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Month: January 2024

American International College to Hold Registration Rush on Jan. 8

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) is set to host a Registration Rush event for the spring 2024 semester on Monday, Jan. 8 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event offers a convenient opportunity for on-the-spot application review, registration, and financial-aid support.

Prospective and returning students are encouraged to attend the event being held at AIC’s Shea Memorial Library at 1000 State St. in Springfield. The college’s Admissions and Financial Aid teams will be on hand to assist with the application process, FAFSA submission, and class registration, all in one visit.

Those who complete the process during this one-stop experience will be eligible to join classes when AIC’s spring semester begins on Wednesday, Jan. 17. For additional information, contact AIC Admissions at (413) 205-2101 or [email protected].

BusinessWest Calls for 40 Under Forty Nominations

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2023. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 16.

Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be as detailed and thorough as possible, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form.

Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be announced and profiled in the April 29 issue of BusinessWest and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in June. Event sponsorship opportunities are available.

2024 Economic Outlook

By
Cover Story Economic Outlook

There’s Uncertainty, but Also General Optimism About the Year Ahead

Brooke Thomson says the Business Confidence Index issued each month by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), does a fairly effective job of conveying what business owners are thinking.

When the index is consistently below 50, it indicates general pessimism about the economy in general. Conversly, when it’s above 50 and trending north of that mark, it conveys overall optimism and, as the name on the index indicates, confidence about what is to come.

And … when the index is right around 50 and hovering there, as it has been for the past several months, well, that generallly communicates the sentiment that business owners aren’t exactly sure what to think, and are, by and large, neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic, said Thomson, who took the reins as CEO of AIM on Jan. 1.

“What this tells me is that there’s a moderating that’s happening,” she told BusinessWest. “The good thing that you can draw from the index is that when you see it around 50 for several months in a row, there’s some consistency, which is critical for business to be successful; uncertainty is the worst thing that you can see in business. But it also indicates to me that businesses aren’t quite sure if we’re headed to a good place or a bad place. Businesses need to have a sense of being able to forecast wh at’s coming in order to adjust.”

This general state of not knowing what to think extends to economists and economic-development leaders as well, meaning that uncertainty is perhaps the prevailing sentiment heading into a year that promises to be an intriguing one in many ways and on many levels, including a presidential race that will likely consume the nation and its business community.

Bob Nakosteen

“I think growth will slow down in 2024, and there’s less than a 50-50 chance of going into a mild recession, with the emphasis on mild.”

But despite this uncertainty, there is strong sentiment that many of the positive forces seen in a better-than-expected 2023 — from job growth to still-robust consumer spending to falling inflation — will continue into next year.

“I think growth will slow down in 2024, and there’s less than a 50-50 chance of going into a mild recession, with the emphasis on mild,” said Bob Nakosteen, a semi-retired professor of Economics at UMass Amherst. “I don’t expect anything seriously negative to happen; I personally think the economy will be relatively healthy all through 2024.”

Beyond the presidential race, there will be many other things to watch in the year ahead, eveything from interest rates and inflation (and the broad impact of both) to the ongoing workforce crisis and efforts to stem that tide; from global turmoil and the impact it may have on various sectors of the economy to initiatives to address an ongoing housing shortage in this region and beyond; from continual changes in where and how people (and the impact of all this on commercial real estate and individual cities and towns) to those two letters that convey both enormous promise and great concern: AI.

For its 2024 Economic Outlook, BusinessWest talked with several business and economic leaders about these and other topics. Their comments add exclamation points to what we generally knew already — that 2024 will be an important year, one of both challenge and opportunity.

 

 

The Indicators Are Indicating…

Historically, Nakosteen told BusinessWest, the Fed tries — that’s tries — to keep a low profile in presidential-election years, and especially after the primaries are over. Elaborating, he said the Fed generally tries to keep from influencing a race with monetary policy, including sharp increases or decreases in interest rates.

And he expects that pattern to continue in 2024 while acknowledging that “anything could happen.”

And while that broad sentiment applies to the general economy as well, the prevailing opinion, if there is such a thing, is that the mostly tepid growth in GDP — roughly 2% in quarters 1 and 2, but then nearly 6% in Q3 — will continue into 2024, with only a modest chance of the country slipping into a recession, especially if interest rates start coming down, as the Fed has hinted. Sort of.

Tom Senecal

Tom Senecal

“All indications are that inflation is coming under control, which has caused the Federal Reserve to pause on interest-rate increases.”

Overall, 2023 was, in many ways, better than some economists projected, with the country able to skirt a recession despite aggressive efforts to tame inflation through interest-rate hikes. Nakosteen said the overriding reason for this was that, with the notable exception of housing, consumers were still willing to spend, and with supply chains righting themselves, there was plenty for them to spend on.

“In effect, supply created demand and kept things moving,” he said, adding that there are plenty of other positive notes in 2023. Indeed, Wall Street recorded a solid year, with the S&P 500 up a robust 23% over the past year, heading into the final week. Meanwhile, the country continues to add jobs — roughly 240,000 per month, on average, over the past year — and unemployment remains low at 3.8%.

On the downside, the housing market cratered, and banks started to suffer from a combination of a depressed housing market, a slower commercial-lending environment, and having to pay more than 5% interest on deposits when they had been paying close to zero. However, housing starts surged nearly 15% in November, providing still more evidence that the Fed is engineering a soft landing, with another 2% growth projected for the fourth quarter.

The $64,000 question, obviously, is whether the momentum seen on these various fronts can continue into 2024.

Rick Sullivan

Rick Sullivan

“Overall, I’m optimistic that the pieces are coming together, and that we’ll see more progress in 2024.”

Nakosteen, as always, said he is not equipped with a crystal ball, and forecasting is difficult given the many unknowns. But he offered this:

“It takes interest rates many, many months, if not years, to work their way through the channels to affect the economy. And some of that is still happening, and that’s causing a slowdown,” he said, noting the decline from Q3 to what is projected for Q4. “But there is nothing approaching recession; the job market is still very healthy, and that’s the key signal that will tell us if we’re heading into a recession.”

 

Points of Interest

As he looks ahead to 2024, Tom Senecal, president and CEO of Holyoke-based PeoplesBank, said he believes the momentum generated on inflation and interest rates — meaning the pause orchestrated by the Federal Reserve as inflation started to ease throughout the year — will likely continue into 2024, although there are no certainties.

“All indications are that inflation is coming under control, which has caused the Federal Reserve to pause on interest-rate increases,” he said. “At worst, we are hoping for no further increases, which should help the housing and commercial real-estate markets. At best, some predict lower rates, and, quite frankly, many consider equity markets to be overreacting to this potentially good news. We’re not out of the woods yet, but hopefully we are in for a soft landing as recessionary fears seem to be easing.”

Elaborating, Senecal said that much hinges on inflation and the needle continuing to move in the right direction.

Brooke Thomson

Brooke Thomson

“It’s imperative that policymakers send the right signals through their actions that we’re going to continue on this course of enhancing our competitiveness and promoting economic stability.”

“Everything points to price stability, and as long as price stability continues, we should see a stabilization of interest rates,” he explained. “As long as interest rates stay high on mortgages, the housing market will continue to have a ripple effect throughout our economy. Not only are housing sales down, but all economic activity related to homebuying and construction has been severely impacted.

“Several national economists and the Federal Reserve are expressing caution and a non-commitment about the direction of interest rates,” he went on. “Equity markets seemed to react extremely quickly to the interest-rate pause as good news. I am not so sure that we will see any change in interest rates. I think rates will remain stable throughout the year because the Federal Reserve is extremely cautious in any move, up or down, until they have clear signs that the economy, inflation, and employment are back to pre-pandemic levels.”

Overall, Senecal sees improvement on the residential real-estate market, but some lingering challenges, many of them pandemic-related.

“With the recent Federal Reserve pause, and the market’s reaction to that, it has started to impact long-term interest rates on mortgages coming down almost three-quarters of a percentage point,” he noted. “I would expect and hope the impact on the residential real-estate market come spring will have a positive effect on inventory and therefore increase residential RE purchases and inventory.”

Meanwhile, he added, “commercial office-space markets will continue to see a continuing decline as the effects of the pandemic on lease maturities will continue to impact commercial real-estate values. Because Western Mass is heavily concentrated in the medical and educational markets, neither of which are severely impacted by these interest-rate economic changes, I fully expect Western Mass. to remain economically stable throughout 2024.”

 

Progress Report

It’s called the CHIPS and Science Act. This is a federal statute signed into law by President Biden in August 2022 that authorizes roughly $280 billion in new funding to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the U.S., and also includes $39 billion in subsidies for chip manufacturing on U.S. soil, along with 25% investment-tax credits for costs of manufacturing equipment and $13 billion for semiconductor research and workforce training.

Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, said provisions of the CHIPS Act require that companies in the supply chain be U.S.-based. And this has translated into some intriguing early-stage talks between the EDC and some international companies.

Sam Hanmer

“Insurance isn’t sexy. It isn’t high-tech, it isn’t Wall Street, it’s just … not sexy, so young people aren’t interested in it, and the ones who are interested are aging out.”

“Not only is there onshoring being discussed, but there’s also some foreign investment from different companies, European mostly, that are looking to get a foothold; they’re at least looking,” he said, adding that, between developable land on which to build and precision manufacturers that could be acquired, there is plenty within the 413 to show them. “It’s an opportunity I haven’t seen in the past seven or eight years.”

And this fairly recent development is one reason why Sullivan is rather optimistic about 2024 and what it holds for the region.

Other reasons include everything from progress on the workforce front (see related item below), with area colleges and universities seeing a boost in enrollment as well as new programs and initiatives to put workers in the pipeline for various sectors, to headway in the preparation of a new growth strategy for the region, to some new businesses in different, and promising, sectors.

Businesses like CleanCrop Technologies in Holyoke, which boasts technology that “redefines food and agriculture efficiency.”

“This is a company that came out of UMass, it’s growing significantly, and it’s getting the attention of some multi-national companies in terms of potential investment,” said Sullivan, adding that there are other companies in what he called the “clean-tech realm” that are emerging and offering great promise for that sector. “Overall, I’m optimistic that the pieces are coming together, and that we’ll see more progress in 2024.”

 

The State We’re In

Thomson told BusinessWest that the tax cut orchestrated by the Healey administration in 2023 was a welcome signal that the state might actually get it when it comes to the high cost of living and doing business in the Commonwealth and the need to take steps to make it more competitive.

She hopes there will be more of these to come in 2024 because the state still has a long way to go when it comes to being competitive with North Carolina’s Research Triangle and other regions like it.

“It’s imperative that policymakers send the right signals through their actions that we’re going to continue on this course of enhancing our competitiveness and promoting economic stability,” she said. “We’re really at an inflection point.”

George Timmons

George Timmons

“It’s about how you respond to the populations that you have on your campus and ensuring that they have the resources and the support they need to be successful.”

There continues to be an outmigration from Massachusetts, said Thomson, noting that the so-called ‘millionaire’s tax’ certainly has something to do with this. But the larger issue is simple affordability, she went on, adding that many young professionals feel priced out by the Bay State, and especially the broad area east of Worcester.

Housing is a huge issue, she said, adding that the state needs to prioritize efforts to create housing on many different levels, from affordable to what would be considered starter homes for young professionals. But it’s not the only issue, she noted, adding that overall affordability also includes transportation and childcare, which are also very high in this state.

“The outmigration numbers worry me because they indicate that the biggest population group that we’re losing are these 25- to 36-year-olds,” she said. “These are the people who maybe came here for college and then concluded that it’s too expensive to stay here.”

Finding ways to keep them here, Thomson added, will go a long way toward easing the workforce issues that are impacting every business sector and in some ways stunting their growth.

 

‘Workforce, Workforce, Workforce’

As he talked with BusinessWest about his sector and efforts to attract and retain talent, Sam Hanmer hit upon an uncomfortable truth.

“Insurance isn’t sexy,” said Hanmer, president of the Chicopee-based Rush Insurance Group, with Rush being his mother’s maiden name. “It isn’t high-tech, it isn’t Wall Street, it’s just … not sexy, so young people aren’t interested in it, and the ones who are interested are aging out. Let’s be honest, insurance has been an ugly word forever — you have to have thick skin to be in this game because no one wants to talk to you.”

With that, he summed up the ongoing challenge of attracting and maintaining a workforce today, hitting on two of the key points: Baby Boomers are retiring, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to hire their successors, especially in insurance.

“If you have that skillset, you’re in an environment where you can change jobs and get a pretty significant pay increase,” he said, referring to seasoned insurance professionals. “In order to get that skillset — and the number of people who possess it is diminishing — employers have to pay up for it, and that squeezes everyone.”

But even those business sectors that would be considered sexy continue to struggle on this front, with many of those we spoke with summing up 2023, and the overriding issue for 2024, with three simple words: “workforce, workforce, workforce.”

Susan Kasa

Susan Kasa

“Commercial aerospace had come to a virtual standstill for many suppliers, and they had to reinvent the wheel for themselves. But we’re starting to see a comeback to pre-pandemic levels.”

Hanmer was one of them, noting that, in his sector and many others, ‘virtual assistants,’ technology, and especially AI hold the promise of removing the human element, meaning hired help, from some backroom functions, the broad realm of customer service, and “helping customers understand what they’re buying.”

In the meantime, though, Hanmer and those in many other sectors are focusing their efforts on educating young people about what could be promising careers, including those in that non-sexy realm known as insurance, and grooming them for this work.

“We’re going to start looking at young, inexperienced people who have a desire to potentially have a good-paying job in insurance, because these are good-paying jobs, and you just can’t get people to fill them,” he explained. “So we’re going to have to start growing them from a younger age, and, hopefully, they’ll stick around.”

With that, again, he spoke for business owners across virtually every sector.

 

School of Thought

It will be called the Adult Learner Success Center.

This is a new initiative at Holyoke Community College (HCC), that, as the name suggests, has been created to help adult learners — non-traditional students generally in the their mid-20s and older — achieve success, however they choose to define it.

“It will help address the specific needs of the adult leader, and we’re really excited about it,” said George Timmons, who took the helm as HCC’s president this past summer. “It’s about how you respond to the populations that you have on your campus and ensuring that they have the resources and the support they need to be successful.”

And the program says a lot about the state of higher education as the caldendar turns to 2024.

Indeed, with the passage of the MassReconnect program, which provides free community college to eligible individuals 25 and older, these institutions have seen a much-needed boost in enrollment (4% at HCC, for example) that is also changing the demographic on their campuses.

While enrollment has edged higher at community-colleges and other institutions in 2023, overall enrollment and financial challenges persist, said Timmons, citing the announced closing of the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y., after more than a century of operation, providing more evidence — not that any was needed — that these are difficult and somewhat perilous times in higher education.

“It’s still real when you think about the challenges facing colleges and universities, especially in the Northeast, where the birth rates are signficantly less than they were years ago, putting fewer students in the pipeline,” he said, noting that, on a different spectrum, there are an estimated 700,000 people in the Bay State who have attended college but not finished what they started.

This represents a tremendous opportunity for community colleges, he said, adding that this focus on the adult learner and helping them achieve success will be among the many key issues to watch in 2024.

 

Making Things Happen

Susan Kasa, president of Boulevard Machine & Gear in Westfield, said that, a year ago, her shop was able to shut down the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, a non-traditional break that was enjoyed by employees and managers alike.

So much so that the plan was to do it again, she said, adding that it just wasn’t possible to do so this year.

“Right now, we have so much demand that we will be open that week and plugging along,” she said in an interview prior to the holidays, adding that this demand comes in the form of a high volume of orders, a number of them in the expedited category, that cover most all of the customer groups served by this precision manufacturer.

That includes what Kasa calls ‘outer space,’ meaning everything from satellites to the rockets taking billionaires and their clients to the edge of space; from defense to aerospace.

This surge in orders reflects many of the issues that will define 2024, from turmoil in the Middle East, Ukraine, and other hotspots to a resurgence in airline travel — all of which is positively impacting precision manufacturers, and there are many of them in the 413, who serve original equipment manufacturers in those markets.

Indeed, on the space and defense sides of the ledger, Boulevard is currently handing orders for parts for everything from the satellites that track incoming missiles to the Apache helicopter, and all indications are that the pace of activity will only increase in 2024 and probably beyond.

“We’ve been delivering parts in this last quarter of the year, and the numbers are very strong right through 2032,” she said, ading that L3Harris, the Florida-based defense contractor that specializes in microwave weaponry, surveillance solutions, and electronic warfare, has become one of Boulevard’s larger customers for outer space, satellite, and aerospace work.

This upward trajectory in orders, which led to the hiring of three new machinists in 2023, also includes aerospace, she said, adding that a pronounced lull in that sector, resulting from the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max, a sharp decrease in air travel during the pandemic, and other factors, is now to be discussed with the past tense.

“Commercial aerospace had come to a virtual standstill for many suppliers, and they had to reinvent the wheel for themselves,” Kasa said. “But we’re starting to see a comeback to pre-pandemic levels. We’re finally getting back to normal; orders are resuming, and they’re taking all this inventory that may have been sitting for a while. With both Boeing and Airbus, they’re seeing orders come in, and they’re large orders.”

 

Hybrid Schedules — and Even a Four-day Week — Gain Traction

By
Mike Long and Alana Sambor
Features Special Coverage

Making It Work

Mike Long and Alana Sambor

Mike Long and Alana Sambor say Axia employees appreciate a four-day workweek.

 

They call it the ‘buddy system.’

And it’s just one of many elements that have gone into what has thus far been a successful transition to a four-day workweek at West Springfield-based Axia Insurance.

Mike Long, the company’s CEO, explains how it works.

“Everyone picks or is assigned a buddy; if someone is not on in Monday, their buddy will take anything that comes in that has to be handled on Monday,” he said, noting that, in insurance, there are some things that can’t wait a day, so the buddy system is imperative to this arrangement whereby employees can take either Monday or Friday off, thus earning a three-day weekend 52 weeks a year.

The success of the buddy system has helped Axia make conversion to four days — 34 hours, with a goal of eventually getting it down to 32 hours — a success story that is still a work in progress, said Long, adding that a great deal of study and preparation went into this, and the prep work is certainly paying off thus far — for employees and the company.

“If you want to work at home because you find there are fewer distractions there, that’s fine. But if you feel the need to be at work because there are fewer distractions there, that’s fine, too. For those of us with kids and dogs, there are fewer distractions at work.”

