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Webber and Grinnell Insurance Agency announced several recent changes at its North King Street office in Northampton:
• Mat Geffin has been named Vice President and Equity Partner at the firm. He started at the agency in 2009 as vice president of business development in the commercial-lines department, and quickly established himself as a leader at the agency. Geffin leads the sales efforts at Webber and Grinnell, in addition to managing a large book of business encompassing the construction, habitational, manufacturing, and nonprofit market niches. He is an active board member for the United Way of Pioneer Valley, Tech Foundry, and the philanthropic services committee at the Community Foundation;
• Jenna Rodrigue has been promoted to Commercial Lines Supervisor. She leads a team of eight business-insurance specialists and is responsible for the day-to-day service of the agency’s commercial clientele. She began her career at Webber and Grinnell 12 years ago as a commercial lines customer-service representative;
• Kathy Cusson has been named Personal Lines Supervisor. Part of the Webber and Grinnell team since 1989, she leads a staff of nine and is responsible for the day-to-day servicing of the agency’s personal-lines clients.
•••••

Alison Shilinsky

Alison Shilinsky

Country Bank announced that Alison Shilinsky has been named senior vice president of Human Resources. With 10 years in the industry, Shilinsky is an experienced human-resources professional. She earned her master’s degree in management from UMass Amherst and her bachelor’s degree in English and communications from Assumption College. Shilinsky’s previous work at Brown Rudnick LLP, a prominent Boston law firm, has had a significant impact on her approach to human resources and business. She is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management, the New England Human Resources Assoc., the New England Employee Benefits Council, and the Mass. Bankers Assoc. “Alison is an exceptional example of what a human-resources professional is supposed to be,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank. “Not only is she knowledgeable and dedicated, she demonstrates compassion and empathy to all employees. We are thrilled to have her join our team, as we know she will be a valued resource for Country Bank and its employees.”
•••••

April Healey

April Healey

Greenfield Cooperative Bank announced that April Healey has joined the bank as a Mortgage Originator at the bank’s main office on Federal Street in Greenfield. Healey has more than 14 years of experience in real estate, most recently at a local, regional bank. She will be responsible for originating residential mortgage loans in Franklin and Hampshire counties. She attended Holyoke Community College and has held various positions with the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, including director and chairperson of its Realtor Public Image Committee. Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division is a community-based institution with more than $525 million in assets and $60 million in capital reserves. The bank provides residential mortgages, commercial loans, and deposit products at 10 offices in Western Mass.
•••••

Tim Irwin

Tim Irwin

Chris Mader

Chris Mader

Tim Irwin and Chris Mader of OMG Inc., have been named in the annual 30 Under 30 Awards given jointly by Young Fastener Professionals and the Fastener Industry Coalition. “To be recognized by this prestigious group is certainly a high honor for these two outstanding individuals, and also for OMG,” said Hubert McGovern, president of OMG. “We are very proud of their accomplishments and for this great industry recognition.” The 30 Under 30 Awards are given annually to young industry professionals who are making a difference in the fastener industry. Ideal candidates are leaders who are driven, motivated, and passionate about their jobs and the future of the fastener industry. Individual nominations are selected based on several criteria, including their contribution to measurable results in the form of cost savings, sales increases, and design-efficiency increases. Irwin is a Product Manager with FastenMaster, where he is responsible for the LOK line of structural wood fasteners. He was cited for his team leadership as well as significant contributions he has made on the success of the FlatLOK, the ThruLOK, and the FastenMaster business as a whole. In his role as product manager, he has been able to significantly impact sales revenue and profits and has demonstrated a keen ability to drive product development based on end-user needs. Mader is a Codes/approvals Support Engineer for OMG’s Roofing Products division, responsible for helping evaluate new products, as well as developing and maintaining technical product specifications, maintaining code approvals, and keeping abreast of technical changes and advancements in the commercial-roofing industry. He has been instrumental in helping OMG understand critical compliance standards and requirements for products sold in various international markets and for his work with products designed to secure solar PV racking systems to commercial roofs. The winners from this year’s 30 Under 30 Awards were recognized at the National Fastener Industrial & Mill Supply Expo in Las Vegas on Oct. 21. Headquartered in Agawam, OMG Inc. is North America’s largest manufacturer of specialty fasteners and products for commercial and residential construction applications. The company operates two business units: OMG Roofing Products and FastenMaster.
••••
Beloved Earth, the Pioneer Valley’s first green cleaning company, has promoted Lynn Moynahan to the position of Assistant Vice President in charge of the residential services division. Beloved Earth co-founders David and Terra Missildine serve as company president and vice president, respectively. David oversees commercial services, and Terra oversees general operations. Moynahan has been with Beloved Earth for three years and previously served in the role of residential services manager for Hampshire County only. In her new position, Moynahan will oversee the entire residential services team, including managers in other counties. Beloved Earth employs a total of 12 staff members in its two divisions. The business primarily serves Hampshire County, but also Hampden and Franklin counties.
•••••

Edward Garbacik

Edward Garbacik

Edward Garbacik has joined the team at Private Financial Design, LLC in South Hadley. For more than 30 years, he has been providing individuals and small-business owners with comprehensive financial planning as an advisor and planner, including investment-advisory services, retirement planning, estate planning, and other wealth-management needs. He earned the certified financial planner designation through the CFP certificate program at Boston University and has also been awarded the accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designation, widely considered the fiduciary standard for business retirement planning and plan-sponsor services. Prior to joining Private Financial Design, Garbacik held the title of partner at a boutique investment firm specializing in retirement-income planning. He was also vice president and managing partner of investments at FSB Financial Group, where he led the group’s financial-planning and wealth-management team. Private Financial Design offers comprehensive financial planning for both personal and business needs, including fee-based investment-advisory services, retirement plans, and other wealth-management services.
•••••
Dakin Humane Society has appointed Kimberly Hannah and Brendan Wood to serve three-year terms on its board of directors, according to interim Executive Director Nancy Creed. Hannah currently serves as office manager and executive assistant to the president and CEO for the Sisters of Providence Health System. Prior to that, she was the office manager and executive assistant to the president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital and worked at Baystate Health for several years. She has volunteered for animal-rescue organizations including FACES and the Westfield Animal Shelter, and is a graduate of Bay Path College. Wood is a wealth-management advisor with the Foundation Management Group at Merrill Lynch. He previously taught at independent schools in Santa Barbara, Calif., and is a graduate of Princeton University. Dakin Humane Society delivers services that improve the lives of animals in need and the people who care about them from its two locations in Springfield and Leverett. The organization shelters, treats, and fosters more than 20,000 animals each year and has performed more than 62,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009.

Chamber Corners Departments

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Nov. 4: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Join the Greater Easthampton, Greater Northampton, and Amherst Area chambers along with our host, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, for a networking extravaganza. Sponsored by Duseau Trucking.

• Nov. 6: 
CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Summit. Registration and networking, 11 a.m.;
 welcome, lunch, and keynote speaker, noon to 1:30 p.m.; Chamber View
Dialogue with chamber executives, followed by legislative response, 1:30-3 p.m.; cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, 3-4 p.m. Keynote speaker:  state Senate President Stanley Rosenberg. Also hear from Tim Wilkerson, regulatory ombudsman of Economic Policy Development at the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions to invited legislators.

• Nov. 7: 15th Annual Greater Easthampton Chamber Viva Las Vegas Bowl-a-Thon, at Canal Bowling Lanes, 74 College Highway, Southampton. Two sessions:  3 p.m. and 6 p.m. A night of fun, laughs, music by DJ Jay Paglucia, and pizza as you help support funding this season’s holiday lights.

• Nov. 11: Monday Morning with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., Burger King, Easthampton.

• Dec. 3: Holiday tree lighting and visit from Santa, 6:30-8 p.m., at Pulaski Park, Easthampton.

• Dec. 4: Greater Easthampton Chamber Snow Ball, 6-11 p.m., at the Garden House, Look Park. An old-fashioned, elegant, holiday affair. Sit-down dinner featuring Meyers Catering, live music, and dancing featuring Maxxtone. Dress in style, black tie optional.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Nov. 4: November Arrive @ 5 Open House, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust  St., Northampton. Cost: $10 for members.

