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Marty’s Local Boosts the Region’s Food Economy

By
CEO Nick Martinelli
Features Special Coverage

Produce and Promise

CEO Nick Martinelli

CEO Nick Martinelli

 

As he gave BusinessWest a tour of his 12,500-square-foot warehouse in Deerfield, winding past long, high racks of boxes and bags of fresh produce and other food and beverages, as well as a brightly lit cold-storage area, Nick Martinelli eventually came to a three-bay loading dock which he called perhaps the most important part of the decade-old operation known as Marty’s Local.

“We have eight trucks, and they’re going six days a week. They’re going out to the farms in the area, and then to the restaurants and colleges and grocers,” he explained. “Everything comes in and out of here.”

Indeed, food that arrives at the facility from farms doesn’t stay long; it heads right back out to its final destination, wherever that may be. The operation has about 115 different partners, counting both the farms and food producers on one end and those purchasing food on the other.

“They’re primarily in Western Mass., but also elsewhere in New England and New York,” Martinelli said. “There are instances where food will be picked up and delivered the same day. But the great majority of our business is having trucks on the road, making deliveries, and then ideally picking up from our farm partners on the way back to the facility, to be packed that night and go out the next day. That’s the ideal.”

Martinelli, founder and CEO of Marty’s Local, began this career in 2015, completing a farming program in Orange called the Farm School, knowing he wanted to work in agriculture, but not sure exactly how.

“I was looking to figure out a place in the local agriculture economy,” he recalled. “I was going to work on a farm, but then I started to talk to a bunch of farmers and realized that there was a real need for distribution. I was seeing some of the growers that I knew driving their own product around, and I knew the demand was strong for these these foods that are really good. So maybe there’s a business opportunity to play that role and just focus on distribution, marketing, trucking.”

So Martinelli started doing just that, first in his car and then with a rented truck. “Then folks would say, ‘what else can you bring us?’ So it started to grow organically that way.”

That was the birth of Marty’s Local, whose network of partners are based not only in Western Mass., but also Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, and New York’s Hudson Valley.

Produce and grains were the first focus of the operation, but it soon expanded to dairy, including butter and cheese, as well as eggs, honey, maple syrup, and even products like sriracha and salsa.

“Almost every week, another farm or maker would reach out and say, ‘we heard you have this distribution service; could we work with you?’ So that’s how we built our roster of partners.”

In 2019, Marty’s Local acquired Squash Inc., a similarly minded local food distributor that had been around since 1973.

“We’d started to do some work with them, and then their owners were looking to retire, so we acquired that business. They had a lot of relationships with growers in the area, and a great customer base, and that was a nice merging of the two businesses that’s worked well,” Martinelli said. “With Squash, we added non-locals. They were sending a truck to the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, outside of Boston, three times a week to get non-local produce — avocados, limes, things you can’t get around here. We continued that, and it’s been a helpful component of the business.”

About 50% of the operation’s food purchasers are retailers, meaning everything from farm stores to independent grocers to chain stores. On the food-service side, which is most of the other half, are colleges, K-12 schools, caterers, restaurants, and wellness and retreat centers.

“There are a ton of farms, and we’re just scratching the surface with the ones that we’re working with.”

Martinelli said one plus for this business is that schools and colleges — not all, but many — have become more diligent about serving healthy options, while restaurants, everywhere but especially in Western Mass., have increasingly seen the farm-to-table concept as a selling point.

To supply those end users, farms have several options, he explained. “Farms are still doing self-distribution. They’ll either have a refrigerated truck that they use, or they’ll have a pickup truck or their personal vehicle, depending on the scale they’re operating at. Some of the farms we work with have multiple trucks, depending on how many customers they have. Some of them are working with distributors that are much larger than us, or some of them work with regional distributors like us. It really depends on the scale of the grower and maker.”

 

What’s in a Local Name?

Grateful for the farms that choose to partner with him, Martinelli takes a broad view of the operation’s impact on the region.

“On a personal level, all of us are motivated and compelled by the trust we have in food when we know where it came from. And when I say all of us, I mean on our team, although I think, in the market, too, there’s some truth to that for sure.”

That idea has driven growth in the local food economy over the past couple decades, he added.

“The sector has grown so much. And I think the reason is that trust, in terms of what food you’re putting in your body, but also who you’re supporting. Are you supporting somebody that’s down the road that you might run into, a business that you’re familiar with, whether you know those people personally or just drive by their business regularly? That’s meaningful to me personally, and I think that’s meaningful to a lot of people, and it’s an opportunity to put your money where your values are.

“So that’s certainly a driver for us — facilitating that, making it easier for people to see more products they recognize on the shelves,” he went on. “On a lot of shelves, it will say, ‘product from X country.’ OK, that’s not really that helpful, right? But if it says it’s from such-and-such farm in Northampton, Massachusetts, well, that’s different.

Eight trucks, both box trucks like this one and larger trailers, move food six days a week for Marty’s Local.

Eight trucks, both box trucks like this one and larger trailers, move food six days a week for Marty’s Local.

“Then you know what you’re getting,” he went on. “And you’re not only supporting the person or the business that’s down the road and putting food in your body that you can trust, you’re also supporting your regional economy, and maybe you’re preserving farmland. There are all sorts of ancillary benefits that come with it.”

Then there’s the matter of healthier eating.

“It’s more nutritious if it’s local,” Martinelli said. “I mean, there are studies showing that the nutrients are stronger after fewer days. So, if it’s coming in a truck five days across the country, it starts to leach out flavor — not in every single product, but there can be meaningful differences in the flavor and nutrition.”

Fortunately, he sees potential to grow this operation and continue to influence food freshness and nutrition while stimulating the local food economy.

“Are you supporting somebody that’s down the road that you might run into, a business that you’re familiar with, whether you know those people personally or just drive by their business regularly? That’s meaningful to me personally, and I think that’s meaningful to a lot of people, and it’s an opportunity to put your money where your values are.”

“There are a ton of farms, and we’re just scratching the surface with the ones that we’re working with,” he noted. “And not only farmers, but entrepreneurs who are one- or two-person businesses saying, ‘I have this great new product’ or ‘I make this great jerky.’ We’re talking about sauerkraut, yogurt, any number of different things where someone is eager to take their craft and get it out to the world, and that’s the role that we want to play.”

Recognizing that impact, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) named Marty’s Local one of its Local Hero honorees in 2024.

“Marty’s functions in a part of our local food system that is absolutely essential but largely invisible to the general public (except inasmuch as we might see a truck making deliveries),” CISA noted. “We’re lucky to have thriving farmers’ markets, farmstands, and CSAs in our region, but the reality is that direct sales from farm to consumer make up only about 10% of Massachusetts farm sales. That means that 90% of the food grown by Massachusetts farms is winding its way through more complex channels from farm to table — and Marty’s Local smooths that complexity out, bridging the gaps and getting more local food onto more local peoples’ plates.”

 

Special Delivery

Martinelli said his operation’s continued growth is a testament to untapped demand in what is, after all, an agriculture-heavy region.

“That’s also a testament to the number of people growing great food or making great food. So you have people who want it and people who are providing it, and we get to do it really well in the middle,” he told BusinessWest. “We take pride in doing that and paying real attention to good relationships with our vendor partners and with our customers, and all three parties valuing one another.”

And he enjoys making the connections that drive that growth.

“It’s exciting to be able to say to another customer, ‘you know, I just talked to a guy recently who didn’t know there was a service like this, saw our catalog, and said, ‘these are exactly the kinds of foods that I want to have in my store.’ And we make it easy for them to get those foods in there, and do it in a way that’s just as professional as any very large distributor, but with a special focus on local and regional high-quality foods.”

Again, Martinelli added, “we feel like we’re scratching the surface, 10 years in, with the amount of suppliers that have food to go out into the world and the amount of people out there who want that good food.”

 

Amherst Is College Town with ‘Metropolitan Vibe’

By
John Page describes Amherst as a “cultural college town.”
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

John Page describes Amherst as a “cultural college town.”

John Page describes Amherst as a “cultural college town.”

John Page calls it a ‘retail incubator.’

That’s the unofficial name given to a facility — still very much in the planning stages — designed to bolster retail in downtown Amherst and bring more balance (and more reasons to visit) to an area more known for its arts, culture, and restaurants.

“It’s a small location for retailers — people who are online, they’re artists, they do things at farmers markets — who are not quite ready to make the jump to a brick-and-mortar store, which is high-risk and quite complicated, said Page, executive director of the Amherst Business Improvement District (BID). “We’re hoping to make a half-step, where folks can start to test their concept out and learn more about being a brick-and-mortar retailer.”

The retail incubator (more details to come later this year, he said) is one of myriad initiatives in various stages of development in Amherst — a town where there is almost always a lot happening — that cross a wide spectrum, from housing to education; from new restaurants to new retail. That long list includes:

• A new elementary school that will be 100% carbon-neutral and ready for occupancy in the fall of 2026;

• Several new housing projects that include everything from market-rate apartments to home-ownership opportunities (much more on these later);

• An extensive, $46 million renovation and expansion of the Jones Library;

• A new restaurant, the Amherst Oyster Bar, which will bring much-needed new life to an historically vibrant spot, site of the former Judie’s restaurant on North Pleasant Street;

• An enhanced presence for both UMass Amherst and Amherst College downtown, with UMass Amherst recently opening UMass Downtown, a multi-purpose retail, event, and meeting space on North Pleasant Street, and Amherst College having opened a campus store on South Pleasant Street;

• Conversion of a former VFW post into a homeless shelter and supportive housing for veterans;

• The continued success story that is the Drake, a live-performance venue in the heart of downtown;

• The planned arrival of another cultural attraction downtown — Ancestral Bridges, an organization that celebrates the history of contributions of Black and Afro-Indigenous families in Amherst; and

• A reimagining of the space called North Common, a former a parking area that has become a popular gathering place downtown.

City officials and business leaders alike are enthusiastic not only about these individual developments, but how they will — and, in many respects, already are — working together to create more foot traffic and vibrancy in the downtown area.

“We’re between Boston and New York, and in such an academically driven area, you get a lot of people from those areas, and they’re looking for something they expect from a city vibe. That’s certainly new to Amherst, but that’s the direction we want to push things in.”

Indeed, the new housing units are bringing more residents to support the full spectrum of businesses downtown, said Page, adding that cultural attractions like the Drake and Amherst Cinema are bringing people to restaurants and bars before and after shows. Meanwhile, new retail, like Aster & Pine Market and the two college stores, are broadening the mix of things to do and reasons to come to the downtown.

“We have a lot of housing in our downtown, and that’s been very helpful to us because we have more people; those people go out to lunch and for coffee, and they spend money,” said Page, who referred to Amherst as a “cultural college town.”

Alden Peotter shows off the recently opened Amherst Oyster Bar.

Alden Peotter shows off the recently opened Amherst Oyster Bar.

“Meanwhile, with Amherst Cinema and the Drake, we encourage people to enjoy a meal before or after, or maybe a cocktail, so that there is that stickiness — people linger and enjoy the downtown.”

Paul Bockelman, Amherst’s long-time town manager, agreed.

“The Drake, along with the Amherst Cinema, has made a huge impact in bringing people downtown to live events,” he said. “And once they’re there, they stay and they support other businesses.”

As for the Oyster Bar, it has been a long time coming. Its grand opening had been pushed back so many times that the eventual date, April 1, was taken by some as an April Fools joke, said Alden Peotter, operations manager for Amherst Innovative Hospitality, which also operates the nearby Protocol bar and restaurant.

He spoke with BusinessWest the day after a soft opening late last month, and said that both the Oyster Bar and Protocol, which opened as a bar but has evolved into a popular restaurant drawing people of all ages, provide what he called a “metropolitan vibe,” something he believes young people, and some not so young, are looking for.

“We’re between Boston and New York, and in such an academically driven area, you get a lot of people from those areas, and they’re looking for something they expect from a city vibe,” he said. “That’s certainly new to Amherst, but that’s the direction we want to push things in.”

For this, the latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest looks at the many forms of development and progress in Amherst, a college town that is so much more.

 

Building Momentum

For Page, who took the helm at the BID last October, his new job is a return to downtown Amherst.

Indeed, he worked at the Amherst Regional Chamber of Commerce, which shares space with the BID in an office on South Pleasant Street, handing marketing and membership, before taking a job at UMass Amherst working on large events like commencement.

“I wanted to get back involved with the town of Amherst and all that was happening downtown,” he said, adding that he was inspired to seek the BID job after doing consulting work for the agency on its summer concert series.

“It reignited my passion for that economic-development work,” he said, adding that, since arriving, he’s continued the BID’s work in tandem with the chamber to promote the downtown and generate more vibrancy in the central business district, which has made a nice recovery after being devastated by COVID — but with changes.

Indeed, while food and beverage taxes are exceeding 2019 levels, there are still fewer people going out, overall, with restaurants still doing strong takeout business. One goal — at the BID, the chamber, and with new destinations like the Oyster Bar and Protocol — is to get them back out.

Amherst at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1759
Population: 39,263
Area: 27.7 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $17.82
Commercial Tax Rate: $17.82
Median Household Income: $48,059
Median Family Income: $96,005
Type of Government: Town Council, Town Manager
Largest Employers: UMass Amherst; Amherst College; Hampshire College
* Latest information available

“Our real view on downtown Amherst is promoting not just nightlife, but getting people out of their house, getting people to form these communities that have really been missing due to COVID and what came after; we want to give them that location,” said Peotter, who described both establishments as “that third place.” By that, he meant it’s not home, and it’s not work — “it’s another place to be.”

Page said one of his focal points is what would be considered traditional, brick-and-mortar retail. The downtown has some, he said, and the goal is attract more, while also retaining what exists, through initiatives like the planned retail incubator, a site for which has yet to be determined.

“It’s a difficult industry,” he said, adding that Amherst is not known as a retail destination, but could become one. “You need critical mass — you need other retailers so that people view you as a shopping destination.”

Jacob Robinson, executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, agreed.

“Fortunately, downtown Amherst isn’t experiencing a significant vacancy issue, but there’s strong interest in attracting more retail to diversify the mix of businesses and further enhance the pedestrian experience,” he said.

“Of course, retail-space turnover is a normal and expected part of any dynamic downtown. As business owners retire, pivot, or evolve their offerings, it naturally creates opportunities for new entrepreneurs to bring fresh ideas and energy into the community. We’re seeing that play out in Amherst, with some beloved businesses closing for personal or planned reasons — often after years or decades of serving the community — and new ventures preparing to take their place. It’s a sign of a living, breathing local economy that continues to adapt and grow.”

Among the relatively new retail offerings are the Amherst College Store, which opened a year ago in the former A.J. Hastings space at 45 South Pleasant St., and UMass Downtown, which opened its doors in February at 108 North Pleasant St., in space most recently occupied by Greenfield Savings Bank.

The latter is a multi-purpose retail, event, and meeting space, said Nancy Buffone, associate vice chancellor of University Relations, who spoke with BusinessWest at the facility.

She said a downtown presence for the university has been talked about for many years, and it became a priority for Chancellor Javier Reyes when he arrived in 2023.

“This is truly about bringing UMass and the community together,” she said, adding that the facility will host both UMass events, such as lectures slated for this spring, and community events, such as registration for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Daffodil Run.

UMass Downtown has seen steady volumes of foot traffic, said Buffone, adding the numbers are expected to move higher as the weather improves and especially for commencement week and ‘destination days,’ when those students who have been accepted to the university, and their parents, are invited to take in the school and the town.

 

Developing Stories

Bockelman calls it the “mixing middle.”

He was referring to the broad segment of housing involving homeownership opportunities for segments of the population that might otherwise not break that barrier. This middle area is being addressed in a project on Ball Lane, undertaken by Valley Community Development Corp.

“We’re seeing a lot of apartments being built, but what has been largely missing has been homeownership opportunities, which is why the Ball Lane project is so exciting,” he told BusinessWest, adding that plans call for 30 units on an eight-acre tract.

The project is one of many housing initiatives, public and private, in various stages of development in town, and they address a critical need for new housing.

Other projects include two public projects totaling 78 apartments, 31 at the former East Street School and 47 at 70 Belchertown Road, said Bockelman, noting that these will be a mix, with varying levels of affordability. The developer, Way Finders, expects to have both sites developed and occupied by 2028.

On the private side, developer Barry Roberts is forwarding two projects, a large (but scaled-down) initiative at the corner of Amity Street and University Drive that will involve retail on the ground floor and apartments above, and the other at the former Hastings site. Meanwhile, Archipelago Investments LLC is set to break ground on a five-story, 68-unit project at Olympia Drive, a dorm-like building that will rise on the site of the former Iota Beta chapter of the Chi Omega sorority, which Archipelago acquired several years ago.

Archipelago has also been named designated developer for a project to create 140 residential units on a large tract of land owned by Hampshire College, adjacent to Atkins Farms.

These projects and others in different stages of development will make a large dent in the overall need for housing across the spectrum, said Bockelman, adding that such projects are needed to help seniors stay in town, young professionals to move there, and employees at many types of businesses, especially the hospitality sector, to afford to live in town.

Robinson agreed. “Housing remains a key issue,” he told BusinessWest. “While Amherst is actively exploring strategies to create more diverse and affordable housing options, it’s clear that housing supply directly affects workforce retention, talent attraction, and the overall economic vibrancy of the region. Our businesses need access to a stable workforce, and that depends in part on people being able to afford to live and thrive here.”

 

Annual Conference Brings Region’s HR Professionals Together

By
Features

Rolling with the Changes

 

The landscape of human resources and the pace of change in the workplace are never static, but some times are more … well, dynamic than others. And 2025 seems to be one of those times.

Which makes the annual Tri-State SHRM Conference — which will convene hundreds of regional HR professionals at Mohegan Sun on April 28-30 — a bit more interesting this year.

“It’s great networking with your peers when you’re at the event because things are drastically changing,” said Dave O’Brien, state director for the Massachusetts State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

“Look at the DEI landscape. Some companies are changing their DEI efforts, and other companies are standing firm, and you can talk to your peers and have an honest conversation with them and say, ‘hey, what’s going on? What are you doing? How are you handling this? What have you encountered?’ Because it does change so drastically and so fast.

Dave O’Brien

Dave O’Brien

“You can talk to your peers and have an honest conversation with them and say, ‘hey, what’s going on? What are you doing? How are you handling this? What have you encountered?’ Because it does change so drastically and so fast.”

“And it’s good because an HR person can’t really talk to anybody but another HR person about these things. They really kind of get it. And there is some concern.”

That’s just one of many reasons O’Brien is looking forward to this year’s conference, hosted by the Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island affiliate councils of SHRM. The three councils began collaborating on a biennial conference around 2000, which later became an annual event and has steadily grown over the years.

Lori McCombs, the Tri-State SHRM Conference manager, remembers the first conference she was hired to run: in 2020, which quickly had to pivot to a virtual event when the world shut down a few weeks before. But after a second virtual event in 2021, the conference has returned to an in-person model and grown significantly: while 242 people attended the 2020 event virtually, 385 showed up in person in 2024.

“The conference is definitely growing in popularity,” McCombs told BusinessWest. “We’ve had to close exhibitor registration due to the large volume of interest from exhibitors and sponsors. That’s a good problem to have. We’re experiencing a lot of positive growth.”

Most attendees are HR professionals, with 69% being HR manager or director level or above. “That means we have a lot of decision makers from these three states that attend this conference,” she said, adding that 32% of attendees represent companies with more than 1,000 employees, and half are from companies of at least 500. “And the type of people that exhibit are companies that provide goods or services to HR professionals — so, a lot of payroll companies, HR data companies, colleges and universities that have advanced HR degree programs, HR consulting firms, talent acquisition firms, recruiting firms, benefit brokers.”

Beth Groccia, a Tri-State SHRM planning committee member who has been involved with the conference for more than 20 years, noted that it used to rotate between venues in the three states, but between that and being held every other year, it was difficult to brand the event and build momentum.

Now a yearly event at Mohegan Sun, it’s much easier to promote, she said. “It’s a destination, people enjoy going there, and they know it’s around the same time of year, so they look forward to it.”

 

Big Ideas for Changing Times

This year’s keynote speaker is Paul Long, a motivational speaker who brings humor, energy, and tactical tips for workplace performance, McCombs said. In addition, a panel of speakers will share creative ideas for recruiting untapped talent, including individuals with disabilities, veterans returning to the workplace, previously incarcerated professionals, and other individuals facing challenges getting back into the workplace.

Lori McCombs

Lori McCombs

“If they’re unable to attend a session, they’re able to go back and watch that, which is very beneficial to those who want as much education as they can possibly get. That’s a great benefit that you don’t see at most other conferences.”

“So, it’s just looking at talent that maybe you’re not thinking of on a daily basis,” she said, adding that another popular panel is called the Stump the Employment Lawyers. “We end the conference with that session. It’s an opportunity for attendees to ask tough legal questions to a panel of employment lawyers from varying backgrounds. People look forward to that.”

Smaller sessions are conducted throughout the conference, three topics per time block, on issues ranging from employment law to professional development; from leadership integrity to combating HR burnout.

“People have the opportunity to attend whatever is of interest to them,” McCombs said. “We also livestream these sessions — we do have a small virtual audience — but we also record all the sessions so that attendees have full access to those recordings for 90 days on demand post-conference. So if they’re unable to attend a session, they’re able to go back and watch that, which is very beneficial to those who want as much education as they can possibly get. That’s a great benefit that you don’t see at most other conferences.”

Another benefit is continuing-education credits, Groccia noted. “A lot of the individuals that come to this conference are certified, and we need to get CEUs to maintain that certification. Plus, as we’ve said, things are changing so quickly. So, what else do we need to know about in our profession to stay up to date with these changing laws?”

O’Brien said the national Society of Human Resource Management provides plenty of general guidance. “But with the way things happen, we just have to stay true to our course and what our companies believe and what we believe.”

Having those discussions with other HR professionals in the field — and, really, just networking in general — is a real positive of the conference, McCombs added. “They’re practicing this every single day, but I would say that the attendees definitely come here to network and get support from each other, in these trying times in particular.”

The conference will also include a fundraiser for the SHRM Foundation, which supports scholarships and research for educational opportunities, O’Brien noted.

 

No Bull (Well, Maybe a Little Bull)

This year’s Tri-State SHRM Conference has a western theme and is titled “HR Rodeo: Saddle Up for Success,” and registration is available at tristateshrm.com. An event party will be held at Comix Roadhouse in Uncasville, “and we’ll be encouraging people to ride the bull and do line dancing and fun things like that,” McCombs said.

During the day, of course, the topics being dealt with are often serious. “The conference has a theme, but we try to stay relevant to what’s happening at the moment and offer best-practice ideas,” O’Brien said. But he quickly added that spending time with fellow HR professionals at a lively venue is, well, enjoyable.

“It’s always good to have more HR professionals join us and have fun,” he told BusinessWest. “You take the job seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. That’s the best part of this.”

Jessica Roncarati-Howe Grateful to Uplift Women

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Jessica Roncarati-Howe in the Dress for Success boutique today.
Where Are They Now?

Where Are the Now?

Jessica Roncarati-Howe in her 2012 40 Under Forty portrait

Jessica Roncarati-Howe in her 2012 40 Under Forty portrait

Jessica Roncarati-Howe in the Dress for Success boutique today.

Jessica Roncarati-Howe in the Dress for Success boutique today.

 

When Jessica Roncarati-Howe was honored as a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2012, she was executive director of the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts — a job with many hats, all of which she wore proudly.

As the foundation’s only paid staff member, she was in charge of marketing and development, administering the grant program, co-chairing most events, and overseeing a cadre of volunteers and interns.

The AIDS Foundation had three missions: providing financial assistance to about 100 patients a year for expenses like rent, utilities, and medications; educational components, including the training of young peer educators to bring awareness into high schools and colleges; and referral services to help people with the disease access healthcare and other resources.

And those efforts made a difference, and even saved lives, considering Greater Springfield had the highest rate of infection in the state at the time.

“It was so gratifying to help them, not just get the services and supports they needed, but build their level of dignity and quality of life,” Roncarati-Howe recalled. “That work really was my heart for the longest time. It taught me a lot about this community, its diversity, how it feels to meet somebody where they are in their lives, as opposed to holding expectations of where people think they should be, and then helping them from that point. It was a remarkable bit of education for me. And that’s something that I wanted to carry into my career going forward.”

Eventually, the heavy workload of that job wasn’t meshing with her home life as well as she would have liked, and she didn’t want either to suffer. “I left the AIDS Foundation because I had a responsibility to both the people who relied on the foundation and my daughter, and I couldn’t juggle both without doing a disservice to one or the other.”

So she moved on to other jobs (and had “surprise twins” along the way), but nothing felt like the right fit — until she became involved with Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts, which she serves as executive director today.

“A friend of mine who was president of the board at the time met with me and asked if I might be interested in a position as program coordinator, but she couldn’t promise me anything except complete uncertainty and lousy pay,” she laughed.

Yet, the executive director at the time felt the organization was on the cusp of rapid growth, and she was right — eventually. Roncarati-Howe’s initial experience was something different, as she came on board in January 2020, just before the world shut down.

“My job went from defining existing programs and building more programs to figuring out what our participants actually needed in that moment and building from there,” she recalled. “And that meant scaling back and scrapping some things, going in different directions that we never expected that we would go. And, lo and behold, we ended up not only successfully delivering programs and services through the pandemic, but also growing.”

From program coordinator, she quickly advanced to director of programs and operations, and began to feel the same sense of ‘right place, right time’ that she had with the AIDS Foundation.

“The more things changed in the world, the more important it became to me to do meaningful work again. And now, I can’t see myself contentedly doing anything else.”

In January 2024, when the executive director position opened up, Roncarati-Howe was named to that role in an interim fashion, and the job became official two months later.

“We’ve all been in a position where we’ve needed help, we’ve needed support, and we haven’t known what the next steps are. To be able to provide that for women is an honor. That’s why I do this.”

It’s impactful work, with services that include the well-known boutique where women can get professional attire for interviews and after landing jobs, and also the Foot in the Door program that focuses on work readiness, from résumé writing and interview skills to networking, workplace etiquette, professional attire, and how to navigate difficult situations on the job.

Dress for Success also partners with a number of organizations, including hiring agencies, employers, and community colleges, to make sure as many people as possible graduate and move right into further training, higher education, or a job within three months of graduating.

