Company Notebook

TommyCar Corp. Adds Northampton Volkswagen
NORTHAMPTON — Carla Cosenzi and Thomas Cosenzi are continuing the legacy of their father, Thomas Cosenzi, by adding Northampton Volkswagen to the family-owned company, TommyCar Corp. The dealership, which will add approximately 25 to 30 new jobs in the Northampton area, is located at 48 Damon Road. “We want to strengthen the Volkswagen brand in the Pioneer Valley,” said Carla Cosenzi, president. “It is the leading company in diesel-engine technology, and the cars are an excellent value for the money. We believe we are exactly the right company to build excitement for this line of great cars.” Northampton Volkswagen will offer all models in Volkswagen’s line, including the Jetta, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Touareg, Golf, GTI, Golf R, Jetta SportWagen, Routan, Eos, and Beetle. The dealership will include a service department that offers full service, parts, and repairs for all Volkswagen models.

United Bank Foundation Awards $62,400
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Ten not-for-profit organizations recently received grants from the United Bank Foundation totaling $62,400 that serve individuals and families in the Springfield area and Worcester. The grants included $34,000 to United Way of Pioneer Valley, $2,000 to the Hampshire Community United Way, and $2,500 to United Way of Central Massachusetts. In addition, $6,900 was awarded to the Boys and Girls Club of West Springfield to replace game-room equipment destroyed by water damage as a result of the June 1 tornado. Also, Junior Achievement of Western Mass. received $5,000 from the foundation to support financial-literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurial programs for youths in kindergarten through grade 12, while Western New England University was granted $4,000 to purchase equipment for its School of Pharmacy. A $1,000 grant to ServiceNet in Northampton will provide program support for the Fit Together wellness center, which meets the needs of individuals with developmental and emotional challenges. The Worcester Education Collaborative received a $3,000 grant to help ensure that all Worcester public-school students have equal access to excellence in education, and a $3,000 award to the Worcester Youth Center will support the Leap to College program for urban youth. Dress for Success Worcester, which provides business attire for disadvantaged women seeking employment, was awarded $1,000 for operating funds. The foundation’s four primary funding areas of interest are education, health and human services, youth development, and cultural programs. Foundation guidelines can be found by logging onto www.bankatunited.com.

Firm Achieves LEED Gold Certification
SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Co. Architects Inc. has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the recently completed units at the YWCA’s Campus of Hope. The new units provide housing that serves to transition women from domestic-violence shelters to longer-term living facilities. The 32,000-square-foot project is made up of 20 apartments and eight congregate housing units within its walls. The project was part of the larger Campus of Hope initiative that was started more than 10 years ago for which Dietz & Co. was the master planner. The firm also designed the first phase of the campus, a 60,000-square-foot building that includes administrative offices, meeting and classroom space, as well as an on-site shelter. The YWCA project was originally designed to achieve the LEED for Homes Silver certification level, but exceeded that level by achieving Gold certification. Several factors that supported the Gold certification include super-insulated walls and airtight construction, efficient mechanical systems that include roof-mounted photovoltaic panels for electricity, sustainable site design, and the use of green construction materials. A healthy indoor environment, pollution reduction, and lower utility and maintenance costs are also key elements of the certification. The efficient building is expected to reduce water and energy consumption by 20% to 30% over typical code-compliant construction. NL Construction was the general contractor for the project, and the units were supported by the LEED for Homes Provider, CET. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

Amherst Media Offers Animation Workshops
AMHERST — Amherst Media, an Apple-authorized training center, recently added a Winter Break Animation Workshop to its course offerings. Professional illustrator Gregory Miller, who has worked at Cartoon Network, is the instructor for the four-day course. Also, a Final Cut Pro X class will be offered Jan. 16-18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, a host of training sessions are available for cameras and field equipment, editing, studio use, and numerous software applications, including Final Cut Pro and Photoshop. For more information on all of the available programs, visit www.amherstmedia.org.

Nicolai Law Group Named to U.S. News Ranking
SPRINGFIELD — For the fifth year in a row, Paul Nicolai has been named one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in commercial litigation. His firm, Nicolai Law Group, P.C., also ranked among the “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News & World Report in Springfield’s Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation and Tier 2 for Arbitration, and for Litigation-Eminent Domain and Condemnation. More than 3 million confidential evaluations by 39,000 of the country’s leading attorneys help formulate the lists for the “Best Lawyers in America.” Now in its 18th edition, the reference work is considered a definitive guide to legal excellence in North America, according to Nicolai. The U.S. News ranking took the evaluation process a step further, asking thousands of clients as well as legal peers for feedback on those law firms with “Best Lawyers” on their staff. The publication’s rigorous evaluation process also included information submitted by more than 10,000 U.S. law firms. The guide, in its second year, is intended to help refer lawyers and clients to appropriate sources of legal advice for their needs. The Nicolai Law Group represents businesses and their owners in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, and Washington, D.C.