Insurance Archives - Page 24 of 40

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

Chamber Corners Departments

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

• April 24: Join us for the chamber’s annual Beacon Hill Summit, hosted by state Sen. Gale Candaras, starting at 7 a.m. Join with other members of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc. and the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce for a unique opportunity to hear directly from top legislators and members of the Patrick-Murray administration and an opportunity to voice your opinions, ideas, and concerns during the day’s formal sessions and social events. Speakers will include: Secretary of Administration and Finance Glen Shor, Senate President Therese Murray, Stephen Brewer, chair of the Senate and Joint Committees on Ways and Means, Mass. Taxpayers Foundation President Mike Widmer, and many others. The all-inclusive payment includes continental breakfast, transportation, and lunch at the Omni Parker House with members of the local delegation, a wrap-up reception at the 21st Amendment, and all materials. Buses depart at 7 a.m. from the Plantation Inn at Exit 6-off the MA Turnpike, and return at 7 p.m.
• May 1: Business@Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Delaney House, One Country Club Road, Holyoke. Mayor’s Forum. The monthly Busness@Breakfast series pays tribute to individuals, businesses, and organizations for major contributions to civic and economic growth and for actions that reflect honor on the region. To reserve tickets, contact Cecile Larose at [email protected].

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

• April 24: Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m., at the UMass Fine Arts Center. Sponsored by: Yankee Candle. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members. RSVP to [email protected]
• April 30: ‘Making Green Sexy’ — Chamber Brown Bag luncheon, noon-1:30 p.m., in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library at Amherst College. The program, focused on green marketing/green business profitability, will be presented by Shel Horowitz, president of Accurate Writing and More. Using examples as diverse as toilet paper, the Empire State Building, ice cream, and a community organizing campaign, Horowitz’s presentation will look at the different message styles you need to move both green and non-green audiences to action. For more information, visit http://greenandprofitable.com/.

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

• May 15: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at Elms College, 291 Springfield St. in Chicopee. To reserve tickets, contact the chamber at (413) 594-2101 or [email protected].
• May 22: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Berkshire Bank, 1339 Memorial Dr. in Chicopee. For more information, contact the chamber at (413) 594-2101 or [email protected].

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

• April 25: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5-7 p.m., at the new Easthampton High School, 70 Williston Ave. Tour and experience this new 21st century educational facility. Sponsored by Canon Real Estate Inc., Hors d’ouevres by the E.H.S. Culinary Department; door prizes. Tickets are $5 for members, $15 for future members
• May 9: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5-7 p.m., at Amy’s Place Bar & Grill, 80-82 Cottage St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Easthampton Savings Bank; hors d’ouevres; door prizes; cash bar. Tickets are $5 for members, $15 for future members.
• May 17: Wine & Microbrew Tasting, 6- 9 p.m., at Wyckoff Country Club, 233 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Enjoy more than 50 wines and microbrews, fine food, and an extraordinary raffle. Major Sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank; Event Sponsor: Five Star Building Corp.; Wine Sponsor: Westfield Spirit Shop; Microbrew Sponsor: Big E’s Supermarket; Food Sponsor: Log Rolling @ The Log Cabin/Delaney House. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at door. Call (413) 527-9414, or visit or www.easthamptonchamber.org.

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

• May 10: Ask a Chamber Expert Series: Hiring the Right Talent, 8:30- 10 a.m., at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, 177 High St. Join us for our second ACE (Ask a Chamber Expert) event with guest speaker Peter Brunault, senior professional in Human Resources (SPHR) of Employers Association of the NorthEast. Admission: $10 for members, $25 for non-members. Price includes a continental breakfast. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up or register at holyokechamber.com.
• May 15: Legislative Luncheon featuring State Treasurer Steven Grossman, starting at 11:30, at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road. Sponsored by Dowd Insurance and Goss & McLain Insurance. Admission: payment in advance, $30; payment at door, $40. Open to the public. For reservations call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376, or register online at holyokechamber.com.
• May 20: 45th Annual Chamber Cup 2013 Golf Tournament, at Wyckoff Country Club, 233 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Registration and lunch at 10:30 a.m. Tee off at noon (scramble format); dinner following the golf with elaborate food stations catered by the Log Cabin. Cost is $125 per player, and includes lunch, 18 holes of golf, cart, and dinner. Dinner only, $25. Winner awards, raffles, and cash prizes follow dinner. Tournament Sponsors: Log Cabin and PeoplesBank. Corporate Sponsors: Dowd Insurance, Goss & McLain Insurance Agency, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Mountain View Landscapes, Holyoke Medical Center, People’s United Bank, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll. For reservations call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376 or register online at holyokechamber.com.
• May 21: Chamber Business Connections, 5-7 p.m. Sponsored and hosted by Sovereign Consulting, 4 Open Square Way, Suite 307. If you are in the architecture, engineering, or development industries, attend as the chamber’s guest, Cost is $10 for chamber members, $15 for non-members.
Presented by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Committee. Join your friends and colleagues for this informal evening of networking.
• May 29: Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting, starting at 5 p.m. at the Delaney House in Holyoke. Program followed by a grand reception, including Fifield Awards. Sponsored by the Greater Holyoke Chamber Corporate Leaders. Cocktails from 5 to 5:30 p.m.; annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Dinner begins at 6. Admission: payment in advance, $30; payment at door, $40. Open to the public. The chamber will also honor chamber member retirees, Rosalie Deane, Holyoke Housing Authority; David Dupont, superintendent of Holyoke Public Schools; and John Kelley, Peoples United Bank.

MASSACHUSETTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
(413) 525-2506

• July 22: Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament at Tekoa Country Club, Westfield. Shotgun start at 11 a.m. Cost: $100 per golfer.
For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber office at (413) 525-2506, or e-mail to [email protected].

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

• May 1: Northampton Chamber Monthly Arrive @5, 5-7 p.m., at the Eric Carle Museum, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. Arrive when you can, stay as long as you can. A casual mix and mingle with your colleagues and friends. Sponsored by: Wells Fargo Advisors, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, and United Bank. Admission: $10 for members; $15 for non-members

PROFESSSIONAL WOMENS CHAMBER
www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• June 6: Women of the Year Banquet, 5:30-8 p.m., at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 375 Island Pond Road, Springfield. Join us as we honor our Woman of the Year, Jean Deliso, Deliso Financial & Insurance Services To reserve tickets, contact Cecile Larose at [email protected].

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

• April 25: Powerful Speed Networking Business After Hours with 3 Chambers, 5-7 p.m., at Chez Josef in Agawam. Featuring the West of the River Chamber of Commerce, Westfield Chamber of Commerce , and North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. Free for chamber members, $10 for non-members. (Event is open to the public; must pay at the door if you’re a non-member). For more information contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail to [email protected].
• May 1: West of the River Chamber of Commerce Membership Drive, at the
Holiday Inn, Enfield, Conn. Two shifts — 9-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-4 p.m. This is a great opportunity for you to network with other members while helping to grow your chamber. More members means more opportunity to grow your business. For more information contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail to [email protected].
• May 1: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Holiday Inn.
Free for chamber members, $10 for Non-members (event is open to the public-must pay at the door if you’re a non-member). Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events hosted by various businesses and restaurants. These events bring members and non-members together to social network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail to [email protected].
• August 19: West of the River Chamber of Commerce 10th Annual Golf Tournament at Springfield Country Club, West Springfield. Cost: $125 per-golfer. For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or e-mail to [email protected].

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

• May 6: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8- 9 a.m., at the Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Join the chamber and Mayor Dan Knapik for a meet-and-greet about the city. Free and open to the public. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail to [email protected].
n May 8: May WestNet Connection, 5- 7 p.m., at Amelia Park Children’s Museum, 29 South Broad St. Sponsor: Westfield YMCA. Cost: Members, $10, non-members, $15cash at the door. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail to [email protected].
n May 13: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce’s 52nd Annual Golf Tournament, at the The Ranch Golf Club, 65 Sunnyside Road, Southwick.
Schedule: 10 a.m., registration/lunch; 11 a.m., shotgun start; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., on-course refreshments; 4 p.m., cocktail hour; 5 p.m., dinner Great Sponsorship opportunities still available. Cost: foursome with dinner, $600; tee sign, $150; dinner only, $35. For sponsorship opportunities, to register or to donate a raffle, contact Pam at the Chamber office at (413) 568-1618, or e-mail to [email protected].

YPS-Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

• May 16: May ‘Third Thursday,’ 5-7 p.m. at Lattitude Restaurant, 1338 Memorial Ave., West Springfield.

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

Briefcase Departments

Volunteers to Renovate 25 Houses in One Day
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield affiliate of Rebuilding Together has announced that a unique ‘cluster rebuild’ of 25 homes, all on contiguous streets in the Old Hill neighborhood of Springfield, will take place April 27, which is the organization’s National Rebuilding Day. The homes will be renovated with an eye on improved health and energy efficiency. About 1,000 volunteers will pour onto Tyler and Quincy streets to assist in the renovations, which will include a conversion from oil heat to natural gas, with street hookups included as an in-kind donation by Columbia Gas, as well as new and proper insulation of all homes and apartments. Other work to be undertaken includes new roofs, energy-efficient windows and doors, proper ventilation, painting, age-in-place modifications, electrical and plumbing repairs, CO2 and smoke detectors, deadbolt locks, vinyl siding and ramps, and outdoor work including yard cleanup, fencing, landscaping, and shrub and flower planting. Improvements will also be made to the neighborhood as a whole, including the fixup of a neighborhood playground, the creation of a community garden for growing fresh fruit and vegetables, improvements to the Old Hill Neighborhood Council office at Eastern Avenue and Quincy Street, and improvements to the Masonic Lodge on Tyler Street. TD Bank will sponsor a cookout on Tyler Street at the end of the day. Many of the families benefiting from the renovations have seen their share of hardship; one of the residences is Oscar and Carol Granado’s home at 163 Tyler St., where they have lived for 32 years and raised a family. Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, and Oscar is still working at age 72 to pay for health insurance to cover her medical costs. Donors and event sponsors are pitching in to get the Granados a new roof; electrical, carpentry, and plumbing repairs; mold removal; and an exterior facelift. “It’s great to see everybody happy,” Carol said of the neighborhood excitement surrounding the cluster rebuild. “Everyone is having things done that they can’t afford to get done, or can’t do themselves. We will never forget this day.” Rebuilding Together Springfield is in its 21st year of existence and completed the rebuilding of 71 homes in Springfield in the past year, with help from some 5,000 volunteers.

Meet Our Judges

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

40 Under 40

The Seventh Annual 40 Under Forty Competition

This year’s nominations were scored by a panel of five judges, who accepted the daunting challenge of reviewing more than 100 nominations and scoring individuals based on several factors, ranging from achievements in business to work within the community. BusinessWest would like to thank these outstanding members of the Western Mass. business community for volunteering their time to the seventh annual 40 Under Forty competition. They are:

Jeffrey Fialky

• Jeffrey Fialky, a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2008 and a shareholder of the regional law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C., and member of the firm’s corporate, commercial, and municipal departments, where he specializes in all aspects of corporate and business law, banking, commercial real estate, and sophisticated commercial transactions. He joined the firm in 2006 after nearly a decade of living in Eastern Mass., where he held senior commercial attorney positions within some of the country’s most prominent publicly traded telecommunications and cable television companies. He previously served as an assistant district attorney in Hampden County.

Fialky is also active in the community, having served on a number of nonprofit and economic-development-related organizations. They include the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Museums, the United Way of Pioneer Valley, the Jewish Federation of Pioneer Valley, the Springfield Technical Community College Scibelli Enterprise Center Advisory Board, the Alden Credit Union board of directors, the Community Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, Leadership Pioneer Valley, OnBoard, the YMCA of Greater Springfield, the Mason Wright Foundation, the EDC Tourism Development Committee; and the American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter.

Brendon Hutchins

• Brendon Hutchins, CFP, a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2012, and senior vice president of Account Management for St. Germain Investment Management. Prior to joing the firm in 2003, he was vice president and financial advisor for the FleetBoston Financial Corp. Private Clients Group in Springfield. His prior experience includes eight years with Fidelity Investments as a vice president in the retirement division, with responsibilities across multiple locations during his tenure there.

In addition to being a certified financial planner, Hutchins holds NASD series 7 and 65 licenses for securities representation and investment-advisor services. He currently serves on the board of directors for the New England office of the March of Dimes, the Greater Springfield YMCA, and the Basketball Hall of Fame, and has also served on the board for the Springfield School Volunteers.

Mark O’Connell

• Mark O’Connell, president and chief executive officer of Wolf & Co., providing audit and financial reporting services to both privately held and publicly traded financial institutions and holding companies across New England, including community banks and mortgage banking institutions. In his current capacity, he is responsible for the strategic direction of the firm, while also providing audit and advisory services to financial institutions. His experience also includes consultation on audit and accounting issues related to mergers and acquisitions and with respect to debt and security offerings filed with the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

O’Connell has been involved with a number of industry and nonprofit organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Massachusetts and Connecticut Societies of Certified Public Accountants, and the Children’s Study Home in Springfield. In 2010, he won the Human Services Forum Board Member Award.

Myra Smith

• Myra Smith, vice president of Human Resources and Multicultural Affairs at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Joining the college in 1978, Smith has helped transform the STCC community into one of inclusiveness that celebrates cultural diversity. Among her many accomplishments is the creation of the STCC Diversity Council and its event series, which brings national and international speakers and artists to the campus. Smith also was responsible for the creation of the STCC “Think Tank” series, which brings community leaders together to assist with the retention and graduation rate of young men of color.

Smith is also active in the community, serving on many local boards, including People’sBank, the National Conference for Community Justice of Western Mass., and the STCC Foundation. Smith is a founding trustee of the Martin Luther King Charter School of Excellence and a trustee for the Non-Unit Health and Welfare Trust Fund for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Smith was recognized in 2007 by Unity First with a Women of Leadership Award, and received a Women of Vision Award from the Elms College Step Forward Program in 2005.

Jeff Sullivan

• Jeff Sullivan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of United Bank. In that capacity, which he assumed Jan. 1, Sullivan is responsible for the bank’s retail deposit and operations division, advancements in technology and electronic banking, and franchise expansion efforts. In addition, he also oversees the Information Systems and Facilities Departments and the United Wealth Management Group, and is also responsible for the company’s enterprise risk management program. He previously served the bank as executive vice president and chief lending officer and, prior to arriving at United, served in commercial-lending capacities for the Bank of Western Mass. and BayBank.

Sullivan has been involved with a number of area nonprofit and economic-development-related organizations, including DevelopSpringfield, Better Homes Inc., Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Briana Fund for Children with Physical Disabilities, OnBoard, the Pioneer Valley Plan for Progress, the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Council of Western Mass.

Geoffrey Croteau

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

40 Under 40 The Class of 2013

Financial Advisor and Managing Associate Sales Manager, MassMutual Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services, age 33

Like many 40 Under Forty honorees, Geoff Croteau found success in a far different field than he studied in college — in his case, graphic design. “I couldn’t find a career in that field to save my life,” he said with a laugh.
So, about a decade ago, he switched gears and became a real-estate agent in Florida, eventually moving up to partner of the firm and recruiting and managing more than 80 agents. But in 2008, he moved back to his hometown of Chicopee and took a job soon after with Charter Oak.
Today, as a managing associate sales manager, he serves as a role model and mentor to new financial-services professionals — in effect, recruiting, training, and developing new agents while running a successful financial-services business of his own.
It makes for a diverse career with plenty of personal interaction. “I would consider myself a people person; all I do all day is talk to people and help people plan for their future. It’s rewarding. I help parents plan for their kids’ education, I help people plan to be able to retire, and I help protect families with life insurance.”
Croteau brings the same passion to his community involvement, notably as president of the Beavers Club, a nonprofit French businessmen’s organization that donates time, money, and resources to projects throughout Western Mass; recent beneficiaries include Sunshine Village, Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, Holyoke Children’s Museum, the Volleyball Hall of Fame, Kane’s Krusade, Providence Ministries, and Relay for Life. “We have a lot of fun doing what we call work projects,” he said.
In addition, he’s vice president of the Holyoke Community College Alumni Assoc., raising scholarship money and helping students gain work experience through internships, and he also gives time and energy to the Marine Corps League, a service organization that helps disabled veterans and widows, raises scholarship money for veterans’ children, spends time with veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers Home, and helps Toys for Tots collect gifts for the less fortunate at Christmas. “I’m very proud of being a Marine, and I’m passionate about that,” he said.
That’s an impressive palette of work for someone who decided graphic arts wasn’t in the grand design.

— Joseph Bednar

Erin Fontaine Brunelle

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

40 Under 40 The Class of 2013

Realtor, Century 21 Hometown Associates; Founder and Co-chair, Buy Holyoke Now, age 31

As a real-estate agent, Erin Brunelle was quick to share her favorite part of her job. “It’s handing someone their first set of keys. Everyone dreams about their first house, and getting to be a part of that is very rewarding.”
She’s had plenty of experience with that feeling, ranking in the top 10 in sales performance among all Century 21 offices in the area last year, handing out 21 sets of keys while posting more than $2.7 million in sales. Brunelle also helped Century 21 Hometown Associates open a new Holyoke location last year; after just a few months, that office boasts the top market share in the city.
But that’s not the only way she’s impacting home ownership in the city. Take, for example, a project she helped launch called Buy Holyoke Now.
“It’s a new homeowners initiative we launched in the city after Alex Morse was elected mayor,” she said. “We laid out why it would be important, and he was on board from day one.”
In a nutshell, Buy Holyoke Now is a collaborative effort by a network of lenders, real-estate professionals, nonprofit groups, attorneys, insurance agents, home inspectors, Holyoke Gas & Electric, and a number of other retail partners and local tourist attractions, who team up to offer discounted costs and other incentives to people who move to Holyoke.
“Just from the goal of economic development, to have tax dollars coming into the city is always a good thing,” Brunelle said, citing research suggesting that every two homes sold equals one job and $30,000 pumped into the local economy each year. The retail incentives of Buy Holyoke Now are intended to increase that figure further, by encouraging residents to direct their spending money toward locally owned businesses.
“I’m a hometown girl. I was born and raised here,” Brunelle said of her passion for the city, which extends to other civic volunteerism, including service to the Holyoke Winter Carnival and the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley Community Service Committee; she has also decided to run for the School Committee in Ward 7. “I get upset when Holyoke gets a bad rap from people who don’t know what the city is all about. I want to alter that perception.”

— Joseph Bednar

Danny Kates

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

40 Under 40 The Class of 2013

Partner, Wealth New England, Age 29

Danny Kates takes great pride in his work and the strong relationships he forges with people.

“I enjoy interacting with the community and giving back, and I feel pressure is a privilege,” he said, explaining that, although he often works an 11-hour day, if there are still 70 e-mails waiting to be answered, he reminds himself that they represent 70 people who need his help.

“I always strive to be the person my clients need me to be, and it has really come back to me,” he said, adding that most of his clients are referrals. “They tell me that the work we have done together makes them feel like they have more confidence, clarity, and control over their assets — and that ultimately helps them sleep better, dream bigger, and accomplish more personally, professionally, and financially”.

Kates is a partner at Wealth New England, a non-proprietary insurance and financial-services group. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, prominent business leaders, and more than 200 families. “I work with a great team of people, and put them and my family before myself. It’s the right pattern for living my life.”

As a newlywed, devotion to his wife, Erin, and his closely knit family is foremost in his life, but Kates is also passionate about giving his time to causes he believes in. He has served on the board of directors for eight organizations locally, including the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Center, and dual terms as the executive chair of Northampton Area Young Professionals.

Kates is also passionate about planting seeds of financial hope at the microeconomic level, granting microloans to underprivileged and deserving business people in Africa and South America, including a young man in Peru who has repaired a greenhouse that now feeds his entire community. “I can go to sleep at night knowing I’m part of something larger than myself,” he said. “Someone in this world can now feed his village because of something I contributed to. How cool is that?”

When he is not working or volunteering his time, Kates enjoys spending time with his family, dogs, waterskiing, sailing, and anything related to boats or classic cars.

— Kathleen Mitchell

Improvement on the Home Front

By BusinessWest Staff April 9, 2013

Landscape Design Sections

Landscape Architects Say People Are Investing in Their Backyards>

Brian Campedelli says landscaping is a way for people to extend their home into their yard.

Last summer, Brian Campedelli sat in a client’s backyard, enjoying a lobster dinner, while soft music played and low-voltage lighting lit up the plantings, firepit, and other improvements made to the property.
“You could hear the waterfall in the background and the sound of the grasses rustling, and my client told me she felt like she was in Hawaii,” said the president of Pioneer Landscapes Inc. in Easthampton.
His comments mirrored those of other local landscape architects who say that, although the economy has not fully recovered, business on the home front is improving, and many people are investing in their own backyards and turning them into private oases.
“People want to be able to utilize their property every day, and by creating an outdoor room, they are extending their home into their yard,” Campedelli told BusinessWest. “Last year was a stellar year, and we couldn’t even get everything done, so we are carrying over quite a bit of work and are already running in many directions. I have three full-time estimators for residential work.”
Drew DeMay, owner of Fountain Bleu Landscape and Outdoor Design in West Springfield, agreed, and noted that people’s interest in transforming their backyards is growing. “People want a private area where they can enjoy themselves, relax, have some food, and sit by water, because they are staying home and not going out as much.”
In fact, his company “switched lanes” a few years ago when construction died down and businesses stopped spending money. He invented the Water-Vac professional-grade vacuum to clean ponds that hit the market about a year ago, and said the company is doing more residential work, with homeowners requesting improvements that include patios and shrubs.
“Last year was a really good year. People got tired of holding onto their money and started to spend it,” he said. “But last year at this time the weather was 70 degrees, and people already had their yards cleaned up, so we are at the beginning of what will happen over the summer. But people want to be able to come home and have a place to relax,” he told BusinessWest.
And the trend is so strong that William St. Clair said his company, St. Clair Landscaping and Nursery Inc. in Hampden, is developing a program called Beautiful Backyards, which will allow people to incorporate plantings, patios, walls, perennial gardens, water gardens, sitting gardens, privacy hedges, firepits, and more into their personal landscape.
He said the company has done some extravagant projects during the past decade, including waterfalls that cascade into pools, firepits, sitting gardens, and more. And although this is not the norm and many people have downsized their dream of what a backyard retreat will entail, they still want to create a place that is tranquil.
“We’ve done a lot of work for college professors who like to sit on a bench in their backyard and read,” St. Clair said. The benches can be put next to a water garden or pondless waterfall, or “an area that has been created where people can sit and relax.”
Firepits are extremely popular, and last year St. Clair installed 18 of them. “One was elaborate and had a patio around it that can sit two to six people,” he said. Other homeowners want walls to surround their firepits, which creates additional seating.
“There are a lot of really neat things that can be done,” he said. “People tell us, when they come home at the end of the day, they want their yard to look pristine and be something really special.”
Steve Prothers, owner of Amherst Landscape and Design Associates, validated the trend. As the economy regains strength, he said, people are willing and ready to spend money on their homes again.
“We’ve seen a resurgence in spending over the past two years,” he noted, “and people are doing things they have wanted to do for a long time; their goal is to be able to enjoy their outdoor space without having to leave town.”
Commercial business is also on the upswing. “We’ve seen some vibrancy in the last few years in terms of the amount of work and competitiveness,” Prothers told BusinessWest. “I have a small company, but there is a feeling across the board in our industry that things are looking brighter, which is a good sign.”

Changing Climate
St. Clair said this past year was a “very, very good one.”
“Our forte is high-end residential projects, and last year we did several of them,” he reported. In fact, his business increased by about 32%.
But it has still not returned to what it was before the recession, and several years ago the company added maintenance to the services it offers, in part to fill the void, but also because people who spend a significant amount of money want their property professionally maintained.
“We used to have 18 people working for us, and last year we had between 10 and 13,” he said. “This year, we’re starting off with the same number. But we’re doing things to become more efficient — buying smarter and asking our employees to become more cognizant of waste.”
In addition, for the third year in a row, St. Clair’s employees are working four 10-hour days, which allows them to get more done and also gives them Friday and Saturday as makeup days in case of inclement weather, which can help them meet deadlines. Still, last year they weren’t able to finish up one of their biggest projects because the ground froze.
“And right now, we have enough work to take us through July 1, which is not bad for any business,” he said.
He attributes part of his success to the personal relationships he builds with clients. But the tornado of 2011 also resulted in work, such as a property in Longmeadow that suffered extensive tree damage. In addition to ripping out an entire row of pines damaged by the storm and replacing them with emerald-green arborvitae, the homeowners had their entire front and backyard landscaped.

Bill St. Clair says homeowners want to build spaces that promote relaxation, whether it’s a firepit, water feature, or a pergola like this one — a structure that’s becoming more popular.

“And right now, we have four jobs on the books to replace privacy hedges that were damaged by the tornado,” St. Clair added.
Walter Cudnohufsky, owner of Walter Cudnohufsky Associates Inc. in Ashfield, is also doing more residential work. In some cases, people are buying property and fixing problems that were never resolved, such as drainage issues, but in others they are upgrading their landscapes. “But the first words we hear from everyone are ‘low maintenance,’” he said.
Cudnohufsky also handles a lot of commercial work and has been busy for the past two years. He said towns, like homeowners, want to make improvements that the community can enjoy. But he believes there is a real misunderstanding about the importance of design.
“People have grown up in houses and yards, so they don’t think they need assistance. But even if they get a short consultation, it’s an insurance policy against making a major error and spending money frivolously and needlessly,” he explained. “You want to be able to do as much as you can with your budget.”
For example, a granite countertop for a barbecue could equal the cost of renovating the entire landscape, when there are other choices, such as outdoor concrete, which are attractive and durable, Cudnohufsky said.

Popular Features
Although people are spending money, DeMay said, many have “downsized their imagination,” especially when it comes to water features. “Bigger used to be better, and we used to build a lot of large ponds and courtyards.”
But today, people are spending less and want to avoid the maintenance that ponds with fish and vegetation require. “Many prefer to have a small pond with a waterfall for the simple fact that it costs a lot less money,” he said. “They can still get the sound and the effect of tranquility, but want be able to come home and just relax outside.”
St. Clair agrees that people don’t want to have to work to keep their landscape attractive. “There is no such thing as no maintenance, but everyone wants to minimize it. They don’t want to be married to a water feature or their yard,” he said.
So many are opting for waterfalls. “The sound of tranquility that comes from water flowing is mesmerizing, and people can sit by it, relax, and contemplate,” DeMay said.
Campedelli said pondless waterfalls free people from liability, and can be enhanced by ornamental grasses that complement the soothing sound of the water. “They grow seven to nine feet high, and when they are planted around seating areas and waterfalls, they are beautiful to look at, and the sound is soothing whenever a slight breeze blows through them.”

