Company Notebook

Arrha Credit Union to Merge with BrightBridge Credit Union

SPRINGFIELD — Arrha Credit Union and BrightBridge Credit Union announced their intent to merge. BrightBridge will be the continuing credit union following the merger. This strategic partnership is based on a mutual commitment to people-first values, competitive financial offerings, and community engagement, credit unions stated. With this merger, BrightBridge will expand its field of membership to include Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties in Massachusetts, and Hartford and Tolland counties in Connecticut. Pending regulatory and member approvals, the combined credit union will operate 23 branches across Southern New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Eastern Connecticut, and provide access to shared branching nationwide. Together, they will serve approximately 125,000 members and manage nearly $2.4 billion in assets.

Eastern States Exposition Reports Economic Impact

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Eastern States Exposition (ESE) attracts about 3 million people to its grounds in West Springfield annually, across its bustling calendar of more than 120 year-round events. This count includes the 1.6 million fairgoers that attend the Big E, the fourth-largest fair in North America. ESE is a not-for-profit organization committed to providing patrons with quality entertainment and preserving the agriculture and culture of the region. A study conducted by Regional Economic Models Inc. (REMI) of Amherst found that ESE’s economic impact on Hampden County was $235 million in gross regional product (GRP), and its larger footprint across New England and New York equaled a record-breaking $1.167 billion in 2024. The study revealed that ESE creates 8,085 jobs across New England and New York; 60.8% of all jobs created went to individuals without a college degree, 5,646 jobs were filled by individuals in the bottom 20% of income earners, and 1,310 jobs created across the region supported Hispanic employment. Employment growth was observed across all races, income levels, and education groups. Since 1995, when the Big E first expanded from 12 to 17 days, ESE has donated 1% of its annual gross revenue to the town of West Springfield each year to build and bolster the Eastern States Exposition-West Springfield Trust. Local organizations are welcome to apply for grants through the trust for community betterment and enrichment efforts. In 2024, 26 groups benefited from the trust, including sports teams, food rescues, and cultural centers. ESE’s overall contributions, including a sizable donation of $370,970 made on June 12 of this year, now total $5,425,220. ESE receives no state or federal tax revenue to support its operations and relies upon the support of its visitors.

Country Bank Opens New Branch in Longmeadow

LONGMEADOW — Country Bank opened its newest banking center, located at 919 Shaker Road in Longmeadow, on July 28, with grand opening festivities planned for the week of Sept. 8. Melissa Stefanowich, assistant vice president and Retail Banking officer, will oversee the new branch. To kick off the opening of the bank’s 15th location, customers and community members visiting the Longmeadow banking center between July 28 and Aug. 15 can enter a drawing to win four field box tickets to the Red Sox game on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Fenway Park. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m.

T-Birds Recognized with Award for Digital Media

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds received more recognition during the American Hockey League’s 2025 Awards Gala on Jul. 10 in Hilton Head Island, S.C. After previously capturing league honors for the Marketing Department of the Year and Most Unique Social Media Content, the Thunderbirds’ digital media team was recognized as the Eastern Conference Award of Excellence recipient for Digital Media. The department has excelled with a fully in-house strategy blending creativity, consistency, and a strong brand identity. Each of the team’s 36 home games features a unique campaign built around a cohesive, season-long look, incorporating bold visuals and local imagery, with efforts spanning digital, print, radio, billboards, and social media. The team also unveiled a new-look website and mobile app to their fans during the 2024-25 season. The Thunderbirds’ Social Media department also earned leaguewide recognition during the 2024-25 season, most noticeably by winning the award for Most Unique Social Media Content. The honor stemmed from the team’s inventive response to a shipping mishap that sent their Teddy Bear Toss jerseys to Germany by mistake. Turning an unfortunate situation into an opportunity, the social media team showcased that agility and creativity are sometimes the most powerful tools in a successful strategy.