Alana Sambor, director of Operations, agreed. She said employees have enthusiastically embraced the change, as might be expected, and there have been a number of benefits, everything from steady, and in some cases improved, levels of productivity, but with happier employees, to a decline in the number of requests for other paid time off, with employees scheduling doctor, dental, and vet visits; home-appliance repair windows; and more on the one day a week they are off (more on all this later).

As noted, the four-day week has come about through a hard focus on employee satisfaction, followed by study, examination of best practices (what few there are in this realm), and what could be called beta testing, running the program through its paces over this past summer, said Long, adding that businesses thinking about following this course need to do their homework, think it through, and effectively communicate everything that needs to be communicated to employees at all levels.

Allison Lapierre-Houle

Allison Lapierre-Houle says remote work and hybrid schedules have earned a measure of permanence at ArchitectureEL.

Meanwhile, the Wilbraham offices of Giombetti Associates tout what Bobby O’Neil calls a four-and-a-half-day workweek. There is a half day on Friday, with almost all employees — often everyone but him — working remotely on that day. This is the latest spin, or evolutionary course, on remote policies that are working for the company on many levels.

“The other four days, there is flexibility, with remote work an option for those who prefer it,” said O’Neil, senior advisor at this company, which specializes in pre-employment assessments, leadership training and development, and talent-acquisition solutions.

“If you want to work at home because you find there are fewer distractions there, that’s fine,” he said. “But if you feel the need to be at work because there are fewer distractions there, that’s fine, too. For those of us with kids and dogs, there are fewer distractions at work.”

As for Fridays and the quietness in the office, O’Neil said he enjoys it, mostly. “I’m alone, but I’m not lonely,” he quipped.

“Everyone has a three-day weekend, which has improved morale exponentially and improved work-life balance for everyone. The positivity in the office and the energy have completely changed.”

Fridays are nearly as quiet at the ArchitectureEL offices in East Longmeadow. That’s because seven of the company’s 10 employees are working remotely. All employees have the option to work remotely several days of the week, and most of them, but not all of them, make Friday one of those days, said Allison Lapierre-Houle, office manager for the company.

She said this is the pattern, or schedule, that employees have generally settled into, adding that remote work has earned a measure of permanence here, as it has elsewhere.

For this issue, we examine this shift in the workplace, and the many variations on the broad themes of remote work, flex schedules, and, yes, a shorter work week.

 

Week Link

As he talked about how the four-day week came to be Axia, Long said there was some careful reflection deeply rooted in a focus on employee satisfaction, recruitment, and retention.

Elaborating, he said Axia had embraced remote work in the wake of the pandemic, and most employees were taking advantage of it.

Bobby O’Neil

Bobby O’Neil says Giombetti Associates’ four-and-a-half-day workweek is one of several initiatives to help employees balance work and life.

But it came with a price tag of sorts, he went on, referencing a loss of company culture because employees were not together in the same place at the same time. “We were losing the culture of Axia,” he said. “All of the sudden, it felt that they were slipping away from us; we weren’t a family anymore.”

But, and this is a big but, the company also recognized the need to create a work environment that was attractive to current and potential employees, especially in the middle of an ongoing workforce crisis.

“We realized that the most valuable asset we have at the company is our employees, and based on that understanding, we’ve tried to create a culture that is very employee-focused,” he said, adding that Axia even boasts a gym at its facility. “What we wanted to do is create an effective work-life balance because it’s good for the employees. And if it’s good for the employees, it’s good for the clients.”

One method that emerged for getting there is a four-day work week, something that has been tried, with some success, in Europe, but not so much in the U.S.

“Every company had an identity before they went remote and hybrid, and now you add to that the complexity of remote workers and hybrid workers, and they have to think of creative ways to preserve the culture that they have.”

At the heart of the initiative is effective communication about all aspects of the new system, from the nuances of the buddy system to what is expected in terms of productivity, said Sambor, noting that it was made clear that team members would be doing the same amount of work, but in fewer days.

“The best rule of thumb is to set the standards that you’re trying to accomplish,” she noted. “If you have a full-time staff, and they’re taking 100 calls a day, and that’s what you expect from them, when they go to a four-day work week, we’re still expecting them to take 500 phone calls.”

But the tradeoff — more work in less time for that three-day weekend — has been enthusiastically accepted.

“Everyone has a three-day weekend, which has improved morale exponentially and improved work-life balance for everyone,” Sambor said. “The positivity in the office and the energy have completely changed.”

Long agreed.

Amy Roberts

Amy Roberts says employees at PeoplesBank have come to appreciate an organization that allows them some flexibility.

“One thing we have really noticed is the attitude of the employees in the office is so much more positive,” he told BusinessWest. “People seem to more energized, more excited — they tell stories about what they did on their day off.”

And while the new system is set and now policy at Axia, this is still a learning process, he noted, adding the company has “stubbed its toe” a few times, but there’s been nothing to make it second-guess this huge decision.

 

Remote Possibilities

That same sentiment seems to apply to the companies that have fully embraced remote work and hybrid schedules.

Giombetti introduced remote work before the pandemic, said O’Neil, adding that it works with clients across the country, many of whom it simply cannot meet in person.

“While some companies were forced into remote work and a virtual workspace, we were honing it,” he explained, adding that such arrangements work for clients and employees alike.

Especially the four-and-a-half-day workweek, which has been in place for several years now, he said, and helps employees as they seek to achieve work-life balance.

As for the clients Giombetti is working with, many are doing some honing of their own when it comes to policies regarding where and how people work.

Like the managers at Axia, O’Neil said that, as companies look to embrace different schedules and policies, the best course is to effectively communicate with employees and job candidates alike about what they should expect — and what is expected of them.

“This could include, but is not limited to, goals, core hours of work, mandatory meetings, mandatory check-ins, and what it means to maintain their corporate culture, too,” he said. “Every company had an identity before they went remote and hybrid, and now you add to that the complexity of remote workers and hybrid workers, and they have to think of creative ways to preserve the culture that they have.”

Remote work has certainly become part of the workplace equation at Holyoke-based PeoplesBank.

“Everyone has certain days that they’re remote every week, but if something comes up and they have to change it, we’re totally flexible to that because everyone has a different lifestyle.”

With more than 325 employees, the bank has a large number of front-facing employees, such as bankers and branch managers, for which remote work is not an option, said Amy Roberts, executive vice president and chief Human Resources officer. However, for others, the bank has adopted policies that enable such employees to work a hybrid schedule, with most in the office at least a few days a week.

“We have some people who prefer to be in the office,” she continued. “But the hybrid choice is very popular for those positions where we offer it.” 

And while having this flexibility to work a few days a week is appreciated by existing employees, the bank is not moving in the direction of offering fully remote work, with the exception of a few specific positions. “We’ve probably lost a few candidates because they are looking for fully remote,” she said. “On the other hand, people have absolutely remarked that they appreciate coming to an organization that allows them some flexibility.”

Those same sentiments have been expressed at ArchitectureEL, said Lapierre-Houle, adding that the company was, like most, fully remote during the pandemic but has since embraced hybrid schedules to help maintain the concept of teamwork, which is critical in architecture. Most are in the office on Mondays, when there are all-office meetings, she told BusinessWest, while Fridays, as noted earlier, are quiet.

Overall, she said, flexibility is the driving force behind the policy.

“Everyone has certain days that they’re remote every week, but if something comes up and they have to change it, we’re totally flexible to that because everyone has a different lifestyle,” she explained. “We’re super flexible about it.”

 

For Employers, the Challenges of Managing a Workforce Keep Growing

By
Allison Ebner
Employment Special Coverage

Coping with the Elements

Allison Ebner

Allison Ebner says there is a good deal of tension between employees and employers in the workplace today.

 

Allison Ebner counts herself a fan of the Discovery Channel show Deadliest Catch, which chronicles the lives of crews fishing for king and snow crab in Alaska, with that name effectively communicating just how dangerous a profession this is.

And Ebner, who took the helm at the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast earlier this year, can find seemingly endless parallels between the dangers of crab fishing in the Bering Sea and the perils of managing the modern workplace.

With the former, it’s gale-force winds, rogue waves, ice formations, and dealing with greenhorns. With the latter, well … it’s everything from new regulations like family medical leave to coping with heightened expectations among employees concerning remote work, hybrid schedules, and more, to the demands of the younger generations.

In both cases, things come at leaders quickly and with great force, Ebner said. They must be as ready as they can be for whatever might hit them and then able to cope with the rough seas, whether they’re of the literal or figurative variety.

“It’s difficult … if you’re a Baby Boomer C-suite executive and you’re trying to get your arms around this workforce, it’s a bear,” she told BusinessWest, adding that, over the past few years, there have been even more challenges heaped upon business owners and managers. These include everything from less tolerance of differing opinions (on everything from science to politics) to an apparent gulf between employees and employers when it comes to pre-pandemic levels of production and results, and whether businesses should be back there by now.

“There’s a very, very big Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots thing happening here — there’s tension between employers and employees,” she explained. “First, there was the Great Resignation, then there was quiet quitting, and now there is a great divide: employers’ expectations are coming back to pre-COVID expectations, but employees are not coming back to work with that same mindset.”

“It’s difficult … if you’re a Baby Boomer C-suite executive and you’re trying to get your arms around this workforce, it’s a bear.”

As for that lack of tolerance for differing opinions, it’s showing up in a rise of calls to EANE’s hotline that fall into the broad category of employee relations, said Ebner, who described them this way: “I have an employee who has done, or is doing, this; what do I do about it?”

She noted that “there’s a lot of workplace-respect things happening today; we seem to, as a general society, have lost our ability to get along with one another to some regard. And I think that translates to the workplace; there’s less tolerance for someone who doesn’t think as I do or believe exactly the same things I do.”

As a result, EANE has been doing considerably more workplace-respect and conflict-resolution training these days, but the underlying whitewater remains.

“There’s no happy medium, so there’s a lot of tension,” she went on, adding that, with what is shaping up to be an epic presidential race this year, this tension will only rise as 2024 progresses, probably creating more employee-relations-related calls to the hotline.

Overall, in this climate and at this time of seemingly constant change, employers must put a premium on communication and, especially, training their mid-managers, what Ebner called their “people leaders.”

“These are the mid-level managers that have been ignored for years,” she said. “They’ve been ignored, they haven’t been trained, and they’re just sort of hanging out there. They need to be focused on; this is how organizations are going to be successful. They’re closest to the money — the money is your employees; you can’t function without them.”

For this issue’s focus on employment, BusinessWest talked with Ebner about the forces rocking the boat that is the modern workplace and what can be expected in the months to come.

 

Riding the Waves

Returning to Deadliest Catch, Ebner explained that, while the boat captains captured on the show possess many admirable qualities, flexibility, a willingness to compromise, and even communication are generally not among them.

And these are traits that today’s business managers certainly need, she went on, adding that, without them, life is going to be much more difficult and stressful — as if it weren’t already difficult and stressful enough, for those reasons above, many of which started during, or were accelerated by, the pandemic.

“There’s a lot of workplace-respect things happening today; we seem to, as a general society, have lost our ability to get along with one another to some regard. And I think that translates to the workplace; there’s less tolerance for someone who doesn’t think as I do or believe exactly the same things I do.”

Return to work, or RTW — another acronym that has worked its way into the lexicon — is just part of it.

The larger piece involves who’s holding the cards in the workplace today, she went on, adding that, during COVID and the height of the workforce crisis that followed, it was clearly employees that were driving the boat. Many think they still have the upper hand, but, increasingly, employers believe they are back in control.

And that’s where the rock-’em-sock-’em turmoil comes in.

“With COVID, we kind of dropped all of our performance-management standards, and now, employers are trying to bring those back,” Ebner explained. “They’re saying, ‘you can’t call out four times and violate our attendance policy and still have a job.’ During COVID, you could, and you could post-COVID the past few years because the job market was so tight.

“Now, that’s settled down a little bit, so employers are trying to rein things in a little bit, and employees are very resistant to that,” she went on. “We see it with return to work … you see it nationally with large corporations that are trying to bring their employees back, some more successfully than others. Employees want their work-life balance, they want that flexibility, and they expect it.

“They have higher expectations from their employers because they got more during these past three years and they have more negotiating power, and they want to keep that,” she continued. “But employers are saying, ‘we have a business to run here, the economy’s tough, it’s getting more competitive, and we’ve got to buckle down.’”

This general difference of opinion is contributing to the uptick in employee-relations matters, said Ebner, adding that things have been at a slow boil since last summer, but they’ve been heating up in recent months.

And this is just one of the dynamics creating more challenges in the workplace, adding that relatively new regulations, such as family medical leave and changing demographics within the workforce — with Baby Boomers moving into retirement, Gen Xers on the downside, and Gen Y and Gen Z “taking over” — are among the others.

“They have higher expectations from their employers because they got more during these past three years and they have more negotiating power, and they want to keep that. But employers are saying, ‘we have a business to run here, the economy’s tough, it’s getting more competitive, and we’ve got to buckle down.’”

“We have to be mindful of who’s in the workplace today,” she said. “And if you look at five, 10, 15 years down the road, most companies are doing strategic planning and predicting the future … and it’s Millennials and Zoomers, and that’s a real mindset shift for a lot of the C-suite people we talk to, and they are extremely unhappy about it.”

They’re not happy because what they’ve done for benefits and the larger employee value proposition (EVP) was much different for the work-first, family-second Baby Boomers than it is for the younger generations, who have different priorities and are not shy about communicating them.

“It’s a reality, but it’s also a slap in the face for many,” she said, referring, again, to older, Baby Boom-generation leaders. “But there is no choice; the younger generations are here, they are dominating, and they are the future; we don’t have the robots yet that you can program.”

In this environment, the managers that are thriving (and, yes, that’s a relative term) are those who can communicate with their employees and train those that Ebner calls “people leaders.”

“It’s all about expectations, and the employer who sits down with their team and communicates what is expected will fare better in this environment,” she said.

“The number-one thing employers can do right now to help themselves is train their people leaders; they’re the ones delivering the message inside the organization regarding expectations and performance metrics,” she added. “They are the conduit; they are the veins that run through the organization where everything flows through. Good people leaders have good communications skills, and they help set expectations. And it’s a two-way street now; the employee feedback gets to the leadership of an organization through the people leaders.”

All this points to a need for more professional development in the workplace, she said, adding that employees are asking for it, if not demanding it, and employers should want to provide it.

 

The Sea Suite

Reflecting on the current scene in the workplace, Ebner said that many of the Baby Boom-aged HR professionals she knows say they can’t wait to retire.

“They’re kind of done; they’re ready,” she told BusinessWest. “They’re not ready for the brave new world we’re in.”

Those sentiments speak to how challenging the workforce has become in recent years, a pattern that will likely only accelerate in the future, a reality that brings still more comparisons to Deadliest Catch.

There is nothing easy about catching king crab in the Bering Sea. And these days, there’s nothing easy about managing a workforce. It all comes down to being ready for whatever might come at you.

Mont Marie Meets Rehab Needs Between Hospital and Home

By Contributor
Barbara Chiampa
Healthcare News Special Coverage

Bridging the Gap

By Emily Thurlow

With classic Christmas carols softly emanating from a TV across the room and an Irish wolfhound named Veren panting rhythmically a short distance behind her, Barbara Chiampa pedaled a stationary bicycle on a recent afternoon at Mont Marie Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center’s therapy gym.

With guidance from Reliant Rehabilitation physical therapy assistant Tara McCauley, Chiampa was working on improving her balance and walking. After noting improvement in her gait and movement with a handheld assist, Chiampa paused for a few kisses from Veren, a 2-year-old therapy dog.

The staff at the Holyoke facility benefits from the canine too, said his handler, registered occupational therapist Sylvia Korza of Reliant Rehabilitation. “He comes to work with me, and he loves everybody. He’s great for therapy — even the staff. He helps lift everyone’s mood.”

The gym, which was expanded in 2016, features several pieces of equipment dedicated to improving mobility, including parallel bars and practice stairs. Beyond the machines, the therapy gym offers opportunities for McCauley and Korza to customize regimens that are tailored to the specific needs of patients recovering from medical procedures, injuries, or illnesses.

The therapy offered at the center’s gym is one of multiple subacute rehabilitation care services offered at the 84-bed Mont Marie facility, which was built in 1962 and formerly owned and operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In 2014, Mont Marie was purchased by Tryko Partners, which is headquartered in New Jersey, and is managed by its healthcare subsidiary, Marquis Health Consulting Services. Mont Marie is one of 10 of Marquis’ facilities in Massachusetts.

In recent years, the licensed nursing facility’s short-term rehabilitation care services have continued to grow, adding new programs and certifications, to meet the growing needs of the community.

A need for subacute or short-term rehabilitative care can emerge after a hospital stay for hip surgery or a stroke, or if an individual needs some physical strengthening or medication management, said Natasha Pieciak, administrator at Mont Marie.

“Baby Boomers are getting older, so as the population ages, there’s more of a demand for supportive services. We’re not a hospital — we’re kind of like a step down; we’re supportive services to bridge that gap between home-care services and the hospital.”

Initially, the 26-bed first floor was dedicated to this service, but it has since expanded to the 29-bed second floor as well. At times, admissions have jumped as high as 50 per month.

“There are a lot of factors that influence this growth,” said Pieciak, who has served as administrator of the center since September 2022. “Baby Boomers are getting older, so as the population ages, there’s more of a demand for supportive services. We’re not a hospital — we’re kind of like a step down; we’re supportive services to bridge that gap between home-care services and the hospital.

“With the aging population, I think these services become more needed out in the community, so we’re here to support people in that way, so they can be successful at home. People want to be at home, so we’re really here to try to support them to get them ready to do that.”

Barbara Chiampa

Barbara Chiampa pedals an exercise bicycle at Mont Marie Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Holyoke.

Through Mont Marie’s partnerships with Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and Holyoke Medical Center, as well as referrals from Mercy Medical Center in Springfield and Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Pieciak said Mont Marie has been made aware of the growing demand for these rehabilitative services.

“We work closely with our partners within the hospital systems; we collaborate,” she said. “With Baystate, for example, we have weekly calls with their accountable-care organization management team, who will follow a patient from hospital to home, and we communicate with them, and they tell us what they’re seeing, what their needs are. We’re just really building that relationship and working with them to help identify and meet the needs that we’re seeing out in the community.”

“The goal of these specialty programs is to educate and train the residents how to manage and live with their conditions.”

