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Year: 2008

Healthy Signs of Success

By
Cover 11/24/08
Cover Story
A Passion for Wellness Has HNE Moving Up the Charts
Cover 11/24/08

Cover 11/24/08

Health New England has been moving up in the national rankings of health plans — all the way to No. 1 in one agency’s ratings for customer service. While such scores are generating headlines, it’s what’s behind the attractive ratings that constitutes the real story — specifically, the company’s strong focus on wellness, healthy communities, and strong growth, and not simply the bottom line.

Peter Straley says there are a host of quantitative methods for measuring the relative success of a health care plan such as Health New England — and by that he doesn’t mean the bottom line, but rather efforts to effectively serve clients.

There are numbers, and lots of them, said Straley, the company’s president and CEO, such as those awarded in national rankings of health insurance providers, and for HNE, they’re getting lower, which is the direction of choice in such matters. On Nov. 17, U.S. News & World Report, collaborating with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), placed the company at number six out of 239 commercial health care plans; it ranked 11th three years ago and 9th in 2007. And in NCQA’s own annual report — the Quality Compass 2008 — Health New England was ranked No. 1 in terms of customer service among 160 health plans evaluated.

Meanwhile, there are some numbers that are rising — again, the desired trend — such as the totals for members (more than 100,000) and companies (more than 5,000) being served by the 22-year-old venture, and even in the number of physicians’ offices stocking a series of educational pamphlets, or comic books, created by the health plan.

They teach young people about everything from asthma to diabetes to the importance of weight control, said Straley, and they speak to the general operating philosophy that has enabled Health New England to score so well in those national rankings.

Summing it up, Straley said HNE has always focused on creating healthy communities — in every way that word can be defined — and not on the perceived role of an HMO, simply deciding what gets covered and what doesn’t.

“The true HMO was designed to take a holistic view of the person,” he explained. “It wasn’t about denying care or paying bills; it was about trying to engage you in what will make your life fuller and richer — which you can’t do unless you’re healthy, or as healthy as you can be.”

Overall, Straley attributed HNE’s success in the national rankings to its ability to listen and learn. In the case of the former, this means hearing from a host of constituencies, from individual members to business owners; from doctors to hospital administrators. And with the latter, it means observing what has worked and what hasn’t when it comes to health-plan administration and employing best practices.

In this issue, BusinessWest talks at length with Straley and others at HNE about why the company is turning heads on a national level, and how it certainly isn’t satisfied with the glowing approval ratings it has earned to date.

A Cover Story

Indeed, Pat Scheer, HNE’s Quality Operations manager, says the company wants to continue the current trend and do better than sixth in the next U.S. News/NCQA ranking. He and Straley believe that number will continue to fall due to the common denominator known as passion that they say permeates the company of some 240 employees.

These individuals, including Straley himself, know and live among the people they insure; this lack of corporate distance means feeling a personal responsibility for how well providers, employers, and consumers are treated.

“What differentiates HNE,” Straley said, “is that we really want to help people get the benefit of their health plan. Because, what’s your biggest fear? That something has just happened to you or a family member, and they’ll say, ‘oh, we don’t take that insurance here.’ We want to make sure that people are confident that, if they need their benefit, they’re going to get it. Because we’re going to see these folks on the soccer field or in the grocery store, we take it really seriously.”

It’s been this way since HNE was created in the mid-’80s amid concern from area doctors that Blue Cross’ new HMO would drain patients away from their practices—and potentially deliver lower-quality care.

A group of physicians collaborated with Michael Daly, then-CEO of the system now known as Baystate Health, and other administrators to integrate their own financing and delivery of health care through creation of a new HMO.

The result of that collaboration, said Staley, is that HNE remains sensitive to both the doctors providing the care and the employers who choose HNE for their employee insurance. “The ultimate goal is to provide high-quality health care,” he explained, “and we don’t think you can do that with a sledgehammer from either vantage point, because that’s been tried, and that’s failed.”

How these efforts to strike a needed balance and promote healthy communities become visible to the national organizations that rank health plans is another story — and Scheer’s bailiwick.

“Managed-care organizations have a choice whether or not to seek the NCQA accreditation or not,” he explained. “Back in 1991, HNE was actually the first health plan in the country to seek that accreditation level, and we’ve been accredited ever since.”

There are dozens of standards by which a health plan is judged, he said, including whether a company has a quality care committee; whether it collects data and how that data is used; how medical necessity is determined; how quickly a company responds to a patient appeal; and how the appropriateness of a provider is determined. The NCQA also asks for an additional 74 measures called HEDIS — the Health Care Effective Data and Information Set — as well as customer service surveys.

“It’s not something where we can say, ‘hey, everybody, NCQA is coming in three months, so get ready,’” Scheer explained. “They look back for a two-year period to be sure that you have quality-committee meetings. They say, ‘show me the minutes for the last 24 months. Show me that you’re taking action.’ There’s no possible way you can bluff anyone.”

All health plans are required to have the collection of their data audited, to make sure they’re adhering to the technical requirements. So while accreditation happens every three years, Scheer says documenting their efforts is a rigorous process that begins again the minute the current accreditation process is complete.

Well Done

Behind those attractive rankings are programs and operating philosophies grounded in imagination, innovation, and a commitment to the broad subject of wellness.

“I love wellness … it’s all about behavioral change, and doing what your mother said you ought to do all along,” Straley joked, adding that one of HNE’s successful wellness initiatives is that series of comic books that educate young people on health-related issues.

During their creation, the books were reviewed by medical personnel — and kids. The comic books have been distributed to pediatricians’ offices and offered to schools, and several have won National Health Information Awards.

“What we’ve found,” Straley said, “is that the pediatricians are doing a great job of explaining to mom and dad what the condition is and what the kids should do. And the kid is standing beside them getting some of it, but then they’re out on the playground and have an attack and wonder what to do.”

It’s an instance, he noted, where improving health care does not involve new science or treatment methodologies — just providing practical information in an accessible format.

It also means providing members with options, and plans specifically tailored for their changing needs.

Thus, in January of 2009, HNE will begin offering Medicare Advantage coverage for the first time. For people who are 65 and older, the Advantage plan allows them to remain within the system of their current HMO with Medicare coverage and the option to purchase additional benefits. On a day-to-day basis, the switch to some Medicare-paying benefits will be invisible to the consumer; they will experience the same health care package they had before turning 65.

“The individual who’s 64 years old and has our insurance through her employer is still the same person at 65,” said Straley. “She’s still seeing the same doctor. She still has the same issues. Nothing has changed.”

Enrollment levels in Massachusetts in Medicare Advantage plans are currently below the national average, but with HNE’s entry into the arena, that’s likely to change.

Meanwhile, HNE’s focus on overall wellness extends well beyond what would be considered traditional health care. Indeed, the company participates in the larger health of the community by supporting cultural institutions like the Springfield Symphony and museums, and helping fund and organize kids’ programs with the Urban League.

“Quality of life,” said Straley, “is not just are you coughing, but are you healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually?” It’s not just the right thing to do, he added — it also makes financial sense to support other businesses and the quality of life in Springfield and surrounding areas.

The company has become involved in the issue of homelessness for both reasons, helping raise money for a new resource center that will break ground next spring, eventually providing around-the-clock counseling, medical care, and other support services to homeless individuals.

“I think that it’s a failing of society when we don’t take care of people who are most in need,” Straley told BusinessWest. “This is not something you should blame people for — you need to provide help. But I’m also interested in economic development, and if we have people panhandling on the streets, it does not reflect well on Springfield.”

Turning again to the challenges being faced on a national level in caring for people’s health and well-being, Straley said HNE is already confronting the central issue that health plans will face as more people are insured: how to change the delivery of services to accommodate demand. “As you get more experienced, you literally can do more with less,” he said, offering an example: “If you do group information sessions rather than individual sessions, you’re dealing with 80% of the solution for 10 people all at once, and that creates capacity. There are pieces that you want to keep individual, but there are behavioral pieces that could be done differently.”

As a self-described “walking billboard for the company” (he often wears HNE logos), Straley expects people to approach him with questions. He listens, gives them his card, and says he’ll get somebody on it. It’s part of his belief that communication is at the core of the company’s success. “We try really hard to communicate clearly. We’ll try anything. We’ll write comic books! We’ll send you a memo! It doesn’t mean we’re always successful, but it’s the way you’d want a friend sitting across the table to tell you, ‘well, here’s how it works.’

“As you can tell, I’m so proud of what the people in this company do,” he continued, “and how connected they are to the communities that we serve, and just how passionate they are about not wanting to be the big, bad HMO the way the industry gets painted. We’re really different, and they care about that. We’re committed to what we do, and we know how important people’s health is. At the end of the day, if your health isn’t good, the rest doesn’t matter a whole lot.”

The Bottom Line

Returning to the subject of numbers, Straley said HNE passed the 100,000-member plateau two years ago, and has been enjoying steady, controlled growth since — a pattern he desires.

“I don’t want explosive growth,” he explained. “I want steady growth where we can manage the quality of the product we deliver.”

If one does that, he said, the numbers, including those in the customer service rankings, should take care of themselves.

Turnaround Stories

By
Steve Lang
Sections Supplements
For Area Printers, the Issues Are Supply and Demands
Steve Lang

Steve Lang says maintaining a diversified range of products and services helps printers compete even when the economy slows.

Print may be a static medium, but the printing business shouldn’t be, says Kevin Kervick.

That’s why, when he spoke with BusinessWest recently about the state of the printing industry in Western Mass., Kervick, president of Bassette Printers in Springfield, spent most of his time talking about what happens to a product after it rolls off the press.

“We’ve greatly expanded our services beyond ink on paper into the latest generation of digital printing and complete inventory-fulfillment programs,” he said, most notably a mailing service that, he said, gives Bassette an edge over other companies.

“It’s a very complicated business to be in — the domestic mail manual is as thick as the IRS regulations — and understanding postage is a daunting process; you’re in it with both feet, or you’re not in it at all, and we’re in it with both feet,” he explained. But the upside is the ability to save clients significant dollars on postage, which can be a large percentage of a project’s cost.

“Often, the postage can far exceed the cost of the printing itself,” Kervick explained, noting that he recently lowered a customer’s cost for a single mailing from $56,000 to $22,000. Some of the requirements for low-cost, pre-sort bulk mail, such as where the address must be placed and how much room to leave for bar coding, can be worked into the graphic design of a marketing piece itself.

“The customer can avoid paying huge penalties in terms of postage, so he can save much more than working with someone who charges 5% less for printing,” he added. “That’s part of providing an integrated base of service to the marketplace, connecting the dots for customers.”

It’s a story being told in different ways by area printers: the need to provide something extra in a market that has gradually tightened over the past decade or so, but has not yet been dramatically affected by the general economic bloodletting of recent months.

“We haven’t seen a slowdown yet, although I’m not overly optimistic that we won’t see one,” said Susan Goldsmith, president of Marcus Printing in Holyoke. “It is a concern going forward. This market is so volatile and so fast-moving that it might be upon us before we can anticipate it’s coming.”

Part of the reason for that has to do with customer demands regarding turnaround time, which has made it more difficult for printers to spread work out and plan for the long term.

“The average turnaround used to be two weeks, and now it’s four days,” said Goldsmith. “Your backlog is completely different, and it makes it harder to know what business will be like over the next several weeks. You don’t know who’s going to want what.”

While the news in the industry hasn’t been bad, exactly, local printers aren’t taking anything for granted. In this issue, BusinessWest rolls off the press with a look at why players are concerned, and why there is also plenty of optimism for those who keep up with the latest trends.

Don’t Stop the Presses

Steve Lang has heard the bad news on TV before.

“I’ve been in business a long time, and I remember a recession back in the ’80s,” said Lang, president of Curry Printing in West Springfield. “I’m not an economist, and I try to ignore the fact that there’s a recession. I tell people, ‘I’m not participating in whatever recession you might be having; I’m too busy getting things done.’”

That’s a relative term, Lang admitted, noting that when it comes to the drop in business that followed 9/11 — a phenomenon that affected many U.S. industries — his volume of business never rebounded fully, although it has gradually improved since then, a report echoed over the years by other area printers who have spoken with BusinessWest. “I haven’t noticed any drastic changes recently with the talk of a recession.”

The recession, most analysts say, has become more than just talk. Andrew Paparozzi, an economist with the National Assoc. of Printing Leadership, noted that U.S. gross domestic product, after adjusting for inflation, fell at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the third quarter, with deep cuts in consumer spending, while the latest consensus from Blue Chip Economic Indicators shows GDP declining another 1.1% in the fourth quarter, all of which will eventually impact printers.

“The first quarter of 2009 is expected to be essentially flat, declining 0.1%,” he said. “According to the consensus, the economy begins to edge higher in subsequent quarters, but growth remains subpar. Given current conditions, this is probably the best we can hope for.”

Still, said Kervick, “in terms of the general economy, we haven’t seen any slowdown. We’re fairly busy, and we have been right through the summer up to now.

However, “printing tends to be a lagging indicator in the marketplace,” he added. “Corporations tend to set their budgets a year in advance. We’re coming to the end of the year, and from what we can see from our large corporate client base, they haven’t gone into any kind of emergency budget reserve. We haven’t seen any kind of change in the marketplace. Now, what comes down in 2009 in terms of corporate budgets remains to be seen. I’ve had a few conversations with customers who aren’t looking to make major cuts, but I haven’t had that conversation very deeply into our account base.”

Even if economic recovery is around the corner, said Paparozzi, the ongoing economic turmoil in the U.S. can’t help but affect the printing business, even if the hit arrives later than for other industries due to that “lagging indicator” factor. And, indeed, national figures are already highlighting a slowdown.

“This year, sales of the commercial printing industry will record their first decline since 2003, with a drop somewhere in the vicinity of 2% to approximately $88 billion,” Paparozzi said, adding that “prospects for next year are not shaping up to be any better.”

Meanwhile, Joe Webb, co-founder of PrintForecast.com, noted recently that, even in good economic times, the 10-year trend has been a downward one in printing, with those companies that continue to invest in the newest technology having a decided advantage in a tightening market.

“The biggest pressure in the industry is on small shops; many new technologies have high price tags that are beyond their reach,” Webb noted. “Office superstores are strong competitors because of their superior retail locations and brand recognition, even though service is less personal and interactive than dealing with small commercial printers. Digital-printing companies will do well if they fully exploit the new way of doing business that sector requires.”

Forward Inking

That’s a lesson that Lang, like other area companies, has taken to heart. In order to stay competitive, he said, Curry has diversified its offerings over the years.

“Our meat and potatoes, printing of invoices and things like that, if we had stuck with only those things, we’d be in serious trouble,” he told BusinessWest. “But we diversified into different aspects of digital printing. We added on a sign business. So in that way, we’ve been growing.”

Goldsmith, too, understands the importance of offering more than just traditional printing services to an ever-more-demanding customer base.

“The new thing is digital printing, variable printing, one-to-one communications,” she said. “Instead of doing a mass mailing to 10,000 customers, we can personalize it so that each one coming off the press can be completely different and targeted directly at each customer.”

It’s one example, she said, of the fact that print marketing still offers solid business opportunities — advertising hasn’t all gone the way of the Internet and broadcast media — but that printers who want to take advantage need to offer something extra, such as individualized direct mail. “That’s a new technology we’ve really embraced in the last year and a half,” Goldsmith said, “and I think it’s helping to drive business in the door, and is one of the reasons we haven’t seen as much of the slowdown as we might expect.”

One thing printers also haven’t seen is relief from high materials costs, which soared along record oil prices earlier this year but have stubbornly refused to come back down — a story being repeated in other industries, such as grocery stores.

“Because of the price of gas, we’ve seen steady increases in the cost of paper,” Lang said. “The funny thing is, now gas prices are coming down, but the paper prices are staying the same. I’m sure that’s a trend that plenty of other businesses are seeing, with whatever supplies they’re purchasing.”

But at the end of the day, he said, it’s just another hassle in an industry that continues to see plenty of opportunities along with the challenges.

“When things get really slow here, when the pipeline starts to dry up, we might start to worry,” Lang said. “But things always seem to pick up.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

How Not to Make the Recession, or Depression, Worse

By
Opinion

Here are some signs of the times as a dreary 2008 comes to a close and a 2009 cloaked in anxiety and uncertainty sets to begin:

  • Safe sales are up. Many retail outlets reported a run on the metal vaults this fall as people sought ways to feel secure about what to do with their money; people must be putting such acquisitions to use, because by the end of June, domestic bank deposits had slipped by nearly $40 billion;
  • The Boston Globe prints an “Economic Survival Guide.” Headlines on the various pieces range from “Deal with getting laid off” to “Get by working part-time” to “Share bad news with your kids.”
  • Increasing use of the word depression — not the medical term, but the economic term. (Well, both, actually.) Usually put to use in clauses such as ‘worst since the Great Depression,’ the term has been employed more often lately to describe what may come to pass in 2009. FYI: Webster’s Collegiate defines depression as “a period of low general economic activity marked especially by rising levels of unemployment.”

    • All this points to what could be some very difficult times ahead even in a market (here comes that line again, sorry) that doesn’t see the serious swings, up or down, that other markets experience. We suggest that elected leaders in Congress, already under a great deal of stress with regard to the economy, piece together some kind of strategy for minimizing the damage from this severe downturn.

    As we’ve said many times before, this means a focus not on gimmicks or quick fixes or knee-jerk responses, but on well-thought-out strategic initiatives that will put resources, bailout funds, or whatever we might call them to the best use.

    And one of the best places to start is not with the auto industry — although we concede that a well-orchestrated plan of support designed to change the way the Big 3 does business and not promote business as usual is needed — but rather with direct infusions to states and communities.

    Unlike businesses, these entities cannot run deficits, and when revenues decline, as they have across the board, then painful cuts have to made, reductions that could potentially make the recession, or depression, of 2009 that much worse.

    As a point of reference, recall the budget cuts announced recently by Gov. Deval Patrick. They totaled $1 billion or so, and included cuts across the board — to colleges and universities, public-safety agencies, health care providers, parks, libraries, museums, day centers, nonprofit agencies that serve the poor, the blind, and those with HIV … you name it.

    These cuts add up. Community colleges will have to lay off staff, cut programs, raise fees, or all of the above, possibly, if not probably, reducing access to education. Meanwhile, health care providers will be forced to reduce staffs (several already have in fact), and some programs, such as those provided at Providence Behavioral Hospital in Holyoke, are imperiled. (In recent years, due to falling reimbursements, Providence has become almost dependent on emergency allocations from the Commonwealth.)

    And the Bay State is not unique in these actions, not by a long shot. New York’s Gov. David Paterson recently announced more than $5 billion in cuts, and California faces a $17 billion shortfall.

    There are movements being considered to send aid directly to cities, towns, states, and households that are all in a state of crisis on par with the Big 3, and we hope these calls are heeded. While a bailout of the automakers is needed to prevent a collapse of one or more of those companies, thus facilitating full-scale depression, support to cities, towns, and states is also needed.

    If it’s not forthcoming, we’ll all probably get more practice saying ‘depression,’ and we’ll certainly need that economic survival guide.

    By
    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.

    CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

    Ford Motor Credit Company, LLC v. Hospitality Group Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of money loaned: $10,703.83
    Filed: 10/24/08

    Monica Dusseault & Stephanie Boryczka, as parents and guardian of minor Kyle Boryczka v. Bob’s Discount Furniture, LLC
    Allegation: Negligence and breach of implied warranty: $21,040.03
    Filed: 10/21/08

    GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

    Creative Office Interiors, Inc. v. PDV Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered, and breach of purchase and sales agreement: $10,7032.90
    Filed: 10/06/08

    HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

    Daniel O’Connor & Sons Inc. v. Six Flags New England
    Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered and merchandise delivered: $38,208.36
    Filed: 9/28/08

    Harleysville Insurance v. Brake King Automotive Inc.
    Allegation: Insurance premium due: $32,441.32
    Filed: 9/29/08

    KLC Inc. v. Nita Inc.
    Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $53,091.95
    Filed: 10/06/08

    HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

    Cheryl Jolana Talbot v. Michael E. Coby, DPM
    Allegation: Medical malpractice: wrong site surgery: $30,809.42
    Filed: 10/22/08

    James L. Parks, et al v. Savvas Papazoglou, M.D., et al
    Allegation: Medical malpractice:
    $1.1 million
    Filed: 10/22/08

    Kenneth Smith v. Tubed Products Inc.
    Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000
    Filed: 10/15/08

    R. Lavoie Trucking Company Inc. v. Barr Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of materials, labor, and services rendered: $220,000
    Filed: 10/16/08

    South Hadley Electric Light Dept. v.
    Berkshire Design Group Inc.
    Allegation: Negligence and breach of implied and express warranties in preparation of engineering and utility plans: $110,000
    Filed: 10/28/08

    HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

    Francis Heating & Air Conditioning v. Stony Hill Realty, LLC
    Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $12,000
    Filed: 9/25/08

    PALMER DISTRICT COURT

    Electrical Wholesalers Inc. v. R.F.L. Electric Inc.
    Allegation: Breach of contract and non-payment: $13,000.00
    Filed: 10/21/08

    SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

    84 Lumber v. Belco Construction Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $2,845
    Filed: 10/03/08

    ABC Refrigeration & Air Conditioning v. Miller Development Enterprise Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $24,238.70
    Filed: 9/20/08

    Jorge Yahdiel Lebron p/p/a Yanitza Lebron v. Bertera Chrysler Inc.
    Allegation: Minor plaintiff sustained burns from coffee on a table in defendant’s showroom: $2,671.41
    Filed: 9/16/08

    Keystone Automotive Operations Inc. v. Accessory Group of New England Inc.
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $18,805.07
    Filed: 10/03/08

    Mary Lou Sanborn v. Greg’s Electrical Service
    Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,057.95
    Filed: 9/18/08

    Palazzesi Realty v. Pet Resorts International LLC
    Allegation: Non-payment of rent: $6,600
    Filed: 9/19/08

    By
    Departments

    ‘Race and Entrepreneurial Success’

    Nov. 25: Dr. Robert W. Fairlie will discuss “Race and Entrepreneurial Success” at noon as Western New England College’s Law & Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship as part of its ongoing lecture series. The gathering is planned in the S. Prestley Blake Law Center on Wilbraham Road in Springfield. Fairlie’s main research interests include ethnic and racial patterns of business ownership and performance, entrepreneurship, access to technology and the ‘Digital Divide,’ immigration, and education. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and a B.A. from Stanford University. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call (413) 796-2030 or visit www.law.wnec.edu/ lawandbusiness.

