Company Notebook
MassDevelopment Issues Bond for Mount Holyoke College Plan
SOUTH HADLEY — MassDevelopment has issued a $154,750,000 tax-exempt bond on behalf of the trustees of Mount Holyoke College, who will use bond proceeds to make investments in its campus, with the goal of ensuring accessibility for all and sustainability for years to come. Mount Holyoke’s campus renewal will respond to the existing needs of the college community and continue both its transition to geothermal energy and its residence hall renovations. The college’s geothermal exchange project, already in progress, includes the drilling of geothermal exchange wells and the purchase of heat pumps and related energy equipment. The institution will also use bond proceeds to fund other strategic improvement projects on its campus, such as renovations to its residence halls and key academic buildings, as well as refinance previously issued debt. The tax-exempt bond, purchased by TD Bank, helped the borrower achieve a lower cost of capital.
Holyoke Community College Lands $300,000 RISE Grant
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) received a $300,000 state grant to train low-income job seekers whose primary barrier to employment is their English language skills. The Readiness, Integration, Skills, and Employment (RISE) grant to HCC is part of a $2.7 million package awarded recently to eight employers and organizations for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) initiatives that also include career readiness, job training, and placement services. The RISE grants are funded by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and administered by Commonwealth Corp. through the state’s Workforce Competitive Trust Fund. HCC was one of only two grant recipients outside the Boston area; Greenfield Community College received a $195,000 grant to train home health aides. Overall, the grants will support the training of more than 500 residents in the state in workforce ESOL training programs and help ease the demand for ESOL services. HCC is partnering with three Springfield-based agencies — Way Finders, Tech Foundry, and MassHire Springfield — to provide training and career placement services for 50 individuals. HCC’s employer partners include Baystate Health, Holyoke Medical Center, Adhesive Applications, Pioneer Valley Hotel Group, and MGM Springfield, who have agreed to interview program participants. Originally, the grant focused on people living in emergency shelters but has been expanded to also include other low-income job seekers with children below age 18.
$560,000 Endowment Created at Cooley Dickinson Hospital
NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital announced the establishment of the Paul and Susan Mannheim Endowment for Facilities Improvement with a gift of $560,000 from Susan Mannheim and her late husband, Paul Mannheim, a family with deep roots in the Pioneer Valley, known for their long commitment to community service. Paul’s involvement with Cooley Dickinson began in 1988 as a member of the Golf FORE Health Committee, and he eventually became a volunteer and trustee. In honor of his contributions, he was honored in 1999 with the William E. Dwyer Distinguished Service Award. Over nearly four decades, the couple have supported many capital projects at the hospital, both individually and through their business, including what is now the Main Entrance, the Imaging and Childbirth Center, as well as the North Building and Kittredge Surgery Center. During his life, Paul took out a life insurance policy and named the hospital as the beneficiary. After his death earlier this year, the life insurance benefit payout was used to establish the Paul and Susan Mannheim Endowment for Facilities Improvement. The endowment will support capital projects, helping to ensure access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities for years to come.
Sentillian, Hogan Technology Announce Strategic Partnership
EASTHAMPTON — Sentillian, an innovator in AI-driven call center solutions, announced a strategic partnership with Hogan Technology, a provider of communication technology and services, to expand beyond the legal sector. Together, the companies will deliver enterprise-grade, AI-powered call center solutions designed by regional engineering teams in Easthampton to improve customer engagement, streamline operations, and reduce costs for clients across industries that require help desk and customer service support. The partnership combines Sentillian’s next-generation AI agent technology — which functions as a call center answering agent with natural, human-like voices and the ability to handle most basic tasks typically performed by live staff — with Hogan Technology’s robust telecom infrastructure and decades of industry expertise. Hogan Technology will serve as Sentillian’s strategic partner, enabling both companies to expand market reach and deliver turnkey solutions to enterprise clients. Together, the companies will focus on solving long-standing challenges in call center operations, including long wait times, high labor costs, and the need for 24/7 multi-lingual support. The partnership between Sentillian and Hogan Technology launches immediately with clients in legal, automotive, and other industries that rely heavily on help desk and call center operations.
