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Month: March 2023

Independent Bookstores Are Writing New Chapters

By
Joan Grenier, owner of Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley
Cover Story

Survival Stories

Joan Grenier, owner of Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley

Joan Grenier, owner of Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley

Joan Grenier called it “GoFundMe before there was GoFundMe.”

She was referring to a letter she sent out to friends in the South Hadley area almost 30 years ago. She couldn’t find a copy — although she believes she has one somewhere — but remembers the gist.

“I simply said, “I’m in trouble and I need your help,’” said Grenier, the second-generation owner of the Odyssey Bookshop in the Village Commons, noting that the missive was sent at a time when just about all small, independent bookstores were in pretty much the same boat she was.

The large chains were beginning to take over the book world and squeeze out their smaller competitors with their huge volumes of books, lower prices, and a maybe a latte to go with all that. Grenier — and she was certainly not alone in this exercise, to be sure — put out a call for help, asking people to support Odyssey and send money if they could.

She raised about $150,000, as she recalls, and it went a long way toward helping her navigate that whitewater and write new chapters in a story started by her father, Romeo Grenier, in 1963.

Then, in the early months of COVID, when bookstores — and most other stores as well — were forced to close their doors, Grenier launched an actual GoFundMe campaign to raise money to take the store through that time of extreme challenge and to a point where it can now celebrate its 60th anniversary.

So did Matt Tannenbaum, owner, for nearly 50 years now, of the Bookstore in Lenox, an institution that got its start in the mid-’60s in the living room of a small, rented house behind an alley that housed a café that came to be known as Alice’s Restaurant.

Tannenbaum raised more than $120,000 in a campaign that became subject material for a documentary, called Hello Bookstore, which is now streaming on Apple and Amazon Prime, and has been praised by critics as one of the best documentaries of 2022.

It tells Tannenbaum’s story, but it also tells the story of all owners of small bookstores across the country who have fought — for decades now — to keep the doors open.

“It’s a place that isn’t home and isn’t work. It’s a place where you can go and be. People come here to sit and read, they come to sit and work, students come here, professors come here to grade papers; a lot of books are written here.”

“It’s a lovely portrait of what we do here — that’s the best way to describe it,” said Tannenbaum, adding that the film portrays the bond that can, and should, exist between a community and its bookstore.

As the documentary chronicles, independent bookstores, including those in this area, have faced a continuing wave of challenges. And many have not survived, including institutions (that’s the only word for it) such as Johnson’s and Edwards in downtown Springfield, and, more recently, Big Bear Used Books and Café in Easthampton.

But overall, and to paraphrase one of the authors whose classics are sold in these landmarks, the death of the independent bookstore has been at least somewhat exaggerated.

The Bookmill in Montague

The Bookmill in Montague operates under the slogan “books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.”

Indeed, many in this region are still … well, doing business. ‘Thriving’ might be too strong a word, but then again, most of these stores never really thrived, as Grenier and others will tell you.

But they have provided a decent living, while also providing an important service, one that is still relevant, to one extent or another, at a time when one can have the latest Louise Penny thriller delivered to their home a day after executing a few simple keystrokes.

They have survived, they said, by providing more than books on shelves — although that’s certainly a big part of it. They also provide, in many cases, a relaxing experience, an opportunity to meet authors, maybe a chance to sample a bottle of wine.

For the owners of these stores, they say what they do isn’t work as much as it is a passion, something that found them as much as they found it.

It was that way for Susan Shilliday, owner of the Bookmill in Montague, which specializes in used books and operates under the slogan “books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.”

She said she had no real intention of buying thus landmark, but then…

“It was a total, crazy fluke,” said Shilliday, who was a screenwriter before she took this gambit — Thirtysomething and Legends of the Fall are among her credits. “It was a joke with my daughters that all I really wanted in life was to come here one day and see a ‘for sale’ sign in front of the Bookmill.”

Instead of a sign, then-owner David Lovelace sent out an email in 2007 to a number of people letting them know that it was time for him to move on. One thing led to another, and Shilliday is now behind the cash register, carrying on a tradition.

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with these independent bookstore owners about the state of their business. And in the process, we get to tell some stories that are very intriguing in their own right.

 

It’s Not Home, and It’s Not Work

Shilliday told BusinessWest that, when she received that aforementioned email, she didn’t really know what to do with it at first.

She said she knew a lot about books, but very little, if anything, about retail or running a business. She ultimately decided that this was enough.

“It was the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “But it turned out to be one of those crazy things that turned out to be just the right thing.”

Elaborating, she said her daughter attended Hampshire College, and, following just a few trips to visit, she fell in love with the region and eventually moved here. One of her favorite things to do was visit the Bookmill, search for things to read, and, usually, settle into one of the comfortable reading chairs on site and read for a while. Make that a long while.

Susan Shilliday, owner of the Bookmill in Montague

Susan Shilliday, owner of the Bookmill in Montague, says her store — and those like it — are an escape for people.

It was a desire to let others enjoy that experience that prompted her take the plunge, despite her lack of experience.

As businesses go, this one has a pretty simple model, she noted; it takes in books from those who don’t want or need them anymore (by appointment only), and then it sells them. Retiring professors from the Five Colleges, all within a few dozen miles or so from the store, are among the best providers of titles for the shelves, she said, adding that, on average, there are roughly 30,000 to 35,000 books on the shelves.

While most bookstores focusing on new titles have had their struggles in recent years, the Bookmill has been able to stay on a generally smoother path, said Shilliday, noting quickly that the pandemic certainly presented a number of challenges, and customers were “thrilled” when the doors were able to open again.

Overall, there are steady streams of customers to the landmark, located in an old grist mill and, later, a machine shop that, among other things, would stamp the handles of Louisville Slugger bats.

Many patrons are students or professors from the area colleges or residents of area communities, but many tourists also find the store, despite what it says in that logo that adorns bookmarks, T-shirts, book bags, and other items.

“People from this area seek it out,” she said. “And we have a lot of tourists who come in, a lot of book lovers who come in … people drive up from New York, Boston, all over; there are a lot of people who make an effort to come here.”

And perusing the shelves for books is just one of the reasons they come, she said, and this explains why the Bookmill has been able to survive and thrive over the years, and why many other stores have as well.

Indeed, she said the pandemic might have helped reinforce the importance of not only books, but bookstores as well.

“People like the community aspect of this … meeting people, discussing books with other people. That’s what we can offer people.”

“It’s a place that isn’t home and isn’t work,” she said of bookstores in general. “It’s a place where you can go and be. People come here to sit and read, they come to sit and work, students come here, professors come here to grade papers; a lot of books are written here. And that was part of the model for the Bookmill from the very beginning; it would be a place where people could come and spend time.”

Elaborating, she said that most bookstores today have other things for people to do; many have a café — the Bookmill has a small café next door, a separate operation — or another value-added proposition that makes a visit to the store an experience, or even more of an experience, as the case may be.

 

Buy the Book

Grenier said she has also long understood the importance of creating an experience, and not just shelves with the latest titles.

That’s why Odyssey stages several events a week, ranging from book-club meetings to regular author appearances, including the “Evening with Bernie Sanders” event staged March 13, at which he talked about, and signed copies of, his new offering It’s OK to be Angry About Capitalism.

These events are ways to bring people to the store and generate interest in books and those who write them, said Grenier, adding that it has been this way pretty much from the start, and certainly since she assumed ownership from her father in the early ’90s, after the store was destroyed by arson for the second time in two years.

She remembers what he said as he was passing the torch: “I’m not sure if I’m giving you anything more than headaches, but if you want the insurance money, we can try again.”

She decided to accept that challenge, but the intention of doing it for “a little while.”

That little while has turned into a 37-year journey that has taken the store through those myriad challenges mentioned earlier.

“There’s been a lot of change and a lot of challenge,” she said of that time, adding that the store has been reinventing itself throughout that period, and especially during the COVID years, when people couldn’t come to the store for several months and instead ordered books from the store’s website.

Matt Tannenbaum

Matt Tannenbaum’s story became the subject of a highly acclaimed documentary film called Hello, Bookstore.

Much of this reinvention involves events, Grenier said, adding that they come in many varieties. There are several book clubs, she noted, including the Signed Editions Club, which has more than 200 members, and the Gift of Reading Club for children, as well as regular author appearances; overall, there are maybe 125 events a year.

Meanwhile, the store has become the outlet for Mount Holyoke College merchandise of all kinds, from apparel to drinkware to stationary. (Years ago, the store sold textbooks to Mount Holyoke students, but that business has changed dramatically, and it is no longer part of the equation.)

Such changes, and such evolution, are necessary, she said, because the landscape has changed, and it is harder for independent bookstores to be successful — not that it has ever really been easy.

The pandemic simply added new layers of challenge because people couldn’t come to the store, and, thus, there were no events for many months, she recalled. “The events went virtual, but it’s pretty hard to sell books at a virtual event.” What’s more, the college was closed, further reducing foot traffic. Through that GoFundMe campaign, federal assistance, and sheer perseverance, the store was able to make it through.

“If it wasn’t for the federal government, we wouldn’t be here,” she said, adding that, moving forward, the store will continue to innovate, evolve, and give people reasons to come through its doors.

“I’m very optimistic — I had to be optimistic to get through COVID,” she told BusinessWest. “People like the community aspect of this … meeting people, discussing books with other people. That’s what we can offer people.”

 

A Real Page Turner

Tannenbaum is equally optimistic, but then again, he always has been.

He said his store has long enjoyed what he called a “loyalty factor” that has enabled him to push through the many changes and challenges that have come to this sector.

Indeed, he recalls that, when a Barnes & Noble opened in the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough (which closed in 2019), many of his customers responded by saying they simply wouldn’t shop there.

But he acknowledged that many in this sector have not been as fortunate because they haven’t had that same level of community support.

“We did have people who used to come in and say, ‘we used to have a bookstore like this in our town, but it closed,’” he told BusinessWest. “And we would have to bite our tongue because we knew that they did not support it, and that’s why it closed.”

He believes that community support stems from his ability to provide something other than just books. When asked to describe it, he said it’s an experience, a friendly atmosphere … something that consumers just can’t get when they order books online or when they visit the national chains.

“I like to say that Barnes & Noble sells books, but they’re not really a bookstore,” said Tannenbaum, who cut his teeth at the famous (and now-closed) Gotham Book Mart in Manhattan, adding that facilities that do fall into that category, like his, provide value in many different ways.

There are tangibles and intangibles, all of which come out in the documentary, and also in BusinessWest’s talk with Tannenbaum, during which he said nothing pleases him more than being able to connect a customer with a book.

He is still able to do that because of a GoFundMe campaign, which not only gave him the capital to remain open and actually expand his business, but generated more material for that documentary, which was originally inspired by Tannenbaum’s book My Years at the Gotham Book Mart.

Indeed, filming for that production continued all through the spring and summer of 2020, the height of the pandemic, he said, adding that it captures not just the struggles of trying to do business at that time, but the connection he had created between his store and the community — and that community’s refusal (that’s the best word to describe it) to let the story end there.

He added that the film has been good for business in many respects, but especially because it has put his store on the map.

“After the movie came out, I’ve had people visiting from all over the country,” he said. “I’m on the list of places to go; you come to the Berkshires, you go to the Norman Rockwell Museum; you come to New England, you have to go the Bookstore in Lenox, because they’re the ones they made the movie about.”

 

The Last Word

As she talked with BusinessWest, Grenier repeatedly flipped through a few file folders full of materials on the history of the Odyssey Bookshop — photos, newspaper clippings, and other archival material, including, she believes, a copy of that letter she sent out all those years ago — GoFundMe before GoFundMe.

She’s pulling all this together for 60th-anniversary celebrations that will begin around commencement time at Mount Holyoke and continue for the rest of the year.

There were many times during its history when a 60th anniversary seemed a long shot, and at times, maybe a really long shot.

But the store, which has certainly lived up to its name, has preserved, through fires, new and daunting competition, technology, and, yes, a pandemic.

When asked why hers wasn’t one of those bookstores that closed in the ’90s, or even more recently, Grenier said simply, “because my community supported me — people wanted a bookstore here.”

And it is this simple formula that will determine how many of these landmark facilities get to write new chapters in their intriguing stories.

Matt Garrity Focuses on Continued Growth as He Takes Helm at Florence Bank

By
Matt Garrity
Banking and Financial Services Special Coverage

Forward-looking Statements

Matt Garrity

Matt Garrity

 

Matt Garrity says it was a few years ago, when he was established in his role as executive vice president and chief lending officer at Premier Financial Corp. in Ohio, that he determined that the next logical career step would be to preside over his own bank.

As time went on, and the calls from recruiters started multiplying, the major questions to be answered concerning this ambition were … where, and what?

The ‘where’ involved geographic regions, and Garrity had his preferences, especially the Northeast — he grew up in Lee. As for the what … he desired to be at a bank with a long history, a solid track record, a strong growth pattern, and a plan to continue along that path.

Not long after being encouraged to consider succeeding Kevin Day as president and CEO of Florence Bank, he concluded that all of those boxes could be checked — with authority.

“It’s a perfect fit — this is such a great bank, and it’s got a terrific board,” said Garrity, adding that there many things that stood out about the institution. “From a financial standpoint, this is a very strong and well-positioned bank, and what also came across loud and clear in my conversations with the board was what a great culture this organization has; this is a very customer-focused, community-minded culture that we have here, and a very engaged workforce.”

Garrity, who arrived at the bank in January, takes the helm at a very intriguing time in its history. Indeed, the institution will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year — May 6 is the actual anniversary date. It will mark the occasion in a number of ways and over the course of the year, he said, adding that the planning process is well underway, and details will emerge in the coming weeks.

“We’ll look to continue to grow the bank in Western Massachusetts, looking for opportunities to grow not only in Hampden County, where the bank has started to grow in recent years — we’ll look to continue that strategy — but also with our commercial business within the bank.”

Meanwhile, the institution that started as Florence Savings Bank to serve that growing village has moved well beyond its roots, most recently with a push into Hampden County. Where the next steps in that progression will take place have yet to be determined, but they will likely be in that corner of Western Mass., said Garrity, adding that, like most institutions, Florence is eying controlled, orderly growth, not growth for growth’s sake.

“We’ll want to continue that growth pattern in Hampden County,” he said, noting that branches opened the past several years in Springfield, West Springfield, and, most recently, Chicopee. “That’s certainly on the drawing board for us.”

For this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, BusinessWest talked at length with Garrity about his new assignment and his vision — still very much in the formative stages — for the next 150 years for this Western Mass. institution.

 

Points of Interest

Garrity said he’s spent his entire career in financial services, most of it focused on the commercial-banking side of the spectrum. It was at Premier Financial Corp. that he started taking on additional responsibilities and work in areas “other than the one I grew in,” as he put it, which put him on a path to the corner office at Florence Savings.

Among these areas was residential lending, he said, adding that gaining traction in this and other realms created learning experiences on a number of levels, not just adding lines to a résumé.

“That was a real step in my career,” he said. “Being able to work effectively and work with the team and run that business successfully was something that was really important in my career development.

Florence Bank’s branch on Allen Street

Florence Bank’s branch on Allen Street in Springfield is one of three in Hampden County, where additional expansion is expected in the coming years.

“As careers go on their paths like they do, and your responsibilities begin to grow and you get exposed to new businesses that maybe you weren’t the subject-matter expert in, and you begin to show your ability to effectively manage those businesses and work with the people in those businesses, that’s when you start to think that you can do this on a broader level,” he said, adding that it was several years ago that he considered himself both ready and willing to consider those calls from recruiters asking him to consider bank-presidency positions.

And there were many of them in recent years, Garrity noted, adding that he was, in a word, selective about which ones to pursue.

“Not every bank CEO position was in a part of the country that my wife and I would be comfortable going to, or you really wanted to go to, since we had optionality,” he told BusinessWest. “We were somewhat selective about the ‘where,’ the ‘what,’ and the ‘who’ we would be working with.”

As noted earlier, Florence, now with $2 billion in total assets, checked many of the boxes on his list, especially financial strength, corporate culture, and a long history of service to, and involvement in, the community.

In recent years, that word ‘community’ has come to mean much more than Florence, he said, and its definition will continue to broaden in years to come.

As he talked about the bank’s growth strategy and the next steps in that plan, Garrity acknowledged that there is a great deal of competition in the region, and it comes with institutions of all sizes, from smaller community banks — Florence is still in that category — to very large regional and national banks, like Chase, which just opened a branch in downtown Springfield and will soon open another in Northampton (see story on page 18). But he also acknowledged that banks like Florence need to continue growing at a time when size certainly does matter.

Florence Bank’s branch on Allen Street in Springfield is one of three in Hampden County, where additional expansion is expected in the coming years.

“We’ll look to continue to grow the bank in Western Massachusetts, looking for opportunities to grow not only in Hampden County, where the bank has started to grow in recent years — we’ll look to continue that strategy — but also with our commercial business within the bank.”

 

Taking Things into Account

Florence currently has 12 branches, nine in Hampshire County and those three in Hampden County. Future growth will likely be within that footprint, Garrity said, adding that, while several area banks have ventured into Northern Connecticut, Florence has no immediate plans to follow suit.

“As we look to continue to build the franchise, we’ll be strategic about that and determine what makes the most sense for us, and where the Florence Bank story makes the most sense for the community and for the bank.”

Despite advances in technology and the ability of consumers to do much of their banking remotely, he added, there is still a place for brick-and-mortar branches, for reasons that include everything from quality of service to marketing.

“Branches are more than deposit-taking propositions,” Garrity noted. “Not only do they represent the bank out of the market, it’s a place for outbound activity, for a bank to get out in the community and to make its presence felt.

“I think branch banking is really evolving,” he went on. “For us, that doesn’t mean we need a branch in each and every town and on every corner — that wouldn’t be our model — but we’ll need more in Hampden County to get the most out of our network.”

Within this very crowded banking marketplace, Florence has what Garrity describes as some competitive advantages.

“It gets down to people,” he explained. “As we look at what our strategic advantages are as we compete in these markets, we have terrific people, and that’s always a big strength that we’re going to have. We’re also very locally focused; the deposit dollars that we take in from Hampshire County and Hampden County are being redeployed in Hampshire County and Hampden County, and from a philanthropic perspective, this organization is focused on these communities as well.

Florence Bank’s branch in Chicopee

Florence Bank’s branch in Chicopee is the latest addition to the portfolio.

“Over the past five years, this organization has donated to charitable causes in this region close to $3 million,” he went on. “So there’s a significant commitment that we have, and this is part of what helps us continue to be relevant over these past 150 years. One of the founding principles of the bank back in 1873 was ‘neighbors helping neighbors,’ and that’s as important to us today as it was back then.”

People, meaning the team at the bank, are also a key component in the growth strategy for the commercial-lending side of the ledger, said Garrity, adding that there is no shortage of competition in this realm, either.

“It’s the people that help you stand out, people and the ability to bring solutions. The advantage of working with a bank such as Florence Bank, given our size and what I’ll call our flat structure and local decision making, is we can get the right people around a table to make a good, common-sense answer for our client — a custom solution. That is a distinct advantage that we would have over some of our larger competitors that are more decentralized and a little more pigeonholed from a policy perspective.”