“Instead of having siloed programming, we’ve developed a model that we call the continuum of support,” Roncarati-Howe said. “We help a woman from the moment they walk in the door, wherever they are in their life and whatever their needs might be, to whenever they feel that they don’t need us anymore. In some cases, that’s eight to 10 years.”

The program also provides basic computer literacy and a laptop, courtesy of Tech Foundry; basic financial wellness with Liberty Bank; and preparation for the National Career Readiness Certificate exam, not to mention the Margaret Fitzgerald Mentorship Program, a year-long, one-on-one mentorship with a professional or retired professional woman in the community.

The work of Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts is being amplified and expanded with the recent opening of its new Women’s Career Center, which will make the nonprofit’s workforce-development programming available to hundreds more individuals each year, both on a drop-in basis and through regularly scheduled workshops.

The organization will celebrate all of this, and its impact, at its 25th-anniverary Common Threads gala coming up on Thursday, April 17.

“We really try to ensure that, no matter who’s coming to us, the answer is never ‘no,’” Roncarati-Howe said. “It’s just so heartwarming and inspirational and gratifying. It’s also humbling because our perspective is that we’re serving. We are grateful to be able to do this work and do good for people who need us because we’ve all been in a position where we’ve needed help, we’ve needed support, and we haven’t known what the next steps are. To be able to provide that for women is an honor. That’s why I do this.”

Here Are Some Common Tax Mistakes Small Businesses Make

By Contributor
Accounting and Tax Planning

Avoiding the Pitfalls

By Melissa Braun

 

Tax season can be stressful for small-business owners, but it doesn’t have to be. Avoiding common tax mistakes can save time, money, and the headache of an audit. Below are some of the most frequent errors small businesses make during tax season — along with practical solutions to help streamline the process.

 

Mixing Business and Personal Finances

The Mistake: Many small-business owners use personal accounts for business expenses, making it difficult to track deductions and report income accurately.

How to Avoid It: Open a separate business bank account and credit card. Use accounting software to categorize transactions and ensure accurate financial records.

 

Poor Record Keeping

The Mistake: Failing to maintain organized records leads to missed deductions and potential IRS scrutiny.

How to Avoid It: Keep digital and physical copies of all receipts, invoices, and financial statements. Use bookkeeping software like QuickBooks or Xero to maintain accurate records throughout the year.

Melissa Braun

Melissa Braun

“Use IRS guidelines to determine worker classification. If you’re unsure, seek professional advice to avoid costly reclassification issues.”

 

State Tax Filings

The Mistake: Not filing taxes in the correct states, especially for businesses with remote employees.

How to Avoid It: Ensure you are filing state taxes where your employees live and where your business has a tax obligation. Consult a tax professional to avoid missing required filings.

 

Overlooking Deductions and Credits

The Mistake: Many small business owners don’t take advantage of all available deductions, such as home-office expenses, capital improvements, and retirement contributions.

How to Avoid It: Research tax deductions and credits applicable to your industry. Consult a CPA to ensure you maximize all eligible write-offs.

 

Misclassifying Employees and Contractors

The Mistake: Misclassifying workers as independent contractors instead of employees (or vice versa) can lead to IRS penalties.

How to Avoid It: Use IRS guidelines to determine worker classification. If you’re unsure, seek professional advice to avoid costly reclassification issues.

 

Failing to File or Pay on Time

The Mistake: Missing deadlines for tax filings or payments can result in significant penalties and interest charges.

How to Avoid It: Mark key tax dates on your calendar and set reminders. Consider working with a tax professional to ensure timely filing and payments.

 

Underreporting Income

The Mistake: Some businesses inadvertently (or intentionally) underreport income, which can trigger an audit.

How to Avoid It: Report all business income, including cash transactions, digital sales, and third-party payments (such as PayPal or Venmo). Use accounting software to track and reconcile income regularly. Keep track of 1099s received.

 

Neglecting Payroll Tax Obligations

The Mistake: Business owners who handle payroll incorrectly — such as failing to withhold taxes or misreporting wages — can face IRS penalties.

How to Avoid It: Use a payroll service or consult with a tax expert to ensure compliance with payroll tax regulations.

 

Forgetting to Back Up Financial Data

The Mistake: Losing important financial documents due to a system crash or accidental deletion can cause major issues at tax time.

How to Avoid It: Regularly back up financial data to a secure cloud storage solution and keep paper copies of essential documents.

 

Trying to Do It All Alone

The Mistake: Many business owners attempt to handle taxes without professional guidance, increasing the risk of mistakes.

How to Avoid It: Work with a CPA or tax professional to ensure accuracy and compliance. Their expertise can help you save money and avoid costly errors.

 

Final Thoughts

Proactively managing your tax responsibilities throughout the year will make tax time much smoother. By keeping accurate records, making timely payments, and seeking professional guidance, small-business owners can minimize stress, reduce errors, and avoid unnecessary penalties.

Whittlesey specializes in helping small businesses navigate tax season with confidence. Whether you need assistance with tax planning, compliance, or financial strategy, our experienced team is here to help. Contact us today to ensure your business is prepared for tax season — and beyond.

 

Melissa Braun is a partner at Whittlesey, specializing in strategic tax planning, tax provisions, and tax-return preparation for corporate clients, including financial institutions. With extensive experience across real estate, low-income housing, construction, manufacturing, and closely held businesses, she provides expert guidance to help clients navigate complex tax regulations and optimize financial outcomes.

Dietz & Company Architects Values Relationships

By
Architecture

Personal Touch

Lee Morrissette says it’s rewarding to see the impact the firm’s completed projects have on the community.

Lee Morrissette says it’s rewarding to see the impact the firm’s completed projects have on the community.

 

As Kerry Dietz planned her transition away from day-to-day leadership of the architecture firm she launched four decades ago, she was on a site visit to one of the firm’s Boston-area projects with Lee Morrissette — now one of the company’s four principals — and he asked her about her vision for the firm after she steps away.

“She said, ‘well, I’ve always envisioned the firm as a place for people to have a career in architecture.’ I thought that was a really interesting perspective,” Morrissette told BusinessWest. “It’s wasn’t ‘we want to build this building’ or ‘we want to get that award or make a lot of money from this particular type of project,’ but rather, ‘we want to be a place for people to have a career, to be part of a community,’ which I think is really rewarding.

“That, for me, has really resonated. Since becoming a principal over the past five years, I’ve realized that, even though I do interviews with clients and try to get new work and take on that competitive process we do for public work — which is great — it’s occurred to me that clients hire architects as people, not really as companies.”

And that’s important, Morrissette added, considering the relationship aspect of this work.

“You get the company, with all the breadth of experience. But you’re really hiring an architect, a person, to work with,” he explained. “The fastest projects barely get done in a year, and the really big, complex ones go three, five, seven, sometimes 10 years. You’re building a long-term relationship with somebody, so it needs to be somebody you can actually work with, someone who has your back. It’s like having a friend with special expertise you can really tap into. Perhaps friend isn’t the right word, but it’s building a relationship.”

Those relationships have grown over the years, and so has the firm, which now boasts a team of 30, completely filling the space in Springfield Union Station it has occupied since 2017. It has also opened a second office in Cambridge.

“Architects don’t build anything; contractors build things. We just provide all of what they need to be able to do that. And over that year of construction, 18 months, whatever it is, it slowly comes to life for us.”

“The bread and butter for our firm has always been affordable public housing, and there are a lot more housing authorities in the eastern part of the state than in the western part of the state, so we found ourselves getting more work in Eastern Massachusetts,” Morrissette said, noting that three team members work at that satellite.

But staff growth isn’t the only goal, he noted. Professional development is critical, as evidenced by the company’s designation, since 2018, as an Emerging Professional Friendly Firm by the New England Components of the American Institute of Architects. That program acknowledges architecture firms that promote the advancement of emerging talent through professional development and personal growth opportunities.

“It’s like a stamp of approval that we have an established professional-development program that includes mentorship and study materials and support of emerging professionals on a regular basis,” he said.

But it’s not just younger team members who are immersed in a culture of learning. Morrissette spent several recent weekends studying for an exam to become a certified passive house consultant, a cutting-edge type of sustainable design that dramatically reduces the amount of energy a building consumes.

“I’ve taken 56 hours of training to do this. And I’m really lucky that I can participate in that lifelong learning, just like the new grads that join our office,” he told BusinessWest. “We’re all learning together, and I think it’s a cool profession to be in. There’s a lot of variety in what we do, and there’s a lot to explore.”

 

Market Diversification

Dietz, like many large, well-established firms, designs projects in a range of sectors, including commercial, education, housing, senior living, hospitality, municipal work, and more.

“It sounds kind of like investment strategy, but it’s very similar. We have our hospitality industry, which is fairly market-driven, and then we have our publicly funded work,” Morrissette said, noting that publicly funded projects tend to land in a few buckets, from schools to housing authorities to municipalities. “They all have different budget cycles and money sources, but we’re working with public money from the very local level all the way to the feds, and that’s a nice balance to have.”

The principals at the firm — architects Morrissette, Jason Newman, and Kevin Riordan and chief financial officer Tina Gloster — regularly strategize on what projects to pursue or types of work to emphasize, and each brings different experiences and expertise.

Dietz & Company designed the new Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Springfield.

Dietz & Company designed the new Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Springfield.

“The business side, for architects, can be challenging. We don’t go to business school; we go to design school. But when you’re a really good designer, you get a lot of work, and you find yourself running a company, and you find yourself having to make business decisions,” Morrissette said.

One of them is Dietz’s continued evolution as a leader in sustainable design, with one recent example being the Wilmington Senior Center, the firm’s first exposed mass timber project.

“Instead of the old timber — huge trees cut into big pieces, like the interior of mill buildings with huge timber frames and brick exteriors — mass timber is when you take a whole bunch of small pieces of wood and glue them together to make either columns or beams or floor blocks or wall blocks,” Morrissette explained.

“It’s a good sustainability story because it’s wood that’s pretty quickly grown because you’re growing little trees instead of big trees. It’s fairly renewable and reasonably fast-growing. It helps manage the forests. It also sequesters carbon into the building.”

But despite the excitement of new designs and industry innovations, the most gratifying part of any project is watching the final product emerge — and the impact it has on clients.

“Architects don’t build anything; contractors build things. We just provide all of what they need to be able to do that. And over that year of construction, 18 months, whatever it is, it slowly comes to life for us,” Morrissette told BusinessWest, using the senior center as an example. “Nothing is more rewarding than walking an owner or a client through a building and saying, ‘over here, remember we talked about what that café was going to be like? This is where the coffee is going to be. This is where that beautiful tile you picked out is going to go.’

“And then you get to the ribbon cutting, and they say, ‘I can’t believe we’re here.’ To see the building full of its occupants — not contractors or architects, but to actually see it full of its occupants, enjoying the space, playing pool in the rec room and doing yoga in the fitness studio and sitting down for a meal — yeah, that’s pretty cool.”

 

Handing It Over

Still president and board chairman of the firm, Dietz can take a lot of pride in the company and culture she has built, which also includes an employee ownership model launched in 2021. Morrissette is proud of the work, too, but it goes deeper than that.

“In truth, there’s something a little bit zen about it. We spend all this time in this building. We argue and collaborate with the contractors and the owners about details and budget. We advocate for it like it’s our baby. And then we just give to the owner — because it’s not our building. You have to get used to giving it up and walking away.

“But it’s very rewarding,” he added. “It is incredibly challenging and nuanced, and I’m always tested, but I’m really lucky that I get to do this on a daily basis.”

Is the Commonwealth Losing Its Competitive Edge?

By
Features Special Coverage

State of the Bay State

 

“The success of Massachusetts’ economy has historically been driven by a number of key strengths: a strong quality of life, an educated and engaged workforce, and economic sectors that adapt to changing conditions and are at the vanguard of innovation. However, these strengths are no longer as unique to Massachusetts, nor are they guaranteed to continue in perpetuity, and in recent years, national demographic shifts and increased mobility for people and employers have threatened to degrade Massachusetts’ competitive edge when attracting residents, businesses, and investment.”

 

That’s the introductory, summary paragraph in a note from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Assoc. (MTF) as it introduced something it calls its Competitive Index, which was first released last fall and will now be conducted annually. And it effectively sets the tone for the document, which compiled 26 different metrics — from grade-8 math test scores to energy costs; from international migration to commute time — that clearly and concisely measure how the Bay State is stacking up. (The full report can be found at masstaxpayers.org.)

The bottom line is that is that, while the state still has several strong attributes, it is not as competitive as it has been historically. Or, put another way, other states, such as California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, have become more competitive. And now, thanks to the pandemic and the advent of remote work, it has more competitors, including other New England states.

“Massachusetts has a number of real strengths; the fact that we are the most highly educated state in the nation and have been for a long time, the fact that we have the best K-12 school system, at least on average, and higher education is such a strength, bodes well for us,” MTF President Doug Howgate told BusinessWest. “But at the same time, there are lot of things that we can and do need to do better — we’re either lagging behind the standards we’ve set for ourselves, or we’re lagging behind other states.”

“One of the reasons why we wanted to look into some of these issues within the competitive index is that, during the pandemic, we started to see that location choices became a little more flexible — not for everyone, but for some people,” he went on. “And that has real impacts for the long-standing proposition that Massachusetts has for its residents in terms of what you gain from living here and what the costs are.

“There are lot of things that we can and do need to do better — we’re either lagging behind the standards we’ve set for ourselves, or we’re lagging behind other states.”

“If people became a little less sticky and had a little more ability to move around — the same with employers — was that going to be a competitive advantage or disadvantage for Massachusetts?” he continued. “And at least in the very short term, it appeared to be a net competitive disadvantage as we saw these big surges in domestic outmigration — not everywhere, but certainly in higher-cost areas.”

Since the release of the report, compiled with researchers at the UMass Donohue Institute and with the support of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, it has been the subject of discussion and debate — about what the state has lost when it comes to its historic competitive edge, to whom it has lost that edge, and, perhaps most importantly, how it might get that edge back.

Howgate has spoken at several forums about the Competitive Index and the issues related to it, including the Outlook lunch staged by the Springfield Regional Chamber earlier this month.

Doug Howgate

Doug Howgate

“If people became a little less sticky and had a little more ability to move around — the same with employers — was that going to be a competitive advantage or disadvantage for Massachusetts?”

At those forums, and in a wide-ranging interview with BusinessWest, he stressed that the Commonwealth can no longer take its historic advantages — and, again, there are several, from educational attainment to its ability to attract international immigrants — for granted, because other states are gaining ground in those realms.

In the meantime, several factors, such as the rising cost of everything from housing to energy to childcare, as well as the so-called ‘millionaire’s tax’ and the rise of remote work, have contributed to the state losing population — and talent — to other states, although some, if not most, of these losses have been made up through international immigration.

As he talked about the index and what the numbers mean, Howgate said it suggests at least five key areas for policy focus: creating a competitive roadmap, stemming outmigration, growing the labor force, incorporating cost considerations into policy conversations, and fostering and supporting the relationship between the state’s education system and the economy.

We’ll get into each in more detail as we examine the Competitive Index and how it serves as a call to action as the state, which is still very competitive when it comes to businesses, jobs, and talent, faces the hard reality that it must take steps to remain that way.

Moving Targets

As he sliced through the numbers in the index, Howgate reiterated that the Commonwealth still has several competitive strengths.

Indeed, it is ranked at or near the top in such areas as population age 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher, average weekly wage, research and development funding as a share of gross state product, and even life expectancy at birth.

But these strengths are counter-balanced by many weaknesses, with the state ranked at or near the bottom nationally in income inequality, energy costs, overall cost of living, commute time, childcare costs, housing cost burden, and even average unemployment insurance tax amount per covered employee.

In many ways, these weaknesses are now taking their toll, and this is showing up in domestic migration, with the state losing workers to regional competitors such as Maine and New Hampshire, and especially Florida, California, and New York.

This disconcerting trend is what prompted MTF to “look under the hood,” as Howgate put it, and determine if and where the state was losing some of its edge.

“We started looking at questions related to where are we a leader or a laggard, and a lot of the places where we’re a laggard are places where the costs are borne by wealthy folks,” he said, referring to the millionaire’s tax but also other factors. “But also, a lot of the costs make it a challenging place to live for working families, which is another huge challenge for the Commonwealth moving forward.

“What we talk about in the report is that people are more sensitive to cost than they used to be,” he went on. “So that heightens some of our long-standing competitive disadvantages. The fact that childcare costs are higher, housing costs are higher, unemployment insurance taxes … we continue to fare very poorly in those areas, and they’re at the core of where people can afford to live.”

Statistics show that, while outmigration is occurring most in the higher income brackets, especially $250,000 in annual income and above, it is also happening with other groups, such as those in the $75,000-$100,000 range, said Howgate, adding that this speaks to, respectively, people who can afford to relocate and those who can’t afford to stay. And in both cases, the trends started before the pandemic.

“And the factor that’s kind of marbled throughout that is that we’re seeing increasing evidence that it’s our younger professionals who are leaving,” he said, adding that this reality has deep ramifications for the Commonwealth and its businesses, large and small.

Meanwhile, he acknowledged that this challenge does in some ways present opportunities for this part of the state, where some of these costs, especially housing and childcare, are not as burdensome.

Indeed, opportunities exist to convince people, and even businesses, to move to different parts of the Commonwealth rather than to another state, he said, adding that, due in large part to remote work possibilities, some areas, such as the Cape and the Berkshires, are gaining population.

 

Behind the Numbers

Howgate noted that one of the many lessons from the pandemic, a once-in-a-lifetime happening that altered many aspects of life, is that things can change quickly.

“Just like you don’t want to assume that things are going to go right back to the way they were before the pandemic in a couple of months or a couple of years, you also don’t want to assume that the way things looked in June of 2023 is what they’re going to look like forever,” he told BusinessWest. “One of the points with the competitiveness index is to say that, as we find a new normal — and what ‘normal’ is is always changing — how do we start to create these baselines for ourselves about what we’re doing well and not doing well?”

And with this baseline, Massachusetts can continue to track how it’s faring, he said, adding that overall competitiveness is something that the state and its leaders should continually gauge — and work to improve.

It hasn’t been this way historically, he went on, and this is perhaps one of the reasons why some of its edge has been lost.

“You don’t want to overreact as a policy maker, but at the same time, we have some compelling data that something has altered how people are making location decisions,” he said. “So we need to be more mindful of the fact that people aren’t going to just stay because this is where they’ve always been; there has to be more to our argument than that.”

This brings him back to some of those suggested key areas of policy focus and the overall need to emphasize competitiveness as an economic-development priority for the state.

Action, and change, is needed on several fronts, Howgate said, especially housing and what he called the “nexus between transportation and housing.”

“If people can’t afford to live in a place that gets them to where they want to go conveniently, you have a big problem on your hands,” he told BusinessWest. “And that is something Massachusetts has a real crunch on — both accessible and efficient transportation options and affordable housing.

“While there are other things that absolutely matter as well, such as childcare costs,” he went on, “I think that we started to focus more and more, as others have as well, on what are some of the smart things we can do on transportation and housing to get people more quickly to places with inexpensive housing, like Central Mass. and Western Mass., and then also, what can we do on the production side to boost housing so people are able to afford where they want to live?”

The Commonwealth is certainly not alone with these challenges — many other states and urban areas are dealing with sky-high housing costs and transportation issues, he said, adding that some are being more proactive, and effective, in dealing with them and issues such as zoning and land use.

When asked to project ahead five or 10 years to where the Commonwealth might be from a competitiveness standpoint, Howgate said this is difficult because of the profound pace of change. But he did say the state cannot afford to leave anything to chance.

“We know what our demography is, that we’re an aging population, like other Northeast states, and we know that we’re a high-cost area,” he said. “At the end of the day, irrespective of where you are ideologically, it’s in all of our best interests to incentivize people to stay in Massachusetts, and move to Massachusetts, because we’re not going to have that level of growth if we just sit here and do nothing.”

What Every Employee Should Know About Stock Compensation

By Contributor
Accounting and Tax Planning Special Coverage

Unlocking the Benefits

 

By Matt Baran

Stock compensation has become an increasingly common form of employee compensation, particularly in tech startups, large corporations, and publicly traded companies. This form of compensation allows employees to benefit from their company’s success by offering them the ability to acquire shares of the company’s stock. Stock compensation also allows companies to save cash while still providing their employees with a form of payment.

There are different types of stock compensation plans available, each with its own set of benefits and tax implications. The most common types are incentive stock options (ISOs), non-qualified stock options (NSOs), and restricted stock units (RSUs). Understanding these options is essential for employees to make informed decisions about their compensation and plan for potential tax obligations.

 

Incentive Stock Options

Incentive stock options are a type of stock option that provides employees the right to purchase company shares at a fixed price (known as the exercise price) after a certain vesting period.

ISOs have unique tax advantages that make them appealing to employees. When employees exercise ISOs and hold onto the shares for at least one year after exercise and two years after the grant date, any gains from the sale of the stock are taxed as long-term capital gains rather than ordinary income, providing favorable tax treatment as long-term capital gain rates are typically lower than ordinary tax rates.

ISOs do not trigger ordinary income tax when they are exercised, as long as the employee meets the holding-period requirements previously mentioned. This allows employees to potentially defer taxes until they sell the shares. If the holding-period requirements are not met, the sale would be considered a disqualified disposition and subject to ordinary tax rates, on both the spread and any additional gains after purchase.

Matt Baran

Matt Baran

“Restricted stock units are valuable because they provide employees with an equity stake in the company once the shares vest. Unlike stock options, which have value only if the company’s stock price rises above the exercise price, RSUs have intrinsic value as long as the company’s stock has value.”

While ISOs provide the benefit of capital-gains tax treatment, they come with the risk of triggering alternative minimum tax (AMT). The spread between the exercise price and the fair market value of the stock at the time of exercise is considered a preference item for AMT purposes, potentially causing employees to owe additional taxes even if they do not sell the stock immediately. Any AMT paid in a tax year can typically be taken as a credit in the next year the taxpayer is not subject to AMT.

 

Non-qualified Stock Options

Non-qualified stock options are the most common type of stock options granted by companies. Similar to ISOs, employees are granted the right to purchase shares at the exercise price. Unlike ISOs, NSOs do not receive the same favorable tax treatment and can trigger tax consequences at the time of exercise.

When an employee exercises NSOs, the difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the stock is taxed as ordinary income. This means that the employee will face immediate income-tax liability on the spread at exercise. The combination of the amount paid for the shares plus the taxable spread upon exercise becomes the tax basis in the shares and will be used in the calculation of gain or loss when the shares are sold. Any gains or losses will be treated as capital gains, either short- or long-term, depending on the holding period.

 

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock units are valuable because they provide employees with an equity stake in the company once the shares vest. Unlike stock options, which have value only if the company’s stock price rises above the exercise price, RSUs have intrinsic value as long as the company’s stock has value. Vesting, in relation to RSUs, is typically on a time-based schedule.

There are also performance stock units (PSUs), in which an employee must hit certain performance metrics to trigger the stock to vest. RSUs and PSUs are treated the same for tax purposes.

The shares are taxed at their fair market value when they vest, and employees usually elect a ‘sell-to-cover’ withholding method, meaning a portion of the vested shares are sold immediately to cover federal, state, and FICA withholdings. Employees with high tax rates should be conscientious of the withholding rate and consider making additional estimated tax payments, if necessary.

The fair market value that is taxable upon vest becomes the tax basis in the shares. Any gains or losses from sales of that stock are capital in nature and will be taxed at either short- or long-term rates, depending on the holding period.

 

Planning for Stock Compensation

Planning is paramount regarding stock compensation. It is important for employees to be aware of the relevant dates, including the grant date, exercise date, vesting date, and holding period once the employee gains ownership of the shares. For all types of stock compensation, employees must understand what type of stock compensation they were granted and the nature and timing of taxation, and have a plan for managing cash flows and executing sales of the stock down the road.

There are other planning considerations, including the long-term outlook of the company, the employee’s personal portfolio and diversification, and how other sources of taxable income impact tax liabilities and tax rates.

 

Bottom Line

Employees should carefully consider the type of stock compensation they receive and plan accordingly to manage their tax liabilities and maximize the benefits. As always, consulting a tax professional is recommended to navigate the complexities of stock compensation.

 

Matt Baran is a tax manager at MP CPAs

HAI Architecture Focuses on Projects with Impact

By
Principals Rick Katsanos (left) and Don Hafner
Architecture Special Coverage

Designs on the Future

Principals Rick Katsanos (left) and Don Hafner

Principals Rick Katsanos (left) and Don Hafner

 

As the long-time principals at HAI Architecture in Northampton, Don Hafner and Rick Katsanos don’t see the healthcare facilities they design — or any facilities, really — as simply physical spaces.

No, they see the impact on the people who live, work, and play in those spaces, and it’s a gratifying feeling, whether they’re designing an ICU for critical hospital care or a small outdoor stage for Forbes Library in Northampton.

“We don’t value healthcare systemically in this country,” Katsanos said of the former. “It’s more than just having a doctor; it’s more than just having the right medications. It’s about wellness. It’s about having an environment. And it doesn’t have to just be in a hospital. It can be in a clinic; it can be in a doctor’s office.”

As for the stage, which he called “a fun community project, a different thing for us,” there’s an element of wellness there, too.

“It’s mental health for the community. I like going and hearing the children’s choir, and instead of just standing on the muddy grass, there’s going to be a place for them. And I’m not placing an overemphasis on, ‘wow, we’re changing the world.’ But we’re changing a little bit of the world for the positive.

“And that’s all each of us needs to do — change the world a little bit for the positive. And then, cumulatively, great things can happen,” Katsanos went on. “That’s why I feel great about what we do. I’ve never felt like we’ve taken a project just for the money or we’ve taken a project that we weren’t proud of. I’m proud of every single thing this company has done.”

“We’re talking about some of these hospitals losing a hundred million dollars, two hundred million. That’s not insignificant. So that’s been an issue.”

Katsanos and Hafner met as freshmen at Penn State in the early ’80s and were among a group of architecture students who gravitated north after graduation to find work. Katsanos, a Wilbraham native, was hired in 1986 by Ed Jendry, who had launched Architects Inc. in Northampton in 1976. Two years later, Hafner, who had been working in Vermont, joined him at the firm.

