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Because They Live Longer, Women Must Be Better Prepared
Retirement planning

Retirement planning

Retirement planning is an important issue for everyone. Unfortunately, most people aren’t as prepared as they should be. According to Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) in Washington, DC, 45% of all American workers over the age of 55 have less than $25,000 in savings. Women, especially, don’t save enough for retirement.

But, in reality, they are the ones who should be most concerned.

Women need to be even more concerned about their retirement planning than men for a number of reasons. According to the Bureau of Statistics, women live an average of four years longer than men. Seventy-one percent of women will live past the age of 85. Second, most women over the age of 65 are single, so they have to support themselves.

Because of their longer life expectancy, women should save more for retirement than men. But saving and retirement planning seem to be more difficult for women. They still bring home 76% less than men, according to EBRI. In fact, from 1983 to 1998 women, ages 26 to 59, made 38% of what men made, according to the Institute for Women’s Research.

Women also generally spend more time out of the workforce, taking care of children and elderly parents. The shorter length of time spent in the workforce, compounded by the fact that women are more likely to hold jobs that pay lower wages, means fewer retirement benefits. Social Security benefits are based on earnings and total years of employment, and a shorter lifetime of earnings translates into lower Social Security benefits.

According to the Social Security Administration, the average man received $1,008 a month while the average woman received $774 in 2003.

Pensions, like Social Security, are based on total years of service and earnings while you work at the company. Again, women are probably going to receive a lower pension benefit. According to the Women’s Institute for Secure etirement, women are half as likely as men to have pensions, and if they do, their accounts are half the size of men’s.If any of these situations sound familiar,you are robably asking yourself, “Will I have enough money?” “What happens when my savings runs out?” and “Am I prepared for the unexpected?” These questions are common for many women. In fact, the EBRI Retirement Conference Survey found that women are less assured than men that their savings will last through retirement.

The good news is you can take charge of your finances and build confidence in your retirement plans by using the following tips:

Don’t be Afraid to Invest

When women invest, they are often afraid they will lose what they have. In general,women tend to be more cautious in many areas of life. For example, women often make excellent pilots because they are less likely to take irresponsible risks. But when it comes to investing, women need to take on some level of risk to get the most out of their efforts.

The real risk of retirement is not loss of money, but rather not planning to have enough. Therefore, women need to develop an asset allocation plan that will meet their future needs. An Asset Allocation Plan is designed to suit an individual’s goals and personality. If you are a conservative investor, your financial advisor will develop a plan appropriate for you. Find a trusted financial advisor and a CPA and work with them to develop a plan.

Force Yourself to Save More

Most people like to live for today. They don’t like to think about the future and retirement. So people put off saving until they are in their 40s and realize they want to retire early, but you can’t retire unless you have money saved. Use your 401(k) or 403 (b) at work to force yourself to save for retirement. Start small and increase the percent you add every year. Your goal should be generally 10% of your income every year.

And do not forget your IRA. Even if you work from home, you can still add to IRAs.IRAs grow tax deferred, while Roth IRA s grow tax free. Talk to your financial advisor or CPA to see which works best for you.

Plan With Your Spouse

Too often women let their husbands handle all the investments. They either take the backburner on investment issues, or they don’t feel confident handling them. As a result, many women have no clue where their money is. You need to ask your husband what you are saving and where it is being invested.

When your husband retires, make sure you fully understand what he is doing with his pension and 401(k). Often men roll over their accounts with a short-term horizon.During this planning phase you should always be involved in meetings with your

Financial Advisor. When your husband is getting ready to retire, you need to consider your survivor benefit, life insurance, and your life expectancy. Does your husband have the option to choose from a survivor benefit and a single life expectancy on anannuity? If he takes the single-life-expectancy option and dies a few years later, his pension benefits will cease. You’ll be used to living off his pension with him, and be left with no income from his pension at all.

Many husbands take the single-lifexpectancy option because they get a higher income from their pension, but taking a survivor benefit option gives the wife the full amount or portion of his benefit until her death. While many couples take the singlelife-expectancy pension and supplement it with a life insurance policy, this may not be the most beneficial route. A survivor benefit is usually the better way to go.

Also, if your husband is taking a 401(k)or pension rollover, you need to know where the money is going. Women who are going through a divorce need to work with lawyers who have experience in evaluating pensions and tax consequences.The real risk of retirement is not loss of money, but rather not planning to have enough.

Plan for the Unexpected

Many people dip into their retirement savings when something unexpected happens.This can result in a 10% penalty for early withdrawal if you’re under 59 1/2 years old, plus state and federal income taxes. So don’t forget to put three to six months’ income aside in case of the unexpected,such as a job loss, divorce, or death of a spouse.

Secure the Future

While retirement requires major planning for everyone, women need to most concerned about their finances. A longer life expectancy, less time in the workforce and lower wages make it more difficult for women to save enough money to last for a retirement lifetime. However, by following prudent measures to take charge of your finances, you can help secure your future and live your retirement years with confidence.

Doug Charney is a financial advisor,with the Harrisburg office of Wachovia Securities; (888) 529-2973.

Sections Supplements
Checking a Personal Credit Report Is Easy – and Important
Doug Bowen

Doug Bowen says credit scores indicate how much of a risk a potential borrower will be, so it’s important that the information is accurate.

When it comes to borrowing and lending, a little information goes a long way.

And few pieces of information are more crucial than a consumer’s personal credit score and report, which can be used by lenders to approve or deny a loan, as well as greatly affect what interest rates will be charged.

“The credit score is becoming very important,” said Becky Kozaczka, vice president of Westfield Bank. “When you take a mortgage, for instance, your loan is sent through automated underwritings, and your credit score is a very mportant part of that process. Many lenders also underwrite auto loans and consumer loans based on your credit score.”

A person’s credit score is calculated from his credit report, which is, at its heart, a record of how much debt a consumer has amassed and how responsibly he or she has made payments on those debts. It also tracks bankruptcies, actions brought by collection agencies, and other factors that paint a picture of how someone handles debt.

“Overall, it summarizes their credit worthiness,”said Doug Bowen, executive vice
president and chief lending officer for PeoplesBank. “The items in the report
include payment history, previous and present obligations, total outstanding debt, and the number and severity of late payments.”

There are two ways of looking at a credit report, depending on who’s doing the looking, Bowen said. For consumers, knowing one’s credit score gives some insight into how easy it will be to obtain future credit, and how favorable the rates and terms might be.

For a potential lender, meanwhile, the credit score simply indicates what kind of
gamble it might be taking on a potential borrower.That’s why Bowen called the credit score a ‘risk score.’

“It’s calculated according to a statistical model, evaluating many types of information in an individual’s credit file, and it uses variables from past credit history that are most likely to predict future behavior,”Bowen said. “It’s really a risk score, because it can predict the risk that the borrower will be unable to repay the loan.”

This issue, BusinessWest looks into credit reports, and why lenders say it’s important to know what’s in them.

Easy Access

The good news for consumers is that their credit report doesn’t have to be a mystery to wonder about. It’s free to access, and –thanks to the Internet – as easy as a few mouse clicks.

As part of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act signed into law in 2003, consumers are now able to receive free credit reports yearly from each of three major companies that track the information:Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com), and TransUnion (www.transunion.com).

These three sites are accessible throughwww.freecreditreport.com, where consumers may request reports from all three companies at once or spread them out over the year.In addition, anyone turned down for a loan is entitled to a free report even if they have used up their annual allotment.

“Each credit agency has its own way of calculating the credit score, so there’s no one set model,” Bowen said. “but there’s enough consistency today that the numbers come out more or less the same.”

Obtaining one’s actual credit score generally costs a small fee, but the entire contents of the credit report – open and closed accounts, payment history, who has recently made inquiries into the report, etc. – are free,and provide a thorough snapshot of what factors are considered in compiling a credit score.

“When it comes to your credit report, it’s what you don’t know that can hurt you,”said David Rubinger, media relations director for Equifax. “Credit card companies,mortgage loan companies, auto loan and “When it comes to your credit report, it’s what you don’t know that can hurt you.”insurance companies, even landlords and employers check credit reports to find out about your credit past. They figure that if you were responsible in the past, you will most likely be responsible in the future.”

Bowen said there are plenty of reasons why consumers should take advantage of this right on a regular basis, considering all the negatives of a poor credit score.

“People should check their report to make sure there are no discrepancies, no inaccurate loan information, and no erroneous reporting of late payments. You want to make sure it’s current and up to date, and that it represents you best.”

Battling the Thieves

Although it certainly helps consumers understand their own credit history – and requires lenders to be more open about thereasons for their credit decisions – the FACT Act of 2003 was aimed largely at stemming the problem of identity theft, which has gone high-tech in the past decade. Once a conartist uncovers someone’s personal account information – often over the Internet – he can wreak havoc with the victim’s accounts.

Repairing the financial damage can take years, at significant cost.Not only does the FACT Act streamline national fraud detection services, it allows consumers to place fraud alerts on their credit files that make it more difficult for identity thieves to access them. The act’s other requirements affect several groups:merchants, who must now leave most digits of Social Security numbers off sales receipts;financial regulators, who must make sure lending institutions track red-flag indicators of identity theft; and lenders and credit agencies, which are mandated to take action against suspected identity theft even before the victim is aware of it. That doesn’t lessen the importance of checking one’s own report regularly, as that is often the quickest way to be tipped off to fraudulent account activity, Kozaczka said. “Identity theft has become a hot issue, so you want to be sure there aren’t any discrepancies in your accounts.”

If a consumer disputes information on the credit report – or sees an unpaid bill he
simply forgot about – he should act right away to resolve the debt, then ask the creditor to notify the credit reporting agencies that the matter has been resolved, Rubinger said.

If a credit report uncovers accounts the consumer didn’t open or other evidence of fraud, he added, the credit agencies should be contacted directly – as well as the police.

“It’s important that people obtain their credit report at least once a year to see
what’s in there and whether they’re keeping old accounts open, Kozaczka said.

“There are many things that can adversely affect their credit score, and they need to be aware of them.”

Making Judgments

Most people are aware that potential lenders check their credit reports, but fewer know that it can impact other areas of their lives – such as landing a job.

“Employers in some cases are starting to run credit reports on applicants, and if their credit history is less than favorable, that may play a part in a hiring decision,” Kozaczka said – another example of the report being used as a sort of “risk score.”Some may dispute whether this report is a fair judge of character for that particular use, but there’s no debate on the report’s financial impact on borrowers – even if a loan is approved.

“The better the score is, the faster credit approval is, the better the rates are,” Bowen said. “A higher score indicates probable reduced costs and losses for the lender. Even with a few slips along the way, you may still have access to credit, but you might not get the best rates available – and getting the best terms on, say, a mortgage can be worth many thousands over the life of the loan.”For lenders, he reiterated, it all comes down to risk. “That’s the reason we use these credit scores – they help us decide how likely it is that we’ll be paid back on time.”That’s why, for consumers, a positive credit report is money in the bank – in more ways than one..

Uncategorized
Company LicensedBrokers in W. Mass.  Offices inW. Mass/Statewide  Branch Manager Services 
Morgan Stanley 1500 Main St., Suite 1720, Springfield, MA 01115(413) 452-0100; Fax: (413) 781-3828www.morganstanley.com 38 1/N.A. Richard Carter Full range of financial products and services for individuals, businesses, and institutions
UBS Financial Services 1 Monarch Place, Suite 1400, Springfield, MA 01144 (413) 785-4900; Fax: (413) 785-1058www.ubs.com 33 2/9 Rick Crews Full-service brokerage firm catering to high-net-worth individuals; cash, portfolio management;$2 billion in assets under management locally

Smith Barney
1500 Main St., 19th Floor, Springfield, MA 01115 (413) 734-7311; Fax: (413) 736-0361www.smithbarney.com
30 2/10 Paul Chiampa Part of CitiGroup, a full-service brokerage firm specializing in high-net-worth individuals
Linsco/Private Ledger 175 Dwight Road, Suite 200, Longmeadow, MA 01106 (413) 565-2950; Fax: (413) 565-2225www.lpl.com/richard.duncan 25 8/153 Richard G. Duncan Full-service brokerage firm specializing in asset 4
management, retirement services, estate planning,trust services and insurance products.

Merrill Lynch1 Monarch Place, Suite 2300, Springfield, MA 01144 (413) 747-6900; Fax: (413) 747-6931www.ml.com 23 2/10 David Lusteg Services include brokerage, personal credit,5
insurance, home financing, trust and business financing services; retirement and group employee benefits
A. G. Edwards 1350 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103413) 788-6111; Fax: (413) 739-1526www.agedwards.com 13 1/14 Jack Sullivan Full-service brokerage firm; stocks, bonds,annuities, mutual funds, insurance products
Advest Inc.1441 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 735-2000; Fax: (413) 735-2001www.advest.com 9 1/8 Jim Poliner Full-service brokerage firm; stocks, bonds, retirement plans; insurance products; access to IPOs

Wachovia Securities Inc.1350 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103(413) 750-5600; Fax: (413) 733-5164www.wachoviasecurities.com 6 2/11 Mark Brown Full-service investment brokerage firm; stocks,bonds, financial planning, and professional portfolio management
St. Germain Investment Management 1500 Main St., Springfield, MA 01115 (413) 733-5111 or (800) 443-7624; Fax: (413) 747-0848www.djstgermain.com 5 1/1 Paul Valickus Full-service investment management
Berriman & Associates, Inc.270 Benton Drive, East Longmeadow, MA 01028(413) 759-000 or 800-779-1262 Fax: (413) 525-2494www.Berrimanco.com 2 1 Robert Berriman Investment programs, retirement plan services,full plan administration services, business planning, employee benefits
Raymond James Financial Services20 Hampton Ave., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 584-9988; Fax: (413) 584-9955 2 1/1 Kelly Fradet Financial planning firm specializing in stocks,bonds, and mutual funds
Corridan & Co.1365 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 746-2701; Fax: (413) 746-2819 1 1/1 Brian Q. Corridan Full-service brokerage firm specializing in stocks,bonds, mutual funds, and other investment products;
Epstein Financial Services 1500 Main St., Suite 1204, Springfield, MA 01115 (413) 734-6418; Fax: (413) 737-9212www.epsteinfinancial.com 1 1/1 Charles Epstein Specializing in fee-for-service financial planning,business and estate preservation programs,executive compensation planning, and retirement plan design and administration
Edward Jones 351 Newton St., South Hadley, MA 01075 (413) 536-2494; Fax: (888) 759-8096www.edwardjones.com 1 7/40 Norman Stafford Full-service brokerage firm specializing in one-to-one service
Cover Story
Springfield Museums display determination
Cover 10/31/05

Cover 10/31/05

Museums everywhere are struggling to reinvent themselves and appeal to wider audience, while simultaneously coping with tight budgets and overtaxed staff. The Springfield Museums are not immune to those challenges, and face them everyday. But museums director Joe Carvalho is optimistic that the institutions have what it takes to not only survive, but thrive in the national marketplace.

“Have you ever seen a Samurai sword?” That was the question Joe Carvalho, director of the Springfield Museums, posed to a family he ran into recently while rushing off to a meeting on the museum grounds. The family had come to the museums specifically to tour an exhibit on black soldiers who fought in the Civil War, and, having completed their visit (or so they thought), were about to leave.

But Carvalho had other plans for the family, which included two young children whose eyes widened at the prospect of checking out a massive Japanese sword, like the ones they’d seen in movies and video games. Having successfully steered them away from the parking lot and toward the Asian art exhibit, Carvalho headed off to his meeting.

An hour later, he passed the same family, now with handmade Asian kites in their hands that they’d created at the nearby Art Discovery Center, and with plans to visit the science museum before leaving. “Now that,” Carvalho said, with a slap to his knee that was both emphatic and triumphant, “That’s great. That’s what it’s all about.” It was just a snapshot, he said, of the model the Springfield Museums have been cultivating over the past several years.

“Museums used to be purely visual,” he said. “You came to simply see. But we can’t be that anymore … you have to be able to see, do, touch, interact, learn, and have fun. More and more museums are realizing that’s what you have to do to survive, but I think we’re ahead of the curve. I think that’s our magic.” And one statistic would suggest that Carvalho’s optimism is warranted: Springfield Museums have logged record attendance levels over the past three years, bringing in the highest number of visitors in the facilitie’s history.

That’s in the face of financial challenges and staffing cutbacks, among other concerns, not to mention the museums’ central location in the heart of a struggling city. As part of its focus on the region’s travel and tourism sector, BusinessWest looks this issue at some of the initiatives that are working for the museums, and some of the new frontiers Carvalho and his staff hope to cross in the future, as they work to bring an historic quartet of buildings into the 21st century.

Curating the Ills Carvalho said the Springfield Museums aren’t unique when it comes to many of those ongoing concerns he mentioned. Museums nationwide face a common set of challenges, and it’s how those problems are tackled that determines the ultimate level of success. Museums are charged to continuously shake off the dust, sometimes literally, he said, within their halls and to not only change with the times but also translate those changes to the general public. They must update their collections, while maintaining existing ones.

They must appeal to general audiences, while still upholding high academic standards in the areas of archiving and historical or cultural relevance. They must perpetually seek out new funding sources in the form of grants or corporate support in order to maintain services, and must also make do with sparse staff and resources in the face of budget constraints.

“Keeping good people is an issue that all museums deal with,” Carvalho explained. “There is a major misconception that people who work in museums sit on their hands all day, when in fact, we have a team of professionals here that are increasingly called upon to broaden their skill base. “Staffs are getting smaller all the time in all museums,” he continued, noting that when money is tight, staff cutbacks are common.

But as the demands for new types of technology-based, multi-media exhibits and offerings increase, existing employees are often called upon to add a new line to their list of responsibilities. “The technological and cultural literacy required to work in this environment is staggering, and we’re lucky here to have people who have taken that component of ongoing education very seriously. In some cases, their creativity has translated into innovative, cost-saving ideas for us, and they’re constantly stretching their resources. I couldn’t ask them to do more … although I probably will.”

It’s not just creativity in the exhibit halls that leads to greater foot traffic, however. Increasingly, museums must compete with television, radio, and the Internet when recruiting new audiences, and constantly sell themselves to the public in an effort to explain why it’s better to visit a museum to see a given work of art, scientific marvel, or historical relic, instead of Googling the item from a home office desk. “In 1896, when the museum first opened, they didn’t have to worry about the Internet, the TV, and video games,” Carvalho said.

“Now we’re literally competing for people’s time.” He added that those museums that are not recognizing the need to reinvent themselves are those that are struggling the most. “Museums have to build toward the future as much as they have to preserve the past,” he stressed. “Some haven’t, and they blame their downturns on the attitudes of the public, not on their own internal issues. Museums need to recognize that we have to appeal to everyone, not just people with PhDs, to survive.

We have to be different, we have to be engaging, and we have to show people the value of seeing the actual object. That’s our purpose, and we have to do it well.” But that’s admittedly a tall order, said Carvalho, and one that is complicated by the need to woo local visitors to the museums as much as national visitors. He added that “convincing the community to come back” has been at the top of the Springfield Museums’ to-do list over the past decade, and, gradually, they are returning. A Seuss Boost Undoubtedly, one addition to the museums that gave the organization a needed boost was that of the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in 2002.

Now the crown jewel of Springfield’s Quadrangle, the bronze statues depicting various characters created by Springfield native Theodore Geisel have brought some national attention to the city, as well as the museums’ four buildings and their collections:

• The George Walter Vincent Smith Museum, which houses the collection of its Victorian namesake, including several pieces of Japanese and Chinese decorative arts;

• The Springfield Science Museum with its African Hall, the Seymour Planetarium, an aquarium and live animal center, and Gee Bee airplane;

• The Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, which exhibits present decorative objects and domestic artifacts highlighting the history of the Connecticut River Valley, and

• The Museum of Fine Arts, featuring 14 galleries of important American and European oil paintings, as well as fine watercolors and other works on paper, sculpture, furniture, and decorative arts.

Carvalho said the sculpture garden has definitely captured the public’s attention, and drew in a new legion of visitors to all of the museums. But he was also quick to note that the museums will not be leaning too heavily on the memorial in the future. It gave the museums a much-needed shot in the arm, he said, but Horton and his friends can’t do it alone.

“It’s a gem,” Carvalho said. “It gave us the national brand we needed and some new recognition as a destination. But what the memorial also gave us was a way to reintroduce the other national collections we have here, something simple to open that door. Now that the momentum has started, we are going to continue to build on it by constantly rethinking how to draw people in.”

That could mean working with area schools to create programs for students, or capitalizing on the new branding of the Pioneer Valley, jump-started by the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, in order to attract more regional visitors to the museums for one and twoday trips. It could also mean revamping existing collections as well as procuring and promoting new galleries and exhibits, as Heather Haskell, director of Art Museums, explained. She said a number of unique art exhibits will be shown throughout the year, ranging from photography to colonial crafts to the realistic, often life-sized sculptures of world-renowned soft sculpture artist Lisa Lichtenfels.

A massive reinstallation of 10 permanent galleries is also currently underway at the museums, which will require months of painstaking work by museum staff. “We’re putting new or different objects in view, and highlighting some recent gifts to the museums,” said Haskell. “The objective is to make the entire museum more accessible to 21st century visitors.” The museums’ next national marketing push will be to promote its expansive collection of Currier & Ives prints, many of which will be unveiled on Nov. 18 in the Museum of Fine Arts.

The exhibit will include 175 of the museum’s 790 hand-colored, original lithographs, which represents the third largest collection in the country next to the Library of Congress and the New York City Museum, and the only permanent museum gallery in the world. What’s more, museum staff has taken to referring to exhibits like the Currier and Ives collection as ‘brands,’ underscoring the economic impact the art collections have on the business climate of the museums as well as the city.

“It’s possible that 10 years from now, we could have the largest exhibit of Currier & Ives prints in the entire world,” said Haskell. “The magnitude of this collection already elevates us to a new level as a museum.” Carvalho added that it will be a goal to continually grow the collection, in hopes of taking advantage of the notoriety, much like the museums did following the dedication of the sculpture garden in 2002. “It benefits everyone,” he said.

“The national attention will draw in more visitors who will stay longer, will raise awareness of the area and allow for increased cross-promotion here and across the valley and into Connecticut. And it’s all in keeping with the spirit of moving forward.” And with such a diverse set of collections on the premises, the Springfield Museums do indeed have the resources to cater to a wide spectrum of visitors, including several niche populations.

That diversity also makes for a complex marketing model, said Carvalho, explaining that the museums must strike a balance between their individual identities and their strength as a whole. “The question is, ‘Do we try to show the public that there’s something for everyone, and market all of the museums together,” he said, “Or do we try to target those audiences who are likely to visit specific exhibits?’ “The answer is yes,” he offered.

“There’s no one right way to get the sense across of what we have to offer. So, we do it all. We develop marketing for the masses and we target niche markets as well. Our strength is, regardless of how we got them here, that we do our best to show them once they are here how much we have. “The bottom line is we are not yesterday’s museum,” he continued. “There are three groups we are very serious about here: contemporary audiences, future audiences, and past audiences. We have a responsibility to all of them.”

Asian Wisdom He hopes that, in many cases, visitors to the museums will represent all three in the years to come. That’s why he and his staff are hard at work planning the next round of exhibits, researching grants and corporate sponsorship opportunities, and occasionally stopping a visitor in his tracks to ask ‘Hey … have you ever seen a Samurai sword?’ ?

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Opinion
While there remains some disagreement about Springfield, it’s current state of health, and its prospects for the future, there is agreement on at least one thing: that this city would be in much more trouble — truly dire straits — without its leading corporate citizen: MassMutual.

Indeed, area business leaders can often be heard referencing this line of thinking — while discussing everything from local cultural treasurers to the region’s Class A office occupancy rate — and acknowledging that they’re glad they don’t have to imagine life without ‘Mother Mutual,’ as it’s called.

We raise the point because, through a combination of current events and seasonal happenings, the depth of the company’s contributions to Springfield and the surrounding region can — or should — be truly appreciated. And we take the opportunity to say that while people can be pleased and proud that they have the corporate giant in this area code, we would be wise never to take its generosity for granted.

Scan the pages of this edition of BusinessWest, or any edition, for that matter, and one can immediately grasp the importance of this Fortune 100 company to the City of Homes and the region that surrounds it. There are prominent examples of the company’s impact on the area, such as attaching its name to the new convention center that opened last month in downtown Springfield. Without that $5 million investment, the entire project might not have moved forward, and if it had, it would not have been the same facility.