Drew DeMay says a slowdown in commercial work in recent years has coincided with increasingly strong residential demand.

Firepits are also enormously popular. “Everyone wants one. Their kids can sit and roast marshmallows, or they can have their neighbors over and put their feet up and relax,” Campedelli said. “Our clients want to keep their fires going during the summer, even when it’s really hot, because of the atmosphere it creates.”
St. Clair concurred. “We are also putting in a lot of firepits. They have really become a big trend, and we have clients who are using them throughout the winter.”
Some people choose gas burners, while others opt for the traditional wood-burning style, built with drains inside so the fire can be extinguished without having to leave coals smoldering.
“More and more companies are creating gas inserts, and some units are built to look like fireplaces,” DeMay said, adding that firepits and outdoor cooking have become so popular that some people are having outdoor kitchens built, a trend he expects to continue. “They are incorporating them into small courtyards.”
Another growing market is patios and walkways, which local landscape architects say are becoming more popular than wood decks. “Even the composite materials weather and need pressure washing or replacement,” Campedelli told BusinessWest, adding that the materials available today “are gorgeous and come in many different patterns.”
St. Clair said pergolas are also seeing interest. The structures are similar to a large arbor, and plants such as wisteria climb the sides and form a leafy roof as they grow to cover the rafters.
Lighting is another factor that plays a significant role in the ambience of outdoor spaces after the sun sets. Low-voltage lighting is being built into walls, hung on trees, or arranged to illuminate walkways or the entire perimeter of a landscaped area. It is also being installed around firepits, in sitting gardens, or on fireplaces.
“I’m also a big fan of torches,” Campedelli said. “They’re a key element in lighting. There is nothing like flickering light with shadows, so we create an atmosphere using a combination of torches and low-voltage lighting.”

Worthwhile Investment
Campedelli said some people are having outdoor areas wired for a TV, with speakers built into the sitting area. “It’s a theme-park type of feel with background music. Think of the worst day at work you ever had, then imagine coming home and opening your back door and feeling like you are on vacation or at the beach. We build that feeling.”
And once the work is done, families can stay home and relax in their surroundings. “People don’t want to have to drive anywhere once they get home from work,” DeMay said.
In short, the future looks bright indeed for landscape architects as homeowners take steps to create their own private refuges and places of relaxation.

Doing Business as Certificates

By BusinessWest Staff April 9, 2013

DBA Certificates Departments

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

AGAWAM

Alwayz Growing

1399 Suffield St.

Jezaida Lisella

Deb Hunter

339 Walnut St.

Deborah Hunter

EJW Associates

59 Reed St.

Edward Warzecka

Throttle Rocker Magazine

53 Fairview St.

Robert Alves

CHICOPEE

Beauty Rehab

559 East St.

Donna Bigos

IGM

30 Nye St.

Paul Poreda

Scentsational Marketing

59 Greenwood Terrace

David Girard

Somas Global Investment

221 Poplar St.

Amos Vmezuruike

GREENFIELD

Franklin Optical Shoppe

489 Bernardston Road

John P. Frangie

Lianna’s Pet Care Services

246 Wells St.

Joan James

Moose’s Gold, LLC

21 Mohawk Trail

Derrick Brooks

SS Floor Sanding

34 Franklin St.

Donald Schietroma

The Potter’s Touch

28 Chapman St.

Christine Hervieux

HOLYOKE

Fire Code & Education

540 County Road

Thomas G. Paquin

Pottery Barn

50 Holyoke St.

David R. King

Slainte Inc.

80 Jarvis Ave.

Debra Flynn

Swarovski

50 Holyoke St.

Emily Foster

LUDLOW

Hair On

733 Chapin St.

Maria Carvalho

Sosa Barber Shop

85 East St.

Antonio Sosa

T. Fiorentino Roofing

201 Cady St.

Thomas Fiorentino

PALMER

Rock Solid Landscape

128 River St.

Jacob Obrzut

S & S Food Mart

2019 Main St.

Syed Hashmi

Tebus at Crossroads

1701 Park St.

Paula Fitts

You Found Media

15 Cedar Hill St.

Paul Henry

SPRINGFIELD

Latina & Co. Hair Designer

876 Sumner Ave.

Yanitza Nogue

Leary Consulting

84 Tulsa St.

Sharon Michelle

Lewis Brothers International

667 Dickinson St.

Lisa M. Lewis

M & R General Automotive

419 Taylor St.

Miguel Gonzalez

Mass Techies Group

269 Greenaway Dr.

Moses K. Moses

Men’s Wearhouse & Tux

1267 Boston Road

The Men’s Wearhouse

Neighborhood Foods

1500 Main St.

Peter S. Choi

Noel Cleaning Services

1655 Main St.

Shirma N. Ferguson

Northway Services

1601 Page Boulevard

Carl A. Jasmin

Picks Computer Consulting

35 Gresham St.

David J. Pickrell

Precision Contracting

117 Shady Brook Lane

Mark Patterson

Proud 2 Persevere

75 Albemarle St.

Andre Yarns Jr.

Quality Home Care

123 Fort Pleasant Ave.

Christine Whyte

Quang’s Forest Park Barber

529 Belmont Ave.

Tuyen Q. Nguyen

Santos Home Improvement

70 Mattoon St.

Juan C. Santos

Springfield United Sports

19 Wentworth St.

Richard T. Moultrie

Superior Fashion

301 Belmont Ave.

Jerry L. Mattey Jr.

T.U.C.

261 Jasper St.

Juan Santiago

Tru By Mi

324 Arcadia Blvd.

Migyon Forbes

V II Cleaning Industries

164 Belmont Ave.

Aida J. Santiago

Vietnam Travel

465 Belmont Ave.

Benjamin Nguyen

WESTFIELD

Chintos 2 Go

78 Franklin St.

Jacinto Blanco-Munoz

Hobgoblin Entertainment

16 Princeton St.

David Kennedy

Father & Sons Hardscaping & Landscaping

32 Rosedell Dr.

Taras Mikhalinchik

Mike Barna Building and Carpentry

360 Prospect St.

Michael Barna

Roman Empire Truck Detailing & Services

140 Union St.

Orlando J. Roman-Rodriguez

Stay & Play Deluxe Laundromat Inc.

65 Franklin St.

Eric Meyers

TC Enterprizes

32 Woodcliff Dr.

Danielle M. Todt

The Begoodkids

12 Fowler St.

Joseph Bushior

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Kitchen Resources

64 Sean Louis Circle

Susan Hoey

L.T.D. Investigating

181 Park Ave.

Luke Gelinas

Lawn Pro

161 Great Plains Road

William J. Paquette

Mark Pagios Construction

302 Rogers Ave.

Mark S. Pagios

Massage Envy Spa

935 Riverdale St.

Mark S. Sarrazin

Maxim Seamless Gutters

920 Memorial Ave.

Maksim Barabolkin

Men’s Wearhouse & Tux

1321 Riverdale St.

Claudia Pruitt

Mike’s Welding

55 Church St.

Miguel A. Cordero

Mind, Body, Skin

117 River St.

Kristen S. Strojvus

Mr. Rooter Plumbing

309 Woodmont St.

David Tourville

On the Border

33 Border Way

OTB Acquisition, LLC

Pension & Benefits Association

131 Wayside Ave.

Mark F. Shea

Quick Stop

20 River St.

Earlene Oberlander

Re-Energize Massage

36 Therese Marie Lane

Regina M. Amato

Red Carpet Inn

560 Riverdale St.

Rajendra Patel

Rental Remarketing Inc.

74 Baldwin St.

Michael M. Gentile

Sanditz Travel

1053 Riverdale St.

Henry Richard

Sorcinelli Real Estate

29 Sikes Ave.

Antonio Sorcinelli

Soulful Kreations Designs

20 Hummingbird Lane

Karen M. Palanjian

Spartak Home Remodeling

1153 Elm St.

Serghei Chitu

Spherion Staffing

68 Westfield St.

Corp. Stix Inc.

Suburban Janitorial

1900 Westfield St.

Ralph E. Figueroa

Sunny’s Convenience

2260 Westfield St.

Sunil R. Patel

Team Rehab & Wellness

753 Union St.

Adnan Dhadul

The Guardians

104 Kings Highway

George Colon

The Kid’s Place Inc.

915 Memorial Ave.

Scott L. Petersen

The Q Bar & Grill

885 Riverdale St.

Hannahneena Inc.

Tip Top Nails

239 Memorial Ave.

Hoa C. Thach

Twins II Hairstyling Salon

1421 Westfield St.

Elaine Stanek

Usi Insurance Solutions

123 Interstate Dr.

Dana Scribner

Westfield Bank

206 Park St.

Gerald P. Ciejka

Westside Auto Sales

194 Baldwin St.

Anthony Lafromboise

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff April 9, 2013

Briefcase Departments

State Approves Projects Aimed at Boosting Jobs

BOSTON — The state Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (EACC) recently approved nine projects for participation in the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP), which are expected to create 1,209 new jobs and retain 5,935 existing jobs, in addition to leveraging nearly $267 million in private investment and supporting construction projects across the Commonwealth. Among the eight approved projects are four manufacturing companies and five projects located in Gateway Cities. The EDIP program helps reduce the cost of business for these companies, which is one of the five main focuses of the Patrick-Murray administration’s long-term economic-development plan. These are the first projects approved in 2013 by the Coordinating Council, which meets on a quarterly basis to review applications. “Supporting companies that are choosing to grow in Massachusetts is an important part of our effort to create economic opportunity for everyone,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki. “These investments will help these businesses expand here and fit with our overall economic-development strategy of making our businesses and communities stronger in the long term.” Two of the projects are based in Western Mass., at MassMutual in Springfield and Crane & Co. in Dalton. Last fall, MassMutual purchased the retirement plan portfolio of the Hartford Insurance Co., and will be moving back-office jobs from Connecticut to Springfield. The expansion at the Springfield facility will create 250 jobs while retaining 3,352 existing jobs. This project represents a private investment by the company of $59.4 million. The EACC has approved $3.75 million in EDIP investment tax credits (ITCs) to support MassMutual’s efforts and investments. Meanwhile, Crane & Co. is a seventh-generation, family-owned paper manufacturer that acquired a Kennebunk, Maine, company, William Arthur Inc., in late 2012. Crane & Co. will incorporate the Maine operations into its existing stationary operations located in North Adams. This project represents an investment of $5 million and will create 74 new jobs in Massachusetts while retaining 206. North Adams has awarded Crane a five-year special tax assessment valued at $291,030.

Sarno Argues Against Law That Limits Casino Tax Revenues

BOSTON — Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno recently asked state lawmakers to approve legislation that would exempt a proposed casino’s land from the state’s tax-limiting law, allowing Springfield to collect an additional $15 to $20 million in annual property taxes. Sarno and his aides met with the chief of staff for House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Sen. Stephen Brewer, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Sarno also testified on the bill before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Revenue. Under Proposition 2 ½, Springfield cannot collect property taxes from ‘new growth,’ Sarno noted. “The Legislature has provided for a potentially huge economic driver in our city in the form of a casino,” he told members of the committee. “We all know that the benefits of a casino are still a few years away, but if we are lucky enough to have one, our benefits are even further away than you think due to the constraints of Proposition 2 ½ and its rules around how new growth is calculated.” Sarno is currently negotiating with two casino companies that are each proposing estimated $800 million casino resorts for Springfield. MGM Resorts International is planning a casino in the South End, and Penn National Gaming is planning a casino in the North End.

Springfield Wins $21.9M for Disaster Recovery

SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced that it is allocating $21.9 million to the Springfield to aid its recovery from weather disasters in 2011.
The funding is in response to the June 1 tornado that swept through Springfield and surrounding communities, as well as Hurricane Irene, which brought flooding to many communities two months later; both events were declared federal disasters.
The funds are part of $514 million allocated among nine states nationwide through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program.
“In the last two years, many communities have had to deal with the reality of our changing climate and the increasing severity of natural disasters,” said Shaun Donovan, HUD secretary. “HUD is continuing to work closely with state and local partners to help them realize a locally driven vision for restoring and rebuilding housing, infrastructure, and businesses that have been affected.”

Springfield Unemployment Declines in February

SPRINGFIELD — The city’s unemployment rate fell in February to 10.6% from 11.7% in January. Springfield’s unemployment rate was 11.4% a year ago in February 2012, according to figures from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. As a region, Greater Springfield’s unemployment rate was 8% in February, down from 8.8% the previous month and 8.5% a year ago in February 2012. At the same time, the number of employed Springfield residents rose from 57,039 in January to 57,566 in February. The numbers are not adjusted for seasonal changes in the economy, and unemployment rates typically spike in January as holiday-season jobs end before spring construction jobs begin. The statewide unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.8% in February. Adjusted for inflation, the unemployment rate was 6.5%. The national average, adjusted for seasonality, was 7.7% in February. Meanwhile, Massachusetts has surpassed pre-recession job levels statewide. Revised numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed 3,318,500 jobs in February, compared to 3,304,300 in April 2008.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff April 9, 2013

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

6 Woods Restoration Inc., d/b/a Rainbow International of Franklin County v. French King Realty Inc.

Allegation: Plaintiffs bring this action to establish and enforce a mechanics lien: $60,000

Filed: 1/7/13

Crop Produstion Services Inc. v. Scott and Wayne Hutkowski d/b/a Long Plain Farm

Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $225,107.60

Filed: 1/15/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Agriconserve Rega v. D.F.S. International LTD

Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $101,396.55

Filed: 2/22/13

Katie Graf v. Hospitality Mutual Insurance Co.

Allegation: Breach of insurance contract: $117,300

Filed: 2/21/13

Stephanie Harris Redfield, as personal representative of the estate of Eurius Lamonte Redfield v. AMR Response of MA Inc., Richard A. Aldrich, Rebecca L. Jarvis, and Justin E. Quinlan

Allegation: Negative care and treatment and improper intubation causing wrongful death: $26,534

Filed: 2/22/13

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Angela C. Evans v. Government Employees Insurance Co. and Jennifer A. Beauregard

Allegation: Failure to effectuate a prompt, fair, and equitable settlement of claim: $3,830.05

Filed: 1/22/13

J.D. Contracting Inc. v. Premier Equipment Inc.

Allegation: Plaintiff rented equipment from the defendant that did not work as contracted: $12,640

Filed: 2/27/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Jamie Lynn Labier, PPA Vicky Melbourne v. Walgreen Eastern Co.

Inc.

Allegation: Overdose of phenobarbital causing hospitalization: $16,183.35

Filed: 2/13/13

Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. v. Pinnick Construction and Associates

Allegation: Balance remaining on policy for workers’ compensation: $6,068.38

Filed: 2/14/13

Mark Schniers v. Ram Sai LLC, d/b/a/ Super 8 Motel

Allegation: Trip and fall at main entrance to motel causing injury: $7,792.40

Filed: 2/14/13

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Thomas Moran v. C.D.A. Roofing and Siding Contractors, LLC

Allegation: Breach of contract for work not completed properly: $2,125

Filed: 2/11/13

Celebrating the 2013 Difference Makers

By BusinessWest Staff April 9, 2013

Class of 2013 Difference Makers

Highlights from this year’s event

More than 350 people turned out at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke for a celebration of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers for 2013. The photos on the next several pages capture the essence of a special night, which featured entertainment from the Children’s Chorus of Springfield and the Taylor Street Jazz Band, fine food, and memorable comments from this year’s winners, who all conveyed the passion that has made them true Difference Makers. This year’s class, chosen by the editor and publishers of the magazine from dozens of nominations, reflects the many ways in which individuals and groups can make a difference in the community. State Troopers Michael Cutone and Thomas Sarrouf, along with John Barbieri, deputy chief of the Springfield Police Department, were chosen for their work to orchestrate the C3 Policing program in Springfield’s North End. John Downing, president of Soldier On, was selected for the many ways that organization improves quality of life for veterans. Bruce Landon, president and general manager of Springfield Falcons, was chosen for his efforts to keep professional hockey in Springfield over the past 35 years. The Sisters of Providence were chosen for their 140 years of service to the community, especially in the broad realms of healthcare, education, and social service. And Jim Vinick, senior vice president of Investments for Moors & Cabot Inc., was chosen for his work with many area nonprofits, especially the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Jimmy Fund.

Sponsored By:
Baystate Medical Practices • First American Insurance • Health New England • Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. • Northwestern Mutual • Royal LLP • Sarat Ford Lincoln • 6 Pt. Creative Works

For reprints contact: Denise Smith Photography / www.denisesmithphotography.com / [email protected]

Photos From the 2013 Difference Makers Gala

[Show slideshow]

People On the Move

By BusinessWest Staff March 26, 2013

Departments People on the Move

American International College announced the following:

Heather Cahill

• Heather Cahill has been promoted to Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Serving as the Executive Director for Institutional Advancement for the past three years, Cahill brought much-needed organization to the fund-raising and alumni operations of the department. Cahill’s accomplishments during her tenure with AIC include the Inaugural AIC Run for Education; a $2.38 million HRSA grant, the largest grant in the college’s history; a grant from the Alden Foundation in support of a trading-room-style classroom; multiple federal grants in support of scholarships and equipment; an increase in professional training for current staff and phone-a-thon student employees, resulting in a strengthened commitment to the professional development of the staff; and the inaugural Cornerstone Society Brunch. Cahill also expanded the college’s communication to alumni through larger social-media presence and an increase in both circulation and production of Lucent magazine. Cahill received her BA and MBA from Boston University; and

Ellen Noonan

• Ellen Noonan has been named Vice President for Graduate and Adult Education at American International College. Noonan had been serving as Associate Vice President for Educational Enterprise for Extended Campus Programs at AIC. In addition to her current supervision of Extended Campus Programs and Continuing Education, Noonan will oversee all master’s-degree programs in Education, Psychology, and Business. She will also be responsible for the doctoral programs in Education and Psychology, as well as the master’s program in Cairo, Egypt. Noonan received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from AIC.

•••••

The Center for Human Development (CHD) announced that Kirk Woodring, LICSW, has been named Vice President of Clinical Services. With 29 years of experience in human services and mental-health programs, Woodring will oversee CHD’s outpatient behavioral-health clinics, the Institute of Dynamic Living, early intervention, in-home therapy, and other program clinical services. Woodring most recently served as the Senior Director of Access, Evaluation, and Ambulatory Services for the Brattleboro Retreat in Vermont. Additionally, he served as the Director of the CHD Training Institute for three years and the Senior Program Manager of Behavioral Health Network for six years. Recognized as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists, Woodring holds an MSW from the Smith College School for Social Work and a BS in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. He teaches courses in group theory and advanced group practice at Smith College as an adjunct associate professor. In 2011, he co-authored and published the book Assessing the Risk: Suicidal Behavior in the Hospital Environment of Care.

•••••

R. Kirk Mackey

The Dowd Agencies announced the appointment of R. Kirk Mackey as President of Dowd Financial Services LLC (DFS) and its Employee Benefits Division. DFS is a full-service financial division of the Dowd Agencies. Mackey, who has been in the financial-services industry since 1979 and with Dowd since 2005, was formerly a representative of New England Financial Group, LLC. He now specializes in corporate employee-benefit planning, including group health, life, and disability-insurance plans in addition to qualified retirement plans and selective executive-compensation arrangements. He received a BA in Business Administration from UMass in 1978, and a MBA with a concentration in Accounting from Western New England College in1987.

•••••

David Fedor, President of the West Springfield-based Fedor Financial Group, LLC, and an independent financial advisor affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network, was named to Commonwealth’s Winners Circle. The distinction recognizes only 10% of Commonwealth’s more than 1,400 financial advisors nationwide. Fedor will join his peers at the Winners Circle conference in April at the El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

•••••

Jean Deliso was recently named Agent of the Year in the Connecticut Valley General office of New York Life Insurance Co. Deliso received the award in recognition of outstanding sales achievement and exemplary client service and professionalism. A New York Life agent for 18 years, Deliso is a member of New York Life’s Chairman’s Council and is a consistent qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table, recognized throughout the industry as the standard of excellence in life-insurance sales performance, and is currently a 2013 Court of the Table member. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s elite sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents.

•••••

Jack Hibbard

Monson Savings Bank announced the promotion of Jack Hibbard to Assistant Vice President and Controller and the election of four new corporators. Hibbard began his career in banking in operations and then as a branch manager more than 25 years ago. He joined the financial department of Monson Savings Bank in 2004 and was promoted to Controller in 2011. Hibbard left banking while he earned his BBA in Accounting from UMass and then worked for a Big Six accounting firm before returning to community banking. New Corporators are Lisa Fallon of Lisa Fallon CPA, PC; Art Ferrara, Co-owner of Landmark Realty; Kara Rescia, Attorney with Eaton & Rescia, LLP; and Elaine Korhonen, Certified Public Accountant.

•••••

Amherst-based New England Environmental Inc. (NEE) of Amherst recently promoted Jack Jemsek, to Vice President of NEE’s Hydrogeology and Remediation Group. Jemsek is a Massachusetts Licensed Site Professional (LSP), a Connecticut Licensed Environmental Professional (LEP), a Professional Geologist in New Hampshire, and a Certified Geologist in Maine. He has B.S. in Earth Science from the University of Notre Dame, and a Ph.D. in Marine Geology and Geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography.

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff March 26, 2013

Agenda Departments

Understanding Financial Reports

March 29: The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network’s Western Regional Office will present “Understanding Financial Reports” from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at PeoplesBank, second-floor conference center, 330 Whitney Ave., Holyoke. The workshop will be presented by Robb Morton of Boisselle, Morton & Associates, LLP. If you are in business, financial statements are an essential tool. Knowing how to read your financial statements can help you understand what happened last year in your business and what is likely to happen this year. The cost is $40. To register, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass/training.html.

Not Just Business as Usual

April 4: The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation will host its fourth annual Not Just Business as Usual event at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A cocktail and networking reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the dinner program and keynote speaker from 7 to 9 p.m.
This year, in celebration of 40 years of excellence in nursing at STCC, speakers include ‘The Three Doctors’ — Drs. George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, and Sampson Davis — who are well-known for their work delivering messages of hope and inspiration. As teenagers growing up on the inner-city streets of Newark, N.J., the three friends made a pact to stick together, go to college, graduate, and achieve their dreams of becoming medical doctors. They have been lauded by Oprah Winfrey as being “bigger than rock stars” and have been featured as medical experts on the Tom Joyner Morning Radio Show and CNN. The Three Doctors received the Essence Award in 2000 for their accomplishments and leadership, and a BET Honors Award in 2009. Over the past two years alone, the Not Just Business as Usual event has provided the STCC Foundation with more than $100,000 to support college and student needs. Funds help to provide STCC students with access to opportunities — through scholarships, technology, and career direction — to be successful future employees and citizens. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Individual tickets cost $175 each. If your business is interested in purchasing a table, contact Robert LePage at (413) 755-4477 or [email protected].

Live Comedy Night

April 6: Smith & Wesson will host a live comedy night to benefit to support two local children’s charities, the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Ronald McDonald House. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 419 Island Pond Road, Springfield, and includes a cash bar, raffles, games, music, and hot and cold hors d’oeuvres prior to the show. The laughs begin at 7:15 p.m. with Teddie Barrett of Teddie B Comedy emceeing the show and introducing comedians Mark Scalia, Chance Langton, and Mike Whitman. Scalia began his stand-up career in Boston in the early 1990s and is now an international headliner. Langton is a nationally known comedian, musician, actor, writer, and basketball player who has been entertaining in comedy clubs for more than 20 years. Whitman was voted Boston’s Best New Comedian in 2008. Tickets cost $30 and may be purchased in advance by contacting Elaine Stellato at Smith & Wesson, (413) 747-3371; Karen Motyka at Shriners Hospital, (413) 787-2032; or Jennifer Putnam at Ronald McDonald House, (413) 794-5683.

HRU Fund-raising Event

April 11: Human Resources Unlimited (HRU) will stage its annual recognition and fund-raiser event at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield from 7:30 to 9 a.m. This breakfast event is by invitation only and is limited to the first 200 registrants. HRU will recognize local employers that have distinguished themselves this past year through their commitment to hire individuals with a disability. In addition, the organization annually honors a special volunteer who has given of their time and talent to help advance HRU in achieving its mission. Two employers will be honored: the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Westfield is receiving the agency’s Employer of the Year Award, and the Sturbridge Host Hotel is being recognized with the Rookie Employer Award. Jeff Lander of Appilistic will receive the Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year Award for his efforts on behalf of HRU’s Westfield Service Forum House. Gold Sponsors for the event include FieldEddy Insurance and Meredith Management. The media sponsor is BusinessWest. Sponsorships for this event are still available and welcome. Annually, Human Resources Unlimited assists more than 1,200 individuals living with developmental disabilities, mental illness, or other disadvantages to increase their skills, return to work or school, and become productive, contributing members of the community. Sponsorships and donations assist HRU in advancing its mission. For further information or to make a reservation, contact Lynda at (413) 781-5359 or [email protected]. The suggested minimum donation is $100.

DevelopSpringfield Gala

April 12: DevelopSpringfield will be hosting its 2nd annual gala in celebration of Springfield, the many accomplishments the community has achieved over the past year, and the exciting new initiatives underway. The gala will take place at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Festivities will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, dancing, and more. All proceeds will support DevelopSpringfield’s redevelopment initiatives, projects, and programs. An anticipated 400 attendees — including federal, state, and city officials; leaders from the business and nonprofit communities; and local residents — will come together in support of ongoing efforts to advance development and redevelopment projects, stimulate and support economic growth, and expedite the revitalization process in the city. Sponsorship packages as well as individual ticket opportunities are available. For more information, visit www.developspringfield.com, or contact Diane Swanson at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected].

Bankruptcy Seminar

April 16: As part of its series of free information sessions on business-law basics, the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Western New England University will present a session on bankruptcy, featuring attorneys George Roumeliotis of Roumeliotis Law Group, Justin Dion of Bacon Wilson, and Kara Rescia of Eaton & Rescia. The event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the WNEU School of Law, in the Blake Law Center. It is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided. To learn more about upcoming events hosted by the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, visit www.wne.edu/cie.

