Company Notebook

MountainOne Insurance Agency Opens Great Barrington Office

GREAT BARRINGTON — MountainOne Insurance Agency Inc. announced the opening of an office at 4 Castle St., Suite 201, in Great Barrington, marking a meaningful expansion of its presence in Southern Berkshire County. The appointment-only office will be staffed by account executive Dan Blaisdell, providing a local point of connection for clients throughout the Southern Berkshires. Blaisdell specializes in business insurance and brings deep knowledge of the region, along with long-standing relationships built through years of working closely with local organizations and entrepreneurs. The new Great Barrington office brings MountainOne Insurance closer to the clients it serves across Southern Berkshire County, offering personalized insurance guidance from a trusted local advisor who understands the community and its needs.

Dean’s Beans Earns High B Corp Impact Score

ORANGE — Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co. announced that its most recent B Corp recertification has earned the company a B Impact Score of 168.5, an increase of 57.9 points since its last certification in 2022. The new score places the Massachusetts-based, worker-owned coffee company as the highest scoring B Corp-certified coffee roaster in the world. B Corp certification is widely recognized as the gold standard for companies committed to balancing purpose and profit. Administered by the nonprofit B Lab, the certification evaluates companies against rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Businesses are assessed across key areas, including governance, treatment of workers, environmental practices, and community impact. Dean’s Beans is part of a global community of nearly 10,000 B Corps operating across more than 100 countries and 150 industries. Companies must earn a minimum score of 80 points to become certified. With a score of 168.5, Dean’s Beans lands in the top 25 B Corp companies certified since 2023. Since its last certification, the company transitioned to a worker-owned cooperative, giving employees shared ownership and a direct voice in how the company operates and grows. Founded in 1993 by environmental and Indigenous rights lawyer Dean Cycon, Dean’s Beans was built on the idea that a coffee company could prioritize people and the planet and still be profitable. The company sources organic, fair-trade, shade-grown coffee through long-term partnerships with farmer cooperatives. It also helps fund social, economic, and environmental projects identified and led by those communities. Dean’s Beans roasts all of its coffee at its ‘beanery’ in Orange, supplying cafés, grocery stores, and coffee drinkers across the U.S.

Country Bank Donates $10,000 to Quaboag Valley CDC

WARE — Country Bank announced a $10,000 donation to the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. (QVCDC) to support programs that strengthen local businesses and promote economic development throughout the region. QVCDC plays an important role in supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses, and community members by providing access to resources, technical assistance, and business development services. Through its work, the organization helps foster sustainable economic growth and opportunity across the Quaboag Valley. Country Bank remains committed to supporting organizations that strengthen communities and expand economic opportunities throughout Central and Western Mass. Contributions like this help ensure local organizations have the resources they need to continue serving residents, businesses, and entrepreneurs in meaningful ways.

BusinessRate Recognizes Sugar Maple Trailside Inn

NORTHAMPTON — BusinessRate recently rated the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn the number-one bed and breakfast in Florence for endurance, momentum, and quality of its reviews on Google and Tripadvisor. In mid-February, owners Craig Della Penna and Kathy Della Penna received the ranking for the owner-occupied inn at 62 Chestnut St. in Florence, which sits on the rail trail that passes through the village and opened in February 2003. Sugar Maple Trailside Inn offers two rooms for guests, both of which have windows that face the trail. A bicycle strung with white bulbs lights up at dusk and becomes a welcoming beacon for arriving guests. The inn has roughly 350 guests in a year, a quarter of which have a connection to Smith College. Eighty percent of guests use the trail. The Sugar Maple Trailside Inn has received other accolades over the years, including the Historic Preservation Award from the city of Northampton and three times as a Valley Advocate Best in the Valley winner, and it has been featured on HGTV’s Restore America and Boston’s WCVB Channel 5’s Chronicle twice, and in Yankee magazine’s 70th-anniversary issue.

HCC Giving Day Campaign Raises More Than $131,000

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Community College (HCC) Foundation raised more than $131,000 for scholarships and student support programs during its “Together HCC” one-day giving campaign on March 4, surpassing its six-year, $1 million goal. The sixth annual “Together HCC: Drive to Change Lives” campaign received donations worth $131,278 from 455 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of the college during the 24-hour fundraising drive. All of the money raised goes directly to six areas that support HCC students: academic excellence and innovation, scholarships, the Thrive Student Resource Center and Food Pantry, the President’s Student Emergency Fund, the President’s Fund for Opportunity, and the HCC Foundation’s general, unrestricted fund. The HCC Foundation, the college’s charitable, nonprofit foundation, launched “Together HCC: A Campaign for Caring” in March 2020 to build community support and raise money for students experiencing financial distress during the pandemic. In 2021, with Holyoke auto dealer Gary Rome signed on, HCC added the “Drive to Change Lives” theme and collectively raised more than $1 million for student support programs.

