Home Posts tagged Manufacturing (Page 19)

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Foreclosure Petitions by Lenders Surge 28%

BOSTON — The number of foreclosures initiated in Massachusetts jumped 28.1% in 2009 to 27,928 from 21,804 in 2008, but was 5.5% below the level in 2007, according to the latest report from the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman. The number of completed foreclosures, meanwhile, declined 25.4% to 9,269 last year from 12,430 in 2008, but was still 21.1% ahead of the 7,653 foreclosures recorded two years earlier. Foreclosure petitions, the first step in the foreclosure process in Massachusetts, reached 2,060 in December, a 6.4% increase from 1,937 in November and 26.8% higher than the 1,625 petitions filed in December 2008. The number of foreclosure petitions exceeded 2,000 for most months in 2009, falling below that number only in January and November. In December, there were 857 foreclosure deeds, a 22% jump from November’s 702 deeds but an 8.4% drop from the 936 deeds recorded in December 2008. Foreclosure deeds represent completed foreclosures. Foreclosure deeds fluctuated throughout the year, peaking at 978 in January. The Warren Group also tracked slightly more auction announcements in 2009. A total of 19,441 auction announcements were tracked in 2009, a 0.9% increase from 19,270 in 2008. Auction announcements in December totaled 1,931, a 13.3% drop from 2,226 in November but a 60.1% jump from 1,206 during the same month in 2008.

Firm Closes $34.5M Financing, Hires CEO

WILBRAHAM — FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp. recently closed a $34.5 million Series B financing round and has hired a new chief executive officer. The Series A venture investor Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers has been joined by a syndicate of three major new investors in the Series B — a Goldman Sachs-managed investment fund, Technology Partners, and VantagePoint Venture Partners for the financing package. Following the closing of the Series B financing, Lars A. Andersen joined FloDesign as CEO, effective Jan. 4. Andersen will be responsible for managing FloDesign’s transition from a research-and-development organization to a leading renewable-technology-manufacturing company. FloDesign’s previous CEO and co-founder, Stanley Kowalski III, will remain with the company as vice president. FloDesign is developing high-efficiency shrouded wind turbines based on the application of mature aerospace technologies. In addition to the private financing raised by the company, it was also recently awarded an $8.3 million grant as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy Program.

Massachusetts Unemployment at 9.4%

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development recently reported that Massachusetts’ unemployment rate rose to 9.4% in December from the revised November rate of 8.7%. The state rate remains below the national unemployment rate, which was 10.0% in December, the same as the November rate. In Massachusetts, education and health services, government, other services, manufacturing, and financial activities added jobs in December, while trade, transportation and utilities, leisure and hospitality, construction, professional, scientific and business services, and information recorded job losses. Jobs were down 8,400 for December. At 3,164,000, jobs are down 66,200 or 2.0% from one year ago. The labor force declined by 22,000 in December, with 43,100 fewer state residents employed and 21,100 more residents unemployed. In December, 3,108,600 residents were employed, and 323,200 residents were unemployed. At 3,431,800, the labor force was down 800 from December 2008, with 104,300 fewer residents employed and 103,500 more residents unemployed. The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households, while the job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different trends.

Report: Small Businesses Still Struggling

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Small Business Assoc. recently released its 2009 Year-End Economic Report, which shows that small businesses continue to struggle under the lagging economy and the ongoing credit crunch. The number of small businesses citing decreases in revenue over the past 12 months rose to its highest point since 1993, and 39% report that they are unable to get adequate financing for their business. Despite a dismal latter half of 2009, however, there is a small silver lining — a majority of small businesses (52%) expect growth opportunities in the coming 12 months. For the first time in two years, there was a slight increase in the number of small businesses who are confident in the future of their own business — up from 58% in July 2009 to 61% in December 2009. Although a positive shift, the downside is that more than one-third (39%) of small-business respondents have concerns about the ongoing viability of their business. According to the report, 64% of small-business owners reported decreases in revenues, up from 62% in July 2009. Job growth also continued to suffer. Despite a three-point increase in the number of small-business owners who created new jobs in the last 12 months, there was also an increase in the number who cut jobs — up from 41% in July 2009 to 44% in December 2009. Looking ahead to 2010, growth projections appear to be on an upswing. Small-business owners also are projecting a net increase in jobs for the first time in over a year, with 24% projecting job growth while 18% expect job cuts. The survey was conducted the last two weeks in December 2009 among 450 small-business owners from across the country in every industry.

