Home 2018 March (Page 2)
Departments Incorporations

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

East Longmeadow

Western Mass Real Estate Investors Inc., 119 Industrial Dr., Unit 773, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Justin Simmons, 19 Sandford St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Provides networking and industry sharing, updating and educating members on issues pertinent to buying, selling, exchanging, investing, and managing properties.

Indian Orchard

Taino & Taina Warriors Motorcycle Club Ltd., 165 Goodwin St., Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Molses Ruiz, same. Non-profit organized exclusively for support and charitable purposes, in conjunction with supporting our local community in participating in events and contributing and supporting local school, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations.

Ludlow

The Yogurt Mill Inc., 120 East St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Nick Linna, 25 Bristol St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Frozen yogurt shop.

Pittsfield

Synagex Inc., 75 South Church St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. John R. Sinopoli, same. Information technology services.

The Boston Enterprise Management Consulting Company Ltd., 82 Wendell Avenue, Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Weihong Cai, same. Trading.

Southwick

Weathersmart Exteriors Inc., 7 Rising Corner Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Demyan Volkov, same. Construction.

Springfield

Springfield Trampoline Sports Inc., 1250 St. James Ave., Springfield, MA 01104. Robert E. Doty, 42 Willow Road, Queensbury, N.Y. 12804. An indoor trampoline sports entertainment company.

The Beautiful Struggle Inc., 393 Wilbraham Road, Level 2, Springfield, MA 01109. Martin Davis, same. Restaurant.

Warren

Shivraj Corp., 958 Main St., Warren, MA 01083. Jiten Patel, same. Retail package store.

Wilbraham

Stony Hill Real Estate Inc., 1225 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. John Ferrera, Jr., same. Real estate services.

Company Notebook Departments

Baystate Academy Charter Public School Wins Grant

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Academy Charter Public School received a grant to offer high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs from Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. More than 10,500 schools across the country offer PLTW programs to millions of students. According to Tim Sneed, executive director of Baystate Academy, “these funds will allow us to expand our biomedical sciences programs as we prepare students to enter the field of healthcare.” Baystate Academy is just one of 73 schools across the Commonwealth to receive the grant, which is supported by the Baker-Polito administration, the One8 Foundation, and Mass STEM Hub. “It is essential that we engage our students throughout their K-12 school years with hands-on lessons in science, engineering, computer science, technology, and math,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Baystate Academy will use grant funds to strengthen its PLTW program with biomedical science. Funds from the grant will also support teacher professional development and the purchase of materials and equipment that will be used in the hands-on, activity-, project-, and problem-based courses. “We are proud to partner with Baystate Academy to empower students to develop the in-demand knowledge and transportable skills to thrive in our evolving world,” said Vince Bertram, PLTW president and CEO.

Molding Business Services Announces Acquisition of Gros Executive Recruiters

FLORENCE — Molding Business Services of Florence has acquired Gros Executive Recruiters of Franklin, Tenn. Both firms provide recruiting and executive search services to the plastics industry. Molding Business Services (MBS) was founded in 1998, and during those 20 years, its recruiting division has focused almost exclusively on the injection-molding segment of the plastics industry. Gros Executive Recruiters was founded in 1989 and serves the packaging, plastics-processing, and plastics-machinery markets. MBS brings a deeper injection-molding network to Gros, while Gros provides MBS with penetration into the packaging and plastics machinery markets. Additionally, merging the two already-extensive industry databases produces a network of talent that will benefit the combined firms’ clients. Together, MBS and Gros have recruiting staff located across the U.S., in Massachusetts, Illinois, Tennessee, Vermont, and California. “The synergies between the two firms are numerous, and our visions and goals couldn’t be better aligned,” said MBS President Jonathan Soucy. “We are excited about enhancing our reach and capabilities for our clients, especially at a time when the demand for talented individuals in our industry has reached critical levels.” Former Gros Executive Recruiters owner and industry veteran Dennis Gros has been appointed president of the combined recruiting business. “The combination of MBS’s recruiting division and Gros Executive Recruiters is great news for hiring managers and for professionals who seek a career change,” he said. “In combining our resources, we will offer new programs designed to energize hiring in the plastics industry.” Gros Executive Recruiters will become the sole recruiting brand of the combined entity and will operate as a molding business services company.

Radiothon Raises $245,367 for Children’s Hospital

SPRINGFIELD — Generous donors pledging their support of Baystate Children’s Hospital resulted in a grand total of $245,367 raised during this year’s 17th annual 94.7 WMAS Radiothon, which ran March 6-7. “The tremendous response from listeners to the 94.7 WMAS Radiothon is a testimonial to our talented staff of caregivers who are dedicated to improving the lives of children throughout the region,” said Dr. Charlotte Boney, chair, Pediatrics, Baystate Children’s Hospital. “It takes a team effort to hold a successful Radiothon even before the first telephone rings. We couldn’t do it without the many listeners who called in to pledge their support to our Children’s Hospital, or without the assistance of the volunteers, corporate sponsors, Baystate staff, and the Kellog Krew at 94.7 WMAS who all gave so generously of their time.” There is still time to make a donation to Baystate Children’s Hospital by visiting the Radiothon webpage at www.helpmakemiracles.org/event/wmas or texting WMASkids to 51555.

AIC Named to Military Friendly Schools List

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has been named to the list of “Better for Veterans” organizations across the country, earning the 2018 Military Friendly School designation by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs. Now in its 16th year, the Military Friendly Schools list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data sources from federal agencies, veteran students, and proprietary survey information from participating organizations in order to help them select the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career. Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. For the first time, student survey data was taken into consideration for the designation. More than 1,300 schools participated in the 2017-18 survey, with 849 earning the designation. “American International College is proud to assist those men and women who serve our country,” said AIC President Vince Maniaci. “The college recognizes the value of the many educational and leadership experiences that occur in the Armed Forces, and the excellent foundation that military experience provides. In turn, we give veteran students transfer credits for service in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, helping service members and veterans get a head start on earning their degrees.”

New Prosthetic Center Serves Amputees with Innovative Technology

SPRINGFIELD — O & P Labs recently opened the doors to the Prosthetic Center at 3500 Main St. in Springfield. The local prosthetic company has been serving Western and Central Mass., Northern Conn., and Southern Vermont for more than 30 years. Co-owners Jim Haas and Blaine Drysdale hosted Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and state Rep. Carlos González, along with team members, patients, medical care providers, friends, and family for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 15. González presented a citation to recognize O & P Labs’ “30 years of healthcare service to the people of Springfield, Mass. and your innovative assistance for patients to enjoy productive lives.” The grand-opening event honored the 700 patients with limb loss who have been served over the last ten years since Haas and Drysdale have owned the company. The decision to create this full-service practice space was in direct response to the needs of these patients. “I used to ride a bike [before my amputation], and I still do,” said Drysdale, a certified prosthetist. “We are dedicated to helping every patient through their individual process. That includes before, during, and after an amputation.” The state-of-the-art Prosthetic Center features real-life experiences including a bike trainer, ramp, solo step track system, parallel bars, private rooms, and more. “Our facility does not feel like a white-coat clinic,” Haas added. “We’re here to help people get on with their lives. We strive to empower our patients to reach their similar activity level as prior to limb loss and feel part of a community while doing it.”

Report: HCC Benefits Economy Significantly

HOLYOKE — Students who graduate from Holyoke Community College (HCC) with an associate degree will see an average increase in annual earnings of about $10,000 a year compared to those with only a high-school diploma, according to a new report that calculates the total economic impact of HCC on the Pioneer Valley at nearly $215 million annually. “By comparison,” the report says, “this contribution that the college provides on its own is almost as large as the entire arts, entertainment, and recreation industry in this area.” The analysis of HCC’s economic value was conducted by Emsi, an economic modeling firm whose clients include colleges and universities as well as some of the largest for-profit corporations in the U.S., such as Amazon and Coca-Cola. For this, Emsi based its conclusions on academic and financial reports from HCC, industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, and other surveys related to education and social behavior. The study, commissioned by the college, looked at data from 2015-16. For fiscal year 2016, which ended June 30, 2016, the study found that the total economic impact of the college on the economy in the three counties of the Pioneer Valley (Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin) was $214.6 million, or about 0.7% of the region’s gross regional product. That number includes direct spending by the college’s 991 full-time and part-time employees as well as operational spending by the college itself, and accounts for a multiplier effect, which measures how that money works its way through the regional economy. The total also includes short-term construction projects and spending by students who relocate to the Pioneer Valley as well as spending by students who choose to remain in the area for college rather than go elsewhere. In FY 2015-16, HCC served 8,243 credit students and 3,024 non-credit students. The largest impact, though, comes from alumni — former students who continue to live and work in the region: $155.1 million, or enough to support 2,642 jobs, the report notes. The study also examined the economic benefits of HCC from a student’s perspective, noting that those who complete their associate degree could expect to earn an average of $9,600 more per year than those with only a high-school diploma. Put another way, for every $1 students invest in their education (out-of-pocket expenses, interest on loans, foregone income while in school), they will earn $3.2, an average return of 12.7%. The study also concludes that HCC represents a “a solid investment” for taxpayers, generating more in tax revenue than it takes in through state and local funding — $54.6 million compared to $31.6 million, or a benefit-cost ratio of 1.8, an average rate of return of 4.5%. Massachusetts also benefits as a whole from the presence of HCC in two major ways: increased prosperity from an expanding economic base and savings generated by the improved lifestyles of students, most notably in a reduction in medical costs through improved health, reduced crime, and lower employer contributions toward unemployment.

Country Bank Donates $656,000 to Area Organizations in 2017

WARE — Country Bank reported that it donated $656,000 to more than 400 organizations in 2017 through its Charitable Giving Program. Some of the recipients include the Ronald McDonald House, which received $30,000 to support its ‘home away from home’ for children and their families being treated at the Springfield area medical facilities, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which received $10,000 to help continue its mission of providing food to those in need. “Our mission is to grow mutually beneficial relationships with our customers, community, and staff. This is evidenced not only by our commitment to support these organizations with charitable contributions, but also with staff volunteer hours,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO. “In 2017, nearly 800 hours of personal time was given back by members of the Country Bank staff to their local communities. In addition to their volunteer hours, employees also raised more than $33,000 through their own charitable-giving events such as jean days, bake sales, and raffles.

The United Arc Hosts Annual Coffee & Conversation Event

TURNERS FALLS — On Feb. 23, the United Arc held its annual Coffee & Conversation event, an opportunity for legislators in Western Mass. to hear the stories of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. This year, the Coffee & Conversation event brought together experiences in seeking full community inclusion, from the joys of work to struggles against bullying and for full access to education, to the process of gaining acceptance at school and extracurricular activities. One of the speakers was Tonya Lanpher, parent of a child with autism and a family support specialist at the United Arc. “I think the hardest thing is that people just don’t understand,” she said. “If we can help people understand, then we can create full community inclusion. People don’t understand each other if they don’t spend time together. That’s why full community inclusion is so important.” Event attendees included U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern; state Sen. Stan Rosenberg; state Reps. Steve Kulik and Solomon Goldstein-Rose; Jon Gould, aide to state Sen. Adam Hinds, and Chris Cappucci, research director for state Rep. Paul Mark. They shared their thoughts on full community inclusion and the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The event was co-sponsored by the Greater Athol Area Advocates for Families with Special Needs, and First Light Power Resources was a supporting sponsor. Other sponsors included 2nd Street Baking Co., Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, and Greenfield Savings Bank. John Howland, CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank, and Linda Ackerman, assistant vice president and branch manager of the Greenfield Savings Bank Turners Falls branch, were also in attendance. Founded in 1951, the United Arc provides services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, helping them achieve the universal goals of inclusion, choice, and independence.

Finck & Perras Reports Community Investments

EASTHAMPTON — Genevieve Brough, president of Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., recently announced that the firm invested roughly $40,000 in the wider community through sponsorships and donations to nonprofits in 2017. Organizations the company supported range from youth sports and recreation programs in Hampshire County to Riverside Industries in Easthampton, Link to Libraries, and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hampshire County. Brough passes on her philanthropic values to employees, encouraging them to take part in community activism and fund-raising. Finck & Perras has supported the United Way of Hampshire County for 19 years, for instance, encouraging employees take part in making regular donations by offering various incentive programs. Other organizations Finck & Perras supported in 2017 include the Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton; the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Springfield; Pathlight, Springfield; TedXEasthamptonWomen; Safe Passage, Northampton; the Northampton Family Fourth Celebration; Nonotuck Community School Inc., Northampton; Cooley Dickinson Health Care, Northampton; and Look Memorial Park, Florence.

Berkshire Bank Foundation Grants Nearly $2M in 2017

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced that its foundation awarded a total of $1,995,462 in grants to nonprofit organizations operating in the bank’s footprint in 2017. The grants supported a variety of education and community-development initiatives as well as health, human-service, and cultural programs. In all, 556 organizations benefited from the funding. “Our grants impacted more than 5.8 million individuals in 2017 helping to enhance economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for members of our community,” said Lori Gazzillo, senior vice president and foundation director. The foundation offers multiple grant programs, each with their own guidelines, programmatic criteria, and desired outcomes. In 2018, the foundation will again accept proposals for education programs that help individuals become college-, career-, and job-ready. They also plan to accept proposals for economic-development programs that create thriving places to live, work, and raise a family. Applications for these grant programs are due by April 1, July 1, and Oct. 1. In addition to these two programs, the foundation will offer two requests for proposals focusing on nonprofit capacity and basic needs. Additional details about the foundation’s guidelines and application process can be found online at www.berkshirebank.com/giving.

Phillips Insurance Funds Scholarships to American Legion Boys State

CHICOPEE — Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. announced it is funding three scholarships to the 2018 American Legion Boys State at Stonehill College in June. The one-week, overnight program focuses on understanding one’s responsibilities and rights in the democratic process. Participants establish a mock government, complete courses in economics, and participate in elections. Founded in 1935, past participants include some of the most prominent names in the country, including former President Bill Clinton, movie critic Roger Ebert, and basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Joseph Phillips, president of Phillips Insurance, noted that “my son Connor attended Boys State in 2016 and had a positive experience, so we decided to reach out … and provide the same opportunity to other students so they could benefit from this unique program and help prepare them for college and beyond.”

Modern Office Sections

Playing by the Rules

John Gannon

John Gannon says putting a policy in writing isn’t enough — an employer then needs to follow it — but it’s a first step in showing a company takes workplace law and ethics seriously.

Most companies, especially larger ones, have employee handbooks that detail everything from vacation time to reasons for termination. Yet, too many are content to draft a handbook and shelve it for years, never reviewing it for changes in the regulatory landscape or confusing or contradictory language. In the ever-changing world of employment law, those are mistakes that can prove costly in more ways than one.

An employee handbook isn’t a contract, nor is it a legally binding document. But in a legal proceeding, it helps to have one.

Take, for instance, the case of an employee suing a company for allowing a culture of sexual harassment — a particularly timely example.

“In court, the first thing the judge will ask is to see the company’s policy,” said John Gannon, partner with Skoler, Abbott & Presser. “If your response is ‘we don’t have one,’ that suggests the employer doesn’t care about harassment and discrimination in the workplace. And that’s really getting off on the wrong foot in the event you’re sued for harassment or discrimination.”

The #MeToo revolution has certainly sent HR departments scrambling to make sure their policies on that issue are up-to-date, clear, and enforced. But if they’re smart, said the attorneys BusinessWest spoke with, they’re also regularly reviewing all sorts of policies that govern workplace rules and expectations — from disciplinary procedures to time off — and, hopefully, including them in an employee handbook.

“Every company that has employees should have a handbook,” said Daniel Carr, an associate with Royal, P.C. in Northampton. “But we use the term ‘handbook’ loosely; there’s no requirement that they have to be bound in a single document. It could mean whatever collection of policies you have, as long as it’s applied to all employees.”

Even if the employee signs a statement that he has read and understands the handbook, that doesn’t create contractual rights, Carr explained, noting that Massachusetts is, after all, an at-will state when it comes to hiring and firing, and an employee can be terminated for any reason that is not explicitly illegal, such as discrimination.

“I can’t tell you how many cases we’ve seen where the employee claims his termination was a violation of his contract. When asked, ‘what contract?’ they argue the employee handbook is a contract. It’s not.”

Gannon agreed. “One of the nice thigns about a handbook is that you can reaffirm the principle that everyone is an at-will employee,” he explained. “That’s why it’s really important, if you’re going to have a handbook, it should make it clear this is not a binding contract, your employment is at-will, and we can change the terms of the handbook and your employment relationship at any time with or without notice.”

So, if it’s not a contract, what is a handbook, and why should employers have one — and take it seriously?

“A handbook is a collection of policies, an ever-living document that can be changed at any time by an employer with or without notice,” said Mary Kennedy, partner with Bulkley Richardson in Springfield. “The purpose of a handbook is to give information to employees about expectations at work.”

Employers use the policies in an employee handbook as a sort of roadmap to both the treatment of employees and, conversely, expectations for their behavior. They protect themselves from lawsuits, such as harassment claims, wrongful termination claims, and discrimination claims. Employee handbooks generally contain a code of conduct for employees that sets guidelines around appropriate behavior for the individual workplace.

Mary Kennedy says the first goal of a handbook is to lay out clear expectations for workplace behavior.

Mary Kennedy says the first goal of a handbook is to lay out clear expectations for workplace behavior.

Under Massachusetts law, for companies with at least six employees, part of that collection of expectations must be policies reflecting the state’s own guidelines governing sexual harassment, accommodations for pregnant workers, sick leave, and other issues — many of which have changed recently.

Other contents should typically include policies governing discipline, rules of behavior, when and how to take time off, sick-time guidelines, how much vacation and personal time employees get, when they are paid, and what health benefits are available and how to access them.

The contents of any handbook vary from industry to industry, Gannon noted. For instance, the time an employee clocks in may be more important on the manufacturing floor than in an office setting, while safety guidelines for construction workers will be different than those for accountants.

“It’s an inexact science, and obviously no handbook is foolproof, and you can’t account for every possible contingency,” Carr said. “There may be at times you have to deviate from it. Certainly, you don’t want to be hemming yourself in to something you can live up to. As an employer in an at-will state, you have the right to set the policies. The handbook is more about setting expectations than setting hard and fast rules.”

Law and Order

The benefits of having a handbook fall into two buckets, Gannon said: The legal obligations governed by state and federal employment law, and basic HR practices that aren’t necessarily required by the law.

For the latter, written policies must make it clear to the employee what the employer’s expectations are.

“If you do need to discipline an employee, if you need to write them up or suspend them, you never want an employee to turn around and say, ‘wait a minute, I didn’t know I was going to get written up if I was absent more than three times in a month.’ Or, ‘I didn’t know it was a violation of your company policy to raise my voice at a meeting’ — whatever the case may be. A handbook sets expectations.”

It also provides guidelines to managers so they can treat employees fairly and consistently, he added. If the policy is clear, it can be applied to everyone across the board. If not, one supervisor may write someone up for a violation, while another supervisor doesn’t. That leads to inconsistency and, sometimes, hot water in court.

