August 22, 2017 - BusinessWest

Jackson & Connor Owner Is Well-suited to the Challenges of Men’s Clothing Business

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Features

Off-the-Cuff Remarks

Owner Will Brideau

‘Safely quirky.’ Those are two words that generally don’t come together in a sentence. But Will Brideau uses the phrase often as he describes the products — and the mindset — at the men’s clothing store Jackson & Connor. This quality, if you will, is one of the reasons why the establishment continues to flourish despite sea changes, and rough water, within this sector.

‘Circumspect.’

That was the term Will Brideau chose — after giving the matter some considerable thought — when asked to describe consumers in this region and especially those in the market for men’s clothing.

Webster lists a number of synonyms for that word — including ‘prudent,’ ‘careful,’ ‘guarded,’ and ‘wary’ — and Brideau used all or most of them as he offered his answer to that question and, while doing so, explained the basic mindset at Jackson & Connor, the men’s clothing store in Northampton he’s owned since 2013.

Actually, what he said is that people in this market are “more circumspect,” with the implication being that all or most men’s clothing buyers are somewhat careful. But there was an important caveat as well.

We are a little more cautious here, but the thing that has delighted and surprised me is that, while being cautious, people are generally veering toward the more exciting and the more lively.”

“We are a little more cautious here,” he noted. “But the thing that has delighted and surprised me is that, while being cautious, people are generally veering toward the more exciting and the more lively.”

With that, Brideau, who became owner after working at the store for several years and studying (his term) under founders Tara Tetreault and Candace Connors, hit upon his primary mission. That would be effectively serving those who are cautious about their clothing investments — and he would stress repeatedly that this is what people are making — but also looking for the exciting and more lively. And this is an inexact science, to be sure.

“We go for ‘safely quirky,’” he explained, summoning a phrase he’s no doubt used frequently to describe what he sells. “It’s outside the normal. It’s not super basic, but something outside the ordinary, but not costumey; something that’s going to get you noticed and is going to be interesting, but doesn’t prompt someone to say, ‘Halloween isn’t until October, buddy.’”

Achieving all of this, and thus mastering how to serve the circumspect customer, has been a key focal point of a learning experience that Brideau says is very much ongoing, and won’t ever end, really. That’s because change, as it is in so many other business sectors, is a constant in this realm.

“I’m still learning — I learn new stuff every single day I’m in the store, which is part of the joy of it for me,” he explained. “It always keeps me on my toes and keeps me active in trying to discover new things.”

Actually, there are a number of forces keeping Brideau on his toes these days. Indeed, this is an intriguing, and quite challenging, time to be in men’s clothing — and retail in general.

A trend toward more casual clothing in the workplace continues, and many would say it is accelerating, with even bankers and lawyers eschewing suits and especially ties for designer jeans and flannel jackets.

Meanwhile, online shopping continues to grow in popularity, especially as Amazon and other outlets make it increasingly simple to return shoes and clothes that don’t fit perfectly and swap them out for items that do.

But Brideau says he believes the pendulum is swinging back on formal attire, and the all-important Millennial generation is a big factor in that equation. Meanwhile, locally, a thinning of the herd when it comes to men’s clothing stores — Williamson’s in Chicopee was the latest of several establishments to close their doors — has created ample opportunities.

Jackson & Connor owner Will Brideau says he believes the pendulum is starting to swing back when it comes to workplace attire, which bodes well for his venture.

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Brideau about how he intends to maximize those opportunities, while continuing to provide clothes in the category of ‘safely quirky.’

Ownership Material

As he offered BusinessWest both a quick tour of the store and some insight into how its shelves and racks are stocked, Brideau stopped at the pool table in the center of the room, a fixture since the establishment opened nearly a decade ago and an effective display area.

There, a sales associate was tying a colorfully patterned tie onto an equally colorful shirt chosen for special showcasing. There is a method to such work, noted Brideau, who’s done it for years, noting that it involves everything from effectively bringing out colors in both the shirt and the tie to spotlighting some of the 70-odd lines of clothing the store features.

“It’s a learned skill,” said Brideau. “Once you get a feel for it, it gets easier.”

The same can be said for just about every aspect of this business, he went on, adding that he can speak from experience on this topic — quite literally.

Indeed, Brideau said he knew almost nothing about the business of men’s clothing when he first walked into Jackson & Connor, the latest in a line of men’s clothing stores in that location on the second floor at Thornes Marketplace, back in 2010. And it wasn’t a long walk, to be sure.

At the time, Brideau was working just a few doors down, at Impish, where he sold strollers, children’s car seats, and related items. He said his first several visits to Jackson & Connor were purely as a customer, or window shopper, only there are no windows at this store.

“I would spend all of my time on break over at Jackson & Connor looking at all the stuff; I would drool over the pocket watches,” he recalled, adding that eventually the nature of the visits changed — or at least they took on an added dimension, one of potential employment.

“I would ask if they needed any part-time help,” he went on, adding that he lost a second job he had when the company in question closed, and he was aggressive and imaginative in his quest to replace it. “I knew absolutely nothing about men’s clothing, not the first thing. But I walked in there and said, “I love this store, I love everything in it, I don’t have any knowledge about this stuff, but if you ever wanted to hire anyone part-time, I’d love to work for you.”

“They said they’d think about it,” he continued, adding that this scenario would repeat itself several times before Tetreault and Connors finally took on Brideau as their first and only employee, thus beginning that ongoing learning experience he described earlier.

It nearly ended a few years later, when the partners pulled Brideau aside and told him they had plans to close the store — not because it wasn’t doing well, but because both of the owners essentially wanted to do something else.

The subject of the conversation eventually shifted to the prospect of Brideau buying the store from them, a proposition he initially shrugged off as unrealistic — although he was soon set straight.

“I told them I had neither the money nor the skill set to do that,” he recalled. “And they said, ‘you have the enthusiasm for menswear, and you can’t teach that; the running of the business is procedural — you learn how to do that job. The rest of it will come — if you’re passionate about it, if you care about it, if you love what you’re doing, that’s what’s most important.’”

Brideau conducted some introspection and concluded that he could check all those boxes, and so began his transformation from employee to owner.

“It was the best of all possible worlds — they wanted to get out, and I wanted to get in,” he explained. “I was just in the right place at the right time with the right opportunity and the right people to help me out and give me a chance.”

And, just as Tetreault and Connors said, the proverbial ‘rest’ as it pertains to managing the business has come. And the learning process continues as he guides the company to continued growth — sales have improved each year since he acquired the company — and new ventures such as a Jackson & Connor private label out on everything from ties to pants.

“The buying is the area where I think the learning curve keeps extending,” Brideau explained. “It’s so interesting to me. The more I buy for the store, the more I feel it becomes more complex and more interesting. That’s where I see a lot of exciting potential for the store — bringing in new lines, phasing out old ones that people are tired of, keeping things fresh, and keeping people interested.”

In other words, effectively serving customers who are, among other things, circumspect, while also dealing with the many seismic forces shaping this industry at the moment.

All this remains a labor of love for Brideau, who wears his passion on his sleeve — and on the vest and gray suit he was wearing the day he spoke with BusinessWest.

Patterns in the Market

As he talked about the art and science of buying for a shop like his these days, Brideau said the task is complicated even further by his clientele mix.

People are looking at these as investments — it’s that kind of thought process. You don’t need a suit until you need a suit, and when you need one, you don’t always have a week to 10 days to special-order one and then another week to 10 days to get it tailored.”

To say it’s broad would be an understatement, with customers ranging in age from roughly 35 to 65 (meaning mostly professionals) with a wide range of tastes and, well, persuasions, if you will. Indeed, some of his customers — in fact, a growing number of them — are not men.

“Increasingly, I’m drawing customers from the LGBTQ community who are looking to dress nicely, don’t feel comfortable wearing women’s stuff, and appreciate the construction and the quality we’re really fortunate to have in menswear,” he explained. “It’s a hallmark of the industry that this stuff is meant to be more of an investment; it’s not fast fashion. And men’s clothing was meant to be tailored — it’s not ‘here’s your medium … good luck.’ Men’s clothing gives people more control over how you present yourself to the world, which is invaluable.”

So one size doesn’t fit all, and one style doesn’t fit all, either, he went on, which makes his buying trips to New York, Las Vegas, and Boston every six months even more challenging — and fun.

As for the trend toward more casual clothes in the workplace, Brideau said that movement is definitely real and ongoing, and anecdotes abound about professionals leaving ties in the closet because they don’t need them with the golf shirts and other types of casual attire they’re wearing to the office.

Brideau had one of his own. “One of my former employees went to work in IT,” he noted. “And one of his first comments when he got that job was, ‘Will, one of these guys doesn’t even wear a belt — forget about a collared shirt or a tie or a jacket.’

“Things have changed a lot when it comes to how people dress for work, and it is what it is,” he went on, channeling his inner Bill Belichick, before offering the opinion, as well as the hope, that the pendulum is in fact swinging back in the other direction, and Millennials are a big part of the reason for that.

“People are starting to invest a little more in suits, particularly having one, two, or maybe three suits that fit you really nicely and that you can break apart and wear as a jacket,” he explained. “You can wear it to a funeral, a wedding, a graduation, a party. Also, people who are getting married now are wearing suits instead of tuxes, because they want to buy something they’re actually going to be able to wear after the fact.

“People are looking at these as investments — it’s that kind of thought process,” he went on. “You don’t need a suit until you need a suit, and when you need one, you don’t always have a week to 10 days to special-order one and then another week to 10 days to get it tailored.”

Beyond these practical sides to the equation, there is some — or more, to be more precise — thinking along the lines of the phrase ‘fashion statement,’ Brideau told BusinessWest, which he has seen anecdotally, and which bodes well for this business.

“That approach to clothing, the ‘what I wear actually does matter, and the way I dress myself really changes the way that other people interact with me in the world’ … we’re seeing a lot more of that lightbulb going off in people’s heads,” he explained. “And that’s fun for us to watch. People will come out of the dressing room, they’re wearing a nicely tailored suit and crisp white shirt that fits them properly, and a tie with a more modern width, and they say, ‘cool, I look great.’

“Witnessing those moments, seeing those faces, is where we get our enjoyment in this job,” he went on. “Seeing that transformation is rewarding, and we’re seeing it a lot more.

Vested Interests

As he wrapped up his tour of the store, Brideau referenced some new lines of ties and how well they were doing from a sales-performance perspective.

This success makes Jackson & Connor somewhat of an outlier within the industry, he explained, because the tie has really taken a hit in the workplace and almost everywhere else these days.

“I think our success stems from the fact that we carry really unusual ties, items you can’t find anywhere else,” he explained. “It’s either fabrics that literally do not exist anymore — they were made 50 or 60 years ago — or patterns you don’t come across at most other shops that have mostly solids and basics. We tend to really focus on things that are weird and outside the normal.”

But still within that category of ‘safely quirky,’ two words that go a long way toward explaining why this establishment is well-suited, in every sense of that phrase, to succeed in an ever-more-challenging marketplace.

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

Doing Business as Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of August 2017.

AMHERST

Carter J. Carter, LICSW
26 South Prospect St.
Carter Carter

Hampshire Cardiovascular Associates
17 Research Dr.
Hampden & Franklin County Cardiovascular Associates, LLC

Jang Colt
12 Teawaddle Lane
Thomas White

MA Sachem Capital
264 Harkness Road
John Villano, Jeffrey Villano

CHICOPEE

CCHS Cheer Booster
34 Connell St.
Amanda Barnes

Embark Films
165 Front St., Suite 2411
Dmitry Gordievsky

I.W. Welding Services
1149 Burnett Road
Wilfred Thibodeau

Janusz Lecko Home Improvement
28 Brouillard Dr.
Janusz Lecko

Twice as Nice Roofing
269 Broadway
Lamont Westley

West End Transportation Inc.
78 West St.
Charles Sulder

DEERFIELD

Norman E. Young Construction
75 South Mill River Road
Norman Young

Two Feathers Restoration & Design, LLC
707 Greenfield Road
Brian Artherton

EASTHAMPTON

The Black Labyrinth Tattoo Syndicate
46 Union St.
Joshua Suchoza

Corbeil Construction
148 Park St.
J. Randall Corbeil

EAST LONGMEADOW

Educating Youth Services
200 North Main St., Suite 3
Simone Phillips

Folk Art Jewelry
8 Westernview Dr.
Laura Pixley

Glamour Nails & Spa
40 Harkness Ave.
Heidi Nguyen

Obsessions
10 Center Square
Alicsia O’Connor

Pampered Pets
576 North Main St.
Denise Degon

GREENFIELD

H.S. Masonry
259 Wells St.
Howard Sheperd

Taproot Threads
69 Pierce St.
Carol Michelfelder

HADLEY

PRH Construction
115 Mt. Warner Road
Peter Heronemus

VIP Nails Spa
331 Russell St.
Cindy Tai

HOLYOKE

20089 Inc.
50 Holyoke St.
Harry Chen

Hillerby Photography
532 Main St., Suite 304
David Hillerby

J.M. Hollister, LLC (#30125)
50 Holyoke St.
J.M. Hollister, LLC

Master Heo’s Tai Kwon Do
225 South St.
Hoon Heo

Real China Restaurant
1529 Northampton St.
Zijian Yan

Rivera Auto Sales & Repair
243 Elm St.
Josue Rivera

LONGMEADOW

Elke Muller
171 Concord Road
Elke Muller

Hasper Counseling
12 Converse St.
Patricia Hasper

Joe Welch Consulting
37 South Park Ave.
Joseph Welch

LUDLOW

C.L. Diesel Repair Inc.
403A West St.
Corey Lajoie

Joe’s Auto Body Inc.
199 West Ave.
Joaquim Mateus

T & J Construction
87 Kirkland Ave.
Thomas Marshall Jr.

NORTHAMPTON

Brooks & Butterfield the Day Spa
140 Main St., 2nd Floor
Shannon Fleury

Franklin Forge
16 Market St., #2B
Jeffrey Wilkins

Hero Barber & Mercantile
98 Pleasant St.
Norman White, Christopher Wolf

Northampton Motorworks
45 Main St.
Cyrus Shirazi

Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, LLC
273 Main St.
Curtis Rich

Solis Coaching
53 Warburton Way
Ivan Queiroz

Speedway 2405
237 King St.
Anthony Kenney, David Ball, Ronald Edmiston

Therapyretreat.org
320 Riverside Dr.
Jesse Ladner

PALMER

9 to 5 Business Solutions
2264 Main St.
Arthur Rodrigues Alves

Antique Junction
1294 South Main St., Suite 1
Robin Lamothe, Blake Lamothe

Dave’s Overhead Doors
37 Juniper Dr.
David Skelton

Home Improvements by Brian Fitzgerald
117 River St.
Brian Fitzgerald

Meadows Driving School
1339 Main St.
Derrick Mason

Stardust Organics
3090 Palmer St.
Pamela Rickenbach

Steaming Tender Restaurant
28 Depot St.
Robin Lamothe, Blake Lamothe

SOUTHWICK

Dorsey Installations
292 North Loomis Road
Anthony Dorsey

Guidance for Inner Peace
809 College Highway
Louis Pagano

SPRINGFIELD

Alexus Taxi
34 Florida St.
Ibrahim Adil

B’s New and Used Items
971 East Columbus Ave.
Betty Maqquez

Dynamic Detailing
14 Daytona St.
Abaldberto Bernal Jr.

Elena Acevedo
109 Ardmore St.
Elena Acevedo

Elsie’s Consignment Shop
166 Main St.
Carlos Porfirio

Genealogy Know How
24 Malcolm Road
Deborah Pace

Good Times Property Service
30 Colburn Road
Ralph Faber

Greater Faith Tabernacle
318 St. James Ave.
Earl Reed

Greater Love Ministries
95 Mill St., #77
Mitchell DeBlock

Hissho Sushi
759 Chestnut St.
Lwin Family Co., LLC

M & P
2100 Roosevelt Ave.
Smith & Wesson Corp.

M.F. Kicks
181 Chestnut St.
Taurean Walden

Malecon Restaurant
137 Chestnut St.
Dominga Pujols

Max One Enterprise
288 Quincy St.
James Bennet Sr.

Pampered Tresses
63 Bretton Road
Erika Clarke

Selectronics
34 Front St.
Scott Lubarsky

Smith & Wesson Precision Components
2100 Roosevelt Ave.
Smith & Wesson Corp.

Sonny M. Almodovar
151 Leyfred Terrace
Sonny Almodovar

Uniquely Me by Vee
85 Maynard St.
Veronica Levy

Valley District Dental Society
275 Bicentennial Highway
Paul Nardi

Wearable Women
677 South Branch Parkway
Diane Sabato

WPL Construction Co.
1488 Parker St.
W. Paul Lemieux

WARE

Commercial Welding, Machining & Repair
1 Ashley St.
Beverly Adamsky

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Fat Boyz Customs
167 Norman St.
Eric Cross

Gooseberry Farms
201 Gooseberry Road
Leonard Lapinsky

Hobby Quest
270 Sibley Ave.
Forward Change

Kaluche Auto Detailing
1385 Riverdale St.
Yitzark Kaluche

King Pizza
1440 Memorial Ave.
Ufuk Kus

One Stop Mart
636 Kings Highway
Muhammad Awan

Tender Care Helping Hands
1434 Memorial Ave.
Juliet Munhenga

Thrive Glass
1639 Riverdale St.
Edward Belise

Viktor Gut
90 Orchardview St.
Viktor Gut

Willie Wheels Auto Polish
194 Baldwin St.
William Bayton

WILBRAHAM

Awen Educational Services
614 Main St.
Jennifer Rothschild-Shea

Deb Hanna Photography
14 Old Farm Road
Deb Hanna

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Departments Incorporations

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

EAST LONGMEADOW

PM Appraisal Services Inc., 245 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Peter Maruca, same. Appraisal business.

FEEDING HILLS

Mission with Hope Inc., 69 Barbara Lane, Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Nona Murauskay, same. Non-profit organization that provides help and assistance to the poor, needy and disadvantaged including children and orphans as provided in accordance with Christian charity.

HOLYOKE

Positronic Farms Inc., 903 Dwight St., Holyoke, MA 01040. David Caputo, same. Farming, sale of farming products.

MONSON

Pafumi’s Inc., 39 Cote Road, Monson, MA 01057. Mark Pafumi, same. Pizza restaurant.

PITTSFIELD

MM Foods Inc., 10 Wendell Ave. Ext., Suite 4, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Mark Martin, 24 Greenings Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Restaurant.

Patriot Driveway Inc., 343 Pecks Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Michael L. Manning, 5 Eastbrooke Lane, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Asphalt paving and driveway sealing.

SHEFFIELD

Pools by Aquatic Designs Inc., 241 Main St., Sheffield, MA 01257. Andrew Pedretti, same. Swimming pools sales and service.

SOUTHWICK

New England Disc Golf Center Inc., 51 John Mason Road Southwick, MA 01077. Drew Gardner, 248 Valley View Dr., Westfield, MA 01077. Commercial recreation.

SPRINGFIELD

North Atlantic Logistics Inc., 100 Progress Ave., Springfield, MA 01104. James Vieu, same. Transportation — provider of support activity.

Pixel & Frame Inc., 1607 Main Street, #B507, Springfield, MA 01103. Will Colon, same. Sound production consulting.

TURNERS FALLS

Nu-Rite Road Service Inc., 2 Alice St., Turners Falls, MA 01376. Russell Doel, same. Auto repair services.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Pioneer Valley Interiors Inc., 733 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Andrey Kaletin, same. Construction contractor.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Company Notebook Departments

UMass Amherst Tops in Campus Dining for Second Straight Year

AMHERST — The food in the UMass Amherst dining halls is so good that the Princeton Review came back for another helping, choosing the school as the national leader in collegiate dining in the U.S. for a second straight year. The announcement further cements UMass Dining’s reputation for serving up healthy, sustainable, and delicious food prepared by award-winning chefs, said Ken Toong, executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises at UMass Amherst. The rankings are based on surveys of 137,000 students at the schools in the guide. UMass Dining is the largest college dining-services operation in the country, serving 45,000 meals daily, or 5.5 million meals per year. Since 1999, overall participation the university’s meal plan has more than doubled from 8,300 participants to more than 19,200. A self-operated program committed to providing a variety of healthy world cuisines using the most sustainable ingredients, UMass Dining incorporates recipes from accomplished chefs and nutritionists as well as principles from the Culinary Institute of America and Harvard School of Public Health to its cycle menu.

Regnaleb Offers Sales Training for Digital Age

WESTHAMPTON — Regnaleb Enterprises, a sales and marketing consulting firm, announced it is offering high-caliber sales-management and growth strategies to small and mid-size companies throughout Western and Central Mass. The organization is led by Art Belanger, an experienced sales and marketing professional with more than 30 years in the industry. The Regnaleb process utilizes the salesQB program to conduct a complete audit of an organization’s current sales and marketing process. The results are used to benchmark performance and identify areas for growth and improvement. Following the audit, business leaders will be taken through an in-depth report that will pinpoint methods for increased efficiency throughout the entire sales process, from lead generation and management tactics to the use of digital technologies like CRM, software programs, and social media. A successful salesforce is empowered, efficient, and informed, Belanger said, adding that Regnaleb Enterprises will offer a custom road map to improve communications, management, customer service, and sales techniques to drive increased performance.

Talbots to Return to Longmeadow Shops

LONGMEADOW — Grove Property Fund and Talbots announced that the women’s-apparel retail store will be returning to Longmeadow Shops this fall. The announcement is the latest from the Longmeadow Shops, which recently expanded its retail footprint by 20%, attracting new tenants Verizon Wireless and J.Crew Mercantile while allowing CVS Pharmacy to move to a larger retail space with a pharmacy drive-thru. Talbots operated at the Longmeadow Shops from 2001 to 2013. The new store will utilize 5,334 square feet of retail space, the majority of the space previously occupied by CVS Pharmacy.

