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How to Reduce Stress and Optimize Outcomes in Filing Insurance Claims

John E. Dowd Jr.

John E. Dowd Jr.

Let’s begin with the premise that insurance companies are in the business of paying claims, pure and simple. However, as most people are aware, the process of filing and then being paid for compensable claims is not always easy or convenient, depending on the size and nature of a claim.
We try to advise our clients at the outset of every claim of the appropriate steps they need to take to make sure things go as smoothly and quickly as reasonably possible. We also try to carefully manage people’s expectations for how the claim process will go, as well as the eventual payout amount they can expect. Unfortunately, some insurance companies handle claims better than others, and you need to rely on your insurance agent/broker to properly represent you both at the time you choose your insurance company and when a claim has occurred.
Many of the complaints insurance companies receive each year are from customers who are unhappy about claims handling. For many years, one of the top complaints people have regarding the claims process is a delay. When people are dealing with the issues that made them file a claim, it can be frustrating to handle the insurance claim on top of that. For this reason, it is important for all policyholders to be prepared. One of the best ways to do this is to make sure all of the information the insurance company would need is always available.
Policyholders should keep this information in a safe place where it will not be lost or forgotten. The following suggestions are also helpful.
• When filing claims, make sure they are submitted promptly. Call your agent/broker immediately after something happens that warrants a claim. Letting receipts pile up can cause more delays. If temporary repairs are put off or are not completed, the initial damage to the home could worsen. For example, water damage that is not addressed promptly could lead to problems that cost more money and may create coverage issues.
• Understand the policy. It is important for every individual to know what his or her policy says. Knowing what is covered and what is not covered makes it much easier to know what to expect when damage occurs. Waiting until a disaster happens to read through the policy will only result in further frustration. Talk with your agent/broker ahead of time so he or she can explain your coverage and answer questions.
• Use correct and complete information for the claim. Using incorrect or incomplete information will result in processing delays. Check all of the information for accuracy twice before submitting it, and make sure everything that is required has been provided.
• Keep records of all forms of correspondence. When making calls, sending e-mails, or receiving letters, make sure each one is recorded. Write down the date, the form of correspondence, the name of the contact person, and the subject of the correspondence. If there are any important details, include these in the notes. Policyholders should always ask questions and address any disagreements promptly.
• Keep records of temporary repairs. Some types of damage warrant immediate but temporary repairs. If this is the case, it is important to document any work that was done and who completed it. When purchasing supplies or services, save the receipts. Taking photos or videos before and after the repairs is also helpful. Homeowners should never make permanent repairs. Policies cover only necessary temporary repairs. Those who want to know how much it will cost to complete permanent repairs should arrange for one or more adjusters to provide quotes.
• Verify any denials. If a claim is denied, politely ask for the language in the policy that reflects why it was denied. Your agent/broker will assist you in confirming the accuracy of the coverage denial.
• Never rush into a settlement. When a settlement offer does not seem fair, contact your agent/broker immediately to discuss the matter.
• Ask for information to be released for health claims. If medical help was needed due to the reason for the claim, it is important to ask a medical provider to release relevant information. When policy holders suspect that a medical provider is overcharging, an insurance company may audit the bill upon request.
The claims process is a stressful one for many people. With proper preparation, this stress can be reduced significantly. The most important thing to remember is that your agent/broker is always available to help during any part of the process, so do not hesitate to contact your agency when questions arise.

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 firm providing personal, commercial, and financial-planning needs, with four offices in Western Mass.; (413) 538-7444; [email protected]

Columns Sections
Here’s a Helpful Estate-planning Year-end Checklist

Lisa L. Halbert

Lisa L. Halbert

As the end of the year approaches, this is a good time to take stock and review where you have been and where you want to head. Financial planners encourage annual reviews, employers start to consider year-end evaluations, and life coaches ask clients to reflect on steps taken and plans for professional growth. And estate planners encourage clients to periodically review elder and estate plans in order to confirm (or re-confirm) that all is in place.
Estate planning is not a static project to be finalized and then put on a shelf, never to be reviewed again. In truth, it is a never-ending process, one which requires periodic review in order to remain pertinent. At least every five years and upon major life events, pull out the documents and make sure they continue to be relevant. Further, periodic statutory changes dictate that your intentions will be best attained if documents are reviewed.
Among the action steps or paperwork to consider are the following:

List Your Assets
At the core of any good estate plan is a list of all of your assets, with estimated values. Generally this will include bank accounts, securities, real estate, retirement funds, insurances (life or disability), annuities, business valuations, and tangible personal property, just to name a few. Identify whether each asset is owned in your name alone (and with or without a beneficiary designation) or jointly with another, and whether it carries a beneficiary designation or is held in trust. This information informs an estate-planning attorney as a beginning point. After your estate plan is fully developed, do not be surprised if assets are re-titled or change columns.

Last Will and Testament
A last will and testament controls assets that are held in your name alone and without a designated beneficiary at your time of death. These are the only assets that go through the probate process. Your will provides a road map as to who you would like to receive your probate assets. It can also provide for forgiveness of debt or allow someone temporary use of an asset (such as living in a home until a certain age, or a certain event occurs).
Generally, a will allows you to control and determine who inherits your estate at your death. (Exceptions to this statement are that a surviving spouse and minor children have certain statutory rights that take priority over the terms of the will, even if you intended to disinherit the spouse and/or child.)
Under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (MUPC), which went into effect March 31, 2012, the probate process has now been expedited and no longer requires as much court intervention or oversight, although court supervision is available where appropriate.
If you pass away without a will (referred to as dying ‘intestate’), state law dictates how your assets get distributed. Historically, if you die intestate, survived by a spouse and children, your assets are allocated among them. Under the MUPC, if you die intestate and are survived by your spouse and children of both you and your spouse (whether biological or adopted), then your spouse will receive your entire net estate, without any portion specifically allocated to the children of both you and your spouse.
The MUPC also changes the title of the person appointed to oversee the administration of an estate to a personal representative (PR). Further, the MUPC provides a list of individuals who have priority to serve as your PR. At the top of the list is your spouse, and then a child (over the age of 18), etc. However, if you die intestate and the spouse does not want to serve as the PR, the MUPC allows the spouse to designate someone else to act as the PR, even if an adult child wants to serve. And while the statute is a bit more complex, the point is that you should consider whether it is more thoughtful and prudent to effectuate your intentions by dying with or without a will.
If you want to know that all of those you love will receive certain assets, then have a will or other estate-planning document prepared. Particularly for those who might not have a spouse, but do have good friends or charitable inclinations, a will is likely a solid start to accomplish those same distributions.
A will might also have some significance prior to your death. During your lifetime, if you become incapacitated and another is put in charge of your assets and financial management, there may be occasions where gifts are appropriate and the fiduciary could look to your will in order to figure out who or what entities are most dear to you. The will, therefore, may offer some direction even during your lifetime.

Trust-based Planning
Depending upon your assets, intended beneficiaries, and other information, a trust might be a better option to accomplish your preferred distributions than a will. A trust is a document with three major players: the person who creates it (you, also known as the grantor), the trustee (who could be you and/or others and is the one who actually administers or manages the assets), and the beneficiaries (who could be you and/or others who receive a benefit under the trust). It provides an instruction manual or road map as to how you want your assets (and debt) managed and invested, as well as distributed. It is especially useful if there are minor beneficiaries and you want to know that instructions are followed long-term, or where another needs some long-term financial assistance or management (such as a special or supplementary-needs trust).

Beneficiary Designations
Confirm that beneficiary designations on your various accounts remain current and in line with your overall estate plan. Types of assets that frequently carry opportunities for beneficiary designations include insurance, annuity, retirement accounts, and/or some brokerage accounts (accounts that hold securities and other investments). Beneficiary designations (other than to your estate) completely avoid the asset going through probate, and there may be some income-tax advantages to naming a beneficiary directly, rather than your estate or trust.
Keep in mind that the individuals or entities named on the beneficiary designation are the recipients to whom the assets will be paid. If your estate plan is premised on having assets go through your probate estate, and therefore directed to be distributed through your will, but the beneficiary designation is not changed to be consistent with that approach, your plan will be defeated.
An estate plan, once completed, may use a blend of assets that are directed to specific beneficiaries via designation, as well as assets that go through probate or a trust. Retirement assets may have a better income-tax benefit if directed to specific individuals or charities (especially if you are looking to save an income-tax bite to the estate), while life insurances might be more appropriate to go through probate. Each client situation is different.
If you are divorced and intend for your ex-spouse to receive assets via a beneficiary designation that has not been changed since the divorce, revisit the designation. Under the MUPC, divorce effectively revokes certain beneficiary designations to a prior spouse. You may need to take affirmative steps to insure that the designation will be upheld by renewing it post-divorce.

Same-sex Spouses
On June 26, 2013 the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision that addressed the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The court determined that, although each state may regulate marriage for its citizens, once married, all spouses are to be treated equally under federal law. For planning purposes, this impacts not only your federal income taxes, but Social Security benefits, FMLA, and health-insurance coverage.
Retirement benefits from a qualified retirement plan will be required to allow the surviving spouse of a married couple, whether same-sex or heterosexual, to withdraw the funds over the surviving spouse’s lifetime. IRAs that allow a spouse to roll over inherited assets into his or her own IRA are now allowed. There are more than 1,000 federal benefits that may be impacted by this ruling. Check beneficiary designations as well as federal tax withholding (IRS Form W-4).
Same-sex married residents no longer need to file separate federal tax returns for each spouse. Married filing jointly or married filing separately is the same for all married couples. In fact, you might want to consider amending your returns for 2011 and 2012. While an amended return is not guaranteed to benefit you, if you do not look into it, you will never know.
For estate planners, another significant change is that same-sex couples now are able to take advantage of the unlimited marital exemption to transfer assets between spouses during life, as well as at death. For high-wealth couples, portability of the estate-tax exemption at the death of the first spouse to a surviving spouse is now allowed. With an estate-tax exemption currently at $5.25 million per spouse, this allows a same-sex married couple to have a combined $10.5 million estate-tax exemption. While you might not think it impacts you, if the surviving spouse wins a large lottery ticket or comes into money for any other reason, even after the first spouse’s death, having elected portability may result in a significant estate-tax savings.

Healthcare Proxy (HCP)
Review your HCP to confirm that it identifies current designations of those whom you want making healthcare decisions for you if and when you can no longer make or communicate them on your own. It can only benefit you to list appointees to serve in consecutive order. Ask your attorney whether additional provisions to your document would be prudent.
For example, do you have a religious belief that needs to be articulated? Would you allow certain drugs to be administered that might otherwise require court approval? Do you want your healthcare agent to choose a nursing home for you if it becomes necessary? Once signed, provide your HCP to your healthcare providers and other physicians and hospitals. Some peoplekeep a copy on the refrigerator, in the car, or with other important papers. And, of course, provide a copy of your HCP to those you have appointed as decision makers.
Even though you may have already signed a HCP at your attorney’s office, did you more recently have a medical procedure where you signed a “new” HCP in the physician’s office or hospital? Understand that by signing the new form you revoked the prior one. Though it might not have been your intention, reconvene with your attorney to discuss whether to re-sign the old document. It was likely more comprehensive and the product of greater deliberation.
Without an HCP, if healthcare decisions need to be made for you, a court will appoint a guardian to make sure they are made. Your spouse does not automatically have that right. The benefit of an HCP is that you get to choose those individuals who you trust to make decisions for you, as opposed to having a court choose.

Do-not-resuscitate Order
The DNR is not prepared by your attorney. It is available to be signed in your physician’s office, and it states that, if your heart stops, you do not want extraordinary measures taken to restart it. A DNR is not interpreted to mean that you want to be taken off of medical machinery (and be allowed to die) if you are being kept alive only by such mechanical devices.

Durable Power of Attorney
The DPA allows you to appoint people to assist with financial management of assets in your name (and not in trust) while you are alive. It terminates at the moment of death. A DPA can be very broad or narrow in the actions which the appointee (the attorney-in-fact) is authorized to take. The benefit of a DPA is that you, not a court, choose who can have access to your financial information. A DPA can allow the attorney-in-fact to have access to your assets even though you are fully capable of thinking and acting for yourself (for example, while away on vacation), or it can be written to allow access only if and when you start to fail mentally.
A DPA does not change the underlying ownership of the asset. It merely allows another to act as your fiduciary, step into your shoes, and make decisions as your agent. If an asset is owned by you and you alone, then at your death, the authority of the attorney-in-fact terminates, and the asset then goes through your will, unless there is a beneficiary designation attached to it.
Provide the DPA to your appointee(s), or advise the appointee of your attorney’s name so that the document can be located if needed. Remember, if no one knows about it, or you fall ill and cannot communicate where the document is located, court action might still result.

Passwords
While not directly related to estate planning, a more controversial issue arises regarding passwords. While any IT person will advise against making a comprehensive list of your accounts and associated passwords, those same individuals might not regularly work with a segment of the population that may become ill or lose their memory.
There is no perfect solution in this electronic world. Perhaps you prefer to prepare the list of passwords and save it on paper, publish it to your attorney-in-fact under a DPA, or provide a copy to your legal counsel.
Others recommend putting the passwords into a paper file and filing it at the back of your filing cabinet, backwards. The list should be comprehensive and cover whatever assets you access (such as an ATM card) and electronic accounts, whether for bank, brokerage, credit card, loan, and even health-related information. It also helps to print out the most recent security questions and answers, too.

Important Papers
Organize a filing system for important papers. If an alphabetical system is not your style, consider putting all important papers in one place. Documents to be retained include Social Security card, copy of birth certificate, and legal documents (will, trust, HCP, DPA, marriage license or divorce decree, and funeral-related paperwork). Include on this list your children or next of kin and their addresses. If you should die, and a non-family member is involved, it makes locating family much easier.

Health Insurance and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
This checklist would be incomplete if you are not reminded about open enrollment for many health-insurance plans in general, and the ACA in particular (open enrollment has been extended through March 2014). Even if you currently have health insurance, there may be financial advantages to reviewing the costs associated with the ACA. This is particularly true for blended families, those where an ex-spouse continues to be covered, or where you are straddling being on Medicare yourself, but have children to cover.

Conclusion
This checklist provides a starting point. For more information, contact an estate-planning professional for a comprehensive review of your plans. n

Lisa L. Halbert, Esq. is an associate in the Northampton office of Bacon & Wilson, P.C. A member of the estate planning, elder, and real estate departments, she is especially focused on legal matters relating to elder and estate planning, and asset protection; (413) 584-1287; baconwilson.com/attorneys/halbert

Features
WNEU Polling Institute Is Making a Name for Itself

Tim Vercellotti

Tim Vercellotti says the Scott Brown-Elizabeth Warren Senate race in 2012 gave the polling institute some national exposure that helped put it on the map.

The high-profile 2012 U.S. Senate race between incumbent Scott Brown and challenger Elizabeth Warren was memorable for a number of reasons.
Start with the amount of money spent — $68 million, making it one of the most expensive Senate contests of all time. There was also the heated rhetoric, epic debates, and, perhaps most importantly, the stakes — most analysts said this race was about nothing less than control of the Senate.
But Tim Vercellotti will also remember it for something else.
He considers that race the moment when the Western New England University Polling Institute, which he has directed since 2008, came into the national spotlight — and essentially came of age.
Launched in 2005, the institute included questions concerning that Senate contest in more than a half-dozen polls between the spring of 2011 and the days just before the election in November 2012. The headlines on the press releases announcing the polls’ results essentially mirrored what was happening in that pitched battle, as Warren, well behind when the contest began, gathered steam and, with the support of those also backing President Barack Obama, triumphed on election day:
• “Brown Holds 8-point Lead in Massachusetts Senate Race” (March 4, 2012);
• “Senate Race a Toss-up as Warren Closes Gap on Brown” (June 2);
• “New Poll Shows Warren Leading Brown in Senate Race” (Sept. 16);
• “Warren Leads Brown by Five Points in Latest Senate Survey” (Oct.7);
• “Poll: Warren Maintains Four-point Lead in Senate Race” (Nov. 4)
She would eventually win by eight points, said Vercellotti, noting that 4% of those polled near the end were still undecided, and the poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.
“So we were right there; our polls were correctly indicating what was happening,” said Vercellotti, noting that, beyond the level of accuracy and its impact on overall credibility, the institute’s work during the closely watched race gained considerable national exposure, with mentions in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, MSNBC, CNN, and other news outlets. “That was our high-water mark … I’m not sure when that kind of clash of the titans will happen again.”
In the meantime, the institute has been garnering public opinion on everything from economic confidence and expectations for holiday shopping (two subjects in the most recent poll, undertaken in early November); from casino gambling to the recent government shutdown and which party was more responsible for it; from the ‘death with dignity’ poll question on last year’s ballot to healthcare reform.
And, while doing so, it is making strides in the all-important work to establish a reputation for accuracy and transparency, a process that can take years and perhaps decades, he said, but one in which he believes the WNEU facility is making solid progress.
“The longer you’re in the field and the more successful you are at building a record of accuracy, the better off you are,” he said, adding that the Brown-Warren race certainly enhanced the institute’s scorecard. “But it only takes a couple of bad polls to undo all of that, and that’s why I take this very seriously and think long and hard about the surveys and how they’re written.
“One of the challenges is that, in politics today, people want answers, they want absolutes, and surveys are merely exercises in probability — that’s why there’s a margin of error,” he went on. “What you’re saying is that, ‘19 times out of 20, we think the answer in the population is within this margin of error. But one time out of 20, it’s not, and that’s life; that’s just how it works.’ But if that one time in 20 is your final pre-election poll in a major, high-profile race, you can talk about probability all you want, but the audience can be very unforgiving.”
For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the work being conducted at the institute and the intricacies involved with the often-misunderstood world of polling.

Questions and Answers
While effective polling is both an art and a science, Vercellotti told BusinessWest, it is mostly the latter.
Elaborating, he said that strict attention must be paid to everything from how the questions are phrased to the order in which they are asked; from how political candidates are identified to how their names are pronounced, in order to ensure that the results are reliable and accurately reflect the thoughts of those being asked the questions.
As one example, he pointed to the most recent statewide survey, which polled respondents on the economy, holiday spending, casino gambling, medical marijuana, and other topics.
There were several questions about the health of the national economy, respondents’ personal financial position, and when and if improvement was forthcoming, he said, adding that he was careful to ask them after the queries on holiday shopping so as not to influence replies to that specific line of questioning.
“There was concern that if the shopping question came after the questions about the economy and people were gloomy about the economy, that would shape how they would answer those holiday questions,” he explained, adding that such nuances are shaped by experience and large amounts of pre-testing with surveys.
As another example, he cited polls on specific political races. Those asking the questions don’t have to go in alphabetical order with the candidates, said Vercellotti, but they should change the order of the names on a systematic basis, because a percentage of respondents to such queries will simply favor the first name they hear. Likewise, party affiliation must be mentioned with each candidate (when applicable) because some respondents are inclined to favor candidates by party affiliation.
“You have to rotate the order of those names so that each name appears first half the time,” he explained. “And it’s important to put party label with the name, because we know from political-science research that the less-engaged voters will often default to that label; they won’t know much about the candidates, so they’re just going to go with the party.”
These are just some of the things Vercellotti has learned during a career that has blended graduate-school training in survey research and questionnaire design, work at another college-affiliated polling institute (this one at Elon University in North Carolina), teaching, and his current post. He came to WNEU in the 1990s and became director of the institute in 2008.
He said there was a lot of learning while doing at Elon, and the education process essentially continues with each polling assignment.
“Survey researchers write some clunkers of questions,” he noted. “And with almost every survey, I get to the end and say, ‘I should have asked this.’ You file that away and try to do that the next time.”
Tracing the history of the WNEU program, polling institutes at colleges and universities, and polling in general, Vercellotti said the practice of gauging public opinion dates back to the 1930s, when firms such as the one started by George Gallup would go door to door seeking answers to specific questions.
The telephone became the preferred polling method in the ’60s — when the percentage of households with one reached a critical level —  and it remains the best option today, he went on, although Internet polling, considered less reliable by many, is gaining some traction.
In recent decades, several colleges and universities have created polling institutes, he told BusinessWest, with the twin goals of raising the profile of the institution and generating data for a society that has developed an appetite for ever-increasing amounts of it.
The Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers is one of the best-known of these facilities, but there are many others, including some in the Bay State at Suffolk University, UMass Lowell, and UMass Boston, said Vercelloti, adding that the WNEU model is based loosely on programs at other, smaller colleges, and especially Quinnipiac in New Haven, Conn.
WNEU started small, with 12 calling stations in a computer lab in the College of Business, said Vercellotti, adding that it has since grown to 23 stations, all staffed by thoroughly coached students.
Over the past several years, the institute has conducted two or three polls each semester funded by the university itself, he went on, adding that there have also been several projects — including many of those aforementioned Warren-Brown polls — undertaken in conjunction with the Republican and masslive.com.
There have also been a few contract assignments, including one commissioned by the West of the River Chamber of Commerce, which aimed to gauge the thoughts of Agawam residents on potential development of a large parcel on Tennis Road.
There is the potential for more of that kind of work, he explained, but the price tag — roughly $10,000 for an eight-minute, 24-question survey with 500 respondents — is higher than most inquirers expect and often beyond their means.

Numbers Game
As he talked about the polling institute and its work, Vercellotti made early and frequent use of the word transparency.
Such a facility simply must have it in order for the results it generates and then publicizes to have credibility, he said, adding that objectivity is another trait that a successful polling institute must possess, and this explains why he’s turned down a number of potential contract assignments.
“We have been approached for contract work on the casino issue, and from people on both sides — opponents of gaming and advocates for casinos — and I’ve turned down the work,” he explained. “It’s critical that we’re objective; we’re not going to take sides with an election issue. Candidates will sometimes approach us, including some who are alumni of this university, and I make the same point: we’re not here to be engaged in partisan politics or take one side of an issue.
“We’re extremely transparent about who hires us and the methodology we use,” he went on, adding that he’s a member of AAPOR (the American Assoc. for Public Opinion Research), has signed its code of ethics, and is part of an endeavor known as the Transparency Initiative. “The only way the audience can make an informed judgment about the credibility of polling material is to know how it was gathered.”
Overall, the process of reputation building, which affects both credibility and accuracy, takes years and is certainly ongoing, he said, adding that it takes multiple election cycles to establish that a program is reliable.
To date, the institute has amassed a fairly solid track record, or scorecard, said Vercellotti, adding that he does maintain a record of how well the surveys project what is to come. It has not projected the wrong winner in any political race or referendum question, at least when one takes into account the margin for error that accompanies each polling assignment.
That caveat is necessary with the ‘death with dignity’ question on the 2012 state ballot, he explained, relating the story of how public opinion on that measure changed dramatically between the institute’s first polling exercise on the subject and the last one just before the election.
“When we polled on it in the spring of 2012, it was way ahead, a slam dunk,” he recalled. “But I think that, in some ways, opinion on that question was very wide, but not very deep. And by the fall, opponents of that proposal had gotten organized, they started running some advertising, the Kennedys came out against it, the Catholic bishops came out against it.
“Our final pre-election poll, just five days before the election, had it passing by a two-point margin,” he recalled. “Therefore, I said it was too close to call, and it failed by two percentage points, but that’s within the margin of error.”
While the institute is still in its relative youth at only eight years old, it is, Vercellotti believes, gaining the respect from the many constituencies that are seeing and judging its work — from the general public to the press; from campaign operatives to special-interest groups, such as those on both sides of the casino issue.
And then, there are the growing numbers of bloggers, he said, who take polling data and analyze it — and usually aren’t shy about voicing opinions on the sources of that data.
“They’re the toughest audience of all, because they’ll take the time and go through the methodology and raise questions,” he said, adding that the emergence of this audience is a relatively recent phenomenon. “When I got into the business in 2001, there wasn’t that kind of audience, but now there is, and they’ve developed a level of expertise.”
Therefore, he pays attention to what the bloggers are writing. Summing up the reviews to date, he noted that many are positive, but some are what he called “dismissive,” a tone he attributes to the small size of the school and the youthfulness of the polling program.
Looking ahead, Vercelotti said that 2014 could be an intriguing and busy year for the institute. Indeed, the Deval Patrick era is ending — WNEU’s facility conducted its first poll on the coming contest earlier in the fall, headlining the release “Democrats Out in Front Early in Governor’s Race” — and there will be a race for the Senate seat captured in a special election earlier this year by Ed Markey after John Kerry became secretary of State. Meanwhile, there may also be some interesting ballot questions, including the possibility of another referendum on casino gambling.
But after that, things will likely get quieter, he said, noting that, while there is a presidential race in 2016, there won’t be another governor’s race or Senate race (unless someone else leaves office before their term expires) until 2018.
There may be some local, state, or regional issues to fill the void, he went on, adding quickly that, in an age when the public’s thirst for information only grows, there is unlikely to be a shortage of issues on which to conduct polls.

Making the Call
Referring back to all the science involved in polling, Vercellotti said it extends even to what time individuals are called — or should be.
He said the recent World Series, won by the Red Sox, posed some challenges; many were not happy about their viewing being interrupted by a pollster. Likewise, Patriots games add a layer of intrigue to Sunday afternoons, one of the times when those staffing the phones at the institute are most busy.
“I try to make the most of halftime — I make sure the callers are active then,” said Vercellotti, adding that mastering such nuances is all part of the process of making the institute successful — and respected.
Nearly nine years after it started soliciting opinions, this facility is well on its way to achieving those goals.

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

Sections Technology
The Latest High-tech Devices Keep Users Connected

It wasn’t too long ago that Americans used their cell phones essentially to, well, make phone calls, and maybe send text messages and take the odd photo or two.
How times have changed. We live in an era of constant communication, where the phone is now a device for staying connected to social media, making financial transactions, playing games, and engaging in 100 other activities guaranteed to keep people staring downward.
They’re called smartphones, and they have evolved over the past five years from a useful tool to a ubiquitous part of the way people interact. According to the Pew Research Center, 56% of all Americans own one (91% own a cell phone of some kind), and that percentage is constantly on the rise.
And that’s why BusinessWest begins its annual feature showcasing the newest and best-reviewed high-tech tools with a few of the leading choices in smartphones.
iPhone-5SFor starters, Apple’s iPhone continues to lead the pack. Business Insider calls the latest iteration, the iPhone 5S ($199+), the top choice among 2013 models. “Yes, it looks nearly identical to last year’s iPhone 5. Yes, there are plenty of other smartphones out there that are just as good and can do a lot more things. Yes, the screen is relatively tiny compared to a bunch of the giant Android phones out there. But that doesn’t matter,” the magazine notes, because the phone boasts an ideal balance of power, useful features, and design.
The new model adds a fingerprint sensor called Touch ID that unlocks the phone without a passcode, as well as an improved camera with a dual LED flash that helps the phone take better photos in low-light settings, and a new slow-motion video feature. And the phone’s new 64-bit processor is about twice as fast as the processor in the old iPhone 5.
“For now, the biggest drawback for iPhone owners is going to be big-screen envy,” the magazine notes. “Unless you absolutely must have a giant screen, the iPhone 5S is nearly perfect.”
Samsung-Galaxy-S4For Android enthusiasts, Business Insider heartily recommends the Samsung Galaxy S4 ($649) and HTC One ($599). “This summer, Google partnered with HTC and Samsung to make new ‘Google Play editions’ of those two flagship phones,” it notes.
Why the hefty up-front costs? Instead of selling them through a wireless carrier, Google is selling the One and Galaxy S4 at full price, unsubsidized. With other phones, carriers typically subsidize the up-front savings through wireless-plan fees over a two-year contract.
In addition, the phones will receive software updates shortly after Google releases a new version of Android. “Historically, both HTC and Samsung have been pretty bad at getting new software updates out to customers because it takes a lot of time for them to modify Android,” the magazine notes. “And overall, Google’s clean version of Android is a lot better than the modifications you normally get from HTC and Samsung. There aren’t any preinstalled apps from HTC, Samsung, or your carrier.”
Business Insider gives a slighty edge to the One, calling it more attractive and fun to use than Samsung’s model. “These two phones are designed for people who don’t want to be locked down by carrier contracts and care about having the best Android experience you can get, all wrapped in excellent hardware.”

Consuming and Computing
iPad-AirSmartphones are only one aspect of this on-the-go culture of constant communication and media consumption. Tablets are another.
According to CNET, Apple’s iPad Air ($499-$539) delivers the best blend of performance and battery life in an attractive, thin, light package, with improvements in the front-facing camera and Retina Display. However, it lacks the Touch ID scanner available on the iPhone 5.
“Functionally, the iPad Air is nearly identical to last year’s model, offering only faster performance and better video chatting,” the site notes. “But factor in design and aesthetics, and the iPad Air is on another planet. It’s the best full-size consumer tablet on the market.”
iPad-Mini2Meanwhile, those looking for something smaller and cheaper might try the iPad Mini ($399), also with Retina Display, a speedy A7 processor, and improved wi-fi and LTE connectivity, with battery life that’s as good or better than last year’s Mini. It also lacks Touch ID. Still, CNET notes, “the new iPad Mini somehow shrinks down the iPad Air into an even more compact package, sacrificing nearly nothing.”
Kindle-Fire-HDX-8.9For media consumption alone, CNET calls Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 ($379) “a performance monster that speeds through websites and UI navigation at a frantic pace. Its screen is impressively sharp and its body amazingly light for a larger tablet.”
Despite the lack (for now) of a remote video viewing feature, no built-in storage expansion beyond the included 16 GB, and lack of Google Play access, meaning many apps still aren’t available, the device “isn’t just a great value, it sets the standard for a media consumption tablet.”
MacBook-Pro-13-inchLaptop computers continue to advance in speed and performance as well, and the best of the current crop, according to laptopmag.com, is the MacBook Pro 13-inch ($1,299), featuring an impressive 2560-by-1600-pixel Retina Display. “A fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor and blazing-fast Flash storage drive make the MacBook Pro with Retina display a speed demon, while a lightweight, 3.46-pound chassis and 9.5 hours of battery life let you carry it all day.”
Pavilion-TouchSmart-11zFor consumers on a budget, the site’s top pick for 2013 is Hewlett Packard’s Pavilion TouchSmart 11z ($399), which combines a crisp, responsive 11.6-inch touchscreen with good battery life. While it’s not designed for heavy multitasking, offers narrow viewing angles, and is somewhat heavy for an 11-inch notebook, the speedy A4 processor, 320-GB hard drive, and 4 GB of RAM more than make up for those shortcomings, at least for the price.

