July 2009 - BusinessWest

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Above and Beyond

The PeoplesBank office at 1240 Sumner Ave. in Springfield was recently recognized by the East Forest Park Civic Assoc. for going above and beyond in improving its neighborhood. Shawn Sheehan (seen here), co-president of the civic association, said the PeoplesBank office was selected because of its design and continued efforts to improve the area. “A major property improvement occurred at 1240 Sumner Ave. when PeoplesBank ripped down a run-down Friendly’s restaurant and replaced it with a new, stylish building that blends well with the recently renovated surrounding buildings,” he said. Melissa Richter (right), branch manager, accepted the award at the Civic Association meeting last month.

New to the Downtown Menu

Izzo’s, an Italian eatery with a friendly, neighborhood atmosphere, opened for business earlier this month. Located on Worthington Street in downtown Springfield, the restaurant, owned and operated by Patsy Izzo, left, and Jimmy Fernandes, features a diverse menu of hearty Italian cuisine, entertainment, and an outdoor seating area.

For Sale, for Lease

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

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Art of the Matter

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

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Day Tripper

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

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OPINION

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Opinion

Transportation Reform in Place, but Not Over

When Gov. Patrick recently signed the transportation bill into law, it marked a major step forward in a long and arduous process the Senate began last November. At that time, we wrote about the need for reform before revenue in transportation.

We outlined a series of changes we felt were badly needed, and we are proud that the final legislation we enacted specifically addresses those changes. Rather than simply talking about reform while waiting for others to act, the Senate worked swiftly, diligently, and collaboratively to arrive at this moment.

The new law stands as an example of what can be done when we put individual differences aside and work together to create real and lasting change.

In November, we discussed the need to consolidate the various transportation agencies into a new, unified surface-transportation agency to eliminate waste and duplication.

The new law accomplishes that by establishing the Mass. Department of Transportation. We urged the swift dismantling of the Mass. Turnpike Authority, another goal achieved.

MassDOT will operate on the same accounting systems and fiscal year as the state to create a level of consistency and transparency that was missing under the Turnpike Authority. It will also assume all remaining debt from the Big Dig and be able to engage in public-private partnerships to help fund investments in our transportation systems.

This transportation overhaul was not easy, and required a great deal of diligence and effort. Every decision required our full attention. There were legal and constitutional considerations along the way. And we made it our priority to seek input from stakeholders in our transportation system from the Legislature and administration to our transportation agencies. We also listened to the Transportation Finance Commissions recommendations and, most importantly, to the needs and concerns of our constituents across the state.

Shortly after announcing our priorities in November for a cost-efficient, restructured transportation system, the Joint Committee on Transportation held a series of public hearings around the Commonwealth to discuss and study transportation reform and the financing of transportation services. We created a blog to gather input from citizens on transportation issues.

All the information we collected was critical to producing our final plan for a unified, surface transportation authority and taking that first major leap to reforming the delivery of transportation services in the Commonwealth.

Throughout the process, we held steadfast to our insistence on reform before revenue. We strongly opposed a proposal for a significant increase in the states gas tax of 19 cents per gallon that did not include any discussion about reform or consolidation. Rather than continuing to throw money into a broken system, we felt, as we do today, that a fundamental overhaul of our transportation services was the better approach.

Now, as we celebrate the passage of transportation reform, we also recognize there is more work to do. Texting while driving remains on the table, as does the issue of impaired driving at any age, both of which the Joint Committee on Transportation took up in recent hearings. We must continue to implement the lessons learned from the Big Dig, and ensure that we do not slide further and further into debt.

The Joint Committee on Transportation intends to hold oversight hearings to monitor the progress of the reforms as they are implemented. We began with the strong conviction of reform before revenue, and we have delivered. Now, we cannot allow our efforts to go to waste. v

Sen. Therese Murray is president of the Massachusetts Senate. Sen. Steven Baddour is chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation.

Community Profile: Amherst

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Features

More Than a College Town

Town Manager Laurence Shaffer says Amherst has some insulation against the recession.

Tourists, Retirees, Even Telecommuters Keep Businesses Hopping

Laurence Shaffer says no community, like no company of business sector, is truly recession-proof.

Every city and town is feeling the effects of the current downturn, said Amhersts town manager, and his is certainly no exception. But this college town that has evolved into so much more over the past few decades has what Shaffer calls more insulation than most.

It comes from the colleges, obviously, especially UMass Amherst with its more than 5,000 employees and 20,000 students, but also from Amherst College and Hampshire College. However, insulation also comes from the communitys status as a tourist destination, with year-round traffic visiting a host of museums, restaurants, and other attractions. And another buffer has emerged from Amhersts growing reputation as a retirement destination.

Indeed, publications such as U.S. News and World Report have listed the town as one of the proverbial best places to retire to a achievement that results from many of those aforementioned attributes.

All this makes Amherst an attractive location for businesses across a number of sectors, said Shaffer, adding that, as the town celebrates its 250th anniversary, it is also celebrating the fact that it has become a local and regional economic engine, one that continues to add horsepower.

Many communities have to create excitement and buzz to get people there, he said. We already have it.

In this issue, BusinessWest examines the buzz that is Amherst, and how this community of 35,000 continues to build on those layers of insulation.

A Class Act

As they talked about Amherst and its many attributes, Shaffer and Tony Maroulis, director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, said they combine to make the town a true destination for students, professionals, tourists, retirees, and even telecommuters. Indeed, it seems that Amherst has become home to many of those who can utilize technology to live wherever they want, but work for almost anyone, including themselves.

And its the mix that makes the town so attractive, he continued, listing everything from its quintessential New England downtown to its stock of impressive homes to a number of cultural attractions, ranging from the Emily Dickinson Museum to the Jones Library on the campus of Amherst college, which boasts one of the largest collections in the state.

Some of the works there should be in the National Archives, said Shaffer. The library has the original poetry of Robert Frost and some from Emily Dickinson.

There are eight museums that call Amherst home, including the National Yiddish Book Center and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, said Maroulis, noting that, collectively, they draw more than 100,000 people to the town, visitors who usually stay and spread the wealth among a number of restaurants and eclectic shops.

Amherst is very proud of its literary tradition. We are community poets and people who appreciate the grandeur of their artistry, said Shaffer. We have a lot of history here, and we enhance and embellish it.

History and the towns intellectual culture, fueled by the colleges as well as its downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, laced with their own bevy of quaint shops, are responsible for the growing number of retirees choosing to call Amherst home.

Although no empirical data has been kept on how many seniors have recently moved there, there are qualitative, and some quantitative, measures showing that Amherst has become a mecca for retirees.

That reputation and the growing number of older individuals who appreciate the fact that the neighborhood hubs are all accessible by public transportation, biking, or a brisk walk have caused developers to look to Amherst as a viable place to build communities for people age 50 and older.

Hampshire College has been working with Boston developers to develop an over-50 community, and 160 units are planned for Veridian Village, which will be linked with and located adjacent to the college. The developer has gone through the planning-board process, but the project is on hold due to the economy.

Still, its not off the table, and other planned communities are also under discussion, said Maroulis. There is continuing conversation with a number of developers about housing for seniors or families without children.

Shaffer said space that can be developed near the downtown area is available, and builders are talking about creating luxurious, upscale units with lots of glass, fireplaces, and specialized kitchens.

That way, people in fairly remarkable homes can move in and be comfortable, Shaffer said, adding that Amherst neighborhoods are unique, beautiful, and provide a real sense of community to those who live there.

Retirees are increasingly looking to relocate to communities that provide a level of ambience and services that will enhance their lives, he added. And Amherst is a Currier and Ives community.

The history, intellectual stimulation, and atmosphere that draw retirees and tourists are key to the towns branding and economic focus.

We want to be well-known for tourism and should be able to capitalize on it, Maroulis said. The chamber urges people to come to Amherst where you can do a lot in a day.

Prominent town museums are also doing their own marketing. They include the Amherst College Museum of Natural History, the Emily Dickinson Museum, and the National Yiddish Book Center, which have banded together with others in a collaborative effort to promote themselves as a local attraction under the banner of Museums10.

Shaffer says Amherst provides a great environment for businesses such as restaurants, bakeries, retail shops, and bookstores, as the town already has an established clientele, composed of tens of thousands of students and people who work at the colleges, along with the infrastructure to support them.

Something to Celebrate

The sum of Amhersts various parts makes it both a local and regional economic engine, said Shaffer, noting that, while there are many direct benefits to Amherst itself, the impact can be felt across Western Mass.

Amherst has been perceived as an insular community with an internal focus. People forget our regional importance, he said, pointing to UMass Amherst, which is the second-largest employer in Western Mass. UMass is an 800-pound gorilla and is a significant part of the community. We wouldnt have a population of 36,000 without it.

The university pays the town $475,000 to operate its fire and ambulance services along with other payments in lieu of taxes. Its also the summer home for Jehovahs Witnesses. They bring in tens of thousands of people for their sessions, Shaffer said, adding that these visitors frequent the towns business establishments.

Amherst College plays a pivotal economic role and has a strategic partnership agreement with the town. They have gifted us $250,000 over the last two years, Shaffer said. Our partnership with them is deep, strong, and positive.

Hampshire College is the third educational cornerstone, and one of the towns primary goals is to maintain positive relationships with these schools, as they are inextricably linked to economic success.

What comes out of the college is the basis for our economic activity, said Maroulis. Studies that date back to 2006 show that nearly a billion dollars is generated across the region from them.

Since UMass is known as a leader in the field of polymers, engineering, and alternative energy, the town hopes to use that as leverage to attract new businesses to a 60-acre plot of land in North Amherst.

The parcel is composed of farmland owned by the Patterson family, but Shaffer said the town is working to gain control of it and plans to market and develop the site to and for companies who could take advantage of UMass specialty graduates who want to remain in Amherst because of the lifestyle there.

This plot is one of our more significant sites. We have been working on it over the past year, and it is an important opportunity, Shaffer said.

School of Thought

No town is recession-proof, but Maroulis and Shaffer say Amherst comes as close as it gets.

When the recession hit so deeply and quickly, the rest of the country was impacted very fast, said Maroulis. We had stability because classes at the colleges were already in place.

He predicts the town will see the effects of the downturn next year as college endowments are reduced and will see a later recovery as well. We are following a different timeline, he said.

Shaffer agrees. We are not immune to the economic downturn, but we are insulated because of the great stability of our academic institutions, he said.

Although the town has had to make cuts, its public school system has always been a draw, and since we started from a program which was extremely rich, we are not going to cry about the budget, he added.

Amherst also benefits from businesses that spin off from the colleges. Many young students have become entrepreneurs, and Maroulis points to the success of Campuslife.com as an example.

Its a growing business that serves over 60 colleges across the U.S. and Canada and was started here by students who didnt finish college, he said.

UMass has been an incubator for other firms, such as Sun Ethanol, whose name was changed to Qteros. Although the firm, dedicated to producing low-carbon fuel energy from plant and tree waste, has moved from the town, they set a good example of the type of business spawned here and left their mark, said Maroulis. We have seen growth in the university incubator and expect to see more in the future.

If life is a balancing act, Amherst officials see their town as a high-wire attraction. Zones of economic activity include the neighborhoods of Atkins Corner, North Amherst Center, and Cushmans Center, where Cushmans delicatessen serves up music and art as well as food.

There are also businesses in East Amherst Center and open spots ready to be developed along University Drive. All of them are easily accessible to the downtown hub, Maroulis said.

Many telecommuters have moved to Amherst, he added, noting that the urban existence in a small town setting appeals to them. They include Web developers, database developers, and graphic designers who bring their computers to downtown coffee shops and work there.

Another bright spot is the Cinema Complex on the corner of Amity and South Pleasant streets. Its a project that had been been talked about for years, beginning in the late 90s, and was eventually downscaled.

But the result is unique, and consists of a partnership between the nonprofit cinema, which shows foreign and Sundance Festival films, and the attached restaurant, art gallery, jewelry store, coffee shop, Chamber of Commerce office, and more. You cant talk about success without mentioning the importance of this project, said Maroulis. It has helped transform downtown.

The cinema attracts about 2,000 visitors a week who also frequent the shops and eateries. Downtown was a lot different before this was built, he said. It helped set up an anchor and brought in a more-adult crowd.

He explained that, although students have always kept the town vibrant, the new complex is drawing business people and seniors. The nonprofit and shops work in synergy, he said.

Maroulis relocated to Amherst from New York City with his wife and owns a business in town. I like to say Northampton is Manhattan, and we are Brooklyn with a funky vibe. Amherst is a very livable place with a variety of great things to do and a lot of green space.

Thats the color of money, which Shaffer and Maroulis hope will continue to grow in this town with more than 600 businesses and a population rich with citizens of all ages.

They include a year-round population of tourists who flock to the town to visit its eight historic musuems and countless art galleries, dine in its restaurants, and shop in eclectic storefronts. Tourists are also drawn to the classes, galleries, shows, and other offerings at UMass Amherst, Amherst College, and Hampshire College.

Jones Library, which is second only to Boston Public Library in size in the state, is another tourist mainstay that beckons intellectuals who seek out its special collections.

The Emily Dickinson homestead sits about 100 yards from Town Hall, and although it only allows six to eight people to tour it at a time, Tony Maroulis, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, says its one of the towns biggest draws. Add to that the National Yiddish Book Center and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, which sit on land donated by Hampshire College. The two entertained a combined total of 60,000 visitors last year, and visitors to all the museums number more than 100,000 annually.

And theyre only a small part of the picture in Amherst, a town that is quietly making an art form out of quality of life.

Real Estate – Is It Time to Invest?

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Sections Supplements

Passive Activity Rules Bring Benefits of Real-estate Investment into Question

During this economic downturn, we have seen housing prices and mortgage interest rates fall. The stock market keeps falling and setting new lows. The combination of these events may have people looking to get into the real-estate market for investment purposes.

While there are many things to consider when making such an investment, the possible tax benefits should be at the end of the list. Generally, rental real estate generates a tax loss that may or may not be deducted on the individual tax return. There are rules that may disallow or limit the losses from rental activities and limit the tax benefits of such investments.

Passive Activity Rules

The biggest hurdle in deducting rental losses is the passive activity rules. While real estate might be our current focus, its important for us to have an overall understanding of these rules and how they are intended to work. The passive activity rules were set up by Congress in 1986 to curb the abuses of tax shelters aimed at individuals. The Internal Revenue Code generally does not allow the taxpayer to deduct a loss or credit from a passive activity.

If there is passive income during the year, it is allowed to be offset against the passive losses for the year. Any excess passive losses that were not offset by passive income are carried over to the following year. If the passive activity is fully disposed of in a taxable transaction, the passive losses that were carried over are allowed to be deducted in the year of disposition.

Rental activities by their nature are passive activities. Any rental activity, generally, is considered a passive activity. There are six exceptions to this rule:

1. The average period of customer use for such property is seven days or less, as with a rental-car company.

2. The average period of customer use for such property is 30 days or less, and significant personal services are provided by or on behalf of the owner of the property in connection with making the property available for use by customers (e.g. hotels).

3. Extraordinary personal services are provided by or on behalf of the owner of the property in connection with making such property available for use by customers (without regard to the average period of customer use). An example of this exemption might be the rental of crutches from an orthopedic physician practice.

4. The rental of such property is treated as incidental to a non-rental activity of the taxpayer. This includes property held for investment, and the gross rent received is less than 2% of the lesser of the unadjusted basis or the fair market value in the building (rental of land to a logger, for instance).

5. The taxpayer customarily makes the property available during defined business hours for nonexclusive use by various customers, such as with a parking garage.

6. The provision of the property for use in an activity conducted by a partnership, S corporation, or joint venture in which the taxpayer owns an interest is not a rental activity. For example, a lawyer renting an office building to his or her own practice would fall within this exception.

If the taxpayer is involved in any of the activities noted above, the loss from the activities would not be considered passive. Rather, the losses would be deducted and would not have to meet the passive-activity loss limitations.

The IRS provides an exemption for middle-class taxpayers that allows a $25,000 deduction on certain residential rental activities. The taxpayer must actively participate in the rental activity during the tax year. In other words, the taxpayer must make management decisions, such as approving tenants and arranging for repairs, in a bona fide sense. This exemption is reduced by 50% of the amount of adjusted gross income (AGI) over $100,000 and is fully phased out once AGI reaches $150,000.

There are also special rules for taxpayers in the real property business or real-estate professionals. A taxpayer that is determined to be in the real property business may elect to not be subject to the passive activity rules. A taxpayer must materially participate in the rental activity to be in the real property business. For a taxpayer to materially participate in the real property trade or business, he or she must spend more than one-half of his or her time and more than 750 hours of service during the year in the real-estate business. To be considered a real-estate professional, the taxpayer must materially participate (see below) in the real estate activity and not just merely actively participate in it. Real property trade or business is any real property development, redevelopment, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, conversion, rental, operation, management, leasing, or brokerage trade or business.

A passive activity can also be any activity that is a trade or business that the taxpayer does not materially participate in. Material participation occurs when the taxpayer is involved in the operations of the activity on a basis that is regular, continuous, and substantial. Any work that an owner performs for his or her business is generally considered participation. Material participation is determined on a yearly basis.