“Inconsistent application of your rules can lead to a lot of legal problems if the employee challenges the reason for his or her reason for separation from employment,” Gannon said, adding that the actual enforcement of the rules is more important than what a handbook says, “but if you don’t have, at minimum, a written policy, you have a big risk of inconsistent enforcement of your work rules.”

Kennedy said having clear policies in the handbook is the first step when defending a claim of wrongful termination in court.

“If you have a no-show policy where, after three violations, the employee is terminated, and it’s in writing and the employee was told it applies to all employees, and the employer can show it was uniformly applied to all employees, then the employer has a better shot at defending itself.

“For example, if a bank teller continually makes mistakes on the line and keeps coming up short, that’s certainly not beneficial for the employer,” she explained, so a written policy outlining the consequences of coming up short multiple times would be reasonable. “Whereas, if the bank said, ‘we don’t like people with red hair,’ well, that’s different.”

Supervisors and managers, Gannon said, typically appreciate a hard-and-fast policy because it’s something they can fall back on. He recalls one client whose employee showed up to work intoxicated, and at first, his supervisor didn’t know what to do. “Fortunately, they had a policy that made it clear, if you detect someone is under the influence, this is what you should do. It helped the supervisor navigate what his options were. Without that, they’re left wondering what to do.”

Communicating the policy to employees is just as important, Kennedy said, whether it’s a physical document passed out, with the employee signing an acknowledgement of receipt, or an electronic document distributed through the company intranet, or, for a larger business, explaining new policies in a meeting and making a list of who attended. “You certainly want to give it out when onboarding people, and then when there are any changes in policy.”

Even progressive discipline can be altered if the employer can prove the action is reasonable, Carr said — again, going back to the at-will concept. “If the handbook says a first violation is a verbal warning, the second is a written warning, third is probation, and fourth is termination, you have the right to revise that if someone commits a terminable offense the first time out.”

Trouble Spots

With all the protections a handbook may provide, Gannon said, some pitfalls do exist. One is trying to put everything in a handbook.

“The more words you have in the handbook, the less likely an employee is going to read it all,” he noted. “Sometimes I’ll see one that’s 120 pages long. I’m not sure any handbook needs to be that long.”

A smarter option, he said, is to include a short, two-paragraph summary of each policy, directing the employers to ask a particular person, maybe someone in human resources, if they need a more detailed explanation.

“Another mistake is not getting it reviewed enough,” he added. “It’s great to have a handbook — most employers do — but sometimes they get stale. You don’t want to have a policy that’s outdated, or you don’t want a handbook that misstates the law, because there are often changes in the law.”

For example, on April 1, Massachusetts employers will be required to have a policy that adheres to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. “You need to review your handbook — it doesn’t necessarily have to be annually, but I would say every two or three years — just to make sure you’re not missing anything and there haven’t been changes in the law that would require rewording a policy.”

In a union shop, Kennedy said, employers want to make sure the handbook gels with the collective bargaining agreement, but even in a non-union shop, certain written policies may run into conflict with rulings from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). A few years ago, several companies made news by terminating workers for complaining about their job on social media — and took their cases to court, where they won.

“Social media has become the equivalent of the so-called water cooler,” Carr said, noting that the NLRB has long protected the rights of employees to discuss the terms and conditions of their employment, even in a public forum. However, the composition of the board has changed under President Trump and may be less willing to side with employees in all such matters.

“A few years ago, handbook provisions that restricted employees’ right to discuss terms and conditions of employment were considered overbroad — that was all the rage for awhile,” Gannon said. “New administration has scaled some of that back. With all the ebbs and flows in the world of employment law, you need to make sure the handbook stays up to date with those changes.”

Kennedy agreed. “Employment law changes on a regular basis, so handbook policies should be reviewed on a regular basis, to make sure they contain up-to-date language.”

Still, amid all the talk of violations and firings, Gannon said, the greatest value of a handbook is in its power to prevent some of those incidents in the first place.

“If an employee knows what can potentially lead to discipline, I think the employee is less likely to engage in that behavior,” he told BusinessWest. “That’s one of the really nice things about a handbook — it sets out what your expectations are. The goal of discipline is not to create a path that justifies termination. The goal of discipline is to correct behavior so that somebody can stay with the company for a long time and be a valued contributor to the group.”

To that end, he continued, “if you do need to discipline, it’s easier to explain why when you can point to handbook and say, ‘look, this is company policy, and you violated it. Sorry, but I have to write you up.’”

Turn the Page

That said, a handbook also helps with a company’s defense is they are sued, Gannon noted.

“If an employee claims they were fired because of a protected characteristic, it’s the employer’s burden to demonstrate to a judge or jury that, no, this is the real reason this person was fired. It’s nice to be able to point to a policy in a handbook that makes it clear this is why the employer took a particular action, that it wasn’t an arbitrary decision one supervisor just came up with. The company considered this particular issue, went to the extent of drafting a handbook putting this policy in place and having the employee sign off on it, and there’s an expectation the policy is going to be followed.”

Carr, who told BusinessWest he has drafted or reviewed “many, many handbooks,” emphasized, however, that a good policy holds up in court only if the employer actually enforces that policy uniformly and consistently.

“Otherwise, it’s just empty rhetoric. Sexual harassment is a perfect example, and a timely one,” he said.

Elaborating, he said virtually every company has an anti-sexual-harassment policy, and one of the tenets of sexual-harassment law is the question of whether an employer knew about, or should have known about, the alleged violations. “If the employee can show the employer was not diligent about enforcing their own policies, it creates the impression they dropped the ball and should have known.”

It’s a lesson many companies continue to learn the hard way.

Simply put, Kennedy said, “what’s bad about having a handbook is if you don’t follow it.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Departments Real Estate

he following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

764 Brattleboro Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Jake O. Macleay
Seller: Angela R. Marguet
Date: 02/23/18

CONWAY

603 Hoosac Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Jon E. Storm
Seller: Scott A. Decker
Date: 02/12/18

DEERFIELD

37 South Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: B. Gorey Fabrication LLC
Seller: Lawrence A. Wrisley
Date: 02/16/18

GREENFIELD

10 Garfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Judith Tierney
Seller: Michael L. Madden
Date: 02/16/18

83 Newton St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $147,850
Buyer: Burgundy A. Cournoyer
Seller: Blake A. Grinnell
Date: 02/23/18

22 Sauter Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Petru Cojocaru
Seller: Citizens Bank
Date: 02/16/18

233 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Robert J. Conlin
Seller: 233 Silver St. RT
Date: 02/16/18

7-9 Spring Terrace
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Andrey N. Agapov
Seller: Timofey P. Banar
Date: 02/23/18

43 Walnut St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Jessica Begans
Seller: Richard H. Blais
Date: 02/16/18

NORTHFIELD

20 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Joshua B. Poole
Date: 02/21/18

73 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Abby L. Brockelbank
Seller: William A. Durbin
Date: 02/16/18

ORANGE

123 Sandrah Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michael Koucoules
Date: 02/20/18

17 Shumway St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Tara Fregeau
Seller: Dirth, Malcom A., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/18

SHELBURNE

124 Bridge St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Marguerite M. Sheehan INT
Seller: Roxanne B. Hamilton
Date: 02/22/18

200 Skinner Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $376,000
Buyer: Erik Praetz
Seller: Joseph A. Poirier
Date: 02/21/18

SUNDERLAND

266 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $298,500
Buyer: Lawrence A. Weaver
Seller: Yinfeng Wang
Date: 02/20/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

67 Burlington Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Thomas P. Murphy
Seller: Jason J. Larochelle
Date: 02/14/18

75 Butternut Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Michael S. Rooney
Seller: Katherine M. Garfield
Date: 02/12/18

37 Church St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Raymond J. Barbieri
Date: 02/16/18

71 Columbia Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Joseph F. Schebel
Date: 02/12/18

42 Hastings St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Tiffany M. Redmond
Seller: Clifton H. Redmond
Date: 02/21/18

14 Liberty Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Janosik Realty LLC
Seller: HSBC Bank
Date: 02/23/18

1514 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: 1514 Main Street LLC
Seller: Karen L. Connor
Date: 02/13/18

183 Parkedge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Seneca Leborgne
Seller: Deana M. Casamento
Date: 02/16/18

BRIMFIELD

7 Knollwood Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Jason Almy
Seller: Jan-Michael Demaio
Date: 02/16/18

CHICOPEE

561 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Niedzielski
Seller: Stacey Alvaro
Date: 02/14/18

65 Cabot St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Todd J. Rogosin
Seller: Audrey G. Mascaro
Date: 02/16/18

7 Charbonneau Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,115,000
Buyer: Gladysh Capital LLC
Seller: CDM Properties LLC
Date: 02/15/18

501 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Brendan J. Sayers
Seller: Lywyn Armistead-Shapiro
Date: 02/21/18

924 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,115,000
Buyer: Gladysh Capital LLC
Seller: CDM Properties LLC
Date: 02/15/18

89 Clark St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Cameron J. Wilson
Seller: Joyce C. Castonguay
Date: 02/23/18

322 Dale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: MA Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 02/22/18

86 Garland St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jose G. Santos
Seller: Wentworth, Anne M., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/18

474 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: DAC Acquisitions LLC
Seller: James D. Calheno
Date: 02/13/18

60 Hillcrest St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Anna B. Drost
Seller: Swiatek, Helen S., (Estate)
Date: 02/14/18

23 Laclede Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Stanley E. Kuchyt
Seller: Mildred A. Laporte
Date: 02/12/18

251 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $2,100,523
Buyer: Harold E. Newton TR
Seller: HRES Meadow LLC
Date: 02/13/18

365 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Dianne M. Young
Seller: John J. Murawski
Date: 02/21/18

115 Old Farm Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Shay
Seller: Kenneth Hughes
Date: 02/15/18

57 Shaw Park Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Brandon J. Malave
Seller: Heidi J. Gosselin
Date: 02/14/18

75 Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Ashley Figueroa
Seller: Stephanie Shaw
Date: 02/22/18

1045 Sheridan St.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Amount: $3,150,000
Buyer: E&R Realty LLC
Seller: WE 1045 Sheridan LLC
Date: 02/22/18

141 Skeele St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Abrheem Mustafa
Seller: Ruben W. Nunez
Date: 02/22/18

156 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Gods Way Ministries
Seller: Episcopal Missions
Date: 02/23/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

128 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nathan D. Lynch
Seller: Larry C. Humason
Date: 02/21/18

50 Dawes St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $344,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Connors
Seller: Donna M. Cabot
Date: 02/21/18

70 Hanward Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Susan Whirty
Seller: Patrick E. Hawley
Date: 02/21/18

79 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $279,200
Buyer: Tammy Getchell
Seller: Joseph Rizzari
Date: 02/22/18

461 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Gennaro Ferrentino
Seller: Michael J. Parisi
Date: 02/21/18

94 Ridge Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: William E. Preye
Seller: Alessandra A. Graziani
Date: 02/16/18

11 Sturbridge Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Hayes G. Murray
Seller: Gina E. Flanagan
Date: 02/13/18

23 Thompkins Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Daniel P. Boyle
Seller: Christina L. Milanczuk
Date: 02/15/18

GRANVILLE

734 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Melissa J. Dubois
Seller: Joshua L. Rutola
Date: 02/16/18

HOLLAND

10 Hamilton Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Jordan D. Bird
Seller: Strums Construction Services
Date: 02/16/18

11 Lakeridge Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Scott M. Berg
Seller: Matthew L. Gentile
Date: 02/23/18

HOLYOKE

70 Bemis Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: EDC Real Estate LLC
Seller: Mildred L. Hiersche
Date: 02/20/18

71 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Christina M. King
Seller: Aida L. Villegas
Date: 02/16/18

105-115 Chapin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,030
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gilbert Dejesus
Date: 02/22/18

866 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $261,068
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Patrick M. Reilly
Date: 02/12/18

16 Evergreen Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: AEM Property Investment
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 02/16/18

564 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Christian A. Rivera
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 02/20/18

184 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Holyoke Management LLC
Seller: Ignacio Rivera
Date: 02/23/18

LONGMEADOW

78 Farmington Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Joshua Y. Levine
Seller: Neil S. McGrath
Date: 02/22/18

99 Farmington Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01030
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Justin M. Lynch
Seller: Hillside Development Corp.
Date: 02/16/18

91 Hazelwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Kristan Xanders
Seller: Nancy C. Polak
Date: 02/16/18

26 Homestead Blvd.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Cristina Huebner-Torres
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 02/20/18

22 Longview Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: VJM 22 LLC
Seller: William H. Lee
Date: 02/22/18

98 Longview Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Gaffney
Seller: Jeffrey M. Belkin
Date: 02/12/18

21 Roseland Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Douglas N. Lamont
Seller: Christopher H. Purinton
Date: 02/15/18

86 White Oaks Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,500
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: L. Aaron Mendelson
Date: 02/15/18

LUDLOW

26 Belmont St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Isidoro Fernandes
Seller: Marilyn E. Meleleu
Date: 02/16/18

42 Berkshire St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $140,400
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Kelly Rua
Date: 02/12/18

1352 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $343,000
Buyer: Ashley Rourke
Seller: Heather A. Smart
Date: 02/22/18

137 Kendall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Antunes
Seller: Donald R. Napolitan
Date: 02/23/18

48 Nash Hill Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Carole C. Dighello
Seller: Daniel A. Chrzan
Date: 02/14/18

55 Stevens St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Charlene Cavanaugh
Seller: Felipe Nunes-Helder
Date: 02/16/18

MONSON

246 Main St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: James S. Harvey
Seller: Allan M. Coolong
Date: 02/23/18

99 Maxwell Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Thomas B. Gregoire
Seller: Gail M. Nivers
Date: 02/21/18

118 Moulton Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Mark Clink
Seller: Robert E. Ledoux
Date: 02/16/18

MONTGOMERY

Pitcher St.
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Zachary Kandelaki
Seller: David G. Beswick
Date: 02/13/18

PALMER

3182-3184 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $149,350
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: James E. Holbrook
Date: 02/20/18

115 Laurel Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Brandon E. Haberern
Seller: Joseph F. Maiolo
Date: 02/16/18

20 Off Bourne St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $127,920
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Bethany L. Giordano
Date: 02/12/18

SOUTHWICK

739 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $1,900,000
Buyer: Fiore Realty Holdings LLC
Seller: Southwick Golf Course Inc.
Date: 02/22/18

226 Klaus Anderson Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Saltmarsh
Seller: Peter P. Starses
Date: 02/23/18

82 North Lake Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Jennifer A. Ritter
Seller: Kelley O. Cruickshanks
Date: 02/16/18

282 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Gary A. Prentice
Date: 02/12/18

5 Stagecoach Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Brian M. Leduc
Seller: Olde Farm Golf Club LLC
Date: 02/16/18

SPRINGFIELD

174-176 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Serra
Seller: Elijah Naylor
Date: 02/16/18

41 Capitol Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Blanca I. Colon
Seller: Todd J. Alden
Date: 02/13/18

369-R Central St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Fronti Nulla Fides RT
Seller: Santaniello Oil LLC
Date: 02/20/18

92-94 Cherrelyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Leonard Delarosa-Sanchez
Seller: Leslie E. Torres
Date: 02/15/18

75-77 Chester St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Rifle Street Partners TR
Seller: Alliance Associates LLC
Date: 02/12/18

15 Colfax St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Noelia Laguerre
Seller: Bally David LLC
Date: 02/23/18

74-76 Duryea St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Marcus A. Wilson
Seller: Luis A. Morales
Date: 02/16/18

226 Dutchess St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Cooper Properties LLC
Seller: Graves, Shirley A., (Estate)
Date: 02/12/18

366 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Beverly A. Burns
Seller: Brian R. Hajdamowicz
Date: 02/15/18

367-369 East Columbus Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Idelmy J. Vasquez
Seller: Scott A. Fearn
Date: 02/23/18

99 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Otoniel Ortega
Seller: Morris, Claire A., (Estate)
Date: 02/21/18

80 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,500
Buyer: David Harris
Seller: Soraya Tejada
Date: 02/21/18

31 Emily St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Ana M. Rodriguez-Santiago
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 02/12/18

264 Fountain St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Floyd S. Wedderburn
Date: 02/15/18

72 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Michelle L. Peloquin
Seller: Mae P. Goldstein
Date: 02/21/18

17 Garfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Joel T. Senez
Seller: Ronald G. Senez
Date: 02/12/18

204 Garvey Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $164,650
Buyer: Western Mass Prop. Developers
Seller: AJN Rentals LLC
Date: 02/16/18

445 Gifford St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Julio E. Gonzalez-Urena
Seller: Dennis Winot
Date: 02/16/18

Greene St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

247 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

253 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

259 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $2,270,000
Buyer: Greenberg Blatt Children
Seller: HRES Hancock LLC
Date: 02/12/18

19 Humbert St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Keenan Comer
Seller: Rolando Santos
Date: 02/13/18

24 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Alicia V. Salmon-Plummer
Seller: David Moore
Date: 02/23/18

114 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Francisco Pichardo
Seller: Patricia A. Staples
Date: 02/16/18

80 Lancashire Road
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jason Caldwell
Seller: Gabriel Ocampo
Date: 02/23/18

27 Lancaster St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,500
Buyer: Kevin McCormick
Seller: Jean Doyle
Date: 02/21/18

40 Lawndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Sir Parrish
Seller: Luz E. Rivera
Date: 02/20/18

1163-1165 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Ilia I. Torres
Seller: HSB Investments LLC
Date: 02/23/18

64 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Candice M. Garner-Higgins
Seller: Maria Aquino
Date: 02/23/18

25-27 Lyndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $137,550
Buyer: Aguasvivas Realty LLC
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 02/12/18

14 Mansfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Jermaine Rodriguez-Smith
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 02/16/18

57 Middlebrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $133,354
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Marialyse L. Rivers
Date: 02/23/18

86 Milford St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Omar A. Elkadri
Seller: Marshal A. Walden
Date: 02/16/18

15 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Leslie E. Torres
Seller: Ana I. Rivera
Date: 02/15/18

204 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jose R. Abreu
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 02/23/18

100-102 Odion St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $172,565
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Leon G. Szafran
Date: 02/12/18

416 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Rosa L. Rivera
Seller: Trinh Pham
Date: 02/22/18

271 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: 271 Page Blvd. LLC
Seller: Hendee LLC
Date: 02/22/18

38-40 Rifle St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Rifle Street Partners TR
Seller: Alliance Associates LLC
Date: 02/12/18

70 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Winsted REO 2 LLC
Seller: James Butler
Date: 02/20/18

227 Saint James Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jahana T. Duke
Seller: Patrick R. Guay
Date: 02/23/18

26 Sargon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $142,900
Buyer: Amber L. Terrasi
Seller: Adam G. Orszak
Date: 02/23/18

145 Springfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Thornton
Seller: Sondra L. Roy
Date: 02/23/18

369 Stapleton Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Victor Velez
Seller: James Niedbala
Date: 02/14/18

15 Strong St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Lynn Gokey
Seller: Jessica McDonald-Rivera
Date: 02/16/18

947 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $124,120
Buyer: James Rocha
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 02/21/18

26 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $155,128
Buyer: Mary Ethier
Seller: Christopher M. Eldridge
Date: 02/14/18