EANE Management Conference

April 25: The Employers Association of the NorthEast will hold its ninth annual management conference, “Leadership and Mentorship in Action,” at the Holiday Inn in Enfield, Conn. The conference will address the direct impact of mentoring and leadership development on the growth and success of organizations. Keynote speaker Doug Dvorak, a contributing author to the bestselling book The Masters of Success, will present his popular program “The Magic of Mentoring.” Additional presenters include Ravi Kulkarni and Lynn Turner of ClearVision Alliance. A panel of representatives from area companies will discuss next-generation mentoring. Conference breakout sessions include “Leadership Behavior and Employee Engagement,” “Building Effective Teams,” and “DiSC Work of Leaders.” For more information about the conference, contact Karen Cronenberger at (877) 662-6444 or [email protected]. To register, call (877) 662-6444 or visit www.eane.org.

EASTEC 2013

May 14-16: EASTEC, the premier manufacturing exposition in the Northeast will be held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on May 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will offer a variety of exhibitors, educational offerings, tours of nearby facilities, and much more. For more information and to register to attend, visit www.easteconline.com.

40 Under Forty

June 20: BusinessWest will present its seventh class of regional rising stars at the annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners. Look for event details in upcoming issues of BusinessWest — including the must-read April 22 issue in which the class of 2013 will be profiled — or call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 for more information.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff March 26, 2013

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

Slack Chemical Co. Inc. v. Mountainview Products Inc. d/b/a Village Grain and Hardware

Allegation: Breach of contract and non-payment for chemical products sold and delivered: $12,199.91

Filed: 2/14/13

FRANKLIN SUPERIOR COURT

Craig and Cathy Barrows v. Rodney Hunt Co. Inc.

Allegation: Negligent failure to maintain a safe work environment resulting in severe and permanent injuries: $25,000+

Filed: 1/31/13

Orange and Realty Trust, as assignee of Quabbin Inc. v. Certain Underwriters of Lloyd’s of London

Allegation: Breach of commercial property and general liability insurance policy: $25,000+

Filed: 1/17/13

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Lutvija Katica v. Webster Bank, N.A.

Allegation: Employee discrimination: $25,000+

Filed: 2/19/13

Paige B. Scyocurka v. CFA Financial Corp. d/b/a CAN Insurance Cos. a/k/a Continental Co.

Allegation: Failure to settle a claim when liability and damages were reasonably clear: $5 million+

Filed: 1/31/13

TBF Financial, LLC v. Alternative Health Inc.

Allegation: Breach of promissory note: $80,632.96

Filed: 2/5/13

PALMER DISTRICT COURT

Carl Diluzio v. Commerce Insurance Co.

Allegation: Failure to pay property claim: $3,607

Filed: 3/1/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Celeste Asikainen v. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc.

Allegation: Plaintiff suffered injury to her mouth when she bit into a mushroom containing a rock: $9,806

Filed: 2/25/13

Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Fred Forgione d/b/a Revere Waterproofing and Restoration

Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services: $19,808.12

Filed: 2/14/13

R&B Services Inc. d/b/a/ Coverall of Southern New England v. Stockbridge Court, L.P.

Allegation: Non-payment of cleaning services: $2,777.82

Filed: 1/31/13

Trina Davis v. The Ratner Cos. d/b/a The Hair Cuttery

Allegation: Negligence causing hair loss: $25,000

Filed: 2/13/13

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff March 12, 2013

Agenda Departments

St. Patrick’s Breakfast

March 13: The St. Patrick’s Business Breakfast of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce will be held at 7:30 a.m. at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. The event, sponsored by PeoplesBank and Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, will begin with the serving of a full Irish breakfast. Attorney Jay Driscoll of Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll will serve as greeter. He will be introduced by Jeffrey Sullivan of United Bank, who will preside, and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse will kick off the program with a special St. Patrick’s Day welcome. The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade, to be held on Sunday, March 17, will be in the spotlight, along with the Parade Committee and all winners of committee awards. Also recognized will be the chamber’s new members: Dean Nimmer Arts, Easthampton Savings Bank, Eco-Tints Expert Window Tinting, EmbroidMe of Holyoke, Hobby Lobby, South Street Laundromagic, S. Pierce Photography Studios, VertitechIT Inc., and Victory Home Healthcare Inc. Guests will have an opportunity to purchase The Irish Legacy, the first book in the Republican’s new Heritage series, as well as the chamber’s “Luck of the Irish” raffle tickets. Breakfast tickets are $25 and may be obtained in advance by contacting calling (413) 534-3376 or by ordering online at holyokechamber.com.

Business Plan Basics

March 14: The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network’s Western Regional Office will present “Business Plan Basics” from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Mass Venture Center, Room 113, 100 Venture Way, Hadley. The workshop — to be presented by Lyne Kendall, the office’s senior business analyst — will focus on management fundamentals from startup considerations through business-plan development. Topics will include financing, marketing, and business planning. The cost is $25. To register, call (413) 737-6712 or register online at www.msbdc.org/wmass/training.html.

Women’s Fund Celebration

March 14: The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts will celebrate its 15th anniversary by honoring 16 local women with the first-ever Standing on Her Shoulders Awards. The celebration, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour and photographic exhibit of the award recipients and a showcase of the Women’s Fund grantees. The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. with a musical performance, presentation of the Standing on Her Shoulders Awards, and a speech by Luma Mufleh, founder and coach of a soccer team called the Fugees, short for refugees. An immigrant from Jordan and a Smith College graduate, Mufleh has created several businesses to employ refugees and immigrants in her community. That will be followed by an after-party and dancing from 8:45 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets cost $100. RSVP by March 7 to Julie Holt at (413) 529-0087, ext. 10, or register online at www.womensfund.net. The Women’s Fund is a public foundation that has reached over 80,000 people through $2 million in grant awards. More than 100 women have participated in the Women’s Fund Leadership Institute for Political and Pubic Impact. The 16 Standing on Her Shoulders Award recipients include Elaine Barkin, Ethel Case, Claire Cox, Verda Dale, Ruth Hooke, Vera Kalm, Gail Kielson, Susan Lowenstein Kitchell, Gloria Lomax, Ruth Stewart Loving, Ruth Moore, Venessa O’Brien, Lorna Peterson, Linda Slakey, Marlene Werenski, and Angela Wright.

Mother/Daughter Night

March 15: Cooper’s Commons, located at 159 Main St. in Agawam, will host a Mother & Daughter Night Out from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network at Baystate Children’s Hospital while also highlighting local businesses. For a $10 donation, each mother-daughter duo will enjoy 10%-off shopping in Chasam Boutique, Sweet September Baby & Children’s Boutique, and Cooper’s Gifts, Curtains & Furnishings. In addition, guests will be treated to complimentary carnations from Floral Concepts by Tom, hot beverages from Squire’s Bistro, hair updos from Shear Techniques, nail-polish changes at the Skin Salon, and chair massages at Knots Kneaded. Mother-daughter duos are also invited to visit LHQ Danceforce to sign up for one free dance class for each, and mother-daughter portraits will be available from photographer Paula Tingley. “We are looking forward to a wonderful night of pampering, shopping, and fun, all for a terrific cause,” said Kate Gourde, owner of Cooper’s Commons, which was recently renovated and subdivided into many specialty shops and services. “The Children’s Miracle Network at Baystate Children’s Hospital has special meaning to all of us.” Tickets are available in advance at any business within Cooper’s Commons, or at the door the night of the event. If the weather is inclement, the event will be postponed to March 22.

Difference Makers 2013

March 21: The annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House starting at 5 p.m. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. This year’s honorees include Springfield’s C3 Policing program; John Downing, president of Soldier On; Bruce Landon, president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons; the Sisters of Providence; and Jim Vinick, senior vice president of investments at Moors & Cabot Inc. Their stories were told in the Feb. 11 issue of BusinessWest and may also be read online at www.businesswest.com. The March 21 gala will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, lavish food stations, introductions of the Difference Makers, and remarks from the honorees. Tickets cost $55 per person, and tables of 10 are available. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. Event sponsors include Baystate Medical Practices, First American Insurance Agency, Health New England, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, Northwestern Mutual, Royal LLP, Sarat Ford Lincoln, and Six-Point Creative Works.

Understanding

Financial Reports

March 29: The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network’s Western Regional Office will present “Understanding Financial Reports” from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at PeoplesBank, second-floor conference center, 330 Whitney Ave., Holyoke. The workshop will be presented by Robb Morton of Boisselle, Morton & Associates, LLP. If you are in business, financial statements are an essential tool. Knowing how to read your financial statements can help you understand what happened last year in your business and what is likely to happen this year. The cost is $40. To register, call (413) 737-6712 or register online at www.msbdc.org/wmass/training.html.

Not Just Business as Usual

April 4: The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation will host its fourth annual Not Just Business as Usual event at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A cocktail and networking reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the dinner program and keynote speaker from 7 to 9 p.m.
This year, in celebration of 40 years of excellence in nursing at STCC, speakers include ‘The Three Doctors’ — Drs. George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, and Sampson Davis — who are well-known for their work delivering messages of hope and inspiration. As teenagers growing up on the inner-city streets of Newark, N.J., the three friends made a pact to stick together, go to college, graduate, and achieve their dreams of becoming medical doctors. They have been lauded by Oprah Winfrey as being “bigger than rock stars” and have been featured as medical experts on the Tom Joyner Morning Radio Show and CNN. The Three Doctors received the Essence Award in 2000 for their accomplishments and leadership, and a BET Honors Award in 2009. Over the past two years alone, the Not Just Business as Usual event has provided the STCC Foundation with more than $100,000 to support college and student needs. Funds help to provide STCC students with access to opportunities — through scholarships, technology, and career direction — to be successful future employees and citizens. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Individual tickets cost $175 each. If your business is interested in purchasing a table, contact Robert LePage at (413) 755-4477 or [email protected].

HRU Fund Raiser

April 11: Human Resources Unlimited (HRU) will stage its annual Recognition and Fund Raiser event at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. This breakfast event is by invitation only and is limited to the first 200 registrants. HRU will recognize local employers that have distinguished themselves this past year through their commitment to hire individuals with a disability. In addition, the organization annually honors a special volunteer who has given of their time and talent to help advance HRU in achieving its mission. Two employers will be honored: the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Westfield is receiving the agency’s Employer of the Year Award, and the Sturbridge Host Hotel is being recognized with the Rookie Employer Award. Jeff Lander of Appilistic will receive the Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year Award for his efforts on behalf of HRU’s Westfield Service Forum House. Gold Sponsors for the event include FieldEddy Insurance and Meredith Management. The media sponsor is BusinessWest. Sponsorships for this event are still available and welcome. Annually, Human Resources Unlimited assists more than 1,200 individuals living with developmental disabilities, mental illness, or other disadvantages to increase their skills, return to work or school, and become productive, contributing members of the community. Sponsorships and donations assist the organization in advancing its mission. For further information or to make a reservation, contact Lynda at (413) 781-5359 or [email protected]. The suggested minimum donation is $100.

DevelopSpringfield Gala

April 12: DevelopSpringfield will be hosting its 2nd annual gala in celebration of Springfield, the many accomplishments the community has achieved over the past year, and the exciting new initiatives underway. The gala will take place at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Festivities will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, dancing, and more. All proceeds will support DevelopSpringfield’s redevelopment initiatives, projects, and programs. An anticipated 400 attendees — including federal, state, and city officials; leaders from the business and nonprofit communities; and local residents — will come together in support of ongoing efforts to advance development and redevelopment projects, stimulate and support economic growth, and expedite the revitalization process in the city. Sponsorship packages as well as individual ticket opportunities are available. For more information, visit www.developspringfield.com, or contact Diane Swanson at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected].

Bankruptcy Seminar

April 16: As part of its series of free information sessions on business-law basics, the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Western New England University will present a session on bankruptcy, featuring attorneys George Roumeliotis of Roumeliotis Law Group, Justin Dion of Bacon Wilson, and Kara Rescia of Eaton & Rescia. The event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the WNEU School of Law, in the Blake Law Center. It is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided. To learn more about upcoming events hosted by the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, visit www.wne.edu/cie.

EASTEC 2013

May 14-16: EASTEC, the premier manufacturing exposition in the Northeast will be held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on May 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will offer a variety of exhibitors, educational offerings, tours of nearby facilities, and much more. For more information and to register to attend, visit www.easteconline.com.

40 Under Forty

June 20: BusinessWest will present its seventh class of regional rising stars at the annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners. Look for event details in upcoming issues of BusinessWest — including the must-read April 22 issue in which the class of 2013 will be profiled — or call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 for more information.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff March 12, 2013

Chamber Corners Departments

CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• March 20: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., MassMutual Learning & Conference Center, 350 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Cost is $20 for members, $25 for non-members.

• March 20: 19th Annual Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Northampton, and Easthampton chambers of commerce. The event will feature more than 180 exhibitors and hundreds of visitors. Cost to attend: $5 pre-registered, $10 at the door. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

• March 22: Breakfast Series, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by the Hallmark Institute of Photography, Industrial Boulevard, Turners Falls. Presentation by Robert McBride, founding director of the Rockingham (Vt.) Arts and Museum Project. He will share RAMP’s five-pronged approach to integrating the arts into a community-revitalization effort and long-term sustainability strategies. Sponsored by Franklin County Community Development Corp. and HitPoint Studios. Cost is $12 for FCCC members, $15 for non-members.

• March 22-23: Creative Economy Summit IV, a two-day seminar for artists, art lovers, business supporters, and everyone related to the creative economy. Registration fees and program details available at www.creativeeconomysummit.com.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• March 14: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange and Chamber Open House, 5-7 p.m., Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, 33 Union St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Innovative Business Systems and TechCavalry. Door Prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Tickets are $5 for members, $15 for future members.

• March 20: 19th Annual Table Top Exposition and Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Presented by the Greater Easthampton, Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Northampton chambers of commerce. Exhibitor table fee: $100 (must be a member). Contact the participating chambers for information. Attendee-only tickets: $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com

(413) 534-3376

• March 1-29: St. Pat’s Luck of the Irish Raffle. First prize, sponsored by Fln-Mar Rubber and Plastics: Red Sox Weekend Getaway for July 20 game vs. Yankees. Includes two game tickets, overnight stay at Boston Sheraton Back Bay Hotel, Peter Pan bus transportation, and $100 spending money. Second prize, sponsored by PeoplesBank and Pioneer Valley Railroad: Apple 32GB iPad Mini and case. Third Prize, sponsored by Mountain View Lanscapes, Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, and Aubrey, Dixon &Turgeon LLC: $500 spending spree at Holyoke Mall. Drawing to be held March 20 at the Table Top Expo at the Log Cabin. Tickets are $5 each or book of three for $10. Tickets are available for purchase online, at the chamber, and at each chamber event through March 20.

• March 13: St. Pat’s Salute Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and Holyoke Mall. Tickets are $25. Call the office for reservations at (413) 534-3376 or sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• March 20: Table Top Expo, 4:30-7 p.m., the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Presented by the Greater Holyoke, Chicopee, Easthampton, and Northampton chambers of commerce. The public is invited. Admission: $5 in advance, $10 at the door; vendors: $100 per table. Corporate sponsor: the Log Cabin-Delaney House; Platinum sponsors: Taylor Rental of Holyoke, the Republican, Westover Job Corps Center, BusinessWest, Florence Savings Bank, and the Daily Hampshire Gazette; Gold Sponsors: Holyoke Community College, United Bank, Guenther Associates, Hadley Printing, the Valley Advocate, Northampton Rental, Charter Business, First Niagara Bank, and Harrington Insurance; Silver Sponsors: Dowd Insurance, Elms College, Freedom Credit Union, Hampden Bank, Health New England, Loomis Communities, Mountainview Landscape, PeoplesBank, New England Public Radio WFCR-WNNZ, TD Bank, Reminder Publications, United Personnel, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Peoples United Bank, and Valet Park of America. Call (413) 534-3376 or the participating chambers to reserve a table or to order admission tickets. Snow date: March 27.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.professionalwomenschamber.com

(413) 755-1310

• March 20: March 2013 Meeting, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., the Basketball Hall of Fame, MassMutual Room. Catered by Max’s Tavern. Speaker: Hope Margala Klein, executive vice president of Brand, Innovation & Merchandising, Yankee Candle. Her program is titled “My Journey Through the Glass Ceiling.” Tickets: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact [email protected].

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• March 13: March WestNet, 5-7 p.m., First Niagara Bank, 664 College Highway, Southwick. Come join us for a couple of hours to socialize and network with local businesses. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Walk-ins welcome. Cost: members, $10 in advance or cash at the door; non-members, $15 cash. To register, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected] by March 11.

• March 15: St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, 7:15 a.m., Westfield State University, Scanlon Hall, 577 Western Ave., Westfield. Registration is at 7:15, the breakfast begins at 7:30, and the program begins at 8. Judy Dumont, MBI director, will speak on Massachusetts 123, a project to bring high-speed broadband to every corner of the Commonwealth. Cost is $25 for members, $30 for non-members. To register, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]. RSVP for this event by March 11.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

www.springfieldyps.com

• March 21: Third Thursday, 5-7 p.m. at Nadim’s Mediterranean Restaurant & Grill, 1390 Main St., Springfield. Go to www.cafelebanon.com for more information about the restaurant.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff March 12, 2013

Company Notebook Departments

Grant from MassMutual to Facilitate Local Junior Achievement Programs

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts recently announced a grant from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) that will help deliver critical personal-finance skills to the next generation of Western Mass. youth. Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts was one of four JA Areas across the nation selected to receive a MassMutual grant. “We are thrilled to receive this gift on behalf of our local students,” said Jennifer Connolly, president of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. “MassMutual has given tangible proof of its practical commitment to giving young people advantages through financial literacy.” The grant will provide additional elementary- and middle-school programs for students in the community. JA programs help young people gain the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Additionally, MassMutual employees will serve as JA volunteers, teaching the JA curriculum and sharing their personal and professional experiences with students. The Junior Achievement mission is a direct correlation with MassMutual’s mission to help families become more confident in their financial decisions and empower them to take control of their financial situations. According to the Council for Economic Education’s “Survey of the States 2011: The State of Economic and Personal Finance Education in our Nation’s Schools,” only 13 states require its schools to teach personal-finance skills to its students. “It is critical to teach our children the skills they need to manage their finances. Learning to make smart financial decisions early in life can help them make the transition to college and financial independence later in life,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, vice president, Community Responsibility. Indeed, college debt is a major concern for the next generation. Currently, more than 60% of all students take out loans, and the average college graduate has more than $24,000 in debt upon graduation, according to the New York Times.

AIC Receives Gold Award for Viewbook

SPRINGFIELD — American International College recently received the Gold Award in the print communications category from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Lynn Saunders, Janelle Holmboe, and Scott Whitney of Florence were recognized for their work on the school’s admissions viewbook. CASE District I annually bestows its Excellence Awards on individuals and schools doing innovative work in the fields of special events, fund-raising, stewardship, volunteer engagement, alumni relations, student-alumni initiatives, advancement services, and communications. Saunders, AIC’s art director and project manager, said the messaging inspired not just the viewbook’s content, but also its visual messaging and editorial tone. “We kept in mind our target demographic and repositioned our piece to be more friendly, accessible, and true to who we are. The bold copy reinforces the visual elements and makes us stand out from many of the pieces we see from other area colleges.” Holmboe, dean of Undergraduate Admissions at AIC, said one of the goals of the viewbook was to reclaim AIC’s image by articulating what the school stands for as an institution of higher education. “We intended to underscore our egalitarian ethos, our history of catering to an underserved population, and our commitment to academic support that would ensure students’ success.” Jennifer Grossman, director of Marketing and Communications at AIC, said the viewbook was a true collaboration between both Enrollment and Marketing. “It is great to see hard work pay off, and for AIC’s accomplishments to be recognized by our peers.”

Armbrook Village Set

for April 1 Opening

WESTFIELD — Armbrook Village, the region’s newest senior-living community, announced that it will open its doors April 1. The facility will be managed by Massachusetts-based Senior Living Residences, with a local management team headed by Executive Director Beth Cardillo. Armbrook Village will feature independent senior apartments with concierge services, service-enriched assisted living, and a state-of-the-art Compass Memory Support Neighborhood, affiliated with Boston University’s School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center, featuring research-based treatment for those with memory loss. Westfield Mayor Daniel Knapik, who recently toured the facility with other civic and business leaders, said the complex will be an important addition to the local landscape. “Armbrook Village will add vitality to Westfield and our surrounding communities — not just for our seniors, but for other age groups in our local community. The more than 120 residents of Armbrook Village will make use of area amenities such as the YMCA, Noble Hospital, our shopping centers, grocery stores, and restaurants. And they will be involved in the fabric of our community through volunteering and other social and cultural pursuits.”

MassMutual Named a FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Company

SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) announced that it has once again been named a FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Company in 2013 in the life and health insurance industry and in the state of Massachusetts. Ranked third overall, MassMutual is the most-admired mutual company in the life and health insurance industry category this year. The 2013 FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Company survey was conducted in the fall of 2012 among top executives, directors, and securities analysts in 57 industries. To be named to the World’s Most Admired list, a company’s overall score must rank in the top half of its industry survey. The survey assessed nine reputation drivers considered to be crucial to a company’s global success: financial soundness, long-term investment value, people management, social responsibility, use of assets, quality of management, quality of products and services, innovation, and global competitiveness. “We are honored to be a FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Company again this year, and especially proud to receive a top ranking in the social-responsibility category in recognition of our important contributions in communities across the U.S.,” said Roger Crandall, chairman, president, and CEO of MassMutual. “As a leader in an industry built on trust and accountability, we are pleased to be included among this elite list of admired companies.”

Monson Savings Bank Announces Winners of Community-giving Vote

MONSON — For the third year in a row, Monson Savings Bank asked the community to help plan the bank’s community-giving activities by inviting people to vote for the organizations they would like the bank to support during 2013. “We received nearly 900 votes for more than 60 different organizations doing community-service work in Monson, Hampden, Wilbraham, and Ware, where we will be opening a branch later this year,” said Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank. “We were pleased to hear from so many people. It really shows that we live in a community of concerned and committed citizens, and that feels great.” The top vote getters are:

1. River East School-to-Career Inc.

2. Homefront Equestrians

3. Link to Libraries

4. Replanting Monson Tree Committee

5. Monson Bellman Antique Fire Apparatus Club/Museum

6. Blue Star Equiculture

7. Scantic Valley YMCA

8. Greene Room Productions

9. Boy Scouts of Western Massachusetts

10. Two Town Trolley

The organizations have been notified of the good news and will be receiving checks from the bank in the next few weeks. According to Lowell, the list continues to change every year. “Just like last year, four of the 10 organizations were new to the list, and we learned about new groups that we didn’t even know were out there. That reinforces our decision to reach out to ask people for their input. We think that’s part of being a community bank.”

Development Proposals Sought for Allis House

SPRINGFIELD — The Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS) has issued a formal request for development proposals involving the W.H. Allis House on the Mercy Medical Center campus. The request was initiated with the hope of creating a new use for the landmark, which was slated to be demolished to make way for construction of a $20 million medical office building at the northwest corner of the Mercy campus, near the intersection of Chestnut and Carew streets. Ground was broken for the project last October. The initiative is being developed by Carew Chestnut Partners, and under terms of a construction and land-lease agreement, Carew Chestnut Street Partners will develop and own the building. In recent weeks, discussions between SPHS and members of both public and private historicalpreservation groups have been conducted to gain input about methods for preserving the history of the building. “We remain mindful of the history of the W.H. Allis House and appreciative of the importance of effectively preserving that history, particularly as it relates to the legacy of care provided by the Sisters of Providence,” said Daniel Moen, president and CEO of SPHS. “At the same time, our ongoing role as stewards of our limited resources calls us to continue the transformation of the Mercy campus, ensuring our ability to continue to serve the needs of our community while furthering our mission.” A spokesperson for SPHS said that initial plans for this construction project called for the removal of four structures on the Mercy campus: the maintenance garage, the Mercy Hearing Center building, the St. Mary’s building, and the W.H. Allis House. Three of these buildings are located within the footprint of the medical office building project, while the W.H. Allis House is contiguous to it. “The decision to include the W.H. Allis House in the removal plan came after lengthy discussions and careful consideration,” the spokesperson said. “This difficult decision followed an internal evaluation that determined that the structure was unsafe and unusable, could not be renovated in a financially responsible way, and could not be used for patient care nor be adequately renovated for administrative functions. These findings were further validated by an outside engineering firm that SPHS engaged to assess the structural condition of the building. Steiger Engineering Inc. also determined that the renovation of the structure would be cost-prohibitive at $6 million to $7 million and would not result in a viable medical use. However, after discussions with Springfield city officials and members of the local historical-preservation community, SPHS has agreed to re-evaluate its position on demolition of the W.H. Allis House until such time as it can be reasonably determined if restoration is not only a workable option, but will not impede ongoing transformation of the Mercy campus.” To that end, SPHS was involved in the creation of a task force comprised of SPHS leaders, Springfield city officials, and private citizens who are members of the Springfield Preservation Trust and Preservation Massachusetts, and engaged the services of Greg Farmer, a leading expert on historical preservation, to advise SPHS and the task force on appropriate methods to preserve the history of the Allis House. The Task Force began its work on Jan. 23 and is investigating alternatives to the removal of the building, primarily focused on efforts to secure the involvement of an outside party who would be willing to invest in and oversee its restoration, the spokesperson explained.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

Chamber Corners Departments

ACCGS

www.myonlinechamber.com

(413) 787-1555

• March 5: ERC5 March 2013 “High Five” Five-year Anniversary Event, 5-7 p.m., Spoleto Restaurant, 84 Center Square, East Longmeadow. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact [email protected]

• March 6: ACCGS Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., the Cedars, 375 Island Pond Road, Springfield. Guest speaker: Suzanne Bump, Massachusetts state auditor. The event will feature a salute to the YMCA of Greater Springfield on its 145th anniversary. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact [email protected].

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• Feb. 27: Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m., Hampshire Athletic Club, 90 Gatehouse Road, Amherst. Admission is $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.amherstarea.com.

CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• Feb. 27: February Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at NUVO Bank & Trust Co. Admission is $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

• March 1: Shining Stars Banquet, Castle of Knights, Memorial Drive, Chicopee. The event will recognize the Business of the Year — Birch Manor Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing; Citizen of the Year — Lorraine Houle of Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry; and Chamber Volunteer of the Year — Earl LaFlamme III of Marcus Printing. Diamond Sponsor is Chicopee Savings Bank; Gold Sponsors are Dave’s Truck Repair Inc., Hampden Bank, NUVO Bank & Trust Co., Pioneer Packaging Inc., Teddy Bear Pools Inc., the Gaudreau Group Inc., and Valley Opportunity Council. Silver Sponsor is MicroTek Inc. Tickets are $60 per person.

• March 20: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., MassMutual Learning & Conference Center, 350 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Cost is $20 for members, $25 for non-members.

• March 20: 19th Annual Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Northampton, and Easthampton chambers of commerce. The event will feature more than 180 exhibitors and hundreds of visitors. Cost to attend: $5 pre-registered, $10 at the door. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

• March 22: Breakfast Series, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by the Hallmark Institute of Photography, Industrial Boulevard, Turners Falls. Presentation by Robert McBride, founding director of the Rockingham (Vt.) Arts and Museum Project. He will share RAMP’s five-pronged approach to integrating the arts into a community-revitalization effort and long-term sustainability strategies. Sponsored by Franklin County Community Development Corp. and HitPoint Studios. Cost is $12 for FCCC members, $15 for non-members.

• March 22-23: Creative Economy Summit IV, a two-day seminar for artists, art lovers, business supporters, and everyone related to the creative economy. Registration fees and program details available at www.creativeeconomysummit.com.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• March 8: St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon, noon-2 p.m., Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway, Southampton. Guest speaker: U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. Honored guest: Rachel Connell, Distinguished Young Woman of Greater Easthampton. Sponsored by the Easthampton Learning Foundation and Finck & Perras Insurance Agency. Tickets are $21.95 for members, $23.95 for non-members.

• March 14: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange and Chamber Open House, 5-7 p.m., Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, 33 Union St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Innovative Business Systems and TechCavalry. Door Prizes, hors d’ouevres, host beer and wine. Tickets are $5 for members, $15 for future members.

• March 20: 19th Annual Table Top Exposition and Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Presented by the Greater Easthampton, Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Northampton chambers of commerce. Exhibitor table fee: $100 (must be a member). Contact the participating chambers for information. Attendee-only tickets: $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com

(413) 534-3376

• March 1-29: St. Pat’s Luck of the Irish Raffle. First prize, sponsored by Fln-Mar Rubber and Plastics: Red Sox Weekend Getaway for July 20 game vs. Yankees. Includes two game tickets, overnight stay at Boston Sheraton Back Bay Hotel, Peter Pan bus transportation, and $100 spending money. Second prize, sponsored by PeoplesBank and Pioneer Valley Railroad: Apple 32GB iPad Mini and case. Third Prize, sponsored by Mountain View Lanscapes, Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, and Aubrey, Dixon &Turgeon LLC: $500 spending spree at Holyoke Mall. Drawing to be held March 20 at the Table Top Expo at the Log Cabin. Tickets are $5 each or book of three for $10. Tickets are available for purchase online, at the chamber, and at each chamber event through March 20.

• March 7: Leadership Holyoke Program, sponsored by PeoplesBank. Presented by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Holyoke Community College. Speakers, discussions, classroom time, and field trips are included in this 11-week session. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 for details or sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• March 13: St. Pat’s Salute Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and Holyoke Mall. Tickets are $25. Call the office for reservations at (413) 534-3376 or sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• March 20: Table Top Expo, 4:30-7 p.m., the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Presented by the Greater Holyoke, Chicopee, Easthampton, and Northampton chambers of commerce. The public is invited. Admission: $5 in advance, $10 at the door; vendors: $100 per table. Corporate sponsor: the Log Cabin-Delaney House; Platinum sponsors: Taylor Rental of Holyoke, the Republican, Westover Job Corps Center, BusinessWest, Florence Savings Bank, and the Daily Hampshire Gazette; Gold Sponsors: Holyoke Community College, United Bank, Guenther Associates, Hadley Printing, the Valley Advocate, Northampton Rental, Charter Business, First Niagara Bank, and Harrington Insurance; Silver Sponsors: Dowd Insurance, Elms College, Freedom Credit Union, Hampden Bank, Health New England, Loomis Communities, Mountainview Landscape, PeoplesBank, New England Public Radio WFCR-WNNZ, TD Bank, Reminder Publications, United Personnel, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Peoples United Bank, and Valet Park of America. Call (413) 534-3376 or the participating chambers to reserve a table or to order admission tickets. Snow date: March 27.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.professionalwomenschamber.com

(413) 755-1310

• March 20: March 2013 Meeting, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., the Basketball Hall of Fame, MassMutual Room. Catered by Max’s Tavern. Speaker: Hope Margala Klein, executive vice president of Brand, Innovation & Merchandising, Yankee Candle. Her program is titled “My Journey Through the Glass Ceiling.” Tickets: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact [email protected].

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com

(413) 426-3880

• Feb. 28: Legislative Breakfast presented by the West of the River Chamber of Commerce, 7-9 a.m., Springfield Country Club. The breakfast will have a panel of various legislatures: state Sen. Michael Knapik, state Sen. James Welch, state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, state Rep. Michael Finn, Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen, and West Springfield Mayor Greg Neffinger. Tickets are $25 for members, $30 for non-members. For more information on ticket sales, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• March 6: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., Raymour & Flanigan, 895 Riverdale St., West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events hosted by various businesses and restaurants. These events bring members and non-members together to network socially in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected]. Free for chamber members, $10 for non-members. Event is open to the public, but non-members must pay at the door.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• March 4: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Free and open to the public. To register, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected].

• March 13: March WestNet, 5-7 p.m., First Niagara Bank, 664 College Highway, Southwick. Come join us for a couple of hours to socialize and network with local businesses. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Walk-ins welcome. Cost: members, $10 in advance or cash at the door; non-members, $15 cash. To register, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected] by March 11.

• March 15: St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, 7:15 a.m., Westfield State University, Scanlon Hall, 577 Western Ave., Westfield. Registration is at 7:15, the breakfast begins at 7:30, and the program begins at 8. Judy Dumont, MBI director, will speak on Massachusetts 123, a project to bring high-speed broadband to every corner of the Commonwealth. Cost is $25 for members, $30 for non-members. To register, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected]. RSVP for this event by March 11.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield

www.springfieldyps.com

• March 21: Third Thursday, 5-7 p.m. at Nadim’s Mediterranean Restaurant & Grill, 1390 Main St., Springfield. Go to www.cafelebanon.com for more information about the restaurant.

People On the Move

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

Departments People on the Move

Audrey Rome

Audrey Rome has joined the Springfield-based law firm Cooley Shrair as a real-estate paralegal. Providing support in the Western Mass. real-estate field for more than 30 years, Rome will help to expand the firm’s real-estate department.

•••••

The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) announced the following:

• Michael Hurwitz has been appointed as Chairman of the board of directors, and will serve a two-year term. Hurwitz, a hospitality-industry veteran, has managed several restaurants in Western Mass., including Uno Chicago Grill, with locations in Springfield, Holyoke and Worcester; and Sonic in Springfield. He served on the GSCVB’s board of directors and executive committee in addition to his previous duties as Chairman of the Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence Committee.

• John Parsons has been named Sales and Marketing Coordinator. Parsons, a 2011 graduate of Western New England University, will promote membership within the GSCVB and assist with a number of marketing initiatives, with a special emphasis on sports.

Other officers were named by the GSCVB to serve a three-year term on its board of directors. They include:

• John Doleva, President of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, to serve as vice chairman;

• Barry Crosby of Freedom Credit Union to serve as treasurer;

• Robert Schwarz of Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc. to serve as secretary; and

• Robert Gilbert of Dowd Insurance to serve as compliance officer.

New members of the board to serve a three-year term are:

• William Messner, President of Holyoke Community College; and

• James Woolsey, Superintendent of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site.

•••••

Melanie Skroski

Northampton-based Royal LLP recently welcomed Attorney Melanie Skroski to the management-side-only labor and employment law firm. With practical experience in management, Skroski counsels companies on the myriad state and federal employment laws impacting them, including employment discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, disability and leave, workplace safety, and affirmative action. Her other preventive work includes drafting employee manuals; preparing non-disclosure, non-solicitation, and non-compete agreements; and conducting management training. Skroski is a graduate of Trinity College and Western New England University School of Law.

•••••

TD Bank recently promoted Peter Simko to Store Manager of the branch located at 40 Springfield St. in Agawam. An Assistant Vice President, he is responsible for new-business development, consumer and business lending, and managing personnel and day-to-day operations at the store, serving customers throughout the Greater Springfield area. With 13 years experience in banking, investments, real estate, and mortgages, Simko joined TD Bank in 2011. He most recently served at TD Bank as an Assistant Store Manager in Agawam. Prior to joining the bank, Simko served as an Investment Consultant at TD Waterhouse in Boston, Registered Principal at Scottrade Financial Services in Springfield, and General Partner at Center Exchange Associates, a realty-consulting firm in Chicopee.

The Nominations Are In

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

Features

And Five Judges Will Now Score the 40 Under Forty Hopefuls

A flurry of last-minute nominations has produced a near-record number of entries for BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty program.

A total of 99 individuals have been nominated for the honor of joining the class of 2013, the seventh since the program was initiated in 2007.

The daunting, yet rewarding, task of scoring these individuals now falls to five judges (including two previous winners), who represent fields ranging from law to accounting; from education to financial services. They will be returning their scores later this week, and the winners will be notified in the days that follow.

The class of 2013 will be profiled in the April 22 issue of BusinessWest, one of the most popular issues of the year, and the annual 40 Under Forty gala is scheduled for June 20 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. Here are those who will be scoring this year’s nominees:

Jeffrey Fialky

• Jeffrey Fialky, a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2008 and a shareholder of the regional law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C., and member of the firm’s corporate, commercial, and municipal departments, where he specializes in all aspects of corporate and business law, banking, commercial real estate, and sophisticated commercial transactions. He joined the firm in 2006 after nearly a decade of living in Eastern Mass., where he held senior commercial attorney positions within some of the country’s most prominent publicly traded telecommunications and cable television companies. He previously served as an assistant district attorney in Hampden County.

Fialky is also active in the community, having served on a number of nonprofit and economic-development-related organizations. They include the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Museums, the United Way of Pioneer Valley, the Jewish Federation of Pioneer Valley, the Springfield Technical Community College Scibelli Enterprise Center Advisory Board, the Alden Credit Union board of directors, the Community Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, Leadership Pioneer Valley, OnBoard, the YMCA of Greater Springfield, the Mason Wright Foundation, the EDC Tourism Development Committee; and the American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter.

Brendon Hutchins

• Brendon Hutchins, CFP, a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2012, and senior vice president of Account Management for St. Germain Investment Management. Prior to joing the firm in 2003, he was vice president and financial advisor for the FleetBoston Financial Corp. Private Clients Group in Springfield. His prior experience includes eight years with Fidelity Investments as a vice president in the retirement division, with responsibilities across multiple locations during his tenure there.

In addition to being a certified financial planner, Hutchins holds NASD series 7 and 65 licenses for securities representation and investment-advisor services. He currently serves on the board of directors for the New England office of the March of Dimes, the Greater Springfield YMCA, and the Basketball Hall of Fame, and has also served on the board for the Springfield School Volunteers.

Mark O’Connell

• Mark O’Connell, president and chief executive officer of Wolf & Co., providing audit and financial reporting services to both privately held and publicly traded financial institutions and holding companies across New England, including community banks and mortgage banking institutions. In his current capacity, he is responsible for the strategic direction of the firm, while also providing audit and advisory services to financial institutions. His experience also includes consultation on audit and accounting issues related to mergers and acquisitions and with respect to debt and security offerings filed with the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

O’Connell has been involved with a number of industry and nonprofit organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Massachusetts and Connecticut Societies of Certified Public Accountants, and the Children’s Study Home in Springfield. In 2010, he won the Human Services Forum Board Member Award.

Myra Smith

• Myra Smith, vice president of Human Resources and Multicultural Affairs at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Joining the college in 1978, Smith has helped transform the STCC community into one of inclusiveness that celebrates cultural diversity. Among her many accomplishments is the creation of the STCC Diversity Council and its event series, which brings national and international speakers and artists to the campus. Smith also was responsible for the creation of the STCC “Think Tank” series, which brings community leaders together to assist with the retention and graduation rate of young men of color.

Smith is also active in the community, serving on many local boards, including People’sBank, the National Conference for Community Justice of Western Mass., and the STCC Foundation. Smith is a founding trustee of the Martin Luther King Charter School of Excellence and a trustee for the Non-Unit Health and Welfare Trust Fund for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Smith was recognized in 2007 by Unity First with a Women of Leadership Award, and received a Women of Vision Award from the Elms College Step Forward Program in 2005.

Jeff Sullivan

• Jeff Sullivan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of United Bank. In that capacity, which he assumed Jan. 1, Sullivan is responsible for the bank’s retail deposit and operations division, advancements in technology and electronic banking, and franchise expansion efforts. In addition, he also oversees the Information Systems and Facilities Departments and the United Wealth Management Group, and is also responsible for the company’s enterprise risk management program. He previously served the bank as executive vice president and chief lending officer and, prior to arriving at United, served in commercial-lending capacities for the Bank of Western Mass. and BayBank.

Sullivan has been involved with a number of area nonprofit and economic-development-related organizations, including DevelopSpringfield, Better Homes Inc., Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Briana Fund for Children with Physical Disabilities, OnBoard, the Pioneer Valley Plan for Progress, the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Council of Western Mass.

Hire Anxiety

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

Features

Employers Brace for a Possible Casino-fueled Talent Flight

Keith Makarowsky says that staffing is already tight, and he is concerned that it will only get tougher with a casino in the area.

When New York Times bestselling author Erma Bombeck wrote her book The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank in 1976, Vogue called it “the exposé to end all exposés — the truth about the suburbs.”

It offered humorous stories, based on real research, enlightening readers as to why so many long for what the Joneses have.

Today, the ‘grass is always greener’ attitude is one that’s being used by many employers with regard to the eventual arrival of a casino in Western Mass. and the likely response from many currently in the workforce. It’s a mindset they’ll be looking to prevent, or least keep under reasonable control.

That’s because the inevitability of a casino somewhere in the 413 area code — be it in Springfield, West Springfield, or Palmer — and the 2,000 to 3,000 jobs that will come with it, have many, both employed and unemployed, thinking and dreaming about a situation better than the one they’re in.

Keith Makarowsky, partner and owner of JT’s Sports Bar, Theodore’s, and Smith’s Billiards in downtown Springfield, which together employ close to 90 people, is one of the many concerned employers.

“I’m already having a hard time staffing,” he said. “And it’s only going to get worse — much worse.”

If U.S. Department of Labor statistics are any indicator, Makarowsky, whose businesses are located just a few blocks from the dueling Springfield casino proposals, may see talent flight from all three venues. In 2010, the commercial casino and gaming-equipment-manufacturing industry employed nearly 370,000 — more direct employees than the U.S. automobile industry. The thriving gaming-entertainment industry expects that number to rise to more than 470,000 over the next 10 years.

And those jobs come across a number of fields and professions. Most think about blackjack dealers, pit bosses, waitstaff in restaurants, and other hospitality-related positions, but there are also myriad money-handling and backroom operations that should have employers in the broad financial-services realm concerned.

“There will be many levels of educated professionals that will be needed, as well as a big customer-service element behind the scenes, and these people will come from the banks, the professional-service firms, and local hotels,” said Kristina Drzal Houghton, partner and director of Taxation Services at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Peter Rosskothen, owner and president of Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House, the Delaney House, and catering through Log Rolling and at Wyckoff Country Club, takes a generally positive approach to the situation while focusing on what he believes is the primary challenge for the region — supplying a trained, talented workforce for the casino without necessarily impacting existing employers.

“Of course I have fears, but I’m focusing on the positive side,” said Rosskothen, who manages a staff of 200. He believes there’s enough unemployment in this market to supply current and future workforce needs. “But we need to get them to a level that they’re hireable, and my biggest concern now is, how do we plan … how do I keep my good employees while the casino gets its good employees?”

This is, in many ways, the unofficial assignment for a recently established consortium called the Community College Casino Careers Training Institute. The unique initiative, developed by leaders at Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), is a collaboration among the Commonwealth’s community colleges, one that gives casino developers a single point of contact in the three different regions across the state where casinos will be constructed to help develop their workforce.

Peter Rosskothen knows that educational programs that target skills for casino jobs will benefit many who are unemployed in the region.

While HCC and STCC currently offer programs in many of the professional skill sets casinos will require, neither offer dealer- and entertainment-related courses, which prompted the consortium to consult and contract with Atlantic Cape Community College in Atlantic City (more on this later).

For this issue and its focus on the casino era, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at how an $800 million gaming facility, such as those being proposed for Western Mass., could and likely will impact the region’s employment situation, and also what employers can do to improve their odds of minimizing the impact on their businesses.

Sure Bet

The question of ‘if’ a casino is coming to Western Mass. has long since given way to other queries about ‘when’ and ‘where.’ And this inevitability has business owners thinking about many things, from opportunities to partner with the casino operator of choice (see related story, page 17) to what will happen with their current staff when the 800-pound gorilla sets up shop.

John Thomas, general manager of Max’s Tavern at the Basketball Hall of Fame, believes a casino — wherever it lands — will be a positive development for Springfield simply in terms of bringing more people into the area. “It’s more competition for us because we’re going to have a casino with restaurants, and it’s going to make me step up my game a little bit more.”

From a staffing standpoint, though, Thomas, who not only oversees Max’s Tavern, but catering for events in the MassMutual Room, at center court, and in the Hall concourse, believes retention will be an even greater challenge in his sector.

“A casino is definitely one of those things that could steal away a couple of my servers and chefs,” he said, “and I don’t want to have to hire new employees because it takes six months to train them, and turnover is not the best thing for guest services.”

If surveys by the American Gaming Assoc. (AGA) are to be believed, turnover may prove inevitable for local employers.

A 2007 AGA Survey of Attitudes of Casino Industry Employees by Peter D. Hart Research Associates Inc. found that more than 85% of the nation’s gaming employees find their job satisfying. Another 2007 AGA study with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Gaming Industry Diversity Snapshot, found that participating casinos hired a greater percentage of black, Hispanic, and Asian workers than the U.S. workforce — overall, employing more minorities than the national workforce by 20.6%.

“I think small businesses might be the loser on that,” said Thomas, referring to local businesses that rely on a non-professional, minority workforce. “The grass looks greener at the casino.”

To retain his employees, Thomas told BusinessWest that his strategy is to treat them like guests. The Max Restaurant Group, he said, pays its employees well, covers half their health insurance, and holds frequent reviews. These steps have facilitated retention to the point where some of Thomas’s employees have been with Max’s for 10 years, and the majority for at least five years.

Rosskothen said he feels that he offers a fair wage and a pleasant, comfortable work environment to keep his staff satisfied with their jobs. “It’s the best shot I have at keeping them here,” he said, adding that all employers will have to sharpen their focus on retention strategies if they are to minimize the impact from a casino.

Houghton agreed.

“A casino is more than two years away,” she continued. “There is plenty of time for companies to access what their policies are and where their biggest areas of exposure are with their employees … because two years from now it’ll be too late, and the employees then are going to say, ‘too little, too late.’”

She said Meyers Brothers strives to be the proverbial ‘employer of choice’ with competitive pay, attractive perks, and flex hours, even during tax season. Despite all that, the company remains at risk of losing auditors and accountants to a casino, and its challenge moving forward is to minimize that risk while also perhaps trying to educate employees that the grass isn’t necessarily greener at a very large employer like a casino operator.

“I often hear that the honeymoon period does not last long,” she said. “And it’s probably a lot better to work for the local management companies than the bigger companies.”

Schools of Thought

While employers brace for the potential fallout from the onset of the casino era, area community colleges and workforce-related agencies are taking up the challenge of making sure this region has a large, talented workforce in place for not only the casino, but existing employers as well.

Holyoke Community College Presi-dent William Messner told BusinessWest that the consortium is an opportunity for the community colleges to demonstrate the ability to respond effectively, efficiently, and collaboratively to a significant statewide workforce need. To do so, they’ll need to cooperate with one another and with other workforce-related entities, such as the regional employment boards, FutureWorks, CareerPoint, and other agencies, all of which can play a role in meeting the opportunity and challenge of casino job placement.

Messner, who also leads the statewide Presidents Council of Massachusetts Community Colleges, and Ira Rubenzahl, president of STCC, convened the state’s community colleges, created three regions that will each host casinos (each with a lead college), and joined forces with the aforementioned workforce entities. The concept was met with enthusiasm from all those involved, said Messner, including the casino developers, who face the daunting task of filling 2,000 to 3,000 positions.

Rosskothen’s take on the consortium idea: “a brilliant concept.”

“We want people to look at this opportunity and say, ‘OK, I can work as a dealer, a receptionist, a housekeeping person, make good money, and make it a career,’” he said. “We need more of this in Western Mass.”

And it would appear the consortium is something gaming developers would like to see more of, too.

“My sense was that there is a varied pattern of experience from state to state, but as best as I could assess, no one had put together quite the same sort of organized effort that we are intending,” said Messner. “More often, it was a fairly disorganized effort with a variety of institutions and organizations sort of knocking on the door of the casino developer, leaving the developer trying to sort out who they were going to work with.”

Messner added that the final step included discussions with the Gaming Commission, which cautioned that the colleges could not be the exclusive parties working with developers, while expressing overall support for the concept.

Messner further explained that HCC programs in information technology, business, security, and hospitality could all be useful at a local casino, but gaming-related jobs that involve the gaming function and handling of money will require a great deal of scrutiny and a license from the state, so specific help was needed.

The consortium contracted with an institution that certainly knows the business of gambling: Atlantic Cape Community College in Atlantic City. In cooperation for more than 30 years with the gaming industry, its consulting services and tested curriculum have been used throughout the world, said Messner.

He added that some classes that provide employees with needed skills might be only a few weeks or a few months in length and at staggered hours, a schedule that should prove attractive to existing employers, many of whom will want to take advantage of additional training for employees as a retention tool when the casinos come knocking.

“I cannot send them to a one- or two-year kind of curriculum,” said Rosskothen, “but if they need to improve a specific skill, they’ll make money for my business and for themselves … it’s a win-win, and I keep them.”

Double or Nothing

Many area employers would be reluctant to use that phrase ‘win-win’ when it comes to a Western Mass. casino, especially when it comes to workforce issues and the prospects for a talent flight.

But with at least a few years to go before a casino opens its doors, there is the potential for a scenario in which, as Rosskothen suggests, casinos can have good help and area employers can retain theirs.

That is the job at hand — both literally and figuratively.

Elizabeth Taras can be reached at [email protected]

Avoid the Damage of Winter

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

Insurance Sections

10 Simple Steps to Readying a Home and Preventing Calamity

John E. Dowd Jr.

Many disasters caused by winter-weather conditions can be prevented by taking a few simple steps. Although fall is an ideal time to begin to think about and prepare for the cold winter months ahead, you really need to be constantly assessing such things as snow loads on roofs and decks, appropriate foundation drainage as the snow melts and freezes, and, of course, the dreaded ice dams on your roofs and gutters.

Regular homeowner’s policies provide coverage for ice dams, burst pipes, loss from fires, and wind damage from snow or ice. When snow melts, it can cause serious damage to a home. One of the most common causes of catastrophic loss is winter storms. Although wind and hail are the most common causes of insurance claims, freezing and water damage follow close behind.

It’s important for homeowners to carefully review their insurance policies before winter arrives to understand what is covered. It’s crucial to have ample coverage for rebuilding a home and replacing all the belongings in it. It’s also helpful to consider purchasing sewer-backup insurance.

There are several ways to prepare a home for winter and the damage it usually brings. Consider the following tips:

• Clean out all gutters. It’s important to remove all sticks, leaves, and debris. This helps the melting ice and snow flow smoothly. It also prevents ice collecting and forming a dam, which can result in water seeping into the house’s ceilings and walls.

• Keep trees and branches trimmed. When branches hang over houses during the winter, they’re likely to accumulate snow and ice, which may make them break. Branches falling on homes can cause significant amounts of damage. They may also hurt people who enter the property.

• Use gutter guards. These guards are useful for preventing interference of water flow from debris.

• Seal cracks and holes. Caulk all these spaces to ensure that melted snow and wind can’t enter the home.

• Keep steps and handrails safe. It’s important to ensure that steps and banisters are sturdy. If they accumulate snow or ice, they can contribute to serious injuries.

• Use insulation liberally. Homeowners should add extra insulation to basements, attics, and crawl spaces. When heat escapes through the roof, it contributes to ice and snow melting faster. As the moisture melts, re-freezes, and accumulates, it can cause a roof to collapse.

• Maintain a warm temperature. It’s best to keep the thermostat at 65 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing. The temperature in the walls is always colder than the temperature in the house.

• Call the professionals. The heating system should be checked and serviced every year to prevent fires. It’s also important to ensure that smoke alarms are working. Carbon-monoxide detectors are another valuable safety feature that should be placed in every home. In addition to this, homeowners should have a contractor evaluate the home for structural damage. It’s best to identify and repair minor problems before they become a disaster.

• Be familiar with shutting off the water. Homeowners should know how to do this, and they should know where their pipes are located. When pipes freeze, it’s imperative to act quickly. When going away for an extended time, it’s best to have someone look after the home or have a service professional drain the system.

• Add an emergency pressure-release valve. By adding this to a current system, homeowners will have a system that is protected against increasing pressure from frozen pipes.

Although many of these suggestions appear to be common sense, we all have a tendency to put off certain mundane routine maintenance. As we have all experienced at one on time or another, failure to follow these preventative steps can lead to expensive and annoying problems.

Taking a moment to save the list of suggestions above and use it as your personal fall preventive checklist will save you time and money and give you peace of mind to enjoy the winter season while living in New England.

