Month: June 2013
The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2013.
AGAWAM
Louis Egnatowich
525 Springfield St.
$18,000 — New roof
AMHERST
Amherst College
Campus Center
$285,000 — Cosmetic improvements
Johnson & Gata Realty, LLC
24 Webster Ct.
$5,000 — Replacement windows
United Church
121 North Pleasant St.
$1,040,000 — Expansion and renovation of Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst Meeting House
CHICOPEE
Atlantic Construction
18 Arlington St.
$30,000 — Re-roof and re-side
Chicopee Housing Authority
Benoit Circle
$245,000 — Window replacement
Pioneer Cold
149 Plainfield St.
$70,000 — Install shipping doors and dock ramp pads
NORTHAMPTON
Chakalos Investments Inc.
345 Haydenville Road
$6,900,000 — Construct a three story 76,000-square-foot senior living retirement center
Cooley Dickinson Hospital
30 Locust St.
$115,000 — Renovate OB unit
Coolidge Center, LLC
47 Pleasant St.
$47,000 — Renovate second floor
Dimension Real Estate, LLC
59 Service Center Road
$13,000 — Replace roof, fascia, and soffit
Gleason Brothers, Inc.
1 Gleason Plaza
$15,000 — Interior renovation
Hampshire Property Group
25 Main St.
$47,000 — Construct interior partitions and staircase between 4th floor and mezzanine
Stop & Shop
238 King St.
$195,000 — Divide former video space into two spaces
The Coca Cola Company
48 Industrial Dr.
$120,000 — 2,300-square-foot addition foundation
Thorne’s Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$30,000 — Frame new dressing rooms
SOUTH HADLEY
Mount Holyoke College
50 College St.
$6,000 — New roof
SPRINGFIELD
1350 Main Street, LLC
1350 Main St.
$61,000 — Alterations to existing space for a fitness center on the ninth floor
1600 Main Street Inc.
1600 Main St.
$255,000 — 3,000-square-foot interior build out
Bernie Medical, LLC
300 Bernie Ave.
$42,500 — Renovation to existing space
Bethany Rd. Properties, LLC
121 Memorial Dr.
$260,000 — Create office space in existing building
C & W Real Estate Company, LLC
1200 Main St.
$75,000 — Alterations to create a television studio and offices
Colrest/State Street, LLC
600 State St.
$106,500 — Remodel of CVS
Main Sheldon, LLC
2684-2708 Main St.
$3,500 — Renovation to stairway
NE Enterprises
1200 West Columbus Ave.
$685,000 — Convert existing welcome center into restaurant and bar
Springfield College
250 Wilbraham Ave.
$780,000 — Addition of new stair tower to existing Locklin Hall
WEST SPRINGFIELD
1275 LLC
1275 Elm St.
$48,000 — New roof
La-Z-Boy Furniture
1299 Riverdale St.
$12,000 — Roof repair
The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of and June 2013.
AGAWAM
413 Auto Repair
71 Garden St.
Michael McCann
North East Aircraft Solutions
28 Meadow St.
Anthony Ruccio
Rushmore Rental Services
14 Granger Dr.
Justin L. David
Sebastian & Sons Metal Works
71 Garden St.
Sebastian Glebocki
T.J. Mechanical Services
59 Sunnyslope Ave.
Thomas A. Jacob
AMHERST
EccoTech Management
413 West St.
Haim Gunner
Minute Clinic Diagnostic of MA
165 University Dr.
Kimberly DeSousa
New Life Horizons Counseling
441 West St.
Naimah Muhammad
Panda East
103 North Pleasant St.
Yi-Ching Chiang
CHICOPEE
Cely’s Health Spot
232 Exchange St.
Cely Rodriguez-Ramos
Collins & Company
340 McKinstry Ave.
Builder Services Group Inc.
Friendly Liquors
65 Main St.
Jan Sudol
KP Visual Communications
214 McCarthy St.
Kelly Ann Partridge
Priya
460 Memorial Dr.
Kamaraj Pandurangan
Quick Pick Convenience
452 Chicopee St.
Amir Paracha
HADLEY
AT & T Mobility
359 Russell St.
AT & T
NEAT Freaks
11 Aloha Dr.
Valorie Leonard
Pioneer Valley/New England Growers Co-Op
112 East St.
Glenroy Buchanan
Vrandolph Books
128 Mount Warner Road
Virginia Michie
Waterdog Technologies
84 Russell St.
Ashley Stempel
HOLYOKE
Classic Custom Muffler
54 Commercial St.
Anatoliy Purshaga
Hart Installations
8 Arbor Way
Evan Hart
Journeys Kidz
50 Holyoke St.
Matthew N. Johnson
Shi By Journeys
50 Holyoke St.
Matthew N. Johnson
NORTHAMPTON
Captain Candy
150 Main St.
Nolan Anaya
Hair Designers
2 Conz St.
Margaret Mientka
Mizlabeled
73 Barrett St.
Julia Mattes
Movement Mortgage, LLC
300 Pleasant St.
John B. Third
With These Hands Worldwide, LLC
56 Lincoln Ave.
Sarah R. McDowell
PALMER
Drolet Tactical Training & Consultants
2094 Main St.
Michael Drolet
Minute Clinic Diagnostics of MA, LLC
1001 Thorndike St.
Kimberly DeSousa
Rainbow of Colors
25 Breton St.
Tamara Roy
Your Dream Cleaner
4063 Main St.
Carla Smith
SPRINGFIELD
Advanced IT Solutions
61 Clough St.
Timothy Vincent
All Stars Barber Shop
438 Boston Road
Alexis Aponte
Almost Edible Gourmet
36 Oak St.
William P. Therrien
Altranais Home Care, LLC
780 Chestnut St.
Shakira Lubega
B & J Mechanical
91 Mobile Home Way
Bruce A. Campbell
Baye’s Gourmet
327 Maple St.
Raymond L. Baye
Brown’s Auto Body
247 Hancock St.
Fitzroy Brown
Chestnut Market
586 Chestnut St.
Abid Ali
Chuck E. Cheese’s
1716 Boston Road
Deborah Shannon
Dollar X
447 Sumner Ave.
Mohammad Bashir
Double Eagle Home Improvement
21 Brentwood St.
Peter D. Smidy
El Morro Bakery & Restaurant
607 Page Blvd.
Neidy Cruz
Hashtag
24 Taylor St.
Kamisha Bryant
Her Imperial Highness
44 Mattoon St.
Jolyn M. Paris
HRD Innovative
1348 Page Blvd.
Heman Rijos-Delgado
Huracane Logistic
142 Bay St.
Julio Vasquez
I’m Just Saying
32 Byers St.
Hassan A. Reid
Incredible Toys
1655 Boston Road
Mahmut Alkan
J. Norman Landscaping
17 Empress Court
Joseph V. Norman
JBS One and Done Painting
407 Sumner Ave.
Jason M. Blair
Jolly Juniors Childcare
50 Massachusetts Ave.
Jacklyn Charlton
Leannie’s Variety
2291 Main St.
Maria Bonilla
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Davis Chiropractic
900 Elm St.
Marjorie Davis
Gilligan Landscaping
15 Bluebird Lane
Brandon Gilbert
Goffer Construction Inc.
16 Healy St.
Aleksandr Salagornik
Gold Chopsticks
12 Chestnut St.
Xin Dong
Hess
341 Memorial Ave.
Richard J. Lawlor
Main Auto Sales
842 Main St.
William L. Matte
Omega Cleaners of West Springfield
1238 Riverdale St.
Joo B. Lee
Subway
1329 Riverdale St.
Steven Petow
TK Designs
92 Upper Beverly Hills
Tamara L. Kennett
The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.
AMHERST
Hangar of Westfield Incorporated Enterprise, 55 University Dr., Amherst, MA 01002. Harold Tramazzo, same. Restaurant franchise.
Help our Kids Inc., 194 Lincoln Ave., Amherst, MA 01002. Noryn Resnick, same. To identify the needs of children in foster care in the Greater Springfield area.
BELCHERTOWN
Kuni Money Inc., 134 south St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Sushma Patel, same. Check cashing, money service, retail.
CHICOPEE
JBM Company Inc., 165 Prospect St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Jacinto Blanco-Munoz, same. Restaurant.
LS Propriety Maintenance Inc., 954 Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Luciano Santos, same. Property maintenance.
EASTHAMPTON
Julie Tomlinson Inc., 75 Northampton St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Julie Tomlinson-Nolan, same. Wholesale jewelry sales.
GREENFIELD
Green River Brewers & Distillers Inc., 17 Wildwood Ave., Greenfield, MA 01301. Joseph Gochinski, same. Brewing and distilling malt beverages, alcoholic beverages, and spirits.
HADLEY
Healing Through Horses Inc., 105 Stockbridge Road, Hadley MA 01035. Joanne Elizabeth Huff, 107 Brookline Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040. To create a healing environment through experiential learning with horses.
HATFIELD
Independent Automotive Repair Inc., 8B Linseed Hill Road, Hatfield, MA 01038. Gregory Lawrence, same. Auto repair services.
Northeast Pit Bull Rescue Inc., 129 Prospect St., Hatfield, MA 01038. Daniel Korpiewski, same. To save the lives of needy dogs and educate the general public on pit bulls.
HOLYOKE
Living Water Counseling Center Inc., 94 Suffolk St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Frank Wotton, 15 Howard St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Private behavioral services.
LEE
JMK Technical Services Inc., 455 Marble St., Lee MA 01238. Nauneet Pathak, same. Computer software services
LONGMEADOW
Medical Risk Analytics Inc., 85 Pleasant View Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106. David Licht, same. Consulting.
MIP Holdings Inc., 269 Captain Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Michael Pechulis, same. Real estate holding company.
LUDLOW
Liberty Family Farms Inc., 47 Deer Hill Circle, Ludlow, MA 01056. Jeanette Johnson, same. Operation of a farm.
Ludlow Rotary Club Charitable Foundation Inc., 1428 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Maria Crespo, 106 Grandview Ave., Ludlow, MA 01056.
NORTH ADAMS
McCann Alumni Associates Inc., 70 Hodges Cross Road, North Adams, MA 01247. Chad O’Neill, 1226 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams, MA 01247. To continue the quality of the technical education at Charles McCann Technical High School.
NORTHAMPTON
Help Yourself Inc., 19 Maple Ave., Northampton, MA 01060. Felix Lufkin, same. Organize, Facilitate and promote community involvement in planting fruit tree and gardens
Neohasid, 19 Perkins Ave., #6, Northampton, MA 01060. David Seidenberg, same. Jewish education
PITTSFIELD
Get Away Clean Inc., 154 Stoddard Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Christopher Kittle, same. Residential and commercial cleaning and maintenance.
SPRINGFIELD
Iglesia Casa De Dios Y Puerta Del Cielo, 29 Grover St., Springfield, MA 01104. Soledad Kercado, same. Preach the gospel to every person. Teach the word of God.
Kind Medical Inc., 590 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01119. Jay Heinicke, 51 Squire St., MA 01069.
Mohegan Sun Increases Projected Project Cost
PALMER — Mohegan Sun has upped the projected cost of its Palmer gambling resort to nearly $1 billion with the addition of an indoor-outdoor water park and a second hotel, making the rural project the largest in the competition for the sole Western Mass. casino license. The project will probably include indoor surfing, a lazy river feature, and an extensive series of outdoor zip lines. The new $130 million to $150 million resort component, inspired by the Pump House water park at the Jay Peak resort in Vermont, will be developed by Boston-based Finard Properties, which has also joined with Mohegan Sun to build a retail complex at the development. Plans call for the second hotel to be connected to the water park and detached from the main casino hotel. The second hotel would have about 250 rooms. Mohegan Sun is one of three prominent gambling companies in the hunt for casino development rights in Western Mass. Mohegan is competing with MGM Resorts, which has proposed a casino and entertainment complex in downtown Springfield, and Hard Rock International, which has planned a casino and hotel resort on the Big E fairgrounds in West Springfield. The state Gambling Commission is expected to choose the winning project in early 2014.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra Hires New Executive Director
SPRINGFIELD — The board of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced that it has hired Audrey Szychukski as the new executive director of the SSO. Audrey Szychulski will join the SSO on Aug. 1 upon leaving her current position as executive director of the Erie Philharmonic in Erie, Pa. Szychulski fills the vacancy created in January when long-time SSO Executive Director Michael Jonnes retired. SSO President Kristina Drzal Houghton noted that, “from our first round of résumé screening, and through every subsequent step of interviewing, reference gathering, and especially after spending time with her, Audrey has consistently stood out as our most promising candidate for this critical position. The executive board and I feel that we have found the right person to help us lead the SSO through our next period of success.” SSO Musical Director Kevin Rhodes was equally positive, commenting that “I could not be more excited to be welcoming Audrey to the SSO family. She will bring an energetic blend of skill, enthusiasm, and musical knowledge to the SSO. Trained as both an arts administrator and as a musician, I am really looking forward to the synergy that Audrey and I will develop as the Springfield Symphony begins its 70th-anniversary season and we guide the orchestra into its eighth decade.” The symphony will make a further announcement and formal introduction closer to Szychulski’s official start date. Peter Salerno, acting executive director of the SSO, will continue in that capacity until Aug. 1.
REB Head Bill Ward to Step Down This Fall
SPRINGFIELD — J. William “Bill” Ward, a longtime leader in the region’s workforce-development arena and president and CEO of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County (REB), will step down from his position at the end of this year or early 2014. Ward has served in his position with the REB for 32 years and was the driving force behind the organization’s leadership and innovation in a number of workforce initiatives, including the development of one-stop career centers FutureWorks in Springfield and CareerPoint in Holyoke, which serve 20,000 job seekers annually. In a career that has been primarily focused on creating access to employment and self-sufficiency for the region’s low-income citizens, it was under Ward’s leadership that the REB established the Minority Employment Program in the 1980s. This initiative found employment for approximately 500 people a year during the program’s existence. The REB opened the first competitively bid one-stop career centers in 1992, which were recognized by the National Alliance of Business as the “One-Stop Centers of the Year.” Ward launched the Center for Youth Internships and Employment to prepare disadvantaged youth for employment, and formed the Women’s Mentoring Partnership designed to help women transition from welfare to work, matching low-income women with professional women in the business world for mentorship and support. In 1992 he founded the Literacy Volunteer Network, which trained more than 400 volunteers to tutor adult learners in English-literacy skills. The LiteracyWorks initiative formed during his tenure has coordinated various literacy initiatives in the region. Under his leadership, an early-literacy initiative, Talk/Read/Succeed, achieved local and national funding while aiming to raise the literacy skills of young children living in Springfield Public Housing centers, a requirement for future economic success. The REB under his direction started a precision-manufacturing initiative designed to replace retiring workers in the industry with the next generation of machinists by strengthening training and outreach at vocational schools in the region. Ward has been recognized for taking a leadership role in promoting community justice and in 2010 received the Human Relations Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice. In 2009 BusinessWest magazine honored him as a Difference Maker for his contributions to quality of life in the Pioneer Valley. His community service and engagement include service as board president of the Assoc. of Community Living, Abilities Unlimited/Kamp for Kids, and Partners for a Healthier Community. He also serves on the board of Friends of the Homeless of Greater Springfield. The REB board of directors has established a search committee to identify the organization’s next leader, and a successor will be selected by late this year. Information on the position can be found online at www.rebhc.org.
Construction Unemployment Falls to 10.8% in May
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the summer building season underway, the nation’s construction industry added 7,000 jobs in May as the unemployment rate dipped to 10.8%, which is down from 13.2% in April and the lowest rate since October 2008, according to U.S. Labor Department. Since May 2012, the industry added 189,000 jobs, or 3.4%. Despite gains in every other construction sector, the non-residential building sector lost 2,600 jobs for the month. Year-over-year, the sector added 15,300 jobs, or 2.3%. Non-residential specialty trade contractors added 1,200 jobs in May and netted 51,600 workers, or 2.5%, since the same time last year. Heavy and civil-engineering employment rose by 3,100 jobs in May and increased by 28,600 jobs, or 3.3%, from May 2012. In contrast, the residential sector added 900 jobs for the month and 18,100 jobs, or 3.2%, during the last year. Residential specialty trade contractors added 4,600 workers for the month and 76,300 workers, or 5.2%, on a year-over-year basis. Overall, the nation added 175,000 jobs as the private sector expanded by 178,000 jobs and the public sector shrunk by 3,000 jobs.
Myra Smith
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Hyman G. Darling
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Werner Maiwald, Managing Director of the Renaissance Advisory Services and Financial Avisor of the Gaudreau Group in Wilbraham, achieved membership in the Million Dollar Round Table, an association of financial-services professionals. Maiwald, a qualifying member for many years, has 33 years experience in the financial-services sector. He holds numerous securities licenses, including Series 6, 33, 65, and 7, is a member of the National Assoc. of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and holds the certified fund specialist designation.
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ERA M. Connie Laplante Real Estate recently named Joanne Laplante the newest member of its office. Laplante has been a professional real-estate agent for 28 years.
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Historic Deerfield recently promoted David Lazaro to the position of Associate Curator of Textiles at Historic Deerfield. Lazaro received his master’s degree from UMass Amherst, where he studied fashion and textile history, with a concentration on European and American clothing and textiles from the 18th and early 19th centuries. Historic Deerfield’s fashion and textile collection includes more than 8,000 items from four centuries.
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Noble Hospital in Westfield congratulates Janette Lough-Guilmette, PTA for her selection as this year’s recipient of the Brian R. Johnson Outstanding Business Award by the Business Education Alliance. She was honored for her many years mentoring Southwick High School seniors who are placed at Noble Hospital’s Sports and Rehabilitation Center by the Business Education Alliance. These young pre-professionals work at the business of their choice as part of their graded school curriculum. Those choosing the Sports and Rehabilitation Center have an interest in health care, but it’s often their first real exposure. After their time with Lough-Guilmette, most parlay this experience to further their education. Over the years, she has launched the careers of physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and physician’s assistants.
Send photos with a caption and contact information to: ‘Picture This’ c/o BusinessWest Magazine, 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or to [email protected]
Lifetime of Dedication
Gary McCarthy, executive director of the Springfield Boys & Girls Club, was recently honored by the Boys & Girls Club of America for his 50 years of service to the organization. Top: McCarthy stands with the Springfield Boys & Girls Club board chairs who have served during his tenure: from left, William Fraser, Malcolm Getz, William Hadley, Diane Dunkerley, Jack Fitzgerald, Stacy Magiera (immediate past chair), Tim Gallagher (current chair), McCarthy, Vinnie Daboul, Timothy Crimmins, and Art Jones. Bottom: from left, Gene Bailey, director of organizational development, National Boys & Girls Club of America; McCarthy; and James Hurley, director of development, National Boys & Girls Club of America.
Photos courtesy of Michael Epaul
Branching Out
Monson Savings Bank recently conducted a ribbon cutting for its new branch at 136 West St. in Ware. Pictured, from left, are John Desmond of the Ware Board of Selectmen; Steve Lowell, president and CEO, Monson Savings Bank; and Greg Harder, chairman of the Ware Board of Selectmen.
Thought Process
![photo[2]](https://businesswest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/photo2.png)
One of six teams of the Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) class of 2013, calling themselves the Next Generation Pioneers 2, celebrated their graduation with the presentation of a 10-month-long project on May 31. LPV strives to develop a network of emerging and existing leaders to address challenges and opportunities across the region. Bottom: from left, Christin Deremian, management, Human Resources Unlimited; Brittney Kelleher, commercial loan officer, Westfield Bank; Juli Thibault, talent acquisition marketing & operations manager, Baystate Health; Annamaria Golden, manager of Community Relations Benefits, Baystate Health; Alfonso Santaniello, president and CEO, Creative Strategy Agency; Jason Randall, director of Human Resources, Peter Pan Bus Lines; Peter Ellis, creative director, DIF Design; and Mark Sayre, actuarial consultant, MassMutual Financial Group.
Woman of the Year
The Professional Women’s Chamber (PWC) recently honored Jean Deliso, president of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services in Agawam, as its Woman of the Year. Deliso was feted at the chamber’s annual dinner on June 6 at the Cedars in Springfield. Top: Kristy Batchelor, branch manager, Hampden Bank; Laurie Cassidy, executive director, West Springfield Council on Aging; Amy Scribner, associate director of marketing, Hampden Bank; Peg Daoust, branch manager, Hampden Bank; Susan Dominick, branch manager, Hampden Bank; Debra Geisler, branch manager, Hampden Bank; and Nora Braska, training officer, Hampden Bank. Middle: Dave Demos, vice president, Complete Restoration Solutions; Deliso; Alika Hope, co-host, Connecticut Perspective TV; and Michelle Cayo, PWC president. Bottom: Anita Bird, office manager of the Community Outreach Office, MGM Springfield; Kelley Tuckey, vice president of public relations, Eastern Region, MGM Resorts International; Deliso; and Jane Albert , executive director of the Baystate Health Foundation and vice president of Development, Baystate Health.
Colleges Work to Help Students Open Doors to Opportunity
Bay Path College’s Laurie Cirillo says the job market has improved, but there are still many challenges awaiting job seekers.
That’s the phrase one hears repeatedly from area college career-services professionals as they talk about the overall job market and the prospects for members of the class of 2013.
Roughly translated, those two words, or others used to convey the same sentiment, imply that conditions are certainly better than they were a few years ago, when, in the wake of the Great Recession, many sectors — including financial services, law, retail, and even healthcare — sharply curtailed their hiring, forcing many to stay in school or take jobs in fields other than the one they chose.
But while the skies have brightened slightly — moreso in the technical and healthcare-related fields than others — the job market is still challenging in many respects, said Laurie Cirillo, executive director of the Sullivan Career and Life Planning Center at Bay Path College. She noted that, while a large number (25% or more) of the school’s graduates go on to seek advanced degrees, those choosing to enter the job market are facing everything from stern competition — including many members of those classes that graduated during or just after the recession — to some lingering reluctance on the part of some employers to add to their payrolls.
“Given the fact that we have a positive job-growth outlook for the state, we’re preliminarily seeing our students have more success and find opportunities locally,” she said of the overall job market. “But there is a lot of competition for these opportunities.”
In this environment, said Cirillo and others we spoke with, candidates need any advantages they can get, and area colleges are becoming both diligent and imaginative in helping them find some.
These initiatives include everything from encouraging and creating experiential learning experiences — including internships, practicums, and co-ops — to networking events and career fairs designed to introduce students to employers, to programs providing help with résumé and interviewing skills.
Summing up these efforts, Jeanette Doyle, director of the Career Center at Springfield College, said they enable students to become better able to sell themselves to potential employers — a skill, or trait, that many need help with.
“Most students are too humble,” she noted, referring, generally, to how they respond to interviewers’ questions. “It’s always about selling your skills and qualifications. We have to remind them to go out and market themselves in the most positive light, and they have to remind themselves that they’re competing against other people for these jobs.”
Much of the focus today is on experiential learning, especially internships, which can bring a number of benefits for students and employers alike, said Candace Serrafino, interim director of Career Services at UMass Amherst, who noted that the school was recently ranked among the top 10 schools in the country by US News & World Report when it comes to students participating in internships.
For companies, she noted, interns can provide everything from technical skills to important generational perspective, to an additional hand when when many employers need one or more. For students, she added, they provide hands-on experience, insight into the working world, and an introduction to a company that might become an employer.
Jeanette Doyle says the primary objective of career center activities at Springfield College is to help students become more adept at selling themselves to employers.
At Baypath, internships are required, said Cirillo, adding that, overall, the school has been successful in forging partnerships with area employers, such as Baystate Health, on a number of experiential learning opportunities that help prepare students for life after graduation.
For this issue and its focus on employment, BusinessWest talked with a number of area career-services professionals about both the state of the job market and ways colleges are working to open more doors for their graduates by making it easier to sell themselves to employers.
Degrees of Progress?
Those we spoke with said it will be perhaps six months or more before they’ll have anything approaching hard data on how well the class of 2013 is faring when it comes to entering the job market — and in their chosen field.
That’s when most surveys of graduates, revealing if, when, and where they’ve found employment, are compiled, said Maria Cokotis, career counselor in the College of Business at Western New England University. But she and others noted that there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to warrant the use of the phrase ‘marginal improvement’ or words slightly more positive.
And that aforementioned evidence comes in many forms, from the number of employers taking part in career fairs staged over the past several months to the wide range of companies that are hiring — from Enterprise Rent-a-Car to Health New England to a host of retailers, such as TJX.
“There are signs that the job market has gotten better since last year,” said Cokotis, adding quickly that there are caveats involving those who have found success, These include the field in question, flexibility with regard to geography — meaning those willing to relocate, especially to larger urban areas — experiential learning, and being realistic when it comes to expectations and a willingness to accept something less than the ideal job if doing so will start a career down the right path.
“If someone’s in information technology and is willing to relocate, there are a lot of opportunities that will present themselves,” she said, referring to one field along the spectrum.
“It’s also important for students to focus on the first job not as the ultimate career move, but a first step in their career,” she continued. “They should be thinking about where they can go to develop and apply some solid skills that will provide a stepping stone to the next position that they want to go to. Sometimes, students have a very idealistic outlook as to what they want in their first job, but they have to look at the realities of building on experience that will begin to carve a career path.”
Maria Cokotis, a career counselor in the College of Business at Western New England University, says job seekers must be realistic in their expectations when it comes to that first job.
“Anecdotally, what we’re seeing is that things are picking up slowly,” she said, putting some additional emphasis on that last word. “Certainly, some of the technical majors, such as our engineering students and our computer science students, are finding greater opportunities than our non-technical students, and our finance, operations, and accounting students are also faring well.
“We serve a lot of liberal-arts and sciences students, and for them, it’s a little softer market,” she went on. “But it certainly becomes firmer when a student has an internship or a co-op under their belt.”
Serrafino said that one of the more encouraging developments with regard to the market has been strong attendance among employers at the school’s four annual career fairs — one staged by the Isenberg School of Management, another for engineering students, the Alana fair (involving minority students), and the campus-wide Career Blast, staged in February, the largest of the events.
