Day: February 19, 2019

In the wake of momentous, and almost simultaneous, decisions by Amazon and GE to essentially back out of huge deals they had struck with New York and Boston, respectively, there came waves of commentary hinting that the era of huge corporate location, or re-location, subsidies might finally be coming to an end because evidence was mounting that they’re just not working.

Analysis

Alas, this is probably, if not almost certainly, wishful thinking. Instead of ushering in an end to this habit of cities, states, and regions handing out billions to billionaires on the promise that they will bring tens of thousands of jobs, the events in Boston, and especially New York, only demonstrate why they won’t be ending anytime soon.

Indeed, while many are praising New Yorkers for standing up to Amazon and saying ‘enough is enough’ when it comes to these corporate handouts ($3 billion in this case), many, many more are lamenting a lost opportunity, criticizing the critics for letting a very big fish work its way off the line. And for the record, New York didn’t really stand up to Amazon. Instead, the corporate giant simply decided it didn’t want to take the heat and the criticism and would much rather go where it was not just welcome, but entirely and unabashedly welcome.

And why not? Seemingly within minutes after it was announced that Amazon would not be building in Queens, elected officials in New Jersey, who finished out of the running in the huge sweepstakes to land Amazon’s second headquarters, said, in essence, ‘our offer is still on the table; take another look at us.’ Please. Please!

No, New York’s loss wasn’t in any way a victory for anyone. It didn’t change the equation, and New York is out roughly 25,000 jobs. Amazon just changed the rules slightly but importantly by saying, ‘give us a huge re-location subsidy and don’t criticize us in any way about taking it.’

And the reality is that it’s on seemingly very safe ground as it says that.

Why? Because as we’ve said many times, jobs are now — and will continue to be for decades to come — the most precious commodity on the planet, and cities and states will do whatever it takes to land them.

Even cities like New York and Boston, which shouldn’t have to compete for them. Indeed, in a perfect world, giant corporations should be paying huge subsidies to come to those cities, which have the skilled workers and the vitality and quality of life to attract more of them. They should be paying subsidies to help those cities battle homelessness, feed the poor, and help the have nots join the haves.

But this isn’t a perfect world. When Seattle’s City Council passed a tax on large employers to fund an initiative to combat homelessness, Amazon threatened to stop major expansion plans, putting 7,000 jobs at risk. Not surprisingly, the tax was rescinded.

Not surprisingly, because City Councils don’t hold the real power in such matters; major corporations like Amazon do.

In the wake of the company’s decision to scuttle its plans for Queens, many are calling what happened a victory for New York and other cities like it. Call us skeptical, but we’re not sure what, if anything, was won unless cities and states are willing to stop playing this game. And we just don’t see that happening.

EANE Leadership Conference on Measuring Success Set for April 4

Daily News

AGAWAM — The Employers Association of the NorthEast (EANE) will stage its Annual Leadership Conference on April 4 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place with a focus on measuring success as you motivate and inspire your team to improve performance.

“Great leadership is genuine. It’s developed through perseverance and learning from experience, all while boosting those around you to new heights.”, says Meredith Wise, President of the Employers Association of the NorthEast. “In a time which we know that employees won’t stay with weak leaders, it’s more critical than ever to make sure that managers and supervisors know how to lead.”

The program will feature Jim McPartlin, vice president of Leadership Development for Forbes Travel Guide. McPartlin’s keynote will challenge attendees to bring integrity to their leadership responsibilities, even when times get tough.

He has held several leadership positions in the hospitality industry with companies such as W Hotels Worldwide, Walt Disney Company and Lowes Hotels & Resorts. McPartlin has more than 20 years of experience as a certified teacher in the Enneagram, which is a powerful gateway to self-awareness and understanding of others.

A second keynote will be presented by Tim Hebert, a perennial entrepreneur, innovator, author, speaker, and adventurer. Hebert will ignite the leadership spark in attendees in a keynote focused on the choices of leadership and techniques to help live your life by design, not by default.

Between keynote presentations the Leadership Conference attendees will have access to dozens of breakout session topics ranging from performance management, to diversity and inclusion, to perfecting “C-Suite speak,” and more.

The cost for the program is $360 per person with discounts for three or more. Register at www.EANE.org/leadership-2019 or via phone at (877) 662-6444. The program will offer 5.75 credits by the HR Certification Institute and SHRM. Sponsoring the program are the HR Certification Institute and Constellation. .

Madison Square Garden Exec to Speak at Western New England University

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University’s Center for International Sport Business (CISB) will host a talk by former Madison Square Garden Company executive Bob Lynn on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Sleith Hall, Wood Auditorium. Lynn will speak on sport and corporate finance as part of the Center’s “For the Love of the Games” speaker series. The event is free and open to the public.

Lynn has a long and distinguished career managing the financial affairs of iconic brands, including Andersen Consulting, PepsiCo, Merrill Lynch, and International Paper. At Western New England, he will address his work as senior vice president and treasurer of The Madison Square Garden Company, the parent of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Liberty, and the famed arena the teams call home.

Established in 2007, the CISB is a forum for the study of the business of sport with an international focus. In addition to bringing to campus more than 40 influential personalities from sport and business, the Center organizes a summer Seminar Abroad Program that has led six student trips to three Olympic Games and three FIFA World Cups.

This event, part of the “For the Love of the Games” speaker series, is hosted by the Center for International Sport Business and sponsored by the Western New England University Alumni Association. For more information, contact CISB Director, Curt Hamakawa at (413) 782-1786 or [email protected].

Historian to Present Program on Daniel Shays

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Join historian and author Dan Bullen for his presentation, “Captain Daniel Shays & America’s First Nonviolent Protest” at the Springfield Armory Museum on March 9 at 2 p.m.

The program will take place in the museum theater. Admission is free. Reservations are required due to limited seating.

On Jan. 25, 1787, Daniel Shays marched 1,200 farmers and veterans to Springfield to seize the federal arsenal’s stockpiles of weapons, to keep them from falling into the hands of the Governor’s army, which was coming to impose martial law in the Connecticut River Valley.

For five months, Shays and the farmers of Massachusetts had peacefully protested the state’s economic policies, which explicitly favored the merchant elites, but the governor and other leaders saw the people’s opposition as a threat to the state’s authority. Bullen writes that he found this story deeply engaging “not just as a local history, but as an ongoing story of Americans banding together to protect the liberties they’d won in the Revolution.”

On March 9 Bullen will tell the story of the economic, social, and political factors that brought thousands of men in arms to Springfield in 1787, and ultimately led to reforms in Massachusetts and then to the drafting of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The Springfield Armory National Historic Site it is the location of the nation’s first armory (1794 – 1968) and was established by George Washington. The site includes historic grounds, buildings, and the world’s largest historic American military firearms collection. For further information call (413) 734-8551, or visit www.nps.gov/spar.

Balise Motor Sales Celebrates 100 Years of Seizing Opportunities

Cover Story

Century Unlimited

Jeb Balise stands in one of the company’s car washes, this one on Riverdale Street.

Some time in 1919 — when, exactly, no one really knows — Paul Balise went into business for himself repairing automobiles and selling them on the side. Today, that company he founded is one of the largest auto-dealer groups in New England and one of the 50 largest in the country. But in most all ways, it’s still doing business the same as it was when Woodrow Wilson was in the White House.

As he flipped through the large photo albums he helped assemble, Bobby Balise moved slowly and methodically, stopping at each page, and sometimes each image, to offer a little commentary.

That’s because every item in the collection helps tell a story that’s now 100 years in the making.

There’s the picture of the small repair garage in Hatfield where it all began. There are photos of the family’s farm and some of the animals raised there. Moving ahead a few pages, there’s a sales receipt from 1936 for a three-year-old Chevrolet Town Sedan sold to a William Bolack, sticker price $410 ($50 was given for a 1929 Ford that was traded in). Little did he know the transaction would become a piece of family history.

Honda models mingle with Chevys in the early 1970s.

Paul Balise’s used car business on Front Street in Chicopee

Flipping a few more times, Balise came to a grainy copy of a newspaper photograph, an aerial shot showing the Chevrolet dealership on Columbus Avenue, the York Street Jail across the road, and other buildings in Springfield’s South End — including dozens of homes that would be torn down years later to make way for I-91 — standing in more than three feet of water after the hurricane of 1938.

And then, a few more pages in, there’s a photo montage of that day in 1954 when the Budweiser donkeys came to Springfield. That’s right, donkeys. Apparently they were used in addition to the famous Clydesdales to pull the wagon used in promotions for the beer maker. There’s a photo of the team passing that same dealership on Columbus Avenue and then another of them in the showroom. Balise explains:

“They were going to tour the South End of Springfield and the restaurants down there and entice people to buy more Budweiser. The story goes that they were supposed to stay at the stables across the street where the town had the horses for the garbage collectors. But something fell apart, there wasn’t enough room, the horses didn’t get along with donkeys, I don’t know what, but my Uncle Paul said they could house them in his showroom.”

The Budweiser mules came to Springfield in 1954 and bedded down for a night at Balise Chevrolet, one of the more intriguing pages from the company’s long history.

‘Uncle Paul’ is Paul Balise, founder of the company now known as Balise Motor Sales. He grew up on a farm, as noted earlier, but gravitated toward repairing and selling farm equipment, and then, as they became more popular, automobiles, said Bobby, whose business card reads ‘parts inventory manager’ for Balise Honda, but whose unofficial title is company historian, a role he relishes, to put things mildly.

Paul Balise started with an auto-repair business called the Square Deal Garage and sold cars on the side, his nephew went on. Later, he established a used-car business on Front Street in Chicopee and would eventually become a Chevrolet franchise dealer. He moved to Main Street in Springfield before talking a big leap and leasing — and then buying — the lot on Columbus Avenue that Balise Hyundai still stands on today (much more on all this later).

He was succeeded by his son, Jim, and then his grandson, Jeb, as president and dealer, and over the past few decades, Balise has grown to be the largest dealer group in this region, one of the largest in New England, and among the 50 largest in the country.

Summing up the first 100 years quickly and succinctly, Jeb Balise said that, starting with the garage in Hatfield and continuing with his grandfather’s risky decision to buy the Williams Dodge property on Columbus Avenue, his father’s gambit to sell a little-known Japanese car called Honda at the Chevy dealership, and carrying on today with Balise car washes and a host of auto-related businesses, the company has seized opportunities when and where it could with an eye toward staying on the cutting edge of an always-changing business.

“Starting with my grandfather, we’ve been entrepreneurial and always looking for better ways to serve the customer,” he said, adding that it has been this way since 1919.

When, exactly, in 1919 no one really knows, said Bobby Balise, adding that the company that has become one of the most recognizable brands in this region had a rather informal beginning.

And there are some other dates and miscellaneous bits of information that remain question marks, such as the precise location of that dealership in Chicopee.

But a great deal is known, he went on, adding that much of the company’s history has been chronicled in some form, and over the course of a year-long centennial celebration, the company will try to tell some of that history.

While doing so, it will write some new chapters and add more images to the albums — figuratively if not literally, said Jeb, adding that, in this age of consolidation within the industry, the Balise company is only looking toward what it will take to be around another 100 years.

History Lessons

Alex Balise McEwen, Jeb’s daughter and fourth-generation member of the Balise leadership team — she’s the marketing manager — told BusinessWest that the company is still piecing together plans for how and when it will mark the centennial.

“This will be a year-long celebration,” she noted, adding that, in addition to bringing back the familiar ‘You’ll Do Better at Balise” slogan, radio commercials and other forms of marketing are noting that the company is commemorating 100 years of doing business in this region.

Alex Balise McEwan, fourth-generation member of the Balise leadership team

Alex Balise McEwen, fourth-generation member of the Balise leadership team, says the company will celebrate its centennial throughout the year and in many different ways.

This business has certainly come a long way since the Square Deal Garage, and there have been many individuals and milestones of note, she went on, and the company will use various methods to tell those stories — such as the back wall of the area of the service department at Balise Honda where customers would pick up their vehicles after the work was done. There, several photos and types of imagery have been placed that help tell the story of this particular dealership.

There’s a large photo of Milton Berman, founder of Yale Genton, the large clothing store that once stood on the property at the south end of Riverdale Street, as well as a photo of that store. But most of the others are related to the Honda brand and Jim Balise’s somewhat risky but ultimately rewarding decision to sell the small Japanese cars.

Indeed, there’s a window sticker for a 1971 Honda model; the price was $1,775. There’s also a photo taken in 1972 in Forest Park showing Jim Balise and several of his colleagues standing behind a both a two-cylinder Honda and an eight-cylinder Chevy Impala. And then, there’s a large color photo of the 1973 Honda Civic, the car that changed the fortunes of not only that carmaker, but maybe the Balise company itself, said the company’s historian.

“During the 1973 gas crisis, we had a Chevrolet getting eight miles per gallon, and we had the Chevy Vega, which was supposed to be the savior of the American car industry, and what happens — the engines start blowing up on them,” Bobby Balise recalled. “All we had left besides the Chevys in the showroom was this little Honda Civic, which got great gas mileage; I really believe that saved the franchise to have the foresight to have two car lines.”

There have been many other fortuitous gambles and hard decisions made over the past 100 years, and by each generation, said Jeb Balise, who particularly likes telling stories about his grandfather, who he described as his best friend growing up.

“During the 1973 gas crisis, we had a Chevrolet getting eight miles per gallon, and we had the Chevy Vega, which was supposed to be the savior of the American car industry, and what happens — the engines start blowing up on them. All we had left besides the Chevys in the showroom was this little Honda Civic, which got great gas mileage; I really believe that saved the franchise to have the foresight to have two car lines.”

Recently made part of the inaugural class of the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association’s New Car Dealer Hall of Fame, Paul Balise was a very hands-on manager who spent his career doing what he was doing at the start — fixing things, said Jeb, as one of his favorite stories about his grandfather reveals.

“It was the mid-’70s, I had just started working for my father, and we needed an electrician for … something, I don’t remember what. So we got an electrician, and they did the repair,” he recalled. “A week or two later, my father comes down with the bill, which was reasonable, and says, ‘what are you doing? — your grandfather does all the repairs around here.’

“It wasn’t to save money,” he went on. “That’s what my grandfather did; at 80, he was still a mechanic slash repairman slash everything else.”

Overall, what he did was set a tone, not just with his work ethic but with his ability to visualize opportunities and seize them.

Driving Forces

Slicing through the long history of the company, both Jeb and Bobby Balise said the decision to move off Main Street and eventually buy the Williams Dodge property on Columbus Avenue was a watershed moment and one that in many ways set the tone for all that was to follow.

“Paul knew he had to move off Main Street because there wasn’t enough room for cars and storage, and he took a gamble and bought that building,” said Bobby, whose father worked alongside Paul for many years as parts manager. “He hesitated on it, and with good reason; it was the height of the Depression, and no one knew what was going to happen and how long it was going to last. But he did it, and proved out to be a spectacular location for him, which we still own today.”

Bobby Balise is the Balise company’s unofficial historian, a role he’s carried out with great enthusiasm for almost a half-century.

Jeb agreed, and siad the deal might not have happened if his grandfather was left to his own instincts.

“The bank shows up and has a meeting with him and says, ‘Paul, we want to put you in this location,’” he said, recalling the stories told to him about a lease that would be for $600 a month. “My grandfather says he can’t afford it, and those at the bank say, ‘we’ll make sure you can afford it.’

“When the recession was over, the same bankers said, ‘Paul, we’re going to sell you the dealership — it’s time for you to buy it,’” he went on. “Again, he said, ‘I can’t afford it,’ and they basically said, ‘we’ll make it so you can afford it’; it was all on a handshake.”

Moving quickly through the past 40 years of the company’s history — the part less chronicled in those albums — the Balise name moved well beyond Springfield and Chevrolet, starting with that Honda franchise.

Today, the company has 21 new- and used-car dealerships in Western Mass., Rhode Island, and on Cape Cod, and a host of nameplates, foreign and domestic, including Chevy, Ford, Chrysler, Buick, GMC, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Mazda, Kia, and many others.

And, as noted, it has diversified with collision-repair shops and car washes.

Diversification is necessary, he said, because Balise, with all the nameplates it sells, has more than adequate coverage in this region when it comes to sales. Opportunities for continued growth, therefore, lie more in other businesses related to the car.

But there are opportunities to add dealerships in other markets, including Rhode Island and Connecticut, he said, adding that the company is always looking for new opportunities.

Paul Balise moved his Chevy dealership to Columbus Avenue at the height of the Great Depression, a risky move that set the tone for successive generations of company leadership.

As he carries on the work of the generations that came before him, Jeb Balise said he learned a lot from both his father and grandfather — about the car business, yes, but more about business in general.

“They taught me about how to treat people,” he explained. “They genuinely cared about doing the right thing and helping people. That sounds cliché and corny, but that’s how they were.”

Those thoughts stay with him today as he leads an auto group at a time of ongoing change and consolidation — a time when repair of vehicles is just as important a part of the business — and one with better margins — than new-car sales.

“The level of competition is actually greater because they’re bigger dealerships and the throughput per dealership is much higher, which really helps the consumer because it means you have better selection wherever you end up. Between the Internet and technology and the level of competition with other dealers, it’s never been easier to buy a car.”

In that respect, not much has changed in 100 years, he said with a laugh, adding that, in most all other ways, the landscape has changed considerably.

Especially with regard to consolidation. Indeed, while the days of the single-franchise dealer are not officially over, they are certainly numbered.

“Consolidation continues, and bigger auto groups are getting even bigger,” he explained. “And the level of competition is actually greater because they’re bigger dealerships and the throughput per dealership is much higher, which really helps the consumer because it means you have better selection wherever you end up. Between the Internet and technology and the level of competition with other dealers, it’s never been easier to buy a car.”

There’s still plenty of room for more consolidation, he went on, adding that single dealerships are being bought by groups, and groups are being bought up by bigger groups.

“There’s a lot of buy-sell activity still happening at this period of time, and it usually starts happening when the market gets a little tighter,” he went on. “It’s caused by a few things — retirement age, getting tired, not having kids in the business who want the business, and other factors.”

Balise will not be one of the companies bought up by a larger group because it has no intention of being an acquisition target, said Jeb, adding that he rarely if ever even gets an inquiring call, because those who might pick up the phone know there’s no point in doing so.

“The goal is that we keep it a generational and growing business,” he explained. “We pride ourselves on being a significant part of the communities we operate in, and making a difference — in the lives of our associates as well as the customers and the general community.”

Past Is Prologue

As he continued flipping through the photo albums, Bobby Balise stopped at a page with a curious but poignant collection of items.

One is a photo of the company’s first tow truck, or wrecker, as they were called in those days — a 1948 Weaver with a three-ton boom and a hand crank. It’s symbolic of how the company has always been about more than merely selling cars.

There’s also a photo of James Balise looking not into the camera, but toward what the caption describes as “the unknown future.”

The caption under this photo from the company’s archives reads ‘James Balise looks into the unknown future — 1947.’

And then, there’s a recounting of what was said to Paul Balise by friend Bob Johnston as the two were playing a round with others on the recently opened Franconia Golf Club in Springfield and Paul was expressing considerable anxiety over his decision to buy the vacant auto dealership on Columbus Avenue.

“The clouds you so much dread are rich in mercies and shall break in blessings on your head,” Johnston supposedly said.

That’s a prescient thought and a harbinger for a company that has seen the sun shine on it over the years, but also has been able to make it rain — in all kinds of ways.

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

Westfield Lands a Summer Collegiate Baseball Franchise

Features

Stepping Up to the Plate

Team owners Donnie Moorhouse (left) and Chris Thompson

When the Futures Collegiate Baseball League’s newest team steps onto the field in Westfield this spring, it will mark not just the beginning of a 56-game slate extending well into the summer, but also a continuation of a century-plus of robust baseball history in the Whip City — as well as perhaps the most high-profile startup yet from two team owners who are no strangers to either sports management or entrepreneurship.

Chris Thompson said he and his business partner, Donnie Moorhouse, had been kicking around the idea of buying a baseball team for years. So, when an opportunity finally arose, they didn’t hesitate to make their pitch.

It started with a cold call, Thompson said, to Christopher Hall, the commissioner of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England, back in July. The FCBL was looking to expand, and the 90-minute conversation touched on the business backgrounds of Thompson and Moorhouse, and why Western Mass. — and Westfield in particular — might be fertile ground to grow a league that already boasted four teams in the Bay State.

That long talk led to a four-hour meeting in Worcester the following week, and interest on both sides intensified from there.

“Donnie and I started touring the different ballparks around the Futures League and meeting with ownership groups from Pittsfield to Worcester to Nashua, learning why they got involved,” Thompson recalled. “What we really found out is these franchises are run like minor-league operations, and that’s our background.”

Now, they’re bringing their experience — both in sports management and with entrepreneurship in general — to the new Futures League franchise, which will begin play at the end of May, hosting 28 home games in Westfield.

The pair will unveil the team’s name and logo — which reflect a key aspect of the city’s history — this Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. at Shortstop Bar & Grill. Players will be available to sign autographs meet the public, while attendees will enjoy free appetizers and access to the batting cages.

The team will play in Billy Bullens Field, a Westfield city-owned facility that’s similar in size to other Futures League parks, like Campanelli Field in Brockton or Waconah Park in Pittsfield, Moorhouse said. Still, “Bullens Field, in comparison, would be considered quaint. It’s kind of the Fenway Park of the league. But we’re doing some renovations, and we think it has a nostalgic, Americana kind of feel that appeals to people these days.”