In working with Baystate, Pieciak said Mont Marie has become one of two skilled-nursing facilities that have qualified for a waiver for the three-day requirement under the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The waiver eliminates the requirement to have a three-day inpatient hospital stay prior to a Medicare-covered, post-hospital, extended-care service.

What this means, Pieciak explained, is that, if a patient is in a hospital emergency department but don’t have a three-day stay, instead of going back home and potentially falling or fracturing a hip, they could go to Mont Marie as long as they meet a skilled need.

“This is huge because there’s a gap there,” she said. “Residents would go home and could potentially have worse outcomes. What we’re doing is bridging that gap from hospital to home.”

In addition to physical and occupational therapies, Mont Marie’s subacute rehab offers speech therapy up to seven days a week.

 

Life Goals

Within its major focus on subacute rehabilitation care, Mont Marie offers three specialty programs: cardiopulmonary, chronic kidney disease management, and heart failure.

“The goal of these specialty programs is to educate and train the residents how to manage and live with their conditions,” Pieciak said.

Natasha Pieciak

Natasha Pieciak says Mont Marie works closely with its partners within hospital systems.

The cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program is physician-led under the direction of a pulmonologist and focuses on helping patients achieve the most active life possible despite any physical limitations and/or cardiopulmonary diagnoses. The program, which is geared toward individuals with diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), post-lung transplants, emphysema, and acute respiratory failure, offers access to lab and radiology services, tracheostomy care and management, nebulizer therapies, bladder scanning, and several oxygen therapies, including liquid nitrogen.

The renal program is focused on reducing symptoms of chronic kidney disease, increasing a patient’s quality of life, and promoting independence. Mont Marie offers onsite dialysis provided by American Renal Associates, consultative visits by staff nephrologists, diabetic management and education, a monthly support group, and health coaching.

In October, Mont Marie received its skilled-nursing facility heart-failure certification from the American Heart Assoc. (AHA). In order to be considered eligible for this certification, facilities must be located in the U.S. or a U.S. territory and implement a heart-failure program that uses a standardized method of delivering clinical care based on current evidence-based guidelines.

“This was a huge accomplishment,” Pieciak said. “There are very few facilities that are credentialed. The American Heart Association has armed us with innovative methods and additional tools so that we can be trailblazers and give our heart-failure patients the best care.”

The vetting provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating skilled-nursing facilities against the AHA’s science-based requirements for heart failure patients, including care coordination, clinical management, quality improvement, program management, and patient and caregiver education and support.

According to the AHA, nearly one in four heart failure patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge, and approximately half are readmitted within six months. It has also been suggested that about 25% of readmissions may be preventable.

“We’re trying to get ahead of hospital readmissions,” said Raymonda Sample, the lead for the heart-failure program and unit manager.

With the certification, Mont Marie has been provided with access to centers on treating heart failure and its co-morbidities.

Sample noted that one of the biggest benefits to the staff’s education on the heart-failure program is being able to educate patients on how they can live more independently with fewer flareups of their disease.

To that end, Mont Marie uses what’s called a ‘zone tool.’ The traffic-light color-coded guide indicates an all-clear, or green, when a patient has no shortness of breath; chest pain; swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, or stomach; or weight gain of more than two pounds. It’s time to call a doctor if a patient is in the so-called warning (yellow) zone, when they’re experiencing dizziness; dry, hacking cough; more shortness of breath; uneasy feelings; no energy; difficulty breathing when lying down; swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, or stomach; or weight gain of three or more pounds in one day or five pounds in one week.

A medical alert, or red zone, is when the previous symptoms have been exacerbated and a patient is having a hard time breathing or is experiencing unrelieved shortness of breath while sitting still, chest pain, or confusion.

In addition to this tool, Sample has created an entire guide board for staff that she also uses to educate family members of patients. The tool helps provide a better continuity of care, she explained.

“With this education, we are able to identify how the patient is feeling for the day,” she said. “If say, the patient is in the middle of therapy and they’re feeling short of breath, or telling the therapist maybe they haven’t eaten much in the last couple of days, or not sleeping well — there’s a sort of board out there where you can see the different signs and symptoms of heart failure.”

 

Safe at Home

Even though a patient has a plan in place to be discharged from the facility following treatment at Mont Marie, care doesn’t end at the door.

“When we discharge patients, we do follow-up calls with the patient just to find out how the transition back home goes, the home care services … we make sure they’re seen by their primary-care physician within 10 days, and if they don’t have a scale, we make sure we send them home with one,” Sample said. “This is so both our patients and the staff recognize the signs and symptoms of heart failure, so we can try to avoid rehospitalization.”

EEOC Takes Action Against Associational Discrimination

By Contributor
Law Special Coverage

Guilty by Association

By Trevor Brice, Esq.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. However, the ADA does not require an employer to assist — or in other words, accommodate — a person without a disability due to that person’s association with someone with a disability.

Still, an employer cannot discriminate against an employee or applicant because of that person’s association with someone with a disability. This is what is called ‘associational discrimination,’ which, in the below case, was due to another’s disability under the ADA.

On Sept. 19, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), announced that it had sued a private school for associational discrimination under the ADA. According to the EEOC’s announcement, the school allegedly discriminated against one of its teachers by refusing to renew her contract over her daughter’s disability.

Trevor Brice

Trevor Brice

“An employer cannot discriminate against an employee or applicant because of that person’s association with someone with a disability. This is what is called ‘associational discrimination.’”

This was “precisely the kind of conduct the ADA’s associational-discrimination provision was intended to prohibit,” said Rosemarie Rhodes, EEOC’s Baltimore Field Office director. On Dec. 15, the EEOC announced that the matter had been settled for just over $85,000 by the private school, with the school to pay $50,858 in back pay, $4,428 in interest on the back pay, and $30,000 in non-wage damages.

This settlement brings associational-discrimination enforcement into the limelight and presents more scenarios for employers to look out for and train their employees on for the new year.

 

Associational Discrimination and the ADA

Associational discrimination based on another’s disability requires “that (1) the employee was qualified for the job at the time of the adverse employment action, (2) that the employee was subjected to an adverse employment action, (3) that the employer knew at the time of the adverse employment action that the employee had a relative or associate with a disability, and (4) that the adverse employment action occurred under circumstances raising a reasonable inference that the disability of the relative or associate was a determining factor in the employer’s decision” (Carey v. AB Car Rental Servs. Inc.).

The EEOC, in its announcement, stated that the school was aware of the teacher’s daughter’s disability and that it decided to not renew the teacher’s contract because it assumed (without investigation, or even asking the teacher) that her daughter’s disability, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, would undermine the teacher’s focus and commitment to her job. The school instead decided to renew the contracts of other teachers who had less experience and tenure than the teacher whose daughter had a disability.

In its complaint, the EEOC pleaded the requirements of an associational-discrimination claim based on disability through the circumstances described in its announcement. The teacher performed her job satisfactorily, according to the EEOC, making her qualified for the job at the time the private school refused to renew her contract. In order to not be qualified for her job, the school would have had to demonstrate the teacher had performance deficiencies or otherwise could not perform the essential functions of her job.

Further, the private school subjected the teacher to an adverse employment action by not renewing her employment contract. An adverse employment action can be any action by an employer that takes away a benefit of an employee’s employment, e.g. taking away a company car, suspension from employment, termination, etc.

“Without both knowledge and a reasonable inference, associational discrimination will most likely be unactionable. Nevertheless, it is important to stress to employees that discrimination and harassment based on protected class is prohibited, no matter the circumstance.”

Finally, the EEOC pleaded that the private school knew of the teacher’s daughter’s disability and allegedly specifically cited that reason for not renewing the teacher’s contract, making for the reasonable inference that the teacher’s daughter’s disability was a determining factor in its decision. As such, the EEOC met its burden for pleading its case of associational discrimination based on disability, which most likely prompted the private school to settle the claims.

 

Pitfalls of Associational Discrimination

As shown by the EEOC’s enforcement action, associational-discrimination claims are actionable claims that can cost employers a substantial amount of money. The pitfalls of these claims are that they are not the easiest to catch. For example, it is comparatively easier to catch when there is direct discrimination (e.g. a racial remark, comment against a disability) than to read into the subtext of a conversation that is deprecating to an associate of an employee who is part of a protected class.

However, there are ways to teach this kind of discrimination and harassment to frontline employees and make them aware enough of an associational-discrimination or harassment issue to report it.

First, employees should be aware that discrimination or harassment based on protected class (e.g. race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, etc.) is prohibited. Along these lines, it is equally prohibited to discriminate or harass another employee based on the protected characteristics of someone with whom the employee associates. For example, it is illegal to use the knowledge that an employee has Jewish friends to discriminate against that employee and subject him to adverse employment actions based on that knowledge.

Second, it is important to stress that it is the knowledge of the employee’s associates’ protected classes that makes associational discrimination actionable. An offhand comment by an employee that happens to relate to an employee’s associates’ or relatives’ protected class will not necessarily implicate associational discrimination, but making the same comment and directly referencing the associate or relative and their protected class will make for this implication. In this sense, if it is discriminatory or harassing to the associate or relative, it will most likely be discriminatory or harassing to the employee.

If cornerstones of associational discrimination like these are taught and enforced, it will be less likely that an employer will be subject to the same fate as the above-referenced private school.

 

Takeaways

Associational discrimination can raise its head in a variety of circumstances, including the contract-renewal scenario above; hiring, termination, and other employment decisions; as well as discriminatory and harassing behaviors from employees.

Though it is more difficult to catch than scenarios in which discrimination or harassment based on protected class is direct, the pivotal elements of associational discrimination are knowledge of the associates’ or relatives’ protected class and the reasonable inference that the knowledge was a determining factor in the adverse employment decision. Without both knowledge and a reasonable inference, associational discrimination will most likely be unactionable. Nevertheless, it is important to stress to employees that discrimination and harassment based on protected class is prohibited, no matter the circumstance.

Further, a related claim to associational discrimination is a retaliation claim for reporting discrimination or harassment perpetrated against another employee. In this scenario, an employee reports that another employee is being discriminated against because of their protected class, and then the reporting employee is subjected to an adverse employment action. This kind of ‘associational’ activity by employees is protected, and an employer can be subjected to legal action if the report is not handled properly.

As associational discrimination and related retaliation can be difficult to detect, it is prudent to contact legal counsel in order to avoid any potential liability and train staff to recognize and report associational-discrimination scenarios.

 

Trevor Brice is an attorney who specializes in labor and employment-law matters at the Royal Law Firm LLP, a woman-owned, women-managed corporate law firm that is certified as a women’s business enterprise with the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office, the National Assoc. of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms, and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

Free Music Fridays Concert Series Returns to MGM Springfield

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield is once again bringing summer inside. The popular Free Music Fridays Summer Concert Series on the MGM Springfield Plaza will move into MGM Springfield’s ARIA Ballroom beginning Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 7 p.m.

Kicking off the 2024 indoor series is the Blushing Brides, billed as the original tribute to the Rolling Stones. The lineup also includes ’80s rock and metal band Aquanett, local modern country music fan favorite Trailer Trash, party band Darik and the Funbags, and, closing out the series, the Eagles Experience tribute show.

Beer, wine, mixed drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available during the shows. Guests also can enjoy MGM Springfield’s diverse food and beverage offerings before or after the concerts, with options including the Chandler Steakhouse, Costa, Tap Sports Bar, and South End Market.

For additional details on the Free Music Fridays Concert Series, including lineup updates, click here.

Freedom Credit Union Donates More Than $4,000 to Westover Galaxy Council

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Throughout the month of November, Freedom Credit Union collected cash donations at all its branches on behalf of the Westover Galaxy Community Council to support military service members and their families at Westover Air Reserve Base (ARB) in Chicopee. A total of $2,032.83 was collected from members, staff, and the community, which Freedom matched for a total donation of $4,065.66.

“Throughout the year, our monthly giving campaigns are met with terrific support, for which we are grateful,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said. “We really wanted to close out the year with a bang, so we matched the donations we received for this worthy cause. The holidays can be particularly hard for our military members and their families, especially when they are separated. The Westover Galaxy Community Council works to ease this difficulty by offering special events and resources.”

Formed in 1988 as a committee within the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce and incorporated as an independent organization in 1989, the Westover Galaxy Community Council is an organization made up of veterans, local businesspeople, and other citizens who support the men, women, and mission of Westover ARB. Within U.S. Department of Defense guidelines, the council raises funds to contribute to events and special needs at Westover, the largest air reserve base in the nation and home to more than 5,500 military and civilian workers.

Valley Photo Center to Hold Reception, Silent Auction on Jan. 21

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Valley Photo Center will hold a reception and silent auction at its gallery located on the upper level of Tower Square, 1500 Main St., Springfield, on Sunday, Jan. 21, from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission to the reception and silent auction is free and open to the public.

The reception will be for the closing of Ed Cohen’s exhibit, “Springfield Mosaic.” There will also be a silent auction of Valley Photo Center surplus equipment, including professional studio lighting, light stands, and other equipment. All bids for the auction will start at only $1, so it will be an opportunity for photographers to pick up some photographic and non-photographic equipment at bargain prices.

The Valley Photo Center (VPC) is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to educate its members and the public about the art and science of photography to bring about a greater appreciation for photography. The proceeds of the auction will help fund the center’s projects. Membership and more information about the exhibit and the VPC are available at www.thevalleyphotocenter.com.

Massachusetts Tops List of States with Biggest Increase in Workplace Injuries

By
Daily News

ATLANTA — A new study has identified the states with the biggest increase in fatal workplace injuries over the past decade, with Massachusetts named the state with the highest rise.

Personal-injury attorneys John Foy & Associates analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the percentage increase or decrease in fatal workplace injuries from 2012 to 2021, alongside the injury rate, to provide a comparison between states.

The state with the highest increase in fatal workplace injuries was Massachusetts, as cases increased by 107% since 2012. It was also the only place to see fatal injuries more than double over the last decade, despite recording fewer fatalities than any other state in 2012.

In second place was Missouri, with Georgia, New Hampshire, and South Carolina rounding out the top five.

On the other end of the scale, several states were found to have a decline in fatal workplace injuries from 2012 to 2021. Iowa had the biggest percentage decrease at 50%, followed by North Dakota, Rhode Island, Mississippi, and Hawaii.

“The BLS data is positive news for some states but not for others,” said John Foy of John Foy & Associates. “For the states that have witnessed a significant increase in fatal workplace injuries, it’s important to address why this has occurred and consider strengthening workplace-safety guidelines to mitigate risk.

“Following official safety protocol is essential,” he added. “This means that any necessary safety equipment must be supplied and be in good working condition, and providing a safe work environment, with as minimal potential hazards as possible, must be maintained at all times. Employers must ensure safety policies are up to date, risk assessments are performed, and full training is provided to employees. Taking these measures can not only prevent avoidable injuries from occurring, but also lessen the frequency, severity, and impact of those that do.”

Picture This

By
Giving Tree committee members
Picture This

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

 

Giving Tree

Members of the Holyoke Community College community delivered piles of donated, wrapped gifts to representatives from three local charities at the closing reception for the college’s 22nd annual Giving Tree campaign. This year, the campaign fulfilled the holiday wishes of more than 300 clients from Homework House, WestMass ElderCare, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Giving Tree committee members

Pictured, from left: Giving Tree committee members Laura Freeman, Mary Starzyk, Michelle Vigneault, Denise Roy, Erin O’Brien, and Lindsey Pare.

 

Rolling Along

For every set of four tires sold in the months of October and November, Balise made a donation to Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. As a result, Balise was able to present a donation of $4,510 to the organization to assist in its mission of inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy.

Balise was able to present a donation of $4,510 to the organization to assist in its mission of inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy

Balise was able to present a donation of $4,510 to the organization to assist in its mission of inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy

 

 

Fill the Fiat

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni (center) visited the United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) last month, bringing with him a large donation of toys. The donation from the District Attorney’s Office capped off UWPV’s annual Hope for the Holidays campaign, a holiday gift drive for children in the region. A vintage Fiat sat inside the TD Bank building in Springfield for several weeks, and donors helped “Fill the Fiat” with toys, games, trucks, dolls, sports equipment, books, puzzles, and more.

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni (center) visited the United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) last month

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni (center) visited the United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) last month

 

 

Homerun 4 the Hungry

On Dec. 11, the American International College baseball team delivered 4,000 pounds of food and $500 worth of diapers, collected through their annual Homerun 4 the Hungry food drive, to Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen in Chicopee and Square One in Springfield. The team is grateful for Springfield Symphony Orchestra for hosting a donation table at its Holiday Pops concert, and for Peter Pan Bus Lines for providing transportation for the food deliveries.

On Dec. 11, the American International College baseball team delivered 4,000 pounds of food and $500 worth of diapers

On Dec. 11, the American International College baseball team delivered 4,000 pounds of food and $500 worth of diapers

 

 

Thrilled to Donate

The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce presented a $4,011 donation to Valley Opportunity Council’s (VOC) Continuing Education & Career Center at a Dec. 6 event at Masse’s American Bistro in Chicopee. The donation was generated by the chamber’s annual Thriller 5K in October.

Pictured, from left: 5K committee member Amanda Sarrasin of Westfield Bank; Melissa White of the VOC; Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melissa Breor, and Jeanne Almanzar, Hayley Nelson, and Dr. Nadeem Sikandar of the VOC.

Pictured, from left: 5K committee member Amanda Sarrasin of Westfield Bank; Melissa White of the VOC; Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melissa Breor, and Jeanne Almanzar, Hayley Nelson, and Dr. Nadeem Sikandar of the VOC.

 

 

Supporting Veterans

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Flash Car Wash extended thanks to veterans and active service members by giving them a total of 1,067 complimentary diamond washes. This initiative, offered at all 19 Flash Car Wash locations, aimed to express gratitude for the dedication and sacrifice of those who have served their country. The promotion also resulted in a donation of $43,879 from Flash Car Wash to Veterans Inc., which assists veterans in areas such as housing, employment, and counseling.

Flash Car Wash extended thanks to veterans and active service members by giving them a total of 1,067 complimentary diamond washes

Flash Car Wash extended thanks to veterans and active service members by giving them a total of 1,067 complimentary diamond washes

 

Agenda

By
Agenda

40 Under Forty Nominations

Through Feb. 16: BusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2023. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 16. Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be as detailed and thorough as possible, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form. Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be announced and profiled in the April 29 issue of BusinessWest and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in June. Event sponsorship opportunities are available.

