Year: 2004
As he told the large group assembled for the event late last month, MassMutuals support for, and confidence in, the city of Springfield isnt exactly news. After all, the company has long been one of the citys largest employers, and it has shown its support in ways ranging from the creation of Baystate West (now Tower Square) to the purchase of naming rights for the convention center taking shape on Main Street.
But OConnell figured that a project of this magnitude deserved a celebratory moment, as he put it, and that residents and business owners might need to be reminded that, at a time when the headlines are dominated by the citys fiscal woes, crime, and the many effects of poverty, there are some good things happening here.
The Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Springfield Business Improvement District came to roughly the same conclusion.
The two agencies are splitting the bill for a radio advertising campaign that compares and contrasts Springfield to the rest of the Commonwealth with regard to several economic statistics. The data shows that, since 2001, the number of new businesses in Springfield is up 32%, compared to 9% for the entire state. Likewise, the number of Springfield residents employed increased 2.6% during that period, while the state as a whole, increased just 0.7%.
People can use statistics to say whatever they want, and these numbers certainly reflect how much the state is lagging behind the country in terms of overall recovery. But the numbers do show progress, a message that Russell Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, did not want lost amid all the negative headlines about Springfields control board, $30 million deficits, tax delinquents, and squabbles with city unions over concessions.
The ad campaign, which will cost about $15,000, is unprecedented, says Denver, but it is also quite necessary to let people know that in Springfield, its not all gloom and doom.
Quite the contrary, actually.
As BusinessWests annual economic outlook (which starts on the next page) shows, there are many indications that the recovery, which has been less than spectacular to date, will become more pronounced in the year ahead.
A look at the jobs picture, for example, shows that the volume of job postings in the Greater Springfield area is up, while the number of people looking for work is down and the numbers have been trending in this fashion for several months. The employment news is especially positive in the manufacturing sector, which has struggled in recent years amid growing foreign competition. Many local manufacturers have begun adding both part-time and full-time employees, and some are confident enough to move forward with major expansions and new construction.
In East Longmeadow, for example, German-owned papermaker Suddekor is building a 100,000-square-foot plant and Maybury Material Handling is moving ahead with a new, 40,000-square-foot facility.
The new construction is not limited to manufacturing. In Chicopee, the Memorial Drive corridor is growing by leaps and bounds, adding both a Home Depot and Wal-mart in just the past year, with Staples and Marshalls on the way.
The construction activity is an especially positive sign, because while area hospitals and colleges have been building steadily over the past several years, the most high-profile initiatives have instead been publicly funded projects such as the Basketball Hall of Fame, the new federal courthouse on State Street, Union Station, and the new convention center. Private-sector building is always a strong indicator of confidence in a communitys future.
Not all the news in Springfield is positive, to be sure. The control board will reign over the citys finances for years to come, and the work to take the community out of the red will be very challenging indeed. Meanwhile, the citys problems with crime and poverty will not be corrected quickly or easily. These are not the best of times.
But OConnell and Denver are right to say that the citys fiscal problems and high murder rate should not overshadow the good things that are happening here and in surrounding communities.
The signs point to a more-robust economy in the year ahead, and MassMutuals expansion is merely one expression of a growing feeling of confidence that will hopefully translate into many more positive business stories.
Chicopee Savings Bank turned 150 this year. Exactly when, President William Wagner isnt sure.
"There were no big celebrations," said Wagner, who summoned the banks annual report and its section on the institutions history to pinpoint the exact date it opened (March 6). "Some banks make a big deal out of things like that. We dont; its not our style.
"People know weve been around a long time," he continued. "We have other things to celebrate around here for us, its been business as usual."
That means life as a small ($350 million in assets) community bank, slugging it out in a city and a region where there has never been any shortage of competition and it appears there is more of it every day.
Take credit unions, for example.
Chicopee is a credit union-rich community, said Wagner, noting that there are perhaps $700 million in assets in credit unions in the city, as opposed to maybe $15 million in Westfield. "And those credit unions arent paying any taxes," said Wagner, noting a special exemption that he and other banking officers have long opposed. "They should be, but they arent."
The list of competitors also includes a number of other community banks, mortgage companies, predatory lending businesses, and regional powers such as Fleet/Bank of America. Chicopee Savings has thrived despite all that competition because it hasnt deviated from its basic mission or style of doing business, said Wagner.
This sentiment is reflected in the fact that while many area community banks (Westfield, Peoples, and Hampden, among them), have dropped the word savings from their title. Chicopee hasnt, and wont any time soon.
"Were going to keep our name the way it is we like what that word savings means to our customers," said Wagner. "We believe that it doesnt just connote savings accounts, but also the fact that they can save money by doing business with us.
"I like the word savings," he continued. "Especially since we might soon be the only bank around that uses it."
To grow, CSB has been focused on providing its core services to a wider customer base. The institution has gradually expanded its scope beyond Chicopee, and now does roughly one-third of its business with residents and businesses on the west side of the Connecticut River.
To better serve those customers and attract more of them the bank will open its sixth branch on Morgan Road in West Springfield. A grand opening is slated for February, said Wagner, who told BusinessWest that additional sites are being scouted and that more territorial expansion is likely in the next few years.
He noted, as other area bank presidents have, that many Pioneer Valley communities, including East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Amherst, and, yes, West Springfield, have become heavily populated with competing branches. He is focused not on the quantity of banks, however, but the quality of locations.
CSB has recorded steady, if unspectacular growth the past several years net income actually fell from $2.4 million in 2002 to $1.5 million in 2003 but some of this has been by design, said Wagner.
"We could have grown the bank quicker, but instead we took some steps to ensure continued growth down the road," Wagner said. "Our philosophy is not to grow for the sake of growth, but to manage growth so that we properly serve our customers."
He told BusinessWest that CSB has made a number of investments in personnel and support systems as part of an infrastructure-building process to better serve customers. With that infrastructure, which includes the new West Springfield branch, in place, the bank is well-positioned for the future.
Safe Bets
As he talked with BusinessWest, Wagner noted a newspaper article and accompanying photograph concerning the new, spacious Boston Road headquarters of First Pioneer Credit Union, formerly the Monsanto Credit Union (one of many in or near Chicopee), and its new branch within the Wal-Mart that recently opened on Memorial Drive.
"They look like a bank to me," he said. "And if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then its a duck or, in this case, a bank."
Its easy to get Wagner started on the subject of credit unions, their affinity for Chicopee and surrounding communities, and what he considers a unlevel playing field when it comes to providing financial services. "I dont blame the credit unions; I blame the elected officials who allow them to have an unfair advantage."
But he also believes the proliferation of those institutions has in some ways helped CSB.
"I think theyve made us a better bank," he explained. "Theyve prompted us to focus on customer service, and to move into some areas sooner than other banks have."
At the top of this list is commercial lending, said Wagner, who has a background in that realm and made it one of his priorities when he came to CSB in 1984. When he arrived, less than 5% of the banks lending activity was on the commercial side of the ledger; now, its more than half the total volume.
Getting to this point has been a combination of personnel both from a quality and quantity standpoint and also calculated risk-taking and seizing upon opportunities that have come about through ongoing mergers and acquisitions.
Russell Omer, CSBs senior vice president and senior lender, told BusinessWest that in the seven years he has been at the bank, the commercial lending staff has grown from one lender to five. And during that period, volume has increased at a steady 8% to 10% per year.
Omer described the past three years as one of transition for the commercial lending department, or "infrastructure-building" as he called it. This process includes the hiring of new lenders, but also the development of back-room operations that support the lenders and their clients.
With that infrastructure in place, the bank is positioned to achieve even better numbers in the years ahead, said Omer, who is projecting 15% growth for 05, based in part on an improving economy, but also the banks strong focus on that area.
Omer said that Chicopee Savings, like all community banks in the region, has seen its commercial lending portfolio helped by the recent spate of mergers and acquisitions. The unsettledness in the market has prompted many small business owners and their lawyers and CPAs to pursue relationships, rather than banks.
"Most of the larger institutions take a cookie-cutter approach to commercial lending … if you dont fit the mold, they dont want or dont need your business," he said. "With community banks, especially this one, its different.
"Here, you dont need five meetings to discuss what you want to do with a new piece of equipment," he continued. "We can probably do it in one."
A strong focus on relationships has enabled the bank to record steady growth in other areas, including residential lending, said Wagner. Putting aside the drop in net earnings in 2003 which Wagner attributed to investments in new facilities, personnel, and technology, as well as a decision to sell, rather than inventory, $50 million in residential loans the bank achieved most of its other goals.
Assets grew by $24.3 million, or 7.5%, he said, while deposits grew by 6%, and total loans grew by 6%.
To continue and enhance this pace of growth, the bank has moved beyond its Chicopee roots. In 2002, it opened a branch on Center Street in Ludlow, joining a number of banks establishing a physical presence in that community.
The next step will be the West Springfield branch, which Wagner believes will help CSB add to the $125 million in loan volume it has on the west side of the Connecticut River. West Springfield already hosts a number of competitors Westbank and United Bank are headquartered there and most area institutions have branches in the community but Wagner, as usual, isnt concerned about the volume of competition.
"If you made judgments based on whether you thought a community was over-banked or not, youd never open another branch," he explained. "Instead, I look at locations; if I can get a good spot, Ill go there I dont care how many other banks are there.
"Every town you look at Longmea-dow, East Longmeadow, Ludlow … they all have a lot of branches," he continued. "You cant go in with the attitude there are too many. If you did, you couldnt expand. Instead, you have to find the right location and then make the most of it."
As for future expansion, Wagner couldnt say where it will take place or even on what side of the river but only that it will.
"We have at least one more expansion in mind thats probably three years down the road," he said. "Where will that be? Were still working on it."
The Bottom Line
When asked to pinpoint the reasons for his banks success, Wagner said much of it has to do with the relationship between the institution and the people it serves especially those in Chicopee.
"When people come here, they act like they own the place," he explained. "Thats good, because people arent going to leave a bank they own."
That special relationship is one of the things the bank will celebrate; even as it makes little note of its 150th birthday.
George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]
The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden and Hampshire counties between mid-October and mid-November, the latest available. They are listed by community.
AGAWAM
1813 Main Street Corp., 1813 Main St., Agawam 01001. Carlo P. Bonavita, 68 Old Feeding Hills Road, Westfield 01085. To own and operate a restaurant/bar.
AMHERST
Matthieu J. Massengill, P.C., South East St., Amherst 01002. Matthieu J. Massengill, same. The practice of law.
Valley Arts Project Inc., 129 Glendale Road, Amherst 01002. Michael Brooks, 192 Belchertown Road, Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To create performance opportunities to showcase the talents of young artists in the Pioneer Valley, etc.
ZX Inc., 135 Belchertown Road, Amherst 01002. Xiaoda Xiao, same. To sell newly invented Vector Blind Spot Mirrors to completely eliminate blind spots.
BELCHERTOWN
CBA Marketing USA II Inc., One Main St., Belchertown 01007. Irene A. Kane, 684 Ridge Road, Wilbraham 01095. Freight forwarding and freight management.
Uncommon Photography Inc., 145 River St., Belchertown 01007. Robert Wallace, same. Photography.
CHICOPEE
DJDF Real Estate Inc., 40 Nichols Road, Chicopee 01013. David Deslauriers, 82 Lord Terrace, Chicopee 01020. Real estate.
J.M.B.B. Company Inc., 45 Doverbrook Road, Chicopee 01022. Joyce Chapin, same. Consulting for mortgage brokers.
New Tour Corp., 9 Stanley Dr., Chicopee 01020. Si Yuan Tseng, same. Chartered bus.
Two-Putt Inc., 1469 Granby Road, Chicopee 01020. Joseph L. Larrivee, 27 Windpath E., West Springfield 01089. Real estate holding.
EASTHAMPTON
Uncommon Clarity Inc., 3 Payson Ave., Easthampton 01027. Ann Latham, same. Business operations consulting.
FEEDING HILLS
CMBW Inc., 22 Kathy Terrace, Feeding Hills 01030. Robert J. Wierdo, same. Ladies physical fitness.
FLORENCE
NCP and Associates Inc., 60 Platinum Circle (Rear), Florence 01062. Patricia Haynes Nnaji, same. To provide practical advice for individuals undergoing occupational change, financial stress, etc.
HOLYOKE
Appleton Pre-School, Early Learning Center and Childcare Inc., 397 Apppleton St., Holyoke 01040. Sharon Zayas, 18 White Birch Dr., Springfield 01119. To provide pre-school, early learning and childcare services to the public.
T.W.C. Towing Inc., 56 Jackson St., Holyoke 01040. Juan Figueroa, same. Towing, selling automobiles and automobile parts, detailing automobiles.
LONGMEADOW
M.W.C. Construction Inc., 1661 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow 01106. Michael C. DeMarche, 46 Mohawk Dr., Longmeadow 01106. Construction.
R.F.L. Electric Inc., 195 Redfern Dr., Longmeadow 01108. Robert Lipp, same. Electrical contracting.
LUDLOW
Sekoswki Family Inc., 67 Bluebird Circle, Ludlow 01056. Gabriela Sekowski, same. To own and operate a package store.
Your Choice Insurance Agency Inc., 120 East St., Ludlow 01056. Samuel R. Hanmer, 123 Englewood Road, Longmeadow 01106. An insurance agency.
NORTHAMPTON
Healing Across the Divides Inc., 72 Laurel Park., Northampton 01060. Lawrence Lowenthal, American Jewish Committee, 126 High St., Boston, 02110. (Nonprofit) To promote cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian health organizations/individuals, etc.
Pioneer Valley Travel Medicine, P.C., 69 State St., Northampton 01060. Ann K. Markes, 124 Maple Ridge Road, Florence 01062. To engage in the practice of travel medicine.
PALMER
New Millenium Appraisal Inc., 11 Diane St., Palmer 01069. Barry J. Cook, same. To offer real estate appraisal services, develop methods and materials to appraisers of real estate.
SPRINGFIELD
Antique and Specialty Flooring Company Inc., 169 Paridon St., Springfield 01118. Anthony Frogameni, 76 Pembroke Lane, Agawam 01001. Purchase of antique wood and manufacturing and sale of flooring products made therefrom.
Compass Car Rental Inc., 155 Allen Park Road, Springfield 01118. Olga Arnst, 107 Chestnut St., West Springfield 01089. Car rental agency.
Gordies Gourmet Inc., 1209 Sumner Ave., Springfield 01118. Gordon Richard Weissman, 174 Abbott St., Springfield 01118. The manufacturing, packaging and sale of snack food.
J.T. Home Improvements Inc., 38 Jenness St., Springfield 01004. Jeff Lariviere, same, president, treasurer, and secretary. Home improvements and repairs.
Latin Flava Cafe Inc., 1677 Main St., Springfield 01103. Isabel Pellot, same. To provide Spanish food and beverages in a cafe atmosphere.
Law Offices of Brian Shea, P.C., 127 Mulberry St., Springfield 01105. Brian Shea, same. To operate a legal practice.
Law Offices of Frank A. Caruso, P.C., 127 Mulberry St., Springfield 01105. Frank A. Caruso, same. To operate a legal practice.
Orr Chevrolet Inc., 10 Mill St., Springfield 01104. Sterling A. Orr, II, 12 Winterberry Dr., Wilbraham 01095. Automobile dealership.
RGoodridge Inc., 206 Marsden St., Springfield 01109. Winifred Renee Haskins, same. E-commerce retail.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Canterbury Development Inc., 84 Cedar Woods Glen, West Springfield 01089. Kathleen H. Sweeney, same. To own real property, remodeling, construction, etc.
Carl Yam Inc., 1051 Elm St., Unit 9, West Springfield 01089. Koang Cheu Yam, same. The sale of food.
Rural Lane Inc., 1771 Riverdale Road, West Springfield 01089. Mark S. Lyon, 53 Rural Lane, East Longmeadow 01028. Purchasing for resale or the consignment of household/business furnishings and household-related items.
Sullivan Private Label Inc., 42 Progress Ave., West Springfield 01089. Paul Fortini, 120 Greystone Ave., West Springfield 01089. To design and distribute retail packaging products to major department stores and specialty stores.
Valley Convenience Plus Inc., 242 Cayenne St., West Springfield 01089. Olga Alkattan, same. Convenience store and mini market.
WESTFIELD
Codru Transport Inc., 14 Sycamore St., #22, Westfield 01085. Stepan Foksha, same. A local, interstate and coast-to-coast trucking business.
Crane Marketing Associates Inc., 362 Granville Road, #105, Westfield 01085. Donald F. Hogan, same. The marketing of specialty chemicals and related products.
New England Pizza Restaurant of Westfield Inc., 280 Southampton Road, Westfield 01085. Jose M. Davila, 10 So. Maple St., Enfield, CT 06082. Jose M. Davila, 280 Southampton Road, Westfield 01085, resident agent. Restaurant.
WILBRAHAM
Halon Estates Homeowners Association Inc., 2148 Boston Road, Wilbraham 01095. Jason Sares, 168 Fuller St., Ludlow 01056. (Nonprofit) To maintain the common open space areas and subdivisions of “Halon Estates”.
JLS Architects Inc., 7 Rice Dr., Wilbraham 01095. John L. Strandberg, same. Architectural services.
Taste of Greece, Springfield Inc., 6 Evergreen Circle, Wilbraham 01095. Christine Dourountoudakis, same. To operate a deli and variety store, distribute food supplies to individuals, stores and restaurants.
Agueda, Natividad Anderson, Sharon A. Ardison, Robert J. Atkins, Ida Mae Avelino, Elizabeth Baer, Albert Thomas Baer, Edward Charles Bakes, Debra C. Beaudry, Jason M. Beaulieu, Jacques Bednaz, Antonia Belanger, Giles Belanger, Miriam Bennett, Amy L. Bessone, Martha Blackwood, Anne M. Boucher, Lynnette M. Bowens, Helene Anne Brathwaite, Richard D. Burns, Sarah Cameron, Moises M. Carrasquillo, Luisa I. Challet, Mark Edward Chapman, Ann M. Chlastawa, Judith M. Clegg, Michael T. Colon, Fernando A. Corrigan, Cathleen G. Cortesi, Mildred M. Cotto, Gloria M. Cruz, Carlos Cruz, Marta Darada, Zachariah D. Delgado, Evelyn Dimucci, Laurie A. Donohue, John T. Dougherty, John K. Dupre, Tammie A. Durette-Luckham, Karola E. Durkee, Louise M. Ely, James Escalera, Emiliana Factor, Scott N. Farnham, Donna Ferrer, Sonia Fitzpatrick, Mary F. Forest, James J. Fournier, Robert M. Freeman, Susan Fuller, Jennifer A. Galloni, Dominick Ganley, Laura Gauthier, Dorothy J. Gauthier, Leslie C. | Gauvin, Dennis P. Gearing, Edward Melvin Gibbs, Richard R. Glynn, Melanie A. Gonzalez, Digna L. Gonzalez, Oscar Gonzalez, Ramonita Gorman, Joeann Gosselin, Judith A. Gourley, Jean A. Gourley, Warren Graychase, Naomi R. Haas, Arnold Hebda, Gary S. Herbert, Andrew J. Hess, Kristen A. Heywood, Ronald G. Hill, Cynthia M. Johnson, Brenda Kamansky, Dina J. Kelly, Cara F. Kenney, Todd S. Keough, Robert T. Korsah, Florence Kozak, Philip W. Kuhn, Joseph J. Kuhn, Kimberly Lacharite, Merridith Ladner, Diane M. Lawrence, Marcus A. Linton, Mary O. Lombardi, Jennifer J. Long, Tony M. Lopes, Patrice A. Louise, Anita Lungulescu, Dumitru Lussier, Robert J. MacKenzie, Scott N. Maratea, Domenico N. Masten, Vincent F. McGillicuddy, John M. McLaughlin, Scott P. McLeod, Sheila A. McMahon, Charles A. Miranda, Noel Moctezuma, Victor M. Morales, Jose M. Morales, Jose N. Moylan, Jennifer H. Muckinhaupt, Melissa K Nashville, Judith E. Nashville, Todd R. Nazario, Frances Newport, Christine Jamie | O’Rourke, William Henry Ortega, Jose Owens, Darren G. Parczyh, Walter Perez, Ramonita Perlak, Joseph E. Pietrucci, Lawrence Victor Pioneer Dairy, Inc. Pittman, Sharon Louise Poirier, Gail H. Poland, Ruth J. Pouliot, Roger D. Proeum, Sarith Prout, Kenneth W. Quinn, Michael R. Rackliffe, Frederick J. Rodriguez, Shelby J. Roldan, David B. Romaniak, Robert G. Rosa, Ramiro R. Sanchez, Lourdes E. Sanchez, Nephtali Santiago, Luis A. Santiago, Nadia M. Santiago, Rigoberto F. Schindler, Brian J. Schneider, Margaret M. Seng, Lay Shean, Gary R. Shomes, Michael Slaughter, Patricia A. Starke, Judith A. Stone, Kimberly M. Swearingen, David W. Swearingen, Katherine M. Szczygiel, Brenda Marie Tauscher, Robert Thepbouasone, Ou Torres, Gisela Tourtellotte, Jennifer M. Towne, Alan R. Ukandu, Bright C. Vargas, Barbara J. Venditto, Joseph Anthony Vincent, Ronald F. Westbrook, Minniett Whitten, Holly E. Wilder, Stella M. Wojciak, Vanessa Woytowicz, Deborah L. Yarrows, Patrick H. Young, Gary W. Zajaczkowski, Caroline Ziba, Stephen J. |
The following building permits were issued during the month of November 2004.
