Construction Archives - Page 40 of 53

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff August 30, 2010

Departments Incorporations

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

BELCHERTOWN

Auction Shipper Inc., 442 State St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Aytac Camdeviren, same.
Shipping and receiving services.

FEEDING HILLS

AW Real Estate Corp., 74 Bessbrook St., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. Alfredo Improta, same. Real estate.

FLORENCE

Bidwell ID, 30 North Maple St., Florence MA, 01062. John Bidwell, same. Full-service advertising and marketing agency.

Click Workspace Inc., 109 High St., Florence, MA 01062. Ali Usman, 109 High St., Florence, MA 01062. Non-profit economic development organization through collaboration of entrepreneurs.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Ecaerus Inc., 80 Brush Hill Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Brian Sutton, same.
Consulting services.

GREENFIELD

Cold River Inc., 55 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Peter White, 55 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301. Retail store, sales of beer, wine, and liquor.

LENOX

Guenhwyvar Inc., 55 Pittsfield Lenow Road, Lenox, MA 01240. Michelle Vanallen, 24 Rotermel Lane, Kinderhook, N.Y. 12106. Restaurant and bar.

LONGMEADOW

Change in Action Inc., 184 Edgewood Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Susan Choquette, same. Organization established to promote the ideals of respect, compassion, and mutual responsibility through the cooperative efforts of parents children and schools.

PITTSFIELD

1 Berkshire Strategic Alliance Inc., 75 North St., Suite 350, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Michael P. Daly, 14 Lynne Court, Lanesborough, MA 01237. Economic development agency serving the business community of Berkshire County.

Bella Terra Festival Inc., 1270 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jeffrey Schneider, same. Entertaining event planning.

Chestnut Tree Trauma and Attachment Center Inc., 150 North St., Suite 220, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Wendy Aunitch, 121 Edward Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Center providing therapeutic services to children, young adults, and non-offending family members who have experienced trauma or neglect.

SOUTHBRIDGE

Advanced Concepts in Tiles Inc., 43 Quail Run, Southbridge, MA 01550. Michael Paul Durocher, same.

Complete Technology Resources Inc., 317 Pleasant St., Southbridge, MA 01550. Jamie Stafslien, same. Computer services.

SPRINGFIELD

16 Acres Computers Inc., 115 Corey Road, Springfield, MA 01128. Mary Radogiewicz., same. Computer sales and service.

Bhutanese Society of Western Massachusetts, 67 Johnson St., Apt #1 Left, Springfield, MA 01108. Hari Khanal, same. Provides support for any Bhutanese family when someone dies, and for the treatment of any medical conditions as a result of an accident or major disease.

Charles Kearse Co., Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center, One Federal St., Bldg. 101, Springfield, MA 01105. Charles Kearse, 30 Bowdoin St., Springfield, MA 01109. Non-profit and business development consulting.

WASHINGTON

Harmony Building Consultants Inc., 204 Johnson Hill Road, Washington, MA 01223. Georgette Keator, same. Building and construction consultation.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

AAA Pioneer Valley Driver Training School Inc., 150 Capital Dr., West Springfield, MA 01089. Chris Mensing, 12 Echo Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Automobile driver instruction services.

Bart Truck Equipment Company Inc., 358 River St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Martin Tourtelotte, 47 Wild Grove Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Sales and service of truck equipment.

DSVT Inc., 81 Humphrey Lane, West Springfield, MA 01089. Valerity Kolodzinskiy, same. Transportation services for food, commercial goods and vehicles via flatbed, container and heavy-duty hauling vehicles.

Hannahneena Inc., 217 Elm St., West Springfield, MA 01089. Sarabjit Chawla, 3050 Mountain Road, West Suffield, CT 06093. Restaurant and bar.

WESTFIELD

358 Southwick Inc., 358 Southwick Road, Westfield, MA 01805. Rachid Messoudi, 14 Willard St., Apt. 1, Quincy, MA 01085. Convenience store.

Direct Auto Realty Inc., 300 East Main St., Westfield, MA 01085. David Dicienzo, 90 Southwood Dr., Ludlow, MA 01056. Purchase, develop, manage, and maintain real estate properties.

WORTHINGTON

Arts Alive in the Hilltowns Inc., 4 Sam Hill Road, Worthington, MA 01098. Mary Pulley, 128 Old Post Road, Worthington, MA 01098. Association of artists to network, promote, showcase and support artistic and cultural endeavors.

A Matter of Speculation

By BusinessWest Staff August 30, 2010

Cover Story

A New Potential Developer, Renewed Optimism for State School Site

Cover August 30, 2010

To date, efforts to redevelop the former Belchertown State School property have been met with only frustration and some embarrassing moments — the last lead development team bounced a check on the town as it proceeded with initial steps in the process. But there is renewed, if cautious optimism as another outfit, Pennsylvania-based Weston Solutions, goes through the due diligence process on the challenged but opportunity-laden property. Said a Weston executive: “Let’s look at the canvas, see what we’ve got. Then we can figure out what brushes and paint we want to use, and then we move forward.”

Bill Terry made a show of knocking on his wooden conference table when introducing the latest unfolding chapter in the redevelopment of the former Belchertown State School property.
Perhaps he did so because, after more than a decade of stalled or failed plans, the Belchertown Economic Development and Industrial Corp. (BEDIC), current owner of the site, may have finally found the right people for the right job.
And that’s on both sides of the negotiating table.
Terry is the chair of the BEDIC, and he said Weston Solutions, a Pennsylvania-based remediation and redevelopment firm signed a letter of interest this past July, giving it full rein over all past documents, research, and findings from the BEDIC.
That letter of interest begins a relationship between town officials and the employee-owned Weston, and while the process of due diligence is carefully underway, both sides expressed reserved, and not-so-reserved, enthusiasm.
One of the Weston officials on the site these days is Valarie Ferro, senior technical director for the Northeast Division. She told BusinessWest that “there are many fine assets to the property.
“Yes, there’s contamination there,” she continued. “But hospitals are not a new thing to us. We’ve looked at many, and were involved in a couple in various roles. When we walked onto the Belchertown property for the first time, we had a pretty good idea of what the project might entail, and when we got here, it was, ‘yup. That’s what we thought.’”
And that’s the attitude that has local officials betraying their reservations on the potential for redevelopment of the property. A 50-year-old firm with a long and successful history, Weston is no stranger to projects of this magnitude and degree of difficulty.
Weston now has 90 days to assess the property and the scope of the job. The BEDIC, meanwhile, also has 90 days of due diligence on Weston to see if its capabilities and track record are in line with the town’s master plan.
Terry acknowledged that, thus far, he is “reservedly excited.”
“They didn’t just come in and say, ‘we’re interested; we heard about this property from a developer,’” he said. “Their approach is, let’s crawl before we walk, and let’s walk before we run, and make sure that there is a good fit here for all parties involved.”
While others have come before and failed, Weston Solutions is not, as Terry said, “just some guy out of the wooly West who says he’s a developer. This company, they know what they’re doing.”
The halfway point for both parties’ pro forma on this job hasn’t yet been reached. But in separate conversations with BusinessWest, the hope for all involved is to no longer knock on wood when talking about the future of the Belchertown State School.

Strength in Numbers
The last time a developer took on the prospect of repurposing the Belchertown property, a grand resort and spa was envisioned for the remaining buildings and land at the state school, comprising just under 100 acres. Famously, the developer bounced the deposit check for the job, and the BEDIC found itself bounced back to square one — no development, a blighted property, and scant opportunity for a project to move forward.
But that’s history, and what is unfolding has those involved far more excited about prospects in tune with the community.
The details at this stage of Weston Solutions’ examination of the property is purely within the realm of speculation, but Terry allowed himself optimism when expounding on the current players involved on both sides of the property’s negotiations.
For starters, Belchertown has a crack team in its court, and Terry said that, going forward, it’s not now just him and his colleagues, all of whom have full-time jobs in addition to their role with the BEDIC. “We on the board have talents,” he explained, not diminishing whatsoever the solid work he and his colleagues have accomplished over the years, “but it is good to have these professionals in our camp.”
Among those professionals is MassDevelopment, with whom the BEDIC has been in collaboration since this past May. That signed memorandum of agreement, Terry said, puts all the resources of the state agency into play for the Belchertown property.
“These are dedicated professional real-estate people and engineers — big players,” he continued. “We need only write out a request for service, provide some sort of budget, and they get right to work.”
In addition, the town’s state legislators are all on board with any and all help that can be garnered from Beacon Hill, and Terry singled out Sens. Stan Rosenberg and Gale Candaras, and State Reps. Tom Petrolati and Stephen Kulik.
“It’s finally the time where we have the right team assembled to make this happen,” he said.

Finding a Solution
Of course, those players are an important step in maneuvering the Belchertown project toward a positive outcome. But an ace team alone doesn’t get a project of this size and scope closer to a finished product.
Weston’s history of engineering, procurement, property remediation, and development spans several countries and countless properties that were in far worse shape than the Belchertown site. From complex wetland locations to defunct chemical plants, Weston has a stated goal of “zero tolerance for unethical behavior” while working within communities.
Ferro quoted her company’s logo at the beginning of her conversation with BusinessWest: “The trusted integrator for sustainable solutions.”
“We do integrate, we pull it all together,” she explained, “but before that, we sort it all out. It’s an art, and it’s a science, and it’s an art and science at the same time. That’s where developers stumble with blighted or underutilized assets. There are just so many components to these projects.”
Like the team assembled by the BEDIC, Weston has mobilized its own bevy of seasoned professionals. At the Belchertown property that day, Ferro, who has a background in redevelopment planning and community planning, said that in addition to herself, there are three others with specialized interests.
A green deconstruction expert, “not just a landfill expert, but someone who knows how to safely and successfully repurpose any material,” she explained, was on hand along with Weston’s LEED-licensed site professional, to evaluate the environmental aspect. Rounding out the team was the LEED green-development expert, who also happens to be leading Weston’s Northeast efforts in a green-roof technology company it owns.
“That’s just three of maybe four or five other components that we have to sort together,” she emphasized.
When asked about the complexities of the Belchertown site, Ferro said, “by and large we are attracted to challenges. The projects we take on, and are successful at, are where others have failed before us. Or they were just not interested because of the inherent difficulties.”
In addition to all those difficulties, however, is a site that she said comes with just as many, if not more, attributes. She described the brick buildings as “stately,” but it’s the landscape that holds more promise than other projects Weston has overseen.
“The rolling topography, the views, the fact that it’s also a very valuable critical mass of land … you don’t know how much we struggle when working in urban environments, and we have to cobble together eight or 10 property owners just to sew together three acres. Here, we have a great big glob of land, and the surrounding land use is compatible.”
That was a word often repeated in her conversation, and in which lies a core value for Weston Solutions. She said that’s a major difference between her firm and a more traditional property developer, which customarily has a book of clients and end users for projects of this size.
“For us, we might want it, whatever it is,” she said of potential use at the site, “but if it’s not compatible with the town, or consistent with our core values, then we don’t pursue it. We just don’t go there.
“And that’s why, frankly, there’s not a lot of talk up front for us right now,” she continued, “because we’re just trying to understand what the context is — both the town and the property. What’s our canvas? Let’s look at the canvas, see what we’ve got. Then we can figure out what brushes and paint we want to use, and then we move forward.”
That canvas, however, has some underpainting already.
When asked if Weston has been given an understanding on issues of core importance for the BEDIC, town hall, and the voting population of Belchertown, Terry stated unequivocally, “absolutely.”
“They have our master development plan, and they have the 43D plan,” Terry said, referring to the site work made possible through MassDevelopment. “Not only that, we’ve verbally told them what is important to us. We told them we’re not building a new town center here. We’re not being disrespectful, but there are clear things that the community wants and doesn’t want.
“Our development plan says no big-box stores,” he added. “Nothing against ‘Wally World,’ we all go there, but we’re not a community that wants them. Weston knows that too, and knows that we won’t entertain that idea. That could have happened years ago, but we didn’t want it.”

Sense Break
Looking ahead, Terry said the BEDIC has some clear hopes for what might unfold at the state school property. As a town resident with roots that trace back to the earliest settlers, he said that it is important for him, and many others, to keep that intergenerational component in Belchertown.
To accomplish that, he sees health and wellness, specifically assisted living, as a good use for some of the property. He cited a similar project in Ludlow that had designs on full occupancy five years after construction, but successfully met capacity in two.
Belchertown, he maintains, is a middle-class community with good schools and a strong commitment to public services. In keeping with that tradition, he said, is the need to “take care of mom and dad.”
An assisted-living developer has expressed interest in parts of the property for several years, he continued, but has lacked the resources to tackle anything beyond his own slice of real estate.
To further substantiate the possibility of a successful market for that style of development, he noted that several other assisted-living builders have looked at the site and weighed in with their own vote of confidence and an interest in buildable property.
In a separate conversation, Ferro brought up a similar train of thought, giving evidence to her prior comments on collaboration. Weston has looked at the conceptuals for wellness and assisted-living development on the property, and while one of the things it is doing during this period is “going with their gut feelings and considerable contacts,” she agreed with that facet to Terry’s vision.
“I really am attracted to their idea of inter-generational living,” she said. “Right next door there’s the police station, the teen center, and maybe some of this can be expanded so that it represents Belchertown as a whole. I think there’s real potential there.”
But again, she tempered her enthusiasm with restraint. “I think we all wish there was a CliffsNotes on what to do about the Belchertown property. We’re sorting through an enormous amount of information and just literally sopping it up like sponges.”
Just like everyone working on both sides of the project, however, restraint gave way to hope. “My gut feeling is that, seeing what’s there, there is potential to pull this off,” she said.
From his office in Springfield, Terry echoed that sentiment.
“We’re conservatively excited,” he said again. “It’s going to take a lot of care, but it seems like we’re working with the right folks, and this is the best shot we have had since I’ve been on the board.”
Noticeably, he didn’t knock on wood this time. n

Amazing Place

By BusinessWest Staff August 30, 2010

Sections Supplements

Five Star Building Corp. Enjoys Taking On Tough Challenges

Kevin Perrier says Five Star Building Corp. welcomes difficult and challenging projects.

It’s not often that a construction company’s work is so impressive that a church service is held to say thanks.
But First Churches in Northampton did exactly that to recognize the difficult restoration work done in their nearly 200-year-old cathedral by Five Star Building Corp. in Easthampton and its subcontractors. The project, which earned Five Star several awards, stands as a testament to the company’s willingness to tackle complex projects and achieve desired results.
Five Star’s focus is on commercial and public work, with an increasing presence in health care, often performing construction very close to where patients are being treated (more on that later). “What sets us aside from other companies is that, when we see difficult and complex projects, we say that we can complete them on time and do an excellent job, even though other companies may not want to take them on,” said President and CEO Kevin Perrier.
First Churches is a good example. The church had been closed for a year when Five Star was hired by Architects Inc. of Northampton to replace sections of the 70-foot-high plaster ceiling that were collapsing. The height, coupled with the fact that the church pews and ceiling are curved, made erecting and working on scaffolding a difficult and complex undertaking.
But that was only the first obstacle Five Star encountered. The firm quickly discovered that the walls of the church, built in 1826, were in very poor condition and needed to be replaced.
“The walls had plaster medallions with gold-leaf painting and stenciling on them set high in the peaks of the ceiling which dated back 100 years,” Perrier said.
Five Star began its task of historic preservation with the utmost of care. In order to preserve the 24-inch bands of artwork on the walls, workers photographed them, made plaster imprints of the medallions, and created molds. After casting new plaster replicas, artists had to hand-paint them with gold leaf before they could be mounted on the new drywall that had been installed.
A sand finish was painted over to resemble plaster, and a team of artists recreated the elaborate bands of stenciling that ran along the top and lower sections of the walls. “We had local artists there for a month. Everything had to be painted by hand,” Perrier said. “We also had the artists chip away the original paint to uncover the original colors, so when the parishioners came into the church, it looked the way it had in the 1900s. They were so taken aback that they held a ceremony to thank us.”
Although the project involved more than double the amount of work initially anticipated, Five Star completed it six weeks ahead of schedule. “It was a really touching moment when they thanked us,” said Perrier. “This is the type of project you can walk into and feel very proud of. This represents what we do . . . the level of detail and the talent of our staff and subcontractors. We may not be the cheapest company around, but we are competitive, and our quality is impeccable.”

Healthy Spaces
Just as challenging, however, is the work taking place on a medical office building on Locust Street in Northampton which houses a plastic surgeon’s office, operating room, and thriving obstretrician/gynecology practice.
“The area we are actively pursuing now is health care,” Perrier said. The work is exacting, and the standards are even more stringent, because the work is often done in hospitals or buildings where patients are receiving care.”
The Locust Street building is another example, like the cathedral, of a project that became bigger than origianlly anticipated.
“We were called in to do a small repair because a window was sagging,” Perrier explained. “But once we began, we realized the building was rotting from the inside out. The flagships had been improperly installed when it was built 25 years ago, and water had poured in behind the windows for years. All of the casing and framing was completely rotted and had to be replaced, so the project went from being very simple to very complicated.”
The cosmetic surgeon uses the operating room in the building, and a constant stream of patients come and go from the gynecology office, whose needs must be taken into account by Five Star’s staff. “At one point, we were literally hanging drywall while, two doors down from us, an individual was having facial plastic surgery in the operating room,” Perrier said.
He explained that, in order to make sure the medical practices didn’t suffer as a result of the renovations, Five Star worked seven days a week, doing some of the labor after hours and on weekends.
Maintaining the quality of the air in the building is another vital consideration. “We were there at 6 a.m. today doing air sampling,” Perrier said. “We have worked on one section at a time, setting up containment and negative air systems. Dust and debris control is crucial in any type of health care environment, and there is zero tolerance for any type of particulate to escape from the air containment area.”
Perrier said that encountering obstacles and producing quality work in difficult settings is an area in which Five Stars excels. “Our projects that really stand out have occurred when we thought we were going in to do a straightforward job, and it ended up being completely different,” he said. “That is where our staff really shines. They can handle the challenges.”
Five Star recently hired a construction superintendent with an extensive health care background to oversee new projects. “You are held to very, very stringent standards when you are working in health care settings, and having staff with that experience is vital,” Perrier added.
But hiring the best people he can find is a practice Perrier has adhered to since he opened his business, shortly after graduating from Easthampton High School. “I always liked building things,” he said, adding that he worked in the construction field during high school.
The name of his company came about because his father, Mike Perrier, already owned a business called Five Star Entertainment. Since Kevin was short on cash, he talked his father into answering the phone with just the words, “Five Star,” which covered both businesses. “The name has stuck because we really try to pride ourselves on quality,” he said.
At first, Perrier worked alone, building decks and renovating small kitchens. “But within eight months, I was so busy I hired a laborer, and by the end of my first year I hired a second carpenter. By the second year, there were five of us, and we continued to grow,” he said.