Image Is Everything
Samsung-CLP-775NDPrinters come in a wide variety of price points, depending on the user’s needs for features and performance. Toward the higher side, Samsung’s CLP-775ND Laser Printer ($750) is the current favorite of PC World, which notes that “it breaks no new ground in output quality — photos are a challenge for it, as they are for most color lasers — but it’s fast and well-equipped, and its toner is economical.”
Standard features include automatic duplexing, a 500-sheet main input tray, a 100-sheet multi-purpose tray for envelopes and other thicker media, and a 350-sheet output tray, with room to add up to two more bottom-mounted, 500-sheet feeder trays. On the minus side, the transfer belt — a page-wide plastic band that helps convey toner from the cartridge to the paper — is fully exposed when the printer’s front panel is open, “just asking you to drop something on it.”
Still, with a 600 MHz dual-core processor and 384 MB of memory (expandable to 896 MB), the CLP-775ND posts a fast time of 18.1 pages per minute printing plain text, while color photos come out quicker than average, even though the quality of those pictures is pedestrian.
On the budget end of the printer scale, “the $300 range offers an interesting either/or choice: high-end color inkjets with full feature sets, for small-office or high-end home use, and very low-end lasers for small or home offices,” PC World notes. “But note that, while you can get a pretty nice monochrome laser for $300, a like-priced color model will be slow, lacking in features, and expensive to replenish.”
Officejet-Pro-8600-PlusThat said, the magazine’s top pick in this range is HP’s Officejet Pro 8600 Plus ($300), which boasts speed, at 13.2 pages per minute of plain text, and quick performance with printing photos, copying, and scanning. Meanwhile, features include universal automatic duplexing for copying, scanning, and printing, and full support of legal-size paper.
However, it can’t print on a CD or DVD, and its touch controls can be slow to react. Still, it does print from a smartphone or tablet, or from a remote location, through HP’s free ePrint service.
Fujifilm-X100SSpeaking of photos, digital cameras continue to evolve at a wide variety of price points. For those willing to foot the bill, PC Magazine highly recommends the Fujifilm X100S ($1,299), the follow-up to Fuji’s groundbreaking X100 digital camera.
The camera, like its predecessor, boasts a retro design, as well as a hybrid viewfinder system that can toggle between a big, bright optical view and an electronic viewfinder, as well as a fast lens with a 35-mm (full-frame equivalent) field of view. “The sensor has been upgraded to a 16-megapixel X-Trans CMOS design that is capable of producing some incredible results at extremely high ISO settings, and a notoriously sluggish autofocus system is now a reasonably quick one.”
Olympus-Tough-TG-2-iHSFor significantly less money, PC Magazine called the Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS a solid option at $379. Like its predecessor, the Tough TG-1 iHS — which the magazine described as “a compact shooter with a fast lens that could shoot deep underwater and survive drops, pressure, and extreme temperatures,” while taking great photos in all types of light — the new model makes a few modest upgrades at a lower price. “We haven’t seen another rugged camera that could challenge the TG-1,” it noted, making the TG-2 the logical choice for 2013.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Sections Technology
Jeremiah Beaudry Colors in a Successful Story of Entrepreneurship

By MICHAEL REARDON

Jeremiah Beaudry

Jeremiah Beaudry took his youthful passion for computer repair and turned it into a successful business.

By the time Jeremiah Beaudry was 10 years old, he was building computers.
By the time he was 14, he was running his uncle’s computer repair shop, and by the time he turned 15, he had started his own computer business.
Call him a prodigy. Call him a wunderkind. The bottom line is, the owner of Bloo Solutions in Chicopee knew exactly what he wanted to do in life, and was very good at it from a young age.
“My uncle, Len Beaudry, had his own computer shop in Leominster called Computer HMO,” Beaudry told BusinessWest. “He would drop off broken computers at our house, and my Dad would put them in the basement, and I would go down there and play with them. They were like Lego sets to me.”
When he was 13, Beaudry worked summers repairing computers in his uncle’s shop. The next summer, he ran the business while Len was away. Beaudry mostly taught himself about computers, as he scoured the Internet for instructional videos and any other resources he could find.
“I broke things constantly,” he said. “I’d spend days figuring out what I did wrong. I learned by getting my hands on it and why I did what I did.”
At 15, he opened his business, initially called CBOS Computers, out of his basement at home.
“It was a silly name; it stood for Can’t Beat Our Service,” Beaudry said with a chuckle.
Beaudry, now 30, recently sat in his small computer shop on Grattan Street in Chicopee, surrounded by computers in various stages of assembly and repair, to talk about his business and his formula for success. He was relaxed in blue jeans and a T-shirt, and takes a genuine interest in other people, asking a visitor how he got started in his business.
The choice of the name Bloo Solutions, with the unconventional spelling of the word ‘blue,’ was simple. Beaudry loves the color and designed many websites using different variations of blue. When he went to register the domain name, he found another company called Blue Solutions existed, so he simply changed the spelling.
The venture has carved out a niche as a resource for small businesses throughout the region seeking information-technology solutions. Beaudry provides a wide range of services, including website design, repairs and troubleshooting, virus removal, network and security setup, and more.
He has also offered advice to clients on the right computer or entertainment center to buy, and even on how best to market their products or services.
“What I like most is solving problems for people,” Beaudry explained. “I like to know I’m doing something to make a positive difference in somebody’s business.”

Web of Intrigue
A native of South Hadley, Beaudry graduated from South Hadley High School in 2001. Before earning that diploma, though, he was earning a salary with his own business, one focused mostly on repairing computers owned by clients of his father, an independent financial manager.
“I learned a lot … they were patient with me,” he said, adding that having a father who worked for himself had a big influence on him. “Having flexibility is more important than having stability sometimes.”
In the beginning, Beaudry would make cold calls to area business owners trying to  grow his client roster. In 1999, he scored his first big website-design job when he was hired by Tekoa Country Club in Westfield.
“I got a $4,000 contract to do their website,” he said. “It was unbelievable to me. Since then, I’ve never advertised. Business has been all word of mouth. It’s grown organically.”
Beaudry took a break from the business to attend Bentley College in Waltham. While at school, he worked at a local Radio Shack, which he hated. Indeed, that experience only reinforced his resolve to work for himself and enjoy both the freedom and responsibilities that come with being an entrepreneur.
“I was working someone else’s schedule,” Beaudry said of his time at Radio Shack. “It was the same thing every day. I wasn’t helping anyone; I was just selling things. I probably lasted there only four to six months.”
Bentley College didn’t take either. Beaudry found a client in Hingham, a retail store called Beauty and Main, that was expanding and needed help with updating its computer system to accommodate the move.
“They expanded from one to eight stores, and my job was to install software in all of their stores all over New England,” Beaudry said. “They were 80% of my revenue. I had a couple of people working for me at the time, helping with that project.”
That’s when Beaudry decided to leave Bentley behind and move back to South Hadley. He worked out of his house for 10 years before getting married and starting a family. Beaudry, his wife Chelsea, and son Daxton, who was born in June, live just over a mile away from his shop.
“Having a home office did the trick for a long time,” he said. “But then you start a family, and the office becomes the baby’s room. Plus, I needed a place to meet clients or where they could drop off their computers.”
Bloo Solutions has been at the Grattan Street location for about three and a half years. Beaudry has one employee, his South Hadley High School friend, Joshua Charland, an IT consultant, and more than 100 clients, about 25 of them steady.
“We try to be a one-stop shop,” Beaudry explained. “We target small businesses. We can be their outsourced IT department; they can come to us with all of their questions.”
Chicopee attorney Robert Lefebvre of Gelinas & Lefebvre has been a client of Bloo Solutions for about 10 years, from the time he met Beaudry through a marketing group. At the time, his four-attorney office needed help replacing equipment and updating its system. Since then, Beaudry has been like the office’s own IT department.
“Jeremiah has provided many services for us,” Lefebvre said. “He’s been phenomenal in helping our practice.”
The services provided by Bloo Solutions to Lefebvre’s law firm have evolved over the years to everything from designing the website to updating equipment; from installing backup systems to online marketing, and more.
“Jeremiah is indispensible,” Lefebvre said. “I’ve referred him to many different clients and businesses, and they’ve gotten the same great results that we have. For what he does, you usually have to hire a larger company that would cost you much more money. He provides a unique service to small companies.”
According to Lefebvre, what really impressed him about Beaudry was his commitment to getting to know how the law firm was run so he could better determine exactly the kind of services it would need.
“He’s reliable,” Lefebvre said. “He would research what other, similar firms are doing on issues involving security, and he would come back with recommendations so he could adequately structure our systems.”
Another Chicopee client, A. Crane Construction, retains Bloo Solutions for several IT projects, including the redesign of the company’s website, social-media marketing, IT solutions, and other work.
“Jeremiah is extremely detail-oriented,” said A.J. Crane, owner of the company. “He’s very serious about his business, which is not a common trait among many young business people. He treats his business like we treat ours. He’s very personable, very respectful.”
If Beaudry doesn’t have the answer, he has other experts he can recommend to do the job, he noted. And he is willing to refer his clients to someone who can help with a problem that is out of his area of expertise.
“He always finds the solution for us, even if it doesn’t make money for him,” Crane said.

Technically Speaking
Beaudry told BusinessWest that he’s diligent about keeping up with the ever-changing high-tech landscape. Computer viruses and other destructive bugs are getting more sophisticated and stealthy, and that keeps him busy educating his clients and installing or updating preventative solutions.
“One of the biggest things we do is to make sure clients’ network and security protocol are consistent so viruses won’t infect their computers,” he said. “It’s important to put protections in place so that, if a virus gets into your system, you won’t have much downtime. Downtime costs money, so we try to minimize it so you’re up and running in hours, not days. Nothing is more vital than having backups to your computer system.”
By providing such solutions, Beaudry has kept his clients from feeling blue — or, in this case, bloo, which has become the color of success.

Departments Incorporations

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

AMHERST

New Energy Regeneration Inc., 173 Pondview Dr., Amherst, MA 01002. Irvin Rhodes, same. Management of companies and enterprises.

CHICOPEE

Performance Mechanical Inc., 944 Sheridan St., Chicopee, MA 01022. John S. Dickson, 145 Stonehill Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. HVAC.

EASTHAMPTON

Easthampton Dollars For Scholars Inc., 34 1/2 Clark St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Stephen J. Zavisza, same. Charitable and educational purposes.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Landmark Management Group Inc., 444A North Main St., Suite 234, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Matthew J. Kearney, same. Management and consulting.

FEEDING HILLS

Heather-Jill Williams Family Law, PC., 850 Springfield St., Suite 3, Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Healther-Jill K. Williams, same. Law office.

HADLEY

Valley Construction Company Inc., 39 Shattuck Road, Hadley, MA 01035. Peter A. Gelinas, same. Invest, hold, develop, renovate, and sell real estate

NORTHAMPTON

Drozdal Funeral Home Inc., 120 Damon Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Lindsey A. Akers, 27 Ladd Avenue, Florence, MA 01062. Funeral home.

Lyme Disease Resource Center Inc., 37 Butler Place #1F, Northampton, MA 01060. Maria T. Malaguti, same. Non-profit providing education and information to individuals with Lyme Disease

PITTSFIELD

Barnaby Plumbing & Heating Inc., Wabasso Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Timothy P. Barnaby, same. Plumbing and heating service.

SPRINGFIELD

Betty Laws Fights Back Inc., 120 Fenwick St., Springfield, MA 01109. Aleana M. Laster, same. To write, publish, and distribute educational materials to benefit young people.

JR Cummings Corp., 56 Margerie St., Springfield, MA 01109. James Richard Cummings Jr., same. Corporate holding company.

Miramar Quick Service Restaurant Corp., 603 Sumner Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Khalid Drihmi, 22 Sorrento St., Springfield, MA 01108. Quick service food and restaurant business.

Springfield Auto Recyclers Inc., 148 Temby St., Springfield, MA 01119. Allan M. Bartlett, same. Motor vehicle recycling and sales.

Veterans In Packaging Inc., 48 Zypher Lane, Springfield, MA 01128. Ed
Peplinski, same. To construct, acquire, sell, and convey packaging and packaging supplies.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

The Friends of the Springfield Vet Center Inc., Springfield Vet Center 95 Ashley Street, West Springfield, MA 01089. Diane Marie Snow, 13 Country Club Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. Promote interest for veterans associated with Springfield Vet Center

WESTFIELD

Safety Restore Inc., 45 Meadow St., Westfield, MA 01085. Artem Martynyuk, 111 Pineview Dr., Springfield, MA 01119. Auto parts repair.

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of December 2013.

AGAWAM

Antique Aces
704 Springfield St.
William LeClair

Bittersweet
1325 Springfield St.
Kyu Lee

Heather Jill-Williams
850 Springfield St.
Heather Jill-Williams

L & A Transportation
3 Beekman Dr.
Lutvija Katica

Marzano Smith, LLC
346 Rowley St.
Josephine Smith

Sergey Savonin
30 Clifton Dr.
Sergey Savonin

St. John’s Travelers
2 Meadowbrook Manor
Joseph E. Cote

CHICOPEE

Being Well Therapeutic Massage
1263 Granby Road
Alina Zielinski

Jude Craft Specialties
88 Old Fuller Road
Judith Bourne

Poor Boys Closeouts
460 Chicopee St.
Cody Gregoire

Western Mass. Emergency Electric
117 Sunny Meade Ave.
Brian Riddle

EAST LONGMEADOW

Springfield Valley Hypnosis Center
280 North Main St.
Sandra Newmann

Toner Plastics Inc.
35 Industrial Dr.
Steven Graham

Veritech Corporation
80 Denslow Road
Steven Graziano

GREENFIELD

Aerus Electrolux
40 Bank Row
MMB Marketing Inc.

BK Tile & Stone
50 Federal St.
Billy Whittaker

CAB Transportation
76 Vernon St.
Cynthia Aldrich

Dollar General
367 Federal St.
DG Retail, LLC

Grover Home Improvement
245 Friar Way
Michael Grover

Martin’s Farm
341 Plain Road
Adam Martin

HOLYOKE

CVS Pharmacy
325 Pine St.
Linda M. Cimbron

Harting Associates
11 Grant St.
Carl F. Harting

Ilevis Hair and Salon
171 High St.
Isadeliz Rivera

Mercy Recovery Services
1233 Main St.
Kevin Jourdain

Vape and Hookah Emporium
50 Holyoke St.
Keycha Mastey

PALMER

JMP Environmental Consulting
116 Main St.
John Prenosil

Tenczar’s Food Town
2004 Main St.
Malik Saghir

SPRINGFIELD

Aastha Inc.
459 Main St.
Chandresh S. Patel

American Handyman
104 Seymour Ave.
Jean Wunch

Andrew L. Woods Ties
140 Bowles St.
Andrew L. Woods

Boutique Paris
36 Hillside Dr.
Yunier Rusinque

Brace Cleaning Service
163 Old Farm Road
Jeffrey S. Brace

Bruno & Albano Property Management
261 Oakland St.
Alexis A. Bruno

Cristal’s Market
261 Oakland St.
Pedro T. Perez

Crystal’s Z and R Lawn Care
73 Navajo Road
Crystal Kelly-Reid

D & F Food Services Inc.
355 Belmont Ave.
Aleandro Mirabal

Dream Décor Inc.
756 State St.
Abdul Sattar

Game Boyz
904 Carew St.
Thu T. Nguyen

Grannies, LLC
174 Wollaston St.
Joy N. Owens

J.G. Barber Shop
176 Oakland St.
Gerardo Antonio

James Scurry Home Improvement
87 Duryea St.
James Scurry

Jasran Construction
252 Parker St.
Randy E. Wilson

JSG
22 Dunbar St.
Joanna S. Gawron

K Financial Services
569 Page Blvd.
Patricia M. Korman

K.O.C. Construction
11 Gold St.
Nelson Menjivar

Latin Gourmet
1655 Main St.
Juan J. Roldan

WESTFIELD

Bright Cloud Studio
102 Elm St.
Robert F. Burch III

M & K Lighted Cemetery Wreaths
33 Stuart Place
Carol Tessier

Sharon Morley Photography
730 Montgomery Road
Sharon A. Morley

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Beacon Aba Services
59 Interstate Dr.
Robert F. Littleton

Big Time Cuts Barbershop
2009 Riverdale St.
Victor M. Lopez

Bio Green Existence
119 Highland Ave.
Jonathan Karas

First Chance Life Coaching
51 Van Deene St.
Kency Gilet

Galleria 11:32
715 Main St.
Gabriel Martinez

Khan Heating Oil
2383 Westfield St.
David K. Frasco

Willett Quality Jobs
1350 Morgan Road
Denis M. Willett

Autos Sections
Fathers & Sons to Expand, Reshape Facilities on Memorial Avenue

Damon Cartelli

Damon Cartelli is set to create the so-called terminal concept on Memorial Avenue.

It’s called the ‘terminal concept.’
That’s the phrase Audi has attached to a relatively new design it is now requiring for the showrooms that will display its growing roster of models. In literature intended for dealers, the look — which, as the name implies, educes an airport terminal — is explained this way: “designed to evoke the racing history of the brand, support the operational needs of dealers, and represent Audi through innovative design and materials, the Audi terminal concept is another physical manifestation of the ethos ‘progressive, sporty, and sophisticated.’”
Damon Cartelli used fewer, less poetic, but still effective terms to describe it.
“It has a certain look; it’s very German … there’s lots of glass, lots of metal, it’s a clean look,” said the president of the Fathers & Sons chain of dealerships, who will be creating that look at a new facility to be built a half-mile or so down Memorial Avenue in West Springfield.
The facility where he spoke with BusinessWest, currently devoted to Audi, Volvo, and Porsche, opened its doors 12 years ago, carved out of the old Coliseum banquet house. Cartelli still considers it state of the art when it comes to dealership look, feel, and amenities, and if he had his druthers, he’d be selling Audis there for a few more decades. But the carmaker, like many others these days, is more or less demanding a dedicated showroom (one that will display only its product) and one that meets a number of design specifications, inside and out.
Thus, Cartelli is taking what he calls a business “leap of faith.”
“What people tell me is that there’s an increase in business any time you build a new facility — you get an inherent lift,” he noted. “But we already have a facility that I believe is high-end and representative of the brand. It’s a tough pill to swallow to build a new dealership, and I have my doubts, but I’m going to trust what the brand tells me and hope that if you build it, they will come.”
But that’s not all. This project is currently being called ‘phase one’ of an initiative that will change the face of a nearly two-block section of the north side of Memorial Avenue and possibly create some new business opportunities for this chain of dealerships.
Indeed, while creating the new Audi dealership on land currently occupied by a Midas muffler location, a tool-supply shop, and a few buildings housing various Fathers & Sons operations and inventory, Cartelli plans to create one and perhaps two other facilities, which on current blueprints are labeled ‘future dealerships.’
And there will be some options with regard to what carmakers’ names eventually go over the door, he said, adding that the list includes models sold at existing Fathers & Sons facilities on Memorial Avenue — Volvo, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Kia — as well as some nameplates not currently sold in Western Mass., including Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, and Acura, among others.
Meanwhile, the new Audi dealership will provide an opportunity to perhaps better showcase one of the hottest car lines at the moment, one expected to gain additional momentum with new models in the A-3 series, a smaller, less-expensive line, said Cartelli.
“We’re currently selling roughly 20 cars a month,” he said of the Audi brand. “With the new A-3 series coming out, Audi’s projection is that we’re going to almost double that number.”
Demolition of existing buildings on Memorial Avenue will commence within the next month, ground should be broken on the new Audi facility by spring, and the dealership is expected to open its doors by the end of next year, he said, adding that, while this timeline is aggressive, it is also realistic.
For this issue and its focus on auto sales, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the plans that will give a new look to that section of Memorial Avenue — and write a new chapter in the intriguing history of this family business.

Driving Force

Audi dealership

‘The terminal concept,’ as seen in an Audi dealership in California.

Before talking about the future, Cartelli first referenced something now considered mostly a thing of the past in this business.
This would be the so-called auto mall, or facility that sells a number of different nameplates under one roof. There are still many operating, he said, including the dealership the Cartelli family fashioned from the Coliseum, which at one time sold four brands — Audi, Volvo, Porsche, and Saab, the last of which is no longer made.
Increasingly, though, automakers want a facility dedicated solely to their models, mostly to reduce (in theory, at least) the odds of a consumer eventually driving away with another carmaker’s product.
“Customers won’t have contact with the other brands, which is something the factory wants,” he explained while discussing the planned new Audi dealership. “It’s funny how this industry went from the auto-mall-type complex where you could stay inside and shop all the brands and compare and go from there, to the dedicated dealership, because the factories don’t want their models to be compared to the others, even though that’s going to happen anyway.”
This was just one of the dynamics that led to the commencement of discussions between Cartelli and Audi nearly two years ago, with the carmaker aggressively stating its case for both a dedicated dealership and that aforementioned terminal concept, and Cartelli agreeing, if somewhat reluctantly, to take that leap of faith.
Memorial Avenue was the logical place to build such a facility, with the existence of other company dealerships and the potential for economies of scale, said Cartelli, who commenced putting together a plan — one that would involve use of existing Fathers & Sons facilities and acquisition of other property with frontage on that street — and then executing it.
He acquired the Midas property last spring, and entered into a purchase-and-sale agreement on the tool-supply shop late last summer. He also hired an architect to work in conjunction with one commissioned by Audi to develop a design.
The emergence of a casino proposal for property in the southeast corner of the Big E complex that virtually surrounds the existing Audi, Volvo, and Porsche dealership added some intrigue to the planning process, and there were discussions with casino developer Hard Rock International about acquiring the Father & Sons site.
But the talks never advanced, and Cartelli, sensing that the casino proposal would be defeated in a referendum — which it was — proceeded with the mindset that Fathers & Sons would keep its existing facility and expand down the street.
Cartelli visited several Audi dealerships in New England that had created the terminal concept, and eventually adopted something similar to others — especially the Wallingford, Conn. store — but still unique in its own way.
Memorial Avenue

Damon Cartelli says the new Audi dealership is part of a bigger initiative that will change the face of a one-block area on Memorial Avenue and provide new opportunities for the company.

The planned 27,000-square-foot facility, not much smaller than the current home to three makes, will include a showroom big enough to display eight cars (the current Audi space can showcase five or six, depending on the models), an eight-bay service area, and a waiting area with most of the amenities that newer luxury-model dealerships boast, from a flat-screen television to leather couches to Internet access.
The new Audi store, which comes with a sticker price of roughly $3 million, will create both more space and flexibility at the existing facility, said Cartelli, adding that Porsche has been pressing for more showroom space there and will get it when the existing Audi showroom is apportioned to the other German automaker, doubling the number of cars that can be put on display. Meanwhile, the existing Porsche space on the lower level of the dealership will be renovated into a service area for Porsche and possibly Volvo.
As for the ‘future dealership’ notations on the early blueprints for the project, Cartelli said time will eventually tell how these will be colored in.
While it is possible that one of the existing dealerships (Volkswagen or Kia) will be expanded and updated into one or more of those slots, a model (or two) currently not sold in this region may emerge as a contender if the circumstances permit.
“You need some luck and the willingness of the factory to recognize that they need a dealership in this area,” he said, noting that, with some nameplates — Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz, for example — the nearest dealerships are in Hartford, and the manufacturers are currently content with that.

Into a Higher Gear
Looking ahead, Cartelli said he’s optimistic that the new dealership will do what Audi believes it will — bring more people to the showroom and, in the long run, sell more cars.
“I hope the building alone gives us some lift,” he told BusinessWest. “But what I’m really relying on is their products, what I see coming, what I believe is coming, the strength of the brand, and the direction they’re heading. All this leads me to make this investment, because if it wasn’t for what I believe is a very strong brand, I would just stay here and say, ‘thanks, but no thanks,’ and continue to sell cars out of this facility.”
As he said, this is a leap of faith, one that he hopes — and expects — will land him in a position to grow the business and drive more opportunities.

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

Cover Story Economic Outlook Sections
Economy Gains Momentum, but There Are Still Some Hills to Climb

COVER1213b3As the director of Economic and Public Policy Research for the Donohue Institute at UMass, Dan Hodge has been involved in a number of initiatives in — and involving — Springfield.
He had a role in the post-tornado initiative called Rebuild Springfield, for example, and has been both a close observer and color commentator of sorts with regard to the many different types of development that have emerged over the past several years.
Summing up the mood, or attitude, he believes is taking shape in the City of Homes, he said, “people are asking, ‘when are things going to happen here?’”
The answer, he went on, is now, or very soon.
Indeed, 2014 could be a watershed year, especially for Springfield, but also for the surrounding region, he said, noting such initiatives as the long-awaited redevelopment of Union Station and the recent announcement that UMass Amherst will proceed aggressively with establishment of a so-called satellite center at Tower Square, a $25 million undertaking.
And then, there’s that casino project that MGM Resorts International wants to build in the city’s South End. It is, at the moment, the only bidder for the coveted Western Mass. casino license still on the table. If MGM’s plan wins the favor of the Mass. Gaming Commission, and if the entire gaming initiative isn’t delayed — or waylaid — by a statewide referendum question now picking up speed (two big ‘ifs’), then cranes could start appearing on Main Street by next fall.

Dan Hodge

Dan Hodge says 2014 could be a year when things start to pick up, not only in Springfield, where many projects are expected to get underway, but with the economy in general.

“I think we could move from hearing people say, ‘it’s never going to happen,’ to ‘I think it’s going to happen,’ to ‘hey, it’s really happening,’” he noted, referring specifically to long-discussed projects like Union Station, but also to the city’s recovery in general.
And in some ways, the same can be said for the economy itself, said Hodge, noting that after four and a half years of tepid — at best — recovery, this region, and the state as a whole, is poised for something more substantial.
In fact, things started to improve late this year, said Alan Clayton-Matthews, senior contributing editor for MassBenchmarks and an associate professor of Economics and Public Policy at Northeastern University.
Massachusetts gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 3.5% in the third quarter of 2013, nearly a percentage point higher than the country as a whole, he noted, adding that this improvement (the state grew at only 1.7% in the second quarter) was due to slow but better job growth, rising wages and salary incomes, and a higher rate of spending on items subject to sales taxes. A recovering housing market and more robust consumer and business spending are driving economic growth and providing much-needed relief from what he called “considerable fiscal drag” in the form of mandated sequestration spending cuts and higher payroll taxes than last year.
Fourth-quarter numbers won’t be out for a few weeks, but Clayton-Matthews expects those trends to continue into next year, for which he projects further improvement to the employment picture, which is the real driver of additional spending.
“There are positive signs that private demand is picking up, and there is some backlog in demand that is now being felt in the market because of improving employment and household incomes, and improving wealth in households thanks to rising home prices and rising stock markets,” he said. “The net effect is that the economy is growing, and that will probably continue.”
However, discussion of the state and national economy and projections for brightening skies have come with a host of caveats in recent years, and 2014 will be no exception, said Michael Goodman, co-editor of MassBenchmarks and associate professor of Public Policy and chair of the Department of Public Policy at UMass Dartmouth.
Such caveats include the global economy, which continues to be weak, with several European countries still struggling with massive debt issues, and especially that aforementioned ‘drag,’ which has the potential to become significant and slow the pace of progress, he said, before using some terms more suited for driving to effectively get his points across.
Michael Goodman

Michael Goodman says the ecomic skies seem to be brightening, but several forces — some of them well out of the state’s control — could impede progress.

“When it comes to monetary policy, we have the pedal to the metal,” he told BusinessWest, referring to Federal Reserve policies intended to fuel confidence, bolster the markets, and generate growth. “But with fiscal policy, we have the emergency brake on.”
Indeed, while a year that gave us the dreaded fiscal cliff, sequestration, and a government shutdown is drawing to a close, he noted, the turmoil, partisan politics, and what he called “brinksmanship” on Capitol Hill remain, and there will be more recovery-threatening decisions to be made in the weeks and months to come.
“So how far is that car going to go?” he asked, returning to his analogy. “Given the recent track record, which isn’t incredibly encouraging, I think more of the same is the most sensible outlook.”
For this issue, BusinessWest takes its annual year-end look at the economy and the prospects for the future. The consensus is that, while this region appears to be picking up steam, there are still some big hills to climb.

On-the-money Analysis
As he talked with BusinessWest about the economy, the ongoing but limited recovery, and the forces that will shape the foreseeable future, Goodman summoned that old Chinese proverb (some would call it a curse): ‘may you live in interesting times.’
Some would use a different adjective to describe this period, but that term works, he said, adding that this has certainly been an intriguing time in which to watch the economy, discuss developments in the classroom, and attempt to make projections about what will happen next.
Clayton-Matthews agreed, and set the tone for his analysis by saying, “this has been a nightmare of a recession.”
And by that, he meant both the actual downturn, the so-called Great Recession, which officially ended toward the middle of 2009, and the often-painfully slow recovery that followed.
In many respects, it has been like the recession of the late ’80s and early ’90s — noted in Massachusetts for the loss of an entire industry (minicomputers), multiple bank failures, a 12% reduction in GDP, and an equally long and slow recovery period — but in some ways, especially the force of the turbulence confronting progress, it’s been worse.
But is the nightmare over?
That’s the $64,000 question, said Clayton-Matthews, adding that there are definitely signs that it might be.
These include three consecutive months of payroll growth registered in August, September, and October, he said, adding that, while the gains were outwardly not significant (perhaps 1.5%), they are made more impressive by the “significant headwinds coming from the federal government,” as he called them, referring to everything from sequestration to the shutdown.
“Considering all that, it’s nice that we’re having any payroll growth,” he said. “This is much faster growth than I was expecting.”
Clayton-Matthews said the payroll figures contradict, to some extent, household-survey results, which indicate that that there are fewer Massachusetts residents working now than at this time last year, but overall, he considers the payroll numbers more reliable, and he believes they translate into improving confidence and increased spending.
“It appears that both the national and state economies have been growing — not at a rapid rate, but they’ve been growing,” he said. “And that has been resulting in higher levels of employment and, therefore, household income, and the ability to spend and the willingness to spend.”
Cliff Noreen, president of Babson Capital, which has more than $188 billion in assets under management, agreed, offering this broad summation: “the U.S. economy continues to heal, but is not yet healthy.”
Elaborating, he said he has a host of numbers he can summon that would seem to justify optimism about the economy and where it’s heading, but also give credence to his belief that the healing process is far from over.

Cliff Noreen

Cliff Noreen says the economy is healing, but is not yet healthy, although it is likely to get healthier in 2014.

Start with those concerning corporate profits, which have reached record levels — $1.83 trillion — and are outperforming a stock market that is up more than 25% for the year, although this growth is attributable far more to cost-cutting and other efficiencies rather than climbing revenues.
Meanwhile, government debt, which exceeded more than $1 trillion a year ago, is now down to $650 billion, he noted, adding that, while this number is still historically high, the drop is encouraging. Meanwhile, there was more good news in the November jobs report, which revealed that the economy is up 2.1 million jobs this year and unemployment fell to 7% for the first time in five years.
“It does seem like the economy is finally getting stronger,” he told BusinessWest. Every year, we sit here and we hear that the economy will be stronger next year, and it doesn’t get stronger. But this year, it appears the economy is actually strengthening, and we should be into a better economic environment in 2014.”
Looking ahead, based on data in the New England Economic Partnership forecast for Massachusetts, Clayton-Matthews expects employment growth to continue and accelerate through 2014 into 2015, largely because of those rising numbers for employment and income and the resulting trickle-down effect, and expectations that the drag from the federal government, while still a factor, will be less impactful.
By 2015, payroll growth in the Bay State is expected to hit 2%, he went on, adding that the growth will come across many sectors of the economy, but especially construction (especially as the housing market improves), professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, education, healthcare, and the ‘information,’ or technology, sector.
After 2015, payroll growth is expected to taper off, due mostly to the escalating number of retiring Baby Boomers (a phenomenon that presents another challenge for the Commonwealth and its employers), but the immediate future is looking more promising.