There are also many smaller, but in many ways no lessimportant, examples of the company’s generosity and civic-mindedness, such as its gift of the latest display, ‘Jurassic World,’ for Bright Nights. Meanwhile, another area attraction, the Springfield Museums, received another $95,000 grant from the company for ‘Learning Together,’ a series of educational programs for Springfield public school students.

Beyond the monetary and in-kind gifts to the community, MassMutual has also had a profound impact on the region’s real estate market, repeatedly filling large vacancies in downtown Springfield office towers, while also rescuing properties such as the former Charles River Hospital building in Chicopee, which the company converted into a meeting and training center. The latest example of the company’s influence on the office market was the recent opening of its new offices in Enfield, in the former Phoenix complex.

If there is a downside to MassMutual’s generosity, it is that this region might in some ways be too dependent on it, or, worse, that it is starting to take the company’s largesse for granted.

What we would like is for other companies, and individuals as well, to be inspired by MassMutual and to follow its lead — to the greatest degree possible.

By that, we mean that companies don’t have to fund an entire new exhibit for Bright Nights. But they should recognize the importance of that attraction to both the city and the region’s efforts to expand its tourism sector — and support the project accordingly.

Likewise, they can assist institutions like the Springfield Museums, the city’s orchestra, the community’s higher education system, and unique assets like Forest Park.

MassMutual has taken a lead role in supporting each one, and has set an example worthy of emulating.

As we said, it is a combination of news items — from the first events in the MassMutual Center to the recent open house at the Enfield facilities to the Bright Nights announcement — that remind of us how fortunate Springfield is to have a corporate citizen like this. And if you think all Fortune 500 companies are like this, you need to think again.

MassMutual’s donations are almost always large in size, but they are inspired by a fairly simple mindset: that the company does business in Springfield, it takes from the region and benefits from it — and therefore it gives back.

If every business took that same attitude, maybe we would be so dependent on MassMutual — and maybe we wouldn’t spend so much time wondering, and worrying, about what life would be like without it.

Opinion
Last issue, BusinessWest offered a strong endorsement to Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan’s bid for a second term. Given the many stern challenges the city faces, Ryan’s strong leadership skills will be needed if the city is to make a full rebound from its current fiscal and public relations woes.

But Springfield is merely part of a region that continues to see strong growth in many areas, including health care, higher education, retail, distribution, and other sectors. Indeed, while Springfield has in many ways been stagnant, other cities, such as Holyoke, Northampton, Easthampton, Westfield, and Chicopee, and smaller communities like Belchertown, East Longmeadow, South Hadley, and others, have enjoyed strong commercial and residential growth.

The common denominators in each of those communities are vision and strong leadership. And with municipal elections only a few days away, we encourage area residents and business leaders to exercise sound judgment in the voting booth and support those individuals who will move their communities — and this region as a whole — forward.

People like Westfield’s Rick Sullivan. The city’s five-term mayor is running unopposed this November, but he deserves some recognition for his decade-long dedication to his community. Sullivan has guided the city through a period of change and challenge, and enabled it to take more and better advantage of its many resources, from ample developable land to its airport. Sullivan should be mayor for as long as he wants the job.

Likewise for another leader named Sullivan — Mike. Since becoming mayor of Holyoke in 1999, he has helped orchestrate a notable turnaround in that historic city. This is still a work in progress, but Holyoke has seen an exciting mix of new development and rehabilitation of many of its old mills. A proposal for a minor league baseball team has the potential to bring even greater diversity to an economic base already supported by manufacturing, health care, and retail.

Sullivan, a former business owner, has sought to make city government operate more like a business — meaning a higher level of accountability and, for lack of a better term, customer service. His efforts have brought positive results, and we look for more of them.

Broader diversity is a common goal across the Valley, and Easthampton is another community to make great strides in that area. Mike Tautznik, the city’s first and only mayor, has brought vision and determination to the community’s ongoing efforts to create new business opportunities, particularly in arts-related areas, and deserves the full support of residents.

Perhaps the most intriguing race this fall is in Chicopee, where incumbent Richard Goyette is seeking a second term. Goyette has been challenged by many factors in his first two years in office — from an uncooperative Board of Aldermen to a protracted (and controversial) school superintendent search, to a political campaign this fall that has focused more on personalities and mud slinging than on the issues.

Chicopee is facing a number of business and development concerns — from the redevelopment of the former American Bosch property to downtown revitalization efforts; ongoing growth along Memorial Drive to a reshaping of the Cabotville Industrial park, now under new ownership.

Tackling these issues, as well as others involving education, public safety, and fiscal management, requires real leadership.

The city won’t find any in Mike Bissonnnette, who has a made a career out of running for public office but not winning it. We admire his persistence, but not his resume.

Goyette has some work to do building the kinds of partnerships needed to move any agenda forward, but we believe that he is the best the answer for Chicopee. He is not the lesser of two evils, as some have suggested, but the community’s best hope for real leadership.

Like the mayors of Holyoke, Westfield, Easthampton, and other area cities, Goyette has the requisite vision to take his city forward. Voters should give him at least two more years to carry on that assignment.

John Gormally, BusinessWest Publisher

Features
Latino Chamber Builds Membership, Partnerships
 Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez

The Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce, formed in early 2004, is in a growth mode. The agency recently opened a new office in downtown Springfield that features a business center currently incubating four fledgling companies. The LCC is also extending its reach into Worcester County, the Merrimack Valley, and, eventually Boston. The steps are all part of chamber President Carlos Gonzalez’s drive to make the Latino business community a stronger force in the state’s economy.

As deputy chief of staff to Springfield Mayor Michael Albano, Carlos Gonzalez spent a considerable amount of time working in the realm of small-business development.

Indeed, among his many duties in that capacity was providing assistance to existing and aspiring small business owners in matters ranging from obtaining permits to understanding city sign ordinances.

Over the course of eight years of such work, Gonzalez gained a unique understanding of the city’s business community — and also an appreciation for a growing but often overlooked constituency: Latino business owners.

As the number of such entrepreneurs grew, Gonzalez recognized a need to give the group both a ‘voice,’ as he called it, and a proverbial seat at the table — the one reserved for area business and economic development leaders.

So when the Albano administration ended its tour of duty in 2003, Gonzalez set out to meet that need through formation of the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce (LCC), or La Cámara de Comercio, as many of its 150 or so members might say.

That number has been rising steadily since the chamber opened its doors (or its door, to be more precise) in March 2004. Then, the fledgling group was renting a small office within the facilities of the New England Farm Workers’ Council. As membership and resources grew, the chamber set its sights on larger quarters and a broader mission.

Both clearly come into view at the LCC’s new facility, a 2,400-square-foot suite at offices at 1655 Main St. that opened for business on Oct. 19. In addition to more administrative space, the office features a business center that is now home to four fledgling Latino-owned businesses ranging from a photography studio to an accounting firm.

“The new offices will serve as a one-stop center for small-business development,” said Gonzalez. “We want to provide business owners with the tools they need to grow and succeed.”

While supplying the physical space and technical assistance needed to help those entrepreneurs in the business center get to the next level, the LCC is working on several different assignments, said Gonzales.

They include everything from a membership drive to the creation of satellite offices in the Worcester area and Merrimack Valley, he told BusinessWest, and collectively they fall under the category of relationship- building.

“By creating relationships and partnerships we help make government officials see the many advantages of the emerging Latino small business community as an economic development engine that is fueling the local and state economy.”

BusinessWest looks this issue at how the LCC goes about the process of building those relationships, and how it hopes to build the base of Latino-owned businesses.

The Language of Business When asked if he thought the Latino business community has been under served historically, Gonzalez thought for a minute and decided that overlooked was the more accurate term.

He told BusinessWest that state economic development leaders have put considerable emphasis on luring large corporations to the Commonwealth, at the expense of a broader emphasis on small-business development.

Meanwhile, they have either overlooked or ignored both the surging Latino population, especially in urban areas like Springfield and Holyoke, as well as a recognized entrepreneurial spirit within that constituency.

“Financial institutions have not recognized the Latino community as an economic power base,” he explained, adding that Springfield has been recognized as one of the leading centers of new-business development, and the area’s minority populations have played a significant role in that movement.

“The Latino community has a strong entrepreneurial spirit … many people strive to open their own businesses,” he explained. “Government officials need to realize this and help generate new Latino businesses.”

Gonzalez saw those entrepreneurial tendencies during his tenure in the mayor’s office. And when his work there ended when Albano opted out a fifth term, Gonzalez sought a way to tap into that energy, while also fulfilling his own entrepreneurial aspirations.

Indeed, before joining the Albano administration, Gonzalez served as station manager and producer at WSPR-1270, and played a lead role in the transformation of that facility into a 24-hour Spanish language station. Two years in that role followed by his work with small businesses for Albano gave him a front row seat from which to view the emergence of the Latino business community.

He wanted to give that group a presence and a voice, and his answer was the Latino Chamber, an entity he believed could succeed where a number of other, smaller, Latino-focused chambers with similar goals had not.

“There was a gap,” he said, referring to the emergence — and later the dissolution of several smaller chambers focused on groups like the Latino population. “When you walked around and talked to the small Latino base, few of them were aware of the opportunities available to them, from agencies like the SBA, area chambers, SCORE, and others. We wanted to address that need.”

Gonzalez told BusinessWest that the Latino chamber was created with a number of goals in mind. First and foremost, the agency would act as a resource that would help Latino-owned businesses clear a wide variety of hurdles, from initial business plans to marketing; licenses to financing options.

The LCC is addressing that aspect of its mission through a variety of programs, including workshops and training sessions on a number of subjects.

Beyond that, the chamber was conceived to act as an advocate for the Latino business community, so it is not overlooked in the future as it has been in the past.

As an example, he cited one recently created city program that enables individuals to apply for up to $30,000 for technical assistance to open vacant storefronts in three neighborhoods, the North End, the South End, and Old Hill.

“There is not a vacant storefront in the North End,” said Gonzales, referring to the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and speaking figuratively. “We want to help create programs that can better serve the Latino community and help Latino businesses stay in business.

“We’re not asking for any handouts,” he continued, “but we do want to be part of the discussion when these programs are being set forth. And a united voice is the only way to get people to listen.”

To strengthen that voice, Gonzalez said he wants to both expand membership locally — 500 is his immediate, and ambitious, goal and he believes he can achieve that by the end of next year — and extending the LCC’s reach beyond the Pioneer Valley.

He said there are growing Latino populations in Lawrence, Lowell, Worcester, and other communities, and the LCC desires to serve them, through outreach and partnerships generated from the Springfield office, and perhaps through creation of satellite facilities.

“There’s a lot of work to be done in these areas,” he explained. “We want to reach out … we think can help build those bases of Latino-owned businesses and create a stronger, more influential group.”

Building Blocks

As he talked about the region and state’s Hispanic business community and its prospects for the future, Gonzalez drew some parallels to Miami and what has happened in that city over the past quarter century. There, a steadily growing Latino population managed to come together, pool its resources, and forge what he called a “Latino business power base” that made major contributions to Miami’s economy.

The same could happen in Massachusetts and, specifically, the Greater Springfield area, said Gonzalez, if effective partnerships are formed between Latino businesses, the LCC, and the community at large … and if the Latino community as a whole is viewed as a financial resource.

An important part of the equation is building a solid base of Latino ventures, he said, adding that the LCC’s business center will play a role on that mission.

Designed to be an incubator that will give start-ups and existing businesses the physical space and support services needed to get off the ground, the center will house businesses until they reach maturity and become ready to move out into the community. “We’re going to start by walking, and when we start running, we’ll move on and another new business will take our place,” said Rene Romero, creative director and coowner of LatinMark, one of the center’s tenants.

The business, recently re-named after three years of operating as AdMark, offers an array of services designed to help businesses, Latino-owned and otherwise, to tap into the growing Hispanic market.

A native of Venezuela, Romero first came to the United States in the late ’70s to get an education, specifically a degree in marketing and advertising at Louisiana State University. He returned home, but eventually came back to the states in early 2000.

After working for a short time in Boston, he and his wife relocated to Miami to work in advertising.

“We didn’t have very good timing,” he said, referring to the decline in the Miami area economy in the months after 9/11. “It was a case of being in the right place at the wrong time.”

He believes his decision to return to the Northeast has put him in the right place at the right time.

Elaborating, he said Western Mass. has an attractive demographic mix — specifically a growing Latino population — as well as the right geography, a location within a few hours of several major metropolitan areas, including Boston, Hartford, and New York.

While Romero hopes to conduct business in and those cities, his primary focus for now is the Western Mass. market, where he is providing services to the LCC, several of its members, and other area businesses, while trying, as all small business owners do, to build a name and reputation.

Those are goals common to other tenants in the business center — Ramos Accounting & Tax Services Inc., a start-up venture created by Springfield native Oscar Ramos; MOYO Photography, a two-year-old business operated by Yolanda and Johnny Torres; and Evis Medical Supply, a Connecticut-based company owned by Carlos Alvarez, who is expanding with a Springfield satellite office.

The center’s first businesses represent a good cross-section of Latino-owned ventures, said Gonzalez, noting his roster of tenants — and the LCC’s membership list — is diverse, with a broad mix of professionals and service providers.

Growing that base is the primary objective for the chamber, he said, noting that the mission will be carried out across the Valley — and across the state.

Sign of the Times

As he gave BusinessWest a tour of the then-unfinished LCC offices, Gonzalez stopped to introduce Blas Rosa, owner of Quick Sign, who was putting the finishing touches on the sign that graces the front lobby.

The chamber tries to support members and other Latino-owned businesses with work like the sign project, Gonzalez explained, adding that its broad mission is to give such ventures much more than small jobs like the new signage.

“The goal is to provide a voice,” he stressed, “and as we become bigger and stronger, the voice grows louder.”?

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

Sections Supplements
MassMutual Center

MassMutual Center

The Commerce trade show, the annual fall event staged by the Chicopee and Greater Holyoke Chambers, moves to the MassMutual Center for the 2005 edition. Organizers say the new setting has generated excitement and curiosity for this year’s show, which will feature more than 150 exhibitors.

FALL BUSINESS SHOW
COMMERCE ’05
NOVEMBER 3, 2005

Doris Ransford says trade show organizers are constantly searching for ways to make their event fresh, to give it a look and feel different from the year before, and the year before that, and the year before … you get the idea.

That won’t be a problem for those orchestrating the 2005 edition of the Commerce show, to be staged by the Chicopee and Greater Holyoke Chambers of Commerce on Nov. 3. The event moves this fall from the Big E to the $70 million MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, which opened its doors a month ago.

“We’ll definitely have a new look, said Ransford, director of the Greater Holyoke chamber, with a touch of understatement in her voice. “This move to the convention center has created a good deal of excitement and curiosity.”

Yes, but it has also created some new challenges, said Gail Sherman, director of the Chicopeechamber.She told BusinessWest that, as the first of the chamber of commerce trade shows in the new convention center (the Affiliated Chambers will move the Market show there in the spring), Commerce 2005 will in many ways be getting the bugs out of an intriguing logistical exercise.

Bug-removal has been the assignment for the past several weeks, said Sherman, noting that organizers have been working on everything from parking to booth set-up to finding ways to alert those working in Springfield’s downtown office buildings that there is a trade show going on down the street.

As the date of the show approaches, organizers feel confident that they have taken all the bugs out. To address concerns about parking, for example, they have arranged for free parking in the lot for the old Basketball Hall of Fame and a shuttle to take exhibitors and visitors to and from the MassMutual Center.

Meanwhile, they have made arrangements with the Springfield Parking Authority to enable exhibitors and visitors to park in any of the SPA lots for amounts that will not exceed $5 — the current fee imposed at the Big E — while also staggering the times for booth set-up to facilitate that process.

“We want to create as much convenience for people as possible,” said Ransford. “We want to make it easy for people to be part of this show.”

Show Time

As she walked around the MassMutual Center prior to a recent meeting to review details for the Commerce show, Sherman gestured toward the office towers in downtown Springfield.

There are thousands of people working just a few blocks away from the new convention center, she told BusinessWest, adding that this constituency presents an enormous opportunity for the planners of this year’s show.

Indeed, while the Big E is only a few minutes by car from the same office towers, she said, many people working in those buildings were reluctant, for one reason or another, to make the trip to West Springfield for a trade show.

“Now, they can walk just a block or two,” said Ransford, adding that the presence of such professionals at Commerce can take the show to a new, higher level.

Tapping into this audience, and making it aware of the show will be just one of the challenges awaiting organizers, who this year faced the traditional assignment of making their show fresh and different, and the added assignment of handling the many details of a staging a show in downtown Springfield.

The venue itself will go a long way toward way putting a new face on the show, said Ransford, noting that attendees and exhibitors alike will notice changes the moment they enter the massive exhibition hall.

The room will be laid out differently than the one in the Better Living Center, she said, which will remove a layer of sameness from previous shows. Meanwhile, organizers have booked a breakfast speaker they believe will provide a valuable message for attendees.

Agawam native John DiPietro, managing partner of ABC/D (Advanced Business Concepts/DiPietro), will be the keynote speaker. Author of the book You Don’t Have to be Perfect to be Great, soon to be found on bookshelves, DiPietro has compiled a list of everyday tips and disciplines from his work with leading names in entertainment and sports like Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, John Denver, Jay Leno, Garth Brooks, wrestlers from the WWF, and even the clowns from the Greatest Show on Earth.

A 20-year veteran of the media industry, DiPietro ran award-winning campaigns in radio, TV, public relations, and print media. He met with great success in radio sales, having led his station in sales for 15 consecutive years.

The breakfast will begin at 7:45 a.m. and lead into the show, which will begin at 9, said Ransford, adding that this year’s event features a healthy mix of long-time exhibitors and newcomers .

Organizers are hoping that the new location for the event will spark a large turn out, including many of those who work and own businesses in downtown Springfield.

“It’s a captive audience in many respects,” said Sherman, who told BusinessWest that if even a small percentage of those working in the downtown turnout, the show can improve both the quantity and quality of its audience. By that, she meant that the show’s new location will likely draw more of the decision-makers and purchasers that exhibitors want to see at a business-tobusiness show.

To attract that audience, show organizers are relying on some targeted marketing, word-of-mouth, and possibly flyers to be distributed in office towers on the day of the show.

“We need to make people aware that there is an important trade show going on right down the street,” she said, referring, again, to the Springfield office towers, but adding quickly that organizers hope to attract visitors from across Western Mass. and Northern Conn.

To accommodate those who will driving and not walking to Commerce 2005, show organizers have arranged the shuttle between the old Hall parking lot and the MassMutual Center, and also the reduced rates at the SPA parking lots — both necessary steps to help ensure a good turnout for the event.

“This is still a market where people are people are very resistent to paying for parking,” said Ransford, noting that when the Big E started charging several years ago, there was much dissention. “With the shuttle, people can park for free, and in the SPA lots, they won’t pay more than $5. By taking those steps, we think we’re removed parking as a barrier to people coming to this event.”

Fast Facts:

What:Commerce 2005
Where:The MassMutual Center, Main Street, Springfield
When:Thursday, Nov. 3; breakfast begins at 7:30 and the doors to the exhibition hall open at 9.
Keynote Speaker:John DiPietro, managing partner of ABC/D (Advanced Business Concepts/DiPietro), and author of the book You Don’t Have to be Perfect to be Great.
Lead Sponsor:Chicopee Savings Bank

Center of Attention

Organizers also believe they’ve eliminated another barrier — the notion of sameness that challenges all business-to-business trade shows.

A new venue – a much-heralded convention center – is a good start toward erasing such attitudes. Sherman, Ransford, and others involved with the show intend to take the curiosity factor and make the most of it. ?

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

Sections Supplements
A Primer on Effective Trade Show Marketing
Impressions can be seen everywhere at a trade show — from booth design and layout, logos, promotional literature, giveaways, and staff etiquette, among others. All of these elements working together can create an overall impression of your company and/or product – good, bad, or indifferent.

It takes planning well in advance of the show to ensure that these elements are in place, and when used effectively, will increase the potential for sales.

Many exhibitors do well in planning for some of the elements, but not others. For example, they may have a great product, but exhibit staff not properly trained. Or the graphics do not tell the company or product story at a glance, causing confusion for the attendees. Over the past 28 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many exhibiting organizations on their trade show marketing to effectively tie-in all of the elements.

It’s usually just a bit of adjustment, not major change that makes the difference. Done right, the results always add up in sales.

Here are a few guidelines that are critical for successful trade show marketing:

•Establish Show Objectives:Your objectives need to be clearly stated for each trade show. Not every exhibitor has the same objectives. Do you expect to be generating leads, maximizing exposure, creating awareness, selling? Maybe your type of product or service allows for multiple objectives. Will the decision makers or key influencers of your target audience be at the show? How will success be measured after the show? What is the budget?

•Pre-Show Communication:Plan how to announce your company’s presence. The announcement gives your audience a reason to stop by. Use your Web site – post your trade show schedule. Develop a creative Email campaign to send to prospects and existing customers or simply make some phone calls.

•Design Booth Layout:Select your location, if given the choice. Look at traffic flow, aisles, entrances, show activities, etc. Design your booth graphics so passersby know what your company is selling at a glance. Create a finished appearance. Order or bring carpet and/or fixtures. Don’t create barriers. Decide what products and information will be displayed. When using talent or games, plan where to put them in advance. Your booth is the lobby or gateway to your company. It must be immediately welcoming and representative of your organization.

•In the Booth:Train your staff ahead of time on both product knowledge and etiquette. Make sure everyone knows the schedule to avoid overcrowding. How your staff behaves can make a lasting impression on your audience. Decide what to wear, whether it will be business, casual attire, or booth uniform. There should be no eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, excessive chatting with other booth workers, cell phones, etc. Your staff should remain standing, ready to receive people at all times.

•Attract Traffic:Be cheerful, smile, make eye contact and be sincere. Ask openended, pertinent questions to pre-qualify prospects. Don’t wait for them to stop. Engage them as they pass by or pause to glance at what you are offering.

•Document Inquiries and Leads:Choose a mechanism that collects the prospect’s name, company, address, phone no., and the type of follow-up required. Make sure the inquiries are handled within a reasonable time period after the show.

•Promotional Literature:Literature should be available, professional, easy-to- read and understand. Train your staff on how to use the literature in advance. Remember at a trade show literature doesn’t make a sale it’s all about personal contact.

•Use ‘Smart’ Giveaways:Who are the recipients? Will they keep it? Print your logo, phone noumber, Web site on the items. Tie the giveaways to your advertising preshow message.

•Raffle Drawings:Raffles are used to collect names and information to add to your company database. Drawings also draw traffic to your booth, and can be part of your pre-show mailing.

•Post Show:How you handle the post show is important to the planning process from the beginning. How will you measure your return on investment of the show? Will it be the number of qualified leads, the number of sales generated, etc.? Communicate to your audience after the show. Use this as another reason to touch your prospects again. Follow up with a letter, postcard, phone call, or e-mail. Give attendees a reason to visit your Web site; for example, post raffle winners on the site, etc.

Remember, there is no other marketing tool as personal as an exhibit. It is the only sales opportunity where hundreds of your prospects will visit you in a given day. No cold calling, no trying to get past voice mail, reception, or protective secretaries.

Attendees have business needs to be filled and they are shopping in your store. Be prepared, be specific and be ready to make a lasting impression.

Jack Desroches is executive producer of Chicopee-based Milestone Events, LLC: (413) 592-4184.

Sections Supplements
Leadership in Times of Crisis
Perhaps you’ve never been called upon to lead in a situation as fraught with
potential peril as the manual capture of a $10 million, 3,000-pound, out of control satellite in outer space, but business leaders face major crises all the time: a scandal involving senior management, fall-out from an economic downturn, product malfunction and recall, or the loss of a key employee.

Leadership under extreme conditions, like those encountered aboard the space shuttle Columbia mission in 1999, which I was a part of, requires key principles that will guide you, your team, and your mission to success. The Columbia mission ultimately succeeded, and using the same principles of leadership that worked on this space mission, business leaders can turn an obstacle into an opportunity, too.

Space Mission Lesson #1: Prepare for the Unknown

A leader needs to anticipate potential problems as part of preparation. The original Columbia mission was to launch a research satellite called Spartan, but it malfunctioned almost immediately. The effort to retrieve it for repair went awry when the shuttle’s robotic arm inadvertently tipped the satellite, setting this object, roughly the size and weight of an automobile, spinning unpredictably in space.

Because NASA and the Columbia crew already prepared for potential problems, they immediately knew what to do next: have two space-walking astronauts – one on his first space flight – perform a dangerous manual capture of the satellite. When an unanticipated problem occurs in business, like the astronauts, you should be so thoroughly prepared that you already know what options and resources might be available to help solve it.