HCC Gateway to College Earns National Honors

HOLYOKE — For the second year in a row, the Gateway to College program at Holyoke Community College has received national recognition for exemplary performance. The Gateway to College National Network, based in Portland, Ore., honored HCC with its 2017 Gateway Program Excellence Award at a conference in Providence, R.I. last month. Gateway is a second-chance, dual-enrollment program for students who have either left high school or are at risk for dropping out. Gateway students take college classes and earn college credits while also working toward their high-school diplomas. The 2017 award recognizes Gateway programs that exceeded all four of the network’s performance benchmarks for the 2015-16 academic year: first-term GPA, one-year persistence, two-year persistence, and three-year graduation rate. Since its founding in 2008, HCC’s Gateway to College program has helped 251 students earn their high-school diplomas while also getting an early start on college. More than half have continued on to college, and so far 30 have earned their associate degrees from HCC, and six have earned bachelor’s degrees.

Austen Riggs Recognized as a ‘Best Hospital’

STOCKBRIDGE — Austen Riggs Center has been recognized as a “Best Hospital” for 2017-18 by U.S. News & World Report, ranking ninth in psychiatry nationwide. Noteworthy among the top group of psychiatry honorees for its small size and integrated approach, Austen Riggs Center is a therapeutic community, open psychiatric hospital, and center for education and research, promoting resilience and self-direction in adults with complex psychiatric problems.

PeoplesBank Among Top Charitable Contributors

HOLYOKE — The Boston Business Journal announced the region’s top corporate charitable contributors, and for the 10th year in a row, PeoplesBank is among the companies included on the list. The region’s top charitable companies, which in many instances include the companies’ corporate foundations, will be honored at the magazine’s 12th annual Corporate Citizenship Awards on Thursday, Sept. 7 at Fenway Park in Boston. The list is composed of companies that gave at least $100,000 to Massachusetts-based charities in 2016.

PV Squared Named Among Top 500 Solar Contractors

GREENFIELD — Solar Power World, the leading publication covering solar technology and development, published its annual Top Solar Contractors list in July. PV Squared, a local solar-installation company and worker-owned cooperative, was listed prominently among other top solar contractors and developers across the country. PV Squared is a local leader in the field of solar design, installation, and maintenance. A worker-owned cooperative, the company has provided renewable-energy solutions to a range of clients, including business owners, commercial property owners, farmers, and homeowners since 2002. PV Squared currently employs 42 people, 19 of whom are co-owners of the business. In 2016, it completed 188 projects in the Pioneer Valley and surrounding areas, installing 2.5 MW of solar power. It is also a certified B Corporation, demonstrating its commitment to a triple-bottom-line business model. It is currently involved in Franklin County’s first Habitat for Humanity project in five years and will be contributing a solar array to the construction of an energy-efficient home in Greenfield. Additionally, it is also exploring opportunities to partner with the Franklin County Technical School to mentor young people through a solar installation process. The donation of this solar array will not only eliminate upfront costs for the future homeowner, but will also help strengthen the local community.

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Briefcase Departments

Employer Confidence Slips Slightly in July

BOSTON — The Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index shed 0.3 points to 61.5 last month, leaving it 6.4 points higher than a year ago. The Index has gained ground in five of seven months so far in 2017. The July slip was led by the Employment Index, which dropped 2.4 points from June. Experts on the AIM Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) believe the slide reflects employers’ inability to hire skilled workers amid a tight labor market rather than a hiring slowdown caused by economic factors. “Confidence levels at or above 60 signal continued strong confidence among employers in the direction of the state and national economies,” said Raymond Torto, BEA chair and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “The labor shortage is a serious issue. We hear anecdotes from companies in multiple industries that are turning away business or postponing expansions because they can’t find tech specialists, manufacturing workers, or electricians to take the new jobs.” The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The Index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. The index has remained above 50 since October 2013. The constituent indicators that make up the overall Business Confidence Index were mixed during July. The Massachusetts Index, assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth, lost a point to 63.2, still six points higher than in July 2016. The U.S. Index of national business conditions rose 0.5 points to 57.9 despite lingering uncertainty about federal healthcare and economic policy. July marked the 88th consecutive month in which employers have been more optimistic about the Massachusetts economy than the national economy. The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, declined 0.7 points to 61.2, while the Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, edged up 0.1 point to 61.8. The Future Index ended the month seven points higher than a year ago. The Company Index, reflecting overall business conditions, lost 0.2 points to 62.2, up 6.3 points during the 12-month period. And though the Employment Index dropped to 55.7, the Sales Index rose for the third consecutive month, gaining 1.5 points to 64.1. The AIM survey found that 39% of respondents reported adding staff during the past six months, while 19% reduced employment. Expectations for the next six months are similar, with 37% expecting to hire and only 10% downsizing. Elliot Winer, chief economist with Winer Economic Consulting, said workers with the type of skills needed by employers in growing industries remain in short supply, even though Massachusetts has posted significant increases to its labor force so far in 2017. “Employers report that it is increasingly hard to fill jobs. Job vacancies now significantly exceed new hiring. And yet, wage growth in the state has been near zero when adjusted for inflation,” Winer said. Manufacturing companies remained optimistic about the economy with the 59.6 confidence reading, but not as optimistic as employers outside the manufacturing sector, who posted a 63.6 result. AIM President and CEO Richard Lord, also a BEA member, noted that employer confidence in the Massachusetts economy has stalled as the state Legislature has taken several troubling votes, including one to force employers to close a $200 million gap in MassHealth with no long-term program reforms.

Family Business Center to Host Summit for Couples in Business

AMHERST — Anyone in the unique (but not uncommon) situation of working with their spouse or significant other might be interested in being one of eight to 10 couples to take part in an upcoming ‘spouses summit,’ a constructive, honest, cathartic discussion and learning opportunity for couples in business. The Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley is planning such an event. The business owners represented will be from a mix of non-competing companies of various sizes and industries. A few lessons will be built in a la short talks on communication, conflict, professionalism, marketing oneself as a family business, etc., but it will also be a lightly facilitated, largely free-flowing conversation, comparing notes with others who are in the same scenario: working with one’s beloved. The Family Business Center has been presenting helpful programs, workshops, roundtables, and more for families in business since 1994, including a couple of successful sibling summits and one spouses summit. The cost will likely be around $120 per couple, and limited to the first eight to 10 couples who register and pay. A date will then be chosen that will work for all participants. For more information, call Ira Bryck at (413) 835-0810.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Departments People on the Move

Donna Easton-Vicalvi

Monson Savings Bank announced that Donna Easton-Vicalvi has joined the bank as vice president of Government Banking. She has more than 24 years of experience in the municipal-finance field, including 12 years as treasurer for the town of Hampden and the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. Easton-Vicalvi joined United Bank in 2008 to develop a Government Banking Division in Massachusetts and Connecticut as United Bank acquired branches in Connecticut. In 2016, she joined Merchants Bank in Vermont to develop a Massachusetts government-banking presence for the bank until 2017, when Merchants was acquired by Community Bank Systems. “We are extremely pleased to have Donna join us,” said Steve Lowell, Monson Savings Bank president, adding that she brings not only a wealth of experience, but numerous affiliations and community involvement as well. “We look forward to her helping Monson Savings Bank enhance and expand our municipal products and services with her expertise.”

•••••

Katrina Dziedzic

Susanne deVillier

Alison McCoy

Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that three people have been promoted. Katrina Dziedzic and Susanne deVillier have been promoted to vice president, branch officer, while Alison McCoy has been promoted to compliance specialist – officer. Dziedzic joined the bank in 2007 and has 32 years of banking experience. She began as branch officer in Westfield and was promoted to senior branch officer in 2011 and to assistant vice president, branch officer in 2014. She has an associate’s degree from Springfield Technical Community College. She is active in the community, serving as executive board member and treasurer for the Westfield Boys and Girls Club and auction co-chair of the Westfield Kiwanis Club. Meanwhile, deVillier joined the bank in 2010 as branch officer in Agawam and has 22 years of banking experience. She was promoted to senior branch officer in 2014 and then to assistant vice president, branch officer in 2015. She has been instrumental in leading the successful bankwide checking-account-acquisition program. She is treasurer of the Agawam Rotary, a West of the River Chamber of Commerce member, active in the Springfield Boys and Girls Family Center, and serves on various community committees. She is also involved in fund-raising for various school programs. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American International College. McCoy joined the bank in 2015 as a compliance specialist. She previously managed her own general law practice. She has been involved in the development of a successful compliance-management system for the bank. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bard College at Simon’s Rock and her juris doctor from Western New England University School of Law. She graduated with high honors from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is currently enrolled in the Isenberg School of Management MBA program at UMass Amherst. McCoy has volunteered with Meals on Wheels and the People’s Institute in Northampton. She is treasurer of the Western Massachusetts Compliance Assoc. and is involved in the Boy Scouts of America, Western Massachusetts Council as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Amherst Troop 500.

•••••

Craig Della Penna of the Murphys Realtors has been selected to receive the 2017 EverGreen Award from the Green REsource Council of the National Assoc. of Realtors. Della Penna was selected for the honor by an independent panel of green-industry professionals and was nominated based on his commitment to developing energy-efficient homes and neighborhoods in which biking and walking are commonplace. Known as a leader in the green real-estate community, Della Penna was the first Realtor in the U.S. to specialize in the sale of houses near rail trails and greenways. He serves a broad range of clients to help them make choices about sustainable or energy-efficient living; for instance, he is a resource for buyers who want a home in a neighborhood in which children are able to walk or bike to and from school. Della Penna has delivered more than 1,200 lectures in 21 states on the topics of energy efficiency and the importance of greenways. He also has been a key player in helping to build over 1,000 miles of rail trails in the past 20-plus years and has made a visible difference for green buyers in his local real-estate market and across much of the Northeast.

•••••

Laura Herring, director of Operations of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, has successfully completed the e-PRO certification program and has been awarded the e-PRO certification, the official technology-certification program offered by the National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR). Herring joins more than 30,000 real-estate professionals and association staff specialists who have earned NAR’s e-PRO certification and dedicated their time and effort toward learning how to use the latest social-media technologies to create an online presence and reach today’s hyper-connected consumers.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE

www.1berkshire.com

(413) 499-1600

• Aug. 23: BBQ Chamber Nite, 5-7 p.m., hosted by MountainOne!, 111 Silver Lake Blvd., Pittsfield. Remember to bring your business card so you can enter to win a door prize. Register online at 1berkshire.com/event/chamber-nite-15.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

• Sept. 13: “Are You Making Money or Losing Your Shirt?” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by TD Bank Greenfield, 324 Main St., Greenfield. N et Profit gauges how well a business manages both revenue generation and expenses, assuming that owners are not taking out much cash in the form of distributions. Being profitable also means the company is building equity. What does this all mean? Join us to learn more about your financial statements and how you can use them to improve your profit picture. TD Bank wants to be sure that you have strong tools to understand and control your business. With that objective in mind, at the end of the workshop, each attendee will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Quickbooks Pro, a $220 value. A light lunch will be provided. Register at www.franklincc.org.

• Sept. 22: Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Franklin County Tech School. Register at www.franklincc.org.

• Sept. 27: “Start Your Own Business,” 8:30-11:30 a.m., hosted by Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, 395 Main St., Greenfield. Starting a small business requires more knowledge, skills, perseverance, and planning than meets the eye. This three-hour workshop will help you understand the details, challenges, opportunities, and rewards of owning and operating your own business through the real-life experiences of several highly successful entrepreneurs. This course is a suggested prerequisite for our Business Planning workshop. Cost: $25. Register at www.franklincc.org.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• Aug. 25-26: Third annual Downtown Get Down! Noon to 9 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 26. Live music, local artists and crafters, entertainment actsm, and a variety of food vendors return to the streets of Chicopee Center this summer. This year’s event will feature a 5k race for the first time, starting at 9 a.m. on Aug. 26. Come downtown and celebrate Chicopee and all the community has to offer. For more information, visit www.chicopeegetdown.com.

• Aug. 29: The Next Five Years for You and Your Business Workshop Series: Session 4, “Leadership Perspective,” 8:30-10:30 a.m., hosted by Westfield Bank Conference Room, 70 Center St., Chicopee. Historic data may not help in the planning of the future, nor can the future be accurately predicted within the current pace of change. But you can plan for the next five years from where you are today. Cost: $40 for members, $50 for non-members. Register online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

• Sept. 7: CEO Power Hour Luncheon with Nathan Costa, CEO of the Springfield Thunderbirds, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Collegian Court Restaurant, 89 Park St., Chicopee. Costa was well aware of the challenges the Thunderbirds faced, and he will share his strategy for turning things around, including improvements made in sales and marketing efforts, game-day experience, and community engagement. Join us for lunch with Costa and learn about the creation of a winning culture. Cost: $30 for members;, $35 for non-members. Register online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

• Sept. 14: Business After Hours Presents Porter & Chester, 4:30-6:30 p.m., hosted by Porter & Chester Institute, 134 Dulong Circle, Chicopee. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

• Sept. 28: Lunch & Learn with John Regan, executive vice president for Government Affairs for Asssociated Industries of Massachusetts, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke. Come hear Regan discuss the matters that passed, those that didn’t, and what may be in store for the next legislative session. Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members. Register online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• Sept. 14: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Pioneer Landscapes, 223 Cardinal Way, Florence. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Register online at www.easthamptonchamber.org.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• Sept. 6: Chamber Coffee Buzz, 7:30-8:30 a.m., hosted by Providence Place, 5 Gamelin St., Holyoke. 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. Cost: free. Register online at www.holyokechamber.com.

• Sept. 13: Annual Clambake, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Holyoke Country Club, Country Club Road, Holyoke. We’re planning a feast of lobster, steamed clams, sweet corn on the cob, boiled red potatoes, tossed salad, and iced tea. Treat a client or make this your employee-appreciation gathering — there’s plenty of room. Grilled chicken will be available. Join Weld Management as a sponsor of this well-attended event. Cost: $38 for members, $40 for non-members. Register online at www.holyokechamber.com.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com

(413) 584-1900

• Sept. 11: “Financial Planning 101,” 5:30-6:30 p.m., presented by Streetlight Financial, hosted by Forbes Library. Cost: free. Register online at forbeslibrary.libcal.com/event/3442716.

• Sept. 13: Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Family Legacy Partners, 48 Round Hill Road, Suite 2, Northampton. Co-host: CheckWriters Payroll. Sponsored by Northeast Solar, Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc., and Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors. Cost: $10 for members.

• Sept. 19: “How to Do Business with Different Generations,” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., presented by SCORE of Western Mass., hosted by TD Bank, 175 Main St., Northampton. Cost: $5. Space is limited, and RSVP is required. To register, visit westernmassachusetts.score.org/content/take-workshop-38.

• Sept. 22: “Introduction to Mail Chimp,” 9-11 a.m., presented by Pioneer Training. MailChimp is a free e-mail marketing application similar to Constant Contact. This workshop will cover the basics of creating an e-mail campaign and tracking your results. You’ll learn how to set up an account, how to add lists of subscribers, and how to create a signup form so visitors to your website can sign up to be added to your lists. You’ll learn how to create a template, how to add content from MailChimp’s content manager, and how to design, preview, and test your template. You’ll also learn how to create an e-mail campaign and how to use MailChimp’s reports to track clicks, opens, and unsubscribes. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/My7lF9Xk1aB7xg0Q2.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• Sept. 11: Mayor’s Coffee Hour with Mayor Brian Sullivan, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Shaker Farms Country Club, 866 Shaker Road, Westfield. This event is free and open to the public. Call Pam at the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618 to register, so we may give our host a head count.

• Sept. 13: After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Bring your business cards and make connections. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit two Citizen’s Scholarships. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members (cash or credit card).

• Sept. 15: Chamber Workshop: “Employment Practices, Liability Insurance,” 8:30-10 a.m., hosted by Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Join management-side labor and employment-law attorney Timothy Netkovick for this informational seminar on EPLI. Netkovick will provide an overview of the types of claims these policies generally cover and exclude. He will also identify the 10 most important considerations you should be aware of when assessing whether a particular EPLI policy is right for your company. When you leave this seminar, you and your team will be able to fully assess your needs in regard to whether or not you should invest in EPLI. Cost: free for members, $30 for non-members (cash or credit card). Contact Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected] for more information or to register.

• Sept. 18: Chamber Workshop: “Go Mobile!” 8:30-10 a.m. hosted by Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Join Kurt Lumpp of Russell Cellular for this informational workshop and maximize the use of your cell phone. Cost: free for members, $30 for non-members (cash or credit card). Contact Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected] for more information or to register.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

nSept. 6: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• Sept. 13: September Breakfast, 7 to 9 a.m., hosted by Chez Josef in Agawam. The event will bring members and non-members together for a morning of breakfast, debate, and town updates. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with local business people over breakfast and listen to the Agawam mayoral candidates discuss their views and ideas on how they plan to stimulate local business success. The moderator for this event will be Robert MacDonald of Work Opportunity Center in Agawam. Questions from the public and businesses can be submitted to [email protected]. In addition, West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt will be on hand to discuss business-development plans for his community. Event sponsors include United Bank and bankESB. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Tickets cost $35 for members and $45 for non-members. To register or sponsor this event, visit www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• Sept. 21: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, West Springfield. Only members and guests of members may attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief sales pitch. The only cost to attend is the cost of your lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register online at [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

www.springfieldyps.com

• Sept. 21: YPS Presents: Vote The Valley, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Sheraton Hotel, One Monarch Place. This event will bring together local elected officials and candidates for elected office in a business-networking environment. Join us to connect and engage with policymakers while learning more about your voting rights. Register at www.springfieldyps.com.

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Agenda Departments

Western Mass. Employment Collaborative Job Fair

Aug. 22: The Western Mass. Employment Collaborative (a service of Riverside Community Care) and Holyoke Community College are partnering for a Job Fair from 10 a.m to noon at Holyoke Community College’s Kittredge Center, Room 303. The purpose of the event is for businesses to meet qualified candidates for their hiring needs and for job seekers to have multiple opportunities to speak to employers and partner agencies and to interview for competitive employment. Western Mass. Employment Collaborative (WMEC) partners are all working toward a common goal: to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. WMEC works across all disabilities and represents hundreds of job seekers who have the skills, commitment, and desire to enter the workforce and contribute positively to a local employer. By attending this job fair, employers will discover this is a largely untapped pool of qualified job candidates and learn how to work with the vibrant partnership between service providers, government agencies, and workforce-development entities that WMEC facilitates. The job fair will serve as both as a recruitment venue and a valuable experience for job seekers as they prepare to enter the workforce. Job developers and coaches will work with their job seekers around readiness skills and how to interact with employers. Students from the college will have an opportunity to be a part of this diverse and inclusive environment and see what employers from Western Mass. have to offer. Contact Pam Mendes at [email protected] or (617) 360-1646 with questions.

Springfield Jam Fest

Sept. 9: The Springfield Business Improvement District will present the first annual Springfield Jam Festival in downtown Springfield from noon to 11 p.m. at Court Square. Multiple stages will feature dozens of local artists performing throughout the entire day, playing everything from rock and country to blues, reggae, and more. Area vendors will sell a large variety of food and beverages. Sponsorship agreement goals have been reached to put on the festival, and all additional funds raised by the event will go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Western Massachusetts, which is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through support, education, and advocacy. One in four people in the U.S. has a mental-health condition, and as an affiliate of the nation’s largest grass-roots mental-health organization, NAMI-Western Massachusetts advocates for access to services, treatment, support, and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for all those in need. For more information on the Springfield Jam Festival, visit springfielddowntown.com/springfield-jam-fest.

Family Improv Class

Sept. 10 to Oct. 15: Local improv company Happier Valley Comedy announced a new addition to its Comedy School lineup of classes for the fall. Family Improv is a six-week class held on Sunday afternoons beginning in September and is open to any child-and-adult combo. Family Improv gives families the opportunity to laugh with a loved one and bond over fun improvisation games and exercises. The Family Improv curriculum is guided by the principles of acceptance, mindfulness, quieting judgment of self and others, and strengthening communication, all while having a blast playing together. Family Improv will complement Happier Valley Comedy’s monthly Happier FAMILY Comedy Show, a high-energy, interactive event designed especially for families and kids ages 5-12. Registration for Family Improv is available on the Happier Valley Comedy website (www.happiervalley.com), with weekly classes to be held Sept. 10 through Oct. 15 on Sundays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Family Improv will be taught by Kate Jopson, a graduate of the Happier Valley Comedy’s Zen of Improv classes and a Happier FAMILY Comedy Show cast member. Every child who is registered in the class receives a free ticket to the comedy show.

Patent and Trademark Educational Event

Sept. 14: The South Hadley Library and the South Hadley & Granby Chamber of Commerce announced a free business educational event for the business community and the public from 4 to 6 p.m. at the South Hadley Library, located at 2 Canal St. The event, designed for entrepreneurs and businesses, is a joint collaboration between the library and the chamber. The speaker, Paulina Borrego, is a science and engineering librarian at UMass Amherst. Soon after becoming a librarian in 2007, she took on the role of the Patent & Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) librarian in 2009. She is trained by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office to educate patrons about patents and trademarks, the application process, and how to conduct an effective and thorough search. She works in the UMass Amherst Science & Engineering Library, which is open to the public. For more information on the program, visit the South Hadley Library’s website at www.shadleylib.org or the chamber website at www.shgchamber.com.