Work in Progress
But while the economic skies would seem to be brightening, there are many forces that could impede progress, said Goodman, adding quickly that many of these forces originate outside the borders of this state, and the country, for that matter.
And with that, he returned to what he called “ongoing political shenanigans” on Capitol Hill, and his analogy to hitting the gas at the same time the emergency brake is on.
“The Fed is doing everything in its power to encourage growth,” he said. “It’s keeping interest rates low, it’s making it more attractive to borrow, it’s increasing the monetary supply through quantitative easing … the Fed is just trying to snap us out of this by encouraging investment and sparking economic growth.
“But at the same time, we’ve been engaging in these austerity-related budget policies,” he went on. “We have sequestration, the inability of the federal government to even pass a budget, moving from continuing resolution to continuing resolution, which injects all kinds of uncertainty into important parts of the economy, and the periodic brinksmanship, which has had such a demonstrably negative impact on economic activity in the periods leading up to those moments of truth.”
Although the Senate eventually passed a budget last week, other challenges loom. In another eight to 10 weeks, the latest continuing resolution that allows the federal government to continue operating will come to an end, said Goodman, adding that the debt ceiling is also nearing its limit. Which means there are more moments of truth to come, and they make it extremely difficult to project what will happen nationally and regionally.
Meanwhile, the same is true for what’s happening — or not happening — overseas, he said, adding that the international economy remains weak, and its overall health is certainly something well beyond the control of state and national leaders.
But it bears watching because of the Bay State’s strong export economy and its vulnerability to adverse conditions in Asia and especially Europe, where more than 40% of the state’s exports wind up.
“That’s been a growth driver for the entire state, and it has allowed us to do, until quite recently, a bit better that the country as a whole,” he said, referring to what’s generally referred to as the ‘innovation economy.’ “We’ve grown a bit faster until very recently, and we’ve had quite a difficult time with employment, housing, and other areas, even though we’ve certainly had challenges.
“All of that is driven by businesses and consumer markets around the world purchasing our products and services,” he continued, listing everything from healthcare to computer technology. “All of these things have been driven by demand from around the world, and we don’t know what’s going to happen with that demand.”
Compounding this vulnerability is the general uncertainty, not to mention actual cutbacks, in federal spending resulting from sequestration and other austerity measures, he went on.
“The fuel for the innovation economy has been not just that international and national private demand, but also federal funds in the form of research dollars, government contracts, and government expenditures,” Goodman explained. “When we think about the Pioneer Valley and its precision-manufacturing base and its reliance on government funding, the changes that are taking place, with many of them resulting from government policy choices, are putting some downward pressure on demand and creating a lot of uncertainty.”
At the same time, there are some other forces at play with regard to the economy, he went on, noting, for example, that many of those aforementioned products and services being exported but also sold in this country are enabling businesses to effectively do more with less, meaning fewer employees, which is certainly contributing to tepid gains in employment.
Also, noted Hodge, Massachusetts is facing the difficult challenge of creating employment opportunities for those without a college education, who increasingly face the prospect of being left behind in this innovation economy.
Elaborating, he said the state’s unemployment rate is at essentially the same level as the rest of the country — 7%. But because this state has a higher percentage of people with college degrees than other states, its unemployment numbers are skewed toward those who are less educated.
“This is a big challenge for the state,” he said, adding that there are several initiatives being undertaken, and a workforce study involving the Donahue Institute and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission has been launched in an effort to identify strategies for enabling more members of this demographic to enter the workforce and stay in it. “One of the things we keep hearing is that there are some good programs out there, but they’re just not reaching enough people.
“The unemployment rate in Springfield is still over 10%, and it’s the same in Holyoke,” Hodge went on. “And the longer people are detached from the workforce, the less they see a future, and the harder it’s going to be for them. This is a big segment of the population, and it’s a largely untapped resource.”

The Bottom Line
When asked if it’s difficult to make a projection for the future of the regional and state economies, Clayton-Matthews laughed.
“It’s not difficult to make a projection,” he said, responding to the specific wording of the question. “But it is difficult to make an accurate projection.”
That’s because, while many arrows are pointing up, there are those headwinds to consider, as has been the case since the recession officially ended and the recovery, such as it is, began.
If all goes well — or at least better than it has — then that emergency brake Goodman mentioned may finally be taken off, and if it does, then the economy might actually be able to pick up some speed.

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

Briefcase Departments

Tolosky Steps Down as Baystate President, CEO
SPRINGFIELD — Mark Tolosky has decided to end his tenure as president and CEO of Baystate Health effective July 1, 2014. Tolosky, who has served in that role since 2004, will be succeeded by Dr. Mark Keroack. “It is an extraordinarily difficult decision to give up the privilege of serving so many people in our community and touching so many lives,” said Tolosky, whose decision culminates a longstanding personal and professional plan to transition his leadership of Baystate. “But I’m confident that now is the right time to move on to my next phase, as my Baystate colleagues continue to lead the way in transforming healthcare toward greater quality, accessibility, and affordability.” The Baystate Health board of trustees has unanimously approved the appointment of Keroack, a native of Springfield, to assume the role of president and CEO of Baystate Health next year. As an interim step, on Jan. 1, 2014, Keroack will assume the additional title and authority of president and CEO of Baystate Medical Center.
“It is a great honor to be selected as the next leader of this wonderful organization,” said Keroack. “The new healthcare world will require an unprecedented level of connectedness between nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals; between specialty and primary care providers; between those who touch our patients and those who support them; between health plan and delivery system; and across all the communities and regions that we serve. I am excited to continue this great work, here in the town where I grew up, and across all of Western Mass., to achieve a higher state of caring for the people we serve.” 
Keroack’s father, Dr. Alvin Keroack, served the Sixteen Acres community of Springfield for many years as a general practitioner and occasionally brought his son, Mark, to what was then Springfield Hospital (now Baystate Medical Center) for rounds. Keroack’s mother, Mary Phaneuf Keroack, was a nurse and graduate of the Springfield Hospital School of Nursing, which became the Baystate School of Nursing. Tolosky joined Baystate in 1992 as executive vice president of Baystate Health and CEO of Baystate Medical Center. In 2004, he was promoted to president and CEO of Baystate Health. Under Tolosky, Baystate has been named one of the nation’s top 15 integrated health systems, and its hospitals, services, and employees have received multiple prestigious healthcare-quality honors. “Mark’s vision has been not only to transform the quality of our care, but our presence across the region as well,” said Victor Woolridge, chair of the board of trustees. “In the last 15 years, we have reinvested over $750 million into our communities and dramatically improved the facilities and services available to patients across Western Mass.” Baystate’s facility investments during Tolosky’s tenure include the $300 million expansion of Baystate Medical Center in 2012, comprising the MassMutual Wing, the Davis Family Heart & Vascular Center, the Harold Grinspoon and Diane Troderman Adult Emergency Department, and the Sadowsky Family Pediatric Emergency Department; recent renovations at Baystate Franklin Medical Center and Baystate Mary Lane Hospital; the construction of the Chestnut Surgery Center, the 3300 Main St. outpatient center, the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care, the Baystate Orthopedic Surgery Center, and the Baystate Children’s Specialty Center, all in Springfield, where a formerly underused stretch of Main Street in the North End is now a burgeoning ‘Medical Mile’; as well as many other upgrades in facilities and clinical capabilities across the Baystate Health system. After the July transition, Tolosky will assume the title of president emeritus and support his successor Keroack as needed. “I look forward to working closely with Dr. Keroack over the next six months to continue to advance relationships critical to the success of our organization and the health of our community, while transitioning the duties of CEO,” said Tolosky. Prior to joining Baystate Health, Keroack served on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts for 12 years. During that time, he was a busy practitioner focusing on HIV and AIDS care and won five annual teaching awards. He subsequently provided executive leadership at UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester as vice president for Medical Management and later as the first executive director of the 700-physician UMass Memorial Medical Group. He then joined University Health System Consortium (UHC) in Chicago, where he served as senior vice president and chief medical officer. There, he oversaw programs for clinical and operational performance improvement, faculty group practice management, patient safety, and accreditation. Keroack graduated from Amherst College and Harvard Medical School, and received his MPH from Boston University. He trained in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Construction Adds 17,000 Jobs in November
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Construction employers added 17,000 jobs in November as the sector’s employment hit the highest level since August 2009, and the industry unemployment rate fell to 8.6%, according to an analysis of new government data by Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the new employment figures come as construction spending levels hit a four-year high in October. “While these new employment figures are very encouraging, growth remains uneven by segment, region, and time period,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “There are likely to be continuing variations in growth between home building, private non-residential, and public sector.” Construction employment totaled 5,851,000 in November, an increase of 178,000 from a year earlier, Simonson noted. But while employment grew by 3.1% during the past year, construction employment remains nearly 1.9 million below the sector’s April 2006 peak. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for workers actively looking for jobs and last employed in construction declined from 12.2% in November 2012 to 8.6% last month. Non-residential construction firms added 7,900 new jobs in November, while residential firms added 8,400 jobs. While every segment of the construction industry added jobs in November, heavy and civil engineering firms — which are most likely to perform federal construction work — added the least amount, only 200 jobs. Meanwhile, residential specialty trade contractors added the most new jobs during the past month, 7,100. The number of unemployed construction workers dropped from 988,000 in November 2012 to 706,000 in November 2013, a decline of 282,000.

Unemployment Rates Fall for Both Women, Men
WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to analysis by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), due to continued job growth in November, women hold more jobs on payrolls than ever before, while men have regained 75% (4.5 million) of the jobs they lost during the recession. Of the 2.3 million jobs added to payrolls in the last year, 51% were filled by women, and 49% were filled by men. Nonetheless, men held 1.6 million more jobs than women in November.
IWPR’s analysis of the December employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that, of the 203,000 total jobs added in November, women gained 94,000 of those jobs (46%), while men gained 109,000 jobs (54%). Women’s employment growth was strongest in education and health services (39,000 jobs gained by women), professional and business services (17,000 jobs), and retail trade (15,600 jobs). If the number of jobs had grown as fast as the working-age population since the start of the recession, women would hold 3.8 million more jobs in November 2013, and men would hold an additional 5.4 million.
“While unemployment is dropping and men are steadily regaining the jobs they lost during the recession,” said IWPR Study Director Jeffrey Hayes, “employment growth for both men and women hasn’t caught up with population growth. We still need to focus on creating jobs — especially jobs that pay well and provide benefits.”
According to the household survey data reported by the BLS, the unemployment rate decreased to 6.7% in November for women and 7.3% for men. Among single mothers, however, the unemployment rate increased slightly to 9.7%.
The November data builds on IWPR’s analysis of trends that emerged in the first four years of the recovery, notably the relative growth in industries — such as education and health services — with high concentrations of women workers, and the contraction in government jobs and their effects on job growth for both men and women. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research conducts research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women and their families, promote public dialogue, and strengthen communities and societies.

MGM Resorts Found Suitable for Casino License
BOSTON — Investigators for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently recommended that MGM Resorts International be found suitable to apply for a casino license, subject to certain conditions. MGM is planning an $800 million casino project in Springfield’s South End. Among the conditions investigators posed, MGM must satisfy the commission that its business practices in Macau meet a legal standard of “responsible business practices” in any jurisdiction, and must also satisfy the commission regarding Terry Christensen, a former member of the MGM board who resigned after a federal indictment for wiretapping and conspiracy. MGM is the sole remaining applicant for a casino license in Western Mass. after voters in West Springfield and Palmer rejected casino proposals earlier this year. Springfield voters approved a casino by a 58-42 margin. At press time, the five-member Gaming Commission was expected to vote on whether MGM is suitable to apply for a casino license in Springfield. MGM owns 99% of the Springfield project, and local hotel owner Paul Picknelly owns 1%, investigators reported.

Autos Sections
Today’s Vehicles Are Loaded with Safety Features

Michael Oleksak

Michael Oleksak says drivers, especially those with children, respond enthusiastically to features like backup cameras, enhanced airbags, and child locks.

Motorists are supposed to keep their eyes on the road. That goes without saying, right?
Yet, think of all the distractions that could cause a momentary lapse in concentration, from bickering kids in the back seat to a sip of coffee to a quick glance at the radio dial. If traffic suddenly slows during one of those moments, an accident can occur.
That’s the idea behind adaptive cruise control.
“It’s a built-in collision-prevention system that maintains a set distance from the car in front of you. It lights up on the dashboard when you’re approaching a solid object faster than you should be,” said Brian Farnsworth, a sales consultant with Marcotte Ford in Holyoke, adding that the system is typically paired with brake support “In addition to giving you visual and audio cues, it fully charges the brakes for you, so when you hit the brakes, they’re ready to respond as fast as possible.”
But that’s certainly not the only high-tech vehicle-safety advance of recent years. Equipment that alerts drivers to hazards while backing up are standard on many models, said Michael Oleksak, general manager at Burke GMC in Northampton.
“The rear-vision camera is a tremendous safety feature for the driveway, if someone has small children,” he said. “It gives you a complete panoramic view of the back, and there’s a backup alarm system, so if you’re backing up, and you get within 30 inches or three feet, it starts to beep, and you also see a light flash. Then, as you’re getting closer and closer, the beeps come more often and also louder.”
Michael Filomeno, Marcotte’s general manager, said many Ford models already feature the backup camera, and the device will be standard on more models next year. Meanwhile, pending regulation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration could soon make this technology standard on all vehicles — just one indication of how safety concerns are driving innovation among manufacturers.
“Airbags, anti-lock brakes, things that were big safety features in the ’80s, are pretty standard things now, but they’ve evolved,” Filomeno said. “We have better technology, things like adaptive cruise control, a new generation of airbags — it’s a whole different vehicle than it used to be.”
For this issue and its focus on auto sales, BusinessWest examines what’s new in vehicle safety, and why it matters to dealers and drivers alike.

Something Old, Something New

Michael Filomeno (left, with Brian Farnsworth)

Michael Filomeno (left, with Brian Farnsworth) says even safety features that first appeared decades ago have advanced in recent years.

Of course, safety concerns are nothing new for carmakers.
“While new technologies are greatly advancing safety features, auto manufacturers have had the consumer’s welfare in mind since the automobile’s inception,” notes Greg Fowler in Auto Trends magazine. “Many aspects of today’s vehicles taken for granted were initially included to improve the automobile’s marketability by making it seem less of a daredevil’s toy and more useful to the mainstream public.”
Until recently, vehicle safety features advanced slowly at best. According to Auto Trends, safety glass was first used for automobile windshields in the 1920s, and Buick was the first manufacturer to install a flashing turn signal in 1938. Meanwhile, cars had been on American roads for more than a half-century before seatbelts were introduced in 1949.
The ’70s and ’80s saw airbags and anti-lock braking systems become commonplace, but even those features have come a long way.
“Years ago, a car had two airbags,” Oleksak said. “Now, depending on the vehicle, you might have eight or 10. There’s side curtain and head curtain and side impact.”
Farnsworth added that Ford vehicles recently introduced front knee airbags on both the driver and passenger side, as well as inflatable seatbelts for children in the rear seats of SUVs.
Across the auto industry, in fact, airbags are anything but old hat. Because airbags have been deemed responsible for blunt-force injuries and even deaths, especially to children, over the years, all passenger vehicles since 2006 have been designed with advanced frontal airbag systems, the industry term for a deployment technology that automatically detects the size and position of the passenger and the severity of the crash, then uses that information to vary the force with which the bags inflate.
Oleksak was quick to note that many safety advances of modern times are decidedly low-tech, while others rely on more complex equipment.
“It’s a small thing, but we have child locks you can program though the locking system,” he said. “Another small feature, but very helpful, that you see in a lot of the Chevy trucks is the flasher in the side mirror — when you put the directional signal on, the mirror arrow flashes. Someone up close to you might not see the brake light, but they’ll see your mirror flashing.”
More advanced features do the opposite, alerting drivers to fellow motorists they might not see in their blind spots. That’s the purpose of the lane- departure feature, which alerts drivers when they’re drifting from their lane without a turn signal on, and also warns them when not to change lanes. “Let’s say someone is passing you on the right and is very close to you,” he said. “You see something flash, so you know not to pull over to the right.”
Even the simple act of parallel parking is being boosted by technology. An increasing number of carmakers are offering a feature that detects the size of the parking space, guides the driver into the starting position, and then parks the car automatically, hands-free — which, as it becomes more commonplace, could theoretically prevent many minor scrapes and fender benders.

Saving Lives
Of greater concern, of course, are serious accidents that cause injuries and deaths, and automakers understand those stakes. For example, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that up to 1.2 million crashes could be prevented or mitigated each year if all vehicles boasted some kind of forward collision avoidance system — preferably paired with autonomous braking systems or adaptive headlights, which rotate to better light the car’s path on curves and reduce glare for oncoming traffic.
The institute also credits electronic stability control — a recent innovation that helps drivers correct a swerving vehicle by applying brakes on individual wheels — with reducing the risk of a single-vehicle fatal crash by 50%, which is why it’s now standard equipment across the industry.
Oleksak said car buyers are increasingly aware of newer safety features, and are coming to expect them. “Even on the entry-level Chevy Cruze, you’re getting most of these features. Some are standard, some optional, depending on the model.”
Also popular with GM drivers is OnStar, a satellite service that provides navigation assistance but also features automatic crash response, alerting emergency services of an accident and its location. Drivers can also trigger that response manually in case of, say, a heart attack or a carjacking. Ford has a similar service called Operator Assist.
“That’s one of the features you hope you never have to use, and others, you use all the time,” he said of vehicle-safety devices in general. “Cars have really leaped ahead with safety. Just look at the way they’re designed, with crumple zones, the way the hoods fold. Years ago, in an accident, the hood came back through the windshield. Nowadays, with crumple zones, the hood folds a certain way, so as not to injure a person.”
Safety glass has improved as well, Oleksak noted. “Years ago, the glass was jagged, but now, the windshield breaks into a million pieces, almost like ash.”
Meanwhile, Farnsworth pointed to the roll-stability feature now standard on many Ford SUVs as just another example of safety advances drivers often take for granted. “People don’t always know about it. Our job is to let them know what’s available. And there are so many features now.”
Fowler notes in Auto Trends that safety advances have not only led to fewer accidents, but fewer insurance claims, which can lower insurance rates for everyone. “Cars do not drive themselves,” he notes, “but technological advances are getting us close.”
“Ford’s got a lot of cool stuff people don’t even know about,” Filomeno added. “When they come in, they’re not coming in looking for adaptive cruise, necessarily, but when you show them the car and tell them what it has, they’re really awed by it.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Features
Deadline Approaches for Finalizing the Class of 2014

BizDiffMakrsLOGO2011
The clock is ticking, but there is still time to nominate an individual or group for BusinessWest’s Difference Makers class of 2014.
Nominations, which can be completed online here will be accepted until the close of the business day (5 p.m.) on Dec. 20.
Difference Makers is the program BusinessWest launched in 2007 to recognize those who are, as the name suggests, making a difference in the region called Western Mass. Over the years, winners have come from a number of fields and been involved in a host of endeavors — from filling shelves in school libraries to creating a hugely successful fund-raiser to battle breast cancer; from fighting crime in Holyoke to making a community college more of a force in efforts to build a quality workforce in the region.
And in recent weeks, a number of nominations have been received that reinforce the notion that there are, indeed, many ways in which a group or individual can make a difference, said Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest.
She noted that individuals and organizations representing several sectors, from healthcare to education to the nonprofit realm, have been nominated.
“Each year, we’re reminded that there are many ways to make a difference, and people and groups that are making a positive impact on overall quality of life in this region,” she said. “In recent years, we’ve had some hard decisions to make about who will be honored at our annual event in March, and this year is no exception.”
The class of 2014 will be selected by the editors and publishers of BusinessWest, and their stories will be told in a special section that will appear in the Feb. 10 edition of the magazine.
The annual Difference Makers awards event will be staged March 20 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. For more information on the Difference Makers program, call the magazine’s editor, George O’Brien, at (413) 781-8600, ext. 102.


Previous Difference Makers:


2009

• Doug Bowen, president and CEO of PeoplesBank;
• Kate Kane, managing director of the Springfield office of Northwestern Mutual Financial/the Zuzolo Group;
• Susan Jaye-Kaplan, founder of GoFIT and co-founder of Link to Libraries;
• William Ward, executive director of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County; and
• The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield

2010

• The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation;
• Ellen Freyman, attorney and shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C.;
• James Goodwin, president and CEO of the Center for Human Development;
• Carol Katz, CEO of the Loomis Communities; and
• UMass Amherst and its chancellor, Robert Holub.

2011
• Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission;
• Lucia Giuggio Carlvalho, founder of Rays of Hope;
• Don Kozera, president of Human Resources Unlimited;
• Robert Perry, retired partner/consultant with Meyers Brothers Kalicka; and
• Anthony Scott, Holyoke police chief.

2012
• Charlie and Donald D’Amour, president/COO and chairman/CEO, respectively, of Big Y Foods;
• William Messner, president of Holyoke Community College;
• Majors Tom and Linda-Jo Perks, officers of the Springfield Corps of the Salvation Army;
• Bob Schwarz, executive vice president of Peter Pan Bus Lines; and
• The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts.

2013
• Michael Cutone, John Barbieri, and Thomas Sarrouf, organizers of Springfield’s C3 Policing program;
• John Downing, president of Soldier On;
• Bruce Landon, president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons;
• The Sisters of Providence; and
• Jim Vinick, senior vice president of Investments at Moors & Cabot Inc.

Opinion
Deliberation Needed on Minimum Wage

In 2006, the state Legislature enacted a two-step increase in the minimum wage, raising it to $8 per hour by January 2008. At the time, that rate was the second-highest in the country, behind Washington state and tied with California. Just about each year since then, the issue of increasing the minimum wage comes up for debate on Beacon Hill, and this year was no different.
On the second-to-last day of the 2013 legislative session, the Senate passed a bill increasing the rate in three steps to $11 per hour while tying additional increases to inflation. The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) advocated that the Senate move its vote until the new year for several reasons, not the least of which was the timing of the vote so late in the session, giving amendments to the bill very little attention and time for debate, and the House virtually no chance to debate either the bill or its amendments until the new year.
The ACCGS expects the issue to come to a head early in the coming year. We suspect the rate will be increased, as the debate seems more focused on what the rate will be rather than if the rate will be higher and whether or not it will be tied to an inflation-linked index, and how this acknowledged increase in the cost of doing business will be offset by decreases in other business costs.
Even the term ‘minimum wage’ is being debated. There are some in the Legislature who would prefer the rate be increased even higher than the Senate’s suggested $11 per hour, noting that it would be a ‘living wage,’ and there are those who would like to see a more moderate and reasoned approach for a ‘starting wage.’
Whatever the term, a wage is a wage, and wages constitute one of a company’s largest operating costs. As such, the ACCGS believes more debate and deliberation is needed on this issue, and is calling for a very careful and detailed look at any request for an increase.
A recent survey of chamber members showed that more than 80% of the respondents already pay above the state and federal minimum wage, with more than half paying an hourly rate of $10 or more. More than 80% said an increase in the minimum wage was somewhat or very important to them, noting their very real concern that a large increase would cause upward pressure on all wages. Many of the businesses went so far as to acknowledge that other steps would need to be taken in their individual businesses to offset that pressure.
The ACCGS recognizes that more than 10 other states have increased their minimum wage rate this year, but believes that none have taken it to the levels the Massachusetts Senate did. We know there are studies as to the pros and cons of an increase and the impact it has on the economy and on jobs, and our own survey results show there will be an impact. With an unemployment rate in our region that is almost 50% higher than the state in general, actions that could inhibit job creation must be scrutinized.
As the House moves its debate forward, the chamber will advocate with representatives for moderation in any increase in the minimum wage, recognizing what negative impacts could occur, while at the same time, the chamber will call for a linked action to reductions in other costs of doing business, such as the unemployment-insurance tax. Like the minimum wage, where this state ranks among the highest in the U.S., the same holds true for the cost of unemployment insurance. The chamber firmly believes we should all work collectively and collaboratively at reducing the costs of owning and operating a business in the Commonwealth to enable job creation, reduce unemployment, and improve the overall economy of the region.

Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda is president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield.

Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT
Baystate Elevator Co. v. CDM Properties, LLC
Allegation: Breach of written elevator maintenance agreement: $10,000
Filed: 10/25/13

Mary Lou Sanborn v. Lapinski Electric Inc. and Christopher Lapinski
Allegation: Breach of settlement agreement: $15,000
Filed: 11/7/13

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Emily Bauer v. ServiceNet Inc. and Micah Matthia
Allegation: Negligent operation of a vehicle causing injury: $24,999
Filed: 11/6/13

Yvette Ramirez v. Holyoke Mall Co., L.P.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing injury: $3,634.86
Filed: 10/17/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Jack Clemente v. Gary Martinelli and Martinelli Descenza PC
Allegation: Unfair and deceptive acts in representation as a personal attorney: $700,000
Filed: 10/25/13

Jose Feliciano v. Basketball League of Western MA, Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Holy Name Parish, and Springfield Heat Youth Basketball
Allegation: Negligent hiring, failure to provide adequate security, assault and battery by a coach: $8,440.32
Filed: 10/23/13

Pioneer Valley Hotels Inc. v. Set in Concrete Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and negligence: $31,425
Filed: 11/5/13

William Wessig v. Edward Desarkis d/b/a Deluxe Limousine Service
Allegation: Defendant misclassified plaintiff as an independent contractor and failed to pay wages and overtime: $30,000
Filed: 11/8/13

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Amcor Inc. v. Hi-De Liners Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $96,491.28
Filed: 9/4/13

CNH Capital America, LLC v. Scott Hutkowski d/b/a Long Plain Farm
Allegation: Action for redelivery and repossession of certain goods and money damages as a result of default under the terms of a security agreement: $25,847.96
Filed: 9/13/13

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT
Inter-Ocean Investments d/b/a Fine Writing, LLC v. Jaishri J. Singh d/b/a ABC Gifts
Allegation: Unpaid credit-card charges: $2,115.79
Filed: 11/8/13

Juan C. Arevalo v. Philip B. Rayder, the Martin-Brower Co., LLC, CJ Transportation, LLC, and Reyes Holding Inc.
Allegation: Negligent operation of a motor vehicle: $13,173.49
Filed: 9/26/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. v. DB Installation Inc.
Allegation: Balance due on workers’ compensation policy: $6,990.17
Filed: 9/25/13

The Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Thomas Engwer III d/b/a Thomas Engwer Trucking
Allegation: Breach of contract and monies owed: $10,821.00
Filed: 10/16/13

Giving Guide Sections
Regional Philanthropic Opportunities

GivingGuideArtWhile philanthropy is a year-round activity, the holidays are a time when many think about those who are in need, and how, in general, they can help make Western Mass. a better community for all who call this region home. To help individuals, groups, and businesses make effective decisions when it comes to philanthropy, BusinessWest presents its annual Giving Guide. On the pages that follow are profiles of 13 area nonprofit organizations, a sampling of this region’s thousands of nonprofits, including groups dedicated to everything from providing early-childhood education to finding homes for stray or unwanted animals; from filling the shelves of area school libraries to creating needed services for area senior citizens. These profiles are intended to educate readers about what these groups are doing, and also to inspire them to provide the support (which comes in many different forms) that these organizations and so many others desperately need.

George O’Brien, Editor
John Gormally, Publisher
Kate Campiti, Associate Publisher

To download a flip book of the 2013 Giving Guide click here

Departments Picture This

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]

Night at the Museum

IMG_1153Herbie,-Tim-Allen-and-three-othersHolly,-Stuart,-Carol-&-Noel-LearyAt a sold-out Holiday Gala 2013 on Dec. 5, attendees enjoyed cocktails at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts before strolling across the Quadrangle for an elegant dinner in the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.  The annual event, which benefits the Springfield Museums, featured live jazz by Berkshire Jazz Underground and vocalists from Springfield College. Top right: from left, Brian Lees, former Hampden County Clerk of Courts; Heriberto Flores, executive director, New England Farmworkers Council; Mary-Beth Cooper, president of Springfield College; Tim Allen, United Way of Pioneer Valley and Springfield city councilor; and Vanessa Otero, director of the North End Campus Coalition. Bottom left: from left, Stuart Prall; Holly Smith-Bové, Springfield Museums president; Carol Leary, president of Bay Path College; and her husband, Noel Leary.
Photos by Ed Cohen

Going Out in Style

IMG_1161IMG_1159More than 175 friends, colleagues, and area business owners and managers turned out at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee on Dec. 9 to honor Gail Sherman, who recently announced that she will be retiring after 17 years as director of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce. At left: Sherman with Ron Proulx, business director of Dave’s Truck Repair in Springfield and chairman of the chamber’s board of directors. Right, Sherman shares a moment with Joe Peters, former chairman of the chamber’s board and CEO of Universal Plastics, and Doris Ransford, longtime director of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, who partnered with Sherman on a number of initiatives and retired herself in 2012.

Into the Next Phase

BWard-Retire-Party-72BWard-Retire-Party-96BWard-Retire-Party-131BWard-Retire-Party-117The Regional Employment Board (REB) of Hampden County staged a retirement party for long-time executive director Bill Ward on Dec. 10 at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke. More than 300 friends and associates, including local, state, and national political leaders, honored Ward — who was one of the first winners of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers award — for his more than 30 years of tireless work to address and improve workforce issues. Left to right from top left: Ward poses with Michael Ashe, Hampden County Sheriff; Team Hoyt, son Rick and father Dick, with Ward, a one-time chairman of the board at Kamp for Kids, a camp for physically disabled and able-bodied children founded by the Hoyt family; Ward is flanked by son Christopher, customer service representative for Fedex, and daughter Michelle Ward, a writer and reporter for People magazine; REB staff members gather around Ward after the festivities.Photos by Michael Epaul

Bottom right photo by Ed Cohen

Insurance Sections
Severe Storms Are Creating a Trickle-down Effect on Policy Holders

Jim Phaneuf

With past and future storm damage in mind, Jim Phaneuf says, the state attorney general and insurance commissioner are making sure that carrier premiums and rate increases are justified.

