Home 2010 April (Page 2)
40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Damon Cartelli: 39

President, Owner, and General Manager, Fathers & Sons Inc.

When he’s not managing auto dealerships, Damon Cartelli likes to take his family out fishing on his boat.

“It’s great to get out there … it’s relaxing, a great way to relieve some stress,” said Cartelli, who acknowledged that there have been quite a few stress-inducers recently for all those in auto sales, including the team at Fathers & Sons, the business his father, Bob, started and that he acquired in September 2008.

“That was just as the economy was collapsing; everyone blamed me for the meltdown,” joked Cartelli, adding that the Great Recession has been a long, ongoing headache for car dealers, but just one of many. For Fathers & Sons, the demise and recent rebirth of Saab, one of several luxury brands the dealership handles, has been a significant issue. Meanwhile, Cash for Clunkers, while it stimulated some sales, also induced considerable red tape and heartburn.

But Cartelli says the family business has steered its way through much of the trouble, and has high expectations for 2010, especially as Saab makes its returns (the first models should be in the showroom in a few weeks) and Audi continues to grow market share. Meanwhile, Cartelli continues the maturation process that is part and parcel to taking on the titles ‘owner’ and ‘president.’

Beyond his time spent on the water fishing, Cartelli also enjoys skiing, another family affair: his son, Jack, is 3 and just getting started, while his daughter, Brynn, 6, is already keeping up with her parents on black-diamond runs at resorts like Stowe.

And, yes, as one might expect, as owner of a dealership that sells high-performance luxury cars, he does get to try out some nice rides for months at a time. Recently, that includes an Audi A-8 and a Porche Cayan, an SUV.

For the next several months, though, his vehicle of choice will be a Ford F-350 pickup, which he needs to tow his boat.

“I don’t have to feel guilty about that, though,” he laughed. “The family owns a Ford store in Greenfield.”—George O’Brien

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Shanna Burke: 25

Program Director, Nonotuck Resource Associates

Shanna Burke is all about making connections.

“We match people in the community with people with disabilities to live together,” she said of her role with Nonotuck Resource Associates. “If you have an extra room and want to have someone live with you, we’d match you with someone with similar interests, and they’d be integrated into your life” — an improvement, she said, over the old group-home concept.

“I originally wanted to be a lawyer, but I realized I wanted to help people who don’t necessarily have money,” she said. “I know some law firms do that, but I wanted to work on a more micro level, more person-to-person.”

So she earned a master’s in Social Work at Springfield College, and after a few years working for Valley Psychiatric Service — helping people at or near the poverty line — she saw an opportunity open up at Nonotuck.

“From the first interview, I knew it was a good match,” she said. “I felt the work they do is so important, and their values are so strong. That goes for the whole agency; we do this because we love people. Sometimes I hear people say, when things aren’t going well, ‘I hate my job.’ But I never feel that way.”

Burke also volunteers for Animal Shelter Renovation, a Westfield-area shelter with a no-kill policy, another value in which she believes. And she’ll run in the Hartford Marathon this fall to benefit Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue, which saved her dog, Fenway.

But this animal lover (she and her husband, 2007 Forty Under 40 honoree Michael Gove, have two dogs, three cats, a hamster, and a rabbit, many of them rescues) endured a scare recently. Hours before this photo was taken, she was out on her morning hike with her dogs when one was attacked by a porcupine. He spent the day at an animal hospital, but made it to the shoot.

“It was horrible,” she said, sounding relieved. “Lesson learned, hopefully.” —Joseph Bednar

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Karen Buell: 27

Internet Branch Officer, PeoplesBank

Karen Buell played three sports at Houghton College in Upstate New York — soccer, basketball, and track and field — and she’s still quite an athlete.

She ran in the recent Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Road Race, and, while her time wasn’t her best (actually, it was her worst) — “it was hot; when you’re training in the winter, when it’s in the 30s and 40s, and then you get 75 on the day of the race, that’s a little toasty” — she was happy to be out there competing.

Maintaining a sharp competitive edge is one of many life lessons Buell took away from her college athletic experiences, and she takes it to work every day as Internet Branch officer at Holyoke-based PeoplesBank.

“Twice in soccer we went to the nationals, so I’ve played at a really high level,” she explained. “You learn a lot from that; there are always challenges to overcome. Teamwork plays a big part in it; you have to rely on team members, and there are going to be people with strengths that you don’t have, and you need them for that, and you might have strengths that they can’t provide.”

Another quality she’s borrowed from sports is discipline. “Being an athlete requires a person to be disciplined,” she explained, “to perfect their talents through practice, and even research the best ways to get results.”

These lessons from athletic competition, plus a strong faith in God, have helped Buell blend success in her profession — she’s risen quickly in the ranks, from assistant manager to mortgage consultant to Internet branch officer — with considerable work within the community, much of it ‘green’ in nature. She has helped coordinate Habitat for Humanity projects, planned a Transportation Day for MassRides to help people find carpool matches, and served as project lead for the second annual Environmental Fair on Earth Day. She also teaches financial literacy to children in local schools, and is vice president of the Northampton Area Young Professionals.

Considering all this, it’s easy to see why she’s considered a winner — on the job and off. —George O’Brien

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Maegan Brooks: 30

Attorney, the Law Office of Maegan Brooks

Maegan Brooks’ family has lived in Holyoke for several generations, and she believes in the future of Greater Springfield. But negative perceptions, she said, hinders that potential.

“That’s really our downfall,” said Brooks, who has backed up her confidence by opening a business-law firm in downtown Springfield. “I’m a Western Mass. native; I love Western Mass. The people who decide to stay here do so because they also love it and see the potential here. I want to see Springfield reestablish itself as a thriving city.”

After graduating from Boston University, Brooks returned to her roots and worked for area nonprofits while earning a master’s degree in Organizational Development from Springfield College. She aspired to be an executive director for a nonprofit — but then got an epiphany that led to a law degree from Western New England College.

“I started taking business-law courses, and I realized that the best way to help a community is to help with economic development,” she explained. “So my passion has been in developing small businesses and social enterprises.”

Convinced that the valley is home to an especially creative, hardworking population, Brooks focuses her practice on helping individuals build businesses.

“I meet with people who say, ‘I got laid off from my job, but I’ve had this idea for the past 20 years, and I want to move forward.’ I’m helping people who have thought about and dreamt about something for a long time begin to realize their dreams,” she said.

“It’s great to be a part of that, to encourage people and tell them, ‘yes, you need legal help. You need to do this right so you won’t have issues later.’ And I feel the same way about the nonprofits I see.”

With some creativity — and legal assistance — Brooks thinks those types of people can bring the local economy back. And that brings her plenty of satisfaction.

“I see some attorneys who are miserable,” she said. “But I’m excited about the work I do.”—Joseph Bednar

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Raymond Berry Jr.: 39

Vice President of Finance and Admistration,
United Way of Pioneer Valley

Raymond Berry says it’s rewarding to know he is making a difference. It’s a mission for him and something he strives to do as an active volunteer in the city of Springfield.

Berry was the recipient of a number of services as a child and took advantage of the after-school programs and athletic opportunities available to him. “I witnessed what it was like to know that I had a safe place to go where I could enjoy myself and where there were individuals who wanted me to succeed,” he said. “So, today, I get great joy from giving back to the community.”

Berry does that both on and off the job at United Way. He is president of the Brethren, a group of professional black men that provides a multitude of services to the community; vice president of the Springfield branch of NAACP, and the director of the American International Alumni Varsity Club. He is a past board member of the Carew Hill Boys & Girls Club, the Martin Luther King Community Center, and Springfield Partners for Community Action.

Berry was also a Springfield Schools consultant for Junior Achievement, a Massachusetts sports official for Little League baseball, and a youth mentor for Dunbar Community Center.

He was appointed as a Springfield Enterprise Community commissioner by former Mayor Michael Albano, and accepted other appointments to a variety of commissions for local and statewide housing groups, using his knowledge and certification as a public-housing manager.

“My activities center around education, health, and financial stability. I do this in my profession and also to assist people. I want to make sure they have a roof over their head and that there is proper funding for activities for young people,” said Berry.

He began volunteering in college, which set the tone for all of his future activity. Berry loves to fish and counts it among his passions, but is also dedicated to fishing for opportunities that can make a difference in the lives of young people.

—Kathleen Mitchell

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010


David Beturne: 35

Director of Program Services,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County

David Beturne says it’s very simple to make a difference in a child’s life.

It’s a belief he is passionate about, and one that has led him year after year to raise thousands of dollars for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County via its annual Bowl for Kid’s Sake.

“Children are the most vulnerable population,” he said, adding that he was lucky to grow up in a nurturing family with parents who were positive role models.

His desire to ensure that every child knows that someone cares inspired Beturne to choose his career field and go above and beyond his job duties. “A lot of times we make things very complicated,” he said. “All I ask folks to do is get involved and have fun with kids. To me, fund-raising is not a big deal. It’s just opening the door for other people to get involved. Someone may not be able to take on the commitment of becoming a volunteer for a year. But they can come and bowl with us, and that will help.”

Beturne knows what it means to be busy. Besides his full-time job, he and his wife, Julie, have two sons, ages 7 and 5; he coaches their soccer teams and his younger son’s tee-ball team. Such involvement led him to create a Lunch Buddies program with his executive director, where the only commitment required is to have lunch with a child for an hour once a week at their school.

Beturne is a Lunch Buddies volunteer himself for a third grader. “We spend our time playing games and having fun. Last week, we played football with all of his friends,” he said.

“I believe in being a role model for children who want or need one. There is nothing more powerful for a child than realizing that someone is in their life because they want to be there, not because they have to do it. That’s where the magic is, when someone cares enough.” —Kathleen Mitchell

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010


Nancy Bazanchuk: 37

Program Director of Disability Resources,
Center for Human Development

Nancy Bazanchuk says that when individuals with disabilities are competing in sports, they feel like athletes, not individuals who happened to be disabled.

And she should know.

Born with a congenital condition that required amputation of both her legs above the knee, Bazanchuk didn’t let that stop her from becoming a varsity swimmer while attending Bridgewater State University. And she’s making it her life’s work to help others enjoy the experience of competing in the pool, on the ice, or in the gym.

For the past 13 years, Bazanchuk, the highest scorer among this year’s field of 40 Under Forty candidates, has been program director of Disability Resources for the Center for Human Development. Now, as then, this is a department of one full-time employee, but since Bazunchuk — described as not simply the face of the program but its heart and soul — started, Disability Resources has seen exponential growth, from serving 69 individuals to more than 800. They range in age from 3 to 97.

Those numbers speak to her commitment to empower people with physical disabilities through participation in sports ranging from wheelchair soccer to golf; from biking to bowling; from dance to track and field. The most recent addition to that list is sled hockey, with a team — the Western Mass Knights — that recently competed in a tournament in Westfield.

Bazanchuk, who provides case management for 125 people with disabilities every year, played a key role in the creation of that squad, which filled a void after several area young people aged out of a Shriners sled-hockey unit and were looking for a team — and a way to keep competing. And she’s also the goalie.

“How many people get to play sports as part of their job?” she queried when BusinessWest asked about the rewards she takes from her work. She then elaborated, noting that she takes great pride in helping people build self-esteem and feel like they’re part of the community.

While also feeling like athletes.

—George O’Brien

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Julie Cowan: 39

Vice President of Commercial Lending, TD Bank

Opportunity.

It’s a prospect that inspires and motivates Julie Cowan in both her professional and personal life. “I’m about opportunity, and what I do professionally and for volunteer service are connected, even though it may not seem that way,” she said.

“My work as a commercial lender is about economic opportunity — giving businesses a chance to expand and grow.”

That extends to her personal life, as Cowan believes it’s important to be involved and walk the walk at organizations she belongs to. She is a board member of the United Way of Hampshire County, co-chair for its 2009-10 campaign year, and an advocate who spends untold hours promoting the organization. Cowan has been a United Way donor since college and a volunteer in Hampshire County since 1996. She chaired its audit committee and served on its funds-allocation committee, acting as its chairperson for three years.

She is also chair of the campus steering committee for Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton and a committee member of its Perfect Match fundraiser. In addition, she is active in the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and the Northampton Area Young Professionals.

“The Clarke School is about giving a deaf or hard-of-hearing child the opportunity to speak, which opens a world of possibilities,” she said. “And United Way opportunities range from giving a single parent the chance to work, as we offer scholarships for after-school care, to the opportunity for an abused woman to have a safe place to stay, to letting people know where their next meal is coming from.

“I was a Girl Scout because of a United Way scholarship, and now I have an opportunity to give back,” she explained. “When I first started giving, I could only afford $5 a paycheck.”

But that has grown, along with her leadership and commitment. “I give my time and money, and hopefully help build resources for both organizations. It’s what you are supposed to do; it’s what being a citizen is.”

—Kathleen Mitchell

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Karen Curran: 39

Financial Consultant, Thomson Financial Management

It was October 2008 when Eva Thomson called Karen Curran asking if she wanted to come to work for her as a financial consultant.

Curran was eager — she interviewed with the Northampton-based company a few years earlier, but Thomson wasn’t ready to take anyone on — and accepted the job, but wondered if the timing was right. After all, the financial markets were in free fall, and many investors were in what could only be described as panic mode.

But Thomson thought it was a perfect time. “She had been mentoring me along without me knowing it,” Curran said of her new boss. “She said, ‘this will be an opportunity to truly learn in this profession; survival in this time will be key to success in the future.’ She knew.”

