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Briefcase

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Briefcase Departments

State’s Jobless Rate Remains Above 7%
BOSTON — The state’s unemployment rate remained above 7% for the fourth consecutive month in October as the Commonwealth’s expansion continued what has been a slow advance. The jobless rate rose to 7.2% in October, compared with 7.1% in September and 7.2% in August, according to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The U.S. unemployment rate was 7.3% for October. Massachusetts added 9,100 jobs in October after increasing payrolls by 9,400 positions in September, the state reported. However, those gains were not enough to put a dent in unemployment, analysts said. The automatic federal budget cuts known as sequestration, which went into effect earlier this year, have disproportionately hurt Massachusetts, due to its high concentration of industries that rely on such funding, such as defense, healthcare, and scientific research, experts noted. The leisure and hospitality sector, which includes hotels and restaurants, led October’s job gains, adding 3,200 positions. Trade, transportation, and utilities gained 2,500 jobs, and the education and health services sector added 1,900 jobs. Construction jobs have grown steadily, adding 1,300 jobs in the month and 6,300 over the past year, a 5.5% increase. The financial activities sector added 600 jobs in October, and the professional, scientific, and business services sector gained only 600 jobs. Manufacturing lost 1,400 jobs over the month, and government employers cut 200 jobs.

Senate Backs Minimum-wage Hike; House Considering Vote
BOSTON — The state Senate voted overwhelmingly late last month to raise the state’s minimum wage from $8 per hour to $11 per hour over three years, putting the Commonwealth on track for the highest such pay in the nation. The Senate voted 32-7 to approve the increase. The measure calls for $1 increases on July 1 in the next three years. House leaders are balking at the proposal, however, warning that it would be a mistake unless the state also cuts costs for businesses by overhauling the state’s unemployment-insurance system. “Right now, the whole proposal, as far as we’re concerned, is in flux,” Speaker Joe DeLeo told the Boston Globe, adding that he expects a vote in the House will wait until at least January.

Governor Pledges $200m for I-91 Viaduct Work
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Deval Patrick announced $200 million late last month to replace a section of the I-91 viaduct in downtown Springfield, but told the audience at an Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield luncheon that the 2½-year project is only one step toward taking that section of the highway to grade level — or below. “It’s a great opportunity for the city and region to restore the connection of the downtown and riverfront,” Patrick told those assembled. The city’s mayor, Domenic Sarno, said the project could have a potentially huge impact on the city, and said he’s asked the state to think big. “Stay tuned,” he told the audience. “I want something bold and visionary.”

Millford Voters Latest to Say ‘No’ to a Casino
MILFORD — Voters in Milford became the latest in the state to turn thumbs down to a casino plan late last month, rejecting a $1 billion proposal involving Foxwoods by a nearly 2-1 margin. The agreement, which would have allowed the casino giant access to a resort on 187 acres off Interstate 495, was defeated by a vote of 65% to 35%. Voters in Milford thus joined those in West Springfield, Palmer, East Boston, and other cities and towns that have rejected casinos in their communities.

Tower Square Chosen for UMass Satellite Facility
SPRINGFIELD — UMass Amherst officials have chosen Tower Square in downtown Springfield as the site of what’s being called a “satellite center,” which is due to be open for the start of the fall semester in 2014. The facility will be known as “UMass Springfield.” At an elaborate press conference staged in the Tower Square concourse, university, state, and city officials announced that the MassMutual-owned facility had prevailed in a months-long competition to host the satellite facility. The other locations to submit bids were Harrison Place, 1350 Main St. (One Financial Plaza), and the Peter Pan bus terminal. The center will include academic programs to be offered by the UMass campuses in conjunction with UMass Online and UMass Amherst’s Springfield programs.

WSU Trustees Name Interim President
WESTFIELD — Westfield State University trustees have named Elizabeth Preston, vice president of Student Affairs, as the school’s interim president, following the resignation early last month of embattled president Evan Dobelle.  Preston will serve until a permanent president is selected, a process that university board of trustees chairman John Flynn expects will take at least until the end of the school year to complete.

Mohegan Sun, Suffolk Downs to Team Up for Revere Casino Bid
BOSTON — Connecticut casino giant Mohegan Sun has agreed to join a Suffolk Downs casino bid in Revere, giving both parties in that entity a second chance to win big in the competition for coveted casino licenses. Mohegan Sun had spent the past five years trying to win the rights to build a casino off the Mass. Turnpike exit in Palmer, but voters there rejected a host-community agreement at a Nov. 5 referendum vote. Meanwhile, Suffolk Downs saw voters in East Boston reject plans to build a casino on track-owned land in that community. Track officials later reworked their plans — placing the casino entirely on land in neighboring Revere, which approved a casino referendum — and commenced a search for a new partner after Caesars Entertainment was asked to bow out amid questions and concerns posed by the Mass. Gaming Commission.

Season of Hope

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Restaurants Sections
Despite Challenges, Local Restaurateurs Have a Positive Outlook for the Holidays

Victor Bruno

Victor Bruno has successfully paired meet-and-greet and food-sampling efforts to bolster his restaurant’s promotional card program.

Victor Bruno has never run from hard work.
As a young boy, he sold cans of soda at the Italian Festival in Springfield’s South End, making a nice profit for pocket change. Fast-forward 30 or so years to 2011, when he used the most basic form of grass-roots marketing — the meet and greet, and food sampling — to brand his barely year-old Worthington Street restaurant, Adolfo’s Ristorante, an homage to his late father.
Bruno and two of his employees spent four weekends in the West Springfield and Enfield Costco locations offering samples of his stuffed mushrooms to promote his new venture through the Costco discount gift-card program.
“I was there from when the store opened until I ran out of mushroom caps each time, and I met thousands, and I mean thousands, of people, and we would talk about the restaurant and downtown Springfield,” Bruno recalled.
He heard it all, and the most pervasive issue was the perception that Springfield isn’t safe anymore. “But I told them, it’s the entertainment district, and we have valet parking and good lighting; you’ll have a great meal — and I’ve seen thousands of those cards come back.”
Bruno knows the restaurant business is one barometer of how willing the public is to indulge in discretionary spending. With the all-important holiday shopping season just beginning, there is some cautious optimism among the restaurateurs that BusinessWest spoke with, although it was tempered with concern about what will be a short holiday shopping season.
“Sadly, this was the latest Thanksgiving possible; we’ve lost a week of shopping time, and that hurts all restaurants,” said Robert Luz, president and CEO of the Mass. Restaurant Association (MRA). “But we continue to extricate ourselves from the Great Recession, and generally speaking, we’re starting to come out of this, and consumers are a little bit more confident about spending dollars.”
Bob Luz

In spite of a shortened selling season due to a late Thanksgiving, Bob Luz says, consumers are more confident to spend.

Luz expects holiday sales to be flat or in the negative, mostly due to that lost week. His organization offers business assistance to restaurant-industry members — most importantly legislative advocacy. According to Luz, as restaurateurs get through this shorter holiday season, they have a potentially disparaging issue looming with a recent bill that just passed the Senate and is headed toward the House that could raise not only the minimum wage for all industries, but also the base of tipped wages for waiters and waitresses in the restaurant industry, increasing their minimum wages by 71% (more on this later).
For the restaurateur, food-price increases are only the beginning; city taxes, property insurance, workers’ comp, and liquor-liability costs are also increasing. “There’s only so much you can get from a stone,” said Bruno. “And all businesses have some of these costs, too. But in the restaurant business, we’re working with a profit margin of nickels and dimes.”
For this issue’s focus on restaurants, BusinessWest talked with some industry veterans about the holiday season ahead, as well as the much bigger picture — the challenging environment in which they’re operating and the prospects for improvement.

Main Menu
As if the Great Recession and recent food-price increases weren’t enough for local restaurateurs, a week before Thanksgiving, Senate President Therese Murray advanced a plan to raise the minimum wage from $8 to $11 per hour over the next three years. The Senate voted for that wage increase, and Luz of the MRA was prepared for that hike, which would certainly affect any business owner.
But in the same session, the Senate also voted to increase the minimum wage for tipped employees to half the minimum wage. With the tipped wage currently at $2.63 per hour, it would now force restaurateurs to pay them $4.50 per hour this year, a 71% increase, which will continue to increase over the next two years.
“It’s been frozen since 1999, because it works,” Luz said. “Over that time period, waiters’ and waitresses’ wages naturally increased because of menu inflation and because we educated our members’ employees to declare all of their tips.”
Technically, Luz said, employers have to meet the current minimum wage for those waiters and waitresses whose declared tips don’t equal current minimum wage, but that is rare because they usually do make solid tips. Waiters and waitresses in Massachusetts, he went on, are already paid the most in the country, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that they earned an average hourly wage of $13.13 in 2012, when tips are factored in. Should this new increase for tipped employees pass, employers will be footing yet another increase for something that Luz said doesn’t need a separate increase.
The MRA offers its members information sharing, education and training, forums for networking, cost-cutting group-discount opportunities, and, most importantly, legislative advocacy.
“The restaurant business is highly labor-intensive, and when you affect wages like that, it’s dramatic,” Luz said. “We’re the entry-level point for a lot of jobs, but the business has a razor-thin bottom line.”
Luz added that the MRA is working to finalize a formal strategy to fight this matter in the Legislature.  But heading into the holiday season, there are significant issues that already exist for the network of Western Mass. restaurateurs.
For the past 14 years, Chris Brunelle has been the owner of Pinocchio’s Ristorante (formerly in Amherst, now in Three Rivers), and is also general manager of the new Bistro 21 at the Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown. Through those two businesses, he’s come to the formal conclusion that there may be no bounce back to where things used to be pre-Great Recession.
“This is the new norm; the cost of doing business in the last year to two years for food alone has gone up 6% to 22%, and everybody is paying for the October snowstorm from two years ago because our insurance prices have gone up another 20%,” added Brunelle.  “That’s just the cost of doing business, and you can’t pass that cost down to your customer.”
Judie Teraspulsky, owner for the past 36 years of Judie’s restaurant in the center of the vibrant college town of Amherst, said her professional life revolves around when students are in town; she’s survived the Great Recession by streamlining every area that she can, and running the restaurant, from purchases to staffing shifts, with extreme efficiency.
“We are tight, tight, tight,” said Teraspulsky. “We don’t lay off employees, because they are the most important factor in our business.”
As hard as things get for Brunelle, his philosophy, year-round, is the same as Teraspulsky’s: he’s staying strong due to his allegiance to his employees, many of whom have families, and four specifically who have been with him for the full 14 years.

Gifting Limit
Rudi Scherff, manager of the Student Prince, a landmark eatery in downtown Springfield that just celebrated 78 years in business, is used to the ups and downs of the hospitality business. Scherff, who undoubtedly has one of the strongest and most affluent regular clienteles in the Pioneer Valley, said he’s getting the sense that, while there is apprehension and concern, people are a bit happier with at least the regional economic situation than they were a year ago.
Scherff told BusinessWest that the holidays are “huge” for his restaurant, which does a solid 20% of the year’s business from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, and half of the gift certificates sold are during that same time span.

Rudi Scherff

Rudi Scherff says the holidays are a very busy time, when half of the year’s gift certificates are sold for the Student Prince.

“We’re going to be busy this season, and the eight days before Christmas are as much as we can handle,” Scherff noted, adding that banquets and events, entertaining up to 90, are a big part of that equation.
While Teraspulsky may not be as straight out as Scherff this time of year, she still sees the holiday season as very important to her business.
“Where I shine during the holidays is that you can come in and do just a dessert or a popover, or one of our great cocktails,” she said, adding that her menu, from the beginning, has afforded her customers the ability to have whatever they want, when they want it.
Teraspulsky and her staff of 90 push the gift certificates hard to get that return that will pick up the cash flow once the 50/50 percentage of college students and traditional customers returns.
Bruno is also looking forward to this season, not only to see those Costco cards come back, but to sell more gift certificates in the restaurant, and he’s already booked early corporate parties in his private room upstairs, seating up to 45 people.
“There’s still that caution with spending,” said Bruno, recalling the days in his former restaurant, Caffeine’s, in the same location, where customers used to spend $100 on a bottle of wine.
“Now they’re only spending $25 to $30 on a bottle of wine, but at least they’re spending it here.”

The Garnish
The potential of a downtown Springfield casino complex in the years ahead provides holiday conversation and a giant question mark for many restaurateurs; while they are not sure if it will help or hurt them personally, ultimately, they hope that the pledge of far more people will materialize.
“We’re always optimistic come January, and for the [prospective] casino, during the construction phase — it’s going to be great for downtown,” said Scherff.  “And once it opens, it’s going to help some, hurt others, but hopefully it puts more feet on the street and gets more people down here.”
Bruno agreed, adding, “the perception of downtown is far, far worse than it actually is, but with a casino, there will be people, and people bring safety; my position has always been that we’ll be the safest downtown around.”
Until a decision is made, Bruno is doing everything in his power to overcome the challenges that all restaurateurs are facing this holiday season. His greatest compliments thus far have been from those who tell him that Boston’s North End, renowned for authentic Italian restaurants, has nothing on Adolfo’s.
“They tell me I should consider opening up another restaurant,” Bruno said, laughing as he explained, “because if you can make it in Springfield, you can make it anywhere.”

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Big Picture

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Employment Sections
Training & Workforce Options Takes Region-wide View

Bob LePage

Bob LePage, executive director of Training & Workforce Options.

Bob LePage spends a lot of time talking to employers from many different sectors, from healthcare to hospitality; financial services to manufacturing. And they all have one thing in common — a need for quality workers.
He related a conversation he had with the head of an area manufacturing firm. “He said, ‘we have more work than we have capacity. And what’s the biggest capacity constriction? Lack of workers. If I could find them, I’d add a shift, I’d add another line. Our challenge is, we need more qualified workers, whether that’s taking assemblers and upscaling them to machinists or convincing young people that working in today’s manufacturing environment is not what your grandfather did.’”
One regional manufacturer, LePage added, is anticipating 300 to 400 retirements in the next five years. Simply put, “we can’t close the gap based on what’s coming out of high school.”
As the executive director of Training & Workforce Options (TWO), a partnership between Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College, LePage thinks about these issues all the time. The initiative was launched in 2011 to provide specialized contract training for a range of client businesses. But along the way, it has created sector-wide collaborations to help tackle workforce needs across entire industries.
“TWO grew out of a workforce assessment done by the two community colleges, which came together and decided there are a lot of opportunities to build collaboration between the two colleges, and opportunities for us to work collaboratively with the Regional Employment Board [REB]on supporting and building sector-based strategies.
“It’s come a long way,” he added. “We first had to develop staffing, planning, infrastructure, processes, procedures, how we’re going to do things.”
In the meantime, TWO has worked with the REB and others on developing workforce strategies on a sector-by-sector basis, he explained.
“If we use the example of healthcare, a year and a half ago, we started assessing what the medical coding needs were for the region,” LePage noted, because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is replacing the current standard code sets in 2014, creating reimbursement challenges for providers.
Along with Kelly Aiken, the REB’s director of Health Care Initiatives, and about a dozen regional healthcare employers, LePage explained, TWO developed a partnership by which medical coding and billing students can transfer credits between colleges, and will also launch a training academy to help employers train their workers in the upcoming conversion.
“TWO came in and really provided the skill-assessment expertise we didn’t have before,” Aiken said, and not just in the coding realm, but in direct care as well. “Employers have said there’s either a mismatch between supply and demand, or the industry is changing so rapidly that we need to revisit and revamp career pathways. TWO has been instrumental in helping us collect data from employers and walk employers through the skill-assessment process so we can really understand where the gaps exist.
“I really look at them as a side-by-side partner,” she added, “to fill us in and help employers and training institutions figure out how to fill those gaps through regional and organizational strategies.”

Across the Board
Healthcare is just one of the many sectors TWO has a hand in, however. The partnership recently brought together a group of regional financial-services providers — banks, insurance companies, and others — to discuss workforce needs, and the end result is a new certification program to train people to fill financial call-center jobs.
“The first class of 17 students is going through an intensive training program and will hopefully be placed into jobs in January,” LePage said. “This was an industry-driven need.”
Returning to healthcare, yet another TWO initiative aims to help providers develop new systems to remove inefficiency and waste from healthcare — a major issue in these days of cost-cutting and accountable care. TWO has also worked with Wingate of Wilbraham, a skilled-nursing facility, by training workers in STCC’s simulation lab.

Kelley Tucky

Kelley Tucky says MGM Springfield is depending on regional job-training efforts to build a 3,000-strong workforce in the city.

“It’s a way to assess their hands-on skills, a new way of looking at competence and how students can practically apply their skills,” he said. “Wingate had some very specific things they wanted to partner with us to test.”
And in the manufacturing realm, “we recently partnered with the Westfield Chamber to host a manufacturing workforce forum. We had manufacturers at Savage Industries host 10 or 12 companies around the idea of developing new regional programs for machine operators. In most cases, they might need one programmer but six or 12 operators. Our goal is to develop a new training program to allow us to provide on-site operator training.”
When thinking about the number of precision machinists approaching retirement, LePage said, the challenge is to create large-scale programs to develop the next generation.
“We’ve worked with a number of individual organizations — we might work with them on a multi-year training program, help them do organizational assessment, skills assessment, build a training program with them, and help them capture state resources to enhance the performance of employees.”
Such investments pay off, he noted. “Every dollar invested in support of manufacturing yields $1.64 return on investment in the first year alone. Every time you support labor-pool investment, your community makes money.”
TWO has engaged in similar strategy-building initiatives with area hospitality employers. “We partnered with the [Greater Springfield] Convention & Visitors Bureau on a formal needs assessment. What are the workforce challenges for the hospitality industry? We’re now starting to put together strategies to support their emerging needs, both culinary and front of house.”

Upping the Ante
The hospitality industry is only one of many sectors acutely aware of the probability of MGM Resorts International building a casino in Springfield’s South End, now that the proposal is the only viable casino plan for Western Mass. being considered by the state Gaming Commission.
“It’s highly likely this region is going to have to navigate 3,000 to 4,000 new jobs in the next 24 to 36 months,” LePage said. “TWO has taken the lead in partnering with the Gaming Commission to develop a workforce strategy to support the casino industry.
“We know, for example, that, if you want to be a dealer or in gaming, you have to pass a very specific set of requirements, and if you can’t pass them, you can’t work in a casino,” he added. And those requirements, he noted, could pose difficulties.
Kelley Tucky, vice president of Community and Public Affairs for MGM Springfield, agrees, saying her team has been working closely with the Mass. Casino Career Training Institute — which oversees employee regulations, licensure, and training — to ease some of the obstacles to employment.
“We’ve made our position known that we see the current CORI and SORI background-check requirements to be somewhat restrictive,” she told BusinessWest. “For instance, if we have someone working in the warehouse with a history of bankruptcy, it matters very little to us. Certainly, in a position where data is being handled or where there’s tremendous responsibility with money handling, you want those individuals to be vetted thoroughly, but we’ve heard from the one-stop career centers, the Gaming Commission, and others that they see some roadblocks already.”
Meanwhile, MGM has developed ties with the career centers and TWO to develop strategies for recruitment and soft-skills training, from interview and résumé-writing skills to language barriers. “Those are very important for us,” Tucky said. “We’ve built our reputation on providing an exceptional level of customer service. We gauge that from the minute an individual walks in the door for an interview. The more the one-stops train their clientele in those skills, the more confident we are that we’ll find the talent we need.”
However, the casino challenge extends far beyond MGM’s needs, LePage noted, as businesses in a host of sectors anticipate losing many of their own workers to the casino — for example, a bank teller who might want to be trained as a dealer or money handler — and having to refill those positions.
“We’re very aware of what’s going to be happening with the gaming industry,” he said. “If we want to have 3,000 new jobs in the region, we don’t want to subtract 1,000 jobs from other employers just by moving from one place to another. We have to grow 3,000 new workers throughout the region, but we have to develop strategies to fill multiple sectors, so there’s very little ripple effect.”
Take healthcare CEOs, he added. “The concern for them is culinary. They service a large number of people each day with food. And they currently have challenges hiring people. Add another 150 to 200 culinary jobs in the region, and they might have a bigger challenge.”
Tucky sees that sort of movement as an overall plus for the job market and the economic vibrancy of the region.
“Churn is good in terms of changing jobs, changing opportunities. It’s a good thing because people are exposed to additional career options — for instance, veterans returning from active duty, even the semi-retired. We offer jobs across the spectrum, and if we can attract a bright personality and they have the basic skills for the job, we will train for everything else.
“People see this as economic development for the region,” she continued. “It’s all about economic revitalization, and we’ve done a really good job being transparent. We see the benefits for Springfield and the Western Mass. economy, and we feel it’s a win-win.”
LePage agrees — if there’s an effective strategy in place that benefits MGM without disadvantaging other employers. “With the entry of a large employer into the region, we’ve tried to build partnerships across the region. No one organization can solve these regional workforce challenges.”

Mind the Gap
Casino or not, those workforce challenges are persistent, and the term ‘skills gap’ is nothing new to Western Mass. employers.
LePage noted that only about 78 in 100 teens in Greater Springfield make it through high school, but even if the rate was 100%, “we wouldn’t come close to meeting our workforce needs.”
That’s why TWO is so important — not only because it brings together the two colleges’ strengths, such as HCC’s English as a Second Language program and STCC’s Adult Basic Education initiatives, but because the colleges are bringing so many other voices into the conversation.
“What you see with all this collaboration is that there’s very little ego,” LePage said. “It isn’t what the colleges want done, it’s what industries want done. We’re listening to industries and hearing what they need and how they need it, and then saying, ‘OK, what can we do to solve this problem?’ That is the key to all of it; it has to be industry-driven. If you try to force change on industry, that’s not going to work. You’ve got to let those guys tell you what they need, then do the best you can to fulfill those needs.”
Aiken believes the effort has begun to bear real fruit.
“We love the fact that the community colleges are collaborating together,” she said. “We at the REB are all about collaboration, and they are a model for how community colleges and other institutions can collaborate together.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of and November 2013.

AGAWAM

Ashford & Son
82 Stony Hill Road
Todd Ashford

Anderson Construction
63 Stewart Lane
Neil Anderson

Home Care Services
60 Walnut St.
Katherine Kennedy

Nataliya European Style Café
339 N. Westfield St.
Nataliya Belozerova

Personal Care Life Skills
270 Main St.
Donna Wagner

AMHERST

Amherst Live
125 Red Gate Lane
Oliver Broudy

Songs from Around the Corner & Stories from Around the World
30 Hickory Lane
Jon Ploof

The Loose Goose Café
233 North Pleasant St.
J.L. Gourmet Inc.

CHICOPEE

Building 54 Airsoft Arena
42 Buckly Boulevard
Robert Marco

Mya’s Restaurant
108 West St.
Aisha Cardona

Shell Food Mart
197 Grove St.
Sanjay Patel

HOLYOKE

CVS Pharmacy
250 Whiting Farm Road
Linda M. Cimbron

Heritage Transport
49 Laurel St.
Ronald Charelte

Luna Designs
402 Hillside Dr.
Laura Pantoja

Pro Spine Rehab
199 High St.
Michael Langlitz

The White Rose
284 High St.
Betty Kaplowitz

Whitley’s Fitness Center
384 High St.
Dwayne Whitley

NORTHAMPTON

Banana Watercolor
87 Water St.
Chris Gentes

Mill River Films
8 Nonotuck St.
Stan Freeman

Nohosoft
101 North Maple St.
Derek Peren

Pure Current Therapeutics & Lifestyle Alignment
72 Center St.
Alexa Williamson

Sharku Editing
12 Mary Jane Lane
Christine Craig

Snokon
119 Nonotuck St.
Andrew Wollner

PALMER

Alternative Marketing Concepts
12 Vernon St.
Walter Haggerty

Laub & Laub Handyman Services
2056 Palmer Road
Eric Laub

SPRINGFIELD

Angel’s Auto Repair
160 Magazine St.
Angel L. Alicea

Artifact, LLC
270 Albany St.
Jake T. Mazar

Awan Brothers
954 State St.
Wajid Mahmood

Boston Community Medical
3550 Main St.
Mary Glover

Café du Jour
1365 Main St.
Khaled M. Saleh

Calligraphy by Hatter
238 Maple St.
Hatter George

Cameron Construction
128 Tavistock St.
Brian M. Liquore

Dream Flower Variety
216 Hancock St.
Esmie Spalding

Dreamland Imports, LLC
1655 Boston Road
Israel Burgos, Jr.

E & C Handyman Service
87 Manhattan St.
Edgar H. Wilcox

Fight to Live
14 Embury St.
James E. Dixon

Graham Property Management
250 Albany St.
David D. Graham

Grez Automotive
604 Boston Road
Walter Joseph

Griffin Staffing Network
1145 Main St.
Nicole Griffin

Harmony Way
70 Mansfield St.
Michelle Croze

Hess
80 St. James Blvd.
David A. Klavonsvp

JB Auto Sales, LLC
48 Winter St.
William J. Gilligan

WESTFIELD

Giovanni’s
69 Franklin St.
Samuel Kim

The Seat Weaver
71 Elm St.
Alice Flyte

Yelena’s Baked Goods
94 George St.
Yelena Vdovichenko

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Advanced Printing & Copy
229 Memorial Ave.
Markath, Inc.

Fektion Nation
715 Main St.
Gabriel Martinez

KJ Woodworking
43 Skyline Dr.
Kevin J. Kras

Paul’s Roofing and Repair
107 Norman St.
Paul J. Morin

Wright Insurance Agency
1111 Elm St.
Lula Wright

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Nov. 19: ACCGS Lunch with Governor Deval Patrick, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hosted by Springfield Marriott. Join us for lunch with the governor as he talks about his administration’s efforts to promote growth and opportunity in the Greater Springfield region. Cost: $50 for members, $60 for general admission. Package pricing is available; purchase a reservation to this event and the Nov. 21 Government Reception for just $80 for members, $120 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at  www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Nov. 21: ACCGS Government Reception, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield. A great opportunity to meet socially with your local, state, and federal officials. Sponsored by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, Baystate Health, Comcast, Western Mass. Electric Co., and United Personnel. Cost: $50 for members, $70 for general admission, including complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres. Package pricing is available; purchase a reservation to this event and the Nov. 19 ACCGS Lunch for just $80 for members, $120 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at  www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Dec. 4: ACCGS Business @ Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m. Hosted by the Colony Club, Springfield. Community Foundation of Western Mass. President Katie Allan Zobel will explore the value of philanthropy, report on the success of the inaugural Valley Gives, and provide a sneak peek at this year’s 12-12-13 event. Sponsored by Masiello Employment Services. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for general admission, including complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres.  Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com.
• Dec. 11: ACCGS Lunch ‘n’ Learn, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hosted by La Quinta Inns & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. The program, “The Power of E-mail Marketing,” is a comprehensive look at best practices and winning strategies for getting an audience to open, read, and act on an email. Presented by Liz Provo, authorized local representative for Constant Contact. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for generation admission, including networking time and a boxed lunch. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Nov. 20: Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, Amherst. Sponsored by SciDose LLC. Come explore the new Amherst Survival Center. Make new contacts, see old friends, eat, drink, and network. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.
• Dec. 11: Chamber After 5/Holiday Party, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by the Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. Sponsored by Amherst Laser & Skin Care. Make new contacts, see old friends, eat, drink, and network. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• Nov. 22: CheckPoint 2013 Legislative Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hosted by Wyckoff Country Club, Holyoke. Economic development and emerging technologies are the focus of this three-chamber legislative luncheon, with keynote speakers Sen. Gale Candaras and Rep. Joseph Wagner. Both serve in leadership positions on the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee that committee considers matters of commerce, casino gambling and gaming, the racing industry, industrial development, retention of science- and technology-intensive industries, innovation systems from research to development, networking, the Internet, data storage and access, communication, biotechnology, stem-cell research, medical technology, medical devices, and more. The mayors of Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield are invited guests. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Sponsored by PeoplesBank, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Holyoke Medical Center, Westfield Bank, Chicopee Savings Bank, United Personnel, FieldEddy Insurance, Whalley Computer, and Dave’s Truck Repair.
• Dec. 5: Holiday Party, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Hosted by the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee. Free for all members.
• Dec. 7: New York Bus Trip. Bus leaves the chamber parking lot at 7 a.m. and returns at 9:30 p.m. Enjoy a day on your own in New York City. Cost: $48 per person. For more information, contact the chamber at (413) 594-2101.
• Dec. 9: Gail’s Retirement Party, 5:30 p.m. Hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. After years of hard work and dedication, it’s time for Gail Sherman, president of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, to take a permanent vacation. Join us as we offer her best wishes in her retirement. Cost: $25 per person.
• Dec. 18: December Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m. Hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Cost: $20 for members, $26 for non-members.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

• Nov. 20: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m. Hosted and sponsored by Marcotte Ford, 1025 Main St., Holyoke. Join us at the showroom for an evening of fun and networking, including a 50/50 raffle and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for the public.
• Nov. 22: CheckPoint 2013 Legislative Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hosted by Wyckoff Country Club, Holyoke. Economic development and emerging technologies are the focus of this three-chamber legislative luncheon, with keynote speakers Sen. Gale Candaras and Rep. Joseph Wagner. Both serve in leadership positions on the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee that committee considers matters of commerce, casino gambling and gaming, the racing industry, industrial development, retention of science- and technology-intensive industries, innovation systems from research to development, networking, the Internet, data storage and access, communication, biotechnology, stem-cell research, medical technology, medical devices, and more. The mayors of Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield are invited guests. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Sponsored by PeoplesBank, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Holyoke Medical Center, Westfield Bank, Chicopee Savings Bank, United Personnel, FieldEddy Insurance, Whalley Computer, and Dave’s Truck Repair. To reserve tickets or for more information, contact the chamber at (413) 534-3376.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Nov. 19: Art of Consulting Workshop, 8:30-10 a.m. Hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presenter Don Lesser has been a consultant and run a business that uses consultants for more than 30 years. He will share the guiding principles of consulting that sum up the lessons he has learned over the past three decades. For more information, contact the chamber at (413) 584-1900.
• Dec. 2: New Member Info Session, 12-1 p.m. This is a chance to tell us more about your business and how the chamber can best serve you, meet other new members, and learn how to make to the most of your chamber membership. A light lunch will be served. RSVP to (413) 584-1900 or [email protected].
• Dec. 4: Northampton Chamber Monthly Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Thornes Marketplace. Sponsored by Keiter Builders, Johnson & Hill Staffing, and United Bank. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can for this casual mix and mingle with colleagues and friends. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.
• Dec. 17: 2013 December Incite Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m. Presenting speaker: Kathleen McCarthy, Smith College president. Series sponsor: United Personnel. Cost: $20 for members, $30 for non-members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Nov. 22: CheckPoint 2013 Legislative Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wyckoff Country Club, Holyoke. Economic development and emerging technologies are the focus of this three-chamber legislative luncheon, with keynote speakers Sen. Gale Candaras and Rep. Joseph Wagner. Both serve in leadership positions on the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee that committee considers matters of commerce, casino gambling and gaming, the racing industry, industrial development, retention of science- and technology-intensive industries, innovation systems from research to development, networking, the Internet, data storage and access, communication, biotechnology, stem-cell research, medical technology, medical devices, and more. The mayors of Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield are invited guests. Cost: $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Sponsored by PeoplesBank, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Holyoke Medical Center, Westfield Bank, Chicopee Savings Bank, United Personnel, FieldEddy Insurance, Whalley Computer, Health New England, Milone & MacBroom, and Dave’s Truck Repair. RSVP by Nov. 20. For more information or to register for this luncheon, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected].
• Dec. 2: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m. Hosted by Dunkin’ Donuts, 625 East Main St., in the Little River Plaza Center. Mayor Daniel Knapik would like your participation in the upcoming coffee hour by submitting any questions, concerns, or ideas for discussion. He will also provide updates and news about the city. To submit questions and to register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected]. The public is welcome to attend.
• Dec. 13: Holiday Breakfast 2013, 7:15-9 a.m. Hosted by Tekoa Country Club, 459 Russell Road, Westfield. Platinum Sponsor: Westfield State University. Silver Sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank. More information to come on this annual event.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• Jan. 15: Table Top Expo. For more information, contact Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1310 or [email protected].