John Dowd is a principal and executive vice president of the Dowd Agencies, the oldest insurance agency in Massachusetts with operations and management under continuous family ownership. Today the fourth generation of Dowds provides counsel and coverage from several offices in Western Mass.: James J. Dowd & Sons Insurance Agency Inc. of Holyoke; Cray-Dowd Insurance Agency Inc. of Hadley; Moskal Dowd Insurance Inc. of Indian Orchard; Dumont-Dowd Insurance Agency Inc. of Southampton; and Dowd Financial Services LLC in Holyoke; www.dowd.com.

Seeking Protection

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

Insurance Sections

A chart of area insurance agencies

Click here to download the PDF

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

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.

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Kimball Brothers Realty, LLP v. Genco Cable, LLC Seminole Wire and Cable Company Inc., and Michael Genzel

Allegation: Breach of commercial lease: $500,000

Filed: 1/8/13

People’s Bank v. Stockbridge Bowl Affordable Acquisition Corp., et al

Allegation: Failure to pay on commercial loan: $856,131.32

Filed: 1/18/13

Westfield Auto Parts Inc. v. Auto Service Inc. d/b/a Brake King

Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $97,929.35

Filed: 1/8/13

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Richard S. Paton Jr. and Bonnie Paton v. Robert C. Randin and GMTBP Inc. d/b/a Antonio’s Pizza

Allegation: Motor-vehicle negligence causing personal injury: $95,778.

Filed: 1/14/13

West Cummington Congregational Church v. Chase, Clark, Stewart, and Fontana Inc., James H. Stewart, and Utica Insurance Group

Allegation: Inadequate coverage caused by agent negligence and misrepresentation: $200,000

1/8/13

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Berlin Industries, LLC v. Motherwear International Inc.

Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $14,450.59

Filed: 11/19/12

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Jon Kostek and Jennifer B. Margolis v. D. Jondrow Landscaping Inc.

Allegation: Failure to complete work, performance in an unworkmanlike manner, and unfair and deceptive trade practices: $15,000; Filed: 1/25/13

Peter Wilson and Harold Wilson d/b/a Wilson Construction v. Bowl New England Inc.

Allegation: Non-payment of snow-removal services provided: $22,650

Filed: 1/9/13

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Douglas Industries Inc. v. New England Upholstery and Design and Paul Vento

Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $6,279.58

Filed: 1/25/13

Forbo Flooring Inc. v. Complete Flooring Solutions and Kenneth G. Matthews Jr.

Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $5,805.21

Filed: 1/22/13

Francisco Ortiz v. Vinnie Shah d/b/a Super Convenience Mart

Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing slip and fall: $24,999.99

Filed: 1/25/13

Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. as subrogee of James and Julie Jaron v. Home Depot, USA Inc. and Giagni Enterprises, LLC

Allegation: Negligent design and manufacture of faucet sold at Home Depot causing extensive water damage to the plaintiff’s property: $27,985.74

Filed: 1/17/13

Soaring Capital, LLC v. Dey Homeworks and Daniel Torres

Allegation: Unpaid balance due for money loaned: $3,494.09

Filed: 1/8/13

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

TBF Financial, LLC v. Pavel Shevchuk d/b/a Seven Colors Painting

Allegation: Breach of promissory note: $12,506.55

Filed: 1/14/13

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff February 26, 2013

Agenda Departments

Business-law Basics

March 12, April 16: Get the business-law basics that every small-business owner and entrepreneur needs to know from the legal experts at the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Western New England University. This series of free information sessions is focused on key topics to help plan and grow a small business. Sessions will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at Western New England University School of Law, in the Blake Law Center. The events are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. The dates, topics, and presenters are: March 12, “Intellectual Property Law Basics,” with attorneys Peter Irvine of Peter Irvine Law Offices, Leah Kunkel of the Law Offices of Leah Kunkel, and Michelle Bugbee of Solutia Inc.; and April 16, “Bankruptcy,” with attorneys George Roumeliotis of Roumeliotis Law Group, Justin Dion of Bacon Wilson, and Kara Rescia of Eaton & Rescia. To learn more about upcoming events, visit www.wne.edu/cie.

Women’s Fund Celebration

March 14: The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts will celebrate its 15th anniversary by honoring 16 local women with the first-ever Standing on Her Shoulders Awards. The celebration, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, begins at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour and photographic exhibit of the award recipients and a showcase of the Women’s Fund grantees. The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. with a musical performance, presentation of the Standing on Her Shoulders Awards, and a speech by Luma Mufleh, founder and coach of a soccer team called the Fugees, short for refugees. An immigrant from Jordan and a Smith College graduate, Mufleh has created several businesses to employ refugees and immigrants in her community. That will be followed by an after-party and dancing from 8:45 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets cost $100. RSVP by March 7 to Julie Holt at (413) 529-0087, ext. 10, or register online at www.womensfund.net. The Women’s Fund is a public foundation that has reached over 80,000 people through $2 million in grant awards. More than 100 women have participated in the Women’s Fund Leadership Institute for Political and Pubic Impact. The 16 Standing on Her Shoulders Award recipients include Elaine Barkin, Ethel Case, Claire Cox, Verda Dale, Ruth Hooke, Vera Kalm, Gail Kielson, Susan Lowenstein Kitchell, Gloria Lomax, Ruth Stewart Loving, Ruth Moore, Venessa O’Brien, Lorna Peterson, Linda Slakey, Marlene Werenski, and Angela Wright.

Mother/Daughter Night

March 15: Cooper’s Commons, located at 159 Main St. in Agawam, will host a Mother & Daughter Night Out from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network at Baystate Children’s Hospital while also highlighting local businesses. For a $10 donation, each mother-daughter duo will enjoy 10%-off shopping in Chasam Boutique, Sweet September Baby & Children’s Boutique, and Cooper’s Gifts, Curtains & Furnishings. In addition, guests will be treated to complimentary carnations from Floral Concepts by Tom, hot beverages from Squire’s Bistro, hair updos from Shear Techniques, nail-polish changes at the Skin Salon, and chair massages at Knots Kneaded. Mother-daughter duos are also invited to visit LHQ Danceforce to sign up for one free dance class for each, and mother-daughter portraits will be available from photographer Paula Tingley. “We are looking forward to a wonderful night of pampering, shopping, and fun, all for a terrific cause,” said Kate Gourde, owner of Cooper’s Commons, which was recently renovated and subdivided into many specialty shops and services. “The Children’s Miracle Network at Baystate Children’s Hospital has special meaning to all of us.” Tickets are available in advance at any business within Cooper’s Commons, or at the door the night of the event. If the weather is inclement, the event will be postponed to March 22.

Difference Makers 2013

March 21: The annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House starting at 5 p.m. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. This year’s honorees include Springfield’s C3 Policing program; John Downing, president of Soldier On; Bruce Landon, president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons; the Sisters of Providence; and Jim Vinick, senior vice president of investments at Moors & Cabot Inc. Their stories were told in the Feb. 11 issue of BusinessWest and may also be read online at www.businesswest.com. The March 21 gala will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, lavish food stations, introductions of the Difference Makers, and remarks from the honorees. Tickets cost $55 per person, and tables of 10 are available. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. Event sponsors include Baystate Medical Practices, First American Insurance Agency, Health New England, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, Northwestern Mutual, Royal LLP, Sarat Ford Lincoln, and Six-Point Creative Works.

Not Just Business as Usual

April 4: The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation will host its fourth annual Not Just Business as Usual event at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A cocktail and networking reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the dinner program and keynote speaker from 7 to 9 p.m.
This year, in celebration of 40 years of excellence in nursing at STCC, speakers include ‘The Three Doctors’ — Drs. George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, and Sampson Davis — who are well-known for their work delivering messages of hope and inspiration. As teenagers growing up on the inner-city streets of Newark, N.J., the three friends made a pact to stick together, go to college, graduate, and achieve their dreams of becoming medical doctors. They have been lauded by Oprah Winfrey and been featured as medical experts on the Tom Joyner Morning Radio Show and CNN. The Three Doctors received the Essence Award in 2000 for their accomplishments and leadership, and a BET Honors Award in 2009. Over the past two years alone, the Not Just Business as Usual event has provided the STCC Foundation with more than $100,000 to support college and student needs. Funds help to provide STCC students with access to opportunities — through scholarships, technology, and career direction — to be successful future employees and citizens. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Individual tickets cost $175 each. Businesses interested in purchasing a table may contact Robert LePage at (413) 755-4477 or [email protected].

Live Comedy Night to

Help Children’s Charities

April 6: Smith & Wesson will host a live comedy night to benefit to support two local children’s charities, the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Ronald McDonald House. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 419 Island Pond Road, Springfield, and includes a cash bar, raffles, games, music, and hot and cold hors d’oeuvres prior to the show. The laughs begin at 7:15 p.m. with Teddie Barrett of Teddie B Comedy emceeing the show and introducing comedians Mark Scalia, Chance Langton, and Mike Whitman. Scalia began his stand-up career in Boston in the early 1990s and is now an international headliner. Langton is a nationally known comedian, musician, actor, writer, and basketball player who has been entertaining in comedy clubs for more than 20 years. Whitman was voted Boston’s Best New Comedian in 2008. Tickets cost $30 and may be purchased in advance by contacting Elaine Stellato at Smith & Wesson, (413) 747-3371; Karen Motyka at Shriners Hospital, (413) 787-2032; or Jennifer Putnam at Ronald McDonald House, (413) 794-5683.

DevelopSpringfield Gala

April 12: DevelopSpringfield will host its 2nd annual gala in celebration of Springfield, the community’s recent accomplishments, and the exciting new initiatives underway. The gala will take place at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Festivities will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, dancing, and more. All proceeds will support DevelopSpringfield’s redevelopment initiatives, projects, and programs. An anticipated 400 attendees — including federal, state, and city officials; leaders from the business and nonprofit communities; and local residents — will come together in support of ongoing efforts to advance development and redevelopment projects, stimulate and support economic growth, and expedite the revitalization process in the city. Sponsorship packages as well as individual ticket opportunities are available. For more information on the event, visit www.developspringfield.com, or contact Diane Swanson at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected].

EASTEC 2013

May 14-16: EASTEC, the premier manufacturing exposition in the Northeast will be held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on May 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will offer a variety of exhibitors, educational offerings, tours of nearby facilities, and much more. For more information and to register to attend, visit www.easteconline.com.

40 Under Forty

June 20: BusinessWest will present its seventh class of regional rising stars at the annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners. Look for event details in upcoming issues of BusinessWest — including the must-read April 22 issue in which the class of 2013 will be profiled — or call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 for more information.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff January 29, 2013

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

Donna M. Billings v. Rick Greenfield, UC c/o Arin Realty Inc. and Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc.

Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance causing injury: $21,323.89

Filed: 11/26/12

Faye Ainsworth and Charles Chandler v. Vermont Mutual Insurance Co. Inc., Servpro Industries Inc., et al

Allegation: Unfair insurance-claims practices, unfair business practices, theft of property, and damages to home: $1,440,000

Filed: 12/5/12

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Matthew Boron v. Burt’s Bees Inc., the Clorox Co., and Target Stores Inc.

Allegation: Plaintiff purchased Burt’s Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Crème and sustained injury after using the product, which contained glass shards: $8,443.02

Filed: 11/20/12

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Acme Site Work Inc. v. Geeleher Enterprises Inc.

Allegation: Non-payment for services, labor, and materials provided: $112,239

Filed: 12/14/12

Christine Greco v. Microtest Laboratories Inc.

Allegation: Plaintiff seeking damages for back pay: $27,592.80

Filed: 12/12/12

Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co., as subrogee of Springfield Library and Museums Assoc. Inc. v. Western Mass Electric Co.

Allegation: Defendant negligently failed to maintain, inspect, and update the distribution lines to the Elijah Blake House, resulting in a fire: $353,534.19

Filed: 12/17/12

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Donna Jacobs v. the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., LLC, and the TJX Companies Inc., d/b/a AJ Wright Stores

Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing injury: $7,105.94

Filed: 12/21/12

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Midland Funding, LLC, as assignee of GE Money Bank/Toro Consumer v. Mario Landscaping

Allegation: Unpaid balance for monies loaned: $13,527.19

Filed: 12/17/12

Searching for Clues

By BusinessWest Staff January 29, 2013

Jeff Cissell saw many scenes like this throughout New England

Construction Sections

Cissell Investigative Engineering Gets to the Bottom (and Top) of Things

Jeff Cissell saw many scenes like this throughout New England during the harsh January of 2011.

When homeowners call Jeff Cissell about a damaged roof or a crack that suddenly appeared in a wall, they have a tendency to think the worst.

That’s why he considers peace of mind one of the many services his company, Cissell Investigative Engineering, provides.

“I feel like we’re actually helping people in that way,” he said. “People don’t know why something is happening, and they get scared. Sometimes all we’re doing is giving them peace of mind. They see a crack and think the structure is ready to fall down. But 99% of the time, it’s a common thing, and we can make a simple suggestion to keep it from happening again. Most times, they’re just happy to know they don’t have to move out.”

Cissell’s job is essentially to uncover why an adverse event — from a torn-up roof to a workplace accident — took place, and the extent of the property damage. He works for a variety of clients, but mostly insurance companies — specifically, claims adjusters trying to assess liability after a storm, fire, or other incident causes damage to a property.

He said 2011 — which began with a harsh, icy January that took its toll on roofs, but also included the June 1 tornadoes, a microburst and a tropical storm later in the summer, and the freak snowstorm just before Halloween that took down countless trees — was an exceptionally busy year, but every season provides plenty of opportunities.

“A lot of damage, a lot of structural issues arose out of those events,” he said. “Usually what happens is, claims adjusters will call us to take a look at a problem when they have questions about whether a policy would cover it.

“We don’t interpret the policy,” he emphasized, “but we interpret why the damage occurred. We go in there and objectively look at what the problem is and come up with a conclusion about what caused it, and the insurance company uses that information to decide whether it’s covered and what the extent of that coverage should be. We also provide some qualified ideas about how to make the repairs.”

For example, he said, “a lot of times, we’re asked to come take a look after a hailstorm comes through. Hail generates different-sized pellets, with different wind velocities and different wind directions. We’ve been successful in ascertaining when hail has damaged a roof and when it hasn’t. We’ve developed some fairly sophisticated ways to ascertain that.”

It’s an important task, and not just for insurance purposes, but sometimes to save homeowners money out of pocket. Cissell noted that many out-of-state roofing contractors moved into Massachusetts after the ice and snow of January 2011 and stuck around after the tornado, and they typically want to push customers for major repairs.

“People want an objective opinion. When they ask a roofer what the problem is, they’ll say they need a new roof. The same goes for a window salesman; they’ll say you need a new window. We don’t sell anything; we just tell you why something happened. I’ve personally been involved in dozens of cases where we come in after someone told a homeowner they needed a new roof, and we find something that can be fixed quickly.”

For this issue’s focus on construction services, Cissell spoke recently with BusinessWest about how his Connecticut-based company, which works at sites across Southern New England and beyond, is bringing clients a welcome dose of clarity when it’s needed most.

When Disaster Strikes

The 2011 tornado rattled plenty of Western Mass. home and business owners — not just those with obvious, catastrophic loss, but those whose properties might have been buffeted by wind and debris to a lesser — and difficult-to-determine — extent.

“When the tornado went through, a lot of people were scared; it’s one thing to lose a few shingles, but another to sustain roof damage to the structure itself,” Cissell said. “If a structure has been compromised, there are clues for us to find. We’ve done about 5,000 of these, so we know where to look.”

Roofs, in fact, comprise a good portion of Cissell’s investigative business, and on this front he’s seen it all, from a shopping-center roof that collapsed weeks after the building was vacated to flat-roofed schools that couldn’t handle ice and snow buildup — some of which had inherent structural defects to begin with.

Property managers reach out to Cissell as well, when they’re unsure about the extent of storm damage or don’t understand where a water leak is coming from. “A large complex in New York called us when people were getting mold on their walls and they couldn’t understand why,” he said. “We can determine where the potential water sources are.”

Cissell is also called upon in legal proceedings in cases like slip-and-fall injuries, to determine whether a property or business owner should be liable for damages. “Are there code-related conditions? We determine who’s responsible for the accident — did someone just lose their balance and fall, or did something contribute to that?

“Sometimes we’re working for the defense, and sometimes we’re working for the plaintiff,” he added. “It doesn’t matter who is buttering our bread. But we don’t take sides; we apply scientific methods to come up with an answer. For example, we have a machine that tests the friction of surfaces. And we can stand up in court and take a lot of the subjectivity out of insurance liability.”

He said building a reputation for objectivity is critical to the success of his business, and clients appreciate that quality — even when his findings don’t match up with their hopes. “I tell them, ‘I’ll tell you what you need to know, not necessarily what you want to hear, and let the chips fall where they may.’”

He recalled a case where a worker was installing trim on a building and fell over a handrail. But the investigation concluded that he had failed to secure himself according to normal worksite protocol. “That’s why he fell. He was suing the property owner, but he was, in fact, violating all kinds of OSHA rules. He should have known better.”

Whether it’s a home or business owner faced with such an incident, he added, “most people don’t know why something happens and what they are obligated to do. But we look at these things objectively.”

By ‘we,’ Cissell is also referring to a team of independent professionals who work as subcontractors for his investigative business. Paul Huijing, a Wilbraham-based general contractor, is one of them.

“I’ve done mostly roofs lately — looking at storm damage, hail damage, and whether it’s significant or not,” Huijing said. “I’ve also looked at structural issues with severe winters, where we’ve had the weight of ice and snow cause cracks and structural problems.”

Some of these are minor and easily fixed, he explained, but homeowners usually can’t determine this on their own. He echoed Cissell’s contention that a roofer or other contractor isn’t always the best source of information because they’re trying to sell additional products and services.

“I was on a roof the other day; there were some cracks in the roofing,” he recalled. “A roofer had gone up there and told the homeowner they had some wind damage; I went there and looked at it, and they had some cracks in the roofing material, but it wasn’t the result of wind damage, just the expansion and contraction of the shingles themselves.”

Career Change

Cissell, who studied engineering in college and earned his master’s in environmental engineering, has worked in a variety of settings over the years, specializing in power and petrochemical plants, wastewater-treatment facilities, and construction, along with a stop in Clinton, Conn. as the town engineer. In 1991, he hung out his own shingle, doing mainly design work for various clients.

But when an attorney for an architect asked him to look at a slip-and-fall claim, his career path began to change. “I was looking for another revenue stream and include more of my talents. So I started doing more and more of this, and by 2003, I was doing very little site-design work; that just kind of faded away. By 2005, my work was almost exclusivfely forensics-related.”

Cissell Investigative Engineering performs work throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, as well as Western New York — essentially anywhere within a two-hour drive.

“There aren’t a lot of people doing this, in part because it’s so multidisciplinary; not everyone has the tools to do it,” he said. “The guys who work best for me get their hands dirty and aren’t afraid of climbing a ladder. They think of the big picture and don’t focus on just one possibility; they bring all the tools to the table.”

Even though he might show up at a house as a representative of an insurance company, Huijing said his role as an investigator provides an opportunity for education as well.

“I usually end up meeting the homeowner there, so I can at least educate them about what’s going on,” he told BusinessWest. “So I feel that adds value; what I find may or may not be covered, but hopefully they learn more about their house and other peripheral issues — what does the chimney look like? Do they have enough ventilation? If I’m in an attic, I might talk about how they need more insulation, and how they can get that through the MassSave program at reduced cost. I try to bring my broad experience to the homeowner in addition to the specific thing I’m looking at.”

But the education aspect is often a two-way street, Huijing noted.

“It’s an interesting sideline for me because my main business is building and remodeling, and it’s useful and instructive to see these problems,” he said. “You are only the sum of your mistakes or what you’ve learned from other people’s mistakes, so it’s a good way for me to gain even more experience on items I might not normally see.”

As for Cissell, he loves the variety of the work, with a roster of jobs that constantly changes. “This just conglomerates all the experiences I’ve had in my career,” he said. “Plus, it’s fairly quick; I get an assignment, and we usually have things figured out in a day or two.”

Which is a relief for property owners clamoring for answers — and a little peace of mind.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Healthy Growth Pattern

By BusinessWest Staff January 15, 2013

Cover Story

Doctors Express Franchisees Are Our Top Entrepreneurs for 2012

Neither Rick Crews nor Jim Brennan remembers many of the specific details from that lunch they had together at Max’s Tavern in the late fall of 2009.

What they do recall is that, by the time the check came, they had a plan — or at least the resolve to begin the process of putting one together.

And it was certainly an ambitious plan.

Indeed, instead of going into business together and operating a single franchise of a growing national chain of urgent-care centers called Doctors Express — which was one of the options they discussed at that lunch — they decided instead to become what’s known as master franchisees, overseeing not a location of this chain, which offers an alternative to crowded emergency rooms and the primary-care physician’s office when it’s closed, but a region, in this case most of New England.

Taking that step would be a radical career departure for both Crews, who was essentially downsized from his job running the Springfield office for the financial-services giant UBS and looking for his next opportunity, and Brennan, who owned an investment-management company bearing his name that specialized in small-business investment, mezzanine financing, and commercial real estate.

But they believed they had the necessary ingredients — from entrepreneurial drive to trust in one another’s instincts and abilities — to take the plunge.

“The enthusiasm that we both showed for the idea was a big factor in allowing us to move forward,” said Crews. “We both saw a great opportunity, and we were on the same page on a lot of different things; we had, and still have, a shared vision of where we can go.”

Fast-forward roughly two and a half years from when they opened the doors to their first location on Cooley Street in Springfield. The two partners now have two locations locally (the other is in West Springfield), with plans for others in the formative stage. They also have two locations in the Greater Boston area (with three more on the way) opened as part of a large initiative funded by a capital raise in 2011, as well as five other Eastern Mass. sites now operated by franchisees. And there are plans being considered to take the brand into a number of other markets, from Central Mass. to New Hampshire and Maine.

Brennan said the goal is to have perhaps 30 locations throughout their New England territory within two or three years.

Beyond the physical expansion, though, what has been equally impressive is the trailblazing nature of this enterprise, which operates in a field, urgent care, that is still a relative unknown in some parts of the state and the New England region. The two partners have become a model operation for others exploring the Doctors Express franchise with regard to everything from marketing and generating press to finding new and different ways to improve the patient experience.

These include everything from high-definition TVs in examination rooms at some locations, to help ease the wait for the physician, to water bottles and cookies for all patients.

In recognition of the speed and efficiency with which Crews and Brennan have taken the Doctors Express brand across the state, and for the aggressive yet calculated way in which they carried out the plan they outlined over lunch, Crews and Brennan have been named BusinessWest’s Top Entrepreneurs for 2012.

Thus, they are the latest recipients of an award the magazine initiated in 1995 to pay homage to this region’s long history of entrepreneurship and to recognize those who are adding to that legacy and writing new chapters for an ongoing story. They join an eclectic roster of winners that includes Balise Motor Sales President Jeb Balise, former Springfield Technical Community College President Andrew Scibelli, Maybury Material Handling President John Maybury, Cooley Dickinson Hospital President Craig Melin, the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department, and last year’s honoree, Herbie Flores, director of the New England Farm Workers’ Council and aggressive investor in downtown Springfield.

“Rick Crews and Jim Brennan embody the true spirit of entrepreneurship,” said BusinessWest Publisher John Gormally. “They’ve dared to dream big and, in the process of doing so, have assumed a great deal of risk. They’re ambitious, confident, and imaginative, but above all else, they’re determined to succeed.

“And their impressive track record to date and promise for continued expansion makes them worthy recipients of our Top Entrepreneur award,” he went on. “Together, they’re a great addition to a long list of inspiring entrepreneurs and those who run their organizations with a decidedly entrepreneurial mindset.”

For this issue, BusinessWest takes an indepth look at how far Crews and Brennan have already taken their joint venture, and where they want to take it next.

Taking the Pulse of a Business

The front lobby of the West Springfield Doctors Express location was crowded on this Friday afternoon, with most of the two dozen chairs occupied by people of different ages and with varying degrees of discomfort.

Most were exhibiting flu-like symptoms, said Brennan as he sat down with BusinessWest for this interview. Both he and Crews would then go on to quote both newspaper articles and medical-industry reports about what was already a heavy flu season and would likely get worse as the winter wore on.

“With this epidemic of the flu, we’ve had to adjust our staffing model and put on more providers and healthcare staff,” said Brennan. “These are things that weren’t planned on and forecasted, but they’re part of doing business in healthcare today; you adjust to the need that’s out there.”

This subject matter is a world or two away from what Crews and Brennan knew professionally only four years ago. It’s certainly a far cry from what they might have been talking about had things gone differently when Crews took his search for a new career path to a higher level in the summer of 2009 after opting to leave UBS and take a severance package rather than go from full-time to part-time.

By then, he had logged several meetings with Steven Rosenkrantz, owner of the local office of a franchise called Entrepreneur’s Source, which, as the name suggests (sort of), matches aspiring entrepreneurs with franchises.

“I was looking for something where I could be the boss, and also run a business where people would leave happier than when they came in — those were the two priorities,” said Crews, adding that Rosenkrantz put a number of possibilities in front of him, from Cartridge World, a toner-cartridge sales enterprise, to Sports Clips, a haircutting chain. He even looked at opening a sports bar in South Hartford.

“I’m really glad I didn’t go that route,” he told BusinessWest, adding that Rosenkrantz eventually put Doctors Express, a chain started in Baltimore by an emergency-room physician, on the table for consideration.

Actually, there were two proposals — a single location of that franchise, or the master-franchisee designation, which would involve Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and a portion of Connecticut.

“I liked the master-franchisee concept, but I’d knew I’d need a partner to do that, and Jim was the first person I thought of,” Crews explained, while setting the scene for that aforementioned lunch on Springfield’s riverfront.

The two had known each other for years by then and done some business together, and there was also the requisite comfort level and shared vision needed to create a business partnership.

“He coached my son in basketball, and I coached his son in baseball,” said Crews. “We had a good friendship prior to this, and we would often talk about going into business together someday.

“We got along, and we had a lot in common,” he continued. “We’re great dads, good husbands, we’re family-oriented and community-oriented … we coached sports. We made for a good team.”

Equally important, though, were the things they didn’t have in common, said Brennan, noting that their vastly different business skill sets have meshed nicely.

“Rick has been with a Fortune 500 company and managed 30 type-A personalities plus administrative staff, and that’s not my forte,” he explained. “I’m more independent, and while I don’t want to say I’m more creative, my skill set would be creative financing, expansion of a growing business, mezzanine financing, real estate, and small-business speculation. Having these skills and putting them together with Rick’s has made for an outstanding relationship, and that’s the key to our success.”