• Dec. 2: December Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at Hampshire Council of Governments, Northampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Nov. 2: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Amelia Park Children’s Museum, 29 South Broad St., Westfield. Event is free and open to the public. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 6: CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Symposium, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, Holyoke. Cost: $50 for chamber members, $60 (paid in advance) for non-members. For sponsorship opportunities, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 9: Eat & Educate: Business Insurance Options, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Westfield Bank, 141 Elm St., Westfield. Presented by Shawn Torress & Kevin Green of Westfield Wealth Management and Westfield Bank. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members; $75 to attend all three Eat & Educate workshops. RSVP required. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 12: November After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Ezra’s Mercantile, 34 Elm St., Westfield. Refreshments will be served. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• Nov. 4: PWC Headline Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., co-located at the Western Mass Business Expo, MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. “New England’s Skills Gap in Advanced Manufacturing,” featuring Alison Lands, senior manager of Deloitte Consulting, LLP. Cost: $40. Reservations may be made online at www.professionalwomenschamber.com. The Professional Women’s Chamber is a division of the Springfield Regional Chamber.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Nov. 4: Springfield Regional Chamber Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., co-located at the Western Mass Business Expo, MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. Pull up a bar stool for a casual conversation with Harpoon Brewery CEO and co-Founder Dan Kenary. Cost: $30 in advance, $35 at the door). Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 12: Springfield Regional Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., 9th Floor, Springfield. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 19: Springfield Regional Chamber Government Reception, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Meet socially with your local, state, and federal officials. Cost: $50 for members, $70 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 24: Springfield Regional Chamber Pastries, Politics and Policy, 8-9 a.m., hosted by TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring Hampden Country District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. Sponsored by the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

Agenda Departments

Western Mass. Business Expo

Nov. 4: Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, a day-capping Expo Social, the annual pitch contest, robotics and machine tooling demonstrations, flu shots, and much more. Sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design, director-level sponsors; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor; Peerless Precision, Smith & Wesson, the NTMS, and the Larry A. Maier Memorial Educational Fund as robotics and manufacturing sponsors, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka as entrepreneur sponsor. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com.

Senior Health Fair

Nov. 4: Baystate Franklin Medical Center and the YMCA of Greenfield will hold a Senior Health Fair and Functional Fitness Assessment from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the YMCA, 454 Main St. The event, for individuals age 60 and older, will feature a variety of screenings, fitness assessments, information stations, guest speakers, and healing modalities to explore. The event is free and open to the public; lunch will be provided at noon. YMCA staff will administer the functional fitness assessment, which includes six elements: lower body strength, upper body strength, aerobic endurance, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility, and agility and balance. BFMC departments represented will include the Emergency Department, Medical-Surgical, Birthplace, Cardiopulmonary, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Audiology, Case Management, and Baystate Home Infusion, offering various screenings (such as hearing and balance testing), information on assistive devices, heart-healthy information, and Reiki and stroke education. Participants can test their healthcare knowledge with a ‘Wheel of Health’ game. In addition to YMCA and BFMC staff, vendors from other healthcare-related services will be exhibiting at the fair. During lunch, three guest speakers will be featured: Dr. Tom Higgins, interim president and CEO of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, speaking on senior health; cardiologist Dr. Heba Wassif, on what to monitor with new medications and the side effects they can cause; and nurse practitioner Pamela McLean, on cancer prevention. The event is free, but pre-registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, call (413) 773-3646, ext. 448, or register at the YMCA Welcome Center.

Spirit of Skiing Award

Nov. 7: Cal Conniff will be honored by the New England Ski Museum (NESM) at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The event is open to the public. NESM’s Spirit of Skiing Award is given to honor a skiing notable who manifests the motto, “skiing is not just a sport, it is a way of life,” attributed to ski pioneer Otto Schniebs. Previous winners include Olympic medalists Stein Eriksen and Penny Pitou, U.S. Olympians Tom Corcoran and Tyler Palmer, Killington Ski Resort founder Preston Smith, renowned ski instructor Herbert Schneider, and ski-show impresario Bernie Weichsel. Conniff spent his professional life working for the betterment of the ski-area industry, managing the Mt. Tom Ski Area from 1968 to 1973. He put the small facility on the national map by developing extensive night skiing and one of the earliest snow-making systems in the country in the 1960s, two innovations that were soon emulated throughout the resort industry. During his tenure at Mt. Tom, Conniff targeted the youth market, introducing thousands to the thrill of downhill skiing through numerous school programs. Conniff took over leadership of the National Ski Areas Assoc. in 1973, moving its offices from New York City to West Hartford, Conn. and ultimately downtown Springfield in 1978, where it remained until his retirement in 1990. He now lives in Wells, Maine. Conniff was an accomplished ski racer in college and won the four-way combined championships for the American Armed Forces in Europe when he was stationed in Germany in the 1950s. A graduate of American International College (AIC), he hosted a TV show on WWLP called Skiers’ Corner. He was inducted into AIC’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011, and to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1990. He is the former president of the New England Ski Museum, where an annual grants program was established in his name. Tickets to the event, which starts at 5 p.m., cost $75 and available by calling the NESM at (603) 823-7177 or visiting www.skimuseum.com/events. Proceeds support the museum’s mission to preserve the history of skiing.

Neuroscientist to Visit Springfield College

Nov. 19: The Springfield College Center for Wellness Education and Research (CWER) will host world-renowned neuroscientist and nutrition and diet expert Nicole Avena at 7 p.m. in the Fuller Arts Center. Avena’s presentation, “Why Diets Fail: Because You’re Addicted to Sugar,” will focus on years of research showing that sugar is addictive, and present a science-based plan to stop cravings. The event is free and open to the public. Author of more than 50 scholarly journal articles, Avena’s research suggests that overeating of palatable foods can produce changes in the brain and behavior that resemble addiction, findings that have jump-started an entire new field of exploration and discovery related to the obesity epidemic. She has presented her research to an array of audiences, including pharmaceutical companies, diabetes-prevention groups, food-industry marketing executives, nutrition groups, and obesity-education groups, and has contributed to articles in Men’s Health, Psychology Today, Bloomberg Businessweek, and WebMD. The New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Assoc., and the National Institute on Drug Abuse have honored her research achievements. Housed in the Springfield College School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, CWER’s mission of is to serve as the region’s pre-eminent source for best practices in nutrition and physical-activity programming for young people.

Court Dockets Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Ellendave, LLC v. Stick Time Sports Inc.
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $102,375
Filed: 9/28/15

Francis Duda, M.D. v. Baystate Medical Practices Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $100,000
Filed: 9/29/15

Verizon New England Inc. v. Springfield Water & Sewer Commission
Allegation: Negligence and trespass causing damage to equipment: $16,246.65
Filed: 9/23/15

W.W. Grainger Inc. v. Westcarb Enterprises Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $144,215.49
Filed: 9/24/15

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Easthampton Savings Bank v. Dependable Drywall Inc. and Lukas J. Rosov
Allegation: Non-payment on commercial line of credit: $39,327.68
Filed: 9/13/15

H. Lawrence Foster Company Inc. v. James J. Welch & Co. and Cottage Square Apts., LTD, and Berkeley Regional Insurance Company
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, and materials: $197,797.15
Filed: 9/21/15

Paul Weinberg, Weinberg & Garber, PC v. Climate Design Consulting, and First American Insurance
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $1,500,000
Filed: 9/22/15

Tofino Associates, LLC v. Ted Ondrick, LLC
Allegation: Breach of contract for asphalt road installation: $117,172.35
Filed: 9/24/15

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

GRP Capital, LLC v. Adamos Pizza and Restaurant
Allegation: Defendant failed to deliver receivables purchased by plaintiff in breach of contract: $12,800.00
Filed: 9/21/15

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Kendrick Wong v. The Creative Strategy Agency, Inc.
Allegation: Breach of employment contract: $4,209.72
Filed: 9/28/15

Susan Poirier v. ProFast Commercial Flooring, LLC and Pyramid Management, LLC
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of work area causing injury: $4,146.00
Filed: 9/17/15

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Marion Air Conditioning & Refrigeration v. Maurice Casey, Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of balance due on repairs, parts, and labor: $8,686.51
Filed: 9/4/15

Departments Picture This

Send photos with a caption and contact information to:  ‘Picture This’ c/o BusinessWest Magazine, 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or to [email protected]

 

And the Winners Are …

HRU2HRU3HRUHRU1Human Resources Unlimited recently staged its annual employer recognition and fundraising event, which featured awards to several area businesses that help HRU carry out its multi-faceted mission.Top to bottom: HRU’s 2015 Employer of the Year Award went to Harrington Hospital.  Seen from left are: Sally Irvine of HRU’s Tradewinds program; Harrington Hospital President and CEO Edward Moore; Brittany Walker, program manager of Tradewinds; and Donald Kozera, President and CEO of HRU;  HRU’s 2015 Rookie Employer of the Year Award went to Plastipak Packaging. Front row (from left): ETS Career Services Senior Employment Coordinator Guss Ofori; Edgardo Antonmarchi, Karl Treat, and Rich Schroll, all with Plastipak Packaging; Pedro Martinez-Cruz, HRU’s ETS Career Services program; and Kozera. Back Row, from left: Paul Willridge, ETS Career Services, and Dean Kimber and Maryann Ayala of Plastipak Packaging; HRU’s 2015 Sheldon B. Brooks Employer Lifetime Achievement Award Winner was the YMCA of Greater Westfield. From left: Dan Flynn, COO for Wholesale Banking, United Bank; Dave Wunch, maintenance director, YMCA of Greater Westfield; Andrea Allard, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Westfield; and Ashley Ethier of HRU’s Forum House program; HRU’s 2015 Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year Award Winner was John Ernst. From left: Timothy Marini, HUB International New England (formerly FieldEddy Insurance); John Ernst, Ernst Financial Group; Carol Tourangeau, wife of the late Armand Tourangeau; and Kozera.