AGAWAM
Olympic Manufacturing Group
153 Bowles Road
$4,800,000 — Construct manufacturing warehouse facility
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.
1615 Suffield St.
$117,384 — Miscellaneous alterations, heating, electric, doors
AMHERST
Amherst College Trustees
151 College St.
$130,000 — Install wireless telecommunications facility on smokestack of Amherst College
Amherst Housing Authority
32 Chestnut Court
$13,000 — Re-roof
Amherst Pelham Reg. School District
21 Mattoon St.
$10,400 — Install new kitchen hood vent system
Amherst-Pelham Regional School District
21 Mattoon St.
$992,000 — Remove existing roof, add new roofing
Amherst Shopping Center Assoc.
181 University Dr.
$812,500 — 13,500-square-foot addition to Big Y shopping center. Shell construction only
The Brook at Amherst Green
170 East Hadley Road
$19,620 — Remove and replace existing roof
University of Mass Alumni
778 North Pleasant St.
$8,000 — New kitchen
Verizon
20 Fearing St.
$800,000 — Upgrade interior electrical and mechanical systems
CHICOPEE
Mountainview Landscape & Lawncare Inc.
67 Old James St.
$15,000 — Temporary office building
New Beginning Church of God
17 Quarry Ave.
$146,000 — Build church
EAST LONGMEADOW
Chestnut Hill Nursing Home
32 Chestnut St.
$149,000 — Re-roof
Eb Games
436A North Main St.
$14,000 — Interior renovations
HOLYOKE
Bobala Tech Center
55-59 Bobala Dr.
$25,950 — Build out building for American Cancer Society
MAP Development LLC
198-210 High St.
$5,000 — Remove two partitions, repair ceiling
Open Square Inc.
383 Dwight St.
$25,000 — Interior partitions
Pyramid Co. of Holyoke
50 Holyoke St.
$113,100 — Remodel Verizon store
Pyramid Co. of Holyoke
50 Holyoke St.
$61,000 — Remodel Desert Moon
Sunoco Products Co.
200 South Water St.
$6,975 — Install new entrance
SPRINGFIELD
Cathedral High School
260 Surrey Road
$54,125 — Refinish girls locker room
Eastfield Mall
1655 Boston Road
$95,000 — Interior renovations to several stores
Lestal Inc.
44 Rost St.
$6,000 — Interior repair
Marci Webber
18-20 Springfield St.
$200,000 — Convert to bed and breakfast
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
368 Bay St.
$8,000 — Repair handicap ramp
Northgate Center
1985 Main St.
$47,500 — Renovations
Northgate Center
1081 Main St.
$81,000 — Renovations
Pride
1211 East St.
$353,000 — New gas station
Shirley’s Handy Variety
469-475 Boston Road
$25,000 — Interior repairs
Third Baptist Church
148 Walnut St.
$32,800 — New roof
NORTHAMPTON
APC Realty Trust
32 Main St.
$28,519 — Replace roof
B’Nai Isreal Congregational
253 Prospect St.
$2,500 — Construct two walls
Carl and Edith Gutowski
206 King St.
$49,000 — Enclose existing porch for retail space, renovate second-floor apartment
City of Northampton
137 High St.
$10,500 — Strip and shingle roof
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$8,500 — Remove bathroom and construct walls in admin. building
Dimension Realty LLC
59 Service Center
$39,000 — Install new roof
Kollmorgen Corporation
347 King St.
$120,000 — Interior renovations
Northampton Co-operative Bank
8 Main St.
$1,693,674 — Construct new bank and retail space (foundation only)
The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of November 2004. | |
AGAWAM Adversitees Plus/Logo’s In Motion Children’s Therapy Christina’s Country Store DMS Construction Jubco Landscaping Julie’s Fashion Not Just Brown Bags Power Hose Tips and Tangles Vinnie’s Auto AMHERST Amherst Market Inc. B & B Appliance Bumdiddies Ingenious Interiors Little Black Dress Revealbusiness.com Tora Nova Counseling Center Your Promotional Consultant CHICOPEE ABM Clothing Ed’s Fashion-Plus Equity Painting Harmony Rental Property Healing Hands Impressive Home Improvement Innovative Microplate Matured Nails by Jolene T & L Web Makers EAST LONGMEADOW Bank of America Electronics Boutique of America Learning Styles HADLEY Isman Consultants Ronkese Financial Services HOLYOKE Akinson Enterprises El Supreme Supermarket Emanuel Christian Book & Retail Store 4 D’s Corp. Izzy’s Repair Old School Customs Real Dry Waterproofing Sean’s Food Mart Torrid: Plus Sizes NORTHAMPTON A Second Opinion! ALT Healthcare Consultants Amy Diamond Consulting B & G Associates Bank of America Bank of America Colly Construction Copper Beech Millwork Eminent Energy Promotions Errands Etc. Grace Bodywork Jeanne Schubmehl, MS,OTR/L Jupiter Girl | Pioneer Valley Balloons SPRINGFIELD Abandon Inhibition Affordable Computer Storage B & B Trucking Beautiful Nails II C & D Variety Cali Nail Care Certified Auto Glass Cobalt Club & Restaurant Emerald City Cafe Express Repair Family Gifts JC Grocery J.G. Home Improvements Joe’s Deli Mart Joyce Insurance & Financial Service K & R Sports Karen’s Gifts Karmil Grocery Store Nova Care Rehab Nova Care Rehab O’s Auto Detailing & Towing Olympic Cleaning Painters Plus Paramount Hippodrome Parkin Design Roma’s Auto Sales Spring Food Mart WEST SPRINGFIELD ACP Management DSG Drywall Company Fastsigns Inc. G & B Construction Health South Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center JMJ Easy Vac K & M Electronics Inc. Lisa M Beauvais, Attorney at Law Marhaba Restaurant Package Machinery Company Inc. Poorboys R.D. & Asociates Tanto Mane Inc. ’Xplicit Customz’ Performance Car Parts WESTFIELD B & S Realty Trust Bank of America Coggin Creek Stables Jean Demers Real Estate Madison Construction Mariano Mavarro Towing Prestige Carpentry & Remodeling Shahid Enterprise Swayger Plumbing & Heating Theberge Consulting W.R.B. Auto Detailing Whip City Candle Co. With Heart & Hand |
The following building permits were issued during the month of November 2004.
AMHERST
Bank of America
1 South Pleasant St.
$42,800 — Roof replacement
Echo Hill Townhouse Condo
15 Bedford Court
$25,000 — Replace roofs at 15-20 and 27-32 Bedford Court
Florence Savings Bank
381 College St.
$49,850 — Renovate existing space for attorney’s office
Reynold Gladu
46 Belchertown Road
$5,000 — Add office, waiting area and bathrooms to auto repair shop
Sandra M. Southwick
7 North Pleasant St.
$140,000 — Reconfigure office space
CHICOPEE
New Beginning Church of God in Christ
17 Quarry Ave.
$146,000 — Erect church
HOLYOKE
Holyoke Hospital
575 Beech St.
$19,700 — New floors, ceilings. Walls resurfaced
Holyoke Hospital
575 Beech St.
$114,200 — Remove CT scanner and remodel
NORTHAMPTON
Bruce Macmillan
243 Main St.
$5,000 — Replace awning with lettering for Fresh Pasta Co.
Chamisa Corporation
25 Main St.
$4,850 — Replace awning with lettering/Fitzwilly’s
City of Northampton
221 Riverside Dr.
$137,600 — Interior remodeling
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$3,500 — Install wall and doorway in existing locker room to surgical day care
Florence Savings Bank
176 King St.
$5,000 — Replace interior and exterior doors
Hampshire Franklin & Hampden Three County Fair
54 Fair St.
$6,000 — Re-roof Youth Exhibitor’s Hall
Hampshire Franklin & Hampden Three County Fair
54 Fair St.
$8,000 — Replace/repair siding on sheep barns
Levee LLC
163 Conz St.
$40,000 — Frame new entrance roof, re-roof, gutters, and patch siding
Lloyd Tarlin & Jacob Rabinov
238 King St.
$13,000 — Erect new Stop & Shop wall sign
Lloyd Tarlin & Jacob Rabinov
238 King St.
$6,000 — Erect departmental signs
New England Deaconess Association
25 Coles Meadow Road
$39,890 — Renovate existing commercial kitchen
SPRINGFIELD
AT&T
351 Bridge St.
$19,000 — Office alterations
BSC Realty Inc.
350 Worthington St.
$13,050 — Addition
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints
376 Maple St.
$136,097 — Cosmetic upgrade
Dr. Chein Duong
586 Belmont Ave.
$56,000 — Interior remodel
Eastfield Associates
1655 Boston Post Road
$14,999 — Alterations
Ellen Boynton
666 State St.
$15,000 — Remodel restaurant
Marjorie Bianchi
925-933 Belmont Ave.
$17,500 — Create three offices
786 Three Partners Inc.
130 Walnut St.
$30,000 — Interior renovations for Kennedy Fried Chicken
WP Realty
1355 Liberty St.
$50,000 — Add antennas to roof
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Bob Simins
171 Dody Circle
$7,500 — Renovate office space
Clark Paint & Varnish Co. Inc.
966 Union St.
$5,000 — Erect partitions in store
LPUE Corp.
174 Brushill Ave.
$110,000 — Pour foundation
Walter and Leslie Lailer
1446 Riverdale St.
$10,000 — Renovate for tattoo parlor
WESTFIELD
Hussein Kobeissi
21 Southwick Road
$1,600,000 — Erect building to house convenience store, car wash and gas station
William Messner says it wasnt that long ago when community colleges were considered schools of last resort.
"If you couldnt get in anywhere else, or if you didnt know what to do with yourself, you went to a school like this," said Messner, who recently succeeded long-time Holyoke Community College President David Bartley. He noted that times have changed, however, and today the schools are often a first choice for people looking to enter some fields, and an attractive alternative for individuals and families suffering from sticker-shock when considering private institutions.
But community colleges must still serve those who dont have the grades or wherewithal to attend most other schools, he explained, and they must also cater to those who need some time to figure out what they want to do professionally. And this is one of the many challenges facing community colleges in this day and age.
"Were not a selective institution and we shouldnt be were a community college," he explained. "You cant be closing the door on half the community and effectively carry out your mission. But being an open-door institution means youre bringing in students at all levels of the preparedness spectrum, and youre expected to deal with all those students at all those levels.
"Thats an incredible challenge," he continued. "And its made even moreso by the fact that the state has disinvested in the public higher education system over the past several years."
Messner, who has a deep background in public higher education, comes to HCC from the University of Wisconsin Colleges, where he served as chancellor and was responsible for the management of a 13-campus institution that served as the transfer arm of the university system.
He desired to return to a campus setting, however he was former president of SUNY Orange in Middletown, N.Y. and held other administrative posts at individual schools and chose HCC, which is at an intriguing time in its 58-year history.
The school remains in an expansion mode in terms of both enrollment and campus infrastructure and is currently building an $18 million business center that will bear the name of Yankee Candle founder Michael Kittredge.
As construction of the center continues, Messner is focusing his efforts on making it a true community resource, not a classroom building.
"One of my priorities is to more effectively connect the college to the community … weve done a good job of that historically, but much more needs to be done," he said. "And the best example is the business center. Our challenge is to make it a center for the community and not physical structure.
"It should be a manifestation of a programmatic outreach on the part of the college to better serve the needs of the community," he said. "Were calling it a business center, and while in some respects thats accurate, its a center not just for businesses, but for individuals, groups, and organizations that are about the business of the region."
While he is focused on his new school, Messner said he is also looking at collaborations with other area institutions, especially Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) and Greenfield Community College (GCC), in an effort to maximize the regions public higher education resources.
The goal, he said, is not to squander any of those facilities resources by unnecessarily duplicating programs, especially when two of the schools, HCC and STCC, are only a few miles apart.
BusinessWest wraps up its series of stories on new college presidents in the Pioneer Valley with a wide-ranging discussion with Messner, who has dedicated much of his career to community colleges and fully understands their value to the cities and towns they serve
Grade Expectations
Since arriving in Holyoke, Messner has been "getting around," as he put it, in an effort to gain a full appreciation of the school, the city of Holyoke, the Pioneer Valley, and regions higher education infrastructure.
He ran down a recent days calendar of events to illustrate the variety in his travels.
"I started off at a chamber breakfast, and ate lunch at a homeless shelter in downtown Holyoke," he said. "That night, I was at the 25th anniversary celebration for the Holyoke Mall, followed by an event at Heritage State Park a poetry reading and the unveiling of a mural that 3- and 4-year-olds had created."
The next day, Messner spent the bulk of his morning at a program dedicated to improvement of workforce-development initiatives in the region. "These are the sorts of things a community college and its president should be involved in," he said. "Thats how we extend ourselves beyond our walls and into the community."
Messner told BusinessWest he enjoys handling the day-to-day challenges at a school, and also being actively involved in the community elements that were missing from his duties as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin Colleges.
Prior to his work there, he served as vice provost of the State University of New York (SUNY) in Systems Administration. That assignment followed a 10-year stint as president of SUNY Orange, formerly Orange County Community College. There, he led development of a diversity program for the college resulting in a tripling of minority student enrollment and faculty hiring, completed the schools first capital campaign, and established a marketing office and campaign that resulted in record student enrollments for two consecutive years.
Messner transitioned into college administration after a five-year run as a history instructor at Keystone College in La Plume, Pa. He later served that school as dean of the college and later a vice president before moving to SUNY Orange, where he served as vice president of Academic Affairs before becoming president.
At HCC, he said there are a number of items on his preliminary to-do list which he described as a work in progress and that many of them reflect challenges he confronted in New York and Wisconsin. He told BusinessWest that while enrollment at HCC is up, the number of what he called new students, those starting their college education rather than continuing it, has been fairly stagnant, and he plans to address that concern.
Part of the solution may be continued work to convey the message that HCC is truly a regional school. "I think we still struggle with that in some ways some people think were just an institution for Holyoke," he explained. "Were not; we attract students from across the region, including many from Springfield."
Another priority for Messner and all state and community college presidents in the Commonwealth is rebuilding the faculty and staff in the wake of cutbacks and early retirement. Like other schools, HCC has been forced to make greater use of adjunct faculty and part-time staff, who simply dont have the same commitment to the school or its students as their full-time counterparts.
"At some of the schools Ive worked at, adjuncts were some of our best instructors," he explained. "But what they dont do, and what you cant expect them to do, is everything outside the classroom that we expect and have delivered by full-time faculty.
"You also dont get the continuity in terms of programming from semester to semester that you get from full-time faculty, nor the development of the curriculum that you get from full-time faculty," he continued. "Youre constantly in a mode of getting these adjuncts up to snuff, only to have them walk out the door the following semester or the following year," he continued. "Were in the process of setting priorities for the school, priorities that will drive the budget. And Ill be surprised if a commitment to improving the numbers of full-time faculty and staff is not at the top of that priority list."
A Stern Test
Meanwhile, another stated goal is to expand the schools presence in the city of Holyoke from both a cultural and economic perspective and form additional partnerships with the citys large Hispanic community.
"Theres a perception on the part of some that even though its only two miles from the center of Holyoke to our campus, those two miles loom large in some peoples minds relative to their willingness to avail themselves of our services," he said, adding that, conversely, some believe the college is too far from from the citys center to have any real economic impact. "If youre a Latino businessman in the center of Holyoke, do you perceive the community college as a resource to be taken advantage of, or do you perceive it to be a cluster of buildings out there on the perifery of town that has little if any relationship to what youre about on a daily basis?"
To ease these perception problems, many have suggested that the school create a physical presence in the citys downtown. Messner understands that sentiment, and told BusinessWest there may be some opportunities for the school to be visible and to have that presence, but not necessarily with a satellite campus.
"I believe the college needs to increase its presence in the downtown area of Holyoke, but I am dubious that this would involve a campus in the traditional sense that people use that word," he said. "I have used the term educational incubator, rather than campus, to describe the type of physical entity with which the college might be involved."
A downtown center could be used for a variety of programs, including adult basic education, high school equivalency test preparation, English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, and others. It would thus become an asset for both the city and the school.
Messner said that such an incubator might involve several institutions offering a variety of programming that would help local residents further their educational goals and subsequently connect to the broader array of programming offered by those educational facilities on their campuses.
One venue for such a facility could be an intermodal transportation center that would be created in a now-abandoned four-story fire station on Maple Street. A number of uses are being considered for the facility, including transportation, retail, and hospitality, said Messner, adding that one of the floors could be used to create classrooms and other learning facilities.
"Since Ive arrived here, Ive been impressed with Holyoke in terms of the vibrancy and the spirit of we can advance we just need to do it together," he said. "Im pleased that the college is part of that, but just one part. No group can do it themselves; we really need to do it together."
The Kittredge Center will play a role in this process, he said, adding that he is seeking input from institutions as diverse as the Springfield Urban League and Holyoke Medical Center to gain direction on the centers function in the Pioneer Valley.
"Having dialogue with groups like that is critical before we decide which programs to pursue and what the overall business plan for the center will be," he said.
Aggressive Course
Like other public school presidents BusinessWest has profiled this fall, Messner has noticed a weakening in the commitment that has been made to public higher education.
At the University of Wisconsin, he said, a budget that was $1 billion a few years ago, has but cut by 25%. "Thats happening across the country," he explained. "Spending on public higher education has been reduced in 49 of the 50 states."
Economics have played a big part in this phenomenon, he said, but there are other factors at play, including a lack of recognition on a national and regional level of the importance of public higher education, and the profound impact on communities when a college education is put out of the reach of even small segments of the population.
"What makes public higher education particularly susceptible to the knife is the perception that we have an alternative source of revenue that the highway department or the correctional department doesnt have its called students and student tuition," he explained. "The state believes it can simply cut its support and pass on its share to the students in the form of higher tuition; every state has done it.
"The only problem is, when you raise tuition, especially in communities like Holyoke and Springfield, where were drawing on people at all levels of income, youre going to price some students out of the market," he continued. "And many states Wisconsin is one of them have seen dramatic declines in the numbers of students of color and those who are low-income."
HCC strives to keep tuition as low as possible, he said, but it also committed to quality education, and therein lies a catch-22.
While working to strengthen the commitment to public higher education and thus ensure that community colleges can continue their practice of inclusion, Messner said he will help promote the regional approach taken to economic development and education in the Pioneer Valley.
He said he is encouraged by the new, recently unveiled Plan for Progress, which takes a decidedly regional philosophy and lists as one of its priorities a more-effective leveraging of its 14 colleges and universities.
He said it is unusual to have community colleges as close together geographically as HCC and STCC, a situation he believes poses both challenges and opportunities. He said he has had discussion with new STCC President Ira Rubenzahl and his counterpart at GCC, Robert Pura, about what he called a "regional strategy" that will also involve Westfield State College and UMass.
"The needs in this area are so acute in terms of education, human resource development, workforce development, or whatever label you want," he said. "No single institution can handle all that alone. The challenge is to effectively leverage the resources of our schools and not squander them, not duplicate, and not needlessly compete."
Final Exam
As he surveys the public higher education landscape, Messner can clearly see the progress that community colleges have made in the past few decades in terms of public perception and the role they play in educating all elements of society.
The task at hand, he said, is to staunchly defend the ground thats been gained and to make additional progress.
"Community colleges dont face the same uphill battle they did when I started with them … were no longer considered the school of last resort," he said. "Were more viable now, but we have some new challenges. v
George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]
Indeed, second terms are often trying times, when a president is working to shape his legacy, or place in history, and when members of both parties almost immediately turn their attention to who the next president will be.
Second terms are often survival tests, when administrations, challenged by inevitable changes in the Cabinet, are often concerned more with making sure nothing goes wrong than with trying to do something right.
But President Bush has been given a unique opportunity as he prepares for his second term; Republicans control not only the White House, but the Senate, where they will enjoy a 53-to-44 edge; the House, where they will have 230 members and the Democrats 200; and in governors offices, where they hold 28 seats and the Democrats 21.
This statistical advantage puts the party in a position to affect real, positive change, and there is work to be done in many areas, especially after an election during which the critical issues were put aside in favor of dialogue on swift boats and Air National Guard service; missing munitions and a left-leaning press.
Lets start with the economy and, specifically, jobs.
During the campaign, John Kerry made much of the fact that hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost over the past several years. Bushs defenders countered that a president any president has little control over the nations overall employment health. Both sides have valid points.
Yes, there are many things that are simply outside the control of a sitting president, such as innovations in the workplace that increase productivity but, in the process, may also eliminate jobs. There are also global factors, such as the fiscal health of individual nations, and even natural disasters that can affect a regions vitality.
But the numbers of lost jobs are staggering, and it is time for the president, his administration, Congress, and the nations governors to find ways to gain more control over these statistics.
Many of the lost jobs in this country have gone overseas, especially to China, India, and Mexico, where the cost of labor is but a fraction of what it is here. Here in Western Mass., manufacturers of all sizes have seen contracts theyve had for years lost to outfits in China that can make a part and ship it for the same amount that companies here spend on raw materials.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of service-sector jobs have been lost to India and other countries because technology enables people thousands of miles away to handle requests for technical assistance or take an order for a credit card.
