Picture This

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Cutting the Ribbon

Balise Motor Sales staged a ribbon cutting and South End Celebration on Sept. 24 at its recently opened Hyundai dealership on Columbus Avenue in Springfield. At top, at the official ribbon cutting, from left: Brian Houser, general manager of Balise Hyundai; Leo Florian, president of the South End Citizens Council; Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno; Jeb Balise; Dylan Balise; Isabelle Balise; Mike Balise; Kateri Walsh, Springfield City Councilor; state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez; Dave O’Brien, Hyundai regional marketing manager; Kim Bucci, Hyundai regional parts & service manager; and Bill Peffer, president and COO, Balise Motor Sales. At bottom, from left: Dave Zucowski, president of Hyundai North America; Mike Balise, vice president of Balise Motor Sales; and Jeb Balise, CEO of the company.

 

A New Chapter

Link to Libraries recently passed two significant milestones — 400,000 books donated to area schools and agencies, and 100 readers in the reading programs at those schools and organizations. A number of area elected officials and LTL officers and volunteers gathered at the company’s headquarters at Rediker Software in Hampden to mark the occasion. Top: Link to Libraries co-founder Susan Jaye Kaplan with state Sen. Eric Lesser. Bottom, from left: Stephen G. Kaplan, LTL board member; Gail Baquis, LTL Read Aloud Project director; Amy Rediker Anderlonis, marketing and public relations director for Rediker Software; Andrew Anderlonis, president of Rediker Software; Susan Bennett, the 100th LTL reader; Lesser; state Rep. Brian Ashe; Springfield City Councilor Kateri Walsh; and Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos.

 

Succeeding at Succession

Mike Vann, a principal with the Springfield-based Vann Group, addresses those gathered at the Student Prince & the Fort on Sept. 30 for the second installment in an ongoing lecture series sponsored by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. Presented by Vann and his father, Kevin, also a principal with the company, the program, titled “Heading for the Exit: Business Succession Planning Realities & Process,” provided a wealth of information on the issues involved with transitioning a business. The program will be repeated on Oct. 7 at the Smith College Conference Center. Registration is at 7:15 a.m., with the program beginning at 7:30. To register, visit www.businesswest.com.