Once a taxpayer is considered to materially participate in an activity, it does not mean that he or she will continually be considered to materially participate the next year. If the taxpayer materially participates, the loss generated by these activities would not be considered passive, and the taxpayer would be able to deduct the losses without having the passive-loss rules come into play.

Keeping the above in mind, make your real-estate investment decisions based upon the economics of the investment without considering the possible tax benefits. Under the passive-loss rules, those benefits could be a long time in the making.

Sean Wandrei is a tax manager with Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. His technical concentrations are in multi-state taxation as well as real-estate entities; (413) 536-8510.

Banking Institution

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Sections Supplements

For Nearly 60 Years, She’s Been a Steady Influence

Ann Kantianis says much has changed in banking in 58 years, but not her company’s approach to doing business.

Ann Kantianis had just graduated from Chicopee High School in June of 1951 when she took a job at Hampden Bank as a secretary.

The stint was supposed to be brief I told them it was just for the summer and then I was going to move on to something else, she said. But Kantianis never left.

Shes been reporting to work at 19 Harrison Ave. in downtown Springfield ever since, and has no real plans to retire, although she admits that there are some days albeit few of them when the thought does cross her mind.

I love what I do, said the 75-year-old. Thats why Im still here and why I want to keep working.

Kantianiss desk has been replaced and moved at least a few times over the past 58 years, but it is probably no more than 40 feet from where she was first stationed to serve as secretary to George Holderness, then assistant treasurer and corporator at Hampden. Only a few months later, the secretary to then-President Robert McGaw passed away, and Kantianis was moved into that position.

Shes been serving in that capacity ever since, although the title was amended in recent years to administrative assistant. Thats been among the more minor changes to come to banking, Hampden, downtown Springfield, and society in general since.

Indeed, Kantianis, who started at Hampden when Harry Truman was president and the Korean War was ongoing, has seen the emergence of television, the computer, the office tower in downtown Springfield (Tower Square, then Baystate West, was opened in 1967), the bank branch (most banks had one location until the early 70s), and eventually the Internet.

Shes connected to it from the latest PC in a line of computers shes used since the early 90s but wouldnt say which sites she visits.

I remember how we would figure out interest rates by hand in the old days she said, referring to large calculators. I had a typewriter forever, and now I can barely remember how to use one.

Over 58 years, one collects a lot of memories, and Kantianis has more than her share.

She remembers, for example, some of the apparently many idiosyncracies of McGaw, who died in 1961 at age 85 while still serving as Hampdens president. McGaw, it seems, didnt drive or at least he didnt drive to or from work, Kantianis recalled, noting that she thought he had a chauffeur, but saw several different individuals handle that assignment.

McGaw, or Mr. McGaw, as Kantianis remembers he insisted on staff calling him, also sent his dry cleaning to New York City, she recalled, adding that she was too young and too timid to question what seemed like an unusual practice. If the shirts came back and didnt meet her boss expectations, Kantianis had to hustle down to the post office and mail them back.

There are also memories of what Kantianis described as a different, better time (in her opinion) for downtown Springfield. I remember there were so many great stores, restaurants, and movie theaters, she said, lamenting the loss of such landmarks as Forbes & Wallace, Steigers, Johnsons Bookstore, and many others.

And then, there are memories of the only robbery to take place at Hampden over the past 58-plus years. It happened in 1994, when Victor Quillard was president and just a few days from retirement after 21 years at the helm.

Kantianis said she and Quillard were sitting in the lobby talking (his office was being used for a meeting) when they both observed a young man handing a note to a teller, then the teller handing him money and reacting accordingly.

As I remember it, I think I did just about everything wrong in that situation, meaning what they say youre not supposed to do, said Kantianis, adding that she distinctly remembers saying to her boss (who was obviously less formal than McGaw), Victor, go get him.

And Quillard did.

He followed the robber out the door, then onto a PVTA bus, where Quillard told the driver to summon a police officer, and then off the bus after the perpetrator started getting nervous and exited out the back door. Quillard continued following him into Harrison Place, where he was eventually apprehended.

It was quite a scene, said Kantianis, recalling that the rest of her 58 years at the bank have been comparatively quiet, but marked by that seemingly constant change.

One thing that hasnt changed, thankfully, she said, is that banking, at least at Hampdens level, is still a people business.

Ive seen several generations of the same family come in here, she said of her other home since 1951. A lot has changed, but we still do business the same way.

George OBrien

Changes at the Top

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Sections Supplements

Banking Veteran Janes Takes the Reins at NUVO

Dale Janes wanted to return to banking at the community level and in a leadership position, and found that opportunity at NUVO Bank.

Dale Janes has a collection of his old business cards arranged inside a picture frame at his home.

There are more than a dozen in all, arranged clockwise, sort of, starting with his first assignment with Shawmut in 1980 as a credit analyst, and ending with what had been, until last month, his last stint in the banking industry, as regional executive with Sovereign, which ended in 2000.

There is now another card although it has not yet joined the others, and Janes isnt sure it will. It proclaims that he is the new chief executive officer of Springfield-based NUVO Bank, a career choice made, in large part, because of that proliferation of cards Janes collected over a roughly (and often rough) 20-year stretch in banking.

Indeed, that was a time of change, consolidation, turmoil, and lots of business cards for most people in the industry, especially those who, like Janes, were involved in commercial lending. It was a period, ushered in by the last major recession in the late 80s and early 90s, that left Janes frustrated and aggravated enough to leave banking for a job in the Retirement Services division at MassMutual, which he kept for more than eight years.

By 2000, I had become tired, more mentally than physically, of banking, he recalled. For three or four years, all I had been doing was merging, being merged, letting people go, downsizing, and, quite frankly, telling clients things werent going to change when they probably were.

But even before that job at MassMutual was eliminated earlier this year, Janes was thinking about a return to banking with some caveats, however.

He wanted a leadership position (CEO or COO) and a challenge with a community bank, not a regional giant like the ones he worked for years ago. That was what my heart was telling me that I wanted to get back into banking, but at the community level, not at the big-bank level; I had no desire to go to a large bank.

And he told BusinessWest that he talked with the CEO and/or board chairman of just about every institution that fits that category about opportunities that might exist.

One such individual was Don Chase, chairman of the board at NUVO, the small de novo bank that opened its doors in space once occupied by BayBank and other institutions in Tower Square. Chase had a proposition for Janes to become the next helmsman at NUVO and the latter listened and then did some due diligence.

His research informed him that this would be the right job at the right time, so now Janes has another business card for his collection.

In a wide-ranging interview, he said he expects that there will be another wave of consolidation in the local banking sector, one that will lead to the arrival of larger (usually out-of-town) players, and the creation of growth opportunities for smaller community banks, like NUVO.

At some point, there has to be consolidation; someone is going to have to sell out, or someone is going to have to get together with someone else, he said by way of analyzing the local market and the prospects for the foreseeable future. Thats how the cycles work.

Job Interest

Janes admitted that, before he eventually said yes to Chase, he had some doubts about whether to take him up on his offer.

When I first heard of this, I was somewhat skeptical, he recalls. Not because of NUVO specifically, but because this was a quasi-startup it was a year old. I asked myself, is this what I want to do right now?

It was his extended due-diligence period, including several lengthy talks with Chase, but also with countless others he knew within the industry, that enabled him to eventually answer in the affirmative. As I continued to talk with him [Chase], I came to realize that this was what I was looking for an opportunity and a challenge; I really wanted to run my own show, he said. I wanted to stay local; Im committed to this market, and Ive spent most of my life here. I knew that if I could stay in this market, I wanted to do that, and this was an opportunity that would allow me to do that.

Elaborating, he said that what drew him to NUVO where he succeeds Jim Gardner, who, with President Jeff Sattler, opened the bank roughly a year ago was what I heard and what I know.

Regarding the former, from Chase and many others, he heard that NUVO was off to a solid start, the sluggish economy notwithstanding, and that its message about personable banking and a hard focus on commercial lending to small and mid-sized businesses was resonating.

As for what he knows? For starters, he knows that the bank actually caught a break from the delays, resulting mostly from difficulty raising the required capital, to its scheduled opening, which was originally close to a year earlier. Had the bank opened as planned, it would likely now have some troublesome loans on the books, said Janes, adding that, while the middle of a deep recession is not exactly good timing for a new bank, in this case, it was a blessing.

That later opening kept them from extending themselves in the wrong places, he explained. It allowed a lot of things to come out in the economy about banks that was negative, and that helped them.

Meanwhile, Janes says he also knows the local market and its players. Describing the landscape, he said it has great institutions with great people. However, he then continued with a heavily weighted but…

Indeed, some of these institutions are headquartered outside the market, he told BusinessWest, and many of them have changed or are changing their relationships with what would be considered smaller customers.

These are all good banks, but theyve all had problems with the economy, and theyve all had to adjust their balance sheets; they did what I would do if I was in their shoes, he explained. But a portion of their client base gets squeezed.

Were a state-chartered commercial bank, probably the only one in Western Mass. Our focus is on small-to-mid-sized businesses; we want to be the commercial bank for small businesses.

Thus, timing played a significant role in this career decision, said Janes, adding that NUVO stands to gain market share from those banks that, for whatever reason, have to make changes in their relationships with small-business owners.

Theres been some opportunity created for us, he said. We dont need big market share the first couple of years we just need to build some good, solid relationships.

And Janes believes his blend of experience and leadership will help NUVO in that assignment, work that is already very much under way.

The Bottom Line

Summing up his career choice, Janes said the basic task at NUVO is to stay focused, keep things simple, and take care of the customer.

All those things were hard to do back in the late 80s and 90s, when he was merging, getting merged, letting people go, and collecting business cards.

He hopes, and expects, that he wont be adding any more any time soon, because he has want hes wanted for some time now an opportunity, a challenge, and a chance to run his own show.

George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

Ten Phrases that Can — and WIll — Kill Ideas

By EUGENE BERMAN

1 “We tried that before.”

2 “Don’t be ridiculous.”

3 “It costs too much.”

4 “That’s beyond our responsibility.”

5 “It’s too radical a change.”

6 “We don’t have the time.”

7 “We’re too small for it.”

8 “That’s not our problem.”

9 “We’ve never done it before.”

10 “Let’s get back to reality.”

And ten More …

“Why change it; it’s still working.”
“You’re two years ahead of your time.”
“We’re not ready for that.”
“It isn’t in the budget.”
“You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.”
“Let’s form a committee.”
“Top management would never go for it.”
“We did all right without it.”
“Has anyone else ever tried it?”
“It won’t work in our industry.”

Eugene Berman is of counsel with the Springfield-based law firm Bacon Wilson (413) 781-0560.

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

Abdow, Chad Joseph
69 Planation Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/09

Acevedo, Maribel
4 Tacoma St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Acus, Donald Edward
Mayfield, Heidi Ann
7 Ranch Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Adams, Christine A.
69 Hazel St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

Agostini, Michael J.
Agostini, Candice Teresa
321 Wilbraham St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Allain, Richard L.
Allain, Dorothy D.
80 Lamont St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/09

Alves, Cristina
853 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Antigua-Vargas, Felix
Antigua, Maria
P.O. Box 30352
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Auclair, Rosemarie
339 West St.
Hyde Park, MA 02136
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Avigliano, Robyn Jude
110 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Bassett, Chad M.
Bassett, Vanessa L.
215 Narragansett Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

Batchelor, Clifford F.
532 Cottage St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/09

Bazelak, Annette A.
93 Better Way
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Beattie, Jennifer
37 Helen St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Beattie, Peter R.
45 Narragansett Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Beaulieu, Scott Andrew
Beaulieu, Brook T.
a/k/a Nelson, Brook Tiffany
18 Pepper Pidge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Begin, Joseph L.
Begin, Patricia E.
77 May Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Bergman, Daniel Jason
381 North Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Berman, Barbara Ann
179 West St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Billingsley, David R.
Billingsley, Mary D.
15 Brittany Road
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Blackmer, Richard N.
55 Adams St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/09

Blase, Roxann J.
61 Hillcrest St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Bodzioch, Joseph S.
70 Buckingham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Bourdages, Reginald
Bourdages, Tammy M.
519 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/25/09

Bradley, Roy C.
Bradley, Mary R.
94 Mashapaug Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Bressette, Lauren Elizabeth
121 North Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Brodeur, Michelle Hazel
10 Kellogg St. 2nd FL.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Brousseau, Joan A.
1044 Circle Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Cadieux, Pauline May
168 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Caputo, Gregory M.
102 Spadina Parkway
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Cardaropoli, Claudio
4 Clement St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Carrano, Francesco Antonio
71 Hadley St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Christenson, Jessica L.
320 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Connell, Thomas William
Connell, Patricia LeDoux
a/k/a Connell, Patricia M.
110 Circle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Crogan, Jean A.
85 Turkey Hill Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Cunningham, Lindsay Aaron
491 Bridge St., Apt. 4
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Davis, Penelope R.
5 Meadowood Dr.
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/25/09

Demos, Julie Suzanne
641 Springfield St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Denise Flaim Consulting
Flaim, Denise Marie
7 Clark Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Emerson, Rachelle Ann
Cribley, Rachelle Ann
21 River St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Field, Erin M.
33 Appleton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Figueroa, Eliodoro
Figueroa, Joanny
a/k/a Vargas, Joanny
103 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Floyd, Melissa M.
81 Dartmouth St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Fuentes, Celia
114 1/2 Hampden St., 2
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Gainty, Christopher
412 North St.
Williamstown, MA 01267
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Giza, Linda Y.
PO Box 201
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Goodhue, Mark D.
Goodhue, Kelly E.F.
555 Worcester St.
Southbridge, MA 01550
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/09

Gonzalez, Eddie
51 Maryland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Haggett, Steven C.
Haggett, Kathryn T.
a/k/a Reed, Kathryn T.
850 Royalston Road
Phillipston, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/09

Hines, Adrienne D.
84 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Humphrey, Robert
141 West St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Illhardt, Cindy L.
a/k/a Lavigne, Cindy L.
1850 Old Keene Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/09

Integrative & Complementa
Guiel, Robert J.
142 Lincoln St., 2nd FL.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Jimenez, Lydia
310 Stafford St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Kedzierski, Daniel J.
37 Harvard St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Klavenski, Suzann L.
78 George St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/09

Klituscope Pictures
Klitus, Thomas Anthony
7 Clark Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Kolod, Emily J.
100 Elm St. Apt. 3R
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Kroll, Robert J.
Kroll, Shelly D.
682 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

LaFleur, James Leo
34 Cambridge St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Lagace, Lee M.
284 Main St., Apt. 14
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

LeClair, Kathleen H.
a/k/a Lolos, Kathleen Helen
66 Westernview Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Lee, Tammie J.
166 West Housatonic St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/18/09

LIA Realty, LLC
P O Box 2439
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 11
Filing Date: 05/22/09

Lightcap, Tammy L.
a/k/a Norton, Tammy L.
7 Cross St., Apt.#1
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/09

Lindsey LTD. Auto Detailing
Lindsey, Michael E.
Lindsey, Kristy M.
43 Queen Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Linnell, Theodore R.
Linnell, Tammy L.
122 1/2 High St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

MacDonald, Kenneth Paul
210 River Road
Whately, MA 01093
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/09

Maciorowski, Stanley W.
Maciorowski, Gail H.
137 Linseed Road
West Hatfield, MA 01088
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Malossini, Melissa
a/k/a Davis, Melissa
15 Euclid Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/09

McCourt, Phyllis Marie
McCourt, Matthew James
125 School St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/20/09

McGovern, John G.
186 Prospect St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

McMahon, Kevin Michael
McMahon, Shannon Rose
a/k/a Veroneau, Shannon R.
12 Brentwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Millennium Hair Salon
Dominick, Dinita A.
a/k/a Nikonczyk, Dinita A.
a/k/a Bushey, Dinita A.
359 Bookside Circle
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Monska, Justin G.
Monska, Sherry L.
46 Highland Ave.
Northfield, MA 01360
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/25/09

Morrow, Peter J.
McLaughlin-Morrow, Tara M.
56 Westwood Dr.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Moseley, Holly Louise
80 Bowles St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/17/09

Nartowicz, Philip J.
Nartowicz, Christine M.
Fields Nartowicz, Christine M.
312 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Neidzwiecki, Rebecca D.
17 Apache Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

O’Donnell, Maureen Elizabeth
266 Grove St., #21
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Packard, Corey
Packard, Lauren
a/k/a Nelson, Lauren
203 Bechan Road #25
Oakham, MA 01068
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

Page Product Design Inc.
Page, Matthew Edwin
111 Nonotuck St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Pagnoni, Claire F.
379 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Parker, Steven C.
Parker, Deborah A.
2205 Boston Road, Unit I-85
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Perkins, Christopher S.
Perkins, Magaly C.
50 Baldwin Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Perry, Robert W.
Perry, Dianna L.
a/k/a McCormick, Dianna L.
33 Virginia Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Perry, Tina M.
9 Victorian Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Petty, Kelly M.
373 Allen Park Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Powell, Larry T.
63 Estabrook St., #1
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/25/09

Price, Tracy L.
22 Mountain Brook Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

