Month: February 2017

HOLYOKE — The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) and the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Western Massachusetts announced ‘West Mass’ as the region’s new branding identity Tuesday night at Open Square in Holyoke, the Republican reported.

The EDC and GSCVB spent $80,000 from member businesses on the rebranding effort. The goal was to replace Pioneer Valley, a name widely used for the past century, but one that doesn’t resonate with people from outside the region, said Mary Kay Wydra, president of the GSCVB.

The groups hired Cubic Creative, an Oklahoma-based rebranding agency, which met with area businesses, government officials, and residents, in addition to creating a survey that drew 300 responses.

Pathlight Fellows to Develop Tech Concepts Through VVM Accelerator

By BusinessWest Staff February 8, 2017

SPRINGFIELD — Lili Dwight, a founder of Galactic Smarties in Deerfield, has the idea to develop a fire alarm system so tech-savvy that it can tell the user, via a smartwatch, where the fire is and the best route to safety.

Chris Landry, co-founder of Habit Stackr in Northampton, wants to develop an app that helps people leverage willpower to end their struggles with follow-through on daily health and wellness routines.

As the two entrepreneurs chosen to serve as Pathlight fellows in Valley Venture Mentors’ (VVM) four-month, intensive Accelerator program, Dwight and Landry have the opportunity to develop their new technology, which will best serve people with intellectual disabilities but will also serve the wider population.

Pathlight, headquartered in Springfield, has served people with developmental and intellectual disabilities throughout Western Mass. since 1952. Meanwhile, Valley Venture Mentors offers support to business startups. The two nonprofits collaborated on the Pathlight Challenge to encourage entrepreneurs to consider people with disabilities when designing new products. The Pathlight Challenge is supported in part by a grant from the Westfield Bank Future Fund.

In January, Galactic Smarties and Habit Stackr were chosen by the mentor group to complete the Accelerator program, along with 34 other entrepreneurs in a pool of 200 applicants from around the world. One key benefit to the two chosen entrepreneurs is that they will have a built-in test audience in the people served by Pathlight.

“We’re very excited about the people who applied,” said Ruth Banta, executive director of Pathlight, noting that 45 entrepreneurs applied to take part in the Pathlight Challenge specifically. “We think this process will expose a large number of entrepreneurs and innovators to people with disabilities and autism — and to Pathlight itself and the possibilities we offer. That whole awareness piece is really exciting for us.”

Banta said Pathlight has already been working to connect the entrepreneurs with Pathlight families and supporters “to help them get more information from people with disabilities and learn what their needs and potential are.”

Dwight said participants of Milestones, a movement, recreation, and enrichment program in Hadley for adults with disabilities, helped her to prepare for the first weekend of work in the program. “They will be a great resource when I design the user experience. Having Pathlight as a resource has been huge already in understanding the experience of communicating with a variety of people with a cognitive impairment.”

Dwight has a longtime background as a technology developer, and she has patented such innovations as walls with infrared devices installed within them that offer an alert when a person has fallen. She and her business partner, Kristin Harkness, expect their alarm will evolve into one that can be customized to meet specific needs and abilities. But she said the two need help with the business end of development.

Landry has spent the bulk of his career working on communications and development with nonprofits, and Bob Dolan, the other Habit Stackr co-founder, is a cognitive neuroscientist who has focused on designing and evaluating ways to support learning for people with diverse learning abilities and challenges. They aim to build an app that will help people effectively apply willpower so they can take part in regular activities that promote well-being, such as meditation, exercise, and journaling.

“This was an idea that I had based on my need to be really effective because I’m self-employed and trying to figure out how to get the things done and have the impact I want to have in the world,” Landry said. “We’re trying to help people who may need some support with attention or executive function challenges or are just frustrated by their inability to establish good routines and make them a daily habit.”

The Valley Venture Mentors Accelerator program connects startups with experts, investors, and engaged and collaborative peers and offers the chance to win up to $50,000 in grants to develop their business or product. Participants meet for a long weekend once a month for four months, and the program began the first weekend in February. The Pathlight fellows will graduate from the Accelerator in May, when they will also unveil their new products.

Holyoke Medical Center to Unveil New ER This Spring

Health Care Sections

Meeting an Emergency Need

An architect’s rendering of Holyoke Medical Center’s new Emergency Department, set to open in May or June.

The numbers alone speak to Holyoke Medical Center’s need for a new Emergency Department, with the current ER designed for 25,000 visits per year but actually logging almost 43,000. But HMC’s new facility, set to open this spring, will do much more than better handle the traffic; it will also call on cutting-edge ideas in design and workflow — not to mention an innovative, dedicated behavioral-health area — to reflect a truly 21st-century vision of emergency care.

Running an emergency room is more than a numbers game for hospitals, involving a complex weave of triage and treatment to ensure that patients’ needs are met efficiently and effectively.

But the numbers at Holyoke Medical Center … well, they were simply unsustainable.

“The existing ER is designed to see about 25,000 patients per year,” said Carl Cameron, the hospital’s chief operating officer. “We saw almost 43,000 last year in that small area located in the back of the hospital, which is difficult to find.”

When Spiros Hatiras came on board as president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) in 2013, one of the first concerns brought to him by the board of directors was the existing Emergency Department, which desperately needed an overhaul and more space. They talked about expanding the existing ER, but the finances suggested building a new one would make more sense — not to mention that a construction project in a working ER would disrupt patients.

“We started the dialogue about what we are going to do with the ED in October of 2014,” Hatiras said. “We talked about the concept of expanding in place, but the exercise proved to be futile because we’d lose a lot of space with the construction. So we changed course and said, ‘maybe we need a completely new building.’”

The end result of those discussions will be unveiled this spring: A new Emergency Department that will expand the current space from 8,500 square feet to approximately 20,750 square feet. A second floor above the new ER will house a medical office building of 18,000 square feet.

List of Acute Care Hospitals in the region

The expansion will increase the ER’s treatment beds from 26 to 40, 12 of those designated as behavioral-health beds, part of a new Crisis Center for Psychiatric Services, segregated from the main ED to give those patients more privacy. The ED will also include two multi-patient trauma rooms, advanced life-saving equipment, six fast-track spaces, and a patient-navigation service as well. “It’s a large increase from where we’re currently at,” Cameron said.

Carl Cameron says capacity alone — the current ER is designed to see 25,000 patients annually, and saw almost 43,000 last year — is reason enough to build a new one.

The exterior space will be bigger as well, with room for four ambulances instead of the current two.

Meanwhile, the second floor will be the home of a comprehensive weight and health-management program, including services for bariatric surgery, general surgery, diabetes counseling, behavioral and nutritional education, as well as a patient fitness center.

“It’s a state-of-the-art space up there, with plenty of room,” Cameron said. “One of the rooms is a large auditorium where we can have sessions with bariatric patients.”

The weight-management program, launched last March, has “grown beyond anyone’s imagination,” Hatiras added, noting that it recently saw its 500th new patient. “It’s been amazing, and it continues to grow. This is the result of planning ahead, knowing we’re going to need more space for that program, and potentially more providers.”

With the new ED and medical office building ahead of schedule — the goal of cutting the ribbon in late June may be pushed up to late May — BusinessWest takes a peek into what is now a mesh of steel framing, but promises to become the state-of-the-art emergency area this community hospital has long needed.

Modern Design

Once the decision was made to build a new structure, Hatiras said, discussions began from a blank slate, incorporating current best practices in layout, workflow efficiencies, and design elements.

“Throughout the waiting area, we’re incorporating a lot of natural light and finishes that make it feel more like the lobby of a hotel than a medical space,” he told BusinessWest. “There’s a lot of glass. Most of the treatment rooms are going to have a window where the natural light comes in. And every single one of the treatment rooms is private — no more lying next to somebody else, separated by a curtain.”

Meanwhile, finishes in the behavioral-health area, including materials, colors, and lighting, are meant to promote a decrease in anxiety. “Behavioral-health patients come in to the hospital in an anxious state,” he explained, “and often the environment — the noise, light, colors — amplifies that instead of toning it down.”

Planners convened a behavioral-health peer group, soliciting input from former patients, to improve their understanding of how behavioral health should be delivered, and those discussions influenced some of the design choices.

Speaking of design, there was also an effort to make the new building match architecturally with its surroundings, which include buildings that date back to the 1800s, so the exterior brick and metal façade will blend in with both HMC’s recently renovated front lobby and the older buildings on campus.

“Not only will this be a functional improvement,” Hatiras said, “but when we’re done, this will be the most beautiful campus in the Valley, and I can say that with confidence, because I know what it will look like, and I’ve seen the other ones.”

Of course, all this function and design costs money, which for years has been a stumbling block to progress, he went on. The current project began with a $13 million to $14 million price tag, which increased to $23.8 million when the second floor was added.

However, approximately $5.5 million is being provided through the federal New Markets Tax Credit program. Hatiras credits U.S. Rep. Richard Neal with helping secure those funds, which will reduce the hospital’s debt service on the project, allowing it to keep healthy reserves and invest in additional health programs.

Meanwhile, HMC also scored a Community Hospital Acceleration, Revitalization, and Transformation (CHART) grant, a state program that promotes care coordination, integration, and delivery transformation to enhance community hospitals in Masachusetts. The $3.9 million grant — the largest in CHART’s phase 2 round of funding — supports the integration of behavioral-health services in the Emergency Department. Additional financing partners for the project include Valley Health Systems, MassDevelopment, People’s United Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and A.I. Wainwright.

Spiros Hatiras says talk of expanding in place was quickly scuttled in favor of a plan that would provide more space, easier access, and no disruption of current emergency services.

“Our total cost is $15 million, which is fantastic because an independent community hospital doesn’t have access to capital,” Hatiras said. “So to be able to do this for 60 cents on the dollar with the rest being New Markets Tax Credits and grants is really fantastic.”

A recently launched capital campaign seeks another $3 million to further reduce the hospital’s project costs. More than $1 million has been raised to date, with campaign donations to support some of the new ED’s ancillary needs and additional equipment.

Raising the Bar

One of the late additions to the project, piling on some additional cost, is a second entrance from the main hospital via the second floor, which adds functionality and easier patient access to the new building, Hatiras noted. But the most innovative element in the new ED is the emphasis on behavioral health, which is a growing issue across Massachusetts.

“In our existing ED, we didn’t have enough capacity for private behaviorsal-health areas,” Cameron told BusinessWest. “The new location is going to include six private rooms and another six detox chairs. I can imagine those will be full on a daily basis.”

In addition to the new building and new equipment being purchased, Cameron added, the ER will employ a more efficient workflow system that moves patients more quickly through the triage station and into a treatment room. The nursing station will be centralized and have visibility to all the treatment areas, to better keep track of what’s going on with each patient and, again, promote better flow.

Parking has long been an issue at Holyoke Medical Center — really, at what area hospital is it not an issue? — and the new building took over a small parking lot. But at the same time, the hospital created 100 new spots elsewhere on campus and launched a valet service to get patients in and out quickly without having to look for parking, Cameron said. “All that has definitely improved parking for patients.”

Hatiras said hospital leadership is formulating some long-term solutions to the parking issue, but they’re solutions to a good problem — that is, how to create more access to a hospital that has been growing to meet the needs of its community. This fact, he said, should be considered by neighbors who might be annoyed at some of the parking spillover onto side streets while HMC strategizes to create more space on its campus.

“In the three years since we started the effort to revitalize Holyoke Medical Center, we’ve added more than $20 million in revenue and a couple hundred employees,” he said. “Even the neighborhood property values are affected positively by the new emergency room and a thriving hospital.”

That progress has been reflected in some of the hospital’s recent honors, he added, including a Top Hospital Award from the Leapfrog Group in two of the past three years, which is given to more than 100 institutions nationwide for their commitment to patient safety. Selection is based on many areas of hospital care, including infection rates, maternity care, and the hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors.

“We want to raise this institution to a level the neighborhood and the city can be proud of,” Hatiras said.

That the hospital earned such recognition while operating an ER in half its optimal space is a testament to the hospital’s providers, he noted, and the expansion will provide opportunities to further boost that performance.

Local Impact

Hatiras is proud that most of the construction has been subcontracted to local workers.

“We’ve made a huge effort so that most, if not everything, stays local,” he said. “That’s a big shot in the arm, an economic boost for the area, with that work flowing through here.”

There’s also a sense of pride that the expansion is on schedule and on budget, he added.

“We finished design plans in February 2015, and were bidding out to the general contractor and getting financing before Christmas 2015,” he said. “The whole thing was lightning-fast. Everyone worked really hard on something that can sometimes take a half-decade of planning before it even gets off the ground.”

That wasn’t an option at Holyoke Medical Center, where emergency patients had been feeling the squeeze for much too long.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Millennials Are a Growing Force in Auto Sales

Autos Sections

Supply and Demand

Jennifer Cernak says technology and connectivity features often appeal to younger buyers.

With the Millennial generation quickly becoming a more powerful force in the economy — totaling around 85 million, they’re now in their 20s and 30s, and their spending clout is only growing — auto dealers have definitely taken notice.

“They’re becoming more influential in the purchase of durable goods, including vehicles,” said Bill Peffer, president and chief operating officer of Balise Motor Sales. “They’re buying for themselves as they get older, but many are still living with their parents, so they’re also influencing their parents’ decisions. That’s quite a reversal from the Baby Boomers, who wanted to break free of the Greatest Generation and develop their own tastes.”

One way Millennials are changing the car-buying process is in their reliance on technology, specifically the online experience of car shopping.

According to Automotive News, more than 90% of car shoppers begin the journey online, visiting an average of 18 sites, including Google, online shopping networks, and social media, before showing up at a dealership, usually unannounced. However, Millennials take this process further, visiting an average of 25 sites before buying a vehicle.

“They definitely use technology to find what they need before they come into the store,” Peffer said. “Not too many years ago, the average consumer visited four or five stores. Now, with the explosion of technology and social media and the Internet, they’re making visits to far fewer stores before they actually make their purchase.”

Most Millennials don’t like to negotiate. They have information; they know what the cost is. They do their negotiating online.”

The average, actually, is fewer than two, he said. “They go to one store, and if the experience isn’t pleasant, if it’s not to their satisfaction, they go to the next one. Particularly with Millennials, they know what they want; the question is, are you able to meet their needs? You have to arrive at a mutually acceptable price and respect the convenience of when they want to make the purchase.”

J.D. Power reports that Millennials — usually defined as the generation born between 1980 and 1998 — bought 4 million cars and trucks in 2015, their share of the new-car market jumping to 28% — a number expected to rise steadily each year, with some estimates having them accounting for 75% of all purchases by 2025. So dealers need to understand their habits and preferences.

“I think it forces everyone to be on their game. It forces dealers to adopt — and not only adopt, but utilize — technology to fulfill the dealer’s end of the process,” Peffer said. “This is how shopping has evolved, not just for vehicles, but for everything. You can shop from your house for a suit at 10 o’clock at night.”

As for car shopping, he continued, “the deal has to be completed in the store, but we can make it convenient as well. We can deliver the car to the house for a test drive. We help the consumers make the decision where and when they want to.”

It’s all about meeting demand — for a generation of car buyers that can be well, demanding.

What’s New?

Jennifer Cernak, co-owner of Cernak Buick in Easthampton, understands the demands placed on a dealership by a prepared shopper.

“Most customers have already spotted the car they want; they’ve seen it online, and they know what they’re looking for,” she said.

Young people tend to appreciate technology, she said, from smartphone apps that connect a smartphone’s navigation feature to the vehicle, and infotainment apps like Pandora, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

“There’s definitely some cutting-edge technology,” she said. “People don’t always think of that when they think of Buick; they don’t realize we have some of the latest and greatest technology and features out there.”

Bill Peffer says young, Internet-savvy shoppers, armed with data before they arrive at the dealership, are changing the car-buying game.

While Millennials certainly appreciate infotainment and connectivity packages — features that make the car a sort of platform for all one’s personal tech — that’s only one part of what they’re looking for in a car, Peffer said.

The second big draw is safety features — everything from lane-departure sensors and active braking systems to multiple airbags and safety shields: in other words, components that both help avoid crashes and protect riders in the case of one.

The third attraction is, quite simply, value, a concept that goes beyond the bottom-line price, encompassing everything from how well a vehicle holds its resale value to how it will serve their lifestyle and needs. That explains the popularity of compact SUVs, or crossovers, because they tend to support the activities of families and outdoor enthusiasts at a more reasonable price than larger SUVs.

Cernak noted that the Buick Encore compact SUV has broad, cross-generational appeal, and that includes Millennials, who appreciate features like all-wheel drive, Bluetooth connectivity, in-car wi-fi, backup cameras, and being able to start the car from their phone — a mix of traditional and thoroughly modern amenities. “The younger generation seems to like these things — not that the older generation doesn’t like them too. But older buyers are looking for a more traditional luxury experience.”

She also said young buyers are increasingly leasing, but that’s true across the generations. “More and more people are leasing. If someone likes to get in a brand-new car every few years, it can be more affordable. Some people just want to keep up with the latest and greatest.”

Peffer likewise doesn’t see much difference in the popularity of leasing between the generations, but noted that, as a whole, the New England region leads the country, along with the West Coast, in the percentage of car shoppers who choose that option. “I don’t see that waning. No matter what the generation, it’s a great option.”

Jeff Sarat, president of Sarat Ford Lincoln in Agawam, said he sees plenty of crossover in what vehicles and elements of the car-buying experience appeal to the different generations, though he noted that some of the company’s outreach, particularly search-engine marketing, is created with younger, more tech-savvy consumers in mind.

One big difference, however, is the loyalty factor. Baby Boomers were far more likely to develop brand and even dealer loyalty and return for new product every few years for decades. Millennials, Sarat said, are less likely to forge those bonds, and are much more willing to switch models, brands, and dealerships if they see more value elsewhere.

“Millennials are apt to jump around a little bit, meaning they might go with a Volkswagen this time and then next time try a Ford,” Sarat said. “Maybe their friend recommended a car they thought was phenomenal, so they try that. They’re more likely to switch around, and they don’t have set buying habits, so you really have to work to make them a customer for life. We try to do that with everyone, of course, but with Millennials, if you don’t stay in contact with them, they’re more likely to move around.”

Unfounded Fears

According to Business Insider, there was some concern in the auto-sales industry about how enthusiastic the growing Millennial generation would be; among the questions were whether they’d reject SUVs and whether they would gravitate toward mass transit. But those fears proved unfounded, as young professionals and families were a key factor in the industry’s surge to its current sales pace, which has topped 17 million for two straight years, with the same expected in 2017.

Yes, Millennials are demanding, and their penchant for Internet research doesn’t make things easier on auto dealers, but it’s not a negative, Peffer said; it just means dealers have to know as much as buyers do, and be ready to clearly explain subtle differences in pricing and features, skills they should already have.

“Most Millennials don’t like to negotiate. They have information; they know what the cost is. They do their negotiating online. They come in knowing exactly what they want to pay,” he told BusinessWest. “This is how shopping has evolved in the overall economy. The question is, are you able to meet their needs?”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Auto Dealers Predict Sales Will Continue Rising

Autos Sections

A High-revving Engine

Carla Cosenzi says sales have been on the rise for several years at TommyCar Auto Group, and she expects this trend to continue at its dealerships.

Initial national projections for 2017 called for the recent rise in auto sales to level off and then perhaps slow down. But those forecasts have been adjusted recently. Indeed, the experts say a host of favorable factors, from low gas prices to a stable economy to the advanced age of many cars on the road, will continue to fuel increases in sales volume.

John Kupec III has been in the automobile-sales industry for 40 years. But he has never seen trade-ins with as many miles as the ones being brought to Gale Toyota in Enfield today.

“We’re seeing cars come in with more than 250,000 miles,” the general sales manager told BusinessWest.

Indeed, a poll conducted last month by market research company IHS Markit shows the average age of light vehicles on the road is 11.5 years, and the trend Kupec observed is mirrored at other dealerships.

“This week alone, I saw trade-ins with 160,000 miles, 180,000 miles, and 240,000 miles — vehicles last longer than they used to, but people have taken it to the extreme,” said John Lewis, general manager at Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and Bertera Fiat and Collision Center in West Springfield, as he spoke about reasons that led so many people to keep their vehicles for a decade or more.

John Kupec is optimistic about the year ahead, and says Gale Toyota of Enfield hopes to increase sales by 10% to 15%.

The practice began in 2008 when the economy crashed. Consumer confidence plummeted, 401(k) plans lost their value, and people worried about job security and began to realize they could drive their vehicles much longer than they had believed possible without incurring a lot of repairs.

“Today alone, we took in a 2001 with 160,000 miles and a 2005 with 155,000 miles,” said Craig Dodenstein, sales manager for Toyota of Greenfield, who noted that people usually upgrade to a new vehicle when the cost of repairs becomes prohibitive.

Sales began to rise a few years ago in line with a renewed confidence in the economy that has slowly taken root. But last fall, the National Automobile Dealers Assoc. predicted 2017 would be the year in which sales would reach their peak and begin to slow down. That projection was changed, however; now, sales of new vehicles in the U.S. are expected to remain above 17 million for the third straight year in a row, and even rise slightly toward the second half of the year.

Chart of area Auto Dealers

Aging vehicles still on the road have resulted in pent-up demand, and that factor, coupled with new models, aggressive manufacturer incentives, low interest rates, reasonable gas prices, and an upswing in the economy, are fueling optimism at local dealerships for the coming year.

“Last month, our sales were up 10% over January of last year, and we expect a 20% increase in 2017,” Lewis said, attributing the number not only to the company’s reputation and the service it offers, but the fact that Subaru sales have climbed and a new $5 million Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership is under construction, which hindered sales last year when they started working from trailers.

Fathers & Sons in West Springfield also has a new dealership, an $18 million facility that is home to Audi and Volkswagen franchises.

“We want to grow, plan to grow, and have the tools in our arsenal to do it,” said Sales Manager Ethan Prentiss. “In December, Volkswagen had the best month in company history, and this year we expect a 10% to 12% increase in Volkswagen and Audi sales, and an 8% to 10% increase in Volvo sales,” he said, referring to the company’s other dealership on Memorial Avenue, which houses the largest dedicated Volvo dealership in the country in terms of square footage.

Ethan Prentiss says the demand for SUVs and crossovers such as the new Volkswagen Touareg continue to rise at Fathers & Sons Volkswagen.

Incentives are also boosting sales, and Kupec said Toyota’s are higher than they have been in decades. “The manufacturer is offering 0% interest on some models, which they have never done before; hefty rebates of $2,000 to $3,000; and bonus cash on leases,” he said. “We’re off to a great start and hope to have a 10 to 15% increase this year in sales.”

Bill Peffer concurred. “It’s a very exciting industry to be in, and our outlook for 2017 is very, very positive,” said the president and chief operating officer of Balise Motor Sales, which has 24 stores in three states. “The market is very strong, and any volatility has been offset by manufacturer incentives. There are tons of new choices for customers — it’s a very good time to buy a car, truck, or SUV.”

For this issue and its focus on auto sales, BusinessWest looks at the current landscape within the industry and what the road ahead might bring.

Getting into High Gear

Last June, Volkswagen agreed to buy back its 2.0L diesel vehicles after a lawsuit that proved it had used emissions-system-defeating software. The VW Group also agreed to pay owners $5,100 to $10,000 in additional compensation on top of a fix or buyback of their car.

The negative press that ensued made sales challenging for a period of time, but buybacks began last October and accounted for a quarter of the Volkswagen sales at Fathers & Sons in December.

“These people would normally not be in the market for a new car, and the projection is that we will be able to retain 25% of them; many of our customers love the way their Volkswagens drive and handle,” Prentiss said, explaining that this situation, coupled with the new dealership and a lineup of exciting new products, is not the only reason for the projected increase in sales.

“We are now a negotiation-free dealership, which is what customers want,” he continued. “Buying a vehicle here has become all about the experience. Our salespeople are non-commissioned, and customers can find what they are looking for and complete the purchase within two hours.

“We give them our best price up front and make it fun to buy a car,” he continued, adding that Volvo sales are also up, as the manufacturer broke records last year due to the launch of a new image and the release of new products.

Toyota of Greenfield is another dealership that has undergone change. It moved into a new, $7 million dealership last winter and held a grand opening last May, so 2016 was a year of transition as they were able to move out of the trailers they worked in during 2015 while construction was underway.

“We’re looking for a 5% to 10% increase in sales this year, and if January was any indication, we are headed in the right direction,” said Dodenstein, adding that January sales had almost tripled over last year’s numbers by the third week of the month.

Although the new dealership certainly makes a difference, manufacturer incentives and new products add to the enticements. The new electric Prius Prime is a leader in its class; it gets 133 miles per gallon, beat a preliminary 22-mile electric volt range estimate with 25 miles, and gets 54 mpg in hybrid mode.

Meanwhile, Carla Cosenzi said last year was a great one for TommyCar Auto Group, which includes Hyundai, Nissan, Buick, GMC, and Volkswagen franchises. Some stores did especially well, including Hyundai, which experienced strong demand for entry-level vehicles.

“Hyundai gives customers a lot of value for their dollar, including technology, safety, and the aggressive pricing people are looking for,” Cosenzi explained, noting that consumers are excited about the fact that new technology is standard in many brands of entry-level models and ranges from adaptive cruise control to lane assist, collision warning, and backup cameras.

TommyCar is expecting another excellent year, and the sales of the new Volkswagen Golf All Trac station wagon, which has all-wheel drive, accelerated right after it was released. In addition, SUVs and crossovers are becoming increasingly popular, such as the 2017 seven- passenger Nissan Rogue and Volkswagen Tiguan.

“People want the space, comfort, and luxury they provide. They are more expensive than compact cars, but with interest rates and gas at all-time lows. they’re affordable,” Cosenzi noted.

Other local dealers agree that the demand for trucks, crossover vehicles, and SUVs is growing. They point to the fact that unemployment rates are low, people use trucks to do business, and buyers of all ages want to be able to travel in the winter.