 

Red Sox Winter Weekend

Jan. 19-20: Red Sox Winter Weekend will take place at MGM Springfield and its neighboring facility, the MassMutual Center. The event will include a welcome and introduction of participating Red Sox players and roundtable discussions on a variety of baseball topics, as well as autographs and photos. The weekend also includes a full baseball festival for fans of all ages. Weekend passes for Winter Weekend are available now at redsox.com/winterweekend. Passes provide access for the entire event and cost $95 for adults ($85 for season-ticket holders) and $40 for children age 14 and under ($35 for season-ticket holders). Children age 2 and under are free. Information about discounted hotel rooms in the area is available on the website. Mastercard is the preferred payment of the Boston Red Sox. Members of the 2024 Red Sox, including coaching staff, are invited to attend. Red Sox alumni, Wally the Green Monster, and his sister, Tessie, will also be in attendance. The weekend will begin Friday night with a welcome and introduction of the participating players. Throughout the day on Saturday, fans will have an opportunity to get autographs and take photos with players and alumni and see the 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018 World Series trophies, as well as Red Sox artifacts such as Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, MVP, and and Cy Young awards. Family-friendly activities include Wiffle ball on the indoor field, a virtual-reality experience, batting and pitching cages, and the chance to meet Wally and Tessie. Panel discussions will also take place throughout the day on Saturday, with the return of the popular favorites including the kids-only press conference.

 

Difference Makers

April 10: The 16th 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 2024 Difference Makers will be announced, and their stories told, in the Feb. 5 issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. Event ticket information will follow. Event sponsorships are available.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move

Phil Giguere

Tim Provost

Tim Provost

MP CPAs announced the promotions of Phil Giguere and Tim Provost to the position of partner with the firm. Giguere provides consulting and tax solutions to a diverse group of clients, including individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, and trusts. He also has experience working with international affiliates on foreign tax issues. He specializes in working with high-net-worth clients and with private equity firms and their owners. Giguere joined the firm in 2006 and has more than 18 years of experience in business and individual taxation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business administration from Western New England University. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants. He sits on the golf committee for Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the finance committee of Wellspring Cooperative, is a member of the Western New England University accounting advisory board, and volunteers his time with the Cory J Garwacki Foundation. Provost provides consulting and tax solutions to a diverse group of clients, including individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, and trusts. He also has experience working with international affiliates on foreign tax issues. He specializes in working with high-net-worth clients and with private equity firms and their owners. He is also the director of Business Valuation Services at the firm. He works with clients looking to value their business for the buying and selling of a business, gifting ownership interests in a business, estate-tax issues or estate planning, and other business-valuation needs. Provost joined the firm in 2008 and has more than 15 years of experience in personal and business taxation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westfield State University and a master’s degree in accounting and taxation from American International College. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a certified valuation analyst and a member of the National Assoc. of Certified Valuation Analysts. He is active in the community as a volunteer board member of the West Springfield Youth Basketball Assoc.

•••••

Andrew Sullivan

Florence Bank announced that Andrew Sullivan has joined the staff as vice president and commercial lender. Sullivan began his banking career as a credit analyst at a mutual bank in the region, but soon discovered an affinity for relationship building and helping commercial customers achieve their goals. Prior to joining Florence Bank, he served as a portfolio manager, small business loan officer, and commercial loan officer. He began his new role at Florence Bank in mid-October. The founder of the Andrew Sullivan Swing for a Cure Golf Tournament, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Sullivan holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management and an MBA from Elms College. He is the chairman of the West of the River Chamber of Commerce.

•••••

Erin Cleary

Erin Cleary

Greenfield Cooperative Bank announced the promotion of Erin Cleary to branch manager of its South Hadley branch. Cleary joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank in August 2022 as a teller and quickly earned a promotion to head teller four months later. This past July, she was named assistant manager. She attended Greenfield Community College. Cleary’s promotion is a reflection of the bank’s commitment to investing in its employees and fostering career growth from within. The bank recognizes the importance of having local leaders who understand the needs of their communities.

•••••

Michelle Beaudette

Michelle Beaudette

Monson Savings Bank recently announced the hire of Michelle Beaudette as assistant vice president, Residential Operations officer. She will be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the residential and consumer lending processing, closing, and operations. Additionally, she will help to foster an environment of teamwork and perform various loan-maintenance functions to ensure the accuracy and completeness of all records and documentation. Beaudette comes to Monson Savings Bank with 18 years of experience in banking and finance. She is a graduate of the New Seminary and holds a financial management certification from the U.S. Army Reserve Command. Prior to joining Monson Savings Bank, she worked at Millbury National Bank.

•••••

Joseph Ford

Joseph Ford

Conval, a global manufacturer of high-performance severe service valves, recently announced that Joseph Ford has been appointed Engineering manager. Ford is a seasoned engineering leader with more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of product life cycle, including research and development, project management, product design, configuration control, and lean manufacturing. He previously served in similar capacities at Linde Advanced Materials Technologies (formerly Praxair) in Manchester, Conn.; CIRCOR Aerospace & Defense in Warren; and Baker Hughes, a General Electric company, in Oklahoma City. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University.

•••••

Bay Path University recently announced Jacquida Mars has been appointed the new director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), which serves as a cultural resource for students, faculty, and staff, as well as providing direction and services for current and prospective students from underrepresented populations. Through creative and innovative programs, the office enhances cultural knowledge and produces a deeper appreciation for diversity and inclusion throughout the campus community. Before joining Bay Path, Mars served as assistant director of Alumni & Parent Engagement for Affinity & Identity Programs at Connecticut College, where she successfully developed a mentoring program for BIPOC students and alumni. Prior to her time at Connecticut College, she contributed to the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as the Career Programming manager/GA DEI at Trinity College. Mars earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and crime, law & justice from the University of Connecticut, and a master’s degree in public policy from Trinity College. She is currently enrolled in a doctorate program in educational leadership for social justice at the University of Hartford.

•••••

Richard Kelly

Richard Kelly

MountainOne Bank announced the recent promotion of Richard ‘Dick’ Kelly, who has assumed the role of senior vice president, senior commercial risk officer. This newly created position supports MountainOne’s commitment to asset quality while enhancing its loan-approval process. Kelly now provides direct oversight of credit administration and of all portfolio managers across both of MountainOne’s geographic regions of the South Shore and the Berkshires. Additionally, he works directly with all commercial lenders on new and existing business loan relationships to help provide experienced guidance, perspective, and management of these credits. He originally joined MountainOne Bank in 2020 as senior vice president, commercial team leader for the Berkshires region and is a member of the bank’s senior leadership team. Kelly brings nearly 40 years of commercial lending, credit underwriting, and credit administration experience to this role. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. He is active in the Great Barrington community, currently serving on the Berkshire Community College Foundation board. Previously, he was involved with the United Way community representative), the Lions Club (member and past president), the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce (past treasurer), the town of Great Barrington, and the Wyantenuck Country Club (member and past president).

•••••

Trent Rivers

Hometown Mortgage recently promoted Trent Rivers to equity and consumer loan manager, based in Easthampton. He has 15 years of banking experience, including his most recent role as loan specialist. He joined Hometown Mortgage as a consumer loan coordinator in 2017. Prior to that, he was a branch supervisor at NBT Bank. Rivers has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and completed coursework in the school of banking at the Pennsylvania Bankers Assoc.

•••••

Jessica West

Trevor McCarthy

Trevor McCarthy

bankESB recently promoted Jessica West to assistant vice president, branch officer of its 36 Main St., Easthampton office. She has 31 years of banking experience. She was previously assistant vice president, branch manager in Amherst. Before that, she was branch manager at the Northampton Street, Easthampton office, and before that, assistant branch manager at the Belchertown office. She started at bankESB in 2002 as senior teller in Belchertown. West earned an associate degree in mechanical technologies from Springfield Technical Community College. She has been actively involved with the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst and Craig’s Doors, helping prepare free community breakfasts every week. She also volunteers at the Amherst Survival Center. She is currently a board member of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. bankESB also recently promoted Trevor McCarthy to float retail manager. He has three years of banking experience and joined bankESB in 2020 as a teller. In his new role, he will manage the float staff at bankESB. He will be based in Easthampton but will float to all bankESB branches to support with supervisory needs. McCarthy has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Westfield State University.

•••••

Market Mentors, LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced the addition of two Enfield, Conn. residents to its account-services team. Chelsea Shelander has joined the agency as an account executive, and Kaitlyn Smith has joined the agency as an account coordinator. Shelander provides client support and ongoing communication and research as well as proposal and presentation development. Prior to joining Market Mentors, she worked in public relations and brand management at BioSafe Systems and as a service and retention consultant for the Aspire Group at UConn Athletics. She earned an MBA at the University of Dayton in Ohio after receiving two bachelor’s degrees — one in business administration with a concentration in marketing, and one in sports management — from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. Smith liaises with the agency’s internal teams to identify client needs and develop and implement strategies to achieve their goals, using her organizational skills, attention to detail, and creative flair. Before coming to Market Mentors, she spent several years as an account manager for ADESA Boston, as well as a social-media manager for the DiGrigoli Companies. She earned her bachelor’s degree in media arts and analysis from Westfield State University.

•••••

Jeannie Boudreau

Jeannie Boudreau

James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, announced that Jeannie Boudreau has been appointed to the position of mortgage loan officer. She is responsible for Westfield, Holyoke, Huntington, and the surrounding communities, and will be based out of the bank’s 560 East Main St. location in Westfield. Boudreau will develop and maintain business relationships with prospective home buyers, Realtors, builders, and colleagues. Boudreau has more than 40 years of experience in the mortgage industry, holding multiple roles, including area manager and producing branch manager, prior to joining Westfield Bank. She is very involved in her community, serving as an affiliate member to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley while also volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and Springfield Rescue Mission.

•••••

Patricia Mullin

Patricia Mullin

Berkshire Bank recently welcomed Patricia “Patsy” Mullin as senior vice president of Cash Management Services. Mullin joins the bank with more than 45 years of experience in the financial and banking industry. She will cover the bank’s entire footprint. “Patsy is a great addition to the commercial Berkshire Bank team as she brings more than four decades of knowledge and experience from the banking and financial sector that will be beneficial to both her colleagues and the clients we serve,” said Scott Houghtaling, senior managing director of Business Banking.

•••••

Mary Paier Powers

Mary Paier Powers

E. Spencer Ghazey-Bates

E. Spencer Ghazey-Bates

At its annual meeting on Dec. 6, the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA) honored Mary Paier Powers and E. Spencer Ghazey-Bates with awards for their service and advocacy for seniors. Powers won the Deborah H. Thomson Advocacy Award, which recognizes a MassNAELA member’s efforts in advocating for elder issues in state government. She co-chairs the MassNAELA advocacy committee, establishing its legislative priorities. She was integral in hosting the organization’s first-ever legislative briefing at the State House in Boston and served as the event’s primary presenter. The John J. Ford Litigation Advocacy Award, which honors a member’s litigation efforts on behalf of seniors and MassNAELA, was bestowed on Ghazey-Bates for his dedicated involvement in MassNAELA’s MassHealth life estate valuation workgroup. He helped clients contest MassHealth’s valuation of their life estate in Superior Court, which led to MassHealth’s return to using the IRS valuation of a life estate.

•••••

Braman Termite & Pest Elimination announced the upcoming retirement of Senior Vice President of Business Development Robert Guyette. During his more than 17 years with Braman, Guyette increased the company’s sales from $6.3 million to $18 million and grew it from 40 to 150 employees. During his time at Braman, Guyette said he is proudest of achieving his ACE (associated certified entomologist) certification, one of the biggest professional challenges he has ever faced. Prior to joining Braman as general manager in 2006, he was production manager at HP Hood in the milk and ice-cream divisions for nearly 26 years. He recently transitioned into his current role in preparation for retirement.

•••••

At its Nov. 30 meeting, the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee selected its 2024 executive committee and welcomed two new members to its board. Michael Vogel of Westfield Bank will serve another year as president. Tracy Hebda of iSolved Benefits Solutions will serve as vice president. Dr. Jacqueline Pleet will serve as clerk. Roberto Nieves of Common Capital will serve as treasurer. And Jason Levine of Jason L. Levine Law, P.C. will serve the as an at-large member. Welcomed at the meeting to begin three-year terms on the board were Julia Marrero of Bacon Wilson, P.C. and Ann Dargie Gladd of Family Law of Western Massachusetts, P.C. They will be joining current members Alayna Anderson of Bacon Wilson, P.C.; Benjamin Garvey of HUB International New England LLC, Angela Gotay-Cheverez of Freedom Credit Union, Robert Houle of Unity Financial & Insurance Group, Sarah Mailhott of Polish National Credit Union, Malar Patel of Google, and Danielle Rosario of PeoplesBank.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

MBK Announces Expansion with J.M. O’Brien & Co.

HOLYOKE — Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) announced a significant expansion of its practice through the inclusion of J.M. O’Brien & Co., P.C. (JOB), a firm with three decades of service in the region. This expansion occurs as MBK celebrates its 75th anniversary. Bringing J.M. O’Brien & Co. to MBK signifies a strategic move toward MBK’s growth and expansion in the accounting industry of Western Mass. MBK stands to benefit from the influx of new talent and a broader resource pool, enriching the firm’s already-substantial depth of resources. The merger is particularly advantageous for MBK’s tax services, which will be able to leverage J.M. O’Brien’s extensive expertise to enhance its range of tax-related services. With the added depth of knowledge and resources, MBK is well-positioned to offer a broader range of specialized services, including advanced tax planning and compliance, audit and assurance services, and business consulting. This strategic move signifies MBK’s largest scale of expansion since the pivotal merger of 2004, marking a significant milestone in the firm’s trajectory.

 

Theory Wellness Becomes Employee-owned Company

STONEHAM — Massachusetts-based cannabis company Theory Wellness is transitioning its ownership entirely over to its employees, in what is known as an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). By doing so, Theory has become the first employee-owned cannabis company in the Commonwealth and the largest of its kind in the country. Established in 2015 by co-founders Brandon Pollock and Nick Friedman, Theory Wellness has grown to include four dispensaries, production and cultivation facilities, and more than 200 employees, and has served more than 3 million customers since its inception. This change in ownership is not expected to disrupt the company’s day-to-day operations.

 

bankESB Named a Top Place to Work

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB has been named one of the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work in Massachusetts. The Globe’s list recognizes the most admired workplaces in the state, according to the people who know them best — their employees. Rankings are based on a confidential survey of more than 137,000 employees at 347 Massachusetts-based organizations, administered by employee engagement and retention firm Energage. Winners are selected based on employees’ opinions of their company’s direction, execution, connection, management, work, pay and benefits, and engagement. Earlier this year, bankESB also was named a Top Financial Services Industry Workplace by Energage for the second year in a row, as well as a Top Charitable Contributor and Corporate Citizenship Award winner by Boston Business Journal for the ninth consecutive year.

 

HCC Receives $600,000 for Free Child Watch Program

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation to expand its Itsy Bitsy Child Watch program to serve more student-parents. Itsy Bitsy Child Watch is a free center on HCC’s main campus for parents in need of short-term childcare while they attend class, study, or meet with tutors and advisers. It opened as a pilot program for the fall 2022 semester with a $100,000 state allocation. At the time, HCC was only the second community college in Massachusetts, and the only one in Western Mass., to offer a free campus child-watch service. The center is open to HCC student-parents with children 3 months to 12 years old. The $600,000 grant will enable HCC to relocate the center to a larger, fully renovated new space; hire additional staff; and extend its hours of operation to accommodate more children, especially during public school vacations, which do not always align with the college calendar. Sometime in 2024, the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch center, now located on the first floor of the Marieb Science Building, will move to a renovated space on the second floor of the Frost Building, closer to other student service and support programs, such as the Thrive Student Resource Center and Food Pantry; Homestead Market, which accepts SNAP benefits; CHD Mental Health Services; Financial Aid; and the new Elaine Marieb Adult Learner Success Center (also scheduled to open in 2024).

 

Bright Nights Named Among ‘Best of the Best’

SPRINGFIELD — For the fourth straight year, Bright Nights at Forest Park has been recognized by the American Bus Assoc. (ABA) as one of the “Best of the Best for 2023.” The ABA acknowledges destinations and attractions from the U.S. and Canada that offer the “highest quality of group tour experience and amenities in the motorcoach, travel, and tourism industry.” Prior to receiving “Best of the Best” honors in 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020, Bright Nights at Forest Park was recognized by the American Bus Assoc. as one of the Top 100 Destinations in North America. It features more than 700,000 lights along a three-mile drive that winds its way through the historic park.

 

STCC Secures Funding for Decarbonization Efforts

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) received $791,694 from the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to support projects to advance decarbonization efforts, address deferred maintenance, and increase climate resilience. STCC will use the funding for energy-efficiency projects that lessen the consumption of on-site fossil fuels or increase efficiency. STCC also will make repairs to campus buildings to increase efficiency, including but not limited to window replacements, door replacements, insulation, and weatherization. DCAMM provided $11,875,404 to be divided among the 15 community colleges, including STCC, to assist with meeting Massachusetts’ decarbonization goals and focus on energy-efficient measures where decarbonization is not possible. Each community college received $791,694.

 

Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Golf Tournament Breaks Record

The Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament celebrated its 15th annual golf tournament on Sept. 26, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing support for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as this year’s tournament raised a record-breaking $160,000. For more than a decade and a half, the charity golf tournament has stood as a beacon of hope in the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s fundraising initiatives. The charity golf tournament was held at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow. The tournament featured a raffle, silent and live auctions, hole-in-one contests, on-the-course pop-ups, live music by Noah Lis, and illusionist Yoel Spielman.

 

Elms MSN Program Nationally Ranked by Forbes Advisor

CHICOPEE — The master of science in nursing (MSN) program at Elms College has been ranked by Forbes Advisor as one of the most affordable, high-quality online MSN programs in the U.S. The MSN program at Elms was one of nine programs ranked by Forbes Advisor and the only one located in Massachusetts. Forbes Advisor is part of the Forbes organization and is dedicated to helping consumers make the best financial choices. A portion of its editorial content includes the ranking of higher-education institutions and programs. The MSN program at Elms is fully online and allows students to pursue one of four tracks, including nursing & health services management, nursing education, and an MSN/MBA dual-degree option. The fourth track, school nursing, is the only MSN school nursing program in the U.S. For the online MSN rankings, Forbes Advisor rated data from several sources in the categories of affordability, credibility, student outcomes, student experience, and the application process.

