Month: April 2005
The following incorporations in Hampden and Hampshire counties were filed between mid-February and mid-March, the latest available. They are listed by community.
AGAWAM
John G. Molta Real Estate Inc., 117 Park Ave., Ste. 152, Agawam 01001. John G. Molta, 21 Blairs Hill Road, Agawam 01001. To deal in real estate.
AMHERST
BBTech Corp., 181 Pondview Dr., Amherst 01002. Susan E. Corkill, same. Advanced software research, development, consulting and training services.
BELCHERTOWN
Sweet Music International Inc., 708 Federal St., Belchertown 01007. Adam Sweet, same. Import/export of music-related supplies, instruments, equipment and services.
CHICOPEE
Lance Berneche Construction Inc., 48 Fletcher Circle, Chicopee 01020. Lance N. Berneche, same. Construction, carpentry, electrical, roofing, etc.
Izzy’s Garage & Shop Inc., 564 Chicopee St., Chicopee 01020. Isaiah A. Salloom, 40 Cleveland St., Holyoke 01040. To deal in real estate, operate automotive service/repair shops.
Vendor Associates Inc., 20 Pendleton Ave., Chicopee 01020. Richard A. Burns, same. Vendor cooperative association.
EASTHAMPTON
Webster Hook Inc., 11 Ashley Circle, Easthampton 01027. Daniel J. Webster, same. To operate a restaurant, delicatessen, lunch and dining room.
EAST LONGMEADOW
WLC Consultants Inc., 296 North Main St., East Longmeadow 01028. James E. Walsh, 374 Pinehurst Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. To provide consulting on real estate permitting and related construction.
HOLYOKE
Advanced Orthopedic Products Inc., 92 Allyn St., Holyoke 01040. Stuart G. Lempke, same. Retail sales of orthopedic devices and products.
Springfield Pallets Inc., 25 Pinehurst Road, Holyoke 01040. Mary Jo Allen, same. Pallets sales and recycling business.
LONGMEADOW
Smily Inc., 641 Converse St., Longmeadow 01106. Satish Kumar, same. To deal in real estate.
Zephyr Imports Inc., 18 Homestead Blvd., Longmeadow 01006. Tahir Malick Sheikh, same. To import and sell rugs and various art objects.
LUDLOW
C. Lemek & Son’s Construction Inc., 49 Wood Dr., Ludlow. Christopher J. Lemek, same. Excavating, grading, landfill and earth moving operations, etc.
Direct Auto Promotions Inc., 90 Southwood Dr., Ludlow 01056. David J. DiCienzo, same. To deal in automobiles, power boats, bicycles, etc.
RUSSELL
DAS Alarm Systems Inc., 1029 Blandford Road, Russell 01071. Sharon M. Schenna, same. To deal in fire alarm and fire suppression systems, security and closed circuit television monitoring, etc.
SOUTH HADLEY
Danni and Me Boutique Inc., 15 College St., South Hadley 01075. Rita Choi-Boyer, 15 San Souci St., South Hadley 01075. Retail clothing sales.
SOUTHAMPTON
CHI Associates Inc., 8 Golden Circle, Southampton 01073. Craig Issod, same. Business consulting.
SOUTHWICK
Andy Terzian Home Improvements Inc., 5 Great Brook Dr., Southwick 01077. M. Andre Terzian, 5 Great Brook Dr., Southwick 01077. Home improvements.
SPRINGFIELD
DML Business Services Inc., 250 Albany St., Springfield 01105. Denise LaBelle, 164 Windsor St., West Springfield 01089. Financial and accounting activities.
International Food Market Inc., 921 Belmont Ave., Springfield 01108. Toqur Kurbanov, 60 Manor Ct., Springfield 01108. Retail sales.
Lokapala Organization Inc., The, 1296 Summer Ave., Springfield 01118. John Curtis Mertzlufft, same. (Nonprofit) To provide sustainable solutions for communities to create growth, etc.
Peskin, Courchesne & Associates, P.C., 101 State Road, Suite 301,
Springfield 01103. Judd L. Peskin, same. The general practice of law.
Sul-Lab Inc., 315 Cottage St., Springfield 01109. Linda Labranche, 36 Braywood Cir., Springfield 01009. Bar and restaurant.
Weiner Law Firm, P.C., 95 State St., Ste. 918, Springfield 01103. Gary M. Weiner, 259 Deepwoods Dr., Longmeadow 01106. To practice the profession of law.
WESTFIELD
B & K Landscaping Inc., 61 Woodcliff Dr., Westfield 01085. Brad Kreikamp, same. Landscaping services.
Center of Endless Possibilities Inc., 8 Pleasant St., B, Westfield 01085. Warren J. Savage, same. (Nonprofit) Spiritual consulting/coaching.
Gagnon DiPietro Inc., 635 Southwick Road, Westfield 01085. Gary J. DiPietro, 23 Maple St., Chester 01011. Restaurant.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
American Environmental Inc., 380 Westfield St., W. Springfield 01089. Jose Julio Bermejo, same. To engage in environmental contracting.