Otherwise, you waste time trying to figure out your options, thus allowing the crisis time to get even worse. So in your business, determine what possible factors could cause your company to suffer, and then devise action plans for
each scenario. Should that problem ever occur, you already know how to react and lead your team to victory.

Space Mission Lesson #2: Conquer Communication Barriers

Get to know the members of your team well and understand what their particular communication strengths and weaknesses are, particularly in times of crisis. Be careful not to assume that they understand you, even those you think you know best. It’s never more important for everyone to be on the same page than when you’re confronting a problem. To ensure that the message you send has been received as you wanted it to be, solicit feedback, asking “Do you understand what I mean?” to encourage clarifying questions and honest responses from your team.

English was the other spacewalker’s second language, so the lead spacewalker took extra care heading off potential problems by spending time with him to ensure they were speaking the same language, literally, before
they attempted to capture the satellite together. What’s more, in space, all direction is relative to something else, so to facilitate the manual capture of a satellite while cruising at 18,000 miles an hour, everyone on the team needs to know what ‘up’ and ‘down’ mean in that context.

In the world of international space flight, there may be literal language barriers to overcome, and in an organization, even if everyone speaks the same language, the filters of culture sometimes put up obstacles that you must use finely-honed communications skills to conquer. Men and women are known to communicate differently, for example, and business leaders must ensure that communications’ meaning and intent are clearly understood by everyone, especially when trying to solve a problem.

Space Mission Lesson #3: Be alert for Non-verbal Communication

A good leader will pick up on cues to potential problems and misunderstandings before they occur. For example, while both the robot arm operator and one spacewalk-er on the Columbia mission were highly qualified individuals, both were on their first space flights. The lead spacewalker observed the other spacewalker talking very little and keeping to himself away from the group, so he shared his own experiences on his first spacewalk to reassure the other man that he empathized with his nervousness but was confident he would do well.

As a business leader, you must know how key team members act on a normal basis so you can gauge when something is awry and their behavior changes. When a crisis occurs, is your usually social VP of marketing now keeping to her office, with the door closed and the blinds drawn? Is your usually mild-mannered CFO now barking orders like a drill sergeant? These are tell-tale nonverbal cues that you must step in and lead your team more effectively, as the crisis is taking its toll on your much needed key players.

Space Mission Lesson #4: Ask for Help

A leader must demonstrate an immediate understanding of the problem. You can’t be wishy-washy, even if, at the moment, you don’t have a clue what’s going wrong. You need to show that you’re in control, demonstrating self-assurance. Your people will follow confidence.

But confident doesn’t mean omniscient. You must solicit input and feedback from the experts on your team and from people outside of the team as well. NASA rehearsed the satellite’s capture on the ground and sent images up to the shuttle. The spacewalkers constructed a Spartan simulator for practice, and the team leader rehearsed the terminology to use in the capture and to direct the commander where to fly the shuttle to get it close enough to the satellite so they could reach out with gloved hands and manually direct the satellite back into the shuttle.

You don’t need to know every single nut and bolt involved in every single person’s job, but there are people on your staff who are more expert in certain areas than you are. Acknowledge that and benefit from it when planning and problem-solving.

Space Mission Lesson #5: Earn Real Experience

Business leaders, like astronauts, obviously need technical training in their field, but equally important are maturity and experience at making difficult real-time decisions. There’s a reason you never see 22- year-old astronauts! You must have complete confidence in your ability to make critical judgments and to take action in tough situations, and the only way to acquire that is to be seasoned by experience.

While mounted in foot restraints on the edge of the shuttle, the Columbia spacewalkers spent three hours safely manipulating the satellite into the single orientation that would fit it into the payload bay. The leader had never had this particular mission to accomplish before, but he did have a vast array of experience – even some mistakes – that allowed him the focus and determination that were essential to keep the 3,000 pounds of mass from getting out of control, where it might injure the spacewalkers or damage the space shuttle.

As you came up through the business ranks, decisions you made may have cost your department money, set back a safety record, or otherwise affected some critical aspect of the business, but all of that is part of your essential real-world education.

Leaders Reach for the Stars

As NASA knows, one of the main considerations for hiring or promoting senior management must be whether they have had experience, training, and education in problem- solving, especially in a crisis situation. Have they turned critical circumstances around? Do they thrive or shrink in the face of disaster?

Whether walking in space or walking into a boardroom, good leaders must not only be prepared for everything that might go wrong, they must come alive when faced with a predicament, large or small. Great leaders have confidence, can communicate what’s necessary to handle a problem, and know how to best utilize the skills of each member of their team to solve it. The ability to lead in the face of a crisis separates the great leaders, those who have “the right stuff,” from those who don’t.

Winston Scott is a speaker, consultant, and retired astronaut who has logged a total of 24 days in space, including three spacewalks. A retiree of NASA and the U.S. Navy, Winston now shares his knowledge of motivation, teamwork and leadership with various organizations. He is also author of the
new book, Reflections from Earth Orbit, based on his experiences in space:www.winstonescott. com.

Departments

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

AGAWAM

Heather A. Pellerin Inc., 26E
Castle Hill Road, Agawam
01001. Heather A. Pellerin,
same. Providing court room and stenographer services.

AMHERST

AK Technologies Inc., 36
Hitching Post, Amherst 01002.
Andrey Kvasyuk, same.
Computer technology services.

Legal Problem Solving P.C.,
67 No. Pleasant St., Amherst
01002. Michael J. Mascic,
same. The practice of law.

Sunwood Builders Inc., 84
Potwine Lane, Amherst 01002.
Shaul Perry, same.
Construction, repairing and renovating
commercial and residential structures.

BELCHERTOWN

Sun Struck Tanning Salon
Inc., 39 Federal St.,
Belchertown 01007. Lisa C.
Murphy, 80 North Main St.,
#1, Belchertown 01007.
Tanning salon.

CHICOPEE

Eurobex USA Inc., 285
McKinstry Ave., Chicopee
01013. Maurizio Ciocca, 4175
St. Catherine St., West, Apt.
505, Montreal, Quebec,
Canada H3Z 3C9.

Robert G. Agnoli,
1391 Main
St., Springfield 01103,
registered agent. (Foreign
corp; DE) Warehousing and
distribution of electrical boxes.

J P Fitness Inc.,
29 White
Birch Plaza, Chicopee 01020.
Aaron Patterson, 187
Venntura St., Ludlow 01056.
Ladies fitness center with
circuit training, etc.

JSLC Corp.,
232 Fletcher Cir.,
Chicopee 01020. Joseph
Martin, same. To operate UPS
stores.

S. G. Contractors Corp.,
419 Mont Calm St., #404,
Chicopee 01020. Gurdayal
Singh, same. Construction.

HOLYOKE

Dhaliwal 2 Inc.
, 1532 – 1534
Dwight St., Holyoke 01040.
Rattan Singh, same. Sale of
pizza, sandwiches, pasta, and
soft drinks.

Kay/Bravo Pest Management
Services Inc., 225 High St.,
#501, Holyoke 01040. Larry
Villalobos, same. Inspection,
control and extermination of
wood destroying insects, pests,
etc.

Mendoza Inc.,
One Main St.,
Holyoke 01040. Robert
Mendoza, 36 Pleasant St.,
Westfield 01085.
Transportation of individuals
and families by chauffered
vehicles.

HOLLAND

Northeast Concepts Inc., 16
Lakeridge Dr., Holland 02521.
Chad E. Brigham, same. Real estate development and
construction.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Court Street Management, L.L.C.,
200 North Main St.,
Suite 204, East Longmeadow
01028. Ernest A. Gralia, III, 24
Ridgewood Road, East
Longmeadow 01028. To deal in
real estate.

LONGMEADOW

IQ Design Group Inc.,
56 Severn St., Longmeadow 01106.
Eve K. Kinne, same. To own
and operate an interior design
business and deal in related
products and services.

Meridian Street Management
Co. Inc., 200 North Main St.,
Suite 204, East Longmeadow
01028. Ernest A. Gralia, III, 24
Ridgewood Road, East
Longmeadow 01028. Real estate
development.

LUDLOW

Advance Way
Inc., 146
Laconia St.,
Ludlow 01056. Masanori
Kofune, same. International business consulting.

NORTHAMPTON

Collective Initiatives Inc.,
43 Center St.,
Northampton
01060. Wilton
Earle Hall, III, 3
Edwards Square, Northampton 01060.
(Nonprofit) To promote collective based social education and action initiatives outside the cultural and political mainstream, etc.

SPRINGFIELD

Exile Entertainment
Corp., 935 Main
St., Springfield
01103. Paul V.
Ramesh, same.
To own, lease and operate restaurants, taverns, clubs, etc.

Family Group
Inc., 52
Thornton St.,
Springfield
01104. Michael
L. Burton, same.
To own and operate an automobile repair business.

GL Rising Inc.,
155 Chestnut St., Suite 315,
Springfield 01103.
Gerald F. Rising, 77 Garfield
St., Springfield 01108. To operate a cleaning business.

K. C. Temp Service Inc.,
Wilbraham Road, Springfield
01109. Kim Lam, same.
Temporary employment agency.

New World Real Estate Inc.,
2460 Main St., Springfield
01107. Pedro M. Gonzalez, 216
Springfield St., Springfield
01107. To deal in real estate.

WKB Carpentry Inc.,
44 SavoyAve., Springfield 01104.
William K. Butler Jr., same.
Carpentry service.

WILBRAHAM
Dejavous Hair and Nail Salon
Inc., 1038 Boston Road,
Wilbraham 01095. Lisa A.
Wilson, 85 Glenwood St.,
Ludlow 01056. To carry on the
business of cosmetology.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Cap & Hitch of New England
Inc., 2001 Riverdale Road,
West Springfield 01089. Shane
M. Duffy, 158 Fountain St.,
Springfield 01108. To install
and sell truck caps, hitches, and accessories.

Ethnic Foods Inc.,
233 Christopher Terrace, West
Springfield 01089. Maria A. Pitaridis, same. Restaurant specializing in Greek food.

US Telecom Group Inc.

354 Lancaster Ave., West
Springfield 01089. Joey Sutton,
same. Telecommunications.

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2005.

AGAWAM

Online Distributions
76 Dogwood Lane
Kimberly Kersey
Shop Easy Enterprise
650 Suffield St.
Latif Abdul

AMHERST

For Pet’s Sake
29 Amity Place
Jill Westley

Subway of Amherst
4 Main St.
Ivan Tristan

CHICOPEE

KM Home Improvement
95 Southwick St.
Keith Mortineau

The Natural Look
766B Memorial Dr.
Hang T. Bui

Transitional Funding Agency
796 Burnett Road
Bruce Gutkowski

HOLYOKE

Aquilas Market
773 Dwight St.
Luz Ramos

Farms Auto
200 Whiting Farms Road
James Levelle

Moore & Moore Enterprises
10B Maplecrest Circle
Michael Moore

LONGMEADOW

Matthew Brais Home Improvement
93 Westmoreland Ave.
Matthew Brais

NORTHAMPTON

Lucky Nails
1 Round House Plaza
Truong Vo Minh Nguyen

On the Level

50 Chapel St.
Shawn and Helicia Forest

SOUTH HADLEY

Suds Your Duds
14 Main St.
Preston and Wilson Carr

SPRINGFIELD

Asher’s Teaching Service
195 Hickory St.
Katrika James

Curves
1916 Wilbraham Road
L. Lee Scott

Dwight Convenience Store
135 Dwight St.
Lack Shah
KDM Assoc.
1535 Wilbraham Road
Kristoffer Manalohan

M & MB
Express 164 Jeffrey
Road
Edwin McCray
Pete Williams
191 Wellington
St. Pete Williams

Smoothie Delight
1535 Wilbraham Road
Kristoffer Manalohan

Victor Figueroa Communication
145 Nassau Dr.
Victor Figueroa

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Carrabba’s Italian Grill
955 Riverdale
St. Thomas
Schwensfeir

Expo Liquors
1122 Memorial
Ave. Dadson Inc.

S & M Auto
Repair 22 Summer St.
Donald Schebel

WestSide Urban Gear
440 Main St.
Sonia Tyndal

WESTFIELD

Garvey Landscaping
23 Crescent Circle
Patrick Garvey

Opal Ventures VI
162 Southampton St.
Jaafar Kafel

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2005

AMHERST

Jones Properties LTD
Partnership
53 Hobart Lane
$5,000 — Construct handicap ramp at front of building, deck and ramp at rear

Woodgreen Amherst Limited Partnership
6 University Dr.
$2,000 — Install sign at
UPS Store

HOLYOKE

Hazen Paper Co.
240 Southwater St.
$18,350 — Re-roof

NORTHAMPTON

Kollmorgen Corporation
347 King St.
$76,000 — Install three overhead doors in tower Northampton Aeronautics
Inc.
152 Cross Path Road
$14,850 — Demolish
7,920 square-foot building

SPRINGFIELD

City of Springfield
200 Bernie Ave.
$167,000 — Construct new
dental clinic
Springfield College
283 Allen St.
$20,850 — Install new metal decking

WESTFIELD

Getty
41 Franklin St.
$57,000 — Renovate
interior White Street School
300 White St.
$32,000 — Install new insulation

Uncategorized

AAA Pioneer Valley
Sandra Marsian
150 Capital Drive
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 785-1381
Booth: 184

ABC/D Productions
John DiPietro
672 Main Street
Holden, MA 01520
Booth: 116

ABC TV 40
Laura Singleton
1300 Liberty Street
Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 846-0143
Booth: 87

Accounts Usable
Karen Orszak
66 Cinnamon Drive
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 598-8299
Booth: 13

American Red Cross
Blood Services
Janet Tierney
3500 Main St, Suite 1
Springfield, MA 01107-
1117
(413) 785-0946
Booth: 33

Ameriprise Financial
Services
Noah Herman
14 Bobala Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 887-6111
Booth: 82

Arbors at Chicopee
Amie Hanrahan
929 Memorial Drive
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 593-0088
Booth: 54

Arbors Kids
Amie Hanrahan
929 Memorial Drive
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 593-0088
Booth: 64

ARS Strategic Mail
A. Ross Scott
532 Main Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-2515
Booth: 189
ATC Associates, Inc
David Farnham
73 William Franks Drive
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 781-0070 x192
Booth: 83

Bank of America
Angela Vatter
638 Memorial Drive
Chicopee, MA 01020
Booth: 91

Bank of Western
Massachusetts
Marilyn Gorman
PO Box 4950
Springfield, MA 01101-
4950
(413) 735-6711
Booth: 6

Basketball Hall of
Fame
Alison Niemyski
1000 W Columbus
Avenue
Springfield, MA 01105
Booth: 205

Best Western
Sovereign Hotel
Peggy Wells
1080 Riverdale Street
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 781-8756
Booth: 63

Better Business
Bureau of Central N.E.
Scott Copland
333 Park Street, Suite A
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 733-9167
Booth: 31

Border Busters
Directories
Sarah Clark
One Federal Street
Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 732-2533
Booth: 77

BusinessWest
Kate Campiti
Booth: 1441 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01103
Booth: 111

C2C Systems, Inc.
Connie Magni
One Federal Street
Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 739-8575
Booth: 196

Cambridge College
Meaghan Prendergast
570 Cottage Street
Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 747-5125
Booth: 58

CareerPoint
Mary Jane Hurley
850 High Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-4900
Booth: 22

Castle of Knights
Scott Samuelson
1599 Memorial Drive
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 532-2000
Booth: 21

CBS 3 WSHM
Mark Zurzola
3 Constitution Plaza
Hartford CT 06103
Booth: 42

CBS/Bloom’s
Susan Ventura
2069 Roosevelt Avenue
Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 737-3565
Booth: 35, 45

Cebula Electronics
Corp.
Joe Cebula
66 Main Street
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 594-9916
Booth: 180

Chamber Insurance
Program
Hal Beattie
PO Box 581
Orange CT 06477
800-953-4467
Booth: 192

CheckWriters Payroll
Pete Whelan
333 Elm Street
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 734-1351
Booth: 187

Chicopee Chamber of
Commerce
Gail Sherman
264 Exchange Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
(413) 594-2101
Booth: 127

Chicopee Savings
Bank
Luke Kettles
70 Center Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
(413) 598-3193
Booth: 10, 20

Chicopee Visiting
Nurse Association
Amy DuBois Zwaan
2024 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
(413) 437-9862
Booth: 182

Citizens Bank
Sherill Pineda
Zamboanga
228 King Street
NorthamptonMA 01060
781-278-7326
Booth: 110, 120

Clear Channel Radio
Booth: 1331 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 781-1011
Booth: 103

Coffee Pause
Company
Michael Self
1260 Suffield Street
Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 732-0629
Booth: 61

Coler & Colantonio
Wally Arcese
55 Bobala Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 313-0151
Booth: 11

Costco Wholesale
L’Kuicha Parks
119 Daggett Drive
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 747-5518
Booth: 12

Country Bank
Susan LaBarge
75 Main Street
Ware, MA 01082
(413) 967-6221
Booth: 75, 85

Country Inn & Suites
Chris O’Connor
One Country Club Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 533-2100
Booth: 26

Crowne Plaza Hotel
Karyn Landreville
1 Bright Meadow Blvd
Enfield CT 06082
860-741-2211
Booth: 198

Crystal Rock Water
Company
Rick Lipton
1050 Buckingham Street
Watertown CT 06857
860-945-0661
Booth: 86

Dempsey, H.L.
Company
Al Bryant
103 Baldwin Street
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 736-8742
Booth: 71

Dinn Bros. Trophies
Dan Armstrong
221 Interstate Drive
W Springfield, MA 01089
800-628-9657
Booth: 92

Distinctive Marketing
Company
Jean-Claude Trudel
45-47 Springfield Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
(413) 592-4118
Booth: 199

Docusource
Dan Saia
123 Park Avenue
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 781-7066
Booth: 32

Dupont Filing Systems
Tom O’Connor
420 S Main Street
Cheshire CT 06410
(203) 250-2090
Booth: 38

Eastern Electronics &
Security
Bill Porfilio
540 Main Street
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 736-5181
Booth: 97

Elegant Affairs at
Wyckoff Country Club
Peg Boxold
233 Easthampton Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 734-9267
Booth: 191

Elms College
John Guimond
291 Springfield Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
(413) 265-2294
Booth: 186

Executech
David Centracchio
53 Ramah Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 821-8977
Booth: 28

Falcetti Music
Chip Arnold
1775 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01129
(413) 543-1002
Booth: 188

One Federal Street
Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 733-7007
Booth: 78

Freedom Credit Union
Wendy Tariff
PO Box 3009
Springfield, MA 01101-
3009
(413) 750-5735
Booth: 37

FutureWorks Career
Center
Kevin Lynn
One Federal St, Bldg
103-3
Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 858-2851
Booth: 51

A Gift Basket by
Carmela
Carmela Daniele
770 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 746-1400
Booth: 197

Greater Holyoke
Chamber of
Commerce, Inc.
Doris Ransford
177 High Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 534-3376
Booth: 102

A.R. Green Company
Karen Tobia-Sprague
19 St. James Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 538-7947
Booth: 185

Greniers
Larry Grenier
404 Jarvis Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-9406
Booth: 1

Hadley Printing
Company
Greg Desrosiers
58 Canal Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-8517
Booth: 101

Hampshire Hospitality
Group
Melissa Voutour
1 Atwood Drive
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 586-7794
Booth: 8

Hampton Inn
Karen Murphy
600 Memorial Drive
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 593-1500
Booth: 121

Health New England
Lynn Ostrowski
One Monarch Place
Springfield, MA 01144
(413) 233-3383
Booth: 109, 129, 202

Hitchcock Press, Inc.
Michelle Robert
PO Box 803
Holyoke, MA 01041-
0803
(413) 538-8811
Booth: 14, 24

Hogan
Communications, Inc.
Andy Hogan
81 East Street
Easthampton, MA 01027
(413) 585-9950
Booth: 74, 84

Holiday Inn of Holyoke
Dan Waller
245 Whiting Farms Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 534-3311
Booth: 68

Holyoke Community
College
Keith Hensley
303 Homestead Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 538-7000
Booth: 73

Holyoke Credit Union
Mike Murphy
490 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-7007
Booth: 57

Holyoke Gas &
Electric Dept.
Calvin Ellis
99 Suffolk Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-9300
Booth: 15, 25

Homewood Suites by
Hilton
Sarah Jewell
375 Whitney Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 222-3955
Booth: 59, 69

Hotel Northampton
Ms. J.J. Davis
36 King Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 587-8106
Booth: 41

James J. Dowd &
Sons Insurance
Agency
David Griffin
PO Box 10300
Holyoke, MA 01041-
1900
(413) 538-7444
Booth: 79, 89

Log Cabin/Delaney
House
Kathleen McDonald
500 Easthampton Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 535-5077
Booth: 2

Marcus Printing
Susan Goldsmith
750 Main Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 534-3303
Booth: 56

Massachusetts
Rehabailitation
Commission
Gary Giacomoni
187 High Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-8200
Booth: 5

MassLive.com
Shelley Ritter
41 Taylor Street
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 733-2000
Booth: 38

Mercy Medical Center
Blood Bank
Carol Gaines
299 Carew Street
Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 748-9406
Booth: 132, 133, 134

Mercy Medical Work
Wise
Barbara Haswell
299 Carew Street
Springfield, MA 01104
Booth: 128

Message on Hold of
New England, Inc.
Donald Rheault
5 N Westfield Street
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
(413) 784-3180
Booth: 43

Mohawk
Communications
Ray Sullivan
PO Box 5073
Springfield, MA 01101-
5073
(413) 531-1965
Booth: 16

Mount Vernon Group
David Owen
49 Perkins Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
(413) 592-9700
Booth: 4

Mountainview
Landscapes &
Lawncare
Jason Hollway
67 Old James Street
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 536-7555
Booth: 23

New England
Communications
Systems
Tony Ambrosino
317 Meadow Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
(413) 538-5290
Booth: 190

Ted Ondrick Company
LLC
Laura Ferrero
58 Industry Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 592-2081
Booth: 125

On-Hold Marketing &
Communications
Laurie Fay
97 Columbia Drive
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
(413) 789-7511
Booth: 88

PeoplesBank
Susan Wilson
330 Whitney Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 493-7545
Booth: 183

Peter Pan Bus Lines
Michelle Goldberg
PO Box 1776
Springfield, MA 01102-
1776
Booth: 135, 136, 137, 138, 139

Pioneer Training
Don Lesser
14 Bobala Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-1030
Booth: 76

Pioneer Valley
Christian School
Laura Ferrero
58 Industry Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 592-2081
Booth: 115

PIP Printing
Bonnie Robert
49 Lamb Street
S Hadley, MA 01075
(413) 532-4017
Booth: 27

Polish National Credit
Union
Christine Janik
46 Main Street
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 592-9495
Booth: 114, 124

Reliable Temps, Inc.
Joe Ascioti
Ranji Cherma
1313 Riverdale Street
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 731-9213
Booth: 17

Sovereign Bank
Heather Row
1350 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 858-8929
Booth: 98

Springfield Rock
Radio Group
Holly Bardin
45 Fisher Avenue
E Longmeadow, MA
01028
(413) 525-4141
Booth: 19, 29

Sprint-Nextel
Corporation
Brett Moody
50 Holyoke Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 534-6074
Booth: 81

Staples
Victoria Koldys
591 T Memorial Drive
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 593-8812
Booth: 94, 104

STCC Springfield
Business Incubator
Debbie King
One Federal Street
Springfield, MA 01105
Booth: 67

Sunshine Village
Yvette Colon
75 Litwin Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 592-6142
Booth: 18

Taylor Rental Center
Rich Clark
14 Shawmut Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-0873
Booth: 48

TD Banknorth
Kathy Dube
1441 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 748-8213
Booth: 72

Tech Cavalry
Jef Sharp
373 N Farms Road
Florence, MA 01062
(413) 586-7070
Booth: 181

United Bank
Jennifer Shaw
95 Elm Street
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 787-1237
Booth: 34, 44

United Personnel
Services, Inc.
Diane Epps
1331 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 736-0800
Booth: 90, 100

Universal Plastics
Corporation
Joseph Peters
75 Whiting Farms Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 592-4791
Booth: 7

Uplinc
Ron Marino
5 North Street
S Deerfield, MA 01373
(413) 665-4105
Booth: 52

Valley
Communications
Systems, Inc.
Pat Parente
20 First Avenue
Chicopee, MA 01020
(413) 592-4136
Booth: 30, 40

Valley Stone Credit
Union
Sue Boniface
2002 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
(413) 693-0273
Booth: 9

Westbank
Rick Hanchett
225 Park Avenue
W Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 747-486
Booth: 50, 60

Westover Job Corps
John Arthur
103 Johnson Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
(413) 593-4004
Booth: 36

WMAS Radio
Booth: 101 West Street
Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 731-9500
Booth: 131

Work Connection at
Holyoke Medical Ctr
Kevin Neill
575 Beech Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 534-2546
Booth: 3

WWLP TV 22
John Baran
One Broadcast Center
Chicopee, MA 01013
Booth: 46

Zasco Productions
Michael Zaskey
333 Front Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
(413) 592-6616
Booth: 202, 203

Sections Supplements
Brenda Wishart

Brenda Wishart says Bay Path·s expanded Entrepereneurship and Innovative Thinking program will broaden the school’s audience.