And, as it turned out, she was right. And what Curran learned is that, even in the darkest of financial times, when people have a financial plan, they need to stick with that plan. “All of our clients had a plan in place, and we felt that these plans had to be dynamic as they related to what the market can offer and also what’s happening with their lives,” she explained. “There were some hard conversations about perhaps having to work longer and adjust certain goals, but we really tried to take the emphasis off investment performance and back to the individual. It was a real learning experience.”

While working to help clients pursue their stated goals, Curran (who offers securities and financial planning through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC) splits the rest of her time between her family — her husband, attorney Joseph Curran, and two boys — and considerable work within the community.

She is currently on the board of the Hampshire Regional YMCA, and was a board member with the Sunnyside Child Care Center Parent Cooperative, which she also served as president and treasurer. She helps raise funds for several organizations, including the UMass Fine Arts Center and the Northampton Education Foundation.

In both her professional work and activity within the community, being a problem-solver has been her MO. That, and providing advice that’s on the money.

—George O’Brien

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Amanda Huston: 29

Vice President of Operations,
Junior Achievement of Western Mass.

Amanda Huston is a public face of Junior Achievement of Western Mass., often visible at civic events, raising the profile of the organization that educates young people about business.

“My background is in accounting, and I do their accounting work,” she said. “But I also run special events. We have one of the finest golf tournaments in the Valley, a bowlathon, and our signature event, the stock-market challenge.”

The latter event is the largest of its kind in North America, in which more than 500 high-school students compete in teams to see who can most successfully invest $500,000.

“I love the mission of educating students on entrepreneurship and financial literacy,” said Huston, who also operates her own tax business, Back Office. “I realize the necessity of understanding finances and taxes and how it all affects their life.”

And she knows she’s making a difference. As an adjunct professor of Accounting at Elms College, “I had a student come to me and say, ‘I remember you; three years ago you told me about Roth IRAs. I wanted you to know I opened one up.’ You can impact students in so many different ways.

“From Junior Achievement, I see how students need financial education,” she added, “and from the tax side, I see how adults need a better understanding of their own personal finance.”

Huston is also active in many community organizations, including various chambers of commerce, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, and various boards at the Elms and Springfield’s Sci-Tech High School. And she makes time for sports, too — basketball, softball, spinning, and a recent addition, golf.

“I’ve hosted the golf tournament for a few years, and a lot of board members asked me to play,” she said. “I finally joined a tournament last year, and since then, my golf schedule has been booked. I’m getting better … at least somewhat competitive.”

Proving that even someone with a lot to teach doesn’t have to stop learning. —Joseph Bednar

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Meghan Hibner: 30

Assistant Vice President and Controller, Westfield Bank

Meghan Hibner believes the greatest joys in life are found by branching out. “Don’t limit your possibilities,” she says.

It’s a message she is passionate about sharing with young people, and one that reflects her life experience. “I have been very fortunate and have had tremendous blessings,” she said. “A good support system goes a long way. Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it’s only natural to want to give back.”

Hibner graduated from UMass with a degree in Psychology, expecting to go into social work. Instead, she was hired as an accountant at Westfield Bank, which satisfied her love of numbers. She enjoys the work, but found many ways to fulfill her desire to help others.

Hibner volunteers for the Westfield State College Mentor Program and for Southwick Tolland Regional High School’s Business Education Alliance program.

“It’s very rewarding to work with youth in schools,” she said, adding that she tells students to stay focused, become well-rounded, and get involved in their communities.

Hibner is a role model for many with her myriad activities. She volunteers with Brightside for Families and Children, Friends of the West Springfield Public Library Inc., the Noble Visiting Nurse and Hospice Service, the United Way Day of Caring, and the American Lung Assoc. Fight for Air Walk. She makes time for leisure, too; a longtime softball enthusiast, she keeps equipment in her car in case a game arises with family or friends.

The library is very important to her. “It is the center of a community and such an important place to foster a love of reading and values,” said Hibner. In fact, she led a collaboration between the library and the Sisters of Providence Health System to provide books for children at Brightside.

In 2007, she was nominated by Westfield Bank’s senior management team to attend the Springfield Leadership Institute. To her, it was another branch on the tree of life. “I feel very strongly about relating to people in a way that’s effective and produces results,” she said. —Kathleen Mitchell

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Anthony Gleason II: 24

Owner, Gleason Landscaping;
Commercial and Residential Sales, Roger Sitterly & Son Inc.

At 16 years old, Anthony Gleason was starting his own business while most of his friends were working for others.

It took him only one week of mowing lawns for someone else, he said, before he realized that the money he charged for each of those yards could go directly to his own bank account. “And that’s how it started,” he explained. “I just took it to a new level, growing wherever I could. Currently the company is quite large, in my opinion, and I’m very proud of its success.”

But while Gleason is an employer, he’s also an employee. Indeed, since 2000, he has worked for Sitterly Movers in Springfield, and in that time he has gone from summer, seasonal employee all the way up to the trusted professional overseeing commercial and residential sales for the

company. And Gleason takes that role very seriously. “What’s on the line every day is that I’m the one who’s trying to book jobs,” he said, “so that 12 to 15 of our guys have work and are going to be able to provide for their families.”

But also, he added, “I need to make sure that we’re making enough money so that we can continue our operations, taking the time to think of every decision, because it trickles down the chain within the company to affect every single one of us.”

Not many people his age are so entrusted with and invested in the livelihoods of their co-workers, but Gleason takes it in stride as part of the job. And he approaches his charitable deeds with the same conviction. “Right now, I’m at an age where the only thing I can really do is donate to such organizations as the Jimmy Fund and the Susan B. Komen Cancer Foundation,” he said.

“But I want to participate more,” he added. “And as time goes on, that’s my goal.”—Dan Chase

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Thomas Galanis: 32

Portal Manager and Adjunct Professor, Westfield State College

Thomas Galanis says he’s a Renaissance man. “I have good skills, but am able to step outside the box and practice creative problem-solving through the use of technology and other disciplines such as organizational behavior, change management, and project management,” he said.

Galinas is a born educator, and, as a young boy, he loved taking things apart, putting them back together, and then telling his parents what he had done. “I have an intense need to learn about things and explain how they work,” he said. That need led him to earn a master’s degree in Public Administration. Galinas teaches Social Networking at Westfield State College and recently created a new course in Information Management that he will teach this summer.

“Although my job is technical, I have transformed it into being more about stewardship; I try to be a conduit and communicate with everyone,” he explained. “I was in private industry before taking this job and have seen all aspects of the way technology changes people’s behavior. It’s about doing things in different ways.”

Galanis is on the board of several community, state, and national organizations. He’s chair of the Westfield chapter of the Westfield State College Alumni Association, treasurer and membership coordinator for the local chapter of the Assoc. of Professional Adminstrators, a voting board member of Westfield State College’s graduate council, a technology blogger for MassLive, a member of the planning team and media and technical coordinator of PodCamp Western Mass 2, a volunteer Web designer for the Western Mass. Geneological Society, and a member of MENSA.

His wife, Kelly, a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2008, got him involved in community theater. He is an actor/player for Westfield on Weekends, and an actor/member of Westfield Theater Group. “I escape through the characters,” he said.

“I never know what the future will hold for me,” he continued, adding that he is on a continual quest to help educate people about technology as it continues to change.

—Kathleen Mitchell

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Owen Freeman-Daniels: 30

Financial Advisor and Accounts Executive,

Foley-Connelly Financial Partners, Foley Insurance Group

Because he is active in Northampton both professionally and culturally, Owen Freeman-Daniels says there are times when people don’t recognize him when he’s wearing a suit. Explaining his decision to bring a separate suit of clothes for his photograph, he said that, “in many ways, I have two lives.”

First is the life of a businessperson who is both responsible for millions of dollars in assets and protecting people’s assets and homes. “And then when I get home,” he continued, “I get out of that suit as quickly as possible, put on a T-shirt and jeans, and go back out and work in my neighborhood. Most people that I do community work with don’t have any idea what I do for a living.”

And both lives occupy similar importance for Freeman-Daniels. His role in the small firm of Foley-Connelly Financial Partners has been expanding for the past nine years, and he says that he “couldn’t be happier,” as he straddles the two fields of finance and insurance.

Then, in his words, there’s that “other life,” where he is, among many other things, the chair of the Northampton Education Foundation’s endowment distribution committee, board member of Valley Time Trade, and vice president of the city’s Ward 3 Neighborhood Assoc. — not to mention an active participant of the city’s vibrant arts scene, quite literally.

One eight-hour performance-art piece was called “The Secretary,” and Freeman-Daniels said that, for that time, he sat at a typewriter and, in single-spaced paragraphs, tapped out his thoughts. “I think it was pretty successful, and it wasn’t gibberish. I’ve got a lot on my mind!” he laughed.

But his goals for the upcoming years are for his suit to cross paths with his casual life more often. “My community interests are in having a vibrant wealth of arts, culture, and support to continue doing interesting things here,” he said. “I’ve been laying the groundwork with everything I’ve done so far. I’m just now getting above the foundation.”

—Dan Chase

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Susan Mielnikowski: 38

Attorney, Cooley, Shrair, P.C.

Susan Mielnikowski will tell you that, after working as an attorney for 14 years, if she’s met her professional goals, then she’s not doing her job properly. “I don’t think there’s ever such a thing as being ‘done,’” she told BusinessWest. “The minute I reach a benchmark, I’ll raise the bar and set a new one for myself.”

Within her purview as an elder and estate-planning attorney, Mielnikowski sees her role not only as a source of information not only for her clients, but also for the community at large. “For anyone who needs the assistance — insurance agents, financial planners,” she explained, “I consider myself a good resource.”

And many would agree. From her work at the Mason-Wright Foundation retirement community, which she called “a fantastic gem,” to her particular passion, which is Planned Parenthood, Mielnikowski continues to push herself professionally and personally. But there is one interest that, sadly, will be unable to return to this year.

“But only because my daughter didn’t want to play tee ball any longer!” she said with a laugh, explaining why she will be unable to return to the coaching role she held last year in her hometown of Agawam.

While her son’s athletic exploits will still demand some of her time — “he was on the all-stars last year,” she said — work in the community and in the office continues. From starting her own firm years ago, on up to her current position with Springfield-based Cooley-Shrair, where she hopes someday soon to become partner, her work has always been defined by her focus on keeping herself an integral component of the region.

With time opened up from her brief sporting career, she said that pushing her benchmarks can proceed with earnest. “Three years from now, I’d like to be offering the same level of support. Five years ago, my clientele had different concerns than they do today, and I’m sure I’ll change with the times.

“I’m hitting my stride professionally,” she said with confidence. —Dan Chase

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

James Krupienski: 31

CPA Manager, Health Care and Pension Audit Divisions,
Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

James Krupienski wears multiple hats at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, serving as CPA manager for two divisions, Health Care and Pension Audits — an uncommon combination.

“Not too many people are in two very diverse areas like that,” he said. “I was hired for an opening in the Health Care Division, and I’ve grown into that role, but before I came here I had quite a bit of experience in retirement plans, so I moved into that area as well. The two have very different reporting periods, so I’m able to work in both throughout the year.”

When Krupienski enrolled in Stonehill College, he said he had no idea what he wanted to do professionally. At the start of his freshman year, he switched from psychology to business management. During that first year, he started working with some accounting professionals on different class projects and eventually chose that as his field.

“I like the variety,” he said of his work. “Even if it’s the same client year after year, there’s always something different for me — different questions, different hot topics, always something new that you need to learn.”

Krupienski also volunteers for the Westfield State College Accountancy Mentor Program, helping to cultivate the next generation of talented accountants.

“A lot of people think I sit behind a desk crunching numbers all day, but it’s not that,” he added. “Sure, the numbers have to be right, but helping clients get there through the course of the year is where the variety comes into play.”

Those challenges pale, of course, compared to the one Krupienski’s family (he and his wife, Megan, have two children, James and Hayley) faced when Megan was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago at age 28. But they turned that difficult situation into a chance to help others, gathering a large team of walkers and raising significant funds for Rays of Hope, while sharing Megan’s survival story at the event’s kickoff rally.

That’s someone who understands that life adds up to much more than numbers. —Joseph Bednar

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Adam Epstein: 39

Vice President of Research & Development, Dielectrics Inc.

Adam Epstein can trace his career to a bet.

When his father dropped him off at the University of Rochester, they came across an “ambiguously worded” ad on campus for a job at an organ bank. His father, who had been through medical school, bet him $10 he couldn’t get the job. Adam won the bet.

“I was nucleating donated organs and skin from cadavers,” he said. “Frankly, I was fascinated by it, and I became interested in medicine. I was studying engineering, and I eventually got a business degree. So my career is an interesting combination of those three elements.”

He’s referring to his role at Dielectrics in Chicopee, where for eight years he has led development and commercialization efforts for numerous breakthrough medical devices, from an automatic CPR unit that increases the survival rate of cardiac-arrest patients to a device used to prevent radiation damage to healthy tissue during treatment of prostate cancer. Two of Epstein’s products — employed in laparoscopic surgery and hernia repair — have actually been used on other Dielectrics employees.

“I like solving problems, and that’s really what we do here,” he said of the contract development and manufacturing company. “We identify a clinical problem, and we try to solve it by the use of innovative technologies. When we get reports back from the field about how effective they have been for people, it gives me a great sense of satisfaction. I love it.”

He’s addressed needs in his wife’s native Ecuador as well, helping to fund and build an infirmary and library for a chain of orphanages in the capital of Quito, as well as sponsoring an English teacher for the elementary-school children.

“When we go back,” he said, “we see the benefits to the folks managing the orphanages and the children, and we appreciate being a part of that.”

In short, Epstein is devoted to identifying and solving critical problems — and it’s a safe bet he’ll continue to do so.