 

 

Branching Out

Boys-and-Girls-Club-of-West-Springfield
Farmington Bank celebrated the opening of its first branch in western Massachusetts at 85 Elm St. in West Springfield on Oct. 15  with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by area business, municipal and community leaders. As part of the ceremony, the Farmington Bank Community Foundation announced donations to four area nonprofit organizations, which included a $2,500 contribution to the Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield. Seen here, from left, are: Mike Moriarty, Farmington Bank senior vice president, commercial team leader, and Boys & Girls Club of Springfield board member; Dan D’Angelo, Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield executive director; John Patrick, Farmington Bank chairman, president, and chief executive officer; and John O’Farrell, Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield director of development. The Farmington Bank Community Foundation also announced donations to West Springfield Partnership for Education, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity; and Cancer House of Hope.

 

Downtown Arrival
SCdowntown

Springfield College hosted an Open House and Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Oct. 21, in recognition of its new office space at 1350 Main Street in downtown Springfield. Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper joined Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno in leading the ceremony. Both Cooper and Sarno highlighted the college’s strong and rich commitment to the city of Springfield. Tours of the new office and conference room space were available for the individuals in attendance. The downtown office will assist the college in working more closely with city officials, organizations, and schools. It will provide new opportunities for experiential learning and collaborative planning. Here, from left, Springfield College Trustee Emeritus Lyman Wood, current Springfield College Student Trustee Jonathan Reidy, Cooper, Sarno, and Springfield College Trustee James Ross III help cut the ribbon.

 

 

Super 60 Celebration

Super60AwardSuper60DiasThe Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce staged its annual Super 60 Awards Luncheon on Oct. 23. The event recognizes top-performing companies in two categories: Total Revenue and Revenue Growth. Top, Wonderlyn Murphy, center, president of City Enterprise Inc. (No. 1 in the Growth category), receives her honor from Jody Gross, director of Business Development for Health New England, and Luke Kettles, senior vice president and chief lending officer for Berkshire Bank. Bottom, keynote speakers Emily and Oliver Rich, a.k.a. the Tea Guys, talk about their Whately-based venture.

 

Daily News

HADLEY — The UMass Donahue Institute has been awarded a five-year,
$6 million per-year cooperative agreement to direct the Head Start
National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations
(NCPMFO). This new cooperative agreement has been awarded in
collaboration with the institute’s partners, Family Health International 360,
Zero to Three and UCLA Anderson School of Management.

The NCPMFO will disseminate clear, consistent messages on Office of
Head Start priorities for the development and implementation of sound
management systems and strong internal controls with each Head Start
funding grantee. The center’s work will include, but is not limited to,
topics such as risk management; governance; data collection and analysis;
budgeting; management of multiple funding sources; and leadership
development including the Head Start Management Fellows Program
conducted at UCLA.

The work of the National Centers will reach approximately 1,700 grantees
of Early Head Start and Head Start programs through enhanced networks
of grantee specialists that can work directly with Early Head Start and
Head Start grantees located in all states including American Indian and
Alaska Native tribes and Migrant and Seasonal. The NCPMFO is one of
six national center cooperative agreements recently awarded. The other
centers cover early childhood development, teaching, and learning; early
childhood health and wellness; early childhood quality assurance; parent,
family, and community engagement; and afterschool and summer
enrichment.

“After many years as a leader in providing Head Start training and
technical assistance in the New England region, UMass, and the Donahue
Institute have clearly earned this award as one of the Head Start National
Centers,” said UMass President Marty Meehan. “Along with other
National Centers and our partners we look forward to providing quality
services in leadership, governance, management, and fiscal systems across
the country.” Said Dr. J. Lynn Griesemer, Executive Director of UMass Donahue
Institute, “we are honored by the award of the NCPMFO by the Office of
Head Start. Having provided national and significant regional services to
Head Start and Early Head Start for the past 12 years including the recent
award of the Region 1 (New England) Training and Technical Assistance
5-year contract, the award of this national center builds upon our
reputation for providing quality service in support of children and their
families.”

The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute is the public service,
outreach, and economic development group of the University of
Massachusetts President’s Office. Established in 1971, the Institute strives
to connect the Commonwealth with the resources of the University,
bridging theory and innovation with real world public and private sector
applications.

Daily News

AGAWAM — The newly renovated Agawam Cinemas has announced that
its grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Nov. 6, the
same day the cinema will open with two first-run movies, The Peanuts
Movie and Spectre.

“We have something very special arranged for our ribbon cutting
ceremony,” said cinema owner Kimberly Wheeler, noting that
through several months of detective work, she was able to locate relatives
of Vic Baker to perform the honorary ribbon cutting. Baker was the man
credited with building and owning the Agawam location’s original Jerry
Lewis Cinema, and without him the cinema would not exist.

“When I first contacted his daughter, who now lives in California, she was
elated to hear we were rejuvenating her father’s legacy and is looking
forward to cutting our ribbon at the ceremony,” said Wheeler.

Patrons interested in looking up movie times can now find that information
on the Internet via the cinema’s new website: AgawamCinemas.Org. The
website was created by students in the UMass Amherst Business
Technology Program. “Working with those four students was such a
unique experience. I’m so thankful to have had their creativity and brilliant
young enthusiasm poured into our project,” said Wheeler.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony that will take place before Nov. 6’s first
show times at 1:00pm in front of the cinema located at 866 Suffield St. in
Agawam.

Wheeler also mentioned that the cinema has recently secured the rights to
showcase the upcoming box office hit Star Wars: The Force Awakens and
expects to begin online ticket pre sales within the next week.

Daily News

AMHERST — The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst
will present Magic, Color, Flair: the world of Mary Blair. On view from
Nov. 10 to Feb. 21, this comprehensive exhibition explores the artistic
process and development of one of Walt Disney’s most original and
influential designers and art directors, Mary Blair (1911–1978).

Blair’s joyful creativity ― her appealing designs and exuberant color
palette ― endure in numerous media, including the classic Disney
animated films Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan, as well as
theme park attractions at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World
Resort, most notably “It’s a small world.”

Magic, Color, Flair: the world of Mary Blair is organized by The Walt
Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

John Canemaker — an Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Peabody
Award-winning animator, historian, teacher, and author — organized the
exhibition to reflect the arc of Blair’s remarkable career before, during,
and after her years at The Walt Disney Studios. He relays her story
through original artwork, photographs, and ephemera.

Magic, Color, Flair: the world of Mary Blair explores her boldly colored,
stylized concept paintings for classic Disney animated features during the
1940s and 1950s, and her successful freelance career in New York where
she became a popular illustrator for national advertisements and magazine
articles, as well as a designer of clothing, window displays, theatrical sets,
and children’s books.

The exhibition showcases The Walt Disney Family Museum’s extensive
collection of Blair’s conceptual artwork in gouache and watercolor —
some of which have never been displayed outside of California. Also
featured are original illustrations from Blair’s five beloved Golden Books,
including I Can Fly (1951) and The Up and Down Book (1964).

An imaginative colorist and designer, Blair helped introduce a modernist
style to Walt Disney and his studio, and for nearly 30 years, he touted her
inspirational work for his films and theme parks alike. Animator Marc
Davis, who equates Blair’s exciting use of color with Henri Matisse,
recalls, “She brought modern art to Walt in a way that no one else did. He
was so excited about her work.”

Disney played a significant role in Blair’s creative growth. His overall
vision of the world and values (optimism, humor, love of tradition,
families, and an avid interest in technology) were interpreted and
complimented by her creative contributions. He continually championed
her in his male-dominated studio, giving her free rein to explore concepts,
colors, characters, and designs that were outside of The Walt Disney
Studios’ mainstream animation style.

Daily News

BOSTON — The New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released New England unemployment numbers for September, gleaned from data supplied by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program.

The New England unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.6% in September, lower than the national rate of 5.1%. One year ago, the New England jobless rate was 5.7%. Three New England states posted jobless rates that were significantly different from the U.S. rate of 5.1% — New Hampshire (3.4%), Vermont (3.7%), and Maine (4.4%).

Over the past year, all six New England states recorded statistically significant unemployment-rate decreases, with declines ranging from 1.8% in Rhode Island to 0.5% in Vermont. In fact, Rhode Island posted the largest jobless-rate decline nationwide between September 2014 and September 2015.

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AGAWAM — Chris Martin recently joined Ayre Real Estate Co. Inc. as a licensed sales associate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Western New England University, served in active duty for eight years in the Army, and is now a current member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He has a strong background in investment properties, formerly working as a senior partner in a real-estate investment group in Memphis.

In addition, Tom Roberts has joined Ayre Real Estate as a full-time real-estate sales associate. An Agawam native who started his real-estate career in 2003, he moved to the Myrtle Beach, S.C. area before returning to Western Mass.

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AGAWAM — The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast announced its findings from the 2015-16 Salary & Budget Survey, with close to 100 companies participating from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

The survey results include numerous breakout reports to meet employers’ diverse data requirements for compensation planning, including salary and pay increases based on industry segment, job category, and more. The survey addresses salary increases for the period of July 2014 to June 2015, and also forecasts salary changes for July 2015 to June 2016.