“We broke all records — the number of employers increased significantly, as well as the number of students participating,” she said, noting, as one example, that the engineering fair drew 91 employers and 1,350 students. A year ago, those numbers were 78 and 1,100, respectively. At the Career Blast, there were 141 employers and 2,000 students (most from UMass, but also others from surrounding schools). In 2012, only 98 employers showed up.
As impressive as the quantity of employers was the variety, she went on, noting that the list of participants included GE, ISO New England, Health New England, Liberty Mutual, Macy’s, General Dynamics, Hanover Insurance, and MGM Resorts International.
And while companies take part for several reasons — some are recruiting intern candidates or simply maintaining visibility, for example — many have been hiring this year.
Courses of Action
While the employment scene is brightening somewhat, entering the job market remains challenging, said Cirillo, adding that Bay Path, like other schools, is being aggressive in its work to help students better compete for jobs in their chosen field, and be prepared to succeed in those professions.
Internships and co-ops are a big part of the equation, she said, but the school goes further, with such initiatives as the Sullivan Center’s career and networking events that, as the name suggests, are designed to provide career education and networking opportunities customized to a major field of study. The sessions, staged throughout the spring, include keynote presentations, panelists discussing their careers, and structured networking.
There are sessions for legal studies, business, education, psychology, criminal justice, and science, said Cirillo, noting, for example, that speakers and panelists for the criminal-justice event included John Gibbons, U.S. marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Margaret Oglesby, assistant chief probation officer for Springfield District Court; Col. Timothy Alben, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lucy Sotto-Abbe, Massachusetts Parole Board member, among others.
Another somewhat unique program at Bay Path is a career-shadowing program in which first- and second-year students go out into the field and spend some time with people in the profession they’ve targeted.
“It gives that first-year student a chance to really define the difference between what a job is like in their imagination and what it’s like in reality,” she explained, using forensic science, with expectations created by TV shows such as CSI, as one example. “We also encourage students to interview professionals working in the field and find out what their career stories are, and thus learn how they got to where they are, what kinds of career competencies they think are important for people in that field, and what their daily life and challenges are like.
“Getting in touch with professionals and being able to career shadow helps that first- or second-year student crystallize, or develop some confidence in, their major early on,” Cirillo continued. “Or, it might prompt them to say, ‘I thought I wanted to do this, but I don’t, so now I’ll do this instead.’ Developing confidence in the major early on is important.”
Meanwhile, it’s important for the student to have confidence as they go about their job search and take on those first job interviews. And that’s why many area schools have created programs to help them tackle those assignments.
Such initiatives range from UMass Amherst’s ‘Resumania,’ program, a four-day blitz during which career-services staff members prepare and update hundreds of résumés, to a host of efforts involving the art and science of interviewing, to seminars on the effective use of social media in a job search.
At Springfield College, said Doyle, the school brings alums back on campus to talk with seniors about what they’ll experience during a job search, at their first interview, and after they’ve been hired. It’s part of a larger effort to take learning beyond the classroom, she said, and prepare students for the workplace.
As part of this initiative, career-services staff members, sometimes working with alumni, conduct mock interviews with students, asking many of the tough, behavioral-based questions that are part and parcel to interviews today, and, overall, preparing them for something unlike anything they’ve experienced.
“Sometimes, students are surprised — they’ll say, ‘I was there for six hours; I had no idea it was going to be like this,’” she noted. “It’s still an employer’s market — there are a lot of candidates, and for them to pick the best one, they have to do their due diligence. We just want to help students be ready.”
At UMass, assistance also includes something that Serrafino called “job-fair prep workshops.” There were roughly a dozen conducted over the past year, she said, adding that they focused on everything from proper dress and body language to the questions they can expect.
“We teach the students to be able to market themselves in a 30-second infomercial,” she explained, “and focus on such things as how to greet an employer and how to put their best foot forward in a few moments, and not go up to someone and say, ‘so, what kind of jobs do you have here?’”
Happy Landing
Time will tell just how well the class of 2013 fares with its efforts to break into the job market. As those we spoke with said, there are many signs they will do better overall than those in many recent classes.
Meanwhile, the task at hand for area colleges is to continue to be imaginative with programs to help improve students’ odds and, overall, open more doors.
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
Hiring Top Sales Performers Is Certainly No Accident
By Jim Mumm
Determining the right person to hire isn’t easy, and when it comes to hiring a top-performing sales superstar, it’s even more difficult.
Let’s face it: there is a sea of apparently strong candidates looking for a job. And don’t kid yourself; any sales person worth their salt is going to be able to talk a good game.
But making a poor hiring decision will cost you dearly. Depending on which expert you listen to, the cost of making a poor hiring decision is anywhere between one and two and a half times the candidate’s annual fully loaded salary.
What should strong leaders do to mitigate the risks and maximize the return on investment pertaining to hiring top-performing sales professionals? What can an organization do to not only greatly reduce hiring mistakes, but also build a highly effective sales organization? We need to paint a very clear picture of the perfect fit before we start looking for the candidate. Then, we can objectively determine if the candidate truly fits in our picture. Here’s how.
Managers must follow a systematic, step-by-step recruiting, hiring, and on-boarding process. This system begins with identifying the primary function indicators (PFIs) of the sales role you are attempting to fill. PFIs are the basic tasks that a salesperson must be able to accomplish, such as prospecting, negotiating, and closing. Next, a professional manager must identify and determine the winning attributes of the best-fit candidate. Finally, the manager must ascertain whether or not the candidate is a proper fit for the team by building a team matrix.
To accomplish this, the manager utilizes these three core components (PFIs, winner attributes, and team matrix) to develop a series of questions designed to uncover the information needed to make a good hiring decision. The questions are constructed so that the answers reveal how well the candidate fits the desired job profile. Scores to all answers are summed, and the best-fit candidate is revealed.
Three Steps
Let’s break down each of the three components and reveal how questions are developed from each area and give some sample questions that could be used.
Step one of building a hiring template includes identifying the actual functions the sales professional will be expected to perform. We call these functions primary function indicators because they reveal the actual functions the candidate must be able to accomplish and the behaviors at which the candidates must be proficient to perform these functions. Finally, we must determine the questions we should ask that will help us determine whether or not the candidate can perform these behaviors to the desired level of proficiency.
For example, if you are attempting to hire a sales professional capable of bringing in new business, he would have to effectively prospect. A question might be, “if we hired you to build this new territory to $2 million in one year, how would you do it?” The answer to this question will speak volumes. And you should be able to differentiate a made-up answer from one given by a sales professional who has actually lived it.
To make this step easier, we incorporate the SEARCH model. SEARCH is an acronym that stands for skills, experiences, attitudes, results, cognitive skills, and habits. If we can create questions that reveal the candidate’s relative strengths and weaknesses in these six areas, we are well on our way to determining if they can actually perform the tasks. Once you’ve determined the questions needed to determine a candidate’s PFIs, you are ready to proceed to step two.
Step two is to identify whether or not the candidate has what it takes to be a top performer (winner) in your specific organization. We call these ‘winner attributes.’ To figure out whether or not the candidate has the winner attributes you require, it is helpful to use the BAT method. BAT stands for behavior, attitude, and technique. Behavior is all about what they do, technique concerns how well they do it, and attitude is how they feel about doing it. Let’s take a look at each.
Behavior involves understanding the planning, goals, and actions necessary to be successful in that role in your organization. For example, how well does the candidate set long-term, short-term, and daily goals, and how does this compare to how well your top performers set goals? You might ask, “tell me about your experience building and executing a plan to hit your sales objectives,” followed by “tell me what you did when you found yourself behind your target goals.”
Again, the answers will reveal how the candidate thinks and should give you a good idea of whether or not they have actually successfully built plans. If you ask the same question pertaining to goals to 20 different candidates, you’ll get 20 different answers. It is our job as managers to understand the required behaviors our top salespeople have and to identify the candidates whose behaviors are the closest match.
Next is technique, which consists of personal presence, tactics, and strategy. These are all measures of how well they are able to perform the behaviors that are necessary for success. Finally, attitude involves what’s between your ears. For example, some people don’t mind attending networking events and actually enjoy meeting and talking to new people. However, others dread networking events and would sit in the corner, check their e-mails, and talk only to people they know. The difference is their attitude toward, or how they feel about, networking. You might ask, “what are your favorite and least favorite prospecting activities, and why?”
Some examples of winner attributes for top-performing salespeople are the desire to win, strong internal motivation, superior discipline, and the ability to build and nurture relationships. Again, the key is to develop written questions that will help you determine whether or not the candidate has these desired attributes.
The final step in developing the hiring template is to determine how well the candidate will fit within your team. When filling a position in an existing department, it is important to find a candidate who fits best with your specific team. Often, managers try to hire the best producers, only to end up with a group of ‘fighter pilots,’ when what they really needed was a group of strong team players who can work and play well together for the good of the organization.
The key questions to ask are, do they supply skills needed by our team, or do they have skills that everyone else has? Are they a match for the current team or for the future team that we’re trying to build? For example, if you need to land new business and you have a stable of account managers, you need to ask questions that reveal the candidate’s ability to bring in new business because it complements the skills of your existing sales staff.
Once you develop four or five questions from this area that will help you uncover the facts, add them to your previous questions from PFIs and winner attributes. By now, you should have a good 30 core questions to use for each and every interview. Score each candidate on a scale from one to 10 for each question and determine, before you start interviewing, a lowest acceptable summed score from all questions. Create a list of ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves.’ If any candidate doesn’t achieve the minimum score or have all the ‘must haves,’ they are eliminated from the process.
Moving Forward
Once you’ve developed this approach to recruiting and interviewing candidates, you’ll be able to choose the best fit objectively based on relative, objective scores. Once you’ve chosen the best-fit candidate and informed the others that they are no longer in consideration, it is now time to implement your 90-day on-boarding plan.
At this point, you’re probably thinking, who’s got time to do all this? Before you decide this is too much work, ask yourself how much time you spent talking to poor performers last year. Think of how many hours were spent writing up politically and legally correct ‘fix-it-or-hit-the-road’ letters last year. How many hours did you spend trying to coach or motivate poor performers who weren’t hitting their sales objectives? How many hours did you agonize over a weaksales person that you wish you would have never hired in the first place, but now that you have, you are hoping they’ll finally provide an acceptable ROI?
Consider having to fire them and start back at the beginning of the hiring process all over again. Think about the recruiter fees, the advertising costs you spend to place the ad, all the time your real performers wasted trying to bring them up to speed.
Perhaps it’s less expensive to invest time now finding the right salesperson for the role and properly on-boarding them, instead of spending all the time on the back end when you are stuck with a bad hire. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘pay me now, or pay me later.’
Jim Mumm is CEO of Sandler Training, serving Western Mass. He is an award-winning trainer, author, speaker, and successful entrepreneur; (646) 330-5217; [email protected]; www.jimmumm.sandler.com
Using Psychological Science to Hire People Who Can Sell
By Michael A. Klein
“Do you know what you can learn about someone from an interview?” I like to ask potential clients. My answer: “Plenty, and it begins with how well someone performs during an interview.”
Now, some think that in sales, if the candidate sitting across from you can sell themselves to you, then they can sell. But can they really? You know that they can sell you on them. And for some products and services, potential customers need to be sold on the salesperson. But other components loom large: can they sell to others? And will they sell to others? And can they sell what you are hiring them to sell?
Résumés and interviews (behavioral interviews, specifically) can provide valuable information, and, of course, no job offer — even for commission-based positions — should be made without a careful review of prior experiences, reference checks, and probably more than one interview. But that information is still amazingly limited, and tells us little about whether this person can and willsell your product or service to others. This is where small or mid-sized businesses can benefit from the millions of dollars that large companies have spent on selection testing and assessment.
While using psychological testing to predict performance has a controversial, and some would say problematic, history, work being done over the past 15 years has led to a clear conclusion: we can predict work-related behaviors with great accuracy legally, quickly, and easily through the use of reputable assessment tools.
It’s important to note that there are currently no regulations for claiming accuracy in the sale of pre-employment tests. Therefore, unless taken to court, test publishers and distributers roam freely about the commercial countryside, making outlandish claims regarding the ‘science’ and usefulness of their hiring tests.
Fortunately, there is a silver lining here. industrial/organization (I/O) psychologists and other psychometricians have been setting guidelines for the design, construction, validation, and reliability of these tests for more than 25 years. As a result, reputable test publishers adhere to these guidelines and can easily back up their claims with detailed (and frequently updated) technical manuals, validity and reliability studies, and published peer reviews. In the case of selection tests, it can’t be said often enough: let the buyer beware.
If you know where to look, and can assess the assessment, you will save time, effort, and great expense in the hiring process. As much as human beings are complex creatures, no two people are the same, and measuring something as complex as personality can feel insulting to our egos, the selection-testing industry has learned which traits, values, and emotional and social skills are far more likely to lead to those behaviors that result in actual sales. Although seemingly complicated, if there is a magic bullet, it’s this: the more psychometric data you have on someone, the more likely you are to hire the right person and avoid a hiring disaster.
There are an amazing variety of pre-employment assessments available, and they generally fall into one or more of these categories: personality, values and motivators, interests, emotional intelligence (maturity and polish), cognitive ability (intelligence tests), skills, and knowledge.
Even once this data is gathered, there needs to be a clear differentiation between what can be scientifically justified for the specific position and what is simply a personally desirable characteristic. For example, while a hiring manager may believe that successful salespeople have a strong desire to be acknowledged for their achievements (this particular motivator is known as ‘recognition’), that may be true of all salespeople, not just successful ones. One of the most basic mistakes managers make is assuming that a high level of a specific attribute, trait, or skill is responsible for success when, in fact, it has little to no actual impact on performance.
A client of mine told me that he didn’t need to study his salespeople (i.e. determine what traits, motivators, etc. differentiate high performers from low) because he knew that his top people all had two particular behavioral styles (from a test known as the DISC): dominance and influence. I explained to him that almost all of his salespeople probably have those styles regardless of potential because he only hires people with those styles, not to mention the fact that the impact of these two styles on sales has no basis in science whatsoever.
His desire to simplify and find a single score, result, or number is very common and, unfortunately, very misguided.
To answer the question of whether they can do the job, we must look first at personality traits. Based on studies using the most accepted model of personality in business (the five-factor model, or FFM), the following are a few of the traits that predict this ability:
• Self-confidence — demonstrating a belief in oneself;
• Experience seeking — enjoyment of new opportunities and adventures;
• Openness to others — concern for others’ experiences and feelings; and
• Drive — ambition and eagerness to advance and succeed.
However, that only answers the question of whether they can do the job. Whether they will do the job is answered by looking at the key motivators and values of the candidate. From other studies, we know that these values and preferences are key:
• Connection — the desire to build social networks and collaborate; and
• Business — the desire for financial success and wealth.
Unfortunately, a great salesperson can have these traits and motivators, but can still cause major problems internally. For example, ego can get in the way of working with others in the office, impulsivity can result in frequent mistakes, and a lack of common sense can turn into unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. Here is where one’s EQ (emotional intelligence) comes into play.
In short, EQ tells us how well someone understands and manages themselves, others, and the world generally. While EQ increases with age and can also overlap with personality traits, it can also be developed. Therefore, personality is more about hardwiring, while EQ looks at skills. The following are a few EQ scales that are important to sales, but can also be problematic if they are too high:
• Assertiveness – expressing oneself appropriately and not aggressively;
• Optimism — Staying positive despite setbacks, seeing opportunity; and
• Self-regard — Knowing and accepting oneself and one’s strengths and weaknesses
Lastly, many clients ask about the accuracy of self-assessment testing. “What good is this if the job candidate is not answering the questions honestly?” “Can’t they just answer how they think we want them to?” The good news here is that many tests now utilize questions that are difficult to game. For example: “would you like to be a race-car driver?” To a test taker, answering this affirmatively might mean that they interested in exciting experiences, or, alternatively, it could mean they are someone who is an adrenaline junkie or someone who takes too many risks.
The tests are constructed in such a way that we know how successful salespeople answer (or, rather, their patterns of answers) as opposed to focusing on any one question. When good science is involved, it becomes far less obvious to the test taker, as well as the fact that it’s the combination of responses that tell us something.
In addition, psychological self-assessments have developed ways of identifying faked results — again, because of developers doing their homework during test construction. So, for many tests, we receive a report that tells us the likelihood that someone has attempted to present himself or herself less honestly than hoped.
Finally, no test can determine on its own if a person is a good job candidate. Psychological assessments or pre-employment testing must be only one part of a larger selection process that includes many other sources of information, including thorough background checking. To reiterate, if there is a magic bullet in the process of hiring effective salespeople, it is this: the more information we have on someone before they start, the better-positioned we are to make a good decision.
Michael A. Klein is president of Northampton-based MK Insights2. He has more than 16 years of experience as an assessment specialist, consultant, speaker, and facilitator. He focuses on the application of psychological data for the selection and development of individuals in organizations, including executives, leaders, salespeople, and highly trained professionals, with a specialty in family-owned firms. He has worked both internally and externally in human capital, including positions in organizational development and human resources. He has experience in healthcare, financial services, publishing, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, construction, and private equity, and is a full member of the American Psychological Assoc. and Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology; (413) 320-4664.
McGovern Adjusts to a Greatly Changed District
Rep. Jim McGovern, left, speaks with some of his new constituents in Amherst.
This was to be a candid talk — one he feared might be a little too candid.
“I thought I’d get booed out of the hall,” he recalled with a laugh, adding that he was essentially telling those assembled that they were wandering aimlessly in their pursuit of progress, and thus underperforming. “I said, ‘economic development here reminds me of my then-3-year-old son’s soccer team; if someone kicks the ball to the left, they all run to the left, and if someone kicks it to the right, they all head to the right — no one knows what their position or assignment is.’
“I said there was no logic behind what we were doing here — we’re simply not connecting the dots,” he went on. “And a number of people came up to me later and said, ‘we agree — there’s no plan here; there’s no thought being given to economic development.’”
Over the next several years, Worcester and its officials put some thought into it, he told BusinessWest, adding that, as a result, progress has been made in several areas, from significant growth of sectors like the biosciences and medical-device manufacturing to reinvigoration of Worcester Airport, which will be a stop for JetBlue starting in the fall (more on all of this later).
It all happened through creation of plans and establishment of partnerships with a host of constituencies, from local colleges and universities to private developers, to make them reality, he said, adding that he will work to take some of the lessons learned in Worcester and other communities he’s served, and apply them in cities and towns he might have needed Mapquest to find before late last year.
Indeed, McGovern was probably the congressman most impacted by last year’s massive statewide redistricting effort, facilitated, in some respects, by the retirement of John Olver, whose old First District was essentially parceled out to McGovern and Richard Neal, who formerly represented a much different Second District and also added a host of new communities to his territory.
2nd Congressional District Map
“It’s quite a change — I have a lot of learning to do,” he said, adding quickly that this is an ongoing process that has really just begun.
His said his assignment going forward is to continue visiting those 63 communities, learning about both common and specific challenges, and then create some plans — as he helped draft in Worcester — to address matters such as bolstering the agriculture and tourism sectors and finding new uses for the millions of square feet of idle old mill space in Athol, Orange, Palmer, Ware, and many other communities.
But perhaps his overriding mission, he went on, is to disprove some comments from an anonymous reader posted at the end of a story in one of the local papers announcing the results of redistricting. McGovern didn’t have the exact wording on that missive, but he could effectively paraphrase.
“‘We got screwed,’ this person wrote,” he told BusinessWest, adding that he or she went to to say, “‘what the hell is a big-city Worcester politician going to care about what goes on here in the Pioneer Valley?’”
To prove this individual wrong, McGovern, consistently ranked among the most liberal congressmen in the country, said he knows he has to be visible and accessible — and he’s already doing that, through numerous visits to the area and the opening of a district office on Pleasant Street in Northampton — but he also has to be active and accountable, and create progress on the most overriding issue facing every city and town in the Commonwealth: jobs.
For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with McGovern about what he’s learned through several months of discussions with his new Western Mass. constituents, and how he plans to incorporate lessons learned in Worcester, Fall River, and elsewhere to his work in the 413 area code.
Progress Report
It’s called Gateway Park at WPI.
That’s the name put on ambitious project in downtown Worcester that speaks, in general terms, to the progress made after McGovern’s aforementioned speech to the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
Originally developed as a joint venture with the Worcester Business Development Corp., the park is now solely owned by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Now in stage 2 of development, its flagship complex is the 125,000-square-foot Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, which opened in 2007 and is fully occupied with graduate research laboratories, life-sciences companies, state-of-the-art core facilities, and WPI’s Corporate and Professional Education division. The strategic plan eventually calls for five buildings on this site.
The park is perhaps the most significant of the many positive steps Worcester has taken over the past 15 years, said McGovern, adding that it exemplifies the basic approach he embraces when it comes to economic development and job creation. Summing it up, he said it comes down to putting a firm strategic plan in place — in this case, Worcester’s commitment to building its life-sciences sector — and creating partnerships to make it reality.
The same pattern was followed in Fall River and a property now known as the Narrows Center for the Arts, he said, referencing the 280-seat facility, built on the top floor of an old mill building, that hosts national and local performing and visual artists, musicians, writers, and performers.
“They took an abandoned factory and turned it into a spot where some of the top musicians in the country come to play,” he said. “People from all around the region come to attend these concerts, and when they do, they eat at the local restaurants, sometimes they spend the night, they might go shopping beforehand, they attend the local festivals; it all helps out.”
Successes of this magnitude will be difficult to replicate in rural Hampshire and Franklin counties, but McGovern believes he can take the same basic approach and spur economic development in some of the communities he’s now representing.
Getting to know and understand these communities — while also disproving that anonymous commentary mentioned earlier — is the latest career challenge for McGovern, who described his 1996 victory over Republican incumbent Peter Blute as “surprising.”
It came two years after his first bid for Congress while working as a senior aide to long-time Rep. Joe Moakley, in which he lost a crowded Democratic primary. He’s faced only sporadic opposition since, while cementing himself as one of Washington’s most liberal lawmakers and making a mark in areas ranging from transportation to education to nutrition. He currently serves on the powerful Rules Committee, and also on the House Committee on Agriculture.
Since last fall, McGovern has been spending significant amounts of time getting to know his new district and the people who call it home. “Trying to learn all that I need to learn and know all that I need to know is like drinking water from a fire hose — it’s a lot of stuff, and every community is unique.”
He said it’s been a learning experience on many levels.
“People out here take their politics seriously,” he said, referring specifically to the Hampshire and Franklin County portions of his district, which also includes one precinct in Palmer, which is in Hampden County. “They care passionately about the issues, and I’ve had some of the most candid and interesting conversations ever in this part of the district.”
He said his previous district was created to benefit a Republican (Blute), and was therefore more conservative than this new Second District, which includes, in Amherst and Northampton, some of the most liberal communities in the entire state, but also has many conservative pockets as well.
“There’s a little bit of everything — moderate, liberal, Tea Party,” he said with a laugh. “Between Worcester and Franklin County, there are pockets of everything, which keeps life interesting; every day is a learning experience.”
One thing McGovern said he’s already learned is that this region is, by his estimation, “a hell of a lot more coordinated than Worcester was 10 years ago.” Elaborating, the said the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and other agencies have identified challenges and opportunities, and have undertaken a number of coordinated initiatives to spark economic development.
“There are good things happening here,” he said. “The challenge for me is to plug into what’s going on and figure out how I can help.”
The Job at Hand
With such a large, spread-out district (compared to everyone but Neal, who represents all of Berkshire County and all but the Palmer precinct in Hampden County), McGovern said he has to maximize his time and carefully plan out his schedule.
He explained that, if he has three days to spend in the district, for example, he’ll spend one in each area: west (Northampton), east (Worcester), and northeast (Leominster).
And while visiting Western Mass. cities and towns, McGovern said he’s learned that the challenges and concerns are pretty much the same as they are across the state. Specifically, the main priority is jobs, and in many communities that were former manufacturing centers, this means reinventing themselves into something else, while also looking at new kinds of manufacturing, different from the paper and textile making that once dominated the scene.
“The one common thread I see and hear in all parts of my district is people worried about their economic security,” he told BusinessWest. “They’re worried about jobs. There’s a good deal of support for reinvigorating our manufacturing base and also support for training programs for displaced workers in the region, because a number of people have lost their jobs in this difficult economy. There’s also a lot of talk about energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects.”
In Worcester, the process of creating that proverbial something else would never be described as easy, and it is very much still ongoing, said McGovern, but it was greatly facilitated by planning and the many colleges and universities that call that city home, including Assumption, Clark, Holy Cross, Worcester State University, WPI, and UMass Medical School, among others. These collaborations have involved from biosciences to renewable energy.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in Worcester — we’ve established some collaborations that have made a difference,” referencing projects ranging from Gateway Park to a revitalized Union Station and the Canal District surrounding it; from the airport to reinvigoration of depressed neighborhoods. “A friend of mine who hadn’t been to Worcester in seven years visited recently and couldn’t believe how much had changed and how much new construction was going on; we’re building every day.”
The many colleges in the Amherst/Northampton area, and especially UMass Amherst, can play a similar role, said the congressman, adding that one of his goals is to continue to expand the relationship-building efforts between the university and the communities that surround it to stimulate new business opportunities — and jobs.
“In some states, the natural resources are the minerals in the ground,” he said. “Here, the natural resources are the educational institutions, the colleges. We have all these knowledge-based institutions in the Pioneer Valley that complement and coordinate very well with the schools we have in Worcester. There are opportunities for collaboration that would benefit both areas.”
Meanwhile, in the more rural areas of Hampshire and Franklin counties, agriculture remains a key component of the economy, and McGovern said this makes his seat on the Agriculture Committee more relevant and important. And while working to sustain and perhaps grow agriculture-related businesses, he wants to examine new business opportunities in some of these rural communities, including different options in manufacturing, reuse of the old mills still dominating the landscape, and bolstering tourism, much as Fall River has done through efforts to revitalize its waterfront district.