AIC Launches Partnership with Western Mass Youth Sports

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) Athletics announced a landmark partnership with Western Mass Youth Sports, designating AIC as the official home for all Western Mass Youth Sports programming and Play 4 Her Flag Football activities. The partnership reflects AIC’s deep commitment to serving the broader community and creating an open, welcoming campus where youth and adults throughout Western Mass. can access world-class athletic facilities. Western Mass Youth Sports has quickly become a growing leader in youth athletics in the region, serving more than 300 young athletes across Western Mass. in sports including basketball, flag football, and more. Through this new partnership, all Western Mass Youth Sports events, practices, and competitions will be hosted on the AIC campus, giving young athletes access to collegiate-level facilities and a vibrant, supportive environment. A highlight of the partnership is AIC’s role as the official host of Play 4 Her Flag Football, a program dedicated to expanding opportunities for young women and girls in the sport. By providing a premier home for Play4Her, AIC continues its tradition of championing inclusivity and equal access to athletic opportunities for all members of the community.

HCC Production Earns Three Regional Theater Awards

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Community College (HCC) Theater Department’s fall 2025 production of The Last Living Gun received three awards at the recent American College Theater Festival (ACTF) in Albany, N.Y. Collectively, the cast and crew of The Last Living Gun earned a merit award for Ensemble Work. The play by Ryan Stevens follows a mercenary across a post-apocalyptic landscape on an epic quest to find the last gun in existence. The show was guest-directed by Cordelia Winters Dwyer, a graduate student from the University of Massachusetts Theater program. HCC students Ivy Wrenne Demetriou and Toby Stearns received individual merit awards for their work as stage manager and musical director, respectively. Stearns also performed in the production as an actor and musician. HCC belongs to ACTF Region I, whose 2026 festival was held in January in Albany and hosted by Siena College. Region I includes colleges and universities in northern New York and all six New England states. Awards are based on the recommendations of respondents, who travel around the country to view college theater productions and offer critiques. The HCC Theater Department has won more than 20 ACTF awards over the past 15 years in multiple categories, including individual acting, ensemble acting, dedication to a script, stage management, musical direction, best original music, playwriting, and collaboration.

Greylock Federal Credit Union Reports Strong Performance

PITTSFIELD — Greylock Federal Credit Union reported a strong balance sheet, robust capital position, and impressive earnings for 2025 during its 91st annual meeting held on March 24. Total assets equaled nearly $1.7 billion at year end. Net income finished at $17.8 million for 2025, including the one-time benefit of $6.8 million of net proceeds from the Employee Retention Credit program, which was created by the federal government under the CARES Act to offset some of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on organizations across the country. The credit union reported loan growth of $25 million, or 1.9%, during 2025. This growth was reflected across nearly every major loan category, as total loan balances exceed $1.3 billion. On the funding side, deposit balances increased $49 million, or 3.6%. At the end of 2025, Greylock deposit balances equaled $1.4 billion.

Farm Credit East Reports Strong 2025 Financial Results

ENFIELD, Conn. — Farm Credit East reported solid 2025 financial results at its annual meeting held on March 23. Continued loan growth coupled with strong earnings allowed Farm Credit East to distribute a combined $145 million in patronage dividends to eligible customer-owners based on 2025 earnings. In 2025, Farm Credit East’s net income grew to $367 million. Following more than two decades of growth, the cooperative closed out the year with $14.3 billion in loan volume and $2.6 billion in capital. This level of equity allows Farm Credit East to maintain competitive interest rates, while returning a portion of earnings to eligible customer-owners through patronage dividends.