Venture Investment Declines in 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Venture capitalists invested $17.7 billion in 2,795 deals in 2009, marking the lowest level of dollar investment since 1997, according to the MoneyTree Report by Pricewaterhouse-Coopers and the National Venture Capital Assoc., based on data from Thomson Reuters. Venture investments in 2009 represented a 37% decrease in dollars and a 30% decrease in deal volume from 2008. It was the second consecutive year of annual deal and dollar declines. Investments in the fourth quarter of 2009 totaled $5.0 billion in 794 deals, a 2% decline in dollars but a 15% increase in deals from the third quarter of 2009, when $5.1 billion went into 689 deals. Double-digit declines in investments were spread across almost every industry, including clean technology, life sciences, and software. Investment dollars also fell across every stage of development category, with the exception of a 2% increase in seed-stage investments. First-time financings fell to the lowest dollar and deal level since the MoneyTree began reporting venture-capital investing in 1995. However, fourth-quarter investing did show increases in the number of first-time and early-stage deals completed, potentially marking the beginning of an uptick in investment levels for 2010.

Goncalves, 21 Others Accused in Bribery Sting

SPRINGFIELD — Following an undercover sting lasting almost two years, Amaro Goncalves, vice president of sales for Smith & Wesson, has been accused of bribing an African government in the hopes of securing a multi-million-dollar deal for its presidential guard. Additionally, 21 executives from a host of military and arms suppliers have been charged with conspiracy to launder money and violating the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Federal prosecutors allege that the defendants agreed to pay an illegal 20% commission to a sales agent they thought represented the defense minister of an unnamed African government. The arrests were made in Las Vegas while the defendants were attending the 2010 Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade Show.

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

AMHERST

All College Inc., 161 North Pleasant St., Amherst MA 01002. Parker Holcomb, same. Student-owned and operated laundry service in the Pioneer Valley.

The Common Foundation Inc, 52 Hitchcock Road, Amherst, MA 01002
Jennifer Acker, same. Provides charitable, educational and scientific print subsidized and online content in the area of literature and the visual and performing arts to the public.

HPPR Inc., 55 University Dr., Amherst, MA 01002. Harold Tramazzo, same. Restaurant business.

BELCHERTOWN

Danalevi Corp., 732 Daniel Shays Highway, Belchertown, MA 01007. Ross Hartman, same. Manufacturing service.

CHICOPEE

Auto Damage Appraisers of Chicopee Inc., 257 Hampden St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Ricci A. Tomassetti, same. Auto-damage appraisers.

FEEDING HILLS

Dave Anthony Photography Inc., 8 Marlene Dr., Feeding Hills, MA 01030. David A. Niedziela, same. Photography.

LONGMEADOW

Bently Management Group Inc., 696 Bliss Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106 David Steinberg, 31 Brookwood Dr., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Business Management.

NORTHAMPTON

Evolvegan Inc., 27 Highland Ave., Northampton, MA 01060. Derek Goodwin, 2 Linden St. #2 Northampton, MA 01060. A nonprofit organization formed to create art, performance and media to educate and increase public awareness about the connections between dietary choice, personal health, cultural ethics, and global sustainable ecology.

  

SPRINGFIELD

DIF Inc., One Federal St., Springfield, MA 01105. Dennis Driscoll Jr., 150 Pine St., #114 Manchester, CT 06040. Digital imaging and graphic design

In My Father’s House Inc., 15 Olive St., Springfield, MA 01109. Elizabeth Garrett-Leak, same. Non-profit organization created to provide the following programs a free clothing, adult literacy, youth self-expressions, employment search, prayer sessions, and a resource lending library.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Anova Hearing Lab Inc., 425 Union St., West Springfield, MA 01089. James F. Caldarola, same. Hearing testing and distribution of hearing aids.

Led Trucking Inc., 96 Kings Highway, West Springfield, MA 01089. Elena Dipon, same. Transportation services.

WESTFIELD

Diamond Custom Coating, 3 Progressive Ave, Westfield, MA 01085. John Balicki, 15 Rosalie, Lane, Southampton, MA 01073. Custom painting and coatings.

Ily Corporation, 41 Caitlin Way, Westfield, MA 01085. Abdallah Faozi Ghalayini, same.

WILBRAHAM

CAGD, Inc., 29 Stonegate Circle, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Giuseppe Deguglielmo, same. Food service provider.

Positioning Springfield for the Recovery

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Over the course of the past 18 months or so, business owners and managers quoted on the pages of BusinessWest have spoken with what has seemed like one voice about the Great Recession and their strategy for living through it. The exact words varied, but the general theme was the same: to make the best of a bad situation while positioning the company in question for when the recovery comes and individuals and businesses start spending again.

And by positioning, these business owners meant everything from rightsizing their operations to introducing new products and services (yes, it’s possible to do that in a recession), and keeping the company visible through effective marketing and branding — something that must be done, somehow, even when times are tough.