93 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Alexander Rivera
Seller: Grace Mejia
Date: 02/20/18

85 Thornfell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Candace L. Beauregard
Seller: Mary B. Wroblewski
Date: 02/21/18

48 Thorndyke St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Marcus N. Pitts
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 02/14/18

100 Thornfell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Lisa L. Rizzo
Seller: Vanessa Cestero
Date: 02/14/18

45 Trinity Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: George G. Negron
Seller: Matthew E. Peck
Date: 02/16/18

735 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: River Rock Realty LLC
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 02/15/18

183 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Lynann M. Roswess
Seller: Melinda J. Grono
Date: 02/23/18

256 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $227,870
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Tri Tran
Date: 02/12/18

119-121 Woodmont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: E. A. Pichardo-Ramirez
Seller: Mary T. Tzambazakis
Date: 02/14/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1210 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Vanderbilt Mtg. & Finance
Seller: Serena M. Mariani
Date: 02/16/18

49 Appaloosa Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Sofia Ahsan
Seller: Syed S. Ahsan
Date: 02/21/18

93 Forest Glen
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Timothy E. Elliott
Seller: Adam Drollett
Date: 02/16/18

111 Janet St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Lisa S. Bagian
Seller: Patricia E. Bigelow
Date: 02/23/18

66 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Ccbhkk LLC
Seller: 66 Morgan Road Realty LLC
Date: 02/16/18

45 Rochelle St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $204,240
Buyer: Joel C. Olko
Seller: Regina R. Ranstrom
Date: 02/23/18

2476 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Daniel E. Rosso
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 02/23/18

WESTFIELD

109 Apremont Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,750,000
Buyer: DMA Associates LLC
Seller: Berkshire Industries Inc.
Date: 02/16/18

47 Bailey Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Ruvim A. Mosijchuk
Seller: John White
Date: 02/23/18

14 Cherry St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: John West
Seller: William Watras
Date: 02/22/18

98 Dartmouth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Krystal S. Guilmette
Seller: Anthony Gamelli
Date: 02/14/18

Day Lily Lane #6F
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Julia Minchuk
Seller: Bent Tree Development LLC
Date: 02/22/18

41 Franklin St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: MXY Corp.
Seller: Franklin Syed Sons Inc.
Date: 02/13/18

9 Hunters Slope
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Lynnette L. Tabin
Seller: Edwin Sustache
Date: 02/15/18

10 Maria Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Shawn Baker
Seller: Frank A. McCartney
Date: 02/22/18

30 Noble St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,900
Buyer: Eliezer Garcia
Seller: James S. Hockenberry
Date: 02/16/18

19 Rider Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Jose A. Figueroa
Seller: Jordan T. Figueroa
Date: 02/23/18

253 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Nancy P. Maxim
Seller: Feustel, Jessie T., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/18

361 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Ginger L. Kairys
Seller: Arthur W. Madrid
Date: 02/13/18

627 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Westfield DG LLC
Seller: Margaret A. Kurtz
Date: 02/21/18

22 Woodland Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Lisa Hockenberry
Seller: Earl W. Lafreniere
Date: 02/16/18

WILBRAHAM

238 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Joanne Merriam
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 02/23/18

8 Broadview Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: Robert W. Mantler
Seller: Walter H. Damon
Date: 02/20/18

10 Highmoor Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Matthew Bahosh
Seller: Zachary I. Goodman
Date: 02/16/18

309 Monson Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jessica McDonald-Rivera
Seller: Paula C. Squires
Date: 02/16/18

24 Sunnyside Terrace
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Brandon M. Quiterio
Seller: Antonio M. Palermo
Date: 02/23/18

997 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Michelle J. Lucas
Seller: Mark Graziano
Date: 02/12/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

660 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Michael Ferraro
Seller: FHLM
Date: 02/16/18

Concord Way #11
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Bercume Construction LLC
Seller: Tofino Associates LLC
Date: 02/21/18

Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Bercume Construction LLC
Seller: Tofino Associates LLC
Date: 02/21/18

217 Shutesbury Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Paul T. Robinson
Seller: Debra Edelman
Date: 02/20/18

61 Tanglewood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $648,525
Buyer: Yecheng Yang
Seller: James W. Sheppard
Date: 02/16/18

BELCHERTOWN

25 Brandywine Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Sharon L. Mendyk
Seller: Larry R. Severance
Date: 02/16/18

33 Depot St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $164,500
Buyer: Michael W. Berg
Seller: Plumtree Real Estate LLC
Date: 02/16/18

220 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $382,000
Buyer: Jill N. Houle-Adamczyk
Seller: Laliberte Home Builders
Date: 02/12/18

27 Old Pelham Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $449,500
Buyer: Matthew J. Rivest
Seller: Jeffrey Gnatek
Date: 02/23/18

26 Sarah Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: David M. Placzek
Seller: Brian M. Adamczyk
Date: 02/12/18

700 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: James Pirog
Seller: Whisperwood LLC
Date: 02/21/18

17 Trillium Way
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Mark J. Stavropulos
Seller: Mark G. Jackson
Date: 02/16/18

CHESTERFIELD

63 North Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Anika N. Gaskins
Seller: Alyson Rhoades-Fortier
Date: 02/22/18

EASTHAMPTON

12 Button Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Ross J. Krause
Seller: Kelly M. Machado
Date: 02/16/18

78 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Thomas J. Benson
Seller: Peter Karparis
Date: 02/16/18

6 Prospect St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: David Arbeitman
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 02/22/18

13 Ranch Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Roger W. Salloom
Seller: Shawna M. Biscone
Date: 02/20/18

GRANBY

7 Ferry Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Alexander F. Ross
Seller: Margaret A. Nugent
Date: 02/14/18

114 North St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Brian R. Hajdamowicz
Seller: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Date: 02/15/18

HATFIELD

54 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Frederick A. Bushey
Seller: Sandra M. Weinberg
Date: 02/20/18

NORTHAMPTON

31 Higgins Way
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $580,241
Buyer: Stuart R. Chipkin
Seller: Stubridge Development LLC
Date: 02/23/18

88 High St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $455,720
Buyer: Dina R. Levi
Seller: Sarah B. Halper
Date: 02/21/18

81 Maple St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Om Shiv Gauri Inc.
Seller: Longmeadow Medical Arts
Date: 02/21/18

31 Ridgewood Terrace
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $419,000
Buyer: Adam Duso
Seller: Sheila M. Coy RET
Date: 02/20/18

41 Warner St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Debra T. Bercuvitz
Seller: William J. Evans
Date: 02/21/18

SOUTH HADLEY

22 Bunker Hill
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $214,300
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Roberto Mancini
Date: 02/13/18

3 Burnett Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Paul Cooney
Seller: Jenny Scobel
Date: 02/12/18

10 Haig Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Michael E. Aiken
Seller: Laurels RT
Date: 02/20/18

52 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $122,057
Buyer: Lindsey M. Crotty
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 02/20/18

7 Misty Court
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $352,500
Buyer: Anthony R. Witman
Seller: Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co.
Date: 02/14/18

7 Norwottuck Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Gregory M. Simmons
Seller: Jaime A. Lavallee
Date: 02/22/18

4 Riverlodge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $432,000
Buyer: William L. Phillips TR
Seller: Patrick J. Spring
Date: 02/15/18

52 Summit St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $168,900
Buyer: Daniel J. Chagnon
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 02/16/18

SOUTHAMPTON

10 Eastwood Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Yinfeng Wang
Seller: Jeffrey M. Paradis
Date: 02/20/18

1 Halons Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $122,800
Buyer: Bellinger Construction
Seller: RGB Industries Inc.
Date: 02/16/18

75 Pequot Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $428,000
Buyer: Mario A. Grosso
Seller: Petra A. Lackner
Date: 02/20/18

Woodmar Lane
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: David Garstka Builders
Seller: Chester J. Kellogg
Date: 02/16/18

WARE

355 Monson Turnpike Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Thomas Giguere
Seller: Gregory A. Metcalf
Date: 02/23/18

WESTHAMPTON

29 Loudville Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Revampit LLC
Seller: Todd L. Fondakowski
Date: 02/12/18

WORTHINGTON

241 West St.
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Tracy S. McManmon
Seller: Claydon RT
Date: 02/16/18

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the months of February and March 2018.

AGAWAM

Bragara US, LLC
60 North Westfield St.
$51,096 — Install sprinkler system in restaurant and banquet hall

McLean Realty Co.
197 Main St.
$48,000 — Demolition of showroom and offices

Trata Inc.
396 Main St.
$1,200 — Ground sign

Trata Inc.
396 Main St.
$10,000 — Tenant fit-out for Agawam Axe House

AMHERST

Granodonico Properties, LLC
23 North Pleasant St.
$10,000 — Kitchen exhaust hood

Jones Properties, LP
25B Pray St.
$101,841 — Interior renovation of office space, millwork, drywall, flooring, paint, plumbing, HVAC, and electric

Stavros Center for Independent Living
210 Old Farm Road
$2,500 — Replace two doors and two windows

CHICOPEE

Brixmore GA Chicopee Marketplace, LLC
591 Memorial Dr.
$150,000 — Electric car-charging station

Church of God
193 St. James Ave.
$10,000 — Build handicap-accessible bathroom, build platform for altar, build wall partition

E and R Realty, LLC
705 Meadow St.
$8,000 — Remove wall, install drywall over existing walls, install drop ceiling

Jacob Hannoush
32 Pearl St.
$10,000 — Roofing

DEERFIELD

Eaglebrook
271 Pine Nook Road
$325,000 — Replace water storage tank

Laura Newton
470 Greenfield Road
$61,000 — Renovation to Savages’ Market

EASTHAMPTON

7-Eleven Inc.
97 Union St.
Reface existing sign faces

Keystone Enterprises
122 Pleasant St.
$37,376 — Add demizing wall

Tubed Products
44 O’Neill St.
Install wall sign

GREENFIELD

Clayton Herbert, Katherine Herbert
22 Mohawk Trail
$3,280 — Replace four windows, new trim, patch drywall

FBBT/US Properties, LLC
137 Federal St.
Change out five signs

Greenfield Corporate Center, LLC
101 Munson St.
$125,000 — Remodel existing office space for new tenant, Allergy and Immunology Associates

Greenfield Corporate Center, LLC
101 Munson St.
$8,600 — Rework existing sprinklers to new tenant space

R + D Vic Corp. Inc.
204 Main St.
$2,120 — Cut down half wall for a countertop

SMR Greenfield Trust
324 Main St.
$30,000 — Repair drywall, flooring, and ceiling tiles

Edward Snow Jr., Kerrilynn Snow
223-225 Leyden Road
$6,000 — Install spiral staircase

LONGMEADOW

GPT Longmeadow, LLC
666 Bliss Road
$350,000 — Alteration to existing space for Baystate Urgent Care Clinic

LUDLOW

Dowd Insurance Agency
563 Center St.
$15,000 — Commercial alterations

NORTHAMPTON

The College Church Inc.
58 Pomerpy Terrace
$66,394 — Install solar panels on roof

Smith College
28 Lyman Road
$21,000 — Roofing

Split Excavating
228 King St.
$3,971 — Replace broken glass front and new brick facia

Thornes Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$110,000 — Renovate main entry vestibule, including new doors, new flooring, and new ceiling assembly

Wayfinders
155 Pleasant St.
$5,000 — Illuminated wall sign

Wayfinders
155 Pleasant St.
$1,725 — Illuminated wall sign

Wayfinders
155 Pleasant St.
$5,520 — Illuminated wall sign

PALMER

Camp Ramah in New England
39 Bennett St.
$3,500 — Repairs to summer-camp staff bunkhouse

SOUTHWICK

Southwick Package
466 College Highway
Replace rooftop unit

SPRINGFIELD

Aziz Ahmed
345 Main St.
$11,000 — Minor work to open convenience store, including platform at checkout counter, new sink and toilet, exhaust fan, and three doors

CMC Development
222 Carew St.
$2,300 — Install fire and burglar alarm in first-floor office space

Diocese of Springfield
99 Wendover Road
$250,000 — Construct roof-mounted solar system on Pope Francis High School

Five Town Station, LLC
296 Cooley St.
$8,000 — Add door and window to existing wall

Helen Dorian Trust
266 Bridge St.
$1,600 — Repair glass pane and reglaze eight window frames at Mansfield Beauty School

Brian Henry
1464 State St.
$5,000 — Interior demolition to repair water damage in office space

Liberty Medical Building Associates
125 Liberty St.
$14,820 — Construct wall to enclose future break room, remove sink, and add door in Suite 408; construct closet and add door in Suite 402

Meg Realty, LLC
24 Mattoon St.
$12,500 — Reframe burnt lumber rafters and make weathertight work area

Hung Nguyen
461 Belmont Ave.
$24,000 — Alter first floor for take-out restaurant, including handicap ramp and new kitchen

WARE

Baystate Mary Lane Hospital
85 South St.
$169,048 — Renovate existing space to make exam rooms

Baystate Mary Lane Hospital
85 South St.
$303,729 — Renovate vacant patient for new outpatient wound-care program

Cold Spring Medical, LLC
182 West St.
$249,000 — Gut and renovate old Cumberland Farms to create medical office

Norcor Auto Wash Inc.
134 West St.
Install roof-mounted solar panels

Town of Ware
22 North St.
$4,000 — Construct interior separation wall, shelving at Police Department

WESTFIELD

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
137 Franklin St.
Install grid-tied solar photovoltaic system

Gregg’s Mobile Auto Repair, LLC
16 George St.
$90,000 — Interior space fit-out

L & R Market Inc.
35 North Elm St.
Interior renovations and repairs

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Leonard Bruso
20-26 Roanoke Ave.
$78,732.86 — Install rooftop solar array

DDR Realty
935 Riverdale St.
$242,000 — Interior alteration of existing space

Brendan Greely
85 Elm St.
Roofing

Modern Office Sections

Getting Ahead at Work

By Susan Bellows

You went to college and did well. You got an entry-level job and moved up in the company. Yet, for some reason, your advancement has plateaued.
You’re not getting the respect, recognition, and rewards your hard work deserves. What are you doing wrong, and what can you do to turn the situation around?

Let’s Start with the Don’ts

• Don’t complain, gossip, or blame others. All of these behaviors devalue you.

• Don’t make up an answer if you don’t know it. Instead, say something like, “let me get back to you with the most accurate information.” This will avoid jeopardizing your long-term credibility.

• Don’t bring your personal problems to the office.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for more details on a project you’ve been assigned. The president of a bank once said to me, “I worry if they don’t come back and ask questions.”

• Don’t try to hide mistakes. Own up to them and learn from them. You’ll earn more respect from others when you take ownership.

• Don’t be a know-it-all. A little humility goes a long way in building rapport with your colleagues.

Now for the Do’s:

• Behave positively and professionally both inside and outside the company. This includes the Christmas party, networking events, and posting on social media. You’re always being evaluated. Inappropriate pictures or statements made on social media can and will be used against you.

• Have a can-do attitude. Be proactive about saying ‘yes’ to new opportunities and challenges. Your willingness to step up will make you more valuable to the company and enhance your reputation as a team player.

• Build mutually beneficial relationships with vendors, colleagues, department heads, and your boss. Some of the best job referrals come from vendors. An adversarial relationship with a department head could easily sabotage your ability to get your job done.

• Be proactive about your career development. Invest in things like additional training and technology. These actions will increase your value as an employee. They will also make you a more marketable candidate for jobs inside and outside your company.

• Continue learning once you get a job. Go to other departments that involve the work you do, such as marketing if you’re in sales, and ask questions that’ll help you understand their challenges. Read about your industry. Join outside professional groups to learn more about your field and to build a network of peers.

• Learn communication skills to build rapport with others. Dale Carnegie’s classic book How to Win Friends & Influence People is a good place to start. Anything you can do to understand yourself and others will be valuable at work and in your personal life.

• Listen attentively and take notes, if appropriate, when gathering information. Ask for clarification if needed. Nobody wants to spend time explaining something and then realize the listener was just nodding, but not retaining the details.

• Offer fact-based solutions, not just your opinion, when making suggestions for improvements in a process.

• Contribute constructively at meetings and listen to what others have to say. It’s important to understand the perspective of others. The only way this is possible is to be receptive and listen.

• Avoid challenging, questioning, and criticizing how things are done when you’re new. Later, learn to say these things in a way that doesn’t alienate others. Try using softening statements, such as “could I ask you something that might be sensitive?” or “you probably already know this, but…”

• Volunteer for high-visibility projects when you believe you’ll be able to contribute. Doing this exposes you to the attention of upper management, who may later offer you a position that leverages the talents they observe you demonstrate.

• Be aware of what you say and how you say it. Your tone of voice can enhance or destroy the message you want to deliver. Avoid asking a question starting with “why.” Folks get defensive when they hear this word. It’s preferable to say something like, “Tell me more about…” in a soft, non-confrontational tone of voice.

• Be prepared for inevitable change. This includes changes in ownership of the company, the economy, business competitors, co-workers, and your boss. Plan for change and be ready for it.

This is lot to think about. But being strategic about getting ahead is a little like starting a new job. It’s hard at the beginning, and then it becomes second nature. In the long run, it’s well worth the effort.

Susan Bellows is a business consultant specializing in empowering middle-management women to attain the recognition, respect, and rewards they deserve; (413) 566-3934; [email protected]

Architecture Home Builders Sections

Surface Appeal

President Mitch Salomon (center) and some of his team at Salomon Flooring.

President Mitch Salomon (center) and some of his team at Salomon Flooring.

The flooring business has changed in many ways since Mitch Salamon Sr. opened his shop 75 years ago, with an array of products he couldn’t have envisioned. But other elements haven’t changed at all, say today’s second- and third-generation leaders of the company, from the importance of punctuality to helping customers work within their budget, all of which has helped Salamon build a roster of repeat customers in some of the area’s most important industries.

Visit Sarat Ford Lincoln in Agawam, Ford of Greenfield, or Balise Hyundai of Springfield, and chances are you’re walking on a surface installed by Salamon Flooring.

Since 2014, in fact, the West Springfield-based company has completed six-figure jobs at those dealerships, plus Curry Honda in Chicopee, Balise Ford in Wilbraham, Prime Hyundai in Rockland … the list goes on.

“Car dealerships are building now; there’s a lot of growth and consolidation,” said Mark Salamon, a third-generation vice president at the family-owned flooring business, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. “We have a lot of projects going on with car dealerships; the opportunities are enormous.”

Assisted-living centers — which are also seeing a building and renovating boom, thanks to the largest population over age 65 in the nation’s history — are another strong niche for Salamon, with recent flooring jobs including Linda Manor in Leeds and Stonebrook Village in South Windsor, Conn., and several others now underway.

“We’re local contractors from Western Mass., but we do work all the way into Boston and New York and Connecticut,” Salamon said. “We do a lot of school work, assisted-living centers, car dealerships, government work, VAs, Navy work — small to large — as well as residential projects.”

Company President Mitch Salamon told BusinessWest that his father, also named Mitch, launched the company in 1943 in Holyoke, later moving it to West Springfield, where it has been based for more than a half-century. “It just evolved through the years, and when I was old enough to assist, we eventually broadened our scope of work and expanded our operations.”