He added that the league is conservative in the way it expands, looking to match strong ownership groups to locations where baseball has strong roots. “These are people who know what they’re doing.”

“The history of baseball in Westfield goes back to the very beginnings of the history of baseball in this country. When the first organized games were happening around the country, they were happening here, too, on the town green.”

He believes he and Thompson do, too. And that’s why they decided to step up to the plate.

Slice of History

While baseball has thrived in Western Mass. — most notably, the Holyoke Blue Sox are defending champions of the New England Collegiate Baseball League two years running, and one of the top 10 attendance draws in the country among summer collegiate leagues — Moorhouse says Westfield is a particularly attractive home for a team.

“The history of baseball in Westfield goes back to the very beginnings of the history of baseball in this country. When the first organized games were happening around the country, they were happening here, too, on the town green,” Moorhouse explained.

He noted that Westfield State University has a well-established Division III team, and the city hosted the Babe Ruth World Series in 2016, and will again this summer. Meanwhile, Westfield High School has a strong track record in the sport — 19 of its alumni are playing college ball this spring.

“Some of those kids are going to be on our roster, which is part of our motivation to showcase some local kids who have the ability to perform at a higher level,” he went on. “So I think, even moreso than other places around Western Mass., Westfield has a reputation as being a baseball town.”

The pair have built a business reputation together as well. Six years ago, Moorhouse launched Mosquito Shield, a commercial and residential mosquito- and tick-control operation. After Thompson came on board, the pair bought a holiday- and event-lighting franchise together. Last summer, they opened Eleventh Avenue Productions, a public-relations consultancy.

More to the point of sports ownership, Thompson spent 18 years in the sports-marketing arena, working for an agency in Boston, at the American Hockey League headquarters, and for two AHL hockey franchises in Springfield, first the Falcons and then the Thunderbirds.

The two of them have discussed investing in a sports franchise for years, Moorhouse said. “It’s one of those things that you talk about over a beer, and when the opportunity arose, we jumped at it. When Chris came up to this office last summer, we said, ‘let’s do it, let’s pull the trigger.’”

“They look at this as an economic driver, where families are coming out, and after the game they might go out for an ice cream, or they might go out to dinner … We’ll be getting people from Western Mass. to come to Westfield.”

He said he felt confident they could succeed with a baseball team. “I worked with Chris with the Falcons for two years in corporate sponsorships, and learned an awful lot about game-night operations and the inner workings of a minor-league sports franchise, so it was a great apprenticeship for sure. Chris has been doing it for close to 20 years. To work with him, recognizing the skill set we both have, it didn’t take very long for us, once we were working together, to say it would be great to have some skin in the game — to have an ownership stake in a sports franchise and operate it the way we see fit. And this is our opportunity to do that.”

With the pair firmly in “startup mode,” as he called it, there has been some scrambling.

“We’ve put the cart before the horse on several occasions. We were reaching out to potential players before we actually had the franchise, negotiating the lease before we had the franchise … so if you want to talk about keeping a lot of balls in the air, we were juggling.”

Moorhouse hired his son, Evan, who is director of Hockey Operations at the University of Vermont, as the new franchise’s director of baseball operations, essentially a GM position.

“He played college baseball for four years at Westfield State and has a lot of contacts, not only through baseball but through the hockey world,” he said. “He’s reached out to colleges and put together a pretty competitive roster on paper. We’ve got kids from Kansas State, Eastern Kentucky, UConn, Quinnipiac, Stonehill, Holy Cross, and five kids from Westfield.”

Futures Returns

Founded in 2011, the Futures League has been in growth mode ever since, drawing a league-record 1,514 fans per game in 2018 — the third-highest among all summer collegiate leagues. The league’s other squads hail from Pittsfield, Worcester, Brockton, and Lynn, as well as Bristol, Conn. and Nashua, N.H.

“We’re very fortunate to add such an experienced ownership group with great local ties to the Westfield community,” said Hall, the FCBL commissioner, in a recent press release. “Chris and Donnie have the passion and love for the game of baseball, but also the drive to make the Westfield team a winner not only on the field but in the community.”

Moorhouse said the feedback from the community has been positive. “The city has been very encouraging, the guidance has been fantastic, and, in general, we’ve been having conversations with people who are very excited about the business opportunities and the economic-development opportunities. We have a long history of baseball in Westfield, so I would say there’s a lot of excitement about it.”

Thompson noted that the opportunity might not have been possible without Mayor Brian Sullivan supporting — and the City Council approving — $1.8 million to renovate Bullens Field prior to the 2016 Babe Ruth World Series.

“They made facility improvements that allowed them to lure Babe Ruth to Westfield, and because of those improvements, the Futures League has approved that field as somewhere they’re comfortable with college athletes playing.”

He added that City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell has been instrumental in helping the pair navigate the approval process at City Hall.

“They look at this as an economic driver, where families are coming out, and after the game they might go out for an ice cream, or they might go out to dinner, so that’s going to help local restaurants. We’ll be getting people from Western Mass. to come to Westfield.”

Meanwhile, the league is a draw for talent for several reasons. “Coaches like the Futures League for the amount of games they play, and they also are impressed with the facilities that the teams play in. We’ve started to build relationships with college coaches around the country in order to build our roster.”

The games are also heavily scouted, Thompson added, noting that 30 of its players were drafted last June by Major League Baseball organizations.

The league also appeals to players at colleges throughout the Northeast who don’t get as many at-bats as athletes do in, say, Florida or California, where the climate allows the season to start sooner, Moorhouse noted.

“Getting that repetition, getting those at-bats, playing live baseball in the summer at a very competitive level, benefits their skill development. In the Northeast, the college season is very short, and the first weekend in May is the playoffs. This is an opportunity to continue playing baseball at a very high level throughout the summer.”

Extending a Legacy

Thompson said the support in the initial stages has been overwhelming, in a good way. “People want to see us do well, from local organizations to business owners that want to get involved. People are really excited about what we’re bringing to Westfield and to Western Mass. as a whole.”

In other words, people are opening their doors to this opportunity — literally as well as figuratively. Evan Moorhouse is in charge of locating host families to take in players, one of many important details the Westfield franchise needs to nail down in order to make the inaugural season a success. But his father has been following baseball in the city for many years, and knows the interest is there.

“Some July nights, 300 people are out watching a Babe Ruth game,” Donnie said. “The American Legion comes down — they know all the players, know their stats. It’s a great vibe. It’s like Friday Night Lights, only it’s any given night of the week. It’s just a really cool slice of Americana happening on Smith Avenue. We’re excited to add to that legacy, hopefully, enhance it a bit, and also showcase what is arguably one of the best baseball leagues in the country in our hometown.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

ADDFab Helps Build the 3D Printing Workforce

Manufacturing

Layer by Layer

ADDFab Director Dave Follette with samples of 3D-printed objects.

The Advanced Digital Design & Fabrication Lab, or ADDFab for short — one of 31 ‘core facilities’ in the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at UMass Amherst — is creating something significant in the manufacturing world, and not just the products it forms from metal and polymer powders. No, it’s also building connections between young talent and companies that will increasingly need it as 3D printing becomes more mainstream. And it does so with a focus — no, an insistence — on hands-on learning.

It’s hard to learn about 3D printing, Dave Follette said, if you don’t have access to a 3D printer.

ADDFab has five. And it likes to share them. In fact, that’s its mission.

“We have all these high-end machines, and it’s hard to get access to these in the real world,” said Follette, director of ADDFab, which stands for Advanced Digital Design & Fabrication Lab, one of 31 ‘core facilities’ in the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at UMass Amherst. “Who’s going to let you touch their quarter-million-dollar machine and learn the ins and outs of it — how do you set it up? What happens if it fails? What do I do?”

ADDFab, like the other core facilities, seeks to eliminate skills gaps between students and the work world with hands-on opportunities to use some truly cutting-edge and, yes, expensive equipment.

“Here, the student interns aren’t just going on the computer and doing some research. They come to the lab, suit up, play with some parts, take them out of the printer, clean it — they get real experience actually touching the machines.”

ADDFab takes a similar tack with local businesses seeking to learn more about 3D printing, Follette added.

“The workshops we do are less sitting in a classroom talking about 3D printing and more, ‘let’s do some 3D printing.’”

“The workshops we do are less sitting in a classroom talking about 3D printing and more, ‘let’s do some 3D printing.’ You actually come in, design a part on the software, print the part, and go home with something you created. You see the process. That’s what’s valuable about being on site. You can go on the Internet and watch YouTube videos, but something about doing it yourself gives you an understanding of how it works and why it works, and what works and what doesn’t. That’s what we’re trying to teach.”

Sundar Krishnamurty, ADDFab’s co-director, explained that the facility has three distinct but interwoven goals.

“We’re a research university, so we want our researchers to develop new knowledge, and we hope this will be a medium for that,” he told BusinessWest. “Second, there’s a lot of experiential learning for our students. Third, we have good engagement with our industries, especially small and medium-sized companies in the area.”

The equipment itself is impressive — two metal printers and three polymer printers, each using different raw materials and different technologies to produce an endless array of products. The facility supports UMass itself in several ways, as students and faculty can be trained to use the equipment to conduct their own research on additive manufacturing, while ADDFab also provides printing services and engineering support for faculty in all academic departments.

But it’s the outreach to industry that may be most intriguing element, not just through those aforementioned workshops, which are intended to broaden understanding of how 3D printing will affect the manufacturing industry and to provide hands-on skills, but through a state-funded voucher program that gives businesses with fewer than 50 employees a 50% subsidy to access the core facilities, and 75% to businesses with fewer than 10.

“You can do $100,000 of work for $25,000,” Follette said. “For a new technology, it makes it easy to get your feet wet and test it out. A lot of companies we’re working with haven’t used 3D printing before and are figuring out how it fits into their business.”

Krishnamurty agreed. “We really want to be partnering with local industries in helping us identify the gaps and where we can provide leadership, expertise, and resources to help them achieve their goals.”

What happens when students are well-trained on cutting-edge 3D-printing technology, and when area manufacturers learn more about its potential, is clear, they both noted: Positive workforce development that helps businesses grow while keeping talent in Western Mass.

Student Stories

Jeremy Hall, now a senior at UMass, has been interning at ADDFab, and said the opportunities are positive on a number of levels, including setting students up for interesting careers in a fast-growing, but still largely undertapped, field.

“It’s an up-and-coming field, and a lot of jobs are opening up in it because a lot of companies see the benefit of it,” Hall told BusinessWest. “Look at rapid prototyping — instead of making a mistake and spending five figures on a mold only to discover that part’s not usable, you can do several iterations and save a lot of money doing so.”

Jack Ford (left) and Jeremy Hall are two of the current student interns at ADDFab.

He thinks he’s putting himself in good position for the workforce by learning the various processes by actually doing them. His initial career interests were in research and design and rapid prototyping, but the more he’s delved into additive manufacturing, the more interested he has become in material properties, and exploring what other raw materials can used to create stronger products. “The application is here; it’s just, how much can you improve it from here?”

“Look at rapid prototyping — instead of making a mistake and spending five figures on a mold only to discover that part’s not usable, you can do several iterations and save a lot of money doing so.”

Another intern, Jack Ford, is a sophomore whose interest in 3D printing began when he used similar — but not nearly as advanced — technology to create a tool in a high-school drafting class.

“It was interesting to see that whole process, and it grew my interest in the manufacturing aspects of it,” he noted. “And look at how 3D printing has grown over the years — it’s crazy to see where it is now. The laser technology is incredible, how it’s so precise and manages to get such a fine level of detail despite seeming like such a strange process. We put the powder down, bam, there’s a layer. It blows my mind.”

There’s an energy-absorbing lattice piece on a table at ADDFab inscribed with the name of its creator, Adam Rice, who recently became one of the facility’s success stories, and an example of how it seeks to connect talent with need.

“In my 10 weeks here, I’ve worked one-on-one with companies, toured facilities, and even given a presentation at FLIR Systems,” Rice explained last year, in an interview snippet used in an ADDFab promotional brochure. “It’s been building my confidence. I’ve had no real engineering experience before this, and this is my first time really applying it and seeing how people do this as a career.”

After graduating in December, he now has a career of his own, at Lytron, a designer and manufacturer of thermal-management and liquid-cooling products based in Woburn.

“They use a metal printer exactly the same as ours and needed someone with additive-manufacturing experience to help them run their printer,” Follette said. “The VP of Engineering contacted me and asked, ‘do you have any students who know additive?’ I said, ‘yes.’ He came by and met the students, and we had a good fit.”

The brochure Rice appears in promotes the UMass Summer Undergraduate Core Internship Program, which allows students from the STEM fields to access hands-on training and experience in the core facilities, including ADDFab, over the summer.

“We’ve been doing learning by trying,” he said. “It’s been really cool to get to do more hands-on engineering.”

And even cooler to spin it into a well-paying job.

Into the Future

Meanwhile, area companies — including, of late, Peerless Precision, Volo Aero, FTL Labs, Cofab Design, and MultiSensor Scientific — continue to take advantage of ADDFab’s resources, often through the voucher program, either to make 3D products or learn more about how to incorporate the technology. Responding to a commonly raised concern, Krishnamurty stressed that all intellectual property stays with the companies.

Sundar Krishnamurty says ADDFab wants to partner with local industries to identify and fill workforce and training gaps.

“A lot of times, people see UMass and think, ‘how do I work with them? They’re big, and I’m not,’ Follette said. “But the message we want to put out is that we’re doing 3D printing, and we’re here to help industries. There are many ways to get involved, whether you just have an idea on a napkin or you have computer files and want to print them on our advanced printer.”

Indeed, he noted, ADDFab’s large-scale 3D printers are performing industrial-grade production of “real parts you can use for real things. A lot of engineering companies we’re working with are doing prototyping of parts, design iterations — they want to print something and feel it, then make another change and another change, and it’s great they can turn this around fast and get a part that’s usable also at a great price.”

Using ADDFab is ideal for small runs, he added. “If you need five today, that’s fine. If you need 20 tomorrow, fine. If you need five more the next day, that’s fine, too.”

“A lot of times, people see UMass and think, ‘how do I work with them? They’re big, and I’m not. But the message we want to put out is that we’re doing 3D printing, and we’re here to help industries.”

And if the facility can perform such services while training the next generation of engineers and boosting workforce development for the region’s manufacturing sector, Krishnamurty said, well, that’s a clear win-win-win.

“These are truly one-of-a-kind facilities,” he said, speaking not just of ADDFab, but all the core facilities at UMass Amherst. “I think the future is endless.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Two Co-work Spaces Find Fertile Ground in Greenfield

Franklin County

Come as You Are

Jeremy Goldsher says Greenspace CoWork melds modern amenities with a distinctly Greenfield vibe.

Co-working spaces — hives of business where members share office space — have taken root in many Western Mass. communities over the past several years, for a number of reasons, from the efficiency of sharing resources to opportunities to network and be inspired by other professionals. In the past year and a half, two have cropped up a block apart in downtown Greenfield, with different types of clientele but the same goal: to help enterprises develop and grow, and have fun doing it.

The way people work has changed dramatically since the last century, Jeremy Goldsher says — and so has where people work.

“There are so many intelligent people doing incredible things here, and they don’t feel like they have to go to Boston or New York or Hartford or wherever to flourish,” said Goldsher, who launched Greenspace CoWork about 18 months ago with business partner Jeff Sauser. “No, you don’t have to do that anymore. You can do it from locations all over the place.”

But why not just work from home, as so many companies encourage their employees to do? To Goldsher — and others who believe in the value of co-working spaces — it’s about culture, energy, and especially connection.

“In the great rush to connect people with technology, we’ve forgotten one of the most important things that connects people, and that’s human interaction,” he told BusinessWest. “I think we get a lot of really brilliant people who move out here to get away from the cities and raise families, but there’s not a lot of opportunities to interact, congregate, and meet their neighbors.”

That’s why more people are taking advantage of the co-work model. In some cases, he said, they’ve moved to Greenfield specifically because co-working was an option.

“In the great rush to connect people with technology, we’ve forgotten one of the most important things that connects people, and that’s human interaction.”

“We offer the same amenities you’d get in New York or Boston. But you can do it in a rural setting where you can leave work, go down to the river, swim, come back, jump back on your computer, and Skype with someone in Dubai. We have people here whose companies are spread out all over the country or all over the world, yet they can congregate in the kitchenette, talk over coffee, talk about each other’s kids, and maybe grab a beer after work. It’s just wonderful to see these people enrich their own lives.”

A block away in downtown Greenfield, Pat King, executive director of Another Castle, told BusinessWest that he and Paul Hake, CEO of HitPoint Studios, opened their co-working space, which caters to video-game developers and designers, a little over a year ago after the pair recognized its potential.

Pat King says Another Castle helps bring together the region’s large and far-flung game-design community through a number of programs.

King worked with Hake for many years, both with HitPoint and its precedessor, Paul Hake Productions, before striking out on his own about four years ago. During that time, he started a group called Pioneer Valley Game Developers, a networking community that now boasts about 300 members, many of whom gather for monthly meetups and events.

King started talking with Hake about the potential of a co-working space specifically geared for this crowd, especially considering that many are small and solo outfits that could benefit from the networking and shared resources Another Castle offers.

“About two years ago, I realized we have such a vibrant community, and a close community that’s really active and wants to get to know each other, so it made sense to look for a space,” King explained. “We’d looked at other models in other cities that have done similar co-working spaces for video-game developers. We had enough people that expressed interest, and thankfully Paul was also interested in moving to a new location and wanted to go in with me on a co-working space for game developers.”

Michael Crigler found, in Greenspace CoWork, an ideal spot for his digital marketing agency, Bueno Social.

With just four members now — HitPoint is the anchor tenant, with about 12 employees — Another Castle has plenty of room to grow, despite the specific challenges of this niche-specific model (more on that later). But King, like Goldsher, is excited about the way the co-working environment encourages professionals to come together in the heart of Greenfield, rather than working alone.

Back to Life

Four years ago, Goldsher’s family bought the four-story building on the corner of Main Street and Court Square out of bankruptcy and rebranded it the Hawks & Reed building, after a former clothing store on Main Street. They have since brought new life — and many more events — to the arts and music space on the first floor, while Goldsher and Sauser worked to develop Greenspace CoWork on the upper floors.

The two met at a Franklin County Community Development Corp. event and were soon talking about the co-work concept, which Goldsher had seen flourishing while living in New York City.

“I was seeing co-working really starting to take off there, and it was something I wanted to see here. This is the wave of the future in workspaces for my generation, to address the modern needs of workers wherever they are,” said Goldsher, noting that the space has been designed with a Franklin County aesthetic in mind, with original wood floors, reclaimed materials, and greenery. “We didn’t want to throw a bunch of stuff into a space and say ‘done.’ It’s not overproduced, and it reflects Greenfield.”

His biggest challenge right now is building out more space in a building that could eventually house about 150 workers — although, like all co-work spaces, they’re typically not there all at once. About 30 individuals and companies call Greenspace home right now. Open 24/7, the facility has two secured entrances, and one of its conference rooms has access directly from the street without having to walk through the rest of the co-working space, which appeals to lawyers who meet with clients there.

Michael Crigler, who heads up digital marketing agency Bueno Social, is one of the original Greenspace clients, and is currently working with Goldsher to create a new logo and branding and redo its website.

“We had our own office down the street,” Crigler said. “It was nice, but my business partner and I were on the road a lot, meeting new clients, and we have a pretty big remote workforce; employees can work from anywhere. When just one or two people were in that big office, it felt empty, and didn’t feel like there was a lot going on, and we wanted to be more part of a community, where we can collaborate with people.”

When he heard about Greenspace, he was immediately intrigued.

“That week, I was like, ‘we’re going to get rid of our office and move in here.’ So far, our employees love it,” he noted. “I’ve never felt a sense of ease like I feel working here. Jeremy’s vision, and the way he’s built out the space, are warm and inviting, and the people it attracts are very cool. I’m really excited about the next few years in Greenfield.”

“About two years ago, I realized we have such a vibrant community, and a close community that’s really active and wants to get to know each other, so it made sense to look for a space.”

Members are attracted to co-working for a number of reasons, Goldsher said, among them lower prices than traditional office rent, flexible leases, and shared resources ranging from a printer, projector, conference rooms, and wi-fi to a kitchen with free tea and coffee.

Members range from stay-at-home fathers who show up in the wee hours to get some work done in a professional setting to Australis Aquaculture, an international fish-farming operation headquartered in Vietnam. When its fish farm in Turners Falls was shuttered and the farming operations consolidated overseas, the company needed a place to house eight employees who focus on sales and distribution to large food retailers in the U.S.

“I think it’s a great concept,” said Jackie Galvis, an administrative, financial, and human-resources assistant with Australis. “And it’s cool because this is a historic building.”

Goldsher said it was beyond his expectations to have a company of that size as a member, but at the same time, it makes sense.

“They were downsizing their space but wanted to upgrade in the amenities and the culture,” he noted. “We’re just lucky to have people from the community believe in what we’re building here and invest in our dream. You hear these stories about the synergy that happens in a co-working space, but it’s actually happening.”

Game On

It’s happening at Another Castle as well, though perhaps at a different pace. Besides the 10 HitPoint staffers who work there, Vermont Digital Arts utilizes the space, while the rest of the current members include a 3D artist, a software engineer, and an electrical engineer.