Basic economics is one of the factors involved in this phenomenon, but it is also becoming increasingly apparent that the United States is losing the edge it has held historically in the broad realms of innovation and quality. The rest of the world has caught up in some areas, and its getting much closer in many others.
To get the edge back, elected leaders must put the focus squarely on education, at both the primary and secondary levels, to ensure that this country has a population of educated, entrepreneurial individuals who can function in an increasingly challenging workplace.
Another priority is the nations urban centers, like Springfield. These once-proud cities continue to struggle as people and jobs move into suburban areas. Springfields current fiscal problems represent an extreme, but virtually all cities are struggling to regain vibrancy.
This is not a problem for individual states or even Bill Cosby, but for the nation as a whole, and what is needed are far-reaching programs that create opportunities for individuals that can break the cycle of poverty.
There are other priorities health care, the war on terror, and finding a workable solution to the situation in Iraq. These problems can only be attacked through a unified effort involving those on both side of the aisle, one that can narrow the ever greater divide between red states and blue states. And the time to start is now.
Looking at the balance of power in American government, it is clear that the Republicans are in control. It is our hope that President Bush can do something with this statistical advantage and take steps that will make the nation stronger economically and more competitive globally.
That would be quite a legacy.
The following building permits were issued during the months of September 2004.
AGAWAM
Silver Street Associates
104 Silver St.
$205,000 — Interior construction of warehouse and offices
United Methodist Church
454 Mill St.
$25,000 — Vinyl siding
AMHERST
Amherst College Trustees
Kirby Theater
$13,000 — Install steel to support scenery-rigging equipment
Amherst College Trustees
Kirby Theater
$21,300 — Install acoustical material on walls
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
170 University Dr.
$9,000 — Repair retaining wall, add guardrail
Hampshire College
Greenwich House
$19,998 — Extend roof overhang
Paul C. Shumway
330 College St.
$6,000 — Interior renovations
Trustees of Hampshire College
Music and Dance Building
$7,483 — Renovate recital hall
CHICOPEE
Mcork Realty Trust
510 Front St.
$521,925 — Erect First American Insurance building
EAST LONGMEADOW
East Longmeadow Center Village for Walgreens
31 Maple St.
$1,160,000 — New building
Maybury Association
90 Denslow Road
$1,898,891 — New building
HOLYOKE
Benderson Development Co.
375 Whitney Ave.
$6,148,410 — Erect five-story hotel
Homestead Grocery
625 Homestead Ave.
$125,000 — Interior renovations and addition
Joseph Miller
56 Jackson St.
$4,000 — Interior renovations — prefab spray booth
Nicholas Sierros
1735 Northampton St.
$7,200 — Modify to operate Domino’s Pizza
Sisters of St. Joseph
34 Lower Westfield Road
$246,903 — Modify offices and bedrooms
NORTHAMPTON
Birch Hill LLC
4 Lawn Ave.
$10,000 — Interior renovations
City of Northampton
274 Main St.
$95,000 — Construct handicap ramp
Hampshire Property Management
51 Clark Ave.
$40,000 — Strip and shingle roof
Levee LLC
163 Conz St.
$67,000 — Reconfigure two rooms, repair sidewalk
Locust Professional Condo
51 Locust St.
$23,500 — New roof
Matthew Pitoniak and B. Feeney
21 Main St.
$99,800 — Interior renovations for bar/tavern
Rockwell Management Corp.
17 New South St.
$22,000 — Interior renovations
Trustees of Smith College
15 Arnold Ave.
$30,000 — Demolish fire-damaged structure
Ten Main Street Florence LLC
10 Main St.
$112,865 — First-floor interior renovations
SPRINGFIELD
Charter One Bank
296 Cooley St.
$120,000 — Interior and exterior remodeling
First Park Memorial Baptist Church
4 Garfield St.
$90,750 — Remove and replace roof
WNEC D’Amour Library
1215 Wilbraham Road
$1,222,441 — Three-story addition
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Bank of America
225 Memorial Ave.
$27,145 — New roof
Discount Office Furniture
2131 Riverdale St.
$51,800 — New roof
WESTFIELD
Elm Development
40 Court St.
$6,000,000 – New building
Acevedo, Elisa Acevedo, Manuel Afonso, John J. Almeida, Lisa A. Alshenwah, Ahmed S. Alvaro, Joseph M. Avila, Ruth M. Beaupre, Carrieann L. Bennett, Treagan Benoit, Roger M. Bessette, Francis Thomas Blasotto, David P. Boardway, Kyle Bolduc, Angela S. Bonafe, Eddie A. Bowler, Brian P. Bozek, John T. Breault, Richard Brown, Mildred A. Browning, Arlene Ann Bruso, John D. Bruso, Stacy M. Burlin, Kimberly A. Burry, Martin E. Bush, Faye Ellen Campbell, Steven P. Capellan, Pilar Caraballo, Efrain Carey, Andrea K. Carrano, Michelle Lynn Clarke, Thomas C. Conroy, Kevin J. Cooper, Ricky R. Corriere, Ronald R. Cosgrove, Christopher J. Costigan, Melissa Cotter, Anna L. Cotto, Carmen M. Cottrell, Elizabeth F. Craik, Ian W. Craven, Fay D. Cummings, David R. Cusson, Jay R. Dacosta, Sonia C. DeMars, Edward E. DeMars, Nancy Lee Dempsey, James J. Draper, John P. Dubois, Julie A. | Eger, Jeffrey R. Ezold, William J. Felton-Stephenson, Betty Flynn, Mark E. Forry, Robert J. Foss, David L. Friedman, Edward Garcia, Radames Golash, Stanley P. Gonyea, David P. Gonzalez, Jesus M. Gore, Richard W. Goshea, John F. Grandbois, Roland Joseph Granger, Michael F. Greaney, Elaine M. Harrington, James E. Himmelreich, Philip J. Hogan, Daniel J. Hoynoski, Edward R. Iglesias, Anthony Jalbert, Angela E. Jimenez, Margarita Kantor, Marc David Killeen-Seipel, Margaret M. Kissee, Susan C. Klipstand Manufacturing Co. Kornilieff, Lorri Kuzdzal, Joseph P. LaCrosse, Norman D. LaPointe, Roland E. LeBlanc, Normand P. Lewis, Stephen D. Lockwood, James Brian Louder, Sandra S. Lowell, Alan R. MacInnis, Robert J. Mariani, Chad V. Marquez, Esperanza Martinez, Lana Martino, Lynne A, Maspo, Madge Irene McCurdy, Kimberly McDonald, Rose McLane, Louis H. Merchant, Michael S. Milillo, Katie J. Milillo, Kenneth J. Miller, Michael | Moore, Dawn Moquin, Sherri L. Morgado, Maria M. Mulvenna, Thomas J. Neil, John D. Nickless, Maureen L. Ocasio, Omayra Ortiz, Benigno Ortiz, Jessica Paige Pagan, Yvette Palazzi, Lisa M. Parenteau, Peter L. Passo, Jillian I. Paul, Linda A. Pellegrino, Nancy L. Perreault, Roger N. Poirier, Steven A. Pouliot, Melissa A. Provost, Donald L. Quinones, Samuel Reyes, Mary M. Riopelle, Lewis George Rivera, Eddie Robert, Annette M. Sanchez, Benjamin J. Sanchez, Jovanni A. Sawyer, George T. Seibold, Marshall A. Seiffert, Gregory J. Seipel, Roy B. Shields, James S. Slowik, Theodore A. Smith, Joseph Tangredi, Bethany A. Tardy, Arthur William Vega, Herodita Vilanova, Sarah Lee Villanueva, Roberto Watt, Adrion I. Wegiel, Patricia L. Whalen, Kevin T. Wildes, John S. Williams, Denise M. Williams, Lula L. Wilson, Timothy H. Woodworth, Amanda A. Wrubel, Ilana B. Yusko, John T. Zerwitz, Lisa R. |
After last years Commerce trade show, organizers of the popular event enlisted the help of a focus group to ensure that, as the show moves forward, it continues to bring value to exhibitors and attendees.
Participants in that focus group said that, in addition to gaining leads on new business and renewing acquaintances with existing customers, they wanted something more something they could take back to the office with them the day after the show.
In a word, they wanted more information, said Doris Ransford, long-time president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. And this years event, the 14th Commerce show, is designed to provide more of it, with how-to attractions.
Slated for Oct. 28 at the Young Building at the Eastern States Exposition, the Commerce show will include two additional features designed to help businesses of all sizes. The first will be a day-long program devoted to helping individuals understand todays rapidly advancing technology; and to make more and better use of it.
Called Techno-Rama, the new addition will be a business technical center, as Ransford called it, and it will include displays of some of the latest technology computers, hand-held devices, cell phones, and more and have IT experts on hand to answer questions and help people make full use of it.
The second new feature is a panel discussion, called Meet the Business Press. As the name suggests, it is intended to be an informative session featuring area business writers, including BusinessWest editor George OBrien, who will provide insight into how businesses can establish and maintain solid working relationships with the business press.
"Everyone wants press," said Chicopee Chamber President Gail Sherman. "But theres more to it than that. Companies need to know how to establish a real relationship with the press. We want to help them do that."
People Power
When asked what makes a trade show successful, Sherman uttered one word: people.
By that, she was referring to both the exhibitors behind the booths, and the visitors business owners, purchasing managers, job seekers, and random opportunists who walk the aisles and hopefully stop at a few attractions.
The mission for any trade show organizer is to provide both quantity and quality of exhibitors and visitors, said Sherman, adding that without such a critical mass, a show wont be successful, especially at a time when there are many marketing alternatives and business owners are becoming increasingly savvy about promotional spending.
Trade show attendance is down nationwide, said Ransford, and one prevailing theory as to why surrounds organizers ability to keep a show fresh and effective or, in many cases, a lack thereof. It was this need to keep the show from becoming stale and ineffectual that led to the focus groups conducted earlier this year. And it was the desire to achieve record turnout that led to this years theme, a call to action, if you will: "Be the Difference. Be There."
Jim Fiola, president of Chicopee-based Westwood Advertising, which was hired to promote the Commerce show, told BusinessWest that while there were different opinions expressed by focus group participants about what they liked and didnt like about the event (especially the 2003 edition), there was consensus on one point. "People wanted more information," he said. "They wanted something of value to take back to the office with them."
This was the inspiration behind Techno-Rama, said Fiola, who told BusinessWest that some business owners and managers are intimidated by technology, and many of them fail to take full advantage of what the latest equipment has to offer.
Dean Leclerc, director of emerging technologies for Whalley Computer Associates, and one of those organizing Techno-Rama, concurred. He said the program is designed to take some of the mystery out of technology, and also give business owners and managers a sense of how technology can help them do whatever it is that they do better.
"We want people to look upon technology as an investment," said Leclerc, "and not something you just spend money on."
Leclerc said the day-long exhibit will likely feature short presentations on the latest in information technology, as well as meet-and-greets with manufacturers representatives. He said a number of companies have expressed interest in attending, including Apple, Cisco, EMC, and Polycom. Products on display should run the gamut, from the latest phones to videoconferencing equipment.
He said the exhibit is geared toward IT directors, but even moreso toward the owners of small-to medium-sized businesses who would like to learn how effective use of technology can benefit their operations.
Those same individuals can benefit from the Meet the Business Press program, said Fiola, noting that many small business owners are too wrapped up in the day-to-day operations of their ventures to know or practice the ins and outs of media relations.
The press seminar, which will feature several members of the print and electronic media, is designed to be informative and educational, he said, but business owners and managers can also make some introductions.
"Some business owners think that all you have to do is put a press release in the mail or the fax machine," said Fiola. "In reality, theres much more to it."
Stock and Trade
Ransford told BusinessWest that, nationwide, trade shows have tried a number of things to provide that critical mass of people that makes an event successful. Some have tried food to lure visitors, while others have turned to special events or high-profile breakfast speakers.
There is no magic bullet, she said, noting that event organizers must continually try to anticipate the needs of business owners and then try to address them. It is ongoing process, she noted, one that Commerce show officials face on an annual basis as they try to keep their show fresh and relevant.
"Times change, and shows like this one have to keep pace," she explained. "If you dont keep up, youll be left behind."
For more information on the show, or to reserve booth space, call the Greater Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376, or the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, (413) 594-2101
The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden and Hampshire Counties between mid-August and mid-September, the latest available. They are listed by community.
AGAWAM
All Tek Builders Inc., 105 Edward St., P.O. Box 662, Agawam 01001. Wayne Albrecht, 939 Granby Road, Chicopee 01020. General contracting, remodeling, roofing, etc.
Lazkani Corp., 51 Riviera Dr., Agawam 01001. Mustapha Lazkani, same, president and treasurer; Samar Lazkani, same, secretary. To own and operate a laundromat business.
Pananas Realty Inc., 1673 Suffield St., Agawam 01001. Leonidas Pananas, same. A real estate holding company.
AMHERST
Medsource Solutions Inc., 6 University Dr., Suite 206-232, Amherst 01002. Alan Tomasko, 36 Greenleaves Dr., #57, Hadley 01035. Medical consulting/education related equipment sales and services.
BELCHERTOWN
57 Sheffield Inc., 14 Maplecrest Dr., Belchertown 01007. Gail M. Flood, same. Retail & wholesale business, related manufacturing.
LC Sand & Gravel Inc., 21 Summit St., Belchertown 01007. Claude Whitman, same. Material removal. Material removal.
CHICOPEE
A.H.H. Inc., 1195 Granby Road, Chicopee 01020. Craig R. Authier, same. General contractor, real estate improvement.
Network Employment Services Inc., 1036 Chicopee St., Chicopee 01013. Luz A. Velez, 126 Peace St., Chicopee 01013. Employment staffing and placement.
SE Holidays Inc., 9 Stanley Dr., Chicopee 01020. Ming Sum Kwan, same. Chartered bus.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Bonneville International Inc., 20 Deer Park Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Christopher Southey, 274 Duchesnay St., Skte. Marie, Quebec CAN. CT Corporation System, 101 Federal St., Boston 02110, registered agent. (Foreign corp; NH) Manufacture and sale of windows and doors.
Vehicle Inspections Inc., 200 North Main St., Ste. 6, East Longmeadow 01106. David W. Townsend, 227 Farmington Road, Longmeadow 01106. Electronic vehicle inspections.
FEEDING HILLS
On-Hold Marketing & Communications of Western New England Inc., 97 Columbia Dr., Feeding Hills 01030. Laurie Fay, same. To create and provide personalized marketing messages and hardware for businesses to help retain callers, increase sales, etc.
HADLEY
Valley Vodka Inc., 20 Maple Ave., Hadley 01035. Paul Kozub, same, president, treasurer and secretary. Distiller and distributor of spirits.
HAMPDEN
Elegant Creations Inc., 5 Bayberry Road, Hampden 01036. Pamela M. Clark, same. Retail fruit arrangements.
HOLYOKE
Bijou Bijou Inc., 50 Holyoke St., #G301, Holyoke 01040. In Jae Lee, 631 Division Ave., #1st Fl., Carlstadt, NJ 07072. In Jae Lee, 50 Holyoke St., #G301, Holyoke 01040, registered agent. Retail fashion jewelry.
MD2 Inc., 30 Holyoke St., Mrs. Fields Store, Holyoke Mall, Holyoke 01040. Samir N. Dave, 91 Beacon Terr., Springfield 01119. To operate a Mrs. Fields Original Cookies store, etc.
Sunoco of South Street Inc., 580 South St., Holyoke 01040. Adib Mohsen, same. Retail gas.
LONGMEADOW
Advanced Contracting Enterprises Inc., 658 Converse St., Longmeadow 01106. Brian J. Walker, same. General contracting.
Race Aviation Inc., 70 Warren Terrace, Longmeadow 01106. John T. Race, Jr., same. Professional pilot services, aircraft management, and aviation consulting services.
LUDLOW
Brad Willard Professional Painters Inc., 89 Woodland Circle, Ludlow 01056. Jonathan B. Willard, same. Arranging of painter to provide painting services to the public.
SOUTHWICK
Southwick Foodmart Corp., 610 College Hwy., Southwick 01077. Sunil R. Patel, 80 Mill St., North Easton 02356. A general convenience store.
SPRINGFIELD
AA Glass & Mirror Inc., 62 Tremont St., Springfield 01105. Michael A. Romanelli, same. Glass and mirror sales and services.
Biff-Bam-Boom Inc., 92 Parallel St., Springfield 01104. Anthony Rivera, same. Comic sales.
Branch Street Realty Management Inc., 417 Springfield St., Ste. 139, Agawam 01001. Michael P. Margiotta, 7 Forest Hill Road, Feeding Hills 01030. Realty management.
Crown Fried Chicken Inc., 1208 Main St., Springfield 01103. Mohammed Asif, same. Fast food restaurant.
E J Bara and Son Plumbing Contractors Inc., 8 Raymond Circle, Westfield 01085. Edward J. Bara, Jt., same. Plumbing.
Eman Corp., 1324 Boston Road, Springfield 01119. Maqsood Cheema, 55 Rosewood Dr., Rocky Hill, CT. 06067. Muhammed H. Warasat, 30 Wyndward Road, Longmeadow 01106, treasurer. Restaurant business.
The Falls Fruits and Vegetables Inc., 1003 St. James Ave., Springfield 01104. Ahmet Akin, 29 Manitoba St., Springfield 01108. Fruits and vegetables.
Falls Pizza Inc., 103 Main St., Springfield 01020. Ilyas Yanbul, 59 Cedar St., Ludlow 01056. Pizza shop/food service.
Feeds Inc., 95 State St., Ste. 1100, Springfield 01103. David V. Bloniarz, 33 Atwater Road, Springfield 01107. (Nonprofit) To assist the community at large, including the minority community, in entrepreneurial and business endeavors.
Sisters in Struggle Inc., 76 Amherst St., Springfield 01109. Sabriyya Abdur-Rauf, same. (Nonprofit) To holistically develop individuals, families, and the community in compliance with the Qur’an, etc.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Miten Mart Inc., 50 Morgan Road, West Springfield 01089. Kaushik D. Patel, 109 Raffeale Dr., Waltham 02454. To carry on a general mercantile business.
And hes right.
Why? Because the Pioneer Valley, unlike other areas of the state, has penned a detailed road map to achieve economic growth and prosperity. While other regions of the Commonwealth may have similar goals and ambitions for job creation, infrastructure improvement, workforce training, leveraging higher education assets, and creating vital industry clusters, few have mapped out a plan for getting it done.
The Pioneer Valley has, and late last month, amid much fanfare and on the 10th anniversary of the creation of the original plan, the new document was unveiled. Its highlights include:
ï An emphasis on nurturing small businesses and creating more of them;
ï Ensuring an adequate workforce for the future;
ï Elevating the status of UMass to that of a world-class research university and taking better advantage of the 14 colleges in the Valley;
ï Improving and enriching pre-K12 education;
ï Enhancing both conventional and high-tech (broadband) infrastructure; and
ï Championing statewide fiscal equity.
The plan was introduced at the Basketball Hall of Fame, and there was a decidedly sports-oriented theme to the festivities. Lead speakers (including plan creators, Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan, and Ranch Kimball, secretary of the state Executive Office of Economic Develop-ment) were introduced as a starting lineup, and all of these players invoked sports phrases and metaphors.
Ryan, reiterating his belief that the city is not getting its fair share of state aid, said the playing field on which the states 351 cities and towns compete is not level. Meanwhile, Paul Tangredi, director of business development for Western Mass. Electric Company and one of the plans architects, borrowed a quote from the late Herb Brooks, coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, when he said that athletes should play for the name on the front of their jerseys, not the back.
This was another reference to the need for area players (meaning individual communities) to play as a team, and this theme was at the heart of the original Plan for Progress. That document was crafted at a time when the region was struggling. Companies and jobs were leaving the area, and in their zeal to lure new jobs, cities and towns competed aggressively against one another, often to the detriment of the region as a whole.
The original Plan for Progress laid the groundwork for formation of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., which has succeeded in creating a regional focus, not regional rhetoric. The plan has also played a part in formation of the Hartford-Springfield Economic Partner-ship, and in the formation of the Regional Technology Alliance (now the Regional Technology Corporation), which is spearheading efforts to bring more technology jobs to the Valley.
The re-tooled Plan for Progress has identified some new priorities, and we hope the plans implementers, as Brennan calls them, can achieve some measurable success with each one.
The first is the nurturing of small businesses. Weve said on many occasions that this area is not going to grow by luring 1,000-employee companies to Western Mass. That might happen in Spartanburg, S.C., but not here. Instead, the Valley should be focused on growing by taking small businesses, nurturing them, and helping a few of them become 1,000-employee companies.
Meanwhile, the region must focus on making sure those businesses it nurtures have the quantity and quality of workers they will need years down the road. All area business owners remember the worker shortage of 1999-2001. Companies seizing on a white-hot economy were desperate for good help and fighting one another for what talent was available.
Things will be much worse in a decade or so when the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age unless plan implementers can find ways to keep those Boomers in the workforce longer, and also develop more and better strategies for keeping college graduates in Western Mass.
Another priority is what is being called non-conventional infrastructure, meaning broadband. The Berkshire Connect project brought reliable, high-speed broadband to an area desperate for it. The challenge now is to build on that model and make sure all areas of the Valley are properly wired for growth.