Today, with 36 installers in the field and an office staff of nine, Salamon Flooring continues to build on its name, and its key niches. Major school projects in the past five years include a half-million dollars worth of work at UMass Amherst, plus jobs at Pioneer Valley Christian School, Baystate Academy, Bay Path College, Chapin School, West Springfield public schools, Wilbraham & Monson Academy, and Springfield Technical Community College.

Then there are the medical facilities — including Riverbend Medical Group, Baystate Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, MedExpress, AFC Urgent Care, and other large practices. Meanwhile, recent government projects have included four naval bases around New England and Veterans Administration facilities in Northampton and Bedford.

A Vietnam veteran decorated with the Bronze Star, Mitch Salomon says being a vet qualifies his company for a competitive edge in the bidding process for government work, but added quickly that its track record provides a greater edge. “Our credibility and reputation are so strong that, once we affiliate ourselves with a contractor, we’re invited over and over for anything else they bid.”

Laying It Down

Mark Salamon noted that the company cut its teeth on residential projects, and started to shift more toward commercial work when his father took over. “As the third generation goes on, we do mostly commercial work, with some light residential.”

Popular products these days include broadloom carpet, carpet tile, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), vinyl composite tile (VCT), hardwood flooring, granite, ceramic tile, and sheet vinyls. Products like LVT, VCT, and sheet vinyls, he explained, offer more durability than traditional vinyl products while providing a realistic wood or tile appearance.

The majority of customers today are looking for long-term durability, he added, whether to protect a floor from dog claws and heavy use by kids, or due to a high-traffic location in, say, a retail store or car showroom.

From left, Carol Salomon, Mitch Salomon, Mark Salomon, and Karen Salomon Shouse

From left, Carol Salomon, Mitch Salomon, Mark Salomon, and Karen Salomon Shouse represent the second and third generations of company leadership.

“LVT is becoming very popular and replacing hardwood in a lot of homes,” Salamon went on. “The way they’re constructed these days is a very realistic look that mimics wood, with beveled edges, graining on the surface, and it’s about half the cost of hardwood. Some have lifetime warranties, and some are waterproof.”

Commercial clients are increasingly choosing LVT as well, Mitch said, particularly high-traffic facilities like hospitals, healthcare practices, and assisted-living centers, for its blend of durability and a more pleasing appearance than traditional vinyl tile.

Part of a product’s durability stems from the surface preparation and moisture mitigation Salamon offers. Mark added that ever-expanding options in materials makes it easy to “value engineer” a job that meets the client’s needs within his or her budget.

“A lot of products start with the architect specifying something,” he noted, “but once budgets are set, sometimes value engineering comes into play, and we can make the projects fit their budget. We certainly have some clients with tight budgets, but we can find products that fit their needs and still give them quality and durability.”

Repeat business has been an important element of Salamon’s success, he went on. “Once we jump into a market and complete successful projects, we’re asked to bid a lot of similar projects again. We pride ourselves on giving 100%, doing the project on time, on schedule, and handling whatever obstacles are in the way, which creates repeat business. General contractors like us and trust us on projects.”

That’s partly because of the legwork Salamon completes well before it shows up on a job site, from the products to be used to a list of workers preapproved to work in certain settings — including background checks for military bases and CORI checks for school settings.

“We make sure the paperwork needed is done, so when the project starts, there are no delays,” he said. “General contractors like to see that set up in the system; it makes it very easy for them, which makes the process of completing the job that much quicker.”

Another important element of working with general contractors is making sure punchlist items are resolved immediately, thus preventing delays in the schedule. And he appreciates contractors with a similar emphasis on punctuality.

“We enjoy working with good general contractors that have their jobs well-organized, well-financed, and on schedule,” he said. “It makes our job easier, makes the projects come out nicer, and increases the chance for additional work with them.”

Carol Salamon, Mitch’s wife and the company treasurer, agreed. “The general contractors we work with have pride in their work; they’re not sloppy.”

Stepping Forward

Mark Salamon noted that the company has grown substantially over the past six years, emerging from the post-recession years with a substantial surge in business. “Every year has had strong, positive growth.”

The company has been a community fixture in more ways than installing floors throughout the region. Among its charitable efforts, Salamon Flooring and Salamon Realty, another family business, donated funds last year to the West Springfield Fire Department to purchase a utility task vehicle from Springfield Auto and Truck.

The emergency vehicle was put into use at the Big E in September and made 63 runs there. With its smaller size, it’s able to navigate through large crowds and access areas of the fair that would be challenging to reach with an ambulance. It is also used to reach emergency situations in Mittineague Park, the Bear Hole Watershed, and other places.

As for its flooring business, the Salamon family plans to be a local fixture for the foreseeable future. While Mark and his sister, Vice President Karen Salamon Shouse, represent the third generation of company leadership, they won’t be the last; Mark’s son, Beau Salomon, is a student at UMass Business School, but comes to work during summer vacations and other breaks, and sometimes on the weekend when needed, with every intention of coming on board full-time after graduation.

“He has the leadership ability that my father and grandfather had, that a lot of the guys here look for, Mark said, “and he’s a hard worker — something you don’t see in a lot of kids nowadays.”

He’ll be coming on board at a time when those niches that have driven so many sales, from auto dealerships to schools to assisted living, continue to experience a wave of construction. “The market is strong. We have some quality competition, but we strive every day to be better.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Salamon Shouse added. “With the competition in the area, we have to bring our best to every job.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Home Builders Landscape Design Sections

Something to Build On

Gisele Gilpatrick says her family’s business, Pro-Tech Waterproofing in Chicopee, typically garners about six months’ worth of business from the Western Mass. Home & Garden show — just not all at once.

“They’ll take our information, but they won’t always call next week,” said Gilpatrick, Pro-Tech’s office manager and the chair of the 64th annual Home & Garden show, slated for March 22-25. “They’ll say, ‘we saw you six months ago, or a year ago, or two years ago. I pulled out your card, because I have a problem now.’”

That’s the value for many of the 350-plus vendors who will set up shop at the Eastern States Exposition on March 22-25. Among those showcasing their products and services will be builders, remodelers, kitchen and bath specialists, landscapers, painters, roofers, financial institutions, pool companies, and more.

“It’s a good chance for people to talk to us one on one about their situation,” Gilpatrick said. “Sometimes it’s easier to visualize things when you talk with someone in person, and people are more comfortable explaining what they need. Sometimes, people think it’s a major project and it’s not, while other times we have to tell them it is major.”

Either way, it’s easy to find answers — and second, third, and fourth opinions — with so many businesses on hand. For that reason and others, the annual event has become the signature showcase for the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts, which produces it.

The home show started as a way to generate revenue to support the association, but it also provides member companies with a chance to market to an audience — and a big one, with around 20,000 visitors over the four days in a typical year — that might not otherwise see their name. Conversely, it gives attendees, many of whom simply come to the show for fun, a host of concrete (sometimes literally) ideas for home improvement.

The exhibitors — in more than 90 different categories — run the gamut from inspection services to security and alarm systems; Internet and communications to moving and storage; duct cleaning to pianos and organs.

Show attendees fall into one of several categories, the association notes:

• People planning to buy or build a new home, who may visit with builders, real-estate agents, financial institutions, and sellers of component products, such as hardwood flooring, tile, and appliances;

• People planning to remodel or renovate, who may want to check in with all of the above, plus vendors of replacement components such as windows and doors, as well as appliances, wall treatments, and home furnishings;

• Yard and garden enthusiasts, who tend to be interested in lawn and landscaping services; wall, walk, and edging components and materials; and trees, shrubs, flowers, and seeds;

• Lifestyle-conscious individuals, who like to check out trendy, high-tech, or time-saving products; home furnishings; and products focused on self-improvement, fitness, and health;

• Committed renters, who have no plans to own a house, but may be interested in space-conservation and space-utilization products, as well as home furnishings;

• Impulse buyers, who flock to vendors of home décor, arts and crafts, cooking and baking products, jewelry, and personal goods; and

• Those who attend the show purely for fun, who may arrive without an agenda but often develop ideas for future purchases and home products. “More than any other group,” according to the association, “these people are the ones who have come to rely upon our show on an annual basis and who perhaps have the greatest impact upon our vendors.”

Advice — on the House

In addition to the exhibitors, the four-day event will also include cooking shows, hosted by WMAS radio personalities, in the Home Show Kitchen in the Young Building. Various chefs from restaurants throughout the Pioneer Valley will be on hand to prepare some of their specialties, and audience members can ask them questions, try samples, and have a chance to win gift certificates from some of the establishments.

A children’s area in the Young Building will feature an art exhibit created by students from Thousand Cranes Studio and a chance to participate in creative activities, as well as Melha Shriners clowns and a live butterfly display from Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens. The Koi Society will have a pond built by C J Grounds Maintenance filled with koi fish, kids can get their pictures taken on a go-cart provided by Pioneer Valley Indoor Karting, Looney Tunes characters from Six Flags New England will be on hand, and Rolling Acres Outdoor and Science Summer Camp will help kids conduct science experiments.

Meanwhile, promotions and giveaways include the WMAS Kitchen Giveaway Contest, the Rock 102/Lazer 99.3 Ultimate New England Sports Fan Giveaway, and iHeartRadio’s $25,000 Home Makeover Contest.

In a dedicated outdoor area, several vendors will assemble outdoor structures such as sheds, gazebos, sunrooms, and furniture to spruce up the deck or poolside. Also on display in that area will be the large Beauty in Motion showroom of American Standard products.

Gilpatrick emphasized that the impact of the Home & Garden Show is year-round. “Some people may have a problem that costs $15,000 to fix, and they don’t have $15,000. But come next year, they’ve planned and budgeted, maybe secured financing, basically done what it will take, and that’s when we hear from them again. There’s a lot of that.”

This year’s show hours are Thursday and Friday, March 22-23, 1-9 p.m.; Saturday, March 24, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, March 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 for adults, and children under 12 are admitted free. Discount coupons, available at www.westernmasshomeshow.com, knock $6 off the regular ticket price on Thursday, $4 off the regular price on Friday, and $2 off the regular price on Saturday and Sunday. Veterans and active military with ID receive free admission on Thursday only.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Home Builders Landscape Design Sections

Something to Build On

Gisele Gilpatrick says her family’s business, Pro-Tech Waterproofing in Chicopee, typically garners about six months’ worth of business from the Western Mass. Home & Garden show — just not all at once.

“They’ll take our information, but they won’t always call next week,” said Gilpatrick, Pro-Tech’s office manager and the chair of the 64th annual Home & Garden show, slated for March 22-25. “They’ll say, ‘we saw you six months ago, or a year ago, or two years ago. I pulled out your card, because I have a problem now.’”

That’s the value for many of the 350-plus vendors who will set up shop at the Eastern States Exposition on March 22-25. Among those showcasing their products and services will be builders, remodelers, kitchen and bath specialists, landscapers, painters, roofers, financial institutions, pool companies, and more.

“It’s a good chance for people to talk to us one on one about their situation,” Gilpatrick said. “Sometimes it’s easier to visualize things when you talk with someone in person, and people are more comfortable explaining what they need. Sometimes, people think it’s a major project and it’s not, while other times we have to tell them it is major.”

Either way, it’s easy to find answers — and second, third, and fourth opinions — with so many businesses on hand. For that reason and others, the annual event has become the signature showcase for the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts, which produces it.

The home show started as a way to generate revenue to support the association, but it also provides member companies with a chance to market to an audience — and a big one, with around 20,000 visitors over the four days in a typical year — that might not otherwise see their name. Conversely, it gives attendees, many of whom simply come to the show for fun, a host of concrete (sometimes literally) ideas for home improvement.

The exhibitors — in more than 90 different categories — run the gamut from inspection services to security and alarm systems; Internet and communications to moving and storage; duct cleaning to pianos and organs.

Show attendees fall into one of several categories, the association notes:

• People planning to buy or build a new home, who may visit with builders, real-estate agents, financial institutions, and sellers of component products, such as hardwood flooring, tile, and appliances;

• People planning to remodel or renovate, who may want to check in with all of the above, plus vendors of replacement components such as windows and doors, as well as appliances, wall treatments, and home furnishings;

• Yard and garden enthusiasts, who tend to be interested in lawn and landscaping services; wall, walk, and edging components and materials; and trees, shrubs, flowers, and seeds;

• Lifestyle-conscious individuals, who like to check out trendy, high-tech, or time-saving products; home furnishings; and products focused on self-improvement, fitness, and health;

• Committed renters, who have no plans to own a house, but may be interested in space-conservation and space-utilization products, as well as home furnishings;

• Impulse buyers, who flock to vendors of home décor, arts and crafts, cooking and baking products, jewelry, and personal goods; and

• Those who attend the show purely for fun, who may arrive without an agenda but often develop ideas for future purchases and home products. “More than any other group,” according to the association, “these people are the ones who have come to rely upon our show on an annual basis and who perhaps have the greatest impact upon our vendors.”

Advice — on the House

In addition to the exhibitors, the four-day event will also include cooking shows, hosted by WMAS radio personalities, in the Home Show Kitchen in the Young Building. Various chefs from restaurants throughout the Pioneer Valley will be on hand to prepare some of their specialties, and audience members can ask them questions, try samples, and have a chance to win gift certificates from some of the establishments.

A children’s area in the Young Building will feature an art exhibit created by students from Thousand Cranes Studio and a chance to participate in creative activities, as well as Melha Shriners clowns and a live butterfly display from Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens. The Koi Society will have a pond built by C J Grounds Maintenance filled with koi fish, kids can get their pictures taken on a go-cart provided by Pioneer Valley Indoor Karting, Looney Tunes characters from Six Flags New England will be on hand, and Rolling Acres Outdoor and Science Summer Camp will help kids conduct science experiments.

Meanwhile, promotions and giveaways include the WMAS Kitchen Giveaway Contest, the Rock 102/Lazer 99.3 Ultimate New England Sports Fan Giveaway, and iHeartRadio’s $25,000 Home Makeover Contest.

In a dedicated outdoor area, several vendors will assemble outdoor structures such as sheds, gazebos, sunrooms, and furniture to spruce up the deck or poolside. Also on display in that area will be the large Beauty in Motion showroom of American Standard products.

Gilpatrick emphasized that the impact of the Home & Garden Show is year-round. “Some people may have a problem that costs $15,000 to fix, and they don’t have $15,000. But come next year, they’ve planned and budgeted, maybe secured financing, basically done what it will take, and that’s when we hear from them again. There’s a lot of that.”

This year’s show hours are Thursday and Friday, March 22-23, 1-9 p.m.; Saturday, March 24, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, March 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 for adults, and children under 12 are admitted free. Discount coupons, available at www.westernmasshomeshow.com, knock $6 off the regular ticket price on Thursday, $4 off the regular price on Friday, and $2 off the regular price on Saturday and Sunday. Veterans and active military with ID receive free admission on Thursday only.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE
www.1berkshire.com
(413) 499-1600

• March 21: Chamber Nite, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Lee Bank, 75 North St., Pittsfield. Bring your business card to enter to win our door prize. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.

• March 28: Career Fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., hosted by Berkshire Community College, Paterson Field House, 1350 West St., Pittsfield. Get in front of Berkshire-based businesses at this annual event. Connect with employers looking to hire. You may also choose to exhibit, and recruit new employees, grow your business, and get in front of hundreds of job seekers. The event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in exhibiting or attending, visit www.1berkshire.com.

• April 18: Good News Business Salute, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Berkshire Hills Country Club, 500 Benedict Road, Pittsfield. Join us for our morning breakfast, where we will honor members and announce the winner of this year’s Esther Quinn Award. Cost: $35-$45. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.

• April 26: Creative Resources Conference, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by Stationery Factory, 63 Flansburg Ave., Dalton. The format has three tracts, with a total of nine workshops for creatives, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. More information to come. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.

AMHERST AREA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• April 26: Margarita Madness, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. Come taste margaritas and vote for your favorite. There will also be delicious dishes from participating restaurants and dozens of great raffle prizes. Cost: $30 pre-registered, $40 at the door. Register online at www.amherstarea.com.

FRANKLIN COUNTY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463

• April 20: Monthly Breakfast Series, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Greenfield High School, 21 Barr Ave., Greenfield. Full breakfast will be served during the program, which will feature an Entrepreneur of the Year panel. Sponsored by Franklin County Community Development Corp. and the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board. Cost: $13 for members; $16 for non-members. Register at franklincc.org or by e-mailing [email protected].

• April 26: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main St., Greenfield. Networking event with special guest Sue Dahling Sullivan from Massachusetts ArtWeek. Come kick off the debut of ArtWeek in Western Mass. Refreshments and cash bar will be available. Cost: $10. Register at franklincc.org or by e-mailing [email protected].

GREATER CHICOPEE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• March 21: St. Patrick’s Day Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by the Delaney House, 1 Country Club Road, Holyoke. Chief greeter: John Beaulieu, city of Chicopee and St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. Keynote speaker: Sean Cahillane, Irish Cultural Center. Sarah the Fiddler will perform. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Sunshine Village, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 3: Chamber Seminar: “Pay Equity,” presented by Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, 9-11 a.m, hosted by La Quinta Inn & Suites. Sponsored by Westfield Bank. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. Table fee of $150 includes table, two entrance passes, a light supper, and parking. Admission: free with pre-registration only, $15 at the door. Sign up at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 19: Business After Hours: A Salute to the ’70s Disco Party, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Ohana School of Performing Arts. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 24: B2B Speed Networking, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Chicopee Boys and Girls Club. For more information, visit chicopeechamber.org/events.

• April 25: Salute Breakfast at the Moose Family Center: “Easy, Cost-neutral Sustainability for Businesses,” 7:15-9 a.m. Chief Greeter: Phil Norman, CISA. Keynote: Center for EcoTechnology. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Sunshine Village, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• March 27: “Strength-based Leadership” featuring Colleen DelVecchio, certified Clifton Strengths Coach. The second of a two-part series (see Feb. 27 listing above). For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• April 4: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Suite3 in the Mill 180 Building, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Suite3. Take your connection building to the next level when we partner with the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce on this Networking by Night event. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for future members. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. Friends and colleagues can come together for new networking opportunities and new features such as Made in Mass., Minute Clinic, and Food for Thought. Admission: free with online registration, $15 at the door. Table space is still available. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holyokechamber.com
(413) 534-3376

• March 21: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Slainte Restaurant, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Sponsored by Expert Staffing. Meet up with your business associates for networking and food. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 if you would like to bring a door prize or if you’re interested in a marketing table for $25.

• April 4: Women in Leadership Series, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by HCC Culinary Arts Institute, 164 Race St., Holyoke. Join us April through July to learn from area CEOs while networking with your peers from the region. An elegant lunch prepared by students from the Holyoke Community College Culinary Arts program will provide the setting, which will create the opportunity for a meaningful dialogue on some key leadership issues for those building their careers. Each month your table will join one of the region’s leading CEOs.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. Presented by the Greater Holyoke, Greater Chicopee, Greater Easthampton, Greater Northampton, South Hadley/Granby, and Quaboag Hills chambers of commerce. Vendor tables cost $150. Admission: no charge with advance registration, $15 at the door. This event sells out. Call (413) 534-3376 or your local chamber to reserve a table.

