Company Notebook

UMass Amherst Receives $4 Million in Research Gifts

AMHERST — UMass Amherst has accepted gifts and commitments totaling $4 million from longtime supporters John and Elizabeth Armstrong to advance the university’s research enterprise. The gifts establish the UMass Amherst Research Continuity Fund, the Armstrong Graduate Research Grant Fund, and the Armstrong Chancellor Professorships Award Fund, all of which will underwrite research contributions across a broad range of disciplines at UMass Amherst. In April, the Armstrongs made a $500,000 gift to the UMass Amherst Research Continuity Fund, which was established to provide immediate support to continue vital research despite federal funding interruptions and uncertainty about future funding in fields such as health equity, climate change, and gender-related issues. The Armstrong Graduate Research Grant Fund, established with a $1 million gift, will provide grants in support of research conducted by graduate students at UMass Amherst. This fund will be a crucial resource for doctoral students pursuing dissertation research, graduate student access to training in innovative methods, and students looking to participate in research projects supervised by faculty that directly foster their completion of an advanced degree. The remaining $2.5 million portion of the Armstrongs’ commitment will create an endowed Armstrong Chancellor Professorships Award Fund. Administered by the chancellor and provost, this fund will enable the university to retain outstanding, tenured faculty members who have made or can make significant contributions to the academic reputation of the university.

Red Sox Foundation Awards $400,000 to Square One

BOSTON — The Red Sox Foundation announced the creation of its Special Recognition Award, granting $750,000 in its inaugural year to support large-scale, high-impact community investments. Square One of Springfield received $400,000 to support the construction of an outdoor learning center and play space for preschool-aged children, part of the organization’s ongoing $19 million “Back to Square One” capital campaign to rebuild its campus after a tornado destroyed its South End facility in 2011. The Pedro Martinez Foundation received $350,000 toward the creation of a new library inside its Community & Health Center in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. The Red Sox have deep ties to the Dominican Republic through both player development and community engagement, including the foundation’s longstanding Lindos Sueños program, a partner of the Pedro Martinez Foundation. The new library will provide reading areas, computer access, and study spaces for more than 1,700 students, while also serving adult community members.

The Dowd Insurance Agencies Relocate Ludlow Office

HOLYOKE — On Sept. 8, the Ideal-Dowd Insurance Agency office in Ludlow relocated from 187 East St. to a new location a mile and a half away at 563 Center St. “This move underscores our commitment to serving the Greater Ludlow community,” said John Dowd, president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies. “The new location provides more parking and wider access, along with more space for our growing staff. Our clients can continue to expect the same familiar faces and the exceptional service they’ve come to rely on.” The new office offers a central location for convenient access, ample parking, and room to grow. The agency looks forward to welcoming clients to its new Ludlow location to review coverage, pay a bill, or simply stop by and say hello.

D.A. Sullivan & Sons Wins HNE Well Worth It Award

NORTHAMPTON — D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc. (DAS), a general contracting firm based in Northampton, has been named a 2025 Health New England Well Worth It Award recipient at the Bronze level for successful worksite health promotion and employee health improvement. The award recognizes DAS’s commitment to its employees’ overall health and their achievements in implementing health and wellness programs during the previous year. This recognition underscores DAS’s commitment to supporting the overall well-being of its employees through programs that nurture physical, mental, and emotional health. In addition to providing comprehensive health coverage for employees and their families — including life and disability insurance — DAS has invested in resources that promote a balanced and active lifestyle. Recent initiatives include the creation of a private fitness studio, the addition of indoor and outdoor recreational spaces, and encouragement of employee participation in community activities such as volunteer programs and charitable races.

Bay Path Named Among Best Bang for the Buck Colleges

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University has been ranked sixth in Massachusetts and 42nd in the Northeast on Washington Monthly’s list of Best Bang for the Buck Colleges. The publication, described as an independent media organization based in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1969 on the mission “to preserve democracy and champion good governance through honest journalism and thoughtful commentary.” Schools are ranked according to how well they help students from less affluent backgrounds attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. Washington Monthly calculates its rankings based on several factors: access for non-wealthy students, affordability for families with incomes below $75,000, student debt upon graduation, and both academic and financial outcomes for graduates.