“The weather in New England is unpredictable, and people want mobility whether they are driving to the ski slope or have the kids in their vehicle during a snowstorm,” Peffer said, adding that today’s crossovers and SUVs offer that versatility.

He noted the trend has changed over the past few decades. “Station wagons were popular from the ’40s through the ’70s. But when Chrysler came out with a minivan in the ’80s, the evolution of SUVs began, and so did the way people chose to be mobile,” he told BusinessWest, noting that crossovers and SUVs are affordable, offer more utility than mid-sized cars, and get good gas mileage.

Prentiss said Fathers & Sons sells seven-seat vehicles as quickly as they get them, and Audi’s Q7 and Volvo’s XC90 SUV models are popular because they offer utility plus plenty of cargo space. In addition, Volkswagen’s Tiguan and Golf All Trac have made the brand competitive with Honda and Toyota.

Changing Landscape

Local dealers say leasing has increased and accounts for a good portion of their new-car transactions.

“Leasing allows people to move into cars with low payments without the hassle of long-term maintenance; they can lease them to drive what they want and turn in the car before the warranty is up, as opposed to incurring costs over a six-year loan period,” said Peffer, noting that, a decade or two ago, leasing was reserved for commercial buyers, but today it has gone mainstream, and a third or more of Balise’s new-vehicle sales are leases.

Leasing is also popular at Bertera and accounts for 38% of its new-car business. “Technology is moving so fast, and people want the latest advances. Plus, a segment of the population is always going to have a payment, and they can get a brand-new car every two to three years with a lease,” Lewis said.

He explained that the average payment on a purchased $40,000 vehicle is $500 a month for six years, but the same vehicle can be leased for $300 to $350 a month with very little money down, which makes it attractive.

Kupec noted that the appeal extends to different age and economic groups, especially since people who do a lot of driving can build additional miles into a lease.

“People are more receptive to leasing than ever before,” he said, adding that 40% of the store’s new-car transactions are leases.

Prentiss told BusinessWest that a large portion of Millennials would rather lease than buy a new vehicle. “It has to do with their psychology; they think a three-year lease is long enough.”

The market for electric vehicles is also growing. Cosenzi said the Hyundai Ioniq, which is scheduled to come out in the next month, will have a battery-only model with an electric driving range of 124 miles and an EPA rating of 136 miles per gallon.

Positive Signs

From a big-picture, national-economy perspective, the road ahead is certainly marked by unpredictability and guarded optimism.

In the auto industry, through, there would appear to be fewer potential bumps in that road and apparently smooth riding. As noted by all those we spoke with, a number of factors are contributing to greater confidence on the part of consumers, and this is translating into greater activity at area dealerships.

As they say in this business, there is plenty of tread left on those tires.

Recent Case Sheds Some Needed Light on When Exceptions Apply

Law Sections

Durational Alimony-award Limits

By Katherine E. McCarthy

Katherine E. McCarthy

The passage of the Alimony Reform Act of 2011 brought about sweeping changes to the alimony laws in Massachusetts. One major change was the implementation of durational limits on alimony awards. For marriages lasting fewer than 20 years, a formula is available to determine the length of time general term alimony may be required.
The statute, M.G.L. c. 208 §48-55, contains language that allows the durational limits to be applied to alimony orders that predate the reform act, providing many alimony payors with hope that their alimony obligation will be terminated. However, the statute also contains language that allows the probate and family court to deviate beyond the durational limits based on an ‘interests of justice’ standard.

Since the passage of alimony reform, attorneys and clients alike have been left wondering how and when the ‘interests of justice’ standard would be applied and what factors a court will consider in deviating from the durational limits. A recent decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court provides some limited answers.

Deviation Beyond Durational Limits

Alimony reform states that “alimony awards which exceed the durational limits established in [the law] shall be modified upon a complaint for modification without additional material change of circumstance, unless the court finds that deviation from the durational limits is warranted.” The court must then look to whether deviation is “required in the interests of justice.”

In a case of first impression, in November 2016, the Supreme Judicial Court decided in George v. George two important aspects of the deviation standard. First, the alimony recipient bears the burden of proving that deviation beyond the presumptive termination date is required in the interests of justice. Second, the judge must look at the circumstances of the parties at the time the termination of alimony is sought, as opposed to the circumstances of the parties at the time of the initial award of alimony.

Additional factors that may be considered are the same statutory factors that judges must consider in making an initial alimony award. Those factors include:

• Advanced age, chronic illness, or unusual health circumstances of either party;
• Tax considerations applicable to the parties;
• Whether the payor spouse is providing health insurance and the cost of health insurance for the recipient spouse;
• Whether the payor spouse has been ordered to secure life insurance for the benefit of the recipient spouse and the cost of such insurance;
• Sources and amounts of unearned income, including capital gains, interest and dividends, annuity, and investment income from assets that were not allocated in the parties’ divorce;
• Significant pre-marital cohabitation that included economic partnership or marital separation of significant duration, each of which the court may consider in determining the length of the marriage;
• A party’s inability to provide for that party’s own support by reason of physical or mental abuse by the payor;
• A party’s inability to provide for that party’s own support by reason of that party’s deficiency of property, maintenance, or employment opportunity; and
• Upon written findings, any other factor that the court deems relevant and material.

The court also made clear in its decision that it would not consider an alimony recipient’s argument that, had they known that the alimony laws were going to change, or that durational limits would be applied, they would have negotiated for a larger property division in the original divorce. The SJC reasoned that, if this argument were to be accepted by the courts, it would effectively prohibit any payors with alimony awards that predate alimony reform from terminating their alimony obligation under the terms of the law. In sum, accepting such an argument would nullify that portion of alimony reform in direct contravention of the Legislature’s intent.

Takeaways

As in most cases in the probate and family court, the individual facts of the case are extremely important. However, the George case has provided some clarification of the statute that can be utilized to argue either for or against termination of alimony based on durational limits.

In sum, if a payor has paid alimony beyond the durational limits, it is wise to consider the alimony recipient’s present circumstances in predicting how successful they will be in attempting to terminate the alimony obligation. Conversely, an alimony recipient must be cognizant that he or she will have the burden of establishing that deviation beyond the durational limits is appropriate in his or her case.

Katherine E. McCarthy is an associate with Robinson Donovan, P.C., where she concentrates her practice on domestic relations; (413) 732-2301; [email protected]

Effective Law-firm Marketing Can Be a Public Service

Law Sections

Value-added Proposition

Amy Royal says her marketing strategy has long emphasized providing helpful resources through blogs, newsletters, and seminars.

There was a time when law firms simply didn’t advertise their services; it was considered unseemly. Those days are long gone, and marketing is now an accepted, even necessary part of the business. But for today’s practices, marketing goes well beyond print and radio ads. With the help of the Internet, firms are increasingly getting the word out by writing articles and blogs on important legal issues and connecting with the public through informational seminars — building credibility with the public and possibly creating clients down the road, but adding value for audiences in the meantime.

Generations ago, Michele Feinstein said, the legal profession’s code of ethics was simple when it came to promoting a law firm.

“It was, ‘thou shalt not advertise,’” said the shareholder attorney with Springfield-based Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin. “Then it changed, but it’s still a very regulated thing — the question of what constitutes appropriate advertising.”

To prove it, she dug out a thick volume of Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court codes and eventually found the professional-conduct guidelines addressing marketing, or, to quote the section title, “Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services.”

This two-page-long rule governs appropriate outlets for advertising and what firms can and cannot promise in ads, among other minutiae. Feinstein is right: the rules are much more lenient today, with language conceding the importance of television and print media in reaching the public. But — aside from the more-strident messaging sometimes employed by personal-injury firms — it’s still an industry whose marketing echoes its restrained past.

Michele Feinstein

When I started my practice, we never thought about marketing. Certainly, they never tell you about that in law school. But the practice has had to evolve with the modern-day realities of how people meet and connect, and how they find and talk with their lawyers.”

That’s not to say there aren’t other ways to stand out, however.

“When I started my practice, we never thought about marketing. Certainly, they never tell you about that in law school,” Feinstein said. “But the practice has had to evolve with the modern-day realities of how people meet and connect, and how they find and talk with their lawyers.

“Certainly, word of mouth is important, but these days, the modern equivalent is the Internet: search engines, blogs, newsletters, and other forms of Internet presence,” she went on. “That technology didn’t exist 20 years ago.”

Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin has employed the Internet like many other area firms have: not only to get its name out, but to do so in a way that provides value to clients and the public, she explained, such as an online newsletter that focuses on estate planning and elder law, and a blog that addresses issues in myriad areas of the law. Traditional print media is useful too, she said, as seen in the articles the firm writes for BusinessWest and other outlets.

Amy Royal also sees the benefits of a multi-pronged approach to marketing. Her Northampton-based employment-law firm, Royal, P.C., hosts a robust blog; the firm’s attorneys contribute articles to area press outlets (including, again, BusinessWest); and they also conduct seminars and trainings for the public and fellow lawyers alike.

“We stay abreast of developments in the law, both on the federal and state side, and we tailor our trainings as well as our blog posts to making sure our clients stay up to date,” she said. “There are a lot of moving parts, a lot of change happening on the federal side, going to an entirely different administration … on any issue, we want to demonstrate credibility for perspective clients, so hopefully people say, ‘they’re experts in that area.’”

That credibility and recognition often translates into more business, a philosophy shared by Michael Gove, who launched the Gove Law Office, LLC, in Northampton in 2013.

Michael Gove

I think [our marketing efforts] ensure that we’re top of mind for people. Then, when someone has a legal issue, they may think of us, because they saw us recently in the paper, or online, or at a chamber event. We find we get referrals from those things.”

When it comes to marketing, he told BusinessWest, he has always focused on three areas: personal relationships with referral sources, trying to find reasons to be in the news as much as possible — for example, distributing press releases when the firm adds an attorney — and online marketing, which includes some paid advertising but more informational material, including a blog, providing resources to people who might then turn to Gove for legal services.

“I think it helps ensure that we’re top of mind for people,” he said. “Then, when someone has a legal issue, they may think of us, because they saw us recently in the paper, or online, or at a chamber event. We find we get referrals from those things.”

In a crowded market for law firms, those referrals and phone calls out of the blue are valuable, said the lawyers we spoke with about their marketing strategies. But laying the groundwork for that recognition doesn’t happen overnight.

Standing Out

Royal understands the importance of standing out in the Western Mass. legal community.

“There’s a lot of competition here in a small area; we’re saturated with lawyers in our region, and we have a law school here turning out new lawyers every year,” she said. “So what do you do to set yourself apart?”

The first step, she said, was focusing on a very specific niche — in her case, as a boutique firm that represents employers only — and building a brand around that niche in a number of ways.

“Our niche provides a natural focus for our marketing strategies,” she explained. “Because of our defined services, we’re not everything to everyone, and maybe that’s a recipe for failure — to be too generalized. We’ve really focused on our marketplace and focused on developing a strong, recognized brand with targeted, consistent messaging.”

That messaging takes both active and passive forms, she added. Passive outreach includes the blog, newsletters, seminars, social-media outreach, trade shows, and anything that establishes the firm’s expertise in its field without being an actual, traditional advertisement — something Royal has largely eschewed, though both her firm and Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin utilize BusinessWest as part of their marketing efforts each year.

“We don’t do passive marketing thinking we’re going to have a direct sale from it, necessarily, but just to build brand awareness in the community,” Royal explained. “Then, of course, we do active marketing, direct relationship building. That happens in a variety of ways: through community involvement, business events, networking events, where we zero in on who our target is.”

Feinstein agrees that outreach that amounts to sharing information with the public brings marketing benefits that may not be realized right away.

“We write articles, we give seminars where we speak to the public, we do advanced trainings for lawyers — quite a bit of that. We feel that these sorts of marketing efforts, if they don’t immediately create a client — though they may — they certainly, at minimum, give us secondary recognition. People see our blogs, read our articles, hear our name when we’re giving a talk, and later on, if they need a lawyer and ask around and our name comes up, it’s familiar.”

In fact, it’s impossible to tell when such efforts will result in client work, she said. Sometimes it’s the next day, and sometimes it’s years down the road, when someone comes in with materials they’ve been saving since the event, and now they need help.

“The fact that they also see we’re doing trainings for other lawyers, which we do a lot of, I think confirms, or enhances, the fact that we are knowledgeable in a particular area and are recognized by our peers as such.”

While passive marketing has its benefits, Gove said, he’s not averse to paid ads as well. Most of his efforts in this area are targeted at avvo.com, a website with a national reach. “It’s a way for people who need answers to legal questions find lawyers. We’ve found a lot of success there.”

As for more traditional media advertising, Gove said he plans more narrowly targeted messaging. As a bilingual firm, he wants to expand more into Spanish-speaking communities, so he intends to approach media outlets that have inroads in that population.

“But, really, the three main pillars to our marketing are personal relationships, getting in the news, and being visible online. We’re definitely not advertising in the Republican or in the yellow pages. It’s not like it was 20 years ago.”

That said, the strategy has largely paid off for this growing firm, which expanded with a second office in Ludlow in 2014. “I think we’ve done a good job of growing, by making sure we’re visible and helpful.”

Word Up

Feinstein also considers her firm’s various passive marketing efforts to be a form of help, of public service.

“All we’ve ever done — writing articles, whether for legal journals or the Reminder or BusinessWest; lecturing and giving talks; that kind of stuff — gets our name out, gets the word out, but it also provides value, and we feel like that comes back to you in one way or another. It doesn’t have to be a one-to-one correlation. That’s fine with us; we have an obligation to serve the public by providing information, which we take seriously.

“People appreciate the difference between that kind of marketing and some general slogan, like ‘call us and we’ll fight for you,’ or ‘we’ll take your case seriously,’” she went on. “We provide real information and something to think about, and if people have concerns, we tell them to see their advisor. Whether that advisor is us or someone else, we’re still providing value.”

The Supreme Judicial Court’s rules on advertising state that “questions of effectiveness and taste in advertising are matters of speculation and subjective judgment,” which is a far cry from “thou shalt not advertise.” But lawyers should take their messaging seriously, Royal said.

“A lot of law firms maybe don’t think of themselves as a business first, which they are; they think of themselves as practitioners first,” she told BusinessWest. “But we treat this law firm as a business and attack our marketing that way. What we’ve done has been very strategic from the beginning.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Bottom-Line Bodywork Brings Massage to the Workplace

Health Care Sections

Healing Touch

Hazel Ferriter says massages by Saskia Cote at Bottom-Line Bodywork help her to relax before she starts a 12-hour shift.

Twice each week, the assisted dining room at the Life Care Center of Wilbraham is transformed into a quiet, relaxing oasis.

The blinds are drawn, and soothing music plays softly as employees enter the dimly lit room and are treated to a 15-minute massage designed to alleviate stress, treat aches and pains, and allow them to return to work feeling rejuvenated and ready to help the people they care for.

The service is provided by Body-Line Bodywork, LLC in Palmer, which brings massage therapy into the workplace with a focus on nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, hospitals, and doctors’ offices.

“We specialize in short, targeted sessions to reduce tension, relieve stress, and help prevent carpal-tunnel and other repetitive-motion injuries,” said founder and CEO Saskia Cote, explaining that all massages are done on a massage table as opposed to a massage chair, which allows people to lie down and completely relax.

Although Life Care Center Senior Executive Director Dennis Lopata says the free massages are a simple perk, the benefit is appreciated and important to employees whose work duties include lifting people, assisting them with ambulation, and helping with tasks necessary to daily living.

“The job can be really demanding, especially for certified nursing assistants, who use and abuse their bodies to meet everyday challenges,” Lopata told BusinessWest. “The signup sheets fill quickly every week, and employees tell me the service makes them feel like Life Care cares about their personal well-being. It’s a well-regarded service, and we are happy to have Saskia as part of our team.”

Life Care Center is one of a growing number of companies that are incorporating massage therapy into wellness programs. Studies show the alternative health practice is an effective treatment for stress and pain relief, and doctors and healthcare professionals endorse its benefits.

Research has demonstrated that, in addition to decreasing stress, anxiety, and depression, massage therapy relieves muscle tension and pain, improves sleep, helps headaches, lowers blood pressure, prevents repetitive-strain injuries, increases immune function, treats carpal tunnel and tendinitis, and increases focus, energy, and mental clarity.

A recent study by Beth Israel-Deaconess Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education and the Center for Health Studies in Seattle concluded that therapeutic massage is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain, while other workplace studies show it results in reduced absenteeism and workers’ compensation claims.

Indeed, it has become a benefit that pays for itself. According to the “2015 Report on Corporate Wellness” by IBISWorld, corporate wellness programs that include massage therapy average a $3 to $6 return on every dollar of investment.

Life Care has not been able to quantify benefits in terms of a dollar amount, but Lopata believes workers’ compensation claims and sick days have been reduced as a result of the massages that several dozen employees take advantage of each week.

Dennis Lopata says massage therapy provided by Saskia Cote of Body-Line Bodyworks has proved to be highly beneficial to employees at Life Care Center of Wilbraham.

Restorative aide Deborah Rivera is a proponent of workplace massage and has donated her time to peers who are having a difficult day and aren’t on the schedule.

“We try to provide every resident with the utmost in care, but sometimes we can’t do everything we would like to. We see some heartbreaking situations,” she said as she spoke about dementia and other age-related illnesses. “But this takes us away from the unit and puts us in a different stage of mind. We are being cared for and attended to, which is very relaxing.”

She added that a single session has alleviated back pain that stemmed from lifting and transferring patients. “When I leave the massage room, I feel rejuvenated and ready to go back on the floor and be a super aide.”

Winsome Roberts is another massage advocate who signs up for massages at Life Care every week. “I used to get a lot of migraine headaches, but they stopped after several months of massage,” said the certified nursing assistant. “Fifteen minutes may not seem like much, but it helps me to be more relaxed and flexible. The job can be physically and mentally demanding, but this makes a real difference and helps me to help residents who need assistance.”

Healing Journey

Cote has been a licensed massage therapist for 25 years, and has taught massage therapy to students in the U.S. as well as seven foreign countries.

She grew up in the Netherlands and began bodywork training at the Upledger Institute Europe in 1990.

She moved to the U.S. following a spiritual retreat to Santa Fe, N.M., where she learned about the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts and was accepted into the program.

“I fell in love with massage there,” she said, adding that, after graduation, she worked at Ten Thousand Waves Spa in Santa Fe, which has been consistently named one of the top 10 spas in the world.

In 2002, Cote and her husband left New Mexico and moved to Massachusetts because they wanted to live closer to his family in the Boston area. They settled in Palmer, and she began work as an independent massage therapist. She also taught massage therapy at the Muscular Therapy Institute in Watertown, which recently changed its name to the Cortiva Institute. She was promoted to director of the institute’s continuing-education program and continued in that role until three years ago, when she left to teach at the Massage School in Easthampton.

During a time when she was questioning what else she could do with her life, she received a phone call about a counseling program at Elfinstone College in Rockport. She enrolled and graduated in 2008 with a doctorate that proved to be an important adjunct to her career.

“People store emotions and memories of trauma in their bodies, which sometimes come out when they are touched with compassion,” Cote told BusinessWest, recalling people who received massages after 9/11 and began crying on the massage table.

Three and a half years ago, she was hired to replace a massage therapist working for the Life Care Center in Wilbraham, and the joy she found helping people in the workplace led Cote to found Bottom-Line Bodyworks in 2015.

In addition to massage therapy, she is trained in a number of other healing modalities that include craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, lymphatic drainage, Reiki, and Qi Gong. She also offers hot-stone massage and cupping, which is popular with nursing-home employees because it helps with pain and inflammation while providing a sense of well-being.

“People often think of massage as a luxury, but when they have the opportunity to get a massage at work, it becomes part of their self-care,” Cote said, adding that it helps employees in nursing homes alleviate stress and physical discomfort in their knees, backs, and shoulders that results from working on their feet all day or lifting residents.

Cote also enjoys being able to provide local therapists with work, especially since it can be difficult for them to maintain a steady flow of clients. She has two employees and plans to hire a third in the Foxboro area, as a company there has requested her firm’s services.

In December, Wingate at Wilbraham signed a six-month contract with Body-Line Bodywork, and employees began signing up for weekly massages last month.

Administrator Darryl LeCours said the money for the service came from an $11,000 Pay for Performance Award the facility received last year from the state. The award has to be spent on staff, and after taking a poll and holding meetings to see what employees preferred, it became evident that their top choice was massage.

“Things such as gift cards or food for the break room, which were suggested, have a very short-lived impact,” she noted. “Massage is therapeutic and something tangible we can do to help employees have a better week physically and mentally.”

LeCours added that certified nursing assistants and other front-line caregivers are often exhausted at the end of a shift. But she noted that everyone has a smile on their face when they come out of a session.

“We’re trying to bring happiness into the nursing home, and it’s important for our employees to feel good so they can provide compassionate care to our residents,” LeCours said.

Other companies have called upon Body-Line Bodywork to give massages at employee-appreciation days and similar events, and their numbers are growing.

Beneficial Effects

When Cote arrives at a nursing home, the signup list is always full, and on a recent day, employees at Life Care Center kept stopping by for shoulder or back therapy even though they weren’t on the schedule.

Although it’s difficult to quantify the therapeutic benefits of this service, people have reported they are less anxious, sleep better, and have enjoyed better health as a result of massage.

It also provides them with a refuge from stress in a temporary oasis created expressly for that purpose.

“It’s a nice 15 minutes of silence that allows me to put everything in perspective,” said Ann Caseldan, a speech-language pathologist at Life Care who has enjoyed massages for the past two years.

Hazel Ferriter agrees. She usually signs up for a massage before her 12-hour shift at Life Care Center begins. “It loosens up your muscles and has helped me with a migraine and back pain that comes from lifting. Massage makes you feel better,” said the certified nursing assistant.

Indeed, it’s a win-win situation. “People are always happy to see me, which brings me great joy,” Cote said. “When they receive a massage, they learn how to touch the residents in a healing and loving way and may be able to go the extra mile for a patient because they feel nurtured themselves. It’s a ripple effect of compassionate touch; once someone is touched with love and compassion, they are much more likely to be loving and compassionate towards others.”

Which is a priceless benefit, especially in settings where employees care for loved ones who can no longer care for themselves.

Driven by Millennial Demand, Mobile Banking Surges

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Business at Hand

Steve Lowell says a surge in usage of Monson Savings Bank’s mobile offerings has coincided with a downturn in branch traffic.

You never know what will persuade any given customer to switch banks, Karen Buell says.

Buell, vice president of Customer Technologies at PeoplesBank, recalled a couple of non-customers who recently visited a branch to cash checks. When they saw the bank had recently introduced Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay for its customers, they returned — to open accounts.

“Wow. What a win,” said Buell, who has been tracking the usage rate of the bank’s electronic and mobile banking offerings for years. PeoplesBank launched its first mobile app for iPhones in 2009, one of the first 50 financial institutions in the U.S. to do so. Today, 34% of all the institution’s checking-account holders use mobile services. But it was still pleasantly surprising to see those services create a customer on the spot.

Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise, particularly among the younger crowd. A study last year by the Federal Reserve reported that 67% of Millennials now use mobile banking, compared to 18% of consumers age 60 or over. This usage gap is projected to widen further as the youngest of the 85 million-strong Millennial generation enters the workforce.

Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank (MSB), says about half of that institution’s customers bank online, and of this group, more than half, about 60%, use the mobile app — up from 31% three years ago and 8% in 2011, the year the app launched.

Customers can perform a number of banking tasks on their mobile devices, Lowell said, including transferring funds between accounts, making loan and bill payments, taking pictures of their checks to make deposits online, and sending money to other banks through an app called Popmoney.

He said adoption has been strong by customers of all ages, but especially Millennials, who have come to expect robust online and mobile services in many areas of life.

“If you don’t have mobile banking, you won’t get the Millennial generation. That said, we have people in their 80s using their smartphones to do their banking. It’s definitely skewed toward the younger generation, but we see it across all age groups,” he said, noting that he uses the function himself. “It’s so easy to use.”

Buell reports similar momentum driven by younger customers at PeoplesBank, noting that 51% of Millennial customers use mobile check deposit, a service the bank began offering in 2014, compared to 24% of the bank’s Gen-X customers and 16% of Baby Boomers. Given those demographics, it seems like demand for mobile banking will only rise.

“Our customer base has enjoyed this for a while, and we’ve had great adoption of it,” Buell said. Specifically, mobile check deposit has grown 140% in overall usage between 2014 and 2016, and total checks deposited rose by 133%. At the same time, total dollars deposited through mobile check deposit went up 202%, partly because the bank increased the dollar-amount limits for that service for many customers based on their balances and relationship with the bank.

Karen Buell, seen here in PeoplesBank’s Customer Innovation Lab, says the bank has made just about all its e-banking activities accessible on mobile devices, with more to come.

“We’re constantly looking at data to determine how to serve customers better,” said Buell, who also oversees PeoplesBank’s Customer Innovation Lab, which, as the name suggests, develops new products for retail and business customers. “We saw that some mobile-deposit users were still coming to the branch for larger items, so we made some changes and gave them significantly higher limits to accommodate their needs.”

Making Change

Industry analysts have long noted that adoption of mobile banking followed a path similar to online banking, with some customers enthusiastic early adopters, and others initially reluctant for a variety of reasons, often having to do with security, or perceptions thereof.

“I think that’s absolutely the case,” Lowell said. “You still have to have that discussion with people who are concerned about security. But once we run through the precautions we have, and the logins they have to go through, they get pretty comfortable with it. And once they’ve tried it for a while, they get hooked on it. It’s such a convenience; it makes life easier. Of course, people have the right to be concerned about cybersecurity. But the more they learn about it, the less of a concern it is.”