Brenda Wishart says the E-mail responses started coming in only a few hours after the invitations to Bay Path College’s Innovative Thinking & Entrepreneurship Summit went out.

She soon became intrigued not only with the quantity of RSVPs, but the diversity as well.

“We started hearing from students and professors here, as well as from several area organizations,” said Wishart, director of the Entrepreneurship Program at Bay Path. “But we also heard back from a number of area small business owners, and this was something new.”

And it was also one of the primary motivations behind Bay Path’s initiative to
expand its Innovative Thinking and Entrepreneurship lecture series, launched
two years ago, into what organizers are now calling a “summit.”

The free, evening program, set for Nov. 14, will feature a number of speakers and panel discussions designed to help those thinking about starting a business to take the first step — and those already doing business to take the next step, said Wishart.

The summit is just one of many entrepreneurship- related ventures that will be funded by a $143,000, three-year Coleman Foundation grant received this past summer.Other programs to be supported by the grant include everything from a cooperative education initiative to a summer program in entrepreneurship for area high school girls.

Wishart said the Nov. 14 summit will be a combination information exchange, networking opportunity, and business resource program, and it was conceived as part of a broad effort on the part of Bay Path administrators to broaden the school’s focus on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Wishart borrowed from both of those words to create a term — entrevation — that she uses to describe a course she teaches within Bay Path’s business program each spring. But that same characterization can be applied to the summit, she said, which was created, much like the class, to help inspire potential entrepreneurs — but also to assist those who have already chosen that
path, individuals who started with an idea and a rough idea of where they wanted to go with it.

People like Nadja Piatka.
The summit’s keynote speaker, Piatka was an unemployed, single mother who took a passion and talent for baking — and a $100 investment — and founded a venture called Three Blondes and Brownie. That venture grew and eventually took the name Najda Foods Inc., a multi-million venture that supplies what are known as ‘healthy muffins’ to McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada and ‘healthy brownies’ to Subway restaurants throughout Canada and 27 U.S. states.

“Her story offers some inspiration and some important lessons for everyone,” said Wishart.

BusinessWest looks this issue at the Bay Path summit, and also at the school’s wider efforts to foster entrepreneurial thinking in the Valley.

Peaking Their Interest

The titles given to the various breakout sessions scheduled at the summit speak to the event’s mission: Accessing Capital to Finance New and Growth Ventures;Integrating Branding and a Customer-centric Sales Culture; Launch — There’s Help at Every Step of the Way; and Attracting and Retaining Stellar Employees.

The sessions address the many challenges facing small business owners today, said Wishart, including the need to seek help when it’s appropriate and knowing where to go to get it.

Providing a forum where such questions can be asked and answered was one of the many goals set by Bay Path administrators as they set about the task of expanding their focus on entrepreneurship and innovative thinking and community involvement in that realm.

The college created its entrepreneurship program in 2001 to provide broad, experiential learning opportunities for students aspiring to become entrepreneurs and innovators.

Early components of the program included curriculum, in the form of three courses related to entrepreneurship; Innovations in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Wishart’s Entrevation, and also an Innovator’s Roundtable, comprised of area CEOs and business owners. They provide advice and expertise regarding the skills required of students interested in starting their own business or in entering the job market.

In 2003, with the help of an elevator grant from the Coleman Foundation, the
school launched its lecture series with an address from now former MassMutual
Chairman and CEO Robert O’Connell. The program continued last year with an inspiration address from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and will continue on Nov. 15 with an address from Yankee Candle President and CEO Craig Rydin.

The lecture series attracted a number of students and faculty at Bay Path, said
Wishart, as well as area economic development leaders, business executives, and representatives of area business-development agencies ranging from local chambers of commerce to the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network.

The school wanted to broaden the audience to include area small business owners, and conceived a program around their many needs and challenges. The end product is the inaugural summit, she said, adding that college plans to continue the event for at least the next three years.

Other programs to be funded by the Coleman Foundation grant include:

• A cooperative education program, in which students will be placed in area small businesses, where they will gain hands-on experience in an environment that will allow them to fully explore what is required to be an entrepreneur;

• Expanded business partnerships beyond the summit, including an expansion
of the Innivators’ Roundtable;

• Student development and networking, a program that would provide additional opportunities outside the classroom for students to develop their interest in business ownership; and

• A summer program in entrepreneurship for high school girls that would act as a bridge between area youth entrepreneurship programs and the initiatives at Bay Path.

Summit attendees will have the opportunity to attend two of four scheduled breakout sessions, said Wishart, adding that each offers information and insight that people can take back to their businesses the next morning.

‘Accessing Capital to Finance New and Growth Ventures’ addresses one of the most challenging — and intimidating — aspects of putting an idea or business in motion, said Wishart. The session will provide navigational
advice from Maria Goncalves, senior vice president of TD Banknorth; Richard
Steele, managing member of Longmeadow Capital, a venture capital firm; Marjorie Feldman, owner and president of Al’s Beverage Company, a soft drink concentrate distributor; and Daniel Roulier, founder and president of Roulier Associates, a real estate development company.

Lori Klimach, senior vice president of the Wholesale Division at Yankee Candle, will lead the discussion titled ‘Integrating Branding and a Customer-centric Sales Culture.’ The program will focus on the critical mission of establishing a brand identity at both an organization and a product/service level.

Donna Mullen Good, CEO of the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) will lead the session titled ‘There’s Help at Every Step of the Way.’ Her non-profit company has helped more than 10,000 entrepreneurs (of both genders) start and grow their businesses, and provides education, training, technical assistance, legal advice, and access to debt and equity capital at each stage of business development.

Team-building will be the focus of discussion at the fourth of the break-out sessions, ‘Attracting and Retaining Stellar Employees.’ It will feature Marc Criscitelli, vice president of Employee Benefits for the insurance agency Field, Eddy & Bulkley, John Mayhbury, owner and president of Maybury Material
Handling, and Dave Rattner, owner and president of Dave’s Soda and Pet Food City.

Together, they will address subjects to include motivational tips, special incentives, and competitive benefits that are cost-effective and rewarding to employees and employers alike.

View from the Top

Wishart is expecting at least 200 attendees for the summit, and perhaps as many as 350 — she was still amassing RSVPs at press time.

While she doesn’t know the final tally, she does know the event will further the
school’s mission to expand its entrepreneurship and innovative thinking programs, and thus help create and grow more of the small businesses that drive the local economy.

To register for the summit, or for more information, call (413) 565-1229, or visitwww.baypath.eduand select ‘entrepreneurship summit.’

Departments

Springfield Museums Receive Support for ‘Learning Together’

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums has received a grant for the second year in a row for $95,000 from the MassMutual Financial Group for Learning Together,” a series of educational programs for Springfield Public School students. “Learning Together” addresses the goals of Step Up Springfield, the citywide initiative that challenges the entire community to work together to promote academic proficiency and character development among Springfield’s youth. The grant will support fee waivers for students to participate in educational school group programs at the museums and bus transportation for all fifth-grade students in the city to visit the museums for grade-specific science and social studies programs that target the M a s s a c h u s e t t s Curriculum Frameworks and MCA’s testing. Also, funding will be used toward coupons for a free adult admission to encourage students to visit the museums with their families, and afterschool outreach programs at the North End Youth Center, South End Community Center and Springfield Day Nursery. “Learning Together” activities will take place during the 2005/2006 school year. Throughout the year, museum staff, in consultation with Springfield Public School and MassMutual officials, will evaluate the progress of the project and discuss ways to expand and refine the program in succeeding years.

.Bright Nights Adds ‘Jurassic World’

SPRINGFIELD — The Spirit of Springfield recently announced a major addition to its popular “Bright Nights at Forest Park” for this holiday season – Jurassic World. The 12-piece display is being presented by the MassMutual Financial Group. The new light display features an array of dinosaurs, trees, and an erupting volcano. Jurassic World will be located in the park’s Memorial Grove. Jurassic World is the first major addition to “Bright Nights” since 2002, according to Judith A. Matt, President, Spirit of Springfield. The 11th season of Bright Nights opens Nov. 23 and operates Wednesday through Sunday until Dec. 11. Beginning Dec. 14, the holiday lighting display operates nightly through Jan. 1. Nightly, buses with reservations, are welcome from 5 to 6 p.m. For personal vehicles, Bright Nights is open Monday through Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. for $12 per vehicle, and 6 to 11 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays at $15 per vehicle.

For more information, call (413) 733-3800 or visit www.brightnights.org.

MHA: Nursing Vacancies Down Slightly

BURLINGTON, Mass. — The vacancy rate for registered nurse positions in Massachusetts hospitals dropped only slightly in 2005, as hospitals continue to battle against the current and looming larger national nursing shortage, according to a new study by the Massachusetts Hospital Association and the Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives. According to the survey of hospitals, the RN vacancy rate as of January 2005 was 6.4%, down from 6.8% in 2004 and 8.5% in 2003. The report noted that while vacancy rates have declined for the third consecutive year, they still stand at a high level relative to rates over the 18 years of data collection. National studies suggest that the slight dip in vacancy rates is caused by the reentry to the workforce of older, married nurses responding to increasing RN wages and the toll of relatively high unemployment rates on their families, and more recently, widespread private sector initiatives aimed at increasing the number of people who become nurses. However, these studies say the forecast of a long-term, structural shortage is unchanged. The acute care hospital respondents represented 91% of the state’s 66 acute care hospitals and 94% of the state’s acute care hospital beds.

UMass Computer Models Sharpen Securities Fraud Detection

AMHERST — The world’s largest private- sector securities regulator, the National Assoc. of Securities Dealers (NASD), has teamed up with UMass Amherst researchers to bring cutting-edge computer science to the world of securities fraud. By developing statistical models that assess data that most models can’t manage, the scientists aim to help the NASD discover misconduct among brokers and concentrate regulatory attention on those who are most likely to misbehave. Because broker malfeasance is often encouraged by the presence of those conspiring to commit fraud themselves, the researchers were given the task of developing statistical models that made use of this social aspect of rule-breaking. Such “relational” data is difficult for many models, which often assume independence among records. The work is part of an ongoing, joint project exploring fraud detection by UMass Amherst researchers and the NASD, and it was presented recently by doctoral student Jennifer Neville at the 11th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining.

30-Year Mortgage Rates Climb Past 6%

NEW YORK — As realtors note a drop in the housing market frenzy of late, mortgage rates have climbed above 6% — the secondhighest level of the year. According to Freddie Mac, the nation’s housing agency that sells guarantees for home loans, this recent surge can have a psychological effect on persons considering purchasing a home or refinancing a home loan. A chief economist with Freddie Mac speculates that mortgage rates will gradually rise over time but that the 6% rate will hover for awhile before it rises again.

Small Businesses To Benefit From Grants

SPRINGFIELD — Small businesses in the North and South Ends and in Old Hill and Six Corners will benefit from an $80,000 grant administered by the Affiliated Greater Springfield Chambers of Commerce Inc. Several vacant storefronts in each neighborhood will be spruced up and occupied in the hopes it will turn the neighborhood around. Grant money will not be given to the business owners directly, but can be used for architectural costs, marketing, advertising, legal and accounting fees. Bills for the services will be processed through the office of Chamber President Russell F. Denver, who will use the grant money to pay them. Grant money can be used for a new business moving into a storefront or an existing business that wants to expand into an adjacent storefront. The state Division of Employment and Training provided the grant. For more information, contact Denver at (413) 787- 1555.

Two Supermarkets Planned for Sixteen Acres

SPRINGFIELD — Stop & Shop and Big Y Foods announced plans in October forsupermarkets in the city’s Sixteen Acres neighborhood. Big Y plans to reopen a store that was closed two years ago on Wilbraham Road – with a new twist – a smaller, specialty- food theme called Fresh Acres Market. Features of the market would include an area for a farmers market, floral and produce sections, food take-out, a deli and bakery. In addition, the market would feature a gourmet section and conventional store. Stop & Shop has proposed converting 415 Cooley St. into a Super Stop & Shop of 60,000-square-feet, along with 10,000 square feet for other retail space. Stop & Shop has purchased and plans to demolish four homes on Allen Street to accommodate its site needs, however, it still needs zone changes from the Springfield City Council in order to move ahead with its plans.

Food Bank Breaks Ground for Addition

HATFIELD — Western Mass. has a hunger problem, according to Robert Moorehouse, executive director, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. In an effort to address the rising needs of those facing hunger throughout the region, the Food Bank recently broke ground on a 16,000- square-foot addition that will double the size of its facility. Currently, the Food Bank distributes perishable food to more than 400 shelters, pantries and social service agencies throughout Western Mass. With the new industrial coolers and freezers, the capacity for more perishable food, fruits and vegetables will help provide a healthier diet for the hungry. The Food Bank launched a Room to Grow Campaign last year which has raised $3.6 million toward the new $3.9 million addition. In addition, the Kresge Foundation has offered a $150,000 challenge grant to implement green technology in the new facility.

U.S. Colleges Still Costly

uring the annual survey recently released by the College Board, college cost increases slowed in 2005, the lowest rate since 2001. For students attending a public four-year university, a 7.1% increase is still well above the inflation rate and translates into an average of $5,491 for tuition and fees for one year. Students at two-year public colleges rose by 5.4% to $2,191. At private fouryear, nonprofit colleges, costs increased by 5.9% to $21,235. Most students do not have to pay the full price because of loans and grants, as well as tax breaks. The College Board noted that while total financial aid is increasing, loans accounted for more of the growth than grants for the third consecutive year. Students have to pay back loans, but not grants. Undergraduate borrowers are seeing an average debt of $15,500 – an amount that most experts feel is manageable for students. The College Board also criticized the proliferation of popular state programs that award college grants based on merit and not need.

Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law.

Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Jack Richeson & Co. Inc. v. Guild Art Centre Inc.

Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to
pay for goods sold and delivered:
$11,265.49
Date Filed: Sept. 7

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

United Rentals (North America Inc.) v.
Hope Trucking & Demo Inc. and Frank
A. Hope III

Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to
pay for goods and services: $16,788.61
Date Filed: Sept. 15

Home Lumber Co. Inc. v. Athanasios
Asimakopoulos a/k/a Thomas
Asimakopoulos d/b/a T.A. Woodworking
a/k/a T.A. Woodworks
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to
pay for goods sold and delivered: $8,432.74
Date Filed: Sept. 15
Medical Diagnostics & Rehab d/b/a MVA
Center for Rehabilitation v. Premier
Insurance Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to
pay for bills for services for covered clients:
$2,181.06
Date Filed: Sept. 19

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Alton & Gleason Co. Inc. v. CAP
Development Corp. and Mheid-Koseissi Inc.
Allegation: Breach of performance: $27,460
Date Filed: Sept. 19

Departments

Legislative Breakfast

Nov. 4: Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill will be the keynote speaker at the West Springfield Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast from 7:15 to 9 a.m. at Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. State Sen. Stephen Buoniconti and state Rep. James Welch will also make brief remarks. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. For more information or to make reservations, visit www.myonlinechamber.com.

City of Bright Nights Ball

Nov. 19: The Spirit of Springfield’s 10th annual gala, the City of Bright Nights Ball, will be conducted at the MassMutual Center, sponsored by the MassMutual Financial Group. The evening of fine dining and dancing will also include live and silent auctions. The Boston Culinary Group, bringing in chefs from throughout New England, will serve a gourmet dinner featuring plank salmon and beef tenderloin. Tickets are $400 per couple with tables of 10 available for $2,000. For tickets or more information, call the Spirit of Springfield office at (413) 733-3800.

WNEC Tax Institute

Nov. 18: Updates on federal and state tax laws, new manufacturer deductions, section 1031 ‘like kind’ exchanges and identity theft are topics of the 44th annual Western New England College Tax Institute, planned from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in Sleith Hall on the college’s main campus, 1215 Wilbraham Road,
Springfield. To register or for more information, call (413) 782-1473 or visit
www.wnec.edu/tax.

Economic Impact Awards Nov. 22: The Mass. Alliance for Economic
Development will host its second annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. Gloria Larson, Chair, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, will be the Master of Ceremonies, with Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as the keynote speaker. Honorees include Kleer Lumber, Interprint and Suddekor from Western Mass. Registration begins at 11 a.m., followed by the program and lunch at noon. For reservations and more information, call (781) 489-6262 or visit www.massecon.com. Government Reception Nov. 30: The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield presents its annual Government Reception at the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern, Eastern States Exposition, Memorial Avenue, West Springfield. For more information or to register, visit www.myonlinechamber.
com.

Sections Supplements
Online Job Searching Sites are Clicking
Chris Russell, owner of AllCountyJobs.com

Chris Russell, owner of AllCountyJobs.com, said catering to job seeker·s immediate needs is the best strategy for growth online.

Chris Russell, president and founder of AllCountyJobs.com, recently overheard an employee recruiter at a trade show remark that she had managed to knock her advertising expenses down by $24,000 in one year, by switching many of her ads for employment opportunities from print outlets to online job boards.

It was a savings that didn’t surprise Russell, who has been working within the
online job search industry for six years. But it was a comment that showed him that others – employers and job seekers alike – are becoming more receptive to businesses like his own.

“It was a good testament to the fact that people are recognizing us more and more as a low-cost alternative to print advertising,” he said, noting that he is seeing that culture change firsthand. “Year after year, I’m gaining more clients.”

AllCountyJobs.com is the parent company of several regional job search sites, including a local offering, WesternMassWorks.com. Russell said his industry has seen plenty of change since he entered the online arena in 1999, but there are some key factors to which he attributes his own success – and that of his
competitors.

“A lot of sites have come and gone,” he said. “People often try to copy other sites when they see an opportunity like this on the Web that they think will be lucrative. But like anything else, you need to have a background in this business to succeed, in Web business, in Web design. Knowledge of effective job search techniques also doesn’t hurt.

“When people are searching for a job,” he offered as an example, “their first priority is targeting the area where they want to work. The second is using a search method that is simple and easy to use.”

The Net Niche

In short, Russell said those sites catering to job seekers that are thriving are those that have paid attention to those trends and others. And one thing people definitely don’t want, he added, is to waste time sifting through hundreds of job listings in which they have no interest.

He said that’s where some job search Web sites went wrong – they tried to reach a national market with one massive site, and succeeded only in overwhelming the public.

Elaborating further, Russell said targeting an audience means focusing on smaller audiences and using the vast World Wide Web as a tool, not trying to reach everyone at once simply because you can. He said serving as a resource for a concentrated group of job searchers was, in fact, the impetus for his business, based in Trumbull, Conn.

“I noticed the Monsters of the world were lumping Fairfield County jobs in with New York City jobs,” said Russell. “So I got started there: creating a site for Fairfield County, which would only include job listings for people looking for jobs in Fairfield County.”

Using the same model, Russell gradually added other regional sites to AllCounty’s repertoire, serving the Hartford, New Haven, and New London areas in Connecticut, theWestchester, Rockland, Duchess, and Putnam
counties of New York, and, most recently, Western Mass., with WesternMassWorks. He plans to add an Eastern Mass. site as well in the near future.

The business also capitalizes on niche markets such as health care, administration, and Web jobs, through separate job boards.

Bill Cloutier, executive vice president for RegionalHelpWanted.com, said his company also began in 1999, as one small, regional job board (HudsonValleyHelpWanted.com, still in existence) in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The firm now oversees operation of sites in 293 cities across the U.S. and Canada, most of which reflect the name of the region they serve, such as the local SpringfieldHelpWanted.com (in Canada, the ‘HelpWanted’ portion of the address is replaced by ‘JobShops’).

Cloutier agreed with Russell’s assessmennt of the current online job search market.

“Our vision of the market is that recruitment is a local business for the most part,” he said. “We felt we had to do something special to reflect that. So we’ve stayed focused on providing a conduit for seekers to find what they’re looking for, plain and simple.”

Digital Diversity

The gradual expansion of both online services has proven to be a good business model, as have the gradual changes to the sites themselves, all designed to cater to the needs and wants of job seekers.

RegionalHelpWanted includes a number of helpful resources for job seekers, such as articles from their resident ‘career guru,’ Peter Weddle, résumé services, and, like most online job boards, the ability to post an entire résumé right on the site for employers to view.

Cloutier said it’s all part of effectively serving both job seekers and employers, in order to maintain a reputation for results, although he noted that RegionalHelpWanted sites will typically shy away from some of the more trendy online job-seeking tools, such as personality tests.

“We look at ourselves as a quasi-public utility,” he said, “offering what people need without a lot of noise.”

Similarly, while he said the automated systems in place on job boards have become increasingly streamlined and simple to use for both job searchers and employers posting their vacancies, Russell has made the inclusion of a diverse set of resources one of the key facets of AllCountyJobs.

To keep up with the changing face of the Internet and the businesses thereon, he maintains his own job search news and job hunting Web sites accessible through each of the county- wide and niche market sites, and writes his own blog, secretsofthejobhunt.blogspot.com, offering job-hunting tips. He’s also in the process of creating a ‘recruitment referral network,’ a new tool being used by several large corporations nationwide, such as Boeing, to secure quality employees through referrals from current employees or others in the industry.

“The old adage is it’s who you know, not what you know,” Russell said, to explain the newest trend in job hunting. “Companies are finding that their best employees are often found through word of mouth.”

He has even written a book on job hunting: Ultimate Job Hunting Secrets: Essential Tricks, Tips, and Tactics for Today’s Job Seeker, and every new addition to his business, Web-based or otherwise, has served to increase the visibility and, more importantly, the use of his services.

Show Me the Money

But another variable that is contributing to the use of Web-based job searching tools, in addition to convenience and accessibility, is cost.

“Companies using print advertising could be spending $25,000 a year on recruitment,” Russell said, harkening back to that trade show conversation he overheard, “and only about $1,000 a year online. Plus, an employer can submit a one-time post for $99, and that’s attractive to people. I think it has a lot to do with my revenues slowly increasing, year after year.”

Cloutier added that the cost difference could be the most persuasive aspect of
online recruiting for businesses, in particular those with 250 employees or fewer, which have been averse to the practice in the past.

There’s still a large print advertising aspect to recruitment, he said, and online
job boards like those controlled by RegionalHelpWanted.com have yet to eclipse those resources when it comes to the number of employers posting jobs.

However, more and more companies are using newspaper and online classifieds in tandem, Cloutier said, contributing to what is a very gradual shift from newspaper to Web, not a dramatic change in the marketplace.But it’s a change, he said, that is definitely well on its way.

“Currently, only about 20% to 25% of expenditures occur online,” he said. “There is still a lot happening in print. But the experience is so much better online, according to job seekers and employers, that the growth is happening, and we’re seeing a gradual migration of dollars.

“I think there’s a security blanket in print that people are reluctant to give up,”
he added. “But what we’re seeing more of is people holding onto that Sunday newspaper ad, for instance, and substituting the ads they would have placed in weekday editions in the past with online placements.”

Cloutier also noted that online job boards can also target some sets of employers and job seekers more effectively than print outlets.

“One area in which print advertising still works for people is when a company has 20 openings, for example, they need to fill, and they need to cast a wide net. Where newspapers fail, though, is when a company only has one or two openings to fill. Even the size of the ads is restrictive at that point … the print is so small you can hardly read it.”

In addition, Cloutier said, online job boards are increasingly adept at capitalizing on a constituency he calls “passive job seekers.”

“And that’s just about everyone in America,” he said, explaining that such individuals are those who are not currently in transition, but are still surfing online job sites to keep tabs on new opportunities within their industries – essentially, keeping their options open.

“This group of people is really key, and they’re also easier to reach online than in print,” Cloutier said. “Online, the information is right there in front of them … on their computer screen, so they can log on any time and see what’s out there, at home, on the weekends… or on their lunch break.”

The Grapevine

The heaviest traffic hour for most job search sites, in fact, is between 11 and noon, Cloutier said, suggesting that job search Web sites are achieving that goal of reaching job seekers of all types, casual or otherwise,
across the board.