Proudy, Patricia
75 Swamp Road
West Stockbridge, MA 01266
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

R & T Engravers
Rex, Thomas S.
PO Box 664
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/09

Ralph John Auto Sales
Catanese, Ralph J.
Catanese, Virginia S.
814 Daniel Shays Highway
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/09

Raymond, Matthew A.
100 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Red Oak General Contractors
Red Oak Paving
Bellinghausen, Philip G.
610 College Highway
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Rosario, Jose O.
Rosario, Gloria M.
123 Massasoit St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Sabot, Theodore Jay
Sabot, Carol Schiff
23 Walden Lane
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Shaw, Brian P.
Shaw, Christina M.
a/k/a Bell, Christina Marie
10 Dewey Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Smashing China
Cunha, M. Edite
PO Box 149
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/09

Smith, Robert L.
Smith, Holly A.
131 Canterbury Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/22/09

Stetson, Andrew Joseph
23 Phillips St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Sweeney, Paul J.
19 Haywood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Tebo, Ronald J.
Tebo, Sandra L.
864 Cronin Road
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Teele, Gary G.
Teele, Tiana N.
187 Kennebunk St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/22/09

Troiano, Claire Angela
153 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Turner, Willam E.
400 West Housatonic St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/29/09

Underwood, Scott J.
Underwood, Amy M.
7 Laurier Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/26/09

Urban, Thomas E.
Urban, Pamela J.
a/k/a Urban, Pamela Jane
11 Rural Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/21/09

Van Ness, Dawn W.
P.O. Box 1303
East Otis, MA 01029
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Wachta, Bruce Michael
121 North Main St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/28/09

Ware, Maria S.
17 High St., #7
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

Williams, Blaine A.
Williams, Linda L.
39 Pioneer Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/18/09

Williford, Everett E.
Williford, Patricia L.
66 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/20/09

Woods, Jarel Anthony
48 Bardwell St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/19/09

Zwinski, Irene A.
101-A Wilson St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/27/09

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

Baystate Construction Project Moves Forward

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Medical Center’s Hospital of the Future recently passed a major milestone with its successful foray into the municipal bond market, according to Mark R. Tolosky, president and CEO of Baystate Health. Tolosky noted that investors acquired $135 million of Baystate Medical Center bonds in a matter of hours as demand for the financing instruments far exceeded supply. Tolosky added that this major piece of funding helps the project remain on schedule for an expected completion in 2012. Site preparation for the new facility commenced last summer, and now foundation work is underway. The nearly 600,000-square-foot building will include a dedicated, state-of-the-art Heart and Vascular Center, single-bed patient rooms, the latest standards for environmentally responsible building, including recycled materials and a rooftop green space, and $9.6 million in new community benefit initiatives for Springfield related to the project. Tolosky noted that since Baystate Health is a not-for-profit health system, the municipal bonds are in essence approval for a $135 million “mortgage” for the new construction and the largest funding source for the $246 million project. The project is also benefiting from $70 million in new market tax credits, which support construction projects in low-income neighborhoods. Tolosky said Baystate’s building project will stimulate the local economy and bring job opportunities, including 300-plus jobs to area trade workers during construction, and 550 permanent clinical and physician positions when completed. Tolosky said that $40 million in capital funds is still needed for this project, and is expected to come from government sources, philanthropic giving, and Baystate Health capital funds. Additionally, Baystate officials are working with Gov. Deval Patrick’s office and local legislators to identify economic development funds that could also be used for the shovel ready construction project.

STCC Teams Up With AIM To Offer Seminars

SPRINGFIELD — Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) and five state community colleges, including Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), will soon begin offering supervisory, human resource and customer service courses at community colleges throughout the commonwealth. The collaboration brings together public and private entities that will provide valuable training in convenient settings for citizens whose skills and productivity will be a key factor in forging economic recovery in the state, according to Bill Hart, deputy director of the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office. AIM will offer 135 courses during the fall semester at STCC, Quinsigamond Community College, Bristol Community College, Massasoit Community College, and Bunker Hill Community College. The courses will be non-credit seminars offered through each college’s business education center. AIM is calling the initiative the AIM Community College Connection, or AIMc3. AIM will offer courses ranging from The Supervisor and the Law to HR for the Non-HR Manager to Communicating to Make the Sale.

State Business Confidence Off in June

BOSTON — The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index edged off eight-tenths of a point in June to 38.2, ending a run of three consecutive monthly gains from its all-time low of 33.3 in February. The average reading for the second quarter of 2009 was 37.5, up from 34.5 in the first quarter, despite June’s decline, according to Raymond G. Torto, global chief economist at CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc., and chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors. Torto noted that the overall trend is positive, but not strong, and confidence remains low since this was the second lowest quarterly average in the history of the Index, which has now completed 18 years. The AIM Index, based on a 100-point scale with 50 as neutral, was down 10.7 points from June 2008, and 15.9 over two years. The average reading for the second quarter of 2008, when the state’s economy was slipping into recession, was 49.5. June confidence levels were similar in Greater Boston (37.7) and elsewhere in the state (39.0), and did not vary systematically by company size. Manufacturing employers gained confidence for a fourth consecutive month, moving ahead of other employers in June (40.2 – 36.2). The monthly Business Confidence Index is based on a survey of AIM member-companies across the state, asking questions about current and prospective business conditions in the state and nation, as well as for respondents’ own operations.

Consumer Delinquencies Rise Again

WASHINGTON — A record wave of job losses is being cited as a major factor in a record rate of consumer delinquencies in the first quarter of 2009, according to the American Bankers Association (ABA). More than 2 million Americans lost their jobs in the first three months of the year with more than 6 million jobs lost since the recession began, according to James Chessen, ABA’s chief economist. The composite ratio, which tracks delinquencies in eight closed-end installment loan categories, rose to 3.23% of all accounts (seasonally adjusted) compared to 3.22% of all accounts in the previous quarter. The delinquent balances on those accounts also rose from 3.16% to 3.35% of total balances due (not seasonally adjusted). The ABA report defines a delinquency as a late payment that is 30 days or more overdue. Chessen notes the figures are a natural consequence of mounting job losses in a weakening economy. Chessen added the unemployed may be using bank cards to bridge a temporary income gap, especially with less home equity to fall back on as housing prices continue to fall. Reflecting continued weakness in the housing sector, delinquencies for the home equity category also hit record highs – home equity loan delinquencies rose 49 basis points to 3.52% of accounts, and home equity lines of credit delinquencies rose 43 basis points to 1.89% of accounts. For homeowners having trouble paying their mortgage, ABA recommends they consult with www.hopenow.com or call 1-888-995-HOPE. HOPE NOW is a cooperative effort between counselors, investors, and lenders to help homeowners in distress.

Shriners Hospital To Remain Open In City

SPRINGFIELD — All 22 of the Shriners Hospitals for Children will remain open, including Shriners on Carew Street in Springfield, thanks to strong community support and the commitment of the board of trustees of the organization. The future of some of the struggling hospitals, including in Springfield, had been in doubt as officials conducted their annual meeting recently in San Antonio, Texas. Trustees voted to accept insurance reimbursements and possibly sell or lease some excess hospital space in order to keep open all 22 hospitals. Shriners Hospitals for Children provides pediatric specialty care services at no charge. Shriners had considered closing hospitals in this city, as well as in Greenville, S.C.; Spokane, Wash., Shreveport, La., and Erie, Pa. Shriners’ endowment fund, which has seen a decline from $8 billion in 2008 to less than $5 billion today, has saved the hospitals in the past from charging families and insurance companies for care.

Women’s Fund Increases Giving

EASTHAMPTON — The Women’s Fund of Western Mass. increased its giving by 160% this year when it recently distributed $260,000 in “social change” grants to 23 area organizations. Board members of the Fund, which provides support to organizations in the four counties of Western Massachusetts, understood the importance of increasing its charitable giving during a difficult economic time for nonprofits, according to Carla Oleska, executive director of the Fund. Oleska noted that board members had received $1.3 million in requests, and responded by making this large increase to help as many organizations working with women and girls as possible. Many of the beneficiaries received multi-year grants and general operating support. In addition to grant funding, the Women’s Fund teaches the nonprofits how to measure how they are making an impact on deeper social change, not just their day-to-day social services. Now in its 12th year, the Women’s Fund of Western Mass. has given more than $1.3 million in grants that have helped improve the lives of more than 20,000 women and girls. The 2009 grantees fall under the fund’s three focus areas of ‘educational access and success,’ ‘economic justice,’ and ‘safety and freedom from violence.’

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of July 2009.

AGAWAM

Flynn Properties
5 North Westfield St.
$300,000 — Major structural and architectural renovation

AMHERST

EV Realty Trust
24 North Pleasant St.
$71,000 — Remodel mercantile space

Galleria Realty Company, LLC
12 Ladyslipper Lane
$7,800 — New siding

Knight Properties LLC
33 Phillips St.
$2,500 — Repair walls to bring up to code

CHICOPEE

Appleton Property Management
42 Applewood Dr.
$50,000 — Interior renovations

Chicopee Boys & Girls Club
580 Meadow St.
$100,000 — Strip and re-roof

City of Chicopee
687 Front St.
$6,000 — Strip and re-shingle

Ludlow Oil & Tire
1084 Chicopee St.
$14,000 — Strip and re-roof

GREENFIELD

Christopher J. Ethier
76 Hope St.
$3,300 — Remove partitions and install fire escape

Clayton A. Cardin
201 Main St.
$3,000 — Replace flooring in kitchen

DTS Realty Inc.
334 Chapman St.
$12,000 — Re-roof

Franklin County Dial Self Inc.
196 Federal St.
$1,085,000 — Perform a complete interior and exterior renovation with a small addition

Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange
275 High St.
$10,000 — Strip and re-roof

HOLYOKE

Torres Santiago
321-323 High St.
$24,000 — Install three antennas on the roof

United Water
1 Berkshire St.
$37,500 — Remove old shingles and replace with new rubber roof

LUDLOW

Ludlow Funeral Home
432 East St.
$90,000 — Addition

NORTHAMPTON

Adam Quenneville
64 Gothic St.
$82,000 — Strip and shingle roof

Adam Quenneville
23 Atwood Dr.
$3,600 — Strip and shingle roof

Acme Surplus
150 Main St.
$1,550 — Open front stairwell and add turnstile

Pioneer Contractors
195 Main St.
$10,000 — Reinforce existing fire escape and repair masonry at rear of building

Richard Abuza
11 Arnold St.
$2,400 — Blow in insulation into exterior walls

Robert Ardizzoni
106 Damon Road
$8,000 — Install replacement windows and cabinets

SOUTH HADLEY

U.S. Industrial Acquisition
28 Gaylord St. Building #7
$942,000 — Renovation

SOUTHWICK

Crestview
25 Industrial Road
$500,000 — Construction of a new maintenance building

SPRINGFIELD

Flores Development LLC
17 East Hooker St.
$782,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Flores Development LLC
10 Huntington St. Bldg D
$511,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Flores Development LLC
8 Huntington St.
$957,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Flores Development LLC
2752 Main St.
$559,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Flores Development LLC
7 Greenwich St.
$1,177,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Flores Development LLC
2782 Main St.
$1,053,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Flores Development LLC
2772 Main St.
$1,177,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Flores Development LLC
2718 Main St.
$782,000 — Full remodel including roof, windows, stairs, heating, and electrical upgrades

Gulmoher 546 Sumner Corp.
534 Sumner Ave.
$11,000 — Renovate existing beauty salon

Marvin Council
52 Rutledge Ave.
$71,000 — Interior renovations and plumbing updates

Phoenix House
15 Mulberry St.
$12,700 — Frame two office spaces

Wesleyan Church
98 White St.
$14,500 — New roof

WESTFIELD

First Tee, LLC
459 Russell St.
$40,000 — New siding

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

Hannoush Jewelers to Open Flagship Store at Eastfield Mall

SPRINGFIELD — Hannoush Jewelers will open an innovative flagship store at Eastfield Mall this fall, according to Arlene Putnam, the mall’s general manager. The privately owned company is operated by eight Hannoush brothers who opened their first store in 1980 and have grown to more than 70 company-owned and franchised locations throughout the country. Prior to opening their first store, the Hannoush family offered jewelry repairs out of Eastfield Mall. This fall, the 22,000-square-foot flagship store will include a 3,300-square-foot jewelry showroom and a 700-square-foot Pandora store. The location will also house a manufacturing area with a glass wall that will invite shoppers into the world of jewelry craftsmanship where they can view jewelry being repaired and manufactured. The Pandora boutique, which will be located within the store, will offer customers the most extensive selection and variety of 14K gold and silver charms, rings, necklaces, earrings, and more. Additionally, the Hannoush Jewelers corporate offices will move from their current location in West Springfield and be housed within the new flagship store. Hannoush employs more than 600 people across the country, and the new store will bring 60 of those jobs to Springfield. In other mall news, Putnam noted the recent openings of two new merchants, BurgerBaby in the food court and Joli Hair Studio, a full-service salon.

United Bank Opens Chicopee Branch

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Bank’s 16th full-service location recently opened at 445 Montgomery St. in Chicopee. Located next to Exit 5 off the Massachusetts Turnpike, the new Chicopee office will be staffed by personal banker Maureen Buxton, along with an experienced customer-service team. Several grand-opening specials will be offered to celebrate the newest branch, including a free prize drawing for a Red Sox experience. United Bank is headquartered in West Springfield and has been a fixture in the Pioneer Valley since 1826.

Hall of Fame Site Management Transferred

SPRINGFIELD — Appleton Corp., a division of the O’Connell Companies, transferred management of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame complex and adjacent riverfront properties to Colebrook Realty Services in early July. Andrew Crystal, vice president at the O’Connell Companies, noted that representatives of Appleton and O’Connell played a key role in advising the board of trustees of the Springfield Riverfront Development Corp., which owns and operates the site, in soliciting and selecting a property management company to succeed Appleton. Crystal added his firm was “pleased” that the property-management will be transferred from one local company to another, and that it has agreed to stay on in a consulting role through September’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement. Jack Dill, president of Colebrook, added that O’Connell set a “very high standard” for the property development and management of the Hall of Fame complex, and Colebrook intends to honor that standard going forward. O’Connell began planning for the new hall in 1995, and the new facility opened in 2002, with Appleton providing property-management services.

WCA Recognized as Leader, Awards School with Makeover

SOUTHWICK — Whalley Computer Associates (WCA) was recently ranked by VARBusiness magazine as the 250th-largest computer reseller in North America. The ranking places WCA in the top one-third of 1% of the more than 120,000 solution providers throughout North America, according to Paul Whalley, vice president. WCA was one of 18 members of the top 500 solution providers in North America to also receive additional recognition as a best-practice leader. Whalley noted that the firm was presented with the Top Technology Practices Award for Excellence in Storage. In other company news, WCA chose the Clarke School in Northampton as the winner of its Virtual Technology Makeover Contest. The new computer equipment awarded to Clarke will help to increase its capabilities, refine programs to serve more families, and enhance and expand collaboration among its schools and programs in its mission to help deaf and hard-of-hearing children learn to listen and speak. In addition to the grand-prize winner, computer equipment and services were also awarded to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, Town of Easton, IPT, Town of Weymouth, Noble Hospital, Westborough Public Schools, Dudley-Charlton Regional School District, VNA Care Network, Spencer East Brookfield Schools, and CareerPoint. Winners described in 100 words or less why they deserved to be awarded free computer equipment and services.

UMass Grant to Create Life Science Masters Programs

BOSTON — UMass has been awarded a $124,200 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop or adapt existing programs to create up to 10 Life Sciences Professional Science Masters (PSM) degree programs. The programs would span all five of the university’s campuses and combine academic concentrations, industry experience, and practical skills in business and communications. The private funds will be matched by $150,000 from the university and significant in-kind work. The initiative is being developed by a system-wide steering committee led by UMass Lowell Provost Ahmed Abdelal. Under plans being developed by the committee, the UMass PSM degree programs would include traditional face-to-face courses taught by faculty with expertise in the life sciences, and business and communications courses taught by UMass faculty and offered primarily through the internationally recognized UMassOnline, with internships providing a strong connection to the life-sciences industry. As the initiative advances, UMass intends to develop PSM degrees in other areas critical to Massachusetts’ innovation economy.

Pride Opens Market in Springfield’s North End

SPRINGFIELD — Pride recently opened its largest facility — 15,000 square feet — on Route 20 at the intersection of Avocado Street. The state-of-the-art facility can fuel 21 cars or trucks simultaneously. Fresh produce, a deli, specialty products, and sandwiches prepared to order are all part of the new market experience, complemented by a large seating area. A full line of Spanish foods and items that cater to the local area are also offered. Rounding out the offerings is a full Subway and Dunkin Donuts, as well as a large traditional convenience store. In addition, the four-acre lot includes a large diesel fueling facility and a large, full-service, discount package store. With this latest endeavor, Pride hired 60 people to fill newly created hourly and management positions. Founded in 1972, Pride has 23 locations throughout Western Mass.