When Jim Phaneuf references the weather, he’s certainly not making small talk.
Rather, he’s discussing big business — the insurance business, which he’s been in for more than 36 years, enough time to see everything, or just about everything, in this industry.
Indeed, over the past several years — and one year in particular, 2011 — Phaneuf, president of Bell & Hudson Insurance Agency in Belchertown, and others in this sector have seen things they’ve never seen before in terms of weather calamities and the resulting impact on the companies that write the policies and the consumers who purchase them.
‘Historic’ is the word he and others have used to describe it all — meaning everything from 2011’s ice dams, tornadoes, hurricane, and freak October snowstorm to subsequent weather events such as Superstorm Sandy in the fall of 2012, and the general consensus that this part of the country will see more of the same in the years to come.
But instead of words, Phaneuf and others like to use numbers to get their points across.
“Between 1980 and 2012, there were 123 U.S. weather-related events that resulted in claims of over $1 billion,” he told BusinessWest. “In 2011 alone, there were 12 U.S. weather-related disasters with over $1 billion in claims, and that caused insurance companies to raise rates to attempt to recover their losses. Our experience has been that most home-insurance customers have experienced rate increases in the past two years, largely as a result of the storms of 2011 and 2012.”
Corey Murphy, president of First American Insurance Agency in Chicopee, agreed, noting that 2011 was a banner year for weather-related claims in this region and others, and the impact from those losses will be felt for some time.
“I knew the insurance companies were going to have to respond — it was a catastrophic year; we had pretty much every natural disaster you could have,” he said, noting that rates have escalated for business and residential policy holders alike, between 3% and 6% on average.
The numbers vary, he said, because in many instances, an agency can sometimes shop for and get a better price, even at a time when many carriers are still struggling to recover losses. Meanwhile, agents can work with clients to lower their insurance bills by making sure they’re buying only what they need, passing on what they don’t need, and employing strategies such as bundling policies, taking higher deductibles, and avoiding marginal claims that will nonetheless trigger premium hikes.
Corey Murphy

Corey Murphy and his staff have kept their commercial and residential rate increases from storm damage as low as possible by shopping their policy needs with a variety of carriers.

Overall, he said, this is a time for consumers to renew — and tighten — their relationship with their insurance agency, because if predicting the weather is difficult, if not impossible, so too is gauging and minimizing the impact of all that weather on one’s insurance bills.
For this issue and its focus on insurance, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at what has become a perfect storm — in every aspect of that phrase — for insurance carriers, and a time of challenge for those looking to protect their assets and manage the cost of doing so.

Climate Change
Recapping recent events, meaning those of the past few decades and especially the past few years, those we spoke with said things have become more unsettled.
They used that word to refer to both the weather — which, in the opinion of many, is being increasingly impacted by global warming — and the fiscal health and well-being of insurance carriers.
Indeed, due to the recent spate of weather calamities, most insurance companies will not write polices for hurricane-prone coastal properties in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Texas, said Bill Grinnell, president of Webber & Grinnell Insurance Agency in Northampton. So the states have created their own insurance mechanisms and set up rules, collecting premiums from property owners and assessing surcharges to those insurance companies that do business in other regions of those states.
“There is a wide belief that these storms are caused by global warming, which makes the weather less predictable and insurance outcomes less predictable,” Grinnell explained. “As a result, more revenues are needed to create reserves to cover the potential for more disasters, so there’s definitely been an uptick in the cost of insurance.”
According to a 2013 report, “Inaction on Climate Change: the Cost to Taxpayers,” by Ceres, a nonprofit organization advocating for sustainability leadership, the total loss exposure of these state-run insurance plans in the past 20 years has risen by 1,550%, from about $40 billion in 1990 to more than $600 billion in 2010.  Additionally, the report says only 50% of the damages in the U.S. caused by extreme weather events are privately insured, which leaves the federal and state governments (the taxpayers) to pick up the remaining tab.
Insurance companies, said Grinnell, earn revenue in two ways: premiums, of course, and conservative, low-risk investments, primarily in the bond markets.
With the historically low rates of return on bonds, insurance companies are not earning as much as they have in the past, and at the same time, they’re seeing higher bills from their reinsurance companies after paying out billions for just the past two years’ worth of catastrophic storms.
“So the reinsurance companies that provide the insurance for your insurance carrier for big disasters have increased their rates to the carriers, and those rates have been passed right down to the policyholders,” Grinnell explained, adding that the regional carriers in New England that do business in Massachusetts weren’t directly affected by Hurricane Katrina or, to a great degree, Superstorm Sandy. “So the majority of the storm-related increases are due to more localized events.”
Locally, Phaneuf added, state Attorney General Martha Coakley and Commissioner of Insurance Joseph Murphy are making sure carrier premiums and rates are justified.
“The attorney general seems to have served as a watchdog with the insurance issue,” he said, “to keep insurance companies’ rising rates in check.”

Policy Statement

Bill Grinnell

Bill Grinnell says insurance carriers are getting hit with higher rates from their reinsurance companies and passing these increases down to policyholders.

In this changing climate — for both weather and insurance to cover the damage it causes — Grinnell said agencies need to work even more closely with clients to reduce the impact on premiums while making sure customers’ bases are covered, literally and figuratively.
For instance, when his staff sees a client’s premiums spike significantly, they will attempt to shop that business around to get similar coverage, but at a better rate.
“We try to find a better home for their insurance if we’re able to, which we can some of the time, but not all of the time,” he said. “It’s definitely worth the effort if the insurance is going up more than 7% or 8%.”
Murphy agreed, but noted that there is seemingly less room for negotiating between agency and carrier in this environment, adding that this is another sign of the times and a product of the more adverse conditions within the industry, even though the weather has been much calmer this year.
“There’s a lot less back-and-forth over the last year or two. Now, there’s a lot less room; they’re pretty firm on what their prices are,” he said. “This year, it was a pretty mild year, but there were predictions that storms would increase, so there were a lot of adjustments by carriers based upon that.”
Those adjustments, Murphy went on, have appeared as higher premiums and a much harder look at what policies companies will underwrite. He called it “getting tighter.”
When Murphy and his agents present a potential policyholder to an underwriter — the person at the carrier who will decide how much to charge on the commercial lines, or even if they’ll write it or not — they want a much clearer picture of what they are writing.
“So, as an agent, we’re trying to present the best possible picture of that potential client,” he added. “The more you can make an underwriter feel comfortable about what they are writing, the better they feel about doing it.”
Meanwhile, agents can work with clients in a number of ways to help control their insurance bills without reducing coverage, said Phaneuf, listing several possible ones, including a willingness to accept a higher deductible.
“They generally mean lower annual premiums, but more out of your pocket when you have a loss,” he explained. “Your agent will also make you aware that you can control premiums by bundling discounts for your home and auto and installation of alarm systems, renewing your policies with the same insurer, and maintaining a loss-free status.”
Elaborating, he said that going years without filing a claim can lead to attractive discounts, savings that could more than offset the long-term costs from filing a claim in an instance where the damage only marginally exceeds the deductible.
In addition, Murphy told BusinessWest, he and his agents make sure their business clients are updating their product inventory and specific elements that they need for doing business.
“Business owners have to understand what their business is rated on,” he noted, adding that some standard ratings are based on square footage, which doesn’t change unless there is an expansion or a move, but other things do change, like real-estate values, replacement costs, inventory levels (up or down), or an increase in sales, all of which accurately reflect the business’s exposure.
The First American staff helps educate their commercial clients about keeping up with the current state of their property and business.
“If you don’t respond to your carrier with any updates, then they assume that all remains the same, and you could be paying more when you shouldn’t have to,” said Murphy. “But you don’t want them to be caught underinsured.”

Batten Down the Hatches
Grinnell and others we spoke with said their background is in business and insurance, not climatology or meteorology.
Predicting the weather is more difficult than ever, he noted, adding that even those with degrees in those subjects can’t say what will happen next year or over the next decade. The best thing to do is be prepared as much as possible, and that philosophy extends to the realm of insurance.
Phaneuf agreed, adding that, when it comes to weather patterns that are predicted to cause havoc in the future, protection of one’s home or business is, now more than ever, a complex business transaction.
“It cannot be effectively and appropriately done in 15 minutes,” he said. “In spite of what some national insurance carriers would like to have you believe, it is not a simple transaction like buying laundry detergent or breakfast cereal. If you treat it too lightly, you may not have the protection that you need when you need it … at a time of great loss.”

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Bankruptcies Departments

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

ACS, Inc.
Architectural Construction
Tavernia, Lee Francis
PO Box 254
East Otis, MA 01029
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/13

Arruda, Edmund S.
Arruda, Laura B.
572 Old Stage Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/23/13

Asante, Lana
6 Acton St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/06/13

Barnett, Mychael
14 Berkeley St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/22/13

Baum, Alan L.
30 Miller Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Bedore, John P.
262 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Bielunis, Alexander John
8 Sequoia Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/12/13

Bixby, Jane C.
372 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/13

Boucher, Robin M.
245 Sand Springs Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/01/13

Bresnahan, Alyssa M.
P.O. Box 464
Holyoke, MA 01041
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Brooks, Tara M.
999 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/13

Brown, Donna M.
16 Lawndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/11/13

Butler, George W.
Butler, Esther A.
PO Box 25
Oakham, MA 01068
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/30/13

Campbell, Lori A.
44 May Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/22/13

Caney, Verna M.
269 Stony Hill Road
Apt. G3-108
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/13

Cassidy, Mary Catherine
44 Maple St. #1
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Collins, Todd W.
653 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/05/13

Core Fitness
St. Sauveur, John
27 Chapin Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/13

Crespo Negron, Carlos Alverto
Baez Alvarado, Maritza
134 Union St. Apt 35
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Crow, Karen A.
a/k/a Moorhouse, Karen
394 Chapin St.
Apartment 12
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/06/13

DAS Construction
Stein, Yanir
a/k/a Stein Schabes, Yanir
Ban Stein, Rachel Ina
Stein, Rachel
18 Fort Hill Road
Haydenville, MA 01039
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/13

Daviau, David E.
111 Adelaide Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/18/13

DeJesus, Erica Ann-Marie
a/k/a Williamsen, Erica Ann-Marie
74 Newhall St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Dembinske, Paula
53 Beacon St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/13

Depalma, Brooke N.
56 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Drinkwine, Kathy A.
118 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/11/13

Dufraine, Tammy J.
77 Skyridge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01102
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Faulkner, Donald W.
4 Marshall St.
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/09/13

Fehily, Thomas G.
Fehily, Kathryn M.
23 Tom St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Fila, Christopher E.
1331 East Columbus Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/08/13

Flahive, Ted M.
105 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

Flis, John M.
Flis, Helen E.
670 Pendleton Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Fortier, Jean R.
76 Mitchell Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01022
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/13

Francisco, Pascual M.
P.O. Box 1089
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/01/13

Gentile, Dominick Joseph
Gentile, Lori Jean
359 South Branch Parkway
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/13

Germain, Jeffery L.
29 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/13

Gibbons, Matthew S.
159 Pleasant St.
Uxbridge, MA 01569
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/13

Gilliam, Thomas F.
Gilliam, Jessica R.
a/k/a Shaw, Jessica
a/k/a Tower, Jessica
P.O. Box 87
Lee, MA 01260
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/08/13

Girly’s Grill Inc.
Lind, Loribeth
11 Valley View Heights
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Glace, Andrew J.
97 Van Meter Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/20/13

Gomes, Victor G.
Gomes, Jennifer J.
42 Kittredge Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Gornall, Justin M.
Gornall, Theresa A.
5 Ingersoll Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/13

Green, Gordon C.
7 Nelson St.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/13

Griffin, Brian Patrick
7 Evangeline Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/12/13

Hampshire Computer Service
Brosseau, Daryl W.
6 Parc Place Apt. 7
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

Hanson, Deanna H.
8 Acorn St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/13

Harrington, Brian K.
10 Lakewood Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/15/13

Heston, Cheryl A.
35 Hadely Road, Apt. 222
Sunderland, MA 01375
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/13

Heywood, David
PO Box 675
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Hill, Stephen T.
4 Warren Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/08/13

Jarvis, Richard T.
62 Thornton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/01/13

Jones, Jacque L.
P.O. Box 63
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/13

Jose, Ramon E.
25 Talcott Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

Jozefowicz, Lynn A.
120 Acrebrook Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

Jurczyk, Thomas J.
97 Simonich Circle
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/04/13

Kelleher, Timothy G.
Kelleher, Louise D.
33 Pleasantview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/13

Kenyon, Mary-Lou J.
a/k/a Dronzek, Marylou J.
a/k/a Kenyon, Marylou
a/k/a Dronzek, Marylou
2038 Oak St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/13

Kingsbury, James R.
7 Sefton Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077-9746
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/30/13

Kokoski, Christine Lucia
358 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Kumiega, Amber R.
51A Oak St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/13

LaFountain, Donna J.
439 Crane Ave., Apt. #4
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/06/13

Lane, Allison T.
47 Emmet St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

Lasorsa, Anthony J.
Lasorsa, Laura M.
10 Gary Place
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Lavelle, Sandra G.
28 Russell St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/13

Lenkowski, Farilyn E.
25 Strong St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/19/13

Leonard, Joseph Robert
8C Elm St.
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Lockwood, Lydia E.
148 Riviera Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Manzi, Philip
100 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/15/13

Manzi, Diane M.
11 Buckingham Drive
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/15/13

Marie, Leticia
99 Lawrence St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/13

Martinez, Margarita
116 Barre St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Marusarz, Laurie J.
240 Lenox Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/15/13

Masterjohn, Nicholas
Masterjohn, Ligia
10 Burbank Ave.
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

McLean, Bruce T.
McLean, Dawn L.
111 Stevenson St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Mieltowski, John S.
PO Box 686
Palmer, MA 01069
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/17/13

Miner, Bradford L.
Miner, Virginia P.
a/k/a Perrier, Virginia L.
PO Box 1176
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/01/13

Molina, Marisol
a/k/a Molina, Marie D.
18 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/13

Morrow, James M.
34 Cross Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Murray, Velikia V.
33 Massachusetts Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/30/13

Nolin, Jennifer
P.O. Box 39
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/23/13

O’Neil, Todd M.
34 Nantasket St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/07/13

Opalenik, Stephen
5 Bach Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/03/13

Orr, Sterling W.
146 Sawmill Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/01/13

Parker, Roger
29 Cambridge St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Pelletier, Lori A.
34 Cross Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Pennell, Daisy C.
2 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/25/13

Perez, Evelyn E.
5 Belli Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/13

Rafferty, Maureen
139 New Ludlow Road
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/26/13

Roberts, Darryll T.
152 Casey Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Rodriguez, Cesar Guillermo
124 Kirkland Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/06/13

Rose, Kathleen P.
16B Hampshire Heights
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/13/13

Rouillard, Roger J.
Rouillard, Shannon A.
a/k/a Zachary, Shannon
20 Ward St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Rovatti-Leonard, Angela Eileen
8C Elm St.
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Ruddeforth, Thomas H.
Ruddeforth, Debra J.
468 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/12/13

Russell, Sharon L.
298 School St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/10/13

Russo, Gasparino M.
Russo, Christine M.
214 Lawton St
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/13

Salem, Joseph G.
65 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/04/13

Salgado-Agosto, William
372 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Santaniello, Catherine V.
7 Plumtree Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

Santiago, Joanne
70 Broadway St., Apt 1
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/06/13

Sayles, Kimberly A.
a/k/a Childs, Kimberly A.
139 Elm St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/29/13

Serrato, Joseph V.
Serrato, Kathleen S.
10 Town Farm Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/05/13

Sivard, Michelle F.
264 Huntington Road
Chester, MA 01011
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/13

Smith, Dakota L. Cotton
PO Box 60311
Longmeadow, MA 01116-0311
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/18/13

Smith, Vincent Matthew
53 Sanford St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/13

Snow, Brian J.
102 South Main Road
Otis, MA 01253
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/08/13

St. Sauveur, Susan
319 West Ave
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/22/13

Stanton, Leslea L.
906 George Carter Road
Becket, MA 01223
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/01/13

Stone, Cindy C.
36 South St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/14/13

Storer, Michael L.
Lafountain, Nancy R.
12 George St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/06/13

Tatro, Timothy F.
20 Biltmore Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/07/13

Thayer, Virginia E.
786 Pleasant St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/04/13

Thibault, Yvette
P.O. Box 1242
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/30/13

Thomas, Jermey L.
64 West St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/28/13

Thompson, Ronald W.
Thompson, Kim A.
117 Athol Road
Royalston, MA 01368
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/04/13

Torres, Wilson
70 Walnut St., Apt. 70
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Trinidad, Felix R.
43 Bristol St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Vallecillo, Jessica P.
84 Fuller St., Unit 12
Ludlow, MA 01056-2310
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/24/13

Vancini, Mona A.
146 Kathleen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 11/05/13

Vazquez, Angel J.
764 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/21/13

Watson, Richard W.
Watson, Ann E.
40 East Myrtle St.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/31/13

Wood, Brian C.
Wood, Amy
74 River St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/23/13

Zina, Jovita B.
P.O. Box 148
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 11/07/13

Departments People on the Move

A. Hazel Mugo

A. Hazel Mugo

The law firm Bulkley Richardson announced that A. Hazel Mugo has joined the firm as Counsel. A member of the Business and Finance Department, she focuses her practice on general corporate, business, and financial law and commercial transactions. Mugo works principally in Bulkley Richardson’s Springfield office, and is also a member of the New York Bar. She has advised borrowers and lenders on all aspects of financing, including secured and unsecured debt financing, and venture-capital and acquisition financing. She has also advised financial institutions on private placements and securities-law matters. Mugo teaches mutual-fund and hedge-fund law at the University of Connecticut School of Law on an adjunct basis, and serves as a fellow at the school’s Insurance Law Center. She earned her doctorate and LL.M. from Harvard Law School, and LL.B., magna cum laude, from the University of Nairobi in Kenya, and practiced as a corporate associate at major international firms.
•••••
Caron LaCour

Caron LaCour

West Springfield-based Burkhart, Pizzanelli, P.C. announced that Caron LaCour has joined the certified public accounting firm. LaCour’s prior experience includes six years with J.M. O’Brien & Co., P.C. as a Senior Tax Specialist and 11 years as a Staff Accountant for Kostin, Ruffkess & Co., LLC. LaCour received her BS in Accounting from Western New England University.
•••••
David Chase

David Chase

The Gray House recently inducted David Chase, Vice President/Commercial Lender at Hampden Bank in Springfield, to its board of directors for a three-year term. The nonprofit organization is a small neighborhood human-services agency that assists neighbors facing hardships in meeting their immediate and transitional needs by providing food, clothing, and educational services in a safe, positive environment in the North End of Springfield. Chase, who has more than 20 years of banking experience, also serves on the Agawam Planning Board, is a member of the Board of Directors of the West of the River Chamber, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Springfield.
•••••
Hampden Bank recently announced the following:
Amy Scribner

Amy Scribner

Amy Scribner has been promoted to Vice President and Director of Marketing. She joined Hampden Bank in 1990 and has worked in the Marketing Department since 2002. She is now responsible for the support of the bank’s strategic marketing initiatives as well as all marketing and advertising; and
Tara Corthell

Tara Corthell

Tara Corthell has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Director of Finance. She joined Hampden Bank in 2005 as the Financial Manager; she previously worked at Investors Bank & Trust in Boston as a Reporting and Compliance manager. Corthell will oversee all of the organization’s financial functions.
•••••
The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce announced its first-ever Chamber Ambassador of the Year Award, honoring Darlene Morse, Business Account Representative at CareerPoint. Morse received the award after volunteering the most hours of any ambassador this past year. Since becoming an ambassador in 2006, Morse has attended and assisted in over 100 events. Morse and her manager, CareerPoint Executive Director David Gadaire, will be honored at the chamber’s Holiday Business Breakfast on Dec. 11 at the Delaney House in Holyoke.
•••••
Ralph Abbott Jr.

Ralph Abbott Jr.

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a Springfield-based labor and employment law firm serving the Greater Springfield area, announced that Ralph Abbott Jr. was named to the Best Lawyers 2014 Springfield, Mass., as Labor Law-Management Lawyer of the Year. A partner in the firm since 1975, Abbott represents management in labor relations and employment-related matters, providing employment-related advice to employers, assisting clients in remaining union-free, and representing employers before the National Labor Relations Board. Those honored as Lawyers of the Year have received particularly high ratings in surveys by earning a superior level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. This is Abbott’s second win in three years.
•••••
Allison Chen has been named Manager of Great Ideas at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Formerly with Fidelity Investments in Smithfield, R.I., Chen brings her experience in business analysis, customer experience, satisfaction planning, and service delivery with her to STCC, where she will serve as Manager of Great Ideas, a ‘Voice of the Associate’ program implemented at the college in 2011 to better serve the campus community. The Great Ideas program has implemented more than 1,500 employee ideas with a projected cost savings to the college of more than $700,000. Chen earned her BS in 1997 from the UMass Amherst and her MBA from Boston College in 2011.
•••••
Elvira Loncto

Elvira Loncto

Elvira Loncto, a Service Line Manager of Geriatrics and Extended Care at VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, was recently honored at the 11th annual Excellence in Government Awards luncheon, hosted by the Federal Executive Assoc. of Western Massachusetts (FEAWM) at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House.  The FEAWM recognizes the best and the brightest employees in federal service in the region in 15 categories. Loncto supervises staff in seven community-care programs, is the local administrator of the Community Living Center, and oversees a substantial budget, which impacts older enrolled veterans from Berkshire County to Fitchburg.
•••••
The Springfield Group of Northwestern Mutual recently appointed Cathy Hunter, Nico Santaniello, and Timothy Barnes as Financial Representatives. They will join a network of specialists offering a wide array of products including business-continuation planning, business risk management, financial planning, retirement planning, and more. Before joining Northwestern Mutual, Hunter was a Real Estate Broker at Goggins Real Estate in Northampton, and received a bachelor’s degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Previous to joining Northwestern Mutual, Santaniello was a Teller at TD Bank in Longmeadow, and received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Western New England University. Prior to his new position, Barnes was Life Enhancement Director at Loomis Communities, and received an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College and a Community Health certificate from Springfield Technical Community College.

Cover Story
Gulfstream’s Westfield Facility Is in Takeoff Mode

Fran Ahern

Fran Ahern, general manager of Gulfstream’s Westfield facility.

Fran Ahern acknowledged that the analogy isn’t perfect, but, for the most part, it works, and it helps him effectively tell the story of one of the region’s least-known — and least-understood — business success stories.
“We’re a service center for airplanes,” said Ahern, general manager of Gulfstream’s sprawling operation at Barnes Municipal Airport in Westfield. He would go on to draw a number of loose comparisons between his operation and the corner garage or auto dealership where one might bring their Buick for new tires, a tuneup, or an inspection sticker.
But as he did so, he noted that he and his staff of 230 are obviously working with much bigger vehicles — and numbers — of every kind.
Indeed, the Gulfstream G650, the latest model developed by this subsidiary of General Dynamics, costs roughly $65 million out of the box. It has a 100-foot wingspan, weighs roughly 40 tons when empty, and stands 25 feet high. Meanwhile, the various hangars at the Westfield operation cover more than 200,000 square feet of real estate. The latest addition, opened earlier this year as part of a $24 million expansion, spans 125,000 square feet and has a 50-foot-high ceiling and overhead crane.
Still, the comparisons to the corner garage are effective, said Ahern, noting that, in both situations, service — which in this case is provided to Gulfstream models as well as competitors’ aircraft — is king, word-of-mouth referrals are critical for attaining vital new customers, and retention is ultimately the most important ingredient in the formula for success.
“This is a relatively small business in that everyone knows everyone,” he said of the aerospace industry and especially the service component. “This facility has a good reputation in the marketplace, and that’s through the hard work of all the employees, but it’s also a business where it’s ‘what have you done for me lately?’ So you have to continue providing quality service.”
The Westfield operation is doing well in this close-knit environment, said Ahern, noting that it is near full capacity on a regular basis — there are ebbs and flows in this business, as with most others — and the new hangar and its amenities and equipment present opportunities to keep the service slate full.
Also, the company’s diversity of products and services has enabled it to expand its client list and do more for those already on it. Examples include an expansive shop where interior work — from re-upholstering seats to installing new cabinetry — takes place, as well as a mobile service, called FAST (Field & Airborne Support Team), which brings Gulfstream technicians to the planes needing work, instead of the other way around.
Gulfstream’s expanded presence in Westfield

Gulfstream’s expanded presence in Westfield has equated to roughly 100 new jobs and new opportunities for economic development in that area.

There have been challenges to overcome, certainly, especially in recent years, he noted. The sharp economic downturn impacted corporate travel significantly, with many corporations cutting back on this often-controversial expense item. Meanwhile, negative press about corporate fleets — especially those headlines about auto-industry executives taking company jets to Washington in the fall of 2008 to plead for bailout money — also impacted the industry.
“There were layoffs here and elsewhere as a result of those stories and their impact,” said Ahern, adding that some segments of the industry, especially the so-called ‘large-cabin’ planes, such as the G650 and other Gulfstream models, have rebounded from those setbacks.
And the skies certainly look brighter, he went on, as corporate travel rebounds in this country and expands in rapidly developing regions of the world such as Asia and South America, where Gulfstream is expanding its presence.
“We help make the world smaller,” said Ahern, referring to corporate air travel in general and Gulfstream in particular. “And that helps people get business done.”
For this issue, BusinessWest goes behind the scenes at a company where an intriguing kind of business is indeed getting done, and an operation is taking off — in every aspect of that phrase.

The Sky Is No Limit
Tracing the history of Gulfstream’s presence in this region, Ahern said the Georgia-based company’s name went on the sign outside the former KC Aviation facility at Barnes in 1998, a time of profound growth for the plane maker — and, thus, a need for facilities to build and service the aircraft. Gulfstream actually acquired three service centers from KC, with the others in Appleton, Wis. and Dallas, Texas.
That sign on the Westfield complex would be replaced by one that said ‘General Dynamics Aviation Services’ (the defense giant acquired Gulfstream in 1999) a few years later, Ahern went on, adding that this change was yet another illustration of how this business is very much like an auto-service center.
“The KC facilities were not only working on Gulfstream airplanes, but some of our competitors’ planes,” he explained. “And when Gulfstream acquired those facilities and put up Gulfstream signs, those other airplane owners didn’t think the facility would service those airplanes any more, so they stopped coming. “
The General Dynamics signs helped bring them back, he told BusinessWest, adding that the eventual strategy was to go back to Gulfstream signage, but with an intense marketing effort, one aimed at hammering home the point that the company was the only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to service other OEM’s planes. Today, the facility at Barnes also services planes made by Bombardier, Dassault/Falcon, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, and others.
There have been few such instances of turbulence (another industry term) since Gulfstream came to Westfield as part of a broader effort on the part of the company to build service capacity across the country and, more recently, around the world, said Ahern.
The corporation, which first went into business with twin propeller jets in 1958, now has similar facilities domestically in Appleton; Brunswick, Ga.; Dallas; Las Vegas; Lincoln, Calif.; Long Beach, Calif.; Savannah, Ga.; Westfield; and West Palm Beach, Fla. It has also sites in Mexicali, Mexico; Luton, England; Beijing, China; and Sorocaba, Brazil.
These locations were chosen for strategic purposes, said Ahern, adding that they service geographic sectors and, especially in the case of the international locations, regions with strong growth in corporate air travel.
While the Westfield location, like all the others, handles what Ahern called “unscheduled maintenance” — planes based outside this area but which are in the Northeast and need service — the bulk of the aircraft in the hangars at any given time are based in New England and surrounding states such as New York and New Jersey. The Bay State’s sales-tax exemption on aircraft parts and maintenance, which has withstood several recent attempts to eliminate it, gives the Westfield location a competitive advantage that Ahern and others at Gulfstream certainly don’t want to lose.
The facility at Barnes specializes in everything from airframe maintenance to inspections; from avionics (instrumentation) services to that aforementioned interior work, which accounts for roughly 15% of the total volume. Much of the engine and airframe work is required, or scheduled, maintenance, he went on, adding that there are regular, hourly driven inspections for such aircraft.
The customer list is equally diverse, he continued, noting that it includes corporations, wealthy individuals, and commercial fleet operations such as Net Jets.
Ahern said the expansion completed earlier this year was driven by market demands for more capacity, and the simple fact that many of the latest large-cabin planes, such as the G650, were simply too big for the hangars at Barnes at the time.
To drive that point home, he pointed to the tail section of a G450 being serviced in one of the older hangars. There was probably less than five feet of clearance between the top of the tail and the ceiling, he said, adding that the G650 simply wouldn’t fit in that building.

Soar Subject
As he talked with BusinessWest in the new hangar at the Westfield location, Ahern pointed toward the back corner of the facility and something called a ‘tail dock.’
This is a moveable set of scaffolding, which, as the name implies, allows technicians easy and effective access to a plane’s tail assembly.

The new hangar at Gulfstream’s Westfield

The new hangar at Gulfstream’s Westfield facility provides the room — and opportunities — for continued growth.

And it represents a considerable improvement over the scissors lift that was used by crews before the expansion project, said Ahern, adding that there are many similar examples of how the facilities have not only been enlarged — in a big way — but upgraded and modernized  to improve efficiency, enhance service, and, hopefully, drive new business.
Another example is the overhead crane that was being used on this day for engine replacement on a G450, he noted, adding that, prior to the expansion, the facility would have to rent such equipment, an arrangement that was less efficient and less cost-effective.
Overall, the $24 million expansion project enables the company to add capacity — more and different kinds of jets can fit in the hangars — and also improve service to customers and broaden its impact on the community and local economy.
Elaborating on the service component, Ahern again referenced this tight industry sector where everyone knows everyone else, and noted that good experiences for customers lead not only to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, but also to some of those new models rolling out of Gulfstream assembly plants.
“You provide good service and a quality product to those customers with competitor aircraft, and maybe at some point, when they’re upgrading their airplane, they’re going to think about maybe upgrading to a Gulfstream,” he explained. “We have a saying around here: ‘product support sells new airplanes.’”
As for impact within the community, Ahern said it starts with the roughly 100 new jobs that have been added, many of which required technical skills and are good-paying positions. Meanwhile, with more planes in the hangars, the company can broaden its economic impact, he said, noting that the jets’ crews will stay in the area, often for several days, while they’re being serviced, staying in local hotels and dining at area eateries.
And from the economic-development standpoint, the state-funded expansion of Airport Industrial Road — one of the local and state incentives offered to induce Gulfstream to expand in Westfield — makes industrially zoned property at the airport more accessible for development, he noted.
Looking ahead, Ahern said, while the hangars are full many days, as they were when BusinessWest visited, there is always room for growth.
Elaborating, he said the company has to minimize those aforementioned peaks and valleys — to the extent possible — and move ever closer to what he called utopia: “100% loaded, 100% of the time.”
“Our goal is to get there, and right now, we’re pretty close,” he said, adding that, while the additional room and amenities in the expanded facilities, as well as programs like FAST and positive reviews in such industry publications as Professional Pilot magazine and Aviation International News will help close that narrow gap, ultimately, it’s quality of service that will eventually get it done.

Smooth Landing
While acknowledging that comparisons between service to the family mini-van and a $60 million jet aren’t perfect, Ahern said the principles of both business operations are essentially the same.
The tires may be a lot bigger on the jet, and the cost of the services provided to it will likely have a few more zeros, but in the end, it comes down to the customer’s experience, he noted, adding that Gulfstream has become an industry leader by understanding this and, more importantly, making those experiences positive.
And that’s plain speaking — or plane speaking, as the case may be.