AIC Designated Early College Program with Duggan, SEZP

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC), in partnership with the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP), has been designated as a Massachusetts Early College Program by the state’s joint Early College Committee. The AIC-SEZP partnership is one of 18 new Early College programs announced by the Healey-Driscoll administration. AIC is the only private college west of Worcester to receive this designation. Beginning this fall, the program will launch in partnership with Duggan Academy in Springfield with a wall-to-wall model in which every student participates. Students will have the opportunity to earn up to 60 college credits at no cost before graduating from high school. Courses will include MassTransfer-eligible credits and focus on high-growth, high-wage fields such as health sciences, education, and criminal justice. Early College programs are a central element of the administration’s Reimagining High School initiative to prepare students for college or careers and expand access for those historically underrepresented in higher education. The new AIC-Duggan Academy program builds on a long-standing partnership between the two institutions. Through earlier collaborations, Duggan students have already earned AIC college credits with strong pass rates, and college matriculation among participants has continued to grow. The new program is designed to build on that success and help even more students access college by removing common barriers. Key program features include personalized support, including small cohorts, academic coaching, and dedicated advisors for multi-lingual and exceptional learners; advising to promote executive functioning and college readiness; culturally responsive teaching and staffing to reflect and support the student population; and universal access, with 100% of Duggan students participating regardless of prior academic performance.

WNE Awarded Grant to Help

Families Reduce Energy Costs

SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield families will benefit from a new partnership between Western New England University (WNE) College of Engineering and Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) that uses drone and AI technology to identify heat loss and implement energy-saving home retrofits — at no cost to qualifying residents. This partnership is possible thanks to a $149,700 EmPower Massachusetts grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Through this initiative, the team will conduct thermographic assessments to detect heat loss in the homes of low-income families in West Springfield. Principal investigator (PI) Yu Hou and co-PI Steven Li will lead efforts using drones equipped with thermal cameras to create thermographic models. They will apply artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyze and quantify heat loss, simulate building energy consumption, and generate automated retrofitting plans. WNE will work with GSHFH to implement these plans for selected families. Students can use local homes as case studies, integrating building energy simulation and tools like building information modeling into their coursework.

Bulkley Richardson

Named a Legacy Law Firm

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly released its inaugural list of Legacy Law Firms, spotlighting firms that have not merely survived but thrived for 25 years or more years. According to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, “Firms range in size from three lawyers to hundreds of attorneys, but all have weathered economic shifts, technological transformations, and an evolving legal landscape while maintaining a core commitment to client service.” Bulkley Richardson’s profile, as prepared by a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly staff writer, noted the firm’s size (39 attorneys) and commitment to talent acquisition, workplace culture, and commitment to the local community. The publication also praised the firm’s longevity and strategic positioning, delivering service quality comparable to major national practices, but also the personalized attention and long-term relationships characteristic of boutique practices.

HCC Awarded $423,190 for

TRIO Student Support Program

HOLYOKE — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Holyoke Community College (HCC) a TRIO Student Support Services grant of $423,190 to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities. This award, which runs through June 2026, marks the continuation of more than 30 years of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) services at HCC. Since 1993, the program has served thousands of HCC students, helping them stay in school, earn degrees, and build meaningful careers. SSS is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education. Since its inception in 1968, TRIO SSS has helped millions of low-income, first-generation students graduate from college and contribute to their communities and the economy. Through individualized services including academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling, and mentoring, TRIO SSS empowers students to overcome barriers to success. These comprehensive supports make it significantly more likely that students will complete their degrees or successfully transfer with the lowest possible debt. Nationally, the TRIO SSS program has a proven track record. According to a 2019 evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, students in TRIO SSS at two-year institutions were 48% more likely to earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year school, and students at four-year institutions were 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree compared to similar peers not in the program.