Overall, manufacturing employers participating in the survey indicated employees received, on average, a 2.7% increase for 2014-15, while non-manufacturing participants averaged a 3.0% increase. Both categories are holding steady with the forecast for pay raises. Manufacturing participants projected an overall 2.8% increase for 2016, while the non-manufacturing group forecasted a 2.6% increase, on average. Factored into the data are companies that reported there would be no increase or decrease.

“Given the multitude of other factors competing for funds — from healthcare and other benefit costs to capital investments — it is not surprising to see limited increases,” said Mark Adams, director of HR Solutions for the Employers Assoc. “That said, we know that employers want to give raises to keep top talent.”

For a full summary of results, visit eane.org/salary-budget-survey-results.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber will hold its annual Government Reception on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield.

Sponsored by Baystate Health and Comcast with support from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and Westfield State University, the reception provides business and community leaders with the opportunity to meet socially with local, state, and federal officials following the end of the formal legislative session. Last year, more than 200 people attended the event, including members of area select boards and city councils, as well as state representatives and senators.

Reservations for the event are $50 for chamber members and $70 for general admission. To reserve a spot, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or e-mail Sarah Mazzaferro at [email protected].

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SPRINGFIELD — Transgender identity and gender transition have taken center stage in the media in recent weeks, but the rights of transgender individuals in the workplace are still unclear to many. Several federal agencies — including the Equal Employment Opportunity Council (EEOC) — have created or revised policies to protect transgender individuals from discrimination in the workplace. These policies set forth what business owners must know to protect themselves and their employees, according to local employment law attorney, Marylou Fabbo.

A partner at Springfield-based Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., attorney Fabbo has been selected to discuss transgender discrimination in the workplace during the 20th annual Advanced Employment Issues Symposium (AEIS) in November.

“Employers are required to provide equal opportunity to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT),” said Fabbo.” There is absolutely no excuse for not treating transgender employees with dignity and respect. It is especially important with the recent stance of various federal agencies that employers take proactive measures to insure that employees transitioning and those who have transitioned are treated in the same manner as all other employees. Human resource management should draft transition policies and educate employees accordingly.”

Just days after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published “A Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers” to advise employers on ways to accommodate transgender employees, four federal government agencies with roles in ensuring fairness in the federal workplace — the Office of Personnel Management, the EEOC, the Office of Special Counsel, and the Merit Systems Protection Board — released a guide on the rights of employees who allege sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination. The guide, which was reissued after more than a decade, has been substantially revised to reflect major recent developments in the law.

“The guide from OSHA addresses a very specific area of the workplace: the restroom,” said Fabbo. “Among the concerns of employers are the reactions of coworkers regarding a transitioning employee’s restroom use. The core principle of the OSHA guide is that transgender employees should have access that corresponds to their gender identity. Restroom access for transgender individuals has generated controversy — especially in recent weeks — and led to claims of discrimination.”

Employers that don’t respect a transgender worker’s restroom choice, for example, could run the risk of potential liability under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Among the best practices for providing restroom access for transgender employees are:
• Single-occupancy gender-neutral (unisex) facilities, and
• Use of multiple-occupant, gender-neutral restroom facilities with lockable single-occupant stalls.

According to a 2013 study by Fenway Health, 65% of Massachusetts’ transgender population have experienced discrimination in public settings — including being denied access to public restrooms. On July 11, during Boston Pride Week, a celebration of the LGBT population, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh signed an executive order to immediately establish gender-neutral restrooms outside his office in Boston City Hall.

“State and federal agencies are speaking out and changing policies,” said Fabbo. “OSHA has stated that failure to provide appropriate restrooms for transgender employees might be an OSHA violation because it is a health and safety hazard. In the past five years – and especially within the last few months – the topic of transgender equality has been steadily on the rise and employers should be prepared to address it.”

The Advanced Employment Issues Symposium will be held Nov. 4-6 in Las Vegas, bringing together employment law attorneys and human resource experts to deliver compliance guidance and strategic HR solutions. Fabbo will present Gender Identity and Expression: Accommodations and Conversations Related to Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Employees at the symposium Nov. 6. The presentation will highlight the proactive approach employers should take to ensure policies and practices related to dress, use of bathroom facilities and other issues are handled in a legally compliant and respectful manner.

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HOLYOKE — The Dowd Insurance Agencies today announced that its chairman of the board, Robert Gilbert Jr., has been appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker as the new chair of the Holyoke Community College (HCC) Board of Trustees.

Gilbert has served on the HCC Board of Trustees in various capacities since April 2011. Most recently, he served as chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Finance Committee. Gilbert has long been active in other community and civic groups, including the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, on whose board he has served as past chairman.
“With his background in the insurance industry, Bob will prove to be an asset to the Holyoke Community College Board of Trustees,” said President and CEO of The Dowd Agencies, John E. Dowd, Jr. “We congratulate him on his well-deserved appointment.”

Said HCC president Bill Messner, “Bob has been an integral member and an important voice on the HCC board for the past four years. His many years’ experience in the insurance industry, particularly his expertise in the area of risk management, have served HCC very well, and we look forward to his stewardship as chair.”

Gilbert succeeds Helen Caulton-Harris as chair of the board. Caulton-Harris, commissioner of the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, had been a member of the board since 2006 and the chair since 2012.

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PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. reported $0.54 in core earnings per share in the third quarter of 2015, which was a 17% increase year over year and a 6% increase over the prior quarter. GAAP EPS totaled $0.49 in the most recent quarter, including net non-core acquisition related charges. For the year-to-date, core EPS increased by 17% to $1.55 and GAAP EPS increased by 33% to $1.20. Berkshire completed the acquisition of Firestone Financial, a commercial equipment finance company, on August 7.

Third-quarter highlights (comparisons are to prior quarter) include:
• A 6% increase in core earnings per share compared to prior quarter;
• A 14% annualized organic increase in loans;
• A 9% annualized organic increase in commercial loans;
• A 3% increase in deposits;
• A 3.37% net interest margin; and
• A 60.4% efficiency ratio

CEO Michael Daly stated, “we are producing strong quarterly core EPS growth, including margin expansion and core profitability improvement. We continue to post solid organic loan growth while maintaining our financial and risk management disciplines. Our team is delivering on the promise of our franchise, and this was reflected in our recent leadership promotions as we empower our leaders to further expand our market presence and bottom line results.

“Berkshire completed its acquisition and integration of Firestone Financial in the most recent quarter,” he went on. “I am very pleased at the prospects for increased scale and cross sales in Firestone’s lending markets. The third quarter was also our first complete quarter with the integrated operations of our Springfield area team from Hampden Bancorp and we are seeing financial and market benefits there. Our growing SBA lending volume has positioned us as a leading regional originator of SBA 7(a) loans to small businesses. In the third quarter, we recruited a team leader for our auto lending operation, which is expanding across our region. I’m proud of the growth in banking solutions that we are providing to our markets.”

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SPRINGFIELD — Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) is now accepting applications for the 2016 VVM Accelerator. The Accelerator is designed to help participating startups and early stage companies speed up the growth and success of their businesses.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 15.

Participants engage in a four-month commitment, featuring three-day weekend boot camps in Springfield. These sessions include intense training and “lovingly critical support.” Startups must have at least one member at all four sessions and commit one member to working at least 20+hours per week on the business. Participating startups must have earned less than $250,000 during the past 12 months and be passionately committed to growing their business.

“The Accelerator is an intense, immersive experience designed to empower startups to strategically grow their business fueled by the powerful VVM network of mentors, industry experts and fellow entrepreneurs,” said VVM General Manager Liz Roberts. “In addition to training and network access, startups are awarded up to $50,000 in equity-free, no-strings-attached funding for their ventures. The VVM Accelerator structure is designed to go beyond the pitch, giving startups the opportunity to create real relationships with a diverse set of deep pocketed investors.”

There are only 30 spots available. Qualified startups can apply online at http://www.vvmaccelerator.com.

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SPRINGFIELD — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County is staging a holiday auction and craft beer tasting on Nov. 5 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

The cost of admission is $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. Proceeds from the event, which is being presented by St. Germain Investment Management, will be used to support one-to-one matches of adult volunteers with at-risk Hampden County youth in the agency’s community-based mentoring program.

Representatives from eight of the region’s best craft breweries, as well as from two award-winning home brewers, will be on-hand to pour samples and answer questions. The event will also feature live and silent auctions, with more than 50 items for guests to bid on. Debbie Wright, fashion stylist and owner of Project Closet, and JJ Valentin, host and star of the popular Youtube show “My Not So Red Carpet Life” will co-host the event.

“The auction is back — and this time we’re bringing craft beer,” explained David Beturne, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County. “The event is going to be a lot of fun and is an important source of funding for the agency. So many Hampden County kids, who are among the most at-risk youth in the nation, just need a little extra support.”

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased through the agency’s website at www.bigbrothers-sisters.org/auction or by calling (413) 781-4730.