WNEC Named ‘Great College to Work For’

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England College (WNEC) has received top marks in three categories in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2009 ‘Great Colleges to Work For’ program. The recognition is based on the results of a survey of nearly 41,000 administrators, faculty members, and staff members at colleges and universities nationwide. The program recognizes colleges for specific best practices and policies. WNEC was recognized as a leader among medium-sized institutions in three categories dealing with pay and benefits: vacation and paid time off, disability insurance, and 403(b) or 401(k) policies. For the purposes of the survey, medium-sized institutions are those enrolling between 3,000 and 9,999 students. Results are available at chronicle. com/indepth/academicworkplace.

WSC Offers New Master’s Degree in Social Work

WESTFIELD — The Mass. Department of Higher Education has approved a new master’s degree program at Westfield State College (WSC). Beginning in the fall of 2010, WSC will offer a master of Social Work degree with a concentration in Clinical Practice with Children and Families. The program will prepare students to work in clinical settings with adults, children, and families; for advanced positions in child protective services; for clinical case-management positions in health care and residential settings; and as a school social worker. The college will be hiring faculty and recruiting students over the next year. The degree program is designed to be completed in two years full-time or four years part-time. For more information, call the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education office at (413) 572-8020.

Andrew Associates Wins Two Awards

ENFIELD, Conn. — Andrew Associates was recently presented two awards, the Henry Hoke Sr. Award and the John Howie Wright Cup Award, by the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Assoc. (MFSA) at its annual meeting in Chicago. The Henry Hoke Sr. Award, given for the best single direct-mail piece for a client, recognized the firm’s Brightside for Families and Children’s appeal campaign. Brightside challenged Andrews to create a piece that would stand out in crowded mailboxes and test online giving. The John Howie Wright Cup Award, given for the best campaign of two or more mailings for self-promotion, was awarded to Andrew Associates’ Fresh Genius Campaign. The two-part invitation invited recipients to attend a seminar which showcased Andrew’s technology and marketing services. Andrews Associates is a communication and direct-marketing company, founded in 1985 by Judith Knapp, president.

Hospice Life Care Receives Grant

HOLYOKE — The Hospice Life Care Program of the Holyoke Visiting Nurse Assoc. Inc. has received a Reaching Out grant from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to improve end-of-life care for rural and homeless veterans. Funding will be provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Hospice Life Care and the Soldiers Home of Holyoke will work collaboratively on the project, which will focus on methods to develop a coordinated network of resources that may identify and assist rural and homeless veterans in need of end-of-life care.

Tortus Technologies Launches Oxygen 1.0

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Tortus Technologies recently released Oxygen 1.0, a workflow-management system. Oxygen is the third component of Tortus’ 92Elements Enterprise Resource Planning business solution, a Web-based system used to manage and coordinate all of the resources, information, and functions of a business from one unified database. Other products in Tortus’ 92Elements suite are Hydrogen, a customer relationship management tool; and Mercury, a custom broadcast E-mail marketing solution. Oxygen is a solution for small-to-mid-sized companies and nonprofits, and is designed to be implemented in stages, which allows organizations to purchase and implement technology at a pace and price they can afford.

Imaging Solutions Earns ISO 9001 Certification

LONGMEADOW — All of the laser toner cartridges now remanufactured by Imaging Solutions are in compliance with ISO 9001 standards. Those standards include specific requirements for a quality-management system as well as a demonstrated ability to employ production standards that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. All cartridges are post-tested 100% before they are boxed and labeled with the ISO 9001 seal.

NBA Developmental League Team Unveils Name, Logo, Affiliations

SPRINGFIELD — The NBA Development League’s team in the city is known as the Armor, which pays tribute to the historic Springfield Armory, which has served as a symbol of strength and stability for Western Mass. and the U.S. since George Washington authorized its creation in 1777. Depicting a strong, armored figure holding a basketball, the logo was developed by Springfield-based Six-Point Creative Works. The five colors featured in the primary logo are red, blue, black, silver, and orange. Both the alternate and extracted logos include four of those colors. The team’s identity was determined following the results of a Name the Team poll, which enabled fans to cast a vote for options including Armor, Colonials, Founders, Spirit, or a write-in candidate. With an emphasis on providing affordable family entertainment and NBA-caliber basketball, the Springfield Armor offers season tickets beginning at $91. For more information, call (413) 746-3263 or visit www.armorhoops.com. In other news, the National Basketball Association recently announced that NBA Springfield will be affiliated with the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Jersey Nets during its inaugural season. NBA Springfield will be one of two NBA Development League teams to have three NBA affiliates during the 2009-10 campaign, increasing the chances for NBA players to be assigned to Springfield and take court at the MassMutual Center. NBA teams are allowed to assign players in their first or second NBA season to their NBA D-League affiliate.

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

B & H Foto & Electronics Inc. v. Hallmark Institute of Photography Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods and equipment sold and delivered: $150,866.10
Filed: 6/10/09

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Leader Home Center Inc. v. Charbonneau & Associates
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $8,218.01
Filed: 6/12/09

Lexjet Corporation v. Hallmark Institute of Photography Inc.
Allegation: Monies due on suit for judgment: $67,129.26
Filed: 6/29/09

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Bartholomew Company v. Hilltop Construction Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of judgment: $65,028.44
Filed: 6/12/09

David Matlasz v. Stanley Swierewski, III, M.D.
Allegation: Permanent bladder damage from negligent ureteral burns: $1,172,201.40
Filed: 6/11/09

Francis R. & Marguerite Miles v. The Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House Inc.
Allegation: Personal injury slip and fall: $39,000
Filed: 6/17/09

Hitachi Capital America Corporation v. G.W. Transport Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of commercial financing agreement: $57,300.78
Filed: 6/08/09

Max P. Marek, Executor of the estate of Julie Marek v. Louis Durkin, M.D. & Holyoke Medical Center Emcare Inc.
Allegation: Wrongful death following improper diagnosis and treatment for pulmonary embolis: $2,036,000
Filed: 6/11/09

Northcan Investments Inc. v. AAH Corporation and Humberto M. Ventura
Allegation: Breach of commercial lease: $200,000+
Filed: 6/12/09

T.D. Bank, N.A. v. Hawk Liquors & Spirits Inc. and J.E.V.A. Inc.
Allegation: Monies owed on two unpaid and defaulted notes: $149,487.24
Filed: 6/12/09

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Marois Construction Company Inc. v. Frank Pendergast Inc. et al
Allegation: Fraud and breach of contract concerning agreement to provide labor and materials: $140,000
Filed: 7/02/09

Peter Shea v. Tarnow Nursery Inc.
Allegation: Defendant provided defective mulch causing damage to home: $30,000+
Filed: 6/29/09

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Marcotte Ford Sales Inc. v. M.D. Autos B.V. a/k/a Inter Leasure Management
Allegation: Vehicle storage claim: $8,950
Filed: 6/12/09

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Premier Supply Group, Inc. v. Kahlenbeck Plumbing & Heating
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,503.31
Filed: 6/30/09

Premier Supply Group Inc. v. Raulston Plumbing & Heating
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,455.87
Filed: 6/30/09

Premier Supply Group Inc. v. Shed Plumbing & Heating Corporation
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $15,358.57
Filed: 6/30/09

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Dorothy Davis v. Wales Lounge
Allegation: Unsecured sign fell on patron’s head causing injury: $7,056.67
Filed: 6/03/09

NE Waste Inc. v. MJR & Sons Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $4,269.20
Filed: 6/17/09

Siok and Son Excavation v. WAL Development, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $18,956
Filed: 5/19/09

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises Inc. v. Huntington Products
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,945.26
Filed: 5/22/09

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Bradco Supply Company v. Elad General Contractors Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,278.91
Filed: 6/26/09

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Templeton Auto Parts
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services: $8,336.47
Filed: 6/29/09

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Cerqueira Construction Company, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of a workers compensation policy: $9,627.68
Filed: 6/29/09

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Poggi Transport v. W & I Construction
Allegation: Non-payment of transportation services: $4,031.44
Filed: 6/09/09

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AGAWAM

HOG Wild Cycles Inc., 32 Worthington Brook Circle, Agawam, MA 01001. Mark Soticheck, same. Sales and service of motorcycles to the general public.

CHICOPEE

D&H Barrel Corp., 295 James St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Debra Nemiro, 48 Ross Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. The purchase and sale of barrels.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Odin Industries Inc., 14 Deer Park Road, PO Box 714, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Joseph A Reale, 31 Lenox Circle, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Import industry supply from China.

HADLEY

Hadley Massage Therapy Inc., 215 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Chun Nu Li, same. Personal service: Massage therapy.

Hampshire Dollar Inc., 367 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Mamta Arora, 13 Regina Dr., Windsor Locks, CT 06096. Dollar store.

HUNTINGTON

Blues to Green Inc., 18 Tucker Road, Huntington, MA 01050. Kristin Neville, same. Non-profit to implement programs to educate the general public with respect to the interdependence of human activity and the natural environment and subsequence effects on coastal communities.

SPRINGFIELD

Advanced Valuation Services Inc., 51 Taylor St., Springfield, MA 01103. Michael McNulty, 924 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Real estate appraisals and consulting.

The Axia Group Inc., 73 Marketplace, Springfield, MA 01103. Michael R. Long, Same. Insurance.

Bada Bings Bar and Pizzeria Inc., 333 East Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105. James Vanhouten, same. Restaurant and bar.

Behavioral Health Workforce Leadership Development Institute Inc., 2594 Main St., Springfield, MA 01107. Maria Ligus, 37 Julia Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. Non-profit for charitable, scientific and educational purposes to promote the welfare of Hampden County, and all of its inhabitants by providing direct health and human services.

Halona Enterprises Inc., 19 Davis St., Springfield, MA 01104. John E. Haley, same. To engage in eCommerce activities.

Jmangine Company, 79 Mayflower Road, Springfield, MA 01118. John W. Mangine, same. Home remodeling and repairs.

Wealth Street Corporation, 1655 Main Street, Suite 201, Springfield, MA 01103. Reinaldo Gonzalez, same. Holding entity.

WESTFIELD

Grindstone Mountain Trucking Inc., 13 Cleveland Ave., Westfield, MA 01085. Erik Loiko, same. Transportation. Cargo in trucks.

International Machine Products Inc., 1294 East Mountain Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Michael P. Dupuis, same. Manufacturing.

By BusinessWest Staff July 20, 2009

Departments

Meyers Brothers Kalicks, P.C. announced that Melissa Brown, Senior Associate, has successfully completed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, and has earned a license to practice as a CPA in Massachusetts. She works in the Audit Department of Meyers Brothers, and has worked in public accounting since 2003.

•••••

Maria Magalhaes, a licensed clinical social worker, has joined the behavioral health staff of the Griswold Behavioral Health Center at Wing Memorial Hospital in Palmer. She provides counseling for children, adolescents, and adults. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

•••••

American International College in Springfield announced the following:
• John Rogers has been named Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness. In his new position, Rogers will coordinate strategic planning for the college as well as campus assessment. He will also oversee the office of Institutional Research. Rogers came to AIC in 1999 as a professor and chair of the Management Department, and was named dean of the School o Business in 2003;
• Gregory Schmutte has been named Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. He joined the faculty in 1979 as a professor of Psychology. He also served as director of Student Development, and was appointed Dean of the School of Psychology and Education in 2002. He was named vice president for Academic Affairs in 2006; and
• Brian O’Shaugnessey has been promoted to Associate Dean of Students. He has served as director of Residence Life at AIC since 1997.

•••••

James J. Tierney has been named to the Board of Trustees for the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke. Tierney is a Sales Executive for the James J. Dowd Insurance Agency. He is a 38-year member of the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing, where he now serves as a master sergeant. Tierney was appointed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick for a one-year term.

•••••

The Insurance Center of New England announced that Alaine R. Brazier has joined the company in West Springfield as a Personal Account Manager in the personal-lines division.

•••••

MassMutual announced the following:
• Jason Carlough has joined the company as Managing Director for the Metro New York City region; and
• Dan Kretz has joined the company as Director of Sales and Business Development for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

•••••

Edward Weagle, a Senior Project Manager with O’Reilly Talbot & Okun Associates of Springfield, has passed the examination for licensure and obtained professional certification as a licensed site professional. He is now licensed by the state Board of Registration of Hazardous Waste Site Cleanup Professionals to oversee and direct the assessment and cleanup of oil and hazardous materials release sites in the state.

•••••

Kevin Neill has been named Director of Physician Group Practices for Holyoke Medical Center and Western Massachusetts Physician Associates. In his new role, he will oversee outpatient-affiliated physician practices, including both primary care and specialty care.

•••••

Dr. Aloysius Davis has been named “Outstanding Psychiatrist of the Year for Clinical Psychiatry” at the recent meeting of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society. He serves as Medical Director of the Behavioral Health Network.

•••••

Jeffrey M. Smith, Vice President of Mortgage Lending at Florence Savings Bank in Northampton, was recently named the 2009 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley Inc. He has served as chairman of the Affiliate Realtor Work Group and the Realtor of the Year Committee.

•••••

Robert Binnall Sr. has been promoted to Sales Manager, Treating, at Suddekor’s North American headquarters in Agawam. In his new position, Binnall will be responsible for managing the sales and production of new and current product lines produced at the Agawam location and its treating facility in East Longmeadow.

•••••

Dr. Robert Kaslovsky, Pediatric Pulmonologist, has joined the Department of Pediatrics at Baystate Children’s Hospital in Springfield, where he is serving as Chief of the Pediatric Pulmonology Division.

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Departments

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AGAWAM

HOG Wild Cycles Inc.32 Worthington Brook Circle, Agawam, MA 01001. Mark Soticheck, same. Sales and service of motorcycles to the general public.

CHICOPEE

D&H Barrel Corp., 295 James St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Debra Nemiro, 48 Ross Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. The purchase and sale of barrels.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Odin Industries Inc., 14 Deer Park Road, PO Box 714, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Joseph A Reale, 31 Lenox Circle, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Import industry supply from China.

HADLEY

Hadley Massage Therapy Inc., 215 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Chun Nu Li, same. Personal service: Massage therapy.

Hampshire Dollar Inc., 367 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Mamta Arora, 13 Regina Dr., Windsor Locks, CT 06096. Dollar store.

HUNTINGTON

SPRINGFIELD

Advanced Valuation Services Inc., 51 Taylor St., Springfield, MA 01103. Michael McNulty, 924 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Real estate appraisals and consulting.

The Axia Group Inc., 73 Marketplace, Springfield, MA 01103. Michael R. Long, same. Insurance.

Bada Bings Bar and Pizzeria Inc., 333 East Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105. James Vanhouten, same. Restaurant and bar.

Gaw High-speed Internet Inc., 75 Marketplace, Suite 400, Springfield, MA 01103. Josh Garza, 136 Hillcrest Terrace, Brattleboro, VT 05301.Wireless Internet service provider.

Halona Enterprises Inc., 19 Davis St., Springfield, MA 01104. John E. Haley, same. To engage in eCommerce activities.

Jmangine Company, 79 Mayflower Road, Springfield, MA 01118. John W. Mangine, same. Home remodeling and repairs.

Wealth Street Corporation, 1655 Main Street, Suite 201, Springfield, MA 01103. Reinaldo Gonzalez, same. Holding entity.

WESTFIELD

Grindstone Mountain Trucking Inc., 13 Cleveland Ave., Westfield, MA 01085. Erik Loiko, same. Transportation. Cargo in trucks.

International Machine Products Inc., 1294 East Mountain Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Michael P. Dupuis, same. Manufacturing.

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of June 2009.

AMHERST

Little Sprout Family Daycare
180 East Leverett Road
David Dali

Options for Adults with Autism
39 Autumn Lane
Naomi Dratfield

Womens Movement
41 Southpoint Dr.
Pamela Dutta

CHICOPEE

Gideon
290 Schoolhouse Road
Pavel Arbuzov

Hall of Fame Barber Shop
734 Chicopee St.
Pedro Bocachica

WV Cleaning Services
449 Montcalm St.
Wellington Corradi

EASTHAMPTON

Babylon International Co.
35 Holly Circle
Allison B. S. Ni

Fran the Handy Man
342 Main St.
Francis P. Plourd

GREENFIELD

Glamorous
114 Wells St.
Ryan Kus

Urban Transit & Logistics
258 Chapman St.
Jennifer Perrault

HADLEY

Megan’s Valley Garden & Landscape
8 Mill Valley Road
Brenda Fyden Kevez

Viking Ventures
100 Venture Way
Bruce Hefflon

HOLYOKE

Archie’s Mini Mart
81 North Bridge St.
Hector Archilla

Evelyn’s Market
399 Main St.
Diego Sanchez

Holyoke Beauty Supply
331 High St.
Musa Dukuray

Ron’s Auto Care
150 Suffolk St.
Ron Poirier

Studio 211
4 Open Square Way
Elizabeth J. Korostynski

Tony’s Shop
451 High St.
Jose Baez

LUDLOW

City Waste
437 East St.
Julia Lalbert

Mr. Home
74 Aslak Dr.
Bill Sweeney

Trademark Custom Installations
29 Barrett St.
Timothy Muir

NORTHAMPTON

Disney Family Fun Group
244 Main St.
Buena Vista Maganinos Inc.