Building a Legacy
Much of the company’s work involves interior buildouts for commercial space in existing buildings. “We do renovations to suit the client’s needs,” said Perrier. “Two years ago, we completely remodeled the interior of the former Ames store in Southampton, which became a tractor supply store. We also built them a loading deck and did some exterior work on the building.”
Other recent undertakings include building a fire department substation in Orange and a LEED-certified library in Westhampton. Five Star is currently working on a number of projects that are nearing completion. It is almost done renovating the Southampton Town Hall, which was a former school. “We gutted the entire interior,” Perrier said, adding that all town offices and the senior center will be housed in the building.
The company is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and Perrier attributes that feat not only to quality workmanship, but to his aggressive stance. “I wasn’t one to sit back and wait for the phone to ring,” he said. “I got involved with the Chamber of Commerce and other community events. The first three years, I took my profits and sunk them back into the company with advertising and equipment. It ended up really paying off.”
Although Perrier’s initial focus was residential construction, about five years ago he began phasing out of that arena. “I wanted to grow, and it was difficult to grow a residential market, especially since I saw a downturn coming,” he said. “We had started to do more commerical and public construction work, and I found that was where my passion is. We enjoy complex challenges and timelines. It’s not even remotely close to the residential world, because it takes more highly skilled contractors.”
This year, the company expects to do about $10 million in business.
At the same time, Perrier believes in giving back to the community. His company hosts an annual golf outing to benefit Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society. He is vice president of its board, and of the Easthampton Chamber of Commerce. “We care about others and about the work we do,” he said.
He added that he takes pride in the skill of the people who work for Five Star. “We hire the best of the best,” he said. One of those individuals is project manager Bud Korza, who joined the firm in 2007.
“It’s a young, aggressive company, and we take pride in our work and in customer satisfaction,” Korza agreed. “The whole construction business is a challenge, but we have been successful at the most challenging projects, which is due to a combination of everyone’s experience and efforts.”
After all, whether it’s preserving a nearly 200-year-old church or improving the environment for patients receiving medical care, there’s usually more at stake than just a building.

History in the Remaking

By BusinessWest Staff August 30, 2010

An architect’s rendering of the new data center

Sections Supplements

Tech High Project Is a Complex — and ‘Green’ — Undertaking

An architect’s rendering of the new data center, which will incorporate the façade of the old Springfield landmark.

The recently initiated work to build a data center at the site of the former Technical High School in Springfield is unique in that the façade of the 105-year-old building will be incorporated into the design of the $110 million facility. But beyond this challenging assignment, the project will incorporate a number of energy-efficient systems that will make it truly state of the art. Thus, this is a project that brings the past, present, and future together in one bold initiative.

Transforming the old Springfield Technical High School into a new and secure data center to house the state’s electronic records and serve as the backup for its primary data center is a complex construction and engineering feat.
A tremendous amount of planning has gone into the design of the new facility. It involves erecting a state-of-the-art 149,000-square-foot, energy-efficient building that will be connected to the front and side sections of the school’s historic façade. But the result will be something that not only serves a critical need; it will also put Springfield on the map.
“When it is complete, it will be one of the most energy-efficient buildings of its kind in the world,” said Kevin Flanigan, deputy director for the Mass. Office of Finance and Administration Division of Capital Asset Management. “It is a challenging project that involves a great deal of coordination and quality control due to its complexity.”
Although other data centers are being built across the nation, preserving the front of an old building and three window bays on its sides that measure about 30 feet in length, then incorporating them into a new building design is highly unusual, said Henry Cence, the on-site project manager for Skanska USA Building Inc., which was awarded the contract and has made data centers a specialty.
“It is something you don’t see very often,” he explained as he stood near the school, where water was being sprayed out from an upper-story window to keep the dust down.
Flanigan says the $110 million project is a major investment the Commonwealth has made to revitalize the State Street corridor. “It represents a critical component of our overall effort to bring new life to this part of Springfield,” he said. “This is a highly anticipated project for the city that will also fill an important need.”
The construction will take two years to complete and is expected to create about 200 full-time jobs in addition to 35 information technology positions that will be filled after the project is finished.
“In addition to the economic benefit and revitalization, this will address the state’s need for a highly secure facility that will provide a critical backup for systems used by state workers who need immediate access to information to carry out their jobs,” said Flanigan.
The offices in the building will be housed against the existing brick façade, while the computer rooms and computer systems will be contained within the modern, new two-story structure.
For this issue, BusinessWest gives readers an inside look at what it will take to preserve the exterior of the old brick school and attach it to a building that will become a model for green construction.

School of Thought
Ethel Macleod is the senior associate of architecture for TRO Jung Brannen, and project manager for the data center. She said the exterior of the old high school sits in the historic Quadrangle/Mattoon Street district, but the land behind it, where the new building will be constructed, does not. After several meetings with both state officials and Springfield Historic District members, they agreed that the new construction could take place as long as the front of the old school and sections of both sides were preserved, she explained.
“It was a real challenge to incorporate the old façade with the new addition, which needed to be distinct and not replicate what is already there,” Macleod noted, adding that the design had to include a fence to meet security specifications. “Our original plan had to be modified to preserve the historic character of the exterior.”
The final plan calls for a steel fence that will resemble wrought iron to reflect the neighborhood’s character.
The windows also had to considered. “We removed them, but have taken care to save them so the manufacturer will be able to match the sizes and create identical windows that are energy-efficient replicas of the old ones,” said TRO Jung Brannen Principal Sandy Smith.
Part of the building was demolished several years ago to make room for the new federal courthouse. But removing the remainder of the building is no easy task, and cannot be done without a great deal of preparation.
Steve Eustis, senior vice president of Skanska USA Building, explained that a temporary steel skeleton must be built to provide support for the existing façade. “Structural steel will be anchored to the footings at the front of the building near the sidewalk on Elliot Street during the first phase of the project. Once the skeleton is installed, it will support the new masonry work that needs to be done on the inside of the façade,” Eustis said.
The next step will be the demolition of most of the building, followed by excavation of a new foundation that will be larger and deeper than the old one. The remainder of the old foundation will be filled in, and the temporary skeleton will remain in place until a permanent steel skeleton is put up and the roof is finished. In order to maintain authenticity, however, the old bricks will be salvaged and reused to infill the basement windows that line the front of the façade.
Smith said the new building will have aluminum-framed glass curtains of walls in the building’s two glass stair towers, as well as at the front entrance to the lobby. The remainder of the building will be made up of terra cotta panels clipped to a substrate.
The preliminary underground infrastructure work will begin this fall, and the project is expected to reach completion in the summer of 2012. The facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will contain many sophisticated systems that will provide backups to the primary systems, so operations can continue even if electricity or water power is lost.

Down to a Science
Since data centers consume a tremendous amount of energy, Smith said the goal of the design process for the Springfield Project was to create a structure that would serve as a showcase for green technology.
“Many strategies were incorporated that are sustainable and energy efficient,” she said, adding that when the building is complete, the state plans to seek a USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.
“The design included selecting materials that are energy and water efficient and will sustain the environment in the building,” said Smith. “There are a number of ways to achieve this, but among the more unique is daylight harvesting, which will be done using sensors in the lighting system. When there is enough daylight, the lights will go off. Plus, 90% of the occupants will have daylight views.”
Stormwater will also be collected and used in the cooling towers. “Another strategy that is very innovative is the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, which will allow us to take advantage of free cooling in the spring and fall; we are using very energy-efficient plumbing fixtures and also reducing the heat-island effect, which occurs when surfaces soak up sun and become too hot,” Smith said. This will be accomplished by installing a white, reflective roof and reflective paving in the parking lot, sidewalks, and driveways.
The fact that the computer systems will run continuously creates a challenge, because they generate a lot of heat, she continued. “Computer equipment is very sensitive to heat so there is a tremendous need to generate cooling to keep the center at the appropriate temperature, along with the problem of what to do with the waste heat,” Macleod said. “Some systems expel it, but ours will capture it and reuse it, which is part of our HVAC strategy.”
Energy star equipment and servers will be installed in the computer areas, and the designers are working with Western Mass. Electric Company to maximize utility rebates. “They are helping to identify energy-efficient equipment, which allows us to install more than we would without the program. We are optimistic that the project will benefit greatly from the rebates,” Flanigan said.
Energy-saving measures are also being taken during the construction process. “We are diverting waste from the demolition and construction activity and will recycle 75% of all the waste,” Smith explained. In addition, designers are using carpet, ceramic, acoustical tiles and other products from companies within a 500-mile radius to reduce transportation costs.
Eustis said Skanska has done several billion dollars worth of work on data centers throughout the world, including one that is almost finished in Utah.
“The information age is exploding and creating a tremendous demand for data centers in both the public and private sector,” he said. “Businesses are much more dependent on information sharing. But this design is among the most efficient you will find anywhere with today’s technology.”
It will also stand as an intriguing example of how architects and construction firms can work together to create new history in an old building and change the face of a neighborhood with environmentally friendly measures.

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff August 16, 2010

Briefcase Departments

State’s Economy Outpaces That of the Nation

BOSTON — The Bay State’s economy expanded twice as fast as the nation’s during the second quarter of the year, boosted by federal stimulus spending, demand for technology products, and the strongest job growth since the so-called miracle years of the 1980s,UMass reported recently. In its quarterly journal Benchmarks, UMass reported that the three-month period ending June 30 was the fourth consecutive quarter in which the state outpaced national economic growth. Analysts, however, warned that the state’s economy is likely to slow as stimulus programs fade and a weakened national recovery tempers economic growth here. “Government spending has played a much greater role in stimulating growth and encouraging consumer spending,” Robert Nakosteen, an Economics professor at the UMass Isenberg School of Management, told the Boston Globe. “Going forward, however, government stimulus is waning, and it is far from certain that private-sector spending will take up the slack.” The state’s economy grew at a 6.4% annual rate last quarter after expanding at a 4.1% rate in the first quarter and 6% at the end of last year, according to UMass. Nationally, economic growth was a sluggish 2.4% annual rate in the second quarter after expanding 3.7% in the first quarter and 5% in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

Tech Park Releases Economic-impact Report

SPRINGFIELD — The economic impact of the Springfield Technology Park adjacent to Springfield Technical Community College is positive, according to recently released results of a report by the Center for Economic Development at UMass. The economic-impact report indicates that the nearly 900 jobs at the park create an additional 1,267 jobs in the regional economy due to the multiplier effect. Some $1.4 million is pumped into the local economy due to park management’s policy of favoring local contractors and service providers. In addition, the report indicates an estimated payroll of $37 million and estimated capital investments over the past three years of $4 million. Principal investigators and authors of the study are Zenia Kotval, Ph.D., and John Mullin, Ph.D., from UMass. The 15-acre park was founded in 1996 through an act of the Massachusetts Legislature and is the only technology-based business park connected to a community college in the U.S. The secure, gated site is a center of innovation with more than 70% tenant companies involved in the tech and engineering sectors.

AMICCON Organizers Move Event to Nov. 16

SPRINGFIELD — Organizers of the Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation Competition and Conference (AMICCON), www.amiccon.com, have moved the event from Sept. 23 to Nov. 16 in order to better respond to and convert the overwhelming response it has received from manufacturers, their supply chains, state organizations (from Massachusetts and Connecticut), and the business community as a whole. “We expected a good response to the AMICCON project, but the initial high caliber of participation set the bar very high,” said co-founder Ellen Bemben. “It is now clear that a few more weeks after the Labor Day holiday are necessary in order to satisfy the additional interest that those nationally acclaimed manufacturers are generating for a greater event.” Top companies in their industry sectors have confirmed their participation and support, including original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Smith & Wesson, Callaway Golf, Savage Arms, FloDesign, and PolyOne, and precision manufacturers like B & E Precision Aircraft Components, D & S Manufacturing, United Plastics Group, and Boyd Technologies. With the momentum of media coverage, from Springfield to Chicago and beyond, preparations for the June 2011 national Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Competition are on schedule with co-chairs Paul Silva of Angel Catalyst in South Hadley and Michael Gurau of Clear Venture Partners in Freeport, Maine. Private investment firms are already offering their support for the unique competition with a $50,000 purse.

Construction Backlog Edges Higher

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recently reported that its latest Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) increased to seven months in May, a 27% increase from January of this year. CBI is a forward-looking indicator that measures the amount of construction work under contract to be completed in the future.

Among the regional highlights: compared to a year ago, all regions but the South experienced a rise in backlog; the Northeast reports the lengthiest backlog at roughly 7.5 months, the highest level for this region in the history of the survey; and the Middle States report the shortest backlog at roughly 6.6 months. ABC is a national association with 77 chapters representing 25,000 merit-shop construction and construction-related firms with 2 million employees.

Former Finance Control Board Official Pays Penalty

SPRINGFIELD — The state Ethics Commission approved a disposition agreement in which former Springfield Finance Control Board Deputy Director Stephen Lisauskas admitted to violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict-of-interest law. Pursuant to the agreement, Lisauskas paid a $3,000 civil penalty. The law prohibits a state employee from knowingly, or with reason to know, using or attempting to use his official position to secure for himself or others unwarranted privileges or exemptions that are of substantial value and which are not properly available to similarly situated individuals. Lisauskas did not file a written disclosure with his appointing authority to dispel the appearance of a conflict of interest. The agreement notes that, by using his position as SFCB deputy director, he steered the city of Springfield into investing with Merrill Lynch, when Lisauskas had a friendship with one of the vice president/brokers. Merrill Lynch was given approximately 60% of the city’s investment money to invest and subsequently invested approximately $13 million in risky, mortgage-backed securities which were not on a ‘legal list’ of investments. Those securities lost nearly all of their value. In January 2008, Merrill Lynch agreed to reimburse the city $13.7 million to cover its investment losses and legal fees.

Seminars Slated for Small-business Owners

WARE — The Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. is offering seminars for small-business owners and entrepreneurs this fall who want to learn to promote their business. Seminars planned include ‘Growing Your Business Through Marketing and Advertising,’ Sept. 22 and 29, 6 to 8 p.m., in Charlton; and ‘Social-media Networking,’ Sept. 16, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Sturbridge area. For more information, call (413) 967-3001.

School Conversion Plan Dropped Due to Funding

WESTFIELD — The planned ‘academic village’ at the Westfield Normal School on Washington Street has been dropped due to lack of funding, according to Juan Cofield, president of Boston Realty Associates. Cofield noted that the original plan was to create housing for 90 Westfield State University students. Cofield’s firm would have leased the finished project to Westfield State. College officials will now work with the Mass. State College Building Authority (MSCBA) to determine if converting the school site can still be accomplished. MSCBA is responsible for all dormitories on state-college properties.

Union Station Project Back On Track

SPRINGFIELD — The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently lifted a freeze on funding for the Springfield Redevelopment Authority’s (SRA) $71 million Union Station project. The freeze was imposed in 2005 after an audit questioned spending by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) for the intermodal transportation project. With SRA as the lead agency on the project, once all forms are now completed on the federal level, the project should get back on track. The Union Station project proposal includes space for the PVTA, commuter rail, intercity bus operations, Amtrak, and office space related to transit. In addition to federal funding, the project has state and private funding in place. In other news, an FTA study recently estimated at $77.7 billion the cost of bringing systems into a state of good repair. FTA’s National State of Good Repair Assessment Study, requested by the U.S. Department of Transportation, provides a comprehensive study of the nation’s rail and bus transit systems and notes that infrastructure development is needed to rebuild America.

Weston Solutions Expresses Interest in Belchertown Parcel

BELCHERTOWN — For the next several weeks, the town’s Economic Development Industrial Corp. will be working with MassDevelopment to determine if a Pennsylvania-based corporation has the experience and resources to develop the former Belchertown State School property. Weston Solutions Inc., which has a regional office in Connecticut, has expressed an interest in developing the site to build shops, offices, housing, and an assisted-living facility. A letter of interest has been signed with the town that allows the company to investigate financing, contamination, and construction issues facing Parcel B of the site.

Building Permits

By BusinessWest Staff August 16, 2010

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of August 2010.