While appropriate for businesses of all sizes, this approach also applies to municipalities, and especially the city of Springfield, which emerged from control-board oversight last summer and is seemingly primed for a rebound — only it’s difficult to launch any kind of surge when unemployment is hovering around 10% and most business owners still lack the confidence in the economy that is necessary to take major steps such as expansion and relocation.

So Springfield finds itself in the same situation that many businesses are in — making the most of a bad situation and doing that ‘positioning’ work for when conditions improve. This, in a nutshell, is the assignment facing Mayor Domenic Sarno as he begins his second term in office (see story, page 6). He told BusinessWest that his administration isn’t sitting on the sidelines waiting and hoping for the recovery to begin; rather, it’s doing what it can in this recession, while also taking steps that may help it maximize the opportunities that should develop when that aforementioned confidence is restored.

And while progress has been made on a number of fronts, from public safety to vibrancy in the central business district, there is much work to be done, as the mayor said repeatedly. And much of this work comes in the form of branding, marketing, and addressing Springfield’s ongoing public-relations problem.

As we said, there has been some progress in many areas, such as downtown, where the quick retenanting of the old federal building, now known as 1500 Main St., kept an important structure from going dark and has the potential to help many still-struggling businesses downtown. Also, UMass Amherst has agreed to move one of its departments into a building in Court Square, the start of what could be a much larger partnership.

Meanwhile, a second tenant has been secured for the Memorial II industrial park near Smith & Wesson. FW Webb will build a distribution facility there that will bring new jobs to the city and possibly create more momentum for the park. On the marketing and branding front, city officials staged another successful developers conference late last fall, opening some eyes to potential development opportunities in the process.

Many attendees at that conference were somewhat surprised at the level of vibrancy they saw, an indication that Springfield clearly has some work to do to repair the considerable damage done to its image by years of headlines about ineffective government, financial chaos, and how the once-proud center of manufacturing and innovation was decades removed from its best days.

Indeed, the perception of Springfield as a struggling city with unsafe streets and underperforming schools is certainly Sarno’s biggest challenge moving forward, because, in many ways, perception is reality.

Which brings us back to that word positioning. To be properly positioned, the city needs to have a number of pieces in place — from sites that can be developed to schools that can produce a large, reliable workforce; from neighborhoods that people want to live in to a downtown that is alive more than eight hours each day.

If the city can continue to make progress in such areas, it can, like many of the businesses in this region, be ready to seize the moment when the Great Recession is definitely — and definitively — behind us.

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Cowls to Close Manufacturing Division

AMHERST — Citing diminished customer demand for custom-sawed lumber, W. D. Cowls Inc. will close its sawmill, one of its four divisions, this month. The ninth-generation family business will focus its future on its timberland and real-estate-management services, and Cowls Building Supply’s retail lumberyard and design showroom, according to Cinda Jones, president of W. D. Cowls Inc. Cowls’ core business, since 1741, has been sustainably managing timberland in Western Mass. from its home farm in North Amherst. Over the past 268 years, the family business enterprises have also included onion, corn, tobacco, and potato farms. Jones noted that family businesses have to innovate and change over time to survive and thrive, and her family is excited about the future. She added that this latest endeavor “is not about a business closing, but about a business evolving.”

NTS Moving into Springfield

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — New Technology Systems Inc. (NTS) will expand its presence into Western Mass. with a business service and sales office in the Monarch building beginning Feb. 1. NTS is a privately held, enterprise IT company that has been servicing Connecticut and Massachusetts for more than 28 years, according to Barry Kelly, vice president of NTS. Kelly noted that NTS specializes in the assessment, design, supply, and implementation of cost-effective technology solutions. NTS is headquartered in East Hartford.

Bell & Hudson Insurance Recertified

BELCHERTOWN — Bell & Hudson Insurance Agency Inc. has achieved full recertification as a Five Star insurance agency by the Mass. Assoc. of Insurance Agents. The Five Star Award of Distinction is earned by agencies that pass a comprehensive fitness review based on model best practices in customer focus, management, leadership, human resources, processes, products, and services. Once the designation is achieved by an insurance agency, the agency must be recertified every three years to retain it. The Five Star certification team, which conducts the fitness review, made note of the agency’s outstanding leadership, positive employee morale, and the staff’s commitment to the agency’s customers and the community as a whole. Bell & Hudson Insurance Agency, a full-service independent insurance agency, is located at 19 North Main St.