“It all begins with vision and thinking outside the box,” he said, referring specifically to finding new uses for old mills, but also to economic development in general. “There is a need for housing across the state, and maybe some of these old mills can be redeveloped for that purpose, but also for business development, a supermarket, light manufacturing, and more.”
When it comes to tourism, awareness of what this region and others have to offer, or lack thereof, is part of the problem — and the challenge moving forward, he said, adding that most other sections of the country do a much better job of promoting their tourism assets.
In each community, and with each initiative, the key is to have a plan, or specific strategic direction, said McGovern, returning once again to Worcester and Gateway Park.
“With that initiative, we all sat in a room together, had a conversation about what we were going to do, and then took assignments,” he recalled. “It takes a plan, and what Worcester was lacking was a vision; the ingredients were there to make incredible things happen — what was needed was vision and a plan.”
Summing Up
Those same ingredients are needed in many of the Western Mass. communities that McGovern now counts within his district. Helping put them together is one of the primary items on his to-do list, along with taking initiatives already in progress and moving them forward through partnerships.
“Most all of the challenges we’re facing are not going to be solved by the federal government alone, or the state government alone, or the local government alone, or the private sector alone,” he concluded. “It’s going to involve partnerships and collaborations, and I think I’ve been pretty good at those things.”
But perhaps the most pressing matter is to disprove the comments from that anonymous reader concerned about what a Worcester-based Congressman can do in the Pioneer Valley.
If he can succeed with the former, McGovern said, he knows that the latter will essentially take care of itself.
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
$100 Million Expected to Spur Innovation, Economic Development
Ed Leyden says the $100 million in grants for life sciences represent an opportunity for his company to diversify, expand, and eventually add jobs.
That was his way of describing a product not yet on the market, but one he believes might be there soon. This would be a wristwatch-like device that would collect vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and more, that could be sent to a doctor if needed.
“There’s a push on now for diagnostics, and what’s called ‘self-diagnostics’ — things you can wear, like a watch,” said Leyden, president of Ben Franklin Design and Manufacturing Company in Agawam and co-chair of the state’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. “They can monitor a number of bodily functions and download them right to your phone — it would be an extremely early-warning system.”
Developing such a monitor, prototyping the device, and then eventually manufacturing it — preferably in the Pioneer Valley — are some of the many goals, if not expectations, that accompany $100 million in grants from the state via the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), that were announced at an elaborate ceremony earlier this month in the shadow of UMass Amherst’s gleaming new $157 million Life Sciences Laboratory.
The awards — $95 million to UMass Amherst and $5.5 million to the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute in Springfield — are part of a $1 billion, 10-year investment on the part of the state designed to stimulate growth of its life-sciences supercluster, considered the largest in the country.
When asked what this latest investment would mean for the Western Mass. region and the state as a whole, Susan Windham-Bannister, president and CEO of the MLSC, said simply, “drive economic development and job creation.”
She then elaborated, telling BusinessWest that this investment — which will fit out and equip a substantial portion of the Life Sciences Laboratory, which will house three new research centers (more on them later) — could help this region replicate the development of life-sciences-related businesses and jobs seen in Cambridge and Worcester, the two strongest pockets for that sector in the state.
To describe what’s happened in those cities, she summoned the phrase “innovation-driven economic development,” which she would use early and often.
“In this model, you begin to create some smaller companies, some spin-outs, and some specialized, innovative technologies,” she explained. “And the large companies want to be around that; they want to be near to what’s happening, so they begin to locate in that area.
“You have small companies growing up, and you have large companies putting up a footprint near these centers of activity,” she continued. “This is the new model of innovation-driven economic development, and it’s really upside-down from the traditional model. You’re not looking to use lots of incentives to get a large company to move; instead, you invest in young companies, and you invest in these centers of specialized expertise that large companies want to be around and take advantage of.”
For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the $100 million investment made by the state and what it means for this region and the life-sciences sector now stretching across the Commonwealth.
Down to a Science
Summing up the state’s $100 million investment in the two Western Mass. facilities, Windham-Bannister said these grants are intended to build on the specific strengths of this region. Specifically, these include the university and the research currently taking place there and that will take place at at the Life Sciences Laboratory, as well as a precision manufacturing sector that is expected to work with those researchers to eventually bring new products to the market — and, if all goes according to plan, manufacture them in the Bay State, and, more specifically, the 413 area code.
This strategic direction, if one wants to call it that, stemmed from work funded by a $300,000 training grant designed to identify the highest and best use for grants from the life-sciences center in this market, she explained. “We set out to determine what were the basic strengths within Western Mass. in the life sciences, what were the strengths at the university and PVLSI, how could we accelerate and build on those strengths, and, more importantly, how could they interact with the companies in the community to help them grow and also encourage startups?”
The answer, arrived at eventually, was to essentially fund three new research centers at the Life Sciences Laboratory, with the goal of creating collaborations with biotechnology firms, medical-device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and other players to bring new products to the market and, in the process, create new jobs.
The three centers will each have a specific focus:
• Personalized Health Monitoring will focus on developing nanotechnology and large dataset management to improve healthcare through low-cost, wearable wireless sensors that analyze patient data continuously in real time, said Windham-Bannister. Biomanufacturing firms, medical-device manufacturers, ‘big-data’ analysts, and other healthcare industry partners will produce prototypes, test them, and assess their manufacturing feasibility.
• Bioactive Delivery will focus on discovery and application of new drugs, agricultural, and ‘nutriceutical’ compounds, she told BusinessWest. “These are things that are very product-oriented, they are input to the development of drugs and devices, and they play to the strengths of the expertise not just at the university, but also in the region, where there is a lot of innovation going on with regard to materials.”
• Models to Medicine will be focused on translating basic protein research by UMass Amherst experts into new therapeutic targets. This center will capitalize on an explosion of discoveries over the past 10 years suggesting that a variety of protein dysfunctions play a role in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, and infectious diseases.
Meanwhile, the $5.5 million targeted for the PVLSI will support the development of a new Center of Innovation in Health Informatics and Technology, which will be focused on advancing public/private-sector partnerships and incubating innovative technology solutions developed by startups and larger, more established vendor firms in areas such as population health management, healthcare quality, big-data analytics, and mobile health.
Assessing these plans for PVLSI and the Life Sciences Laboratory, Leyden said the investments being made by the state could generate opportunities for precision-manufacturing shops like Ben Franklin and eventually bring new jobs to that sector.
He said his firm, which specializes in making parts for the nuclear, aerospace, defense, power-generation, and other sectors, doesn’t do much work in medical-device manufacturing, but could, because it has the personnel, equipment, and ability to meet the high quality standards necessary to succeed in that specific niche. And there are many area firms in that category.
“The infrastructure is here,” he explained. “We have a strong advanced-manufacturing base here, and even the companies that don’t have experience with medical devices could move into that area — the work is very similar to what they’ve doing already.
“And to me, being a strong manufacturer is being diversified,” Leyden continued. “If you have the ability, and you’re doing another sector’s worth of work, you’re further insulated from the ups and downs from the economy and the manufacturing world.”
There are many existing firms in the area that could eventually benefit through the research that will take place at the university at PVLSI and through collaborative efforts with those teams, said Windham-Bannister, adding that the state’s investment could also spur new startups and possibly prompt life-sciences companies in Worcester, Cambridge, and elsewhere to establish a presence in Western Mass. to take full advantage of the research going on here.
All this is part of innovation-driven economic development, she told BusinessWest, noting that there has already been considerable interest in the three planned centers expressed by life-sciences-related firms not only in Western Mass., but across the state.
“I would think that these companies would want to have a presence close to these centers,” she continued, “because that’s what we’ve seen in Worcester and also what we’ve seen in Cambridge.”
Making Things Happen
Windham-Bannister said it’s impossible to place a timeline on this process of innovation-driven economic development. But, drawing on what’s happened in Worcester, Cambridge, and elsewhere, she said she wouldn’t be surprised if progress comes quickly, and that, as a result of these investments, Massachusetts was able to build on what is already considered a substantial lead in a national competition to create jobs within the broad life-sciences sector.
“The goal at the Life Sciences Center is to translate good science into good business across the Commonwealth, and to enhance this state’s position as a global leader in this realm,” she said, adding that these latest developments in Western Mass. will certainly help move the needle further in the right direction.
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
Northampton Forges Ahead on Innovative Projects
Mayor David Narkewicz says Northampton is a city on the move, leading the way in arenas that range from its energy-efficiency programs to its effort to increase the number of daily Amtrak shuttles when high-speed passenger rail service begins next year, to $67 million of new projects expected to add $3.1 million to the tax base.
“We’re moving in a positive direction, and my administration is committed to continuing to build on success,” he said. “We have a strong local economy with lots of businesses, and we want to support them, reach out to new companies, and maximize the use of our developable land.”
Terrence Masterson, the city’s economic development director, agrees. He said the city’s appeal results from its mix of industry, retail shops, and cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities.
“Northampton has a lot of assets which include the benefits of a living in a rural town as well as a large, livable city,” he told BusinessWest. “It has a culturally rich downtown, is well-positioned off Interstate 91, and hopefully will soon have passenger rail service. We also have a solid educational system, and our parks and open-network system is without peer. You can live in Florence and ride your bike downtown.”
Mayor David Narkewicz shows off a rendering of the new, upgraded passenger platform planned for the former Union Station on Pleasant Street.
“We have a vibrant and diverse economy with lots of locally owned retail shops and restaurants; it’s one of the things that sets us apart, because it has been hard for cities to hang onto that in other parts of the country,” said the mayor. “People often say that Northampton has big-city charm, but maintains its small-town character.”
The city is also a center for healthcare, as Cooley Dickinson Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds, which is planning to expand its specialty care, serve people across the region.
For this issue, BusinessWest continues its Community Profile series with an in-depth look at Paradise City, which certainly isn’t content to rest on its laurels.
Diverse Initiatives
Narkewicz said Northampton’s leadership is evident in its approach to eco-tourism. “We have one of the most well-developed rail trails in Massachusetts and are on the cutting edge of developing new segments,” he said, referring to the 12.5-mile route that runs through the city. “We have also done a lot of work to promote local agriculture.”
In addition to three farmer’s markets, the city has one of the largest community farms in the state. The endeavor known as Grow Food Northampton came to fruition in February 2011 when the organization purchased 121 acres of permanently protected farmland in Florence. The nonprofit is a collaborative effort, and its community garden was so successful in its first year of operation that it is doubling in size this year. The city provides funding to the Farm Education Collaborative, which presents workshops and programs at Crimson and Clover Farm in Florence to benefit schoolchildren and adults.
The mayor also notes the Connecticut River Greenway in Northampton, one of the Commonwealth’s newest state parks, which connects open spaces, scenic vistas, and archaeological and historic sites along the length of the Connecticut River.
“We’re a green community, and were among the first cities awarded green-community status by the state,” Narkewicz said. “We’re way ahead of everyone else, and our green initiatives add to what makes Northampton unique.”
He and other city officials recognize the importance of energy conservation, and to that end, the energy and sustainability initiative called Northampton Leading the Way was launched about two years ago.
“We worked with Columbia Gas and National Grid to create a business concierge program that allowed commercial property owners to make significant energy improvements to their facilities,” said Narkewicz. “It resulted in savings for them and helped add to the city’s overall sustainability.”
The city reduced its own energy costs by 27%, and the nonprofit Center for Eco-Technology conducted the outreach to businesses. The utility companies have continued to fund the program because it has proven to be a real success. “Utility costs are a major part of the bottom line for businesses, and this is also good for the environment,” Narkewicz said.
The city kicked off a second energy-efficiency initiative last month to help residents reduce utility bills and conserve energy through measures such as high-efficiency hot water and heating systems, added insulation, new thermostats, and other weatherization efforts. They can schedule free home energy assessments, and Narkewicz said the program “is another example of how the city of Northampton is helping people and the environment.”
New Projects
Terrence Masterson says the city’s appeal stems from its mix of industry, retail, and cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities.
Northampton Crossing (the former Hill and Dale Mall), which sat vacant for about 20 years, was purchased two years ago and is being redeveloped into medical offices and retail shops. The mayor said the space will become home to offices connected to Baystate Medical Center, and added that several new banks and other projects, which include a new hotel being constructed on Conz Street, are in progress.
In addition, two new buildings will offer much-needed office space in Northampton. They are located at the gateway to the city, which officials designate as the area off exit 18 from I-91 near the Clarion Hotel. An office building with 30,000 square feet of space completed about a year ago was fully leased within three months, and a second building is under construction. Masterson says the additional 80,000 square feet of office space will be a significant development for the city. “It is hugely exciting,” he told BusinessWest.
Other growth is expected as the Clarion Hotel hopes to replace its existing structure with a new building and restaurant. “Eventually the whole site will undergo a major facelift and expansion,” Narkewicz noted.
Tourism will also get a boost, thanks to a new Fairfield Inn under construction. It will add 108 hotel rooms, bringing the city’s total to 457. “It will provide more revenue and also allow more people to stay in Northampton,” Masterson said.
And work continues on Village Hill, built on the grounds of the former Northampton State Hospital, where space has been in high demand. Kollmorgen Electro-Optical (now L-3 KEO) relocated there from King Street, a boutique hotel is being created in a building that once housed male attendants at the state hospital, and 9,000 square feet in a new, 12,000-square-foot office building under construction have already been rented.
The projects promise to enhance the city as well improve its economy. “We are pleased not only because of the growth in economic activity, but because it will allow us to expand our tax base,” Narkewicz said, explaining that taxpayers will vote on June 25 on whether to allow a $2.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override because Northampton is facing significant cuts in service due to a $1.4 million budget gap.
Still, progress continues. “All of the projects we have going on fuel each other,” Masterson said. “But it’s critically important for us to keep adding to them, and we think Amtrak will be another way to bring large numbers of people here.”
Narkewicz agrees, and believes the anticipated commuter rail service will have a positive impact on the city. The return of Amtrak service, which will transport passengers along the west side of the Connecticut River, is part of a larger, $73 million federal project, and calls for a shift next year in the Amtrak-Vermonter’s route, which will include new stations in Greenfield, Northampton, and Holyoke.
The mayor is part of a passenger-rail advisory committee made up of stakeholders in the community who want to maximize the railway’s potential. The Knowledge Corridor Feasibility Study, which the current construction project is based on, indicates that expanded rail can generate economic benefits to a number of communities, and Narkewicz believes it could increase the number of trips between the state of Vermont and Springfield. He would also like to see service extend into New York City.
“The rail service will benefit people in terms of transportation, but will also increase the potential for business, whether the passengers are students, tourists, or people who come here for our art and culture,” Narkewicz said.
He has been proactive in promoting an increase in the number of shuttles, and sent a letter to the secretary of the state Department of Transportation last month, citing numbers from Amtrak showing that regional rail ridership has boomed nationally and locally over the past 15 years.
“We believe this new rail service will deliver many positive economic benefits for downtown/urban revitalization, tourism, residential quality of life, and business/job development,” Narkewicz wrote, adding that the letter was also signed by Greenfield Mayor William Martin and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. “It’s an issue everyone agrees with, and it will be a real thrill for a lot of people to have Amtrak trains here.”
There are also plans to rebuild the old passenger platform at the former Union Station on Pleasant Street. The new, 40-foot platform will include an awning and cover designed to complement the building’s architecture.
Continuing Progress
Narkewicz said collaborations with residents, government agencies, other cities and towns, and a number of organizations, coupled with efforts to attract new business and spur economic growth, have had a positive result.
“We are moving forward,” he concluded. “There is a lot of activity here, and together, we are making a difference.”
Turning Good Science into Good Jobs
So, just what does $100 million buy today?
Many business owners and economic development leaders are asking that question, following the announcement earlier this month that the state, through the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, has funneled $95 million in grants to the Life Sciences Laboratory at UMass Amherst and another $5.5 million to the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute in Springfield, with the broad goal of leveraging that investment to spur economic development and jobs (see story, page 9).
In this case, $100 million would appear to buy opportunity — in many forms, but especially an opportunity to further diversify this region’s economy, something that desperately needs to be done — while bolstering a still-vital precision-manufacturing sector, making this region a much bigger part of this state’s rise to the top when it comes to generating business in the life sciences, and propelling the university to a higher level in terms of research and prestige.
Will $100 million buy all that? Probably not, but it will certainly generate some momentum that might make all those things possible.
That’s what state leaders, including Gov. Patrick, university administrators, and elected officials were saying at an elaborate press event on June 6 to announce the grants, and they may well be right. These investments — that’s the best word to describe what the state is doing — are designed to stimulate what Susan Windham-Bannister and others call “innovation-driven economic development,” which would be something new to this region, but also something actually quite old.
Indeed, in recent years, the main thrust of economic development, not just here but elsewhere, has been to attract large employers to vast expanses in industrial parks. We’ve had some success with that approach in the Pioneer Valley, but other regions have enjoyed much more.
Innovation-driven development is different. It starts with the development of materials, products, processes, and expertise, and uses all of the above to stimulate startup companies, bring opportunities to existing ventures, and draw companies from other areas who want to take advantage of all this.
We saw this happen with the Springfield Armory, which wasn’t exactly a startup operation (although, in some respects, it fits that description), but was the birthplace of a great deal of innovation, which eventually led to a number of businesses started by people who worked at the Armory, and, eventually, to the birth of a thriving precision-manufacturing sector. The same can also be said, in many respects, for the gunmaking industry that developed in Western Mass. and Connecticut, which was truly innovation-driven.
Fast-forward more than 200 years, and this region now has an opportunity for different kinds of innovation, from the development of personalized health-monitoring devices using nanotechnology, to discovery and application of new compounds to fight infection, to translating basic protein research into new therapeutic treatments for Alzheimer’s, cancer, and other infectious diseases.
These are the types of research-and-development opportunities that will be taking place at three research centers to be constructed and equipped through that $95 million grant to the university. Meanwhile, at PVLSI, the $5.5 million grant will support the development of a new Center of Innovation in Health Informatics and Technology, designed to spur progress in such areas as population health management and healthcare quality.
In Cambridge and Worcester, similar investments, both public and private, have led to the formation of dozens of companies and the creation of thousands of jobs in the broad life-sciences sector, and Windham-Bannister believes that model could be replicated in Western Mass.
Time will tell if she’s right and if this region can, indeed, translate good science into good business and good jobs, but this region has been handed what appears to be a golden opportunity.
The challenge now is to take full advantage of it.
UMass Needs More Public Dollars
In the coming days, the Massachusetts Legislature will make an important decision about funding for the University of Massachusetts and, in so doing, will play a significant role in determining what kind of university UMass will be as it enters the next phase in its history.
On a literal level, the Legislature will decide whether UMass will receive the $479 million in funding for the upcoming fiscal year proposed by Gov. Patrick and approved by the House or the $455 million advanced by the Senate. The higher level of funding is important because it would arrest a long-term budget slide, make the state-student funding split more equitable, and provide students with an overdue tuition and fee freeze.
But the commitment we are asking the state to make is actually part of a much larger effort we are shaping to dramatically strengthen UMass and make sure it always will be the kind of public university that Massachusetts, with its innovation and intellectual horsepower, needs.
As we ask the Commonwealth to do more, UMass is also gearing up to do significantly more to provide the financial foundation a university needs to be great. And while it isn’t just about the money, dollars matter when it comes to attracting and retaining top professors, providing aid for students who need and deserve it, and ensuring that our facilities match up with our academic and research ambitions.
With that in mind, UMass this fall will launch its first system-wide capital campaign with the goal of dramatically increasing the private funds flowing into the university. These dollars will sustain a community of excellence — a reinforcing circle of top students, professors, and facilities.
Taken in tandem, a major infusion of public and private funds will give UMass the financial muscle it needs as it completes its first 150 years of service and prepares to make an even more profound contribution to the people of the Commonwealth.
UMass is the third university I have had the honor to lead. As I complete my second year as president, I am struck by one thing above all else — how much our five campuses have done with such limited resources.
Over the past 15 years, while state funding has remained flat, UMass has added 13,000 students (most of whom come from and will remain in Massachusetts), has seen student achievement rise to the point where its flagship campus in Amherst is now a top producer of Fulbright scholars, has won a Nobel Prize, has seen research expenditures reach $600 million a year, has become a national leader in income derived from faculty inventions, and consistently places in the upper reaches of the World University Rankings.
All of which prompts two questions: Shouldn’t we protect the great asset we have developed? And how much more could we do with a little more public and a lot more private support?
While we seek to gather the resources we need to make this a truly transformational moment, I realize that we need to keep front and center a value that is so much a part of our New England heritage — and that is frugality. Respect for a dollar is something I learned growing up in a Maine town where people eked out a living in mills and on fishing boats, and where scrimping and saving was an essential way of life.
Over the past five years, UMass has saved $68 million through efficiency steps, including consolidating administrative functions previously performed on each of the campuses. We expect to save another $123 million over the next five years by reducing energy expenditures, improving our purchasing practices, and streamlining information-technology operations.
Our commitment to transparency mirrors our commitment to efficiency, and, to make it easier to gauge our performance in key areas, we will release an annual performance report giving donors, public officials, and the public at large a better sense of how we are doing and what their dollars are helping to build.
UMass marks its 150th anniversary this year, so it’s a time to celebrate the past — and to build for a brighter and loftier future. With that future in mind, we are asking the state to join with us to create a truly historic moment. We have a chance to place UMass on a course that will allow it to soar — and this is an opportunity we have to seize.
Robert L. Caret is the president of the University of Massachusetts.
To Remain Competitive, You Must Adjust Accordingly
Research shows that more than 50% of all cell phones are now smartphones. Add to that the growing number of people who own tablets, and it is estimated that mobile Internet users will exceed the number of desktop internet users by 2014.
The rapid rise in mobile technologies has dramatically changed the way that we communicate at work, at home, and while out and about, and business owners must adjust to this phenomenon.
We Love Our Smartphones
The majority of cell-phone purchases are now smartphones because they quickly become the preferred technology. Smartphones let you make phone calls, but what makes them so smart is that they have an operating system and can run software. This enables them to have features similar to those found on your computer, including web browsing, sending and receiving e-mail, and the abilities to open and read documents, take photos, listen to music, and watch videos.
Smartphones are getting faster at accessing the Internet and letting us view websites, engage in social media, download apps, and access driving directions via GPS. No wonder we love them.
Because mobile devices have become so convenient to use, they are now an integral part of our on-the-go lifestyle. That means many of your customers are trying to access your website on a mobile device. Most mobile devices will display your website correctly, but it will be incredibly tiny, and users will have to enlarge it and scroll from side to side to read the content. If you do not currently have a mobile-friendly website, now is the time to begin putting one in place.
Two Key Options
Options for having a mobile-friendly website include a mobile redirect or responsive web design. A mobile redirect can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Essentially, it redirects mobile users accessing your website to a separate website optimized just for mobile devices. In this case, you have two separate websites that need to be updated and maintained.
Another option is to make your website mobile-friendly by using responsive web design. Responsive web design uses fluid grids, CSS (the coding language for formatting and styling web content), and media queries to control how your website is displayed based on a device’s screen size. Responsive web design provides the advantage of just one website to update and manage versus having a separate mobile site to maintain.
Whatever method you choose, you should minimize the amount of information displayed on your mobile site by tailoring it to the needs of a mobile viewer. Consider what information your website visitors need when accessing your site while on the go. Some basics include business address, directions, an interactive map, hours of operation, and contact information. If you have a retail operation, then sales, special offers, and events should be easily visible to entice mobile web visitors to stop by.
Mobile Search
According to Google, there has been a fivefold increase in mobile search over the last two years. Research also shows that more than half of all consumers use their smartphones to search for products even when they are at home and could use a desktop or laptop computer. This data emphasizes the need for a mobile-friendly website.
If someone searches for your business and finds you, they should be taken to a website designed for a mobile device. If you are investing money in paid search, and those searches are on mobile devices, you are wasting your money if those ads don’t lead to a mobile-friendly website.
Local on Mobile
Your customers are searching while they are out and about, looking for places, products, and special offers. Roughly 70% of searchers are looking for a local product or service, and more than 80% of people searching for local information will take action within a day. Mobile searchers have a need, and most often it is an immediate one.
I encourage you to register your website for local search. This will let you control the quality of your local search results, ensure the accuracy of the information, and help increase your search ranking. Here are several major search engines you can register with; some have a verification process by phone or mail.
• www.google.com/places
• www.bing.com/businessportal
• listings.local.yahoo.com
• listings.mapquest.com/apps/listing
Social on Mobile
Social media seems to be made for mobile, as it’s all about what we are doing right now and sharing that with our friends. About half of the people using social media do so on a mobile device. Mobile users log in more often and spend more time on social-media sites. Mobile devices nicely integrate social-media apps that make it easier to post on a mobile device than from your desktop.
For example, you can snap a photo with your phone and post it right to Facebook. Knowing how your customers use their mobile devices is important when developing social-media campaigns. Businesses need to start their planning with a mobile perspective and tailor their ideas accordingly.
Mobile Commerce
Mobile commerce (m-commerce) is defined as consumers shopping and conducting other financial and promotional activities on their wireless, handheld devices. Browsing, shopping, and purchasing are increasingly done on mobile devices, and that trend continues to grow.
As the technology for online mobile shopping is improved and simplified, the shopping experience becomes easier and more convenient. Millions of American smartphone owners use apps for shopping, and even more use a retailer’s mobile website. It is clear that mobile shopping will continue to grow and your customers will be looking for this purchasing option.
Geolocation for
Customer Tracking
Mobile devices also provide GPS and wi-fi technology that can determine where a user is located. This allows you to leverage that information and send real-time mobile offers that can drive people to your business and generate a purchase. As we continue to gather data on our customers, we can move toward using demographic, psychographic, and past-purchasing behavior combined with current event data to deliver highly customized messaging.