    Moonlight Magic in Shelburne Falls

    Nov. 28: A family event titled “Moonlight Magic” takes over Shelburne Falls to start the holiday shopping season from 4:30 to 10 p.m. The event coincides with the annual “Holiday Lighting of the Village.” Highlights include sidewalk carolers, sidewalk sales, arts events, and craft demonstrations. There will also be vendor tables along the sidewalks with local nonprofit groups selling holiday wreaths, baked goods, and crafts, and the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum will be open. Live music and roving performers will round out the evening’s festivities, as well as a visit from Santa who will set up shop in the Shelburne Senior Center. For more information, visit www.sftm.org.

    ‘Internet for the Other 5 Billion’

    Dec. 2: Andrew McLaughlin, head of Global Public Policy and Government Affairs for Google Inc., and Ethan Zuckerman, researcher at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, will present a lecture titled “Internet for the Other 5 Billion” at 7:30 p.m. in Hooker Auditorium at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley. For more information, call (413) 538-2209. The event is free and open to the public.

    ‘Nutcracker and Sweets’

    Dec. 5: Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke will host the Mass. Academy of Ballet and members of the Ballet Educational Training Association in its production of “Nutcracker and Sweets” at 6 p.m. Through narration and dance, the story of the Nutcracker will come alive in the historic setting of Wistariahurst on Cabot Street. The production will be staged as it may have taken place in Holyoke in the 1890s. A dessert reception of sweets will follow the performance. Tickets are $10; children 12 and younger will be admitted free. Space is limited, and early registration is advised. For more information, call (413) 322-5660 or visit www.wistariahurst.org.

    Holiday Pops

    Dec. 6 and 7: The Springfield Symphony Orchestra will take audiences back to a traditional Christmas season in New England at 8 p.m. on Dec. 6 and 3 p.m. on Dec. 7 in Symphony Hall. Guest conductor Matthew Savery will lead the orchestra and chorus, and Morton Shames, cantor emeritus of Temple Beth El, will bring greetings of Chanukah. Concert highlights also include a singalong. For ticket information, call (413) 733-2291 or visit www.springfieldsymphony.org.

    The Creative Economy

    Dec. 9: The Studio Arts Building at UMass Amherst will be the setting for an informative program on how the ‘creative economy’ plays an increasingly important role in Western Mass., in job creation, revenue growth, and quality of life. Speakers will be artists Josh Simpson and Scott Prior, who will speak about their work and their marketing efforts, beginning at 6 p.m. The cost is $25. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org.

    RTC Meeting

    Dec. 11: The Regional Technology Corp. (RTC) will stage is 1st Annual “All Networks” Convergent Meeting at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House starting at 7:30 a.m. The event with feature a keynote address and follow-up Q&A called “A Conversation with Scott Kirsner, The Innovative Economy.” Kirsner is the nationally known Boston Globe columnist who will discuss the challenges to be faced by the innovative economy in 2009. The half-day event will also feature a panel discussion with venture investors and entrepreneurs. The program is free to RTC members, and $75 for non-members. For more information, call (413) 755-1301; [email protected].

    By
    Departments

    The following building permits were issued during the month of November 2008.

    AGAWAM

    V & F Realty
    443 Springfield St.
    $75,000 – Construct an addition to rear of building

    AMHERST

    Bank of America
    390 College St.
    $27,000 – Alterations to bank facility

    CHICOPEE

    Con-way Transportation Services
    106 New Lombard Road
    $3,500,000 – Construct new building that will function as service center for tractors and trailers

    GREENFIELD

    PDV Inc.
    278 Main St.
    $33,000 – Installation of fire protective signaling system

    Peter C. Mackin
    405 Deerfield St.
    $4,000 – Erection of a carport garage/display

    Summit Distributing, LLC
    109 Mohwak TL
    $30,000 – Remove and replace existing roof system

    HOLYOKE

    Bayview Financial
    345-363 Dwight St.
    $200,000 – Emergency exterior repairs

    Pasel Bimal
    54 Canal St.
    $80,000 – New 1200-square-foot addition

    LUDLOW

    Millerwood Properties Inc.
    40 Miller St.
    $6,200 – Alterations

    NORTHAMPTON

    Bennet & Lilly Gaev
    19 Center St.
    $289,000 – Repair fire damage first and second floor

    Cooley Dickinson Hospital
    30 Locust St.
    $65,000 – Renovations to business office

    Coolidge Center LLC
    225 King St.
    $1,839,500 – Construct 11,640-square-foot retail pharmacy building

    Donald & Lisa Muccino
    220 King St.
    $10,450 – Install new roof

    McDonald’s Corporation
    221 King St.
    $30,000 – Remodel interior to install beverage machine

    Nonotuck Mill LLC
    29 Nonotuck St.
    $18,000 – Construct interior partitions and handicap ramp

    		  

    Raymond Rice
    45 Maple St.
    $4,400 – Install second-floor door and egress

    SOUTHWICK

    T.A.D.Z. Realty LLC
    65 Hudson Dr.
    $259,000 – Erect wood framed pre-engineered structure

    Westfield Gas & Electric
    Route 57
    $101,500 – Construct new concrete and pre-fab building for meter and regulations equipment

    SPRINGFIELD

    A.I.C.
    963 State St.
    $10,000 – Replace dining services ramp

    Bank of America
    1724 Boston Road
    $38,000 – Improvements at entry, safe deposit, and teller area

    City of Springfield
    367 Hancock St.
    $4,000 – Renovate old nurse’s offices to art gallery

    Fan Cheng Li
    906 Boston Road
    $41,000 – Modify into a Chinese take-out restaurant

    Filler Bridge, LLC
    1551 Main St.
    $20,000 – New tenant fit up on second floor

    Infusion Plus Inc.
    1 Stafford St.
    $10,000 – Renovations

    WESTFIELD

    Easthampton Savings Bank
    85 Broad St.
    $19,000 – Install a handicap ramp

    Transcom Tech
    53 Mainline Dr.
    $22,750 – New windows

    WEST SPRINGFIELD

    Bank of America
    225 Memorial Ave.
    $22,000 – Install handicap ramp

    Fred L. Aaron
    1680 Riverdale St.
    $15,000 – Install two new bathrooms on second floor

    Slavic Pentacostal Church Inc.
    2611 Westfield St.
    $27,500 – Interior remodel

    Town of West Springfield
    76 Central St.
    $30,000 – Erect a drop-ceiling

    By
    Departments

    NUVOFest

    On Nov. 13, NUVO Bank, the region’s newest financial institution, staged a day-long party — NUVOFest — to celebrate its arrival in Western Mass. A host of events were held in and around the bank’s headquarters in Tower Square, including a ‘money drop,’ below, featuring ‘NUVO dollars’ exchanged for prizes up to $1,000 for one lucky winner. There was a traditional ribbon-cutting featuring the bank’s principals, at right, Jeff Sadler (left) and Jim Gardner. Below right, Gardner addresses those gathered for a reception and champagne toast in the evening, while two of the ‘Silver Women’ strike a pose — in this case the NUVO logo.

    Entrepreneurship Summit

    On Nov. 12, Bay Path College held its annual Innovative Thinking & Entrepreneurship Summit. The event featured a number of speakers and breakout sessions. At left, Paul DiGrigoli, founder and president of DiGrigoli Salons, leads the breakout session called “Conquer Today’s Challenges.” At right, Susan Soloman, assistant professor of Business at Pay Path, addresses the audience.

    By
    Departments

    Hampden Bank Opens Second Longmeadow Branch

    SPRINGFIELD — Hampden Bank will soon open its ninth full-service branch office at 916 Shaker Road, and officials are planning a grand-opening celebration in early 2009. The branch office is the bank’s second office in Longmeadow. The 2,400-square-foot facility will have a modern look and will offer customers several state-of-the-art conveniences, including drive-thru banking services, a drive-up ATM, and two teller stations with cash recyclers for speed, accuracy, and security. In addition, the facility will have an after-hours conference room available for local community organizations to use for meetings and events. For information, visit www.hampdenbank.com. Hampden Bank has office locations in Springfield, Agawam, Longmeadow, West Springfield, Wilbraham, Indian Orchard, and Tower Square in downtown Springfield.

    MassMutual Pledges Fuel-assistance Grants to Salvation Army

    SPRINGFIELD — Local families will be getting some much-needed help in paying their heating bills this winter since the Salvation Army of Greater Springfield and Enfield, Conn. will each be receiving a $15,000 fuel-assistance grant from MassMutual Financial Group of Springfield. MassMutual’s contribution will enable the Salvation Army to help nearly 400 area residents keep the heat on in their homes. The Good Neighbor Energy Fund provides energy assistance to residents in temporary crisis who are struggling to pay their energy bills and do not qualify for federal or state energy funds. Trish Robinson, senior vice president of strategic communications and community responsibility, and deputy head of government relations for MassMutual, noted during a press conference that MassMutual was pleased to assist the Salvation Army to help families who are in need. She added that, since some area residents have never had to ask for assistance before, MassMutual was honored that it could help with this cause.

    Silvana.Net Designs Web Site for Holyoke

    HOLYOKE — The City of Holyoke recently unveiled a comprehensive municipal Web site that makes it easy for residents, visitors, and businesses to access information about the city and its services. The new site was designed by Silvana.Net, a Northampton Web-design firm. Located at www.holyoke.org, the site has been completely revamped to keep pace with Holyoke’s expected growth, according to Mayor Michael Sullivan. The new site is part of a three-year commitment by Sullivan and the City Council to significantly upgrade the city’s information-technology infrastructure. Additionally, a customized content-management system allows city departments to easily update pages. Silvana.Net trained approximately 60 city employees on how to update information about their departments on the Web site. The site also features sections on every municipal department, along with information about tourism attractions for visitors. Among other useful features is one that allows snow days, changes in trash collection, and parking bans to be easily and quickly posted on the home page.

    Bank Gives Hospital $40,000

    WARE — A $40,000 gift from Country Bank for Savings has enabled Baystate Mary Lane Hospital to purchase a sterilizer for the Surgical Services Department, allowing staff to use the sterile processing area more efficiently. The Steris washer/disinfector has made the cleaning and processing of surgical instruments more cost-efficient by allowing staff to process larger amounts of instruments at one time, which in turn decreases one’s exposure to contaminants, according to Norma Berthiaume, manager of Surgical Services. Donations from Country Bank for Savings over the years have assisted the hospital in purchasing state-of-the-art mammography and X-ray technology and orthopedic equipment, as well as renovating the hospital’s Surgical Services Suite.

    Sovereign Consulting Opens Office in Open Square

    HOLYOKE — Sovereign Consulting Inc., a growing environmental consulting and remediation company, announced recently that it has relocated its Amherst office to space in Holyoke’s Open Square. Sovereign will lease 3,500 square feet of space at suite 307 in the redeveloped former mill complex. Sovereign, which was recently ranked by ZweigWhite as No. 35 among the top 200 fastest-growing environmental businesses, provides environmental assessment, investigation, design, and construction services throughout the Northeast.

    By
    Departments

    Joseph Wojnas of Hatch Mott MacDonald in Holyoke has obtained his Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation. Wojnas is a Physical Engineer and works as a project manager on municipal infrastructure and natural-gas pipeline projects.

    •••••

    Todd M. Crevier, a real-estate Sales Professional, recently joined Keller Williams Realty and will be working in the Longmeadow office.

    •••••

    Amy Egan has joined the Enfield, Conn. office of Prudential Connecticut Realty as a Sales Executive.

    •••••

    Dr. Pikeshkumar Patel has joined the practice of Baystate Medical Practices – Greenfield Gastroenterology. Patel, a Gastroenterologist, is on the medical staff at Baystate Franklin Medical Center.

    •••••

    Wendy M. Murakami has been appointed Wellness Coordinator at Ruth’s House, a program of Jewish Geriatric Services. Ruth’s House is an assisted-living residence.

    •••••

    Joe Moleski has been named by Penske Truck Leasing to the newly created position of Vice President/Sustainability.

    •••••

    Speech Therapist Natalie Powers has joined the Rehabilitation Department at Baystate Rehabilitation Care located at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware.

    •••••

    Chicopee Savings Bank announced the following:
    • Kerri Herzig has joined the bank as Assistant Vice President-Financial Reporting, and
    • Lloyd Hall has joined the bank as an Internal Auditor.

    •••••

    Don Rivard of Rivard’s Resources: IPM was recently recognized as a “Boston Hero at Home” by the Boston Public Health Commission. The award represents contributions to improving the health and quality of life for Boston residents, particularly those with asthma. Rivard is a former resident of Springfield.

    •••••

    Terry Ianello, owner and operator of Terry Etc. Hair & Nails Salon in Springfield, has recently returned from a five-day trip to France. Ianello was one of 12 hair designers across the United States invited as guests of Rene Furterer, the hair-care division of French pharmaceutical giant Pierre Fabre.

    •••••

    Environmental Compliance Services Inc. has named Michael Murdzia as a Senior Project Manager.

    •••••

    The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts announced the following:
    • Elizabeth D. Scheibel has been named the new Chair of the Board. Scheibel is the Massachusetts District Attorney for the Northwestern District;
    • Sandy Belden, retired President of the Community Bank of Syracuse, has been named to the Board;
    • Dianne Doherty, Regional Director of the Mass. Small Business Development Center, has been named to the Board;
    • Sue Lobello, former Chair of the Board of The Food Bank of Western Mass., has been named to the Board;
    • Steve Mitus, Executive Vice President of Balise Auto Sales, has been named to the Board, and
    • Jay Primack, Managing Partner of Moriarty and Primack, P.C., has been named to the Board.

    •••••

    William B. Meyer Inc. has named Mike Humen to serve as Director of Business Development.

    •••••

    Adam D. Raczkowski has been appointed President of W. F. Young Inc. of East Longmeadow. Raczkowski is only the third president in the company’s history who is a non-family member.

    •••••

    The Children’s Study Home announced the following:
    • Shawn M. deVillier, Senior Vice President of Investments at Raymond James in Springfield, has joined the Board of Directors, and
    • Dale Desmarais, General Sales Manager at Grynn and Barrett in Holyoke, has joined the Board of Directors.

    •••••

    Vascular and interventional radiologist Dr. George Hartnell has joined the medical staff of Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.

    •••••

    Ronn Johnson, Director of Community Responsibility at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company in Springfield, will become a member of the Early Education for All (EEA) Campaign’s advisory committee. EEA is a coalition of leaders from business, early childhood, labor, religion, health care, education, and philanthropy, working in partnership with families, grass-roots leaders, and state policymakers to make high-quality early-education available to every Massachusetts child.

    •••••

    Todd Peetros has been named an Account Executive at Integrity Graphics Inc. of Windsor, Conn. He will be responsible for sales and the development of targeted markets.

    •••••

    John Mankowski has been appointed to Manager of Engineering for Convergent Lasers at PRIMA North America Inc, the North American subsidiary of PRIMA INDUSTRIE S.p.A., Torino, Italy.

    •••••

    The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the following:
    • Greg Chiecko, Sales Director at the Eastern States Exposition, will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors;
    • Peter Rosskothen, Owner of The Log Cabin & Delaney House, will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors;
    • Joseph Carvalho, President and Executive Director of the Springfield Museums Assoc., will serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors;
    • John Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors;
    • Carolyn Edwards, Senior Marketing Director of Prime Outlets, has been named to a two-year term on the Board of Directors;
    • Debra Flynn, Owner of Eastside Grill, has been named to a two-year term on the Board of Directors;
    • Robert Gilbert, President and CEO of Dowd Insurance, has been named to a two-year term on the Board of Directors;
    • Harlan Kent, President and COO of Yankee Candle Company, has been named to a two-year term on the Board of Directors;
    • Larry Litton, Park President, Six Flags New England, has been named to a two-year term on the Board of Directors;
    • Bruce Nable, President, SER Expo Services, has been named to a two-year term on the Board of Directors, and
    • Christina Pappas, President, Open the Door Communications, has been named to a two-year term on the Board of Directors.
    Members of the Board of Directors who have been nominated to serve an additional two-year term include:
    • Stu Hurwitz, Owner of the former Rein’s Deli;
    • William Rogalski, General Manager of the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside;
    • Robert Schwarz, Vice President of Peter Pan Bus Lines, and
    • Daniel Walsh, Vice President and Managing Director of Columbus Hotels.
    The following individuals, whose terms will expire in 2009, will remain on the Board of Directors:
    • John Hesslein, Station Manager of CBS-3 Springfield;
    • Matt Hollander, General Manager of the MassMutual Center;
    • Kevin Kennedy, Communications Director at Museums10/Five Colleges, Inc.;
    • Bruce Landon, President and General Manager of the Springfield Falcons Hockey Club;
    • Judith Matt, President of the Spirit of Springfield;
    • Tim O’Brien, President of Scorpio Communications;
    • Shardool Parmar, Co-owner of the Pioneer Valley Hotel Group;
    • Paul Picknelly, President of Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel;
    • Rod Warnick, Hospitality Tourism Management Department Head at the UMass Amherst, and
    • Lenny Weake, President of the Quaboag Valley Chamber of Commerce.

    •••••

    Winners of the 2008 Pacesetter Awards were recently announced by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce as follows:
    • CRA Inc. was named Small Business of the Year;
    • Conklin Office Furniture Inc. received the Pacesetter Award;
    • Square One received the Non-Profit Operational Excellence Award, and
    • Western Mass. Enterprise Fund Inc. received the Business Advocate of the Year Award.

    By
    Departments

    Bay Path Receives NSF Awards

    LONGMEADOW — The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded a grant of $505,920 to Bay Path College to support scholarships and activities to attract and retain undergraduate women, in particular minority students, in biology, biotechnology, and forensic science. A primary goal of the grant will be to ensure that academically talented but financially challenged students who wish to pursue a career in the sciences will receive a scholarship and other financial assistance. Scholarship grants of up to $10,000 per year for four years will be available to academically qualified students. Additionally, work-study and research internships in a student’s given field of interest will be funded, allowing her to develop valuable career experience while earning money. Also, a book fund will be established to aid students in purchasing increasingly expensive science textbooks. The college will make its first awards for spring 2009. Bay Path President Carol A. Leary noted that, as part of the college’s five-year plan, focusing on significant investments in science education also coincides with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick taking steps to secure the state a global position in the life sciences and biotechnology industry with a $1 billion, 10-year Life Sciences Bill that has been signed by the state Senate and House. With this grant, Bay Path students will be well-positioned to take advantage of job opportunities as a result of this important initiative for Massachusetts, added Leary.

    Hampden Bancorp Declares Dividend

    SPRINGFIELD — Officials at Hampden Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Hampden Bank, recently announced that net income for the three months ended Sept. 30 was $47,000, as compared to $521,000 for the same period in 2007. The decrease in net income was primarily the result of an increase in the provision for loan losses of $422,000 for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared to the same period in 2007. The increase in the provision for loan losses is due to increases in loan delinquencies, growth in the loan portfolio, and general economic conditions, according to bank officials. The company’s total assets increased by $7.7 million, or 1.4%, from $543.8 million at June 30 to $551.5 million at Sept. 30. Deposits increased $12.1 million, or 3.6%, to $343.5 million at Sept. 30, from $331.4 million at June 30. In other news, the board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per common share, payable on Nov. 26 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 12.

    Seahorse Labware Expands

    CHICOPEE — Seahorse Labware recently leased 3,750 square feet of additional space at its 300 Griffith Road site to accommodate growth, according to company officials. Initially, the additional space will be for warehouse use; however, officials note that the space may be converted for lab or manufacturing processes over time. Seahorse now occupies 30,000 square feet in the multi-tenant facility in Westover Airpark North, managed by Development Associates of Agawam. Seahorse services the life-sciences industry with instruments and consumable labware products for biological research and drug discovery.

    MassMutual Approves $1.35B Dividend

    SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company recently approved the payment of approximately $1.35 billion in dividends to eligible participating policyholders in 2009. The payout reflects a dividend interest rate of 7.6% on new eligible participating life-insurance policies. MassMutual, as a mutual company, is owned by its policyholders, meaning they share in the ownership of the company. Customers who purchase participating products from MassMutual receive an equitable share of a portion of the company’s divisible surplus in the form of dividends as approved by MassMutual’s Board of Directors each year. Company officials note that MassMutual has consistently paid dividends since the 1860s.

    Peter Pan Celebrates 75th; Driver Saluted

    SPRINGFIELD — Peter Pan Bus Lines driver Everett Anderson, who recently completed his 38th year of accident-free driving, was honored Nov. 5 for his accomplishment at the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield breakfast. Peter Pan’s 75th anniversary was also saluted at the morning affair. As a surprise for Anderson, a new model Peter Pan coach was unveiled with a wrap reading “Three Million Miles of Accident-Free Driving — Everett Anderson.” Anderson is one of a handful of motorcoach or commercial truck drivers nationwide to become a 3 million-mile safe driver, according to the National Safety Council. He is the second Peter Pan motorcoach operator to reach this milestone. A city resident, Anderson began driving for Peter Pan in 1970. During his tenture, he has received its highest honor, the Peter C. Picknelly Founder’s Award for excellence and the Mrs. Picknelly Sr. Award – Driver of the Year. Peter Pan serves more than 100 communities throughout the northeast corridor with daily express scheduled service, including Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, and Washington, D.C.

    Business Assists Local Families

    HOLYOKE — Employees of Ace Fire and Water Restoration Inc. recently donated toys and books to the local Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in the city. A wooden activity center, blocks, and Sesame Street books were among the donated items. Ace co-owner Gary Brunelle noted that his company was “very pleased” to present the toys and books to an important resource for local families. “Suffering property damage is especially stressful when young children are involved — this was a no-brainer,” he added.

    Pacesetter Award Winners Named

    HOLYOKE — Winners of the 2008 Pacesetter Awards were recently spotlighted at an awards breakfast, sponsored by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. The honorees were CRA Inc. as Small Business of the Year; Conklin Office Furniture, Inc., Pacesetter Award; Square One, Non-Profit Operational Excellence Award; and Western Mass. Enterprise Fund Inc., Business Advocate of the Year. Pacesetter Committee Chair Kathleen Buckley of Holyoke Medical Center noted that Holyoke has an abundance of small companies and nonprofit organizations that are highly successful and meeting challenges daily through ingenuity and outstanding management practices.