Climate Change

By
Features
Chambers Respond to a Challenging New Environment

Jeff Ciuffreda

Jeff Ciuffreda says the ACCGS and Springfield Chamber have “retooled” when it comes to the services offered to members.

Roy Nascimento told BusinessWest that there’s a saying of sorts used within his industry, one that goes something like this: “when you’ve seen one chamber of commerce … you’ve seen one chamber of commerce.”
The president and CEO of the New Bedford Area Chamber and the incoming president of the Mass. Assoc. of Chamber of Commerce Executives (MACE) summoned that phrase to express the sentiment that, while many have a tendency to paint these institutions with one broad brush, they are in many ways very different from one another.
This is true with regard to everything from size to geography to the specific focus of programs and energy within each organization, he said, noting that his chamber, for example, leads a number of initiatives aimed at supporting and growing the New Bedford area’s $1 billion fishing industry.
But despite these apparent differences, chambers across this state — and around the country, for that matter — are facing some common, and formidable, challenges.
Chief among them is membership. It is down for almost all chambers, and by 25% or more at many of them from 10 or even five years ago, said Jeffrey Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield and executive director of the Springfield Chamber. That latter organization had perhaps 750 members five years ago, he said, and now counts roughly 520, a nearly 30% decrease that he described as “typical,” at least in his estimation.
There are several reasons for such drops, said Ciuffreda and others we spoke with. He and Nascimento both mentioned lingering effects from the Great Recession and a related, ongoing trend toward consolidation in many industries — from banking to insurance; from healthcare to the media — that has simply left fewer players to pay dues to a chamber.
But there are other factors, said Ciuffreda, listing everything from competition from other chambers and groups such as young professional organizations to some changing attitudes about chambers on the part of the mostly smaller businesses that now dominate membership rosters.
“Before, the larger, more established corporations joined the chamber because it was the right thing to do, and the chamber was looked upon as the chief cheerleader for that community,” he said. “Now, when you’re out there getting new members, you’re getting mostly smaller businesses that are looking to the chamber for more assistance, guidance, and some advocacy.”
Summing it all up, Ciuffreda described the current environment as “the changing face of chambers,” and said some organizations are reacting to it more quickly and more effectively than others. Overall, chambers are doing things they haven’t done recently, or much at all, he told BusinessWest, mentioning such initiatives as strategic planning, marketing studies, and deep introspection about mission, programming, and ways to bring more value to members and prospective members.
According to Kate Phelon, a relative newcomer to chamber administration — she took the reins of the Greater Westfield organization three years ago — while providing value has always been a key element in any chamber’s success, in this changed environment it is more imperative than ever to provide what amounts to ROI to members.
And this means all members, she said, adding that the Westfield Chamber has been working to identify the needs of specific sectors, or groups, and develop programs to meet them.
Kate Phelon

Kate Phelon says the Westfield Chamber is focused on finding ways to serve members across all business sectors, from manufacturers to nonprofits.

“Not all members have the same needs, nor do they all see the same value in their chamber,” she explained. “If you look at manufacturers, nonprofits, and very small businesses, those with three employees or fewer, they all see a different value. My manufacturing members will not get business coming to an after-5 event, but my nonprofits and small businesses love those events; it’s their bread and butter. Providing value to each one of these groups is a real challenge, but you have to meet it.”
Kathy Anderson, who segued from Holyoke City Hall, specifically the office of Planning and Economic Development, to the directorship of that city’s chamber 18 months ago, agreed.
She said the Holyoke Chamber has been aggressive in development of new programs, ranging from an ‘Ask a Chamber Expert’ initiative to an endeavor to spotlight the work of manufacturers based in the city, to something called SPARK (Stimulating Potential, Accessing Resource Knowledge), a venture aimed at “fanning the flame of entrepreneurship” (more on these efforts later).
They were all blueprinted, she said, to provide value-added services to different business groups, while also enabling the chamber to “keep changing and evolving, and providing something fresh and different.”
For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at this changing face of chambers of commerce, and at what area organizations are doing to adjust to — and thrive in — this new environment.

Matters of Relevance
As he talked about the current climate for chambers and their leaders, Nascimento said there are both challenges and opportunities, and that the common denominator involving elements of each category is the term ‘relevance.’
He used it to describe what chambers must have at a time when they are smaller — at least in terms of membership — than they were years ago, but more is being asked from them, both in the community and from those members.
“Relevance is not a new term, but it is re-emerging within our industry,” he explained. “Is the programming relevant to our members? Is it adding value to our members? Is it providing value to our communities?”
Elaborating, he said that the chambers that are most effectively responding to the changing times are becoming involved in the many facets of economic development — from education to tourism to advocacy — and are becoming more focused on the communities they’re serving.
As examples, he noted his chamber’s work to support the fishing industry — it has helped create what’s known as a ‘seafood buyers mission,’ an event that last year recorded $12 million in sales — and also its work with other groups to revive the region’s convention and visitors bureau, thus bolstering another strong sector of its economy.
There are similar examples from across the state, he said, adding that proactive chambers are changing and getting more involved, again, out of necessity, to gain and retain members.
Indeed, the biggest challenge facing what Nascimento called the “chamber industry” is the same one confronting most all business sectors — ongoing consolidation.
“Our members are merging, they’re being bought out, they’re retiring, and all because of a number of factors — globalization, competition, and others,” he explained, noting that his chamber has seen membership drop from 1,200 to roughly 950 over the past decade or so. “The market out there for traditional members of a chamber are the stakeholders in the business community — your banks, your credit unions, insurance companies, printers, local media, hospitals — and all those industries are consolidating themselves.
“Since I’ve been here over the past seven years, we’ve seen several of our local community banks merge with other community banks that are members,” he went on. “And we’ve seen media merge; at one point, we had a daily newspaper in New Bedford, another daily in a neighboring community, a business publication, and a weekly newspaper in each of the towns. Now, there’s one company that owns them all.”
Similar developments have taken place within the insurance sector, where a number of smaller, family owned agencies have been merged into larger operations; the printing sector; and even office supplies, he said. “We used to have three or four office-supply companies in New Bedford, but they’re all gone — there’s one company, and it’s a regional company.”
This “shrinkage” within the marketplace, as he called it, has left chambers with little choice but to sharpen their focus on services to members and find new — or sometimes old — ways to be relevant.
Ciuffreda agreed, and said the ACCGS and the Springfield Chamber are responding to this challenge in many ways, but mostly a sharper focus on identifying needs and concerns among members — and in the community — and then addressing them.
“We’ve retooled a little bit,” he told BusinessWest, using a word he would come back to often. “When we look at the reasons why people join chambers, it’s clear that we’ve moved on from those days when it was the right thing to do. People are much more focused on services and what they can get out of being a member.”
And this goes beyond benefits such as programs that aggregate small businesses to provide savings on health insurance or discount pharmacy cards, he went on, adding that members are looking for more technical assistance, advocacy, and involvement in key issues.
He said the ACCGS, which has been “in and out” with regard to providing technical assistance to small businesses, will look to get back in if funding can be secured from the state and the private sector. Meanwhile, he said the organization is already more involved in such matters as education and closing the so-called skills gap that is impacting many sectors.
“We’re getting much more involved in education because we are hearing from businesses that want to expand that there is clearly a skills gap,” he noted. “We’re more involved with the school systems, the vocational schools, and the community colleges to try and close that gap.”

Getting Down to Business
The need to effectively identify member needs and tailor a roster of services to meet them is one of many motivating factors behind the ACCGS’s continued involvement in programs with marketing and business students at Western New England University, specifically those taught by marketing professor Janelle Goodnight.
She told BusinessWest that, on several occasions, her students have gathered research on the ACCGS, competing chambers in this region, and chambers in general, and then developed comprehensive marketing plans for consideration.
The latest of these plans will be ready by the end of the fall, she said, adding that, because the ACCGS is a client, she could not get into specifics about what will likely be in the document. But she did say that research conducted last spring revealed that many ACCGS members and prospective members did not fully understand the full range of services the chamber provides, and thus need an education through effective marketing.
Meanwhile, that research also revealed that the chamber’s membership is getting older — “members are aging out” was the phrase Goodnight used — and it is not as diverse, from a demographic standpoint, as the region it serves. Thus, moving forward, two obvious goals are to attract both younger business owners and minority business owners.
The need to more effectively serve members represents one of the many ways in which chambers are very much like the small businesses that dominate their membership roles, said Phelon. They are still coping with the lingering effects of the Great Recession, she noted, but also myriad other issues, ranging from the challenge of understanding and making effective use of technology to mastering the many nuances of social media, to simply finding ways to grow in an environment where it is difficult to do so.
“I have IT issues every day,” she said. “Things are changing constantly … should I get this piece of equipment? How am I going to swipe my credit cards? It’s very hard to keep up, and that’s just one challenge we’re facing.”
Some of the others give credence to Nascimento’s comments about each chamber being different. The Westfield Chamber, for example, serves 10 communities. Westfield and Southwick are home to most members, but the organization’s reach also extends to the small hilltowns (many with populations of 1,000 people or fewer) to the west.
Reaching out to the business owners in these communities, and then convincing them to take part in events and programs several miles down Route 20, can be difficult, she went on, but succeeding in those efforts not only helps the chamber, but it builds a stronger regional business community.
Phelon’s philosophy is summed up in the slogan she puts on the front of her membership packets: ‘The Power of Connectivity.’
She said it refers to the many ways in which the chamber can provide connections — from face-to-face networking events, which she still considers far more effective than social-media outlets, to simply providing information that can help a business owner solve a problem or seize an opportunity.
Phelon said the Westfield Chamber probably had between 400 and 450 members in the late ’80s, but is now roughly half that size, with about 215 at present. While it is not realistic to think the organization can again reach its high-water mark, she said there is certainly room for improvement, and it’s happening, thanks in large part to the hiring of a business development manager.
“Now, we’re actually growing,” she said, noting that, in recent years, new memberships have barely kept pace with the inevitable attrition chambers see each year. “And our ability to keep growing is related directly to our success with providing value to all our members.”

Value Proposition
As she talked about the many new initiatives at the Greater Holyoke Chamber, Anderson said they’ve been developed with several goals in mind. Providing more value to members is obviously one of them, she noted, but beyond that is a desire to help businesses with the challenges that are common to all of them — marketing, gaining new business, and saving money.
One of these concepts, called ‘Ask a Chamber Expert,’ has all these goals in mind.
Started last year, this series of workshops, as the title suggests, enables participants to ask a designated chamber member about some specific subject matter, which to date has included ‘How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Business,’ ‘How to Use LinkedIn as a Connecting Point,’ ‘How to Write a Business Plan,’ and even ‘How to Read a Blueprint,’ a requested program that was comparatively well-attended.
“I certainly learned a lot that day,” said Anderson, adding that the program brings benefits to both those asking the questions and those answering them.
“If I use my own members for these workshops and they become the expert in the room, this gets the people to network and know the businesses within our chamber organization,” she explained. “But it also gives low-cost [$10] advice to members, and if they want more help beyond that and want to hire that person to help them, they can do that.”
Meanwhile, another new initiative is aimed specifically at manufacturers, a constituency that, as Phelon noted, doesn’t directly benefit from many traditional chamber programs, such as after-5 events and breakfasts, where service-related businesses can more easily secure new customers.
The multi-faceted initiative is instead designed to build awareness of manufacturing facilities, said Anderson, noting that such exposure could help generate new business while also introducing young people to potential career opportunities.
“October was Manufacturing Month,” she said, pointing to a full slate of events and programs designed to celebrate and draw attention to that sector. “We had three different tours of manufacturing facilities, and they were open to the public because manufacturers want people to know what they do and what’s being made in the community.”
Another endeavor, in which the chamber will partner with the city’s Boys & Girls Club and, more specifically, with those involved in videography, will place three-to five-minute vignettes about Holyoke-area manufacturers on the chamber’s website.
“This is a value added for them, because they want people to know what they’re doing,” she explained, adding that businesses with specific needs may learn that a Holyoke business can make that part or product. “And down the road, we’re going to have a number of Baby Boomers retiring, and there are questions about who’s going to fill those positions. This program will allow these companies to show what kinds of great jobs there are in our manufacturing businesses.”
And then, there’s SPARK, which is designed to help people bring ideas to reality, said Anderson, by connecting individuals with resources and getting them the support they need. The program will offer mentoring, training, advising, tutoring, teaching opportunities, micro loans and below-market real-estate services, she noted, adding that the name was chosen in part to recognize those who have the ‘spark,’ or desire, to take their dreams to the next level, but need various forms of help to make them happen.
Like Phelon, Ciuffreda, and Nascimento, Anderson also mentioned efforts to partner with other chambers and various economic-development-related organizations to bring still more value to members and bolster the business community or specific sectors within it.
These efforts and the others chronicled above represent a response to the new landscape facing chambers, said Nascimento, adding quickly that the scene didn’t change overnight, and the necessary adjustments won’t come that quickly either.
“There are a lot of challenges for chambers,” he said in conclusion, “but there are also a lot of opportunities. This is an exciting time for chambers and our industry; we’re helping our members, and our communities, with many difficult challenges taking place out there.”

Joining the Fight
While Nascimento contends that if you’ve seen one chamber, you’ve seen just one chamber, these organizations are facing a number of common challenges in a climate seemingly far removed from the one that existed decades ago, when joining the chamber was simply the responsible thing to do.
Words like ‘value’ and ‘relevance’ were not recently added to the chamber industry’s lexicon, but they have certainly taken on new meaning — and importance.
And they will continue to be watchwords in the months and years to come.

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

Western Mass. Business Expo 2013

By
Features
A photographic look back at the Expo

IMG_2038The third annual Western Mass. Business Expo, produced by BusinessWest and again presented by Comcast Business, was staged Nov. 6 in downtown Springfield. More than 2,200 attendees passed through the doors at the MassMutual Center, and they had an opportunity to visit more than 120 exhibitor booths, take in a dozen educational seminars, and watch several special presentations on the Show Floor Theater. The day’s programming started with the ACCGS November breakfast, featuring Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Co. and the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Program. Other highlights included the Professional Women’s Chamber November Luncheon featuring Kathrine Switzer, the first women to run in the Boston Marathon, as well as a Pitch Contest and Demo Day presented by Valley Venture Mentors, the day-capping Expo Social, and the announcement of the winner of the Greater Springfield Extreme Website Makeover contest.

AM7J1177AM7J1218AM7J1258Far left, Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest, looks on as Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno welcomes the crowd and kicks off the Expo. Left, members of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield represented the nonprofit networking organization at the show. From left are Kristin Foley, senior employment coordinator at Human Resources Unlimited; Stephanie Killian, event coordinator/marketing assistant at Inspired Marketing; Ashley Clark, commercial services officer at Westfield Bank; Jill Monson, owner of Inspired Marketing; Claudine Gaj, owner of Magic Spoon Catering; and Jeremy Casey, assistant vice president/commercial services officer at Westfield Bank. Below left, Wendy Bryne, left, strategic sourcing manager at MGM Resorts International, speaks with Sophia Sarno, office manager and sales at WhiteStone Marketing Group, at the MGM booth.

AM7J1752AM7J1226AM7J1400More than 120 businesses and nonprofits exhibited at the Expo. Among those seeking the attention of attendees were (clockwise from far left): QualPrint in Pittsfield, represented by, from left, Karen Vosburgh, head estimator, Michael Lennon, account executive, and Audrey Procopio, director of Marketing and Human Resources; Comcast Business, represented by, from left, Adam Dubilo, sales leader, Tina Peel, business account executive, Tim O’Brien, client solutions engineer, Charlie Tzoumas, regional vice president, Stephanie Bedard, marketing communications and operations specialist; Jessie Horne, commercial technician, Tim Paige, business account executive, and Jody Hart, business account executive; and Bay Path College, represented by Sheryl Kosakowski, director of Graduate Admissions (left), and Heather Bushey, associate director of Graduate Admissions.

AM7J1419AM7J1362AM7J1350AM7J1320AM7J1358AM7J1448Left to Right from top left: Eric Harlow, broker relations manager with Health New England, speaks with Kyle Seesman, community relations at ProEx Physical Therapy, at the HNE booth; Jill Tower, associate at Johnson & Hill Staffing (left), and June Liberty, director of Operations for the company, meet Albert Rivers, employment specialist with the Department of Elder Affairs in Springfield; attorneys David McBride and Amelia Holstrom await visitors to the Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. booth; Representing the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst were, from left, Kyle Bate, academic advisor, Judith Miller, director of Undergraduate Online Programs, Jennifer Meunier, director of Business Development and Promotional Strategies for Professional Programs, and Trista Hevey, business development analyst; John Veit, marketing and recruiting coordinator with Meyers Brothers Kalicka, and Teresa Perkins, senior associate for the firm, talk with Susan Smith, director of Business Development for We Care Computers; Brendan Fontanello, promotions manager, and Christine Moauro, marketing and web advertising specialist, staff the abc40/FOX 6 Springfield booth.

AM7J1741SwitzerAM7J1267AM7J1210IMG_2117-7x5AM7J1522AM7J1291AM7J1135AM7J1238The Expo featured entertainment, informative seminars, special presentations, and other highlights that gave attendees plenty to see, learn, and do. Left to right from top left: Kirk Smith, CEO of the Greater Springfield YMCA, presents a seminar titled “The New Business of a Nonprofit”; Luncheon speaker Kathrine Switzer relates the story of how she was the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon; Hector Bauza, president of Bauza & Associates, presents a seminar titled “Effectively Reaching the Hispanic Community”; from left, panelists Audrey Morse Gasteier, deputy director of Policy and Research and director of Employer Policy at the Health Connector; Elin Gaynor, Esq., complaints and appeals manager at Health New England and leader of the company’s Affordable Care Act implementation team, and Marc Criscitelli, vice president at FieldEddy Insurance, lead a presentation titled “Understanding Obamacare”; Peter Ellis, creative director/vice president of DIF Design and organizer of the Springfield Extreme Website Makeover contest, presents a ceremonial $25,000 check to La Esperanza: The Hope of the Pioneer Valley Inc., an organization that provides comprehensive breast-health education and support services to Latina women in Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee. Beside Ellis, from left, are Linda Cooper, a member of La Esperanza’s board of directors, Jeanette Rodríguez, the organization’s executive director, and Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest; Alysia Cutting Cosby (above), a vocalist and actress from Dream Studios of Springfield, leads a group in a performance on the Show Floor Theater; John Maguire, president and CEO of Friendly’s Corp., talks about ongoing efforts to revitalize the company’s brand; Jim Koch, co-founder and chairman of the Boston Beer Co., the breakfast keynote speaker, uses some of his own product to gets his points across; Duane Cashin, president and CEO at Cashin & Co., presents a seminar titled “The Future of Sales.”

AM7J1699AM7J1705IMG_2098A special Pitch Contest & Demo Day showcased local entrepreneurs and those looking to get businesses off the ground. Left to right from far left: Dave (left) and Mike Mullen from KloudBook make their two-minute pitch. Bottom left: judge Ryan Walsh, operations manager from MassChallenge, makes some comments to one of the presenters. The other judges were Paul Peter Nicolai, principal of Nicolai Law Group P.C. (also pictured); Linda Peters, with the Isenberg School of Management at UMass; Stephen Davis, with the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation; and Joel Vengco, vice president and chief information officer, Information &  Technology, for Baystate Health. Above: the pitch contestants contestants included, from left, Daniel Ross of Mission Control, Mike Mullen from KloudBook, Kacey Clark from PeopleHedge, MJ Jang from Voncierge, Natasha Clark of Lioness magazine, Richard Stevens from Worksafe Technology, Diane Pearlman from Berkshire Film and Media Commission, Dan Koval from Worksafe Technology, Dede Wilson from Bakepedia, Marcie Muehlke from Celia Grace, Dave Mullen from Kloudbook, and Dino Larouche from KnowledgeWare21.

IMG_2129AM7J1883IMG_2132AM7J1893The Expo Social, the day-capping networking event, drew a large crowd. Left to right from far left: from MGM Resorts International, from left, Gerri Harris, director of Contract Administration, Frank Scharadin, executive director of Strategic Sourcing, Michelle Reichert, strategic sourcing manager, and Mark Stolarczyk, vice president of Global Procurement; from left, Kristi Reale, senior manager of Meyers Brothers Kalika, P.C.,Teresa Utt, senior account executive for Andrew Associates, and Joanne Haley, senior associate, and Anthony Gabinetti, senior manager, audit and accounting, both with Meyers Brothers Kalicka; from left, John Gormally, publisher of BusinessWest and owner of WGGB abc40/FOX 6 Springfield, Jeff Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, John Garvey, president of Garvey Communication Associates and board member of Valley Venture Mentors, and Dawn Creighton, regional director of AIM; David Condon, owner of Northern Security Systems (left), and Jim White, co-owner of Go Graphix.

Back Home

By
Education Sections
Square One Returns to Its Roots in the South End

Joan Kagan

After more than two years of turmoil, Joan Kagan says Square One is happy to be back home in Springfield’s South End.

Joan Kagan says she never really settled in to her office at what is now known as the Business Growth Center in the Springfield Technology Park across from STCC.
She made it comfortable, finding some non-matching office furniture from various sources — including a table to replace the cardboard box that her printer sat on for months — and securing a print depicting landmarks at her alma matter, Columbia University, that was intended to somehow fill in for the diplomas that were lost when a tornado tore down Main Street in Springfield on June 1, 2011 and essentially leveled Square One’s facilities there.
But the suites in the growth center that housed several administrators with Square One, an early-education provider with facilities in Springfield and Holyoke, were always intended to be temporary, said Kagan, adding quickly that she knew going in that this is, indeed, a relative term.
And as it turned out, the stay was less temporary than she hoped, a development forced by another calamity roughly a year ago — the natural-gas explosion that took out another of Square One’s facilities, this one on Chestnut Street — and difficulty securing a place to rebuild in the city’s South End, the institution’s long-time home, because of speculation and relative uncertainty regarding MGM’s bid to locate a resort casino there.
But in what would have to be considered one of the company’s rare instances of good fortune lately, space unexpectedly became available for lease at 1095 Main St. (the former Grape Vine liquor store), just a block or so from Square One’s former location. A few months ago, elaborate ceremonies were staged to mark the opening of the company’s Family Square center, a family resource facility, on the first floor of that three-story property, and by March, Kagan expects other programs and personnel to be moved into the renovated second floor.
The 14,000-square-foot facilities are not exactly what Square One leaders had in mind as they conceptualized plans for the next chapter in the institution’s history following the tornado, Kagan noted, adding that the preference was certainly for new construction and ownership of the eventual new home. But they represent a chance to return to the South End, which has been home since the late 19th century, and an opportunity to bring back together programs and employees that had been scattered after the twin calamities.
“It’s exciting to be back in the South End — that’s our home,” said Kagan, adding that relatively long-term leases (five years for the first floor and seven for the second) have been inked, giving Square One time and opportunity to determine what ‘home’ will be in the years and decades to come.
Much will be determined by if, where, and how the MGM facility — now the only casino proposal for the Western Mass. region still on the table — takes shape.
For now, though, Square One is focused on the immediate future and proving John Updike wrong when he wrote “you can’t go home again.”
Back in September, there was a different kind of literary look and feel to the grand opening at 1095 Main St. Indeed, students, in a nod to that classic line from The Wizard of  Oz, wore T-shirts that read “there’s no place like our new home.”
The ceremonies came a tumultuous 27 months after the June 2011 tornado changed the landscape on Main Street. The Square One facilities there were so extensively damaged that they had to be torn down.
Programs and personnel were then relocated to a number of sites, said Kagan, listing facilities on Wilbraham Road, the MCDI building on Wilbraham Avenue, and, eventually, the Technology Park at STCC, among others. “We put people anywhere we could find a desk and an office.”
After a short period devoted to stabilizing operations, preliminary planning for building a new, larger facility in the South End commenced.
This was complicated by delays in obtaining an insurance settlement, but moreso by MGM’s announced plans to build an $800 million casino in the South End, mostly on underutilized, vacant, or tornado-damaged property directly across Main Street from Square One’s former home.
“We had owned one piece of property, and we were looking to expand that piece of property,” Kagan explained. “But people were talking to MGM, and MGM was optioning some land; people were hoping that MGM would come to them and make them an offer. There were simply too many moving parts for us to do anything.”
Plans then shifted, with a new goal of finding property to lease, she went on, adding that it was serendipitous that the property at 1095 Main St. became available when a tenant slated to move in backed out of the deal.
In August, Square One opened its Family Square center, as well as one 20-student preschool classroom. The center houses a number of what Kagan called “parent education support services,” and also hosts a number of programs and services, such as a group for mothers of 5-year-old children.
There are also computers at the facilities, on which parents can search for jobs, she said, adding that the new location on Main Street enables Square One to expand services offered at the center and bring under one roof a number of programs and initiatives that were scattered across the city.
And with a new home secured, Square One officials can continue efforts to realize the growth that was anticipated in early 2011, but then essentially shelved due to the loss of facilities from the tornado and gas blast.
Elaborating, Kagan said the company had planned to bring an additional 200 children into its expanded facilities on King Street in Springfield, but that additional capacity was absorbed by the displacement of students following the tornado and gas explosion.
“Those events essentially blew my business plan out of the water,” she said, adding that process of rewriting that document is ongoing.
Growth opportunities will likely accompany an MGM casino in the South End, she said, adding that provisions for day care for the children of employees are part of the agreement between the city and the corporation, which has already had preliminary discussions with Square One about where and how to provide those services.
Meanwhile, possible expansion into Union Station, which is currently undergoing extensive renovations, remains a possibility, she said, adding that a child-care facility has long been one of the potential reuses of the station — because of its location and the public transportation that will be based there — and it remains an option for that landmark.
Looking down the road, Kagan said she’s not sure what Square One will do long term, again, because of the uncertainty regarding the MGM proposal, how it will take shape, and what additional property the casino giant may acquire.
But she says the company is committed to the South End, and to being part of that community. And as it goes about writing that next chapter, Square One will adhere to a philosophy that was actually in place long before the tornado roared down Main Street, but has been reinforced by the events of the past few years.
“We never gave up … we simply said, ‘this is what we’ve got, now how do we move forward given that this is the reality?” she explained. “One of our mantras has always been to be solution-oriented; there’s always a solution, and you just have to get creative and figure it out. But it’s there.” n

— George O’Brien

Reflections on ‘Glennfield’

By
Commercial Real Estate Sections
Developer Edwards Says Springfield Is Poised for Rebirth

Harrison Place

Glenn Edwards wants to attract UMass to the Harrison Place block by touting a ‘campus’ of services students might need.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Glenn Edwards is bullish on Springfield.
“I love Springfield,” the real-estate developer told BusinessWest from his New York office. “My friends call it Glennfield because I talk about it so much — how beautiful my buildings are and how great the city is, with its museums and symphony and everything else.”
The buildings he refers to comprise the Main Street block between Harrison Avenue and Falcon Drive, including Harrison Place, the Johnson’s Bookstore Building, the Northwestern Mutual Building, and several other properties, which he acquired between 2005 and 2007.
That was just before the Great Recession struck, but Edwards more than weathered that storm, reporting more lease activity in the block over the past year than he’s experienced in a long time — at a time when Springfield’s downtown is on the rise, buoyed not just by a probable $800 million casino development, but plenty of other commercial activity, and possibly plans for a UMass satellite campus.
“For me, it’s a freak of nature that it’s not successful on its own because of its location,” Edwards said of Springfield’s accessibility to Boston, New York, Hartford, and Albany. “Yes, it’s had hardships downtown, but so did Harlem, Tribeca, Brooklyn, the Back Bay, the Fens — so many places can identify.”
But Springfield has plenty going for it, Edwards said, and it’s difficult not to put the casino — which MGM Resorts International has proposed to build in the South End of the city — at the top of that list, especially now that voters in West Springfield and, shockingly, Palmer have rejected casino projects in their communities. That leaves Springfield with the only proposal standing in Western Mass. mere months before the state’s Gaming Commission makes its decisions on where to issue licenses for the gaming palaces.
“How can someone turn down a billion-dollar venture?” Edwards said of the stunning defeat of Mohegan Sun’s casino proposal for Palmer. “But I was telling everyone from day one that Springfield was the logical selection. The city is in such need of this investment.”
He compared the city’s central business district to an ocean where a whale — MGM — might splash down, raising all boats. With MGM buying up properties and business tenants facing lease expirations, Edwards hopes other landlords in Springfield get the benefit of their relocations, rather than, say, Longmeadow or Northampton.
“If we take 200,000 square feet of retail and office out of the market, it immediately changes the demand equation for space in the city, and that is favorable, no matter what MGM does,” he explained. “If MGM never builds a casino but takes 200,000 to 300,000 square feet out of the market, the market would benefit. There’s an oversupply of space right now because the population hasn’t been growing in Springfield for 30 years.”
His vision is for other property owners to absorb the displaced tenants and use the influx of capital to further improve their properties, creating more demand to do business downtown. He has already been busy making improvements to his Main Street buildings, but his sense of optimism certainly needs no polishing up.
“The only thing that could get me really shook up is if MGM is not selected by the Gaming Commission — and that’s certainly not guaranteed; there are no guarantees in life,” he said. “Other than that, my outlook is very, very positive.”