Auto Distributorship Transformation Brings Awards

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The University of Hartford’s new Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center has been honored repeatedly as an outstanding example of ‘adaptive reuse’ of an old industrial facility. The project transformed the former Thomas Cadillac distributorship at the corner of Albany Avenue and Westbourne Parkway in Hartford into a 55,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility for dance and theater instruction and performance for the Hartt School. The $22 million facility includes five dance studios, four theater rehearsal studios, three vocal studios, and two black-box theatres, as well as faculty offices, a café, a bank branch, and a community room. The architects of the arts center received a 2009 Design Award on Dec. 7 from the Connecticut Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in the category of ‘preservation.’ The center was designed by Smith Edwards Architects of Hartford with the goal of preserving the unique character of the original facility, which was created in 1929 by pioneering industrial architect Albert Kahn. The center also received a 2009 Hartford Preservation Alliance Award for its rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the former Cadillac building. Other honors for the project include a Connecticut Real Estate Exchange Award for adaptive reuse, a 2009 Connecticut Preservation Award from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, and a Connecticut Main Street Center 2009 Award of Excellence for adaptive reuse.

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

EAST LONGMEADOW

International Pest Control Inc., 24 Dell St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Vladimir Bovdyr, same. Pest control.

ROA Molding Inc., 200 North Main St., Suite 4, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. David N. Moore, 257 Mountain Road, Hampden, MA 01036. Plastic molding, manufacturing, and related services.

HOLYOKE

Bodega 24 Corporation, 47 Cherry St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Jean C. Concepcion, Same. Grocery retailer.

GREENFIELD

Hole Pie Inc., 44 Hope St., Greenfield, MA 01301. James Callaway, same. To own, operate, control and/or manage restaurants.

LONGMEADOW

Denise Desellier Real Estate Inc., 5 Dartmouth Road, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Denise M. Desellier, same. Real estate sales, purchase and sale of tax liens.

NORTHAMPTON

Developmental Testing Service Inc., 35 South Park Terrace, Northampton, MA 01060. Theo Linda Dawson, same. Educational and scientific purposes.

Glenn S. Fagen, PHD Inc., 100 King St., Suite 303, Northampton, MA 01060. Glenn Fagen, same. Psychotheraphy practice.

 

SPRINGFIELD

Forest Park Grocery & Fruit Market Corporation, 68 Appleton St., Springfield, MA 01108. Guillermo R. Negron, Same. Grocery and fruit market; soda, beer, wine, and tobacco

Massachusetts Center for Advanced Precision Manufacturing Technology Inc., 1441 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. J. William Ward, 14 Oakcrest Dr., Westfield, MA 01085. To facilitate and promote economic development generally and, in particular, to serve as a focal point and catalyst for technical services and growth initiatives that benefit the precision manufacturing industry in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Patriot Roofing & Remodeling Inc., 88 Arcadia Blvd. Springfield, MA 01118. Mark O. Kelly, same. Home and commercial repair roofing and remodeling.

WESTFIELD

K & M Corporation, 1176 Granville Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Michael E. Regensburger, same. Limousine service.

WILBRAHAM

Flodesign Wind Turbine Securities Corp., 380 Main St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Stanley Kowalski III, same. To make investments and manage funds.

RWD6 — Will Fly Again Inc., 830 Glendale Road, Wilbraham, MA 01056. Grzegorz Trzaska, same. To build a replica of RWD6 aircraft.

Innovative Force

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Innovative Force
Features
PMRAP Builds a Bridge Between Research at UMass and Area Manufacturers
Innovative Force

Marla Michel says the Precision Manu-facturing Regional Alliance Project has the potential to help existing companies grow market share and add jobs.

It’s called the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project, or PMRAP. That’s the long title of an initiative that one participant, a professor in UMass Amherst’s Machining and Industrial Engineering department, called a “two-way communication street” between the university and area manufacturers. That communication is expected to drive innovation that will eventually lead to growth in a vital sector of the economy — and job creation.

There were dozens of area dignitaries gathered at the new Museum of Springfield History for the Dec. 17 press conference to announce an initiative called the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project, or PMRAP for short.

Many of the speakers, from Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno to Greg Bialecki, secretary of the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, said the kinds of things one might expect as they discussed the project, funded by a $600,000 National Science Foundation grant.

They used words like ‘historic’ and ‘breakthrough’ and ‘potential’ as they discussed what amounts to a unique partnership between the region’s precision-manufacturing sector, departments at UMass Amherst, and other players, designed to foster innovation and create jobs.

But when the owners of these precision manufacturers and officials at UMass spoke, there was a different, very confident tone that wasn’t speculative in nature, noted Dave Cruise, project manager for the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, who was one of those in attendance.