The roadmap for future prosperity in the Valley has been created. Now, its up to area leaders to follow that map and execute the game plan.
"We have to make sure this dog will hunt,î said McDonald, chairman of the Springfield Riverfront Development Corp. (SRDC), as he referred to an intriguing plan to locate a public market at the old Hall, along with office space, a restaurant, and an IMAX theater.
The proposal, pieced together by the Springfield Business Development Corp. (SBDC), was the favored submittal from among a handful of entries generated in response to a request for proposals for the site. The short list of responses resulted in part from the limitations presented by the old Hall. The building was built for a specific use, and wont be easily converted for something else. The best option and the one that might make the most sense economically may be to tear it down and give developers a blank canvas with which to work.
For now, though, SRDC officials want to work within the framework of the old Hall literally. They believe the public market concept has potential, and so do we.
A public market is the type of feel-good initiative that people hear about and almost immediately think, ëthats a great idea. And it is. A public market is an appealing venture one that holds vast potential for area farms and food producers, and consumers as well. The question isnt whether this is a neat concept, but whether it is economically viable. And at this point, were not sure. Several recent studies of the public market concept have said that it could work in Springfield if a number of things go right.
There would have to be a good deal of support from a number of constituencies to make a public market successful in Springfield. These include local residents, including the many ethnic groups that, as SBDC president Michael Graney points out, are familiar with the public market concept and are comfortable in such an environment. The list also includes residents of the surrounding area, from Hartford to Northampton, as well as tourists and commuters.
The old Hall does have one thing going for it location. Situated just off Interstate 91, it is easily accessible, and the recent improvements by the Commonwealth to this stretch of interstate will make it even more so.
The public market proposed for the old Hall is modeled, in many ways, after a similar facility in Portland, Me. That market was built largely through the generosity of late philanthropist Elizabeth Noyce, who was dedicated to rejuvinating a struggling neighborhood in Portland, and wrote a blank check for the public market as part of that effort. Springfield wont be as fortunate. It will have to build its public market with a mix of foundation grants, some public money, and traditional bank financing and this is where the other components of the project come into play.
Indeed, because a public market is not a highly profitable venture, the other businesses involved in this initiative must be, and we see some strong potential in what has been proposed.
The office component appears to be a logical fit. The sites ample free parking should make it attractive to a wide range of businesses that would like to be in Springfield, but dont have to be downtown and dont want to deal with the parking challenges there.
Meanwhile, another restaurant on the riverfront would give both Hall of Fame visitors and area residents additional choices, and would help create a critical mass of visitors necessary for all of the various components of the riverfront complex to succeed.
As for the IMAX theater, like the public market and the office space, it would appear to make sense. Such facilities seem to work when they are in close proximity to family-oriented attractions such as Six Flags or a sports shrine. And an IMAX would give the riverfront another attraction to lure families from across the Valley and across the Northeast.
Worcester learned a critical lesson from the failure of its common outlets; something that looks good on paper doesnt always work. Springfield must avoid making the same mistake on its riverfront. A public market is an exciting, intriguing concept. But will it work? The SRDC must try to answer that question before proceeding.
Kara Noble says many people have preconceived notions about opera assumptions that often keep them from experiencing something wonderful.
"They have it in their head that ëthis is what opera is, but they dont really know what its about,î she told BusinessWest. "When they come to opera and actually see it, they are absolutely blown away by the real experience by the pageantry, the theater, the acting, the music, and simply by how much fun it is.î
Bringing this experience, which blends music and theater, to new and wider audiences is one of Nobles primary goals as she takes a leadership role with the Florence-based Commonwealth Opera (CWO). She and recently named artistic director Alan Schneider, who succeeds founder Richard Rescia, will usher the 28-year-old regional opera company into a new era.
They plan to build on the solid foundation laid by Rescia and an active board of directors and expand the companys reach and its horizons.
"The company is in a very exciting place right now,î said Noble. "Its really starting to grow, and it has chances to develop new audiences, new partnerships with area organizations, and to re-enliven an already rich cultural community.î
Schneider, a tenor who has sung in five of the CWOs productions and with a number of other companies as well, agreed.
"This is an exciting time for the Commonwealth Opera,î he said. "We want to take full advantage of the opportunities in front of us, and make this company more visible and relevant.î
As they talked about their plans for the CWO, both Schneider and Noble drew many comparisons to the business world. Managing an opera is much like directing an actual business, they said. It requires both short- and long-range planning, a focus on continued growth, good customer service, effective marketing and new product development, which, in the case of an opera company, is an intriguing assignment.
"What weve been presenting up to this point has been the classical repertoire, both in terms of what we choose for an opera things that are well-established and have been performed for centuries in many cases and for our musical theater component, where we lean toward the popular shows,î said Noble. "We would like to open up opportunities to have some new productions; a lot of people dont realize that new opera is being composed right now.
"Wed like to have some opportunities to present some of the newer works, and even to commission artists to write works expressly for us,î she continued. "Weve done some of this, and wed like to do much more.î
Tenor of the Conversation
Schneider told BusinessWest that an opera company is much like a business a successful one, at least in that its managers must keep one eye on today and the other on tomorrow.
Indeed, while he is busy with details of the two upcoming performances of Bizets classic Carmen (Nov. 19 and 21 at the Fine Arts Center at UMass), Schneider is already planning for what will be the CWOs 30th season next fall and well beyond.
The Barber of Seville has been scheduled as the opera for that anniversary season, he said, while Mozarts Cosi Fan Tutte is on tap for 2006 to mark the composers 250th birthday. Such a long-range focus is necessary, he said, because top opera singers are booked years in advance and it takes several months of planning to pull together the myriad details and subtle nuances that make a performance successful.
"You have to be a visionary and look well down the road and make sure you have all the resources you need for a performance; you need to choose the works to be done four or five years out, and then focus on how youre going to do them,î said Schneider, adding that it was the opportunity to become involved in all aspects of operatic production and to flex his creative muscles that drew him to the CWO. Like Noble, he brings a diverse resume to the opera company.
A native of Westfield, Schneider later relocated to Conway. He studied music and theater at UMass, in the early ë90s, and became versed in set design, costume, and lighting, talents that helped him emerge from a field of 60 candidates to succeed Rescia, who will still play an active role with the company and assume the title artistic director emeritus.
Schneider started performing for the CWO a decade ago, while he was still a student at UMass, and he has worked with the company off and on over the years. After graduating, he went to Boston, where he performed with several opera companies. After six years in the Hub, he and his wife relocated to the Pioneer Valley. He still sings with a number of companies, including Opera Boston, the Boston Lyric Opera, the Florida Grand Opera, and others.
When asked to offer a job description for a companys artistic directors role, he laughed, and said the role defies description.
"What I do is essentially choose the repertoire that is to be produced, and I do so based on a lot of considerations, including personal taste, operas that I think we can do well, and variety, which is important for us because we produce both an opera and a musical theater piece every year,î he said. "Within the course of a season I want some variety a tragedy for one, a comedy for the other, different historical time periods, and different musical styles.î
After choosing the works, the artistic director will, in time, run auditions, hire singers, conductors, and stage designers, and facilitate the entire process. "Its taking a performance all the way through, from start to finish,î he said. "And thats what attracted me to this job.î
Noble, who assumed the directors position in early July following the departure of Dara Lewis, brings a background in publishing and the music industry to the CWO.
Her husband, Clifton, is a well-known professional pianist who has performed with the Commonwealth Opera, providing her exposure to the group and its broad mission. Professionally, she worked for a number of years with Merriam-Webster, first as an editor, and later as director of electronic product development.
She then started her own business, Artisttec, which brought technical support to musicians and other musicians. Services included Web page design, digitizing music, type-setting score electronically, and computer consulting. Through that venture, Noble began working with several area colleges and universities, especially Smith College, where she became facilities manager for the music department.
She was in that role when she heard about the pending opportunity at CWO, a position that affords her the chance to utilize many of her acquired skills.
"I was very interested in working with a company that was in a transition state and in a place where I could help it grow and move in new directions,î she said. "Because both Alan and I are new, there are a lot of opportunities to set a new course; this gives me a chance to try some new things and to use some of the talents I have to help the company.î
Orchestrating Growth
Schneider and Noble inherit a rich tradition of quality performances, one they want to continue and enhance.
The CWO was founded by Rescia in 1972 as Project Opera, and was designed as a vehicle for area singers interested in grand opera. Its first endeavors were concerts of arias, ensembles, and operatic scenes for small audiences in mainly the Project Opera studio on the third floor of the building at 160 Main St. in Northampton.
The company produced its first fully staged opera in 1976, a production of Carlyle Floyds Sussanah, conducted in conjunction with the Pioneer Valley Symphony as part of celebrations for the nations bicentennial. A year later, the opera undertook its first solo, in-house production, Die Fledermaus, with Rescia as artistic director and conductor. It also launched its annual Messiah sing-alongs.
Over the years, the opera developed an educational component. It has coordinated a number of in-school productions, conducted workshops, and introduced students to the world of opera. Last year, for example, the company bussed more than 1,000 students to the Calvin Theater for performances of Hansel & Gretel.
In 1989, the company changed its name to Commonwealth Opera. As Schneider explained, the groups productions had grown in professionalism, to the point where it was auditioning people from hundreds of miles away. The name Project Opera did not convey permanence or stability, he said, so the name was changed so singers would feel comfortable with putting the opera on their resumes.
The road has not always been smooth for the company. Twice over the past 25 years it found itself without enough money to produce a scheduled opera. On both occasions, the general public helped the institution get out of debt.
For the past several years, the CWOs season has featured four main performances; an opera in the fall; a Broadway musical in the spring this season, it will Cole Porters Kiss Me Kate; two Messiah sings each December, one in Northampton and the other in Springfield; and a Guild Concert each spring.
Looking forward, Schneider and Noble want to bring opera to a wider audience and bring different types of performances to area theaters and schools and grow as a business in the process.
One priority is to expand the companys base, which is the Northampton-Amherst area. "Were starting to see people come down from the Greenfield-Brattleboro area and discover the company,î she said. "Were also trying to increase our visibility in Springfield and Holyoke, so that people there are more aware of what we have to offer, and also how we can help them and enrich their communities.î
Noble said the CWOs leadership, working in conjunction with its board, is engaged in strategic planning initiatives.
"Like any business, you need a long-range plan and a day-to-day plan to make things happen,î she explained, adding that the group plans an in-depth study of its fund-raising activities, repertoire of shows, and educational programs with an eye toward improving both the quality and quantity of each one.
"I think this market will support more shows, and thats one of things were going to be looking at, "she said. "We want to reach more people and conduct more educational programs as well.î
Among the planned new initiatives is an apprenticeship program for singers, to be coordinated with UMass, that will involve several students with this falls production of Carmen. Its part of the CWOs broader mission to introduce people, especially younger populations, to opera and then provide them a place to get started.
"There are a lot of singers in the area who dont have a place to perform,î said Noble, "especially young singers who want to try it and see if opera is a career opportunity for them. Right now, theres no place for them to go; if youre a young person who plays the violin, there are young peoples symphonies and community orchestras there are performance opportunities that help you determine if you can pursue this as a career. For singers, there is nothing.î
Schneider concurred, and noted that performing an opera involves much more than singing. "To be an opera singer requires more skills acting, working on stage, working with costumes and we want to help people acquire those skills.î
While planning for the future, Schneider and Noble are immersed in Carmen, a four-act drama set in early 19th century Spain, that is based on the novel by Prosper Merimee. It is, as Schneider described it, "the story of an independent and self-destructive woman (Carmen) and a very violent man that ends badly.î
The basic storyline can be adopted in a number of ways, he said, and the CWO will look to puts its own mark on a story that has stood the test of time.
Carmen is a very special work that can be played in so many ways,î he explained. "It doesnt depend on a particular setting or musical style. And its got love, jealousy, betrayal all the biggies; theres a lot of stuff there.î
Its a show that people should come see, said Noble, whether they are opera fans or, like many, think they know what operas about but dont really know.
Curtain Call
Schneider joked that the planned 2005 opera, The Barber of Seville, should be familiar to many people. There was a famous Bugs Bunny episode that borrowed the story and music, and a Seinfeld episode that did the same sort of.
By the time the CWO is done with its performances, he hopes hundreds of area residents have a better, more grounded understanding of the story.
Exposing more people to the drama, the music, and the fun, as Noble put it, is at the top of the to-do list for the companys new leadership team. Doing so will be an accomplishment of note, in more ways than one.
George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]
Russ Denver says the Greater Springfield Chambers Super 60 program, which began life as the Fabulous 50, was never intended to be a scientific compilation of the regions top-performing companies.
After all, there are thousands of businesses in the Pioneer Valley, and only a few hundred are nominated for the honor. "Some companies are shy," said Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS), explaining why some businesses dont participate. "And some simply dont want people to know how well theyre doing."
But the annual list is nonetheless a very accurate barometer of whats happening with the regions economy, said Denver, who said he examines each list closely for trends and signs. In recent interviews, Denver said that, despite a somewhat soft economy and the severe fiscal challenges facing Springfield, the local business community has produced a number of success stories. Bright spots of note include the health care sector, financial services, retail, and higher education.
These trends have been verified with this years list, said Denver, noting that there are more than 10 health care-related companies on the roster, as well as several financial services businesses from benefits providers to a few insurance companies. Meanwhile, there is a wide variety of retail operations, including several car dealerships, a boat seller, a power equipment operation and a Harley Davidson dealership (see the full list of companies, page 26).
There are even two private schools on the list Western New England College and American International College (AIC).
"Looking over this list, two things stand out in my mind," said Denver. "First, the fact that consumer product companies have done quite well, which would defy all the media coverage about a perceived lack of consumer confidence."
Denver also noted the proliferation of health care companies, a sign of that sectors emergence as an economic engine.
"This the largest number of the health-care related companies that weve had on our list," he said. "This shows that we not only have a strong base of businesses in that sector, but that theyre doing very well."
While the Super 60 has become an economic barometer, said Denver, it has also become a brand. Indeed, a number of area businesses make use of their inclusion on either the total revenue or revenue growth list in their advertising, he said, and the phrase "Super 60 company has become part of the local lexicon.
"The program provides great recognition for employees that theyve contributed to the success of the company," he said, adding that Super 60 serves as a vehicle for communicating business success stories in the Valley. "We started this to highlight the importance of business to our region, to highlight the fast-growing companies, and to inform the public that a lot of really good things are going on in the business community."
The Super 60 companies will be feted at a luncheon on Oct. 29 at Chez Josef in Agawam. The keynote speaker for that event will be Arthur J. Rolnick, senior vice president and director of marketing for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, who will speak on the economics of early childhood development.
In Good Company
Change was the order of the day with this years Super 60 list, especially in the revenue-growth category. Half the list, 15 companies, is new from last year, and the top five has only two repeats, the day care center Giggle Gardens, which was the runner-up for the second year in a row, and Thrifty Financial Services, which placed fifth.
At the top of the revenue-growth list for 2004 is Agawam-based U.S. Tank Alliance (USTA), an underground storage tank solutions company that has recorded average growth of 160.9944% over the past three years.
Company President Joel Hershey said there have been a number of state and federal regulations passed over the past 15-20 years regarding underground and above-ground tanks, and U.S. Tank Alliance was created four years ago to take advantage of opportunities presented by that legislation.
The company, which covers roughly the eastern half of the country, has regional facilities in Columbus, Ohio, Tampa, Fla., Baton Rouge, La., and Cinnaminson, N.J., in addition to the corporate headquarters in Agawam.
USTA provides a number of services for commercial clients, residential property owners, and municipalities, including tank cleaning, inspection, compliance programs, system training, project management, and consulting. That diversity, coupled with its geographic reach, has enabled the company to achieve strong growth each year since its inception, said Hershey.
"We put a number of services under one roof, and that makes us fairly unique," he explained, adding that USTA counts a number of global petroleum dealers, area cities and towns, and individual homeowners on its client list.
Rounding out the top five are two newcomers to the revenue growth, Focus Business Supplies Inc. and Northstar Recycling Group (Northstar previously qualified for the total-revenue list).
Other newcomers to the growth list are Baystate Dental, P.C., Baystate Ob-Gyn Group, Brookdale Associates, Diamond RV Center (a previous qualifier for total revenue), Elm Industries, Falcetti Music Inc., First American Insurance Agency, Firtion Adams Funeral Service Inc. (see related story, page 25), Healthcare Resource Solutions, Micro-test Laboratories, and Ten Novembre Group, Dba The Bordeaux Co., and United Personnel Services.
Alta Stark, communications director for the ACCGS said the threshhold for making the growth list was 26% over the past three years, with average growth of just over 65% for the 30 companies that qualified.
On the total revenue side of the ledger, there were four newcomers, AIC, The Center for Human Development and its subsidiary, Behavioral Health Network Inc., and Kittredge Equipment Corp. (see related story, page 23).
Topping the revenue list is Bertera Enterprises, which has been a frequent Super 60 qualifier and a family business that has grown steadily over the years.
Company President Aldo Bertera said it all started with a gas station on Route 20 in West Springfield that was operated by his father. Aldo and his brother, Robert, eventually opened a Subaru dealership on Riverdale Road in 1973. The Bertera family of auto sales and service businesses continues to grow, and now includes eight dealerships and two collision centers.
The corporation includes four dealerships on Riverdale Road Subaru, Lincoln Mercury, Chrysler, and Suzuki as well as Bertera Metro Jeep Chrysler Plymouth and Auto World by Bertera, both in Springfield, and Bertera Chevrolet Oldsmobile Pontiac in Palmer. The latest acquisition came this past summer, when the company acquired Balise Chrysler Jeep and melded it with Bertera Dodge in Westfield.
Rounding out the top five in total revenue were newcomer, Sarat Ford Enterprises another of the four auto dealerships on the revenue list and Peter Pan Bus Lines and Pride Convenience Inc., and Western New England College.
Stark said that the average annual revenue for the 30 companies on the list was more than $48 million. Total revenue for all companies on the list exceeded $1.4 billion.
Four companies on the revenue list also qualified for the revenue-growth chart Camfour Inc., Louis & Clark Drug Inc., OK Pet Supply, Peter Pan, and Pride. Meanwhile, four revenue-growth winners also qualified for total revenue Brookdale Associates, Diamond RV, Environmental Compliance Services Inc., and Northstar Recycling.
For more information on the Super 60 and awards lunchon, visitwww.myonlinechamber.com
Adams, Eleanor B. Aguayo, Gladys Albert, Leanna M. Alicea, Nelson All American Concrete Inc. Allen, Charles A. Almiron, Rosa E. Alves, Hugo Andrews, Jewell Yvonne Bahadur, Sean J. Bailly, Danielle Baker, Franklin A. Barker, Jeffrey Dean Barre, Cynthia L. Bassette, Matthew W. Bazzurro, JoAnn M. Beach, Dede A. Bennett, Mark Beroth, Chad W. Berthiaume, Roland F. Bessette, Jeannette C Bigelow, Jessica L. Blanchard, Todd T. Brenes, Bryand E. Brown, Christopher Van Lee Brumley, Brandi Brunelle, Steven Bryant, Edward C. Buell, Richard Burnett, Ami R. Cameron, Lucretia D. Camerota, Deborah A. Camilleri, Donna M. Canavan, Phillip J. Carver, Angela Catalano, Valentino Chan, Jimmy M. Chene, Anthony D. Cinq Mars, Peter N. Coleman, Jeffery Colli, David J. Collier, Brian G. Colon, Carmen M. Colon, Victor M. Converse, Patricia A. Corcoran, Thomas E. Cordero, Luis A. Correa, Elena Costella, Raymond A. Covington-Hairston, Tangela Danenza, William U. Deprey, Olivia Desclos, Jason D. Desrochers, Linda M. Diaz, Jose A. Dore, Christine A. Dubay, Wilfred Dunne, Pamela Dusza, Melissa A. Emery, Deborah May Emery-Ferrero, Denice L. Falken, Zoe Ferrero, Michael J. Figueroa, Jose A. Flatt, Dawn E. Flores, Vivian Forcier, Michael P. Fountain, Douglas J. | Fountain, Joseph R. Gelinas, Sandra I. Gleason, Kevin P. Gloth, Harvey W. Glynn, Roy C. Gomez, Carlos Miguel Goncalves, Amaro Gonzalez, Antonio Goyette, Robert R. Gray, Kevin F. Gray, Ruth Gruska, Matthew J. Guyotte, Kenneth J. Hall, Beverly J. Hallock, David J. Haney, Morris A. Harbert, Joseph E. Harvey, Richard J. Hawk, Tiffany K. Herbele, Robert Loring Hernandez, Linda I. Herrera, Jacqueline Heywood, Julie A. Hibbard, Franklin D. Hobert, Mary R. Isham, Clark G. Jackson, Tawanda A. Jessup, Deborah Joyce Jones, Joseph L. Kalmar, Elaine Ruth Kantianis, Constandina L. Keil, Eleanor M. Kim, Thu Koksnsky, Thersa J. Koroski, Sharon F. Krawiec, Walter L. Kulas, John P. Lajewski, Jason Lama, Khunga Lampson, Donna J. Lampson, Jonathan M. Langevin, Denise Gail Lannon, Earl D. Lataille, Phyllis A. Lauder, Karen J. Leak, Charles A. Libian, Joseph Lowell, Ellen A. Lucia, Robert M. Luciano, Catalina Luu, Le G. Lynge, Carl H. Mailloux, Cheryl-Ann Martinez, Jorge Luis Martinez, Jose L. Matos, Ramonita Maxton, Timothy S. Mays, Raymond S. McCluskey, David D. McCullough, Kevin McDonald, Jessica M. McKenzie, Laura L. Medeiros, Kathleen M. Mitchell, Eyvonne Mock, Avery K. Mogue, Evelyn E. Mongeau, Yvon E. | Nadler, David A. Nadler, Judith M. Nally, David F. Negron, Marilyn Nieves, Jessica Nieves, Radames Nimchick, Matthew J. Pachot, Valentin Paquette, Tracy L. Paradise, Dennis A. Parent, Constance M. Piaga, Elleen S. Provost, Sean S. Provost, Tania M. Pryor, Melanie R. Ramirez, Eliezer F. Reilly, Megan K. Rhodes, Diane L. Rios, Faustine N. Rivera, Wallis L. Rivera, Julio Rocke, Jeanne L. Rodriguez, Cherie Anne Rodriguez, Hiram Rodriguez, Migdalia Ross, Gregory Allen Ross, Karen Kristine Rouse, Christina B. Rousseau, Eva M. Saalfrank, Darrin J. Sacco, Stephen J. Sanchez, Eddie S. Sanchez, Elba Scott, Sandra L. Sell, Janet L. Serrenho, Nancy F. Sevastyanova, Nataliya Sherman, Judith Shufelt-Scott, Rose S. Sienkiewicz, Edward M. Smith, George E. Spadea, Joseph G. Spencer, Larry W. Steinbock, Kyle D. Stevens, Harriet E. Stevenson-Pope, Christina Ann Summers, Sarah Dorothy Taylor, John Tebbetts, Carolyn L. Terlecky, Lisa M. Torres, Jose Turek, Marjorie Ann Utterback, Thomas D. Velazquez, Samuel Vercauteren, Keith Wahrmann, Courtney L. Walsh, David Emil Ward, Danny E. Wemyss, William F. Wheeler, Linda M. Williams, Allie V. Wills, Katrina Marie Withee, Mark Woods, Gary L. Wright, Beatrice B. Young, Melissa A. |
The following building permits were issued during the months of August 2004.