Schools of Thought
Edwards says he has long been optimistic about Springfield, well before MGM was a factor. “Over the last year, we’ve had more activity — renewals of major tenants, new prospects looking, and new leases signed — than in any other year. And this is before the demand changes with MGM taking 14 acres and all the tenants to be displaced.”
He says companies are starting to look to Springfield for its reasonable real-estate costs, compared to other cities, and noticing the improvements being made by city officials in the business improvement district, which include everything from better lighting to an increased police presence. “The streets are much safer because of what the BID and Mayor Sarno have done, and all those things are laying the groundwork for a UMass or an MGM to look at Springfield seriously and say, ‘we want to be a part of this.’”
UMass? Quite possibly. Edwards was referring to the state university system’s recent investigation into whether Springfield might one day house a satellite campus.
“We applied for the UMass location,” he told BusinessWest. “When we did, what we said was, ‘we have a bank, we have a Fedex, a sports bar, a convenience store, a coffee shop, we’ll have a sandwich shop soon.”
That eatery will replace a B’Shara’s restaurant that recently closed in the Market Place alley behind the row of Main Street buildings. “We’ve actually turned down a few prospects; we want someone who has a good vision for it. We’re not going to take the first person; we’ll wait. We turned down startups that didn’t have the capital or the knowhow.”
In the upper floors of his buildings, he added, are tenants ranging from insurance and financial-services firms to a chiropractor and a dental office. “We are like a little city by itself. We’re trying to get UMass to embrace the downtown campus, so we’re promoting the Market Place where the street is closed off. It’s immaculate and safe, and cameras and plantings from the BID have changed the whole feel of that.”
Edwards said UMass responded positively to his properties and mix of tenants, but the most important goal is simply for the university to locate somewhere downtown.
“It’s not in our control. We hope and pray they follow through and move downtown; that’s the primary goal, that we end up with UMass taking up to 50,000 square feet downtown, whether they do that in my building or in two or three buildings. That would be an ideal situation for the city, to have all those students and faculty and visitors walking around the city from building to building. We’ll take any piece of that, or no piece, but it’s just so important to keep building on this Knowledge Corridor as one component to whatever else is going on downtown, from Union Station to the Paramount to MGM and sports and concerts. We hope it comes to fruition.”
Edwards has experienced some setbacks, like when the Dennis Group, a major tenant in Harrison Place, moved out in 2009 and relocated to the nearby Fuller Block. “That was the only major loss we had, and we didn’t lose them to going out of business or relocating out of Springfield. We just couldn’t supply them with enough space.”
And he said he wanted Cambridge College, which moved into Tower Square earlier this year, to locate in one of his buildings. But he also believes that success for any downtown landlord is a positive for all property owners, because it helps build overall momentum.
“I want everyone to do well downtown. If they do well, we’re going to do well,” he told BusinessWest. “We thought we had a great location for Cambridge College. But from a psychological standpoint, I’m just thrilled that they have a campus downtown. They didn’t select me, but life goes on. I hope that UMass comes downtown, that Union Station is filled; these are all very favorable things.
“Really, what it comes down to is, people want to go to a place where something is going on; they want their customers to come to a place where something is going on,” he continued. “And Springfield has something going on right now. If I was the only one getting tenants, and no one else was getting any tenants, eventually all my tenants would leave. I can’t do this alone. Kudos to the mayor, the City Council, all the people who are working very hard to make this happen.”

Looking Up
Meanwhile, Edwards said he’s poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into his buildings, often in ways that aren’t immediately noticeable, from elevator improvements to security cameras to high-tech wiring. “Now we’ll be spending on cosmetic things, to attract new tenants and enhance the experience of existing tenants. And I’m just one landlord. We’re all going to do this.”
It has often been a challenge to draw tenants to a downtown characterized by a shrinking population and too many commercial vacancies, but the tide might be turning; out of 260,000 square feet in Edwards’ Springfield properties, only 75,000 remain untenanted, and he’s currently negotiating over 30,000 of it.
He laughed when he mentioned his business partner, who’s 89 years old. “It’s hard to get him excited, but he’s so excited about Springfield. He calls me every day, asking, ‘what’s happening today?’ There is an excitement around this city you wouldn’t believe.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Court Dockets

By
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
Javier Morales v. PVTA
Allegation: Negligent operation of a motor vehicle causing personal injury: $4,883.51
Filed: 9/23/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Eastfield Glass Company Inc. v. Fontaine Inc. and Federal Insurance Company
Allegation: Breach of construction agreement for new high school and monies owed: $80,912.50
Filed: 10/11/13

Fred L. Aaron v. Creating Comfort Outlet, LLP and Joshua Barina and Jose Barina Jr.
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $163,658.35
Filed: 10/4/13

RK Petroleum Inc. v. Arya Petroleum Corp.
Allegation: Breach of promissory note: $315,000
Filed: 10/9/13

University Driving School Inc. v. Anthony R. Gomez d/b/a Western Mass Auto Academy
Allegation: Violation of agreement not to compete: $2,500
Filed: 10/1/13

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
John Mesheau v. IKO Manufacturing Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and express and implied warranties and unfair and deceptive trade practices: $60,000+
Filed: 9/6/13

PALMER DISTRICT COURT
Paley, Rothman, Goldstein, Rosenberg, EIG, & Cooper, Chartered v. Hampden Structural Steel Inc. d/b/a Private Garden Greenhouse Systems
Allegation: Non-payment on previous judgment: $9,263.09
Filed: 8/26/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Ashaunti Lawrence v. Fara Leasing Inc.
Allegation: Negligent operation by a taxicab driver causing injury: $4,257.32
Filed: 9/20/13

Robert D. Manz v. Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
Allegation: Breach of contract: $2,400+
Filed: 10/7/13

Community Profile: Wilbraham

By
Community Profile Features
Wilbraham Embraces Vision of the Future

Amy Scott

Amy Scott says businesses in Wilbraham try to support each other whenever possible.

Amy Scott, principal of Wild Apple Design Group in Wilbraham, was heading out to look for a new car on the day BusinessWest spoke with her about the general business climate in that community.
The Hampden resident acknowledged that, like other Western Mass. residents, she has plenty of options when it comes to where to shop for a new ride, but she entered the search firmly committed to making sure it started and ended on nearby Boston Road.
“It’s part of the loyalty factor,” said Scott, who used that term to cover not only her buying habits but her willingness to serve the community in a number of roles. It’s an attitude that emerged not long after she took a gamble and leased more expensive space in Post Office Park in Wilbraham when she was searching for a new home for her venture two years ago.
She accepted that risk hoping that her services would appeal to the more than 50 businesses in the park and the hundreds of others in the community and just beyond it in Springfield — and the gamble has been rewarded. And she’s made it her policy to repay the loyalty shown to her.
“I feel like every time I have an opportunity to make a purchase, I look around at my neighbors, and they seem to be doing the same,” she explained. “It shows good faith on everybody’s part.”
Good faith is needed in this community that suffers, in many respects, when it comes to that old axiom about commercial real estate: location, location, location.
Indeed, Wilbraham is not exactly easy to get to from most anywhere in Western Mass. So, in recent years, those involved in town government and its business community have been actively involved in providing reasons for people to withstand the many traffic lights and stopsigns they encounter when trying to get here.
Post Office Park is part of that equation, but so are ongoing efforts, waged by the Boston Road Business Assoc. (BRBA), to make that thoroughfare a true destination for those looking for everything from a car to a major appliance to a good meal.
Scott has recently helped the group revamp its Best of Boston Road awards, which now has thousands of Wilbraham and Springfield residents voting for their favorite retailer, insurance company, dentist, restaurant, and more.
But while civic and business leaders work to help convince consumers that Wilbraham is a good place to do business, they’re also focused on quality of life for those who have chosen to live there — and also those who will join them in the decades to come.
The town christened its new, $65 million Minnechaug Regional High School just over a year ago, and also opened a new fire station, thanks to some imaginative financing. The next priorities, said Robert Boilard, vice president of Boilard Lumber and a selectman, are a new police station and senior center.
They are likely to be key components in a new vision, or comprehensive plan, for the town taking shape through the work of the recently formed Vision Task Force.
Working under the slogan “honoring the past, understanding the present, and imagining the future,” the group began work in early 2012 and gave its final report a few weeks ago, said its chairman, Charles Phillips, a long-time resident. “The Vision Task Force expected a largely positive response and received it,” he noted. “We were surprised, however, at some of the creative ideas that were expressed for improvement.”
For this, the latest installment of its Community Profile series, BusinessWest will look at some of those ideas, and also some of the ongoing — and generally successful — efforts to help people in this region, and sometimes from well beyond it, find Wilbraham.

School of Thought
“Tweedy” and “New Englandy.”
Those are two adjectives concocted by Rodney LaBrecque, head of school at Wilbraham Monson Academy, to describe the institution and help explain why it currently boasts students from 34 countries and several U.S. states, and is at full enrollment.
Those terms (the former is actually in the dictionary, while the latter is not) help paint a picture of the 209-year-old campus, one that is obviously appealing. “It’s certainly a selling point,” said LaBrecque, adding that this quaintness is only one reason for the institution’s success and current growth pattern; the diversity of its programs and the school’s emergence as a leader in such fields as entrepreneurship and business studies are more pertinent factors.
And they (or at least ‘New Englandy’) can also be used to describe Wilbraham itself, which was incorporated in 1763 and, like many neighboring communities, was largely agricultural until quite recently.
Robert Boilard

Robert Boilard says the Vision Task Force has helped define future goals for the town.

The town was once famous for its apple and peach orchards and several farms — including Pheasant Farm, Rice’s Fruit Farm, and Bennett’s Turkey Farm — that are no longer operating. In fact, the Wilbraham Peach Festival, a popular fall tradition for a quarter-century, was discontinued in 2010.
In its place, the Wilbraham Nature and Cultural Center (WNCC) — steward of Fountain Park, located off Tinkham Road, where the peach festival was held — has re-energized a summer music series on Thursday nights, which has drawn great reviews and strong attendance for regional bands such as The Kings, Trailer Trash, and The Frank Manzi Band.
This evolution, from peaches to rock music, mirrors other transformations in the town, from agricultural center to one of the region’s more popular bedroom communities, and from a business community that could only be described as sleepy to one that is growing — and diversifying.
Indeed, the tenant list at Post Office Park, which has seen explosive growth over the past decade, includes everything from marketing firms to the Scantic Valley YMCA; from medical facilities to law offices.
The park has helped make Wilbraham the business mailing address for many entrepreneurs who previously had little reason to give the community a look, and it is fueling the potential for more commercial development, albeit controlled, as civic leaders cope with some of the growing pains that come with the population surge recorded in recent decades.
The new high school is a manifestation of this growth, said Boilard, as is the need for a new police station and senior center — and the new vision plan itself, which was commissioned with the knowledge that the community needed to anticipate its future and properly prepare for it.
The Vision Task Force, with which Scott was involved through her work with the BRBA, completed phase one of the initiative, called the “Community Vision,” which laid the groundwork for the next step, creation of a comprensive plan, which will be the road map for the community, said Phillips.
The key priorities identified by respondents, he said, include the need to work harder alongside the business community, continue to insist on excellent education, preserve the feel and beauty of the community, place added emphasis on individual recreation, offer reasonably priced housing with excellent town services, and improve service on sidewalks and bikeways.
And while contemplating the future, the town is coping with the present, which in recent years has meant everything from the Great Recession to the tornadoes that caused extensive damage within the community in June 2011 to the ongoing budget challenges faced by all cities and towns and exacerbated by the state’s own fiscal turmoil.
Effective teamwork in Town Hall has been the most important ingredient in meeting these challenges head on, said Boilard.
“Our department heads are phenomenal, and no matter what our political affiliation, we’ve always been on the same page fiscally,” he said. “When you have a team that is running for that common goal, it makes the end result easier to get to, and we all work as slim as we can to get the job done.”

The Bottom Line
‘Getting the job done’ is a phrase used by a number of people in a many different contexts in this community.
For town officials, it means creating that roadmap for the future while dealing with current challenges. For LaBrecque, it means continuing to build WMA’s brand around the world while also strengthening an already-solid town-gown relationship. And for Scott and others in business community, it means growing their own ventures while working, collectively, to convince the world that Wilbraham really isn’t that far away.
“I love that I’m doing business with my neighbors and they’re doing business with me,” she said. “It’s a pretty healthy place to be.”

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Opinion

By
Opinion
Some Lessons from Worcester

By PAUL McMORROW
Worcester’s downtown withered when city officials staked the neighborhood’s future on a silver-bullet development that missed its mark badly. Now the city is redeveloping downtown, albeit at a pace that seems impossibly slow.
But impatience misses two key points. The massive effort is advancing, even in the face of a weak real-estate market, and it’s advancing in the right direction. Worcester, once bedeviled by gimmicky real-estate developments, is sticking to its plan and refusing to take shortcuts. Given the downtown neighborhood’s history, that’s the most important development of all.
When developers broke ground on Worcester’s CitySquare project three years ago, the development was the largest post-urban-renewal downtown redevelopment effort in Massachusetts history. The 20-acre, $565 million project involves demolishing a massive failed downtown mall, laying out a new street network, and constructing millions of square feet of offices, retail storefronts, and residential space. Worcester is trying to move beyond its failed downtown mall by creating something that is, in both physical form and philosophy, the antithesis of an urban shopping mall.
Scores of American cities suffered from disinvestment and population loss in the 1960s and 1970s. Worcester wasn’t alone in throwing an expensive mega-project at its case of urban rot. But its results were especially disastrous. The city saw scores of shoppers abandoning downtown storefronts for suburban shopping malls, so it decided to drop a shopping mall in the middle of its downtown, sandwiched between City Hall and the train station.
The mall was an unmitigated disaster. It failed twice. Those failures became magnified because Worcester had bulldozed a huge swath of its downtown and erased key roads to accommodate the mall. The city had cut its downtown in two for a gimmick that didn’t even work.
The city is currently working on rebuilding a downtown that looks and functions like one. It’s a turnaround plan that celebrates the downtown, instead of suburbanizing it. It recognizes that good downtowns start with people, and once downtowns fill with people, business happens organically.
CitySquare began with addition by subtraction. Construction crews demolished the old mall and much of the garage parking connected to it. They leveled 80,000 tons of concrete and rebuilt the street grid the mall had erased. The project developer, Leggat McCall Properties, built and opened a pair of commercial buildings, including a new headquarters for the insurance company Unum, in the midst of a poor development market.
Plenty of work remains. More than 1.5 million square feet of buildings remain on the drawing boards. The city needs every one of them to create a downtown that hums with life. Worcester’s failed mall showed that cities can’t wish vibrant downtowns into existence. People need real reasons for coming, and staying, downtown. That’s why the residential component of Worcester’s CitySquare plan looms large — it shows the city understands the importance of incremental change.
CitySquare needs around-the-clock residents to anchor Worcester’s new downtown, not just office workers who punch the clock before driving home. It needs a critical mass of bodies who are vested in the neighborhood and who will attract the restaurants and coffee shops that will draw new visitors to the area, which will, in turn, allow the entire district to succeed. This critical mass needs to be large.
The city needs sizeable apartment and condominium complexes to deliver the number of bodies that will anchor the rest of the neighborhood. Large residential buildings are also very difficult to build in Worcester because they cost more to build than they’d generate in rent. Cheaper wood-frame apartments could have gone up a year or two ago, but these low-slung buildings wouldn’t generate anywhere close to the kind of residential density the CitySquare vision hinges on. It’s a sign that the city gets it, that it’s avoiding shortcuts and holding out for the kind of density it needs to create a downtown that isn’t just full of buildings, but actually feels alive.

Paul McMorrow is an associate editor at Commonwealth Magazine.

Woman’s World

By
Law Sections
Royal LLP Helps Clients Get Down to Business

Amy Royal, founding partner of Royal LLP.

Amy Royal, founding partner of Royal LLP.

It’s an accepted trope that society has become more litigious, Amy Royal says, but not every business understands the implications of that fact.
“When someone loses a job, nine times out of 10, they don’t accept ownership or think it was anything they did, but it must be someone else’s fault,” said Royal, founding partner of Royal LLP, a Northampton-based, management-side labor and employment law firm.
“Unfortunately, our system makes it very easy for disgruntled employees to file claims against their former employer,” she continued. “You can go to a state agency and file for free. You can go to an attorney and engage their services without any real out-of-pocket costs. Because of that, numerous frivolous claims are filed every single day. A lot of people who may have engaged in misconduct are still able to take advantage of the system. It impacts everyone.”
Therefore, one service Royal provides its business clients is helping them to be proactive in a litigious world and develop practices that will save money and headaches in the long run.
“Documentation is key — and adequate documentation,” Royal told BusinessWest. “On the litigation end of things, when I get a case, I meet with the client and hear about how awful this employee was, stories of acts of misconduct, times they didn’t show up for work, and I think this is going to be a slam dunk. And I ask to see the personnel file, and there’s nothing in there to support that, or the documentation isn’t very good.”
So Royal teaches supervisors not only the importance of creating a paper trail, but how to write disciplinary actions that will stand up to scrutiny later on. “You’re writing it for the future — for courts, judges’ eyes, investigators’ eyes. What information do you want to put in there? It goes back to the journalistic principles of who, what, when, where … just stick to the facts.”
That’s one example of how Royal LLP aims to be a partner with its clients, not just a resource they turn to when they’re in legal hot water.
This month marks the five-year anniversary of the firm, which was launched first as Royal & Munnings — with Aimee Munnings, who now runs a large nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. — and later as Royal & Klimczuk, with Kimberly Klimczuk, who currently works at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. in Springfield.
Since operating under her solo name, Royal has built a law firm of nine attorneys and has largely realized her initial goal “to create a pre-eminent management-side labor and employment law firm that would support the growth of women and minority attorneys.” Five full-time attorneys are women, and one is African-American.
“It’s really been my mission to provide these opportunities to women and minorities, primarily because, when I started my career, I didn’t see that support, or depth of support,” she recalled. “What prompted me in particular was a report that came out of MIT, around 2007 or 2008, that basically talked about the fact that women attorneys were leaving the private practice of law in large, startling numbers.”
She wondered why, then found the answer. “The women that MIT polled, who took part in the study, said there was no work-life balance in the law firms; they just didn’t support it. I thought, how can that be, especially with the technology today? With the way law firms are structured, a lot of the work can be done at any time, so why is that happening? There must be a solution.”
For this issue and its focus on law, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at that solution and how this firm intends to stay on its current pattern of consistent growth.

Case in Point

Amy Royal (center, with Karina Schrengohst, left, and Tanzania Cannon-Eckerle)

Amy Royal (center, with Karina Schrengohst, left, and Tanzania Cannon-Eckerle) says she set a goal early on of establishing a law practice where women attorneys could succeed and still maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Royal said the economic downturn of the past few years caused many companies to scale back their budgets — in some cases, cutting out preventive work such as training, policy development, audits, and record keeping. But that’s not smart practice, she added.
“I’m a firm believer that, if you spend a little bit of money now, it goes a long way to prevent headaches later,” she said. “While I think I’m really good at putting out fires for clients and problem solving and coming up with innovative solutions immediately, from a business perspective, that’s not the way you want to operate. You don’t want to always be reacting.”
That applies to a wide variety of situations, not just dealing with disgruntled ex-employees.
“For example, fairly recently, I had a company that has always been union-free, and hopefully will continue to be union-free, but they’ve had some union chatter in their organization, and once that train gets going, it’s harder to stop.” So she worked with the client on strategies to reduce the risk of unionization.
“Obviously, there are steps you can take to prevent a union from successfully coming through the door,” Royal said, “but there are many steps you can take before they even arrive, and it’s so much harder to stop it once it’s already on that course than to think about the steps you want to take over the next year, two years, three years to prevent it from ever happening.”
The launch of her own law firm coincided with the financial collapse of 2008, and building a practice over the next five turbulent years has given Royal some strong ideas about what clients want.
“It got me thinking about the future of the law and trends in the law and the delivery of legal services,” she said. So, this year, the firm introduced a flat-fee system that can be structured in several different ways. “I do believe the trend is move away from traditional billable hours, because in what other field do you purchase a product without knowing what the price is going to be? It’s only human that people want certainty in their billing; they want to know what they’re paying for. So we’ve come up with different flat-fee programs; one is all-inclusive and encompasses litigation as well.
“Even some law firms that may be on the cutting edge and have decided to provide some flat-fee services, I don’t think they have done that in the context of litigation because litigation can be so unknown,” she continued. “However, since we have this niche in management-side labor and employment law, we’re able to predict the costs, and we’re able to provide a very reasonable flat-fee arrangement to clients, similar to what you get with insurance, where you share in the risk, so to speak.”

Navigating a Minefield
The risk for businesses comes in many forms, especially at a time when employment law is becoming more complex and tilting, in many ways, toward broader workers’ rights. For instance, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was amended in 2008 to define virtually anyone with any form of physical and mental impairment as ‘disabled,’ granting them added protection in the workplace.
“That has obviously created a lot of issues and uncertainties,” Royal said. “It’s also an area our state agencies and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination have focused in on. They’ve taken the position that everyone is disabled, and therefore your company needs to be providing accommodations and engaging in dialogue with employees about what accommodations you can give them.”
Those issues can, frankly, be confusing for businesses, which often need a consultant like Royal LLP to train them in how to engage in that dialogue.
The training she and her fellow attorneys provide often takes the form of role-playing exercises with a company’s supervisory staffers, which can be a more effective learning tool than a dry lecture. “We’ve tried to make our trainings very practical and very interactive,” she said.
Other expertise the firm offers has nothing to do with litigation or employee grievance. For example, it helps companies create succession plans — not just for key executives, but for other critical staffers, such as a program manager for a nonprofit. “Do you have a plan in place to deal with the loss?”
The broad range of issues involved in employment law appeals to Royal, as do the long-term relationships she has built hammering out those issues for clients.
“We end up being their trusted business confidant, and that’s the really exciting thing,” she said. “We get to wear different hats — we get to be their advocate in court and litigate hard and aggressively for the client; we get to be their counsel that advises and helps them make plans that are both business-based and have legal implications; and we also get to be their educator, get to train them and their staff in how to stay out of trouble, or at least miminize their exposure to legal risk.”
The steps companies need to take might seem obvious, she told BusinessWest, but aren’t always followed in the day-to-day struggle to survive in a down economy.
“A lot of what I hear from management is there’s not enough time in the day to document issues, and I’m sensitive to that, because I run a business, too,” Royal said. “Again, if you go back to the training and the journalism approach of who, what, when, where, if you jot that down on a piece of paper, it’s not going to take you all that long, and it’s going to save you time in the long run, when you’re embroiled in litigation.”

Community Ties
As she builds the firm’s reputation in area communities — it has a second office in Springfield — Royal said it’s equally important to stay involved in civic life outside the workplace.
“Something I hope to instill in the other attorneys is being active in the community and giving back to the community,” she said. “It’s so important and so beneficial to everyone. So we do have a lot of our staff active in the community.”
Specifically, Royal serves on four different boards and chairs the United Way of Hampshire County, while the other attorneys are active on various boards or nonprofits. “It’s really important to me, and something that has really engaged the attorneys here and gets them to connect with our clients and the community in a different way.”
That’s the kind of work-life balance she knew was possible when she set out with a goal to establish, as she puts it, the pre-eminent labor and employment law firm in this region.
“I do expect additional growth, especially in the Connecticut arena,” she told BusinessWest. “Three of our attorneys are admitted to practice there, and I do have a Connecticut client base.”
Royal LLP has come a long way in just five years, but that doesn’t surprise its founder.
“That was my hope and my vision and my push. I’ve worked really hard to get the Royal name out there in every way I possibly could. So I’m really pleased, but I continue to make that push and want to continue to grow.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at  [email protected]

Altered States

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Law Sections
Benefits Landscape in Massachusetts Changes After DOMA Ruling

By AMELIA J. HOLMSTROM, Esq.

Amelia J. Holmstrom, Esq.

Amelia J. Holmstrom, Esq.

Massachusetts law has recognized same-sex marriages since 2003, but until recently, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) had interfered with Massachusetts employers’ ability to grant same-sex couples full equality under the law.
DOMA governs all federal statutes, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Section 3 of DOMA defined the term ‘marriage’ as between one man and one woman, and ‘spouse’ meant a person of the opposite sex. On June 25, however, the Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional.
The decision, United States v. Windsor, means that state law will now apply to the definition of marriage and spouse, which means that in states where same-sex marriages are legal, state law will take control. Under Massachusetts law, same-sex spouses will now receive all the benefits granted under federal law to opposite-sex spouses. The Windsor decision requires employers to adopt new policies and procedures because the decision impacts employee benefits and certain job-protected leaves and also has tax implications.
ERISA governs some health-benefit plans as well as retirement benefits offered to employees. Many Massachusetts employers have fully insured health plans, and those plans are governed by state law. Since DOMA governs federal laws, same-sex spouses have been covered under state plans since 2003. Some employers have self-insured health plans, which are governed by ERISA.
Prior to the Windsor decision, Massachusetts employers with self-insured ERISA benefit plans were not required to offer such plans to the same-sex spouses of their employees. The court’s decision changes this; Massachusetts employers with ERISA benefit plans are now required to offer insurance to a qualifying employee’s same-sex spouse. And, under COBRA, same-sex spouses who are already enrolled in the company’s insurance will need to receive the opportunity to continue their health-insurance benefits under the same circumstances that apply to opposite-sex spouses.
Qualified employee retirement plans, such as 401(k) and pension plans, are also affected by the decision. The ruling affects who is considered an automatic beneficiary, spousal consent for non-spouse beneficiaries, QDRO protection, automatic death benefits, and the timing and amounts of death-benefit payments, special roll-over rules, hardship distribution criteria, and minimum distribution rules.
These changes to employee benefit plans also raise tax implications. Many employers in Massachusetts already allowed same-sex spouses to be covered under the employee’s insurance plan, but for most such employees, the value of the healthcare coverage provided to the same-sex spouse was subject to federal income and employment taxes. To make matters more complicated, the value of the benefits was not subject to Massachusetts income and employment taxes because those benefits were not considered income under Massachusetts law. After the court’s ruling, same-sex spouses are considered spouses for employee benefit purposes under federal law, and the value of health-insurance benefits provided to those spouses is not considered taxable income.
The court’s decision also affects a same-sex spouse’s use of FMLA leave. Before the Windsor decision, DOMA prevented employers from granting FMLA leave to employees to care for their same-sex spouses. Accordingly, an employer who granted leave to an employee to care for his or her same-sex spouse could not count that leave time against the employee’s FMLA entitlement. This meant that employees who were granted non-FMLA leave time to care for their same-sex spouse were still entitled to leave under the FMLA for reasons other than caring for their same-sex spouse. Thus, some employees received double the amount of job-protected leave. Since the DOMA decision, Massachusetts employers must permit employees to take FMLA leave to care for a same-sex spouse with a serious health condition, and that leave may be counted against the employee’s annual FMLA allotment.
For Massachusetts employers with operations in other states that do not recognize same-sex marriage, the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor (DOL) have issued guidance clarifying the impact of the decision in those states. Specifically, same-sex couples legally married in a jurisdiction with laws authorizing such marriages will be treated as married for federal tax and ERISA purposes, regardless of whether they reside in a state where their marriage is recognized. In contrast, however, the DOL’s FMLA guidance provides that an individual will only qualify as a spouse for FMLA purposes if the employee was married to the same-sex spouse in a state where such marriages are legal and if the couple also resides in a state that recognizes same-sex marriages.
You need to take steps to ensure that your policies and procedures are in compliance with the changes in federal law that have followed the court’s Windsor decision. To be sure that you are making the right changes, you should consult your insurance carrier, retirement-benefits administrator, and labor and employment counsel.

Amelia J. Holstrom joined Skoler, Abbott & Presser in 2012 after serving as a judicial law clerk to the judges of the Connecticut Superior Court, where she assisted with complex matters at all stages of litigation. Her practice is focused on labor law and employment litigation; (413) 737-4753; skoler-abbott.com

Rx for Trusts in Trouble

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Law Sections
Remember: ‘Irrevocable’ Ain’t What It Used to Be

By CAROL C. KLYMAN, Esq.

Carol C. Klyman, Esq.

Carol C. Klyman, Esq.

So, who has a trust and why do we care if it’s ill?
It turns out that there are more people than you think who have set up or are beneficiaries of irrevocable trusts that, for one reason or another, are no longer desirable.
Maybe the law or the reasons for the trust have changed. Sometimes businesses that have been managed through a trust for a period of time may not currently be operating optimally for tax, business, and/or family purposes. Perhaps some provisions of the trust that were originally helpful now cause legal or family problems for the beneficiaries. Maybe the trust has simply outlived its usefulness.  Perhaps the laws under which the trust was created are no longer in force.
Can you get out, how, and who decides where you end up? What, exactly, does ‘irrevocable’ mean when applied to a trust?
The Bay State has a long and fairly rich tradition of allowing modification to irrevocable trusts, which now has been amplified by the passage of the Massachusetts Uniform Trust Code in 2012 and a new court decision in 2013. The types of irrevocable trusts that could be affected are, among others, irrevocable trusts holding life insurance, trusts holding businesses for family and/or non-family members, special-needs trusts, and family and revocable trusts that have become irrevocable at the settlor’s death. What follows are some of the ways to modify irrevocable trusts under current law.

Pursuant to the Trust Instrument
• Contingency clauses. Many well-drafted trusts contain contingency clauses that allow the trustee to terminate the trust, to merge it with similar but not identical trusts, and to amend it to bring it into compliance with tax or other laws.
• Termination clauses. These clauses allow the trustee to distribute trust property out to the beneficiaries when it is too small to make trust administration economically viable.
• Special powers of appointment. These are powers that can be retained by the settlor or granted to a beneficiary. They allow trust property to be distributed or held in trust as directed by the person holding the power. This can be very helpful for minor or disabled beneficiaries or those who may have creditor issues, and is an elegant way of amending the trust without recourse to the trustee, the courts, or other beneficiaries.

Under the New Uniform Trust Code
A trust can be modified under the new UTC as follows:
• Without court approval but with the consent of all the beneficiaries and the settlor (M.G.L. c 203E, Section 411);
• With court approval with consent of the all the beneficiaries and with a court determination that modification is not inconsistent with a material purpose of the trust (M.G.L. c 203E, Section 411); and
• By the court where, because of circumstances not anticipated by the settlor, modification or termination will further the purposes of the trust (M.G.L. c 203E, Section 412).