Cancer Connection to Launch New Springfield Location

NORTHAMPTON — Cancer Connection announced it will open a new location in Springfield this spring, providing supports for people with a cancer diagnosis and their caregivers. This new site, in Bicentennial Plaza on Allen Street, will allow convenient access to its free services for more people in the Springfield community. The organization will also open a curated version of its popular thrift shop a few doors down in the same plaza. Like its flagship thrift shop in Northampton, the store will feature high-quality goods at low prices, and all proceeds will help fund Cancer Connection’s services for cancer patients and their caregivers. On Saturday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a ribbon cutting and soft opening will take place at the new thrift shop location at 1510 Allen St., with friends and supporters joining the team to celebrate. This new location will be part of the Integrative Health Group at 1502 Allen St. and will have a dedicated program director on site. The Springfield thrift shop will offer a curated selection of gently used items, including clothing, housewares, jewelry, art, and books, all at reasonable prices and with all profits supporting Cancer Connection. Meanwhile, Cancer Connection will continue to offer its full range of services and programs at 41 Locust St. in Northampton and its thrift shop in that city. Many programs are offered in hybrid format, so they may be accessed anywhere.

United Way of Pioneer Valley Featured at Empath Conference

SPRINGFIELD — United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) announced the successful participation of Victoria Accorsi, community financial coach, mobility mentor, and AFC candidate, as a speaker at Economic Mobility Pathways’ (Empath) 2026 Disrupting Poverty Conference, held March 23-26 at Boston University. Accorsi served as a panelist in the session titled “Climbing Without Falling: New Ideas to Fix the Benefits Cliff,” which explored how sudden losses in food, housing, childcare, or health benefits can leave working families worse off after small wage increases. The session highlighted innovative approaches to benefit phaseouts, income transitions, and system redesign to ensure that work truly pays. Accorsi shared insights from her coaching work on the Bridge to Prosperity Cliff Effect Pilot, a three‑year initiative led by Springfield WORKS in partnership with United Way of Pioneer Valley and other community-based organizations across Massachusetts. The pilot supports up to 100 residents who receive public assistance by helping them pursue higher‑paying careers while mitigating the financial risks associated with benefits cliffs. Through the pilot, families receive supplemental cash assistance when rising wages trigger benefit losses, one-on-one financial and career coaching through partners such as UWPV, and access to employer partners offering training and living‑wage opportunities. As a United Way community financial coach, Accorsi works directly with participants to navigate budgeting, wage changes, benefits reductions, and long-term goal setting, providing crucial on‑the‑ground perspective to the statewide innovation effort.

Tighe & Bond Expands New Hampshire Presence

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond, a Northeast leader in engineering, environmental, planning, and design consulting services, announced the opening of the firm’s new office in Manchester, N.H.

Located at 1750 Elm St., Suite 902 within the Brady Sullivan Tower, this new location will allow Tighe & Bond to better service its growing client base in the Merrimack Valley and beyond. This strategic move expands the firm’s New Hampshire presence, joining its existing Portsmouth location, to serve communities on a local level. Tom Mahanna, who will serve as location manager, has been instrumental in leading the opening of this new space. A vice president within the firm’s Water Business Line, he brings more than three decades of experience in municipal consulting and construction in water resources and wastewater engineering, as well as managing resources and staff for multiple teams in the firm’s offices across the Northeast. This new office opening represents the latest growth opportunity for the firm, following the acquisition of New Hampshire-based hydrogeology and environmental firm Geosphere Environmental Management Inc. last year.

The Dowd Agencies Acquires Insurance Agency in Vermont

HOLYOKE — The Dowd Agencies, the oldest insurance agency in Massachusetts under continuous family ownership, today announced it is acquiring Royer Camp & Associated Insurance in Newport, Vt. Founded more than 50 years ago, Royer Camp & Associated Insurance has earned the trust of generations of Vermont and New Hampshire families and businesses by providing highly personalized service and tailored personal and commercial coverage. In keeping with that legacy, the agency will continue to operate under the name Royer Camp & Associated Insurance, a Member of the Dowd Agencies. Local customers will work with the same staff in the same location, with no changes to day-to-day service, policies, points of contact, or coverage. This marks the Dowd Agencies’ second location in Vermont, joining Lonergan & Thomas Insurance in Bennington, and complements its six offices serving communities across Western Mass.

Big Y Recognized for Workplace Culture

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y has been recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging & Community for 2026. The award is presented by Newsweek in partnership with Plant-A Insights Group, based on one of the nation’s largest independent studies of employee experience. The recognition highlights organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to workplace culture, inclusion, and community, as evaluated through extensive employee feedback and independent research. The study analyzed millions of employee reviews nationwide, incorporating survey data, public information, and third-party analysis to assess how employees experience culture, belonging, and support in the workplace.