Not everyone likes the idea that their smartphone knows where they are, so you will need to communicate the value consumers can expect to receive from your geolocation programs and give them options on participation.
Develop Your Mobile
Marketing Plans
Reviewing the trends and technologies that are making your customers mobile reinforces the need to provide a mobile experience to your customers. The combination of a mobile-friendly website, local search, m-commerce, geolocation, and social media provides you with powerful ways to reach your customers and prospects while they are on the go.
Tina Stevens is principal and creative director at Stevens 470, a full-service, multi-channel marketing firm providing strategic marketing, print communication, and web development; stevens470.com
How to Avoid These Nine Common Marketing Mistakes
Christine Pilch Mancini
But the game has changed dramatically over the last five years or so, as the economy forced businesses to tighten up their expenses. In addition, social media has leveled the playing field and enabled small companies with tiny budgets to compete with much larger companies that have deep pockets. It has become very tempting for businesses to consolidate staff or try a do-it-yourself approach to their marketing.
Be it unfamiliarity, lack of education, or square pegs in round holes, there are a lot of marketing mistakes costing companies precious dollars these days. Are you making any of the following mistakes?
1. Me, Me, Me Messages
Nobody cares about how great you are, how long you’ve been in business, and that you’ve got good service. They only care about what they get. The old adage, ‘what’s in it for me?’ is truer now than ever before in people’s over-scheduled lives. They care about things that make their lives easier, save them time, help them, and solve a problem, so don’t bother with marketing messages that don’t point out how you can benefit them.
Benefits are much more effective in piquing interest than features. Take care to minimize and remove language that emphasizes the words, I, me, we, us, my, and our and turn your message around to what ‘you’ get.
Hint: Read the first page of your website. If your message isn’t primarily about ‘you,’ meaning ‘your customer,’ you might be wise to hire a good copywriter for a tuneup.
2. Not Tracking Results or Return on Investment
If you aren’t tracking results, how can you be sure which marketing efforts are paying off? This should be true of every marketing tactic that you use, be it something traditional — such as a TV ad, membership in an organization, or a print ad — or new-media initiatives, like a Facebook page, Google AdWords, or a Pinterest contest.
Tracking results can help you react quickly when something isn’t working quite right. If you watch carefully, you will be able to switch gears when messages get stale or don’t hit their mark. Pinpointing lead sources is certainly more difficult, as people tend to jump all around the web en route to you, but there are ways to track your results, and it’s to your advantage to know where you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
Hint: If you want to drive traffic to your website, Google Analytics is a terrific tool for gauging the success of your efforts. You can see exactly where your traffic is coming from. You can also build unique landing pages on your website that are fed from different lead sources. Or you could obtain a special phone number or embed a special offer to track a particular advertisement. The more specific you can be, the better.
3. Neglecting to Set Goals
If you haven’t set goals, how will you determine when something is successful? Every business has its own measurement of success, and, likewise, each marketing tactic and/or campaign should also have its own objectives. Be specific. For example, a Facebook page could have many different objectives over its lifetime: growing its fan base (‘likes’), building interaction, or driving traffic to your website. Set your goals before you implement something new, and set new ones for subsequent campaigns.
Hint: If you want to increase sales of a particular product, check how your numbers have been in the past, decide on a reasonable expectation for the promotion you plan to put forth, and establish a number that you want to hit within a certain timeframe. This will allow you to react during the process, adjusting your marketing or augmenting if necessary, so you can achieve your goal.
4. Not Testing
The ability to cost-effectively test something new varies by media, but it is usually very easy to do on new-media channels. Use them to see who is attracted to particular messages, what time they see them, etc., and then use this information in other venues to help better target your ads.
Hint: Many companies test-market videos on YouTube, which gives them the ability to see how many people watch their videos within a particular timeframe, the demographics of those viewers, and how much of the video they watched, without having to buy expensive TV time. Post your own test videos and use this information to customize future videos and marketing messages that better appeal to your target audience.
5. Refusing to Try Something New (Especially When the Old Stuff Stops Working)
Familiarity is comforting, but an old advertising tactic that used to work, but is barely producing new leads, is wasting your money. Suppose you used to get lots of business whenever you ran a particular TV ad, and you haven’t seen those results for a long time, but you keep running the same old ad because you like having your friends and family see you on TV. Wouldn’t it make more sense to shift that money into something new? This could be a fresh, new TV spot, direct mail, radio, or new media. The possibilities are endless.
Hint: Don’t let your ego get in the way of bringing business through the door. Business owners, their kids, and their pets are usually not the best TV personalities, and they often actually turn off potential customers.
6. Misusing QR codes
A QR code is a two-dimensional bar code that can be scanned with a smartphone and takes a user to a webpage. They are best utilized for a user to get more information about whatever you are promoting in print, which could be on something such as a mailer or print ad. The single greatest misuse of a barcode is using it to link to a webpage that is not optimized for mobile. This just wastes the user’s time and causes frustration because non-mobile-optimized pages are very difficult to read and navigate on a small screen.
Other mistakes include neglecting to provide the ‘more information’ that you promised, and using QR codes on the web or within e-mail.
Hint: You can stop printing product information through the simple use of a QR code applied to your product, which brings your customer to the right page on your website for all the information he needs for the use and service of your product.
7. Buying Lists and Fans
You’ve likely seen offers of thousands of e-mail addresses or Facebook fans for your page, but what is the worth of someone who doesn’t want or need what you have to sell? Doesn’t it make more sense to talk to someone who has interest in your product or service and may actually purchase from you? Lists that you can purchase are usually not targeted, and the e-mail addresses are usually not connected to people who opted in to receive your messages, so they will consider you a spammer. That can lead to big problems.
Purchased Facebook fans are no more valuable, as it’s easy enough to hide a page feed from one’s newsfeed, so your messages aren’t being seen. Yes, your number of fans may seem impressive, but those fans are worthless if they never receive your messages and have no interest in what you’re selling.
Hint: Even when creating your own e-mail list, make sure it is comprised only of people who opt in to receive your messages. Sending to the e-mail addresses of your social-media connections and those from business cards that you collect is impolite and unprofessional. These people will likely consider your messages spam.
8. Letting a Non-marketer Coordinate Your Social Media
Social media for business is a marketing function. Yes, any kid fresh out of college can set up a Facebook page and Twitter account for you, but what do they know about marketing your business? What messages will they send? How will they handle angry or disappointed customers? Will they plan and track?
Hint: There is a reason that it’s called social-media marketing. When looking for someone to handle your social media, make sure that they understand how to market your business. If you wouldn’t put them in a traditional marketing job, they are not qualified to handle your social media either, unless working under the direction of someone who is a marketer.
9. Separating Digital Marketing from Traditional Marketing
Social media and traditional marketing are so closely intertwined within companies these days that separating them makes as much sense as having your sales and marketing departments operate exclusive of each other. Campaigns should be synched so that you’re not sending competing or non-complementary messages. This also prevents the danger of one department not knowing what the other is doing and possibly undercutting each other.
Hint: Create a system whereby information freely flows between traditional- and new-media people within your business. This could be accomplished via daily or weekly meetings, a spreadsheet that team members update, or perhaps even through a private Facebook group, where departmental activity and plans are logged. Facebook displays to the group leader who reads what content on its groups, so it is apparent when something has or has not been read. Regardless of the method, communication is critical.
Bottom Line
Everybody wants a good return on their marketing investments, so if you’re making any of the above mistakes, changing course just might not only save you money, but also bring in more business to boot.
If you’re in over your head or many of the techniques mentioned above are Greek to you, perhaps it’s time to call in a qualified marketer to bring fresh ideas to the table.
Christine Pilch Mancini owns Grow My Company and is a marketing strategist. She trains businesses to utilize LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, blogging, and other social-media tools to grow, and she collaborates with professional service firms to get results through innovative positioning and branding strategies; (413) 537-2474; growmyco.com; linkedin.com/in/christinepilch;
facebook.com/growmycompany
Because Trips Are Sizeable Investments, the Answer Is Usually ‘Yes’
John E. Dowd Jr.
Like any other investment of this magnitude, it’s important to make sure you have adequate insurance to protect yourself should the tour operation or cruise line you’ve booked with go bankrupt, you or a family member become ill, or some other unforeseen event upset your vacation plans.
Travel insurance can be purchased as a packaged plan with several different options, including travel delay, trip cancellation, baggage, accidental death, auto, 24-hour traveler assistance, dental, emergency medical, emergency medical evacuation, and so forth. The five main types of travel insurance — which are trip cancellation, baggage, emergency medical, auto, and accidental death — can each usually be purchased as an individual policy.
Trip Cancellation
This insurance policy protects you should certain factors prevent you from taking the trip. Look to the specific policy to determine what factors will be covered, but most will include circumstances like a tour operator or cruise line going out of business, personal or family illnesses, and the death of a family member. The policy may also reimburse you for any unused portion of your vacation should you become seriously ill or injured once on the trip.
The cost of trip-cancellation insurance is usually equivalent to between 5% and 7% of what the vacation costs, meaning a policy for a $2,500 trip would be around $125-$175. Keep in mind that trip-cancellation insurance isn’t the same as the cancellation wavier your tour operator or cruise line may offer you.
While the waiver is relatively less expensive, at around $40 to $60 dollars, it must be purchased when you book your vacation. These waivers also are usually accompanied by multiple restrictions, such as not covering a cancellation occurring near the date of departure or once the trip has begun. It’s important to remember that a cancellation waiver isn’t insurance and isn’t regulated by any agency, which means it might not be worth the paper it’s printed on if the business goes bankrupt or closes.
Emergency Medical Assistance
Ask your health-insurance carrier what type and degree of coverage you’ll have on a trip to a foreign country. If your health-insurance policy doesn’t cover you at all or leaves you underinsured while visiting a foreign country, then you might consider an emergency-medical-assistance policy to cover any emergency medical assistance that you might need during your vacation following an injury or illness. The policy would cover medical transportation to a hospital capable of treating your illness or injury, foreign hospital stays, and, should you be seriously ill or injured, transportation home.
Baggage and Personal-effects Insurance
This policy covers you should your personal belongings get damaged, stolen, or lost during the vacation. It usually costs about $50 to cover $1,000 worth of personal belongings for a seven-day trip. Depending on if and how much insurance is provided by your trip operator and/or airline, you may or may not need this coverage.
You’ll also want to determine if your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers off-premise thefts before you purchase this coverage. You might consider an endorsement or floater to your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance instead of personal-effects coverage if you’re traveling with high-value items like electronic equipment, sports equipment, or jewelry. Such an endorsement to cover a $1,000 necklace for a year would be about $10 to $40.
Additionally, you may want to contact your credit-card company to determine what, if any, travel-related coverage or services they provide.
Auto Coverage
A typical auto-insurance policy covers only your vehicle within U.S. states and territories and Canada. You can check with your auto-insurance carrier to determine how your auto insurance will apply to your vacation destination and mode of transportation — rental or personal vehicle. Should your trip include taking your personal or rented vehicle outside the areas specified in your personal auto-insurance policy, then you’ll need to purchase coverage applicable to your destination through either an insurance agent, car rental agency, or travel agency. Don’t forget to obtain both liability and physical damage if you’ve chosen to rent a car.
Accidental-death Coverage
An accidental-death policy usually isn’t necessary if you already have an appropriate life-insurance plan. Much like a typical accidental-death policy, this policy provides a benefit should the insured party die on the vacation.
As always, thinking ahead and reviewing your insurance protection before a loss occurs is the best advice anyone can offer. Even if you decide to self-insure, at least you have made a conscious decision so that, if something does happen unexpectedly, you will be more mentally prepared to deal with the consequences.
John E. Dowd Jr. is a fourth-generation principal of the Dowd Agencies. He is one of three partners at the oldest insurance agency in Massachusetts with operations and management under continuous family ownership. The Dowd Agencies is a full-service agency providing commercial, personal, and employee benefits. It has four offices in Western Mass.; (413) 538-7444; [email protected]
How Would a Casino Impact Downtown Real Estate?
John Williamson says a casino, if approved, will start a chain reaction of tenant relocations and other real-estate activity.
“There’s an interesting dynamic taking place in the central business district of Springfield,” said the president of Williamson Commercial Properties. In the event that MGM Resorts International wins its bid to build a gaming resort just a few blocks south of the downtown towers, “they’re in the process of trying to assemble as much of the property as they can in the project area, which involves getting various properties under contract to purchase.”
Robert Greeley, partner at R.J. Greeley Co., has noticed the same dynamic taking shape. “Still, until a decision is made, however long that takes, there are so many uncertainties that it’s very difficult for people to make decisions,” he noted. “A lot of owners and landlords will hold out, thinking there’s a windfall on its way, but until they know whether the casino is coming or not, it just puts a significant unknown into the equation.”
Bob Greeley says casino proponents tend to gloss over the possible negative impacts of major construction and traffic.
“We’re anticipating the relocation of some businesses in the project area, and those things are all ongoing,” Williamson said. “There are numerous properties that MGM has under contract; if the casino goes through, it will acquire those properties. There are also a few properties they’ve already purchased. If the casino doesn’t go through, they’ll simply turn around and sell the properties they acquired.”
None of this early movement should come as a surprise, said Evan Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin, considering the scope and cost of the proposal — neither of which Springfield has encountered before.
“That’s going to impact a lot of things that go on downtown. In the short term, in anticipation of a possible casino, a lot of people are jockeying around, trying to relocate. The goal is to try to keep businesses in the downtown and not have them move out. My sense is that many of the businesses want to stay in the downtown.”
And that perception touches on the bigger real-estate question downtown: what will the long-term impact be if the Gaming Commission grants MGM a casino license early next year, when the voting is slated to take place?
“There’s a positive effect on the commercial market already taking place, and also expanding opportunity out there in the form of speculation,” Williamson said. “I know there are properties that, because of the fact that they may be acquired, have magically increased in value, so there’s a lot of jockeying for position going on.
“If the casino comes to Springfield,” he continued, “it’s going to have a dramatic impact on the commercial market, and especially the commercial office market, because there are several office buildings in the project area that will be razed to make room for the casino. Those tenants have to find alternative quarters, and that means the amount of office space in the market will decline, and vacancy will diminish. That increase in occupancy raises the value of all properties, which benefits the tax base. It’s good old supply and demand.”
Some aren’t convinced, however, that a casino will be an attractive business neighbor, particularly in the short team. Greeley, for one, cited potential impacts on traffic, street closures, and general construction-related bustle for several years to come. “I think most people who have not experienced this scale of project will be freaked out by the kind of traffic impacts this thing has.”
For this issue’s focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest delves into the pros and cons, both short- and long-term, of the proposed MGM Springfield casino, and why it’s generating both excitement and anxiety for area property owners and tenants alike.
Lease of Their Problems
Springfield is competing with two other proposals — Hard Rock International in West Springfield, and Mohegan Sun in Palmer — for the sole gaming license the state will award in Western Mass. If MGM is successful, Williamson said, commercial vacancy downtown will certainly decline.
“Landlords now sitting on a lot of vacancy have potential to fill varying amounts of that space up. It’s good for the market all around,” he told BusinessWest. “Lease rates in Springfield have been flat or slightly declining for years, moreso in the class B and C market — the class A market is pretty stable and really won’t be impacted as significantly as B and C properties at the present time.”
From a broker’s perspective, he said, the project will generate demand for space, at least within a six- or seven-block radius of the casino. “This has been called the largest economic-development project in the history of Springfield, taking place smack dab in the heart of the central business district. It will really strengthen the class B and C commercial properties downtown.”
One downside, he said, is tenants finding they have to pay more rent than they are currently paying, “but in some cases, the landlord is going to have to buy them out of their leases, if they have long-term leases, because they need the building to be sold free and clear of all tenants. That may offset any increase in rent they’ll have to pay.”
The possibility of a casino has placed many businesses in a tough place, Greeley said — both those interested in moving into the casino zone, and those who might be forced out. “No one wants to sign a long-term lease not knowing what the future is going to be. It’s a problem.”
And if the casino doesn’t come, he added, after all the preliminary scurrying among property owners near the MGM proposal, “a lot of people will be left with stars in their eyes, and it’ll take them awhile to come back down to earth and be realistic about what the market is without a casino.”
As an analogy, he cited a CVS or Walgreens that overpays — say, $1.5 million — for a corner lot. “Now, the owners of the other three corners, who paid $400,000, think they can get a million and a half, but that’s not going to happen just because CVS was willing to pay it. That purchase really distorts the market.”
In the same way, he continued, if the casino era closes in Springfield several months from now, as abruptly as it began, site owners who were hoping for a casino buyout might be left with an inflated sense of how much South End property is actually worth.
But if MGM does win the Western Mass. bid, “you’ll see opportunities for businesses,” Williamson said. “Some stand-alone businesses may be able to replicate what they do inside the casino. It’s really to MGM’s credit that they’re looking at local companies to have a major presence in the casino. Some of the mom-and-pops may find themselves smack dab right in the middle of the most expensive economic-development project to take place in this city.”
Plotkin agreed, citing MGM’s promotion of its ‘inside-out’ casino concept, one that incorporates surrounding businesses in the project.
“The development plan is very outward-focused, and it’s going to incorporate a lot of the other businesses and entertainment venues downtown,” he said. “And I would hope the cultural and entertainment aspects will not only be an attraction regionally for people to come and visit Springfield, but perhaps to live in Springfield.”
Plotkin likes to paint a picture of downtown Springfield as a sort of an “urban theme park,” he explained. “How do you create that? What do you need to incorporate in a downtown to make it welcoming for people to live and work? If you have a catalyst like MGM, a development of that size and scope, it’s natural you’re going to have spinoff businesses, and hopefully that will lead to more development of market-rate housing and subsequent retail — not just retail associated with the casino, but other retail that you would need to provide goods and services to people moving downtown. I think there’s potential for tremendous spinoff.”
In Demand
Of course, that kind of commercial spinoff will require an influx of talented workers, in a variety of fields, Plotkin noted.
“Businesses are looking for a trained workforce, and a lot of us on the sidelines are wondering if there is enough of a trained workforce in the region to satisfy what MGM needs,” he said, adding that Greater Springfield companies will also have to deal with competition from a casino that needs some 2,000 employees and will certainly lure many away from their current jobs. “I think it’s important that businesses see an increased flow of human capital to the area; that’s a critical point for our success as a city.”
Greeley — who was involved in a third Springfield casino proposal, pitched by Ameristar Casinos on Page Boulevard, until that project was withdrawn late last year — remains unconvinced that a South End casino will be the economic-development catalyst many hope it will be.
“If the casino comes, you have all the impacts over three years, at least, for all the construction and disruption that accompanies such a project,” he said. “This will be the largest construction project in the history of Springfield, and if it’s coming, it’s going to take years for the property owners not directly involved with the casino to come to terms with whether or not they’re going to be positively affected.
“I don’t want to be the rain-on-the-parade guy,” Greeley continued, “but I am very skeptical how much positive effect there will be outside the casino-owned facilities. For example, I don’t think the Fort restaurant will benefit. People aren’t going to eat at the Fort, then come to the casino. That’s not the mentality anywhere.”
Plotkin disagrees. “In all my discussions with MGM, we believe they’re an organization that has a great understanding of what the urban landscape should look like. They’re not looking at a casino in a vacuum; they’re looking at the big picture. Frankly, nobody wants to visit a city just to drop into the city casino, and then leave.
“This is an opportunity,” he told BusinessWest, “to make the entire city more welcoming, to shine a light on some other offerings we have as a downtown, which are many, but have been underappreciated by a lot of people.”
Greeley sees it differently. “A lot of people are drinking the Kool-Aid about how impactful this is going to be on development outside the casino footprint,” he said, “but nothing suggests to me that adding a whole bunch of traffic to the South End will be helpful to other businesses than those directly involved in the casino.
“I think this is being sold as a panacea,” he concluded. “That’s how it’s being marketed. But I haven’t seen a building yet where the renderings didn’t look wonderful.”
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
Cyber Liability Is the Hot Trend in Business Insurance
Even one electronic security breach is a headache for businesses that store their customers’ financial records. Millions of thefts? That’s much worse.
“They’re like mosquitoes,” said William Trudeau, president of the Insurance Center of New England in Agawam. “It’s one of those things where one or two bites isn’t too bad, with five bites, you’ve got an itch, but if you have 5,000 bites, you might die. For a small bank, if someone steals 100 ATM cards, it’s going to be not fun. But if, all of a sudden, they steal the records of 20,000 ATM cards and are withdrawing money all over the world for two days, it could get ugly.”
It’s not just banks that worry about such breaches. Large retailers, which keep the credit-card records of their customers on file, are at risk as well, as the TJ Maxx incident that came to light six years ago.
In that case, hackers gained access to company databases in 2005 and stole the personal information of more than 45 million credit and debit cards — but the company didn’t discover the theft until two years later. TJ Maxx later claimed that 75% of the cards were either expired at the time of the breach, or the personal information on them was masked. But the international ring of thieves did use much of the data to enrich themselves before they were arrested — and the various consequences of the incident eventually cost the clothing chain more than $130 million.
“After the TJ Maxx incident, Massachusetts law mandated self-reporting and potential fines per incident,” Trudeau said, but the costs stemming from such a breach can range widely, from PR work to restore brand reputation to individual and class-action lawsuits.
Bill Trudeau says companies victimized by hackers can run up massive expenses even before customer lawsuits arrive.
“What you have here are first-party costs,” he went on. “It’s not someone saying, ‘OK, I lost 20 grand, and now I’m suing you.’ You’ve got a lawyer in your office saying you need to do certain things now, even though there’s no lawsuit yet. But who’s going to pay the $90,000 for mailings? Who’s going to pay for the ID-theft protection? There’s a huge potential for loss, even before the lawsuits arrive.”
As a result, cyber liability is one of the hottest terms in the insurance world, one that agents have been busy telling their clients about.
“We’ve been concentrating on this kind of insurance,” said Robert Gilbert, president of the Dowd Insurance Agencies in Holyoke. “I read four trade publications each week, and every single one, every week for the past year, has had an article about what we call cyber-liability insurance. That includes Internet liability, cyber-security … anything that can attack your computer and cause loss of data.”
And businesses make a mistake if they assume that large, national retailers are the only ones at risk. Verizon issued a report on data-breach investigations last year that analyzed data from 855 reported incidents that resulted in 174 million compromised records in 2011. That study revealed that 71% of breaches struck organizations with fewer than 100 employees.
Bob Gilbert says his agency has been busy informing business-insurance clients of the need for cyber-liability coverage.
Growing Concern
Earlier this spring, Best’s Review cited several recent surveys that shed light on the extent of the cybercrime problem and how it concerns businesses. For instance, a survey by American International Group found that corporate executives are more concerned about cyberthreats than any other major business risk, with 85% of the 258 surveyed saying they are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ concerned about it.
Meanwhile, a Deloitte Tech Trends poll of 1,749 business professionals found that 28% of those surveyed reported at least one known cyberattack in the past year; 9% reported more than one breach. And those are just the known cases.
According to the Ponemon Institute, which has been reporting on the cost of cybercrimes for the past three years, the average cost to a company from data theft is $194 per record breached — meaning it takes just 515 such records stolen to reach a six-figure loss, a tough pill to swallow for small to mid-sized companies.
That’s why cyber-liability insurance is so important. Trudeau cited one product his company promotes, Beazley Breach Response, which covers many of the first-wave expenses of cybercrime, including notification and credit-monitoring services for up to 5 million affected individuals, as well as forensic and legal assistance, PR costs, and other benefits, with separate coverage limits for third-party claims.
“Many policies offer first-party coverage — that is, they will pay you for things like business interruption, the cost of notifying customers of a breach, and even the expense of hiring a public-relations firm to repair any damage done to your image as a result of a cyber attack,” business-technology writer Minda Zetlin noted recently in Inc. magazine. “Having this cash available in the event of a crippling hack can keep the lights on until you’re able to resume your normal cash flow. A good policy can even cover any regulatory fines or penalties you might incur because of a data breach.”
Early response, aided by such coverage, can be critical, Trudeau said. “Depending on how good the response is, you don’t always get to the liability point if you self-report that you’ve had a breach.”
Considering the rate at which businesses are attacked and hacked, Gilbert said, it’s tremendously risky for companies that store sensitive data to ignore their need for cyber-liability coverage.
“When private data has been hacked, the expense to go through it is tremendous — you have notify all the people in the database, there are advertising expenses, possibly litigation,” he explained. “As technology has changed so rapidly, so has the expertise of criminals. The insurance marketplace never anticipated the seriousness of these crimes.”
But it’s certainly paying attention now. “When you’re hacked, and someone has access to everything in your computer, they can throw viruses in there or extort your business with the threat of viruses,” Gilbert added. “There are so many different areas of exposure, so it has become a very big issue.”
Customer notification alone can be a major hassle, considering that 46 of the 50 U.S. states have notification laws, the details of which vary by state — and many breaches affect customers in multiple states. “You should talk to your risk manager or agent,” Gilbert tells clients. “Do you have this coverage? What do you need to secure it? If nothing else, we make them aware of the exposures they face.
“It definitely interrupts your business. You have a loss of income, a loss of profits,” he added. “We talk to clients about what their exposures are today and what to do about it.”
Constant Threats
In a world where data theft is pervasive — from restaurant waiters carrying ‘skimmers’ in their pockets to lift debit-card information to international hackers hammering their way into large corporations — companies increasingly realize that it’s up to them to both better secure their data and seek out a realistic level of coverage, Trudeau said.
“When doing an assessment, ask, what’s the exposure risk? What exposures do we have, and how could we get in trouble?” he said, re-emphasizing that those risks run from the debit-card information stored at Big Y to the HIPAA-protected patient data at medical practices.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a big company or a small company,” Kelly Bissell, who heads Deloitte’s Information Technology Risk Management Team, told Best’s Review. “It matters what data you have that’s valuable to them. The bad guys don’t discriminate.”