Pursuant to Case Law
The courts in Massachusetts have allowed trust modification in some of the following circumstances:
• To distribute trust property outright or to appoint property in further trust pursuant to a special power retained by the settlor or granted to a beneficiary even though the trust option may not be specifically mentioned (Loring v. Karri-Davies, 1976);
• To implement intended planning to reduce estate or generation-skipping taxes (First Agricultural Bank v. Coxe, 1990, and its progeny);
• To disclaim a trustee power or beneficiary provision even though there is no express provision in the trust (McClintock v. Schahill, 1998); and
• To ‘decant’ trust property into a successor trust without consent of a court or trust beneficiary under the trustee authority, to distribute to or for the benefit of trust beneficiaries (Morse v. Kraft, 2013).

Some Pitfalls
But, beware, there are traps for the unwary!
Sometimes changes can trigger tax, creditor, or government eligibility problems that didn’t exist previously, and this can make the cure much worse that the disease. Here are some of the pitfalls:
• Loss of tax benefits such as the marital deduction or the generation-skipping tax exemption. Many revocable trusts are set up to maximize the use of the Massachusetts or federal estate-tax exemptions ($5.25 million and $1 million, respectively). At the death of the settlor, the trust becomes irrevocable. Any changes made pursuant to any of the methods above must take care not to lose the benefit of these exemptions.
• Loss of eligibility for MassHealth or other benefit programs. Supplemental-needs trusts and other discretionary trusts may be designed to allow the beneficiary to maintain eligibility for MassHealth, supplemental security income, Social Security disability insurance, veterans-assistance programs, or some rent-subsidy programs. Any outright distribution or transfers to a successor trust that allows the beneficiary independent access to trust assets or income can result in loss of eligibility for these benefits and a disaster for the affected beneficiary.
• Exposure to creditors. Some trusts are designed to shield a beneficiary from the claims of creditors. If these protections are not maintained in the successor trust, the beneficiary may end up with nothing.

Moral of the Story
If you have an irrevocable trust, have it reviewed by a knowledgeable attorney to be sure it meets your needs under your current circumstances, and, if not, ask about using one or more or the above methods to make changes. If you are contemplating creating an irrevocable trust, discuss viable exit strategies as part of your plan.
Remember … irrevocable just ain’t what it used to be!

Carol Cioe Klyman, Esq. is a shareholder of Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., whose practice concentrates in the areas of elder law, estate and special-needs planning, estate administration, and trusts and estates litigation. She is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estates Counsel and immediate past president of the Hampden County Estate Planning Council; (413) 737-1131; www.ssfpc.com

Every Step of the Way

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Health Care Sections
Navigators Guide Cancer Patients Along Their Journey

Jolene Lambert

Jolene Lambert (right) says HMC’s patient-navigation program has helped increase the hospital’s breast-cancer survival rate.

The five-year survival rate for breast cancer, nationally, is 89%.
At Holyoke Medical Center, it’s 95%. And Jolene Lambert believes she knows part of the reason why.
Lambert is HMC’s ‘cancer care navigator,’ working with breast-cancer patients from their initial diagnosis through the often-difficult journey of treatment and recovery. She has also spearheaded community-outreach efforts to persuade women to be screened for breast cancer in an effort to find early-stage disease before it spreads.
Since she took the position less than a year ago, Lambert has found striking success on both fronts. All the patients she helps as navigator are 100% compliant with getting to their medical appointments, taking the proper medication, and following other treatment recommendations — all of which enhances their long-term odds of beating the disease.
At the same time, the hospital has become more visible with community efforts to convince healthy women to get mammograms. “Some people are afraid to get it checked,” she said, “but the sooner you get it checked, the greater your chance of survival.”
The overarching idea, she explained, is that cancer is a frightening and often confusing subject, and helping women, well, navigate it will ultimately save lives.
“Patients absolutely require assistance navigating the very complicated silos of our healthcare system,” said Dr. Wilson Mertens, medical director of Cancer Services for Baystate Health. “I would consider navigation to be part concierge service and part rapid contact for patients, to help them manage their symptoms and side effects.”
Baystate offers navigation across a number of cancers, while Holyoke will expand its program beyond breast cancer early next year.
Yet, “I think this concept really started in breast centers across the country because of the complications associated with moving patients from a screening scenario to a biopsy and ultimately surgery, if that’s required,” Mertens said. “Moving through all those steps is complicated, and patients are bewildered when they have to arrange it themselves. They often don’t know how to take the next step, and care is increasingly fragmented.”
The idea behind a navigator, Lambert said, is to give a cancer patient a resource who will guide them every step of the way — in the case of breast cancer, from an abnormal mammogram through all treatments and follow-up. One of her roles is to ensure that the process moves quickly, because patients want answers.
“Patients who are seen in the women’s center meet with the navigator,” she explained. “If they have an abnormal mammogram, they are called on the phone right away to come back for more films, and if they need a biopsy, they are seen within two days for that. The biopsy results are then reviewed with the physician who ordered the mammogram, and they follow up within two days to schedule their surgery.”
But the navigator’s services don’t end there. “If they need rides to appointments, we can help them, or if they don’t understand what the physician is saying to them, we go with them to the appointments so we can explain to them in simpler terms what their care should be,” she told BusinessWest. “I start with the patient’s positive diagnosis and then follow the patient through her care — through surgery, through chemo, through survivorship — to make sure she’s making her appointments, following up, and not getting lost in our healthcare system.”
And it’s a trend becoming much more evident nationwide, she noted. “It is eventually going to be mandatory for all hospitals to have a navigator for cancer; we just happened to start a little early.”

Breaking Down Barriers
The concept of patient navigation was first developed by Dr. Harold Freeman in Harlem, N.Y., as an effort to reduce disparities in access to diagnosis and treatment of cancer, particularly among poor and uninsured people.
“During his practice, he realized he was seeing a lot of women who presented to him with stage 3 breast cancer,” Lambert said. “He felt there should be some way to get to these people because there is a cure for breast cancer if it’s detected early enough.
“So he devised a whole navigator program — not only following people through the disease, but getting out there in the community, getting people to their scheduled mammograms, offering them rides, and preventing barriers to getting mammograms, whether they don’t have insurance, they’re afraid, they don’t have transportation, or they don’t want to pay the co-pay, but would rather spend the money to feed their families. He helped them overcome the barriers to get the care they need.”

Dr. Wilson Mertens

Dr. Wilson Mertens says cancer patients should not be made to feel burdened with every decision.

In 2007, with a $2.5 million grant from the Amgen Foundation, the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention established the Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute to train organizations in patient navigation. The core principles of the institute — which Lambert has attended — include:
• Informing people about the need for recommended examinations and providing timely access to such examinations;
• Eliminating any barriers to timely care across the entire healthcare continuum, and
• Eliminating any barriers to timely diagnoses and treatment in patients who have abnormal or suspicious findings.
Lambert said Holyoke’s program takes seriously the concept of breaking down barriers to care. “If people don’t have insurance, we write to drug companies and get them free medications — anything we can do, we do. We’ve gone as far as buying shoes for patients.”
Traditionally, one of the major barriers to patient compliance has been frustrating lags between diagnosis and consultation. When Lambert became navigator, she reviewed every patient’s chart and noticed a lag time between finding an abnormal mammogram and the resulting biopsy or surgery — in some cases, almost four weeks.
Now, “breast cancer patients are usually seen in one or two days. Some patients who are anxious about their diagnosis have been seen the same day,” she said. “It’s a relief for the patient. I’ve had patients say to me, ‘this would have been my first appointment at a different institution, but here, I already have three treatments under my belt.’ We’re really trying to get people treated quickly.
“Imagine having breast cancer and waiting three weeks for an appointment, or even two weeks,” she added. “I want to be seen the next day.”
At Baystate, Mertens said, navigators tend to work with certain doctors, or the same type of cancer, and they are considered a critical part of the cancer-care team.
“Cancer care has become more complicated,” he told BusinessWest. “Every disease, every patient requires a different set of services and support. What a head and neck cancer patient might need in terms of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are very different from a breast-cancer patient, and a colon-cancer patient needs a whole different set of players and a different structure.”
Navigators who are well-trained in certain diagnoses are able to effectively answer patients’ questions and guide them to the right resources. “If we don’t provide that kind of support, the patients would be left to sort it out for themselves,” he continued. “But we don’t require patients to be their own physicians; we really need to be able to provide that to them.”
Meanwhile, navigation benefits physicians by making sure patients do what they’re instructed to do. Mertens used the example of someone whose primary-care doctor advises him to call a gastroenterologist to schedule a colonoscopy, but the patient decides to put it off. That’s just human nature, after all.
“Well, I can’t afford to have that with my patients,” he said. “If we need something arranged, we need to have it done. But I also think this is complicated enough that we need to own those arrangements.”

Community Minded
Lambert said no navigator program is complete without a public-outreach component that aims to identify cancers before they’ve advanced. She has distributed booklets throughout Holyoke, given several talks in the community, and recruited four physicians and two nurse practitioners for a free breast-cancer screening in March.
“We’re trying to reach all those people,” she said of such efforts. “In October, we’ll be at Stop & Shop booking mammograms on laptops.”
Once they’re in the system — particularly if a doctor detects early-stage breast cancer — she said patients are grateful that someone gave them the nudge to get checked. But she also deals with cultural barriers to care. “A lot of patients have certain religious beliefs, and think they have cancer because they’ve done something bad in their lives.”
Whatever the barrier, Lambert said, her job is to help break through it to get locals the help they need. After all, the mortality rate from all cancers combined has fallen to one-third what it was 40 years ago, and “immediate care and follow-up care are a big plus for these people.”
Patients are grateful for these targeted efforts to treat their cancer and keep them healthy, Mertens said. “They really appreciate the relationship. They spend a fair amount of time contacting the nurses, and the amount of information they receive is very robust.
“I think that it’s a great comfort for them,” he added, “and it’s a comfort for us on the physician side to know they have another healthcare professional with a deep, profound knowledge of what the patient is going through and can get the appropriate services they need.”
One challenge for the future, Mertens noted, is the still-unclear effect of healthcare reform, and new models of treatment like accountable-care organizations, on patient navigation. “There’s no specific payment for navigation, even though we think it’s critical and needs to be provided,” he said. “We’re not sure exactly what it’s going to look like.”
Still, the trend in oncology has been toward more navigation services, not fewer. And that’s bringing a measure of comfort to patients during some of the most difficult times in their lives.
“I had someone say to me the other day, ‘I don’t want to go to Holyoke; I had a bad experience there,’” Lambert said. “I said, ‘try it again; I’ll go with you.’ She said, ‘you would?’”
And she did just that, relieving the anxiety for one more woman in need. “If you don’t have a medical background nowadays,” she said, “you are lost — very lost.”
And when you’re lost, a navigator sure comes in handy.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Eliminating Guesswork

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Health Care Sections
Effective Legal Planning for People with Alzheimer’s Disease

Todd C. Ratner

Todd C. Ratner

Although it is important for everyone to plan for their future, legal planning for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease takes on heightened importance.
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic, progressive illness and is the most common cause of dementia in our elder population. People with the disease are characterized with progressive intellectual deterioration together with a declining ability to perform the activities of daily living.
Early planning allows your loved one with the disease to be involved and express his or her wishes for future care, which eliminates the guesswork. Once an individual with Alzheimer’s disease has lost capacity, it is too late for him or her to designate the person or people they wish to make their healthcare, financial, and estate-planning decisions. It is imperative to note that most people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease have the requisite capacity to execute estate-planning documents.
As a threshold matter, when a client initially meets with an attorney, the attorney must determine whether or not the client has the requisite mental capacity necessary to reasonably articulate their wishes concerning their legal affairs. ‘Testamentary capacity’ is a legal term that refers to a person’s ability to be of sound mind in reference to altering or creating estate-planning documents. Unfortunately, legal testamentary capacity or competence is not a black-and-white determination.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court provides the following standard definition of capacity to execute wills:
“Testamentary capacity requires ability on the part of the testator to understand and carry in mind, in a general way, the nature and situation of his property and his relations to those persons who would naturally have some claim to his rememberence. It requires freedom from delusion, which is the effect of disease or weakness, and which might influence the disposition of his property. And it requires ability at the time of execution of the alleged will to comprehend the nature of the act of making the will.”
In general, the requirements of testamentary capacity are fairly simple. Your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease must meet only this minimal test at the moment the estate-planning documents are executed. Therefore, documents may be valid even if the testator is in the midst of delusion immediately prior and subsequent to execution, as long as he or she possesses the requisite testamentary capacity at the moment of execution.
Therefore, even if your loved one does not recall signing the document the day following execution, it does not invalidate the document if he or she understood it when signing. The mere existence of the onset of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease does not preclude the signing of estate-planning documents, provided that the necessary criteria for mental capacity are met. However, the drafting or revisions to current estate-planning documents should be considered in the early stages of the disease.
Assuming that your family member with Alzheimer’s disease has sufficient capacity to do so, he or she should execute documents to nominate another to make their health and financial decisions at their earliest opportunity. These documents include a healthcare proxy, durable power of attorney, and a living will, which are oftentimes referred to as ‘planning for incapacity documents,’ as they are legally binding only while a person is alive. Preparing for the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease impairing decision-making abilities makes incapacity planning a necessity.
For Alzheimer’s patients, empowering family members or trusted friends to make healthcare decisions (healthcare proxy and living will) and financial decisions (durable power of attorney) ensures that the caregiving effort will not be hindered by a lack of resources or the absence of a decision maker. In the event that your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease no longer has legal capacity and failed to execute the above documents, another person must petition the probate court for guardianship and/or conservatorship, which is a long, public, and expensive process.
Similarly, everyone needs to make a will. This provides for the orderly distribution of your estate upon your death. If you do not draft one, or use some other legal method to transfer your assets when you die, Massachusetts law will determine what happens to your property according to a predetermined legal formula that may very likely not adhere to your preferences.
It is very likely that those with Alzheimer’s disease will incur exorbitant health costs and may require very expensive, specialized nursing-home care. The average cost of a nursing home in Massachusetts is approximately $10,000 per month. Moreover, those with Alzheimer’s disease tend to stay in nursing homes longer than the average resident. Unless you are a veteran of the armed forces, the available options include private payment, long-term-care insurance, and Medicaid.
Since most of us cannot afford to pay $10,000 per month privately without exhausting our assets very quickly, and since long-term-care insurance is typically not available to someone who has already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it is worthwhile to explore the Medicaid option. In order to qualify for Medicaid, the Alzheimer’s patient must meet an asset threshold and is subject to a five-year look-back period for any gifts or transfers they made. As such, timely Medicaid planning is essential to the preservation of assets.
It is critical to embark on a legal plan for the future medical and financial care of your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest possible opportunity. Proper planning enhances the quality of care for an Alzheimer’s patient and also provides peace of mind for those caring for him or her. Most importantly, timely planning allows the Alzheimer’s patient to legally communicate his or her preferences for future financial and health-related decisions, even if they do not later have the capacity to make these choices.

Todd C. Ratner is an estate-planning, elder-law, business, and real-estate attorney with the regional law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C. He serves as the co-chair for the Alzheimer’s Assoc. Tri-County (Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin) Partnership and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County. He is also a recipient of Boston Magazine’s Super Lawyers Rising Stars distinction from 2007 to 2011; (413) 781-0560; baconwilson.com/attorneys/ratner_2

Finance

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Columns Sections
Set a Thorough, Realistic Budget for Your Business

By DEBRA KAYLOR, CPA

Kaylor-DebYou may have heard a lot about the budget for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts this summer and how we, the taxpayers, were going to help balance that budget through new taxes. But what about your budget?
Budgets are a necessary tool to help you monitor where you are and what changes you may need to make to address any unforeseen situations on a timely basis. Many are still recovering from the recession, and while the thought of having to prepare a budget seems frightening to many, it’s a useful and necessary tool to help you and your business make it through any economy — good or bad.
Budgeting helps measure your performance by being able to review what you expected to happen as opposed to what actually happened, and analyze why those differences occurred. Depending on the size of your business, budgeting might be done semi-annually, quarterly, monthly, or even weekly. It relies on assumptions and expectations for the future. As such, you need the right data to build these assumptions and expectations.
There are many questions to ask yourself and others — where do we think revenues will be, what new customers do we think we will gain (or conversely lose), what is the expected cost of our supplies, what new projects do we need or want to do, how many employees do we need, and what will happen with our insurance rates? While no one has a crystal ball, working with other departments in your organization as well as colleagues in your industry will allow you to build a realistic vision of what is expected to happen.
Here are a few things to consider:
• Know what you can control and what you can’t control. Some industries are fairly straightforward, and revenues (and related expenses) can be easily predicted. However, most are not and are subject to variables that are market- or economy-driven and cannot be controlled. Start with what you know, and then step back to review the variable factors and how your business will (or can) react to significant changes in those factors.
• Be realistic. If you expect revenues to decrease, set your budget that way. Do not set yourself up for failure. Budgets are there to help you, not hurt you. Don’t make your budget a target of where you’d like to be, but rather a tool to monitor your progress toward your strategic goals.
• Be careful not to get too specific. This may divert your efforts too much to gathering the data instead of effectively using it.
• Consider seasonal changes in your business when preparing quarterly or monthly budgets. Is most of your revenue generated in the summer? Prepare your budget that way so you can better analyze your budget versus actual results and why actual results may or may not meet the budget.
• Allow plenty of time before the year begins to prepare the budget. Typically, the process isn’t easy, and a lot of information must be gathered prior to pulling it all together. This will also give you an opportunity to consider other actions that may be necessary to meet certain goals — i.e. do you need additional financing, or do you need to reconsider your insurance package? The budget should also be approved by management or a board of directors and discussed with those responsible for monitoring their areas.
• See if your accounting software can help develop and monitor your budget. Many software packages do allow you to enter your budget on an annual and/or monthly basis and may be able to help pull the historical data you may want. This will eliminate the time and potential errors of manually entering information into an Excel spreadsheet.
• Monitor the budget in a timely and consistent manner. This allows you not only to measure your performance, but also to hold people accountable for their areas and reward those who do well. Yes, there are always unknowns, and sometimes things happen that are not in the budget. But that’s OK. One common mistake of monitoring is expecting actual results to mirror the budgeted amounts. While some line items are typically easy to predict (like rent expense, which usually does not change month to month if there is a signed lease agreement in place), most are not, and variances are expected. Monitoring on a timely basis will allow you to identify the factor that kept you from meeting your budget. Successful monitoring will also enable you to adjust other areas as necessary for the larger variances in a timely fashion.
• Learn from your mistakes, especially if you haven’t used budgeting as a tool in the past. In addition to helping you monitor how your business performed monetarily, budgeting should teach you something about your customers and your vendors. What is happening with them will affect you both in the short and long term.
While budgeting is often thought of a tool for businesses, it is also effective for your personal finances. Do you want to take a vacation this year? Do you need a new car? How much money will you need? The same principles apply and will allow you to do the things you would like to do and be prepared to react to unexpected events.
Now that you have your budget, keep up the good work. Budgeting is not a one-time event. To be successful, it must be monitored on a consistent basis to help you succeed with all of your goals. If you monitor and review your budget on a timely basis, you will be better prepared for the unexpected as well as preparing for the future.

Debra Kaylor, CPA is an audit and accounting senior manager at the Holyoke-based public accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 322-3515; [email protected]

Court Dockets

By
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
Amcor Inc. v. HI-DE Liners Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $96,491.28
Filed: 9/4/13

Kronenberger & Sons Restoration v. Greenfield Community College, et al
Allegation: Construction dispute regarding the Energy Neutral Greenhouse: $500,000
Filed: 8/16/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Aleksandr Chuduk v. Maxim Avraamov, Oleysa Avraamova, Konstantin Avraamov, AK Diagnostic, and Pilot Travel Centers, LLC
Allegation: While acting as business partner and accountant, Avraamov committed breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and negligence: $970,000
Filed: 8/28/13

Kevin Wales v. Ballard Truck Center, a/k/a Ballard Mack Sales and Services Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract, negligence in required repairs and maintenance, and breach of warranty: $175,000
Filed: 8/19/13

Monson Savings Bank v. Turbine Systems, LLC and Joseph and Kathleen Gendreau
Allegation: Default on commercial promissory note: $133,022.64
Filed: 8/8/13

Palatium Realty Inc. v. Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Insurance Group Inc., and Michael Smith
Allegation: Misrepresentation and breach of contract: $110,000
Filed: 8/9/13

273 State Street, LLC v. Saia Law Firm, LLC, et al
Allegation: Action for damages as a result of a breach of a lease agreement: $54,656.97
Filed: 8/22/13

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT
Marisol Marcano v. Government Employees Insurance Co. (GEICO) and Raymond Zayas Serrano
Allegation: Unfair and deceptive insurance claims and failure to effectuate a prompt, fair, and equitable settlement: $24,999.99
Filed: 7/26/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
ABC Supply Co. Inc. v. Boardwalk Contractors and Thomas J. Dean
Allegation: Balance remaining on previous judgment: $6,447.52
Filed: 9/6/13

Employers Mutual Casualty Cos. v. ASG Seamle Gutters Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay insurance premiums: $3,048
Filed: 8/12/13

Granite State Insurance Co. v. Nick’s Affordable Home Improvement
Allegation: Suit on non-payment of previous judgment: $37,185.23
Filed: 8/8/13

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield v. New England Transit Sales Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and breach of express and implied warranties regarding sale of bus: $7,570.84
Filed: 9/4/13

Robert Johnson v. Valley Motorsports Inc.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing trip and fall: $6,162.41
Filed: 9/11/13

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move

Christine McCormick

Christine McCormick

Christine McCormick, Dean of the College of Education at UMass Amherst, was elected a fellow in Division 15 Educational Psychology of the American Psychological Assoc. (APA), the premier scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the U.S. The APA is the world’s largest association of psychologists, with more than 134,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as its members. Fellow status is an honor bestowed upon APA members who have shown evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology. With UMass Amherst since 2005, McCormick is the author or co-author of publications on a variety of topics in child development and education. In 2012, she was elected to serve a three-year term on the executive board of the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions, an assembly of deans of education from research and land-grant institutions throughout North America. She was also elected to the executive committee of the American Educational Research Association’s Organization of Institutional Affiliates, which provides a forum for academic institutions, non-university-based research institutions, and professional associations to share information about federal education research issues, people, and events, as well as to be engaged in shaping policy with regard to significant research issues. She was appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick to the Mass. Special Commission on Civic Engagement and Learning, which completed its work last January, and also served on the editorial boards of two major journals in her field: the Journal of Educational Psychology and Educational Psychology Review. She received her Ph.D. in educational psychology, with a minor in measurement and statistics, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
•••••
The Springfield-based regional law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Francis Mirkin, Esq. has been named 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Real Estate by lawyer-ranking service Martindale-Hubbell. This distinction will appear in the December issue of American Lawyer & Corporate Counsel magazine. Mirkin is a shareholder and a member of the firm’s real-estate and banking and finance departments. He is also member of the Mass. Real Estate Conveyancer’s Assoc. and a frequent speaker on commercial real-estate and foreclosure-related matters. He is a multi-year recipient of the SuperLawyer distinction and is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest ranking achievable. Mirkin earned his BA from the University of Massachusetts and his JD from Suffolk University School of Law.
•••••
Teresa Parker

Teresa Parker

Mortgage Originator Teresa Parker is now located at United Bank’s Ludlow branch. Parker had served as the personal banker at United’s Longmeadow branch for nine years before transitioning to her new position as mortgage originator in the bank’s Springfield region. She joins Ludlow personal banker Yvonne Santos and her staff at the 528 Center St. location.
•••••






Angela Lussier

Angela Lussier

The BrunoFox Group recently named Angela Lussier its Chief Strategy Officer. Lussier is an award-winning speaker, TEDx alumna, author, and business consultant whose advice has been featured on Yahoo!, NBC, ABC, Virgin.com, the Ladders, About.com, CBS Money Watch, and other outlets. Within this role, Lussier will serve as lead developer for the organization’s Innovation Unit, which is producing Consulting 2.0 services for entrepreneurs and young professionals. Lussier has worked with individuals, as well as Fortune 100 companies, who have used her successful strategies to achieve unprecedented results.
•••••



Erin Catharine

Erin Catharine

Erin Catharine, copywriter with the Lenox-based creative agency Winstanley Partners, has been named Young Careerist of the Year by Western Mass. Women magazine. The award is part of the magazine’s annual Women to Watch competition, which recognizes local women working in a variety of careers. Winners were decided by nominations and votes from the public. The honor is celebrated with a special issue of Western Mass. Women and an awards banquet. The Young Careerist award was added this year to recognize a professional woman in the region between the ages of 20 and 26 who has a college degree, has been working for less than three years in her profession, and has excelled in her position through contributions to the organization, continued professional development, volunteerism, and more. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Catharine joined the Winstanley creative team in 2012 following stints with Howell Creative Group in Williamsburg, Va. and Taradel LLC in Richmond, Va. She is a past recipient of the Advertising Women of New York scholarship, a Student Silver Addy award, a Richmond, Va. Ad Club Bronze Student Cannonball Award, and the Judge’s Choice Award at the Dallas Society of Visual Communications National Advertising Student Show and Conference.
•••••
Daniel Sullivan

Daniel Sullivan

The Martin J. Clayton Insurance Agency, based in Holyoke, recently named Daniel Sullivan President. Sullivan has worked at the agency since 1990 and holds the Charter Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designations. Sullivan works extensively in the commercial property and casualty arena, serving the needs of local businesses. The full-service agency provides personal and commercial insurance and financial services to clients throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.
•••••
The Loomis Communities recently announced the appointment of Dr. Charles Hines as Medical Director at the Loomis House Nursing Center in Holyoke. Hines has been a geriatric medical practitioner for 20 years and is board-certified in gerontology and internal medicine. Hines, who graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine, is a certified medical director through the American Medical Assoc.
•••••
Beth Raffeld was named Vice President for Development at Smith College. Raffeld, a Senior Executive at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has a 30-year career in educational fund-raising and, as the new chief development officer, will over seen an organization that raised $39 million last year and direct a staff of more than 60.
•••••
The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) recently welcomed the following new members to its Executive Board:
Jeremy Casey

Jeremy Casey

Peter Ellis

Peter Ellis

Elizabeth Ginter

Elizabeth Ginter

Edward Nuñez

Edward Nuñez

• Jeremy Casey, Assistant Vice President and Commercial Services Officer at Westfield Bank, takes the reins as President. Casey is also on the board of the Springfield Rotary Club and a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2013;
• Peter Ellis, Creative Director at DIF Designs, is the new Vice President. Ellis is a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2011;
• Elizabeth Ginter, Attorney with Ellis Title Co., returns to the board as Clerk. Ginter is a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2012 and Western Mass. Women magazine’s Women To Watch for 2013-14;
• Edward Nuñez, Assistant Vice President of Business Development at Freedom Credit Union, joins the board as Treasurer. Nuñez is a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2012 and is the 2012 recipient of the Bankers & Tradesman Credit Union Hero Award.
• Ashley Clark, Commercial Service Officer at Westfield Bank, also serves on the YPS Marketing Committee. Clark is a board member of the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.
Juli Thibault

Juli Thibault

• Juli Thibault, Talent Acquisition Marketing & Operations Manager at Baystate Health, is Co-Chair of the YPS Marketing Committee and Strategic Plan Task Force.

Patience Rewarded

By
Education Sections
Diocese of Springfield Wins Cathedral High School Insurance Fight

Ann Southworth (right, with Mark Dupont)

Ann Southworth (right, with Mark Dupont) says the “thousand details” of tornado recovery interrupted her broad vision for Cathedral, but her strategy is back on track.

When Ann Southworth became president of Cathedral High School, she was excited to implement a new plan to invigorate the school and increase enrollment.
A longtime educator and assistant superintendent in Springfield Public Schools, she was also a member of Cathedral’s board, and had helped shape some new ideas for the school.
But that was in May 2011, one month before devastating tornadoes tore a 39-mile path of destruction through Western Mass., and the 52-year-old Cathedral High School, which had also housed middle-school students since a 2009 merger with St. Michael’s Academy, was directly hit.
Southworth’s excitement over her new professional endeavor was quickly overshadowed by multiple challenges, starting with finding a temporary home for Cathedral’s grade 6-12 population — in less than two months.
“My first thought was, ‘we’ll overcome this; we’re going to keep going,’” she recalled, “and I found the principal, picked him up in the parking lot of Holy Cross, and we starting planning that next day.”
That summer, “a thousand details” had to be addressed, Southworth said, and administrators put on new hats — as realtors, searching for temporary quarters; as facilities managers, to move all offices to various buildings in and around Springfield; and as transportation coordinators, for getting students to wherever the new temporary home, or homes, would be.
Other church properties, including the St. Michael’s Priests Residence building and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, were damaged as well, while the St. Jude Mission property in Springfield was hit hard by a microburst a month and a half later, and remains closed.
To diocesan leaders, pictures of Cathedral’s splintered roof and shattered windows spelled out an obvious need for major repairs, if not complete reconstruction. So, like many other commercial and residential property owners in the twister’s path, the diocese filed insurance claims in the millions for all four properties. Language in the policy with Catholic Mutual, the insurance company of which the Diocese of Springfield is a member, guided the determination of what the school believed to be ‘replacement value,’ Southworth said.
But that summer of a thousand details turned into a two-year difference of opinion between the insurance company and the property owner, because the initial settlement offer was unexpectedly — and jarringly — low.
“You try to work things out internally, especially when you have close relationships, but with our cost estimates as high as $70 million, for the worst-case scenario, and their $13 million response, it was just too great a gap to make up,” said Mark Dupont, director of public affairs and co-secretary for communications for the Diocese of Springfield, detailing how, when it came to questioning literally every element of the claim, Catholic Mutual didn’t give up.
But neither did the diocese.
The long journey to work through a process called a ‘reference procedure’ (more on this later) finally culminated this past Sept. 10, when the Diocese of Springfield and Catholic Mutual announced an amicable resolution of all claims, totaling $60 million for tornado damage to all four properties. A final step with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) still looms for potentially more storm-related compensation, but the major battle is now over.
“When you’re facing challenges and hardships, you rise to the occasion,” Southworth said. “You come out of it better … and we did.”
For this issue’s focus on education, BusinessWest met with members of the Diocese of Springfield to learn more about their two-year insurance battle to secure what they felt Cathedral was entitled to, proving that patience is only one of their virtues.