Free Legal Help Hotline

Sept. 21: The Hampden County Bar Assoc. will offer a free Legal Help Hotline in conjunction with Western New England University School of Law from 4 to 7 p.m. at the law school, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield. Individuals needing advice should call (413) 796-2057 to speak to a volunteer. Volunteers will provide legal advice on a variety of topics, including divorce and family law, bankruptcy, business, landlord/tenant matters, and real estate. Additionally, in light of recent immigration developments, attorneys with immigration-law experience will also be available to answer questions. Spanish-speaking attorneys will be available.

Healthcare Heroes

Oct. 19: BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will present the inaugural Healthcare Heroes Awards at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden. This new recognition program was created by the twin publications to recognize outstanding achievement across the region’s broad and diverse healthcare sector. Nominations were accepted in a number of categories, including ‘Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider,’ ‘Innovation in Health/Wellness,’ ‘Community Health,’ ‘Lifetime Achievement,’ and many others. A panel of judges determined the winners, who will be profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN. American International College and Trinity Health are the presenting sponsors of Healthcare Heroes. Additional sponsors are Bay Path University, Baystate Health, Cooley Dickinson Health Care, Elms College, and Renew.Calm. Tickets to the event are $85 each, with tables available for purchase. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600.

Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass.

Nov. 2: Comcast Business will present the Business & Innovation Expo of Western Mass. at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. The seventh annual business-to-business show will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Johnson & Hill Staffing Services and Wild Apple Design Group (executive sponsors), Inspired Marketing (show partner), MGM Springfield (corporate sponsor), Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst (education sponsor), Xfinity (social sponsor), and the Better Business Bureau (contributing sponsor). Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $800. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

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

D & S Linen Services Inc. d/b/a Aladco Linen Services v. Vidhy Adharmitta a/k/a Vid Mitta d/b/a Quality Inn Chicopee

Allegation: Money owed for rental of garments: $11,792.22

Filed: 7/19/17

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Jason Jackson v. Royal Administrative Services Inc. and Goodwill Enterprises Inc. d/b/a Dedham Auto Mall

Allegation: Breach of contract; plaintiff was sold unfair warranty policy: $12,500

Filed: 7/7/17

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Johnathan Cavallo v. Granby Public Schools, Sheryl Stanton, Jennifer Curran, Emre Evren, Deanne Payne-Rokowski, Marie McCourt, and Town of Granby

Allegation: Breach of employment contract, failure to pay wages, accrued vacation time, and accrued sick time: $90,000

Filed: 7/13/17

McLeod, LLC v. Excellence Auto Exchange Inc., Excellence Auto Exchange, and Rodney O. Maye

Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $14,500

Filed: 7/20/17

Wilfredo Cosme v. Pentecostal Christian Church Inc.

Allegation: Negligent placing of scaffolding causing injury: $100,000

Filed: 7/21/17

Frederick M. Mancini v. Toys R Us Inc.

Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $38,018.52

Filed: 7/21/17

HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT

Amy Davis v. Off the Map Inc. and Gabe Ripley, Steve Sanderson, and Jason Foster individually

Allegation: Failure to pay wages: $6,000

Filed: 7/5/17

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Jesse and Elizabeth Israel v. Fontaine Brothers Inc.

Allegation: Negligence causing injury when plaintiff fell 38 feet on job site: $600,000

Filed: 7/24/17

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Kristina Daisy v. Sinan A. Masih, DMD and Holyoke Mall Dental Health Center

Allegation: Negligence causing dental injury: $11,600

Filed: 7/21/17

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

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

Fore a Good Cause

Sunshine Village held its 28th annual fund-raising golf tournament on Aug. 2 at Chicopee Country Club. The event sold out, with 38 teams participating. A reception with awards, raffles, and a silent auction followed at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee. The winning team was from Kellco Products. Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services came in second, and a team helmed by captain Todd Rubner placed third. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, Sunshine Village will use the funds raised to create opportunities to live and learn, work and earn, and give and grow for the more than 450 people in the organization’s day-services programs. Pictured, from left: Carol Laflamme, Ernest Laflamme Jr., Sunshine Village board president; Gina Kos, Sunshine Village executive director; Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos; and Marie Laflamme.

A Community of Music

The fourth annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival drew 16 acts across two downtown stages on Aug. 12. The all-day festival offered a festive atmosphere featuring locally and internationally acclaimed musical artists, including Miles Mosley (pictured), Lizz Wright, Rebirth Brass Band, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Christian Scott, Zaccai Curtis & Insight, Natalie Fernandez, Jeremy Turgeon Quintet, Community Grooves, and more. The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival was developed by Blues to Green, led by the efforts of founder Kristin Neville, along with Evan Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin and director of Springfield City Mosaic, with the hope that people of many different communities could unite in Springfield, the urban center of Western Mass., to share their love for music and art.

Tru Stories

Work continues at the Tru by Hilton property set to open in the spring of 2018 at 440 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. The 108-room, four-story hotel is owned by BK Investments, which also owns and operates Residence Inn by Marriott (500 Memorial Dr., Chicopee) and Hampton Inn by Hilton (600 Memorial Dr., Chicopee). The new hotel will be the first Tru by Hilton in Massachusetts, and only the second in New England.

United Bank Reports Success of PATH Plus Program

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Daily News Sections

GLASTONBURY, Conn. — After introducing its innovative homeownership and financial education program in the Connecticut and Massachusetts markets 24 months ago, United Bank reported that it enrolled 92 participants in its PATH Plus program over the past two years, graduating several participants who have achieved their dream of owning a home or are currently seeking homeownership.
PATH Plus is structured to provide three keys to homeownership — education, savings and mortgage benefits — to low-to-moderate income individuals and families eligible to participate in this program. Program participants must be recommended through United Bank-certified nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
As of this month, 92 individuals from Connecticut and Massachusetts have participated in the program, 36 are currently enrolled in the program, 34 have graduated, and 11 of them are new homeowners. Other program graduates are in the process of identifying homeownership opportunities. And the bank’s Foundations donated at total of $31,500 to nonprofits who have successfully referred and enrolled program participants.
In Massachusetts — specifically the Springfield and Worcester regions — 52 individuals have participated, 28 have graduated from the program and four have closed on a new home. In Connecticut, the program has achieved similar success – 60 individuals participated in the program, 16 have graduated, and seven of them have purchased a new home.
This learn-and-save program provides free financial education on home buying and money management; helps participants open a United Bank savings account and make regular contributions to the account; and rewards participants who complete the comprehensive 12-month program with the opportunity to get a United Bank mortgage, including 100% mortgage financing with no private mortgage insurance (PMI) and a closing cost credit up to a maximum of $1,200. The bank accepts participants on a rolling acceptance with classes held once per month with a maximum class size of 12 families or individuals.
“In just 24 months PATH Plus has turned the dream of owning a home into a reality for individuals and families who might otherwise never have had the chance. It’s made a significant impact in Connecticut and Massachusetts and we want to make sure other nonprofits and qualified candidates can take advantage of the same opportunity,” said William H.W. Crawford, IV, chief executive officer of United Bank and United Financial Bancorp, Inc. “And based on the program’s results so far and the positive endorsement we’ve heard about PATH Plus over the past two years, we are confident it’s changing lives in the communities we serve.”
For more information on the program, visit https://www.bankatunited.com/Landing/PATH-Plus.

ERC5 Welcomes Ed Zemba as President

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Daily News Sections

HAMPDEN — The ERC5-East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce inaugurated President Edward Zemba of Robert Charles Photography at its recent annual meeting at The Starting Gate at GreatHorse.

Robert Charles Photography has been a member of the ERC5 since 1974, and Ed Zemba has been participating in chamber events for more than 20 years.

The annual meeting also ushered in First Vice Chair Charles Christianson of CMD Technology and celebrated the continued efforts of Treasurer Joe Lawler of The Gaudreau Group. Past President Dennis Lopata of Life Care Center of Wilbraham relinquished his responsibilities to Zemba.

“I am honored to have this opportunity and look forward to working with our spectacular board,” said Zemba. “Together, with other organizations such as the SRC, we can bring needed attention to businesses and communities of Western Massachusetts.”

Swan Named Winner of Museums’ Ubora Award

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Daily News Sections

SPRINGFIELD — Former state Rep. Benjamin Swan has been named the recipient of the 26^th annual Ubora Award conferred by the African Hall Subcommittee of the Springfield Science Museum.

In Swahili, Ubora means “excellence.”

Swan was nominated by Denise Jordan and Fred Allen Swan.

As a civil rights activist, Ben Swan was the Western Mass. coordinator for the monumental 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom, and he is recognized as the preeminent leader of the 1960s civil rights movement in the City of Springfield, and he served as president of the Greater Springfield branch of the NAACP.

For 24 years, Swan served as state representative for the 11^th Hampden District, retiring this past January. As a community leader, Swan helped launch a number of community-based organizations such as Northern Education Service and the former Springfield Action Commission. Swan provided moral, legislative, and financial leadership and support to the Springfield Schools, community-based organizations, minority veterans groups, substance abuse treatment, cultural festivals, the Springfield Arts Council, Springfield Technical Community College, and the UMass Downtown Center.

As an artist and the creator of the long-standing “Black Love Experience” radio program, Swan provides community updates in educational and cultural activities and shares inspirational black classical music.

Swan graduated from the former Springfield Technical High School. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the Fashion Design Institute and his master in education from the University of Massachusetts. Swan completed advanced graduate work at UMass, and received an honorary doctorate from Westfield State University. He has received many awards and recognitions, including the 1990 “Eye on the Prize” Award.

Bankruptcies

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Bankruptcies Departments

Bankruptcies were not available at press time for our August 21 , 2017 issue. They will be printed in the next edition of BusinessWest.

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Departments Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BERNARDSTON

8 Center St.
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Sara Shores
Seller: Richard L. Wahlstrom
Date: 07/20/17

BUCKLAND

195 State St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Alivya LLC
Seller: Summit Distributing LLC
Date: 07/14/17

CONWAY

45 Upper Baptist Hill Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: Donna Gilman
Seller: Joan R. Schwartz
Date: 07/14/17

DEERFIELD

5 Beaver Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Hannah R. Yaffe
Seller: Valerie L. Telega
Date: 07/12/17

17 King Philip Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Tracy Zaniewski
Seller: Evelyn Prucnal
Date: 07/14/17

ERVING

3 East Main St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Erving Station LLC
Seller: Norma Charbonneau
Date: 07/11/17

GILL

253 Main Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: J. Stadnicki-Verhyan
Seller: Nancy A. Daniel-Green
Date: 07/11/17

GREENFIELD

7 Albert Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Brzezinski
Seller: Cynthia L. Brzezinski
Date: 07/11/17

79 Allen St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Brian P. Doherty
Seller: Tionne L. Brown
Date: 07/10/17

330 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Buff Beagle Holdings LLC
Seller: S&V Realty LLC
Date: 07/17/17

29 Holly Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $157,900
Buyer: Sara M. Helm-Wallace
Seller: Rachel Slocum
Date: 07/13/17

55 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Paul A. Powell
Seller: Alexander T. Miller
Date: 07/13/17

19 Lillian St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Nathan M. Bundy
Seller: Lisa M. Gagne
Date: 07/18/17

12 Mountain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $209,500
Buyer: Cassid Buchanan-Gauthier
Seller: Mark R. Zemelman
Date: 07/21/17

45 Plum Tree Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Gordon C. Anderson
Seller: Beatrice D. Sommer
Date: 07/21/17

17 Power Square
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $139,500
Buyer: Sarah Wisby
Seller: Darlene Chickosky
Date: 07/21/17

27 Severance St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Ryan A. Lambert
Seller: Eddie Martinez
Date: 07/14/17

38 Shattuck St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Matthew P. Moretti
Seller: Samuel H. Clarke
Date: 07/14/17

79 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Andrea C. Crommett
Seller: Davey, Martha, (Estate)
Date: 07/21/17

36 West St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $139,500
Buyer: Clayton J. Goodrow
Seller: Steven C. Sak
Date: 07/10/17

HEATH

235 Number 9 Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $202,000
Buyer: Lawrence J. Siok
Seller: Cedrone INT
Date: 07/21/17

LEVERETT

48 Amherst Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $825,000
Buyer: Philip S. Khoury TR
Seller: Frank N. Rife RET
Date: 07/14/17

363 N. Leverett Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Christopher Ertl
Seller: Marianne Masterton
Date: 07/12/17

MONTAGUE

18 Central St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $180,500
Buyer: Alexandra K. Bluh
Seller: Orange Park Management
Date: 07/13/17

39 Davis St.
Montague, MA 01301
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Daniel T. Newell
Seller: Stasia C. Golowka
Date: 07/21/17

21 Dell St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Kiran Acharya
Seller: Albina A. Pluta TR
Date: 07/21/17

96 East Taylor Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $312,500
Buyer: Anne C. Bent T. 2012
Seller: Clifford Konold
Date: 07/21/17

60 G St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Joey R. Skaza
Seller: Diane M. Bak
Date: 07/21/17

7 H St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Elyssa M. Serrilli
Seller: Joshua Hoffman
Date: 07/10/17

54 Main St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Laura Johnson
Seller: Meghan Wheeler
Date: 07/21/17

Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Western Mass Electric Co.
Seller: Rocky River Realty Co.
Date: 07/14/17

103 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Judith A. Lafogg
Seller: Kyle J. Scott
Date: 07/10/17

NORTHFIELD

11 Ferncliff Circle
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Mark H. Given
Seller: Chase LT
Date: 07/10/17

740 Gulf Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: James E. Greenlaw
Seller: Skre Holdings LLC
Date: 07/17/17

715 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Timothy K. Zingler
Seller: Ronald H. Graves
Date: 07/21/17

ORANGE

East Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: John S. Hanna
Seller: Kelleher, Thomas Paul, (Estate)
Date: 07/19/17

420 Mayo Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Leonard P. Kasanoff
Seller: Joshua A. Page
Date: 07/14/17

90 Memorial Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $134,122
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Susan Trudeau
Date: 07/19/17

35 Prentiss St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $163,900
Buyer: Lorenzo R. Cote
Seller: Karen G. Dean
Date: 07/21/17

73 Wheeler Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Robert D. Lovering
Seller: Sarah E. McMaster
Date: 07/14/17

160 Winter St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Theodore Boulet
Seller: Currier Road Holdings LLC
Date: 07/19/17

ROWE

43 Middletown Hill Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Andrew D. Kuehl
Seller: Dennis W. Kuehl
Date: 07/21/17

SHELBURNE

54 Patten Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: Matthew Thomson-Popoli
Seller: Louis H&R M. Leger TR
Date: 07/14/17

SHUTESBURY

85 Locks Pond Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Alec E. Jillson
Seller: FNMA
Date: 07/10/17

SUNDERLAND

36 Garage Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Jason T. Bauer-Clapp
Seller: Jorn Myre
Date: 07/10/17

188 Plumtree Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $398,500
Buyer: Quoc-Hung Truong
Seller: James P. Tudryn
Date: 07/21/17

WARWICK

74 Chase Hill Road
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Chase Hill LLC
Seller: Mark O. Fellows
Date: 07/17/17

WHATELY

47 Claverack Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Pamela Berube
Seller: Ellen M. Shukis NT
Date: 07/13/17

25 Grey Oak Lane
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $537,300
Buyer: Brant Cheikes
Seller: Oliver G. Rich
Date: 07/14/17

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

76 Anthony St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $262,900
Buyer: John F. Greaves
Seller: Victor A. Chuku
Date: 07/10/17

8 Cedar Knoll Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $422,500
Buyer: Michael S. Patten
Seller: Mary B. Lockwood
Date: 07/17/17

19 Cherry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Cedar Investment Group
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 07/14/17

87 Coronet Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Colleen M. Whitman
Seller: Melvin G. Gray
Date: 07/13/17

78 Farmington Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $482,000
Buyer: Scott M. Rackliffe
Seller: Hillside Development Corp.
Date: 07/14/17

46 Fernwood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $118,700
Buyer: Michelle Stuart
Seller: Christopher A. Agrapides
Date: 07/21/17

114 Florida Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Elizabeth K. Minardi
Seller: John Martin
Date: 07/14/17

91 Hendom Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Yelizaveta Shovgan
Seller: Tammy J. Dube
Date: 07/14/17

219 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Joanna Grabowski
Seller: Christina M. Guest
Date: 07/17/17

65 Kensington St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Suzanne M. Smith
Seller: Gerald Basile
Date: 07/18/17

632 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Sarah M. Basile
Seller: Rudolph J. Gay
Date: 07/18/17

972 North St., Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Ashley M. Johnson
Seller: Pasquale R. Lapponese
Date: 07/14/17

351 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Daniel G. Fream
Seller: Celine N. Champagne
Date: 07/21/17

136 Parker St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Kim M. Merceri
Seller: Susan C. Vaznis
Date: 07/14/17

46 Princeton Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Brianne F. Perez
Seller: Elizabeth J. Haluszka
Date: 07/14/17

117 Red Fox Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $217,500
Buyer: Robert Bouchard
Seller: Wayne B. Francis
Date: 07/21/17

231 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $228,500
Buyer: John R. Cooley
Seller: Susan A. Beston
Date: 07/18/17

74 Stony Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Douthwright
Seller: Thomas K. Wynne
Date: 07/12/17

101 Sylvan Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Matthew Y. Riberdy
Seller: Ivan A. Savushkin
Date: 07/10/17

50 Woodside Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Alexis D. Arico
Seller: Jeffery A. Hupfer
Date: 07/20/17

BLANDFORD

35 Russell Stage Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $166,500
Buyer: Crystal M. Ostaff
Seller: Laura L. Hoey
Date: 07/10/17

BRIMFIELD

1504 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Poisant
Seller: Jennifer Martin
Date: 07/11/17

43 Lyman Barnes Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Erastus Ndinguri
Seller: Steven Patrick-Sullivan
Date: 07/21/17

CHESTER

276 Goss Hill Road
Chester, MA 01050
Amount: $188,650
Buyer: Michael Morris
Seller: Margaret M. Gendreau
Date: 07/19/17

CHICOPEE

106 Bell St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Mubarak Aljashaam
Seller: Michael J. Dupell
Date: 07/18/17

107 Bonneville Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $186,000
Buyer: Michael T. Gay
Seller: Christopher M. Pelletier
Date: 07/21/17

414 Britton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $154,900
Buyer: Stephen H. Henry
Seller: Mary A. Bail
Date: 07/21/17

43 Cyran St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Michael Fregeau
Seller: US Bank
Date: 07/18/17

503 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Thaddeus Wloch
Seller: Garry F. Welch
Date: 07/18/17

29 Fillmore St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Ronald C. Lanzarotto
Seller: Melanie J. Casineau
Date: 07/14/17

11 Florence St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: JJK & Son Real Estate LLC
Seller: Chester A. Gosciminski
Date: 07/13/17

128 Gill St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Robert J. Dout
Seller: Michele Camacho
Date: 07/21/17

600 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Shawn S. Smith
Seller: William P. Moore
Date: 07/14/17

22 Guyotte Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Brian C. Kellen
Seller: Russell G. Harms
Date: 07/14/17

56 Larchmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $178,500
Buyer: Lina M. Rivera
Seller: Rusty Longe
Date: 07/10/17

22 Loveland Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Yasir H. Sleibi
Seller: Daniels, Jane Mary A., (Estate)
Date: 07/10/17

34 Maple St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $149,736
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Edwin Arce
Date: 07/14/17

65 Marlborough St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Nelson E. Almodovar
Seller: Moggio, Ida C., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/17

24 Mount Royal St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,500
Buyer: Margaret Goodrich
Seller: Richard E. Weibust
Date: 07/14/17

4 Mount Vernon Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Kristina M. Vieira
Seller: Andrew D. McElwain
Date: 07/18/17

280 New Ludlow Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $760,000
Buyer: Rose Metal Works Inc.
Seller: Robert W. Everson
Date: 07/17/17

35 Northwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Waseem Ahmad
Seller: Juneann D. Landers
Date: 07/14/17

80 Northwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Jonathon A. Chaves
Seller: Gregory T. Menard
Date: 07/14/17

8 Oliver St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Melissa Purcell
Seller: Ernest J. Roy
Date: 07/11/17

16 Parenteau Court
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Pamela A. Lavarnway
Seller: Donald P. Hebert
Date: 07/11/17

97 Parenteau Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Georgina Nunez
Seller: Joann T. Dunnagan
Date: 07/14/17

83 Saint Jacques Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,500
Buyer: Jeremiah C. Martial
Seller: Joseph E. Messer
Date: 07/19/17

48 Sanders St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: William Thibault
Seller: William M. Sourdiffe
Date: 07/21/17

45 Shepherd St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Erik J. Anderson
Seller: Albert Marulli
Date: 07/13/17

61 Simonich Circle
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $160,300
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Dorothy H. Beam
Date: 07/20/17

21 Smith St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,650
Buyer: RB Homes LLC
Seller: Crystal A. Goddu
Date: 07/11/17

509 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $204,900
Buyer: Brian Vazquez
Seller: Douglas P. Brunette
Date: 07/17/17

29 Stedman St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Cynthia J. Rivera
Seller: Jacob Kifa
Date: 07/19/17

80 Worthington St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Anna A. Chapman
Seller: Neal J. Quesnel
Date: 07/19/17

EAST LONGMEADOW

18 Brook St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Sai Wen-He
Seller: Moltenbrey Builders LLC
Date: 07/18/17

132 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: LNM LLC
Seller: Reti M. Raimondi
Date: 07/19/17

11 Concord Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Joanna Torres
Seller: Xingcheng Hua
Date: 07/11/17

115 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: C. Macmonegle-Ekness
Seller: Patricia A. Hafey
Date: 07/14/17