It’s also dangerous for businesses to assume they’re protected against data breaches of third-party vendors, experts say, since they provided them that information in the first place. Nor is there any guarantee a cloud provider will cover a company against a data breach in the cloud. It all comes back to speaking with an insurance agent to make sure all contingencies are accounted for.
“Every time you open the paper, another bank has gotten hacked,” Gilbert said. “Criminals today are pretty smart. They’re not using guns and knives anymore; they’re sitting somewhere in Russia or somewhere in Oklahoma — it doesn’t matter where.”
And that changing world has forced changes in the insurance realm, with the advent of products that are becoming an increasingly necessary part of companies’ risk-management strategies.
“This type of coverage has been developed to meet a need,” Gilbert said. “With what’s going on with cybercriminals, it’s very important that, every account we go out on, we’re bringing up things they don’t have. That way, at least we’ve done our job.”
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
Networking Event
June 18: The Professional Women’s Chamber of Western Massachusetts will host a free networking event from 5 to 7 p.m. at Cooper’s Gifts, 161 Main St., Agawam. Attendees can relax and enjoy the company of other area businesswomen, and can register to win a $100 Cooper’s gift card. Refreshments will be served. Registration required [email protected].
‘Second Chances’ Exhibit
Through July 25: Springfield Pulse Artspace presents a unique exhibition featuring innovative and colorful local artist Whitney Wood Rahm. “Second Chances: Balancing Passion, Purpose, and Obligation” features an eclectic range of original works by Rahm, including her whimsical and popular “Friendly Monsters,” made from barn board, scrap lumber, and found parts. Also on exhibit are Rahm’s highly inventive rescued and revived furniture, contemporary paintings, and unique photography. In addition, the exhibition will include a participatory art experience, where viewers will have a part in providing input for an upcoming piece to be created by Rahm. The exhibit is on display at 11 Pearl Street, Suite 235, Springfield, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment.
Wistariahurst Exhibition
Through August: Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke has unveiled its Summer Gallery Exhibition, “Behind the Scenery: Sketches to Cityscapes.” Local artist Caleb Colon gives an intimate look at the artist’s process of selection, direction, and creation, featuring displays of the works as paintings begin, progress, and finally reach completion. Works shown in the exhibition are inspired by local scenes and sites along the Connecticut River. Studies, sketches, and photos are also on view, showing another layer of the process. Works are on view through August. Gallery admission is $3.
40 Under Forty
June 20: BusinessWest will present its seventh class of regional rising stars at the annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners, who were profiled at length in the April 22 issue. Call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 for more information.
Yidstock 2013
July 18-21: Yidstock 2013: The Festival of New Yiddish Music will bring the top names in klezmer to the stage at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. The Klezmer Conservatory Band will kick off Yidstock on July 18, and the festival will continue with Klezperanto and Margot Leverett & the Klezmer Mountain Boys; Brass Khazones: Steven Bernstein and Frank London; the Wholesale Klezmer Band; Golem; and the Yidstock All-Stars. The weekend will conclude with a massive jam, featuring a Yidstock All-Stars band with players from the weekend’s bands, under the musical directorship of Frank London. Among those all-stars are two of the greatest clarinetists in klezmer, Ilene Stahl of Klezperanto and Margot Leverett of the Klezmer Mountain Boys. A series of workshops and talks is also on the schedule, including a Yiddish folk-dance workshop led by internationally renowned Steve Weintraub; a lecture by Hankus Netsky, a founder of the Klezmer Conservatory Band; an instrumental klezmer workshop; and a talk by author and music critic Seth Rogovoy. Back by popular demand, Yosi’s Kosher Falafel Tent will once again be serving an assortment of great food. For more information and to purchase tickets and festival passes (a limited number of passes are available and sell out quickly), visit yiddishbookcenter.org/yidstock or call (413) 256-4900.
Golf Tournament
July 22: The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts will hold its Annual Golf Classic at Crestview Country Club in Agawam. Registration opens at 10:30 a.m. with a noon shotgun start for an 18-hole scramble. The cost is $140 per person, which includes golf and cart, lunch and tournament banquet, and team and skill prize eligibility. New this year is the Tee & Tan Golf Option, a nine-hole golf scramble followed by relaxation on a chaise at Crestview’s scenic pool area. The cost for the banquet only is $30. For registration and details, visit www.womensfund.net.
Western Mass. Business Expo 2013
Nov. 6: Planning is underway for the Western Mass. Business Expo 2013, a day-long business-to-business event to take place at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. This fall’s show, the third edition of the Expo, which is again being produced by BusinessWest, will feature more than 150 exhibitors, seminars on timely issues of the day, special Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the wrap-up Expo social, which has become a not-to-be-missed networking event. Details of the specific programming will be printed in upcoming editions of BusinessWest and can also be seen online at www.wmbexpo.com or www.businesswest.com. For more information on the event or to reserve booth space, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.
The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
BUCKLAND
165 Bray Road
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Meredith A. Raftopoulos
Seller: Clinton Davis
Date: 05/15/13
CONWAY
1076 Pine Hill Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Tracy R. Blaylock
Seller: Gary W. Kuck
Date: 05/15/13
a
DEERFIELD
31 Eastern Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $225,200
Buyer: Scott W. Lewis
Seller: Zaijac, Zislaw W., (Estate)
Date: 05/10/13
315 Upper Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Susan J. Howard
Seller: Richard J. Calisewski
Date: 05/10/13
GREENFIELD
13 Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: TO Karlson Props. LLC
Seller: Mohammed Basal
Date: 05/16/13
7 Congress St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $569,000
Buyer: 325 Canton Street LLC
Seller: William F. Martin
Date: 05/17/13
51 East Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Agnes T. Atkinson
Seller: Michael Labombard
Date: 05/15/13
44 Verde Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Alexander M. Bourassa
Seller: Greenfield Coop Bank
Date: 05/09/13
20 Woodleigh Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Thomas K. Blankenship
Seller: Jonathan R. Leiws
Date: 05/17/13
LEVERETT
364 North Leverett Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Sawmill River TR
Seller: Susan C. Powers
Date: 05/08/13
206 Pratt Corner Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Nedeau
Seller: Denise M. Govoni
Date: 05/15/13
216 Pratt Corner Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Nedeau
Seller: Denise M. Govoni
Date: 05/15/13
MONTAGUE
49 Court Square
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Andrew W. Kostecki
Seller: Wendy E. Kostecki
Date: 05/15/13
197 Turnpike Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Marsha J. Bonnett
Seller: Eric C. Emond
Date: 05/08/13
NORTHFIELD
868 Old Wendell Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Joel A. Nelson
Seller: Paul H. Robie
Date: 05/16/13
SHELBURNE
45 Water St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Peter J. Moser
Seller: Gail A. Bissell TR
Date: 05/08/13
110 Zerah Fiske Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $377,000
Buyer: Michael P. Labombard
Seller: Daniel E. Flint
Date: 05/15/13
WARWICK
460 Richmond Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Stephen P. Stewart
Seller: John W. Chandler
Date: 05/10/13
HAMPDEN COUNTY
AGAWAM
157 Cambridge St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Joseph M. Santaniello
Seller: Henrietta M. Shea
Date: 05/06/13
44 Campbell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Roberts
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 05/15/13
136 Clover Hill Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Rexhep Nuhiu
Seller: Lyubov Shevchenko
Date: 05/08/13
170 Coyote Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Shawn L. Hammerschmidt
Seller: Dominic J. Candido
Date: 05/17/13
115 Edgewater Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Audrey Dwane
Seller: William E. Freeman
Date: 05/15/13
58 Elbert Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jonathan L. Watson
Seller: Paul A. Tatro
Date: 05/17/13
89 Norris St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Keith M. Barlow
Seller: Martin M. Radewick
Date: 05/17/13
411 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Christopher D. Rochon
Seller: Roger H. Blood
Date: 05/15/13
52 Warren St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Sady
Seller: Howard J. Murphy
Date: 05/17/13
63 Zacks Way
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Lukasz Wilk
Seller: T. Russo Construction Corp.
Date: 05/08/13
BRIMFIELD
1164 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $236,500
Buyer: Michael J. Wood
Seller: Michael E. Kszaszcz
Date: 05/14/13
CHICOPEE
96 Arnold St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Russell B. Jopson
Seller: Chad L. Crocker
Date: 05/10/13
500 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Phaneuf Realty LLC
Seller: Ernest A. Larocque
Date: 05/10/13
607 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Mark D. Vega
Seller: FNMA
Date: 05/13/13
18 Driscoll St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jean Foley
Seller: Paul R. Gallagher
Date: 05/17/13
467 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Ahmedsaadis A. Bracero
Seller: Jeanne Clow
Date: 05/14/13
190 James St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Brian F. Gregersen
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 05/09/13
90 Maryland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Stephanie V. Barton
Seller: Lukasz A. Tabor
Date: 05/17/13
285 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Cindy S. Kwajewski
Seller: Michelle L. Robbins
Date: 05/10/13
123 Polaski Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Adam J. Lajoie
Seller: Tracey A. Devitt
Date: 05/17/13
50 Riverpark Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Martino A. Santaniello
Seller: Delfina R. Madeira
Date: 05/17/13
100 Rolf Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: David J. Duplessis
Seller: Dungruethai Yomdit
Date: 05/17/13
86 Sesame Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: Jason P. Mastorakis
Seller: Aspen Props. Group LLC
Date: 05/07/13
31 Thomas St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jorge A. Burgos
Seller: Arclair Dev. LLC
Date: 05/10/13
56 Ward St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $134,025
Buyer: Antonina M. Fox
Seller: Jason P. Mastorakis
Date: 05/06/13
91 Watson St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Jean Dersienska
Seller: Rene A. Laplante
Date: 05/13/13
28 Willow St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $244,900
Buyer: James J. Niss
Seller: Carol Turgeon
Date: 05/17/13
EAST LONGMEADOW
36 Athens St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Grigoriy Shulga
Seller: Josue Diaz
Date: 05/16/13
169 Braeburn Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: Alexander Grisaru
Seller: Roosevelt Hill LLC
Date: 05/14/13
478 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Annemarie Tucker
Seller: Suzanne S. White
Date: 05/09/13
62 Deer Run Terrace
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Eddy
Seller: Kenneth F. Bernier
Date: 05/15/13
69 Hanward Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: John Sawyer
Seller: Scott M. McGuire
Date: 05/10/13
10 Jennifer Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Aaron W. Granahan
Seller: Joseph F. Giordano
Date: 05/10/13
2 Kelsey St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Gilson Vila
Seller: Walter M. McSweeney
Date: 05/17/13
167 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Randall I. Feher
Seller: Pamela K. McCarthy
Date: 05/14/13
37 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: John T. Haynes
Seller: Patricia Carroll
Date: 05/15/13
451 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Joanne M. Bernier
Seller: Richard J. Matuszczak
Date: 05/15/13
HAMPDEN
38 Carmody Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jeffrey P. Zilch
Seller: Stephen L. Haskins
Date: 05/13/13
46 Genevieve Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Netherwood
Seller: John W. Leger
Date: 05/17/13
140 Rock A. Dundee Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Michelle W. Daley
Seller: Scott A. Kertenis
Date: 05/06/13
39 Stony Hill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: SW & Wood Construction Inc.
Seller: Diane K. Miklasiewicz
Date: 05/06/13
76 Valleyview Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Claudia Muradian-Brubach
Seller: Joseph Belardo
Date: 05/17/13
24 Walnut Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Maureen K. Chesky
Seller: Craig Campbell
Date: 05/16/13
HOLLAND
79 Sandy Beach Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $317,500
Buyer: Christopher Renson
Seller: Douglas Say
Date: 05/06/13
HOLYOKE
142 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $119,500
Buyer: Edna Pagan
Seller: Marta Santiago
Date: 05/10/13
129 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,500
Buyer: Leo Campbell
Seller: Michael T. Bellingham
Date: 05/10/13
357 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: James D. Fay
Seller: Kevin A. Jourdain
Date: 05/06/13
37 Knollwood Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $204,495
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Matthew A. Hamel
Date: 05/16/13
135 Lincoln St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $196,500
Buyer: Mary B. Agostino
Seller: Daniel E. Wilga
Date: 05/10/13
301 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: William S. Cassidy
Seller: Kristen A. Beam
Date: 05/10/13
68 Nonotuck St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Kristen A. Beam
Seller: Baldwin, Elizabeth A., (Estate)
Date: 05/10/13
222 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Arnaldo R. Lopez
Seller: Carmelo Lorenzi
Date: 05/10/13
208 Race St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: SPS Investments LLC
Seller: Holyoke Supply Co.
Date: 05/13/13
233 Walnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Jacob Santos
Seller: Jessica Ojeda
Date: 05/08/13
257 West Franklin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $122,800
Buyer: Richard A. Ochs
Seller: Maureen M. Dearborn
Date: 05/14/13
LONGMEADOW
56 Brooks Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Azad A. Jabiev
Seller: John Roden
Date: 05/16/13
22 East Primrose Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jiansong Xu
Seller: Geoffrey Weigand
Date: 05/15/13
19 Eton Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $405,500
Buyer: David T. Florian
Seller: Colony Realty LLC
Date: 05/15/13
148 Greenacre Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Adam L. Deutsch
Seller: Gregory S. Schneider
Date: 05/16/13
1630 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Travis D. Page
Seller: Nicholas F. Azar
Date: 05/13/13
18 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Quynh L. Nguyen
Seller: David L. Mesecher
Date: 05/09/13
90 Meadow Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Brian J. Bagnall
Seller: Kristen Nolfi
Date: 05/08/13
96 Salem Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Craig M. Outhouse
Seller: Michael G. Mason
Date: 05/16/13
5 Summit Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Thomas J. Kucab
Seller: Vincenzo Amore
Date: 05/16/13
1231 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michael E. Chagnon
Seller: Michael E. Chagnon
Date: 05/06/13
LUDLOW
52 Dowd Court
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Richard L. Frigon
Seller: Jacqueline Rosa
Date: 05/08/13
580 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: AHB FT
Seller: Stephen M. Breslin
Date: 05/08/13
43 Overlook Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Charlotte N. Descognets
Seller: Richard L. Frigon
Date: 05/08/13
109 Parker Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Lang Lin
Seller: Richard L. Askew
Date: 05/17/13
127 Parker Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $434,000
Buyer: David C. Costa
Seller: Hemlock Ridge LLC
Date: 05/15/13
109 Pine Knoll Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Kelly S. Mateus
Seller: Horacio J. Sousa
Date: 05/10/13
5 Wood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jose M. Alves
Seller: Donald V. McCabe
Date: 05/13/13
MONSON
158 East Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Nale
Seller: David Goraj
Date: 05/10/13
20 Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Eric R. Meffen
Seller: Diane L. Meffen
Date: 05/15/13
135 Upper Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Shawn A. Gouger
Seller: Leah M. Ray
Date: 05/07/13
PALMER
77 Squier St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: John W. Morrison
Seller: Coulter, Constance E., (Estate)
Date: 05/17/13
37 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Jason W. Bessette
Seller: Rivers, Janina, (Estate)
Date: 05/16/13
RUSSELL
135 Timberidge Dr.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $176,310
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Christopher G. Miltimore
Date: 05/08/13
SPRINGFIELD
84 Andrew St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $128,276
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Hommy Ortiz
Date: 05/07/13
126 Arcadia Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Norma M. O’Brien
Seller: Carol A. Moreau
Date: 05/17/13
53 Bissell St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $258,702
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Rose Ndiritu
Date: 05/13/13
127 Bowles Park
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: HSBC Bank USA
Seller: Robert G. O’Leary
Date: 05/14/13
459 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jose R. Vasquez
Seller: Thomas A. Hanifan
Date: 05/07/13
115 Corey Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Michelle A. Mejias
Seller: Robert F. Midghall
Date: 05/13/13
210 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Michael Ashe
Seller: FHLM
Date: 05/16/13
21 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,530
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Juana M. Santiago
Date: 05/08/13
23 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Felix C. Torres
Seller: Episcopal Diocese Of Western Mass.
Date: 05/14/13
35 Hood St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Madalyn Rolon
Seller: Yelena Ivanova
Date: 05/10/13
108 Jerilis Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $145,100
Buyer: Marie Fernandez
Seller: Rafael Bones
Date: 05/08/13
116 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $204,790
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Judy Alberto
Date: 05/17/13
87 Lloyd Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank National
Seller: Shirley F. Ross
Date: 05/17/13
211 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Donna L. Williams
Seller: Frank C. Tripoli
Date: 05/14/13
1230 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Francisco A. Pacheco
Seller: Gordon R. Fettes
Date: 05/06/13
1 Palmyra St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jared D. Smith
Seller: Judy R. Brew
Date: 05/16/13
194 Parkerview St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Keith Worthy
Seller: Albert N. Garnier
Date: 05/17/13
280 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Leroy L. McFarlane
Seller: Oriana B. Jones
Date: 05/17/13
42 Redstone Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Jacob P. Goodin
Seller: Christopher M. Eddy
Date: 05/15/13
149 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Sharon C. Ritchie
Seller: Jeffrey P. Zilch
Date: 05/13/13
126 Rochford Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Kenneth R. Yarkey
Seller: Kearns, Audrey B., (Estate)
Date: 05/17/13
56 Rochford Circle
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $148,500
Buyer: Rebecca J. Larace
Seller: Judith M. Fleury
Date: 05/17/13
18 South Shore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Judith Brown
Seller: Stephanie E. Gonzalez
Date: 05/17/13
33 Slumber Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Nathaniel D. Raymond
Seller: Stephanie Pierzchala
Date: 05/14/13
27 Wellington St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Neish M. Cordova
Seller: PEC Properties 1 LLC
Date: 05/17/13
59 White Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $153,500
Buyer: Grahams Construction Inc.
Seller: Melissa A. Keegan
Date: 05/17/13
49 Wing St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jessica Lopez
Seller: Mary Montemagni
Date: 05/08/13
40 Woodcrest Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Raymond Gonzalez
Seller: Lisa M. Clewes
Date: 05/17/13
SOUTHWICK
130 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jeremy R. Burns
Seller: Peter A. Bennett
Date: 05/16/13
26 South Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Randall Bourque
Seller: Stephen A. Roulier
Date: 05/13/13
WALES
42 Lake George Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Scott A. Taylor
Seller: Roberta T. Bennett
Date: 05/06/13
WESTFIELD
11 Airport Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Frank A. Demarinis
Seller: Mark J. Staruk
Date: 05/14/13
37 Coolidge Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Alexander E. Schultz
Seller: Adam Casineau
Date: 05/17/13
69 Crane Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: John S. Haftmann
Seller: Mark R. Gilman
Date: 05/17/13
Flynn Meadow Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: RSP Realty LLC
Seller: Cowles & Cowles LLC
Date: 05/08/13
149 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Kathleen A. Harrington
Seller: Melissa A. Glynn
Date: 05/13/13
67 Highland Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: William Johnston
Seller: Jean T. Rainey
Date: 05/10/13
2 Laurel Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Scott T. Gregory
Seller: Thomas M. Bacis
Date: 05/14/13
457 Loomis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Ryan W. Taylor
Seller: Henry W. Skerry
Date: 05/15/13
168 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jacob Girard
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 05/17/13
170 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jacob Girard
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 05/17/13
11 Shadow Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Melanie J. Casineau
Seller: Roy J. Federer
Date: 05/17/13
14 Taylor Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $208,233
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: William R. Gambill
Date: 05/09/13
WILBRAHAM
7 Acton St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $173,900
Buyer: Sherica C. Rowe-Singleton
Seller: Adelia Pedro
Date: 05/08/13
12 Circle Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Ana Carvalho
Seller: Joseph Pedula
Date: 05/15/13
9 Linwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Barbara Robert
Seller: Suzanne Laba
Date: 05/15/13
68 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Ana M. Beleza
Seller: Gail P. Doty
Date: 05/06/13
WEST SPRINGFIELD
48 Alexander Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $650,360
Buyer: Thomas J. Berozsky
Seller: West Meadow Homes Inc.
Date: 05/15/13
55 Bliss St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Pavlo Nikulin
Seller: Roman Zayats
Date: 05/10/13
758 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Xiuyu Ma
Seller: Virginia M. Taillefer
Date: 05/17/13
297 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $120,299
Buyer: Robert Holmes
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 05/16/13
250 Sawmill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $318,000
Buyer: Stephen I. Alois
Seller: Thomas J. Berozsky
Date: 05/17/13
16 Wistaria St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Jamie Frisbie
Date: 05/13/13
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
AMHERST
148 Columbia Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Deepankar Basu
Seller: Yung Y. Chen
Date: 05/08/13
120 Red Gate Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Joseh D. Duffey
Seller: Boulder Hill Construction LLC
Date: 05/10/13
44 South Mount Holyoke Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Tien Pham
Seller: Wenjun Xing
Date: 05/15/13
6 Wildflower Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Jesse Ferris
Seller: Ralph J. Murphy
Date: 05/06/13
BELCHERTOWN
100 Barton Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Karen R. Henning
Seller: Bernard E. Wilkess
Date: 05/06/13
18 Canal Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Arnold Niedbala
Seller: Mount Tom Properties LLC
Date: 05/10/13
17 Plaza Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $304,000
Buyer: Constance G. Brown RET
Seller: Nicholas Marciano
Date: 05/13/13
EASTHAMPTON
176 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Ronak Patel
Seller: Surckha Patel
Date: 05/13/13
1 Industrial Pkwy.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Middle Franklin Dev. Group
Seller: Jenoptik Optical Systems
Date: 05/10/13
94 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Garry D. Youmell
Seller: Kyle D. Kinlock
Date: 05/10/13
76 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Carol M. Twiss
Seller: Garry D. Youmell
Date: 05/10/13
GRANBY
9 Mary Lyon Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Amy K. Baker
Seller: Jason F. Randall
Date: 05/14/13
34 New Ludlow Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Ivonette Ortiz-Rodriguez
Seller: Bruce L. Tetrault
Date: 05/14/13
HADLEY
5 Meadow St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Mill Cottage LLC
Date: 05/17/13
58 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Donna Burhoe
Seller: Kristen B. Walser
Date: 05/16/13
HATFIELD
359 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01066
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: 359 LAP LLC
Seller: Robert D. Herfurth
Date: 05/06/13
HUNTINGTON
87 County Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Justin W. Green
Seller: Lorraine Layman
Date: 05/08/13
NORTHAMPTON
212 Acrebrook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $125,299
Buyer: Patricia Duffy
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 05/08/13
26 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Dan
Seller: Jennifer M. Johnson
Date: 05/16/13
26 Dickinson St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Colee Asia
Seller: Mary B. Agostino
Date: 05/10/13
87 Dunphy Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Lesley J. Eckert
Seller: Hecotr L. Santos
Date: 05/17/13
696 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Kathryn S. Crouss
Seller: Haytham M. Omar
Date: 05/15/13
18 Hillside Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $547,000
Buyer: Henry A. Brown
Seller: Boyd T. Hehn
Date: 05/10/13
91 Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $489,734
Buyer: Timothy M. Levy
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction Inc.
Date: 05/08/13
14 Orchard St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Brenda J. Church
Seller: Jo Anne P. Howlett
Date: 05/10/13
11 Ormond Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Jonathan K. Fogelson
Seller: Ruth Yeh
Date: 05/15/13
164 Overlook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Santoyo Pacheco
Seller: Hardev Singh
Date: 05/09/13
110 Turkey Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Marya J. Avedon
Seller: K. E. Avedon-Tresselt
Date: 05/16/13
15 West Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Humayun LLC
Seller: West Farms Realty LLC
Date: 05/16/13
1095 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $327,476
Buyer: Easthampton Savings Bank
Seller: Monkey Man LLC
Date: 05/13/13
SOUTH HADLEY
12 Atwood Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Stray Horse Props. LLC
Seller: William J. Rokowski
Date: 05/16/13
60 Bridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Diamond Property Svcs. LLC
Seller: Cheryl A. Bonavita
Date: 05/09/13
70 College View Hts.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Peter B. Blain
Seller: Warren M. Bock
Date: 05/08/13
68 Columbia St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $129,551
Buyer: USA VA
Seller: Christopher D. Mackenzie
Date: 05/08/13
6 Oak Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Andrew T. Barrett
Seller: Christine E. Schoenborn
Date: 05/15/13
SOUTHAMPTON
165 Brickyard Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $214,900
Buyer: Joycelyn H. Kinlock
Seller: Zachariah F. Chornyak
Date: 05/15/13
238 County Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Joann Bennett
Seller: Edmond P. Laprade
Date: 05/15/13
35 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Sven Kielhorn
Seller: Patrick J. Pompei
Date: 05/14/13
WARE
63 Babcock Tavern Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Michael J. Riordan
Seller: Gregory Czech
Date: 05/08/13
23 Beach Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Philip E. Ethier
Seller: James A. Gately
Date: 05/10/13
50 Crescent St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Michael J. Barry
Seller: Mark R. Pauette
Date: 05/10/13
111 East St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $185,788
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Stephen S. Hagberg
Date: 05/10/13
84 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Rasys
Seller: Daniel P. Talbot
Date: 05/17/13
21 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Kristien Hennessey
Seller: Joseph C. Cassaro
Date: 05/17/13
17 Otis Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Justin E. Matys
Seller: Robert Kopka
Date: 05/07/13
82 West Main St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Maxwell C. Labier
Seller: 82 West Main Street RT
Date: 05/08/13
WESTHAMPTON
61 Hathaway Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Scott R. Tirrell
Seller: Thomas C. McCarthy
Date: 05/14/13
7 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Kyle D. Kinlock
Seller: Matthew T. Lowney
Date: 05/10/13
WILLIAMSBURG
5 Edwards St.
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Charles G. O’Connell
Seller: Heath, Raymond F. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 05/17/13
WGGB-ABC40 Honored as News Station of the Year
SPRINGFIELD — The Associated Press (AP) and the Radio Television Digital News Assoc. (RTDNA) have announced their winners of 2013 awards competitions, and WGGB-ABC40 has been named the recipient of three Massachusetts and Rhode Island Associated Press Awards and two RTDNA Edward R. Murrow awards. For the third year in a row, ABC40 has won more AP awards than any other radio or television station in Western Mass., including taking home the prestigious “News Station of the Year” award. That award, according to the AP, recognizes “a station’s overall news commitment and service to its coverage area. In addition, ABC40 was also honored with “Best Newscast” for coverage of the Chicopee shootout last April, as well as “Best Sports Program” for Friday Football Fever. The RTDNA has also recognized ABC40 with one of the most prestigious awards in journalism, the Edward R. Murrow Award. Recently, the winners of the 2013 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards were also announced, and ABC40 was recognized with two awards, for best newscast (ABC40 News at 6:00) and best website, wggb.com. The RTDNA says that news organizations that receive the Edward R. Murrow Award exhibit the “spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of electronic journalism” and recognizes work that is of the “highest quality” done by television, radio, and online news organizations from around the world. “We thank our viewers from across Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut for allowing us into their homes each and every day. Providing them the news and information they seek daily is a tremendous responsibility that we take very seriously,” said John Gormally, general manager and owner of ABC40 and Fox 6.