“And there was good reason for that,” said Cruise, one of the lead coordinators of the PMRAP project. “It’s because they know that this is not just talk. They can tell that it’s going to work. They’ve seen it.”

Indeed, while those representing the various parties involved in the project waited until the circumstances were right and all the major players could be assembled to stage the elaborate announcement ceremony and signing of a memorandum of agreement, the work toward forging partnerships was already well underway.

It started in late summer with the first of four so-called “technology-innovation forums,” said Cruise, referring to sessions at which area precision-manufacturing shop owners meet with faculty members at UMass to discuss ways in which they can help each other. These forums had titles ranging from ‘Non-metallic Metals — Machining and Processing Technologies’ to ‘Manufacturing Process Optimization’; from ‘Metals and Composite Interfaces’ to ‘Cryogenic Machining.’

The common denominator in each case, said Cruise, was open dialogue designed to develop ways in which research at UMass could help area manufacturers create new products; develop new, more efficient processes; or use lighter and stronger materials to better serve customers and drive innovation.

Marla Michel, director of Research Liaison & Development at UMass, put things another way. She said the innovation forums — and the PMRAP as a whole — were blueprinted to create what she called “an invisible new climate” in which technology can be transferred from the labs at the university to plants across the Valley.

Elaborating, she said that UMass faculty members and students are involved in many different types of research projects, and are conducting such work mostly unaware of how it might be applied by small and mid-sized precision manufacturers. Meanwhile, these same manufacturers are facing both challenges and opportunities with regard to existing markets and possible new ones, and without much of an understanding about how ongoing research at UMass might help them accomplish stated goals.

The PMRAP was conceived to essentially open up the lines of communication, keep them open, and build a bridge between a still-strong sector of the economy and one of the state’s leading research institutions, said Sundar Krishnamurty, a professor in the university’s Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) department, one of two that are closely involved with the project.

“I think this is a very unique opportunity for us to collaborate with small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities,” he said. “Our valley is known for its manufacturing expertise, but nevertheless, industry on the whole, and especially in Western Mass., is being challenged by increased competition globally, aging facilities and technologies, and insufficient labor.”

Krishnamurty said the PMRAP is unique in that it is focusing on smaller precision manufacturers, and also on innovation that will take place in a few years, not 10 or 20, as is the case with most such initiatives. Therefore, it has strong potential to become a model for other regions and universities, he said, noting that there are already some presentations being planned for a year from now, at which PMRAP participants will discuss how their work can be emulated.

More importantly, though, he said, the project could foster job growth, help area companies maintain market share, and increase market share.

Material Evidence

The essence of the PMRAP can be derived from language in the memorandum of agreement between the three major players — the Western Mass. Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc., UMass Amherst, and the REB — and specifically from some of the passages pertaining to what UMass effectively agrees to do:

  • Collaborate in the design and implementation of the Technology Innovation Forums that will result in identifying solution approaches to short- and long-term technology-development issues;

  • Facilitate and enable the piloting of a technology-transfer project that will demonstrate the feasibility of transferring research discovery or new-product invention from UMass to a small precision-manufacturing company;

  • Agree to support small precision-manufacturing companies in their applications for new funds to further the technology transfer between them and UMass; and

  • Liaison between the REB technology-innovation and applications engineer to ‘mine’ technologies and practices that can be shared with the precision-manufacturing companies to help the regional industry develop flexible, creative solutions, and to deliver new and better products and services in the present or new markets.

    • Breaking down these assignments and those given to the other parties involved, Cruise said it all comes back to one word: partnerships. And in that respect, the PMRAP is a perfect followup to other work being funded by a John Adams Innovation Institute Grant to make the region’s precision-manufacturing sector more visible, a better alternative for job seekers, and, ultimately, more competitive.

    Ed Leyden, president of Ben Franklin Design & Manufacturing in Agawam and current president of the Western Mass. Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc. (NTMA), said that one of the main goals of the Innovation Institute-funded initiative is to drive transfer of technology from UMass to area precision-manufacturing shops; the PMRAP will essentially piggyback that effort and ensure that such transfers take place.

    And by doing so, it will keep technology that has historically gone elsewhere inside the Commonwealth and, specifically, the 413 area code.

    “What excites me about this is that there’s so much money being spent on research and development in this state, including that $1 billion set aside for life sciences,” he said, “and my big question is, why aren’t we bringing those things to market, why aren’t we creating jobs in this state? We’re doing the research and development here, and then it’s leaving.

    “How difficult is it for us to get together,” he continued, “and keep it here, and create good quality jobs in the process?”

    The PMRAP project will help change that equation, said Cruise, adding that the initiative has a number of partners. In addition to the REB and UMass, the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., Springfield Technical Community College, Holyoke Community College, and six area vocational technical high schools are all involved.