    Sunshine Village Relocates

    WESTFIELD — Sunshine Village, a nonprofit organization that cares for individuals with developmental disabilities, recently relocated its day-habilitation program to 74 Franklin St. Donna Erickson, program manager for the satellite location, noted that the new space offers more room for training and activities and is a more convenient location for most of its participants. In addition to its headquarters and worksite in Chicopee as well as the Westfield site, the organization maintains day-hab programs in West Springfield, Holyoke and Three Rivers. As part of its program, participants learn fundamental life skills, participate in self-help activities, and work to build a greater sense of self-worth. An open house is planned during the holiday season to introduce the program to the public.

    Student Prince Is ‘Legendary Restaurant’

    SPRINGFIELD — Each fall for the past 13 years, Gourmet has published a special restaurant issue that explores the newest trends in restaurants. This fall, Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl wanted the October edition to be “different.” She noted on the Gourmet Web site that her staff went looking for a few grand American restaurants that have stood the test of time. Of the 20 ‘legendary’ American restaurants that met that criteria — and still serve great food — was the Student Prince. For information on the restaurant, visit www.studentprince.com.

    New Owner at Danco/Danish Inspirations

    WEST HATFIELD — A wide selection of clearance and discontinued items at Danco/Danish Inspirations may be purchased at further reductions in price this holiday season when making a donation to the United Way of Hampshire County, according to new owner Peter Knapp. Knapp noted that, during the holidays, various suppliers of Danish Inspirations will participate with incentives on their items if donations are made. Knapp added that he feels this is a “wonderful opportunity” to make good on his commitment to offer new designs and events to benefit the community. Since 1983, Danish Inspirations at Danco Modern has specialized in contemporary furniture and accessories. For more information, visit www.dancomodern.com.

    ESB Sponsors Town Celebration

    EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton Savings Bank recently contributed $15,000 to the Town of Hadley 350th Committee to help celebrate the town’s 1659 founding. The celebration will kick off in January with a dinner dance and continue with events and programs throughout 2009, including a lecture series, workshops, a picnic, a parade, a block party, a town history day, a fair, and a road race. David Martula, co-chair of the Hadley 350th Committee, noted that without the generosity of businesses and donors, it would have been impossible to plan such a varied and comprehensive list of activities. “Thanks to our donors, our celebration will go down as one of the most memorable in our history,” he said.

    By
    Departments

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

    Abare, Margaret E.
    28 Miles Morgan Court
    Wilbraham, MA 01095
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    Andrews, Raymond L.
    69 Dalton Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Aquarius Pools & Spas
    Motta, Daniel
    Motta, AnneLee
    19 Winsor St.
    PO Box 329
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Beaudoin, Bernadette
    a/k/a Bator, Bernadette
    29 Hampden St. 2nd Fl.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/27/08

    Berube-Dearness, Karen A.
    P.O. Box 26
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/17/08

    Bourque, David A.
    Bourque, Kathleen S.
    15 Granger Place
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Bowen, Jerry P.
    164 Elizabeth Ave.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    Chicopee Computer & Networking
    Lostaglia, Patrick
    15 Erline St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    Creek, Gerald A.
    Creek, Pamela S.
    105 Reservoir Road
    Westhampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    Crouch, Margaret Othelle
    PO Box 1035
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Cunningham, William A.
    3 Wenonah Place
    Longmeadow, MA 01106
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Daniels, Edward C.
    28 Woodbine Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/20/08

    DeGray, Michelle A.
    209 Hanson Dr.
    Springfield, MA 01128
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Delgado, Olga I.
    191 Lamont St.
    Springfield, MA 01119
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Dellea, Barbara A.
    290 State Road, Apt. #3
    North Adams, MA 01247
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Demarey, Dawn Marie
    280 Rock Valley Road
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/22/08

    Devine Design
    Devine, Stephen
    Devine, Linda M.
    49 Coleman Road
    Southampton, MA 01073
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Dew, Kim M.
    a/k/a Dew, Kimberly M.
    14 Little Ave.
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Eddy, Arthur L.
    Eddy, Maryanne
    649 Prospect St., Apt. 1E
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Estremera, Sonia
    a/k/a Estremera Crespo, Sonia
    1386 Dwight St.
    Springfield, MA 01107
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Falcone, Christine M.
    20 Elizabeth St., Apt. A
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Forestier, Josefina
    1823 Roosevelt Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Gagliardi, Carol A.
    440 North St., Apt. #23
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Gagnon, Deborah Ann
    35 Kings Ter.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Gaida, Thomas A.
    699 Millers Falls Road
    Northfield, MA 01360
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Garcia, Deiby
    Garcia, Shirley A.
    24 Northwood St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Gilpatric, Alysha A.
    47 North St.
    Great Barrington, MA 01230
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Gosselin, Rhonda Lynn
    16 Rolf Ave.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Grandy, Alan T.
    272 Meadow Dr.
    Tolland, MA 01034
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Grandy, Ashley H.
    a/k/a Donnellan, Ashley H.
    272 Meadow Dr.
    Granville, MA 01034
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Gutierrez, Daniel D.
    a/k/a Gutierrez, Daniela A.
    a/k/a Cardoso, Daniela A.
    57 Myrtle St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Habib, Hamid
    32A Everett Ave.
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/16/08

    Hall, Steven C.
    395 Porter Lake Dr.
    Longmeadow, MA 01106
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Hammond, Mary M.
    a/k/a Payne, Mary M.
    511 Vernon Ave.
    P.O. Box 159
    South Barre, MA 01074
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Han, Keun S.
    33 Somers Road
    East Longmeadow, MA 01028
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    Hannula, Robert Andrew
    85 Pequoig Ave., Apt. #2
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Harris, Shawn M.
    P.O. Box 824
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Heap, Joanne Mary
    a/k/a Heap-Coughlin, Joanne M.
    1066 Frank Smith Road
    Longmeadow, MA 01106
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/22/08

    Hobert, Cynthia L.
    129 Sheehan Dr.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Horne, Leonard J.
    Horne, Pauline M.
    198 College St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Housand, Sarah L.
    P.O. Box 683
    West Warren, MA 01092
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Jewett, Dana A.
    25 Richard Eger Dr.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    Kelly, Geoffrey M.
    92 Johnson St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Kendall, Harvey A.
    Kendall, Susan J.
    21 Arnold St.
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    Kimberley, Victoria A.
    25 Leonard Ave.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    King, Peter D.
    171 Colonial Dr.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/16/08

    Kum, Roger Olston
    128 Benton St.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/16/08

    Lacascia, Matthew David
    PO Box 53
    Bondsville, MA 01009
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    		  

    Leclair, John David
    35 Kings Ter.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Lococo, Todd Michael
    430 Acrebrook Dr.
    Florence, MA 01062
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Lyon, Janet E.
    a/k/a Ladner, Janet E.
    1 Corey Colonial
    Agawam, MA 01001
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    MacNeil, Cheryl L.
    Kron, Michael P.
    15 Cooper St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Marshuk, Dawn
    8 Villone Dr., Apt. 8
    Leeds, MA 01053
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Mayock, Frederick O.
    123 Academy Dr.
    Longmeadow, MA 01106
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    McCarthy, Linda M.
    120 Ashgrove St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    McFaul, Mary Katherine
    49 Moriarty Road
    Ware, MA 01082
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Medina, Emily
    56 Springfield St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    Montanez, Michelle M.
    66 Palmer Road
    Monson, MA 01057
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Morrissette, Thomas J.
    Morrissette, Joyce M.
    84 Cooley Ave.
    East Longmeadow, MA 01028
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Murphy, Suzanne C.
    206 New Ludlow Road
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Neithercott, Peter H.R.
    356 B Hatfield St.
    Northampton, MA 01060
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Nguyen, Lien T.
    15 Glendell Ter.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Ortiz, Carlos
    Ortiz, Jeannette
    a/k/a Cortes, Jeanette
    13 Treetop Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Ovchinnikova, Liliya
    269 Chicopee St., Apt. 3
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Payne, Amanda M.
    213 Prentice St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Plouffe, Elizabeth
    13B Washburn Ave.
    Warren, MA 01083
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/22/08

    Privett, David W.
    Privett, Joanne M.
    102 Ludlow St.
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    Proulx, Maureen Ann
    PO Box 693
    Chicopee, MA 01021
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/16/08

    Ratte, Michael Joseph
    133 Highland Ave.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/22/08

    Registry Plaza Inc.
    Sundance Realty
    P.O. Box 290
    Hadley, MA 01035
    Chapter: 11
    Filing Date: 09/21/08

    Rivera, Milton Luis
    33 Parkin St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Robbins, Kelly L.
    61 East Palmer Park Dr.
    Palmer, MA 01069
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/16/08

    Rossmiller, Jennifer Klock
    a/k/a Klock, Jennifer Anne
    a/k/a Williams, Jennifer Anne
    94 Waldorf St.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Ruiz, Heliodora
    18 Whitmore Dr.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Sandifer, Regina M.
    463-B Crane Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Savoy, Cynthia T.
    68 Ogden St.
    Indian Orchard, MA 01151
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/27/08

    Smith, Eric J.
    Smith, Tammy L.
    25 White St.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/26/08

    St. Pierre, Eric S.
    164 Allen St.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    St. Pierre, Sharon M.
    24 St. Pierres Lane
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    Stevens, Nancy L.
    a/k/a Cormier, Nancy L.
    160 Second St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Therrien, Katherine M.
    a/k/a Lanoue, Katherine M.
    14 Sycamore St., Apt.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/22/08

    Tocci, Jamie
    Tocci, Tammi L.
    520 Chauncey Walker Road
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    Tophill Farm
    Shiny Pretty Things
    O’Gorman, Rochelle M.
    555 Devon Road
    Lee, MA 01238
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    Turcotte, Ralph M.
    Turcotte, Patricia M.
    5 Newton St.
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Valentine-Luszcz, Tawnya A.
    a/k/a Luszcz, Tawnya A.
    400 Maple St.
    Springfield, MA 01105
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Velastegui, Robert Leonel
    a/k/a Carrasco, Bob L.
    a/k/a Velastegui-Carrasco, Bob
    93 Highland Ave.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/29/08

    Walker, Nicholas P.
    Walker, Katie M.
    640 Britton St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/25/08

    Watkins, Gloria Jean
    59 Park St.
    Turners Falls, MA 01376
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    Weckstrom, Karl Bernhard
    Weckstrom, Mary Ann
    a/k/a Uhrmacher, Mary Ann
    256 College Highway
    Southampton, MA 01073
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/16/08

    Wells, Thomas M.
    52 Parkside Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/24/08

    White, James G.
    97 Parallel St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 09/23/08

    Whitney, Frederick M.
    2283 Baptist Hill Road
    Palmer, MA 01069
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/16/08

    Woods, William E.
    223 Park Circle
    Sturbridge, MA 01566
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/19/08

    Zeigen, Coleman Palmer
    45 Holyoke St., Apt. G
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 09/18/08

    OPINION

    By
    Opinion
    Union Station: It Does Make Sense

    I read with interest BusinessWest’s recent editorial, “Union Station: It Still Doesn’t Make Sense,” and must respectfully disagree with this conclusion. In my view, the new plan for the redevelopment of Union Station (‘Union Station II’) represents an exciting opportunity to revitalize this long-dormant landmark, and it makes great economic sense for Springfield.

    In a nutshell, the plan positions Union Station as the key regional interchange for Amtrak and commuter rail service, regional and local bus service, and taxi service. The existing run-down rail terminal would become a modern public facility. A new bus terminal with a parking garage would be built on the site of the baggage building. Office space would be provided for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) as well as the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. A day-care center would serve employees throughout the downtown area. Finally, the ADA-accessible facility will include space for transit-related retail and more office uses in the future.

    Union Station II is the result of an intensive year-long planning effort undertaken by the PVTA, the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, and the Springfield Business Development Corp. Working with HDR, an award-winning consulting firm, this team has produced a plan that resolves a number of thorny issues that plagued previous efforts.

    While it is true that Union Station II is less elaborate than earlier concepts, this new approach is both more realistic and within budget.

    Let’s take a closer look at why Union Station II makes sense:

    Enhanced transportation facilities. With the memory of $4-per-gallon gasoline fresh in our minds, the time has never been better to advance a project that will support mass transit as an alternative to over-reliance on the automobile.

    Transit-oriented development. Across the world, transit-oriented development (TOD) has emerged as a proven vehicle for achieving ‘smart growth’ by leveraging transit resources. Union Station will become a TOD anchor that will attract private investment to the area.

    Market-driven. Union Station II is well-grounded in Springfield’s real-estate market. This practical approach relies on fewer tenants that each have good reason to be located in a transit-themed facility.

    Downtown revitalization. The project will advance the cause of downtown, bringing new people to Springfield and improving the marketability of office space. It is an ongoing effort to move downtown forward, which includes a soon-to-be-announced plan for the federal building.

    Historic preservation. Union Station II will preserve one of Springfield’s most important landmarks, taking full advantage of Union Station’s architectural and historic character.

    ‘Green’ construction. The project will be undertaken on an environmentally sensitive basis. Sustainable design is expected to earn the project a ‘silver’ LEED rating.

    Financial viability. The redevelopment plan reflects strict financial discipline. It utilizes available federal financial resources and anticipates private investment as ancillary commercial space leases up.

    While it has taken longer than I would like to bring about revitalization of Union Station, the fact is that virtually every major economic development initiative involves a certain measure of uncertainty, frustration, and delay. In this case, the time spent is certainly reasonable given the complexities involved in assembling a viable project. In my view, the parties involved should be praised for their persistence in the face of multiple obstacles.

    Springfield wants and deserves a transportation center that is modern, clean, and efficient — a center that brings together various transportation options, including commuter rail and intercity bus service, in an attractive, welcoming, and customer-friendly setting. The economic and environmental benefits of a revitalized station support the promise of a brighter future for Springfield and the Pioneer Valley.

    Yes, Union Station II makes a whole lot of sense, and it deserves public support.-

    U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal represents the Second District of Massachusetts.

    It’s Time for America to Get Its Swagger Back

    By
    Opinion

    All presidential elections are drawn out, trying, divisive processes, but this one was even more so — on every score.

    It seems like it’s taken forever to reach this point, and the ugliness factor involved in choosing our next president has set a standard that will be hard to match. But through it all, we seem to have reached something approaching consensus — an electoral count of 349 to 163, at press time, allows us to use that word — that Americans want not simply change but better leadership, and they believe Barack Obama can provide it.

    Let’s hope he can.

    Because this country has lost something over the past several years. For lack of a better term, we’ll call it swagger.

    The United States had, until quite recently, been respected by most of the rest of the world. It led the way when it came to innovation and entrepreneurship and bringing about positive change. All that seems gone now. The respect is certainly gone, and so, to a large degree, is that sense of entrepreneurship.

    We’re no longer watching to see if other countries can catch up to us — instead, we’re hoping to catch up to the new standards being set by other countries, especially China.

    This is one of the matters to consider as this nation enters what is always a very intriguing period, a time when the rancorous election process is behind us and people start to focus on the future and what can and should happen. We have some thoughts along those lines as well.

    Obviously, the economy is first and foremost on everyone’s minds, and the turmoil of the past few months is no doubt one of the key reasons why Obama was elected. Now, it’s his job to fix things — but it’s not only his job; the task belongs to everyone who helped create this mess and then tried to fix it with stopgap, knee-jerk responses designed primarily to keep the Dow from sliding, and they didn’t even do that.

    No, the economy can’t be fixed through $600 stimulus checks, nor with bailouts of major, and quite irresponsible, financial institutions. It will take much more than that, and perhaps the best place to start is with infusions of capital and support in programs that will generate new, well-paying jobs.

    In the ’30s, the government did this by building roads, bridges, and dams. Today, it could do it by fostering development of new energy sources and technology that will rid this country of its dependence on foreign oil and help preserve the planet for future generations.

    While making such investments, our elected leaders (not Obama all by himself) must address the annoying habit this country has of privatizing gains and socializing losses. The government enabled financial institutions to make the foolhardy moves that led to the recent meltdown, and then it bailed out those companies, or most of them, anyway. This wasn’t the first time this happened, but we hope it’s the last.

    Elected leaders can help make sure it is by somehow changing attitudes in boardrooms across the country. We need to lose the ‘quick, easy buck’ mentality — like putting people in homes even if they don’t qualify, knowing that we can make billions if we do and the government will bail us out if it all blows up — and earn money the old-fashioned way.

    In other words, corporations have to stop looking at the next batch of quarterly results and how to make them look better. They need incentives to look at and plan for the long term.

    All this is difficult, because voters are aren’t focused on the long term, either. They want the economy fixed, and they want it fixed now. They don’t want to dread opening their next 401(k) statement.

    In many respects, that’s Obama’s job — to make everyone’s 401(k) healthier. But in reality, the task is much broader and more difficult.

    He’s got to get that swagger back.-

    Planning During Changing Times

    By
    Sections Supplements
    What Several New Tax Acts Mean for Individuals and Business Owners

    In an attempt to stimulate the economy, Congress has passed several significant tax acts in 2008. Two of the acts were targeted toward special groups, while the other two were for the general taxpaying public.

    The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 carries a host of specialized tax breaks for the farming industry, while the the Hero’s Act of 2008 targets relief for members of the military and their families. The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 offers a range of tax breaks for individuals and businesses — the act allows individuals a tax rebate of various amounts based on their filing status and number of dependents claimed on their 2007 tax return that was filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Businesses are given significant tax breaks from an increase in the Section 179 depreciation limits and additional depreciation available on assets placed in service for tax years beginning in 2008.

    Lastly, Congress passed and the president signed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 into law on October 3, 2008. While this act was primarily signed into law to solve the credit crunch in the financial markets, there are some major tax provisions included in the act.

    What follows is a look at some of the highlights of these acts.

    First, the Economic Stimulus Act increase in the Section 179 expense for 2008 only. Under the Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act of 2007 (SBWOTA), the maximum Sec. 179 expense on qualifying tangible property and off-the-shelf computer software for 2008 was $128,000, and the total qualifying asset phase-out threshold was $510,000. The deduction has also been limited to the amount of taxable income from the taxpayer’s active trades or business. However, the Economic Stimulus Act increases the Sec. 179 expense amount to $250,000 and the phase-out threshold to $800,000 for tax years beginning in 2008. With the increased phase-out threshold, it is unlikely that a small business would eclipse the $800,000 phase-out level and therefore be able to deduct the full cost of assets placed in service in 2008 up to $250,000. In 2009, the limits will revert back to the SBWOTA limits adjusted for inflation.

    The Economic Stimulus Act also amends the Code to allow taxpayers to take ‘bonus depreciation’ in 2008. The rules are similar to the bonus depreciation allowed in 2003 through 2005. For assets placed in service after Dec. 31, 2007 and before Jan. 1, 2009, taxpayers are allowed to take an additional 50% first-year depreciation deduction on qualified property. Qualified property includes most tangible personal property, ‘qualified leasehold improvement property,’ and most computer software. The bonus depreciation deduction is available only on new assets placed in service and not used assets. The adjusted basis of the property is reduced by the bonus depreciation before computing the amount otherwise allowable as a depreciation deduction for the tax year. The deduction applies to the regular tax and the alternative minimum tax.

    Under the luxury-auto dollar caps, the allowable depreciation for the first year on passenger automobiles is usually limited under the code to $2,960 for autos placed in service in 2008. To allow taxpayers to take advantage of the bonus depreciation provisions, the Economic Stimulus Act allows for the increase of the deprecation limit by $8,000 to $10,960 in 2008 for qualified vehicles.

    Heavy sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) are marketed and sold as trucks. SUVs that have a gross vehicle weight (GVW) rating in excess of 6,000 pounds are exempt from the luxury-auto dollar caps because they are not within the code’s definition of a passenger automobile. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 imposed a limit on the Sec. 179 deduction of SUVs to $25,000. With the Economic Stimulus Act, the owner of an SUV placed in service in 2008 could be entitled to write off most of the cost of the vehicle. For example, if a taxpayer purchased a $50,000 SUV in 2008 and used it 100% for business, he or she may write off $40,000 of the cost of the vehicle in 2008. The SUV would be eligible for a $25,000 Sec. 179 deduction, $12,500 of bonus first-year deprecation ($50,000 – 25,000 Sec. 179 x 50% = 12,500) plus $2,500 of regular first-year depreciation.

    Not all vehicles with a GVW greater than 6,000 pounds are considered SUVs. Vehicles with a GVW greater than 6,000 pounds, built on a truck chassis, with an open cargo area or converted box, not readily accessible from the passenger compartment, of at least six feet in length are not subject to the $25,000 Sec. 179 limitation. These vehicles may be depreciated under the regular rules that apply to five-year property, including the first-year bonus depreciation and increased Sec. 179 deduction explained above. This exception can apply to many pickup trucks, but be careful, since some ‘quad’ cabs do not have six-foot beds and therefore fall under the SUV rules.

    The standard mileage allowance for owned or leased autos has been increased 8 cents from 50.5 cents to 58.5 cents per business mile for travel from July 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2008 to better reflect the real cost of operating an auto in this period of rising gas prices.

    The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act tax incentives impact both individuals and businesses. The item that will possibly have the greatest effect on individual taxpayers is the alternative minimum tax (AMT) patch. Under the Act, the AMT exemption amounts increased to $69,950 for married couples filing jointly and surviving spouses, $46,200 for single taxpayers and head of households, and $34,975 for married couples filing separately for 2008. The patch is designed to help middle-income taxpayers avoid the reach of AMT. It is estimated that the patch will save middle-income taxpayers approximately $61.8 billion in 2008. The patch is only for 2008. The patch also allows taxpayers to use nonrefundable personal credits to reduce their AMT liability.

    Tax relief for individuals has also come in the form of the extension of many popular tax breaks that have become somewhat permanent since they are extended every year or two. The items that have been extended are: state and local sales tax deduction as an itemized deduction, the teachers’ classroom expense deduction as an above-the-line deduction, tax-free distributions from IRAs for charitable purposes, higher-education tuition deduction as an above-the-line deduction, and the additional standard deduction of real property taxes for non-itemizers, which is new for 2008 and has been extended through 2009.

    The new act also includes many incentives targeted to businesses, several of which revise and extend tax benefits. The most significant are revised research tax credit and the enhanced depreciation for leasehold and restaurant improvements. The new act extends the research tax credit to amounts paid or incurred in 2008 and 2009.