Surging use of mobile banking has, naturally, raised questions about the future of physical branches — or, at least, their rate of expansion — but these are the same questions that arose when desktop online banking was introduced, and institutions have long asserted there will always be a need for brick-and-mortar offices. But Lowell says it’s something to keep an eye on.

“It’s a really important consideration. From 2013 to 2015, we didn’t see a significant decline in branch traffic — maybe 5% year over year — but from 2015 to 2016, we saw a 19% decrease in branch traffic; we went from roughly 555,000 transactions at our branches in 2015 to 452,000 transactions in 2016,” he explained, noting that, at the same time, the overall customer base has increased.

“We definitely see a transition — not just in mobile banking, but in electronic banking in general — and we’ve adjusted our staffing levels as a result of that, and we’re looking at adjusting our hours. We may not need to be open as many hours as we used to be. It’s something we’re watching really closely.”

Industry analysis is mixed on this topic. The Federal Reserve study indicated that even regular users of mobile banking still want to use other banking channels, from visiting an ATM or branch to withdraw cash to speaking with a customer-service representative or loan officer.

Specifically, survey respondents were asked about their use of five distinct banking channels. In the previous 12 months, 83% of smartphone owners with bank accounts visited a branch, 82% used an ATM, 82% used online banking, 53% used mobile banking, and 29% used telephone banking.

But electronic channels have had an impact on branch growth across the U.S. More than 1,600 branches shut down during 2015, the last year for which full figures are available, and several large, national institutions continued to shed offices in 2016.

The branches that remain boast fewer staff as well, from an average of 13 full-time employees per branch in 2004 to fewer than six last year. A recent study by Citi, “Digital Disruption,” predicts that new technologies could cause up to 30% of branch positions to disappear by 2025.

“People find it more convenient to do their banking from home,” Lowell said. “Our strategy is to do whatever is easy for them — they’re the customer, and we want to develop our relationship with them and make things as easy as possible.”

More to Come

Still, despite the concerns, mobile technology has stirred plenty of excitement in the industry. Lowell is enthusiastic about some advances just around the corner for MSB customers, including CardValet, technology that allows users to turn a debit card on and off with their phones, rendering it useless if stolen, and set custom-designed alerts for things like low balances and cleared checks, instantly transferring money between accounts to protect against overdraws. Another upcoming function is the ability to pay bills by taking photos of the invoice and the check.

“At this point, we’ve really put most of what you can do from your desktop onto your phone,” Buell said, noting that 60% of all electronic-banking logins at PeoplesBank are now made from mobile devices. Last fall, the bank launched fingerprint authentication, which allows users to log in without needing a username or password. The bank is also looking to introduce technology that uses the GPS function on smartphones to shut down a debit card when it’s not in the vicinity of the phone, to combat use of stolen cards.

“We want to be first to market with these things for our customers,” she told BusinessWest. “We’re really committed to being early adopters of technology, so they can get all the functionality of of a national bank, but the personal customer experience of a local bank.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Berkshire Bank Has Continued Momentum, Growth in Its Sights

Banking and Financial Services Cover Story Sections

Jim Hickson, Berkshire Bank’s Springfield Regional President

Through organic growth and a series of acquisitions, Berkshire Bank has achieved the kind of size ($9 billion in assets at present) that is necessary to succeed in the challenging climate within this industry. But Springfield Regional President Jim Hickson says it blends this size with a small-bank feel and “attitude,” and this is why it has been able to improve its share of the local market.

Jim Hickson says the conference room at Berkshire Bank’s main Springfield offices have become a popular spot lately, seeing far more visitation than would be considered normal — in large part because the bank is certainly encouraging it.

The reason is the room’s windows, which feature northerly and easterly exposures and, more specifically, stunning views of the construction work going on at MGM Springfield, just a few dozen feet away in some cases. Indeed, the massive, 2,000-car parking garage now looms over that conference room — Hickson commented several times on how quickly the structure went up — and the windows at the north end provide views of much of the rest of the construction site.

What visitors obviously see is a casino taking shape, said Hickson, senior vice president and commercial regional president for the Pioneer Valley and Connecticut. What he sees — and what others probably see as well — is what the casino represents: regional momentum and additional growth opportunities, which could come in a number of forms, from large corporations coming to Springfield, like CRRC, to smaller businesses that may take advantage of what will be a growing need for services.

“Those cranes that you see … they translate into momentum for the region; it’s a very exciting time,” said Hickson, adding that he believes Berkshire Bank, a.k.a. America’s Most Exciting Bank (or AMEB, as is written on his zip-front fleece jacket), is very well-positioned to take advantage of the momentum that can now be seen out those conference-room windows, and also in some of the other offices in the bank’s large suite at 1259 Columbus Ave.

That’s because the Pittsfield-based institution has the requisite size — achieved through several acquisitions, including that of Springfield-based Hampden Bank early last year — to be a major player, but it doesn’t act like the proverbial ‘big bank’ you read and hear so much about.

List of Banks in Western Mass.

“We have big-bank resources, but with small-bank attention and approach,” he said, adding that, while this might sound like a line from the marketing department, it accurately conveys what goes on across what is now a huge Berkshire footprint, covering much of the Northeast, as we’ll see later.

And also in those offices on East Columbus Avenue, which comprise a regional headquarters, said Hickson, meaning that customers can avail themselves of a full slate of services, including commercial lending, residential lending, cash management, investment services, private banking, and more.

This combination of large-bank resources and small-bank attitude has enabled the bank to significantly grow its market share in the Greater Springfield area across the board, and especially in the highly competitive commercial-lending realm, said Hickson, adding that a variety of factors are spurring activity among area business owners.

“For the first few years after the recession, even up to three or four years ago, no one was really borrowing money; instead, people were paying down their lines of credit and getting rid of debt,” he explained. “But in recent years, many of our customers are finally saying, ‘I do need to invest in that piece of equipment’ or ‘I do need to put an addition on my building.’ People have been saying, ‘maybe we are finally out of this.’”

To effectively capitalize on these sentiments and this movement, banks need to be large, but also versatile, flexible, and ‘local,’ meaning local decision making, not simply lenders with phone numbers starting with ‘413,’ said Hickson, adding that he believes Berkshire is all those things, and thus well-positioned for what might come.

For this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, BusinessWest talked at length with Hickson about what can be seen out those conference-room windows, and how AMEB is poised to be at the forefront of it all — in every sense of that word.

By All Accounts

As he talked with BusinessWest about the bank, its recent pattern of growth, its growing presence in Greater Springfield, and its large-bank-with-a-small-bank feel, Hickson referred early and often to one ongoing project that underscores seemingly all of the above.

Jim Hickson says Berkshire Bank’s involvement with the Springfield Innovation Center is an example of its commitment to the region.

That would be the construction of Springfield’s new Innovation Center on Bridge Street in two buildings acquired by DevelopSpringfield. The $2.7 million project represents a collaborative effort involving a number of partners, including the city, the state, DevelopSpringfield, Valley Venture Mentors, MassDevelopment, the Innovation Hub, and MassMutual. Funding is being provided by the state, through a MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant to MassDevelopment, MassMutual, the Beveridge Foundation, and the Berkshire Bank Foundation.

The bank itself is in the process of underwriting a construction loan to DevelopSpringfield for the renovation work and completion of the innovation center project, said Hickson, adding that final approval is expected within the next several days.

“It’s projects like this that exemplify that we’re here to serve everyone and have a vested interest in Springfield and this region,” he explained. “This a big project in the revitalization of Springfield, and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

Thus, as mentioned, that project checks many boxes when it comes to the bank’s operating philosophy and its goals for being a big part of the progress represented by the view out the back of the company’s offices on East Columbus Avenue.

Hickson arrived there — or back there, to be more precise — last October when he was named to his current post. Indeed, included in his nearly three decades of experience within the banking industry is a stint with Berkshire as senior vice president and asset-based lending relationship manager.

He’s also had tours of duty with People’s United, TD Bank, KPMG Consulting, and Fleet Capital. He is also chairman of the board for Common Capital.

With those accumulated business cards, he’s certainly had a front-row seat from which to witness an era of profound change in the local banking scene, with many new brands ariving, some old ones disappearing from the landscape, and a host of mergers and acquisitions.

Berkshire has been a part of that, he acknowledged, adding that the Pittsfield institution has greatly expanded its footprint in recent years. It now extends all the way from Syracuse, N.Y. in the western corner of the Empire State to Boston — a territory that includes three state capitals (Albany and Hartford are the others). And with the acquisition of New Jersey-based First Choice Bank, it now extends all the way to Philadelphia.

In the current banking climate, size brings a number of advantages — from larger lending limits to all-important economies of scale when it comes to operations in the face of rising technology costs and regulatory burdens — and Berkshire now possesses $9 billion in assets, 96 branches, more than $6.5 billion in loans, $6.6 billion in deposits, and $1.4 billion in wealth assets under management. Such growth has come organically, but also through those acquisitions, the latest of which involved First Choice, a $1.1 billion institution.

The Hampden Bank acquisition, completed in 2015, effectively doubled Berkshire’s presence in the Greater Springfield area, giving it 18 branches, while also doubling its commercial-lending portfolio within the region, said Hickson, adding that this strategic initiative is a good example of how the bank doesn’t simply grow for growth’s sake.

“That acquisition was a key development for the bank; Berkshire has always viewed the Pioneer Valley as a key strategic market,” he explained. “The bank’s not looking to grow to be the biggest in town; it’s looking for key strategic opportunities that fit our core values, and this acquisition was one of them.”

Points of Interest

Hickson said he doesn’t have to look out the conference-room window to know there is more activity in the commercial lending realm these days. He can see it in his office and with everything he sees as a member of the bank’s executive loan committee.

“The economy is better, and with a better economy comes more loan opportunities,” he said while summing up the landscape before getting into more specifics. “It may not be new entrants into the market, but maybe existing companies looking to grow either by diversifying into another product line or acquiring another company in the business sector they’re in.”

As one example, he cited the region’s large core of precision-manufacturing companies (one of Berkshire’s stronger specific niches), many of which are investing in new equipment, expanding facilities or building new ones, and diversifying product lines, largely as a result of greater confidence in the economy.

The next wave, he predicts, with both precision manufacturers and the local business community in general, will come in the form of mergers and acquisitions as smaller firms owned by retiring Baby Boomers face inevitable succession-planning issues.

“There are ways to finance those kinds of transactions,” he explained. “And we obviously want to keep as many of those firms local as we can.”

In the meantime, there is that increased optimism and subsequent lending activity that he mentioned earlier, adding that, to take advantage of it, banks need versatility and the ability to both develop specific niches and be generalists, said Hickson, adding, again, that Berkshire possesses such traits and skills, while some of the larger institutions don’t.

“As banks get bigger, they tend to lose sight of the local community they serve,” he explained, adding that Berkshire hasn’t done that, as evidenced by the Innovation Center and countless others in the portfolio.

This would include the large number of Small Business Assoc.-assisted loans the bank has participated in over the years.

“We’ve been very successful with SBA loans,” he explained, adding that this statement applies to this region, certainly, but also to the wide Berkshire footprint. Indeed, the institution has been top-rated in this realm by the SBA in several of the regions it serves, including the Pioneer Valley, Connecticut, and the Syracuse area.

“We’re very proud of that distinction — the SBA’s a great way to finance things, and we’re a big supporter of the agency,” he went on, adding that the SBA currently ranks the bank among the 100 most active in the country with such loans, with more than 110 transactions totaling more than $21.9 million.

However, those SBA loans are just a tiny fraction of the total portfolio, he went on, adding that, with the size generated by the acquisitions in recent years, Berkshire can make loans of all sizes and serve virtually every customer within the region’s business community, but with a small-bank approach.

Bottom Line

Rising from his chair, Hickson gestured out the conference-room windows and admired the view he and his staff regularly invite visitors to share.

“It’s such a beehive of activity; it’s exciting to take it all in every day and watch things progress,” he said. “It’s mesmerizing.”

He was talking about the MGM project, obviously, but he may as well have been referring to the region’s economy as a whole, although it is probably not worthy of such superlatives — yet.

But those cranes do translate into momentum and, hopefully, more progress and growth for area businesses. And Hickson believes AMEB is ready to be right in the middle of it all, just as it is in the South End.

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

Springfield Symphony Orchestra to Welcome Irish Tenors

Features

A Festival, Not a Concert

The Irish Tenors will be coming to Springfield for what’s being described as a festival, not merely a concert.

Peter Salerno says the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) doesn’t merely want to present music to the people of this region.

Instead, it wants to be what he called “responsive and responsible” to the community — while also presenting music — and, in the course of doing that, become even more woven into its fabric.

And this mindset, if you will, explains not only why the Irish Tenors will be appearing at Symphony Hall on March 4 at 7:30 p.m., but why that performance is merely part of something much bigger.

“We wanted to celebrate this region’s Irish heritage, not just this year, but for many years to come,” said Salerno, executive director of the SSO, adding that this desire falls into that category of being responsive.

As for the ‘responsible’ part, he said it explains why the performance of the Irish Tenors will be accompanied by everything from an Irish dinner before the event to efforts to mark (and educate people about) the Irish Rebellion — also known as the Easter Rising or the Easter Rebellion because it took place that week — in 1916.

“We wanted this to be a festival, as opposed to just a concert,” he explained, adding quickly that the ‘just a concert’ line was a figure of speech, and that performance will be momentous in its own right. Indeed, it will feature the world-famous group that has been performing around the world for nearly 20 years now, and 51 musicians from the SSO.

But it will be a true festival and celebration, he went on, adding that such efforts are part of an ongoing SSO strategic initiative to broaden its visibility and overall impact within the community and engage larger and more diverse audiences.

This strategy was certainly in evidence in early December, as the SSO presented not a holiday concert, but a holiday ‘extravaganza,’ which included the Children’s Chorus of Springfield, what is now an annual holiday silent auction, Santa Claus, and much more.

And it will be evidence at a number of other performances as well, including the season’s finale, “Video Game Live,” on May 13. Salerno described this as an immersive concert that features the musical scores from the greatest video games of all time, plus large-screen video footage, synchronized lighting, solo performers, and a host of pre- and post-concert attractions such as video-game demonstrations and competitions.

As for the Irish Tenors, Salerno called their agent last year and discovered that there was what could only be called a window of opportunity. This was an open date that would bring the group to the Springfield area for the first time in years — and thus give the region a performance that would complement, but not in any way compete with, the many St. Patrick’s Day activities taking place in Holyoke later in the month.

The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on March 4, but festivities will begin much earlier, said Salerno, noting that there will be a traditional Irish dinner at the Marriott Hotel at 4:30. At 6:30, at Symphony Hall, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal will make a presentation on the 101st anniversary of the Easter Rising.

Other elements of the festival, as he called it, are coming together, said Salerno, adding that he expects this will be a special day and night for Springfield and the entire region — one of many in the months and years to come as the SSO continues to find ways to be both responsive and responsible.

—George O’Brien

Pittsfield Moves On and Up from Its Industrial Past

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

By Kathleen Mitchell

Mayor Linda Tyer says Pittsfield has made great strides in re-inventing itself and moving beyond its industrial past, dominated by General Electric.

Mayor Linda Tyer is a strong believer in the power of collaboration.

Several weeks ago, she gave the first State of the City address in Pittsfield’s history and outlined a myriad of multi-faceted projects that have come to fruition in the last year as a result of collaborative efforts.

Tyer told BusinessWest that investments designed to revitalize the city have taken root and change is occurring on a daily basis, which is good, because it’s needed as the city continues the process of reinventing itself.

“Pittsfield has a long history as an industrial town primarily because of GE’s large manufacturing facility,” she explained, referring to the massive complex that once employed more than 13,000 people. “The city relied on it for decades as its economic driver for real-estate taxes, employment, and community engagement.”

GE closed in the ’80s, which was a devastating blow and led to what Tyer refers to as a “grieving period that created self-doubt for the people who live here.”

Although a period of disinvestment followed, change began in 2000 when city officials decided to redefine Pittsfield’s identity.

Tyer was on the City Council at that time and recalled the city realized a robust cultural economy existed in the towns around them, but Pittsfield, which is the geographic and commercial hub of the area, was not participating in it.

Investments began downtown, and thanks to a collaborative effort by partners that included city officials, the community, state and federal legislators, and investors, today Pittsfield’s downtown boasts a thriving district that includes the Barrington and Colonial theaters, an independently owned movie theater, popular restaurants, and market-rate housing that followed as thousands of visitors flocked to the area.

“People want to live in our downtown, which is proof that the investments paid off,” Tyer said.

City officials have also helped local businesses, and the mayor said the belief that there are no jobs in Pittsfield is a myth. Indeed, numbers are rising: last January, the unemployment rate was 6.6%, which dropped to 3.3% by November.

“We strengthened workforce relationships last year and developed innovative training programs,” Tyer said, explaining that the workforce system generated $1.8 million that was used to train 1,250 people in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, STEM careers, finance, and customer service, and 70% of them found employment.

The city has also worked to retain local companies. Last July, after Covanta announced that it planned to close its Pittsfield facility, the City Council granted the waste-burning plant $562,000 to help with capital repairs and keep it open. The move saved 25 jobs and prevented a huge increase in trash-disposal costs, as a shutdown would have forced Pittsfield to have its trash and recyclables hauled away at an estimated annual cost of $462,000, in addition to losing $960,000 in property taxes, water and sewer user fees, and host-community fees over a four-year period.

Fiscal challenges lie ahead. But many steps will be taken to stabilize the issue, including cost containment, debt management, new revenue, and strategic investments that will prepare Pittsfield to not only survive, but thrive well into the future.”

The Hubbard Avenue facility incinerates 85,000 tons of waste per year and turns it into steam energy, which is then sold to Crane & Co. and Neenah Technical Materials. Republic Services hauls the city’s curbside collection to the site, including recyclables that are stored and later shipped in bulk to the Springfield Massachusetts Materials Recycling Facility.

The financial package Covanta received included state energy-tax credits, extended its contract with the city until 2020, and allowed the company to continue to sell steam energy to Crane and Neenah.

“But Covanta wasn’t the only company on our radar,” Tyer said, adding that five additional businesses were provided with assistance from a variety of incentive programs.

For this, the latest installment in its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest looks at revitalization efforts in Pittsfield and what is being done to make it a place where Millennials want to live, which is one of the mayor’s goals. She noted they typically choose that place first, then look for a job, which is markedly different than past generations who moved to areas where they found employment.

“Millennials have a very different way of planning their lives,” said Tyer. “But we plan to capitalize on our growing art, culture, and entertainment economy; maximize our spectacular natural environment by updating our recreation and open space; invest in our housing stock; safeguard our educational institutions; and support small and mid-sized businesses and their aspirations for growth in new markets for the people who live here now as well as future generations that will call Pittsfield home.”

Neighborhood Focus

Over the past year, the Tyler Street business corridor has been the focus of combined energy, effort, and investment. The area is adjacent to North Street, Pittsfield’s downtown thoroughfare, and is bookended by Berkshire Health Systems, the city’s largest employer, and the William Stanley Business Park.

In December 2014, Pittsfield’s Community Development Department, the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority, and the Tyler Street Business Group applied to have the neighborhood become a state-designated Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) district.

The application was accepted, and the agencies have formed a core partnership in this program, administered by MassDevelopment, that leverages public dollars to stimulate private investment in selected neighborhoods in gateway cities.

“We are very privileged to have MassDevelopment as a partner,” the mayor said. “This will allow Pittsfield to receive enhanced technical assistance, real-estate services, and equity investments to support our vision for redevelopment. We’re learning what the citizens want, as well as working to understand the needs of small businesses there, and will develop a plan to help Tyler Street become a unique, thriving, working, residential neighborhood where typical day-to-day needs can be met within walking distance.”

Amewusika “Sika” Sedzro is the TDI fellow for Pittsfield, and she noted that MassDevelopment hired a consulting firm to conduct an assessment of the area and come up with recommendations for an action plan.

Two meetings were held to get public input, and a forum was staged for developers to find out what is needed to spur interest in structures that have been vacant for long periods of time.

The final report was due when BusinessWest went to press, but Sedzro said it quickly became clear that developers want easy access to data about available parcels, information about incentive programs, and a streamlined process to help bring submitted plans to fruition.

“There is a lot of property of this size available in the Tyler Street District, and we’re working with businesses and developers to understand the barriers to entry given current market conditions,” Sedzro noted, adding that she is available to talk about properties and incentives available from the city and MassDevelopment that include low-interest loans, access to capital, and technical assistance.

The Tyler Street neighborhood has a growing Latino and Asian population, and a number of new businesses have been opened by entrepreneurial immigrants.

“It’s a really positive indicator, especially since Berkshire Health, Sabic Innovative Plastics, and the William Stanley Business Park are in close proximity to the neighborhood,” Sedzro said, explaining that Pittsfield TDI plans to coordinate measures that could lead to an even more diverse economy.

The city is also working to expand the Housing Development Incentive Program into the Tyler Street District, which could benefit a developer who hopes to purchase the St. Mary’s Church campus and convert three of its buildings into market-rate housing. The campus has been vacant for more than two decades and contains the church, a school, a convent, and a rectory.

The developer is in negotiations with the Diocese of Springfield, and the city and state are working to provide incentives to move forward.

The Tyler Street TDI is part of the Morningside neighborhood, and last June that area received a $75,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation.

“It’s a grass-roots effort that includes efforts aimed at the arts, pride of place, and increasing food options and availability,” Sedzro said.

The money will be used to create a soup kitchen in the Berkshire Dream Center, an urban working farm in Springside Park, and an augmentation of community gardens that would allow their produce to be used by local businesses.

Continued Improvements

The cultural and entertainment district in Pittsfield’s downtown continues to grow as infrastructure improvements add to its attractiveness.

A four-phase streetscape project was recently completed, and North Street has a new look that includes street resurfacing, sidewalk improvements, decorative street lighting, increased seating, medians with plantings, and high-visibility crosswalks compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

New, solar-powered parking kiosks were installed last month as part of the city’s parking-management plan, and are equipped with a parking app that provides a simplified way to manage parking needs.

“Pittsfield’s parking is still friendly; the first 30 minutes are free, and so are nights and weekends,” Tyer said, noting that parking is also free for people with handicap placards.

A grass-roots movement led voters to approve the adoption of the Community Preservation Act in November, which will provide funds that can be used for public and private projects including historic preservation, recreation, open space, and housing.

“The next step is to establish a community-preservation committee that will develop a plan and identify priorities so projects can be funded early in 2018,” Tyer said.

She outlined other collaborations in her State of the City Address that include the revitalization of Willard and Rosemary Durant Park in the Westside.

Neighborhood volunteers installed a new playground and swingset paid for by Community Development Block Grant funds, and Greylock Credit Union has made a commitment to build a permanent pavilion there.

Other collective efforts aimed at youth include a free Sticks for Kids golf program and Dig This Volleyball initiative that have helped children learn new skills. In addition, donations from local businesses have led to innovative art and education programs, and grant money will pay for a strategic plan to provide high-quality education to more preschool children.

The city is also getting help with municipal finances due to a community compact that was formed with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito’s office and gives officials access to financial expertise from UMass Collins Center.

Tyer said they hope to meet two goals as a result of the collaboration. The first is to create a comprehensive, five-year financial forecast that will serve as a guide in establishing budget priorities and matching them against projected revenues and funding obligations such as pensions, health insurance, and debt service.

The second is the development of a comprehensive budget document that will allow the City Council and residents to understand the mission of different city departments and the spending plan for the upcoming year.

“Fiscal challenges lie ahead. But many steps will be taken to stabilize the issue, including cost containment, debt management, new revenue, and strategic investments that will prepare Pittsfield to not only survive, but thrive well into the future,” Tyer said.

She added that the city is also addressing blight. Last summer, four vacant residential properties were demolished, and six additional properties were scheduled for demolition last month.

Bright Future

All of the economic-development efforts planned or underway have involved a collaborative effort between stakeholders that include community organizations, businesses, residents, and city, state, and federal officials.

“My administration respects and values cross-collaborations internally and seeks partnerships outside of city government that will help Pittsfield to thrive; we have turned the corner in terms of designing our future, and the city is on its way to becoming the vibrant, dynamic place it deserves to be,” the mayor said, noting that many well-attended events were held last year, including the municipal airport’s first air show, the 10th Third Thursday street festival, and the fifth Upstreet Arts Festival, which attracted more than 10,000 people.

Indeed, this former industrial city is on an upward trajectory. Its future is brighter than it has been for decades, and the positive forecast should continue as Pittsfield redefines its image and alerts developers and businesses to opportunities in its diverse neighborhoods.

Pittsfield at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1761
Population: 44,737 (2016)
Area: 42.5 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $39.78
Commercial Tax Rate: $19.63
Median Household Income: $50,765 (2015)
median family Income: $65,297 (2015)
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Berkshire Health Systems; General Dynamics; Petricca Industries Inc.; SABIC Innovative Plastics
* Latest information available

Investor Tax Credit Needs New Wings

Opinion

By Scott Foster

Last August, Gov. Charlie Baker signed the 2016 version of the annual economic-development bill for Massachusetts. Significant to the startup community thriving in the Boston/Cambridge area and growing steadily throughout the Commonwealth was the inclusion of a new angel investment tax credit.

This tax credit looked to be a boon to startups seeking capital in 2017 and beyond, allowing investors to take an immediate tax credit (not a deduction, but an actual credit) of up to 30% of an investment made in a Massachusetts startup.

Lawyers, accountants, and angel investor groups in the startup community happily touted the new tax credit and praised all involved in its creation. In everyone’s excitement, no one seemed to realize that a mistake had been made. In the definition of the term “taxpayer investor,” which governs who is eligible for the tax credit, one three-letter word was moved at some point in the legislative process, completely altering the meaning of the term.