The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2005.
AGAWAM
The Oaks
1676 Suffield St.
$39,290 — Staircase to new banquet hall
Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$542,000 — Pour foundations in waterpark
AMHERST
Boyden & Perron Garage
41 South Whitney St.
$12,000 — Construct connector between buildings
Trustees of Hampshire College
893 West St.
$64,000 — Install fume hoods
CHICOPEE
Top Flite
425 Meadow St.
$75,000 — Interior renovations
HOLYOKE
Pyramid Co. of Holyoke
50 Holyoke St.
$15,000 — Renovate Today’s Nails
Robert Varady
66 Beacon Ave.
$23,550 — Physician’s office build-out
NORTHAMPTON
Baldev Singh
207 Main St.
$10,000 — Replace store-front window
Harley Sacks
31 Trumbull Road
$41,184 — Interior refinishing and improvements to office areas
Paul D’Amour
138 North King St.
$40,000 — Relocate prepared food counter and prep area
Philip and James Greco
324 King St.
$35,000 — Remodel lounge
Smith College
91 South St.
$11,000 — New roof
WEST SPRINGFIELD
United Bank
95 Elm St.
$11,600 — Build storage room
| Adams, Debra A. Aldrich, Jamie W. Anderson, Kimberly Marie Bailey, Michael J. Barthelette, David J. Bednaz, John Berard, Karen H. Bernashe, Philip A. Bracey, David R. Brin-Martin, Gabriele T. Bryskiewicz, Edward A. Bugli, Brian J. Burns, Veronice H. Buxton, Charles A. Carr, Linda C. Coffey, Timothy Maurice Cormier, Peter R. Daignault, Robert M. DeLeon, Juan Alberto Demars, Ann Devine, Theresa L. Dombeck, Howard P Eddy, Joseph J. | Fiddler, Andrew E. Gagne, Joseph J. Glassanos, Paul C. Goggin, Paula Ann Gonzalez, Lynn Hall, Glen Hall, Kenneth John Howard, George A. Hutchins, Clayton Lee Joaquim, Damon Kelly, Jean L. Kelly, William A. Knight, Diane S. Kosel, Todd G. LaMontagne, Philip R. LaRock, Sally Lemanis, Diane MacDonald, Jeremy Robert Machos, Christine L. Malcolm, Andrea Mancini, Francis A. McGoldrick, Robert S. Melendez, Julio A. Mendel, Linda A | Mendoza, Hector J. Mesa-Melendez, Emma G. Norris, Carol Ann Patrickson, George K. Pauly, Avis E. Peoples, Willie Wayman Pereira, Maria C. Piette, Robert J. Popielarz, JoAnn M. Purcell, Richard Paul Remillard, Raymond Roy, Angela N. Sheehan, Brian N. Simard, Charles F. Simpson, Jean A Smith, Denise A. Tanhauser, Steven A. Townley, Margo D. Turner, Matthew J. Twining, Earl W. Vennell, Athan Voisine, Jane Widtfeldt, Priscilla B Wilgus, Brian E. |
Chamber, Western New England College Program Focuses on the Community
Michele Campbell-Langford says the Leadership Institute has helped her identify strengths, weaknesses — and areas in need of “tweaking.”
Keith McKittrick remembers one of the exercises in teamwork. His group, like the others in this particular session of the 2005 Leadership Institute, was hiking the Appalachian Trail (figuratively) when its most experienced hiker was attacked by a bear and seriously injured.
"We were presented with a number of options," said McKittrick, associate dean for Development and Law Alumni Relations at Western New England College (WNEC), "and essentially told to devise the best game plan.
"As it worked out, we all made better decisions in groups than we did individually," he continued, noting that he originally wanted to send some people ahead to get help, while the team decided it was best to carry the wounded member out together. "What we learned is that is it’s important to get input from people and make decisions together."
This was one of the many lessons imparted during the seven sessions of the Institute, a program created by the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce and conducted in partnership with WNEC. The Institute’s course of study was designed to groom the region’s next generation of business leaders andcommunity activists. The Class of 2005 graduated on April 5 and thus joineda list of about 900 area business and civic leaders who have taken part in the program since it was initiated in 1976.
Back then, the program’s primary focus was stressing the importance of community service, said Anthony Chelte, a professor of Management at WNEC, and Leadership Institute session facilitator.
And while that remains a key consideration, the program has expanded its mission to provide participants with lessons in leadership that will benefit their company or non-profit group.
"We want people to leave the program with skills and insight that they can bring back to their organization," he said. "At the same time, we’re emphasizing the value of giving back to the community in which they live and work."
By doing so, the Institute is helping a wide range of area businesses and non-profit agencies cultivate leaders who will follow those currently managing those organizations, said Russell Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS), who graduated from the Institute in 1989, when he was working as a staffer for what was then the Springfield chamber. He told BusinessWest that, 16 years later, he still recalls the tone and the direction of the program.