Greenspace CoWork’s private, soundproof phone booths were designed and built in house.

“It’s a slightly different beast than a general co-working space,” King said, noting that only about half the game developers and designers in the region are making money in this field, making it difficult to afford even the reasonable rates co-work spaces charge.

“I’ve seen numerous success stories of people who have been able to get work through the community, either from HitPoint or word of mouth,” he noted. “So people are definitely interested, but it can be a challenge making pricing work because it’s a hobbyist community. People want to support the space but can’t necessarily join.”

That’s why he and Hake are exploring the possibility of adding incubator space at even lower cost, to attract more startups who might benefit from the synergies, guidance, and networking opportunities available, as well as the 24/7 access and shared resources — not just the wi-fi, conference rooms, and flexible membership plans common to most co-working spaces, but a wide array of cutting-edge computer hardware to be used for testing, playing, or just for being productive.

And the events, too. Another Castle often serves as a community space for events like last month’s Global Game Jam, which drew about 50 participants who designed games for a frenzied 48 hours, producing 15 games by the end of the weekend.

“That was amazing to see a packed space, all people working on different projects,” King said. “We also host monthly educational events and a few workshops here, and we’ve led a couple at GCC and other institutions.”

Greenspace CoWork hosts community meetings as well, Goldsher said, just another way he hopes the venture connects professionals to the city and region around them.

“We want our members to be able to accomplish what they would in a corporate setting, but we also want them to go out into the community and enjoy all the resources and the natural beauty here,” he told BusinessWest, noting that he dreamed of something resembling a co-working environment when he was a kid, even though he had no idea they actually existed, or what they were called.

“This is just a child bringing his dream to life,” he said. “I’ve created a comfortable space that’s open 24/7, and anyone is welcome to join.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Talent Acquisition, Retention Still Top Concerns Among Employers

Employment

Playing the Numbers

While there is some general optimism to be found in the results of the latest Employer Associations of America National Business Trends Survey, especially when it comes to projected revenues and plans for additional hiring, the twin challenges of attaining and then retaining top talent loom large in today’s business climate.

Mark Adams said he was somewhat surprised by some of the responses in the recently released Employer Associations of America National Business Trends Survey.

For example, he thought more businesses would list paying heightened benefits costs as a serious challenge given recent additions such as paid family and medical leave, part of the state’s so-called grand bargain; 28% listed it as a considerable challenge in the short term and 44% in the long term, and Adams, director of HR Services at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE), thought both numbers would be higher.

The same with employers’ ability to pay competitive wages at a time when the minimum wage is going up, pay equity is now the law, and employers in several fields, especially manufacturing, are waging a pitched battle for top talent. Only 34% listed it as short-term challenge, and 43% a long-term challenge.

“With the rise in the pay-equity legislation, I thought there was going to be concern about how businesses could stay on that trajectory,” he explained, “especially when to get into compliance with some of that requires making some unilateral adjustments in pay ranges and scales.”

In this challenging environment, Mark Adams says, employers trying to attract and retain talent must look beyond traditional benefits.

But what stands out in the recent report, which involved 1,200 business executives in all 50 states, isn’t what’s mildly surprising — it’s what’s not at all surprising.

Specifically, it’s that talent acquisition and talent retention top the list of serious challenges, again. Or ‘still,’ to be more precise.

It has been a challenge for some time as unemployment rates have fallen and Baby Boomers have begun retiring in significant numbers, said Adams, adding that, even as signs of the economy cooling off grow in number, finding qualified workers remains problem number one for businesses across virtually all sectors.

“Increasingly, when it comes to what it takes to be attractive to a potential candidate today, it’s not just going to be wages and benefits.”

And what employers are realizing is that, to address the challenge properly, they need to focus on more than the many facets of compensation — although those are certainly important factors — especially when it comes to the Millennial generation.

“Increasingly, when it comes to what it takes to be attractive to a potential candidate today, it’s not just going to be wages and benefits,” said Adams. “It’s going to be how a company looks culturally and how a company looks in terms of its reputation, and all this starts at the top.

“To many, especially Millennials, culture is as important as what they make,” he went on, adding that it is incumbent upon top management to put a company in the best position possible, not only when it comes to recruiting talent, but within the community.

Employer Associations of America National Business Trends Survey

As for exactly what Millennials are looking for (if not demanding), which has become the $64,000 question in business today, Adams said it varies with the individual, obviously, but what most want is a “personalized experience” in the workplace.

“They want to have more control over their career development and their career paths — they want paths that are personalized to them,” he went on. “And this gets into everything from how work is structured to how teams are formed … you’re not necessarily doing the same job day in and day out, and you might be working with different people on different projects at different times.”

For this issue and its focus on employment, BusinessWest goes beyond the numbers in the latest National Business Trends Survey for a deeper dive into the ongoing challenges of talent acquisition and retention, and what employers must do to address them.

Hire Power

But first, the survey results.

They show a decent amount of optimism, said Adams, adding that the amount expressed is likely a function of the timing of the survey — last fall, before the stock market began a significant tailspin that culminated in its worst Christmas Eve in 90 years (it has obviously bounced back since) and far greater use of the dreaded ‘R’ word (recession) among economists.

Indeed, 60% of those surveyed expect the overall outlook for 2019 to be roughly the same as 2018, and nearly a third (28%) expect things to be better. Meanwhile, 73% of those polled project slight to significant increases in sales and or revenues, and 57% of the executives surveyed plan to increase staff in 2019, while another 36% plan to maintain 2018 staff levels during 2019.

Overall, 92% of the respondents said they will be replacing staff due to voluntary turnover, and 77% said their hiring will be to fill newly created jobs.

SEE: List of Employment Agencies

“Timing is everything when it comes to these surveys,” said Adams, referring to how the numbers might be different if the polling was done a few months later. “But at the roundtables that I chair, when I put those specific issues as agenda items and say, ‘has anything given you pause to take a step back and reassess what your projections were for 2019?’ most said the answer is ‘no.’”

Meanwhile, when it comes to hiring, most employers are still looking to hire into their own payrolls, rather than using temporary help, due to rising benefits costs and other factors, said Adams, which is still another positive indicator when it comes to the overall confidence level among area employers.

But while those numbers — and those answers at EANE’s roundtables — are encouraging, the harsh reality is that many employers will face a steep challenge as they go about filling these positions, said Adams — and for many reasons.

Part of the problem is simply a lack of talent, an issue in many fields, especially manufacturing, a sector with a proud history in this region but one that has struggled mightily to attract young people in recent decades.

But another component of the challenge is attracting those who do have the talent to your company, he went on, swinging the discussion back to that concept of culture, Millennials, and how employers have to be focused on much more than salary and benefits.

But when they do focus on benefits, they should do so with an eye on being innovative, said Adams.

“It’s not enough anymore to offer health and retirement, and, yes, paid time off is always an issue, and they’re looking for more of that than ever before,” he noted. “It’s about being innovative and perhaps helping them with their student-loan challenges and things of that nature.

“They want to be well-compensated, but they’re really looking for benefits in a working arrangement that allows them to achieve more flexibility and more of a personal allocation of their time in the workplace that meets their needs,” he went on, adding that many companies are not responding quickly or profoundly enough to these relatively new wants and needs, and this goes a long way toward explaining why they are struggling to not only attract but also retain talent.

But he acknowledged that responding isn’t easy, and it involves looking beyond the traditional when it comes to everything from benefits to schedules to the overall culture of the company.

“It comes down to how much companies are willing to change how they do business to meet those needs,” he told BusinessWest. “Companies have these traditional schedules and shifts, and are today’s young people going to want to work on those timetables?” he asked rhetorically. “Or do we need to adapt to what they’re looking for?”

“It means looking at your business model down to the core,” he continued, “and not just say, ‘OK, we’ll add a couple of extra personal days or change our health plan design or change the matching on our 401(k).’ If you’re talking about changing culture and providing innovative benefits, and changing scheduling to make things more flexible, it means going much deeper than that, and that’s a challenge for some companies.”

Raising the Stakes

Indeed it is, but as the latest National Business Trends Survey reveals, finding and retaining talent is the most pressing issue confronting employers today, and will be for the foreseeable future.

Behind those numbers, Adams explained, lies a need for businesses to dig deep, be innovative, and look not at what’s worked in the past, but at what is likely to work today and in the future.

That’s the only way those numbers are going to change.

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

Agawam Looks to Bridge the Gap — Literally

Community Spotlight

Mayor William Sapelli says Agawam is making progress on many economic-development fronts, from filling vacant storefronts to zoning reform to workforce-development initiatives in its schools.

Mayor William Sapelli has developed a routine since he was sworn into office roughly 13 months ago.

Always early to the ‘office’ (he worked within the city’s school system for decades and wrapped up his career as superintendent), he arrives at City Hall at 7:30 a.m., giving him a solid hour of relative solitude to write some e-mails and clear some paperwork from his desk before other employees start to file in.

But his work day, if you will, actually starts at 7, when he stops in for breakfast at one of several eateries in town he frequents in something approaching a rotation.

“Mondays I’m usually at McDonald’s, mid-week it’s at Partners, and Fridays I’m at Giovanni’s,” he said, referring, with those latter references, to the restaurant on Springfield Street, known for its breakfast items and as a place where people come together, and the Italian pastry shop on Main Street that is also a gathering spot.

“There’s a crew of people that goes in there, and I think now they expect me because I’ve been doing it since I was first elected,” he said of Giovanni’s. “There are crews in each place, actually, especially McDonald’s; a number of seniors go in there. There’s 10 or 12 people, and we kibitz — it’s fun.

“I get beat up sometimes, but in a fun way — they give me good feedback; it goes back and forth. They bust me about taxes or roads or whatever,” he went on, adding that, with municipal elections coming up later this year, there is a new topic of discussion, although he hasn’t formally announced he will run again.

Overall, there is lots to talk about these days over eggs or French toast, especially the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge. Built in 1947, the span over the Westfield River links the city with West Springfield. It is a vital piece of infrastructure, major traffic artery, and entranceway to the Eastern States Exposition, and now it’s about five months into what will be a roughly three-year facelift and widening initiative that is projected to solve persistent bottlenecks in an important commercial area.

But this undoubtedly will be a long three years, the mayor acknowledged, adding that two lanes of the four-lane bridge are now closed, and it will be like this way probably until the calendar turns to 2022.

“There’s a crew of people that goes in there, and I think now they expect me because I’ve been doing it since I was first elected. There are crews in each place, actually, especially McDonald’s; a number of seniors go in there. There’s 10 or 12 people, and we kibitz — it’s fun.”

“It will be an inconvenience, but this work has to be done; it is what it is,” he said, putting Bill Belichick’s classic phrase to work while noting that the inconvenience extends beyond motorists and their daily commutes. Indeed, it will also impact businesses in the area just over the bridge, many of which are relative newcomers to Agawam (more on this later).

Beyond the bridge, other topics of conversation at breakfast include everything from storm drains — Agawam, like all other communities, is facing stiff mandates to update their systems — to streets and sidewalks, to schools and taxes.

The mayor recently took the conversation from the lunch counter to City Council chambers for his State of the City address, the first for this community since 2012. Recapping for BusinessWest, Sapelli said he told his constituents that there are challenges ahead, especially with the bridge, but also opportunities, especially within the broad realm of business and economic development.

Indeed, using two acronyms now probably quite familiar to those he’s sharing breakfast with — DIF (district improvement financing) and TIF (tax increment financing) — he said officials have been bringing new businesses to the city and allowing existing ones to stay and grow.

The DIF has been used to help bring new stores and more vibrancy to the Walnut Street retail area of the city, while the TIF, which is awarded to new or existing businesses willing to commit to adding additional jobs, has been used to enable Able Tool, formerly in the Agawam Industrial Park to build a new building on Silver Street and essentially double in size.

But economic development comes in many forms, he said, touting initiatives in the city’s schools aimed at both introducing students to careers and helping ease some of the region’s workforce challenges. These include the creation of an advanced-manufacturing program at Agawam High School and a heightened focus on making students aware of career options that might not involve a college education.

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest caught up with the mayor after his breakfast ritual — and after answering all his e-mails — to get a progress report on one of the region’s smaller but more intriguing cities.

Attention Span

While the start of work on the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge has triggered a host of questions for those breakfast sessions over the past 13 months, it has actually removed one topic from conversation — at least temporarily.

Indeed, the former Games & Lanes property on Walnut Street Extension, long an eyesore and source of unending questions and speculation about potential future uses, before and after it was torn down, has become a staging area for the contractor hired for the bridge project, Palmer-based Northern Construction.

“It made perfect sense,” said Sapelli. “They needed a staging area — there are two of them, actually, with the back end of the Rocky’s [Hardware] parking lot being the other. And with the bridge being under construction and the limited traffic and the inconvenience, it would be very difficult for the owner the develop the property; as soon as the bridge is done, it will be much more marketable.”

But there are still plenty of other things to talk about, said the mayor, who was just settling into his new job when he last talked with BusinessWest. Not quite a year later, he feels more comfortable in the role and is already talking about the challenges of having to manage a city and run for office every other year (Agawam is one of the few cities in the region that have not moved to four-year terms for their mayors).

“Just two years ago, there were a lot of vacant storefronts. Now, slowly but surely, we’re filling those in. We still have a ways to go, but we’re making good progress.”

“I’m learning every day,” he said. “Being an educator, I know that’s a good thing. I never would profess that I have all the answers; I don’t. But every day, I’m learning something new about municipalities and how they operate; I’m learning every time something new comes up.”

Lately, he’s been learning quite a bit about bridge reconstruction and all the issues involved with it. The same goes for his counterpart in West Springfield, Will Reichelt. The two meet and converse often on the matter on the matter of the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge in an effort to stay ahead of it and attempt to minimize the potential disruption.

As an example, he pointed to the jersey barriers now up on the bridge. They went up just a few weeks ago, but the initial plan was to erect them months ago, when it wasn’t actually necessary to do so.

“The original plan was to put them up in October, but I’ve seen too many construction jobs where they block them with these barriers and then no progress took place for months,” he explained. “So we said, ‘when you’re ready to block it, make sure you’re ready to do the work immediately and don’t waste people’s time and energy blocking it when nothing’s going to happen.’ And they listened.”

While day-to-day traffic will obviously be impacted by the bridge work, attention naturally shifts to those 17 days in September and October that comprise the Big E’s annual run. The two mayors are already in conversations with leadership at the Big E on ways to mitigate the traffic problems, said Sapelli, adding that shuttle buses are one option, and, in the meantime, electronic signs will likely be put out on I-91 and perhaps other highways to encourage Big E visitors to take alternative routes.

Getting Down to Business

As noted earlier, the phrase ‘economic development’ takes many forms, and in Agawam that means everything from zoning reforms to work on roads, sidewalks, and storm drains; from to efforts to raze blighted properties and commence redevelopment to ongoing work to bring new businesses to the city.

And Sapelli said there’s been recorded progress in all these realms and many others.

More than $2 million has been spent on streets and sidewalks — on both preventive maintenance and replacement — and another $900,000 was recently transferred from free cash to continue those efforts this spring, he noted, adding that 11 blighted properties — 10 homes and one business — have been razed, and another three homes are prepped for demolition, with 10 under renovation and more in the queue for receivership.

“This is a very involved process, and it’s takes time to take these properties down,” said Sapelli, adding that these investments in time and energy are well worth it to the neighborhoods involved.

Agawam at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1636
Population: 28,718
Area: 24.2 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $16.65
Commercial Tax Rate: $31.92
Median Household Income: $49,390
Median family Income: $59,088
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: OMG Inc., Agawam Public Schools, Six Flags New England
* Latest information available

As for new businesses, the mayor listed several, including Taplin Yard Pump & Power, now occupying the former Allen Lawnmower property, JJ’s Ice Cream, and several other small businesses.

He noted that considerable progress has been made with filling vacancies in the many strip malls and shopping plazas that populate the city.

“Just two years ago, there were a lot of vacant storefronts,” he told BusinessWest. “Now, slowly but surely, we’re filling those in. We still have a ways to go, but we’re making good progress.”

As examples, he cited what’s considered Agawam Center, a lengthy stretch of Main Street, where several vacancies have been filled, and also the old Food Mart Plaza on Springfield Street, which is now essentially full.

District improvement financing has been key to these efforts, he said, adding that, with this program, taxes generated in a specific area — like Walnut Street and Walnut Street Extension) — from new businesses and higher valuations of existing businesses are put into a designated fund and used to initiate further improvements in that zone.

Many of these new businesses will no doubt be challenged in some ways by the bridge project, which will dissuade some from traveling into that retail area, said Sapelli, before again stressing that he and his administration, working with West Springfield leaders, will endeavor to minimize the impact.

Meanwhile, another avenue of economic development is education and workforce development, said Sapelli, noting that the School Department has been focusing a great deal of energy on non-college-bound students and careers in manufacturing and other trades.

“Superintendent [Steve] Lemanski and his staff are addressing the needs of those who will go on to careers, instead of going on the college,” he said, adding that the School Department is working in conjunction with the West of the River Chamber of Commerce on initiatives to introduce students to career options.

“A recent career day involving high-school and junior-high-school students featured 26 speakers,” he noted, adding that they represented sectors ranging from manufacturing to retail to law enforcement. “They’re doing a wonderful job to promote awareness of what offerings are out there besides just college, and that’s very important today.”

Food for Thought

As this spotlight piece makes clear, there is certainly plenty for those Sapelli is sharing breakfast with to kibitz about these days.

Between taxes, bridges, roads, sidewalks, and new businesses, there is plenty of material to chew on (pun intended).

Overall, there is considerable progress being made — and that includes Morgan-Sullivan Bridge itself — to make the city an attractive landing spot for businesses and a better place to live and work.

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

A-Class Gives Mercedes an Affordable, High-tech Addition to Portfolio

Autos

The ‘Attainability Factor’

Peter Wirth says the new A-Class presents a huge opportunity to showcase the attainability of several Mercedes models.

Since opening its doors roughly 16 months ago, Peter Wirth says, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield has met or exceeded most all of its stated goals and expectations.

Save one, perhaps.

Indeed, if it is lagging in any aspect of its multi-faceted operation, it is in the broad realm of educating customers across its broad service area that a Mercedes is affordable — or ‘attainable,’ the word he and the industry prefer to use.

It’s not from lack of trying, he said, before adding quickly that the company will try even harder, but probably more a function of the fact that there hadn’t been a Mercedes dealership in the 413 area for a full decade before this one opened on the site of the old Schine Inn just off Route 291 in Chicopee.

And this helps explain why residents of this area might not be as enlightened as those in other markets when it comes to the fact that ‘Mercedes’ and ‘affordable’ can co-exist in the same sentence.

“We missed out on all that communication, getting the cars into the marketplace, talking about them, and showing them,” he said of that 10-year hiatus, during which the carmaker greatly expanded and diversified its lineup.

But Mercedes now has an additional arrow in this quiver of attainability and another intriguing talking point, he said, with the introduction of the A-Class, which will begin rolling into showrooms, including the one in Chicopee, next month. It joins the CLA, introduced several years ago, and the GLA model SUV as Mercedes models that start at under $40,000, and Wirth expects it to be a significant addition to the portfolio.

“We feel that this is a unique opportunity for us to educate consumers in this market,” he said. “This is the first big launch of a car that’s going to shape the brand perception since we opened.”

That’s because the A-Class is about more than affordability, he told BusinessWest. It’s also about technology and a leap from traditional luxury to what Mercedes is calling ‘modern luxury,’ meaning features like MBUX.

“We feel that this is a unique opportunity for us to educate consumers in this market. This is the first big launch of a car that’s going to shape the brand perception since we opened.”

That stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience, which the carmaker, and Wirth, tout as the next generation of user-friendly technology. The MBUX user interface allows the driver to use voice commands to control everything from the radio station and the volume level to the temperature in the cabin.

“The system is easy to learn because it actually learns you,” said Wirth, adding that the technology comes to understand the driver’s habits, right down to the preferred radio stations and music. “This is something that will trickle up into the other cars over time, but it’s something we’re phasing in with the new entry point to the brand.”

The A-Class is equipped with MBUX, hailed as the next generation of user-friendly technology.

It was explained — sort of — in a commercial that first aired during the Super Bowl. It wasn’t rated high in any of the ‘best of’ polls, but you might have seen it. A young, professional-looking male starts to see everything he says come to fruition, from an ATM spitting out money after he gives the command ‘make it rain,’ to an opera singer magically transforming into rapper Ludacris when he says ‘change the music.’

The trend continues when he gets behind the wheel of his Mercedes A-Class and voices several commands, including ‘change the color’ — and the dashboard lights do just that — as well as ‘make it cooler,’ and ‘play my music.’ The commercial ends with the ‘voice’ saying ‘if only everything in your life listened to you like your new Mercedes.’

Wirth gave similar commands as he gave a demonstration of the first A-Class to arrive at his dealership. Starting each conversation — because that’s what these are — with ‘hey, Mercedes,’ he proceeded to turn the heat up by merely saying ‘I’m cold,’ receive directions to a downtown Springfield business, and get a rundown on the restaurants within a mile’s radius of the dealership.

Meanwhile, the dashboard instrumentation can be changed electronically to display anything the driver wants, from the odometer and tachometer to things like speed limit and the range the car can go on the amount of gas left in the tank.