— Joseph Bednar

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A Small Mistake That Can Cost Your Company Big Money

For years, an oil-delivery company in North Carolina paid consistent workers’ compensation premiums. Then, suddenly, the premiums went up, though the job functions, number of employees, and incidents remained constant. An audit revealed that two employees were now classified as truck drivers, even though they were actually maintenance workers.

In Colorado, an outpatient, long-term care provider that transports the elderly to day centers and provides in-house services saw its experience-modification factor go through the roof. The company discovered that its 512 employees were classified in eight different class codes, several of them at a higher risk level than expected. In fact, none of the employees were classified at the lower ‘office code,’ although 20% of the employees were strictly office personnel.

What these two companies have in common is misclassification. This occurs when the clerical worker at a sawmill, using all 10 fingers to input data into a computer, is classified at the same job risk level as her co-worker at the buzzsaw who could lose a finger at any moment. And with more than 600 possible job classifications, and more being added all the time, it’s an all-too-common problem among employers.

In 2007, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), a government entity that oversees job classifications in California, undertook a study to determine if there were classification errors among 219 large companies. These companies represented $26.4 billion in combined payroll, and their premiums were large enough to impact 10% of the workers’ compensation ratings.

The final results were a wake-up call not just for California employers, but companies throughout the country. Of the 219 companies audited, 46 had payroll errors. All were because of misclassifications, and all of them could have possibly been avoided.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which acts as the insurance industry’s ratings bureau, determines most job classifications. Its bible is the Scopes Manual, which gives specific ratings and descriptions of all types of jobs, from miners (among the highest) to office workers (among the lowest). These ratings, based on an estimated level of risk, are the jumping-off point when determining how much workers’ compensation premiums a company will pay for each job classification.

While businesses change constantly, the change often does not trigger a review of job codes. This was the case at a sawmill in North Carolina, a company with high-risk exposure and high premiums because of the work employees do. When the decision was made to close the mill and have the wood cut overseas so the business could be converted to a wholesale operation, it didn’t occur to the company to change its classifications.

I’m willing to bet that the insurance agent never once walked through the facility to see that the operation had fundamentally changed, and to discover why the company continued to pay workers’ compensation premiums based on a higher manufacturing rate and not the lower service rate. Once the errant classification was discovered and changed, the company saved more than $400,000 in premiums.

So the million-dollar question — or, in the case of that Colorado long-term care provider, the quarter-million-dollar question, since that is what it saved in premiums after getting its workers correctly classified — is how businesses can make sure they are being accurately classified for the work they are doing. Here are some simple steps you can take:

Ask your insurance agent how jobs are being classified. But don’t be surprised if he doesn’t understand it himself. One of the biggest challenges is getting the insurance companies to understand the ratings and how they are applied. Don’t assume the job classifications are correct just because they haven’t changed. Once they are set, it is unusual for the ratings bureau to revisit them unless there is a dispute.

Read your policy. It only takes five to 10 minutes, but that error you find could result in substantial savings. For instance, an outdoor sign company in Wisconsin had $80,000 in payroll tied up in an $8 class code, not realizing for years that it could split the payroll over two codes. Once it discovered this, the company was able to split the payroll into an $8 code and a $3 code, saving over $12,000 per year in premiums.

Don’t let the insurance agent copy from an old policy from year to year. Things change; your business changes. As the employer, you are the steward of your business. You should know everyone’s job. Don’t wait for your premiums to skyrocket to discover something is off kilter.

Do your own homework. If the agent is less than accommodating in getting you information on class codes, go to a library and do the research yourself (or get a new agent).

Don’t take no for an answer. If you are sure of your facts and feel that some of your workers are improperly classified, be tenacious and demand that your business or plant be re-visited.

Don’t feel like you’re in the fight all by yourself. By bringing a trained workers’ compensation advisor into the situation, someone who knows how to spot red flags and can offer solutions, you can greatly increase your chances of solving any problems and saving money.

This is what Vicki Pullins did. As co-owner of LinguaCare Associates Inc., a privately owned practice of speech-language pathologists, she saw her premium shoot up, but felt she was ill-equipped to contest the increases.

She enlisted the services of a certified workers’ compensation advisor, who did an extensive overview of what the company did, when they did it, where they did it, and what the risk was. It was discovered that the company was receiving an extremely high-risk classification for a relatively low-risk operation (visiting schools and hospitals to conduct speech therapy). The advisor further discovered that all 17 employees were classified as doing off-site work when, in reality, only two were actually traveling to various locations. The workers were reclassified, saving the company approximately $15,000 annually in workers’ compensation premiums.

“When we were told it didn’t have to be this way, and when we had an option to change it, we were delighted,” recalls Pullins. “It couldn’t have come at a better time. We were coming off a lean year in 2009, and our margins were tight. But that change in our premiums gave us the opportunity to grow in what could have been a problem year for us.”

Misclassifications are common, and you can pay dearly for the mistakes. However, by knowing what to look for, by being proactive and not accepting that every classification is correct, and by working with experts who know the workers’ compensation system inside and out, you can save significant dollars year after year.

Kevin Ring is the director of Educational Programs for the Institute of WorkCompProfessionals, an Asheville, N.C.-based organization that trains insurance agents to help employers reduce workers’ compensation expenses. A licensed insurance agent, he leads workshops, analyzes workers’ compensation programs, and is the co-developer of a workers’ compensation software suite that helps insurance professionals work with employers; (828) 274-0959 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (828) 274-0959      end_of_the_skype_highlighting;[email protected]

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Waterfresh Helps Businesses and Individuals Get Off the Water Bottle

Carrie Garfield says her friends and family members laughed when she told them six years or so ago that she would be leaving a lucrative position as a radiation therapist to start a venture that would strive to get businesses and individuals to kick the bottled-water habit.

It’s taken a while to get this enterprise, called Waterfresh, where she wants it to be, and there have been some lean times getting to that point, but it’s quite safe to say that no one’s laughing anymore.

Indeed, Agawam-based Waterfresh is riding the ‘going green’ wave — coupled with some recent negative press about bottled water — to strong, steady growth. The company has added a number of area businesses to its client list, including Yankee Candle, all the Balise auto dealerships, Rocky’s Hardware, Hasbro, and Sten-Tel, and it is eying some still-untapped (pun intended) avenues of growth, including area colleges and hospitals.

Waterfresh rents, installs, and services customizable filtration units that allow businesses, homes, medical facilities, and municipal offices to use tap water, which, according to various estimates, is 240 to 1,000 times cheaper than bottled water. And it is also ‘green,’ said Garfield, noting that bottled water is, in many ways, not environmentally friendly, from the energy used to produce the bottles — be they 12 ounces or 5 gallons in size — to the diesel fuel consumed to deliver those bottles.

And beyond those issues, bottled water simply isn’t as safe, or as pure, as that industry has led everyone to believe, she explained.

“Our sales have been rising over the past several years, simply because more people are aware that bottled water isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be,” she explained, adding that part of her job description is educating the public about the matter. “The bottled-water industry has bypassed coffee sales and soda sales, so it has a lot of lobbying power. The regulations for testing the quality of bottled water are practically nil; with municipal water, the rules are much more stringent.”

Waterfresh is yet another of those ‘green’ stories dominating the business and health pages these days, but it’s also an entrepreneurial story, of an individual leaving a good job to take a chance on something most believed was a very long shot. For this issue, BusinessWest looks at how that story is unfolding, and what the next chapters might be.

Drop in the Bucket

The case for filtered tap water — and against bottled water — is neatly summed up in executive directive 07-05 from the desk of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, called the ‘permanent phase-out of bottled-water purchases by San Francisco city and county government.’

“More than 1 billion plastic water bottles end in California’s landfills each year, taking 1,000 years to biodegrade and leaking toxic additives such as phthalates into the groundwater,” the document reads. “Additionally, water diverted from local aquifers for the bottled-water industry can strain surrounding ecosystems. Furthermore, transporting bottled water by boat, truck, and train involves burning massive quantities of fossil fuels. All of this waste and pollution is generated by a product that by objective standards is often inferior to the quality of San Francisco’s pristine tap water.”

There are many other points in the directive, which was dated June 21, 2007, and stated that, by that year’s end, all city departments and agencies occupying either city or rental properties would have installed bottle-less water dispensers that utilized water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

That was more than three years after Garfield had left her job at Baystate Health as a radiation therapist (at least full time) to create a business around what she thought — and still thinks — would be the demise of the water bottle. When that day will come she’s not sure, but she firmly believes this matter; it’s a question of when, not if.

That’s because public officials like Newsom, business owners, and individuals are waking up to the fact that plastic water bottles are not environmentally friendly, and the water in them is not as pure as the industry has made it out to be.

In literature she leaves with prospective clients, Garfield quotes a March 1999 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) early and often. Titled “Bottled Water, Pure Drink or Pure Hype?” the report states that as much as 40% of all bottled water comes from a city water system, just like tap water. It also focuses on the fact that 60% to 70% of all bottled water sold in the U.S. is exempt from the Food and Drug Administration’s bottled-water standards, because the federal standards do not apply to water bottled and sold within the same state.

“Bottled-water companies have used this loophole to avoid complying with basic health standards,” the report states, “such as those that apply to municipally treated tap water. Even when bottled waters are covered by the FDA’s specific bottled-water standards, those rules are weaker in many ways than EPA rules that apply to big-city tap water.”

Armed with such information, and some entrepreneurial spirit, Garfield started Waterfresh as an offshoot of sorts of Executech, a dealer of Toshiba copiers. She admits that there were some teething troubles, especially with finding a point-of-use water-filtration system, as it’s called, that would need minimal service.

“Everyone laughed at me; here I was leaving a very well-paying job for this,” she said, pointing to one of the Korean-made units she takes with her while cold-calling on businesses. “I had never sold a thing in my life. In the back of my mind, I said, ‘if this doesn’t work, I’ll go just go back to being a radiation therapist.’ But I never believed it would fail.”

Garfield says she now has the right combination of product and anti-bottled-water sentiment to make Waterfresh a highly successful venture. With the former, she can match and almost always beat what a business is paying for water per month. And with the latter — several mayors have taken Newsom’s path, for example — she’s finding it quite easy to at least get her foot in the door.

There is plenty of competition, though, she admits, and probably more of it to emerge in the years to come. But the market is huge, and, by most estimates, far fewer than half (maybe 20%) of the businesses in the Northeast have made the switch from bottled to filtered tap water.

And while businesses ranging from Barnes & Noble to Forastiere Funeral Homes have converted, most hospitals and colleges — institutions at the forefront of the green wave — have yet to do so.

Garfield said they and others should be swayed by a number of common-sense reasons why businesses and individual residences should kick the bottled-water habit. The environment is one, she noted, adding that the move to go green is not a fad but an established trend. But there are other reasons as well, ranging from cost — which all businesses are trying to control in this still-challenging climate — to the time lost simply replacing empty water bottles, which can be excessive in large corporations.

Meanwhile, there are the workers’ compensation expenses. Indeed, people have hurt their backs lugging 40-pound, five-gallon water bottles around, and others have dropped one on their foot. “It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen,” she said.

But health and wellness also factor into the equation. The large water bottles in offices and factories must be handled by someone, and with each glass of water dispensed, such units take in air from their surroundings, which may contain any number of contaminants.

As for her entrepreneurial exploits, Garfield said those early doubts, and laughs, from friends and family only fueled her desire to succeed in business. “When someone tells me I can’t do something, I just try that much harder to prove them wrong,” she said.

And there are rewards beyond the monetary success. “I’m out of a profession where I helped people,” she said, adding that are aspects to her work with cancer patients that she misses. “But now, I’m making a difference and helping people to go green.”

Liquid Assets

The phrase ‘water-cooler talk’ has been part of the lexicon in American business for decades, and it won’t ever go out of use — even if more talk than ever does take place over the Internet.

But if Garfield (armed with the data she shares atwww.waterfresh.info) has her way, there won’t actually be a water cooler — at least not one with a five-gallon water bottle over it — left to talk around.

She’s already made such units history in many businesses and some homes, and, in so doing, ended the laughter that accompanied her entrepreneurial gambit.

George O’Brien can be reached at[email protected]

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Aquadro & Cerruti Expands on a Foundation Built over 80 Years

Years ago, general contractors had their own tradespeople who worked for them. But over the past 20 years, that has changed. Traditional general contractors are on the wane, and the trend has been to replace them with construction managers who oversee work on projects that they subcontract.

“The industry has evolved,” said Richard (Rick) Aquadro, president of Aquadro & Cerrruti Inc. in Northampton and co-owner with his father, Dick Aquadro.

Their firm is a third-generation business that remains true to its roots and still offers traditional general-contracting services. “There are not many companies like us anymore,” Aquadro said. “You are either a construction manager or a specialty contractor,” the latter of which includes painters, electricians, and other tradespeople, he explained.

The majority of Aquadro & Cerruti’s key full-time field employees have been with them for more than 20 years and bring in tradespeople who take great pride in their work. Aquadro and Cerruti hire the workers directly from local trade unions.

“We have a reputation for being fair. We pay on time, and the many business associates we work with have become personal friends,” Aquadro said. “The management and entire staff of this company is personally committed to the success of each and every project.”

The history of the family-owned business, and the fact that it has remained a hands-on operation that offers general contracting as well as construction management services, sets it apart from companies that offer only construction management.

“Our team of professionals can provide the same services of a larger company. We will accept responsibility, resolve issues, and meet and exceed the desired objectives in all situations. We can provide a local, hands-on commitment along with all the technology required to deliver pre-construction, estimating, construction, accounting, and post-construction services required in today’s construction market,” Aquadro said.

“We do it all and can build anything under the sun — up to $60 million. We are flexible and can offer clients different approaches.”