    It also modifies the credit, increasing the alternative simplified credit while repealing the alternative incremental research credit. Qualifying restaurant improvements and leasehold improvements will be eligible for 15-year cost recovery rather than a 39-year period for two more years or through Dec. 31, 2009. Congress also authorized a 15-year recovery period for depreciation of certain improvements to retail space through Dec. 31, 2009. There are several other provisions that do not have a wide-ranging effect on businesses.

    There is still time to take advantage of these tax-saving items offered in the various acts of 2008. Please consult your tax advisor with any specific tax questions or scenarios that you may have or to understand how these provisions may benefit you.v

    Sean Wandrei, CPA is a tax manager at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. He also serves as treasurer of the Young Professionals Society of Greater Springfield; (413) 536-8510.

    LinkedIn or Left Out?

    By
    Sections Supplements
    What You’re Missing If You’re Not Utilizing This Powerful Social-networking Tool

    Old-school networking consisted pretty much of a round of golf, lunch, dinner, cocktails, and charitable and community involvement. Today’s networking strategies also include a much greater variety of online opportunities through which you can reach out to a much broader potential business base.

    Blogging, microblogging, and social-networking site participation are some of the most powerful means to reach prospects and reinforce professional relationships today. They are the contemporary version of working the room.

    Arguably, the most significant social-networking tactic that you should employ is LinkedIn. There are many professional networking sites, but as far as business potential and clout, no other site comes close.

    LinkedIn.com is the grown-up version of the MySpace that your kids use to connect with their friends. LinkedIn’s unique advantage, however, is that your connections have access to you when they search for a professional resource with your skills.

    It is akin to the Kevin Bacon six-degrees-of-separation formula and penetrates three layers deep. This provides the opportunity for someone in need to contact the middle-person (your connection), and inquire about you before blindly calling you.

    The result is a warm introduction rather than a cold call to a stranger.

    Connecting to Other Professionals

    Building your network of connections takes dedication and commitment. You won’t gain much ground if you sit back and wait for peers, friends, and colleagues to find and connect to you. You must aggressively search for everyone you know professionally and send them an invitation to connect to you.

    You may also invite people who are not yet members, but oftentimes this nets a disappointing result, because these people have not yet recognized the value of LinkedIn, and they aren’t willing to build up a network that enhances yours.

    Remember that your network grows exponentially when you add a connection because you then have access to their connections (second tier) and people they are connected to as well (third tier), and vice-versa. It is entirely possible to build up a network of about 4 million people within 3 months by making smart connections with well-connected professionals.

    Raising Awareness by Asking and Answering Questions

    One very significant aspect of LinkedIn is its questions-and-answers component. Everyone has the opportunity to choose one or more industries to monitor on their home page, and new questions appear most every time you refresh that page. Usually these questions come from someone who needs advice or help with a problem. When you post a thoughtful and insightful answer, it’s like raising your hand and saying, “I’m here, and I’m available to help you,” but in a less boastful and intrusive way.

    It is a means to demonstrate your expertise, establish some clout, and raise awareness.

    Posting a question also has the potential to raise awareness of you within a particular industry. This is especially helpful if it is an industry that you are trying to penetrate. For example, posting an insightful and well-constructed question about employment law will raise awareness of you among employment-law attorneys on LinkedIn, and it will likely open a dialogue with several of them.

    It is possible that at least one of them will evolve into a connection, which may one day result in a professional opportunity.

    Finding a Job

    The jobs component is another powerful advantage for employees and employers alike. From the employee side, the advantage is obvious. You can search for jobs by specific criteria such as title, keywords, location, experience level, company, function, industry, and time posted. Then you can sort the results by various criteria. LinkedIn has incorporated Boolean logic into its search function, so it is possible to target your search very specifically to narrow your results.

    Monitoring Your Competition

    The obvious advantage of the jobs function for employers is in the potential to recruit qualified candidates to fulfill a particular need. But there are additional LinkedIn benefits to employers that are not immediately obvious.

    For example, LinkedIn makes it easy to monitor your competition from an employee standpoint. What is their employee structure? What is the rate of turnover? Are your competitors ramping up in a certain department? Are they laying off employees? By searching for a company and limiting the search results to current employees only, it is easy to see patterns. Monitoring your competition through LinkedIn may lend insight into their business models.

    Getting Value Out of Groups

    Groups are another powerful LinkedIn component. There are alumni groups, geography-specific groups, interest-based groups, industry-specific groups, and company groups. If you can’t find a group that suits your particular interest, it is easy to start one on your own and then invite others to join.

    LinkedIn groups provide a good way to expand the network of people that have access to you, with the added advantage of a shared interest or characteristic. Linking to your school’s alumni groups is a no-brainer, but also be sure to join any professional-networking groups for your area and groups of professionals in your particular industry.

    One of the most powerful aspects to groups is the discussion board. Here, members can post a question or any information that they want to share with the group, and others may post comments, much like a blog. For example, the LinkedIn Western Mass. group currently contains a job posting and an inquiry to find an industry-specific speaker, among other topics.

    Imagine the immense potential of filling a job opening for free rather than paying for a classified ad. This may eventually become reality as more and more people join LinkedIn, while newspaper circulation continues to drop.

    Remember that not every prospective employee reads job postings, but they may just monitor discussion boards and have their interest piqued. Groups are a great way to share resources and bounce ideas around. And, like ‘Questions and Answers,’ participation in discussions within groups raises awareness of you and increases your potential to establish and deepen relationships that may one day turn into business opportunities.

    A Recruiter’s Dream Database

    LinkedIn membership is exploding so rapidly that it is becoming a gold mine for recruiters. There are several levels of LinkedIn membership, with most members remaining content with the free level. Recruiters, however, have expanded potential to find candidates for job openings with paid memberships that include enhanced features, and recruiters who don’t use this powerful tool are being outgunned by those who are embracing this technology.

    Putting Your Best Foot Forward with a Strong Profile

    Currently, at least 50% of LinkedIn members have substandard profiles. Many people simply list their current employment and maybe their college, and add a link to their company’s Web site, then expect that to bring in business. It doesn’t work that way.

    Your LinkedIn profile should be a high-test, souped-up version of your most polished resume. The best LinkedIn bios convey a compelling reason for a person to hire you or do business with you.

    Your LinkedIn profile should convey your professional accomplishments and demonstrate what someone gets when they hire you. It should contain details about your professional accomplishments, community and civic involvement, educational background, interests, groups you belong to, and any honors and awards that you have received. It must be well-written and free of typos, as well as grammar and punctuation errors.

    Benefits of Referrals

    LinkedIn referrals are a public stamp of approval by someone you have worked with successfully. In fact, LinkedIn places so much significance on referrals that you need a minimum of three for LinkedIn to consider your bio ‘complete.’ Like references, referrals let potential employers and clients know the kind of employee or consultant you have been to others in similar situations.

    Strong, well-written referrals sing your praises in a way that often embarrasses you a bit when you first read them, but they lend a lot of insight into what someone can expect from you by means of work ethic, dedication, skills, and commitment.

    On the flip side, giving referrals has a dual benefit. You are helping your peer by detailing how instrumental they have been to you in a particular situation, but referrals are also a means of raising awareness of you among that person’s network, because everyone will see your referral on that person’s profile. This puts you in front of people who may be in a position to collaborate with or hire you one day. Giving a referral is another way of tactfully raising your hand in a crowded marketplace.

    This article covers the major components of utilizing LinkedIn as part of your networking strategy. However, there are many fine nuances that can further contribute to separating you from the pack and helping you build a profile that will make you attractive to employers and prospects.

    One thing is for sure — as more and more of your colleagues and peers build their own powerful LinkedIn networks, anyone who continues to ignore this contemporary networking giant does so at his or her own peril.

    Christine Pilch is a partner with Grow My Company and a social-networking strategist. She works with clients to enhance their LinkedIn profiles, and she collaborates with professional service firms to get results through innovative positioning strategies; (413) 537-2474;www.linkedin.com/in/christinepilch;growmyco.com; “Miracle growth for your company.”

    Checks and Balances

    By
    Food Bank Director Andrew Morehouse
    Sections Supplements
    A Time of Challenge and Uncertainty for Nonprofits
    Food Bank Director Andrew Morehouse

    Food Bank Director Andrew Morehouse says demand for help is soaring, while all the constituencies that support his organization are feeling the sting of a down economy.

    Downturns in the economy present challenges and anxiety for most nonprofit agencies; just as demand for many services — from food to fuel assistance to cultural distractions — is rising, donations are declining. Administrators with such agencies say this is a time to be creative, in terms of both fund-raising efforts and initiatives to show people that they can contribute in ways other than writing a check.

    Nonprofit agencies provide food for the body, mind, and spirit, together making up more than 7.6% of our total economy. But during a recession, they face a financial catch-22: while demand for goods and services in other sectors is slowing, the need for nonprofit services continues going up — often way up — just as funding becomes tighter.

    With states imposing draconian budget cuts, stocks continuing to swoop, rise, and fall like kites in a strong wind, and individuals reviewing their personal finances bill by bill, BusinessWest asked nonprofit directors and staff how they expect the economy to impact their own numbers. Several of the organizations we spoke with had just embarked on their year-end fund-raising drives. And while what the final numbers will show is anyone’s guess, each is facing, head on, the challenge of raising money in an historically difficult time.

    Joel Weiss, president and CEO of the United Way of the Pioneer Valley, says he suspected that the organization’s 2008 fall campaign might be a tough one. Last year the United Way raised $7 million, and matching or exceeding that number will be a daunting task.

    “Even before the last four to six weeks I had a gnawing feeling that this would be the campaign where we saw the effect of the struggling economy,” said Weiss, noting that the United Way’s workplace campaigns provide 90% of the organization’s annual funds.

    Weiss says that while his organization will be raising funds for several more weeks, thus far the campaigns, both nationally and locally, are getting mixed reviews. “We’ve had some donations that are up, we’ve had some that are down. We’ve done some face-to-face leadership solicitations, and some are up, some are staying the same, and some are down a little. So it’s hard to know what the overall impact is going to be.”

    To increase the donor base, the United Way is putting a greater emphasis on cultivating individuals in the community, said Weiss. “Two years ago we identified about 1,800 people and small, home-based businesses that have never contributed to the United Way. We can’t get to all 1,800, obviously, but if we can get to 100 or more a year and make a case for support, then we can build a base of new contributors.”

    Nonprofits, Weiss said, always need to be thinking about new strategies — even in good times — because they’re competing for funding from a small, relatively homogenous pool of donors. “It’s not an unhealthy competition,” he said, “it’s just a fact of life. All nonprofits need to be able to distinguish themselves from each other in order to raise money now. In times like these we work harder, we work smarter, we work longer hours than we might otherwise, and we have to be much more creative.”

    Springfield Museums Director Joseph Carvalho agreed.

    He said that, while he has confidence in the economy bouncing back, his challenge is making sure Springfield’s “cultural gems” are sustained through any coming difficulties. A new Museum of Springfield History is under construction, and though it’s only $1 million away from the $7.5 million needed for completion, Carvalho suspects that this balance will be difficult to raise.

    “It takes a lot of communication with partners who know the Springfield Museums are essential to the life of downtown and the region, and that we’re one of the ingredients that makes Springfield special,” he said, referring both to the campaign for the history museum and fund-raising for his organization in general.

    In this issue, BusinessWest looks at the plight of nonprofit agencies during an economic slowdown, and how administrators approach the additional challenges they are now facing.

    Dollars and Sense

    Attendance at libraries and museums actually tends to go up during troubled economic times, said Carvalho, who went on to explain why. “These are places where people can be with other people, public spaces where they don’t feel so isolated, and where they can leave the threat of economic difficulties behind in a safe, fun, educational, peaceful environment.”

    Visits to the museums are actually up 18% from last year, but the jury is still out, Carvalho says, on the effects of the recession; the organization’s fiscal year doesn’t end until June 30.

    “Any institution that depends upon trusts and endowments with investments in the stock market is going to be facing a challenge next year, if not sooner,” he said. “And the issue is compounded for nonprofits like museums that also depend on visitation. I can’t imagine that it won’t have an impact, but to what extent remains to be seen.”

    Carvalho’s comments hint at just some of the myriad ways in which nonprofits are impacted by a soft economy. Often, donations trend downward just as demand for whatever service is being provided is rising.

    Such is the case at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

    Andrew Morehouse, the facility’s executive director, said the demand on food providers was up 17% in just the first six months of the year, “and that was before the repercussions on the real economy, the productive economy. We collect our information from the 400 front-line food providers we make food available to, and it takes a while to collect that information. We should have numbers through September shortly.”

    Last year, the Food Bank distributed almost 6.4 million pounds of food — or five million meals — to shelters, food pantries, child-care programs, and others who provide emergency food to the community. Those numbers are certain to rise for this year amid great uncertainty over funding from a variety of courses.

    Approximately one-quarter of the Food Bank’s $8 million operating budget comes from state and federal sources, another 25% from businesses and corporations, 25% from miscellaneous sources, and the remaining 25% from individuals — and all of those constituencies are being challenged by the economic downturn.

    The Food Bank’s fall fund-raising campaign is just beginning, and “there’s a lot of uncertainty and a lot of stress around it,” said Morehouse. “But folks in my line of business, while it may be more accentuated now, this is what we deal with day in, day out, year to year.

    “The big uncertainty is how the current economic climate will immediately affect fund-raising from individual donors, and we’re bracing to see what the answer is,” he continued. “There’s no crystal ball out there; I’m hoping that at the very least we’ll be able to sustain the level of individual donations that we’ve gotten in the past, but the need has increased. That’s why we need to be always reaching out to the community and raising this issue and offset any decline that we may see.”

    Food for Thought

    As currently structured, Morehouse said, the emergency food system is reaching its limits.

    For the first time the Food Bank is hiring an advocacy and education coordinator. The goal is not only to boost community awareness and giving, but to encourage people to act to change public policy at the local, state, and federal levels.

    “Increasingly,” Morehouse said, “and I can’t emphasize this enough, we’re turning to new solutions like food stamps and other policy changes that have a tremendous impact and build new solutions that go beyond food banking.”

    Food stamps, he pointed out, not only help people who temporarily can’t put food on their table, but act as an economic stimulus; the money gets spent in the local economy, leaving those individuals more money to spend — also locally — on other necessities they could otherwise not afford, all of which stimulates further economic growth.

    Large and well-endowed organizations, such as the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, are relatively immune to the economy’s ill heath. With $122 million in total assets from which to make grants, the foundation isn’t prey to the daily concerns of smaller nonprofits. As President Kent Faerber said, “the gifts we get are typically larger, or there are estates in the works. Because we’re a long-term asset administrator, our fortunes don’t go up or down quite as readily as some nonprofits.”

    Nancy Reiche, vice president of programs for the foundation, says the impact of the economic crisis is likely to show up for the organization in the next application cycle.

    “The grants that we’re evaluating this cycle came into us in August, before the big hits happened. I think when we see the applications that come in January, our next deadline, we’re probably going to see fewer new programs being developed, and people looking to pare back to what they can do well, trying to maintain programs that are already working.”

    Reiche says the foundation may also see organizations joining forces, whether through creative collaborations or financial mergers. This past year, for example, Kamp for Kids united with the Carson Center for Human Services, and Child and Family Services joined the Center for Human Development.

    Overall, she said, “I think people are definitely a bit more somber. They’re hoping that things get better, but know that it may be a little while before they do.”

    Support Systems

    Adding to the current economic woes, said the United Way’s Weiss, is the diminishing support for non-profits from the federal and state governments, forcing those agencies to increasingly rely on private donations. The result has been donor fatigue. The way to address this issue, he said, “is focusing in on donor intent, trying to find a synergy between a donor’s interests and the need of the community.”

    Kathy LeMay, president and founder of Raising Change, agrees. LeMay works with both donors and non-profits to cultivate a culture of generosity and inspire social change. She said donors are being more careful with their check-writing than they would when times are better, but they’re also finding different ways to make contributions.

    “I think the question for donors has to be, ‘what’s the opportunity here?’” she explained. “During the financial bubble, many of us could write checks like we never could before. That was the way we could support community nonprofits, so we capitalized on that opportunity. Now, with money more tight, there’s a chance to have a new conversation with our nonprofit friends. This is when we figure out the resources that we have in addition to our financial ones — our time and our talents.”

    When the money is easy, said LeMay, there’s actually a downside for both donors and nonprofits. People who are busy making money write checks, but they’re not as involved or personally committed to those organizations as they otherwise might be.

    “Nonprofits need the gifts people have to give in addition to their checking accounts,” she said. “And donors need to see themselves as change agents. The thing about generosity is that it has an extraordinary impact on your day-to-day life.

    “I ask donors to ask themselves this question: ‘what gets me up in the morning, and what keeps me up at night?’ Find the nonprofits that share your vision, and call them — nonprofits are a place to go to for hope and renewal. Ask them, ‘what can we create together, and how can I be a great ally and ambassador for you?’”

    An active collaboration with a nonprofit also makes it easier, said LeMay, to write that check, even when money is more scarce. “All of a sudden you’re invested in something larger, and it’s for the greater good.”

    Promises, Promises

    By
    Sections Supplements
    Navigating the World of Personal Guarantees

    Due to the difficult financial situation of many companies and their customers, depending upon which side of the issue you are on, it is more important than ever to attempt to minimize or maximize the amount of corporate debt that is personally guaranteed when obtaining credit. Should a company dissolve or become defunct, a creditor’s only recourse may be via a personal guarantee.

    A personal guarantee is a promise by a person (guarantor), usually a shareholder, to become personally liable for the debt of a corporation. If the corporation cannot pay its debts, and its assets are not worth enough to cover the debt, the guarantor risks his personal assets being attached and seized by the creditor of the corporation. This exposure can also occur when a company refuses to pay its debt. Once the corporation defaults on its obligation to a creditor, the creditor may choose to enforce the guarantee, rather than filing a lawsuit for payment.

    Although shareholders are the owners of the corporation, the corporation itself is recognized as an independent entity under most laws. As such, although a person may be a majority shareholder or a sole shareholder, the corporate structure does provide a level of liability protection. Typically, the corporation enters into all legally binding contracts and agreements, whether it is for purchasing goods and services or financing arrangements. In the event that one of these contracts should be breached, the liability belongs to the corporation. However, if the shareholder executes a personal guarantee, he will be jointly and severally liable for the corporation’s obligation.

    As a general rule, creditors cannot seize a shareholder’s personal assets to pay business debts unless that shareholder specifically gives up his protection. Unfortunately, most small-business owners are forced to give up their right to limit their personal liability when entering into credit facilities. Many creditors require personal guarantees from the shareholders of a corporation before they will loan money or extend credit to the corporation. In addition, it is becoming more commonplace for landlords to require a personal guarantee before they lease commercial property to a corporation.

    It wasn’t too long ago that the corporate form was reserved for the General Electrics and Ford Motor Companies of the world. Today, however, businesses that were formerly run as sole proprietorships are taking advantage of corporate-entity advantages. The majority of the readers of this article are either the owners of closely held corporations themselves, or deal with closely held corporations every day. As such, if you have not had to navigate the world of personal guarantees, it is likely, well, guaranteed that you will in the future.

    The shareholders of most corporations are required to execute personal guarantees when they seek to obtain financing from a lending institution. From the perspective of the borrower, while it is always best to attempt to negotiate the credit facility without executing a personal guarantee, this is usually a required condition in order to obtain financing.

    However, each shareholder may still be able to limit their liability via a limited personal guarantee. For example, if a corporation has three shareholders, and they all sign personal guarantees, they are each liable for the whole debt. Some lending institutions will allow shareholders to execute limited personal guarantees, which only require each shareholder to be liable for their respective interest in the corporation. In the preceding example, each shareholder would be responsible for only one-third of the debt.

    Most borrowers determine which bank they borrow from based almost exclusively upon the lowest interest rate. If a bank will extend credit without the execution of a personal guarantee, this may be a circumstance in which it is worth paying a higher interest rate. This decision, however, must be made on a case-by-case basis.

    In addition to personal guarantees becoming commonplace in the banking industry, there has been an emergence of personal guarantees in business-to-business relationships as well. Most businesses purchase goods, supplies, and/or materials via credit facilities with other businesses. As a general rule of thumb, if you allow another entity to gain possession of your goods on credit, it is fiscally prudent to always obtain the security of a personal guarantee.

    While it is impossible to run a business without taking some risks, you must always consider the possibility that this debt will go unpaid and you will have to seek legal recourse. With the modern trend of under-funded corporations and the vast majority of a corporation’s income being held personally by the corporation’s principals, if you need to sue and are successful, your judgment may go unsatisfied. Something to keep in the back of your mind is that a favorable legal judgment is merely a piece of paper. What is important is to be able to collect on that judgment.

    Hopefully, the economic situation will improve, and the need to resort to personal guaranties will decrease. However, in the near future, you can almost guarantee the need to obtain and agree to provide personal guarantees for your business.v

    Adam J. Basch, Esq. is an associate with Bacon Wilson, P.C. He is a member of the litigation department with expertise in the areas of construction litigation, personal injury, general litigation, and creditor representation; (413) 781-0560;basch@ baconwilson.com

    A Branch Network

    By
    Sections Supplements
    Festival of Trees Continues to Grow in Popularity, Importance to the Boys & Girls Club

    Barbara Kolosowski says raffle participants employ a number of various strategies in hopes of improving their odds of winning one of the entries in the Springfield Boys & Girls Club’s annual Festival of Trees.

    “Some will wait until the last day, thinking that this might somehow give them an edge,” explained Kolosowski, director of Development for the Boys & Girls Club, noting that hundreds of tickets are dropped in the decorated paint cans placed before each of the donated trees. “Meanwhile, others will give the can a real good shake, and some will try to make their ticket the last one in, thinking that’s the one we’ll pull. Everyone has a different approach, and it’s fun to watch.”

    Such ticket-positioning exploits have become one of many pleasant and rewarding observations for Kolosowski and others involved with the festival, now in its eighth year.

    Indeed, they’ve seen participation grow from 25 entries that first year, when the event was staged what is now the old Basketball Hall of Fame, to well over 100 today. They’ve seen the tree-decorating efforts become ever-more creative and the competition for various titles — from ‘most popular’ to ‘best children’s-themed,’ as decided by the voting public — grow more spirited with each holiday season.

    And this year, they’ve seen companies and individuals come through in an obviously down economy, thus defying the odds themselves in some respects.

    “We were obviously concerned about this year given the economy and how it has impacted businesses large and small,” Kolosowski told BusinessWest. “We’re simply ecstatic with the response we’ve seen.”