In the Right Vein

As they talked about all that’s happened since they became business partners, Brennan and Crews said that, while success has seemingly come quickly and easily, there have been some intriguing learning curves and growing pains to contend with, and that process is ongoing.

It has involved everything from honing the art and science of choosing locations — the basic theory is to choose a site with 50,000 people within three miles of the front door, but it’s far more complex than that — to the process of educating patients and healthcare professionals about the emergence of urgent-care facilities, especially in the Boston area, where it is still very much a foreign concept.

And then, there was simply the matter of learning the business of providing healthcare itself, which was outwardly daunting, because neither had anything approaching experience in medicine.

Crews took on that assignment aggressively and creatively, making himself chief administrator of the Cooley Street location for the first nine months of its existence. When asked what he learned on that job, he glanced toward the ceiling, offered a heavy sigh, and said, “what didn’t I learn?”

As he explained, “I wanted to learn the ins and outs of the business, and what better way to do that to actually run the center? I learned about healthcare — about insurance companies, coding, billing, staffing, scheduling challenges, working with doctors … how to run an urgent-care center.

“It was challenging, but it was also fun,” he continued. “Every day I was learning something new.”

Tracing the progression of their venture, or franchise territory, Crews and Brennan said that, even as they were cutting the ribbon on the Cooley Street location, there were discussions taking place about where to go next.

And ultimately, those decisions involved both ends of the state. Locally, after consideration of several locations, the decision was made to expand into West Springfield, with a facility that could draw residents from several neighboring communities, including Agawam, Westfield, and Holyoke; that location opened in 2012.

Meanwhile, only a few months after the Springfield facility opened its doors, the partners embarked on a capital raise aimed at netting $4 million to fuel a push into the Greater Boston area. That offering attracted the attention of investors locally, but also from across the country, said Brennan, adding that the first location funded by that group opened in Saugus early last month. Another, in Dedham, will open soon, and a letter of intent for a third, in Arlington, was recently inked. Eventually, there will be five sites sprung from that Boston offering, for which Crews and Brennan are general partners, with a 50% stake.

In addition, the partners operate a management company with five Boston-area franchisees under it. Those locations are in Braintree, Natick, Waltham, and North Andover, with another facility to open soon in Watertown.

This growth has necessitated expansion of the company’s corporate offices in Longmeadow, said Crews, adding that the team now includes Project Manager Melissa Nelson, charged with helping franchisees get their operations off the ground and running efficiently, as well as Controller Tim Sterett, who helps the partners plan and forecast for the future.

There are also people on the ground in various markets, including Western Mass., but especially the Greater Boston area, educating various constituencies about urgent care, how it is cost-effective for those who seek it, and how it can reduce congestion in the emergency room while also becoming a feeder service for hospitals.

“We have a business-development manager who is out in the community every day talking about urgent care,” said Crews. “We’ve also formed a co-op amongst all our franchisees, with the money to be spent monthly on advertising. Starting in a week, we’ll be doing our first TV commercials in Boston; we’ve been doing radio for the past month.”

Charting Results

Together, the team that Crews and Brennan has put together is scouting new locations in several areas of Massachusetts and a few bordering states, while also continuing that process of educating the public and the healthcare community about the concept of urgent care, and also striving to constantly improve the patient experience.

Which brings Crews back to those TVs in the examination rooms — now standard equipment in the Boston-area facilities and likely to be added at local locations.

“When someone goes into an exam room, they don’t like to wait for a doctor,” he explained. “So we have a policy that no one is supposed to wait more than 10 minutes for a doctor. However, depending on what you’re there for, you could be in the exam room for a long period of time. Having a TV in there helps to distract them from thinking about how long they’ve been there, and that’s especially true if you have children; it’s nice if they can put on Spongebob or the Disney Channel.”

Such attention to detail and the patient experience has helped Doctors Express gain acceptance and solid word-of-mouth referrals, said Brennan, adding that, from a big-picture perspective, success has come by creating relationships and making connections on a number of levels.

“When we go into a market, it’s important for us to create relationships not only with the primary-care physicians and hospitals, but also the medical groups in those areas,” Brennan explained. “There’s a new world of ACOs [accountable-care organizations] out there, and it’s important that we stay in contact with them and provide our services to those groups.

“Whether it’s Boston or Worcester, or wherever we go, one of the first things we do is reach out,” he continued. “We need to explain our story and what our plans are, and to date, we’ve been received very well. Originally, it was ‘who are you guys?’ because no one had ever heard of us, not just in our marketplace or in Boston, but in general. Now, most people have at least heard of Doctors Express.”

Looking ahead, the two partners said they are exploring a number of growth options. Locally, they’re looking for a location north of Springfield, perhaps in Chicopee. Meanwhile, they’re eyeing the Worcester market as the next possible expansion point, but also looking at potential opportunities in New Hampshire and Maine.

And from a bigger-picture perspective, they’re considering the possibility of taking their territory public, a move that would provide the infusion of capital needed to place dozens of proverbial push pins on a map of New England.

“That’s an aspiration, and there’s a way to get there,” said Brennan. “It all starts with the success we’re having, and we need to keep growing — it’s a snowball effect. I don’t think we’re there yet, though; we need to expand our business and get a good handle on what our revenues will be. If we continue to grow the way we are, maybe in a year we’ll know a lot more about whether that’s something we want to do.”

But the success of this venture can’t be measured simply by how many, and how quickly, locations can opened, said Crews, adding that there must be a balance between physical growth and maintaining high standards of quality in the locations already up and running. And the partners work hard to achieve that balance.

“You can’t just open center after center after center,” he told BusinessWest. “You have to make sure each location is successful and doing things properly, and that the service you’re providing is consistent and excellent. So there’s a lot of detail involved with every center that we open, and we also have to make sure our franchisees are opening with the same level of detail, service, and everything else. You have to spend the time and make sure you’re doing it right with each one — and it does take time.”

“And that’s the great thing about the master-franchisee concept,” he went on. “We can bring in great people under us to replicate exactly what we’re doing.”

Evidence that they are doing things right comes from the steady stream of phone calls from current and potential Doctors Express franchisees looking for advice and guidance about everything from marketing to staffing levels.

“I think I field at least two calls a week from people around the country, either current franchisees or potential franchisees,” said Crews. “They’re interested in what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and why we’re so successful.”

Added Brennan, “with continued success, opportunities arise. Our goal is just to keep moving forward, continue growing, and keep our focus on what has made us successful and not deviate from that.”

Polishing the Script

Looking back, both Crews and Brennan are quite happy that they didn’t take the Cartridge World route or open that sports bar in Greater Hartford — not that they wouldn’t have been successful with either entrepreneurial gambit.

They just believe that, in Doctors Express, they’ve found a perfect match between a potential-laden business opportunity and their own talents and entrepreneurial drive.

“There hasn’t been a day when I haven’t gotten out of bed and looked forward to going to work — I love it,” said Crews. “I love the challenges — getting pulled in a million directions is where I thrive, and as we get bigger and busier, I get pulled in more directions. Yes, there are a lot of challenges that we face, but it’s exciting to work through them.”

Listening to that, it’s clear that the prognosis is continued progress for BusinessWest’s Top Entrepreneurs for 2012.

Previous Top Entrepreneurs

• 2011: Heriberto Flores, director of the New England Farm Workers’ Council and Partners for Community
• 2010: Bob Bolduc, founder and CEO of Pride
• 2009: The Holyoke Gas & Electric Department
• 2008: Arlene Kelly and Kim Sanborn, founders of Human Resource Solutions and Convergent Solutions Inc.
• 2007: John Maybury, president of Maybury Material Handling
• 2006: Rocco, Jim, and Jayson Falcone, principals of Rocky’s Hardware Stores and Falcone Retail Properties
• 2005: James (Jeb) Balise, president of Balise Motor Sales
• 2004: Craig Melin, president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital
• 2003: Tony Dolphin, president of Springboard Technologies
• 2002: Timm Tobin, then-president of Tobin Systems Inc.
• 2001: Dan Kelley, then-president of Equal Access Partners
• 2000: Jim Ross, Doug Brown, and Richard DiGeronimo, then-principals of Concourse Communications
• 1999: Andrew Scibelli, then-president of Springfield Technical Community College
• 1998: Eric Suher, president of E.S. Sports in Holyoke
• 1997: Peter Rosskothen and Larry Perreault, co-owners of the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House
• 1996: David Epstein, president and co-founder of JavaNet and the JavaNet Café

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

First-ever 40 Under Forty Reunion on Tap

By BusinessWest Staff January 15, 2013

40 Under 40

It’s an event, says Kate Campiti, that’s long overdue.

“I’ve had conversations with many 40 Under Forty honorees who’ve said they wish there were a way they could get together with other winners for a networking opportunity,” said Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest, adding that many of these individuals value their standing in what has become a highly desirable club throughout Western Mass.

“They include their status as a 40 Under Forty winner on résumés, in e-mail signatures, and when talking with clients and potential clients,” she noted. “Not only does this honor open doors for them, but they also give other honorees a preference on business relationships over other individuals and companies without a 40 Under Forty title.”

Given that reality, a reunion event was only a matter of time.

“After having these conversations and realizing the fraternity that has been made of 40 Under Forty honorees, we decided to give them what they asked for with a reunion exclusively for the 40 Under Forty winners,” Campiti said.

That event will take place the evening of Feb. 7 at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke, which has hosted several 40 Under Forty events. This high-energy networking event is exclusively for the 40 Under Forty winners from the classes of 2006 through 2012, as well as judges and sponsors. The evening will include hors d’oeuvres and entertainment, as well as a high-profile speaker, Health New England CEO Peter Straley. Overall, said Campiti, this will be an ideal venue for the 240 past honorees to meet each other and build relationships.

Jaimye Hebert, a 2011 honoree who served as a judge for the class of 2012 (see story, page 13), plans on attending, adding that she’s grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the 40 Under Forty legacy.

“It’s such a great event,” said Hebert, vice president at Monson Savings Bank, of the annual June gathering celebrating the year’s winners. “I call it the best networking event of the year for the region.”

Campiti said the Feb. 7 reunion, which is being sponsored by Bacon Wilson, Fathers & Sons, Moriarty & Primack, Northwestern Mutual, and Paragus Strategic IT, will take that annual opportunity to make connections to the next level by assembling an elite who’s who of Western Mass. professionals.

“We’ve said this before,” she noted, “but the 40 Under Forty program has become a status symbol and level of achievement that many of the young professionals in our region aspire to. Each year, we’ve seen an increase in the number of nominations we receive, and those nominations span every sector and industry.”

With the support of groups like the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield and Northampton Area Young Professionals, which have both encouraged nominations from their ranks and seen many members achieve the award, the 40 Under Forty program has even created a competition of sorts for young up-and-comers.

“We’ve heard directly from previous winners and those vying for the honor who said they had increased — or are increasing — their volunteerism on various nonprofit boards, as well as their business skills, by taking courses and working with mentors, in an effort to be worthy of a 40 Under Forty award,” Campiti said. “This healthy competition only helps our region by strengthening our young professionals and future leaders.”

The reunion also coincides with nomination season for the class of 2013. Nomination forms may be found on page 17 of this issue or at businesswest.com, and entries will be accepted through Feb. 15.

“Each year, not only does the number of nominations increase,” Campiti said, “but so do the breadth and depth of the nominees, their skill sets, the industries they work in, their volunteerism, and their commitment to the health and vitality of our region. I think we’re all a little surprised, and pleasantly so, that the nominations we’ve seen come in show no sign of dwindling in quantity or, more importantly, quality.” n

Class of 2007

William Bither III Atalasoft

Kimberlynn Cartelli Fathers & Sons

Amy Caruso MassMutual Financial Group

Denise Cogman Springfield School Volunteers

Richard Corder Cooley Dickinson Hospital

Katherine Pacella Costello Egan, Flanagan & Cohen, P.C.

A. Rima Dael Berkshire Bank Foundation of Pioneer Valley

Nino Del Padre Del Padre Visual Productions

Antonio Dos Santos Robinson Donovan, P.C.

Jake Giessman Academy Hill School

Jillian Gould Eastfield Mall

Michael Gove Lyon & Fitzpatrick, LLP

Dena Hall United Bank

James Harrington Our Town Variety & Liquors

Christy Hedgpeth Spalding Sports

Francis Hoey III Tighe & Bond

Amy Jamrog The Jamrog Group, Northwestern Mutual

Cinda Jones Cowls Land & Lumber Co.

Paul Kozub V-1 Vodka

Bob Lowry Bueno y Sano

G.E. Patrick Leary Moriarty & Primack, P.C.

Todd Lever Noble Hospital

Audrey Manring The Women’s Times

Daniel Morrill Wolf & Company

Joseph Pacella Egan, Flanagan & Cohen, P.C.

Arlene Rodriquez Springfield Technical Community College

Craig Swimm WMAS 94.7

Sarah Tanner United Way of Pioneer Valley

Mark Tanner Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Michelle Theroux Child & Family Services of Pioneer Valley Inc.

Tad Tokarz Western MA Sports Journal

Dan Touhey Spalding Sports

Sarah Leete Tsitso Fred Astaire Dance

Michael Vann The Vann Group

Ryan Voiland Red Fire Farm

Erica Walch Speak Easy Accent Modification

Catherine West Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Michael Zaskey Zasco Productions, LLC

Edward Zemba Robert Charles Photography

Carin Zinter The Princeton Review

Class of 2008

Michelle Abdow Market Mentors

Matthew Andrews Best Buddies of Western Mass.

Rob Anthony WMAS

Shane Bajnoci Cowls Land & Lumber Co.

Steve Bandarra Atlas TC

Dr. Jonathan Bayuk Hampden County Physician Associates

Delcie Bean IV Valley Computer Works (Paragus Strategic IT)

Brendan Ciecko Ten Minute Media

Todd Cieplinski Universal Mind Inc.

William Collins Spoleto Restaurant Group

Michael Corduff Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House

Amy Davis New City Scenic & Display

Dave DelVecchio Innovative Business Systems Inc.

Tyler Fairbank EOS Ventures

Timothy Farrell F.W. Farrell Insurance

Jeffrey Fialky Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Dennis Francis America’s Box Choice

Kelly Galanis Westfield State College

Jennifer Glockner Winstanley Associates

Andrea Hill-Cataldo Johnson & Hill Staffing Services

Steven Huntley Valley Opportunity Council

Alexander Jarrett Pedal People Cooperative

Kevin Jourdain City of Holyoke

Craig Kaylor Hampden Bank / Hampden Bancorp Inc.

Stanley Kowalski III FloDesign Inc.

Marco Liquori NetLogix Inc.

Azell Murphy Cavaan City of Springfield

Michael Presnal The Federal Restaurant

Melissa Shea Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn

Sheryl Shinn Hampden Bank

Ja’Net Smith Center for Human Development

Diana Sorrentini-Velez Cooley, Shrair, P.C.

Meghan Sullivan Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn

Michael Sweet Doherty Wallace Pillsbury & Murphy

Heidi Thomson Girls Inc.

Hector Toledo Hampden Bank

William Trudeau Jr. Insurance Center of New England

David Vermette MassMutual Financial Services

Lauren Way Bay Path College

Paul Yacovone Brain Powered Concepts

Class of 2009

Marco Alvan Team Link Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Gina Barry Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Maggie Bergin The Art of Politics

Daniel Bessette Get Set Marketing

Brandon Braxton NewAlliance Bank

Dena Calvanese Gray House

Edward Cassell Park Square Realty

Karen Chadwell Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C.

Kate Ciriello MassMutual Financial Group

Kamari Collins Springfield Technical Community College

Mychal Connolly Sr. Stinky Cakes

Todd Demers Family Wireless

Kate Glynn A Child’s Garden and Impish

Andrew Jensen Jx2 Productions, LLC

Kathy LeMay Raising Change

Ned Leutz Webber & Grinnell Insurance Agency

Scott MacKenzie MacKenzie Vault Inc.

Tony Maroulis Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce

Seth Mias Seth Mias Catering

Marjory Moore Chicopee Public Schools

Corey Murphy First American Insurance Agency Inc.

Mark Hugo Nasjleti Go Voice for Choice

Joshua Pendrick Royal Touch Painting

Christopher Prouty Studio99Creative

Adam Quenneville Adam Quenneville Roofing

Michael Ravosa Morgan Stanley

Kristi Reale Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Amy Royal Royal & Klimczuk, LLC

Michelle Sade United Personnel

Scott Sadowsky Williams Distributing Corp.

Gregory Schmidt Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, P.C.

Gretchen Siegchrist Media Shower Productions

Erik Skar MassMutual Financial Services

Paul Stallman Alias Solutions

Renee Stolar J. Stolar Insurance Co.

Tara Tetreault Jackson and Connor

Chris Thompson Springfield Falcons Hockey Team

Karl Tur Ink & Toner Solutions, LLC

Michael Weber Minuteman Press

Brenda Wishart Aspen Square Management

Class of 2010

Nancy Bazanchuk Disability Resource Program,

Center for Human Development

Raymond Berry United Way of Pioneer Valley

David Beturne Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County

Maegan Brooks The Law Office of Maegan Brooks

Karen Buell PeoplesBank

Shanna Burke Nonotuck Resource Associates

Damon Cartelli Fathers & Sons

Brady Chianciola PeoplesBank

Natasha Clark Springfield School Volunteers

Julie Cowan TD Bank

Karen Curran Thomson Financial Management Inc.

Adam Epstein Dielectrics Inc.

Mary Fallon Garvey Communication Associates

Daniel Finn Pioneer Valley Local First

Owen Freeman-Daniels Foley-Connelly Financial Partners and

Foley Insurance Group

Lorenzo Gaines ACCESS Springfield Promise Program

Thomas Galanis Westfield State College

Anthony Gleason II Roger Sitterly & Son Inc. and

Gleason Landscaping

Allen Harris Berkshire Money Management Inc.

Meghan Hibner Westfield Bank

Amanda Huston Junior Achievement of Western Mass. Inc.

Kimberly Klimczuk Royal, LLP

James Krupienski Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

David Kutcher Confluent Forms, LLC

James Leahy City of Holyoke and Alcon Laboratories

Kristin Leutz Community Foundation of Western Mass.

Meghan Lynch Six-Point Creative Works

Susan Mielnikowski Cooley, Shrair, P.C.

Jill Monson Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding Inc.

and Inspired Marketing & Promotions

Kevin Perrier Five Star Building Corp.

Lindsay Porter Big Y Foods

Brandon Reed Fitness Together

Boris Revsin CampusLIVE Inc.

Aaron Vega Vega Yoga & Movement Arts

Ian Vukovich Florence Savings Bank

Thomas Walsh City of Springfield

Sean Wandrei Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Byron White Pazzo Ristorante

Chester Wojcik Design Construction Group

Peter Zurlino Atlantico Designs and Springfield Public Schools

Class of 2011

Kelly Albrecht left-click Corp.

Gianna Allentuck Springfield Public Schools

Briony Angus Tighe & Bond

Delania Barbee ACCESS Springfield Promise Program

Monica Borgatti Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity

Nancy Buffone University of Massachusetts

Michelle Cayo Country Bank

Nicole Contois Springfield Housing Authority

Christin Deremian Human Resources Unlimited/Pyramid Project

Peter Ellis DIF Design

Scott Foster Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP

Stephen Freyman Longmeadow High School

Benjamin Garvey Insurance Center of New England

Mathew Geffin Webber and Grinnell

Nick Gelfand NRG Real Estate Inc.

Mark Germain Gomes, DaCruz and Tracy, P.C.

Elizabeth Gosselin Commonwealth Packaging

Kathryn Grandonico Lincoln Real Estate

Jaimye Hebert Monson Savings Bank

Sean Hemingway Center for Human Development

Kelly Koch Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP

Jason Mark Gravity Switch

Joan Maylor Stop and Shop Supermarkets

Todd McGee MassMutual Financial Group

Donald Mitchell Western Mass. Development Collaborative

David Pakman Vivid Edge Media Group/The David Pakman Show

Timothy Plante City of Springfield/Springfield Public Schools

Maurice Powe The Law Offices of Brooks and Powe

Jeremy Procon Interstate Towing Inc.

Kristen Pueschel PeoplesBank

Meghan Rothschild SurvivingSkin.org

Jennifer Schimmel Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity

Amy Scott Wild Apple Design Group

Alexander Simon LogicTrail, LLC

Lauren Tabin PeoplesBank

Lisa Totz ITT Power Solutions

Jeffrey Trant Human Resources Unlimited

Timothy Van Epps Sandri Companies

Michael Vedovelli Mass. Office of Business Development

Beth Vettori Rockridge Retirement Community

Class of 2012

Allison Biggs Graphic Designer

Christopher Connelly Foley/Connelly Financial Partners

Scott Conrad Center for Human Development

Erin Corriveau Reliable Temps Inc.

Carla Cosenzi Tommy Car Corp.

Ben Craft Baystate Medical Center

Michele Crochetiere YWCA of Western Mass.

Christopher DiStefano DiStefano Financial Group

Keshawn Dodds 4King Edward Enterprises Inc.

Ben Einstein Brainstream Design

Michael Fenton Shatz, Schwartz, and Fentin, P.C.

Tim Fisk The Alliance to Develop Power

Elizabeth Ginter Ellis Title Co.

Eric Hall Westfield Police Department

Brendon Hutchins St. Germain Investment Management

Kevin Jennings Jennings Real Estate

Kristen Kellner Kellner Consulting, LLC

Dr. Ronald Laprise Laprise Chiropractic & Wellness

Danielle Lord O’Connell Care at Home & Staffing Services

Waleska Lugo-DeJesus Westfield State University

Trecia Marchand Pioneer Valley Federal Credit Union

Ryan McCollum RMC Strategies

Sheila Moreau MindWing Concepts Inc.

Kelli Ann Nielsen Springfield Academy Middle School

Neil Nordstrom Pediatric Services of Springfield

Edward Nuñez Freedom Credit Union

Adam Ondrick Ondrick Natural Earth

Gladys Oyola City of Springfield

Shardool Parmar Pioneer Valley Hotel Group

Vincent Petrangelo Raymond James

Terry Powe Elias Brookings Museum Magnet School

Jennifer Reynolds Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Jessica Roncarati-Howe AIDS Foundation of Western Mass.

Dan Rukakoski Tighe & Bond

Dr. Nate Somers Center for Human Development

Joshua Spooner Western New England University

College of Pharmacy

Jaclyn Stevenson Winstanley Partners

Jason Tsitso R & R Windows Contractors

Sen. James Welch State Senator, First Hampden District

Karen Woods Yankee Candle Co.

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff January 15, 2013

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.

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

D1 Mold & Tool, LLC v. Diecast Connections Co. Inc.

Allegation: Complaint on unpaid judgment: $79,964.82

Filed: 12/3/12

David A. Ratner and Ellendave, LLC v. Lampert, Hausler, & Rodman, P.C.

Allegation: Failure to discover restrictions while performing title search of land purchased by plaintiff: $500,000

Filed: 11/28/12

Kim Kauri v. Eastern Connection Operating Inc.

Allegation: Wrongful classification as independent contractor: $55,000

Filed: 11/26/12

Marr Scaffolding Co. v. Capco Steel Corp., NEI & FRC Construction, City View II, LLC, Northeast Interiors Inc., and City View Commons II, L.P.

Allegation: Breach of contract: $49,428.36

Filed: 11/9/12

Ralph Ridgeway v. Sang Ho Lee, DDS and Aspen Dental Management

Allegation: Negligent performance of a root canal causing injury and disfigurement: $161,500

Filed: 11/29/12

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

TTLR Inc. d/b/a Treasures and Thomas C. Kirkpatrick v. Charter Communications, Inc. and White Mountain Cable, LLC

Allegation: Damage to a sprinkler in a warehouse where plaintiff had stored property causing extensive damage: $100,000+

Filed: 12/10/12

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Catherine Durie, M.D. v. Clinical and Support Options Inc.

Allegation: Misrepresentation made by the plaintiff’s employer that it would provide Dr. Durie with professional liability insurance: $23,190.00

Filed: 11/19/12

Joseph Barron v. Walmart Inc.

Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance causing injury: $20,500

Filed: 12/13/12

SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Biomaxx Inc. d/b/a/ PA Pellets v. George E. Dupuis d/b/a Turnpike Acres

Allegation: Breach of contract: $15,910

Filed: 11/23/12

EJ Associates Inc. d/b/a/ Auth Fuels v. Giggle Gardens Inc.

Allegation: Non-payment of heating oil and other services rendered: $8,890.44

Filed: 11/30/12

Jenny Rios v. United Plastics Group Inc.

Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing slip and fall: $4,366

Filed: 11/5/12

John Kostek and Jennifer B. Margolis v. D. Johndrow Landscaping Inc.

Allegation: Failure to complete work, performance in an unworkmanlike manner, and deceptive trade practices: $15,000

Filed: 11/15/12

Kenneth Polastry v. HP Hood, LLC

Allegation: Failure to repair steel doors on a truck causing injury to the plaintiff while he was performing security services: $7,700

Filed: 11/5/12

Nelson Noyes v. Solutia Inc.

Allegation: Breach of employment agreement: $25,000+

Filed: 11/21/12

U.S. Foods Inc. v. Chef Lou’s Gourmet Foods, LLC d/b/a Abudanza, and Luis Maravilha

Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $23,641.96

Filed: 11/12/12

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

Christopher Pighetti v. Tommy D’s Court Yard Pub

Allegation: Negligence in property maintenance causing slip and fall: $24,500

Filed: 11/9/12

South of the Border

By BusinessWest Staff January 1, 2013

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Berkshire Bank Continues Its Dramatic Growth Pattern

Sheryl McQuade calls Berkshire Bank’s blend of financial clout and personal service “thinking big and acting small.”

It’s certainly a season of change for Berkshire Bank, which is making news on Wall Street, a splash in Connecticut, and big changes in its branches, in its core Massachusetts market, and beyond.

The Wall Street development is the bank’s recent move from NASDAQ to the New York Stock Exchange, which became official in November, around the same time that eight former Connecticut Bank and Trust (CBT) branches — which Berkshire acquired earlier in 2012 — officially converted to their new name, Berkshire Bank — CBT Region.