AGAWAM

LRB Realty Trust
1804 Main St.
$15,000 — Six upgraded antenna panels

AMHERST

Merkos L’InyoneI Chinuch Inc.
30 North Hadley Road
$13,000 — Kitchen ventilation and suppression system

Rt. 9 Real Estate, Inc.
213 College St.
$3,000 — Building separate entry for Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Trustees of Hampshire College
731 West St.
$5,500 — Re-shingle

CHICOPEE

New Ludlow, LLC
59 New Ludlow Road
$9,000 — Repair fire damage in laundry room

Rivershore Real Estate, LLC
628 Center St.
$16,500 — Install new entry door and build handicap ramp

GREENFIELD

Fenwick LLP
111 Hope St.
$2,500 — Roof repair

Fenwick LLP
4 Woodard Rd.
$2,500 — Roof repair

Greenfield Savings Bank
35 Federal St.
$490,000 — Construction of a drive-up teller machine and teller building

HOLYOKE

South Hadley Realty Trust
36-40 Bobala Road
$57,000 — Add new offices, electrical, and fire protection

LUDLOW

Ludlow Housing Authority
37 Chestnut St.
$114,000 — Re-roof

NORTHAMPTON

7 Bravo Two, LLC
162 Old Ferry Road
$167,000 — New commercial building

Alka Kanoujia
45 State St.
$4,000 — Pour concrete basement floor

Bobo LLC
88 King St.
$20,500 — Interior Renovations

CFP Properties LLC
320 Riverside Dr.
$9,000 — Emergency repairs

Coolidge Northampton LLC
249 King St.
$1,200 — Remove non-bearing walls

Edwards Church of Northampton
297 Main St.
$6,000 — Repair stairs

Kathleen Maiewski
91 Crescent St.
$9,000 — Interior renovations

SPRINGFIELD

ESIBC
211 Carando Dr.
$99,500 — Renovations for home infusion and respiratory services

HAP Inc.
322 Main St.
$102,000 — New non-structural walls in handicap bathroom

Jacob Hannoush
1655 Boston Road
$20,000 — Interior renovations

John Salema
350 Cottage St.
$75,000 — Cosmetic remodel of the sales area, restrooms, and exterior facade at Dunkin Donuts

Tinkham Management
112 Industry Ave.
$9,500 — Interior renovations

WESTFIELD

Berkshire Bank
31 Court St.
$18,000 — Interior renovations

Floyd Pease, Jr.
101 Springdale Road
$26,000 — Renovation

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Diversified Realty Corp.
935 Riverdale St.
$55,000 — Renovation of 9,119 square feet of retail space

Peoples Savings Bank
547 Memorial Ave.
$750,000 — Renovation of 30,455 square feet of commercial building

St. Thomas School
47 Pine St.
$20,000 — Strip and re-roof

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff August 16, 2010

Court Dockets Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Helena Borek v. Wholesale Kitchen Supply Co.
Allegation: Breach of contract and unfair and deceptive trade practices: $8,274
Filed: 5/11/10

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Nike USA Inc. v. 1793 Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $33,835.64
Filed: 6/18/10

Ricky Greenwald v. RTB Design
Allegation: Breach of contract and fraud arising in construction dispute between the homeowner and the designer/builder: $393,055.72
Filed: 6/1/10

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Weddingpages Inc. v. Sakura Bloom, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $5,324.40
Filed: 7/1/10

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Adam P. Clermont, Esq. v. Robinson & Donovan, P.C., et al
Allegation: Legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty: $150,000
Filed: 6/1/10

Clinton Mitchell Jr. v. Associated Electro-Mechanics
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 5/25/10

Estate of Raymond F. Bolas v. The Hartford Casualty Insurance Co. and Elizabeth Warga, Margaret Bonney, and Stephen M. Brown
Allegation: Negligence, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty: $350,000
Filed: 5/26/10

MicMac Mechanical Insulation, LLC v. Fontaine Brothers Inc. and Federal Insurance Co.
Allegation: Non-payment of labor and materials supplied on a public construction project: $15,355
Filed: 6/3/10

Noonan Energy Corp. v. Howard Fuel Service Inc.
Allegation: Fraud and negligent representation: $89,167.40
Filed: 5/11/10

Orchard Variety Inc. v. Good Deal Auto
Allegation: Checks fraudulently cashed on closed accounts: $87,146
Filed: 6/2/10

Roberta Kerry v. Friendly Corp.
Allegation: Employment discrimination and harassment: $25,000
Filed: 5/25/10

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Caroline Wenck v. Warner Brothers, LLC, Allstate Asphalt Inc., and Gallagher Bassett Services Inc.
Allegation: Negligence in sidewalk construction project, causing injury: $21,005.39
Filed: 6/7/10

Carlos Casillas v. Steve Lewis Subaru Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination based on race, color, nationality: $25,000
Filed: 6/17/10

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

AEC One Stop Group v. Dynamite Records
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $17,881.60
Filed: 7/2/10

Bailey Nurseries Inc. v. Keyes Perennial Farm
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,146.99
Filed: 6/30/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Bradco Supply Co. v. C.S. Alexander Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $10,789.04
Filed: 6/11/10

Collins Enterprises Inc. v. Niley’s Fashion
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $8,400
Filed: 6/10/11

National Vinyl Products Inc. v. Griswold Glass & Aluminum Co.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,441.65
Filed: 6/14/10

Salemi Appliance Service Inc. v. Shedd Plumbing & Heating Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment on appliances: $3,783.15
Filed: 6/11/10

Thurston Foods Inc. v. J.T.’s Bakery & Café
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,646.88
Filed: 6/10/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Capital One Bank NA v. Auto Specialties
Allegation: Non-payment of goods and services charged on a credit account: $6,861.81
Filed: 5/18/10

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff August 16, 2010

Departments Incorporations

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AGAWAM

HSW Inc., 63 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Abdul S. Chaudhry, 4 White Brook Lane, South Hadley, MA 01075. Retail Sales, home furnishings and merchandise.

Quick Mart Inc., 283 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001. Fawad Khawaja, same. Convenience Store.

Malfetano Cigars Inc., 378 Walnut St., Ext. Agawam, MA 01001. Michael L. Beaudry, same. Cigar sales.

Stegall Renovators Inc., 880 Main St., Agawam, MA 01001. Penn Stegall, same. Contractor specializing in rehabilitation of homes.

BRIMFIELD

Elmore Realty Services Inc., 74 Monson Road, Brimfield, MA 01010. Jennifer Elmore, same. Residential and Commercial real estate.

CHICOPEE

John’s Asphalt Paving & Construction Inc., 900 Chicopee St., second floor, Chicopee, MA 01013. Sherry Kezer, same. Paving concrete excavation

Kaeble Oil Inc., 11 Casey Dr., Chicopee, MA 01020. Michael Kaeble, same. Heating oil sales.

Shine Services Inc., 82 Chestnut St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Clecia Mara Marques, same. Janitorial services.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Faith Builders of New England Inc., 31 Hillside Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Church.

J & B Brush Corp., 44 Harkness Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Jessica L. Imbriglio, 17 Laurelridge Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Salon and spa

Main Street Parking Inc., 301 Pease Road, East Longmeadow, Ma, 01028. Michael Biscaldi, same. Metered parking lot.

Master Han’s Olympic Taekwondo Inc., 50 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Yunhee Han, 167-169 Pinewood Ave., Springfield, MA 01108. Martial arts studio.

Medisize Us Inc., 200 Main St., Unit 1203, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Eric Kroon, same. Sales and distribution of medical devices.

Sattler Auto Sales Inc., 12 Nottingham Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Edward Sattler, same. Auto sales.

EASTHAMPTON

Stratus EMR Inc., 116 Pleasant St., Unit 448, Easthampton, MA 01027. Peter Cleary, same. Computer software development.

The American Dreamer Inc., 4 Chapman Ave., Easthampton, MA 01027. Kevin Sahagian, same. Restaurant.

FLORENCE

PS191 Inc., 719 Park Hill Road, Florence MA, 01062. Daniel Touhey, same.

GREENFIELD

Hamiltonbrooke Corporation, 489 Bernardston Road, Greenfield, MA 01301. Ebony Sterbinski, same. Purchase real estate and solicit government contracts.

HADLEY

Hampshire County Farm Bureau Inc., 30 Roosevelt St., South Hadley, MA 01035. Promote, protect and represent the business, economic and social interests of the farmers of Hampshire County.

HATFIELD

Hitpoint Inc., 59 North St., Hatfield, MA 01301. Paul Hake, same. Video game development.

HOLYOKE

Cell Pavilion Inc., 513 Whitney Ave., #14A Holyoke, MA 01040. Mohammad K. Hossain, same. Retail sales and service of cell phones and accessories.

HUNTINGTON

Down to Earth Excavating Inc., 3 Goss Hill Road, Huntington, MA 01050. Paul LaPointe, same. Excavation services.

LONGMEADOW

Neutral Corner Inc., 36 Belleclaire Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Patrick Ireland, same. Non-profit organization founded to promote good fitness, health, self-esteem through education.

Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, PC., 44 Farmington Ave., Longmeadow, 01106. Pediatric medical offices.

LUDLOW

TLS Landscaping Inc., 754 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Daniel DeGray, same. Landscaping service.

NORTHAMPTON

Northampton Community Arts Trust Inc., 44 Munroe St., Northampton, MA 01060. Kathy Couch, 693 Bridge Road, Northampton, MA 01060. Acquisition of land and buildings suitable for performance, exhibition and development of the arts.

Timothy C. Abbot, Do P.C., 30 Locust St., Northampton, MA 01061. Timothy Abbot, same.

Sammi’s Mart and Deli Inc., 1365 Main St., Palmer, MA 01069. Andriana Kostaras, 1359 Main St., Palmer, MA 01069. Convenience store and deli.

PITTSFIELD

CFR Operating Corp. Inc., 6 Kathy Way, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Chad Mazza, same. Barbershop.

Rolling Studios Inc., 7 Club Circle, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Ed Synder, 7 Peters Path, Pittsfield, MA 01201.

SOUTH HADLEY

Ib Cleaning Inc., 315 Hadley St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Waldemar Binczyk, same. Cleaning services.

Poltrans Inc., 315 Hadley St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Waldemar Binczyk, same. Truck transportation.

SPRINGFIELD

JPC Pet Sales & Marketing Inc., 78 Glenoak, Dr, Springfield, MA 01129. James Carmody, same. Manufacturers representative.

Kenny Tax Services & Company Inc., 510 Armory St., Springfield, MA 01104. Non-transferable.

Mesiti Media Group Inc., 125 Main St., Springfield, MA 01105. Rocco A. Mesiti, same.

Safe Futures for Children Foundation Inc., 195 Lang St., Springfield, MA 01104. Maria Huertas, same. Non-profit organization to help better every child’s condition all over the world.

Tong Tong Beauty Center II Corp., 127 Parkside St., Springfield, MA 01104. Tong Wand, same. Auto body work.

STURBRIDGE

Garfield Inc., 33 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. Robert Cassim, 2 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. Used auto sales.

WORTHINGTON

RHC Community Education Center Inc., 184 Cudworth Road, Worthington, MA 01098. Vanessa Lewis, same. Organization established for charitable, educational and scientific purposes.

Opinion

By BusinessWest Staff August 16, 2010

Sections Supplements

Green-power Costs Shouldn’t Be in the Dark

Green power curbs greenhouse-gas emissions, reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, and has the potential to create new industries and jobs. But it’s not cheap, and consumers footing the bill for green power have a right to know what it costs.
All too often the price tag is either not disclosed at all or hidden in plain sight on customer utility bills, buried inside charges for power generation and distribution. NStar, as part of its obligations under the state’s Green Communities Act, recently asked state regulators to approve three windpower contracts the utility signed after a lengthy bid process.
Hundreds of pages of testimony supporting the contracts were submitted to the Department of Public Utilities, but on the copies available to the public, the product and pricing information for each contract were blacked out.
NStar says public release of the pricing information would result in the disclosure of competitively sensitive bid terms and hinder the ability of its suppliers to compete for future contracts. Disclosure might also set a floor on bids for future windpower contracts. “This is consistent with all of NStar’s energy-supply contracts,’’ says NStar spokeswoman Caroline Allen.
But green-power deals are different from most other energy-supply contracts because they are being subsidized directly by utility customers. NStar acknowledges as much in its filings, noting that the cost of its three windpower contracts — two of which last 10 years and one that lasts 15 — will exceed market prices by a combined $62 million.
These above-market costs are essentially the premium NStar estimates its customers will pay for the green power. It would be helpful to know what assumptions NStar is making about future energy prices to develop its above-market cost estimates, but the utility says that information is also proprietary and confidential.
National Grid has been more forthcoming about the pricing of its windpower contract with Cape Wind, in part because the contract was negotiated and not put out to bid. The utility initially proposed paying Cape Wind 20.7 cents per kilowatt hour starting in 2013, a price that would rise 3.5% a year for the remainder of the 15-year contract. The above-market cost of the contract was estimated at $65 million the first year and somewhere between $734 million and $885 million over the entire 15 years.
Attorney General Martha Coakley, who represents ratepayers in utility proceedings, was battling National Grid and Cape Wind last week for more information about the project’s construction costs and profit margins when she decided to give her blessing to the contract in return for a 10% reduction in the initial price. The new, reduced price still requires DPU approval.
One would think consumers would find out the actual cost of these green-power contracts and the state’s other energy and environmental initiatives when the charges for them start showing up on utility bills. But that’s not the case. Aside from assessments for some energy-efficiency programs and the state’s Clean Energy Center, most of the costs associated with the state’s green initiatives are lumped in anonymously with other charges on the bill.
For example, the distribution charge on customer utility bills is ostensibly the cost of delivering electricity to homes. But it has become a dumping ground for all sorts of green-power charges, including the above-market cost of long-term renewable power contracts as well as the tab for utility solar installations, smart-grid pilot projects, and other programs subsidizing renewable energy. Even the fees utilities collect for signing green-power contracts are rolled into the distribution charge.
The cost of the state’s green initiatives should be separated out and clearly identified, either on customer utility bills or separate-bill impact statements. That way, consumers can decide if the environmental benefits of green power are worth the extra cost. If state officials want consumers to embrace a green future, they have to be truthful about what that future costs.

Bruce Mohl is the editor of CommonWealth magazine, which recently published a special issue on energy and environmental issues.

Incorporations

By BusinessWest Staff July 19, 2010

Departments Incorporations

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

BECKET

Technology Empowering Rural Individuals Inc., 23 Prentice Place, Becket, MA 01233. Steven Craig Schatz, same. Educational organization.

BELCHERTOWN

Quality Fleet Service Inc., 625 State St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Nicholas J. Moynihan, 25 Summit St., Belchertown, MA 01007. Mobile repair service.

CHCIOPEE

American Legion Auxiliary Fairview Unit 438 Inc., 29 New Ludlow Road, Chicopee, MA 01020. Edna Delsautels, 22 Pleasant St., South Hadley, MA 01075. Organization designed to preserve the memories and incidents of the association.

DALTON

The Home Shop Inc., 757 Dalton Division Road, Dalton, MA 01226. Colleen B. Maffuccio, same. Real estate agent.

LUDLOW

Seli’s Deli and More Inc., 223 East St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Ginger A. Seligman, 53 Mariana Way, Ludlow, MA 01056. Restaurant.

HOLYOKE

Tardy Foundation Inc., 4 Scott Hollow Dr., Holyoke, MA 01040. Alan Tardy, 4 Scott Harlow Dr., Holyoke, MA 01040. Fundraising for educations, charitable, benevolent, and religious purposes.

NORTHAMPTON

Baystate Metal Solutions Inc., 668 North Farms Road, Northampton, MA 01062. Anthony Fernandez, 668 North Farms Road, Northampton, MA 01062. Metal manufacturer.

Bustle Media Inc., 377 Prospect Street, Northampton, MA 01060. Anthony Sean Cahillane, same. Computer software application development.

PALMER

RLR Development & Management Inc., 45 Squier St., Palmer, MA 01069. Raymond J. Remillard, same. Land planning and construction-project management.

SPRINGFIELD

Pump Tech Inc., 127 Thompson St., Springfield, MA 01109. Robin Babineau, same. Pump repairs.

Renacidos En Cristo De Dios Es El Poder, 93 Mill Park, Springfield, MA 01105. Jose Juan Cabezudo, 299 Lexington, Springfield, MA 01104. Teach the word of God.

Roberto’s Sports Bar & Grille Inc., 272 Worthington St., Springfield, MA 01103. Paul Ramesh, 26 Nottingham St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Restaurant.

Roy’s Towing and Service Inc., 1130 Bay St., Springfield, MA 01109. George H. Roy Jr., 489 Trafton Road, Springfield, MA 01108. Towing Service.

Sound Performance Inc., 265 Mill St., Springfield, MA 01108. Hector L. Davila, same. Retail audio installation.

World Telephone Network Inc., 9 Gunn Square, Springfield, MA 01109. Darnel Ali, same. Low-cost Internet telephone service.

SOUTHWICK

Vinee Corp., 587 College Highway, Southwick, MA 01077. Dave Nitin, 22-B Maple St., Westfield, MA 01085. Convenience store.

STURBRIDGE

Wasp Audio Technologies Corp., 50 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. David Tschirpke, 124 Fabyan Woodstock Road, North Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Consumer electronics.

Yankee Purchase Corp., 376 Main St., Sturbridge, MA 01566. Donald F. Cimini, 251 Mapleshade Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Package stores.

WEST STOCKBRIDGE

Queensborough Liquors Inc., 26 Main St., West Stockbridge, MA 01266. Leslie Mickle, 45 Garland Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Package store.

WESTFIELD

Red Dog Realty Inc., 18 Country Club Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. Denise J. Calvo-Berndt, same. Realty services.

Sackett Brook Sand & Gravel Inc., 162 Union St., Westfield, MA 01085. Dawn Antonuzzo, same. Manufacture, purchase, and sale of sand, gravel, and related materials.

Direct Course of Action

By BusinessWest Staff July 5, 2010

From left, York Mayo, Cleveland Burton, and J.M. “Buck” Upson

Sections Supplements

Business Community Takes Lead Role in Building a New Putnam

From left, York Mayo, Cleveland Burton, and J.M. “Buck” Upson stand in front of Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield.

Construction is underway on a new Putnam High School in Springfield, a project that is being influenced in many ways by input and hands-on consulting from the business community. For those involved, it’s a labor of love, and a way to ensure that the new school is providing the kinds of training that can directly benefit several different sectors of the economy.

Last month, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield, which will open its doors in the fall of 2012. And although replacing the 1938 building is a event worthy of celebration, there is a private project underway which is equally important in shaping the school’s future.
It’s called the Roger L. Putnam Technical Fund Inc. and was started in August 2008 by John Davis of the Irene and George Davis Foundation with the goal of insuring that students and staff in the new school have state-of-the-art equipment as well as support and guidance from industry and business leaders so they can succeed in their fields of endeavor.
A trio of ‘retired’ businessmen, York Mayo, J.M. “Buck” Upson, and Cleveland Burton, have been working tirelessly for two years to recruit people from the business community, forge mutually beneficial relationships, and raise $9 million in donations and/or equipment, which is the shortfall needed to purchase furniture, fixtures, and equipment to keep students in line with today’s technology.
“We don’t want to bring an old school into the new building. We are looking to the future and figuring out what changes need to be made to be more future-oriented,” Mayo said.
School officials are grateful for their efforts, which have resulted in significant donations and a veritable army of volunteers who came on board after touring the school and listening to presentations by students.
“Building a new building is one thing,” said School Superintendent Alan Ingram. “But it’s what takes place inside that affects our students. What’s exciting about this fund is the impact it will have on them, their lives, their futures, and the community. The crux of this [fund] is making sure that the work that takes place inside the building is relevant, is rigorous, and is predicated on relationships between the kids and the business community.”
Putnam’s senior vocational administrator, Fred Carrier, agrees. “Our students are going to work in industries, and if we don’t have vibrant relationships with businesses, we won’t be able to meet their needs,” he said.
Mayo, Upson, and Burton put in more than 50 volunteer hours a week collectively to meet their goals and hope other volunteers will join them. “There is no silver bullet,” said Upson. “It’s just hard work. We are putting in a lot of hours and working as agents of change by promoting the idea of having the business community get involved in government and education.”