In 1993, Katsanos and Hafner bought the business, which had also spun off a sister company, Healthcare Architects, to pursue work in the regional healthcare market — a decision that proved lucrative, as the firm still focuses heavily on designing modern, high-tech spaces for hospitals, health systems, and physician practices across the region.

The dramatic main entrance canopy was part of HAI’s work at Salem Hospital.

The dramatic main entrance canopy was part of HAI’s work at Salem Hospital.

Years later, the partners merged Architects Inc. and Healthcare Architects into one company, called HAI Architecture.

“Don and I have known each other for some 40-odd years. We met the first day of freshman year, and then went into business together,” Katsanos said. “We are fairly aligned. We have our differences, like every good relationship. Sometimes it’s like a marriage, sometimes it’s like siblings, sometimes it’s a business relationship. We run the gamut.

“And it’s important that we have differences of opinion; it helps,” he went on. “He’ll see something differently. I’ll say, ‘this is the way I’m going to design this.’ And he’ll go, ‘well, did you ever think that it might work out better this way?’ And that difference of opinion almost always makes it better.”

 

Healthy Returns

The firm is still heavily invested in healthcare projects, such as a just-completed ICU at UMass Memorial Health – Harrington Hospital in Southbridge and a new lobby addition and registration area at Salem Hospital — both of those long-time clients, as are some of the local hospitals, like Cooley Dickinson, Mercy, and the various Baystate facilities.

At Salem, “we’re doing a lot of radiographic technology stuff at their facilities and a bunch of clinical projects,” Hafner said, “and then also a bunch of infrastructure projects because we’ve always been a service provider in the truest architectural sense. We really love doing interesting architecture, but a lot of the stuff we’ve done with hospitals has always come from facility-based projects that help to support their infrastructure.”

“We have no idea if doors, which largely come from Canada, are going to be one and a half times what they were this time last year. Even stuff that is manufactured here is impacted by things like steel and aluminum prices.”

And those needs don’t stop, not even during the pandemic, when HAI stayed very busy.

“We never, other than maybe two weeks, had a slowdown. Everybody learned how to make sourdough bread, but I did not have that opportunity,” Katsanos said with a laugh. “We were fortunate because the healthcare sector needed to continue. The first project that went back online 10 days after the world shut down was a clinical trials facility — a lab that we were designing and in the middle of building for Baystate — because it was needed. The government told us we’re critical infrastructure.”

That said, healthcare is in a challenging time right now, he noted, with many hospitals and health systems — Baystate, for instance — grappling with serious red ink.

“They’re basically looking at scaling back a lot things that aren’t direct patient care. They have to re-evaluate where they’re going to spend money. We’re talking about some of these hospitals losing a hundred million dollars, two hundred million. That’s not insignificant. So that’s been an issue.”

In addition, Katsanos said, “I think we’re seeing the impact of COVID on healthcare. Like, they kept going and kept going because they needed to. Staffing costs were higher; everything cost more, but they needed to keep going. And I think it’s finally caught up, and there needs to be a little bit of a correction because everybody’s overextended.”

That trend happens to coincide with dramatic proposed federal spending cuts in all areas of life, including healthcare.

“That affects our flow of projects. We have some projects that have been delayed almost immediately because there’s just uncertainty. So, if you don’t have to spend — if it’s not, ‘oh my gosh, that piece of equipment is totally broken, and we need to replace it’ — then clients are scaling back.”

One of HAI’s projects in UMass Memorial Health – Harrington Hospital was this ICU renovation.

One of HAI’s projects in UMass Memorial Health – Harrington Hospital was this ICU renovation.

The same promises to be true across higher education, he added. “That’s a big one, and it’s been a target as well.”

But economic uncertainty can affect projects of all kinds, Katsanos added. “Even stuff like the stage [at Forbes] — it’s a steel-framed stage. We don’t know if the tariffs are going to actually impact the pricing on that. The prices are locked in, but there’s always a caveat of ‘barring uncontrolled circumstances,’ and certainly a tariff is not necessarily a controlled circumstance. It’s not in place at the time that somebody places a bid, and then, a week later, it is. It’s no way to run an economy, but here we are.”

 

Branching Out

In addition to its broad roster of healthcare projects, HAI has diversified into many other sectors over the years, from bank branches to work at a number of nonprofits, like Ronald McDonald House and the Northampton Survival Center, to facilities in the education world.

One recent project was the renovation of the Gateway City Arts complex in downtown Holyoke to house LightHouse Holyoke, a non-traditional middle and high school. “Working with those folks was fun and something a little bit different for us,” Katsanos said. “So that was pretty satisfying.”

He added that it’s simply good business practice to diversify, even when times are heady in the healthcare realm.

“You can get very complacent when healthcare is so busy that you can’t keep up with it. But we don’t say no to something that’s out of the ordinary. Sometimes it’s refreshing to work on something that’s just different. Like an outdoor stage for Forbes Library — I would not have targeted that, but it’s a wonderful project.”

He also appreciates the impact of something like creating a family room for Ronald McDonald House at Baystate Children’s Hospital.

“If you have a kid getting cancer treatment at Baystate, you don’t even have to walk two blocks to go to the Ronald McDonald House; you can go to this new family room and get a cup of coffee and check your email and be away from your child’s bedside, but literally 12 seconds away, and that is really cool.”

Hafner said projects like this, with palpable human impact, energize the staff as well. “They understand that we value the community that we live and work in. So it’s very exciting to do those kinds of projects.”

As noted earlier, there’s plenty of concern these days to go along with the highs of today’s architecture industry, stemming from the economic uncertainty of tariffs and funding cuts.

“I think there’s large-scale worry from the contracting area across the board,” Hafner said. “We have no idea if doors, which largely come from Canada, are going to be one and a half times what they were this time last year. Even stuff that is manufactured here is impacted by things like steel and aluminum prices.”

“So I think everybody is really on edge,” he added. “A number of the hospitals that have not signed contracts have put things on hold because they’re not sure if project budgets will hold. I think there’s going to be a wave that happens through the entire construction industry. It’s not going to be limited to any one thing in particular because all those issues impact every single aspect of every single building typology.”

That said, Katsanos told BusinessWest, “we’re positive. We’re optimists … cautiously. It’s not a fun time right now for anybody, on whatever side of the spectrum you are, because uncertainty is always difficult. So I’m not saying I’m not concerned about our industry — I am concerned. But I also am positive. We’ll survive, and we’ll persevere.”

 

Kindness and Gratitude

Katsanos said he committed to making 2025 a “year of kindness,” inspired by his mother, whom he described as very kind, and who passed away in August.

“It doesn’t have to be huge. We don’t have to be political and change the world. We all have to just do better. Cumulatively, there’s a lot of us, and we can do great things.

“That’s why we like healthcare,” he added. “I’m not a doctor, but I think the healthcare system can be improved, and we try to do it. We are very, very affordable, and we could probably make more money, but we do a lot of work for nonprofits, and those are little margins. And we make that work.”

Hafner agreed. “I’m very thankful for what we’ve been able to accomplish. I am very proud of the projects that we’ve done. They don’t always land on the cover of a magazine or anything like that, but over the period of time that we’ve done this, we’ve made an impact. I think we’ve done a reasonable job of making our community a better place through the work that we’ve done.”

Town of Palmer Has Progress in Its Sites

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The former Thorndike School will be converted into 12 to 18 units of market-rate housing.
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

The former Thorndike School will be converted into 12 to 18 units of market-rate housing.

The former Thorndike School will be converted into 12 to 18 units of market-rate housing.

 

When it comes to Palmer’s much-anticipated new train station and the return of passenger rail service after a half-century absence, there is no timetable in place yet.

There are several hurdles still be cleared, from design to the huge matter of funding — for this train station and the state’s much larger east-west rail project. Town officials can only speculate that it will be a few years, and likely more than a few — one said it will be at least 2029 — before the facility is up and trains are stopping there.

But this lack of a go date isn’t tamping speculation, both positive and negative — especially since the state has now chosen a site for the station, an open field at 1099 South Main St., south of Palmer Yard, land owned by wire brush manufacturer Sanderson MacLeod (more on that company later) and adjacent to its plant.

To the disappointment of many in the community, this site is not downtown — and, more specifically, not the site of the former, historic train station, now home to the popular Steaming Tender restaurant.

In fact, a group calling itself the Central Rail Passenger Coalition is not entirely ready to give up on the downtown site, even though the state Department of Transportation has deemed it inadequate for several reasons, and town officials are accepting the state’s decision.

“It’s a chance for the town to assess current land use in the area and begin laying some groundwork to really encourage and enable transit-oriented development in that area.”

Scarlet Lamothe, general manager of the Steaming Tender and member of the Central Rail Passenger Coalition, has been outspoken — at public meetings and other forums — about how the South Yard location, known as ‘Site B,’ will not bring real economic benefits to the downtown or the community as a whole, pointing to the example of Windsor Locks, Conn., which built a new train station outside of the central business district, didn’t see much economic development, and is now moving its station downtown.

“Site B is not located in the downtown district, and it will show no benefit to the town,” she said, adding that she, other members of the coalition, and other Palmer residents are trying to gather support for an ordinance that would require that a passenger rail depot and related facilities need to be zoned in the downtown district.

“Also, you won’t see as much ridership at Site B because you won’t have that north-south connection,” she went on, adding that behind the historic station is a diamond junction, permitting rail service in all four directions; Site B would only accommodate east-west service.

Town Planner Heidi Mannarino acknowledged some disappointment concerning the state’s choice of location, but said the site is only a half-mile from downtown, and, overall, it could benefit existing businesses and prompt additional development.

“There is potential to unlock more development in that area,” she said, adding that, while the next steps in this process play out, the town should be looking to maximize the development opportunities from this potentially groundbreaking development, one that could return the community known as the Town of Seven Railroads to its roots.

“It’s a chance for the town to assess current land use in the area and begin laying some groundwork to really encourage and enable transit-oriented development in that area,” Mannarino said, adding that this includes everything from new housing opportunities to businesses catering to those getting on and off trains to creating safer alternatives for multi-modal transportation.

The state’s selection of a site for the new rail station tops the list of developing stories in this community, but there are several others, including plans to convert the former Thorndike School, built in 1910, into 12 to 18 units of market-rate housing, $1.6 million in infrastructure work (from sidewalks to fire hydrants), a new strip mall on Route 32 near the turnpike exit that is nearing the finish line, and a spike in interest in Palmer in the wake of remote work and hybrid schedules.

The Liberty Plaza project on Thorndike Street is nearing completion.

The Liberty Plaza project on Thorndike Street is nearing completion.

Indeed, this dramatic change in how people work has made the commute from Palmer to Springfield, Worcester, and points east of Worcester far more attractive than when people were going to the office five days a week, said John Latour, Palmer’s director of Community Development, adding that there are other incentives.

“There’s quality of life, there’s a grocery store and other amenities, but the housing here is more affordable than going further east,” he explained. “You can get a really nice house here for considerably less than you would, say, in the Shrewsbury area, so you’re seeing more people driving into Worcester and the Boston area from Palmer.”

For this latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest turns its lens on Palmer, where many forms of progress are, well … on track.

 

Train of Thought

Latour noted that, while there is, indeed, some disappointment concerning the state’s choice of a location for the new train station, there is still a buzz surrounding the east-west rail project and how it could change the fortunes of a community that is roughly halfway between Springfield and Worcester, but often (and until recently) considered too far from either for a commute or any economic benefit.

Remote work and hybrid schedules have changed some attitudes about Palmer, he said, noting that this is reflected in growing interest in housing within the community and rising prices, with the median price now exceeding $300,000.

And east-west rail could change the equation further by making the commute easier and thus more palatable, he said, adding that there are many examples of communities that have benefited, in many ways, from being a rail stop.

Mannarino agreed, noting that, in addition to spurring residential growth, a rail stop can benefit existing businesses in the broad hospitality sector and foster new ventures as well. And the chosen site for the station can do both, she added.

“Currently, on the other side of the track from the site, there’s already Seven Roads Brewery and other existing businesses that will shine. It’s going to be a matter of making sure that the rail stop is connected to those businesses in a safe way while also laying the groundwork so that it can be attractive for other business opportunities on the south side of the tracks as well.”

Overall, she said rail service will make Palmer’s location, already attractive because of its turnpike exit and close proximity to the state’s second- and third-largest cities, even more appealing to the development community.

While anticipating — and preparing for — a future with passenger rail service, Palmer is also coping with the present and developments on several fronts.

At the top of that list is housing, which is key to any residential growth and the benefits to be derived from it, said Latour, adding that, at present, there is little in the way of new construction of homes or subdivisions.

But the Thorndike School project is a small step forward, he added, noting that the new units will make a small dent in overall need. Conversion of the former Converse Middle School into 55-and-over housing, a project the town has been pursuing, will make another dent.

Other developments include Liberty Plaza, a strip mall taking shape just a few hundred yards from the Big Y on Thorndike Street (Route 32). The plaza will be home to a Starbucks and a Jersey Mike’s, as well as additional tenants, said Latour, adding that this project will hopefully inspire additional commercial development in that area just off the pike exit.

Palmer at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1775
Population: 12,448
Area: 32 square miles
County: Hampden
Tax Rate, residential and commercial: Palmer, $18.15; Three Rivers, $18.23; Bondsville, $18.98; Thorndike, $18.28
Median Household Income: $41,443
Median Family Income: $49,358
Type of government: Town Manager; Town Council
Largest Employers: Baystate Wing Hospital; Sanderson MacLeod Inc., Camp Ramah of New England; Big Y World Class Market
*Latest information available

Meanwhile, the town has been awarded a $430,000 grant to design a new sewer infrastructure for a stretch of Thorndike Street, a project intended to alleviate a “ticking time bomb,” Mannarino said, and one that could unlock new development, both commercial and residential, in that area.

The overall price tag for that project will be $4 million to $6 million, she noted, adding that the town will be pursuing other grants to cover that cost, and there is no timeline for the initiative.

 

Making It Happen

Mark Borsari, president and CEO of Sanderson MacLeod, or SanMac, as it’s known colloquially, sidestepped questions about the rail station and east-west rail, noting that both are matters well beyond his control.

He preferred to talk about what is in his control, meaning his company, and its focus, which, technically speaking, is on making twisted wire brushes, but is really on creating an environment where people want to work and can thrive, and also on creating a model for other manufacturers, most of them facing the stern challenges of coping with retiring Baby Boomers and attracting and retaining young talent.

“We can’t control the weather, but we might as well see if we can be as creative as possible internally — we’re having a good time, we really are,” he said, adding that the company is firmly focused on making investments in the next generation of workers and, at the same time, “making it cool,” with ‘it’ being the overall experience.

It does this through everything from food trucks making regular stops at the plant to a cornhole tournament; from one of the company’s operating slogans — “you’ve got to be a little twisted to work here” — to an elaborate employee-appreciation day called Brushes, Blues, and Barbecue, which tells the whole story.

Such initiatives are part of a two-pronged approach at SanMac, said Borsari, adding that the first is to work with area schools to educate young people about the many attractive benefits to careers in manufacturing, while the second is to implement programs that demonstrate how valued employees are and encourage them to grow with the company, be part of the growth process, and encourage leadership.

“You do have to make it cool — I’ve always said that you have to look at through the eyes of someone who’s 18 or 19 years old and create an organizational place that they find cool to be in,” he explained.

“And that means you have to be creative. You make it cool by making the cafeteria a ’50s diner, you make it cool by putting bus wrap around the inside of the factory so you can put colorful graphics up, you make it cool by bringing in food trucks, you make it cool by having fun with the different ways that we work together, by focusing on people and rewarding them.”

Overall, it comes down to treating people as individuals where one size does not fit all, and “pointing out what the big picture is,” he added.

“When young people go out into the real world, they enter the workplace with an enthusiasm that’s a little naive, but it’s potent because they want to prove themselves,” Borsari said. “If they’re not handled properly by an organization, or they just get cast away after putting out 100%, it cuts the knees out from under them. You can only do that so many times to someone, especially if they’re young, before they say, ‘this is ridiculous — I’m just going to find a place where I can make as much as I can by doing as little as I possibly can,’ and that’s leadership’s fault.”

Through leadership that doesn’t take this approach, that truly values employees, SanMac has become not only a standout in the twisted wire brush industry, but a true leader in a changing manufacturing sector — and an economic driver in a changing Palmer, where even more promise may be chugging down the tracks.

Wistariahurst Is a Center for Culture, Education

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Tourism & Hospitality

 

They plan to call it the “Immigration Experience Room.”

And that’s exactly what it will relate, said Megan Seiler, director of the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, adding that this permanent new exhibit, set to open this summer, will give participants a glimpse into everything from the questions asked immigrants arriving at Ellis Island — thousands of whom found their way to Holyoke — to what they would pack in the one suitcase they would bring to this country.

“You come in, and you’ll take the steps that someone immigrating to this country would have taken, from the medical exam to other questions they would be asked,” she said, adding that this will be a hands-on family activity, complete with a passport that can be stamped and a map so visitors can pinpoint where they’re from.

The Immigration Experience is just one example of how Wistariahurst, the estate built by silk magnate William Skinner, is much more than a house museum; indeed, provides educational experiences involving all of Holyoke and much more. One upcoming exhibit is called “Prison Reimagined,” featuring visual art and poetry created by people who are currently incarcerated.

Meanwhile, it has become an event venue, hosting everything from weddings and retirement parties to art exhibits and book discussions.

The home, like Skinner’s silk mill, was originally in Williamsburg, and moved to Holyoke after the great flood of 1874. The buildings and grounds were owned continually by the Skinner family until 1859, when Katherine Skinner Kilbourne, the youngest child of William and Sarah Skinner, and her heirs gave Wistariahurst to the city of Holyoke.

It has become what Katherine Skinner intended it to be — a center for cultural and educational purposes.

Its grounds are open to the public dawn to dusk, Seiler noted. “We get people coming throughout the day, especially when things are in bloom. We get people doing yoga on their lunch break, we get the YMCA preschool … people love the grounds.”

There are also house tours and, as noted, a wide variety of programs, many of them focused on Holyoke and the people who have come here since it became a planned industrial city in 1873. In addition to “The Immigrant Experience,” there’s also a planned permanent exhibit on migrants who came to Holyoke from the South, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere.

In short, while the landmark tells the story of the Skinners, it really tells the story of Holyoke and all who have called it home. Learn more at www.wistariahurst.org.

—George O’Brien

Westfield Starfires Elevate the Old Ballgame

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Tourism & Hospitality

 

Students. Star Wars fans. Dog lovers (both kinds).

There’s something for just about everyone this year as the Westfield Starfires open up their seventh season of play in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

“We’re actually opening the season with a few games that are baseball and education day games,” team co-owner Chris Thompson said, noting that these are school field trips, with first pitch at 10:30 a.m., that blend game action with lessons about the regions the players hail from, statistics, and sabermetrics.

Other promotions include a Star Wars night to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters, fireworks presented by Westfield Gas & Electric, Mental Health Awareness Day, team poster and baseball card giveaways, a dollar dog night, and — speaking of dogs — a Bark in the Park night, where patrons can take in a game with their furry friends.

But the biggest draw is still the team itself, which lost in the league championship game last year and returns a solid group from Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisiana Tech, Ohio, and a host of other schools, including UConn, Boston College, and others from around New England. Prior to last season, the Starfires extended their lease with the city to keep playing at Bullens Field at least until 2034.

“Mayor [Michael] McCabe sees it as an attraction, with people coming to visit from outside of Westfield, and we also have a ton of local partners,” Thompson said. For example, North Elm Butcher Block, a 90-year staple in downtown Westfield, will be dishing out barbecue fare like pulled pork sandwiches, brisket, burnt ends, and mac and cheese balls, while Amherst Brewing Co. is returning for the seventh year with its Starfire IPA.

And for the third year, the team will present the Starfires Summer Classic in June at Forest Park in Springfield. “We go out and do some brand building, build some awareness of who we are, and hopefully the families will come back to the ballpark at Bullens Field. We partner with a lot of regional schools, too, and hope they also might come back with their family.”

There’s also a Father’s Day promotion that culminates with a game of catch between fathers and sons on the field after the game.

“It’s a great family day at the ballpark,” Thompson said. “The goal for us is to try to increase our in-game fan experience, including the between-innings portion. We’re really thrilled by what we’ve been able to do over the last couple years.”

The 2025 season runs from May 28 to Aug. 9. Learn more at www.westfieldstarfires.com.

—Joseph Bednar

Springfield Armory Marks Milestones with a Bang

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Tourism & Hospitality

 

It was just over a half-century ago that the Springfield Armory — the facility that gave the community its heritage of precision manufacturing and even its legacy as the City of Homes — was designated as a national historic site.

And those at the Armory, which now shares its home with Springfield Technical Community College, are celebrating that milestone in many different ways — from merchandise including clothing, pins, and a commemorative passport stamp to a celebration weekend slated for this fall.

But the 50th anniversary is just part of a loaded schedule of programs at the armory this year. There are also events to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, as well as programming that speaks to Springfield’s designation as an American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service, the only one in the Commonwealth, said Susan Ashman, lead park ranger and historic weapons supervisor at the Armory.

It was during World War II that production at the Armory was at its peak, with more than 14,000 people working there producing weapons such as the legendary M1 Garand, said Ashman, adding that this indelible impact on the war, and the region, are big reasons why the Armory, the site for which was chosen by George Washington, was designated as a national historic site.

Today, as throughout its 50-year history, the Armory is a museum, visited by people from across the region and around the world, where visitors can see displays featuring everything from the Blanchard lathe — a turning point, literally and figuratively, when it comes to mass production — to weapons from several eras, to images of the men and women who worked there.

But it’s also the site of special programs, from recreations of historic battles to public talks, like the ones slated for later this year by several World War II-focused writers, including Alex Kershaw, author of The Bedford Boys, First Wave, and Liberator.

Then there’s the annual big-band show, slated this year for Saturday, July 19, which commemorates Benny Goodman’s band’s performance at the Armory in 1943.

As for that weekend celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Armory becoming a national historic site, it’s slated for Aug. 16-17, said Ashman, adding that there will be bands, presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and much more. In short, it will celebrate all that the Armory has meant to Springfield, the region, and the country.

The Springfield Armory is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more at www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm.

—George O’Brien

Robert E. Barrett Fishway Highlights Nature, Ingenuity

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Tourism & Hospitality

Kate Craven says the 2025 season amounts to a “rebirth” for the Robert E. Barrett Fishway.

Indeed, it’s been a strange and difficult stretch for the Holyoke attraction, which did not open in 2020, 2021, or 2022 because of COVID, reopened in 2023, and then closed again to the public last year as the Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E), which operates the facility, undertook extensive upgrades to one of the hydroelectric units at the Hadley Falls station.

So this spring will bring a return to normalcy, if you will, meaning another 500,000 fish covering dozens of different species will be carried over HG&E’s Holyoke Dam by two large elevators — and some 10,000 visitors (that’s the annual average) will be able to take it all in.

That spectrum includes schoolchildren — third- and fourth-graders comprise the sweet spot — on field trips, college students, area families, and visitors to Western Mass. looking for a different kind of getaway.

“People can see where hydropower production, environmental stewardship, and fish passage all come together in a very powerful way,” said Craven, the HG&E’s director of Marketing and Communications, noting that, aside from 2023, many traditions have unfortunately been paused at the fishway, named after Robert Barrett, the former director of the Holyoke Water Power Co., who became consumed with finding a way to help fish — returning to freshwater steams to spawn — find their way over the dam.

They will resume starting May 7 with the opening of the fishway, said Craven, noting that one such tradition comes on Mother’s Day (May 11), when mothers visiting the facility — and many do — are given a carnation.

As noted earlier, visitors to the fishway can see many different species carried over the dam, from American shad, the most populous species, to blueback herring, sea lamprey, and the occasional shortnose sturgeon, a species protected by the federal government.

“We’re hoping to get a lot of school groups and visitors to the fishway this spring,” said Craven, adding that there will be some pent-up demand as well as the usual fascination with seeing ingenuity assist these species of fish with their annual migration to spawn.

The fishway will be open from May 7 to June 15, Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour with a fishway guide or explore the facility at their own pace with a self-guided walk-through. Learn more at www.hged.com/community-environment/barrett-fishway/default.aspx.

—George O’Brien

Engineering to Wildlife, Quabbin Reservoir Has It All

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Tourism & Hospitality

The Quabbin Reservoir is the main drinking water supply for more than 3 million people in the Commonwealth.

It is also an engineering marvel, home to wildlife ranging from eagles to mountain lions to porcupines, the site of dozens of hiking trails, and sits on the site of four small towns that were taken by the state, later disincorporated, and now covered by some 412 billion gallons of water more than 50 feet deep in places.

So there’s history, engineering, nature, recreation, fishing, and education into how this water supply was created and how it operates today. And all of that and more can be taken in with a visit to the reservoir and the Les and Terry Campbell Quabbin Visitor Center in Belchertown, said Maria Beiter-Tucker, Interpretive Services supervisor for the Quabbin.

She handles public programing and educational programming, and quite a bit falls into those two categories.

Starting with the visitor center, located on the first floor of the Quabbin Administration Building at 100 Windsor Dam Road in Belchertown. There, visitors can learn about the history of the Swift River Valley and those aforementioned towns — Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott — and also about why and how the reservoir was constructed and how it is managed today, she said.

There’s also a considerable amount of information about the wildlife that calls the Quabbin home, she said, adding that there are educational programs for visitors and groups, including many school field trips, as well as self-guided tours of the area.

These public programs include hikes of Quabbin Park and Quabbin Reservation, including hikes focused on various habitats. There’s also a hike to Dana Common, where some of the foundations to buildings in that community can still be seen.

Overall, there are dozens of hiking trails, including the Bald Mountain Hill Trail, the Goodnough Dike Vista Trail, the Old Stone Trail, and the Quabbin Park Cemetery tour, which takes visitors to the cemetery created for the relocation of graves from the Swift River Valley.

No dogs are allowed at the Quabbin to keep that drinking supply safe from contamination, but two-legged visitors are more than welcome, and, as mentioned earlier, there is much to see, learn, and experience at this regional gem.

The Quabbin Visitor Center is open every day except Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Learn more at www.mass.gov/locations/quabbin-reservoir.

—George O’Brien

Norman Rockwell Museum Celebrates Illustration

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Tourism & Hospitality

It’s called “Illustrators of Light.”