All of their work has been done in Western Mass. The firm has constructed medical facilities, parking garages, athletic facilities, houses of worship, manufacturing facilities, fire stations and other munipical buildings, dormitories at local colleges, and even work at Yankee Atomic. It also handles historic renovations.

“We think the ability to self-employ tradespeople makes us more effective,” Aquadro says. “We can do demolition, masonry, carpentry, and concrete in-house, which tends to make us more competitive, and works especially well in large-scale renovation jobs.”

Enterepreneurs at Heart

The company’s roots can be traced back to Aquadro’s grandfather, Mario. He was a carpenter by trade, and although he had only an eighth-grade education, he was ambitious and committed to building a business, one house a time.

In 1926, he formed a partnership with his nephew, Oscar Cerruti, who was put in charge of the venture’s finances, and Aquadro & Cerruti was born.

The company incorporated in 1949, but its business remained focused solely on home building and light commercial building until Mario’s sons, Robert (Bob) and Richard (Dick), joined the firm in the 1950s. They were certified professional engineers, with experience at large construction firms in Boston, and were determined to take the business to another level.

The brothers worked 15 hours a day, and by 1960, they had moved the headquarters of Aquadro & Cerruti from Main Street to its present location on Texas Road. Mario had started the business out of his home.

“My father and uncle entered the commercial-building business slowly and with small jobs. They started to add employees and make connections,” said Aquadro, adding that he is grateful for his grandfather’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Aquadro began loading trucks during his teenage years and worked his way up in the company. After graduating from high school, Aquadro spent his summers as a general laborer and also did layout and surveying.

After graduating from UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Aquadro entered the business full-time at age 25. In the mid-’90s, he took over the helm of the company.

Today, the contracting firm’s success is dependent on a team effort, but is still run by family. Aquadro is president, and his cousin, Frank Aquadro, is vice president.

The family is proud of its traditions and relies on the expertise of tradespeople in the field to ensure that the attention to detail Mario demanded is still followed.

“Every building starts as a dream or need of an owner,” Aquadro said. “We are a third-generation company, and we strive to do more each day than the day before.”

Although he doesn’t put in continuous 15-hour days like his father and uncle once did, Aquadro & Cerruti continues to grow.

“We are up to date with cutting-edge technology in terms of computer software systems, estimating systems, and project-management software,” Aquadro said. Some members of the management staff are LEED-certified (an internationally recognized green-building certification system), and others are in the process of becoming certified. In addition, the company is in the process of joining the U.S. Green Building Council.

“We can do anything that is put on paper. We have the knowledge and knowhow,” Aquadro said.

Their bread and butter comes from jobs that range from $10 million to $30 million, and although the downturn in the economy has made getting such jobs more difficult, the company’s principals are focused on the future. “We are looking at ways to redevelop ourselves through a joint venture with a larger company so we can develop a larger bonding capacity,” Aquadro said.

The company has 10 office staff members, and the number of field workers it employs ranges from a dozen to 150, depending on the project.

On the company’s 75th anniversary, they were contacted and told they had been selected to be profiled in a coffee-table-sized book titled Massachusetts: From Colony to Commonwealth – An Illustrated History, published by American Historical Press.

Their history shows that the company is not averse to challenges and has taken on projects that other firms shied away from, such as repairing a waterproofing system — located beneath heavy granite steps and stones — that failed at the UMass Amherst campus’s center plaza.

Other challenges included a three-stage addition to Neilson Library at Smith College. In order to complete it, they had to remove the middle of the building without interrupting the library’s operation.

But opening the doors to opportunity and using their engineering expertise is on the continuum of the company’s history and growth, which includes work at all five colleges in the Amherst-Northampton area.

In addition, Aquadro & Cerruti has a history of making generous donations to many of the institutions it has helped to build, such as Cooley Dickinson Hospital, UMass Amherst, the Northampton YMCA, Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, and many others.

“We self-perform,” Aquadro said.

It’s a philosophy that has stood the test of time and been a cornerstone of the company’s success.

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A pictorial celebration of Difference Makers 2010

A Celebration — by the Book

Event Salutes Difference Makers, Focuses the Spotlight on Literacy

More than 350 people turned out to celebrate BusinessWest’s Difference Makers for 2010 at a lavish ceremony at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House on March 25. Attendees, who included a number of business and civic leaders as well as friends and family of the five winners, were treated to fine food, entertainment, introductions of the winners, and remarks from each recipient, as well as an update on an ongoing initiative called Project Literacy. A networking hour was followed by performances by students from the Gerena Community School in Springfield, and then the formal program. “It was a wonderful evening, one during which we met our two main goals,” said BusinessWest Associate Publisher and Advertising Director Kate Campiti. “We celebrated our Difference Makers for 2010, but we also generated excitement and momentum, not only for our program, but for the larger, all-important matter of giving back to the community and making a difference.”

The 2010 Difference Makers: from left, James Goodwin, president and CEO of the Center for Human Development; Mary Walachy, executive director of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation; Ellen Freyman, attorney and shareholder with the law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C.; Carol Katz, CEO of the Loomis Communities; and Robert Holub, chancellor of UMass Amherst.


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The ?40? have been chosen.

The judges have weighed the nominations, and the composition of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty Class of 2010 is now known — to us, anyway. And it will be revealed in the April 26 edition, which will feature pictures and profiles of a class that is diverse, very intriguing, and includes entrepreneurs, professionals, and nonprofit administrators.

“This is a great class of rising stars,” said BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien, “one that reflects the great talent that we have here in Western Massachusetts.”

The Class of 2010 will be honored at the annual 40 Under Forty gala, to take place June 24 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. Details of that event will be forthcoming. What is known is that, as it has since its inception in 2007, the event will feature excellent networking opportunities, fine food, entertainment, and a chance to meet those rising stars.

For more information, call (413) 781-8600 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (413) 781-8600      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 10, or e-mail Melissa Hallock at[email protected].

This year’s roster of 40 Under Forty nominees — close to 100 of them — were scored by five judges. They are:

  • Denise Dukette, associate director of the Western Mass. Enterprise Fund, who serves as director of lending and head of operations for that organization, a nonprofit community-loan fund that works with banks and other lenders to enable financing for businesses that would otherwise not qualify;
  • Ronn Johnson, president of R.D. Johnson Consulting in Springfield, which specializes in strategic planning and organizational development. Formerly, he served as director of Community Responsibility for MassMutual;
  • Kathy LeMay, owner and founder of Raising Change, a Florence-based company focused on building bridges between philanthropists and nonprofits. The highest scorer among the 40 Under Forty Class of 2009, she recently completed a book titled The Generosity Plan.
  • Jeff McCormick, a partner with the Springfield-based law firm Robinson Donovan, and one of the region’s preeminent trial lawyers. He specializes in business litigation, personal-injury law, federal litigation, professional malpractice law, and legal ethics.
  • Marla Michel, executive director of Strategic Communications and Outreach at UMass Amherst. In this recently created role, she will help lead efforts to build awareness and understanding of research and scholarly accomplishments among internal and external constituents and to expand the university’s role in local and regional innovation. Previously, she served as director of Research Liaison and Development.
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    Spring. Baseball returns, the golf pros head to Augusta, the days start getting longer … and another casino bill is taken up on Beacon Hill.

    It’s becoming a Bay State tradition, these gaming measures and the discussions that precede them. For the past several years, the talk has started in the dead of winter: ‘is this the year that casinos finally get over the hump?’ ‘Is this the year the stars align for passage of a gaming bill?’

    Usually, there is talk of pieces coming together and key players, such as Gov. Deval Patrick and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, forming alliances to get the job done. And in recent years, there’s has been some early momentum, such as last week’s 12-2 vote of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies to support a bill to establish two casino resorts and provide 750 slot machines for each of the state’s four racetracks.

    But in the end, casinos have always come up short, often well short, of the votes needed. This year, once again, like the return of baseball to Fenway, the talk is of how things will be different this time around.

    Let’s hope so.

    Casinos are not a panacea, and they are not going to magically take a near-10% unemployment rate in the Commonwealth and bring it down several points. And they’re not going to spur large volumes of economic development, no matter where they are put.

    But they will help Massachusetts gain a bit of economic stability at a time when the state’s struggles are really beginning to take their toll — on cities and towns, on sectors like health care, and on the public colleges and universities tasked with training future workers for businesses.

    We’ve said it many times before, but it bears repeating: a healthy state financially is crucial to the well-being of this and other regions in the Commonwealth. Two resort casinos and some slot machines are not going to solve the state’s fiscal woes, but it’s better to have that revenue here than see it go to Connecticut. Meanwhile, our state Legislature can’t seem to find ways to help the state’s bottom line that don’t include punishing consumers and small-business owners. Casinos wouldn’t do either, if they were placed properly.

    And a proposed location in Palmer is just such a location.

    Indeed, we wouldn’t want to see a casino in downtown Springfield or downtown Holyoke, where the negative impact on residents and surrounding businesses would be considerable, and where other types of economic development are possible and perhaps probable, even though both communities are still struggling to reinvent themselves.

    But a casino in the Quaboag region, which has been devastated by the loss of manufacturing jobs, and where is little hope for other types of job growth (that area is simply one or a few turnpike exits too far away from both Springfield and Boston), makes a good deal of sense.

    A resort facility would create jobs, bring people who previously couldn’t find Quaboag with a good map to that area, and perhaps spur other forms of tourist-related jobs.

    We’ve said all this before — seems like every spring for the past several years — but the common-sense arguments for resort casinos, one in Palmer and the other in the eastern part of the state, haven’t changed. What just might change this time is the opinion of many state legislators.

    This could be the year. Let’s hope it is.

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    The Bay State?s Teacher Challenge

    When Massachusetts lost out in the first round of federal Race to the Top awards, it came as a disappointment to the state’s leadership, especially given the passage of important education-reform legislation earlier this year.

    But the Bay State can also find encouragement and direction in the results. The federal government’s final scores on state applications indicate that Massachusetts served itself well with recent reforms but just didn’t go far enough — especially in the area of improving teaching. With the right response, Massachusetts may yet declare victory.

    For years, the state has rightfully been proud of its K-12 schools. But a few troubling policies were standing in the way of continued improvement: The state allowed too many persistently failing schools to avoid meaningful change, and despite having a number of the nation’s finest charter schools, the state stubbornly capped their growth.

    January’s legislation addressed both issues, and it made a major difference.

    On the issue of improving struggling schools, Massachusetts scored near the top among finalists. It bested one of two eventual winners, Delaware, and nearly tied the other, Tennessee. On the issue of charter schooling, Massachusetts was outpaced by only a few states. Had the reform legislation not been passed, Massachusetts would’ve found itself far behind.

    So how did the state still manage to place a discouraging 13th overall out of 16 finalists?

    By coming in very last place in the application’s most important section: improving the teaching profession.

    A number of other states, following the Obama administration’s guidelines, acted boldly on this front, overhauling teacher-evaluation systems, toughening tenure rules, launching statewide performance-pay programs, and removing chronically underperforming teachers from the classroom. In Delaware, teacher evaluations must be based on student performance and must inform compensation and promotion decisions; teachers cannot receive tenure if rated ineffective more than once. In Rhode Island, all teacher placements must be based on school need, not seniority, and districts may not allow any student to be taught by an ineffective teacher two years in a row.

    On these issues, Massachusetts demurred, deciding instead to form a task force to study such matters; the grant application also proposes ‘statewide conversations’ with stakeholders. In the few cases where the state proposed new initiatives, startlingly small portions of the state would have participated. A largely undefined pilot program to reform teacher personnel decisions would have been implemented in fewer than 1% of districts.

    Federal reviewers subtracted points from Massachusetts in virtually every part of this section, from evaluations and compensation to teacher-preparation programs and staffing needy schools. In fact, had the state merely maximized these points, it would have displaced Tennessee for the second winning spot.

    The good news, then, is that Massachusetts knows what must be done, and victory is within reach. The challenge for state leaders is in summoning the courage and energy to take these steps before the second and final filing deadline, only 60 days away.

    Massachusetts and many other states have long avoided such reforms because of political opposition. Countless individuals and numerous organizations, from unions to higher-education institutions, have benefited by and grown accustomed to the current arrangements. But if we are to better serve our students, particularly the most disadvantaged, and elevate teaching to the ranks of truly esteemed professions, these changes are essential.

    Fortunately, other states have blazed a trail for Massachusetts. Rhode Island crafted the second-highest-scoring teacher-quality provisions in the competition; these can serve as a model. The two winning states demonstrated that these bold reforms, if developed carefully, can generate broad support: In Delaware and Tennessee, all districts and virtually all unions signed on to their state’s plan.

    Massachusetts has a stark choice and a golden opportunity. Because of the stiff competition, the state simply must address these issues if it is to have a realistic chance of securing one of these unprecedented grants. If it accepts this challenge, it is as well-positioned as any state to win in the second round.

    Hesitant state leaders should view these reforms as the last leg of a marathon. For 20 years, since its early leadership on accountability, Massachusetts has been running strong. With January’s reforms, it moved into the lead pack. Teacher reform is Heartbreak Hill, the final challenge that has stopped others in their tracks. If Massachusetts can push through, it will find at the finish line several hundred million dollars and a brighter future for its students. v

    Andy Smarick, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of education, is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

    Uncategorized
    Tighe & Bond Has Engineered a Century of Progress

    Tighe & Bond has thrived in the fast-moving world of civil engineering for almost 100 years, and has done so by providing an impressive breadth of services and a commitment to staying atop industry trends. That has been even more important over the past decade, a time of ever-more-complex environmental rules and a flood of intriguing new growth areas, including alternative energy. In short, the next century seems promising indeed.

    Any company preparing to mark 100 years in business has seen its share of industry changes.