As most of us in the startup community know, angel investors are independently wealthy individuals, most of whom have full-time engagements elsewhere. A typical angel investor could be a doctor, college professor, or entrepreneur who had a successful exit. These angel investors are not expecting to be employed by the startup receiving their investment. In fact, I can only think of a handful of instances where an angel investor was brought on as an employee of a startup, and none of them were working for the startup full-time. Angel investors are contrasted with founders in this way: while both may make an initial investment in the startup, founders will be working full-time (sometime double time) for the startup.

Back to the definition — in an earlier draft of the legislation, a taxpayer investor is defined as one who is an accredited investor “and who is not the principal owner of the qualifying business who is involved as a full-time professional activity.” Thus, in startup terms, a taxpayer investor is not a founder, but is a typical angel investor. This makes sense for a bunch of sound policy reasons, and is entirely consistent with the goal of the legislation — to encourage more angel investment in already launched startups.

However, in the final legislation, the word ‘and’ was mysteriously moved. Now a taxpayer investor is defined as one who is an accredited investor “who is not the principal owner of the qualifying business and who is involved in the qualifying business as a full-time professional activity.” This definition creates an interesting, and I hope unintentional, paradox — only those individuals with enough money to make an angel investment AND with enough time to work full-time for the startup BUT without enough ownership to be considered a ‘principal owner’ qualify for the tax credit.

Out of the countless angel investors that I have worked with, precisely none would meet this definition. I suspect the same is true of any professional in the startup community.

Let’s hope our legislators quickly realize the impact of this error and make the necessary correction to an otherwise excellent addition to the Commonwealth’s sustained support of the startup community. Until then, don’t get too excited about the angel investment tax credit.

Scott Foster is a business and entrepreneurial attorney with Bulkley Richardson in Springfield.

The T-Birds Are Making Some Noise

Opinion

Editorial

As he talked about the American Hockey League’s franchise in Utica, N.Y., Nate Costa said plans to place a new team there after one failed years earlier were greeted with great skepticism and even laughter.

He probably knows there was a somewhat similar reaction here when it was announced almost nine months ago that a group of businesspeople had purchased the AHL’s Portland, Maine team with the intention of moving it to the City of Homes. That’s because, just a few months earlier, the owner of the Springfield Falcons moved the team to Arizona, claiming he wasn’t getting the support he needed and couldn’t envision a scenario where he would.

No one is laughing in Utica these days, because the city’s team, the Comets, are selling out every night, and their games have become must-see events. And while it’s still quite early, no one is laughing in Springfield, either, thanks largely to Costa, the executive vice president of the franchise named the Thunderbirds, and the energetic team he has put together (see story).

Instead, most people are marveling — at the attendance (4,600 or so per game), the energy, and the manner in which the team is quickly weaving itself into the fabric of the community.

Costa is, among other things, quite realistic and level-headed. He is not getting carried away by this early success and is instead reminding his team in the back office that there is still a long way to go to make this story match that of Utica’s.

But the pace of progress is impressive, and it’s been achieved despite the fact that the team’s performance on the ice has been, well, far less so — sixth place in the AHL’s seven-team Atlantic Division.

But from the start, Costa said the plan was not to bring hockey to Springfield, but rather entertainment and an experience, and he and his team have done exactly that. And they’ve done it by essentially moving on from the past, meaning Springfield’s 80-year history of hockey — while still paying homage to it.

Perhaps the most notable example is the retirement of the long-time rally song “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and the introduction of a new one, “Out of Our Heads” by the Dropkick Murphys — a move made with younger audiences in mind — but there are many others.

Indeed, changes have been made in everything from how the team is marketed, with a much greater focus on social media, to the game-night experience (live music on Friday nights, for example, as well as concessions priced at $1), to the special promotions.

Indeed, Ric Flair, the flamboyant former wrestling champion (and smash hit at one of BusinessWest’s recent 40 Under Forty galas, by the way) will make an appearance at the Feb. 10 game.

Change was necessary, obviously, and it has come in waves, enabling the T-Birds to take flight, if you will.

As we noted earlier, this franchise still has a ways to go before it can be described with the word ‘established.’ The new management team has shown it can get people out to take in their team. It still has to show that it can do that consistently, over a full season and over multiple seasons, and build the necessary rock-solid foundation of reliable fan support.

We predict that it will happen, because the management team is doing all the right things. The focus is on the experience, providing value, and making the team part of the community.

Word is that you can’t get a ticket to a Utica Comets game these days. We’re not there yet in Springfield — a good thing, because many people still haven’t taken in this team or the experience, and they need to — but one can easily envision the day when we might.

Thunderbirds Celebrate the Past, Focus on Present and Future

Features

Looking Forward, Not Back

Nate Costa says the first part of the T-Birds season was about paying tribute to the past; since Jan. 1, though, the team has been working even more diligently to forge its own identity.

Nate Costa was talking about how the eight months since the launch of Springfield’s new American Hockey League franchise, the Thunderbirds, has been both long and quick at the same time.

To get his point across, he pointed to his office in the team’s complex at the MassMutual Center and just how unlived in (or not ready for this writer’s camera) it is.

Indeed, while the credenza over his desk seems somewhat organized, complete with a good-sized bobblehead collection, a photo from his college commencement, and other mementos, the rest of it would certainly not fit that description. A dorm fridge sits on the floor unplugged, the energy-rating tag still attached to the door. Several photos, plaques, and other items, including a wooden clock commemorating the New York Giants’ victory in Super Bowl XXI (Costa’s a huge fan of that team), take up space on shelves or the floor, rather than the walls.

Meanwhile, there are several boxes of team replica jerseys stacked in one corner. They are destined, hopefully, for bars, restaurants, and clubs across the area in an effort to enlist their support — and wall space — in efforts to build momentum and a fan base (more on that later).

“This office … just hasn’t been a priority,” said Costa, the team’s executive vice president, uttering those words slowly for emphasis before going into great detail about what has been a priority. And this would be anything and everything that goes into building the Thunderbirds brand and making this AHL franchise part of the fabric of the community.

A long, quick eight months in, Costa believes he and his team have made significant progress on both scores, enough to imply strongly that he can already declare this inaugural season a success on many levels.

That list does not necessarily include the AHL’s Atlantic Division standings, where the T-Birds are firmly entrenched in sixth place, only a few points ahead of cellar-dwelling Hartford and nearly 30 points behind pace-setting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

But it would include average attendance (roughly 4,500, a marked increase over last year) and the demographic breakdown of those crowds (fans of all ages, but an encouraging number of young people), as well as a host of intangibles Costa noted, including ‘energy,’ ‘buzz,’ and ‘brand recognition.’ (A ‘swear jar’ placed at the T-Birds offices to store fines deposited by those who uttered the former franchise’s name, ‘Falcons,’ has been retired, because no one really does that anymore).

“The vision for this, right from the get-go, was creating a brand and creating an identity in Springfield that was centered not just on community involvement and hockey, but entertainment,” he explained. “That’s family-friendly entertainment that’s affordable and provides value. And I think we’ve accomplished much of that in terms of laying a foundation for something that’s consistent.”

Overall, Costa said his team, using its own imagination while also borrowing heavily from the success of other franchises, has succeeded in creating a game experience that is succeeding in drawing fans no matter what the team’s record happens to be. Perhaps the best example of this is Friday-night games, or the Friday 4-for-All, as the team calls them.

Live music featuring local bands precedes those tilts, which also feature free parking in the Civic Center Parking Garage (as all games do), $1 concessions (hot dogs, soda, and popcorn), and $4 Coors Light draughts.

The package has proven attractive enough to lure college students and families alike, said Costa, adding that the Friday-night games are becoming a fixture, if they haven’t crossed that threshold already.

“Friday nights … you can’t get a better value anywhere in town,” he said. “And it’s starting to spread in terms of awareness. Overall, there’s an atmosphere in the building that wasn’t there before.”

But there’s more, including so-called ‘winning weekdays’ — if the team wins one of those rare non-weekend games, attendees get a free ticket to the next one — as well as a host of on-ice game-day experiences created to attract young people and spur group-ticket sales, and an array of giveaways, special offers, and promotions.

And then, there’s Ric Flair, the former professional wrestler and consummate self-promoter, who will be the special attraction at the Feb. 10 (another Friday) tilt against Hartford.

“The Syracuse Crunch brought him in one night a few years ago, and it was a smash success — it was one of the biggest nights they’ve had in a long time,” said Costa, offering one of many examples of how the team is borrowing best practices. “We’re not sold out yet, but we’re on our way; he’s as topical as ever.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Costa about the progress achieved to date with building a fan base for the T-Birds and the challenges that remain.

Changing Their Tune

Costa grew up in Springfield — he’s a Cathedral High School alum — and has many vivid memories of watching Springfield Falcons games with his father and grandfather at the old Springfield Civic Center.

Generations of people have such memories involving Springfield teams also named the Indians and Kings, he noted, adding that professional hockey in Springfield dates back to the Roaring ’20s. This legacy was certainly on Costa’s mind as he worked with a team of owners to launch the Thunderbirds franchise last spring, and in many ways, the first part of the season was dedicated to the tradition and those who kept it alive, he told BusinessWest.

“I wanted to pay tribute to the history, because I’m a product of that,” he explained. “It wasn’t necessarily the sport, it was the experience — it was getting to spend time with my dad or my grandfather, and it was time that really stuck with me. So the beginning part of our season was really spent celebrating that history.”

Right down to “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” the rally-the-crowd song that has been played before, during, and after AHL games in Springfield for decades, which also greeted the T-Birds as they took the ice or scored a goal.

But starting with the Jan. 4 tilt against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (one of those weekday games the T-Birds won, thus sending attendees home really happy), there was a different sound being heard.

It was “Out of Our Heads” by the Dropkick Murphys, featuring the lyrics:

“Are we gonna make it
Or is this how we’ll go?
Are we gonna take it sitting down?
Hell no!
We’re going to cause a riot
We’re going to rip it up
We’re going to storm the gates
This place is going up.”

As he explained this choice and the retirement of “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” Costa said it was a well-thought-out decision that in many ways speaks to what his team (meaning the one in the backroom, not the one on the ice) is doing with this franchise across the board, or across the boards, as they say in this business.

“Our internal mindset was, once we get to Jan. 1, we’re going to flip that switch and embrace that new brand we’ve created in this market around the T-Birds,” he explained. “We switched to ‘Out of Our Heads’ because we were creating our own identity, and one that identifies with a young fan.

“We hear so much about people having memories with their parents and hearing ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll,’ he went on. “I want to create those same memories for a younger generation that may not identify with ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll,’ but does identify with something that’s more current. I’m trying to look forward, and not necessarily backward, and that’s what we’re trying to do continuously.”

That sentiment applies to basically every bullet-pointed item in the strategic plan, he continued, listing everything from marketing to the strategy for group sales to those on-ice promotions, to specific initiatives like Friday 4-for-Alls.

Starting with marketing, he said that, while the team still partakes in what would be considered traditional methods and platforms, its focus is on social media and the methods for reaching younger audiences.

“We’re doing a ton of marketing in a way that’s different from what we’ve seen in years past,” he told BusinessWest. “We’re putting a ton behind digital … being on Facebook and being intelligent about what we’re doing is exposing our product to a completely different fan; the majority of people who are on Facebook, who are on Instagram, who are on Twitter are young people.”

Nate Costa says the key to success for all the teams in the AHL, and especially the T-Birds, is to focus on providing entertainment, not just hockey.

The same philosophy being applied to marketing also prevails with other strategies for attracting and retaining fans, he went on, citing the Win on Weekdays promotion as just one example.

“We had two Wednesdays; we won the first one and had a really good redemption on the people coming back to the next one,” he explained. “We were able to grow our revenue, and it was a positive. Hopefully, what happens is we win a couple of those, you create a buzz, and you give people something to talk about. It’s a fun promotion.”

Changing On the Fly

As he talked about hockey, the AHL, the mindset of looking forward, not backward, and the involved process of turning league games into can’t-miss happenings, Costa focused most of his time and energy on what’s happening in Springfield.

But to put things into perspective — and also to show that everything he was talking about was certainly doable — he started by discussing what has happened in some other AHL cities, including Grand Rapids, Mich., San Antonio, Texas, where Costa cut his teeth in group sales, and especially Utica, N.Y.

That city of 65,000 people in Upstate New York’s Mohawk County, known perhaps more for the beer that’s been brewed there since 1888 than anything else, had an AHL franchise (the Devils, an affiliate of the NHL team with that same nickname) in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but lost it essentially due to lackluster support.

So when there was movement to locate the Vancouver Canucks’ affiliate there in 2013, the plan was greeted with a good deal of skepticism, said Costa, who was then working for the league in its Team Business Services Department.

“I was there when they bought the franchise,” he recalled. “And there were a lot of doubters, a lot of people who laughed a bit and said, ‘why would they put a team back in tiny Utica with its 3,800-seat arena?’”

But former AHL and NHL player Robert Esh had a different vision, he went on.

“He took a major-league attitude toward it,” Costa explained. “And he had a vision for what a franchise could do for a small city like that.”

To make a somewhat long story short, the Comets have sold out every game for the last two or three years, said Costa, and tickets have become a hot commodity.

“A Comets’ game is now the thing to do in Utica,” he said. “You can’t get a ticket, you can’t sniff a ticket now, and it’s because of the brand that he’s built. The game-night experience is unbelievable; it’s NHL-quality.”

In some ways, the T-Birds management team has borrowed from the Utica franchise when it comes to the game-night-experience side of the equation, said Costa, but also from the specific mindset of making one of the team’s games the thing to do — on Friday night, yes, but really any night they’re playing.

And the team has borrowed from other franchises as well, he said, especially with regard to the focus and drive put on group sales, which, as noted, is where Costa got his start in pro hockey with the San Antonio Rampage.

When Costa started there, the team was at or near the bottom of the league in attendance. It quickly rose in the ranks through group sales and season tickets.

“We started selling youth-hockey experiences and selling to schools — showing them experiences at the building that they couldn’t get by going to a Spurs game,” he explained. “We found our niche. You could spend $12 and sit in the same building where you would spend $200 to see the Spurs, and get a great experience.”

Net Results

In a nutshell, the assignment is the same in Springfield, said Costa, adding that, while there isn’t an NBA franchise also playing at the MassMutual Center, there are four pro sports teams just 90 minutes down the Turnpike, as well as a host of other attractions vying for the time and attention of families and young people.

Creating an experience for a fraction of the cost of one of those other options is one key to success for the T-Birds, he said, adding that the team is currently taking advantage of several opportunities it has created.

Actually, one was created by the MassMutual Center and its still fairly open schedule. Indeed, there are no other primary tenants competing for prime nights, as in most other AHL cities (San Antonio and Cleveland, where the NBA champion Cavaliers are the lead tenant, are prime examples), so the T-Birds have more Friday and Saturday dates to play with than other teams.

Another opportunity that came about is free parking, achieved through prolonged negotiations with the Springfield Parking Authority, And still another is the $1 price tag put on the hot dogs, soda, and popcorn, and $4 for a cup of Coors, said Costa, adding that they resulted from lengthy talks with Spectra Food Management, which handles concessions at the MassMutual Center, about price points that will yield dividends across the board.

“We’re jointly looking at this as a chance to provide, on one day a week, Friday, an opportunity to expose our product to more people and different fans,” he said of that specific deal, but also the combination of factors that have come together, adding that the strategy is obviously working.

“If you come here on a Friday night now, or a Sunday night when we have an extreme value like for our Sunday Fun Days, you see a ton of kids,” said Costa. “That’s not to say that there weren’t kids before — I came here, and there were absolutely kids. But there’s a different energy in the building, and it’s continued to grow.

tbirdsrick

“And it’s not just young kids,” he went on. “We’re seeing more 21- to 35-year-olds than ever before; we’re seeing a lot more college kids coming out on Friday nights, because there’s value, and we’ve put a premium on our game-night experience.”

So much so that Costa and his team are trying to somehow replicate Friday’s energy and atmosphere on Saturday.

But when it comes to exposing the product to new audiences, the real key is group sales, said Costa, adding that they not only help fill the parking garage and the arena, but they create experiences — from listening to local bands to being chosen to sing the National Anthem, to getting on the ice with the team — that will bring people back.

“That’s how we’re going to fill this building,” he said of group sales. “We have to get out and grab people and bring them in. With groups, a lot of them are young people, and when you expose them to the product and bring them in en masse, you make fans for life. Those are the ones who are going to go to mom and dad and say, ‘I had a great time; can we come again?’”

As for those jerseys in the boxes in Costa’s office, he ordered them with the hope, and expectation, that they would be framed and find their way onto the walls of area bars, restaurants, and clubs.

Those establishments would be sold a package (still to be formalized) whereby they would get the framed jersey and thus become part of the efforts to build visibility and buzz for the team.

“My real vision is to have this team become part of the fabric of the community,” he explained. “This bar program is part of that; we can develop a price point that’s easy for them to get to, and then they become partners with us, and we can become partners with them.

“If people go to these places, they see a piece of what we’re about, and they feel that connection to us,” he went on, adding that building these connections is essentially his job description.

A Winning Attitude

When asked when he might get around to hanging his Giants clock or even plugging in his refrigerator, Costa didn’t even bother answering.

His office hasn’t garnered more than a tiny bit of his time and attention over the past eight months, and that isn’t about to change.

Instead, he’s focused on that ongoing challenge of creating a large, stable, committed fanbase for the T-Birds, an assignment he’s embraced with vigor, imagination, and a mindset he’s seen work elsewhere and that he knows will work here.

That philosophy is to celebrate the past, but focus on today and tomorrow, and, as the Dropkick Murphys shout in “Out of Our Heads,” ‘storm the gates.’

In other words, Springfield’s hockey team has changed its tune — in all kinds of ways.

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

National Library Relocations Adds New Chapters to Its Success Story

Features

A Real Page Turner

Diane Pikul, Northeast regional sales manager for National Library Relocations.

You might say this is a business that does things by the book. But that tells only part of the story. It also stores, moves, cleans, and inventories everything from maps to photographs; from pieces of art to railroad equipment. And if you called National Library Relocations a ‘volume business,’ that wouldn’t exactly be accurate, either. Here, they measure collections in linear inches and feet — lots of them. In fact, just last summer, the company, with a huge warehouse in Palmer, moved more than 20 miles of books.

As she walked among the seemingly endless rows of books, journals, and boxes of photographs, Diane Pikul stopped to admire what is easily one of the more intriguing items now in her care.

And one that, like those books on the shelves, tells a story. Well, sort of.

The old train lantern is from the collection owned by the National Railway Historical Society. Pikul, Northeast regional sales manager for National Library Relocations (NLR), looked for some clue as to how old this artifact was, and couldn’t find one. She did learn, however, that the lantern was put to use in Chicago.

It is stored next to a large wooden rack that once held dozens of train schedules, an indication of just how dominant that mode of transportation was a century ago and even 60 years ago. And it’s just one small part of a collection measured not in pieces, or volumes, as one might expect, but in linear feet, as will be explained later.

The story it helps tell? Well, it’s more the NLR story than anything else.

Indeed, the railway historical society’s library was kept in the Robert Morris Building in Philadelphia’s Center City, a handsome Gothic Revival structure built in 1914 by hotelier Rutherford Jennings that later served as a college dormitory and academic building and then as an office tower until 2007. That’s when it was acquired by 806 Capital with designs to remake it into a hotel, plans that were scuttled by the recession and later revamped to feature upscale apartments.

We’re unique because we can offer customers a unique blend of experience from the fields of architecture, library science, and transportation.”

To make a long story short, the NRHS needed a new home for its library collection — and it still needs one, although Pikul says it’s closing in on a site. The extended search for new quarters, which has featured a number of twists and turns, explains why this collection, which was supposed to be in NLR’s care for maybe a year or two, has now been at the company’s location in the old Tambrands complex in Palmer for close to a decade.

“It’s a really fascinating collection and a great client — they’re a joy to work with,” said Pikul, who deploys such language to talk about most every client — and means it when she says it.

Indeed, the client list includes some of the most famous and revered institutions in the world, from Harvard University to the Smithsonian to the Clark Art Institute. And what NRL provides to those clients is solutions to problems, or issues.

They range from renovations to fallout from natural disasters; forced relocations (like the NRHS’s) to simple space limitations, which many facilities are now facing.

That constituency includes Wellesley College, which currently stores thousands of books and journals at NLR. Collectively, these items fall into the category of “lesser-used,” said Pikul, which doesn’t mean not used. Indeed, requests from students and teachers at the renowned women’s college for items in the stacks at NLR come in almost daily — with the volume increasing during finals week, she noted, adding that they are overnighted and in the hands of those who requested them within 24 hours.

It also includes Bay Path College, Springfield Technical Community College, and a host of other clients, she said, adding that long-term (or what could also be considered permanent) storage is just one line on the company’s list of services.

Others include far more temporary storage for libraries dealing with some of those aforementioned issues, especially renovations and expansions, and also cleaning of collections, inventorying items, and, as the name of the business suggests, moving them as well.

“We’re unique because we can offer customers a unique blend of experience from the fields of architecture, library science, and transportation,” said Pikul, a former librarian at STCC, as she explained what sets the company apart.

And despite those rumors that the Internet will soon make books and libraries somewhat obsolete, Pikul is firmly of the belief that this is a growth industry. Indeed, as more books are published and institutions grapple with space limitations, storing lesser-used books, as Wellesley and other schools do, is far less costly than building an addition or a new library, she explained.

For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at a rapidly growing company in a truly unique industry, a business that continues to add new chapters to a compelling success story.

Reading Between the Lines

Pikul has a large, well-appointed office within NLR’s 28,000-square-foot home in what is now known as the Palmer Technology Center, home to dozens of small businesses. But you won’t find her there much these days.

Instead, she’s on assignment, if you will, handling aspects of a massive initiative involving several of the Five Colleges in the Amherst-Northampton area to relocate parts of their vast library collections in a huge annex now being constructed on a 12-acre parcel in Hatfield.

Due to open in the spring, the facility will have the capacity to shelve 2.1 million to 2.5 million volumes, which is sorely needed because the space now being used by the colleges — the famous Cold War-era bunker built into the side of Bare Mountain in the Holyoke Range in 1957 — has now reached capacity.

The current schedule calls for starting to move things in May, said Pikul, adding that much of her time over the past several months has been spent on this project — “I go into the office on weekends to do payroll; people like to get paid,” she joked — in preparation for the move. NLR has been hired to clean items and get them ready for travel, storage, and, if needed, retrieval.

And in many ways, the annex project, although much larger in size and scope than most initiatives, is exemplary of what the company does and how it does it.

Diane Pikul shows off the train lantern, part of the collection amassed by the National Railway Historical Society, that is one of the more intriguing items now in her care.

NLR goes — meaning Pikul usually goes — where its clients need it to go, be it to area libraries or to the University of the Pacific’s main campus in Stockton, Calif. (she and other team members will be going there next month to measure a collection in advance of a renovation project), or to Harvard’s campus in Cambridge, where NLR handled a number of projects over the years, including the relocation of one of the its collections to China.

“That was a fun project … that library was shipped to the Ocean University in Qingdao,” she said, searching her memory bank for details on a project undertaken a dozen years ago. “We packed the books into boxes and then used conveyor belts to put the boxes into sea containers; it took a few months for the books to get there, and they used a manual I wrote to put the collection back on shelves; everything is packed left to right and top to bottom.”

Such projects help explain why Pikul, who has been with NLR for nearly two decades now, talks repeatedly about just how much she enjoys what she does.

“I love my job — I think I have the best job in the world. We have terrific clients, and helping them with their collections is very rewarding work,” she said, adding that her role blends elements of library science, architecture, mathematics (adding up all those linear feet), and even antiquities. The company moved a Gutenberg Bible on one of its assignments, for example, and more valuable items stored at the Palmer site, including some pictures of trains owned by the NRHS, are kept in what’s known as the ‘inner-sanctum room,’ which features additional security and climate control.

Our story begins nearly 50 years ago with NLR President Scott Miller. He was working for a company that was part of the Allied Van Lines family in the mid-’60s when his unit was assigned the task of moving a library. Eventually, the company — and Miller — became good at this kind of work. After struggling to find employment after graduating from college with a degree in architecture, Miller returned to Allied (and moving libraries) before starting his own venture in 1985.

Then, as now, libraries comprised the main focus, said Pikul, adding that, from the beginning, there has always been a steady supply of work, because there are tens of thousands of school, college, and municipal libraries, as well as museums and archives, and eventually, most all of them will require some of the services offered by the company.

This is made clear by a look at NLR’s portfolio of projects. It’s broken down by year, and each one has dozens of bullet-pointed undertakings.

In 2011, for example, the company did work with almost every college in the Ivy League, including Harvard (a frequent customer, as noted), Columbia, Princeton, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania. But the ledger also lists work with dozens of other colleges, several school libraries, nearly two dozen public libraries, a medical library, and several ‘special libraries,’ including those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and Travis Air Force Base in California.

The consistency and high volume of work is also reflected in Pikul’s comments about next summer — and the one after that, as well — because that is traditionally the busiest time of year as colleges and public schools try to get work done when students are on break.

“This coming summer is completely booked,” she said slowly and without acknowledging there was a decent pun within that explanation. “This past week, I’ve been telling people, ‘we’ve been booked for eight months now; I can’t even give you a quote.’ They call and say, ‘we’d like to move in May,’ and I say, ‘this May, really?’

“When things are really good, we’re booked a year in advance,” she went on. “I have several projects booked for 2018 already.”

Good Story Lines

As she talked about the various forms of work undertaken by NLR, Pikul said that, as one might expect, part of it is simple physical labor — loading books onto trucks (or shipping containers, as in that case involving Harvard mentioned earlier) and transporting them to and from the warehouse in Palmer, or to other locations, including China.

But the vast majority of this work would be described as both delicate and intricate, undertaken by people — a good deal of them retired librarians or educators — who have an understanding of books and library science itself.

Indeed, Pikul and those she works with (mostly on a project basis, although she is hopeful to add more permanent employees in the future) have a thorough understanding of not simply the Dewey Decimal System, but the many other library classification methods.