Lia Toyota
280 King St.
LTL Automotive LLC

Patricia Jalette Counseling & Neurotherapy
53 Center St.
Patricia Jalette

Wayside Auto Body Inc.
376 Easthampton Road
Frank N. Fornier III

PALMER

China House Restaurant
1240 Park St.
Alby Ngan

Complete Truck & Auto Repair
543 Wilbraham Road
Robert Larose

Northern Construction Services
1516 Park St.
John Divito

SOUTH HADLEY

Helping Hands
7 Hadley St.
Karen L. Bernard

Liberty Airport Service
103 Main St.
Ivonne Rivera-Mora

Perg Insurance and Investment
17 College St.
John Gauthier

Western Mass Solar
98 Lyman St.
Landry Property

SPRINGFIELD

Kultura Borikua
92 Melha Ave.
Jose Borges

Ladies First
1366 Allen St.
Quincy E. Cook

Laura Ann Quilla
49 Dutchess St.
Laura Ann Quilla

Leannie’s Variety
2291 Main St.
Maria Bonilla

Main Street Mini Market
93 Main St.
Jessica Quinones

Master Star Design Com
87 Manhattan St.
Edgar Wilcox

Meko Tran
35 Larkspur St.
Monday Adenomon

Mr. Wireless
737 Liberty St.
Gilberto Banchs Sr.

Namco, LLC
1500 Boston Road
Anabela Cruz

Oakley Residential Appraisal
36 Marengo Park
Gary E. Oakley

One Stop Discount Liquor
494 Central St.
HTMD Inc.

Pridemore Affiliates
340 Cooley St.
Edith I. Savoy

Pryme & Shyne
17 Sherbrooke St.
Patricia Ann Depeau

Purdy
670 Boston Road
Louis E. Stelato

R & L Express Courier
152 Lebanon St.
Rodney E. Ball

Ray’s Truck Sales
143 Parker St.
Anita Bednarz

Reynoso Construction
92 Grenada Terrace
Florencio Reynoso

South End Package Store
32 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Faiza Atif

Spring Valley Mart
612 Carew St.
Masood Ghani

State Line Snacks
54 Hampden St.
Thomas Joseph Fortier

Stepping Out in Heels
137 King St.
Leslie Nembhard

The Garden Doctor
28 Parker St.
Randolph Conway Bray

The Lioness Group
396 Canon Circle
Natasha Zena Clark

Williams Home Improvement
71 Green St.
William Aponte

WESTFIELD

Celtic Masonary
39 Hopkins Road
Paul McGuinness

Morin Home Improvement
98 Old Farm Road
Christopher Morin

Penske Truck Leasing
323 Lockhouse Road
John Hoyt

Signature Landscaping, LLC
7 Crown St.
John McVeigh

The Home Depot
1111 Southampton Road
Steven Taplits

Therapeutic Massage Center of Westfield
24 School St.
Therese C. Hentnick

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Ben’s & Viktor’s Tile Work
44 Riverdale St.
Shokov Veniamin

Borgatti Auto Sales
68 Baldwin St.
Vincent Borgatti

Class A. Graphics Inc.
380 Union St.
Kenneth DaSilva

Express 1 New England
632 Westfield St.
Todd Tibodeau

Omega Cleaners
1238 Riverdale St.
Joo B. Lee

Tournament Squad
358 Park St.
Heather Lynch

Helping Hand

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

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Back to the Future: Life After the Control Board

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

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Springfield doesnt look a whole lot different today than it did a week or so ago. Same skyline. Same riverfront. Same Basketball Hall of Fame.

But in one big respect, this is a very different city. The Finance Control Board that managed things for the better part of five years is gone. It wrapped up its work on June 30, and at the stroke of midnight that evening, Springfield was once again governing itself.

The sky hasnt fallen in the past six days, although some people thought it might at least in a figurative sense. Indeed, there has been a good deal of fear and anxiety about how, without the control board, Springfield will quickly return to the dire fiscal and emotional straits that forced the state to come in and take the helm.

And there is reason for that fear and anxiety. The control board succeeded in turning things around because it made the hard decisions that were put off for so long. It based its actions on what was best for Springfield for the long term, not what was deemed prudent for the short term and the future of certain elected officials.

With the control board gone, will politics and doing whats expedient or popular again rule the day? Maybe, but we think not.

Wed prefer to think that guiding policies and principles have been put in place that will keep Springfield from sliding backwards, and that the corner has in fact been turned. Time will tell, but for now, a little optimism mingled with realism cant hurt.

But Springfield certainly cant act as if things are on autopilot, because they are not. Everyone must remain alert and keep their foot on the gas, especially with regard to the broad matter of economic development.

Indeed, while the control board did, by most all accounts, an outstanding job of returning the city to sound financial footing, the best that can be said for economic development is that some track has been laid for future progress. That track comes mostly via the Urban Land Institute report and its priorities for development such as the citys South End, the old federal building, Court Square, and others. There are stated priorities but, thus far, little progress.

And thats not surprising, because while no one would dare say that it was easy to bring Springfield from a $41 million deficit to a $60 million surplus in less than five years, that assignment will eventually prove to be much easier than bringing large sums of new jobs to the city and gaining the full attention of the development community.

To match the success achieved in city finances on the economic-development front, officials must practice what they learned from watching the control board, especially that part about making, not shying away from, those hard decisions, and doing whats right for the long haul, not what is easiest or most politically advantageous.

Make no mistake, Springfield has come a long way in five years, further than many thought possible. But there is still a long way to go and much difficult work still on the to-do list. Progress can be achieved not by trying to forget that Springfield ever had a control board, but by remembering why it needed one and also why the board was able to help the city turn the corner.

We hope those lessons are never lost.

OPINION

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

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Now more than ever, American businesses are trying to get the tools to make informed health care purchasing decisions in order to compete, both locally and globally.

Recently, the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executives whose businesses provide health care for more than 35 million Americans, released its first annual Healthcare Value Comparability study, which shows that the performance of the American health care system has placed U.S. companies at a significant disadvantage compared to their global competitors.

The report shows that American employers and workers receive 23% less health care value than that of the average of Japan, Canada, France, Britain, and Germany; and 46% less value than the average of emerging countries India, China, and Brazil. Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg concluded from the study that what is needed is to put consumers in control and use market forces to lower cost, improve quality, and expand access.

Whether or not one is of the mind that market forces alone will bring about these changes, it is undeniable that, in order for consumers to have control, they need access to good health care information.

Value, defined as quality divided by cost, is steadily gaining ground as a driver of health care purchasing decisions. But it is a bumpy road, and a long one at that. One of the biggest barriers to value-based purchasing is the problem of limited access to good information. This is changing in part thanks to a few notable, if imperfect, Web sites reporting cost and quality information.

Lets look at cost first. In 2008, health care spending accounted for 17% of the U.S. gross domestic product, compared to about 10% of the GDPs of Canada, France, Germany, and Switzerland. Hospital care, which accounts for roughly one-third of all health care costs, is a major consideration for anyone looking at overall cost, and is a main focus of currently available information. Because actual costs are nearly impossible for most hospitals to track, payments made by insurers are used as a surrogate for costs.

On the federally sponsored Hospital Compare Web site (hospitalcompare.hhs.gov), average Medicare payments to hospitals for certain major conditions are reported. For example, one can find payments for heart failure, pneumonia, or heart attack on the site. Another site, mass.gov/myhealthcareoptions, rates Massachusetts hospitals on a cost scale using a one- to four-star rating. Both of these sites are designed for consumers, and, while both are somewhat clunky to use, they are improving.

What about health care quality? Typically, quality means either how care is delivered (for example, was the right antibiotic given for a patient with pneumonia? Did a patient receive medications to prevent blood clots after surgery?) or the outcome of the care (for example, did the patient with pneumonia return to work within two weeks?). A separate but related issue is that of patient satisfaction (did doctors treat you with courtesy and respect? Was the room quiet at night?).

Both sites provide information on quality of care, both the how and the what, including in-hospital mortality rates. Both sites also provide patient-satisfaction results. (The mass.gov site derives its information from Hospital Compare and a survey conducted by the Leapfrog Group, a coalition of major U.S. employers seeking better health care quality.)

The sites are limited in that the information is one to two years old (necessary to the vetting process), and, while spanning several major conditions, less-common ones are omitted. A new Web site, the Commonwealth Funds whynotthebest.org, takes Hospital Compare data and presents it using some of the Webs latest technology to make it more accessible, but otherwise provides nothing new.

Are consumers employers and patients accessing these sites and making health care decisions based on them? Studies show that only a small number well below 10% use information from the Web to make health care decisions. Will this increase in time? Will the data they access improve over time? Yes and yes. But this will not happen overnight. Data must be scrutinized by those using them, just like car or appliance data are scrutinized by Consumer Reports.

Looking ahead, how should employers position themselves in the search for the health care provider with the highest quality, best patient satisfaction, and lowest cost? First, they should be attuned to the information available, and insist that it be meaningful and rigorously derived (much health information on the Web is not).

Second, they must have a seat at the policy-making table, so they can be engaged in how the information is generated and disseminated. Finally, employers should exercise their collective clout with health plans and providers to drive high-value health care for all. v

Dr. Winthrop F. Whitcomb is vice president of Quality Improvement for the Sisters of Providence Health System, and assistant professor of Medicine at UMass Medical School.

Youth Is Served

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

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Celebrating Young Talent

An overflow crowd of more than 450 people gathered at the Basketball Hall of Fame on June 18 to celebrate BusinessWests 40 Under Forty Class of 2009. The third edition of the gala featured fine food, musical offerings, a few quick speeches, thank-yous to judges and sponsors, and the always-raucous introductions of the chosen 40, as seen at right.

Representatives of event sponsor Hampden Bank, Rick DeBonis, left, senior vice president and director of marketing; and Glenn Welch, executive vice president.

From left, Laura Qualliotine; 40 Under Forty winners Dena Calvanese and Michelle Sade; Sades mother, Brenda Galvin; and 40 Under Forty winner Kristi Reale, right, with her husband, Joseph Reale.

40 Under Forty winner Amy Royal, second from left, and her husband, Richard LePage, left, chat with 40 Under Forty winner Michael Ravosa and his wife, Theresa.

40 Under Forty winner Brandon Braxton, center, and his wife, A. Rima Dael (a former winner), chat with fellow winners Kate Ciriello (second from left) and Todd Demers, and their spouses, Mark and Tessa.

Singer Keir White belts out one of the songs he performed before the large, appreciative audience.

Three members of the Class of 2009, from left, Chris Thompson, Joshua Pendrick, and Andrew Jensen.

40 Under Forty winner Greg Schmidt and his wife, Nora.

40 Under Forty winner Marco Alvan, center, and friends Tim Dias, left, and Jesse Camp.

Electronic Data Liability Coverage

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

There has been a lot of discussion recently about new federal privacy laws and how businesses must make sure their customer data is secure. It may not be something you often think about, but it is very easy for that data to be compromised.

Here are some common occurrences:

A person is robbed in a parking garage and loses his laptop computer;

Hackers unleash a virus that infiltrates the computer network of a large retail store chain. The virus compromises a customer database;

An unhappy employee takes customer records home with him and begins applying for credit under customers names.

These things can and do happen. They are a technological and public-relations nightmare for the businesses involved. They will also likely turn into lawsuits against the firms for mishandling customer information. Without financial protection against these types of events, a business could go bankrupt. These situations raise insurance concerns that were virtually unheard of 10 years ago.

How can you be protected?

The use of sophisticated computer networks for storing data has caused the insurance industry to develop products to cover businesses against liability for lost customer information. One product is the electronic data liability policy. Its purpose is to pay for a firms defense when customers sue for allegedly failing to safeguard their information, and to pay any resulting settlements or judgments against the firm.

The policy covers the firms liability for loss of electronic data caused by an electronic data incident. That could be an accident, a negligent act, error or omission, or a series of these. Some examples of the types of incidents this policy might cover are:

A virus that enables hackers to access the customer database;

During a power blackout, looters break into an office and take employees computers;

An employee leaves customer files in the open on her desk at night, allowing cleaning staff to obtain bank-account information and Social Security numbers.

What Is Covered?

Coverage applies on a claims made basis. This means the policy will cover incidents that occurred on or after a specific date stated in the policy and reported to the insurance company during the policy period. For example, assume that a policy has a term of Jan. 1, 2008 to Jan. 1, 2009, and it lists Jan. 1, 2005 as its retroactive date. On Sept. 30, 2008, the firm finds out that hackers broke into its systems in the summer of 2006. It reports the incident to the insurance company that day. The policy would cover this claim because it occurred after the retroactive date. This would not be true if the break-in happened in 2004, before the retroactive date.

To keep the policys cost down, it does not cover several types of losses. For example, it doesnt cover losses caused by theft or unauthorized use of electronic data by past or present employees, temporary workers, or volunteers. The policy will not provide coverage for the acts of the previously mentioned disgruntled employee. It also does not cover losses arising out of a firms providing computer products or services. These include, among other things, installing or repairing computer equipment and software, storing data for others, providing Internet services, and providing communications services to others. It also does not cover acts such as alleged copyright or trademark infringements.

While the policy covers claims reported during the policy period, it has a special provision to give additional time for reporting. The insurance company will treat claims reported within 30 days after the policy expires as if the policyholder reported them while the policy was in force. For an additional premium, the company may extend the reporting deadline to three years after the policy expires. However, this additional premium can be up to 100% of the original premium.

High-speed computer networks have given todays business owners opportunities they have never had before. However, these opportunities have come at the cost of higher risks with potentially large consequences. Any firm doing business over the Internet or private networks should discuss electronic data liability coverage with an insurance agent. n

John E. Dowd Jr. is a fourth-generation principal of the Dowd Agencies, a full-service agency, with four offices in Western Mass., providing commercial, personal, and employee benefits; (413) 538-7444

Solid Coverage

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

Click here

Management

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

Why and When to Think About Hiring a Business Consultant

When does it make sense to hire a consultant? How could you possibly justify such a move, especially when times are tough?

Think about the total amount of money your business is spending each month. All of that money is being invested in one or more of the following:

Maintaining the status quo, even the wasteful and ineffective elements;

Improving how you do things; and

Identifying and developing new opportunities.

If you are not comfortable with the distribution of your investments across these categories, the long-term value of the status quo, the speed and quality of your improvements, and the potential of your pursuits, then how can you afford to keep doing what you are doing?

And if you are comfortable, wouldnt you rather be thrilled? Thats why a consultant may be the best investment you could make now or any time.

Specifically, what can a consultant bring to the table?

An outside perspective able to see things that are tough to discern from inside. When you are caught up in the daily grind, it is hard to step back and see your company objectively and clearly. A consultant will bring a different perspective, which may change your thinking or provide the confirmation you need to confidently take important steps.

Honest feedback and tough questions that challenge assumptions. Few owners and executives can get truly honest feedback from those who work for them. Furthermore, employees at all levels are often unwilling to challenge sacred cows, core beliefs, and long-standing habits. A good consultant wont shy away from critical issues and behaviors.

Best practices and new techniques to help you achieve better results faster. A good consultant brings a full toolkit of methods, models, tools, and techniques to shift perspectives, leverage talent, improve analysis, identify opportunities, extract ideas, build skills, elevate thinking, and more. Furthermore, a good consultant selects and adapts those tools to fit your circumstances.

An objective voice that can communicate above the bias and baggage. Bias and baggage are common and often impede communication and commitment. A trusted third party can elevate the conversation by finding common ground and can also help pinpoint and address beliefs and behaviors that are the root cause of the difficulties.

The ability to defuse emotion around sensitive topics so real communication can occur. Sensitive topics and employee fears can make it extremely difficult to elicit opinions and ideas, to openly discuss objectives and risks, and to generate creative responses to challenges. A good consultant can defuse the situation and open up the channels of communication.

Techniques that level the playing field so all employees can contribute effectively. Even in well-functioning companies, the group dynamic tends to be controlled by the most powerful players whether the power stems from authority or personality. A good consultant can level the playing field and change the dynamic. Those rarely heard acquire a voice, and those disinclined to listen finally listen. The result is greater understanding, collaboration, and commitment to high-quality decisions in less time.

Diagnostic capabilities to separate what you want from what you need. Owners and executives dont always know what they and their company need. The diagnostic capabilities of a good consultant can eliminate unfruitful initiatives before they get off the ground.

An eye for the process while you concentrate on the content. It is hard enough to debate tough issues without also worrying about the clock, whether all are contributing, and how you will ever get to the bottom of the issue at hand. A good consultant takes on responsibility for the process, leaving you and your employees to focus on the issues.

The expertise to help you determine what will and what wont work well in your company. It is one thing to know what you would like to accomplish and another to know how to make it work for your company. A good consultant brings a wealth of experience in managing people, processes, and change that can be adapted to your situation.

Timely pushback to prevent unintended consequences. As excitement builds around an initiative, the consultant often serves to slow things down at just the right time. Too often, people leap to solutions or hatch plans without first assessing potential risks. A good consultant pushes back to prevent premature, half-baked plans.

In addition to the above, the simple presence of a consultant can be valuable by reflecting your commitment to improving results. There is nothing like putting your money where your mouth is and hiring a consultant to convince people that you are serious and determined to get results. It is like shining a bright light on your objectives and down the path to action. Furthermore, people working with a consultant start trying to see things through the consultants eyes, and that tends to improve their vision.