SEE: List of Auto Dealers

As for the affordability factor, the A-Class has a base sticker price of $32,000 (which includes a considerable amount of standard equipment, including a sunroof and the user interface), and most will price out at under $40,000.

That’s a number that wouldn’t surprise most people in other markets, who have had a Mercedes dealership to visit through this decade and have become aware of several models that fall into the ‘affordable’ category. But it might still surprise many in this region.

And with that, Wirth revisited another Super Bowl commercial, the one for the CLA model, which debuted at $29,000. It was a spot that turned some heads and put a Mercedes in driveways where one had never been.

“That was a big bang — that was eye-opening for many people,” he said, adding that the CLA, which remains popular, would go on to secure what’s known in the business as a ‘high conquest rate,’ meaning that people were opting out of the cars they were driving and into the new Mercedes model.

This is significant, he said, because, conversely, Mercedes has one of the highest loyalty rates within the industry, meaning that once they own or lease one, the Mercedes customer is very likely to go back for another.

“This is hugely important to us because we feel like we’re establishing a relationship with someone and giving exposure to our brand to people who will ultimately keep on doing business with us going forward,” he said. “They will have kids, they’ll maybe want an SUV at some point, so filling that pipeline with customers is important.”

The company is hoping for a similarly high conquest rate with the A-Class, which can turn heads not just with its styling and price tag, but also the user-friendly technology.

If they’re right, more people will be saying ‘hey, Mercedes,’ before and after they get in the car.

— George O’Brien

Callaway’s Chicopee Plant Doubles Workforce Since 2017

Manufacturing

On a Roll

Between 200,000 and 250,000 golf balls roll out of Callaway’s Chicopee plant every day.

The Callaway golf-ball-manufacturing facility in Chicopee has borrowed a famous page from the Chicago Cubs’ playbook.

When the Cubs win, a white flag with a large blue ‘W’ is flown atop the legendary hand-operated scoreboard in center field. (Of course, if they lose, a blue flag with a white ‘L’ goes up, but that’s another story.)

Back to Callaway. When a member of its team — comprised of players on the various professional tours who play Callaway balls and clubs — posts a win, a flag with a large script ‘C’ (the same one used for the Callaway brand) flies underneath the American flag on the pole outside on the facility on Meadow Street.

“The flag goes up the Monday morning after a win, and it flies until Friday that week,” said Vince Simonds, director of Global Golf Ball Operations for Callaway, adding that it’s been flying quite a bit recently.

Indeed, it was up just last week after the best-known member of the team, Phil Mickelson, prevailed at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele, a rising star on the PGA tour, has won twice over the past several months; Australian Marc Leishman won last fall, as did Spaniard Sergio Garcia; and Belgians Thomas Peters and Thomas Detry won the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf in late November.

Simonds told BusinessWest that the flag is one of many initiatives designed to raise awareness among those inside the plant about how the products they’re making are generating results at the very highest levels — and generating pride within that workforce as well.

“It’s part of something we call the ‘21 Initiative,’ a multi-year evolution to transform and re-engage as we bring on new machinery and new capacity capabilities,” he said, noting that ‘21’ is short for 2021. “We started putting the flag up because we’ve grown so fast that we need to re-engage with our employees and share our success with them.”

But Callaway also wants to bring attention to what’s going on inside the plant, which is on a winning streak itself.

Indeed, as the Callaway brand has risen to number two in overall sales within the golf-ball market behind Titleist, the Chicopee plant has doubled its workforce over just the past 18 months, from roughly 180 to more than 363 (the highest number in more than a decade), and is expected to surpass 400 later this year, making this one of the better manufacturing success stories to be written locally in recent years.

“We’re very bullish on 2019,” said Simonds, adding that this optimism is grounded in the company’s recent surge within the golf-ball market, fueled by the introduction of several new and somewhat groundbreaking products. These include the Tour Soft ball, which has become popular with professionals and amateurs alike. There’s also a version of that ball known as the Truvis, stamped with pentagonal images — and now a host of other options, from shamrocks to butterflies to other custom logos — that give the product a soccer-ball look.

“We started putting the flag up because we’ve grown so fast that we need to re-engage with our employees and share out success with them.”

The ‘win flag’ flies on the pole outside the Callaway plant. It’s been flying quite regularly these days.

“The Truvis has really taken off; sales are very strong, and we’re booking a lot of business on the custom side of things,” said Simonds, adding that the portfolio of products is poised to grow with the addition of the ERC Soft, with those letters short for Ely Reeves Callaway, founder of the company.

Overall, somewhere between 200,000 to 250,000 balls, including the new ERCs, are rolling off the lines at the Chicopee plant each day, a slight increase from a year ago. More importantly, the mix has changed, said Simonds, noting that, while the plant supplemented its capacity with non-tour, lower-end products in the past, it no longer does that due to demand for the higher-end balls.

And as those numbers continue to increase, so too does the number of people clocking in at a plant that now runs 24/7.

These workers cover a broad spectrum, said Simonds, from engineers who have brought the new products to the assembly line to those on the shop floor to those in working in the warehouse.

Findng and retaining talent has become an issue, as it has for just about every manufacturer in the region, said Simonds, adding that the company is working with Springfield Technical Community College and area vocational high schools to create an adequate pipeline of workers.

For this issue and its focus on manufacturing, BusinessWest returns to the Callaway plant and a company that has been, as they in this sport, flag hunting, and has had a great deal of luck in those endeavors.

Core Products

As he offered BusinessWest a quick tour of the Callaway plant and showed off the latest of the new Truvis machines to be added over the past two years, Simonds introduced Les McCray, who’s been working at the Chicopee facility since Gerald Ford was in the White House.

“We try to find people who have the education and technical background, obviously, but also a passion for the game of golf.”

There are still a number of employees with considerable longevity still working at this sprawling plant, but a growing number have been there for months, not years. And while employment has spiked in recent months, it’s been trending upward for several years now, said Simonds.

There have been several milestones along the way that have brought us to this moment, including the introduction of the Chrome Soft, which dramatically altered the trajectory of Callaway’s ball division, and the emergence of the Truvis, which has added a new dimension — metaphorically if not quite literally — to golf-ball design.

Vince Simonds, left, with Les McCray, who’s been working at the Callaway plant for more than 40 years.

“There is a functional aspect to this,” he said in reference to the alignment of the pentagons or logos and how it helps people improve their chipping and putting. “But mostly, it’s just a fun and unique way to mark a golf ball. The feedback we get from consumers is that they enjoy it because they can instantly recognize their ball in the foursome.”

The ERC Soft has something approaching that same quality because of a feature called Triple Track Technology — three lines engraved on the ball to help with putting alignment (Mickelson was using a dfferent Callaway ball with the same technology when he won at Pebble Beach). That’s just one innovative aspect to this latest addition to the portfolio, said Simonds, adding that this long but soft ball has a new ‘hybrid’ cover and graphene core and is designed for players with less than tour-level swing speeds.

It’s the latest in a string of advances and new products that have led to a surge in market share, said Simonds, adding that, according to Golf Datatech, which measures sales in pro shops and related outlets, Callaway has a 16% share of the market compared to 7% in 2012. But National Golf Foundation data, which also includes sales at large retail outlets like Dick’s Sporting Goods, gives Callaway a 23% market share based on dollar amount sold.

The Callaway Plant in Chicopee is engaged in what it’s calling the ’21 Initiative,’ (short for 2021) a multi-year process of evolution and transformation as it brings on new machinery and scores of new employees.

This growth has led to more ‘C’ flag-raising ceremonies outside the Callaway plant, and more people working inside it, said Simonds, adding that the company has been adding employees on a regular basis over the past few years.

That’s due in part to a leveling off of production, meaning it’s more steady throughout the year as opposed to being more seasonal as it was years ago, geared toward peak sales at Christmas and especially Father’s Day.

“Our real production season is September to June, with maintenance in July, and then we begin to ramp up for new products in August and begin manufacturing in September and October,” he said. “We support the globe around here.”

And, as he noted, the new arrivals to the plant cross a broad spectrum, from process engineers who design the breakthroughs to skilled, unskilled, and semi-skilled positions on the plant floor. Finding them is, indeed, challenging, said Simonds, adding that, with the engineers and management personnel, the company recruits from where it can.

“We try to find people who have the education and technical background, obviously, but also a passion for the game of golf,” he explained, adding that the last ingredient is a key part of the mix. “We have an R&D team in Carlsbad, California that we work very closely with, but the scale-up and commercialization happens here; we have a team of 12 process engineers and technicians that work hard every day designing systems to make golf balls so people can play better golf. That’s not a bad way to make a living.”

“There is a functional aspect to this. But mostly, it’s just a fun and unique way to mark a golf ball. The feedback we get from consumers is that they enjoy it because they can instantly recognize their ball in the foursome.”

With machinists, Callaway, like most other manufacturers in the region, must compete for a limited number of qualified workers while also dealing with the retirement of Baby Boomers.

“We’re continuing to have dialogue with STCC, and we’re working closely with the trade schools in the area,” he said. “We’ve gotten some really good young people out of Putnam [Vocational-Technical High School] in Springfield — it’s been a really good pipleline for us. But they’re young, and they need training and development, so we’re doing that.”

With so many people coming in recent months, Simonds and his team are grinding, as they say in golf, to keep the growing workforce focused on the mission and the basic tenets, such as safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

“We’ve brought so many people on so fast that the connection with the employee is super important,” he said, referring to the broad 21 Initiative. “So we’re doubling down on our efforts in that regard.”

Banner Year

As noted, the Callaway flag flying after wins on the pro tours is a page taken from the Chicago Cubs’ script.

But in just about every other way, the story being written on Meadow Street in Chicopee is an original. The plot lines are engaging — new products and advances with intriguing names, like Triple Track Technology. And there are a host of stars, from Xander Schauffele and Phil Mickelson to Les McCray.

No one’s quite sure how this story will end, but right now, Callaway and its Chicopee plant are both on a roll, and, like the players on tour who have promoted the flag to fly, they’re winning big.

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

Paid Family and Medical Leave Will Soon Be a Reality

By Columnist February 19, 2019

Employment

Ready or Not…

By Timothy M. Netkovick, Esq. and Daniel C. Carr, Esq.

Paid Family and Medical Leave is on the way in Massachusetts.

In order to implement the new program, the newly created Department of Family and Medical Leave has released drafts of the regulations that will govern this new type of leave. Public listening sessions are now being held to allow members of the public to provide input on the draft regulations.

Timothy M. Netkovick

Daniel C. Carr

Although there will undoubtedly be changes to the current draft before they are officially adopted, Massachusetts employers should be aware of the draft regulations so they can start planning for the implementation of Paid Family and Medical Leave now.

All employers will be covered by the new Massachusetts law. Although there are some similarities between the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the new Massachusetts law, some provisions of the new Paid Family and Medical Leave will require all employers to modify elements of their current practices. For example, if your company already qualifies for federal FMLA, it will also qualify for Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave.

However, you should not assume that your company will automatically be in compliance with the new law just because you already have policies and practices in place to comply with the federal FMLA. You will need to review your policies now because employers required to make contributions must begin doing so on July 1, 2019.

On Jan. 1, 2021, all employees in the Commonwealth will be eligible for Paid Family and Medical Leave. Paid leave will be funded by employee payroll contributions and required contributions from companies with an average of 25 or more employees.

If you are a seasonal business with a fluctuating workforce, how do you know if your company has an average of 25 employees for purposes of this law? The current draft regulations make it clear that the average number of employees is determined by counting the number of full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees on the payroll during each pay period and then dividing by the number of pay periods. If the resulting average is 25 or greater, your company will need to pay into the Family and Employment Security Trust.

“Although there will undoubtedly be changes to the current draft before they are officially adopted, Massachusetts employers should be aware of the draft regulations so they can start planning for the implementation of Paid Family and Medical Leave now.”

In one major variation from federal FMLA, Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave will be administered by the state, unless an employer applies for an exemption to use a ‘private plan’ to administer the leave themselves or through a third-party vendor. If an employer wants to utilize a private plan, the employer will need to apply, and be granted the exemption, annually.

At this point, the only requirement for a private plan is that it must provide for the same or greater benefits than the employee would have if the program was being administered by the state. The required logistics of implementing a private plan are unclear. The logistics of implementing a private plan will likely be addressed in the final regulations and advisory opinions as the 2021 start date draws closer.

In addition to paid leave, there are also several other major variations from federal FMLA law. One major variation is the amount of leave available to employees. While federal FMLA allows for a total of 12 total weeks of job-protected leave during a 12-month period regardless of the qualifying reason, the Massachusetts law differentiates between types of leave.

For instance, under the Massachusetts law, employees are allowed up to 20 weeks for an employee’s own serious health condition; up to 12 weeks to care for a family member’s serious health condition; up to 12 weeks for the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child; and up to 26 weeks in order to care for a family member who is a covered service member. While an employee is out on leave, the amount of their benefit is based upon the employee’s individual rate of pay, but with a cap of 64% of the state average weekly wage. This cap will initially be $850 per week.

Employers will need to begin assessing their responsibilities under this program as well as the steps necessary to comply with these requirements. Employers that are required to make contributions to the Family and Employment Security Trust will want to start the process of deciding whether they intend to utilize a private plan, and if so, they should consult with employment counsel as they prepare their plan to insure compliance with the unique provisions of the new Massachusetts law.

Paid Family and Medical Leave will continue to be a hot-button topic for the foreseeable future. It is important for employers to continually monitor the progress of the law as it is being implemented to ensure they will be ready to continue business with minimal disruption on Jan. 1, 2021.

Timothy M. Netkovick, an attorney at Royal, P.C., has more than 15 years of litigation experience, and has successfully tried several cases to verdict. In addition to his trial experience, he has specific experience in handling labor and employment matters before a variety of administrative agencies. He also assists employers with unionized workforces during collective bargaining, at arbitrations, and with respect to employee grievances and unfair labor practice charges; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

Daniel C. Carr specializes exclusively in management-side labor and employment law at Royal P.C. He has experience handling a number of labor and employment matters in a variety of courts and administrative agencies. He is also a frequent speaker on a number of legal areas such as discrimination law, employee handbook review, investigation strategies, and various employment-law topics; (413) 586-2288; [email protected]

Historic Deerfield Strives to Make the Region’s History Relevant

Franklin County

Connecting Past and Present

Philip Zea says Historic Deerfield paints an often-surprising picture of a large swath of the region’s cultural history.

It’s a grand reopening more than 200 years in the making.

Specifically, it’s a house in Deerfield, built in 1795, that operated as a tavern for roughly a decade.

“We know a lot about it, and because most Americans today travel, we thought it would be great to show the public how people back then lived, not when they were at home, but when they were out and about,” said Philip Zea, president of Historic Deerfield, the living-history museum that comprises more than 50 buildings on or near sleepy Old Main Street.

“Believe it or not, our tranquil street here, north and south, back in the day, was the equivalent of Interstate 91,” Zea went on, adding that Old Albany Road connected with the 18th-century equivalent of the Mass Pike, making Deerfield a sort of crossroads of New England, frequented not only by locals, but by travelers.

Refurbishing that tavern — it will open later this year — is the latest capital project undertaken at Historic Deerfield to expand the scope of the history the museum aims to convey across its 110 acres, he told BusinessWest. “We want to tell that story, what the country was like when it was on the move — not today, but in the 1790s and a little bit later.”

Upstairs from the tavern is a big assembly room that quickly became the largest public space in town, so the tavern keeper drew income from renting that space, for court proceedings, auctions, and balls. Deerfield Academy was founded in that room in 1797.

Zea can share countless historical details like that one in this complex that includes 28 houses built in the 1700s and another 14 that predate 1850. “The skyline is intact, if you will.”

“When people feel the need to know more about the past, we need to be more inventive about how we share it.”

So is business at Historic Deerfield, which opened to the public 71 years ago and has continued to evolve its programs and exhibitions to keep visitors returning and, crucially, keep attracting new generations at a time when it’s not always easy to turn young people on to history.

Knock, Knock

That ‘71 years’ may be an official statistic, as Historic Deerfield was indeed begun in 1947, and its first museum house, the Ashley House (built in 1733), opened its doors to visitors in 1948.

Yet, the street was a sort of unofficial museum well before that. The local library has correspondence, from the 1830s, from two Mount Holyoke College students who wanted to head north and visit Deerfield’s houses, which even then were old. One homeowner charged them a dime to come in and see the house. “That’s the business of history,” Zea laughed.

And it’s often significant history, he went on. During the early Colonial wars, Deerfield was the northwestern point of English settlements in the region, so while people lived and farmed there, it was also a military outpost. Around the time of the American Revolution, the town was an organizational point for troops moving north and west. The week before Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen took Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, Arnold was in Deerfield, buying beef for the army. “That’s real history,” Zea said. “It happened right here.”

For decades, families, school groups, and others have trekked to Deerfield for both its palpable history and its reflection of a quintessential new England village, Zea said. “If someone visits New England, they might go to Fenway Park, or get a lobster in Maine, but if they want a feel for what it was really like long ago, they’ll come here.”

That’s true of Old Sturbridge Village as well, but he doesn’t believe Historic Deerfield is really in competition with that complex, because often visitors want to check out both sites. We’re quite different. They’re interpreting 1830s New England life; it’s all about process and how people made their livings. Rather than focusing on a specific time, we’re one-stop shopping if you want to look at history from the 1770s, or even earlier, to today. If you want to be in a place and feel the expanse of history, this is the place you want to come.”

To keep visitors returning, the museum — which boasts 61 full-time and 115 part-time employees — needs to make it relevant, and that’s not always easy.

“The apex of this kind of museum in America was back around the Bicentennial. That’s when the biggest crowds went to places like this. That was about patriotism, about the roots of the country, the roots of American democracy,” he explained.

“That’s still important,” he went on, “but when people feel the need to know more about the past, we need to be more inventive about how we share it. It’s not always political history; it’s not always military history. What we do here is more about the history of culture in the Connecticut River Valley and the roots of small-town America in a place like Deerfield.”

Even the colors of the houses tell a story. Today, paint colors cost pretty much the same, but back in the 1700s, blue pigment was derived from cobalt, which was expensive. “So, if you could paint your whole house blue, it was like parking a fancy car in the driveway.”

Maintaining the condition of the museum houses and other structures — and expanding the activities within them — accounts for some of Historic Deerfield’s $7.7 million annual budget, bolstered partly by a $49 million endowment and the 1,317-member Friends of Historic Deerfield, which supports the museum through annual gifts from individual and corporate donors.

“We’re finding ways to move forward on the programmatic front, as well as historic preservation,” Zea noted. “One of our problems is, we’ve got a pretty good-sized physical plant, a lot of which is old, by the nature of the place, so historic preservation is important for us; it’s part of our mission and part of our responsibility that requires a fair amount of cash to keep going.”

The other key is to expand the audience because, obviously, the more people who come, the better — both for the museum and the region at large.

“Deerfield’s a little different from other museums in that, while we charge admission to our buildings, it’s a gateless museum. You can come to Old Deerfield, walk around, have a great time, and I don’t get into your wallet,” said Zea, who used to work at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, which operates under a similar structure on a larger scale. “But visitors, even visitors we really can’t count, are important not only to us, but to the regional economy, because we draw a lot of people to Franklin County.”

Lens to History

To keep drawing them, Historic Deerfield continues to expand both its programs and the physical space in which to present them. In the latter case, the organization recently purchased the home of 19th-century artist James Wells, built during the 1760s and known as Elmstead, to expand public programming and storage.

As for those programs, one ongoing lecture series, “Native Voices: Rediscovering American Histories,” which began with a well-attended event in January and continuing on Feb. 24 and March 24, aims to reframe the experience and perspectives of indigenous peoples into broader American narratives.

Then, on April 13 — the day that kicks off daily operations after the weekends-only winter schedule — Historic Deerfield will host its annual Patriots’ Day festivities, featuring a military re-enactment group from Connecticut and discussions about the impact of the Revolution on the people of Deerfield.

All of it, said Laurie Nivison, the museum’s director of Marketing, is intended to make history relevant to those who want to learn about it.

“With today’s audience, it’s telling the story and encouraging people to think about how it relates to their life and how their life might connect to one of the families who lived in the houses here,” she told BusinessWest. “When we bring people to come [give presentations] here, we want them to make that connection as well.”

Those connections can be powerful, Zea said, and visitors interact with the history in different ways. “Part of what a place like this peddles is nostalgia — what was it like then, or imagining how they did this and that. So, a big part of our constituency doesn’t want anything to change because that’s the nature of nostalgia.

“But then, there’s an equal part of our constituency that wants to learn more, learn different things, look at Deerfield in different ways,” he went on. “And there are so many ways to do that here because, while Historic Deerfield is a great institution, Old Deerfield is a great place in history. And we’re a sort of lens to that.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

A Summary of Employment-law Highlights in 2018

By Columnist February 19, 2019

Employment

Checking the Rearview

By Erica E. Flores, Esq. and John S. Gannon, Esq.

Erica E. Flores

John S. Gannon

The world of labor and employment law is constantly in flux. As attorneys who practice in this area, our business is to learn and help our clients solve problems in this increasingly complex environment.

So when we reflect on the past year, we ask ourselves how the law has changed for our clients, what new challenges were introduced, and what new guidance we can offer to help businesses navigate these ever-changing waters.

With that in mind, we bring you a summary of last year’s most significant employment-law changes for Massachusetts employers.

Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program

If there is one takeaway from 2018, it is that Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) will be a game changer for businesses across the Commonwealth. The new program, which will require tax contributions from employers starting in July 2019, will allow employees to take considerable paid time off — up to 26 weeks per year in the aggregate — in connection with their own medical condition or to care for family members who are suffering from a serious health condition.

Paid family leave is also available to bond with an employee’s newborn or newly adopted child. Employees can begin claiming PFML benefits in January 2021. Employees will be able to collect weekly wage replacement benefits that will vary depending on their average weekly wage. The maximum weekly benefit amount is currently capped at $850 per week, but will be adjusted annually.

“A lot has changed for employers over the past year. Business should be reviewing their practices, policies, and employment-related documents now to be sure they are in compliance with these new laws and regulations.”

Businesses will face substantial new burdens under the new law. In addition to planning for more frequent employee absences, businesses are required to fund the program through a new payroll tax. Employers will have the option to pass a portion of this tax contribution to employees, and smaller employers (fewer than 25 employees) are not responsible for contributing the employer’s share of the tax. A visual breakdown of how the tax will work can be found at www.mass.gov/info-details/family-and-medical-leave-contribution-rates-for-employers. We suspect that this program will be most burdensome for small businesses, which are not well-equipped for extended employee absences.

For those wondering where this significant new legislation came from, the genesis was a bill known as the grand bargain that was passed by the Massachusetts Legislature in June 2018. The bill not only creates the Paid Family and Medical Leave program, but also increases the minimum wage every year for the next five years, gradually eliminates mandatory overtime for retail employees who work on Sundays, and establishes an annual sales-tax holiday weekend.

Non-compete Reform

Also this year, the Massachusetts Legislature passed comprehensive non-compete reform. The law substantially narrows the circumstances under which employers can enter into non-competition agreements with employees, limits all such agreements to a maximum term of one year, and requires that non-competition agreements entered into with existing employees be supported by consideration beyond continued employment. The law also mandates that courts apply certain presumptions that have the effect of narrowing the scope of services and geographic territories employers can seek to protect with a non-compete.

Pay Equity Becomes Law

The amended Massachusetts Pay Equity Law took effect this past July, imposing significant responsibilities on businesses to ensure equal pay to employees of different genders for “comparable” work. And the first lawsuit alleging violations of the amended law was filed just a few days later.

Most importantly, the amended statute provides a broader definition of “comparable work” and limits the acceptable reasons for paying people of different genders differently to just six — bona fide seniority, merit and productivity systems, geographic location, job-related education, training and experience, and required travel. It also prohibits employers from seeking information regarding the salary history of job applicants. Employers hoping to reduce their risk of liability under the pay-equity law can earn the protection of a statutory affirmative defense if they complete a “good faith” self-evaluation of their pay practices, but they must demonstrate “reasonable progress” toward eliminating any wage differentials in order to avoid liability completely, and the defense is only good for three years.

Pregnancy and Related Conditions Are Now Protected Classes

In April 2018, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act became law in Massachusetts. In addition to adding pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy (including lactation) as protected classes under the state’s anti-discrimination law, the statute also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s pregnancy or conditions related to pregnancy unless doing so would pose an undue hardship to the business; prohibits employers from taking adverse action against or refusing to hire someone because she needs, requests, or uses such an accommodation; and prohibits employers from requesting documentation to support certain types of accommodations — specifically, more frequent breaks, seating, lifting restrictions, and a private, non-bathroom space to express breast milk.

As you can see, a lot has changed for employers over the past year. Business should be reviewing their practices, policies, and employment-related documents now to be sure they are in compliance with these new laws and regulations.

John S. Gannon and Erica E. Flores are attorneys with Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., one of the largest law firms in New England exclusively practicing labor and employment law. Gannon specializes in employment litigation and personnel policies and practices, wage-and-hour compliance, and non-compete and trade-secrets litigation. Flores devotes much of her practice to defending employers in state and federal courts and administrative agencies. She also regularly assists her clients with day-to-day employment issues, including disciplinary matters, leave management, and compliance.

Commercial Real Estate

Listing of available Commercial Real Estate

Commercial Real Estate

For Sale, for Lease

Creating Incentives to Move to the 413

By Editorial February 19, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

On the surface, state Sen. Eric Lesser’s proposal to essentially pay remote workers and teleworkers to relocate to Western Mass. seems like an act of desperation.

And in many ways, it is. For decades now, this region has been touting (if not actively marketing) its many assets, including quality of life and affordable housing, and yet the area remains that proverbial best-kept secret.

Meanwhile, many young people, seeing few intriguing job opportunities developing in the 413, are opting for other area codes, especially those in the Boston area, where they’re finding jobs, but also a sky-high cost of living.

So why not incentivize people to do what Horace Greeley first suggested Americans do a century and a half ago — go west?

Lesser’s proposal is to create a $1 million pilot program that would provide up to $10,000 for people to move to this region, buy equipment for a home office, or rent co-working space. He has told media outlets he was inspired by the story of Boon and Caro Sheridan, who decided that, instead of trying to slug it out in Boston’s challenging rental market, they would relocate to Holyoke and eventually buy a converted church.

So why not incentivize people to do what Horace Greeley first suggested Americans do a century and a half ago — go west?

It’s a nice story, and one that can, indeed, be duplicated. And Lesser’s proposal might help, although, in this day and age, $10,000 isn’t enough to cover any of those three costs listed above, and that figure isn’t likely to turn anyone’s head. Triple it, or make it $50,000, and maybe we’d have something. Maybe.

But the actual dollar amount attached to this program is only part of the story. Lesser is right in his argument that if cities and regions can incentivize companies to move in — GE is a good example — and individual companies can incentivize individuals to work for them (happens all the time), why can’t we incentivize people to move to a region?

We can, but we have to offer them a lot more than covering their moving costs. Indeed, the best incentive to getting people to come to a region — or stay in one, as the case may be — isn’t a check from the state. It’s a much larger check from an employer.

And this is a much more complicated proposition.

While some companies have ‘found’ Western Mass. over the past several decades, most haven’t really bothered to look, opting to locate where they know the workers are — the Route 128 beltway, for example.

What’s needed are incentives for corporations — not merely the likes of Boon and Caro Sheridan — to want to move here. And as we said, that’s a much tougher assignment.

We applaud Sen. Lesser for thinking outside the box and creating a discussion that we need to have. His proposal is worth trying, and it just might incentivize some software designers and other creative professionals who can work at home to make their home here.

But with this proposal, as well as his work to build a high-speed rail line that would link Boston with the western part of the state, Lesser is focused on making this area a better place to live. That’s fine, but what we really need to do is make this more of a place to work, and not just remotely in a home office carved out of an old church or an old paper mill.

Lesser is right when he says incentives work and money spent luring large corporations might better be spent trying to bring people to the four counties west of Worcester.

But if we really want to change the landscape in Western Mass. and stem the tide of outmigration, the only solution is to create more quality job opportunities. Tens of thousands of them.

Healthcare Costs a Continuing Concern

By Editorial February 19, 2019

Opinion

By Katie Holahan

Healthcare spending in Massachusetts grew less than a key state benchmark and less than the national average during 2017, but employers and workers are not yet seeing the benefits.

The annual Healthcare Cost Trends Report issued this month by the state Health Policy Commission (HPC) indicates that total per-capita healthcare expenditures in Massachusetts rose 1.6% during 2016, significantly less than the 3.6% benchmark set by the commission. The Massachusetts growth rate also fell below the national rate — 3.1% — for the eighth consecutive year.

But the health-insurance premiums paid by Massachusetts employers and employees increased 5.8% in 2017, leaving the average total premium for employer-based coverage among the highest in the country at $21,000 per year for a family plan and $7,000 for a single employee. These figures do not include out-of-pocket spending such as co-payments and deductible spending, which grew 5.9% in 2017 for commercially insured enrollees.

Premiums for smaller employers increased 6.9% and are now the second-highest in the country, according to the HPC. Fifty-seven percent of employees in small businesses are enrolled in high-deductible health plans.

Part of the reason employers are not seeing more benefit from moderating health spending may be the fact that commercial insurers in Massachusetts pay higher prices to providers than Medicare pays for the same services. For hospital inpatient care, average prices among the three largest Massachusetts insurers were 57% higher than Medicare prices for similar patients. Commercial insurers also paid much more for typical outpatient services, including brain MRIs, emergency-department visits, and physician office visits.

Premiums for smaller employers increased 6.9% and are now the second-highest in the country, according to the HPC. Fifty-seven percent of employees in small businesses are enrolled in high-deductible health plans.

The HPC attributed much of the overall increase health-care expenditures to spending on prescription drugs (4.1%) and hospital outpatient services (4.9%). The commission also found that medical bills can vary as much as 30% from one hospital or medical group to another with no measurable different in quality of care.

The HPC makes 11 policy recommendations to continue health spending moderation. Among the highlights:

• The Commonwealth should focus on reducing unnecessary utilization and increasing the provision of coordinated care in high-value, low-cost settings.

• Policymakers should advance specific, data-driven interventions to address the pressing issue of continued provider price variation in the coming year.

• The Commonwealth should continue to promote the increased adoption of alternative payment methods.

• The Commonwealth should authorize the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to establish a process that allows for a rigorous review of certain high-cost drugs, increasing the ability of MassHealth to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers for additional supplemental rebates and outcomes-based contracts, and increasing public transparency and public oversight for pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical-device companies, and pharmacy benefit managers.

Katie Holahan is vice president of Government Affairs for Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

Picture This

Picture This

Business Community Photo Essay February 2019

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

Family Fun Day

Link to Libraries recently staged its Family Fun Day at Mill 180 in Easthampton. The event was a celebration of reading and a fun way to engage children of all ages in that all-important activity.

Link to Libraries board member Tammy Trudeau welcomes guests

Longmeadow High School Key Club volunteers, from left, Emily Ibrahimov, Meghan Desrosiers, Sara Creapo, Kate Gelinas, Shirley Yuan, Abby Chiz, Olivia Anderson, and Miranda Vellenga

Author Megan Dowd Lambert, from Amherst, reads aloud to children

Meghan Desrosiers with two attendees

the children’s musical group Little Roots performs at the event

State of Entrepreneurship

On Feb. 7, Valley Venture Mentors (VVM), in partnership with the Western Mass. Economic Development Council’s Entrepreneurship Committee, presented the annual “State of Entrepreneurship in the Valley.” Staged at the recently opened Valley Venture Hub on Bridge Street in Springfield, the event brought together a host of players that collectively comprise the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and featured a number of entrepreneurs speaking to the effectiveness of the ecosystem in helping them turn ideas into businesses.

A host of area leaders involved with VVM, the ecosystem, and entrepreneurship in general cut the ceremonial ribbon on the Valley Venture Hub

Gregory Thomas, executive director of the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship at UMass Amherst, networks with Ray Berry, founder of White Lion Brewery

Kristen Leutz, CEO of VVM, offers some remarks

Roy Chan, a student at UMass, campus director of the Hult Prize, and past Innovation Challenge participant

Sheila Coon, founder of Hot Oven Cookies, tell the audience how the ecosystem has helped promote entrepreneurship in the region

The band Turgeon Quintet entertains after the formal program

Court Dockets

Court Dockets

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.

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT
Sharon Paice v. Hannaford Food and Drug
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $8,512.43
Filed: 12/4/18

New England Meetinghouse Design Inc. v. Saloomey Construction Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract: $37,820.63
Filed: 12/5/18

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT
American Builders & Contractors Supply Co. Inc. v. Alberto Salutari and Italian Roof Co. Inc.
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $5,963.08
Filed: 1/4/19

E. Osterman Propane Inc. v. Puerto Rican Flavors Inc. and Dakota Cotton Smith a/k/a Dakota Lamont Cotton-Smith
Allegation: Money owed for services provided: $3,200.26
Filed: 1/7/19

Beacon Sales Acquisition Inc. d/b/a Beacon Sales Co. v. JTJ Construction, LLC and Jared Thomas James a/k/a Jared James
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $27,330.35
Filed: 1/8/19

Beacon Sales Acquisition Inc. d/b/a Beacon Sales Co. v. Mr. Iceman Co., LLC and Robert Pierce
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $8,279.01
Filed: 1/10/19

Beacon Sales Acquisition Inc. d/b/a Beacon Sales Co. v. Albert C. Couillard d/b/a Evergreen Real Estate Trust
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $10,663.02
Filed: 1/11/19

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Todd Taupier v. Davol Inc., a Bard Company
Allegation: Products liability: $81,146.86+
Filed: 1/3/19

Evelyn Figueora v. Virato M. Fiallo, M.D., Maureen Pendergast Fuller, and Mercy Hospital Inc. d/b/a Mercy Medical Center and the Mercy Wound Care Center
Allegation: Medical malpractice: $770,656
Filed: 1/7/19

David Earl Leonard v. Loan USA
Allegation: Theft: $15,000,000
Filed: 1/11/19

Elaine Carlson v. CVS Pharmacy Inc. and CFCDS-16, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $86,000+
Filed: 1/14/19

Robert K. Johnson, Patricia Guerin, and Sheila Noe v. Baystate Noble Hospital Corp.
Allegation: Medical malpractice
Filed: 1/16/19

Weslee Sicard v. Friendly’s Restaurants, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing personal injury: $210,246.70
Filed: 1/22/19

Andrew Finn v. Troy Industries Inc. and Stephen P. Troy Jr.
Allegation: Failure to pay wages owed, breach of contract, misrepresentation, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing: $85,384.61
Filed: 1/25/19

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Connecticut Winpump Co. v. John Paul Rodier d/b/a Rodier Irrigation & Landscape Lighting
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $6,284.94
Filed: 1/11/19

Gilbert & Son Insulation Inc. v. Bernard F. Berard d/b/a Jerico Builders
Allegation: Money owed for labor and materials: $8,833.83
Filed: 1/16/19

Agenda

Agenda

Real-estate Sales Licensing Course

Feb. 20 to March 25: The Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley will sponsor a 40-hour, 14-class sales licensing course to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts real-estate salesperson license exam. Tuition costs $400 and includes the book and materials. The course curriculum includes property rights, ownership, condos, land use, contracts, deeds, financing, mortgages, real-estate brokerage, appraisal, fair housing, consumer protection, Massachusetts license law, and more. Classes meet Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. at the association office, 221 Industry Ave., Springfield. For an application, contact Joanne Leblond at (413) 785-1328 or [email protected] or visit www.rapv.com.

‘Living Contemplatively in a Busy World’

March 3: Elms College will host a day of reflection titled “Living Contemplatively in a Busy World” on Sunday, March 3 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Decice Hall at the Marian Center, 1365 Northampton St., Holyoke. “This day of reflections, personal exploration, and prayer invites you to respond, from the busy-ness of your days, to God’s desire for deeper life with you,” said Virginia Collins-English, a certified spiritual director, retreat director, writer, and psychotherapist who will lead the day of reflection. All are welcome, including those who are ‘spiritual but not religious,’ those who feel marginalized by the church, and those of all faiths. Attendees should bring a bag lunch. Beverages and dessert will be provided. Sponsored by the Religious Studies Department and the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies, this event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, call (413) 265-2575 or e-mail [email protected].

Outlook Luncheon

March 4: Margaret Carlson, columnist for the Daily Beast, will be the keynote speaker at the Springfield Regional Chamber’s annual Outlook luncheon, to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm. at the MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. Presented by Health New England, the Springfield Regional Chamber Outlook is the area’s largest legislative event, attracting more than 700 guests and presenting expert speakers on local, state, and federal issues. The event is sponsored by platinum sponsors Eastern States Exposition, Eversource, MassMutual Financial Group, and United Personnel; and gold sponsors Bulkley Richardson and Berkshire Bank. Program/reception sponsors are Comcast, Mercy Medical Center, BusinessWest, the Healthcare News, and the Republican, with Zasco Productions as sound sponsor. Carlson was formerly chief political columnist for Bloomberg News and White House correspondent for Time. She appeared on CNN’s Capital Gang for 15 years. Speaking about the federal outlook will be U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, whose new role is chair of the powerful, tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. He will provide his insights into the committee’s work, the 116th Congress, and front-burner issues facing the American people. In addition, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy will offer the state outlook. Tickets cost $60 for Springfield Regional Chamber members and $80 for general admission. Reserved tables of 10 are available. Reservations must be made by Wednesday, Feb. 20 by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or e-mailing [email protected]. No walk-ins will be accepted, and no cancellations will be accepted once the reservation deadline has passed.

Difference Makers

March 28: BusinessWest launched its Difference Makers program in 2009 to celebrate individuals, groups, organizations, and families that are positively impacting the Pioneer Valley and are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. The class of 2019 was profiled in the Feb. 4 issue and will be feted at the Difference Makers Gala on March 28 at 5 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Tickets are on sale now for $75. To reserve a spot, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected]. The presenting sponsor is Baystate Health/Health New England, and other event sponsors include Royal, P.C., Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C., Development Associates, Tommy Car Auto Group, and Viability Inc.

Women’s Leadership Conference

March 29: In celebration of women everywhere knocking down doors and breaking through glass ceilings, Bay Path University will host its 24th annual Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. This one-day event, which has become the region’s prime women’s leadership event for professional networking and enrichment, will challenge women seeking to make career or life changes to look at the power within to make their dreams a reality, and to dare to ask “why not me?” instead of “why me?” Delivering the keynote address will be award-winning actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno, one of only four women who have achieved the EGOT, the grand slam of entertainment-industry awards, by winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Throughout her 70-year career, Moreno has had memorable roles in the musical films The King and I and West Side Story, and in 2004 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor. Mel Robbins, a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, life strategist, internationally recognized social-media influencer, and one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the world, will deliver the conference’s luncheon keynote. She is the CEO and co-founder of the Confidence Project, a media and digital learning company working with Fortune 500 brands to help employees build habits of confidence and courage. The conference’s opening keynote speaker will be announced soon. In addition to the three keynote speakers, breakout sessions focused on reimagining the narrative around women in leadership will be led by Cy Wakeman, drama researcher, global thought leader, New York Times best-selling author, and president and founder of Reality-Based Leadership; Kim Meninger, certified executive and leadership development coach and president and founder of Executive Career Success; Dr. Kristina Hallet, board-certified clinical psychologist, and associate professor of Psychology at Bay Path, executive coach, and best-selling author; and Kim Lear, founder of Inlay Insights, storyteller, writer, and researcher. For further information on the conference and to register, visit www.baypathconference.com.

Springfield Art Stop

April 26: The Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP) announced the return of Art Stop, a pop-up gallery/street festival hybrid, from 5 to 8 p.m. The SCP is partnering with venues downtown to open galleries in unexpected spaces simultaneously. Additionally, several existing Springfield art galleries along this year’s route will also participate as stops along the Art Stop. Between the galleries, which will have the typical artist talks and receptions, there will be street performances. Art Stop was designed to activate underutilized community spaces with colorful art, create economic opportunity for artists, and bring communities together. Galleries will all be located in downtown Springfield. Each individual gallery opening will have an reception with the artist on site to both sell and talk about their work. This year, the SCP has also partnered with several downtown restaurants that will offer a discount on food to Art Stop attendees who present their Art Stop ‘passport’ on April 26. The SCP, along with organizing the curation of art in the pop-up spaces, is hiring unique buskers to encourage attendees to walk from place to place. Guides will be strategically placed to guide attendees along the Art Stop route. The performers will showcase an array of dance, music, and entertainment. All locations are within a walkable area.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

www.easthamptonchamber.org

Chamber Corners

1BERKSHIRE

www.1berkshire.com

(413) 499-1600

• Feb. 26: 1Berkshire Entrepreneurial Meetup. Looking to start up a business? Grow your network? Meet others with similar business interests? 1Berkshire is a countywide organization with an innovative approach to economic development. Get to know fellow entrepreneurs and business owners, rub elbows with local leaders, and share success stories at the monthly free Entrepreneurial Meetups. Free of charge. Register at www.meetup.com/1berkshire-alliance.

• Feb. 28: 1Berkshire February Chamber Nite, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Barrington Stage Co. Wolfson Center, 122 North St., Pittsfield. Join us for the February Chamber Nite in partnership with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. Members of either organization get in for free. Stick around after the event for discounted tickets to the 10×10 play festival. Register at www.1berkshire.com.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

• Feb. 22: Monthly Breakfast Series, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Greenfield Community College Cohn Family Dining Commons, One College Drive, Greenfield. Full breakfast will be served during the program, which will feature a panel on the ways businesses and secondary schools can benefit from each other and help the community. Sponsored by Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board. Register at franklincc.org or e-mail [email protected].

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• Feb. 22: Lights On Arts & Culture, 5-8 p.m., hosted by select downtown Chicopee businesses. Explore local art, meet the people, visit the places, and learn about the events that help to shape our city’s culture. Sponsored by the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, the Chicopee Cultural Council, and TDI Partner. Cost is free, but donations are welcome. Check out more information online at chicopeechamber.org/events or call (413) 594-2101.

• March 5: CEO Power Hour Luncheon featuring Gina Kos of Sunshine Village, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the Collegian Court. A quarterly luncheon series where CEOs tell how they rose to their positions. Series sponsored by Polish National Credit Union. Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org/events or call (413) 594-2101.