• April 18: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., sponsored and hosted by Fairfield Inn & Suites, 229 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke. Meet up with your friends and business associates for a little networking. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Feel free to bring a door prize. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• April 20: Economic Development Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Holyoke Community College, Kittredge Center, PeoplesBank Conference Room. Learn from EMPATH about how to break the cycle of poverty and utilize the bridge to self-sufficiency theory to approach economic mobility. EMPATH helps low-income people achieve long-term economic mobility, and has developed a holistic approach to mentoring backed by the latest brain science that busts through silos and combats chronic stress. Event emcees are Mary Coleman, EMPATH; Dr. Christina Royal, Holyoke Community College; and Kathleen Anderson, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members and walk-in guests.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• April 4: April Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Suite3 in the Mill 180 Building, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage, H&R Block, and MassDevelopment. A networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• April 11: Protecting Your Data from Security Risks, 9-11 a.m., hosted by Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. CyberSafe is a two-hour workshop for non-technical users that focuses on using technology without compromising personal or organizational security. Students will learn the skills they need to protect digital data on computers, networks, mobile devices, and the Internet. They will learn how to identify many of the common risks involved in using technology, such as phishing, spoofing, malware, and social engineering, and then learn how to protect themselves and their organizations from those risks. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. A networking event. Cost: $150 for a table for members, $225 for a table for non-members, $10 walk-in fee for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• April 2: April Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by the Arbors, 40 Court St., Westfield. Join us for our monthly Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. Event is free and open to the public. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org so we may give our host a proper count. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 11: WE2BA High School Career Fair, 7:45-11:30 a.m., hosted by Westfield State University at the Woodward Center, 395 Western Ave., Westfield. Don’t miss the chance to help shape our future through workforce development in our community. Join us to help inspire Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy students with career exploration. More than 400 students will be in attendance. We are looking for 75 vendors to participate. The vendor tables are free. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 11: April After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Betts Plumbing & Heating Supply Inc., 14 Coleman Ave., Westfield. Refreshments will be served. A 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members (cash or credit paid at the door). Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam at the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• April 24: Home & Business Community Marketplace & Tabletop Event, 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by the Ranch Golf Club, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick. An opportunity to market and sell your products and services to area residents and businesses. Sip and shop your way through the marketplace with a beer and wine tasting, live music, and a chance to vote for your favorite nosh at the food court. Cost: $50 for vendor rental space (table not included; bring your own, six feet or less with tablecloth), $75 for vendor table (includes six-foot table; bring your own tablecloth). Attendance is free to the public. For more information, contact Southwick Economic Development at (413) 304-6100.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.shgchamber.com
(413) 532-6451

• March 28: Educational Breakfast: “Tax Law Changes for Businesses,” 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by South Hadley Public Library, 2 Canal St., South Hadley. This presentation by Thomas Foley, a experienced CPA who specializes in business taxes, will present the new tax-law changes that will impact businesses of every size beginning this year. There will be a light breakfast. This event is free of charge and open to the community. For further information and to register, visit www.shgchamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 532-6451.

• April 11: Multi-chamber Table Top Expo: “A Taste of Commerce,” 4:30-7 p.m., hosted by Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College. This business networking and marketing event, now in its 24th year, will provide business professionals and entrepreneurs an opportunity to promote their businesses — to “strut their stuff.” Tables are available for $150. Admission is free if you pre-register with the chamber or $15 at the door. Whether you plan to be a participating vendor or want to simply attend, go to www.shgchamber.com for more information or to register, or call (413) 532-6451.

• April 19: Business After 5, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Ohana School of Performing Arts, 470 Newton St., South Hadley. Sponsored by Berkshire Hills Music Academy. This Everything 70’s Disco Party is a networking event for members and friends of the chamber. We are joining with the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce on this event, so there will be many new business colleagues to meet and greet over the three floors of studio space. The event will feature music, food, beverages, and dancing. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For further information and to register, visit www.shgchamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 532-6451.

• April 22: Mohegan Sun bus trip, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Proceeds support the chamber’s scholarship fund and its two community Councils on Aging. There are bonuses on food and other pluses included in the cost. Bus departs from and returns to the former Big Y parking lot at 501 Newton St. Cost: $35. For further information and to register, visit www.shgchamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 532-6451.

• April 24: An Educational Breakfast: “Cybersecurity: What We All Need to Know,” 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by PeoplesBank and Loomis Village, 20 Bayon St., South Hadley. We will learn how cybersecurity impacts our own lives, both personally and professionally. The presentation will be led by Joseph Zazzaro, senior vice president, Information Technology, and David Thibault, first vice president, Commercial Banking at PeoplesBank. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For further information and to register, visit www.shgchamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 532-6451.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• March 20: C-Suite Conversations & Cocktails, 5-7 p.m., hosted by CityStage, One Columbus Center, Springfield. Members-only event featuring MGM President Mike Mathis. Cost: $25. For reservations, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (413) 755-1310.

• March 29: Speed Networking, 3:30-5 p.m., location to be determined. Cost: $20 for members in advance ($25 at the door), $30 general admission in advance ($35 at the door). For reservations, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• April 4: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by CHD Cancer House of Hope, West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• April 12: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Lattitude, West Springfield. Must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief sales pitch. The only cost to attend is the cost of lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• April 26: Coffee with Agawam Mayor Sapelli, 8:30-10 a.m., hosted by Agawam Senior Center Coffee Shop, 954 Main St., Agawam. Join us for a cup of coffee and a town update from Mayor Bill Sapelli. Questions and answers will immediately follow. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY
OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
springfieldyps.com

• April 19: YPS Third Thursday: “Career Development & Networking,” 5-7 p.m., hosted by Lattitude Restaurant, 1338 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Cost: free for YPS members, $10 for non-members.

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.

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT
Andrew Starkweather and Catherine Westcott v. Circle B Inc. d/b/a Circle B Barn Co.
Allegation: Construction dispute: $25,000+
Filed: 1/8/18

Clifford W. Oakes v. Town of Monroe
Allegation: Violation of overtime statute, breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing: $40,000+
Filed: 1/24/18

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT
Gail Sanders v. DC Property Management, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $24,000
Filed: 2/8/18

Best Tile Distributors of New England Inc. v. Allen & Burke Construction, LLC and John Burke
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $10,339.96
Filed: 2/12/18

Kenneth Malone v. Dunkin’ Donuts
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $8,500
Filed: 2/13/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Susan O’Connor v. David Ott, PA; Antone B. Cruz III, MD; and Riverbend Medical Group Inc.
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $82,500
Filed: 2/5/18

Kathleen Schussler v. Home Depot USA Inc.
Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $10,868.71
Filed: 2/5/18

Kenneth Hoff v. EP Floors Corp. and Robert Long
Allegation: Misclassification as independent contractor, non-payment of wages, non-payment of overtime wages, failure to maintain proper payroll records, and breach of contract: $25,000
Filed: 2/5/18

Emiddio Botta v. T.J. Welch Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: 106,388.17
Filed: 2/6/18

Jennifer Mauro v. Pride Stores, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $118,104.46
Filed: 2/13/18

Teresa Cruz v. Baystate Health Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $18,936.88
Filed: 2/14/18

J-K-M Construction Corp. v. Saltmarsh Industries Inc. and JAAN Development Corp.
Allegation: Breach of contract and unjust enrichment: $38,385.60
Filed: 2/15/18

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT
Sera Davidow v. the Transformation Center Inc.
Allegation: Misclassification as independent contractor, non-payment of overtime, violation of payment of wages law, and unjust enrichment: $8,000
Filed: 2/13/18

Marilyn Patton v. Bertucci’s Restaurant Corp.
Allegation: Negligence, breach of warranty, unfair and deceptive acts; injury caused by biting into dinner roll: $7,869
Filed: 2/15/18

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Mary Ingram v. Grill N Chill
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $463,500.26
Filed: 2/12/18

Daily News

FLORENCE — Florence Bank will present the awards in its 16th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program at an event slated for Wednesday, March 21. Contributions through the program will reach the $1.05 million mark in terms of grants made to community nonprofits over almost two decades.

Representatives from 57 nonprofits receiving funds will be present at the Garden House at Look Park from 5 to 7 p.m. to accept the grants, view photographs and displays from previous Customers’ Choice events, and sample hors d’oeuvres by Seth Mias Catering. The grant amounts will be announced that evening.

The Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program is an annual offering founded in 2002, through which Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding. In its early years, awards of $50,000, and later, $75,000, were offered each year by the bank; in more recent years, $100,000 in grants have been disbursed each spring.

The following are slated to receive an award: Pelham Elementary School PTO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, Dakin Humane Society, Friends of Forbes Library, Friends of Williamsburg Regional Library, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Cancer Connection, Northampton Survival Center, Amherst Survival Center, Friends of Lilly Library, Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO, Jackson Street School PTO, New Hingham Regional Elementary School PTO, BARC Inc., Northampton Senior Center, Northampton High School PTO, Emily Williston Memorial Library, Hospice of the Fisher Home, RK Finn Ryan Road School, Safe Passage, Friends of Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School, Belchertown Day School, the Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, Friends of Clapp Library, Amherst Regional Public Schools Parent Guardian Organization, Kestrel Land Trust, Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, Grow Food Northampton, Williamsburg Firefighters Assoc., Friends of the Amherst Senior Center, Tapestry Health Systems Inc., Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice, Leeds Elementary School PTO, Hampshire Regional High School, Easthampton Community Center, the Hartsbrook School, Northampton Community Music Center, Easthampton Band Boosters, Northampton Community Rowing, Hitchcock Center for the Environment, ServiceNet, the Belchertown Police K-9 Unit, Hilltown Community Health Centers, Whole Children, Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Bridge Street School PTO, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, John F. Kennedy Middle School PTO, Mass Audubon Connecticut River Sanctuaries, Our Lady of the Hills Parish, CISA, Belchertown Firefighters Assoc., MANNA Soup Kitchen Inc., the Center for Women & Community at UMass Amherst, the Center for New Americans, and the Granby Senior Center.

Daily News

CHICOPEE — Elms College will host a screening of the film Raise the Roof, part of the Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival, tonight, March 20, at 7 p.m. in the college’s Alumnae Library Theater. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers.

Raise the Roof is an inspiring story of how combined talents in art and science revived an artifact that was once lost to history. Inspired by images of the magnificent wooden synagogues of 18th century Poland — the last of which were destroyed by the Nazis — Boston artists Rick and Laura Brown set out to reconstruct a replica of the stunning, mural-covered Gwoździec synagogue. Working with a team of 300 artisans and students from around the world, using only hand tools and techniques from the period, the Browns finally realized their dream: in 2014, the reconstruction of the Gwoździec synagogue roof was unveiled as the centerpiece of the new POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw.

The post-screening panel discussion will include filmmakers Yari and Cary Wolinsky, Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener of Temple Israel in Greenfield, and Scott Hartblay, associate professor of Social Work. The panel will be moderated by Martin Pion, director of the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms College.

This event is free for Elms students and faculty, $10 for general admission, and $8 for seniors. For tickets and more information, visit pvjff.org.

DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the months of February and March 2018.

AMHERST

Queen’s Greens
245 Meadow St.
Danielle Teitelbaum, Matt Biskup

Roger Mami Cleaning
165 Summer St.
Roger Coy Mami

Smooth Affairs
68 Cowls Road
Jenelle Taylor

BELCHERTOWN

Cognitive Behavioral Techniques
67 Turkey Hill Road
Patricia Bonneau

The Cruise Connection
8 Lawrence Road
Richard Thibodeau

Dynamic Do’s
111 Main St.
Annamarie Deich

Eclipz Salon
3 Stadler St., C4
Carolyn O’Donnell

Looks to Kill
40 Daniel Shays Highway
Jodi Anne Turek

Nelson I. Garrow & Sons Partnership
419 Bay Road
Nelson Garrow III, Joanne Garrow, Francis Garrow, Nelson Garrow IV

CHICOPEE

439 AW Protocol
975 Patriot Ave.
Tammy Vezina

A.K. Enterprises
76 Taylor St.
Alexander Korteskit

A-R Solutions Physicians Billing
29 Lawndale St.
Patricia Fijal

Bull’s Eye Cafe
621 Center St.
KAJ Associates, LLC

Cadrocke Associates
10 Center St.
John Hollywood

Chicopee High School Soccer Booster Club
820 Front St.
Anne-Marie Szmyt, Elizabeth Soja

Destiney’s Closet
706 Chicopee St.
Destiney Hairston

Gallagher’s Auto Sales, LLC
1095 Chicopee St.
Christopher Rivers

Integrity Heating and Cooling
62 Willwood St.
Michael Durgin

Reflections and Impressions
48 Center St.
Michael Kozicki

DEERFIELD

The Educator’s Notebook
P.O. Box 444
Peter Nilsson

Helstowski Tree and Landscaping
35 Sugarloaf St.
Justyn Helstowski, Kevin Helstowski

Taylor Technology Associates
122 Plain Road
William Taylor

EASTHAMPTON

Camp’s Construction
46 East St.
Stephen Camp

Happy Day’s Remodeling
9 Riley St.
Manfred Porth

Limb by Limb Bodywork
22 Princeton Ave.
Rebekah Hanlon

New England Yoga Institute
8 Prospect St., #1R
Audrey Blaisdell

Oak and Anvil Films
106 Cottage St.
Robert Savage

Teaganwells
116 Pleasant St., Apt. 412
Teagan Rosendahl

EAST LONGMEADOW

Attitudes Hairstyles by Tina
128 Shaker Road
Tina Sherwood

Griffin Staffing Network
200 North Main St., Suite 9E
Nicole Griffin

Pearlston Paperwerks
23 Nottingham Dr.
Sarah McAdoo

Peter S. Benton, CPA
65 Maple St.
Peter Benton

Robert G. Smith
64 Woodbridge Dr.
Robert Smith

GREENFIELD

A.B. Edmonds Construction
127 Shelburne Road
Alfred Edmonds

Abundant Home Care
260 Davis St.
Leonard Cocco

Avalon Integrative Wellness
117 Riddell St.
Joanne Rybczyk

Deste Catherine Design
574 Bernardston Road
Deste Roosa

Facey Plumbing and Heating Inc.
305 Wells St., Suite 2
David Facey

Farm Girl Origins
6 Cross St.
Sarah Hiller

Goodwin, Shine and Associates
48 Federal St.
Kathleen Liberatore

Great Clips
249 Mohawk Trail
C. Laraway

Looky Here
28 Chapman St.
Beverly Ketch

Premier Bath Systems, LLC
1175 Bernardston Road
Jason Cusimano

ProsperiTea Planning
3 Grinnell St.
Wendy Marsden

Rebath of Pioneer Valley
6 French King Highway
PV Bathrooms Inc.

The Root Cellar
10 Fiske Ave.
RC Bar, LLC

Synergy Transportation Service
25 Park Ave.
Jason Markwell

Valley Mart
4 Mill St.
Muhammad Yasin

Wemhoener Analytics
4 Spring Terrace
David Wemhoener

LUDLOW

Liz R. Ramos @ the Luxy
200 Center St., Unit 7
Liz Ramos

Ludlow Chiropractic Office
77 Winsor St., Suite 203
Paul Blomerth

NORTHAMPTON

Caminito Steakhouse
7 Old South St.
Brian Doyle

Editintuitive
41 Chestnut Ave.
Ray Sylvester

Grace Paint and Tile
303 Riverside Dr.
Jeffrey Vaughan

neohasid.org
19 Perkins Ave., #6
David Seidenberg

Sheri Roxo Hair Design
241 King St., Suite 114
Sheri Ann Roxo

Skincare by Julie
2 Conz St., #60
Julieanne Ferrara Cronin

Tandem Bagel
306 King St.
Christopher Zawacki

Valley Fabrics
881 North King St.
Francesca Denhartog

Your Sacred Pelvis
71 Bradford St.
Chaya Aronson

PALMER

Bondsville Engineering Co.
48-R Fuller Road
Peter Blake, Ann Marie Blake

SOUTHWICK

Angelo’s Barber Shop
513 College Highway
Daniel Bean

Joshua K. Haughton Catering
405 North Loomis St.
Joshua Haughton

SPRINGFIELD

Affordable Airport Car Service
16 Malcolm Road
Ervin Carelock

Affordable Massachusetts
58 Edwards St., #402
Michael Patrick

B.L. Cleaning Service
93 Duggan Circle
William Lowe

Bay Street Bottles & Cans
836 Bay St.
Khanh Hung Nguyen

Fix It 413
984 Grayson Dr.
Brett Tabor

Food Management Search
235 State St.
Joseph Valentine

G & L Towing
130 Davenport St.
Joel Pacheco

Golden Hero Games
31 Palo Alto Road
Ronald Montgomery

Headline Studio
1350 Main St.
Advance Local Media

J.D. Auto Repair
131 Laconia St.
Jimmy Deleon

A Journey in Jazz
226 Old Farm Road
Traci Gaynor

Luvenzak Computer General
2156 Mazarin St.
Zadok Nwafor

Mastercuts N1977
1655 Boston Road
The Beautiful Group

Media Garden
34 Front St.
Rich Morganstern

The Nail Place, LLC
563 Main St.
Loan Pham

Pinguinos Construction
221 Hancock St.
Sadi Gonzalez

Pioneer Masonry & Chimney
1105 Sumner Ave.
Eric Rankin

R & L Auto Sales & Repair
419 Taylor St.
Reinaldo Torres Jr.

Ramos Accounting and Tax Services
405 Armory St.
Oscar Ramos

Springfield Mass Prodigy
118 Thompson St.
Robert Kelly

SWPC Plastics
2100 Roosevelt Ave.
Smith & Wesson Corp.

WARE

H & H Tree Service, LLC
109 Bondsville Road
David Hamlin

Realistic Evangelistic Active Christian Hearts
58 Main St., 222 Belchertown Road
Errol Estridge, Carol Estridge

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Adam Quality Painting
203 Circuit Ave.
Jacob Fellion

Alnassir International
205 Elm St.
Abdullah Nassir

China Bodywork Center & Spa
2009 Riverdale St.
Guang Ying Guo

Laptop Zone USA
83 River St.
Mohamed Muzammil

Reliable Auto Transport
108 Great Plains Road
Nikita Koshechko

R-Link
524 Cold Spring Ave.
Ruslan Akhmadullin

Sparkle N Shine
110 Ashley St.
Alisa Daniele

T-Shirt Station
1458 Riverdale St.
2P Designs, LLC

The Vape Bar Escape
209 Elm St.
Maria Filippone

WILBRAHAM

Excel Property Services
75 Soule Road
Richard McMahon

Flags Galore
27 McIntosh Dr.
Claire Van Eeghen

Kozy Kreations Boutique
680 Main St.
Kerri-Lynn Tichy

Wilbraham Web Design
8 Lodge Lane
Adam Anderson

World Tae Kwon Do Education Foundation
28 Stony Hill Road
Kyung Won Kim

Wellpoint Health Solutions, LLC
470 Main St.
Stacy Garvey

RN Advocate 4 You
17 Belli Dr.
Maura Lessard

Dale’s Family Hair Salon
2773 Boston Road
Dale Marsden

Agenda Departments

Gray House
Spaghetti Supper
March 19: The Gray House will hold its 27th annual spaghetti supper from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Greek Cultural Center, 8 Plainfield St. in Springfield. All proceeds from the family-friendly event will help the Gray House provide food, educational services, and youth programming to neighbors living in poverty. This year’s event sponsor is Freedom Credit Union, and platinum sponsors include PeoplesBank and the Springfield Chapter of UNICO National.
Tickets for the event are a minimum donation of $5. Children 6 and under are free, and all tickets can be purchased at the door. Supper, dessert, and children’s activities are available, as well as the opportunity to win raffle prizes such as Okemo Mountain lift tickets, a Tree House Brewing Co. basket, and many others. The grand-prize raffle includes a foursome to the Ranch Golf Club, tickets to a Boston Red Sox game, and a 32-inch smart TV. Winners do not need to be present to win the grand-prize raffle, and entry tickets can be purchased in advance by calling (413) 734-6696. This year, the Gray House will honor St. Michael’s Parish and Knights of Columbus Council #9960 of East Longmeadow. The event would not be possible without the support of the St. Michael’s Knights of Columbus and parishioners, said Teresa Liberti, executive director of the Gray House. “For over 20 years, they have been an integral part of making the spaghetti supper such a success. They are the ones who are cooking and serving the food for over 400 guests we have every year.”