    That response equates to 106 trees (the latest number available), which is down from a record high of 118 last year, but still commendable given the current climate, she said, adding that this level of participation is clearly indicative of the enormous popularity of the festival and recognition of the important work being done by the Boys & Girls Club.

    “The support we’ve seen this year, in this economy, shows that our event has gained some recognition, and that businesses, individuals, and families want to be a part of it,” she explained. “But it also shows that people understand the mission — and they want to help.”

    For those not familiar with this fund-raiser, the word festival captures its essence. This is a nearly three-week-long initiative that has several dates to keep in mind. First, there’s the tree-decorating period just prior to the official start — a camaraderie-building exercise for many area companies. Then there’s the kickoff (this year on Nov. 28) which immediately follows the last acts of the Big Balloon Parade down Main Street in Springfield.

    The festival lasts this year until Dec. 14, when the winning raffle tickets are drawn. During those 16 days, visitors can come to Tower Square (second floor, adjacent to the Citywalk food court) and see the collection of trees. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, with children under 12 admitted free.

    They can also purchase raffle tickets (25 for $10) and spread them among as many of those paint cans as they choose. More than 6,000 people toured the display area a year ago, and a comparable number is expected this season.

    This year, the competition for prizes will be even more intense, said Kolosowski, noting that the Kung Fu Academy in Chicopee won ‘most original’ last year with an upside-down tree.

    This year’s entries, to be donated by many long-time participants (veterans in the art of decorating, if you will) as well as many newcomers, will all have names, which, in this case, equate to themes, she explained. For example, there’s ‘Have a Green Christmas,’ donated by Peter Pan Bus Lines; ‘Sugar & Spice & Everything YUMMY!’ to be entered by Applebee’s; ‘Candy Land Tree,’ donated by the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care, and ‘International Children’s Toys,’ to be entered by Springfield Technical Community College, among others.

    Last year, the Boys & Girls Club netted more than $40,000 from the festival, said Kolosowski, making this among the largest of the group’s annual fund-raising endeavors and easily its most popular, given the fact that it appeals to people of all ages

    “This event is about more than just the money we raise,” she said. “I think it really opens peoples’ eyes to what we as an organization do for 2,800 kids a year. It educates people about us because we talk about our mission in all our advertising; this gets people to the door to help us serve those kids.

    For more information on the festival, visit www.visittreefest.com. And in the meantime, have a strategy in place for your raffle tickets.

    —George O’Brien

    A Public Trust

    By
    Sections Supplements
    Cancer Patients Connect and Cope by Blogging the Journey

    “I am not an angry person,” she begins.

    “In fact, I will pat myself on the back and say that I have not even been angry with God about this situation. The way I look at it, all you have to do is open the newspaper to realize that life is not fair. People suffer randomly all the time.

    “However, I am angry about one aspect of my cancer. I take great care of myself. I have always been at my ideal weight. I eat tons of veggies and no red meat. I exercise. I go for annual mammograms, and I get my teeth cleaned every six months. My cholesterol is 119.

    “And it didn’t do me a damn bit of good.”

    Those are the words of Jayne Byrne of North Carolina, written soon after her March 2006 diagnosis, at age 41, of Stage 1 invasive lobular breast cancer. As she launched into treatment — which included an initial lumpectomy followed by a bilateral mastectomy, four rounds of chemotherapy, and more — she began to chronicle her experiences on Jayne’s Breast Cancer Blog (jaynesbreastcancerblog.com).

    Over the past three years, he has chronicled her struggle as a breast cancer survivor, but more importantly, her blog is a snapshot of everyday joys and struggles — a reminder that life goes on, even when it throws a wrench into well-laid plans.

    Byrne is not alone. It’s impossible to know how many of the tens of millions of blogs on the Web deal with cancer, but it’s a significant number — and growing.

    The phenomenon makes sense to Marlene Quinlan, an oncology social worker at Baystate Medical Center, who likened the blog trend to old-fashioned journaling — only with a very public twist.

    “In general, journaling has many therapeutic benefits,” she said. “Writing things down can be as effective as talking with someone else about what you’re experiencing. Talking about things that are stressful in your life helps you alleviate some of that stress. There have been some studies done about journaling, and they found that it actually boosts your immune function. So physically, it has some positive effects.”

    Life Goes On

    Peruse some of these online journals, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the fear and gratitude, the anxiety and the clear-eyed observations, like this one from Jacki Donaldson of Florida.

    “I must say it feels good to go to bed each night knowing I’ve survived for 1,277 days. My neighbor is not so lucky. She was diagnosed with breast cancer — my same disease — a little more than six months ago. She had it removed — both the cancer and her breast — and already, the disease is back. It’s back in her breast tissue. It’s made its way into both lungs too. Doctors are calling it stage IV. Hospice is calling on her already.

    “‘She’s no young girl,’ her husband told me last night when we passed each other in the neighborhood. But she is. She’s 73. In my book, that’s young. I don’t want to die at 73. She shouldn’t need to either. But it’s happening. And there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it.

    “1,277 days. I’m one of the lucky ones.”

    Donaldson launched My Breast Cancer Blog (cancerspot.org) in December 2004 to chronicle her experiences with cancer, everything from chemotherapy to how much she appreciated a gift of fuzzy socks. Like most well-read blogs, reader comments pile up after each post, making the journey of survival a shared one — and that, too, has its benefits.

    “Cancer can be very isolating,” Quinlan said. “You can feel like you’re going through it alone; even if you have lots of support from family and friends, you’re the one going through it. To feel a connection with people who are going through similar experiences can be very beneficial.”

    It’s important to note that the typical cancer blog is not an authoritative source on the disease. For that, Web surfers can turn to something like Dr. Len’s Cancer Blog (cancer.org/aspx/blog), written by Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the national office of the American Cancer Society. Several times a week, he posts information on everything from screening and prevention to simply coping with cancer, all with the authority of an expert.

    Most cancer blogs — the vast majority of them written by women and focused on breast cancer in particular — are simply a way to sort through emotions, share stories, be empowered with information, and laugh and cry on virtual shoulders.

    “Blogging can help you cope with the ups and downs of cancer treatment,” writes Lisa Fayed, a medical writer and cancer educator, on about.com. “Regardless of what stage of cancer you have, it is never easy. Writing your thoughts down can release emotions that you have been holding in or reveal fears and other emotions you didn’t know you had.”

    In addition, Fayed said, blogging allows friends and family members to track the writer’s progress, forges connections among cancer patients, and allows readers to feel like they’re not fighting on an island. “There is instant comfort in knowing that you are not alone.”

    Good, Bad, and Ugly

    “Chemotherapy side effects are worse than cancer, that’s for sure. With cancer, most of the time you’d hardly know it if some doctor didn’t tell you. I mean, I was pretty hard up by the time they found it in me, but sometimes cancer can go all the way to stage IV and you’d never know it.

    “Chemo, on the other hand, you can never forget that. Not for a second. There’s no ignoring chemotherapy. It invades every cell by the end of it. You spend months marinating in a stew of toxic wastes that are out to kill you. And I don’t think that’s overly dramatic. You try it sometime and see if I’m not right.”

    That’s from Dave, who doesn’t offer his last name on his blog, Chronicles of a Cancer Survivor (preservationrecords. com), but does offer a blow-by-blow primer on what he went through to overcome Hodgkin’s disease in 2005 to 2006.

    In such candor lies a danger for some, Quinlan said, noting that neither blogging nor reading cancer blogs is for every patient.

    “If you find you’re going onto blogs and getting upset by what you’re reading, then that’s not a good idea, and you need to find another way to cope,” Quinlan said. “Journaling can help people figure things out, but if you’re reading about someone else’s cancer and becoming overwhelmed and worried you’ll have all these problems, it’s probably not helping.”

    That’s advice that applies to any type of coping mechanism, she added.

    “Each person has their own unique experience, and everyone copes differently,” she noted. “When I meet with somebody, I ask, how has this person coped? What has been helpful, and what hasn’t been helpful? Then I can make recommendations. But I think everyone should do what works for them.”

    Byrne already knows what works, especially on days of elevated anxiety, wondering what that small, just-discovered bump means:

    “Not that anything of substance has changed since last night. But this morning I feel like I can breathe again. And that ‘it’ is probably not cancer. And if ‘it’ is cancer, then I will not allow it to spoil even one more day than is necessary.

    “But such is this journey. Up and down. I can’t always be the breezy Jayne who is thrilled with life, who has been taught well by the cancer experience, and so on. Sorry.

    “I am off to have a normal day, folks.”

    And then to write about it.

    Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

    In Search of Fairness and Predictability

    By
    Uncategorized

    On July 3, 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed a corporate reform bill for Massachusetts. The act adopts combined reporting, conforms with federal business entity classification, and phases in a reduction in corporate tax rates. What follows is a summary of some of the more significant provisions in this measure.

    Combined Reporting

    Massachusetts will change from a separate-company-reporting state to a combined-reporting state. Under separate-company reporting, each corporate entity with sufficient ties to Massachusetts pays tax based solely on its own income apportioned to the state. Effective for tax years beginning on or after 1/1/2009, each separate corporation is responsible for tax based on its share of the business income of a combined unitary business.

    The Department of Revenue defines ‘unitary business’ as the activities of a group of two or more corporations under common ownership that are sufficiently interdependent, integrated, or interrelated through their activities so as to provide mutual benefit and produce a significant sharing or exchange of value among them or a significant flow of value between the separate parts. For purposes of combined reporting, common ownership means more than 50% of voting control of each member of the group which is directly (or indirectly) owned by common owner(s). The act generally retains the existing statutory tax rates and apportionment rules for different types of organizations. Generally, each member of the combined group will be apportioned its own share of the group’s overall income, and will pay tax on its share at the rate applicable to that corporation.

    This, in a nutshell, means that businesses that previously formed separate out-of-state corporations to segregate that income will no longer get the benefit of not apportioning their income to Massachusetts. The business will be looked at (and taxed) in total.

    Check-the-box rules: This act generally eliminates the differences between Massachusetts and federal entity-classification rules. For tax years beginning on or after 1/1/2009, the filing status for business entities in Massachusetts must conform to their filing status for federal purposes.

    Conformity to the federal rules will result in the following changes:

    • Corporate trusts: The Act repeals the separate taxation provisions that formerly applied to corporate trusts. As of 2009, there will be no separate corporate trust tax classification. Businesses previously taxed in Massachusetts as corporate trusts will be treated either as corporations, partnerships, or as disregarded entities, depending on the federal treatment elected by the entity.
    • Subchapter S corporations: The Massachusetts entity level tax on large S corporations remains in effect, subject to changes in tax rates. Federal S corporations organized as corporate trusts or partnerships must file Massachusetts returns as S corporations in the same manner as if they were organized as corporations. Qualified subchapter S subsidiaries (QSUBs) will be disregarded for all Massachusetts corporate tax purposes and will no longer file separate returns. The parent S corporation will be the sole entity responsible for filing.
    • Financial institutions that are S corporations: A new category of financial institution S corporation is created for entities that are S corporations for federal and Massachusetts income-tax purposes and are defined as financial institutions. Financial institution S corporations will be taxed similar to S corporations but at different rates.

      • Corporate Excise-rate Reductions

      The act includes various corporate excise-rate cuts for most entity types to be phased in over a period of years.

      • Business corporations (other than S corporations): The current net income measure of the corporate excise of 9.5% is to be reduced over three years as follows: for tax years beginning on or after 1/1/10, but before 1/1/11, 8.75%; for tax years beginning on or after 1/1/11, but before 1/1/12, 8.25%; and for tax years beginning on or after 1/1/12, 8%;
      • Financial institutions (other than S corporations): The current financial institution excise rate of 10.5% of net income is reduced over three years as follows: for tax years beginning on or after 1/1/10, but before 1/1/11, 10%; for tax years beginning on or after 1/1/11, but before 1/1/12, 9.5%; and for tax years beginning on or after 1/1/12, 9%;
      • Subchapter S corporations: Effective for taxable years beginning on or after 1/1/09, an S corporation having $9 million or more in total receipts is subject to tax on its net income at a rate equal to the regular business corporation rate on net income for the year minus the Part B personal income-tax rate for the year. The net income-tax rate for S corporations with at least $6 million but less than $9 million in total receipts will equal two-thirds of the tax rate applicable to larger S corporations. For tax years beginning on or after 1/1/09 but before 1/1/10, application of the statutory formula yields the following rates on net income of an S corporation: (1) if total receipts for the taxable year are at least $6 million but less than $9 million, 2.8%; and (2) if total receipts for the taxable year are $9 million or more, 4.2%. The current enacted rates are 3% and 4.5%, respectively.
      • Financial institution that is a subchapter S corporation: Effective for taxable years beginning on or after 1/1/09, a financial institution that is an S corporation will be taxed similarly to other S corporations, but at financial institution S corporation rates and without a non-income measure tax.

        • The corporate tax reform covers several additional tax provisions and technical changes. Overall, this act purports to bring fairness and predictability to the state’s corporate tax structure by closing loopholes. The act establishes a commission to report to the House and Senate by March 31, 2009 with its recommendations for long-term changes to simplify and modernize business tax laws in order to encourage business growth and promote tax fairness.

        Cheryl Fitzgerald, CPA, MST and Terri Judycki, CPA, MST are both senior tax managers at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. Fitzgerald is also the treasurer of the local chapter of Rebuilding Today as well as a perennial volunteer for the March of Dimes. Judycki serves as the treasurer for the Wilbraham Hampden Academic Trust (WHAT).

        The Numbers Game

        By
        Sections Supplements
        Personal Income-tax Considerations for Tax Year 2008

        When it comes to the bottom line — meaning the one on your tax return — proper planning is of the essence. And to plan effectively, one must know the rules and how to play them. With proper insight, such as this end-of-year primer, individuals and businesses can make smart decisions that can add up — literally and figuratively — to substantial savings.

        The time to do your income-tax planning and implementation of tax-wise strategies is during the tax year, not after it has ended. Part of the reason for this is that there are very few tax-planning opportunities that can be implemented after Dec. 31.

        The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, commonly referred to as the bailout bill, contained a substantial number of tax provisions and/or extensions of tax provisions that were scheduled to have expired at the end of 2007. These income-tax provisions may be a silver lining in an otherwise controversial and challenging piece of legislation.

        This article is intended to provide a summary of the more generally applicable rules and provisions for use in connection with preparing and filing your 2008 income tax returns. In fact, it could be used as a checklist for your review and consideration prior to contacting your tax professional before the end of the year, to see how you might be able to maximize the benefits that apply to you during these challenging economic times.

        The ‘Kiddie Tax’

        In 2007, a child’s unearned income beyond $1,700, such as gains and dividends, was taxed at the parents’ marginal rate until the child is 18 (previously, the threshold age had been 14). Although the threshold increases to $1,800 in 2008, the applicable age is raised to 19, and 24 for full-time students, whose earned income is less than half their support. This way, families can’t shift appreciated assets to their children to take advantage of the 0% rate on certain dividends and/or capital gains, as discussed below.

        Capital-gains Tax Rates

        Prior to 2008, long-term capital gains from the sale of assets held longer than one year were taxed at a maximum rate of 5% to the extent the seller was in the 10% or 15% tax brackets. In 2008, the 5% maximum rate drops to 0% through 2010. However, the 15% maximum tax rate on other long-term capital gains remains the same for all other tax brackets.

        Dividend Tax Rates

        Similarly, in 2008, the special 5% maximum rate on dividends of taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax brackets drops to 0% through 2010.

        Increased IRA Contribution Limits

        In 2008, the maximum IRA (traditional or Roth) contribution increases from $4,000 to $5,000. Filers who will be age 50 before the end of 2008 can contribute another $1,000.

        Higher Income Limits for Deductible IRAs and Roth IRAs

        Even if you are covered by a retirement plan at work, you can still take a full IRA deduction if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $85,000 (married filing jointly) or $53,000 (single or head of household).

        The allowable deduction is phased out gradually until your adjusted gross income reaches $105,000 (married filing jointly) or $73,000 (single or head of household). The opportunity to contribute to a Roth IRA is now limited once your modified adjusted gross income rises above $159,000 (married filing jointly) or above $101,000 (single or a head of household).

        Indexed Tax Brackets

        One of the few benefits of inflation is that, due to indexing, the 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, and 35% tax brackets for 2008 will all kick in at a bit more than 2% higher levels of taxable income than they did in 2007.

        Larger Personal Exemptions

        Under the theme ‘every little bit helps,’in 2008, each personal exemption you can claim is increased by $100 to $3,500.

        Higher Standard Deductions

        Along that same theme, in 2008, the standard deduction for those taxpayers married and filing a joint return increases by $250 to $10,950.

        For single filers, the amount increases by $100 to $5,450; and for heads of household, the amount increases by $200 to $8,050.

        Itemized Deductions and Personal Exemptions

        For years, itemized deductions and personal exemptions have been phased out (reduced) as income rose. In 2008 and 2009, these reductions are a bit less painful. This limitation in itemized deductions happens when your adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $159,950, regardless of your filing status. Your itemized deductions are reduced by 1% (formerly 3%) of the amount by which your AGI exceeds $159,950, but you can never lose more than 80% of your itemized deductions.

        Also, your medical expenses, investment-interest deduction, deductible gambling losses, and any casualty and theft losses are not subject to the cut. Personal exemptions are reduced by 2% for each $2,500 of AGI over $239,950 for married filing jointly, $199,950 for heads of households, and $159,950 for singles, but the reduction cannot exceed $1,167 per exemption.

        Increased Section 179 Expense Deduction

        The maximum amount of equipment placed in service in 2008 that businesses can expense (deduct in full rather than depreciate over a period of time) increases by $3000 to $128,000. The annual investment limit increases to $510,000 for 2008. Thus, you won’t lose the benefit of expensing until you place more than $510,000 of assets in service in 2008.

        Tax-free Parking for Employees

        In 2008, employees are not taxed on up to $220 a month of employer-paid parking. The cap on the tax-free transit passes their employers can give rises to $115 a month.

        State and Local Sales-tax Deduction

        The opportunity for itemizers to choose to deduct their state sales-tax payments instead of deducting their state and local income taxes has been extended through the end of 2009.

        Educators’ Deduction

        Also extended through the end of 2009 is the deduction for up to $250 of teachers’ classroom supplies.

        Tuition and Fees Deduction

        Appropriately, in the face of the ever-increasing costs for higher education, the deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and fees is also extended through the end of 2009.

        Direct Donations of IRAs to Charity

        Another example of a positive extension provided in the bailout bill is that IRA owners age 70 or older are allowed, for years 2008 and 2009, to continue to make tax-free contributions up to $100,000 from their IRAs to qualified charitable organizations without having to report the withdrawal as income and then deduct the donation as a charitable contribution.

        Additional Standard Deduction for Real Property Taxes

        A new tax provision enacted as part of the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 allows homeowners to claim an additional standard deduction for real property tax if the taxpayer does not itemize. The additional amount is limited to $500 or $1,000 for joint filers. Homeowners can still deduct real property taxes and mortgage interest as an itemized deduction. However, now homeowners who don’t have enough itemized deductions to exceed their standard deduction by the otherwise deductible amount noted above for real property taxes could be better off using their standard deduction.

        Alternative Minimum Tax Patch

        In what is one of the more important components of the bailout bill not relating to the economic stabilization efforts, the patch to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) was extended through 2008. The AMT is a supplemental tax calculation established by the Internal Revenue Code many years ago as part of an effort to try to make sure that higher-income individuals would pay an income tax in spite of their best efforts to use tax-avoidance strategies. When the legislation was written, it did not provide for an increase in the personal exemptions applicable to the tax calculation. The unintended result was that, as more, so-called middle-class taxpayers have seen their earnings increase, more and more of them have been ensnared by this well-intentioned but flawed legislation. Approximately 22 million taxpayers could have seen their 2008 income tax bills rise by anywhere from $2,000 to $7,500.

        Generally speaking, it is good strategy for people not to think of their tax return as a destination. Don’t measure the ‘wonderfulness’ of the tax return in question by the size of your refund or balance due. That figure is only a function of how accurately you had your taxes withheld and/or set up your estimated tax payments. Instead, the best result from any tax return is the one that leaves the greatest number dollars in your pocket after having gone through the income-tax tollbooth.

        In closing, while all of these issues may not apply to all of you, there are likely to be some that could put you in a position to achieve some tax savings for you or other members of your family. Whether those savings are for one year only or continue for many years to come, it is money that will be left in your pocket for you to elect how to spend and use it.v

        Bruce M. Fogel is a partner with Bacon Wilson, P.C. / Morse & Sacks in Northampton. He is a member of the firm’s estate planning, elder, real-estate, and business departments. He has extensive experience in matters relating to income, gift, and estate taxes, and he focuses on the tax implications of all legal transactions. He also co-hosts the radio show “Taxes and Assets” Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. on WHMP; (413) 584-1287;[email protected];bwlaw.blogs.com/estate_planning_bits

        BusinessWest to Salute ‘Difference Makers’

        By
        Features
        Recognition Program to Honor Those Who Are Changing the Landscape

        We’re calling it Difference Makers. And while that name says a lot, it doesn’t reveal everything about BusinessWest’s latest recognition program, to be launched early next year.

        With this new initiative, BusinessWest, the region’s leading business publication, which next year will celebrate its 25th anniversary (2009 is shaping up as quite a year already) wants to recognize people and institutions that are, well, making a difference.

        How?

        It can be any number of ways, really, which is the best part about this new program.

        A difference maker can be anyone from an inventor bringing some ‘disruptive’ technology or innovation to the market or at least to the drawing board, meaning a potential new product that could dramatically alter the landscape in a given sector, to an administrator who has changed the course of a local nonprofit agency.

        It could be an elected or appointed official who has succeeded in improving the quality of life in one of this region’s cities or towns. Or it may be a college president or other administrator who has changed the fortunes of one of the Valley’s many institutions of higher learning. It could be the second, third, or even fourth generation within a family business that has taken that company to places that some of those earlier generations may not have dreamed possible.

        It could be … well, one’s imagination is the only real limit.

        The accomplishments that make someone or some group worthy of Difference Maker status can be very recent in nature, have taken place over the past several years, or even fall into that ‘lifetime achievement’ category. But ideally we’re looking for those who are helping to set the tone in our region today.

        We’re launching Difference Makers because we believe this region has many such individuals and groups, and, while some of the stories are known — and have perhaps been told on the pages of BusinessWest — some are not, and we think it’s time they were. Meanwhile, we believe it’s also time for these individuals or teams of people to be recognized.