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SPRINGFIELD — On Oct. 23, Helen Davis Blake, G’67, was honored with the first-ever President’s Philanthropy Award for her nearly 40 years of dedicated service to Springfield College.

Also on that day, the conference room in Marsh Memorial was dedicated and renamed the Helen Davis Blake Conference Room.

“Springfield College has been blessed to have such an advocate as Helen Davis Blake,” said Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper. “We are delighted to recognize her, sincerely thank her, and formally dedicate the room in her name.”

Davis Blake’s service on the Board of Trustees includes: Vice chair, secretary, executive committee and the committees on Trustees, Audit and Compliance, Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Development and Institutional Advancement, Investment, and Student Affairs.


She was the co-chair of Leadership for the 21st Century: The Campaign for Springfield College, which raised $44.5 million and became the most successful campaign in College history.


“I truly appreciate this honor from Springfield College,” said Blake. “I have always believed in the College’s mission in educating students in spirit, mind, and body, in leadership and service to others.”

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HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Board reviewed and accepted two private investment proposals at its Oct. 21 meeting, directing Planning & Economic Development staff to negotiate and finalize agreement terms over the next few weeks in accordance with the City’s Urban Renewal Plan (URP) titled “Connect. Construct. Create. — A plan for the revitalization of Center City Holyoke.”

The first proposal, by WinnDevelopment, would create approximately 100 units of mixed-income housing for rent at 216 Appleton St., with on-site parking on the first level of the building, community space and on-site leasing offices for tenants. The development concept for the property will seek funding through historic preservation and housing tax credits over the next two years, which Winn has abundant experience in securing for similar mill redevelopment projects throughout Massachusetts. The project is estimated to represent an approximate $38 million investment.

The second proposal, submitted by Bueno y Sano/Good & Healthy Inc., intends to temporarily lease land between Main and Race streets along the second level Canal Walk to establish a mobile- food-truck operation that would produce a new line of smoked meat menu items, both for sale on-site and for sale at its stores in Northampton, Springfield, West Springfield, Amherst and Acton in Massachusetts, and in Burlington, Vermont. Bueno y Sano is a local, family-owned restaurant business based in Western Massachusetts serving burritos, tacos, quesadillas and salads. The operations are expected to be set up during the Spring of 2016.

“We’re happy to be part of the excitement in Holyoke,” said Bob Lowry, owner of Bueno y Sano/Good & Healthy Inc. “There is a strong sense of possibility and purpose. That is a great combination.”

Mayor Alex Morse praised the Redevelopment Authority for its actions, saying that “the success in attracting a projects like these isn’t a coincidence. It takes many years of aggressive marketing and hard work to make sites ready for private interest and successfully execute the City’s Urban Renewal Plan. I thank WinnDevelopment and Bueno y Sano for their interest to invest here and look forward to welcoming them to Holyoke.”

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WARE — Country Bank President Paul Scully recently announced that Mary McGovern has been promoted to executive vice president. McGovern has been with Country Bank since 2012 as the senior vice president and chief financial officer.

McGovern earned her MBA in Finance from Babson College and a bachelor of arts in Math from Emmanuel College. She previously worked for Danversbank as its chief accounting officer, and has held positions at Capital Crossing Bank and Boston Private Bank & Trust.

“We are delighted to recognize Mary for her outstanding leadership over the last few years,” said Scully. “Her strong background in the financial services industry along with her commitment to our mission has provided exceptional service to our customers and our staff. McGovern serves on the Baystate Health Foundation and WGBY Boards. Her involvement in the community and with our staff has made her an exemplary leader for our organization.”

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WARE — Monson Savings Bank and Quarry Hill Community School have teamed up to help Quarry Hill students learn how to bank and save with the introduction of school banking.

Monson Savings staff will set up their “bank” right at Quarry Hill School every Thursday while school is in session. Students may open accounts and make deposits while they’re at school. The program includes several incentives to save. Specifically, students will receive a free gift when they open their account. Then, each time they make a deposit on school banking day, they’ll get a punch on their Superhero Saver Card. All students who fill up their card by the end of the year will receive 20 entries into a drawing for a Kindle Fire.

There are 34 school banking days during the year and 20 “punches” on the card, so 20 deposits of any amount will make a student eligible for the drawing.
“We’re very pleased to be able to offer this program,” said Jennifer Beaudry, Principal of Quarry Hill School, “because it involves real life learning and the opportunity for students to start saving and managing their money early in life.”

School banking is part of Monson Savings’ overall Dollars & Sense program, said Steve Lowell, President of the institution. “We have become increasingly concerned about financial literacy and the fact that many people lack the money management knowledge and skills they need to ensure long-term stability for themselves. We’re convinced that teaching kids about banking and saving at a young age will help them to become good money managers throughout life.”

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WILBRAHAM — Colony Hills Capital (CHC), a real estate investment management firm based in Wilbraham, has completed the acquisition of Pointe South Apartments located in Jonesboro, Ga.

It is Colony’s second acquisition in the Atlanta area. Colony has renamed the community Canterbury Townhome Apartments and will invest significant capital to upgrade the common area facilities and the interiors of the apartments.
Canterbury was built in 1996 and contains 160 apartment homes.

According to Colony’s President, David Kaufman, this acquisition represents a wonderful opportunity to take a tired, undermanaged asset and reinvigorate it with strategically placed capital investments, and best-in-class property management.

Colony Hills Capital was founded in 2008 by Glenn Hanson. Since then, it has established itself as a leader in sourcing, structuring, and closing off-market multi-family transactions worth nearly $500 million.

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SPRINGFIELD — Dr. Heidi Ellis and Dr. Stoney Jackson of the Computer Science and Technology Department at Western New England University recently received a grant of $389,569 from the National Science Foundation program titled OpenPath — Improving Student Pathways to Computing Professions via Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software.
This funding is part of a nearly $1 million collaborative grant initiative with Nassau Community College in New York and Drexel University in Pennsylvania.
The OpenPath program will improve undergraduate computing education by developing a shared pathway through the computing curriculum. It will encourage input and feedback from students and faculty to address key challenges of computing education, by using proactive online learning in small groups with an authentic and exciting framework.
The pathway will consist of course materials and activities that require the students to utilize Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software (HFOSS), throughout their entire undergraduate education. This intention and collaborative effort builds on collaborative relationships with the Red Hat University Outreach team, the GNOME Accessibility team, and the OpenHatch project, all of which promote and support the use of educational open-source software.
“OpenPath will connect students directly with many Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software professionals from around the globe,” remarked Ellis. “These professionals have already developed an effective academic-industry collaboration that many students do not have the opportunity to experience. OpenPath will help close that gap.”
As it unfolds, OpenPath will help build a globally competitive workforce by exposing students to a unique community of international developers, and allow them to experience computing as a social activity with societal benefits. By giving students opportunities to positively impact society, OpenPath can also engage and motivate traditionally underrepresented minorities and women to pursue careers in computing.”

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SPRINGFIELD — A popular tradition will continue at the 2015 Western Mass. Business Expo on Nov. 4, with a Pitch Contest presented by Valley Venture Mentors (VVM). And this year’s competition will have a new and intriguing twist.

The contest, which represents a partnership between VVM, the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., and the Small Business Administration, will feature the debut of the InnovateHER pitch competition. The InnovateHER Challenge is a national prize competition aimed at unearthing products and services that impact and empower women and families through local business competitions.

The winner of the Nov. 4 VVM Pitch Contest will advance to the next round of the national InnovateHER competition, with a chance to compete for $70,000 in prize money. The five contestants at the VVM competition, who will have booths at what’s known as Startup Row and thus can be visited by Expo attendees throughout the day, are:

• AuthenFOOD, which enables customers to order food online and reviews local chefs and bakers who have unique and authentic culinary backgrounds for home delivery or take-out;
• Bhlue Publishing, LLC, which provides career guidance for young people that focuses on success without a four-year degree;
• Do+Make Business District, an online community and school for what it calls “solopreneurs escaping the 9-5”;
• Hot Oven Cookies, which promises to “deliver comfort in a cookie”; and
• Wonder Crew, a toy company that “offers boys a more expansive play experience, one where they can be strong and emotionally connected.”
Expo attendees will have the opportunity to choose which of those five they think will prevail in the competition. Those who guess correctly will win a door prize.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley reported that single-family home sales in September were up 19% across the Valley compared to the same time last year. The median price is up 4.1% from $191,750 last year at this time to $199,700 this year.

In Hampden County, sales were up 12.2% and median price up 7.1%
 from September 2014, while in Hampshire County, sales were up 45.2%, and median price was up 1.9%. In Franklin County, sales were up 15.4%, but median price was down 8.8%.

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SOUTH HADLEY — Edward Garbacik has joined the team at Private Financial Design, LLC in South Hadley. For more than 30 years, he has been providing individuals and small-business owners with comprehensive financial planning as an advisor and planner, including investment-advisory services, retirement planning, estate planning, and other wealth-management needs.

He earned the certified financial planner designation through the CFP certificate program at Boston University and has also been awarded the accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designation, widely considered the fiduciary standard for business retirement planning and plan-sponsor services.