Yonder Community Toy Shop

Opens in Easthampton

EASTHAMPTON — For Danielle Curry’s vision of a child-centered, sensory-inspired, and creative art studio comes alive at Yonder Community Toy Shop and Rec Room, where she offers enriching toys, puzzles, and treasures to purchase and test in a drop-in play studio. The studio can be booked for celebrations, creative workshops, play therapy, homeschool groups, and more. Curry, who brought her idea of a toy store and drop-in play studio to the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce’s Co.Starters entrepreneur program in 2024, spent nine weeks honing her business model among like-minded peers. The program, brought to the city by Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and the Chamber of Commerce, takes individuals interested in starting their own businesses from idea generation to ready-to-market skills. The program is supported by local professionals, lending institutions, and program graduates. Yonder Toy Shop Play & Party Studio, located at 186 Northampton St., Unit E, is open for drop-in play and reservations. Call (413) 203-1168 or visit www.yondertoyshop.com for more information.

DPI ‘Hey Neighbor!’ Campaign

Announces 10 Awardees

PITTSFIELD — Downtown Pittsfield Inc. (DPI), with funding from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), has launched a “Hey Neighbor!” marketing campaign to spotlight and support downtown storefront businesses through social media and coordinated cinema and radio marketing campaigns. This grant-funded program awarded marketing grants to 10 for-profit businesses in downtown Pittsfield. There were four awards for businesses with one to three employees, three awards for businesses with four to nine employees, and three awards for businesses with 10 or more employees. The businesses awarded marketing grants are Brazzucas Market, Berkshire Nautilus, Espetinho Carioca, Hot Plate Brewing Co., Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, McNinch Restaurant Group, Otto’s Kitchen & Comfort, Thistle ’n Thorn Floral, and WANDER Berkshires. These grantees will receive custom video ads displayed before films at the Beacon Cinema and radio advertisements aired on WUPE/WBEC FM. The “Hey Neighbor!” marketing campaign aims to drive foot traffic, build community awareness, and showcase the diverse stories of Pittsfield’s small business community.

Hometown Mortgage Secures

Nearly $1.5 Million in Grants

EASTHAMPTON — Hometown Mortgage recently announced it had helped more than 50 low- and moderate-income families across Massachusetts and neighboring states buy homes through securing nearly $1.5 million in grants from homeownership programs in 2025. Hometown Mortgage helped borrowers secure more than $1 million in grants from three programs funded by FHLBank Boston. The Equity Builder, Housing Our Workforce, and Lift Up Homeownership programs provided grants of $25,000 to $50,000 to qualifying borrowers to help with down payments, closing costs, or home improvements once purchased. In addition, Hometown Mortgage set aside $200,000 for its own Special Purpose Credit grant program, providing grants of up to $10,000 to income-eligible borrowers purchasing homes in select areas of Springfield, Holyoke, and Worcester.

Holyoke Art Joins Art Pharmacy

to Provide Mental Health Support

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Art has officially joined Art Pharmacy, a groundbreaking arts and healthcare initiative designed to improve mental health and emotional well-being through non-clinical, creative experiences. As a new regional provider in this statewide network, Holyoke Art will offer referred patients joyful, expressive sessions like paint flinging in the Splatery and guided art classes, all at no cost to participants. Art Pharmacy, launched in Georgia in 2022 and now expanded to Massachusetts through a partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Mass General Brigham, allows healthcare professionals to prescribe up to 12 creative experiences per year to patients experiencing anxiety, depression, loneliness, or chronic stress. Participants are supported by a trained care navigator who helps tailor their experiences and tracks progress using tools like the PHQ-9 and WHO Well-being Index. At Holyoke Art, that prescription may look like an unstructured session of color chaos in the Splatery, a space where participants throw paint at canvases, walls, and each other, or a welcoming art class designed to foster connection, confidence, and play. Patients are referred by a healthcare provider, social worker, or mental health counselor. A care navigator follows up to ensure consistency, accessibility, and trackable outcomes. There’s no cost to the participant. Holyoke Art will begin hosting referred sessions this summer. Interested providers or organizations can contact Art Pharmacy at [email protected] to learn how to participate.