He noted that the commercial market was strong in 2022 because many businesses that were on the fence decided to move ahead before interest rates went up. They did rise, considerably, and these increases, coupled with uncertainty concerning the economy and other headwinds, has slowed the commercial market in recent months, he went on, adding that this is a nationwide phenomenon and one that bears watching in the coming months.

The same can be said for the residential market, which has slowed dramatically in recent months — a 28-year low nationwide, in fact — as a result of rising interest rates and low inventory.

 

Bottom Line

Garrity said he’s spent his first few months at Florence engaging with his team at the bank, looking for opportunities to engage in the community, and “learning the bank,” as he put it.

“I’m asking a lot of questions and listening for the answers,” he noted, adding that what he’s heard so far is that this institution is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that will present themselves in the months and years to come.

“We have a great team, and we have a really good bank in a very good position,” he said. “And we’ll plenty of opportunity to continue to do great things here and great things for our customers, so I’m excited; 150 years is a great accomplishment for this organization — and for this community that has supported us. We have more than 50,000 customers that support this bank in the communities we serve, and we want to continue to serve them for another 150 years.”

 

How to Teach Your Teens and Young Adults About Money

By Contributor
Special Coverage Wealth Management

Learning Opportunities

By Barbara Trombley, MBA, CPA

One of my most frustrating issues with being a parent is the lack of school education regarding money and personal finance. My children were required to take history, trigonometry, English, and numerous other courses, but they were never required to take a class about personal finance. I would argue that this knowledge is just as important.

This oversight leaves the instruction about personal finance to parents, and many parents are not good with their own money, resulting in generational problems with financial matters.

How can we teach our kids to have good financial habits? What does that mean? Obviously, modeling good financial behavior is an obvious start. Have a budget and stick to it. Contribute regularly to a retirement plan. Do not be afraid to discuss money in front of your kids. Talk about your household income and household bills and how much of your paycheck goes to taxes, retirement savings, and your emergency fund. Discuss vacations, how much they cost, and how you are saving for them.

One of my favorite ways to involve my children in money talks was to take them with me to the grocery store. I would show them how to shop for generic items, compare unit costs and sizes of items, and use coupons. In general, we should take the stigma out of money discussions and make spending and saving discussions easier to have.

Discussions with your children are not the only way to teach them about good financial practices. Here is a list of eight ways to teach good financial habits.

 

• Let your teen earn money. They don’t need to get an actual job, although I would recommend this at some point. Your teen can work around the house, cut the grass, do odd jobs, etc. The idea is to get them used to managing their own money. Once they are regularly earning, you can teach them to set aside money for short-term saving (maybe to purchase a big item), long-term saving (maybe for college), and spending now. If they are receiving a paycheck, it is a great opportunity to discuss taxes and Social Security and Medicare withholdings.

• Open a bank account. It’s a great idea to have a child manage their own savings account. Many little ones start with a piggy bank for odd change. When the birthday or allowance money starts to accumulate, it is time for a bank account. Make sure to have access so that you can monitor the account. When the teen gets their first job, they can have their paycheck deposited in a checking account.

• Get a debit card. When your teen gets a checking account, it is the perfect time to get a debit card. They can practice using it and seeing purchases impact the account balance. Your child can get an online login to their bank account and learn to watch the activity.

• Help them set a budget. Teens are notoriously frivolous. Starbucks, dining out, shopping, video games — there are so many more ways for our teens to spend their money than we had as young adults. Discuss with your teens how many hours they would need to work to buy a grande Frappuccino at Starbucks. Talk about how long they would need to save to go to a big concert. If it is easier to illustrate, find an app for budgeting. There are many available.

• Consider credit cards. This is a tricky one. Each of my children was given an additional card on our account when they were 16. This card came with explicit instructions (from mom and dad) on how and when it was to be used, as my husband and I were ultimately responsible for the bill. Our kids understood that the card could easily be taken away if misused. This was a gentle introduction to credit and allowed them to establish a credit score (see the next tip). You could also start with a pre-paid credit card on which you put a certain amount. When each of our children were juniors in college, we helped them apply for their own credit cards. By this time, their money skills were good, and they understood the importance of paying the bill monthly.

“In general, we should take the stigma out of money discussions and make spending and saving discussions easier to have.”

Barbara Trombley

Barbara Trombley

• Explain credit score. Many teens and young adults do not understand the need to build credit. Emphasize that, by using credit responsibly, your teen will build credit and increase their credit score, which is imperative when it is time to finance a car or a house. Explain how people with the best scores are given the lowest interest rates when looking to make large purchases.

• Discuss compound interest. This topic can apply to both credit cards and investments. Explain to your teen how compound interest (paying interest on the interest from last month’s bill) can make a large credit card balance even bigger over time. Consequently, compound interest is your friend when dealing with investment accounts. Earning interest on the interest generated year over year is how many people grow their investments.

• Discuss paying for college. Another hot topic that too many parents avoid is who is going to pay for college and how. Teens need to be included in the discussion about college tuition and debt from an early age. If expectations are set about how much college costs and how much you can contribute, disappointment with a college choice can be managed. Also, one of the absolute worst financial mistakes a parent can let their teen make is to choose a college without regard to the financial burden on both the parents and the student. Letting an 18-year-old be unknowingly responsible for college debt can set them up for a lifetime of money troubles.

If your teen is really interested, find online classes that teach financial literacy. Also, look for books in your library. Particularly savvy teens can open investment accounts easily online and start investing with a minimum deposit. There are many ways to educate our children, and we need to take the responsibility for their financial education.

 

Barbara Trombley, MBA, CPA is a principal with Wilbraham-based Tromblay Associates; (413) 596-6992. Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Trombley Associates, a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial. This material was created for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as ERISA tax, legal, or investment advice.

Businesses Look to Ride Momentum at Annual Home & Garden Show

By
Dave Coyne
Home Improvement Special Coverage

The Surge Continues

By Elizabeth Sears

Dave Coyne

Dave Coyne (right) says the Home & Garden Show has been beneficial to his business.

A ‘COVID bump.’

That’s what some in the home-improvement industry call that surge in business that accompanied the pandemic nearly three years ago now.

“It’s been kind of amazing; I think the industry had a sort of bump when, sadly, people stayed home and conserved their money and their time outside of their home,” said Deb Kelly, staff designer at Modern Kitchens in Agawam, which specializes in start-to-finish kitchen and bathroom renovations.

“Then, maybe they looked around and thought their home was a little shabby, and they could pick some things up,” she went on. “Since they weren’t taking cruises or going out to dinner as much, they said, ‘let’s do these projects that we’d really love to accomplish.’ We’re still feeling the effects of that; we’re going into a strong 2023.”

Yes, the COVID bump, or whatever one chooses to call it, still has some legs to it, and this bodes well for area businesses across the very broad spectrum of home improvement, many of which are gearing up for the 68th Western Mass. Home & Garden Show on March 23-26 — and expecting to come away from that event with more prospective customers.

Tony Witman, owner of property-management company Witman Properties in Holyoke, said he recognizes that, despite these beneficial trends in this sector, services are not necessarily going to sell themselves — which is where the Home Show comes in.

“Since they weren’t taking cruises or going out to dinner as much, they said, ‘let’s do these projects that we’d really love to accomplish.’ We’re still feeling the effects of that; we’re going into a strong 2023.”

“Many of the services we provide are same-day or next-day, whether it’s plumbing, electrical, HVAC … and I don’t think homeowners get that level of service by just flipping through the internet calling people,” he said, noting that the event offers an immediate response to their inquiries from a professional contractor. “I think there’s value.”

Indeed, it seems the value of the Home Show goes beyond in-person contact. There is a unique human aspect to local clients brainstorming renovations with local home-improvement businesses. That’s where Home & Hearth Remodeling in West Springfield got its motto, “a craftsman who cares.”

“When I interview people, I just look at them and think, ‘is this person a craftsman, and do they care about their work? Do they care about doing a good job? Do they care about getting better in learning? Do they care about the customer who’s home? Do they care about the people they’re working with?’ Those are all important,” owner Dave Coyne explained. “We have a very low turnover, and we generally have pretty experienced people working for us — and they stick around.”

Coyne joined the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass. (HBRAWM) — which stages the annual Home Show — when he moved to the area, and said it has been a great resource. He began at the show as a solo practitioner, but as his company has grown, he’s added more staff, and now has “a proper business,” as he called it, and his company has increased its presence at the show, with its booth becoming “a little bit fancier” year after year.

Tom Cerrato

Tom Cerrato says the pandemic-fueled surge in home improvement is still going on.

“We still have just a single booth this year, which we are in the process of refurbishing,” he explained. “Next year, we’re contemplating actually getting two side by side to focus part of the home show on decks and outdoor work, and then the other part on the interior remodeling and additions.”

 

Captive Audience

It’s a plan that reflects the event’s flexibility and opportunities to showcase one’s offerings to an enthusiastic audience, many of them actively shopping for services.

And many vendors are still seeing that COVID (or, perhaps, post-COVID) bump.

“People are still thinking about staycations, right? That buzzword is still out there,” said Andy Crane, executive director of HBRAWM. “Even though COVID is in the rearview mirror, it made people rethink how they’re going to live. A lot of these companies did pretty well during the pandemic, during the height of it, because people were investing in their homes because they weren’t going away.”

And they’re still investing, said Tom Cerrato, branch manager at Kelly-Fradet Lumber in East Longmeadow. “When the pandemic started, we went back and forth on whether we’d even stay in business, but fortunately for us, it turned out to be a boom because there were so many people who stayed home, stopped traveling, and had those extra funds to spend, and fortunately spent it on an industry that benefited us — home improvement and building. It’s been very good for us the last few years.”

In the years Kelly-Fradet has participated in the Home Show, Cerrato said the event has created strong brand awareness among a receptive crowd.

“It’s a good-sized booth, and our presence gives us good branding locally. We get to be top of mind with customers in our market, and a lot of them are making large purchases for their home, decks, windows, kitchens, doors, a lot of stuff. So we like to be in front of them as they start their projects.”

“We get to be top of mind with customers in our market, and a lot of them are making large purchases for their home, decks, windows, kitchens, doors, a lot of stuff. So we like to be in front of them as they start their projects.”

First-time Home Show vendor Witman Properties, is exhibiting this year due to the visibility and tangibility of meeting potential clients, and making that personal connection that others described as being vital to good business.

“There’s so much online marketing, and I think people in general might be getting a little burned out from just looking at their screens and their phones all the time,” Witman said. “We figure it’s a really good chance to get in front of people. A lot of people see our trucks driving around, and they see our signs … but they don’t know who we really are. So it’s a good way to get out there and meet the local people in the communities we service.”

Crane can relate. “I have never bought anything off the internet. I will drive three hours on a Saturday morning to go see a safe in Rhode Island before I buy it off the internet.”

That’s one of the show’s main draws for a company like Eastern Security Safe in West Springfield, Crane explained. “What is the value? If I was Eastern Security Safe, I would say the value is people can touch and feel my safe. They feel the quality. They want to see my face; they want to talk to me and negotiate face to face. You can’t negotiate to a computer too well, and when nothing shows up or something is dented or scratched, you don’t even know who to talk to.”

That’s not to say technology is a hindrance to local businesses gaining customers; sometimes, it is a great help. With the availability of home-improvement inspiration online, clients often come to the Home Show prepared with ideas and visions of what improvements they would like to achieve.

“I think one unique aspect we have is this — a lot of times people have images in their head of what they would like their kitchen or bathroom to look like,” Kelly said. “Many will walk in with their phone starting to scroll and show me things they’ve researched, that they’d like to try to accomplish in their own home.

“That’s where we sit down with them and pull together all those puzzle pieces, and actually physically lay them out on the tabletop — ‘here’s your door, here’s your countertop, here’s the paint color, here’s your tile that we’re going to use,’” she went on. “It really allows them to pull the whole project together and turn it into more of a reality instead of just a pretty picture they found on their phone.”

She went on to note the large volume of contacts Modern Kitchens has made as a result of being a vendor at the Home Show over the years. The company has followed up with all of them, converting many into customers.

“We’ve met some really nice people who were at the Home Show with some project in mind,” Kelly said. “It’s like talking to qualified leads, really.”

 

Get Out There

Crane said the Home & Garden Show is a personal experience in another way: many attendees turn it into a social gathering with family or friends.

Before he was actually in charge of it, “we would go all the time to the Home Show, spend two or three hours, then go to some local restaurant. People consider it a social event.”

The vitality of the Home Show — booth sales are way up (see sidebar on page 33) — accurately reflects the booming prosperity of the industries represented at the show. However, substantial business often means substantial wait times, one downside to this ongoing surge. Clients may find themselves disappointed with long wait times before they see their renovation plans come to fruition — but so far, that hasn’t seemed to deter their willingness to book projects far in advance.

Over the past few years, Kelly said, “people were willing to wait; I think the industry was busy, so people could accept a timeline that was a little further out. When you want to do a project, you’re a little antsy, you make the decision — ‘yes, let’s move forward with this, we have the money, let’s do it’ — and many people who normally would want to have a start date within a couple of weeks have been willing to wait because the industry is busy.”

As a result, Modern Kitchens has been able to schedule a full year’s worth of business from the Home Show. Coyne echoed this experience, having also received large amounts of business from previous shows.

“I get enough business from the Home Show to carry me through the year. We always get plenty of good leads,” he said. “After this last Home Show … I’m not joking, we were probably still following up with leads four months or more afterwards. We have jobs that we are starting in April — we actually have a job that we just started today — that I think came from the Home Show last year.”

The 68th presentation of the Western Mass. Home & Garden Show will take place in the Better Living Center building at the Eastern States Exposition, with displays in the outdoor area. This year’s show hours are Thursday and Friday, March 23-24, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 25, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, March 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

General show admission is $10 for adults, and children under 12 are admitted free. A coupon reducing admission to $7 can be found on the show’s website. Active military and veterans will receive free admission on Thursday, March 23. Parking on the Eastern States Exposition grounds costs $5 per vehicle.

 

 

 

 

Home Show Has Evolved in Many Ways

 

As Andy Crane perused a list — a very long list — of vendors at the 68th annual Western Mass. Home & Garden Show, he made a point of picking out a bunch that may surprise some attendees.

A chiropractor. A healing and spiritual-development center. Gourmet food producers. Makers of jewelry and accessories.

“That’s a cool theme this year,” said Crane, executive director of the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass., which stages the annual show at the Eastern States Exhibition, slated this year for March 23-26. “It’s not just roofing and siding and patios. It’s home life.”

The annual event sees all types of attendees who visit for a variety of reasons, he noted. Attendees typically fall into one of several categories:

• People planning to buy or build a new home, who may visit with builders, real-estate agents, financial institutions, and sellers of component products, such as hardwood flooring, tile, and appliances;

• People planning to remodel or renovate, who may want to check in with all of the above, plus vendors of replacement components such as windows and doors, as well as appliances, wall treatments, and home furnishings;

• Yard and garden enthusiasts, who tend to be interested in lawn and landscaping services; wall, walk, and edging components and materials; and trees, shrubs, flowers, and seeds;

• Committed renters, who have no plans to own a house, but may be interested in space-conservation and space-utilization products, as well as home furnishings;

• Impulse buyers, who flock to vendors of home décor, arts and crafts, cooking and baking products, jewelry, and personal goods; and

• Lifestyle-conscious individuals, who like to check out trendy, high-tech, or time-saving products, as well as home furnishings and products focused on self-improvement, fitness, and health.

It’s those last two categories that many people don’t often think of when they consider who wants to set up shop at the show.

“The Home & Garden Show is really about taking care of you and your family in your home. Quality of life is a good way to put it.”

“B-Well and Thrive is one company that’s going to be very interesting,” Crane said of the Hampden-based wellness practice, which will feature bioenergetic testing, therapeutic crystal mats, and the expertise of holistic practitioner Colleen Mancuso at its booth, among other offerings.

Then there’s Adult & Teen Challenge Greater Boston, which will be on hand to talk about resources to treat addiction, a scourge that affects far too many families in Massachusetts.

“I feel terrible for any family that has to go through that. They often don’t know where to turn,” Crane said. “But here’s at least one company — and there are many more than one — that is addressing it publicly so that people will have someone to turn to.”

Or, on a lighter note, Own Your Own Arcade Game, a national company that … well, the name pretty much describes it: they sell full-size, stand-up arcade games for the home. “They realized they found a niche that works, and they’re buying a booth,” Crane said.

In all these cases and more, from personal health and wellness to just plain fun, vendors aren’t selling building supplies and home-improvement services, Crane added. “The Home & Garden Show is really about taking care of you and your family in your home. Quality of life is a good way to put it.”

Andy Crane

Andy Crane says the Home Show isn’t just about home improvement, but lifestyle improvement as well.

Fran Beaulieu, vice president of Phil Beaulieu & Sons Home Improvement Inc. in Chicopee — and president of this year’s Home & Garden Show — can appreciate the ways in which the event has evolved, as his company has been participating as a vendor for almost seven decades.

“The value has changed over the years,” he told BusinessWest. “Everyone has a smartphone, so they don’t necessarily need a home show, but we’ve noticed something over the past several years: in the early days, it was about generating leads because it was really hard to get in front of everybody. Nowadays, with such a huge customer base, we’re rekindling old relationships.”

He can cite many instances of meeting a former customer for, say, a roofing project, they get to talking, and by the end of the conversation, she’s ordering patio doors.

In fact, about 70% of Phil Beaulieu & Sons’ projects last year were repeat customers, and “we think the Home Show is huge for that because we get a lot of the same people coming back every year and buying something new — not to mention, we do a lot of work for people who have booths. Not everyone is in the roofing, siding, and windows business, so we do work for garage-door guys, and we cultivate those relationships.”

Fran Beaulieu

Fran Beaulieu’s company has been involved with the Home Show for almost seven decades.

Another category of show attendees are those who attend purely for fun, who may arrive without an agenda but often develop ideas for future purchases and home products. Not only might they make a connection on a traditional improvement project, but they might find something unique, in realms like home entertainment, security, and energy efficiency.

“A high point of this year’s show will be energy,” Crane said. “Everyone knows their energy bills have gone up, specifically electricity. Energy is a big buzzword; everyone’s talking about it, and the building industry has to react to it.”

Of course, many vendors are producing not high-tech innovations, but quality craftsmanship in time-honored fields, like American Rustic Woodworks of Spencer. “People are asking for that, too,” Crane said. “It’s beautiful stuff — and where do you go to get it?”

That, in the end, may be the one unchanging draw of the Home & Garden Show — bringing together, in one space, old and new disciplines in every possible aspect of home improvement and, yes, quality of life at home.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get all that on a computer,” Crane said. “Here, you can certainly talk to the salesperson, owner, what have you, and feel like you’re leaving with an answer.”

 

 

 

UMass Amherst’s LARP Program Aims to Create a More Sustainable Future

By
Robert Ryan
Architecture Special Coverage

Surveying the Landscape

Robert Ryan

Robert Ryan stands on the green roof of the John W. Olver Design Building.

 

It’s called Valley on Board.

The effort is part of a federally funded project by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) that involves a comprehensive assessment and strategic planning of transportation routes, services, and facilities throughout the region, one that aims to inform the design of a sustainable transit system to support economic vitality across the Pioneer Valley into the future.