These include the Library of Congress System, the Cutter System, the Pettee, or Union Classification System, and many others, she said, adding that this cumulative knowledge enables the company to play an invaluable consultative role for clients and potential clients.

Elaborating, she said NLR representatives can provide advice on everything from how much space to leave for a collection or parts of it (not only for today but years and decades down the road) to how to design a library or expansion, to the best course of action when mold attacks a book or a collection — which it often does.

And Pikul, as you might expect by now, is well-versed on that subject as well.

“My staff is trained to recognize mold issues,” she said. “Sometimes, you get dead mold, which you can just wipe right off. But sometimes it can be colorful — black or psychedelic (I’ve seen some interesting things out there), and that’s when our staff knows enough to stop, recognize that there’s something wrong, and bring the item to me.

“If it’s a small thing, we can treat it with isopropyl alcohol, isolate the item, see how it dries, and then decide whether it can go back in the collection,” she went on. “If it’s really, really bad, those spores can spread and get into carpeting and curtains and upholstery.”

Meanwhile, simple cleaning of books is not exactly simple, she said, adding that great care is taken to preserve the materials, meaning no chemicals are used in these processes.

the company moved more than 20 miles of books last summer alone

At NLR, they measure volume of business not by volumes, but by linear feet of materials; the company moved more than 20 miles of books last summer alone.

Actually, there are several options for clients when it comes to cleaning, depending on how serious they want to get with such an undertaking.

“If they’re going from one building to another, and it’s a newer collection, we can do a reverse vacuum where we just blow the dust off the tops of the books,” she explained. “We can do a light cleaning where we’re doing the spines and the tops of the books just to get the surface dust off, and then there’s a really detailed cleaning we’ve done for some clients, especially special collections, where we clean all six sides of the book and wipe the shelf down using cloth treated with mineral oil so it’s anti-static and you’re not getting dust glomming back onto the shelf.”

The vacuums are triple-filtered, like those used in hospitals, and the brushes used are made of natural horse hair so as not to scratch the items, she went on, adding that attention to details like this has enabled NLR to become one of the top companies nationally in what is now a highly competitive field.

Looking forward, Pikul said the company is looking to grow, has the capacity to do it — there is considerably more space at the Palmer Technology Park for the company to rent if it so desires, and it has already expanded several times — and the need will certainly be there.

As evidenced by the massive project in Hatfield involving the Five Colleges, schools, public libraries, and other kinds of institutions will continue to add to their collections, and many will need help storing, cleaning, and moving items, or perhaps all of the above.

Part of the growth equation is education, said Pikul, adding that libraries need to understand that those assignments listed above are not — or should not be — do-it-yourself projects.

Thus, the best marketing strategy the company has is word-of-mouth referrals, and there have been hundreds of those over the years, she told BusinessWest.

“We rely on testimonials — they’re very important in this business because of the work that’s involved and the trust that clients are putting in us,” she explained, adding that the phone is ringing even more often these days thanks to the company finally earning placement on the state bid list for such projects involving the moving of libraries.

Tome-honored Practices

As for those references to linear feet, Pikul actually summoned a different unit of measure to convey how busy this company has been.

Indeed, just last summer — remember, that’s the busy season — it moved some 20 miles of books.

How many volumes is that? Pikul doesn’t know, and doesn’t really care, because that number is not particularly relevant; 500 children’s books would certainly take up far less space than 500 books from a law library.

This is just one of the many intriguing nuances in a business where things are done by the book — and the journal, map, microfilm box, and, yes, train lantern.

That’s what makes it so fascinating, and enjoyable, to Pikul, and why it’s a business story that has become a real page turner.

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

Building Permits

Building Permits Departments

The following business permits were issued during the month of January 2017.

AGAWAM

JEM Real Estate Holdings, LLC
12 Springfield St.
(No Amount) — Alter interior space to accommodate laundry equipment

Sarat Ford Lincoln
245 Springfield St.
$35,000 — Replace bathroom fixtures and provide new floor and wall finishes

SSMZ, LLC
183-185 Pleasant St.
$8,000 — Insulation

CHICOPEE

Eric A. Szlachetka, et al, trustees
10 Center St.
$1,800 — Replace two aluminum doors

EAST LONGMEADOW

Rocky’s Ace Hardware
30 North Main St.
$86,250 — Solar

US Fluids
200 Benton Dr.
$109,701 — Solar

GREENFIELD

CLJL Realty Inc.
8 Greenfield St.
$112,637 — Install photovoltaic solar modules on carport

Greenfield Corporate Center LLC
101 Munson St.
$400,000 — Remodel existing offices for new tenant, Life Path

Meadows Café & Golf Center Inc.
398 Deerfield St.
$2,000 — Sheetrock basement ceilings and walls for storage area

TD Bank
342 Main St.
$183,641 — Renovate for new teller line, floors, glass walls
HADLEY

Amir Mikhchi
210 Russell St.
$5,000 — Add non-bearing wall to create hallway and waiting area

Thayercare Inc.
49 Middle St.
$5,000 — Install exhaust hoods
LUDLOW

Crown Castle Towers
34 Carmelinas Circle
(No Amount) — Cell tower alterations

Mateus Restaurant & Pub
14 Worcester St.
$5,000 — Two illuminated signs, one non-illuminated sign

Touched by an Angel
343 Winsor St.
$1,500 — Illuminated sign

NORTHAMPTON

Big Y
138 North King St.
$125,000 — Interior renovation of supermarket

Nis Building LLC
109 Main St.
$262,000 — Convert existing space into offices

School for Contemporary Dance
25 Main St.
$2,500 — Subdivide single room into two

Smith College
67 West St.
$66,816 — Install roof-mounted solar array

Trident Realty Corp.
5 Strong Ave.
$22,439 — Replace 11 windows

PALMER

Town of Palmer
4417 Main St.
$705,000 — Renovate Town Hall in phases, to include new windows, drywall, flooring

SOUTH HADLEY

Map Realty Inc.
603 Newton St.
$5,500 — Rebuild two vacuum-cleaning islands

Moynihan Realty
548 New Ludlow Road
$12,000 — Install six illuminated signs

Town of South Hadley
85 Main St.
$5,680 — Install replacement windows at South Hadley Electric Light Department

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St.
$150,000 — Interior demolition and slab infills for fit-out at later date on third-floor children’s procedures suite and infusion center

BD Mart
20 East St.
$1,000 — Roofing

CMC Development Associated Ltd.
222 Carew St.
$100,000 — Renovation of third-floor suite

Dollar Tree
1060 Wilbraham Road
$111,810 — Tenant fit-up and expansion into existing adjacent space

WARE

American Tower Corp.
198 East St.
$15,000 — Install three antennas at existing cell tower for T-Mobile

Mark Chevrett
260 Osborne Road
$43,000 — Ground-mounted solar project

WEST SPRINGFIELD

New England Exposition
1305 Memorial Ave.
$10,000 — Add three antennas to existing wireless telecom facility

Stop & Shop
935 Riverdale St.
$3,500 — Replace ceiling tiles

Alan Crosby
48 Capital Dr.
$97,875 — Replace roof

Chipotle
241 Memorial Ave.
$37,500 — HVAC, ductwork, insulation, kitchen hood

WILBRAHAM

2301 Boston Road LLC
85 Cherry Dr.
$15,000 —Finish a portion of the basement

Real Estate Transactions

Departments Real Estate

Western Massachusetts Real Estate Transactions February 6, 2017

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

394 Norton Hill Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Matthew S. Thompson
Seller: Cynthia L. Clark
Date: 12/27/16

BUCKLAND

50 Bray Road
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Matthew J. Harris
Seller: James C. Small
Date: 12/30/16

COLRAIN

68 Jacksonville Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Giard
Seller: Dennis King IRT
Date: 12/30/16

GREENFIELD

86 Bungalow Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Cheryl A. Powers
Seller: Faustina M. Butynski
Date: 12/30/16

268 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Roy O. Baltzer
Seller: Troy R. Lucier
Date: 12/30/16

44 Freeman Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Ingrid A. Arvidson
Seller: Patricia Thayer
Date: 12/30/16

48 Harrison Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Lindsey M. Ennis
Seller: Gregory FT
Date: 12/30/16

589 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Ion Badea
Seller: Scott A. Briere
Date: 12/30/16

33 Norwood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $115,200
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Sheraz U. Hasan
Date: 12/30/16

139 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $187,500
Buyer: Susan Antico
Seller: Linda L. Iafolla
Date: 01/03/17

207 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $385,900
Buyer: M. Sean Hrinda
Seller: Peter F. Bagley
Date: 12/30/16

LEVERETT

28 Chestnut Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Christine K. Hale
Seller: Sandra R. Rodgers
Date: 01/06/17

MONTAGUE

13 Dell St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Adam Goglin
Seller: Jamrog, Teresa G. Est
Date: 01/06/17

181 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jean E. Meals
Seller: Kevin Bonnette
Date: 12/30/16

7 Newton Lane
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Andrew Irving
Seller: Susan F. Durkee
Date: 12/30/16

24 North St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $156,250
Buyer: Christopher S. Brown
Seller: Priscilla A. Joseph
Date: 12/28/16

209 Old Sunderland Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Senaida Currie
Seller: Barbara L. Craven
Date: 12/30/16

54 Randall Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Todd M. Dodge
Seller: Robert G. Cross
Date: 01/06/17

88 South Prospect St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Robert J. Croteau
Seller: Bryan G. Hobbs
Date: 01/05/17

NEW SALEM

17 Whitaker Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Emerald City Rentals LLC
Seller: Carol A. Ruch
Date: 01/05/17

ORANGE

862 North Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Marcia S. Sims
Seller: Hometown Bank
Date: 12/30/16

SHUTESBURY

159 Locks Pond Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Adam J. Summers
Seller: Elise Gouge
Date: 12/29/16

SUNDERLAND

76 North Plain Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Alan R. Kuusisto
Seller: Mary Cole
Date: 12/30/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

27 Alhambra Circle North
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Kimberly A. Petit
Seller: S&C Homebuyers LLC
Date: 12/30/16

117 Doane Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Patriot Living LLC
Seller: Veterans Affairs
Date: 12/28/16

256 Maynard St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: S&J FT
Seller: Ronald G. Jean
Date: 01/06/17

68 Monroe St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Kristopher R. Widmer
Seller: Lori A. Wallace-Langford
Date: 12/27/16

148 North St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $141,231
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Steven F. Kelley
Date: 01/03/17

52-54 Orlando St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Neal D. Omeara
Seller: Raymond D. Bolduc
Date: 12/29/16

BLANDFORD

41 Woronoco Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $354,000
Buyer: John Carrington
Seller: Wayne J. Mosher
Date: 12/28/16

CHESTER

22 Lyon Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: William Johnson
Seller: Michael P. Bell
Date: 01/03/17

Lyon Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: William Johnson
Seller: Michael P. Bell
Date: 01/03/17

3 School St.
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $119,700
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: B. Lynn Garland
Date: 01/03/17

CHICOPEE

96 Arnold St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Sabri Bajrami
Seller: Russell B. Jopson
Date: 01/06/17

376 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Anquin LLC
Seller: Joseph M. Rzeszutek
Date: 12/29/16

665 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $143,200
Buyer: Keybank
Seller: Andrew D. Wrona
Date: 01/04/17

18 Call St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Angel J. Valdes
Seller: Ian Craik
Date: 12/29/16

48 Clairmont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $149,500
Buyer: Brett M. Salamon
Seller: Jamison, Thomas S. Est
Date: 01/06/17

154 Edgewood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Daniel Peloquin
Seller: Aimee Azam
Date: 01/06/17

1422 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $400,620
Buyer: Westfield Bank
Seller: John H. Chase
Date: 12/30/16

Montcalm St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sean Martin
Seller: Brian S. Langevin
Date: 12/27/16

1013 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Dawn V. Nielsen
Seller: Fisher, Daniel E. Est
Date: 01/03/17

28 Morgan Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Luis A. Gallego
Seller: CRA Holdings Inc
Date: 12/27/16

5 Smith St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Cassandra N. Gingras
Seller: Edward Lemelin
Date: 12/28/16

30 Susan Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sean Martin
Seller: Brian S. Langevin
Date: 12/27/16

1552 Westover Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Albano J. Freitas
Seller: David W. Hyatt
Date: 01/06/17

EAST LONGMEADOW

39 Dearborn St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Michael Carabetta
Seller: Erin N. Duchesne
Date: 01/06/17

98 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $125,699
Buyer: Noah Goodman
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 12/28/16

15 Oakwood Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Daniel Perez
Seller: Lisa Laudato
Date: 12/28/16

50 Stonehill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Carmela Malafronte
Seller: Daniel R. Schwarting
Date: 12/29/16

127 Thompkins Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Helen K. Adamo
Seller: Jason S. Zieba
Date: 12/29/16

GRANVILLE

31 Old Westfield Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Stanton J. Brzoska
Seller: Little Birch Inc.
Date: 12/28/16

191 Reagan Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Christopher Haftmann
Seller: Gregory Scileppi
Date: 12/28/16

HAMPDEN

91 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Laura Lee
Seller: David P. Amadei
Date: 01/06/17

Highland Circle #46
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Grahams Construction Inc.
Seller: Michael A. Cimmino
Date: 12/28/16

HOLLAND

8 Lynne Ave.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $173,500
Buyer: Pamela Beaudry
Seller: Thomas Russo
Date: 01/05/17

16 Old County Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Maple Ledge Associates
Seller: Bayview Loan Servicing
Date: 01/03/17

6 Ridge Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $136,500
Buyer: Alice E. Rainka
Seller: Richard W. Schif
Date: 01/05/17

150 Stafford Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Beata Harwood
Seller: Boguslaw Kowalski
Date: 12/30/16

HOLYOKE

507 Appleton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Hispanic Resources Inc.
Seller: Ingersoll Grove LLC
Date: 12/30/16

30 Cleveland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Jeffrey A. Trask
Seller: James P. McKeever
Date: 12/29/16

35 Fenton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $145,200
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Richard E. Hartling
Date: 12/30/16

50 Lower Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Juan O. Cruz-Sierra
Seller: Hari Sharma
Date: 12/28/16

1000 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $673,000
Buyer: 1010 Main Street LLC
Seller: Gary D. Rome
Date: 12/28/16

1010 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: 1010 Main Street LLC
Seller: Gary Rome Holyoke LLC
Date: 12/28/16

15 Queen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Kenia E. Davila
Seller: Saw Construction LLC
Date: 12/28/16

LONGMEADOW

32 Bark Haul Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Kevin A. Broughton
Seller: Eric Goodkowsky
Date: 01/03/17

43 Benedict Terrace
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Diana P. Willis-Moriarty
Seller: Marshia G. Regnier
Date: 01/06/17

162 Blueberry Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: David G. Kayiatos
Seller: Martha H. Ryan
Date: 01/06/17

32-34 Elm Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Jean F. Maziarz
Seller: Janice C. Selden
Date: 12/30/16

51 Fenwood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Premium Properties Inc.
Seller: St.Pierre, Leon V. (Estate)
Date: 12/29/16

129 Meadowlark Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Katarzyna K. Soja
Seller: Nathan R. Larkin
Date: 01/06/17

35 Twin Hills Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $557,000
Buyer: Jeffrey D. Tisdell
Seller: Todd M. Adelson
Date: 12/28/16

LUDLOW

199 Cady St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Zachary R. Lepage
Seller: Gerald E. Dubour
Date: 12/29/16

32 Duke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: John Rego
Seller: April B. Voisine-Mulek
Date: 01/04/17

199 Laurel Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Richard F. Parent
Seller: Evelyn M. Wrona
Date: 12/30/16

44 Napoleon Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Saverio Desteno
Seller: Richard J. Coache
Date: 01/06/17

140 Pinewood Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $385,900
Buyer: Lisa R. Sabadosa
Seller: Richard R. Thiffault
Date: 01/06/17

21 Ray St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Joel E. Reyes
Seller: Polys, Patricia A. (Estate)
Date: 12/29/16

MONSON

48 Blanchard Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Henry P. Ford
Seller: John P. Kertenis
Date: 12/30/16

40 Pease Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Michael Boucher
Seller: Carl J. Gustafson
Date: 12/29/16

9 Valley View Heights
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Michael W. Emmons
Seller: Wesley Ellsworth
Date: 01/03/17

16 Washington St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Dennis E. Wentworth
Seller: Linda Q. Trott
Date: 12/30/16

MONTGOMERY

183 Pitcher St.
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Nick D. Mitchell
Seller: Jeffrey B. Johnson
Date: 12/30/16

PALMER

3037 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Seth A. Ciejka
Seller: Teresa A. Swist
Date: 01/04/17

21 Kelley St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Scott M. Grosse
Seller: Shawn A. Santos
Date: 12/30/16

591 Old Warren Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Lusya Gordievsky
Seller: Steven W. Beyor
Date: 01/04/17

115 State St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Rachel Lane
Seller: Stanley A. Skaza
Date: 01/04/17

RUSSELL

321 Dickinson Hill Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Joseph A. Mann
Seller: Carl W. Whitney
Date: 12/29/16

SOUTHWICK

116 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $347,500
Buyer: John W. Wilson
Seller: Alison Lydon
Date: 01/04/17

11 Hunters Ridge Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Bailey
Seller: Thomas P. O’Donnell
Date: 01/04/17

SPRINGFIELD

343-349 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Island Farm Realty LLC
Seller: Thai H. Son
Date: 01/06/17

24 Arliss St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Veronica Breban
Seller: Luz M. Thomas
Date: 12/30/16

42-46 Baldwin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jean Tailleur
Seller: Michael J. Bailey
Date: 12/30/16

165 Benz St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Dung D. Hoang
Seller: Tina K. Babacas
Date: 12/28/16

6 California Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Dave A. Watson
Seller: William Raleigh
Date: 12/27/16

29 Catalina Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Eleanor Sampson
Seller: Aracelio Cordero
Date: 12/30/16

55 Denwall Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Natasha Santiago
Seller: Anthony Huertas
Date: 01/03/17

60-62 Edendale St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $144,900
Buyer: Juvil Medina
Seller: Jeffery A. Lovell
Date: 12/30/16

19 Eleanor Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Christina J. Solis
Seller: Prospect Builders Inc.
Date: 12/28/16

131 Ellendale Circle Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $135,500
Buyer: Jesuann Ortiz
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 01/03/17

217 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Tiffany R. Fitzgerald
Seller: Dena A. Calvanese
Date: 01/06/17

86 Fernwold St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jean Tailleur
Seller: Michael J. Bailey
Date: 12/30/16

230 Forest Park Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Hugo Blanco
Seller: Lisa Shea
Date: 01/04/17

87 Huron St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $221,194
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Jessie L. Holmes
Date: 01/05/17

214 Jeffrey Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Sandra A. Asiamah
Seller: Webster Bank
Date: 12/28/16

39 Ludlow Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Peter G. Joanides
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 12/30/16

114 Michon St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Roberto O. Carrasquillo
Seller: John Strycharz
Date: 12/27/16

243 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Yanfeng Liu
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 12/27/16

63 Notre Dame St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jaimee Guerra
Seller: Arthur F. Spaulding
Date: 12/28/16

1075 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Black Dog Lane LLC
Seller: Mark R. Campbell
Date: 12/29/16

81 Park Road
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Richard Espino
Seller: Joseph Roginski
Date: 12/29/16

76 Patricia Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Sothy P. Chea
Seller: Steven J. Hermanson
Date: 01/06/17

6-8 Pomona St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $118,000
Buyer: Lachenauer LLC
Seller: Legacy Property Investments
Date: 01/06/17

15 Quebec St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $255,445
Buyer: Mister Mister LLC
Seller: R. R. & Co. Realty LLC
Date: 12/30/16

Robbins Road
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Black Dog Lane LLC
Seller: Mark R. Campbell
Date: 12/29/16

94 Saint Lawrence Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Jessica Lugo
Date: 01/05/17

76 Spruceland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $226,100
Buyer: April R. Achorn
Seller: Michael C. Foss
Date: 01/06/17

118 Surrey Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $118,500
Buyer: HSBC Bank
Seller: Gemma Hart-Jones
Date: 01/05/17

92 Temby St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Ivonne Dominguez
Seller: Christian B. Wiernasz
Date: 01/03/17

539 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: James C. Herlihy
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 01/04/17

26 Vermont St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: David N. Hiciano
Seller: Dina R. Aldrich
Date: 01/03/17

141 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Anthony D. Amato
Seller: James J. Boland
Date: 12/29/16

123-125 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Miriam L. Wilkins
Seller: Marie A. Campbell-Ward
Date: 01/06/17

280-282 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Hamediah Mohamed
Seller: Earl Willridge
Date: 12/30/16

132 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $138,900
Buyer: Robert H. Ryan
Seller: Eugenio Hernandez
Date: 12/27/16

114 Wolcott St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Luis A. Cruz
Seller: Luis A. Aguirre
Date: 12/29/16

519-523 Worthington St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Luis Rivera
Seller: William A. Hurley
Date: 01/04/17

TOLLAND

237 Slope Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Anthony Falcone
Seller: Daniel Rego
Date: 12/27/16

78 Slope Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Matthew J. Perry
Seller: John P. Clifford
Date: 12/30/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

96 Butternut Hollow Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Adolf O. Kastel
Seller: Galary, Rosemary (Estate)
Date: 12/29/16

75 Church St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Aubrie E. Smith
Seller: Scott W. Gage
Date: 01/06/17

695 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Shruti Oza
Seller: Paul L. Gil
Date: 01/06/17

35 Freida St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $189,500
Buyer: Jonathan D. Breard
Seller: Christopher T. Tedone
Date: 12/30/16

21 Hemlock Hill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Mariya Demyanchuk
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 01/05/17

17 Maple St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Matthew M. Strycharz
Date: 12/27/16

47 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Michael P. Shea
Seller: John G. Pettazzoni
Date: 01/06/17

89 Wistaria St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Parker
Seller: Lynne M. Killam
Date: 12/30/16

47 Witch Path
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: CA&DA Realty LLC
Seller: Donna E. Christian
Date: 12/30/16

44 Wolcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Meenakshi Hastings
Seller: Eric F. Sales
Date: 12/27/16

WESTFIELD

12 Christopher Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Diego V. Sarmiento
Seller: Claudio M. Bermejo
Date: 12/30/16

107 Dana St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Margarita Dunayev
Seller: Tamara Colby
Date: 12/28/16

53 Flynn Meadow Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Jason M. Hynek
Seller: RSP Realty LLC
Date: 01/03/17

20 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,563
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Arthur Kellogg
Date: 12/28/16

35 Montgomery St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $170,880
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Chelsea L. Gozgit
Date: 01/03/17

226 Munger Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $366,500
Buyer: Michael W. Shea
Seller: Stephen A. Tansey
Date: 12/29/16

108 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Edward A. Laprade
Seller: David C. Berry
Date: 12/27/16

119 Northridge Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Paul A. Deslauriers
Date: 01/04/17

312 Northwest Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Stacy M. Benda
Seller: Peter A. Ruszala
Date: 01/06/17

75 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Steven M. Roberts
Seller: Tammie J. Butler
Date: 12/30/16

205 Sackett Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Leonid Melnik
Seller: Myrna B. Butler
Date: 12/29/16

60 Sandy Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Lauren M. Martins
Seller: Veronica Lynch
Date: 12/30/16

1098 Shaker Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Authier
Seller: Daniel Tobias
Date: 01/06/17

63 Washington St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Jeffrey P. Routhier
Seller: Jenifer W. Lucca
Date: 01/06/17

682 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Cody T. Prince
Seller: Robert J. Kroll
Date: 01/05/17

903 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $136,600
Buyer: Quicken Loans Inc.
Seller: Darlene Fuller
Date: 12/29/16

70 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: David S. Kowalski
Seller: James J. Dowd
Date: 12/30/16

WILBRAHAM

85 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: New England Developers
Seller: Deutsche Bank
Date: 01/04/17

15 Brookside Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: William J. Bickley
Seller: Russell E. Anderson
Date: 12/30/16

6 Fox Hill Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $317,500
Buyer: John P. Iverson
Seller: Janene M. Kane
Date: 01/06/17

55 Glenn Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Zulfiqar A. Yusuf
Seller: Gary M. Weiner
Date: 12/28/16

766 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Michael A. Bernardes
Seller: Susan E. Adams
Date: 12/30/16

99 Mountain Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Thorn
Seller: Carpenter, Bryant L. (Estate)
Date: 12/27/16

5 North Hills Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Seokho Kang
Seller: Boston Road Properties
Date: 12/30/16

76 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: David N. Kravchuk
Seller: Edwin J. Misiaszek
Date: 12/27/16

936 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Marco Saraiva
Seller: Michael A. Torcia
Date: 12/30/16

32 Sunnyside Terrace
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $257,500
Buyer: Gihad A. Awkal
Seller: Daniele, Teresa (Estate)
Date: 12/29/16

7 Wildwood Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Kara L. Rice
Seller: Lucille J. Amato
Date: 01/06/17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

422 Amity St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $2,000,000
Buyer: HVV Amherst LLC
Seller: West Amherst LLC
Date: 12/29/16

4 Ball Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $309,500
Buyer: Jeffrey Labombard
Seller: David K. Webber
Date: 01/06/17

713 Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $384,000
Buyer: Susan A. Fields
Seller: Anthony L. Rogers
Date: 01/06/17

41 Berkshire Terrace
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Thomas Soranno
Seller: Stephanie Shafran
Date: 01/05/17

155 Gray St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Cliff Q. Zeng
Seller: Stanne, C. A. (Estate)
Date: 12/27/16

42 Harris St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Amy R. Hamel
Seller: Irene Nystrom
Date: 12/28/16

82 Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $604,000
Buyer: Ulrich Holeschovsky
Seller: Haemoon Oh
Date: 12/30/16

571 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Oriental Flavor LLC
Seller: GC Rental Properties LLC
Date: 12/29/16

61 Market Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $230,500
Buyer: Michael A. Golden
Seller: Kuchta LT
Date: 01/03/17