Russell commented that he might have overheard that somewhere, too.
Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Departments

Baystate Achieves ‘Magnet’ Status

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Medical Center and its nurses have been named a Magnet™ hospital for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a subsidiary of the American Nurses Assoc., earning what less than 3% of the nation’s hospitals have achieved. Earning Magnet hospital status is among the highest of distinctions a hospital and its nurses can achieve, recognizing the caliber of its nursing staff. There are only five Magnet hospitals in Massachusetts, including Baystate, and 13 in New England and 170 nationwide. The Magnet Recognition Program® establishes standards of excellence which health care organizations must attain. Magnet designation helps consumers locate health care organizations that have a proven level of excellence in nursing care and assists hospitals in attracting and retaining quality employees.

WNEC One of ‘America’s Best Colleges’

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. News and World Report has again named Western New England College (WNEC) as one of “America’s Best Colleges.” The magazine ranked WNEC in the top tier of masterslevel universities in the North. For the purpose of its rankings, the magazine compared WNEC with 164 other schools in the North who offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s level programs. This is the second year in a row that WNEC has been ranked in the top tier. In determining the rankings, U.S. News and World Report collected data on more than 1,400 schools nationwide. The magazine assesses schools on 15 separate indicators of academic quality, including academic reputation, freshman retention and graduation rates, class size, student/faculty ratios, and academic achievement among incoming freshmen. WNEC received high marks for the number and quality of its faculty, small class sizes, and per-student expenditures.

Holyoke Health Center Receives $300,000 Grant

HOLYOKE — The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation has awarded $3 million in grants to 10 nonprofit health care organizations across the state in an effort to reduce racial and ethnic health care disparities, including $300,000 to the Holyoke Health Center. Modeling this new program on its successful diabetes and weight loss programs, the Holyoke Health Center will provide a series of interventions tailored to the psychosocial and cultural needs of Holyoke Latinos who have or are at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The foundation’s grants across the state will support initiatives that take a comprehensive and innovative approach to improving access and reducing barriers to health care and support services for racial and ethnic minorities. In the largest grant program yet established by the foundation, each of the grant recipients will receive $300,000 to fund one year of program planning and two years of program implementation.

Spalding’s Heavy Duty NBA Ball Truck Debuts

SPRINGFIELD — A new Spalding NBA pro grade ball truck – an indestructible unit with improved performance for NBA players and equipment managers – will debut this season on NBA courts. Spalding has outfitted the 30 NBA teams with two mammoth-sized ball carts made to withstand the rigors of the NBA arenas. Comprised of heavy duty, all metallic, square and rectangle structural tubing, sheet metal and solid rod, the new trucks were furnished to each NBA team along with 50 laser engraved NBA leather game balls (each with their respective team name). Both the truck and the NBA basketballs feature Spalding’s new logo and S icon and represent Spalding’s new “True to the Game” positioning. According to company officials, Spalding is in the development stages of creating a replica ball truck for consumers in 2006 with plans for distribution through www.NBA.com and institutional channels.

New Name for Baystate

SPRINGFIELD — In October, Baystate Health System simplified its corporate name to Baystate Health. Baystate officials stress that the name change better emphasizes the mission of improving the health of the communities it serves. The new name is also reflected in two entities of Baystate – the Baystate Medical Center Children’s Hospital is now Baystate Children’s Hospital, and BHS Ambulance is now Baystate Health Ambulance. A new logo was also part of the overall marketing strategy.

Coldwell Banker Opens New Office

EAST LONGMEADOW — Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage recently held a reception to celebrate the opening of a new, high-tech, expansive real estate sales facility at 55 North Main St., which will continue to support East Longmeadow and Greater Springfield, Enfield, Somers and Suffield. The opening was attended by more than 100 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage sales associates and employees. Rick Loughlin, President of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Central New England, was joined by Robert Molta, regional vice president Central New England, and additional Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage senior executives, to welcome the sales associates to their new location. East Longmeadow resident Marilyn Ghedini is the sales manager for the new location with responsibility for more than 30 sales associates and staff.

Fran Johnson’s Marks 30th Anniversary

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Fran Johnson’s Golf & Tennis will celebrate 30 years in business from Nov. 11-13 with a community event that will include the opportunity to donate to the American Red Cross to help assist hurricane relief efforts. Highlights of the three-day event include a putting contest that will feature three age divisions, 5-7, 7-16, and adult. In addition, silent auction tables will feature a variety of items including golf equipment, golf trips, and tennis packages. Area residents are also invited to donate used golf clubs that can be refurbished for its Clubs for Kids program. The 15-year-old program refurbishes clubs and distributes them to area junior programs. For more information, visit www.franjohnsons.com.

Uncategorized
Attraction/Address Phone/Web Site Description Rates*
The Big E
1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 737-2443
www.thebige.com
New England’s great state fair, Sept. 16 to
Oct. 2, 2005
Adults: $12-15
Children: $8-10
Bright Nights at Forest Park
Sumner Avenue (Route 83), Springfield, MA
(413) 733-3800
www.brightnights.org
Holiday lighting display, open from Nov. 24, 2005
to Jan. 2, 2006
$15 per car
$150 per bus
Brimfield Outdoor Antique Shows/Flea Mkt.
Rte. 20, Brimfield, MA 01010
(800) 274-6353
www.brimfieldshow.com
Antique show and flea market held three times a year;
Sept. 6-11 2005; May 9-14, July 11-16, Sept. 5-10 2006
Free
Children’s Museum at Holyoke
444 Dwight St., Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-7048
www.childrensmuseumholyoke.org
Rated the 12th-best children’s museum in
the nation by Child magazine; hands-on exhibits
$6 per person
Children <12 free
Dr. Spooky’s Animal Museum
220 Greenfield Rd., South Deerfield, MA 01373
(413) 665-5001
www.drspookys.com
An educational animal attraction within a haunted
castle. Slated to open fall 2005.
$7.50
Children < 3 free
Emily Dickinson Museum
280 Main St., Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 542-8161
www.emilydickinson.org
Emily Dickinson homestead and neighboring Ever-
greens, home to the poet’s brother and sister-in-law
Adults: $8
Children 6-18: $5
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
125 West Bay Road, Amherst MA 01002
(413) 658-1100
www.picturebookart.org
The first full-scale museum in the country devoted
to international picture book art
Adults: $5
Children: $4
Discover Westfield Children’s Museum
99 Elm St., Westfield, MA 01086
(413) 572-4014
www.westfieldchildren.com
A museum with many hands-on exhibits to allow
children to experiment and learn; hours vary
$3 per person
Hatikvah Holocaust Education Center
1160 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108
(413) 734-7700
www.hatikvah-center.org

Permanent and revolving exhibits, living memorial
and education center
Adults: $4
Student: $2
Holyoke Merry-Go-Round
221 Appleton Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 538-9838
www.holyokemerrygoround.org
Installed at Mountain Park in 1929, children’s
birthday parties, field trips, private parties, group rates
$1 per person
Historic Deerfield
Old Main St., Deerfield, MA 01342
(413) 774-5581
www.historic-deerfield.org
A museum of New England history and art.
Group Tours Available
Adults: $14
6-21 years: $5
Lady Bea Cruise Boat
1 Alvord St., South Hadley, MA 01075
(413) 315-6342
www.brunelles.com
49-passenger Connecticut River cruise boat; 75-min.
narrated and theme cruises June to October
Adults: $12
Kids under 6: $8
Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory
281 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield, MA 01373
(413) 665-2805
www.magicwings.com
Indoor conservatory with live native and tropical
butterfies and plants
Adults: $8
Children: $5
Mass. Museum of Contemporary Art
87 Marshall St., North Adams, MA 01247
(413) 662-2111
www.massmoca.org
Historic mill complex converted into a multi-
disciplinary center for visual, performing, media arts
Adults: $10
Children 6-16: $4
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
1000 West Columbus Ave. Springfield, MA 01105
(877) 446-6752
www.hoophall.com
Dedicated to the history and great players of
the game. Group rates available
Adults: $16; 5-15:
$11; under 5, free
National Yiddish Book Center
1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 256-4900
www.yiddishbooks.org
Celebrates and preserves Yiddish and modern
Jewish books
Free
Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Glendale Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262
(413) 298-4100
www.nrm.org
Exhibits of the renowned artist’s work and
related items
Adults: $12
Kids under 18: Free
Old Sturbridge Village
1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA
(508) 347-3362
www.osv.org
A living museum of life in the 1830s Adults: $20
Children 3-17: $5
Six Flags New England
1623 Main St. (Route 159) Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 786-9300
www.sixflags.com
New England’s largest theme and water park;new attractions added for 2005 Adults: $41.99
Children: $25.99
Springfield Armory
1 Armory Square, Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 734-8551
www.nps.gov/spar
An exhibit of firearms and the importance of
the Springfield Armory to the emerging nation
Free
Springfield Museums
Edwards & Chestnut Streets, Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 263-6800
www.springfieldmuseums.org
Four museums filled with art, science, history,
and Dr. Seuss exhibits, including the national memorial
Adults: $10
Children: $3
Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute
225 South St., Williamstown, MA 01267
(413) 458-2303
www.clarkart.edu
Art museum, education and research center
dedicated to advancing public understanding of art
Adults: $10
Titanic Museum
208 Main St., Indian Orchard, MA 01151
(413) 543-4770
www.titanic1.org
View personal effects and authentic pre-discovery
artifacts donated by survivors of the famous ship
Adults: $4
Children: $2.50
The Valley Photo Center
1500 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 781-1553
www.valleyphotocenter.com
Photography gallery showcasing the work of local
and international photographers
Free
Volleyball Hall of Fame
444 Dwight St., Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-0926
www.volleyhall.org
Showcases the people and history of the sport
of volleyball, which was invented in Holyoke
Adults: $3.50; Age
6-17: $2.50; 0-5: $0
Wistariahurst Museum
238 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 322-5660
www.wistariahurst.org
Features decorative arts, antique furniture,
paintings, textiles, and landscaped gardens
Adults: $5 donation
Kids Under 12: Free
Yankee Candle Museum
Routes 5 and 10, South Deerfield, MA 01373
(413) 665-2929
www.yankeecandle.com
Watch candle makers dip beeswax and bayberry
candles using methods practiced centuries ago
Free
The Zoo in Forest Park
Sumner Avenue (Route 83), Springfield, MA
(413) 733-3800
www.forestparkzoo.com
Deer garden, barn animals, petting areas,
exotic animals, touring train
Adults: $4.50
Kids 5-12: $3.50
Sections Supplements
Marketing Blitz Designed to Bolster Pioneer Valley Brand
Mary Kay Wydra calls it “shoulder season.”

That’s the phrase she and others at the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (CSCVB) use to convey the burdensome nature of the period between November and late April, when the number of visitors to the Pioneer Valley drops considerably and hospitality-related businesses hunker down and hope for the best.

Brightening the prospects for the late-fall and winter months is one of the many goals behind a recent marketing blitz by the GSCVB, said Wydra, who directs that agency. Aided by a grant from the Mass. Turnpike Authority, the bureau developed a rare fall promotional program, which included the GSCVB’s first television spots. The package was conceived to boost prospects for shoulder season, while also building recognition for the Pioneer Valley and its new logo — the region highlighted on an outline of the state with the word ‘Wow’ in an accompanying thought bubble.

“We’ve never done anything like this in the fall,” said Wydra, noting that the marketing push, which began in mid-September and ended on Oct. 31, featured everything from hundreds of cable television spots aired in the Boston market to signs posted at Turnpike plazas at exits 3-8.

The blitz centered around four major tourist attractions — Six Flags, the Basketball Hall of Fame, Yankee Candle, and the Springfield Museums — but were designed to build momentum (and visitor volume) for the region as a whole.

Using the catch phrase “Attractions, Distractions … It’s Your Choice” the campaign focused on conveying the breadth and depth of the Valley’s offerings, from roller coasters to antique stores; butterflies to views from Mount Sugerloaf.

“This was definitely a different time period for us as far as marketing is concerned,” said Wydra. “But we wanted to keep the momentum going from what was a good summer and continue to drive home our message.

“Someone said that it’s like putting gasoline on a fire,” she continued. “We wanted to build on our momentum.”

Fall Back

Some additional light and heat would be welcome after an October that will be remembered as dark and damp.

Indeed, shoulder season actually started a little earlier than normal this year, said Wydra, noting that persistent rain and the very late arrival of fall foliage impacted some hospitality-related businesses.

Still, she suspects that most of the planned visits to the region – especially those requiring hotel reservations – were still made, and that any drop-off came with day-trippers and spur-of-the-moment plans made by those living close-by.

"If you looked out your window and saw rain," she said of those in the day-tripping category, "you probably stayed home."

But while the incessant rain and dark skies might have dampened things for some tourism-related businesses this fall, the longterm picture seems bright, said Wydra, noting that the region has assembled a mix of attractions, both outdoor and indoor in nature, that have the pull needed to attract visitors for extended (meaning overnight) stays.

The challenge for the GSCVB has been to create a brand for the region and thus build a stronger level of awareness of what the area has to offer. Efforts to get the message across were given a significant boost by a $166,000 turnpike authority grant, said Wydra, noting that it was used to pay for roughly $70,000 in marketing initiatives this fall, and will fund another blitz slated for next spring.

With both initiatives, the marketing push is designed to promote individual attractions and even specific programs — such as the Currier & Ives exhibit due to open Nov. 18 at the Springfield Museums and the recent Fright Fest alloween program at Six Flags — but also generate name and place recognition for the Valley.

The television spots target the Bostonarea market, said Wydra, noting that cable
giant Comcast also penetrates some parts of the Cape and as far north as New
Hampshire and reaches nearly 2 million people. The ads all start and end the same, with broad references to the number and variety of attractions and distractions in the region, but also contain focused promotion of one of the four major attractions, which paid co-op fees to be featured in the spots.

The target audience is women ages 25-49, said Cherie McBride, marketing and publications manager for the GSCVB. She told BusinessWest that those in this constituency group are the “trip decision-makers.”

The television spots, created with the help of Agawam-based Penfield productions, were designed to generate both curiosity and awareness among those decisionmakers, she said, and invite them to find out more about the Valley through means that include the Web sitevalleyvisitor.com/Wow.

Part of the package negotiated from Comcast is a presence, in the form of
coupons, for Yankee Candle and Six Flags within the cable provider’s newsletter, said Wydra, adding that the Valley’s new logo will also be featured in that promotion, which reaches 1.9 million subscribers.

The Comcast purchase also included a bonus, she said — inclusion in a Travel
Channel promotion called What Kind of Traveler are You? The Pioneer Valley was the spotlighted region in spots that ran Oct. 10-24 as part of a contest in which one lucky winner came away with free passes to several area attractions as wll as a camcorder.

Other components of the marketing blitz include more than 1,000 postcards, featuring the new marketing imagery, sent to individuals and businesses in the Boston area that had previously inquired about the Pioneer Valley, as well as a 12-page glossy insert that will go in the Boston Globe next spring.

“This is a piece that people will hold onto; we want to position the Valley, and show people everything there is to do here,” said Wydra. “By doing so, we think we can extend the trip; while they might have one specific destination in mind, we can let them know they can do other things while they’re here.

“If we can get people to realize that the Seuss memorial is not far from Six Flags and that Yankee Candle is right down I-91 from the Hall of Fame, we can hopefully get them to extend their stay,” she continued. “That’s the power of everyone working together.”

While the TV spots and other elements of the marketing package are targeted for the Boston audience, which GSCVB research reveals has vast potential as a source of overnight visitors, other components are aimed at residents of the Valley and those already visiting it.

The turnpike signs, for example, hyped the four major attractions in the area, while also building awareness of the new marketing imagery that was unveiled earlier this year. Another element to the strategy is something called the Wow! Value Book. It features coupons (good through late 2006) for a number of area tourism-related businesses and sites — from Historic Deerfield to Northampton’s Look Park. More than 3,000 copies were distributed at turnpike exits 4 and 6 over the past few weeks, said McBride, and books were also placed in goodie-bags distributed to recent convention goers.

The coupons, like other aspects of the GSVB’s marketing push, have both shortand long-term goals, said McBride, and were compiled in the book to provide some additional incentives for coming to the Pioneer Valley.

The former involves the late-fall and winter months and efforts to boost tourism spending during that stretch, she told BusinessWest. The latter, meanwhile, involves ongoing initiatives to make the region a true destination — for constituencies ranging from Boston-area families to potential bus tours departing from cities and towns across the Northeast.

“We used to be a pass-through for many bus tours,” said Wydra, noting that, historically, buses would bypass area exits of Routes 90 and 91 on their way to somewhere else. “Now, more buses are getting off here and taking in a number of destinations, including the Hall of Fame, the Seuss memorial, Yankee Candle, and others.”

Spring Forward

Additional bus volume is just one of the many goals for the GSCVB’s marketing
blitz, said Wydra, noting that she wants to do much more than familiarize people with a new logo.

Indeed, she wants people across the state and beyond it to understand what’s behind the word Wow.

If she’s successful, shoulder season may not be as long — or dark — as it has historically been in the Pioneer Valley.

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

Sections Supplements
Area Blanket Manufacturer Finds its Comfort Zone
Berkshire Blanket President Rick Lotuff

Berkshire Blanket President Rick Lotuff

Berkshire Blanket, based in Ware, offers an ‘absolute guarantee’ on all its products. If at any time a Berkshire blanket isn’t deemed warm, soft, or durable enough by a customer, it can be replaced.

Company President Rick Lotuff said requests for new blankets are rare, but they do happen. One customer recently called in, for instance, with a receipt dating back seven years in hand – and said her blanket was starting to wear down. Based in part on his amazement that she had retained her receipt, but more so on that lifetime guarantee his company offers, Lotuff made sure a new blanket was in the mail to the customer right away.

“It’s about creating repeat customers,” he said. “If I maintain a strong relationship with our customers and show them that we are true to our word, they’re going to tell their friends about us, and we are going to grow.”

Berkshire Blanket was actually born out of a similar friendly gesture in 1993. Lotuff’s sister, Mary, conceived the simple idea of creating a fleece blanket, sewing a homemade gift for a friend using some extra material she found at Rick’s former sew-and-cut business.

The polyester fleece material, often used in jackets and other outdoor apparel, proved to serve well as a warm, soft blanket, and an appreciated gift. It wasn’t long after that Mary, Rick, and their brother Joe collaborated on a second blanket, this time a prototype for a product they felt had some potential to sell. They borrowed their mother’s idea for a name – Berkshire Blanket, chosen because its alliterative quality was appealing and, they thought, best reflected the type of product they hoped to market: quality, aesthetic blankets and throws that were manufactured with care to be long-lasting and, above all, warm.

Fast Facts:

Company:Berkshire Blanket Inc.
Address:44 East Main Street, Ware, MA 01082
Phone:(800) 372-2018
Web Site:www.berkshireblanket.com
Chief Executive:Rick Lotuff
Products/Services:synthetic and natural blankets, throws, and other products

They might not have guessed right away, however, how much early success the company would enjoy. The same year that first blanket was sewn, Berkshire Blanket made its first sale to a national company; Lotuff showed the sample blanket to management at Marshall’s department stores, and immediately, the company bought 3,600 pieces.

Berkshire’s mission, Lotuff explained, is to continue to create simple, quality products using the best materials, which in turn enhance life’s “quiet moments.” That philosophy touches every part of the company’s operations, from production to packaging, and has spurred strong growth over the past 12 years. A recent spike in sales over the past two years, in fact, has helped Berkshire Blanket become one of the top blanket and throw manufacturers in the nation, in addition to landing the company on this year’s Affiliated Chamber’s Super 60 list, coming in at number 10 for Total Revenue and 20 for Revenue Growth.

Blanket Statements

That’s not to say that business has always been warm and fuzzy for Berkshire Blanket; there have been a few hurdles to clear over the years. Lotuff explained that after that initial Marshall’s sale, the company saw a dip in orders from major stores, and an overall sluggish performance.

The problem was not an intangible one for Lotuff, however. He surmised that the issue was that his product’s intrinsic selling point was being hidden by the vinyl zipper bags in which Berkshire Blankets were stuffed.

“They were sitting on the shelves in those bags, and people couldn’t touch them and feel how soft they are,” he explained. “We removed the bag, and now our blankets are unwrapped, held together in a roll by a bungee cord, a paper wrap around the middle of the blanket, or some other ribbon or strap.”

“A lot of our focus has gone more toward feeling — seeing a good product, and then going a step further and offering images that reflect what it means to have a warm, comfortable product.”

That change, said Lotuff, serves as an excellent example of Berkshire Blanket’s attention to its central mission statement. New packaging may seem like a small shift in a company’s overall direction, but soon after switching to minimal packaging, the company became the number-one selling throw company in the nation.

And Berkshire’s major marketing initiatives continue to revolve around the strength of the product itself and its packaging, said Ellen McNulty, marketing director.

“We had an ad campaign we used two to three years ago in some national publications,” she explained, noting that the ads, which appeared in Martha Stewart Living and the New York Times magazine, among others, can still be seen on the Berkshire Blanket Web site and reflect the idea of simplicity that the company constantly revisits.

Each ad includes only one word describing the product, such as ‘soft,’ ‘inviting,’ or ‘warm,’ and features a Berkshire Blanket in a setting that best depicts each adjective. The ad that describes the blankets as ‘natural,’ for instance, shows a throw bundled to resemble a sushi roll balanced between two chopsticks.

But after 9/11, said McNulty, the company became increasingly focused on packaging rather than print, Web, or television advertising, in order to curb marketing costs and best utilize its advertising dollars.

“We wanted the product to serve as a mini-representation of the company visually,” she said. “A lot of our focus has gone more toward feeling — seeing a good product, and then going a step further and offering images that reflect what it means to have a warm, comfortable product.

“Our imaging shows a lifestyle that is a simple one,” McNulty continued. “One in which there is time to read, to garden, or to just sit quietly on the porch. Those are the things we try to focus on because when you walk into a store, you see a lot of different products, but our packages share the same simple positioning.”

The Soft Sell

That packaging has carried the company through a few new-product introductions in the past year, and both the packaging and new items, as well as a constant focus on the quality and consistency of existing products, Lotuff said, have allowed the company to grow at the rate it has in recent years.

“We also have a flexible sourcing model,” he noted. “We can source materials from China, Taiwan, or Pakistan, for instance, and that flexible outsourcing allows us to grow in a way we could not otherwise.”

That growth has been particularly evident over the past two years. Two years ago, Berkshire Blanket recorded a 45% surge in sales, and for 2005, the company has projected an impressive increase of 100%. It is growth that McNulty said is thanks to a number of variables – among them, the strength of the market and the readiness of stores and consumers alike to welcome new products made from new, synthetic materials.

“The critical thing is that Berkshire is constantly developing new products,” she said, “but that doesn’t always translate into company growth.”

McNulty used Berkshire’s most recent offering, blankets and throws made from a material called Serasoft, to illustrate that point.

“Serasoft hit a new chord for us that we were excited about, but when the products were first unveiled, retailers weren’t ready,” she said. “It’s all about what the market is looking for. When business is strong in our industry, people don’t want to change what is working. What happened, though, was the acrylic business was starting to wane, because the product was not as durable as it used to be, and was not as successful with consumers.

“When acrylics started to leave the market,” McNulty continued, “Serasoft replaced it and brought to customers exactly what they were looking for – a blanket that is warm, easy to care for, and durable.”

And if a blanket meets those criteria, then it in turn meets the internal standards – and reflects the mission of – Berkshire Blanket, Lotuff said. He agreed that the new Serasoft product line is one reason the company has done so well in the past two years, but far from the only reason.

“We just began to evolve,” he said. “We went from polyester fleece blankets to other types of blankets, using sweatshirt material, Berber, T-shirt fabrics… always soft, comfortable fabrics. We are expanding into comforters now. Newness helps spark new growth, but it’s the little things that keep our momentum strong.”

Little things like money-back guarantees and customer service, Lotuff noted. And the company also hasn’t strayed far from the product that started it all.

Berkshire Blanket’s factory outlet store, adjacent to its corporate offices on East Main Street in Ware, offers fleece pillow cases, hats, scarves, vests, and a number of blankets and throws made from both synthetic fabrics like fleece and Serasoft and natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, and silk. But nationwide, in the 4,000 stores Berkshire’s products can be found including Linens and Things, Bed Bath and Beyond, and K-mart and in international locales including Japan, the majority stock throws and blankets very much like Mary Lotuff’s original creation.

And that’s a notion that gives everyone a warm, fuzzy feeling – guaranteed.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Departments

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

AMHERST

Youth Action International Inc., 58 Tracy Circle, Amherst 01002. Cherrine Smith, 40 Abbey Road, Newark, DE 19702. Jackie Pateguana, 58 Tracy Circle, Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To develop programs to alleviate the suffering of children affected by war and by living under difficult circumstances, etc.