One goal of Valley on Board (VoB) is to develop a route redesign that will serve the PVTA and the Pioneer Valley for at least 20 years into the future while achieving goals such as increased ridership, improved efficiency, and enhanced accessibility and equity of the system.

Since the summer of 2021, graduate students under the guidance of Camille Barchers, assistant professor of Regional Planning at UMass Amherst, have been working with the PVTA on the VoB initiative.

“They did many, many public participation activities to get people’s feedback across the region about what they wanted, what’s working, what’s not working. And they also did mapping of routes to find what areas are served and what areas can be served better,” said Robert Ryan, professor and chair of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP), the innovative, cross-disciplinary department at UMass whose graduates — and, often, current students — are impacting communities everywhere in disciplines like urban planning, sustainable living, climate resilience, transportation planning, and others.

“Landscape architects are licensed by the state to do work on designing landscapes — it could be with a building, without a building, campus-planning work, stormwater management, schoolyard design, streetscapes, large-scale open-space planning, that sort of thing,” Ryan explained. “Regional planning is for students who may want to work as municipal planners in the Commonwealth or with a regional planning agency or as a planning consultant; it’s similar to an urban planning degree.”

The Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning department provides professionally accredited degrees (MRP, MLA, BSLA); a sustainable community development degree that UMass touts as one of the most innovative sustainability-focused undergraduate degrees in the country; a skills-based, two-year associate of landscape contracting degree; and a PhD in regional planning. The department’s website claims that “we research, design, teach, and do community outreach to create sustainable solutions to complex problems.”

To that end, students have worked on greenway rail-trail projects in the region, new park and plaza design and redevelopment, residential design, office-plaza design, and public work for cities and towns, Ryan said, through entities like the UMass Design Center in Springfield, which engages in research and projects to create healthier, more sustainable, more walkable cities.

“That’s the landscape-architecture side,” he went on. “On the planning side, they might work on transportation planning, economic development, or land-use planning for a municipality. Certainly in this region, you often find you’re working in places that are built, so it might be a redevelopment project within a larger town or city.”

Students work on climate-change adaptation planning as well, Ryan said. “With the impact climate change is having everywhere, how can we adapt to that changing climate? And how do we sort of mitigate climate impacts by the development we’re doing?”

He said a combined Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning department may be uncommon in secondary education, but the projects and issues students and graduates tackle lend credence to the model. And those issues are only becoming more prominent.

“The way that municipalities approach this sort of thing has created an evolution of the program as well,” he told BusinessWest. “When you look at city planning these days, the importance of sustainability and some of the environmental focus have shifted in just the time I’ve been here. There are so many sustainability officers doing hazard-vulnerability plans for municipalities, doing climate-change vulnerability plans. I think cities are more attuned to that impact and how they should plan for it.”

Cities are particularly interested in alternative transportation, he noted, from bike lanes and enhanced train and bus service to creating more pedestrian access and walkable downtowns.

“The master planning for many cities is to make them more walkable and use more public transportation to make it more habitable. That’s an equity issue and a safety issue as well, because if you don’t own a car, or you can’t afford a car, and you need to take the bus and then walk to work or school, then you need a safe place to do that. There are a lot of federal funds and state funds to help cities do that.”

 

Evolving Picture

Graduates of LARP work in a number of intriguing fields, some of them centered on climate resilience.

“That’s what I’m most involved in,” Ryan said. “Green infrastructure is using natural systems to clean stormwater to provide climate-change adaptation to cool urban cities, to deal with water cleansing, that sort of thing. That’s a big issue in a lot of our cities that have EPA declarations; we have to clean the water up in the city, to kind of capture stormwater and treat it — instead of a catchbasin, using natural systems like ponds and pools to collect it, allowing sediment to drain out and cleaning the water before it goes into natural water bodies.”

The John W. Olver Design Building, which houses LARP (more on that later), is a good example, he explained. “There’s water that comes off our roof and adjacent parking lots, and then it’s treated in these rain gardens, these sort of swales around the building.”

Some cities are also making an effort toward urban greening, he added, planting more trees along streets to cool the city and make it more aesthetically pleasing for pedestrians.

Another specialized focus for LARP students is preservation of cultural landscapes, such as cemeteries, historic homes, and state parks. Students have been able to work with the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, and state historical groups on such issues.

“As landscapes change, trees grow, things fall down outside, so can you restore that landscape to something that might have been historically?” Ryan asked, pointing to recent efforts in Franklin Park in Boston as one example. “It was designed over 140 years ago. So there’s parts of that park that have changed over time. So which part do you preserve, and which part can you redevelop? Which parts do you change?”

Many students also develop a passion for biodiversity, he added.

“Can we change the design aesthetic of what’s been planted around our buildings and landscapes to plant more native plants and species that will then promote the biodiversity that’s native to the region? You can have your lawn, which is nice and beautiful, but doesn’t have a lot of biodiversity associated with it, or you can replace it with something that’s native plants and trees, and you can increase the biodiversity associated with that.”

The Olver Design Building reflects that priority as well; it’s a former parking lot that how boasts a green roof featuring native plants. But it’s much more than that.

Touted by UMass as the most technologically advanced cross-laminated timber (CLT) building in the country, the structure opened in 2017 to house three academic units: the department of Architecture, the Building and Construction Technology Program, and LARP.

Built of CLT timber and glue-laminated columns, the 87,000-square-foot facility saves the equivalent of over 2,300 metric tons of carbon when compared to a traditional energy-intensive steel and concrete building. It is one of just two buildings in North America using CLT for wind and seismic resistance.

The building has won numerous awards since its opening, from the WoodWorks Wood Design Awards, where it won Jury’s Choice for Wood Innovation, to the American Institute for Architecture’s (AIA) Committee on the Environment Top Ten Awards. Most recently, the AIA cited the building again with one of its 2023 AIA Awards for Architecture.

“The LEED Gold-certified building was constructed with a cutting-edge composite cross-laminated timber system, taking its cues from the Building and Construction Technology department’s research on mass timber,” the AIA noted. “It is the largest such building in the United States, demonstrating the university’s commitment to sustainability and innovation. The building’s envelope functions as a protective weather jacket that shields its wood structure. A durable rain screen enclosure composed of copper anodized aluminum panels and vertical windows suggest the patterns of historic tobacco barns and the region’s forests.”

 

Passion for Preservation

That language, again, reflects the balance of preservation, development, and sustainability at the heart of LARP studies — and the hearts of its students, who often see this work as mission-driven.

“Especially in our graduate programs, people are sometimes changing careers to come back to school via Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning,” Ryan said. “They’re really devoted to making the world a better place, which might include making cities healthier and greener, or dealing with degraded landscapes and healing them and bringing natural systems back. They could be promoting equity in our cities via more affordable housing or transportation. So there are definitely folks who have that passion to come in and do this sort of work.”

They’re also encountering a strong market for job seekers; Ryan says he posts job openings he comes across every day.

“All the firms I talk to are growing, and they can’t find the employees, so graduates are very sought after,” he added. “We do innovation here, but it’s also practical — when you graduate, you can work as a professional in a public or private office and do this work. And we have a lot of examples in our classes where you’re doing work with real clients, not just as an internship, but as a regular class.”

Like those graduate students working to improve transportation — and quality of life — close to home.

1350 Main St. Melds Art Gallery, Event Space into Unique Facility

By
Evan Plotkin in the 1350 Conference Center.
Commercial Real Estate Special Coverage

Art of the Matter

Evan Plotkin in the 1350 Conference Center.

Evan Plotkin in the 1350 Conference Center.

Evan Plotkin says he decided to call it the ‘Springfield Room.’

That’s because … most all of the paintings on the walls, courtesy of artist John Simpson and his students, depict well-known personalities who either live in the city or have strong connections to it.

It’s a diverse group that includes Herbie Flores, the long-time director of the New England Farm Workers’ Council, as well as philanthropist Lyman Wood, White Lion Brewery founder Ray Berry, and even Plotkin himself, who has become well-known for his work in recent years to being more people — and more vibrancy — to the city’s downtown.

The paintings, all of which are for sale, are just one of the selling points of this facility, part of what is now known as the 1350 Conference Center, one of Plotkin’s latest efforts to re-envision, and repurpose, the property at 1350 Main St., which he co-owns.

The center is located on the ninth floor, in space that had served as what Plotkin called “an informal art gallery and event space” that was used occasionally for fundraisers and other gatherings. It was not marketed or really open to the public, he said, adding that it has been given a facelift to bring another amenity to existing tenants, hopefully attract others, and bring new meeting space to downtown Springfield.

And Plotkin believes the timing is right for such an undertaking. After more than two years of COVID, he noted, gatherings of all sizes and types are becoming more prevalent as the region continues to move beyond the pandemic, even at a time when most meetings have at least some type of remote component.

“The artwork in here is spectacular, and combining an event space with a gallery made a whole lot of sense.”

“Most meetings are hybrid now,” he noted. “You have people who can attend the meeting live, and there’s an opportunity to bring in others via Zoom. With such formats, your meetings tend to be better-attended, but most groups are gathering in-person again.”

Plotkin acknowledged that there are several meeting spaces in the region, including others in downtown Springfield, but nothing quite like the one he has created.

Indeed, it is different because of the art, he said, but also the location, in the center of downtown, and the amenities, including state-of-the-art equipment and new furniture.

“The artwork in here is spectacular, and combining an event space with a gallery made a whole lot of sense,” he noted. “And the response I’m getting from social media and the tenants who have been up here has been very positive; people are excited about it.”

Meanwhile, the new conference center is not the only intriguing development at 1350 Main St.

Indeed, Plotkin said he has several new tenants coming in that will turn on the lights on floors that have been dark, or mostly dark, for several years.

art adorning the Springfield Room

Just some of the art adorning the Springfield Room at the 1350 Conference Center.

The long-vacant sixth floor is now home to lawyers and support staff with the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Meanwhile, the Department of Children and Families is poised to sign a lease to take the seventh and eighth floors and part of the 15th. In all, roughly 60,000 additional square feet will be under lease by the summer, he said, adding that these new additions should help bring more foot traffic to downtown businesses and help them make a full recovery from COVID.

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest talked with Plotkin about the new conference center and other developments, literally and figuratively, at 1350 Main St.

 

Drawing Interest

Plotkin told BusinessWest that he recently took a prospective tenant through the building for a detailed look-see. The last stop on the tour was the re-envisioned ninth floor.

“After going through, they said, ‘where do we sign?’” he recalled, adding that the business in question stages training programs on a regular basis and needs such a facility.

A desire to solicit such responses was one of the motivating factors for renovating the space, said Plotkin, adding that, overall, he believes there is room for additional meeting and event space in the region, especially something that falls into the category of ‘different.’

The art makes it so, he said, adding that the works currently on display are mostly from Simpson, a self-described painter, sculptor, muralist, and teacher, whose works can also be found throughout downtown Springfield, on museum and office-building walls and adorning the sides of buildings as well.

But new works from various artists will be rotated in and, hopefully, sold, said Plotkin, adding that the art gives the space a unique, always-changing look.

There are three rooms in the 1350 Conference Center, he said, listing a larger room ideal for presentations and meetings of up to 200 people, and two smaller rooms, including the Springfield Room, that are designed for smaller gatherings, training sessions, team meetings, and more.

“We’re still just moving the pieces around. We need to get some net gains in the downtown, and the region as a whole.”

The space can be used for a variety of different uses, including fundraising events, annual meetings, and even holiday parties, he went on, adding that he only recently opened the space to the public — the sign outside the entrance went up late last month — and has already had a number of inquiries.

“I’m ready now to get the word out to the public and offer it to organizations across the region as another option; I think it’s going to really take off,” he said, adding that the space will be free to tenants of the building, while there will a fee charged to for-profit businesses and a lower fee to nonprofits.

He expects interest to spread through word of mouth, and noted that the space is just one of several intriguing developments at 1350 Main St.

As noted earlier, three long-vacant floors — six, seven, and eight — will have new tenants. The Committee for Public Counsel Services, which includes the Public Defender division, Children and Family Law, and the Youth Advocacy division, will bring close to 100 people to the building. Meanwhile, the Department of Children and Families will bring an additional 200 people to that address.

As they do so, they will do more than activate some long-vacant space, said Plotkin, adding that these additions should help many downtown businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic and the accompanying trend toward remote and hybrid work schedules.

“We’re bringing 320 people downtown — that should make the restaurants happy,” he said, adding that history has shown the importance of the downtown office towers — especially when vacancy rates are low — to the surrounding business community.

With these new additions, 1350 will approach 70% occupancy, said Plotkin, adding that he is exploring all options for the remaining spaces, which include the 16th and 17th floors (the ‘penthouse’), which were occupied by Disability Management Services until last June, and several retail spaces on the ground floor, including the large space last occupied by Santander Bank.

As he goes about trying to fill those spaces, he reiterated his contention that what the city — and the region — need are positive momentum when it comes to absorption, and less movement by existing businesses from building to building.

“We’re still just moving the pieces around,” he said. “We need to get some net gains in the downtown, and the region as a whole.”

 

Imaginative Stroke

Talking in general terms about Springfield, the region, and its business community, Plotkin said there is an ongoing need to be creative and do more to bring people to Springfield and its downtown.

With the new 1350 Conference Center, he believes he’s doing both.

He considers this an exciting new addition to the landscape, event space that is a work of art. Time will tell if it generates the interest he expects it will, but this is certainly shaping up to be an intriguing brush stroke as he fills in the canvas that is 1350 Main.

 

Silicon Valley Bank: Failure and Aftermath

By Contributor
Daily News

Analysis by Jeff Liguori

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a California-based lender, was taken over by the FDIC due to fears of insolvency. The process was one of the swiftest in history.

Silicon Valley Bank was a niche banking franchise founded in 1983 to fill a growing need in the financial-services marketplace. The primary customers of the bank were private equity firms and their principals. Typically, private equity firms (or venture capital, which is a subset of private equity) invest in startup companies, help those companies grow, and eventually, if successful, have those companies go public or get sold in a liquidity event. Liquidity events — or lack thereof — are a critical piece in the demise of Silicon Valley Bank.

As a banking partner to these firms, SVB routinely made loans to its portfolio companies. The bank filled a very specific need: extending credit to companies that were often in growth mode, and not profitable — a distinct customer base that generally could not get credit from traditional commercial banks. As a result, when those private companies either went public or were sold, loans were paid off, and deposits at the bank (proceeds from liquidity events) rose, which created a loyal customer base. And not only was SVB extending credit to these firms, but the bank also held the operating accounts for those growing businesses as well as accounts for its private equity firms’ investors. Balances on such accounts regularly exceeded the FDIC insured level of $250,000. SVB generally held a larger number of uninsured deposits than most banks.

From its founding in 1983 to the end of 2022, with a very narrow customer base, Silicon Valley Bank’s assets grew nearly 25,000%, and its stock price appreciated 7,000%.

What Happened?

Deposits are considered a cheap source of funds for banks. A customer deposits money into his or her account and earns a nominal amount of interest while the bank makes loans against that deposit at a higher interest rate to a borrower. The spread between the two, called the net interest margin, is a major source of revenue for a bank. Deposits are generally invested in a portfolio of bonds by the bank treasurer. Depending on the interest rate environment and the loan liabilities of its customers, a bank generally creates a bond portfolio that allows for an appropriate level of liquidity to fund loans, with minimal volatility. It is crucial to understand that bond prices are inversely correlated to bond yields: as yields rise, bond prices go lower, and vice versa.

In the case of Silicon Valley Bank, the overall level of the bank’s deposits has been highly correlated to IPO activity. From 2015 to 2019, on average, almost 210 companies per year went public, slightly higher than the previous five-year average. In 2020, even with the pandemic, the number of IPOs rose to 480, and in 2021, 1,035 companies went public, the highest number ever recorded in the U.S. Consequently, SVB’s deposit base grew rapidly, from $60 billion at the beginning of 2020 to a peak of almost $190 billion by the first quarter of 2022, an increase of more than 200%. For context, Bank of America’s deposits grew by about 44% in that same time frame.

Not coincidentally, deposits at Silicon Valley Bank peaked in March 2022. As the bank was flooded with deposits, those had to be invested into bonds. But here’s where it got tricky: the rapid rise in short-term interest rates by the Federal Reserve was particularly damaging to SVB’s balance sheet. When banks invest deposits, there are two tranches: securities deemed ‘available for sale’ (AFS) and those ‘held to maturity’ (HTM). AFS are the most liquid and least volatile, with HTM having a longer maturity because the bank doesn’t project those securities will be needed to fund loans.

In 2022, because of weak financial markets, initial public offerings decreased sharply. There were 181 IPOs, the fewest since 2016 and an 80% decrease from 2021. Private companies shelved their exit strategies. That meant many private companies needed to take on additional debt. SVB management greatly underestimated this dynamic. To fund loans, the bank was forced to not only use AFS securities, but HTM as well, which, because of a sharp rise in rates, generated a loss and a hit to their required capital levels. It was a negative cycle, whereby bank management was caught between making decisions based on the adverse effect to its profit margin (selling securities at a loss) to actual solvency as a financial institution as the deposit base shrank — an exponential negative impact to the bank’s capital that quickly spiraled out of control.

After the stock market closed on Wednesday, March 8, Silicon Valley Bank announced an offering to sell additional shares of its own stock to raise capital. The amount targeted to be raised — $1.2 billion — was unusually large considering the market value of the entire company was about $16 billion at that time. After market hours, the price of the stock was lower, but only by about 10%. Investors did not seem terribly worried at that point. When the market opened on Thursday, the stock was already down about 30%, eventually losing 60% of its value that day, which ended up being the last day the stock would ever trade. Unbeknownst to many, the bank run by SVB’s customers had started earlier in the week.

Panic ensued for many customers who had large, uninsured balances at SVB. As one chief financial officer of a private equity firm told me, it was common for him to move substantial sums in and out of the bank. Meanwhile, his firm’s portfolio companies spent last weekend worried about whether they would make payroll in the coming weeks, among other concerns.

At some point, we will know exactly what transpired. Expect as many shareholder lawsuits and congressional hearings as there were for the fall of Lehman Brothers or Enron. But the Silicon Valley story, based on available information, does not seem to be one of corporate malfeasance. Rather, it was a timing issue. Bank management clearly did not anticipate the speed at which rates would rise or the sharp decline in deposits. That dynamic was exacerbated last week as customers heard insolvency rumors and withdrawals accelerated en masse. Interestingly, withdrawals were almost completely done online, an unforeseen consequence of a digital world. Having to wait for a bank teller to make a withdrawal is almost nonexistent, which probably would’ve helped the bank slow the run in this case.

On Sunday night, there was a joint announcement by the FDIC and Treasury that all balances would be insured. Also in that announcement was the news that another financial institution, Signature Bank, was put into receivership by the FDIC. The regulators are probably working overtime to avoid another failure.

Silicon Valley Bank — seen as critical to entrepreneurs and innovators in the economy — was unique. The irony is that past bank failures were due to poor credit decisions. SVB had a duration mismatch of assets and liabilities with a narrow customer base, all of which was adversely affected by higher interest rates and weak financial markets. Bank management should be held responsible, but the difference from a 2008 Lehman or Washington Mutual type of failure was that both those institutions held incredibly risky, or toxic, assets on their balance sheets.