"I remember that they made it abundantly clear that it is important for people in business to become involved in the community," he said. "That’s something that’s stayed with me."
Many different kinds of lessons have stayed with program participants over the years a list that includes several judges, school principals, and elected officials including U.S. Congressman Richard Neal. BusinessWest looks this month at how the Institute has met its mission, and why that work is important to the Pioneer Valley.
Follow the Leader
Michele Campbell-Langford also remembers the hiking-the-Appalachian-Trail exercise. Like McKittrick, she said it gave her a new perspective on the art of decision-making and the dynamics of working within a team.
"The Institute helped me realize what kind of leader I am," said Campbell-Langford, an assistant principal at the Rebecca Johnson School in Springfield’s Mason Square area. "I realized that I’m fairly compassionate, but firm when I need to be firm. I learned that, in a group dynamic, it’s not always good to have people that are the same; when you have different leadership styles, you bring different interpretations to whatever situation you’re looking at."
Campbell-Langford told BusinessWest that the Institute helped her identify her strengths and weaknesses and the need to exploit the former and work on the latter. "I found out what I needed to tweak," she said.
Such learning experiences are what the creators of the Institute had in mind, said Chelte, noting that the program has historically had three main goals: leadership development, cultivating volunteers to serve on boards for area non-profit organizations, and enhancing the visibility of both the Chamber and the college. Each of those has been met, he said, adding that the Institute has helped forge a strong partnership between the college and the business community, while imparting lessons in effective leadership on two generations of Springfield area business people.
WNEC became involved in 1981, after Stanley Kowalski, dean of the School of Business, participated in the program and saw its many benefits for students and the community as well.
About 30 individuals attend the Institute each year, said Chelte, noting that participants are nominated by representatives of their companies or non-profits. Students range in age from their early 20s to their late 50s, but most would be considered younger professionals. Many area companies have sent a number of individuals through the program. That list includes MassMutual, Baystate Health System, Western Mass Electric Co., and several banks, colleges, law firms, and accounting firms. Non-profit groups represented this year include the New North Citizens Council, which had three participants, SAGE, and the Springfield School System.
The broad goal of the Institute is to leave people with practical lessons they can apply to their everyday work and life situations, said Nancy Creed, member of the Class of 2000, who told BusinessWest that there have been many opportunities to apply what she absorbed.
"I use a lot of what I learned," she said, adding that she participated while serving as communications director for the ACCGS "It taught me a lot about team building and my personal learning style and how that interacts with other people and the way they communicate and work together.
"As for my learning style, I learned that I need to do it; if I’m putting a bike together, I won’t read the instructions I’ll just put it together and when I’m done I’ll see if it came out right," she continued. "But if I know that someone I’m on a team with has a different style, where they need to read those directions, I’m very cognizant of that and won’t impose my style on them; I’d say, ’you read the instructions and I’ll put it together.’"
Creed served on the planning committee for the next session of the Institute after her graduation, and in that role she helped usher in a slight change in overall focus.
"When I went though the program, it was more focused on volunteerism, and there was a whole section on being on boards and what boards are looking for in members," she said, adding that the Institute has moved away from that strategy because most participants are already involved in the community. "So the Institute has really gone on to the next level, which is preparing the next business leaders of Greater Springfield."
School of Thought
Tony Chelte will be leaving WNEC after the current semester ends.
He’s taking on a new challenge, as dean of the College of Business Administration at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He says he’ll miss many things about the Pioneer Valley, including the Leadership Institute, which he considers one of his career high points.
"I’ve taken a lot from the program," he said, "and I think it has made the local community stronger. Overall, it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience."
If asked, the Institute’s 900 graduates would say the same thing.
George O’Brien can be reached at[email protected]
When the topic of discussion is economic development, most people think about jobs.
Specifically, they think about bringing jobs to a region from elsewhere. They think about large manufacturing plants that employ hundreds, if not thousands. They think about new and emerging fields, like bioscience, and the jobs they could create.
All of the above certainly fit the definition of economic development, but there is another component that is often overlooked, but shouldn’t be workforce development.
Why? Because before you can attract new manufacturers (or keep existing ones) or develop clusters of businesses in new sectors like biotechnology, there must be a workforce in place that can handle those demands.
And at the moment, there are serious questions about whether the Pioneer Valley, and the state as a whole, has the kind of workforce that will be needed to carry out that broad assignment. Many, in fact, see a number of warning signs on the horizon concerning the Baystate’s labor force.
The Workforce Solutions Group, comprised of a number of state business, labor, and higher education agencies, has identified what it calls a "perfect storm" of economic conditions that may imperil the state’s capacity to compete and prosper. The three crises facing the state, according to the group, are:
– A profound mismatch in labor supply and demand. Two in five employers say there are too few qualified applicants to fill openings, and that training resources are insufficient to prepare workers to meet employer needs;
– A recognized short supply of new, well-paying jobs. The state has a net loss of more than 200,000 jobs since 2001, and only 6,200 jobs have been added since December 2003; and
– The alarming fact that many available workers cannot obtain training and education opportunities. Almost one-third of the state’s workers, 1.1 million, lack the basic skills needed for employability in the new economy. Fully 746,000 workers lack a high school diploma and another 152,000 lack the strong English language skills needed to make them employable.