D. Hotel Suites & Spa Completes Renovations
HOLYOKE — D. Hotel Suites & Spa, a 60-room boutique hotel located on the grounds of the Delaney House, announced the completion of a series of renovations designed to enhance comfort, security, and style for its guests. The project, which began in January and concluded recently, aims to bring a fresh, modern feel to the property while preserving its boutique charm. The extensive updates include a reimagined breakfast area, providing guests with a welcoming and contemporary space to start their day. The hotel’s lobby has also been redesigned, creating a brighter and more inviting first impression for both leisure and business travelers. Guest rooms and hallways received significant improvements as well. Most rooms now feature new flooring, updated fixtures, modern furniture, and fresh paint, as well as enhanced lighting and thoughtful design details. As part of the renovations, D. Hotel also invested in upgraded door lock technology, providing guests with an added layer of security and peace of mind. The integration of these modern systems reflects the hotel’s ongoing commitment to guest safety and convenience.
TSM Design Announces Closing After 40 Years in Business
SPRINGFIELD — TSM Design, a marketing, branding, and design firm, will close on Dec. 31 after 40 years in business. The firm was founded as the Super Market by Leslie Lawrence in 1985. Nancy Urbschat, Lawrence’s colleague, who joined the firm three months after its opening, became a partner in 1986 and purchased the company in 2005. TSM Design continues to work on client projects and is developing the means for a smooth transition at the end of the year. This will be made possible in part because Deb Walsh, Janet Bennett, and Brittany Arita, the TSM team, will continue their work independently. Urbschat’s decision follows decades of work with many of the region’s businesses, nonprofits, and Massachusetts government and quasi-government agencies. TSM Design has partnered with clients ranging from small startups to a Fortune 100 company the firm engaged with for more than a decade. TSM also held a state contract that brought high-profile projects across several agencies. A fierce advocate for the city of Springfield, Urbschat has served on numerous boards, committees, and initiatives, and has donated countless hours of pro bono branding, marketing, and design expertise to organizations such as the branding of Springfield Men of Color Health Awareness, rebranding the Springfield City Library, and capital campaign materials for Friends of the Homeless.
bankESB Honored with Top Workplaces Awards
EASTHAMPTON — bankESB announced it has been recognized as a Financial Services Industry Top Workplaces award winner and has received three additional Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards for fall 2025: Employee Appreciation, Employee Well-being, and Professional Development. Presented by Energage, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools, these awards celebrate organizations that excel in fostering exceptional workplace cultures based on employee feedback and engagement. Winners are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous, third-party employee engagement survey, issued by Energage. More than 42,000 organizations across the country were invited to participate in the survey. Results are calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 culture drivers proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks. The awards highlight organizations that demonstrate a genuine commitment to their employees’ success, health, and overall experience. bankESB’s achievement across all categories underscores its dedication to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow professionally.
Tech Foundry, Comcast Partner to Expand Digital Opportunity
SPRINGFIELD — Representatives from Tech Foundry, a Springfield-based workforce development organization, and Comcast were joined by Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno and City Councilor Jose Delgado on Oct. 23 to celebrate a new initiative aimed at expanding internet adoption and digital skills training for Greater Springfield residents. Through this collaboration, Tech Foundry will sponsor six months of Comcast’s Internet Essentials service for the first 25 individuals who complete 12 digital literacy classes. Additionally, Comcast will donate laptops to the first 50 individuals who complete six digital literacy classes through Tech Foundry’s program. This initiative is made possible through Comcast’s Internet Essentials Partnership program, which enables community organizations to fund Internet Essentials (IE) service for qualifying households. Sponsored families receive all the benefits of IE: a high-speed internet connection at home, the option to purchase a low-cost computer, and access to free digital skills training online, in person, and in print. Tech Foundry offers free computer literacy and information technology certification programs to residents across the region.
Country Bank Recognized for Charitable Giving
WARE — Country Bank, a full-service financial institution serving Central and Western Mass., announced that the Boston Business Journal has once again named the bank an honoree in its annual Corporate Citizenship Awards, recognizing the region’s top corporate charitable contributors. The magazine annually publishes this list to highlight companies that promote and prioritize giving back to their communities. During this year’s celebration on Sept. 10, 99 companies qualified for the distinction by reporting at least $100,000 in cash contributions to Massachusetts-based charities last year. Collectively, they gave more than $416 million in cash contributions. This year’s honorees include companies from such industry sectors as financial and professional services, healthcare, technology, retail, and professional sports. Country Bank employs 239 staff members in Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. Its team of Difference Makers actively promotes the bank’s mission of making a difference in their communities by volunteering for various nonprofits throughout the year.