One of the current exhibititions at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, it’s a collection of advertisements created by Rockwell, and several of his notable peers in the world of 1920s illustration, for Edison Mazda Lamps, a division of General Electric.

“These amazing, large-scale paintings were done as advertisements, and now they’re being put on view to the public for the first time,” said Stephanie Plunkett, the museum’s chief curator, adding that “we constantly change our collections to highlight the influence that illustration has had across time and how Rockwell is a part of that great tradition that continues today.”

While the museum houses the world’s largest collection of art by Rockwell (998 original paintings and drawings in all), many other exhibitions rotate through, including, currently, “All for Laughs: the Artists of the Famous Cartoonist Course,” which was a popular 1950s correspondence course designed to teach artists to be funny; and “Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage,” a series of portraits by Anita Kunz that honor the contributions of history-making women.

Starting in June is “I Spy! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders,” showcasing Wick’s iconic photographic creations, and opening in November is “Jazz Age Illustration,” which explores popular illustration during the 1920s and 1930s and the cultural impact of that work,

Many visitors are surprised at the variety of exhibitions, Plunkett said.

“It’s a very mixed audience. Some people grew up with Rockwell’s illustrations; their families may have received the Saturday Evening Post or the Ladies’ Home Journal, and they have a real familiarity with his work. But we’re getting people across the age spectrum, lots of families with children and young adults. We had a Mad magazine exhibition that brought in an audience interested in comics and cartoons and satire. In addition, we have people who are travelers, people who may view us as a destination location.”

During the warm months, visitors can also visit the actual studio where Rockwell — who lived in Stockbridge for the last 25 years of his life — worked. The building was originally located in the backyard of his home on South Street and moved to the museum grounds in 1986. “It’s fun for people to experience Rockwell’s workspace,” Plunkett said.

The Norman Rockwell Museum is open every day except Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Learn more at www.nrm.org.

—Joseph Bednar

New England Air Museum Soars with History

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Tourism & Hospitality

 

It’s called “Through the Eyes of Igor Sikorsky.”

It’s one of several new exhibits at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Conn., and, like the others, it’s designed to be interactive and take visitors beyond static displays of aircraft — although those are still quite popular.

Sikorsky, the Russian-American aviation pioneer, is known for developing the first American helicopter, although he also developed several fixed-wing aircraft, including ocean-crossing flying boats. His story is a fascinating one, said Stephanie Abrams, president and CEO of the museum, noting that the new exhibit, like the others, is designed to take visitors beyond the aircraft themselves and tell the stories of the people who designed and built them, flew them, and made history in them.

“Every aircraft in this museum, and it’s the seventh-largest of its kind in the country, has a story — a story of human genius, of courage, of innovation,” she said. “Instead of just looking at an aircraft, we want visitors to understand the story of the men and women behind them.”

This same philosophy guided the creation of new exhibits on the Tuskegee Airmen, New England women in aviation, and the famed Kosciuszko Squadron, the Polish squadron, formed with the help of American volunteers, that fought against Russia in 1919 and against the Germans in the Battle of Britain.

Abrams explained that her father was a crew chief on a B-29 Superfortress during World War II and transferred his passion for aircraft and the people behind him to his daughter. Abrams was in the media and later produced documentary films before making a significant and rewarding career change, taking the helm at the air museum.

Since arriving four years ago, she has made significant strides in efforts to “modernize the museum, making it more interactive, creating activation, using flight simulators so people experience flight, and using augmented reality to bring history, or the future, to light.”

Her team’s efforts have helped boost visitorship at the museum, which is now averaging roughly 50,000 a year.

Those who discover this somewhat hidden gem will find these new exhibits, as well as aircraft such as the B-29, a B-25, the A-10 Thunderbolt, one of Sikorsky’s flying boats, the Lockheed Electra, the plane flown by Amelia Earhart, several helicopters, and more, as well as engines and other displays.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more at www.neam.org.

—George O’Brien

Eric Carle Museum Delights All Ages

By
Tourism & Hospitality

You’re never too old for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

“I tell everyone who’s been here before, when their kids were little, to bring them back when they’re older because there’s always something new to see,” said Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of Development. “Our ever-changing art galleries are sophisticated, beautiful, and inspirational for everyone. Our mission is to elevate the art of the picture book.”

The museum features a hallway dedicated to the life of Carle and the iconic children’s books he created (most notably The Very Hungry Caterpillar), but there are three other galleries of works by other artists that change twice yearly, a daily film in the auditorium, regular story times in the reading library, and hands-on activities in the art studio that change every six weeks or so.

“We may coordinate with something going on in the galleries; like, if there’s a watercolor artist, we’ll do watercolors in the art studio,” Goggins explained. “It’s an incredible creative space, and it’s a great place for families with young kids who don’t want to make a mess in their own house — they can come to the Carle and make a mess in our studio. And adults really enjoy making art in the studio as well.”

The museum’s expansive, award-winning bookshop typically carries every book in print by any author featured in a current exhibition, and authors and artists often come in for readings, lectures, and book signings.

Current exhibitions include Jerry Pinkney’s The Lion & the Mouse, featuring the cover art and more than 32 pieces from that book; a 50-year commemoration of Free to Be You and Me; “Created in Color: The Picture Book Art of Raúl Colón”; and an exhibit of work by Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon, and artists she has inspired.

There are also plenty of activities pitched at adults, from lectures and gallery tours to art-making programs, Goggins said, and plenty of reasons to come back, between the rotating exhibits and more than 10,000 pieces in the permanent collection.

And people do come back; the museum attracts more than 40,000 visitors annually and has welcomed more than 1 million since its opening in 2002.

“It’s a remarkable place,” she added. “Picture book art is not just for children; it’s for everyone. It’s ageless and evergreen. So come visit again, and be newly inspired.”

The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Learn more at www.carlemuseum.org.

—Joseph Bednar

The Past Rolls On at Connecticut Trolley Museum

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Tourism & Hospitality

Many museums tout themselves as a chance to go back time, but few actually ‘go’ anywhere. For that, one might consider taking a ride at the Connecticut Trolley Museum.

“We’re a historic trolley and transportation museum, and we mostly see families with young children, but we get everyone, including a lot of visitors who are interested in railroad history,” Executive Director Gina Alimberti said.

“We have a large visitor center packed with trolleys. You can go on and view them and take in our exhibits and history,” she added. “We also have some trolleys outside. We have a full fire-truck museum on the same property, with 20 to 30 old trucks you can view.”

In all, the museum houses more than 70 pieces of rail equipment dating as far back as 1869, not only from Connecticut, but from cities across the U.S. and around the world. But the highlight of the visit for most is taking a ride on an historic streetcar.

“You feel like you’re riding back in time because you would never see yourself riding on these cars,” Alimberti said. “It’s a cool experience, and we try to keep it alive. We don’t want that history to go away. A lot of seniors remember from back in the day, whether it was downtown Springfield or downtown Hartford; they remember it, and they get to experience it again, which is really cool.”

Meanwhile, she added, kids tend to know very little about trolleys, so the museum teaches them that slice of history, and hopefully gains clientele who will keep coming back when they’re older.

Speaking of kids, many events at the Connecticut Trolley Museum are geared toward the younger set and their families, from the current season’s Easter Eggspress days, featuring Easter-themed crafts, exhibits, and movies, as well as a visit from the Easter bunny; the Dino Trolley in July, with dinosaur-themed activities; the Pumpkin Patch Trolley in the fall; and the evening Winterfest and Tunnel of Lights between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The events are a big draw, and they’re critical to museum operations, Alimberti said. “We’re a nonprofit, and the only way we stay afloat are our events. It’s a big revenue maker for us to keep the museum and trolleys maintained.”

The Connecticut Trolley Museum is open weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in April, May, June, and September; every day except Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in July and August; and for special events later in the year. Learn more at www.ct-trolley.org.

—Joseph Bednar

Berkshire East, Zoar Outdoor Offer Plenty of Thrills

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Tourism & Hospitality

 

When the weather warms up each spring, Berkshire East and Zoar Outdoor — two neighboring outdoor recreation facilities in Charlemont owned by the same company — roll out a raft (pun intended) of activities, from whitewater rafting and kayaking to ziplining and mountain biking.

Take the Thunder Mountain Bike Park at Berkshire East, where bikers take a lift to the top and can access downhill trails of all skill levels.

“We’ve got quite an assortment of summer racing for families, friends, even school groups. We get folks from all over New England and as far as away as Canada,” said Nathan Marr, director of Marketing. “If you’ve never done downhill mountain biking before, we have clinics and a rental bike shop. It also attracts professionals and experts from all over the world.”

The popular Eastern States Cup racing series comes to the mountain twice a year, in the summer and fall, and over the past three seasons, an event called Thunderstruck has drawn a host of women professional mountain bikers. “It’s not competitive, really,” Marr said. “It’s just a show of what they can do, to show the sport to young women and girls and say, ‘hey, you can compete with the boys, too.’”

Both Berkshire East and Zoar Outdoor also offer rafting trips along the Deerfield River for all ages and skill levels.

“We have a family float trip for kids as young as 5. It’s gentle, fun, and a pretty way to see the river and get outside. Young kids with families can gently float down the river,” Marr said.
“Then, our mid-level trip is class 1 and 2 whitewater, with one class 3 rapid. That’s good for kids who are a little bit older, or someone who may have never been whitewater rafting before.”

An advanced whitewater rafting trip, with a minimum age of 14, features class 3 and 4 rapids along the way, he added. “We see a lot of college students, a lot of adventure camps, bachelor parties, things like that.”

Then there’s the famous Thunderbolt mountain coaster at Berkshire East, which pulls riders up the mountain, and they can enjoy the scenic descent at whatever speed they choose.

“There’s a whole range of things to do,” Marr said. “For folks with a tighter budget, we’ll see families do the mountain coaster and pack a picnic lunch, spread out on the lawn under a tree, and just enjoy being outside the house at a low cost, which is nice.”

Visit www.berkshireeast.com and www.zoaroutdoor.com for updated activities and schedules.

—Joseph Bednar

Bus Tour Revives Tradition, Puts Libraries in Spotlight

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From left, Rachel Gravel, Marilyn Sutin, Jeanne Fontaine, and Erica Swallow at the bust of Andrew Carnegie inside Springfield Central Library.
Features

Pages of the Past

The original Springfield Library

The original Springfield Library has been lost to history, but the planned bus tour is designed to generate appreciation for the libraries still standing.

 

Kate Benson says she doesn’t know why the original Springfield Library, opened in 1871, was eventually torn down.

The impressive, Gothic-style structure was only 40 years old when its replacement, the central library that still stands on State Street today, was opened, she said, adding that it was moved a few hundred yards to make way for the new library and serve the city while it was being built. And, in theory, it could have been moved again to another location

“We don’t really know why it came down — and there’s no real record of why,” said Benson, a special-education team chair in Chicopee by day, and also a member of the Springfield Preservation Trust (SPT) and self-described “history addict,” adding that it doesn’t really matter why the landmark was demolished. What does matter is that a piece of the city’s past and an architectural treasure can now be seen only in grainy photos and color postcards, which were very popular in the day.

It is a desire to enable the public to fully appreciate similar structures — and to perhaps ensure that they don’t suffer the same fate as the original library — that has prompted the SPT and several partnering organizations to come together to create a bus tour (set for Saturday, April 12, with Benson as the tour guide) of the central library and several branches, including four structures known simply as the Carnegie libraries.

These are the central library, the Forest Park branch, the Indian Orchard branch, and the former Memorial Square branch, now the Greek Cultural Center — four of the 2,509 libraries built between 1883 and 1929 with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Built in the early 1900s, those four libraries, and the others on the tour, are blasts from the past that can still be enjoyed today. And so, in many respects, is this bus tour, called “Pages of the Past,” said Erica Swallow, president of the SPT.

“The library went from being a membership-only establishment to being open to the public, open to the community. To have four of those buildings in Springfield that really symbolized access to knowledge, and access to betterment, is really special.”

Indeed, the once-annual Bus Tour of Historic Springfield, a partnership between the SPT and Peter Pan Bus Lines, is back after a nearly 30-year hiatus, and with many goals in mind, said Swallow, adding that this endeavor is a collaboration between several groups, including the SPT, the Springfield Museums, the Springfield City Library, and Peter Pan.

As for goals, she listed everything from showcasing those libraries to cultivating the next generation of preservationists in Springfield.

“The trust has been trying to bring in the next generation of preservationists,” Swallow explained, adding that new programs like the libraries tour, as well as existing initiatives such as house tours and walking tours (more on them later), are effective ways to bring people into Springfield’s past, while also celebrating the present and getting them involved.

Danielle Veronesi, senior director of Marketing at Peter Pan Bus Lines, who was approached by Swallow about resurrecting the bus tour, agreed, noting that Peter Pan, which has a lengthy history in Springfield and this region, is enthusiastic about its role in the partnership presenting the tour.

Springfield’s Central Library will be among the highlights of the bus tour.

Springfield’s Central Library will be among the highlights of the bus tour.

“We’re proud to be part of Springfield history, and also proud of the role we’ve played in enabling others to learn that history and better appreciate the city and many of its architectural landmarks,” she told BusinessWest. “That’s why we wanted Peter Pan to be a partner in this initiative.”

 

Chapter and Verse

Rachel Gravel, manager of Adult & Youth Information for the Springfield Libraries, said the building of the Carnegie libraries represented a major shift in how libraries were perceived — and used by the public.

“The library went from being a membership-only establishment to being open to the public, open to the community,” she said, noting that, until that time, most libraries, including Springfield’s, were private. “To have four of those buildings in Springfield that really symbolized access to knowledge, and access to betterment, is really special.”

This shift will be among the many talking points on the tour, said Swallow, adding that the program is designed to provide insight into Springfield’s most historically and architecturally significant libraries, offering a glimpse into their storied pasts and lasting impact on the city’s cultural and educational landscape.

Benson agreed, noting that her research into the libraries that will be showcased on tour — seven in all, including the four Carnegie libraries — has been an intriguing and rewarding experience.

“I was unaware that we had Carnegie libraries, and I have a minor obsession with Carnegie libraries in New York City because they had hidden apartments, which, unfortunately, the Springfield ones don’t, because they were not 24-hour libraries, like New York’s,” she explained. “It was interesting to do the research to figure out how they made the decisions to create branch libraries, who got one first, and how they funded it — and also how they took the original Springfield Library, which was a private library, and made it something that was open to the public; it’s an incredibly interesting history.”

Jeanne Fontaine, travel coordinator for Springfield Museums, a partner on many SPT initiatives, agreed, noting that the upcoming bus tour dovetails effectively with the Springfield Museums’ own program of monthly day trips to other museums and destinations, such as the Newport Flower Show and the Metropolitan Opera.

From left, Rachel Gravel, Marilyn Sutin, Jeanne Fontaine, and Erica Swallow at the bust of Andrew Carnegie inside Springfield Central Library.

From left, Rachel Gravel, Marilyn Sutin, Jeanne Fontaine, and Erica Swallow at the bust of Andrew Carnegie inside Springfield Central Library.

The most recent such trip was to the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, where visitors can explore the nation’s conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to today.

Swallow said the bus tour is another initiative undertaken by the SPT to bring attention to city landmarks and encourage preservation of sites with historic or architectural significance, or both.

Others include its popular Second Saturday Walking Tours, which originate at the Museums and focus on the downtown area, an annual walking tour of Springfield Cemetery, and a winter lecture series.

There’s also the annual Historic Homes Tour. Previously a bus tour that took participants to different corners of the city, it is now a walking tour focused annually on a specific neighborhood; this year it will be McKnight, said Swallow, adding that the homes tour is how many long-time SPT members first became engaged with the organization.

 

History Lessons

That was the case with Marilyn Sutin, who first went on the tour in 1979, became heavily involved with the Springfield Preservation Trust, and is still volunteering for the group 45 years later.

Like Swallow, she said the libraries tour is another way to bring Springfield’s past into the present and encourage others to get involved in preservation efforts.

Tickets for the bus tour can be purchased on Eventbrite; the cost is $20 for SPT and Springfield Museums members, and $25 for non-members. All proceeds go toward the trust’s mission of historic preservation in Springfield.

Emma deVillier Creates Memories Through Event Planning

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Emma deVillier says the small details of an event add up to big impact.
Women in Businesss

Something to Celebrate

Emma deVillier says the small details of an event add up to big impact.

Emma deVillier says the small details of an event add up to big impact.

Emma deVillier has been around the hospitality industry for a long time, starting at age 14 working at a country club, first busing tables, then as a beer-cart girl, then as a waitress.

“I was always learning the steps of hospitality, treating people how they should be treated. The service industry is a tough industry, but I always loved it,” she told BusinessWest.

“I grew up in a family with my mom setting up all of our birthday parties at home, and I always added my two cents: ‘no, we’re going to set up this way.’ I grew up going to my grandma’s house and seeing her set up the tables, and they looked like they were coming from Homes & Gardens magazine. So setting up was always super important to me.

“Then, as I evolved and started doing more banquets and weddings at the country club where I worked, I was always trying to add my two cents and my touches, and the members there started recognizing my talents,” she went on. “I never thought I was that good, but one day, a member asked me to plan her daughter’s baby shower.”

“My number-one goal is to make sure that my clients are creating memories and feeling that all their needs are being taken care of, and that, at the end of the day, every guest involved is going to enjoy their time and look back on it and say, ‘wow, that was amazing.’”

Not long after, she was opening her own business, called deVillier Designs.

“My company specializes in creating memorable experiences,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter how big or small the event — my number-one goal is to make sure that my clients are creating memories and feeling that all their needs are being taken care of, and that, at the end of the day, every guest involved is going to enjoy their time and look back on it and say, ‘wow, that was amazing.’”

In the six years since deVillier launched the company at age 19, she has grown it into a well-known name on Greater Springfield’s event-planning scene, not just for private clients planning weddings and showers, but some major companies as well.

For example, a few years ago, she planned the Howdy Awards at the MassMutual Center, an event presented by the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau to recognize top performers in the hospitality sector.

“That was a huge opportunity for me because not only am I in the hospitality industry, but I was also recognizing all of the top people in the hospitality industry,” she said. “Since it was the 25th anniversary, they gave me a little bit of leniency with running with my own ideas. So we did a Great Gatsby theme, which was so much fun. It was a lot of work, but looking back, that was probably one of my favorite events, just because it was a whole different kind of event for me to plan.”

She also handles all events for MGM Springfield; has planned corporate events at Springfield Country Club, the MassMutual Center, and a host of other major area venues; and has a long-running relationship with Naples Realty Group.

“They plan a corporate event every single year, and it’s gotten bigger and bigger every year,” deVillier explained. “They call it their Naples Summit, and that recognizes not only their successes, but other Realtors in the area, and just brings everyone together. They’re one of my favorite companies to work with. That event is always so much fun to plan.”

Emma deVillier has handled events for many notable businesses, including this one for Naples Realty Group.

Emma deVillier has handled events for many notable businesses, including this one for Naples Realty Group.

Whatever the event, she added, “the goal has always been to do things the right way the first time. That’s the mantra I live by, and I make sure my clients are always feeling that way.”

 

All in the Details

The first meeting with a client, either in person or over Zoom, typically hashes out big-picture details like budget, venue, and type of event.

“If they don’t have a theme or specific ideas in mind or don’t even know what goes into planning an event, I’ll walk them through all of those steps,” deVillier said. “People think an event is pretty simple to put together, but it’s not. Obviously, there are many, many factors that come into play, so I’ll help them through picking out all of those factors, and then I’ll create a custom vision board with them, just to pull everything together.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m almost too much for my clients because I love to be so involved with them,” she added, “but I want them to always feel that I’m going to hold their hand through the entire process, and they’re never going to be alone.”

That hand-holding especially applies when a client gets anxious about some detail — not an uncommon occurrence.

“A minor thing can come up, and it kind of triggers them a little bit, but it’s my job, at the end of the day, to be like, ‘listen, it’s going to be OK.’ Like the weather, for example. I’ve had several close calls with clients, and it’s like, ‘listen, you can’t control the weather, you can’t control the little things, you can only control the bigger picture.’ It’s my job, obviously, to help them get through that.”

That doesn’t mean she’s not human, of course. “Deep down, I’m thinking, ‘oh God, what are we going to do?’ But I can never show that because my client trusted me and hired me, so I need to be there to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch.”

“There’s no better feeling than taking a step back right before the event’s about to start, and you’re just like, ‘wow, we did this.’”

Sometimes a client will come in with a distinct vision, and other times deVillier will have more leeway in guiding the process.

“Some come to me, and they’re like, ‘listen, I want a baby shower. You figure out a theme and run with it.’ Those are really fun because I get to use my creative ideas,” she said. “But then I obviously love the clients that have a strong vision because we can collaborate and work together. That’s the best of both worlds. I love both parts of it, but at the end of the day, I’m always going to put my creative spin on it to make it better than they could have thought.”

A successful event is all in the details, she added.

“With an event, you have the theme, and that’s great, but you have to master and bring in every component of the event to make it make sense. For example, dessert tables are my favorite thing to set up at an event. And those are colored — they’re themed to the overall aesthetic. My cocktail napkins match the aesthetic. I think it’s the little details that make people say, ‘wow, I never would have thought to do that,’ but it makes everything make more sense.”

deVillier calls herself a perfectionist, which can be personally challenging when she has to let go and let her team take charge, especially as she expands her footprint to the Boston, Cape Cod, and Newport, R.I. areas.

“Some days, I have events where one’s in Boston and one’s in Springfield. And I can’t spread myself too thin, so I have to trust my team back home and be like, ‘listen, you have to handle this. I’m just a phone call away.’ That’s probably my biggest challenge, just because I have a hard time letting go.”

 

Positive Influences

deVillier isn’t surprised she wound up succeeding in a competitive event-planning industry, considering all her influences and how far back they go.

“I admire so many people in this industry. When I was a little girl, I would watch Martha Stewart, and I would watch all the wedding shows. I’ve always been super into it, and I’ve just admired people who do this work,” she said. “There are so many talented people that I look up to, and I’ve studied their work, and I’m like, ‘OK, how can I do better?’

“It is very challenging, but I think, in this area, I’ve made a name for myself, not just through my work, but also how I present myself. I think you have to be a good person. At the end of the day, your clients always must come first. So I think having those core values not only makes my company stronger, but also gives my clients trust in me, which I think is super important in owning a company.”

She also appreciates how every day is different, and that she gets to meet many different vendors and clients.

“Overall, it’s a very happy industry to be in. We’re celebrating life’s most precious moments, whether it be a wedding or a company success or a new baby on the way. It’s just a very happy company, which makes my life a lot better.

“I’m very lucky to have flourished into where I am now, but there’s always room for growth,” deVillier said, adding that there’s also room for gratitude. “There’s no better feeling than taking a step back right before the event’s about to start, and you’re just like, ‘wow, we did this.’”

Take These Essential Steps to Secure Your Retirement

By Contributor
Wealth Management

Planning for the Future

By Andrew R. Beaudry, CFP and Ryan T. Cummings, CFP

 

Is your retirement savings on track?

If you’re like most people, you may feel it’s not. In fact, concerns about running out of money in retirement are very common.

Andrew R. Beaudry

Andrew R. Beaudry

Ryan T. Cummings

Ryan T. Cummings

Many people today believe they’ll need at least $1.5 million saved to retire comfortably. But is that number right for you? The real ‘magic number’ varies widely depending on your current savings, future goals, and lifestyle plans.

A clearer picture of retirement readiness starts with understanding some general rules of thumb, strategies for calculating your personal magic number, and practical tips to help build a reliable nest egg for your future.

 

Five Retirement-savings Milestones

Setting retirement-savings milestones can help you determine what to save monthly and annually to stay on track. While these targets may vary, here are some helpful benchmarks to consider.

Age 30 = your salary. By age 30, aim to save at least one year’s worth of your salary for retirement. Hitting this goal allows you to start benefiting from the power of compound growth.

Age 40 = three times your salary. Though expenses may grow as families do, keeping pace with retirement-savings goals may mean saving at least three times your salary by roughly age 40.

“Are you dreaming of frequent travel, a quiet life filled with hobbies, or something in between? The more you can clarify your lifestyle goals, the better you’ll understand the financial resources you’ll need to enjoy your future comfortably.”

Age 50 = six times your salary. As you get closer to retiring, look at ways to pay down debt to enter retirement with minimal liabilities and maximize retirement contributions to reach about six times your salary by age 50.

Age 60 = eight times your salary. As you approach retirement, think about how and when you might transition to retirement and whether a part-time role could be part of your plan, while aiming to have at least eight times your salary saved by age 60.

Age 67 (average retirement age) = 10 times your salary. If you plan to retire around age 67, which is the full retirement age for Social Security benefits, aim for about 10 times your annual salary. For instance, a salary of $100,000 would suggest a target of $1 million by retirement.

Keep in mind that these recommendations provide broad estimates for guidance and tracking progress. As you gain experience and your salary grows, these milestones may shift as your income changes. These benchmarks may not fit everyone’s personal retirement plans and should be adapted to individual goals.

 

Five Factors That Impact Savings Goals

While general savings milestones provide helpful guidelines, personal factors can greatly influence your actual retirement needs. Here are five key considerations to help you define your unique retirement target:

When do you want to retire? What age do you envision for retirement? Deciding when to retire can dramatically affect how much you’ll need, especially if you plan to stop working before becoming eligible for full Social Security benefits.

What lifestyle do you want in retirement? Are you dreaming of frequent travel, a quiet life filled with hobbies, or something in between? The more you can clarify your lifestyle goals, the better you’ll understand the financial resources you’ll need to enjoy your future comfortably.

Where will you live? Do you plan to stay put, downsize, or relocate? Your choice of location impacts cost of living, taxes, and potential housing expenses, including maintenance if you own a home. These variables can influence how much you should save.

Will you retire with debt? Are there ways to limit the debt you’ll retire with? Ideally, entering retirement with minimal or no debt allows more flexibility with your income. The more debt you carry, the more challenging it may be to cover expenses comfortably in retirement.

What about healthcare when you retire? Healthcare and long-term care can be significant expenses. The average retiree may need upwards of $157,000 for healthcare alone, and those costs typically rise with age and inflation.

While these may not be the only factors to consider, they’re valuable starting points for refining your magic number and setting a solid foundation for retirement planning.

 

Seven Actionable Ideas for Retirement Savings

Reaching your retirement goals often requires more than knowing general milestones or understanding personal factors. Here are seven tips to help you stay on course and save strategically.