Trade Deficits
Davis had thought about forming the Roger L. Putnam Technical Fund Inc. for several years. But when plans for a new school became immiment, he knew it was time to formulate a plan of action.
He modeled the Putnam fund after the Skyline Fund at Worcester Technical High School, which has raised more than $4 million in cash and more than $3.5 million in equipment donations since its inception in 2005.
Davis knows people who are involved with that program and thought it could be replicated locally.
“I was really impressed by the program and by how involved the business community is with it, and I knew it could be beneficial for Springfield,” he said.
“Technology is changing much more quickly than it did in the past, and although the students are enthusiastic, they need to have the right equipment and training.”
One of the first steps he took in establishing the Putnam fund was to recruit Mayo, who worked for American Saw (which was Davis family’s business) for 30 years before retiring and becoming an active community volunteer. He agreed to take over the helm after he toured Putnam in August 2008 and met with Ingram and Principal Kevin McCaskill.
“Kevin told me that, during his tenure, the school expanded from 900 students to 1,637, and the graduation rate went from 29% to 70%,” said Mayo. “The school now has 350 kids on the waiting list. And students in vocational regional schools in the state score higher on the MCAS on average than students in a purely academic school, even though they spend only half their time in those classes. I was so impressed and felt I could make a difference in the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of students by helping them get the right equipment.
“Our goal is to form entrustments with national companies who will lease equipment or sell it to the school at reduced prices,” he continued. “In exchange, they can use the school to show off the equipment to their clients.”
Mayo is dedicated to his role with Putnam. “We can’t sit back and criticize if we are not part of the solution,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s what we need to do to change our country. We can’t just pay educators and expect them to do the job. The business community has to make a sacrifice and become involved.”
Mayo noted that it’s critical for the business community to get involved, because over the next several years, thousands of Baby Boomers will be retiring, and those who will be entering the workforce must have the requisite skills to replace them.
That translates into opportunities for students in a number of vocations, including health fields. “Baystate [Health] says it will have thousands of jobs open due to expansion and retirements,” Mayo said, adding that Putnam has an Allied Health Trade program with 140 participants.
“The business community needs to align itself with Putnam and with Springfield Technical Community College and get involved,” he said. “The way to change the world is not by talking, but by having a vision. Ours is to get every business owner in our school because we want to make it the number-one vocational school in Massachusetts.”
Burton is another recruit from American Saw who worked in the Human Resources department as manager of employee relations for 36 years before retiring. “My role is to work with our business partners to make Putnam the best school on the planet,” he said. “We are looking beyond 2010 and are reinvigorating their advisory council. The new school will have four academies and 21 programs, and we are putting a business chair in charge of each department.”
The advisory committees are meeting on a regular basis to talk about what Burton calls “burning issues and opportunities for improvements in each program.
“Our focus is on students because they are the product of the school; we are going to enhance their programs and engagement because our goal is to have them in their career when they graduate,” he said. “It’s a lofty goal, but if we involve business partners and build the right program, by the time the students graduate, they will have gone through internships, cooperatives, and be employed.”

Parts of the Whole
The new school is designed to house 1,400 students, which is about 200 less than the current population. “It will be smaller, so there will be opportunity for more focus,” Burton said. “A lot of kids feel disconnected and don’t feel there is much opportunity for them. But we will accentuate the positive so the negative goes away. If we put the right processes and systems in place, we can make Putnam the school of choice in Hampden County. These young people are our future leaders, and we need to help pay the tab for them, just like someone paid for us. The clock is ticking, and if we don’t do it now, it won’t happen.”
One of the most successful strategies the team has employed is group tours. Over the past 15 months, organizers have conducted 34 tours of the school with 236 business people from 134 companies, and the results have been remarkable.
The tours include PowerPoint presentations by students which show what they are working on and what they would like to have in the school, as well as graphic layouts for the new floor plans.
Mayo said that when Jeb Balise, president of Balise Auto Sales, and four key employees who accompanied him on the tour saw the proposed layout of the equipment in the new school’s automotive-technology program, he recognized there was a real gap.
“He needs 40 technicians this year and can’t find them,” said Mayo. “He just completed his Honda store and invited his administrators to the presentation. They looked at our plans and showed us his plans. There was a gap, because he is looking to the future and we were still in the past. He offered to engage an architect to look at our plans and paid for it.”
The new design, which aligns with current industry standards, will be given to the architects working on Putnam, so they can make the necessary changes.
“This is what happens when you open schools to organizations,” Mayo continued. “It works beautifully and has resulted in donations from 11 companies and a half-million dollars in equipment so far.”
Carrier is thrilled with the success. “The tours have gotten so many people from the business community to become passionate about Putnam,” he said. “They have become involved with the life of Putnam and have opened up their doors to us for tours, internships, and cooperatives. We always had them, but the program has never been this rich.
“Parents and students are also realizing the trades are where the future is,” he continued. “ You can’t send plumbing or electrical work offshore. Those jobs will always be here.”
Another component of the program is to establish a partnership between the business and educational communities, which operate in two different realms. “The business community needs to learn the needs of the educational program, and they need to learn the needs of the business world,” Mayo said.
Carrier concurs. “It’s very important, and you always have to push to try to improve things. It’s very easy for educators to get complacent,” he said, adding that the school is conducting training sessions this summer on new pieces of equipment.

Lathe of the Land
Upson drives from Cape Cod every Monday morning to spend three days working at Putnam. The retired president and owner of Pioneer Tool in West Springfield is responsible for resurrecting the machine-technology program at Putnam three years ago.
He says that, although there are seven vocational schools in the Pioneer Valley, only 50 machinists were graduating from them, which was problematic, since two years ago, the UMass School of Business documented over 8,000 jobs in precision manufacturing in the Pioneer Valley, and a report by Northeastern University projects a growth of 100,000 jobs in that field in Massachusetts over the next 10 years.
“There are many Baby Boomers retiring and there is tremendous opportunity for educated students,” he said, adding that it is their hope that Putnam graduates will go to college, although it’s not required to work in the field. “Almost every shop in the Valley has tuition reimbursement,” he said. “These jobs pay high wages and offer profit sharing and excellent medical benefits.”
In order to get the program restarted, Upson sought help from former School Superintendent Joseph Burke, David Cruise of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, and the board of directors from the National Tool and Machining Assoc.
They had little to start with, except some machines recycled from the Springfield Armory used during World War II. But thanks to Upson and a dedicated staff, the program has grown, and this year 16 students were involved in a cooperative, which allowed them to work in the industry during the school year.
Smith & Wesson donated four machines to the program and promised a donation of $250,000 over five years. “They have been struggling for years to find qualified employees, as there are no apprentice shops anymore,” Upson said.
In fact, Smith & Wesson became so vested in Putnam that it hosted a meeting for area businesses last October and asked others to leverage the $250,000 it is donating.
“It was the largest assembly of manufacturing senior business owners in more than 50 years, said Upson. “It was a very successful fundraising initiative, and more than 50 companies attended. The L.S. Starrett Company in Athol made a $50,000 contribution in measuring devices, and ANCA donated a $100,000 cutter grinding machine.”
Upson said local firms are hoping Putnam will host a night program to allow workers to upgrade their skills on the new equipment. “Putnam will become a center for continuing education for the industry, in addition to educating 9th- to 12th-graders,” he said.
Since joining forces with the fund, Upson has also become involved with the graphic-arts program and has reached out to large and small shops to make sure the school’s curriculum parallels job skills needed in today’s world.
“There are plenty of things people in the business community can do if they are willing to volunteer,” he said.
Anyone interested is invited to contact Mayo at (413) 596-8634, or (413) 537-0197, or by e-mail at [email protected]

Building Permits

By BusinessWest Staff July 5, 2010

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2010.

AGAWAM

McDonald’s
868 Suffield St.
$780,000 — Construction of a new McDonald’s restaurant next to the existing facility

Ralph DePalma
17 Begley St.
$100,000 — Construction of a building for a pre-school

AMHERST

Mercyhouse, Inc.
367 North Pleasant St.
$1,000 — Repair and upgrade emergency egress

Shumway Limited Partnership
196 North Pleasant St.
$20,000 — New roof

CHICOPEE

ALLM, LLC
694 Center ST.
$634,000 — Erect prefab addition to existing building

Dow Jones & Company
84 Second St.
$255,000 — Strip and re-roof

VOC
374 Montgomery St.
$227,000 — Modify existing billboard

EASTHAMPTON

City of Easthampton
43 Main St.
$1,000 — Install new soundproof materials to existing windows

City of Easthampton
Daley Field
$40,000 — Addition to existing building at Nonotuck Park

Dick Boyle Realty Trust
179 Northampton St.
$11,000 — Renovate interior space to create law offices

HADLEY

Thomas Meaux
300 Venture Way
$15,000 — Remodel existing library into video conference room

HOLYOKE

Brian Duke
24 Longfellow Road
10,000 — Install new windows & slider door

LUDLOW

American Tower Corporation
31 Ravenwood Dr.
$15,000 — Replace cell tower panels

NORTHAMPTON

CSO, Inc.
29 North Main St.
$3,000 — Install new exterior door

Nonotuck Mills, LLC
296 Nonotuck St.
$3,000 — Construct wall for additional space

Smith College
5 Chapin Dr.
$5,2000,000 — Renovations at Wright Hall

Suher Properties, LLC
58 Pleasant St.
$9,500 — Construct two offices in existing building

SOUTH HADLEY

Loomis Village
10-20 Bayon Dr.
$10,000 — New gazebo

Mt. Holyoke College
50 College St.
$951,000 — Renovations

SOUTHWICK

Town of Southwick
454 College Highway
$75,000 — Construction of the Great Brook Boardwalk

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Medical Center
2 Medical Center Dr.
$240,000 — Install new partitions for urgent care unit

Community Music School of Springfield
18 Willow St.
$322,000 — Exterior repairs

Flores Development, LLC
7 Greenwich St.
$1,177,000 — Full remodel of building A

Flores Development, LLC
7 Greenwich St.
$511,000 — Full remodel of building D

Forest Park Zoological Society
55 Sumner Ave.
$3,000 — Construct a deck for showing zoo animals

Springfield Housing Authority
500 Hancock St.
$110,000 — Construction of new maintenance building

Springfield Housing Authority
31 Morgan St.
$112,000 — Construction of new maintenance building

Springfield Housing Authority
231 Pine St.
$176,000 — Construction of new maintenance building

Yellow Brick Properties
65-67 Holly St.
$85,000 — Re-roof

WESTFIELD

Hallamore Pipe Venture Corporation
69 Neck Road
$22,000 — Commercial repair

Home Depot
50 Campanelli Dr.
$445,000 — Construction of a new conveyor system

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bill Bayton
811 Memorial Ave.
$20,000 — New roof

Eastern States Exposition
1305 Memorial Ave.
$10,000 — Expand offices

Fred Aaron
1478 Riverdale St.
$205,000 — Renovate 2,589 square feet into office space

Town of West Springfield
26 Central St.
$375,000 — Repairs to City Hall

BUILDING PERMITS

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2010.

AGAWAM

Edward O’Leary
200 Silver St.
$35,000 — Construction of 819 square feet of office space

Robert Germano
13 Maple St.
$15,000 – Renovations to barber shop

AMHERST

Kappa Kappa Gamma Inc.
15 Washburn Terrace
$25,000 — New roof

Pioneer Valley Living Care
1 Spencer Dr.
$15,000 — Convert covered porch into new sunroom

Servicenet Inc.
364 Southeast St.
$26,000 — Construct addition

CHICOPEE

Aldenville Credit Union
34 Valier Ave.
$8,700 — Re-shingle roof

Griffith Road LTD Partnership
300 Griffith Road
$175,000 — Alterations to interior for new lab and office area

LeClerc Properties
52 Julia Ave.
$10,000 — Install new siding, windows, and doors

Pioneer Cold Storage
149 Plainfield St.
$65,000 — Repair roof from wind damage

EASTHAMPTON

Autumn Properties
422 Main St.
$47,500 — Complete interior build out for bank

CFN Properties, LLC
10 O’Neill St.
$12,000 — Construct interior partitions and new lavatory

HADLEY

Matt Massingell
42 West St.
$7,500 — Renovations

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$22,000 — Remodel existing Kay Jewelers store

LUDLOW

Site Acquisitions
1 State St.
$15,000 — Replace cell tower panels

NORTHAMPTON

Claire & Mario Aniello
98 Main St.
$58,000 – Renovate second and third floor for yoga studio

Massachusetts Audubon Society
127 Combs Road
$51,000 — Installation of ground-mounted solar array

Pomeroy Terrace, LLC
90 Pomeroy Terrace
$28,000 — New bathroom and deck

Ron Finnessey
229 Elm St.
$12,500 — Interior renovations

SOUTH HADLEY

E-Ink
7 Gaylord St.
$34,000 — Renovations

Mt. Holyoke College
50 College St.
$10,000 — New decking

Riverboat Village
River Lodge Road
$23,500 — New roof on unit #1

SOUTHWICK

Rite Aid Drug Store
605 Juniper Lane
$7,000 — Replace heating and AC roof units

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Dental PC
1795 Main St.
$81,000 — Interior renovations

Colebrook Partners, LLC
511 E. Columbus Ave.
$82,000 — Reconfiguration of non-load-bearing partitions

Flores Development, LLC
2718 Main St.
$782,000 — Full remodel of Building C

Herbert Bar
40-42 Acorn St.
$8,500 — Repair front porches

Mercy Medical Center
271 Carew St.
$15,000 — New changing rooms for the radiology department

River Street Spirits Inc.
276 Cottage St.
$21,000 — Change of use from bank to liquor store

Ronald McDonald House
34 Chapin Street Terrace
$12,000 — Siding

Springfield Housing Authority
100 Ashley St.
$120,931 — Construction of new maintenance building

Springfield Housing Authority
347 Central St.
$136,000 — Construction of new maintenance building

WESTFIELD

Frank Demarinis
217 Root Road
$175,000 — Renovations to existing building for a new daycare

Paul Dion
Airport Dr.
$15,000 — Construction of an office in a hangar

WEST SPRINGFIELD

FiberMark
70 Front St.
$84,000 — Renovate space into office/lab area

Pride Limited Partnership
1967 Riverdale St.
$6,000 — Reoccupy existing retail space for the sale of exercise equipment

Russian Pentecostal Church of Hope
407 Park St.
$25,000 — Exterior renovations, including a roof

Triad, LLC
83 Verdugo St.
$15,000 — Exterior renovations

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Departments

40 Under Forty Gala

June 24: BusinessWest will celebrate its 40 Under Forty Class of 2010 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House with a gala to begin at 5 p.m. The event, which has become a spring tradition in Western Mass., will feature fine food, entertainment, and special presentations of the Class of 2010. Tickets for the event are $60. To order tickets or for more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or e-mail [email protected].

The Coming Demographic Storm

June 30: The 2010 census statistics will prove it out over the next few years, but Kenneth W. Gronbach already knows what the stats will mean to America. A demographic storm of epic proportions is upon us, and if America’s businesses, regardless of size, are ready, they can plan for amazing success. But if they are not ready, they could be washed away in the giant generational wave. Gronbach, a gifted public speaker and a nationally recognized expert in the field of demography and generational marketing, will be the keynote speaker at the noon luncheon for the Advertising Club of Western Mass. at Longmeadow Country Club. Gronbach makes the science of the census results and shifting demography come alive with real-life examples that make it relevant to today’s culture, business climate, and economy. His presentation is based on the effects of shifting demography. He is an accomplished author with a new, bestselling book, The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm. The demographic landscape in the U.S. is made up a series of waves that are about 20 years in duration. It would follow that business will rise and fall according to the critical mass of customers heading toward it. What is different about this wave is the extraordinary amount of population it includes compared to the past two generations. Businesses will enjoy extraordinary success if they are prepared and in front of the wave. Ad Club members are invited to bring a business associate and join the Ad Club for this presentation and network with the top advertising, marketing, and design talents in Western Mass. To make a luncheon reservation, contact the Ad Club at (413) 736-2582, or online at www.adclubwm.org. The cost for the luncheon is $25 for members, $35 for future members, and $15 for students.

Construction Course

July 14: The Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass. will sponsor a six-session course starting July 14 to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts Construction Supervisor’s Licensing Exam. Sessions are planned at the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. headquarters at 240 Cadwell Dr. in Springfield for six Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The exam is authorized by the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards and administered by Thomson Prometric. Registration forms to enroll for the exam will be distributed at the first session of the program. The fee is $250 for members of the Home Builders Assoc. of Western Mass. and $350 for non-members. All course participants must bring the 7th edition of the One & Two Family Dwelling Building Code book and the 7th edition of the Basic Building Code book to each class and to the open-book examination. There is an additional charge to order the code books through the association. For more information or to register, contact Sandra Doucette at (413) 733-3126.

Advanced Manufacturing Competition & Conference

Sept. 23: The first highly concentrated, cluster-centric, regional manufacturing conference of its kind will be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The event, called the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competition & Conference (AMICCON), is being staged in response to growing recognition among area manufacturers and supply-chain members that there is an urgent need to find and meet one another. “AMICCON was formed to identify who’s here in manufacturing, expose them to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and procurement, and to make these introductions,” said co-founder Ellen Bemben. “The ultimate goal is to be the advanced-manufacturing region in the U.S., where exotic manufacturing, such as micro, nano, and precision, meet higher specifications and tighter tolerances, and short runs are the norm.” Industry sectors to be represented at the event will include plastics and advanced materials, precision machining, paper and packaging, electronics, ‘green’/clean technology, and medical devices. Business opportunities in defense and aerospace will also be highlighted at the event. OEMs and their supply chains are being invited personally to participate. “AMICCON is also a new consortium on innovation that also delivers manufacturers to innovators and new markets in order to cause new business,” said Gary Gasperack, vice president and general manager (retired) of the Spalding Division of Russell Corp. “We are very excited about introducing it to our region.” The Mass. Export Center has already produced two programs for AMICCON: an “Export Experts Panel,” and a seminar, “International Traffic in Arms Regulations for Defense and Aerospace Export.”