Prior to joining Private Financial Design, Garbacik held the title of partner at a boutique investment firm specializing in retirement-income planning. He was also vice president and managing partner of investments at FSB Financial Group, where he led the group’s financial-planning and wealth-management team.

Private Financial Design offers comprehensive financial planning for both personal and business needs, including fee-based investment-advisory services, retirement plans, and other wealth-management services.

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WARE — Country Bank surprised 29 local schools that participate in the bank’s Savings Makes Sense School Banking Program with $250 gift cards to Staples. Each school received the donation to help cover the cost of back-to-school supplies.

“We know how difficult it is for the schools to have the supplies they need when budgets become tight. They are truly so grateful and appreciative of this gift,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, Financial Education officer at Country Bank, adding that teachers typically spend about $250 of their own money annually to purchase items for their classrooms.

Country Bank serves Central, Western, and Eastern Massachusetts with 15 offices in Ware, Palmer, Brimfield, Belchertown, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Paxton, Charlton, Leicester, West Brookfield, and Worcester. It sponsors the Savings Makes Sense program and the award-winning Credit for Life program in its communities. For more information, visit www.countrybank.com.

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HADLEY — UMass Donahue Institute announced the formation of a new business group that will focus on supporting the financial strength of nonprofit organizations.

Led by Sharon Vardatira, who boasts 19 years of nonprofit consulting experience, the Nonprofit Funding & Fiscal Solutions group will provide customized consultation, coaching/mentoring, and hands-on intervention for clients to strengthen and expand their financial capacities, manage their finances, and respond to funding crises.

“I have been privileged to spend the better part of my career building the capacity of nonprofit organizations to bring about positive change in their communities, help vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, improve quality of life, and establish long-lasting, positive social change,” Vardatira said. “We look forward to significantly increasing the financial stability of a wide variety of nonprofits working on a range of critical issues.”

Added J. Lynn Griesemer, executive director of the UMass Donahue Institute, “the addition of Nonprofit Funding and Fiscal Solutions to the Institute broadens and deepens the scope of services we provide to the Commonwealth, New England, and across the country. Ms. Vardatira is well-known to the Institute as a highly experienced grant-writing and fund-development consultant. She brings a wealth of expertise and experience assisting organizations that possesses a wide range of missions and populations served.”

The new group will complement the Institute’s other services, including applied research and program evaluation, economic and public policy research, early-childhood services, organizational development, and democracy education and international programs.

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SUNDERLAND — Ben White, president of Dukes Tree Service, acquired Pittsfield-based Tony’s Tree Service on Oct. 13, allowing the firm to expand its service area into Berkshire County and grow its fleet of vehicles.

Newly acquired equipment, including bucket trucks and plowing equipment, brings the business’ fleet of vehicles to a total of 10 and will allow Dukes Tree Service to expand the services it offers in Hampshire County, White said. Tony’s Tree Service was formerly owned by Tony Verchot, who has retired.

White’s business provides tree trimming and removal services and snow removal in the Greater Amherst area, covering a 40-mile service region. The firm employs a certified arborist, several tree climbers, and many veteran tree-care professionals. For more information, call White at (413) 535-9808.

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WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — Aer Lingus announced that trans-Atlantic flights from Bradley International Airport to Dublin will begin in September 2016, a move aided by a state guarantee to cover possible losses in the first two years of service.

“As an Irish-American, I’m happy to say this day has come,” Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said Wednesday afternoon at a press conference, according to the Hartford Courant. “There were moments we weren’t sure this day would arrive.”

The state offered a $4.5 million guarantee against losses in each of the first two years, plus $5 million in other inducements. Financial inducements to Aer Lingus could reach $14 million: up to $9 million in loss protection from the Department of Economic and Community Development and $5 million from the state Airport Authority, including $3.8 million in marketing over three years and about $1.2 million in waivers of various fees over two years, according to the Connecticut Mirror.

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HOLYOKE — In an effort to accommodate a growth in production, International Container Co., LLC will build an expansion to its facility and operations headquartered at 110 North Bridge St. in Holyoke. The expansion is planned with the assistance of both local tax incentives and tax credits provided through the Commonwealth’s Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP).

International Container Co. (ICC) purchased its 150,000-square-foot facility in Holyoke in 2001 and has since made many improvements to the property. Since moving to Holyoke, business has increased each year for the company. The tax-increment financing (TIF) agreement lasts for five years and allows for a property-tax exemption on the newly created real-estate value. In return, ICC has agreed to create a minimum of five new jobs and invest between $900,000 and $1 million in the project.

The agreement has been submitted to the Holyoke City Council for approval. In addition, ICC will receive state investment-tax credits, pending review and approval of the application by the Mass. Economic Assistance Coordinating Council, based on the amount of sales generated from the expansion.

“The expansion of International Container is another indicator that manufacturing is alive and well in Holyoke,” Mayor Alex Morse said. “Our city’s manufacturers are a vital part of the community and our economy. This local incentive will ensure that this project can be brought to completion to retain and create dozens of employment opportunities in our own backyard.”

Over the last two years, ICC has made substantial efforts to expand, now servicing all of New England and selling products across the U.S. ICC currently employs 45 people, noting a growth in employment since 2013 when there were 24 employees at the facility.

“We are very excited to be working with the city of Holyoke on our expansion project,” said Joseph Searles, general manager of International Container. “We are a family business that has been manufacturing in Holyoke for 14 years and are looking forward to our future growth and success here in Holyoke in the years to come.”

ICC was founded in 1996 by William Searles Jr. The company, now operated by brothers Joseph, Kenneth, Sean, and Daniel Searles, serves the New England and Mid-Atlantic areas with products for the solid-waste industry. The company specializes in roll-off, hook-lift, and front- and rear-load containers, as well as a wide variety of special-application containers, including rolling roofs, square- and octagon-style breakaway boxes, self-contained and stationary compactors, recycling containers, flat beds, and custom containers.

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WEST SPRINGFIELD — Curry Printing in West Springfield is changing its logo to better reflect its core business.

CurrySince opening in 1976 as Curry Copy Center, the printing business has experienced a paradigm shift. “Ninety-eight percent of what we do today is print, and not copy,” owner Stephen Lang said. “In the old days, customers would come in with their camera-ready originals. We would make a plate and then run off copies. Today, those originals are electronic files sent directly as e-mail attachments or uploaded on our website. No plates need to be made; we print direct to different devices depending on the job. Blueprints, full-color brochures, reports, manuals, newsletters, banners, signs, and all kinds of collateral material go direct to print.”

To reflect this change, Curry has updated its logo. “It’s still OK to call us Curry Copy if you want; we really don’t mind,” Lang said. “But we are so much more than copies these days.”

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BOSTON — Massachusetts legislative leaders and gambling regulators say state oversight of the fantasy-sports industry — and increased scrutiny of the operations of companies such as Boston’s DraftKings — is becoming more likely, the Boston Globe reported.

The Mass. Gaming Commission has launched a review of the legal and regulatory issues posed by the surging popularity of online fantasy sports, including whether the games are allowed under state law. Chairman Steve Crosby said the commissioners would discuss whether fantasy sports are legal, whether they should be regulated, and, if so, who should regulate the companies, and how.

The commission will discuss the issues at its next public meeting, on Oct. 29. Attorney General Maura Healey is conducting a similar review through her office.

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SPRINGFIELD — The law firm Bacon Wilson announced that five attorneys have been named to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list of top attorneys in the Commonwealth, and four have been named to the 2015 Massachusetts Rising Stars list of up-and-comers.

Identified by a research team at Super Lawyers, the attorneys are selected for background, professional experience, achievement, and peer recognition. There is no opportunity to pay for a listing, and only 5% of New England’s lawyers are Super Lawyers. The following Bacon Wilson attorneys were honored for 2015:

• Gary Fialky, business/corporate, banking, real estate;

• Michael Katz, business/corporate, business bankruptcy, consumer bankruptcy;

• Paul Rothschild, general litigation, employment and labor, personal injury;

• Hyman Darling, estate planning and probate, elder law, tax; and

• Gina Barry, estate planning and probate, elder law, residential real estate.

Rising Stars are under 40 years old or have been practicing law for no more than 10 years. Fewer than 2.5% of New England lawyers were named as Rising Stars, including the following Bacon Wilson attorneys for 2015:

• Adam Basch, construction Litigation, business litigation, personal injury;

• Benjamin Coyle, business/corporate, state/local/municipal, estate and trust litigation;

• Kevin Maltby, employment and labor, general litigation, criminal defense; and

• Thomas Reidy, land use/zoning.

Super Lawyers, an attorney-rating service, compiles annual rosters of lawyers with high degrees of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are determined by a process that includes independent research evaluation of candidates, peer reviews, and a statewide survey of lawyers.