AGAWAM
Steven Richter
104 Gold St.
$242,000 — Build steel structure
Town of Agawam
760 Cooper St.
$540,000 — Remodel office area
AMHERST
Amherst College Trustees
College St.
$7,810 — Create new exam room at Alumni Gymnasium
Amherst College Trustees
81 Lessey St.
$45,000 — New roof
Boyden & Perron Garage Inc.
41 South Whitney St.
$249,358 — Construct shell only — pre-engineered steel building with concrete foundation
Peter Grandonico
19 North Pleasant St.
$19,000 — Renovate for Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop
Tofino Associates Inc.
43 Kestrel Lane
$15,000 — Foundation
Trustees of Hampshire College
Health Services
$30,000 — Addition for two bathrooms;
Prescott House 97
$13,500 — Repair water damage in dormitory;
$9,600 — Install three pre-manufactured Gazebos
CHICOPEE
BJ’s Wholesale
650 Memorial Dr.
$525,000 — Expand tire center, renovate existing building
First Congregational Church
302 Chicopee St.
$35,000 — Vinyl siding
Memorial Drive Association Inc.
1976 Memorial Dr.
$150,000 — Renovate Freedom Credit Union
HOLYOKE
Bear Properties
108 Whiting Farms Road
$90,000 — Partial re-roof
Pyramid Co. of Holyoke
50 Holyoke St.
$138,500 — Remodel Torrid Store
NORTHAMPTON
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$26,520 — Alter third-floor office 222A
Eric Suher
84 Pleasant St.
$2,100 — Erect awning for Luna Pizza
Hampshire Property Management
351 Pleasant St.
$2,000 — Repair water damage to front overhang
Hampshire Regional YMCA
286 Prospect St.
$75,000 — Renovate locker rooms, fitness room, new front desk
Northampton Terminal Assoc.
1 Roundhouse Plaza
$9,190 — Office renovation
SOUTH HADLEY
Mount Holyoke College
Newhall Admissions
$650,000 — Addition
Mount Holyoke College
Porter Hall
$140,000 — Convert to office space
Mount Holyoke College
Stafford Hall
$30,000 — Interior and exterior alterations
SPRINGFIELD
Banknorth
1441 Main St.
$40,000 — Interior renovations
Baystate Medical Center
354 Birnie Ave.
$429,473 — Interior renovations
Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$1,800,000 — Interior renovations
CAMAR
180 Avacado St.
$137,500 — Renovate landing dock
Francis Rosso
896 Allen St.
$70,000 — Renovate package store
Mass Mutual
1500 Main St.
$15,000 — Alter office space
Orchard Auto Wrecking
420 Oak St.
$47,800 — Renovate buildings for storage
Plimpton & Hills
25 Mill River Lane
$5,000 — Add loading dock
The Republican
1860 Main St.
$8,000 — Renovate conference room;
Western New England College
13A Breck Place
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
16A Breck Place
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
17L Park Place
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
22A Park Place
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
30L Park Place
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
47A Breckwood Circle
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
53L Park Lane
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
133L Breckwood Circle
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
1206L Wilbraham Road
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
1212A Wilbraham Road
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
1220L Wilbraham Road
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
1224A Wilbraham Road
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
1232L Wilbraham Road
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
5R Park Lane
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
116L Gateway Dr.
$12,000 — Bedroom addition;
9R Gateway Dr.
$12,000 — Bedroom addition
WEST SPRINGFIELD
30 Capital Inc.
30 Capital Dr.
$25,000 — Interior and exterior renovations
1150 Union St. Corp.
1114 Union St.
$50,000 — Renovate retail space
1150 Union St. Corp.
1136 Union St.
$86,000 — Renovate retail space
Eastern States Exposition
1305 Memorial Ave.
$10,000 — Erect circus tent
Lower Pioneer Valley
Educational Corp.
784 Amestown Road
$80,000 — Renovate school
WESTFIELD
Applebee’s
441 East Main St.
$94,839 — Interior renovations
The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden and Hampshire counties between mid-July and mid-August, the latest available. They are listed by community.
AGAWAM
Agawam Family Physicians, P.C., 141 Main St. Agawam 01001. Michael J. Jawitz, 17 Wyman St., Agawam 01001. To practice medicine.
Atlas Founders Inc., 36 Hampden Lane, Agawam 01001. Peter J. Carras, 28 Powder Hill Road, Middlefield, CT 06455. George L. Vershon Jr., 36 Hampden Lane, Agawam 01001, treasurer. A foundry manufacturing products of tin and other metals, etc.
Deluxe Limousine Inc., 81 Ramah Circle, Agawam 01001. Edward Dersarkis, same. Limousine service.
P & G Realty Holding Corp., 36 Hampden Lane, Agawam 01001. Peter J. Carras, 28 Powder Hill Road, Middleton, CT 06455. George L. Vershon Jr., 36 Hampden Lane, Agawam 01001, treasurer. A real estate holding company.
Sports Performance Inc., 11 South Bridge Dr., Agawam 01001. Steven J. Hurwitz, 467 Laurel St., Longmeadow 01106. To enhance performance in sports and sport-related activities for children and adults.
Vallid Laboratories Inc., 295 Silver St., Agawam 01001. Debra Vallides, same. (Foreign corp; CT) To test food and portable water, acquire related instruments, etc.
AMHERST
Artshow Amherst Inc., 409 Main St., c/o Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, Amherst 01002. March Lambert, 83 North Whitney St., Amherst 01002. Nonprofit) To attract visual artists to the area, provide related services, etc.
Tiancheng International Inc., 345 Lincoln Ave., #511, Amherst 01002. Wai Ning Chan, same. Import and export agent.
CHICOPEE
Cardinal Complete Door Distributor Inc., 38 Wheatland Ave., Chicopee 01013. Francis D. Cardinal, same. To sell and install doors, hardware,
security products, etc.
Chicopee Storage Inc., 1981 Memorial Dr., #187, Chicopee 01020. Barbara E. Donahue, 105 Hampshire Ct., Deptford, NJ 080965. John J. Santanielle, 134 Carol Ann St., Springfield 01128. To provide warehousing.
Multiline Warehousing and Transportation Inc., 181 Kendall St., Chicopee 01020. Stanislaw Borawski, 1221 Dundix Road, Unit 153, Miississaugo, On Lay 3Y9 CAN. Agnes Ruszczyk, 181 Kendall St., Chicopee 01020, registered agent. Warehousing and transportation.
Pauly Whally Inc., 205 Chicopee St., Chicopee 01013. Paul L. Boyd, same. To operate a restaurant.
FEEDING HILLS
Agawam Alexander’s Inc., 660 North Westfield St., Feeding Hills 01030. Barry Szymojko, 373 North Westfield St., Feeding Hills 01030. To operate a restaurant and bar.
FLORENCE
Easthampton Mortgage Company Inc., 28 Sylvan Lane, Florence 01062. Anthony Andersen, same. Mortgage brokerage.
Parent-Teacher Organization of John F. Kennedy Middle School Inc., 100 Bridge Road, Florence 01062. Cathleen E. Santosus, 73 Barrett St., #2098, Northampton 01060. (Nonprofit) To provide resources to support an excellent, well-rounded education for JFK Middle School children, etc.
GRANBY
Granby Grain Inc., 108 West State St., Granby 01033. Paul E. Grenier, 29 1/2 Sczygiel Road, Ware 01082. To sell, at retail, grain and other farm products.
Stony Falls Mini Golf Inc., 84 East St., Granby 01033. Stephen Douglas McCray, same. Leisure time activities.
HADLEY
Asian International Imported Food Market Inc., 206 Russell St., Hadley 01035. Ry B. Som, 447 Amherst Road, Belchertown 01007. Retail sale of groceries.
Western Massachusetts Gymnastics Association Inc., 200 Old Lyman Road, South Hadley 01075. Marie Boucino, 86 Sabin St., Belchertown 01007. (Nonprofit) To improve the sport of gymnastics in Massachusetts, foster national and international amateur sports competition, etc.
HAMPDEN
Radharaman Corp., 63 Somers Road, Hampden 01036. Prahaladbhai V. Patel, 4308 Newkirk Ave., North Bergen 07047. To operate convenience stores-gas stations.
HOLYOKE
Certified Real Estate Appraisers Inc., 330 Whitney Ave., Suite 232, Holyoke 01040. Chris E. Monalakis, 219 Christopher Terrace, West Springfield 01089. Real estate appraisals.
Gangster Enterprises Inc., 245 Stafford Road, Holland 01521. John Reed, same. Manufacturing, selling, franchising of motorcycles, etc., related goods and restaurant related thereto.
Lean On Me Inc., 48 Franklin St., Suite 1, Holyoke 0040. Yvonne Garcia, 361 Chestnut St., Holyoke 01040. (Nonprofit) To educate and improve the lives of young people and their families living around the intersection of Franklin and Chestnut St., in Holyoke, etc.
Patriot Towing and Recovery Inc., 81 Brook St., Holyoke 01040. Roselee T. Williams, same. Towing of vehicles.
School Based Services Inc., 72 Front St., Holyoke 01040. John A. Foley Jr., 1308 Northampton St., Holyoke 01040. To provide a complete range of administrative and financial services to educational entities, etc.
LONGMEADOW
Saillant Realty Corp., 908 Shaker Road, Longmeadow 01106. Eduardo A. Saillant, 34-10 84th St., Apt. H, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Donna Taylor, 908 Shaker Road, Longmeadow 01106, registered agent. Real estate investment.
LUDLOW
Big John Inc., 60 Ravenwood Dr., Ludlow 01056. John P. Green, P.O. Box 115, Ludlow 01056. Machine shop and metal works.
Leonard Enterprises Inc., 17 Deponte Dr., Ludlow 01095. William B. Leonard, same. To purchase, renovate and sell renovated houses.
Starlight Entertainment Inc., 83 Church St., Ludlow 01056. Charles J. Stagnaro, same. Sales and service of vending machines.
NORTHAMPTON
The Breast Form Fund Inc., 14 Center St., Northampton 01060. Judith Pine, 28 Perkins Ave., Northampton 01060. (Nonprofit) To provide breast prosthesis and/or post-mastectomy bras to uninsured or under-insured women, etc.
Class Action Network Inc., 245 Main St., #207, Northampton 01060. Felice Yeskel, 137 State St., Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To educate people about issues of social class and money, publish related literature, etc.
Comprehensive Life Coaching Inc., 349 Coles Meadow Road, Northampton 01060. Cheryl L. Pascucci, same. To address health and wellness of individuals by self-assessment, self-management, etc.
ESD Electronics Inc., 64 Gothic St., Suite 6, Northampton 01060. Wilfried Voss, 158 Log Plain Road, Greenfield 01301. Software and hardware development and sales.
Harlow Inc., 196 Main St., Northampton 01060. Robert G. Burdick Jr., 67 Cherry St., North Adams 01247. To deal in leather and silver items.
James E. Clayton Jr., DMD, P.C., 243 King St., Suite 112, Northampton 01060. James E. Clayton Jr., 63 Prospect St., Northampton 01060. To provide dental services.
MMY Associates Inc., 41 Main St., Northampton 01060. Teh-Jing Sun, 40 Appalossa Lane, West Springfield 01089. To operate a bar and restaurant.
Northampton Aeronautics Inc., Old Ferry Road, Northampton 01060. Robert J. Bacon, 22 Overlook Dr., Westfield 01085. To operate an airport.
Precision Audio Inc., 376 Easthampton Road, Northampton 01060. Jose R. Fernandez, 89 Edgewood Ave., Chicopee 01013. To operate an automobile accessories business.
R.G. McGee Inc., 76 Crescent St., Suite 1, Northampton 01060. Richard G. McGee, same. Planning, development and restoration of historical structures.
The Western Massachusetts Library Club Inc., 20 West St., Northampton 01060. Dorothy O. Carmody, 281 Chauncey Walker St., #22PVP, South Hadley 01007. (Nonprofit) To promote library services and librarianship in Western Mass.
PALMER
Shree Vallabha Krupa Corp., 1458 North Main St., Palmer 01069. Virendrakumar Dahyabhai Patel, 37 Whytleville Road, London E7 9LP, England. Ashokkumar Dahyabhai Patel, 1040 North Pleasant St., Apt. 518, Amherst 01002, treasurer. Restaurant and food service.
SPRINGFIELD
Hands for Change Outreach Inc., 38 Hunter Place, Springfield 01109. Lawrence Johnson, 39 Lamont St., 2nd Fl., Springfield 01109. (Nonprofit) To provide various outreach programs to benefit the residents of Hampden County, etc.
Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal, Un Nuevo Renovacion Inc., 758 Main St. West Springfield 01089. Luis A. Baes, 30 Laurel St., Springfield 01107. (Nonprofit) To provide for the civic, social and educational welfare of people in need of supportive services, etc.
Laravee Builders Inc., 83 Pilgrim Road, Springfield 01118. David B. Laravee, 65 Woodbridge Circle, Chicopee 01020. Residential construction.
Last Frontier of Springfield Inc., 477 State St., Springfield 01105.
Charles Burlingham, 238 River Road, Agawam 01001. (Nonprofit) To own and operate a general restaurant, cafe, lounge.
NACCE Inc., 1 Federal St., Springfield 01105. Thomas A. Goodrow, 33 Cynthia Place, Feeding Hills 01030. (Nonprofit) To foster economic vitality for local communities through entrepreneurship education programs in community colleges, etc.
Paramount Pizza Inc., 1626 Main St., Springfield 01105. Halil Turan, 49 Lancashire Road, Springfield 01104. A restaurant business.
Salsakids Inc., 1242 Main St., Suite 301, Springfield 01103. Nector Garcia, 120 Oak Grove Ave., Springfield 01109. (Nonprofit) To improve the lives of at-risk children, teens and their families, etc.
Sergey Inc., 1725 Page Blvd., Springfield 01104. Sergey Privedenyuk, same, president, treasurer and secretary. Catering.
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., 2100 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield 01102. Roy C. Cuny, same. (Foreign corp; NY) Manufacture of firearms and related products.
Springfield School Volunteers Foundation Inc., 195 State St., P.O. Box 1410, Springfield 01102. Robert Bolduc, 49 Woodsley Road, Longmeadow 01106. (Nonprofit) To assist and carry out the purposes of Springfield School Volunteers, Inc., etc.
TMS Cartunes and Electronics Inc., 100 Verge St., Springfield 01129. George A. Romano III, 17 Aldrew Terrace, Springfield 01119. Auto electronics sales and installation.
Universal Kitchen & Bath Inc., 113 Harkness Ave., Springfield 01108. Craig S. O’Connor, same. General contracting.
Western Medical Supply Inc., 1500 Main St., Suite 2308, Springfield 01115. Bradford A. Miller, 6 Valley Ln., Garrison, NY.10524. Jerry B. Plumb, 1500 Main St., Suite 2308, Springfield 01115, registered agent. To supply durable medical equipment.
Worthington Associates Inc., 21 Prescott St., Springfield 01108. Michael E. Chagnon, 52 DePalma St., Feeding Hills 01030. To deal in real estate.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Ashley Management Inc., 117 Park Ave., Suite 201, West Springfield 01009. Donna M. LaFond, 27 Hilton St., Chicopee 01020. To deal in real estate.
Pioneer Valley Enterprises Inc., 209 Main St. West Springfield 01089. Kristin L. Salha, same. Financial and consulting services.
Power Seal Inc., 80 Wilder Terrace West Springfield 01089. William D. Berte, same. Cleaning, maintenance, pressure washing.
WESTFIELD
Diversified Restaurant Concepts of Westfield Inc., 15 Knox Circle, Westfield 01085. George Flevotomos, same. Restaurant and related services.
K & B Lumber Inc., 100 Apremont Way, Westfield 01085. Keith B. Cressotti, 60 Piper Road, West Springfield 01089. To deal in construction materials and supplies.
Motorsports Policy and Prevention Network Inc.,
60 Lindbergh Blvd., Westfield 01085. Michael G. Pease, same. (Nonprofit) To engage in any civic, educational, charitable and benevolent purpose.
Piper Green Estates Inc., 60 Cardinal Lane, Westfield 01085. Mark T. Bergeron, same. To deal in real estate.
Since being named president of UMass this past spring, Jack Wilson has been busy, as he put it, "telling our story.î
He has spoken to business and civic groups from one end to the state to the other. Hes penned op-ed pieces for publications ranging from The Republican to Mass High Tech magazine. And hes appeared before editorial boards at most of the states major publications.
The blitz has a purpose, Wilson told BusinessWest: making a distinct connection between the five-campus university and economic development efforts in the Commonwealth. The connection has always been there, he said thousands of jobs have come out of research at the university and thousands more have been retained through various workforce initiatives but more people need to understand it and take part in it.
"The path to economic and social development in the state goes through UMass,î he explained, using phrases he would repeat often. "We see the university as an indispensable partner in economic development of the Commonwealth.
"When you look at economic development across the United States, you quickly discover that it goes best in an area around outstanding university research universities,î he continued, citing Research Triangle Park in North Carolina and Silicon Valley as just two examples. "The same holds true in Massachusetts; if you took UMass out of the picture, 90% of the research that took place outside of Route 128 would disappear.î
As he pushes his message, Wilson is also taking steps to see that the rhetoric becomes reality. To make UMass the economic development engine he envisions, it must have more and better partnerships with business, government, non-profits, other colleges and universities, and its own alumni.
Such partnerships have led to success stories involving all five campuses, he said, citing the collaboration between UMass-Amherst and Baystate Health System in the creation of a biosciences research center as just one example.
"We want to partner will all sorts of community groups,î he said. "This could be industry giants like Raytheon, or it could be entities like the Boston public schools, which were joining in a math/science partnership thats part of a $12 million externally funded program high-quality match and science opportunities,î he said. "We have another one called the Urban Scholars Program, in which were partnered with community groups focused on minority groups and providing them with educational opportunities.î
While the partners and the specific missions vary, the common denominator is economic development, said Wilson, noting that efforts in this realm include everything from new job creation to making sure the states workforce can take on the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Wilson said he has a number of specific and general goals for the university. For starters, he wants to double the amount of public and private research grants received by the university from the current $300 million to $600 million, perhaps within five years. He also wants to take the schools endowment, currently at $170 million, to new heights.
Meanwhile, he wants to create what he called a "unified brandî for the university. By this, he meant that current students and faculty members, as well as alumni of the five schools in the UMass system will think of themselves as part of a larger entity, rather than graduates of a specific school.
With new strategic alliances, and an increasingly entrepreneurial approach within the university itself, UMass can emerge as one of the nations premier public university systems, said Wilson, adding that he is committed to making this happen.
"We want to be a willing partner in social and economic development most broadly construed,î he said, "not narrowly construed.î
Degrees of Progress
After he was named interim president of UMass following the resignation of William Bulger in September 2003, Wilson said he had to think long and hard about whether he wanted to pursue the job on a permanent basis.