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Departments

SPHS Lays Off 135

SPRINGFIELD — Citing severe economic challenges in the first several months of 2010, the Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS) has eliminated 135 full-time-equivalent positions across the system. “Like most health systems and hospitals in the region, state, and nation, SPHS is experiencing a decline in patient volume and continuing challenges with reimbursement levels that, for some services, do not adequately cover the cost of providing care,” according to an SPHS statement. “Factors such as increased health insurance deductibles and co-pays, coupled with general concern regarding the economy, appear to be causing a delay of non-urgent medical care and health services that is influencing this downward trend in volume,” the statement continues. “Without proactive changes in operations, SPHS would incur a projected budget shortfall of $14 million for 2010. Specific to Mercy Medical Center, year-to-date volume reflects that discharges are 8% below budget, and outpatient volume is 7% below budget.” The most significant impact of the layoffs will be on inpatient support staffing responsibilities at Mercy, due to the elimination of 63 patient care technician positions. This change will allow the retention of bedside, licensed nursing staff and allow nurse-patient ratios to remain at current, planned levels, “but will not impact care quality or patient safety,” the health system asserts. In addition to the elimination of positions at Mercy and across SPHS, including administrative positions, several other cost-saving measures are being taken to help improve the health system’s financial performance. For example, the overall salary increase program for 2010 is being suspended, and the internal employee referral bonus program is being discontinued. Other initiatives to help improve the system’s fiscal outlook include the renegotiation of service and vendor contracts at lower rates, the sublease of unused space in off-campus locations, and revenue-enhancement opportunities such as an increase in grant funding. “We deeply regret that the reduction of jobs is necessary,” said Dr. William Bithoney, interim president and CEO of SPHS. “The decision to make these changes has been difficult and the subject of a lengthy discernment process. Several potential alternatives were evaluated. However, we believe the course of action selected is the best for patients, residents, and clients, and for continuity of the SPHS mission. These changes reflect good stewardship and prudent management that will focus resources on the most important aspects of high-quality patient care. Providing high-quality care remains our focus and primary concern. Our clinical and nursing standards remain unchanged, and we continue to provide those we serve with the highest-quality care.”

Survey: Hiring Outlook in U.S. Gains Momentum

MILWAUKEE — U.S. employers anticipate favorable hiring plans for the third quarter of 2010, marking three straight quarters of positive survey findings, according to the seasonally adjusted results of the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, conducted quarterly by Manpower Inc. Employers provided a seasonally adjusted outlook of +6%, up from -2% during the same period last year. According to the survey, 98% of U.S. states have a positive hiring outlook, and 95 of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas have a positive outlook for the third quarter. Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed, 18% anticipate an increase in staff levels in their third-quarter hiring plans, while 8% expect a decrease in payrolls, resulting in a net employment outlook of +10%. When seasonally adjusted, the net employment outlook becomes +6%. More than two-thirds of employers (70%) expect no change in their hiring plans. The final 4% of employers indicate that they are undecided about their hiring intentions. Employers in 11 of the 13 industry sectors surveyed have a positive outlook for the third quarter: leisure and hospitality, +20%; mining, +17%; professional and business services, +15%; wholesale and retail trade, +15%; nondurable goods manufacturing, +12%; financial activities, +11%; information, +10%; durable-goods manufacturing, +9%; transportation and utilities, +9%; construction, +8%; and other services, +8%. The July-September outlook is -2% for two of the surveyed sectors — education and health services and government. Compared to one year ago, surveyed employers in all four U.S. geographic regions anticipate hiring increases. Employers in the Northeast have the brightest hiring intentions, with a net employment outlook of +9%. When adjusting for seasonal variations, Midwest employers report the strongest shift for the third quarter of 2010, with a considerable increase in confidence year-over-year and a slight increase quarter-over-quarter. Compared to the second quarter of 2010, employment prospects are stable in the Northeast and South, while slightly slackening in the West. The net employment outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

Federalization of SHA Sites Yields $15M Impact

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Housing Authority (SHA) recently announced the federalization of the Robinson Gardens, Reed Village, and Duggan Park developments, which will lead to more than $15 million in improvements to bring them up to HUD standards. Contracts have been bid and awarded to several local companies for design services, construction supervision, and physical improvements. Funding sources for the new construction include $1.8 million awarded to the SHA under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and $13.1 million awarded to the SHA by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Housing and Community Development. During a recent press conference, Richard A. Walega, HUD’s New England regional director, noted that Springfield led the commonwealth in converting state projects into federal developments. “That’s a win for today’s tenants and a win for preserving affordable housing for future generations,” said Walega. The SHA is the third-largest housing authority in Massachusetts, with more than 2,300 housing units spread over 27 sites.

National Jobless Claims Fall

WASHINGTON — In the week ending June 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims nationwide was 456,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 459,000. The four-week moving average was 463,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 460,500. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5% for the week ending May 29, a decrease of 0.2% from the prior week’s revised rate of 3.7%. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 29 was 4,462,000, a decrease of 255,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,717,000.

State: May Revenues Strong, but $70 Million Below Benchmark

BOSTON — The state Department of Revenue (DOR) recently released its May revenue report showing a monthly collection of $1.573 billion, which was $292 million better than a year ago but insufficient to make up for all of the revenue loss experienced in April due to the filing extension to May 11. As a result, with one month left before the close of the fiscal year June 30, year-to-date collections are $70 million below the benchmark. DOR Commissioner Navjeet K. Bal noted that personal income-tax withholding and 2010 estimated payments, as well as sales and use tax and corporate collections, all of which are good indicators of a continued economic turnaround, were above the benchmark. Bal added that shortfalls for the combined April/May period in payments with 2009 returns and extensions probably reflect a decline in capital gains due to past economic performance, which caused the overall year-to-date below-benchmark performance.

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of June 2010.

AGAWAM

Edward O’Leary
200 Silver St.
$35,000 — Construction of 819 square feet of office space

Robert Germano
13 Maple St.
$15,000 – Renovations to barber shop

AMHERST

Kappa Kappa Gamma Inc.
15 Washburn Terrace
$25,000 — New roof

Pioneer Valley Living Care
1 Spencer Dr.
$15,000 — Convert covered porch into new sunroom

Servicenet Inc.
364 Southeast St.
$26,000 — Construct addition

CHICOPEE

Aldenville Credit Union
34 Valier Ave.
$8,700 — Re-shingle roof

Griffith Road LTD Partnership
300 Griffith Road
$175,000 — Alterations to interior for new lab and office area

LeClerc Properties
52 Julia Ave.
$10,000 — Install new siding, windows, and doors

Pioneer Cold Storage
149 Plainfield St.
$65,000 — Repair roof from wind damage

EASTHAMPTON

Autumn Properties
422 Main St.
$47,500 — Complete interior build out for bank

CFN Properties, LLC
10 O’Neill St.
$12,000 — Construct interior partitions and new lavatory

HADLEY

Matt Massingell
42 West St.
$7,500 — Renovations

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$22,000 — Remodel existing Kay Jewelers store

LUDLOW

Site Acquisitions
1 State St.
$15,000 — Replace cell tower panels

NORTHAMPTON

Claire & Mario Aniello
98 Main St.
$58,000 – Renovate second and third floor for yoga studio

Massachusetts Audubon Society
127 Combs Road
$51,000 — Installation of ground-mounted solar array

Pomeroy Terrace, LLC
90 Pomeroy Terrace
$28,000 — New bathroom and deck

Ron Finnessey
229 Elm St.
$12,500 — Interior renovations

SOUTH HADLEY

E-Ink
7 Gaylord St.
$34,000 — Renovations

Mt. Holyoke College
50 College St.
$10,000 — New decking

Riverboat Village
River Lodge Road
$23,500 — New roof on unit #1

SOUTHWICK

Rite Aid Drug Store
605 Juniper Lane
$7,000 — Replace heating and AC roof units

SPRINGFIELD

Baystate Dental PC
1795 Main St.
$81,000 — Interior renovations

Colebrook Partners, LLC
511 E. Columbus Ave.
$82,000 — Reconfiguration of non-load-bearing partitions

Flores Development, LLC
2718 Main St.
$782,000 — Full remodel of Building C

Herbert Bar
40-42 Acorn St.
$8,500 — Repair front porches

Mercy Medical Center
271 Carew St.
$15,000 — New changing rooms for the radiology department

River Street Spirits Inc.
276 Cottage St.
$21,000 — Change of use from bank to liquor store

Ronald McDonald House
34 Chapin Street Terrace
$12,000 — Siding

Springfield Housing Authority
100 Ashley St.
$120,931 — Construction of new maintenance building

Springfield Housing Authority
347 Central St.
$136,000 — Construction of new maintenance building

WESTFIELD

Frank Demarinis
217 Root Road
$175,000 — Renovations to existing building for a new daycare

Paul Dion
Airport Dr.
$15,000 — Construction of an office in a hangar

WEST SPRINGFIELD

FiberMark
70 Front St.
$84,000 — Renovate space into office/lab area

Pride Limited Partnership
1967 Riverdale St.
$6,000 — Reoccupy existing retail space for the sale of exercise equipment

Russian Pentecostal Church of Hope
407 Park St.
$25,000 — Exterior renovations, including a roof

Triad, LLC
83 Verdugo St.
$15,000 — Exterior renovations

Doing Business in: Westfield

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Features

Former Manufacturing Center Boasts Diversity

Lisa McMahon says the downtown area is experiencing unprecedented growth.

Lynn Boscher says anyone looking to establish or relocate a business should set their sights on Westfield.
“The city has it all,” said the director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce. “What makes it ideal is that is has easy access to the Mass Turnpike and Route 91, which draws traffic from the surrounding areas. We have our own short-line railroad and city-owned airport that can handle any type of plane, including 747s, and there is a wide range of commerical space available that ranges from downtown storefronts to land suited for industrial development.
“Westfield State College is here, and Holyoke Community College is just over the hill, so there is a good educational system,” he continued. “Plus, there is a good cross-section of housing in virtually all price ranges.”
The so-called Whip City — buggy whips were once manufactured there — boasts a streamlined permitting process, and in the past five years, the tax rate has become more competitive to attract businesses, Boscher said. “Plus, there are two hotels right off the turnpike. And Westfield is also becoming known for its restaurants, culture, entertainment, and shopping; there has been an influx of people due to the quality of life here.”
Frank Demarinis is president and project engineer for Sage Engineering and Contracting Inc. in Westfield. His recent projects include a building which houses Root’s Gymnastics (operated by his wife, Kari), along with All Star Dance Center, owned by Kim Starsiak, and Westfield Infant and Toddler Service. He has a day-care center next door to that building which is under construction and set to open in September.
Demarinis established his company in Westfield six years ago and was able to get a tax incentive from the state because the area is slated for economic development. He said other communities have a limited amount of land available for building compared to Westfield.
“Because of the amount of land here and the tax incentive, it’s an ideal location to start a business,” he said. “Plus, the town does its best to help and is very open to new industries that bring jobs to the community.”
Kari Demarinis opened her gymnastics business in March 2008 and has already expanded from 12,000 to 19,000 square feet. “Westfield has always been a big sports town, and we felt this was a great central location,” she said. “My husband and I looked at the map before I started my business here. Westfield has a small-community feel, and our kids go to school here through the School Choice program, although we live in Montgomery.
“The city is filled with hardworking people who support small businesses,” she added, noting that the Parks and Recreation Department conducts programs in her gym.
Lisa McMahon agrees. “The most wonderful thing about Westfield is its community spirit,” said the executive director of the Westfield Business Improvement District.
A plethora of events, ranging from concerts on the green to entaintainment offerings sponsored by BID and the nonprofit volunteer organization Westfield on Weekends, highlight businesses as well as the community. “Westfield is a big land mass, but it has such a small-town feel,” McMahon said. “People care about their neighbors here, and you can get an urban feel and suburbia all in the same town.”
Starsiak’s dance studio was in North Plaza for 13 years and doubled in size when she moved into Demarinis’ building. “I’ve lived here all my life, and this is a hometown community,” she said, talking about the blood drive her business is sponsoring. “Doing this goes hand-in-hand with the fact that Westfield is very family-oriented. Every month there are new housing developments going up, and since we are only one and a half miles from the turnpike, we draw business from Southampton, Northampton, Holyoke, and Easthampton. Westfield borders the hilltowns, so we also draw business from Westhampton and Montgomery.”
Starsiak has found city officials and other business owners do all they can to promote each other’s success. “We all have a vision to make it a very healthy and welcoming community,” she said. “One of the big attractions is that everyone wants to support each other. Westfield is a city where business owners are very united and our business is growing, which has a lot to do with businesses working together.”
Westfield’s Business Improvement District includes 190 downtown properties. Two years ago, the agency put signs in empty storefronts which read, “this building isn’t empty. It’s full of opportunity.”
The marketing ploy resulted in many calls, and a number of properties were rented as a result. But right now is even an better time for businesses to move downtown because of the changes occurring there over the next 18 months, McMahon said. “We are undergoing an incredible transformation and are poised for growth.”
Storefronts on Main and Elm streets are undergoing renovations and will soon be ready for rent. But perhaps the main reason to locate a business downtown is because hundreds of students from Westfield State College will soon move into apartments there.
Steady growth in enrollment at the college led to an increased demand for student housing that exceeded the school’s on-campus housing capacity, so the plan is to house students in leased apartment space downtown.
The first group is scheduled to move into a building on Thomas Street in the fall. “By September of 2011, the building will be full. The college is also looking at Washington Street and plans to renovate a building there which will house 90 students,” McMahon said. BID has been meeting with a group of students who say they would like to see retail clothing shops, bistros, and restaurants downtown.
In addition, the $60 million Great River Bridge project is almost finished. The old camel-back truss bridge, which provides a north-south crossing over the river, used to be a bottleneck for traffic. A new bridge was built that runs parallel to the old one, and both will be open soon, along with a small park on both sides and a new train bridge slightly higher up, as trucks used to get stuck under the old one.
“At the same time, private development is taking place on Main Street and at the corner of Broad and Court streets, which will add new downtown office space,” said McMahon. “Infrastructure has also begun on Main Street, and the downtown green is undergoing a makeover. Three historic buildings are also being renovated on Elm Street, which will have commercial space on the first floors and 19 affordable-housing units above that space.”
To add to downtown’s culture, the college opened an art gallery there, and an artists’ cooperative recently set up shop. “There is so much happening, and downtown is really poised to pop within the next 18 to 24 months. So it’s a great time to plan,” she said.
Frank Demarinis says the downtown revitalization will affect all of the businesses in Westifield. “It’s a really good idea,” he said, “a positive thing which will have a trickle-down effect.”

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

New England Broach Company Inc. v. Clarke Industrial Sales
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $55,679
Filed: 5/20/10

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Donald Graves, LLC v. Bennett Construction Company Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $9,140.43
Filed: 5/11/10

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

James Concannon v. Gentle Movers
Allegation: Breach of contract for moving and storage services: $200,000
Filed: 5/24/10

Kathy Crowley v. Pride Fuels Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 5/14/10

Naismith, LLC v. GFI Investments III Springfield Inc., John Deliso, and Steven E. Goodman
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay: $1,804,368
Filed: 5/20/10

Sovereign Bank v. Travel Escapes Inc.
Allegation: Default on promissory note: $13,628.87
Filed: 5/12/10

Western New England Renal Transplant Associates, P.C. v. GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing Corp.
Allegation: Breach of contract for billing services: $4,000,000+
Filed: 5/17/10

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Reikka Simula v. Almadan Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination based on age: $72,000
Filed: 6/3/10

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

F.W. Webb Co. v. Welch Plumbing and Gary F. Welch
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,967.17
Filed: 4/27/10

Graphic Enterprises Inc. v. Berkshire Westwood Graphics Group Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment on judgment: $16,334.50
Filed: 4/30/10

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Barbara Loveling v. Joe Deans All Customs
Allegation: Breach of contract to restore Pontiac Firebird: $10,599.50
Filed: 5/25/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Allied Career School
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $23,825.39
Filed: 5/11/10

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Goldcrafters Exchange
Allegation: Non-payment on advertising services rendered: $5,085.93
Filed: 5/14/10

Competitive Kitchen Designs Inc. v. Serge Construction
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,747.98
Filed: 5/5/10

Fairway Wholesale Corp. v. Chartier’s General Carpentry
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $2,654.43
Filed: 5/12/10

J.P. Noonan Transportation Inc. v. Quaboag Transfer Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment on judgment: $6,475.73
Filed: 5/12/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Absolute Fire Protection Inc. v. Sahil Hospitality Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $8,101.45
Filed: 4/30/10

Air Apparent

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Ward Woodruff (center), with service manager Walter Thayer (left) and Mark Kent

Sections Supplements

Hurley & David Has Its Ducts in a Row

Ward Woodruff (center), with service manager Walter Thayer (left) and Mark Kent, says Hurley & David has changed with the times, but kept its emphasis on quality.