Survival Mode
Bishop Timothy McDonnell explained to BusinessWest that the tornado that destroyed Cathedral High School and the other properties caused him many a sleepless night.
“But I couldn’t forget the words I had so often quoted to others, Mother Teresa’s words: ‘there’s nothing so bad that God can’t bring a greater good out of it — if we let him,’” he recalled.
Looking over the past two years, McDonnell said Mother Teresa’s words have been prophetic in the case of Cathedral, but the situation has been trying nonetheless for students, teachers, and parents. School choice and charter schools have affected the academic marketplace across the country, and specifically enrollment at Cathedral, which now stands at 236, said Dupont. The current goals are 300 high-schoolers and 200 in the middle school, but those figures could change as the school’s final footprint emerges.
“The school is struggling,” he said. “It’s fine to have a life raft, but you don’t want to live in the life raft.
“The tornado would have been devastating anyway,” Dupont went on, “but it came at such a pivotal point when we were ready to take that next step with Ann. And next thing you know, it was ‘where are they going to have classes in September? Where are we going to put the students we have?’”
Many of the options the diocese investigated involved undeveloped vacant space or non-academic space. Creative solutions were pitched by the city of Springfield, commercial realtors, and Springfield Technical Community College, but state regulations for using the college space would take far too long into the year to wait.
They received a call from the superintendent of schools in Wilbraham, a Cathedral alum, who suggested the diocese look at Memorial Elementary School. While it made a difficult situation even more trying for students and their parents, due to school busing, after-school programs, and other issues, said Dupont, the diocese still had to spend $750,000 to upgrade the school. With little time to widen the search, Memorial became the life raft for Cathedral, while the middle-school students went to the diocese-owned Holy Cross campus on Eddywood Street in Springfield. Dupont said the location has worked, and the lease in Wilbraham will be extended for as long as necessary.
But ‘as long as necessary’ is difficult for parents to hear when they want answers as to why the diocese can’t make a decision on whether to repair or rebuild. Yet, until engineers are allowed to venture into the damaged building, the extent of the damage is unknown.
“When you’re engaged in negotiations with an insurance company, you have to be prudent in how you proceed,” Dupont explained. “Because we were holding them [Catholic Mutual] to the full commitment of the policy, we weren’t going to give them any sort of ‘out’ to get around it — replacement cost is replacement cost.”
A total of $20 million was initially advanced to the diocese for preliminary cleanup and other expenses that were incurred, considering the magnitude of destruction, Dupont explained. But the initial low-settlement response persuaded the diocese to utilize the aforementioned ‘reference procedure,’ a Massachusetts law afforded in settlement claims, allowing both parties to appoint representatives for each side and a mutually agreed upon ‘referee.’
“That referee listened to months and months of testimony and reviewed data to determine what the real damage was that they could see,” said Dupont, likening the parading of engineers on both sides to a “battle of the experts.”
Due to the claims being challenged on almost every point, the process dragged for months, but the decision upholding $60 million worth of claims was finalized in September, with no more debate.

Cathedral justified far more

Diocesan officials knew the damage to Cathedral justified far more than the $13 million initially offered by its insurance company.

The settlement, Dupont said, brings all disputes with Catholic Mutual to an ultimate conclusion, without the possibility of further legal challenges, and allows the diocese to build whatever is in the best interest of all to update a 1950s school to the standards of the 21st century.
However, the next hurdle involves FEMA, which coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for and responding to all domestic disasters, natural or man-made. The diocese is hoping to recoup some of its tornado-related costs, but that remains to be seen, said Dupont.
“Their regulations are daunting and very strict, and rightfully so, but we couldn’t go to FEMA until the claim was resolved,” he explained. “And any potential outcome is predicated on whether you’ve aggressively pursued your claim with your insurance carrier first.”

Valuable Assets
During the insurance battle, work on the new strategic plan never slowed, said Southworth.
The plan calls for more of a day-school curriculum and an extended day, where students stay from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with regular academic classes followed by experiential learning such as fine and performing arts, community service, internships, and sports.
A focal point in the school’s strategic plan will be the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, which will set Cathedral apart from other schools, she said. Even as a pilot program, 71% of seniors and 61% of juniors are enrolled in one or more classes.
Tuition for Cathedral is now $9,300, but McDonnell has charged the administration to find ways to make Cathedral more affordable for lower-income families. Currently 57% of students receive some form of tuition assistance through the diocese, alumni, and donors, but to grow the school’s population, something more is needed. Another part of the plan, the Cathedral Tuition Foundation, as it is called, will answer that important issue.
“Since the tornado, the alumni have rallied in support of Cathedral, and it’s leading to a campaign to endow tuition funding so that future generations of Panthers may benefit from the same first-class education that has always been Cathedral’s hallmark,” said McDonnell. Simultaneously, St. Michael’s Academy has been able to undertake its own plan to ensure its growth and stability.
“The connections that Cathedral has are really powerful,” Southworth added, mentioning just a few of the noteworthy alums, including Michael Ashe (’57), the current Hampden County sheriff; Richard Monaghan (’66), research biologist with the patent for the first cholesterol-reducing drug; and Derek Kellogg (’91), head basketball coach for UMass.
The word is out regarding the foundation, but Dupont likened it to a chicken-and-egg scenario, since donors don’t currently know what Cathedral High School is going to look like. But that isn’t deterring the diocese from testing the waters.
“We’re a people of faith,” he said, “and this is going to require people digging into their reserves of faith and saying, ‘I’m going to make this commitment, even though I’m not sure how the site is going to play out.’”

Challenge Accepted
To this day, books and other educational materials remain in the damaged Surry Road school that teachers have not been able to retrieve, Southworth said. But not one lesson has been missed, even from the first day of classes in September 2011.
She said she’s committed to continuing that ‘show must go on’ mentality, adding that, as the FEMA process unfolds, she will continue implementing the invigorating plan that was her mission before disaster struck from the sky.
All agree that, whether the school is rebuilt or repaired, this new plan and new energy will help create a bright future for even more students of Cathedral High School — who are, after all, among the most valuable of the diocese’s assets.

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

Baystate, UMass Memorial Sign Agreement to Explore Partnerships
SPRINGFIELD and WORCESTER — Baystate Health and UMass Memorial Health Care have signed a non-binding letter of intent to explore new collaborative opportunities between the two not-for-profit health systems. As national healthcare reform has brought an urgent imperative to transform the delivery and financing of healthcare, health systems and hospitals across the country are collaborating in innovative ways, finding new efficiencies and better care solutions by sharing clinical experience and intellectual resources. Baystate Health and UMass Memorial Health Care have much in common. Each has a mission of improving the quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare for patients and families in its community. The two organizations share many other characteristics: both serve communities with significant health needs and significant socioeconomic challenges underlying those needs. Both organizations have integrated systems of care including medical practices, community hospitals, and a major academic medical center. Both organizations receive national recognition not only for the quality of the care they provide, but also for their commitment to their communities. The new agreement builds on a long-existing relationship, as Baystate Health and UMass Memorial Health Care have a long history of mutual support on a number of efforts, including collaborations in pharmacy; healthcare quality, clinical practice, and policy; and infusion medicine. Each recognizes that they can learn even more from one another, work together more closely, and in doing so be more effective and efficient in keeping area communities healthy, rather than focusing mainly on treating disease or illness. Neither organization’s ownership, structure, governance, academic relationships and affiliations, or medical staffs will be affected by the letter of intent or any potential strategic collaboration, nor will they limit the ability of either party to pursue other strategic opportunities.

Leadership Pioneer Valley Announces Class of 2014
HOLYOKE — Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) officially kicked off the class of 39 emerging and established regional leaders at its recent Reach Beyond Opening Reception at Wistariahurst. The culturally and geographically diverse class of men and women from nonprofit, private, educational, and public organizations from Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties filled the reception with energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the future of the Pioneer Valley. Leadership Pioneer Valley is addressing the critical need to build a diverse network of leaders who aspire to work together across traditional barriers to strengthen the region. The members of the new class will take part in a 10-month program of experiential learning that will take place at locations across the Valley. The experiential curriculum is specifically designed to help the participants refine their leadership skills, broaden connections, and develop a greater commitment to community trusteeship and cultural competency. The class of 2014 includes: Sherill Acevedo, Baystate Medical Practices; Jasmine Amegan, Westfield State University; Kerri Bohonowicz, Community Health Center of Franklin County; Amy Britt, Tapestry Health; Ronda Carter, Health New England; Christina Casiello, MassMutual; Jenny Catuogno, Gadreau Insurance; Tammy-Lynn Chace, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce; Eliza Crescintini, Children’s Study Home;

Geoffrey Croteau, MassMutual Charter Oak Insurance & Financial Services; Cheryl Dukes, Town of Buckland; Nasheika Durham, YMCA of Greater Springfield; Andrew Fletcher, Holyoke Community College;

Kelsey Flynn, MassMutual; Valerie Francis, Health New England; Meghan Godorov, Mount Holyoke College;

Cynthia Gonzalez, Greenfield Cooperative Bank;

Richard Griffin, City of Springfield; Rachel Jones, Springfield Technical Community College; Kevin Jourdain, Sisters of Providence Health System; Diane LeBeau, Westfield State University; Yamilette Madho, Big Y Foods Inc.; Matthew Kullberg, WGBY;
Rosemarie Marks-Paige, Health New England; L.A. McCrae, Three Sisters Consulting; Monique Meadows, self-employed; Josiah Neiderbach, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission; Lizzy Ortiz, City of Springfield Office of Housing; Beena Pandit, MassMutual; Laura Porter, Holyoke Health Center; Lee Pouliot, City of Chicopee; Jennifer Sanchez, Springfield Technical Community College; Isabel Serrazina, Springfield Housing Authority;

Nicole Skelly, United Bank;

Kyle Sullivan, John Glover Insurance; Colin Tansey, Specialty Bolt & Screw; Todd Weir, First Churches of Northampton; Christopher Whelan, Florence Savings Bank; and Jonencia Wood, Baystate Health.

Grant Helps Jobs Program Expand Opportunities
SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey recently announced that the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has landed $11.67 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to boost employment opportunities and reduce recidivism for young men leaving the state’s juvenile justice system. The grant, awarded to the Massachusetts-based Roca program, aims to provide education and pre-vocational training to young people in the justice system to make them more employable and keep them from returning, as 67.5% do within six years of being released from custody. Warren and Markey said in a statement that the grant will aid the 535 young men between the ages of 16 and 22 in Springfield and Chelsea working on exiting the juvenile justice system by way of Roca. The program began in Eastern Mass. in 1988 and was brought to Springfield in 2010 thanks to a push by longtime Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe. As of July, the Springfield division of Roca had 85 participants, all high-school dropouts, whose past troubles with the law make it difficult if not impossible to get work. Program administrators say it costs $24,500 a year to put a young person through the Roca program, which includes their pay, although most payroll is paid directly by a participant’s employer. In contrast, it can cost more than $50,000 annually to imprison a person. “This grant is exciting news for Massachusetts. It will help strengthen the Commonwealth’s juvenile justice system by helping young men at risk for reincarceration build the skills they need to succeed,” Warren said in a statement. “This program is a great example of how the federal government can use innovative public-private partnerships to support critical social services in our communities.” Added Markey, “these funds will help keep young men and women in the workforce, out of detention facilities, and on a path towards success. If we can cut costs to society as we help form better members of society, that is an effort worth all of our support.”

Patrick Administration Announces 56 Grants for Massachusetts Farms
EAST TAUNTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rick Sullivan recently awarded 56 grants to Massachusetts farmers to implement renewable-energy systems, improve energy efficiency on farms, and help farmers reduce or prevent negative impacts to natural resources from agricultural practices. “We are proud to support our local farmers in their efforts to ensure a sustainable future for their farms,” Sullivan said. “With each grant, we are creating opportunity for agriculture to stay rooted and grow in our communities. The Patrick administration is committed to reducing energy costs and improve efficiency, and we’re thankful to the Commonwealth’s farmers who are partnering with us in our progress toward a clean energy future.” Twenty-three grants from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ (DAR) Agricultural Energy Grant Program will fund projects to reduce energy consumption and increase renewable energy use at Massachusetts farms. The projects include photovoltaic systems for vegetable and orchard operations, variable-speed vacuum pumps for dairies, reverse-osmosis machines for maple-syrup operations, and shade screens for greenhouses. Thirty-three grants from DAR’s Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program will fund projects like automated irrigations systems for cranberry operations, milkhouse wastewater treatment, manure storage areas, fencing, and pesticide storage. “These grant programs help farmers protect the state’s natural resources as well as our strong tradition of local agriculture,” said DAR Commissioner Greg Watson. “Implementing environmentally responsible and energy-efficient practices are imperative for farms across to the Commonwealth to remain family-owned resources for fresh, healthy, and delicious food.” Added Mark Silvia, Department of Energy Resources commissioner, “to achieve the Patrick administration’s ambitious goals for Massachusetts’ energy future, we must support clean-energy practices and reduced energy consumption in every sector of the Commonwealth. These grants will help Massachusetts farmers conserve energy and help their bottom line.” State Sen. Marc Pacheco, Senate chairman of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, said he is “pleased to see the Commonwealth invest in projects that are positive for the local agricultural community and for our energy-efficiency efforts overall. These grants are a testament to the leadership that has earned Massachusetts its distinction as number-one in the country for energy efficiency.” Added state Rep. Anne Gobi, the committee’s House chair, “These grants are important to the viability of farming and agriculture in our Commonwealth and are just one more example of the continued commitment to Massachusetts farmers.”

Community Colleges Win Grant Funding
BOSTON — Springfield Technical Community College has received a $122,099 state grant to develop strategies for improving the academic performance of Hispanic students, while community colleges in Greenfield, Holyoke, and Pittsfield will share in a $239,334 grant to improve learning in science, technology and math. The money for the two-year Springfield college was among $7.5 million in competitive grants awarded by the state Department of Higher Education to encourage innovation and improve graduation rates and other aspects of student performance at the state’s 29 community colleges and universities. The $122,099 grant, which will be spread over three years, will allow for the hiring of a project coordinator and a part-time English- and Spanish-speaking academic adviser. The grant program calls for creation of focus groups as part of an in-depth study of Latino students to identify how current initiatives can be revised or new ones put into effect to ensure Latino academic success, especially among Latino males. The $239,334 grant to be shared among Berkshire Community College, Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, and the four-year Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, calls for the colleges to work with regional schools to improve interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.

People On The Move

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Departments People on the Move

Kenneth Albano, a shareholder and a member of the Corporate, Finance, and Healthcare departments for the Springfield-based Bacon Wilson, P.C. was recently elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Western Mass. Division of the March of Dimes. Albano is a member of the Mass. Municipal Law Assoc., and currently serves as Town Counsel to the communities of Monson, Southwick, and Holland. Albano earned his BA from Providence College and his JD from Western New England University School of Law.
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Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso, Principal of Deliso Financial Services, has been elected a member of the 2013 Chairman’s Council of New York Life Insurance Co. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s sales force among more than 12,250 licensed agents. A New York Life agent since 1995, Deliso is an associate with the Connecticut Valley General Office in Windsor, Conn. She is chairman of New York Life’s Agents Advisory Council and is a consistent qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table and currently a 2013 Court of the Table Member. Deliso currently serves on many boards in her community, including the Pioneer Valley AAA Auto Club, Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, and the Community Music School of Springfield.
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Keith Minoff

Keith Minoff

Keith Minoff has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 20th edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of commercial litigation and corporate law. Minoff is a trial attorney specializing in business and employment litigation and has been in practice for more than 25 years.
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David McBride

David McBride

Erica Flores

Erica Flores

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. recently announced the addition of two new associates, David McBride and Erica Flores. Flores joined Skoler Abbott after relocating to Mass. from Pennsylvania, where she was an associate at the office of Morgan Lewis. She is a 2005 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and received her BS from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 2001. In addition to her litigation practice, Flores regularly advises clients with respect to day-to-day employment issues, including decisions regarding adverse employment actions and litigation avoidance. From 2005 to 2006, she served as a clerk to the Russell Nigro, associate justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Flores is a member of the American Bar Assoc. and the Pennsylvania Bar Assoc. McBride is a 2013 graduate from the Cornell Law School and received his BA in Economics from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. His practice is concentrated in labor law and employment litigation. His experience includes work on labor and employment-law issues, including employer compliance with federal laws at a major labor union in New York.

Agenda

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Agenda Departments

Wicked in Pink Motorcycle Ride
Oct. 13: The Wicked In Pink Run, a motorcycle event created by Bob Kaine Alves, a local motorcycle magazine and shop owner who recently fought his own battle with cancer, will raise much-needed funds for the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center Patient Services Fund at Mercy Medical Center. The event will also show support for all those battling cancer, cancer survivors, their caregivers, family, and friends. Registration for the run will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Harley-Davidson of Southampton. Participants will leave at noon from the dealership and end at the outdoor pavilion at Summit View Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, where there will be food and entertainment. Tickets cost $20 per person. Kaine Alves, owner of Throttle Rocker magazine, recently battled cancer of the head and neck and made it his mission to pay forward the compassionate treatment he received from the staff of the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center. All riders are encouraged to wear pink, whether it be hats, wigs, shirts, or shoes — creativity is appreciated. Sponsors include Throttle Rocker magazine, Haymond Law, American Medical Response, Harley-Davidson of Southampton, Allen Media Inc., 94.7 WMAS, FSC Insurance Agency, and Bertera Fiat West Springfield. For more information, visit www.wickedinpinkrun.com or www.facebook.com/wickedinpinkrun.

Rays of Hope Walk
Oct. 20: When this year’s 20th annual Rays of Hope – A Walk Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer steps off, it will be a celebration of two decades of women, men, and children walking together to fight breast cancer. Since its inception in Springfield in 1994 by Lucy Giuggio Carvalho, Rays of Hope, the most successful fund-raising walk and run in Western Mass. for breast cancer, has grown from 500 participants raising $50,000 to some 22,000 walkers and runners in an expanded event that includes a second walk in Greenfield, as well as this year’s 4th annual Run Toward the Cure 8K in Springfield. As in past years, the Springfield walk with some 600 teams — who may choose either a two- or five-mile route — and run begin at Temple Beth El on Dickinson Street, where registration is set for 9 a.m. The Springfield walk steps off at 10:30 a.m., preceded at 10:15 a.m. by the 8K run. The walk in Greenfield — either a two- or three-mile route — begins at Energy Park on Miles Street at noon, with registration at 10 a.m. All monies raised through Rays of Hope — more than $11 million since 1994 — remain local and are administered by the Baystate Health Foundation. Those who want to support the Rays of Hope but are unable to walk due to other commitments can participate in the 10,000 Steps Toward a Cure program. Participants receive a pedometer to keep track of their steps throughout the month of October, while raising donations similar to other walkers. This year’s Rays of Hope major sponsors are Health New England, Gale Toyota, Balise, Baystate Breast & Wellness Center, Baystate Breast Specialists, Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation, Doctors Express, Kinsley Power Systems, Lia Auto Group, Radiology & Imaging, and Zasco Productions. A listing of all sponsors can be found on the Rays of Hope website. For more information on the event, call (413) 794-8001 or visit www.baystatehealth.org/raysofhope, where walk or run participants may also register online.

Art in the Orchard
Through October: Park Hill Orchard, at 82 Park Hill Road, Easthampton, will play host to 22 sculptures by 22 artists through Oct. 31. Art in the Orchard 2013 is a multifaceted sculpture exhibition and festival taking place on the grounds of a working apple orchard. The core project is a sculpture trail showcasing three-dimensional outdoor works and installations created by local and regional artists. Additional events (such as music, moonlight walks, dances, and school field trips) will be programmed on most weekends. See parkhillorchard.com/art for more information on the artists, their works, and an event schedule. Art in the Orchard is building on the success of the first exhibition in 2011, which came to existence thanks to the desire of Park Hill Orchard owners Alane Hartley and Russell Braen to have their farm play an active part in the local cultural economy, and a dream of Easthampton gallery owner Jean-Pierre Pasche to recreate an outdoor sculpture exhibit like the one set in meadows near his hometown in Switzerland. The success of the 2011 event exceeded expectations, with thousands of visitors discovering the sculpture trail and Park Hill over the 10-week period, many returning more than once. This achievement was recognized by the Mass. Cultural Council, which awarded Art in the Orchard one of its three annual Gold Star Awards, out of more than 5,000 projects funded annually by local cultural councils statewide.

Western Mass. Business Expo 2013
Nov. 6: Planning is underway for the Western Mass. Business Expo 2013, a day-long business-to-business event to take place at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. This fall’s show, the third edition of the Expo, which is again being produced by BusinessWest, will feature more than 100 exhibitors, seminars on timely issues of the day, special Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the wrap-up Expo social, which has become a not-to-be-missed networking event. The breakfast speakers will be Jim Koch, founder of Samuel Adams, the lunch speaker will be author, activist, and marathon runner Kathrine Switzer. Other details about specific programming will be printed in upcoming editions of BusinessWest and can also be seen online at www.wmbexpo.com or www.businesswest.com. For more information on the event or to reserve booth space, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Court Dockets

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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
Diane Bynum v. Metro Auto Sales, d/b/a Metro Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Allegation: Deceptive and unfair practices: $24,000
Filed: 8/20/13

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT
Eliza Greene Smith v. Farm Table Inc. and Brent Menke
Allegation: Plaintiff seeks restitution for full share of proceeds from tips earned: $25,000+
Filed: 8/2/13

Vermont Mutual Insurance Co., as subrogee of Derek Berkquist v. Frigidaire, Inc.
Allegation: Subrogation action where a defective water valve in a new washing machine caused substantial property damage: $40,635.26
Filed: 7/11/13

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Freedom Credit Union v. Woods and Lawns Inc. and William A. Woods
Allegation: Default on promissory note: $9,712.74
Filed: 8/16/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Absolute Construction, LLC v. G.M. Crisalli & Associates, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and W/S Westfield Properties Inc.
Allegation: Construction claim and mechanics lien: $221,548.80
Filed: 9/12/13

Batesville Casket Co. Inc. v. Robert E. Cusack Funeral Home Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay on promissory note: $24,530.95
Filed: 8/22/13

Connecticut Pie Inc. v. Connecticut Packaging Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract by providing plaintiff with defective product: $750,000
Filed: 8/27/13

Cypress Financial Recoveries, LLC, as subrogee of Wells Fargo Bank v. Watson Building/Remodeling and Prescott Watson
Allegation: Breach of credit agreement: $32,544.78
Filed: 7/22/13

People’s United Bank v. Connecticut Valley Block Co. Inc., James L. Delgrego, and Hubert White
Allegation: Failure to pay promissory note: $451,638.76
Filed: 8/6/13

Rebecca Budd v. Mary Kay Cosmetics
Allegation: Plaintiff seeks relief for injuries sustained while using a defective product: $105,000
Filed: 9/13/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Beacon Sales Co. v. TLC Exterior, LLC and Thomas J. Leonard
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,492.92
Filed: 8/1/13

Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. v. New England Plumbing & Heating Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of workers’ compensation policy: $8,540.34
Filed: 8/27/13

Universal Recycling Technologies, LLC v. Marc A. Brown, d/b/a Total Tech Recycling Co.
Allegation: Non-payment of services rendered, unjust enrichment, and account annexed: $17,085.25
Filed: 8/27/13

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT
HIBU Inc. f/k/a Yellow Book Sales and Distribution Inc. v. Gold Star Restorations Inc.
Allegation: Money due for previous judgment: $66,789.46
Filed: 8/12/13

Company Notebook

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Company Notebook Departments

Northeast IT Systems Expands to New Site
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Northeast IT Systems Inc. is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a planned move to a larger space.
The business is relocating to 777 Riverdale St. in West Springfield to better serve clients. “We are currently in a 750-square-foot space with limited highway access,” said partner Joel Mollison. “Our new location offers more than 2500 square feet and easy parking, and we believe it is situated ideally at the crossroads for our customers from Worcester to the Berkshires, and Greenfield to Windsor, Conn.” Founded in 2003 by Joel Mollison, Northeast IT has grown significantly over the years, evolving by 2010 into a partnership with Brian Sullivan. Northeast IT aims to tailor technology solutions to specific client needs. Certified technicians manage technology and create unique solutions, alleviating stress while increasing productivity and return on investment. Learn more about Northeast IT Systems at www.northeastit.net.

Health New England Medicare Advantage Plan Ranks Highest in State
SPRINGFIELD — The National Commission for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013-14 was released last month, highlighting NCQA’s rankings of the nation’s private, Medicaid, and Medicare health plans based on their combined HEDIS(r), CAHPS(r), and NCQA accreditation standards scores. Health New England (HNE) is the top-ranked Medicare Advantage HMO plan in Massachusetts and the 13th-ranked Medicare Advantage Plan in the U.S., based on the 2013-14 NCQA rankings. “HNE will continue to work hard on the measures that make up these rankings. HNE has a lot to be proud of, and these quality rankings are a testament to the high-quality care and service we provide our members,” said Peter Straley, HNE president and CEO. The Medicare annual enrollment period begins Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. HNE expanded into certain areas of Berkshire County in 2013 and intends for the 2014 expansion to include all of Berkshire County.

Monson Savings Bank Wins Philanthropy Award for Post-tornado Work
MONSON — Monson Savings Bank recently won the Gold Community Champions Award in general philanthropy given by the New England Financial Marketing Assoc. (NEFMA). The award was specifically given for the bank’s community support following the tornadoes of June 1, 2011 and continuing through the recovery. Judging for the award was done by members of the PennJerDel Bank Marketing Assoc. in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Community efforts by banks and credit unions across New England were considered. “This award belongs to the employees of Monson Savings,” said Steve Lowell, bank president. “When I accepted the award, I told the audience that, in times of need, it is easy to write a check, and we certainly did that, but what made the difference was our employees’ compassion and commitment to our customers and community. Our employees in every branch and division were involved in the recovery in so many ways, and they also served as sounding boards and sympathetic ears for customers for months after the tornadoes.” The award ceremony was held in Framingham on Sept. 26. Patti Mitchell, chair of the NEFMA awards committee, said that “the competition for these awards was strong, and the submissions were detailed and inspiring. The winners demonstrated exceptional work. We couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved.”

Wing Reaches Goal for Hospital Cleanliness
PALMER — Wing Memorial Hospital’s Environmental Services staff recently achieved its goal of being ranked in the 90th percentile in its patient satisfaction score related to cleanliness of the hospital environment. “We have been implementing and developing new techniques from the hospitality industry that continue to change the everyday patient experience in the hospital environment,” said Matthew Ashford, director of Environmental Services at Wing. “This is a huge accomplishment for the department; a team has been working very hard to hit this mark.” Wing Memorial uses the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (HCAHPS), a nationally standardized survey, to measure how patients perceive the care they receive at the hospital. HCAHPS includes a core set of questions that can be combined with a broader, customized set of hospital-specific items. “We have put specific emphasis on patient-centered care into their daily routine, focusing on making the patient room an extension of their home by spending quality time with every patient when we are in their room,” Ashford said. “We want our patients to know that the hospital environment is not only about décor and cleanliness, but also caring staff who are an active part of their healthcare team, and we are here to help.” Janice Kucewicz, Wing’s senior vice president, added that “being in the 90th percentile means we are amongst the best. We are incredibly proud of the Environmental Services Department and all of their efforts. They are a great example of the hard work taking place throughout all of Wing.”

Making a Scene

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Creative Economy Sections
Easthampton Becomes a Mecca for Creative Businesses

Amber Ladley, left, and Macey Faiella

Knack, which Amber Ladley, left, and Macey Faiella recently opened at Eastworks, is just one of hundreds of creative businesses and artists that call Easthampton home.

On bustling Cottage Street in Easthampton — a corridor at the base of Mount Tom dotted with eateries, quirky retail shops, and scores of artists — sits Nash Gallery.
The shop — which showcases and sells work primarily by local painters, sculptors, and other creative folks — has called the address home for almost two decades, said its owner, Marlies Stoddard, or since her mother opened the gallery 18 years ago.
“She had no background in art, no retail background,” Stoddard told BusinessWest. “But she owned the building, and she was sick of tenants moving in, painting the place purple, and moving out after six months after paying only three months rent.”
At the time, her mother saw Easthampton as “an old mill town with empty storefronts,” but she did recognize the Cottage Street area as home to a growing cluster of artists, and saw potential in catering to that scene.
Through the intervening years, Stoddard said, as artists throughout New England were beginning to recognize the city’s creative scene, it remained under the radar for many locals. “Everyone else was looking in on Easthampton and saying, ‘wow, what a place you have; what a mesh of blue collar and the arts.’ But often, the local townie doesn’t necessarily see it.”
That image is gradually changing, however, as Easthampton is cultivating a reputation as a thriving cultural mecca, with artists and creative entrepreneurs at the forefront of a creative-economy sector that is benefiting businesses of all types.
Burns Maxey

Burns Maxey says municipal leaders and businesses have increasingly come to value what the arts bring to Easthampton.

Take, for example, Art Walk Easthampton, an event held the second Saturday of every month, when galleries — and many businesses normally unrelated to the arts — collectively open their doors to showcase visual-art exhibitions, live music, and other performances.
“We get an average of 350 to 500 people coming out for the art walk,” said Burns Maxey, coordinator of Easthampton City Arts+ (ECA), a quasi-public organization tasked with consolidating and promoting the local creative economy. “It started off as a way to bring people to the city, by having all the exhibitions open. Since then, we’ve added themes to each art walk.”
For instance, last month’s walk was subtitled “Sights & Sounds” and featured more than 15 musicians and performers busking on Union Street. The history-themed Oct. 12 walk is dubbed “Know Thy Past.”
“Some restaurants have exhibitions or gallery space, or host performances or musicians or readings, and it really activates the whole city,” Maxey said. “There’s a buzz about what’s going on.”
Stoddard said she was involved in managing the monthly walk before ECA took it over. “It was great because we transformed these non-traditional venues. If you’re a coffee shop or whatever, you can be an art venue for three hours and have fun getting people through the doors. If you’re an insurance agency by day, for three hours on Saturday, you could be a gallery. People had a lot of fun with the Art Walk, and it’s still really thriving.”
‘Thriving’ would be an accurate term to describe both the creative culture in Easthampton and the efforts of ECA to leverage them into an effective force for economic development. For this issue, BusinessWest sits down with Maxey and several local business people to discuss why this city’s arts scene is being held up as an example for other communities to emulate.