127 Mill Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $358,500
Buyer: Ralph P. Hill
Seller: Nancy B. Eddy RET
Date: 12/28/16

1240 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Freda Peters
Seller: Margaret Stebbins
Date: 12/29/16

19 Willow Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Le Yang
Seller: Jingjing Wu
Date: 01/06/17

BELCHERTOWN

15 Alden Ave.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Patrick J. Prizio
Seller: Jennifer L. Cote
Date: 12/29/16

340 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $176,950
Buyer: Mark T. Maghini
Seller: Ryan C. Bishop
Date: 01/05/17

372 Amherst Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Jeremy J. Gummeson
Seller: William M. Shea
Date: 12/27/16

200 Boardman St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Vicki Ayers
Seller: John D. Pawlikowski
Date: 12/29/16

454 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Janina Chung
Seller: Lisa A. Laflamme
Date: 12/28/16

3 Jeffery Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: William J. Swaim
Seller: Paul D. Cadorette
Date: 01/05/17

11 Martin Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Larry B. Ibekilo
Seller: Fabbo, Frederick P. (Estate)
Date: 12/29/16

220 Michael Sears Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Lawrence D. Scott
Seller: Daniel Alpiarca
Date: 01/04/17

72 Mountain View Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Janet M. Lopez
Seller: Polina Kislyuk
Date: 12/27/16

81 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Ryan C. Bishop
Seller: Robert E. Wojtczak
Date: 01/05/17

12 Old Farm Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Austin
Seller: Bruce A. Tolpa
Date: 12/30/16

182 River St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $180,825
Buyer: Leonard R. Bruso
Seller: Marian M. MacCurdy
Date: 01/04/17

580 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Vandana Basu
Seller: Nicholas R. Lariviere
Date: 01/04/17

166 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Robert Blanchard
Seller: Douglas W. Rainaud
Date: 12/29/16

CHESTERFIELD

59 Cummington Road
Chesterfield, MA 01026
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jesse T. McMillan
Seller: Ryan M. Flanders
Date: 12/30/16

65 East St.
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: New Union TR
Seller: James S. Loomis
Date: 12/29/16

EASTHAMPTON

25 Bryan Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Gebo
Seller: Edward A. Laprade
Date: 12/27/16

18 Campbell Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Audrey L. Armstrong
Seller: Kelly C. Melanson
Date: 12/30/16

250 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: David M. Lepine
Seller: Phyllis M. Press
Date: 12/27/16

108 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Robert D. Marmor
Seller: David A. Marek
Date: 12/30/16

12 Lux Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Vicki L. Williams
Seller: Danica E. Achin
Date: 01/06/17

29 Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Kelly C. Melanson
Seller: Peter E. Gomes
Date: 12/30/16

14 Mill St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jenifer W. Lucca
Seller: Martha J. Dolat
Date: 01/06/17

Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Brian R. Tetreault
Seller: Donald L. Cykowski
Date: 12/29/16

11 Willow Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Brian R. Fournier
Seller: Robert P. Church RET
Date: 01/06/17

GRANBY

33 Truby St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Pawel Watracz
Seller: John G. Deauseault
Date: 12/30/16

HADLEY

206 Bay Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: John W. Kinchla
Seller: Michael E. Alderson
Date: 01/04/17

19 High Meadow Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $359,000
Buyer: John C. Morse
Seller: Ralph L. Kendall
Date: 12/28/16

75 Hockanum Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Cheryl A. Brodowski
Seller: Charles M. Wojewoda
Date: 12/27/16

Nashua Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: USA
Seller: John F. Jekanowski
Date: 12/28/16

47 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $1,510,000
Buyer: Western Mass Electric Co.
Seller: US Bank
Date: 12/30/16

HATFIELD

50 King St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Betsy K. Speeter
Seller: Labor Housing Inc.
Date: 12/28/16

HUNTINGTON

43 County Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Krista A. Groleau
Seller: Timothy J. Seney
Date: 12/30/16

2 Crescent St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $152,400
Buyer: Charles A. Firsch
Seller: Jeffrey R. Jorritsma
Date: 12/30/16

NORTHAMPTON

20 Bridge Road #37
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $561,835
Buyer: James M. Sagalyn
Seller: Bridge Road LLC
Date: 12/30/16

634 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $254,400
Buyer: Dale A. Canon
Seller: Patsy J. Miller
Date: 12/28/16

9 Cherry St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Marshall T. Poe
Seller: Travers, Camilla (Estate)
Date: 01/06/17

49 Columbus Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $152,537
Buyer: Margaret A. Russo
Seller: Mark T. Dunn
Date: 01/06/17

55 Gilrain Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Debra L. Packard
Seller: Clay, Winifred J. (Estate)
Date: 12/30/16

94 Industrial Dr.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $3,250,000
Buyer: Northampton Storage
Seller: 94 Industrial Drive LLC
Date: 01/03/17

7 Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: David A. Murphy
Seller: Nancy E. Murphy
Date: 12/29/16

197 North Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jodi Shaw
Seller: George & Dolores Houck LT
Date: 01/06/17

202 North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $458,000
Buyer: Jayashankar Rjasekaran
Seller: Joslad & Associates PC
Date: 12/29/16

15 Pioneer Knolls
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Norwich Properties LLC
Seller: Janice R. Brown
Date: 01/04/17

155 Pleasant St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,600,000
Buyer: Live Pleasant LP
Seller: Chicopee Kendall LLC
Date: 12/27/16

64 West Farms Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Chaya L. Aronson
Seller: Alan R. Kuusisto
Date: 12/30/16

930 Westhampton Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $222,200
Buyer: Joseph A. Romanos
Seller: Phyllis I. Rauch LT
Date: 12/28/16

14 Westwood Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Weaver
Seller: Patricia H. Solomon
Date: 01/03/17

27 Woodbine Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Wimmer
Seller: Perman, Frank S. (Estate)
Date: 12/28/16

PELHAM

75 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Susan Altabet
Seller: Cooley FT
Date: 12/29/16

PLAINFIELD

West Main St.
Plainfield, MA 01070
Amount: $133,786
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Jonathan P. Gill
Date: 01/06/17

SOUTH HADLEY

10 Haig Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $137,492
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Lori A. Klekotka
Date: 01/04/17

2 Karen Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $204,900
Buyer: Aaron J. Smigiel
Seller: Edward C. Brunelle
Date: 01/03/17

10 Linden Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,500
Buyer: Jill E. Feingold
Seller: Michael A. Houle
Date: 12/28/16

288 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Victoria L. Miller
Seller: Wilson, Lois A. (Estate)
Date: 12/29/16

76 Richview Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Anthony Bartusewich
Seller: Anthony Bartusewich
Date: 12/30/16

4 Ridge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Brenda L. Houle
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 12/28/16

11 Rivercrest Way
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $356,937
Buyer: Jeffrey Robinson
Seller: Rivercrest Condominiums
Date: 01/05/17

18 Rivercrest Way
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $379,380
Buyer: Janet C. Brunelle RET
Seller: Rivercrest Condominiums
Date: 01/05/17

5 Smith St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Cassandra N. Gingras
Seller: Edward Lemelin
Date: 12/28/16

30 Susan Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Sean Martin
Seller: Brian S. Langevin
Date: 12/27/16

SOUTHAMPTON

74 Pequot Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Vladimir Bondar
Seller: Roberta M. Green
Date: 12/28/16

78 Pequot Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Vladimir Bondar
Seller: Roberta M. Green
Date: 12/28/16

108 Valley Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Sergey Solomoyuk
Seller: Robin M. Weaver
Date: 12/30/16

WARE

30 Greenwich Plains Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Brandon R. Chaffee
Date: 12/28/16

259 Malboeuf Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $218,500
Buyer: John M. Prenosil
Seller: Meghan M. Michalski
Date: 01/05/17

AIC Celebrating Prominent African-Americans via Social Media

SPRINGFIELD — Throughout the month of February, Black History Month, American International College (AIC) is using the college’s social-media platforms and website to feature prominent African-Americans who have helped shape the culture and fabric of our country and our world. Leaders from the civil-rights movement, the military, literature, exploration, sports, and entertainment will be highlighted daily.

As an institution of higher learning with nearly half of its population comprised of first-generation students, one of the hallmarks of American International College is the value it places on diversity.

“The diversity that results from a population with mixed backgrounds is one of our strengths,” said President Vince Maniaci. “AIC is very student-centric and believes that, while a college education includes academic and intellectual growth, it must also include the development of personal, spiritual, and emotional intelligence. We all see things through a different prism based on the environment we come from; being culturally diverse leads to deeper discussions and increased awareness as AIC students make their way into a rapidly changing world.”

To join AIC in this month-long tribute, visit its website at www.aic.edu, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americaninternationalcollege, or on Twitter, @aiconcampus.

Nominees Sought for Annual Ubora and Ahadi Awards

SPRINGFIELD — The African Hall subcommittee of the Springfield Museums is seeking nominations for the 26th annual Ubora Award and the ninth annual Ahadi Youth Award. The African Hall subcommittee is a volunteer group comprised of educators, business people, and community leaders from the African-American community. The nomination deadline for both awards is March 31.

The Ubora Award is presented to an African-American adult who has demonstrated a commitment to the Greater Springfield area and exhibited excellence in the fields of community service, education, science, humanities, or the arts. The Swahili word ‘ubora’ means ‘excellence.’

Named for the Swahili word for ‘promise,’ the Ahadi Youth Award is presented to a young African-American who has excelled in academics and performed admirable service to the Greater Springfield community. Eligible candidates must be age 19 or younger, live in or have strong ties to the Greater Springfield area, and be currently enrolled in grades 10, 11, or 12.

The Ubora and Ahadi Awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Springfield Museums in September. Nomination forms can be downloaded by visiting springfieldmuseums.org/ubora. For additional information, call (413) 263-6800, ext. 325, or e-mail Valerie Cavagni at [email protected]. Nominations may be e-mailed to Cavagni or mailed to African Hall Subcommittee, c/o Valerie Cavagni, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St., Springfield, MA 01103.

Real-estate Leader to Speak at 24th Annual Education Fair & Expo

SPRINGFIELD — Jared James, a national real-estate speaker and trainer, will be the featured speaker at the 24th annual Education Fair & Expo taking place on April 4 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The event is sponsored by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.

The program features a day of educational presentations including two breakout sessions from James, three continuing-education classes, and two technology classes. A sellout trade show with more than 50 vendors is anticipated. Anyone interested in attending as a trade-show vendor should contact Kim Harrison, membership and meetings coordinator at the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, at (413) 785-1328 or [email protected] by March 10.

Chicopee Police Department Donates $1,010 to Elms College caRe vaN

CHICOPEE — Chicopee Police Chief William Jebb and Public Information Officer Michael Wilk visited Elms College this week to present the School of Nursing with a special donation.

This December, the Chicopee Police Department participated in a new fund-raising event based on ‘Movember’ (also known as ‘No-Shave November’) in which the officers were challenged to grow goatees for charity. Department members grew out their facial hair from Nov. 27 through Jan. 1, and they each paid an entry fee of $40.

The department raised money for Chicopee charities because it wanted to serve the citizens of Chicopee rather than national organizations. One of the local organizations it chose to support is the Elms College caRe vaN, a free health clinic on wheels that serves homeless and underserved people in Chicopee.

The mobile clinic offers free healthcare services including blood-pressure checks and monitoring, blood-sugar checks, foot care, episodic first aid, minor wound care, and patient education. It also gives nursing students hands-on healthcare experience and allows them to live the Elms College mission of empowering students to effect positive changes in the community and in the world.

Jebb and Wilk presented a check for $1,010 to caRe vaN director Br. Michael Duffy, assistant professor, coordinator of the Accelerated Second Degree in Nursing Program, and conventual Franciscan friar; Elms College President Mary Reap; and Kathleen Scoble, dean of the college’s School of Nursing.

This donation is significant, Duffy said. “It will pay for gas for the caRe vaN for an entire year.”

Added Jebb, “we were happy to be able to raise money to give back to the community. We realize the importance of the Elms caRe vaN, and we hope this donation helps those in our community the van assists.”

Picture This

Departments Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]
A photo essay of recent business events in Western Massachusetts February 6, 2017

Manufacturing Growth

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Last week, Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) celebrated the graduation of participants in its Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerator. The program delivered intensive and immersive training sessions to seven small precision manufacturers over four months to help them identify new revenue streams and connect them with new industries and customers. “This program is unique because it takes startup methodology and applies it to established manufacturers,” said Paul Silva, VVM co-founder. “We encouraged these businesses to boldly question the way they’ve been doing business for decades and discover new markets and opportunities. We’re very excited about the results.” Funding for this program was provided by the Advanced Manufacturing Futures Program administered by MassDevelopment. “The manufacturers who participated in the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerator benefited from the creative and thoughtful approach Valley Venture Mentors and its partners took with this program, and MassDevelopment is pleased to support the accelerator with a grant from the Manufacturing Futures Fund,” MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones said. “Congratulations to everyone on this accomplishment, which will help Western Massachusetts’ innovative manufacturing industry continue to grow.” Graduates of the program include BSS Additive, Boulevard Machine & Gear, Decker Machine Works Inc., Mitchell Machine Inc. and Precise Turning and Manufacturing. Pictured: Silva (left) and Jones with Decker Machine Works President Scott Decker (top left) and Precise Turning and Manufacturing President Gary Siedlik (top right).

Clothing Time

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Farmington Bank retail administration and assistant branch managers joined forces recently to initiate a holiday children’s clothing drive to benefit My Sisters’ Place, a Hartford-based organization that empowers women, families, and others to achieve independence and stability in their community by providing housing and supportive services. Those efforts were reinforced by customer support center and branch staffs in Farmington Bank operations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Collectively, bank employees donated more than 300 pieces of clothing.

Court Dockets

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

Ruth Ortiz v. Ismael Medina d/b/a Medina’s Mini Supermarket

Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $12,465.14

Filed: 12/20/16

Lena B. Makhmudova v. Patricia G. Parker d/b/a Pat Parker & Sons Florist

Allegation: Motor-vehicle negligence causing injury: $24,926

Filed: 12/22/16

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Walter Gerrmann and Jillian Gerrmann v. Bruce Arnold Sr. and Arnold Construction Services

Allegation: Negligence, breach of implied warranty: $20,000

Filed: 12/16/16

Bianca Correa v. Springfield College

Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $19,470.12

Filed: 12/19/16

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Jilleva Cunningham v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Allegation: Negligence causing injury when tricycle fell from upper shelf onto plaintiff: $41,760.64

Filed: 12/20/16

Jeannette Hall v. Colvest/State Street LLC and CVS Pharmacy Inc.

Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $132,627.97

Filed: 12/21/16

Sun Roofing Inc. v. Shree Vinayak Inc. d/b/a Rodeway Inn

Allegation: Monies due for services, labor, and materials: $113,430

Filed: 12/21/16

Michael A. Jefferson v. Falcetti Music Inc. and Kappy’s Liquors

Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $26,982.89

Filed: 12/22/16

Sara Kidd and Donald Trottier v. Blue Bird MHC LLC and Matthew Udell

Allegation: Non-payment of wages: $65,963.35

Filed: 12/22/16

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

Computer Works v. Endurance Fitness 247 LLC d/b/a Snap Fitness

Allegation: Unpaid monies for work performed: $1,748.90

Filed: 1/9/17

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Fay Champoux v. Beacon Communities LLC and Treehouse Easthampton Housing LLC

Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $12,822

Filed: 1/5/17

Franklin Crockett, personal representative of the estate of Brian Crockett v. Glenn Miskovsky, M.D.; Mark Jankowske, D.O.; Tonbira Zaman, M.D.; Alan Berkenwald, M.D.; Andrew Mackey, M.D.; George Hartnell, M.D.; and Kirsten Bringardner, P.A.-C.

Allegation: Wrongful death, failure to properly monitor and treat patient: $25,000+

Filed: 1/9/17

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Chet Comee & Sons Inc. v. Keltra Construction Services Inc. and Jeffrey J. Sheltra

Allegation: Breach of construction contract: $22,300

Filed: 1/6/17

Agenda

Agenda Departments

Supper for Six

Feb. 7: Supper for Six, hosted by Women’s Way, a program of the United Way of Franklin County, will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 8 Church St., Greenfield. Attendees are requested to bring $5 and one or more Supper for Six bags. Light refreshments will be offered. A Supper for Six bag is a reusable grocery bag filled with non-perishable items for dinner (and, in many cases, breakfast and lunch, too) for a family of six. “Due to the generous support of our community, hundreds of families in Franklin County will receive food donations through United Way partner agencies, to help during February school vacation week, when the need for food at home is higher than usual,” said Stephanie Gale, director of Resource Development & Community Engagement at the United Way. Agencies receiving donations include Franklin County Community Meals, the Center for Self-Reliance, the United Arc, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County, and the Salvation Army. In 2016, the Supper for Six food drive gathered more than 600 reusable grocery bags filled with more than 7,000 pounds of non-perishable food items that were subsequently distributed to needy families across Franklin County. RSVP is requested for the event by e-mailing [email protected] or calling (413) 772-2168. If you cannot attend the event, you may drop off grocery bags at the United Way office, 51 Davis St., Suite 2, Greenfield on or before Feb. 9, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Heart-health Lecture

Feb. 9: Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) will host a free discussion, “Heart Health: Congestive Heart Failure,” at 5:30 p.m. in the HMC Auxiliary Conference Center. February is American Heart Month. There are more than 200,000 cases of congestive heart failure (CHF) each year in the U.S. Dr. Nirav Sheth, HMC cardiovascular specialist, will cover signs and symptoms, as well as how to help prevent CHF. This program is free and open to the public, and is part of the hospital’s community-education programming, one in a series of dozens of workshops held throughout the year to help people learn about specific health issues, wellness, prevention, and treatment. To register for this event, visit www.holyokehealth.com/events or call (413) 534-2789.

Dress for Success Tag Sale

Feb. 10-12: In keeping with its mission to empower women to be more confident in their personal and professional lives, Dress for Success is hosting a tag sale at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield to raise funds and awareness, while also working to meet the needs of women throughout the community. Customers may peruse the racks of new and gently used donated items, including suits, dresses, pants, blouses, skirts, shoes, accessories, and more. Items may be purchased by filling a shopping bag for only $25. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-11, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12. It will be staged in a temporary location two doors down from the Western Mass. Dress for Success Boutique. All proceeds will benefit Dress for Success. Volunteers are needed to staff the event. If interested, e-mail [email protected]. This event follows two years of successful tag sales, each raising thousands of dollars and engaging the help of hundreds of community volunteers.

‘I Love Wine’ at Wistariahurst

Feb. 10: “I Love Wine,” the popular annual wine-tasting event, returns to Wistariahurst from 6 to 8 p.m. Attendees can sample fine wines from around the world in the elegant atmosphere of Wistariahurst. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Tickets are limited, so advance purchase is strongly encouraged. Tickets may be purchased online at www.wistariahurst.org. The event is sponsored by Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst, and fine wines are provided courtesy of Liquors 44.

Nonprofit Board Fair

Feb. 16: The Franklin County Young Professionals Group (FCYPG), a program of the United Way of Franklin County, will host its first annual Nonprofit Board Fair in partnership with Leadership Pioneer Valley’s Leaders OnBoard program. The event will be held at Terrazza at the Country Club of Greenfield. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the fair runs until 8 p.m. Sponsored by Ramon Financial Services, Greenfield Cooperative Bank, and Franklin First Credit Union, the event is free and open to the public. RSVP is requested by visiting [email protected] or calling (413) 772-2168. “FCYPG’s first annual Nonprofit Board Fair has been at the top of our young professionals group’s list for quite some time. We are pleased to finally make it happen and support the work of exceptional local organizations here in Franklin County by helping them recruit volunteers and committee and board members,” said Stephanie Gale, director of Resource Development and Community Engagement at United Way. Currently, 15 organizations will be represented: Leadership Pioneer Valley, Friends of the Franklin County Regional Dog Shelter, YMCA in Greenfield, Franklin County Community Meals Program, New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, Stone Soup Café, Stavros Center for Independent Living, Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County, LifePath Inc., Franklin County Young Professionals, Center for New Americans, Children’s Advocacy Center, Friends of Children, and Montague Catholic Social Ministries. There’s still time to sign up for a table at the event by e-mailing [email protected] or calling the United Way at (413) 772-2168. “We are looking forward to this event and working with individuals and organizations to expand and strengthen their pool of volunteers, which is essential to a nonprofit’s success,” said Amy Proietti, program coordinator, Leadership Pioneer Valley, Leaders OnBoard Program. “Local residents looking for opportunities to give back to their community or make connections with area nonprofits are highly encouraged to attend the fair.”

40 Under Forty Nomination Deadline

Feb. 17: BusinessWest magazine will accept nominations for the 40 Under Forty Class of 2017 through the end of the work day (5 p.m.) on Friday, Feb 17. The annual program, now in its 11th year, recognizes rising stars within the Western Mass. community, which includes Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. This year’s group of 40 will be profiled in the magazine’s April 17 edition, then toasted at the June 22 gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The nomination form, which can be found online HERE, requests basic information and can be supported with other material, such as a résumé, testimonials, and even press clippings highlighting an individual’s achievements in their profession or service to their community.

Wheelchair-basketball Clinic

Feb. 20: CDH Disability Resources will offer a free wheelchair-basketball clinic from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at CHD’s gymnasium at 69 Capital Dr., West Springfield. There is no cost to attend, and all participants qualify for raffles, prizes, and giveaways. The clinic will be led by Paul Weiland, a certified health and physical education teacher with an adaptive physical education certification. Weiland, Adapted Sports Program coordinator for Chapter 126 Sports & Fitness, has coached wheelchair basketball at the high-school and college levels and was part of the USA Paralympics wheelchair-basketball selection committee in 2008. He will be supported by volunteer staff, including therapeutic recreation students from Springfield College and varsity basketball players from Springfield College and American International College. “We’re thrilled to have Paul Weiland running our wheelchair-basketball clinic,” said Jessica Levine, program manager for CHD Disability Resources. “He is passionate about helping individuals of all abilities realize their full potential on the field of play and in life. Like every Disability Resources program, this wheelchair-basketball clinic enables people to focus on what they can do, as individuals and as teammates. Especially for people who are new to wheelchair basketball, this clinic will provide a great introduction along with opportunities to meet other interested players and families and to learn more about Disability Resources in general. We’re all about access and ability for kids, adults, and families in Western Mass.” For people interested in getting more involved with wheelchair basketball, in addition to the Feb. 12 clinic, Disability Resources is offering a 10-week program on Friday evenings from March 3 through May 5, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., at the Pace Gym, 69 Capital Dr., West Springfield. Players will be taught fundamental skills and game-related strategies while focusing on the values of teamwork and respect. To learn more about wheelchair basketball or to sign up for programs, contact Levine at (413) 788-9695.

‘Create at the Carle!’

Feb. 27 to March 20: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will offer adult art classes for people 55 and over thanks to a new grant from Aroha Philanthropies. “Create at the Carle!” is a new program for adults interested in expressing themselves through visual art. The first of a series of three workshops, this one on printmaking, begins Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon, and runs for eight weeks. The cost is $90, or $76.50 for members. Teaching artist Lynn Peterfreund, who concentrates on printmaking, painting, and drawing, is offering this class for beginners or more experienced students. The goals are to learn processes, become more aware of different art styles, and learn to identify and tell one’s own stories with visual tools. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to work in a community of people, sharing stories, efforts, and working spaces. I think our participants will enjoy working in the Carle’s light-filled art studio, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at our collection,” said Courtney Waring, director of education. The workshop includes a visit from artist Lyell Castonguay, who will share his woodcut technique and experiences as director of BIG INK, and concludes with an art show for friends, family, guests, and the general public to enjoy. “Create at the Carle!” is presented in partnership with Aroha Philanthropies to support the development and expansion of Artful Aging programs. The Carle was selected as one of only 15 nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. to receive a grant from Aroha Philanthropies through its new national initiative, Seeding Artful Aging. Following printmaking, additional classes in 2017 will include guest artists teaching collage and bookmaking. For more information about the classes or to sign up, visit www.carlemuseum.org.

Caritas Gala

March 11: Plans are underway for Mercy Medical Center’s first annual Caritas Gala at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Themed “All You Need Is Love,” the inaugural gala will raise funds to expand and enhance Mercy Behavioral Health Care’s Opioid Treatment and Addiction Recovery programs. The major goal of the project is to create a new inpatient step-down treatment program for post-detox services, giving individuals a better chance at long-term recovery. John Sjoberg and Brenda Garton-Sjoberg are the Caritas Gala honorary chairpersons. Sjoberg serves as chairman of the board for Mercy and as vice chairman of the board for Trinity Health New England. Garton-Sjoberg has served as honorary chairperson of Mercy Gift of Light. “Brenda and I are inspired by the selfless work of the Sisters of Providence, and our family has made their legacy our personal mission,” said Sjoberg. “The sisters have responded to the needs of our community for more than 140 years. But today we face a new crisis: the opioid epidemic, a problem that impacts all ages, races, and economic levels. Mercy Behavioral Health Care looks beyond the stigma of addiction and provides treatment that supports and allows people to recover.” The Caritas Gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, live entertainment from the band Beantown, and a silent auction. Dinner will be served at 8 p.m., followed by a live auction and dancing until midnight. Pre-registration is required by Feb. 17. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.mercycares.com/caritasgala.

Difference Makers

March 30: The ninth annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. The winners, profiled in the Jan. 23 issue and at BusinessWest.com, are the Community Colleges of Western Mass. (Berkshire Community College, Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, and Springfield Technical Community College); Friends of the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round; Denis Gagnon Sr., president and CEO of Excel Dryer Inc.; Junior Achievement of Western Mass.; and Joan Kagan, president and CEO of Square One. Tickets to the event cost $65 per person, with tables of 10 available. To order, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. Details on the event can be found HERE. Sponsors include First American Insurance; Health New England; JGS Lifecare; Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; Northwestern Mutual; O’Connell Care at Home; Royal, P.C.; and Sunshine Village.