    There are several goals and deliverables, he continued, including the far-reaching ambition of establishing something that would be called the Massachusetts Center for Advanced Precision Manufacturing Technology, which would take all of the PMRAP’s stated goals — and strategies for reaching them — to a higher plane.

    The initiative falls under the broad category of economic development, said Michel, and, more specifically, an emerging focus on the state level to help existing companies to not only stay in business but also identify ways to trigger growth and penetrate new markets.

    “In previous years, there’s been a lot of attention put on attracting new businesses here,” she explained. “But there’s been this revival, or ‘aha moment,’ that we have to make sure that the companies that are already here stay here, and grow. There’s actually been some data that shows that most of the business growth comes from companies that are already here anyway. So why not put some resources there?”

    If the project takes the course organizers believe it will, then there will be several winners emerging from the work done, Michel continued, noting that precision manufacturers win because they gain new business; researchers at UMass win because they get new and interesting problems to solve, “and that’s their lifeblood”; and the region wins because it gains jobs (in all likelihood), and an important sector becomes more vibrant.

    Parts of the Whole

    What the PMRAP does is allow small- to medium-sized manufacturers to step beyond the daily grind of survival and look at new-product discovery and development and new and better ways of doing things, Michel told BusinessWest.

    “What we know is that most of these businesses are looking day to day, how to meet the next order, how to find the next customer,” she explained, “and not necessarily looking at how to find the next process or how to find the next new material so we can find a different customer and grow our customer base.

    “That’s one of the really neat things that this project is doing,” she continued, using the present tense as she did so. “It’s allowing companies to learn about new technologies before they have customers with them, and so they can find customers with them. But it’s also allowing the faculty, the researchers, to see how the technology is used in an environment like this, as opposed to with a larger company or in a research environment.”

    Krishnamurty agreed, and said the main goal of the PMRAP is to create what he called a “two-way communications street” whereby those in the precision manufacturing industry and faculty and students at UMass can get together and discuss new and innovative ideas.

    “And not in a generic sense, but in targeted, tailored research projects,” he said, ones that will likely have an immediate impact. “A lot of the work that goes on at universities is futuristic — looking 10 or 20 years down the road and assessing how we can change things. But with this particular project, our focus is on more immediate transfer of applications.

    This, in essence, is what the technology-innovation forums are all about.

    Michel says she hasn’t been to any of the innovation forums, but she’s received enough feedback from those who have to gain a real sense of what’s happening at these events and why the exchanges bode well for the future.

    She described the sessions as “elaborate mating dances” of sorts, during which the two main parties (the MIE and Polymer Science Engineering departments at UMass and representatives of area precision manufacturers), as well as other partners, gauge compatibility and the ability to understand each other’s language. Most have gone well, but one that got off to a rather slow start showed — and perhaps better than the others — how these are going to work.

    “The fourth session [Cryogenic Machining, or the use of liquid nitrogen to cool tools] looked like it was going to be a total dud,” Michel explained. “People were getting ready to wrap up and say, ‘this is not working — we don’t have anything here,’ but then, someone said something, and things just started flowing.”

    Krishnamurty, who was one of several from the MEI Department in attendance for that session, said it was slow to yield some true results, but eventually, the give-and-take led to discussions that might eventually lead to process improvements that could improve efficiency for many area shops.

    “Cryogenic manufacturing eliminates the need for many other kinds of cooling processes, and reduces the general wear and tear on the tools,” he explained. “The challenge is how to bring the liquid nitrogen into the plant — in what shape and form does the process take, and how does it affect the machining operation?

    “Our hope and hypothesis is that it will lead to significant improvement in efficiency and cost-effectiveness for our partners,” he continued, adding that discussions on this subject will definitely continue.

    Similar developments should be expected from the other forums, both those already held and two additional ones slated for early this year, said Krishnamurty, noting that the sessions have yielded what he called “very good exchanges.”

    “These have been very conversational discussions on what our priorities should be moving forward,” he explained. “What projects are of interest to them, and what are the projects with which UMass can make the maximum contribution? We heard from the companies about their needs, and we heard from the faculty about their expertise.”

    In so doing, he concluded, the sessions helped break down what one area shop owner called a “wall” between the university and the manufacturing sector.

    Finished Product

    Several of those who spoke at the Dec. 17 press conference talked about how the history museum was the perfect setting to announce the PMRAP. Most all of the exhibits in the facility, which opened only a few months ago, are prime examples of how innovation changed everyday life — and fueled the region’s economy.