• March 8: Business After Hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., a multi-chamber event hosted by Marcotte Ford. A celebration of Marcotte’s new, state-of-the-art dealership. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

• March 20: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by the Delaney House. Chief greeter: Karen Hansmann, Chicopee Cultural Council/chamber board. Keynote: Happier Valley Comedy, “5 Tips for Quieting Your Voice of Unhelpful Judgement.” Series sponsored by Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, N. Riley Construction Inc., Polish National Credit Union, USI Insurance Services, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up online at chicopeechamber.org/events. Sponsor tables still available; call (413) 594-2101, ext. 102.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 527-9414

• Feb. 19: In the Know, 5-7 p.m., hosted by New City Brewery, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. The first in a series of three panel discussions exploring the challenges and frustrations shared by business owners. Panelists will include Elizabeth Paquette from Rock Valley Tool, Mark Zatyrka from INSA, and Nate Costa from the Springfield Thunderbirds. There will be time for networking and noshing after the panel concludes. Cost: $15 for members, $30 for non-members. Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• March 7: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Puzzled Escape Games, Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St., Unit 141. An evening of intrigue and networking. See if you have the skills needed to escape. Cost: free for members, $15 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

• March 15: St. Patrick’s Day Lunch, noon to 2:30 p.m., hosted by Northampton Country Club, 135 Main St., Leeds. Enjoy a corned beef and cabbage luncheon and salute the St. Patrick’s Day committee award winners, Michael Callini, Steve Zsavisa, and Mr. & Mrs. Florek. Newly elected state Rep. Dan Kelly will be the keynote speaker. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for future members. Reservations are required, as space is limited. For more information and to register, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holyokechamber.com

(413) 534-3376

• Feb. 27: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Gary Rome Hyundai and Bresnahan Insurance. Gary Rome’s “Drink Pink” campaign comes to a close as he presents Rays of Hope with a donation check. Also, a local Girl Scout, Pearl, will be selling Girl Scout cookies, plus the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke will be selling Holyoke tartan. Come support our local businesses. Cost: $10 for members, $25 for non-members.

• March 6: Coffee Buzz, 7:30 a.m., hosted by Holyoke Hummus Café. Did you know Holyoke Hummus now serves breakfast? Join the Greater Holyoke business community as we indulge in fine vegetarian cuisine over a warm beverage. There will be plenty of coffee and connections to be had as Holyoke Hummus Café celebrates its second birthday. Cost: free.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.northamptonchamber.com

(413) 584-1900

• March 6: March Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Forget Me Not Florist, 114 Main St., Northampton. A networking event sponsored by the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Complete Payroll, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $10 for members.

• March 26: Workshop: “Excel Tips & Tricks, Part 1,” 9-11 a.m., hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop contains a variety of quick tips and tricks in Microsoft Excel that will save users hours of time. Learn how to add buttons to the quick-access toolbar, so the commands you want are at your fingertips. Learn how to view all the formulas in a worksheet and how to freeze rows and columns for easier viewing and navigation. Practice time-saving shortcuts for selecting, moving, and copying cells, and learn how to use autofill to create a series of numbers or dates or to copy formulas. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• March 4: March Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Westfield Gas & Electric at the Operations Center, 40 Turnpike Industrial Road, Westfield. Join us for coffee with Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan. The event is free and open to the public. To register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org/events or call (413) 568-1618 so we may give our host a proper head count.

• March 15: St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Westfield State University, Scanlon Hall, 577 Western Ave., Westfield. Platinum sponsor: Westfield State University; small business sponsor: Puffer Printing; in-kind sponsor: Flowers by Webster. Join us for our annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast as we honor our 2019 Sons of Erin Colleen, Hannah Elizabeth Jury, and her court; Irishwoman of the Year Terri Broderick Hathaway; Irishman of the Year Jim Rood, and Parade Marshal Bo Sullivan. Cost: $25 for members, $40 for non-members. For more information and to register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org/events or contact the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

• March 20: Big Honkin’ Business After Hours, 4:30-7 p.m., a three-chamber event with the Greater Westfield, Greater Chicopee, and Greater Holyoke chambers, hosted by Marcotte Ford, 1025 Main St., Holyoke. Hearty appetizers, food stations, beer, and wine provided. Live jazz music and valet parking. Bring business cards to make connections and enter to win raffle prizes. A 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Pre-registration is recommended at www.westfieldbiz.org/events or by calling the chamber at (413) 568-1618.

SOUTH HADLEY & GRANBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.shgchamber.com

(413) 532-6451

• March 14: Business After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by: Johnny’s Tap Room, South Hadley. Located in South Hadley’s Village Commons, across the street from Mount Holyoke College, Johnny’s Bar & Grille has been serving up food and drinks since 2006. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. To RSVP or for more information, e-mail [email protected], and mail a check, payable to the South Hadley & Granby Chamber of Commerce, to 2 Lyman St., South Hadley, MA 01075.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• Feb. 28: Leadership Institute, hosted by TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Presented in partnership with Western New England University College of Business with support from the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation. The deadline to apply is Feb. 14. E-mail [email protected] for an application.

• March 4: Outlook 2019, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. Presented by Health New England. Featuring national columnist Margaret Carlson as keynote speaker, plus U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Cost: $60 for members in advance, $80 general admission in advance, $100 at the door.

• March 14: Fire & Ice Craft Cocktail Competition and Fundraiser, 5:30-8 p.m., hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. Sponsored by Florence Bank.

• March 19: “A New Wave,” 4-6 p.m., hosted by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 Hall of Fame Ave., Springfield. A presentation by the city of Springfield Office of Economic Development in partnership with the Springfield Regional Chamber, highlighting new economic-development projects and updates on larger economic-development projects in the works. Includes reception with cash bar following. Admission is complimentary, but reservations are required.

Reservations for all Springfield Regional Chamber events may be made by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mailing [email protected], or calling (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• Feb. 28: Mayoral Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. Join us as we listen to an informative discussion with our mayors, who will update the guests on all that is going on in our towns individually and collaboratively. For sponsorships or to register online, visit www.ourwrc.com.

• March 21: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, West Springfield. Enjoy lunch while networking with fellow chamber members and guests of members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief intro and company overview. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Cost: free for members; $10 for non-members. Register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

springfieldyps.com

• Feb. 21: February Third Thursday & Trivia, 5 p.m., hosted by Nathan Bills Bar & Restaurant. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. Visit springfieldyps.com to register.

• March 21: YPS Third Thursday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by MGM Springfield Lobby Bar. Join us for our March Third Thursday. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members. Afterward, we will enjoy the show at ROAR comedy club. For an exclusive discount on tickets to the show, visit springfieldyps.com.

People on the Move

People on the Move

Bernadette Nowakowski

Elms College has appointed Bernadette Nowakowski as its new vice president of Institutional Advancement, effective Feb. 1. Nowakowski has served in various roles in the college’s Institutional Advancement office since 1996. Her collaborative and collegial style embraces shared responsibility and accountability in creating a positive, team-oriented environment to achieve results. Her proven ability to engage and develop effective relationships with key constituency groups, including individuals, corporations, and foundations, has built a solid track record in solicitation of major gifts and strategic fundraising. Most recently, she has served as the assistant vice president of Institutional Advancement since 2017. She has been responsible for co-creating, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive development plan, as well as participating in intense fundraising planning. She also has provided leadership and strategic direction in IA through exploration of new fundraising options while overseeing major gifts, annual giving, and endowed-scholarship and planned-giving programs. Nowakowski is a current member of the Planned Giving Group of New England, the Assoc. of Fundraising Professionals, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She previously served on the board of Women in Philanthropy of Western Mass. as membership co-chair, as employee campaign coordinator at United Way of Pioneer Valley, and as a member of the Women in Philanthropy of Western Massachusetts and Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield Grants Group. She also served on Elms College’s presidential search committee in 2016-17 and its strategic planning (fiscal stability) committee in 2016. In her new role, Nowakowski will be responsible for the planning, management, and execution of a comprehensive advancement program, including oversight of all fundraising initiatives.

•••••

Michael Fenton

Attorney Michael Fenton was named a shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., the firm announced. Fenton concentrates his practice in the areas of business planning, commercial real estate, land use, and estate planning. He earned his law degree and MBA from Western New England University in 2012 and his bachelor’s degree in political science, cum laude, from Providence College in 2009. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Connecticut. He has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2014, was named one of the Top 25 Up and Coming Attorneys in Massachusetts by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and was honored by BusinessWest as a 40 Under Forty award recipient in 2012. Active in the Western Mass. community, he volunteers for several organizations and has served as a member of the Springfield City Council since 2010.

•••••

Ralph Abbott Jr.,

Susan Fentin

Marylou Fabbo

John Gannon

Amelia Holstrom

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that three of its attorneys, Ralph Abbott Jr., Susan Fentin, and Marylou Fabbo were selected to the 2018 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of employment and labor law. Additionally, attorneys

and Amelia Holstrom were named to the 2018 Massachusetts Rising Stars list. Abbott has been selected to Super Lawyers for 14 consecutive years. With the firm since 1975, he is known throughout the legal community for his work representing management in labor relations and employment-related matters, providing employment-related advice to employers, assisting clients in remaining union-free, and representing employers before the National Labor Relations Board. Abbott also has numerous credits as an author, editor, and teacher, as well as a record of civic and community involvement. Fentin has been selected to Super Lawyers for 13 years and before that was named twice to the Rising Stars list. She has been with the firm since 1999. Her practice concentrates on labor and employment counseling, advising large and small employers on their responsibilities and obligations under state and federal employment laws and representing employers before state and federal agencies and in court. She frequently speaks to employer groups, conducts training on avoiding problems in employment law, and teaches master classes on both the Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She was also named one of the Top 50 Women in the Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2015. Fabbo has been selected to Super Lawyers for 10 years and before that was named twice to the Rising Stars list. She is a partner and heads the firm’s litigation team. She represents employers in employment litigation before state and federal courts as well as state and federal agencies in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She also has extensive experience working with employers to reduce the risk of legal liability as the result of illegal employment practices. She is a frequent speaker on employment-related topics and conducts extensive management-training and employment-practices audits. She is a published author and volunteers in the local community. Fabbo was also named one of the Top 50 Women in the Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2016. Gannon and Holstrom have each been selected to the 2018 Massachusetts Rising Stars list for the first time. It is an exclusive list, recognizing no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in the state. Both defend employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wrongful termination, as well as actions arising under the Family Medical Leave Act and wage-and-hour law. Gannon also regularly guides employers on compliance with state and federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Occupational Health and Safety Act. He is a frequent speaker on employment-related legal topics for a wide variety of associations and organizations and was selected by BusinessWest as a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2016. Holstrom frequently provides counsel to management regarding litigation avoidance strategies. She was selected by BusinessWest as a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2015 and was awarded the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Community Service Award in 2016. In 2017, she was named an Up & Coming Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly at its Excellence in the Law event.

•••••

Jennifer Fischer

Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced the appointment of Jennifer Fischer as chief experience officer at Holyoke Medical Center. Most recently, Fischer served as an account leader and coach for the Studer Group, an outcomes-based healthcare-consulting firm. In that role, she had a track record of six years of leading healthcare organizations in their service-excellence journeys, achieving targets for patient experience across multiple service lines, creating and sustaining leadership-development programs, and helping executive teams manage change. Fischer’s prior experience included director-level positions at Wuesthoff Health Systems in Rockledge, Fla., and Door County Memorial Hospital in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. She received her bachelor’s degree from Ripon College in Wisconsin, a master’s degree in arts management from Columbia College in Chicago, and her bachelor’s of science in nursing degree from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She also received a juris doctor degree from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

•••••

Linda Haley

Andrew Tulis

Florence Bank has hired a new bank officer and promoted two employees. Linda Haley will serve as commercial loan administration officer of the Commercial Loan Department in the main office in Florence, Andrew Tulis was promoted to assistant Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) officer, and Heidi Hoover was promoted to the position of assistant vice president, Compliance. Haley joined Florence Bank in October 2018 with more than 30 years of banking experience. She currently attends the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. Tulis joined Florence Bank in November 2011. Prior to his recent promotion, he had served as BSA administrator. Tulis earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New York University and graduated with honors from the New England School for Financial Studies. Hoover joined Florence Bank in May 2015 with nearly 20 years of banking experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst. Prior to her recent promotion, she served as compliance specialist. She serves her community as a board member for the Western Massachusetts Compliance Assoc., a member of the Baystate Medical Practices Patient and Family Council, and a volunteer for Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.

•••••

Michael Shea

Pension & Benefits Associates Inc. announced the addition of Michael Shea to its team in the role of retirement consultant. He will focus on retirement business development, assisting plan sponsors and managing all aspects of clients’ retirement, including plan design, investment due diligence, and employee education. Prior to joining Pension & Benefits Associates, Michael Shea most recently worked as a defined contribution investment sales specialist for BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. He also previously served as a regional sales director for Columbia Threadneedle Investments. A 2010 graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, he started his corporate career as an implementation analyst for Empower Retirement.

•••••

After 27 years of service to the Pioneer Valley, Suzanne Beck announced that she will retire as the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce’s executive director. She cited the completion of the chamber’s strategic plan as the ideal time to pass the baton. The strategic plan, to be launched over the coming months, is a commitment to serve the health and vibrancy of the community at large as an extension of the growth and strengthening of the business and nonprofit communities under Beck’s leadership. Highlights of Beck’s accomplishments include working with Hampshire County business, nonprofit, and community leaders to create the first economic-development strategy serving all of Hampshire County; supporting a group of young professionals to form Northampton Area Young Professionals (NAYP), now in its 10th year supporting the career and community interests of emerging leaders; partnering with the United Way of Hampshire County to create Leadership Hampshire County (a precursor of Leadership Pioneer Valley) to connect, train, and support business and nonprofit leaders with a shared interest in community leadership; and partnering with the Three County Fair Assoc. and the city on redevelopment of the fairgrounds and construction of new barns.

•••••

Jasmin Hutchinson

Jasmin Hutchinson, associate professor of Exercise Science and Sport Studies and director for Sport and Exercise Psychology at Springfield College, recently had an article, titled “The Influence of Self-selected Music on Affect-regulated Exercise Intensity and Remembered Pleasure During Treadmill Running,” selected as the Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (SEPP) Paper of the Year for 2018. The award is given annually to the first author of an article published in SEPP based on the article’s innovation, methodological rigor, quality of data analysis, significance of the issue, and quality of writing. The award consists of free registration to the annual American Psychological Assoc. Convention and the presentation of a certificate of achievement at the convention. In addition, the paper appears as one of the sample papers on the journal website.

•••••

Daniel Danillowicz

Westfield Bank announced the appointment of Daniel Danillowicz as assistant vice president and mortgage loan officer. He will be based at the bank’s 10 Hartford Ave. office in Granby, Conn., providing mortgage origination for customers throughout Connecticut as well as those in Westfield, West Springfield, and Southwick. Danillowicz has more than 25 years of mortgage lending experience, most recently as senior loan officer with Washington Trust in Glastonbury, Conn. and as a mortgage specialist with Farmington Bank in West Hartford, Conn. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Hartford.

•••••

Pamela Sanborn

Arrha Credit Union President and CEO Michael Ostrowski recently welcomed Pamela Sanborn as its new assistant branch manager in West Springfield. She has more than 20 years of banking experience, and was recently assistant branch manager at Polish National Credit Union’s Westfield branch. Sanborn has served as ambassador at the Westfield Chamber of Commerce and an American Relay for Life volunteer as team captain, and is active in promoting awareness of bone-marrow disease and testing for donors. She graduated from Saint John’s School of Business.

Company Notebook

Company Notebook

Johnson & Hill Staffing Cops ‘Best of Staffing’ Honors

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Johnson & Hill Staffing, specializing in administrative, professional, legal, and accounting and finance staffing in the Western Mass. and Northern Conn. region, announced recently that it has won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards. Johnson & Hill achieved World Class status, a distinction reserved for firms who receive a 70% or higher net promoter score (on a scale running from –100 to +100). It received satisfaction scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 90.9% of its clients and 75% of its talent — significantly higher than the industry’s average in both categories. “At Johnson & Hill Staffing, we always strive to differentiate ourselves on service,” said Johnson & Hill President Andrea Hill-Cataldo. “We’re focused on relationships and the long term with our clients, and we push ourselves to offer the best possible experience to each candidate we meet. It’s very exciting to see our efforts recognized in this way.” All data is gathered through ClearlyRated and includes feedback both from clients and candidates Johnson & Hill has helped find jobs.

Mountain View Acquires Amherst Landscape & Design

CHICOPEE — Stephen Corrigan, of Mountain View Landscapes & Lawncare Inc., announced the recent acquisition of Amherst Landscape & Design Associates. Since 1976, Corrigan has spent the last 43 years offering landscape-maintenance and construction services throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and surrounding states. In 1979, Steve Prothers established Amherst Landscape & Design, providing the Pioneer Valley and beyond with creative design-build landscape installations. Focused on project development, Prothers will be dedicated to expanding the residential and commercial projects division of Mountain View Landscapes. Mountain View Landscapes and Amherst Landscape & Design have always held a strong belief that their team members are the cornerstone of the work that is accomplished and the success they achieve, Corrigan said.

SkinCatering Earns Women’s Business Enterprise Certficate

SPRINGFIELD — SkinCatering, LLC, an all-natural skincare brand with two spa locations in Springfield and Holyoke, announced it has been awarded the national WBENC Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certificate. WBENC’s certification validates that the business is 51% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women. “We are making purposeful strides to create the foundation to allow women to own a franchise location of SkinCatering concept spas,” said Leanne Sedlak, owner, chief visionary officer, and lead massage therapist. “I believe this certification is important for any woman considering going into business with us and opening their own SkinCatering branch.” The application process was rigorous, including on-site visits, as the WBENC certification standard is the most relied-upon certification of women-owned businesses, Sedlak said.

Chicopee Savings Foundation Awards $17,000 Grant to MHA

SPRINGFIELD — The Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation has awarded a $17,000 grant over two years to MHA Inc. to help upgrade and repair two of the nonprofit organization’s community-based residences for people with developmental disabilities. The scope of work provided through the grant targets two of MHA’s residential programs located in Chicopee and will provide a new wheelchair-accessible ramp and roof repairs. MHA’s developmental-disability homes based in Chicopee serve adults facing challenges such as severe developmental delays, cerebral palsy, autistic disorder, epilepsy/seizure disorder, and blindness.

Springfield College, YMCA Unveil Online Degree-completion Program

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper and YMCA President and CEO Kevin Washington recently signed a five-year agreement for an online degree-completion program, which provides staff, who have earned leadership certification through YMCA of the USA, an opportunity to turn that learning into college credits that can count towards their degree completion at Springfield College. The program’s participants represent the first class of students participating in full online courses at Springfield College. The inaugural class of 30 YMCA professionals representing the new degree-completion program recently visited the campus for their new-student orientation. The cohort will begin working toward earning their degrees through the Springfield College online courses starting immediately. These 30 students each received scholarship funding through a grant made possible by the Harold C. Smith Foundation.

Abington Bank to Merge with Pilgrim Bank, Expanding Hometown Financial Group

ABINGTON — Andrew Raczka, CEO of Abington Bank, announced that Abington Bank will merge with Pilgrim Bank, a member of Hometown Financial Group, MHC, the holding company that includes Easthampton-based bankESB. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year. Raczka will lead the merged bank as its CEO. Hometown Financial Group recently closed on its acquisition of Pilgrim Bank. “Pilgrim Bank was our entry point into the Eastern Massachusetts market,” said Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of Hometown Financial Group Inc. “From the start, we knew that finding the right mutual partner would be the key to our success with our acquisition of Pilgrim Bancshares Inc.” Following the transaction, Hometown Financial Group will have consolidated assets of $2.7 billion and 30 branches across Massachusetts and Northeastern Conn.

Bay Path Awarded Grant to Connect Adult Women with Jobs

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University was named a winner of a philanthropic funding contest by national nonprofit Strada Education Network. Bay Path was awarded $1,582,600 for a three-year project titled “Closing the Gaps: Building Pathways for Adult Women in a Technology-driven Workforce.” Implemented through the American Women’s College of Bay Path University, the project will address a critical national need for developing a digitally fluent workforce — applicable not only in cybersecurity and the tech sector, but in other fields as well — that is well-prepared with foundational 21st-century skills in digital technologies, coding, data science, and systems thinking, and the ability to apply these skills across different problems, settings, and industries. Bay Path will use its grant to undertake extensive employer research and engagement and to build capacity of the American Women’s College to scale enrollment of adult women and prepare them with core cybersecurity and information-technology competencies that meet the needs of employers, support them as they persist to degree completion, and assist them to successfully transition to careers in cybersecurity and IT-related employment.

ACC Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program Offers Opportunities for Free Tuition, Wage Reimbursement

ENFIELD, Conn. — Starting in March, Asnuntuck Community College is offering a new, free apprenticeship program that will provide employers an opportunity to both enhance their employees’ skills and receive wage reimbursements of up to $13,000 per participant. This two-year program has a $3,750 value per participant but will be entirely free for Connecticut businesses. The time commitment will be three hours per week (Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m.), with breaks for holidays and summer, and classes will occur evenings at Asnuntuck Community College. The Asnuntuck Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship will cover Applied Shop Math, Blueprint Reading (I and II), Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Overview of Mechanical Maintenance, Overview of Industrial Maintenance, OSHA 30 – General Industry, and Quality Control. Businesses seeking more information on this opportunity at Asnuntuck may contact Gary Carra at (860) 253-3128 or [email protected].