“Connecticut is a new market for us. We made an investment in Connecticut by way of our acquisition of CBT, and we did so because the Connecticut market offers significant opportunities for commercial and retail banking,” said Sheryl McQuade, senior vice president and regional commercial leader for the Greater Hartford market.

“We believe Berkshire Bank has a unique value proposition,” said McQuade, who admitted that any expansion into Connecticut is fraught with challenge, because the region is arguably as overbanked as Western Mass. “It’s not like we’re the first game in town there, but we believe, because of our size — which is about $5.5 billion now — matched with our product capabilities and diverse business lines, we can offer everything a large, regional bank can, but so do in a more nimble fashion.”

The Connecticut acquisition ostensibly benefits former CBT customers due to the banks’ comparative size; CBT had assets of about $280 million, and commercial loan limits of around $3 million, while Berkshire Bank can conduct deals in the $15 million range. McQuade also touted the bank’s growing suite of products in retail and business banking, insurance, and wealth management.

None of which, she said, will matter if Berkshire Bank doesn’t effectively integrate itself into the culture of its new communities, and that takes more than size. It’s a strategy that McQuade calls “thinking big and acting small,” and for this month’s focus on banking and finance, she and other bank leaders explained to BusinessWest exactly what that entails.

Growing Footprint

Berkshire Bank is no stranger to growth, having taken an aggressive approach to geographic expansion in recent years.

In the summer of 2011, the bank acquired Legacy Bancorp of Pittsfield, bringing 15 branches under its umbrella in Western Mass. and New York. That move came on the heels of other, smaller acquisitions, including New York-based Rome Bancorp earlier in 2011 — a series of moves that, including the CBT merger, has seen Berkshire expand its footprint from 43 to 75 branches in less than 20 months.

Last year, Sean Gray, executive vice president of Retail Banking, told BusinessWest that Berkshire Bank looks to organic growth first — as he put it, “getting the most out of our existing footprint.”

But the past decade has seen this Pittsfield-based institution make headway in New York, Vermont, Central Mass., and now Connecticut. Gray said Berkshire looks for banks that share a similar culture when seeking consolidation opportunities, but the leaders of its Springfield and Hartford markets say they’ve launched an ambitious strategy to introduce a unique, customer-focused culture in new branches.

For example, “we’re launching a new program called MyBanker,” said Lori Gazzillo, assistant vice president of Community Relations. “When we talk about relationship banking, we’re talking about personal bankers who work with individuals who have various financial needs, whether it’s loans or insurance or deposits. They can go to this one person for all their banking needs — somebody they can call about anything, who can connect them with the services they need.”

Branch design is also being overhauled to reflect a more personal, less institutional touch, McQuade said. The bank’s Springfield headquarters, where she and Chamberlain sat down with BusinessWest, is a good example, with its coffee station at the entrance, and where customers are invited to sit down with tellers, no longer separated by an impersonal counter.

“This will be the design going forward in our new branches,” Gazzillo said, adding that older branches will be renovated to match. “This new design enhances teller technology, and it’s a more personalized situation; it’s also more efficient as transactions go, and it’s more inviting, with a café and comfortable chairs and a common room.”

That common room is another way Berkshire is trying to connect with its communities. Each branch will offer local nonprofits and other organizations a space, equipped with multi-media, wi-fi, and videoconferencing equipment, to hold meetings. “It’s a way to offer something back to the communities we’re operating in,” McQuade said, “versus a lot of banks pushing people away from bricks and mortar and toward online banking.”

That’s a constant concern for banks these days, which are trying to serve two distinct constituencies — the traditional, older-skewing customer who prefers face-to-face transactions, and the younger, more mobile crowd that has embraced banking on computers, smartphones, and tablets.

“Berkshire Bank has really invested in a lot of products and technological capabilities,” McQuade said. “On the commercial side, we’re not dependent on branches to serve our customers; we have remote deposit and other tools that a large, regional bank would have.”

However, Gazzillo said, “we think it needs to be both. People are becoming more high-tech, relying on their phones and iPads, and we’re working on rolling out a mobile-banking platform. But customers still want to see someone on a personal level. It’s important to keep up with both, and we’re large enough to do that.”

Sue Chamberlain says it’s important to cater effectively to both the high-tech, mobile crowd and those who want face-to-face interaction.

Susan Chamberlain, first vice president of Retail Banking in the Springfield/Hartford region, agreed. “More and more people are now doing their banking online and on their phones, but we’re seeing our bricks-and-mortar side growing for sure. You can’t ignore the customers who like to come in and have face-to-face contact, for mortgages, home-equity loans, or if they just need some information.”

Culture Change

Gazzillo knows that Berkshire — which dubs itself “America’s most exciting bank” in its marketing materials — has bitten off quite a bit with its recent acquisitions, but she feels the institution has the right strategy to thrive in a highly competitive financial-services landscape.

“We’re succeeding at a time, and in a banking environment, where it’s difficult for banks to succeed,” she said. “We have been expanding, and we’ve acquired a number of banks, but it’s a careful process of looking at the culture and philosophy of a bank and making sure it fits within our own banking culture.

“We’re doing it the right way,” she said, “by providing customers with the tools and resources they need, and a level of personal service that they want. I’m proud of that, and happy with what we’re doing.”

Reflecting that emphasis, Berkshire Bank delayed the changeover of CBT branches by about six months because the company was going through a major upgrade to its operating system across all branches, and didn’t want to put the new, Connecticut-based customers through two separate conversions.

Meanwhile, Berkshire is trying to ease the transition for Nutmeg Staters in other ways. “Part of that is by hiring capable, talented people who are seasoned and experienced in their own communities,” McQuade said. “I’ve hired several people in Connecticut who have a history and relationships in their markets.”

The bank remains committed, Gazzillo said, to meeting community needs as well, across its entire four-state footprint.

“We have a foundation, and as far as financial contributions go, we give $1.5 million,” she said, but added that money is just one element of community involvement; others include a volunteer culture and a benefit that offers employees paid time off to volunteer at nonprofits in their communities. “That’s a big component of who we are, of being a community partner.”

McQuade credited bank President and CEO Michael Daly, who recently added chairman of the board to his business card, for setting the institution — which originally focused mostly on commercial banking — on a path to strong growth across many niches.

“He had the vision to grow the bank’s commercial business, but in a relationship-banking fashion, principally because, in addition to all our capabilities in commercial banking, we have wealth management, an insurance group — a lot of things that can be leveraged as part of a deliberate, relationship-banking strategy,” she explained — one that attempts to draw in young customers and meet their needs for life.

And, now, aims to bring a little excitement to Connecticut, too.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

People On the Move

By BusinessWest Staff January 1, 2013

Departments People on the Move

James Sheils

James Sheils, a partner with Springfield-based Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., recently received the first John Auchter Award from Goodwill Industries of the Pioneer Valley for more than three decades of service to the nonprofit organization. The award, which honors those who show extraordinary dedication to community service, is named for the late John Auchter, a Pioneer Valley attorney whose own distinguished service to Goodwill included 40 years as director, president, and chairman of the board. Sheils has served on the Goodwill board for more than 30 years, during which time he has worked as legal counsel to the agency.

•••••

Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed Westfield State University alums Terrell Hill and Steven Marcus to serve as members of the Westfield State University Board of Trustees. Hill is the founding principal of High School Inc., Hartford’s public insurance and finance academy, which opened in 2009. The school is a National Academy Foundation finance academy, whose goal is to prepare young people for college and career success based on industry-focused curricula, work-based learning experiences, and business-partner expertise. Marcus is a licensed, certified social worker who has dedicated his life to improving the lives of those in need as CEO and owner of multiple diversified healthcare enterprises, including New England Geriatrics and West Central Family and Counseling. The board is comprised of 11 trustees, one of whom is elected by the student body and one who represents the alumni; all are appointed by the governor and serve for a five-year term.

•••••

Michael Daly

Lawrence Bossidy

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. announced that President and CEO Michael Daly has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors effective on Jan. 1, 2013. The board has also elected current Chairman Lawrence Bossidy to the new position of Lead Independent Director effective on the same day. Identical elections of Daly and Bossidy were made by the board of Berkshire Bank, the banking subsidiary of Berkshire Hills Bancorp. “I’m honored to assume the leadership of the Berkshire board, and I look forward to continuing the strong focus on business execution which has been a hallmark of Larry Bossidy’s long and distinguished leadership of our company,” said Daly. “I’m delighted that he will continue to have an active role in his new capacity as lead independent director. Our team has built a locally focused, customer-centric institution and invested in a strong infrastructure positioned across the middle of our four-state region. The board and the company remain committed to responsibly serving the financial needs of our markets and to providing strong returns to our investors.” Bossidy added, “the election of Mike Daly as chairman recognizes his success as CEO in building our strong franchise, and the confidence of our directors in his judgment, business acumen, and leadership. I look forward to working with him in my new role.” Daly was appointed president and CEO of the company and the bank in October 2002. During his tenure as chief executive, he has navigated Berkshire through significant growth, market-share expansion, and profitability gains. Total assets have risen to $5.5 billion, with 75 branches operating in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. Among Daly’s achievements are the creation of Berkshire Bank’s distinctive “America’s Most Exciting Bank” brand platform and the development of a high-performance, team-oriented culture. Berkshire is now one of the country’s 100 largest exchange-traded banks. In recognition of its standing and achievements, Berkshire recently moved its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange. Bossidy joined the board as chairman in 2002 and serves on the compensation and corporate governance/nominating committees. His career has included the positions of chairman and CEO of Honeywell International, chairman and CEO of AlliedSignal, COO of General Electric Credit, president of General Electric’s Services and Materials Sector, and vice chairman of General Electric. Bossidy has also served as a member of the board of directors of Merck & Co., J.P. Morgan, and K&F Industries Holdings. In his new position, he is expected to have involvement in agenda-setting, communication with other independent directors, planning, and performance-evaluation activities. Berkshire also announced the retirement of Catherine Miller as a director of the company and the bank, effective immediately.

•••••

Joan Ingersoll

The board of directors of the Mental Health Association Inc. (MHA) recently announced the appointment of Joan Ingersoll as the new Executive Director of the organization. She succeeds Linda Williams, who retired from MHA this month. Ingersoll, formerly president and CEO of Allied Community Services in Enfield, Conn., was selected by MHA’s executive search committee. Ingersoll began her 10-year tenure at MHA in late October. As president and CEO of Allied Community Services, she led a $10 million organization that provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. She previously served for seven years as vice president at the Corporation for Independent Living in Hartford, a nonprofit developer of housing for people with disabilities. Her background includes leadership positions at disability agencies in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, as well as direct service experience. Ingersoll began her career at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. where she served as special assistant to the commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

•••••

Katie Allan Zobel

The Trustees of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts have appointed Katie Allan Zobel as its next President and CEO, and she has accepted the appointment, effective Jan. 1, 2013. For more than eight years, she and her job-share partner, Kristin Leutz, have led the Philanthropic Services team at the Community Foundation, most recently as vice presidents. A magna cum laude graduate of Boston College, she served as the director of Annual Giving for WGBY before working for 10 years for Amherst College, directing its Alumni Fund during a period when it established a college record for percentage participation that still stands. During her tenure at the foundation, she earned her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation from the American College. Additionally, Zobel has served on the boards of directors for the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and the Amherst Education Foundation, where she recently completed a two-year term as board president. She also regularly volunteers as an on-air fund-raiser for WGBY. “Vigorous growth and careful stewardship are the hallmarks of the Community Foundation’s first 20 years,” said Zobel. “I intend to move the foundation into an exciting new period of growth and am honored for the opportunity to serve the community I love. When I first arrived at the foundation to provide interim assistance, I intended to stay for three months until a new development director was hired. Within a few weeks, I was strategizing about how I might stay longer. Eight years later, the motivation to lead this organization has never been stronger.”

•••••

Elms College recently honored senior Laura Fusini with the Bishop Joseph F. Maguire Award during the Western Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (WMCOPA) President’s Inaugural and Annual Awards meeting. The award was established by WMCOPA in honor of retired Bishop Joseph Maguire in recognition of his outstanding service as the association’s chaplain for 33 years. The honor, which includes $1,000 to assist in meeting educational goals and professional objectives, is given annually to an Elms College junior or senior who is enrolled in the field of religious studies, or has made outstanding contributions to the community-service or campus-ministry programs. An English and Religious Studies double major with a 3.8 GPA, Fusini participates in a Bible study group and is the editor of Bloom, the college’s student-run literary magazine. She has been a Deanery Scholar all four years at Elms and will participate in a college service trip to Baltimore in January, where she will work in a soup kitchen and food pantry.

•••••

Florence Savings Bank announced the following:

Shelley Daughdrill

• Shelley Daughdrill has been elected Vice President and Branch Manger for the bank’s Amherst office. Daughdrill joined FSB in December 2005. She is a graduate of Westfield State College and the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Amherst and the Highland Valley Elder Services Financial Exploitation Audit Team, and a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Daughdrill is a recipient of FSB’s Presidents Award, the bank’s Community Support Award, and the Stavros’ Paul Winske Access Award; and

Kristen Adams

• Kristen Adams has been elected Assistant Vice President of Marketing for the bank. She joined FSB in 2011. Adams is a graduate of UMass Dartmouth, and is a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Pioneer Valley. Adams is a volunteer for the Cutchins Program and a member of the Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Northampton Area Young Professionals.

•••••

Jody Dion has joined the Wing Memorial Hospital and Medical Centers team as the new executive director of VNA and Hospice. She will be replacing Barbara Hitchcock, who is retiring after 12 years in the role. Dion has more than 20 years of experience in home healthcare and was most recently manager of Quality Improvement at UMass Memorial Medical Center Home Health and Hospice. She is a registered physical therapist. Wing Memorial VNA and Hospice is located at 40 Wright St., Palmer. For information or to make an appointment, call (413) 283-9715.

Agenda

By BusinessWest Staff January 1, 2013

Agenda Departments

Building Your Future

Jan. 8: MassMutual and Western New England University are teaming up to present the MassMutual Building Your Future Conference from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at WNEU. More than 400 Springfield public- and private-school students in grades 10 through 12 are scheduled to attend.

The free conference is designed to give students the tools and knowledge to construct a blueprint for their education and careers. Workshops will touch on college and career planning, problem solving, and time- and money-management skills. MassMutual Academic Achievers earn an invitation to the conference by maintaining a B average or better for four consecutive marking periods during grades 10 through 12.

“Choosing the right career path is imperative to a successful future, but many of our young people aren’t aware of local career opportunities,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, vice president for Community Responsibility at MassMutual, adding that the conference “exposes students to career opportunities that are available in financial services at MassMutual and beyond. Our programs encourage students to excel academically and gain valuable exposure to rewarding careers.”

This year’s conference will offer students a variety of hands-on activities in various fields, including financial services, business, information technology, broadcast communications, criminal justice, medicine, and the sciences. Workshops will also address the college admissions process, paying for college, making a good first impression, and preparing for life’s curveballs. The keynote speaker will be Terrell Hill, principal at High School Inc., a four-year, college-preparatory school for students in grades 9 through 12 who are interested in pursuing careers in the insurance and financial-services industries. Other highlights of the conference include a video contest and a raffle featuring a laptop computer, flatscreen televisions, iPods, and other prizes. The snow date for the conference is Jan. 11. To register, visit www1.wne.edu/massmutual/byf.

Essence Editor to Speak

Feb. 5: Susan Taylor of Essence magazine will speak at Springfield Technical Community College at 11 a.m. in the Scibelli Hall gym as part of the STCC Diversity Council Event Series. The presentation, which coincides with Black History Month, is free and open to the public. Taylor’s name is synonymous with Essence magazine, the brand she built as the magazine’s fashion and beauty editor, editor in chief, and editorial director. For nearly three decades, Taylor has been the driving force behind one of the most celebrated black-owned businesses of our time and a legend in the magazine-publishing world. For 27 years, Taylor authored one of the magazine’s most popular columns, “In the Spirit.” She is the only African-American woman to be recognized by the Magazine Publishers of America with the Henry Johnson Fisher Award, the industry’s highest honor, and the first to be inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. Taylor also is the recipient of the NAACP President’s Award for visionary leadership and has honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities.
A fourth-generation entrepreneur and the author of four books, she supports a host of organizations dedicated to moving the black community forward, but her passion and focus today is with the National Cares Mentoring Movement, a call to action which she founded in 2006 as Essence Cares. The National Cares Mentoring Movement (www.caresmentoring.org) is a massive campaign to recruit 1 million able adults to help secure children who are in peril and losing ground. Taylor’s presentation is sponsored by PeoplesBank, Hampden Bank, the STCC Diversity Council, the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, Baystate Health, Health New England, MassMutual, and the United Way of Pioneer Valley.

40 Under Forty Reunion

Feb. 7: BusinessWest will stage a reunion featuring the first six classes of its 40 Under Forty program at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event, open only to 40 Under Forty winners, event judges, and sponsors, will begin at 5:30 p.m. and feature a talk from Peter Straley, president of Health New England, about leadership and community involvement. For more information on the event, call (413) 781-8600 or e-mail [email protected].

Charlotte’s Web Exhibit

Through April 22: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst is offering a rare opportunity for guests to see selections from the 20th-century classic Charlotte’s Web, written by E.B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. “Some Book! Some Art! Selected Drawings by Garth Williams for Charlotte’s Web” will be on exhibit through April 22, and celebrates Williams’s 100th birthday and the 60th anniversary of the book. For more information, visit, www.carle museum.org.

Difference Makers 2013

March 21: The annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, starting at 5 p.m. Details on the event will be published in upcoming issues of the magazine. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. Several dozen nominations for the award have been received, and are now being reviewed. The winners will be announced in the magazine’s Feb. 11 issue. For more information, call (413) 781-8600.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff January 1, 2013

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• Jan. 9: Chamber Annual Meeting Luncheon, noon to 1:30 p.m. Location to be announced. Cost: $25 fior members, $30 for non-members. For more information, visit www.amherstarea.com.

• Jan. 23: Chamber After Five, 5-7 p.m. Location to be announced. Tickets: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. For more information, visit www.amherstarea.com.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• Jan. 24: Chamber Annual Meeting and Annual Awards Dinner to Celebrate Member Milestones, 5 p.m., Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway, Southampton. Review of a successful 2012, annual awards presentation for business, business person, and community-service members of the year, and to honor members’ business milestones. Event sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank. Cost: $30 per person, inclusive. For more information, visit [email protected].

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com

(413) 534-3376

• Jan. 9: Winners Circle, 5-7 p.m., Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke. Sponsored by Dowd Insurance Agency, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke Medical Center, PeoplesBank, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll. Cost: $25. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to register or sign up at holyokechamber.com.

• Jan. 16: Chamber Business Networking, 5-7 p.m., Homewood Suites, 375 Whitney Ave., Holyoke. Sponsored by CareerPoint. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. If you are a member of the hospitality industry or a small retailer, please attend as the chamber’s guest at no charge. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to register or sign up at holyokechamber.com.

• Jan. 17: The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Holyoke Police Department are teaming up to co-host the chamber’s open house and a ribbon cutting at the grand oppening of the HPD’s ‘Hub’ office. The events will take place at 176 and 177 High St., 4-7 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

• Jan. 28: Basics of Marketing Seminar, 8:30-10 a.m. Learn some free and low-cost ideas on marketing your business. Cost: $10 for members, $20 for non-members. A continental breakfast is included in the price. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to register or sign up at holyokechamber.com.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• Jan. 9: WestNet. 5-7 p.m., at the Westwood Restaurant and Pub, 94 North Elm St., Westfield. Sponsored by For K9s and Felines. Guest speaker: Ray Maagero, Liberty Tax. Tickets: $10 cash for members, $15 cash for non-members. Your first WestNet is always free. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, door prizes, great networking opportunity. Bring your business cards. To register, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office, (413) 568-1618, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Court Dockets

By BusinessWest Staff December 18, 2012

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

Curtis Pecor v. Hart & Cooley Inc., d/b/a Heat-Fab Inc.

Allegation: Negligent training and supervision of employees and failure to adhere to proper safety and energy-control procedures causing loss of plaintiff’s fingers on both hands: $245,714.95

Filed: 9/20/12

Joachin Neteler v. Nex Performance Films Inc.

Allegation: Breach of employment contract: $83,333.36

Filed: 10/18/12

Kamela Christara v. Amerigas Propane, L.P. and Sirius Inc.

Allegation: Negligence causing acute CO exposure: $102,546.78

9/14/12

Kevin C. Dodge v. James M. Douglas, Jocelyn M. Keech, Jimmy E. Hillock, Hillock’s Logging Co., and Hanover Insurance Co.

Allegation: Wrongful removal of trees: $27,050

Filed: 10/31/12

GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

American Express Bank, FSB v. Robert S. Reid III a/k/a Robert S. Reidaka and Stewart’s Nursery Inc. a/k/a/ Stewart Nursery

Allegation: Monies due for breach of contract, monies loaned, and services rendered: $21,845.94

Filed: 9/17/12

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Akin Odutola v. Northern Educational Services Inc.

Allegation: Breach of purchase-and-sale agreement for property: $52,050

Filed: 10/26/12

HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

Maura Whalen v. Town of Granby Public Schools

Allegation: Employment discrimination: $25,000+

Filed: 10/25/12

NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

Cheryl Maffie v. Northampton Motor Classics, LLC

Allegation: Breach of warranty and misrepresentation regarding sale of a motor vehicle: $14,924.88

Filed: 11/2/12

WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

American Zurich Insurance Co. v. Carlos Professional Deliveries

Allegation: Monies due for breach of contract: $7,543.00

Filed: 8/29/12

The Glidden Co. v. King Brothers Painting and Staining Inc. d/b/a King Brothers Decorating

Allegation: Money due for breach of contract, monies loaned, and services rendered: $8,303.08

Filed: 10/24/12

Put to the Test — Again

By BusinessWest Staff December 18, 2012

Features

A Resilient Square One Goes Back to the Drawing Board

Joan Kagan says the gas blast that heavily damaged another Square One facility will further complicate efforts to rebuild following last year’s tornado.

If adversity really does build character, as many would suggest that it does, then Joan Kagan believes that she and the rest of the staff at Square One have all the character they will ever want or need.

“We’d been tried, and we really didn’t need to be tried again,” she said while talking with BusinessWest, for the second time in 18 months, in a setting that looked straight out of Beirut in the mid-’80s, standing in front of what used to be a Square One facility.

This time, it was at the agency’s damaged and now-condemned Chestnut Street Center, located next door to the gentlemen’s club that was erased by the Nov. 23 natural-gas explosion. A year and a half ago, it was beside a pile of rubble that was the company’s headquarters on Main Street, one of many buildings razed after a tornado tore a path through Springfield’s South End.

Now, as then, the talk centers on moving forward, not looking back, and about finding opportunity amid calamity — although there first had to be some reflection (although not much) on the winning-Powerball-like odds of disaster striking the same enterprise twice in such a short time.

“When they told me what happened, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,” said Kagan, the agency’s long-time director, who said she was getting ready to board a plane for home after visiting family in St. Louis for Thanksgiving when she received word of the blast. “I was thinking, ‘it’s November, so this is not an April Fool’s joke,’ but it was almost unbelievable that it could happen twice to Square One.”

This latest calamity, which, like the tornado, resulted in no injuries to students or staff, took out seven classrooms, the reading room, the kitchen, and play areas at the Chestnut Street Center, essentially displacing 98 children and several educators. They have since been relocated to other facilities, including some within the Square One portfolio, said Kagan, adding that, from a bigger-picture perspective, the damage from the blast sends the company back to the drawing board as it tries to blueprint a rebuilding plan for the future.

Indeed, the explosion came exactly one week (almost to the minute) after the agency reached a final settlement with its insurance carrier on the various kinds of damage done by the June 2011 tornado. The numbers in that settlement don’t come close to covering all the losses, Kagan told BusinessWest, estimating that they represent maybe 60% to 70% of the actual total. But simply knowing the number was necessary for Square One to perhaps move ahead with plans to rebuild somewhere in Springfield’s South End and once again be an anchor in that neighborhood.

Now, the agency has to recalibrate, she went on, and decide not only what to build — perhaps one facility to replace both that were leveled — but also where; the Chestnut Street facility served many families living and/or working within a few blocks of that building.

To adequately serve that clientele, the company may have to explore creation of another facility in that area, perhaps in Union Station, which is currently being renovated into an intermodal transportation center, Kagan noted, adding that Square One may not have the resources for such an undertaking.

“We had made some preliminary plans about rebuilding in the South End, but needed to know what our number was going to be,” she explained. “We had planned to reconvene after Thanksgiving, start to look at options, focus in, and drill down on a plan involving what we were going to build, where we going to build, and when. Now, we have more on our plate and many things to think about.

“We’re marching onward and upward, and this is just another challenge — that’s how we’re looking at it,” she continued, adding that there hasn’t been time or an inclination to say ‘why us again?’ “And we’re asking ourselves, ‘does this once more provide us with opportunity?’ It gives us some other things to look at and some other scenarios that could play out.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talks with Kagan — again — about staring down adversity and moving on with the agency’s 130-year-old mission.

Time and Space

Kagan’s temporary office in the Scibelli Enterprise Center, which she moved into more than a year ago, remains quite sparse; her printer still sits on a cardboard box, for example.

There are a few pieces of art on the walls — including a print involving some landmarks at her alma mater, Columbia University — but mostly large expanses of barren square footage. Time and energy have much to do with this, she said, adding that both have been devoted to matters far more important than decorating. Meanwhile, many of her personal and professional belongings, such as her diplomas, were lost in the tornado’s fury.

But there is also some psychology at play, she told BusinessWest. Indeed, by not covering the walls and filling the shelves, Kagan believes that somehow she might be shortening her stay in this building, which houses mostly startup ventures and was once part of the Springfield Armory complex, and accelerate a move into a new Square One facility.

The natural-gas blast has thrown some cold water on that thinking, she said, noting that it adds new layers to the already-complicated process of rebuilding for the future. And for the short term, it gives the company something it certainly didn’t need — more practice in the art and science of bouncing back from disaster.

This time it has been considerably easier than it was in the summer of 2011, she told BusinessWest, adding that the tornado took out the company’s headquarters and everything in it, leaving staff members without the barest essentials as they went about crafting a recovery plan.

After the gas blast, the scrambled staff members had offices, desks, computers, and files, she went on, and communication was much easier. Also, many staff members saw their homes damaged by the tornado, adding more and different layers of anguish that didn’t exist with this latest disaster.