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

Briefcase Departments

State’s Jobless Rate Remains Above 7%
BOSTON — The state’s unemployment rate remained above 7% for the fourth consecutive month in October as the Commonwealth’s expansion continued what has been a slow advance. The jobless rate rose to 7.2% in October, compared with 7.1% in September and 7.2% in August, according to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The U.S. unemployment rate was 7.3% for October. Massachusetts added 9,100 jobs in October after increasing payrolls by 9,400 positions in September, the state reported. However, those gains were not enough to put a dent in unemployment, analysts said. The automatic federal budget cuts known as sequestration, which went into effect earlier this year, have disproportionately hurt Massachusetts, due to its high concentration of industries that rely on such funding, such as defense, healthcare, and scientific research, experts noted. The leisure and hospitality sector, which includes hotels and restaurants, led October’s job gains, adding 3,200 positions. Trade, transportation, and utilities gained 2,500 jobs, and the education and health services sector added 1,900 jobs. Construction jobs have grown steadily, adding 1,300 jobs in the month and 6,300 over the past year, a 5.5% increase. The financial activities sector added 600 jobs in October, and the professional, scientific, and business services sector gained only 600 jobs. Manufacturing lost 1,400 jobs over the month, and government employers cut 200 jobs.

Senate Backs Minimum-wage Hike; House Considering Vote
BOSTON — The state Senate voted overwhelmingly late last month to raise the state’s minimum wage from $8 per hour to $11 per hour over three years, putting the Commonwealth on track for the highest such pay in the nation. The Senate voted 32-7 to approve the increase. The measure calls for $1 increases on July 1 in the next three years. House leaders are balking at the proposal, however, warning that it would be a mistake unless the state also cuts costs for businesses by overhauling the state’s unemployment-insurance system. “Right now, the whole proposal, as far as we’re concerned, is in flux,” Speaker Joe DeLeo told the Boston Globe, adding that he expects a vote in the House will wait until at least January.

Governor Pledges $200m for I-91 Viaduct Work
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Deval Patrick announced $200 million late last month to replace a section of the I-91 viaduct in downtown Springfield, but told the audience at an Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield luncheon that the 2½-year project is only one step toward taking that section of the highway to grade level — or below. “It’s a great opportunity for the city and region to restore the connection of the downtown and riverfront,” Patrick told those assembled. The city’s mayor, Domenic Sarno, said the project could have a potentially huge impact on the city, and said he’s asked the state to think big. “Stay tuned,” he told the audience. “I want something bold and visionary.”

Millford Voters Latest to Say ‘No’ to a Casino
MILFORD — Voters in Milford became the latest in the state to turn thumbs down to a casino plan late last month, rejecting a $1 billion proposal involving Foxwoods by a nearly 2-1 margin. The agreement, which would have allowed the casino giant access to a resort on 187 acres off Interstate 495, was defeated by a vote of 65% to 35%. Voters in Milford thus joined those in West Springfield, Palmer, East Boston, and other cities and towns that have rejected casinos in their communities.

Tower Square Chosen for UMass Satellite Facility
SPRINGFIELD — UMass Amherst officials have chosen Tower Square in downtown Springfield as the site of what’s being called a “satellite center,” which is due to be open for the start of the fall semester in 2014. The facility will be known as “UMass Springfield.” At an elaborate press conference staged in the Tower Square concourse, university, state, and city officials announced that the MassMutual-owned facility had prevailed in a months-long competition to host the satellite facility. The other locations to submit bids were Harrison Place, 1350 Main St. (One Financial Plaza), and the Peter Pan bus terminal. The center will include academic programs to be offered by the UMass campuses in conjunction with UMass Online and UMass Amherst’s Springfield programs.

WSU Trustees Name Interim President
WESTFIELD — Westfield State University trustees have named Elizabeth Preston, vice president of Student Affairs, as the school’s interim president, following the resignation early last month of embattled president Evan Dobelle.  Preston will serve until a permanent president is selected, a process that university board of trustees chairman John Flynn expects will take at least until the end of the school year to complete.

Mohegan Sun, Suffolk Downs to Team Up for Revere Casino Bid
BOSTON — Connecticut casino giant Mohegan Sun has agreed to join a Suffolk Downs casino bid in Revere, giving both parties in that entity a second chance to win big in the competition for coveted casino licenses. Mohegan Sun had spent the past five years trying to win the rights to build a casino off the Mass. Turnpike exit in Palmer, but voters there rejected a host-community agreement at a Nov. 5 referendum vote. Meanwhile, Suffolk Downs saw voters in East Boston reject plans to build a casino on track-owned land in that community. Track officials later reworked their plans — placing the casino entirely on land in neighboring Revere, which approved a casino referendum — and commenced a search for a new partner after Caesars Entertainment was asked to bow out amid questions and concerns posed by the Mass. Gaming Commission.

Chamber Corners Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Dec. 4: ACCGS Business @ Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m. Hosted by the Colony Club, Springfield. Community Foundation of Western Mass. President Katie Allan Zobel will explore the value of philanthropy, report on the success of the inaugural Valley Gives, and provide a sneak peek at this year’s 12-12-13 event. Sponsored by Masiello Employment Services. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for general admission, including complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres.  Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com.
• Dec. 11: ACCGS Lunch ‘n’ Learn, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hosted by La Quinta Inns & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. The program, “The Power of E-mail Marketing,” is a comprehensive look at best practices and winning strategies for getting an audience to open, read, and act on an email. Presented by Liz Provo, authorized local representative for Constant Contact. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for generation admission, including networking time and a boxed lunch. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Dec. 11: Chamber After 5/Holiday Party, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by the Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. Sponsored by Amherst Laser & Skin Care. Make new contacts, see old friends, eat, drink, and network. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• Dec. 5: Holiday Party, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Hosted by the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee. Free for all members.
• Dec. 7: New York Bus Trip. Bus leaves the chamber parking lot at 7 a.m. and returns at 9:30 p.m. Enjoy a day on your own in New York City. Cost: $48 per person. For more information, contact the chamber at (413) 594-2101.
• Dec. 9: Gail’s Retirement Party, 5:30 p.m. Hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. After years of hard work and dedication, it’s time for Gail Sherman, president of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, to take a permanent vacation. Join us as we offer her best wishes in her retirement. Cost: $25 per person.
• Dec. 18: December Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m. Hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Cost: $20 for members, $26 for non-members.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Dec. 2: New Member Info Session, 12-1 p.m. This is a chance to tell us more about your business and how the chamber can best serve you, meet other new members, and learn how to make to the most of your chamber membership. A light lunch will be served. RSVP to (413) 584-1900 or [email protected].
• Dec. 4: Northampton Chamber Monthly Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Thornes Marketplace. Sponsored by Keiter Builders, Johnson & Hill Staffing, and United Bank. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can for this casual mix and mingle with colleagues and friends. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.
• Dec. 17: 2013 December Incite Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m. Presenting speaker: Kathleen McCarthy, Smith College president. Series sponsor: United Personnel. Cost: $20 for members, $30 for non-members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Dec. 2:
Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m. Hosted by Dunkin’ Donuts, 625 East Main St., in the Little River Plaza Center. Mayor Daniel Knapik would like your participation in the upcoming coffee hour by submitting any questions, concerns, or ideas for discussion. He will also provide updates and news about the city. To submit questions and to register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected]. The public is welcome to attend.
• Dec. 13: Holiday Breakfast 2013, 7:15-9 a.m. Hosted by Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Platinum Sponsor: Westfield State University. Silver Sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank. More information to come on this annual event.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• Jan. 15:
Table Top Expo. For more information, contact Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1310 or [email protected].

Company Notebook Departments

Rockville Financial, United Financial to Merge
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Rockville Financial Inc. and United Financial Bancorp announced recently that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at $369 million, based on the closing price of Rockville Financial Inc. common stock on Nov. 14. The combination will create the largest community bank headquartered in the Hartford-Springfield market, with $4.8 billion in assets, more than 50 branches, and top-five deposit market share in each metropolitan statistical area. In the merger, United Financial Bancorp Inc. shareholders will receive 1.3472 shares of Rockville Financial Inc. common stock for each share of United Financial Bancorp Inc. common stock. Upon closing, Rockville Financial Inc. shareholders will own approximately 49% of stock in the combined company; United Financial Bancorp Inc. shareholders will own approximately 51%. The merger is expected to generate approximately $17.6 million in fully phased-in annual cost savings, or approximately 15% of the expected combined expense total. Additionally, the merger is expected to be approximately 30% accretive to the standalone 2015 earnings of both entities, excluding the impact of the potential revenue-enhancement opportunities. “We are very pleased to announce the combination of these two great community banks,” said William Crawford IV, president and CEO of Rockville Financial. “This merger is a significant step in our strategy to expand our footprint. Our complementary branch networks provide both greater market density and unique franchise scarcity value. The combined company will create a top-performing New England community bank that has the scale, product depth, and efficiency to compete effectively and deliver strong returns to our shareholders and an expanded product suite to our customers.” Added Richard Collins, United Financial Bancorp’s chairman, president, and CEO, “this transaction creates value for our shareholders, customers, and employees. We are uniting two strong community banks and creating a dominant player in the New England banking market with greater competitive strength, growth potential, and profitability. United Bank has a history of growth through mergers of equals dating back to our days as a cooperative bank. It is fitting that today we announce this merger of equals and celebrate the new United Bank.” The new company will be governed by a 20-person board of directors consisting of an equal number of Rockville and United directors. The leadership team of the combined company will be assembled from both organizations with Rockville’s Crawford serving as CEO, United’s J. Jeffrey Sullivan as president, and Rockville’s Eric Newell as chief financial officer. United Financial Bancorp’s Robert Stewart Jr. will serve as chairman of the board of directors, while Raymond Lefurge Jr. from Rockville will be appointed vice chairman. Other key executive positions will be drawn from the executive management teams of both organizations. Collins will retire and provide consulting services for one year. “I am excited to join Bill Crawford and the members of our combined management team to lead the combined company,” said Sullivan. “Individually we are each very good banks; together we have the critical mass to drive efficiency and growth, to take advantage of advancements in technology, and to deliver the best banking experience for our customers.” Upon closing, Rockville Bank will adopt the United name, and the holding company will be United Financial Bancorp Inc. Trading will continue on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol UBNK. The organization will be headquartered in Glastonbury, Conn. It will maintain regional offices in West Springfield and Worcester, as well as Enfield and South Windsor, Conn.

Boston Globe Names PeoplesBank a Top Place to Work
HOLYOKE — For the second year in a row and after an independent survey by WorkplaceDynamics, the Boston Globe has named PeoplesBank as one of Massachusetts’ best employers in its Top Places to Work magazine. “The companies on our Top Places to Work list foster productivity and innovation by investing in the happiness of their employees, which cannot solely be measured in dollars and cents,” said Boston Globe Business Editor Mark Pothier. The Boston Globe invited 1,746 companies to participate, more than 76,000 employee surveys were completed, and 125 were chosen as finalists. Douglas Bowen, president and CEO of PeoplesBank, credited his employees for the bank’s second Top Places to Work award, stating, “this award is really an affirmation from our associates. The Boston Globe named PeoplesBank a Top Place to Work, but their dedication makes it a great place to work.” PeoplesBank attributed its success in being named again this year to a high-performance culture that is focused on community service, environmental sustainability, and employee engagement. According to Janice Mazzallo, executive vice president of Human Resources at PeoplesBank, the bank has created a unique culture and set of values that focus on employee development, life-work balance, and community service. “In order for people to feel engaged, they need to feel as if the company cares about them. Our associates know that that we expect them to be effective and serve customers in a professional manner. They are also clear that we care about them, their families, and the community.” The Boston Globe also noted that, out of the 125 finalists, PeoplesBank was one of 11 that improved their scores the most over last year. The Top Places to Work magazine also highlighted the positive impact of the bank’s weekly farmers’ market. “We’re a local community bank, and for us to be supporting local agriculture, that’s just very important to us,” stated Susan Wilson, first vice president of Corporate Responsibility, in the article.

Restaurants Sections
Despite Challenges, Local Restaurateurs Have a Positive Outlook for the Holidays

Victor Bruno

Victor Bruno has successfully paired meet-and-greet and food-sampling efforts to bolster his restaurant’s promotional card program.

Victor Bruno has never run from hard work.
As a young boy, he sold cans of soda at the Italian Festival in Springfield’s South End, making a nice profit for pocket change. Fast-forward 30 or so years to 2011, when he used the most basic form of grass-roots marketing — the meet and greet, and food sampling — to brand his barely year-old Worthington Street restaurant, Adolfo’s Ristorante, an homage to his late father.
Bruno and two of his employees spent four weekends in the West Springfield and Enfield Costco locations offering samples of his stuffed mushrooms to promote his new venture through the Costco discount gift-card program.
“I was there from when the store opened until I ran out of mushroom caps each time, and I met thousands, and I mean thousands, of people, and we would talk about the restaurant and downtown Springfield,” Bruno recalled.
He heard it all, and the most pervasive issue was the perception that Springfield isn’t safe anymore. “But I told them, it’s the entertainment district, and we have valet parking and good lighting; you’ll have a great meal — and I’ve seen thousands of those cards come back.”
Bruno knows the restaurant business is one barometer of how willing the public is to indulge in discretionary spending. With the all-important holiday shopping season just beginning, there is some cautious optimism among the restaurateurs that BusinessWest spoke with, although it was tempered with concern about what will be a short holiday shopping season.
“Sadly, this was the latest Thanksgiving possible; we’ve lost a week of shopping time, and that hurts all restaurants,” said Robert Luz, president and CEO of the Mass. Restaurant Association (MRA). “But we continue to extricate ourselves from the Great Recession, and generally speaking, we’re starting to come out of this, and consumers are a little bit more confident about spending dollars.”
Bob Luz

In spite of a shortened selling season due to a late Thanksgiving, Bob Luz says, consumers are more confident to spend.

Luz expects holiday sales to be flat or in the negative, mostly due to that lost week. His organization offers business assistance to restaurant-industry members — most importantly legislative advocacy. According to Luz, as restaurateurs get through this shorter holiday season, they have a potentially disparaging issue looming with a recent bill that just passed the Senate and is headed toward the House that could raise not only the minimum wage for all industries, but also the base of tipped wages for waiters and waitresses in the restaurant industry, increasing their minimum wages by 71% (more on this later).
For the restaurateur, food-price increases are only the beginning; city taxes, property insurance, workers’ comp, and liquor-liability costs are also increasing. “There’s only so much you can get from a stone,” said Bruno. “And all businesses have some of these costs, too. But in the restaurant business, we’re working with a profit margin of nickels and dimes.”
For this issue’s focus on restaurants, BusinessWest talked with some industry veterans about the holiday season ahead, as well as the much bigger picture — the challenging environment in which they’re operating and the prospects for improvement.

Main Menu

As if the Great Recession and recent food-price increases weren’t enough for local restaurateurs, a week before Thanksgiving, Senate President Therese Murray advanced a plan to raise the minimum wage from $8 to $11 per hour over the next three years. The Senate voted for that wage increase, and Luz of the MRA was prepared for that hike, which would certainly affect any business owner.
But in the same session, the Senate also voted to increase the minimum wage for tipped employees to half the minimum wage. With the tipped wage currently at $2.63 per hour, it would now force restaurateurs to pay them $4.50 per hour this year, a 71% increase, which will continue to increase over the next two years.
“It’s been frozen since 1999, because it works,” Luz said. “Over that time period, waiters’ and waitresses’ wages naturally increased because of menu inflation and because we educated our members’ employees to declare all of their tips.”
Technically, Luz said, employers have to meet the current minimum wage for those waiters and waitresses whose declared tips don’t equal current minimum wage, but that is rare because they usually do make solid tips. Waiters and waitresses in Massachusetts, he went on, are already paid the most in the country, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that they earned an average hourly wage of $13.13 in 2012, when tips are factored in. Should this new increase for tipped employees pass, employers will be footing yet another increase for something that Luz said doesn’t need a separate increase.
The MRA offers its members information sharing, education and training, forums for networking, cost-cutting group-discount opportunities, and, most importantly, legislative advocacy.
“The restaurant business is highly labor-intensive, and when you affect wages like that, it’s dramatic,” Luz said. “We’re the entry-level point for a lot of jobs, but the business has a razor-thin bottom line.”
Luz added that the MRA is working to finalize a formal strategy to fight this matter in the Legislature.  But heading into the holiday season, there are significant issues that already exist for the network of Western Mass. restaurateurs.
For the past 14 years, Chris Brunelle has been the owner of Pinocchio’s Ristorante (formerly in Amherst, now in Three Rivers), and is also general manager of the new Bistro 21 at the Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown. Through those two businesses, he’s come to the formal conclusion that there may be no bounce back to where things used to be pre-Great Recession.
“This is the new norm; the cost of doing business in the last year to two years for food alone has gone up 6% to 22%, and everybody is paying for the October snowstorm from two years ago because our insurance prices have gone up another 20%,” added Brunelle.  “That’s just the cost of doing business, and you can’t pass that cost down to your customer.”
Judie Teraspulsky, owner for the past 36 years of Judie’s restaurant in the center of the vibrant college town of Amherst, said her professional life revolves around when students are in town; she’s survived the Great Recession by streamlining every area that she can, and running the restaurant, from purchases to staffing shifts, with extreme efficiency.
“We are tight, tight, tight,” said Teraspulsky. “We don’t lay off employees, because they are the most important factor in our business.”
As hard as things get for Brunelle, his philosophy, year-round, is the same as Teraspulsky’s: he’s staying strong due to his allegiance to his employees, many of whom have families, and four specifically who have been with him for the full 14 years.

Gifting Limit
Rudi Scherff, manager of the Student Prince, a landmark eatery in downtown Springfield that just celebrated 78 years in business, is used to the ups and downs of the hospitality business. Scherff, who undoubtedly has one of the strongest and most affluent regular clienteles in the Pioneer Valley, said he’s getting the sense that, while there is apprehension and concern, people are a bit happier with at least the regional economic situation than they were a year ago.
Scherff told BusinessWest that the holidays are “huge” for his restaurant, which does a solid 20% of the year’s business from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, and half of the gift certificates sold are during that same time span.

Rudi Scherff

Rudi Scherff says the holidays are a very busy time, when half of the year’s gift certificates are sold for the Student Prince.

“We’re going to be busy this season, and the eight days before Christmas are as much as we can handle,” Scherff noted, adding that banquets and events, entertaining up to 90, are a big part of that equation.
While Teraspulsky may not be as straight out as Scherff this time of year, she still sees the holiday season as very important to her business.
“Where I shine during the holidays is that you can come in and do just a dessert or a popover, or one of our great cocktails,” she said, adding that her menu, from the beginning, has afforded her customers the ability to have whatever they want, when they want it.
Teraspulsky and her staff of 90 push the gift certificates hard to get that return that will pick up the cash flow once the 50/50 percentage of college students and traditional customers returns.
Bruno is also looking forward to this season, not only to see those Costco cards come back, but to sell more gift certificates in the restaurant, and he’s already booked early corporate parties in his private room upstairs, seating up to 45 people.
“There’s still that caution with spending,” said Bruno, recalling the days in his former restaurant, Caffeine’s, in the same location, where customers used to spend $100 on a bottle of wine.
“Now they’re only spending $25 to $30 on a bottle of wine, but at least they’re spending it here.”

The Garnish

The potential of a downtown Springfield casino complex in the years ahead provides holiday conversation and a giant question mark for many restaurateurs; while they are not sure if it will help or hurt them personally, ultimately, they hope that the pledge of far more people will materialize.
“We’re always optimistic come January, and for the [prospective] casino, during the construction phase — it’s going to be great for downtown,” said Scherff.  “And once it opens, it’s going to help some, hurt others, but hopefully it puts more feet on the street and gets more people down here.”
Bruno agreed, adding, “the perception of downtown is far, far worse than it actually is, but with a casino, there will be people, and people bring safety; my position has always been that we’ll be the safest downtown around.”
Until a decision is made, Bruno is doing everything in his power to overcome the challenges that all restaurateurs are facing this holiday season. His greatest compliments thus far have been from those who tell him that Boston’s North End, renowned for authentic Italian restaurants, has nothing on Adolfo’s.
“They tell me I should consider opening up another restaurant,” Bruno said, laughing as he explained, “because if you can make it in Springfield, you can make it anywhere.”

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Holiday Gift Guide Sections
Some Suggestions for the People on Your Holiday Gift List

The holiday shopping season is well underway, but many still have a lot of work to do to as they endeavor to draw lines through the names of those of their holiday gift lists.
In the spirit of the season, BusinessWest is offering some ideas. But these aren’t just any ideas. They’re suggestions involving local businesses, many of which you’ve read about on the pages of this magazine in recent months.
We start by listing the business venture and then move on to the item or items you may want to consider there.
We hope you’ll consider these options and, when possible, buy local.

Amherst Farm Winery
Route 9, Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 253-1400
www.amherstfarmwinery.com

AmherstWineUse• Tasting and bottle of Pumpkin Frost dessert wine: $25
Enjoy a winter afternoon wine tasting at the Amherst Farm Winery. The rustic barn that houses the granite-top tasting counter, winemaking kitchen, and gift shop also features a fireplace sipping room. A tasting includes a choice of five of the 15 vintages, a bonus sample of Winemakers limited Chocolate/Raspberry DIVA or Pumpkin Frost dessert wine, and a logo wine glass.

A.O. White
78 Center Square
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
(413) 525-1800
www.aowhite.com

AOWhiteCashmere• Kinross Cashmere Sweater in plum: $325
• Maker & Co. pinstripe fitted shirt in plum, gray, and lime: $125
Lewis White of A.O. White says every man’s wardrobe needs a fine cashmere sweater. Paired with a quality pima cotton shirt and favorite trousers, the casual outfit is perfect for holiday get-togethers and relaxing weekends. Dads, sons, brothers, boyfriends, and husbands will all appreciate an exquisite new cashmere sweater, especially to mix and match with different tailored shirts.

Bay Path College
588 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow, MA 01106
(413) 565-1066
www.baypath.edu; [email protected]

• 2014 Women’s Leadership Conference Early Bird gift certificate: alumni, $250; general public, $275
April is not far off, actually, and the much-anticipated annual Women’s Leadership Conference staged each spring by Bay Path College, an event of inspiration, education, and community, makes a great gift. This year’s speakers for the April 25 event have not been made public yet, but with past keynotes by award-winning thespians, businesswomen, and government leaders, including Jane Fonda, Queen Latifah, and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the schedule for the 2014 ‘Own Your Story’ conference is sure to be as exciting and motivating as ever.

CityStage/Symphony Hall
One Columbus Center, Springfield, MA 01103
34 Court St, Springfield, MA 01103
Box Office: (413) 788-7033
[email protected]
www.citystage.symphonyhall.com

• Bud Light Comedy Series 6-Pack:  $149
Provide laughter this holiday season! Give one of CityStage & Symphony Hall’s Comedy Gift Packs, which will provide a great night out for friends and family. Consider the Bud Light Comedy Series 6-Pack, which includes a Bud Light Cooler and two tickets to see Paul D’Angelo, the Irish Comedy Tour, and Etta May at CityStage.

Cooper’s Gifts & Curtains
161 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001
(413) 786-7760
www.coopersgifts.com

CoopersBangles• Bangle bracelet: $98 – $216
• Collectible clasps:  $50 – $75
A gift that has the ability to look different with add-on pieces is in vogue, and the made-in-Massachusetts LeStage Convertible Collection of sized sterling silver bangles, some with 14-carat gold accents, is the perfect idea, because the removable and collectible clasps are the eye candy.  There are so many clasp choices, and all are gift-wrapped, compliments of Cooper’s Gifts & Curtains.

Dave DiRico’s Golf & Racquet
1050 Riverdale St., West Springfield, MA 01089
(413) 734-4444
www.davediricogolf.com

GolfDriver• TaylorMade SLDR driver: $399
The avid golfer will probably already know that the latest TaylorMade SLDR driver is out, and it can be found at Dave DiRico’s Golf & Racquet. The club’s low, forward center of gravity promotes high-launch, fast ball speed, and low spin for phenomenal distance, and the loft can be increased or reduced up to 1.5 degrees with a 12-position loft sleeve for optimal trajectory. Made of titanium with a flexible graphite shaft, it’s perfect for men, women, and senior golfers.

Denise Smith Photography
(413) 224-1636
www.denisesmithphotography.com
Call for appointment

• Family portrait package gift certificate: $425
Create memories and keep them forever with a personalized family portrait session taken by regional portrait specialist Denise Smith. Using her expertise for a clothing and design consultation, your gift of timeless photography will become a family treasure. Gift certificate includes consultation, on-site photography session, and 16 x 20 classic mounted print.

It’s All About Me
2 Somers Road, Hampden, MA 01036
(413) 566-2285
www.allaboutmeshoppe.com

AllAboutMe_Dress• Shimmer party dress: $53
A boutique and gift shop where you can find fashionable, fun, unique, and affordable apparel and gifts is always a sure bet. Consider a party dress in her size from It’s All About Me in Hampden for New Year’s Eve. Beautiful soft shimmer fabric is absolutely adorable, with colors of charcoal, gold, and silver by YA Los Angeles. Available in small, medium, and large, this dress is glamorous enough for any special event.

Kaleidoscope Pottery
1 Cottage St, # 11
Easthampton, MA 01027
(413) 527-6390
(Call for appointment or for gallery locations where pottery is sold)
www.kscopepottery.com

• 5” diameter soap dish: $28
Artist Evelyn Snyder collects different leaves to create designs and patterns on stoneware slabs that she then forms into various shapes of platters, bowls, and vessels. Kaleidoscope Pottery appeals to gardeners, nature enthusiasts, and those who appreciate beautiful and functional pottery. A great gift item for everyday use is her handmade stoneware soap dishes — the soap happens to be from Sage Meadow Farm in Easthampton — and all pieces are dishwasher- and microwave-safe.

Kate Gray Boutique
749 Maple Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106
(413) 567-7500
www.kate-gray.com

KateGreyJacket• Wellensteyn jacket: $399
The holidays are a perfect time to update the wardrobe of a special woman in your life, but need help choosing? Consider a boutique like Kate Gray in Longmeadow for that personal attention and help in finding unique clothing made with fitted cuts and fine quality fabrics. She’ll always have something one-of-a-kind … like a burgundy metallic winter sports jacket by Wellensteyn.



Kiddly Winks
801 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
(413) 567-0688
www.kiddlywinks.com

Squigz• Squigz Fun Little Suckers! $50
Joy Leavitt at Kiddly Winks says one of the hottest toys this season is Squigz Fun Little Suckers!, a collection of colorful silicone-rubber shapes that flex, stick, and suck people into creativity they may not have been aware of. The shapes connect to each other and any solid, non-porous surface, leaving no residue or marks on surfaces. All ages can connect a masterpiece, providing hours of individual or family fun.

The Delaney House
3 Country Club Road, Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-1800
www.logcabin-delaney.com
www.stayatthed.com

• ‘Have A Bite. Stay The Night’: $179
The eclectic menu at the Delaney House blends American, Asian, and European tastes — certain to please even the pickiest partner — but consider merging that experience with a night in the new D. Hotel & Suites for a romantic couples package. Gift package includes $75 toward dinner at Delaney’s Grill or the Mick, in-room champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, and full breakfast.

Lorilil Jewelers
1500 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 731-5400
www.lorililjewelers.com

Rolex• Rolex watches: 26 mm, $10,650; 31 mm, $11,650; 36 mm, $12,850
Known for the elegant Rolex and David Yurman brands, Lorilil Jewelers in downtown Springfield offers a showroom of sparkle and shine all year long. But if tastes run on the high side, consider one of three sizes of Rolex Datejust watches. It’s been proven, time and time again, that one of these ‘timeless’ trinkets is sure to please.

Pioneer Valley Indoor Karting
10 West St., West Hatfield, MA 01088
(413) 446-7845
www.pioneervalleykarting.com

• Annual PVIK $50 membership and one race: $70
A 23,000-square-foot track offers an area where karts can reach speeds up to 40 mph. The 1,000-foot road course challenges the most experienced drivers through seven left turns and four rights. Every race is timed down to .001 of a second, and each driver will receive a time sheet after their race to compare. Kids 8 and older, over 48 inches, and weighing under 180 pounds can ride as well as adults.

Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club
121 West St. (formerly Bassett Boat Co.)
Springfield, MA 01104
(413) 736-1322
www.pvriverfront.org

• Annual Membership and access to all programs, indoor and outdoor: $500
(BusinessWest readers receive 25% off)
Looking for something unique for an active family member or friend? Consider a rowing class, indoor in cold weather, or on the Connecticut River the rest of the year. Offering programs for youth and adults, ages 12 to 99, the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club is a rowing facility in the North End of Springfield with a mission to promote river-based sporting activities, develop river access, and encourage recreation in the Greater Springfield metropolitan area.

SkinCatering Massage & Skincare
Tower Square, 1500 Main St., Suite 220
Springfield, MA 01115
(413) 282-8-SPA
www.skincatering.com

• Massage and facial combo: $125
• Couples massage: 60 min., $115; 90 min., $165;
2 hours, $215
Pamper someone special with a two-hour massage and facial combo, or, better yet, book a one-hour couples massage and enjoy a true spa experience together. SkinCatering offers a release from the hectic holidays, and after all the stress and strain, an extra-special, very personal gift is just what the doctor ordered.

Springfield Falcons Hockey
45 Falcons Way, Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 739-GOAL
www.falconsahl.com

• Holiday Hat Trick: $45 (for a limited time only)
Have a hockey fan in the family? Help them take in a hockey game and support Falcons Hockey in downtown Springfield with a special package from the Falcons. The Holiday Hat Trick offers two Falcons ticket vouchers, a $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card, and a special Falcons holiday puck.

Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Springfield Symphony Hall
34 Court St., Springfield, MA 01103
Box Office: 1350 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 733-2291
www.springfieldsymphony.org

• BOGO Choose 3: various prices
Give the gift of classical and pops music from the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO). Buy one, get one (BOGO) offers a ‘Choose 3’ SSO subscription that allows you to select any three Springfield Symphony Orchestra performances during the 2013-14 season and save up to 20% versus the cost of single tickets. BusinessWest readers get a second comparable Choose 3 subscription free with the purchase of one Choose 3 at the regular price, for a 50% savings. (Reference code BWBOGO for 50% off second package.)

— Elizabeth Taras

Holiday Gift Guide Sections
2013 May Be the First Healthy Holiday Sales Season Since Before the Recession

Joy Leavitt

Joy Leavitt is supporting locally owned independent businesses with a new nonprofit organization and educating consumers about buying local.