        BusinessWest has a Forty Under 40 program (which will introduce its third class late next spring), but that recognizes only people too young to remember the Nixon years or, in some extreme cases, the Reagan years. The magazine also offers a ‘Top Entrepreneur’ program, but it recognizes only one individual, family, or set of partners each year.

        Difference Makers will go further, and honor many of the people, institutions, and developments that are shaping the fortunes of the Pioneer Valley in the 21st century.

        We’re excited about it, and we think you should be, too.

        Here’s how it works: On this page (and at www.businesswest.com), you’ll find a nomination form for this latest recognition program. The form and its various questions, especially the explanation of why you believe someone or some group fits our description, is self-explanatory. These nomination forms will be due to BusinessWest — via E-mail, fax, or snail mail — by Dec. 31.

        The writers and editors at BusinessWest will then review the nominations, make their selections (there will be no set number for a given year), and introduce them in a subsequent issue of the magazine. A special gala will be staged to recognize our winners.

        It will be a real party, because the individuals chosen and their accomplishments will be worthy of a serious celebration.

        So take a few minutes, think of those of who are making a difference in the Pioneer Valley — they may just be in the next office or cubicle — and nominate them for this special honor.

        —George O’Brien, Editor

        By
        Departments

        Rays of Hope

        It was a 15th anniversary walk that will be long remembered. Record numbers of walkers and teams — 15,000 and 420, respectively — turned out Oct. 26 for Rays of Hope – A Walk Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer, fueled by a growing desire to find a cure for breast cancer and to support breast-cancer programs and services at Baystate Health. While donations will continue to come into the Baystate Health Foundation during the coming weeks, this year’s day-of-walk total was $725,000, bringing the total number of dollars raised since the event’s inception to more than $7 million. Through the Baystate Health Foundation, 100% of the proceeds from the walk remain in Western Mass. to fund programs for breast-cancer patients and survivors and breast-health programs at the Comprehensive Breast Center at Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, and Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, and for breast-cancer research at Baystate Medical Center and Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute. Funds also support community organizations including Cancer Connection and Cancer House of Hope. This year’s walk was made possible by Presenting Sponsor Health New England, as well as Silver Sponsors Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation and Balise Motor Sales, and many other generous corporate sponsors throughout Western Mass.

        The Write Stuff

        Poet and activist Nikki Giovanni made a presentation at Springfield Technical Community College on Oct. 31, speaking to 1,500 students from area colleges as well as local high-school and middle-school students. The event was sponsored by the STCC Diversity Council, along with Baystate Health, MassMutual, American International College, the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, Black Men of Greater Springfield, PeoplesBank, Afro-American Point of View, Springfield College, UnityFirst News, WTCC radio, and Western New England College.

        Third Thursday

        Attendees gather for a group shot at the Young Professional Society (YPS) Third Thursday event at Hofbrahaus in West Springfield on Oct. 16. The group meets monthly at locations across Western Mass. to network, recruit new members, and, in general, advance the YPS mission to engage, involve, and educate area young professionals.

        Capital Gains

        By
        United president Richard Collins
        Sections Supplements
        United Bank Is Paving New Avenues for Growth
        United president Richard Collins

        United president Richard Collins

        Well-capitalized after going public several years ago, aggressively branching out, and operating in a regional banking sector that is generally healthy compared to the nation as a whole, United Bank has a lot going for it, says its president, Richard Collins. On the flip side, the area’s banking landscape remains fiercely competitive, especially given limited demand for commercial loans in a lackluster economy. To succeed, a bank needs to set itself apart with service and a wide range of financial products — and by always keeping an eye on the next trend.

        At a time when banks nationally are failing or at least in crisis, United Bank has benefited from good decisions, says its chief executive — not to mention some good timing.

        Specifically, upon becoming a fully public bank last December, United raised $95 million in its second public offering, following an initial round in 2005 that netted $72 million. “That puts us on a short list of banks with an awful lot of capital,” said Richard Collins, president of the 126-year-old institution.

        “I wish I could say I was smart enough to see the banking crisis coming,” he added, “but we did raise capital to prepare for growth and whatever the future might bring. And having this much capital means we’re not affected by some of the problems of the national banks.”

        Specifically, Collins noted that United, like many institutions in its region, is not burdened with the ‘toxic paper’ that has weighted down the large Wall Street banks — mainly in the form of subprime loans.

        “We haven’t made any troublesome investments,” he said. “A lot of banks bought Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-preferred stock, but we’ve stayed away from that, and we don’t do any subprime lending. Every mortgage loan we make, we intend to keep, so we make those loans in a way that we’re happy to have them on the balance sheet.

        “So we’re anxious to lend,” Collins continued. “We’re anxious to put dollars out there, but it has to be in a fashion that adheres to straightforward lending standards. We’ll stick with that, and we can put dollars to work for qualified borrowers who are looking for a home loan, car loan, or business loan.”

        Going public was key to a newly aggressive growth stance for United, which has operated from its West Springfield headquarters since 1882.

        At the start of 2006, United boasted a dozen branches across the Pioneer Valley, but then began rapidly expanding, adding five locations over the past three years. First was a downtown Northampton office in mid-2006, followed by a Westfield branch in early 2007. This year alone has seen United expand into Longmeadow and Agawam, and also add an ‘express’ branch right off Interstate 91 in Northampton in order to serve drive-thru customers; the city’s other branch takes only walk-ins.

        Plans for a branch in Chicopee, are underway, “and then we’ll keep looking from there,” said Dena Hall, vice president of marketing and community relations, noting that all the new branches are performing well — a critical factor, since no bank wants to expand just to have a presence in a certain town.

        “If a branch doesn’t do well, it’s very expensive, between maintaining the building, paying rent, and paying our people,” said Collins. “Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening.”

        What is happening is a period of robust expansion for United, in an effort to attract more business in Western Mass., a region known for as fiercely competitive banking landscape. In this issue, BusinessWest examines some of the strategies United is employing to do just that.

        Saving Money — and Time

        Some concepts seem like small matters, but go to the heart of customer service, which is critical to retain business with so many other banking options available, said Hall. Take, for example, that express branch off I-91. “The idea was to meet the needs of those who couldn’t drive right up before,” she explained, “but we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the foot traffic.”

        It’s the most basic example of the different ways customers choose to conduct bank business today, she noted. For example, United, which had one of the first Internet banking products in the region, recently introduced ‘mobile banking,’ which allows access to financial information using a cell phone.

        But customers who use such technology aren’t completely divorced from bricks-and-mortar banking, she said; increasingly, many people want a mix of both — which is why United is expanding its physical presence along with its technological options.

        “We’re an older bank, so we’ve been around a long time,” said Collins. “But in terms of introducing our customers to computer-based products, we’ve been pretty far ahead of the curve.”

        Offering convenience and a variety of banking options isn’t just window dressing, however — not in Western Mass., where an overload of different banks are all competing for business. For example, he said, “I’d like to see a more-vibrant market for commercial loans, but the economy is not demanding it, and there are other good banks out there who want a piece of those loans.

        “We’re having some growth in the commercial portfolio, but it’s not as robust as I’d like it to be, whether that’s due to the health of the market, or the competition out there for commercial loans, or a little bit of both,” he added.

        Collins doesn’t include the ongoing national banking crisis on that list of factors — at least not so high — because, like other executives BusinessWest has spoken to recently, he describes the Western Mass. banking sector as essentially healthy and well-capitalized.

        That gives United opportunities to seek growth areas, such as its 2006 purchase of a Northampton-based financial advisory firm, the Levine Financial Group, which added $88 million in assets under management. Today, the United Wealth Management Group reports $120 million in investments.

        Indeed, Hall noted, on the investment side, “we’ve done a good job increasing our presence and expanding awareness in our area. Certainly, over the last couple of months, the financial markets have been steadying, and our representatives have been actively calling customers, having meetings, and fielding phone calls. They’re being proactive to reach a level of service that’s crucial to a locally based group such as ours.”

        Collins said having a solid investment arm is important at a time when many individuals either want to do all their financial business under one roof, or mistrust traditional brokerage houses, for whatever reason.

        “Some people like working with a bank in terms of managing personal wealth. The bank is central to our financial life in lots of ways,” he said. “I think our reputation for being customer-oriented helps us attract people, and we offer a great line of investment products and the professionals we work with can help people make those decisions.”

        “At the same time, there’s a lot of competition,” he continued, “but we’re picking up people who are comforted by having wealth management done through their bank. There are some concerns about some of the larger brokerage firms having problems or being reorganized. We’re a small organization, but we’ve got a lot of capital and no real problems in our loan or securities portfolios, and there’s not much chance that we’ll be forced into a sale.”

        Personal Touch

        Collins stressed, however, that United’s success will not be achieved simply by expanding its locations and product lines. An emphasis on customer service is reflected in United’s ‘personal bankers,’ who operate under a model that assigns each retail customer to one employee who is tasked with getting to know them and their individual needs over the long term.

        Hall explained that the concept is also reflected on the commercial-lending side. “We have a team approach, where the customer has not only a lender, but also a personal loan assistant working behind the scenes, doing what needs to be done. We have business-development officers who sell cash-management products and personal bankers on the retail side.”

        Hall said the personal-banker model is one reason why United is able keep its own employee-retention rate around 95%. “We’ve done a nice job attracting new employees from other banks, and also promoting from within,” she noted.

        “We’ve had very little turnover. It’s a unique job. Personal bankers are responsible for maintaining the customer relationship. They don’t have to be concerned with the branch hours and the teller lines; a branch manager sees to that. They’re here for the customers.”

        It’s a model that has captured plenty of attention in the community, Hall added. “It’s funny; when I tell people I work for United, they immediately say, ‘my personal banker is Nancy,’ or ‘my personal banker is Judy.’ The concept has really worked.”

        And community remains an important part of United’s culture, as well. Hall heads up the bank’s charitable foundation, which was launched in 2005 and typically grants between $200,000 and $240,000 annually to nonprofit organizations.

        “We’ve always tried to be a good community partner,” she told BusinessWest, “and we support a lot of different foundations in different ways.” Between the foundation and bank sponsorships — such as the one forged with the Springfield Falcons — United puts about $350,000 into the community each year.

        “People see that and recognize that we’re committed to the community,” Hall said. “We can’t always say yes, but we try to do as much as we can.”

        It’s a cheerful thought, which is appropriate as the skies begin to clear — at least a little bit — over the nation’s financial crisis, aided by the recent government bailout and additional layers of protection from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

        “People have been concerned,” Collins, “but they’re less worried now.”

        Perhaps confident enough to borrow money and invest for the future. If so, United is willing to talk.

        Joseph Bednar can be reached at[email protected]

        By
        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.

        CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

        Mercier’s Carper Service Inc. v. Anderson Builders Inc.
        Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $16,940.60
        Filed: 10/02/08

        National Vinyl Products Inc. v. Rugg Lumber Company Inc.
        Allegation: Non-payment of goods: $17,524.54
        Filed: 10/02/08

        GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

        Fairway Wholesale Corporation v. Rugg Lumber Company Inc.
        Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,769.15
        Filed: 10/06/08

        Northeast Treaters Inc. v. Rugg Lumber Company Inc.
        Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $9,103.48
        Filed: 10/06/08

        HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

        Mary Jean Picknelly v. R.E. LaPlante Construction Inc.
        Allegation: Negligence in erosion repair and stabilization services rendered causing property damage: $120,000+
        Filed: 10/08/08

        Paul Lopardo v. MassMutual Federal Credit Union
        Allegation: Employment discrimination: $210,000
        Filed: 10/01/08

        VFS Leasing Co. v. Ferris Transportation Inc.
        Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $79,032.56
        Filed: 9/24/08

        HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

        Adam M. Fishman p/p/a Robert & Maryann Fishman v. City of Northampton
        Allegation: Negligence and inadequate staffing in fifth-grade gym class resulting in plaintiff’s injuries: $97,417
        Filed: 10/03/08

        Katherine S. Kerber v. Somatic Systems Institute
        Allegation: Balance pursuant to a judgment: $41,728.78
        Filed: 10/06/08
        Kim Baker, et al v. Western Mass Electric Company, et al
        Allegation: Negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, and breach of contract stemming from placement of a faulty transformer: $100,000
        Filed: 9/29/08

        Linda Hiesiger, et al v. City of Northampton
        Allegation: Plaintiffs seek monetary damage as well as injunctive relief. Tort action for nuisance and trespass against the Northampton Regional Sanitary Landfill: $750,000
        Filed: 10/14/08

        Town of South Hadley v. Berkshire Design Group Inc.
        Allegation: Breach of contract for engineering services leading to additional expense incurred by plaintiff; $641,324.71
        Filed: 10/08/08

        PALMER DISTRICT COURT

        Coler & Colantonio Inc. v. New England Construction Equipment, LLC
        Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $20,448.66
        Filed: 9/09/08

        SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

        Chicopee Concrete Services v. Custom Concrete
        Allegation: Breach of contract for concrete services: $5,060.62
        Filed: 9/30/08

        Daniel Medina v. Michael Moore Stanley & Sons
        Allegation: Breach of contract for concrete services: $6,895
        Filed: 10/03/08

        Grimaldi Inc. v. MTCS Realty Inc.
        Allegation: Non-payment of products and services: $17,419.95
        Filed: 10/03/08

        Lianne Azevedo v. Best Fitness and Life Fitness
        Allegation: Plaintiff received injury from equipment at defendant’s location: $10,000.00+
        Filed: 10/01/08

        Tomarc Machine Company Inc. v. Ace Precision Inc.
        Allegation: Non-payment on judgment: $6,606.65
        Filed: 9/29/08

        WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

        Heritage Surveys, Inc. v. Mountain Rd. Estates, LLC
        Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $10,014
        Filed: 9/25/08

        Career Moves

        By
        Cover 11/10/08
        Cover Story
        Tim Sneed Charts a New, More Entrepreneurial Course at MCDI
        Cover 11/10/08

        Cover 11/10/08

        Earlier this decade, the Mass Career Development Institute and the acronym MCDI became almost synonymous with the mismanagement and corruption that plagued Springfield. Work to stabilize and refocus the institute began with now-former Director James Morton, and it continues with his successor, Tim Sneed, who is also developing a new strategic plan while also building awareness and transitioning the nonprofit workforce-training entity away from its partial subsidy from the city. ‘Transition’ is a word you hear often with regard to this agency, which Sneed is giving a more-entrepreneurial character as it strives to be an even-more-pivotal force in regionwide economic development efforts.

        Tim Sneed was winding up his tour of the many facilities at the Mass. Career Development Institute (MCDI) with a quick stop in the expanded metal shop area. He stopped at a trash barrel in the making, quickly recognizable as the same model seen on many streets in downtown Springfield.

        The unit features several iron rods twisted and welded into a somewhat artistic yet obviously functional shape as part of the training that individuals involved in this particular program gain as they look to enter or re-enter the workforce in one of many sectors that are struggling to find qualified help. As he looked over the nearly finished product, Sneed, MCDI’s executive director since early 2007, mused about an already-existing inventory and opportunities to make and sell more of the units, and said with a chuckle, “I’ve got 20 of these to sell; I want to be the trash barrel vendor of choice in this region.”

        He would use such phraseology early and often as he talked with BusinessWest, and offered the rubbish-receptacle-manufacturing work as one very small but nonetheless significant and symbolic example of what he wants to do at and with MCDI. His mission is to do some shaping of his own — in this case transforming the once-troubled agency that became symbolic of the corruption and mismanagement that plagued Springfield earlier this decade (more on that later) into a major player in the revitalization of the city — and improvement of the economic health and well-being of the region as a whole.

        He wants the nearly 40-year-old institute, now located in a former box-making plant on Wilbraham Avenue, to be a learning and training facility of choice, and he’s already taken some significant strides in that direction.

        Indeed, the former financial management executive at Solutia (formerly Monsanto) and MassMutual, working in concert with a revamped, committed board of directors, is positioning the institute, which provides training in areas ranging from computer programming to culinary arts to that aforementioned welding and machinery, to be an integral player in workforce-development efforts in the region.

        And this commitment comes at a time when workforce development has been identified as the most critical economic-development issue facing the region.

        In many ways, Sneed is continuing the work started by now-former MCDI Director James Morton, who, before moving on to become director of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, commenced the often-difficult work of stabilizing the agency after a scandal involving previous Director Gerry Phillips tarnished its name. But Sneed told BusinessWest that the image-restoration efforts are now mostly in the rear-view mirror.

        The task at hand has several components, he said, starting with awareness-building efforts and development of a new, comprehensive strategic plan that will evaluate specific programs and identify ways to strengthen and grow them. Meanwhile, the nonprofit agency is also transitioning itself away from its partial subsidy from the city in an agreement forged with the Finance Control Board.

        To successfully handle all of the above, MCDI must become, in a word, far more entrepreneurial, said Sneed, noting that this means everything from program development to trash-barrel production and sales.

        In this issue, BusinessWest talks at length with Sneed about his plans for MCDI and how he intends to make that vision reality.

        Work in Progress

        Sneed told BusinessWest that when he first came to Springfield and Monsanto, the expectation would be that the stay would be only a few years in duration, as it had been been with other stops while working for that company.

        But more than two decades later, he’s still working in the region and with several of its nonprofit groups, such as the Martin Luther King Center, where he served as chairman of the board for two terms, and the Community Music School, among others. Such involvement helped create what Sneed called a mid-life crisis of sorts regarding his own career.

        “I always said that if I had the opportunity to become the exec of a nonprofit agency, I’d try to take advantage of that,” he explained. “Lo and behold, a year and a half ago, this position opened up.

        “I didn’t know anything about MCDI at the time,” he continued. “Someone referred my name to (former) Mayor (Charles) Ryan; he called me in, we talked, and three weeks later I was hired. I see this as an opportunity to really contribute directly to the community.”

        Since arriving at MCDI, Sneed said he has focused his energies on improving visibility, especially within the business community, developing a strategic plan, recruiting a strong board of directors to provide better oversight, and instilling that more-entrepreneurial character he talked about. Add it all up, and it translates into work to make MCDI run more like a business itself than the quasi-public entity, or city department, that it has been.

        “There’s probably a notion that MCDI is some sort of social-service organization,” he said. “I am of the notion that I don’t want to be a social-service agency — I want to be a training facility. And that’s the direction we’re taking.”

        Such an attitude will be necessary as MCDI transitions itself away from its city subsidy, which is about 20% of a roughly $5 million annual budget also funded with help from state and federal allocations. Specifically, MCDI receives funding from the federal Department of Housing and Urban development, the federal Workforce Investment Act, the Employment Board of Hampden County, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and the Commonwealth Corp., among other sources.

        Separation from the city will occur over the next four years, said Sneed, adding that this period of transition will allow MCDI to cultivate other funding sources and become more-entrepreneurial in its operations. And when asked where and how, he said, “everywhere and with everything.”

        “The obvious challenge for us is to replace that revenue we receive from the city,” he explained, adding that there were plans to begin transitioning MCDI away from city assistance roughly a year ago, but they were pushed back, in part to provide more time to cultivate a strategic plan for moving forward and closing that funding gap.

        Such work boils down essentially to partnership-building, said Sneed, adding that this has been the blueprint for MCDI since its start back in 1970, but these efforts now take on an ever-more-critical nature.

        And they represent a form of ongoing evolution at the institute, which has seen a number of changes since it was founded as the Hampden District Regional Skills Center. Now, as then, the mission has been to work with various challenged constituencies — the homeless, those on transitional assistance (formerly known as welfare), the unemployed and under-employed, those once incarcerated, and youths at risk among other groups, and, “graduate them into the economy,” as Sneed put it.

        Over the years, technology and other changes in the workplace have presented new opportunities and challenges for the institute, which has, generally speaking, responded effectively to demands for both broader skill sets and qualified help in specific sectors of the economy. Since its inception, MCDI has transitioned more than 18,000 people into full-time employment, the majority of them women and minorities.

        But the institute was rocked by scandal earlier this decade, with Phillips eventually removed from his position amid allegations ranging from creation of no-show jobs to inappropriate use of funds to improper relationships with students — sometimes in exchange for those no-show jobs.

        Morton, a former attorney and long-time teacher in Springfield, succeeded in putting the institute back on solid ground, reaffirming its relevance within the region, and even gaining some positive headlines, said Sneed, adding that his role is to build on what’s been done and move MCDI forward through creation of more and better partnerships with area economic-development agencies.

        Training Grounds

        Sneed said MCDI has always been performance-based in its operations, but now, it will be even more so as it becomes more entrepreneurial in nature.

        “The incentive was never to get people in the door, but to get them jobs, and that’s more true today than ever before,” he said, adding that this operating philosophy (and funding provision) dovetails nicely with a new sense of urgency within the community regarding workforce development.

        Indeed, the Regional Employment Board, working in concert with a host of other agencies and institutions, has blueprinted something called Building a Better Workforce — Closing the Skills Gap on the Road to Economic Resurgence, and MCDI is already slated to play a role in one of its first initiatives.

        It’s a project within the health care sector to increase pathways for lower-skilled incumbent workers by providing certified nursing assistant (CNA) and acute-care training. The program will eventually involve both current health care workers and those outside that sector and, essentially, provide an entranceway and then a clearer path to better-paying jobs in that industry, which is struggling to fill vacancies in many areas.

        MCDI will join Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College in training efforts aimed at making participants ready to work in an acute-care setting.

        Meanwhile, the institute is also playing a part in efforts to help bring more skilled individuals into the manufacturing sector, and, specifically, the precision-machining quadrant, said Sneed, adding that work to secure more contracts of this type will be the real key to closing the funding gap that will result from the transition away from city support.

        And to get them, MCDI must improve its visibility, he explained, but also continuously prove to business owners, groups like the REB, and other partners and potential partners that it can produce results.

        “We have to show people that we can deliver — just like any business must,” he said, adding that, to continuously gain those desired results, the institute must make sure its programs are relevant, up-to-date, and provide graduates with those skills that employers are demanding.

        Thus, the institute uses advisory boards to review the needs of various business sectors and even specific businesses to help make sure the institute is graduating individuals who can meet those needs.

        These include the so-called “soft skills,” he continued, referring to everything from punctuality to communication to proper attire — something the institute helps to address through the Dress for Success venture, which provides graduating women with clothes and shoes for interviews or their first day on the job.

        “It’s always been our mission to have people be job-ready,” he explained. “And that’s why we have conversations with people, starting on day 1, about what it takes to be ready.”