    But for Tighe & Bond, the Westfield-based civil-engineering firm that first put up a shingle in 1911, those changes have arrived more rapidly over the past decade, thanks to advancing technology, the rise of alternative energy as a growth market, and the ever-growing complexity of environmental regulations.

    “Maybe 10 years ago,” said Francis Hoey III, senior vice president, “designing an access road to a remote location was really an engineering exercise, overcoming physical obstacles. Now it’s determining how the road’s going to snake around to have the least environmental impact. I didn’t know what a vernal pool was 10 years ago.”

    According to President David Pinsky, a wide breadth of expertise on issues related to engineering has long been one of Tighe & Bond’s strengths, and has been evident in the way the firm has stayed current with changing environmental requirements.

    “That’s one of our challenges, to stay out in front in recognizing where the demand for our services is coming from,” Pinsky said. “We’ve been around for a long time, and the same basic needs exist now that have always existed. But the way our skills are applied to projects is different every year, so we try to stay in front of the curve.”

    “We need to stay abreast of all these regulations and show our clients how to navigate the various hurdles that exist for projects,” Hoey added. “That’s why the beginning of a project is so important; that’s when challenges and potential roadblocks are staring at you. Our staff is particularly well-skilled in all the permitting challenges we see in projects.”

    Tighe & Bond has been out front in many high-profile projects recently, from tackling combined sewer overflow problems in Holyoke and Chicopee to designing a significant extension of Belchertown’s sewer system, to evaluating structures at the former Northampton State Hospital and designing new roads, water supplies, and a sewer system for a proposed new living community there.

    “We’ve provided services to literally hundreds of clients in the public and private markets,” Pinsky said. “We’ve been around 99 years, so this is a pretty exciting time for us, and hopefully for our clients as well.”

    For this issue, BusinessWest takes a look at the rapidly changing world of civil engineering and why Tighe & Bond’s excitement is justified.

    Setting Their Sites

    Tighe & Bond has grown from about 170 employees to 200 over the past four years, which Pinsky calls “a comfortable growth rate for us” — and evidence that the firm’s diversity of service has benefited it even during a deep recession. “The economy has certainly affected us, but I think we’ve seen it affect many competitors more than it has affected us,” he said.

    Part of that resilience is due to the sheer diversity of the firm’s services. Tighe & Bond was founded in 1911 to consult on broad-based civil engineering projects. Over the years, it came to specialize in environmental engineering, focusing on water, wastewater, solid waste, and hazardous waste issues, and now boasts seven offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

    Traditionally, about two-thirds of the company’s work has arisen from municipal needs, from engineering sewer lines and treatment plants to resolving issues involving drainage and landfills. In the past dozen years alone, the firm has:

    • Completed a multi-phase upgrade of Holyoke’s water system, including a six-mile, gravity-fed transmission main, treatment facility, storage tanks; and pumping stations;

    • Designed a cost-effective water-treatment plant for Chester that was selected by the American Public Works Assoc. as 1997’s national public works project of the year;
    • Oversaw brownfield remediation and demolition of 29 buildings on the six-acre site of the former H.B. Smith foundry in Westfield, including appropriate disposal of hazardous waste and 100-year-old underground storage tanks;
    • Completed a $15.5 million wastewater improvement project in Winchendon, including a treatment-plant upgrade designed to reduce ammonia and phosphorus, and an increase in capacity to eliminate combined sewer overflows and accommodate planned sewer extension projects;
    • Provided site planning, wetlands approvals, storm-water management, traffic studies, permitting, and design of wastewater-treatment-plant expansion to enable redevelopment by Georgetown Land Development Co. of the former Gilbert & Bennett wire-mill site in Redding, Conn., recipient of the 2005 EPA Award for Smart Growth Achievement; and
    • Won an Engineering Excellence Award, along with Yale-New Haven Hospital, from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Conn. for a roadway improvement project to Route 34. Tighe & Bond developed the improvement plans to support traffic generated by the new Smilow Cancer Center at the hospital, as well as addressing operational and safety deficiencies along the road.

      That diversity of expertise, Pinsky said, has been a buffer against downturns in any one area. Tighe & Bond has worked for municipalities and state government agencies throughout New England and New York, as well as private work for a diverse group of industries, including hospitals and other health care institutions, venture-capital investors, and utility companies.

      As municipalities and private developers have slowed down the volume of available work during the recession, however, another growth area — alternative energy — has helped the firm pick up the slack.

      The two major growth areas have been in solar (or photovoltaic) and wind power, due partly to government rebate programs and renewable-energy tax credits available to developers, Hoey said. “There’s a lot of financial incentive to develop renewable-energy sources that, in and of themselves, wouldn’t be financially viable.”

      Due to those incentives, he said, many communities are looking at large-scale solar projects, and landfills, being large, flat areas, are ideal spots for such projects. “They’re not going to develop that land going forward anyway, so why not make a buck generating power on it? So that’s a hotbed of activity right now — and early implementers are the ones who are going to make money.”

      Tighe & Bond has taken advantage of that growth by performing site assessment and remediation, among other services, for such projects. It has similarly put its skills to use in wind-power projects.

      “We can do all the civil site work, and we have to design access roads over generally rugged terrain,” he explained, in addition to tackling the challenges of geotechnology for the turbine foundations and the environmental permitting required on such sites.

      Engineering the Future

      To survive and thrive for 100 years, Pinsky said, an engineering firm has to stay vigilant in seeking new opportunities such as those in alternative energy — especially at such a fragile time for many industries struggling with an uncertain economy.

      “We do a lot of work for developers and architects, and not only have our competitors been hurt by this economy, but our clients in that sector have been killed,” Hoey said. “They’ve probably been hit the worst. There are a lot of developers out there with the wherewithal to do work, but they’re taking a wait-and-see approach. So we need to go where there’s more activity.”

      The speed with which all industries seem to be ‘going green’ makes for another rewarding challenge. Senior Vice President Thomas Couture noted one of the firm’s clients, which makes sales receipts for Wal-Mart.

      As part of going-green efforts, that chain is phasing out a carcinogenic chemical called bisphenol that had been used in its receipt paper, so the paper maker must look for substitute chemicals. “That’s all part of sustainability,” Couture said, “part of Wal-Mart’s determination to use ecologically friendly materials in its business.”

      “There’s such a great emphasis and importance placed on sustainability and high efficiency these days,” Pinsky said, noting that 10 of the firm’s engineers are accredited in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the system that rates ‘green buildings’ for energy efficiency and environmental impact.

      Meanwhile, computer technology marches on. When BusinessWest spoke to Tighe & Bond four years ago, geographical information systems (GIS) — which take data (such as water quality or water and sewer rates) and relate it spacially to a physical map — was still fairly new to the industry, and now it’s standard equipment. Even videoconferencing, Pinsky said, has played an ever-larger role in connecting the engineers at the seven field offices.

      “That fits in with the sustainability mantra as well,” Hoey said, noting that different offices can share documents as well as face time across the distance. “You’re saving a lot of mileage not having to drive to headquarters for every meeting.”

      In general, the principals at Tighe & Bond are enthusiastic about the future of their field, and they’re doing what they can to make sure the flow of talent remains sufficient in Western Mass.

      “There have been so many more opportunities for students to get into this area, and there has been a general shortage of talent in engineering compared to 10, 15, 20 years ago,” Pinsky said. “So it’s important to continue to educate and encourage people to get into the profession.”

      To that end, “we have a very strong internship program that has paid huge dividends for students as well as the firm. We have an opportunity to give some people jobs over the summer; we try them out, and they try us out. In numerous cases, we have been able to hire those people when they graduated from school, and they’ve become great employees.”

      At the same time, Pinsky and his staff have strived to make Tighe & Bond a well-regarded employer. He cited the firm’s recent recognition by industry source CE News as one of the top 50 civil-engineering firms to work for, ranking 29th overall.

      “We put a lot of emphasis in the workplace and make sure Tighe & Bond is a great place to work,” Pinsky said. Meanwhile, the company received top marks in the ‘quality’ category of the first annual Premier Award for Client Satisfaction, sponsored by management-consulting firm PSMJ Resources Inc. Tighe & Bond outscored 42 other firms competing in that category.

      “It’s important for us to hear from independent groups and clients about how we’re doing,” Pinsky said, “and we’re trying to focus on continual improvement, striving to become better, stronger, and more efficient than we are today.”

      That’s a good attitude to begin another 100 years.

      Joseph Bednar can be reached

      at[email protected]

      Uncategorized
      This Landscape Architect Has a Business That?s Well-grounded

      David Paine says people don’t understand the difference between a landscaper, a landscaping contractor, a landscape designer, and a landscape architect.

      The owner/principal of Plan It Green Landscaping Architects in Westfield told BusinessWest that landscape architects like himself not only have a college degree, they must work for a landscape designer for three years after graduation, then pass a rigorous exam before they are eligible to receive their license and become registered by the state.

      Paine has worked in the landscaping field since he was a teenager, is passionate about conservation, and chose the name of his company carefully.

      “Plan It Green is a play on words. When you say it quickly, it sounds like planet green,” he said. “We depend on planet earth to live, so we must take care of it.”

      His profession allows him to combine his love of design with caring for the environment in a meaningful way. “I strongly value the service I provide to plants and animals that don’t have a voice, as well for as the people who do,” he said.

      Paine handles green design, community planning, and landscape architecture. Although his projects vary in size and scope, his focus is not only on creating attractive sites, but on preserving natural resources. “Green is the key word. My values are rooted in environmentally sensitive and respectful land planning. It results in environmental, aesthetic, financial, and ethical benefits,” he said.

      He adds there is a common misconception that going green is expensive.

      “People think it costs more, but that’s not true,” he said. “Although the initial cost of implementing a green plan may be more, over the long term it can result in tremendous savings.”

      The type of plants used in a design and the location of a building are important factors. “I use indigenous plants because they require less maintenance and are hardier,” Paine said. “A design can also affect energy conservation. You can plant trees to create shade or site buildings or outdoor spaces to capture sun and retain heat.”

      Not all of his clients see going green as a priority, but Paine says he tries to incorporate at least one green element in every project.

      “I provide a balance between quality design and respectful treatment of the earth,” he said. “My work is tailored to individual needs and aspirations, with an approach that recognizes existing resources.”

      Paine has been a steward of the earth since he was in college. “I’m a child of the first environmental movement that took place in the mid- to late ’70s. I was thinking green well before green was the buzz,” he said.

      Every project involves drainage, which impacts the environment, he continued. “When it rains, there will be water, whether it is in someone’s backyard, at a commercial building site, or in a park. As humans, we need to manage that water and keep things balanced.”

      Although most people don’t give much thought to the importance of replenishing groundwater, it’s vital to survival. “We depend on it for our drinking water, and we need to replenish it with clean water,” he explained.

      To that end, whenever possible, Plan It Green’s designs divert stormwater back into the earth, rather than routing it into conventional storm-drain systems with pipes and underground structures that require maintenance.

      “A catch basin can cost $2,500, plus there are excavation costs,” Paine said. “The alternative is a rain garden or bioswale that creates a depressed area that collects water and can be filled with beautiful plants. It looks like a garden, and since the plants filter the water and cleanse it, it’s a green solution.”

      Designs on Growth

      Residential landscape design accounts for roughly half of Paine’s work. His projects range from small jobs, such as planning a deck, patio, retaining wall, outdoor lighting, or fencing, to designing a plan for the entire exterior of someone’s property.

      He meets with clients several times, which is necessary to determine their needs, budgets, and dreams before completing a design plan. “It’s an interactive process. We work together because I may be an expert, but it’s their home,” he said. “Some people think they know exactly what they want, while others don’t have a clue.”

      The client sees and approves the final plan before any work begins. “They know exactly what they will get. I don’t want any surprises,” Paine said, adding that one of the elements of good design is that it has to function well.

      His company doesn’t do landscape construction, but after decades of experience, Paine has a roster of reliable business names he willingly shares with clients who request them.

      Paine has also handled green design for municipalities across New England. Such work includes town centers, streetscapes, and municipal planning of projects that range from downtown-sidewalk improvements in Westfield to to a revitalization of Huntington Center and a boulevard development plan in New Haven, Conn.

      In the commercial and institutional arena, Paine designed a courtyard within the building confines of Baystate Medical Center as well as sprucing up the entrance to the emergency room and making aesthetic changes to its campus. His numerous accounts include Balise Toyota in West Springfield, St. George’s Cathedral in Springfield, the Portugese Club in Hudson, Westfield State College, and the Society for Savings in Simsbury and Hartford, Conn.

      Parks are another arena where Paine puts his expertise to work. “I did a master plan five years ago for Chauncey Allen Park in Westfield, and we are starting to implement those plans now,” he said.

      He also created a master plan for Worthington Park in Somers, Conn. that is owned by Dan Roulier. One element of the plan was designing a landscape sized to scale for a model railroad, which included boulders, bridges, mountains, and plants. “I get to work on all kinds of projects; no two are the same.”

      Last year, when the economy was sluggish and both residential and commercial work slowed, Paine designed a landscape and did the construction work himself at a client’s home in Tiverton, R.I. “I built a 2,000-square-foot circular stone patio with a waterfall, arbor, hot-tub area, and beautiful cedar fencing,” he said. “I worked in the capacity of a landscape contractor, which I had done in high school and college.”

      Planting Roots

      Paine’s love for landscaping began when he was a teen and worked for a landscaping company. After graduating from Harvard College, he worked in California for 10 years, then moved back to the East Coast and worked in Connecticut for three years before opening his first business. “I started as Paine and Co. Landscape Architects in 1985,” he said. “Until the mid-’90s, I had up to five people working for me and was in three different locations in Westfield.”