Difference Makers
March 22: The 10th annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. The winners were announced and profiled in the Jan. 22 issue. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. Tickets to the event cost $75 per person, with tables of 10 available. To order, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 or visit www.businesswest.com. Sponsors include Sunshine Village, Royal, P.C., Health New England, and Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C.

Caritas Gala
April 21: Plans are underway for Mercy Medical Center’s second annual Caritas Gala at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The gala, with its Motown-inspired theme “Reach Out,” will raise funds to support Mercy Behavioral Health Care and the Mercy Emergency Department’s Opioid Community Outreach for education, intervention, and treatment. Dr. Mohamed and Kimberly Hamdani, along with Paul and Anna Mancinone, are honorary chairpersons for the Caritas Gala. Longtime supporters of Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Hamdani has served as chairman of Surgery, chairman of Credentials, and president of the medical staff at Mercy, and Paul Mancinone serves on the board for Trinity Health Of New England. The Caritas Gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, live entertainment from the band Motor City Magic, and a silent auction. Dinner will be served at 8 p.m., following by a live auction and dancing until midnight with music from the band Radiance. Preregistration is required by Friday, March 23. For more information or to purchase tickets to the Caritas Gala, visit www.mercycares.com/caritas-gala.

Mayors’ Economic Forum
April 26: “Mayors Meet Millennials” is the title of the 2018 New England Knowledge Corridor Mayors’ Economic Forum at Goodwin College in East Hartford, Conn. The program begins with coffee and conversation from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., followed by the conference program from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Participating mayors include Domenic Sarno (Springfield), Richard Kos (Chicopee), Marcia Leclerc (East Hartford), Erin Stewart (New Britain), and Luke Bronin (Hartford). Registration options and more information will be available soon.

40 Under Forty Gala
June 21: BusinessWest’s 12th annual 40 Under Forty Gala is a celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to be held starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018, which will be unveiled in the April 30 issue of BusinessWest. Also, the fourth Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. The 40 Under Forty sponsors include PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), Isenberg School of Management, Health New England, and the MP Group. Tickets will go on sale soon at $75 per person (tables of 10 available), and the event always sells out quickly. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Departments People on the Move
John Dowd Jr.

John Dowd Jr.

Dennis Fitzpatrick

Dennis Fitzpatrick

Diane LaCosse

Diane LaCosse

James Wall

James Wall

John Dowd Jr., Dennis Fitzpatrick, Diane LaCosse, and James Wall were recently named to the board of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. (SPMC). SPMC functions as the holding company for Providence Place Inc., Mary’s Meadow at Providence Place Inc., and Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc., all in Holyoke; and Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center in Westfield. The Sisters of Providence executive council serves as the corporation’s members on the SPMC board and as corporation officers; they include Sr. Kathleen Popko, president; Sr. Mary Caritas Geary, vice president; and Sr. Senga Fulton, secretary/treasurer. Dowd is president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies, and has served on numerous boards, including the Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS) and foundation board, NUVO Bank & Trust, and CityStage and Symphony Hall. Fitzpatrick is president of the O’Connell Companies and former board chair of Brightside for Families and Children, SPHS, and Catholic Health East, of which SPHS was a founding member. LaCosse is senior vice president of United Bank’s commercial banking division in West Springfield and a member of the Providence Place/Mary’s Meadow board and finance committee. She is a volunteer for the WestMass Eldercare Money Manager Program, an associate of the Sisters of Providence, and formerly served on the Brightside for Families and Children Board. Wall retired in 2012 as global managing director of talent and chief diversity officer for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., U.S. He currently serves on two boards of trustees: as vice chair of American Management Assoc. International, NYC, and chair-elect of Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. in Holyoke.

•••••

Mark Wysk

Mark Wysk

Guardair Corp., the largest U.S. manufacturer of OSHA-compliant safety air guns and pneumatic vacuums, announced the hiring of Mark Wysk as the new director of Global Supply Chain. Wysk brings 30 years of industrial purchasing management experience, including international sourcing, tool-industry knowledge, and materials expertise. In his new role at Guardair, he will support manufacturing through innovative sourcing strategies and optimizing cost-saving opportunities in conjunction with annual operating plans. His focus will be on building and strengthening partnerships, providing true strategic relationships. “Mark’s expertise in improving productivity, quality, and efficiency of supply-chain operations is a tremendous asset as we continue to grow,” said Tom Tremblay, president of Guardair Corp. “We are thrilled to have him join our team.” Wysk was most recently the corporate director of Procurement at Simonds International. Prior to that, he held the position of senior manager of Global Sourcing for Lenox. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, both from Western New England College. He currently serves as president of the Institute for Supply Management of Western New England and has published articles in Supply Chain World and Cutting Tool Engineering.

•••••

Tom Schiff

Tom Schiff

Tom Schiff, the founder and executive director of Phallacies Inc., will receive an Innovative Initiative Award in March for his work with the nonprofit, which helps men create healthy masculinities through dialogue and theatrical performance. Schiff will receive the honor in person from the Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community of the National Assoc. of Student Personnel Administrators at the organization’s 100th annual conference in Philadelphia on March 3-7. The honor comes as Schiff is poised to begin to expand the organization in the region to reach and impact a broader audience of men of all ages. Phallacies Inc. provides leadership development, health education, and violence prevention for men via dialogue and innovative educational theater. It was born four years ago through Schiff’s work as a health educator at UMass, where he also founded the Men and Masculinities Center. Through Phallacies, people who identify as male between the ages of roughly 19 and 35 engage in a dialogue about masculinity and the intersections with other identities, health, violence, and relationships, and then create performance pieces as educational and thought catalysts to encourage changing the cultural scripts about masculinities. Performances take place at colleges, human-service organizations and forums, conferences, and local high schools and middle schools. Men who are involved include teachers, staff from youth and human-service agencies, and medical students. “They’re interested in getting support for themselves about how to be healthier as a man — physically, emotionally, and psychologically — and to find support for that. They are trying to rethink what it means to be a man in the world,” Schiff said. “People also get involved because they’re interested in violence prevention. Men need to speak up and speak out about these issues to help support more men and boys in creating healthy masculinities.” Schiff holds a doctoral degree in organization development from UMass, a master’s degree in therapeutic recreation from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, and a bachelor’s degree in history with certification in secondary social studies from the State University of New York at Cortland.

•••••

The board of directors at Pioneer Cold announced that Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bryan Hedge has been elected president. He joined Pioneer in 2007 as vice president of Operations, and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2012. Hedge will be responsible for all areas of Pioneer, including customer and employee satisfaction. A major part of his job will be to set priorities in strategy, asset utilization, and revenue growth, and to ensure operational excellence across the company. As COO, Hedge was the operations leader and delivered consistent improvement in all areas, including safety, capacity planning and utilization, customer satisfaction, and productivity. As a result, Pioneer achieved industry-best operational metrics as benchmarked against industry standards. Hedge came to Pioneer from Sleepy’s, where he was vice president, Logistics. Prior to that, he was vice president, Business Operations at CIS in Lenox. He also held executive-level supply-chain-management roles at Save-A-Lot Foods, Performance Food Group, and Springfield Foodservice. He spent 20 years with TruServ Corp., where he was consistently promoted to roles with increasing responsibility. Hedge is an active member of the International Assoc. of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) and serves as a member of that organization’s supply chain operations committee. He also currently serves as treasurer of the North Atlantic Chapter of the IARW. He is also a member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Pioneer Cold also announced two more promotions, with Susanne Gagnon becoming director of Operations and Michael Carr becoming Customer Service manager. Gagnon served most recently as Customer Service and Transportation manager. She came to Pioneer in 2004 as a Warehouse manager and was promoted to Customer Service manager in 2006. Prior to joining Pioneer, she was with C&S for 10 years and was promoted to roles with increasing levels of responsibility, working on the ‘SWAT Team’ setting up and opening new distribution centers for three years, and was promoted to Warehouse supervisor, where she spent her last two years. Carr joined Pioneer in 2003 as a Customer Service representative. In 2007, he was promoted to senior Customer Service representative and has spent the last 11 years in that role. Prior to joining Pioneer, he was a route sales/DSD delivery driver for a magazine and book distributor.

•••••

Dr. Angela Belmont

Dr. Angela Belmont

Cooley Dickinson Health Care President and CEO Joanne Marqusee announced the appointment of Dr. Angela Belmont as vice president, Patient Care Services and chief Nursing officer (CNO). “In her new role, Angela provides leadership, oversight, and support of our leaders in the Patient Care Services division at Cooley Dickinson Health Care,” Marqusee said. “Angela is responsible for advancing our dyad program of nursing and physician collaboration, and partners with our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Estevan Garcia to focus on quality and patient safety. In this regard, Angela will help us to drive improvements in patient satisfaction and nursing practice at Cooley Dickinson.” A successful nurse administrator with more than 30 years of experience, Belmont has held progressively responsible leadership positions in acute-care hospitals throughout her career, including more than 20 years with Faxton-St. Luke’s Hospital, a 370-bed acute-care hospital in Utica, N.Y. Prior to joining Cooley Dickinson, Belmont was assistant vice president of Nursing for Mohawk Valley Health System, a community healthcare system with more than 4,000 employees that serves patients throughout three counties in upstate New York. In this role, she led efforts to significantly improve patient-care services and outcomes across the two hospital campuses. Belmont earned both her bachelor’s degree in Nursing and master’s degree in nursing administration at the State University of New York, and her doctorate in nursing practice in system leadership from Rush University in Chicago.

•••••

Brittany Weiss, associate director of International Admissions at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, has joined the all-volunteer board of directors for the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI). “We are very pleased to have Brittany as part of the ILI family,” said Eric Wirth, ILI board president. “Her extensive academic and professional background around the world and here at home will go far in supporting our work, including high-quality language instruction and teacher training, free English classes for immigrants and refugees, and volunteer opportunities throughout the Pioneer Valley.” Weiss has considerable experience abroad in Asia, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Prior to joining Stoneleigh-Burnham, she was Admissions associate at the American International School of Budapest in Hungary, where she worked with students and families from more than 60 nationalities. Earlier, she served as assistant director of Alumni Engagement at her alma mater, Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, and as a resident faculty member at Emma Willard School in Troy, N.Y. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Siena College and a master’s degree in educational administration and policy studies from the University at Albany.

•••••

The Melha Shriners, a philanthropic organization based on fun, fellowship, and Masonic principles, announced the official election and installation of their potentate (president) and his Divan (executive board). At its annual meeting, the Melha Shriners presented the potentate’s fez to Glenn Surprenant, the 108th top-ranking Shriner in Western Mass. as the organization enters its 120th year. A lifelong resident of Western Mass., Surprenant graduated from Classical High School and later pursued his passion for laboratory sciences. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from American International College in 1976, he became a registered medical technologist in Laboratory Sciences and is currently the director of Radiology at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. In 1976, Surprenant married Diane Ruggeri, an assistant nurse manager, Labor & Delivery for Baystate Medical Center. After many years of observing other members of his family join the Masonic fraternity and then the Shrine, Surprenant was raised a Master Mason in the Indian Orchard Lodge in February 2006 and joined the Melha Shriners in March 2006. He has been an active member and past president of the Hadji Unit in 2014. During parades, he can be seen driving one of the brightly colored Jeepsters. Surprenant’s journey toward becoming the head Shriner in Western Mass. began in 2014 when he was appointed to the Divan line. The fellowship he espouses is seen throughout the Shrine and Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield, as his cousin, Al “Poppy” Surprenant, is a member of the clown unit; his brothers, Joseph and Gary Surprenant, are both board of governors members at the hospital; and his son, Andrew, is president of the Melha Oriental Band Unit. The First Lady’s project, titled “Nursing Education: Making a Difference for the Kids,” will raise funds to provide items not normally allocated in a hospital budget; these educational items will assist the nurses in the transition to acute pediatric rehabilitation care. Said First Lady Diane, “I’d like to add more educational items that will help the staff to do even greater things than they are doing now. My hope is that my project will provide additional tools and the necessary training to expand the high-quality care the children receive here in Springfield.”

•••••

Kayla Drinkwine

Kayla Drinkwine

Kayla Drinkwine joined Webber & Grinnell Insurance as commercial lines marketing manager. She will be responsible for quoting, negotiating, and placing the agency’s larger commercial accounts with the various insurance carriers represented by the agency. Drinkwine started her career at Phillips Insurance Agency in Chicopee. Starting as the office receptionist, she moved quickly to personal lines customer service representative and then to commercial account manager. She maintains her construction risk and insurance specialist (CRIS) and certified insurance service representative (CISR) designations from the Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents.

Briefcase Departments

Employer Confidence
Strengthens in February

BOSTON — Massachusetts employer confidence strengthened during February as optimism about long-term economic growth outweighed a volatile month in the financial markets. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index rose 0.4 points to 64.5, setting another 17-year high. The Index has gained 2.4 points during the past 12 months as confidence levels have remained comfortably within the optimistic range. Enthusiasm about the U.S. and Massachusetts economies, along with a bullish outlook on the part of manufacturers, fueled the February increase. At the same time, hiring remained a red flag as the BCI Employment Index fell 4 points between February 2017 and February 2018. Almost 90% of employers who responded to the February confidence survey indicated that the inability to find skilled employees is either a modest, large, or huge problem. “Fourteen percent of respondents said finding employees represents a huge problem that is hampering their company’s growth. One-third of employers see employee recruitment as a big problem, while 29% see it as a modest issue,” said Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “For the short-term, however, the state and national economies remain strong, and the recent announcement by Amazon of a major expansion in Boston indicates that the trend should continue.” The survey was taken before President Donald Trump roiled the financial markets by pledging to impose stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The Index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. It has remained above 50 since October 2013. The constituent indicators that make up the overall Business Confidence Index were mixed during February. The most significant gains came in the Manufacturing Index, which surged 3.9 points to 66.2, and the U.S. Index, which rose 2.1 points for the month to 66.9 and 8.0 points for the year. The Massachusetts Index fell 0.4 points to 68.5, but was up 5.3 points for the year and still higher than the national outlook for the 96th consecutive month. The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, rose 2.4 points to 64.1. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, declined 1.6 points to 65. The Current Index has risen 4.2 points and the Future Index 0.6 points during the past 12 months. The Company Index, reflecting employer views of their own operations and prospects, was essentially flat, gaining 0.1 points to 62.4. The Employment Index also rose 0.1 points, to 56.4, versus 60.4 in February 2017. Manufacturing companies (66.2) were more optimistic than non-manufacturers (61.9). Large employers (69.8) were more bullish than medium-sized (62.0) or small businesses (62.7).

Single-family Home Sales
in Pioneer Valley Up in January

SPRINGFIELD — Single-family home sales rose by 17.2% in the Pioneer Valley in January compared to the same time last year, while the median price rose 1.0% to $197,000, according to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. In Franklin County, sales were up 27.0%, while the median price fell 2.1% from a year earlier. In Hampden County, sales were up 26.2%, while the median price was up 8.8%. In Hampshire County, sales fell by 5.6% from January 2017, while the median price was up 1.2%.

Advertising Club Seeks
Nominations for Pynchon Award

SPRINGFIELD — The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts is seeking nominations from throughout Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties for the Pynchon Award, which recognizes citizens of the region who have rendered distinguished service to the community. The Order of William Pynchon was established by the Advertising Club in 1915 to recognize and encourage individuals whose lives and achievements typified the ideals of promoting citizenship and the building of a better community in Western Mass. Past recipients include war heroes, social activists, teachers, volunteers, philanthropists, historians, clergy, physicians, journalists, public servants, and business leaders — a diverse group, each with a passion for the region and a selfless streak. A complete list of recipients since 1915 can be found at www.adclubwm.org/events/pynchonaward. To nominate an individual, submit a one-page letter explaining why the nominee should be considered. Include biographical information, outstanding accomplishments, examples of service to the community, organizations he or she is or has been active in, and the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least three people who can further attest to the nominee’s eligibility for induction into the Order of William Pynchon. All nominees will be considered and researched by the Pynchon Trustees, comprised of the current and five past presidents of the Advertising Club. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 30 to: William Pynchon Trustees, Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts, P.O. Box 1022, West Springfield, MA 01090 or by e-mail to [email protected]. Pynchon medalists are chosen by unanimous decision of the Pynchon Trustees. 2018 recipients will be announced in June 2018, with an awards ceremony scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

Unemployment Rate Holds
at 3.5% in Massachusetts

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.5% in January, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts lost 6,100 jobs in January. Over the month, the private sector lost 4,200 jobs; although gains occurred in professional, scientific, and business services; information; and other services. From January 2017 to January 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 29,000 jobs. The January unemployment rate was six-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Massachusetts continues to experience a low unemployment rate and labor force expansions,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said. “While the overall health of our economy remains strong, and 2017 marked the eighth consecutive year of job growth, persistent skills gaps remain. That is why our workforce-development partners remain committed to ensuring that those who are still unemployed or underemployed have access to the training resources they need to access high-demand jobs.” The labor force increased by 2,200 from 3,657,300 in December, as 3,900 more residents were employed and 1,700 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9% in January 2017. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — remained at 65.3%. The labor force participation rate over the year has decreased by 0.2% compared to January 2017. The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and other services.

Hampden County Bar Assoc.
Offers Two Law-school Scholarships

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc. is now accepting applications for the John F. Moriarty Scholarship and the Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship. The John F. Moriarty Scholarship is available to any Hampden County resident who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school for the 2018-19 academic year. Applicants must have been residents of Hampden County for at least five years. The application deadline is May 25. The Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship is available to any veteran with an honorable discharge or a current member of the U.S. military who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school in New England for the 2018-19 year. The application deadline is May 15, 2018. Both scholarships are based on merit and financial need. Both applications and additional information are available by contacting the Caitlin Glenn at the Hampden County Bar Assoc. at (413) 732-4660 or [email protected], or by visiting www.hcbar.org/news/scholarships.