Start saving early and maximize compound growth. The earlier you start saving, the more time your investments will have to grow. Even small contributions early on can balloon over time.

Maximize employer contributions. If your employer offers a match on your 401(k) or another retirement plan, aim to contribute enough to capture the full match. It’s essentially free money for your retirement.

Set aside a percentage of your salary. Commit a portion of your salary directly to retirement savings — ideally, around 15% of your annual income, including any employer match. Hitting this target can keep you on track toward long-term goals.

Diversify your investments. Balance your portfolio with a mix of stocks, bonds, and other assets. Diversification can better insulate your retirement savings from volatility, especially as you get closer to retiring.

Reassess and adjust savings regularly. As life changes, you may need to reassess your savings plan and retirement contributions. That’s why it’s important to regularly revisit your retirement-savings strategies to make sure they still work for you and are the best options for achieving your objectives.

Plan for unexpected expenses. Life is full of surprises. Setting up an emergency fund can help you deal with any unexpected expenses, so you don’t have to dip into your retirement savings prematurely.

Keep track of your retirement income sources. Estimate your monthly retirement income from Social Security, pensions, and personal savings. Then, compare this with projected monthly expenses in retirement to see if your income will meet your needs. This will give you a clearer picture of your future financial landscape.

 

Next Steps for Achieving Your Ideal Retirement

Building the retirement you envision takes careful planning and a steady commitment to saving. It requires understanding how retirement savings work, clarifying your goals, and adopting smart strategies to secure your future.

The good news? You don’t have to do it alone. Partnering with an experienced financial professional can provide valuable guidance, helping you discover effective strategies tailored to your unique retirement goals.

 

Andrew R. Beaudry is the registered principal, and Ryan T. Cummings is a financial advisor, at Private Financial Design, LLC in South Hadley.

Country Bank Strengthens Its Presence in Springfield

By
Mary McGovern says the location at 1350 Main St. gives Country Bank great visibility in downtown Springfield.
Commercial Real Estate

Down on Main Street

Mary McGovern says the location at 1350 Main St. gives Country Bank great visibility in downtown Springfield.

Mary McGovern says the location at 1350 Main St. gives Country Bank great visibility in downtown Springfield.

 

Mary McGovern says Country Bank has been looking to create a stronger presence in downtown Springfield for at least five years now.

The institution, which has a lending office on the 17th floor of Tower Square, has considered several sites for a banking center with strong visibility, she said, including the space in Monarch Place that would eventually become home to the corporate offices of New Valley Bank.

“We were looking strongly at that site, but we were beaten out for it,” she said, adding that other players were as well.

Undeterred, the Ware-based bank kept looking in Springfield while shifting its immediate focus to Worcester and establishing a stronger presence there (Country now has three locations in that city), said McGovern, the bank’s president. But the search in Springfield entered a new phase late last year with a call from Evan Plotkin, co-owner of the 1350 Main St. tower.

That call concerned the long-vacant space last occupied by Santander Bank, and … fast-forwarding a little, this large space will soon be sporting a Country Bank sign.

The bank’s move into that large, ground-floor location, likely to happen in the third quarter of this year after a comprehensive build-out, will give Country a much more visible presence downtown and, by that time, its second banking center in the western part of Hampden County. Indeed, the bank is finalizing a lease on a space in Longmeadow close to the Enfield line, said McGovern, adding that expansion in this region has emerged as one of the bank’s key strategic initiatives.

“We’ve been focused on branching out both in the Worcester area and in Springfield. Overall, 2024 was more eastern-focused, and in 2025, we’ll be focusing more on our western market.”

“We’ve been focused on branching out both in the Worcester area and in Springfield,” she said. “Overall, 2024 was more eastern-focused, and in 2025, we’ll be focusing more on our western market.”

As for the location in 1350 Main St., it continues a strong comeback for that property, which has seen many of its long-vacant spaces absorbed in the past 24 months, while it also continues a movement by the banking sector into the central business district; in addition to New Valley, Chase recently established a branch on the ground floor of 1391 Main, known to most as Harrison Place.

Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin as well as co-owner of 1350 Main, said the space being taken by Country has been vacant for about a dozen years now. Over that span (most of which the first five floors were owned by a separate party; Plotkin and partners gained control in 2023), there has been interest of varying degrees from a broad range of businesses.

White Lion Brewing Co. took a long look at the space before eventually settling on a site in Tower Square, he noted, adding that a few restaurants and retailers have looked at it as well.

Banks … not so much, said Plotkin, adding that Country apparently sees what others haven’t, and that is an emerging corner, if you will, in downtown Springfield, with the MassMutual Center diagonally across Main Street, a new parking garage behind that, a revitalized Court Square across Court Street, and the new apartments at 31 Elm St. just beyond the park.

Mary McGovern and Evan Plotkin

Mary McGovern and Evan Plotkin say 1350 Main St. is an emerging corner in downtown Springfield.

“That’s one of the best corners in the city,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s next to City Hall, it’s across from the MassMutual Center … it’s where the life and the heart of the city is. The center of gravity has moved to this block.”

Plotkin categorized Country’s arrival as a win-win. It’s a win for the bank, which gains a highly visible location in the city, and it’s a win for all those at 1350 Main, because a long-dark space will see the lights go back on again.

“To have a dark space on the ground floor of a building of this stature is an impediment, if not from an economic basis, but from a visibility standpoint,” Plotkin said. “To have the lights on in there, with the activity of a bank, transacting business, changes the building quite a bit.”

Like most other downtown bank branches, the location lacks parking and a drive-thru lane, but it will be convenient for people working or doing other business in that area, and will provide additional support for the bank’s many customers in the Greater Springfield and Northern Connecticut markets, said McGovern, adding that, while most banking customers visit a branch infrequently, some, including small-business owners and mortgage customers, prefer that level of service.

“To have the lights on in there, with the activity of a bank, transacting business, changes the building quite a bit.”

As noted, the space at 1350 Main is large, around 4,000 square feet, much larger than most branches being built or moved into today. She noted that one portion of the space will be devoted to the banking center, with the rest put to other uses, such as hoteling other bank employees doing business in Springfield or attending events there.

Meanwhile, the location will give Country much greater visibility in the 413’s largest city, an important consideration in ongoing efforts to grow the institution and build its brand.

“Some people know we’re in Tower Square, but sometimes it feels that not many people know because there isn’t a sign at street level,” McGovern said. “There’s nothing like a sign on a banking center to let people know you’re there.”

—George O’Brien

Tanzi Cannon Aims to Cultivate Better Workplaces

By
Tanzi Cannon
Special Coverage Women in Businesss

Beyond the Courtroom

Tanzi Cannon

Tanzi Cannon

Tanzi Cannon knows litigation. And she enjoys litigation.

But there’s something she found she likes even more, which is why she built a law practice around it.

Backing up a bit, in her previous role, Cannon was the chief litigation officer at the Royal Law Firm. “We were obviously heavy on litigation, but we also did a lot of advice and counsel,” she recalled. “Litigation is strategic, and there’s competition, and every case is different, and I’m a certified investigator, so I got to use those investigation skills.

“But I found that the enjoyable part was actually when the litigation was over and I could go back to the business and say, OK, ‘here are the things that could have prevented litigation for you. Here are some things that we can do to improve this department.’ I’m a business person, so I also had some business advice,” she added.

Unfortunately, once litigation was over, clients were typically tired of talking about legal matters — and tired of spending money on them. “Consequently, those preventive conversations were the short conversations, and I really wanted those to be the long conversations.”

That’s why she decided to leave Royal and launch her own firm, General Counsel by Cannon, which specializes in business law for small businesses — focusing not on litigation, though she will handle that if need be, but on the nuts and bolts of helping businesses avoid the courtroom and create healthier, safer, more successful companies.

“ I found that the enjoyable part was actually when the litigation was over and I could go back to the business and say, OK, ‘here are the things that could have prevented litigation for you.’”

“When I left the firm, it was to start this model of business advice and counsel — that’s why it’s General Counsel by Cannon, a fractional general-counsel law firm,” Cannon told BusinessWest. “I felt like I wanted to not only do litigation, but to focus on prevention, and also be able to add some of that business advice in there as well.”

Many clients, she explained, have business contracts that need be renegotiated, reviewed, or drafted anew, or need assistance with human-resources law. She also assists with organizational development, succession planning, change management, and writing a company’s standard operating procedures.

“Having a fractional general counsel is kind of a one-stop shop for many legal issues that impact businesses,” she said. “I want to be the go-to person for my clients — if they even think they may have a concern, I want them to call me without having to watch the clock because they are concerned about the billables. I want to be the person they trust. I want to be a part of the team without adding a full-time employee.”

Tanzi Cannon stands in the brewery she co-owns with her husband, Joe Eckerle

Tanzi Cannon stands in the brewery she co-owns with her husband, Joe Eckerle, which shares a building with General Counsel by Cannon.

The reason they don’t have to worry about cost is the model Cannon has put in place, charging a monthly fee — there are different subscription levels — that clients pay for whatever services they might need, including advice and counsel, regulatory audits, training … essentially, whatever issues are within the scope of their service contract.

“Essentially, they have a general counsel on call without having to hire an attorney every time they need something, and it also costs less than hiring an attorney to be on staff,” she explained. “What I have found is that it allows me to better defend people when they do get audited or they get a case because I have become familiar with the business. Because they just pay that monthly fee, they’re not really worried about how often I call them.”

They’re also not concerned with how often she stops by and spends time with the staff, as it’s all in the service of preventing problems down the road.

“I help people grow and become better businesses and prevent a lot of litigation. One of my clients actually told me that, since I did training for them, their litigation has gone down by 90%.”.”

“I become a part of their team, kind of. They see me, and I know a lot about the business. So when I do have to defend them, I already know that stuff. I already know who the managers are, what they do, I’ve probably seen the complainant, and I can see red flags when not all the managers are seeing those red flags — and I can train to those red flags.”

In short, Cannon said she and her clients are both gratified by this work.

“The pivot was just natural. And it makes me happy. I help people grow and become better businesses and prevent a lot of litigation. One of my clients actually told me that, since I did training for them, their litigation has gone down by 90%.”

 

Brewing Up Solutions

Cannon noted that Western Mass. is home to many labor and employment law firms, but she aims to stand out from them through her focused service model.

“They’re really good, but it’s mostly litigation. Then, if they’ve got a long-standing client, they’re going to call and get some advice and counsel. I’m hoping to flip that model; I’ll do litigation if my clients want me to, but I really want them to call me before that happens.”

For example, she noted, “I have the ability to understand when someone might need an ADA accommodation. I can walk into a place and see a management practice or a business practice that might not be good, like inconsistent application of the rules or blatant safety concerns.

“If it’s a sales floor and there’s a chair that’s in the way of the fire extinguisher or if there’s a mat in front of the door that’s getting stuck and nobody knows anything about it, that tells me they probably need some OSHA training because those are safety issues, and they don’t know that it’s not OK for that to happen, or they don’t realize it’s their responsibility,” she elaborated. “Lots of managers don’t realize that they could be on the hook and be sued personally for the conduct of the people they’re supervising. And when I tell them that, their ears perk up.”

“Sometimes, when you have small businesses, especially in family businesses, it’s so close and they’re so friendly that it’s difficult to draw boundaries and set the expectations and hold people accountable. And that is a recipe for disaster.”

Relationships in the workplace can be another red flag, and sometimes those become evident when Cannon visits a site.

“Sometimes there’s a lot of resistance about what it’s OK to say, or there being too close of a relationship between an owner and a manager. Not that it’s a sexual relationship or any sort of love relationship, but I think sometimes, when you have small businesses, especially in family businesses, it’s so close and they’re so friendly that it’s difficult to draw boundaries and set the expectations and hold people accountable. And that is a recipe for disaster.”

Cannon’s knowhow in maintaining a healthy workplace comes not just from her law experience, but from working in a broad variety of jobs in her life. She’s waited tables, cleaned hotel rooms, flipped burgers, owned an apartment building, and owned a cleaning service, as well as working at a golf course, in event planning, at a marketing firm, at a financial brokerage firm, as an HR director, and as an internal investigator.

“I’ve done so many jobs, I know what it takes to start a business. I know what it takes to keep a business going,” she said, and all that certainly applies to her current side business, Brew Practitioners, a brewery she and her husband, Joe Eckerle, have owned for the past decade.

After he took up craft brewing, the couple embarked on an educational brewery tour in Germany, and Cannon took a course at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, which is a brewing school.

“By the time we got back here, I was like, ‘you know what? We have so much beer, and we’re just giving it away; we might as well start a business.’ So we did — we started it in Florence, and then moved here after COVID,” she said of the East Longmeadow property that houses both Brew Practitioners and General Counsel by Cannon, as well as a small library she uses as a meeting and community space.

“We have remained small. We’re self-funded,” she said. “We haven’t grown bigger, but we’ve maintained a profitable business for going on 10 years now. And we love it. It’s our happy space.”

Putting her law hat back on, she added, “because I’m an entrepreneur, I understand where the needs are, and I understand the pain points. Especially in the brewery industry, I understand that there’s the feds, there’s the state, there’s the local licensing, and I know how much time these things take. So I can walk the walk with my brewery clients. I know exactly what they’re going through. I know that, if I’ve dealt with something in my business, the rest of these breweries are dealing with this too; let me see if I can help them. And wineries and distilleries are similar.”

 

Constant Learning

Cannon emphasized more than once that, while litigation is exciting, challenging and all-consuming, so, too is being a fractional general counsel.

“I have a growth mindset,” she said. “I spend a good deal of time on continuing education and keeping apprised of new trends and issues in the corporate world. I have to be on top of all the legislation, all the regulations, all the cases that come out, in addition to new business endeavors and new trends.”

As one example, she is now taking a 12-week leadership class at Western New England University where she’s learning about AI and how businesses should strategically manage that trend. “My clients need that information; my knowledge is for their use.”

Because she represents only corporations and businesses, not individuals, Cannon sometimes refers business to colleagues at other firms. That narrower focus keeps her busy as a solo practitioner, though she’s looking to hire an attorney or two in the coming year.

One example of what keeps her on her toes is the changing regulatory environment brought on by a new federal administration — especially one so aggressive about changing workplace rules and guidance.

“Regulations, by definition, are supposed to be purposeful and narrowly tailored to meet that purpose. I will say over the years that ‘narrowly tailored to meet that purpose’ has been broadened, very much so. So, I agree with regulations if they are purposeful, and if that purpose is a sound purpose. That has gone to the wayside for years, and I think we’ve all just gotten used to it.

“Now, I do believe that there will be some narrowing. I think they’re doing it with a sledgehammer, and it shouldn’t be done that way, but I do think some of the fallout will lessen. And what remains will get built back up when it needs to be.”

That said, some of the regulations that could be loosened are safety regulations, which were put in place to create better workplaces.

“If you’re a good business and you have best practices, you’re not doing it just because the regulators tell you to,” Cannon noted. “You’re doing it because it’s a good way to do business. If some of these regulations go by the wayside, but it’s going to hurt your business, or it’s just not a good ethical way to do business, then I’m going to counsel you to continue on with this.”

One major discussion in HR and employment-law circles is the topic of civility in a fiercely divided political climate.

“I do train for that as well. How do we maintain our authentic selves but still be civil to other people, to someone who may not have your same belief set?” she said. “I tell people all the time, ‘I can’t control how you feel inside.’ However, when you walk into the workplace, I can set the expectation of what is appropriate conduct and what’s acceptable and what we expect here at our company and the vision and the mission that we have.

“You bring your true self to work. And we want you to bring your true self, your authentic self, to work. That’s why they hired you,” she went on. “But you need to be civil with everyone else’s true self, too.”

 

Playing the Long Game

Speaking of unpleasant interactions, Cannon also counsels employers on how to discipline and, if necessary, terminate difficult employees.

“Many employers are walking on eggshells around their employees; they are afraid to say or do anything to upset them out of fear that they will get sued, even if the employee is a toxic employee. But it doesn’t have to be that way,” she explained. “You can’t control who goes down to the courthouse to sue, but if you do it right, set the stage for a proper defense, you don’t have to tiptoe.

“When you’re managing employees, you must play the long game,” she added. “You must be consistent with the application of company rules and policies and provide continuous training, especially manager trainings. I can assist with that. I can team up with an employer to implement a strategy over the long haul that will benefit the company and keep their staff happy, too. That is what I do. It’s what I love to do.”

Why Tariffs Are Fueling Concern Among Large Retailers

By Contributor
Special Coverage Wealth Management

The Big Box Barometer

By Jeff Liguori

Walmart and Costco might be two of the most important businesses in the U.S. today. Costco, the bulk retailer, sells nearly $255 billion worth of products annually, ranging from patio furniture to olive oil to diamond rings. It is arguably the most diverse outlet in terms of product mix and customer base. Walmart, the largest retail chain, holds about 20% share of the U.S. food and beverage market, serving 240 million customers weekly, with stores located within 10 miles of 90% of the U.S. population.

In a recent Trusted & Liked Companies Survey of 14,000 consumers by the Caliber Group, Costco ranked second in quality of reputation, slightly behind Amazon, on a list of the 30 most trusted retailers in the U.S., while Walmart ranked 10th.

During Costco’s last quarterly earnings conference call, CFO Gary Millerchap discussed the company’s plan to deal with tariffs and the potential effect on their customers. Predicting the impact is a challenge, he said, because of the “uncertainty around the timing and scope” of the tariffs. As part of its plan, Costco has been pulling inventory forward — in other words, adding excess inventory in anticipation of prices rising in the future.

The tariffs being levied on exporting countries by the Trump administration are a headwind for many businesses and routinely discussed by CEOs and CFOs of major companies. A tariff is a tax on a foreign country, a tactic to help generate greater tax revenue for the U.S. from countries where there is either a trade imbalance, an adversarial relationship, or — in the case of our neighboring states, Canada and Mexico — to curb illegal drug trafficking.

Most economists agree that tariffs will ultimately result in higher prices for the consumer. Walmart issued a cautious outlook on its last conference call. John Rainey, the CFO, told analysts there are too many uncertainties related to consumer behavior and global economic and geopolitical conditions to give clear guidance to analysts — a nice way of saying “we have no idea what the tariffs might mean for the global economy.” The stock price fell nearly 11% following the earnings report.

“When companies like Walmart and Costco import, the tariff gets passed on to them, which gets passed on to the consumer. The Trump strategy is tricky at a time when inflation remains stubborn.”

When companies like Walmart and Costco import, the tariff gets passed on to them, which gets passed on to the consumer. The Trump strategy is tricky at a time when inflation remains stubborn. At the last meeting of the Federal Reserve in January, the Federal Open Market Committee left interest rates unchanged, pausing the rate-cutting cycle that started last September because inflation remains elevated. Continuing to cut rates would put additional upward pressure on prices. Tariffs may exacerbate that dynamic further.

The Tax Policy Center, an independent think tank, estimates that tariffs would reduce imports by $9 trillion over 10 years. Currently, imports are at the highest level in history; the U.S. imported about $4.1 trillion in goods in 2024, up 20% from 2021, and have increased by 6% annually, on average. A decrease of $9 trillion, spread over a decade, would be about a 25% decrease in imports per year. Presumably, goods produced domestically would replace those that are imported, but such a transition doesn’t occur overnight.

So, what does this mean for the U.S. economy? Increasing inventories by retailers, as a measure to protect against higher prices related to tariffs, might be coming at the exact wrong time. From Costco’s conference call, the CFO noted that recent shopping habits have trended more toward lower-priced groceries, and the company saw a shift to more food eaten in the home. The CEO, Ron Vachris, suggested that customers have been making more pragmatic choices in recent months.

Jeff Liguori

Jeff Liguori

“Increasing inventories by retailers, as a measure to protect against higher prices related to tariffs, might be coming at the exact wrong time.”

Such behavior is consistent with recent consumer surveys, which illustrate more cautious spending by individuals and families. Higher inventories, or supply, and weaker demand will soften inflation without any help from the Fed’s monetary policy.

Prices matter. The most Googled economic term in 2024 was ‘inflation.’ Costco and Walmart have the wherewithal to manage through uncertainty, but we, as consumers, may not. What we spend accounts for 70% of GDP; what we import accounts for 14%. It is not difficult to see how the U.S. economy could tip into recession if those two categories contract.

At a recent meeting of the Economic Club of Chicago, Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart, told an audience he expects the situation to worsen with increased price pressure ahead amid shoppers already experiencing “frustration and pain.”

Time will tell if that pain will be worth it for the long-term financial well-being of our country.

 

Jeff Liguori is managing partner and chief investment officer of Napatree Capital, with offices in Longmeadow and Westerly, R.I.

Cesar Ruiz Intends to Rewind the Clock at Wyckoff Country Club

By
Cesar Ruiz bought Wyckoff with a sports complex in mind
Commercial Real Estate Special Coverage

Back to the Future

Cesar Ruiz bought Wyckoff with a sports complex in mind

Cesar Ruiz bought Wyckoff with a sports complex in mind, but his intention now is to keep it a country club and grow both membership and events.

 

Cesar Ruiz says it was only a few hours after he wrapped up a well-attended press conference in early February 2024, announcing his plans to bring a large sports complex to Holyoke, when his phone first pinged with someone offering some real estate for the initiative.

“He texted, ‘I’m a Holyoke boy. I’ve got five and half acres in downtown Holyoke. I’d like to do my part,’” Ruiz said. “So we followed that thread, but it was nothing we were interested in.”

The second time it pinged … well, that was a little different.

“It was a text sent to the mayor and forwarded to me, saying, ‘I have 100 acres in Holyoke, and you may be interested in looking at it,’” Ruiz recalled. “I was thinking to myself … ‘where is there 100 acres in Holyoke?’”

Some quick research revealed that the parcel in question was Wyckoff Country Club, and its beleaguered owners were looking to sell.

And Ruiz, anxious to gain some momentum for his project and unwilling to be “outflanked,” as he put it, by other potentially interested parties, was willing to not only listen, but enter into a purchase-and-sale agreement.

Fast-forwarding our story a little, the Wyckoff site, bordering a thickly settled residential neighborhood off already-busy Route 141, was essentially deemed impractical for Ruiz’s plans for a sports complex that might become the new home to the Volleyball Hall of Fame but also include fields and courts for several other sports.

“This change in management has generated interest and some real momentum, I believe.”

But Ruiz, who closed on the property late last month for $2.8 million, is now committed to a different future for Wyckoff — its past, specifically the more distant past.

Indeed, the Donald Ross-designed course and its clubhouse and other facilities have fallen on hard times recently, with Wyckoff not fully enjoying the post-COVID surge many clubs are experiencing.

“There’s been no real work done on this place in 50 years,” said Ruiz, referring to both the course and the facilities, adding that this has led to a decline in both play and events staged at the club.

Ruiz, a serial entrepreneur with experience in everything from formalwear to healthcare, has started making investments — everything from chemicals for the course (little, if any, fertilizer was applied last year) to new golf carts to needed renovations within the clubhouse — and plans to keep making them to facilitate a comeback for the club, now 92 years old.

Cesar Ruiz says the plan is to make the needed investments to return Wyckoff Country Club to prominence.

Cesar Ruiz says the plan is to make the needed investments to return Wyckoff Country Club to prominence.

“This change in management has generated interest and some real momentum, I believe,” he said, adding that he hopes to use his connections in the business world and the Latino community to bring more events — from weddings to wine tastings; from bingo to quinceañeras (sweet-15 birthday parties for Latinas) — to the property.

For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, we talked with Ruiz at length about his acquisition of Wyckoff and his plans to return the facility to something approaching its former glory.

 

Course of Action

When asked if there would be a steep learning curve for him when it comes to running a golf club, Ruiz offered a light laugh and then a slight shrug.

Both gestures were might to acknowledge that, while he doesn’t have any experience running a club, he does have considerable experience — and quite a bit of success — in business.

And, as noted earlier, it has come in several different fields. These include men’s fashions — he was a franchisee of Gingiss Formal Wear, with a location in the Riverdale Shops, before opening his own store, Cesar’s Formal Wear, in Springfield’s X neighborhood — then financial services (specifically the mortgage business), and then healthcare, opening the hugely successful Golden Years, a home-care company that developed a staffing division as well, which he sold last fall.

Golf and events management are new and different businesses for him, Ruiz acknowledged, but the basics are … well, the basics.

And they include understanding the consumer and what they’re looking for; providing consistent, quality service; and making the necessary investments in people, technology, systems, and infrastructure.

Ruiz is focused on all three, especially, at this critical juncture, the needed investments. And there are many of them, starting with the property, where crews are working, or soon will be, on the roof, foyer, bathrooms, ballroom walls and ceiling (complete with new chandeliers), bar area (which will mirror the foyer), and more.

“We certainly have an opportunity to expand membership locally and perhaps beyond our borders to Worcester and Hartford, and we’re optimistic on that.”

The intent is to have this and other projects done for some upcoming events, including one on March 15, both to improve the experience for those gatherings and to showcase the improvements for potential future clients.

Meanwhile, on the course, Ruiz said he intends to make it green again — aerial photos from last year revealed too much brown from the lack of fertilizer — while also doing some work on the cart paths and other areas in need of work.

When asked about the planned initial investments, he said it’s a moving target — now about $300,000 and expected to move higher.

The initial investments, and talk of those to come, has generated interest and momentum, said Ruiz, adding that, since last April, with the announcement of the purchase-and-sale agreement, there was widespread speculation about the club’s future and whether it even had one.

The more recent announcement — that not only would it remain a golf course, but there would be significant reinvestment in the course and property — has spurred interest in membership and future events alike.

On the golf side, he intends to leverage his investments in the course and grounds; market aggressively to women, young people, Hispanics, and other constituencies; and try to take full advantage of the surge that many courses are still enjoying.

“They lost a lot of the women members, and we’d like to bring them back,” he said. “We’d like to bring youth back. We certainly have an opportunity to expand membership locally and perhaps beyond our borders to Worcester and Hartford, and we’re optimistic on that.”

Overall, Ruiz said he intends to rely on another of those business basics — creativity — when it comes to maximizing the potential of both the course and the facilities.

By that, he meant looking at other opportunities, from cross-country skiing and even snowmobiling to generate revenue during the winter months to staging different kinds of events, from an already-planned bridal showcase to quinceañeras and other types of events involving the Hispanic community.