To address those concerns, the Workforce Solutions Act of 2005 has been filed. It contains a number of budget
and legislative proposals designed to ex-pand lifelong learning opportunities for Massachusetts workers, students, the unemployed, and underemployed. It’s not being referred to as an economic development measure, but it should be.
The bill, as filed, would help fill critical vacancies across the Common-wealth, provide flexible training funds so that businesses can respond better to market dynamics, target health care and other growth industries where a skilled, ready workforce will allow job growth and curb job loss and extend the life of the highly successful Workforce Training Fund (due to sunset this year), which has helped train more than 136,000 workers in 1,714 companies since 1998.
As area manufacturers told BusinessWest (see story, page 35) Workforce Training grants have helped offset the huge cost of the training needed to enable companies to remain competitive. And they stressed that the need for such training is ongoing, especially as global competition escalates.
Another highlight of the proposed legislation is a new program that would enable more than 4,000 low-income, under-educated working adults to attend community or state colleges and obtain an associate’s degree or industry recognized credential. Still another proposal would more than triple the current appropriation earmarked to build collaborative training, education, and skills development programs among employers in a given region or industry sector.
None of these initiatives would warrant banner headlines, nor would they would likely come up in discussions about regional economic development efforts. But they are very important components of a broader strategy to help Massachusetts remain competitive on the global stage.
And we hope they become reality.
The following incorporations were recorded in Hampden and Hampshire counties between mid-February and mid-March, the latest available. They are listed by community.
AGAWAM
Greenback Management Company Inc., 417 Springfield St., Suite 154, Agawam 01001. John G. Molta, 21 Blairs Hill Road, Agawam 01001. To deal in real estate, etc.
Top Knotch Tree Service Inc., 80 Howard St., Agawam 01001. Marilyn J. Kane, same. To own and operate a tree service business.
AMHERST
Hidden Tech Inc., 2 Teaberry Lane, Amherst 01002. Amy Zuckerman, same. (Nonprofit) To provide networking and educational opportunities for its members, etc.
CHICOPEE
Chessey Inc., 36 Steadman St., Chicopee 01013. Joseph J. Chessey Jr., same. Restaurant.
H & U Corp., 241 Chicopee St., Chicopee 01013. Fouzia Rafiq, same. Convenience store.
New England Aquatic Designs Corp., 297 Broadway St., Chicopee 01020. Mark Johnston, same. Aquarium installation, design work and holding.
EASTHAMPTON
Easthampton Woodworks Inc., 188 Pleasant St., Easthampton 01027. Richard E. Alcorn, 11 Dickinson St., Amherst 01002. Manufacture wooden windows and doors.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Body Tones Spa Inc., 22 Fernwood Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Amy Impagnatiello, same. A tanning spa and related cosmetology services.
HAMPDEN
Domigi Baking Inc., 19 South Road, Hampden 01036. Lorraine A. Hanley, same. To deal in baked goods.
HOLYOKE
HHC Developer Inc., 230 Maple St., Holyoke. Jay Breines, same. To own and operate real estate.
INDIAN ORCHARD
E. Z. E. L. Inc., 567-569 Main St., Indian Orchard 01151. Norma J. Makol, 698 South West St., Feeding Hills 01030. A restaurant.
LONGMEADOW
SNEH Inc., 641 Converse St., Longmeadow 01106. Satish Kumar, same. To operate a restaurant.
LUDLOW
Buoniconti Company Inc., The, 391 Westerly Circle, Ludlow 01056. Michael A. Buoniconto, same. On-site computer services for businesses and consumers.
Commercial Machine Inc., 305 Moody St., Suite B, Ludlow 01056. Kevin J. Sullivan, 82 West St., Belchertown 01007. Machine and tool shop.
NORTHAMPTON
Angelo’s Golden Harvest Inc., 391 Damon Road, Northampton 02060. William A. Denucci, 110 High Meadow Road, West Springfield 01089. Garden center.
SOUTH HADLEY
Friends of Buttery Brook Park Inc., 15 Westbrook Road, South Hadley 01075. Linda Young, same. (Nonprofit) To improve and promote Buttery Brook Park, etc.
Exclusive Car Service Inc., 27 Hadley St., South Hadley 01075. David P. White, same. Limousine service.
SOUTHAMPTON
Wiseman and Son Transportation Inc., 38 High St., Southampton 01073. Jim Wiseman, same. A trucking company.
SOUTHWICK
Drakeview Sandwich Co. Inc., 327 North Loomis St., Southwick 01077. Nancy R. Cannizzaro, same. Retail food sales.
SPRINGFIELD
Diocesan Cemeteries of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts Inc., 65 Elliot St., Springfield 01103. Timothy A. McDonnell, 76 Elliot St., Springfield 01103. To promote and ensure the appropriate and respectful committal of the dead in the Springfield Diocese.