In short, a consultant can help you set reasonably ambitious goals and achieve them faster than by yourself. Is a consultant always a good idea? No, not if you are happy with the results you are getting, confident in your ability to improve those results, or unwilling to change!

Ann Latham, president of Uncommon Clarity, is a consultant, speaker, and author of Clear Thoughts Pragmatic Gems of Better Business Thinking;www.uncommonclarity.com; (413) 527-3737.

Capital Ideas

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

The concept of the angel investor group is taking hold across the country, with maybe 200 of these organizations now in existence. Its still a fairly recent phenomenon in Western Mass., but a group called River Valley Investors (RVI) is rapidly making the term part of the local lexicon. Like other angel groups, RVI works to put entrepreneurs with ideas and early-stage companies in front of investors looking to put capital to work. By doing so, the group is contributing to economic-development efforts in the 413 area code.

Boring, but profitable.

Thats the phrase Paul Silva used on several occasions to describe the kinds of business ventures preferred by River Valley Investors, an angel investing group this regions first and now one of a few hundred across the country that is somewhat quietly making a positive impact on this area and its economic-development activities.

Thats a vastly overlooked sector, joked Silva as he explained what boring but profitable is, or, to be more precise, what it isnt. Generally speaking, its not high-tech, or what he called software and silicon, a realm once preferred by many angel groups and venture capitalists.

Instead, its more-conservative types of businesses, ones that are usually mature, or at least early stage, said Silva, manager of RVI, a serial entrepreneur in his own right, and self-described conductor of the orchestra that now includes three dozen investors. The common denominator is generally lower risk, he continued. Were more Yankee than Bostonians.

The terminology certainly applies to a venture called Pet Angel World Services, or PAWS, a company that provides veterinarians and clients with a complete range of pet death-care services that became part of the RVI portfolio earlier this year, said Silva, and also to Oxford Performance Materials, which provides everything from polymers for long-term human medical implant devices to critical components for the semiconductor manufacturing process to fuel cell components for the space shuttle. And it would apply to iiProperty, which provides Web-based real-estate property-management software for small and medium-sized landlords.

But it definitely wouldnt capture the essence of dexrex, an Amherst-based startup venture that provides data-management services for instant messaging and mobile text-messaging services, said Silva, who, in explaining this addition to the portfolio, said simply, there are exceptions to the rule.

The financing provided to dexrex is an example of how RVI, founded in 2003, is contributing to economic-development efforts in the region, said Silva, noting that it is unlikely that the unique company, formed by partners and UMass graduates Derrick Lyman and Richard Tortora, would have come as far, and as quickly, as it has without the groups support. And while there is a good chance the company may soon leave this market for Cambridge, RVI has played a lead role in keeping it in this area code and creating several jobs in the process for the past two years.

Overall, RVI, which makes investments averaging $250,000 to $500,000, but has made deals for more than $1 million, is closing what Silva and others have called a capital gap in the region, and it has done so by providing economies of scale when it comes to linking entrepreneurs with badly needed funding. Through regular monthly meetings staged at the PeoplesBank Building in Holyoke, the group is exposing its members to a number of potential investment opportunities most in that boring, but profitable category. Meanwhile, it is also giving entrepreneurs a chance to tell their stories in an effective way and in a target-rich environment.

Thus far, the track record is solid, with two ventures recently selling and providing returns of 30% and 24%, respectively. That batting average wont hold up, said Silva, noting that, traditionally, more angel investments lose money than make money, but the group envisions a winning record through sound, well-researched, and well-thought-out decisions.

Looking forward, Silva said RVI is looking to become more of a force in this region as it adds both investors and companies logos to the portfolio.

In this issue, BusinessWest takes an indepth look at the concept of the investor group, and how this one in particular is contributing to progress in the Pioneer Valley and well beyond.

Winging It

As he talked about RVI and its investors, Silva used the collective we early and often.

When talking about the preponderance of advanced manufacturing companies in the portfolio, he said, we like things. Referring to one such company, Optical Alchemy, which creates high-performance, lightweight sensors for the unmanned aerial vehicle market and was added to the portfolio in 2005, he said, we like widgets. And when discussing iiProperty, added in 2007, he opined, we like it because we understand the pain of real estate.

But in reality, decisions are not really made as a group, but rather by individual investors within it, who are presented with opportunities at those regular monthly meetings and then decide themselves whether a venture is worthy of their time and capital.

RVI is essentially bringing a higher level of organization to the business of angel investing, said Silva, adding that its existence represents a nationwide trend toward the angel group model.

RVIs nucleus is a core group of initial members, including business leaders such as John Davis, Bill Lyons, Glenn Hanson, Joe Cambi, Joseph Steig, Paul Gelinas, and others, who had been and still are involved in various aspects of economic development in the region, Silva said. Theyre entrepreneurs and successful businessmen and women themselves, and they know what its like to build things.

They said, weve been hearing about this angel-group thing, and wondered if they should try it in Springfield, he continued. At that time, there was just a smattering of angel groups in the country, maybe a few dozen, but they were growing in popularity because there was a clear need and the concept made a good deal of sense.

This need had arisen from a change in focus among most venture-capital groups, Silva explained, noting that VCs that had traditionally funded early-stage companies have essentially moved on, or upstream to larger ventures, leaving that capital gap he mentioned.

Young companies were dying on the vine, he said, and so professional angel groups were able to step into the breach. When the founders saw all the success that groups had in other parts of the country, they said, why not Springfield?

There are now seven angel groups operating inside Route 128, another in Worcester, and the one in Springfield, said Silva, who came onboard in 2004 and brings a diverse background to his current role.

An entrepreneur, hes started a number of ventures, including a company called All In Play, which produces video games for the blind. Hes also become a student of the angel-group movement, and an astute evaluator of the qualities necessary to qualify an entrepreneur for some of RVIs precious time.

Explaining how the process works, Silva said a large part of his job description involves helping to find deals and screening candidates. There are hundreds of opportunities that come before him, and he chooses only a handful for each monthly meeting.

Entrepreneurs make a 10-minute presentation on their business, and they are then grilled by the angels. We ask the hard questions, said Silva, again using the first-person plural. From there, individual investors will decide amongst themselves whether an opportunity is worthy of some extensive due diligence, he continued, and if that research identifies what would be deemed a solid investment, angels are invited to take part.

The group, and the process it follows, is yielding dividends for the individual entrepreneurs and the region as a whole, said Paul Doherty, another of the founding angel investors and a principal with the Springfield-based law firm Doherty Wallace Pillsbury & Murphy. He told BusinessWest that 15 years ago, when he was chair of the board of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, he recognized, as others did, there was indeed a capital gap in the region, and he helped formulate ways to address it.

One was the creation of MassVentures, a venture-capital group headed by Tripp Peake that succeeded in helping to close that gap. But venture capital groups are traditionally very conservative, said Doherty, and they dont do many too deals.

So attention was then focused on the local angel community, which, until the formation of RVI, was mostly individuals, almost all of them entrepreneurs themselves, who would find and act upon deals themselves. What RVI has done is to add a large, much-needed layer of organization and efficiency to the process, said Doherty, who has taken part in several of the deals that have expanded the groups portfolio.

Its terrific for the entrepreneurs and for the angel investors themselves, he said. People can pick and choose which deals to take part in, and business owners get some valuable experience in presenting their case and making a pitch for capital.

Getting Down to Business

As he talked about the portfolio and how companies get added to it, Silva said it features diversity, some local companies (hed like there to be more), and is dominated by that boring, but profitable quality, with only about 20% of the companies in the broad tech sector, a statistic that reflects the region.

An angel group tends to reflect the industries of the region the group of angels comes from, because you invest in what you know, he said, adding that most all of RVIs members have a deep commitment to Western Mass. and want to help entrepreneurs here, even if it sometimes means settling for a lower return on their investment.

Selecting a few companies in the portfolio as representative of what the group and individual investors are looking for, he mentioned PAWS, now based in Wilbraham. This is a venture that has consolidated several pet death-care service providers, and it really caught the attention of group member Glenn Hanson, who now serves as CEO.

Its a solid company meeting a real need, Silva explained. There is great growth potential there.

Optical Alchemy is another good example of a solid, relatively low-risk investment opportunity that appealed to many members and represents RVIs sweet spot, he said.

They make housings for very fancy cameras that go on unmanned aircraft like predator drones, he explained. They started this five years ago when this industry was just starting to gain some momentum, but they said, this unmanned aerial thing is really going to take off. They developed products that are one-10th the weight and one-fifth the cost of what was on the market; its so dramatically cheaper and lighter that you can make a class of vehicles that you couldnt before.

Oxford Performance Materials, a company that was recently sold, yielding a 24% internal rate of return, is still another example of a low-risk venture. Its an advanced materials company thats not exactly boring but profitable, but its more boring than many angel groups will look at.

They basically found a fancy plastic that Dupont had no use for; they got the rights to it, and then they started making all these great applications for it, said Silva. That 24% return was a little less than we were looking for, but it was a lot better than what the stock market was doing at the time we sold it [last fall]; September changed our perspective on a lot of things.

He told BusinessWest that dexrex is that exception to the rule, adding that it was essentially a startup that falls into the broad category of technology. It was started by Lyman and Tortola in 2005 while they were still students at UMass, and was created to meet what was then an unmet need to help people (and eventually businesses) save and manage their IM and text messages.

The raw startup didnt fit the general RVI description, but it did catch the attention of many investors.

Lyman told BusinessWest there was a good deal of serendipity involved with his company eventually becoming a key addition to RVIs portfolio.

Indeed, he and Tortora were late getting their entry in for an executive-summary competition staged as part of the Entrepreneurship Initiative at UMass, and disqualified. But they showed up anyway, and made an impromptu pitch to Hanson, who happened to be one of the judges for the event. He was impressed enough to help get the partners on the schedule for one of the monthly meetings, and, to put it mildly, they made the most of that opportunity.

The company was first given some seed-stage money by Hanson and others to advance their concept, and it was later awarded some early-stage funding to take the business to the proverbial next level. Both infusions were in the form of equity funding, as nearly all RVIs investments are, and they represent a sizeable stake in the company, maybe 30%, said Lyman, but the assistance has been invaluable in taking the company to where it is today.

As for the future, dexrex may be relocating to Cambridge, where it now has a second office, said Lyman, but it might stay in the Valley if the opportunity presents itself.

Were looking hard at Cambridge, primarily because of the proximity of financial firms and technology firms that we do business with, and also because of the proximity to a number of colleges that we could recruit from, Lyman explained. But nothing is set in stone; most of us really do like Western Mass. Its a good working environment, and it has the five-minute commute instead of the two-hour commute. There are many advantages to doing business from here.

While losing dexrex to Eastern Mass. would be a loss for the region, the bigger story is that RVI helped get the company off the ground, and it helped bring several jobs to the region, said Silva, adding that he hopes, and expects, that this script will be followed with many more companies in the future.

On-the-money Analysis

Summing up his involvement with RVI and his outlook on the need to infuse capital into the regions business community, Doherty said, my heart goes out to entrepreneurs; they make it work, but its definitely not easy.

The regions first angel-investing group is making it somewhat easier, he continued, by closing the capital gap and enabling business owners to state their cases in front of several potential investors at the same time.

Time will tell just how big a force the group can become when it comes to creating and retaining jobs, but its impact is already being felt, and in a number of ways.

Essentially, it is connecting entrepreneurs with angel investors, and the results have been heavenly, thanks in large part to that focus on boring, but profitable.

George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]

For more information on Rivervalley investors:www.rivervalleyinvestors.comAngel Catalyst:www.angelcatalyst.com

Showand Tell

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

The Economic Development Council of Western Mass., working in conjunction with area young professionals societies and something called the Senior HR Roundtable, has developed a DVD called Its Your Move to show young people with career options why they should make the Pioneer Valley one of those options. The DVD is part of a much broader focus on recruitment and retention designed to make the region more competitive now, and especially in the future, when competition for top talent will be only be heightened.

Chris Fedina has made a career out of recruiting talent to the Pioneer Valley.

He started with the local office of the executive search firm J. Morrissey & Co., before moving on to serve MassMutual as director of recruitment and staffing, a position he now holds with another of the regions largest employers: Baystate Health. In that capacity, hes responsible for essentially handling all recruiting other than that of physicians, and that means dozens of positions each month.

Over the years, hes talked almost endlessly about the virtues of Western Mass. from its cultural and sporting attractions to its affordability to its easy commutes and hes been helped in those efforts in recent years by some visual effects via the Internet. But hes always desired more vehicles for showing people the Valley and not merely telling them about it.

And now, Fedina and those who have similar titles on their business cards and name badges have something with which to work.

Its a fast-paced, four-minute DVD called Its Your Move, which was created this spring and is now available to area companies looking to show possible recruits all that the region has to offer. It came about through a partnership between the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., two area young professionals organizations, and the Senior Human Resources Roundtable, which Fedina currently serves as chair.

Weve been talking for some time about the issue of young people, and how to attract and retain them, said Fedina, who noted that members of his group, which includes HR professionals from many larger companies, including Big Y, Peter Pan, and area colleges, have expressed interest in a DVD or similar promotional vehicle for some time now.

Their new product features comments from perhaps a dozen members of the Young Professionals Society of Greater Springfield and the Northampton Area Young Professionals (including several members of BusinessWests 40 Under Forty Class of 2009). There was no script, insisted Fedina and others involved with the project, but those seen on film hit on points that area recruiters have been making for years.

Some of the lines to be heard include: Your American dream is right here, a reference to the regions affordability; I can be a big fish in a little pond; you can add more hours to the day, a nod to the relatively easy commutes in this area; and theres a little bit of something for everybody.

The commentary is interspersed with footage of the region borrowed from a host of sources, from area TV stations to the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the DVD features music from the local rock band Gone by Daylight.

Its Your Move is part of a broader effort focused on work to attract, retain, and develop young talent, said Dan Prestegaard, chair of something called the Talent Development Subcommittee of the EDC, which he now chairs and that represents another component of that larger initiative.

The panel was created to underscore the EDCs commitment or recommitment to the tasks of attracting and retaining young professionals, and to keep attention focused on what has been identified as a key economic-development strategy.

He believes much of the work will be focused on building awareness of the region and its amenities, and addressing some of the misperceptions concerning the Valley and the career opportunities it provides.

Not everyone realizes the opportunities that are here, said Prestegaard, a principal with Agawam-based Financial Partners Inc., a technology provider in the farm-credit industry. We have a good story to tell; we just want to develop some strategies to make sure more people know it.

In this issue, BusinessWest looks at how the EDC, in concert with such groups as the young professionals societies and the HR Rountable, are working to make the region more competitive now and especially in that day, coming soon, when competition for top talent will escalate as companies scramble to replace retiring Baby Boomers and meet new, self-imposed standards for diversity.

Lights, Camera, Action

Its Your Move, which was produced by two local companies, Horgan Associates and New York Sound and Motion Productions, made its debut several weeks ago at a well-attended event at the MassMutual Center. The DVD was played on a few big screens, and a host of officials, including EDC President Allan Blair, talked about how and why it was produced.

Essentially, it was created to help sell the region, said Fedina, who has considerable experience with that assignment and has found that if you can show the region to potential recruits or get them to come here as opposed to just telling them about it on the phone, the sales job becomes that much easier.

People at many companies based here will say that, once you get people to make the trip here, theyll typically fall in love with the area, he explained. We wanted something that would put our best foot forward: what are the benefits of coming here and staying here? And now, they can see and hear it not from HR people, but from young people living and working here.

We really wanted to make sure people understand all that Springfield has to offer, he continued, referring to several different constituencies, including young people who may intern in this area but attend colleges in other regions. Were now losing some of that talent; how do we convince them to stay here? We needed a way to show them all that we have.

A number of cities and regions, including Hartford, now have promotional DVDs, said Fedina, adding that they have become effective recruiting vehicles, especially when backed up with other initiatives, such as the HR Roundtable, which he described as a support network for HR professionals facing the increasingly challenging task of bringing talent to the region and keeping it here.

We talk about whats happening in the Springfield area in terms of staffing and agenda items, and about how we can partner together, he explained. For example, we all are looking to attract people here, but what about trailing spouses and family members? Weve established a network that will share résumés of anyone in those situations, and includes most of the larger employers in the region.

We do a lot of sharing of information and strategic initiatives on matters such as diversity, he continued. We talk about how we can support each other for the common good of Springfield; instead of being in competition with other for talent, which we all are, theres the bigger picture of maintaining the vibrancy of this region.

So the DVD is just part of a renewed focus on recruitment and retention, said Ann Burke, vice president of the EDC, who told BusinessWest that the council is ramping up in this realm because recruitment professionals saw, and continue to see, a need, and informally asked the EDC to help meet it.

We saw that this was something we could do and should do, she explained, adding that area companies have expressed a need for help and the EDC has long understood the importance of workforce development to the general health of the region.

It responded by realigning some of its subcommittees and creating the talent-development panel, said Burke, adding that the group hasnt met formally, but will do so soon and commence work across a broad canvas.