 

 

Next Big Swing

While Ruiz will still be leading the efforts to bring a sports complex to Holyoke, his immediate focus is on those 100 acres first brought to his attention in that text just over a year ago.

In fact, his office has officially moved from the Golden Years complex to the back of the clubhouse at Wyckoff.

There, he’s planning the next stages in what he believes will be a true comeback story, one in which this Holyoke landmark strides confidently into the future by first turning back the clock.

 

Holyoke Continues to Ride a Green Wave

By
Hagop Toghramadjian stands outside phase one of the Residences on Appleton, which features 88 units of mixed-income housing.
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Hagop Toghramadjian stands outside phase one of the Residences on Appleton, which features 88 units of mixed-income housing.

Hagop Toghramadjian stands outside phase one of the Residences on Appleton, which features 88 units of mixed-income housing.

Aaron Vega calls them ‘meet and greets.’

And they are, well … just what that name suggests. They’re meetings between city officials and small-business owners, many of them representing ventures in the emerging ‘climate tech’ sector who have heard about Holyoke and the companies that now call it home, and want to hear more with an eye toward following them.

“They’re hearing about Clean Crop, they’re hearing about Sublime Systems, they’re hearing about Simple Pack, and they want to know what’s going on,” said Vega, director of the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development, referring to three cutting-edge businesses we’ll get to back to later that are either already in Holyoke or advancing plans to locate there.

As city leaders listen to these business owners, a common thread — and a real challenge for the community — emerges.

“The biggest challenge for these companies that want to come to Holyoke as they move from their startup space is that there’s no built, ready space for them,” Vega noted. “There’s no white-box office space to move into. These guys don’t want to get involved in a rehab project; they want to be able to move in and get to work.”

“The biggest challenge for these companies that want to come to Holyoke as they move from their startup space is that there’s no built, ready space for them. There’s no white-box office space to move into. These guys don’t want to get involved in a rehab project; they want to be able to move in and get to work.”

Holyoke’s meet and greets and other aspects of its efforts to bring more small businesses to this former manufacturing hub — and early-stage efforts to create more spaces for them to move into — are just a few of the many converging storylines in Holyoke.

Others include:

• New housing projects, including a WinnDevelopment initiative at the former Farr Alpaca Co. complex — a $60 million endeavor that will create 88 units of mixed-income housing for adults 55 and over in phase 1 and another 70 in phase 2, while preserving a huge piece of the city’s past — and another project at Open Square that will create 80 units of market-rate housing;

• A cannabis cluster in flux: Holyoke welcomed the cannabis industry with open arms, and for a time, it looked like a large cluster of different businesses, from growers to dispensaries, would settle there. Some have, but as the sector faces growing pains and overall contraction, the city faces challenges, including businesses that are fighting to survive and one large grow facility, Trulieve, that has closed, with its huge plant sitting idle;

• New businesses and greater energy downtown. The city continues to ride a wave of entrepreneurship that has generated several new restaurants and storefronts in and around High Street, Vega said, adding that the new housing units coming online should generate more new-business activity;

• Those aforementioned companies in the green-energy and climate-tech sectors, headlined by Sublime Systems, which will manufacture environmentally friendly concrete at a plant on Water Street;

• A sports complex that is still in its early stages, with a site identified on Whiting Farms Road and other properties being assembled, as well as new ownership of Wyckoff Country Club (see related story on page 31).

• A reinvigorated Holyoke Community College, which has received a huge boost from MassEducate, the state’s free community-college program, and is making adjustments in the wake of a 24% rise in enrollment over the past two years;

• A new strategic plan for the city now being prepared, which is expected to help create a road map for continued progress in a city that has seen momentum on several fronts in recent years; and

• Existing businesses and traditions, especially the upcoming Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Road Race.

Slicing through all that, Mayor Joshua Garcia, the Holyoke native now in his fourth year in the corner office, said the city is achieving progress with many goals and on several fronts, but there is still considerable work to do and projects to bring to the goal line.

These include everything from the sports complex to renovation of the historic Victory Theatre, a project now 40 years in the making. Those behind the effort are still struggling to close a significant gap between the funding that’s been raised and what will be needed to revitalize the landmark.

Mayor Joshua Garcia, left, and Aaron Vega

Mayor Joshua Garcia, left, and Aaron Vega say Holyoke continues to pursue — and add — new businesses in the broad realm of climate tech.

Garcia described economic development in the city as an ecosystem, one including manufacturing, small — and often very small — businesses, hospitality, the arts, food, and sports.

“The question is, how can we get all the boats to rise together so we’re establishing sustainability in our city?” he asked, adding that the answer to that question is the ongoing priority of his administration.

 

Not Your Run-of-the-mill Project

“Daunting.”

That’s the word Hagop Toghramadjian, a project director and development counsel with Boston-based WinnDevelopment, settled on as he was asked to describe the ongoing work at Appleton Street at the former Farr Alpaca complex.

Elaborating, he said he considers the project, called the Residences on Appleton, now far more than a decade in the making, to be the most challenging building-conversion initiative that WinnDevelopment has undertaken. And that’s saying something.

Indeed, the company has taken on many complex projects locally, including 31 Elm St. (Court Square) in Springfield and several buildings in the Ludlow Mills complex, and in numerous other communities as well.

But this conversion of the 125-year-old former mill complex into housing is on another level, said Toghramadjian as he talked with BusinessWest in the kitchen of one of the nearly finished units. He noted that there are several reasons why — from the extremely poor condition of the mill to the need to assemble property for parking and a three-story amenities building, to simply securing access to a building bordered on one side by a canal and the other by the Pioneer Valley Railroad.

As with all projects of this nature, there was also the challenge of pulling together the requisite pots of money, which, in this case, included everything from state and federal historic tax credits to state and federal low-income housing funds.

“We want to keep these small businesses local; we want to keep them here and give them an opportunity to grow their business.”

“Where we’re standing now … there was thin air, the floor had rotted through, the roof had rotted through — only the brick walls were still standing,” he said. “It was very dark, the air quality was bad … you would never dream that this could become comfortable, beautiful housing.”

But the various groups involved have persevered because this project is as important as it is difficult, he noted.

“Given its location and given how blighted it was, it cast a shadow on the whole downtown — it was a top priority for the city,” said Toghramadjian, noting that the site sits between Main and High streets, the city’s two main commercial districts, and directly across from Holyoke Heritage State Park and the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center. “Because of that, they’ve been really good partners, and that’s why Winn came to Holyoke and made this investment here — it’s because the city knew what it took to make this kind of project happen.”

Jim Lavelle

Jim Lavelle

“We’ve been trying to promote not only the lower utility rates here, but the clean energy that customers can promote with their products and hopefully help with sales.”

As phase 1 continues, with leasing to commence and tenants due to start moving in this fall, Toghramadjian and others we talked with said that, while these 88 units will make a welcome addition to the landscape and help spur economic development in the area, they represent a drop in the bucket when it comes to the city’s overall housing needs.

Indeed, Garcia said a recent report put that need at roughly 1,600 units of new housing over the next 20 years across the broad spectrum of income levels, which is another key element in the equation because different types of housing, including market-rate and homeownership, enables residents to stay in the city as their financial situation improves.

“The Appleton Street project doesn’t address the magnitude of the problem, but we’re chipping away at it,” said the mayor, noting that there may be as many as 600 units already in the pipeline.

That includes phase 2 of the Appleton Street initiative, he said, noting that WinnDevelopment is currently assembling the required pots of money for that initiative, as well as the market-rate units planned for Open Square and other ongoing housing initiatives.

There are several smaller housing initiatives taking place, said Vega, including many involving the upper floors of properties along High Street, projects that provide a few or a few dozen units, all of which help meet growing need.

The problem, he went on, is the immense competition for limited state and federal support for such initiatives, with seemingly every community in the Commonwealth in need of housing.

“All the developers are going for the same pots of money, whether they’re in Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, or West Springfield,” he said, adding that, in this environment, having a solid mix of projects, large and small, in the pipeline is a must.

 

Current Events

As noted earlier, there are several projects in various stages of development in Hoyoke, and many converging storylines.

One of the most intriguing involves new-business development, especially in green energy and related sectors, where a cluster is emerging as companies eye Holyoke for location, available and relatively inexpensive real estate, and, especially, its lower-cost, clean electricity, said Jim Lavelle, general manager of Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E), which provides that energy.

“We’ve been trying to promote not only the lower utility rates here, but the clean energy that customers can promote with their products and hopefully help with sales,” said Lavelle, adding that Sublime Systems is just one of many businesses, large and small, that have chosen Holyoke for that reason, among others.

As an example, he cited Simple Pack, a company now located in Open Square that manufactures green food packaging to restaurants, schools, hospital cafeterias, and food distributors. Being able to say such products are produced with clean energy, in this case hydropower, is important to the company’s mission and a strong selling point with its clients, he said.

There are several similar examples, said Lavelle, who will gain a different title in a few days — grand marshal of Holyoke’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

While his father served in that role decades ago, Lavelle never expected to wear that hat himself because, while he’s long been somewhat involved in the parade, he has never served on its committee.

He considers the honor a nod to HG&E’s important role in the city, and is enthusiastic about fulfilling the many duties of grand marshal, including attendance at myriad events and, in accordance with tradition, responsibility for parade-day weather.

“I have a much greater appreciation for the effort that goes into all these different events that the parade committee puts on,” he said. “And I have a much greater appreciation for how strong a regional collaboration exists between the different communities’ parade committees and other civic organizations and the sponsors; they really work hand-in-hand on all these different events that happen across Western Mass.”

Putting his HG&E hat back on, figuratively if not literally, Lavelle said Sublime Systems, which he believes should be ready to starting building its facility later this year or early next, will soon become the utility’s largest customer, with 10 to 12 megawatts of demand. That’s a huge draw, but one it can easily absorb thanks to transmission-system upgrades, he went on, adding that the HG&E has the capacity to attract several more large users and dozens of smaller ones.

Attracting these businesses is one of many priorities for the city, said Vega, noting that there have been a steady volume of meet-and-greets in recent years, and more are on the schedule.

Many of these sessions involve early-stage companies, many of them in green-energy or green-manufacturing ventures, he said, adding that, in addition to city officials, the leaders of companies like Clean Crop, which uses electricity to revolutionize food safety, are often in the room to discuss Holyoke and its many selling points.

“If they’re a little further along and they have specific questions, we’ll bring in Holyoke Gas & Electric to talk about the energy portfolio they can provide,” the mayor went on. “We’re on people’s radar — we just need to put the package together to bring them in.”

Holyoke at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1786
Population: 38,247
Area: 22.8 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $17.46
Commercial Tax Rate: $38.54
Median Household Income: $37,954
Median Family Income: $46,940
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Community College, ISO New England Inc., PeoplesBank, Universal Plastics, Marox Corp.
* Latest information available

Which brings him back to that ongoing challenge of offering them spaces that are ready to move into. There aren’t many of them in the city, but he’s in discussions with some building owners about possibly partnering with the city to develop co-work, start-up, or innovation space.

“That’s a direction we want to go in,” he told BusinessWest. “We want to keep these small businesses local; we want to keep them here and give them an opportunity to grow their business.”

 

Bottom Line

As for businesses already growing in Holyoke, there are many in the cannabis sector, which, while it is experiencing strong growing pains, remains a force in Holyoke, Garcia said.

He noted that social consumption, or so-called cannabis cafés, constitutes the next frontier for this industry — the Cannabis Control Commission is taking up regulatory reforms on such facilities — and for some establishments in Holyoke, it could be a real lifeline in this time of growing challenge.

“In Holyoke, we want to be among the first communities to adapt and implement that opportunity for on-site consumption,” he said, likening these establishments to bars and restaurants in the sense of attracting people to the community. “If we can bring people into our city to spend money, that’s a plus.”

With cannabis, as with many of the other storylines unfolding in Holyoke, Garcia said he remains a “glass-full leader.”

That means he’s optimistic, but also realistic. It means he understands that, while much has been accomplished, there’s still much to do, and on many fronts.

It means he’s more bullish on his hometown than ever.

UMass Economist Says New Tariffs Could Balloon Inflation

By
Features

Trade Talk

With President Trump moving quickly to make good on promises of widespread tariffs on products from U.S. trading partners, consumers and businesses are left trying to understand the ramifications.

But while the mechanisms behind tariffs can be complex, Anna Nagurney says the impact on consumers is easily explained.

“The tariff works like a tax,” she told BusinessWest. “It’s essentially paid by the importers of the particular product, but consumers will ultimately bear the cost.”

Nagurney, the Eugene M. Isenberg chair in Integrative Studies in the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, is a supply-chain expert who has spoken at length in a number of outlets about tariff policy and how it might play out.

“Tariffs on products from our major trading partners will be felt quickly — prices for our favorite fresh produce along with beef and dairy will rise, and even certain alcoholic beverages will cost more, challenging consumers already dealing with inflation,” she said. “We can also expect increases in costs for housing, cars, clothes, laptops, and smartphones.”

The other factor involves how U.S. trading partners will respond — or have already responded, she added. “Retaliatory tariffs will cause further pain for U.S. producers and consumers. Before long, workers in the underlying supply chains will lose their jobs.”

ANNA NAGURNEY

ANNA NAGURNEY

“We can’t produce all the aluminum we need for cans and cars and airplanes. We can’t grow all our fruits and vegetables we get from Mexico. Our North American allies are very important.”

One concern among economists is what’s known as the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, or USMCA, which Trump’s administration negotiated during his first presidential term, and is up for renegotiation in 2026.

Elmore Alexander, dean emeritus of the Ricciardi School of Business at Bridgewater State University and a member of the Board of Economic Advisors at Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), recently posted an article on the AIM website, to be published in the spring issue of the Bridgewater Review, explaining the potential impacts of Trump’s promised — but currently delayed — tariffs of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico.

“It is likely that this will create major disruptions in trade and relations among the three countries. The impact of these tariffs will be felt across the entire spectrum of U.S. manufacturing and service industries,” he explained, noting that the U.S. imports large amounts of energy — both oil and electricity — from Canada and a majority of automobiles and automobile parts from Mexico.

“Since the tariffs proposed by President Trump violate USMCA, these actions will throw the entire agreement into flux. The agreement governs many elements of North American business and economic relationships. Thus, the implications of the tariffs could reverberate well beyond just U.S. imports from Mexico and Canada.”

Nagurney agreed. “Ironically, in Trump’s first administration, he signed the USMCA agreement to supersede NAFTA,” she said, referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement. “Now he’s violating his own agreements.”

Alexander notes, however, that rhetoric and action are two different things, and the tariff threats could be a means to extract concessions from trading partners — as evidenced when Trump delayed the proposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico when those countries promised to address his border concerns.

Threats and Realities

Trump has long been enamored of tariffs, and has deployed them — or the threat of them — for essentially three reasons: to increase revenue, to balance trade, and as leverage in negotiations with other nations.

In a keynote address to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in January, he issued a call for businesses to make their products in the U.S. and benefit from promised lower taxes, with the tax revenue in U.S. coffers offset by external tariffs.

“If you don’t make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then, very simply, you will have to pay a tariff — differing amounts, but a tariff — which will direct hundreds of billions of dollars, and even trillions of dollars, into our treasury to strengthen our economy and pay down debt,” the president said.

Political rivals disagree — often vehemently. After Trump announced 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports on Feb. 10, U.S. Sens. Richard Neal and Linda Sánchez issued a blistering joint statement.

“Tariffs alone will do little to stop the unfair trade practices in these industries or bring back American jobs,” they said. “Our workers and producers in steel and aluminum deserve relief that will deliver results, and we could do that by working with our allies who are also being hurt by the flood of steel and aluminum in our markets from bad actors. Unfair trade practices undercut our workers and businesses and warrant more than the president’s dithering and façades of victory. Thoughtful action builds effective strategy that will re-establish fair trade for these products, and that’s what the people deserve.”

One of the major issues with tariffs, Nagurney said, has to do with economic stability and certainty, and an environment that mixes threatened, delayed, and active tariffs isn’t doing businesses any favors.

“What businesses really care about, where they thrive, is with is certainty and confidence. They can hire the right number of people, and they know the kinds of prices they can expect to get. Now, the volatility is extremely disorienting and very, very uncomfortable for everyone who’s involved in manufacturing and trade, and retailers as well.”

As for Trump’s call to manufacture in America, “we can’t produce all the aluminum here,” Nagurney noted. “We can’t produce all the aluminum we need for cans and cars and airplanes. We can’t grow all our fruits and vegetables we get from Mexico. Our North American allies are very important.

“And it’s important not only for the health and well-being of people and the economy, but also security. When we talk about having enough aluminum and steel, that affects military planes and other products that are really important,” she added. “We can’t just go it ourselves. It’s a global marketplace.”

 

Cause and Effect

Nagurney noted that Trump’s tariffs on steel during his first administration did benefit U.S. manufacturers and increased wages and employment in the steel industry. But the landscape isn’t the same for aluminum, as the U.S. depends on foreign trading partners for much of its supply.

And, as noted earlier, tariffs are considered inflationary by most economists, and inflation has already started to tick back up in 2025.

“It’s generating so much confusion among businesses and our close allies, and people are worried about inflation,” she said. “I mean, look what happened to eggs. Yes, that’s the avian flu, but eggs are now over $8 a dozen. Stores and restaurants are charging 50 cents extra for each egg. And people care about the cost of food.

“So when you slap these tariffs on Mexican produce, people will notice that, and will be extremely fast because we’re dealing with perishable products,” she added. “And now you’re talking about semiconductors and pharmaceuticals as well. We’re living in very interesting times.”

The Evolution of Financial Fraud and How You Can Prevent It

By Contributor
Banking and Financial Services

Preparing for 2025

By Daniel Cardi

 

If there’s one thing we all learned in 2024, it’s this: scammers aren’t slowing down. From texts that pose as Amazon to fake job offers asking you to deposit checks, their deception is getting more creative — and more effective. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates Americans will lose more than $10 billion to fraud this year alone.

The good news? Protecting financial data doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few smart strategies and a healthy dose of skepticism, you can avoid becoming a statistic in 2025. Let’s break down what’s deceiving people, why it’s working, and what you can do about it.

 

Scammers Got Smarter in 2024

Last year, we saw some old tricks making a comeback. Counterfeit checks were still common — people receiving fake checks, depositing them, and being asked to forward the funds before the check bounces. These scams often target folks selling things online or applying for jobs.

Daniel Cardi

Daniel Cardi

“Scammers thrive on urgency. They’ll tell you your account’s been compromised or there’s a suspicious charge on your card, hoping you’ll panic and act without thinking.”

But one thing really stood out: fraudulent text messages. Criminals sent fake texts pretending to be from retailers like Walmart or Amazon, claiming there were “suspicious charges” on your account. The goal? Get you to click a link, enter your banking info, and give them instant access to your money.

These scams are working for a reason. As a society, we use our phones for everything, and we trust them with a lot of information — from shopping to banking to ordering pizza. Scammers know this and are doubling down on texts and emails because they know we’ll respond quickly, often without a second thought.

 

What Scams to Expect in 2025

These tactics aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’ll likely get more advanced. Cybercriminals are already using artificial intelligence (AI) to create more convincing fake messages. It’s only going to get harder to tell the difference between a legitimate message and a computer-generated one.

Who’s most at risk? Unfortunately, older people are still a primary target because they’re less familiar with digital tools. But anyone who’s too quick to click or too trusting can fall victim, especially as scams get more sophisticated.

For our part, the financial industry is fighting back. Many institutions, like Community Bank, are embracing AI to catch fraudulent activity faster. These systems analyze millions of transactions in real time to flag suspicious activity. But even with all the technology in the world, the best defense is still a vigilant consumer.

 

How You Can Protect Yourself in 2025

So what can you do to stay ahead of scammers? Luckily, the best strategies are simple and don’t require a computer science degree.

Slow down. Scammers thrive on urgency. They’ll tell you your account’s been compromised or there’s a suspicious charge on your card, hoping you’ll panic and act without thinking. Pause and look closely at the message. Does it seem real? Check the link — is it actually from a legitimate source, or is it some random string of letters and numbers? When in doubt, call your financial institution’s customer-care center directly and have them research the activity.

Change your passwords. I know — it’s inconvenient. But using old, weak passwords is like leaving your front door wide open. Make a habit of updating your passwords regularly and using different ones for different accounts. If that sounds overwhelming, get a password manager to do the hard work for you.

Use multi-factor authentication. MFA is an added layer of protection for devices and accounts — a gateway guard that says “prove it’s really you.” When you log in, you’ll need to verify your identity with a code sent to your phone or email. It’s an extra step, but it’s worth it to keep scammers out of your accounts.

Be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true. If someone offers you a job out of the blue or says you’ve won money but need to send funds to claim it — run. Scammers love to bait people with promises that sound amazing but aren’t real.

Report fraud ASAP. If you think you’ve been scammed, don’t stay silent. Call your bank immediately. Not only can we help you secure your account, we might also be able to recover your money. In 2024, our team at Community Bank helped recover more than $235,000 on behalf of our customers who would have otherwise lost that money to scams.

 

The Role of AI and What’s Next

Here’s the silver lining: 2025 is shaping up to be a turning point for fraud prevention. Like I mentioned earlier, financial institutions, like Community Bank, are rolling out advanced AI systems that can adapt in real time to catch new scams as they emerge. Because these tools use machine learning to analyze millions of transactions daily, they can spot patterns that humans might miss. Any new trend will be addressed instantly, with new or updated alerts to our team.

But with every advancement in fraud prevention comes new strategies from the scammers. They’re also experimenting with AI to create fake emails, texts, and even phone calls that are more convincing than ever. This is why vigilance and skepticism will always be your best tools.

We also expect more regulations in 2025 aimed at improving cybersecurity. Businesses will need to comply with stricter rules to protect sensitive data — which is great news for consumers. But at the end of the day, personal accountability remains key.

 

Don’t Rush and Stay Skeptical

The main takeaway for this year? Take your time. Whether it’s a text about a suspicious charge or an email requesting urgent action, don’t rush to respond. Scammers rely on speed and panic — take that away, and you take away their power.

Remember, if something feels off, don’t hesitate to call and ask questions. By staying informed, skeptical, and proactive, you can outsmart the scammers and protect what matters most.

In short, 2025 will bring new challenges, but with the right mindset and tools, you’ll be ready.

 

As vice president and Corporate Security officer for Community Bank, Daniel Cardi draws on more than three decades of experience in policework, gaming investigations and security analysis to stay ahead of emerging threats and prevent financial losses for customers. He specializes in risk management, fraud prevention, and physical security, overseeing security upgrades and modifications across the bank’s branch network. He also supervises a dedicated team of corporate security investigators committed to investigating allegations of fraudulent financial activity across the bank’s footprint to foster a safer banking environment for all customers.

 

What the Tax Code Says About Your Losses

By Contributor
Banking and Financial Services

Scammed in a Crypto Scheme?

By Sean Wandrei

 

Have you received a text lately from strangers who think they know you or want to be your friend? I have been receiving those for a while now. I thought I was popular, and these people wanted to be my friend. Maybe a few of them want to be, but many of these texts are from people looking to find their next target.

‘Pig butchering’ has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. That’s the term for a scam that deceives individuals into giving up money under false pretenses. The scammer fattens the victim, the ‘pig,’ by slowly guiding them into making increasingly large investments before disappearing with the victim’s money. These schemes can be presented as an opportunity to help someone out, find love, or take advantage of an incredible investment opportunity. With the boom in the cryptocurrency market, many of these schemes involve investments in crypto.

The scammer gradually builds trust with the victim over time. Once the trust is built, the scammer tells the victim about a great investment opportunity where they made a lot of money from investments, or how they need money for other reasons. The scammer may show the victim evidence of investment gains.

Sean Wandrei

Sean Wandrei

“The key difference between these two situations is the victim’s intent — if the individual engaged in the transaction with the expectations of earning income or capital gains, then the loss suffered can be treated as an investment loss rather than a personal expense.”

Eventually, the victim is guided to a website or app to invest in crypto. The app could look like a platform such as Coinbase. The platform is set up by the scammer, and eventually the victim’s crypto is transferred off the platform and gone forever. Or the crypto never existed — the money the victim sent simply went into the scammer’s account.

 

Deducting Losses from the Scam

Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 165 provides the taxpayer with an opportunity to deduct losses incurred from various transactions, subject to specific rules and limitations. The deductibility of losses suffered from fraudulent schemes depends significantly on the nature of the transaction and the taxpayer’s motive at the time of the transaction. Two distinct scenarios arise in the context of pig-butchering schemes: losses incurred from transactions driven by personal motives (helping someone out or looking for love) and losses incurred from a transaction entered into for a profit (investing in crypto).

When a loss is incurred because an individual gives money to help someone out or in the pursuit of a romantic relationship, the transaction is typically characterized as a personal expense. These losses could be seen as a theft loss arising from non-business, personal transactions. Under IRC 165(c)(3), theft losses generally are not deductible due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which limited the deductibility of personal casualty and theft losses to those incurred in a federally declared disaster area.

In this context, the taxpayer’s motive was not profit-driven, but rather a personal connection or desire to help, which means this loss would be a theft loss and not deductible. The rationale is that the tax code does not provide relief for personal financial mistakes or misguided generosity when they lead to fraud.

Contrast this with the scenario where the pig-butchering scheme is one where the victim believes that they are investing in an asset such as crypto. In this case, the victim’s primary motive is to earn a profit by investing in crypto. Under IRC 165(c)(2), losses incurred from transactions entered into for profit, which are not connected to a trade or business, are deductible.

The key difference between these two situations is the victim’s intent — if the individual engaged in the transaction with the expectations of earning income or capital gains, then the loss suffered can be treated as an investment loss rather than a personal expense. The IRS treats crypto as property, so a case can be made that the victim was investing in property with a profit motive of investment income.

If the victim is going to deduct the loss under IRC 165(c)(2), he or she must adhere to substantiation requirements. Detailed records of the transaction, evidence of the profit motive, and clear documentation of the loss are necessary to support any deduction claimed on the tax return.

For example, consider a taxpayer who entered into a crypto scheme that ultimately turns out to be a pig-butchering scheme. If the taxpayer entered the transaction with a clear profit motive, expecting to realize gains from a booming cryptocurrency market, the loss from the scheme can be characterized as an investment loss. This categorization aligns with the general principle that taxpayers are allowed to deduct losses on investments when those losses result from a transaction entered into for profit.