 

Springfield College Awarded $240,000 for Mental-health Needs

SPRINGFIELD — In partnership with the city of Springfield, Springfield College was awarded $240,000 to help assist in combating the growing mental-health needs among college students and the local community. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan announced the partnership as part of the Sarno administration’s Higher Education ARPA Fund at City Hall on Dec. 6. Sarno had previously announced the creation of the $750,000 Higher Education ARPA Fund as part of his 13th round of ARPA awards in July, as Springfield College was joined by American International College and Western New England University as recipients of the funding. The $240,000 allocation that Springfield College received will create additional opportunities to further support youth and families in the city of Springfield and provide collaboration between Springfield College students and Springfield Public Schools to enhance their learning and simultaneously support the community. With the funding, Springfield College intends to hire case managers to provide support and advocacy for both college students and children and families in Springfield Public Schools who have difficulty navigating the often-complex web of available resources, hire a psychiatric nurse practitioner to support critical needs within area colleges and the community, and strengthen relationships between school counseling and clinical mental-health counseling student interns at Springfield College and Springfield Public Schools to provide additional community-based mental-health services and support.

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.

AGAWAM

Kismet Foods, Inc., 141 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001. Hikmet Bicakci, 28 Sheri Lane, Agawam, MA 01001. Restaurant and food service.

CHICOPEE

Ly Express Transport Inc., 11 Morris St., Apt 1, Chicopee, MA 01020. Hayder Alhamdani, same.

SM Improvement Inc., 541 Springfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Trucking transport of materials.

EASTHAMPTON

Midwifery Exchange in Ghana Inc., 54 Cherry St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Anastasia Hallisey, same. Nonprofit interdisciplinary team from the U.S. that provides training and education support to local midwives in the northwest area of Ghana. The project is approved by the U.S. embassy and has funding from Fulbright.

GREENFIELD

High School Hockey Parents Assoc. Inc., 377 Main St., Suite 1, Greenfield, MA 01301. Alexander Siano, 107 Verde Dr., Greenfield, MA 01301. Nonprofit association established to operate and raise funds for high-school hockey in Greenfield.

HOLYOKE

Kiwanis Club of Greater Holyoke Inc., 15 Morgan St., Holyoke, MA 01040. George Delisle, 223 Bates Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Incorporated club whose mission is to give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life; to encourage the daily living of the golden rule in all human relationships; to promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards; to develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship; to provide a practical means to form enduring friendships, render altruistic service, and build better communities; and to cooperate in creating and maintaining sound public opinion and high idealism that make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.

LUDLOW

Red Bridge Logistics Inc., 618 Poole St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Konstantin Shageyev, same. Trucking company.

NORTHAMPTON

Maurali Inc., 111 Prospect St., Northampton, MA 01060. Deevia Patel, MD, same. Anesthesia services.

PITTSFIELD

Body Vision Medical Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Dorian Averbuch, same. Computer software.

Eric Zahn Builders Leasing Co., 2 Westview Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Eric Zahn, same. Equipment leasing company.

The Garage Door Crew Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Barr Nehemya, same. Installation and repairs of residential garage doors.

New England Landscape Construction Inc., 287 Hungerford St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Daniel Martin, 75 South Church St., Suite 550, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Landscaping business.

SOUTHWICK

Echo Home Remodeling Inc., 10 Cedar St., Apt 12, Southwick, MA 01077. Phil Billington, same. Construction.

SPRINGFIELD

G Ruiz Distributions Inc., 508 Plumtree Road, Springfield, MA 01118. Gilbert Ruiz, same. Food-product distribution.

Merlin Behavioral Solutions Inc., 105 Packard Ave., Springfield, MA 01118. Marc Barowsky, same. Healthcare and related solutions that utilize insights and technology tools to assist with implementation.
Wavy Swims Inc., 614 Plainfield St., Springfield, MA 01107. Jessica Rodriguez, same. Economically affordable swimsuits.

WESTFIELD

Buildxd Inc., 504 Holyoke Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Anthony Deven, same. General carpentry.

WILBRAHAM

Antigone’s Aesthetics Inc., 380 Main St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Antigone Panidis, same. Aesthetics business.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

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

BELCHERTOWN

Little Hen Designs
2 Overlook Dr.
Kelly Hulseberg

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

Midway Auto & Truck Repair
111 Sargent St.
James Dauksewich

Rose Wrona PT and Wellness
18 Cheryl Circle
Rosemary Wrona

Shady Glen Boarding Kennel
37 Amherst Road
Cynthia Meaux

Thorton’s
577 Warren Wright St.
Todd Thorton

Universal Light River Wellness
25 Maple St.
Kathleen O’Brien

DEERFIELD

2 Love Birds Apparel
141 North Main St.
Renee Johnson

AGPR Consulting
5 North Hillside Road
Ashani Petrizzi

Chesapeake Bay Candle Co.
16 Yankee Candle Way
Yankee Candle Co.

Comprehensive Home Care
235 Greenfield Road, #6
Nova Leap Health MA III Inc.

The Deli
39A Thayer St.
Julia Gawrys, Alex Gjekaj

Fuze Puzzles
54C Whately Road
Will Wilde

Heart in Deerfield
18 King Philip Ave.
Jennifer Mikaelian, Matthew Mikaelian

RHI Enterprises
15 Jones Road
Thomas Sjodahl

Scott Salzman Painting
432 River Road
Scot Salzman

Trailhead Psychotherapy LLC
110 North Hillside Road
Melissa Eich-Richardson

WoodWick Candle
16 Yankee Candle Way
Yankee Candle Co.

Yeoman Design Build
123 Sandgully Road North
Michael DeSorgher

Zen Puzzles
54C Whately Road
Will Wilde

EASTHAMPTON

Berkshire Driving School
4A Pine St.
Mariah Blaney

DCS Real Estate LLC
40 Meadowbrook Dr.
Daniel Schachter

E. Cohen Designs
88 Loudville Road
Edward Cohen

Financial Safety Education
184 Northampton St., Suite 204
Michelle Mulea

Golden China Pan
98 Union St.
Dan Ju Pan

Jupiter Club
116 Pleasant St.
Shawn Mitchell

Kingarooart
2 Sandra Road
Kinga Martin

Local Burger
116 Pleasant St., #118
Jose Cornejo, Jeff Igneri

Mane Street Salon
77 Main St.
Nicole Cicerchia

Northeast Process Equipment
6 Maxine Circle
Corey Plucker

OG Wake
21 McKinley Ave.
Sarah Caplan

Pawlished by Megan
135A Northampton St.
Megan Bogacz

Saint Lament Studio
116 Pleasant St., Suite 126
Rachael Lovell

Scout Curated Wears
14 Norton St.
Lora Fischer-Dewitt

Tip Top Wine Shop
150 Pleasant St., #155
Lauren Clark

Vignette Studio & Exchange
44 Ashley Circle
Beverly Rosenthal

Wooley Construction
1 Lincoln St.
David Wooley

HOLYOKE

The Brother in Elysium
532 Main St., Unit 301
Jonathan Beacham

Bugalu Ballroom
120 High St.
Emily Ortiz

El Burrito
50 Holyoke St.
Jose Diaz

Fashion Nails II
293 High St.
Phat Dang

Glass America
398 Maple St.
Glass America

Holyoke 420 LLC
380 Dwight St, Unit 3
James Jaron, Blake Mensing

Holyoke Express Multiservices Inc.
78 Cabot St.
Maria Guerrero

LightHouse Personalized Education for Teens
208 Race St.
Catherine Gobron

Mengel-Dafonte Auto Body
130 Maple St.
John Dafonte

M.M. Multiple Cleaner
232 Beech St.
Joey Maestre

Pulp
80 Race St.
Pulp

Rent-A-Center
2259 Northampton St.
Rent-A-Center East Inc.

Schermerhorn’s Seafood
224 Westfield Road
Michael Fitzgerald

Subway
330 Main St.
Daisy Florek

LENOX

Berkshire Family Therapy
69 Church St., Suite 6
Jenna Knauss

Berkshirts
181 New Lenox Road
Eric Nixon

CVS Pharmacy #433
481 Pittsfield Road
CVS Pharmacy Inc.

Jthony D’Krysto
25 Sherwood Dr.
Ayala Rodriguez

The Her of Here LLC
181 New Lenox Road
Eric Nixon

 

Law Offices of Janet Hetherwick Pumphrey
17 Housatonic St.
Janet Pumphrey

Warning Label
181 New Lenox Road
Eric Nixon

LONGMEADOW

Estli Consulting
168 Colony Road
Patrick Streck

Flagship Dental Group
123 Dwight Road
Housam Alkhoury

Good Egg Creative
129 Burbank Road
David Blanchard

Hair Boutique by Yagmur
151 Longmeadow St.
Yagmur Hamurcu

IZ Appliance Repair
111 Ardsley Road
Igor Zlotin

Jim Smith Electrician
26 Lawnwood Ave.
James Smith

Kelly Colby
20 Cross St.
Kelly Colby

Longmeadow Home Repair
141 Blueberry Hill Road
Derek Jaffarian

Made by You Creative
72 Farmington Ave.
Elaine Mann

Rat Pack Investors Group
194 Eton Road
Jay Eisenstock

Razzmatass Kids
803 Williams St.
Daniel Murphy

RDRKR Inc.
99 Silver Birch Road
Rohan Russell, Kimberly Buckner

Responder’s Refuge
1200 Converse St.
Richard Winning

SkinRefined
224 Crestview Circle
Danielle Shrair

West Mass Drone
60 King Philip Dr.
I. Christopher Rinaldi

PITTSFIELD

Aaronson & Associates, P.C.
57 Wendell Ave.
Harris N. Aaronson, P.C.

Beauty by Mak
9 Third St.
Makayla Hadsell

Berkshire Theatre Festival and Colonial Theatre Assoc.
111 South St.
Berkshire Theatre Group Inc.

BJ’s Optical #4355
495 Hubbard Ave.
BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc.

Capital Mortgage Funding
82 Wendell Ave.
CMG Mortgage Inc.

Drennan Law Offices
8 Bank Row
Richard Drennan

Dwyer-Wellington Funeral Homes
220 East St.
RDR Funeral Homes Inc.

East Street Video
31 Wendell Ave.
Darren Lee

Garzone Construction Services
19 Crystal St.
Marjorie Garzone

Guo Sushi Bar Inc.
555 Hubbard Ave.
Zheng Hua Guo

Hometown Lending Team
82 Wendell Ave.
CMG Mortgage Inc.

J.M. Koenig, Electrician
689 Elm St.
Jeffrey Koenig

Orion Management
47 Briggs Ave.
Michael Hoctor

The Plant Connector LLC
64 North St.
Bonnie Marks, Emily Yawn

Remedy & Culture
90 North St.
Genavieve Quetti

RER Pro Music
100 East Housatonic St.
Ronald Ramsey

Ron Smith & Son Electric Inc.
25 Ontario St.
Ron Smith & Son Electric Inc.

Royal Barber Service
412 Fenn St.
15 Stanwood Ave.

Shamrock Home Loans
82 Wendell Ave.
CMG Mortgage Inc.

Unique Traditional Basketry
34 North Pearl St.
Allan Sackey

Voices by Jon
38 Acorn St.
Jon Marks

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

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

Allen, Gary R.
4 Pearl Brook Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 13
Date: 11/19/2023

Bowie-Seibles, Mary Lou
97 Cloran St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/27/2023

Clark, Stephen P.
110 Mashapaug Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Chapter: 13
Date: 11/29/2023

Dewey, Charlotte R.
P. O. Box 316
107 Main St.
Charlemont, MA 01339
Chapter: 13
Date: 11/16/2023

Dowling, Cian James
209 Main St., Apt. 2A
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/21/2023

Dunphy, Louise A.
18 January Hills Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/16/2023

Enman, Helen Marie
P.O. Box 4
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/28/2023

Haight, Linda A.
51 East Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 13
Date: 12/01/2023

Heaton, Elizabeth M.
360 Pine St.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/30/2023

Kynard, Nicole
32 Cambridge St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/20/2023

Lancara Castro, Manuel Antonio
386 Summer St.
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/16/2023

Maloney, James E.
Maloney, Angel M.
57 Richmond Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/30/2023

Maloney, Raymond
134 Western Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 11/28/2023

Mcdermott, Steven R.
PO Box 1914
Warren, MA 01083
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/30/2023

Rollins, Robert C.
30 Berkeley St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 13
Date: 11/22/2023

Roman Nieves, Jerry Luis
386 Summer St.
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/16/2023

Saltmarsh, Jesse Philip
PO Box 236
Southwick, MA 01077
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/30/2023

Schreiner, Ronald Paul
194 Brickyard Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/21/2023

Turrell, Denise A.
18 Donovan St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/30/2023

Victor, Kavita
157 Mountain Dr.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/30/2023

Vieu, Kimberly A.
29 Orchard St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Date: 12/01/2023

Wolfe, Hekate Michele
Denoff, Afton
704 Belchertown Road, Apt. B
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 11/29/2023

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

ASHFIELD

137 Beldingville Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $262,500
Buyer: Michael O’Malley
Seller: Keith Zorn
Date: 11/29/23

369 Bullitt Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $4,500,000
Buyer: Starflower Farm LLC
Seller: Raycharles J. Lamontagne
Date: 12/01/23

243 Main St.
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: Hilary Burgin
Seller: Thomas J. Miner
Date: 11/28/23

BERNARDSTON

88 Shedd Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Coastline Property Renovation
Seller: Home Roots Properties Inc.
Date: 11/27/23

BUCKLAND

135 East Buckland Road
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Joseph Kotowki
Seller: Libby Int.
Date: 12/08/23

CHARLEMONT

81 Maxwell Road
Charlemont, MA 01339
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: Christopher Defilippi
Seller: Christine Hayer Repasy LT
Date: 12/01/23

COLRAIN

120 Franklin Hill Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Everett M. Rauch
Seller: Charles W. Roberts
Date: 12/07/23

CONWAY

820 East Guinea Road
Conway, MA 01096
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Wicked Deals LLC
Seller: Andrew J. Wickline
Date: 11/30/23

DEERFIELD

123 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Eula L. Duncan-Dennis
Seller: Brenda Young
Date: 12/05/23

8 Old Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $1,850,000
Buyer: Deerfield Academy
Seller: Joan W. Arms IRT
Date: 12/01/23

47 River Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $334,000
Buyer: M&H Property Ventures LLC
Seller: Dennis M. Gobeil
Date: 11/28/23

89 Whately Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Samuel Carpenter
Seller: Rotkiewicz RET
Date: 12/08/23

GREENFIELD

259 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $142,500
Buyer: Benegan 2 LLC
Seller: Jason P. Bohonowicz
Date: 11/28/23

118 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: David R. Potter
Seller: James M. Elwell
Date: 12/08/23

18-24 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Vlades Ventures LLC
Seller: Jane Realty LLC
Date: 12/08/23

14-16 Hayes Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: MAG Real Estate Holdings-Greenfield LLC
Seller: Daryl R. Springman
Date: 11/29/23

257 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,025,000
Buyer: 257 Leyden Rd LLC
Seller: Kathleen L. Hammond
Date: 11/28/23

140 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $129,900
Buyer: Rogers Real Estate Solutons Inc.
Seller: Prime Partners LLC
Date: 12/01/23

270 Wisdom Way
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Ann N. Bocharnikova
Seller: Jerome M. Duprey
Date: 11/29/23

LEVERETT

163 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Better Together Dog Rescue
Seller: Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane
Date: 11/29/23

MONTAGUE

41 Hillside Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Jonathan E. Schaming
Seller: Carolyn D. Murphy
Date: 11/30/23

312 Meadow Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: WW Real Estate Holdings LLC
Seller: Nicholson 2012 FT
Date: 12/01/23

408 Millers Falls Road
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Hannah N. Liquori
Seller: Michaelle A. Call
Date: 11/30/23

34 Montague St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $323,500
Buyer: Stephen T. Call
Seller: Philip Harrington TR
Date: 11/30/23

20 Turners Falls Road
Montague, MA 01301
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Pattarapon Siwapornchai
Seller: Sergei Skorupa
Date: 12/05/23

NEW SALEM

160 Neilson Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Wouter J. Schievink
Seller: Phyllis R. Rogers FT
Date: 12/05/23

NORTHFIELD

22 West Lane
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $148,800
Buyer: Brandon S. Shantie
Seller: Toraby Mass. RT
Date: 12/05/23

ORANGE

27 Chase St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $182,750
Buyer: Vrmtg Asset TR
Seller: Joan M. Davis
Date: 12/04/23

507 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Dream Home Investments LLC
Seller: Stephen F. Chase
Date: 12/07/23

12 Fieldstone Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Jacob D. Forest
Seller: Curtis Sciabarrasi
Date: 12/06/23

20 Horton Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Christopher H. Hansen
Seller: Karen M. Grant
Date: 11/29/23

22 Horton Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: James Gleason
Seller: Karen M. Grant
Date: 11/28/23

173 Memory Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Patricia M. Lablanc
Seller: Michael J. Killay
Date: 12/01/23

67 Sandrah Dr.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Francis E. Banister
Seller: Catia Boucher
Date: 11/29/23

90 West River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: 3M Innovations Inc.
Seller: M. Jemms Orange I LLC
Date: 11/28/23

44 Whitney St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Rene Jurado
Seller: Kyle Bicknell
Date: 12/07/23

ROWE

169 Ford Hill Road
Rowe, MA 01367
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Danielle Beaumier
Seller: John A. Magnago
Date: 11/27/23

SHELBURNE

455 Colrain Shelburne Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $547,500
Buyer: Michael S. Schneider
Seller: Laura A. Stevens
Date: 11/28/23

200 Old Albany Road
Shelburne, MA 01301
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Coastline Prop Renovation
Seller: Home Roots Properties Inc.
Date: 11/27/23

7 Pleasant St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $477,500
Buyer: Tamatha A. Gaumnitz
Seller: Linda L. Palermo FT
Date: 12/01/23

2 South Maple St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Allen Price
Seller: Andrew E. Smith
Date: 11/28/23

 

SHUTESBURY

6 Haskins Way
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $232,500
Buyer: Sharra R. Rossi
Seller: Sarah McCormick-Goodhart
Date: 11/28/23

WENDELL

Jennison Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Whetstone Wood Trust Fund
Seller: Andrea D. Gentl
Date: 11/28/23

Wendell Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Whetstone Wood Trust Fund
Seller: Andrea D. Gentl
Date: 11/28/23