MassMutual Honored for Promoting Healthy Lifestyles for Employees
WASHINGTON — The National Business Group on Health recently honored 65 U.S. employers, including Springfield-based MassMutual, for their ongoing commitment to promoting healthy work environments and encouraging workers to live healthier lifestyles. The honored employers, including 12 first-time winners, were presented with 2013 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards at the Business Group’s Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being Leadership Summit held in Washington, D.C. “MassMutual is excited and honored to be named a Best Employer for Healthy Lifestyles for the first time this year,” said Dr. David Artzerounian, chief medical officer for the company, which placed in the ‘gold’ category. “Whether it’s providing wellness incentives, encouraging a positive work-life balance, establishing a smoke-free campus, or offering healthy meal options in our cafeteria, MassMutual takes a strong interest in our employees’ health and well-being because it’s the right thing to do and everyone is better off with better health: our employees, their families, and our company.” Now in its ninth year, the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards spotlight those employers that have responded to the urgent need to improve their employees’ health, productivity, and quality of life. The underlying goal of the program is to encourage all employers to take action.
Hampden Bancorp Named One of Top 100 Public Companies in State
SPRINGFIELD — Hampden Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Hampden Bank, has been named to the “Globe 100”annual list, a ranking of the best-performing public companies in Massachusetts. Hampden Bancorp was ranked number 75 overall, and was ranked seventh on the list of performance measurement of growth based on annual revenue and profit growth for the past two years. “We are pleased to be named to the list of top-performing public companies in the state,” said Glenn Welch, CEO and president. “This is a great achievement for Hampden, and I want to thank all of our employees for working so hard to achieve these results. We will continue to build upon this success to grow the bank and enhance the value to our shareholders.” To be eligible, the company must be publicly traded for the entire 2012 calendar year on the NASDAQ, New York Stock Exchange, or American Stock Exchange and report revenue and profit for both 2011 and 2012. Companies are ranked on four criteria: return on average equity, one-year percentage change in revenue, one-year percentage change in profit margin, and 2012 revenue. Between Dec. 31, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2012, Hampden’s one-year change in revenue was 16.3%, and its one-year change in profit margin was 89.2%.
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
Liberty Industries Inc. v. Diecast Connections Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $16,690.15
Filed: 5/8/13
HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Goodless Brothers Electric Co. Inc. v. Kronenberger & Sons Restoration Inc. and Safeco Insurance Co. of America
Allegation: Claim by subcontractor against the general contractor and its bonding company: $9,681.50
Filed: 5/14/13
Lawrence K. Richmond v. The Janlynn Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $27,746.67
Filed: 5/17/13
Susan M. Kinsella v. Lifetyme Exteriors, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract: $53,500
Filed: 5/16/13
HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Colee Asia v. Rescare Inc. and Alutiiq Education & Training, LLC
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $57,000+
Filed: 5/28/13
Forty Pire, LLC v. Country Bank for Savings
Allegation: Disputed accrued interest on commercial note and prepayment penalties: $30,000
Filed: 5/10/13
James Malandrinos and PPC Contractors Inc. v. Saucier Construction, LLC
Allegation: Seeking damages for improper imposition of a mechanics lien: $25,000
Filed: 4/1/13
John G. Edwards v. Valley Industries, Inc. d/b/a Armstrong Nautical Products
Allegation: Product liability: $44,321
Filed: 4/13/13
SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
BDM + Furniture Inc. v. Boston Barstool & Contract Seating, LLC f/d/b/a/ The Chair Gallery, LLC and Sarah Jean Quiroga
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $16,808.95
Filed: 5/8/13
Michael J. Stuart and Nicole R. Stuart v. Spartan Bobcat & Concrete Services d/b/a Spartan Services
Allegation: Breach of contract by installing exterior walkways and stairs in violation of code and failure to complete work: $21,400
Filed: 4/23/13
Security Engineering Inc. v. Veritech Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment of labor, materials, and services provided to maintain a security system: $6,617.67
Filed: 4/25/13
WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Cosmo Films Inc. v. Ultimate Finishing, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $14,315.84
Filed: 4/30/13
ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555
• June 26: ACCGS Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sheraton Springfield, 1 Monarch Place, Springfield. Featuring James Brett, president and CEO of the New England Council, New England’s voice of business on Capitol Hill. Remarks by Michael Mathis, vice president of Global Gaming Development, MGM Resorts International. Announcement of the Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year. Cost: $40 for members, $60 general admission. Tickets are available at www.myonlinechamber.com or by e-mailing Cecile Larose at [email protected].
AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
413-253-0700
• July 15: Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce 10th Annual Golf Tournament, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Hickory Ridge Golf Course, Pomeroy Lane, Amherst. Presented by Hampshire Hospitality Group. Registration and Lunch 10:30 a.m. to noon; shotgun start at 12 noon; reception and dinner at 5 p.m. Cost: $125 per player.
CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101
• June 20: Seminar Series, 8-10:30 a.m. This series of five workshops will focus on five diverse, unrelated topics that are relevant for the success of the chamber’s business members. The topics will be “Organizations Stop Growing When Their Leadership Stops Growing,” June 20; “No Guts, No Gain,” July 11; “Employment Law Compliance,” Aug. 1; “Marketing Strategies That Lead to Growth,” Aug. 22; and “QuickBooks,” Sept. 19. The topics were chosen from the most frequently mentioned challenges that small businesses face. Cost: $100 for members, $125 for non-members.
• June 26: June Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Munich Haus, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. Cost: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.
• July 11: See the Seminar Series listing above.
FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463
• June 21: 94th Annual Meeting and Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., Eaglebrook School, Deerfield. Guest Speakers: State Reps. Stanley Rosenberg, Stephen Brewer, and Ben Downing, and state Reps. Stephen Kulik, Denise Andrews, and Paul Mark. Cost: $12 for chamber members, $15 for non-members.
GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414
• July 26: The 29th Annual Golf Tournament, 9 a.m., Southampton Country Club. Team fee: $400. Tee sponsorships available for $75-$125. Would you like to donate a raffle prize and/or something to the golfer’s gift bag? Contact the chamber to sign up a team, arrange a tee sponsor, or make a raffle prize or gift donation.
HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376
• June 19: Chamber Business Connections, 5-7 p.m., the Holyoke Green High Performance Computing Center, 100 Bigelow St., Holyoke. Sponsored By Northeast IT Systems Inc. and Westfield Bank. Join your friends and colleagues for this informal evening of networking. If you are in the IT/computer equipment, software, or sales industry, please attend as the chamber’s guest. Cost: $10 for chamber members, $15 for the public.
• June 20: Ask a Chamber Expert Series: “Blueprint Reading,” 8:30-10 a.m., Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. This is the third event in the Ask a Chamber Expert series. Cost: $10 for members, $25 for the public. Price includes a continental breakfast. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up, or register online at holyokechamber.com.
• June 26: Summer Recognition Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for the public. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up, or register online at holyokechamber.com.
MASSACHUSETTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
massachusettschamberofcommerce.com
(413) 525-2506
• June 26: “Manufacturing Matters” Lunch Meeting, Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield. Cost: $30 for members, $40 for non-members. For more information on ticket sales, contact the chamber office at (413) 525-2506 or e-mail [email protected].
• July 22: Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, Tekoa Country Club, Westfield. Shotgun start: 11 a.m. Cost: $100 per golfer. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber office at (413) 525-2506 or e-mail [email protected].
NORTHAMPTON AREA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900
• July 10: Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can. A casual mix and mingle with colleagues and friends. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310
• June 18: Free networking event, 5-7 p.m., Cooper’s Gifts, 161 Main St., Agawam. Join us for an after-hours event, where you can relax and enjoy the company of other area businesswomen. No cost. Register to win a $100 Cooper’s gift card. Refreshments will be served.
WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880
• June 20: West of the River Chamber of Commerce Annual Breakfast Meeting, 7-9 a.m., Chez Josef, Agawam. Presenting sponsor: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino of New England. Featured speaker: Mark Darren Gregor, business and career coach. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• Aug. 19: West of the River Chamber of Commerce 10th Annual Golf Tournament, Springfield Country Club, West Springfield. Presenting sponsor: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino of New England. Cost: $125 per golfer. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
www.springfieldyps.com
• June 27: Fifth Annual YPS Great Golf Escape, Oak Ridge Golf Club, Feeding Hills. Cost: $90 per golfer ($360 for a foursome), which includes greens fees, cart, barbecue lunch (big beef burgers; jumbo hot dogs; sausage, peppers, and onions; and pasta salad), and a buffet dinner. There will be prizes for the winning team, raffle prizes, and giveaways. For more information, visit www.springfieldyps.com.
• July 18: July Third Thursday, 5-7 p.m., Sheraton Springfield, 1 Monarch Place, Springfield. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members.
What Does the Medical-marijuana Law Mean for Bay State Employers?
John S. Gannon
Here’s what they need to know.
Qualifying Use
The Massachusetts Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana statute paves the way for patients to use and possess marijuana for the purpose of treating “debilitating medical conditions, or the symptoms thereof.” Debilitating medical conditions include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. In addition, a physician can certify that other conditions are sufficiently debilitating if the patient is suffering from conditions that substantially limit a major life activity.
Patients suffering from a debilitating medical condition can apply to the state Department of Public Health (DPH) for a medical-marijuana registration card by submitting a written certification from a physician with their application. The registration card verifies that the cardholder is a qualifying patient exempt from state criminal and civil penalties for marijuana use.
Matters of Policy
The big issue for Massachusetts employers is whether they need to alter workplace policies governing drug use in light of the new medical-marijuana law. By now, employers should be well aware of their duty to provide reasonable workplace accommodations to handicapped employees. Could an employer unlawfully fail to accommodate an approved employee if off-site marijuana use is not tolerated? What about an applicant who fails a pre-employment drug screen because of medical-marijuana use or who tests positive for drugs in a drug test after employment?
These thorny questions are not answered outright by the Massachusetts Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana statute or by recent regulations promulgated by the DPH.
Still Illegal Under Federal Law
It’s important to note that the use of marijuana is prohibited by federal law, which lists marijuana as a Schedule I drug and does not provide exceptions for medicinal use. State courts in other jurisdictions have relied on federal law in ruling that employers need not accommodate marijuana use, pointing out that the activity is still illegal under federal law.
Similarly, certain federal laws and regulations require particular employers to follow drug-testing protocols and implement policies aimed at maintaining a drug-free workplace. Because these federal laws pre-empt (or trump) state laws, employers should continue to follow these laws when it comes to enforcing drug-related workplace practices and policies.
A Reasonable Accommodation?
In Massachusetts, any challenge to drug-free workplace practices will likely take shape via the state anti-discrimination statute (Chapter 151B). This measure, along with federal law, prohibits discriminating against employees who are ‘handicapped,’ which is defined by law as being substantially limited in a major life activity. It’s safe to presume that an employee suffering from a ‘debilitating medical condition’ could be considered handicapped and entitled to a reasonable accommodation in the workplace.
The $64,000 question is whether accommodation requests connected to medical-marijuana use are reasonable.
Some Questions Answered, Others Not So Much
The Massachusetts Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana statute makes it clear that an employer does not have to accommodate on-site use of medical marijuana. So there is no need to allow employees to light up in the lunchroom or bring marijuana brownies to work. Even so, the law does not address off-site use.
Consider, for example, an employee who is suffering from a debilitating medical condition, perhaps cancer, and who has been approved to use marijuana to help control nausea associated with treatment. Should that employee be allowed to come in late a few days a week because of the off-site marijuana use? It’s possible that such an accommodation might be reasonable under state law, even if the employer has a zero-tolerance drug policy.
What if the employee is subjected to drug testing and tests positive because of his medical use of marijuana? In other jurisdictions where these issues have arisen, courts have ruled that the employer did not have to excuse the use of an illegal drug, and it’s possible that a Massachusetts court would agree. But because this law is new and untested, it’s difficult to predict how a state court or administrative agency would handle these issues.
The only safe play is to check with employment counsel before taking any adverse employment actions for drug use against an employee who is registered to use medical marijuana.
John Gannon is an attorney at the management-side labor and employment firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.; (413) 737-4753; [email protected]; www.linkedin.com/in/johngannonesq
Johnson & Hill Builds on Its Reputation for Effective Match Making
Andrea Hill-Cataldo says job hunting has become a much more complicated process.
“It’s so frustrating for candidates, sending résumés into this abyss, not hearing back. And for employers who are inundated with a hundred résumés, it’s hard to get back to every candidate,” said Hill-Cataldo, president of Johnson & Hill Staffing Services.”
“At one time, you walked your résumé into a company or did a nice cover letter with a nice presentation,” and that was sufficient, she noted. But now, with many companies relying on online applications, “you’re e-mailing your résumé, clicking here, clicking there. As a result, candidates apply for more positions, employers get more candidates, and it’s harder for everyone.”
That’s where a good staffing service comes in. “For us, we still have that personal touch. We’re meeting with candidates and advocating for them,” she told BusinessWest. “We also do a lot of career coaching; we advise them on their résumé, questions they should be prepared to answer, talk about the environments they want to work in, industries they’re interested in.”
Hill-Cataldo likes to talk about building relationships, not just with those seeking work, but with the employers Johnson & Hill has developed long-lasting connections with during the 18 years the agency has been in business.
“We have a team of people, some of whom have been here since the beginning,” she said. “It makes a big difference when our clients call, because we know their history, their culture. That’s a big value add. People like to do business with people they like and know and trust.”
Johnson & Hill has come a long way since Hill-Cataldo and her cousin, Michaela Johnson, launched it from the ashes of a former Kelly Services agency after that corporation decided to take back its privately managed franchises during the mid-’90s.
Johnson’s mother (and Hill-Cataldo’s aunt) had run that office for decades, building a solid reputation and a number of connections, and when she retired after her franchise closed, the younger pair felt they could continue the legacy, with Johnson providing the initial financial backing and Hill-Cataldo contributing “sweat equity,” she said.
“There were some key players who had been with the company for a long time, so we hired two key people and built a company around them,” she explained. “There was a great history there, established relationships of trust. We grew that and built on that.”
Changing Tides
Since those early days, Hill-Cataldo told BusinessWest, the agency has both evolved and expanded.
Geographically, Johnson & Hill has offices in Springfield, Northampton, and Pittsfield, but serves clients as far north as Greenfield, south into Connecticut, and east to the Worcester area.
Meanwhile, the company has shifted from a full-service job-placement service to one that focuses on administrative, accounting, and legal careers. “It makes a real difference when you focus and specialize,” she said. “We found business doubled once we decided to focus on niche businesses.”
The strategy helps Johnson & Hill to better understand the industries and employers they serve. “We really try to be big picture, looking at a long-term approach with clients, building rapport and trust, and putting a lot of time into getting to know their culture,” she explained.
“We stand behind what we do for them, and in turn, they come to trust us,” she continued. “We’ve had some unique opportunities beyond typical staffing services; they also trust us with training and workforce development. We have some very unique, long-standing relationships with clients we’re very appreciative of.”
Hill-Cataldo and her staff of 10 have witnessed a number of shifts in the way companies attract talent. One is an increasing reliance on the temp-to-hire concept, as opposed to direct hiring.
“Temp-to-hire is a great way to bring someone on and not commit, but it’s great for the candidate, too; it’s not a one-sided story,” she said, adding that, if it’s not a great fit, Johnson & Hill already knows the candidate and can hit the ground running to find him or her something else. And if the job works out, “both sides are informed and feel better about the match. It’s better to be on the same page when you hire someone.”
The role of an employment agency looms more important than before, too, especially for those — companies and job seekers alike — who are anxious about navigating an increasingly complicated employment landscape.
“Hiring has changed dramatically over the past five years,” Hill-Cataldo said. “I feel bad for smaller companies that used to just place an ad in the paper. Now, what do you do? What online source to you use? How do you find the best people, manage your social-media presence, and market for better candidates?
“You have to cast a wide net, and then you have to manage that,” she went on. “It’s not just combing through résumés and getting back to people. We find recruiting more difficult, and the Internet has made it even more difficult.”
For job seekers in particular, “it’s lonely for them sometimes,” she continued, adding that it doesn’t have to be. “Many employers hire differently now; they bring in temp-to-hire employees to see if it’s a good fit. And many work with services like ours; we make sure you’re being considered for as many positions as we can. We don’t charge a fee for candidates, and we advocate for you. It can be a real positive.”
Many employers are happy to partner with agencies to ease the burden of candidate searches while still casting a wide net. “Our clients are overwhelmed. They’re all doing more with less,” she said. “They’re trying to add next staff members or replace a staff member, but they’re overwhelmed by other responsibilities. With our help, they have the resources to really look at qualified candidates, rather than hundreds of résumés.”
Satisfying Work
With so many changes occurring in the employment field, the company participates in a number of local and national organizations to keep current, said Hill-Cataldo. “But, thankfully, meeting with clients, talking to clients all the time, that in itself is an education. We can draw conclusions from what we see out on the front lines.”
Many of the agency’s clients were affected by the Great Recession and its aftereffects, she noted, but the picture is improving. “We in this industry are used to ups and downs, and we’re coming out of another dip,” she said. “We’ve definitely seen an uptick recently … a slow climb out.”
But it’s not only job seekers who lost their employment during the recession that find Johnson & Hill’s services useful. “We also help people who have taken a break from employment to gain some experience and get back in,” she said, citing, as examples, those who choose to stay at home to care for an infant or a sick parent. “That happens, and that’s explainable, but now they need more skills, and it’s nice to help them build a bridge to get back.”
Whatever the case, “it’s really satisfying when people we’ve worked with find great situations,” she told BusinessWest. “And we feel really good about the companies we work with. We work with a lot of colleges and major employers. We consciously seek out certain employers, and we feel good when people take a job with them. We know they’ll have a good experience.”
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
Understanding the Many Nuances of the Affordable Care Act
By MARC A. CRISCITELLI
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, will help some people, but has definitely created confusion and concern for most.
There are several approaching deadlines dictated by the ACA that employers must comply with. Some of the deadlines mentioned below have few financial obligations, but require administrative tasks:
• Summaries of benefits and coverages (SBCs) must be distributed to employees for plans that renewed on or after Sept. 23, 2012. Insurance carriers are producing the SBCs for employers, and they must be distributed to employees, new hires, and those continuing on state or federal continuation (COBRA).
• Employers issuing 250 or more W-2s must include the value of health-plan benefits provided to employees on the W-2s annually.
• Employers must provide notice to employees about the availability of state health-insurance exchanges, also known as marketplaces or the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), by Oct. 1, 2013. The deadline was formerly March 1, 2013, but it was delayed since the majority of states and the federal government were not ready to administer the health exchanges.
Unfortunately, there are many provisions of the ACA which may carry some significant cost increases directly to employers.
• Effective Jan. 1, 2013, flexible spending accounts must limit the annual contribution maximum to $2,500. This will lower tax savings for uncovered medical, dental, and vision expenses for employees and consequently employers.
• The comparative clinical effectiveness research fees pay directly to the newly created federal institution known as the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI). Employers with plans renewing Oct. 1, 2012 through Jan. 1, 2013 will have to pay $1 per insured person by July 31, 2013. It will increase to $2 per insured person the following year and will be indexed in years 3-8. Insurance carriers pay the fee on behalf of fully insured employers. Those employers that offer a healthcare reimbursement account (HRA), are self-insured, and/or fund at least $500 into their employees’ flexible spending accounts must file IRS Form 720 and pay the PCORI.
• All employers will be required to contribute to a transition reinsurance fund in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The annual fee is per covered life and is likely to equal $5.25 per month per covered life in 2014 and may decline in 2015 and 2016. This fee will be included in the premiums for employers who are fully insured, but self-insured groups will have to pay this fee directly. Reporting will be due in November 2014 and payable 45 days after reporting. Final rules have not been communicated as of yet.
• Employers with 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees must have waiting periods of no more than 90 days and must offer coverage to employees working an average of 30 hours per week starting in 2014. This will be extremely expensive to many employers, especially those in industries that historically did not offer health insurance to their employees.
• Starting in 2014, employers with 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees must offer ‘affordable’ coverage. This means that they cannot charge more than 9.5% of an employee’s income for the single level of coverage and must offer a plan that is considered ‘minimum value’ if the plan’s share of covered charges is at least 60%. If an employer does not offer coverage to 95% of its full-time employees, the penalty is $2,000 per full-time employee per year (excluding the first 30 employees) if one employee receives a premium tax credit though the SHOP exchange. Employers that offer coverage that does not provide minimum value or is not considered affordable will pay a penalty of $3,000 per year for each employee who receives a premium tax credit.
There are some other provisions of the ACA that cause a direct financial impact to employers and all employees that have private insurance.
The expansion of Medicare and Medicaid will be the biggest drivers. The largest contributing factor to the increase in healthcare costs — and, consequently, private health-insurance costs — has been and will continue to be the ever-increasing population of those covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
The economics are simple. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates to healthcare providers are much lower than reimbursement rates from private insurers and HMOs. The more patients seen by a healthcare provider each year who are insured by Medicare or Medicaid, the more the provider needs to charge private insurers to make up for the low payments they receive from the government-funded healthcare plans.
As a final point, I only touched upon some of the negative effects of the ACA, but there are further responsibilities thrust upon employers, both financial and administrative, buried within the more than 2,700 pages of the law. I encourage all employers to contact their broker, consultant, and CPA for guidance to make sure they are prepared for the full effect of the ACA.
Even though there will be people who benefit from healthcare reform, it will be at the detriment of employers having to deal with and pay for the most daunting law passed in decades.
Marc Criscitelli is vice president of East Longmeadow-based FieldEddy Insurance; (413) 233-2134; [email protected]
The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.
Allen, Kimberly A.
70 Pondview Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
B & S Snow and Leaf Removal
Rooney, Brian J.
P.O. Box 1165
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/13
Barton, Lois M.
75 B Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/13
Bourdeau, David R.
2 Wilimansett St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Brazee, Kevin
2 Friend St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Brittany’s Cafe
Belden, Ronald H.
43 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/13
Bucknell Transmissions Inc.
927 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 11
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Cesan, Kerry M.
754 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Cimino, Frank J.
80 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/13
Costa, Chester L.
Costa, Donna M.
a/k/a Mello, Donna
a/k/a Dixon, Donna
708 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/13
Cote, Wayne J.
56 Lynwood Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/13
Cruz, Noelia
104 Grape St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/13
Deridder, Terra D.
P.O. Box 80352
Springfield, MA 01138
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/13
DeSanty, Lynn A.
1488 South Church St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/03/13
Desmarais, Margaret F.
a/k/a Mallory, Margaret F.
35 Irving St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Donoghue, David B.
Donoghue, Margaret A.
17 Rowley St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/13
Dunn, Lisa B.
P.O. Box 273
Sheffield, MA 01257
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/13
Engwer, Andrea L.
463 Crane Ave., Apt. B
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/13
Fassell, Isabel F.
105 Laurel St., #6B
Lee, MA 01238
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Feldman, Neil N.
Feldman, Kathleen M.
24 Vassar Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/13
Figueroa, Janice J.
92 Chestnut St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/05/13
Gawron, Katherine F.
303 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/13
Gloria’s Trucking Co.
GTC Transport & Brokerage
Ahmadjian, Gloria Z.
197 Royalston Road
North Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/13
Gondela, Daniel J.
11 Craigwood Terrace
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Greene, Christine A.
10 East St.
Petersham, MA 01366
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 04/30/13
Grimes, Johnnie Lee
Grimes, Gloria Evadney
386 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Holder, Rodney W.
Post Office Box
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/13
Holt, Thelma E.
69 Massreco St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Hudson, Paul A.
Hudson, Teresa L.
571 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Johnson, Darlene
a/k/a Davis, Darlene
8 Grout Circle
Millers Falls, MA 01349
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/13
Kane, Michael P.
16 Spruce St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/06/13
Kapise, Karen E.
a/k/a Cleveland, Karen E.
21 Orchard St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Kunanele, Johnny
Kunanele, Sandra P.
a/k/a Mejia-Monsalve, Sandra P.
195 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/03/13
Kusyk, Edward John
160 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/13
Lambert, Kathleen A.
a/k/a Keeler, Kathleen A.
109 Balboa St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/13
Lazzara, Michael David
26 Coronet Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/06/13
LeBlanc, Danielle Marie
36 Howe St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/13
Levesque, Ashley LD
75 Brooklyn St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/13
MacDonald, Scott P.
Triggs-MacDonald, Lauren M.
a/k/a Triggs, Lauren M.
304 Hillcrest Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/13
Maloney, Lee F.
Maloney, Jennifer J.
134 Canterbury Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Martinez, Francine A.
18 Campechi St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/13
May, Richard J.
May, Koresa A.
a/k/a May-Provencher, Koresa A.
170 Harvard Ave.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 04/30/13
Mereshko, Irina
25 Simmons Brook Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Mitchell-Rogers, Penny J.
604 Loomis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/13
Onofrey, John E.
Onofrey, Tina M.
14 Michigan St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/13
Petelle, Christopher M.
Petelle, Amy L.
a/k/a Greene, Amy L.