"To be honest, if they had offered me a permanent position at that time, I would have declined, because it wasnt clear to me that we had the support it would take to be successful,î he said, referring to both public and private constituencies. "It wasnt until I worked three and four months and I felt that the situation was coming together nicely and that we were going to have the support from the business community and we were going to have the support from the governors office, the Legislature, and the alumni, that I decided to become a candidate.î
That support came in a number of forms, he explained, noting the Legislature made a strong commitment in the budget, especially with an appropriation for long-unfunded contractual raises for faculty and staff, and the governor included a number of capital projects. Meanwhile, Wilson noted a strong measure of support from members of the business community, many of whom he worked with during creation of report titled Choosing to Lead: The Race for National R&D Leadership and New Economy Jobs.
Touted as the Massachusetts Technology Road Map, the report was organized by Mass Insight Corp., a Boston-based public policy firm, and Batelle, an Ohio-based economic development consulting firm. It concluded that UMass is one of the states key economic drivers, a resource that should be exploited for new business development and job creation.
"I sat down with many different constituencies, and had some rather frank discussions about where they want this university to be, and how it fits in with development strategies in the Commonwealth,î Wilson said. "I was very pleasantly surprised to find that there was a great deal of bi-partisan support for a strong state university.
"These things are like a snowball,î he went on. "It starts small and it keeps getting bigger and bigger, and at some point you say, ëthis is going in the right direction, lets keep it going.î
With such commitments, Wilson said the university can proceed with confidence in its efforts to take a larger role in economic development efforts across the Commonwealth. And as he moves ahead with his plans, Wilson can call on many of his own experiences for inspiration.
Indeed, Wilson knows what it takes to bring a concept through the university research stage, the venture-capital-raising stage, into development, and then through the process of going public. He did just that at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. While working there as the J. Erik Johnson 22 Distinguished Professor of Physics, Engineering Science, Information Technology, and Management, he spun off a software development company called ILINC.
The company was built through three rounds of venture capital from Exponential Investors, Intel Corporation, the New York State Science and Technology Foundation, and GeoCapital Investors. The venture, known later as LearnLinc, eventually merged with Allan Communications and Gilat Communications to form the publicly traded Mentergy Corporation.
That business venture came as Wilson was filling his resume with achievements in academia, in both the classroom and administration.
Wilson earned a degree in Physics from Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., and his Ph.D. from Kent State University. He taught physics at Sam Houston State University, and eventually served as chairman of the Physics Department and director of the Division of Chemistry, Physics, and Physical Sciences.
He then moved to the University of Maryland, where he taught physics and science, and later to Rensselaer, where he served in a variety of positions. These included acting provost, acting dean of Faculty, dean of Undergraduate and Continuing Education, director of the Lois J. and Harlan E. Anderson Center for Innovation in Undergraduate Education, and co-director of the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship.
He exited LearnLinc in 2000, at the height of the tech market and just before the sector turned south. He pocketed more than enough to retire, but wasnt ready to do so. Instead, he went looking for a new challenge, and found one when he came to UMass to bolster its fledgling online education initiative.
He took a program with only a handful of courses and students and guided it to exponential growth. When he become interim president, the online program served nearly 15,000 students and involved 40 different degree and certificate programs.
It was this diverse background, including many levels of work in academia and business over a 35-year career, that made Wilson a logical choice for interim and then permanent president at the university. And it is this mix that he believes will help in the process of creating the strategic alliances he says are crucial to the schools continued growth and development.
Stern Test
There are five schools in the UMass system Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester (UMass Medical) and Wilson says each one has made significant contributions to their respective regions and the state as a whole and will look to increase its involvement in the years to come.
The day he spoke with BusinessWest, Wilson also addressed business groups in the New Bedford-Fall River region of the state, now known collectively as the South Coast. The message delivered there was similar to the one being sent across the state.
"I told them that were here to do our part; were willing to be your partner,î he said, adding that this same message is being across the state.
When asked how partnerships come together, Wilson cited the case of a $40 million research center created out of work at the Amherst campus. This was an initiative where all the pieces to the puzzle university research and both public and private participation fell into place.
Known as CASA, the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere, was inspired by the work of UMass-Amherst professor David McLaughlin, who devised of method of using low-level radar to radically improve weather-forecasting capabilities and also provide new tools for monitoring airborne toxins generated by pollution or terrorism.
The initiative was moved forward thanks to a $1 million gift from Amherst philanthropists John and Elizabeth Armstrong, which helped trigger $5 million in seed money from the Commonwealth and support from Massachusetts businesses. This multi-faceted support eventually led to a $17 million engineering research center grant from the National Science Foundation.
"Thats an example of what can happen when the necessary components come together,î Wilson said. "CASA shows how effective partnerships can make things happen.î
With $320 million in public and privately funded research and development, UMass ranks third in that category in Massachusetts (behind Harvard and MIT) and fourth in New England (behind Yale). It also has a faster R&D growth rate than the national average. But Wilson believes it can be doing much better, and the Mass. Insight/Battelle report echoes that sentiment.
"We want to double our research the questions are: how fast can we get that done and do we need to do to get it done?î he said, adding that while there is no how-to manual on such initiatives, the university will start by focusing on what Wilson called its "core businesses,î while developing new ones.
"There are a number of factors involved we want to focus on the areas where we have expertise, but also on what the specific community needs are,î he said. "We know the biomedical business is going to be very big, so we have to figure out how were going to play in that. We know that the marine sciences and ocean engineering are also going to be big, and we know that information technology and telecommunications will continue to be a strength. We have to gauge all our opportunities and make the most of each one.î
Wilson said there has been a gradual shift in the research arena from private schools to public schools and especially what he called the "super publics.î This has coincided with huge growth in the scale of research and, recently, a loss of market share in the Bay State.
To get those research dollars back, and to fully capitalize on the shift from private to public schools, he said, UMass must focus on strategic alliances such as the one with Baystate involving bioscience.
While endeavoring to boost research, Wilson also wants to grow the schools endowment. He said UMass has been lagging behind other state universities in this arena, and he and UMass/Amherst Chancellor John Lombardi are forwarding plans to help the school catch up.
"Other institutions, like Michigan and Penn State have been after this a lot longer than we have,î he explained. "In fact, its only been in the last five years that theres been any focus on this at all. So we have a long way to go.î
Meanwhile, he wants to strengthen the UMass ëbrand. He said each of the five schools has, and must maintain, its own identity, but they must work together to promote the larger entity.
Wilson drew parallels to a family.
"Siblings compete with one another,î he explained. " But they also work together for the benefit of the family, and thats what we have here, a family.î
Overall, Wilson wants the university to become more entrepreneurial in its approach to all its ventures, and to set the bar higher in pursuit of its goals.
"We dont want to set our sights on being average,î he said. "We want to set our sights on being one of the worlds great public universities. That means we shouldnt be striving for national averages in anything we do. Instead, we should be comparing ourselves to the top schools and then competing with them and we have a ways to go to get there.î
Class Act
When asked to describe his role as president of the UMass system, Wilson said its his job to set an overall direction for the system and provide it with the resources it needs. To do this effectively, he must keep the school in the public eye or, as he put it, continually tell its story.
This explains why Wilson has used the airwaves and publications op-ed pages with such frequency in recent months.
"If we dont step up and tell our story, its our fault,î he said, adding that with strong visibility the school can position itself for continued support.
"Its all about partnerships,î he stressed repeatedly. "We want people to know that were here and ready to work with them. That how we can reach our goals and thats how we can become indispensable.î
George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]
The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of June and July 2004. | |
AGAWAM A & J Drywall AAA Signs & Rentals Div. of Aardvark Tent Rentals Advance Telemessage Service Inc. Agawam Landscaping American Classics Restaurant Annalees’s Sweet Creations Bambi Nursery School Blackwells Beds & Borders Bob Lareau Remodeling brivers.com Business Promotional Ideas Chicago Hair Company Inc. E. Wayne Smith Used Cars Easterntronics Five Star Transportation Inc. Gail’s Cleaning Service The Homeowner’s Handyman J.R. Sweeping Service Jay Morin Liner Replacements Joslad & Associates Kit and Kaboddle Inc. Leaflitter of New England Inc. Low Temp Refrigeration M & S Painting Malkoon Motors Maria’s Pizza & Restaurant Nemil’s Subway Park Place Realty Patriot Marketing Services Poolman Pools R C Construction Royal Air/Rainbow Vacuum S.G.M. Quality Products Shear Illusions Silver Leasing Associates Six Flags New England Six Flags New England Southgate Liquors Suff Telephone & Super Models Unlimited Top Shelf Entertainment Yankee Mattress Factory AMHERST Amherst Nails Amherst Nutrition Center Amherst Office Park Atlas Computer Atticus Glass Christine Enterprises Direct Financial Aid Professional Services The Early Childhood Center for Teaching & Learning Fat Lady Productions Hair East Hawkins Meadow Apartments Helping Hands Law Office of Patricia A. McChesney Market America Mary Miller Baskets Massachusetts Space Exploration Systems Middle Ridge Design Old Friends Farm Random Element Music Roy Young Interior/Garden Smart Cat Media Twinkle Import & Export ZX Inc. CHICOPEE A-1 Pizza Bee Happy Homes Berkshire County Enterprises C & C Lamination Chicopee Food Saver Chicopee Wireless Cruise Genies.com I.D. Gourmet Coffee House Interstate Towing Jak-of-All-Trades Lavender Nails Salon Lidiya’s Floral Creations Lukasik Construction Marty’s Real Estate Multiline Warehousing & Transportation Inc. On Route Services PJT Productions Penwise Print & Packaging Recruiting Rivervalley Woodworking Scissorsmith TechDoneRight.com YourDentalTech.com EAST LONGMEADOW A&L Holistic Health Spa Bosworth Landscaping Civil Engineering Association Ferrero Property Management Lussier & Sons Construction White Stone Marketing Group HADLEY Dwight Home Improvements Fancy Nails Mojoe’s Old American Antiques and Renovation HOLYOKE Al’s Daily Grind Cafe Commercial Auto Sale Contemporary Auto Sales D & M Painting Dean’s Mini Mart Fashion Nails Greenfield Stamp & Coin Ingleside Gift Baskets JMC Auto Detailing Kirkland’s Lechonera Bavamon Lucky Footwear Inc. Manny’s Auto Sales MA Career Development Institute Inc. Mr. Bill’s Parts & Cycle Service T & T Variety Tony’s Radiator Shop NORTHAMPTON Accurate Dispersions AkiAnn LLC Baboon Productions & Chaffee Weddings Bobbie Turnbull Carla A Bernier, MA, CCC-SLP and Abigail B. Jaffee, MA, CCC-SLP Century Message Conco Paints Cornerstone Builders Correctional Billing Services Delong Construction Essentials Glidden Drywall Graphic Leesign In Home Handyman Services JB Auto Lia Honda Luna Pizza LV Style Nature’s Creations Northampton Home Improvement Northampton Marketing Northampton Oriental Rugs Northampton Veterinary Clinic LLC Nuva Medi Spa Quezno’s Sub Pioneer Therapeutics Roger Menard Insurance Agency Sew Good Tailoring Student Initiative Gallery of Hampshire College T.W.C. Towing | The Townhomes at Hathaway Farms Valley Fabrics VIA Development Yankee Matress Factory Zoomshot SOUTH HADLEY NBP Roofing, Siding & Windows Superior Shed Works SPRINGFIELD A & P Computer Design Abrantes Remodeling Kitchens & Baths AC Siding Accurate Despersions Acres Dental Care Adam’s New Age Construction & Advanced Nutrition Affordable Home Improvements American Construction Co. Arzola Cleaning Co. Balance Massage Therapy Bass Pond Press Bella’s Massage Bongos Studio Branch Security Co. CSR Wire LLC Chestnut Park Dairy The Church of Jesus Christ Inc. Cindy’s Modern Style Conco Paints Cost Less Electronics & Machinery Crown Fried Chicken D. Melody Records Dad’s Variety Store Dallas & Sons Automotive Center Devon Farrell Association Drive USA El Campo Market First Time Hospitality Forest Park Mini Flea Market Freedom Wireless G & J Home Improvements Gold Coast Market Have Not Entertainment Hong Kong Garden Restaurant Hummingbird Restaurant Industrial Control Solutions J & B Woodcrafters Jan Reynolds Design Jantize of Springfield Joy’s Creations Lawncare Just B. K.C.’s Vac All Law Offices of Jonathan R. Goldsmith, Esq. Lee Nails Line Up Barbershop Little Angels Child Enrichment Lopez Multiservice Los Monchys Martinez Towing Meadowbrook Lane Capital Media Copiers Media Group International Merit Security Millennium Nails Monique Heavenly Braid Shop Mortgage Services Nancy’s Transportation One Shrimp PD Auto Sales Palm Tech Paradise Pizza Professional Handyman Service RYJ Enterprises Rapid Locksmith Reggae Vibes SK Stores Smile Hair Plus Beauty Supplies Smily’s Handy Variety Store TLC Vending Timmak Clothing Company Tom James of Springfield Traveling Hands Massage The Underground Uniquely Gifted Victor Carpet Cleaning Waynerworks Zhen Bo House WEST SPRINGFIELD AJ Kendall Able Caning Abound Inc. All About Va Andrey’s Home Painting Beautiful Rooms Breast Care of Western The Car Place Champ Computers Countrywide Home Loans Inc. The Cozy Cricket Dana’s Cleaning Service Di’s Daycare East Coast Tooling First Emmanuel Assembly of God Church FishFrenzy.net Flower Design Game Hunters II Hair East Inc. Hiland Group Inc. of Katrina’s Flowers and More The Loft Mama Mias Pizzeria Mike Gentile Auto Sales Murphy’s Carpentry Murphy Construction Northern Granite Patriot Towing and Recovery Paul’s Auto Repair Quality Inn R. Hudson Painting St. Jean’s Plumbing & Heating Town Line Flea Market Venckai Consulting Western Mass. Compounding Center & Palliative Care Zykan Distribution WESTFIELD Affordable Flooring Belleview Billing Services Brian S. Whitehall Century 21 Home Town Associates Colors Galore Colors of the Future Cummings & Cioch Home Inspection Inc. Electronics to the Max Corp. European Headlines G & E Seafood Hartwell Concrete & Masonry Systems Ken’s General Repair King’s Cleaners L & L Pools L.J. Electric Linda Nails MA Career Development Institutes Inc. Musical Beginnings Nu-Style Records Professional Freight Carrier Sara’s Organizing Solutions Sneakel Jam Specials Inc. Useful Things White Services Zanto |
The following building permits were issued during the months of June and July 2004.
AGAWAM
Agawam Silver
630 Silver St.
$110,000 — Convert warehouse to clean-component assembly
BankNorth
40 Springfield St.
$40,000 — Renovate interior
Microtest Lab
630 Silver St.
$110,000 — Renovate interior
Palatium Realty
1359 Springfield St.
$400,000 — Bank with drive-thru
Palatium Realty
1349 Springfield St.
$100,000 — Construct building
Raymond Lucia
777 Silver St.
$100,000 — Build showroom
AMHERST
Amherst College Trustees
Jenkins Dormitory
$150,000 — Demolish south section and rebuild south wall
Amherst College Trustees
Chapin Hall
$288,494 — Renovate Room 101 creating two classrooms, renovate Room 210
Amherst College Trustees
Chiller Plant
$500,000 — Construct addition to existing plant. Phase 3 expansion
Amherst College Trustees
James Dormitory
$7,850,500 — Construct new dormitory
Amherst College Trustees
Stearns Dormitory
$7,850,500 — Construct new dormitory
Amherst College Trustees
New Geology
$18,000,000 — Construct New Geology, academic building and museum
Cooley Dickinson Hospital
170 University Dr.
$112,000 — Renovate existing rooms
Filion Leasing Inc.
150 College St.
$22,330 — Replace roof
Jeffrey Eisman
650 Main St.
$90,000 — Construct addition to dental office
Trustees Hampshire College
Enfield House 63 & 64
$175,780 — Renovations
Trustees Hampshire College
Dakin House
$14,000 — Renovations
CHICOPEE
Chicopee Falls Lodge 1849
244 Fuller Road
$20,000 — Build enclosed pavilion with storage
Chicopee Savings Bank
229 Exchange St.
$30,000 — Construct three offices
City of Chicopee/Telecom Facility
816 James St.
$112,600 — Re-roof
Diocese of Springfield
30 College St.
$10,400 — Exterior repairs
Litwin Elementary/City of Chicopee
165 Litwin St.
$350,00 — Re-roof
Stefanik Elementary/City of Chicopee
720 Meadow St.
$300,000 — Re-roof
Streiber Elementary/City of Chicopee
40 Streiber Dr.
$239,000 — Re-roof
The Westmoreland Co.
140 Lonczak Dr.
$2,482,000 — Build Fedex facility
EAST LONGMEADOW
Peoples Bank
201 North Main St.
$603,000 — Erect building
HOLYOKE
Cruz Rosario
497-499 High St.
$9,000 — Install handicap bathrooms in tavern
O’Crossroads LLC
600 Kelly Way
$1,390,000 — Erect office building
Pyramid Co. of Holyoke
50 Holyoke St.
$42,000 — Alterations to security offices
Pyramid Co. of Holyoke
50 Holyoke St.
$20,000 — Remodel Nailque
West Holyoke Plaza LLC
250-274 Westfield Road
$33,500 — Construct office partitions
Westfield Bank
1642-1650 Northampton St.
$19,000 — Repairs to drive-up
NORTHAMPTON
Chamisa Corporation
29 Main St.
$82,000 — Interior renovation for restaurant
City of Northampton
178 Florence Road
$83,600 — New roof
City of Northampton
212 Main St.
$6,000 — Renovations
City of Northampton
274 Main St.
$473,847 — Install new heating system and upgrade sprinkler system
Continental Cablevision
790 Florence Road
$65,000 — Erect pre-fab building, remove dishes
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$16,000 — Convert shower area to office
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$70,115 — Relocate switchboard & volunteer space, create new offices
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$20,000 — Install 3 temporary above-ground seated trailers
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$607,243 — Renovate lab, first-floor buildings C&D
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
30 Locust St.
$1,191,883 — Install two generators
Easthampton Savings Bank
297 King St.
$14,000 — New roof
First Congregational Church
129 Main St.
$37,350 — Renovations
Florence Savings Bank
81 Main St.
$21,000 — Canopy revisions
The Fugo Group
32 Industrial Dr.
$83,007 — Interior and exterior renovations
Hampshire Regional YMCA
286 Prospect St.
$75,000 — Renovate first and second floors
Hess Realty Corporation
215 King St.
$21,700 — Renovate interior for Blimpie Sub Shop
James and Maureen Cahillane
375 South St.
$260,320 — Renovate showroom and office areas
Laurel Ridge Realty Associates
312 Hatfield St.
$22,000 — New roof, buildings 2 & 3
Norma Lee Realty Trust
90 King St.
$30,500 — Sheetrock and replace ceiling tiles
Northampton Co-operative Bank
67 King St.
$12,000 — Install footing drain
Northampton Co-operative Bank
67 King St.
$35,000 — Install replacement windows
Northampton Housing Authority
96 Bridge St.
$18,800 — New roof
Northampton Terminal Associate
Old South St.
$10,865 — Interior partitions
Pramukh Corp.
117 Conz St.
$57,560 — Construct indoor pool and spa
Service Properties Inc.
82 Conz St.
$54,889 — Expand showroom
Smith College
College Lane
$25,000 — Demolish walls, new interior windows
Smith College
33 Prospect St.
$765,741 — HVAC replacement and upgrade
Star Northampton Inc.
36 King St.
$12,000 — Repair front stairs
State Street Twenty-Five Inc.
31 State St.
$53,500 — Replace existing roof, renovate
State Street Twenty—Five Inc.
31 State St.
$50,000 — Complete repairs and alterations
Stephen Cahilland and W. Wood
267 Locust St.
$154,101 — New walls for medical offices
Trident Realty Corp.
76 Main St.
$105,000 — Interior renovations for
ice cream parlor
Valley CDC
3 North Main St.
$1,298,000 — Renovate structure
SPRINGFIELD
Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$39,060 — Renovations
Clark & Demosthenais
490 Page Blvd.
$48,500 — Remodel for office and bathroom
Cobalt Realty Trust
155 Maple St.
$53,900 — Expand office, renovate
Final Markdown Inc.
88 Birnie Ave.
$90,725 — Renovate
Greater New Life Christian Center
1323 Worcester St.
$49,800 — Interior renovations
Keystone Seniors LLC
942 Grayson Dr.
$185,000 — Foundation for three-story residential building
Laundry Capital LLC
315 Boston Road
$135,000 — Renovate, new washers and dryers
Maria Ricardo
906 Carew St.
$17,000 — Repair sagging foundation
Mark Simonds
1219 Parker St.
$92,400 — Interior and exterior renovations
Mass Mutual
1500 Main St.
$20,000 — Alterations
Mass Mutual
1500 Main St.
$98,811 — Alterations
P & P Realty
235 Chestnut St.
$72,000 — Demolish and build out first and second floors
Pearson Liberty Dev. Co.
95 Liberty St.
$25,000 — Renovate office space
Picknelly Family LLC
1 Monarch Place
$55,470 — Renovate for new tenant
Praise & Glory Church of God in Christ Inc.
145 State St.
$63,800 — Renovations
Realty Income
65 Sumner Ave.
$69,500 — Interior and exterior renovations
Sprint Spectrum L.P.