Bacon Wilson, P.C. is one of the largest firms in Western Massachusetts, with a total of 42 lawyers and approximately 60 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff. The firm’s main office is located in Springfield, with regional offices in Northampton, Amherst, and Westfield. For more information, visit www.baconwilson.com.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield-based law firm O’Connell & Plumb, P.C. announced that attorney Daniel J. O’Connell was named to the 2015 New England Super Lawyers list in the area of plaintiff employment litigation, and attorney Sarah Ornelas has been named to the 2015 New England Rising Stars list in the area of plaintiff employment litigation.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. Super Lawyers selections are made annually using a patented, multi-phase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. Only 5% of lawyers in each state are selected to the Super Lawyers list annually, and only 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40, or in practice for 10 years or fewer, are named a Rising Star.

Earlier this year, both O’Connell and Ornelas also received the Martindale-Hubble Client Distinction Award. Martindale-Hubbell gives the award to lawyers whose clients give the lawyer a 4.5 average rating (out of 5.0) in the following areas: communications ability, responsiveness, quality of service, and value for the money. Less than 1% of the more than 900,000 attorneys listed on the martindale.com and lawyers.com websites receive the Martindale-Hubbell Client Distinction Award.

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University’s 12th Annual Innovative Thinking and Entrepreneurship Lecture will feature Delcie Bean, Founder and CEO of Paragus Strategic IT.

Bean, a serial tech entrepreneur, will speak to the lens of innovation and also discuss the role it has played in his successes and failures during his presentation, “Innovation: The Great Differentiator,” on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 a.m. on the university’s Longmeadow campus.

Having started his first company at age 8 and a nonprofit at the age of 13, Bean is a born entrepreneur who thrives on coming up with ideas, building businesses, and having fun in the process. His mission is to use business and technological innovation as a positive force to impact the lives of clients, employees, colleagues, and the community as a whole. A frequent speaker at local and regional events on technology and entrepreneurship, Bean was named BusinessWest’s Top Entrepreneur for 2014, and received the Continued Excellence Award at BusinessWest’s 2015 40 Under 40 Gala.

Inc. magazine has acknowledged Paragus as one of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies in America four years in a row. In 2013, CRN Global ranked Paragus the 30th-fastest-growing IT company in the U.S. In 2014, the company was awarded the coveted Employer’s Choice Award by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast and the Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.

“Innovation: The Great Differentiator” is sponsored by the Bay Path University Advisory Council and the School of Science and Management. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is strongly recommended. To register, visit www.baypath.edu.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that eight attorneys have been selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list, and three attorneys have been selected to the Rising Stars list.

Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented, multi-phase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. No more than 5% of lawyers in Massachusetts are selected by Super Lawyers, and no more than 2.5% of lawyers in Massachusetts under the age of 40, or in practice for 10 years or fewer, are selected to Rising Stars.

• Kevin Chrisanthopoulos was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of general litigation. He practices litigation.

• Richard Gaberman was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of estate and probate law. His practice focuses on corporate and business counseling, commercial real estate, tax, and estate-planning law.

• James Martin was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of closely held business law. He practices corporate and business counseling, litigation, and commercial real-estate law.

• Jeffrey McCormick was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of general litigation. He practices litigation.

• Carla Newton was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of family law. She practices divorce and family law, litigation, corporate and business counseling, and commercial real estate.

• Nancy Frankel Pelletier was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of civil litigation (defense). She exclusively practices litigation.

• Patricia Rapinchuk was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of employee litigation (defense). She practices employment law and litigation.

• Jeffrey Roberts was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of estate and probate law. His practice focuses on corporate and business counseling and estate planning and administration.

• David Lawless was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Rising Stars list in the field of state, local, and municipal law. He practices municipal, business, and employment law and litigation.

• Michael Simolo was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Rising Stars list in the field of estate and probate law. He practices corporate and business counseling, estate planning, and litigation.

• Jeffrey Trapani was selected to the 2015 Massachusetts Rising Stars list in the field of personal injury (defense) law. He practices litigation and employment law.

Daily News

“I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

That was Dorothy’s famous and endlessly requoted (usually incorrectly) comment to her dog, Toto, upon surveying the scene in Oz upon their arrival there.

Mike Mathis hasn’t said ‘I’ve a feeling we’re not in Vegas anymore’ yet (at least not publicly, anyway) but maybe he should, or at least acknowledge that fact.

The president of MGM Springfield certainly needs to do that after what could only be described as a turbulent few weeks during which his company has announced many changes to the planned $800 million casino planned for Springfield’s South End, and announced itself surprised by the reaction.

These changes include plans to scrap a proposed 25-story hotel tower and replace it with a six-story structure designed, the company says, to better fit Springfield’s downtown and make street-level activities part of the experience at MGM Springfield. They also include a 14% reduction in the overall footprint for the project, 90% of which is “back-end” space, according to Mathis.

He made that statement at a press conference Tuesday called about an hour after one staged by Domenic Sarno, at which the Springfield mayor said it was “incomprehensible” that MGM wouldn’t mention that planned reduction in the size of the project at a meeting staged recently to explain the change in plans for the hotel.

An obviously upset Sarno felt blindsided, and let those at MGM know it.

Mathis, meanwhile, at his press conference, said the changes proposed to date are all part of a “tweaking process” that is still very much ongoing. He also said he and other MGM officials didn’t tell the mayor about the 14% reduction in the project’s size because, well, they didn’t see a need to — at least at that time — given where the changes were going to come.

Perhaps, but he has to remember that he’s not in Vegas anymore. He’s in Massachusetts, which is still cutting its teeth in the casino game, and where every bit of news — from the planned changes to the Springfield project to the announcement that revenues at the Plainridge slots parlor are down since its grand opening over the summer — is going to be greeted with surprise, skepticism, and, in the case of the hotel change, a request for a referendum question on the matter from Springfield’s City Council president.

Moving forward, Mathis implied that MGM will strive to be more transparent and communicate better with elected officials when they can.

That’s a good idea, as is the notion of never forgetting that he’s certainly not in Vegas anymore, and responding appropriately.

Events Features WMBExpo

Wednesday, November 4, 2015
MassMutual Center, Springfield

WMBExpo 2015 LOGOWMBExpoSponsors2015

Since it was launched in 1984, BusinessWest, known back then as the Western Mass. Business Journal, has been on a mission — not only to hold up a mirror to the region’s business community, but to serve it through editorial content and programming that’s informative, thought-provoking, and often entertaining.

The process of fulfilling that mission has changed with the times, and involved new avenues for communicating with, and engaging, the business community of Western Massachusetts. Examples of this evolution include everything from doubling the magazine’s frequency from monthly to bimonthly to launching a separate publication, the Healthcare News, devoted entirely to that sector; from putting content online to launching recognition programs, including 40 Under Forty and Difference Makers.

The latest step in this evolutionary process came in 2011, when BusinessWest determined that, despite ample evidence to the contrary, the era of the large-scale, business-to-business trade show wasn’t over.

Rather, we decided it was time to enter a new era — one where the show would become bigger, broader, and even more focused on providing value for exhibitors and attendees alike. Thus, BusinessWest created the Western Mass. Business Expo, and has spent the past four years refining and enhancing a quality product.

The fifth edition of the show reflects these efforts. The day-long event is crammed with programming designed to promote awareness of the depth and breadth of the region’s economy and help business owners and managers better navigate the myriad challenges they face.

The day will get off to an entertaining start with the Springfield Regional Chamber’s October breakfast and keynote speaker Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery, who will engage in a “casual conversation” with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien.

Later, at the luncheon hosted by the Professional Women’s Chamber, Alison Lands, senior manager in Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations practice, will present a program based on a report she co-authored and edited titled “Advanced to Advantageous: The Case for New England’s Manufacturing Revolution.” She will discuss the challenges facing this resilient, innovative sector, particularly a persistent skills gap and a lack of brand awareness, and how they present real opportunities for workforce development in New England. If you’re invested in manufacturing, you’ll want a seat at this event.

Throughout the day, there will be informative seminars across four tracks: Sales & Marketing, Workforce Development, Hottest Trends, and Entrepreneurship. Also slated are robotics and machine-tooling demonstrations, a Technology Corridor, a Business Support Center, the ever-popular Pitch Contest staged by Valley Venture Mentors, the day-capping Expo Social (always a great networking opportunity), and much more.

This show was created for you, the hardworking people who shape the region’s business community. We hope you will join us for what will be a memorable day.

George O’Brien, Editor
John Gormally, Publisher
Kate Campiti, Associate Publisher

WMBExpo Schedule

WMBExpoSchedule2015

Cover Story

Building a Better Mop

Dan Koval

Dan Koval

Dan Koval found inspiration for his latest entrepreneurial venture while sitting in a hotel room, watching a cleaning attendant struggle with back pain. A conversation with that woman led to a question: what solutions exist to reduce such chronic pain — and the employer costs related to worker injury and lost time? Finding none, Koval — the latest subject of BusinessWest’s ongoing series of articles about the region’s growing wave of entrepreneurs — decided to come up with one of his own.

Four years ago, Daniel Koval was working in a London hotel room when the cleaning attendant arrived. Although most people leave while the job is being done, he stayed and continued to work.