BONDSVILLE

Source Two Inc., 7 Third St., Bondsville 01009. Michael W. Shields Jr., 11 Shelby Lane, East Longmeadow 010128. Custom design engineering and manufacturing of automation equipment.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Care Biopharma Inc., 146 Tanglewood Dr., East Longmeadow 01028. Penelope Johnson, same. To provide staffing, clinical research and consulting services to entities in the biopharmaceutical industry.

GRANBY

Seasonal Bids Inc., 417 East State St., Granby 01033. Bruce A. Peltier, same. To broker the bidding, management and implementation of landscaping jobs between landscapers and property management.

HADLEY

Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club Inc., 277 Bay Road, Hadley 01035. Donna Utakis, 71 Blue Hills Road, Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To foster amateur sports competition including promoting road racing and/or running related events, etc.

NORTHAMPTON

Accents ‘N Art Inc., 351 Pleasant St., Ste. B321, Northampton 01060. Elizabeth A. Monaghan, 24 Mutter St., Easthampton 01027. Manufacturing home accents and artwork.

Easthampton Trading Company Inc., 222 North King St., Northampton 01060. Thomas R. Broadhurst, 476 East St., Easthampton 01027. Broker/dealer of automobiles.

SPRINGFIELD

Crystal Brook Landscape Construction Inc., 52 Hardy St., Springfield 01129. Justin Haggerty, same. To provide landscape design, construction, etc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Spruce Facilities Management Inc., 43 Witch Path #1, W. Springfield 01089. Katherine M. Zimmerman, same. Janitorial service.

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of October 2005.

AGAWAM

Kudlic Brothers
491B Springfield St.
John Kudlic

Perez Handyman Service
1013 Main St.
Margarita Perez

Union Mart
308 Suffield St.
Anjum Khawaja

AMHERST

Bosom Buddies
40 Spaulding St.
Dawn Kennedy

Jonathon Abbott, Esq.
30 Boltwood Walk
Jonathon Abbot

Unit Rental Inc.
408 Northampton Road
Gale French

CHICOPEE

Chick’s Lawn Care
19 Willette St.
Richard Cecchetti Jr.

New Dragon House
480 Burnett Road
Zhie Gao

EAST LONGMEADOW

J.T. Construction
36 Dartmouth St.
John Turowsky

HOLYOKE

America Buses & Trucks
56 Jackson St.
Medin Dominguez

Cuba Supermarket
439 High St.
Siloana Colon

J.O. Auto Repair
75 Clemente St.
Arturo Sanchez

LONGMEADOW

J. Jill LLC
712 Bliss Road
Kerry Brunette

NORTHAMPTON

Evolution, Renovation & Building
32 Elizabeth St.
Jonas LaPointe

The Gutterman
132 Crosspath Road
Robert Messier Sr.

SOUTH HADLEY

Common Cuts
470 Newton St.
Deborah Blaney

SPRINGFIELD

Alan Epstein Photography & Digital
50 Ingersoll Grove
Alan Epstein

Bryan’s Roofing
39 Gardens Dr.
Bryan Trombley

Design Plus
1140 Main St.
Yevgenig Norkin

The Firm
490 Main St. William McCarthy

Latin Mark
1655 Main St.
Rene Romaro

NLB Appraisal Services
36 Sunapee St.
Chris Bertelli

R & B Auto
380 Bay St.
Richard Ricketts

Stunin Records
1655 Main St.
Virgen Lopes

Wilson’s Leather
1655 Boston Road
Wilson’s Leather of MA Inc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Brothers Covers
239 Western Ave.
Kenneth LaBelle

Convenience Mart
7 Chester St.
Muhammad Sabir

Kia M. Brokos, L.M.T.
425 Union St.
Kia Marie Brokos

The Kung Fu Academy 1
869 Memorial Ave.
Mark Ostrander

WESTFIELD

Be Well Massage
30 Court St.
Shan Marie Jackson

Kitchen Resources
18 Sabrina Brook Lane
Stephanie Hoey

V.P.I. Construction
251 Valley View Dr.
Peter Nedeoglo

Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Nishimoto Trading Co. LTD v. House of Teriyaki a/k/a U—One Inc. and Gao Hee Chung
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $15,754.04
Date Filed: Sept. 2

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Grand Lumber Co. Inc. v. Sunrise Properties Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for materials: $8,348.92
Date Filed: Sept. 14

Normandeau Trucking Inc. v. O’Brien Excavation & Trucking Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for trucking and hauling services: $15,934.80
Date Filed: Sept. 15

U.S. Foodservice Inc. v. ES Enterprises Inc. d/b/a Brass Rail and Debra Casale
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $3,687.15
Date Filed: Sept. 15

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Getty Petroleum Marketing Inc. v. Classic Fuel LLC and Gary Kevorkian
Allegation: Breach of contract — Failure to pay for goods sold and delivered: $7,344.27
Date Filed: Aug. 25

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of September 2005.

AMHERST

Amherst Realty Co.
36 Main St.
$15,000 — Install new kitchen grease hood system with hood suppression system

Amherst Tire Center Inc.
292 College St.
$13,300 — Re-roof

EAST LONGMEADOW

Grace & Glory Church
93 Meadowbrook Road
$32,000 — Siding and windows

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Medical Center
262 Old Lyman Road
$23,491 — New lavatories in Skinner building

NORTHAMPTON

Paul H. D’Amour et al
162 North King St.
$65,000 — Demolish stand-alone bank building

Michael B. Gormely
92 Main St.
$5,000 — Erect wall sign – Murduff’s Jewelry

SPRINGFIELD

Brookdale Park Properties
189 Brookdale Dr.
$28,000 — Exterior renovations

John Masler
868-870 Main St.
$35,000 — Create physical therapy office

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Lanere Holdings
208 Ashley Ave.
$50,000 — Renovations

Departments

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

Alexander, Andrew
Alexander, Maria J.
8 Mercury Court
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05 Ambrose,

Joanne Mary
106 Colonial Village
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Anderson, Nicole Elaina
491 Bridge Road, # 417
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/05

Antle, Barbara Jean
156 King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/05

Auclair, Ronald D
Auclair, April A
136 Aldrew Ter.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Birk, George W.
Birk, Ethel L.
20 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Bonanno, Christopher M.
1 Belden Court
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Boucher, Desiree A.
7 Washington St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

Bowler, Richard D.
Bowler, Donna M.J.
48 Kendall St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Bryant, Gina B.
17 Pasadena St., Apt. 7
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Caldwell, April S.
304 Regency Park Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Carlson, Rosalie
548 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Castro, Alberto M.
80 Pine St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Champigny, Patricia A.
208 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Cherry, Sonja C
10 Wolcott St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Clark, Michael A.
33A Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Collier, Chester W.
Collier, Lisa C.
71 Elmwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

Cook, Veronica M.
21 Willard Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Cormier, David Joseph
90 Mary Coburn Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Cunningham, Susan J.
22 Eagle St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Dabkowski, John
20 North Lake Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Dameworth, Heather Marie
19 Florence Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/05

Danek, Mark
1035 Central St., Apt 1
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Daniele, Gennaro T.
162 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Davis, Mae Carrie
414 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Dearborn, William R.
Dearborn, Barbara J.
23 Amherst Ave. #23
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

Dearden, Lesley
297 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Dobbins, Chris Jonathan
Dobbins-Woods, Brandie Maureen
7 Campechi St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Domingues, Ulises Arnel
52 Patton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Dow, Alexis V.
76 St. Lawrence Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Dow, Perry J.
85 Edwards St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Dowd, Matthew J.
Dowd, Shelby L.
72 Audubon St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/15/05

FitzGerald, David B.
37 Columbus Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Fitzgerald, Kellie A.
624 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Ford, Thomas E.
PO Box 102
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Fugiel, Corrie Michele
265 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/05

Gamelli, Linda L.
44 Elbert Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Godard, Gregory A.
Godard, Karen A.
71 Forge Pond Road
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/11/05

Gonzalez, Alfredo
88 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Gonzalez, Hilda N.
1118 St. James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Goodreau, Brian R.
68 Michigan St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

Goodwin, Derek
P.O. Box 461
Northampton, MA 01061
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Graveline, Roland J.
Graveline, Rose
22 Fremont St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Gray, Kathleen A.
97 Almon Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Green, Anne
391 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Hall, Carol Ann
11 Old Farm Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Harris, Wilhamenia
277 Fernbank Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Haseltine, Kerry Liane
23 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Hebda, Lynne M
34 South St., Apt. 2
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Hernandez, Christine Ann
78 Paul Revere Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Hohenberger, Henry Kenneth
202 South St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

House, Shatarra B.
112 Canon Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Huynh, Duc Hoang
105 S. Tallyho Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Johnson, David S
Johnson, Joan M
73 Barrett St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Johnson, Karin M.
15 Horseshoe Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Jones Callands, Nancy L.
76 Buckingham St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Keeney, Tammy L.
24 Chestnut St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Kervian, Edouard J.
43 School St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Koziol, Elizabeth G.
79 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

LaClair, Kim P.
37 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/10/05

Langevin, Steven G.
69 Hanover St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/11/05

Laramee, Kevin D.
130 Lavoie Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Lavalle, Susan J.
P.O. Box 774
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Lavin, Michael P
17 Dana St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Lavin, Noreen F
P.O. Box 70576
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Lemon, MaryAnn C.
610 Old County Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Leonard, Gary M.
22 Leslie St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/11/05

Leveille, Mark D.
Leveille, Debbi L.
9 Mutter St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Lindsey, Edward
97 Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Lubanski, Donna Lee
57 Hill St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Maldonado, Haydee
860 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Maldonado, Sonia
4 Waterford Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

Melao, Daniel Anthony
82 Frink St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Michalak, Anthony F.
Michalak, Carolyn J.
115 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Motley, Robert Richard
Motley, Lisa Meryem Kayi
61 Columbia St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Mulvey, David E.
12 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Nagiyeva, Mutallim
Nagiyeva, Anna
7 Manor Court
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Nemec, Andrew G
9 Belvedere Gardens
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Nemec, William G.
Nemec, Carol L.
11 Belvidere Gardens
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/05

Nguyen, Hieu Ngoc
109 Sierra Vista Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Nichols, Randy
110 Bondsville Road
Ware, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Nunnally, Paul J.
93 Wolcott St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

O’Brien, Pamela A.
267 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

O’Connell, Charles M.
5 Center St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Ovtchinnikova, Valeria
241 Beacon Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Padilla, Glenda Liz
63 Brightwood Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Pagan, Eubill
PO Box 3751
Springfield, MA 01101
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Paquette, Karen Ann
22 Ambrose St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/05

Pastore, Donna M.
40 Sioux Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Pastorello, Richard R.
Pastorello, Roberta A.
6 Whippletree Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Payson, Clifford A.
33 White St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Pierce, Dean Howard
18 Shibley Court
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/05

Pike, Stanley Ronald
159 Ferry St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Poehler, Matthew J.
72 Mayher St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Politella, Daria K.
33A Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Provost, Renee C.
46 Warebrook Village
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Ranson, Yvonne Lavelle
10 Cloran St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/10/05

Raymond, Douglas D.
4 Ross Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

Reardon, Beth
8 Ranger St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Richard, Kenneth L.
12 Turkey Hill Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Rivera, Jose M.
120 Lowell St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Rodrigues, Adam A.
11 Helen Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Rodrigues, Helen
120 Wilson St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Rodriguez, Aileen J.
16 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Rodriguez, Juanita
98 Pheasant Hill Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Rogalski, Cynthia Marie
2101 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Rohde, David Richard
P.O. Box 2682
Amherst, MA 01004
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Rosienski, Tod J.
Rosienski, Donna
159 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Ross, Raeann
515 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Rouillard, Roger J.
215 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/11/05

Russell, Sara L.
63 Teawaddle Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Sanders, Helene Elike
1 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Scuderi, Michelle J
47 Hendom Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/09/05

Shaver, Richard W.
Shaver, Holly W.
36 Fruit St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Shea, Robert P.
19C Higland Village
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/03/05

Sheldon, Darlene A.
32 Laurel St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Sheldon, Randy R.
1302 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Sherman, Thomas E.
26 Goldenrod St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/08/05

Sipe, Patricia L.
80 Pine St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Skala, Deborah J.
391 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

St. Peter, Donald G.
St. Peter, Dianne M.
246 Kendall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Stenta, Richard P
63 Duclos Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Sweeney, Julie Elisabeth
211 M. Sears Rd.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

Tetreault, Elizabeth A.
57 George Loomis Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/07/05

Thompson, Lisa D
277 North Valley Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Tower, George Robert
Tower, Michele Ann
19 Warebrook Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Tremblay, Gerard N
199 Poplar St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Turgeon, William Joseph
Turgeon, Joyce Marie
270 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/05

Veighey, Ruth Beatrice
10 Valley View Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Veillette, Anne Marie
88 Riverview Terrace Apt.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Walczak, Thomas A.
47 Hamilton St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Warner, Daniel A.
71A Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/12/05

Washington, Michaela G.
81 Brickett St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Weber, Roberta M.
40 Root Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/10/05

Wegiel, Mark A.
21 Dwight St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/02/05

White, Pamela Joy
23 1/2 Elm St.
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/05

Wilcox, Ed
ar Horace
135 Westminister St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/14/05

Williams, Ronald R.
50 Castlegate Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/13/05

Williamson, Eddie J.
Williamson, Thelma E.
45 McKnight St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/06/05

Wright, Pennie M.
14 Elsie St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/15/05

Zych, Timothy Richard
340 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/04/05

Opinion
There doesn’t seem to be much interest in this fall’s municipal election in Springfield, and that’s understandable.

Many Springfield residents are apparently of the opinion that the state-appointed control board is calling all the shots, especially with regard to the budget, and that it doesn’t really matter who is elected to serve the community as mayor, city councilor, school board member, or other office holder.

While the control board certainly holds most of the power in Springfield, it is wrong to believe that this election doesn’t have much meaning, especially in the mayor’s race.
The next two years will be pivotal for Springfield. What transpires will likely determine how soon the city can regain control of its finances, and what kind of community we will have when the control board packs its bags — hopefully in July 2007.

And that’s why we strongly endorse Mayor Charles Ryan for re-election. He has the strong leadership skills — and the ability to make hard decisions — that will be needed over the next two years. Ryan, who will be in his 80s by the end of 2007, will likely not seek another term beyond the next one, but he can use the next two years to construct a solid platform on which the next generation of Springfield’s leaders can operate.

Ryan was given an extremely difficult challenge when he took office in January, 2004: starting the process of repairing the considerable damage done to the city’s balance sheet, and its psyche, by an utterly corrupt Michael J. Albano administration. And we believe he has done an admirable job with that assignment.

Much work needs to be done in many areas, including public safety, education, and the broad topic of economic development, but we see some progress on many of these fronts. And any progress would be an accomplishment given the depth of the hole the city found itself in courtesy of its former mayor.

Indeed, the city had real problems with everything from paying its bills to putting police on the streets — and, as a result, had a massive public relations problem as well. Over the course of the past year or so, every major regional newspaper, from The Boston Globe to the Worcester Telegram to the Hartford Courant turned the spotlight on the City of Homes. The headlines varied but the theme was the same: ‘What’s Wrong with Springfield?’

The answer is complicated, and Ryan understood that going in. He also understood that the place to start — beyond the hard work on the city’s bottom line — was restoring trust in City Hall and the people who work there.

Albano’s legacy is a faulty bureaucracy defined by greed, cronyism, and rampant criminal activity. Ryan has taken major steps toward repairing the city’s tarnished image and restoring trust in local government.

With that foundation now laid, he should be given the chance to build on it.

We are especially eager to see progress on the economic development front. If Springfield is to see the kind of rebound everyone wants, there must be an infusion of new, well-paying jobs. To attract those jobs and the companies that provide them, the city must foster new-business development, while also focusing on what David Panagore, deputy executive director of the control board and this issue’s cover story, calls the “fundamentals” of economic development.

By this, he means a focus not only on the six or so major (and also stalled) projects in the city like Union Station, the old Hall of Fame, and the York Street jail, but also on safe streets, education, neighborhoods, and parks.

Charlie Ryan knows all about these fundamentals, and offers real leadership in the ongoing, and critical, work to give people reasons to live and work in Springfield.

Ryan has spent the past two years digging Springfield out of a very deep hole. But the job is far from complete. When it is, there remains the task of fully restoring confidence in a community that has little of that precious commodity left.

For both of these reasons, voters should take this fall’s election seriously, and give Ryan another two years to finish what he’s started.

Opinion
Gov. Mitt Romney’s proposal to equip all secondary school students in Massachusetts public schools with laptop computers is a necessary first step toward providing a 21st century education to all our young people. Such an initiative, properly implemented, can help raise student aspirations and assist them in developing the skills they will need to succeed in school and in life.

The 2004 report of the Special Commission on Educational Technology, made up of educators, business leaders, legislators, and representatives of the administration, supported a one-to-one, student-to-computer ratio as a means to achieve equity and improved learning, to involve and communicate with parents, and to interest students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills valued in our economy. This report, and the dozens of statewide and district laptop initiatives that have been implemented over the past five years, point to some important lessons about how to proceed and what to expect.

One lesson is the necessity of professional development for teachers. Laptops can catalize positive changes in teaching and learning only if teachers take the lead through effective use of the technology to transform classroom instruction, and if teachers and principals learn to use technology to help them make sound instructional decisions based on achievement data. This will require training and support.

Another lesson is to plan well for robust networking and to budget for the total cost of ownership of the hardware, including maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and technical support. We must make certain from the start that the choice of hardware and software supports the many dozens of applications that have proven effective. The governor’s plan to make replacement laptops a yearly part of the budget in schools makes sense.

A final important lesson is that we will see “soft” results before test scores show any change — improved attendance, decreased discipline problems, and increased student engagement in learning. Evaluations thus need to focus on students’ attitudes and what teachers find successful, not just on test scores. This is an investment in our future workforce and the payback will take time.

The controversy about the governor’s plan to use low-cost laptops — being developed at MIT for schools in developing countries — has diverted attention from a key point: Whatever hardware we choose, Massachusetts must act now, or our students will soon be losing ground in the race for 21st century skills to millions more potential competitors around the world.

Students will recognize this initiative as a vote of confidence. They see that the world is changing rapidly and that to compete they must master the computer and the Internet with newfound information-age skills. If we challenge them to excel at writing, presentation, collaboration, analysis, and logical thinking — and give them the tools to meet those challenges — they will create a prosperous future for themselves and the Commonwealth.

Andre Meyer is senior vice president for Communications and Research at Associated Industries of Massachusetts. Isa Kaftal Zimmerman is chairman of the Educational Technology Advisory Council and director of Professional Education at Lesley University.

Uncategorized
Personal information is not the only target for identity thieves. Criminals are targeting large and small businesses as well. Any person or entity that has a name and a tax number is at risk of becoming a victim of fraud and identity theft.

Identity thieves target businesses because the financial reward appears greater. A corporation with good credit and large assets can provide a thief with hundreds of thousands of dollars in products or services.

Business identity theft can result from the same low-tech means of obtaining information as individual identity theft. It can also be accomplished through diligent searches of corporate filings, patent filings, and other public information. Business identity thieves usually work with accomplices. These thieves are diligent, taking the time to create the illusion of authority on the part of their targeted victims.

The range of theft varies depending on the business targeted, from document theft, counterfeiting, impersonation, forgery, and theft. These acts can result in changes to the corporate structure including the principals, the company address, the corporate minutes, real estate holdings and asset transfers.

Document theft can be a big source of information. It comes in two types, corporate espionage and identity theft. Corporate espionage doesn’t need James Bond anymore. It can be accomplished by going through a company’s trash. High-tech methods are also used to obtain information as well as create false documents, corporate ID’s, or bank documents.

Business thieves can pose as legitimate representatives from your business to make large purchases or obtain credit. This could include new computers, office equipment, and corporate credit cards. Thieves establish credit with the vendors, place their orders, and have the merchandise delivered to a new location. Never having been paid for the merchandise, the vendors will eventually come to you for payment.

Companies have discovered unauthorized product purchases, unauthorized agreements to connect or disconnect services, unauthorized real estate transactions such as selling the company-owned real estate, and the unauthorized use of private client or employee information.

This could also mean that an imposter has changed your company’s current information on your accounts to redirect correspondence directly to the thieves. By doing this, the thieves establish a relationship with the vendors, and the vendors are less likely to take notice of any red flags as others proceed with their schemes to defraud your company.

Unexpected calls could be your first alert that something huge is brewing. Don’t ignore the underlying issue. Find out who authorized the change in service and the reason for the change request. The reason for given to the utility service could be the underlying target of fraud. One of the most common reasons for a change in utility service by an established company is due to the pending sale of property. This could be your wake up call to investigate deeper.

Here are some other red flags to alert you of potential problems:

• Invoices for unfamiliar goods or services;
• Unexplained or unauthorized charges on business credit cards;
• Unexpected notice from a collection agency about an unfamiliar debt;
• Unusual telephone charges;
• Unexpected or unexplained change of your address;
• Unexpected calls from new vendors;
• Unexpected calls from utility services; and
• An unexpected decrease in the number of calls you usually receive from your usual vendors or bank.

If you suspect your company is a victim of business identity theft you should obtain as much information as possible from the source of the suspected transaction. Get names, dates, phone numbers, whatever information you can as to who authorized the fraudulent activities. Make sure you keep a log containing the name and phone number contacts you talk with.

Just as in personal identity theft cases, a police report is an important first step. A police report will help to re-establish your good business name and credit with the companies defrauded by the criminals. The more information you can obtain form the source of the unauthorized activity the more complete the police report will be. Make sure the police take the time to make a full report of your incident.

Prompt action on your part can help limit the negative affects of identity theft. In the event you, an employee or your business becomes a victim follow the checklist below.

  • Contact the credit bureaus. For business identity theft contact Experian PO Box 2104 Allen, TX 75013 www.experian.com and Dun & Bradstreet 103 JFK Parkway, Short Hills, NJ 07078www.dnb.com
  • For personal identity theft contact the three major credit agencies. Equifax 1-800-685-1111www.econsumer.equifax.com, Experian 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com and TransUnion 1-800-888-4213www.transunion.com
  • File a police report and contact the Federal Trade Commission. 877-IDTHEFT (438-4338);
  • Contact your creditors. All credit card companies, mortgage companies or banks. Any company where you have loans, credit cards or lines of credit. This includes vendors;
  • Stop payment on any stolen checks and close unauthorized or compromised accounts;
  • Contact your state’s public utilities commission and remove fraudulent cell phone charges. Federal Communications Commission 888-CALL-FCC (225-5322);
  • Report stolen Social Security numbers to the Social Security Administration 800-772-1213;
  • Notify your local department of motor vehicles (DMV) to make sure someone doesn’t attempt to get a driver’s license or register a car using your identity or your business identity.
  • Obtain copies of corporate filings from the Secretary of State where your business is registered. Look for any new filings or amendments which may contain information which could lead to the discovery of the criminals involved.

Business identity theft is a growing crime. It may be more prevalent than we think. No business wants the public to know their information has been compromised. Loss of time and money to recover, loss of integrity and client trust could all be side effects of being a victim of business identity theft.

Cindy Schroeter Graham is an author, speaker and expert on identity theft prevention, providing secure information handling evaluations and implementations to businesses nationwide. Her book, “Who Else is You?” outlines strategies on reducing the risk of becoming an identity theft victim;www.whoelseisyou.com.

Sections Supplements
Medical Practice Expands its Horizons
Jackie Bouchard (left) and Virginia Vogt Pisano

Jackie Bouchard (left) and Virginia Vogt Pisano of Baystate Ob/Gyn

For months, Virginia Vogt Pisano, practice administrator for Baystate Ob/Gyn Group Inc., and assistant administrator Jackie Bouchard, have been inundated by new terminology, technology, and their share of headaches as they work to unroll a new electronic medical records (EMR) system at the practice.
It’s just one cog in the works that make Baystate Ob/Gyn a successful business as well as medical practice in Western Mass., but it serves as an excellent example of how those two sides of the company must work together at all times in order move forward as a thriving, progressive, and, above all, safe health care business serving women of all ages across the region. Baystate Ob/Gyn has been recognized and lauded for that growth by the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce Super 60 program, which put the practice among the top 10 – number nine – for revenue growth.

“As we expand,” explained Vogt Pisano, “new technology – and the issues implementing that new technology can present – is just one thing that drives us to continue to focus on providing quality care to our patients. It forces us to figure out the best way to implement new procedures, to learn everything we can about them and to value the input of everyone here, and it is one reason why we are providing great care, growing as a business, and can also be recognized for that growth by something like the Super 60.”