‘Mini Golf in the Library’

April 7-8: Friends of the Holyoke Public Library will host its second annual “Mini Golf in the Library” fund-raiser on the weekend of April 7-8. Hole sponsors and event sponsors are now being recruited. At last spring’s event, more than 250 players putted their way through five levels of the Holyoke Public Library building, laughing and enjoying unique obstacles added by enterprising hole sponsors. Funds raised help the Friends of the Library support library programs and resources, especially those for children and youth. Sponsors will be publicized and thanked in local media, social media, and the library’s website in connection with this event. Logos of sponsors will be printed on the scorecard given to each player. Names of sponsors will be displayed in the library, ranked by level of sponsorship. Sponsors will be invited as guests to the Friday-evening cocktail party, with the opportunity to preview (and play through) the course. In addition to event sponsors and hole sponsors, the event planning committee, chaired by Sandy Ward, is seeking donors of in-kind services and items for a silent auction to be held during the Friday cocktail party. Hole sponsorships start at $250. Those who wish to sponsor (and decorate) one of the 18 holes are encouraged to act quickly, as holes are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Event sponsorships are available at five levels ranging from $250 to $1,000. An exclusive title sponsorship is possible at $2,500. For more information, visit www.holyokelibrary.org/aboutfriendsgolf.asp or e-mail Sandy Ward at [email protected].

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

Local news hires, promotions, awards, and appointments February 6, 2017

Barb Chalfonte

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) announced the promotion of Barb Chalfonte to serve in the newly created role of Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness. The creation of the new position elevates Institutional Effectiveness (IE) and underscores the importance of seeking to enhance the college’s processes and promote student success, said STCC President John Cook. With Chalfonte at the helm, IE will become its own division and have a broader reach. Previously, Institutional Effectiveness had been nested under Academic Affairs. Chalfonte, who came to STCC in 2010, had served as dean of Institutional Effectiveness and senior research analyst. In her new role, Chalfonte will report directly to Cook and serve as part of his cabinet. Created in 2012, Institutional Effectiveness helps sustain and improve the teaching and learning environment through ongoing data and research-based planning, assessment, and improvement processes. The work of this division going forward will be to facilitate and promote planning and analysis throughout the college. “We collaborate with diverse groups to review the college’s mission, goals, and outcomes and demonstrate the achievements of our faculty, staff, and students,” Chalfonte said. Often colleges have several offices charged with enhancing pedagogy, institutional research, enrollment analysis, and assessment. STCC, however, is one of only a few community colleges in the Northeast that integrates this work into a single entity. Bringing these offices under one umbrella fosters collaboration toward the mission of supporting students as they transform their lives. The Institutional Effectiveness department includes the offices of Assessment, Institutional Research, and Professional Development. The department also supports strategic planning, process improvement, enrollment reporting, and New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation activities and reporting, and convenes the Student Success Council. Since 2012, the IE department has helped to obtain more than $2.7 million in funding, including a $650,000 state grant for assessment-related work and a state-funded convening grant to explore initiatives and research related to Hispanic-serving institutions. IE was part of a group that crafted a $2.1 million Title III grant that supports pedagogy- and cultural-competency-related professional development. Members of the IE team contributed to the $3.4 million HSI-STEM grant that the college received last year to help Hispanic and low-income students obtain degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math. Chalfonte brings a background in science and learning research to the position. She earned a doctorate from Princeton University in cognitive psychology and a bachelor’s degree from Williams College in psychology. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology Department at Westfield State University. After receiving her Ph.D., she taught in the Psychology Department at Mount Holyoke College and worked as a researcher at the National Priorities Project in Northampton before joining STCC. She served as data coach for Achieving the Dream, an initiative that champions institutional improvement and student success. Part of her work was to help community colleges close race/ethnicity- and income-based achievement gaps.

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Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced the promotion of three individuals:

• Maryann Geiger was promoted to Senior Vice President and Director of Operations. She joined the bank in 2002 as Deposit Operations supervisor and in 2003 was promoted to Deposit Operations officer. She was promoted to assistant vice president, Deposit Operations in 2006 and was promoted to vice president, Deposit Operations in 2013. Geiger is responsible for implementing strategic initiatives and management of customer service and operations of the bank’s call center, electronic banking channels, ATM network, and processing of deposit products and services. She is also responsible for Bank Secrecy Act and fraud management. She has more than 36 years of banking experience and graduated from the New England School of Financial Studies. She is a volunteer for Highland Valley Elderly Money Management Services;

• Michael Fitzgerald was promoted to Assistant Vice President, senior IT officer; He started with the bank in 2004 as a systems administrator and was promoted to IT manager in 2011. In 2014, he was promoted to IT officer and then to senior IT officer in 2015. He graduated from the Graduate School of Banking’s Bank Technology Management School in 2013. He is a volunteer for Junior Achievement of Western Mass. and participates with his family running Toys for Tots fund-raisers and collecting jars of peanut butter and jelly to donate to local food pantries; and

• Emily Drapeau was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Electronic Banking. She joined the bank as a teller in 1995 and was promoted to customer service representative in 1997. She became a senior teller in 2000 and Deposit Operations specialist in 2001. She was promoted to Deposit Operations supervisor in 2004 before being promoted to Deposit Operations manager in 2011. She was promoted to Deposit Operations officer in 2014. She graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2012.

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Jessica McGarry

Country Bank announced that Jessica McGarry has joined its Commercial Lending Division. McGarry brings with her 17 years of experience in the industry. Beginning as a part-time teller, she worked her way through the branch system for several years, then to the commercial credit department, where she learned commercial lending from the ground up. She has been a commercial lender in the Worcester market for the past four years, coming to Country Bank from Webster Five. McGarry earned her bachelor’s degree in business from Nichols College, was a recipient of the Forty Under 40 designation in 2014 from the Worcester Business Journal, and was a member of the Leadership Worcester class of 2015-16. “As a person, I am serious and diligent when it comes to my work. I take great pride in making sure my customers are well taken care of, with the right products, a high level of service, and a lender that is both qualified and caring,” McGarry said. “I live and work in Worcester County, so the success of the people and businesses here is something that I hold close to my heart.”

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Margaret Tantiallo

For the first time since the organization was founded in 2005, Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts will have a full-time executive director to lead the organization and expand its impact in the region. Margaret Tantiallo brings more than 20 years of experience and proven success in nonprofit management. Her past employment includes a senior leadership position for a nonprofit organization with more than 65,000 members and an $11 million budget. She is experienced in strategic planning, philanthropy, governance, board relations, and program management. “We are beyond thrilled to welcome Margaret to the Dress for Success team,” said Dawn Creighton, president of the Dress for Success board of directors. “It’s amazing what has been accomplished by our team of volunteers over the years. In order for us to grow and positively impact the lives of more women in our community, we needed someone dedicated to work of the organization on a full-time basis. Margaret’s experience and caring, compassionate personality make her the perfect fit.” Margaret earned her undergraduate degree from SUNY Buffalo and her master’s degree from Springfield College. She currently serves as vice president of Belchertown Day School and as treasurer of the Hampton Ponds Assoc. Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts is on a mission to promote the economic independence of all women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career-development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

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Matthew Scott

American International College (AIC) has announced the promotion of Matthew Scott to Dean of students. In his new role, Scott will oversee the Department of Student Life, which includes the Office of Residence Life, the Saremi Center for Career Development, and the Center for Student Engagement. Among the services and programs that fall under Scott’s purview are residence education, housing operations, student success and retention, student conduct, student activities, diversity and community engagement, international student advising, and campus recreation programs such as intramural sports, fitness and wellness programs, and the fitness center. Scott served in residence-life and student-involvement roles at area colleges before joining AIC in 2013 as the associate dean of students and director of Residence Life. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Springfield College and received his master’s degree in higher education administration from UMass.

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Lynne Colesano, formerly of Health New England and an insurance professional since 1998, has joined Webber & Grinnell Employee Benefits LLC. She will be responsible for consulting with companies and supporting them with their employee-benefits programs. In addition, her SHRM-CP certification as a professional in human resource management will further help Webber & Grinnell be a trusted advocate for its clients. “I am privileged to introduce Lynne to the community,” said Michael Welnicki, the division’s head. “She brings unparalleled insight into the benefits, insurance, and financial challenges of organizations of all scopes and sizes, and the expansion allows Webber & Grinnell to add group medical, dental, life, and disability insurance to its portfolio of business insurance.”

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Community Enterprises announced the appointment of Paula Tessier as Director of Employment and Training Programs at the Greenfield office. She will manage all aspects of those programs and implement the organization’s mission and values by overseeing community-based employment and training services for individuals with disabilities. Previously in Boston, Tessier managed statewide community programs in youth violence and suicide prevention and also managed federal grants that refined protocols for the state Department of Public Health. She has a history of assisting Greenfield residents, as she was previously responsible for overseeing the coordination of five local, grass-roots, anti-poverty programs. She also managed the Woman in Action Center and the local Food Pantry sites while serving as the Community Programs director for Community Action of Franklin County. Tessier earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut and completed master studies in international and intercultural service, leadership, and management at the School of International Training in Brattleboro, Vt.

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Proteus Fund appointed activist, advocate, nonprofit executive, and philanthropic leader Paul Di Donato as its new President and CEO. He brings a wealth of experience from his 30 years of fighting for justice and equality in the areas of LGBTQ rights, HIV/AIDS and public health, gender and racial justice, and other rights and social-change issues. He has served as interim president of Proteus Fund for the past year and worked at the organization for more than nine years. Di Donato served for eight years as director of the Proteus Fund’s Civil Marriage Collaborative (CMC), a funder collaborative that granted more than $21 million in its 11-year existence to advocacy organizations engaged in comprehensive public-education and organizing efforts. The strategic philanthropic leadership provided by the CMC contributed to the massive turnaround in public opinion and support on this issue, culminating in the June 2015 Supreme Court ruling extending marriage equality nationally. “We couldn’t have asked for someone with greater philanthropic, leadership, and networking skills, combined with a deep understanding of Proteus’ social-justice work,” said Jason Franklin, chair of Proteus Fund’s board of directors. “Paul played a central role on a critical issue where our side had a clear win — civil marriage. Philanthropy must play an even greater and more aggressive leadership role to achieve these types of victories which will be needed now more than ever.” This past year as interim president, Di Donato has successfully overseen a record-breaking grant-making year, a deepening of the scope and impact of the program portfolio, and development of important new work opportunities. He feels the organization’s greatest strength is that it engages philanthropists as strategic partners, utilizing a collaborative approach to create outcome-oriented social-justice grant-making initiatives. “Of central importance to our success is the ability to master the delicate balance between crafting and executing effective long-term philanthropic strategies while remaining flexible enough to shift tactics and priorities in response to evolving circumstances on the ground,” Di Donato said. “Every program, every issue area we work on is more relevant and urgent than ever given this current social, economic, and political climate.”

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Maria Acuña

Kathy Hardy

Stephen Holstrom

Stefanie Renaud

The Gray House recently inducted four new board members to a three-year term: Maria Acuña, Kathy Hardy, Stephen Holstrom, and Stefanie Renaud. The newly elected board president is Kathleen Lingenberg. Other board officers are Susan Mastroianni, Vice President; Rick Marcil, Clerk; and Candace Pereira, Treasurer. Acuña is broker/owner of Maria Acuña Real Estate, a family-owned business located on Sumner Avenue in Springfield. Hardy has been the human resource manager for the Springfield Housing Authority since 2009. Holstrom is an attorney at Alekman DiTusa, LLC in Springfield. Renaud is an associate in the Springfield office of Skoler Abbott & Presser. Lingenberg is the owner of Community Outcomes in Longmeadow, which provides consulting services on housing and community-development activities. Mastroianni is a media consultant and was previously partner and director of Media Services at FitzGerald & Mastroianni Advertising in Springfield. Marcil is the owner of Golden Ear Studios, a voiceover and music studio in Southwick. Pereira is a commercial portfolio loan officer for Farmington Bank in West Springfield. The Gray House is a small, neighborhood service agency located in the North End of Springfield at 22 Sheldon St. Its mission is to help neighbors facing hardships to meet their immediate and transitional needs by providing food, clothing, and educational services in a safe, positive environment.

Chamber Corners

www.easthamptonchamber.org

Chamber Corners Departments

A schedule of Western Massachusetts Chambers of Commerce events February 6, 2017

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• Feb. 8: Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar, 63 North Pleasant St., Amherst. Sponsored by UMass Athletics and the Masonic Angel Fund. Come join the Chamber at Bistro 63, a community-minded business, for some Cajun and Italian cuisine. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register online at www.amherstarea.com.

EAST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.erc5.com

(413) 575-7230

• Feb. 9: ERC5 Lunch and Learn in Partnership with the West of the River Chamber, noon to 1:30 p.m., at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Topic: “Robert’s Rules of Order: How to Run an Effective Meeting.” Guest speaker: Robert MacDonald, executive director, Work Opportunity Center Inc. Cost: $35, including a buffet lunch. Register online at www.erc5.com.

• Feb. 17, March 3, March 31: The Dale Carnegie Leadership Course on Transformational Leadership, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by Cartamundi, 443 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow. This three-day training is designed for executive senior managers. Cost: $1,600 for members, $1,700 for non-members. (Chamber members: use code 2525 when registering for discount.) To register, e-mail Robert Dickson, president, Dale Carnegie Training, at [email protected] or call (203) 723-9888.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• Feb. 10: Seminar: “Tips and Tricks for Excel,” 8:30-10:30 a.m., conducted by Pioneer Training, hosted by Hampton Inn Chicopee, 600 Memorial Dr. Cost: $40 for members, $50 for non-members. Register at www.chicopeechamber.org.

• Feb. 15: Annual Meeting and Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Register at www.chicopeechamber.org.

• Feb. 22: Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Elms College, 291 Springfield St., Chicopee. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register at www.chicopeechamber.org.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 527-9414

• March 9: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Nini’s, 124 Cottage St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Web-tactics Inc. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register online at www.easthamptonchamber.org.

• March 17: St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon 2017, noon to 2:30 p.m. at Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway, Southampton. Sponsored by AZ Storage & Properties, Finck & Perras Insurance Agency, and Taylor Real Estate. Join us for a feast of corned beef and cabbage as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This year’s keynote speaker is Northwestern District Attorney Dave Sullivan. Special appearance by The Pioneer Valley Fiddlers. We will also honor the Greater Easthampton Parade Committee Grand Marshals, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cadieux. We will also recognize 2017 award recipients for the Gallagher Walker Award: Melissa Pike, and the Shamrock Award: Easthampton’s first responders (accepted by Chief Bob Alberti & Chief Motter). Also attending as guests of honor are the 2017 Distinguished Young Women of Greater Easthampton. To register, e-mail the chamber at [email protected].

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• Feb. 8: Economic Development Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the the Summit View Banquet and Meeting House, 555 Northampton St., Holyoke. Sponsored by Goss & McLean Insurance, United Personnel, United Bank, Holyoke Community College, Hadley Printing, and Marcotte Ford. Guest Speakers include Marcos Marerro, director of Economic Development, Holyoke; Mike Sullivan, town administrator, South Hadley; and Mike Vedovelli, director of Economic Development, Chicopee. Hear how our community local leaders seek to cultivate a strong, sustainable, and economically vibrant community. Cost: $23 for members who sign up before Feb. 4; $28 for non-members, walk-ins, or members who sign up after Feb. 4. Register online at www.holyokechamber.com.

• Feb. 15: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Conklin Office Furniture, 56 Canal St., Holyoke. Sponsored by DeRenzy Document Solutions. Join us for a casual networking experience. Dress for Success will be on hand to collect new and gently worn business attire. Live entertainment, drinks, catered hors d’ouevres, music, and raffles. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register online at holyokechamber.com.

• March 8: Chamber Coffee Buzz, 7:30-8:30 a.m., at Loomis Communities, Jarvis Avenue, Holyoke. Sponsored by Loomis Communities & United Personnel. The Coffee Buzz series is a morning networking program that provides chamber members and guests the opportunity to make new contacts and exchange business information over a light breakfast. The format includes a 30-second introduction of each guest, the host has a five- to 10-minute promotional opportunity, and rest of the event is mingling. No charge. Register online at www.holyokechamber.com.

• March 15: St. Patrick’s Day Business Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Join us for our business breakfast as we celebrate the 2017 St. Patrick’s Parade Committee award winners, the Grand Colleen and her court, local business milestones, and new chamber members. Register by March 3 for discounted price. Visit holyokechamber.com or call (413) 534-3376 for more information.

• March 22: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Summit View Banquet and Meeting House, 555 Northampton St., Holyoke. Meet up with your business associates for networking, food, a 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Stop in for a bite and say hello to our host, Mike Hamel. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. No invoicing under $20. Register online at www.holyokechamber.com.

• March 24: Leadership Holyoke 2016-17, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Holyoke Medical Center (location subject to change). A series of eight days comprise Leadership Holyoke 2016-17. Faculty members from Holyoke Community College will participate as instructors and facilitators. Community leaders will participate as speakers and discussion leaders. Tuition varies by program and is due at the start of the course. The fee also covers continental breakfasts, the graduation luncheon, and a trip to the State House in Boston. For business people learning to become community leaders, tuition is $600. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 for registration information.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) 584-1900

• March 3: 2017 Annual Meeting, noon to 2 p.m., host to be announced. Sponsored by PeoplesBank. A fun meeting with your chamber colleagues, including chamber trivia, where we’ll test your knowledge of our members. A fun wrap-up of 2016 and preview of 2017. Presentation of the Dan Yacuzzo Community Leadership Award. Cost: $35 for members, $40 for non-members. Register online at www.explorenorthampton.com.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• Feb. 6: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., at the Holyoke Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Join us for our monthly Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. Free and open to the public. Call Pam at the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618 to register for this event so we may give our host a head count.

• Feb. 8: After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., at Tucker’s Restaurant and Pro Tour & Cruises, 625 College Highway, Southwick. Sponsored by Romeo & Julietta Bags. Bring your business cards and make connections. Refreshments served, and 50/50 raffle to benefit two Citizen’s Scholarships. Cost: free for members, $10 for general admission (cash or credit card).

• Feb. 9: Lunch and Learn: “Robert’s Rules of Order: How to Run an Effective Meeting,” noon to 1:30 p.m., at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Dr., West Springfield. Learn how to utilize common rules and procedures for deliberation and debate in order to place the whole room on the same footing. Guest speaker: Robert MacDonald, executive director, Work Opportunity Center Inc. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for general admission.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• March 22: March Ladies Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. An afternoon of fun and networking.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.myonlinechamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• Feb. 9-March 23: Leadership Institute, 1-4 p.m., at the TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. The 2017 Leadership Institute, designed for mid- and upper-level managers, includes an emphasis on strategies and techniques designed to create high-energy and high-involvement leadership. The institute is a partnership between the Springfield Regional Chamber and Western New England University, with support from MGM Springfield and The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation. Tuition is $885 per participant. The institute runs for seven consecutive Thursdays. For questions about the program or the application process, call Jessica Hill at (413) 755-1310.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook Departments

News and notes about area businesses February 6, 2017

Bay Path Launches Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling

LONGMEADOW — The need for genetic counselors keeps growing; there are just 4,000 certified genetic counselors in the country today, or one for every 80,000 Americans. To respond to this need, Bay Path University has launched a new master of science program in genetic counseling, naming Nancy Steinberg Warren program director. “I am excited to help launch Bay Path’s genetic counseling graduate program,” Warren said. “By taking advantage of current instructional technology through hybrid course delivery, students from varied backgrounds will have maximum accessibility and flexibility to become genetic counselors in 21 months. Graduates will be poised to fill future clinical, research, and laboratory-based roles in this growing field.” The program is a hybrid of on-ground and online learning that will prepare graduates for careers in the burgeoning field of genetic counseling. As a profession, genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease. The program will accommodate students in the university’s East Longmeadow graduate health science facility, the Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center. Online courses and hands-on field-work experience in nearby genomic laboratories will further prepare students for the growing list of jobs available in the industry. Warren comes to Bay Path with more than 30 years of experience in genetic counseling. Her primary expertise has been in education and training of students, healthcare professionals, and the public. She developed and directed the genetic-counseling graduate program at the University of Cincinnati for two decades, and she was interim director of the Long Island University Genetic Counseling Program in 2013. She has held many leadership roles in the field, including serving on the board of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the American Board of Genetic Counseling. Warren is credited with developing a web-based cultural and linguistic competence toolkit for the genetic-counseling profession and an online case-module series approved for continuing education, the Genetic Counseling Cultural Competence Toolkit, available at geneticcounselingtookit.com. In 2013, she was further recognized as a thought leader in the field as the first recipient of the NSGC Cultural Competency Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a master’s degree in human genetics from Sarah Lawrence College.

Square One Awarded Mutual Impact Grant by MassMutual

SPRINGFIELD — Square One has been awarded a $100,000 grant by MassMutual through the company’s Mutual Impact community-investment program. Mutual Impact is funded by MassMutual employees through the company’s annual employee-giving program and matched by the MassMutual Foundation, a dedicated corporate foundation established by MassMutual. This is the second year that Square One has received a Mutual Impact grant. “We are so incredibly grateful to the MassMutual team for their belief in our mission and long-standing, generous support for our work,” said Kristine Allard, chief development & communications officer for Square One. “The funds we receive through this grant will support over 1,000 children and families who rely on Square One for innovative literacy programming.” The Mutual Impact program is completely driven by MassMutual employees. Employees choose cause areas and nonprofit organizations to receive funding, make donations which are matched dollar-for-dollar by the MassMutual Foundation to fund grants, and volunteer in support of the organizations they select. Selected nonprofits have demonstrated excellence in their organization, volunteer opportunities, and community impact. “Corporate responsibility and community involvement are part of our DNA, and we take great pride in helping people in the communities where we live and work secure a better future,” said Dennis Duquette, head of Community Responsibility with MassMutual and president of the MassMutual Foundation board of directors. “Square One tirelessly devotes time and energy in support of families in our local community, and we are pleased to support them through the Mutual Impact program.” Mutual Impact grants were awarded to 21 nonprofit organizations for programs that fit within specific cause areas, including early-grade reading proficiency, food security, violence prevention, family economic self-sufficiency, returning veterans, successful advancement in school, child hunger, and education.

Comcast Donates Computers to CHD Residential Program

SPRINGFIELD — The Center for Human Development (CHD) announced that Comcast has made a donation of 25 Dell Latitude laptop computers with an estimated value of $5,000 to its Caring Together residential programs. “Comcast is committed to digital literacy,” said Dan Glanville, vice president of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Comcast’s Western New England Region, which includes Western Mass. “We want the next generation of young people to be literate, use computers, and understand the resource that computers can be in their lives. Since CHD Caring Together Residential Programs focus on improving the lives of some of our community’s most vulnerable young people, we hope that these laptops can help make a crucial difference in their lives today and for their future. It is truly inspiring to learn of some of the successful stories of these youth, especially considering the challenges they have faced in their life’s journey.” The laptops will be distributed among the eight CHD Caring Together residential treatment group home locations in Western Mass. Caring Together serves youth who struggle with issues related to trauma, abuse, depression, self-harm, and substance use, among others. CHD’s on-site teams provide the youth with integrated mental-health, occupational-therapy, and nursing services, combined with direct-care staff members who are specially trained and included in the treatment plan. Referrals to all Caring Together residential treatment group homes are made through the state Department of Children and Families or Department of Mental Health. “Just about everyone these days has a phone, but the young people we serve through Caring Together do not typically come from homes where computers were either available or seen as a learning resource,” said Kimberley Lee, vice president, Office of Advancement at CHD. “The youth we serve are at transition age and may soon be living on their own, so helping them develop independent living skills is truly critical. Comcast understands the breadth and scope of CHD’s work, and their people determined that CHD Caring Together would be a prime and relevant partner to receive these donated laptops. We could not be more excited.” According to Lee, having computers on site at Caring Together programs will provide great tools to help the residents get organized with homework and research projects at school, access learning resources such as Kahn Academy, improve financial literacy and money-management skills, apply for employment, register for SATs and scholarships, complete applications for higher education, and more. “It’s important to understand that state contracts and federal funds that help pay operating expenses for Caring Together are highly prescriptive and cannot be used for things like computers,” said Lee. “This generous donation by Comcast will help CHD made a crucial difference in the lives of youth who can benefit greatly from the resources available through digital literacy.”

NetLogix Scores 99.4% Customer-satisfaction Rating for 2016

WESTFIELD — NetLogix engaged a third-party monitoring system, SmileBack, in 2016 that allows customers to rate their satisfaction with each service event. In 2016, NetLogix received an extremely favorable customer satisfaction rating of 99.4%. This is an aggregate rating over thousands of service events from clients. “We are honored that our clients are happy with the services we provide,” said Marco Liquori, CEO of NetLogix. “We continue to listen to our clients to understand and deliver the best customer experience and IT services in the region.” NetLogix posts on its website the rolling, 90-day customer-satisfaction (CSAT) scores. SmileBack also recognized NetLogix in its Dec. 21, 2016 blog as being a standout with the highest net CSAT score achieved in 2016. NetLogix is one of thousands of service providers that use the service. Headquartered in Westfield, NetLogix is a network-management, cloud, and systems technology integrator providing end-to-end solutions that ensure business integrity for small, medium, and enterprise-level clients.

Berkshire Bank Receives Three Davey Awards

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced it has received three Davey Awards for advertising design. The bank received silver awards for “2015 Berkshire Hills Bancorp,” an annual report; “Firestone Financial, a Berkshire Bank Company,” a brochure; and “What’s Your Game Plan?” direct sales support collateral. The Davey Awards honor the best creative products in design, web, video, mobile, advertising, and social media from small agencies all over the world. Endorsed and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, the Davey is an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a host of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. For more information on the Davey Awards, or to read the full listing of all 2016 winners, visit www.daveyawards.com.