        As for visibility, or marketing, this is something on which MCDI has traditionally not focused much of its time, energy, or budget (as a look at its Web site will reveal), but this philosophy, like many other day-to-day operations, will change with the institute’s more businesslike approach.

        “We have to market ourselves more aggressively, we know that,” said Sneed, who has gone so far as to hire a consultant to assist with such matters. “We have to get our message out; too many people still don’t know who we are, why we’re here, or how we can help them. ”

        And the message to be sent, he said, is that this is no longer a ‘troubled’ agency with a dark cloud hanging over it. “We’ve managed to put that behind us; we’re focused on the future and being a key part in workforce-development efforts here.”

        Moving forward, Sneed said his basic mission is simply to make the institute’s phone ring more often — make that much more often. Calls are traditionally from companies that need help, or a problem solver, he explained, adding that his level of success in making MCDI a thriving, independent entity will ultimately be measured by that volume of phone calls.

        “We want to be this region’s training facility of choice — it’s as simple as that,” he said, using, again, words that he summoned often.

        Trash Talking

        As Sneed gave BusinessWest a tour of the institute’s many programs — stopping in the computer lab, one of the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) labs, the commercial kitchen, and the Dress for Success shop, among others — he moved quickly and purposefully. He wanted to provide a detailed look at what the institute does and how it does it, but he also had work to do.

        MCDI is entering a new, intriguing, and very challenging phase of its existence, and Sneed is quite busy with the many aspects of partnership-building, strategic planning, and developing new and reliable sources of revenue. If it all sounds like the process of running a business, that’s because that is increasingly what this entity has become.

        And Sneed just might be able to sell a few trash barrels while he’s at it.

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

        By
        Departments

        Reality Store

        Area high-school seniors learned the financial facts of life at the Reality Store event hosted at Springfield Technical Community College on Oct. 17. Tables represented categories such as housing, transportation, clothing, furniture, child care, groceries, insurance, and financial institutions, and were staffed by local business volunteers. Each student was handed a card with a life scenario, including a fictitious age, salary, education level, marital status, number of children, employment history, etc. They were given a check register and had to allocate their funds to provide necessities of life; if they ran out of money, they were steered to the part-time job table to see if there were any jobs available for which they would qualify. The students came from Chicopee High School, Chicopee Comprehensive High School, Enfield High School, Enrico Fermi High School, and West Hartford High School. The financial-literacy event is held annually by the Enfield Public Schools, based on a national model pioneered by the Indiana chapter of the Business and Professional Women Assoc. At top right is Barbara Lyon, transition coordinator for the Enfield Public Schools, who has organized the Reality Store event for students in this area for the past five years.

        Driving Force

        All States Transport Inc. (AST) recently celebrated the official opening of its national headquarters at 1067 East Columbus Ave. in Springfield. Founded in 1985, AST is a freight-brokerage company with offices in Texas, Florida, and Wisconsin, and it moves customer freight via road, rail, water, and air. From left are Pam Okeefe, an employee of AST; Angie Florian, a representative of the South End Citizens Council (SECC); Chris Kingston, AST; Leo Florian, SECC; Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Billy Kingston, president of AST; and Jennifer Irwin, Phil Ierasi, Mary Dinas, and Natalia Wichowsky, all employees of AST.

        County Strengths Dialogues

        Hampden County leaders gathered recently to discuss the strengths of the county and their vision for change. The luncheon at the Delaney House was part of the Women’s Fund of Western Mass. “County Strengths Dialogues” in each of the counties of Western Mass. From left are Carla Oleska, CEO of the Women’s Fund of Western Mass.; Carol Klyman and Ellen Freyman of Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin; and Joan Kagan, CEO of Square One.

        Handling Clouds of Uncertainty

        By
        Features
        Staying Calm Amid the Inevitable Tempests of Change

        Hurricane WaMu. Tropical Storm Enron. The Lehman Brothers Tsunami. In the increasingly tumultuous climate of corporate America, it seems as if no place is safe.

        Nowadays, most places of employment — from small businesses to multinational corporations — contain a pocket or two of whispering staffers fretting over the impending change that is about to hit their world, or complaining about the one that just took place. They have nervously listened to reports of economic doom and gloom, heard rumors circulating throughout the office corridors, watched a steady stream of co-workers come and go, and grumbled every time a new organizational chart was delivered to their E-mail inbox.

        There’s no doubt about it: people are scared.

        Whether it is the result of witnessing several of the largest bankruptcies in modern history, a hostile merger or acquisition, massive reductions in force, or simply a change in management, workers across the country are being negatively affected by the widespread changes taking effect in the workplace. Stress and anxiety levels are increasing, productivity is decreasing, and job-hopping is commonplace, thus further lowering already-basement-level employee morale.

        If you have ever been in a major weather event such as a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake, you are undoubtedly familiar with the few basic rules of survival and protection. Corporate changes are not unlike these natural occurrences, as they can often inflict similar emotional and financial upset. If you find yourself in the throes of yet another career shakeup, here are a few helpful hints for how not only to weather the storm, but also to emerge head and shoulders above your competition once the dust settles.

        • Expect it. Every year a hurricane will hit land somewhere. It is not probable; it is inevitable. Change in the business world is exactly the same. A company is an entity, and like all entities, it grows and evolves over time. In fact, it needs to change, because a stagnant company will eventually become a failed one. If you know that change — potentially a great deal of it — is guaranteed to happen, it will help you minimize the shock and denial that sometimes surface when it invariably hits.
        • Be prepared. When a big storm threatens a community, there are two key steps to adequately prepare: develop a solid plan and secure the necessary provisions. You want to know what you are going to do and what you need to do it. The same holds true for your employment. Before the storm of change hits, decide now what you want from your career and how your skills, credentials, and desires match your current employment. This may mean keeping your resume polished up, if only to boost your own comfort level and confidence. A calm, prepared employee typically survives the rocky roller-coaster ride of corporate change a lot easier. As for provisions, you may want to identify what financial needs you and your family have to be comfortable. Do you have all of your finances in place to ensure that these provisions are met? If not, it is wise to do so before the storm hits and your priorities are on other things.
        • Ride it out. OK, the storm has hit. You have a new office, boss, job, or company — or maybe you just found out that you no longer have any of them! The wind is howling, the shutters are banging, and the power is out. Everyone around you is panicking. What should you do when you are in the eye of the storm?

          • Now is the time to get grounded and centered. Take some deep breaths, and become your favorite tree (yes, you read it correctly: your favorite tree). Pretend that you have thick roots in your legs, and imagine that they are plunging deep into the ground below you. Trust that everything will happen exactly as it needs to in your highest good, and surrender to the Powers That Be. You are not in charge, but you have the ability to stay calm while the storm passes. Keep breathing!

          Clean up afterward. At this point you are surveying the damage. As you look around, you can’t help but notice the casualties and the huge amount of work ahead of you. First and foremost, give yourself permission to feel bad for a while, and honor the fact that you just went through a difficult challenge. If others are hurt by the change, extend a compassionate hand. But after a short period of time, decide that you want to get on with your life once again. Make a graceful exit from the pity party, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Start getting to know your new co-workers, learn the ins and outs of your new role or flesh out your next career trajectory. Whatever the results of the change are, know that the sooner you stop the self-destructive spin cycle of complaining, the quicker you will move back into a place of happiness and prosperity.

          The spate of corporate fear can be addressed when we take our cues from the lessons of Mother Nature. By adequately preparing for and weathering the inevitable tempests of change, you will clearly set yourself apart from the rest of the people who are still cowering around the water cooler, hoping that tapping their heels three times will return them to a safe, static work environment. Through awareness, preparation, centeredness, and acceptance, you will move swiftly through the blowing winds of change and ultimately emerge more joyful and successful than ever before.v

          Theresa Rose is an inspirational speaker and author of the newly released “Opening the Kimono.” As the founder of Serious Mojo Publications, Theresa specializes in fresh approaches to energy management, productivity, and creative development. Her past experience includes several entrepreneurial and management positions, including owner of an alternative-healing center, senior manager of marketing and product development for a Fortune 100 telecommunications firm, and vice president of a consulting firm specializing in higher education;www.theresarose.net

          On The Level

          By
          Cover 10/27/08
          Cover Story
          How Robert Holub Plans to Take UMass Amherst to the ‘Top Tier’
          Cover 10/27/08

          Cover 10/27/08

          Robert Holub says it was the first pragraph of the ad placed in a higher-education trade journal that caught and held his attention.

          He doesn’t recall the exact wording, but it was something to this effect: that the president and trustees at UMass Amherst were looking to recruit someone who could bring the campus into the top tier of public research universities in the country.

          Only a few months before that ad was placed, Holub, then provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Tennessee, wasn’t looking for another job opportunity. But by the time it appeared, following some leadership changes in Knoxville and greater uncertainty about his future there, he was paying much closer attention to such postings.

          He was aware of UMass and its national reputation — like many others, he says the school is better-regarded outside the Bay State than within it — and was intrigued. But it was the ‘next-level’ nature of the assignment that also appealed to him. Many schools are looking to make such a jump, he told BusinessWest, and UMass has been for several decades now, it seems.

          Indeed, such ‘top-tier’ language is commonplace in ads posted by schools seeking a president or chancellor, he said, adding that this opportunity — with its blend of timing, institution, and lingering historical challenge — stood out in some ways and got him thinking about what might be the next line on his resume.

          By midsummer, Holub, a German scholar, wasn’t thinking about the UMass assignment any longer — he was already hard at work on it, or at least laying the groundwork for it. And by September, when he arrived at the Amherst campus, he was talking to media outlets and other constituencies, including alumni, faculty, students, elected officials, and others, about just what’s involved with taking such a school up a notch.

          There is no manual and ‘how-to’ guide for such work, he explained, adding that it comes down to making an across-the-board effort to improve everything from research to the volume of faculty awards; from endowment to the rankings in U.S. News & World Report and other publications.

          And Holub has already taken some steps in these directions.

          For example, he recently reinstituted the position of ‘vice chancellor for Research,’ and expanded the title to include ‘Engagement,’ in one of several organizational moves.

          “In examining the top public research institutions in the country, I have found very few that did not have a research office at the level of vice chancellor or vice president,” he wrote to the campus community. “If we are going to be among these top institutions, I believe it is wise to emulate their emphasis on research and research productivity.”

          Following, or attempting to follow, best practices established by the schools well ahead of UMass in the rankings will be part of the strategic plan for the university, said Holub. But such efforts don’t take place in vacuums, and are inherently complicated by a number of factors, he said, putting everything from campus politics to simple economics on that list. And at the moment, state financing is a rather sore subject, with Question 1 (a proposed end to the Commonwealth’s income tax) hanging over every public institution, and $1 billion in cuts already made by the Patrick administration ($12 million at the Amherst campus).

          But there are other factors, not the least of which is the fact that schools currently ranked higher than UMass in several of those categories have no intention of moving down the list.

          “They don’t sit around and say, ‘we’ve had our time in the top 25; let’s give our spot to someone else,’ and the 20 schools in our position don’t say, ‘we’re happy where we are,’” Holub explained with a laugh, adding that reaching the next level certainly won’t happen overnight.

          In this issue, BusinessWest introduces Holub to the Western Mass. region and details (to the extent possible) his intentions and plans to take UMass Amherst where no one has.

          School of Thought

          As he talked with BusinessWest in his offices in the Whitmore administration building, Holub referenced a wall of framed photographs and architects’ renderings. Together, they convey more than a decade’s worth of expansion and new construction — totaling hundreds of millions of dollars — that crosses several schools and departments at the university.

          The collection is impressive, and includes the integrated science building, the new Skinner Hall (home to the School of Nursing), the Isenberg School of Management, the recently opened integrated arts building, a recreational center currently under construction, the new, state-of-the-art central power plant, and many others.

          But they will all be coming down soon.

          “These are things that are already done, for the most part, and achieved by the previous administration,” said Holub. “There are a host of new projects coming via the capital bond bill; we don’t need to keep up the old ones.”

          Re-covering that wall with new building and expansion projects is just one of the official or unofficial goals that Holub has set since learning last summer that he had been the one chosen to take UMass to a higher tier — and a new set of pictures will provide some evidence of progress in that regard.

          But the real proof will come in the rankings, specifically those set by the National Research Council, or NRC, said Holub, who told BusinessWest that he wants UMass Amherst to join such schools as Michigan, Penn State, Berkeley, UCLA, and others among the top echelon of public universities.

          Gauging the scope of the work ahead, Holub said that several UMass departments have already achieved top rankings from the NRC — in terms of faculty awards, the school is in the top 20, for example — but in others, the school is well down the lists.

          “It’s a mixed bag,” he explained. “We do well in faculty awards, but in research, we’re down around 50 or so, and in endowment, we’re down below 100. We have some departments ranked in the top 20, and others that are unranked.”

          Questions about how to achieve across-the-board improvement no doubt dominated the interview process for the chancellor’s position, which Holub entered after nearly 30 years in higher education, 27 of them at Berkeley, which he placed in that top tier.

          Holub started there as an undergraduate adviser in the German Department, and eventually became chair of that department and served in that post from 1991 to 1997. He would move up the ranks, and eventually be named dean of the undergraduate division of the College of Letters and Science, continuing a career-wide focus on undergraduate education. He left Berkeley for Tennessee and its chief academic post in 2006.

          A change in leadership in Knoxville late in 2007 prompted him to start mulling career options, and he set his sights on a chancellor’s or president’s position.

          What appealed to him about UMass was the solid foundation on which to build — several academic programs are highly ranked — and the professional challenge that awaited him at the school.

          When asked where he starts, he said there will be several initiatives undertaken simultaneously, but research is obviously a top priority — hence the launching of a national search for a vice chancellor of Research.

          “We have to improve in research productivity, in terms of federal research expenditures,” he explained. “That’s the way in which the top institutions are measured; we do well there, but don’t do as well as the top tier.”

          The administrative change, with an emphasis on that word ‘engagement’ that will now be in the title, is a key first step in this initiative, he continued. “The research office should be able to act more effectively to assist faculty in doing their research, getting out research grants, and working with industry inside the state and outside it to attract research dollars.”

          Another priority is communication, he said, meaning both the internal and external varieties.

          “We have to make it known what is going on here, and what is so positive about what’s going on here,” he explained, noting that the accomplishments of the faculty are not as known and understood as they should be, for example. “Many of the surveys that you have, whether it’s the National Research Council or US News and World Report, are reputational in nature, and in the past, I don’t think we’ve done a good-enough job of communicating the excellent work that goes on here and the great research and teaching that are accomplished on this campus.”

          To achieve improvement, Holub has appointed Tom Milligan to the position of executive vice chancellor for University Relations, and has moved several units and individuals under this unit to “ensure a more consistent and coordinated approach in reaching and engaging our key constituents,” as the chancellor wrote in his E-mail to the campus community.

          Milligan is putting together a more-cohesive communications strategy for the campus, Holub continued, adding that several departments at the school have been handling what amounts to public relations, but these have lacked coordination.

          Textbook Examples

          While discussing what it will take to move UMass up in the rankings, Holub addressed some of the theories offered as to why the school isn’t on a higher tier, and why some question whether it can get there.

          The proliferation of quality private schools in the Bay State is often mentioned in this discussion, because of how those schools — Harvard, MIT, Wellesley, Amherst, Smith, and Mount Holyoke, among seemingly countless others — compete with the state university for students, faculty, and the attention of the press, especially the Boston newspapers that cover Harvard like a blanket.

          Meanwhile, distance from Boston is sometimes listed as a factor by those who believe Amherst is perhaps too remote to gain consistent attention from the Boston media, or to attract faculty and graduate students.

          Holub acknowledged these contentions, but quickly discounted most all of them simply by showing what other schools facing similar issues and challenges have done.

          Champagne, home to the Univerity of Illinois, is hundreds of miles of Chicago, he explained, and the Windy City has a number of top-tier private schools. But neither of those factors has kept the state university from reaching the place where UMass wants to be.

          Meanwhile, he said, students don’t usually choose between Harvard and UMass, or MIT and UMass — the university traditionally faces different forms of competition for students. And as for the press, Holub took the attitude that, while the university can and will work harder to draw attention to itself — as he outlined above — he believes that if UMass can generate the kind of news he’s looking for (not students getting arrested after Red Sox playoff games), then the media will cover it.

          So the task at hand is to create such news or more of it.

          Doing so amounts to a process, said Holub, adding that, for the past few months, he’s been engaged in what might be considered the first step: listening.

          He’s done a lot of it, while sitting across the desk from or standing at podiums in front of individuals and groups ranging from Allan Blair, president of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., to distinguished alumni; from elected leaders in Boston and Washington to the school’s foundation board; from every dean on the campus to some current students.

          What is he hearing from them? Many things, he said, but one common thread is the need to move quickly and decisively to restore a sense of stability, something that is lost, or perceived to be lost, when a school like UMass loses as many top administrators as it has over the past several months.

          What is Holub telling those groups and individuals? Essentially, that he wants to take those departments not ranked among the country’s elite and elevate them there, while taking those with high rankings and pushing them higher still.

          “We’re the best public research university in New England,” he said, stating with no lack of confidence in his voice that the school tops UConn in that category. “But we can’t be satisfied with that; we want to be one of the best in the country.”

          Overall dissatisfaction with the status quo is what Holub says brought him to UMass.

          “If they had said that they were satisfied with the way things were going and that they wanted someone to keep operating in that way, I wouldn’t have been interested in the position,” he said, referring back to that job posting. “This university has achieved some great things, but it can do more and be more.”

          By the Book

          When asked if there were any often-cited examples of schools reaching that ‘next tier’ that he would attempt to emulate in some way, Holub said there are several, but that each story is different is some ways.

          The common thread is achieving a campus-wide commitment to excellence, and not allowing standards — or performance — to slip.

          That’s why schools that are that top-echelon usually stay there, he continued, adding that UMass won’t easily take another university’s slot among the elite.

          “Every public university that’s in the top 25 wants to stay in the top 25, and everyone who’s 25 to 50 wants to get in the top 25,” he explained. “So, it’s a very hard competition.”

          Thus, UMass will have to earn its way to the top echelon, and the processing of doing so is already underway.

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

          ‘Fundamentally Sound’

          By
          Dave Panagore
          Features
          Now-former Development Leader Says Springfield Is Positioned for Progress
          Dave Panagore

          Dave Panagore says Springfield has come to recognize that it is not Boston, and has only limited sway over the development community.

          Dave Panagore likes to say that he’s been working in the “family business that he never intended to make into a family business.”

          By that, he means the art and inexact science of planning and economic development. His father was urban renewal director for the Eastern Mass. city of Marlboro, and Panagore has followed in his footsteps, sort of, in various positions with Boston and Chelsea, Mass.; San Jose, Calif.; Springfield (which he served as chief development director); and, as of this writing, Hartford, which he now serves as director of Development.

          While he was wrapping up his duties in Springfield, ‘signing off’ on a host of projects, and readying for the Hartford assignment late last month, Panagore spoke with BusinessWest about the City of Homes, what’s happened over the past 30 months that he’s been here, and what the prospects are for the future. And as he did so, he borrowed a line from his father.

          “He always used to say that you can’t stop developers from developing where they want, and you can’t make them develop in places they don’t,” said Panagore, reciting the line as if he’s spoken it many times — and probably has. “The best you can hope to do is shape them and guide them.”

          And this pretty much sums up what he and others have been trying to do for the past few years, while also instilling some confidence and a can-do attitude in this city and putting in place an infrastructure — meaning everything from a development team (now minus its leader, obviously) to a plan of action in the form of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) report — to move things forward.

          In a word, if one term can cover it, the city now has an agenda, or much more of one than it had even a few years ago, Panagore continued, and it has considerably more stability.

          “The reputation of the city — in the state and with the federal government — has been restored,” he explained. “The state views Springfield as a place that’s stable and fairly well-managed currently, has cash reserves, and has policies in place. And our relationship with the federal government, in terms of our ability to spend federal dollars, is restored.

          “The city is stable … the spade work, the baseline work has been undertaken,” he continued. “The ground has been turned, and we’re ready to build on it.”

          All this has positioned Springfield to more ably survive the current economic turbulence facing the region and the nation, he said, adding quickly that had this downturn hit three years ago it would have devastated the city. “With this economy, Springfield is going to take a hit, just like every other city,” he explained. “But it’s much more resilient now; it can take that hit.”

          And these positive developments will help facilitate what are some very difficult development projects.

          Indeed, as he has many times since arriving in Springfield, Panagore told BusinessWest that the specific development initiatives facing the city — from Chapman Valve to the South End revitalization; from the York Street Jail site to Court Square — are not easy. “If they were, they would have been done a long time ago.”

          Looking forward, Panagore, who was recruited by Hartford and took that job in part because of uncertainty about his status here as the Finance Control Board winds up his work, says the current economic slump and general anxiety about the future will certainly impact Springfield’s short-term prospects for growth. But longer-term, he believes the city is, at the very least, better-positioned to achieve progress in the many ways it can be defined.

          Mapping Out a Strategy

          The wall outside Panogore’s now-former office in the municipal complex on Tapley Street is covered with some old panels that comprise an aerial photo of Springfield looking west. The composite includes most of the heart of the central business district and extends to the riverfront.

          Thus, in the top left corner, one can see the preparation of the site of the new Basketball Hall of Fame, giving a strong hint that the photo is about a decade old. More evidence of the date is provided by the fact that the buildings razed to make room for the MassMutual Center are still intact.

          The panels present few real signs of change or progress in Springfield, said Panagore, noting quickly that there have been many such signs outside the confines of this image — farther down the riverfront, at the industrial park at Smith & Wesson, in Indian Orchard, and in the city’s North End.

          Meanwhile, some of the indications of progress, from a planning and management perspective, can’t clearly be seen by the naked eye or the camera’s lens.

          Many of them are administrative and fiscal in nature, he said, adding that Springfield has managed to restore financial stability four years after the arrival of the control board, and, in the planning realm, has put together what he called a “functioning team.”

          Elaborating, he said there is now much more coordination among the various departments within the planning and development sphere — including planning, code enforcement, community development, and economic development — and considerably more communication.

          “When the control board arrived, there was little communication between departments,” he explained. “Now, there’s excellent communication, and a very cooperative spirit between those offices.”

          The city also has at least a short-term road map for progress in the form of the ULI study, said Panagore, noting that officials are aggressively addressing that report’s stated priorities — Court Square, the South End neighborhood, the now-vacant federal building, and the downtown in general.