Market Impact

While the issues seem clear today, almost no one anticipated the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Reputable analysts had maintained ‘buy’ ratings on the stock. Goldman Sachs, as recently as three weeks ago, upgraded the company with a $312 price target (it was trading around $275 at the time). The insolvency of this institution was a surprise to nearly the entire investment community.

Silicon Valley Bank was about one-fifth the size of PNC Bank, one of the largest super-regional banks, and about 1/20th the size of Bank of America. It was approximately the same size as Citizens Bank or First Republic Bank in terms of total assets prior to last week. The failure of this institution seems idiosyncratic in nature and not a huge threat to the banking system. The additional insurance measures by the federal government seem appropriate. And now, for very good reason, bank balance sheets are coming under extreme scrutiny in the wake of this historic event.

In an interesting twist, the bond market has rallied and interest rates have gone lower since last Wednesday. The collapse of a meaningful financial institution has actually helped improve the health of many bank balance sheets across the country.

Jeff Liguori is the co-founder and chief Investment officer of Napatree Capital, an investment boutique with offices in Longmeadow as well as Providence and Westerly, R.I.; (401) 437-4730.

Western Massachusetts Passenger Rail Commission Hearing Slated for March 21

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — State Rep. William Straus and state Sen. Brendon Crighton, co-chairs of the Western Massachusetts Passenger Rail Commission, announced the third of six public meetings held by the commission to examine how an expanded Western Massa. Passenger-rail network should be governed, while also considering potential, sustainable funding streams.

The third meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 at 1 p.m. at the Northampton Senior Center, located at 67 Conz St. Members of the public are invited to attend and offer testimony, either in person or virtually. A sign-in sheet will be available at the Northampton Senior Center for people who wish to testify in person.

A livestream of the hearing will be available by clicking here. Remote participants may click on the ‘raise hand’ icon, which will signify to the commission that they wish to be heard virtually.

Phoenix Charter Academy to Host GirlBoss Event to Celebrate Women’s History Month

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In honor of Women’s History Month, Springfield City Councilor Tracye Whitfield will join Phoenix Charter Academy and other local leaders to celebrate the school’s third annual GirlBoss event on Wednesday, March 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Artist Café, 1365 Main St., Springfield.

The public event will feature a panel discussion composed of local women who have distinguished themselves in the fields of business and politics. These leaders — Whitfield; entrepreneur Sharaya Eaton; Nicole Polite, founder and CEO of the MH Group; and Mary Ivy Irrizary, owner of Ivy’s Events — will share their experiences navigating the professional world as women and the lessons they’ve learned while blazing their own trails.

MGM Springfield to Reopen Indian Motorcycle 1901 on March 16

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield announced the reopening of Indian Motorcycle 1901 on Thursday, March 16 at 11:30 a.m. With front doors located on the MGM Springfield Plaza, the store will feature a variety of merchandise from the iconic Springfield-born pioneers of the American motorcycle industry. For the first time, the venue will also sell items from the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Attending the reopening will be MGM Springfield President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Kelley; Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Springfield Thunderbirds President Nate Costa, co-owner Paul Picknelly, and mascot Boomer; and other VIP guests.

The Pandemic: Three Years Later

By
Opinion

Editorial

 

Three years.

It seems like much longer than that, obviously. That’s because the pandemic years, at least the first two, seemed like dog years, each of them four or five years rolled into one.

That’s why so many people who were on the fence decided to retire, including a large percentage of the region’s college presidents and a good number of its nurses. Who could blame them? It was a difficult and, in many ways, exhausting time.

But as we’re set to mark the three-year anniversary of the day when everyone packed up their computer and went home (March 24 seems to be the consensus day), we have to say there is certainly some credence to that old saying — the one about how what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

We’ve said that before in regard to the pandemic and its aftermath, but it bears repeating.

First, though, we need to note that this pandemic did kill a lot of businesses in this region, many, if not most of them, in the retail and hospitality fields — businesses that saw people stop coming to their door and simply couldn’t adjust to that changing landscape.

Which brings us back to those that could adopt and did survive. They are better are off for it, and they are now even better able to withstand change, even rapid, profound change that alters how business is done forever. These businesses have learned to communicate better, to find new and often better ways of doing things, to work together to solve real problems.

Over the past three years, we’ve told countless stories about companies and nonprofits and how they battled through COVID. They are all different, but there are many similarities. Mostly, they involve people looking at a very difficult situation and simply getting creative.

They couldn’t do things the way they always did them, so they had to find other ways. They had to dig deep, overcome adversity, and create solutions. That’s what being in crisis mode — which is what colleges, hospitals, and, yes, many other kinds of businesses were in for at least two full years — is all about.

The challenge, and the opportunity, for businesses now is to continue to apply those lessons and maintain that spirit of problem solving and finding new ways of doing things even when the pandemic is essentially over. And from what we’ve observed, there seems to be a good bit of this going on.

Companies are not going back to the way they did things, because that doesn’t make sense anymore — be it with regard to technology, remote work, hours of doing business, recruiting talent from outside the 413 … all of these things and more. Instead, they are shedding that ‘this is how we’ve done it, so this is how we’ll continue to do it’ mentality.

And they are certainly the better for it.

Looking back, this is what the most successful businesses came away with from the pandemic — an understanding of not just how imaginative and resourceful they can be, but of how imaginative and resourceful they must continue to be moving forward.

 

A Step in the Right Direction

By
Opinion

Editorial

 

Gov. Maura Healey presented her first budget a few weeks back, and it contains some proposals that could help the state navigate its way out of an ongoing workforce crisis.

Chief among them is something called MassReconnect, which would fund free community-college certificates and degrees to Commonwealth residents who are 25 years and older and have not yet earned a college degree.

Based on initiatives in Michigan and Tennessee, MassReconnect actually goes further than those programs by covering more than just tuition; it also covers mandatory fees, books, and various support services. It is designed to remove barriers to getting the college degree that is needed to succeed in most jobs today, and it holds significant promise to do just that.

So do some of Healey’s other proposed investments in higher education, including a 3% increase in public college and university base spending, as well as $59 million to stabilize tuition and fees at the University of Massachusetts and other public institutions.

But it is free community college that is getting the most attention, and rightfully so. In fact, Senate President Karen Spilka has been working on legislation to achieve just that, saying that reducing the cost of getting a degree will help close equity gaps and build a more educated workforce to meet the needs of important industries in Massachusetts..

Indeed, while the bottom-line cost of a community-college education is much lower than at four-year schools, it is still a burden to many and a roadblock when it comes to attaining not just a job, but a career. In that sense, this proposal could open doors to individuals who have seen them closed for one reason or another, while holding considerable potential to bolster the state’s 15 community colleges and the state’s economy as a whole.

Indeed, the Commonwealth’s community colleges, long considered a key component in any region’s economic-development strategy, and especially here in Western Mass., have been struggling of late, and for many reasons.

Smaller high-school graduating classes are just one of them. A strong job market has traditionally had the effect of impacting enrollment at community colleges — they thrived during the Great Recession, for example — and that pattern has held for roughly the past decade or so. Meanwhile, the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped.

This region needs its four community colleges — Berkshire Community College, Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, and Springfield Technical Community College — and it needs them to be strong and vibrant if it is to create, and maintain, a strong pipeline of workers coming into fields ranging from healthcare to cannabis to hospitality.

Meanwhile, community college serves as a place to start one’s secondary education. Many graduates of these schools move on to four-year colleges and degrees that lead to a wider range of job, and career, possibilities. But first, students need to begin.

That’s why this proposal holds such potential. It is designed for non-traditional students, those who haven’t started in college, or who have started but haven’t completed, for one reason or another. These are the individuals who hold the most promise for bringing some real relief to the region’s ongoing workforce crisis, one that is impacting businesses in every sector of the economy.

The concept of free community college has its skeptics, and some will wonder where the money will come from and whether the state can afford to do this.

Looking at matters from an economic-development lens, however, one could argue that the state can’t afford not to do it.

 

Picture This

By
Picture This

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

 

Reaching the Summit

Tonia Butler Perez

The Community College National Legislative Summit on Feb. 5-8 offered Springfield Technical Community College President John Cook and STCC trustees Jynai McDonald and Tonia Butler Perez (pictured at top left) an opportunity to speak with lawmakers about federal priorities, including reducing barriers to receive Pell Grants that help low-income students access higher education. Massachusetts featured a delegation of close to 40 people, including other community-college presidents and trustees as well as staff from the Massachusetts Assoc. of Community Colleges. Pictured at top right, from left: Cook, Butler Perez, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, and McDonald.

 

 

Brainstorming Visit

American International College (AIC) welcomed representatives from Holyoke Community College (HCC) to its Springfield campus on March 2 to celebrate a transfer agreement they signed last summer and brainstorm ideas for future partnerships. HCC President Christina Royal and AIC President Hubert Benitez (pictured at left) and a cadre of faculty and staff from both colleges toured the AIC campus and then sat down to talk over lunch. Last June, the two colleges signed an articulation agreement to make it easier and less expensive for HCC students to transfer to AIC through the latter’s Direct Connect program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closer to the Goal

Last week, Girls Inc. of the Valley hosted a milestone event to provide campaign fundraising updates for its new location at 480 Hampden St. in Holyoke. Mayor Joshua Garcia, state Rep. Patricia Duffy, and (pictured, from left) campaign co-chairs Bernadette Harrigan and Cynthia Medina-Carson made remarks, and the fundraising thermometer sign was updated as the campaign has now reached 90% of its $5 million goal. PeoplesBank will be financing the project through a loan to Girls Inc. of the Valley, in addition to a tax-exempt bond from MassDevelopment. This campaign launched in 2018 with a mission to expand the physical footprint of Girls Inc. of the Valley and establish a permanent headquarters in Holyoke, allowing it to serve a larger community. 

 

 

 

 

Meeting Basic Needs

In partnership with Holyoke Community College (HCC), United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) recently opened a pantry providing shelf-stable food for Holyoke residents in the Picknelly Adult and Family Education Center (PAFEC) at 206 Maple St. The PAFEC Cupboard is open on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment. In a geographic area with significant need for food, this pantry opened just as extra COVID-19 SNAP benefits came to an end on March 2. UWPV also operates the Chicopee Cupboard at 226 Exchange St. in Chicopee, as well as the Springfield Cupboard at 1441 Main St. in Springfield.

 

Chamber Corners

By
Chamber Corners

1BERKSHIRE

(413) 499-1600; www.1berkshire.com

 

March 22: Go Fund U Session #2: “Communicating Your Story,” 5-7 p.m., hybrid event, hosted online or at Berkshire Innovation Center, 45 Woodlawn Ave., Pittsfield. It isn’t just about the money; it’s about building a community, establishing a following, projecting an identity, creating a buzz, and sparking a movement. Learn how to communicate your story effectively to the general public. Start building a community of folks who will come together to bring your project to life and who will be there with you for future endeavors as well. Register at www.1berkshire.com.

March 29: Go Fund U Session #3: “The Bandwagon Effect and VIPs,” 5-7 p.m., hybrid event, hosted online or at Berkshire Innovation Center, 45 Woodlawn Ave., Pittsfield. Create a bandwagon that other folks want to jump onto. Understand how to identify and communicate with your VIPs before launch to increase your chances of reaching your funding goal. In this session, we’ll also discuss setting your funding target, determining reward levels, and strategies for during and after your campaign. This is your opportunity to learn the secret recipe for crowdfunding success. Register at www.1berkshire.com.

 

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 253-0700;
www.amherstarea.com

 

March 30: Margarita Madness, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by Interskate 91 at the Hampshire Mall, 367 Russell St., Hadley. TommyCar Auto Group returns as presenting sponsor. Mix, mingle, and network at our largest signature event of the year. Enjoy an evening of tasty margaritas and vote for your favorite. Local restaurants showcase their fare, and there are dozens of raffles prizes donated by Amherst Area Chamber members. Cost: $35 pre-registered at www.amherstarea.com, $45 at the door.

 

EAST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 575-7230; www.erc5.com

April 4: Coffee Hour Connections with ERC5, 8:30-9:30 a.m., hosted by Hillary Lynn Photography, 200 Center St., Suite 5, Ludlow. Join us as we gather to build relationships and Hillary shares more about the work she is doing with brand imagery that tells a story and connects with your dream clients. Register online at www.erc5.com.

 

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 773-5463; www.franklincc.org

 

March 24: Chamber Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by Terrazza restaurant, 244 Country Club Road, Greenfield. Join us for breakfast at Terrazza as we hear from Ronald Bryant, president of Baystate Regional Hospitals, and learn how Baystate Franklin Medical Center, the sponsor of this event, is transforming the health of our community from the inside out. Cost: $20 for members, $22 for general admission. Visit www.franklincc.org to register.

 

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 594-2101;
www.chicopeechamber.org

 

March 23: Annual Meeting, 8-9:30 a.m., hosted by RiverMills Senior Center, 5 West Main St., Chicopee. This kickoff to our Salute Breakfast Series is presented by Florence Bank, which is celebrating 150 years. Meet our incoming board of directors and hear from Mayor John Vieau and chamber representatives about what’s new for the city and chamber this year. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. To register, visit www.chicopeechamber.org.

 

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 534-3376;
www.holyokechamber.com

 

March 29: After Hours and Ribbon Cutting at Fame, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Fame, 386 Dwight St., Holyoke. Join as we celebrate the grand opening of Fame with small, homemade bites; craft beer and cocktails; and connections. To register, visit www.business.holyokechamber.com/events.

 

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 584-1900;
www.northamptonchamber.com

 

April 4: Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Danco Modern, 10 West St., Hatfield. Our monthly networking get-together is the perfect place to expand your circle of connections in the business community. New to (or nervous about) networking? Join us at 4 p.m. for a Warm Welcome pre-party and get tips from our experts. Sponsored by Reider Media, Delap Real Estate, and Applied Mortgage. First Impressions sponsored by Finck & Perras. This is a free event. Register online at www.explorenorthampton.com.

 

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 568-1618; www.westfieldbiz.org

March 23: Morning Brew, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Shaker Farms Country Club, 866 Shaker Road, Westfield. Join us for a great networking opportunity. Introduce yourself and your business to the attendees. Everyone has a chance to discuss what their business does and what they are looking for to expand and improve.

April 5: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Armbrook Village, 551 North Road, Westfield. Mayor Michael McCabe will update the attendees on City Hall activities, and there will be an opportunity to ask the mayor questions. This event is free to attend. To register, visit www.westfieldbiz.org.

 

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(413) 426-3880; www.ourwrc.com

 

April 4: April Lunch & Learn with ERC5, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Villa Rose, 1428 Center St., Ludlow. Learn from our panelists how to maintain and grow in 2023 and beyond. Hear valuable tips for making every penny count in your business and how to effectively use your dollars to your advantage. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. To register, visit www.ourwrc.com.

Agenda

By
Agenda

First-time Homebuyer Webinar Series

March 15, 16, 23: Greenfield Cooperative Bank is participating with Valley Community Development on a webinar series for first-time homebuyers. In this Zoom webinar, attendees will get the facts from real-estate professionals, including attorneys, loan officers, Realtors, home inspectors, and housing counselors; learn tips about how to improve their credit; and be able to ask questions to help them proceed and protect their own interests as they approach this life decision. Missy Tetreault, AVP and senior mortgage originator, and Kim Gates, mortgage originator, will be panelists at this event. The cost is $50 for two adults in the same household. Registration is non-refundable, and attendance is required at all three sessions. Each session will be hosted via a unique Zoom webinar link from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants will receive the Zoom links on the day of each session. Learn more at www.greenfieldcoopbank.com/events. Register online at www.valleycdc.org.

 

Free Line-cook Training

March 20 to April 21: Holyoke Community College (HCC) will run a new round of free line-cook training classes at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute. The five-week program runs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The program is designed for those already in the restaurant industry who want to upgrade their skills as well as unemployed or underemployed individuals interested in starting new careers. The program, which is free to qualifiying applicants, is taught both online and in person at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute at 164 Race St., Holyoke. Participants will learn all the essential competencies they need to become successful line cooks: knife skills; how to prepare stocks, soups, sauces, desserts, poultry, fish, and meat; culinary math and measurements; moist- and dry-heat cooking methods; as well as workplace soft skills, such as building a résumé and searching for jobs. For more information, contact Laura Smith, HCC job-placement assistant and career-development counselor, at [email protected] or (413) 552-2833, or fill out the inquiry form at hcc.edu/job-ready.

 

World Affairs Council Talk on American Journalists in China

March 21: The World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts will present former CNN Beijing Bureau Chief and Northampton native Mike Chinoy on his new book, Assignment China: An Oral History of American Journalists in the People’s Republic, at a luncheon at noon at the Student Prince in downtown Springfield. The event is open to the public, and the cost is $45, including a buffet lunch. To reserve a space, call (413) 733-0110. The book tells the story of how American journalists have covered China — from the civil war of the 1940s through the COVID-19 pandemic — in their own words. They share behind-the-scenes stories of reporting on historic moments such as Richard Nixon’s groundbreaking visit in 1972, China’s opening up to the outside world and its emergence as a global superpower, and the crackdowns in Tiananmen Square and Xinjiang. Chinoy is a non-resident senior fellow at the U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California. He spent 24 years as a foreign correspondent for CNN, serving as the network’s first Beijing bureau chief and senior Asia correspondent. Before joining CNN, he worked for CBS News and NBC News. He won Emmy, Dupont, and Peabody awards for his coverage of China.

 

EANE Leadership Summit

March 29: The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) will host its annual Leadership Summit on Wednesday, March 29 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. With a focus on navigating the new workforce, the summit will showcase tangible ways leaders can adapt to workplace dynamics that have significantly shifted in the three years since the onset of COVID-19. Faced with myriad workforce challenges — hybrid work, shifting market dynamics, and new attitudes toward work in general, to name a few — leaders in the Northeast may be struggling to keep up with change. In fact, a 2023 Deloitte survey found that only 24% of C-suite executives and board members feel their organizations are ready to make the changes needed to navigate the new workforce. The program will feature an opening keynote from U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Famer Chris Waddell. A Western Mass. native, Waddell’s keynote will share his insights and experience as the first nearly unassisted paraplegic to summit Mr. Kilimanjaro. Waddell’s inspiring presentation will challenge attendees to bring integrity to their leadership responsibilities, even when times get tough. The closing keynote will be presented by Mohammad Anwar and Frank Danna, Wall Street Journal bestselling co-authors of Love as a Business Strategy. Through compelling storytelling, Anwar and Danna will provide attendees with a new, people-first framework for achieving any business outcome. They help leaders achieve better results by transforming behaviors and providing tactics to build high-performing, reliable teams that inspire a feeling of belonging that is led with love. Attendees will also have access to 10 breakout sessions with topics including coaching and development, unlocking one’s potential, mastering time management, engaging multiple generations, avoiding legal landmines, mitigating conflict, leading with empathy, and more. Organizations that register six or more participants get 10% off each registration, reserved seating, a personalized post-summit debrief with a member of EANE staff, and more. Grant funding is available to Massachusetts attendees through the Express Program and Rhode Island attendees through the Incumbent Worker Grant. The program will offer credits for HR Certification Institute and SHRM. Register and learn more at www.eane.org/event/2023-leadership-summit.