A mission statement for the subcommittee is being developed, said Prestegaard, but its assignment will essentially break down into two main components: first, recruitment devising strategies, like the DVD, to help attract young talent to the region and retention, or shaping methods to will keep that talent in the 413 area code.

The DVD will be a key part of the former, but it will only be one of the ways in which the regions story will be spread, he said, noting that a video alone probably wont be enough to sell someone on the area. But it can be a vehicle for introducing people to the region and whetting their appetites for more information and perhaps a visit.

The video and its many selling points have to be backed up with other efforts that will prompt people to want to come here, and also make it easier to so, he continued, citing, as just one example, current work by the HR Roundtable and others to help find jobs for candidates spouses.

As for retention, strategies for this part of the assignment will also be developed, he said, noting that networking and leadership-development efforts are part of this equation, as well as work to make young professionals aware of the opportunities they have to make a difference in this market, as opposed to a larger metropolitan area.

Blair agreed.

We want to ramp up our leadership-development efforts and really get people engaged, he explained. When theyre engaged, they develop a sense of pride and ownership, and if we can get more people to take ownership stakes, that will help with retention.

All of these efforts will involve collaborations with the young professionals groups, the HR Roundtable, and other components of the EDC, Blair continued. Its going to take a team effort, but weve got a number of players who can contribute.

Rolling the Credits

Summing up the importance of the DVD, Fedina put it this way: as recruiters in this area, we speak the things that you can now see visually.

When I tell someone its a beautiful area and its close to the beaches and the mountains, and that its easy to commute here, the surrounding towns are wonderful, weve got sports downtown, and arts and theater, they say, oh, OK, thats nice, he continued. Now, I can say, take four and a half minutes and look at this video.

That four-plus minutes could eventually lead to someone coming here and staying here for years, decades, or most of a lifetime, he continued, adding that the sum of the video and other component parts of this focus on recruitment and retention will bring many benefits to the region.

Its not just a talent search, he continued, but talent development and a big part of economic development in the region.

George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]

Looking at the Big Picture

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Features

Tourism Is the Driving Force in the Town Made Famous By Norman Rockwell

Michelle Kotek stands outside the historic Red Lion Inn, whose 108 rooms are booked a year out for the chamber’s Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas weekend.

As digital television and flat-panel computer displays take over, what happens to the old tube TVs and monitors? While the potential for landfills to be choked with CRTs is a threat, an industry was created to handle the material responsibly. In this business, its known as cradle-to-cradle recycling.

Its one of those defining moments that, paradoxically, weve come to see on the television.

On June 12 of this year, the rooftop TV antenna became another quaint relic of the 20th century, as Congress mandates the use of digital-only signals. The rationale is one borne of our time, also. By eliminating TV signals from the airwaves, the broadcast spectrum can now be limited to public-safety communications.

While the shift to digital has been more than 10 years in the making, pundits have predicted a tsunami of older cathode-ray tube TVs to hit recycling centers or, worse, find improper disposal in landfills or worse, endangering groundwater and the environment.

CRT has entered the eco-lexicon with PCBs and CFCs as another bad acronym. CRTs are the picture-delivering guts for everything from the mahogany-paneled Magnavox that used to sit on the family-room floor to the pretty purple iMac that just had to be bought the first day it came out. The great picture quality that glass tube gave poses some serious challenges to responsible recycling, however.

Remember when your mother told you not to sit so close to the TV set? Well, Mom was right, to a degree. Those CRTs contain mercury and, on average, 6 to 8 pounds of lead per unit to keep the TVs X-ray emissions from beaming through the glass.

What critics call the Achilles heel of recycling is that the concept is great save material from clogging landfills, keep dangerous matter from contributing to pollution but the practice can only work if you can turn that material into something else. Plastic soda bottles might be the primary component of that fancy new fleece jacket you bought last winter, but CRTs had really been able only to make other CRTs.

So whats a consumer to do? Sure, that new high-definition plasma looks great for Sox games, and the new Dell desktop fits so much better with a flat-panel monitor, but what about that old tube TV in the basement? The options arent many, but luckily they do exist.

Adjusting the Volume

The EPA estimates that somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 million televisions are dormant, in attics or garages, in homes across the nation. Since 2004, the number of TVs entering the waste stream has increased by 14%. They estimate that close to 24 million units were disposed of last year. That adds up to more than 700,000 tons.

On the state and federal levels, restrictions and regulations have made it more difficult to let these outdated devices enter the landfills. But, as the EPA acknowledges, there are still relatively few consistent and convenient outlets for consumers to recycle old TVs.

In an effort to assist recycling at the consumer level, the EPA issued a challenge starting on the first of this year. Called Plug-In to eCycling, the initiative attempts to create manufacturer-based drop-off centers across the nation. Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba all have designated areas where customers can unload their old tube TVs. In some cases, the equipment is passed on to charitable organizations.

Here in Western Mass., most waste-management facilities have the ability to transfer electronic devices to a larger processing facility. You pay a nominal fee and feel better about one less TV in the dump. But then what?

John Shegerian is the co-founder and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International Inc. based in Fresno, Calif. He has been called the King of E-Waste Recycling. We are the number-one electronic-waste-recycling company in the nation, he told BusinessWest, and with good reason. For several years, the Gardner, Mass. outpost of the company has been awarded the contract for all electronic waste recycling in the Commonwealth. The $50 million ERI has six locations across the U.S., and handles other state operations as well as accounts such as Los Angeles.

Shegerians plant in California operates the largest electronic waste shredder in the world, and he said that the plan is to build more like it at his other facilities.

Cradle-to-cradle recycling is what Shegerian calls his operation. We are a zero-landfill facility. So when the stuff comes in through the front door, we have a proprietary bar coding system, and then all of the materials are sold and tracked, he said.

Explaining the process, he said, we bring in the CRT, separate the glass, plastics, and the metals. The glass is crushed in a hermetically sealed environment with a HEPA vacuum system, and the materials are sold to smelters all over the world for repurposing.

Once the CRT is broken down into its constituent glass, metal, and plastic, the materials can be used in a variety of other purposes, not just CRTs, he continued. In the developing areas of China and India, where there is an industrial and technological revolution, their infrastructure is building out hospitals, roads they need these raw materials. The landfills arent choked, and the stuff isnt dumped illegally like it has been in third-world nations.

The industry is a new one, and Shegerian certainly is making the most of his pioneering role in the field. When I started this company five years ago, he said, our first month of business we recycled 10,000 pounds of electronic waste. Last month we recycled about 15 million pounds.

The College Try

Closer to home, John Pepi is known on the UMass Amherst campus as the recycling czar, and with good reason. For the past 13 years, he has seen the volume of electronics coming into his facility reach levels that were at one time hard to imagine.

The college began setting aside computers and other electronics for reuse or recovery around 1991, well before any regulations went into effect.

Around 1999, when the Mass DEP started to enforce heavier regulations on landfills, the state also provided grant money for several regional collection facilities. UMass was tapped to be one of them.

Up to that point we werent really taking electronics from municipalities, said Pepi, but they saw what we were doing and thought it would be useful to have a responsible and capable aggregation center in this western part of the state.

While the grant money only lasted a couple of years, Pepis operation took on the recycling concerns for the region until 2007. The volume just was too much.

We went from our own quantities of 75 or so tons to more than 200 tons of electronics in a year, for a few years, he said. That all came from the private sector or the local communities. What we did in the latter years of the grant, we took it in and absorbed the costs associated with such increases.

After the grant was over, he continued, the arrangement we set up was as a pass-through. We take it here, wed give the best prices around for the disposal of these items. We were able to recycle CRTs for half what the municipalities were charging. Part of that has to do with the fact that municipalities arent usually dealing with consumers bringing in a tractor-trailer load, so they have to charge more for the smaller amounts of consumer waste.

But 200 tons poses a lot of challenges for an infrastructure that had been running at full steam processing half that amount. Pepi said that the concerns for the physical plant of his operations, from trucks and loaders on down to the heavy-duty scales, didnt have the necessary funds to keep up with the wear and tear. There just wasnt any money to be able to replace them, he said.

Pepi said that the business of taking CRTs has become bigger than ever, and his vigilance to separate the good from the bad is all the more necessary. We definitely strive for our contractors, the people who take our CRTs and other hazardous material, to exhibit transparency, he said. You want to make sure that they have all the permits to handle mercury and lead, and that they have the appropriate staff to handle such a volume.

There are vendors out there who will just take everything, strip out the valuable materials, and send the rest in an overseas shipping container to Asia, he said. A high percentage of the stuff is worthless on the reuse market, and its going to get torn apart in a third world country for the high-value stuff, and then the people there are going to be exposed to the trash and the dangerous effluents. There are a lot of nightmare stories that have been documented where that has been all too common.

As the industry faces increasingly stiff government oversight, the levels of accountability rise also. Pepi said that it does make his job easier. Its still hard to confirm a lot of the information, but you do site visits and audit the companies yourself. Its not easy. You still have to make some judgment calls.

Things are moving more in the cradle-to-cradle direction, he said. But, still, its frustrating sometimes; theres a lot of electronics that are being outdated at faster and faster speeds. UMass, he said, is doing its due diligence to keep electronics in that responsible pipeline, and the university could be a model for others to watch as well.

Your own Magnavox might have made it from living room to India, and when you watch the documentary about third-world pollution on your HD LCD TV, you can feel better knowing that you werent part of the problem.

Driving Forces

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

For decades, Massachusetts was the only state in the U.S. that set automobile-insurance rates for all drivers, barring carriers from competing based on price. That changed last spring with the institution of managed competition, which allows carriers to provide options to motorists, within limits. That has created more work for insurance agencies, but it has been a benefit to drivers, especially those with clean records.

How someone feels about the recent changes in Massachusetts auto-insurance rules might depend on where in the state they live.

Its good for the consumers, especially the consumers in Western Mass., said Dean Florian, president of the Insurance Center of New England in West Springfield.

He noted that, in most states, drivers who live in urban areas pay higher rates than those in less-populated communities, but until recently, the Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires didnt enjoy a similar advantage over the metro Boston area because of a state law that strictly regulated automobile-insurance rates for all drivers.

For many years, the rates were artificially high in Western Mass. to subsidize Eastern Mass. drivers, Florian said. We were paying their freight for the last 30 years. But thats being eroded considerably.

Indeed, for much of the past century, auto-insurance rates in Massachusetts have been set by the state Division of Insurance until last spring, the only such regulated system among the 50 states. Anyone who requested a premium quote for a certain level of coverage would receive the same price from any number of companies, unless they were eligible for a group discount.

Managed competition, which began about 15 months ago, allows insurance companies to offer their own rates. Although these rates may vary, they must still be approved by the Division of Insurance hence the term managed. But now, for the first time since an ill-fated attempt at changing the system 30 years ago, Massachusetts drivers are able to compare the different rates, benefits, and services offered by the 20 insurance companies competing for their business.

I think it has been a big winner for the consumer, said William Grinnell, president of Webber and Grinnell Insurance in Northampton. It has really accomplished what the insurance commissioner set out to do, which was to create a more competitive environment. More companies have entered the state, and rates have been pushed down; every company essentially dropped their rates from where they were two years ago, so thats been great for the consumer.

Initially, said Grinnell, the change spurred a rush of customers calling about how to reduce the rates they were currently paying, but those calls have died down to some degree. But as policies renew, there is still a heightened interest from clients wanting to know whats out there, what their various options are.

In this issue of BusinessWest, we talk to the leaders of area insurance agencies to learn how the change to managed competition benefits consumers, and how it has added a layer of challenge to agents jobs.

Accelerating the Workload

Theres been a little more work, no doubt about it, said Jules Gaudreau, president of the Gaudreau Group in Wilbraham.

He was referring to the fact that helping customers find the right carrier for both cost and benefits has become more time-intensive in the current environment.

From an agents perspective, its a more difficult environment from which to operate, Grinnell agreed. Were all paid on commission, so as rates drop, our revenues drop. At the same time, our staff people are working a lot harder. Obviously, people are calling looking for the best deal they can get, and it takes a lot of time to shop among all the carriers we represent.

Sometimes the auto is tied into the homeowners insurance, and there are additional credits available, he added. Youve got to make sure they meet the guidelines to get an accurate quote. It takes time and a lot of explaining. Its more work, but it isnt necessarily generating more dollars.

Gaudreau, however, goes further, questioning how beneficial, in the long run, managed competition will be for consumers.

When one considers the auto-insurance market, if we had maintained the status quo, rates would have gone down 9% or 10% in 2008, and then would have done the same thing a year later, he explained.

So you have to ask the question: how has the reform market performed compared to what would have happened anyway? And the fact is, it has underperformed, he said. The voluntary rates went down about 10% in 2008 when carriers could compete, but we did not see the same thing in 2009. Meanwhile, from 2007 to 2009, the status quo would have resulted in a 20% rate decrease.

Still, he conceded that motorists seem to appreciate having options based on their lifestyles and economic priorities.

There has been more innovation in the marketplace as a result of competition not so much competition, actually, but allowing carriers to do the things they feel are important to their customers, Gaudreau said.

Such actions might include discounts for students away from home that make it easier for their parents to carry them on their policies year-round, coverage of pets that are injured in car accidents, and significant discounts on auto and home insurance if both policies are bought from the same carrier.

There are a variety of ways in which that innovation has led to a better market for consumers, he said. Certainly better drivers in Massachusetts will do much better over the next five to 10 years than under the old system, but the jurys still out on how much money others will save.

Driving Change

Under the prior, regulated system, insurance providers were required to apply specific surcharges for certain accidents and traffic violations, a program known as the Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP). Now, insurance companies are permitted to develop their own rules, subject to state approval, for imposing surcharges for at-fault accidents and traffic violations. They may also use the state-established SDIP in setting their rates.

The last time Massachusetts waded into managed competition was three decades ago, and premiums shot up more than 25% for some motorists. Lawmakers quickly passed a law capping increases at 25% over 1976 levels, and in 1978, amid widespread discontent, Massachusetts reverted to a fully regulated system yet again.

To avoid the rate-spike problems of 1977, when managed competition began last year, Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes capped any increase at 10% for the worst drivers.

But Florian predicts that could change, and although rates have fallen across the board, he said, they could eventually drop even lower for good drivers, while motorists with spottier records could find it more difficult to keep costs down.

There is still a ceiling on how much companies can charge, and until that ceiling goes away, rates wont go as low as they could, he explained. Theres only so much they can charge an inner-city driver in Boston, and thats holding the rates high in more suburban areas.

In Connecticut, you can charge anything you want for a 22-year-old, crazy driver, he continued, and better drivers pay less because theyre not subsidizing that risk. I think that will happen in the next year or two here. The commissioner just didnt want to implement all the changes at once.

For drivers with good records, those rates have come down more substantially than for drivers with poorer records, Grinnell said. Theyre down across the board, but theyre especially aggressive for the good driver.

That hearkens back to Florians point about companies being limited in how high they can set rates. Because carriers operating in Massachusetts are restricted in how much they can charge motorists who have poor records, live in cities, or demonstrate other factors, theyre taking on greater financial risk with those shakier drivers making competition for customers with clean records even more fierce.

Roadmap for Savings

Independent agencies are learning something about competition, too, from the likes of so-called direct writers like Progressive and, soon to enter the market, Geico businesses that operate largely off Web sites and focus their marketing on price. Gaudreau, a longtime proponent of the independent insurance agent, is confident that most Bay Staters will continue to demand more.

People are used to talking to a licensed professional and want to continue to enjoy that kind of service, he said, adding that getting in touch with a local agent is just as easy as accessing the Internet, and that agent will have a better idea of what questions to ask in tailoring the right policy.

Why take the risk of not being properly covered when you can just fax a copy of your insurance to a local agent in your own community whos dedicated to taking care of you and your family? he asked. Youre not talking to someone in a call center in India or Texas, but someone right here, available to help you.

The direct writers have certainly had an impact, Grinnell said. But theyve also brought some controversy, he added, such as Progressives recent fining by the state for allegedly deceptive rate-quoting policies that made six-month terms seem like annual rates.

When quoting comparison rates on the Web, their default choices are often bare-bones coverage with higher deductibles, Grinnell said. We were losing a fair amount of business to them until they were forced to straighten their Web site out. Hopefully, more-informed customers will call you so you can have an opportunity to explain the differences.

And because of the states landmark law change last year, there are plenty of differences to explain.

It certainly is more work, Florian said. Our customer-service representatives have to know more, but its making everyone a better salesperson.

All I used to hear was, Massachusetts auto is Massachusetts auto. But thats not true anymore. Its a brave new world.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

Law

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Uncategorized

Some Sound Advice on How to Protect Your Business from Libel Suits

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.

Abraham Lincoln

Truth is rarely pure and never simple.

Oscar Wilde

It is usually assumed by both non-lawyers and lawyers alike that truth is an absolute defense to a defamation claim. But it now appears that Honest Abe had it wrong at least according to a recent opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston.

In the case of Noonan v. Staples, the Circuit Court permitted a former Staples employee, Alan Noonan, to pursue a libel claim against Staples based on statements made about him in a companywide E-mail even though they were true.