bankESB Honored Among Most Charitable Companies

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB announced it has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal with the 2025 Corporate Citizenship Award, reaffirming its status as one of Massachusetts’s most charitable companies. This marks the 11th consecutive year bankESB has earned this recognition, an acknowledgment of the bank’s deeply rooted commitment to community support through both financial contributions and volunteerism. Central to bankESB’s philanthropic framework is its signature charitable giving initiative, the Giving Tree. Through this program, bankESB champions a range of community needs, supporting food security, affordable housing, education, veteran services, youth sports, and more throughout the cities and towns it serves. Over the past decade, the Giving Tree has donated more than $4 million to area nonprofits. In 2024 alone, the program contributed nearly $515,000, and this year’s initiatives — including seasonal food pantry drives and local education grants — continue to strengthen local institutions and impact lives. This year, 99 companies qualified for distinction as Top Charitable Contributors by reporting at least $100,000 in cash contributions to Massachusetts-based charities last year. The honorees this year include companies from such industry sectors as financial and professional services, healthcare, technology, retail, and professional sports.

Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin Earns Chambers Spotlight Recognition

SPRINGFIELD — Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced it has been ranked in the inaugural Chambers Spotlight Massachusetts Guide, a new ranking from the internationally recognized legal research company Chambers and Partners. The firm was honored for its expertise in corporate/commercial law and trusts and estates law. Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin is the only firm in Western Mass. ranked in either category, underscoring its unique position as a leading resource for businesses and individuals seeking sophisticated legal counsel outside of Boston. The Chambers Spotlight rankings are awarded to select small and mid-sized law firms that demonstrate exceptional skill and results in their practice areas, based on Chambers’ rigorous, independent research. The Massachusetts Spotlight Guide is available at chambers.com. While the Massachusetts firms typically ranked by Chambers are ‘big law’ organizations, the Spotlight Massachusetts Guide highlights a small, select group of high-performing mid-sized firms, giving them visibility to general counsel, attorneys, and business leaders worldwide. Currently, no other Massachusetts firms have been announced in this edition.

Berkshire Innovation Center Announces Accelerator Cohort

PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) announced the third cohort of startup firms that have been accepted into its Stage 2 Accelerator program. This 35-week, hands-on, results-oriented program is designed to serve early-stage tech startups. The awardees will receive BIC membership, full access to labs, advanced equipment, digital media studio, educational programming, and an internal team of subject matter experts, as well as broad, curated support from BIC’s committed member community. Six firms have been accepted into the third cohort of the BIC Stage 2 Accelerator. Diel Technologies has developed a patented axial flux motor that allows wearables to harvest energy while in motion, whether running a marathon or picking up a cup of coffee. Elimentra Technologies is developing a proprietary system that collocates processing units at the source of biomass and industrial waste byproducts, converting these end-stream materials in high-value-add commodities while capturing carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. ENSO is reshaping the future of addiction recovery for more than 48 million Americans with an AI-powered behavior management system that delivers real-time, personalized support through a discreet wearable device and secure mobile platform. Globe Grown’s mission is to develop a fully autonomous robot that will help farmers reduce chemical herbicide use, improve soil health, and empower growers with data-driven, regenerative farming tools. HKG Energy has developed a proprietary material, Terra Silicon, that addresses the scalability, cost, and performance limitations of conventional graphite and silicon-graphite battery anodes. With a demonstrated energy density of over 400 watt hours per kilogram, fast-charging capabilities under 15 minutes, and a clear path to mass production, the firm is engaging with major original equipment manufacturers and battery manufacturers for early pilots. TaskMind is developing a full-circle sales platform designed to help teams sell smarter and harder. It is built for firms looking to improve the quality, precision, and efficiency of their sales outreach. Its intelligent web application equips sales representatives with the tools they need to generate deep research reports, craft high-context outreach, monitor real-time industry insights, and identify trends that guide smarter targeting.

Holyoke Mall Welcomes Urban Planet x Charlotte Russe

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Mall announced that Urban Planet x Charlotte Russe is the newest addition to its retail lineup, located on the upper level near Best Buy. To celebrate the grand opening, the store hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 12. On Sept. 13, the first 100 customers to enter the store received a gift bag. Urban Planet x Charlotte Russe is a new concept that brings together two popular fashion brands in one stylish destination. The store offers apparel, footwear, and accessories for men and women, with a focus on inclusive, versatile styles.