    Those in attendance were given a tour that included exhibits of Rolls Royces made in Springfield, Indian Motocycles that were invented in the City of Homes, Smith & Wesson guns, and some products made by current precision manufacturers spawned by what many consider the age of innovation in the the Pioneer Valley.

    No one can say with any degree of certainty when or if the PMRAP project will add to the exhibits in the museum. But what all those involved do know is that this initiative has enormous potential for making the precision-manufacturing sector more vibrant and a bigger force in economic development.

    They know, because they’ve already seen it.

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

    OPINION

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    Uncategorized
    High-speed Rail a Clean Win for Commuters

    Americans traveling this holiday season were no doubt frustrated by long lines at airports and congestion on the roadways, caused by years of neglect to our national infrastructure. President Obama has an ambitious plan to fix these problems, which includes the creation of a nationwide network of high-speed and intercity passenger rail routes.

    To advance this goal, the president made an $8 billion down payment through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and proposed another $1 billion for each of the next five years. Nearly 40 states have applied for this money.

    To assist states, the Department of Transportation is providing funding and technical expertise as they meet important environmental planning benchmarks created by federal law. These benchmarks must be met before large-scale high-speed rail programs get underway, and they apply to every region of the country. Our goal is to make sure states follow these rules and are not burdened later with unnecessary project delays that drive up costs and hinder the long-term success of projects.

    As a former secretary of transportation for Maryland, I know the issues faced by communities on the Northeast Rail Corridor. The Obama adminsitration is committed to the region, and the Northeast Corridor will certainly be part of our future high-speed rail network. Just last year, we opened up a new bridge over the Thames River in Connecticut, and there is a $100 million project underway to replace the Niantic Bridge through Recovery Act dollars. There are plenty of other opportunities to maintain and improve Amtrak’s current high-speed service on the Northeast Corridor.

    The benefits of high-speed rail also include improving the environment by reducing carbon emissions, lessening highway congestion, and providing a much-needed alternative to the frustrations of air travel.

    We are building long-term relationships with states and coalitions of states to build world-class high-speed rail service, something that already exists in Europe and Asia. The U.S. program will provide tens of millions of Americans with transportation options that have not previously been available.

    The program will also offer relief to communities around the country that rely on manufacturing and that have been hard-hit economically. In fact, nearly three dozen rail manufacturers and suppliers, both domestic and foreign, have committed to establish or expand their operations here in America if they are chosen by states to build their high-speed rail lines.

    This effort will take work from all sides: a continued commitment from the federal government to support these investments, real oversight to make sure these new lines are safe and reliable, and a sustainable funding stream from states to maintain these routes. Through these efforts, we will improve the quality of life in many communities across the country, including those along the Northeast Corridor.

    John D. Porcari is the U.S. deputy secretary of Transportation.

    In Praise of the PMRAP

    By
    Uncategorized

    It’s an acronym not likely to become part of the local lexicon anytime soon, if ever, except maybe among some economic-development leaders and professors at UMass Amherst.

    But PMRAP — that’s the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project — is worthy of gaining a place in the region’s vocabulary, because it’s already a good story and has the potential to become a great one.

    Why? Because it embodies many positive elements identified as critical to making this region more vibrant and able to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. First, it involves partnerships between area economic-development agencies, businesses, and colleges. Second, it takes the involvement of the UMass Amherst campus to an increasingly higher plane in terms of economic vibrancy and long-term prosperity. And third, it involves the region’s manufacturing sector, and specifically the precision-machining industry, which has enjoyed a long history of innovation and can still play a key role in the Pioneer Valley economy going forward.

    PMRAP, as the full name suggests, is all about an alliance — between area precision-manufacturing operations; the university; other schools, including STCC, Holyoke Community College, and several vocational technical high schools; and organizations like the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. All these players have a common goal: to help bring research at UMass to the boardrooms and shop floors of area manufacturers, with the goal of driving innovation and, in the process, creating jobs.

    There are many elements to this equation, with one of the keys being something called technology-innovation forums, which, in a nutshell, will open the lines of communication between researchers and shop owners, lines that have mostly been closed, and to the detriment of all the players involved.

    There have already been four of these forums, with more scheduled for the months to come. Thus far, those involved say they’re doing exactly what they were designed to do: stimulate a dialogue between two groups that can definitely help one another.

    Area shop owners can provide researchers with problems to solve — which is what researchers live for. Meanwhile, researchers can solve the problems and, in the process, give shop owners new and better processes, new materials, and new ways to approach business.

    And with all that, these manufacturers can retain market share, grow market share, tap into new markets, expand, and add new, well-paying jobs in a region that remains desperate for some.

    Meanwhile, there’s something else: A region that once made its reputation for generating innovative products and processes can turn back the clock in that regard.