 

Difference Makers Gala

April 27: The 15th annual Difference Makers Gala will be held at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Since 2009, BusinessWest has been recognizing the work of individuals, groups, businesses, and institutions through this recognition program. The 2023 Difference Makers was announced, and their stories told, in the Feb. 20 issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. Tickets cost $85 each, and tables of 10-12 are available. To purchase tickets, visit businesswest.com/difference-makers. Partner sponsors for this year’s program include Burkhart Pizzanelli P.C., the Royal Law Firm, TommyCar Auto Group, and Westfield Bank.

 

Pioneer Valley Conference for Women

May 4: The Pioneer Valley Conference for Women will host its first in-person event at the Marriott in downtown Springfield. The theme of the conference is “Let Go.” Leading the speaker lineup are Paulette Piñero, social entrepreneur, writer, and leadership coach, and Yvonne Williams, author of Tested Faith and It’s All About the Shoes. Each will provide a keynote address to an expected audience of more than 300 attendees. The conference highlights topics that were chosen by the women of Western Mass., based on current trends and interests. Alison Maloni, owner of Alison May Public Relations, news anchor for a national network, and bestselling author of Breaking in the News: Build Buzz for Your Brand, will emcee the conference. Local comedian Jess Miller will entertain attendees during a VIP Comedy Kick-off the evening before the conference; tickets cost $35. The cost to attend the Pioneer Valley Conference is $52, which includes breakfast, lunch, a swag bag, and an afternoon celebration with a female DJ and complementary wine and hors d’oeuvres following the full-day conference. The lunch sponsor is M&T Bank. The panel sponsor is Westfield Bank. The network sponsors are Smith Executive Education and USI Insurance. The small-business sponsors are Lovelace Design and Rooted Flowers. Keeping with the goal of accessibility, the conference will also be available virtually for those who are more comfortable watching through a screen. Sessions will be taped for future viewing. For more information on keynote speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and panelists, visit sheslocal.org/pioneer-valley-conference-for-women.

 

Hooplandia

June 23-25: Registration for Hooplandia, a 3×3 basketball tournament and festival, is now open at www.hooplandia.com and includes levels of play for all ages and divisions. The tournament, presented by the Eastern States Exposition (ESE) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will take place on the grounds of ESE in West Springfield June 23-25, with special games at the Hall of Fame in Springfield. The event is expected to attract thousands of fans and players as hundreds of games take place across more than 70 courts. Divisions of play have been created to provide an all-inclusive environment for players of all ages and playing abilities. With brackets that include veterans, first responders, youth, wheelchair athletes, college elites, and many more, there’s a spot on the court for everyone. Players are invited to build teams of four, create their own unique team name and uniforms, and register at www.hooplandia.com. Team fees range from $75 to $190, with children under 8 and participants in the Special Olympics category being free of charge. Hooplandia has teamed up with Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the region as its designated philanthropic partner, providing $10 from every team registration to support the mission and programs of the clubs. Partnership opportunities for Hooplandia are available at a variety of levels to help underwrite all areas of play, including Boys & Girls Club youth, active military, veterans divisions, and more. Anyone interested should email [email protected]. Hooplandia welcomes participation from youth team referees, scorekeepers, Fan Village contest facilitators, and volunteers for myriad duties to help make this inaugural year a success. Those interested in participating in this groundbreaking event can fill out the volunteer form at www.hooplandia.com.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
Melvin Olivo

Melvin Olivo

Theo Streeter

Theo Streeter

UMassFive College Federal Credit Union recently announced two management-team promotions: Assistant Vice President of Information Technology Melvin Olivo and Information Technology Manager Theo Streeter. Olivo’s career at UMassFive began in 2020 as the Information Technology manager. In his new position, he will be responsible for the strategic, day-to-day oversight of Information Technology, ensuring efficient, secure, and service-oriented performance of the department. Streeter’s career at UMassFive began in 2014 as a Member Service specialist in the King Street, Northampton branch before moving on to various levels of Enterprise Support technician. He was most recently promoted to senior Enterprise Support technician in 2018 before accepting the role of IT manager. In his new position, he will be overseeing the Enterprise Support technical team, administering network infrastructure and software platforms, as well as hardware procurement.

•••••

Brandon Roper

Brandon Roper

Camfour Inc. — a growing national wholesaler of firearms, ammunition, and accessories for the shooting-sports industry, with distribution centers in Westfield and Pflugerville, Texas. — announced the promotion of Brandon Roper to the position of president. In this new capacity, Roper will report to CEO Malcolm Getz and the ownership group. He will be responsible for leading the continued growth of the Camfour brand and team. Roper has been effecting change since first joining Camfour as vice president of Sales and Marketing. During that time, he is credited with a variety of accomplishments, including the complete rebrand of Camfour, sales execution during the market slowdown of 2022, the growth of the company’s sales team, and preparation of a three-year strategic plan.

•••••

Shreyas Ovalekar

Shreyas Ovalekar

Terri Lindsey

Terri Lindsey

Krista Benoit

Krista Benoit

D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc. (DAS), a general-contracting and construction-management firm serving the public and private sectors since 1897, is proud to announce three recent hires to the organization: Shreyas Ovalekar as estimator, Terri Lindsey as office administrator/HR, and Krista Benoit as project manager/engineer. Ovalekar joins DAS from Vantage Builders, where he was also an estimator. With more than seven years of experience, he brings vast knowledge and unique perspective to the DAS team. He earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Western New England University. Before joining DAS, Lindsey was an office manager at Burke Chevrolet. She comes to DAS with experience and enthusiasm to contribute to an efficient, inclusive, and developing workforce. Benoit comes to DAS from Dietz & Company Architects Inc. Her diverse experience includes a wide range of projects on the architectural side of project design and delivery, and her expertise will be an asset to the DAS team.

•••••

Unemployment Tax Control Associates Inc. (UTCA), a national unemployment-insurance service provider based in West Springfield with an office in Boston, announced that Principal Evan Murphy has been appointed to Connecticut’s Employment Security Advisory Board. The eight-member board advises state administrators on matters pertaining to the policy and administration of the Employment Security Division. A UTCA employee for more than 10 years, Murphy oversees analysis, implementation, and client-success efforts to reduce the cost and complexity of employer unemployment-insurance programs. He facilitates educational seminars for customers, industry associations, and various employer groups across the country. He has been instrumental in helping businesses of all sizes and scopes effectively understand and control their unemployment cost and compliance. Murphy was appointed by Connecticut state Rep. Jason Rojas, the majority leader of the House of Representatives.

•••••

Scott Little

Scott Little

Berkshire Money Management (BMM) announced that Scott Little, financial advisor and vice president at the firm, has earned the behavioral financial advisor (BFA) designation. Behavioral financial advisors combine financial knowledge with psychology and neuroscience to increase their ability to coach clients in making rational, values-based decisions. Behavioral finance acknowledges that, while numbers are rational, people are not, which can make carrying out financial plans challenging for client and advisor alike. The BFA program was developed by Think 2 Perform to teach advisors to recognize their clients’ emotions and help them stick with their plans, even when those emotions run high. To earn the certification, advisors must complete two multi-part courses on behavioral finance, pass an online proctored exam, and complete 20 hours of continuing education to renew their status every two years. Little has been helping BMM clients build secure retirements for more than 20 years. He is a licensed financial advisor, a certified elder planning specialist, and now a behavioral financial advisor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from MCLA.

•••••

Everette Anderson

Everette Anderson

At its annual S.T.A.R. Awards & Safety Banquet on Feb. 28 Peter Pan Bus Lines honored 11 of its 1 million-, 2 million-, 3 million-, and 4 million-mile motor-coach operators. The brightest star was Everette Anderson, who has been a Peter Pan motor-coach driver for 53 years, since May 1970. Anderson is the second motor-coach operator in the history of this country to be inducted into the National Safety Hall of Fame for driving 4 million miles without any accidents. The first inductee was Peter Pan motor-coach operator Ed Hope in 2017. Four million miles is the equivalent of 40 trips around the earth. Other Peter Pan motor-coach operators honored at the S.T.A.R. Awards included Thomas Reckner and Paul Boie for for 3 million miles; Phillandor Knight, Dave Kollisch, Wayne Soloman, and Anthony Wilson for 2 million miles; and Syed Bukhari, Edward Caouette, Frederick Perry, and Horace Wright for 1 million miles.

•••••

The Massachusetts State Lottery and the Boston Celtics recently honored Kashawn Sanders of Springfield as a Hero Among Us. Sanders uses the power of mentoring to help shape the future of today’s youth. Along with co-founder Tyrone Williams, Sanders established the Follow My Steps Foundation Inc., a nonprofit that provides mentoring programs, financial resources, and career and skill development to youth living in under-resourced communities throughout the Commonwealth. Through community service and a growing number of local events, Sanders is helping empower his students to give back to their own communities. In less than three years, his organization has devoted countless mentorship hours to more than 1,000 students, inspiring each of them to see and reach their full potential. For his commitment to uplifting youth vulnerable communities through mentorship, and in honor of Bill Russell’s legacy in the mentoring movement, Sanders was honored as a Hero Among Us on Feb. 12, when the Boston Celtics played the Memphis Grizzlies.

•••••

Henry Thomas

Henry Thomas

Henry Thomas, who presided over the Urban League of Springfield for almost a half-century, announced his retirement last week. “I have had the privilege to spend my entire career supporting the Springfield community and creating countless spaces where our community can thrive, grow, and achieve excellence,” he wrote in a letter announcing his decision. “My dream has always been to serve, and I am so honored to have spent my life’s work with a civil-rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment, equality, and social justice.” Thomas was named one of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers for 2023, and will be honored at a gala on April 27. He joined the Urban League in 1971 as youth coordinator. In 1974, at age 25, he became the nation’s youngest leader of a national Urban League affiliate. One of his key areas of focus throughout his career has been education, and not just through Urban League programs; he also served for 13 years on the UMass Amherst board of trustees — including two and a half years as board chair — and was a co-founder of New Leadership Charter School. Under his watch, Urban League initiatives have included include education and youth-development initiatives, as well as programs for economic and workforce development, health and wellness, and seniors. Also in the vein of education and workforce development, Thomas established Step Up Springfield, a teacher-development program in Springfield; is funding (along with his wife, Dee, a former teacher and principal herself) a $50,000 scholarship for Black youth from Springfield; and tackled a two-year assignment with the National Urban League as its vice president for Youth Development, with a primary focus of youth development within inner-city communities. Another one of Thomas’ successes was bringing Camp Atwater in North Brookfield — the oldest overnight camp for Black youth in the U.S. — back to life in 1980 after a period of dormancy. The camp celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

STCC Receives State Grants for Nursing, Tech Career Pathways

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) was recently awarded state grants to enhance a nursing partnership with Westfield State University and to start a STEM Tech Career Academy for high-school students at West Springfield High School and Veritas Prep Charter School. The Workforce Skills Cabinet — an alignment of state executive offices — awarded STCC a two-year, $600,000 Nursing Pathways Grant. The state funding will help STCC and Westfield State further develop synergies and clarify student pathways for their respective programs. Nursing students can obtain their associate degree in nursing from STCC and continue virtually, or on the STCC campus, as they pursue their bachelor’s degree from Westfield State. As a result of the grant, STCC students will see a reduction in time and cost to achieve their BSN from Westfield State. The Workforce Skills Cabinet also awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to start a STEM Tech Career Academy. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The $5 million announced in December for five new STEM Tech Career Academies across the state included one that partners STCC with West Springfield High School and Veritas Prep Charter School. The STEM Tech Career Academy focuses on healthcare, environmental and life sciences, and business and finance. The partnership will leverage existing innovation pathways and includes Baystate Eye Care Group, Each Moment We’re Alive, Walgreens, and Springfield Thunderbirds Hockey Club as industry partners. The STEM Tech Career Academy grant will help expand early college programs specifically for STEM courses and will help students explore STEM career pathways. STCC offers an innovation-pathway program for West Springfield High School students in their junior year. STCC’s work with Veritas includes students as early as ninth grade with the possibility of earning 60 college credits. The STEM Tech Career Academy will provide work-based learning opportunities with paid internships and capstone projects to students, said Pamela Westmoreland, director of Early College Initiatives at STCC. The goal is to increase the number of students who earn associate degrees or certificates.

 

Greenfield Company Rebrands, Expands as NE-XT Technologies

GREENFIELD — Valley Steel Stamp (VSS) was founded in 1971 by William Capshaw with two employees who made steel marking tools for local industries, particularly hand-tool companies. This week, the company, led by his son, Steve Capshaw, announced the launch of its new name, NE-XT Technologies, and a new website designed to define the contemporary capabilities of its team of more than 200 skilled engineers and machinists. Although the company has rebranded, it continues to focus on the precision machining of complex, close-tolerance components and assemblies for aerospace, defense, and other industrial applications. The rebrand goes much deeper than a new name, logo, and website. NE-XT was acquired by Jefferson River Capital in 2022, which allowed it to expand in terms of capabilities and its leadership team. That year, Richard Havighorst joined the team as chief financial officer and Katie Szelewicki as vice president of Human Resources.

 

 

Bay Path Nets $1 Million for Student Success Center

LONGMEADOW — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal joined Bay Path University President Sandra Doran to announce a $1 million earmark to launch a Student Success Center at the university. The allocation was made possible through Congressionally Direct Spending (CDS) from the Department of Education. Neal included funding for this project in the FY 2023 spending bill that was signed into law on Dec. 29, 2022. Funding will be used to complete the work to launch a new Student Success Center that will deliver holistic, coordinated, wraparound academic, financial, and career-development support services that are easily accessible 24/7, both online and on campus. The center will accommodate the needs of Bay Path’s diverse student populations, integrating its services into a student’s academic program through systematic communications and touchpoints throughout the undergraduate experience.

 

Big Y Donates Almost $44,000 to Local Breast-cancer Groups

SPRINGFIELD — (March 2, 2023) In order to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, all Big Y supermarkets donated proceeds from their October initiative, “Partners of Hope,” to 32 breast-cancer support groups throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. This program reflects the partnership, commitment, and support of breast-cancer awareness and research that are so vital for many. Recipients in Western Mass. include Protect Our Breasts (Amherst), Holyoke Medical Center Women’s Center (Holyoke), the Pink Way (Ludlow), Survivor Journeys (Longmeadow), Cancer Connection (Northampton), Cooley Dickinson Hospital Women’s Health Care (Northampton), Berkshire Medical Center Women’s Imaging Center (Pittsfield), Baystate Health Foundation, Rays of Hope (Springfield), and Mercy Medical Center, Center for Breast Health (Springfield). Since 2007, Big Y has raised more than $2 million to support local breast-cancer initiatives.

 

Streetlight Financial Foundation Partners with Friends of Children

FLORENCE — Streetlight Financial Foundation announced that Friends of Children Inc. has been chosen as the recipient of its fundraising efforts for 2023. The foundation was created in 2022 from financial-services company Streetlight Financial. Founding partners Aaron Smith and Mark Vaclavicek recognized a need for a philanthropic effort that provides a positive financial impact to one cause or organization each year. Friends of Children, a Northampton-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults impacted by foster care or juvenile-justice involvement, is the first recipient of the foundation’s annual fundraising initiative.

 

MDRT Foundation Awards $2,000 Grant to Girl Scouts

HOLYOKE — The MDRT Foundation has awarded a $2,000 grant to Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) in support of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and further its mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.The Million Dollar Round Table Foundation gives to charitable organizations worldwide, demonstrating the generosity, service, and impact of MDRT members. This year, the MDRT Foundation will award more than $1.6 million in MDRT member-endorsed grants to more than 300 charitable organizations worldwide. Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts was nominated for the MDRT grant by Amy Jamrog, CEO of the Jamrog Group and GSCWM board member. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a collection of engaging, challenging, and fun activities for girls to develop a strong sense of self, display positive values, seek challenges, learn from setbacks, form and maintain healthy relationships, and learn to identify and solve problems in their community.

 

LiftTruck Parts & Service Announces 35th Anniversary

WEST SPRINGFIELD — LiftTruck Parts & Service Inc., a local, family-owned business with locations in West Springfield and Brockton, announced its 35th business anniversary. For 35 years, LiftTruck has been a family-owned business providing cost-effective forklift sales, rentals, parts, and service to the Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Connecticut, and Rhode Island areas. The company offers a wide range of brands for sale, including BYD, Clark, Doosan, Heli Americas, and Komatsu, and is now also selling the new BYD lithium ion phosphate battery-powered forklift. The BYD lithium iron phosphate battery LiFePO4 has proven to be extremely safe, never losing structural integrity nor exploding. LiftTruck Parts & Service also offers both short- and long-term electric, LP, and gas forklift rentals with planned maintenance to keep customers’ business running smoothly. Its various service plans help clients monitor maintenance costs, hours of usage, equipment condition, and other factors that can affect forklift trucks’ on-the-job performance. LifeTruck provides service on all makes of forklifts, golf cars, pallet jacks, reach trucks, and stackers. LiftTruck is outfitted to manage all its clients’ material-handling equipment needs and meet clients’ service needs in a cost-effective manner.

 

BetMGM Supports Problem Gambling Awareness Month

SPRINGFIELD — BetMGM announced a new pledge to prominently feature responsible-gaming messages in its marketing and advertising campaigns beginning March 1, in alignment with the start of Problem Gambling Awareness Month. As part of the pledge, responsible-gaming messaging will be featured within BetMGM’s mobile app and within BetMGM advertisements ranging from billboard marketing to television, print, and radio ads across the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, responsible-gaming messages and banners will be incorporated into BetMGM’s digital and social platforms, as well as on property signage within physical BetMGM sportsbooks. Along that line, MGM Resorts, MGM Northfield Park, and BetMGM were well represented as sponsors at the 20th Ohio Problem Gambling Conference, held in Columbus last week. The event brought together leading gaming operators, researchers, and treatment professionals in an effort to generate problem-gambling awareness and education while discussing the impact of legalized sports betting in the state.

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

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

EAST LONGMEADOW

CE Springfield Inc., 194 Elm St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Gregory Burack, same. Restaurant.

HAMPDEN

Tranquil Mindz Inc., 137 East Longmeadow Road, Hampden, MA 01036. Zachary Geissler, same. Therapy services.

HOLYOKE

Deerfield Commercial Real Estate Inc., 1611 Northampton St. 1st Floor, Holyoke, MA 01040. Timothy Thompson, same. Commercial real estate brokerage services.

LONGMEADOW

208 Shaker Clean Energy Inc., 208 Shaker Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Christopher I. Scyocurka, same. Sale and installation of solar energy systems.

Wolf Swamp Road Elementary Parent Teacher Organization Inc., 62 Wolf Swamp Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Haley Miner, 259 Inverness Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Corporation organized to support the education at Wolf Swamp Road Elementary School in Longmeadow, MA.

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Access Realty Inc., 12 Ventura Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Mary Jane Dunlop, same. Real estate/brokerage firm.

Gem Technologies Holdings Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Federico Marchese, same. Building a decentralized social media app that aims to encourage deeper and more numerous interactions between content creators and fans.

Hayden Ai Technologies Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Chris Carson, same. Pioneering smart traffic enforcement.

Princeton Labor Day Committee Inc., 82 Wendell Ave. Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Committee.
Dale Stafford, PO Box 608, Princeton, MA 01541. To organize and run the annual Chandler Bullock Memorial Labor Day tennis tournament in Princeton, Mass., and to solicit donations from the community to pay for any costs associated with the tournament.