Valley Blue Sox Announce 2017 Schedule

SPRINGFIELD — The Valley Blue Sox recently announced their 2017 schedule. As was the case in 2016, the Sox will play a 44-game slate, with their home opener set for Thursday, June 8 against the Winnipesaukee Muskrats at 6:35 p.m. at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke. The Blue Sox have 10 home games slated for the month of June and 12 scheduled for July. The full schedule is available at www.valleybluesox.com. “The biggest and most important thing is that all but three home games this season will be played on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday,” said Blue Sox President Clark Eckhoff. “That maximizes the accessibility for fans — they won’t have to worry as much about school nights, getting to work the next day, and the like. They can come out and do what they’re supposed to do at a baseball game — and that’s have fun with their families.” The Blue Sox will kick off 2017 on the road on Tuesday, June 6 versus North Adams. It’s the first time the Blue Sox have opened on the road in four years. “You know the home opener is coming no matter what — but it’s always nice to have those few extra days to get things ready the way you want them to be,” said Blue Sox General Manager Hunter Golden. “For the fans, the slightly later start date will just mean a better experience right out of the gate.” The Blue Sox promotional schedule will also be released in the coming months, Eckhoff said. “We’ve got some really exciting things on tap. Some staples like Star Wars night and Friday night fireworks will be back — and we’ve got about five new promotions that we think the fans will get really excited about.” Individual game tickets will go on sale starting March 1 and will cost $7 for adults and $5 for kids and seniors. Season tickets, flex packs, and group tickets are already on sale, and can be purchased either online at www.valleybluesox.com or by calling the Blue Sox ticket office at (413) 533-1100.

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

State Unemployment Rate Drops to 2.8% in December

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 2.8% in December, marking the sixth consecutive month the rate has declined, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday. The last time the state’s unemployment rate was at 2.8% was in December 2000. In December, preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 6,600 jobs over the month. The November job gain had an upward revision, with the state adding 7,000 jobs compared to the previously published 5,800-job-gain estimate. Over the year, Massachusetts has added 75,000 jobs. At 2.8%, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is down 2.1% over the year from 4.9% in December 2015. There were 73,300 fewer unemployed residents and 112,900 more employed residents over the year compared to December 2015. “For the past six months, the unemployment has continued to drop, and the labor-force participation rate has held steady over the year, which is very good news for the state,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said. “We are also pleased to see the state continues to add jobs in key sectors, such as education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; information; and construction.” In December, over-the-month job gains occurred in the education and health services; construction; professional, scientific, and business services; information; leisure and hospitality; financial activities; manufacturing; and other services sectors. The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — is 64.7%. Over the year, the labor-force participation rate has increased 0.2% compared to December 2015. Over the year, the largest private-sector percentage job gains were in construction; professional, scientific, and business services; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality. Massachusetts’ unemployment rate has remained lower than the national rate since April 2008. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the December national rate at 4.7%. Since the statewide rate peaked at 8.8% in September 2009, there are now 335,600 more Massachusetts residents employed and 202,700 fewer residents unemployed, as the labor force increased by 133,000.

VVM Announces 36 Startups in 2017 Accelerator

SPRINGFIELD — Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) announced the 2017 Startup Accelerator cohort this week. The 36 startups, chosen from more than 200 applicants received from around the world, represent high-quality, early-stage startups across more than eight industries, including technology, beauty, healthcare, transportation, and publishing. “We are excited by the diversity of industries represented in this cohort,” VVM CEO Liz Roberts said. “We are honored that they are choosing to invest their time in our accelerator. They will get intensive training, mentorship, and resources to take their startups to the next level.” Sixty-five percent of this year’s startups are led by women, and 36% are led by people of color. International teams from Canada, India, and Ghana will participate. “Educating startup founders is all about helping them minimize their startup risks. Over the next four months, these entrepreneurs and their teams are going to spend time analyzing their products, services, business models, and the markets they intend to disrupt,” said Paul Silva, VVM chief innovation officer and co-founder. “They will learn from successful entrepreneurs — people who have been exactly where these founders are.” VVM Startup Accelerator participants also develop relationships with funders and are eligible to win up to $50,000 in equity-free cash at the end of the program. The winners will be announced on Thursday, May 25 at an awards ceremony with an expected 600 people in attendance at the MassMutual Center. VVM’s visionary partners include MassMutual, MassDevelopment, the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, MassTech Collaborative, and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Another aspect of this year’s program is VVM’s partnership with Pathlight, a local organization which serves people with intellectual disabilities. The two organizations put out a national call for entrepreneurs with technology ideas that could increase independence for those with intellectual disabilities. After a rigorous selection process, two such startups were selected to participate in the accelerator: Galactic Smarties and Habit Stackr. Several of the companies accepted to the 2017 VVM Startup Accelerator are graduates of VVM’s mentorship program, including AlignMeeting, Bhlue Publishing, FootCare by Nurses, Hot Oven Cookies, Listen2aBook, Lumme, RecordME, Streamliners, TripleTote, and Yummy Yammy. The 2017 VVM Startup Accelerator cohort includes:
• AlignMeeting, business-productivity software facilitating best meeting practices to improve team efficiency before, during, and long after meetings;
• AuCoDe, the Google Alerts of controversies and crisis situations, providing early detection as a signal for hedge funds;
• Barakat Bundle, a curated package of life-saving solutions for mothers and newborns in South Asia;
• Bhlue Publishing, a cloud-based career-development platform for teens and young adults who are struggling to figure out a career direction;
• Bharat Babies, which produces developmentally appropriate children’s books that are inspired by the stories of India and South Asia;
• Connecticut Horse, a bimonthly print and online magazine for horse enthusiasts in Connecticut;
• Emotive Agility Training Center, a consulting company offering training tools and curricula for people with autism to crack the non-verbal code of social interactions;
• Enrichment Express, which provides instructors with the curriculum, materials, and logistical support needed to teach engaging enrichment classes to children 5 to 12 years old;
• Ernest Pharmaceuticals, programmed bacteria to eliminate metastatic cancer;
• Fields Center, which provides help for individuals with autism and families;
• FirmOffer, a software solution for legal recruiting enabling law students to make binding offers to law firms;
• FootCare by Nurses, foot-wellness experts;
• Galactic Smarties, which makes technology that supports independence for people of all ages and abilities;
• GeneRisk, which identifies genetic variants of autism allowing for better understanding of risk and ID targets for more personalized intervention;
• Genoverde Biosciences Inc., an agricultural biotech startup focused on improving crop yield for commercial farming through bioengineering;
• Habit Stackr, which helps people keep daily routines through brain science and a mobile app;
• Hot Oven Cookies, a handcrafted cookie bakery specializing in the delivery and curbside sales of warm, gourmet cookies;
• Kwema, which developed a smart bracelet that can call for help to friends and family, authorities, and Kwema’s safety communities;
• Listen2aBook, which makes audiobook production accessible to everyone;
• Lumme Inc., a startup funded by the National Cancer Institute that develops smart technology to help people quit smoking;
• M1 Tapes, which makes premium, contractor-grade tape measures;
• MEANS Database, a nonprofit technology company devoted to business-friendly food recovery;
• MyBarber, which provides on-site haircuts at offices, apartment complexes, and co-working spaces;
• NERv Technology, which is developing an implantable biochip platform to detect post-operative complications;
• New England Breath Technologies, which developing a pain-free diabetic monitoring device to improve outcomes of patients;
• Nonspec, which has created a low-ost, durable, and adjustable prosthetic system;
• Paysa, which is developing a fingerprint-authorized cashless payment system for stores in rural India with the goal of increasing bank-account owners;
• ProjectMQ, a social-media app for independent game studios and fans worldwide;
• RateFrame, which helps users highlight and share the best parts of any video;
• RecordME, a studio-recording company that provides hardware, engineers, and distribution so content creators and venues can make more money;
• Streamliners, which sells aerodynamic devices to the trucking industry, saving $4,000 per truck per year in fuel costs, paying for itself in three months;
• Trabapido, an online marketplace that helps individuals and businesses find and hire service providers, such as plumbers, painters, and tutors;
• TripBuddy, a ride-sharing startup;
• Tripletote, which manufactures consumer products that help people carry items as they travel, commute, shop, and work;
• VaxAtlas, which provide real-time access to one’s vaccine history, helping to avoid unnecessary repeat vaccines, identify missed vaccines, and alert for outbreaks; and
• Yummy Yammy, which helps busy people eat better, one deliciously addictive sweet potato at a time.

Simon Youth Foundation Seeks Scholarship Applicants

LEE — Simon Malls and Simon Premium Outlets in New England announced that, once again, its malls and centers — including Lee Premium Outlets — will help deserving graduating seniors pay for college. Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, is looking for qualified applicants. Each year, Simon Youth Community Scholarships are awarded in every community across the country that is home to a Simon Malls or Premium Outlets center. The application period ends on March 1. Students can apply online by visiting syf.org/scholarships. Any student who will be graduating in the class of 2017 and lives in the community surrounding a Simon property is eligible. Applicants can check their eligibility by entering their ZIP code at syf.org/scholarships. Recipients will receive up to $1,500 to enroll in an accredited college, university, or vocational or technical school. In addition, 11 regional Awards of Excellence will be given to top candidates. The regions eligible are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, New York, Orange County (Calif.), Orlando, and Seattle/Tacoma. Students from these areas will have the opportunity to receive a $10,000 award ($2,500 for up to four years). In 2016, the Simon Youth Foundation awarded $1.2 million to 300 students nationwide. Scholarship recipients will be selected by International Scholarship and Tuition Services Inc., a third-party administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills, and participation in school and community activities. Students who are the first in their family to pursue a post-secondary education will also be given close consideration. Recipients will be notified in May.

Horace Smith Fund Calls for Scholarship, Fellowship Applications

SPRINGFIELD — The Horace Smith Fund, a private foundation that offers scholarships and fellowships, has extended the application deadline date for the Walter S. Barr Scholarships and Fellowships until March 1, 2017, due to the low number of applications so far. Last year, The fund awarded $258,000 to 25 area students. “To date, we have received only 46 scholarship applications and 16 fellowship applications. It is surprising that more students haven’t applied yet,” said Teresa Regina, trustee and chair of the scholarship committee. “Applications can be downloaded or completed online. They are also available at every area high school and college or by contacting our office.” The Walter S. Barr Scholarship is available for graduates of Hampden County public and private high schools. Applicants may either be graduating high-school seniors or in college. Scholarship awards of $10,000 are distributed in annual installments of $2,500 and renewable each year until graduation. Recipients are selected on a variety of criteria, including their test scores, class rank, extracurricular activities, and a personal written account of why the student feels deserving of financial assistance. The Walter S. Barr Fellowship awards are made annually to those wishing to enroll in full-time graduate studies. In general, applicants must be residents of Hampden County. Awards are made to students pursuing a specific post-graduate degree. The award of $12,000 is distributed in annual installments of $4,000 for a maximum of three years. Awards will be made on the basis of all available information, including school records, recommendations, and examination scores. Consideration will be given to both the merit and financial need of the applicant. “We hope students take advantage of this local resource,” Regina said.

Incorporations

Departments Incorporations

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

ADAMS

Tandem Custom Builders Corp., 62 Commercial St., Adams, MA 01220. Brian J. Sadlow, 21 Crandall St., Adams, MA 01201. Residential and commercial construction.

BELCHERTOWN

Positive Learning Communities Inc., 840 Federal St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Teresa Dooley Smith, same. Creation of professional development materials.

GREAT BARRINGTON

The East Asian Cuisine Inc., 305 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Yaling Zheng, same. Restaurant.

HOLYOKE

Sullivan School, PTO Inc., 400 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040. Maureen Fitzgerald, 32 Hitchcock St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Parent and teacher association created to raise funds for the school to use for field trips, equipment, repairs library books, etc.

PITTSFIELD

Shire City Sanctuary Inc., 40 Melville St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Joseph Method, 9 Mountain View Ave., Housatonic, MA 01236. Marketplace offering shared work and event space to the region nurturing creative collaboration, community, and economic development.

SWS Beverage Distribution Inc., 147 Tyler St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Sarwat Sultana, same. Wholesale beverage distribution (non-alcohol).

RUSSELL

Skyline Logistics Inc., 265 Dickinson Hill Road, Russell, MA 01071. Calvin Burkovskiy, same. Truck leasing.

SPRINGFIELD

Sunshine’s Learning Daycare Inc., 215 Bristol St., Springfield, MA 01109. Pauline Finch, same. Educational service, training, instruction.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Quality Renovations Inc., 74 Elm St., 534, West Springfield, MA 01089. Craig McCarthy, Same. Construction.

Rave Mobile Communication (RMC) Inc., 659 Main St., No. 1, West Springfield, MA 01089. David H. Lim, same. Retail and repairs.

Tau Kappa Epsilon Lambda Sigma Alumni Association Inc., 680 Westfield St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Colin Calhoun, 25 Appaloosa St., West Springfield, MA 01089. The association shall foster camaraderie among alumnae of the Lambda Sigma Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity at Keene State College and to serve in extending knowledge in the academic and extracurricular activities of the association.

WESTFIELD

Roots Athletic Center Inc., 199 Servistar Industrial Way, Westfield, MA 01085. Frank A. Demarinis, 89 Pomeroy Road, Montgomery, MA 01085. Athletic sports services.

Doing Business As Certificates

Bankruptcies Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of January 2017.

AGAWAM

Anytime Fitness
200 Silver St., #112
Marie Ball

DeCosmo Industrial Auctions
62 Cecile St.
Thomas DeCosmo

Recapital Media
417 Springfield St., #212
John Giordano

AMHERST

Amherst Towing and Recovery, LLC
305 Northeast St.
James Wagner, Joseph Wagner

Jalieh & Partners
85 Olympia Dr., Apt. 2
Jalieh Shepard

Lorin Starr Consulting
34 Main St. #7
Lorin Starr

Moriarty Woodworking
145 Glendale Road
Mark Moriarty

Wisdom Technologies
16 Summerfield Road
Ming Yan

BELCHERTOWN

Jennifer Underwood Photo
143 Aldrich St.
Jennifer Underwood

CHICOPEE

Broadway Auto Shop Inc.
376 Broadway St.
Kassem Kabbout

Dainty Cottage Decor
117 Telegraph Ave.
Elizabeth Irwin

Health Care Resource Centers
628 Center St.
Community Health Care Inc.

Kentco South Inc.
704 Memorial Dr.
Kent Smith

Royal Coach Sales LLC
576 East St.
John Garcia

VIP Pest Solutions
151 Woodcrest Circle
Jason Fortin

DEERFIELD

Darkstone
315 Upper Road
Gabriel Dark

EASTHAMPTON

D & L Cleaning
25 Franklin St.
Denial Bond

Liberty Tax Service
53 Union St.
Saqib Tasneem

Northeast Piano Service
11 Union Court
John Fish

Pleasant Variety & Package Store
42 Pleasant St.
Majid Malik

EAST LONGMEADOW

Laplante Construction
61R North Main St., Suite 1
William Laplante

Omega Cleaners of East Longmeadow
14 Harkness Ave.
Joo Lee

GREENFIELD

Cherry Rum Automotive
451 Bernardston Road
RCK Enterprises Inc.

Foster’s Supermarket
70 Allen St.
Matthew Deane

Styles by Judy
466 Main St.
Judith Carter

HADLEY

Bibliotechnica
119 Middle St.
Robie Grant

Full of Grace Farm
150 Stockbridge St.
Laura Litterer

Jiffy Lube
347 Russell St.
Atlantic Coast Enterprises

Spruce Hill Motors
235 Russell St.
Randy Izer

HOLYOKE

Battat Glass
388 Dwight St.
Daniel Battat

Denison’s Mini Market
263 Hampden St.
Joshua Acevedo

Hoey Interior Designs
146 Morgan St.
Beth Hoey

Melo Deli Grocery
512 South St.
Luis Melo

V & S Tech LLC
50 Holyoke St.
Vusal Gasimov

LONGMEADOW

The Entrepreneur’s Source
32 Cambridge Circle
Steven Rosenkrantz

McMahon Consulting
557 Laurel St.
Stacey McMahan

Rainbow Pediatrics
84 Lawrence Dr.
Florence Odutola

LUDLOW

The Gomes Agency
364 East St.
Miguel Gomes

SDI Towing and Service
25 Joy St.
Fernando Barros

NORTHAMPTON

The Center for Compassionate Care
8 Trumbull Road
Norbert Bellivea

Health Care Resource Centers
297 Pleasant St.
Community Physicians, P.C.

Lularoe
28 Longview Dr.
Samantha Young

SEO Imagine
126 Main St.
Hanifah Robinson

Welch Law Offices
143 Main St.
Margo Welch

Work Tables & More
1 Glenwood Ave.
Timothy Donahue

PALMER

Fast Tax USA
1622 B North Main St.
John Murray

Ray’s Towing and Repair/Apple Automotive
1207 South Main St.
Raymond LaBonte Jr.

Simply Focused Coaching
2001 Calkins Road
Julie Manning

SOUTH HADLEY

The Egg & I Luncheonette
20 Main St.
David Simard

Pioneer Preservation
9 Rita Circle
Theodore Pontz

Private Financial Design, LLC
87 Willimansett St.
Andrew Beaudry

Tricia’s Skin Care
25 Parkview St.
Tricia Squier

SOUTHWICK

Trinity Research
13 Pine Knoll
Lina Racicot

SPRINGFIELD

Allhome Realty
293 Belmont Ave.
Tuan Anh Tran

Dream’s Eyebrows
76 Olmsted Dr.
Shiba Darjee

Exclusive Auto
720 Berkshire Ave.
Ronique Evans

Home City Roofing
64 Grandview St.
Kenneth Pooler Jr.

International Multiservices
2460 Main St.
Luis Liriano

JK Datalister
352 Longhill St.
James King

LFF Variety
302 Belmont Ave.
Hercules Robinson

Law Office of Bernard S. Cohen
34 Sumner Ave.
Bernard Cohen

Ludlow Floor Sanding
125 Parker St.
Steven Lauzon

Mobil Retailing Services
19 Shelby St.
Nicholas Liquori

Never Give Up on You
103 Drexel St.
Kelley Laroe

Numeracy Associates
94 Eleanor Road
Michael Bixler

Nunez Market
546 Worthington St.
Erika Nunez Dilone

Recca Construction
191 Lexington St.
Juan Recca

So Clean
119 Massreco St.
Lorensa Stinson

Springfield Macarons
34 Front St.
Jennifer Cruz

Sunshine Dental LLC
1245 Boston Road
Amit Kapoor

Westrock CP, LLC
320 Parker St.
Patrick Durkee

WARE

Charbonneau Funeral Home
30 Pleasant St.
Marc Varnum

GameStop #3758
350 Palmer Road, Suite 107
GameStop Inc.

JDJ Builders
16 Malboeuf Road
Denis Pelletier

Sunny & Shears, LLC
277 Palmer Road
Jessica Jablonski

WESTFIELD

Jiffy Lube #3417
90A South Maple St.
Atlantic Coast Enterprises LLC

R.J. Sanding
2 Cycle St.
Roger Cortis Jr.

United American Muslim Assoc. of Western Mass.
66 South Broad St.
Sadique Abdul

WILBRAHAM

Advanced Reserve Solutions
2205 Boston Road, Unit A8
Paul Huijing

Iron Cross-Fitness, LLC
65 Post Office Park
Ian Stratton

McClure Insurance Agency Inc.
2361 Boston Road
Marc McClure, William McClure, William McClure II

Triple S Construction Co.
9 Bradlind Ave.
Thomas Silva

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies Departments

Western Massachusetts Bankruptcies February 6, 2017

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

Berg, Kemah L.
5 Standish Court, Unit B.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/15/17

Burdin, Dolores J.
66 Cedar St.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/12/17

Ford, Valerie Jean
91 Sumner Ave., Apt. 1
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/12/17

Kaplan, Michael J.
26 Maynard St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/12/17

MacKinnon, Jonathan W.
57 Chickering St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/13/17

Martin, Susan A.
a/k/a Sue Martin Pallet
61 Fenton Road
Monson, MA 01057
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/13/17

Picard, Jennifer A.
246 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/13/17

Ryan, Raquel S.
44 Spring St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/14/17

Sheldon, Ann M.
132 Carew St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/12/17

Video Multi Media
Noyes, Scott D.
43 Flower St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/13/17

BusinessWest Calls for 40 Under Forty Nominations

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest magazine will accept nominations for the 40 Under Forty Class of 2017 through the end of the work day (5 p.m.) on Friday, Feb 17. The annual program, now in its 11th year, recognizes rising stars within the Western Mass. community, which includes Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

This year’s group of 40 will be profiled in the magazine’s April 17 edition, then toasted at the June 22 gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The nomination form, which can be found online at businesswest.com (click ‘Our Events’), requests basic information and can be supported with other material, such as a résumé, testimonials, and even press clippings highlighting an individual’s achievements in their profession or service to their community.

South Hadley & Granby Chamber Announces Leadership Transition

SOUTH HADLEY — The South Hadley & Granby Chamber of Commerce announced the resignation of Dale Johnston from his position as executive director. The chamber’s board of directors will initiate a search to fill this position. Interested individuals can visit the chamber website at shgchamber.com for more details.

The chamber acknowledges Johnston’s efforts and thanks him for his commitment and dedication throughout the years. He was responsible for many accomplishments in his service with the chamber. This past year, Johnston was instrumental in securing a new permanent home for the chamber, partnering with Connie Laplante Real Estate at 2 Lyman St., South Hadley. The chamber board wishes him success in future challenges and endeavors.

Bacon Wilson Promotes Melissa Gillis, Thomas Reidy to Shareholders

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson P.C. is pleased to announce that Melissa Gillis and Thomas Reidy have been promoted to shareholders of the firm.

“Melissa and Tom are exceptional attorneys and have distinguished themselves with their hard work and commitment to their clients and the firm,” said Managing Partner Kenneth Albano. “It has been a pleasure watching over the years as they worked to grow their individual legal practices and their community involvement. On behalf of all of our shareholders, we look forward to working with Melissa and Tom for years to come.”

Gillis is a member of Bacon Wilson’s family-law team. She regularly represents clients both in court and for alternative dispute resolution, and is a certified mediator. She is a trustee of Elms College.

Reidy is a member of Bacon Wilson’s real-estate and zoning team, where he handles land use, zoning, permitting, real-estate, environmental, and licensing matters. He focuses his practice in Bacon Wilson’s Amherst location, where he represents the interests of both individuals and businesses. He serves on the board of the UMass Court Club, and received the Super Lawyers Rising Star Award for 2015 and 2016.

Berkshire Bank Names Jason Edgar Director of Wealth Management

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced it has named Jason Edgar director of Wealth Management and interim chief information officer.

In his new role, Edgar will lead the bank’s wealth-management initiatives and oversee its investment process. He joined Berkshire Bank in 2014 and has been Wealth Management’s New England regional leader. Previously, he spent several years with Enterprise Investment Advisors in Andover, where he oversaw investment management. He has spent the last 16 years in wealth management, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut.

“Berkshire Bank is a strong, well-capitalized financial institution that continues to invest in wealth management with the recognition and promotion of talented team members to support our clients’ financial goals,” said Sean Gray, chief operating officer of Berkshire Bank. “We are delighted to designate Jason with this new director position as an extension of Berkshire Bank’s commitment to a customer-focused approach.”

WNEU Hosting Immigration Policy Forum Today

By BusinessWest Staff February 3, 2017

SPRINGFIELD — The Western New England University School of Law will host a regional forum on immigration policy today, Feb. 3, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Blake Law Center. The recent presidential election has focused significant attention on potential changes to the nation’s immigration laws and policies. While immigration issues have national implications, the ultimate impact can be very local. This symposium will discuss how communities in Western Mass. may be affected.

The forum will feature representatives from local community organizations and law firms that work on immigration issues on a daily basis. The panelists will present their perspectives on current policies, and how anticipated changes in immigration policies may affect the services they provide to their immigrant constituents. The presenters will also explain how interested students and community members can become involved.

The forum will provide accurate information to reduce the misinformation that is raising fears and concerns, and it will further the cooperation and collaboration among local service providers, advocates, and affected communities. Sudha Setty, professor of Law and associate dean for Faculty Development & Intellectual Life, will moderate.

The forum is free and open to the public. For more details, click here.

SRC Breakfast on March 1 to Present ‘8 Languages of Money’

By BusinessWest Staff February 3, 2017

SPRINGFIELD — Liz Dederer, founder of Selling With Service and co-creator of the 8 Languages of Money, will present “Speak Your Value with the 8 Languages of Money” at the Springfield Regional Chamber’s March Business@Breakfast. The breakfast will be held Wednesday, March 1 from 7:15 to 9 a.m. at the Colony Club, Tower Square, 1500 Main St., Springfield.

In this lively and engaging presentation, Dederer will share powerful strategies to close the sale through stronger conversations. She will explain what the 8 Languages of Money are, and how people can use them to build relationships and business.

Dederer’s presentation will be of interest to anyone who is responsible for driving revenue growth. She helps clients increase revenue by using the 8 Languages of Money for team building, leadership, sales, and marketing. Her clients have included Verizon Wireless, JP Morgan Chase, AT&T, Disney, CVS, and IBM. Before starting her own company in 2011, she created training programs and executed sales plans for international retailers and developed growth strategies for startups, turnaround, high-growth, and venture-capital-backed companies.

The breakfast will also recognize Christina Royal, new president of Holyoke Community College, and Revitalize CDC for its 25th anniversary.

Tickets cost $22.50 for Springfield Regional Chamber members in advance ($25 at the door) and $30 for general admission in advance ($35 at the door). Reservations can be made in advance online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or by e-mail to [email protected].

Berkshire Bank Foundation Awards Nearly $1.9 Million to Nonprofits

By BusinessWest Staff February 3, 2017