 

Bottom Line

There is little case law on this subject, as it is relatively new. To deduct these losses, a taxpayer must maintain clear documentation of all interactions with the scammer, deposit dates, and evidence of profit motive.

Falling victim to these scams can have major financial consequences for the victim and his or her family. The monetary loss could be alleviated by deducting the loss and reducing the taxpayer’s tax liability. As mentioned above, there is limited tax precedent on this subject, so taxpayers should contact a tax professional to ensure the claim is legally sound and in full compliance with current laws.

 

Sean Wandrei, CPA, MST is a senior lecturer in the Department of Accounting at Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

An Introductory Guide for Business Owners

By Contributor
Home Improvement

Selling Your Small Business

By Sasha Wilde

 

Selling your small business is a pivotal moment in your life. It marks the culmination of your hard work, dedication, and vision. Whether you’re selling to retire, pursue a new venture, or capitalize on your business’s value, the process demands strategic thinking, preparation, and a clear understanding of the steps involved. This guide will walk you through the essentials to consider ahead of a sale.

 

Are You Ready to Sell?

Selling a business isn’t just a financial decision — it’s an emotional one, too. Before starting the process, ask yourself:

• What legacy do you want to leave behind? Think about the impact your business has had on your community, employees, and customers.

• What’s your plan after selling? Will you retire, start a new business, or focus on personal projects? (Keep in mind that most buyers will want you to sign a non-compete.)

• Is succession planning necessary? Consider whether there are people (employees, family members, or partners) within your network who might be the right fit to take over.

 

Consider Your Stakeholders

Your decision to sell directly impacts those around you, including:

• Your family. Discuss your decision with family members, especially if they’ve been involved in the business.

Sasha Wilde

Sasha Wilde

“Whether you’re selling to retire, pursue a new venture, or capitalize on your business’s value, the process demands strategic thinking, preparation, and a clear understanding of the steps involved.”

• Your employees. Transparency is key. Plan for how you’ll communicate the sale and secure their future during the transition. (The timing of this communication is important to consider as well.)

• Your customers and community. Think about how the sale might impact those who rely on your business.

 

Define Why You’re Selling

Understanding your motivations will help clarify your goals and approach. Common reasons include:

• Personal milestones, like retirement or burnout;

• Shifting focus to a new venture; and

• Capitalizing on the current value of your business.

Clearly defining your ‘why’ will also make your pitch to potential buyers more authentic and compelling.

 

Determine What Your Business Is Worth

The first and most vital step is understanding the value of your business. Buyers will ask for evidence backing your valuation. Here are some factors you should consider:

• Cash flow. Strong, predictable cash flow makes a business more appealing.

• Management structure. Is the business independent of you? The less reliant the business is on the owner, the more valuable it is.

• Revenue type. Recurring or subscription revenue is typically more stable and attractive to buyers than one-time sales (a/k/a project-based).

• Assets and liabilities. Tangible and intangible assets (intellectual property, equipment, or customer relationships) influence your valuation.

Tip: A professional appraiser or M&A (mergers and acquisitions) advisor can provide a more precise valuation based on your specific industry and market.

 

Build Your Dream Team of Advisors

Selling a business is complex. It’s important to gather a team of professionals who can guide you through the process, including:

• Legal advisors, to help you draft contracts, review sale agreements, and protect your interests.

• Accountants/tax experts, to ensure the sale is compliant with tax laws and to help reduce tax liabilities.

• M&A professionals or business brokers, specialists who can help market your business, find buyers, and negotiate the best deal for you.

 

Where to Find Buyers

There are multiple ways to promote your business to potential buyers. Some popular routes include:

• Business brokers and M&A professionals can act as intermediaries, negotiating on your behalf and helping to connect you with serious buyers. They can also bring expertise in marketing and legal compliance.

• If your business includes real estate, commercial real-estate agents can help you sell both the business and its physical location.

• Reach out to your local chamber of commerce or business associations, as they are well-connected and knowledgeable about the local community.

• List your business on reputable websites such as bizbuysell.com, bizscout.com, or businessesforsale.com. These online platforms allow you to connect with a global network of buyers. For example, businessesforsale.com offers more than 53,000 business listings worldwide, making it one of the largest marketplaces for buying and selling businesses.

 

Tips for a Successful Sale

• Be transparent and organized. Buyers want assurance that your business is healthy and well-run. This means having detailed financial records, operational documents, and contracts readily available for due diligence. Transparency builds trust and increases the chances of closing the deal.

• Highlight your business’s strengths. Create a compelling narrative about why your business is valuable. This may include a strong customer base, a clear competitive advantage or unique selling proposition, and/or opportunities for growth.

• Stay patient. Selling a business takes time. It’s normal for the process to last several months, or even longer, depending on the market and buyer interest.

 

Final Thoughts

Selling your small business is a major step that requires careful planning, communication, and execution. By aligning your emotional readiness, understanding the value of your business, and building a team of trusted advisors, you’ll be better prepared to achieve a favorable sale.

Looking to start the process? Reach out. I am happy to be a resource to get you headed in the right direction. Email me at [email protected].

Make the next chapter of your entrepreneurial story just as successful as the one you’re closing!

 

Sasha Wilde is co-owner of Sexton Roofing & Siding.

GCC Seeks New Instructors for Expanding HVAC Program

By
Home Improvement

Meeting a Growing Need

As the demand for HVAC technicians continues to grow, Greenfield Community College (GCC) is actively seeking new instructors to join its Workforce Development team and help train the next generation of skilled technicians.

GCC recently graduated its first cohort of HVAC technicians from the new entry-level HVAC technician course, and a waiting list of future trainees is already building.

At this time of year, when the heat goes out, homeowners rely on HVAC technicians as emergency responders to ensure their comfort. However, the HVAC industry is facing a critical shortage of workers. Many seasoned technicians are retiring, creating a significant gap in the workforce, even as the need for skilled technicians increases due to Massachusetts’ decarbonization targets and incentives promoting the transition to electric heat pumps and other advanced systems.

“Our HVAC program is aimed at addressing this urgent need,” said Kristin Cole, vice president of Workforce Development at GCC. “However, to continue meeting the demands of local employers and the community, we need more experienced instructors who can share their expertise with aspiring HVAC professionals.”

GCC’s entry-level HVAC technician program, funded by an Equity Workforce Training Implementation Grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, equips students with valuable skills, including five industry-recognized credentials: OSHA 10, NORA Bronze, Massachusetts Oil Burner, NATE Ready-to-Work, and the EPA 608 Universal certification. The curriculum, developed by HVAC Program Coordinator Sharon Cates and Instructor Joel Tognarelli, combines technical principles with hands-on training to ensure students are well-prepared for careers in the field.

Kristen Cole

Kristen Cole

“Becoming an instructor is a fantastic opportunity for HVAC professionals to make a meaningful impact on their community while also addressing the workforce gap in our industry.”

The need for HVAC instructors is complemented by the growing interest in the program. In this expanding environment, GCC is seeking individuals with HVAC experience who are passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of technicians.

“Becoming an instructor is a fantastic opportunity for HVAC professionals to make a meaningful impact on their community while also addressing the workforce gap in our industry,” Cole said. “We encourage anyone with HVAC expertise who wants to give back to consider this rewarding teaching opportunity.”

In addition to the technical training, the HVAC program emphasizes the importance of service in the community. Students learn not just how to fix systems, but also the responsibility they carry as technicians who help keep families safe and comfortable in their homes.

With a coalition of local employers and ongoing feedback on curriculum development, GCC is aligning its training programs with the needs of the HVAC industry. This collaboration aims to ensure that graduates are equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing workforce.

HVAC experts interested in teaching opportunities at GCC are encouraged to email Cole at [email protected].

Partnerships Aim to Improve Maternal, Cardiometabolic Health

By
Healthcare News

Heart of the Matter

The Healey-Driscoll administration recently announced partnerships with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and Atrius Health Equity Foundation as part of the administration’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) initiative, which works to eliminate racial, economic, and regional disparities in health outcomes. The partnerships will finance initiatives in Chicopee and New Bedford.

These partnerships will fund community-level initiatives that will identify and understand community needs related to maternal health or social drivers of cardiometabolic health. Cardiometabolic disease, which refers to disease of the heart and blood vessels, diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease, is a leading cause of death across Massachusetts. The initiative works to improve health outcomes in 30 communities that have been identified as having the greatest health disparities for maternal health and social drivers of cardiometabolic health.

“While we recognize that disparities in these health conditions occur in these regions, we strongly believe that each community may face different challenges in addressing them, and that requires solutions at the community level,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh said. “I look forward to hearing from the programs in the communities and am grateful to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and Atrius Health Equity Foundation for their support and partnership that will have a real difference in the lives of people in the communities.”

John Vieau

John Vieau

“Improving the health and well-being of Chicopee residents begins with understanding the issues and complications facing our community. The work sponsored by the BCBSMA Foundation and performed by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts will help us to determine the best way to positively affect the health of our residents.”

BCBSMA Foundation has approved $100,000 in funding for the first year of a two-year Strategic Health Equity Grant to the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. The nonprofit organization will lead a community engagement process in Chicopee to identify and understand community needs related to maternal health or the social drivers of health that impact cardiometabolic conditions and maternal perinatal morbidity. The coalition-building work will engage communities of color and other marginalized communities to inform the identification of needs, preferred solutions, and the implementation of those solutions.

“We are pleased to partner with leaders from EOHHS and DPH on a place-based community-engagement model that will help advance our shared health-equity goals,” said Audrey Shelto, president and CEO of BCBSMA Foundation. “Our grant partner is well-positioned to serve as a backbone organization for the AHEM initiative in Chicopee and to support community members as they develop solutions to the health disparities in their region.”

Chicopee Mayor John Vieau added that “improving the health and well-being of Chicopee residents begins with understanding the issues and complications facing our community. The work sponsored by the BCBSMA Foundation and performed by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts will help us to determine the best way to positively affect the health of our residents.”

In Southeastern Mass., Atrius Health Equity Foundation is committing $500,000 over two years to establish Youth Creating a Healthier New Bedford, a youth-led initiative that empowers young people in New Bedford to identify the social drivers impacting cardiometabolic health, engages them in developing a shared agenda for promoting community health and wellness, and supports them as emerging leaders.

The foundation is partnering with SouthCoast Community Foundation to convene local organizations to align efforts for broad, sustainable support for the initiative, while helping integrate other areas, such as the arts, environmental sustainability, and community development, to foster long-term transformative change in the community.

The partnerships with Atrius Health Equity Foundation and BCBSMA Foundation are the first of many partnerships AHEM seeks to create with private-sector partners to address health inequities.

UMassFive College Federal Credit Union Remains Focused on Growth

By
Rich Kump says UMassFive College Federal Credit Union is persevering
Banking and Financial Services Special Coverage

Setting Its Sites

Rich Kump says UMassFive College Federal Credit Union is persevering

Rich Kump says UMassFive College Federal Credit Union is persevering through challenging times for this sector.

Rich Kump says UMassFive College Federal Credit Union is in a mood to “make up for some lost time.”

Elaborating, he flashed back more than two years, to when the institution was starting to move ahead with plans to move its flagship location in Hadley to a new location just down Route 9, while also advancing efforts to make a push into Hampden County with a location in or near Springfield and a smaller satellite office within Springfield that would serve one of the city’s many banking deserts.

Returning to today, he said the credit union — which he serves as president and CEO — has made very little, if any, progress on those fronts, due to issues with all three sites that we’ll get into later.

He summed it all up with some understatement, and a needed sense of humor, saying, “what I have surmised from all this is that we’re not very good at picking branch sites.”

Now, the institution is looking at 2026 for the Hampden County locations, and a longer timeline for the new Hadley location, which he admits is less of a priority now than it was back in late 2022, due primarily to remote-work options that have alleviated space concerns that were a prime motivator for relocating the flagship branch.

“Moving the Hadley branch does not generate a whole bunch of new loans and deposits and members.It provides some great visibility, but not many growth opportunities.”

These are all still priorities, but they have been supplanted by larger concerns and dramatically changing times — for all banks and credit unions, one in which the rising interest rates of 2023 and early 2024 tightened already-thin margins, reduced profits, and pushed many credit unions to the point where they needed to merge with another institution or close.

“It’s been a troubling time, with many credit unions posting losses,” Kump said, noting that there were 41 credit-union mergers nationwide in the fourth quarter of 2024 alone, some of them generated by a need for small credit unions to expand services, but many others prompted by poor financial condition.

UMassFive has been looking to move its flagship branch in Hadley

UMassFive has been looking to move its flagship branch in Hadley (pictured) to a new location down Route 9, but other priorities are currently more important.

UMass Five, which has six branches across Western and Central Mass., including one at its namesake, UMass Amherst, is not so imperiled, but it has seen deposits tumble and overall performance slide due to these colliding factors.

“We had to increase our rates to keep the deposits we had, and, of course, that increased our cost of funds quite a bit. And while the cost of funds increased, we still have a loan portfolio, much of which was at much lower than market rates,” he said, explaining, in simple terms, the main challenge facing all institutions.

UMass Five, with roughly $570 million in deposits and around $700 million in total assets, didn’t load up its balance sheet with large numbers of low-interest borrowings, he went on, but it certainly felt the pinch.

“Our net interest margin did shrink a little — not as much as others, but overall, we saw our net income decline,” Kump said, adding that the bank grew at just 0.24% in 2024, what would normally be considered an off year, but, under these circumstances, acceptable.

Moving forward, the credit union, like many other financial institutions, must balance life in these more difficult times with the need to grow, attain more deposits, and create economies of scale, and thus become better able to handle the ongoing headwinds.

UMassFive is not in a position to be acquired, and it is not exactly looking for opportunities to acquire others, although it will certainly consider them as they emerge, said Kump, adding that, for now, the preferred method of growth is organic.

Which brings us back to those branches that have been in the planning stages. They are important parts of the credit union’s overall growth strategy, and while the institution will move forward, it is not going to rush anything.

Indeed, while he regrets losing time with these initiatives, as he said at the top, the process of selecting new branch locations — an art and science that involves everything from visibility to the volume of other traffic-generating businesses, to the number of competing banks and credit unions in the general vicinity — is necessarily slow and involved, and UMassFive will take its time and get it right.

“We’re back to square one,” he said of the Hampden County locations. “But it’s more important to do this well then do it quickly.”

For this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, we talked with Kump at length about what’s in the business plan for UMassFive, and just how the institution will make up for that lost time.

 

Points of Interest

Recapping what’s happened with those three planned branches, Kump said not much has gone right, and each story is different.

In Hadley, the property where the credit union intends to go is occupied by an auto-repair shop and a small single-family home being rented from the property owner. Long story short (we’ll do a lot of that), that tenant has not gone quietly — the matter has wound up in Housing Court in a protracted battle — and won’t be out for another six months or so.

“We’re still interested in that site … we’re putting together a new purchase agreement because we hadn’t anticipated such a lengthy delay,” Kump said. “But it’s still in our future, and we do want to move our flagship location to that more visible site on Route 9.”

Meanwhile, in Hampden County, at a location in East Longmeadow near the Springfield line, a site chosen after extensive research, a new branch has been scrapped due to issues with the sewer system. And that satellite location? After more than a year of deliberations, the owner of that property ultimately decided not to sell or lease it.

So UMassFive is now essentially where it was two and half years ago on all three projects — waiting to get started in Hadley and trying to find the right sites in Springfield, Kump noted, adding that, over that time, the landscape for credit unions and banks has changed when it comes to liquidity, profitability, and, in this specific case, priorities and growth strategies.

“As many other financial institutions are doing, we’re managing our growth,” he explained. “Your income fuels growth, and when your income is down, you can’t grow as much.”

Elaborating, he said the Hadley initiative is certainly still important, just less so in the larger scheme of things, adding that the relocation of that flagship branch is now targeted for completion in 2028 at the earliest, for a few reasons, starting with logistics.

A few years ago, the plan was to close an operations center in Hadley and move the employers there into space created by moving the headquarters branch to that aforementioned location at the Amherst/Hadley line. But with heavy use of telecommuting and hybrid schedules, the credit union has moved the last department from the operations center into the flagship site, with the branch still operating.

Meanwhile, with a focus on gaining new members and growing deposits, the credit union’s top priority now is expanding into Hampden County.

“Moving the Hadley branch does not generate a whole bunch of new loans and deposits and members,” Kump explained. “It provides some great visibility, but not many growth opportunities.”

He expects these to come in Hampden County, where the credit union has a small presence — a branch in Mercy Medical Center — with intentions to become a larger player in that region, through further use of what he called a “hub-and-spoke” operating philosophy.

Elaborating, he said this model calls for a main facility, such as the one in Hadley, with smaller, satellite facilities around it, including those at UMass Amherst, downtown Northampton, and the Veterans Administration facility in Leeds.

There were plans to create something similar in Hampden County, starting with the property at the East Longmeadow/Springfield line, as the hub. But, as we’ve seen, that site didn’t work out, a huge disappointment for the institution.

“We were very excited … we did an extensive branch study, used lots of data, socio-economic factors, traveling routes, destination points at this one location, and it came up roses for us,” he explained, adding that the roses soon wilted amid sewer-backup issues that could not be resolved, forcing the credit union to walk away from the deal four months ago.

Now, as he said, UMassFive is back to square one, and it will take its time putting a new plan together. With that, he gave some insight into the complicated nature of finding sites for branches, an undertaking many institutions are familiar with as they seek out growth opportunities in a no-growth area with many communities that could only be described as ‘overbanked.’

“There is a lot that goes into this … for bank branches, you have to be visible, you have to be in high-traffic areas, and there have to be destination points around you,” he said, adding that, to find such sites, institutions must invest time, money, and resources — and then hope things go right with the sites they choose.

But as difficult as finding good branch sites can be, securing them is critical, said Kump, adding that, in this environment, pursuing growth and achieving size are critical for all financial-services institutions.

“Eventually, you have to grow again, and we feel that will happen,” he said, adding, again, that, while the organic route is preferred, the credit union will certainly look at merger opportunities as they emerge.

“We’re not aggressively seeking mergers, but if there is a credit union that has interest in merging into us, we would definitely consider that, and that’s really who we’ve been throughout our existence,” he said, adding that the institution’s locations at Mercy and the VA facility came about through mergers.

 

Location, Location, Location

Looking ahead to the balance of 2025 and beyond, Kump said it’s difficult to project what will happen — with both the economy and financial-services institutions.

Indeed, only a few months ago, the Fed was projecting several interest rate cuts in 2025; by December, it was anticipating few, if any.

“All bets are off,” he said. “We see employment numbers coming down, inflation numbers seem to be going up, and if inflationary pressures continue to push, it wouldn’t surprise me if, in 2025, we saw some rate increases again.”

In this climate, UMassFive will continue to work to manage its growth and align its priorities to that end.

It will also endeavor to make up for some lost time and find some better luck and good fortune when it comes to picking branch sites and taking full advantage of those new locations.

It is certainly overdue.

70th Home & Garden Show Expands to Second Building at the Big E

By
Andy Crane says the home show thrives
Home Improvement Special Coverage

All Under One Roof (Actually, Two)

Andy Crane says the home show thrives

Andy Crane says the home show thrives, even in the internet age, because home-improvement business owners need to stay visible and put work into the pipeline.

Andy Crane acknowledged that many contractors and home-improvement companies are busy these days, thanks to a combination of factors, from people staying in their homes — due to higher interest rates and a shortage of inventory — to finding enough help to get jobs done.

They’re so busy that some — but certainly not all — are booking jobs several months out and even into next year, in some cases.

But even in this climate, where some contractors can’t touch new business for a few more quarters, it’s important to stay in front of consumers and continue to put business into the pipeline, said Crane, president of the Home Builders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts (HBRAWM).

And that’s why he’s not only expecting a sellout of booth space when it comes to this year’s Original Western Mass Home & Garden Show, taking place March 27-30 at the Eastern States Exposition — the 70th edition of this spring tradition — but also why the show is expanding into a second building this year, one dedicated almost exclusively to the ‘garden’ aspect of the event.

And with that move, the show is turning back the clock in some respects.

“Back in the day, we had two buildings, and a few years, we had three buildings,” Crane told BusinessWest. “This year, we’re going to have at least two and an outdoor area.”

The second building, known as the A Barn, will be geared toward yard equipment and accessories, plantings, and landscapes, with some details still to be finalized, he said, adding that this has been an element missing since COVID.

But getting back to his thoughts about contractors and why they want to be at this show, Crane said many aren’t coming to the Big E grounds looking for work — they already have enough. Instead, they want to make connections and enable consumers to at least get the process started.

“It gets the juices flowing — you might get some ideas and talk to some people,” he said. “Let’s say they can’t do it for a while … if you don’t get that process moving along, you’ll never get it done.”

Adam Quenneville, president of Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding, agreed. His company has been part of the home show for roughly 25 years, and he comes back each year to help make sure the phones keep ringing.

“I would think that people still enjoy touching and feeling products and getting a sense for what they think that person is like. You can’t get that off a laptop; you just can’t.”

This is a quieter time of the year — although roof crews can work pretty much year-round — and a good time to make connections and add projects for the rest of the year, he said.

“It’s great to get out and see potential customers, and it’s an opportunity to get leads, give estimates, and secure business. A lot of people are going there because they have a home improvement in mind, and it’s nice to be able to let them see us in person, talk to us, get information, and go from there.”

With that, Quenneville spoke for every vendor at the show, including the ones who sell beer nuts and pickles, most of whom are focused not on making sales that day, but on the ‘go from there’ part of the equation.

It’s why the show has thrived for 70 years, and why the 2025 edition is shaping up as another opportunity to build back from the tumultuous COVID years and continue to grow.

 

Through the Roof

Crane said the home show, which annually attracts between 12,000 and 15,000 visitors and, recently, about 300 to 400 vendors, will be marking 70 years in some subtle ways, with additional giveaways and other promotions.

But mostly, this show will be like the 69 that have come before it, in that it presents an opportunity for the public to gather, see what’s new (or not so new, but still important), talk with experts, maybe finalize some plans for what they want to do, and put a face and business card with a person and company they’ve seen on the internet or heard about from neighbors, friends, or relatives.

Adam Quenneville says he’s been coming back to the home show for 25 years

Adam Quenneville says he’s been coming back to the home show for 25 years because it provides valuable exposure and leads for new projects.
Staff Photo

It’s been this way since the mid-’50s — except that part about the internet, said Crane, adding that, before social media and before consumers could click on websites, contractors had to get out in front of people. The home show was created to give members of the HBRAWM an opportunity to show what they do, how they do it, and, yes, how much it will cost.

And while consumers can learn much about a product or contractor by visiting a website, and still more by following up with friends and neighbors who placed a specific contractor’s sign on their lawn, there is still much to be gained from seeing these professionals in person, Crane said.

“I would think that people still enjoy touching and feeling products and getting a sense for what they think that person is like. You can’t get that off a laptop; you just can’t. “If it’s a zero-turn mower, would you rather sit on one than look at a picture?” he asked rhetorically. “How about picnic tables and high-top tables … you might as well get the exact one you want and the exact color. As for sheds, isn’t it better to stand in the shed rather than look at a picture of one? You can visualize where your mower is going to go and where your pool equipment is going to go or the pellets for your wood stove. That’s what the show brings that computers don’t bring.”

It still does that, but it has become much more, he went on, adding that the event has become a rite of spring for many, and a social gathering for some, with friends and neighbors often gathering at the show and then going elsewhere for dinner.

“The show is still a great place to talk, shop, and get ideas about your home, your property, some of the things that people like to do in their homes,” he said, adding that, while some things have changed since Dwight Eisenhower was patrolling the White House, the best things about the home show are what hasn’t changed.

For 2025, there will be more of the same, said Crane, with the emphasis on more, especially when it comes to space for visitors to roam and take in the many exhibitors, who cross every spectrum of home and garden improvement, from who can do the work to how to pay for it.

Indeed, there will be several banking and finance institutions on hand, he noted, adding that the categories for vendors runs the alphabetical gamut, from air filtration to women’s clothing, with more than eight dozen in between, everything from awnings and canopies to foundation repair; kitchens and baths (huge items of interest) to mosquito protection; sheds and gazebos to wells and pumps.

It will all be under … well, two large roofs in 2025, said Crane, adding, again, that a second building is something the public has asked for, and something that’s needed to properly showcase vendors and products.

Fast Facts:

What: The 70th edition of the Original Western Mass Home & Garden Show
Where: Eastern States Exposition
When: March 27-30
Show Producer: Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts
Admission: General admission: $10; with coupon: $7; children under 12: free
For More Information: Call (413) 733-3126

As noted, the A Barn will focus on lawn and garden equipment, furniture, and accessories, everything from mowers and snow throwers to chairs, tables, firepits, and fountains — items that couldn’t be displayed as effectively in years past due to a lack of space.

 

Starting the Conversation

While the additional space provides room for more vendors and a chance to spread out, it also further activates the outdoor spaces at the Big E, said Crane, adding that there will now be traffic between the buildings — and opportunities to capture the attention of that traffic.

Over the years, those staffing the Adam Quenneville booth have succeeded in gaining the attention of visitors, said the company’s owner, adding that it has generated a steady flow of leads — and eventually customers.

“If I have to guess, I’d say we get about 100 opportunities,” he said, meaning actual estimates for potential customers. “We’ll probably give 90 people prices and secure about 50% of that — 45 to 50 jobs.”

That more than justifies the cost of the booth, he said, adding that the show has been one of the more successful methods of getting right in front of the public, telling the company’s story, and keeping the pipeline of work flowing.

Nick Riley, president of Chicopee-based N. Riley Construction, agreed. His firm specializes in home remodeling and new construction, and he’s been a regular participant at the show for the past 20 years because of the opportunities it provides to be visible, talk to people directly, and hand out business cards.

“We do really well at the home show, and that’s why we keep coming back,” he said, adding that he doesn’t take leads directly at the show, but instead instructs visitors to call and make appointments — and many of them do. “It’s about more than the eventual leads … it’s about getting in front of people, seeing them in person, and saying hello.”

Hundreds of other home and garden professionals can say the same thing, and they have — some of them for a half-century or more.

They keep coming back because the Western Mass Home & Garden Show has long been a spring tradition, a social event for some, a chance to gather ideas for most, and an opportunity, for those on the vendor list, to get down to business.