8 Williamsburg Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Proal, Carol J.
P.O. Box 472
Hardwick, MA 01037
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/06/13
Rapa, Metzi John
Rapa, Mary M.
961 North St. Ext.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/13
Rogers, Anthony J.
604 Loomis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/13
Santos, Laurien M.
75 Stonyhill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/13
Saulnier, Tara E.
102 Veazie St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Sawyer, Sarah F.
a/k/a Deane, Sarah F.
1428 Massachusetts Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/10/13
Silva-Rivera, Javier
Silva, Maria Margarita
a/k/a Alejandro, Margarita
a/k/a Alejandro Candelario, Maria Margarita
41 Stonybrook Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/08/13
Sullivan, Adam M.
1079 Main St., #1
Dalton, MA 01226
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/13
Teutsch, Mark R.
P.O. Box 193
Deerfield, MA 01342
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/02/13
Therrien, Robert L.
13 Summer St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/15/13
Tolman, Catherine M.
a/k/a Bouthilette, Catherine M.
a/k/a Scribner, Catherine M.
107 Freedom St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/13/13
Topor, Joseph M.
176 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/03/13
Vega, Stephanie C.
217 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/14/13
Weeks, David C.
82 John St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/07/13
Whittaker, Craig Victor
61 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/01/13
Young, Teresa F.
a/k/a Atkins, Teresa F.
a/k/a Waryasz, Teresa F.
165 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 05/09/13
Zych, Steven A.
Zych, Laura A.
155 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 05/14/13
Cranwell Resort Blends History, Stunning Views, and Accessibility
Cranwell Resort, Spa & Golf Club offers stunning views of the Berkshires and an off-site alternative for corporate meetings.
“We’re high-end, not haughty,” she said, adding that this is a sentiment that covers the leisure market as well as the corporate market for meetings and retreats.
“‘Open to the public and year-round access’ is the overall message we put out there,” noted Probst, adding that the sign over the main entrance pretty much says it all: ‘public welcome.’
And the public heeds the sign.
Indeed, 70% of the spa services at the Spa at Cranwell, the largest such facility in the Northeast, are used by the local residents, meaning those who live in and around Lenox year-round or have second homes there. Meanwhile, Sloane’s Tavern, with its panoramic mountain views overlooking the golf course, seats 80 inside and 80 outside on the deck, and sees plenty of locals for weekly meals, including brunches and holidays.
This is not what some might expect when they visit a destination spa and resort traditionally defined by such adjectives as ‘elite’ and ‘high-end,’ but it is an operating philosophy that has served this institution well over the past 20 years, enabling it to bolster its reputation and ride out the economic downturns that can cripple such facilities.
Couple this accessibility with a down-to-earth operating style (something else one might not expect at such a prestigious address), and it’s easy to understand why Cranwell is ranked among the top 150 U.S. Resorts by Condé Nast Traveler, is a member of the Historic Hotels of America (HHA), and is a recipient of a host of other travel-industry accolades. And they also help explain, along with superb resort amenities and some different life-enriching options — Probst calls it “content of value” — why this destination overlooking the Berkshires is so unique.
Of course, the resort is perhaps best-known as a site for corporate meetings and retreats, and this side of the business has grown steadily over the years, thanks to word-of-mouth referrals, but also that brand of service that has earned high praise from guests, said Tim Paulus, director of sales, who shared some commentary.
After a managers meeting, Liberty Mutual Group responded with the following: “this year, our annual meeting was quite a success; just about every attendee had some comment about the excellent food, the uniqueness of their room, or the hospitality of your staff.”
Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts had similar comments: “facilities were excellent; staff at all levels was outstanding and extremely accommodating.”
For this issue’s focus on meetings and conventions, BusinessWest offers an up-close look at Cranwell, one that will explain how, in 20 short years, it has established itself as one of the premier destinations in the region.
History Lessons
Norma Probst and Tim Paulus, in the newly renovated ballroom, credit Cranwell’s open-door policy for its continued success.
To understand the current campus, one needs to know its history, which is replete with multiple ownership changes and several uses, from residence to boarding school to resort, with three attempts at the latter category, the last being successful.
Both the www.cranwell.com and www.historicinns.org websites explain that, in 1853, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher — a man who had presidential aspirations and was active in the women’s suffrage and anti-slavery movements — purchased Blossom Hill, where the current Cranwell mansion now stands, for $4,500.
A scandalous affair ended Beecher’s political hopes, and his sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the famous anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, inherited the home.
Gen. John Rathbone purchased the property from Beecher in 1869 and built Wyndhurst, which was enormous by any standard of the day. But in 1894, the next owner, John Sloane, a relative of the Vanderbilts and co-owner of a furniture firm, demolished that mansion and constructed another Wyndhurst, which rivaled the enormity and elegance of the first.
It was during this grand era, the Gilded Age (1880-1920), that Sloan also commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted, famous landscape designer of New York City’s Central Park (and also Forest Park in Springfield), to design Cranwell’s grounds and original gardens. The Wyndhurst, the namesake of one of the three restaurants at Cranwell, is the mansion one sees today.
In 1925, Sloane’s daughter, Evelyn, sold the estate to a group of Florida developers who tried to run the property as the Berkshire Hunt and Country Club, but the Depression ended this first real attempt at a resort destination.
Then, in 1930, Edward Cranwell purchased the property and later deeded the estate to the Society of Jesus of New England, to be turned into a private school for boys.
A young Ted Kennedy attended for a few semesters, said Probst, noting that, after prospering for many years, the school slipped into decline, closing its doors in 1975.
The property’s current owner, Burak Investments, purchased the then-bank-owned Cranwell in 1993 after it had been a condominium development and, according to Probst, was starting to be reborn as a resort, with renovations to the mansion. But this venture languished during the tepid economic times, and the company eventually went bankrupt.
Today, Cranwell Resort, Spa & Golf Club, with much of its original grandeur restored, thrives as a premier four-season resort, offering the world-class, 35,000-square-foot Spa at Cranwell, three restaurants (the award-winning Wyndhurst, the Music Room, and Sloane’s Tavern), an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Stiles and Van Cleek, and 114 deluxe rooms and suites situated in various buildings on the campus.
These structures offer stark contrasts, from the opulence of the Gilded Age evidenced in the mansion to the utilitarian, red-brick dorms built by the boarding school, now home to 38 completely refurbished guest rooms and the administrative offices. There are also 60 privately owned condominiums, two cottages, and the elegant Carriage House.
However, the Carriage House that now stands is the second on that footprint. In December 2010, an electrical fire took the original facility, built in the late 1890s, and a new structure opened roughly a year ago, just a few yards uphill from the original to take advantage of the view from the third floor. The original architectural drawings for the Carriage House were retrieved from the Boston Public Library.
“They recreated much of the same architectural features of the original, including the turrets,” said Probst proudly. That consideration to honor architectural detail is what makes Cranwell an exemplar of the HHA.
A member since 2000, Cranwell is in the elite company of 240 other historic hotels. A member has to be at least 50 years old and listed in, or eligible for, the National Register of Historic Places. Member hotels are promoted nationally and internationally to those who prefer historic settings for their leisure and business travel.
“This, too, is what Cranwell is all about,” said Probst.
Trend Setters
After guests take in the stunning, 360-degree show of green in summer, harvest colors in the fall, or the winter’s snow-covered mountains, Cranwell offers many outdoor activities, including hiking, tennis, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, bonfires, and, of course, golf. And with Cranwell’s open-door policy, the resort caters to several markets.
“We have different sectors within each department,” Probst explained, referring specifically to golf. “For instance, we have golfers with full-season memberships, guests with golf packages, local residents who book a random tee time — so we are catering to quite a diverse group of guests.”
While the spa is also a strong local draw, and Cranwell’s overall market is global, 80% of leisure, banquets, weddings, and corporate meetings are booked from clients from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.
“We do about 50 weddings a year,” said Probst. “which is a lot considering we have exclusivity; we don’t have two Saturday-night weddings going on at one time.”
About four years ago, Probst started promoting winter weddings, which has added to the hundreds of single- and multi-day meetings and conferences that Cranwell hosts.
But since the Great Repression, some trends have emerged, said Probst and Paulus, noting that, while companies are still willing to spend (perhaps not quite as much as before), there is a greater emphasis on value. Meanwhile, there is an accompanying demand for facilities and operations that are ‘green,’ and Cranwell is responding accordingly in both cases.
“From a meeting standpoint, I’ve seen more meeting planners wanting more content in their events that are away from the business part of the agenda, and then they can rationalize why they need to have an off-site meeting,” explained Probst, adding that she’s noticed that meeting planners’ jobs have become more difficult.
“They’re under a lot of pressure to deliver a full and robust meeting,” she said, “and they’re under budget constraints much more now than ever before.”
Some of the content that brings value includes Scotch and wine tastings, chef-assisted culinary demonstrations, Afro-Caribbean drumming (a personal addition by Probst), and other unique, interactive group activities.
“We’re trying to engage our guests more and help them come up with something that is more life-enriching that they can take with them,” she noted.
Meanwhile, in the ‘green’ realm, Paulus told BusinessWest that more attention is being paid to sustainability, on the part of both individual guests and corporate meeting planners.
“It’s a huge decision factor when it comes to choosing certain hotels and resorts,” he noted. “In fact, in my office, the last five or six trade journals [of the meeting and convention industry] have ‘green’ on the cover.
“So we’re undertaking more strides to be green here,” he continued. “We’re putting ourselves through some certification processes, which have to do with how we recycle things, how we buy locally, and how we maintain the golf course, reuse rainwater, and deal with electric usage.”
Paulus pointed to the Cranwell meeting rooms and their conference worktables as one example; there are no more tablecloths or skirting because it’s an excessive use of a product that will have to be washed and dried using electricity.
A very welcome trend both Probst and Paulus are starting to see is corporations opening their purse strings a bit more over the past few years.
Like all hospitality-related businesses, resorts suffered through the Great Recession as businesses cut back on discretionary spending, said Probst, adding that the resort sector was also set back by the negative publicity that accompanied lavish corporate outings staged by companies, such as American International Group (AIG), that eventually had to be bailed out by the federal government.
“We actually changed our promotional focus to ‘resort meetings at inn prices,’” she went on. “We wanted people to know that our meeting prices really weren’t any different than a cookie-cutter hotel down the street.”
Welcome Mat
Guests don’t find anything typical about Cranwell — no slightly stuffy attitude, no restrictive warnings or ordinary accommodations in the 114 rooms and suites spread between the mansion and the other buildings.
The mansion, for example, built in the late 1800s, has “a different configuration than a typical hotel downtown that is all stacked and every room is the same; it doesn’t quite lay out that way.”
And that unusual layout is what makes an historic Gilded Age Mansion so unique; the room shapes and the architectural detail, along with the 17 different fireplaces and elegant furniture, all add up to a memorable experience.
And that goes for all guests at the Cranwell, from corporate CEOs to those for whom the ‘public welcome’ sign was erected.
Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]
Wistariahurst Exhibition
June-August: Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke has unveiled its Summer Gallery Exhibition, “Behind the Scenery: Sketches to Cityscapes.” Local artist Caleb Colon gives an intimate look at the artist’s process of selection, direction, and creation, featuring displays of the works as paintings begin, progress, and finally reach completion. Works shown in the exhibition are inspired by local scenes and sites along the Connecticut River. Studies, sketches, and photos are also on view, showing another layer of the process. Works are on view through August. Gallery admission is $3.
Golf Tournament
June 18: The Agawam Small Business Assistance Center will hold its annual 9-Hole Golf Tournament at the Agawam Country Club, 128 Southwick Street, Feeding Hills, with a noon shotgun start. The cost is $200 for a foursome or $50 per player, including dinner and prizes. The cost for dinner only is $25. Download the flyer and registration form at www.asbac.net.
40 Under Forty
June 20: BusinessWest will present its seventh class of regional rising stars at the annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners, who were profiled at length in the April 22 issue. Look for event details in upcoming issues of BusinessWest, or call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 for more information.
Yidstock 2013
July 18-21: Yidstock 2013: The Festival of New Yiddish Music will bring the top names in klezmer to the stage at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. The Klezmer Conservatory Band will kick off Yidstock on July 18, and the festival will continue with Klezperanto and Margot Leverett & the Klezmer Mountain Boys; Brass Khazones: Steven Bernstein and Frank London; the Wholesale Klezmer Band; Golem; and the Yidstock All-Stars. The weekend will conclude with a massive jam, featuring a Yidstock All-Stars band with players from the weekend’s bands, under the musical directorship of Frank London. Among those all-stars are two of the greatest clarinetists in klezmer, Ilene Stahl of Klezperanto and Margot Leverett of the Klezmer Mountain Boys. A series of workshops and talks is also on the schedule, including a Yiddish folk-dance workshop led by internationally renowned Steve Weintraub; a lecture by Hankus Netsky, a founder of the Klezmer Conservatory Band; an instrumental klezmer workshop; and a talk by author and music critic Seth Rogovoy. Back by popular demand, Yosi’s Kosher Falafel Tent will once again be serving an assortment of great food. For more information and to purchase tickets and festival passes (a limited number of passes are available and sell out quickly), visit yiddishbookcenter.org/yidstock or call (413) 256-4900.
Western Mass. Business Expo 2013
Nov. 6: Planning is underway for the Western Mass. Business Expo 2013, a day-long business-to-business event to take place at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. This fall’s show, the third edition of the Expo, which is again being produced by BusinessWest, will feature more than 100 exhibitors, seminars on timely issues of the day, special Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the wrap-up Expo social, which has become a not-to-be-missed networking event. Details of the specific programming will be printed in upcoming editions of BusinessWest and can also be seen online at www.wmbexpo.com or www.businesswest.com. For more information on the event or to reserve booth space, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.
How to Manage the Minefield of Electronically Stored Information
Amy Royal
We live and work in a digital age. More than 89 billion corporate e-mails are sent and received each year, and more than 300,000 pages of text can be stored on one computer alone.
Electronically stored information (ESI) comes in a multitude of different file types and formats, including, but not limited to, e-files or electronic documents that exist on a user’s hard drive, a network drive, or a document management system; word-processing documents, such as Word or RTF; PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets; graphic files, such as PDFs, TIFs, or JPEGs; web pages or web-based data; video or sound files; server or web based e-mail; and Outlook/Exchange. ESI may be stored duplicatively as well; for example, an e-mail may be stored in Outlook and on that same user’s BlackBerry or iPhone.
The volume of ESI continues to grow and multiply rapidly just in the course of ordinary business operations. Because of the sheer and ever-expanding volume of ESI, storing and managing it can be extremely overwhelming, costly, and burdensome for businesses. Yet, not properly storing and maintaining certain ESI may present legal liabilities.
To ensure that necessary ESI is being maintained and that unnecessary ESI is being purged, companies should implement a comprehensive document retention-and-destruction policy that specifically addresses ESI. Presently, many companies may not even have a formalized written plan that describes how and where their paper documents will be stored and when they will be destroyed, let alone addresses the storage and destruction of ESI. In fact, since having such a policy is not mandatory, for many companies, less-formalized standards, which have not been memorialized in writing, have evolved over time as a matter of practice.
Establishing a written comprehensive document retention-and-destruction policy is a best practice for two primary reasons: legal compliance and legal defense. In our digital age, because many documents are electronically stored, establishing such a policy that also specifically addresses the storage, retention, and destruction of ESI is crucial. Indeed, ESI presents unique challenges because of its volume and the difficulty in accessing and retrieving it.
From a legal-compliance standpoint, there are myriad laws that mandate the types of documents that must be retained, the ways in which they must be stored, and the length of time they must be kept. For example, wage-and-hour laws require businesses to maintain certain payroll records containing information such as the employee’s name, address, Social Security number, and job title and the hours worked and amount paid to that employee for each pay period. In an increasingly digital workplace, this type of payroll information may only be stored electronically.
Accessing and retrieving that information, and otherwise ensuring its preservation, is critical to demonstrate compliance should a company face a federal or state governmental audit. Furthermore, privacy laws require that businesses reasonably and adequately safeguard confidential or private information whether it is stored in paper or electronic form. Thus, a formalized written policy should account for these as well as a variety of other issues and detail the ways in which the company intends to comply.
From a litigation-defense standpoint, companies have a legal obligation to preserve all relevant documents if litigation arises or if litigation is threatened. In other words, once a lawsuit is filed or anticipated, companies cannot lose or inadvertently destroy documents that are germane to litigation. Therefore, not having a document retention and destruction policy that specifically addresses ESI when faced with litigation or the possibility of litigation can have devastating consequences.
For example, if a former employee’s attorney requests relevant ESI that cannot be accessed or retrieved, or was otherwise deleted, a court may determine that there was a failure to preserve such relevant information and impose severe penalties and sanctions against the company.
To minimize the risk of inadvertent deletion of ESI, a company’s document retention-and-destruction policy should contain two essential provisions: a litigation-hold provision and a departing-employee provision. A litigation-hold procedure ensures that the requisite steps are taken to preserve relevant documents. A carefully crafted litigation-hold section will identify the triggers for a hold on documents, the steps to be taken once a hold has been initiated, the types of records and data that must be preserved, and the forms in which such records and data must be preserved, the consequences for failure to preserve such data, and the name of the person at the company who can be contacted with questions or for technical assistance.
Procedures regarding the length of the retention of a departing employee’s ESI should also be included in a document retention-and-destruction policy, even when litigation is not anticipated. Too often, an unexpected lawsuit ensues, and it is discovered too late that a former employee had created ESI pertinent to the company’s defense. Indeed, oftentimes, within days after the employee’s departure, IT has reset the former employee’s computer so that another employee can use it. Thus, creating a policy that includes a set time period for the deletion of a departing employee’s ESI when litigation is not anticipated is very important.
Having a set time period can otherwise be beneficial, especially for those companies that tend to retain anything and everything. Consider, for example, a snarky e-mail that has been kept too long and now surfaces in litigation that otherwise was not expected or anticipated. If the company had a document retention-and-destruction policy that included a specific time period for deletion, such an e-mail would have been long since gone.
A carefully crafted document retention-and-destruction policy can otherwise be advantageous to companies insofar as it helps to reduce costs, eliminates the retention of redundant or unnecessary documents, maximizes computer-server storage space; and provides organized and streamlined systems for maintaining and managing documents.
Keeping paper documents organized and maintained is relatively easy; however, as noted throughout, the same is not true for ESI. Preserving ESI is very complicated and requires extraordinary coordination between upper management, human resources, legal counsel, and IT.
To minimize your company’s legal risks, you should act now by creating a formalized document retention-and-destruction policy that incorporates standards for safeguarding and disposing of ESI.
At implementation, you should train your staff to ensure they understand the policy and their relation to it. After implementation, you should periodically audit your company’s overall compliance with the policy.
Amy B. Royal, Esq. specializes exclusively in management-side labor and employment law at Royal LLP, a woman-owned, SOMWBA-certified, boutique, management-side labor and employment law firm; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]
Holyoke Medical Center Innovates with Shared Patient Information
Carl Cameron says the future of healthcare IT is the instant sharing of information among different providers, and HMC is busy developing that connectivity.
As director of Information Technology at Holyoke Medical Center, he understands better than most the trends and government mandates that have begun to collide like tectonic plates in his industry — forever altering the medical landscape.
Fortunately, he said, HMC has been well ahead of the game.
Take, for example, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and its data-analysis arm, HIMSS Analytics, which tracks the progress of healthcare organizations toward meeting federal mandates for electronic health records (EMR).
“They are the organizational IT group for healthcare,” Cameron explained, “and six or seven years ago, they determined how hospitals are rated with implementation of EMR and how that ties into patient safety and improved outcomes. They start with stage 0 — basically very little automation at all — and go up to stage 7, a complete electronic record throughout the hospital.
“We were recently validated as a stage-6 hospital,” he continued, adding that there are only 15 such institutions in Massachusetts, and only 11% of all U.S. hospitals rate at stage 6 or higher, “so just being in that category kind of puts us ahead of where most hospital systems are.”
That effort has encompassed several fronts, from HMC’s adoption of computerized physician order entry in 2009 — three years before the state required it — to a switch from paper chart entry to doctors using computer tablets when interacting with patients.
Perhaps most ambitious, though, has been the hospital’s partnership with EMR vendor eClinicalWorks and its progress in connecting patient records with community physicians outside the hospital.
“One of the projects that we’re in the process of implementing — one that puts us a little bit ahead of others — is our health-information exchange,” Cameron said, explaining that 40 community doctors were initially recruited into the system.
“We’re also working with Holyoke Health Center [HHC] to bring an additional 30 providers on board connecting to the health-information exchange,” he added, noting that additional plans are in the works to connect 30 providers from River Valley Counseling, where behavioral-health patients are referred from HHC.
“This kind of closes the gap in terms of episodic care,” Cameron said, noting that, traditionally, “if a patient visits a physician or the ED, they document it, and the information stops there; it’s not shared across the continuum to other caregivers involved in that patient’s care.”
By creating a health-information exchange, he explained, the hospital reduces the chance of diagnosis or treatment error by making information about a patient’s last primary-care visit, current medications, recent procedures and test results, and the like immediately available to whomever happens to be treating them.
“So, if I walk into the emergency room today and I was at my primary-care office three weeks ago,” he said, “the ED physicians can see what I was there for, what medications my primary-care doctor prescribed, any new medications, if I have any allergies, those types of things.”
Drawing Interest
Cameron was quick to note that patients are not required to participate in the exchange, but the vast majority do. “We have a whole patient-consent process where patients must opt in, but the opt-in rate is around 93%.”
And the exchange could grow to include more than just written records, he added.
“One thing that’s going to set us apart over the next six to 12 months is the ability to add imaging results through the exchange — not just being able to see the patient information, but diagnostic images that have been taken.”
The exchange will also eventually help the hospital with public-health tracking and reporting, Cameron said. “Because the health exchange is going to become the repository of information, it will enable us to do population health reporting. For example, how many diabetics are there in the community, and are they following up with their patient care? It really allows us to manage chronic diseases better.”
A robust health-information exchange makes sense especially against the backdrop of the nascent accountable-care model of healthcare delivery, by which several providers in the community take joint responsibility for a patient’s long-term care.
“We see the health exchange as a foundation — that’s what we’re doing, setting the foundation for these other initiatives,” he told BusinessWest. “Very quickly we anticipate being up over 100 physicians in the health exchange, and we only went up with this in November, so we’ve made some good traction.”
The end goal, Cameron said, is to share information among various healthcare institutions. “I see that happening in multiple ways. I see us forming partnerships with other hospitals to create connectivity or expand the highway, so to speak, and I see the state as an important partner as well, to create that connectivity beyond the local borders in Western Mass.,” he explained, citing the example of a patient in Springfield with a cancer diagnosis who seeks a second opinion or specialized treatment in Boston.
“I think we’re a ways off from that, but we’ve taken the first steps with the state,” he said, noting that he is also working with a colleague in Illinois on testing the functionality of health-information exchanges across state lines, and researching how state and federal laws would govern such an effort.
Easy Access
Patients will soon benefit from EMR in other ways, too. For example, Holyoke Medical Center will roll out its ‘patient portal’ by the end of August, allowing patients to access their hospital records online.
“That’s new, and that’s coming,” Cameron said. “We’ve actually rolled that out internally to employees as a way to get feedback. We’re helping our vendor to develop it and make changes to the product.”
He recognizes that this brave new world of shared and accessible information is a shock to the system for many — not just patients, but providers, too.
“Physicians are all overwhelmed with this push to electronic health records, so we’re working very hard to create partnerships with physicians, to create ease of use and efficiency. We’re trying to help them transition from the old way of practicing to what the new way is going to be.”
He conceded that many physicians are anxious and feel like EMR is being forced on them. “But it is going to help improve healthcare. It is going to make the system more efficient — but it’s going to take some time.
“The way I try to articulate it is, banking and manufacturing have all had IT systems for 30, 40 years,” Cameron told BusinessWest. “On the clinical side, we’re in healthcare IT 1.0. We’re very early in the process. There are going to be bumps in the road, but we have to work together to fix them as we move forward.”
At the end of the day, he said, “I don’t lose sight of the fact that, yes, we’re doing a lot with technology, but it’s all about patient care, patient safety, and improving outcomes.”
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
Concrete Goals Are Critical to Designing a Successful Website
Jason Mark of Gravity Switch says search engine optimization is important, but there are markets where it is impossible to rank high on a search list.
“Even though there is so much different technology that developers can use today, the exact same process still needs to take place,” said the co-founder of Gravity Switch in Northampton. “People need to know what their goals are, and businesses should not assume that technology will fix all their problems. If it were that easy, their competitors would have already done it.”
Experts agree that, in order to create a successful website, the developer needs to know exactly what a business wants to accomplish because, without that information, it becomes impossible to calculate whether the return on investment will justify the cost.
Dan Green, president of the Green Internet Group in Springfield, says the first step involves a diagnosis of the problem a company is trying to solve. “Otherwise, it’s like a doctor giving the same medicine to every patient.”
Many businesses have not kept up with cutting-edge technology, but there is often no real need to do so. “One of my colleagues did a recent study that showed 48% of restaurants don’t have a website,” Green said, adding that it’s possible to have strong Internet presence without one due to social media and other networking tools.
“But the way people search for a business is a critical aspect of all web marketing; you need to know your customer’s intent and what problem they are trying to solve when they type something in to the search bar,” he said, noting, for example, that if someone wants a plumber, what they require differs greatly from someone looking to purchase an automated time clock for their business, which typically involves research.
Dan Green says well written material is critical to the success of any website.
“We prepare websites to be intuitive, so they automatically adjust to the size of the device the person is using,” Ellis explained. “The quality and success of a website is based on how it appears to their target audience.”
Lawrence Shea agrees. “There is more and more mobile web traffic every year, and if someone goes on your website and it is not optimized, people may not think you are competitive,” said the owner of Web Wizard in Springfield.