Assets for Artists Transitions to Independent Status
NORTH ADAMS —Assets for Artists (A4A), a 17-year-old initiative supporting artists across New England, is marking its formal transition to independent nonprofit status with more than $2 million in new funding. This includes a $1.5 million general operating support grant from the Barr Foundation. The three-year grant will power A4A’s work providing capacity-building programs, professional development, and financial education to artists in all disciplines across New England. A4A has also secured significant program support, including $460,000 from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to launch the Greater Hartford Creatives Alliance, more than $100,000 from the city of Boston through the Arts Action Consortium, and $82,000 from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts to continue the ValleyCreates artist support programming. Since its founding, A4A has delivered professional development support to more than 3,700 artists in seven states, awarding more than $1.7 million in capacity-building grants to artists and providing more than 1,600 hours of career-building and financial education workshops and more than 4,000 hours of individual coaching sessions led by A4A’s roster of experienced artist trainers. Launched as a collaborative program under MASS MoCA in 2008, A4A began by serving artists in Berkshire County, but has since expanded to serve all of New England.
Whittlesey Wins ClearlyRated’s Best of Accounting Award
HARTFORD, Conn. — Whittlesey has earned ClearlyRated’s 2025 Best of Accounting award for service excellence. The award is based entirely on client feedback and recognizes firms that consistently deliver exceptional client experience. ClearlyRated’s program provides statistically valid and objective benchmarks for the accounting industry, highlighting which firms deliver the highest levels of client and employee satisfaction. Whittlesey received a Net Promoter Score more than twice the industry’s average. On average, clients of Best of Accounting winners are 60% more likely to be satisfied than those who work with non-winning firms — a testament to Whittlesey’s commitment to trusted guidance and personalized service.
Tighe & Bond Acquires Geosphere Environmental Management Inc.
WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond, a Northeast leader in engineering, design, planning, and environmental consulting, announced it has acquired Geosphere Environmental Management Inc., a New Hampshire-based hydrogeology and environmental firm. As a trusted groundwater advisor with service offerings in hydrogeology, geothermal, and environmental science, Geosphere’s client base includes public municipal, utility, and private sector clients. Aligned with Tighe & Bond’s mission, Geosphere strives to create an economically feasible and environmentally responsible built environment. Following a successful history of collaborating on projects, the addition of Geosphere complements Tighe & Bond’s capabilities in its Water Business Line, which offers clients full-service engineering and environmental expertise to support their drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, geotechnical, dam, and ecological restoration projects. Geosphere’s water supply development and groundwater discharge capabilities enable Tighe & Bond to even more comprehensively support its clients’ drinking water and wastewater needs. Geosphere’s geothermal and ground heat exchange expertise also align with Tighe & Bond’s whole asset approach to the built environment, adding to site utility and building mechanical system design capabilities for high-performance building projects. The Geosphere team will now be based out of Tighe & Bond’s Portsmouth, N.H. office.
Bay Path University Continues OTD Grant Program
LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University is now accepting applications for the second cohort of its post-professional occupational therapy doctorate grant program, Improving School-based OT Practice: A Doctoral Program to Improve Outcomes for Children with High-intensity Needs. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs), this innovative program is designed to advance the preparation of school-based occupational therapy leaders committed to improving outcomes for children with disabilities and high-intensity needs. Through this two-year, fully online program, participants earn a doctor of occupational therapy (OTD) degree, an American Occupational Therapy Assoc. (AOTA) school-based practice certificate, and a graduate certificate in autism spectrum disorders. In addition to advanced academic training, participants receive up to $21,000 in federal grant funding, covering more than 50% of tuition costs. Additional benefits include one-on-one faculty mentoring, professional development opportunities, and up to $3,000 to present research at the AOTA national conference. Only eight spots are available for the upcoming cohort. Applications are now open for the next cohort, which begins Jan. 12, 2026. The deadline to apply is Dec. 1. To learn more or apply, visit baypath.edu/otdosepgrant.