SOUTH HADLEY

Minmin Kitchen Inc., 532 Newton St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Chunjin Chen, 23 Dallaire Ave. Chicopee, MA 01020. Food service.

SPRINGFIELD

JF Bazaar Inc., 932 Worthington St., Springfield, MA 01105. Muhammad Bilal, 71 East School St. West Springfield, MA 01089. Supermarket.

Junza Productions Inc., 181 State St., Springfield, MA 01103. Thalia Mwanilelo, same. Music production and travel blogs.

WILBRAHAM

Rooney Insurance & Financial Inc., 2341 Boston Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Sean Rooney, same. Insurance agent and broker, financial planning, and investment services.

WILLIAMSTOWN

OM Mini Mart Inc., 824 Simonds Road, Williamstown, MA 01267. Switi Patel, 10 Depot Street Housatonic, MA 01236. Convenience store.

Tdiyou Incorporated, 20 Chestnut St., Williamstown, MA 01267. Timothy Andenmatten, same. The purpose of the corporation is to carry out the propaganda, or otherwise attempt to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of February 2023.

BELCHERTOWN

A&E Partnership
10 Meadow Pond Road
Olena Boryssenko, Anatoliy Boryssenko

Aaron Guimond Electrician
501 South Washington St.
Aaron Guimond

Beauty of Orchids LLC
1 Main St.
Charisma Som

Belmont Driving School
1 Main St., Suite E
Michael O’Rourke

Feathers & Fur Pet Care Services LLC
589 Federal St.
Peggy McLeod, Robert McLeod

The Gathering Station
7 Overlook Dr.
Nicole Senecal

Hampshire Myotherapy
145 Old Amherst Road
Robert Andersen

LLR 2000
281 Chauncey Walker St., #176E
Lisa Ducharme

Magic Catering
25 Cedar Glen Dr.
Gary Majka, Mary Majka

EASTHAMPTON

Allways Painting
17 Prospect St., #3
Jesse Ferriter

Bits & Bobs
243 Loudville Road
Eva Cappelli

Erin Binney Editorial
27 Zabek Dr.
Erin Binney

Hitchcock Strength and Fitness
124 Cottage St., Apt. A
Stefan Hitchcock

Mechanical Heating & Air Cooling Quality
9 Clinton St.
Sam Om

Soufully Nourishing
116 Pleasant St., Suite 320
Christabeth Ingold

Walgreens #17980
32 Union St.
Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc.

Wemelco Industries
19 Wemelco Way
Christos Christodoulou

SOUTH HADLEY

Comicspa
27 Michael Dr.
Jeffrey Newman

New England Old World Antiquities
41 River Road
New England Old World Antiquities

Nicholls Home Improvement
38½ North Main St.
William Nicholls

The South Hadley Suite
15 College View Heights
Lynn Williams

Stop and Go
4 Bardwell St.
S&A Corp.

 

WESTFIELD

Bristol Street Engineering Design LLC
69 Bristol St.
Blake Croteau

Katie Howard
94 Elm St.
Katie Howard

Mi Ranchito Tex Mex Restaurant
69 Franklin St.
Mejias LLC

On Electrical Solutions
37 Sunrise Ter.
Alden Chisholm

Saeta Construction
5 DuBois St.
Jose Saeta

Salina’s Suspension Training
33 Winding Ridge Lane
Salina Sarat

Sigma Mattress
74 Franklin St.
Vladimir Vilkhovoy

Suave
127 Sackett Road
Jayden Leighty

Westfield Shell
259 North Elm St.
Sirdar Investment Group LLC

What Dreams May Come
29 Vine St.
Brian Grady

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Arsenault, Lauren Alyssa
84 Eastwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/06/2023

Boileau, Donna
38 Inward Commons
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/14/2023

Bray, Jonathan Hitchcock
26 South Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/12/2023

Chase, Robert E.
Chase, Kathleen N.
45 Cleveland St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/10/2023

Chernick, Robert A.
53 White Birch Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/15/2023

Dillon, John M.
309 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/09/2023

Hartnett, Debra A.
199 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/15/2023

Hashtag Positivity, LLC
Cain, Jonas
Toutant, Jonas
245 Sargeant St., Apt. 1L
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/07/2023

HENRYS REAL ESTATE LLC
Henry, Keino O.
32 Beaumont Ter., Apt.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/14/2023

Kiernan, John C.
Kiernan, Michelle Lee
a/k/a Williams, Michelle
54 Bel Air Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/31/2023

Mackay, Deborah F.
51 Danek Dr., Apt. B
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/30/2023

Malfino, Joseph David
350 West St., Lot 40
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/31/2023

Murphy, William F.
60 Saint Lawrence Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/14/2023

Ouellette, Yvette
a/k/a Nichols, Yvette
a/k/a Hitchcock, Yvette Duval
a/k/a Duval, Yvette
1449 County Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/14/2023

Pare, Lucie
24 Bither St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 13
Date: 02/07/2023

Ping, Sokhom
93 Davenport St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/31/2023

Robbins, Michelle J.
42 Quarry Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Chapter: 7
Date: 02/15/2023

Roman, Juan A.
Rooke, Rebecca L.
108 Court St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/31/2023

Scibelli, Andrea M.
62 Spence St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/31/2023

Spear, Raymond Anthony
138 Nonotuck St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/31/2023

Tsavidis, Konstantinos
366 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7

Real Estate Transactions

By
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

GILL

25 Riverview Dr.
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Duprey
Seller: Michael R. Duprey
Date: 02/17/23

GREENFIELD

47 Norwood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Danica Hochstetler
Seller: John B. Glabach
Date: 02/10/23

LEVERETT

15 Chestnut Hill Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Roger P. Zimmerman
Seller: 15 Chestnut Hill Road TR
Date: 02/15/23

MONTAGUE

357 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Michael Turner
Seller: Dylan Haughton
Date: 02/09/23

7-9 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $311,661
Buyer: Steven A. Carra
Seller: Benjamin C. Miller
Date: 02/15/23

ORANGE

97 Adams St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Steven D. Swift
Seller: Mark R. Monette
Date: 02/15/23

48 Camp Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Andrew P. Kuppermann
Seller: Nelson J. Bezio
Date: 02/15/23

12 Chase St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Homestead Real Estate Investment LLC
Seller: Arthur D. Johnson
Date: 02/16/23

75 Mechanic St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Jarad May
Seller: Starr, Erick Armstrong, (Estate)
Date: 02/15/23

501 Oxbow Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Tina H. Benali
Seller: Alan E. Leblanc
Date: 02/14/23

78 Shelter St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Tracy Fisher
Seller: Brody M. Cullen
Date: 02/17/23

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

40 Bowles Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $1,250,000
Buyer: 40 Bowles Road LLC
Seller: Stage Harbor Realty LLC
Date: 02/06/23

649 Cooper St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $327,000
Buyer: Aleksandr A. Goleneva
Seller: Vivian M. Lyons
Date: 02/17/23

485-487 Corey St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Sunflower Homes LLC
Seller: Diane D. Jeserski
Date: 02/17/23

487 Corey St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Sunflower Homes LLC
Seller: Diane D. Jeserski
Date: 02/17/23

88 Franklin St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Nadezhda Belyshev
Seller: Charette, Jr. Wayne M., (Estate)
Date: 02/16/23

24 Horsham Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Anna Meassick
Seller: Richard E. Strawn
Date: 02/09/23

70 Lealand Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Mitchell J. Sparrow
Seller: Anthony E. Heim
Date: 02/09/23

103 Lealand Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Carrie A. Pouliot
Seller: Anthony Surrette
Date: 02/10/23

17 Merrill Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Timothy R. Roy
Seller: Wendy F. Preston
Date: 02/10/23

955 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Jonathan Alicea
Seller: Telman K. Bilalov
Date: 02/09/23

133 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Betty Bonavita
Seller: Michael T. O’Connor
Date: 02/10/23

416 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Nathan M. Colson
Seller: Roy, Michael Paul, (Estate)
Date: 02/13/23

123 South St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $193,036
Buyer: Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC
Seller: Laureen R. Bruso
Date: 02/06/23

CHESTER

Blandford Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $762,000
Buyer: USA
Seller: Neil F. Toomey
Date: 02/17/23

CHICOPEE

51 Captain Mac St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Skyspec LLC
Seller: William A. Jaaskelainen
Date: 02/13/23

20 Carew St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $274,000
Buyer: William P. Boutin
Seller: Lee McDonald
Date: 02/13/23

310 Dale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $409,000
Buyer: Lekim H. Phan
Seller: Ma Home Buyers LLC
Date: 02/17/23

4 Daniel Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Luis Sumba
Seller: Cascade Funding Mortgage Trust HB5
Date: 02/15/23

8 Dwight Ter.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: H&P Investments LLC
Seller: HSB Investments LLC
Date: 02/16/23

86 Haven Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $168,500
Buyer: RG East Street LLC
Seller: Lavigne, Richard R., (Estate)
Date: 02/17/23

725 Lombard Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Timothy W. Yucka
Seller: Emi Investments LLC
Date: 02/16/23

872 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: La Cunca LLC
Seller: Ramona M. Romero
Date: 02/10/23

22 Monroe St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Aida D. Tejada
Seller: Michael A. Ruyffelaert
Date: 02/06/23

60 Pennsylvania Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Keith A. Arvanitis
Seller: Krista L. Langlois
Date: 02/15/23

1 Saint James Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $2,380,000
Buyer: Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc.
Seller: PJC Of Rhode Island Inc.
Date: 02/13/23

EAST LONGMEADOW

331 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $343,650
Buyer: Tyler Stuhr
Seller: Nilda D. Wotton
Date: 02/10/23

11 Hampden Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Ivan Donnelly
Seller: Commisso, Margaret, (Estate)
Date: 02/17/23

322 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Yabela Rt
Seller: Peter Dimichele
Date: 02/17/23

12 Speight Arden
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $271,000
Buyer: David Robbins
Seller: Tho Le
Date: 02/07/23

HAMPDEN

234 Bennett Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $543,000
Buyer: Tommy J. Lee
Seller: Stoddard, Philip B., (Estate)
Date: 02/17/23

 

HOLLAND

171 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Daniel C. Burns
Seller: Robert M. Muscaro
Date: 02/17/23

Over The Top Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Allen J. Brauns
Seller: William Cromack
Date: 02/13/23

HOLYOKE

25 Breton Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Garcia
Seller: Resi Credit
Date: 02/15/23

167 Chestnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: LLC General Construction Corp.
Seller: Joseph C. Cox
Date: 02/17/23

115 Clemente St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: ATS Properties LLC
Seller: 115 Clemente Street LLC
Date: 02/17/23

44 Congress Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $141,000
Buyer: Pedro Berrios
Seller: Forrette, Lester E., (Estate)
Date: 02/14/23

17-19 Dexter St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Ayannayh J. Cruz
Seller: Angel L. Garcia
Date: 02/10/23

26 Edbert Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Ryan Partridge
Seller: Jennifer Bonnano
Date: 02/06/23

232 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: John R. Treworgy
Seller: Raymond A. Spear
Date: 02/13/23

2 Ernest Lane
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Nilda D. Wotton
Seller: Diane Delrosario
Date: 02/16/23

155 Fairmont St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Commonwealth Of Mass.
Seller: Alyssa R. Sampson
Date: 02/08/23

313 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Michael A. Quinones
Seller: AVI Holdings LLC
Date: 02/17/23

81 North East St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Raleigh RT
Seller: Croteau, Gerard R., (Estate)
Date: 02/06/23

45 Parker St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Karla Gerliep
Seller: JJJ17 LLC
Date: 02/13/23

3 Parkview Ter.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: General Enterprise LLC
Seller: Catherine J. Morse
Date: 02/17/23

32 Rhode Island St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Baron Maruca
Seller: Michael K. Gallagher
Date: 02/13/23

12 Wayne Court
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Johnny Acevedo
Seller: McDevitt, Eloise, (Estate)
Date: 02/14/23

327 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: David P. Crichton
Seller: Charles L. Vatter
Date: 02/17/23

LONGMEADOW

36 Belleclaire Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Structured Asset Mortgage Investments II
Seller: Patrick Ireland
Date: 02/06/23

43 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Zachary C. Bell
Seller: Bruno M. Gallerani
Date: 02/06/23

LUDLOW

60 Aldo Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Sandra Q. Fernandes
Seller: Diane Murphy
Date: 02/17/23

60 Blanchard Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Healthy Neighborhood Group LLC
Seller: Veteran Stan LLC
Date: 02/09/23

151 Bondsville Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Stephen C. Johnson
Seller: Keem LLC
Date: 02/17/23

449 Holyoke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $289,500
Buyer: Sean P. Garvey
Seller: Donna M. Guertin
Date: 02/17/23

275 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Nolan M. Rosa
Seller: Kelly Butler
Date: 02/15/23

69 Old Coach Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Julia J. Barrett
Seller: Brian Dooley
Date: 02/10/23

12 Pleasantview St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $375,900
Buyer: Kelly Morin
Seller: P&E Properties Inc.
Date: 02/10/23

38 Stivens Ter.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Harry V. Mills
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 02/07/23

MONSON

4 Crest Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jessica M. Murray
Seller: Cheryl A. Aiken
Date: 02/17/23

344 Stafford Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Maureen M. Pilon
Seller: Dan L. Newberry
Date: 02/13/23

50 Thayer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Ronald T. Chamberlin
Seller: Wayne A. Jasmin
Date: 02/06/23

85 Upper Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Samantha Pond
Seller: Argolica LLC
Date: 02/06/23

PALMER

4129 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Sheila Sullivan
Seller: Ryan A. Marriott
Date: 02/07/23

1011-1013 Maple St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Tucker C. Alfreds
Seller: Rourke, Laurette Irene, (Estate)
Date: 02/13/23

1730 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Victoria Saladyga
Seller: Dan L. Newberry
Date: 02/13/23

4026 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Jacqueline Dieppa
Seller: Helena Paez
Date: 02/08/23

395-A Wilbraham St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Paul Ireland
Seller: Joel Wall
Date: 02/10/23

SPRINGFIELD

1023 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Maria T. Rodriguez
Seller: Noor K. Naji
Date: 02/07/23

1145 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Ericka Vance
Seller: Dhana Pradhan
Date: 02/17/23

116 Ambrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $295,500
Buyer: Ru J. Jhao
Seller: Aziz Salem
Date: 02/07/23

203 Ambrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $295,500
Buyer: Ru J. Jhao
Seller: Aziz Salem
Date: 02/07/23

139 Balboa Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $187,836
Buyer: Rocket Mortgage LLC
Seller: Gina Hawk
Date: 02/06/23

58 Blaine St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Equity Trust Co.
Seller: Sherry Scagliarini
Date: 02/07/23

1293 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Victor Ramirez
Seller: Jessica Spiece
Date: 02/08/23

26 Brewster St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Irene Y. Guzman
Seller: John Oliveri
Date: 02/17/23

1026 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Aida Flores-Delgado
Seller: Ushokoledi RT
Date: 02/17/23

36-38 Chapel St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Ovidio A. Bravo-Soto
Seller: Justin C. Ngendakumana
Date: 02/08/23

181-187 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $960,000
Buyer: 181 Chestnut LLC
Seller: 181 Chestnut LLC
Date: 02/09/23

585 Chestnut St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Kevin M. Perez-Delgado
Seller: Mercedes Delgado
Date: 02/06/23

5 County St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $136,500
Buyer: Fallah Razzak
Seller: Bankunited
Date: 02/16/23

43 Dorchester St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Dianne Nieves-Rodriguez
Seller: RM Blerman LLC
Date: 02/17/23

52-54 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Jjj17 LLC
Seller: Wayne Perla
Date: 02/17/23

253 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Derek A. Birriel
Seller: Alycar Investments LLC
Date: 02/15/23

259 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Dong H. Nguyen
Seller: Hoa P. Nguyen
Date: 02/13/23

49-51 Dubois St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Jeanette Enriquez
Seller: Kevin J. Czaplicki
Date: 02/10/23

137 Feltham Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $243,900
Buyer: Noel Y. Soto
Seller: McCarthy, Maureen, (Estate)
Date: 02/15/23

143 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Kathryn P. Merchand
Seller: Scott A. Burns
Date: 02/06/23

40 Glendell Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Xiuyu Ma
Seller: Alonzo Williams
Date: 02/10/23

321 Grand Valley Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $365,900
Buyer: Wayne A. Jasmin
Seller: Craig David
Date: 02/07/23

247 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Aziz F. Salem
Seller: Brittney C. Patrie
Date: 02/07/23

137 Hartford Ter.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,075
Buyer: Sareen Properties LLC
Seller: Hud
Date: 02/14/23

90 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Quercus Properties LLC
Seller: Matthew Regan
Date: 02/16/23

52 Horrace St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Xiuyu Ma
Seller: Alonzo Williams
Date: 02/10/23

2-4 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Prestigious One LLC
Seller: Etabav RT
Date: 02/17/23

38 Johnson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Amber Tree LLC
Seller: Mediatrice Nizigama
Date: 02/13/23

166 Laurelton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Wiljanet Cornier
Seller: Papaoutai RR
Date: 02/09/23

23-25 Ledyard St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Alonzo Williams
Date: 02/08/23

192 Lucerne Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $190,400
Buyer: SRV Properties LLC
Seller: Iris C. Vargas
Date: 02/17/23

79 Lynebrook Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $324,900
Buyer: Dan L. Newberry
Seller: Stebbins, Keri, (Estate)
Date: 02/13/23

62 Malden St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Raeqawn C. Ramos
Seller: Anthony Cianflone
Date: 02/14/23

96 Mayfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Resi Credit
Seller: Jean I. Tranghese
Date: 02/07/23

71 Mayflower Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jessica M. Rodriguez
Seller: Stevens, Susan, (Estate)
Date: 02/13/23

41 Mulberry St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Razzak Building LLC
Seller: Home Care VNA LLC
Date: 02/09/23

3-5 Noel St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Kyle D. Ollmann
Seller: RBT Enterprise LLC
Date: 02/10/23

231 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Sunstone RT
Seller: Etabav RT
Date: 02/15/23

393-395 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $305,678
Buyer: Samantha Pulley
Seller: Francisco J. Colon
Date: 02/17/23

5 Park Road
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Carl Baxter
Seller: Frantz, Gail Ann, (Estate)
Date: 02/13/23

163 Pendleton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Emonni Bunch
Seller: RMAC T. Series 2016-CTT
Date: 02/15/23

59 Rockland St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $238,730
Buyer: Anthony Roncalli
Seller: William Pagonis
Date: 02/17/23

145 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $260,900
Buyer: Moncerrate Delgado
Seller: Mitchell, Oliver C., (Estate)
Date: 02/09/23

85-87 San Miguel St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Quest Wedderburn
Seller: Allan P. Scully
Date: 02/06/23

122 School St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Cindy Mercedes
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 02/10/23

47 Sierra Vista Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $317,000
Buyer: Andrew Gove
Seller: Stephen Waite
Date: 02/10/23

80-82 Silver St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Ml Salem Holdings Inc.
Seller: Diplomat Property Manager LLC
Date: 02/10/23

1427 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Tyler L. Henderson
Seller: Tammy A. Jarry
Date: 02/09/23

581 Tinkham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Khalif Mohamed
Seller: Madeleine Cadorette
Date: 02/10/23