WHATELY

215 River Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $299,900
Buyer: Danielle Hartnett
Seller: Pasiecnik, James M., (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

105 Bradford Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $291,111
Buyer: Amanda Dee
Seller: Theresa Bachhuber
Date: 11/30/23

36 Canterbury Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Benjamin J. Saunders
Seller: Giuseppe Tirone
Date: 11/29/23

63 Coronet Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Flipping Best LLC
Seller: Robert J. Bartnik
Date: 12/07/23

30 Federal St. Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Thackeray FT
Seller: Jacob Kopyscinski
Date: 11/28/23

723 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Center Square Professional
Seller: Ascioti-Vincunas LLC
Date: 11/29/23

818 North St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Christina Fusick
Seller: Richard B. Fattini
Date: 11/30/23

30 Randall St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Dee Tardiff
Seller: Dale A. Melanson
Date: 11/28/23

BLANDFORD

54 Gibbs Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: Tiffany Stockman
Seller: Jarom D. Olson
Date: 12/07/23

3 Kaolin Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Jeremy Weaver
Seller: 3 Kaolin Road Land Trust
Date: 12/08/23

 

BRIMFIELD

43 7th St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Jeremy M. Carlson
Seller: Baker O. Brown
Date: 12/08/23

Haynes Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Nathaniel Vannoy
Seller: Adam Blais
Date: 12/07/23

CHICOPEE

11 Anthony St.
Chicopee, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Keon Fernandes
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 12/08/23

55 Bennett St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: David Galipeau
Seller: Marcin Rozanski
Date: 11/29/23

10 Bill St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: No Limit Assets LLC
Seller: Gamache, Leonard Henry, (Estate)
Date: 12/05/23

24 Billings St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Fernando Mattei
Seller: Andre F. Palatino-Mattei
Date: 11/30/23

6 Cecile Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jose S. Claros
Seller: Laura Piquette
Date: 12/04/23

620 Chester St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: No Limit Assets LLC
Seller: Gamache, Leonard Henry, (Estate)
Date: 12/05/23

38 Dillon St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Turgay Yanbul
Seller: Laurie Breault
Date: 11/29/23

276 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $630,000
Buyer: Casa Bonita Apts. LLC
Seller: Anthony S. Morsen
Date: 12/06/23

19 Ellen St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Selpan Holdings LLC
Seller: John Wojcik
Date: 12/08/23

9 Emerson St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Jonathan Fernandez
Seller: LP Properties LLC
Date: 12/04/23

11 Fanjoy Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Michael De Oliveira
Seller: Paul S. Urban
Date: 12/06/23

149 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,075,000
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Springfield Marion RT
Date: 12/06/23

49 Harrington Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Ashley L. Reyes
Seller: Michael Owsiak
Date: 12/05/23

14 Janine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Aniely O. Figuero-Nater
Seller: Page, Lucille, (Estate)
Date: 11/28/23

177 Marion St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,075,000
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Springfield Marion RT
Date: 12/06/23

123 McKinstry Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Vincent Silano
Seller: Joseph A. Janusz
Date: 12/01/23

192 Meadow St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Ashish Kasturia
Seller: Frederick J. Vollrath
Date: 11/29/23

200 Narragansett Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Savier Masionet-Pagan
Seller: William Rivera
Date: 11/30/23

14 Norman St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Jacob Demeo
Seller: Evelyn Cruz-Ruiz
Date: 11/28/23

57 Oakwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Michael C. Tencza
Seller: Denise Zampiceni
Date: 12/06/23

111 Paderewski Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Coalie RT
Seller: Brian G. Pelletier
Date: 11/27/23

102 Pennsylvania Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Carlos Laboy
Seller: RB Ventures LLC
Date: 11/28/23

43 Percy St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Brian Root
Seller: Beaudry, Susie M., (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

Ruth Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Selpan Holdings LLC
Seller: John Wojcik
Date: 12/08/23

487 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $1,075,000
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Springfield Marion RT
Date: 12/06/23

66 Taylor St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Wesley Desousa
Seller: Louis & Mary TR
Date: 12/05/23

124 Whitin Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $283,000
Buyer: Andrew M. Pellegrini
Seller: Todd Kasperowski
Date: 12/01/23

57 Willwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Julio Figueroa
Seller: Roberto Rivera-Negron
Date: 11/28/23

EAST LONGMEADOW

11 Brookhaven Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $136,300
Buyer: A-O-K RT
Seller: Beverly A. O’Connor
Date: 11/27/23

200 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Julie Monts
Seller: Judith A. Duggan TR
Date: 12/08/23

16 Deerfoot Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $524,000
Buyer: Stephanie A. Gordon
Seller: Christian B. Hamilton
Date: 11/30/23

17 Ericka Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: Daniel Parrow
Seller: Melissa H. Sullivan
Date: 11/30/23

43 Gerrard Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $388,400
Buyer: Hoa T. Lam
Seller: Sean R. Agustynowicz
Date: 12/01/23

42 Helen Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Isabella K. Fazio
Seller: Beek, Margaret J., (Estate)
Date: 11/27/23

33 Knollwood Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jesse O. Rivera
Seller: Louise D. House
Date: 12/04/23

111 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Olivier Emmanuel
Seller: Michelle M. Romero
Date: 12/01/23

120 Melwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $444,500
Buyer: Ajay & Laurie Murthy FT
Seller: Sara N. Bartolucci
Date: 11/30/23

89 Rogers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Nicholas V. Scibelli
Seller: Matthew D. Lloyd
Date: 12/08/23

10 Sanford St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Melissa H. Sullivan
Seller: Nancy A. Thibodeau
Date: 11/30/23

13 Thompson St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: 507 North Main Street LLC
Seller: Nancy Lessard-Reh
Date: 12/05/23

109 Vineland Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $388,500
Buyer: Haoran Zhang
Seller: Przemyslaw P. Szura
Date: 12/07/23

61 Westernview Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $446,500
Buyer: William Bushey
Seller: Jeremy R. Giard
Date: 12/04/23

GRANVILLE

313 Crest Lane
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: Katherine Kinsman
Seller: Federal National Mortgage Association
Date: 12/04/23

HAMPDEN

62 Allen St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $157,489
Buyer: Fumi Realty Inc.
Seller: Balboni, Doreen M., (Estate)
Date: 12/01/23

4 Mount Vision Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Mason R. Lewis
Seller: Steven A. Aulisio
Date: 11/30/23

80 Rock A. Dundee Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $572,000
Buyer: Mitchell Gilbert
Seller: Andri Tverdokhlib
Date: 11/29/23

171 Scantic Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $1,025,000
Buyer: Jonathan S. Weibel
Seller: Jonathan A. Wietecha
Date: 12/05/23

HOLLAND

39 Craig Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Jennifer M. Laing
Seller: Woodward Ft
Date: 12/01/23

7 Lakeshore Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $685,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Chapin
Seller: Robert A. Ardizzoni
Date: 12/08/23

69 Stafford Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $314,900
Buyer: Raymond T. Condrate
Seller: John D. Holdcraft
Date: 11/28/23

HOLYOKE

34 Ashley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Julie G. Turgeon
Seller: Guyotte, Linda J., (Estate)
Date: 11/28/23

27 Cherry Hill
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Liam Botelho
Seller: Peter R. Fritz
Date: 12/08/23

187 Chestnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Lourdes M. Diaz Valles
Seller: Maritza Westbrooks
Date: 12/01/23

1 Day Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Fab Holdings LLC
Seller: Saundra G. Leighton
Date: 12/01/23

43 Downing Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Ryan M. Tracy
Seller: Jonathan G. Allyn
Date: 12/08/23

24 Linden St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jeidimar C. Miranda
Seller: William S. Andrews
Date: 11/30/23

887 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Fab Holdings LLC
Seller: Saundra G. Leighton
Date: 12/01/23

1242 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jenniffer Beltran
Seller: FNMA
Date: 12/08/23

47 North Summer St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Lady Bedoya
Seller: Ale Ventures LLC
Date: 11/28/23

1714 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Joel Vargas
Seller: 1712-1714 Northampton St.
Date: 11/30/23

1846 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Kezia C. Fitzgerald
Seller: Vladimir Shabunin
Date: 11/27/23

363 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Stanley C. Taylor
Seller: Rachael Swan
Date: 11/30/23

7 Sheehan Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: David K. Bartley
Seller: Edward A. O’Malley
Date: 11/28/23

11 Taylor St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Jessica Gersony
Seller: Daniel Falcetti
Date: 11/28/23

99 Westfield Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Erin B. Brunelle
Seller: Gayle M. Hellyar
Date: 12/01/23

34 Willow St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Deborah Hernandez
Seller: Edward M. Monarca
Date: 12/01/23

32 Woodland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Axelmma V. Martinez
Seller: Olga J. Lopez
Date: 12/08/23

LONGMEADOW

99 Berwick Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Connor
Seller: June C. Fitzgerald
Date: 12/06/23

113 Berwick Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Connor
Seller: June C. Fitzgerald
Date: 12/06/23

690 Bliss Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $30,400,000
Buyer: Regency Centers LP
Seller: GPT-Longmeadow LLC
Date: 12/01/23

80 Chiswick St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Chiusano
Seller: Sapelli 3rd, Joseph J., (Estate)
Date: 12/08/23

236 Franklin Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Sasikumar Deivasikamani
Seller: Francis C. Miller
Date: 11/30/23

83 Hopkins Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Thomas B. Mcgowan
Seller: Suzanne Thrift Johnson TR
Date: 12/01/23

85 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $376,000
Buyer: Vello Bendt
Seller: Elizabeth E. Evans
Date: 12/08/23

77 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Cynthia L. Kesterke
Seller: Etabav RT
Date: 12/08/23

1656 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: 1656 Longmeadow Partners
Seller: Karen Stamand
Date: 12/08/23

260 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $427,000
Buyer: Alfred A. Vitiello
Seller: Joshua P. Lamson
Date: 11/30/23

220 Wolf Swamp Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Edmund Bourgeois
Seller: Mokritski, Henry, (Estate)
Date: 11/27/23

477 Wolf Swamp Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Sarah M. Lake
Seller: John C. Hoagland RET
Date: 12/08/23

LUDLOW

214 Americo St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Bho Realty LLC
Seller: Susanne B. Markus
Date: 11/29/23

Balsam Hill Road, Lot 77
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Milet Inc.
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 12/06/23

17 Chadbourne Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Diane M. Lautier
Seller: Christopher M. Eldridge
Date: 11/30/23

26 Chadbourne Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $531,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Eldridge
Seller: Anthony Patalano
Date: 11/30/23

43-45 Cypress St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Dennis Thomas
Seller: Louis D. Teixeira
Date: 12/08/23

834 Lyon St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Christopher Zadeh
Seller: Matthew D. Galle
Date: 11/30/23

27-29 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Croix W. Paquette
Seller: Gary F. Dominique
Date: 11/28/23

735 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $371,500
Buyer: Robert D. Greene
Seller: Alexander Binczyk
Date: 12/08/23

28 Nash Hill Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Jeremy Davidson
Seller: Sean C. Arpin
Date: 12/01/23

114 Piney Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Jackie H. Kohn
Seller: Vadnais, Samuel J., (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

465 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Fatima Afonso-Mendes
Seller: Fernado A. Da Silva
Date: 12/07/23

124 Woodside Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Jorge H. Galica-Herrera
Seller: Johnny Bourassa
Date: 11/30/23

MONSON

113 Bogan Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $447,500
Buyer: Remo J. Pizzichemi
Seller: Paul E. Sullivan
Date: 11/27/23

206 Brimfield Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Travis M. Richardson
Seller: Karen Palmerino
Date: 12/08/23

High St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Zero High St. Realty LLC
Seller: John D. Hanic
Date: 12/04/23

10 Robbins Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: M. & F. Vazquez Home Improvements
Seller: Jay Mooney
Date: 11/30/23

200 Town Farm Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Alec A. North
Seller: Bradley J. Kennison
Date: 12/08/23

MONTGOMERY

77 Jourdan Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Boulais
Seller: William Sinigur
Date: 12/01/23

PALMER

5 Country Lane
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $328,900
Buyer: Samantha R. Rozkuszka
Seller: Richard Manley
Date: 11/30/23

41 Longview St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Faith Boudreau
Seller: Rhonda A. Horton
Date: 12/04/23

2038 Maple St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Maria E. Dejesus
Seller: Kirk -Pelissier LT
Date: 12/01/23

77 Saint John St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jonathan Rua
Seller: Elizabeth A. Lagacy
Date: 12/05/23

77-81 Springfield St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Isac L. Nicolau
Seller: Pretium Mortgage Acquisition TR
Date: 12/04/23

52 Summer St.
Palmer, MA 01079
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Anthony M. Pupillo
Seller: Marcia L. Turner
Date: 12/07/23

RUSSELL

20 General Knox Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $437,500
Buyer: Eduard Popovichenko
Seller: Kelly L. Buckman
Date: 12/08/23

SPRINGFIELD

19 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jennylee Jimenez
Seller: Timothy W. Gallagher
Date: 12/07/23

127 Ambrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Geison Reynoso
Seller: Pascacio Reynoso
Date: 12/08/23

15 Amos Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: MLM Holdings LLC
Seller: Buck, Annette, (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

16 Ansara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Henrry Lozada
Seller: Anthony F. Roda
Date: 11/30/23

47-49 Appleton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $264,000
Buyer: Darwin Frometa
Seller: Alexander E. Samol LT
Date: 12/01/23

58 Appleton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jonathan Beato
Seller: Barry, Susan B., (Estate)
Date: 12/01/23

85 Ashbrook St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Ryan D. Beturne
Seller: Elizabeth H. Kenney
Date: 12/07/23

145 Barrington Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: George Thompson
Seller: Robert W. Karrasch
Date: 11/30/23

1295 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Cornerstone Homebuying LLC
Seller: Rivera, Justa, (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

70-72 Berkshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Wayne Davis
Seller: Revampit Holdings LLC
Date: 12/08/23

15-17 Biltmore St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Barry J. Smith
Seller: Onyx Investments LLC
Date: 11/30/23

55-57 Bloomfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Lourdes A. Guallan
Seller: Angel O. Alban
Date: 12/07/23

112 Bridle Path Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Erica S. Jack
Seller: Brendan P. McNeish
Date: 12/05/23

14 Cleveland St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Sherice Shettlewood
Seller: Yarlie Miranda
Date: 11/30/23

68 Dayton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Yariza Santana
Seller: Coloutman Family Realty NT
Date: 11/30/23

84 Derryfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jonathon A. Tavarez
Seller: Adhip Siwa
Date: 11/30/23

44 Dexter St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $183,750
Buyer: Wieslaw Winkiewicz
Seller: Nikodem Sinzohagers
Date: 12/06/23

520 Dutchess St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $286,500
Buyer: Christopher M. Phillips
Seller: Nathan C. Saltz
Date: 11/30/23

16 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Faheem Shakeel
Seller: Francisco Ramirez
Date: 12/05/23

76 Eddy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jocelyn I. Rivera
Seller: Yolanda Rivera
Date: 12/01/23

156 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $342,000
Buyer: Rodimiro M. Garcias
Seller: Wolfpack Realty Corp.
Date: 12/01/23

54 Fernald St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Rayan G. Nieves
Seller: Millet, Alphonse, (Estate)
Date: 12/04/23

43 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $299,000
Buyer: Hassanatu Bah
Seller: Yamilka Diaz
Date: 12/05/23

49 Fremont St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Elided Gonzalez
Seller: Gloria Castillo
Date: 12/08/23

25 French St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Victoria D. Jimenez
Seller: EWA Boucher
Date: 12/08/23

19 Genesee St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Bing Bang Realty Group LLC
Seller: Winifred H. Cardaropoli
Date: 11/30/23

19 Genesee St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: North East Construction Services Inc.
Seller: Bing Bang Realty Group LLC
Date: 11/30/23

63-65 Granby St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Derek Heltzel
Seller: Caitlin R. Hoffman
Date: 12/01/23

970-972 Grayson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Jared Morgan
Seller: Francine C. Asensio
Date: 11/28/23

48 Greenlawn St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Anthony N. Lteif
Seller: John J. Lampro
Date: 12/05/23

17 Greenwich St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $454,100
Buyer: Erick Weber
Seller: A&M Investments LLC
Date: 11/27/23

156 Hampshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Garrett H. Claflin
Seller: Edgar Guerra
Date: 12/01/23

102 Harrow Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Ashley N. Santos
Seller: Daniel J. Wood
Date: 11/30/23

90 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Ashley A. Degray
Seller: Quercus Properties LLC
Date: 11/28/23

290 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Devon W. McDonald
Seller: Carl A. Knodler
Date: 11/27/23

85 Hermitage Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Ramon Ortiz
Seller: Nicole J. Turoczy
Date: 11/28/23

54 Ionia St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $257,580
Buyer: Property Warehouse LLC
Seller: Danielle A. Noonan
Date: 12/04/23

93 Kathleen St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Edgar Guerra
Seller: Clement P. Chelli
Date: 12/01/23

166 Laurelton St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jerod De Jesus
Seller: Wiljanet Cornier
Date: 12/04/23

284-286 Lexington St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Lorie Dorce
Seller: Home Staging & Realty LLC
Date: 11/30/23

104 Linnell St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $224,001
Buyer: Robert A. Cavicchioli
Seller: Joseph M. Humel
Date: 11/27/23

1654-1660 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Omnipoint Technology
Seller: New England Farm Workers Council
Date: 11/27/23

1670 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Omnipoint Technology Digi
Seller: New England Farm Workers Council
Date: 11/27/23

32 Mapledell St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Yongyao Cai
Seller: Mark R. Lawrence
Date: 11/30/23

119 Marengo Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Walter Gardner
Seller: Rosemarie C. Morrissey
Date: 12/06/23

80 Margerie St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Iris Lozada
Seller: Paulo Villegas
Date: 11/29/23

60 Mooreland St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Wilson A. Rivera
Seller: Lourdes M. Diaz-Valles
Date: 11/30/23

210 Navajo Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Louis Bonavita
Seller: RMAC Trust Series 2016-CTT
Date: 11/29/23

60 Norman St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Venessa Malave
Seller: Cherie Burton
Date: 12/05/23

88 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Emma Burke
Seller: Turner, Jean A., (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

104 Orpheum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Susana L. Callirgos
Seller: Richard S. Ascrizzi
Date: 12/08/23

234 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Tassandra Barnaby
Seller: John R. Lecuyer
Date: 11/28/23

248 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: A&T Properties LLC
Seller: Suzan M. Dumas
Date: 11/29/23