Grin and Bear It
Easthampton City Arts began in 2005 as a group of artists and business owners who recognized the impressive number of creative people working in Easthampton and saw opportunities for revitalization efforts stemming from promotion of the arts. The + was added to the name several years later to reflect increasing participation from neighboring Southampton and Westhampton.
Before ECA, Maxey said, “Easthampton had a lot of storefronts that didn’t have businesses in them. This was a potential economy they could tap into.
“A lot of things happened between that time and now,” she continued. ECA received an Adams Arts grant from the Mass. Cultural Council, which looks for projects that work toward community-revitalization efforts through the creative economy. A coordinator was hired, Maxey said, and one of the first things she did was map out the city’s creative assets. “And there was a lot going on under the surface.”
For example, more than 100 creative businesses, the vast majority of them solo artists, call the sprawling Eastworks complex home, and more than 60 others are located along the Cottage Street corridor.
“That was the starting point,” Maxey said. “They created a directory, and also an online directory, for all these artists and creative businesses. That was really the first stepping stone.”
Another key development was the success of Bear Fest in 2009, when life-sized, fiberglass bears were painted and otherwise decorated by a host of artists and displayed outdoors, throughout the downtown area, for public viewing. Another Bear Fest followed in 2012.
“Doing Bear Fest was huge because it showed not only that Easthampton has the potential for being a destination for people to visit, but businesses saw the impact of people coming to Easthampton. That was a major step,” she said.
“I think businesses questioned it, at first,” she continued, “but when they saw so many people — thousands of people came through the city the first day alone — they really saw the potential.”
Since then, Maxey said, that spirit has reverberated in many public events and projects centered on the arts.

Jean-Pierre Pache

Jean-Pierre Pache says the city’s growing profile as an arts mecca has attracted more businesses and residents.

Recognizing the economic-development potential of the arts, in 2011 Easthampton designated ECA a city committee. Today, it’s funded through the municipal budget, state grants, and private donations, and Maxey works out of the remodeled former town hall, along with a few other creative businesses.
Jean-Pierre Pache was the first tenant in the remodeled building, moving Eastmont Custom Framing — a business he started in 2001 — as well as a small art studio, to the historic property. As one of the more than 240 artists active with ECA, he said he has seen the town’s creative community boost more than just its own profile.
“I think what’s more important is that the whole city has changed,” he said. “The city has a different image, which attracts visitors, which attracts new businesses and even new residents.”
He insists that such progress has been greatly enhanced by ECA’s efforts to more prominently position the arts and the creative economy as one of the town’s core strengths.
“I’ve seen the differences; in 12 years, I’ve been able to witness a lot of changes,” said Pache. “It was happening before I got here, and it’s still happening now, but there’s a lot of momentum now. That’s one of the strengths of ECA, and I give them a lot of credit.”
He noted that Meri Jenkins, program manager of the state’s Adams Arts Program, has often held up ECA as an example to other fledgling groups of not only effectiveness, but longevity.
“Many [arts organizations] suffer from burnout, since they’re all volunteer-based,” Pache said. “But this keeps growing and reinventing itself and finding new energy. We’re very lucky to have this in our town.”
Maxey agrees. “My position is through the Planning Department, and it makes a huge difference when you have a person tasked with looking at the creative-economy efforts. It’s economic development, but a creative way of looking at it.”
Added Stoddard, “we’re really lucky the city is putting value in this. A lot of us have been working very hard, and Burns is very much our leader.”

Knack for Business
Former mill complexes like Eastworks and Paragon Arts and Industry, both located on Pleasant Street, as well as One Cottage Street, have become home to vibrant artist communities. Amber Ladley and Macey Faiella saw the potential of Eastworks when they conceived of Knack, the ‘creative-reuse’ store they opened in the complex over the summer.
“We’ve gotten an amazing, fantastic response. The community itself has been very welcoming,” said Ladley, noting that the pair met Maxey early on, and met other artists through networking events organized by ECA.
“Through all that, we knew we wanted to be in Easthampton or Northampton. We still looked all throughout the Pioneer Valley; we really wanted to have a convenient location with parking, and we looked all over the place. When we saw this space in Eastworks, we felt it was the right space, and that Easthampton would be a good area for us.”
Ladley and Faiella, each the mother of two boys, were Easthampton residents when they met about 10 years ago. When Ladley read an article about creative reuse, she and Faiella began talking about a business that deals in reusable, ‘upcycled’ materials for creative projects.
“I knew Macey is very thrifty, always finding fun stuff at the side of the road and decorating her house with it,” Ladley said. “We started chatting and loved the idea, so we kept going.”
Faiella said she was surprised that such a store — which caters to all ages, from young crafters and Pinterest-obsessed teens to idea-seeking teachers and senior citizens with creative hobbies — didn’t exist in the Pioneer Valley, with its emphasis on all things ‘green.’
“In such an artsy community, it seemed like a perfect fit,” she said. “Everything is donated, much of it from artists in the area — we’re lucky to be in an area where artists are everywhere. A lot of it is from people cleaning out their closets, moving on to different hobbies. A kitchen-remodeling company was going out of business and had tile samples they were going to throw away in the dumpster; we saw the potential for them.”
The shop simply oozes inspiration. When a registry of deeds donated some microfilm reels, they were turned into cupcake stands. One woman bought a collection of rusty wrenches with the intention of turning them into wind chimes.
“We have great things for kids to use, and when people walk in, even if they’re not a crafter or creative person, they’ll still find stuff they want to do,” Faiella said, adding that a recent Art Walk saw about 70 people stop by. “People are really craving that kind of thing and getting more involved in the arts and what’s available. It’s been a nice fit for us, and we definitely feel that vibe — that this is a town that supports that kind of thing.”
To bring more such life to Eastworks, the complex is partnering with ECA on an endeavor called MAP, or the Mill Arts Project. “We’re working together to offer space to artists or creative people or creative business owners who want to try out an idea for a month or two,” Maxey explained.
“It could be a pop-up shop, it could be a performance space or an exhibition space, and we give them educational tools for how to connect with businesses and how to market their work,” she continued. As part of the deal, “they have to be open a certain number of hours or have events open to the public. It’s really a learning tool, and hopefully it will show them the potential to perhaps open a business or continue their idea in the city, particularly in Eastworks.”

Cottage Industry
Meanwhile, the Cottage Street neighborhood continues to thrive with its eclectic mix of enterprises, from Luthier’s Co-Op, where patrons can buy stringed instruments, take in live music, and drink a local brew; to New England Felting Supply, which offers workshops inside its brightly colored walls; to Popcorn Noir, a restaurant, bar, and performance space that also hosts mixology classes.
“It’s interesting because there were so many empty storefronts in that location, but in the last couple of years, it’s filled up quickly,” Maxey said. “There’s an immense amount of art-making happening. These are people who have small businesses; they’re making money from it, but they’re not the typical businesses we’ve thought about for so long since the 1950, like shoe stores and investment companies — although those are there, too.”
Meanwhile, Stoddard is currently sponsoring the sixth annual Paint Out, a project for which local artists paint outdoor scenes from around Easthampton, which will be displayed and put up for sale.
“We have around 55 painters, which is really great,” she said. “It creates this snowball effect, where people driving by turn their heads and say, ‘what’s going on here?’ when they see four or five painters set up in the same field. It creates a sense of wonder. And we have such an incredible wealth of local artists.”
Successful events are springing up elsewhere as well, such as the second annual Art in the Orchard running through October at Park Hill Orchard, featuring temporary installations from 22 sculptors — and a schedule of music and dance performances — throughout the grounds during prime apple-picking season.
“The location is stunning, the art is compelling, and that appeals to a lot of different people, from toddlers to grandparents,” said Pache, who is organizing the event, adding that between 100 and 150 visitors stop by on a typical day. “The art is supporting the orchard, and the orchard supports the arts at the same time. It provides a very unusual setting for the artwork.”
Speaking of live performances, Maxey said ECA is trying to raise the profile of such events in Easthampton by building an online database of venues. “Anyone can come to it and research where to hold an event. We’re excited to put that together.”
She credits much of her organization’s success to the enthusiasm of the local arts community, noting that the 240 artists who call themselves ECA members are probably only a fraction of the total working locally.
“This is a tight-knit community, and people are excited about what’s going on here,” she told BusinessWest. “I moved here from Northampton in 2007 and immediately fell in love with Easthampton because of the community of people.”
Stoddard noted multiple reasons why Easthampton is an attractive landing spot for artists and creative business people. “We have endless real estate for studio space, and we have a large body of people who come here and appreciate their anonymity — and we respect that as well.”
Maxey added that “there is absolutely a buzz about what’s going on here. I think the quality of the artists in this location — in Easthampton and the Pioneer Valley as a whole — is immense. Go outside our area, and you can really recognize the quality of art made right here — that’s everyone from artisans to fine artists; performers to sculptors and installation artists. There’s a little bit of everything. We have a great community here.”

No Place Like Home
Stoddard said thriving business districts have a societal benefit that can be long-lasting, and creative enterprises have driven much of the recent growth in Easthampton.
“I have customers coming in with their kids and actively teaching them the values of shopping locally and supporting their local downtown,” she said. “That mentality has really changed — the appreciation for small businesses. I feel it all the time; I never feel slighted. I constantly have people coming in saying, ‘thank you for being here.’
“It’s a great feeling, and it makes being a business person in my hometown really rewarding,” she concluded. “I didn’t have that feeling back in 1995. When I was 18, I wanted to get out of here. But it’s a great place to come back to.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Serve and Protect

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections
FieldEddy Aims to Continue Its Impressive Growth — from Within

Sam Hanmer

Sam Hanmer says FieldEddy has switched gears from expanding by acquisition to growing organically.

FieldEddy spent much of the past decade growing a local insurance company into one of the industry’s top regional names.
EO Samuel Hanmer says he has no plans to stop growing, but the current strategy is much different than the game plan that saw FieldEddy acquire numerous small firms over the past 10 years, essentially tripling its sales volume.
“We’ve created a new five-year plan, which is to grow organically, as opposed to acquisitions. And that’s ongoing,” Hanmer said. “We’ve hired nine people — not all in sales, but primarily sales, because that’s how you grow an organization, with feet on the street.”
The firm looks much different today than it did when Hanmer came on board during the early 1990s, when the company was still known as Field, Eddy and Bulkley. His father was the majority owner, and Hanmer took a sales job with the firm. Over time, he also played a role on the financial side of the business, and when his father retired in 1995, he stepped into a leadership role.
Over the next several years, Hanmer formulated a growth strategy based on an industry trend — small insurance operations struggling to adjust to changes and technology and looking for exit strategies — and decided to grow the firm largely by acquisition. Starting in the early 2000s, FieldEddy acquired a number of such agencies, including the Curtis and Hodskins agencies in Monson, Aliengena in Palmer, LDS in Three Rivers, Meadows in East Longmeadow, BPI in Springfield, Remillard in South Hadley, Buckley Bridge in Windsor Locks, and Lawson, Marino & Bertera in Springfield.
“Back then, we had a five-year plan to double in size, and most of that was going to be through acquisition, along with some organic growth,” Hanmer told BusinessWest. “And we did better than double in those five years; we hit our goal and then some.”
Today, the agency that started as the Springfield Fire and Marine Insurance Co. in 1849 has grown to 70 employees, with offices in East Longmeadow, Monson, Ludlow, and South Hadley and a growing number of products for personal and commercial insurance lines and other financial services. And Hanmer expects more growth — although some of it might not be as visible as yet another acquisition target.

New Focus
Specifically, President Timm Marini said, “we’ve become internally focused a little bit more on process excellence,” which has included bringing in a human-resources director and a chief operations officer within the last year, as well as hiring people with specific expertise in areas like Affordable Care Act compliance, one of the major insurance issues on the horizon.
“We’ve also invested in our technology,” Marini said. “We’re revamping the website, and we’re building the physical hardware for new agency-management system software. It’s a whole one-year process to get everyone moved over. Like Sam said, we’ve grown significantly over the past 10 years, and now we’re piecing some of the parts back together.”
Hanmer said the agency is staffing up with a particular focus on three growth areas, or what he called “verticals.”
“One is health and human services; we’re going to get more aggressive around that,” he told BusinessWest. “Another is energy, which is another very strong and very fast-growing area — basically recycled energy, green energy, biomass. And the interesting part is, it’s taking us everywhere but Western Mass. — out to California, Chicago, Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee. That’s very, very cool and a very interesting strategy for us.”
The third vertical, he noted, focuses on transportation-related businesses. All three have been targeted for their major growth potential, and FieldEddy is working on a revamped website to reflect these focus areas.
“We’re targeting niches,” Hanmer said. “We were very much generalists for years, so this is a big change, to be singularly focused on a few niches and be experts in those niches.”
Marini said some of the firm’s recent sales-staff additions are experts in those specific industries, who will then be able to provide mentorship within the company in those niches.
That’s not to say the personal (home, auto, life, and the like), commercial, and employee-benefit lines that have been the agency’s bread and butter won’t continue to grow as well. In addition, FieldEddy has expanded its financial-services offerings.
“A year ago, we hired a guy to do some financial services for us — 401(k)s, 403(b)s, life, high-end life insurance, variable annuities, buy-sell agreements, estate planning,” Hanmer said. “It’s kind of a natural transition for us. We had been resistant because of licensure aspects and oversight, but we got our arms around that.”
Added Marini, “it was very much something we always referred to others, but we came to a realization that, if we find the right people fit within our team, it could be a natural resource internally.”

Care Concerns
Like all insurance agencies, FieldEddy is well aware of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, many provisions of which will come online and begin to affect employers over the next year.
“The challenge in the marketplace is responding to the Affordable Care Act,” Marini said, noting that many insurance companies have been scaling down their employee-benefit services because of uncertainty over how the law will be implemented and funded. “We’ve done the opposite and hired more support.”
Massachusetts may be less affected than other states, he added, because it went through its own health-insurance reform nearly a decade ago. In addition, FieldEddy belongs to United Benefit Advisors, a leading employee-benefits advisory organization and a key educational resource on the changing health-insurance climate. It’s the only agency in Western Mass. and one of just four in the Bay States to belong to UBA.
“It’s something we have to qualify for and re-qualify for every three years for recertification,” Marini said. “For us, it’s a huge leg up from an education standpoint and communication to our customers.”
Another intriguing development in the insurance industry centers on capacity, or the supply of insurance available to meet demand, and the way it has stayed surprisingly high in recent years, largely keeping rate increases at bay.
“We’re seeing a significant amount of capacity,” Marini said. “In the past, tough economic times saw a lot of consolidation of carriers and shrinking of capacity — folks not wanting to take risks, not wanting to insure. But even in this tough economy, we’re seeing a lot of carriers, a lot of capacity, which means they’re being aggressive.”
Added Hanmer, “there was a lot of talk industry-wide of rate increases, but because of capacity, we’re not necessarily seeing rate increases forthcoming.”
Customers regionally did see increases over the past couple of years stemming from the freak weather year of 2011, which began with damaging ice storms, followed by the June 1 tornadoes, a tropical storm in August, and a late-October snowstorm.
“We saw increases because [insurers] had significant losses,” Marini said. “Now we’re a couple of years away from the tornado; it affected all our business, both commercial and personal, but we’re seeing all of that kind of level off.”

Community Ties
Part of FieldEddy’s growing reach, Hanmer said, has been increasing involvement in the communities where it does business. That means supporting a host of agencies, including Cancer House of Hope, Holyoke-Chicopee Head Start, Human Resources Unlimited, the Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, and the YMCA of Greater Springfield, just to name a few.
The threads running through such organizations, Marini said, are health, education, and human services, reflecting the firm’s growing work in those sectors. “It makes sense. Those are our core values. You can’t serve those industries and not live them.”
He and Hanmer have been active on a number of boards, and they have also cultivated a culture where employees are encouraged to volunteer as well, even on work time.
“From museums to hospitals and clinics to Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs, we’re involved with a lot of these segments, and a lot of it started from our own volunteerism — kind of giving back and not forgetting our roots,” Marini said. “We’re local guys with a local business serving local people, and even as we branch out and do different things, we can’t forget the core of who we are.”
That culture of helping others is, in fact, a core value of the business itself, he said, crediting the team at FieldEddy with effectively communicating with clients about how they’re affected by the ever-shifting insurance landscape.
“We don’t get to execute these plans that Sam comes up with — sometimes in the middle of the night — without some talented folks on the team,” Marini told BusinessWest. “We don’t do anything alone.”
That kind of teamwork, Hanmer said, has helped guide FieldEddy to remarkable growth in the past decade, with more to come.
“There will be some acquisition along the way, but not as aggressive as we’ve been,” he said. “We doubled in five years, and our plan is to double again in five years, just in a different way, through organic growth.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at  [email protected]

Wise Policies

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections
Why Life Insurance Is Important for Small Businesses

By BILL WALTHOUSE

In any business, the death of a key person can seriously cripple stability.
Therefore, securing a life-insurance policy is an essential part of a business plan regardless of the industry served, and for many reasons.
For example, with life insurance in place, the business can use the death-benefit proceeds to help cover the expense of finding, hiring, and training a replacement, which is often a burden for even healthy companies after a loss.
Meanwhile, with many small businesses, oftentimes the key person is also an owner of the company. If an owner were to die, a life-insurance policy can help protect the remaining owners or employees from losing control of the business.
Another common use of life insurance for a small business is funding of a buy-or-sell agreement. Once an agreement is reached to sell business ownership from one party to another, the buyer can insure the life of the seller, so that if the seller dies before the planned completion of the transaction, the sale may be completed and the business survives.
Under a slightly different agreement, partners may insure the lives of each other, so that the surviving partner may buy out the interest of the deceased partner. This helps both the deceased partner’s heirs and the surviving partner. It also allows the business to continue.
Life insurance is also important for small businesses in need of collateral for loans.  Lenders often require the business owner to pledge personal assets while applying for the company’s business financing. Assigning the proceeds of a life-insurance policy can fulfill part of this need. When the loan is paid off, the assignment can be dropped, and the owner can keep the policy and change the beneficiary.
Small businesses use life insurance in their employee-benefit packages, too.  Whether it is a group policy for all employees or a deferred-compensation arrangement for key employees, life insurance can be a part of a benefits package that attracts and retains good employees.
It is easy to see that life insurance can be very important to a small business. Equally important for such companies is to work with an agent who understands these concepts and takes the time to gather enough information to help identify and recommend the best solutions.
As these examples clearly show, life-insurance policies do more than just provide a death benefit. Certain policies can address financial concerns such as cash for business needs or emergencies. Policies that accumulate cash value offer a combination of income-tax advantages, including tax-deferred cash-value growth, tax-advantaged distributions, and, of course, an income-tax-free death benefit.
Having the right protection and coverage with life insurance can bring peace of mind to any business owner. The right coverage will have different definitions depending on the stage a business is in. A business-protection plan and succession plan will vary through the company’s startup stage, growth stage, maturity stage, and, finally, transfer stage. Every small business should be able to answer the question, “do you have any plans for transferring your ownership of your business at retirement or at time of death?” Also, as the value of the business changes over time, ask, “have those plans been updated appropriately to keep in line with those changes?”
When was the last time you and your business had a thorough analysis of your insurance needs and a review of your existing insurance policies? September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. It is certainly a great time for small businesses to evaluate their needs.

Bill Walthouse, a producer for the Dowd Insurance Agencies, provides a broad range of insurance and protection strategies, including life, disability, and long-term-care insurance. Licensed to sell property and casualty products, he also manages client relationships, health plans, and employee benefits; (413) 538-7444; [email protected]

Prescription for Change

By
Health Care Sections
The Obesity Epidemic Broadens the Role of Today’s Pharmacists

Melissa Mattison

Melissa Mattison, clinical assistant professor at the Western New England University College of Pharmacy.

In June, the American Medical Assoc. (AMA) made official what all those in healthcare already knew and understood — that obesity wasn’t simply a problem, but a disease, and one that reached epidemic proportions in this country.
The motivation behind the declaration was to advance treatment and prevention of obesity, one of the leading causes of diabetes, said Ardis Dee Haven, president of the AMA, in remarks made in June. “This issues a call for a paradigm shift in the way the medical community tackles this complicated issue so that we can reduce the number of Americans suffering from the effects of heart disease, diabetes, disability, and other potentially life-changing health conditions.”
And perhaps nowhere is this shift being seen and felt more than in the realm of pharmacology, said Melissa Mattison, clinical assistant professor at the Western New England University College of Pharmacy, who also spent 18 years as a pharmacist at Walgreens.
Indeed, the emergence of obesity as a major issue in healthcare — and the many health problems it leads to — has been a huge factor in an ongoing evolution in the role pharmacists play, she told BusinessWest.
“Diabetes is definitely an epidemic,” she explained. “As clinicians, we need to educate patients that obesity, which can lead to diabetes, is a preventable disease and that there are many lifestyle modifications that a patient can embrace.”
Elaborating, she said that obesity and the problems that stem from it have impacted myriad aspects of pharmacology — from the products sold and medications dispensed to how diabetes-related items are displayed in the store.
But perhaps the biggest change has come in the relationship between the patient and the pharmacist, she went on. While there has always been an educational component to this profession — it’s never been about simply putting pills in bottles — that aspect of the job description has become far more prominent in recent years.
And obesity and its correlation to diabetes and other health problems is a big reason why.
“The doctor may see the diabetes patient once a month or once every three months, but the pharmacist sees that patient almost every week,” said Mattison, noting that such patients generally take 10 to 12 medications. “And if you see me that many times a week, we start to form a close relationship.”
Skip Matthews agreed. He’s president of the independent and locally owned Lewis & Clark Drug and Medical Supply. He’s not a pharmacist, but manages his family’s 48-year-old business, which includes two pharamacies and two medical-equipment stores in the Springfield area.
“We’ve always seen patients with diabetes, but the demand has really grown,” he explained, adding that this surge in volume affects a host of decisions he makes regarding his stores.
“Our pharmacies are geared toward those with multiple conditions, maybe a little more than a chain pharmacy,” he continued. “And we’ll see diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, and anything to do with the heart — and every one of those issues is directly or indirectly related to obesity.”
For this issue, BusinessWest talked with area experts about how what has become the nation’s most pressing health problem has in many ways changed the job description for pharmacists and made them more prominent players in the delivery of healthcare.

It’s Weighing on Them
When it comes to obesity, diabetes, and the collective impact on the role pharmacists play, the numbers tell the story — or a big part of it, anyway.
The most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that more than 23 million Americans, or close to 8% of the population, have diabetes, and more than one-third of the adults in this country (35.7%) are clinically obese. These numbers have doubled in just the past two decades, and current projections show that the number of people with diabetes in the U.S. will rise to 48 million by 2050.
And this dangerous trend is quite visible in Western Mass. and especially its largest city. According to the Mass. Behaviorial Risk Factor Surveillance System, Springfield has the highest percentage of adults diagnosed with diabetes in the Commonwealth (13.1%) and the highest percentage of adults being told they have pre-diabetes (10.2%).
The impact of all this on pharmacies is made clear by statistics compiled by the Pharmacy Times which show that, while the average consumer spends $300 annually on retail pharmacy purchases, a consumer diagnosed with diabetes will spend $2,500 on average each year in medication, insulin, blood-glucose-monitoring products, and other over-the-counter supplies.
These alarming statistics help explain everything from the rising numbers of health screenings in pharmacies (especially the larger chains) to the fact that many different types of medical equipment have been altered and recalibrated to reflect a much heavier America.
“It really sticks out on the medical-equipment side,” said Matthews, noting that the walkers, canes, hospital beds, bath-transfer seats and commodes that his stores sell, which once were ‘200-pound rated’ (to support patients up to that weight), now come rated at 250, 300, or 350 and higher for the morbidly obese. “The manufacturers have changed what they make, and we’ve had to change our product mix accordingly.”
But perhaps the biggest change that can be traced to those statistics has been the emergence of the pharmacist as educator and counselor, said Mattison.
Elaborating, she said that, in many respects, the pharmacist acts as a liaison between the patient and the primary-care physician.
“In pharmacy school, our focus is not just on the disease state and what the medications are used for,” she noted. “Now, the pharmacist has the responsibility, and the privilege, to spend time with the patient and say, ‘look, Mrs. Jones, we did your screening, and your body-mass index is in the obesity range; what do you know about that? Can I talk to you about that?’”
Matthews agreed.
“There is a greater recognition of the role of pharmacists, even by insurance companies and doctors, in just the past five years, and that wasn’t always the case,” he told BusinessWest. “That’s because the pharmacist brings a lot of value, due to his or her position in healthcare between the doctor and the patient.”

Dispensing Information
This larger, more prominent role takes many forms, said those we spoke with, who noted, for starters, that pharmacists are doing much more, historically speaking, to hold patients accountable for adhering to their medication and recommended lifestyle changes.
“Typically, diabetic patient-adherence rates are somewhere around 50%, so they don’t take their medication every day, and for numerous reasons,” Mattison told BusinessWest. “Adherence is a big push now with pharmacist intervention.”
There’s also that educational component, she went on, adding quickly that, while pharmacists have always welcomed and answered questions, they’re doing much more of that today.
“Now, they [pharmacists] are on the ground floor, and many of the new pharmacists are out on the floor with an iPad and helping customers,” she explained. “They are the first person that the patient sees [after a doctor’s visit], and they can be a continuing point of contact.”
This ongoing evolution in the pharmacist’s role brings with it both opportunities and challenges, said Matthews and Mattison.
In that first category, they place the prospects for growth that come with quality customer service, which takes on new meaning in the expanded role. In other words, pharmacies and individual pharmacists can stand out as a result of how well they accept — and carry out — their new responsibilities.
Mattison added that pharmacies have an advantage over other retail outlets in that they have the opportunity to sell the self-management items diabetic patients need, and also the experience and knowledge needed to offer positive medical support. For this reason, retail pharmacists may choose to place their diabetes-care display near the pharmacist’s counter, or place weight-control and nutritional foods, vitamins, and dietary supplements near the diabetes-care section. The marketing-savvy pharmacists will offer more and more product demonstrations, educational sessions, nutritional advice, blood-pressure screenings, coupons, and store sales.
As for challenges, perhaps the biggest stems from the fact that, in simple terms, pharmacists are not paid to dispense information and be that liaison between patient and physician, said Mattison, adding that doing so takes time, which in this business (or any other, for that matter) is money.
“The expanding role of the pharmacist now involves much more than counting pills,” she explained. “But the problem becomes, who’s going to pay for it, or make it reimbursable, and create a profitable model for the pharmacy?”
Another challenge, Mattison continued, stems from the fact that this broader, pharmacist-as-educator role requires a skill set that for many must be acquired.
And the university is responding accordingly, she said, adding that, in addition to a year-long class focused on the business skills needed for setting up and then operating a successful pharmacy, the school also includes a customer-service component within its healthcare communications class.
It teaches students how to talk compassionately with patients, adherence to a doctor’s plan, and how to navigate customers’ financial, socio-economic, and language issues.
One of the more hands-on aspects of healthcare communications is the process of physically putting the student in the patient’s position, she noted, by making them wear heavy gloves and macular-degeneration goggles that mimic deteriorating eyesight. They’re then asked to read a prescription or open a bottle of pills.
“And they find they can’t do it,” she went on. “So now this 22-year old student gets the perspective of a 78-year old patient, and it teaches them empathy.”

Counting on Them
Empathy is just one of many skills pharmacists now need to do their jobs effectively.
Indeed, where once being able to count was the most visible skill set, now, those in this profession must be able to listen, consult, and help lead their customers to healthier lifestyes.
The epidemic of obesity has much to do with this phenomenon, and all indications are that it will continue to be a large problem — in every sense of that phrase — for a long time to come.

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Court Dockets

By
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
Lancer Insurance Co. a/s/o GB Express Inc. v. Jasmine International Corp. and Robert E. Smith Jr.
Allegation: Trespass of property and negligence resulting in property damage to plaintiff’s trailer: $14,500
Filed: 7/17/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Amy Hollowell v. C&S Wholesale Groceries and Hector Rivera
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000
Filed: 6/21/13

KV Mechanical Construction and Restoration Co. v. Built Inc., Polymer Corp., and Manchem, LLC
Allegation: Non-payment of goods and services provided: $79,545
Filed: 7/10/13

Stephen A. Denoia v. Sears Holding Corp.
Allegation: Product liability. Stationary bike collapsed causing injury: $11,243.28
Filed: 7/17/13

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Carrie Lagoy v. Cooley Dickinson Hospital
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $ 25,000+
Filed: 8/6/13

Derick Campbell v. Northampton Housing Authority
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing slip and fall: $45,000
Filed: 8/9/13

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
Integrys Energy Services Inc. v. William M. Collins, II d/b/a Spoleto Restaurant Group
Allegation: Breach of agreement, services rendered, unjust enrichment, and account annexed: $15,907.62
Filed: 8/13/13

PALMER DISTRICT COURT
Maple Crane Realty Inc. v Dorothy Fleishman d/b/a What’s Cooking Kids
Allegation: Unpaid commercial rent: $60,000
Filed: 7/11/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Ball Publishing Co. Inc. v. Joseph Hickson Jr. and Katherine Hickson d/b/a Private Garden Greenhouse
Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $14,263.20
Filed: 7/17/13

Daniel Austin v. Pride Convenience Inc.
Allegation: Failure to pay wages: $25,000
Filed: 6/27/13

Reinhart Food Service v. George Eskander d/b/a/ Franklin Pizza
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,860.01
Filed: 7/11/13

TBF Financial Inc. v. Puerto Rican Cultural Center
Allegation: Breach of lease agreement: $6,628.64
Filed: 6/27/13

Timothy Scott v. Vonage America Inc.
Allegation: Defendant breached contract without prior notice: $24,000
Filed: 7/27/13

Western Mass Electric Co. v. Safety Insurance Co. and Bryan Pasco
Allegation: Repair and replace electrical facilities: $7,376.78
Filed: 7/16/13

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Publishing Fair
Sept. 28: Amherst Area Publications will present a publishing fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Masonic Hall at 99 Main St., Amherst. Learn how to find an agent, coach, editor, artist, trainer, or printer. Learn about self-publishing, marketing your work, publishing locally, and more. The $10 admission includes workshops. Pre-registration for workshops via e-mail is strongly suggested. They include: 10:15 a.m., “Do-it-yourself Book Marketing” by Shel Horowitz, author and international speaker; 11:30 a.m., “Intro to Self-publishing” by Sean Cleary, owner of CopyCat;
12:30 p.m. “Memoirs” by Kitty Axelson-Berry, owner of Modern Memoirs Inc. and White Poppy Press; 1:30 a.m., “What Small Presses Do” by Steve Strimer of Levellers Press. To register, contact [email protected] or Amherst Area Publications, P.O. Box 3389, Amherst, MA 01004. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council,
a local agency which is supported by the Mass. Cultural Council. Amherst Area Publications Inc. is a member of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce.