      From 1992 to 1998, he lived in Ottawa, Canada and ran his Westfield business as well as another one in that locale. In 1998, he returned to the Pioneer Valley and renamed Paine and Co. to Plan It Green.

      Today, he does not have employees, but works in collaboration with other professionals who include landscape architects and engineers.

      “I also do bicycle and pedestrian planning and rail-trail improvements,” Paine said.

      Green ones, that is, which integrate ecological measures with innovative designs.

      It’s all in a day’s work at Plan It Green.

      10 Points Departments

      By DENNIS G. EGAN Jr., Esq.

      1. File annual reports. In Massachusetts, annual reports must be filed on or before the anniversary of formation and are required to attain good standing to secure financing, enter into purchase-and-sale transactions, and transact other business.

      2. Keep business insurance current and complete. Unemployment insurance, Social Security, and workers’ compensation are all required by law. Make sure your insurance is up to date and your business is adequately covered.
      3. Create a succession plan. Then memorialize it through a cross-purchase or redemption agreement. These may be funded through whole, term-life, and/or disability insurance.
      4. Update your estate plan. As businesses succeed and property and assets are bought and/or sold, the composition of your estate may change. Make sure that your estate plan keeps pace.

      5. File and pay taxes in a timely fashion. One thing is certain: not filing and paying taxes in a timely fashion will lead to penalties and interest that far exceed the underlying tax obligation.

      6. Make sure your business is qualified to do business in every state in which you conduct business. Non-compliance can lead to significant penalties and interest on top of the filing fees.
      7. Review your employment contracts. Recent case law has changed what constitutes an employee versus an independent contractor, and failure to properly categorize workers can lead to significant legal costs, administrative expense, and tax obligations.
      8. Review or create a comprehensive employee handbook. This notifies employees of your business’ policies and procedures. It helps to prevent confusion, protects your business from possible litigation, and creates a better work environment.
      9. Revisit your business health-insurance coverage. This will help you to balance the health needs of your employees with containing costs.

      10. Service your company’s debt. Are you receiving the most favorable terms available? You may be able to refinance your company’s debt, resulting in a lower interest rate and more-favorable repayment terms.

      Dennis G. Egan Jr. is an associate with the regional law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C, who specializes in business and corporate law; (413) 781-0560; degan@ baconwilson.com

      Departments Picture This

      Legislative Breakfast

      The annual Higher Education Joint Legislative Breakfast was staged on March 26 at Springfield Technical Community College. Hosting colleges were Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, STCC, and Westfield State College. Also in attendance were the presidents of Berkshire Community College and Mass. College of Liberal Arts, as well as the chancellor of UMass Amherst. At left are state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, STCC President Ira Rubenzahl, and Lorenzo Gaines, director of the ACCESS Springfield Promise Program. Above are three area legislators who serve on the Joint Committee on Higher Education: state Rep. Donald Humason; state Sen. Benjamin Downing, acting chair of the committee; and state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli.


      The SOS Turns 20

      The Spirit of Springfield celebrated its 20th birthday on March 31 with a pizza-and-beer party at the Sheraton Springfield. On hand were dozens of supporters of the SOS and its events — Bright Nights in Forest Park, the annual pancake breakfast, the Big Balloon Parade, the July 4th fireworks, the annual golf tournament, and others. Pictured from left are Judy Matt, director of the Spirit of Springfield; Leslie Bercume of Health New England; Jean Jenks and Florence DeRose, former partners of Design & Advertising Associates; Diane Rodriguez of the Springfield School Department; and Dan Walsh of Columbus Hotels.


      Cutting the Ribbon

      Balise Honda recently celebrated its official grand opening on March 25 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house, an event attended by local politicians, media, and invited guests. The dealership is located at 400 Riverdale St. in West Springfield, site of the former Yale Genton. Above, Balise President Jeb Balise (second from left) cuts the ceremonial ribbon with, from left, state Sen. Stephen Buoniconti, West Springfield Mayor Edward Gibson, and state Rep. James Welch. Below, the entire Balise Honda staff poses for a picture.

      Departments Incorporations

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

      ADAMS

      Midtown Tax & Bookkeeping Co. Inc., 44 Spring St., Adams, MA 01220. Joann C. Gagne, One Berkshire Square, Adams, MA 01220. Tax preparation and accounting services.

      AMHERST

      Left-Click Corporation, 15 Cowles Lane, Amherst , MA 01002. Kelly S. Albrecht, same. Computer sales and service.

      CHICOPEE

      JSAA Inc., 161 Ward St., Chicopee, MA 01013. William J. Stetson, 10 Riverview Terrace, Chicopee, MA 01013. Restaurant.

      EAST LONGMEADOW

      Medical Access International Inc., 24 Crestview Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Douglas A. Cowieson, same. Facilitate communication and insurance claim coverage

      EASTHAMPTON

      Mockingbird Farm Company, 15 Torrey St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Peter Stanley Solis, 11 Birch Hill Road, Agawam, MA 01001. Operating farm.

      FEEDING HILLS

      Mibase Inc., 26 Yale Avenue, Feeding Hills MA, 01003. Todd M. Crevier, same. Real Estate and Sales Development.

      HAMPDEN

      N&G Inc., 89 Woodland Dr., Hampden, MA 01036. Lewis G. Caputo Jr., same. Retail sales of food arrangements.

      LONGMEADOW

      Marblehead Appliance Service Inc., 45 Oxford Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Steven M. Seay. Appliance repair and service.

      LUDLOW

      K&L Fall Services Inc., 264 Moody St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Kevin J. Fall, 23 Main St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Commercial and residential cleaning services.

       

      Korean War Veterans Association of Western Mass. Chapter 187 (2000) Inc., Alexander Natario, 8 Wedgwood Dr., Ludlow, MA 01056-1852. This corporation provides charitable, historical, patriotic and educational objectives to preserve and strengthen camaraderie among members.

      Ledeoux Investment & Retirement Solutions Inc., 84 Chapin Greene Dr., Ludlow, MA 01056. Rene G. Ledoux, same.

      M & A Fresh Produce Inc., 4 White St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Nil Atmaca, 591 Moore St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Produce sales.

      Mr. Home Inc., 74 Cislak Dr., Ludlow, MA 01056. William G. Sweeney, same. Home repair and handyman services.

      WEST SPRINGFIELD

      Kwik Trans Inc., 67 Bliss St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Valiantsin Zhmaidziak, same. Transportation services.

      SOUTH HADLEY

      Margala Tech Inc., 23 Pheasant Run, South Hadley, MA 01075. M. Zubair Kareem, same. Computer software related services and development.

      SPRINGFIELD

      Law Offices of Ronda G. Parish, P.C., 1350 Main St., Suite 1010 Springfield, MA 01103. Ronda Parish, P.C., same. Law office.

      SOUTH DEERFIELD

      LTS Tools Inc., 40 Conway St., South Deerfield, MA 01373. Francis J. Naida, 38 Pleasant St., South Deerfield, MA 01373. Retail tool sales.

      MBA Transportation Inc., 20 Industrial Dr., West, South Deerfield, MA 01373. Jill Goulet, same. Bulk transportation services.

      WESTFIELD

      Mercantile Engineers American Inc., 1277 Southampton Road, Westfield, MA 01085. George Mathew Changathara, same.

      Court Dockets 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.

      CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

      Lillian Beauchamp v. JB Properties, LLC
      Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance causing personal injury: $3,395.20
      Filed: 2/19/10

      Nilsa Guzman v. Springfield Area Transit
      Allegation: Negligence in operation of a bus: $25,000
      Filed: 2/26/10

      GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

      United Leasing Inc. v. Pioneer Drilling
      Allegation: Breach of Cross Corporate Guaranty: $4,402.10
      Filed: 3/5/10

      HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

      AgTec Agricultural Trade & Export Company Inc. v. Decas Cranberry Products Inc.
      Allegation: Breach of contract: $890,171
      Filed: 3/8/10

      Wildco Petroleum Equipment Inc. v. HDC Five, LLC and Westfield Bank
      Allegation: Breach of contract: $81,092.93
      Filed: 3/9/10

      HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

      Edward F. Kamont v. Ray Hart Kennel & Stables
      Allegation: Owner negligence causing injury when a draft horse escaped its enclosure and the plaintiff’s vehicle struck the horse causing personal injury: $256,945.56
      Filed: 2/17/10

      Joan E. Griswold v. Mestek Inc.
      Allegation: Wrongful termination: $90,000+
      Filed: 3/9/10

      HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

      Kane Brothers Landscape & Construction v. Weld Management Company Inc.
      Allegation: Breach of contract and non-payment of landscape and construction services provided: $3,310.13
      Filed: 2/11/10

      NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

      Cynthia Holley v. The Levi-Nielsen Company
      Allegation: Defendant breached expressed warranty by failing to provide proper drainage in home: $11,950
      Filed: 3/3/10

      Judith Raskevitz v. FedEx Ground Package Systems Inc.
      Allegation: Negligence in operation of motor vehicle: $17,498.45
      Filed: 2/22/10

      PALMER DISTRICT COURT

      Joel & Jill Crescentini v. B & F Paving & Construction Inc.
      Allegation: Breach of driveway installation contract: $7,220
      Filed: 2/24/10

      USA Hauling & Recycling Inc. v. Pinocchio’s
      Allegation: Breach of service contract: $10,171.88
      Filed: 2/24/10

      SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

      Bradco Supply Corp. v. Greg Construction
      Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $13,148.06
      Filed: 2/2/10

      J.M O’Brien & Co., P.C. v. Melikian Inc.
      Allegation: Non-payment of accounting services: $2,550
      Filed: 3/3/10

      One Communications v. Accessory Group of N.E. Inc.
      Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $4,037.52
      Filed: 2/1/10

      Company Notebook Departments

      V-One Vodka Receives Top Honors in Competition

      HADLEY — Valley Vodka Inc.’s V-One Vodka was recently honored with the highest award, the Double Gold Medal, at the World Spirits Competition. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is a weekend of blind taste tests conducted by an expert panel of judges who award medals based solely on taste. The competition was held at the Nikko Hotel on March 13-14, and included more than 1,050 spirits from 56 countries and six continents, making it the largest competition of its kind. For gaining top honors, V-One Vodka will be featured in the May issue of Tasting Panel magazine. Also, Paul Kozub, owner and founder of V-One, will be traveling with the other Double Gold Medal winners in other categories for a 12-city tour for trade and media promotions. Kozub noted that for V-One Vodka to be rated as the top vodka in the world is “mindblowing.” He is one of the youngest founders of a Double Gold medal-winning vodka. V-One is distributed throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut and is available in more than 1,000 bars, restaurants, and liquor stores.

      Pion Family Receives Reprieve from GM

      CHICOPEE — Within the next few weeks, Robert Pion and his son, Donald Pion, hope to increase their inventory of new Buicks and GMCs after they learned they had been reinstated as a Buick and GMC dealer by General Motors Corp. During a recent press conference, the Pion family thanked U.S. Rep. Richard Neal for his efforts on their behalf as he met with GM executives to review the car dealer’s sales statistics. The Pions had kept the business going with the service department and bought used cars at auction to sell. In addition to Pion’s dealership, six others have been reinstated across the state following arbitration with GM.

      Firms Expand into Brownfield Market

      ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. — Sovereign Consulting Inc. has announced a partnership with RE Invest Solutions LLC to offer real-estate developers, corporations, and municipalities creative solutions to finance, remediate, and redevelop distressed and underutilized industrial properties. RE Invest, in partnership with real-estate developers, finances environmental remediation projects in exchange for an equity position in the redevelopment project. RE Invest invests in brownfield properties throughout the U.S., helping corporations and municipalities monetize their surplus fixed assets and transfer environmental liability. Sovereign provides the technical resources and manpower needed to execute the site remediation to regulatory closure.

      Don Muller Gallery Attends Exclusive Jewelry Show

      NORTHAMPTON — Jewelry showcased at the Centurion Show, an invitation-only trade show in Tucson, Ariz. for prominent retailers, will soon be found in the Don Muller Gallery on Main Street. Retailers shopped with Centurion’s 110-plus award-winning designers and purchased collections in various price ranges. Muller noted that shopping at the Centurion allows him to see the “very best jewelry available.” Muller added that he enjoyed shopping the collections of Todd Reed, Alex Sepkus, and Sethi Couture, which are carried in his store.

      Friends of the Homeless Receives Grant

      SPRINGFIELD — The TD Charitable Foundation recently awarded a $10,000 grant to Friends of the Homeless (FOH) that will allow the organization to continue working with adults who are homeless in the Greater Springfield area. Bill Miller, executive director of FOH, thanked the TD Charitable Foundation and noted that the funds will provide services that help people access permanent housing.

      Impoco’s Poultry Market Celebrates 80 Years

      SPRINGFIELD — Impoco’s Poultry Market is celebrating 80 years of providing fresh, all-natural poultry products to the region with a move to a new location on Walnut Street. The new site is operated by Anthony Impoco, the third generation of the Impoco family to continue in the business. He has been involved in the poultry industry for more than 35 years. The company was founded by Joseph Impoco in 1929 at the original Six Corners site of 345 Walnut St., a quarter-mile from the new location. The new retail market offers freshly prepared, all-natural chicken and chicken parts, as well as fresh eggs obtained from local egg farms. In the near future, the company plans to expand the product line to include waterfowl and game birds.

      Normandeau Marks 20th Anniversary

      FLORENCE — Hard work, honesty and a commitment to others have been the driving forces behind Normandeau Communications, which was founded by Raymond Normandeau and is now run by his son, Brett Normandeau, and daughter, Kim Durand. The family-owned and operated business provides quality cabling services and professional installation of business telephone systems. Durand noted that they “stake their name and reputation” on providing all their customers with the right solutions for their communication needs, taking advantage of new technology and providing true value with continued support.