Mark said 10% to 75% of the visitors at many websites are using mobile devices. “If you don’t know how people are accessing your site, you need to find out,” he told BusinessWest, adding that content needs to flow in a way that doesn’t require people to pinch the screen or zoom in frequently.
Ellis concurs, and says social media has shortened people’s attention spans and changed expectations. “People want instant gratification, and if it takes them 10 to 15 seconds to find a phone number or restaurant menu, they may leave the site,” he said.
Google predicts that, by the end of this year, 51% of all Internet traffic will come from mobile devices. However, experts say this does not mean that every business should have a responsive website.
But their site should correspond to their specific goals, and designers say outdated websites often fail to attract new customers because they were not built with a specific purpose in mind.
“In this day and age, just having a website is not enough. The business owner needs to know what they want to communicate, who their customer is, and how they want to present that information,” Ellis said.
In the past, people were willing to hit tabs on a menu to get information. But today, the home page needs to be a mini-version of the entire website. “You need to give the visitor enough information to make a decision without having to navigate to a secondary page,” he continued.
And although social media can play a real role in success and is changing the way businesses interact with their customers, it also doesn’t mean every company needs to be on Twitter or have a Facebook page. “There are hundreds of platforms that should be considered,” Ellis said, adding that experts are knowledgeable about what will work best.
Climate Change
When someone types in words on a search bar, they are apt to call up the first websites listed by the search engine. But getting a top spot is not easy, and Ellis says many variables are involved in search-engine optimization, or SEO. They begin with how a website has been built, since search engines dramatically change the way they operate every three to six months. For example, Google started requiring a certain number of words on a page, and if a site contains only contact information, it may be deemed less important than others.
Still, having pertinent information on a home page is not enough. “It has to be placed strategically, which depends on what customers are seeking from a business,” Ellis said.
In addition, frequent updates are necessary. “We suggest doing an update monthly,” Ellis said, adding that “the shelf life of the average website is two to three years. A website may look good and work and function well, but not comply with current search-engine criteria.”
Shea agrees and advises companies to choose nine keywords their competitors are not using. And although a small business may not be able to compete on the wb with large companies, it can beat competitors by focusing on the local market, he said.
Green calls matching content to customer intent “context mapping,” and says the return on investment for businesses seeking leads that result in a purchase can take more than a year if their product costs thousands of dollars, which makes it critical to recognize the phases involved in decision making, which are very different for a coffeemaker and an automobile. “People really need to think about how complex the sale is, how competitive the marketing is in their industry, who they are selling to, and what they are selling,” he said. “These things must all be considered before you can design a website that is effective. It’s easy to create one that is pretty, but what people are seeking is a desirable outcome.”
So, although design, function, and content are important, small businesses may need to employ a different marketing strategy when competing for customers via the Web.
Ellis has a client who specializes in foreign car repair, and his strategy is to identify specific work he does, such as repairing BMW exhaust systems. “It’s absolutely critical to have a strategically designed website to be competitive. But there is no road map to success. There is just knowledge, best practices, and things to avoid. It is a journey that needs to be developed between a customer and a web designer based on overall goals and strategies,” he said.
Once a website is operational, it’s important to access the data connected to it. But although Green and other experts say statistics are important and many businesses have that information, they often don’t know how to analyze it or what to do with it. “Businesses need someone who can take the data and make recommendations in line with their goals,” he said, adding that companies are often using several marketing tools, so it becomes tricky to determine which one is getting the best results.
But once that has been identified, it can be translated into their website. “Once you have defined your goal or how you want your brand to appear online, you need to execute a plan,” Ellis said.
Mark agrees, and says analytic software is useful in determining how often people visit a page, then leave it. If it’s a high percentage, it means action is warranted. “But it really comes down to math and where to invest for profit. There are definitely cases in which to invest in the Internet, but you need a smart plan, and there are markets you can’t make inroads into by using the Internet,” he said.
In many cases, it is better to refine an existing website and drive more traffic there rather than investing in a new one, Mark added. For example, if a business generating less than $2 million annually is competing against an industry giant, there is an instant return on investment if they update a website that made them look like a mom-and-pop operation. The Internet can also be effective in generating leads, if used properly.
“We can consistently get people leads at almost half the cost of other methods, and those leads are better-qualified,” Mark said. “But it’s all about math, and people should not have their website redesigned until they understand how it will add value. It should never be done just because it is out of date.”
Effective Measures
Many business owners are concerned about the program a developer is going to use for their website. Mark said more than 75% of the top 1 million websites in the world run on WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla. “All three are very powerful, stable, and well-supported. In my mind, there is no reason to use anything but those three.”
Shea added that fads, such as using ribbons on a site, tend to have short lifespans, so it’s important to stick to things proven to improve the user experience. His specialty is e-commerce, and he says people using mobile devices often access a website because they want to make a purchase, so listing prices is useful.
“People will pay for branding and convenience, especially if they can do one-click buying,” he said.
However, security is critical for businesses engaging in e-commerce. “The last thing a company needs is to have their site hacked,” Shea said.
Social media can also play a key role in marketing. But some strategies are more effective than others, so knowledge is key. For example, the number-one reason people don’t open an e-mail is because they don’t recognize the sender, Ellis said.
Shea says a plug-in tool, such as the free Mail Chimp (for people who send fewer than 2,000 e-mails per month) may be needed to maintain a professional appearance and keep responses organized. However, rules must be adhered to even in this realm, because more than six e-mails sent to the same user each month can be dubbed as spam.
Green said blogging is another effective tool that is often left out of the mix. However, posts must be made frequently and must contain fresh content.
“It takes time, but if you put in the effort, it will pay off,” Shea added.
But, again, strategy depends on goals. “What’s right for your flower shop might not be right for the shop across the street from a college,” Green said.
Business owners may also not be aware of praise or criticism regarding their company on Facebook or other sites. “Most people have comments about their business on the Internet they don’t know about,” Green noted.
Ellis agreed. “It’s important to know both the positive and negative and filter them through your goal,” he said.
Green told BusinessWest that knowing whether or not to react to a post is important. “If someone says something bad about a business and has a small Internet presence, it may go away. But if you jump on it, it may escalate,” he said, adding that, if a business is not well-run, social media will amplify the negatives.
He advises business owners to study negative comments because the feedback can be valuable. They also need to know the statistics before launching a social-media marketing plan. “It’s very complicated to figure out the return on investment with social media. You can do well if your audience uses it, but you have to be honest, interesting, and run a reasonably good business.”
Still, only 5% of online business leads result from this medium, so focusing on other issues, such as the strength of one’s sales force and the search engine a website uses, may prove more fruitful.
However, good writing is something that makes a real difference, especially since a business has only three to five seconds to capture someone’s interest. “The most highly viewed content is the headline,” Green said. “But if you don’t have a starting point and a key-performance indicator that you plan to measure, it’s difficult to define success or know what to do in terms of improvement.”
Shea concurs. “Content is key, but presentation is also important,” he said. “It’s the first impression people have of your business.”
Bottom Line
Although some business owners feel pressured to update their website and use social media, Green said, it may not be relevant to their goals. “You need to measure what you are doing to determine if you are making progress.”
Mark agrees. “Think forward three years,” he advised. “Don’t get caught up in what’s new. You may need to talk to experts to determine the best path, but everything you do should be driven by your goals.”
The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.
BRIMFIELD
Friends of the Brimfield Windmill Inc., 59 East Hill Road, Brimfield, MA 01010. Lee Santella, 19 Devils Hill Lane, Brimfield, MA 01010. Non-profit organization developed to preserve the historic and architectural character of the community through the reconstruction, restoration and preservation of a 19th-century windmill structure.
CHICOPEE
Fine Designs Inc., 1044 Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Irina Podolyanchuk, same. Imprinting sportswear.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Chicopee Convenience Inc., 46 Center Square, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Meroof Ahmad, same. Convenience store.
GREAT BARRINGTON
Cawing Crow Inc., 9 St., Great Barrington MA. 01230. Anthony Chojnowski, 17 Colt Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Clothing, footwear and related accessories retail store
GREENFIELD
Chic Therapy & Skincare Mobile Spa Inc., 14 Carol Lane, Greenfield, MA 01301. Michelle Allenby, same. Mobile spa.
Friends of Greenfield Dance Inc., 401 Chapman St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Val Labelle, 106 Allison Lane, Vernon, CT 05354. Non-profit organization offers educational programs designed to promote and support the development of cultural programs of music and dance.
HOLYOKE
D Hotel & Suites Inc., 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke, MA 01040. Peter Rosskothen, same. Hotel.
Fly Kicks Inc., 354 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Donghyun Yoo, same. Retail shoe store.
INDIAN ORCHARD
DLK Co., 565 Main St., Indian Orchard, MA 01151. Dilek Oncu, same. Pizza shop.
PITTSFIELD
Get Away Clean Inc., 154 Stoddard Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Christopher Kittle, same. Residential and commercial cleaning and maintenance.
SOUTH HADLEY
DJ Mix Inc., 52 Boynton Ave., South Hadley, MA 01075. Jane Janovsky, same. General food and restaurant business.
SPRINGFIELD
Emmanuel Market Corp., 344 Orange St., Springfield, MA 01108. Eddy Filpo Batista, same. Grocery store.
Gax Insurance Education Foundation Inc., 1500 Main St., Suite 2316, Springfield, MA 01115-5727. Richard St. Jean, 62 Barton’s Way, Concord, MA 01742.
WARE
Gauthier Home Services Inc., 31 High Street, Ware, MA 01082. Lee Gauthier, same. Property preservation for banks and other entities.
Tighe & Bond Publishes 2012 Water, Sewer Rates
WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond recently published the results of its 2012 water and sewer rate surveys for communities in Massachusetts. The results from these latest surveys indicate that residential users in Massachusetts pay approximately $498 and $646 annually for water and sewer, respectively. This represents increases of 6% and 8.2% above the 2010 averages. For more than a decade, Tighe & Bond has gathered and reported data on water and sewer rates service in Massachusetts. Using rate information that survey participants provide, we have calculated the annual average homeowner’s cost for water and sewer service based on the consumption of 90,000 gallons or 120 hundred cubic feet of water. The survey, which includes typical annual homeowner water costs for each community in Massachusetts, also provides information regarding rate structures and billing cycles. Tighe & Bond’s water and sewer rate surveys offer municipalities and private suppliers a benchmarking tool for comparing their rates against other suppliers in the state. This can be particularly useful information when suppliers are considering adjustments to their current rates or rate structures. The survey results are available to the public online at rates.tighebond.com. Founded in 1911, Tighe & Bond provides engineering and environmental services for clients in the government, industry, healthcare, education, real-estate, energy, and water/wastewater markets.
Massachusetts Economy Expected to Keep Growing
BOSTON — The Massachusetts economy is expected to grow slowly before accelerating in early 2014, benefiting from a boost in manufacturing, according to an economic forecast issued by a group of regional economists. According to the Boston Globe, although Massachusetts is in the midst of a slowdown in hiring, the five-year forecast by the New England Economic Partnership shows the state’s economy adding jobs at a significant pace beginning next year. Employers are expected to add about 30,000 jobs this year, and more than double that number in 2015. The state’s unemployment rate, 6.4% in April, is expected to decline to 5.2% by the end of 2017, the report said. Consumer confidence is getting a boost from improvements in the job market, stock market, and housing market. On the latter front, Massachusetts home prices were up by 5.3% in February from a year earlier, while residential building permits increased 24%. The forecast predicted continued improvement in housing and more jobs in construction. Manufacturing, which has experienced large job losses in recent decades, is expected to expand over the next few years because of global demand for advanced products made regionally, including medical devices, specialized materials, and semiconductors. Meanwhile, the report by the New England Economic Partnership raised questions about whether there will be enough skilled workers in the state to meet employers’ demands as Baby Boomers retire and leave the workforce. As many as 100,000 job vacancies in the manufacturing sector across New England will be created by retirements, the report said, but there may not be enough student interest in vocational education to fill those jobs or enough capacity in the educational system to train so many workers.
Unemployment Persists in Springfield, Regionwide
SPRINGFIELD — The city’s unemployment rate was 10.7% in April, the same as it was in March but higher than the 9.8% unemployment rate recorded a year ago. As a region, Greater Springfield had an unemployment rate of 7.5% in April, down from 8% in March, but again higher than the 7.2% rate recorded in April 2012, according to statistics from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to state employment numbers figured by using a survey of businesses, Greater Springfield added 5,200 jobs in from March to April. But the region is still down 2,200 jobs, or about 0.8%, on the year. Statewide, jobs are up 48,100 on the year for a 1.5% increase. The state added 45,200 jobs in April, an increase of about 1.4%. Statewide unemployment was 6.3 percent, unadjusted for seasonal changes in the state economy. Adjusted for seasonal changes, Massachusetts’ total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4%, lower than the national average of 7.5%. However, when people who have stopped looking for work and those working part-time who would rather be working full-time are added to the calculation, Massachusetts’ unemployment rate rises to an average of 12.8% over the last six months, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Country Bank Donation Upgrades Radiography at Baystate Mary Lane
WARE — Country Bank recently pledged $100,000 to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital (BMLH) to help upgrade the general radiography unit located in the radiology department. The current unit is being replaced with a Phillips Easy Diagnost Elva, which provides vastly superior images, stores them electronically, and allows for easy electronic file sharing. The new technology will also reduce the use of actual film and related disposal costs. “This technology is designed to increase staff interaction with the patient at the point of care and make it easier for the patient during their procedure,” said BMLH President Chuck Gijanto. “It will also ensure easy access of the critical diagnostic images for any consulting provider, at BMLH or elsewhere. In addition to the purchase of the Phillips Easy Diagnost Evela, the current Radiology Department is undergoing other renovations, said Gijanto, adding that they are expected to be completed next month.
Noble Earns ‘A’ Rating in Hospital Safety Score from Leapfrog Group
WESTFIELD — Noble Hospital was recognized with an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The score was compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety (April 2013), the Hospital Safety Score is designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families. “Noble Hospital is very proud of our patient-safety record. It reflects a commitment to care that is shared by everyone,” said Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president of Marketing. “This represents our dedication to the community and to providing the best patient care possible.”
PET/CT Imaging Services to Begin at Berkshire Medical Center
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Health Systems has announced that it is partnering with Baystate MRI and Imaging and Shields Health Care Group in launching PET/CT (positron-emission tomography/computed tomography) imaging services at Berkshire Medical Center. This sophisticated, state-of-the-art imaging service will be provided as part of the new BMC Cancer Program. PET/CT Imaging at BMC combines a PET scanner and a CT scanner into one system. The mobile unit will be at BMC once a week, on Fridays, and will initially be located at the main hospital. It will move to the Hillcrest Campus of BMC in 2014 after additional construction work is completed at that location. The PET/CT service at BMC began operations on May 3. PET/CT had been provided for the past several years at Berkshire Hematology/Oncology at its offices on Conte Drive with a mobile unit, which is being replaced by this service at BMC. PET/CT is one of the most advanced medical imaging techniques available today. It combines PET’s ability to detect increases in cell activity with the fine structural detail that CT scans provide. This revolutionary technology enables physicians to detect the presence of disease earlier and pinpoint its location with much greater accuracy than PET or CT scans alone. The PET/CT information will also feed into the treatment planning technology for radiation oncology to aid in the identification of appropriate field sizes. PET/CT scans are used primarily for the diagnosis and staging of cancer. The technology can also be used for differentiating Alzheimer’s disease from other forms of dementia.
Berkshire Bank recently recognized Tara Kimberley, Assistant Branch Manager in Sheffield, and Teddi Averin, a Teller in Westfield, for outstanding community service and awarded them Berkshire Bank’s Volunteer of the Year Awards. The annual awards celebrate employees who have made outstanding contributions to their communities.
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The members and board of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. (MMWEC), the nonprofit joint action agency for public power in Massachusetts, elected directors and officers of the organization on May 9:
• Paul Robbins, a gubernatorial appointee to the MMWEC Board of Directors, was re-elected by the board to a one-year term as Chairman; and
• Peter Dion, General Manager of the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, was re-elected to his fifth one-year term as President.
Representatives of MMWEC’s 21-member municipal utilities also re-elected three directors to three-year terms on the board, including Mansfield Municipal Electric Department Director Gary Babin; Chicopee Electric Light Manager Jeffrey Cady; and Sterling Municipal Light Department General Manager Sean Hamilton.
Additional elected MMWEC officers include:
• Ronald DeCurzio, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary;
• Stephen Smith, Assistant Treasurer;
• Alan Menard, Assistant Treasurer;
• Nancy Brown, Assistant Secretary; and
• Nicholas Scobbo Jr., General Counsel.
Other MMWEC directors, elected previously by the membership, are:
• James Lavelle, Holyoke Gas & Electric Department Manager;
• Kevin Kelly, Groton Electric Light Department Manager;
• Philip Sweeney, Marblehead Municipal Light Department Commissioner;
• Jonathan Fitch, West Boylston Municipal Light Plant Manager;
• Michael Flynn of Wilbraham, a gubernatorial appointee to the MMWEC
board who represents the town of Wilbraham;
• Luis Vitorino, who represents the town of Ludlow; and
• Cornelius Flynn, appointed to represent the town of Hampden on the board.
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Amherst-based Oasis Law recently announced that Attorney Seunghee Cha has joined the Board of Directors of United Arc. United Arc works with individuals and families and provides advocacy and support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in and around Hampshire and Franklin counties.
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Park Square Realty recently announced the addition of Donna Duval-Bruskiewicz as a Sales Associate in the firm’s Feeding Hills office in Agawam. With more than 18 years of realty experience, Duval-Bruskiewicz specializes in resident listings, and previously owned and operated her own brokerage, the Duval Realty Group. As a licensed Mass. real-estate broker, she holds a certified buyer representative designation and closed more than $2 million in real estate sales in 2012.
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TommyCar Auto Group announced the recent addition of Rob Madrid as its Director of Marketing and Internet. Madrid will oversee all aspects of marketing for TommyCar Auto Group’s four dealerships: Country Nissan in Hadley, Country Hyundai in Greenfield, Northampton Volkswagen in Northampton, and Patriot Buick GMC in Charlton. Madrid most recently served as the Director of Sales and Service for Weed Man Lawn Care in West Springfield and as District Sales Manager for General Motors OnStar. He holds an MBA from Western New England University and a BS from Springfield College.
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UMass Five College Federal Credit Union recently announced the selection of Sean Capaloff-Jones by the Massachusetts Credit Union League as one of the industry’s Rising Stars of 2013, joining 12 other credit-union professionals from around the state. Capaloff-Jones has been with the credit union for three years, the past two as Manager of Member Outreach, and is responsible for all financial-literacy programs. He recently developed and presented three successful personal-finance workshops geared toward college students.
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Noble Hospital announced that Janette Lough-Guilmette, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Brian R. Johnson Outstanding Business Award by the Business Education Alliance. She earned this recognition for her many years mentoring Southwick High School seniors who are placed at Noble Hospital’s Sports and Rehabilitation Center by the Business Education Alliance. Lough-Guilmette also garnered special recognition from the state Senate and House of Representatives, both of whom voted to approve special citations acknowledging her award and her years fostering the future of healthcare.
ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555
• June 5: ACCGS June Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union at Springfield College, 263 Alden St., Springfield. Guest speaker will be Kirk Smith, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, speaking on “A New Way of Doing the Business of a Nonprofit: The Importance of Being VIVID!” Salute to Richard Flynn for his service as president of Springfield College as he leaves the college after 14 years to enjoy retirement. Also to be saluted will be O&G Industries, celebrating 90 years in business. Chief Greeter: John Doleva, president and CEO of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Season Pass Sponsor: Freedom Credit Union; Season Sign Sponsor: FastSigns; Speaker Sponsor: Jewish Geriatric Services; Coffee Bar Sponsor: Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.; Table Sponsor: La Quinta Inn and Suites. Cost is $20 for members, $30 general admission. Tickets are available at www.myonlinechamber.com or by e-mailing Cecile Larose at [email protected].
• June 7: “Small Business and the Affordable Care Act — What’s Coming?” noon-1:30 p.m., at Ludlow Country Club, 1 Tony Lema Dr., Ludlow. A panel of experts will discuss the impact of the Affordable Care Act on the regional business community and economy at the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce (ERC5) Annual Meeting. Panelists will include Rick Lord, president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts; Peter Straley, president of Health New England; Steven Bradley, vice president of Government, Community Relations, and Public Affairs for Baystate Health; and David Leslie, controller for Glenmeadow Retirement Community. Cost is $20 for members, $30 general admission. Tickets are available at www.myonlinechamber.com or by e-mailing Cecile Larose at [email protected].
• June 12: Viva Las Chamber!, the June After-5, 5-7 p.m., at Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Cost is $5 for members, $10 general admission. Tickets are available at www.myonlinechamber.com or by e-mailing Cecile Larose at [email protected].
• June 26: ACCGS Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Sheraton Springfield, 1 Monarch Place, Springfield. Featured speaker will be James T. Brett, president and CEO of the New England Council, New England’s voice of business on Capitol Hill. The chamber will also announce this year’s Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year. Cost is $40 for members, $60 general admission. Tickets are available at www.myonlinechamber.com or by e-mailing Cecile Larose at [email protected].
CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101
• June 5: Annual Golf Tournament, 10 a.m. start, at Chicopee Country Club. Cost is $125 per golfer; $100 for tee sponsorship. Hole-in-one sponsors: Curry Honda-Curry Nissan and Teddy Bear Pools & Spas. Cart sponsor: Pilgrim Interiors Inc.
FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.franklincc.org
(413) 773-5463
• June 21: 94th Annual Meeting and Legislative Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m. at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield. State representatives and senators have been invited to speak. Cost is $12 for FCCC members, $15 for non-members.
GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414
• June 13: Networking By Night Business Card Exchange, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Freedom Credit Union and Wireless Zone, 422 Main St., Easthampton. Enjoy hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine, and door prizes. Tickets are $5 for members, $15 for future members.
• July 26: 29th Annual Golf Tournament, starting at 9 a.m., at Southampton Country Club. Reserve now before the event sells out. Cost is $400 per team. Tee sponsorships available for $75 and $125. Contact the chamber to sign up a team or arrange a tee sponsor, a raffle prize, or gift donation.
GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376
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• June 19: Chamber Business Connections, 5-7 p.m., Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, 100 Bigelow St., Holyoke. Sponsored by Northeast IT Systems and Westfield Bank. If you are in the IT/computer equipment, software, or sales industry, please attend as the chamber’s guest. Cost is $10 for chamber members, $15 for non-members. Join your friends and colleagues for this informal evening of networking.
• June 20: Ask a Chamber Expert Series: Blueprint Reading, 8:30-10 a.m., Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. Cost: $10 for members, $25 for the public, includes a continental breakfast. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up, or register at holyokechamber.com.
• June 26: Summer Recognition Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for the public. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up, or register at holyokechamber.com.
MASSACHUSETTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
massachusettschamberofcommerce.com
(413) 525-2506
• June 26: Manufacturing Matters Lunch Meeting, at Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield. Tickets are $30 for members, $40 for non-members. For more information on ticket sales, call (413) 525-2506 or e-mail [email protected].
• July 22: Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, at Tekoa Country Club, Westfield. Shotgun start at 11 a.m. Cost is $100 per golfer. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, call (413) 525-2506 or e-mail [email protected].
• Nov. 12: Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon, 9 a.m., at the Double Tree, Westborough. For more information on ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber office at (413) 525-2506 or e-mail [email protected]
GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900
• June 6: June Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m. Hosted and Sponsored by Florence Savings Bank, 85 Main St., Florence. Help us celebrate Florence Savings Bank’s 140th anniversary. Cost is $10 for members. RSVP at [email protected].
NORTHAMPTON AREA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900
• June 12: Nonprofit Board Fair, 5 p.m., at the Smith College Conference Center. Part of NAYP’s mission is to promote leadership and volunteerism in the next generation of community leaders. The Nonprofit Board Fair will feature more than 20 organizations that are actively seeking the next generation of leaders, and provide opportunities to showcase board, committee, and volunteering opportunities that exist at their nonprofits. The fair offers attendees a chance to hold discussions with more than 20 local nonprofits in one location. Sponsored by Gage-Wiley & Co. Inc. This free event will take the place of NAYP’s June Networking Social, and is open to all community members.
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310
• June 6: Women of the Year Celebration Banquet, 5:30-8 p.m., at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 375 Island Pond Road, Springfield. Celebrate the accomplishments of Jean Deliso, president and owner of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services. Cost is $55 per person. For tickets, visit www.myonlinechamber.com or e-mail Cecile Larose at [email protected].
WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
413-426-3880
• June 5: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., at Lattitude. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events hosted by various businesses and restaurants. These events bring members and non-members together to socially network in a laid-back atmosphere. Free for vhamber members, $10 for non-members. This event is open to the public. Guests must pay at the door if they are non-members. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• June 20: West of the River Chamber of Commerce Annual Breakfast Meeting, 7-9 a.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam. Tickets are $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Featured speaker: Mark Darren Gregor, business and career coach. Presenting sponsor: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino of New England. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].
• August 19: West of the River Chamber of Commerce 10th Annual Golf Tournament, at Springfield Country Club, West Springfield. Cost is $125 per golfer. Presenting sponsor: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino of New England. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or email [email protected].
GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618
• June 10: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 p.m., at the Arbors, 40 Court St., Westfield. Mayor Knapik will speak about all that is happening around Westfield and field questions. The event is free and open to the pubic. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]
• June 12: June WestNet Connection, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Westfield Bank of Southwick, 462 College Highway, Southwick. An evening of networking; don’t forget your business cards. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Walk-ins are welcome. Tickets: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected].
• June 14: June 2013 Chamber Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at Shaker Farms Country Club, 866 Shaker Road, Westfield. Platinum Sponsor: First Niagara. Guest speaker: Steven Grossman, treasurer and receiver general. Anniversary salutes: the Carson Center, 50th; East Mountain Country Club, 50th. Tickets: $25 for members, $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or email [email protected].