Walking into Kiddly Winks, a popular children’s toy store in Longmeadow, runs a close second to visiting the ‘real’ Santa’s Toyland at the North Pole.
Once in the store, customers are greeted by the cheery owner, Joy Leavitt, who easily takes on the role of a much younger Mrs. Claus with her warm smile and genuinely welcoming character. These qualities, combined with a spot-on toy selection, have made for a very successful business for the past 28 years, and allowed her to open a second store in Canton, Conn. in 2004.
Meeting the Kiddly Winks owner close to the holiday season is only heightened by her frequent use of the word ‘magical,’ which she uses to describe everything from the thousands of customers who have supported her two businesses to the growing popularity of the annual American Express Small Business Saturday — the day after Black Friday — to the nonprofit organization she started this year called Living Local (more on this later).
However, magic is exactly what retailers may need in this year’s sales season — defined by retail sales organizations, like the Retailers Assoc. of Massachusetts, as running from Black Friday to Christmas Eve — because there are six fewer shopping days than last year, including one less vital weekend for shopping, due to Thanksgiving being so late this year. Despite the loss of days, the Retailers Assoc. still predicts a 3.5% gain in sales ($15 billion) over last year, which is a shade less than the National Retail Federation’s projections for this year of 3.9%, which equates to $602.1 billion in total sales. It’s a progression that economists are calling ‘cautionary, slow growth’.
In the Western Mass. region, the independent retailers that BusinessWest spoke with seem to be relatively unconcerned about the shopping-week loss because the past year has shown steady growth, and for the first time since the Great Recession, they are viewing this sales season with anticipation, not trepidation.
“This year has been very, very good, and I do think it’s going to be an active holiday season,” said Dave DiRico of Dave DiRico’s Golf and Racquet in West Springfield. “The economy seems to be getting better, and people seem to be out shopping more.”
DiRico, a former club pro who purchased the well-known Fran Johnson’s Golf & Tennis from owner Cindy Johnson in March 2012 and reopened under his own name the following month, is looking forward to his second successful holiday season as a retailer, based on the success of last holiday season and his growth this year.
Kate Vishnyakov

Kate Vishnyakov’s clientele has already followed her boutique’s move from East Longmeadow to Longmeadow, proving that consumers are willing to support local business.

And while one might think that Kate Vishnyakov of Kate Gray Boutique should be nervous about this upcoming season since relocating her shop from East Longmeadow to Longmeadow this past October, she’s actually not. As she explained to BusinessWest, she launched her business six years ago at the beginning of the recession but is still going strong.
“The key is to adjust with the times,” Vishnyakov stated. “It got to the point where I didn’t have to depend on what was happening in Washington, or politics, or the economy; I built something that could support and sustain us.”
Her clientele has already welcomed her into town because, with a large percentage of customers coming from Longmeadow, Vishnyakov’s move has made it all that much easier to shop locally, which is vital to her existence. In fact, her sales in October, even being closed for 10 days for the move, were stronger than the same month last year.
Weather, economics, and tragedies can all affect the holiday shopping season, said Diane Merrick, owner, with her sister, Ann Marie Moloney, of It’s All About Me, a women’s boutique in Hampden.  But preparing in spite of challenges is a risk that is necessary because the sales of the past holiday seasons reflect what the inventory should be for the present.
“We can’t control people’s fears,” said Merrick. “All we can do is focus on being positive, listening to what customers say they want to see in the store, and provide those products with excellent personal service.”
While Leavitt uses the word ‘magical,’ Victor Ounduian, president of Lorilil Jewelers in downtown Springfield’s Tower Square, is cautiously optimistic. “There’s definitely more positivity this year, if that’s a word,” he said with a chuckle. (Indeed, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes positivity as ‘the state of being positive.’)
For this issue’s focus on the upcoming holiday sales season, BusinessWest spoke with local business owners who are taking that positivity to heart, at the same time they acknowledge the unscientific nature of making holiday shopping predictions.

Local Shift
During the year, Leavitt sees a lot of young women enter her store to show off their babies.
“And they were my customers when they were little girls,” Leavitt said, smiling. “That’s the beauty of what a legacy business is all about.”
Leavitt is passionate about local businesses, many of which are run by the second, third, or fourth generation, and the reason that she created Living Local (www.living-local.net), a nonprofit organization of local independent business owners in Western Mass. and Northern Conn.
“Shop local has become a real trend in the U.S., and I looked around at our lovely communities, and we didn’t have one,” said Leavitt, referring to an organization that would promote such a philosophy. She worked with local media, and the first meeting brought more than 35 independent business owners just to hear what Leavitt had to say.
“The first story that I told was that, for every $100 that a customer spends in an independently owned store, whatever type it is, $69 of that stays in the community, through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures,” she told BusinessWest, adding that, for national chains, only $43 stays in the community, and worse yet, Internet shopping offers nothing for the local community. “But the real story is to educate the public that if they just shift they way they shop, even 10% of their shopping to shopping locally, they will positively impact local communities and our local tax base.”
After that April 2013 meeting, 20 local businesses signed up and paid the $100 fee to join that night. Now, 55 members of all sizes and counting — from Big Y to Merrick’s It’s All About You — can benefit from the group’s PR and in turn help educate the public about the importance of buying locally, Leavitt said.
The response has been magical (there’s that word again), she said; a recent week-long promotional event offering a $5 tote bag filled with members’ discount coupons sold out of the 500 bags in only six days, and a portion of those proceeds went to the Food Bank of Western Mass.

Dave DiRico

Business for the year to date has been very good for Dave DiRico, who is anticipating a busy holiday season for sporting-goods sales.

DiRico has high praise for Leavitt and her success with Kiddly Winks, having lived with his wife in Longmeadow for years. He is now benefiting from local shoppers, as she has done for years, due to the communities in Western Mass. and the Berkshires supporting his West Springfield sporting-goods store.
Another source of help for DiRico, Leavitt, and their fellow small-business owners is Small Business Saturday, which was launched in 2010 by American Express to promote its small-business customers and brand a special shopping day that could seize the momentum of Black Friday. The day allows card holders a percentage discount for all charges at participating local stores, and last year, Leavitt saw a 30% increase in American Express sales for that day.
“American Express really did that to grow their own company, but what they also did was to create something amazing and magical for small local business owners,” said Leavitt. “But a lot of people don’t even know that American Express started it or offers a discount; they just like to help out and shop locally on that special day.”
Regardless of why the day was created, American Express advertising alone is making it catch on nationally, and Leavitt said she and all the other local business owners are just happy that some light can shine on them, just as the holiday season is getting in to full swing.

Giftology
With no grandiose expectations, Merrick, a young widow with two small boys, took a risk and purchased her small boutique in 2004, offering eclectic yet affordable gifts, jewelry, women’s clothing, and accessories of all kinds. The venture took off, and she soon expanded to a 2,300-square-foot location and, in late 2010, opened a second location in Greenwich, Conn.
For Merrick, the 25% or more of annual sales in the month of December alone are worth all the shopping and researching unique vendors throughout the year.
One risk, she said, is purchasing large volumes of items that will theoretically appeal to a wide variety of customers. Miscalculations can leave the business owner with thousands of dollars of stock that sits, she noted, adding that such gambles should be taken only after considerable due diligence.
Lewis White, owner of A.O. White in East Longmeadow, a 4,200-square-foot men’s and women’s fine clothing and specialty shop since the 1940s, has been through three major recessions and has spent decades trying to figure out such challenging holiday inventory questions.
He credits his success to his buying standards, opting for fine-quality fabrics, styles, and brands that aren’t found at national chain retailers. And like Vishnyakov and Merrick, he relies on his customers to tell him what they like so his inventory can always remain fresh and unique. During the holiday season, White and his staff are monitoring stock daily and ordering by phone or online to keep up.
“We’re always projecting for increases; you can’t have too much or too little,” he explained. “And that’s the part of the business where you have to use your judgment.”

Perfect Fit
Having endured the economic downturns of the early ’90s, post-9/11, and more recently the Great Recession, Ounduian’s business has bounced back many times.
“Any non-essential item is what goes first — it happens to everyone,” said Ounduian, referring to how consumers change their habits during downturns. “But with this last recession, it didn’t bounce back as fast.”
But with the holidays approaching, Ounduian is using his judgment and banking on that positivity to sell his increased holiday inventory of branded names like David Yurman, Rolex, Mikimoto pearls, and Roberto Coin jewelry, which tend to be top sellers each holiday season.
Soon, he said, the male shoppers will start their shopping around the 12 days before Christmas, and especially the last two days before Christmas, which he expects will keep his store hopping.
“I think we’re going to have a busy season,” Ounduian added.  “It’s just a gut feeling — but a good gut feeling.”

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Departments People on the Move

Freedom Credit Union, which has nine branches throughout the Pioneer Valley, recently announced the following:

Patricia Carbee

Patricia Carbee

Patricia Carbee, Freedom’s Assistant Vice President of Internal Auditing, has been promoted to Vice President and Director of Enterprise Risk Management. Carbee, with more than 33 years of experience in the finance industry, including expertise in regulatory auditing, compliance auditing, lending, and management, will manage risk management, guide the development of a risk-based culture throughout all product lines, and oversee the Compliance Department, loan-litigation matters, and business continuity. Most recently, she was an Auditor with New England Credit Union Services, LLC, a division of the Massachusetts Credit Union League. Carbee earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Nichols College. She is also member of the Assoc. of Credit Union Internal Auditors and the Mass. Bankers Internal Auditors Assoc.;
Jeffrey Smith

Jeffrey Smith

Jeffrey Smith joined Freedom as Chief Lending Officer and will manage commercial, mortgage, and consumer lending activities. Smith has 30 years of lending experience in the financial-services industry and has held several senior management positions throughout his career, including his most recent position as Vice President at Florence Savings Bank. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine at Orono and his MBA in Finance from Western New England University. He is currently President of the Northampton Rotary Club and a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. Smith has also been an instructor for the Center for Financial Training since 1994, teaching courses on subjects such as real-estate finance, marketing, accounting, and analyzing financial statements; and
Nora Braska

Nora Braska

Nora Braska was named Freedom’s Training and Development Officer. She is responsible for managing employee training of Freedom’s staff and overseeing their professional development. Braska has more than 20 years of experience in the financial-services industry, including her most recent position as Assistant Vice President and Training Officer at Hampden Bank. She is a board member of the Center for Financial Training – Springfield Regional Council, and is a member of the Professional Women’s Chamber of Western Mass.
•••••



Jonathan Goldsmith, Esq

Jonathan Goldsmith, Esq

Jonathan Goldsmith, Esq., a partner in the Springfield-based law firm Goldsmith, Katz & Argenio, P.C., was selected as the first recipient of the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court Pro Bono Award for Western Mass. Goldsmith received the recognition from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts. Goldsmith was presented the award by at a special reception held at the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston on Oct. 23. The program honors those in the legal professions who have improved the availability of and delivered volunteer legal services in Massachusetts, and recognizes those who have served their local communities as well as assisted in the administration of justice in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. For more than 25 years, Goldsmith, a specialist in bankruptcy and commercial law, has represented debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, financial institutions, and creditors’ committees. Goldsmith received his bachelor’s degree from Boston College and his juris doctor degree from Western New England University School of Law.
•••••
Jewish Geriatric Services (JGS), a healthcare system serving seniors and their families for more than 100 years, recently announced the following:
Alta Stark has been named Director of Marketing & Public Relations and is responsible for ongoing marketing, public relations, and corporate communications for JGS and its affiliates. Stark comes to JGS from Baystate Health, where she spent more than six years as a senior communications specialist. Stark holds a master’s degree in Television, Radio & Film from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and graduated from SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts with a bachelor’s degree in Advertising Design.
Darlene Francis has been named Executive Vice President of Wernick Adult Day Health Care Center, located on the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus of JGS. Francis is responsible for directing, supervising, and coordinating daily activities for participants at Wernick. Most recently, Francis was the practice manager of the JGS Family Medical Practice, which closed in June 2013. Francis received an associate’s degree in Medical Assisting from Springfield Technical Community College, and is certified by the AAMA. She also holds a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from American International College, where she earned the Martha Wilson Memorial Award.
•••••
Jonathan Goldsmith, Esq

Jonathan Goldsmith, Esq

Amy B. Royal, Esq., Founding Partner of Royal LLP, the woman-owned, boutique, management-side labor and employment law firm, has been elected to serve as the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Center for Human Development Inc.
•••••
TD Bank has promoted Lauren Winters to Store Manager of the 412 Boston Road store location. Winters is responsible for new-business development, consumer and business lending, managing personnel, and overseeing day-to-day operations. Winters has six years in banking centered on the customer experience, operations, and training. She joined TD Bank in 2011 and most recently served as an Assistant Store Manager in Chicopee.

Departments Incorporations

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

AMH2ERST

From A Birdie Inc., 87 East Pleasant St., Apt. B, Amherst, MA 01002. Agustin Schapira, same. Development, marketing and sale of consumer goods.

CHICOPEE

Confraternidad De Iglesias Del Salvador: Nueva Jerusalen, 237 Hampden St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Saul Ramos, 4711 West 125th St., Cleveland, OH 44135. A fraternity of churches.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Jelescheff Law, P.C., 337 Somers Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Scott Jelescheff, same. Law office.

FEEDING HILLS

Bluestone Insurance Inc., 1325 Springfield, St. Unit 15(6), Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Brett Ralph, 233 North Stone St., West Suffield, CT 06093. Insurance agency.

HOLYOKE

Bialas Custom Interiors Inc., 68 Winter St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Adam Bialas, same. Interior construction and finish work.

NORTHAMPTON

Mayflower Naturals Corp., 10 Highland Ave., Northampton, MA 01060. Joshua Bell, same. Antiquarian, historical, literary, scientific, medical, chiropractic, artistic, monumental or musical purpose.

Mayflower Organix Corp., 10 Highland Ave., Northampton, MA 01060. Jana Edelbaum, 17 East 80th St., New York, 10075. Antiquarian, historical, literary, scientific, medical, chiropractic, artistic, monumental, or musical purpose.

PITTSFIELD

MPS Media Inc., 75 Sherwood Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Andrew Schneider, same. Television production, management, and consulting.

Pittsfield Engineering Corporation, 777 West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Christine McCrery, same. Industrial services.

Star Tag Inc., 26 Dunham Mall, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Bi Wang, same. Transportation.

SOUTH HADLEY

Construction Labor Unlimited Inc., 17 Forest Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Jesus Rodriguez, 273 Roger St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Commercial construction contractor.

SOUTHAMPTON

Pizza 99 Co. Inc., 15J College Highway, Southampton, MA 01073. John Diamandakis, same. Bar and restaurant.

SPRINGFIELD

The Law Offices of David J. Lemasa P.C., 83 State St., Springfield, MA 01103. David Lemasa, 1409 Sunfield Dr., South Windsor, CT 06074. Law.

TSMD Consulting Inc., 73 State St., Suite 310, Springfield, MA 01103. Thomas Spencer, 22 Myrtle Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040. Consulting for horticulture industry.

Way Community Baptist Church, 18 East Alvord St., Springfield, MA 01108. Rev. Viola McCoy Pastor, same. To preserve the Baptist faith, through worship service, Christian education, choir, and community outreach ministry.

World Concrete Contractors Inc., 1655 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. Santos Rodriguez Gonzalez, same. Concrete solution and construction.

Xtrem Radio Victoria Inc., 26 Haskin St., Springfield, MA 01109. Wilfred Hernandez, same. Civic social education of religion.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Pioneer Flooring Solutions, 116 Grandview Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. John Spano, same. Construction and flooring contractor.

Wise Truck Inc., 202 Day St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Sergey Mudry. 900 Morgan Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. Truck service.

WILBRAHAM

Paramount Construction ABC Inc., 35 Springfield St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. John Pappanikou, same. Construction and contractor.

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of November 2013.

CHICOPEE

Chicopee Mason Supply
451 McKinstry Ave.
$13,000 — New roof

Town of South Hadley
2 James St.
$173,000 — Re-roof

Urgent Care Center
1505 Memorial Dr.
$48,000 — Interior renovations

PALMER

Maple Leaf Distribution Services
14 Third St.
$7,000 — Install concrete pad for generator

SOUTH HADLEY

Suds Your Duds
14 Main St.
$27,000 — Repair car damage

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Health
300 Carew St.
$73,000 — Renovate existing space

Castle House
3 Ames Hill Dr.
$3,000 — Exterior repairs

JCC
1160 Dickinson St.
$3,500 — Divide room for additional offices

Riverbend Medical
305 Bicentennial Ave.
$69,000 — Medical office renovations

Wallace House
105 Central St.
$15,000 — Exterior repairs

WEST SPRINGFIELD

A-C Motor Express
339 Bliss St.
$15,000 — New roof

David Boomi
76 Memorial Ave.
$12,000 — Renovate space for insurance office

Cantebury Woods Condominium
45 Cantebury Way
$3,000 — Repair damage to garage

Myron Court Apartments
24 Myron St.
$3,000 — Repair decking on commercial apartment building

Riverdale Shops
935 Riverdale St.
$245,000 — Renovations for new restaurant

Departments Picture This

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]

Gala of Lights
GroupToskyTablesCadetsThe Spirit of Springfield held its 18th annual City of Bright Nights Ball Nov. 16 in the Grand Ballroom of the Springfield Sheraton in downtown Springfield. The black-tie event, with the theme ‘Under th Sea,’ raised money to support the award-winning Bright Nights in Forest Park, taking place through Jan. 5, and the many events presented by the nonprofit organization.
 From top, left to right: from left, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and wife Carla, Patti and Daniel Moen, president and CEO of Sisters of Providence Health System, Patrick Leary, shareholder and vice president of Moriarty and Primack, P.C., Kelley Tucky, Bright Nights Ball chair and vice president of Community and Public Affairs for MGM Springfield, and Richard Ross; Noreen and Mark Tolosky, president and CEO of Baystate Health; the Grand Ballroom is ready for guests; from left, Maj. Matthew Mutti, Col. Kenneth Lute, Col. James Keefe, and Brigadier Gen. Paul Smith salute the military after the singing of the National Anthem. (PHOTOS BY PAUL SCHNAITTACHER)

Lunch Money

DuvalIMG_9476The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) recently hosted a Lunch with Gov. Deval Patrick, left, at the sold-out Springfield Marriott Grand Ballroom, right. The special event was an occasion for the governor to announce a $200 million investment in Phase 1 of the I-91 Springfield Viaduct project and $1.2 million to create a permanent home for Camp STAR Angelina at Forest Park. The investments are expected to be a catalyst for additional economic and community-development opportunities in the region.(PHOTOS BY DRISCOLL PHOTOGRAPHY)

Legislative Voices
SarnoCohenBreyerSullivanGovReceptionReplaceOn Nov. 21, the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) held its annual Government Reception at the Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield. The event provides a forum each year for attendees to meet with area legislators to make their voices heard. Left to right from top: Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, left, and Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen speak with an attendee; Carl Breyer Jr., left, managing partner of Park Place Realty, and Ed Sullivan, mayor-elect of West Springfield; Chris Thompson, left, vice president of Business Development for the Springfield Falcons, converses with state Rep. James Welch.(PHOTOS BY DRISCOLL PHOTOGRAPHY)

They Honor Us Whom We Honor
AM7J3389AM7J3591The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts recently celebrated the latest class of the Order of William Pynchon, the 98th annual awards event which honors distinguished civic service in the name of Springfield’s founder. Pictured, left, at the banquet held at Chez Josef, are 2013 Pynchon medalists, from left, Joan Kagan, president and CEO of Square One; Jean Caldwell, writer for the Boston Globe and American Baby magazine; Jean Gailun, advocate for reading education and the children of Springfield’s Kensington Avenue Magnet School; and Sirdeaner Walker, mother of 11-year-old bullying and suicide victim Carl Walker Hoover and now an advocate for bullying awareness, who was instrumental in the drafting and passage into law of the state’s 2011 anti-bullying bill. Right: from left, Susan Kline, chair of the Jewish Geriatric Services (JGS) board of directors; Sally Fuller from Cherish Every Child; Alta Stark, Pynchon trustee and event chair and director of marketing and public relations for JGS; Richard Halpern, JGS board member; Martin Baicker, president and CEO of JGS; and Susan Halpern, vice president of philanthropy for JGS. (PHOTOS BY ED COHEN)

Spa Night

chairmassagemayorleanne1SkinCatering, a massage and skin-care spa for men and women, recently celebrated its grand opening on the second floor of Tower Square in downtown Springfield. The spa, whose team is Skin-Safe Certified by the Melanoma Foundation of New England, offers body and facial services as well as yoga and numerous specials. An open house welcomed the public to indulge in a few of the most popular services, including chair massages, at left, with massage therapists Ariel Gignac, left, and Amy Pearson. Right, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, center, congratulates Leanne Sedlak, owner and massage therapist, to his right, at the ribbon cutting. Holding the ribbon, from left, are Sedlak’s husband Scott, roofing specialist for Adam Quenneville Roofing and Siding; Don Courtemanche, executive director of the Springfield Business Improvement District; Sarno; Sedlak; and Kim Brunton Auger, lead esthetician.

Employment Sections
Training & Workforce Options Takes Region-wide View

Bob LePage

Bob LePage, executive director of Training & Workforce Options.

Bob LePage spends a lot of time talking to employers from many different sectors, from healthcare to hospitality; financial services to manufacturing. And they all have one thing in common — a need for quality workers.
He related a conversation he had with the head of an area manufacturing firm. “He said, ‘we have more work than we have capacity. And what’s the biggest capacity constriction? Lack of workers. If I could find them, I’d add a shift, I’d add another line. Our challenge is, we need more qualified workers, whether that’s taking assemblers and upscaling them to machinists or convincing young people that working in today’s manufacturing environment is not what your grandfather did.’”
One regional manufacturer, LePage added, is anticipating 300 to 400 retirements in the next five years. Simply put, “we can’t close the gap based on what’s coming out of high school.”
As the executive director of Training & Workforce Options (TWO), a partnership between Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College, LePage thinks about these issues all the time. The initiative was launched in 2011 to provide specialized contract training for a range of client businesses. But along the way, it has created sector-wide collaborations to help tackle workforce needs across entire industries.
“TWO grew out of a workforce assessment done by the two community colleges, which came together and decided there are a lot of opportunities to build collaboration between the two colleges, and opportunities for us to work collaboratively with the Regional Employment Board [REB]on supporting and building sector-based strategies.
“It’s come a long way,” he added. “We first had to develop staffing, planning, infrastructure, processes, procedures, how we’re going to do things.”
In the meantime, TWO has worked with the REB and others on developing workforce strategies on a sector-by-sector basis, he explained.
“If we use the example of healthcare, a year and a half ago, we started assessing what the medical coding needs were for the region,” LePage noted, because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is replacing the current standard code sets in 2014, creating reimbursement challenges for providers.
Along with Kelly Aiken, the REB’s director of Health Care Initiatives, and about a dozen regional healthcare employers, LePage explained, TWO developed a partnership by which medical coding and billing students can transfer credits between colleges, and will also launch a training academy to help employers train their workers in the upcoming conversion.
“TWO came in and really provided the skill-assessment expertise we didn’t have before,” Aiken said, and not just in the coding realm, but in direct care as well. “Employers have said there’s either a mismatch between supply and demand, or the industry is changing so rapidly that we need to revisit and revamp career pathways. TWO has been instrumental in helping us collect data from employers and walk employers through the skill-assessment process so we can really understand where the gaps exist.
“I really look at them as a side-by-side partner,” she added, “to fill us in and help employers and training institutions figure out how to fill those gaps through regional and organizational strategies.”

Across the Board
Healthcare is just one of the many sectors TWO has a hand in, however. The partnership recently brought together a group of regional financial-services providers — banks, insurance companies, and others — to discuss workforce needs, and the end result is a new certification program to train people to fill financial call-center jobs.
“The first class of 17 students is going through an intensive training program and will hopefully be placed into jobs in January,” LePage said. “This was an industry-driven need.”
Returning to healthcare, yet another TWO initiative aims to help providers develop new systems to remove inefficiency and waste from healthcare — a major issue in these days of cost-cutting and accountable care. TWO has also worked with Wingate of Wilbraham, a skilled-nursing facility, by training workers in STCC’s simulation lab.

Kelley Tucky

Kelley Tucky says MGM Springfield is depending on regional job-training efforts to build a 3,000-strong workforce in the city.

“It’s a way to assess their hands-on skills, a new way of looking at competence and how students can practically apply their skills,” he said. “Wingate had some very specific things they wanted to partner with us to test.”
And in the manufacturing realm, “we recently partnered with the Westfield Chamber to host a manufacturing workforce forum. We had manufacturers at Savage Industries host 10 or 12 companies around the idea of developing new regional programs for machine operators. In most cases, they might need one programmer but six or 12 operators. Our goal is to develop a new training program to allow us to provide on-site operator training.”
When thinking about the number of precision machinists approaching retirement, LePage said, the challenge is to create large-scale programs to develop the next generation.
“We’ve worked with a number of individual organizations — we might work with them on a multi-year training program, help them do organizational assessment, skills assessment, build a training program with them, and help them capture state resources to enhance the performance of employees.”
Such investments pay off, he noted. “Every dollar invested in support of manufacturing yields $1.64 return on investment in the first year alone. Every time you support labor-pool investment, your community makes money.”
TWO has engaged in similar strategy-building initiatives with area hospitality employers. “We partnered with the [Greater Springfield] Convention & Visitors Bureau on a formal needs assessment. What are the workforce challenges for the hospitality industry? We’re now starting to put together strategies to support their emerging needs, both culinary and front of house.”

Upping the Ante
The hospitality industry is only one of many sectors acutely aware of the probability of MGM Resorts International building a casino in Springfield’s South End, now that the proposal is the only viable casino plan for Western Mass. being considered by the state Gaming Commission.
“It’s highly likely this region is going to have to navigate 3,000 to 4,000 new jobs in the next 24 to 36 months,” LePage said. “TWO has taken the lead in partnering with the Gaming Commission to develop a workforce strategy to support the casino industry.
“We know, for example, that, if you want to be a dealer or in gaming, you have to pass a very specific set of requirements, and if you can’t pass them, you can’t work in a casino,” he added. And those requirements, he noted, could pose difficulties.
Kelley Tucky, vice president of Community and Public Affairs for MGM Springfield, agrees, saying her team has been working closely with the Mass. Casino Career Training Institute — which oversees employee regulations, licensure, and training — to ease some of the obstacles to employment.
“We’ve made our position known that we see the current CORI and SORI background-check requirements to be somewhat restrictive,” she told BusinessWest. “For instance, if we have someone working in the warehouse with a history of bankruptcy, it matters very little to us. Certainly, in a position where data is being handled or where there’s tremendous responsibility with money handling, you want those individuals to be vetted thoroughly, but we’ve heard from the one-stop career centers, the Gaming Commission, and others that they see some roadblocks already.”
Meanwhile, MGM has developed ties with the career centers and TWO to develop strategies for recruitment and soft-skills training, from interview and résumé-writing skills to language barriers. “Those are very important for us,” Tucky said. “We’ve built our reputation on providing an exceptional level of customer service. We gauge that from the minute an individual walks in the door for an interview. The more the one-stops train their clientele in those skills, the more confident we are that we’ll find the talent we need.”
However, the casino challenge extends far beyond MGM’s needs, LePage noted, as businesses in a host of sectors anticipate losing many of their own workers to the casino — for example, a bank teller who might want to be trained as a dealer or money handler — and having to refill those positions.
“We’re very aware of what’s going to be happening with the gaming industry,” he said. “If we want to have 3,000 new jobs in the region, we don’t want to subtract 1,000 jobs from other employers just by moving from one place to another. We have to grow 3,000 new workers throughout the region, but we have to develop strategies to fill multiple sectors, so there’s very little ripple effect.”
Take healthcare CEOs, he added. “The concern for them is culinary. They service a large number of people each day with food. And they currently have challenges hiring people. Add another 150 to 200 culinary jobs in the region, and they might have a bigger challenge.”
Tucky sees that sort of movement as an overall plus for the job market and the economic vibrancy of the region.
“Churn is good in terms of changing jobs, changing opportunities. It’s a good thing because people are exposed to additional career options — for instance, veterans returning from active duty, even the semi-retired. We offer jobs across the spectrum, and if we can attract a bright personality and they have the basic skills for the job, we will train for everything else.
“People see this as economic development for the region,” she continued. “It’s all about economic revitalization, and we’ve done a really good job being transparent. We see the benefits for Springfield and the Western Mass. economy, and we feel it’s a win-win.”
LePage agrees — if there’s an effective strategy in place that benefits MGM without disadvantaging other employers. “With the entry of a large employer into the region, we’ve tried to build partnerships across the region. No one organization can solve these regional workforce challenges.”

Mind the Gap
Casino or not, those workforce challenges are persistent, and the term ‘skills gap’ is nothing new to Western Mass. employers.
LePage noted that only about 78 in 100 teens in Greater Springfield make it through high school, but even if the rate was 100%, “we wouldn’t come close to meeting our workforce needs.”
That’s why TWO is so important — not only because it brings together the two colleges’ strengths, such as HCC’s English as a Second Language program and STCC’s Adult Basic Education initiatives, but because the colleges are bringing so many other voices into the conversation.
“What you see with all this collaboration is that there’s very little ego,” LePage said. “It isn’t what the colleges want done, it’s what industries want done. We’re listening to industries and hearing what they need and how they need it, and then saying, ‘OK, what can we do to solve this problem?’ That is the key to all of it; it has to be industry-driven. If you try to force change on industry, that’s not going to work. You’ve got to let those guys tell you what they need, then do the best you can to fulfill those needs.”
Aiken believes the effort has begun to bear real fruit.
“We love the fact that the community colleges are collaborating together,” she said. “We at the REB are all about collaboration, and they are a model for how community colleges and other institutions can collaborate together.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Sections The Business of Aging
Businesses Eye Potential in a Growing Over-65 Population

Don Anderson

Don Anderson says older people enjoy cruises, but not necessarily the same ones younger travelers do.

More than a half-century later, the Baby Boom has become the retirement boom — and the numbers are striking.
At the turn of the century, just over a decade ago, the U.S. was home to 35 million people age 65 or older. Since then, the number has risen to almost 42 million — a nearly 20% increase — and the 65+ crowd in America is expected to soar to 79.7 million by 2040, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“All our health and science advances mean people are living longer,” Jason Harris said. “Many are healthy and don’t foresee any kind of health traumas, or maybe they’ve already had that hip-replacement surgery, and they look at that as a wake-up call — ‘we’re getting there, but we’re healthy … what if we live another 15 or 20 years? What will our quality of life be?’”
As founder and lead carpenter at Baystate Accessibility Remodelers, Harris takes that question seriously. His firm specializes in creating safe and accessible residential spaces for seniors and people recovering form injury or living with a disability.
The modifications run the gamut from bathroom fixes such as grab bars, modified toilet heights, and walk-in showers to widening doorways and building ramps and chair lifts for people using wheelchairs, all the way up to completely remodeling kitchens for wheelchair accessibility or building additions for in-law apartments so an older person can move back in with their children.
“Our job really runs the gamut from minor modifications to full-blown remodeling,” Harris said. “The Baby Boomer generation is a working generation, and a lot of them have assets, and a lot of them have over time invested in retirement and other things, including their homes. When they start getting into that age category, people might consider aging in place, rather than moving into institutional care. They own their home, and they want to put one more investment into their home and stay there because all the things important to them are around them.”
Harris’ company is just one example of a business that stands to benefit from the rapidly aging population. According to the monthly marketing report Selling to Seniors, people 50 and over control 77% of all financial assets in the U.S., own almost 50% of all credit cards, and account for more than 50% of discretionary spending power.
With that in mind, here are just a few of the kinds of businesses that stand to benefit from the proliferation of America’s golden-age population.