          Overall, the city has a much more clearly defined agenda than it had even a few years ago, said Panagore, noting that it is one that is grounded in realism and some of those truths that his father professed.

          “Springfield needed to recognize, and it has recognized, that it’s not Boston,” he explained. “Our ability to make demands on the market and tell the market what it will do are far more limited than they would be in a city like Boston. But we’ve been able, with each of the projects that have come along, to shape them by being aggressive.”

          Running down the list of projects that are in various stages of progress, Panagore said most of them are on track, figuratively if not literally, starting with what he considers to be a new and improved plan for Union Station.

          The long-dormant landmark is still slated for restoration, but with a slimmed-down plan — considered more realistic by those who have put it together — that calls for far less retail, an intermodal transportation center, and office space, some of which is already targeted for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, and Square One.

          There is forward movement on other projects that are on the drawing board or soon to be there, he said, listing several, including:

          • The Chapman Valve location in Indian Orchard. The site of the former manufacturing complex where valves were built for the Navy and other customers is now predominantly clear, said Panagore, but the extent of sub-surface contamination is not known. An urban-renewal plan for the torpedo-shaped site is being readied, with acquisition by the city likely and necessary if plans to convert it into a business park — perhaps the most feasible use — are to become reality.
          • A shopping center planned for the old Westinghouse complex on Page Boulevard. Panagore said that, since the day he arrived in Springfield, developers have been trying to piece together a project that will give major retailers an attractive demographic between Enfield and Holyoke. The Packard Development Group has, in his words, “solved the puzzle” with a plan, now in the permitting stage, that will create a large-scale retail destination in that East Springfield neighborhood.
          • The federal building. It is now vacant, and while the city waits for the federal government to transfer ownership, various new uses are being considered.
          • The York Street Jail site. After years of trying to sell the landmark to the development community, the city has razed the building and will now to try to sell the land, said Panagore, adding that there is considerable momentum for a ‘court of dreams’ venture that will bring basketball tournaments — and, hopefully, large audiences — to the city.
          • 31 Elm Street (Court Square). The economic downturn will probably slow the progress of plans to convert the landmark into market-rate housing, said Panagore, but the question now is more when the site will developed than if it will be developed.
          • The South End. Recognized as a top priority by the ULI, revitalization of the challenged neigborhood is on track, said Panagore, with $6 million in improvements (parks, streets, sidewalks, etc.) budgeted, and the Hollywood section being the primary target.

            • Beyond specific projects, the city has been able to assert itself in recent years, said Panagore, meaning that it is not simply settling for what developers want to do, and where they want to do it, but setting high standards on design and construction.

            “We’ve been able to not only guide developers by being an attractive place in which to do business, with a short time period for permitting,” he said, “but also to help shape them and have them work in ways that will help the community fight for and achieve a level of design quality that other communities in the region have.”

            As an example, he cited a project to locate a new CVS on Sumner Avenue.

            “In response to our continual drumbeat of concerns about the façade they were planning, they’ve made changes, and they’re now putting glass in,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s a war of attrition to make continual, incremental improvement in process, results, and standards; Springfield deserves as good a building project as any other city in the region.”

            Puzzle Pieces

            That ‘functioning team’ Panagore says is now in place certainly has its work cut for it. As he said, the projects the city and the ULI report have identified as priorities are complicated, and the economy is one giant question mark that has most developers in a holding pattern.

            But, and this is a big ‘but,’ the city is better-positioned to handle these challenges than it was a few years ago — primarily because of a focus on what Panagore described as the fundamentals of economic development.

            These are some of the things his father learned and passed down — along with those principles of ‘shaping’ and ‘guiding’ — while working in the family business.

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

            Damage Control

            By
            Gary Brunelle
            Sections Supplements
            Restoration Firm Has a Niche That Soots It Well
            Gary Brunelle

            Gary Brunelle stands in front of the historic home on Elliott Street in Springfield, the latest addition to his growing portfolio.

            Gary Brunelle knows that, unlike business owners in countless other lines of work, he can’t expect to build his enterprise on the strength of repeat business.

            That’s because the commercial and residential restoration work he does follows a fire, flooding, strong-wind damage, sewage backup, or even a vehicle plowing into a home or storefront. In other words, calamities that usually — and hopefully — visit the homeowner or business owner once.

            “There is a little repeat business,” said Brunelle, co-owner of West Springfield-based Ace Fire & Water Restoration Inc., citing, as an example, some neighborhoods prone to flood damage and, in rarer cases, sewage backup issues. “But not a whole lot.”

            Thus, the task at hand for Brunelle and others, in what is considered an emerging specialty in the construction services sector, is to constantly generate new business. This puts a premium on marketing, he explained, noting that this is one of those businesses where people who need help and need it fast will resort to the phone book. Thus, he has several large, colorful, information-packed ads in those directories.

            But it also puts a strong emphasis on word-of-mouth referrals, he continued, or, to get right to it, on those things that generate such positive recommendations. In this case, factors include quick response, quality work, strong, effective communication between Brunelle and his clients, and, of course, helping people get back to a state of normalcy as quickly and painlessly as possible.

            The ability to do all that has helped Brunelle quickly grow his portfolio and, quite recently, add what will soon be its centerpiece.

            This will be work to restore the historic home at 2527 Elliott St. in Springfield (next door to the new federal courthouse) that was extensively damaged by an electrical fire last January. Its 8,003 square feet of space are “completely cooked,” said Brunelle as he gave a tour of what remains, adding that this will be a total rebuild (price tag: $1.6 million) that will take roughly 18 months to complete.

            “We’re going to strip it right down to the brick walls and rebuild it from the inside out,” he explained, adding that the former duplex will be converted into office space.

            Landing this huge contract was, Brunelle believes, a function of his company’s visibility and track record, which are the cornerstones to success, as he’s learned through nearly two decades of work in a business specialty he says he entered pretty much on a fluke.

            Indeed, Brunelle, a long-time carpenter, said that after one of many layoffs in 1990, he began what he expected to be a short-term assignment with a Connecticut company that specialized in fire, water, and related restoration — and he’s stayed in that business ever since. He made the transition from employee to employer in 2005, starting Ace Fire & Water with the confidence — and conviction — that there was ample room for another player in what was and is a somewhat crowded field.

            And thus far, he’s been proven right.

            “In a given year, about 3% of the population will be calling their insurance company about a loss involving some kind of damage,” he said, adding that this equates to considerable business across this region in both the residential and commercial quadrants, and Ace is succeeding in gaining progressively larger amounts of market share.

            In this issue, BusinessWest will explore how, and, in the process, provide some insight into a construction specialty that most people don’t pay much attention to — until they need it.

            No Smoke and Mirrors

            It is Friday, and as he talks with BusinessWest in his office/warehouse complex on Elizabeth Street, Brunelle is interrupted early and often by his cell phone.

            “This is typical for a Friday … there’s always a lot of calls,” he explained after handling another quick question, noting that clients typically pick that day of the week to get updates on the status of their projects, and crews in the field are always looking ahead to what will be on the slate the following week.

            Brunelle, who splits his time between the office and the field, with the latter earning a much higher percentage of his calendar, says there are many updates to offer on a typical Friday. The company usually has 15 to 20 jobs of various sizes ongoing at any given time, and, while half are completed in a month or less, some can take 120 days or more.

            And the jobs run the gamut. As the name of the company suggests, many of the projects are, indeed, fire- and water-related, with the latter category being replete with everything from flood damage to bursting pipes in the cold of winter; from so-called ice dams — a condition where ice builds up on the edge of a roof and water trapped behind it seeps into a home, damaging walls and ceilings — to dishwasher malfunctions.

            But there are other kinds of work as well.

            Indeed, mold remediation is becoming an increasingly common assignment for Ace crews, said Brunelle, adding that sewage backups are another frequently occurring annoyance for home and business owners, and there is considerable high-wind damage to address, as well. And then there’s the motorist who encountered some type of medical problem, apparently, and wound up driving his car into a home on East Mountain Road in Westfield.

            “That happens more than you might think,” said Brunelle of the motor vehicle mishap, adding that, in this case, the home was actually knocked off its foundation, making this a rather extensive addition to the Ace portfolio, which has been building steadily since 2005.

            That’s when Brunelle and partner Thomas Howe decided to go into business for themselves. They understood that this was a competitive field and that theirs’ was a fairly capital-intensive business, with several pieces of equipment to acquire. But they were confident that they could leverage their combined quarter-century of experience in the restoration field and become significant players in the market.

            Which they have. And Brunelle credits this success in large part to the experience he’s amassed over the years.

            Dry, Dry Again

            He recalls his entry into this business with a firm called Michaud Fire & Water restoration and his first assignment as what’s known as a ‘trim carpenter.’ “This is the very bottom rung of the ladder, the lowest of the low,” he explained. “And when I asked my boss, Gene Michaud, why I had to start there — because I had a lot of experience — he said that, if I wanted to learn the business, I had to start at the bottom and experience everything. And I did.”

            After Michaud sold the business several years later, Brunelle went to work for one of the break-off companies, and later joined what was then Action Fire Restoration in Chicopee and worked there for several years. By 2005, he and Howe, with whom he worked at Action, were ready to launch their own venture.

            With considerable help from the Small Business Administration, which assisted with the preparation of a detailed, 75-page business plan, the partners got Ace Fire & Water Restoration off the ground, with the requisite specialty equipment and something called IICRC, or Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certfication.

            As Brunelle mentioned, repeat business doesn’t come often in this line of work, so most all customers are new customers. Thus, the primary challenges for players like Brunelle are to attract these customers and then deliver the kind of customer service that will yield positive referrals, and thus business from those who have the time and inclination to do more than search the Yellow Pages after disaster strikes.

            Regarding the former, Brunelle understands that he must market himself extensively — more than most businesses his size — and he does this though the phone book, but also print, radio, and television ads that are building brand awareness. He’s also joined several business networking groups to enhance his referral-generation capabilities.

            As for customer service, Brunelle says his firm can provide a more-personable, hands-on approach then some of the larger players in this market.

            “This is one contractor who will return your phone calls,” he said, citing this particular Friday as a good example of his operating style. “Here, your file’s not sitting on the desk of a business on the 20th floor of a building in Chicago.”

            Elaborating, Brunelle said that he, like others in this business, keeps vast files of before-and-after pictures — for insurance companies, prospective clients, and other constituencies. What matters most in this business is how the contractor — and therefore the client — gets from one point to the other.

            “This is a people-oriented business,” he explained. “The people we’re working with have gone through something traumatic — it’s a difficult time for them. We’re small enough and personal enough to make that time less-difficult for them.”

            With this blend of aggressive marketing and strong customer service, Brunelle is looking to grow market share, especially on the commercial side of the ledger sheet, which currently accounts for only about 15% of his total volume.

            “We’re working to change that number,” he told BusinessWest, noting that larger players have a firm hold on the commercial market and he wants to alter that equation.

            Cellars Market

            In one of his television ads, Brunelle hints strongly at the non-repeat nature of the restoration business, and the fact that roughly 97% of the home and business owners in this market won’t have cause to even think about dialing his number in a given year.

            “I sincerely hope you never need our services,” says Brunelle in the spot, “but if you do …”

            It is the ‘but’ that has given rise to this emerging specialty within the construction sector, and also provided Brunelle with an entrepreneurial opportunity.

            He’s making the most of that opportunity by helping the victims of calamity get back on their feet — which, of course, is situation normal for Ace Fire & Water.

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

            Land of Opportunity?

            By
            Sections Supplements
            Business Owners Should Never Overlook Springfield’s Central Business District

            Economic cycles come and go (at least so far). However, parking, safety, and competition from suburban properties are the three ever-present factors that impact the downtown Springfield Class A office market. And, as is so often the case with commercial real estate and urban central business districts, perception is not exactly reality.

            Indeed, while these matters of parking and safety certainly constitute challenges, they are not as formidable as some make them out to be. Meanwhile, space in the suburbs does not come free of issues — or with free parking, either. In other words, there is some fiction that needs to be separated from fact on these matters.

            Let’s start with parking. It was getting a bad rap long before I came to the area in 1985. And while enormous progress has been made with the addition of the I-91 North and South garages, companies still maintain that they have trouble attracting employees, especially females, due in part to the cost (which has remained nearly constant for the last 10 years) and safety issues related to parking.

            Ironically, the cost of parking in downtown Springfield is a bargain when compared to other office markets in New England. Monthly parking in the City of Homes runs on average $80 per month in one of several covered garages or surface lots. Similar parking in Hartford is $200 or more per month, and in Boston it’s $400, or about as much as a car payment.

            Meanwhile, Hartford’s downtown environment isn’t any safer than Springfield’s, and neither is Boston’s. The fact is that some people simply have a parking-garage phobia. It’s the earthbound version of a fear of flying.

            One possible way to assuage this inherent aversion to parking garages might be to seek the help of the Springfield Business Improvement District. This seems like the logical organization to turn to, with such a perfect name for the job. The BID is supported by a special tax assessed on certain property owners in the designated district to improve the quality of the downtown business environment. For example, the Sovereign Bank Building makes an annual tax payment to the BID in excess of $50,000 a year. This is over and above the real property taxes it pays to the City of Springfield. All landlords, including the Class A and B office buildings, pay this tax in varying amounts.

            Some of this revenue could be directed toward improving the collective sense of well-being as it pertains to parking. The BID has numerous uniformed officers, intended to be high-profile, who could, when requested, serve from time to time as escorts between the office buildings and garages. It seems like the most fundamental service for the BID to provide.

            I don’t believe the primary objection to parking is really the cost. Parking translates into an additional cost of occupancy to a tenant of between $2 and $3 per square foot in rent if, in the extreme, the employer pays for 100% of every employee’s parking. Class A lease rates in the CBD top out at about $18 per square foot. With parking factored in, the rents are at $21 per square foot. In the prime suburban locations, the land of so-called ‘free’ parking, rents peak in the $25-per-square-foot range with parking.

            Viewed in this light, ‘free’ seems to have lost some of its meaning.

            Overall, the suburban office market has a significant impact on the downtown Springfield market. The suburban multi-tenant properties have been traditionally very close to capacity. When, on occasion, the suburban market experiences a sizeable vacancy, as was the case recently when ISO New England vacated 330 Whitney Ave. in Holyoke for newly built nearby quarters, a gold rush of sorts ensues. Two notable companies with downtown roots going back 20 years made commitments to the vacated space.

            Monarch Life Insurance left, as did the Novak Insurance Agency leaving Tower Square. The combined square footage left behind in downtown amounts to more than 30,000 square feet. Fortunately, most of this has already been absorbed.

            Liberty Mutual’s recent decision to locate at the Technology Park at Springfield Technical Community College, as opposed to staking a downtown presence, plugs a 30,000-square-foot hole there that could have eventually lured away other CBD tenants. So, for the time being at least, the downtown area is the only game in the region for office users in need of large blocks of available space.

            Time will tell, but there is some optimism that business owners can look past downtown’s challenges and the often-misleading perceptions about that area, and help generate some real momentum in the CBD.

            Downtown Springfield is, has been, and always will be the center of culture, commerce, and government in the region. For many companies, it is the only place to be. The David L. Babson Company, Court Square Data, and Western Mass Legal Services have all re-upped their commitment to downtown. The Premier Education Group (Branford Hall) recently moved its executive offices from East Springfield to Monarch Place.

            These companies don’t need to be downtown — technology enables businesses to locate virtually anywhere — but they saw some of the inherent advantages to being in that area, and found space that will enable their companies to grow.

            Other business owners can do the same — if they can look past challenges and some lingering misperceptions, and see opportunity.

            John Williamson is the president of Williamson Commercial Properties in downtown Springfield; (413) 736-9400.

             

            Feeling Super

            By
            Sections Supplements
            List of Top Performers Showcases Region’s Vibrancy, Diversity

            The region’s economy may be softening, but there is still plenty to celebrate in terms of business growth and diversity, as the Super 60 Class of 2008 reveals. The ‘Revenue’ and ‘Revenue Growth’ lists represent a wide range of business sectors, and include enterprises ranging from a Ford dealership to the Springfield YMCA.

            Russell Denver acknowledged that the region’s economy — like the nation’s — has slowed somewhat in recent months, and that there is some uncertainty about the future, especially in the wake of the turmoil on Wall Street and within the financial services sector.

            But the president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield said there are many strong signs of continued vibrancy in Western Mass. As evidence, Denver, a lawyer by trade, offered up what he considers exhibit A: the collective companies on the ACCGS’s Super 60 list for 2008.

            The enterprises on the ‘Total Revenue’ and ‘Revenue Growth’ lists, which range from a software maker to a local college; a car dealership to the Springfield YMCA (the nation’s second-oldest Y), were feted at the annual Super 60 luncheon, staged Oct. 24 at Chez Josef. There was much to celebrate, said Denver, noting that this year’s list features wide diversity, as seen above, several repeat winners from last year and beyond, and a number of newcomers.

            All of these characteristics reflect the strength of the local economy, said Denver, who told BusinessWest that the ACCGS started this recognition program 18 years ago — it was called the ‘Fabulous 50’ in the beginning, but it’s been expanded since — to showcase the region’s strength, resiliency, and ability to continuously spawn new ventures.

            “The list for 2008 shows that a number of companies are doing well — they’re thriving,” said Denver. “This area is a successful place to do business. This Super 60 list doesn’t just reflect that; it helps attract other businesses to this area.”

            Some statistics help explain Denver’s bullishness on the local economy. The ‘total revenue’ winners, for example, combined to amass close to $1 billion in the past fiscal year, with average revenue for all participants exceeding $19 million and more than $32 million for the top 30. Meanwhile, in the ‘growth’ category, average growth exceeded 30% for all participants, and topped 51% for the top 30. More than four-fifths (84%) recorded growth in excess of 20%, while nearly half had growth in excess of 60%

            Seven of the ‘revenue’ winners also qualified for the ‘growth’ category, while seven of the ‘growth’ winners also qualified for both lists.

            A look at both categories reveals the diversity — in terms of business sector, size, and geography — that Denver spoke of, as well as good mixes of return companies and newcomers.

            The ‘revenue’ category was topped by Southwick-based Whalley Computer Associates Inc., a veteran of the Super 60 competition and frequent top-five performer. Placing second was Ware-based Berkshire Blanket Inc., while Springfield College, the top finisher in ‘revenue’ in 2007, came in third.

            The ‘revenue’ list also includes several companies in retail: Bassett Boat, Louis & Clark Drug, Rocky’s Hardware, and Marcotte Ford, for example, as well as technology: Rediker Software and Valley Communications; manufacturing: Univer-sal Plastics, University Products, and Astro Chemicals; service: Disability Management Services, Braman Chemical Enterprises, and even the New England Farmworkers Council; and health care: Jewish Geriatric Services and Pioneer Spine & Sports Physicians Inc.

            On the ‘Revenue Growth’ side of the ledger, Springfield-based Complete Payroll Solutions topped the charts, while another Springfield company, R & R Industries, a wholesaler of scrap metal and distributor of truck and automotive parts, finished second, and East Longmeadow-based Biolitec, a maker of medical lasers and fiber-optic medical laser delivery systems, placed third.

            Also appearing on the ‘growth’ category are companies with names indicating that this roster crosses a wide spectrum of business sectors: Dimauro Carpet & Tile, Haluch Water Contracting, Kleet Lumber, McHill Hose & Coupling, Parts Tool & Die, FieldEddy Insurance, Dietz & Co. Architects, and many others.

            In the pages that follow, BusinessWest provides snapshots of all 60 companies. The top three finishers in each category appear in that order, with the rest of the lists running alphabetically.

            OPINION

            By
            Opinion
            Fostering the Development of a ‘Smart Grid’

            New England states have laid out an ambitious agenda to slow the growth in electricity use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop renewable resources, maintain power-system reliability, and lower costs. The sometimes-conflicting nature of these goals makes it difficult to align them.

            Indeed, this is a critical juncture for New England. For decades, the region has faced formidable energy challenges, from a lack of indigenous fuel sources to historically high costs, a weak transmission system, and growing consumer demand. The introduction of competitive electricity markets a decade ago has provided a solid foundation for progress: almost $10 billion in private investment in new power plants has boosted supply by more than 30%, and $3 billion of long-overdue transmission investment with about $5 billion more being planned will result in a more-efficient flow of power throughout the region.

            The next steps can be achieved by developing solutions that accommodate and harness recent technological innovations to improve the efficiency of the power grid — in other words, to foster the development of a ‘smart grid.’

            This ‘smart grid’ means far more than the use of technology. It means establishing ‘smart’ policies that will bring new technology to all corners of the power system to optimize supply, transmission, and conservation. It also means being smart about resource choices in the long term, so that the region can diversify its fuel sources and lessen its reliance on natural gas and oil to produce electricity.

            On the regional level, smart-grid technology has been incorporated into New England’s power system operations so that grid conditions both inside and outside the region can be monitored. Moreover, ISO New England is committing funds for the development of an ‘Advanced Grid Simulator’ that will help determine how the grid will operate with the addition of intermittent alternative energy resources such as wind.

            New electricity markets were recently implemented to expand the types of resources used to meet consumer demand. New England’s markets now procure in advance not just traditional supply such as power plants, but also conservation resources that reduce electricity use and have never been included in the marketplace before.

            This fall, the ISO began a pilot program designed to test alternative energy resources, including energy storage, as a way to instantaneously balance electricity supply and demand. At the state level, policies are being implemented that will maximize the potential of these innovations and encourage their continued development. The state recently enacted the Green Communities Act that promotes the development of renewable resources and energy-efficiency programs.

            Meanwhile, the state of Connecticut passed energy legislation that promotes conservation and reduced demand to limit the growth in electricity use. Connecticut has become a leader in demand response, which provides financial incentives for customers to lower their electricity use during tight supply periods. And energy efficiency programs are giving consumers tools to better manage their energy use.

            Some New England states are either considering the adoption of smart meters or have already introduced pilot programs. Such technologies would provide consumers with real-time price information to enable them to better manage their use and lower their bills.

            The goals that have been set for renewable resources, conservation, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are ambitious, but feasible if industry and government continue to build on progress. Technology transformed the region’s economy in the 1980s and ’90s, and fostered improvements in productivity and efficiency in industries around the world. New England can be at the center of another technological revolution in power delivery and use — automating the system to make it more efficient and bringing the economic, environmental, and energy needs of the region into closer alignment.-

            Gordon van Welie is president and CEO of Holyoke-based ISO New England Inc.

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