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Home Sales Rise in April
SPRINGFIELD — Home sales in the Pioneer Valley increased 23.4% in April, from 299 to 369, over the same month in 2009. The median price brought by those homes, however, fell slightly by 1.1%, from $182,000 in April 2009 to $180,000 last month. In Hampden County, sales were up 20.1%, from 214 in April 2009 to 257 in April 2010, while in Hampshire County, sales were up 17.5%, from 63 homes in April 2009 to 74 last month. And in Franklin County, sales were up 72.7%, from 22 to 38.

Business Confidence Index Rises Slightly
BOSTON — The Associated Industries of Mass. Business Confidence Index rose seven-tenths of a point in April to 47.5, 12.1 above its level in April 2009. “Progress continues to be slow, with setbacks along the way, but there’s no doubt that 12 gains in 14 months represents a trend toward recovery,” said Raymond G. Torto, global chief economist at CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. and chair of AIM’s board of economic advisors (BEA). “Respondents to our survey remain notably more positive about business conditions for their own operations than about the general business climate in Massachusetts and the nation.” Torto noted that AIM members rate business conditions within the Commonwealth slightly better than those prevailing nationally. “This has been true consistently throughout the recession and now as we head into recovery,” he said. “The Massachusetts economy has by no means escaped the full impact of the downturn, but some other states have fared much worse, and we have significant assets, such as our education system and research base, that provide a strong foundation for recovery.” The AIM Index was 2.6 points below its level in April 2008, when it was last above 50 (neutral), and off 6.4 over three years. The highest reading in its 18-year-plus history was 68.5, attained on two occasions in 1997-98; its all-time low was 33.3 in February 2009. The Massachusetts Index of conditions within the Commonwealth added 3.6 points in April to 44.2, as the U.S. Index of national conditions gained 1.7 points to 40.6. “A plurality of survey respondents [52%] put in-state conditions in the ‘average’ range, but only 9% called them ‘good,’” said Fred Breimyer, regional economist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and a BEA member. “Even for six months out [October], only 24% foresaw positive general business conditions in Massachusetts, and the national number [21%] was lower — so this shapes up as a slow recovery from a long recession.”

Lighthouse Celebrates Silver Anniversary
SPRINGFIELD — Members of the Lighthouse community, supporters, mental-health advocates, and community leaders gathered to celebrate the organization’s silver anniversary on May 12 at the Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place Hotel. The anniversary celebration featured remarks from Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, city of Springfield Equal Opportunity Officer Daniel Hall, and Lighthouse members who highlighted the significant impact that the organization has made on the city and region. In fiscal year 2010 alone, Lighthouse members earned $13.2 million in wages and contributed significantly to the local and statewide economies. Established in 1985 by Human Resources Unlimited, Lighthouse is an internationally accredited and certified rehabilitation organization. Lighthouse supports men and women who are recovering from mental illness by helping them return to work, school, and their community.

SHA and Partners Open New Health Care Center for Forest Park Seniors
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Housing Authority (SHA) has joined forces with area health care, civic, and nonprofit organizations to start a new health care center for seniors living in the Forest Park neighborhood. The Forest Park Manor Activity Center, which held a grand opening on April 23, provides medical and health services such as blood-pressure screenings, nutritional programs, and physical-fitness instruction, including low-impact exercise classes. “This center provides an array of much-needed health care services and benefits to seniors, both in the Springfield Housing Authority and the surrounding community,” said SHA Executive Director William Abrashkin. “This is tangible evidence of the success of collaborative efforts. Several organizations pooled ideas and resources to make the Forest Park Manor Activity Center a reality. We all feel that this is just the beginning, and we look forward to joining together again in the future for the benefit of our community.”

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Advanced Manufacturing Conference, Continuum Coming to the Region

SPRINGFIELD — The first highly concentrated, cluster-centric, regional manufacturing conference of its kind will be held Sept. 23 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The event, called the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competition & Conference (AMICCON), is being staged in response to growing recognition among area manufacturers and supply-chain members that there is an urgent need to find and meet one another. “AMICCON was formed to identify who’s here in manufacturing, expose them to OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] and procurement, and to make these introductions,” said co-founder Ellen Bemben. “The ultimate goal is to be the advanced manufacturing region in the U.S., where exotic manufacturing, such as micro, nano, and precision meet higher specifications and tighter tolerances, and short runs are the norm.” Industry sectors to be represented at the event will include plastics and advanced materials, precision machining, paper and packaging, electronics, ‘green’/clean technology, and medical devices. Business opportunities in defense and aerospace will also be highlighted at the event. OEMs and their supply chains are being invited personally to participate. “AMICCON is also a new consortium on innovation that also delivers manufacturers to innovators and new markets in order to cause new business,” said Gary Gasperack, vice president and general manager (retired) of the Spalding Division of Russell Corp. “We are very excited about introducing it to our region.” The Mass. Export Center has already produced two programs for AMICCON: an Export Experts Panel, and a seminar, “International Traffic in Arms Regulations for Defense and Aerospace Export.” Planning of the event has been ongoing since last fall among founding members that include Stan Kowolski, president of FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp.; Eric Hagopian, president of Hoppe Tool; Anne Paradis, president of MicroTek; Joe Peters, president of Universal Plastics; Ann Pieroway, president of the Mass. Export Center; and Jeff Sattler, president of NUVO Bank. More details on AMICCON and registration information will be announced in the coming weeks, said Bemben.