GCC Increases Job-related Technical Training in Region

GREENFIELD — Thanks to a recent Skills Capital Grant award from the Commonwealth, Greenfield Community College (GCC) will soon increase its capacity and upgrading its medical assistant certificate (MAC) program by offering additional training at its existing satellite location on the campus of Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School in Northampton. The Baker-Polito administration has awarded more than $52 million over the past three years through Skills Capital Grants across the Commonwealth. This round of grants focus on helping residents with barriers to employment, including those who are unemployed or underemployed, lack English proficiency, or do not have degrees or certificates and need new skills to obtain good-paying jobs. The grants cover a broad array of fields from construction and engineering to healthcare and hospitality. Greenfield Community College received $83,764 to purchase portable examination tables, patient simulation anatomical trainers, and medical instrument sterilization equipment. The expansion of GCC’s MAC program will provide greater access to technical education and training in Franklin and Hampshire counties to attract recent high-school graduates, incumbent workers looking to gain new skills, and displaced workers training for new careers in healthcare.

Briefcase

Briefcase

Nominations Open for Annual Ubora and Ahadi Awards

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums is seeking nominations for the 28th annual Ubora Award and the 10th annual Ahadi Youth Award. These prestigious awards — conferred by the African Hall Subcommittee — honor African-American people from Greater Springfield who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating commitment to fields of community service, education, science, humanities, and/or the arts. The African Hall Subcommittee is a volunteer group comprised of educators, business people, and community leaders from the African-American community. The nomination deadline for both awards is March 31. True to the Swahili word that comprises its name, the Ubora Award recognizes an adult of African heritage who exemplifies excellence in their commitment to creating a better community through service. In 2018, the Ubora Award was given to Keshawn Dobbs, who leads the Springfield Boys and Girls Club Family Center. Named for the Swahili word for ‘promise,’ the Ahadi Youth Award is presented to a young African-American who excels in academics and performs admirable service to the Greater Springfield community. Eligible candidates must be age 19 or younger, live in or have strong ties to the Greater Springfield area, and be currently enrolled in grades 10, 11, or 12. In 2018, the Ahadi Award was given to Karissa Coleman. The Ubora and Ahadi Awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Springfield Museums in September. Nomination forms can be downloaded by visiting springfieldmuseums.org/ubora. Nominations may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to African Hall Subcommittee, c/o Valerie Cavagni, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St., Springfield, MA 01103.

Monson Savings Bank Accepting Applications for Scholarship Program

MONSON — The 2019 Monson Savings Bank Scholarship application is now available to graduating high-school seniors residing in Hampden and Wilbraham. Applications are available at the Hampden office at 15 Somers Road, Hampden and the Wilbraham office at 100 Post Office Park, Wilbraham. The purpose of the Monson Savings Bank Scholarship is to promote the attainment of higher education for graduating seniors who reside within the bank’s footprint. Three $2,000 scholarships will awarded. Graduating seniors must be planning to attend an accredited college, technical school, or certification program. Scholarship awards will be based on the applicant’s financial need, academic performance, and extracurricular activities during and after school, work experience, as well as music, arts, and/or sports programs. Monson Savings Bank is proud to be an integral part of its greater community. A candidate for this scholarship should have demonstrated a commitment to his or her community. Please include an essay outlining that service and the impact you achieved through your contribution. The deadline for application acceptance is April 5. The completed application and required supporting documents will be accepted by mail or electronically. If you have any questions, contact Donna Easton-Vicalvi at (413) 725-4560 or [email protected].

Big Brothers Big Sisters Announces Partnership with Camp Glow It Up

AMHERST — CHD’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County announced a partnership with Camp Glow It Up, a new summer camp for women. The first weekend camp brings the fun and energy of a kids’ sleepaway camp to adults and will be held March 29-31 at Nine Mountain Retreats in Plainfield. The all-inclusive wellness camp features activities like fitness classes, yoga, hiking, group circles, a campfire, singalongs, arts and crafts, and a glow-in-the-dark dance party. Nutritious meals will be prepared by an in-house chef. The camp promises to highlight the power of women as individuals while also creating space for bonding among friends and strangers turned friends. The partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters means a portion of Camp Glow It Up’s proceeds will help fund a program to send girls involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County to their own summer-camp experiences. “We believe in our shared responsibility to invest in the next generation of women leaders, and together, we will forage a path toward empowerment of women and girls,” said Katie Lipsmeyer, the camp’s founder. Added Jessie Cooley, director of CHD’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, “knowing Katie’s passion for helping to empower others, and the role that Big Brothers Big Sisters plays in igniting the potential of young people, it is exciting to think about the girls in our program who will benefit from empowering summer-camp experiences thanks to the generosity of Camp Glow It Up.”

Incorporations

Incorporations

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

BRIMFIELD

Agile Rhythms Inc., 1497 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road, Brimfield, MA 01010. Eric Jaeger, same. Leadership training, process improvements.

FEEDING HILLS

76 Liquors Inc., 228 Coyote Circle, Feeding Hills, MA 01089. Diana Elizabeth Eisenbeiser, same. Retail liquor store.

HUNTINGTON

Animal Control of New England Inc., 266 Goss Hill Road, Huntington, MA 01050. Paul Hewes, same. Animal control.

MONTGOMERY

Baystate Concrete Pumping Inc., 37 Main Road, Montgomery, MA 01085. Victor Sinigur, same. Sinigur concrete pumping service.

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Roots Inc., 100 North St. Suite 405, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Albert S. Wojtkowski, same. Marijuana establishment.

SPRINGFIELD

ACMS Corp., 85 Wait St., Springfield, MA 01104. Robert E. Sullivan, same. General contracting and construction.

Boston Eye Group P.C., One Monarch Place, Suite 310, Springfield, MA 01144. Sam Goldberger, 223 Grant Ave., Newton, MA 02459. Render medical services.

STOCKBRIDGE

Aviva Romm Enterprises Corp., 27 West Alford Road, West Stockbridge, MA 01266. Aviva Romm, 630 Main Road, Monterey, MA 01245. Operating a medically oriented writing, speaking and publishing business.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

420 AU Inc., 4 Wilder Terrace, West Springfield, MA 01089. Michael Anthony Skowron, same. Jewelry, retail, advertising, marketing, and communications.

WESTFIELD

5 Star Logistics Inc., 342 Southwick Road, Apt. 135, Westfield, MA 01085. Islam Agayev, same. Long haul trucking.

WILBRAHAM

Brookline Hair Inc., 31 Glenn Dr., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Maria J. Serra, same. Hair salon, day spa, buy and sell body treatments.

Doing Business as Certificates

DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the months of January and February 2019.

AMHERST

Bacon Wilson, P.C.
6 South East St.
Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Bacon Wilson, P.C./Monsein & MacConnell
6 South East St.
Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Deborah J. Hayes LICSW
433 West St., Suite 6
Deborah Bruno

pen & thimble
746 Bay Road
Gillian Freeman

SPJ
22 Lessey St., Suite 406
Allan Nolan II

Straight Path Jewlz
22 Lessey St., Suite 406
Allan Nolan II

Transformation in Action
1325 Bay Road
Annabelle Keil

EASTHAMPTON

Details
64 Phelps St.
James Gallivan

Harmonious
29 Lawler Dr.
Brian Dandrea

KAF Business Solutions
211 East St., #1
Kimberly Foster

Lotus Blossom Counseling, LLC
152 Northampton St.
Tara Haines

EAST LONGMEADOW

Impressions 2
43 Maple St.
Albert Tranghese, Theresa Tranghese

Powerhouse Training, LLC
80 Denslow Road, Suite 130
Jonathan Davis

VCA Shaker Road Animal Hospital
108 Shaker Road
VCA Shaker Road Animal Hospital

GREENFIELD

Action Based Therapeutic Solutions
25 Bank Row, Suite 25
Adam Barcroft

The Body Shop
38 Hope St.
Two Fathers, LLC

Community Health Care Inc.
177 Shelburne Road
Daniel Gutchensritter

Dahna Virgilio Real Estate Inc.
40 School St., Suite 11
Dahna Virgilio

Daniel J. Donoghue Properties
629 Bernardston Road
Daniel Donoghue

Docs Consult Medical, LLC
106 Federal St.
Kwesi Ntifoko

Dr. Elizabeth Peterson Chiropractic & Natural Health
474 Main St.
Elizabeth Peterson

Euroline Trucking, LLC
1109 Bernardston Road
Nick Georgitsa

Ford of Greenfield
1 Main St.
Two Fathers, LLC

Franklin County Community Development Corp.
324 Wells St.
John Waite

Galactic Brainiacs Productions
239 Main St.
Michael Gregoire, Eric Poulin

Innovintage Place
76 Hope St.
Lauren Mitchell Wellington

Ken’s Tax Prep
280 Main St.
Kenneth Lang

Network Chiropractic of Franklin County
21 Mohawk Trail
Wayne Garfinkel

Solar Store of Greenfield
2 Fiske Ave.
Claire Chang, John Ward

Toyota of Greenfield
1 Main St.
Greenfield Carmart, LLC

Unique Styles
21 Mohawk Trail
Angelique Menard

WantMySpot?
42 Chapman St., Apt. A
Michael Murphy

Yankee Mattress Factory
70 Mohawk Trail
Joseph Noblit

LUDLOW

Envision Wellness Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine
77 Winsor St., Unit 101
Cristina Carreira

Kubala Home Improvements
5 Pell St.
Patrick Kubala

Ludlow Eye Associates
200 Center St.
Katarzyna Babinski

Ludlow Smoke Shop & Convenience
246 East St.
Khaled Saleh

SDI Auto Repair
575B East St.
Vanda Barros

NORTHAMPTON

Diego’s Farm
140 Meadow St.
Diego Irizarry-Gerould

Hampshire Thai Boxing
297 Pleasant St.
Kemal Bamlatte

R-Kade Games
221 Pine St., Suite 143
Richard Kalin

PALMER

C & R Small Engine Repair
37 Ware St.
Corey Coulombe

St. Joe’s Club Inc.
1820 Commercial St.
Stephen Kosmider Jr.

The Stables at Burgundy Brook Farm
3092 Palmer St.
Brett Lord

SOUTHWICK

Balance Beauty Bar, LLC
535 College Highway
Florence Castonguay

Rail Trail Ale House
23-25 Point Grove Road
Patrick Lynch

SPRINGFIELD

DP Insurance & Financial Services, LLC
878 Liberty St.
DP Insurance & Financial Services, LLC

D’s Designs & Event Planning
104 Dunmoreland St.
Donnalee Stewart

DiLaura Naturals
245 Roosevelt Ave.
Tunzala Eynula

G & G Transport
49 Webster St.
Jonathan Guzman

Garcia Transport
66 Oswego St.
Engel Garcia

Gorkha Mart
712 Sumner Ave.
Sita Pathak

Jack Chen Chinese Restaurant
1193 Sumner Ave.
Jin Quan Chen

Jacob Roofing
413 Nottingham St.
Dimas Castaneda

Jon Rodri Films
230 Chapin Terrace
Jonathan Rodriguez

Pure Medicine
18 Pine Acre Road
Anthony Chechile

Rivera Home Remodeling, LLC
173 Tyler St.
Victor Rivera

Ross & Ross, P.C.
121 State St.
Ross & Ross Law

Sabis International Charter School
160 Joan St.
Crystal Hodge-Lizana

Simply Serendipity
1341 Main St.
Simply Grace, LLC

Smily Sevi and Abhi Inc.
1121 State St.
Sneh Kumar

WARE

Balicki Auto Body & Towing Inc.
29½ Maple St.
Michael Balicki, Peter Balicki, Philip Balicki

C & C Enterprises
32A Campbell Road
Robert Campbell

Clean Nest Earth Friendly Housekeeping
16 Greenwich Plains Road
Danielle Colapietro

Crystal Springs Dairy Bar
166 West St.
Yasser Fares

Pineda Real Estate
61 Babcock Tavern Road
Donna Pineda

SubaGuru of Massachusetts, LLC
105 West St.
Christopher Mendrek

Terrance W. Smith
78 Old Poor Farm Road
Terrance Smith

Villa’s Restaurant
123 Main St.
Efren Steve Kolenovic

Wessels Firearms Training
246 Belchertown Road
Randy Wessels

WESTFIELD

Cor’s Services
118 Bates Road
Cory Bruno

Cozy Socks
24 Old Holyoke Road
Michael Patton

Kai Chi Gifts
85 Hawks Circle
Cheng Tu

Michon Associates
102 Northridge Road
Sandra Michon

Trueast Entertainment
186 Main St.
Dustin Taudal

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Avis Budget Group
2161 Riverdale St.
Matt Rettura

Dave’s Delivery Service
1540 Memorial Ave.
David Marcy

Dr. Christine G. Whalen
1005 Elm St.
Christine Whalen

Fit Core by Laura
1343 Riverdale St.
Laura Ferguson

Hair of Fame the Salon and Spa
82 Elm St.
Maritza Rivera

WILBRAHAM

Brian McLaughlin Home Remodeling
29 Red Bridge Road
Brian McLaughlin

Elegant Nail & Spa
2400 Boston Road
Lam Hung Nguyen, Galang Hung Nguyen

Fieldcrest Brewing Co., LLC
2343 Boston Road
Adam Field

Ms. Nora’s Pet Boutique
123 Bartlett Ave.
Melissa Sullivan

Scibelli Snow Removal
42 Brainard Road
Mario Scibelli

Bankruptcies

Bankruptcies

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

Allstar Insurance Agency
Holt, Eric B.
14 Kowal Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/10/19

Billiel, Dennis M.
Shoram-Billiel, Tamara B.
16 Off Lariviere
Three Rivers, MA 01080
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/10/19

Blackshear, Tina M.
43 Lyons St.
Indian Orchard, MA 01151
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/14/19

Boze, Jennifer L.
13 Oakdale Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/12/19

Costa, Gaery Aaron
15 Ellington St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/10/19

Deshaies, William T.
312 Drury Lane
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/10/19

Eastwood, Pamela J.
9 Cherokee Dr.
North Adams, MA 01247
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/13/19

Glenn, William D.
16Bushwick Place
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/15/19

Guyette, Clarise
39 Ridge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/15/19

Hayden, Todd A.
513 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/12/19

Isacoff, Richard I.
DelSignore, Ann M.
433 North St., # 437
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/08/19

Johnson, Montel
29 Curtis St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/15/19

Maciejewski, Raymond P.
Maciejewski, Charlene A.
37 Bernard St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/15/19

Maisonet-Colon, Denise Marie
116 Nassau Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/10/19

Martinez, Mary L.
a/k/a Nunez, Mary
231 Louis Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/11/19

Mastromatteo, Samantha Dawn
a/k/a Roberts, Samantha
775 Springfield St., A
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/15/19

Medina, Sonia A.
197 S. Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/10/19

Ortiz, Reinaldo
Ortiz, Cari L.
235 Cabinet St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/14/19

Papoutsakis, LaKisha Madora
a/k/a Carpenter, LaKisha
60 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/11/19

Rosario, Jessica
12 Roosevelt Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/11/19

Tippett, Jeanne Aline
37 Frederick St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/14/19

Tranghese, Jean I.
96 Mayfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/08/19

Vasquez, Cecile I.
6 Spring St., Apt 1A
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/09/19

Real Estate Transactions

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

BUCKLAND

77 State St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Patricia M. Heminger
Seller: Steven J. Andrews
Date: 01/18/19

CHARLEMONT

68 Colrain Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $404,900
Buyer: Chester T. Yazwinski
Seller: Janice Schechterle
Date: 01/15/19

COLRAIN

170 Stetson Brothers Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Le Chapeau RT
Seller: Beckley RT
Date: 01/15/19

271 Thompson Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Paula J. Perotti-Flanagan
Seller: Griswold, David E., (Estate)
Date: 01/23/19

CONWAY

936 South Deerfield Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Cleveland
Seller: FNMA
Date: 01/16/19

DEERFIELD

13 Eastern Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Harris LT
Seller: Eugene Olanyk LT
Date: 01/23/19

27 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: David B. Grimes
Seller: Charles J. Sakowicz
Date: 01/24/19

GREENFIELD

323 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $157,500
Buyer: Maureen E. Spaulding
Seller: Armand P. Prevost
Date: 01/25/19

27 Eastern Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Douglas J. Aspinwall
Seller: Charles F. Louison
Date: 01/24/19

106-108 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Q Ox LLC
Seller: Jeffrey W. Ainsworth
Date: 01/18/19

14 Frederick Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Michael J. Cachat
Seller: Carol A. Thurston
Date: 01/15/19

HAWLEY

136 West Hawley Road
Hawley, MA 01339
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Christine L. Hicks
Seller: Germain D. Benoit
Date: 01/15/19

LEVERETT

4 Chestnut Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $275,001
Buyer: Anna D. Bingham
Seller: Jan Stuart
Date: 01/22/19

22 Long Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Robert J. Sobieski
Seller: Craig S. Tornovish
Date: 01/18/19

Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $237,600
Buyer: Ivy Mabius
Seller: Gregory L. Woodard
Date: 01/17/19

Putney Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $237,600
Buyer: Ivy Mabius
Seller: Gregory L. Woodard
Date: 01/17/19

MONTAGUE

15 Lake Pleasant Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Michael F. Szady
Seller: Tyler J. Mankowsky
Date: 01/18/19

44 Randall Wood Dr.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $280,600
Buyer: Brendan P. Walsh
Seller: Robbin M. Terault
Date: 01/18/19

NORTHFIELD

225 Winchester Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Amy Neil
Seller: Maureen E. Spaulding
Date: 01/25/19

ORANGE

146 Butterworth Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Joshua D. Pincus
Seller: Diane L. Beers
Date: 01/15/19

320 Holtshire Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: David J. Godin
Seller: Richard L. Hames
Date: 01/14/19

149 Memory Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Dylan T. Smith
Seller: Amanda Lopez
Date: 01/15/19

92 New Athol Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Crossroads Baptist Church
Seller: Elks Of USA Inc.
Date: 01/18/19

SHUTESBURY

75 January Hill Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $271,500
Buyer: Mark Cousland
Seller: January Hills RT
Date: 01/14/19

250 West Pelham Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: Stephen J. Fox
Date: 01/17/19

SUNDERLAND

55 Falls Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Brian Lempel
Seller: Marco Poletto
Date: 01/14/19

WENDELL

94 Locke Hill Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Brian Jones
Seller: Cynthia J. Freeman
Date: 01/17/19

WHATELY

342 Haydenville Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Nafis M. Azad
Seller: Robert H. Cumming
Date: 01/25/19

21 Laurel Mountain Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $372,500
Buyer: Colette Viadero
Seller: Philip D. Marciano
Date: 01/23/19

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

16 Barden St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $308,500
Buyer: Richard R. Stefanowicz
Seller: Cindi L. Green
Date: 01/25/19

75 Cleveland St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Raymond R. Langdon
Date: 01/15/19

17 Colonial Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $209,000
Buyer: Dena M. Cavallon
Seller: Steven A. Merklein
Date: 01/24/19

40 Nolan Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Robert L. Bell
Seller: Paul P. Tangredi
Date: 01/22/19

24 Senator Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Andrew J. White
Seller: James D. White
Date: 01/23/19

24 Tina Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Joanne M. Roberts
Seller: US Bank
Date: 01/16/19

42 Woodside Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Brian F. Allegresso
Seller: David N. Pickett
Date: 01/25/19

CHICOPEE

137 Acrebrook Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Justin R. Ward
Seller: Michael A. Parker
Date: 01/25/19

460 Fuller Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Westover Metropolitan Development Corp.
Seller: Wojtowicz, Michael, (Estate)
Date: 01/16/19

40 Gardner Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $169,500
Buyer: Ryan L. McLaughlin
Seller: Elizabeth Rivera
Date: 01/23/19

69 Hillcrest St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $151,290
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Christopher D. Bates
Date: 01/17/19

46 Kaveney St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Jason R. Welch
Seller: Jonathan Burek
Date: 01/22/19

276 Mandalay Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $178,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Dahill
Seller: Richard A. Dahill
Date: 01/15/19

1400 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Sterling RT
Seller: Wolfhill Realty LLC
Date: 01/18/19

58 Polaski Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jose M. Monzon
Seller: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 01/23/19

54 Sherman Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $191,800
Buyer: Sarah Potter
Seller: Nicole L. Garrison
Date: 01/25/19

42 Stockbridge St.
Chicopee, MA 01103
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Thomas F. Labak
Seller: Waycon Inc.
Date: 01/17/19

EAST LONGMEADOW

141 Dwight Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $162,900
Buyer: Stephanie Colella
Seller: Rebecca Hutchins
Date: 01/25/19

46 Lee St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Steven Paige
Seller: Francis N. Grant
Date: 01/22/19

103 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $312,500
Buyer: Alexander J. Crivelli
Seller: Albert A. Crivelli
Date: 01/15/19

85 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $245,100
Buyer: Jayson A. Roy
Seller: Man D. Nguyen
Date: 01/14/19

329 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Sarah J. Indomenico
Seller: Thomas B. Vaillancourt
Date: 01/18/19

519 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Kiernan Rushford
Seller: Anthony P. Facchini
Date: 01/25/19

61 Prospect Hills Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $474,900
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Thomas A. Lucia
Date: 01/18/19

43 White Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Mikhail P. Lisovets
Seller: Yevgeny Yermakov
Date: 01/25/19

HAMPDEN

59 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Daniel T. Anderson
Seller: FNMA
Date: 01/15/19