      Chamber Corners Departments

      ACCGS
      www.myonlinechamber.com
      (413) 787-1555

      Please see the chamber’s Web site for information about upcoming events.

      Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
      www.springfieldyps.com   

      April 15: Third Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m., hosted by Fathers & Sons Group Showroom, 989 Memorial Ave. Corporate sponsors: Albertus Magnus College School of New Dimensions and Bank of America Home Loans. Community Spotlight: Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass.  Food and cash bar provided by the Federal. Sound and entertainment provided by Jx2 Productions.

      Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
      www.amherstarea.com

      April 14: After 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by New England Environmental, 15 Research Dr., sponsored by Attorney William Hart, Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas.
      April 28: After 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Kuhn Riddle Architects, 28 Amity St., sponsored by Teagno Construction, Knights of Columbus, Amherst Landscape and Design.

      Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
      www.chicopeechamber.org
      (413) 594-2101

      April 21: Salute Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by Summit View Banquet & Meeting House, 555 Northampton St., Holyoke. Celebrating Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc. (55-year anniversary), Chicopee Provision (90-year anniversary), Distinctive Marketing Co. Inc. (30-year anniversary), and Polish National Credit Union (new mortgage center). Sponsors include Chicopee Register, Great To Be Home Care Inc., MassMutual, and Westover Building Supply Co. Inc. To purchase tickets, call (413) 594-2101 or visit www.chicopeechamber.org .
      April 28: Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Holyoke Catholic High School, 134 Springfield St., Chicopee, sponsored by Mount Vernon Group Architects Inc. To purchase tickets, call (413) 594-2101 or visit www.chicopeechamber.org.

      Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce
      www.easthamptonchamber.org
      (413) 527-9414

      April 14: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by the Pulaski Club, 79 Maple St., Easthampton, sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. Hors d’ouevres by Hamel’s Creative Catering. Door prizes and cash bar. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

      Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
      www.holycham.com
      (413) 534-3376

      April 21: Chamber After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Marcotte Ford Inc., 1025 Main St., Holyoke. Presented by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. Join your friends and colleagues for this informal evening of networking. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members.
      April 27: Business Person of the Year Award Dinner, 6 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. The Greater Holyoke Business Community honors James M. Lavelle as the Business Person of the Year. Order tickets by calling the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.

      Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
      www.explorenorthampton.com  
      (413) 584-1900
      Please see the chamber’s Web site for information about upcoming events.

      Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
      www.qvcc.biz   (413) 283-2418
      Please see the chamber’s Web site for information about upcoming events.

      South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce
      www.shchamber.com
      (413) 532-6451
      Please see the chamber’s Web site for information about upcoming events.

      Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce
      www.threeriverschamber.org
      (413) 283-6425
      Please see the chamber’s Web site for information about upcoming events.

      Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce
      www.westfieldbiz.org
      (413) 568-1618
      April 27: WestNet networking event, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Buon Appetito Ristoronte, 856 North Road, Westfield. Premium Member: Easthampton Savings Bank. Highlight your business, and bring a door prize. Tickets: (10 for members, $15 for non-members. For reservations, contact Marcia at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected] .

      Building Permits Departments

      The following building permits were issued during the month of March 2010.

      AGAWAM

      Six Flags New England
      1623 Main St.
      $400,000 — Erect new Johnny Rockets building

      AMHERST

      150 Fearing Street, LLC
      150 Fearing St.
      $2,500 — Construct partition walls to create new office

      CHICOPEE

      Memorial Drive Associates, LLC
      1968 Memorial Dr.
      $7,000 — Interior renovations

      Septembers
      92 View St.
      $10,000 — New deck in rear of building

      EAST LONGMEADOW

      Body Tones & Spa
      34 Shaker Road
      $39,000 — Commercial build out

      E.L. Management Systems
      305 Maple St.
      $185,000 — Renovate nurse’s unit

      Plastipak
      108 Industrial Dr.
      $156,000 — Commercial alteration

      GREENFIELD

      John C. Chakalos
      130 Colrain St.
      $43,000 — Install entrance vestibule and second-floor repairs

      Spike Segundo, LLC
      21-23 Bank Row
      $40,000 — Build out of proposed pizza place

      HADLEY

      Dave’s Pet Food & Soda
      337-357 Russell St.
      $18,500 — Store expansion

      Edens & Avant
      454-460 Russell St.
      $60,000 — Tenant fit out

      Gleason Brothers Inc.
      10 S. Maple St.
      $20,000 — Enclose 645 square feet of area for ice cream retail sales

      NORTHAMPTON

      193 Locust St. Associates, LLP
      193 Locust St.
      $68,000 — Convert billing office into four exam rooms

      Michael & Judy Ryan
      1 Amber Lane
      $16,500 — Renovate first-floor interior office space

       

      New Silk Mill, LLC
      267 Locust St.
      $137,000 — Renovate interior office space

      Richard Webber & William D. Grinnell Trustees
      8 North King St.
      $45,000 — Install new roof

      Ruggierio Corliss, LLC
      86 Masonic St.
      $46,000 — Exterior renovations

      Seven Bravo Two, LLC
      152 Cross Path Road
      $60,000 — Install rooftop solar panels at storage hanger

      Starbuck’s Coffee Company
      211 Main St.
      $140,000 — Interior remodel

      PALMER

      Wing Hospital
      4 Springfield St.
      $75,000 — Create new office space

      SPRINGFIELD

      Birnie Medical, LLC
      300 Birnie Ave.
      $385,000 — Renovation of 7,500 square feet of space for New England Orthopedics

      Gandara Center
      25 Mooreland St.
      $13,000 — Exterior renovations

      Wasson Avenue Partners, LLC
      100 Wasson Ave. Suite 200
      $228,000 — Complete tenant build out

      Wasson Avenue Partners, LLC
      100 Wasson Ave. Suite 230
      $223,000 — Complete tenant build out

      Wong Realty Trust
      8 Tembly St.
      $80,000 — Renovate interior for new restaurant

      WESTFIELD

      Aaron’s
      530 E. Main St.
      $111,500 — Commercial fit out

      WEST SPRINGFIELD

      30 Magazine Place Realty
      333 Park St.
      $8,000 — Renovate 600 square feet of office space

      Antonio Argirio
      444 Hill Crest Ave.
      $5,000 — Reoccupy existing restaurant

      Center for Human Development
      456 Ohio St.
      $6,000 — Group home renovation

      H & P Realty
      245 Brushwood Road
      $25,000 — Re-roof

      Bankruptcies Departments

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

      Abderrahim, Kais H.
      Abderrahim, Melissa M.
      101 Longview Ter.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Ainsworth, Daniel
      Ainsworth, Elise
      a/k/a Desnoyers, Elise
      45 Bridge St., Apt. 7
      Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Allen, Edward H.
      312 Franklin St.
      Springfield, MA 01104-3625
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Andujar, Rafael
      64 Pomona St.
      Springfield, MA 01138
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Arroyo, Melvin A.
      107 Cherrelyn St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Baker, James E.
      Baker, Beth A.
      94 Mashapaug Road
      Sturbridge, MA 01566
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Baker, Ralph A.
      Baker, Denise M.
      20 Glenwood Ave.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 02/28/10

      Barfitt, Evelyn Gertrude
      213 Birnam Road
      Northfield, MA 01360
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Bassett, Lawrence R.
      136 Meadow St.
      North Adams, MA 01247
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Bassett, Rose M.
      30 Temple St.
      North Adams, MA 01247
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Beane, Pamela A.
      549 Russell Road, #10A
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Bermudez, Eugenio V.
      59 Genessee St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Bigelow, Mark E.
      390 West Hawley Road
      Hawley, MA 01339
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Blanks, Nyra A.
      739 Beacon Circle
      Springfield, MA 01119
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Brakatu, Anna A.
      a/k/a Mills, Anna B.
      145 Ambrose St.
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Brown, Justin S.
      51 Toronita Dr.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Brown, Rose
      340 Cooley St., Suite 112
      Springfield, MA 01128
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Cady, Dennis F.
      4 Zabek Dr.
      Easthampton, MA 01027
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Call, Glenn R.
      29 Chestnut Dr.
      Belchertown, MA 01007
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Cantoni, April M.
      117 Columbia St.
      Adams, MA 01220
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Cavanaugh, Gail
      225 Falley Dr.
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/03/10

      Checca, Keith Eric
      Checca, Amyanne Leigh
      41 Liquori Dr.
      Feeding Hills, MA 01030
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Cherival, Daniel
      189 Santa Barbara St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Ciempa, David A.
      McCue-Ciempa, Jennifer L.
      23 Apache Dr.
      North Adams, MA 01247
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Coll’s Cleaning Service
      Coll, Patrick A.
      P O Box 12
      Northfield, MA 01360
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Colson, Raymond W.
      Colson, Lisa M.
      78 Lavoie Ave.
      Ludlow, MA 01056
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Coronity, James V.
      1251 Calkins Road
      Palmer, MA 01069
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Croteau, Elizabeth A.
      18 Angeline St.
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Croteau, Larry M.
      18 Angeline St.
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Darcy, Joseph W.
      Darcy, Elizabeth A.
      31 Park Ave.
      Sturbridge, MA 01566
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Dejoinville, Stephen R.
      DeJoinville, Gabrielle T.
      a/k/a Sullivan, Gabrielle T.
      a/k/a Mansfield, Gabrielle T.
      120 Albert St.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Dennis, Rhiannon B.
      13 Clifford Ave.
      Ware, MA 01082
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Desgres, Gary G.
      Desgres, Janine M.
      130 Main St.
      P.O. Box 38
      Charlemont, MA 01339
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Duprat, Robert Leo
      138 Robins Ave.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Eisnor, Ronald L.
      17 Deer Brook Dr.
      Granby, MA 01033
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Elliott, David W.
      6 Orchard St.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Feltner, Diane E.
      24 Cottage St.
      Ware, MA 01082
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Ficarra, Michael J.
      Ficarra, Arlin
      a/k/a Gonzalez, Arlin
      58 Senator St.
      Springfield, MA 01129
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/09/10

      Fitzgerald, Joseph W.
      PO Box 440
      Warren, MA 01083
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Flores, Carlos
      65 Craig Dr., Apt. Y5
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Gagne, Robert C.
      48 Austin Circle
      Florence, MA 01062
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Gauthier, Robert D.
      Gauthier, Susan M.
      14 Gargon Ter.
      Southwick, MA 01077
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Gersbach, Shawn
      Gersbach, Julie M.
      a/k/a Guasto, Julie M.
      PO Box 1466
      Ware, MA 01082
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Glanville, James S.
      Glanville, Sharon A.
      28 Ingham St.
      Chicopee, MA 01013
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Gomez, Miguel A.
      70 Meadow St., 1st Fl.
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Goodale, Elizabeth A.
      132 Lincoln St.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/09/10

      Gorskey, Richard A.
      Gorskey, Phyllis P.
      43 Apple Road
      Brimfield, MA 01010
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/03/10

      Grady, Tawana M.
      57 Georgetown St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Grisolia, Doreen A.
      495 South Barre Road
      Barre, MA 01005
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Guyette, Paul P.
      PO Box 46
      Easthampton, MA 01027
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Herbert, Scott John
      Herbert, Michelle Lynn
      399 Springfiled St.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Hess, Gregory
      119 Union St., Unit #3
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Hess, Katherine
      119 Union St., Unit #3
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Hewins, Kimberly Ann
      47 North Main St.
      South Hadley, MA 01075
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/09/10

       

      Howard, Melisa S.
      27 A Van Buren Ave.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Huckins, Melody
      15 Ballard St., Apt R
      Easthampton, MA 01027
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Hunter, Miranda L.
      18 George Loomis Road
      Southwick, MA 01077
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Jameson, Curt L.
      3 Pleasant St.
      Monson, MA 01057
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/09/10

      Jimenez, Ivan M.
      406 South St.
      Barre, MA 01005
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Jimenez, Migdalia
      406 South St.
      Barre, MA 01005
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      John’s Custom Counters Inc.
      Gamelli, John J.
      117 Tannery Road
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Johnson, Tammy J.
      2046 Pleasant St.
      Three Rivers, MA 01080
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/09/10

      Joubert, Kathryn A.
      265 Tremont St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Knapp, Roger E.
      16 Kenlee Gardens
      South Hadley, MA 01075
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Lajoie, Lisa A.
      2 Newton St.
      Athol, MA 01331
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Lapointe, Doreen A.
      229 Harkness Ave.
      Springfield, MA 01118
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Laurdieri, Keith Robert
      55 Shelburne Center Road
      Shelburne, MA 01370
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Laurin, Patricia Ann
      58 Garfield Ave.
      Easthampton, MA 01027
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Lehman, Keith A.
      Lehman, Anita L.
      519 East River St.
      Orange, MA 01364
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Lima, Silvio De Freitas
      Lima, Janine Marie
      19 Harding St.
      Chicopee, MA 01013
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Lindsay, Scott D.
      50 Valley Road
      Barre, MA 01005
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Little, Sheronda
      5 Wellfleet Dr.
      Springfield, MA 01119
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Lopez, Robert George
      181 Adrian Ave.
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Manson, Anthony L.
      PO Box 81192
      Springfield, MA, MA 01138
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/05/10

      Marc, David Tobias
      Marc, Cheryl Marie
      Santimore, Cheryl Marie
      1044 Old Harwick Road
      Barre, MA 01005
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Martinez, Carmen A.
      96 Lehigh St.
      Springfield, MA 01104
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Martinez, Jose A.
      Martinez, Joan
      43 Horace St.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      McCarthy, William R.
      McCarthy, Heather M.
      112 Buckingham Ave.
      West Springfield, MA 01089
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      McMahon, Doreen H.
      4049 Center St.
      Palmer, MA 01069
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/13/10

