Company Notebook
PIP East Longmeadow Earns Franchise Top-10 Award
EAST LONGMEADOW — PIP East Longmeadow has been recognized as a top-10 franchise based on sales revenue for the nationwide PIP franchise network. The award was presented at the annual PIP Convention and Vendor Show held July 12-15 in Kansas City, Mo. Owned by Robert Pelzek, the business ranked sixth in the network based on 2022 sales. It also received industry recognition as a top-100 commercial printer in the U.S. by What They Think/Printing News, a prestigious honor in the printing industry. Along with the East Longmeadow location, this PIP business also has centers in Waltham and Hartford, Conn.
Bay Path Ranks Third in U.S. for Online Master’s in Cybersecurity
LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University has been ranked third in the nation for its online cybersecurity master’s degree program by Fortune magazine, up from last year’s position at number 11. Rankings were determined by a program’s selectivity score, which measures the undergraduate GPAs and years of work experience of its students, along with the program’s acceptance rate. In addition, Fortune evaluated retention and graduation rates, as well as the size of each graduating class. In addition to its cybersecurity graduate program for men and women, Bay Path offers an NSA- approved bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity to undergraduate women. Bay Path was also recognized in 2023 as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education (CAE).
bankESB Parent Company Wins National Top Workplaces Award
EASTHAMPTON — Hometown Financial Group, parent company of bankESB, announced it was named a 2023 Financial Services Industry Top Workplaces national award winner. This award is based solely on feedback from employees of participating workplaces, gathered through an anonymous, third-party survey administered by Energage LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee-engagement tools. Industry Top Workplaces awards celebrate organizations that have built a people-first workplace culture and mark them as an employer of choice within their sector. This is the second year in a row that bankESB’s parent company has been recognized nationally in the financial-services industry category. The company also was named a national Top Workplaces USA winner in 2022.
Beauty Batlles Lounge to Host Grand-opening Event
CHICOPEE — Beauty Batlles Lounge will host a grand-opening event for its new location at 46 Cabot St., Chicopee, on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. The business will offer a larger scale of wellness services, including cryotherapy, to its clientele, as well as new job opportunities within the community. This lounge will include new equipment allowing Beauty Batlles to offer cryo facial, cryo body sculpt, cryo skin, and cryo hair rejuvenation. Cryotherapy, also known as cold therapy, exposes the body to cold temperatures to heal and treat various medical ailments. Beauty Batlles uses cutting-edge technology and medical-grade products to customize treatment to clients’ specific needs, aiming to deliver self-confidence to individuals who have been struggling with various insecurities.
Braman Termite & Pest Elimination Wins Excellence Award
AGAWAM — The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Central New England announced the recipients of the 2023 Marketplace Excellence Awards, naming Braman Termite & Pest Elimination the winner of the Western Massachusetts Award for Marketplace Excellence, Mid-sized Business. Based in Agawam, Braman serves residential and commercial customers across Southern New England, with additional Massachusetts locations in Auburn, Hampden, Lee, and Waltham, as well as Bloomfield, Conn. The BBB award recognizes both high standards of behavior toward customers, employees, and suppliers and a history of ethical business practices and community involvement. Braman is a member of the National Pest Management Assoc. and has earned the association’s QualityPro and GreenPro designations. Its pest-control technicians are all licensed, certified, insured, and trained to observe all relevant federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to the services they provide.
Freedom Credit Union Raises $1,400 for Griffin’s Friends
SPRINGFIELD — Throughout the month of June, Freedom Credit Union collected cash donations at its branches throughout Western Mass. to benefit Griffin’s Friends, a volunteer-led group dedicated to providing relief and support to children with cancer and their families, raising a total of $1,400. Griffin’s Friends was founded in 1994 in Springfield and is named for Griffin Kelleher, who passed away from cancer when he was 14 months old. This group is his legacy, uniquely supporting children in treatment for cancer and their families by providing small acts of joy. Examples of the types of experiences offered by Griffin’s Friends include trips to stage performances and sporting events, in-hospital and outpatient entertainment, massage therapy, and activities such as art, computers, and games. To contribute, visit griffinsfriends.com. All funds donated go to the Griffin’s Friends Children’s Cancer Fund at Baystate Health Foundation Inc.
Yankee Mattress Makes, Donates Pet Beds for Dakin Humane Society
AGAWAM — Yankee Mattress Co., a local, employee-owned maker of handcrafted mattresses, has found an innovative way to support a local nonprofit organization while improving its own sustainability goals. “There is a comfort layer on the top of our mattresses, and when we get to the end of the roll, we always have excess material that’s not quite big enough for a mattress,” said Adam Miller, president of Yankee Mattress Co. “Our lead mattress maker, Aaron Bisson, had the idea to use the surplus to make pet beds, instead of disposing of it. Then Bill Lamirande, our vice president of Sales, suggested donating the beds to Dakin Humane Society as a way to support the great work they do in our community.” Lamirande coordinates with the Dakin team to customize the sizes needed, including small beds that fit inside the pet carriers the adopted animals go home in, and bigger beds for larger dogs. The number of beds Yankee Mattress creates is based on the amount of excess bedding material it generates. Located in Springfield, Dakin Humane Society provides shelter, medical care, spay and neuter services, and behavioral rehabilitation for more than 20,000 animals and people each year.
State Awards $450,000 to LifePath for Community Enrichment Center
GREENFIELD — LifePath was awarded more than $450,000 by the Healey-Driscoll administration for the creation of a community enrichment center. The center will provide a space where older adults and people with disabilities can enjoy respite, activities, and socialization with people of all ages, while caregivers can take a break and receive information needed to help their loved one remain at home. The administration sought innovative models to identify promising practices to relieve caregivers of the stress acquired from the exceptional demands of caring for individuals with complex needs, to close service gaps, and to provide person-centered respite in home- and community-based settings. LifePath is partnering with the Care Collaborative (TCC), a local nonprofit serving elders and their caregivers for more than 20 years. Programming will start in late fall. The day program will be hosted by TCC at its Sunderland location. Through this grant, TCC will recruit and train paid caregivers who can gain experience at the center and then go into people’s homes to provide respite care. In-home training on the best way to care for their loved one can also be provided to family and informal caregivers. The center will be a place where caregivers can get information and resources specific to their unique caregiving needs, and where they can access help navigating healthcare and social systems. In addition, there will be self-care offerings like massage and yoga, as well as peer support.
GCC Foundation Donates $100,000 to Equip Students with Technology
GREENFIELD — Thanks to a generous donor community, the Greenfield Community College (GCC) Foundation is giving $100,000 to the college to ensure all students have access to critical technology to achieve their educational goals. The funds will be used to purchase laptops for GCC’s technology lending library, securing enough of the technology to provide one to any matriculated student who needs it. The laptops will be available for matriculated students when the fall semester starts in September. The technology lending library is operated through GCC’s library. The lending library also features other items students can borrow at no cost, like WiFi hotspots, digital cameras, voice recorders, and more.