1060 Wilbraham Road
$50,000 — Ad antenna
WP Realty
1377 Liberty St.
$32,000 — Install handicap bathroom, split space
Warren Smith
90 Memorial Dr.
$57,000 — Renovations
WEST SPRINGFIELD
C’Jack Realty Assoc.
1053 Riverdale St.
$50,000 — Renovate facade of commercial property
Fountain Prospect Realty Corp.
492 Prospect St.
$943,597 — Addition
Kam Mistri
1329 Riverdale St.
$30,000 — Renovate interior of Subway
Louise Noel
87 Norman St.
$325,000 — Erect building for dance studio
McDonald’s Corp.
352 Riverdale St.
$325,000 — Construct restaurant
Pearson Group
138 Memorial Ave.
$22,000 — Renovate office space
West Springfield Council on Aging
128 Park St.
$12,000 — Addition
WESTFIELD
Bargain Outlet ’B’
101—103 East Main St.
$209,994 — New store interior renovations
Daniel B. Peters
131 Servistar Lane
$146,000 — Building renovations
Dollar Tree Space ’C’
101-103 East Main St.
$85,196 — New store interior renovations
Veritech Corp. owner Steve Graziano says he started thinking years ago about taking the facilities that were spaced over three floors in an office on Prospect Street in East Longmeadow and moving them into a more efficient, more professional-looking one-story structure.
He told BusinessWest he would often get such thoughts while driving past the new buildings going up in the East Longmeadow Industrial Park on his way to and from the post office.
"Weve been looking at that industrial park for a while … but it seemed that we always got distracted by the business at hand or the recession at hand, one or the other,"said Graziano, founder of the interactive multimedia and video solutions company. "But this year, we got serious about it."Thus, hes part of an ongoing building boom in this community, and his new, expandable, 16,000-square-foot facility, to be built at the corner of Benton Drive and Denslow Road, will be part of a growing commercial and industrial base that is providing much-needed balance to a surge in residential building here.
And hes helping to give Westmass Area Development Corp., the Chicopee-based, non-profit industrial park developer that is affiliated with the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. (EDC), a quick return on its investment on the purchase of more than 100 acres of former tobacco fields on the southwest corner of the town.
Two projects are already underway construction of a 12,000-square-foot building for a company specializing in design and installation of trade show displays, and a 30,000-square-foot facility that will be subdivided for industrial tenants. And more building is planned, including Grazianos facility (groundbreaking is set for this fall); a new, 41,000-square-foot home for Maybury Material Handling that will be located just down the street from its current location; and a 100,000-square-foot plant that will be built by the German-owned papermaker Suddekor LLC in the nearby Deer Park Business Center.
EDC President Allan Blair said the spate of new building is the product of several converging factors, including an improving economy, interest rates that remain favorable (although theyre rising), and the towns very attractive commercial tax rate $20.73, which is much lower than surrounding communities such as Springfield ($34.54), Chicopee ($33.16), and Westfield ($29.58). Also, theres East Longmeadows location, with easy access to I-91 to the south. "This is a great place to do business if you dont need to be in an urban setting."But the primary reason people are building in East Longmeadow, said Blair, is because thats where much of the permitted commercial property happens to be at the moment.
And thats the only downside to an otherwise positive story, he said, noting that the East Longmeadow property is on pace to be absorbed much faster than originally projected, which means that while developing this parcel, Westmass is also scouring the area looking for new business park sites.
"Were filling this park quickly thats the good news, and I guess its the bad news as well,"said Blair, adding that as the inventory of buildable land dwindles, Westmass will have to become more imaginative and look toward revitalization of brownfield sites as well as raw, undeveloped land.
"Thats the next big challenge where do we go next?"he said. "Where do you go where you already have road access, utilities, the right infrastructure, and a community thats receptive? It gets harder to find locations, but we have to if we want to bring more jobs here."Right Place, Right Time
As he stood at the entrance to what will soon be a road into the 60-acre Deer Park site, Blair, the long-time president of Westmass, said there are inherent risks with the acquisition and assembly of any industrial site.
One need look no further than Westmass purchase of farmland in Westfield for the Summit Lock Industrial Park in 1988 (see related story, page 18) to see what can go wrong. The purchase came just as the region was going into a deep recession, and the economic tailspin, which brought new building to a virtual standstill, precipitated the corporations fall into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Additional evidence can be found with the creation of the Chicopee River Business Park, a facility that straddles the Chicopee- Springfield line. More than two decades in the making, the park came on line in 2001, just as the technology sector was crashing to earth. Only one parcel has been sold in the park, which has yet to capture the attention or imagination of the high-tech businesses it was created to host.
There were and still are risks with the East Longmeadow acquisition as well, said Blair, adding quickly that the agency felt very good about that transaction, negotiated with the Wetstone family, which had been farming the property for more than a century. Westmass eventually acquired about 40 acres off Denslow Road that abut an industrial park that has developed over the past 30 years, as well as another 70 acres adjacent to the Deer Park Business Center, a small cluster of office buildings developed by the Wetstones.
"We were confident that this was going to be a sound investment for us,"said Blair. "All the right conditions were in place an improving economy, companies looking for places in which to expand, the zoning, the tax rate … it was all there."
Blairs confidence in the East Longmeadow property has proven well-founded. Within months of the acquisition in late 2002, there was building underway and the promise of several other deals.
The RTH Group, a British-based trade show display-design company, has moved into its facility, which represents an effort to expand and consolidate operations that had been run out of leased offices in East Longmeadow and warehouse facilities in Connecticut.
Expansion and consolidation are also what Graziano and Maybury President John Maybury have in mind.
Graziano said his company, which specializes in the production of educational CDs, was looking to build a new facility that was more efficient, but that would also reflect the changing nature of the companys client list.
"Our patient-education business, which involves work with many of the nations largest health care providers, is growing rapidly,"he explained. "We will be hosting some of the top Fortune 500 health care provider companies, and we want to be more conducive to their expectations from an image point of view.
"Thats why were making this move now,"he continued. "Our business has taken a big step on a national strategic alliance basis, and as their executives come to visit us and talk about relationships and expansion of alliances, we want them to feel that were in their league."Meanwhile, Maybury Material Hand-ling, which distributes fork trucks, shelving, catwalks, and other products for moving and storing materials, will break ground later this month on a 41,000-square-foot facility that will house all its operations. The company has been cramped in its present, 28,000-square-foot facility, said Maybury, and it has seen enough encouraging news from the nations still-struggling manufacturing sector to act on expansion plans.
"We need to expand again … were limited in terms of growth by our current building,"he said, noting that while the existing facility is expandable, the company opted to build a new plant and lease out the present site.
Maybury will build on a 15-acre site, adjacent to its current location, that includes a small pond. "We really like this parcel,"said Maybury, "as opposed to an open field."That open field is the 70 acres Westmass acquired from Wetstone behind the Deer Park Business Center, and it will soon become the home of Suddekors new $15 million paper-treating facility.
The company, which located its first area plant at the Westmass park built on the site of the former Bowles Airport in Agawam, plans to break ground later this month. The plant, expandable to 300,000 square feet, will be built on a 22-acre parcel.
There have been other inquiries about the Deer Park parcel, said Blair, who expects that real estate and the 10 acres remaining off Benton Drive and Denslow Road to be absorbed over the next three to five years, well ahead of the original timetable of seven years or more.
Thats good for East Longmeadow, he said, which needs to balance its residential growth with new industrial and commercial development, and, in many ways, good for the EDC and Westmass. But the pace of building also underscores the need to bring more property on line.
Westmass will stick to its guns on the Chicopee River Business Park, Blair said, and continue to pursue high-tech companies for that site rather than merely filling space with local companies looking to expand.
"Weve been stubborn in our dedication to the original design principles there that this park, because of its location, should be reserved for the highest-value companies that we can attract to the market,"he said. "So we have turned away opportunities that would otherwise be appropriate in a light-industrial setting.
"Thats frustrating for Chicopee,"he continued, "but in the end, I think our patience will be rewarded."
Fielding Inquiries
Maybury told BusinessWest that back in 1981, when his family built the companys current home, it was one of the few businesses on Denslow Road.
"Benton Drive didnt even exist then,"he said, referring to the street running perpendicular to Denslow that has seen widespread development. "Theres been a lot of change here that has been very good for the community."And more changes to the landscape are in the works, development that promises more jobs, more tax revenue, and new opportunities for the companies engaged in expansion. The rapid absorption of the real estate might be a problem, said Blair, but for now, its a good problem to have.
George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]
Earlier this summer, the proprietor of a Holyoke Dairy Mart was shot to death at his store. The assailant was the same man who had robbed the store only a week before.
"Lets look at this individual more closely,"Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott told BusinessWest. "A year prior, he was arrested for armed robbery, and on a recommendation from the district attorney and the defense attorney, he was given three years probation for armed robbery and one year in a house of corrections for possession of stolen property and a judge went along with that."And last September, Scott said, a man was arrested by Springfield police three times in one week, two of those for possession of firearms, and was released on his personal recognizance each time.
"Who gets the blame for that?"he asked. "The police but they didnt release him. The judges excuse is that I was just going along with recommendations, but whose court is it? Its not the district attorneys court or the defense attorneys court its the judges court."Alarmed by what he feels is a rash of leniency in the courts, Scott has been crusading to establish a certification system by which voters would affirm or deny a judges further service after a set term in office.
In doing so, he has shed a spotlight on the way that judges are now installed in Massachusetts a system that does not involve elections or other public input, yet one that has seen a number of changes over the past several years.
Streamlining the Process
The significant difference between the current system of selecting judges and the one used prior to Gov. Mitt Romneys administration is a more centralized, less regional approach, said Nancy Frankel Pelletier, a civil trial lawyer with Robinson Donovan in Springfield.
Under previous administrations, Pelletier served on a group of attorneys representing Western Mass.; other committees were appointed for other regions of the state.
"We were responsible for supplying names to the governor for the district court and any clerks or clerk magistrate positions, and the initial interviews were done by the regional committees,"she told BusinessWest. "There was a group based in Boston with attorneys from all over the state that would do the same thing on the superior court and appellate-level court; there was no regional committee for that."Each county bar also had a representative to review applicants, while other bar associations, such as the Womens Bar Association, were allowed to weigh in during the process as well. Eventually, a slate was submitted to the governors chief legal counsel for final approval.
"Although it was an honor to serve on the committee, it took an inordinate amount of time,"Pelletier said. "We reviewed every application that came in literally hundreds of them and wed narrow it down multiple times until we got a slate together. And thats after doing at least one round of live interviews at the regional level."When Romney took office, he wanted to streamline and centralize the process, so he dismantled the regional committees and established one statewide, 21-member Judicial Nominating Commission to perform the same task. Jeffrey McCormick, an attorney with Robinson Donovan, now serves on that committee as a Western Mass. representative.
According to the current system, the committee begins with an initial blind review of applicants, then invites a number of them for interviews, followed by deliberations about their strengths and weaknesses and whether they would adequately meet current judicial system needs. A candidate must receive 13 votes from the panel to have his or her name sent to the governors office for final review.
"Theyve cut a layer in terms of active participation at the district court level,"Pelletier said. "Theres also no more participation from the bars in the manner that used to exist.""I thought former Gov. Cellucci had an interesting way of managing the process,"John Sikorski, another Robinson Donovan attorney, said of the previous, regionalized approach. "Romney said he wanted to take politics further out of the process and set up one panel. And Jeff is the only person from the Pioneer Valley on that committee."In the Public Eye
Scott sees a flaw in that system the fact that the public has no say over a judges activities once he or she ascends to the bench.
"Judges should be certified by the people,"Scott said, stressing, however, that this concept is much different than demanding that judges be elected.
"When you say elected, that means a judge has to go out and campaign, raise money, put up signs, shake hands, all that,"he said.
Under his idea, judges would still initially be appointed by the governor to a set term perhaps six years, he said.
At the end of that term, on Election Day, the judges name would automatically appear on a ballot in the county in which he or she serves. In addition, the judges sentencing record for major crimes, as well as his or her bail-setting record for those offenses, would be published in newspapers and distributed via public-access television using public funds.
"Then the people will make a decision when they go into the voting booth should this judge be retained, yes or no?"Scott said. "If more than 50% of the voters say yes, they retain their job. If more than 50% say no, theyll have to get another job.
"They would be running against themselves their record and their service to the community,"he continued. "At the present time, judges are not accountable to anyone, which violates Article 5, Part 1 of the Massachusetts constitution, which states that elected officials and judges are accountable to the people that means us. And right now, theyre not accountable to anyone."Pelletier disagrees, saying the present appointment system provides plenty of checks and balances, and subjecting judges to what amounts to a politicized process would not result in the best candidates serving on the bench.
"Theres a distinct difference between the understanding of a judge and that of a layperson or even a chief of police,"she told BusinessWest. "A judge may be forced, because of legal problems, to release people. We see it all the time, and its not the judges fault. Its easy to attack that judge if there are problems that result in an appearance to the outside world of being soft on crime, but its much more complex than that."Pelletier said that, during the Cellucci administration, four vacancies arose on the Supreme Judicial Court. Because it was impossible to seat four judges quickly within the confines of the system, the governor created, by executive order, a committee to facilitate the process, one that Pelletier was called to serve on.
"We interviewed every individual who applied, and the level of legal sophistication was extraordinary,"she said. "Many of these people were brilliant attorneys or jurists, or appellate judges seeking to go to the top level, but they were not political beings. We would not have been fortunate enough to have the four judges that were appointed had the process not been apolitical."Doing Their Duty?
Such talk doesnt appease Scott, who had legislation filed last year to get the state to conform to his interpretation of its Constitution. But he said the bill was reworded in a Senate committee to the point that nothing would change; hes now working with local lawmakers to file an amendment.
"People rely on judges to protect them, along with police and the district attorney. Judges have failed in their responsibilities,"he said, returning to the convenience-store murderer. "The perpetrator should have been sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison (for the original robbery), and the guy wouldnt have lost his life.
"Ive got many stories like that, and it all boils down to accountability. Some of the judges defenders say Im using anecdotal examples, but it isnt anecdotal to those people who are the victims, is it? The bottom line is that judges are not accountable."Pelletier said that opinion would not be widely held in the legal community, and that its easier for an outsider to attack a judge without knowing the complexities of the system. Even though Scott is not calling for a system that requires judges to campaign, she still worries about anything that would politicize the process.
"I certainly would not favor it,"she said. "Doing that would not allow a person without a political personality but who has a great legal mind to get on the bench."For some, however, what constitutes a great legal mind and what process should be used to determine that remains an open case.
Debbie Nauser says its way too early to even think about quantifying the bottom-line impact of Six Flags new branding icon, a mysterious dancing sensation known only as Mr. Six. The character was introduced only a few months ago, she explained, and his influence on attendance and revenues cannot yet be gauged at parks that opened seven days a week on Memorial Day.
But if success can be measured in press clippings, appearances on network talk shows, sales of bobblehead dolls, look-alike contests, and home videos featuring 9-year-olds emulating their new hero, then Mr. Six, a character created by the ad agency Doner/Detroit, is an unqualified hit, said Nauser, vice president of public relations for Oklahoma-based Six Flags.
And she has another early measuring stick the amount of her time spent answering reporters questions about who this guy is, what his message is, and what it all means for the corporation. "It seems as if thats all Ive been doing,"she said, adding quickly that she is certainly not complaining. "He is generating press that we could not have imagined, and thats great for Six Flags."The success of the character and the promotional materials that involve him has been attributed to a number of factors, including Mr. Sixs ability to stir the imagination with his dancing routines, done to the strains of the Vengaboys "We Like to Party."But theres also his clear message about the need for overworked people to get out and have some fun, and especially that all-important element of mystery.
Indeed, while no one seems to care who plays Ronald McDonald or who wears the Mickey Mouse costume, there is widespread conjecture about who is behind the man in the tux. The Internet has been alive with theories about who is behind the mask guesses range from Martin Short to Paris Hilton but the corporation has been reluctant, and apparently wise, to dance around those inquiries, no pun intended.
"He is Mr. Six,"said Nauser, using phrases that appear carefully scripted. "Hes the spirit of Six Flags; hes our official ambassador of fun who shows the general public and, hopefully, our guests the fun and excitement they can enjoy at a Six Flags theme park. And he beckons them to join in a day of fun."Yeah, but who is he? And are we talking about a he?
"He is … Mr. Six. Hes the spirit of Six Flags; hes our official ambassador of fun who shows the general public…"Thats all anyone, including David Letterman and the team at Good Morning America, is going to get. And thats enough, said Nauser, who spoke with BusinessWest this month about the character, how he came to be, and what he means to the corporation and individual parks like Six Flags New England.
The Ride Stuff
Nauser said Doner/Detroit, a new agency for Six Flags, was given no specific charge when it was hired to be the corporations full-service advertising agency. The broad assignment, however, was to create a new message that would help propel the chain, which operates 30 theme parks and water parks across the country, out of the protracted slump that has engulfed the entire amusement industry since 9/11.
Instead of just a message, the corporation has an icon, something it never had before.
"This is a break from what weve done previously, because we have created a brand icon,"Nauser explained. "Its also a departure from what our competition has done, be it other theme parks or other entertainment venues that we compete with for the time and interest of our guests."The new character complements other marketing vehicles used by the chain, including Looney Toons characters several of which greet visitors to the individual parks and DC Comics characters whose names and /images grace many of the rides at Six Flags parks, including Superman Ride of Steel and Batman the Dark Knight.
The Mr. Six character now used in print and television ads, as well as billboards and in-store displays was one of several concepts created by Doner/Detroit, the largest independently owned ad agency in North America, with more than $1.5 billion in combined billings. The firm does work for companies in 30 countries, and its client list also includes Mazda, Minute Maid, Blockbuster, Dupont, and the May department stores.
Mr. Six was test-driven in several cities before a number of different audiences, Nauser explained, and it scored well across the board. "He appealed to children, he appealed to adults, he appealed to teens … everyone liked him."Despite those encouraging test scores, Mr. Six has easily surpassed even the most optimistic of projections, she said. "We expected it to be popular, but we had no how popular."For starters, television commercials hes appeared in have soared near the top of Advertising Ages most recent rankings of most-recognized ads (it was third in a mid-July poll, ranked just behind a KFC spot). Meanwhile, the press has attacked the story, yielding more of the so-called free press than Six Flags executives could have imagined.
Feature pieces on the character have appeared in USA Today, The Washington Times, The Chicago Sun-Times, and scores of other papers. Meanwhile, Mr. Six made an appearance on Good Morning America early in July and taped an appearance with Letterman (air date unknown) later in the month.
"The response he has gotten has simply blown us away,"said Nauser. "Weve had calls and letters to corporate and all of our parks; weve been in papers across the country; when we went to do Good Morning America, there was paparazzi that came to take his picture outside the studio. Its been incredible."Locally, Mr. Six has generated a good deal of attention, said Mary Ann Burns, marketing director for Six Flags New England in Agawam. She told BusinessWest that the park has received a number of calls and letters about the character and the ads in which he appears. At the same time, sales of merchandise bearing the characters image everything from T-shirts and watches to mugs and mousepads have been strong sellers.
"Hes definitely created a buzz,"said Burns who, like Nauser, did not want to speculate on what the character has meant to attendance and revenue. "Hes given Six Flags a face."Mr. Sixs vintage bus started making personal appearances at Six Flags parks last month, and it made a week-long visit to Agawam at the end of July. Burns said the park marked the visit with dance contests and a look-alike contest that drew a number of contestants.
When asked why Mr. Six fascinates the public as he does, Nauser said the mystery surrounding his identity is part of it, as is the contrast between his appearance and his dancing ability.
But perhaps the biggest reason is his message that people need to stop working so hard and instead find the time to enjoy themselves.
"His energy and his appetite for fun is contagious,"she said. "He makes people smile, and he gets their feet moving."But are those feet then propelling people to the chains theme parks? Nauser said she has no hard numbers yet, but she is confident that the campaign will translate into stronger attendance figures.
"I think Mr. Six has been very effective in showing people, young and old, that they need to put some fun in their lives,"she explained. "Thats his message fun and I think people are getting that message."Positive Steps
The Mr. Six campaign has done more than give Six Flags a new corporate image. It has put "We Like to Party"into the American consciousness.
Indeed, the song has been among the most-requested tunes at radio stations in several markets. Locally, Rock 102 plays it as DJs Bax and OBrien deliver the sports in the morning. At ballparks in Atlanta and New York, the song is played after a member of the host team hits a round-tripper.
And while it remains to be seen whether Mr. Six will give Six Flags a home run at the gate, it appears that he has already become a pop-culture icon one that can dance.
Ronald McDonald couldnt dance.
George OBrien can be reached at[email protected]
Under former mayor Michael J. Albano, the city became a poster child for poor municipal management, economic malaise, and wide-spread corruption. Its image has taken some serious hits as well from the recent headlines concerning murders, scandals, the homeless, and a control board, and some locally have started to wonder whether its a matter of if, and not when, things will get better for this proud community.
Heres where we borrow Dave Gliddens term to describe Springfields current state of affairs: temporary.
Glidden, regional president for Banknorth, believes Springfield has started to turn the corner, and we agree. There are certainly some painful times ahead as the city grapples to close its huge budget deficit and address its large block of poverty, but we can sense that there are better days ahead, and not merely from a public relations perspective.