Indeed, several changes have been in the works in addition to the introduction of the EMR system at Baystate Ob/Gyn, which will create a paperless office and represents the first step in regional, clinical integration, according to Vogt Pisano, which will likely be ongoing in Western Mass. for the next 10 to 15 years.

Fast Facts :

Company:Baystate Ob/Gyn
Address:Administrative offices; 246 Park Street, Suite 202, West Springfield, MA 01089
Phone:(413) 794-4744; Fax: (413) 787-5277
Web site:www.bogg.com
Products/services:obstetric and gynecological practice service women in Western Mass

New health care providers have also joined the company in order to focus on the specific needs of women at different stages of life, such as the teenage years, childbearing age, and the golden years. The practice’s suite of outpatient and minimally invasive surgeries has broadened to offer more comprehensive and convenient care to its patients, including a progressive sterilization procedure called Essure, only available locally through Baystate Ob/Gyn. Bouchard noted that the practice has also begun to focus more on alternative health options for women, in order to provide not only more convenient and comprehensive care, but more holistic care as well.

“For us, better care equals better business, and vice versa,” said Bouchard.

And she and Vogt Pisano agreed that Baystate Ob/Gyn has seen definite signs of that business improvement over the past two years.

“We have no complaints,” Vogt Pisano said. “We increased our business size in 2003, and our provider base increased. What I’ve seen since then is the same high level of care for our patients and the same high level of organization within the business, but on a larger scale.”

Examining Culture

That expansion in 2003 included a new location, creating a five-office network in Springfield, West Springfield, South Hadley, and East Longmeadow, and necessitating, Vogt Pisano said, a “very intentional culture change” within the business, which now employs about 75 people.

“It has been challenging but enjoyable putting this group together,” she said. “We worked hard to create that new culture because of the specific goals we wanted to achieve; many practices, as they get larger, tend to centralize, but our growth has been very different. Because women’s health is so community-based, we have expanded across the region, and yet still understand that it is of the utmost importance to maintain community involvement and a small-practice feel in order to be successful.”

Part of creating a new corporate culture that would preserve the practice’s accessibility for all types of patients and also grow and change within the increasingly technology-based industry of health care, Vogt Pisano explained, is to recruit physicians, midwives, and other health care providers specializing in a variety of areas within obstetrics and gynecology. That allows the practice to appeal to many age groups – teens, the elderly, and women of child-bearing age, for instance – and allows each physician to concentrate on his or her own specialties, thus improving the quality of care their patients will ultimately receive as they progress in their own careers and professional interests.

“It’s also a real draw for physicians that they will be able to focus on their specialties, rather than stretch themselves across a wide gamut of services,” she added, noting that anything that attracts new providers to Massachusetts is a boon for both the economy and the quality of care available in the Commonwealth.

“It’s hard to recruit physicians to Massachusetts, particularly in ob/gyn, she said. “We can’t ignore the issues surrounding malpractice liability; it’s a huge issue that will continue to be a challenge. I do believe, however, that the collaborative model we have developed here is helping us to attract the best providers as well as helping us achieve the needed balance between clinical and business issues.”

Model Employees

That model also takes into account several other issues surrounding ob/gyn, including the need for female providers and employees, who relate well to patients, and further diversify the profession, and the inclusion of all employees at all levels within the organization when formulating plans for the future or when problem solving.
Bouchard said she views the businesses’ model for staff involvement one if its keys for success.

“Everyone has a piece of the pie,” she said. “We’re firm believers in understanding first how people do what they do, then asking for their input on issues that they are involved with every day.

“You have to listen to people and appreciate their insights and ideas,” she continued. “That is one way that we balance the clinical and business sides of things, and keep the entire practice in balance.”

And Bouchard added that no other area is affected more by the crossover between clinical and business concerns that technology upgrades at Baystate Ob/Gyn. The practice’s EMR system, for instance, will be rolled out in stages and is expected to be fully operational and in use by the practices’ clinical professionals by January. The system will have a notable effect on the streamlining and accessibility of patient information, not to mention the fulfillment of HIPAA privacy and security requirements. But implementing the system has been no easy feat, requiring not only the introduction of a system foreign to all of Baystate Ob/Gyn’s employees, but also a new, broader way of doing things on an every day basis that employees will have to adjust to.

It’s attention to the smaller things that many administrators would otherwise not think of when implementing the system that Vogt Pisano thinks will ultimately make the change a successful one.

Nurses, for instance, were able to collaborate with others to voice their concerns and to rectify them. They told Vogt Pisano they didn’t want a system that required a lot of navigation just to get to one portion of a patient’s record, because that would affect the quality of patient care. They were also concerned about the overall size of the electronic equipment they would be using; both of those concerns, and others, were taken into account when choosing a system and a method of introducing the new procedures.

Technically Speaking

“I think we’ve done a good job of it,” Vogt Pisano said. “Everyone has had training. This has been a lot of work, but EMR has become a huge part of our practice, and will be part of our ultimate success. But people are reinventing the wheel constantly when it comes to health care technology, and I think our model is one that will allow us to embrace those new challenges and move forward with positive growth and excellent care.

“I’m excited about continuing to offer excellent care to our patients during challenging times.”

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Sections Supplements
Chamber Salutes Top-performing Companies
Super 60

Super 60

The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield’s Super 60 companies reveal the strong diversity of the region’s economy, and the breadth and depth of the small companies that form its backbone. From a manufacturer of cremation urns to a maker of high-powered hand dryers; from a day care center to a private college, the companies on the list have a common denominator — success.

Higher education and health care. Those are two of the economic sectors displaying strength and resilience in the Pioneer Valley, and areas producing many of the area’s new jobs.

So it’s not surprising that both realms are well represented on the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce (ACCGS) Super 60 list for 2005. Indeed, three of the top performers on the ‘Total Revenue’ chart are private colleges based in Springfield — Western New England College, American International College, and Springfield College. Meanwhile, both the Revenue and ‘Revenue Growth’ lists are dotted with health care and health care-related businesses — from physician groups to a chain of drug stores.

But there are many other business sectors represented on the lists as well, from retail to manufacturing, transportation to hospitality.

“Diversity — that’s the strength of our local economy; we’re not dependent on any one area,” said ACCGS President Russell F. Denver. “The Super 60 list has always reflected that diversity; it’s an accurate barometer of the health of our business community.

BusinessWest looks this issue at those barometric readings, and what the Super 60 list reveals. Scanning the names, Denver said the compilation, which includes a mix of familiar names and new faces, reveals that many companies of all sizes are doing well, and that bodes well for the Pioneer Valley.

Blanket Coverage

The diversity that Denver spoke of can be clearly seen in the Super 60’s Revenue category.

At the top of the chart is a veteran of the program, Pride Convenience Inc., which operates gas stations and convenience stores, and is advancing plans to build more (see related story, page 19). But there are also the three colleges on the list, some retailers — including two auto dealerships, a recreational vehicle seller, and Manny’s TV and Appliance — and an engineering firm specializing in the design of food-processing plants (the Dennis Group).

And then, there’s Berkshire Blanket, the Ware-based manufacturer of fleece blankets that has seen strong, steady growth over the past several years.

The health care sector is also well represented in the Revenue category, with a mix of ventures, including Disability Management Services Inc., Louis & Clark Drug, Hampden County Physicians Inc., and the Mental Health Association.

“Diversity — that’s the strength of our local economy; we’re not dependent on any one area. The Super 60 list has always reflected that diversity; it’s an accurate barometer of the health of our business community.”

To qualify for the Revenue list, companies needed to compile at least $1 million in sales in 2004. The average for the 30 companies that made the list, however, was more than $30 million. Combined the Revenue winners logged more than $1.1 billion in total sales.

The top five Revenue companies were:Pride, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Springfield College, Western New England College, and Northeast Treaters. Berkshire Blanket was one of nine newcomers to the list. The others were Astro Chemicals, Environmental Compliance Services (previously listed on Revenue Growth lists), Heatbath Corp., M.J. Moran Corp., Manny’s, Mental Health Associates, Sound Seal, and Springfield College.

While diversity is prevalent on the Revenue list, the word defines the Revenue Growth chart, as a look at the top-five performers reveals.

First-place finisher Brookdale Associates is a machine tool distributor. The runner-up, meanwhile, a Westfield-based venture called Little Rill Corp., specializes in the packaging of ice-melt and other products for national manufacturers. Third on the list is a staffing agency (United Personnel Services), followed by Dimauro Carpet and Tile, and an insurance agency (Field Eddy & Bulkley).

Further down the list one finds a day care center, a farmers’ supply company, a truss-making venture (see related story, page 22), a company making a new, more powerful line of hand dryers, Springfield Spring , and MacKenzie Vault Inc., the East Longmeadow-based maker of cremation urns.

There are also several health care-related businesses on the Growth list. They include Baystate Ob/Gyn Group , Micro Test Laboratories, a pharmaceuticals manufacturer, Consolidated Health Plans, and Pediatric Services of Greater Springfield.

Nearly half the companies on the ‘Growth’ list are newcomers. They are ACT Vehicle Equipment Inc., Allston Supply Co., Amherst Farmers Supply Inc., Dimauro Carpet & Tile, Excel Dryer, Field Eddy & Bulkley, James J. Dowd and Sons Insurance Agency Inc., Little Rill, Mackenzie Vault, Norman B. Keady Const. Co., Pediatric Services, Springfield Spring, Truss Engineering Corp., and Wright Architectural Millwork.

To make the Growth chart, companies needed to log at least 20.6% growth over the past three years. The average for the group, however, was 49%, and three-quarters of the firms on the list recorded at least 30% over that time.

The Super 60 companies will be honored at a luncheon at Chez Josef on Oct. 28. For more information, or to order tickets, call (413) 755-1313, or visitwww.myonlinechamber.com.

Sections Supplements
Cape Wind Could Provide Momentum for Clean Energy Source
There is as much wind power potential (900,000 megawatts) off our coasts as the current capacity of all power plants in the United States combined, according to a new report entitled, “A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States” (Framework), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and General Electric.

The Framework finds the greatest wind power potential offshore the highly-populated urban coastal areas of the northeast and it recognizes the roles of Cape Wind and the Long Island offshore wind project in creating the momentum to develop offshore wind power in the United States.

Some points from the report:

• “…the United States is getting started with two serious project proposals located off the coasts of Massachusetts and New York. Sustaining and building on this momentum will require leadership and the collective action of all interested parties…”
• “Most of the total potential offshore wind resources exist relatively close to major urban load centers, where high energy costs prevail and where opportunities for wind development on land are limited. This is especially true in the densely populated Northeast, where nearly one-fifth of that national populations lives on less than 2% of the total land area…”
• “Offshore wind energy is also an attractive option for the Northeast because slightly more than half the country’s offshore wind potential is located off the New England and Mid-Atlantic coasts, where water depths generally deepen gradually with distance from shore. This attribute allows for the initial development of offshore wind in relatively shallow waters followed by a transition to deeper waters further for shore as the technology is advanced.”

Jim Gordon, the President of Cape Wind, was pleased to see the Framework’s recognition of the role that offshore wind can play in addressing key national priorities, “The Framework recognizes that offshore wind can meet a significant share of the energy requirements of the Northeast while helping to diversify our energy sources, protect public health and the environment, create jobs, help stabilize energy prices and make us more energy independent,” he said. “Cape Wind will help to catalyze America’s use of offshore wind to become a major supply of energy for the Northeast.”

The Framework study notes the beneficial role offshore wind can play in supplying needed electricity to New England:

“In January, 2004, New England came dangerously close to experiencing a blackout during a severe cold spell as a result of limited natural gas supplies being diverted away from electricity generating plants to meet demands for home heating. Those in charge of managing New England’s electric grid are uncertain how the region will continue to meet peak demand for electricity beyond the year 2006. Offshore wind is the Northeast’s only local renewable energy source with the potential to address the anticipated unmet demand.”

A prior Department of Energy White Paper titled, Natural Gas in the New England Region: Implications for Offshore Wind Generation and Fuel Diversity, noted that, “During the January 14-16, 2004 period of natural gas shortage, the Cape Wind project, if it had been fully constructed and was online, would have made a significant contribution to the power supply and reliability of the regional grid.”

The Framework study also cites the need for offshore wind in the Northeast for energy diversification and energy price stability:

“Conventional energy prices are expected to climb. Energy supply and price volatility are significant risks as well, if recent experience with oil, gas, and coal is any indication. The Northeast is particularly vulnerable because the region has virtually no indigenous supply of natural gas and oil, which are responsible for a large fraction of the region’s base electric load and the majority of its peaking capability. As the Northeast seeks indigenous alternatives to oil and natural gas, offshore wind is the most or a large fraction of the region’s base electric load and the majority of its peaking capability. As the Northeast seeks indigenous alternatives to oil and natural gas, offshore wind is the most promising option.

“Besides its demonstrated cost competitiveness on-shore, wind is an attractive energy option because it is a clean, indigenous, and non-depletable resource, with long-term environmental and public health benefits,” the report continues. “Once a wind plant is built, the cost of energy is known and not affected by fuel market price volatility. This, along with its economic benefits in terms of employment through manufacturing, construction and operational support, makes wind an attractive technology with which to diversify the nation’s power portfolio and help relieve the pressure on natural gas prices.”

What’s more, the Framework study highlights how offshore wind energy development can improve ocean health:

“Earth’s oceans and atmosphere are both in peril. As recent studies document, our oceans face a greater array of problems than ever before in history. In particular, unprecedented concentrations of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and other emissions resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels threaten to alter the composition of the atmosphere and undermine the integrity of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. An aggressive push for renewable energy production will start us down a path to reducing these environmental and public health threats.”

The Framework study comes on the heels of the passage of the Energy Bill that has important impacts on the development of offshore wind in the United States. In passing the Energy Bill, the Congress and the President conferred to the Minerals Management Service of the Department of Interior the authority to lease submerged federal lands for commercial offshore wind development. The Congress and the President also included in the Energy Bill a policy objective for the Department of the Interior to approve 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy projects on public lands over the next ten years.

“A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States” is available on the Internet at:http://www.mtpc.org/renewableenergy/press/pr_9_30_05_wind.htm

Cape Wind’s proposal to build America’s first offshore wind farm on Horseshoe Shoal would provide three-quarters of the electricity used on Cape Cod and the Islands from clean, renewable energy – reducing this region’s need to import oil, coal and gas. Cape Wind will create new jobs, lower electric costs, contribute to a healthier environment, increase energy independence and establish Massachusetts as a leader in offshore wind power.

Mark Rodgers is the Communications Director for the Cape Wind Project, the first offshore wind park to be built in the United States. It will be built on Horseshoe Shoal, five miles off the Cape Cod shore in Massachusetts. Cape Wind has offices in Yarmouthport and Boston.

Uncategorized
Company Phone/Fax   FT Agents/
Employees
 Offices(Locally) Top Local Officer(s)/Web Site  
Novak Charter Oak1500 Main St., Suite 1200, Springfield, MA 01115 (413) 781-6850
(413) 747-0336
125/175 9 Peter S. Novak, General Agentwww.novakcharteroak.com
Northwestern Mutual Life/The Steffen Agency1351 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 748-6000
(413) 788-5796
50/65 3 Paul J. Steffen, Managing Partnerwww.northwesternmutual.com

TD BankNorth Insurance Agency, Inc.P.O. Box 9040, 2077 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield, MA 01102-9040 (413) 781-5940
(413) 733-7722
42/75 1 Rick Black, Regional Presidentwww.banknorthinsurance.com
Protector Group Insurance Agency Inc100 Front St., Worcester, MA 01608 (508) 852-8500
(508) 852-8600
30/95 4 Robert Vaudreuil
www.protectorgroup.com

Blair, Cutting & Smith Insurance Agency25 University Drive, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 549-4971
(413) 549-4974
20/56 1 Bill Dowd, President
www.neighborhoodinsurancellc.com

Gaudreau Group Inc. Insurance & Financial ServicesP.O. Box 369, 1984 Boston Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095-0369 (413) 543-3534
(413) 543-4153
15/16 3 Jules O. Gaudreau Jr., President
www.gaudreaugroup.com
Remillard Insurance Agency79 Lyman St., South Hadley, MA 01075 (413) 538-7862
(413) 538-7179
15/25 1 Charles Remillard
www.remillardinsurance.com

Field, Eddy & Bulkley IncP.O. Box 2979, 959 Main St., Springfield, MA 01101-2979 (413) 733-3131
(413) 733-3191
14/45 5 Samuel Hanmer, President
www.fieldeddy.com
Webber & Grinnell Insurance Agency8 North King St., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 586-0111
(413) 586-6481
14/25 1 William D. Grinnell
www.webberandgrinnell.com

Phillips Insurance Agency97 Center St., Chicopee, MA 01013 (413) 594-5984
(413) 592-1142
13/16 1 Joseph M. Phillips
www.phillipsinsurance.com

Amica Mutual Insurance Company330 Whitney Ave., Suite 200, Holyoke, MA 01040 (888) 532-6422
(413) 532-7360
10/30 1 Daniel C. Heinold; LuAnn Trigo
www.amica.com
Berkshire Bank24 North St., P.O. Box 1308, Pittsfield, MA 01202 (800) 733-5601 9/13 11 Charlie Berkury
www.berkshirebank.com

Canary Blomstrom Insurance Agency Inc868 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001 (413) 789-3995
(413) 786-7004
9/10 1 Richard V. Blomstrom
www.canaryblomstrom.com
Goss & McLain Insurance AgencyP.O. Box 1128, 474 Appleton St., Holyoke, MA 01041-1128 (413) 534-7355
(413) 536-9286
9/13 1 Deborah Buckley, President/Owner
www.gossmclain.com
Haberman Insurance Group Inc.95 Ashley Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 781-7000
(413) 733-9545
9/30 1 Edward Adamczyk, President
www.habermaninsurance.com
James J. Dowd & Sons Insurance Agency IncP.O. Box 10300, 14 Bobala Road, Holyoke, MA 01041-1900 (413) 538-7444
(413) 536-6020
9/34 3 Robert Gilbert, President
www.dowd.com

Moulton Insurance Agency Inc.143 West Street, P.O. Box 90, Ware, MA 01082 (413) 967-3327
(413) 967-4607
9/15 3 Cynthia Moulton St. George, Pres.
www.moultoninsurance.com

Chase, Clarke, Stewart & Fontana Insurance AgencyP.O. Box 9031, 101 State St., Springfield, MA 01102 (413) 788-4531
(413) 731-9234
8/21 1 Robert Clarke, President
www.chaseins.com
King & Cushman176 King St., Northampton, MA 01061 (413) 584-5610
(413) 584-9322
8/12 1 Scott King
www.kingcushman.com
First American Insurance Agency Inc.510 Front St., Chicopee, MA 01013 (413) 592-8118
(413) 592-0995
7/20 1 Edward Murphy, President
www.faiagency.com
Ross Insurance Agency Inc. 150 Lower Westfield Road, Suite 2, Holyoke, MA 01041-0709 413) 536-8380 (413) 536-8386 7/9 1 Maureen Ross O’Connell, President
www.rossinsurance.com

Axia Group 73 Market Place, Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 205-2942 (413) 886-0190 6/13 3 Michael Long, CEO
www.axiagroup.net

Insurance Center of New England 246 Park St., West Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 781-2410 (413) 731-9539 6/31 1 Dean Florian
www.InsuranceCenterNE.com

Nathan Agencies 20 Gatehouse Road, Amherst, MA 01101 (413) 253-5555
(413) 256-8354
6/19 2 Ron Nathan, President
www.nathanagencies.com

Sections Supplements
Getting that Company Party off the Ground is Big Business for Area Event Coordinators
Jeff Daigneau and AnnMarie Harding

Jeff Daigneau and AnnMarie Harding of Max’s Tavern in Springfield.

Planning end-of-year events is a business unto itself for area
restaurants, party planners, banquet facilities, and others. Not only does it take time, money, and superb management to enter the holiday party arena, it increasingly takes the ability to offer an entirely new and creative set of amenities every year to keep the interest of the corporate set. This year, some area professionals offered their insight into everything it takes to ring in the new year in style

The clinking glasses, constantly swinging kitchen doors, and the bustle of wait staff as they serve entrées, clear dishes and take special orders are all a given at any holiday party.

But when the hors d’oeuvres are the same as last year, or the band’s set list sounds oddly familiar, corporate events held during the winter holidays can get stale faster than the dinner rolls.

This issue, as part of its annual holiday party planner, BusinessWest takes a behind-the-scenes look at the ins and outs of party planning, gleaning some information on the industry from area professionals – event planners, caterers, restaurant owners and managers, and others.

Together, they offer a feel for what their jobs entail, from management to menus, including what it takes to stay on the cutting-edge of the hospitality industry during the season that generates the largest amount of party-goers will be sizing up the party-planning prowess of a given establishment or individual.

For Ralph Santaniello, owner of The Federal in Agawam and his chefs, that might mean putting a holiday twist on their popular ‘spoon hors d’oeuvres.’ Rachel Bombard, catering sales manager for Max’s Tavern in Springfield, has been hard at work finalizing menus for this year’s party along with Max’s executive chef Jeff Daigneau, but is already mulling ideas for next year – things like bus trips, on which party-goers snack on gourmet boxed appetizers as they whiz around town.

For most planners, though, like Joy Roman, president of Positive Planning Inc. based in East Longmeadow, the actual booking of parties and research of current trends in food, drinks, party themes, and other incidentals, began months ago.

Many event planners were already in the thick of drafting specific menus and decorating schemes for a number of holiday gatherings when they spoke to BusinessWest. Roman, in her car with a license plate that reads ‘EVENTS,’ was in fact rushing off to find scores of perfect holiday gifts for guests at various parties, searching for a few that would stand out, while not breaking the bank when bought in bulk.

The breadth of those tasks alone gives a hard glance into the complexity of holiday party planning – but few, according to some of the region’s professionals, realize exactly how much time goes into plotting five hours of festivities in November, December or January.

According to Roman, who specializes in corporate events, event planners working both independently and internally at a restaurant or banquet facility are employed, in short, to take care of all of the “painful details” on the behalf of a client.

“Companies use me in order to facilitate one of their most important events of the year without losing company time,” she said. “There are a lot of logistics involved, from brainstorming to developing a theme or a menu, to arranging appropriate entertainment and working with a facility to get all of this off the ground.

“There are also a lot of intangibles that people don’t always take into account,” she continued. “Event planners have to be detail-oriented, creative, quick-thinking, and incredibly organized. They have to have excellent customer service skills and the ability to forge and maintain relationships with a number of different types of people in different industries.

“It’s my relationships with people that I think have kept me in business for 20 years,” she said. “And all of those skills ultimately factor into what kind of party you put together for your client – a fun, exciting, well-attended event, or a boring old holiday party that feels like a chore.”

The Party in Question

But she said it’s not all just phone calls and E-mails. On the contrary, she said anyone involved in event planning, whether it be an event coordinator, a chef, or a restaurant manager, is called upon more frequently than most to be spot-on when it comes to new, fresh, and creative ideas. She cited one client she has worked with for several years, which contacts Roman early on in the year and charges her with coming up with a theme for the company’s winter warmer.

That theme has to be big and bold and kept an absolute secret from the company’s employees, she explained, and also has to include accompanying decorations, centerpieces, gifts for attendees, music, a themed menu, and, in some cases, actors to pull that theme up into the next stratosphere.

An Academy Awards-themed event, for example, had Roman rolling out a red carpet, interviewing guests as they came through the door, and organizing an awards ceremony, in addition to dinner and drinks.

“Every decision is another stepping stone on the way to the event, so there is constant collaboration between me and the company’s representatives,” she added, noting that event planners are also not at the mercy of a given business to implement a slew of requests without adding their own professional input. “My job is to offer the expertise that makes everyone, including the company representatives who are planning the party, feel like guests at their own event.”

Sometimes that means overseeing the smallest of details – making sure music is being played at a good volume for conversation or giving the eggnog a little stir in passing. Other times, Roman explained, it’s putting years of experience planning events within the corporate set to good use by gently steering guests away from a few holiday party pitfalls.

“Setting an event up in such a way that people aren’t tempted to hover by the same people they sit right next to every day is one thing that’s important,” she said, citing round cocktail tables or serving stations as one way to keep the crowds circulating. “These are parties and times to unwind, but they’re still business parties, and therefore a strong networking component is necessary for these events to be successful.

“And it’s employees at all levels that need to be reminded,” Roman continued. “It’s the people at the top that give the party the ultimate personal touch, and I always mention that. Sometimes the CEO needs a little push toward the door and a reminder to greet his or her employees, not stand in the corner surrounded by a crowd.”