18 Evergreen Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Brian Bachicha
Seller: Peter A. Munk
Date: 07/13/17

206 Meadowbrook Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Richard S. Curpenski
Seller: Willard, Marilyn J., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

88 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $124,950
Buyer: Millbrook RT
Seller: Quercus Properties LLC
Date: 07/14/17

437 Porter Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Anthony C. Tosoni
Seller: Melanie B. Kapoor
Date: 07/19/17

180 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Matthew K. Goodchild
Seller: Carol M. Mathison
Date: 07/20/17

450 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $532,000
Buyer: Lawrence P. Lipke
Seller: David M. Dirico
Date: 07/19/17

540 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $752,000
Buyer: Larry M. Bauman
Seller: Raymond E. Laplante
Date: 07/10/17

107 Ridge Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: PEG Realty LLC
Seller: Patricia Duchesneau
Date: 07/20/17

31 Rollins Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Jeffrey W. Sturm
Seller: Anthony C. Tosoni
Date: 07/19/17

30 Saugus Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Tom Lech
Seller: Jaimie Freeman
Date: 07/20/17

12 Sutton Place
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $546,500
Buyer: Melissa S. Beeler
Seller: Karen D. Fritz
Date: 07/21/17

10 Taylor Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $257,900
Buyer: Jesus Soto
Seller: Danielle Fafard
Date: 07/14/17

36 Westminster St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Laura Demars-Lucey
Seller: Jernstrom, Beverly A., (Estate)
Date: 07/21/17

61 Wood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Brandy Magdalino
Seller: Thomas E. Childs
Date: 07/10/17

GRANVILLE

131 Cross Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Brian J. Durfey
Seller: Wayne A. Durfey
Date: 07/11/17

HAMPDEN

54 Ames Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Marth-E LLC
Seller: Ruby Realty LLC
Date: 07/19/17

Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Farm At Greathorse LLC
Seller: Keddy, Dorothy M., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

70 Raymond Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Greathorse LLC
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 07/21/17

HOLLAND

9 Bennett Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Nicholas Rich
Seller: Duane D. Boudreau
Date: 07/14/17

112 Butterworth Ext.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $337,500
Buyer: William T. Gamble
Seller: Alyce L. Twomey
Date: 07/21/17

17 Collette Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Robert A. Schmidt
Seller: Douglas C. Curving
Date: 07/14/17

4 Collette Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Richard E. Hoyt Sr. RET
Seller: Kathy Gately
Date: 07/11/17

32 Craig Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Mary C. Scannell
Seller: Michael L. Korch
Date: 07/11/17

4 Howlett Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Barbara J. Parker
Seller: Kevin Grillo
Date: 07/14/17

415 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $338,000
Buyer: Michael K. Brawn
Seller: Stacy Riley
Date: 07/14/17

11 Morse Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Carly Alison-Cowher
Seller: Lamarine, Jonathan, (Estate)
Date: 07/13/17

16 Vinton Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $198,649
Buyer: Bank Of New York Mellon
Seller: Bruce L. Mullins
Date: 07/20/17

HOLYOKE

31 Bemis Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: N. M. Cestero-Szewczyk
Seller: Kellie N. Olson
Date: 07/21/17

17 Breton Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Michael J. Higgins
Seller: Dennis R. Waller
Date: 07/13/17

178 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Victor Heredia
Seller: Manuel T. Reyes
Date: 07/21/17

32 Cherry Hill
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Alexandra Burgess
Seller: Paul D. Bunnell
Date: 07/21/17

8 Columbia St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Michelle M. Rodriguez
Seller: Samuel Delvalle
Date: 07/11/17

96 Edbert Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Timothy J. McGough
Seller: Walkowicz, Walter M., (Estate)
Date: 07/21/17

555 High St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $610,000
Buyer: Equitas Tahoe LLC
Seller: Ritmar Realty Corp
Date: 07/13/17

277 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: David P. Orth
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 07/11/17

4 Jeane Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Samuel Delvalle
Seller: Joann B. Burgess
Date: 07/11/17

162 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Stefanie Velazquez
Seller: Scott Family Properties
Date: 07/14/17

6 Michelle Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Michael B. Cutler
Seller: David L. Kolkemeyer
Date: 07/18/17

1356 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Theodore B. Ruegsegger
Seller: William G. Lyons
Date: 07/18/17

235 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: AAD LLC
Seller: AAD LLC
Date: 07/12/17

65 Park Slope
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Mark Dansereau
Seller: Ryan P. Kelly
Date: 07/21/17

17 Stanford St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Lauren J. Way
Seller: Andrew Newcomb
Date: 07/14/17

95 Sun Valley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Mark Gubala
Seller: William K. Woz
Date: 07/13/17

39 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Kimberly C. Renee
Seller: Lauren J. Way
Date: 07/13/17

LONGMEADOW

30 Bel Air Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $289,500
Buyer: Richard A. Wagner
Seller: John P. Calabrese
Date: 07/12/17

669 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Paul E. Schultz
Seller: Trimboli, Dolores M., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

873 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $321,750
Buyer: Aaron Skoglund
Seller: Janice A. Brids
Date: 07/14/17

5 Eunice Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $302,500
Buyer: Brian D. Crawford
Seller: Daniel Richman
Date: 07/21/17

59 Fenwood Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Richard J. Graveline
Seller: Deborah A. Meder-Luben
Date: 07/12/17

123 Green Hill Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Warren P. Shepherd
Seller: Carmelo A. Palumbo
Date: 07/14/17

177 Hazardville Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: 177 Hazardville Road LLC
Seller: Laura F. Sousa
Date: 07/14/17

50 Knollwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: John S. Mello
Seller: Douglas R. Grant
Date: 07/10/17

44 Lincoln Park
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Michael P. Carney
Seller: Nicholas J. Criscitelli
Date: 07/21/17

45 Quinnehtuk Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $579,900
Buyer: Neil King
Seller: Leslie V. Rahn
Date: 07/14/17

LUDLOW

149 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Timothy S. Donnelly
Seller: Daniel T. Martin
Date: 07/18/17

145 Clover Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Licinio M. Silva
Seller: Mark Sadowsky
Date: 07/13/17

17 Grandview Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $155,800
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Michael A. Angelo
Date: 07/17/17

7 Haswell Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $129,500
Buyer: Dias Properties LLC
Seller: Laverty, Robert E., (Estate)
Date: 07/12/17

142 Loopley St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Frank N. Roda
Seller: John Smolinski
Date: 07/14/17

22 Noel St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Mark A. Granger
Seller: Wanda C. Tetreault
Date: 07/14/17

170 Overlook Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Alpiarca
Seller: Russell A. Oliveira
Date: 07/14/17

160 Pondview Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $219,900
Buyer: Kyle D. Levesque
Seller: Lisa Mahan
Date: 07/20/17

187 Sewall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Katrina L. Ely
Seller: Judith M. Chenaille
Date: 07/21/17

50 West Akard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Syner
Seller: Camile Hannoush
Date: 07/17/17

71 Williams St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Christine R. Day
Seller: Jacqueline A. Doyle
Date: 07/13/17

MONSON

211 Bumstead Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $225,500
Buyer: James P. Sanville
Seller: Catherine E. Rioux
Date: 07/14/17

109 East Hill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $1,455,000
Buyer: Westview Holdings LLC
Seller: Westview Farm Inc.
Date: 07/12/17

145 Town Farm Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Timothy R. Lukasik
Seller: William T. Brown
Date: 07/14/17

225 Wales Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Steven J. Grimaldi
Seller: Marianne E. O’Connor
Date: 07/14/17

PALMER

2248 Baptist Hill Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $249,500
Buyer: Melissa R. Juda
Seller: Michael J. Messier
Date: 07/21/17

3114 Foster St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Jean M. Bubon
Seller: Robert J. Lefebvre
Date: 07/18/17

9 Katie Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Lee A. Fernandes
Seller: Denise K. Zielecki-Koons
Date: 07/14/17

9 Lafayette St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Adelei L. Bernard
Seller: Michael K. Brawn
Date: 07/12/17

46 Squier St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $124,800
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Mary A. Leroux
Date: 07/18/17

8 Summit Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Cassondra B. Hayden
Seller: Michael Sullivan
Date: 07/21/17

RUSSELL

55 Cedar Terrace
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Brittany E. Cox
Seller: Waryck, Genevieve M., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

SOUTHWICK

82 Berkshire Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $649,000
Buyer: Brandon Artibani
Seller: Jamie A. Wilander
Date: 07/19/17

356 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $251,900
Buyer: Ryan F. Henderson
Seller: Eric R. Vogel
Date: 07/20/17

8 Partridge Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Emily A. Moccio
Seller: Ramses O. Morantes
Date: 07/10/17

6 Sam West Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Yuriy Renkas
Seller: Nikolay T. Nedeoglo
Date: 07/19/17

SPRINGFIELD

389 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Ha T. Pham
Seller: Madeline Niemiec
Date: 07/10/17

651 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Katherine Peralta
Seller: Anthony Giarrusso
Date: 07/21/17

149 Ashbrook St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $213,000
Buyer: Bridget K. Dullea
Seller: Jeremy Casey
Date: 07/10/17

37 Barrington Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $286,000
Buyer: David K. Stover
Seller: Debra A. Gebo
Date: 07/11/17

75 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Antony Massop
Seller: Legacy Realty Associates
Date: 07/10/17

11 Blake St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Carlos T. Torres
Seller: Leo W. Roy
Date: 07/19/17

46 Brighton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jason I. Bolanos
Seller: Eric M. Falardeau
Date: 07/21/17

1586 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Angel L. Trinidad
Seller: P. Tush 2 LLC
Date: 07/14/17

38 Chesterfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Frederick J. Doersam
Seller: Carol A. McKay
Date: 07/20/17

16 Churchill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $232,900
Buyer: Treaandrea M. Russworm
Seller: Matthew K. Goodchild
Date: 07/20/17

46 Cuff Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $148,000
Buyer: Shauna Martinez
Seller: Raquel I. Luna
Date: 07/21/17

132 Denwall Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Tung Ta
Seller: Florence L. Standish
Date: 07/14/17

32 Desrosiers St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Cook
Seller: Maria Narvaez
Date: 07/19/17

32 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: RBT Enterprise LLC
Seller: Maddox Realty LLC
Date: 07/21/17

204 East Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Brahman Holdings LLC
Seller: Katara M. Jones
Date: 07/20/17

54 Drumlin Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,500
Buyer: Ryan Applebee
Seller: Kenneth F. Heiden
Date: 07/14/17

312 Dutchess St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $235,511
Buyer: Patrick J. Roberts
Seller: Stephen P. Wagner
Date: 07/14/17

36 Eckington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Antonia Benvenutti
Seller: Richard T. Peach
Date: 07/14/17

Eddywood St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: John W. Mangine
Seller: Brian D. Crawford
Date: 07/21/17

39 Eton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Huang Family Property LLC
Date: 07/18/17

36 Fairhaven Dr.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Robert Diaz
Seller: Keith Harris
Date: 07/17/17

53 Fullerton St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Annabelle Rodriguez
Seller: Mubashir Masood
Date: 07/17/17

63 Granger St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Marc A. Mercado
Seller: PD Developments LLC
Date: 07/17/17

84 Glenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Kasha M. Wint
Seller: Mark L. Gaudette
Date: 07/14/17

Greene St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Hres Hancock LLC
Seller: Hancock RT
Date: 07/14/17

19 Greenbrier St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $149,900
Buyer: Jose M. Rivera
Seller: NAV Properties LLC
Date: 07/21/17

64 Harmon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Efren R. Figueroa
Seller: Laura B. Demars
Date: 07/21/17

47 Healey St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Luis A. Rodriguez
Seller: Martinho G. Bernardes
Date: 07/21/17

141 Joan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: David Ruiz
Seller: Steven R. Marinello
Date: 07/19/17

24 Joseph St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $128,900
Buyer: Kevin J. Key
Seller: Shawn M. Monette
Date: 07/13/17

399 Kent Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $230,450
Buyer: Lucas R. King
Seller: Jonathan W. Ankiewicz
Date: 07/10/17

11 Lang St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Keshia Martinez
Seller: Michael E. Harrowfield
Date: 07/21/17

14 Lawn St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Nicole A. Lynch
Seller: Vincenzo R. Amore
Date: 07/18/17

141 Mildred Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $139,000
Buyer: Charles Billings
Seller: David R. Leger
Date: 07/14/17

66-68 Miller St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: John T. Sugrue
Seller: Evelyn Rivera
Date: 07/12/17

237 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Aleksandr Farin
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 07/14/17

323 Naismith St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Naefia M. Padi
Seller: Alex Owusu
Date: 07/18/17

185 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Seller: Serene RT
Date: 07/14/17

351 Oakland St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,660
Buyer: 3N Property LLC
Seller: Sunshine Homes LLC
Date: 07/21/17

39 Old Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Courtney A. Miller
Seller: Debra L. Pafumi
Date: 07/10/17

101-103 Parallel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nelson Dechner-Devia
Seller: Ruben V. Rosa
Date: 07/14/17

7 Pearson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Chris J. Tabarejo
Seller: Nathaniel Smith
Date: 07/13/17

6131 Phoenix Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Ernest Allen
Seller: Ryan Applebee
Date: 07/14/17

0 Pilgrim Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Michael Harrison
Seller: John E. Mercier
Date: 07/21/17

40 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: James Barr
Seller: Sharon Desjarlais
Date: 07/10/17

411 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Shazia Ahmed
Seller: Richard Gray
Date: 07/10/17

11 Sonia St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Hashimu Juma
Seller: Stacia T. Orszulak
Date: 07/21/17

1671 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Richard E. Weibust
Seller: Carol L. Bernazki
Date: 07/14/17

1038 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Richard Scott
Seller: Sarah J. Ogonowski
Date: 07/20/17

409 Sunrise Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Tatiana Adorno
Seller: Dykes, Eula, (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

12-14 Sylvan St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,100
Buyer: Michael G. Shepard
Seller: Stratton Renovation LLC
Date: 07/21/17

120 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $174,500
Buyer: Alexis Rivera
Seller: Carmen L. Reyes
Date: 07/21/17

581 Tinkham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $168,920
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Michael M. Fiore
Date: 07/10/17

5 Trail Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Bilal M. Mhanna
Seller: French, Robert O., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

146 Vincent St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $129,500
Buyer: Andres Marrero
Seller: Julius Nero
Date: 07/13/17

111 Waldorf St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Lee Surette
Seller: Thomas A. Demarco
Date: 07/13/17

32 Wands St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Eric M. Hiller
Seller: Paul Morrissey
Date: 07/14/17

100 Westbank Court
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Pike
Seller: Brian A. Bachicha
Date: 07/17/17

168 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Raquel Borges
Seller: Jennifer A. Gendron
Date: 07/12/17

166 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $143,200
Buyer: Lattoy F. McDowell
Seller: JJS Capital Investment
Date: 07/18/17

43 Wilkes St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jack Vo
Seller: Harold E. Riddle
Date: 07/14/17

WEST SPRINGFIELD

36 Ames Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Andrew D. Hernandez
Seller: Daniel Covalli
Date: 07/14/17

71 Appaloosa Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Lionel H. Strong
Date: 07/14/17

39 Bonnie Brae Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Nicholas G. Kraver
Seller: John R. Sweeney
Date: 07/14/17

53 Cass Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $175,500
Buyer: Mohammed AlAttar
Seller: Kathleen M. Arnold
Date: 07/21/17

65 Cedar Woods Glen
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Michelle E. Martone
Seller: William E. Silk
Date: 07/17/17

134 Christopher Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Sharbel J. Hannoush
Seller: Michael T. Smith
Date: 07/10/17

30 Cook St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Omar Suleiman-Muya
Seller: Bushra Aziz
Date: 07/12/17

41 Cooper St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Adrian Rutkowski
Seller: Newhouse, Ruth V., (Estate)
Date: 07/21/17

23 Merrick St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Hat Trick Properties LLC
Seller: Young K. Kim LLC
Date: 07/14/17

57 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ammar Alsammarraie
Seller: Kate Y. Stiles
Date: 07/21/17

6 North St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Katelyn M. Dean
Seller: Devine, Thomas M., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

14 Oakland St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Kyara Duke
Seller: Debra Honts
Date: 07/14/17

65 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Nicholas P. Tapply
Seller: Michael J. Keavany
Date: 07/21/17

438 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Aric A. Nunes
Seller: Shirley D. Mark
Date: 07/14/17

30 Ryan Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Abdulsattar Kareem
Seller: Joanne Contrino
Date: 07/21/17

104 West Calvin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $135,833
Buyer: Cedar Investment Group
Seller: Quicken Loans Inc.
Date: 07/17/17

81 Wilder Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Manoj K. Chamlagai
Seller: Steven Grushetskiy
Date: 07/17/17

43 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Brandon Clement
Seller: Carol A. McCabe
Date: 07/14/17

274 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: James P. Foley
Seller: Mark E. Kenney
Date: 07/21/17

WESTFIELD

31 Aldrich Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $172,020
Buyer: 31 Aldrich Drive Land TR
Seller: Nicolas O. Gingras
Date: 07/19/17

7-A&B Bates St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $131,796
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Roxanne F. Sprague
Date: 07/21/17

184 Birch Bluffs Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $116,500
Buyer: Holden Canty
Seller: USA VA
Date: 07/20/17

43 Cabot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Chagnon
Seller: MD Rentals LLC
Date: 07/14/17

7 Columbia St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Robert Delano
Seller: Sulewski, James C., (Estate)
Date: 07/18/17

98 Dartmouth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $115,650
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Jason A. Dean
Date: 07/13/17

12 Dudley Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: EKC Properties LLC
Seller: Louis W. Desi
Date: 07/21/17

227 East Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Erlk Realty LLC
Seller: Demers Family Realty LLC
Date: 07/14/17

1820 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $265,100
Buyer: Christian A. Auclair
Seller: Lawrence J. Siok
Date: 07/21/17

36 Honey Pot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Pamela D. Burek
Seller: Julia D. Millay
Date: 07/13/17

310 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $816,000
Buyer: USNE Westfield LLC
Seller: 310 Lockhouse Road LLC
Date: 07/20/17

145 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $153,098
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Thomas Placzek
Date: 07/19/17

129 North Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Travis B. Fanion
Seller: Alexi Avila
Date: 07/10/17

308 Northwest Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Ruszala
Seller: Peter A. Ruszala
Date: 07/21/17

61 Plantation Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Stephen E. Schnopp
Seller: Janet M. Mitchell
Date: 07/14/17

3 Rita Mary Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Jaime Andres-Colon
Seller: Tricia A. Bulan
Date: 07/21/17

21 Saint James Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Nina Girich
Seller: Burek, Gertrude, (Estate)
Date: 07/18/17

39 West Silver St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Aarya Krishna RT
Seller: LJB Realty LLC
Date: 07/12/17

80 White St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Amy V. Sfakios
Date: 07/13/17

WILBRAHAM

43 Bennett Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Lee
Seller: Randy P. Pascale
Date: 07/21/17

3 Birch St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $191,000
Buyer: Raymond P. Monette
Seller: Bennett, Alice T., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/17

6 Bittersweet Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Troy M. Gifford
Seller: David P. Pieciak
Date: 07/13/17

384 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $192,200
Buyer: SK3 Realty LLC
Seller: Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Date: 07/14/17

51 Mountain Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Tracy L. Sicbaldi
Seller: Diane Matthews
Date: 07/13/17

68 Old Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Korzeniowski
Seller: Darek Long
Date: 07/14/17

6 Sherwin Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: James A. Kloss
Seller: AC Homebuilding LLC
Date: 07/17/17

7 Tall Timber Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Justin L. Kent
Seller: William A. Accorsi
Date: 07/14/17

4 Ward Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Eric P. Mastroianni
Seller: Thomas J. Schluckebier
Date: 07/13/17

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

77 Eames Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $419,900
Buyer: Bernhard Leidner
Seller: Magdalena Bezanilla
Date: 07/17/17

27 Heatherstone Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Rachel A. Borson
Seller: John Durfee
Date: 07/19/17

22 Hillcrest Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Alasdair S. Roberts
Seller: Robert V. Gallant
Date: 07/19/17

90 Justice Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: K. E. Walton-Vecchio
Seller: Zhijun Wang
Date: 07/18/17

10 Ladyslipper Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Frances Pace-Lonergan
Seller: Stephen B. Mabee
Date: 07/17/17

169 Meadow St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Mosaic Real Estate Amherst
Seller: Great Meadow Farm LLC
Date: 07/14/17

90 Memorial Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $275,500
Buyer: Nicholas J. Dufresne
Seller: T. A. Murphy RET 2010
Date: 07/14/17

127 Mill Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $398,750
Buyer: Norm Jay-Jones
Seller: Ralph P. Hill
Date: 07/20/17

90 Pomeroy Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Jose Ramos
Seller: Laurie J. Reid
Date: 07/20/17

1 Sunset Court
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: 1 Sunset Court RT
Seller: Carmen X. Darlach
Date: 07/11/17

56 Taylor St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Jayant K. Taneja
Seller: Henry G. Lukas
Date: 07/17/17

BELCHERTOWN

1 Brenda Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Sivart RT
Seller: Martha E. Whelan
Date: 07/19/17

36 Dana Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Marie Clair Foley
Seller: E. A. Radwilowicz-Siwinski
Date: 07/14/17

27 Eskett Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Stephen B. Mabee
Seller: Robert M. Mileski
Date: 07/17/17

620 Federal St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: John R. Diggles
Seller: Paul M. Guimond
Date: 07/13/17

312 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Donna M. Hiersche
Seller: Sarah Khatib
Date: 07/14/17

460 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Andrew Betsold
Seller: Bruce W. Ulmer
Date: 07/20/17

661 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Michael A. Renkie
Seller: Lenox Homes LLC
Date: 07/14/17

