics. One of his biggest accomplishments, though: his marriage. He’s been married for 44 years to the same woman, Veronica. They have three grown children, who are all successful in their own endeavors, and vacation homes in the Caribbean and Rhode Island.

“I’m a lucky man,” reflected Roger. “CCC started it off.”