Ward Woodruff enjoyed going to work for his uncle 37 years ago — so much, in fact, that he never left.
That was 1973, the year Woodruff came on board Hurley & David Inc., the Springfield-based HVAC company, as a sheet-metal apprentice, during his summer break from college. His uncle, Donald Tucker, had recently purchased the company from its original owners, Frank Hurley and Peter David.
A year later, Woodruff decided to stay on full-time, deciding that was his best option for a first career.
“I had no other real, driving force to go somewhere else,” he told BusinessWest, “so that seemed like a reasonable choice, a place I felt I could advance in.”
Once Woodruff started working full-time at Hurley & David in 1974, he began taking classes in the evening to become a refrigerator technician, and worked in the field as a service technician starting in 1975. Two years later, he moved inside, working in materials management and some sales, with occasional forays into the field.
That was the beginning of his education in the HVAC industry. Over the years, Woodruff has obtained Massachusetts trade licenses as a refrigeration technician, refrigerator contractor, journeyman gasfitter, master gasfitter, oil-burner technician, construction supervisor, and sheet-metal worker. He holds various licenses in Connecticut as well.
In 2005, having mastered the ropes for more than 30 years, Woodruff bought out his uncle’s remaining interest and is now president of the company, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
The company repairs and installs heating and air-conditioning systems, air-purification equipment, air cleaners, filtration systems, humidifiers, and ventilation systems for homes and businesses, Woodruff said. In fact, environmental concerns about air quality — and the occasional legislation associated with those concerns — has presented a fast-growing host of opportunities for HVAC contractors.
“People are concerned about mold, bacteria, and viruses in the air system and duct work where they can be breathed. With the products available today, we can mitigate the growth of these things,” Woodruff said, adding that the company focuses on ridding homes and businesses of all three types of air-quality dangers: particles, microbes, and toxic gases and chemicals.
In this issue, BusinessWest sits down with Woodruff to talk about how the HVAC industry has changed over the years — even as many of the key players at Hurley & David have not.
No Revolving Door
In fact, Woodruff credits much of the company’s success to a core group of employees, many of whom have been with Hurley & David for many years, even decades.
For instance, construction manager Gary Lubas started in 1976 in a co-op program while a student in the sheet-metal program at Putnam High School. Joe Sherry, senior sheet metal worker, has been with the company since 1973. And service manager Walter Thayer tracks his experience back to 1968, when he started with the former Westside Air Conditioning Co., of which he later became a partner.
Mark Kent also came to Hurley & David from his own company, MEK Engineering, in 1994. A registered professional engineer in Massachusetts with 30 years of experience in the field, he recently earned a key certification that will benefit one of the company’s critical customer bases — health care.
Specifically, he was designated a health care facility design professional by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
The ASHRAE certification program identifies individuals who have mastered a body of knowledge covering the successful design and operation of health care facilities, said Kent, who is one of only 15 engineers in Massachusetts — and the only one in Western Mass. — to currently hold the certification.
“Health care facilities need to be accredited by JCAHO,” he said, referring to the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. That accreditation process includes environmental issues such as air exchange and how it relates to infection prevention — not just in the final product, but in the construction process itself, since it generally occurs not far from a sick, vulnerable population.
“Also, patients can be infectious,” Kent noted. “So you have to protect your employees and the public, too, from patients who might have a contagious condition.”
Because Hurley & David has performed HVAC work for many health care facilities in Western Mass. — the medical industry, indeed, is a key driver of the regional economy — having someone with that designation on board is a plus for organizations looking to hire a contractor to design and install HVAC systems, Woodruff said.
“The certification benefits building owners, employers, and individuals,” added ASHRAE President Gordon Holness in a press statement. “Firms who employ ASHRAE-certified engineers are better able to promote their services, and individuals who are certified approach their design responsibilities with greater confidence.”

Hot and Cold
The years have brought many new developments to the HVAC field, such as the use of ultraviolet light to kill contaminants. Woodruff pointed out how the shady side of a building builds up more mold than the sunny side, where “it gets a sunburn and dies. Ultraviolet light acts like the sun to kill those things.”
Then there’s the ‘Talking Thermostat,’ a user-friendly, programmable thermostat that guides the user through set-up and temperature options — ideal for elderly or visually impaired people.
But these days, the most significant development is one that affects all industries — a recession that has increased competition and whittled profit margins down. “It’s gotten soft. Prices are low,” Woodruff said — so low, in fact, that they often don’t cover the cost of labor, materials, and subcontractors, so Hurley & David actually finds itself passing up work.
But overall, he said, the field is a stable one, and the company that once installed HVAC systems in some 300 Friendly’s restaurants is confident of keeping its employees — including, these days, Woodruff’s son and daughter — busy as the next 50 years begin.
The flow of new talent into the field is strong as well, Woodruff said, noting healthy programs at local schools (like Putnam Vocational Tech High School in Springfield) and institutions like Porter & Chester.
“Right now you can find people,” he said. “But they have to be quality people who are trainable.”
Just like a college kid who took a flyer on a summer job 37 years ago.

Joseph Bednar can be reached
at [email protected]

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Court Dockets Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT
New England Broach Company Inc. v. Clarke Industrial Sales
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $55,679
Filed: 5/20/10

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Donald Graves, LLC v. Bennett Construction Company Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $9,140.43
Filed: 5/11/10

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
James Concannon v. Gentle Movers
Allegation: Breach of contract for moving and storage services: $200,000
Filed: 5/24/10

Kathy Crowley v. Pride Fuels Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+
Filed: 5/14/10

Naismith, LLC v. GFI Investments III Springfield Inc., John Deliso, and Steven E. Goodman
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay: $1,804,368
Filed: 5/20/10

Sovereign Bank v. Travel Escapes Inc.
Allegation: Default on promissory note: $13,628.87
Filed: 5/12/10

Western New England Renal Transplant Associates, P.C. v. GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing Corp.
Allegation: Breach of contract for billing services: $4,000,000+
Filed: 5/17/10

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Reikka Simula v. Almadan Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination based on age: $72,000
Filed: 6/3/10

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT
F.W. Webb Co. v. Welch Plumbing and Gary F. Welch
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $7,967.17
Filed: 4/27/10

Graphic Enterprises Inc. v. Berkshire Westwood Graphics Group Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment on judgment: $16,334.50
Filed: 4/30/10

PALMER DISTRICT COURT
Barbara Loveling v. Joe Deans All Customs
Allegation: Breach of contract to restore Pontiac Firebird: $10,599.50
Filed: 5/25/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Allied Career School
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $23,825.39
Filed: 5/11/10

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Goldcrafters Exchange
Allegation: Non-payment on advertising services rendered: $5,085.93
Filed: 5/14/10

Competitive Kitchen Designs Inc. v. Serge Construction
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,747.98
Filed: 5/5/10

Fairway Wholesale Corp. v. Chartier’s General Carpentry
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $2,654.43
Filed: 5/12/10

J.P. Noonan Transportation Inc. v. Quaboag Transfer Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment on judgment: $6,475.73
Filed: 5/12/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Absolute Fire Protection Inc. v. Sahil Hospitality Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $8,101.45
Filed: 4/30/10

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff June 21, 2010

Agenda Departments

40 Under Forty Gala
June 24: BusinessWest will celebrate its 40 Under Forty Class of 2010 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House with a gala to begin at 5 p.m. The event, which has become a spring tradition in Western Mass., will feature fine food, entertainment, and special presentations of the Class of 2010. Tickets for the event are $60. To order tickets or for more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or e-mail [email protected].

The Coming Demographic Storm
June 30: The 2010 census statistics will prove it out over the next few years, but Kenneth W. Gronbach already knows what the stats will mean to America. A demographic storm of epic proportions is upon us, and if America’s businesses, regardless of size, are ready, they can plan for amazing success. But if they are not ready, they could be washed away in the giant generational wave. Gronbach, a gifted public speaker and a nationally recognized expert in the field of demography and generational marketing, will be the keynote speaker at the noon luncheon for the Advertising Club of Western Mass. at Longmeadow Country Club. Gronbach makes the science of the census results and shifting demography come alive with real-life examples that make it relevant to today’s culture, business climate, and economy. His presentation is based on the effects of shifting demography. He is an accomplished author with a new, bestselling book, The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm. The demographic landscape in the U.S. is made up a series of waves that are about 20 years in duration. It would follow that business will rise and fall according to the critical mass of customers heading toward it. What is different about this wave is the extraordinary amount of population it includes compared to the past two generations. Businesses will enjoy extraordinary success if they are prepared and in front of the wave. Ad Club members are invited to bring a business associate and join the Ad Club for this presentation and network with the top advertising, marketing, and design talents in Western Mass. To make a luncheon reservation, contact the Ad Club at (413) 736-2582, or online at www.adclubwm.org. The cost for the luncheon is $25 for members, $35 for future members, and $15 for students.

Construction Course
July 14: The Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass. will sponsor a six-session course starting July 14 to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts Construction Supervisor’s Licensing Exam. Sessions are planned at the Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. headquarters at 240 Cadwell Dr. in Springfield for six Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The exam is authorized by the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards and administered by Thomson Prometric. Registration forms to enroll for the exam will be distributed at the first session of the program. The fee is $250 for members of the Home Builders Assoc. of Western Mass. and $350 for non-members. All course participants must bring the 7th edition of the One & Two Family Dwelling Building Code book and the 7th edition of the Basic Building Code book to each class and to the open-book examination. There is an additional charge to order the code books through the association. For more information or to register, contact Sandra Doucette at (413) 733-3126.

Advanced Manufacturing Competition & Conference
Sept. 23: The first highly concentrated, cluster-centric, regional manufacturing conference of its kind will be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The event, called the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competition & Conference (AMICCON), is being staged in response to growing recognition among area manufacturers and supply-chain members that there is an urgent need to find and meet one another. “AMICCON was formed to identify who’s here in manufacturing, expose them to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and procurement, and to make these introductions,” said co-founder Ellen Bemben. “The ultimate goal is to be the advanced-manufacturing region in the U.S., where exotic manufacturing, such as micro, nano, and precision, meet higher specifications and tighter tolerances, and short runs are the norm.” Industry sectors to be represented at the event will include plastics and advanced materials, precision machining, paper and packaging, electronics, ‘green’/clean technology, and medical devices. Business opportunities in defense and aerospace will also be highlighted at the event. OEMs and their supply chains are being invited personally to participate. “AMICCON is also a new consortium on innovation that also delivers manufacturers to innovators and new markets in order to cause new business,” said Gary Gasperack, vice president and general manager (retired) of the Spalding Division of Russell Corp. “We are very excited about introducing it to our region.” The Mass. Export Center has already produced two programs for AMICCON: an “Export Experts Panel,” and a seminar, “International Traffic in Arms Regulations for Defense and Aerospace Export.”

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2010.

AGAWAM

Community Laundromat
305 Springfield St.
Pierre H. Mouchette

Dirty Dancing Entertainment
50 South Park
Jason Biagetti

N.E. Waste
28 Moylan Lane
James A. Ricco

Supreme Scratch & Chip
34 Corey St.
Raymond Gobeille

Trumpets of Light Ministry
76 Hope Farms Dr.
Robert Whitman

AMHERST

East Coast Radon
57 Glendale Road
Kellie Baker

Sei’s Bella Salon
598 Boltwood Walk
Katrina Irwin

Women’s Health Physical Therapy
495 West St.
Patricia Young

CHICOPEE

Ovation Renovations
14 Lafond Dr.
Nevson DaCosta

T & L’s Pre-Owned Furniture & Antiques
8 Montgomery St.
Lisa Mark

Westover Heating & Cooling
53 Deslauriers St.
Kristopher Kelley

GREENFIELD

Amenita Ventures Inc.
33 Shattock St.
Linda Koonz

Mixed Media Workshop
13 Pierce St.
Lisa Henry

Quality Cleaning & Restoration
134 S. Shelburne Road
Vladimir Agapov

Salon 107
114 Wells St.
Debra Mathey

The Oak Shoppe
352 Deerfield St.
Gloria Easton

HOLYOKE

Homewood Suites
375 Whitney Ave.
David H. Baldauf

Van’s Pizza Inc.
510 Westfield Road
Charlene M. Fantaki’s

LUDLOW

Bio Links of New England
438 Ventura St.
Leslie Lindsey

Rubbo & Son Construction & Cleaning
329 East St.
Gustavo Rubbo

W. N. Woodworking
100 State St.
Woitek Nowicki

Your Choice Insurance Agency
120 East St.
Beatrice DaSilva

NORTHAMPTON

Hurricane Millworks
31 1/2 Lyman Road
Chadd Merberger

Robinson Real Estate
35 State St.
Steven J. Slezek

TAO Associates
142 Riverside Dr.
Theresa O’Connor

Turkey Hill Hobbies
267 Turkey Hill Road
Andrew Chambers

Uniquepeople.net
2 High St.
Shana Hirananoani

PALMER

Computer Training of America
1448 North Main St.
Thomas Gingras

Opielowski Appraisal Services
67 Summer St.
Michael Opielowski

Palmer Recycling Corporation
2 Fenton St.
Pamela Douthwrigth

PMX Asset Management
5 Converse St.
Maurice Denner

The Field House
1701 Park St.
Elizabeth Weidler

WJS Associates Realty Service
34 State St.
Walter Solzak III

SOUTHWICK

Jay’s Lawn and Yard Care
29 South Longyard Road
Jason Couture

T & J Construction Inc.
3 George Loomis Road
John R. Tortoriello

The Parrot & Bird Emporium
610 College Highway
Alfred Surprenault

SPRINGFIELD

ADC Prevention Services
22 Bacon Road
Arnold D. Cox

Allen St. Realty Trust
295 Allen St.
Yasir Osman

ATS Motor Sports
542 Page Blvd.
William Spriggs

B & E All in 1
2652 Main St.
Erica Ruth Andino

BMT Lock and Key
306 Hermitage Dr.
Walter Kulas

Buddies Express Pizza
27 St. James Blvd.
Mohammad Z. Iqbal

Dynasty Restaurant
5 Locust St.
Xiu G. Zheng

Eavargas Photography
40 Pasadena St.
Edward A. Vargas

Elegant M
3 Lexington St.
Elvira Delgado

Gemini’s Barber Shop
303 Bridge St.
Benjamin Parrilla

Global Spectrum Charities
1277 Main St.
Philip I. Weinberg

Ingy Cons
18 Prescott St.
Hector Grullon

International Auto Sales
715 Liberty St.
Ryan M. Conway

JJ Mini Mart
468 Bridge St.
Jabir Khan

James Cleaning Services
24 Greencare Square
Watson E. James

Jerome A. Brown Associates
102 Cambridge St.
Jerome Brown

WESTFIELD

Easy Ride Repo
107 Court St.
Joseph Canfield

Meeting Strategies Unlimited
1 Roderick Dr.
Kathryn DeLand

Quality Consultant
8 Pilgrim Dr.
Ingeborg M. Hurley

RT 202 Antiques
869 North Road
Edwin Odabashian

Spring Valley Power Equipment
188 Tannery Road
John Ladue

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Energia Escape Massage Therapy
1111 Elm St.
Yesenia Camareno

M & S Transportation
171 Falmouth Road
Mark C. Masi

Majestic Theater
131 Elm St.
Danny Eaton

Menard Electric
322 Morgan Road
Bryan Menard

Native Lands
919 Elm St.
Stephen C. Piatt

Primitive Friends Country Crafts
235 Forest Glen
Erin Rogers

Turkish Cultural Center Western
507-509 Union St.
Arif Yilmar

Verizon Wireless
1123 Riverdale St.
Bell Atlantic Mobile Corporation, LTD

How About a Union Station Casino?

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

Opinion

By GERRY FITZGERALD
Now that it’s certain that casinos are coming to Massachusetts, it may be time to start considering seriously where a Western Mass. casino should be sited. In spite of the constant PR drumbeat coming out of Palmer over the past year, the siting of a local casino is an important issue and should not be decided by the noise level generated by developers with an entirely vested interest in the decision.
The Western Mass. location where a casino would bring the greatest benefit to the area as a whole, and to a host community with the greatest needs and the greatest payback, is readily apparent. And it certainly isn’t Palmer. Granted, Palmer is a nice little town with the same problems of many other little towns in Western Mass., but simply having a large tract of open land somewhere near a turnpike exit doesn’t make it the optimum site for a casino.
Springfield is the economic engine that powers Western Mass. A financially healthy Springfield of rising property values, a vibrant school system, rising employment opportunities for its growing minority population, and a revitalized downtown benefits all of Western Mass. These are benefits that a well-conceived, well-managed, visionary casino relationship could bring to Springfield.
With an agreement that the casino gives job preference and training opportunities to Springfield residents first, the people and neighborhoods most in need of an economic hand up — not a handout — will receive it, with dignity and a sense of pride, and just as importantly, they get the opportunity to work in their own community, with the ability to get to work every day by public transportation.
A revitalized, vibrant downtown community can also come with the new casino development. This is the hard part. Locating an $800 million casino in downtown Springfield requires vision and fortitude. But it should be the easiest part, because the key component that satisfies all the requirements of an optimum Western Mass. casino site has been sitting vacant for more than 40 years, waiting for an opportunity big enough to match its economic potential — Union Station.
A huge parcel of prime downtown real estate, Union Station sits unused and undeveloped — but not for lack of trying. Countless commissions have taken a crack at designing a future for Union Station, with a new proposal coming along every few years, complete with the same artist renderings and vague notions of intermodal transportation and retail and commercial office ventures. Mercifully, the latest plan at least spared us the farmers’-market component of previous proposals. But the fact is that nothing will ever go on that site that will generate 2,000 construction jobs, 3,000 permanent jobs, and a multi-million-dollar annual contribution to the city’s treasury, and bring an average of 10,000 visitors per day to downtown Springfield. A casino would.
It is also a unique and exciting opportunity for a casino operator. Come to Springfield and build an $800 million, 40-story, luxury resort hotel and casino, and we’ll give you the site at Union Station, and you’ll also have an Amtrak station in your hotel lobby, with ‘casino trains’ running on the hour from New York City, bringing in gamblers from New York, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford.
A Union Station casino (it even comes with a perfect brand name) wouldn’t be the demise of Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun, but it would most certainly take a very serious gouge out of Fox-Mo’s significant I-91, Southern Conn./ New York business, turn their Albany traffic to a trickle, and keep at home the important Western Mass business. From New York, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Albany, and points beyond, Springfield is far easier and faster to get to by car, train, or airplane, and has much more to offer gamblers beyond the tables and slots than does a clearing in the woods. A world-class, major resort casino in downtown Springfield is an absolute nightmare for Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
A Union Station casino brings people and business to downtown Springfield and the surrounding area. It brings convention business to the Mass Mutual Center (instead of losing it a to Palmer facility), brings visitors to the Basketball Hall of Fame and its restaurants, and attracts people to the museums, Symphony Hall, CityStage, Six Flags, the Big E, and area restaurants, hotels, and stores. And most of all, it puts Springfield’s citizens to work, in their own community, at a location at the heart of the public-transportation system. An opportunity like this will never again be available to Springfield.