HTMD Inc., 494 Central St., Springfield 01105. Hong V. Tran, 469 Page Blvd., Springfield 01104. Liquor package store.
Lawn Sprinkler Company Inc., The, 63 Bridle Path Road, Springfield 01118. Dino T. Frigo, 57 Palmyra St., Springfield 01118. Lawn sprinkler sales and service.
Opportunity Guidance Support Inc., 46 Kent Road, Springfield 01129. Anthony L. Brice, same. (Nonprofit) To engage in charitable activities.
Pioneer Valley Recruiting Inc., 821 North Branch Parkway, Springfield 01119. Juliette Hahn Nguyen, same. Employment agency.
Springfield Multicultural Conservatory of the Arts Inc., 2754 Main St., Springfield 01107. Wilfredo Moreno, 119 Stafford St., Springfield 01104. (Nonprofit) To promote and assist emerging artists through instruction in music, art, etc.
The Keg Room Inc., 87 State St., Springfield 01103. Christopher J.
Kolodziey, 52 Colony Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. To operate a restaurant and food take-out.
WESTFIELD
Blanchard Homes Inc., 147 Eastwood Dr., Westfield 01085. Stephen D. Blanchard, same. To deal in real estate.
D G Manufacturing Inc., 362 Elm St., Westfield 01085. Dallas Grogan, 57 Telephone Road, East Otis 01029. To manufacture plastic products.
Westfield Girls Lacrosse Association Inc., 98 Woodcliff Dr., Westfield 01085. Gary O’Grady, same. (Nonprofit) To support amateur athletes and coaching staff providing a competitive Lacrosse program, etc.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
R & S Package Store Inc., 529 Union St., West Springfield 01089. Richard Lajeunesse, 71 Greentree Lane, Somers, CT 06071. Frank A. Caruso, 127 Mulberry St., Springfield 01105, registered agent. A retail package store.
| The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of March 2005. | |
| AGAWAM Goodwill Accounting RRD Technologies Inc. Vernon Poolman AMHERST Amherst Communications Edith Howe Joella Realty CHICOPEE Augusti Brothers Pizzeria EZ Mart Jay’s Welding & Steel Fabricator The Rumbleseat Bar & Grill EAST LONGMEADOW Becken Hosting Case Handyman Service Dutko Electric Girly Girl Designs Maureen Slayton Therapeutic Massage Specialty Shoes United Insurance Agencies Group HADLEY Asia & America Food Market Dave’s Soda & Pet Food City HOLYOKE Bogey & Sons Renovation and Woodworking Service CE Enterprises Dairy Market Elmwood Seech & Language Therapy Services Exotic Custom Interiors Green Cleaner R & R Variety The Wherehouse LONGMEADOW A.C.I. Connecticut Valley Weathersby Guild NORTHAMPTON Candle of Hope Commercial News USA Flying Flea |
M.A. Roth Painting Quickie’s Dating Simply the Salon Watkin’s Gallery SPRINGFIELD A.W. Security Al’s Painting Arthur J. Bealand Best Towing Brother’s Distribution Express Gas & Foodmart Flynn’s Auto Sales Imperio Musical Joyce Financial & Insurance Services Kolari’s Mambo’s Merchant Services New England Wholesalers Respect for Life Childcare Center Small Smiles Dental Clinic Springfield A-1 Two Guys Pizzeria WEST SPRINGFIELD A & K Construction Alex Towing Beauty Nail Elms Cleaners Nick’s Transportation Red Carpet Inn Variedades Scarlet WESTFIELD Anatolii Kulyak The Baby Boutique Dionne Electric Gabi’s Flea Market J & L Delivery’s MiMi’s Fashion Variety Store |
The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2005.
AGAWAM
Crestview Country Club
28 Shoemaker Lane
$10,000 — Interior remodeling
AMHERST
Amherst Court Trust
409 Main St.
$2,500 — Construct partition in north-side offices
Town of Amherst Library
Town Hall
$3,550 — Replace stair posts
CHICOPEE
Aldenville Credit Union
710 Grattan St.
$10,000 — Add one office
Frito-Lay Co.