10 Pine Brook Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Paul E. Brissette
Seller: Luso FCU
Date: 07/10/17

48 Pine St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $422,500
Buyer: William Ruh
Seller: RGC LLC
Date: 07/21/17

164 Sabin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $379,000
Buyer: Courtney N. Watts
Seller: Brett F. Lord
Date: 07/21/17

Sabin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Phoenix Fruit Farm LLC
Seller: Atkins Farms Inc.
Date: 07/20/17

407 South Gulf Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Gulru Cakmak
Seller: Helga Z. Ragle
Date: 07/14/17

60 Sargent St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $242,000
Buyer: Rusty Longe
Seller: Eagle Crest RT
Date: 07/11/17

CHESTERFIELD

424 Main Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Alexander J. Simisky
Seller: Amy J. Scully
Date: 07/21/17

CUMMINGTON

427 Berkshire Trail
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: David T. Morrison
Seller: Russin, Nash V. M., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

127 Mount Road
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $545,000
Buyer: George A. Fenton
Seller: Michael Alterman
Date: 07/12/17

EASTHAMPTON

3 Applewood Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Trevor A. Tompkins
Seller: Louis L. Wou
Date: 07/14/17

48 Cherry St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: David J. Gaestel
Seller: Richard Ceplikas
Date: 07/14/17

13 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: John R. Lynch
Seller: Ladonna E. Crow
Date: 07/21/17

52-54 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Thomas W. Brown
Seller: James F. Soja
Date: 07/21/17

15 Matthew Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Luis O. Isaza
Seller: Hitcho, Helen E., (Estate)
Date: 07/10/17

51 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $207,000
Buyer: Magali Schoulguine
Seller: Jonna L. Cote
Date: 07/17/17

79 Plain St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Holly M. Bishop
Seller: Robert Meeropol
Date: 07/11/17

31 Sterling Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jonathan Riseling
Seller: Joyce M. Wark
Date: 07/10/17

10 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Brandon J. O’Donnell
Seller: Lisa Bartlett
Date: 07/13/17

48 Westview Terrace
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $272,500
Buyer: Victor M. Rodite
Seller: Eve S. Eichwald
Date: 07/12/17

8 Westview Terrace
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Karen H. Sise
Seller: Philip Lussier
Date: 07/12/17

GRANBY

68 Aldrich St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Benjamin P. Ocasio
Seller: Gilbert L. Clark
Date: 07/12/17

51 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Richard C. Howland
Seller: Mustafa Elbach
Date: 07/14/17

145 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: Charles Roberts
Seller: Stephen H. Henry
Date: 07/21/17

55 Ferry Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Jillian S. Nugent
Seller: Scott Family Properties
Date: 07/14/17

131 New Ludlow Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Edwin J. Feliciano
Seller: Michael A. Renkie
Date: 07/14/17

116 South St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $211,500
Buyer: Lynn M. Boyington
Seller: Frank E. Fisher
Date: 07/11/17

HADLEY

8 Edgewood Terrace
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Geunhwa Jung
Seller: Susan L. Cohen
Date: 07/11/17

59 Huntington Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Robert Ross-Peterson
Seller: Howard A. Koski
Date: 07/21/17

12 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Victoria L. Sheikh
Seller: James B. Rule
Date: 07/12/17

HATFIELD

20 Chestnut St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: James B. Thein
Seller: Matthew Goldman
Date: 07/21/17

104 Mountain Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $457,000
Buyer: Joseph E. Szawlowski
Seller: Christyn J. Fagan
Date: 07/14/17

NORTHAMPTON

18 Conz St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Thomas H. Gelb
Seller: Teresa Maginnis
Date: 07/18/17

156 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Mark Haselkorn
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 07/10/17

37 Fair St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Stephen Karney
Seller: David A. Touhey
Date: 07/14/17

66 Federal St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Gregory P. O’Donnell
Seller: Fungaroli, Joseph M., (Estate)
Date: 07/21/17

64 Forest Glen Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: James A. North
Seller: Thibodo, Norma J., (Estate)
Date: 07/14/17

41 Henshaw Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Francis Savage
Seller: Jennifer Polins
Date: 07/21/17

50 Ladyslipper Lane
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $466,121
Buyer: Jared I. Greenberg
Seller: Kathleen D. Jacobs
Date: 07/12/17

40 Landy Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: James J. Young
Seller: Marilyn R. Janes
Date: 07/17/17

113 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Colleen Byrnes
Seller: Frederick J. Bogin
Date: 07/13/17

24 Powell St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $266,500
Buyer: Celeste Malvezzi
Seller: Stephen P. Jasinksi
Date: 07/11/17

143 South Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $444,000
Buyer: Arthur R. McMurrich
Seller: Goeler, S. E. V., (Estate)
Date: 07/19/17

214 South St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $367,500
Buyer: Brett R. Barry
Seller: Laura A. Pompei
Date: 07/19/17

49 Sterling Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Lindsay Firmani-Heart
Seller: Hatfield FT
Date: 07/14/17

PELHAM

48 Meetinghouse Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $521,000
Buyer: Sarahbess B. Kenney
Seller: Peter D. Crowley
Date: 07/14/17

SOUTH HADLEY

3 Berwyn St. Ext.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Desiree L. Langlois
Seller: Gauthier, Anita, (Estate)
Date: 07/21/17

39 Boynton Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Donna M. Koske
Seller: Deborah L. Baldini
Date: 07/21/17

271 Brainerd St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Dautel
Seller: Josephine M. Natle
Date: 07/21/17

19 Brigham Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Marian Y. Martel
Seller: Edward J. O’Boyle
Date: 07/17/17

616 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Henry Garcia
Seller: Bernard H. Pond
Date: 07/14/17

2 Greenwood Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Michael Kroll
Seller: Jeffrey Soley
Date: 07/14/17

21 Hillside Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Aubrey R. Whitfield
Seller: Kevin M. Sawula
Date: 07/19/17

27 Lexington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $183,900
Buyer: Nicholas R. Wyckmans
Seller: Donald J. Gnatek
Date: 07/11/17

3 Meadow Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Jason Szafranowicz
Seller: Greg A. Williams
Date: 07/21/17

21 Rivercrest Way
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $403,465
Buyer: Maureen B. Ratigan
Seller: Rivercrest Condominiums
Date: 07/12/17

21 Smith St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $130,650
Buyer: RB Homes LLC
Seller: Crystal A. Goddu
Date: 07/11/17

10 Sycamore Park
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Jeffrey W. Reinke
Seller: Kevin M. Kaifer IRT
Date: 07/14/17

SOUTHAMPTON

15 Center St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $118,500
Buyer: Thomas M. Bacis
Seller: Deborah A. Lambert
Date: 07/14/17

11 Pine Meadow Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: William K. Woz
Seller: Timothy P. Connolly
Date: 07/13/17

WARE

113 Doane Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Jason W. Kenney
Seller: 113 Doane Road RT
Date: 07/21/17

41 Homecrest Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $238,900
Buyer: Sally A. Schmidt
Seller: Marjorie M. Wojcik
Date: 07/14/17

253 Malboeuf Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Chevalier
Seller: William A. Meucci
Date: 07/14/17

358 Palmer Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $168,750
Buyer: Sean M. Cushman
Seller: John F. Slattery
Date: 07/21/17

112 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Dana R. Fuller
Seller: Roger C. Bouchard
Date: 07/14/17

86 Shoreline Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Jonathan B. Willard
Seller: John D. Blackmer
Date: 07/14/17

141 West Main St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Abiam Morales-Roman
Seller: Vyacheslav Katko
Date: 07/20/17

WILLIAMSBURG

101 Mountain St.
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $285,200
Buyer: Nancy P. Sumner
Seller: Jonathan N. Kelley
Date: 07/18/17

25 Nash Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Amy J. Scully
Seller: Mary C. Colwell
Date: 07/21/17

94-1/2 Old Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Mark J. Chereski
Seller: PNC Bank
Date: 07/18/17

Building Permits

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of August 2017.

AGAWAM

West Springfield Fosh & Game Club Inc.
329 Garden St.
$19,215 — Roofing

AMHERST

Amherst-South Pleasant, LLC
55 South Pleasant St.
$25,000 — New hair salon

LIJJM, LLC
18 Main St.
$1,600 — Replace four windows

National Yiddish Book Center Inc.
1021 West St.
$14,585 — Replace front exterior double doors

EASTHAMPTON

Eastworks, LLP
116 Pleasant St.
$94,500 — Interior renovation for Joe’s Gym

Williston Northampton School
37 Park St.
$47,000 — Demolition of four structures: houses at 196 Main St., 200 Main St., and 206 Main St., and garage at 37 Park St.

Williston Northampton School
9 Railroad St.
$5,000 — Remove and replace egress doors

EAST LONGMEADOW

St. Paul’s Church
235 Dwight Road
$20,000 — Roofing

GREENFIELD

Four Rivers Educational Foundation
248 Colrain Road
$6,829 — Replace five windows and block off exterior door

St. James Episcopal Church
73 Federal St.
$182,275 — Replace wall finish in rooms 1-7, bathrooms, and hallway; replace existing lift with new lift; expand existing bathrooms to comply with handicap regulations

LONGMEADOW

Interfaith Homes of Longmeadow
114 Emerson Road
$2,100 — Repair two areas of roofing

Longmeadow Cemetery Assoc.
34 Williams St.
$4,477 — Remove and replace shed

Mario Davis Magnani
791 Maple Road
$10,000 — Add partition walls for interior remodel

NORTHAMPTON

94 Industrial Drive, LLC
94 Industrial Dr.
$27,000 — Roofing

94 Industrial Drive, LLC
94 Industrial Dr.
$29,500 — Install truck ramp with retaining wall and install new overhead door

100 Main St. Florence, LLC
100 Main St.
$75,000 — Interior renovations for new law office

American Benefits Group
320 Riverside Dr.
$38,000 — Remove partitions to install cubicles

City of Northampton
170 Glendale Road
$19,000 — Replace antennas and add radio heads at leachate treatment facility

Continental Cablevision of Western New England Inc.
790 Florence Road
$90,000 — Add ground equipment, cables, and three antennas to existing guyed tower

Coolidge Northampton, LLC
249 King St.
$14,650 — Remove non-load-bearing walls, construct non-load-bearing walls

Emerald City Partners
17 New South St.
$44,980 — Frame interior walls, install doors, install trim

Gandara Mental Health Center Inc.
18 Summer St.
$38,443 — Strip and shingle roof and repair chimney

McDonald’s Corp.
221 King St.
$395,000 — Update building exterior, remove building arcades, configure drive-thru for side-by-side layout, remodel interior including dining and restrooms, new roof, ADA updates

Pioneer Contractors
32 Masonic St.
$82,000 — Replace windows

Smith College
123 Elm St.
$25,000 — AT&T to remove and replace three antennas and related accessories

Smith College
102 Lower College Lane
$70,500 — Convert decommissioned stairs to former balcony into storage space

Smith College
186 Elm St.
$550,000 — Remodel space for first-floor laundry, bathroom, kitchenette, and lounge area

Thornes Marketplace, LLC
150 Main St.
$25,000 — Renovate and improve facade on Suite 170, replace five windows, and relocate partition wall

Unique Lodging, LLC
74 Bridge St.
$241,500 — Add three-season room, deck, and elevator

PALMER

B.C. Palmer Green, LLC
1 Beacon Dr.
$20,000 — Remove old salt shed, replace with new wood-frame structure

Camp Ramah of New England
39 Bennett St.
$1,250 — Construct seven sheds off seven bunks for water heaters

MPact
1659 North Main St.
$31,500 — Roofing

Neal Inc.
4279 Church St.
$11,700 — Demolish older Junction building

St. Joe’s Club
18-20 Commercial St.
$29,000 — Roofing

SPRINGFIELD

American International College
1020 State St.
$5 million — Renovation and expansion of existing single-story structure, plus addition, to convert into a two-story exercise science educational facility

Baystate Health
759 Chestnut St.
$49,500 — Construct call center

Bridge Hillman, LLC
293 Bridge St.
$70,000 — Renovate office on second floor

Davenport Advisors, LLC and Albany Rd. St. James Ave., LLC
1250 St. James Ave.
$492,402.32 — Commercial office build-out, including new windows and exterior doors

HRES Main Street, LLC
2594 Main St.
$680,000 — Construct building for Family Dollar store

Leo Handford
855 Berkshire Ave.
$1,800 — Cut opening in concrete wall of masonic temple and install glass

Love Nails Inc.
1349 Allen St.
$120,000 — Demolition and build-out for nail salon

Mark E. Salomone
175 State St.
$147,000 — Renovate third-floor offices

Primera Iglesia Cristiana Misionera
25 Terrence St.
$3,500 — Cut opening in back wall and install double doors

Springfield Redevelopment Authority
55 Frank B. Murray St.
$8,000 — Remove walls for Peter Pan ticket counter at Union Station

Sprint
1300 Boston Road
$180,000 — New tenant finishes, new plumbing and fixtures, new interior walls, new rooftop units for mechanical, ductwork, and electrical

WARE

56 Pulaski, LLC
56 Pulaski St.
$100,000 — Interior walls, insulation, drop ceiling

WESTFIELD

Reed Hall Holding, LLC
29 School St.
$80,000 — Alterations to second floor

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Eastern States Exposition
1305 Memorial Ave.
$10,000 — Verizon Wireless to place track for Big E event

Lower Pioneer Valley Career and Technical Education Center
174 Brush Hill Ave.
$135,740 — Reconfigure layout of machine shop at Career TEC, construct demising wall, plumbing and electric

WILBRAHAM

Town of Wilbraham
678 Main St.
$15,000 — Construct pavilion

Wing Memorial Hospital Corp.
2377 Boston Road, Suite 101
$13,500 — Renovate existing space into two offices and conference room

West Springfield Aims for Balance, Smart Growth

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Mayor Will Reichelt says West Springfield is seeing a good deal of adaptive reuse of commercial and industrial properties, a necessity in a community that is land-poor.

Will Reichelt says he was only 15 when he started working at the Donut Dip on Riverdale Street.

His father arranged an introduction with the owner, a fellow Rotarian, and just a few days later, Will was working behind the counter and occasionally injecting filling into jelly donuts.

“I’m not sure it was all legal, but … I sure do miss that 15-year-old body,” said the mayor, now all of 31 and in his second year at the helm of the city where he grew up. “I could eat all the donuts I wanted and never gain an ounce.”

Reichelt spent two and a half years at that Donut Dip, or roughly until he graduated from high school. He remembers at least two things from his time on Riverdale: one was that the busy thoroughfare was seemingly in a constant state of change, and the other was that the Donut Dip wasn’t.

“And it’s still the same — hasn’t changed at all,” said the mayor, who obviously still visits the establishment on occasion. As for Riverdale Street, it remains in that consistent state of change, and for many reasons.

The two major highways that feed traffic onto it — the Mass. Turnpike and I-91 — are the two biggest, because major retailers — and that includes the slew of auto dealers doing business on that stretch — covet such accessibility and will go to great lengths to take full advantage of it. Another is the fact that West Springfield is, to use a term that municipal leaders hate to use, ‘land-poor,’ meaning most developable real estate has been developed already.

All this leads to a term that those involved in economic development are much more fond of using — ‘adaptive reuse,’ which is happening, in one form or another, in seemingly every corner of this city of roughly 28,000. Some examples:

• Buildings within the former Gilbarco complex on Union Street have been repurposed by U-Haul as home to everything from self-storage units to a facility for servicing trucks within the huge fleet;

• The former St. Ann’s Church on Memorial Avenue, razed more than five years ago, has been transitioned into a retail center and home for Florence Savings Bank’s first branch in Hampden County; city officials are still awaiting word on other tenants for that facility;

• A Chipotle restaurant has opened on the site of what was once home to a Jiffy Lube on Memorial Avenue, adding to the already impressive number of eateries on the street that is also home to the Big E;

• Staying on Memorial Avenue, several buildings were razed there and the real estate consolidated by Fathers & Sons to create new, state-of-the art dealerships for Audi and Volkswagen, which opened early this year;

• A former billiard parlor on Riverdale Street has been razed to make way for a new, 121-room Marriott Courtyard hotel that will again alter the landscape on that street; and

• Further north on that strip, a residential property has been acquired by Balise Motor Sales with the intention of adding a car wash to the extensive portfolio of facilities it has on or near Riverdale.

One of the good things about West Springfield is that we are, literally, at the crossroads of New England. Redevelopment of empty parcels pretty much takes care of itself, because people want to be along Riverdale Street, Memorial Avenue, or in West Springfield, because it’s so easy to get to.”

There are many other examples from the past several years or that are now on the drawing board, said Reichelt and Douglas Mattoon, director of the city’s Department of Planning and Development, as they described two of the key planks within the community’s economic-development strategy — making the very best use of the land that is available, even if that means knocking something else down to make those efforts possible, and taking full advantage of its enviable geographic location, which the mayor summed up effectively.

“One of the good things about West Springfield is that we are, literally, at the crossroads of New England,” he said, borrowing language used by more than a few of the retailers with a presence in his city. “Redevelopment of empty parcels pretty much takes care of itself, because people want to be along Riverdale Street, Memorial Avenue, or in West Springfield, because it’s so easy to get to.”

To fully capitalize on all this, the city has embarked on the first major effort to update its zoning in a half-century.

“We put together a zoning-review committee, and they’ve been working for four or five months now,” said Reichelt. “They’re literally taking our zoning ordinances from page 1 to page 200 and whatever, and reviewing everything with an eye toward the next 50 years and what will enable the town to move forward.”

West Springfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1774
Population: 28,391 (2014)
Area: 17.49 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $16.99
Commercial Tax Rate: $22.21
Median Household Income: $54,434
Median family Income: $63,940
Type of government: Mayor; Town Council
Largest employers: Eversource Energy; Harris Corp.; Home Depot; Interim Health Care; Mercy Home Care
* Latest information available

Overall, said Mattoon, West Springfield continues to work toward two goals that are at or near the top of every municipality’s to-do list — achieving balance between residential and commercial development, and smart growth.

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at a community that has always been an attractive mailing address for businesses, and continues to be a destination.

Roads to Progress

While Riverdale Street and Memorial Avenue, the two real entranceways to West Springfield, if you will, provide the most visible evidence of the growth and constant change that place within the city, there are examples in virtually every corner, said Mattoon.

He used an always-effective barometer — building permits issued for both residential and commercial projects this year — to get this message across.

“More than 1,200 permits have been issued,” he noted. “There is some new-home construction and lot of home-improvement projects, and the commercial side of the ledger has really taken off. Our site-plan reviews and zoning board applications are up 52% from where we were last year.

“We’ve had a lot of activity come before us,” he went on. “Not only on the Riverdale corridor, but also on the Memorial Avenue corridor and even the Route 20 corridor, which is a minor corridor going through the center of town.”

Summing up what he believes those permits show, Mattoon said a number of businesses in the community are doing quite well and are in expansion mode. Meanwhile, others want to also take advantage of being at those aforementioned crossroads.

In that former category are a number of businesses across a host of sectors, including Titan USA, a maker of high-speed steel and cobalt cutting tools, which is again expanding its facilities on Baldwin Street; several retailers, including Food Bag, Cumberland Farms (both on Route 20), and Wendy’s, which built a new facility on the site of a former Arby’s on Riverdale Street; U-Haul; and even Costco, which is looking to add gasoline to the seemingly endless list of products it sells from its location in the Riverdale Shops — a project that has been in the works for years and is now before the Planning Board.

In the latter category, meanwhile, is the new hotel on Riverdale, Balise’s car-wash project, a new Pride Store on Riverdale that will replace a smaller facility the company operated, and some new residential developments, including an ambitious project adjacent to Springfield Country Club called Piper Green.

Doug Mattoon says West Springfield strives for smart growth and a balance between commercial and residential growth.

While all this is going on, city officials are hard at work on several fronts that, collectively, fall into the categories of facilitating more of these types of developments while also enabling the community and specific neighborhoods within it to absorb such growth without negatively impacting traffic and overall quality of life.

And these efforts take a number of forms as well. They include the zoning overhaul, which Reichelt said is needed and long overdue, as well as close examination of the types of businesses the city wants to attract.

“Much of our focus has been on Westfield Street [Route 20], the center of town, how we encourage more business to come there — not that there’s a lack of business there,” he explained. “But is what’s there what we want, and if it’s not, how do we get what we want there?”

Mattoon agreed, and said such efforts, which fit the general description of ‘smart growth’ efforts, intersect with the many initiatives involving adaptive reuse.

As an example, he noted ongoing initiatives to repurpose many of the industrial and distribution facilities in the Merrick and Memorial sections of the community, including the Gilbarco complex, where gasoline pumps were manufactured decades ago.

“Such adaptive reuse requires flexibility and our ability to analyze the proposed alternative uses, and make sure they fit with the general character of the neighborhood, traffic, pedestrian safety, and so forth.”

It also includes infrastructure improvements, such as those slated for Memorial Avenue. These include the long-discussed and long-anticipated replacement of the Morgan/Sullivan Bridge over the Westfield River (the border with neighboring Agawam) and a comprehensive reconstruction of the full length of Memorial Avenue.

That state-funded project will commence when the bridge project is completed, said the mayor, estimating that will be in 2022.

Currently at the 25% design stage, the initiative calls for creating four lanes, with designated left-turn lanes and bike lanes as well, between the Memorial Bridge rotary and Union Street, and then three lanes between Union Street and the Morgan/Sullivan Bridge.

The so-called Complete Streets project, so-named because it factors in cyclists and pedestrians as well as motorists, is designed to bring smoother traffic flow to a street that has seen exponential growth over the past few decades, has struggled to handle the higher volumes of traffic, and is especially challenged during the Big E’s 17-day run every September.