SPHS Announces Departure of President, CEO McCorkle

SPRINGFIELD — The Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS) announced recently that Vincent McCorkle, president and CEO, will be leaving the organization to become president and CEO of Akron General Health System in Akron, Ohio, and will begin his new position on July 1. McCorkle has served as president and CEO for the SPHS since October 1997. Prior to being named to those positions, he served from 1996 to 1997 as executive vice resident of SPHS. He joined SPHS in September 1993 as president and CEO of the Acute and Ambulatory Care Network, the position he held until 1996. McCorkle has been an active community leader since moving to Springfield in 1993. He has served on the boards of numerous community agencies, such as the Economic Development Council, Business Friends of the Arts, the Springfield YMCA, United Way of the Pioneer Valley, the Springfield Urban League, and many others. In 2006, he was recognized with the Pynchon Award, the region’s most distinguished service award. “The decision to leave the Sisters of Providence Health System was incredibly difficult,” said McCorkle in a prepared statement. “It has been a privilege and an honor to have served the community through the healing ministry of the Sisters of Providence Health System. It has also been my privilege to serve with a team of the most talented and dedicated physicians, nurses, other professionals, and support staff that you will find anywhere in health care. Although my professional journey leads me to new challenges at Akron General, I am grateful for the time with SPHS and the Greater Springfield community. I will truly miss my SPHS colleagues and the many Western Mass. community and business leaders I have had the pleasure of working with.” Dr. David Chadbourne, chairman of the SPHS board of trustees, praised McCorkle for his work with the system and in the community. “Vince has provided the Sisters of Providence Health System with 17 years of dedicated and committed service and visionary leadership,” he said “He guided SPHS through some challenging financial times and led several innovative initiatives that have resulted in the expansion of SPHS’ programs and services. He has left an indelible mark on an organization that, thanks in large part to his hard work, is well-poised to continue the healing legacy of the Sisters of Providence well into the future.” The Board of Trustees has named Dr. William Bithoney, chief medical officer of the SPHS and chief operating officer of Mercy Medical Center, as the interim CEO. Bithoney will serve in this role until the conclusion of a national search for McCorkle’s permanent successor.

Poll Shows Casino Support, with Limitations

BOSTON — A recent survey conducted by Western New England College shows that most adults support casinos in the Bay State, but many don’t want one in their own community. The telephone poll of more than 500 adults conducted in mid-April, and partly during a floor debate on casinos on Beacon Hill, found that 58% support the approval of casinos for the state, while 35% are opposed. The poll also found that 53% in the state are opposed to a casino in their community, while 41% would support it.

UMass Entrepreneurship Initiative Stages Contest

AMHERST — The UMass Amherst Entrepreneurship Initiative (UMass EI) recently awarded seed capital to aspiring student entrepreneurs through its seventh Executive Summary Competition, which is sponsored by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance. The competition consisted of businesses ranging from ladies’ shoes to investment consulting in Haiti. A notable feature of this year’s competition was the very strong performance by students from Mount Holyoke College. This year’s top place was a tie between two teams. Filmix was awarded $750. The company enables independent filmmakers to post their work online, where customers may sample and download the films. The team consisted of Vladislav Yazhbin, a triple major at UMass (Mathematics, Computer Science, and individualized major in Human Computer Interaction) and Vennie Encheva, a triple major at Mount Holyoke College (Mathematics, Economics, and Politics). Also awarded $750 was Rocky Mountain Field Hockey, the company of UMass student Sarah Williams, a major in Landscape Architecture, a company dedicated to promoting advanced field-hockey training for high-school players in Colorado aspiring to play in college. Participating in the competition were three other teams. Foodcycle coordinates the collection and removal of food waste from commercial kitchens. The team consisted of two UMass students, Rose Weiss and Mauricio Abascal. The team received $500 from the judges and an additional $250 as the audience’s favorite. DisaporConex offered an investment platform through which Haitian immigrants can connect effectively to businesses and schools in Haiti. The company is led by UMass students Jean Arnaud and Adrien Tofighi. Three Mount Holyoke students — Alex Ivanova, Gergana Kostadinova, and Divisha Chumun — with a company called Vedette pitched their concept of an innovative ladies’ shoe with detachable high heels. Noting the prominence of Mount Holyoke students in the competition, EI co-organizer Dan Gordon, a professor of History, said, “these young ladies are each fluent in many academic disciplines and brought tremendous entrepreneurial spirit to the class. There were 75 applicants for the competition, and all the Mount Holyoke students made it to the finals.” The competition’s judges included nine distinguished bankers, investors, grant issuers, and entrepreneurs. The mission of the UMass EI is to help students turn ideas into businesses. The organization inspires students to explore the entrepreneurial career path, trains them in how to evaluate their ideas, and then connects them to the resources needed to take the first steps in starting their own business. Students participating in EI’s program have opportunities to earn academic credit, win prize money, and connect with experienced mentors.