90 Champion Dr.
$200,000 — Build 45’ x 50’ facility
HOLYOKE
Cabot Mill Realty LLC
107 Cabot St.
$9,500 — Install two handicap restrooms
NORTHAMPTON
APC Realty Trust
32 Main St.
$96,200 — Construct egress stairs
518 Pleasant St. LLC
418 Pleasant St.
$66,000 — Reconfigure office space
James & Michael Hogan
1 Corticelli St.
$4,680 — Construct walls for 3 offices and install replacement windows
Paul Gulla
134 Main St.
$3,500 — Install commercial exhaust hood
Smith College
29 Kensington Ave.
$16,000 — New roof
Smith College
32 Bedford Ter.
$32,000 — New roof
SPRINGFIELD
Joe Chang
87 Main St.
$10,100 — Create Chinese restaurant
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Rev. Charles Wimer
670 Prospect Ave.
$295,000 — Renovate building and build pre-fab
Riverdale Shops
935 Riverdale St.
$30,000 — Interior alterations
| Adams, Gary W. Akers, Lyle W. Ambridge, Nelson L. Archambault, Jamie M. Axler, Alan J. Balcom, Mary J. Berry, Ashley P. Brown, Gloria J. Brunell, Matthew S. Burnett, Betsy L. Bushey-Pilon, Charlene Cantin, Judith L. Carroll, Larry John Carter, William Herbert Charvis, James N. Chase, Kimberly A. Coughlin, Kevin B. Cruz, Aileen T. Cruz, Primitiva Demers, Erin C. Deroche, Daniel B. DeSousa, Jose J. Eckert, John F. Fisher, Carole T. Fox, Maureen Ellen Gamache, Roger Robert Garib, Jesus M. Gero, Shirley J. | Giberson, Nissa Gilliam, Theora I Godfrey, Sarah B. Gonzalez, Miguel A. Gonzalez, Marilyn Ivette Hatt, Kenneth Leonard Hernandez, Natividad Isakson, David F. Jarrett, Laurel J. Keating, Juliana F. Kervick, James F. King, Lillian J. Kopy, Nancy A. Kratzer, Earnest J. LeClair, Darrin Jeffrey Lopez, Lilliam Lugo, Carmelina Mercedes, Maria M. Mills, Sally A. Mont, Sabra Ann Moore, Bruce E. Moore, Cornelia R. Morales, Eddie O. O’Neil, Joan Leslie Oppenheimer, Kathleen Ann Ortiz, Leonor Papile, Frank E. Perkins, Jodi S. | Philbrick, Clayton L. Picard, Jennifer A. Pike, Amie L Pimentel, Angel L. Pimpare, Christopher R. Proulx, Marianne Quinones, Rebekah R. Raczkowski, Roma T. Remillard, Margaret J. Robinson, Beverly Roncarati, Sandra A. Rudenko, Andrey Rzeszutek, Helen Stella Sanabria, Carlos A. Sanchez, Miguel Schenck, James C. Senecal, Katrina L. Shannahan, James J. Shepard, Joan Pauline Sherrin, Stephen E. Shirley, David B. Spagnoli, Anthony P. Teague, Daniel A. Thouin, Kellie R. Tosses, Evelyn Tranghese, Pasquale W. Tri-County Contractors, Inc. Trombley, Kelly A. Vega, Maria E. |
MichaelGolden Wants to Build Brand Equity at Smith & Wesson
Michael Golden says that when it comes to name recognition, the Smith & Wesson brand is as powerful as Coca Cola or Harley Davidson. But awareness doesnt necessarily translate into sales, said the companys new CEO, who wants to take this brand, what he called a ìtremendous assetî and manage it more effectively and profitably.
When asked what brought him to Springfield and the corner office of the historic, but recently troubled, Smith & Wesson company, Michael Golden answered quickly and succinctly.
"Its the brand," he explained, pausing for a moment as if to indicate that this might be all needed to say before elaborating. "Its one of the most famous brands in the country; its a powerful brand, one that I wanted to manage."
Golden, who arrived at Smith & Wesson in early December, knows all about famous brands. Hes helped develop and sell several of them during a 25-year career in business. He started at Proctor and Gamble as a unit sales manager, before moving on to Black & Decker, where he launched the Dewalt Accessory line, and, later Stanley Works and the Kohler Company, makers of kitchen and bathroom fixtures and accessories.
At each of those stops, he helped grow market share by leveraging, or managing, a highly recognizable brand name, and properly positioning it. And he wants to do the same at Smith & Wesson, a company that has battled back in some ways from years of declining sales in the wake of lawsuits against the gun industry and the companys widely criticized settlement with the federal government, but has historically struggled to take full advantage of its famous name.
Golden, the subject of this months BusinessWest CEO Profile, is the publicly held companys fourth president in the past six years, and the latest to take on the assignment of translating brand recognition into sales and profits. He is addressing that task with a broad strategic plan that includes everything from NASCAR sponsorship to heightened lobbying efforts in Washington and elsewhere designed to help Smith & Wesson capitalize on many post-9/11 global developments, as well as a broad emphasis on security and public safety.
The companys name now sits on the hood of the # 30 car, driven on NASCARs Busch Series by Scott Riggs. Its there to gain the attention of the sports huge fan base, which features demographics that mirror the target audience for the gun industry.
"We think this is going to be a great fit for us," Golden said. "This is an effective way to reach to reach out to a large, very brand-loyal audience."
As be builds visibility for the brand, Golden will also focus on sales, which have been improving third-quarter numbers were up 12% over the same period a year ago and will be driven by the companys ability to penetrate new markets and build better, stronger relationships in existing markets.
Golden has already made several trips to Washington, where he has lobbied decision-makers to consider Smith & Wesson products when arming the 1.8 million servicemen and women across the globe. He has made similar pitches to law enforcement agencies across the country.