“I think the Route 147 [Morgan/Sullivan] bridge project is really going to help with the traffic situation on Memorial Avenue, especially during the Big E,” said Mattoon. “That’s where we’re really seeing traffic back up — those intersections just on the other side of the bridge in Agawam.”

Meanwhile, returning again to Riverdale Street, Costco’s proposal, which calls for a number of gas pumps and a convenience-store-like facility, will require some changes to that thoroughfare, said Mattoon.

He noted that the intersection of Riverdale and Daggett Drive must be modified to handle traffic concerns raised by the project. Specifically, a southbound exit out of Daggett Drive would be added, explained, noting that this is another example of how the town is working to encourage new business ventures while also taking steps to minimize the impact from such growth on specific streets and neighborhoods.

To-Dough List

Mayor Reichelt worked at the Donut Dip half a lifetime ago. By most accounts, including his, there has been little change at that location since the start of this century.

But there has been change all around it on Riverdale Street — and also on Memorial Avenue, Route 20, Baldwin Street, and every other corner of the city — and it is ongoing.

This is life at the crossroads of New England. Those highways create opportunities, challenges, and a delicate balancing act, one that Reichelt and his team at City Hall continue to master.

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

Studies in Entrepreneurship

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Back at the start of this century, BusinessWest awarded its coveted Top Entrepreneur Award, established just a few years earlier, to Andrew Scibelli, then president of Springfield Technical Community College.

The choice, while heralded by some, drew some rather cynical e-mails and phone calls from observers who really couldn’t understand how an educator — and a state employee, no less — could win an award for entrepreneurship.

Such thinking, while in some ways understandable, is nonetheless narrow and shortsighted. In fact, this region’s colleges and universities have provided some of the best examples of entrepreneurial thinking over the past few decades — and they keep coming.

So much so that when the decision makers at BusinessWest gather to discuss potential honorees for the Top Entrepreneur Award, several from the ranks of higher education typically come under consideration.

Bay Path University’s new doctorate program in Occupational Therapy (see story, page 27), the school’s first, is only the latest of dozens of entrepreneurial endeavors launched by the school since Carol Leary became president in 1994 — including, ironically enough, an MBA program in Entrepreneurial Thinking & Innovative Practices — and Bay Path is just one of many schools to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset.

Indeed, other examples abound, from UMass Amherst’s opening of a campus in downtown Springfield to American International College’s introduction of new programs and aggressive pursuit of students not only across this country but in other countries; from Westfield State University’s large investment in a school-operated dining service (inspired by UMass Amherst’s hugely successful program) to Western New England University’s new Pharmacy program; from Elms College’s aggressive investments in new programs (which have brought it back from fiscal distress) to new campus-center projects at STCC and Holyoke Community College.

The list goes on, and on, and on.

But let’s back up a minute and put all this in perspective.

First, what does it mean to be entrepreneurial? It means moving a business or organization forward by recognizing opportunities and seizing them effectively. Some would call it calculated risk-taking, and that description works as well.

Successful entrepreneurs know that, no matter what field they’re in, be it manufacturing, healthcare, or financial services, they can’t stand still, expecting to do things as they’ve always done them, and hope to succeed.

It’s the same in higher education. These institutions can’t stand still, especially at a time of immense change — including smaller high-school graduating classes — and competition.

Back in 2000, Scibelli was honored for many initiatives, but especially his work to create partnerships with a host of major corporations that created learning (and job) opportunities for students, and also for his work to convert the former Digital Equipment Corp. complex located across from the STCC campus into a technology park that has brought hundreds of jobs to this area.

Today, schools are being entrepreneurial in a host of ways, all designed to create opportunities for those schools (meaning much-needed revenue) but also deliver all-important value to those that are meeting the high cost of a college education today.

The cynics would say it’s easy to be entrepreneurial when you’re spending the taxpayers’ money — which is what the presidents of the public colleges and universities are doing, in essence — or when you have huge endowments to draw from as you consider building new science buildings and dormitories.

But our public schools are not well-supported by this state, and, by and large, the private schools are not sitting on Harvard-like endowments. The investments they’ve made have definitely been calculated risks, but risks nonetheless.

Standing still was not, and is not, an option.

And there are lessons here — both literally and figuratively — to be learned and embraced by all area business owners.

Two Bills Would Address Skills Shortage

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Opinion

By Katie Holahan

“Blueprint for the Next Century,” a long-term economic plan for Massachusetts prepared by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), identifies the shortage of qualified workers as the central impediment to the future of the Bay State economy. Worker shortage cross almost every industry, from manufacturers in the Pioneer Valley to software companies in Boston’s Innovation District to research and engineering firms on the North Shore.

The 4,000 member employers of AIM believe there are three key steps to addressing the problem:

• Identify opportunities to restructure state workforce-training programs to anticipate both near- and long-term workforce growth;

• Diversify the types of relevant training and education available to students statewide; and

• Allow the public education system the flexibility and adaptability to respond to the needs of the local and regional workforce, so graduates enjoy greater economic opportunity.

Two bills recently released from the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will help Massachusetts achieve the first goal.

The bills, Senate 2109 and House 3804, filed by the late Sen. Ken Donnelly and Rep. Kenneth Gordon, respectively, would allow a transfer of up to $1.1 million, or 5%, of funds from the Workforce Training Fund to the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund to be used for sector-based job training for non-incumbent workers. The Workforce Training Fund generates revenues via employer assessments, and is normally used to improve the skills of workers who are already on the job.

AIM advocated successfully for a pay-for-performance funding structure in the proposed grant program. Half of the grant funds in the program will be tied to job placement and retention outcomes. The money won’t be released until workers are trained and in their new, full-time jobs for two months. Such discipline and measurement will allow the state to connect the available workforce with employers so that all regions and industries have similar opportunities for success.

Training both incumbent workers and new workers will create the type of flexibility needed to respond to a changing economy while meeting clear job-growth objectives. As the Commonwealth works to modernize and streamline its workforce-development system, AIM will continue to advocate for such requirements in any similar pieces of workforce legislation.

The creation of a job and a person’s ability to do that job weave together every important aspect of social and economic stability: the desire for a better life, the ability to support a family, the confidence to start a business, and the need to support efficient government management of services like education, healthcare, and public safety.

Katie Holahan is vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts. This article first appeared on the AIM blog.

Mercedes-Benz Set to Make Its Return to Western Mass.

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Autos Cover Story Sections

Awaiting the ‘Autohaus’

Michelle and Peter Wirth

Michelle Wirth started her career with Mercedes-Benz as a mechanical engineer. Early on, after only a few visits to Stuttgart, Germany, where the cars are designed and manufactured, she learned that the company doesn’t build to industry standards — it creates an environment where engineers can design to their own, higher standards. These are lessons she and her husband, Peter, apply to their life and how they do business, especially with their new venture, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, set to open next month.

Peter Wirth doesn’t know exactly how long it’s been since Mercedes Benz has had a presence in Western Mass. with a dealership.

He does know that it’s been … well, long enough.

As in, long enough that he knows he and his wife, Michelle, and fellow partner Rich Hesse have a lot of work to do in many different realms as they prepare to open Mercedes-Benz of Springfield on the site of the old Plantation Inn across from Mass. Turnpike exit 6 in Chicopee.

For starters, the partners in this nearly $12 million enterprise have to let people know that Mercedes is, indeed, back in the 413 more than a decade after a small dealership on Riverdale Street, this region’s auto mile, if you will, closed its doors, leaving area consumers to travel to Hartford or just east of Worcester to do business.

And they intend to get that job done in a number of ways, from intensive, targeted marketing to a grand-opening celebration (date to be determined), to some work within the community even before the doors open, to show that they are not just here to sell cars (more on that later).

But there is other work to do, and most of it falls in the category of showing just how much Mercedes-Benz — the company, the cars, and the brand — have all changed since the last time someone had the opportunity to buy or lease a new one in Western Mass.

“What I recognized is that we have to — and we love to — reacquaint people in our area of influence with the Mercedes-Benz brand; a lot has changed in 10 years,” said Michelle Wirth, who will oversee marketing efforts and other duties for the company, but started her career with Mercedes as a mechanical engineer. “There are something like 3,000 to 4,000 Mercedes cars in Western Massachusetts currently in operation. I don’t have exact figures, but I’m sure most of them are older, because people haven’t made the trek to Hartford or Shrewsbury or Albany pick up a new car.

“We want to make sure that those folks who are already convinced about the brand know we exist, and then reacquaint them with the new cars,” she went on. “The vehicles themselves have just transformed in the past 10 years.”

An architect’s rendering of the new Mercedes dealership, which will emphasize transparency.

By that, she was referring to everything from the number of models to the depth of the price range. For example, she pointed to the CLA, a Mercedes model that retails for under $33,000, a number that would likely surprise many people, including some who know cars — and Mercedes.

Other things that have changed since Mercedes models were last sold in this region include the carmaker’s focus on safety, and not merely luxury and style (although those are still points of emphasis, to be sure), as well as the dealerships in which the cars are sold and, especially, serviced.

Indeed, dealerships today are well-appointed, convenience-focused, customer-friendly facilities that exist not so much to showcase cars, although they still do that, certainly, but pamper those who buy them.

SEE: Auto Dealers

So much so that Michelle Wirth, as she described the process of designing, outfitting, and operating the facility in Chicopee, said the mindset is that she and her husband are not competing with other dealerships, necessarily, but against hotels, restaurants, and even the new $950 million MGM Springfield casino due to open in about a year, in the manner in which they are all focused on hospitality and taking care of the customer.

“When they walk away from a fine hotel establishment, people say ‘man, they did everything right’ — it’s just a feeling they have,” she explained. “When they walk away, they’re going to feel it, they’re going to feel, ‘wow, they care about me, and they took care of me. That’s the feeling we’re going to create.”

For this issue and its focus on auto sales, BusinessWest visited the dealership a few weeks before its doors are due to officially open to gain some insight into what the partners in this venture are anticipating as Mercedes makes its much anticipated return to the area.

A Major Coup

By now, most in the region’s business community are at least somewhat familiar with the story behind Mercedes-Benz of Springfield.

Back in late 2014, Peter Wirth and Hesse, owners of a Mercedes dealership in Nanuet, N.Y., were approached by the carmaker about bringing the brand back to Western Mass. with a dealership after that aforementioned lengthy absence, and after some extensive research, the two concluded that this region was, indeed, underserved, and that a facility here had considerable potential.

Especially at the site they eventually chose, two turnpike exits east of Riverdale Street, at the old Plantation Inn site. This location is literally across the street from where the tollbooth once stood, and at the eastern end of Route 291, giving the location great accessibility.

And it will be needed, because this dealership will have a huge coverage area, one that includes parts of four states: Western Mass., Northern Conn., Southern Vermont, and Southern New Hampshire.

That large swath of territory will bring some challenges, said the Wirths as they talked about their business venture — especially the large number of markets they must advertise in — but also a great deal of opportunity to better serve thousands of Mercedes customers.

“It’s a big area, and it’s a big task,” said Peter. “But it’s a huge opportunity for people in the Springfield metro area, who have to drive 45 minutes to Hartford, or almost an hour to Shrewsbury, the next-closest dealership, or an hour and a half to Albany.”

More than three years after those initial talks between Mercedes, Wirth, and Hesse began, the Western Mass. Mercedes dealership, or ‘autohaus,’ as such facilities are called in Germany, is nearly ready for prime time.

When BusinessWest toured the site in mid-August, the exterior of the dealership had been completed, and work was continuing inside. The projected opening date will be late September.

Like most of the dealerships being built, many of them replacing facilities 30 or 40 years old, this one will be spacious, well-appointed, modern-looking, and heavy on glass and metal.

There is a corporate identity and design standards for these dealerships, and they make them easily recognizable as Mercedes-Benz dealerships. There are certain kinds of columns, tiles, paint colors, and furniture that are pretty standard across the dealer network. But at the same time, we, together with Mercedes-Benz, worked on laying out the dealership in the way we know it’s going to work.”

And while the Mercedes corporation has a desired look and feel in mind that its dealers must create, there is plenty of room to personalize one’s autohaus, said Peter, citing, as just one example, the dealership’s car wash; Mercedes doesn’t require one, but the partners considered it a key part of the “experience.”

“There is a corporate identity and design standards for these dealerships, and they make them easily recognizable as Mercedes-Benz dealerships,” he explained. “There are certain kinds of columns, tiles, paint colors, and furniture that are pretty standard across the dealer network. But at the same time, we, together with Mercedes-Benz, worked on laying out the dealership in the way we know it’s going to work.

“That’s something that has now become specific to this site,” he went on. “Mercedes-Benz has ideas, but they will also take our input, and we’ve been very vocal in that process and made it our own. While we’ve been using their design cues, the feel and flow of the dealership is what we know works and will serve our customers best.”

Asked to elaborate, he said this dealership isn’t just open, it’s incredibly open.

Wirth said his office has four glass walls, and from it, he can see the front desk, the sales office, the lounge, and the service drive. In many ways, that office embodies the intended feeling of openness, ease of transition from one department another, and a word that’s becoming ever more prominent in business and politics today — transparency.

“It’s easy for customers to not just find their way around, but to transition from one department to another — we’re not compartmentalized,” he explained. “We don’t think of a dealership as a sales, service, and parts department; it’s one unit to us.”

Driving Force

As she talked about the new dealership, plans for it, and the level of service she and her partners plan to create, Michelle Wirth thought this was the time to discuss her career with Mercedes-Benz, which began soon after she graduated from Lehigh University with a mechanical engineering degree.

Peter and Michelle Wirth say much has changed in the decade since Mercedes had a presence in the area, and they intend to reacquaint the region with the brand.

“I got hired right out of school and worked in environmental and safety engineering,” she told BusinessWest. “I went to Germany a number of times a year, and actually got to go to the design center in Stuttgart, where they design and build these vehicles. I got to learn — I didn’t know this when I walked in the door — that Mercedes doesn’t just build to standards. They rise above those standards, and they have a holistic approach to safety and a holistic approach to design.

“It’s more about ‘what’s the best solution for the customer,’ and that’s impressive,” she went on, “because it creates a space where engineers get to design to the best possible standard, not just the least common denominator. And that translated over to me. As a young person, eyes wide open, I learned a lot from that. It’s like a standard you set for yourself, and it’s the highest one around.”

This attitude, or mindset, permeates everything the couple does in life and in business, Michelle explained, adding that it shapes everything from how they’ll do in business in Chicopee to how they’re already getting involved in the community that will soon be home — to them and their business.

That involvement has taken the form of support for organizations ranging from Square One to Baystate Children’s Hospital, said Peter, adding that these endeavors are part of a culture the company wants to instill. In other words, rather than doing something that might be expected, such as simply meeting auto industry design and performance standards, they’re setting the bar much higher.

“It’s not just checking a box for us,” he explained. “If you can be involved with the children’s hospital, and you have four healthy children; that comes naturally to us. Yes, you’re getting your name out, but it’s also a natural contact point for us; we can help and do good at the same time.”

Meanwhile, back in the realm of car sales, the Wirths believe they have the right brand at the right time to go along with the right location and the right culture.

Indeed, while some luxury brands have struggled with making all-important connections with younger audiences, Mercedes has made inroads, if you will, by creating lower price points and getting younger people into its vehicles.

And once that happens, they often become customers for life, said Michelle, noting that Mercedes not only has one of the highest loyalty rates in the business, but one of the highest conquest rates (winning over the drivers of other brands) as well.

At the same time, the company has adjusted its marketing messages, said Michelle, to appeal not only to the young, but to those who want to think, act, and, yes, drive like the young.

“Now, the marketing focus is more on ‘young at heart,’” she explained. “That’s how we describe people; it’s ‘do you have that Millennial mindset? You may not be that age, but you have that mindset. By doing that, you broaden the audience that you’re speaking to.”

Getting in Gear

Given the huge geographic area it will be serving, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield will already be speaking to a very broad audience.

The initial message will be that Mercedes is back in Western Mass. after a decade’s hiatus. But soon — in fact, almost immediately — there will be much more to communicate: that Mercedes is back, and that this is a brand for both the young and the young at heart.

Also to be communicated, especially through a visit to the new dealership, is that this venture fully embraces that corporate culture of not merely meeting standards, but setting higher ones.

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

Despite Some Dire Projections, Dealers Having a Solid Year

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Autos Sections

No Slowing Down

Mike Lapointe says effective pricing and “making it easier for customers to do business” have been keys to success at Lia Honda.

Mike Lapointe said he considers himself an “outlier” in most respects when it comes to the automotive market and what’s happening within it.

He used that term in reference to everything from his ability to sell the generally older cars being traded in these days — a development he attributes to the market he serves as general manager of Lia Honda in Northampton (one with thousands of college students on tight budgets) — to the manner in which his dealership is defying what all the ‘experts’ projected as a somewhat down year for the industry.

“Our sales are up 130% as far as new-car business is concerned, so Honda is very, very happy with us,” he explained. “It was the opposite of what we expected; during the winter, we had record months, and in the summer, we ran into vacation season, and things slowed down quite a bit. But we’re maintaining above 100% of our new-car objectives.”

But while Lapointe may well be an outlier when it comes to those older used cars — many are a decade or more older and not retailable in most markets — that term doesn’t seem to apply to overall dealership performance, at least among the owners and managers we spoke with.

Indeed, while analysts were predicting that 2017 would be the year the bubble would burst in the auto industry — when a run of several successful if not record-breaking years would come to an end and the needle would starting moving in the other direction — that really hasn’t happened, at least not locally.

“We actually expected to start to see a downturn, and internally, we were trending for that,” said Carla Cosenzi, a principal with TommyCar Auto Group, which operates Country Nissan in Hadley, Country Hyundai in Northampton, and Northampton Volkswagen. “That was the rhetoric within the industry, but we’re not seeing that; we’re trending upward at all our locations this year.”

Don Pion, president of Bob Pion Buick GMC in Chicopee, the dealership started by his father, Bob, agreed.

“We’re having a very solid year — I can’t complain,” said the 40-year industry veteran. “Both Buick and GMC have good products out there right now, rates are still good, and all those things help us sell cars.”

Carla Cosenzi says TommyCar Auto Group is seeing continued growth across all its lines, despite projections for an industry-wide downturn.

With one voice, the dealers we spoke with said the forces that were supposed to bring an end to the auto industry’s fun ride, or at least pump the brakes — and they include everything from uneasiness over the scene in Washington (and around the globe, for that matter) to the fact that many of those older cars had already been replaced — are there. But they haven’t had the expected impact.

“We read all those reports … have we hit the bubble? Are we starting to trend down? Every possible thing that could affect the business in a negative way — that’s what they’re predicting,” said Pion. “You read all that, and you think, ‘what’s going to happen?’ But we haven’t seen it. People are still coming in, and they’re still buying cars.”

For this issue and its focus on auto sales, BusinessWest talked with area dealers about what they’re seeing — or not seeing, as the case may be.

The Ride Stuff

When asked how his dealership and others in this region have fared so well when the industry was supposed to take a step back — and still might; projections for the summer were especially glum — Pion paused for a moment.

“You would need someone smarter than me to answer that,” he said eventually, adding that he’s only doing what his father said needed to be done when the industry analysts’ predictions weren’t rosy — and also when they were.

“He always said that you read all that stuff, those industry projections, and you put it away for reference,” he told BusinessWest. “But you come to work every day ready to do business.”

Indeed, while Pion and the others we spoke with said they were, and are, well aware of the predictions for a slower year, all they can do is respond to what they see out their windows, in the showrooms, and on their books.

And the numbers do not reveal a slowdown of any kind.

“We sold 150 cars in February, 140 in March, and 160 in April,” said Lapointe, adding that the average for a typical year at his dealership is about 110, and ‘150-car months,’ as he called them, are solid, to say the least.

Meanwhile, Pion said, so far this year, his Buick sales are up 24%, GMC is up 30%, and used-car sales are up 20%.

Cosenzi, meanwhile, used more words than numbers to convey pretty much the same information.

“We’ve continued to see growth. And usually, we don’t see that across all brands at the same time, but we’ve seen that this year,” she explained. “Usually, one will take off a little more than another, or one will have a new-product launch or something else that will create a little more excitement. But we’ve seen growth across all three.”

What’s driving this better-than-projected performance? There are a number of factors, said those we spoke with, ranging from effective pricing (Lapointe cited this as a key to Honda’s continued solid performance) to seemingly ample amounts of confidence on the part of consumers, to quality products — especially SUVs of all sizes and shapes.

At his Honda store, Lapointe said the keys to success are having inventory that appeals to buyers in the Five College market — again, Millennials on tight budgets — and going the extra mile, whatever that may be, to clinch a sale.

“We have to find new ways to do business,” he explained. “Other dealer groups may not take a deposit over the phone; they might force you to come into the store. Other groups might not give you a trade over the phone. Those would be outdated strategies for me. We do whatever makes it easier for the customer to do business, because the next guy won’t do that.”

As for what’s selling, while car sales have been decent, said area dealers, SUV purchases and leases continue to fuel the numbers cited earlier. Each carmaker now has such vehicles in the ‘small,’ ‘mid-size,’ and ‘large’ categories, and they all seem to be selling.

“The car market is still struggling somewhat, but the SUVs, from the smaller models right up to the full-size SUVs, are doing very well,” Pion said, citing solid numbers for models ranging from Buick’s Envision (a new product) to GMC’s Acadia (a larger model).

Cosenzi agreed, noting that the SUVs made by all three carmakers she handles are doing well, as are entry-level cars — those generally under $20,000 now — such as Hyundai’s Elantra and VW’s Jetta.

The Road Ahead

As he talked about the market moving forward, Pion said his plan, in most all respects, is to continue following his father’s advice.