Hyundai Hope on Wheels Supports Baystate Children’s Hospital
SPRINGFIELD — On Oct. 6, Hyundai Hope on Wheels presented Baystate Children’s Hospital with a $100,000 Impact Grant to support pediatric cancer care. The funding will expand access to the latest treatments through clinical research, support a nurse practitioner specializing in childhood cancer, and enhance quality-of-life programs for pediatric patients. These programs include milestone celebrations, holiday gifts, and engaging activities for children undergoing long treatments. Hyundai Hope on Wheels is a nonprofit organization committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Launched in 1998, it provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing critical research aimed at improving treatments and saving lives.
Beetle Press Earns Certification as Women’s Business Enterprise
NORTHAMPTON — Beetle Press, a PR business specializing in marketing and media strategy and consulting, was recently awarded national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Center for Women and Enterprise, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Founded in Northampton in 1998, Beetle Press offers marketing and public relations strategy as well as writing and editing services. In the Pioneer Valley, it currently serves Laplante Construction, Florence Bank, Thornes Marketplace, Keiter, and the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council. The WBENC standard of certification implemented by the Center for Women and Enterprise is a meticulous process, including an in-depth review of the business and a site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by a woman or women, and that the business has appropriate structure and strategic business planning and implementation in place.
WillPower Foundation Joins Multicultural Community Services
SPRINGFIELD — WillPower Foundation, a longtime champion of families with different abilities in Western Mass., announced its next chapter: a formal partnership with Multicultural Community Services (MCS). WillPower Foundation will transition to become the WillPower Fund at MCS. Since 2008, WillPower Foundation has awarded nearly a half-million dollars in direct grants to families and individuals with different abilities across Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. Founded by Maria and Craig Burke in honor of their son, William Michael Burke, who lives with a rare brain malformation called schizencephaly, the foundation was created to fill critical gaps left by insurance and other systems, funding items such as mobility aids, therapeutic programs, and sensory equipment. When the pandemic hit, WillPower was forced to eliminate most of its part-time staff to cut operational costs and stay afloat. Thanks to the continued generosity of donors and a dedicated board and volunteer base, the organization not only survived, but continued to grow its impact. Still, the long-term sustainability of operating without staff was uncertain. After 17 years of empowering families, the WillPower board worked diligently to plan for the future and find a more efficient way to ensure that more donor dollars are directed to families, thereby maintaining a strong mission for years to come. On Oct. 1, WillPower Foundation and MCS marked this milestone with a celebration featuring Burke himself. The WillPower board presented a $40,000 founding gift to MCS to officially launch the WillPower Fund in its new home.
Zeretas Studios Opens New Salon in Westfield
WESTFIELD — Zeretas Studios held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Zeretas Studios, a new Latina-owned salon business located at 501 Southampton Road in Westfield, on Oct. 18. Owner Jesse Rivera developed her business vision and plan with the support of EparaTodos, the Spanish-language business accelerator program of EforAll Pioneer Valley. Rivera’s story is one of resilience and culture. In the late 1990s, her mother opened her first salon in Puerto Rico, dedicated to textured hair at a time when very few stylists knew how to properly care for curls. Rivera grew up in that salon, later joining their mother in the work, and quickly recognized the gap in the beauty industry when it came to textured hair education and representation. After the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2019 and the 2020 pandemic, the family was forced to close their doors in Puerto Rico. Rivera carried the vision forward, launching Zeretas Studios in Texas and most recently expanding to Massachusetts, with the opening of Zeretas Studios in Westfield.
Indie Readery & Records Opens on North Street in Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD — Indie Readery & Records, located at 314 North St. in Pittsfield, hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23. Owned by Emma Lenski, Indie Readery & Records is an independent bookstore that combines a curated selection of books, vinyl records, and a variety of humorous and progressive gifts. The store’s focus on offering literature that promotes social justice, equity, and freedom places a strong emphasis on liberal and progressive viewpoints. The store will serve as a community space for like-minded individuals to engage with new ideas, music, and humor, while providing a space for cultural and community events.
Thunderbirds Partner with Foundation for TJO Animals
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds announced the inception of Luff’s Pups in partnership with the Foundation for TJO Animals. As part of this newly established initiative, T-Birds veteran forward and animal lover Matt Luff will pledge a donation of $50 to the Foundation for TJO Animals for every point he records during the 2025-26 season. Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to join in the Luff’s Pups pledge and donate to the Foundation for TJO Animals. A donation of just $25 can help feed up to 20 hungry animals or supply rabies vaccines for five animals.