“But I could tell that the woman’s back was hurting from the way she was moving,” Koval recalled, adding that it led to a conversation he found profoundly intriguing.

“She told me she had just returned to work after taking nine months off for a back injury incurred on the job,” he said. “When I pushed, she told me the hotel group had paid $40,000 for her surgery, the insurance company had offered her more against further claims, and all of her colleagues had either been injured on the job or were out with similar work-related injuries.”

Koval had spent the majority of his career in product development, and the room attendant’s story presented a challenge he couldn’t forget. “I realized everyone was losing — the woman would suffer back pain the rest of her life, and, in addition to costing the company money, they lost a good employee for nine months. There are other costs associated with hiring a replacement, so, I thought, ‘why not try to crack this?’”

At the time, the serial entrepreneur was running another business, so the idea was relegated to the back burner. But it simmered until it got his full attention and he took steps to determine the scope of the problem.

Koval had a team of product designers and ergonomists visit hotels in London and in the U.S., where they met with union representatives and discussed the incidence of job-related injuries. “We quickly found it was a global problem,” he said.

“Room attendants are the coal miners of the hospitality industry. Their work is taxing and physically demanding; they have to kneel, bend, and put their wrist in positions that can cause carpal-tunnel problems, and they do this eight hours a day, five or six days a week. It can affect their knees, shoulders, wrists, and back,” he explained. “One study found that 91% of room attendants experience pain at work, and 66% take pain medication just to be able to go to work.”

The Duop system

The Duop system employs a ball-and-socket mechanism that allows the mop to pivot 360 degrees.

The next step — which eventually led Koval to leave Europe, move back to the U.S., and start a new business called Worksafe Technology Inc., whose first product is a mop system designed to solve the problem — was to have experts shadow room attendants. However, they also looked at other industries and found that window washers and people who cleaned hospitals, restaurants, office buildings, and homes that provide temporary or long-term care had similar issues with their necks and shoulders.

“We looked at the tools they were using, studied what was wrong, and decided to focus on creating a new mop. Traditional mops are designed to clean floors, but there was no tool that could clean the back of tub walls, baseboards, windows, and mirrors — in other words, both vertical and horizontal surfaces,” Koval told BusinessWest as he demonstrated repetitive body positions required to clean these surfaces in a small space, which include kneeling, squatting, and balling up a rag and repeatedly rubbing it with a bent wrist to clean a mirror. “The problem with traditional mops was the hinge, and they all used the same system.”

At that point, the concept for the Duop system was born.

What’s a Duop?

The name comes from the idea of having a ‘dual mop,’ as the head of the product can be removed and used by hand, which leads to better ergonomic, hygiene, and cleaning results, Koval said.

However, the Duop took time to develop, and many adjustments were made based on feedback culled from London hotel-room attendants who tested a variety of prototypes. Changes were incorporated that included the size of the handle grip and the ability to move it easily from room to room, which Koval said is important, as many upscale hotels are doing away with unsightly cleaning carts, instead having room attendants carry the supplies they need.

“It took five to seven rounds before we got something that worked. But we kept fine-tuning the product with advice from our ergonomists,” he noted.

Today, the mop has been perfected. It employs a telescopic pole that can be adjusted and locked into a three- to five-foot length, depending on the job that needs to be done. “Most mop handles are four feet, but having one that is five feet allows the person to stand up much straighter. Plus, it can be extended to clean the ceiling,” Koval told BusinessWest.

However, the revolutionary part of the tool is found at the end of the pole. It contains a unique ball-and-socket mechanism that can pivot 360 degrees when the ball on the head is snapped into the socket, which allows it to be used for a variety of tasks, such as cleaning shower walls and ceilings or dusting baseboards.

The heads come in three sizes, and a variety of microfiber cloths — one designed for dusting, another for scrubbing, and a third for general mopping — can be attached to them with Velcro, although one type of head allows a cloth to be folded into its edges, then flipped over and reused.

“The room attendants’ biggest considerations were speed and quality of cleaning. What we gave them had to allow them to clean faster and better because they are under such pressure to meet their quotas,” Koval said.

Those goals have been realized, he went on. “Using the wide face to clean a mirror instead of a crumpled cloth allows the job to be done five times faster and is more hygienic, as the microfiber picks up microscopic particles.”

Koval and his associates were surprised by the response to the prototypes. “They told us they wanted to keep them and use them at home. It made us realize the Duop is not just a commercial product, but something that can help the consumer clean easier and faster.”

Dan Koval says the Duop mop

Dan Koval says the Duop mop is the first of what he hopes are many products his company develops to help reduce injuries and promote workplace wellness.

In 2012, Koval created a company known as Worksafe Technology Inc. to market the Duop System. Its goal is to eliminate causes of frequent and recurring workplace injuries by combining expertise in product design, development, and technology.

“We are just rolling the Duop out on the market,” he said, explaining that it took so long partly because he worked on it only part-time. “Our patent was filed about a year ago and is still pending, but we brought the mop to commercial trade shows for professional cleaners, industry shows for housekeepers, and the Chicago Housewares Show, and the response has been amazing.”

Large, professional cleaning organizations have expressed interest, and at the consumer show, companies ranging from QVC to Bed Bath & Beyond and Amazon shared their enthusiasm. “There was also interest by international companies, and we are negotiating an agreement with partners in Japan, Taiwan, Holland, Germany, and the U.S.,” Koval said. “The product was just launched in the past month, and so far, we have sales of more than $100,000 pending.”

The cost of the mop will range from $25 to $40, and getting to that figure was critical, as Koval said ergonomic products are often priced too high to compete with standard products. “But our goal is to help as many people as we can.”

The mops will be marketed to the general public via Worksafe Technology’s website in about two months. “We have developed e-commerce packaging, but still have to develop consumer packaging, and that requires being able to explain what the mop does in about three seconds,” he noted. “But I’m very excited about this. It’s rare to come up with something so simple that has the potential to help so many people.”

All-encompassing Experience

Koval began his career with a degree in marketing. “But I always wanted to be in product development. It excites me,” he said. Although he grew up in Western Mass., after graduating from college he was hired by GE, who sent him to London, then Hungary. He worked in sales and international business development, then as a product manager for GE Lighting.

After earning an MBA from INSEAD in France and working as a consultant, he knew it was time to branch out on his own, and he established a gift company called Heads Up Design that manufactured cuckoo clocks featuring farm animals. He sold that business to a German company, but continued to develop items that ranged from clocks to candles. “We made about 30 different products,” he said.

Koval was living in Budapest when he began conducting the research required to create the Duop mop. When he moved back to the U.S. in 2012, his gift business became secondary, as he felt the potential for the Duop was unlimited and the need for it was greater here than in Europe.

“The U.S. doesn’t have socialized medicine, so our initial belief was the cost of an injured employee was higher to insurance companies and businesses here. But we are finding there is a huge demand for the mop in Europe. It turns out that it’s not only the cost of healthcare, it’s about the cost of losing a good employee, which makes it universal,” he told BusinessWest. “And consumers want anything that will help them clean faster and better. The drudgery of cleaning is the same everywhere in the world.”

Although Koval returned to Western Mass. to establish Worksafe Technology, he thought he would have to relocate again to a larger city like Boston to stay competitive. But he is happy to report he and his family will be able to remain in the Berkshires, thanks to his involvement with Valley Venture Mentors (VVM), an entrepreneurship-mentoring program based in Springfield.

“I had moved to Europe in 1989 and spent almost my entire career there, so I didn’t have any business contacts here,” Koval said. “But I heard that VVM was organizing a bus trip to Boston, and after I met some of the members and got involved, I realized there was an entrepreneurial ecosystem right here in Western Mass.” He added that VVM has been extremely helpful, and co-founder Paul Silva introduced him to the company that will become his partner in the U.S. market.

The Duop system is Worksafe Technology’s first product, but the company will continue to seek ways to reduce injuries in the workplace. “Now that we know what to look for and how to design these products, we will to try to solve other healthcare-related problems,” Koval continued.

No Pain, but Gain

The inspiration for the Duop system came from watching a woman work despite obvious discomfort. But Koval said the pain the mop can prevent is both literal and figurative.

As to the figurative, well, that enters the picture in terms of healthcare expenses and the cost of replacing and training new employees, even if it’s on a temporary basis. “In 2010, workers’ compensation programs cost employers $71.3 billion, and the cost of an average injury is estimated at over $20,000, so the benefits of eliminating them is immense,” Koval said.

But the reward for preventing pain — the ability to work in an occupation known for repetitive stress injuries without fear of incurring one — is priceless, and affects the physical, mental, emotional, and financial realms.

And he has already seen the effects. “I got a big hug when I gave one woman our mop. She had been a housekeeper for 20 years and was so happy with it,” he recalled. “Another said, ‘it’s too late for me because I already have an injury. But this could really help young people from getting hurt on the job.’”

Which is exactly what Koval anticipates the Duop will do.

“It’s great from a design aesthetic,” he said, “but I hope it will bring a smile to people’s faces who work in the cleaning industry, and also cause businesses to smile for a different reason — no more painful costs.”