155 Pasco Road
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Emmaniel Perez
Seller: Geovanie R. Rivera
Date: 12/04/23

183 Peekskill Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Michael Judd
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 11/27/23

179 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Linda Stone
Seller: Matthew O. Stebbins
Date: 12/05/23

89 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Bonnie Elcevich
Seller: Axelmma V. Martinez
Date: 12/08/23

82-84 Santa Barbara St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Donald S. Carty
Seller: Ashleen Lopez
Date: 12/05/23

37 Silver St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $119,255
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Pomales, Albaris N., (Estate)
Date: 12/06/23

831 South Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: John O. Hayden
Seller: Lula M. Lagares
Date: 11/30/23

60 South Shore Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Sarah E. Contant
Seller: Cory A. Bellucci
Date: 11/30/23

49 School St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: School Holdings LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens 41-49 LP
Date: 11/28/23

83 Sherbrooke St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Joseph Figueroa
Seller: Emily T. Figueroa
Date: 12/01/23

80 Steuben St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Noralys M. Santana-Merced
Seller: Richton & Wynne LLC
Date: 12/08/23

27 Stocker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Brittany-Ann Desrochers
Seller: Anne F. Brady
Date: 11/30/23

440 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Anthony M. Santaniello
Seller: Sumner LLC
Date: 12/07/23

140 Talbot Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Sanae Drhalej
Seller: Ali Ali
Date: 12/01/23

85 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Joan K. Pawlowski
Seller: Doyle, Patrick A., (Estate)
Date: 11/28/23

63 Telbar St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $171,159
Buyer: Ajax 2020-D Reo Corp.
Seller: Kevin E. Brown
Date: 11/27/23

102 Thompson St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Ziyad I. Jarad
Seller: Rose, Myrtle Joyce, (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

11 Turner St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Jean-Gardy Lasar
Seller: Dianilda Rosario-Horne
Date: 12/01/23

238-240 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $5,600,000
Buyer: Illuminati Holdings LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens 238-262 LP
Date: 11/28/23

250-260 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $5,600,000
Buyer: Illuminati Holdings LLC
Seller: Springfield Gardens 238-262 LP
Date: 11/28/23

266 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Corey J. Wagner
Seller: Oumar Keita
Date: 12/08/23

121 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Flamboyan Properties LLC
Seller: Julio Carrasquillo
Date: 12/06/23

24 Woodlawn St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Gifton R. Bryan
Seller: 4 Woodlawn St. RT
Date: 12/08/23

SOUTHWICK

246 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Tirone Development Corp.
Seller: Joan M. Presz
Date: 11/29/23

40 Mort Vining Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Terence J. Hickey
Seller: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Date: 11/29/23

234 Sheep Pasture Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Vanessa Filiault
Seller: Alan Fletcher
Date: 12/05/23

14 Southwick Hill
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Anthony B. Grochowski
Date: 12/04/23

WALES

2 Birch Lane
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Mish R. Coffey
Seller: Heather Conrad
Date: 11/29/23

WEST SPRINGFIELD

151 Ashley St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Lee Lopez
Seller: Amanda T. Lynds
Date: 11/28/23

25 Boulevard Place
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Vincent Lollio
Seller: Gita B. Oza
Date: 11/29/23

71 Cayenne St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Abbas Alhuwali
Seller: R. M. Blerman LLC
Date: 11/29/23

71 Cayenne St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: RM Blerman LLC
Seller: Murad Drifish
Date: 11/29/23

62 Field St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Dnepro Properties LLC
Seller: Julianne Ramos
Date: 12/08/23

90 Laurence Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Tyler J. Kenefick
Seller: Michael W. Matroni
Date: 12/05/23

695 Morgan Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Dijana Popovic
Seller: William Rivera
Date: 12/08/23

355 Morton St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Vladimir Shabunin
Seller: Donna Jacobs
Date: 11/27/23

20 Nelson St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Carlos E. Iglesias
Seller: Jamie J. Mitchell
Date: 11/28/23

95 Poplar Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Michael W. Matroni
Seller: James M. Shea
Date: 12/05/23

56 Sean Louis Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $605,000
Buyer: Islam T. Niyazov
Seller: Judith M. Atkin
Date: 11/30/23

1314 Union St., Ext.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $1,500,000
Buyer: 1314 Union St. LLC
Seller: Charles J. Reilly III RET
Date: 12/06/23

50 Wilder Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $279,000
Buyer: Morgan Curtin
Seller: Majed A. Baki
Date: 12/01/23

WESTFIELD

538 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Konstantin A. Belyakov
Seller: Samuel M. Bovino
Date: 12/01/23

1928 East Mountain Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Mason P. St.Pierre
Seller: Kyle Randall
Date: 12/01/23

19 Fairview St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Ashley R. Lindeland
Seller: Flutura Doko
Date: 12/08/23

19 Harrison Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Next Phase Properties LLC
Seller: Delance, Jeffery C., (Estate)
Date: 11/30/23

133 Meadow St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: J. Tessier-Williford
Seller: Timothy Tierney
Date: 12/08/23

3 Norton St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $199,695
Buyer: Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Seller: Vladimir Gorozhankin
Date: 12/04/23

226 Notre Dame St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: William F. Barry
Seller: Patricia Clem
Date: 11/28/23

10 Oakcrest Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Torsten N. Bidwell
Seller: Magdalena Czerkawska
Date: 11/30/23

54 Orange St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $302,500
Buyer: William Sanfardino
Seller: David C. Fazzino
Date: 12/01/23

883 Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Robert K. Walker
Seller: Judith E. Gutt
Date: 11/30/23

47 West School St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Courtney L. Bussiere
Seller: Silver Snake Properties LLC
Date: 12/06/23

52 Westwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: John D. Colapietro
Seller: James A. Petrucelli
Date: 11/30/23

71 Wildflower Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Kevin Hearn
Seller: Simm, David J., (Estate)
Date: 12/08/23

53 Yankee Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Zuleika Dejesus
Seller: Barbara G. Trant
Date: 11/30/23

WILBRAHAM

325 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Samuel Boateng
Seller: Lesley J. Lamarche
Date: 11/29/23

24 Brookmont Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $472,000
Buyer: Patrick Ayres
Seller: Melissa Knowles
Date: 12/07/23

15 Hunting Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Jason R. Grimes
Seller: Nancy Carmichael
Date: 12/08/23

3 Lance Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $437,000
Buyer: Anna G. Peine
Seller: Waylynn T. Pabon
Date: 12/01/23

13 Peak Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: Jenna Klicker
Seller: Kevin Hinkamper
Date: 12/04/23

17 Westwood Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $439,900
Buyer: Brianna McNeish
Seller: John C. Welch
Date: 12/05/23

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

236 Harkness Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Brian Mills
Seller: Chelesa E. Grybko
Date: 12/06/23

18 North Prospect St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Affordable Home Solutions LLC
Seller: John J. Michaels
Date: 12/04/23

431 Pine St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Catherine T. Bennett TR
Seller: Judith E. O’Keefe LT
Date: 12/08/23

42 Woodlot Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $872,900
Buyer: Kunstler Ft
Seller: Patricia Z. Levine TR
Date: 12/04/23

BELCHERTOWN

25 Jackson St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Alexander G. Alvarado
Seller: Joseph J. Wrona
Date: 12/08/23

59 Maple St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Matthieu Decker
Seller: Ivy A. Lenihan
Date: 11/28/23

656 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $489,000
Buyer: Stephanie C. Bonafini
Seller: M. & G. Land Development LLC
Date: 11/30/23

65 Old Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Julia Jordan RET
Seller: James L. Ritchie-Dunham
Date: 12/06/23

86 Pondview Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $494,000
Buyer: Ludiana Meus
Seller: Tara M. Mercer
Date: 12/04/23

52 Sabin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Mitchel S. Fields
Seller: Jennifer L. Derome
Date: 12/01/23

171 South Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $649,900
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Charron
Seller: Gary G. Decoteau
Date: 12/06/23

404 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Nathan T. Meaux
Seller: Jeffrey M. Charron
Date: 12/06/23

441 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: JJB Builders Corp.
Seller: Karen Lamoureux
Date: 12/04/23

EASTHAMPTON

60 Florence Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Amelia Tarren
Seller: Ingrid R. Gugler
Date: 11/28/23

Hendrick St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Norwich Properties LLC
Seller: Bruce R. Kuhnert
Date: 12/05/23

26-28 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $630,000
Buyer: Craig Nelson
Seller: JD Powers Property Mgmt. LLC
Date: 12/05/23

GRANBY

276 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $655,000
Buyer: David A. Hutchison
Seller: Choquette Capital Investments LLC
Date: 11/30/23

44 Morgan St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Nicholas Volkman
Seller: Daniel G. Bressette
Date: 12/01/23

HADLEY

8 Adare Place
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Alex K. Phakos
Seller: Adare Place Properties LLC
Date: 11/29/23

87 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Xiaoqian Gong
Seller: Lee Ann Wanczyk FT
Date: 12/08/23

HATFIELD

61 Bridge St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $566,000
Buyer: Kristin Rivera
Seller: Jayne A. Sullivan RET
Date: 11/30/23

HUNTINGTON

6 Maple St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $207,928
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC
Seller: Amber Small
Date: 12/01/23

NORTHAMPTON

13 Arlington St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $787,530
Buyer: Karen V. Atkinson
Seller: Clare W. Perry
Date: 12/06/23

11 Carpenter Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Saulo Colon
Seller: Shumway Properties LLC
Date: 12/08/23

18 Corticelli St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Sleevies LLC
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 12/04/23

8 High St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $416,800
Buyer: Equity Trust Inc.
Seller: Tammi M. Kozuch
Date: 11/30/23

8 High St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $416,800
Buyer: Flo-Op Cooperative Inc.
Seller: Equity Trust Inc.
Date: 11/30/23

139 Nonotuck St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Madeleine Hubbell
Seller: Rachel T. Mustin TR
Date: 11/30/23

93 Overlook Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Bridget A. Diggins
Seller: Lisa Vanoudenhove
Date: 12/01/23

967 Ryan Road
Northampton, MA 00062
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Claire McClain
Seller: Edward M. Slezek
Date: 12/06/23

PELHAM

44 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Justin B. Annes
Seller: Logan R. Fritz
Date: 12/05/23

7 Country Lane
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Laura Chambers
Seller: Dean Brown
Date: 11/29/23

SOUTH HADLEY

512 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Jonah B. Casey-Cohen
Seller: Luke D. Showalter
Date: 11/29/23

49 Bridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Alex Matsuk
Seller: Sandra Roy
Date: 12/08/23

19 East St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Heniek Wykowski
Seller: Mary A. Connery-Simmons
Date: 11/29/23

186 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Stephanie R. George
Seller: Jeremiah J. Mello
Date: 12/01/23

12 Karen Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $282,500
Buyer: Steven Patruno
Seller: Sears, John J., (Estate)
Date: 12/06/23

104 Pittroff Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Tiffany Ducharme
Seller: Arthur L. Williamson
Date: 11/28/23

26 San Souci Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $599,000
Buyer: Edward J. Sayer 2020 LT
Seller: Laurel Francke
Date: 12/01/23

7 Taylor St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jason D. Leary
Seller: Deborah A. Lacasse
Date: 12/08/23

66 Westbrook Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Jonathan G. Kehoe
Seller: David E. Dauphinais
Date: 11/30/23

SOUTHAMPTON

137 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Amanda Gunness
Seller: Vannak Kong
Date: 12/05/23

WARE

Doane Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Michael F. Hewitt
Seller: Kozyra Doane-Walker RT
Date: 12/06/23

11 East Main St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: 11 EM LLC
Seller: Gabryel Narutowicz Inc.
Date: 11/29/23

62 Old Gilbertville Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Debra J. Jurczyk
Seller: Ashley M. St.George
Date: 11/30/23

21 Otis Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Park Otis LLC
Seller: George Rzeznik
Date: 12/08/23

181 Upper Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $273,500
Buyer: Jerome L. Sicard
Seller: Joseph Kotowski
Date: 12/08/23

Walker Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Michael F. Hewitt
Seller: Kozyra Doane-Walker RT
Date: 12/06/23

38 Warebrook Village
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Xenia E. Paez
Seller: Angelo Setaro
Date: 11/30/23

WILLIAMSBURG

65 Village Hill Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Daniel T. Stuart
Seller: Diane Karowski
Date: 11/29/23

WESTHAMPTON

Mine Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Olympic Holdings LLC
Seller: Wayne T. Parks
Date: 11/30/23

7 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Tenczar
Seller: Kyle D. Kinlock
Date: 12/04/23

230 Northwest Road
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Fumi Realty Inc.
Seller: John R. Grimes
Date: 12/08/23

WORTHINGTON

118 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $403,000
Buyer: Dianna E. Fitztola
Seller: Peter W. Kievitt
Date: 11/27/23

90 Patterson Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: James Bernhard
Seller: Hu B. Rhodes
Date: 11/28/23

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

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

CHICOPEE

A&C Fernandes LLC
796 Sheridan St.
$8,000 — Siding, new soffit and trim

Standex International Corp.
939 Chicopee St.
$20,000 — Demo interior walls, flooring, fixtures, etc. for new eldercare facility

EASTHAMPTON

Julia Gawle
112 Union St.
$20,000 — Roofing

Gus Papas
33 Payson Ave.
$13,500 — Roofing

John-Michael Papas
35 Payson Ave.
$16,500 — Roofing

LEE

Jeffrey Glenar, Kathleen Glenar
1675 Pleasant St.
$8,321 — Insulation and air sealing

LENOX

BBL Lenox Hotel Group LLC
130 Pittsfield Road
$2,725,500 — Building shell

Overlee Property Holdings LLC
65 Church St.
$9,500 — Replace six windows

NORTHAMPTON

4 Aces Realty LLC
107 Williams St.
$2,600,429 — Fire sprinkler system

Emerald City Partners LLC
25 New South St., Unit A104
$55,800 — Interior renovation to classroom space

First Congragational Church of Northampton
129 Main St.
$18,040 — Insulate basement walls

Gal Realty Co. LLC
96 Main St.
$7,500 — Renovate bakery/restaurant; separate food preparation from dining area with wall

Smith College
122-126 West St.
$5,544 — Install transaction window at Smith Campus Safety

PITTSFIELD

Ruby View Management LLC
970 West Housatonic St.
$28,000 — Insulation

Three Ninety Five Nord Strasse LLC
391 North St.
$24,638 — Fire-alarm system

A Packed Year at BusinessWest

By
Opinion

Editorial

In the 40 years BusinessWest has been delivering key business news, trends, profiles, and much more to our readers, the economy has swung back and forth many times, from the downturns of the early ’90s and ’00s to the Great Recession of roughly 15 years ago to the recent, hyper-challenging pandemic years — and, of course, the brighter, more robust stretches in between those downturns.

In most cases over those years, business owners could read the signs and pinpoint what kind of economy they were dealing with — good or bad, promising or worrisome.

The current landscape, though, is mixed in an unusual way, with low unemployment and a soaring stock market on one hand and persistent inflation and too-high home prices on the other, just to name a few competing trends. As the Economic Outlook shows, there’s plenty of concern out there, but optimism, too, as we enter a year of global uncertainty, from what promises to be a wild presidential election in the U.S. to serious geopolitical conflicts overseas.

What is more certain is that BusinessWest will continue to reflect these times, these trends, and these stories from a local perspective — that is, through the eyes, minds, and stories of business owners and economic experts throughout the 413.

In our very next issue, we’ll reveal our 28th annual Top Entrepreneur — an intriguing, outside-the-box choice you’ll be excited to read about. One issue after that, we’ll unveil our 16th annual class of Difference Makers, the first of four very popular recognition programs throughout 2024, along with 40 Under Forty in April, Healthcare Heroes in September, and Women of Impact in October. Please note that BusinessWest accepts nominations for all four programs all year long.

We’re also introducing a few regular features to accompany our town-hopping Community Spotlight and the monthly Professional Development story, which focuses on how area colleges and universities are connecting with the business world to help people access better career opportunities.

The new, quarterly offerings in 2024 will include Where Are They Now? — a visit with a past winner of one of the four awards mentioned earlier, detailing how their life and career have evolved since — as well as Nonprofit Spotlight, a quick look at one of the region’s nonprofit organizations and the important work they do, and our Faces of… series, which will offer thoughtful perspectives from leaders in the worlds of construction (in February), education (May), finance (August), and healthcare (November). That’s, of course, on top of our regular coverage of dozens of sectors.

Oh, and did we mention 40 years? We’ll be celebrating that milestone in a big way in our May 13 issue, with a comprehensive look at how several key industries and sectors have evolved since BusinessWest (then known as the Western Mass. Business Journal) first appeared in 1984, and a celebration of the people who made it all happen.

So, as another uncertain year takes shape (and, really, aren’t they all?) we’re excited to bring it all to you — on the page, at our recognition events, and at businesswest.com. Happy New Year.

Final Rule Will Face Legal Challenges

By Contributor
Opinion

Opinion

By Ben Brubeck

 

The Biden administration’s final rule, “Federal Acquisition Regulation: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects,” implements Executive Order 14063, which requires federal construction contracts of $35 million or more to be subject to controversial project labor agreements (PLAs).

The Biden administration’s burdensome, inflationary, and anti-competitive PLA mandate rule will needlessly raise costs on taxpayer-funded construction projects and steer contracts to unionized contractors and workers. Absent a successful legal challenge, this executive overreach will reward powerful special interests with government construction contracts at the expense of taxpayers and the principles of free enterprise and fair and open competition in government procurement.

When mandated by governments, PLAs increase construction costs to taxpayers by 12% to 20%, reduce opportunities for qualified contractors and their skilled craft professionals, and exacerbate the construction industry’s worker shortage of more than a half-million people in 2023.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) will continue to fight on behalf of quality, experienced contractors harmed by this rule and the 88.3% of America’s construction industry who have made the choice not to belong to a union and want a fair opportunity to participate in federal construction projects, but cannot do so because of PLA schemes.

In addition, ABC condemns Biden administration policies independent of this rulemaking that push PLAs on competitive grant programs administered by federal agencies, affecting nearly $260 billion worth of federally assisted infrastructure projects procured by state and local governments, as well as schemes by the Biden administration to coerce private developers of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of clean energy and domestic microchip manufacturing projects to mandate PLAs. Biden’s PLA policies circumvent congressional intent as none of these policies were passed in funding legislation.