Entrepreneurship Sections

The ‘Connections’ Business

Adam Rodrigues

Adam Rodrigues

Adam Rodrigues, manufacturing fellow with Greentown labs, says his job description can be smashed down to two words: Making matches. That would be matches between startups across the state, and especially those within the 413, and manufacturers in Western Mass. that can help bring a concept to the marketplace. He’s already made several of these matches and plans to make many more, connections that have a number of benefits — for the startups, the manufacturers, the region, and the state.

Adam Rodrigues has a nice, large office in Building 101 at the Technology Park at Springfield Technical Community College.

But it’s sparse, and, therefore, a little awkward.

“I’ve got about half a basketball court and just this little desk in the back right corner,” he said with an obvious nod to the office’s well-polished hardwood floors, a holdover from the days when this building was part of the Springfield Armory complex. “It’s a little weird.”

But it’s all good, because Rodrigues isn’t in his office or at that desk very much. No, he’s paid to be on the road, actually, and that’s where he spends almost all his time.

As a manufacturing fellow with Greentown Labs — or, to be more specific, Greentown Learning, a spinoff off the Somerville, Mass.-based clean-technology incubator — his job is to make meaningful connections between as many startups and Bay State-based manufacturers, and preferably Western Mass. manufacturers, as possible.

“I’m a matchmaker,” he said, adding that this role cannot be carried out effectively from Suite 32 in Building 101 — although he can do some paperwork there. The real work is carried on in a host of other settings. They range from area manufacturing facilities — he’s visited several dozen by his count — to various programs put on Valley Venture Mentors (VVM), SPARK, and other groups focused on encouraging and mentoring entrepreneurs; from structured meet-and-greet sessions between startups and manufacturers to what amount to organized road trips during which those incubating at Greentown get introduced to manufacturers who might make their concept a reality.

And there is much that goes into that last equation, he said, adding that a manufacturer can help an entrepreneur take an idea, maneuver it through the prototyping stage, make tweaks and improvements, and finally move it to the production phase.

And that’s exactly what’s happening — note the present tense — with a company called Quikcord, its principals, Matt Fioretti and Matt Adams, and East Longmeadow-based Toner Plastics.

Fioretti didn’t want to say much at all about his concept, intended for the military, until it reaches the market — “let’s just say it’s a product designed by a Marine for Marines” — but talked enthusiastically, and at length, about how Greentown’s efforts to match the company with Toner Plastics are helping to propel this venture forward.

“It’s had an unbelievable springboarding effect,” he explained. “Greentown was able to put us in front of the right people, and it just skyrocketed us to the point we’re at.

“And the best part about is that the amount of money we spent is next to nothing when you think of what we’ve accomplished,” he went on. “We’re two guys with an idea and no money, and we’re almost ready to do a short production run.”

Such a scenario, and such commentary, is exactly what several partners had in mind roughly 15 months ago when Greentown’s Western Mass. facility was created, with Rodrigues, a veteran of the industry having worked for several years at Lenox, at the helm.

When the initiative was launched, there were goals and benchmarks set, he said, adding that most all of them have been exceeded. Here are some of the numbers to date:

• More than 50 manufacturers have been identified as interested in working with hardware startups;

• More than 45 startups have received assistance from the initiative;

• More than 80 connections have been made between hardware startups and Western Mass. manufacturers;

• More than 30 east-west connections have been made between Boston-area startups and Western Mass. manufacturers; and

• Perhaps most importantly, five contracts have been signed between startups and Western Mass. manufacturers.

All of this translates into thousands of miles on Rodrigues’ odometer and comparatively few hours sitting behind that small desk. But, as noted, this is how those behind Greentown’s Springfield facility drew up this play, and thus far, it is netting real results for the region.

For this issue and its focus on entrepreneurship, BusinessWest looks at Rodrigues’ matchmaking work to date and how it has become another key ingredient in the region’s broad economic-development strategy.

Making Introductions

As he flashed back several months and retold the story of how the company that would become Quikcord became matched with Toner Plastics, Fioretti provided a textbook example of how Greentown Learning works and why it was created.

Matt Fioretti, left, and Matt Adams, cofounders of Quikcord, were successfully matched with Toner Plastics, enabling their concept to take big steps forward.

Matt Fioretti, left, and Matt Adams, cofounders of Quikcord, were successfully matched with Toner Plastics, enabling their concept to take big steps forward.

“We were at a VVM event, and we were making a pitch on our basic concept,” he recalled. “We had nothing; we just had a concept. Well, after we made the pitch, there were some breakout sessions where people come and talk with you about what they just heard. And Adam [Rodrigues] came up to us and said, ‘I’m just getting started, I don’t even have business cards, but let me get your names and e-mail addresses, and I’ll get back to you.’

“He then said, ‘this is going to be worth it for you,’” Fioretti went on, remembering that commentary because of its poignancy. “And at that stage, we were ready to try just about anything. So we said, ‘sure.’”

Fast-forwarding a little, he said Rodrigues did, indeed, follow up a few weeks later. They met and talked about their concept and also about Greentown. Later, Rodrigues arranged for the partners to pitch at a manufacturing seminar staged by Greentown and the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

One of the panelists they pitched to was Steve Graham, owner of Toner Plastics. Fast-forwarding some more, he said Graham and the team at Toner took an interest in the product and provided several different kinds of support to move the concept forward.

“They recognized that we were a small business without much capital, but they loved the idea,” said Fioretti. “And they did a lot of work for us pro bono; and they got us from to the point where we could take our concept to CAD [computer-aided design].”

Again, this is exactly the script those behind Greentown Learning had in mind, said Rodrigues, adding that the need for such a matchmaking outfit, if you will, had become increasingly apparent in recent years.

Especially at Greentown Labs, the largest clean-technology incubator in the country, with more than 60 hardware startups under that one large roof.

“As they started to incubate these startups, they realized that, while they had all these awesome ideas coming out of the state, they did not have a good link to manufacturers in the Commonwealth,” he explained, adding that, to address this, a manufacturing initiative was launched to help connect the startups with Bay State manufacturers.

Progress was made, he went on, and it quickly became apparent that attention needed to be focused on the western part of the state, not only the manufacturers that give the region much of its economic heritage, but the ever-increasing number of startups being spawned there as well.

So a position, funded by the Davis Foundation, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and MassDevelopment, was created, and Rodrigues started filling the drawers in that desk in January 2017.

He said he hit the ground running, and hasn’t stopped running. He had a good foundation on which to build, having been part of VVM’s manufacturing accelerator in 2016, serving as a mentor to the participants, passing on knowledge gained while working at Lenox in the supply-chain realm.

“Being a buyer, I was able to tell the manufacturers that were in the accelerator what a buyer is looking for when they’re working for new contracts,” he explained, adding that he had also taken part in several of VVM’s monthly gatherings at which entrepreneurs make pitches, make connections, and hopefully take steps forward.

So he knew both of the constituencies he would be working with in his capacity with Greentown. Sort of, but not as much as he would like. So he sent about making connections of his own.

“My goal was to meet as many manufacturers as I could in this area, and meet as many startups as I could in this area that were developing actual hardware, and try to connect them,” he told BusinessWest.

These connections usually come about, as noted earlier, through organized events, such as a Shark Tank-like gathering involving entrepreneurs pitching to manufacturing experts.

“Each startup would get on stage and say, ‘this is what I’m making, here’s where we’re hung up, here’s where we don’t know how to scale,’” he noted. “And then we’d have the manufacturers from this area there to say, ‘I’ve seen this before; here’s what I think you should do,’ and someone else would chime in with ‘have you considered doing this?’ And the startups walk away with a connection to manufactuters.”

Creating Progress

And the importance of these connections — to the startups, the manufacturers, the region, and the state itself — cannot be overstated, he went on, adding that they add up to potential opportunities that might be otherwise be missed.

Elaborating, he said part of this equation is a simple matter of awareness, or a lack thereof, as the case may be. Indeed, some entrepreneurs simply don’t know what the region’s manufacturers possess when it comes to capabilities and specialties, and often look overseas for someone to make their product.

“We want to raise a flag,” noted Rodrigues, “and say, ‘before you decide to manufacture somewhere else in this country, before you go China to have that prototype made, let me introduce you to a few people here who can help you out.”

But there is another element to these matchmaking efforts, perhaps one that’s even more important, he went on.

“Sometimes, in addition to making a connection, the entrepreneur will walk away with a completely new direction for the company and the design process,” said Rodrigues, adding that this is exactly what has happened with some of the connections he’s helped orchestrate.

Mike Reed, seen here in the Toner Plastics lobby

Mike Reed, seen here in the Toner Plastics lobby with some of the products produced there, including the hula hoop, says the company was able to help Quikcord reach the prototype stage.

Such as the one involving Quik-cord and Toner Plastics. Summing up how that worked out succinctly, and colorfully, Rodrigues noted that, “at the initial event, their prototype was a toilet-paper roll with duct tape on it; a few months later, they had a an actual, fully formed prototype with the logo on it, and they were ready for manufacturing.”

Spearheading that transformation was the team at Toner Plastics, a 25-year-old manufacturer of extruded products and a leader in 3D printer filament products and makers of, among other things, hula hoops. Among its many other specialties is manufacturing filler for wire and cable products.

Mike Reed, the company’s engineering manager, said Steve Graham saw potential in the Quikcord concept and its principals and agreed to work with the entrepreneurs to help move their idea off the proverbial drawing board.

“At that point, they had a good concept, but they really needed some help finalizing the design and getting to manufacturing,” Reed explained, adding that Toner Plastics worked on the project in conjunction with its sister company, Modern Mold and Tool, and especially design engineer Stefan Ogle. “We worked with them for several months on the design; we went back and forth, made several revisions, and did some prototype work as well. And then we optimized that design for manufacturing.”

These were critical steps forward, ones that prompted Fioretti to use that phrase ‘springboarding effect’ to capture how this connection gave the venture some needed lift.

“We should have the final product in hand soon,” he went on, adding that the company is close to moving on to the manufacturing stage, and he expects Toner Plastics to play a big role in that work. “We love what Greentown is doing because we’ve seen first-hand how it works.”

There are other startups that can make that same claim, said Rodrigues, including Kwema, a Cincinnati-based wearable-technology startup that had participated in the VVM accelerator and also in the same ‘rocket pitch’ where Quikcord met Toner Plastics.

“When they got exposed to what’s out here for manufacturing and they started working with Worthington Assembly, they now have plans to relocate their headquarters from Cincinnati to Springfield,” said Rodrigues.

Peerless Precision in Westfield

As part of his matchmaking efforts, Adam Rodrigues has been introducing startups to area manufacturers at tours, such as this one at Peerless Precision in Westfield, led by company president Kristin Carlson.

Still another success story is RiseRobotics, a company incubating at Greentown in Somerville, that has made not one but a few of the east-west connections Rodrigues said he loves to facilitate. Indeed, the company is now working with two Westfield-based manufacturers, Peerless Precision and Manufacturing Technology Group.

The goal moving forward, obviously, is to make more of these connections, said Rodrigues, adding that he’s only 15 months into a three-year contract and is already exploring funding options to extend the life of this important initiative.

“There’s some nice momentum going — the numbers are well beyond anything we could have projected,” he said of the initiative’s track record to date. “What that means to me is that people are excited about this; they’re excited about the whole innovation movement that’s going on in this area.

“The numbers show there’s a lot of potential here,” he went on. “Manufacturers are thinking about the future, and they’re thinking about innovation, and the exposure to what Massachusetts has to offer to innovators is changing the perception that they have to go to China first.”

Prototype for Success

As he talked with BusinessWest in Building 101 and posed for a few photos, Rodrigues admitted he didn’t know too much about what was going on within the facility still known as the Scibelli Enterprise Center, named for the former STCC president who created it.

He did know there are few businesses incubating there, and that there are some economic-development-related agencies leasing space, such as Leadership Pioneer Valley and the Western Mass. Small Business Development Center.

He knows those two because he’s worked directly with the latter as part of his connection-making efforts, and the former occupies the suite next door.

Other than that … he doesn’t know very much, because he’s not there, in his half-basketball court, very much at all.

His job is to be on the road, making connections, building bridges, whatever phrase you want to use. And there is still considerable work to do in that regard.

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

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield will host its seventh annual Celebrate Springfield Dinner in celebration of Springfield and the many accomplishments the community has achieved over the past year, along with new initiatives underway.

The event takes place Wednesday, March 21 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the MassMutual Center ballroom in downtown Springfied. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a reception hour including live music, hors d’oeuvres, mingling and networking, and a cash bar. Dinner seating is promptly at 6:30 p.m.

The event will be emceed by Jane Albert, senior vice president, Marketing, Communications & External Relations for Baystate Health. Greetings from the Commonwealth by Secretary Jay Ash, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, will be offered.

Nick Fyntrilakis, DevelopSpringfield’s chairman, will share a presentation on highlights of DevelopSpringfield’s first 10 years. Following the presentation, the first-ever Cornerstone Award will be presented to Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, and Partners in Progress Awards will be presented to Robert Bolduc, founder of Pride Stores, and Joan Kagan, president and CEO of Square One. The awards recognize the contributions of the honorees toward creating a strong community, and for their commitment to economic development and revitalization in the city of Springfield.

The celebration is a benefit event; all proceeds will support DevelopSpringfield’s redevelopment initiatives, projects, and programs. Attendees, including city officials, leaders from the business and nonprofit communities, and local residents will come together in support of ongoing efforts to advance development and redevelopment projects, to stimulate and support economic growth, and to expedite the revitalization process within the city.

Advance reservations are required. No tickets will be sold at the door. For more information, call (413) 209-8808 or visit developspringfield.com.

Departments Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

Outlook 2018

The Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce staged its annual Outlook luncheon on March 9 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. More than 650 attendees heard a host of speakers updating the regional, state, and national economic pictures. Keynote speakers were Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker, Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and Congressman Richard Neal.
Photos by Ed Cohen Photography

Neal gives his annual federal outlook

Neal gives his annual federal outlook


State Rep. Carlos Gonzales, right, talks with Michael Knapik

State Rep. Carlos Gonzales, right, talks with Michael Knapik, who recently left his position as head of Baker’s Western Mass. office to become Baystate Health’s lobbyist


From left, Gene Cassidy, president and CEO of Eastern States Exposition; Penni McLean-Conner, chief customer officer and senior vice president of Customer Group at Eversource; and Mike Mathis, president and COO of MGM Springfield

By the Book

 Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. is sponsoring the Anna E. Barry Elementary School in Chicopee

Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. is sponsoring the Anna E. Barry Elementary School in Chicopee through the Link to Libraries Business Book Link sponsorship program. The three-year, $1,500 annual contribution will provide 300 new books to the Barry School library each year. Five volunteer readers from Phillips Insurance will also visit school classrooms once a month, read to students, and give each child a new book to take home and keep. At the end of each school year, students will have a home library of seven books. Pictured, from left: Sarah Whiteley, employee benefits account executive, Phillips Insurance Agency; Christopher McMaster, account executive, Phillips Insurance Agency; Laurie Flynn, president and CEO, Link to Libraries; Abbie Meulemans, grade 4 teacher, Chicopee; Krystal DeJesus, grade 4 teacher, Chicopee; and Maria Cafaro, grade 4 teacher, Agawam.

Beaming with Pride

On Feb. 28, Holyoke Community College celebrated a topping-off ceremony in front of the HCC Campus Center, now in the middle of a two-year, $43.5 million, top-to-bottom renovation. The building is expected to reopen for the fall 2019 semester. Topping-off ceremonies are held before the last and highest beam is fixed to the frame of new buildings. Traditionally, the beam is painted white and signed by work crews and others involved in the project and adorned with a small evergreen tree and an American flag. By the time it was lifted, the 10-foot beam was covered with signatures from the HCC community, including current student Erin Burns (below), who signed the beam for herself and her sister, father, and mother, all of whom attended HCC. The renovation will add about 9,000 square feet to the 57,727-square-foot building.

 

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) joined the Hispanic Assoc. of Colleges and Universities (HACU) as an associate member.

HACU was established in 1986 with a founding membership of eighteen institutions. It now represents more than 470 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher-education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain. While member institutions in the U.S. represent only 13% of all higher-education institutions nationwide, together these colleges and universities are home to two-thirds of all Hispanic college students.

HACU’s commitment to Hispanic achievement in education ranges from kindergarten through graduate school and into the work force of tomorrow. Key among the organization’s goals is to improve access to and quality of post-secondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students.

“The educational enrichment that results from a culturally diverse population is one of our strengths,” said American International College President Vince Maniaci. “As an institution, AIC has a higher dedication to provide access, opportunity, and diversity for all students as they make their way in a rapidly changing world.”

Daily News

FLORENCE — Florence Bank named Erin Couture its Community Support Award winner for 2018. The award was established by the bank in 1997 to recognize employees who are active participants in community events and donate their personal and professional time to local not-for-profit organizations.

Each year, the award recipient has the opportunity to select a not-for-profit organization of his or her choice, and the bank makes a donation to that organization. At Couture’s recommendation, Florence Bank will make a donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, for which Couture serves as president on its advisory board.

Couture, vice president of commercial loans and a commercial lender, joined Florence Bank in November 2011. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from UMass Amherst and an MBA from Western New England University.

Couture is actively involved with the Northampton Chamber of Commerce as a finance committee member and is also the committee chair at the W.E. Norris School in Southampton. Couture is an award recipient of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty.

“Erin is the ideal choice for the Community Support Award,” said John Heaps Jr., president and CEO of Florence Bank. “Her positive energy, commitment to numerous local nonprofit organizations, and dedication to helping those in need within our community is exemplary.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Christine Roukey joined the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley as Marketing and Communications director. She is responsible for member and public communications, including the digital and print brand.

Roukey joins the association from the Massachusetts Mutual Financial Group, where she was a sales support consultant for nine years, working closely with the assistant vice president of Recognition & Conferences. She was responsible for the communication and promotion of company annual sales campaigns, including creative, communications, electronic, and printed materials, and distribution of awards and rewards. Previously, she served as director of Communications and Marketing for the Satellite Agency Network Group.

Roukey holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and business administration from Granite State College and an associate degree in mass communications from the University of Hartford. She earned the professional certified marketer (PCM) digital marketing designation from the American Marketing Assoc.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Zoo in Forest Park is hosting its first-ever Wine Safari on Thursday, March 29 from 5 to 8 p.m.

The concept of Wine Safari is unique to the area. Up to eight tasting stations will be set up throughout the ninth-floor art gallery at 1350 Main St. in Springfield, where guests will enjoy red and white wines from around the world, including Australia, California, Italy, France, South Africa, Germany, and Argentina.

Each tasting station — and each region represented — will feature animals from the Zoo in Forest Park that are indigenous to that area. Guests will sample wine, interact with the animals, and learn about the animals’ natural habitats. Zookeepers will be on hand to provide information about the animals and lead any interactive activities.

The event will also include the auctioning of an original piece of artwork, depicting the zoo’s resident leopard, Oz. The painting was created and donated by prominent Springfield artist John Simpson.