That would be to read and listen to the analysts’ projections, put them away for reference, but show up to work ready to sell cars.

Thus far this year, dealers have been selling more than the forecasts said they would. And they believe the conditions are such that things will continue in this vein.

This won’t make them outliers, necessarily, but it will make them quite happy.

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

UWW Provides New Opportunities to Non-traditional Students

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Back to School Sections

If at First You Don’t Succeed ….

By Kathleen Mellen

Those managing the University Without Walls program at UMass Amherst are big believers in the phrase ‘giving credit where it’s due.’ Indeed, UWW awards college credits for experience garnered in the workplace, enabling non-traditional students to gain the degrees needed to advance their careers.

By his own account, Matthew Malo wasn’t much of a high-school student. But when he graduated in 1992 from Hampshire Regional High School, he set off for college anyway.

Big mistake.

Malo, 43, who is now a sergeant in the police department at UMass Amherst, said he matriculated at the Stockbridge School at UMass back then, thinking he would study landscaping. But, once there, he floundered.

“It wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was a lot of designing and art, and I’m not an artist or a designer,” said the Southampton resident in a recent interview at the UMass police station. “I wanted to be the guy who was out there doing it — not in a classroom.”

He left the program after just one semester.

The next year, at the urging of his parents, he tried college again — this time enrolling at Holyoke Community College. That didn’t go any better.

“It was like high school, one year later,” he said. “A lot of my friends were there, and if I had a class I didn’t like, and a bunch of my friends were hanging out in the cafeteria, guess where I was?”

Strike two. But, as the saying goes, third time’s the charm.

Matthew Malo says he’s “kicking butt” in UWW after two unsuccessful attempts at a more traditional college experience.

In 2006, Malo’s father suggested his son look into UMass Amherst’s University Without Walls, a bachelor’s-degree-completion program for non-traditional students, many of whom, like Malo, have abandoned earlier efforts at college. By that time, Malo had been working for some time as a UMass police officer, had gone through the Western Massachusetts Regional Municipal Police Academy, and had even successfully completed a few courses in criminal justice at Greenfield Community College.

“I finally found something I liked,” Malo said.

So, he decided to give it the old college try — one more time. Today, Malo is a student at UWW, where’s he’s studying criminal justice — and, as he puts it, “kicking butt.” He expects to graduate in spring 2019.

UWW, established in 1971, is one of the oldest adult bachelor’s-degree-completion programs in the country. Its specialized services include flexibility in scheduling, options to accelerate the degree process, and the opportunity to receive college credit for work or life experience, including service in the military.

“We believe learning doesn’t have to take place in the classroom, so we take into account the experience they have — the training and learning they’ve had through a variety of experiences,” said UWW’s director, Ingrid Bracey. “We meet students where they are, and the students are amazed at the amount of learning they actually have. The best part of being at UWW is seeing that light go on.”

Degrees of Progress

In winter 2016, Malo met with an advisor at UWW, who explained that the program would allow him to design a major based on his personal interests, and could offer up to 75 transfer credits from previous college courses, no matter how long ago they were taken.

He also discovered that, upon the completion of an in-depth, written portfolio that explored his experiential learning, he would be eligible to receive up to 30 college credits for the work, and living, he’d already done.

Perhaps most important, he said, was that course delivery through UWW is available fully online. (Traditional classes are also available, as are classes that blend online and classroom learning.) That, he said, has been crucial to his success in the program.

“My biggest concern about going back to college was scheduling,” said Malo, who has two school-aged children and works part-time for a small-town police department, in addition to his full-time duties as a UMass cop. “When the adviser said I could do all my classwork online, on my own time, I thought, ‘they really get it. They understand what’s going on with people like me.’”

He’s not alone: online classes are a rising trend across the country. According to a 2014 report from the Babson Survey Research Group, 33% of college students in the U.S. are enrolled in at least one online course, and the rate of online course enrollment continues to far exceed the overall rate of college enrollment.

Judith Odindo’s path to UWW could not have been more different from Malo’s.

SEE: List of Colleges

A native of Kenya, Odindo, 38, had come to the U.S. in 2001 to study as an international student at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She already had some college under her belt in Kenya, and was looking forward to her year of study abroad.

But then her mother, who was paying her tuition, fell ill back home, and Odindo’s financial support evaporated. So, after a single semester, she was forced to drop out. And because her family was struggling to make ends meet, she knew it would be a burden to them if she returned home.

That left Odindo stranded in a foreign country, on a student’s visa, but with no way to continue her schooling. She was heartbroken.

Nevertheless, she decided to stick it out in the U.S., which required changing her visa status to allow her to work — not an easy process, she said. Through a series of circumstances, and a move from New Jersey to Springfield, Odindo was able to find work with the Mass. Department of Developmental Services, but it was always her intention to return to college — someday, somehow.

Eventually, she began to take classes as a part-time student at Springfield Technical Community College, but, because of her schedule as a supervisor in a residential home in Springfield, it was a slow process, with no discernable end in sight.

Then, one day, she came across a flyer about UWW. She sent an e-mail inquiry to the program and described her predicament. The response was quick, and hopeful.

Judith Odindo says UWW fit her life and work responsibilities in a way other programs did not, allowing her to earn an elusive degree.

“They told me I would be a perfect fit for the program,” Odindo said in an interview at the UMass Center in Tower Square in Springfield. She learned she could transfer her credits from Montclair and STCC, and would likely receive additional credits for her work and life experience. “I said, ‘wow. It fits my life and my work schedule. This could be a way for me to finish my degree.’”

So she signed on, and two years later, in May, she received a bachelor’s degree, with a focus in business studies. Fortunately, her mother has since recovered, and now lives in Springfield as well.

“From a tough time, great things happened,” Odindo said.

Courses of Action

UWW is an academic major at UMass, with 12 full-time faculty and nine full-time administrative staff members, all with expertise in teaching and advising adult students. Students take core UWW departmental courses and then build their degree concentrations by taking courses throughout the university.

More than 4,000 adults have received bachelor’s degrees from the program since it’s inception more than 45 years ago, including NBA legend Julius Erving (Dr. J) and Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor. It enrolls about 1,000 to 1,200 students per semester and enjoys a 65% to 75% graduation rate, significantly higher than the rate of 35% to 40% seen in most degree-completion programs, Bracey said. And a significant number go on to receive higher degrees.

“The number-one thing they want is for you to succeed,” Odindo said.

Elizabeth Brinkerhoff knows from experience just how life-altering a degree from UWW can be. Brinkerhoff, 66, who lives in Shutesbury, is a 1981 graduate of the program, and also worked for many years as a faculty member and advisor in the program, retiring two years ago. She credits her time as a student there with providing the boost she needed to build a career.

Brinkerhoff says she followed four years as “half-assed high-school student” with a “lackadaisical stint” at GCC. “I was floundering,” she said. “I really had no idea what I wanted to do.”

So she dropped out, joined the workforce, moved around a bit, and finally landed back in Western Mass., where she found a job working with alternative-education programs for grades K-12. Then, in 1978, a friend encouraged her to look into the UWW.

Brinkerhoff’s employer at the time supported the idea and allowed her to adjust her work schedule to accommodate classes. (Unlike today’s students, who overwhelmingly choose to take online classes, students in Brinkerhoff’s day had to report to brick-and-mortar classrooms.) She enrolled in spring 1978, and went on to receive a master’s degree from Suffolk University in Boston and, later, a doctorate from the UMass School of Education.

She had planned to become a high-school guidance counselor, but once she started classes at UWW, it didn’t take long for her to adjust her career goals.

“I realized there were a whole lot of people, like me, who were coming back to school, so I stayed in higher education, and with adult learners,” she said.

It’s a trend that has continued: with the demand for college-educated employees steadily increasing, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has projected that 60% of workers in Massachusetts, and 40% nationally, will need to have an associate’s degree or higher to be competitive in the job market. And that’s sending older Americans back to college.

Today, three-quarters of U.S. undergraduate students are now considered ‘non-traditional,’ according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which has estimated that enrollment of 25- to 34-year-olds in undergraduate degree programs will increase 28% by 2019, while enrollment of students over 35 will go up 22%. That means that adult-learning, post-secondary models, like UWW, are likely to play an increasingly important role in preparing students for today’s workforce.

Indeed, thanks to her UWW education, Odindo says, she’s now eligible to apply for certain advancements in her workplace, and also plans to attend law school. And the UWW experience certainly set Brinkerhoff on her way to a long and successful career.

“The faculty and the students at University Without Walls are part of a learning culture — that thing that happens when people’s minds are at work. It taught me how to learn and how to think, and it helped define my career,” she said. “Then, knowing the program as well as I did, I could help students understand just what was possible there.”

Grade Expectations

As for Malo, he says he hopes his bachelor’s degree will make him “a little more marketable” for advancement on the police force, but that’s not why he’s attending UWW.

“It’s always bugged me that I never finished — there’s always been that weight on my shoulders,” he said. Plus, he added, he’s doing it for his children — Jonathan, 14, and Savanna, 10. “I want my kids to see me finish my degree. They’ll know if I can do it, they can do it, too.”

Thanks to UWW, a lot more people have been able to ‘do it.’

OT Doctoral Program Marks Another Milestone for Bay Path

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Back to School Sections

To a Higher Degree

Carol Leary says Bay Path University’s first doctorate continues the school’s long history of being innovative.

It’s been well-documented that Bay Path University President Carol Leary would prefer to interview every candidate for every position being filled at the 120-year-old institution.

There’s a reason for that — actually, several of them. For starters, she understands that people are the key to any organization’s success, and she wants to be part of the process of putting this team together.

Beyond that, though, Leary has told BusinessWest on more than a few occasions that she’s looking for certain things when she’s sitting across the desk or table from a job candidate. Beyond the obvious skill sets required of those in specific positions, she’s also looking for those who are energetic, innovative, and entrepreneurial.

Those qualities, usually detectable through certain questions she opted not to share, are largely responsible for the meteoric rise in size and prominence of Bay Path since Leary arrived at the Longmeadow campus in 1994. Indeed, individuals with these traits have driven growth that has manifested itself in everything from continued success and expansion of the Women’s Professional Leadership Conference to a host of new programs of study, such as a degree offering in cybersecurity; from creation of the American Women’s College, which offers a broad range of programs online and in the classroom, to the significant name change at the school, swapping the word ‘college’ for ‘university.’

And now, there is another milestone directly attributable to innovation and entrepreneurship — the university’s first doctoral degree offering, in occupational therapy.

Set to launch this fall — an open house for the program was staged late last week — this fully online offering, like many that have been developed over the course of the school’s history, was created in direct response to need within the community, said Leary.

“Since 1897, Bay Path has been a very innovative institution because it has always educated for the workforce,” she explained. “And that history is part of our DNA.”

Tracing some of that history, specifically the chapter that pertains to this latest milestone, Leary noted that, when she arrived at the school in 1994, it had just opened the box on a two-year program in occupational therapy to meet growing demand for such professionals. Just a few years later, as needs within that realm of healthcare changed, the program moved to the baccalaureate (four-year) level. And less than a decade later, the school added a master’s-level program, again to adjust to changing societal needs. And in a decade, that program has grown from 18 students to 136.

But as the population continues to age and the need for not only OT therapists but the individuals who will train the next generation of specialists grows, Bay Bath administrators knew the school needed to respond accordingly. That response is a doctoral program.

And while the new program is important for area communities and the individuals who have chosen OT as a career, it is also a step forward for the university, or another step forward, to be more precise.

The occupational therapy doctorate is another in a long list of milestones at Bay Path, which became a university earlier this decade.

“When you think about how far we’ve come, from Bay Path Institute (the name on the school in its early years) to becoming a university and now offering a doctorate in 2017, I’m very proud of our faculty,” she said. “This is an important milestone for us.”

And while she wasn’t ready to offer any details on what might come next, Leary made it clear that Bay Path’s first doctoral program certainly won’t be its only one for very long.

When you think about how far we’ve come, from Bay Path Institute (the name on the school in its early years) to becoming a university and now offering a doctorate in 2017, I’m very proud of our faculty. This is an important milestone for us.”

“We believe this is just the beginning,” she said. “And we already have things in the queue for our next doctorate; they’re in our vision.”

School of Thought

With that remark, Leary helped explain that a doctoral program doesn’t come about overnight. They are generally two or three or years in the making, with approval needed from the Board of Higher Education, she noted, and they result from a hard mix of strategic planning, listening to and consulting with the business community, and calculated risk taking.

In other words, they stem from a culture of entrepreneurship, which is one of the things Leary has put in place over her 23 years at the helm.

And one of the tenets of entrepreneurship, she said, is the ability to anticipate need and then meet it, and this is definitely the case with the new doctoral program in occupational therapy.

The need, in this case, is not only for more occupational therapists — a given as the population ages and people live longer — but also better-trained specialists within that field.

“In physical therapy, if you are now to be hired as a new college graduate, you need a doctorate,” Leary explained. “And the field of OT may go there by 2025 — it may become a profession that will go to a doctoral level as a requirement.”

In the meantime, there is greater need for individuals to train the occupational therapists who will provide care in the years and decades to come, she went on, adding that such educators will need a doctorate.

“We did this because it’s a natural progression for us,” said Leary. “But we primarily did it because the need for professors in the field to teach the future occupational therapists is great; this is probably one of the most critical shortages in our country. Having the doctorally prepared, post-professional OT is going to be a very good place for Bay Path to focus.”

But while being entrepreneurial in this endeavor to create its first doctorate, Bay Path is also being innovative, especially with the fully online nature of the program, said Leary, adding that this format was chosen and designed to make the offering accessible to those looking to advance their career, and may be particularly appealing to those in mid-career and raising a family.

And this thought brings her to one of those individuals she insisted on interviewing during the process of hiring someone to lead the program — Julie Watson, Ph.D., MHS, OTR/L, who eventually won the job.

Watson, who maintains ongoing clinical experience at Brooks Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Learning Center in St. Augustine, Fla., said the online format will be a critical component in the success of the program moving forward.

“Having experienced pursuing an advanced degree as a working parent, I understand just how important the online program design is for those living very busy lives, looking to improve their skills, and advance in the field of occupational therapy,” she said.

As for what might come next, Leary was understandably shy when it came to conjecture about what the next doctorate degrees (and master’s degrees, for that matter) might be. But there was certainty in her voice when she said there would be others.

“There are at least two others that I know our provost is looking at,” she explained. “Our provost is very forward-thinking, very creative, and with her faculty, they look two to five years out, and that’s how far out we’re looking, not just with doctorates, but other master’s degrees that we think are going to be absolutely critical.”

An Aggressive Course

There’s a sitting room off the main entrance at Deep Wood Hall, the main administration building at Bay Path. And on the coffee table in that sitting room is a collection of brochures highlighting a host of the school’s programs.

The marketing taglines are aimed at individuals thinking about their careers and what it might take to advance them. “Prepare to Take the Next Step” reads the brochure promoting the master of science degree in higher education administration. “There Is Work to Be Done’ is the headline on the promotional material for a host of graduate programs for business professionals.

While probably intended as such, those marketing lines also speak to the mindset of administrators and educators at the university. They know there’s work to be done, and, because they’re innovative and entrepreneurial, they’re prepared to take the next step — as is the institution they work for.

This explains why there have been so many milestones for this school over the past few decades, and why there is little, if any, doubt that there are many more to come.

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

J.L. Raymaakers & Sons Doesn’t Let Opportunity Fall Through the Cracks

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Construction Sections

In the Pipeline

Company principals Laurie and John Raymaakers

John and Laurie Raymaakers had a decision to make after the early-’90s recession torpedoed their property-management business — try to rebuild that enterprise, or go in a different direction. They chose, of all things, asphalt seal-coating, but that was only the beginning. Over the years, their company grew, added equipment and services, and is now a heavy civil-engineering firm and general contractor boasting 26 employees, with an intriguing side business in materials recycling — a true, under-the-radar success story in the local construction world.

John and Laurie Raymaakers knew when to shift gears, even if they didn’t always know how.

As the 1990s dawned, the couple ran a successful property-management operation, with 14 employees and some 900 units in seven apartment complexes.

But, due to the recession that struck the nation’s economy at the turn of the decade, the owners the couple worked for started bleeding properties at a startling rate. “We lost 73% of our business within six months,” Laurie told BusinessWest.

With prospects bleak — Laurie went to work at a local police department and a Boys & Girls Club to help make ends meet — the pair looked for another opportunity to strike out on their own, and they found one in seal-coating asphalt driveways and parking lots.

“When we started the seal-coating business, our kids were young, and we would sit around the table and fold brochures into trifolds, then drive around in the station wagon, putting them in newspaper boxes. That’s why we say the kids have been in this business since they were little — it was cheap labor.”

Today, however, ‘this business’ has moved far away from its roots fixing driveway cracks. J.L. Raymaakers & Sons — the couple’s two boys, John Jr. and Joshua, grew up to become partners in the company — is a general contractor and heavy civil-engineering firm employing 26 people and maintaining a fleet of 17 trucks.

The progression between the two points is a lesson in identifying opportunities and working hard to grab them, with the goal of growing a modest, Westfield-based family business into a multi-faceted operation.

Exhibit A is the seal-coating idea itself, one John came up with while researching what types of businesses he might be suited for, and which of those weren’t suffering from an overcrowded market.

This culvert installation in Blandford is an example of J.L. Raymaakers & Sons’ civil-engineering work.

“I saw a need for it; there weren’t many people at the time doing it,” he explained. “It was mostly crack filling, and it wasn’t too expensive to get into. But it started mushrooming; we were doing asphalt work, but then doing little paving jobs.”

For instance, some parking lots couldn’t be seal-coated until a broken catch basin was fixed. So they learned how to fix catch basins, which became a lucrative part of the business. Then they added small excavating projects to their roster.

‘We can do that’ became the couple’s motto, Laurie said. “If someone needed work done, we’d say, ‘we can do that’; then we’d look it up on the computer or ask somebody.”

From a couple of employees and one dumptruck, J.L. Raymaakers & Sons expanded further, getting into some pipe work, which led to the company’s most significant niche to date, heavy civil engineering.

“We’ve always been a general contractor, even from the property-management days, when we’d do carpentry and electrical,” John said, but the firm would, indeed, find its most profitable growth from the ground — or beneath it, actually — up.

Big Digs

Today, John told BusinessWest, the firm regularly takes on $2 million to $3 million jobs, with work ranging from storm-basin cleaning and repair to storm-drain installation and repair; from water and sewer-line installation to concrete work and retaining walls — a step up, certainly, from seal-coating driveways.

Recently, these jobs include a pump station handling sewage for three Southwick schools, a fuel-containment center at Bradley International Airport that involved moving million-gallon tanks, a new water-distribution line for the Thorndike section of Palmer, and, on the general-contracting side, a new security building at Savage Arms, a company for which Raymaakers has completed several projects.

We’re trying to build in as much diversity as we can. We’re trying to stay well-rounded, so that, if the city and state work slows down, the private sector might pick up, and vice versa. The newest thing for us is buildouts on commercial property, additions and that type of thing.”

“We’re trying to build in as much diversity as we can,” he said. “We’re trying to stay well-rounded, so that, if the city and state work slows down, the private sector might pick up, and vice versa. The newest thing for us is buildouts on commercial property, additions and that type of thing.”

That’s being accomplished partly through a recent foray into a steel-building division that promises to keep crews busy in the colder months, when civil-engineering projects tend to shut down. In many instances, Raymaakers is working at the subcontracting level, with an eye on positioning itself as the lead contractor — controlling projects and hiring subcontractors — on an increasing number of jobs.

“The main focus of our business has been this heavy civil construction, but it’s seasonal,” Laurie said. “We’re trying to find ways to expand our season year-round. We’re not just outdoor people.”

That said, the flow of work on the civil-engineering side is strong, even though the firm is typically competing with 15 others to, say, install a water line.

“What we’re not seeing,” Laurie said, “is qualified or experienced people to hire to grow with us. The need for skilled tradespeople is not going away, and it’s not just us — everyone we talk to within the industry says the same thing. And it’s a field where you can make a very good wage.”

Still, the company has hired at a consistent pace over the years, and expansion has taken several shapes recently, from new equipment purchases to the hiring of a second project manager. Meanwhile, John Jr., whose main role is project manager and estimator, and Joshua, a site supervisor, are slowly transitioning into greater leadership roles with the intention of someday running the company on their own.

“They’ve grown with us and learned with us, and they excel in their areas,” Laurie said. “John Jr. is involved in the steel buildings, and Joshua takes the biggest, hardest jobs and is always encouraging us to look at purchasing some properties and renovating them and putting them up for resale. They have their own ideas within the company.”

General-contracting work, like this warehouse, helps the firm stay diverse and busy throughout the year.

But the family didn’t stop there. Through their civil engineering and construction work, J.L. Raymaakers & Sons digs up a lot of dirt. So instead of piling it up and letting it go to waste on their 10-acre property, they began cleaning it and separating usable product to sell. That side company, called ROAR (Raymaakers Onsite Aggregate Recycling), employs four of the Raymaakers’ total team of 26.

“We were seeing a need for people wanting loam or trap rock, so we set up an area where smaller construction companies, landscapers, and homeowners can come and buy it,” John said. “We’ve grown that to where we’re selling bark mulch, colored rock, processed gravel, and all kinds of trap rock.”

ROAR simply makes sense, from both a financial and environmental perspective, Laurie added. “We’d rather utilize the land we have and make money off it, while recycling these products from our own jobs.”

Growing Together

Co-owner of a certified women-owned business enterprise (WBE), Laurie is gratified that perceptions about women in construction have come a long way.