WestMass ElderCare Evolves Mission, Rebrands to Access Care Partners

By
Executive Director Roseann Martoccia
Healthcare News Special Coverage

More Than a Name Change

Executive Director Roseann Martoccia

Executive Director Roseann Martoccia

As WestMass ElderCare celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, its leaders decided a new name was in order for the next 50.

“We really wanted to look at where are we today as opposed to where we started, why are we doing what we’re doing, and what the community understands about us,” Executive Director Roseann Martoccia said of the effort that led to a new brand and strategy, under the name Access Care Partners.

“It was a process of talking internally and then talking with community partners, as well as having some focus groups, so we could better understand not only how people know about us, but what’s important to them, particularly caregivers,” she explained. “What are they looking for when they’re up at night, searching on the internet or thinking about, ‘how am I going to help mom when I have to go to work and I have to do all these other things?’ What’s important to them?”

Partnering with Davis Advertising of Worcester, WestMass ElderCare conducted one-on-one interviews, online surveys, and focus groups involving around 200 community members, as well as internal staff, to gather input on how the organization is perceived and how it can continue to meet the needs of the community.

“The agency had rebranded in the early ’90s, and ‘ElderCare’ is the term that they came to, which at the time made a lot of sense,” Martoccia said. “But if someone is 68 or 75 or … well, pick an age, do they want to be called a senior? Do they want to be called an elderly person? ‘Older adult’ seems to be what people want to be called. Also, the people in the community that we serve include children, adults, and older adults.”

The name Access Care Partners better reflects the organization’s mission of providing care and support to people of all ages and abilities, ensuring they have access to the services they need to live independently, noted Sarah Aasheim, the organization’s director of Community Programs, who broke each word down for BusinessWest.

“It’s not one-size-fits-all. Some people have chronic health conditions, other people have memory loss, other people have behavioral-health issues, or a combination of these things. So every situation is a little bit different, and we start by meeting people where they are, and then go from there.”

“We landed on Partners because one consistent bit of feedback we got from everyone we talked to was that the older adults that we serve, the people with disabilities that we serve, don’t want someone doing things for them; they’d like a partner to do something alongside. They want to have agency and choice in the decisions that impact them,” she noted.

“Access was also a common denominator because, no matter who you’re serving, whether it’s an older adult, a caregiver, or someone who’s younger, we’re trying to make things simpler for them,” she went on. “And Care is just integral to who we are. That was one carryover from our previous name.”

With about 200 full-time staff, in addition to around 40 part-time Meals on Wheels drivers, the rebranding process was an exercise in helping the entire team reflect and refocus on their roles and how they fit into the whole, Aasheim added.

Some of the individuals served by Access Care Partners

Some of the individuals served by Access Care Partners enjoy lunch at a Community Table site in Ludlow.
(Photo courtesy of Access Care Partners)

“You come into work, and you’re focused on ‘what do I have to do today? What is my role?’ But sometimes it’s good for all of us to lift up our heads and think, ‘oh, this is something else that’s happening,’ or ‘maybe this is within our scope as well, and we should have this integration and collaborative approach.’

In addition, Martoccia noted, when talking about clients, “it’s not one-size-fits-all. Some people have chronic health conditions, other people have memory loss, other people have behavioral-health issues, or a combination of these things. So every situation is a little bit different, and we start by meeting people where they are, and then go from there.”

 

Foundational Values

The services to meet those needs at Access Care Partners run the gamut from home care, adult family care, and personal care management to nutrition services, care coordination, benefits counseling, money management, behavioral health, housing services, and many more.

“Some of the things that we were founded on and started with are still with us today — services like Meals on Wheels, for example,” Martoccia said. “Our foundational values are still with us, which are to help people be independent in the community, with both the services we provide and supports that they get elsewhere — because we can’t do everything for everybody.

“And that speaks to how we interface with families and caregivers as well, because they can’t do everything, right?” she went on. “Yes, you live with someone, you do a lot for them, but you have to go out, you have to go work, you have to take care of your other business. Oftentimes, we can be a gap-filling support or peace of mind.”

The initial mission 50 years ago, which obviously continues today, is to work with older adults and caregivers, Martoccia explained, but over the years, that has expanded to working with younger people with disabilities. “It’s really the same — supporting people who want to be independent, supporting people who have some needs, and complementing the support and care they already have in their own lives.”

“Even before this recent change in the administration at the federal level and the potential impacts of that, we’ve recognized that we have to diversify our revenue sources and think about how to get a footprint in the private fundraising space.”

When clients are referred to Access Care Partners — from a hospital stay, by a rehabilitation facility, by family members, or through other means — the process to access services begins with a conversation around what they need, be it in-home care, helping with personal care, helping with household tasks and errands, or any number of other things, she noted.

“Money management is a great example of one of our programs that contributes to the mission of allowing people to stay at home,” Aasheim added. “We have a money-management director who provides supervision and support to a team of volunteers who support consumers in a couple of different ways.”

For example, “we have bill-payer clients, folks who might just need someone to visit them once or twice a month to make sure that their bills are getting paid, make sure their checks are coming in — providing the kind of support that a family member would provide,” she further explained. “That’s a game changer for a lot of people who otherwise might need a higher level of care and couldn’t stay in their own home. But with that level of support, it allows them to.”

There’s also a higher level of care called a representative payee program.

“These are folks who get a letter from their doctor basically saying that they have difficulty with capacity to manage their finances, so that authorizes the Social Security Administration to send their Social Security checks to us. We are the representative payees for those consumers, and we pay their bills directly,” Aasheim said. “When these individuals don’t have the sort of community or family support to help them with those things, it can really impair their ability to stay independent in their own home.”

Sarah Aasheim

Sarah Aasheim says each word in the organization’s new name, Access Care Partners, was chosen thoughtfully and deliberately.

The nutrition program is another example of a safety-net service that allows people to live independently.

“Sometimes it’s the only meal that our consumers who get home-delivered meals eat each day,” she noted. “So it ensures a certain level of nutrition, but at the same time, the delivery driver might be the only person that someone will see every day, too. For a caregiver, it’s immense peace of mind to know that someone’s going to lay eyes on mom or dad and make sure that they’re OK, they’re upright, they’re operating in their environment normally.

“Drivers get to know their consumers, and they notice subtle changes in their behaviors,” she added. “So that service offers, again, not just nutrition delivery, but really a safety check for those individuals to make sure that they’re OK. And if they’re not OK, that prompts a phone call back to our team here, followed by our case management.”

Sometimes, Martoccia said, the most important part of the process is the initial call from a caregiver who is overwhelmed and trying to understand their options.

“We’re not the answer for everyone, but we do connect people with other resources in the community. Maybe they have the resources to move to a different housing setting or pay for some services on their own, but they’re not sure where to start and how to get that ball rolling.

“Generally, when people come to us, they do have some chronic, ongoing conditions, but that’s not true in all cases. Sometimes it’s short-term,” she added. “But more often than not, it’s a longer term. There are many people receiving our services who would otherwise be in a nursing home.”

 

Time of Uncertainty

While clients and caregivers contribute to the cost of services, Access Care Partners also works with the Executive Office of Aging & Independence on state appropriations and MassHealth coverage, and works with third-party insurers as well.

But the new regime in Washington, D.C. — which so far has taken an aggressive approach to cost cutting and scaling back services in many areas of public life — has the organization’s leaders cautiously watching how that activity may eventually affect state funding, even though direct federal money accounts for just 10% of its revenue stream.

“Even before this recent change in the administration at the federal level and the potential impacts of that, we’ve recognized that we have to diversify our revenue sources and think about how to get a footprint in the private fundraising space. So we’ve invested here in the last couple of years in more capacity to do marketing and fundraising,” Aasheim said.

“We’re really just beginning that journey, but part of the education that we need to do in rolling out our new brand is to develop a partnership with the private philanthropic community to say, ‘we need support from the community to be able to continue to do what we’re doing.’ We don’t want to be in a situation where we’re having to take wait lists to deliver Meals on Wheels. But with the public funding crises that we may face, it may come to that.

“For people who are on a fixed income, the last few years have not been easy, and they’re not getting any easier,” Aasheim continued. “We help with health-related social needs in many ways and bring services into the home and into the community, but we’re not paying people’s food bills, their utility bills, their basics, their gasoline. This is something that, as a community, we’re all feeling, but it’s really playing out with people who are not in the workforce any longer and are living on a fixed income.”

Which is why the support services offered by Access Care Partners are so important, Martoccia said.

“Massachusetts has quite robust public and community-based systems, not only for our clientele, but across the board,” she told BusinessWest. “But as everyone is watching the federal landscape, we don’t know how that’s going to impact state appropriations in the future, and the rules. There’s a lot of integration between our state — any state — and the federal government. So as one thing shifts, we don’t know how things are going to play out. I think we’re just being cautious and watching every day to see what happens.”

From Music to Spas to Ghosts, Lenox Has It All

By
Ventfort Hall is a “restoration in progress.”
Community Spotlight Special Coverage

Community Spotlight

Wendy Healey

Wendy Healey

When it comes to the subject of ghosts at Ventfort Hall, Wendy Healey is … well, decidedly “neutral.”

Roughly translated, that means that she’s never seen or otherwise encountered one. But she acknowledges that other people have experienced “something,” and she further acknowledges that ghosts are just one of the many intriguing storylines involving the cottage built by Sarah Spencer Morgan, J.P. Morgan’s sister, and her husband (and seventh cousin), George Hale Morgan, in 1893, and now home to the Gilded Age museum.

“We have what I would call friendly spirits in this house,” said Healey, the facility’s executive director, as she talked with BusinessWest in the billiard room, to which male guests would retire for cigars and brandy after one of the lavish dinners hosted by the Morgans.

The far bigger story, and the one she’d certainly prefer to talk about, is the comprehensive restoration of the landmark, now the site of a wide array of events, from weddings and teas to concerts and ghost tours. It has been ongoing for decades now, and at least another 20 years of work lies ahead, according to the most recent master plan.

“We are a restoration in progress — we are far from done,” said Healey, who assumed her role at the landmark two years ago. “We have millions and millions of dollars of work ahead of us.”

Ventfort Hall is a “restoration in progress.”

Ventfort Hall is a “restoration in progress.”

Ventfort Hall, its restorations and its ghosts, comprise one of the many storylines in Lenox, which has become a tourist destination and center of arts, culture, and healthcare, with many of the destinations located on the grounds of other Gilded Age cottages.

That list includes Tanglewood, summer home to the Boston Pops; Shakespeare & Company; the Mount, Edith Wharton’s home; and the resort spas Canyon Ranch and Miraval.

It is winter, which means most of these facilities are planning for the busier seasons to come, but some are busy year-round.

At Shakespeare & Company, an intriguing slate of shows is taking shape, said Jaclyn Stevenson, director of Marketing and Communications, noting that performances of Macbeth (with an all-female cast and a comedic touch) start in March, with most other shows taking place in the summer.

They will include a “Shakespeare Cabaret,” performances of Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew, as well as August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, with a few other performances still to be finalized.

“We have what I would call friendly spirits in this house.”

Equally busy these days is Gilbert Santana, general manager at the Miraval resort spa, which features the mansion known as Wyndhurst as its centerpiece. He the facility, which has been under the Miraval name since the fall of 2020, the height of COVID, has been improving overall visitation each year since, with that trend expected to continue in 2025.

Continually growing confidence among the guest population, which now includes virtually all age groups, is a big reason, he said, noting that there are now frequent bookings six months or more out, unusual in the spa universe. Meanwhile, new initiatives, such as so-called Family Connect weeks, where children can join their parents at the spa, have also helped.

The most recent Family Connect week came during the recent February school vacation week, said Santana, adding that it piggybacked a strong Valentine’s weekend to get this year off to a strong start.

“We wanted young people to start their well-being journey early, and it’s made an incredible impact; we’ve doubled the amount of guests this go-around than we had last year,” he said of the program, adding that Miraval is a true four-season resort spa that boasts more than 180 different kinds of programs — from meditation to a ropes course to yoga — and at all levels, beginner to expert.

A scene from The Comedy of Errors, performed in 2024 at Shakespeare & Company. (Photo courtesy of Katie McKellick)

A scene from The Comedy of Errors, performed in 2024 at Shakespeare & Company.
(Photo courtesy of Katie McKellick)

For this latest installment of its Community Spotlight series, we focus on Lenox and all that it has to offer.

 

In the Right Spirit

“This house was built for big parties.”

With that, Healey summed up the design philosophy behind the Elizabethan-style Ventfort Hall, as well as one of the enduring characteristics of the Gilded Age — large, lengthy gatherings.

Indeed, when guests came to a party at this home on Walker Street, they didn’t stay for a few hours and reach for their coats. Instead, they stayed for several days in one of the 14 guest rooms, said Healey, noting that, sadly, Sarah Morgan didn’t get to host many of these soirees: she died in 1896, only three years after Ventfort Hall was completed.

Slicing through the next 129 years in a concise yet effective manor, Healey said there was a succession of owners — and uses.

After being a private residence for a few decades, it later served as everything from a dormitory for Tanglewood students to a summer hotel known as Festival House; from a ballet camp to the home of Bible Speaks, a religious community that used the mansion for housing.

During this last chapter, the home fell into a serious state of disrepair, and was eventually slated for demolition for the construction of a nursing home.

“It was in such bad condition … no one wanted it, no one wanted to do anything with it, and it was, in the opinion of this developer, worth more flattened and to build a nursing home than to try to save it,” said Healey. “In the dining room, you could see daylight — you could see down to the basement, and you could see up through the roof.”

But in 1997, it was purchased by the Ventfort Hall Assoc., formed by Lenox residents dedicated to its restoration, which began soon thereafter.

Indeed, the building took a star turn in the movie The Cider House Rules, filmed in 1998, serving as the orphanage known as St. Cloud’s — its exterior, anyway (the interior shots were filmed at Northampton State Hospital), with its weathered condition being just what the film’s producers were looking for.

Gilbert Santana says Miraval celebrates its ability to promote wellness during all four seasons, and in many different ways.

Gilbert Santana says Miraval celebrates its ability to promote wellness during all four seasons, and in many different ways.

The movie — and there would be others to follow — provided both capital and momentum, said Healey, adding that restoration has a been a slow, very expensive undertaking over the past 28 years, with perhaps that many more still to come as the association works to ensure that the home will remain part of the fabric of Lenox for decades to come.

Phase 1A of a master plan launched in 2016 has been completed, said Healey, noting that it addressed critical building envelope and life-safety issues. Phase 1B is now underway, focusing on restoring the exterior masonry and roofing to ensure the long-term stability of the mansion.

One focal point of recent efforts has been shoring up of the east-end wall as well as the rebuilding and restoration of the mansion’s four chimneys, said Healey, noting that three have been painstakingly restored, and the fourth will be addressed this spring.

And in the years to come, many of the rooms on the upper floors, the massive basement, the carriage house, and other areas will be restored. That work, projected to cost more than $20 million, is to be funded through a combination of revenue from events, admission to the museum, and other programs, as well as donations and grants from organizations including the Massachusetts Cultural Council Facilities Fund, the Town of Lenox Community Preservation Committee, and others.

Lenox at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1767
Population: 5,095
Area: 21.7 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $9.05
Commercial Tax Rate: $13.18
Median Household Income: $85,581
Median Family Income: $111,413
Type of Government: Select Board, Open Town Meeting
Largest Employers: Canyon Ranch, Miraval, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Kimball Farms
* Latest information available

While the restoration work continues, the mansion hosts a growing number of events each year, welcoming guests who wouldn’t have been on the invite lists for the Gilded Age parties, said Healey, adding that there are several weddings each year, as well as concerts, tea-and-talks, a spring fashion fundraiser called Berkshique, and more.

There are also very popular ghost tours, at least once a month, led by Robert Oakes, author of Ghosts of the Berkshires. He provides a full tour of the house, by flashlight, while also relating both its history and the tales of those who say they’ve encountered a spirit on the property. And he’s heard many, from staff members and guests alike, Healey said.

 

Frame of Mind

It’s called ‘mindful golf.’

It’s … well, let’s call it golf with the edge taken off.

“We have a golf pro who walks you through the process of how you think when you swing and your intentions behind playing golf, which many times are jaded around winning and doing better,” Santana explained. “This helps you understand the purpose of playing your sport; it’s very well-defined and built around the person playing.”

Actually, the team at Miraval could put that word ‘mindful’ in front of almost everything they do, and that’s a long list, from activities such as kayaking and cross-country skiing to the weddings it hosts to the overall spa experience, which guests enjoy on visits lasting a day or several weeks.

Summing it all up, Santana said it’s about meeting people where they are.

Miraval, which also has resorts in Arizona and Texas, is coming up on five years in the Berkshires, although Santana said it’s more like three, with the first two greatly disrupted by COVID.

He said Miraval is continually looking at ways to bring wellness to more people across a wider age group. A good example is the two annual Family Connect weeks, which the facility test-drove last year to solid reviews that translated into bigger numbers this winter.

“We’re the only Miraval that does a Family Connection week where we allow kids to join their parents and other family members and experience it at a very young age,” he told BusinessWest. “One thing we do is make sure that everything we do has an educational purpose. Everything is defined here on growing your mindset — not necessarily redefining you, but giving an understanding of something that’s more than recreational.”

Education is a huge part of the mission at Shakespeare and Company as well, said Stevenson, adding that, in addition to the performances slated each year, the institution also schedules several actor-training programs as well as initiatives for young people and professional-development workshops.

These include Shakespeare in the Courts, a program staged in conjunction with the Berkshire Juvenile Court system, whereby adolescent offenders work with Shakespeare and Company artists and participate in classes, rehearsals, and performances of scenes from the Bard’s plays. During the six-week project, participants explore Shakespeare’s text and prepare their own performance pieces as part of their term of probation.

There’s also “Riotous Youth,” one-, two-, and three-week summer theater programs that introduce students (ages 7 to 17) to Shakespeare’s language, stories, characters, and themes using imaginative and playful methods.

As for actor-training programs, they take place in the spring and summer and are geared for those with different experience levels, from the novice to mid-career professionals, said Stevenson, adding that there are also several in-person workshops and online classes and workshops focused on everything from wit to movement and dance to public speaking.

Stevenson said Shakespeare and Company enjoyed a solid 2024, actually exceeding overall projections, continuing, as other venues in this community have, to build back from the COVID years, which took a serious toll on Lenox.

“We’re still working our way back a little bit, but we’ve come a long way,” she said of the COVID recovery. “It feels more in the rear-view mirror than ever before.”

What Massachusetts Employers Need to Know

By Contributor
Law

The New Pay-transparency Law

By Amelia J. Holstrom, Esq. and John S. Gannon, Esq.

 

Last year, Massachusetts joined a growing list of states with pay-transparency laws when Gov. Maura Healey signed “An Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency” into law. The law, which takes effect in various stages this year, will require many Massachusetts employers to disclose salary and pay ranges in all job postings and advertisements. The law also requires larger businesses to file certain wage data and information with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

According to the state Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the pay-transparency law is aimed at eliminating gender, racial, and other wage disparities, as well as boosting employee loyalty and improving morale. Here is what employers need to know.

Beginning Oct. 29, all businesses in the Commonwealth with 25 or more employees will be required to:

• Disclose pay-range information in all job postings and/or advertisements. This includes “any advertisement or job posting intended to recruit job applicants for a particular and specific employment position,” regardless of whether the employer recruits directly or utilizes a third party for such purposes;

• Disclose pay-range information to current employees who are transferred or promoted to a new position for the new position; and

• Upon request, provide pay-range information to employees for the positions they hold and applicants for the positions to which they applied.

The law defines pay range as the “annual salary or hourly wage range that the covered employer reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for that position at that time.” The statute also prohibits employers from retaliating against any employee, or applicant, who requests pay-range information. Employers who violate the new pay-transparency law can be fined by the Massachusetts attorney general. Conceivably, violations could also trigger a larger inspection of the employer’s pay practices.

 

 

Larger Employers Required to File Wage Reports

In addition to the new pay disclosure obligations discussed above, employers with 100 or more employees in the Commonwealth who are subject to the federal EEO-1, EEO-3, EEO-4, or EEO-5 reporting requirements will be required to file certain workforce demographic data with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on an annual or every-other-year basis. Currently, EEO reports contain workforce demographic and pay data categorized by race, ethnicity, sex, and job category.

As of this past Feb. 3, employers with 100 or more employees in the Commonwealth subject to the EEO-1 reporting requirements were required to file a copy of their EEO-1 data report with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The law requires this to be done annually for EEO-1-covered employers on Feb. 1 or the next business day.

On the same date, employers subject to the EEO-3 (covered unions) and EEO-5 (covered schools) reporting requirements were required to file a copy of those reports with the Commonwealth. EEO-3 and EEO-5 reports need to be filed every other year. Likewise, employers subject to the EEO-4 (covered state and local governments) reporting requirements will need to file a copy of those reports every other year, beginning on Feb. 1, 2026.

Recently, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development published a set of frequently asked questions designed to help employers determine if they are covered by the new filing requirements and, if so, what they need to do to comply. The FAQs can be found at www.mass.gov/info-details/workforce-data-reporting-faqs.

The reports submitted by employers will not be public records under Massachusetts law. In other words, members of the public will not be able to request and receive copies of these records. The Commonwealth, however, will use the data submitted by employers to publish aggregate wage and workforce data on the Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s website no later than July 1 of each year, beginning in 2025. These aggregate reports will be broken down by industry.

 

Next Steps

Needless to say, if you have more than 100 employees in Massachusetts and are subject to EEO reporting requirements, and you have not filed your wage-data report with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you need to act fast. As for the salary-range disclosures, although Oct. 29 may seem far away, employers should start preparing now to comply with the deadlines. If not already in place, employers need to start developing pay ranges for each position in their workforce.

Employers also need to consider how and to what extent posting pay ranges in job postings will impact morale in the workplace. For example, consider a scenario where your business places an advertisement for an entry-level position at $28 per hour. Now, let’s assume someone with your company has been working in that role (or a similar job) for a few years, and is earning the same wage. That current employee is likely to learn about the advertisement and question why they are not making more money. Employers need to be prepared with a communication strategy should this situation unfold.

Businesses may also want to consider conducting a pay-equity audit to ensure there are not any pay disparities, as employees will now be able to request and discuss this information in the workplace. There are other important benefits to conducting a pay-equity audit under the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act. For starters, it may help identify if you have any potential pay-equity liability in your workplace. Also, employers who conduct good-faith self-evaluations of their pay practices may have an affirmative defense against a pay-equity lawsuit.

If you plan to conduct a pay-equity audit, you should strongly consider working with your employment counsel to preserve the attorney-client privilege, which may prevent certain information from being disclosed in any subsequent litigation.

 

Amelia Holstrom and John Gannon are partners with the Springfield-based law firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a law firm exclusively practicing labor and employment law for more than a half-century, focusing on litigation avoidance, employment litigation, and labor law and relations; (413) 737-4753.

What Are the Compliance Requirements for Private Employers?

By Contributor
Law

After the DEI Executive Order

By Krupa Kotecha, Esq.

 

In January 2025, President Trump issued the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-based Opportunity” executive order, which significantly impacts private employers, particularly those that implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. This order aims to curtail employment practices that provide preferential treatment based on race, sex, or other protected characteristics, reinforcing a strict adherence to merit-based hiring and advancement.

For private employers, especially federal contractors and organizations with established DEI initiatives, understanding the legal implications of this order is essential to ensure compliance while mitigating potential liabilities.

 

Key Legal Implications for Private Employers

• Revocation of affirmative-action mandates for federal contractors. The order revokes prior mandates, including Executive Order 11246, which required federal contractors to adopt affirmative-action programs to address historical disparities in hiring. The revocation effectively eliminates federal obligations for contractors to develop workforce diversity plans or set hiring goals based on demographic representation.

• Regulatory scrutiny of employment practices. Federal agencies, particularly the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), have been directed to investigate employment policies that could be deemed discriminatory under the new legal framework. Employers must ensure that any DEI initiatives remain neutral and do not grant or deny opportunities based on race, gender, or other protected classifications.

• Merit-based employment enforcement. The executive order underscores the importance of meritocracy, requiring employers to justify employment decisions strictly based on qualifications, experience, and performance. Organizations implementing hiring quotas, targeted recruitment efforts, or employee resource groups may need to re-evaluate these programs to avoid potential litigation risks.

• Compliance audits and investigations. The attorney general is tasked with formulating an enforcement plan that includes identifying employers whose DEI initiatives may conflict with federal non-discrimination laws. Employers should anticipate increased oversight, potential audits, and legal challenges if their policies include race- or gender-conscious hiring, promotions, or training programs.

 

Compliance Strategies for Employers

Given the legal uncertainties surrounding this order, private employers must take proactive steps to avoid violations and potential legal repercussions.

• Conduct an internal policy review. Employers should undertake a comprehensive audit of all DEI programs, training materials, hiring practices, and workplace policies. Any language or initiatives that suggest preferential treatment based on race, gender, or ethnicity should be reassessed to ensure alignment with the updated legal framework.

• Emphasize equal opportunity and non-discrimination. To remain compliant, companies should reaffirm their commitment to equal opportunity without the use of race- or gender-based preferences. Employee training programs should be reviewed to ensure they focus on compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws rather than implicit bias or identity-based initiatives.

• Monitor federal guidance and legal challenges. Since the implementation of this order may lead to litigation and policy revisions, employers should stay informed of further legal developments from the DOJ, EEOC, and other regulatory bodies. It is advisable to consult employment-law attorneys to navigate these changes effectively.

• Prepare for increased scrutiny and potential investigations. Employers, particularly those with government contracts, should be prepared for potential audits and legal reviews. Documentation demonstrating that hiring and promotion decisions are based solely on qualifications and performance will be crucial in defending against any claims of discriminatory practices.

 

Conclusion

The repeal of affirmative-action mandates and the increased focus on merit-based employment and advancement signal a substantial shift in workplace compliance requirements for private employers. Organizations that have historically engaged in DEI initiatives must carefully reassess their programs to ensure they do not run afoul of federal regulations. While diversity efforts are not outright prohibited, any policies that confer advantages or disadvantages based on protected characteristics may expose employers to legal liability.

To mitigate risks, employers should prioritize objective hiring and promotion criteria, eliminate race- or gender-based preferences, and stay informed on regulatory updates. Consulting legal experts and conducting internal audits will be critical steps in ensuring compliance with this evolving legal landscape.

 

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