The basic strategy moving forward after the gas blast was to keep students together as much as possible, said Kagan, noting that continuity is important to both children and staff. And for some in both constituencies, this was the second time they had been uprooted by calamity.

She said 60 of the uprooted children have been placed in other Square One facilities, in slots that had been taken offline, while another 40 have were moved to two borrowed classrooms in the New Beginnings Childcare Center on State Street. In general, there has been minimal disruption — students were in their new settings within days of the blast — and impacted families are pleased that new accommodations were made so quickly, Kagan noted.

But while some measure of continuity has been achieved, Square One has essentially lost 60 revenue-producing slots for students, said Kagan, adding that this lost business is one of many things she will have to hash out with insurance carriers and Columbia Gas, which accepted responsibility for the blast and is in the process of handling claims from impacted parties.

Another is replacement of the estimated $500,000 worth of equipment, learning materials, and supplies — from computers used by the children to toys and games — lost to the gas blast.

Overall, this latest disaster has left the agency with seriously depleted resources and reserves, said Kagan, adding that replacing everything lost to the tornado was an expensive proposition.

“In order to replace all that — our computers, servers, printers, and furniture — we had to invest a lot of money to get ourselves back in operation,” she explained. “And we didn’t get totally reimbursed for that from our insurance, depleting our resources and reserves.”

Elaborating, she said that, after the tornado, the company had equipment in storage to outfit two donated preschool classrooms. This year, it didn’t have such inventory available.

While exploring options for replacing supplies and negotiating with the insurance company and Columbia Gas, Square One is also looking at many possible scenarios for the long term, said Kagan, who told BusinessWest last June, at the one-year anniversary of the tornado, that Square One is essentially committed to being an anchor in Springfield’s South End — even as the prospects for a casino in that neighborhood add more question marks to the prospect of rebuilding there.

But with the loss of the Chestnut Street Center, there are now more questions about what to build and where to best serve clients across the city.

“The Chestnut Street facility has always been very popular, and it was always full,” Kagan explained, adding that there was a waiting list for slots.

“We’re going to reassess and talk to the families,” she said. “What we want to find out is whether, if we doubled our capacity in the South End, families would be able to use that facility. Some might say they work at [nearby] Baystate Health or Mercy Medical Center, or downtown, and that a South End center would take them out of their way.

“If we were going to build a facility for 100 children, do we now have to build one for 200 children?” she continued, adding that there are sites to be considered downtown and in the North End, including Union Station, although talks with city officials have not taken place on that location yet. And the reality, she said, is that the company doesn’t have the resources to rebuild in the North End at this time.

Not at a Loss

Looking around her office, Kagan noted some recent additions to the landscape, specifically several gift baskets from companies and individuals wishing to lift the spirits of those at the company, especially its director.

There have been many other expressions of support, she went on, citing monetary donations of many sizes, including a $25,000 contribution from the Penn National Gaming Foundation and the Peter and Melissa Picknelly Charitable Fund.

Such help from the community will be needed, she said, because the task of rebuilding from twin disasters and replenishing resources and reserves will be difficult and expensive. “We need all the help we can get.”

One thing she and the rest of the staff don’t need any more of is character spawned by adversity. They have plenty of that already.

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

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff December 18, 2012

Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com

(413) 253-0700

• Dec. 19: After Five/Holiday Party. Hosted by PeoplesBank, 56 Amity St., Amherst. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

• Jan. 9: Chamber Annual Meeting Luncheon, noon to 1:30 p.m. Location to be announced. Cost: $25 fior members, $30 for non-members. For more information, visit www.amherstarea.com.

• Jan. 23: Chamber After Five, 5-7 p.m. Location to be announced. Tickets: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. For more information, visit www.amherstarea.com.

CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org

(413) 594-2101

• Dec. 19: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Cost: $20 for members, $26 for non-members. Sign up online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

FRANKLIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.franklincc.org

(413) 773-5463

• Dec. 21: Annual Holiday Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., Deerfield Academy. The Citizen of the Year Award will be presented. Sponsored by the Recorder. Gifts for all, music by Gary Maynard and Friends. Cost: $24 for members, $25 for non-members.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org

(413) 527-9414

• Jan. 24: Chamber Annual Meeting and Annual Awards Dinner to Celebrate Member Milestones, 5 p.m., Southampton Country Club, 329 College Highway, Southampton. Review of a successful 2012, annual awards presentation for business, business person, and community-service members of the year, and to honor members’ business milestones. Event sponsor: Easthampton Savings Bank. Cost: $30 per person, inclusive. For more information, visit [email protected].

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com

(413) 534-3376

• Dec. 19: Holiday Chamber After Hours, sponsored and hosted by the Delaney House.

In addition to door prizes and a 50/50 raffle, the business-networking event will also include a lottery-ticket-tree raffle. Tickets: $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

• Jan. 9: Winners Circle, 5-7 p.m., Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St., Holyoke. Sponsored by Dowd Insurance Agency, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke Medical Center, PeoplesBank, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll. Cost: $25. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to register or sign up at holyokechamber.com.

• Jan. 16: Chamber Business Networking, 5-7 p.m., Homewood Suites, 375 Whitney Ave., Holyoke. Sponsored by CareerPoint. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. If you are a member of the hospitality industry or a small retailer, please attend as the chamber’s guest at no charge. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to register or sign up at holyokechamber.com.

• Jan. 17: The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Holyoke Police Department are teaming up to co-host the chamber’s open house and a ribbon cutting at the grand oppening of the HPD’s ‘Hub’ office. The events will take place at 176 and 177 High St., 4-7 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

• Jan. 28: Basics of Marketing Seminar, 8:30-10 a.m. Learn some free and low-cost ideas on marketing your business. Cost: $10 for members, $20 for non-members. A continental breakfast is included in the price. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to register or sign up at holyokechamber.com.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org

(413) 568-1618

• Jan. 9: WestNet. 5-7 p.m., at the Westwood Restaurant and Pub, 94 North Elm St., Westfield. Sponsored by For K9s and Felines. Guest speaker: Ray Maagero, Liberty Tax. Tickets: $10 cash for members, $15 cash for non-members. Your first WestNet is always free. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, door prizes, great networking opportunity. Bring your business cards. To register, contact Pam Bussell at the chamber office, (413) 568-1618, or by e-mail at [email protected].

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

www.springfieldyps.com

• Dec. 20: Third Thursday, 5-8 p.m., the Barney Estate at Forest Park. The event includes a complimentary drive through Bright Nights. Sponsored by the Spirit of Springfield and Elegant Affairs. For more details, visit www.springfieldyps.com.

People On the Move

By BusinessWest Staff December 18, 2012

Departments People on the Move

American International College announced the following:

Mark Mastroianni

• Mark Mastroianni, Hampden County District Attorney, has been named to the Board of Trustees. Mastroianni received his bachelor’s degree from AIC and his juris doctorate from Western New England University. He was admitted to the Massachusetts State Bar in 1990 and the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts in 1991, and served as an assistant district attorney from 1990 to 1995, where he prosecuted cases and supervised District Court staff attorneys on matters of law, trial technique, and sentencing, authorized increases and reductions in charges, and implemented and maintained office policies and procedures; and

Daniel Warwick

• Daniel Warwick, Springfield Superintendent of Schools, has been named to the Board of Trustees. A lifelong Springfield resident, he holds a certificate of advanced graduate studies and a master’s degree in Education, both from AIC, a bachelor’s degree in Education from Westfield State University, and fellowships for advanced educational learning from Harvard University, the University of Pittsburgh, and American International College. Appointed superintendent in 2012, Warwick began his career with Springfield Public Schools nearly 40 years ago and has a wealth of experience as a teacher, principal, and administrator.
•••••
The Springfield-based law firm Bulkley Richardson announced that nine of the firm’s lawyers have been named to the 2012 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list. They are:
• Mark Cress, whose practice areas include bonds/government finance, banking, and bankruptcy, and creditor/debtor rights;
• Francis Dibble Jr., business litigation, health law, and antitrust litigation;
• Patrick Kennedy, business litigation, banking, and intellectual-property litigation;
• Mary Kennedy, employment and labor, and schools and education;
• Kelly McCarthy, health law;
• David Parke, business/corporate and mergers and acquisitions;
• John Pucci, also included in the Top 100 list of Massachusetts Super Lawyers, whose practice areas include business litigation and criminal defense (white collar);
• Donn Randall, banking and business litigation; and
• Ellen Randle, family law.
Also, two lawyers were named to the 2012 Massachusetts Rising Stars list:
• Matthew Kane, whose practice areas include banking, business litigation, and general litigation; and
• Kelly Koch, family law and estate planning and probate.
•••••
Jules Gaudreau, President of The Gaudreau Group Inc. Insurance and Financial Services Agency, was voted Best Insurance Agent, and Werner Maiwald was voted Best Financial Advisor, in the Best of Boston Road ceremony at Ludlow Country Club. The Wilbraham-based agency also won Best Overall Professional Services and Most Philanthropic. More than 1,600 votes were submitted to the Boston Road Business Assoc. during this year’s competition.
•••••
Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Jay Presser as the 2013 Springfield Labor Law – Management Lawyer of the Year. Presser has been a member of the firm since 1977 and is head of the firm’s litigation practice. He has more than 35 years of experience litigating employment cases before administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination, and the State Labor Relations Commission. Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is being honored as the Lawyer of the Year for 2013. Presser has been selected in the 10th anniversary edition of The Best Lawyers in America because he has been included in that esteemed list for the past 10 years. In addition, Presser has been chosen by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as one of its Lawyers of the Year, and was recently selected as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer.
•••••

Donald Frydryk

Monson Savings Bank has announced the appointment of Donald Frydryk to the bank’s Board of Trustees. He is also a Corporator and a customer of the bank. Frydryk, Managing Partner of Sherman & Frydryk, a land-surveying and engineering firm based in Palmer, is a professional engineer and a pofessional land surveyor.
•••••
Michael Fenton recently joined the Springfield-based law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. Fenton is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and his practice will focus on business law, commercial real estate, and estate planning. At 25, Fenton is the youngest city councilor in the Springfield’s history, having been elected twice since his first term at 22. A graduate of Cathedral High School and a cum-laude honors graduate of Providence College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Fenton received his MBA and JD from Western New England University, where he served as publishing editor of the Law Review and was an Oliver Wendell Holmes Scholar. Fenton clerked at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., and Bacon Wilson, P.C., and is a BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree in the class of 2012.
•••••
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announced recently that James Leydon, formerly Director of Constituent Services, has replaced Attorney Thomas Walsh, former Director of Communications. In addition, William Baker joined the Mayor’s staff as the new Director of Constituent Services.
•••••
STCU Credit Union recently hired Maria Lopez as Assistant Vice President, Westfield branch. Lopez, who speaks Spanish and English, brings over 23 years experience, including 13 years in mortgage lending.

•••••

Michael Jonnes

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced the departure of Executive Director Michael Jonnes, effective Dec. 31. Jonnes, whose career with SSO began in 1998, was instrumental in helping to acquire a distinguished roster of soloists and developing a wide range of collaborative efforts with community groups and nonprofits throughout the region. He also led the search that brought Kevin Rhodes on as music director. Jonnes has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit management in the orchestral realm. Prior to the SSO, he was the executive director of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra in Jackson, Tenn. Jonnes and his wife will relocate to be closer to family. A national search is currently underway to find his successor, and Peter Salerno will serve as Interim Executive Director during the search. The SSO will honor Jonnes with an audience reception following the Jan. 12, 2013 concert, “Scheherazade.”
•••••

Jeffrey Pierce

TD Bank recently named Jeffrey Pierce as Vice President, Business Development Officer in Small Business Administration (SBA) Lending in Hartford, Conn. With 27 years of experience in banking, finance, and lending, Pierce will be responsible for providing SBA financing to qualified small businesses throughout a two-state region that includes Hartford as well as the Springfield and Worcester areas in Massachusetts.
•••••
Shirley Stephens recently joined the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) as Housing Coordinator, where she will work in the Community Development section of the agency and will be involved in the application intake and outreach process for various PVPC-administered housing-rehabilitation programs throughout Western and Central Massachusetts. Stephens is a licensed realtor with RR & Co. Realty Inc., helping distressed homeowners in Springfield.
•••••
Members of the WGBY Board of Tribunes have voted to accept three new members to join the 2013 roster. Merricka Breuer, Patricia Crutchfield, and Norma Friedman were named as the newest members of WGBY’s board at the station’s recent annual meeting. Breuer is director of Marketing and Business Development at Ink & Toner Solutions in Northampton, Friedman is an adjunct professor at UMass Amherst’s University Without Walls, and Crutchfield is director of Human Resources at the Gandara Mental Health Center in Springfield.

Back to School

By BusinessWest Staff December 4, 2012

Education Sections

Kittredge Center Course Teaches Soft Skills That MBAs Overlook

Richard Steiner, CEO of MD Enterprises

It’s a familiar scenario in the workplace.

The venerated top sales professional gets his big break and lands the coveted manager position. But soon, something is wrong. The top seller has no idea how to manage people, and it’s affecting the entire office. He’s been doing his own thing for years, and it’s always worked, but now he’s got to deal with everyone else’s personalities and problems.

Meanwhile, the expectations from upper management are not only higher than in his previous position, but completely different. In some cases, add to that the jealousy factor in the office because someone feels they were overlooked for the job.

“This new situation has to be based on facts, not opinions, and in the workplace, emotions — like guns and knives — need to be left at the door,” said Richard Steiner, CEO of MD Enterprises and a freelance business trainer at Holyoke Community College (HCC). “It’s critical that you recalibrate the relationship to recognize that this is a ‘professional’ relationship.”

But knowing how to ‘recalibrate’ that professional relationship, from peer to manager, requires behavioral skills that may seem obvious, yet unfortunately don’t come naturally to some, and are completely foreign to others.

That’s where the American Management Assoc. comes in.

The AMA offers a certificate in Management program through the Kittredge Center at HCC. Steiner explained that the cost-effective courses are held either one day a week for two weeks, or one evening a week for five weeks.

Instead of the analytical and technical hard skills that MBAs focus on, this series of courses is all about dealing with people, time, and how both affect company profits.

“It’s a program of study that focuses on a practical way to learn the soft skills of management,” said Steiner, “the sorts of things you don’t pick up at an MBA course.”

Of the 14 courses, each of which costs $325, the subject matter covers “The ABCs of Management,” “Effective Team Building,” “Essentials of Supervision,” “Conducting Productive Performance Appraisals,” and “Effective Communication Skills,” to name a few. If an individual completes five of the 14 courses successfully, Steiner said, the AMA issues an internationally recognized management certificate through HCC.

Jim Phaneuf sees the value in such a program.

While nothing was broken from within, Phaneuf, president of Bell & Hudson Insurance Agency in Belchertown, knew that he could use some help in the area of time management. But not all company executives, or those on the fast track to the C-suite, think they need help.

“A lot of business people think they have things right where they want them to be,” said Phaneuf. “I’ve always had the feeling that, if we’re not improving all the time, someone else is.”

For several professional levels of management and front-line supervisors at Holyoke Gas and Electric (HG&E), the courses on communications, supervision, and management ‘ABCs’ were eye-openers, said Comptroller Brian Richards. He called the courses a ‘framework’ in which a mix of those with MBAs and those lacking any management training could put what they learn to real use.

“There are ideas that are not inherent, but once you are exposed to them, you may use them,” he explained. “But unless you have the framework to actually put those ideas to use, the actions are not always effective. These courses give you that type of framework to put ideas into action and practice.”

Brian Richards says the courses are useful to both those with MBAs and those lacking any management training.

The beauty of the program, both Phaneuf and Steiner said, is that, no matter who takes one of the 14 courses — a professional on the management fast track or a business student — the vital soft skills can be used immediately as soon as they walk out the door.

Steiner’s said too few companies pay attention to the importance of people skills, “and they wind up losing a valuable employee and gaining an ineffective or even destructive manager.”

For this issue’s focus on education, BusinessWest sat down with Steiner and some of his former students, all professionals in the region, to learn about the unique AMA courses, and how their focus on soft skills often overlooked in MBA college programs can help not only office morale, but productivity ― and, ultimately, the bottom line.

Talk Is Cheap

While it’s hard for Steiner to pick which course is the most important overall, communication training is high on his list because it’s often overlooked in the workplace, or at least not identified as a major problem for companies.

Steiner said the course, “Effective Communication Skills,” is as important, and as basic, as it gets.

“If a manager is complaining about communication, he or she should look in the mirror,” he said. “Communications is a loop: message transmitted, received, and the receiver gives feedback. They either do what the instruction was, answer what the question was, or agree or disagree with a proposition and close that loop.

“As a transmitter,” he continued, “if you don’t get that feedback, ask for it.” But closing the loop all the way doesn’t happen often enough, and when communication is hampered, time is wasted and productivity goes down.

One of Steiner’s classic examples is what he calls the “stone story.” A manager asks an employee to go get him a stone. The employer goes out and brings back a stone, but the manager says, “I wanted a rounder stone.” The employee returns several times with more stones, none of which are the right kind because little to no direction or description was given. But, Steiner added, “the employee is also wasting time by not asking.”

While humorous, Steiner said everyone can identify with a similar situation in the past where they were the one searching fruitlessly for something — or the one, sadly, who was giving the weak instructions for what kind of ‘stone’ they wanted.

For Richards and the professionals from HG&E, the communication classes were well-received, due partly to what Richards calls Steiner’s ability to speak to everyone’s discipline. “He did a good job of a balancing act by not making it too boring for some and not too much for others,” he said. “For many, this was their first time being exposed to these types of ideas, and it was conducive for people who are in different jobs — engineering, accounting, etc. — working together, and those younger and older were able to share their experiences about how situations come up and how people handle them.”

While communication is high on Steiner’s list, he said “Essentials of Supervision” is another key course for someone on the management fast track, who learns what to expect in the transition and some of the pitfalls to avoid.

Steiner teaches why first-line supervisors are important and the issues they have to deal with, like the balance between needing time to learn management skills and understanding what management is expecting of the group. Add to that the new, required workload that can’t be delegated to others, as well as the challenge of managing a group of different personalities.

One pitfall to avoid: reverse delegation. This is a scenario, Steiner said, in which an employee is given a task, then comes back and says he or she doesn’t know how to do it, so the new supervisor says, “OK, I’ll do it; let me find something else for you to do.”

The consistent act of reverse delegation trains the employee to know the manager will always finish the job, similar to a child learning that when a parent says ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean that at all.

With almost a wink, Steiner added, “in essence, management is very much like bringing up children.”

He also teaches the balance between being a micromanager and letting the staff freewheel through their day with no oversight whatsoever. In the “Managing and Resolving Conflict” course, students learn that those in charge who don’t want to deal with conflict professionally are going to see problems grow and fester beyond the area of the manager’s responsibility and up to the next level, which reflects badly on the manager and his or her obvious lack of skills.

At this point, one starts to see how the specifics of each session melts into other topics. A manager’s consistent avoidance can lead to employees who lose motivation or escalate to major conflicts that never get resolved — and that can affect every area of company business.

Planning Makes Perfect

Of all the AMA courses, Steiner said the one he really enjoys teaching is “Conducting Productive Performance Appraisals” because it is absolutely the most misunderstood area of management.

“Feedback should be a continuous process, both positive and negative,” he told BusinessWest. “The idea of performance appraisal is to improve performance and productivity all year long; it should not be a point where the boss unloads on the employee … it should be a summary.”

Steiner said the contents of an annual performance review should not be a surprise to anyone, and bad reviews are a classic sign of manager avoidance.

During the weekly meetings leading up to the review, one of Steiner’s rules is to never play the blame game. Start with determining how the process broke down, and use ‘I,’ not ‘you.’ His example of what not to say: “you’re always late; you never meet your deadlines.” Instead: “on this day, I observed that you were late,” or “I saw that you missed your deadline by a few days.”

Steiner said this makes the feedback more easily accepted because the situation, similar to the jealousy problem, should be unemotional and based on facts, not opinions.

Meanwhile, the “Managing Multiple Priorities” course discusses a trap that many new managers fall into: automatically putting a new job at the top of the priority list, which endangers the deadlines of everything else. It’s all about planning, said Steiner.

“We do a lot of meetings in our office,” Phaneuf noted, “and one of the courses helped us learn about planning agendas and making sure only the most important items are covered in meetings. And we now have a great understanding the cost of meetings … and the importance of not ‘meeting people to death,’ because when you add up what people are making per hour, meetings are expensive when nothing is accomplished.”

To sum up the program, Steiner argues that a good management foundation is necessary to have the most profitable bottom line. “Then success brings visibility and approval from peers outside the team, resulting in pride in a job well done and the motivation to do even more.”

From years of being a consultant and working in management-level positions, he also weaves into his teaching an affirmation he calls “Plan. Do. Learn.”

“Plan what you want to do. Do it. Analyze the lessons learned after to find if it worked or not and what you would do differently in the future,” he explained. “That way, you don’t make the same mistake twice.”

Richards said the courses provide a framework so that participants can look back later to see which ideas are most successful and determine how to do a better job moving forward.

Phaneuf added that the courses were helpful to him and his staff, not only for the basic, yet vital concepts, but because of the ability to literally go back to school.

“Sometimes it’s good to have an outside person give a second opinion,” he said, “because you’re just too close to it.”

He and Richards are among a growing group of managers who understand that going back to school at any age or level of professional management can only help the company as a whole, by getting the most out of its greatest asset — its employees.

Elizabeth Taras may be reached at [email protected]

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff December 4, 2012

Company Notebook Departments

Square One Impacted by Gas Explosion

SPRINGFIELD — After the June 1, 2011 tornado wiped out their childcare and administrative offices in the south end of Springfield, Square One, a nonprofit childcare organization with facilities in Springfield and Holyoke, is now starting from square one again since the Nov. 23 late-afternoon gas explosion on Worthington Street severely affected the childcare space that the organization leased. Luckily, no one was in the space due to the holiday, but if it had been a typical Friday, about 100 children and 30 staff members would have been at risk. The site at 155 Chestnut St. is now condemned, forcing Square One officials to quickly find alternate childcare locations for 55 of the 100 children that were enrolled at that location and cannot be placed in Square One programs due to space. Since the explosion, Square One officials have been reaching out to all other providers in the community to identify what programming spaces for various age groups are available, and to walk parents through the relocation process. “We have people coming in every morning saying, ‘I have to go to work,’ ‘I have to go to school,’ ‘I need childcare now,’ and they do,” said Kim Lee, vice president of advancement. Other area nonprofits, including the YMCA on Chestnut Street, have offered some temporary space to Square One. “Our mission right now is to serve the children and their parents,” Lee said, “and if it means helping those families to find quality programming in another provider’s program, then that’s what we have to do.” The company still owns 947 Main Street, which was hit by the tornado, but it will have to be demolished and rebuilt. Lee said Square One is looking for temporary space near that original South End location, but nobody wants to sell or rent to them because everybody is holding out for the possibility of an MGM casino. “But if we do finally relocate there and the casino comes, we’ll be right I the middle of it all.” Childcare officials will continue to discuss short-term options and long-term opportunities.

Greenfield Big Y Completes Upgrades

SPRINGFIELD — As the last of many major remodeling efforts this past year, Big Y Foods Inc. announced the completion of the renovation of its Greenfield Big Y World Class Market at 237 Mohawk Trail, Route 2. Big Y has been a part of the Greenfield community since it opened its first store in 1987. In 2002, the company moved across the street to its current location. This past effort began in March and includes upgrades in every department, including new equipment and fixtures, new paint inside and out, as well as a new floor. All of the store’s fresh-foods departments had the most significant changes, including meals to go, delicatessen, seafood, bakery, produce, floral, and meat. There are also new gluten-free products as well as many more Latino offerings and additional locally produced wine and beers within the market. Lastly, the store has added some new, smaller-sized grocery carts for quick shopping trips. Ed Williams, store director in Greenfield, has 32 years of supermarket experience with Big Y. During his early years in the supermarket business, he worked in various department positions throughout the store. In 1989, Williams became a store director, managing stores in Northampton, Palmer, Greenfield, Chicopee, Southwick, Southampton, Springfield, and South Hadley. He moved back to this location last January. As part of the grand reopening celebration, Newton School, Math & Science Academy, Poet Seat Therapeutic Day Program, Greenfield Middle School, Greenfield High School, Discovery School at Four Corners, Academy of Early Learning, Federal Street School, 8th Grade Academy, Greenfield Center School, Eagle Mountain School, Cornerstone Christian School, and Stoneleigh Burnham School will each receive a donation of 500,000 Education Express Points toward free equipment and supplies for their schools. Big Y’s Education Express program has helped more than 2,000 local schools earn more than $13 million in free educational, sports, and electronic equipment since its inception.

Insurance Center Partners with Link to Libraries

AGAWAM — The Insurance Center of New England has become the latest area company to partner with the nonprofit group Link to Libraries in its Business Book Link Project. ICNE is sponsoring the Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School. Link to Libraries, in collaboration with the Insurance Center, will donate 200 new books each year for a three-year period as part of the Business Book Link Project, which has the twin goals of stocking school library shelves and getting students excited about reading. For more information on Link to Libraries, call (413) 224 1031 or visit www.linktolibraries.org.

The Seventh Annual 40 Under Forty Competition

Financial Advisor and Managing Associate Sales Manager, MassMutual Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services, age 33

Realtor, Century 21 Hometown Associates; Founder and Co-chair, Buy Holyoke Now, age 31

Partner, Wealth New England, Age 29

Landscape Architects Say People Are Investing in Their Backyards>

Highlights from this year’s event

Photos From the 2013 Difference Makers Gala

And Five Judges Will Now Score the 40 Under Forty Hopefuls

Employers Brace for a Possible Casino-fueled Talent Flight

10 Simple Steps to Readying a Home and Preventing Calamity

A chart of area insurance agencies

Cissell Investigative Engineering Gets to the Bottom (and Top) of Things

Doctors Express Franchisees Are Our Top Entrepreneurs for 2012

Previous Top Entrepreneurs

Class of 2007

Class of 2008

Class of 2009

Class of 2010

Class of 2011

Class of 2012

Berkshire Bank Continues Its Dramatic Growth Pattern

A Resilient Square One Goes Back to the Drawing Board

Kittredge Center Course Teaches Soft Skills That MBAs Overlook

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