Wicked in Pink Motorcycle Ride
Oct. 13: The Wicked In Pink Run, a motorcycle event created by Bob Kaine Alves, a local motorcycle magazine and shop owner who recently fought his own battle with cancer, will raise much-needed funds for the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center Patient Services Fund at Mercy Medical Center. The event will also show support for all those battling cancer, cancer survivors, their caregivers, family, and friends. Registration for the run will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Harley-Davidson of Southampton. Participants will leave at noon from the dealership and end at the outdoor pavilion at Summit View Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, where there will be food and entertainment. Tickets cost $20 per person. Kaine Alves, owner of Throttle Rocker magazine, recently battled cancer of the head and neck and made it his mission to pay forward the compassionate treatment he received from the staff of the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center. This event will show support for all types of cancer. All riders are encouraged to wear pink, whether it be hats, wigs, shirts, or shoes — creativity is appreciated. Sponsors include Throttle Rocker magazine, Haymond Law, American Medical Response, Harley-Davidson of Southampton, Allen Media Inc., 94.7 WMAS, FSC Insurance Agency, and Bertera Fiat West Springfield. For more information on the event, visit www.wickedinpinkrun.com or www.facebook.com/wickedinpinkrun.

Rays of Hope Walk
Oct. 20: When this year’s 20th annual Rays of Hope – A Walk Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer steps off, it will be a celebration of two decades of women, men, and children walking together to fight breast cancer. Since its inception in Springfield in 1994 by Lucy Giuggio Carvalho, Rays of Hope, the most successful fund-raising walk and run in Western Mass. for breast cancer, has grown from 500 participants raising $50,000 to some 22,000 walkers and runners in an expanded event that includes a second walk in Greenfield, as well as this year’s 4th annual Run Toward the Cure 8K in Springfield. As in past years, the Springfield walk with some 600 teams — who may choose either a two- or five-mile route — and run begin at Temple Beth El on Dickinson Street, where registration is set for 9 a.m. The Springfield walk steps off at 10:30 a.m., preceded at 10:15 a.m. by the 8K run. The walk in Greenfield — either a two- or three-mile route — begins at Energy Park on Miles Street at noon, with registration at 10 a.m. All monies raised through Rays of Hope — more than $11 million since 1994 — remain local and are administered by the Baystate Health Foundation. Those who want to support the Rays of Hope but are unable to walk due to other commitments can participate in the 10,000 Steps Toward a Cure program. Participants receive a pedometer to keep track of their steps throughout the month of October, while raising donations similar to other walkers. This year’s Rays of Hope major sponsors are Health New England, Gale Toyota, Balise, Baystate Breast & Wellness Center, Baystate Breast Specialists, Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation, Doctors Express, Kinsley Power Systems, Lia Auto Group, Radiology & Imaging, and Zasco Productions. A listing of all sponsors can be found on the Rays of Hope website. For more information on the event, call (413) 794-8001 or visit baystatehealth.org/raysofhope, where walk or run participants may also register online.

Western Mass. Business Expo 2013
Nov. 6: Planning is underway for the Western Mass. Business Expo 2013, a day-long business-to-business event to take place at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. This fall’s show, the third edition of the Expo, which is again being produced by BusinessWest, will feature more than 150 exhibitors, seminars on timely issues of the day, special Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the wrap-up Expo social, which has become a not-to-be-missed networking event. The breakfast speakers will be Jim Koch, founder of Samuel Adams, the lunch speaker will be author, activist, and marathon runner Kathrine Switzer. Other details about specific programming will be printed in upcoming editions of BusinessWest and can also be seen online at www.wmbexpo.com or www.businesswest.com. For more information on the event or to reserve booth space, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Sept. 24: Pastries, Politics, and Policy, 8-9 a.m., at the TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. For those political and policy junkies. Join us for our debut event featuring a policy expert and member of the Patrick administration for a breakfast and roundtable discussion. Reservations are $15 for members, $25 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 1: Rake in the Business Tabletop and Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, Chicopee. This unique tabletop showcase provides businesses and organizations with an affordable opportunity to exhibit their products and services. Presented in collaboration with the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce. Exhibitor space is $100 and includes an 8-foot table, two exhibitor passes, and six complimentary passes for admission. Reservations to attend are $5. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 2: Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Speed Networking — join us for our take on speed dating, a fast-paced way for you to work the room, making 50 new contacts at one breakfast. Get your elevator speech ready for this unique event. Sponsored by Series Sponsor Masiello Employment Services. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 9: Lunch ‘n’ Learn, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at One Financial Plaza Community Room, 1350 Main St., Springfield. The program, “Birds Tweet, but Should You? Is Social Media Right for Your Business?” will discuss strategies behind using social media, determining your return on investment and tips on how to best deploy social media to your advantage. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for general admission, and includes networking time and a boxed lunch. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 24: A Chocolate Affair, 6-9 p.m., at Chez Josef in Agawam. Indulge yourself in chocolate, shopping, and networking. Presented by the Professional Women’s Chamber, an affiliate of the ACCGS. Exhibitor space is $70. Reservations to attend are $40. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 25: Super 60, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at Chez Josef in Agawam. Celebrate the region’s top-performing companies. Now, in its 24th year, this awards program celebrates the success of the fastest-growing privately owned businesses in the region that continue to make significant contributions to the strength of the regional economy. Presented by Health New England with support from Hampden Bank, Sullivan Hayes & Quinn, the Republican, and WWLP-TV 22. Reservations are $50 for members, $70 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by contacting Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Sept. 25: Chamber After 5 at Florence Savings Bank, Block Party, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by and sponsored by Florence Savings Bank, 385 College St., Amherst. Explore the whole group of businesses at Amherst Crossing: Amherst Pharmacy, Coldwell Banker-Upton Massamont Realtors, and Pioneer Valley Ideal Weight Loss. Enjoy tasty treats from Portabella Catering. Admission: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to [email protected].
• Oct. 3: Amherst Area Chamber Annual Awards Dinner, 5:30-9 p.m., at the UMass Student Union Ballroom. Presented by PeoplesBank. Sponsored by J.F.Conlon & Associates. Legacy Award: John Coull; Lifetime Achievement in Business: Ronald Nathan, Amherst Insurance Agency/the Nathan Agencies; Community Service: Family Outreach of Amherst; Chamber MVP: Cinda Jones, W.D. Cowls Land Co. Admission: $75 per ticket.
• Oct. 18: Legislative Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Lord Jeffery Inn. Sponsored by Western Massachusetts Electric Co. Admission: $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Oct. 1: GRIST — Get Real Individual Support Today, 9-10 a.m. at the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, 33 Union St., Easthampton. The GRIST group is a free member benefit, an ongoing small group of folks who meet regularly to share ideas and get advice on the daily challenges of running a successful business. RSVP to group leaders Derek Allard at [email protected] or (413) 282-9957, or Fran Fahey at [email protected] or (413) 529-1189. Free to chamber members and future members.
• Oct. 8: Mayoral Forum, 6 p.m., Eastworks Meeting Space, Suite 160, 116 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Learn about the Easthampton mayoral candidates’ views on business and their plans for the future of Easthampton. Free and open to the public.
n Oct. 10: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5-7 p.m. Hosted and sponsored by Cernak Buick, 102 Northampton St., Easthampton. Hors d’ouevres, beer, and wine available. Door prizes. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for future members.
• Oct. 15: GRIST — Get Real Individual Support Today, 9-10 a.m. at the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, 33 Union St., Easthampton. The GRIST group is a free member benefit, an ongoing small group of folks who meet regularly to share ideas and get advice on the daily challenges of running a successful business. RSVP to group leaders Derek Allard at [email protected] or (413) 282-9957, or Fran Fahey at [email protected] or (413) 529-1189. Free to chamber members and future members.
n Oct. 21: Celebrity Bartenders Night, 6-9 p.m., at Opa-Opa Steakhouse & Brewery, 169 College Highway, Southampton. Join us for a night of fun with local celebrities mixing drinks. Tips benefit the chamber’s holiday lighting fund. Raffles and more fun. Admission: free.

HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

• Sept. 24: “The Power of E-mail Marketing,” bonus session: “Getting Started with Constant Contact E-mail Marketing,” from 8:30 (registration) to 10 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Executive Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and the Republican. Attendance is free. For reservations, call the chamber office at 413-534-3376.
• Oct. 1: Table Top Showcase, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Chicopee Castle of Knights. Four area chambers — Greater Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, and the ACCGS — are getting together to present a tabletop mini-trade show. Tables cost $100. Call the Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376 to secure your table.
• Oct. 3: “Ask a Chamber Expert: the Basics of Blueprint Reading,” 8:30-10 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, Executive Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. Learn how to define different types of scales used on drawings; identify the height, width, and length dimensions of a drawing; interpret the various symbols and notations used on a drawing; distinguish between plan, elevation, section, and detail views; and become familiar with basic plan-reading terminology. Price includes a continental breakfast. Cost: $10 for members; $25 at the door and for non-members. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up.
• Oct. 9: Autumn Business Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Log Cabin. Sponsored by the Republican and Holyoke Medical Center. Recognizing new members, business milestones, and networking breakfast meeting. Cost: members, $22 in advance, $28 at the door. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up.
• Oct. 16: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at the Center for Health Education, 404 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke (former Grynn & Barrett Studios). Business networking event to take place at HCC’s newest education facility. Networking, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for the public. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up.
• Oct. 22: Social Media with Constant Contact Workshop, 8:30-10:30 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, Executive Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and the Republican. This information-packed seminar offers a basic review of the essential strategies and best practices a business or organization should understand to successfully get started with social-media marketing. Admission is free. Brought to you by Constant Contact. For reservations, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.
• Oct. 30: Manufacturing Breakfast, 7:30-9:30 a.m., at the Wherehouse, 109 Lyman St., Holyoke. For reservations, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.

MASSACHUSETTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.massachusettschambersofcommerce.com
(413) 525-2506

• Nov. 12: Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon, 9 a.m. registration, at the DoubleTree, Westborough. For more information on ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities, call the chamber office at (413) 525-2506 or e-mail [email protected].

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Sept. 26: Business Planning Workshop, 3:30-5 p.m., at the Northampton Chamber, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by the staff of the Franklin County Community Development Corp. This 90-minute session informs business owners about business planning, the loan process, where to get help, and how to launch a food product and use the Western MA Food Processing Center. Learn about available resources and walk out knowing your next step. Admission is free, but space is limited. RSVP to [email protected].
• Sept. 25: Incite Information, 7:30-9 a.m., at Look Park: the Garden House. Hosted by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors: United Personnel, Webber & Grinnell, and Six-Point Creative Works. The speaker will be state Sen. Senator Stan Rosenberg. Incite Information is a four-part series on the future of business in the Pioneer Valley. The format and topics were developed from a survey of chamber members, in which it was clear that business leaders are looking for more avenues for relevant and highly local information that will help them make decisions more effectively. The series will include expert speakers who will address big issues with a local mindset. Topics for this year will include economic development, high-speed transportation, higher education, and the impact of work culture. Cost: $20 for members, $30 for non-members. RSVP required. To register, contact Esther at [email protected].
• Oct. 2: Annual Chamber Open House, 5-7 p.m. Sponsors: Innovative Business Systems, Pioneer Training, and Crocker Communications. The chamber’s largest fall networking event, the open house is designed to introduce prospective members to the chamber and its members. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to Esther at [email protected].
• Oct. 8: Business to Customer Marketing Workshop: “On-the-spot Marketing Tips for Increasing Foot Traffic,” 1-3 p.m. Hosted and sponsored by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Presented by the Creative Marketing Group. The Creative Marketing Group will meet with you and your fellow retail business owners and managers at our conference-room table, listen to your marketing and communications concerns, and help you brainstorm practical, professional solutions on the spot. Learn more about how to strategize, advertise, brand, and promote your business, reach the media, and maximize your message in person, in print, and online. Cost: free, but pre-registration is required, and space is limited. To register, contact Esther at [email protected]
• Oct. 22: Business to Business Marketing Workshop, 3:30-5 p.m., at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Cost: free, but pre-registration is required, and space is limited. To register, contact Esther at [email protected].
• Nov. 6: Arrive@5 Chamber Networking Event, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by the World War II Club. Sponsors: Homeward Vets. Catered by Big Kats Catering. The chamber will be collecting donations for Homeward Vets. A list of needed donations will be posted on its website. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to Esther at [email protected].

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• Sept. 26: Coffee with Mayor Cohen, 8-9:30 a.m., at the OMG Training Center, 604 Silver St. Agawam. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 2: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., at Westfield Bank, 655 Main St., Agawam. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events hosted by various businesses and restaurants. These events bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. Free for chamber members, $10 for non-members. Event is open to the public, but non-members must pay at the door. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 10: West Springfield Mayoral Debate, 6-8 p.m., at West Springfield City Hall. Event is open to the public and free for both members and non-members. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 17: Business with Bacon, 7-9 a.m., at Crestview Country Club. Speaker: Gaming Commissioner Bruce Stebbins. Cost: $25 for chamber members, $30 for non-members. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 23: Business to Business Expo, hosted by the West of the River Chamber, the North Central CT Chamber, the Bradley Regional Chamber, and the East Windsor Chamber, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Hosted by Holiday Inn, Enfield. Cost: $100 for a six-foot table if you are a member of any chamber and pay in full by Sept. 27, or $150 for a six-foot table if you are not a member of any chamber or do not pay in full by Sept. 27. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or email [email protected].

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Oct. 7: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., at the Forum House, 55 Broad St., Westfield. Mayor Knapik will speak about all that is happening around Westfield and field questions. Free and open to the pubic. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 9: October WestNet Connection, 5-7 p.m., at East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. An evening of networking; don’t forget your business cards. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Walk-ins are welcome. Tickets: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected].

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

West Springfield Voters Kill Hard Rock Casino
WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield residents made a strong statement against a resort casino there, with 55% of referendum voters saying no, and killing the chances of Hard Rock International developing the project on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition. That trims the number of competitors for the sole Western Mass. casino license to just two; Springfield voters have already approved (by a 58-42 margin) a proposal by MGM Resorts International to built a casino in the city’s South End, while Palmer residents will vote in November on whether to approve Mohegan Sun’s project there. The Mass. Gaming Commission is expected to issue a license for one of these projects early in 2014. In West Springfield, 7,578 residents, or 45.7%, turned out to vote, with the proposition losing by 752 votes. According to campaign finance documents filed with the city, Hard Rock and the pro-casino movement spent $936,920 trying to get the project approved, while opponents working with No Casino West Springfield Inc. spent $1,765 — totals which do not reflect a surge of late spending by both sides in the campaign’s final days.

Four Sites Offered for UMass Facility in Downtown Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — Four sites in downtown Springfield have been offered as potential locations for a satellite facility of UMass Amherst, the Republican reported earlier this month. The offers came in response to a request for proposals issued by the university in August. School officials stipulated that they were interested in leasing approximately 25,000 square feet of space in the downtown area and have the ability to double that space at a later date. The four companies that sumitted bids, and their proposed sites, are:
• 1350 Main St., LLC, which is offering space at One Financial Plaza;
• JGT Mass LLC, which is offering space at 1391 Main St. (Harrison Place);
• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., which is offering space at 1500 Main St. (Tower Square); and
• Opal Real Estate Group, which is offering space at the Peter Pan Bus Station on Main Street.

Cathedral High School Tornado Claims Settled
SPRINGFIELD — The Diocese of Springfield and Catholic Mutual have announced an amicable resolution of all claims for June 1, 2011 tornado damage to Cathedral High School (CHS); St. Michael’s Academy (SMA), including the preschool and middle-school facilities; and the St. Michael’s Priests Residence building. In addition, other claims relating to damage to property owned by the diocese, including the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Jude Mission properties in Springfield, have been resolved as part of the agreement. When experts for Catholic Mutual and the diocese did not agree on the cost to repair damage from the tornado to the CHS/SMA middle-school building and other properties, the parties agreed to submit their disagreement to a reference procedure outlined in Massachusetts law to resolve such disputes. That process began in September 2012 and concluded in July 2013. Under the terms of this settlement agreement, within 30 days of its execution, Catholic Mutual will make a payment of $40 million. This amount will be in addition to the $19.9 million previously advanced to the diocese by Catholic Mutual and another $2 million paid directly by Catholic Mutual to Service Master for their initial cleanup services at the site. The diocese will add an additional $200,000 from insurance reserves. This settlement brings all disputes regarding property damage to a final conclusion, without the possibility of further legal challenges. Mike Intrieri, president and CEO of Catholic Mutual, said he is “happy that the process led to this complete settlement without the need for further legal proceedings. We wish the Diocese of Springfield well.” The diocese has already announced plans for partial demolition at the Surrey Road site.

Economic Gulf Grows Between Rich, Poor
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The gulf between the richest 1% and the rest of America is the widest it has been since the 1920s, according to an analysis of Internal Revenue Service figures dating to 1913 by economists at the University of California Berkeley, the Paris School of Economics, and Oxford University. The wealthiest 1% of Americans earned more than 19% of the country’s household income last year — their biggest share since 1928, the year before the stock-market crash — while the top 10% captured a record 48% of total earnings last year. One of the analysts, Berkeley’s Emmanuel Saez, said the incomes of the richest Americans surged last year in part because they cashed in stock holdings to avoid higher capital-gains taxes that took effect in January. In 2012, the incomes of the top 1% rose nearly 20% compared with a 1% increase for the remaining 99%. The richest Americans were hit hard by the financial crisis; their incomes fell more than 36% during the Great Recession of 2007-09 as stock prices plummeted, while incomes for the bottom 99% fell just 11.6%. But since the recession officially ended in June 2009, the top 1% have enjoyed the benefits of rising corporate profits and stock prices, with 95% of the income gains reported since 2009 going to the top 1%. The top 1% of American households had pre-tax income above $394,000 last year, while the top 10% had income exceeding $114,000. The income figures include wages, pension payments, dividends, and capital gains from the sale of stocks and other assets. They do not include so-called transfer payments from government programs such as unemployment benefits and Social Security. The income share of the top 1% bottomed out at 7.7% in 1973 and has risen steadily since the early 1980s, according to the analysis. Economists point to several reasons for widening income inequality, including competition with lower-wage labor in China and other developing countries, resulting in outsourcing of jobs, while technology continues to replace workers in performing routine tasks.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following Business Certificates and Trade Names were issued or renewed during the month of and September 2013.

AGAWAM

Auto Consultants
11 Maynard St.
Peter Gallagher

Cassandra Murray
430 Main St.
Cassandra Murray

Rain or Shine Flyer Distribution
438 Springfield St.
Sean Navin

V.M. Double Power
16 Sycamore Terrace
Vitaliy Mokan

CHICOPEE

Basics Plus Mini Mart
190 East St.
Ahmad Amin

Computer Solutions
73 Park St.
Jerrard McCarthy

Prime Time Fitness & Nutrition
220 Fuller Road
Sergio Amaral

EASTHAMPTON

DWB Services
25 East Green St.
David Bouder Jr.

Happy Face Crochet
1 Mayher St.
Naomi Longo

Natural Vitality
123 Union St.
Lenore Anderson

Pad Printing Plates New England Inc.
1 Cottage St.
Michael Macleod

Sunny Avenue Arts Studio
150 Pleasant St.
JoAnne Lucia

HOLYOKE

ABC Sales & Service
621 South Canal St.
Robert J. Celi

American Eagle Outfitters
50 Holyoke St.
Scott Griffith

Dam Café
27 Myrtle Ave.
Michael E. McMahon III

Holyoke Nails
5 Cabot St.
Quyen Nguyen

Real China Restaurant
1529 Northampton St.
Zijian Yan

T’s Zone, LLC
50 Holyoke St.
Thomas Clarke

NORTHAMPTON

Barton’s Angels Inc.
144 Riverbrook Road
Nancy Whitley

GeoPilot Service
71 Federal St.
Scott Girard

Northampton Auto Wholesale Inc.
139 Damon Road
Luis Leyva

Northampton Psychotherapy
8 Crafts Ave.
Nicholas Boutros

The Mirage Group
16 Market St.
Gary Richardson

The Overlook Health Center
222 River Road
Mary Uschmann

The Town Bike
243 King St.
Taylor Gallerani

PALMER

Black Bay Ventures, LLC
22 Mount Dumplin Road
Robert Logan

Dark Star Emporium
1343 Main St.
Erich Becker

Firefighting Equipment
2146 Main St.
Alan Fauteux

Ganesha Institute
75 Griffin St.
Saskia Cote

Perfection Pools Unlimited
1826 Central St.
Mark Bouthier

Zourra Designs
2 Green St.
Farida Ellouizi

SOUTHWICK

First Step Therapy
11 Pearl Brook Road
Nancy Psholka

Oak Ridge Logging
48 Lakeview St.
Matthew Kurowski

SPRINGFIELD

Katie Pacheco
1523 Wilbraham Road
Katie Pacheco

Ken Martin HVAC
282 Main St.
Hugh K. Martin

Linguistics
32 Ashmun St.
Lydia Lopez

Luz Lopez Consulting
471 Dickinson St.
Luz Z. Lopez

Macy’s Retail Holdings
1655 Boston Road
Stephen O’Bryan

Main Connection
2670 Main St.
Jacqueline Alban

Michele Howe’s Trucking
174 Powell Ave.
Michele L. Howe

Midtown Barber & Styling
976 Main St.
Jesse Michael

MMY Convenience Inc.
295 Allen St.
Zeiad Zaitoun

Neveteg Graphic Solutions
580 St. James Ave.
Gary Beaudry

New Generation Environment
99 Mill St.
Hector Suarez

NN Realty
91 Aspen Road
Nga Nguyen

Pampered Tresses
63 Bretton Road
Erika M. Clarke

Phenomenal Looks
680 Sumner Ave.
Ysabel Santana

Preferred Domestics Clean
70 Shumway St.
Gloria J. Durant

Puerto Rico Bakery
2917 Main St.
Aida L. Rodriguez

Quo Solus
235 State St.
Joseph Valentine

RYS Family Fashion
2460 Main St.
Luis E. Liriano

RJ Majowicz Electrical
65 Main St.
Robert J. Majowicz

Shooting Star Dance Center
1196 Parker St.
Carol A. Boardway

Springer’s Oil, LLC
40 Wisteria St.
Samuel S. Springer

Springfield’s Finest
427 State St.
Angel L. Castillo

Sublime Plus Inc.
152 Belmont Ave.
Usman Malik

Sunshine Cleaning and All
49 Andrew St.
Latoya Smith

Tazmania Gym Boxing
279 Mill St.
Juan Melendez

Thai Multi-Services
133 Vermont St.
Duong N. Thai

Therapeutic Massage
59 Wexford St.
Beth A. Morin

TMB Consultants
24 Dorne St.
Thomas M. Belton

Tufts Insurance Company
1441 Main St.
Tufts Insurance Company

Vemma413
63 Connecticut Ave.
Brandon Henry

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bay State Instrument Repair
248 Elm St.
Carl G. Ippolito

Cosmoprof
1053 Riverdale St.
Kara Gamache

Elegant Nail
634 Kings Highway
Lien T. Tran

Global Sports Unlimited
1434 Memorial Ave.
Sergey Adamayan

Graphic Printing Company
233 Western Ave.
Enfield Printing

Integrative Health & Wellness
1111 Elm St.
Kathleen Marle

J.H. Miller Framing
86 Elm St.
James P. Hutchinson

Jumpin Jax Rentals, LLC
79 Wayside Ave.
Jamzson Quist

Life Uniform
935 Riverdale St.
Healthcare Uniform

Martin’s Upholstery
811 Memorial Ave.
Martin A. Dean

Mike’s Auto Service
173 River St.
Michael W. Zabik

Parsons Sewing Connection
2005 Riverdale St.
Marlene P. Warren

Sweeney Associates
84 Cedar Woods Glen
Kathleen H. Sweeney

The Official Cuts Barber
715 Main St.
Gabriel Martinez

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555
• Sept. 11: After 5 – MillFest, 5-7 p.m., at Ludlow Mills. We’re bringing the After 5 networking events back bigger and better tha• ever with a MillFest. We’ll have live music, great food, lots of fun, and, of course, networking. Sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank with support from HealthSouth and Westmass Area Development Corp. Presented i• collaboratio• with the East of the River Five Tow• Chamber of Commerce, a• affiliate of the ACCGS. Reservations are $15 for members, $25 for general admission. Proceeds will benefit the ERC5 Scholarship Fund. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Sept. 18: Wester• Mass. Business Forum, 8:30 a.m.-noon, at Holyoke Community College. Businesses operating today are ofte• overwhelmed by state and federal environmental, health, and safety requirements. It’s especially tough for small and mid-size businesses to keep up to date. Joi• the EPA, DEP, and other state agencies and the state’s leading business organizations for a half-day briefing where you’ll be give• the tools to ru• your business safely and i• compliance with the law — and maybe save some money i• the end. Presented i• collaboratio• with Associated Industries of Mass., the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Partners for a Healthier Community, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Reservations are $25 for the first employee per company, $15 per employee thereafter. Reservations must be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com.
• Sept. 24: Pastries, Politics, and Policy, 8-9 a.m., at the TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Mai• St., Springfield. For those political and policy junkies. Joi• us for our debut event featuring a policy expert and member of the Patrick administratio• for a breakfast and roundtable discussion. Reservations are $15 for members, $25 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 1: Rake i• the Business Tabletop and Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, Chicopee. This unique tabletop showcase provides businesses and organizations with a• affordable opportunity to exhibit their products and services. Presented i• collaboratio• with the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce. Exhibitor space is $100 and includes a• 8-foot table, two exhibitor passes, and six complimentary passes for admission. Reservations to attend are $5. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 2: Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Log Cabi• i• Holyoke. Speed Networking — joi• us for our take o• speed dating, a fast-paced way for you to work the room, making 50 new contacts at one breakfast. Get your elevator speech ready for this unique event. Sponsored by Series Sponsor Masiello Employment Services. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 9: Lunch ‘n’ Learn, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at One Financial Plaza Community Room, 1350 Mai• St., Springfield. The program, “Birds Tweet, but Should You? Is Social Media Right for your Business?” will discuss strategies behind using social media, determining your retur• o• investment and tips o• how to best deploy social media to your advantage. Reservations are $20 for members, $30 for general admission, and includes networking time and a boxed lunch. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 24: A Chocolate Affair, 6-9 p.m., at Chez Josef i• Agawam. Indulge yourself i• chocolate, shopping, and networking. Presented by the Professional Women’s Chamber, a• affiliate of the ACCGS. Exhibitor space is $70. Reservations to attend are $40. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by calling Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.
• Oct. 25: Super 60, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at Chez Josef i• Agawam. Celebrate the region’s top-performing companies. Now, i• its 24th year, this awards program celebrates the success of the fastest-growing privately owned businesses i• the regio• that continue to make significant contributions to the strength of the regional economy. Presented by Health New England with support from Hampde• Bank, Sulliva• Hayes & Quinn, the Republican, and WWLP-TV 22. Reservations are $50 for members, $70 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.myonlinechamber.com or by contacting Cecile Larose at (413) 755-1313.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700
• Sept. 13: Amherst Area Chamber Luncheon, 12:30-2 p.m., at the Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. Sponsored by UMass Five College Credit Union. Celebrate the growth and impact of local agriculture and the 20th anniversary of Community Involved i• Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). Guest speaker Phillip Korman, executive director of CISA, will discuss the economic impacts and growth of the “Local Hero” movement i• the Pioneer Valley. Tickets cost $25 per person. RSVP to [email protected].
• Sept. 25: Chamber After 5 at Florence Savings Bank, Block Party, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by and sponsored by Florence Savings Bank, 385 College St., Amherst. Explore the whole group of businesses at Amherst Crossing: Amherst Pharmacy, Coldwell Banker-Upto• Massamont Realtors, and Pioneer Valley Ideal Weight Loss. Enjoy tasty treats from Portabella Catering. Admission: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to [email protected].
• Oct. 3: Amherst Area Chamber Annual Awards Dinner, 5:30-9 p.m., at the UMass Student Unio• Ballroom. Presented by PeoplesBank. Sponsored by J.F.Conlo• & Associates. Legacy Award: Joh• Coull; Lifetime Achievement i• Business: Ronald Nathan, Amherst Insurance Agency/the Natha• Agencies; Community Service: Family Outreach of Amherst; Chamber MVP: Cinda Jones, W.D. Cowls Land Co. Admission: $75 per ticket.
• Oct. 18: Legislative Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Lord Jeffery Inn. Sponsored by Wester• Massachusetts Electric Co. Admission: $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414
• Sept. 12: Networking By Night Business Card Exchange, 5-7 p.m. Hosted and co-sponsored by Eastworks Event Space, Suite 160, 116 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Co-sponsored by Riff’s Joint, which is providing hors d’ouevres. Beer and wine compliments of Eastworks. Door prizes. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for future members.
• Sept. 13-14: Fall Recycling Days (Sept. 13: 1-4 p.m.; Sept. 14: 8:30 a.m. to noon). Responsibly dispose of your old computer, monitor, TV, stereo, and/or home or office appliances. Location: Corner of Liberty and Mechanic streets (across from the Liberty Commons Building), Easthampton. Recycling services courtesy of Duseau Trucking, Hatfield. Ope• to the public. Contact the chamber office at (413) 527-9414 for recycling fees; 100% of fees will benefit chamber community programs.
• Sept. 17: GRIST — Get Real Individual Support Today, 9-10 a.m. at the Greater Easthampto• Chamber of Commerce, 33 Unio• St., Easthampton. The GRIST group is a free member benefit, a• ongoing small group of folks who meet regularly to share ideas and get advice o• the daily challenges of running a successful business. RSVP to group leaders Derek Allard at [email protected] or (413) 282-9957, or Fra• Fahey at [email protected] or (413) 529-1189. Free to chamber members and future members.
• Oct. 1: GRIST — Get Real Individual Support Today, 9-10 a.m. at the Greater Easthampto• Chamber of Commerce, 33 Unio• St., Easthampton. The GRIST group is a free member benefit, a• ongoing small group of folks who meet regularly to share ideas and get advice o• the daily challenges of running a successful business. RSVP to group leaders Derek Allard at [email protected] or (413) 282-9957, or Fra• Fahey at [email protected] or (413) 529-1189. Free to chamber members and future members.
• Oct. 8: Mayoral Forum, 6 p.m., Eastworks Meeting Space, Suite 160, 116 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Lear• about the Easthampto• mayoral candidates’ views o• business and their plans for the future of Easthampton. Free and ope• to the public.
• Oct. 10: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5-7 p.m. Hosted and sponsored by Cernak Buick, 102 Northampto• St., Easthampton. Hors d’ouevres, beer, and wine available. Door prizes. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for future members.
• Oct. 15: GRIST — Get Real Individual Support Today, 9-10 a.m. at the Greater Easthampto• Chamber of Commerce, 33 Unio• St., Easthampton. The GRIST group is a free member benefit, a• ongoing small group of folks who meet regularly to share ideas and get advice o• the daily challenges of running a successful business. RSVP to group leaders Derek Allard at [email protected] or (413) 282-9957, or Fra• Fahey at [email protected] or (413) 529-1189. Free to chamber members and future members.
• Oct. 21: Celebrity Bartenders Night, 6-9 p.m., at Opa-Opa Steakhouse & Brewery, 169 College Highway, Southampton. Joi• us for a night of fu• with local celebrities mixing drinks. Tips benefit the chamber’s holiday lighting fund. Raffles and more fun. Admission: free.

HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376
• Sept. 10: “Grow Your Business with E-mail and Social Media Marketing,” from 8:30 (registration) to 10:30 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Executive Conference Room, 177 High St. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and the Republican. This workshop is designed to give small businesses and nonprofit organizations some simple ideas for growing their customer, prospect, or member networks by using e-mail and social-media marketing. Admissio• is free. Brought to you by Constant Contact. For reservations, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.
• Sept. 11: Legislative Coffee Hour, 7:45-9:15 a.m. Hosted by Slainte, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Sponsored by Dowd Insurance, Loomis Communities, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll. Hear what the Holyoke mayoral candidates have to say about some of the key topics that will affect the city of Holyoke. Each candidate will have a• opportunity to speak and will take questions from the audience. Cost: $18 for chamber members, $25 for non-members. Continental breakfast included. The public is invited to attend. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sig• up.
• Sept. 17: Holyoke Day at the Big E, 5 p.m.
• Sept. 18: Chamber Annual Clambake, 5-7:30 p.m., at Holyoke Country Club, 1 Country Club Road. Sponsored by United Water, Pioneer Valley Railroad, and Westfield Bank. All tickets are $35. The public is invited to attend. Free golf lesso• at 3:30 p.m., putting contest, music, chowder cook-off, games, door prizes, and raffles. For reservations, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.
• Sept. 24: “The Power of E-mail Marketing,” bonus session: “Getting Started with Constant Contact E-mail Marketing,” from 8:30 (registration) to 10 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Executive Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and the Republican. Attendance is free. For reservations, call the chamber office at 413-534-3376.
• Oct. 1: Table Top Showcase, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Chicopee Castle of Knights. Four area chambers — Greater Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, and the ACCGS — are getting together to present a tabletop mini-trade show. Tables cost $100. Call the Holyoke Chamber at (413) 534-3376 to secure your table.
• Oct. 3: “Ask a Chamber Expert: the Basics of Blueprint Reading,” 8:30-10 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, Executive Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. Lear• how to define different types of scales used o• drawings; identify the height, width, and length dimensions of a drawing; interpret the various symbols and notations used o• a drawing; distinguish betwee• plan, elevation, section, and detail views; and become familiar with basic plan-reading terminology. Price includes a continental breakfast. Cost: $10 for members; $25 at the door and for non-members. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sig• up.
• Oct. 9: Autum• Business Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Log Cabin. Sponsored by the Republica• and Holyoke Medical Center. Recognizing new members, business milestones, and networking breakfast meeting. Cost: members, $22 i• advance, $28 at the door. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sig• up.
• Oct. 16: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at the Center for Health Education, 404 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke (former Gryn• & Barrett Studios). Business networking event to take place at HCC’s newest educatio• facility. Networking, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for the public. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sig• up.
• Oct. 22: Social Media with Constant Contact Workshop, 8:30-10:30 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, Executive Conference Room, 177 High St., Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and the Republican. This information-packed seminar offers a basic review of the essential strategies and best practices a business or organizatio• should understand to successfully get started with social-media marketing. Admissio• is free. Brought to you by Constant Contact. For reservations, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.
• Oct. 30: Manufacturing Breakfast, 7:30-9:30 a.m., at the Wherehouse, 109 Lyma• St., Holyoke. For reservations, call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.

MASSACHUSETTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.massachusettschamberofcommerce.com
(413) 525-2506
• Nov. 12: Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon, 9 a.m. registration, at the DoubleTree, Westborough. For more informatio• o• ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities, call the chamber office at (413) 525-2506 or e-mail [email protected].

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Sept. 11: Arrive@5, 5-7 p.m. Monthly chamber networking event. Sponsored and hosted by Baystate Health Outpatient Center, at Northampto• Crossing, 325 King St. Cost:  $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to [email protected].
• Sept. 26: Business Planning Workshop, 3:30-5 p.m., at the Northampto• Chamber, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by the staff of the Frankli• County Community Development Corp. This 90-minute sessio• informs business owners about business planning, the loa• process, where to get help, and how to launch a food product and use the Wester• MA Food Processing Center. Lear• about available resources and walk out knowing your next step. Admissio• is free, but space is limited. RSVP to [email protected].
• Sept. 25: Incite Information, 7:30-9 a.m., at Look Park: the Garde• House. Hosted by the Greater Northampto• Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors: United Personnel, Webber & Grinnell, and Six-Point Creative Works. The speaker will be state Sen. Senator Sta• Rosenberg. Incite Informatio• is a four-part series o• the future of business i• the Pioneer Valley. The format and topics were developed from a survey of chamber members, i• which it was clear that business leaders are looking for more avenues for relevant and highly local informatio• that will help them make decisions more effectively. The series will include expert speakers who will address big issues with a local mindset. Topics for this year will include economic development, high-speed transportation, higher education, and the impact of work culture. Cost: $20 for members, $30 for non-members. RSVP required. To register, contact Esther at [email protected].
• Oct. 2: Annual Chamber Ope• House, 5-7 p.m. Sponsors: Innovative Business Systems, Pioneer Training, and Crocker Communications. The chamber’s largest fall networking event, the ope• house is designed to introduce prospective members to the chamber and its members. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to Esther at [email protected].
• Oct. 8: Business to Customer Marketing Workshop: “On-the-spot Marketing Tips for Increasing Foot Traffic,” 1-3 p.m. Hosted and sponsored by the Greater Northampto• Chamber of Commerce. Presented by the Creative Marketing Group. The Creative Marketing Group will meet with you and your fellow retail business owners and managers at our conference-room table, liste• to your marketing and communications concerns, and help you brainstorm practical, professional solutions o• the spot. Lear• more about how to strategize, advertise, brand, and promote your business, reach the media, and maximize your message i• person, i• print, and online. Cost: free, but pre-registratio• is required, and space is limited. To register, contact Esther at [email protected]
• Oct. 22: Business to Business Marketing Workshop, 3:30-5 p.m., at the Greater Northampto• Chamber of Commerce. Cost: free, but pre-registratio• is required, and space is limited. To register, contact Esther at [email protected].
• Nov. 6: Arrive@5 Chamber Networking Event, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by the World War II Club. Sponsors: Homeward Vets. Catered by Big Kats Catering. The chamber will be collecting donations for Homeward Vets. A list of needed donations will be posted o• its website. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to Esther at [email protected].

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880
• Sept. 26: Coffee with Mayor Cohen, 8-9:30 a.m., at the OMG Training Center, 604 Silver St. Agawam. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 2: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., at Westfield Bank, 655 Mai• St., Agawam. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events hosted by various businesses and restaurants. These events bring members and non-members together to network i• a laid-back atmosphere. Free for chamber members, $10 for non-members. Event is ope• to the public, but non-members must pay at the door. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 10: West Springfield Mayoral Debate, 6-8 p.m., at West Springfield City Hall. Event is ope• to the public and free for both members and non-members. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 17: Business with Bacon, 7-9 a.m., at Crestview Country Club. Speaker: Gaming Commissioner Bruce Stebbins. Cost: $25 for chamber members, $30 for non-members. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 23: Business to Business Expo, hosted by the West of the River Chamber, the North Central CT Chamber, the Bradley Regional Chamber, and the East Windsor Chamber, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Hosted by Holiday Inn, Enfield. Cost: $100 for a six-foot table if you are a member of any chamber and pay i• full by Sept. 27, or $150 for a six-foot table if you are not a member of any chamber or do not pay i• full by Sept. 27. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or email [email protected].

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618
• Sept. 11: September WestNet Connection, 5-7 p.m., at the Holiday In• Express, 39 Southampto• Road, Westfield. Sponsored by CityStage & Symphony Hall. A• evening of networking. Don’t forget your business cards, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails. Walk-ins are welcome. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected].
• Sept. 13: Chamber Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the 104th Fighter Wing ANG, 175 Falco• Dr., Westfield. Platinum sponsor: Westfield Bank. Gold sponsors: Berkshire Bank and United Bank. Guest Speaker: Eva• Dobelle, president, Westfield State University. Cost: $25 for members. $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 7: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., at the Forum House, 55 Broad St., Westfield. Mayor Knapik will speak about all that is happening around Westfield and field questions. Free and ope• to the pubic. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected].
• Oct. 9: October WestNet Connection, 5-7 p.m., at East Mountai• Country Club, 1458 East Mountai• Road, Westfield. A• evening of networking; don’t forget your business cards. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Walk-ins are welcome. Tickets: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail [email protected].

Court Dockets

By
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
Wendy Leon v. Mount Holyoke Management Inc.
Allegation: Failure to maintain property, causing personal injury: $3,153.63
Filed: 7/22/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT
Lisa Diaugustino v. New Penn Motor Express Inc. and Michael Lacy
Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000
Filed: 6/21/13

McLaughlin Paper Co. v. MassMutual Financial Group
Allegation: Breach of contract to service retirement plan: $150,000
Filed: 7/11/13

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
Richard and Sarah Watling v. Vee Builders, LLC, Charles Valencik, Zachary Pruzynski, and Molly Thornton
Allegation: Richard Watling sustained an injury while working on the premises of a home under renovation: $105,000
Filed: 8/14/13

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT
Geraldine Trueheart v. Big Y Foods Inc.
Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property, causing slip and fall: $15,129
Filed: 7/31/13

Susanne Personette v. J.F. Conlon & Associates Inc. and Utica National Insurance Co.
Allegation: Consumer-protection violation and negligent misrepresentation regarding health insurance: $23,000
Filed: 7/17/13

PALMER DISTRICT COURT
American Express Bank, FSB v. J & J Architectural Inc. and David A. Carter
Allegation: Breach of credit agreement: $13,059.90
Filed: 7/17/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT
Audrey Reed-Batiste v. Sturdy Home Improvement
Allegation: Negligent repairs, causing property damage and loss of income: $25,000
Filed: 7/25/13

John S. Lane and Son Inc. v. Anderson Services Inc.
Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $9,230.85
Filed: 7/17/13

Melody Hatten v. GMRI Inc. d/b/a Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
Allegation: Plaintiff purchased takeout soup, and the lids on the soup containers did not fit properly, causing second-degree burns: $24,999
Filed: 7/23/13

Nathan Willemain v. F.L. Roberts and Co. Inc. and Richard Branch
Allegation: Branch, while in the scope of his employment, drove the vehicle of another client through the front of the Jiffy Lube store, causing serious injury to the plaintiff: $17,962.77
Filed: 7/23/13

Nurses on Demand, LLC v. Wingate Healthcare Inc.
Allegation: Breach of contract and failure to pay for nursing services provided: $17,485.00
Filed: 7/24/13

United Rentals Inc. v. Custom Copper and Slate, LTD
Allegation: Non-payment for rental agreement: $9,282.39
Filed: 7/27/13

The Lifestyle Business

By
Sections The Business of Aging
Footit Health Care Store Offers Products to Enhance People’s Lives

Marc and Kathleen Lucas

Marc and Kathleen Lucas say the name they gave their business years ago — Footit Health Care Store — speaks volumes about its product lines and overall mission.

When Footit Surgical Supplies Inc. opened in 1953, medical equipment was in its infancy and people had to use their own money to pay for things like wheelchairs and walkers.
“Medicare didn’t exist, and most people didn’t live long enough to need a lot of the things available today, so there weren’t many choices,” said Marc Lucas, who, with his wife, Kathleen Lucas, bought the business from Wallace P. Footit in 1991.
But over the next few decades, sweeping changes in medicine, insurance, and other sectors extended life expectancy and created a new focus on health, wellness, and staying active, which led to a remarkable array of new products.
In 1991, the Lucases changed the name of their business to Footit Health Care Store, which reflects the wide variety of products and services offered in the 4,000 square foot facility in West Springfield.
In addition to walkers, canes, wheelchairs, scooters, incontinence products, and items to help people who are aging, have a disability, or have had surgery, the store is filled with ingenious products to make life easier and more enjoyable. They range from orthopedic bed pillows to waterproof cast covers that allow children or adults with broken limbs to go swimming and/or bathe with ease; from diffusers for people who love the smell of burning candles but don’t want the smoke, to clothing in hard-to-find sizes, such as bras with cup sizes up to J and shoes of all types, including dress and athletic styles in widths up to 6E.
In addition, there are bath products, salves for dry skin, and a custom car seat cushion for people with bad backs. The rear portion is bent to match the shape of a person’s lumbar spine, and Footit allows customers to borrow one at no charge before they purchase the product.
The company has always kept pace with new developments in health care. It was the first in the area to carry lamps that emit a special type of light to help with seasonal affective disorder (commonly known as SAD), which can make people tired and depressed during the winter due to lack of sunlight.
“Years ago, a few psychologists sent people to our store for the lamps. We looked into it and got one that people could rent,” said Kathleen, adding that, although the lamps come in a variety of styles today, a decade ago they were very large and unattractive.
Other products are versatile, such as a no-rinse shampoo that can be applied directly to the hair, then towel dried after being rubbed in. “It comes in a bottle or inside a shower cap. You put the cap on, massage the head, then remove it, comb, and style your hair,” Kathleen said. “Our products include a toilet seat that heats up, washes you with warm water, and blows you dry with the touch of a button.”

Growing Demand
Marc said people are living longer and healthier lives than they did in the past. “They want to maintain their lifestyles and remain in their homes as long as possible rather than going into nursing homes,” he told BusinessWest.
In most cases, that means they and/or their caretakers need to purchase equipment to make it possible for them to remain independent. Although they may have to pay for it themselves, Marc said it is cost-effective, because assisted-living facilities typically cost between $2,500 and $5,000 a month, and nursing homes cost about $10,000 a month.
Kathleen’s 93-year-old mother lives with the couple, and they have installed a stairway elevator in their home and have a lift chair that can raise someone from a sitting to standing position, along with other aids, such as several types of walkers.
But Kathleen said the most immediate need people must deal with is making their bathroom accessible, which can be done with equipment such as a shower chair, raised toilet seat, or removable shower grip bar that adheres to vinyl or tile walls via suction.
Scooters and travel chairs, which are a lightweight version of a wheelchair, also allow people to remain active in the community.
“Trends are changing, and our product selection mirrors this,” Kathleen said, as she showed off a 19-pound travel-style wheelchair that is easy to lift in and out of a car. “In the past, people with mobility issues stayed home, but now they want to get out and live normally.”
Other products that make it possible are lazy-susan-style car seats that swivel, and an adaptive device that helps people with arthritis to open a car door. In fact, there is a plethora of seemingly unlimited choices and styles of medical equipment. “We carry about 125 different canes,” said Kathleen, offering just one example. “Some people want ones that are pretty, while others want canes that can fold and fit into their purse.”
Footit also carries clothing for women who have had mastectomies, which includes bras, camisoles, and bathing suits. “There has been a lot of change in mastectomy products since we opened,” she said. “Back then, prostheses were very heavy and didn’t feel natural, and insurance only allowed women two bras a year to hold them. Now many insurance companies will pay for three bras every six months, and some of them are gorgeous. We also do bra fitting for people who want to be more comfortable.”
Footit has a shoe department, and although the styles are limited, there is footwear for people with diabetes and shoes for people with wide feet. “As people get older, their feet get wider, and having the right shoes is important because they want to keep moving,” said Marc, who is a certified orthotist.
But their most popular product is compression stockings for men and women. “When we first opened, the ones for women looked like granny stockings. But today they are sheer and come in a wide variety of colors and patterns,” Marc said.
However, it’s not just the products they carry that have made them successful. It’s the personal service they provide and their attention to detail. “We have always made sure that everyone knows exactly what will be covered by insurance,” Marc said.

Gradual Shift
Footit’s foray into the field of healthcare products began when he was a college student. He was working part-time as a delivery boy for Springfield Medical Supply, and when it announced it was closing, he borrowed $350, bought the store’s inventory, and became an entrepreneur.
“He sold his products to doctors,” Kathleen said. “He went door to door and supplied them with unusual items, such as corset-style back braces for women and trusses for men with hernias.”
She added that Footit was imaginative and willing to try new products, and it quickly developed a following. “Wally knew everyone in the area who was in the medical field, and found a need for things that other people might have missed.”
Marc agreed, adding that, when local doctors retired, Footit bought their medical equipment, then resold it to other physicians. “Wally was innovative in the way he approached business,” he said.
A decade after Footit opened his business, hospital stays became shorter, and a national trend toward home-based recovery began. So he continued to expand his inventory, and in 1963 opened a retail store at the ‘X’ in Springfield’s Forest Park. “He had grown up in the neighborhood, and the X was the place to shop at that time,” Kathleen said.
As demand for healthcare products grew, Footit’s business became important to the area. “If people had surgery and needed a walker, back brace, compression stockings, ostomy supplies, or products for their feet like moleskin or an arch support, they had to go to a medical-supply store to get it, and Wally’s compassion, sense of humor, and longtime relationships with area medical professionals made Footit Surgical Supplies a favorite for local doctors who prescribed products for their patients,” Kathleen said. “His advertising slogan was ‘your doctor knows us,’ because they truly did.”
When the owner of Vernon Medical Supply in Springfield retired, Footit purchased that business, which allowed him to add a new product line to his inventory. “It was located on Vernon Street, which is now Boland Way, and the company dated back to the turn of the century,” Kathleen said. “They made orthotics, prostheses, artificial legs, braces, and trusses. Wally moved their equipment, but continued the operation.”
Footit was dedicated to his customers, and after Marc and Kathleen purchased the business in September 1991, he did all he could to help them become successful, including working at the store for a month. They also found allies in loyal medical-supply salespeople who told them which products to buy. In addition, a salesman urged Marc to become certified in orthotics long before insurance companies required it for third-party payments.
The couple made some changes, and in 1994, when the need for more space and parking became apparent, they moved Footit Health Care Store to Memorial Avenue in West Springfield, where they are located today.
Marc and Kathleen are proud of the service they provide and the number of products they carry, which appeal to a wide range of people.
“In the past, people only came to us because they needed something after surgery,” Marc said. “Now, they come because they want a healthy lifestyle.”
Kathleen agreed, but insisted that their mission remains unchanged. “We take great pride in being a leader in the community and helping to restore dignity and independence to people. Footit has solved problems since 1953, and we want to be here for another 60 years,” she said. “We also want to educate the community about products that are available to enhance their lives. It’s all part of what we do.”

Points of Interest

By
Law Sections
10 Things You Should Know About Reverse Mortgages

ANN I. WEBER, Esq.

ANN I. WEBER, Esq.

If you watch TV these days, it’s hard to avoid Fred Thompson, Robert Wagner, and a host of other actors encouraging you to consider a reverse mortgage if you are strapped for cash.
Although these financial tools can be useful, they are expensive, both in terms of bank fees and interest payments, and they can put your financial health, your home ownership, and your children’s inheritance at risk.
Because of these problems, the default rate on reverse mortgages has been significant. In response, Congress recently passed the Reverse Mortgage Stabilization Act of 2013, which gives new powers to federal regulators to change the rules of the program “to improve … fiscal safety and soundness.” As a result, most homeowners will no longer have access to large lump-sum payments up front, they may be required to set up escrow accounts for insurance and property taxes, and financial assessments will be required.
If you are thinking about applying for a reverse mortgage, here are 10 things you should know before proceeding.

1. A reverse mortgage is a loan, which accumulates interest over the life of the loan. The homeowner remains responsible for ongoing taxes and home insurance.
A reverse mortgage is similar to a purchase mortgage in that it is a loan from a bank or mortgage company to an individual. However, instead of using the funds advanced by the bank for purchase of a residence, a senior homeowner (62 or older) can use a portion of his or her home equity as collateral and receive cash in return. Reverse mortgages have fees due upon origination and servicing fees annually, and the loan will have to be repaid with interest, which accumulates over the life of the loan. The principal and accumulated interest are due when the homeonwer dies or no longer lives in the home as their principal residence.
There are three types of reverse mortgages:
• Single-purpose loans for home repair, handicap access, etc. issued by state, local, or charitable agencies. These are usually the least expensive;
• Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs), issued by banks or mortgage companies that are approved Federal Housing Authority lenders. They are federally insured and regulated. These are the most common and have some consumer safeguards due to federal regulation; and
• Proprietary loans backed by the companies that develop them. You are on your own here, but greater amounts are frequently available from these lenders.
The home is still owned by the borrower, who remains responsible for upkeep, real-estate taxes, and insurance on the home. Failure to maintain these payments can result in default and foreclosure, and as a result, escrow accounts may be required under the new law.

2. Reverse mortgage loans can be structured in a variety of ways.
The loan can be structured to make equal monthly payments to the homeowner for as long as the homeowner lives in the home or over a fixed number of years. Alternatively, the loan can create a line of credit that the homeowner can draw down at any time until the line of credit is exhausted. Some reverse-mortgage companies offer a combination of the above options. The loan plus accumulated interest is due when the homeowner dies or leaves the home for 12 months or more.
Note that, as of April 1, 2013, the federal government will no longer allow standard fixed-rate HECM mortgages to offer a lump-sum payment. Smaller lump-sum payments are still available under the HECM Saver program, which pays out a smaller percentage of the equity value of the home.

3. The amount available depends on several factors.
The older the homeowner, the more the homeowner can borrow against the value of their home. HECM loan maximums are determined based on the age of the borrower, the equity in the home,  and the current interest rate. Under federal law, loans may not exceed $625,500. However, under the new law, amounts available will be based on a lower percentage of equity, and borrowers with credit issues or little income may find that reverse mortgages are no longer a viable option for them because a financial assessment is now required.

4. Interest rates and fees are significantly higher than for conventional mortgages.
Interest rates for reverse mortgages are higher, sometimes significantly so, than for conventional mortgages, and reverse mortgages have frontloaded fees such as points, origination fees ($2,000 or 2% of the value of the home, regardless of the loan amount, whichever is higher), mandatory counseling, appraisal fee, financial-assessment fee, credit-report fee, pest inspection, flood insurance if applicable, as well as mortgage insurance. There may also be annual servicing fees charged over the life of the mortgage;  $10,000 in fees is not unusual for an upfront fee even for a relatively modest loan.

5.  The home should be mortgage-free.
While you may be able to borrow enough money to pay off an existing mortgage depending on your age and the amount of the existing mortgage, this will reduce the amount of cash that you can receive under the reverse mortgage. Consequently, it is generally more cost-effective to utilize a reverse mortgage with a home that is mortgage-free.

6. A reverse mortgage is not a good option if you are planning to sell or move in the foreseeable future.
Most reverse mortgages are not used over a short-term period due to the upfront fees. Therefore, a home-equity line or conventional mortgage may be more appropriate to provide liquidity over the short term. Also remember that the state or local government may have lower-cost loans for specific purposes.

7. Reverse mortgage payments are not taxable, nor are the payments considered countable income for purposes of MassHealth (Medicaid) eligibility.
However, lump-sum payments or any part of a monthly payment retained after the month of receipt will be part of countable assets. If you or your spouse are facing the possibility of long-term or nursing care, the monthly payments you receive under a reverse mortgage do not affect MassHealth eligibility. However, if you receive a lump sum or do not spend the entire monthly payment, the amount remaining after the month of receipt will be considered a countable asset.
Also, if you vacate your home for an extended period of time, usually 12 months or more for any reason, including a stay in a nursing home, the reverse mortgage may be called by the bank or mortgage company. If you do not have the funds to pay off the mortgage, the home can then be foreclosed upon and lost to the homeowner should he or she later be able to return home.

8. If the borrower is married, both spouses should be listed on the mortgage.
If only one spouse is listed on the mortgage, should the borrower spouse die, the survivor can be evicted if his or her name is not on the mortgage. In addition, problems have arisen for surviving spouses when only the deceased spouse is listed as a property owner on the deed. This situation can arise when couples opt to put a reverse mortgage in the name of the older spouse in order to maximize the loan’s proceeds. The federal government is considering instituting provisions later this year to address this problem.

9. This probably should be the option of last resort.
If you have other sources of funds for your living expenses, it is generally better use those first before moving to the reverse mortgage because of the outlay in fees and accumulating interest. You may want to consult with an attorney to be sure you understand the rules and review all your options.

10. If a reverse mortgage seems right for you, calculate all the fees and shop around.
Closing fees can vary significantly among lenders, so vigilance in comparing vendors can really pay off.

Attorney Ann (Ami) I. Weber is a partner with Springfield-based Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, and concentrates her practice in the areas of estate-tax planning, estate administration, probate, and elder law, and she has a particular interest in creative estate planning for authors, artists, farmers, and landowners. She is a board member and past president of the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County Inc., and is a former (and founding) board member and current member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She has recently been named one of the Top Fifty Women Lawyers in New England by Super Lawyer magazine. She is a frequent author and speaker on issues regarding estate planning, (413) 737-1131; [email protected]

Fiduciary Problems and Traps

By
Law Sections
Understanding the New 3.8% Investment Income Tax

Richard Gaberman

Richard Gaberman

The new 3.8% tax on ‘passive’ income known as the Medicare tax, which was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will now affect individuals whose adjusted gross income, depending on marital and filing status, is more than $125,000, $200,000, or $250,000.
However, it does affect trusts and estates with adjusted gross income in excess of $11,950. Thus, it is more important than ever for the executor or trustee to determine the adjusted gross income for the individual beneficiaries in order to determine whether to distribute income from the estate or trust to such beneficiary to avoid the 3.8% tax if that beneficiary’s modified adjusted gross income is below his or her applicable threshold.

Some Basic Information
• This new tax was effective as of Jan. 1, 2013.
• The tax applies to all taxpayers whose income exceeds a certain ‘threshold amount.’
• With respect to individuals, the NIIT is equal to 3.8% of the lesser of (a) net investment income (NII) or (b) the excess (if any) of the modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) less the threshold amount. This is basically adjusted gross income but increased for certain items of an income and for the earned-income exclusion. The threshold amounts for individuals are $250,000 if married and filing jointly, $200,000 if single, and $125,000 if married but filing separately. These are not inflation-protected.
• With respect to estates and trusts, the NIIT is equal to 3.8% of the lesser of (a) the undistributed NII or (b) the excess (if any) of the adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest tax bracket begins for that taxable year. For 2013, the highest tax bracket applicable to estates and trusts starts at $11,950. The estate and trust threshold amount is inflation-protected.
• NII includes interest, dividends, annuity distributions (if taxable), rents, royalties, income derived from passive activity, and net capital gain derived from disposition of property. It does not include salary, wages or bonuses, distributions from IRAs or qualified plans, any income taken into account for self-employment-tax purposes, gain on a sale of an active interest in a partnership or S corporation, and items that are otherwise excluded or exempt from income under the income-tax laws, such as tax-exempt bond interest, capital gain excluded under IRC §121, and veterans’ benefits.
• The NIIT will be paid with Form 1040 or Form 1041. The NIIT is subject to estimated tax penalties.
• NII includes income and gains from trades and businesses that are either passive activities (within the meaning of IRC §469) or a trade or business of trading in financial instruments or commodities. Note that, under IRC §469(c)(1), passive activity is any activity involving a trade or business in which the taxpayer does not ‘materially participate.’ Thus, one needs to review the passive-activity rules. If the taxpayer does materially participate in the activity, then NIIT will not apply to that income. The IRS regulations describe material participation for individuals, but not for an estate or trust.
• Dispositions of an interest in partnerships and S corporations require advanced planning. If the taxpayer is not active in the business, the 3.8% tax will apply to the capital gains. Note that there are ways to avoid (or defer or reduce) the 3.8% tax. Examples would involve a charitable sale, an installment sale, a 1031 real-state exchange, and a sale to family members in lower tax brackets provided the later sale to a third party occurs after two years.
Also, with respect to estates and trusts, how does an estate or trust become active in a trade or business? The executor or trustee must be active in the trade or business. An active beneficiary (who is not a trustee) will not cause the estate or trust to be ‘active.’ For example, a mother is the trustee of the trust that owns a business, but the business owned by the trust is managed by her child, who is the beneficiary of that trust.

Estates and Trusts
• The estate trust that accumulates income will pay the income taxes attributable thereto unless and to the extent that such income is distributed to any beneficiaries thereof. Note that, if a beneficiary is below his own applicable threshold, then the estate/trust may avoid the 3.8% NIIT to the extent the NII is distributed to such beneficiary who, after that distribution, is still below his threshold.
• However, note that if an irrevocable trust is a ‘grantor trust,’ then all of the income of that trust is reportable by the grantor on his or her personal income-tax return.
• Trusts not subject to NIIT generally involve split-interest charitable trusts and grantor trusts. However, distributions from a charitable trust to a non-charitable beneficiary may carry out NII subject to the 3.8% tax.
• What about electing small-business trusts (ESBT)? Although the proposed regulations recognized the ESBT as separate trust funds for each beneficiary, it does require consolidation into a single trust for determining the adjusted gross income threshold amount.

Planning for Reducing NII
• Consider municipal bonds, a 1031 exchange, an installment sale, tax-deferred annuities; life insurance; ROTH IRA conversions (helps to reduce MAGI), rental real estate (due to the benefit of the depreciation deduction), and oil and gas investments (helps reduce MAGI).
• Regarding estate/trust distributions, principal issues include the executor and trustee fiduciary duties and liability when making distributions to one or more beneficiaries. From an income-tax-planning point of view, consider distributions to lower-income-tax-bracket beneficiaries to save income taxes that would otherwise be payable by the estate or trust which may be in a higher income-tax bracket. Consider distributions to beneficiaries who may not have to pay the 3.8% NIIT. You need to read the applicable provisions of the will or trust that governs the executor’s or the trustee’s right to make distributions to the beneficiaries. Also, although accumulated pre-2013 NII is exempt from the 3.8% NIIT, under the proposed regulations, the first NII being distributed to beneficiaries does not come from the pre-2013 NII income. It is deemed to come from 2013 or later NII first.
• The gain on the funding (pecuniary bequests) of a marital deduction and bypass trust may be subject to the 3.8% tax. The tax planning for estates and trusts is now more complicated due to the new 3.8% tax, the high 39.6% income tax rate, and the huge spread between the low $11,950 threshold for estates and trusts and the high threshold for individual beneficiaries. At the same time, the fiduciary must be aware of potential fiduciary liability when making or not making distributions to the beneficiaries. Read the will and trust documents, and seek the advice of a qualified attorney and accountant.

Richard M. Gaberman, Esq. is of counsel at Springfield-based Robinson Donovan, P.C. He has been recognized for 20 consecutive years by Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of tax law, trusts and estate, real-estate law, and corporate law. He has also been recognized for 10 years by Super Lawyers for New England in the practice area of estate planning; (413) 732-2301; [email protected]