She recalls, early in the seal-coating days, that John burned himself badly when a block filled with crack filler splashed him, and for four months, it was just Laurie and her sister-in-law working the driveways and parking lots. After one job, the property owner wouldn’t even answer the door to pay them, having trouble accepting the fact that women were doing the work.

Today, that’s just a humorous story in the history of a true regional success story. John is the first to admit that maintaining a strong family business is a tough road, but repeatedly praised the company’s dedicated crews and long-time employees for their role in growing the firm.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve worked hard to get here,” Laurie added. “It’s a constant in your life. There’s been some sacrifice at times, but I’m really proud of what we’ve done.”

John noted that not only their sons have grown up with the company, but so have many of their teenage friends, who now work there.

“All these friends of our kids, they’ve been here 10, 15 years. We don’t tend to lose people,” he said.

That’s a plus for this family that just keeps digging for more opportunities — literally and figuratively.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

A. Crane Construction Continues to Expand Its Scope

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Construction Sections

On the Rise

Andy (left) and A.J. Crane stand before a recent project, Arrha Credit Union’s new West Springfield branch.

When BusinessWest sat down in 2008 with the principals at A. Crane Construction, company founder Andrew Crane noted a motto he adhered to, reflecting the scope of projects his firm was willing to take on: “picnic tables or bridges — it doesn’t matter.”

“Well, we finally did a bridge,” his son, A.J. Crane, happily told BusinessWest recently, showing off some pictures of a small span over a culvert, connecting the former Chap de Laine’s Furniture site in South Hadley — incidentally, one of Crane’s first clients almost three decades ago — to Newton Street.

It’s just one example, said the younger Crane — who runs the company alongside his father — of how A. Crane has expanded its scope over the past decade, assembling a broader book of business in the commercial-building world and branching out into new realms.

“We’ve opened divisions in property management, condominium management, and we’re running more crews over the past four or five years,” he told BusinessWest. “We’ve taken on many more commercial jobs — larger-scale commercial work. We now have the office staff and field crews to handle those types of jobs.”

For example, the company is in the process of completing a remodel of the Sunshine Village offices in Chicopee; other recent projects range from Arrha Credit Union’s new West Springfield branch to a Dairy Queen renovation; from a new office for Ameriprise Financial in South Hadley to a major renovation for Oasis Shower Doors, as well as ongoing work for Ondrick Natural Earth and AM Lithography.

“My dad’s skill set was more residential,” Crane said. “I went to school to do different types of things; I have a degree in civil engineering. We’ve tailored our system and processes in the office to accommodate larger jobs, dealing with architects and engineers — that’s right in our wheelhouse.”

As it approaches its 30th anniversary next year, the firm has come a long way since its humble beginnings in Chicopee in 1988, when it relied mainly on word of mouth, reputation, and loyalty — and that willingness to tackle any type and size of job — to build a healthy clientele.

From the Ground Up

Andrew Crane started in the construction world working for Daniel O’Connell, and from there spent eight years with a family business that built post-and-beam homes before striking out on his own.

For the better part of two decades, he conducted business out of a house in Chicopee, doing jobs only for people he knew personally. A little over a decade ago, he moved to Grattan Street, but has outgrown that space as well and has begun looking for a larger headquarters in the same city.

In a fiercely competitive industry, the father-and-son principals say they have avoided the low-bid trap by cultivating a reputation for attentive service and quality control — and a stable of loyal clients — allowing them to earn realistic profits and grow the business without cutting corners.

A. Crane Construction recently tackled a major renovation form Oasis Shower Doors.

A. Crane Construction recently tackled a major renovation from Oasis Shower Doors.

No contractor was unscathed by the Great Recession, which impacted construction, particularly residential work, as hard as any industry. But A.J. Crane said the firm’s reputation and relationships kept it afloat.

“Residential construction took a huge hit,” he said. “But we were always busy because our crews are talented, and we’ve taken the same personal approach, whether dealing with homeowners or private, family-owned businesses. We’ll never give up residential — we’re building a 3,600-square-foot house in Longmeadow right now — because that’s where our roots are.”

We want to work for people who have privately owned, family-owned businesses and plan on being here for generations, which means they have buildings and facilities that will be here for generations, and would rather not build them more than once.”

While seeking a diverse roster of work to keep crews busy, Crane says the company’s relationship-based style of doing business is especially appreciated by local clients, as opposed to national chains.

“We want to work for people who have privately owned, family-owned businesses and plan on being here for generations,” he said, “which means they have buildings and facilities that will be here for generations, and would rather not build them more than once.”

Design preferences are constantly changing, he added, not only in elements like a home’s floors, cabinetry, and trimwork, but in commercial building as well. For instance, EIFS, short for exterior insulation and finish system — a stucco-like, insulated, water-resistant finished surface, is becoming more popular. “We just put a bunch of it on AM Lithography. It’s a great-looking project, and improves the insulation value.”

Indeed, quality and sustainability are important to the Cranes; Andrew has been heavily involved with the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Mass., including a stint as president, during which time he advocated at the state level for continuing-education requirements for construction supervisors, as well as more stringent building codes requirements aimed at weeding out small, renegade contractors who use shoddy materials or fail to secure proper insurance.

The rise of ‘green’ construction brings its own set of high standards, and A. Crane has done plenty of that type of work as well.

“The codes are stringent now, not just HVAC and insulation, but occupancy-sensing lighting in office buildings, no more switches, things like that,” A.J. said. “It makes it more complicated to build, more complicated to fix or make repairs, and they drive the cost up.”

New Territory

Through the years, A. Crane has seen a roughly even split between homebuilding and commercial work, but its experience with multi-family residential work — for instance, it recently won a contract from a condominium association to build 60 decks — was one of the factors in the firm’s move into property and condominium management.

“We were asked to work for a local association down the street in Chicopee, then asked by another one in South Hadley,” A.J. Crane said. “We manage the finances, insurance, snowplowing — we don’t necessarily do it in-house, but we execute what the board of trustees decides, and make recommendations. We’re certified to do it, and we manage about 200 units now.”

The service is a valuable one for smaller companies — say, with a footprint of 6,000 to 7,000 square feet — that don’t have their own maintenance department, and don’t do much long-term facilities planning.

“Take a dental office. What does that guy know about buildings? But if you have 10 years left on the roof, and it’ll cost $12,000 to replace, you should start planning for that now. Or maybe there’s a $30,000 siding job coming up five years from now. Or you want to get on a maintenance schedule for HVAC and irrigation. You go to work every day, and you don’t want to think about that.”

A. Crane employs 11 people full-time, but on any given day, there may be 65 in the field, he noted. In addition, the firm supports and sponsors dozens of area organizations, from Sunshine Village to local high schools to the Springfield Thunderbirds. Andrew continues to pursue state-level advocacy with organizations like the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Massachusetts, while A.J. serves on the boards of the Western Mass. chapter of the American Red Cross, the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, the Westmass Area Development Corp., and several other entities.

In that latter role, he has seen interest rise the Chicopee River Business Park, “and that’s great for economic development,” he told BusinessWest. “Everyone knows we need business to drive housing, and housing drives the economy.”

A. Crane Construction plans to be around well past its 30th anniversary, building many of those homes and businesses so crucial to a growing Pioneer Valley.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

High-end Poolscapes Transform Backyards into Resorts

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Luxury Living Sections

Taking the Plunge

A poolside patio built by RJM Landscaping.

When inground pools were at the height of their popularity in the ’70s and ’80s, most were classic rectangles, outfitted with a diving board and maybe a twisting slide, ringed with a four-foot-wide patio and a fence. Today, inground pools aren’t as common, but a growing contingent of customers are going beyond the rectangle and using odd shapes, elaborate hardscapes and waterfalls, and other amenities to turn their backyard into something resembling a resort. These poolscapes aren’t cheap, but the quality-of-life upgrade, designers say, make the cost worthwhile.

When does a vacation not feel like a vacation?

Actually, much of the time, Rick Miller said.

“Typically, when you go away, it’s really not like a vacation — you get home, and you’re beat,” he noted. “Many people feel it’s a lot more relaxing to stay around the house and have their own privacy and not have to mingle with everyone else who’s on vacation.”

Besides, he added, “travel is so expensive these days, and some people fear it a little bit on a security level — they feel they’re more secure staying around their home. So, instead of investing in a trip and going away, they put that money in their backyard.”

And sometimes, it’s a lot of money.

Miller, president of RJM Landscaping Inc. in Westfield, is one of a handful of area landscape designers who installs high-end poolscapes — not just inground pools, but the hardscapes, water features, and other elements around them that create the feel of a resort right in the customer’s backyard.

“The price range is all over the spectrum,” he said. “It can be a simple, rectangular pool, with a four-foot-wide swath of pavement, what they used to do in the old days,” he told BusinessWest, “but for many people, it’s gotten a lot bigger. For people who want to spend more time in the backyard, it’s worthwhile to make that kind of investment, and stay at home rather than going somewhere else.”

Ted Hebert, owner of Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, said a recent emphasis on elaborate poolscapes has led to a downturn in the sale of inground pools themselves, which have long been the domain of the middle class, a group that Hebert feels is shrinking in America.

Those who do purchase inground pools, by and large, don’t want a basic 18-by-36-foot rectangle with a diving board, he noted; they’re looking for a waterfall, LED lighting, ornamental fencing, and colored, stamped concrete or rock formations. “Now that $25,000 pool may be more like $45,000 or $50,000, and when you add landscaping and other things, it can get expensive.”

Brian Campedelli says many customers want natural-looking water features around their pools.

Often, that means well into the six figures, said Brian Campedelli, president of Pioneer Landscapes Inc. in Easthampton. The higher-end projects — full-yard transformations that center around a resort-like poolscape — may run between $80,000 and $150,000, and Campedelli may tackle only a couple of those a year, but there are wide variations in pricing depending on what features a customer needs to have.

“We design what you want; there are custom pool houses with full running water, beautiful kitchens, outdoor showers — you can spend a quarter-million on your backyard if you want to fully transform it,” he explained. “Most people don’t know what they want; they just know they want to beautify their backyard around their inground pool. They might have some ideas, and it becomes clearer when we show them the design process and some of our ideas and materials we use.”

Those might include elements of falling water, fire, and raised plant beds, as well as pergolas, outdoor kitchens, and even, in some cases, a small extension off the house for a bar, a flat-screen TV, and lights on dimmers.

In other words, many clients don’t have a specific vision for how their poolscape will fit into their yard — or they just imagine that basic rectangle, a ring of concrete, and fence — but Campedelli, and landscape designers like him, can help them develop a vision that encompasses the entire yard, turning it, essentially, into a permanent vacation space.

“Once we’re done, they understand the concept; they see the way it flows,” he said. “We want to create an outdoor room that uses the entire space.”

Young and Old

Some customers for high-end pools are families with young children, Campedelli noted, but more are middle-aged professionals who have navigated past a mortgage and college payments for their grown children, and are looking to invest more significantly in their homes and yards.

“What they can get in a pool depends on a lot of things, but we try to work within their budget and do the best we can with what they have,” he said. “We try to give them the most we can from their landscaping dollar. It’s my passion, so I’ll usually throw a lot of things in. It’s not always the best business practice, but I’d rather give them then ultimate experience and maximize the potential of their backyard than walk away feeling like they missed out.”

Some elements, like artistic landscape lighting, aren’t on a customer’s radar until Campedelli brings up the options, and demonstrates how well-placed lights can create a soft, meditative glow. “It can change the entire feel of the backyard, as opposed to having a powerful light off the house. I’ll nudge them toward something like that, and they appreciate it.”

Such high-end poolscapes do price a wide range of people out of the market, Hebert said, and the retail pool industry has seen a decline in basic, no-frills inground pools. “Going back to the ’70s, ’80s, early ’90s, there’s no comparison. In the mid- to late ’80s, there was a lot of easy money around, and anyone could get a mortgage. You’d buy a house for $100,000, and in five years, it was worth $150,000 to $200,000.”

This Pioneer Landscapes project reflects another popular feature, the poolside bar.

People would think nothing, he said, of spending that equity on an inground pool. In the years following the housing-market crash, however, that kind of equity is much tougher to come by, and homeowners are just as likely to find themselves upside-down on their mortgage. “That has taken money away from people, taken away their purchasing power.”

At the same time, he said, kids don’t play in their own yards as much as they used to; if they’re not tied up in organized sports, camps, and otherwise heavily structured summers, they’re indoors, communicating with virtual friends — and often comfortably air-conditioned.

People would think nothing, he said, of spending that equity on an inground pool. In the years following the housing-market crash, however, that kind of equity is much tougher to come by, and homeowners are just as likely to find themselves upside-down on their mortgage. “That has taken money away from people, taken away their purchasing power.”

“The people who are in a position to afford an inground pool may have central air,” he noted. “If you think back to the ’60s and ’70s, that wasn’t the case; it was hot, and your kids played outside and came in when the streetlights came on.” It’s a different world today, he added, one that values comfort and hypersecurity over free play.

Even families who might enjoy an inground pool but think they can’t afford it may simply be prioritizing their spending in a way that squeezes a pool out of the equation, Hebert explained.

A week-long vacation, for example, may cost $5,000 to $6,000, money that would easily cover a year’s worth of payments on a 10-year loan for a $50,000 poolscape that can be enjoyed every day, from May to September. Meanwhile, families spend hundreds of dollars each month on TV services, smartphones, and Internet — line items that could also easily be reduced and earmarked for an investment in the backyard, where a family can enjoy cooking out, hosting parties, and just relaxing in the water.

Lifestyle Adjustment

Instead, people who buy inground pools today tend to want more than the basics, said Miller, noting that customers’ average age tends to be in the 40s and up. But for landscape designers who can handle these jobs, they pose uniquely creative opportunities.

“It’s definitely a niche; I don’t think this is something that your basic landscape contractor can do,” he said. “The trend right now is very unique shapes, and water jets and waterfalls are popular items. As far as pavers go, the biggest trend is paver slabs, which are larger pieces of paving stones, with fewer joints to be seen by the customer. With each of these things, there’s a higher cost.”

But it’s worth it, he added, for people who want to turn their backyards into a true quality-of-life enhancer.

“We’re trying to get the whole mixture of elements out there — not just a pool and a patio, but maybe a fireplace, water features, and outdoor kitchens as well. When people have big get-togethers, it’s not just swimming; it’s cooking out and serving food.”

People with the means to spend plenty of money on travel — CEOs and business owners, for example — will still do that, Campedelli said, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to create a vacation-like environment at home, too.

“These are people with stressful jobs, and there’s no better feeling than to kick off the suit and tie, put on a bathing suit and flip-flops, go out back, and feel like you’re in the Bahamas,” he said. “Once people see how they can use their backyard, they want something like this.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

New Study Reveals 142 Million Americans Went Boating Last Year

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Luxury Living Sections

High Tide

An estimated 142 million Americans went boating in 2016 — 36% of U.S. households — according to the 2016 Recreational Boating Participation Study, released earlier this month by the National Marine Manufacturers Assoc. (NMMA), the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), and Discover Boating. Of these 142 million individuals, half were children (under the age of 18), and 17 million were first-time participants. Of those Americans who went boating in 2016, those who spent the most hours on the water or engaged in fishing and watersports were more likely to consider purchasing a boat.

“The results of the new Recreational Boating Participation Study illustrate the breadth of recreational boating in the United States and the opportunity for our industry to get more Americans on the water and ultimately buying boats — exploring emerging markets such as Hispanics, reaching younger boaters, and encouraging those already active in boating to pursue boat ownership,” said Thom Dammrich, NMMA president.

“The study makes clear what we all know as boaters — the more time spent on the water, the more likely someone is to become a boat owner,” he went on. “As an industry, it is our job to help people spend more time on the water and facilitate the boating and boat-buying process — whether that’s through lobbying for improved access and infrastructure, nurturing active boaters through marketing, or providing more accessible ways to try boating through such things as classes or rental opportunities.”

Added RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson, “the insights from this report support a healthy and thriving participation level for boating, which helps fund local conservation programs across the U.S. As we strive to increase participation in both recreational boating and fishing, the report also gives us a deeper look at the connection between the two activities, reinforcing a need for early introduction. This information will help us grow the sport, creating more customers for the industry, more fishing-license and boat-registration purchases, and increased tackle and equipment sales.”

Positive Currents

Prepared by QSA Research & Analytics, the study assessed the total number of boaters in the U.S., including those active during 2016 and those who went boating for the first time during 2016, as well as those who have never gone boating. The study also profiled both active boaters and first-time boaters according to their demographic characteristics, and measured the number of household participants who were active boaters and first-time boaters during 2016, their ages, and genders. Other topics featured in the study include boat ownership participation, the amount of time active boaters spent boating during 2016, and the activities they engaged in while boating, including fishing and watersports. Among the findings:

• On average, active boaters spend an average of 71.5 boating hours per season. First-time boaters spend much less time — an average of 23 boating hours.

• Active boaters (74%) are much more likely than lapsed boaters (42%) to say it is easy or very easy for them to go boating. The perceived ease or difficulty of going boating is also associated with the number of days active boaters spend on the water. Just 20% of those who said that going boating is difficult spent more than five days on the water during 2016.

• Time spent boating and engaging in active pursuits while boating (fishing and watersports) are predictors of purchase consideration among potential buyers. Those who considered purchase of a boat during 2016 spent an average of 13.3 days on the water with an average of 6.9 hours per trip, while those who did not consider purchase spent only 6.9 days and 4.4 hours. In addition, purchase consideration was more strongly related to activities like watersports and fishing than to relaxation, spending time with family or friends, and enjoying nature.

• Active boaters are economically diverse. The majority (62%) have household incomes under $100,000 per year.

• 32% of first-time boaters were Hispanic compared to 10% of active boaters, suggesting they’re continuing to emerge as a significant market.

• 58% of first-time boaters were renters compared to 25% of active boaters.

• First-time boaters were more likely than other active boaters to use personal watercraft (PWC), suggesting that PWCs are a gateway to boating.

• 86% of PWC owners also owned a powerboat, while 21% of PWC owners owned a non-motorized boat.

• The median age of a first-time boating experience was 12, and individuals who had a childhood boating experience were more likely to remain active boaters (52% versus 40% of lapsed boaters), reinforcing that people who boat as a child are more likely to be life-long boaters.

• There is a strong connection between fishing and boating: 83% of active anglers were also active boaters.

• The mean age of the first fishing experience was 10; 90% of anglers and 94% of active anglers had their first fishing experience before age 18.

• Boating is a social pastime. Almost all active boaters say they spend time with friends or family while boating (95%). Enjoying nature (94%) and relaxing (93%) are also nearly universal boating experiences.

Sales Are Up, Too

Earlier this year, the NMMA, which represents the nation’s recreational boat, engine, and marine-accessory manufacturers, announced that sales of new powerboats increased between 6% and 7% in 2016, reaching an estimated 250,000 boats sold as consumer confidence soared and manufacturers introduced products attracting younger boaters. In fact, as one of the few original American-made industries — 95% of boats sold in the U.S. are made in here — recreational boating is seeing some of its healthiest gains in nearly a decade, a trajectory the NMMA expects to continue through 2018.

Big boats are back; one of the standout areas of growth in 2016 was among yachts and large cruising boats, a category that has been slower to rebound as high-net-worth individuals looked to remain more liquid post-recession. New yachts and cruisers saw gains between 1% and 3% percent in 2016, and that trend is likely to continue.

At the same time, manufacturers are making smaller boats (watersports boats, pontoons, day boats, etc.) that are more affordable as they aim to attract new, younger boaters and even more sales. What’s more, boats are also becoming more versatile, providing an all-in-one experience from fishing to cruising to watersports, making them more appealing to a wider audience.

Commercial Real Estate For Sale, for Lease

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Commercial Real Estate Sections

A listing of available commercial properties

Blue Heron Marks 20 Years in Business with Lowcountry Celebration

By BusinessWest Staff August 22, 2017

Daily News Sections

SUNDERLAND — The Blue Heron Restaurant announced the celebration of its 20th anniversary by hosting ‘Lowcountry Living: An Evening of Gullah Culture and Cuisine,’ a one-night event designed to take diners on a culinary trip to the South Carolina Lowcountry, the region which originally inspired owners Deborah Snow and Barbara White to open a restaurant focused on local, seasonal ingredients and unpretentious hospitality.

The dinner, which will feature a Gullah-themed menu, as well as music and pieces from critically acclaimed South Carolina artist Sonja Griffin Evans’ “American Gullah Collection,” will be staged on Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m., with reservations open to the public.

The Blue Heron’s connection to the region goes back over two decades. Prior to first opening the restaurant in Montague in the summer of 1997, Snow and White embarked on a cross-country trip to explore the nation’s diverse culinary traditions. “We wanted to find our voice as a restaurant,” Snow said. “What we fell in love with especially was the South and Midwest. There was a spirit of generosity and they served great cuisine without attitude.”

Inspired by the celebration of the local food and fresh ingredients found in these locations, Snow and White were particularly captivated by the rich culture they discovered in South Carolina’s coastal Lowcountry region, where food, history and the arts are deeply rooted in African-American Gullah traditions.

Twenty years later in spring 2017, Snow and White returned to South Carolina, where they met artist Sonja Griffin Evans at the renowned Red Piano Gallery on St. Helena Island. Upon being introduced to Evans, they “immediately loved her story, her art and the energy she represents,” Snow said and began brainstorming a way to bring Gullah culture to Sunderland.

“One of our original goals in opening a restaurant was to bring a new sensibility and varied cultural experiences to the Valley,” White said. “We wanted — and still strive — to be not just a food establishment, but a place to share culture.”

Menu and pricing for the event will be announced at a later date. Reservations can be made by calling (413) 665-2102 or e-mailing [email protected].