Our optimism is grounded in leadership, specifically in the person of Mayor Charles Ryan. He is the type of leader Springfield needs at the moment one who will confront the problems and not ignore them or leave them for someone else as the former mayor did. He wont sugarcoat matters, and he wont give up until the problem is solved. Our optimism is also fueled by a commitment on the part of many in the business community, led by the local chamber of commerce, to work with the administration to help Springfield conquer the myriad challenges it is facing.
Just what are those challenges?
At the top of the list is the budget crisis. The Albano administration spent more than it took in for years, and when state aid the lifeblood of communities throughout the Commonwealth was cut by the governor and Legislature due to budgetary shortfalls, the city paid a heavy price in terms of layoffs, canceled programs, and, ultimately, the loss of fiscal autonomy to a control board.
That panel will now run things in the city until June, 2007. The mayor can still sign contracts, but neither he nor the City Council has much influence over how and where money can be spent.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. While it is never good to lose local control of your budget thats what we elect people to do, dont forget we see a real opportunity in the years ahead to change the way this city functions and make it more efficient and responsive. At the very least, a large dose of politics will be removed from the budget-management equation, and this can only lead to more effective spending.
As the city tackles its budget woes, it must also address the social and demographic challenges as well as the lack of economic development that have contributed to the fiscal crisis.
Springfield has become a ward of the state because a large percentage of its residents live at or below the poverty line and are thus dependent on some (usually many) forms of government assistance. Breaking the cycle of poverty is a job that is truly national in scope, and it starts with a focus on young people and the education they receive, starting with pre-school.
Locally, there is a genuine desire to confront these issues, not walk away from them, through programs like the Davis Foundations Cherish Every Child and the Step-up Springfield initiative, which works to involve the entire community in the task of preparing children for the workplace of tomorrow.
As for economic development, the city needs tax revenue, and this means private, not public, development, which, with a few rare exceptions, is all Springfield has mustered in recent years.
The Economic Development Council of Western Mass. has adopted a truly regional focus to its task, with the thinking that development anywhere in the Pioneer Valley helps communities across the region. This mindset should continue, but we feel it is incumbent on development leaders to stretch their imaginations and their resources to bring new jobs and new tax dollars to Springfield.
This includes both new business development, which is happening in many neighborhoods in the city, and the attraction of employers from outside the region, which isnt happening for reasons that remain the subject of much debate. Image may be part of the problem, which brings us full-circle.
Indeed, for Springfield to become healthy again something that everyone agrees is critical for this region to thrive it must fix its finances, improve its image, and attract new jobs. The assignments are all intertwined, and the relative success enjoyed with each one will go a long way toward determining how temporary temporary is.
The following building permits were issued during the month of April 2004.
AGAWAM
Bondi’s
188 M St.
$25,000 — Prefab building
Perry Lane Park
108 Perry Lane
$5,000 — Repair bridge
AMHERST
Amherst Associates Inc.
370 Northampton Road, Bldg. 5
$24,848 — Replace 120 windows
Amherst College Trustees
Heating Plant – Old
$25,000 — Remove existing roofing, install new
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc.
170 University Dr.
$34,285 — Re-roof
Pauline Lannon
1151 West St.
$15,000 — Convert portion of existing storage area into ice cream shop and sales area
PPG Nominee Trust 1
17 Kellogg Ave.
$11,500 — Change two existing restaurants into one, alterations
Warren Hall
252 West St.
$12,000 — Re-roof
CHICOPEE
WalMart Stores Inc.
545 Memorial Dr.
$7,708,000 — Build store
EAST LONGMEADOW
Big Y Foods
433 North Main St.
$165,000 — Renovate interior
HOLYOKE
OC Ingleside LLC
360 Whitney Ave.
$518,000 — Rebuild interior walls
SPRINGFIELD
Family Dollar Stores
1070 St. James Ave.
$37,500 — Interior renovations
Gregory Bonneau
33 Amity Ct.
$30,000 — Install spray booth
MEG LLC
1350 Main St.
$130,500 — Interior renovations and electric
Mohammad Sohail
471 Carew St.
$200,000 — Convert service bays and store
Pioneer Valley Discount Liquor
28 Verge St.
$7,000 — Interior renovations
St. Anthony’s
1579 Island Pond Road
$18,000 — Remodel prayer room
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Pearson Daggett Development Co.
45 Daggett St.
$200,000 — Build out 2,400 square feet to accommodate dentist’s office
WESTFIELD
City of Westfield — Headstart
390 Southampton Road
$10,000 — Addition
Alves, Jose C. Bahre, Maureen M. Banerjee, Gautom Baptiste, Dierdra A. Barna, Stephen P. Batalha, Deborah A. Bazinet, Roland L. Beaupre, Melissa A. Bermudez, Jose A. Black, Amelia J. Blaxland, Gloria J. Blyther, Cornelius L. Boileau, Lisa M. Borchers, William Richard Bosse, Audrey Boudreau, Stephanie A. Boulanger, Jason T. Bowens, Frederick A. Brooks, Lisa A. Brown, William H. Burns, Michael J. Burnup, Robert D. Campbell, Clifford Campbell, Eletha Chalfin, James A. Champagne, Paul H. Chase, Andrew M. Chevalier, John F. Cignoli, Ronald C. Cimino, Frank J. Cobb, Steven D. Coffin, Amy Collins, James W. Concepcion, Adela Connell, Joann Cook, Lisa M. Cortez, Ruben Cotto, Wilfredo Couture, Claude L. Couture, Marcia L. Craven, John A. Cruz, Ricardo R. Daly, Bennie M. De Souza, Erica Sue DeMontigny, David W. Deprey, Rickey Despres, James J. Diaz, Angel G. Drenning, Ellen M. Duclos, Nathan P. Dulude, Mark A. Durocher, Michael J. Dyer, Gary W. English, Brian M. Fallis, Bessie J. Famiglietti, Bernardo Feliciano, Milton L. Fletcher, Ralph J. Flowers, James J. Fountain, Robert B. Freitag, Richard F. Gabriel, John Gallo, Thomas J. Gilmartin, John T. | Ginman, Sheila M. Gobeille, Suzann Gomez, Earnest Goodhue, Delevan Goolsby, Hattie Mae Gore, Sean D Gower, Eric James Green, Brian K. Green, Richard S. Green, Lori-Beth Gregoire, Richard A. Griswold, Marc C. Grucci, Charles T. Guarnera, Jessica L. Guttierres, Rosita Hathorne, Timothy J. Higgins, Debra Ann Holland, Julie A. Hughes, James E. Hunter, Diana M. Jabri, Charles E. Johnson, Owen Edward Jones, Thurman S. Keyes, Linda A. Lacas, Wilfred Joseph Lamothe, Mark LaVertue, Jennifer Lee Lecca, Matthew M. Lenville, John J. Leonard, Carol G. Leroux, Louis Lyszchyn, Carol A. Macomber, Jane A. Maiers, Victoria L. Manzi, Salvatore A. Marchese, John L. Marquez, Rafael Massey, Virginia G. McKane, John T. Mendez, Luciano Messier, Raymond Miller, Mark A. Miller, Erin Elizabeth Mills, Harry V. Mitchell, Penny Mojica, Melissa Monet, Richard Monks, John L. Moorash, Marc J. Moran, Mark J. Morris, Roger L. Moulton, Stuart D. Nally-Ribeiro, Gloria New England Granite Works, Inc. Nguyen, Tai G. Nivers, Joshua Odierna, Giuseppe Ortiz-Nieves, Doris Parker, Jacob D. Parsons, Herman B. Patrick, Chris Scott Pellerin, Patricia A. Pelletier, June M | Platner, Jessica L Pluta, Linda J. Poteat, Charles S. Redfield, Eurius L. Redin, Frederick C. Reed, Earl Richardson, William A. Rivera, Andre Rivera, Carmen Maria Rivera, Davis Rivera, Maria Magdalena Rivera, Michelle Rivers, Robin L. Roberts, Wayne A. Rodrigo, Mark Anthony Rodriguez, Roberto Rodriguez, Robin D. Roldan, Blanca A. Rolo, Jacalyn E. Rooney, Eugene E. Rosado, Ruben Rosario, Vicky J. Rostam-Abadi, Gita Ruon, Rady L. Russo, Debora E. Sacco, Debbi L. Sampson, Judith C. Sassi, Evelyn M. Secor, David B. Shaw, Rollin C. Shea, Catherine E. Shea, Tami J. Sicard, Nelson E. Sikes, Dorothy A. Silva, Carlos A. St. John, Mark A. St. Pierre, Frank H. Starodomsky, Pamela A Suglia, Charles A. Suscietto, Marieanne Tanhauser, Mary J. Taylor, Tina L. Tetreault, Laurie A. Thomas, Kevin Tobiasz, Jeffrey P. Torres, John Touw, Margaret H. Trites, Yolanda M. Urban, John B. Westbrook, Davita J. Whitacre, Christopher A. White, Constance A. Wiggins, Victoria L. Wilcox, James B. Wilkins, Enid L. Wills, Katrina Marie Windoloski, Tommy R. Wojcik, Robert E. Wyckoff, Kerry Elizabeth Wyckoff, Timothy Stewart Yannikos, Larry Yell, Randall S. Young, Tanya Zapata, Jorge |
In the long course of human history, thats not much time at all not even the blink of an eye.
But when one looks at the advances in technology and medicine that have taken place in that time, it seems like an eternity.
Twenty years ago, hardly anyone had a cell phone, and if they did, it was the size and weight of a brick. Now, we simply cant imagine getting through a day or even a round of golf without one. Two decades ago, the fax machine was revolutionizing the way people communicated in the workplace. Now, while not obsolete, it is considered slow and somewhat backward.
E-mail is the way to send and receive information now. At times, we wonder how in the world we ever conducted business without it. Then again, when we stare at several dozen pieces of spam each morning, we think that maybe wed like to try.
Yes, some things have certainly changed in the past 20 years. BusinessWest, which made its debut in the spring of 1984, is devoting this issue to looking back at what has transpired or not transpired over that time. This issue is packed with stories (some of them reprinted from years ago) and photographs that tell a story of change, progress, and perseverance. We hope you like this retrospective, and offer this quick synopsis of the publications lifetime.
BusinessWest got its start in 1984, a year that is also the title of a book. George Orwells classic warned of the dangers of totalitarianism and institutions like the Thought Police and ëBig Brother. And while the world Orwell portrayed doesnt exist even 20 years after the fact, we are, by some estimates, photographed a dozen times a day as we go to work, the bank, and the Turnpike toll booth.
Technology has been the biggest story of the past 20 years. It has changed how we work and how we live. It has given rise to new industry groups and hundreds of new businesses in the region. It has also played a large role in the fortunes of the economy.
Another sector that has seen significant change is health care. Advances in technology, procedures, and pharmaceuticals have made things that seemed impossible a generation ago very possible. However, other forces, especially managed care, falling state and federal reimbursements, and non-physician-friendly trends such as soaring malpractice insurance rates have made it difficult for hospitals and doctors to stay in business.
Looking at the regions economy as a whole, we can say that, in many ways, the Valley is certainly better off than it was 20 years ago. While its true that the area has lost a number of large employers and its manufacturing base is much smaller, its economy is more diversified, and thus more resilient. Tourism is now a driving force in the economy, health care remains strong despite the many challenges facing the industry, and the technology sector is gaining a small foothold, especially in Hampshire County.
Some communities have flourished over the past 20 years. Northampton has experienced a true renaissance and has become a nationally recognized center for arts. Meanwhile, Easthampton, once a thriving mill town, has been reborn into a vibrant, eclectic community now home to a wide range of artists.
Some suburban areas have witnessed explosive residential growth, These include South Hadley, Westfield, East Longmeadow, Belchertown, and others. And in many of those communities, there has been a corresponding business boom.
But while surrounding areas have seen significant progress over the past two decades, Springfield, the largest city in the region and the seat of Western Mass., has not.
Indeed, with the notable exceptions of Monarch Place and the new Basketball Hall of Fame, the Springfield skyline looks much as it did in 1984, while in the 20 years prior to that, the city took on a completely new appearance with several new office towers, the building of I-91, and other developments.
Like other New England urban centers, Springfield has been largely stagnant in recent years, waiting for that proverbial ënext big thing, while trying to lure jobs. Twenty years ago, people were talking about Springfields vast potential and how it was an attractive, more affordable option to Boston. Today, theyre still talking about it.
There are some projects in various stages of development in greater Springfield Union Station, a new federal courthouse, and the new convention center, already under construction. But these are mostly publicly funded initiatives, and Springfield desperately needs some private investment.
Maybe by the time BusinessWest celebrates its 25th, there will be some to write about.
The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of April 2004. | |
AGAWAM Advanced Tactics & Firearms Car Perfections Colcord Coatings Fortune 500 Group Muttis Sheet Metal R. Holmes Construction Scott Mitchell Town Motors II AMHERST Danielle’s Accessing Espresso Time Herbal Commerce, LLC Music Awareness Webmaster Commerce, LLC CHICOPEE B & D Couriers Bill of All Trades CCA Painting Service Country Kettle Cafe DSD Carpentry Health Claim Billing Jennifer Nail MJ Nails Paradise Pizza Sweetwater Cycles Twins Variety EAST LONGMEADOW Americare Inc. Employment Essentials Mary-Jane Kelly Panera Bread Subway Vulcan USA HADLEY Blades Lawnmower Services Lean Business Services Little Bird Daycare Pioneer Valley Upholstery River Valley Realty Services HOLYOKE McDermott’s Soft Serve Neoteric Ventures Piercing Pagoda Racing Mart Revon Management Shell Gas SKDL Design Tony’s Auto Sales Tony’s Shop Whitley’s Fitness Center LONGMEADOW AMS Caren & Company Coughlin’s Concrete & Masonary Inc. North Star Benchmark The Sports Connection Zap Electric NORTHAMPTON Butcher & Briggs Doomsday Promotions Gems & Jewelry by Bobs Good Thyme Deli Homeworks Inspiration Soaps Kosmo Enterprises Lisa Scollan Fine Art/Illustration |
Noema Development Northampton Medical Spa Sid Vintage Signs & Such Sparkles Cleaning Service Two Joys! Valley Free Whiting Energy Fuels SOUTH HADLEY Choice Property Liberty Installations SPRINGFIELD ADT Specialties Amsterdams A Touch of Class Remodeling Brad Convenience Store Chinese Gift Shop Creative Remodeling Gray Enterprises Heavenly Home Care JC’s Enterprises Jasran Construction MTR Auto Detailing NJ Rehab Nuevavida Systems Picture Perfect Subway UBC Surface Specialties US Transit Co. Unique Ryders Motorcycle Club Wounded Lamb Ministries You Body Spa Salon WEST SPRINGFIELD Barbara Belz Cori’s K9 Clip Custom Railing Tech. Inc. e Biz Opz Euroimage Guyette Framing & Home Improvement Hampden County Cycle I-Deal Solutions Jobber’s Auto Electric North Garden Inc. PPI Professional Pool Installations Ron’s Income Tax Service St. Pierre Enterprises Sorrento Pizza of West Springfield Inc. Soundworks Mobile Disc Jockeys Tomas Stanelis WESTFIELD A & G Transport Bodysmart Celebrations Cheryl’s Trucking Diver Down Computers EZ Tech Group Inc. Estate Accents Everest Communications The Gavel Dili Home Grown Art Joe’s Mobile Auto Repair Old Time Auto Body & Repair Simple Treasures Westfield Variety & Deli |
Aiken, Raymond J. Alexander, David B. Amell, Jason J. Auclair, Paul M. Avery, Eric P. Banning, Joseph E. Bartlett, Judith T. Bartley, Nancy A. Baskerville, Ruby J. Bates, Danielle B. Benoit, Melany Lynn Bergeron, Monique R. Bessette, Yvon J. Black, Robin E. Blaney, Douglas J. Bliss, Margaret J. Bourque, David A. Brady, Barry H. Brazee, Jason A. Breton, John P. Brisbois, Daniel L. Brohman, Richard D. Brown, Angilene S. Brown, Paul A. Burke, Donna Marie Butler, Wayne E. Calabrese, John P. Camacho, Evelyn Centeno, Crusita Chabot, Lori A. Chartier, Julie T. Christie, Donald S. Cichon, Mary Lou Clapp, Angela M. Clemons, Susan E. Cleveland, Florence Mary Comtois, Jane M. Connors, Steven C. Cookish, Richard F. Coombs, Carrie Courchesne, Robert R. Courtney, Howard W. Craig, Michael J. Cranson, Ralph S. Cruz, Manuel A. Cruz, Maria D. Cruz, Patricia A. Cruzado, Juan Curtis, Randall J. DeGennaro, Regina M. Desjardins, Nathan V. Discawicz, Dennis E. Dodge, Billy J. Doming, Cheryl Ann Doming, Rene A. Dominique, Ross J. Dougherty, James M. Douglas, Florence E. Downey, Scott Driscoll, Cheryl Dube, Lucille M. Duque, Jose H. Duquette, John L. Duval, Bruce A. Dwight, Kathleen M. Dwight, Tori F. Egan, John M. Feliciano, Margarita Ferrara, Christine A. Flathers, Linda L. Fronrath, Roberta J. Gallup, Edward C. Gamelli, Elizabeth P. Garcia, Carmen Gilbert, Nancy M. Giordano, Edward H. Gonzales, Henry Joseph Gonzalez, Adilia Gonzalez, Raul | Gordon, Peter L. Granger, Arthur L. Gravelin, Louis J. Green, Chester Anthony Griffin, Kenneth J. Guthrie, Lorraine E. Guyette, Herbert C. Guyton, Cindy D. Hampton, William Hannum, Peter D. Hansmann, James F. Harris, Linda P. Hendricks, Edward D. Hernandez-Martinez, Rita Hiltbrand, Amy L. Ho, Tuequang Hulla, Virginia Iwanicki, Joan M. Jackson, Cheryl L. Jedziniak, Robert F. Jordan-Bivins, Sally S. Joyce, John T. Karowski, Joan Ann Kellogg, Patricia A. Kendall, Donald P. King, Grace B. Krueger, Karl G. Kuzmeski, Melissa N. Labrecque, Kathryn Marie Labrecque, Peter Girerd Lacasse, Douglas T. LaFleur, Robert E. Lafrance, Thomas A. Lage, James M. Lagimonier, Robert R. Lamontagne, Stella L. Landry, Phyllis J. Ledesma, Julian P. Lucio, John A. Lusignan, Yvon J. Maciolek, Thomas S. Malanson, Virginia Marie Maldonado, Ramon Mangold, Cheryl L. Marshall, Alden E. Martinez, Nansy Maynard, Leah K. Mayo, Wayne R. McCarthy, Charles McGoldrick, Robert S. McIntyre, Kathleen J. Mead, Melany L. Mecteau, Wayne L. Medina, Israel Melendez, Ruben Menard, Terry Messier, Frank W. Milar, William T. Molin, Michelle M. Monette, Aimee Phyllis Montalvo, Carmen M. Moody, Nelson M. Moore, James K. Moore, Linda G. Moran, Kimberly A. Morin, Paul J. Morin, Phillip J. Morith, Bradford J. Moye, Daniel Nareau, Lawrence L. Neale, Marie Doris Beatri Nieves, Eunice J. Nieves, Jose E. Orren, Ellen B. Osgood, Richard M. Otero, Luis H. Ouellette, Beverly J. Ouellette, Theresa | Owens, Ruth Paez, Pablo Page, William C. Pandolfi, Andrew J. Papuga, Donald Parker, Mary G. Passidakis, Nicholas M. Patel, Maheshwari Perez, Jose A. Petrucci, Kelly L. Pike, Sarah Pinero, Juana Provo, Diane Marie Quesnal, Brian R. Quintier, Rita A. Rice, Marcus W. Richard, Jason Philip Rivera, Angel L. Rivera, Luis A. Rivera, Ramon L. Rivera, Rosa E. Rivers, Michelle L. Robert A. Koch Industries Inc. Roberts, Carol J. Roberts, Cecile E. Roberts, Jo-Anne R. Robinson, Lisa A. Rodriguez, Juana Rodriguez, Marilyn Roe, Deborah A. Rogers, Evelyn L. Rogers, Kimberley A. Rogers, Nancy R. Roldan, Brant D. Rollins, John K. Romani, Thomas D. Salazar, Olga Salicrup, Emma N. Sanchez, Marilu Santana, Carlos Santiago, Edwin Medina Savides, Gena M. Scarfo, Paula J Scavotto, David R. Scholpp, Lizbeth A. Sears, Michelle M. Semb, Krisinda S. Shah, Javed A Shattuck, Jason T. Shetty, Shekar T. Siano, Anthony Silva, Ana L. Smigiel, Shawn P. Son, Raith P. Soto, Joseta Starks, Waleska Streeter, Candice Y. Stuart, Jennifer C. Sullivan, Thomas C. Swayger, Thomas C. Tessier-Brown, Denise Tetreault, Mary Ann Thibodeau, Ralph L. Thomas, Beverley N. Vanzant, Charles Vargas, Edgardo L. Vera, Eduardo Villani, Elizabeth A. Vivenzio, Terri A. Vo, Sean T. Walker, Bertha Wall, Scott D. Weibel, Mia R. White, David B. Williamson, Eddie J. Wilson, Curtis Wood, Larry Allan Yergeau, Richard J. Young, Ruth A. Zayas, Elizabeth |