It has been traditionally understood that under Massachusetts law, a plaintiff alleging libel (defamation based on a writing) must prove five elements in order to succeed on his or her claim, namely: (1) that the defendant published a written statement (2) of and concerning the plaintiff that was both (3) defamatory (harmed the plaintiffs reputation) and (4) false, and (5) caused economic loss or other demonstrable injury.

The Noonan case stemmed from a mass E-mail (or broadcast E-mail) sent by a Staples executive to the companys 1,500 North American employees. In the E-mail, the executive noted that Alan Noonan, a Staples sales director, had been terminated for falsifying expense reports. Noonan had, in fact, been recently terminated for cause after an internal investigation uncovered his wrongdoing. The E-mail stated:

It is with sincere regret that I must inform you of the termination of Alan Noonans employment with Staples. A thorough investigation determined that Alan was not in compliance with our travel and expense policies. As always, our policies are consistently applied to everyone and compliance is mandatory on everyones part.

Although the Circuit Court acknowledged that the statements in the E-mail were indeed true, it ruled that Noonan could nevertheless pursue his libel claim against Staples. In allowing the case to proceed to a jury trial, the Circuit Court applied an often-overlooked Massachusetts statute, G.L. c. 231, Section 92, which states that truth is a justification for libel unless actual malice is proved. The Circuit Court found that there was sufficient evidence for Noonan to be able to prove to a jury that the truthful statements in the E-mail were made with actual malice.

The court found two critical pieces of evidence to be significant. First, in similar E-mails, the Staples executive had never before mentioned a terminated employee by name. Second, the E-mail was addressed to hundreds of employees who were not even subject to Staples travel policies. If, based on this evidence, Mr. Noonan is able to convince a jury at trial that Staples sent the E-mail with dislike, hatred, or ill will, he could ultimately prevail on his libel claim if he can also prove that his reputation was damaged as a result.

The statute cited by the Circuit Court was thought to have been overturned by Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Shaari v. Harvard Student Agencies Inc. In that case, the court applied the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan, which dealt with the libel claims of an Alabama sheriff, to the Massachusetts statute. However, the Circuit Court in the Noonan case held that the Supreme Judicial Court overturned the statute only as to claims brought by so-called public figures, like the sheriff, as opposed to private parties, such as Noonan.

The Noonan case is an important one for employers throughout the Commonwealth because it establishes that even a truthful statement can be the subject of a libel claim if it concerns a private person and is made with actual malice. In this new paradigm of Massachusetts libel law, how can employers protect themselves from libel suits? Here are a few simple rules:

1. Make sure that your company has a consistently applied, written policy governing the content of all internal communications. As a general rule, your policy should clearly prohibit including the name of an employee in any E-mails involving disciplinary or private matters if those E-mails are addressed to persons other than the employee involved or other select company personnel with a need to know for example, the employees supervisor or the human resources manager. It is unnecessary to broadcast the actions of an individual in one department to the entire company. If the E-mail is sent only to those parties who are truly involved, it will be more difficult for the plaintiff to argue that the sender of the E-mail was acting with a hidden agenda.

2. If you feel that you must communicate the departure of an employee to the entire company, have an impartial party draft the message. Even if you have a well-established policy in place, if a direct supervisor harbors negative feelings toward the employee, those feelings may inadvertently find expression in a broadcast E-mail. An impartial person, such as an HR officer who was not directly involved in the employees termination, is generally better able to communicate objectively.

3. Any information involving an employees private life should be excluded. In Noonan v. Staples, it was the executives inconsistent application of his own personal policy of not including the names and personal information of employees in broadcast E-mails that got the company in trouble. At a minimum, such inconsistency may suggest an ulterior motive.

4. If you cannot verify a fact about someone, dont include it in any internal communication. Even if you dont believe a fact to be defamatory, a false statement made about an individual and published to a third party can lead to a libel suit.

5. Use common sense. It may sound silly, but before sending out that broadcast E-mail, even if its contents are entirely true, ask yourself a simple question: if that E-mail was about you, would you mind if your mother read it on the front page of the New York Times? If there is even a sliver of doubt in your mind, dont send the E-mail. It is important to remember that any E-mail can always be retrieved, even if it is deleted, and may someday be offered as evidence in a court of law. n

Keith Minoff is an attorney with the Springfield-based law firm Robinson Donovan, P.C., specializing in business litigation and employment law; (413) 732-2301.

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Departments

Ten Points About:

Working with Elected officials

By MAGGIE BERGIN

1. Elected and agency officials work for you only if you put them to work. Being unaware of or unengaged in the political process results in substantial missed opportunities for both you and the policy maker.

2. A handshake still rules. Despite the rise of social media and E-mail, no electronic form of communication comes close to the power of a face-to-face meeting with an elected or agency official.

3. Take the long view. Government affairs is a repeat business based on existing relationships. New programs, funding, and business opportunities are created all the time. Your goal is to be ‘top of mind’ when this happens.

4. Introduce yourself. Always start a meeting by reviewing your company’s history of working with the official’s constituents or client base, overview of current projects or proposals, focus, size, and relationships in the elected official’s district.

5. It’s not the more the merrier! Craft your meetings with elected officials around one or two specific, attainable, and compelling goals. Don’t make a shopping list.

6.Your credit-worthiness is being judged. Elected officials, like your loan officer, judge your credit (also known as political capital). The key to building political capital is to show off your company’s specific accomplishments; provide proof that what you’re saying is true, and highlight your community connections.

7. Be honest. Be prepared to answer any and all questions about your topic, or bring someone with you who can. If you don’t know the answer to a question asked by an elected or agency official, say you don’t know, and offer to follow up with staff.

8. Be considerate. Answer questions simply and clearly; do not go on ad nauseum. Treat staff with respect and courtesy. Show up five minutes early, but expect to wait.

9. Don’t be shy. Did the elected or agency official use an acronym you don’t know? Ask. Do you have questions about how a particular program works? Ask. He or she will be more than happy to answer.

10. It’s just like Mom said: a timely, genuine, and specific thank-you letter should follow any meeting with an elected or agency official. Address the letter to the official, but send it, electronically and in hard copy, to the staff who attended the meeting.

Maggie Bergin is principal with The Art of Politics, a government-affairs consulting company, where she ensures her clients’ meetings with elected officials yield tangible results; (413) 887-7450; [email protected].

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Departments

The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

Adzhigirey, Viktor
126 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/11/09

Allyn, William D.
2 Hawthorne Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/14/09

Altman, Melvyn W.
P.O. Box 5395
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/09

Belyshev, Vladimir
Belyshev, Irina
49 Dakota Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Berkshire Building Contractors
Abderhalden, Christopher M.
123 New Lenox Road
Lenox, MA 01240
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/11/09

Berkshire Second Home Construction
Vandervoort, Walter J.
45 Stockbridge Road
Box 225
West Stockbridge, MA 01266
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/09

Binczewski, Stefanie L.
166 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/09

Camilleri, Richard
14 Upland Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/01/09

Champagne, Michael L.
Champagne, Bridget D.
44 Brigham Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/11/09

Chaplin, Tina L.
858 Silver Lake St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/13/09

Collins, Brad Garett
1038 North St. Ext.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/05/09

Comi, Ronald J.
Comi, Chrissy A.
334 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/09

Connaughton, Douglas Lee
30 Kenilworth St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/10/09

Cotto, Adalberto
1360 Berkshire Ave.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/11/09

Cox, Leonard H.
37 Tannery Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/09

Curves Of Wilbraham
Eastwood Park Enterprises
Peck, Linda S.
a/k/a Scibelli, Linda M.
37 Decorie Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/09

DaRosa, Dale Autilio
28 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/03/09

Deleon, Franklyn A.
Garcia, Ruth N.
740 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/09

Deren, Robert J.
9 Ely Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Dessources, Marie K.
616 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/11/09

Devine, Pauline R.
1153A Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/09

Dewkett, Robin Michelle
P.O. Box 449
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Dunn, James A.
PO Box 37
North Hatfield, MA 01066
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Edgecomb, Nancy
20 Glassworks Road
Berkshire, MA 01224
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/09

Epshteyn, Inna
78 R1 Mercury Court
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/09

Fisher, Larry Wayne
111 Foster Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Foskett, Robert M.
Foskett, Rebecca C.
27 Fuller Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/09

Gibson, John E.
Gibson, Barbara J.
42 Adams Road – Lot 10
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Giordano, Robert A.
Giordano, Carolyn
a/k/a Housand, Carolyn
244 Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/31/09

Gonzalez, Elvin
180 Mildred Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104-1271
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/09

Gonzalez, Peter
Gonzalez, Amy L.K.
48 Grove St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Granger, Michael F.
Granger, Kathleen A.
62 Annable St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Grant, Leslee A.
a/k/a Braxton, Leslee A.
380 Riverglade Dr., Apt. #G
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/09

Gray, Christopher M.
Gray, Diane R.
a/k/a Armitage, Diane R.
34 Canterbury Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/09

Grigas, Timothy J.
39 Morse Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Guillemette, Mark H.
Guillemette, Caroline M.
286 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/07/09

Hickling, Bertha T.
26 Gilbert St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/12/09

Ironside, Debra M.
21 Ledgewood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Joseph, Casey S.
a/k/a Roark, Casey S.
120 Parker St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/09

Kiefer, Mary J.
25 Corey Colonial
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

LaBonte, David A.
24 Water Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Ledoux, Jerard A.
Ledoux, Dora S.
a/k/a Ledout, Doris S.
81 Clayton Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/09

LePage, Denise M.
128 Ridge Road
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/09

MacDonald, Fred R.
66 Massey St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Martinelli, Cristalle L.
Martinelli, Jason A.
519 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/09

Mazzola, Kara D.
77 Fairfield Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/09

Mc Neice, Kenneth J.
Mc Neice, Maryellen V.
a/k/a McNeice, Maryellen
14 Sixth St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

McKinney, Awilda
a/k/a Colon, Awilda
477 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Merchant, Elaine F.
28 Miles Morgan Court
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Nadolski, John A.
Nadolski, Linda M.
38 Greenleaf St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Nolan, Christopher
97 Salem Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Obremski, Polly A.
3 Fruit St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Olmoz, Judy A.
93 Plumtree Road Apt. #1
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Ortiz, Arnaldo
269 Stony Hill Road, Apt. T
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/09

Ott, Daryl A.
241 The Meadows
Enfield, CT 06082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Ott, Daryl A.
9 Highmoor Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Pagan, Tammy C.
32 Bates St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Perry, Michael A.
Perry, Carol M.
77 Chapel St.
West Warren, MA 01092
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/09

Pichardo, Nidia M.
19 Foster St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/01/09

Pittello, Joshua J.
71 Loomis Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/09

Queiroga, Martha Anne
a/k/a O’Brien, Martha Anne
29 Wrentham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Racine, Jon J.
Racine, Cynthia L.
34 Highland Ave.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Rettura, Virginia Ann
2559 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/09

Rios, Pedro
Rios, Magda
33 Queensbury Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Robert, Glenn A.
Robert, Lisa A.
a/k/a Borey, Lisa A.
a/k/a Richards, Lisa A.
171 Veazie St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/09

Roman, Ana L.
45 Dewey St., Apt. 207
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/02/09

Rondeau, Catherine A.
431 Pleasant St.
Southbridge, MA 01550
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/05/09

Rosenberg, Steven
121 Plunkett St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/09

Roy, Rhonda T.
a/k/a Swann, Rhonda T.
20 Woodstock St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Sarmuk, James J.
66 Hawthorne Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Sauvageau, Bruce D.
Sauvageau, Dawna L.
65 Shepard Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/01/09

Shear Maddness
Rosati, Brian J.
Podosek-Rosati, Kathleen M.
20 Terry Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/11/09

Sheehan, James F.
41 White Birch Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Small, David H.
21 Ledgewood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/08/09

Snow, Kathleen
Snow, David P.
350 West St. #5
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/04/09

Somers, Alan Roger
Somers, Juliann Marie
16 Mechanic St.
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/10/09

St. John, Robert J.
St. John, Mona L.
24 Robbins Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/15/09

Tann, Chheuth
Sam, Rithdek D.
20 West St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/07/09

Thomas, Eric D.
Thomas, Kari-Lynn Elizabeth
33 Lead Mine Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/09/09

Torres, Miguel S.
Belden Ct., Unit O3
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/31/09

Vieu, Kenneth J.
151 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 06/05/09

Zeng, Chang Yong
P.O. Box 80641
Springfield, MA 01138
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 06/03/09

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2009.

AGAWAM

Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$45,000 — Install four covered canopies to cover new electronic lockers

Six Flags New England
1623 Main St.
$35,000 — Install new steel structure for “Water Tower”

AMHERST

East Amherst Village Inc.
58 North East St.
$3,000 — Line and rebuild chimney

Gillen Development Corp.
401-409 Main St.
$2,500 — Construct a waiting room within existing office

Pioneer Valley Living Care
1 Spencer Dr.
$12,500 — Build walls and windows on exterior porch for three-season use

CHICOPEE

J. Polep, Inc.
285 McKinstry Ave.
$20,000 — Construction of new office space

Leclerc Properties, LLC
75-79 Springfield St.
$34,000 — Renovations

PNCU
46 Main St.
$175,000 — Renovations to accommodate a loan department

EASTHAMPTON

City of Easthampton
43 Main St.
$136,000 — Install sprinkler system in basement, first floor, bell tower, and attic

David Fagnaund
231 Main St.
$7,500 — Raise floor level in rear room

People’s Massage Inc.
1 Northampton St.
$6,000 — Replace ceilings in two rooms

Valerie Hood
1 Northampton St.
$10,000 — Construction of a lavatory on second floor

GREENFIELD

Dimitriou Panagiotis
256 Federal St.
$5,000 — Installation of a fire alarm system

HOLYOKE

Wilbraham Tire
155 Elm St.
$17,000 — New roof

LUDLOW

T.D. Bank N.A.
549 Center St.
$157,000 — Alterations

NORTHAMPTON

Mark Monska
47 Pleasant St.
$10,000 — Frame and sheetrock concrete walls

Richard Abuza
181 Main St.
$2,000 — Lower fourth-floor rear hall exit door to eliminate steps

Richard LaValley
241 King St.
$9,500 — Remove non-bearing walls and construct partitions

Richard Netto
31 Lyman Road
$2,800 — Construct walkway and deck on existing roof

SOUTH HADLEY

Mt. Holyoke Boathouse
50 College St.
$1,123,000 — Construction of new boat house

T.D. Banknorth
460 Newton St.
$8,000 — Alterations

U.S. Industrial
28 Gaylord St.
$150,000 — Renovations

SPRINGFIELD

983 Page Blvd., LLC
983 Page Blvd.
$30,000 — Construction of three interior building mezzanines

East Springfield Animal Center
525 Page St.
$53,000 — Build addition to left side of building

Friends of the Homeless
755 Worthington St.
$5,871,000 — New construction for Homeless Assistance Center

SIS Center Inc.
1441 Main St.
$81,000 — New non-bearing partitions and finish work

Smith & Wesson
2100 Roosevelt Ave.
$74,000 — Furnish and install pre-engineered steel building

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Leon Normandeau
40 Hayes Ave.
$10,000 — Renovate 1,700 square feet of space

Rhauna Rhauat
437 Riverdale St.
$8,000 — New 372-square-foot entry way in motel

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

Departments

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Capital One Bank, N.A. v. Genesys Comp Tech and Steven M. Jimmo
Allegation: Balance owed on credit agreement: $17,858.14
Filed: 5/15/09

Steven McNamara v. King Ward Trailways
Allegation: Operator negligence causing passenger injury: $3,500
Filed: 5/26/09

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Laura L. Dziuban and Heath M. Rawling v. Christie L. Miller, M.D., Armando E. Lopez, M.D., and Baystate Franklin Medical Center
Allegation: Defendant negligently performed a laparoscopic tubal ligation: $1,080,000
Filed: 6/09/09

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Mark Amoroso v. Techni-Products Inc.
Allegation: Monies owed on a commission contract: $64,000
Filed: 4/16/09

Titan Roofing Inc. v. Struever Brothers Eccles & Rouse Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of roofing work completed: $137,255.06
Filed: 4/14/09

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Massachusetts Property Insurance Co. v. Wagner Spray Tech Corp.
Allegation: Product liability in defective drill battery charger, causing extensive property damage: $394,635.59
Filed: 4/02/09

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Hampden Papers Inc. v. Central Transport International Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and negligence: $11,229.92
Filed: 6/01/09

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Ed Harrington Inc. v. Murphy Building Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods and services rendered and breach of contract: $10,884.99
Filed: 5/19/09

LHR Inc. v. Michelson Equipment Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods and services rendered: $3,482.44
Filed: 5/11/09

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

George Langlitz III v. Advanced Contracting Enterprises Inc. and Brian Walker
Allegation: Breach of contract and negligence in roofing contract: $22,384.55
Filed: 4/28/09

PDQ Billing Services v. Springfield Optometric Assoc.
Allegation: Non-payment of medical billing services: $10,194.77
Filed: 5/04/09

Sysco Food Services of CT, LLC v. J&L Subway Inc. and Jeffrey Beaulieu
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $11,936.88
Filed: 4/10/09

Net Results

By BusinessWest Staff July 6, 2009

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