Living Well
Harris and his wife, Cindy (Baystate’s president), don’t cater only to the elderly with their home modifications; many times, their services help patients readjust to home life after an injury or disability.
“Many times we’re following the path of the occupational therapist or physical therapist who comes into the home when someone’s been in a rehab situation. They check the person’s medical history and come up with a roadmap and say, ‘these are the things they need,’ and when we get in there and do the home evaluation, we can talk to them and make sure we get the medical side of it, make sure we understand their issues,” Harris said.
But in many cases, customers are relatively healthy, yet recognize a coming need to upgrade their home to keep them safe living in it.
“They’re really looking at the value of what they could potentially invest into their home,” he told BusinessWest. “They’ve already made a commitment, and now they’re just saying, ‘this is just the next level of investing in the house.’”
Millions of seniors and their families struggle with the decision of whether to stay in their home or move to a residential-care setting, he noted.
“There’s a lot of expense that goes into moving into any kind of institution — whether they like that environment or not, there’s a lot of costs,” Harris said. “They need to decide whether the financial investment is something that’s possible, and also, do they want to move away from everything they’re comfortable with, or make some modification to their home? That’s what we have to consider to when we talk to potential clients; we understand that a lot of emotion goes into making that decision to stay home or move into an institution.”
For seniors who are healthy and ambulatory, the Boomers are known as a generation that wants to remain active, and they’re increasingly seeking out fitness and wellness options to help them stay in shape.
Take yoga, for instance. Karoun Charkoudian opened a yoga studio in Springfield in 2009 and will soon celebrate the one-year anniversary of her business, Karoun Yoga, in its new West Springfield location. From day one, she said, seniors have made up a solid percentage of her business.
“We’ve had a lot of retired folks in here, and definitely more and more seniors, especially for our gentle classes,” she told BusinessWest. “That’s definitely been the case.”
She said older people tend to enjoy yoga because it brings fitness benefits without a high impact on their joints. “It really helps alleviate a lot of arthritic pain and joint pain, that kind of thing. In my opinion, it’s a safer way to get stronger — and they definitely get stronger, and they work on their balance. It’s a better way for the senior population to do that.”
As general awareness of yoga continues to increase, Charkoudian said, studios like hers will continue to benefit from a growing older population.
“With our beginner class or gentler class, at that level it absolutely works,” she added. “It’s effective for all the benefits they’re looking for.”

All Aboard

The retirement years are often synonymous with travel, and today’s seniors have some specific ideas of where they want to visit. To hear Don Anderson, owner of the Cruise Store in East Longmeadow, tell it, they’re not flocking to Caribbean beaches.
“Certain types of trips lend themselves more to seniors,” he said. “For instance, on Alaskan cruises, typically much of the clientele — but certainly not all — are seniors. There’s more awareness of Alaska; it’s on people’s lists — ‘one day I want to see the glaciers, see Alaska, travel inland.’”
Another hot choice among senior clients are river cruises. “Older people don’t necessarily want the flashy, 2,000-ton cruise ships, but maybe something that handles 100 or 200 people, tops. They might want to spend overnights visiting the beaches of Normandy, overnights in Paris, Budapest, Prague,” Anderson said.
“Other big items on the bucket lists are national parks — and we were impacted by the government shutdown,” he continued. “Older people also want to travel overseas to Europe or Ireland, but don’t want to drive on the opposite side of the road and contend with that sort of stuff, so they like escorted trips.”
When seniors travel, they often do so alone or in pairs, but a growing trend involves larger groups and cross-generational travel — where older customers arrange to cruise with their children and, sometimes, their grandkids.
“They have disposable income, but their kids go where the jobs are, so the kids live in different parts of the country. So, as a coming-home type of event, they pick a cruise ship, which caters to different generations. They can spend quality time with their kids and kids’ spouses or significant others, and the ships have kids’ programs. Some seniors with disposable income put their money toward getting everyone together on board, doing things together, eating as a family together. We’re seeing an increase in that, with multi-generational trips initiated by the parent or grandparent.”
In any case, with family or not, “seniors are saying, ‘now is our time; now is the time to do it,’ and they like the idea of a company like ours, where we set it up but don’t charge service fees; they love that.”
But, like other types of businesses that cater to different generations, Anderson said, “you can’t sell the wrong product to the wrong people; certain trips lend themselves to certain clientele.”
As tens of millions of Baby Boomers sail into retirement, that bit of wisdom will continue to ring true.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Bankruptcies Departments

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

Ahlberg, Jessica E.
240 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/04/13

Alvarez, Iris
50 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/15/13

Arsenault, Cassie Lynn
a/k/a Cornwell, Cassie Lynn
125 Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Aycox, Cherie
94 Spikenard Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Balboni, Jeffrey A.
27 Pine Grove Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/09/13

Bolduc, David M.
145 Overlook Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/09/13

Bouchard, Alice M.
93 Pheasant Hill Dr., A
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/15/13

Boyle-Glidden, Susan
120 Allyn St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/11/13

Brazill, John W.
120 Highland Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/11/13

Burke, Norman E.
Burke, Robin M.
195 Keyes Road
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/09/13

Cruz, Michael Jao
102 Kenyon St. Apt 3
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/08/13

Delorge, Sandra L.
33 Westford Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Ey, Darryl H.
Sepiol-Ey, Kimberly A.
5 Pinneywoods Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/14/13

Faucher, Jamie R.
298 Oakham Road #19
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/03/13

Ferris, Cynthia L.
81 Tanner St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Fili, Maria L.
522 Cold Spring Ave., Apt 1B
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/11/13

Fortin, Charles
Fortin, Debra
215 Silver St.
Granville, MA 01034
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Fox, Monika Nicole
a/k/a Lisek, Monika
117 Springfield St.
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/09/13

Gathro, Elizabeth N.
123 Edgewood Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Gillis, Brian A.
Gillis, Linda F.
a/k/a Bousquet, Linda F.
a/k/a Whipple, Linda F.
378 Holtshire Road
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Gordon, Holly M.
123 Mattawa Circle
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Harper, Phillip V.
Harper, Jane V.
15 Webbs Court
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/08/13

Hunter, Merton Wilbur
Hunter, Patricia W.
153 Vadnais St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/15/13

Hurley, Jocelyn
a/k/a Caisse, Jocelyn
49 Circle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/04/13

Josefek, Terri-Anne
163 Whitney St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Kaminski, Daniel J.
3 Mary Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/04/13

La Forest, Jason M.
45 Versailles Ave.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/03/13

Labonte, Diane T.
735 Memorial Dr., TR-73
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/11/13

Livingston, Christine M.
30 Yorktown Dr.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/07/13

Lussier, Carol E.
39 Redstone Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/04/13

Malloy, David A.J.
Malloy, Kimberly A
202 Columbia St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/01/13

Mayhan, Joni K.
135 Old Coldbrook Road
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/15/13

McComb, Joyce A.
6 Stirling Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/08/13

McGuirk, Kimberly A.
59 Cailan Way
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/01/13

McSwain, Susan J.
419 Montcalm St.
Apt. 114 M
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Merriam, Khristin A.
a/k/a O’Sullivan, Khristin A.
31 Letendre Ave.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/11/13

Michon, Cynthia A.
18 Patrick St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/01/13

Morse, Andrew
411 Turners Falls Road
Montague, MA 01351
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Newsome, Jeffrey
Newsome, Catherine F.
16 Ballard St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Olsen, Keith H.
12 Smith Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Ormsby, Basil N.
285 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/08/13

Owusu, Benjamin K.
a/k/a Owusu, Benjamin Kwabena
Owusu, Janet
27 Whittier St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/08/13

Perrin, Clifford E.
10 School St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/10/13

Pion, Tammy M.
a/k/a Wainwright, Tammy M.
a/k/a Peon, Chire
44 Line St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/09/13

Pitcher, Gary
Pitcher, Amber
a/k/a Daniels, Amber
5 Capri Terrace
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/03/13

Quinn, Brendan Michael
Quinn, Erica Vanderleeden
470 Bliss Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Radionov, Dmitriy
35 Colony Road 2-B
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/03/13

Rivera, Maria V.
Rivera, Pablo
29 Waterford Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/11/13

Rodriguez, Marilyn
a/k/a Laracuente, Marilyn Rodriguez
31 Elcon Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/01/13

Rodriguez, Monika
36 Jimmy Court
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/11/13

Sosa, Tammy L.
42 West St.
Granby, MA 01033
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Wackerbarth, John Fredrick
Wackerbarth, Anne Theresa
45 Pineywood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 09/30/13

Whitney, Mark S.
Whitney, Kathleen R.
34 Sumner Ave., #314
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/07/13

Wolf, Jaime L.
64 Timber Lane
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 10/02/13

Zaldivar, Nicholas
17 Grandview Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 10/09/13

Court Dockets Departments

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

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT
Harold Sanabria v. Ainsky D. Smith and B & R Leasing Inc.
Allegation: Plaintiff was a bicyclist negligently struck by the defendant’s taxi: $10,198.26
Filed: 10/25/13

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Stanley S. Boron v. Aubuchon Hardware and Lorenz Family, L.P.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of premises causing fall: $2,000+
Filed: 10/1/13

Lou Giramma v. Peter Sheperd d/b/a Sheperd Masonry and Roofing
Allegation: Breach of contract to perform work at the plaintiff’s home: $22,180
Filed: 10/21/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Kent W. Pecoy v. Glen R. Hanson and Colony Hills Capital, LLC
Allegation: Claims for breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith, and fair dealing: $500,000
Filed: 10/22/13

Nestor M. Sostre, as personal representative of the estate of Nestor E. Sostre v. 272 Worthington Street Inc. d/b/a Glo Ultra Lounge
Allegation: Wrongful death caused by negligent service of alcohol: $8,000
Filed: 11/7/13

QVC Inc. v. Renaissance Specialty Products Inc.
Allegation: Suit on previous judgment for breach of contract: $36,904.84
Filed: 10/16/13

Robert and Annie Jennings v. Wal-Mart Inc.
Allegation: Plaintiff, Robert Jennings, was given the wrong heart medication by Wal-Mart Pharmacy causing hospitalization: $125,000
Filed: 11/15/13

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Gail Hescock v. Franklin Eye Care Associates, LLC and Pierre Alfred, M.D.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $198,000
Filed: 9/1/13

Shirley L. Waterhouse v. Amsoni Inc. and Bucklin Neighbors
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property: $17,643.42
Filed: 11/7/13

Sheila Lagrenade v. Lincoln National Corp. d/b/a Lincoln Financial Group
Allegation: Unfair and deceptive trade practices and non-payment of disability benefits: $30,000+
Filed: 11/13/13

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT
Kelsie Pinto v. Bruce Transportation Inc.
Allegation: Negligent operation of a bus causing injury: $3,515
Filed: 9/23/13
SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Miguel A. Rodriguez v. Transportation Options Inc. and Sig Marie Colon
Allegations: Negligent operation of a motor vehicle: $24,999.99
Filed: 10/9/13

Nicholas A. Sacoio v. BSC Realty Inc. and Mardi Gras Entertainment Inc.
Allegation: Negligent failure to properly train, educate, and supervise employees causing injury to patron: $4,543.10
Filed: 10/17/13

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
United Service Co., LLC v. Redevco, LLC
Allegation: Default on decontamination and asbestos-removal contract: $20,170
Filed: 10/29/13

Features
This Veteran Goes to the Front Lines — of Home Healthcare

Nicholas Colgin

Nicholas Colgin is still climbing — both literally and figuratively — as a guide for blind individuals on summits, an advocate for unemployed veterans, and now as the owner of his own home-care business.

There have been a number of datelines attached to news stories involving Nicholas Colgin.
Many of them originated in the Tagab Valley in eastern Afghanistan, where, as a combat medic serving in Bravo Company for the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, he saved the life of a French soldier shot in the head while facing enemy fire himself, an act of bravery that earned him the Bronze Star. It was also while serving in that remote region that others in his squad saved 42 Afghanis from a flooding river, an experience that he believes gave additional validation to his time serving in that conflict.
Later, though, there were stories out of Washington, first when he went to speak before Congress on the difficulties many veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were experiencing as they sought gainful employment, and later when he was mentioned in speeches given by President Obama that outlined steps to combat the high jobless rates among what are known as the ‘9/11 generation’ of veterans.
Referencing Colgin, who, despite those actions that earned him a medal, couldn’t get a job as an EMT in Wyoming because he lacked the proper certification, the president said, “that isn’t right, and it doesn’t make sense — not for our veterans, not for the strength of our country. If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in an ambulance in Wyoming.”
Fast-forward roughly two years from that speech in a former gun factory at the Washington Navy Yard, and the latest dateline for news on Colgin is, improbably, Springfield, Mass. Indeed, he’s not in an ambulance, nor in Wyoming, but instead in one of the many corner offices on the 12th floor of 1350 Main St., also known as One Financial Plaza. There, a map covering more than half of one wall identifies his territory — all of Western Mass. and some of Northern Conn. — as a franchisee for a national chain called Right at Home, which, as the name suggests, is a home-care agency.
There are a number of pushpins now on that map. They identify major healthcare providers in the Greater Springfield area as potential partners of sorts as Colgin looks to obtain market share in what is becoming a crowded playing field for home-care services.
Cultivating such relationships is now a major part of Colgin’s job description, although he noted quickly that there are many pressing issues as his gets this business off the ground, from interviewing candidates for caregiver positions to hiring an operations staff to staging an open house.
“We’ve had more than 300 applications in the past two or three weeks,” he noted, adding that the process of screening these candidates is ongoing. “They go through orientation, and we put a lot of time and investment into training to make sure we’re not sending someone into a person’s home that we wouldn’t let in our own grandmother’s home or parent’s home.”
How and where this entrepreneurial gambit came to be is an intriguing saga, one that says a lot about this determined individual, who overcame a number of injuries himself to put his name — which at one time he had trouble spelling because of a traumatic brain injury, or what those who’ve suffered one call a TBI — and the title ‘owner’ on his current business card.
Summing it all up, he said it has to do with mountains, or, more specifically, with climbing, and the need to keep doing it.
Elaborating, he divided returning veterans (and people in general) into three categories: ‘quitters’ — those who give in to their frustrations and often become substance abusers; ‘campers’ — individuals who come home and “relax for a while” (something he admits he did to some extent); and ‘climbers’ — those who “just keep climbing.”
“I decided I was going to be a climber,” he said, “and do it literally by taking blind people up mountains, and more figuratively by finding the next goal in life.”
ColginArmoredCar
Nicholas Colgin earned a Bronze Star for saving a man’s life in Afghanistan, but later was wounded himself, an experience that transformed a helper into someone who needed help.

Nicholas Colgin earned a Bronze Star for saving a man’s life in Afghanistan, but later was wounded himself, an experience that transformed a helper into someone who needed help.

For this issue and its focus on the business of aging, BusinessWest talked at length with Colgin, who has gone from being the face of unemployment among returning veterans to an individual now employing others in a venture with which he feels, well, right at home.

In the Line of Fire
Colgin was in the Peruvian Andes late last month, leading a team of 12 disabled veterans up 18,000-foot Mount Mariposa, when he received word that his franchise had secured the license necessary to operate in Massachusetts.
The juxtaposition of those happenings adds some poignancy to Colgin’s remarks about climbing, and also to the many facets of his life and the ways he measures success.
“I was going to do one last guiding trip before opening the business,” he explained. I submit the application and hop on a plane to Peru. I get one day in, and our application has been approved. It was a tricky place to be in — I’m in Peru, and now my business is open, and I’ve got to get back and hire employees.
“It’s been quite a journey, and this part of it is really just getting started,” he went on, before venturing back to another dateline in his life, the first.
That would be Chesterfield, Va., a small community not far from Richmond, where he spent several generally unhappy and challenging years.
His mother wound up in prison, and his father, with only a sixth-grade education, struggled to earn a living. Colgin said he was essentially raised by his grandmother, and by his senior year in high school, he was in many ways rudderless. It was a friend bent on joining the Army who provided inspiration and a compass point, but Colgin still had no idea what to do with himself — in the military or after his tour of duty was over.
“I signed on as a medic,” he said, following those words with a pause and shrug as if to indicate there was no profound reason for that choice. “I had never done anything in healthcare … when I went to sign up, I didn’t really know much about the military other than what you see in movies. I had just seen Black Hawk Down, and I said to them, ‘I want to be one of those guys.’
“They chuckled at me and said, ‘that’s not really a job,’” he went on. “They said, ‘you’re pretty smart … you can be this, or this, or maybe a medic.’ I said, ‘I’ll be a medic — that sounds like a job people really look up to.’”
He would eventually find out just how off he was in that reasoning — at least when it came to finding a job a few years later.
Fast-forwarding a little, Colgin passed the six-month training course to become a medic; two-thirds of those in his class did not. He worked in several facilities stateside, teaching medical classes, and was set to get out of the military without being deployed, but wound up volunteering for an assignment. “I figured, we’re at war; I might as well do my part,” he said, adding that a deployment he thought would last six months to a year instead stretched to 15 months.
He called it the “quintessential war experience,” one that took place mostly at Firebase Morales-Frazier. The highlight of his tour, if one could call it that, came in 2007 when he went to the aid of a French soldier hit by Taliban fire. The two were pinned down for about three hours, under constant fire, while Colgin administered care credited with saving the man’s life.
Colgin has several scattered memories of that experience, everything from being able to put whatever French he managed to retain from high-school classes to good use, to his own emotions as he offered care and counseling to the wounded soldier.
“You’re in Afghanistan, you’re getting shot at, people are getting blown up … you’re treating these people day in and day out, but you don’t really get scared; you just say, ‘this is just a job, this is what I’m here to do, treat it as a professional situation,’” he recalled. “But then I remember taking care of him. We’re in a small vehicle finally getting out of there, and his legs are on mine. I’m trying to tell him everything’s going to be all right. I was saying it confidently, but my legs just wouldn’t stop shaking, because I didn’t know if he was going to be all right. But I knew if he wasn’t going to be all right, it was not going to be because I slacked on my job and didn’t do all I could.”
Just a few months later, Colgin was driving a Humvee — something medics don’t often do, but he felt compelled to take his turn behind the wheel — when it took a glancing blow from a rocket-propelled grenade, or RPG. He said his head hit something, probably the steering wheel or windshield, breaking his nose and giving him what he called a “concussion of sorts.”
“One side of my body was numb, and I remember thinking that something wasn’t right,” he recalled. “We didn’t really know a lot about traumatic brain injuries at the time. I came home, had a lot of surgeries on my face — they rebuilt my nose — and needed a lot of treatment.
“I had been this helper overseas,” he went on, “and then I came home and needed help for the first time in my life. I’d never been in that situation before and didn’t really know anyone who had been in that situation before.”
And while he would eventually find some assistance, he essentially helped himself to a new career opportunity and that suite on the 12th floor.

Peaking His Interest
While serving in the Tagab Valley, Colgin, like many veterans, filled the idle time by reading whatever he could get his hands on. And increasingly, this meant books and especially magazines — because they weigh less and are thus easier to carry — about the outdoors.
“I was going to be an outdoor guide,” he said of plans he was making for life after military service, adding quickly that most of these were mapped out before he was injured. “I had never seen these huge mountains in person — I’d never really left the East Coast — and was just fascinated by that country.”
Upon returning home and “healing up” in North Carolina, Colgin would settle in Wyoming to pursue that dream, but he failed in his quest to graduate from the National Outdoor Leadership School due to lingering health problems, physical and mental — he would go back four years later and complete the program, though — and eventually shifted his career aspirations to healthcare, only to find more frustration.
“I had provided medical care in extreme situations — I’d saved someone who was shot in the head while I was getting shot at myself, in the middle of Afghanistan with limited resources — so I figured I shouldn’t have any problem doing emergency medicine, such as work as an EMT,” he told BusinessWest. “Unfortunately, I was wrong.
“And this is an issue that many people in the military are facing and that they’ve just started addressing in the past few years,” he went on. “Basically, you’re trained to do a job in the military, and you can do it in the military, but the certifications do not transfer to the civilian sector. I was trained as an EMT basic, sent to Afghanistan. I’m treating people who were shot in the head, I’m giving IVs and administering medications — and you can’t do that stateside.”
Those who drive trucks and service vehicles in the military face similar roadblocks, he said, adding that thousands of individuals have struggled with the task of turning experience with the armed forces into a job back home.
And this was the message Colgin wanted to bring to elected leaders and the civilian population as the dateline for his story shifted to Washington in mid-2011.
As a representative with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), he spoke before Congress on his frustrations with finding employment in what he considered his chosen field, and made it clear that he was not alone in this predicament.
His comments caught the attention of many groups and individuals, including the commander in chief.
“I remember I showed up to work one day — I was interning for the IAVA — and someone said to me, ‘the White House called for you,’” he told BusinessWest. “That’s not something you hear all the time, and I thought they were joking with me, but they were serious.
“I called them back, and they told me the president was considering telling my story in a speech the next day,” he went on. “They weren’t sure he was going to tell it, but I had to get to D.C. I got a haircut, grabbed my suit, and hopped on a train to Washington.”
After the president’s speech, Colgin found himself in demand — with the media, at least. He did appearances on CNN, the Rachael Maddow Show, the CBS Early Show, and others, becoming adept at live interviews. This face time with the public brought him some job offers — “although not as many as you might expect with the president telling your story” — and eventually he took one, working as membership coordinator with the IAVA, and resettled in Manhattan.
That island is worlds away from Chesterfield, Va. in every respect imaginable, and Colgin liked being an advocate for veterans, working with Congress, and getting plenty of coverage in the media. But something was missing from the equation.
Actually, two things.
The first was an entrepreneurial venture that he could call his own, and the second was what he called “a community in the true sense of the word, a place where I could rest my head, then get up and really get involved in making a difference.”
He would eventually find both in Springfield.

Summit Meetings
Recalling the chain of events that led to his grand opening nearly a month ago, Colgin started with his decision to “step back,” as he put it, and take a sabbatical from his job with the IAVA. He took this opportunity to do some of the outdoor work he’d started dreaming about in Afghanistan, and eventually made acquaintances with Eric Weihenmayer, the first blind man to scale Mount Everest.
“He and I became good friends, and I ended up picking up a lot of skills to guide individuals up mountains and in the back country,” he recalled. “It was a great experience … I started guiding blind people up mountains. I came back to New York after my sabbatical and realized I had to make a change in my life.”
Coincidentally, he attended what he called a “business boot camp for veterans” in Boston, an intense, three-week program conducted in conjunction with Harvard that helped him discover latent entrepreneurial instincts and drive.
“I realized that what was inside me was stronger than anything in my way,” he told BusinessWest. “I realized that I could open a business; I left and started looking for investors.”
As that search for financial backing commenced, so, too, did the process of choosing what kind of business to get into, he went on, adding that he soon concluded that he would like to do something healthcare-related, and something that would make a difference in peoples’ lives. Discussions with a consultant specializing in linking individuals with franchise opportunities narrowed the search to a few national chains, and eventually to Right at Home, an Omaha, Neb.-based enterprise launched in 1995 that by that time had facilities in more than 40 states as well as in the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, and Canada.
It was not, however, doing business in Western Mass., and Colgin, with $250,000 from some investors, decided to seize that opportunity.
“It was just me and the dog, and I could go anywhere and do anything,” he said, referring to his English pointer, Dixie, whom he described as his rock. “I wanted to stay on the East Coast, and started looking at places and scheduling visits. I ended up coming to Springfield, and it looked like a place where I could put down roots. I moved around a lot with the military and never really had a family growing up, but when I came here, I got a sense that this was a place where I could grow.”
Colgin acknowledged that there is considerable competition within the growing home-care industry and that he has a lot to learn as he joins that crowded field of players. But he believes he has the basic ingredients to reach his goals, which he admits are still being set.
“The language of healthcare is pretty universal, and caring is pretty universal as well; if you can care for Afghanistan locals in the middle of a war, you can take care of anyone in the world,” he said, adding that Right at Home has a proven model and track record for success that he believes he can build on. “I care about helping people realize their dreams, and I care about doing the right thing, and at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about.
“They’re extremely innovative,” he said of the chain. “They have great brand management and amazing quality.”

On a Grand Scale
Based on all that has happened in his life since those initial, awkward discussions with Army recruiters nearly a decade ago, it would be logical to assume that Springfield probably won’t be the last dateline for news stories about Colgin.
As he said, he’s a climber, and he doesn’t intend to stop doing that.
For now, though, the climb has reached Western Mass. and a critical juncture in his career, and there are immediate goals right ahead of him.
The plan is to keep reaching higher — in every aspect of that phrase — but that’s something Colgin has been doing his entire life.

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

Departments Real Estate

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

ASHFIELD

642 Bear Swamp Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Sarah Curry
Seller: Andrew S. Clarke
Date: 11/01/13

Bug Hill Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Diana B. Taylor
Seller: Kathleen B. Kerovan
Date: 10/29/13

1771 Cape St.
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: George Stephan
Seller: Savino J. Basile
Date: 10/29/13

1330 Spruce Corner Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Mathew R. Russell
Seller: Joan H. Lanoue
Date: 10/22/13

BERNARDSTON

169 Shaw Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Jillsen M. Deignan
Seller: Camilla V. Thacher
Date: 10/22/13

BUCKLAND

2 Harmony Lane
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $140,661
Buyer: Greenfield Savings Bank
Seller: Tenee L. Wetterwald
Date: 10/28/13

COLRAIN

78 Greenfield Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Fallon
Seller: Debra J. Wysocki
Date: 11/01/13

48 Reils Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $223,700
Buyer: William K. Spencer
Seller: Roberts, Sheila S., (Estate)
Date: 10/30/13

CONWAY

146 North Hill Dr.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Michael Levine
Seller: John R. Schwartz
Date: 10/31/13

2101 Roaring Brook Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $382,500
Buyer: Alan Singer
Seller: Douglas A. Hay
Date: 10/31/13

143 Williamsburg Road
Conway, MA 01096
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Gregory J. Gagnon
Seller: Nicholas W. Mizula
Date: 10/21/13

DEERFIELD

136 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $185,800
Buyer: Stacy M. Martin
Seller: Stephen C. Huntley
Date: 11/01/13

96 Sugarloaf St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Ryan C. Vielmetti
Seller: Rogerleski IRT
Date: 10/28/13

GILL

93 Barney Hale Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Ann M. McCune
Seller: CJD Designs LLC
Date: 10/30/13

70 Munns Ferry Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $234,900
Buyer: Raymond F. Steele
Seller: Paul T. Seamans
Date: 10/24/13

GREENFIELD

21 Abbott St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Lewis S. Breitner
Date: 10/25/13

41 Abbott St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Allyson L. Mount
Seller: Richard A. Baker
Date: 10/21/13

46 Birch St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Alden Booth
Seller: Carl Silver
Date: 10/31/13

88 Ferrante Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Worden
Seller: Marsha Browning
Date: 10/28/13

25 Hastings St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Emily J. Bak
Seller: Donald L. Drowski
Date: 10/31/13

74 Lunt Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $177,700
Buyer: Kevin P. Welch
Seller: Ralph L. Ellis
Date: 10/25/13

LEVERETT

196 Pratt Corner Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: J. P. Spurlock
Seller: Ashcraft, John B., (Estate)
Date: 10/23/13

21 Teawaddle Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $269,500
Buyer: Daniel S. Smith
Seller: James C. Lyons
Date: 11/01/13

MONTAGUE

4 9th Ave.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Catherine M. Cronk
Date: 10/30/13

70 Davis St.
Montague, MA 01301
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Gary S. Thornton
Seller: Robert G. Cooper
Date: 10/31/13

Industrial Blvd.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: River Bluff Realty LLC
Seller: Town Of Montague
Date: 10/23/13

23 Randall Wood Dr.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ann E. Dyke
Seller: Linda D. McPartlan
Date: 10/22/13

24 Randall Wood Dr.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Brian L. Adams
Seller: Julie A. Fallon
Date: 10/31/13

101 Turners Falls Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Jenifer L. Cash
Seller: Mark T. Bailey
Date: 10/21/13

NORTHFIELD

737 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Manuel J. Mitchell
Seller: Frank J. Rockwell
Date: 10/22/13

ORANGE

44 Meadow Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $167,516
Buyer: MHFA
Seller: Alan Notre
Date: 11/01/13

SUNDERLAND

25 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Frontier Properties LLC
Seller: Jenny H. Tran
Date: 10/31/13

250 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Cody D. Jones
Seller: HAP Inc.
Date: 10/28/13

WARWICK

165 Hockanum Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Paul Robbins
Seller: Helene N. Scott
Date: 10/30/13

655 Winchester Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Kevin L. Alden
Seller: Marian J. Ekstrand
Date: 10/24/13

WHATELY

183 Chestnut Plain Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Baystate Blasting Inc.
Seller: Katherine E. Fleuriel
Date: 10/30/13

114 Christian Lane
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Timothy P. Lamontagne
Seller: William B. Mizula
Date: 10/25/13

87 Westbrook Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: John T. Reilly
Seller: Gregory J. Gagnon
Date: 10/21/13

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

130 Adams St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Buyer: Jean L. Degray
Seller: Donna Ryiz
Date: 10/31/13

58 Channell Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $156,500
Buyer: Luis G. Saenz
Seller: Arthur Vonmaluski
Date: 10/30/13

115 Corey Colonial
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Judith M. Basilone
Seller: Carl V. Franqueza
Date: 11/01/13

72 Elizabeth St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Sutter
Seller: Michael A. Casimiro
Date: 10/30/13

4 Farmington Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Julie I. Siciliano
Seller: Hillside Development Corp.
Date: 10/25/13

107 Forest Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Melissa Elias
Seller: James P. Murphy
Date: 10/31/13

27 Highland St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Valentina Karcha
Seller: FNMA
Date: 10/25/13

769 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Darren G. Longo
Seller: Anthony R. Brodowski
Date: 10/22/13

34 Mallard Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Julie E. Pontz
Seller: Carl A. Knodler
Date: 10/30/13

772 Mill St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Jessica H. Tudryn
Seller: Lissa A. Menard
Date: 10/31/13

N/A
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Wayne J. Allen
Seller: Oleg Trocin
Date: 10/25/13

20 Oak Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Eric W. Gaylord
Seller: Susan E. Fober
Date: 10/31/13

77 Parkedge Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Brian J. Sojkowski
Seller: Robert J. Carey
Date: 10/31/13

117 Sheri Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Michael F. Peters
Seller: Jay Passerini
Date: 10/28/13

393 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $184,000
Buyer: Maria Carrion
Seller: James M. Martel
Date: 10/25/13

1040 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Rejean J. Remillard Insurance
Seller: Roger S. Gosselin
Date: 10/22/13

BLANDFORD

62 Main St.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Sarah L. Labonte
Seller: Franklin D. Cardinal
Date: 10/28/13

BRIMFIELD

395 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: Alyssa Bochicchio
Seller: Deborah M. Faryna
Date: 10/25/13

1018 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: James D. Dunn
Date: 10/23/13

101 Little Alum Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Paul E. Paradis
Seller: Roger I. Pellaton
Date: 10/22/13

CHESTER

80 Old State Hwy.
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Jamie R. Cincotta
Seller: Leigh A. King
Date: 10/30/13

CHICOPEE

146 Blanchard St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Daniel S. O’Connor
Seller: Larry A. Helmer
Date: 10/31/13

159 Casey Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $119,324
Buyer: Michael E. Fregeau
Seller: HSBC Bank USA
Date: 10/23/13