53 Treetop Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Jenna Frangiamore
Seller: Nicholas B. Commisso
Date: 02/10/23

57 Vail St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $241,250
Buyer: Brian Sheridan
Seller: James A. Corbino
Date: 02/17/23

99 Venture Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: William Raleigh
Seller: Kenton R. Florian
Date: 02/16/23

68-70 Wallace St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Erick C. Weber
Seller: Ramon Rivera
Date: 02/09/23

229 Walnut St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Elvis A. Presinal
Seller: Naylor Nation Real Estate LLC
Date: 02/10/23

111 Warrenton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $234,628
Buyer: Forethought Life Insurance
Seller: Yolanda Rivas-Torres
Date: 02/10/23

102 Westford Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Michael A. Acevedo
Seller: Clara J. Bunn TR
Date: 02/17/23

99 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $250,100
Buyer: Julio Infante-Adon
Seller: Hindio S. Ali
Date: 02/17/23

748-750 Whittier St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: H&P Investments LLC
Seller: HSB Investments LLC
Date: 02/16/23

SOUTHWICK

44 Birchwood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Rebecca F. Vanossenbruggen
Seller: Stephen Werman
Date: 02/09/23

WALES

8 Polly Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Susan M. Commisso
Seller: Brandon J. Wettlaufer
Date: 02/10/23

WESTFIELD

60 Arnold St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Koral Arzate
Seller: Wilbraham Builders Inc.
Date: 02/17/23

6 Ellis St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $351,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Wilcox
Seller: Jeffrey L. Arps
Date: 02/17/23

991 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: Gregory J. Depietro
Seller: Thomas Szatrowski
Date: 02/15/23

3 Long Pond Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Karen E. Bossi
Seller: John H. Thomas
Date: 02/13/23

68 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: William M. Adamczyk
Seller: Surprenant, Hilda, (Estate)
Date: 02/06/23

456 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $163,500
Buyer: Andrey Agapov
Seller: Magerick LLC
Date: 02/06/23

80 Union St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Caleb P. Murray
Seller: Jason J. Schrecke
Date: 02/15/23

89 White St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Sohair Arno
Seller: Bals Properties LLC
Date: 02/10/23

WILBRAHAM

32 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Sean M. Sullivan
Seller: Nowakowski, William R., (Estate)
Date: 02/13/23

12 Brooklawn Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Todd D. Heald
Seller: J. R. Lachance
Date: 02/16/23

30 Burleigh Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Aldd Real Estate LLC
Seller: Kathleen A. Smedberg
Date: 02/14/23

50 Burleigh Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Aldd Real Estate LLC
Seller: Kathleen A. Smedberg
Date: 02/14/23

1 Craigwood Ter.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Jason T. Dinelle
Seller: Aldo Properties LLC
Date: 02/17/23

5 Daniele Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $269,000
Buyer: Erica Serrazina
Seller: Jeannette G. Bond
Date: 02/17/23

Glendale Road Lot 3D
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Boyle
Seller: Lomascolo FT
Date: 02/17/23

5 Harness Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Deepak Lewis
Seller: Andrew P. Kuppermann
Date: 02/15/23

868 Main St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Aldd Real Estate LLC
Seller: Kathleen A. Smedberg
Date: 02/14/23

10 Meadowview Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $344,000
Buyer: Blaine M. Bolduc
Seller: Richard Corsi
Date: 02/17/23

23 Rochford Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Martin Musiak
Seller: Golden Gorillas LLC
Date: 02/07/23

109 Silver St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $652,000
Buyer: Lisa A. Massie
Seller: Lost Sailor RT
Date: 02/08/23

449 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Richard D. Carpenter
Seller: Catharine Stevens
Date: 02/15/23

WEST SPRINGFIELD

28 Apricot Hill Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Matthew C. Lyons
Seller: Jeannine G. Sullivan TR
Date: 02/17/23

15 East School St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Blackrock SH Group LLC
Seller: Wicked Deals LLC
Date: 02/10/23

120 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Dean D. Dewey
Seller: Kelly M. Maslanka
Date: 02/15/23

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

107 Concord Way
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $830,000
Buyer: Margaret Stratton
Seller: Ke Yang
Date: 02/17/23

30 Dana Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: Matthew S. Goldberg
Seller: Matthew Dufresne
Date: 02/07/23

104 Dana St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $844,500
Buyer: Ethan Todras-Whitehill
Seller: David E. Huber
Date: 02/14/23

57 Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $775,000
Buyer: Sara M. Young
Seller: G. W. Furnas RET
Date: 02/15/23

S Middle St. Lot 6
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Loren Christiansen
Seller: South Middle Street Inc.
Date: 02/16/23

BELCHERTOWN

25 Hemlock Hollow
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Thomas Crossman
Seller: Karen E. Regis
Date: 02/17/23

25 Sycamore Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $561,625
Buyer: Richard C. Royce
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Date: 02/08/23

EASTHAMPTON

17 Beechwood Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $325,100
Buyer: Lisa E. Kay
Seller: Karen J. Harvey FT
Date: 02/15/23

6 Hill Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Stephen C. Robinson
Seller: Michael J. Doherty
Date: 02/10/23

16 Lyman St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Canal Real Estate LLC
Seller: Cheryl A. Thomas-Camp
Date: 02/15/23

23 Mount Tom Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Veteran Stan LLC
Seller: Alfred J. Albano
Date: 02/10/23

65 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Linda L. Gebo
Date: 02/10/23

7 Riley St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $309,900
Buyer: Lloyd N. Kvam
Seller: Gail M. Myrick
Date: 02/17/23

61 West St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Margaret M. O’Neill
Seller: Jesse R. Casinghino
Date: 02/10/23

 

GOSHEN

16 Overlook Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $198,750
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Louise F. Richard
Date: 02/08/23

GRANBY

94 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Brett D. Lord
Seller: Josephine A. Zgrodnik IRT
Date: 02/14/23

96-R Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Brett D. Lord
Seller: Josephine A. Zgrodnik IRT
Date: 02/14/23

Pleasant St., Lot 1
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Andrew Urbanski
Seller: Christina M. Boucher
Date: 02/13/23

82 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Chandara Phy
Seller: Fabio A. Cardoso
Date: 02/16/23

HADLEY

3 Birchmeadow Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $672,014
Buyer: Roxanne Schneider
Seller: John T. Sibley
Date: 02/08/23

4 Colony Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $959,850
Buyer: Kristin L. Smith
Seller: Bercume Construction LLC
Date: 02/17/23

NORTHAMPTON

160 Nonotuck St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Jessica T. Wei
Seller: Richard C. Weis
Date: 02/15/23

2 Prospect Court
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Prospect Court LLC
Seller: Mill River Ventures Inc.
Date: 02/07/23

4 Prospect Court
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Prospect Court LLC
Seller: Mill River Ventures Inc.
Date: 02/07/23

101 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Robert V. O’Brien
Seller: David Goldstone
Date: 02/16/23

HUNTINGTON

69 Bromley Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $233,440
Buyer: North American Savings Bank
Seller: Mark R. Scott
Date: 02/10/23

NORTHAMPTON

48 Bates St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: Forty-Eight Bates LLC
Seller: Jonathan A. Wright
Date: 02/09/23

356 Chesterfield Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $327,250
Buyer: Elliot Ezcurra
Seller: Breguet, Patricia A., (Estate)
Date: 02/10/23

171 King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $5,250,000
Buyer: Cosenzi Auto Realty LP
Seller: Don Lia
Date: 02/09/23

187 King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $5,250,000
Buyer: Cosenzi Auto Realty LP
Seller: Don Lia
Date: 02/09/23

Milton St. Lot B
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Seller: Stacy L. Page
Date: 02/10/23

SOUTH HADLEY

44 Carew St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Joshua D. Jacobson
Seller: Marek J. Socha
Date: 02/17/23

79 College St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Azam Khan
Seller: Trustees Of Mt. Holyoke College
Date: 02/06/23

369 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Brian Dooley
Seller: Joanne Hay
Date: 02/10/23

573 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $2,726,000
Buyer: South Hadley Property Holdings LLC
Seller: Properties Reddy Family I
Date: 02/09/23

573 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $9,000,000
Buyer: South Hadley Property Holdings LLC
Seller: Vantage Care S. Hadley Realty
Date: 02/08/23

573 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $2,726,000
Buyer: Properties Of Reddy Family
Seller: South Hadley Property Holdings LLC
Date: 02/09/23

SOUTHAMPTON

6 Bluemer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Carol A. Childers
Seller: Donald W. Fanska
Date: 02/06/23

36 College Hwy.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Regan
Seller: Penny S. Lambert
Date: 02/06/23

WARE

42 Dunham Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Mark Rovezzi
Seller: Meiling Shi
Date: 02/06/23

WESTHAMPTON

14 Pine Island Lake
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $220,439
Buyer: RMAC TR
Seller: Nicholas S. Divenere
Date: 02/17/23

44 Pine Island Lake
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Nancy Whalen-Viola
Seller: Janna V. Ugone
Date: 02/09/23

348 Southampton Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: David W. Kelley
Seller: Kimberly A. Pedigo
Date: 02/07/23

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of February 2023.

CHICOPEE

Griffith Road Property Owner LLC
301 Griffith Road
$202,000 — Select demolition of utility equipment, infill existing concrete equipment pits

EASTHAMPTON

Keystone Enterprises LLC
122 Pleasant St.
N/A — Roofing

HADLEY

Vidoc Corp.
234 Russell St.
N/A — Water-damage repair

W/S Hadley Properties II LLC
355 Russell St., Suite 30
N/A — Buildout for AT&T store

LENOX

Almic Nominee Realty Trust
124 Housatonic St.
$12,500 — Roofing

NORTHAMPTON

207-211 Main Street LLC
211 Main St., Unit 1B
$5,000 — Install walls and countertop

Blue Mountain Properties LLC
76 Maple St.
$10,000 — Replacement doors

Blue Mountain Properties LLC
76 Maple St.
$7,000 — Interior demolition

City of Northampton
125 Locust St.
$149,000 — Install energy-recovery ventilation

Colvest/Northampton LLC
303 King St.
$1,700,000 — Install alarm

Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society
54 Fair St.
$235,640 — Add platform to front of grandstand, replace seat surfaces

Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society
54 Fair St.
$24,000 — Roofing

JPMorgan Chase Bank
1 King St.
$5,000 — Eight awning signs

JPMorgan Chase Bank
1 King St.
$3,000 — Illuminated wall sign

JPMorgan Chase Bank
1 King St.
$3,000 — Illuminated wall sign

JPMorgan Chase Bank
1 King St.
$2,000 — Illuminated projecting sign

Smith College
14 Green St.
N/A — Non-illuminated sign

PITTSFIELD

Casella Waste Management
500 Hubbard Ave.
$477,000 — Erect aluminum-framed fabric structure on concrete pad

Grace Congregational Church Inc.
1055 Williams St.
$3,500 — Install new railings on handicap access and fire escape

SPRINGFIELD

D&A LLC
1600 Main St.
$50,000 — Alter interior tenant space for use by Vox Church

White Lion Brewing Co. Recognizes Holyoke’s Sesquicentennial with Special Release

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The city of Holyoke, known as Paper City, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. White Lion Brewing Co. collaborated with the city of Holyoke, Explore Holyoke, regional design firm TSM, and Holyoke Craft Beer to create a commemorative label and beer release to celebrate the rich history of the city during its sesquicentennial. Holyoke 150, an American lager, will be released during the annual Holyoke Road Race on Saturday, March 18. Holyoke 150 will be also available at special events and local accounts throughout 2023.

“White Lion has a history of working with the city of Holyoke and stakeholders,” said Ray Berry, president of White Lion. “Last summer, it joined city partners to activate Armour Yard with a summer beer garden. The collective effort created an exciting experience to the emerging city’s portfolio of special events. We have been keeping an eye on Holyoke for quite some time; it has great leadership, passionate stakeholders, and an incredible history. It is positioned to make a major impact in the region as a true destination on so many levels. We are a community-committed brewery that is excited to play a part in the city’s festivities and showcase its pride.”

Aaron Vega, Holyoke’s director of Planning & Economic Development, added that “we’re excited to be partnering with White Lion and to see this partnership with our own Paper City Beer. To have the official unveiling of the commemorative label at this year’s St Patrick’s Road Race and 70th parade is a perfect fit. As co-chair of the 150th Committee, being able to bring Ray’s passion and excitement for beer and community to Holyoke as part of our 150th celebration is a true honor.”

Tech Foundry Announces Seven New Hires, Promotions

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Tech Foundry, a regional leader in IT workforce development and training, announced the hiring of three new staff members as well as four promotions, which will allow the organization to double the number of participants served annually.

Henry Alston was hired as Tech Foundry’s Service-Learning coordinator. In this role, he will be responsible for implementing the organization’s new service-learning pilot program in collaboration with Mass Humanities’ Clemente Course in the Humanities. He is a tech and wellness enthusiast with career experience in sales, marketing, and project coordination. After attaining his bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University in Oxford, Pa. in 2015, he went on to graduate from the University of Louisville with his MBA in 2020. He is a Tech Foundry alum.

Phillip Borras is Tech Foundry’s Career Readiness and Recruitment coordinator, a new role created to provide focused support and mentoring to student members. His diverse experience as a professional speaker, comedian, and life coach allows him to successfully teach and support Tech Foundry participants as a career coach during and after the program.

Jessica Cogoli has been promoted to assistant instructor. She is a Tech Foundry alum and has been working closely with the organization since she graduated, both as a volunteer and a TA for its IT-support training program. She is currently enrolled at Holyoke Community College and will graduate with an associate degree in computer science in the spring.

Marie-Ange Delimon, a Tech Foundry alum, has been promoted to manager of Community Impact for the organization. In this role, she oversees external partnerships and community engagement, including managing internship and job-placement programs as well as partnerships with a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout Western Mass. Previously, she served as Tech Foundry’s manager of Workforce Development. She is a graduate of a variety of medical-training programs and holds an MD degree from Université Notre Dame d’Haïti.

Johannes Romatka has been promoted to manager of Instruction and Curriculum. Previously an instructor at Tech Foundry, he has a diverse background in information technology, including training and network support. Prior to joining Tech Foundry, he worked in a training role for internal IT-support staff at U.S. Bank.

Linh Tran joined Tech Foundry in February as the organization’s new Administrative and Marketing coordinator, where she will support development, program, and communication initiatives. Originally from Vietnam, she has been studying and working in Massachusetts for almost 10 years. She is an experienced management professional with a diverse background in nonprofit, retail, legal, and insurance organizations, and is a graduate of Tech Foundry’s IT-support training program.

Michelle Wilson was hired as Tech Foundry’s manager of Administration and Operations in September and was recently promoted to deputy director, a position that encompasses a variety of duties, including overall operations management, fundraising, and marketing. Her background includes more than 17 years in nonprofit management, with roles at a national membership organization in San Francisco, a globally recognized mentoring program, an independent school in Seattle, and a state humanities council. She is a graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. and holds a master’s degree in public administration from San Francisco State University.

“It’s very exciting to see Tech Foundry’s growth and expanded impact,” CEO Tricia Canavan said. “We are grateful to our funders and donors, as well as to our partners in the community, which are supporting the expansion of our program to benefit more residents and organizations throughout the region.”

Riverside Industries Adds Four New Board Members

By
Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — Riverside Industries Inc. (RSI) announced that four new members have joined its board of directors to help support its mission to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live rich and full lives.

“I’m especially excited to see such a talented group of volunteers join our board as we continue in this current phase of organizational growth,” said Lynn Ireland, president and CEO of RSI. “As our organization battles through the lagging impacts of the pandemic, we are actively expanding our programs and workforce to reach new clients. I will certainly draw on the diverse personal and professional experiences of our board members in pursuit of that effort.”

All four of the new board members began their three-year term with RSI effective March 2023. They include Tara Brewster, vice president of Business Development and director of Philanthropy at Greenfield Savings Bank; Jeff Palm, partner and chief operating officer at Global Educators Inc.; Melissa Peters; Human Resource generalist for Fiducient Advisors; and Teremar Rodriguez-Vazquez, assistant general counsel at Health New England.

“Personally, I am thrilled to welcome the new members to our board and look forward to working alongside them as we address Riverside’s most pressing needs,” said Melissa Pike, who has chaired the RSI board since 2021. “Each of these new members brings a unique talent, skill, and perspective to the table. With their input, we immediately add a breadth of knowledge and technical skill that will be immensely helpful as we plot Riverside’s strategic goals for the future.

“On behalf of the board, I want to also express our gratitude to Jan Carhart, Jane Curran, and Silas Kopf, who have each concluded their service as valued members of the board,” Pike added. “All three have provided unflinching support for many years and across multiple terms on the board. We look forward to their continued volunteer involvement in other areas of RSI’s operations.”

To learn more about RSI and read new board member bios, visit www.rsi.org/news-events.

Sustainability Leaders to Discuss Carbon Emission Reductions from Buildings

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Climate Action Network, Boston Society of Architects, and Carbon Leadership Forum Boston/Northeast Hub will co-host a virtual press briefing on why Massachusetts must reduce embodied carbon emissions from buildings on Tuesday, March 14 from 10 to 11 a.m. Buildings already are one of Massachusetts’ highest-emitting sectors, representing 27% of statewide emissions. Globally, more than 25% of the emissions from buildings come from building materials and the construction of buildings themselves.

The event organizers will be joined by Boston University Sustainability representatives and representatives from RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings team to discuss what embodied carbon is and how other states are addressing embodied carbon. While Massachusetts leaders have made progress to reduce on-site emissions from buildings, the panel will discuss what steps local and state governments in Massachusetts can take to catch up to other states and decarbonize essential building materials such as steel and concrete while encouraging the use of low-carbon materials such as timber.

The panel will be available to answer questions around the embodied carbon from buildings, progress other states have made on reducing embodied carbon from buildings, and notable local building projects such as 11 East Lennox and the Boston University Center for Computing & Data Sciences that have demonstrated the feasibility and cost-competitiveness of sourcing low-carbon building materials. Advocates will also discuss how Massachusetts leaders can lead by example to accelerate the use of low-carbon materials in buildings and incorporate embodied carbon into Massachusetts climate policy.

Participants will include Logan Malik, interim executive director of Massachusetts Climate Action Network; Michelle Lambert from Lambert Sustainability; Andrea Love, president of the Boston Society of Architects; Rebecca Esau, manager at Carbon-Free Buildings, RMI; and Dennis Carlberg, associate vice president of Sustainability at Boston University

To register, click here or email Miranda D’Oleo at [email protected].

Massachusetts Unemployment Creeps Down in January

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s January total unemployment rate was 3.6%, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the revised December estimate of 3.7%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 19,600 jobs in January. This follows December’s revised gain of 3,800 jobs. The largest over-the-month private-sector job gains were in education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; and leisure and hospitality. Employment now stands at 3,743,500. Since the employment trough in April 2020, Massachusetts has gained 681,900 jobs.

From January 2022 to January 2023, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 117,200 jobs. The largest over-the-year gains occurred in professional, scientific, and business services; leisure and hospitality; and education and health services.

The January unemployment rate of 3.6% was two-tenths of a percentage point above the national rate of 3.4% reported by BLS.