Admission to Wine Safari is $35, which includes the wine tasting, animal interactions, and a variety of hors d’oeuvres. A cash bar will be available. This event is for ages 21 and up. All proceeds benefit the Zoo in Forest Park and Education Center. Tickets are available on the Zoo’s Facebook page or through its website, www.forestparkzoo.org.

Daily News

HAMPDEN — Monson Savings Bank is conducting a free workshop on Saturday, March 24 to help first-time homebuyers learn about purchasing a home. A first-time homebuyer is anyone who has never owned a home or who has not had ownership in any real estate for at least three years.

This workshop is designed to help first-time homebuyers learn how to get pre-qualified for a mortgage, as well as the facts about special loan programs with low down payments. Speakers include originators Charlene Kareta and Terry Poloski, a closing attorney, an appraiser, a home inspector, and homeowner’s insurance representatives.

This workshop is open to the public and will take place from noon to 2 p.m. at the bank’s Hampden branch, 15 Somers Road. There will be special offers and a chance to win door prizes, and a light lunch will be served.

“There are a lot of people who have good credit and enough income to afford reasonable mortgage payments but who are still challenged to purchase a home due to the difficulty of raising the money for a down payment, not knowing who to talk to, or what the process is,” said Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank. “That’s exactly who this program is designed to help.”

Attendees are asked to RSVP to reserve a seat, by contacting Olivia Larose at (413) 267-4513 or [email protected].

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Lena Waithe, the actor, producer, and writer who, in 2017, became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy Award for comedy writing, will be interviewed during Bay Path University’s 23rd annual Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) on Friday, April 6. The one-day event has become the region’s prime women’s leadership event for professional networking and enrichment.

“Lena creates characters who inspire curiosity and is dedicated to empowering other women to develop the tools to follow her,” said Carol Leary, Bay Path University president, who is set to interview Waithe during this year’s conference. “Given that Lena Waithe embodies so much of what Bay Path stands for, we are truly excited to welcome her to our annual conference.”

Waithe first made headlines in front of the camera as Denise in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Master of None. She co-wrote the “Thanksgiving” episode, for which she won the Emmy for Best Writing in a Comedy Series. As a writer, she is the creator and executive producer of The Chi, a coming-of-age story that follows six interrelated characters in Chicago’s South Side. As a producer, her credits include the upcoming film Step Sisters. She was also a producer on the Sundance darling Dear White People and Tiffany Johnson’s short film Ladylike, which can be found on YouTube.

Delivering the WLC’s morning keynote address will be noted social psychologist Amy Cuddy, who teaches at Harvard Business School and is a New York Times bestselling author. Focusing on the power of nonverbal behavior, prejudice, and stereotyping and how people can affect their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, Cuddy teaches thousands of people how to become more present, influential, and satisfied in their professional and personal lives.

Keynote speakers will share their perspectives on this year’s conference theme, “Be Curious,” motivating and inspiring attendees to engage curiosity in their daily lives. Nancy Shendell-Falik, Lisa Tanzer, and Kirk Arnold, regional leaders in the fields of healthcare, retail, and technology, will discuss the obstacles they’ve overcome during a lunchtime panel with a moderator and an opportunity for audience questions.

Additionally, breakout sessions will be led by Stephen Brand, executive director of Global Learning & Development, Strategic Alliances at Bay Path; Cy Wakeman, president and founder of Reality-Based Leadership; Dr. Tasha Eurich, organizational psychologist, blogger, and New York Times bestselling author; and Linda Galindo, renowned speaker, author, and educator on organizational and individual accountability.

Bay Path University’s Women’s Leadership Conference has garnered more than 22,000 attendees and featured more than 150 prominent speakers throughout its history. For further information on the conference and to register, visit www.baypathconference.com.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Indian Motorcycle, the Springfield-based pioneer of the American motorcycle industry, will debut the brand’s first-ever apparel store as an anchor tenant of MGM Springfield’s retail collection. The flagship location will open its doors at the MGM property later this year.

The Indian Motorcycle store will offer items from the brand’s casual apparel line, the Indian Motorcycle 1901 Fashion Collection. This road-ready collection features graphic tees, sweatshirts, hoodies, and jackets inspired by Indian Motorcycle’s rich heritage. Indian Motorcycle jewelry and accessories also will be available for purchase.

Mirroring the aesthetic of the store’s product lines, the space will feature an industrial-yet-modern vibe with exposed, vaulted ceilings and concrete and wood elements. Paying homage to its long-standing roots in the heart of Springfield, the location will open onto to the resort’s plaza.

“Our partnership with Indian Motorcycle reinforces the iconic brand’s deep connection to Springfield and celebrates the city’s industrial history,” said Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield. “This store will be an integral part of the fun, one-of-a-kind experiences we’re creating at MGM Springfield.”

Steve Menneto, president of Indian Motorcycle, added that “Indian’s legacy as America’s first motorcycle company is something that’s extremely important to us, and it’s exciting to return the brand to its roots in Springfield with the opening of our first apparel store. We are proud to be a part of this dynamic new MGM Resorts property and look forward to the grand-opening festivities.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Partners for Community Action Inc. will host “Protecting Your Assets Part III” on Wednesday, April 18 starting at 6 p.m. at Springfield Central Library, 220 State St. The event is in recognition of National Financial Literacy Month and is free and open to the public. Call (413) 263-6500 to reserve a seat.

This year’s panelists include Julius Lewis of the Metrocom Group and the Lewis and Marrow Financial Hour, which airs Wednesdays on STCC radio; and attorney Sara Miller, who specializes in elder law and estate planning. New this year is attorney Martin O’Connor, an authority on tax issues and who helps low-income, non-English-speaking taxpayers understand their rights and responsibilities as taxpayers.

“We have another great panel this year with Julius returning for the third year along with attorneys Miller and O’Connor,” said Paul Bailey, executive director at Springfield Partners. “I am sure there will be something for everyone, along with great information sharing. I encourage the community to come out.”

Added Synthia Scott-Mitchell, director of Community Services, “those of us that are in the Baby Boomer generation and looking toward retirement if not already retired, this is for you. Also, as many of us become caregivers for our parents, this is for you.”

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SPRINGFIELD — The CRRC MA rail-car manufacturing facility at the former Westinghouse site was honored as the state’s outstanding engineering achievement of the year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts. Plaza Construction, which served as the design-build contractor for the property, accepted the award at a ceremony Wednesday.

The $95 million project, spanning more than 204,000 square feet — not including the 2,240-foot test track — is the largest industrial investment in Greater Springfield in generations. The Chinese-owned company will start building new cars for the MBTA Orange Line in April, and for the Red Line later this year.

In 2014, CRRC received a $566 million contract from the MBTA to build 152 Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars at the Page Boulevard site. Two years later, the state ordered an additional 120 Red Line cars at a cost of $277 million, with production set to begin in 2022.

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WEST SPRINGFIELD — Hofbrauhaus owners Joe and Liz Stevens will close its doors for good on April 1, the couple announced on Facebook on Wednesday.

“It is official — as of Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018 (and no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke), the Hofbrauhaus will be closing its doors for good,” they wrote. “We thank everyone for their patronage and support over the years, but we are ready to move on and make some big, wonderful, exciting, and maybe a little scary changes in our lives. We will be exploring our options in the coming months and will keep you all posted when we have more important news to share. But for now, all we can say is ‘auf wiedersehen!’”

Hofbrauhaus, the German restaurant that became one of the region’s most iconic eateries, first opened its doors in 1935.

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NORTHAMPTON — Thornes Marketplace will begin a major renovation of its front entrance on Main Street the first week in April to make practical improvements as well as aesthetic ones that are historically accurate.

Richard Madowitz, Thornes owner and property manager, stressed that work on the entryway — one of the last phases of a multi-year capital-improvement project — will be conducted from 9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. The front entrance will remain open daily during regular business hours.

“We plan to provide signage, wayfinding, and other helpful measures to minimize disruption, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our visitors as we know that Thornes is an integral part of downtown Northampton,” Madowitz said. After the project gets underway, he noted, visitors with questions or concerns can send feedback to [email protected]. Photographs will be available on Thornes’ Facebook page, and news and updates will appear at thornesmarketplace.com.

Over the past 10 years, Thornes Marketplace has undertaken a series of major renovations to improve and enhance the eclectic shopping center.

“This main-entrance renovation caps it off,” said Jon McGee, Thornes facilities manager, noting that some of the work in recent years was aimed at improving accessibility.

Thornes has partnered with Keiter Builders Inc. and Emily Estes of Estes Architecture and Design for the renovations to the entranceway. McGee said the practical goal of the project is to improve accessibility and make the entrance more user-friendly by replacing the 30-year-old wooden doors with wider doors equipped with modern power operators compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Aesthetic improvements will include a raised, coffered ceiling; new, custom-stained oak doors; dramatic chandelier lighting; and new floor tiling. The Florence Bank ATM enclosure will also be renovated to fit the period.

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SPRINGFIELD — The 10th annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke on Thursday, March 22. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region.

This year’s honorees, which were announced and profiled in the Jan. 22 issue, include Bob Bolduc, CEO of Pride Stores; Bob “the Bike Man” Charland, Founder of Pedal Thru Youth; Girls Inc. of Holyoke; Evan Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin; Crystal Senter-Brown, author and adjunct faculty at Bay Path University; and WillPower Foundation.

The Difference Makers Gala will begin at 5 p.m. with networking and opportunities to meet this year’s honorees. There will be live entertainment, butlered hors d’oeuvres, a plated dinner, and more networking opportunities. Sponsors include Sunshine Village, Royal, P.C., Health New England, and Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C.

Tickets to the event cost $75 per person, with tables of 10 available. To order, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 or visit www.businesswest.com.

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HOLYOKE — Mont Marie, a member of the Marquis Health Services/Tryko Partners skilled-nursing portfolio, has made a contribution toward the Holyoke Medical Center capital campaign — titled Care. Community. Commitment. — for the new Emergency Department and Medical Office Building.

“Strong partnerships with local medical providers are integral to a skilled-nursing facility’s ability to provide the best possible care, programs, and customer service for residents. We value the close working relationship we have developed with Holyoke Medical Center in the three years we have owned and operated Mont Marie Health Care Center,” said Norman Rokeach, CEO of Marquis Health Services, the healthcare affiliate of Tryko Partners, LLC. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with the hospital and its team as we develop specialized programming that meets the needs of the Holyoke community.”

Added Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, “we are proud of the partnership the hospital has been able to establish with Mont Marie and Marquis Health Services, and greatly appreciate this financial contribution. It is collaborations such as those established with Mont Marie that allow us to continue to provide our community with the services it deserves.”

The new Emergency Department, which opened in July 2017, is a 21,460-square-foot facility featuring a Center for Behavioral Health Emergency Service, 40 treatment areas, multi-patient trauma rooms, advanced life-saving equipment, and a patient-navigation service. In the first six months of operation, the new facility has treated more than 26,000 patients.

The Care. Community. Commitment. capital campaign at Holyoke Medical Center is still underway and inching closer to its $3 million goal. Anyone interested in learning more about the campaign and ways to get involved is invited to call the hospital’s Development Department at (413) 534-2579.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Square One family continues to expand, thanks to its latest partnership with Ohana School of Performing Arts.

Ohana owner Ashley Kohl and her team are volunteering monthly to visit preschoolers at the Square One Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center in Springfield. All 150 children will receive lessons in creative movement and dance.

“Studies have long pointed to the physical benefits of dance when it comes to keeping children fit and working to combat childhood obesity,” said Kristine Allard, chief development and communications officer for Square One. “More recent research also points to the benefits of dance from the standpoint of emotional, social, and cognitive development, which is a critical component of our work at Square One. We are truly grateful to the Ohana team for bringing this opportunity to Square One.”

The volunteer support comes in conjunction with Ohana’s recent gift of $1,000 to support Square One’s work with children and families.

“Ohana is incredibly honored to work with Square One, sharing our mission of inclusion and spreading peace and positivity through performance,” Kohl said. “We share a common goal: to build a better community. Dance brings happiness, smiles, laughter … this is our chance to continue to make a difference in the lives of children through the magic of movement.”

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CHICOPEE — Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. is sponsoring the Anna E. Barry Elementary School in Chicopee through the Link to Libraries Business Book Link sponsorship program. The three-year, $1,500 annual contribution will provide 300 new books to the Barry School library each year. Five volunteer readers from Phillips Insurance will also visit school classrooms once a month, read to students, and give each child a new book to take home and keep. At the end of each school year, students will have a home library of seven books.

“We are thrilled to have Phillips Insurance sponsor a school though Link to Libraries,” said Laurie Flynn, president and CEO of Link to Libraries. “Their generosity will not only provide much-needed books for the school library, but their presence in the classroom and their involvement with students will mean the world to these kids. We can’t thank them enough for their generous donation.”

Added Joseph Phillips, president of Phillips Insurance, “this is a great opportunity for our staff to see first-hand the impact our charitable contributions have on our community. Everyone here is excited to be involved.”

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AGAWAM — The Insurance Center of New England (ICNE) announced the continued expansion of its Group Benefits team with the addition of Valerie Francis, a 15-year insurance-industry veteran and group-benefits specialist.

As account executive at ICNE, Francis will have multiple responsibilities, including helping business clients strategize employee-benefits programs at annual renewal time and throughout the year. “One of my most important roles will be supporting business owners and human-resource managers as they try to manage the costs of their benefits solutions, whether it be for their health, vision, dental, voluntary benefits, group life, or any other benefits solutions,” she said.

Additionally, she will be responsible for helping ICNE bring in new business clients, particularly those who are looking for an insurance partner that takes a customized and strategic team approach to benefits planning and renewal negotiations with carriers.

In 2003, Francis began her career in insurance at Aetna in Springfield, where she served as a customer-service representative (CSR) trainer in the benefits group and focused on educating her CSRs on how to explain benefits to employees. After seven years as a trainer, she transitioned to the group benefits team at Health New England in Springfield, where she was promoted to a supervisory role and eventually moved into the sales department. By the time she left Health New England to start her career at ICNE, she was supporting more than 600 accounts and employers of all sizes and from a wide variety of industries.

“Through my other insurance jobs, I had had the pleasure of working with members of ICNE’s group benefits team, and I was always highly impressed with how they responded to requests and how they demonstrated true care and concern for every single person they came in contact with. I could not be more thrilled about having the opportunity to now work with these talented professionals to help our clients with all of their group-benefits needs.”

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EAST LONGMEADOW — HUB International Limited, a leading global insurance brokerage, announced it has acquired the assets of Leitao Insurance Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Located in Ludlow, Leitao is a multi-line insurance brokerage firm providing products in personal and commercial lines.

“The Leitao team will be a welcome addition to HUB New England, and we look forward to having them on board and continuing to serve their valued clients,” said Timm Marini, president of Personal Insurance at HUB New England.

The Leitao agency will join HUB New England with other local HUB offices in Ludlow (formerly Your Choice), South Hadley, Monson, and East Longmeadow.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber will hold its ever-popular speed networking on Thursday, March 29 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Colony Club, 1500 Main St., Springfield. Attendees will have the opportunity to continue to network with other attendees in the Colony Club Lounge, where a cash bar will be available.

Speed networking provides attendees with a quick and entertaining opportunity to introduce themselves and pitch their company to the other attendees. The core concept to speed networking is the ‘elevator speech,’ a short summary of an individual, business, organization, product, or service — a summary that a person could deliver in the time span of a short elevator ride.

Attendees will be divided into two groups, seated across from each other. Each group member will have 60 seconds to give his or her elevator speech to the person seated directly across from them. Once each member has given their elevator speech, they will change seats and the process will begin again with a new partner. The round-robin format of networking will continue until the event is over. Only one person per company can attend the event so that attendees are able to meet with someone from a different company at each interaction.

The event will begin with registration at 3:30 p.m. To accommodate the event, no admittance to the speed-networking area will be allowed after 3:50 p.m. Reservations are $20 for members and $30 for general admission, which includes complimentary parking in the Tower Square garage, 1500 Main St., Springfield. Reservations must be made online and in advance at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or by e-mailing [email protected].

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GREENFIELD — Last fall, the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) joined the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and eight other watershed groups from across Massachusetts to file suit against the EPA and Administrator Scott Pruitt in Boston’s federal district court. Their request of the court is simple: reject EPA’s one-year delay in implementing Massachusetts’ new stormwater permit because stormwater is one of the greatest threats to clean water in Massachusetts.

This lawsuit is part of a growing national trend in suing the EPA in order to protect the environment. The CRC argues that Pruitt and the EPA have been hastily rolling back environmental regulations, but mistakes have been made in their haste and disregard for legal process, such as failing to hold required public comment periods or provide rationale for a repeal or delay. Now, environmental groups across the nation are going to court and using these mistakes to successfully halt environmental rollbacks. For example, the courts have prevented the suspension of rules to curb methane emissions and the delay of tougher standards on air pollutants and lead in paint.

River advocates fear the updated stormwater permit could be delayed much longer than one year. “We think the EPA’s legal case is fundamentally flawed,” said Andrew Fisk, executive director of the Connecticut River Conservancy. “Pruitt and the EPA have asked for this delay while permit appeals are being decided, but then in the same breath also asked the court to delay judicial review of the appeals. It is clear that EPA is looking at every maneuver they can find to stop doing the right thing for the public’s water.”

The river groups are represented by Kevin Cassidy of Earthrise Law Center and Access to Justice Fellow Irene Freidel.

Of particular concern is the public-health issue of harmful bacteria flowing to rivers when it rains. About one in five water samples collected by CRC and partners in 2017 from the Connecticut River and tributaries in Massachusetts showed bacteria levels too high for recreation (swimming and/or boating).

“Delaying the implementation of this updated permit puts our rivers and our water at risk, which also put our citizens and local economies that use and rely on our rivers at risk,” Fisk continued. “The EPA is charged with implementing the Clean Water Act for the benefit of the public, yet it did not weigh the public’s interest when it slammed the brakes on the MS4 Permit.”

That permit regulates stormwater pollution under the federal Clean Water Act. The current MS4 permit was issued in 2003 and was set to expire on May 1, 2008. Instead, it has been administratively continued and remains in effect. A multi-year, multi-stakeholder process for updating the expired permit began in 2008. In April 2016, the EPA issued the updated MS4 permit after many rounds of public comment. The updated permit was set to go into effect on July 1, 2017 but was abruptly delayed by Pruitt and the EPA just two days before that date.

The delay will cause existing stormwater projects to move forward with outdated stormwater controls, forcing costly upgrades in the future rather than the lower-cost option of adding updated controls at the time of construction, river advocates say. The delay also ignores the time and money invested by cities and towns that have already implemented new stormwater protection measures in preparation for the new permit to take effect last July.

Stormwater is generated from rain and snowmelt that does not soak into the ground. Instead, it flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets and driveways, parking lots, and building rooftops into storm drains. During heavy rains, stormwater can flow directly into rivers. Common pollutants in stormwater runoff include antifreeze, detergents, fertilizers, gasoline, household chemicals, oil and grease, paints, pesticides, harmful bacteria, road salt, trash such as plastics and cigarette butts, ammonia, solvents, and fecal matter from pets, farm animals, and wildlife.