Some background: on Aug. 19, 2022, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council issued its proposed rule implementing Executive Order 14063. In October 2022, ABC submitted more than 40 pages of comments to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, calling on the Biden administration to withdraw its controversial proposed rule.

ABC’s opposition was shared by more than 50 members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, 19 Republican governors, and a diverse coalition of construction-industry, small-business, and taxpayer advocates urging the administration to withdraw its proposal and additional policies promoting PLA mandates on federal and federally assisted construction projects.

At least 8,000 stakeholders across the country — including 2,500 ABC member contractors — submitted comments opposed to this proposed rule during the 60-day comment period. In a September 2022 survey of ABC contractor members, 98% opposed this proposed rule, and 97% said a construction contract that required a PLA would be more expensive compared to a contract procured via fair and open competition.

ABC plans to challenge this Biden administration scheme in the courts on behalf of taxpayers and the majority of the construction industry. In the interim, ABC will continue to oppose its special-interest-favoring policy using all tools in our advocacy and legal toolbox while educating stakeholders about the negative impact of government-mandated PLAs on federal and federally assisted projects.

 

Ben Brubeck is vice president of Regulatory, Labor, and State Affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors.

Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast Slated for Jan. 13

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Committee of Wesley United Methodist Church will host its 42nd annual breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. at Marriott Springfield Downtown. Scholarships will be awarded to Springfield students who exemplify academic excellence, and the event will feature keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Renita Weems, as well as musical selections by recording artist Bishop L. Spencer Smith. This year’s theme is “It Starts with Me: Reclaiming the Dream.”

Weems is a writer, minister, biblical scholar, public intellectual, and ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She earned a Ph.D. at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1989, making her the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate in Old Testament studies. She received her master of divinity degree from Princeton Seminary and her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College. In addition to being a former professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School, Weems has taught at Spelman College, Howard University Divinity School, and Memphis Theological Seminary.

Smith, an innovator, visionary, and thinker, is a prolific preacher and teacher sharing in churches, conferences, and seminars nationwide. He is the Impact Nation Fellowship Church’s lead pastor in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Ala. An apostolic trendsetter, his keen insight into culture and theological connectivity has positioned him as a voice of counsel and wisdom to many.

More than 400 community leaders, educators, and students are expected to attend and celebrate and promote educational empowerment among area youth. All are welcome for breakfast, music, and impactful messages. Tickets, sponsorships, and advertisements are available at wesley413.com.

Smash Hits Cannabis by Canna Provisions Wins Budtenders’ Choice Award

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Smash Hits Cannabis, the exclusive cannabis line grown for and by Canna Provisions, is announced that its Chem D strain has been named the 2023 Budtenders’ Choice winner in Massachusetts by Leafly, one of the world’s largest and most influential online cannabis information resources.

This recognition, voted on by the state’s budtenders naming their favorite strains available on the legal market, highlights the outstanding quality of Smash Hits Cannabis and cements its status as a frontrunner in the Northeast’s premium, small-batch craft cannabis market.

The accolade underscores the expertise and dedication of Smash Hits’ cultivation director, Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski, whose commitment to cultivating exceptional cannabis aligns with Canna Provisions’ mission to offer the best craft cannabis products, reflecting the company’s dedication to quality and innovation, Canna CEO Meg Sanders said.

“This award from Leafly, chosen by those who understand cannabis consumers best — the budtenders — is a true honor. It validates our commitment to excellence and our passion for providing our customers with the highest-quality cannabis. Greg ‘Chemdog’ Krzanowski’s mastery in cultivating his iconic Chem D has been integral to our success, and this recognition is a testament to his skill and our team’s dedication to the plant.”

T-Birds Generate $26,000 for Cancer Charities at Hockey Fights Cancer Night

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds recently announced a donation of $26,000 as a result of the funds raised from the postgame jersey auction on Nov. 25, which served as the club’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night.

The night held extra meaning to T-Birds forwards Will and Sam Bitten, who once again were at the forefront of the efforts through Bitsy’s Army, the charity the brothers established in honor and memory of their cousin, Martin Piche, who passed away in 2021 at age 31 following a lengthy battle with a cancerous brain tumor.

Not only did the T-Birds shut out the Utica Comets by a 7-0 score, but the Bitten brothers were front and center in the scoring. Will tallied two goals and an assist, while younger brother Sam recorded his first career AHL point with more than a dozen family and friends in attendance.

“It could not have been a more storybook evening for our entire organization,” Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa said. “For Will and Sam to put together a game like that on a night that meant so much to their family was nothing short of inspiring. Beyond that, seeing the charitable support from so many of our fans was overwhelming, and their generosity has allowed us to make a deep and meaningful impact on so many wonderful causes. It was a night that truly brought out the best in our city.”

In Piche’s honor, the T-Birds Foundation made a contribution (via Bitsy’s Army) to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, based out of the Bittens’ home province of Ontario. A host of Springfield-area cancer charities were also benefactors from Hockey Fights Cancer Night, including: Cancer House of Hope (CHD), Griffin’s Friends (Baystate Health Foundation), Sister Caritas Cancer Center (Mercy Medical Center), and Survivor Journeys.

The T-Birds also presented a check to the National Hockey League’s official Hockey Fights Cancer charity. A joint initiative of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Assoc. powered by the V Foundation for Cancer Research, Hockey Fights Cancer unites the hockey community in support of cancer patients and their families.

Fans who may have missed Hockey Fights Cancer Night but still want to contribute to Bitsy’s Army and Hockey Fights Cancer can do so by clicking here.

HCC to Hold Registration Express Event on Jan. 6

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will hold a Registration Express event for the spring 2024 semester on Saturday, Jan. 6, when prospective students can apply for admission, take the college placement test, meet with an academic adviser, register for classes, and set up financial aid, all in one day.

HCC’s Saturday Registration Express event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first floor of the Campus Center on the main campus at 303 Homestead Ave. and virtually over Zoom.

The spring 2024 semester begins Tuesday, Jan 16. HCC also has Flex Start dates on Feb. 5 (Spring Start II) and March 18 (Spring Start III). Full-term spring classes run for 14 weeks. Spring Start II classes run for 12 weeks. Spring Start I and III classes run for seven weeks.

Registration Express will also be an opportunity for prospective students to learn about the state’s new programs for free community college.

“We’re excited about this year’s Registration Express,” said Mark Hudgik, HCC director of Admissions. “ With the Commonwealth’s investment in students through MassReconnect and the MASS Grant Plus expansion, it’s more affordable than ever to get a start on a college education or to pick up where you left off. Eligible Massachusetts residents can enroll half-time or more and know that the state will make sure their bill is covered.”

Those who can’t make it in person on Jan. 6 can still participate on those days virtually over Zoom through a link that can be accessed from the Registration Express page on the HCC website, hcc.edu/regexpress.

Also, during the first three weeks of January, the HCC Admissions and Advising offices on the first floor of the Campus Center will be open for extended hours, according to the following schedule: Jan. 2-4, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 5, 8:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 8-9, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 11, 8 a.m to 6 p.m.; Jan. 12, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 16-18, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday, Jan. 19, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. College offices will be closed on Jan. 10.

For more information, contact HCC Admissions at (413) 552-2321 or [email protected], visit HCC online at hcc.edu, or take the next step at hcc.edu/sign-up-for-classes.

 

BusinessTalk with Canna Provisions CEO Meg Sanders

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 194: January 2024

Joe Interviews Meg Sanders, CEO of Canna Provisions

Meg Sanders

The initial ‘green rush’ is over, and the cannabis industry in Massachusetts faces a host of new challenges, as heightened competition has suppressed prices, driven some shops out of business, and made it difficult for others to survive, let alone thrive. In the meantime, a continued disconnect between federal and state law continues to burden cannabis proprietors with onerous hurdles in the realms of banking, taxation, transportation, and more. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Canna Provisions CEO Meg Sanders talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about where the market in the Bay State is headed, and also about her involvement in a lawsuit against the U.S. government, seeking to block federal enforcement of cannabis prohibition against state-legal activity. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest and sponsored by PeoplesBank.

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Economic Outlook for 2026

By
Economic Outlook

Clouding the Issue

The Forecast Calls for … More Uncertainty

It’s called the ‘quits rate.’

As that name suggests, it represents the number of employees who voluntarily quit their jobs as a percentage of total employment.

Watch to see more from Brian Canina:

When times are good for workers, the quits rate is understandably higher. When times are not so good, or when there are high levels of anxiety and uncertainty about the economy and the jobs market — and that would describe the current climate — the rate starts to come down.

“Over the past few months, quits have dropped precipitously,” said Bob Nakosteen, a semi-retired Economics professor at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, reflecting on a jobs market increasingly described with the words ‘stuck’ and ‘stagnant.’ “People are hanging onto their jobs for dear life, which tells me that they’re not getting offers to entice them to quit, and they don’t feel that they can take the risk to leave their job and look for another one, because they’re just not out there.”

This sentiment is reflected in the latest jobs report: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a few weeks back that the U.S. economy lost 105,000 jobs in October and added 64,000 jobs in November, with the unemployment rate rising to a four-year high of 4.6% that month.

The falling quits rate and the jobless numbers are just two of the many ways economists and business leaders are trying to quantify and qualify the current economic scene, often described as ‘confusing,’ although quantifying is more difficult with fewer hard numbers to work with — in general, and even more so because of the recent government shutdown.

Another measure is the Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ (AIM) Business Confidence Index, or BCI. Scored on a 100-point scale, with 50 indicating neutrality, the monthly BCI soared to 57.7 when President Trump was elected in November 2024, but quickly fell to 41.5 (a COVID-like level) in April when Trump’s tariff plan was announced, and has continued to hover below 50 since, AIM President Brooke Thomson said.

She told BusinessWest that, overall, the business community doesn’t like uncertainty, and the prospect for more in 2026, reflected in the BCI numbers, poses questions about what kind of year it will be.

Between the quits rate, the BCI, and other measures, the emerging picture is one of continued uncertainty, even about the near term, let alone several quarters out, given ambiguity about matters from tariffs, interest rates, the jobs market, and the AI investment boom (and whether that bubble is about to burst) to inflation and affordability crunch.

There is some optimism following the most recent quarter-point interest rate drop early last month, but there will need to be more of those, and likely more substantial cuts, in the year ahead for a deep impact to result, said those we spoke with.

Bob Nakosteen

Bob Nakosteen

 

“People are hanging onto their jobs for dear life, which tells me that they’re not getting offers to entice them to quit, and they don’t feel that they can take the risk to leave their job and look for another one, because they’re just not out there.”

“With the recent Fed rate cuts, we’re expecting things to probably pick up, modestly, because there is still some potential uncertainty, economically,” said Brian Canina, president and chief operating officer of Holyoke-based PeoplesBank. “If the Fed continues to lower rates, and the lowering of the rates on the short end of the interest rate curve impacts the long-term interest rate, and those come down, we may see some increased lending and some potential refinancing.”

Overall, said Nakosteen, there is a mixed economic picture for 2026, with expectations for slower growth and perhaps — that’s perhaps — a mild, short recession.

But it’s very difficult to project without hard data, with so much uncertainty clouding whatever picture the data presents, and amid a variety of mixed signals, such as GDP rising a robust 4.3% in the third quarter at the same time as bourbon maker Jim Beam announced it would be shuttering one of its distilleries in Kentucky, in part due to tariffs and slumping demand.“

The data are not painting a clear picture at all. Unemployment is going up — kind of gently, but it’s going up. Inflation is rising — kind of gently, but it’s still rising,” he said, adding that the country may be heading for what economists call ‘stagflation,’ a somewhat rare economic condition characterized by high inflation, stagnant economic growth, and high unemployment occurring simultaneously.

 

Ups and Downs

As he talked about 2025 and what kind of year it was for the region, Aaron Vega spoke from two different, but in many ways similar, perspectives — first as outgoing director of Planning & Economic Development in Holyoke and the incoming president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council.

Brian Canina

Brian Canina

 

“With the recent Fed rate cuts, we’re expecting things to probably pick up, modestly, because there is still some potential uncertainty, economically.”

“It’s like two steps forward, two steps back, one step to the side,” he said, noting that this was true in Holyoke, but also the region. While new businesses were added, including Pickleball Kingdom at the Holyoke Mall, and new initiatives launched, there were setbacks, such as recent layoffs at Yankee Candle and Sublime System’s decision to pause its project to build a plant in Holyoke following the loss of a U.S. Department of Energy grant.

Elaborating, Vega said the region’s economy was buffeted by some strong headwinds, most of which were beyond its control. These included tariffs, policy changes, inflation, ongoing changes in the retail realm, and even the price of energy.

“We all know that Massachusetts is a bit of an expensive state in which to do business. So how do we entice businesses to come to Massachusetts, and then, how do we get them to come to Western Massachusetts when we’re still developing our hubs and developing our initiatives?” he asked, adding that these same headwinds will prevail in 2026.

This up-and-down nature of the economy was reflected in the BCI numbers for 2025, said Thomson, noting that the index would rise a few points one month, drop a point or two, then rise again, and then fall again; it was up two points to 48.5 in November, for example. This wavering is a symptom of uncertainty and policies that foster it, she said, adding that the sluggish performance in 2025 — some economists say the country is teetering on recession if not officially in it — was different from such cycles in the past.

“Most recessions, or downturns, occurred because of some sort of situation in the financial markets, some sort of causation that deeply hit our financial markets,” she explained. “This was different; it’s almost self-inflicted through policy. There’s nothing inherently wrong in the financial sector.

Aaron Vega

Aaron Vega

 

“It’s like two steps forward, two steps back, one step to the side.”

“There’s still money out there to lend to businesses, there’s opportunities for businesses, but there is feeling on behalf of business leaders that they don’t know what to expect … ‘I don’t know what my bottom line is going to be, I don’t know what my costs are going to be, so I’m not going to take out that loan, I’m not going to do that expansion project, I’m not going to give out big bonuses or hire more people because I don’t know what’s around the corner.’”

This was the picture throughout 2025, and this sentiment is expected to continue into at least early 2026, Thomson said, adding, again, that business owners like consistently and reliability, and these are two commodities missing at the federal policy level, and there has been a resulting trickle-down to states, with some, like Massachusetts, getting hit harder than others.

Indeed, several sectors in the Bay State were deeply impacted by federal policy changes, including healthcare (see related story on page 25), education, and especially manufacturing, due to tariff policies, she noted.

“I’ve been throughout the state this year visiting manufacturers, and even the ones that are managing to do all right are doing it because they’re being really, really creative, despite this,” she added. “And they would never say they’re thriving; they’re saying, ‘we’re being creative, and we’re managing it.’ But I have more stories with people saying, ‘this is killing me — I’m barely making it,’ and there have been two or three small business that have actually closed their doors.”

 

Fear of the Unknown

Carol Campbell, president of Chicopee Industrial Contractors (CIC), spoke for many business owners when she said 2025 was “an interesting year,” marked by those headwinds Vega mentioned, and especially tariffs.

CIC works with manufacturers, handling rigging, machinery moving, machine installation, and other services, and many of those machines are made overseas, said Campbell, adding that the tariffs placed on them — or the threat of tariffs, as well as general uncertainty about what might come next — prompted some hesitation and project delays.

Brooke Thomson

Brooke Thomson

 

“Most recessions, or downturns, occurred because of some sort of situation in the financial markets, some sort of causation that deeply hit our financial markets. This was different; it’s almost self-inflicted through policy. There’s nothing inherently wrong in the financial sector.”

“What we found was just a fear of the unknown,” she explained, adding that, by March, even Fortune 500 companies were hitting pause on some projects.

Things improved as the year went on, and, overall, 2025 was a solid year, she said, adding quickly that there is optimism about 2026, but also some lingering fear of the unknown.

As they look ahead, those we spoke with said several factors will determine the trajectory of the economy, especially the AI investment boom and whether that bubble will burst, inflation, consumer spending, business confidence (especially when it comes to hiring), and, of course, interest rates.

“A lot of it will hinge on what happens with interest rates,” said Canina, adding that the size and frequency of cuts will ultimately determine the impact on the economy.

“A 25-basis-point change is not necessarily going to have a significant impact,” he explained. “But when you see the Fed make consecutive rate cuts, and if they were to drop a full percentage point in a six- to 12-month period of time, I think by the 12-month point you’ll start to see some pickup, and then, it will continue to grow from there.”

Elaborating, he said many businesses remained on the sidelines in 2025 when it came to large investments and expansion initiatives, due mostly to uncertainty about the economy and where things were headed, and partly to interest rates still well above those enjoyed just a few years ago, post-COVID. He’s optimistic that some will get back in the game in the months to come.

Jeff Sullivan, president and CEO of Springfield-based New Valley Bank, agreed.

“The mortgage rates and the longer-term rates, we don’t see them coming down quite as much,” he said. “It’s nothing that’s going to change consumer behavior — we don’t see a refinance boom.

Carol Campbell

Carol Campbell

 

“What we found was just a fear of the unknown.”

“Meanwhile, the idea of borrowing money at 6% or 6.5% doesn’t seem to be unpalatable,” he added, opining that current rates are not stifling activity. “It’s not stopping deals from happening. Would they rather borrow at 5%? Absolutely they would, but where we are now is tolerable. When the rates peaked nine or 10 months ago and it was hard to get under 7%, that was starting to chill the market, but now we’re back down to 6% or 6.5%, and that’s not stopping anyone.”

Overall, Sullivan is more upbeat about 2026 than some others we spoke with. He said 2025 was a solid year for the bank, in deposit growth and otherwise, while he also noted cautious optimism among many commercial customers.

“The overall mood is generally positive,” he said. “The people who are more nervous are the people who do business with the general public, especially with the middle-class, working-class general public. The firms that are business-to-business sales … I think the optimism is there. The firms that are dependent upon lower- and middle-income consumers being their customers … I’m more worried.

“It’s the K-shaped recovery,” he went on. “The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer; we definitely see that sentiment among our customer base.”

Meanwhile, he expects the recent wave of mergers and acquisitions to continue, as businesses search for all-important scale and private equity firms continue their hunt for opportunities across seemingly all sectors of the economy.

“These private equity companies have a belief that they’re going to be so successful, they’re paying top dollar to acquire local companies and roll them up into a much larger platform,” he said, adding that the trend extends across the board, even to HVAC contractors, alarm companies, and sprinkler companies. “We hear from customers every quarter that are taking buyout offers; they’re saying, ‘I can’t say no to this. It’s so much money; it’s more than I thought I’d ever get. I wasn’t ready to sell, but I can’t say no.’”