And while the Smith & Wesson name is well-known, he explained, it does have its limitations, noting that recent attempts to many sell items with the companys name from watches to police bicycles have had only limited success.
Moving forward, the company will focus its attention on four key areas safety, security, protection, and sport, he said. "And they provide us with plenty of room to grow."
Golden added that he approaches his latest brand-building assignment with equal doses of confidence and realism. The former is a byproduct of his past success with other top-tier brands, while the latter comes out of recognition that the gun industry is a highly competitive environment, where history and nostalgia only go so far.
Under the Gun
As he talked with BusinessWest about his goals for Smith & Wesson and how he hopes to achieve them, Golden said he wants to borrow from experiences earlier in his career.
At Black & Decker, for example, he was charged with "creating excitement," as he put it, for the companys new brand of power tools and accessories, Dewalt. At Stanley, meanwhile, he said, he "learned how to manage a company."
And at Kohler, he said he gained experience in "protecting" a brand by taking cost out of the company and properly positioning the cabinet businesses he directed.
Golden actually had two stints at Kohler. The first came in 1996, when he served as vice president of sales, customer service, and distribution of its North American Plumbing Division. There, he grew sales from consistent, low-single-digit increases to double-digit jumps for two consecutive years. He also restructured the sales team, as well as customer service operations, moving from 14 independent sites to one centralized location.
That assignment followed a 15-year stint at Maryland-based Black & Decker, where he started as vice president of the so-called "Home Depot Division," and eventually rose to VP of the Canadian Power Tools Division and then VP of sales and marketing of the North American Accessory Division. During that last stop, he was responsible for sales, product development, and marketing programs for the Dewalt Accessory line, which included drill bits, saw blades, and related products.
In 1998, Golden went to work for Stanley Works, the hardware and tool maker in New Britain, Conn. There, he served as president of its Industrial and Construction Sales division. Specifically, he was responsible for a sales and organizational development of four business units, Stanley Hand Tools, Bostitch Fastening Products, Stanley Hardware, and Petro Mechanics Tools.
During his second stint at Kohler, he served as president of the cabinetry sector, where he was responsible for two separate businesses with combined revenues of $200 million.
Golden said he wasnt necessarily looking for work he was doing consulting work for a private equity firm when he was approached by a recruiter about the Smith & Wesson position. "I wasnt a shooter, and I admit to not knowing much about the gun industry," he said. "But I was intrigued by the brand, and Ive learned a lot about leveraging brands."
Since joining the company, he has been actively engaged in learning about the gun business hes even fired a few of Smith & Wessons products at its shooting facility and going about the task of more effectively leveraging the brand.
Hes also trying to take a company that has seen some recent turmoil especially in the CEOs chair and the Board of Directors and provide a measure of stability.
Golden succeeds Roy Cuny, who left Smith & Wesson last fall to join Charlotte, N.C.-based stun-gun maker Stinger Systems (Cuny subsequently left that company late last March, citing a difference of opinion with the CEO). Cunys stint lasted less than two years, and came after the departure of Robert Scott, the former head of sales and marketing for Smith & Wesson, who assumed the corner office when the Arizona-based company Saf-T-Hammer, which he joined in 1999, completed a fire sale purchase of Smith & Wesson from British giant Thompkins PLC in 2001.
It was Scott who led the company through the public relations and sales fallout that accompanied the companys March 2000 agreement with the federal government that effectively removed from Smith & Wesson from many of the law suits against the gun industry in exchange for several concessions.
Golden acknowledges the rocky recent past, but says his focus is clearly on the future and doing more with a brand he says has been "undermarketed."
"Historically, the company hasnt done all that it can with its brand," he explained. "I want to change that."
Lock and Load
Discussing his new brand, Golden said that when it comes to name recognition, there are few peers.
Coca Cola, Harley Davidson, and Ford come to mind, he said, adding quickly that those companies, like Smith & Wesson, know that awareness doesnt always translate into sales.
"Awareness and perception are two different things," he explained. "We dont want people to simply know about our products, we want them to feel good about our products.
"People hear our name and they know we make guns Ö it doesnt matter whether you like guns or not, you hear our name and you know what we do," he continued. "Thats something to build on; we have to take that awareness and drive sales."
The methods for achieving that broad goal will be outlined in a new three-year strategic plan that will be rolled out later this month. Golden touched on some of the highlights for BusinessWest.
The plan includes a number of broad and specific strategies for marketing, sales, new product development, and eliminating cost from operations, he said, noting that with many initiatives, the clock started running on Dec. 6, the day he took over.
On the sales side of the ledger, Golden said, the company will target several audiences, especially the three that offer the most growth potential law enforcement, the federal government, and foreign governments. Smith & Wesson has lost market share in each area over the past several years, and will be aggressive in its efforts to get it back.
"We dont do a lot of business with the federal government at the moment," he explained. "We want to get more, obviously, and as we lobby for contracts, were going to stress both the quality of our products and the fact that doing business us will keep jobs in this country."