Kicking the Nosh up a Notch

Putting a few finishing touches on a plate of new hors d’oeuvre offerings available at Max’s for the holiday season, Daigneau concurred with Roman that several variables contribute to the success of a corporate holiday party, and the attention to detail and creativity of those working behind the scenes are of the utmost importance.

“It’s all about spotting trends and fulfilling requests to the best of our ability,” Daigneau said. “And everything is moving toward a tailored approach; people are becoming less shy about asking for special orders, special menus, or different types of events, instead of booking a date and assuming that every party has to be the same every year.”

That creates an interesting culinary testing ground each holiday season, Daigneau said, which he can use to gauge the popularity of new appetizers and entrées, or to get a feel for some of the trendy types of cuisine that people are gravitating toward on a given year.

He added that holiday parties also provide unique marketing opportunities – as new menu choices or creative serving methods are rolled out at corporate events, often a buzz is created that generates new business for an establishment.

“Food doesn’t have to be boring to appeal to a large crowd,” Daigneau said. “Whatever anyone can come up with, I’ll do it.”

And a trend toward special requests, Daigneau said, is challenging those in the industry to flex their culinary muscle. He has recently created event menus that include a wide variety of items, including cigar-smoked duck and tender venison, as game has seen a surge in popularity. He noted that he has also filled several requests for vegetarian or even Vegan menu items, to cater to people with food allergies, or to augment a pre-planned drink menu, choosing foods that complement various wines, beers, martinis, or other cocktails.

AnnMarie Harding, special event planner and director of Public Relations at Max’s, added that menus have become the central attraction for most businesses planning their holiday parties, and creative dinners and cocktail parties are being organized this year over a wide range of price points.

“It’s becoming less important to throw a lot of money at a party in order to make it a huge, gala event,” she said, “and more important to get to the heart of the company throwing the party and reflecting its business and their employees. The menu is the biggest part of that; different types of people in different types of industries will ultimately enjoy different types of food. Some people expect a steak waiting for them. Others want to see something they’ve never seen before.”

Bombard agreed, noting that as clients become more comfortable making special requests for their events, they are also paying more attention to the subtle nuances that make an event stand out.

“I think in the past, people wanted a great party, but they didn’t really know how to go about planning one,” she said. “That’s what people who plan events for a living are for, and lately it seems that businesses are more ready to use the skills of event professionals.”

Just as she is keeping one eye on trends for next season as she fine-tunes this year’s events, Bombard said businesses looking to plan a smash gathering should do the same, and it doesn’t have to take an exorbitant amount of money or time to do so with the right approach.

“What I tell people,” she explained, “is to get a magazine and start tearing out pictures of things you really like. Chances are you can have something like it at your party, and the more ideas we have to work with, the easier it is for us to secure great quality food, keep costs down, and stay simple.”

The Early Bird Gets the Wassail

That’s not to say that event planning is a cakewalk for anyone, however. As special orders and tailored menus become the norm, Daigneau added further that work hours in the kitchen and the banquet room rise as well. Just one event could require a 22-hour work day to prepare, organize, and implement, and that’s with preparation beginning up to a week in advance and a staff of up to 20 people.

“And that’s with more than one party going on in one night most of the time, not to mention that the holidays are the busiest time of the year without corporate business,” he said. “But it’s our job to make holiday parties happen. My only advice to businesses of all sizes is to start planning as early as possible.”

That sentiment resonates in the party planning world. Event planning is an interesting study in corporate organization, and those involved firsthand with party planning say those companies that start early with an idea of menu options and event size, time, and place in mind are those who usually leave their event at the end of the night pleased with the outcome. Those who start late are those who leave wishing they’d spent more time preparing.

“Corporate parties require a lot of planning and attention to detail throughout the year,” said Santaniello, who finds a constant challenge in the changing tastes of the public – what dishes were hot last month at a Federal-catered event, either on or off-site, could receive a chilly reception at a function today. “But when it comes to holiday parties, often people forget that they’re competing with every other company planning a party for the same few dates. There are only three weekends in December before Christmas (and Hanukkah begins on Dec. 26), and it’s much harder to get the details buttoned up.”

Santaniello added that a major staff investment is also required to coordinate corporate events, in addition to regular business, during the holidays. Not only does event planning during the winter months require careful organization on the part of the planner and the company staging the party, but also strict management within the business handling the party, so not to overtax employees, overstretch the operating budget, or cause other aspects of the business to suffer.

“We’re already busy at that point,” he said. “It’s very important that our staff knows that it’s going to be hard and there’s going to be a lot to do, but that their role is an important one in getting it all done. Managing time is one of the most important skills we put into play here. We have a great team and everyone is in charge of something – the finances, the menu, the catering … everything has to be in place, or it’s just not going to work.”

With proper management, though, Santaniello said he has seen a party in every room of his restaurant as well as a few off-site events staged without a hitch over the course of one evening.

“That’s a long day, and anything can go wrong,” he said. “The delivery guy could not show up and you’ll run out of chicken. The rental company could send the wrong number of tables and chairs.

“But,” he added, as he placed one of The Federal’s holiday platters on a table – something new this year, a brimming antipasto created in response to several requests for authentic, Italian fare – “if you pay attention to detail, and to what people want, you’ll build a reputation for offering consistent service with the promise that every event will be a little different, every time.”

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]

Uncategorized
Facility Capacity Contact Person Services

The MassMutual Center1277 Main St.,Springfield, MA 01103          (413) 271-3221; Fax: (413) 787-6645

2,237     (ballrooms A,B,&C; five mtg. rooms with 1,367 cap.)

Tabitha Mahoney

Largest function space in Western Mass., overlooking Court Square; weddings, banquets, meetings; floor to ceiling windows; arena;  Boston Culinary Group caterers providing on-site catering for all occasions – common fare to exquisite dining. Web site:www.massmutualcenter.com

Chez Josef            176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 786-0257; Fax: (413) 786-0316

1,800

Jean Allen

Full service; for weddings, books entertainment, photographer, videographer, cake, invitations, limo, bridal shops, flowers, coordinating, and complementary consulting; for business meetings, can locate hotels with shuttle service; overnight accommodations; senior entertainment; holiday parties; bus-tour shows and luncheons; free parking;  premier off-premise catering; grand ballroom; open to the public Mother’s Day, New Year’s Eve. Web site:www.chezjosef.com

The Log Cabin 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke, MA 01040            (413) 535-5077; Fax: (413) 535-1096

1,000

Barbara Griffin

Wedding or bridal showers; anniversary or engagement parties; bar/bat mitzvahs; business meetings; banquets or holiday parties. Planning, full service,  cuisine; accommodations for 50 to 1,000 guests. Web site:www.thelogcabin.com

Sheraton Springfield Hotel  One Monarch Place, Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 263-2009; Fax: (413) 732-7560

1,000 Grand Ballroom 500

Steve Keegan

Weddings: flowers, Rolls Royce; for business, audio-visual equipment, rear screen projection, lighting, sound, computer presentations, teleconferencing; 18 rooms, three for meetings; high-speed Internet; holiday parties. Web site:www.sheraton-springfield.com

The Delaney House  Country Club Road, Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 532-1800; Fax: (413) 533-7137

800

Lynn Brunelle

Custom menus and accommodations for large receptions, corporate events, or banquets for up to 260 guests; intimate dinner parties for 10 or more. Two garden terraces for outdoor settings. Groups up to 14 can choose from an international fusion  restaurant menu.  Web site:www.delaney-house.com

The Oaks 1070 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 786-5500 or (800) 333-6257
Fax: 786-6966

750

Thomas  Sophinos

Full-service banquet facility; three wedding packages to choose from; four gazebos; guaranteed prices, will work within client’s budget; accommodating trade shows, business meetings, company holiday parties, business tours for dinner shows, and much more; we do not charge 18% house or service charge.Web site:www.theoaksinc.com

Yankee Pedlar Inn 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 532-9494; Fax: (413) 536-8877

750 250 for weddings

Kimberlee
Clayton-McGrath

Full-service facility; four wedding packages to choose from; ceremony sites, bridal suites, and overnight accommodations; award-winning chef; seven unique rooms for meetings, anniversaries, and other events. Web site:www.yankeepedlar.com

Castle of Knights 1599 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 01020            (413) 532-2000; Fax: (413) 552-3923

700

Scott
Samuelson

Catering and conference facility for business functions and social events. Web site:www.castleofknights.com

Best Western Sovereign Hotel  and Conference Center 1080 Riverdale St.  West Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 781-8750; Fax: (413) 731-5999

In the ballroom:  700 theater-style,  500 banquet-style; smaller rooms  seat 10 to 24

Mariann
Zenitz

The facility hosts a wide range of functions, including meetings and conferences, social events, fundraisers, award banquets, conventions, reunions, and weddings.Web site:www.sovereignhotelcs.com

Basketball Hall of Fame  West Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105 (413) 781-6500; Fax: (413) 781-1939

600 sit-down 1,300 for socials

Joe Hevey

Full-service facility capable of hosting a wide array of events. Facilities include Center Court, which can hold 600 for a sit-down dinner; Max’s Tavern; the MassMutual            Room, a board room for business meetings; a 200-seat theater; a McDonalds for children’s parties; exhibit gallery for banquet functions.  Web site:www.hoophall.com

Marriott Hotel  1500 Main St., Springfield, MA 01115  (413) 781-7111; Fax: (413) 731-6939

500

Linda Mensher

A wide range of services: weddings, business functions, meetings, reunions, conventions; 11 different rooms. Web site:www.marriott.com

Oak Ridge Golf Club 850 South Westfield St., Agawam, MA 01001 (413) 786-5886; Fax: (413) 821-0060

450 for banquets 300 for weddings

Jennifer  Dandurand

Books only one wedding per day; outdoor photo opportunities; gazebo; provides golf outing packages with dinner for business groups. Web site:www.oakridgegc.com

Holiday Inn Holidome & Conf. Center 245 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 534-3311; Fax: (413) 533-8443

425 for banquets
1,000 for socials

Tracie Tarbox

Full-service facility; wedding and conference packages; audio-visual equipment; high-speed Internet access.  Web site:www.hiholyoke.com

Clarion Hotel and Conference Center  1 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060            (413) 586-3903; Fax: (413) 586-1723

400

Melissa
Vontour

Eight rooms to accommodate smaller meetings and functions; wedding planning       services; audio-visual equipment; company parties; graduation parties; outdoorpavilion; indoor/outdoor pool. Web site:www.hampshirehospitality.com

Chateau Provost 85 Montcalm St., Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 532-2100; Fax: (413) 536-8371

350

Janice
Mahoney

Audio-visual facilities for business seminars; can book entertainment, invitations, cakes, flowers for weddings; individualizes service for specific needs; baby  grand piano. Web site:www.chateauprovost.com

The Elmcrest Country Club 105 Somerville Road, E. Longmeadow, MA 01028            (413) 525-2186; Fax: (413) 789-4087

350

Pamela
Vadnais

Weddings, showers, dinner dances; family-owned; banquet room  can be split into two smaller rooms for smaller functions rooms with dining facilities. Web site:www.elmcrest.cc

The Knights of Columbus Banquet Hall 460 Granby Road, Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 598-8621

350

Alexis
Birney

Corporate events, weddings, banquets, showers, funeral collations, light buffet, dinner, breakfasts. Web site:www.KofC69.com

Crestview Country Club 280 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 786-2593; Fax: (413) 789-4087

300

Ernest
LaRocca Jr.

Beautiful outdoor panoramic photo opportunities; outdoor ceremonies; only  one event per day; professional culinary and service staff; business meetingrooms with dining facilities. Web site:www.crestviewcc.org

The Ludlow Country Club Tony Lema Drive, Ludlow, MA 01056 (413) 583-8666; Fax: (413) 596-9972

300

Linda
Ghini

Weddings, banquets, special occasions, and other functions.; outside caterers welcome          Web site:www.ludlowcountryclub.com

Park Inn 450 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 01020  (413) 739-7311; Fax: (413) 594-5005

300

Carol
DeGray

Catering; full meeting setup; audio-visual, classroom or theater style; can accommodate different rooms for meetings and meals; high-speed Internet.

The Hampden Country Club 128 Wilbraham Road, Hampden, MA 01036              413) 566-3136; Fax: (413) 566-5304

300

Paula
Dubord

Panoramic views; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; wedding packages;  create-your-own menu option; two bars; dance floor. Web site:www.hampdencountryclub.com

Max’s Catering at the  Basketball Hall of Fame West Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105  (413) 746-6299; Fax: (413) 746-5559

280 500 for socials

Rachel
Bombard

Full-service banquet facilities, corporate and private; will customize events  to fit specific needs; exclusive caterer to the Basketball Hall of Fame.  Web site:www.maxrestaurantgroup.com

School Street Bistro &  Columbia Meeting House 29 School St., Westfield, MA 01085       (413) 562-8700; Fax: (413) 562-8704

250
(400 for socials)

Doreen
Vadnais

The restaurant’s Columbia Meeting House handles a wide variety of events, including corporate functions, weddings, baby and bridal showers, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, and anniversaries; also hosts performances. Web site:www.schoolstreetbistro.com

Union Station            125 A Pleasant St., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 586-5366; Fax: (413) 586-5359

225

Stephen
Godet

Full-service facility; wedding packages and planning; bridal suite; provides ancillary services and can custom-design menu.  Available for meetings: breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Located in century-old railroad station. Web site:www.unionstationrestaurant.com

Carriage House at the Barney Estate            200 Trafton Road, Springfield, MA 01108  (413) 787-7733; Fax: (413) 787-6770

200

Paula
Lynch

Victorian elegance for weddings, showers, receptions, business meetings, and corporate gatherings. Historic carriage house in Forest Park includes outdoor terrace, gazebo, and tent seating for 200; indoor facilities include Pecousic Villa Banquet Room and meeting rooms for business needs. Web site:www.barneycarriagehouse.com

Hotel Northampton 36 King St., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 587-8108; Fax: (413) 585-0210

200
(300 for socials)

Erinn
Fitzgerald

Full-service facility, wedding packages; can handle all details including invitations and limo booking.  Audio-visual equipment for business meetings; wireless  Internet; Newly-renovated Grand Ballroom, two additional ballrooms, two boardrooms, two restaurants. Web site:www.hotelnorthampton.com

The Baymont Inn and Suite  Road, Chicopee, MA 01013  (413) 592-9101

150

Lisa
Nai

Business meetings, conferences, social functions, restaurant and lounge, 357 Burnett conference rooms

The Federal 135 Cooper St., Agawam, MA 01001  (413) 789-1267

125

Christina
Presnal  Coffey

Banquet, off-premise catering, spoon hors d’oeuvres, private parties,  business meetings. Web site:www.thefederalrestaurant.com

Departments

The Springfield-based accounting firm Downey, Sweeney, Fitzgerald & Co., P.C., announced that Janelle A. Davenport has joined the firm as a Staff Accountant.

•••••

Nicholas DeCristofaro has been named the Director of Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property at UMass Amherst. He has served in a variety of research, technology and business leadership roles throughout his industrial career, with a primary focus on new-product development.

•••••

Bay Path College in Longmeadow announced the following:
• Sheila J. Foley has joined the full-time faculty as Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice. An adjunct professor at Bay Path for three years, she earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in criminal justice from Westfield State College and has more than 20 years experience in the field.
• June Sullivan has joined the faculty as Professor of Law and Chair of Bay Path’s Legal Studies Program.

•••••

Gene Talsky has been named Director, Small Business Development, for the Valley Community Development Corp. in Northampton. He will help low-and moderate- income and minority entrepreneurs launch their own businesses. He will also work with existing small business owners, helping them to grow their ventures. Services are available to those who live or work in Northampton or Easthampton.

•••••

The Springfield Museums announced the following:
• Michael F. Golden, President and Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., has been named a Corporator;
• Michael Matty, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at St. Germain Investment Management, has been named a Corporator, and
• Peter A. Picknelly, President of Peter Pan Bus Lines Inc., has been named a Corporator.
Golden, Matty and Picknelly will serve three-year terms.
• Re-elected to the Springfield Museums’ Board for three-year terms were Richard B. Collins, David W. Glidden, Noel R. Leary, Elsie Smith, and J. Michael Wallace, Esq.
• The annual corporators meeting was followed by the organizational meeting of the Board of Trustees at which the following officers were elected for one-year terms: J. Michael Wallace, Esq., Chairman; John M. O’Brien, III, CPA, Treasurer; Richard B. Collins, Assistant Treasurer; Frances M. Gagnon, Clerk, and David Starr, Assistant Clerk.

•••••

Francis X. McCarthy has been named to the Springfield financial services practice of Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America.

• Frank Bullard has joined the Wilbraham office, and
• Robert W. Schwaber has joined the Westfield office.

Sarah Jewell has been named General Manager of the new Homewood Suites by Hilton in Holyoke. The 114-room hotel, owned by Buffalo Lodging Associates, is scheduled to open in early 2006.

•••••

Attorney Caroline E. Nicolai of Nicolai Law Group in Springfield, recently published an article in the Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce on the treatment of women under Islamic law. She is a 2004 graduate of the Syracuse University School of Law.

•••••

Michael Behaylo has joined Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of New England as a Sales Associate in the Longmeadow office.

•••••

Kurt MacDonald has been named National Sales Manager of Janlynn Corp. in Chicopee.

•••••

American International College in Springfield announced the following:
• Judith Syner, Registrar, has been named Executive Director of Student Financial Services;
• Pauline Mortenson has been named Director of Transfer and International Admissions, and
• Denise Carmody has been named Budget Director and will continue to serve as Assistant Comptroller.

•••••

Sanjay Kumar, M.D., joined the staff of Johnson Memorial Hospital and is in practice with Enfield Orthopedics of Enfield.

•••••

Banana Publishing Inc. publisher of the Border Busters Yellow Pages community directory, announced the following:
• Christine Cox has joined the staff as Art Director;
• Bruce Beard was recently named Sales Manager;
• Samuel O’Connor, Ronny Sinn, Mark Villano, Michael Burnham, and Lindsey Palumb have joined the sales staff.

•••••

Berkshire Bank announced the following:
• Shelley K. Guyette has been named Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, and
• Ronald H. Spring has been named Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Purchasing.

Sections Supplements
RFQ Issued for Ambitious Project at Former Belchertown State School
Plans to convert the sprawling former Belchertown State School complex into a health and wellness center entered a new phase late last month, with the issuance of an RFQ, or request for statements of interest and qualifications, for the closely watched economic development initiative.

The RFQ, issued Sept. 27 by the Belchertown Economic Development and Industrial Corp. (BEDIC) and the Maryland-based Hunter Interests Inc., was distributed to approximately 400 prospective development companies across the country. It was issued to gauge interest within the development community for a project that will convert the long-abandoned property into a tourist attraction and jobs center.

While the specifics of the project will be shaped by the response from developers, plans for the site currently center around the Cold Spring Resort Hotel and Spa that would be built on a portion of a 100-acre section of the 400-acre Belchertown State School site. The hotel and spa would have a health and wellness theme and, hopefully, serve to unite many development elements of the overall project.

Some of these elements would involve new construction, while some might involve renovation of some of the 24 buildings that make up the complex, which, at its peak served more than 1,000 developmentally disabled children and adults.

The RFQ is the first step in a two-phase developer-solicitation process, said Ernest Bleinberger, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Hunter Interests, a real estate economics and financial consulting firm. The RFQ responses will be due Nov. 8, he explained, adding that the next step will be the issuance of a more-detailed request for proposals, or RFP, a step expected to occur in mid-November.

“This is basically a mixed-use project with a combination of hotel, office, retail, and other unique elements resulting from both an adaptive reuse approach and new construction on portions of the 100+ acres that are part of the master plan and development Strategy adopted by the BEDIC in August,” said Bleinberger. “The objective is to attract a development team that has both the capability to take on the overall project, which includes historic preservation and other challenges, as well as the all-important hotel development and operating piece.

“Tourism and other elements of market support are strong, not only for the hotel and spa, but for many uses that will serve the local and sub-regional population,” he continued. “We have had many verbal expressions of interest from small businesses and health professionals wishing to have a presence within this campus environment that is being created. There will be many amenities for locals, as well as for visitors from outside the area.”

During the month of October, Hunter and the BEDIC will be talking with prospective developers, coordinating site visits, providing additional background information as requested, and otherwise working to ensure a strong response to the RFQ, said Bleinberger. “In a project such as this, we would hope for perhaps a dozen qualified development companies to step forward. From there it’s a horse race to see which one is most competitive and the best fit for Belchertown.”

The health and wellness complex is the latest proposal forwarded for the complex, which closed in the early 1990s. Earlier concepts included a prison and a mix of retail and housing components.

The RFQ and future RFP will soon be available on www.Belchertown.org, the official Web site for the town of Belchertown.

Departments

Stephen M. Quink has returned to the Lending Department of North Brookfield Savings Bank as Vice President/Lending.

•••••

Ernestine “Tini” Sawicki, a broker and owner of Realty World Sawicki in Amherst, has been named recipient of the Mass. Association of Realtors® (MAR) Milton H. Shaw Distinguished Service Award for 2005. The award is presented annually to one Realtor® member or staff executive who has demonstrated leadership abilities and volunteered countless hours of personal time to serve on state association committees and participate in MAR activities.

•••••

The Bank of Western Massachusetts in Springfield announced the following:
• Tracy L. Fleming has been promoted to Business Services Officer, with responsibility for the development of new business services accounts, including payroll, merchant processing and cash management and the servicing of existing accounts.
• William A. Fontes has been promoted to Senior Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer, with responsibility for administering an existing portfolio of commercial loan accounts as well as acquiring new business in Hampshire County.
• Gail A. Goraj has been promoted to Business Services Officer, with responsibility for the development of new business service accounts, including payroll, merchant processing and cash management and the servicing of existing accounts, and
• Antonios D. Liberopoulos has been promoted to Senior Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer, with responsibility for administering an existing portfolio of commercial loan accounts as well as acquiring new business in Hampden County.

•••••

Nathan Winstanley, founder and president of Winstanley Associates in Lenox, was the guest speaker at the Western Mass. Ad Club’s Sept. 28 luncheon. Winstanley is also president and founder of Lenox SoftWorks, a software development company.

•••••

Gary E. Rosentreter, Ed.D., has been appointed Executive Director, Connecticut Quality Council (CQC), located at Rensselaer’s Hartford (Conn.) campus. CQC is associated with Rensselaer’s Centers for Professional Development.

•••••

Moriarty & Primack, P.C., Certified Public Accountants, in Springfield announced the following:
• Melissa English has been promoted to Senior Associate, and
• Stacey St. Pierre has been promoted to Senior Associate.

•••••

Attorney Dorothy Varon of Robinson Donovan, P.C., with offices in Springfield and Northampton, has been selected by the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as an “Up and Coming Lawyer.” She joined the law firm in 2002 and concentrates her practice in the areas of federal litigation, civil rights, health insurance law, publishing law and civil litigation.

•••••

 

Jeremy Redmond has recently joined Innovative Business Systems, Inc. in Easthampton. Redmond holds CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications, as well as being a Microsoft Certified Professional, Systems Administrator, and Systems Engineer (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).

•••••

Bobbi Pitkin has joined Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of New England as a Realtor in the Longmeadow office.

•••••

Jill T. Lyons has been appointed an Associate at Morrison Mahoney in Springfield. She will concentrate her practice in health law and defense of medical malpractice claims.

•••••

Matthew McDonough, formerly of Holyoke, has joined Yale-New Haven Health System as Administrative Fellow for the 2005-2006 program year.

•••••

Richard T. O’Connor has been named Legal Counsel at Holyoke Medical Center.

•••••

Karen E. Eaton has joined Martinelli, Discenza & Hannifan in Longmeadow as an Associate. She will practice in estate planning, real estate development and finance law, municipal law, and general business practice, securities law, and investment management law.

•••••

Jacqueline McNinch has joined the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency’s Home Ownership Business Development Group as a regional Business Development Officer for Western Massachusetts.

•••••

Jane E. Fountain has joined the faculty of the UMass Amherst in its Center for Public Policy and Administration and the Department of Political Science.

•••••

Christopher Camerlin has been appointed Manager of William Raveis Real Estate and Home Services in East Longmeadow.

••••••••••

Banana Publishing Inc. of Springfield announced the following:
• Christine Cox has been named Art Director;
• Bruce Beard has been named Sales Manager;
• Samuel O’Connor has been named to the Sales Team;
• Ronny Sinn has been named to the Sales Team;
• Mark Villano has been named to the Sales Team;
• Sarah Clark has been named Office Manager, and
• Donna Fein has been named Sales Representative.