Gerry FitzGerald is president of FitzGerald & Mastroianni Advertising Inc. in Springfield.

Going with the Grain

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

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NuCedar Mills Owner Hangs Out His Shingle — and His Clapboard

Tom Loper is confident that a rebounding economy and the growing popularity of ‘green’ products will spawn strong growth at NuCedar Mills.

Tom Loper says he looks upon 2010 as what he calls a “restart” for his company, Chicopee-based NuCedar Mills.
Elaborating, he said the official start came in late 2006, when Loper, one of the founders of the Westfield-based company Kleer Lumber, a maker of PVC trimboard, decided to commence another venture that would go where Kleer Lumber didn’t or couldn’t — into the making of a product that reproduces vertical-grain cedar clapboard siding.
The product was several years and considerable pain and anguish in the making, but, when it was finally ready, it was everything that Loper hoped it would be — beautiful, durable, low-maintenance, and ‘green’ (more on that later). But more important was something it wasn’t — recession-proof.
“Our timing at the start wasn’t exactly good,” said Loper with a discernable trace of sarcasm. “I don’t think it could have been worse.”
But Loper has long known that his product is a good one, and he has since developed several new ones as well, including a shingle that is catching the attention of the marketplace. These developments have allowed his investors to remain patient and actually give him more room and capital with which to work. All this, coupled with the fact that the housing market, and especially the high-end market to which he caters, is coming around, has the energetic and entrepreneurial Loper quite optimistic about his restart.
NuCedar is a story that touches many bases: manufacturing, because Loper has done some pioneering to get his products to market in terms of innovation and waste-reduction efforts; entrepreneurship — there were some sizable risks with this startup; ‘green building,’ because of the environmentally friendly aspects to this product; and even marketing, for the ways Loper has been able to put his products in the spotlight — some through creativity and others through determination and simply having a good story to tell.
These include exposure through last summer’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project (his siding was chosen for the home built in Suffield) to upcoming appearances on the show This New House (produced by the same people who put on The Old House and debuting later this year) to face time on something called Renovation Nation, hosted by long-time This Old House host Steve Thomas, on the Planet Green channel. Those latter two shows highlighted both the manufacturing innovations and the green qualities of the products.
“We had the This New House people out to tour the plant, and they spent the entire day here; they watched us make clapboard from beginning to end,” said Loper. “We just got the call last week … we’re going to be on the premier show. The producers liked us so much, we’re going to be a big part of that show.
“And we received a lot of time on Renovation Nation, which is great PR for us — people know those names and faces like Steve Thomas, and they respect him,” he continued. “And whenever we’re on one of those shows, the hits to our Web site increase significantly. That’s how we know people are watching.”
Loper is hoping that all this publicity will help in his restarting efforts, which are already off to a promising start with the introduction of the shingles and an apparent willingness on the part of consumers to spend on their homes again.
“We’re about two years behind schedule,” he said, referring to the timetable outlined in an original business plan that has seen a number of revisions and updates. “But we’ve got a really good chance to do some catching up.”
For this issue and its focus on green business, BusinessWest takes a look at a company that might have gotten off to a slow start, through no fault of its own, but certainly seems to have the right products at the right time.

House Money
Tracing the history of NuCedar, Loper said it came about through the simple observation that, if Kleer Lumber could make a high-quality PVC trimboard, then logic dictated that a similar product approximating traditional cedar siding could also be produced.
But Loper knew it wasn’t that simple. First, a system would have to be devised for making a product that looked like real cedar, was durable, could hold paint, could withstand the elements, and, most importantly from a business perspective, could be produced in a cost-effective manner. A supplier of the PVC material would have to found, and financing would have to be obtained.
The good news, said Loper, is that all those hurdles were eventually cleared, and the company was up and running at more or less full speed by the middle of 2007. The bad news is that it wasn’t at that speed for long, as the economy took its serious nosedive, and the bottom completely fell out of the new-home construction and remodeling markets.
Telling the story more slowly, Lopor said there was a considerable amount of research and development that went into NuCedar’s main product, the vertical grain cedar, which meets a real need within the building community — something that looks like cedar, specifically old growth trees, but isn’t.
That’s because, as Loper put it, when it comes to the real thing, “you can’t get it.”
Part of the reason is the spotted owl, he said, noting that it is partial to cedar trees and its presence has limited the number of trees that can be cut. And in areas where trees can be cut, there are other problems. “There are two things going on, fires and floods, and you take trees down, it makes both worse.”
New growth trees can be cut, said Loper, but that cedar doesn’t have the same look, and it often develops moisture problems that limit paint’s ability to stay on the board. “I have that on my house,” he explained. “It’s beautiful cedar, the best that was available, but I have to paint it every four or five years.”
Coming up with a cellular PVC product that had cedar’s looks but also much more durability and sustainability, were just some of the hurdles for Loper to overcome.
Indeed, innovative and cost-effective methods were found for everything from cutting the board to applying the paint; from devising and producing an interlocking system that allows each clapboard to support the one below it, to recycling the dust created in the production process.
The paint itself was a work in progress for many months. Working with supplier Sherwin Williams, Loper was able to secure a product that has a two-part coating that chemically hardens to form an impenetrable barrier. It also helps reduce energy costs and is available in more than 1,400 custom colors, five ‘historical colors,’ and 17 popular selections, including Watch Hill white, Chatham sand, Sunapee stone, Mohegan tan, and Suffield blue (the color chosen for the Extreme Makeover home).
The downturn in the economy certainly slowed the company’s development, but it didn’t stop it in its tracks, nor did it derail efforts to build on the original product line.
“We’ve been lucky … during the downturn, we went to our investors and said, ‘our timing really stunk getting started in the first place, based upon the way the housing market has gone. We’ve seen a lot of manufacturers shuttering their doors,’” he said. “We told them, ‘we’d like to go in the opposite direction. You can close the doors if you want to, but we’d actually like to get a little more money out of you and build a couple of other lines.’ And they let us go ahead and do it.”
So in addition to the traditional, or ‘smooth,’ cedar, the company has subsequently produced a few other offerings, including a roughsawn model that is proving to be quite popular with homeowners, said Loper, adding that it was this development that eventually brought the company into an entirely new product line: shingles.
“People looked at the roughsawn clapboard and said, ‘if you can do this, why don’t you just go ahead and make shingles?” he said, adding that the products are similar in looks and manufacturing techniques. “We did, and now it seems like we can’t make them fast enough, with the market coming back, especially on the high end.
“For a long time, people with money were reluctant to spend it, because they didn’t feel secure enough to,” he continued. “Now, they’ve gained the confidence to make the investments in their homes that they want to make and have probably put off for a long time.”

Board Meetings
But there are other elements leading to NuCedar’s success beyond the economy and a unique way to replicate cedar.
Indeed, beyond the good looks and durability of the company’s products are a number of ‘green’ attributes, said Loper, noting that these qualities have made NuCedar products popular among architects who want to incorporate green into their design, and also with consumers, who like being environmentally friendly — and saving money.
NuCedar’s offerings are 100% recyclable, said Loper, adding that they can yield 5% to 9% savings on energy bills, depending on location and wall insulation, due in large part to a solar-reflective coating that reduces heat transfer from the sun’s rays, reduces the energy required to heat a home, and permits dark colors to be used in warm climates. The company calls it “cool-wall technology.”
“The Department of Energy did a study — those are their numbers, not ours,” he said, referring to the potential savings rates. “And in the south, those percentages equate to big money on air-conditioning costs; we’re talking about thousands of dollars in some instances.”
One key to those savings is the use of ceramic-based pigments in the paint applied to the siding as well as the shingles, said Loper, noting that it is the same material used in what’s known as ‘cool-roof technology,’ now mandated in many parts of the South and West. It’s also used by the U.S. military on ground vehicles and aircraft.
“If you take a aircraft that’s made out of composite materials that goes from being in 100-plus-degree heat in the desert to 20 below when they’re high in the atmosphere — and they do that every day — the composite material expands and contracts at a furious rate,” he explained. “Our product also expands and contracts, but with this coating on it, there is less of that. More importantly, it’s solar-reflective.”
Moving forward, Loper says the pieces are falling into place for what is shaping up to be a very solid restart for his company. He noted that the high-end housing market is rebounding, with consumers now confident enough to move forward with renovations and new building. This confidence, coupled with the products’ increasingly popular green qualities, would seem to indicate that, this time around, the timing couldn’t be better for the company.
“The Wall Street people have gotten their bonuses, and a lot of them are spending them on their homes,” he said, citing just one example of consumer activity that is giving the company a needed lift as it looks to grow market share.
“All of the sudden, people who let the paint go and let the shingles go, they don’t want to let them go anymore, and we’re getting those jobs,” he said. “And we’re getting work all along the East Coast; Florida is still hurting, but many other areas are coming back.”
And then, there’s all that exposure through the media, which is prompting Web-site hits that lead to phone calls and, eventually, jobs to bid on. And once he has a chance to show what his products can do, Loper believes he has a solid chance of getting the work.

Through the Roof
As he talked about the strong start for his shingle products, Loper said they are opening the door to other types of business and bigger contracts. “People will look at them and how well they work and say, ‘what else do you have?’ This leads to people looking at the trimboard, and then eventually to the clapboard.
“We’ve seen that happen I don’t know how many times,” he said, adding that the diversity of product offerings and the chance to handle one or several aspects of a home-renovation project have led to opportunities as the market picks up.
This is just another of many factors that together indicate that, while this company didn’t get off to a good start, it may get off to a great restart.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Helping Businesses Get with the Program

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

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Squad 16 Consulting Provides Sales Staffs with the Ability to ACT!

Tom Najemy is a certified ACT! consultant and premier trainer.

Tom Najemy has a goal. It’s to help businesses and their salespeople get organized and become more productive.
Najemy owns Squad 16 Consulting with his wife Sarah, and he accomplishes this by customizing a contact-management software program called ACT! for his clients. He is one of 400 certified ACT! consultants in the U.S. and a premier trainer who conducts both public and private corporate training classes.
Najamy says many businesses don’t have a centralized database of information, a situation that can inhibit growth and productivity and result in duplication of efforts or missed opportunities. Without a central database, it can also be difficult to effectively deal with customers when someone is on vacation or leaves the company, as they often take their records with them.
“A customized ACT! program allows a business to have a centralized database which contains information about customers and prospects. It will track all of their interactions with clients, including phone calls, meetings, e-mails, quotes, and sales opportunities,” Najemy said, adding that the system can be set up with Web information tabs to provide users with direct links to social-networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
The end result is that, when a customer calls, everything the salesperson needs to know, including their contact information and all of the caller’s history with the company, can be accessed with a few clicks of a computer mouse.
Najemy says ACT! can be used by any industry and adapted for single users as well as by large workgroups, which include salespeople who need the ability to connect to their company’s database from a remote location. His clients range from manufacturers to security companies, moving firms, insurance agencies, construction businesses, entertainment agencies, publishers, and schools.
“The program is very diverse. What it does is put everyone in an organization on the same page. It puts everything at their fingertips, including social media, which helps salespeople make better connections with their prospects or clients,” Najemy said.
“The product can help a business and its employees become more productive and organized. If data is entered on a daily basis, everything a person has ever done is there for him or her to analyze,” he explained. This can prove invaluable, as the software preserves details in the client’s records, which include every e-mail, phone call, and sale made, as well as information about key contact people within organizations and the best time to set up a meeting with them.
Although company executives can choose to have access to all of their employees’ files with ACT!, the purpose of the program is not to monitor people’s actions, but promote growth through shared resources and information.
“This is not about micromanagement. It’s about being proactive and helping individual salespeople help themselves,” Najemy said. “This system can allow people to analyze their market. It allows users to document what occurs when they make a call or have a meeting, as well as schedule their next activity, whether it is a phone call, e-mail, or visit.”
Najemy has found that individuals within companies that don’t have a centralized database typically employ different methods of documenting their work. One may use Outlook, while another may use salesforce.com or Excel to track their interactions with customers and prospects. Still others have a list on their computer, information stored in a BlackBerry, or their own method of tracking appointments. This can lead to problems, including losing valuable information.
“Customer-relationship management is a growing field for both large and small companies, yet many offices don’t have a solution in place to increase their customer base and retention,” Najemy said.
He knows firsthand what a difference ACT! can make. He began using it 20 years ago when he owned an entertainment-booking firm. “My problem was how to book 30 bands at 3,000 potential locations. I needed to know who I had called, what I had said to them, and what the conversations were about,” he said. “The program allows you to see the last time you spoke with a customer, what you talked about, how many messages you have left, and more. It also allows all users in a company to know the history of the company’s interactions, from e-mails that go out and come in to proposals and quotes that have been given.”
He told BusinessWest that ACT! can also be used to conduct e-mail marketing, and can be integrated with Microsoft Office, which includes Outlook, Word, and Excel. “You can generate a letter and merge relevant information from ACT!”
Today, the program has undergone many changes and is in its 12th release.
Najemy not only kept up with the technology, he became so proficient in it that he decided to become an ACT! consultant and share his knowledge with others. The timing was serendipitous, as he also wanted to get out of the entertainment-booking business. Although he had done well booking up-and-coming bands, “the music business is a real tough nut to crack,” he said.
Najemy maintained his music-booking agency for about a year as he grew a base of ACT! customers. In 2000, he changed the name of his business from Squad 16 Entertainment and incorporated as Squad 16 Consulting.
Today, he says people call on him for two reasons. The first is that they have adopted ACT! but don’t know how to make the best use of it. The second is that they want to implement a program to track customer interactions.
The first step he takes after he is hired is to conduct a brainstorming session with company officials using a software program called Mind Manager. “We discuss what they want to track as well as the best way to do that using the ACT! program,” he said, explaining that the conceptual design includes many details, including the configuration of drop-down menus and their placement on the ACT! layout.
“When that is done, I build a prototype,” he said.
ACT! provides filters for viewing users’ activities, and since the program contains five levels of user security, company executives can decide how much or how little employees will be able to access. “There are plenty of security features, and records can be open to everyone or limited to certain users. People can also have private records,” Najemy said.
After the program is customized to a company’s specifications, Najemy imports data into it from a wide variety of sources. “It can come from employees’ records or include things such as an industry or conference list,” he said.
The next step is to conduct a full day of training so employees understand all of the nuances of the program. This can be done on or off site, remotely or in his office, which includes a room with computer banks dedicated to training. Najemy also provides technical support once the project is complete.
He has the ability to take a comprehensive view of things, as he lived in Beirut for 14 years, Greece for three years, Iran for a year, and has worked in international sales, as well as owning his own companies. Several months ago, Squad 16 moved from East Longmeadow to a larger office space in East Windsor, Conn.
Najemy’s experience has made him aware that business success comes from giving employees the ability to record and share information via a centralized system. “If becoming organized and developing long-lasting, profitable business relationships is essential to your success,” he said, “then ACT! is right for you.”

The Birth of an Audit

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

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If You Think the IRS Is Becoming Too Lenient, Think Again

When preparing your tax information annually, does the likelihood of an audit cross your mind?The IRS feels that businesses and individuals may have become slightly lax in their record keeping due to a decreased presence of auditors. They believe this lack of compliance has led to a significant tax ‘gap,’ i.e., the difference between the tax the IRS estimates is due and the amount actually paid by taxpayers.
In response, the IRS has increased its number of audits. Many of these audits are under various ‘tax-audit initiatives,’ which are intended to provide data for the National Research Program (NRP) study of tax compliance.
One area of focus is cash-intensive businesses. A cash-intensive business is one that receives a significant amount of receipts in cash. This can be a business such as a restaurant, grocery, or convenience store that handles a high volume of small-dollar transactions. It can also be an industry that provides cash payments for services, such as construction or trucking, where independent contract workers are generally paid in cash.
The IRS has posted an Audit Techniques Guide (ATG) to provide guidance to its agents on how to examine income in a cash-intensive business. While the ATG is not an official pronouncement of the law or the IRS’ position (and cannot be used, cited, or relied upon as such), it does provide valuable information to practitioners and taxpayers on how the IRS audits cash-intensive businesses, including specific types of cash businesses.
The ATG notes that the income-tax gap is thought to be in the hundreds of billion of dollars. In part, this may be because there is an increasing underreporting of income by those taxpayers with the ability to determine their own reported income, such as businesses that receive most of their income in cash. Cash transactions are anonymous, leaving no trail to connect the purchaser to the seller, which may lead some individuals to believe that cash receipts can be unreported and escape detection.
The ATG observes that there are three main ways to misappropriate cash from a business:
• it can be skimmed from receipts before it is recorded;
• it can be stolen after it has been recorded; and
• a fraudulent disbursement can be created.
The ATG states that the most significant indicator that income has been underreported is a consistent pattern of losses or low profit percentages that seem insufficient to sustain the business or its owners. Other indicators of unreported income include:
• a lifestyle or cost of living that can’t be supported by the income reported;
• a business that continues to operate despite losses year after year, with no apparent solution to correct the situation;
• application of the cash-transaction examination method shows a deficit of funds;
• bank balances, debit-card balances, and liquid investments increase annually despite reporting of low net profits or losses;
• accumulated assets increase even though the reported net profits are low or there’s a loss;
• debt balances decrease, remain relatively low, or don’t increase, but low profits or losses are reported;
• a significant difference exists between the taxpayer’s gross profit margin and that of his industry; and
• unusually low annual sales for the business type.
The ATG stresses that examination techniques must be tailored to provide for the best analysis of a specific taxpayer’s possible income stream. There are several techniques that can be used successfully when working with cash-intensive businesses.
First, a financial status analysis, including both business and personal financial activities, should be done, the ATG advises. This is a required minimum-income probe. If it shows an imbalance in the cash flows indicative of underreported income, an examiner is told to request clarification or explanation from the taxpayer before beginning the use of an indirect method.
Indirect methods, such as source and application of funds or bank-deposit and cash-expenditures analysis, can be used to confirm the amount of any understatement.
The ATG says that the most critical aspects to successfully examining a cash-intensive businesses is the gathering of information about how the taxpayer conducts business, documenting cash inflows and outflows, and conducting a detailed interview with the owner of the business relating to business and non-business cash receipts and cash expenditures.
In addition to their focus on cash-intensive businesses, auditors are focusing on several other items, which in recent years were frequently not considered in audits. These include:
• Adequate substantiation of meals and entertainment expenses, including a record of who the expense was with, their business relationship, business conducted immediately before or during the meal or event, and supporting documentation.
• Establishing the business purpose of ordinary expenses, including airplane travel, vehicle expenses, membership dues, and external office expenses. The substantiation requires more than bank statements, credit-card statements, and canceled checks. For example, the IRS has long required that written records be maintained to document the business use of vehicles. They are now routinely requesting these auto logs, gas and repair receipts, and calculations of reimbursements.
• Employment tax compliance. This will mark the first such study conducted by the IRS since 1984. The IRS is expected to focus on the following five employment tax issues:
• worker classification (employee vs. independent contractor);
• fringe benefits;
• officer’s compensation;
• reimbursed expenses; and
• non-filers.
The initiative is intended to help reduce the size of the tax gap.
In many instances, the IRS is quick to assess accuracy-related penalties in addition to penalties for late payment of tax when items of income are erroneously omitted and unsustainable deductions claimed.
So gather up your receipts and other documentation, keep good notes, and resurrect that auto log. If you need assistance in clarifying the substantiation requirements for any expense or the proper use of an auto log, be sure to speak to your accountant or tax adviser. The little bit of pain you endure now in keeping good substantiation will save you the pain of writing a significant check to the IRS in the future.