Herrell’s Ice Cream Wins City Beat News Spectrum Award

NORTHAMPTON — Herrell’s Ice Cream of Thornes Marketplace in Northampton and the Mill District in Amherst is being honored as a winner of the City Beat News 2025 Spectrum Award for Service Excellence. According to City Beat News, Herrell’s provides consistently great service and places great service as a top priority of its business, earning the highest annual rating for service by the Spectrum Award. Annually, out of the thousands of businesses that City Beat News researches, only a very small percentage performs to the level Herrell’s has reached. This is the second year Herrell’s has received a Spectrum Award from City Beat News.

1Berkshire Awards Grant to Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds

PITTSFIELD — 1Berkshire, thanks to a one-time earmark from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, announced the awarding of a $15,000 Immigrant Entrepreneurial Support Grant to Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds. This grant represents the second of two high-impact partner grant awards made by 1Berkshire to help foster the ecosystem and infrastructure needed to help the robust Berkshire immigrant entrepreneur community grow and thrive. Leveraging a one-time earmark allocated by the Commonwealth, 1Berkshire’s Immigrant Business Support Program launched in early 2025 to provide a variety of financial and technical assistance support to help entrepreneurs and businesses in the region gain improved access to programs that help their businesses improve. This high-impact partner grant awarded to Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds advances this work by helping the organization to overcome a final funding hurdle to fit out a shared commercial kitchen space in its building at 117-133 Fenn St. in Pittsfield. Additionally, this $15,000 aims to help offset some of the $37,000 in Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Fund (CERP) funds cut from a previously awarded CERP grant (a funding resource that has been integral to its work over the past two years). The multi-use spaces of 117-133 Fenn St. have already become a major anchor point of community, support, and entrepreneurship for a diverse array of individuals and small businesses. Fitting out this new shared kitchen space will further improve the ability of the space to become an incubator and accelerator of various food businesses.

UMass Amherst to Establish New Graduate Training Program

AMHERST — A UMass Amherst research team led by faculty from the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation (EMCNEI) has been awarded nearly $3 million to establish the nation’s first graduate training program designed to combine nursing’s hands-on patient care with engineering’s technical knowledge. The five-year U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) award will create SHINE: Strengthening Healthcare Innovation through Nursing and Engineering. In partnership with Baystate Health, this program will tackle some of healthcare’s toughest challenges around the realities of patient care. Its four main focal areas of work include streamlining healthcare workflow to ensure continuous, quality patient care; leveraging automation and robotics; improving the safety and usability of intravenous (IV) infusion pumps; and developing innovative healthcare products. A fundamental part of SHINE is the partnership between EMCNEI and Baystate Health. By uniting frontline clinical expertise with the interdisciplinary academic resources and research at UMass, the collaboration ensures that new technologies are designed around the realities of patient care.

Berkshire Bank Named Among Top Charitable Contributors

BOSTON — The Boston Business Journal recently honored Berkshire Bank as a Top Charitable Contributor in Massachusetts for the 13th consecutive year at its 2025 Corporate Citizenship Awards. This annual honor showcases companies that prioritize giving back to their communities. Recipients gave $100,000 or more to Massachusetts-based in charities in 2024. Collectively, they gave more than $416 million in cash contributions.

Hampden Charter School of Science Recognized by U.S. News

CHICOPEE — Hampden Charter School of Science (HCSS) was ranked among the state’s best high schools by U.S. News & World Report in its annual Best High Schools ranking. The school ranked first among all public high schools in the Springfield metro area and placed 52nd in the state of Massachusetts. The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on more than 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college. HCSS received 93.3 out of a possible 100 points in the rankings. HCSS’s graduation rate played a role in its state ranking; the school graduated 95% of its class. Graduates have gone on to some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, including Harvard. U.S. News also noted that 86% of HCSS students are taking advanced placement courses, and that 77% are minority.

River Valley Counseling Center Wins Supervision Capacity Grant

HOLYOKE — River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC), now a member of ServiceNet, has received a $912,000 award through the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Behavioral Health Supervising Clinicians Incentive Program, the largest award to a behavioral health provider in Western Mass. This funding, from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Behavioral Health Trust, supports stipends for licensed clinicians who supervise interns and unlicensed staff, a crucial but time-intensive role that often goes uncompensated. RVCC employs nearly 200 unlicensed clinicians who can see clients under supervision. With this grant, senior clinicians can dedicate more time to mentoring, with financial recognition that fosters retention and stability. Awarded over a two-year period, the grant offsets the time supervisors invest in training and mentoring, allowing RVCC to further build and sustain a high-quality path to licensure.