      Mistovich, Karen K.
      8 View Ave.
      Northampton, MA 01060
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Munro, Jeremy R.
      Munro, Kristy L.
      105 Old Poor Farm Road
      Ware, MA 01082
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/06/10

      Muziak, Kent R.
      Muziak, Janet M.
      160 Darling St.
      Springfield, MA 01151
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/13/10

      Oliver, Simon W.
      567 Dickinson St.
      Springfield, MA 01108
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Ortiz Rivera, Brunilda
      35 Pendleton Ave., Apt. 4A
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/10/10

      Ostroskey, Michael J.
      383 East St.
      Lenox, MA 01240
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Palmieri, Ivy J.
      25 Stratford Ave.
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Panasian, Nicholas G.
      665 Center St. Unit 20
      Ludlow, MA 01056
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Paton, Shannon M.
      64 Beekman Dr.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Perez, Jose M.
      Perez, Melanie A.
      121 Samuel St.
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Provost, Carol J.
      22 Loretta St.
      South Hadley, MA 01075
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/09/10

      Purcell, Francis J.
      Purcell, Elizabeth A.
      76 Bridge St.
      Hatfield, MA 01038
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/03/10

      Ramsdell, Niel R.
      772 Mill St.
      Feeding Hills, MA 01030
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/08/10

      Reed, Scott M.
      6 Willard Place
      Pittsfield, MA 01201
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Ritter, Paul E.
      34 Woodside Dr.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/09/10

      Rodriguez, Pedro
      100 Hampshire St., Apt. 2D
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Saeed, Mohammad
      Saeed, Asma
      357 East River St.
      Orange, MA 01364
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Scott, Christopher M.
      Scott, Maryann E.
      a/k/a Miller, Maryann
      335 New Boston Road
      Sturbridge, MA 01566
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 02/28/10

      Shabayev, Anton V.
      Shabayev, Iana C
      73 Kanawha Ave.
      Agawam, MA 01001
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/13/10

      Shaikh, Mohammad R.
      48 Holy Family Road #107
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/11/10

      Sheehan, Linda M.
      130 Fenwick St.
      Springfield, MA 01109
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/12/10

      Simard, Michael J.
      Simard, Joan E.
      399 Falley Dr.
      Westfield, MA 01085
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/01/10

      Tabor, Edward O.
      13 Depot St.
      Westford, MA 01886
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Taitt, Kenneth S. J.
      471 Wilbraham Road
      Springfield, MA 01109-2739
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Thans, Michael F.
      Thans, Tara L.
      195 Kerry Dr.
      Springfield, MA 01118
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Thompson, Linda Denise
      14 Acrebrook Road
      Springfield, MA 01129
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 02/28/10

      Westbrook, Jacqueline
      202 Pine St.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Yorn, Kevny
      Choun, Pana
      60 Leary Ave.
      Chicopee, MA 01020
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/15/10

      Zalucki, Helen
      916 Northampton St.
      Holyoke, MA 01040
      Chapter: 7
      Filing Date: 03/02/10

      Zappone, Anthony F.
      3 Myrtle St.
      Adams, MA 01220
      Chapter: 13
      Filing Date: 03/04/10

      Agenda Departments

      Social Media Plan

      April 15: “The Small Business Experience/Creating a Social Media Plan” is the theme of a morning workshop hosted by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network. The workshop will be presented by Derek Allard of Gravity Switch in Northampton and Shalini Bahl of IAM Business Consulting of Amherst, and is planned from 9 a.m. to noon at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Highlights of the day include developing a social-media plan based on one’s business purpose, social-media purpose, target audience, and resources. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass .  

      WNEC Speaker Series

      April 15: Katharine G. Baker, Ph.D., Principal of Family Therapy and Consulting Associates in Northampton, will present “Leading a Business in Anxious Times” at noon as part of Western New England College’s Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship Speaker Series. Baker is an experienced business consultant who has worked with family enterprises and closely held firms, providing executive and leadership coaching, strategic planning, organizational learning services, and time-management seminars. She currently is an independent scholar and executive coach with a solo consultation practice that serves national and international clients. She will present an approach to understanding business leadership that is grounded in Bowen theory, a well-tested theory of human behavior. She will show how the patterns of behavior learned in the family can have a profound impact on every business’ success. Baker will illustrate the power and effectiveness of this way of understanding leadership. She will also discuss executive coaching as an application of her approach. For more information on the free lecture at the Law School Commons on Wilbraham Road in Springfield, call (413) 796-2030 or e-mail [email protected] . Lunch will be provided.

      Twitter & Blogs

      April 22: Derek Allard of Gravity Switch in Northampton will present a workshop titled “Twitter & Blogs” from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Allard will discuss the basics — what they are, why to use them, and how to get started. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass .

      LinkedIn & Facebook

      April 29: Derek Allard of Gravity Switch in Northampton will present a workshop titled “LinkedIn & Facebook” from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Allard will discuss the basics — what they are, why to use them, and how to get started. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass .

      Women’s Professional Development Conference

      April 30: Bay Path College will host its 15th annual Women’s Professional Development Conference at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  For more information, call (413) 565-1000 or visit www.baypath.edu .

      Deliver Perfect Pitch

      May 12: Learn concrete and easy-to-master tools to help you in every sales situation, no matter what the environment or what you sell, during “Deliver the Perfect Pitch,” 9 to 11 a.m., at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Sheldon Snodgrass of www.steadysales.com in Williamsburg will be the presenter. The program is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network. Cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass .

      Business Plan Basics

      May 20: The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network will host “Business Plan Basics” from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Amherst Town Hall, first-floor meeting room, 4 Boltwood Walk, Amherst. The workshop will focus on management fundamentals from start-up considerations through business-plan development. Topics will include financing, marketing, and business planning. The cost is $35. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass .

      Joomla! Workshop

      May 26: Tamar Schanfeld of TnR Global Joomla! Services of Greenfield will present a daylong boot camp on creating an interactive Web site for small businesses. The workshop is planned from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Topics: learn to plan your site, enter and edit content and menus, and install extensions. Comfort with Microsoft Word and Internet browser required. The workshop does not include e-commerce or shopping cart features. Cost is $75. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass .

      Uncategorized
      Recession-weary Landscapers Try to Get Back in the Green

      After a decade of strong growth, landscape designers were hit hard by the economic downturn of the past two years, as homeowners and businesses alike have trimmed their outdoor budgets. But while large-scale projects have fallen off sharply and profit margins have withered across the board, people still value their immediate environment, and the industry may have reason for optimism as another spring blossoms to life.

      Steve Corrigan refers to a “circle” — it’s actually more of a triangle — that represents his market.

      In a typical year, his company, Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare in Chicopee, operates within the Springfield-Worcester-Hartford triangle. But these days, those points extend out to Boston and New Haven, due to a steadily shrinking number of available projects.

      “The circle is getting bigger,” he said. “We’re finding it’s very, very competitive out there, and margins are getting smaller and smaller as more of us are looking for projects.”

      There is some cause for optimism, he conceded. Between 85% and 90% of his work is commercial, and he noted that many companies have put landscaping projects on hold during the recession and are expected to renew them as the economy improves. “But right now, it’s pretty tough out there.”

      “On the commercial side, there’s not a lot going on,” echoed Stephen Roberts, president of Stephen A. Roberts Landscape Architecture & Construction in Springfield.

      “A lot of projects are on hold, pending funding,” he told BusinessWest. “I know a lot of projects are on the board, but they need money to get going. We’re just waiting for a stronger economy for these jobs. Once it starts picking up, it’ll be crazy busy.”

      Companies that tackle a high volume of residential work have been affected as well by the downturn, following years of strong growth, said Bill St. Clair, president of St. Clair Landscaping and Nursery in Hampden.

      Starting right after 9/11, he explained, residential landscapers benefited as people began to steer money away from travel and into their homes, attempting to create an oasis-like environment in their own backyard.

      “People stayed home more, and wanted to put in pools and redoing their landscaping,” St. Clair said. “They looked around and weren’t happy with the way it looked, so they wanted to replenish it. That’s when outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and outdoor living spaces really took off. Now, people are still doing those things, but the number of people doing them has really, really dwindled down.”

      More accurately, he added, those individual features are still in vogue, but are now being considered on an a la carte basis.

      “We still get calls from people who want to put in firepits, or want to build an outdoor grilling area, or a patio or a pergola.” he said. “But we’re not getting calls for those big, total-yard, complete landscaping jobs. That market has really been affected.”

      In this issue, BusinessWest surveys the landscape of companies that specialize in enhancing the outdoors — and finds a sobering dose of reality, but some optimism, too.

      Lawn Cares

      Whether it’s parks and playground for municipalities, athletic fields for universities, or landscaping and hardscaping on behalf of private developers, commercial business has definitely slowed during the recession, Corrigan said.

      “Last year, ironically, was a very successful year,” he added, but by the end of the year the slowing trend was becoming evident. His industry faces the same economic pressures general contractors do, but landscapers might be slower to recover, since that work is typically performed toward the end of a building project. “We’re feeling the lag now, and we may lag a little longer than other industries.”

      As a member of the Mass. Nursery and Landscape Assoc., Corrigan said he’s heard of the same stresses on the home side, and that residential work has slowed by 30% to 50% in some regions. “People aren’t spending the same money on landscaping as they would in a good economy.”

      That development has caused St. Clair to slightly alter his business model.

      “Because of the economy, we’re doing more commercial maintenance this year than we’ve done in the past 15 years,” he said, largely due to a sharp falloff in the firm’s bread and butter, which is designing and building landscapes for high-end residential customers.

      “With the recession, new housing has slowed way down,” he explained. “People are unable to move up; if someone is living in a $400,000 home and wants to move up to an $800,000 home, they’re not doing that; they’re finding they don’t have the equity in their homes they thought they did. It’s not their fault; it’s just how home values have changed.”

      St. Clair said he saw that trend starting to emerge early on and shifted resources to maintenance. “In the past, we would do a large residential landscaping job, and we’d be asked, ‘who can I get to maintain this?’ and we’d give them names of guys to call. And that’s how we left it.

      “But a couple of things happened,” he continued. “People weren’t taking care of it the way the customer and I wanted it done, and we were giving away work that we actually should be doing, and that goes along with what we already do. So we stopped giving those jobs away.”

      That meant winning bids from large entities such as Bank of America and TD Bank to maintain their grounds, and the niche has grown from there. “We’re building our maintenance business up to help fill a revenue slot from the decline in big, residential jobs.”

      “What’s helped us is that we’ve had all these really nice jobs we’ve done that people have asked us to do maintenance on,” St. Clair said, “and we’ve been able to recapture some of those clients, and we’re not farming out the work. That has helped.”

      Corrigan also does commercial grounds maintenance, but has found that property owners are cutting back on even that service.

      “Our goal is to get through this year and hope some projects happen in 2010 and 2011,” Corrigan said. “That’s going to be our goal.”

      Planting Hope

      Roberts is trying to keep an optimistic outlook, and early-season inquiries have backed up that viewpoint.

      “In terms of residential work, it seems this spring, the phones are ringing a bit more than last spring,” he said. “It seems a few more people want their backyard projects and entertainment areas. We’re getting demand for a lot of outdoor cooking — kitchens and fire pits are big; everyone wants a fire pit or fireplace in their backyard now. People also want small water features, something to enhance their backyard.”

      Even so, just like St. Clair reported, Roberts’ customers are being somewhat choosier about what to order.

      “A lot of my larger residential clients, they’re not doing a lot of big add-ons, but they are doing some enhancement projects — replanting a section of the yard or redoing a patio. There’s not a lot of new construction with new landscaping, and with established properties, people tend to be doing smaller enhancement projects.”

      Still, he said, “the home vacation is a continuing trend. It’s not the fear of travel anymore, but the expense. We do outdoor playscapes so children have a place to play, and kids love water features, too. When you bring kids to the beach, they’ll sit there and play for hours on end, and you don’t have to lift a finger. That’s what we’re trying to do with kids, but at home. Instead of a plastic turtle, you have a bunker.”

      St. Clair said the recession has forced him to look hard at how his systems operate and look for efficiencies to save money. But it has also reinforced that customers still exist, but they’re pickier about quality.

      “You’ve got to come up with very creative ideas,” he told BusinessWest. “People might get three prices from three very legitimate landscape contractors, and a lot of times, it comes down to who has that different, unique concept they can present to the client.

      “There’s a large market, I believe, for people who do things the right way,” he continued. “People aren’t spending as much money, but people who are spending money are doing their homework, and they’re not always looking for the best price, but they’re looking for the best quality for their dollar.”

      Roberts, while hopeful for a solid 2010, said early spring can be deceptive.

      “Of course, things are exciting right now,” he said, “but the real test comes once the early excitement simmers down, and we see how many people actually invest in projects. But there seem to be a lot of good opportunities right now.”

      “I’ve been in this business 33 years,” St. Clair said, “and I’m as psyched for this year as any year prior to this. My father always told me, when you get hit with adversity, you can handle it two ways. You can lie down and say, ‘oh, my God,’ or you can pick up the pieces and move forward with a positive attitude. You can’t wake up every day saying, ‘what’s going to go wrong today?’ You’ll take a sunny day and turn it into a typhoon.”

      And sunny days are what get homeowners and business owners outside, and wondering how they can improve their environment … and, just maybe, get them to pick up the phone.

      Joseph Bednar can be reached

      at[email protected]