Sean Wandrei is a tax manager with Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. His technical concentrations are in multi-state taxation as well as real-estate entities; (413) 536-8510.

Quite Contrary

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

Sr. Mary Caritas, Jackie Bolieau, and Sr. Joan Mullen

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Mary’s Meadow Touts an Innovative Small-home Model of Nursing Care

Sr. Mary Caritas, Jackie Bolieau, and Sr. Joan Mullen say Mary’s Meadow — with its spacious community areas, gardens, and central chapel — was designed to look and feel as little like a nursing home as possible.

Sr. Mary Caritas isn’t sure which feature of Mary’s Meadow its residents and patients like best, but there’s plenty to choose from.
“It’s a totally new model,” Caritas said. “We’re the first in Massachusetts — as a matter of fact, the first in New England — with a social model delivering skilled nursing care, as opposed to a medical model of rehabilitation.”
Specifically, the nursing home, carved into a former open meadow beside Providence Place in West Springfield, is built on a small-home concept, with four houses connected by a chapel, said Caritas, vice president of the Sisters of Providence Health System. Each of those houses features 10 rooms that, in turn, open onto a spacious common area and a kitchen.
“Here, patients have more say,” Caritas said. “They can get up when they feel like it, and have breakfast when they get up,” rather than having to adhere to a certain strict schedule. And because of the layout, “no one walks more than 25 feet from their room to get to an activity.”
In other words, it doesn’t feel like a nursing home. Gone is the nursing station central to a traditional skilled-nursing facility, replaced by medication and supply cabinets in each room; nurses visit each room to administer care.
Also jettisoned are long corridors, extensive off-limits areas, and a central bureaucracy calling the shots for all patients. Mary’s Meadow residents have full access to their house’s kitchen, outdoor garden, and other space, and individual house councils make decisions on menus, activities, and routines. Instead of strictly regimented staff, the ‘elder assistant’ who works in a house is a CNA who provides direct care, laundry, cooking, and housekeeping.
Since its opening last summer, Mary’s Meadow — now completely occupied — has brought plenty of excitement to the Sisters of Providence campus, Caritas said. But it started with a promise.

Coming Home
Mary’s Meadow was established partly to keep a promise to provide a home for sisters who were moved from Providence Place when it became an independent-living facility; they were temporarily housed on one floor of Providence Behavioral Health Hospital. The new facility’s name derives from the fact that all Sisters of Providence once took the name Mary.
And it’s appropriate that this facility, created to welcome the sisters home, is also helping patients return to their own homes. The small houses are designed for both long-term living and short-term rehabilitation, and the staff believes the homelike model is conducive to recovery.
“For our rehab patients, we’re finding that they’re rehabbing much quicker and returning home,” said Jackie Bolieau, admissions and marketing coordinator, a few minutes before patients gathered in the community area to perform exercises together. “Whether someone has a total hip or total knee replacement, or cardiac surgery, they can come here and rehab. What better place to do that than a homelike environment?”
“And their cognitive abilities are sustained much longer,” added Caritas, “because they tend to be with other people when they come out of their room. Instead of walking into a corridor, they immediately find other people; they find stimulation.”
Scientific evidence seems to back up that assertion, Caritas said, pointing to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggesting that residents of small nursing homes are more satisfied with their care and report a better quality of life than residents of larger, traditional nursing homes.
The report cited higher quality-of-life measurements, such as meaningful activity and relationships; comfort and a sense of security; dignity, individuality, and privacy; and the enjoyment of food, according to one of the researchers, Rosalie Kane, a professor with the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health in Minneapolis.
The study specifically examined the model featured at Mary’s Meadow: an interconnected community of four 10-resident homes. The survey suggested that such residents have a lower incidence of later decline in activities of daily living when compared with 40 randomly selected residents in each of two traditional nursing homes.
The researchers also found that quality of care in the small-house dwellings at least equaled that provided in the traditional nursing homes and that residents showed significantly higher satisfaction with the small-house nursing home as a place to live, and were as socially active as residents of traditional nursing-home residents.
Additionally, aides working in the small-house model “were much more confident that they could help their residents achieve better social and psychological outcomes, felt they knew the residents under their care better, and had much higher job satisfaction on a variety of measures and were more likely to remain in the job,” Kane told Reuters Health.
Writing in Long-Term Living magazine, Judith Rabig and Donald Rabig go so far as to suggest that the traditional model of care is an outdated relic.
“Traditional nursing-home staff have been organized in a 19th-century industrial model, with a steep bureaucracy, departmental structures, and disenfranchised direct-care workers receiving top-down communication,” they write. “Staff is viewed as interchangeable, and their satisfaction is secondary to efficiency and completed work quotas and schedules. Staff work is focused on satisfying residents’ physical and safety needs, with no time or institutional imperative directed at meeting their higher-level needs.
“A worker,” they continue, “is valued for the ability to meet work quotas and schedules. The result has been to create high levels of job dissatisfaction and high turnover, which in turn produce poor quality of care.”

Outside the Box
Yet, despite the evidence that the small-home concept works, they write, implementation of a different model is no easy task.
“It’s a very different environment for staff, who need to change their mindset to this new model,” Caritas said. “We find that, in hiring staff, it’s easier for people who have been in home care to adapt to what we’re doing, rather than people in a traditional nursing home.”
Sr. Joan Mullen, president of the development project, said the concept has been difficult for even regulators to grasp. “We had to get quite a few construction waivers” — 56 of them, to be accurate, she said. For instance, the corridors in a nursing home must be a certain width, but the rooms at Mary’s Meadow don’t open onto corridors at all, so Mary’s Meadow installed beams in the ceiling to mark where corridors would have gone.
Plenty of thought — and some very long meetings — have gone into the design and features of Mary’s Meadow, from computer access, electronic medical records, and a wireless call system to strategic uses of color. For example, the carpeting of each home is a different shade, and that color is reflected in the stained glass that borders each chapel door that leads to a different home, reducing the possibility of a resident losing his or he way.
Meanwhile, from the layout of the private bathrooms to the meals — eaten at a long dining table, as a family would, with opportunities for residents to help with preparation and cleanup — everything has been designed to make Mary’s Meadow look and feel nothing like a nursing home. And that’s the point.
“This is based on patient and staff empowerment,” Mullen said. And, as Caritas noted, the residents and short-term patients feel like they’re home — no matter what name they go by.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at
[email protected]

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT
Baystate Environmental Consultants Inc. v. Creative Design Custom Homes
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered and breach of contract: $10,063.45
Filed: 3/10/10

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT
Charles F. Emmins v. The Princeton Review Inc.
Allegation: Defendant has failed to pay plaintiff his earned annual bonus: $143,830.25
Filed: 4/22/10

Rocky Mountain Transportation Services Inc. v. Pacific Northeast Wood Co.
Allegation: Non-payment on judgment: $87,488.41
Filed: 4/11/10

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Ford Motor Credit Co. v. Pioneer Supply Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment on retail installment agreement: $6,728.33
Filed: 4/16/10

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
ATC Associates v. New England Land & Lumber Corp.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered: $46,928.64
Filed: 4/16/10

James & Deborah Blaney v. Pioneer Valley Rider Training
Allegation: Negligence in operation of motorcycle training program, causing personal injury: $84,132.33
Filed: 4/8/10

Point Staffing Services v. Klein Industries Inc.
Allegaton: Non-payment of goods and staffing services: $48,957.60
Filed: 4/20/10
Shalisa Keyes v. Springfield Water & Sewer Commission
Allegation: Failure to maintain sewer line, causing property damage to home: $8,900
Filed: 4/30/10

Theodora Wilderspin v. Behavioral Health Network Inc.
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $31,896.30
Filed: 4/27/10

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
American Express Bank FSB v. Motion Automotive Specialty
Allegation: Non-payment of monies loaned: $25,684.64
Filed: 4/30/10

D.F. Plumbing and Mechanical Inc. v. Ryan & Company Builders Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of services, labor, materials, and fixtures: $22,706.29
Filed: 4/28/10

R.A. Novia and Associates, LLC. v. M.J. Moron Inc. and Western Surety Co.
Allegation: Failure to pay amounts due on a contract for services and materials provided for the Ford Hall Science Building at Smith College: $40,000
Filed: 4/22/10

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
Dana Carpenter v. National Grid
Allegation: Recovering costs of improvement made to correct defendant’s problem with aerial trespass and insufficient voltage: $15,000
Filed: 4/22/10

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Bank of America v. Gaw’s Auto Body Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment on line of credit: $28,135.80
Filed: 4/1/10

Daniel J. Laughlin v. Home City Housing Inc.
Allegation: Breach of management agreement: $10,000
Filed: 4/20/10

Howden Buffalo Inc. v. LDH Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $20,680.57
Filed: 4/15/10

Impronta Italgranita USA Inc. v. Creations Factory Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $3,438.09
Filed: 4/20/10

John S. Lane Inc. v. Roger Trucking Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of materials purchased on credit account: $3,038.93
Filed: 3/29/10

Norman L. Youtsey v. Avibank Mfg. Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay commission: $20,000
Filed: 4/5/10

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
T.J. Bark Mulch Inc. v. Ryan Landscaping and Lawn Care
Allegation: Non-payment for merchandise received: $6,055
Filed: 4/20/10

William Sitler v. The Ranch Golf Club and Sunnyside Ranch Estates, LLC
Allegation: Negligence in construction and maintenance of golf course and Pond View Lane, causing road collapse and personal injury: $24,794.98
Filed: 4/15/10

DOING BUSINESS AS CERTIFICATES

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of May 2010.

AGAWAM

Community Laundromat
305 Springfield St.
Pierre H. Mouchette

Dirty Dancing Entertainment
50 South Park
Jason Biagetti

N.E. Waste
28 Moylan Lane
James A. Ricco

Supreme Scratch & Chip
34 Corey St.
Raymond Gobeille

Trumpets of Light Ministry
76 Hope Farms Dr.
Robert Whitman

AMHERST

East Coast Radon
57 Glendale Road
Kellie Baker

Sei’s Bella Salon
598 Boltwood Walk
Katrina Irwin

Women’s Health Physical Therapy
495 West St.
Patricia Young

CHICOPEE

Ovation Renovations
14 Lafond Dr.
Nevson DaCosta

T & L’s Pre-Owned Furniture & Antiques
8 Montgomery St.
Lisa Mark

Westover Heating & Cooling
53 Deslauriers St.
Kristopher Kelley

GREENFIELD

Amenita Ventures Inc.
33 Shattock St.
Linda Koonz

Mixed Media Workshop
13 Pierce St.
Lisa Henry

Quality Cleaning & Restoration
134 S. Shelburne Road
Vladimir Agapov

Salon 107
114 Wells St.
Debra Mathey

The Oak Shoppe
352 Deerfield St.
Gloria Easton

HOLYOKE

Homewood Suites
375 Whitney Ave.
David H. Baldauf

Van’s Pizza Inc.
510 Westfield Road
Charlene M. Fantaki’s

LUDLOW

Bio Links of New England
438 Ventura St.
Leslie Lindsey

Rubbo & Son Construction & Cleaning
329 East St.
Gustavo Rubbo

W. N. Woodworking
100 State St.
Woitek Nowicki

Your Choice Insurance Agency
120 East St.
Beatrice DaSilva

NORTHAMPTON

Hurricane Millworks
31 1/2 Lyman Road
Chadd Merberger

Robinson Real Estate
35 State St.
Steven J. Slezek

TAO Associates
142 Riverside Dr.
Theresa O’Connor

Turkey Hill Hobbies
267 Turkey Hill Road
Andrew Chambers

Uniquepeople.net
2 High St.
Shana Hirananoani

PALMER

Computer Training of America
1448 North Main St.
Thomas Gingras

Opielowski Appraisal Services
67 Summer St.
Michael Opielowski

Palmer Recycling Corporation
2 Fenton St.
Pamela Douthwrigth

PMX Asset Management
5 Converse St.
Maurice Denner

The Field House
1701 Park St.
Elizabeth Weidler

WJS Associates Realty Service
34 State St.
Walter Solzak III

SOUTHWICK

Jay’s Lawn and Yard Care
29 South Longyard Road
Jason Couture

T & J Construction Inc.
3 George Loomis Road
John R. Tortoriello

The Parrot & Bird Emporium
610 College Highway
Alfred Surprenault

SPRINGFIELD

ADC Prevention Services
22 Bacon Road
Arnold D. Cox

Allen St. Realty Trust
295 Allen St.
Yasir Osman

ATS Motor Sports
542 Page Blvd.
William Spriggs

B & E All in 1
2652 Main St.
Erica Ruth Andino

BMT Lock and Key
306 Hermitage Dr.
Walter Kulas

Buddies Express Pizza
27 St. James Blvd.
Mohammad Z. Iqbal

Dynasty Restaurant
5 Locust St.
Xiu G. Zheng

Eavargas Photography
40 Pasadena St.
Edward A. Vargas

Elegant M
3 Lexington St.
Elvira Delgado

Gemini’s Barber Shop
303 Bridge St.
Benjamin Parrilla

Global Spectrum Charities
1277 Main St.
Philip I. Weinberg

Ingy Cons
18 Prescott St.
Hector Grullon

International Auto Sales
715 Liberty St.
Ryan M. Conway

JJ Mini Mart
468 Bridge St.
Jabir Khan

James Cleaning Services
24 Greencare Square
Watson E. James

Jerome A. Brown Associates
102 Cambridge St.
Jerome Brown

WESTFIELD

Easy Ride Repo
107 Court St.
Joseph Canfield

Meeting Strategies Unlimited
1 Roderick Dr.
Kathryn DeLand

Quality Consultant
8 Pilgrim Dr.
Ingeborg M. Hurley

RT 202 Antiques
869 North Road
Edwin Odabashian

Spring Valley Power Equipment
188 Tannery Road
John Ladue

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Energia Escape Massage Therapy
1111 Elm St.
Yesenia Camareno

M & S Transportation
171 Falmouth Road
Mark C. Masi

Majestic Theater
131 Elm St.
Danny Eaton

Menard Electric
322 Morgan Road
Bryan Menard

Native Lands
919 Elm St.
Stephen C. Piatt

Primitive Friends Country Crafts
235 Forest Glen
Erin Rogers

Turkish Cultural Center Western
507-509 Union St.
Arif Yilmar

Verizon Wireless
1123 Riverdale St.
Bell Atlantic Mobile Corporation, LTD

BUILDING PERMITS

By BusinessWest Staff June 7, 2010

Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of May 2010.

AGAWAM

Hillside Development Corp.
975 Springfield St.
$50,000 — Install interior partitions for offices

AMHERST

Hills House, LLC
14 Gray St.
$60,000 — Renovation of moved structure

Norwottuck Fish & Game Associates Inc.
1352 West St.
$15,000 — Replace six antenna panels on existing tower

CHICOPEE

Deborah Kernicki
61 Memorial Dr.
$100,000 — Strip and re-shingle eight buildings

Prime Condo Management Inc.
340 Dale St.
$18,000 — Re-roof five buildings

GREENFIELD

Edgar W. Martin
6 Arch St.
$56,000 — Renovations for new tenants

Greenfield Savings Bank
35 Federal St.
$110,000.00 — Construction of new drive-up ATM and teller building

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Mall Company, L.P.
50 Holyoke St.
$17,500 — Renovations in fitting room at Sears

NORTHAMPTON

Albert M. Omasta
41 Locust St.
$62,000 — Interior tenant fit out: Cancer Connection

Northampton Properties Inc.
136 West St.
$58,000 — Install new roofing system

Saga Communications of N.E. Inc.
15 Hampton Ave.
$27,000 — Install new roofing system

Smith College
109 Elm St.
$10,000 — New roof

SOUTH HADLEY

Loomis Village
22 Worthington St.
$3,900 — New insulation

Mt. Holyoke College
50 College St.
$10,000 — Alterations at Dwight Hall

SOUTHWICK

CVS
215 College Highway
$69,000 — New refrigerator unit

SPRINGFIELD

1350 Main St., LLC
1350 Main St.
$34,000 — Create new suite

City View Commons
57-63 Federal St.
$963,000 — Interior and exterior renovations

Demi, LLC
11 Belmont Place
$20,000 — Renovations

Garden Park Management
513 Main St.
$17,000 — Install new floor

Hampden Bank
1363 Allen St.
$35,000 — Façade improvements to existing building

Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield
35 Everett St.
$66,000 — Repair of roofing system

WEST SPRINGFIELD

ACMX Realty
164 Western Ave.
$192,000 — Re-roof 31,650 square feet of commercial structure

SBA Infrastructure, LLC
1583 Prospect Ave.
$15,000 — Replace six antenna panels