35 Clarendon Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Amber L. Fink
Seller: Leclerc Brothers Inc.
Date: 10/29/13

120 Cobb Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $147,900
Buyer: Aimee I. Desrochers
Seller: Maryann E. Kulas
Date: 10/31/13

303 College St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Ryan Murphy
Seller: Todd J. Fitch
Date: 10/28/13

150 Fairview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $205,900
Buyer: Abdullah S. Nassir
Seller: Cabot Realty LLC
Date: 10/22/13

25 Fisher St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Rudolfo R. Fossa
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 10/25/13

5 Highland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Joseph H. Ely
Seller: John A. Moriarty
Date: 11/01/13

37 Jackson St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $208,900
Buyer: Miguel F. Ribeiro
Seller: Ben E. Williamson
Date: 10/23/13

291 Langevin St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: JKAG Realty LLC
Seller: O&G Properties LLC
Date: 11/01/13

74 Lawrence Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Chicopee Saving Bank
Seller: Sandra E. Parente
Date: 10/31/13

40 Old James St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Garland Construction Corp.
Seller: Edward L. Orwat
Date: 11/01/13

78 Sherman Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $147,500
Buyer: Terence P. Lyons
Seller: John A. McDonough
Date: 10/24/13

21 Social St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $173,692
Buyer: PHH Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Sarah A. Reynolds
Date: 10/31/13

40 Thornwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Mary Jane C. Santamaria
Seller: James Liritzis
Date: 10/31/13

1628 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Douglas R. Narkiewicz
Seller: Mary J. Furr
Date: 10/28/13

188 Wheatland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $142,300
Buyer: Brenda A. Purdy
Seller: Mary C. Manning
Date: 10/30/13

189 Wilson Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Aneudi J. Ortiz
Seller: Quality Renovations Group
Date: 10/31/13

EAST LONGMEADOW

Bond Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: T&K Realty LLC
Seller: William E. Donovan
Date: 10/28/13

5 Chatham Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Michael A. Casimiro
Seller: Michael S. Przybylowicz
Date: 10/30/13

38 Colony Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Holly C. Wensley
Seller: Janice A. Blanchard
Date: 10/29/13

141 Country Club Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $577,200
Buyer: Keun S. Han
Seller: William P. Brunelle
Date: 10/30/13

38 Donald Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Disa
Seller: David G. Radway
Date: 11/01/13

35 Donamor Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Kevin A. Crouse
Seller: Peter J. Andrusko
Date: 10/29/13

24 Deerfoot Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $302,000
Buyer: Rod J. Lavallee
Seller: Kevin J. Sullivan
Date: 10/24/13

111 Gates Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $2,000,000
Buyer: Phuong Nguyen
Seller: John Potorski
Date: 10/25/13

61 Hanward Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Steven M. McCombe
Seller: Earl L. Robinson
Date: 10/31/13

72 Helen Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Richard Berthiaume
Seller: Lynda M. Daniele
Date: 10/29/13

10 Hillside Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: John F. Sullivan
Seller: Matthew J. Harris
Date: 10/29/13

4 Jennifer Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $214,900
Buyer: Lee Jay Henry-Thompson
Seller: Rod Lavallee
Date: 10/24/13

264 Kibbe Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Buyer: Chad E. Mooneyham
Seller: Joan M. O’Shaughnessy
Date: 10/25/13

44 Linden Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Cimino
Seller: Brian R. Duffey
Date: 10/25/13

95 Nottingham Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: Phung M. Le
Seller: Edward D. Polanek
Date: 10/21/13

130 Orchard Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $484,000
Buyer: Gaurav Narula
Seller: Frank A. Iennaco
Date: 10/28/13

276 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Koren D. Baughn
Seller: Ryan M. Conway
Date: 10/30/13

8 Pioneer Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Andrew C. Bordoni
Seller: Bordoni, Larry F., (Estate)
Date: 11/01/13

115 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Ryan M. St.Germain
Seller: Joseph Katz
Date: 10/25/13

887 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Robert R. Driscoll
Seller: Adam R. Noonan
Date: 10/30/13

172 Vineland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Frank Vecchiarelli
Seller: Margaret A. Guzzo
Date: 11/01/13

4 West Allen Ridge Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Manuel Garcia
Seller: Dorene A. Archambault
Date: 10/31/13

GRANVILLE

1406 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: William A. Fluhr
Seller: Ronald W. Haskell
Date: 10/31/13

14 West Hartland Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jay G. Williams
Seller: Michelle J. Meyer
Date: 10/31/13

HAMPDEN

551 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $172,500
Buyer: Anthony P. Restivo
Seller: Ronald J. Lech
Date: 10/31/13

11 Maple Grove Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Jerry Ago
Seller: Joseph A. Boyd
Date: 11/01/13

South Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Sheryl Kosakowski
Seller: Morton, Garfield W., (Estate)
Date: 11/01/13

HOLLAND

40 Forest Park Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $165,500
Buyer: John Gasparrini
Seller: Glenn R. Snay
Date: 11/01/13

197 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Brian J. Martin
Seller: Todd O. Coon
Date: 11/01/13

46 Wales Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Nicholas B. Lafauci
Seller: Jason R. Gervickas
Date: 10/30/13

HOLYOKE

33 Clark St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Ruth Silva
Seller: Kenneth R. Stiles
Date: 10/29/13

948 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: 948 Dwight Street RT
Seller: Michael A. Noble
Date: 10/31/13

502 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Christopher A. Bresnahan
Seller: Karen M. Blanchard
Date: 10/25/13

50 Knollwood Circle
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,745,000
Buyer: Sarah E. Stiles
Seller: Susanna Rosa
Date: 10/25/13

111 Lincoln St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Scott A. Whitney
Seller: Enola Nelson
Date: 11/01/13

139 Madison Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Richard W. Kowalkski
Seller: Linda K. Rahm
Date: 11/01/13

161 Suffolk St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Seller: Hemant K. Patel
Date: 11/01/13

8 Williams St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jesse O. Kerman
Seller: Joan M. Poutre
Date: 10/25/13

LONGMEADOW

40 Brooks Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $534,500
Buyer: Yevgeniy Norkin
Seller: Marguerite B. Lundy
Date: 10/31/13

28 Canterbury Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Terry Ditmar
Seller: Kathleen A. Mahoney
Date: 10/25/13

214 Captain Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Chi Ping Wang
Seller: Thomas A. Browne
Date: 10/30/13

117 Duxbury Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Jerome E. Noonan
Seller: Judith S. Brennan
Date: 10/28/13

28 Ellington St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Brian M. Keller
Seller: William J. McMahon
Date: 10/25/13

93 Jonquil Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Sundar Shanmuganathan
Seller: Charlotte Zeller
Date: 11/01/13

579 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Michael C. Paul
Seller: Laurel St. NT
Date: 04/17/13

193 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: David A. Runge
Seller: Jonathan P. Longo
Date: 10/30/13

129 Meadowlark Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Nathan R. Larkin
Seller: Walter E. Sattler
Date: 10/25/13

52 Shady Knoll Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Gina M. Gilday
Seller: Andrew J. Russo
Date: 10/25/13

60 Westmoreland Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Maria L. Davis
Seller: Lori Byrne
Date: 10/30/13

LUDLOW

9 Applewood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Michael Vallee
Seller: Nuno M. Pereira
Date: 10/29/13

56 Beachside Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Susan J. Gamelli
Seller: Ernest M. Mittelholzer
Date: 10/31/13

45 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Daryl Robinovitz
Seller: Marcia G. Chwalek
Date: 10/29/13

36 Carmelinas Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Pauldin LLC
Seller: Irenue Freitas
Date: 10/29/13

105 Cislak Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $467,000
Buyer: James Liritzis
Seller: MCA C&M C LLC
Date: 10/31/13

51 Glenwood St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Michelle E. Mateus
Seller: Jose F. Mateus
Date: 10/31/13

48 Grandview Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Tara L. Dasso
Seller: Lawrence A. Tomaskovic
Date: 10/23/13

Howard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kristine M. Midura
Seller: Richard Z. Budzyna
Date: 10/29/13

116 John St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Edward C. Denette
Seller: Kevin Czaplicki
Date: 10/25/13

102 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Stephen O. Lamoureux
Seller: Edward F. Lamoureux
Date: 10/25/13

442 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Graves
Seller: Fillion FT
Date: 10/29/13

N/A
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $196,500
Buyer: Matthew R. Bettencourt
Seller: Joseph R. Jorge
Date: 11/01/13

148 Pinewood Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $342,500
Buyer: Joseph R. Jorge
Seller: Janice M. Sullivan
Date: 11/01/13

Rosewood Dr. #3
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Heather M. Peek
Seller: Rosewood Meadows Inc.
Date: 10/28/13

80 West Akard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $149,500
Buyer: Pedro N. Mena
Seller: Wehner, Elizabeth A., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/13

177 Whitney St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Gregg J. Villeneuve
Seller: Jeffrey T. Braese
Date: 10/29/13

68 Yale St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Newell
Seller: John R. Forkey
Date: 10/24/13

MONSON

66 Bradway Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: Paul R. Brandt
Seller: James W. Pennington
Date: 11/01/13

8 Crest Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Gary E. Spear
Seller: Richard C. Rodrigues
Date: 10/31/13

3 Ely Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Parker D. Brown
Seller: Duane R. Pray
Date: 10/25/13

MONTGOMERY

71 New State Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jonathan J. Lorenzatti
Seller: Stelle, John D., (Estate)
Date: 10/23/13

PALMER

104 Beech St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: James R. Lessard
Seller: Judy M. Quintin
Date: 10/30/13

202 Burlingame Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Jason K. Stutz
Seller: Anna Feigelman
Date: 10/31/13

25 Charles St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Denise F. Davey
Seller: Charles McCabe
Date: 10/24/13

7 Crawford St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Vision Investment Properties LLC
Seller: ELB Rentals LLC
Date: 11/01/13

9 Crawford St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Vision Investment Properties LLC
Seller: DWG LLC
Date: 11/01/13

49 Elizabeth St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Matthew G. Guberow
Seller: Ana G. Serrazina
Date: 10/23/13

8 Holbrook St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: William H. Bulman
Date: 10/31/13

49 Longview St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Sarah M. Okseniak
Seller: Marion C. Stephenson
Date: 10/25/13

SPRINGFIELD

64 Amos Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Bandhu Adhikari
Seller: Global Homes Props. LLC
Date: 11/01/13

226 Arnold Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Israel Maldonado
Seller: Dorothy I. Almeida
Date: 10/28/13

49 Ashland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $141,500
Buyer: Michael J. Fijal
Seller: Carol A. Fijal
Date: 10/24/13

46 Aspen Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Dunn
Seller: Jessica M. Brown
Date: 10/28/13

111 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Heyda Martinez
Seller: Christi A. Seiple-Cole
Date: 10/31/13

1245 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $178,900
Buyer: Timber L. Pierce
Seller: Daniel J. Molta
Date: 10/31/13

72 Cara Lane
Springfield, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Heather R. Magnus
Seller: David A. Runge
Date: 10/29/13

1663 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $183,706
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Marta N. Aponte
Date: 10/29/13

292 Centre St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Julie E. Belniak
Seller: Scott, Andrew R., (Estate)
Date: 10/31/13

66 Chesterfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Shawn R. Iennaco
Seller: William N. Baxter
Date: 10/29/13

5 Copeland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Erick H. Santiago
Seller: John Walsh
Date: 10/28/13

109 Dewitt St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $159,500
Buyer: Anthony J. Zalowski
Seller: Jason D. Charpentier
Date: 10/25/13

652 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Huang Family Property LLC
Seller: JJS Capital Inv. LLC
Date: 10/29/13

112 Fountain St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Luis R. Ulloa
Seller: Wendy F. Rojas
Date: 10/24/13

44 Gail St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Yisroel Gesin
Seller: Saw Construction LLC
Date: 11/01/13

390 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Kristin Duke
Seller: Michael D. Maynard
Date: 10/24/13

84 Governor St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Jacqueline Perez
Seller: Zhenhua Li
Date: 11/01/13

22 Gowey St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Robert Velez
Seller: John A. Robertson
Date: 10/28/13

100 Green Lane
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Christopher E. Johnsen
Seller: Fortsch, John J. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 11/01/13

35 247 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $117,500
Buyer: Brittney C. Patrie
Seller: Eleanor M. Sullivan

Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $303,675
Buyer: Jill M. Giard
Seller: John F. Daniele
Date: 10/31/13

102 Kirk Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Ashley A. Pietras
Seller: Richard S. Silvester LLC
Date: 10/30/13

15 Litchfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Grace James Realty LLC
Seller: Anndor Properties LLC
Date: 10/28/13

206 Mazarin St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $180,200
Buyer: Grahams Construction Inc.
Seller: Merigian, Anne Z., (Estate)
Date: 10/23/13

66 Midway St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Leshawn A. Polk
Seller: Holly A. Gray
Date: 10/24/13

80 Milford St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Kenardo H. Douglas
Seller: Victoria J. Pierce
Date: 10/22/13

139 Moss Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Fitzgerald
Seller: Michael A. Vallee
Date: 10/22/13

48 Oregon St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Warren R. Tanguay
Seller: Beth Adams
Date: 10/29/13

40 Pecousic St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Nicholas A. Laferriere
Seller: Steven D. Dzubak
Date: 10/22/13

18 Porter St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $138,775
Buyer: Donville Riley
Seller: Tilley, Doris, (Estate)
Date: 10/25/13

15 Rosella St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $122,150
Buyer: Nydia E. Crespo
Seller: Steven J. Raucci
Date: 10/31/13

58 Sherbrooke St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $116,500
Buyer: William J. Lapponese
Seller: Anthony Mbagara
Date: 10/25/13

16 Varney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Russell C. Pecenak
Seller: Scott D. Rumplik
Date: 10/25/13

156 West Canton Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Roberto L. Maymi
Seller: Lloyd R. Bredenbeck
Date: 10/29/13

191 Westford Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Richard Rodriguez
Seller: Leila M. Holness
Date: 10/30/13

55 Wing St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $141,500
Buyer: Shawn M. Jiles
Seller: Daniel R. Alpiarca
Date: 10/31/13

137 Winton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $125,063
Buyer: Jeffrey E. Fritz
Seller: Aimee J. Mooneyham
Date: 10/25/13

SOUTHWICK

96 Point Grove Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Christopher Allen
Seller: Lakeside Motors Inc.
Date: 10/28/13

87 Powder Mill Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Xavier Cody
Seller: Robert R. Ferreira
Date: 11/01/13

35 Ranch Club Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Aaron B. Gorvine
Seller: Steven P. Beals
Date: 11/01/13

WALES

79 Mount Hitchcock Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $157,250
Buyer: Ruth Curboy
Seller: FNMA
Date: 11/01/13

31 Shore Dr.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Henry F. Decoteau
Seller: Wilfred J. Anair
Date: 10/25/13

WEST SPRINGFIELD

304 Edgewood Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jonathan H. Frost
Seller: Katherine S. Laposta
Date: 10/24/13

116 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Miguel A. Albert
Seller: Kathleen Riley
Date: 10/23/13

22 Hill St.
Amount: $130,100
Buyer: Alim Radzhabov
Seller: James C. Durand
Date: 10/31/13

123 Jensen Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $188,500
Buyer: Stephen J. Hutton
Seller: William F. Balicki
Date: 11/01/13

57 Maple Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $181,613
Buyer: RSP Realty LLC
Seller: Robert W. Castor
Date: 10/29/13

10 Sherwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Lindsay A. Giaquinto
Seller: Joseph E. Lynch
Date: 10/31/13

40 Worthy Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Danny Silva
Seller: Debra Himmen
Date: 10/29/13

WESTFIELD

16 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Robert A. Kulas
Seller: FNMA
Date: 10/24/13

36 Camelot Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Ralph P. Megliola
Seller: Cynthia A. Sutter
Date: 10/30/13

10 Carroll Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $182,400
Buyer: Robert Martin
Seller: Susan M. Sawyer
Date: 10/22/13

10 Columbia St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $143,833
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Carrie S. Dearing
Date: 10/21/13

41 Day Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Anna Michael
Seller: Stuart B. Gordon
Date: 10/30/13

10 Dubois St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $117,750
Buyer: Karl L. Scholpp
Seller: Gary D. Hagar
Date: 10/29/13

41 Flynn Meadow Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $379,900
Buyer: Robert W. Castor
Seller: RSP Realty LLC
Date: 10/29/13

6 Hickory Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Kimberly P. Michaud
Seller: Frederick R. Benda
Date: 11/01/13

6 King Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $143,900
Buyer: Matthew P. Rolfe
Seller: Adrian B. Dion
Date: 10/31/13

15 Lawton Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Richard F. Tirrell
Seller: Mary Gayle Ahearn
Date: 10/31/13

28 Linden Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $187,200
Buyer: Jon Randel Quarles
Seller: Kimberly A. Douglas
Date: 10/25/13

68 Old Quarry Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,500
Buyer: Christopher M. Bush
Seller: Marciano Rodriguez
Date: 10/31/13

61 Overlook Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Robert J. Carey
Seller: William V. Ashton
Date: 10/31/13

47 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Linda M. Keeler
Seller: Saris Resources LLC
Date: 10/25/13

239 Springdale Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: B. R. Jarvis-Sipitkowski
Seller: Peter A. Lemieux
Date: 10/21/13

67 Susan Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Ruslan V. Mukha
Seller: Henry J. Stebbins
Date: 10/30/13

234 Union St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Jennifer Sears
Seller: David M. Jez
Date: 10/28/13

WILBRAHAM

123 Beebe Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Donald E. Libiszewski
Seller: Robert G. Skinner
Date: 10/31/13

15 Highridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: James E. Rooks
Seller: Andrew F. Sears
Date: 11/01/13

7 Pidgeon Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Scott Barrus
Seller: Henry W. Lis
Date: 10/28/13

870 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Matthew N. Chaplin
Seller: Silver Key Properties LLC
Date: 10/25/13

22 Tinkham Glen
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: William J. Lapalm
Seller: Gregory W. Eaton
Date: 11/01/13

13 Wellfleet Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Elliott T. Eady
Seller: Paul R. Falvey
Date: 10/30/13

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

74 Blue Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Henry E. Whitlock
Seller: Elaine P. Bowditch
Date: 11/01/13

2 Carriage Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: Jon L. Alix
Seller: Mark A. Matasavage
Date: 10/21/13

125 Cottage St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Hall
Seller: Goddard, Helen B., (Estate)
Date: 11/01/13

337 East Hadley Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Zhenhua Liu
Seller: Fretsaul LP
Date: 10/25/13

37 Harris St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Nicola M. Usher
Seller: John H. Fanton
Date: 10/31/13

6 Lawrence Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $559,000
Buyer: Christopher Blount
Seller: Saddle River Partners
Date: 10/31/13

35 Newell Court
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Molly R. Strehorn
Seller: Marian H. Ware
Date: 10/24/13

49 Owen Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $770,000
Buyer: John H. Fanton
Seller: David R. Coulombe
Date: 10/31/13

517 Pine St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Daniel Berry
Seller: John H. Martin
Date: 10/29/13

50 Station Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $313,000
Buyer: Alison E. Wilson
Seller: Mares In Charge Ltd
Date: 10/30/13

395 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Donald A. Laverdiere
Seller: HAP Inc.
Date: 11/01/13

BELCHERTOWN

33 2 Ponds Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Jane A. Taubman
Seller: William J. Morrissey
Date: 10/30/13

344 Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Carl J. Morin
Seller: Robert V. Letourneau
Date: 10/30/13

13 Dogwood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Mark E. Burdzy
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 10/29/13

Hickory Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $343,700
Buyer: James P. O’Connor
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 10/25/13

59 Maple St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ivy A. Lenihan
Seller: Brian L. Adams
Date: 10/31/13

30 North St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jeri Baker
Seller: Thomas H. Carmean
Date: 10/25/13

233 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Matthew E. Lavallee
Seller: Leroy W. Flohr
Date: 10/29/13

22 Rimrock Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Michael W. Forcum
Seller: Ivy A. Lenihan
Date: 10/31/13

142 Rockrimmon St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Haiying Gao
Seller: Suzanne M. Smith
Date: 10/21/13

CHESTERFIELD

79 Indian Hollow Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $117,500
Buyer: Alice J. Williams
Seller: Grace A. Kingsbury
Date: 10/23/13

215 Willicutt Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jaime M. Berrian
Seller: Clark, Merwin S., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/13

CUMMINGTON

38 Trouble St.
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Raymond R. Rex
Seller: Helen Chillman
Date: 10/31/13

80 West Main St.
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $605,000
Buyer: Wood Eye LLC
Seller: Scott E. Magoon
Date: 10/21/13

EASTHAMPTON

1 Autumn Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Mary C. Coyle
Seller: Summit Ridge Builders Inc.
Date: 10/24/13

1 Beechwood Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Raj Kumar
Seller: Priscilla M. Hatch
Date: 10/29/13

59 Briggs St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $131,250
Buyer: Mark Delisle
Seller: Lyla L. Durant
Date: 10/31/13

78 Highland Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Walfredo Rolon
Seller: Christopher J. Lyons
Date: 10/22/13

12 Keddy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Amanda Barrow
Seller: Daniel L. Routhier
Date: 10/30/13

43 Knipfer Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Marianne F. Foote
Seller: Stanislawa Ciborowski
Date: 10/25/13

GOSHEN

4 Highland Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: James F. Heroux
Seller: Alyssa N. Dawson
Date: 11/01/13

174 Loomis Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Peter F. Lafogg
Seller: Polansky FT
Date: 10/25/13

GRANBY

126 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Ealine M. Bergeron
Seller: Wilson, Barbara R., (Estate)
Date: 10/30/13

HADLEY

27 Middle St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Christian Stanley
Seller: John A. Edwards

35 Newton Lane
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Marian Chapman
Seller: Clara L. Chapman
Date: 10/21/13

298 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Buyer: Hollrock Realy LLC
Seller: Chun S. Yoon
Date: 10/29/13

111 West St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Mark J. Krause
Seller: PDV Inc.
Date: 10/30/13

HATFIELD

145 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Raymond C. Laflamme
Seller: Angela Borer
Date: 11/01/13

73 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Judith A. Strong
Seller: Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield
Date: 10/30/13

HUNTINGTON

58 Harlow Clark Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Michael D. St.Martin
Seller: Thomas A. Luppi
Date: 11/01/13

NORTHAMPTON

30 Avis Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: James A. North
Seller: Daniel A. Gingras
Date: 11/01/13

73 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01039
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Tamar Shadur RET
Seller: JEM RT
Date: 10/29/13

145 Chestnut St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $369,000
Buyer: Marie Helene Charlap
Seller: Katheleen F. Jerome
Date: 10/25/13

149 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $823,526
Buyer: ADB 1 Properties LLC
Seller: Noho Partners LLP
Date: 10/31/13

36 Highland Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Andrea L. Garon
Seller: Elizabeth B. Fitzpatrick
Date: 10/25/13

Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Wright Builders Inc.
Seller: Hospital Hill Development LLC
Date: 10/24/13

86 Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $504,172
Buyer: K. M. Pastrich-Klemer
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Date: 10/29/13

139 Nonotuck St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Lisa H. Henderson
Seller: Kregg C. Strehorn
Date: 10/24/13

184 North Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $391,800
Buyer: Brian A. Hagan
Seller: James J. Young
Date: 10/31/13

15 Nutting Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Weil
Seller: Shirley M. Rodgers
Date: 11/01/13

247 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Daniel K. Dacri
Seller: Philip Perrault LT
Date: 10/25/13

334 Spring St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Jonathan Langmuir
Seller: Weigele, Louis C., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/13

74 Straw Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Jane Myers
Seller: Brian A. Hagan
Date: 10/31/13

SOUTH HADLEY

47 Boynton Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: David R. Michaud
Seller: Tammy Koske
Date: 10/31/13

96 College St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $322,500
Buyer: Susan R. Carson
Seller: Pitt, Sallie H., (Estate)
Date: 10/28/13

24 High St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Allen G. Croteau
Seller: Jeffrey Labrecque
Date: 10/31/13

9 Hunter Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Sara J. Whitcomb
Seller: Matthew P. Ryczek
Date: 10/30/13

31 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Alan J. Anischik
Seller: Michael Forcum
Date: 10/31/13

4 Los Angeles St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Joshua H. Cloutier
Seller: Bocon, Frances, (Estate)
Date: 10/31/13

29 Queen Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Lorraine R. Bail
Seller: Carlotta D. Michel
Date: 11/01/13

303 River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Richard F. Marjanski
Seller: Wallace, Karen A., (Estate)
Date: 10/25/13

26 River Lodge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $343,000
Buyer: Kari B. Kastango
Seller: Patrick J. Spring
Date: 10/29/13

29 San Souci Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Buyer: Sean M. Dean
Seller: Carolyn J. Anischik
Date: 10/25/13

72 School St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Brian Duffey
Seller: Viviane A. Wailgum
Date: 10/24/13

57 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Cheryl C. Danek
Seller: Vincent M. Muto
Date: 10/25/13

18 Waite Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: John Courtney
Seller: Daniel R. Cantin
Date: 11/01/13

SOUTHAMPTON

42 Bissonnette Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $439,900
Buyer: Robert P. Korpela
Seller: G&F Custom Built Homes
Date: 10/22/13

30 Gilbert Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Paul M. Furgal
Seller: Jacinthe Giroux-Slavas
Date: 10/25/13

27 Helen Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Anthony Fedirko
Seller: Barcomb & Buteau FT
Date: 10/30/13

74 Pleasant St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Nicholas M. Simonich
Seller: Robert Barcomb
Date: 11/01/13

85 Pleasant St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $529,900
Buyer: Vanderberghe FT
Seller: James F. Boyle
Date: 10/31/13

153 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: James Boyle
Seller: Daniel H. Kowal
Date: 10/24/13

WARE

136 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Natasha Bourdeau
Seller: Beatrice L. Pajak
Date: 11/01/13

2 Desantis Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Christopher Proulx
Seller: Daniel D. Slattery
Date: 10/31/13

83 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Michael Jackson
Seller: Frederick J. Shea
Date: 10/30/13

33 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $167,900
Buyer: Tyler J. Siegel
Seller: Mary E. Stelmokas
Date: 10/30/13

86 Greenwich Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Aileen R. Kelly
Seller: Stasia Wroblicki
Date: 10/25/13

258 Malboeuf Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Hampshire East Properties LLC
Seller: D. C. Fontaine-Pincince
Date: 11/01/13

WESTHAMPTON

77 Laurel Hill Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $372,000
Buyer: Patricia L. Reidhead
Seller: Barbara Suddaby
Date: 10/28/13

56 Reservoir Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Rebecca Cummings
Seller: UMass Five College Credit Union
Date: 10/31/13

56 Reservoir Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $277,273
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Jeremy J. Majewski
Date: 10/25/13

WILLIAMSBURG

94 Mountain St.
Williamsburg, MA 01062
Amount: $534,000
Buyer: Glen W. Moon
Seller: Brian B. Alstadt
Date: 10/23/13

WORTHINGTON

44 Old Main Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Brian G. Longley
Seller: Zenon J. Dastous
Date: 10/30/13

DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of and November 2013.

AGAWAM

Almighty Sports
322 Meadow St.
Larry Garlington

Annie Lou’s Bungalow Chic
347 North Westfield St.
Judy Cusano

Crossfit Blue Diamond
270 Main St.
Jennifer Matos

Division 7 Management
39 Tanglewood Lane
Michelle Heim-Balch

JM Contractors
83 Fairview St.
Justin Mercieri

Mary Kay
172 School St.
Karen Melloni

Rick’s Pools Inc.
507 Springfield St.
Robert A. Fleming

Western Mass Vinyl Siding
430 Main St.
Paul Lafromboise

CHICOPEE

Happy Green Clean
80 Billings St.
Amber N. Deshaies

Lacasse Document Service
40 Mount Vernon St.
Margaret Lacasse

Lynch Service
12 Wawel St.
Edward Lynch

T.J.N. Entertainment
51 Lincoln St.
Timothy Noonan

EAST LONGMEADOW

Danny’s PC Repair
624 North Main St.
Minh Vien

Nail Party
628 North Main St.
Kwan Jong

The Spa of Eden Skin & Body
51 Prospect St.
Yelena Ivanov

GREENFIELD

Andy’s & The Oak Shoppe
352 Deerfield St.
Easton Finn Moore, Inc.

Facey Plumbing & Heating Inc.
305 Wells St.
David Facey

Funeral Consumers Alliance
174 Wells St.
Carol Coan

Plum
192 Main St.
Carrie Timberlake

Stebbins Construction
14 Chapman St.
Joshua Stebbins

Taproot Psychotherapy
25 Bank Row
Alexandra Osterman

HOLYOKE

Calendar Store
50 Holyoke St.
Saira Chaudhry

Colorful Loom
50 Holyoke St.
Galib Musallimov

M’s Essentials
50 Holyoke St.
Emilie Brodeur

One Stop Liquor Store
161 Suffolk St.
Mita Patel

Perennial Solution
145 Brown Ave.
Eric Toensmeier

Sam’s Food Store
515 High St.
Niles E. Waller

PALMER

American Woodworks
4022 Main St.
Roger Barnes

Joyce Skowyra Photography
5 Robinson Road
Joyce Skowyra

SPRINGFIELD

Linguistic Line
32 Ashmun St.
Lydia Lopez

Lozada’s Auto Sales
86 Boston Road
Daniel Lozada

Majestic Wireless
444 Chestnut St.
Felipe DeJesus

Maria’s Cleaning
36 Kensington Ave.
Maria O. Gonzalez

Mars Real Properties
249 Cooley St.
Mario Tascon

Miramar Quick Service
1762 Boston Road
Khalid Drihmi

Mundo Mobile 2 Wireless
712 Boston Road
Rafael Dominguez

O.F. Welker Inc.
1800 Allen St.
Otto F. Welker

Oral Shades Center
1795 Main St.
Imad Awkal

Perez Cleaning Services
855 Liberty St.
Petronila Perez

Precision Numerics
101 Cliftwood St.
Robert W. Drago

Professional Meats of New England
100 Brandon Ave.
David J. Smith

Riya Bansri Inc.
969 Berkshire Ave.
Chandresh S. Patel

RevStar Bowling Universal
41 Amherst St.
Edrian D. Singleton

T & S Professional Service
668 Dickinson St.
Son T. Vo

The Spot
445 Main St.
Michael Ortiz

Value Discount Inc.
794 Sate St.
Abdul Sattar

White Glove Cleaning
28 Beaumont Terrace
Chandler Daniels

WESTFIELD

2 Owls LAX
85 Hillcrest Circle
Richard Gendreau

Ambient Conditions
11 Day Ave.
Glenn Farrelly

United American Muslim Association of Western Mass.
246 Elm St.
Farzaan Mufeed

Walter’s Fin Frames
55 North Elm St.
Walter C. Samwell

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Advanced Towing
174 Kings Highway
Andrew Conner

Backyard Bar & Grille
1506 Riverdale St.
Jeanette Norman

Cassandra Murray
10 Central St.
Cassandra Murray

Dunamis Express
20 Hampden St.
Elmira Usmonova

Maids on Call, LLC
1680 Riverdale St.
Maryann Scussel

Rossen & Sons Landscaping
37 Squassick Road
Ronald O. Rossen

Westside Cuts
84 Westfield St.
Erik J. Berrios