234 Somers Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: William P. Lee
Seller: Julia A. Lavoie
Date: 01/25/19

28 South Ridge Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Lindsay Luszcz
Seller: South Ridge Estates LLP
Date: 01/25/19

375 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Scott Pepoon
Seller: Emerald City Rentals LLC
Date: 01/25/19

HOLLAND

6 Brandon St.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Ryan Daponte
Seller: Maple Ledge Associates
Date: 01/18/19

53 Island Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Alexander E. Wisz
Seller: Jeremy Beu
Date: 01/15/19

21 Shore Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Robert F. Terbush
Seller: Ricky B. Lundin
Date: 01/18/19

116 Stafford Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Joshua Kobel
Seller: RW Trigrof LLC
Date: 01/18/19

140 Stafford Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Rebecca Barker
Seller: Roger W. Strange
Date: 01/25/19

HOLYOKE

94 Apremont Hwy.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Michael Catalano
Seller: River Valley Renovations
Date: 01/18/19

333-335 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $133,500
Buyer: James A. Ryan
Seller: Katherine A. Ryan
Date: 01/15/19

193-195 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,460
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Danil Porrata
Date: 01/14/19

676 Chicopee St.
Holyoke, MA 01013
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Grace James Realty LLC
Seller: Gary Toth
Date: 01/18/19

30 Dale St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jeffrey P. Czelusniak
Seller: Kelly A. Lacey
Date: 01/25/19

1373-1377 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Bryan J. Dargie
Seller: Alfred J. Albano
Date: 01/18/19

1552 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Syed Mobeen
Seller: Sagheer Nawaz
Date: 01/25/19

91 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Charlotte Dobiecki
Seller: Mark A. Caplette
Date: 01/18/19

1000-1002 Hampden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $121,300
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Lisa A. Shea
Date: 01/22/19

79 Lawler St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $178,500
Buyer: Chelsea L. Gazillo
Seller: Timofey V. Potapov
Date: 01/22/19

115 Lincoln St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Alex B. Morse
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 01/18/19

40 Mayer Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Andrew M. Boryczka
Seller: John F. Boryczka
Date: 01/25/19

27 Olive Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Bryan J. Dargie
Seller: Alfred J. Albano
Date: 01/18/19

649 South Summer St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $580,000
Buyer: Grace James Realty LLC
Seller: CRF Realty LLC
Date: 01/18/19

35 Taylor St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Shawn E. Hainsworth
Seller: Partner City Properties
Date: 01/15/19

31 Temple St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Jose A. Zambrana
Seller: William D. Velazquez
Date: 01/22/19

LONGMEADOW

23 Berwick Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Jenny A. Lehouiller
Seller: Brittany A. Roy
Date: 01/25/19

37 Captain Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Michael Sullivan
Seller: FNMA
Date: 01/14/19

58 Grassy Gutter Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Truong Vuong
Seller: Jennifer M. Carreto
Date: 01/22/19

106 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Joel Wun
Seller: Stratton Renovation LLC
Date: 01/18/19

82 Lincoln Park
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $341,552
Buyer: CIT Bank
Seller: Steven A. Jones
Date: 01/15/19

83 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Etabav RT
Seller: Poisson, Alan M., (Estate)
Date: 01/18/19

16 Villa St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Xiaoli Yang
Seller: John T. O’Leary
Date: 01/18/19

71 Woodsley Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $1,875,000
Buyer: 71 Woodsley Road LLC
Seller: Michael E. Freedman
Date: 01/17/19

LUDLOW

30 Amherst St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Susana Sousa
Seller: Anne M. Correia
Date: 01/18/19

101 Bridle Path Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Casey
Seller: Gary E. Chenaille
Date: 01/23/19

121 Loopley St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,150
Buyer: Jay M. Warzecki
Seller: William J. Kolodziey
Date: 01/14/19

Windwood Estates #6
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $384,000
Buyer: Bryan A. Chaplin
Seller: David H. Porter
Date: 01/18/19

MONSON

20 Ayers Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $274,003
Buyer: USAA FSB
Seller: Jason Burgener
Date: 01/23/19

80 Bethany Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Michael Scotton
Seller: Christopher J. Lemek
Date: 01/18/19

51 King St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $213,200
Buyer: Quicken Loans Inc.
Seller: Paul M. Arnold
Date: 01/15/19

MONTGOMERY

510 Main Road
Montgomery, MA 01050
Amount: $188,500
Buyer: Jeffrey F. Greene
Seller: Daniel J. Webster
Date: 01/25/19

71 New State Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Kathi M. Cotugno
Seller: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Date: 01/23/19

PALMER

218 Boston Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Robert N. Manduke
Seller: Venture Community Service
Date: 01/25/19

24 Breton St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Kyle Pelissier
Seller: Jessy I. Salsbury
Date: 01/22/19

2 Norbell St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $248,900
Buyer: Jimmy L. Crapps
Seller: Jeffrey D. Ferreira
Date: 01/23/19

39 Taft St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Grant D. Young
Seller: Real Estate Restorations
Date: 01/25/19

SOUTHWICK

8 Gargon Terrace
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Marlayna H. Chriscola
Seller: Vitaliy Dubovoy
Date: 01/15/19

Sawgrass Lane #1
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Joseph H. Avonti
Seller: Fiore Realty Holdings LLC
Date: 01/18/19

27 Woodland Ridge
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Robert S. Garvey
Seller: Suzanne M. Gonthier
Date: 01/25/19

SPRINGFIELD

29 1st St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Haque LLC
Seller: First Page RT
Date: 01/17/19

50 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Andrea T. Lewis
Seller: Kerri P. Kane
Date: 01/14/19

37 Aberdeen Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Ruby Realty LLC
Seller: Taren C. Latta
Date: 01/16/19

71 Ashley St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Maridelva C. Dejesus
Seller: Real Estate Inv. Northeast
Date: 01/25/19

97-99 Bowles St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Luis Flores-Delgado
Seller: TM Properties Inc.
Date: 01/15/19

77 Boyer St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Evaminerly Trehan
Seller: Ector Acevedo
Date: 01/25/19

18 Breckwood Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: John Jacquinet
Seller: Paula A. Lynch
Date: 01/14/19

24 Brighton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Allison M. Pesa
Seller: Constitution Properties
Date: 01/18/19

17 Brunswick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Latasha Lowe
Seller: Properties R US & Investments
Date: 01/14/19

36 Canton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Ruben Lopez
Seller: Zoraida Burgos
Date: 01/24/19

1635 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Jenell M. Castro
Seller: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Date: 01/14/19

11 Cherrelyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $156,900
Buyer: Tracy M. Flor-Norton
Seller: Jacqueline M. Diaz
Date: 01/25/19

190-192 College St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Heather M. McNaughton
Seller: Onota Rental LLC
Date: 01/25/19

16 Colonial Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Tomas Berrios
Seller: Hipolito A. Andino
Date: 01/24/19

34 Cornwall St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $152,900
Buyer: Maria M. Rosa
Seller: Krista Hanson
Date: 01/25/19

570 Cottage St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $3,825,000
Buyer: SL 570 Cottage Street LLC
Seller: Rube Realty LLC
Date: 01/25/19

40 Crittenden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Frankie D. Torres
Seller: Betsy O. Rivera
Date: 01/23/19

15 Delaware Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $302,000
Buyer: Jacqueline M. Diaz
Seller: Wanda Lockett
Date: 01/25/19

26-28 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Ivan Moncrieffe
Date: 01/25/19

336 Eastern Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Valerie Singh
Seller: Berkshire Land Co. LLC
Date: 01/23/19

124 Eddywood St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $156,750
Buyer: Rebecca Impionbato
Seller: Timber Development LLC
Date: 01/18/19

80 Fairfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Erik J. Sunny
Seller: Martha A. Long
Date: 01/17/19

164 Gardens Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Waleed A. Cisero
Seller: Lanucha, Jacqueline K., (Estate)
Date: 01/18/19

176 Garland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Erica Williams
Seller: Kimberly E. Stone
Date: 01/24/19

11 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jose O. Austin
Seller: Tuohey, Jacklyn A. (Estate)
Date: 01/18/19

47 Grant St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Trifera LLC
Seller: Lou W. Rodriguez
Date: 01/14/19

106 Greene St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $131,749
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: James Dickson
Date: 01/18/19

112 Groton St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: Douglas M. Senecal
Seller: Tom Makris
Date: 01/18/19

181-183 Hampden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Jose M. Goncalves
Seller: Maria G. Ferreira
Date: 01/22/19

185-187 Hampden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Alana T. Rijo-Robles
Seller: Reynaldo D. Rodriguez
Date: 01/24/19

71 Jordan St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Nyaoga D. Muhombolage
Seller: US Bank
Date: 01/25/19

225-227 Kent Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $124,277
Buyer: Michael Donskoy
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 01/23/19

51 Kenway Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Louann Shepard-Bell
Date: 01/22/19

41 Kipling St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Pedro Martinez
Seller: William P. Lee
Date: 01/25/19

180 Laurelton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Patricia A. Sheehan
Seller: SA Capital Group LLC
Date: 01/25/19

107 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: William E. Oakes
Seller: Michael Pham
Date: 01/22/19

69 Lyons St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Yahaira Vega
Seller: Arnaldo Lassend
Date: 01/18/19

2000 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $3,300,000
Buyer: John A. Bruzzone Sr. Family
Seller: FRE Springfield MA Realty
Date: 01/15/19

48 Mellon St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: David W. Nickerson
Seller: Sandra Dubay
Date: 01/18/19

33 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Mark C. Ryer
Seller: Dionne Real Estate LLC
Date: 01/18/19

35 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Mark C. Ryer
Seller: Dionne Real Estate LLC
Date: 01/18/19

126 Osborne Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Wildally E. Colon
Seller: Fallah Razzak
Date: 01/22/19

2046-2048 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $211,000
Buyer: Carlos J. Zaragoza-Velez
Seller: Harry E. Santiago
Date: 01/16/19

2207 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $158,800
Buyer: Denise Valdes
Seller: Juan C. Lebron
Date: 01/18/19

59 Palmer Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Urayoan Santiago
Seller: Eda Ema LLC
Date: 01/14/19

850 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $119,070
Buyer: 850 Parker Street RT
Seller: NRZ REO 7 LLC
Date: 01/24/19

391 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Ramon A. Troche
Seller: Sergey D. Voloshinov
Date: 01/18/19

1318 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Geneva N. Okon
Seller: Katie M. Crane
Date: 01/24/19

256 Rosemary Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Kojo Amartey
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 01/25/19

85 Ruthven St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $123,225
Buyer: Nationstar Mortgage LLC
Seller: Richard A. Cocchi
Date: 01/16/19

130 South Tallyho Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Gary J. Merkel
Seller: Kathryn E. Pepoon
Date: 01/25/19

850 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Rolando C. Vasquez-Deleon
Seller: Jason A. Rhodes
Date: 01/25/19

127 Shawmut St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $163,400
Buyer: Aida Rios
Seller: MGC Realty LLC
Date: 01/24/19

41 Terrence St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Wanda I. Quinones
Seller: Extremely Clean LLC
Date: 01/17/19

290 Tremont St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Odean Graham
Seller: Sara M. Sirard
Date: 01/24/19

51 Vadnais St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $143,299
Buyer: Sarah Dame
Seller: SA Capital Group LLC
Date: 01/25/19

401 Water St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $175,500
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: James R. Jasmin
Date: 01/25/19

266 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Oumar Keita
Seller: Fumi Realty Inc.
Date: 01/15/19

32 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $151,500
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Paula Fanuele
Date: 01/22/19

173 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Olga Bermudez
Seller: David B. Monk
Date: 01/25/19

90 Westminster St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $760,000
Buyer: 90 Westminster LLC
Seller: Westminster Apartments
Date: 01/15/19

490-492 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Todd M. Eldredge-Rodowicz
Seller: Richard A. Henshaw
Date: 01/25/19

1480 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $176,000
Buyer: Erickberto Burgos
Seller: Tawana M. Davis
Date: 01/17/19

113 Winton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Joseph Depoutot
Date: 01/25/19

1289-1295 Worcester St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: DNA Corp.
Seller: Kem Management LLC
Date: 01/23/19

3 Worthy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Richard J. Jackson
Seller: Rosa M. Sepulveda
Date: 01/16/19

WALES

20 Woodland Heights
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: William L. Haughey
Seller: Sally R. Sarnelli
Date: 01/25/19

WEST SPRINGFIELD

147 Allston Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: VSA Associates LLP
Seller: DMV LLC
Date: 01/15/19

136 Almon Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Patrick W. Elmore
Seller: Ronald G. Schmidt
Date: 01/25/19

44 Amherst St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Flora Rivera
Seller: Gentile, Mary C., (Estate)
Date: 01/25/19

47 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Hecham Domani
Seller: Susan M. Clark-Konieczny
Date: 01/14/19

37 Appaloosa Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Baldevbhai P. Patel
Seller: Jose G. Salce
Date: 01/15/19

11 Beverly Terrace
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Joshua R. Benard
Seller: Osama S. Jalal
Date: 01/23/19

2 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Vanity Bryant
Seller: JJROB Realty LLC
Date: 01/23/19

17 Larchwood St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $163,250
Buyer: Bradford H. Leveille
Seller: Cynthia J. Nolan
Date: 01/17/19

17 Maple St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Kweku Ofori
Seller: US Bank
Date: 01/25/19

232 Park St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Park Meadow LLC
Seller: Kids Dentist Realty LLC
Date: 01/25/19

123 Sikes Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Dennis Lawson
Seller: Arkad Kekelidze
Date: 01/18/19

68 Tiara Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Atif Khan
Seller: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Date: 01/15/19

WESTFIELD

22 Angelica Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Jessica L. Bishop
Seller: Minuteman Properties
Date: 01/18/19

15 Brimfield Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: High Point Finance LLC
Seller: Safeguard Credit Consulting
Date: 01/16/19

43 Court St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Alec M. Bewsee
Seller: Renzhen Yang
Date: 01/18/19

69 Deer Path Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $260,555
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Steven J. Beagle
Date: 01/24/19

1028 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Daniel G. Patrick
Seller: Patricia A. Curran
Date: 01/25/19

323 Lockhouse Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $6,150,000
Buyer: SL 323 Lockhouse Road LLC
Seller: Richard Realty LLC
Date: 01/25/19

54 Mainline Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: 54 Mainline Dr. LLC
Seller: John A. Jeneral
Date: 01/15/19

5 Morgan Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Megan C. Lococo
Seller: Stephen Buynicki
Date: 01/18/19

155 Paper Mill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Edward J. Cave
Seller: Seth Lamountain
Date: 01/23/19

43 Robinson Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Joseph P. Nangle
Seller: Sylvia J. Corridan
Date: 01/16/19

13 Vincent Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $154,690
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Jesse L. Rossi
Date: 01/16/19

741 Western Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: John Schoenrock
Seller: Wright, Lauren C., (Estate)
Date: 01/18/19

WILBRAHAM

2660 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Morais Enterprises LLC
Seller: Henry J. Zola
Date: 01/15/19

17 Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Melissa A. Victor
Seller: Douglas F. Victor
Date: 01/25/19

17 Lakeshore Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Johnny Pelloso
Seller: Craig D. Swimm
Date: 01/14/19

5 Lebel Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $217,600
Buyer: Richard W. Houghton
Seller: Jeffrey C. Siekierski
Date: 01/18/19

9 Longfellow Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Joseph Rogers
Seller: Waseem Ahmad
Date: 01/25/19

552 Mountain Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $167,500
Buyer: Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Seller: Valentino J. Scatolini
Date: 01/25/19

17 Mountainbrook Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Brodeur
Seller: Rousseau, Paul E. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 01/18/19

443 Soule Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: Jessica Leblanc
Seller: Jeffrey Kuselias
Date: 01/24/19

905 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Deanna Pellegrino
Seller: Warner, Barbara P., (Estate)
Date: 01/25/19

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

107 Blue Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $630,000
Buyer: Ianni LT
Seller: Yonggui Su
Date: 01/25/19

24 Canton Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Kara Parks Fontenot RET
Seller: David F. Drake
Date: 01/15/19

35 Harlow Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Emily L. Maling
Seller: Raymond, Meredith B., (Estate)
Date: 01/16/19

102 Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $788,000
Buyer: Walter A. Bell
Seller: Bercume Construction LLC
Date: 01/18/19

132 Northampton Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $407,000
Buyer: Valley Community Development Corp.
Seller: Jeffrey M. Keedy
Date: 01/18/19

BELCHERTOWN

291 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Elizabeth J. Cole
Seller: Brian K. Noyes
Date: 01/14/19

42 Hickory Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Karl Bjorklund
Seller: Michael S. Burke
Date: 01/15/19

204 Munsell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Shashi Sharma
Seller: Mark K. Gorman
Date: 01/25/19

EASTHAMPTON

7 Chapman Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: ZLS LLC
Seller: D&H Property Management
Date: 01/14/19

14 Davis St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Ibis Duo Holdings LLC
Seller: Paul J. Desrosiers
Date: 01/25/19

52-54 Everett St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $225,650
Buyer: Sarah J. Dalhaus
Seller: Sandra Mumblow
Date: 01/23/19

4 Keddy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Brandon T. Dantonio
Seller: Ronald W. Rzeszutek
Date: 01/18/19

147 Loudville Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Keith A. Cotnoir
Seller: Tessier, Richard G., (Estate)
Date: 01/25/19

GRANBY

241 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: Joseph C. Cox
Seller: Joanne Newcombe
Date: 01/25/19

138 Cold Hill Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Donald A. Shewchuk
Seller: Nancy T. Venne
Date: 01/25/19

17 Lyn Dr.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Ian A. Cooke
Seller: Wendy A. Richard
Date: 01/24/19

4 Pheasant Hill
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Yolanta K. Dronski
Seller: James B. Kimball
Date: 01/25/19

76 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Victoria L. Sullivan
Seller: Eric C. Merullo
Date: 01/22/19

HADLEY

10 Breckenridge Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Andrew Blajda
Seller: Blajda, Mary A. (Estate)
Date: 01/14/19

HATFIELD

Prospect St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: William J. Skorupski
Seller: Lynn Wojewoda
Date: 01/25/19

HUNTINGTON

Harlow Clark Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $188,500
Buyer: Jeffrey F. Greene
Seller: Daniel J. Webster
Date: 01/25/19

510 Main Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $188,500
Buyer: Jeffrey F. Greene
Seller: Daniel J. Webster
Date: 01/25/19

NORTHAMPTON

23 Cahillane Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $154,000
Buyer: Matthew A. Motamedi
Seller: Stacie L. Ryan
Date: 01/14/19

93 Cahillane Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Stephen D. Sacco
Seller: Matthew A. Motamedi
Date: 01/25/19

46 Chapel St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: BSS 3 Properties LLC
Seller: McCutcheon Development LLC
Date: 01/22/19

48 Damon Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,750,000
Buyer: Cousins Investments LLC
Seller: Kerryman Partnership
Date: 01/25/19

Glendale Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Shasta Terra LLC
Seller: JKB Farms Inc.
Date: 01/24/19

66 Massasoit St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $755,000
Buyer: Mark Illingworth
Seller: Martha B. Clarke
Date: 01/24/19

400 North King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Laura A. Camp
Seller: Daniel J. Costigan
Date: 01/24/19

North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Southpaw Properties LLC
Seller: Southern New England Conference
Date: 01/15/19

19 Ormond Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: 58 Market Street LLC
Seller: Amberman, Edward L., (Estate)
Date: 01/17/19

20 Westwood Terrace
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $249,900
Buyer: Deborah A. Sullivan
Seller: W. Marek Inc.
Date: 01/18/19

PELHAM

100 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Gavin T. Myers
Seller: Carolyn M. Monteiro
Date: 01/24/19

SOUTH HADLEY

604 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Rasean Y. Blyden
Seller: Irene A. Roy
Date: 01/17/19

15 Lexington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Kirsti A. Wiemokly
Seller: Michael Schaeffer
Date: 01/25/19

Lithia Springs Road #4
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Timothy Waltz
Seller: Barbara J. Smith
Date: 01/16/19

299 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Ryan C. Fernandes
Seller: Leo E. Fugler
Date: 01/17/19

6 Plainville Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Michael Campbell
Seller: Lapierre, Richard R., (Estate)
Date: 01/25/19

4 Ridge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $185,500
Buyer: Cristina T. Mitchell
Seller: Brenda L. Houle
Date: 01/25/19

24 Sunset Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Roger Strange
Seller: Robert W. Lynes
Date: 01/25/19

53 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $238,500
Buyer: Ellen M. Emmonds
Seller: Richard R. Stefanowicz
Date: 01/25/19

SOUTHAMPTON

81 Crooked Ledge Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $335,700
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Dynelle Longto
Date: 01/23/19

40 Strong Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Danielle H. Bozik
Seller: Brenda L. O’Donnell
Date: 01/17/19

WARE

34 Aspen St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $223,284
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: David W. Kalil
Date: 01/23/19

100 Bondsville Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $151,290
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Daniel J. Haworth
Date: 01/22/19

121 Glendale Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Quabbin Wire & Cable Co. Inc.
Seller: Jarrod Dandurant
Date: 01/18/19

32 Park Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Katelynn Gancorz
Seller: Suzanne Gomes
Date: 01/16/19

WILLIAMSBURG

6 Village Hill Ave.
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Autumn H. Fournier
Seller: Delappe, Gemze, (Estate)
Date: 01/25/19

WORTHINGTON

2 Packard Park
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Aastha Bansri LLC
Seller: Michael P. Frazier
Date: 01/15/19

Building Permits