The labor force increased by an estimated 3,900 from 3,726,400 in December, with 8,100 more residents employed and 4,200 fewer residents unemployed over-the-month. Over-the-year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.4%.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — increased by 0.1% to 64.8% over-the-month. Compared to January 2022, the labor-force participation rate was down five-tenths of a percentage point.

BetMGM Launches Mobile Sports Betting in Massachusetts

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — BetMGM, a leading sports-betting and iGaming operator, launched its mobile app in Massachusetts last week, giving customers access to a variety of online betting options and benefits tied to MGM Resorts’ ddestinations nationwide, including MGM Springfield.

“The debut of sports betting in Massachusetts has delivered an incredible amount of excitement and activity to our retail sportsbook at MGM Springfield,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said. “We’re proud to expand our best-in-class wagering experience statewide during one of sports’ biggest months of action.”

The BetMGM app offers a user-friendly sports-betting platform experience, giving Massachusetts sports fans the ability to customize pre-game, live in-play, futures, and parlay wagers. Integration with MGM Rewards allows Massachusetts’s BetMGM users to redeem their gameplay for world-class experiences at MGM Resorts properties nationwide.

The mobile app complements MGM Springfield’s BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge that opened in January. The space features a 45-foot LED viewing wall and four betting windows, making it easy for guests to access a variety of sports-wagering options. The resort is home to 18 sports-betting kiosks located throughout the gaming area.

Chris Kelley, President of MGM Springfield, called the mobile app “an unprecedented opportunity for us to extend the MGM Resorts experience beyond our walls to connect with customers statewide while also improving the convenience and technology for our guests at the resort. From Boston to Amherst, fans can now be a part of the excitement with just a touch of the button that only BetMGM and MGM Springfield can deliver.”

As BetMGM continues to expand to new jurisdictions, responsible-gambling education remains a key focus. BetMGM provides resources to help customers play responsibly, including GameSense, an industry-leading program developed and licensed to MGM Resorts by the British Columbia Lottery Corpo. Through the integration within BetMGM’s mobile and desktop platforms, customers can receive the same GameSense experience they have grown to count on at MGM Resorts properties nationwide. This complements BetMGM’s already existing responsible-gambling tools that provide customers with an entertaining and safe digital experience.

Also, BetMGM and MGM Resorts are both partners with the American Gaming Assoc. (AGA) “Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly” public-service campaign to educate new and seasoned bettors on responsible, legal sports wagering. This announcement comes as BetMGM and MGM Resorts join the National Council on Problem Gambling in promoting Problem Gambling Awareness Month throughout March.

Shakespeare & Company to Offer Online Linklater Voice Series Starting March 20

By
Daily News

LENOX — Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training will offer a six-session, online workshop titled “Linklater Voice: The Progression I,” beginning Monday, March 20.

Using the techniques set forth in Kristin Linklater’s practical approach to voice training — including from her book, Freeing the Natural Voice — students will explore the potential of voice as an actor or public speaker by creating connections between thoughts, body, and voice.

The workshop will be led by actor, teacher, and director Tom Giordano, a designated Linklater voice teacher and Shakespeare & Company artist who trained extensively with Linklater; and Andrea Haring, executive director of the Linklater Center for Voice and Language. Participants will delve into the Linklater method through various exercises designed to help them develop awareness of the alignment of the body, the natural rhythm of breath in response to the needs of the moment, and methods to explore and reduce the tensions that develop in the jaw, tongue, throat, and other areas of the body.

This workshop is scheduled to run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday evenings from March 20 through April 24. Tuition costs $250, and scholarships are available for BIPOC artists. Discounts are also available for training alumni members of acting unions and the Shakespeare Theatre Assoc. For more information or to apply, visit shakespeare.org or call (413) 637-1199, ext. 114.

BusinessTalk with Kelly McGiverin and Matt Bannister about the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade

By
Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Go HERE to view all episodes

Episode 153: March 13, 2023

George interviews Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Member and Sponsor, PeoplesBank

Kelly McGiverin

The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade and road race are regional events steeped in history and tradition. On this next installment of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien talks with Kelly McGiverin, Co-Marketing Director of Fundraising and Sponsorships for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, and Matt Bannister, Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Responsibility for parade sponsor PeoplesBank, about parade week and what these events mean to the city and the region. It’s all must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest and sponsored by PeoplesBank.

 

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Liberty Bank Foundation Donates $25,000 to Mercy’s Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center announced that Liberty Bank Foundation has pledged a gift of $25,000 to the fundraising effort to create the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit.

Following his cancer diagnosis, well-known restaurateur Andy Yee sought treatment at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center, where Yee and his family developed a strong relationship with his care team. Grateful for the high-quality, compassionate care Yee received until his passing in 2021, his wife, Sarah, approached hospital leaders about creating a space dedicated to palliative care for patients.

“At Liberty Bank, our mission is to improve the lives of our customers, teammates, and communities, not only by helping our customers reach their financial goals, but through other important ways we invest in our communities,” said David Glidden, president and CEO of Liberty Bank and president of the Liberty Bank Foundation. “The Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit underscores the need for this type of care in our communities and reinforces Mercy’s focus on helping patients living with a serious illness benefit from an improved quality of life for themselves and their family. Andy Yee was known for his generous and deep commitment to the community, and that unparalleled legacy will live on through this palliative-care unit serving the Greater Springfield region.”

Once complete, the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit will include design elements to provide an inviting, soothing space for end-of-life care for patients and families, as well as patients with chronic illnesses requiring pain and symptom management. All clinical staff involved in caring for patients and family members on the new unit will receive specialized training that focuses on palliative care.

“We are grateful to the Liberty Bank Foundation for its commitment to this important project,” said Deborah Bitsoli, president of Mercy Medical Center and Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group. “Andy Yee was a longtime supporter and friend to Mercy Medical Center, and the palliative care unit named in his memory will honor his human spirit and commitment to the local community for years to come.”

Donations are being accepted to help defray the cost of the project. To make a gift in support of this initiative, visit give.mercycares.com/andy-yee-palliative-care-unit; email Geoffrey Hoyt, chief Development officer at Mercy Medical Center, at [email protected]; or call (860) 331-1102.

Thomas Smiarowski Elected Three County Fair President

By
Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — The Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Agricultural Society, the nonprofit organization that manages Northampton’s Three County Fair and fairgrounds, recently elected its newest president, Thomas Smiarowski, who has been a member of the society for more than 20 years and was elected to its board of directors in 2016.

Smiarowski is expected to serve two years as president, leading the society’s board of directors, which consists of 21 other appointees who make up the fair’s agricultural leadership. The society was first organized in December 1817 by a group of area leaders in business and farming with the purpose of promoting agriculture and the domestic arts. The society received its charter from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts two months later in February 1818.

“It is an honor and privilege being elected to serve as president of the Three County Fair,” Smiarowski said. “Agricultural fairs play a vital role in providing opportunities for farmers, both young and old, to exhibit their livestock and agricultural products. Equally important, agricultural fairs provide members of the local community the opportunity to get an up-close and personal look at farming and interact with farmers. The Three County Fair has a rich history of serving the community in those capacities, and I look forward to continuing that tradition and building upon that history.”

Smiarowski grew up on his family’s vegetable and dairy farm in Montague, where he continues to help his brother Dan, who currently owns and operates the family farm. Following his graduation from UMass Amherst, Smiarowski worked 34 years for the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, holding a number of management positions. Following his retirement from USDA in 2012, he worked 10 years as an agricultural risk-management educator for UMass Extension.

He is currently a director of the Massachusetts Agricultural Club, the longest-standing agricultural club in the country; serves as a Massachusetts trustee of the Eastern States Exposition; and is a member of the New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Assoc. He also serves on the capital campaign to fund the new construction of the Newman Catholic Center on the UMass campus.

MOSSO to Make Sevenars Concerts Debut On July 23

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) will make its Sevenars Concerts debut in Worthington on Sunday, July 23 at 4 p.m. MOSSO and Friends, which opened the Westfield Athenaeum series, features violinist Beth Welty, horn player Sarah Sutherland, and pianist Elizabeth Skavish. They will perform Frédéric Duvernoy’s Trio No. 1 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; Trygve Madsen’s Trio, Op. 110 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; and Johannes Brahms’ Trio in E-flat Major for Violin, Horn, and Piano.

Sevenars performances are held at the Academy, South Ireland Street and Route 112, South Worthington. There is no charge for admission to the performance, and no tickets are needed, although donations at the door are welcome ($20 or more per person is suggested to help defray expenses). For program details and information on Sevenars, visit www.sevenars.org.

State Education Officials Visiting Square One Today

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler and acting Commissioner of Early Education & Care (EEC) Amy Kershaw will pay a visit to Square One today, March 10, at 2 p.m.

Tutwiler and Kershaw will visit the Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center at 55 King St., Springfield, to experience the work that Square One is doing and highlight the investments proposed in Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll’s budget for early learning. The visit will focus specifically on Square One’s use of the Commonwealth Cares for Children grants and the work it has done to support early-childhood mental health.

Joined by Square One President and CEO Dawn DiStefano, along with Square One staff, children, and parents, Tutwiler and Kershaw will tour the facility and learn more about Square One’s commitment to developing the next generation of leaders by providing high-quality early education and care, as it has since 1883.

Square One currently provides early learning services to more than 500 infants, toddlers, and school-aged children daily, and family-support services to about 1,500 families each year.

Urban League of Springfield President, CEO Henry Thomas to Step Down

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Henry Thomas, who presided over the Urban League of Springfield for almost a half-century, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

“I have had the privilege to spend my entire career supporting the Springfield community and creating countless spaces where our community can thrive, grow, and achieve excellence,” he wrote in a letter announcing his decision. “My dream has always been to serve, and I am so honored to have spent my life’s work with a civil-rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment, equality, and social justice.”

Thomas was named one of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers for 2023, and will be honored at a gala on April 27.

He joined the Urban League in 1971 as youth coordinator. In 1974, at age 25, he became the nation’s youngest leader of a national Urban League affiliate. One of his key areas of focus throughout his career has been education, and not just through Urban League programs; he also served for 13 years on the UMass Amherst board of trustees — including two and a half years as board chair — and was a co-founder of New Leadership Charter School.

In all Urban League initiatives — its programs include education and youth-development initiatives, as well as programs for economic and workforce development, health and wellness, and seniors — Thomas has been driven by an understanding of the importance of equity.

“No equity, no excellence,” he told BusinessWest recently. “I always had a feeling that things could be better, as it relates to equity, everyone getting the treatment that others are getting.”

Also in the vein of education and workforce development, Thomas established Step Up Springfield, a teacher-development program in Springfield; is funding (along with his wife, Dee, a former teacher and principal herself) a $50,000 scholarship for Black youth from Springfield; and tackled a two-year assignment with the National Urban League as its vice president for Youth Development, with a primary focus of youth development within inner-city communities.

Another one of Thomas’ successes was bringing Camp Atwater in North Brookfield — the oldest overnight camp for Black youth in the U.S. — back to life in 1980 after a period of dormancy. The camp celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021.

In yesterday’s letter, Thomas said he will advise the organization as it embarks on a search for its next leader.

“I want to express my gratitude to the staff and board for their incredible support as we have worked to transform the Urban League of Springfield,” he wrote. “As I reflect on over 50 years in my role, there is so much that brings me joy. Together, we have transformed the organization’s fundraising from thousands of dollars to millions of dollars, over $5 million and counting. In my new role as an advisor to the Urban League, I will continue to support the fundraising for this historic establishment.

“It has been an honor to work with and learn from committed and enthusiastic staff and colleagues over the years,” Thomas went on. “I thank the Urban League dream team and board members for their support and am appreciative beyond measure to our grantee partners, community organizations and leaders, philanthropy colleagues, public officials, and private business partners for enriching my efforts. You all have been inspirational allies in our fight for equality and social justice in the Springfield community and beyond.”

Shannon Rudder Appointed President, CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services (MLKFS) has wrapped up an almost-year-long search for a new leader. After an extensive search campaign and interview process, Aieshya Jackson, chair of the board of directors of MLKFS, announced that Shannon Rudder will be the next president and CEO of the organization.

“The task we undertook upon Ronn Johnson’s passing was to find someone who shared our values as keepers of the dream while simultaneously having the exemplary skills and experience to build on Ronn’s success,” Jackson said. “We found that person in Shannon, who has spent her career putting her business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to work in service to those who need help the most.”

Rudder, who will join MLKFS on March 13, most recently served as deputy director of Teach Western Mass, a nonprofit organization working toward educational equity in partnership with area schools. She also served as executive director of Providence Ministries Inc., an organization supporting the needs of marginalized populations by addressing food insecurity, addiction recovery, housing, clothing, and workforce development. She earned her MBA and her BBA, the latter magna cum laude, from Medaille College.

“What I love about Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services is that it really takes into account all of the community members,” Rudder said. “I want to ensure that the legacy continues because it’s important and has been around for 45 years. It’s important that it continues because the needs continue.”

American International College Launches New Programs to Meet Workforce Needs

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The School of Business, Arts, and Sciences at American International College (AIC) has begun recruiting students for three new academic degree programs designed to prepare students for fields in high demand. Launching in the fall of 2023, these new offerings expand AIC’s academic portfolio of more than 40 interdisciplinary programs grounded in the liberal arts.

AIC’s new cybersecurity program will equip students with the technical and business knowledge needed to secure high-paying and growing jobs in this field. Students will assess modern cybersecurity challenges threatening privacy, security, and safety and gain the knowledge and hands-on technical skills to protect digital assets from cybercriminals. Cybersecurity is an ideal degree for people who want to work in a future-focused field with a high earning potential. And with 33% job growth by 2030, opportunities continue to grow.

The new bachelor’s degree in public administration program at AIC was developed to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in public-sector roles. This program emphasizes experiential learning, with projects in government administration, public health, social science, history, and more. Public administration is a field for those who want to enact change in their communities and beyond. With more than half of all federal workers nearing retirement age, demand for fresh talent is set to skyrocket in the coming years.

The esports and gaming administration program at AIC offers a business degree with a gaming-industry specialization, providing business fundamentals that will last a lifetime. This program addresses the greatest needs in the esports and gaming industry, identified through interviews with major companies, including Capcom and Riot. AIC’s coursework will provide students with the necessary context for understanding the games industry and a basic understanding of how technology-based companies get things done. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of jobs in esports nearly doubled, growing a staggering 85%.

“We are pleased to expand the college’s academic program offerings with new degree pathways that will lead to in-demand careers for our students,” AIC Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Dodge said. “Additionally, these three new programs will help to realize the college’s strategic plan, ‘AIC Reimagined,’ that charts an ambitious course forward.”

AIC is partnering with the Lower Cost Models Consortium (LCMC) and Rize Education to offer these programs with approximately 80% of the coursework on-campus and the remaining 20% in an online environment. The LCMC is a strategic partnership of private colleges and universities collaborating with Rize Education to provide access to a cutting-edge curriculum that prepares students for successful careers.

Holyoke Community College, Arizona State University Announce Transfer Pact

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) announced a new alliance with Arizona State University (ASU) to provide students a seamless transfer experience through the MyPath2ASU program.

MyPath2ASU allows students to take the steps needed at the start of their college experience to successfully plan their transfer from HCC to ASU, where they can complete their bachelor’s degree online.

“This partnership with ASU is an exciting opportunity for HCC students,” HCC Transfer Affairs Coordinator Mark Broadbent said. “The agreement will allow students to expand their horizons while ensuring transferability of their coursework, saving students time and money toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree.”

MyPath2ASU provides a set of customized transfer tools for students from accredited institutions, end-to-end learner navigation through course-by-course guided pathways; advising to assist students in course selection to ensure their credits fulfill requirements at both HCC and ASU; guaranteed general admission to ASU and admission into their choice of MyPath2ASU major, if all requirements are satisfied (some majors have additional or higher admission requirements); more than 400 course-by-course guided pathways into immersion and online ASU degree programs; self-service degree-progress tracking through the ASU My Transfer Guide to minimize loss of credits; and connected experience through personalized ASU communications to prepare students academically and build an early connection to ASU.

The MH Group Celebrates 10 Years of Business in Springfield

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The MH Group (formerly ManeHire Talent Solutions), a Springfield-based staffing and recruiting agency, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

“This was made possible by earning the trust of company leaders and thousands of candidates we’ve placed in career roles across the country,” founder and CEO Nicole Polite said. “A core philosophy for the MH Group is the need for both roots and wings.”

These roots that Polite mentions run deep in Springfield, as her great-great-granduncle was Primus Parsons Mason, a Black entrepreneur and real-estate investor who is most well-known as the namesake of the city’s Mason Square neighborhood.

“He achieved remarkable accomplishments at a time in history when it was less common,” Polite said. “When I consider what ‘roots’ mean to the company and me, I build upon my uncle’s deep passion for giving back to those in our city. That is why, in part, I chose Springfield as the home of the MH Group. I am thankful for the continued support from city residents and leaders. As we grow, that gratefulness remains a key value.”

To continue his legacy, Polite is launching the nonprofit Polite Foundation, focusing on providing career resources to underserved populations. In addition, she has served on multiple nonprofit boards, such as the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County (now operating as MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, the United Way of Pioneer Valley’s Dora D. Robinson Women’s Leadership Council, and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission council. She also served as a business advisor at the Entrepreneurial & Women’s Business Center at the University of Hartford.

While Polite embraces these roots, she also understands the need for change and growth. The MH Group has undergone a significant evolution over the past decade and is planning for the next 10 years and beyond.

“We encourage our candidates to dream big and embrace their wings, and we as a company also practice that,” Polite said. “First, we have evolved the brand from ManeHire to the MH Group, intending to clearly reflect our full-service approach and mission of raising the bar for staffing and recruiting. We also are expanding our diversity and inclusion resources. The goal is to attract, hire, and retain our clients’ best talent and assist with offerings to overcome barriers to equality and promote diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.”

This forward-thinking, client-first approach has served the MH Group well.

“My team and I are extremely proud of our 90% direct-hire placement retention rate,” Polite said. “Compared to the average industry retention rate, which is lower, it confirms our conviction that there is a person for every position and a position for every person. It demonstrates we are taking the right approach to staffing and recruiting.”

Chicopee Police, Fire Departments to Battle in Charity Hockey Game

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Daily News

CHICOPEE — On Sunday, March 12, the Chicopee Police and Fire departments will once again take the ice for the annual Battle of the Badges Charity Hockey Game. This will take place at 5 p.m. at Fitzpatrick Arena, 575 Maple St., Holyoke. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Proceeds will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee and a scholarship fund for Chicopee Comprehensive High School and Chicopee High School students.

Many businesses have contributed to the game as sponsors, including presenting sponsor Polish National Credit Union, chuck-a-puck sponsor PeoplesBank, and face-off sponsors MASSCOPS Local #485, International Assoc. of Fire Fighters Local 1710, Curry Honda Chicopee, Marshall Steinbeck Collision, AMP Electrical Inc., and Planet Fitness.

Tickets cost $10 per person and can be purchased the day of the game at Fitzpatrick Arena. Kids 12 and under are free. The game will feature mascots from both the Chicopee Police and Fire departments, a free kids’ raffle, raffle and 50/50 prizes, a concession stand, music, and — new this year — a chuck-a-puck contest. For additional questions or to make a donation, call Chris Galindo at (413) 374-7225 or John James at (413) 218-6679.