Indeed, many government agencies and police departments have given contracts to foreign gunmakers, including Beretta, Glock, and Sig Arms, he said, adding that to get these former clients back, the company must stress more than the Made in the USA label. "We have to show them that we can compete with anyone," he said, "and I believe we can."
The broad sales strategy involves not only new and existing markets, said Golden, but also core products and new items that fall into those categories he outlined earlier safety, security, protection, and sport. This list includes everything from handcuffs to safety goggles to hunting knives. It also includes includes development of less-lethal products such as mace and stun guns.
As for marketing, the company wants to reach out to the many different types of customers it has the constituency groups include end-users, dealers, and distributors with messages that speak about both specific products (several new pistols are selling well), and tradition.
The NASCAR Busch Series car sponsorship will play a lead role in that mission, he said, noting that the sports enormous fan base is young, largely conservative, and outdoor-sports oriented. Golden noted that it may be hard to eventually quantify the results of the car sponsorship much depends on how well the team does and how much air time Riggs Chevrolet gets on TV but he believes it will prove a sound investment.
"Were excited about this," he said. "Were going to get some good exposure that should drive additional sales for us."
Hire Caliber Sales
As he discussed Smith & Wesson and his plans for it, Golden used the word legacy to describe both the companys workforce and the products it makes.
"Many of our employees are following their fathers and the grandfathers in working for Smith & Wesson, and when you walk through the plant and talk with people, they take pride when they tell you how long theyve been here," said Golden, adding that, likewise, generations of the same family have put their trust in the companys products.
His role as CEO is to build on that legacy through greater, more effective leveraging of the brand.
"The question for us is, how do we take this incredible asset and use it to grow our company?" he said.
George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]
It has been said that the world comes to Massachusetts to be educated. The problem is, when theyre done with their educational experience, most of the world goes home.
Indeed, many of the best and the brightest graduates of the dozens of private colleges in Massachusetts take their collected knowledge and apply it elsewhere.
Many of those who stay and live here were born and raised here, and they are far more likely to be graduates of UMass, Westfield State College, and Springfield Technical Community College than they are Smith, Mount Holyoke, Amherst, or Harvard. And this phenomenon is one of many reasons why state legislators should heed the warnings contained in a recently released report on the states higher education system.
That report, compiled by the Senate Task Force on Higher Education, says that a dramatic infusion of state money is needed to stop a slide in quality and make education more affordable at public colleges in the Commonwealth. The reports authors, including Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst), propose that the state increase spending on public higher education by one-third, or as much as $300 million, in the next five to seven years.
"The public higher education system has been treated like a poor stepchild at a time when families are using it more and the state economy is going to rely on it more," said Sen. Steven Panagiotakis, a Lowell Democrat and task force leader as he capsulized the reports findings. "We will live and die economically with the kids who come out of public higher education, and if the systems not quality, we wont be where we need to be."
Leaders of taxpayer groups say the report has merit, but they dont know how the state can find a way to fund the plan, not when state revenues are likely to increase by only about 5% annually in the next few years and there are many spending priorities, including health care, pensions, and school building repairs.
We believe that the Legislature has to find some way to fund the bills
provisions or, at the very least, swing the pendulum back in other direction
toward more appropriate funding of state colleges and universities.
Why? Because other states are realizing the importance of public education, and their commitments have resulted in the creation of jobs and centers of new technology. Weve seen this in North Carolina, Texas,
California, and elsewhere. Massachusetts, meanwhile, has been going in the other direction, and the numbers tell the story:
– The state now ranks 49th in the nation in spending on higher education per $1,000 of state income;
– It ranks 47th in the nation in state spending on public higher education per capita;
– It has seen the largest decrease in state funding for public higher education: a 32.6% reduction, adjusted for inflation, between 2001 and 2004, out of the 50 states;
– It is the only state in the nation that is spending less on public higher education than it was 10 years ago; and
– Student charges have consistently been above the national average, and are among the highest in the country because of insufficient funding.
What does all this mean? Here things get subjective, rather than objective, but what it means is that fewer people are receiving a college education in the state because they can no longer afford it. And it also means that the quality of the educational experience is declining and will continue to decline unless the trend is reversed because individual schools have fewer resources and have to rely more on adjunct teachers rather than full-time faculty members.
Whats more, it means that the state universitys goal of becoming a world-class research institution will be that much harder to reach.
And what does that mean? That the state will continue to lose its competitive edge to other states and other countries. Locally, it will mean that many initiatives of the Plan to Progress including those to create a workforce capable of working in emerging technologies, and to diversify the regions economy in these sciences will be more difficult to achieve.
It will be difficult for legislators to find the money to fund the budget increases outlined in the task forces report. The only logical alternatives are tax hikes, which no one has an appetite for, or shifting some budget priorities.
We hope that some solution can be found however, because, as the evidence shows, the public colleges train the Commonwealths workforce and that workforce represents our future.