    No one can say with any degree of certainty how many jobs the PMRAP may create or retain. It’s much too early in the process for that, and there are, by most all accounts, no models of this kind of alliance to study anywhere in the country.

    But what is known is that this program certainly looks good on paper. Actually, it looks good in conference rooms at the university and in some area precision-manufacturing facilities — places where these technology-innovation forums have been staged since last fall.

    In those three sessions, participants could see that PMRAP isn’t just words, and it isn’t just an acronym. It’s a blueprint for progress.

    The Push for Corporate Sustainability

    By
    Sections Supplements
    It’s Good for Public Relations, Good for the Bottom Line

    Lock four business professionals in a room, and chances are you’ll get four different opinions about what ‘sustainability’ means. Some may see it as a way that corporations can help stop global warming. Another might say that global warming is a lie, and corporations are wasting their time spending money trying to save the environment. Still others may say sustainability is simply replacing Styrofoam cups with paper or coffee mugs that can be washed.

    The truth is that there really is no one definition of sustainability and all of the above answers have a kernel of truth. By adopting a sustainability plan, a company can take steps that may reduce their carbon footprint. Even if you don’t believe in global warming, your company may still see a financial benefit in switching from electrical heat to natural gas. But no matter how you slice it, sustainability is the new corporate buzzword, and, like it or not, the public is watching.

    Right now most American companies are about a decade behind European companies when it comes to understanding what sustainability is and how a company can use sustainability efforts to not only save money but position themselves ahead of their competition. Sustainability efforts are no longer just being undertaken by hemp clothing retailers in San Francisco. In July 2009, Wal-Mart announced a major restructuring of the way it handles packaging and vendors based on a new sustainability index. And we all know that once a company like Wal-Mart is on board, the business landscape changes.

    A modern sustainability program is based upon the idea of a triple bottom line, which refers to a company’s economic viability, its social responsibility, and environmental responsibility. Adopting a sustainability program doesn’t mean that your company has to generate all of its own power and convert its fleet to battery-operated cars. It simply means deciding what types of graduated steps you’d like to adopt to show social and environmental responsibility and then letting the world know what you’re doing through an annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report.

    “CSR reports are just starting to catch on among American businesses. A good example is one that is on the Starbucks Web site,” explains Kretz. “If you look at the Starbucks report, you’ll see that the company outlines various initiatives that it is undertaking to minimize its environmental impact and give back to the communities that it serves. For example, they talk about their transition to only selling fair-trade coffee beans, powering their stores with renewable-energy sources and employee volunteer programs. When you read it, you begin to understand that Starbucks hasn’t undergone a drastic transition. Rather, they are implementing something gradual but purposeful — and looking good while doing it.”

    Winning the PR Battle

    One of the benefits of developing a sustainability strategy is the fact that it automatically opens your company up to positive public-relations opportunities. The number of consumers who value environmental and sustainability efforts is growing every day, and by communicating your actions to those who are interested, you are positioning your company to look more attractive versus a company that has no sustainability plan.

    “There are Web sites devoted to help interested people find information about what companies are doing with regard to sustainability,” says Kretz. “CSR reports are indexed and readily available online. And it’s important that they’re accessible because many consumers and business will refuse to patronize a business that isn’t implementing at least some type of sustainability initiative.”

    A perfect example of using sustainability practices for PR comes from Kostin’s homebuilding clients. Many are building higher-end homes in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) specs because, in a tough home market, a LEED rating can be the difference between a home selling or languishing on the market for months.

    A commitment to sustainability also helps with internal PR because studies have shown that employees — especially younger ones — look favorably upon such efforts. A CSR is an easy way to illustrate your company’s commitment to sustainability, which can also be of use when hiring.

    Going Green Means Saving Green

    Remember that a good sustainability program is supposed to contribute to a company’s triple bottom line. This means that a good sustainability campaign will also help save the company money.

    There are a number of ways that a company can help the environment and save money at the same time. The easiest way to do this is by taking advantage of the numerous tax credits and incentive programs for installing energy-saving equipment or replacing older equipment with newer, more efficient items. The recent stimulus packages included more than $61 billion in credits and grants for energy conservation.

    Some examples of the government credits available are for adding insulation to your home and purchasing hybrid vehicles. On the business side, there are grants available for solar panels and wind, power, tidal, and geothermal power. Of course, these programs start and end all the time, so speaking with your tax professional is a good start to find out what types of programs are currently available.

    Beyond tax credits and incentive programs, sustainability programs have other benefits that may be small but add up over time. For example, a company changing from disposable cups to having employees bring in washable mugs will not only reduce waste but will save the company the money they spent supplying the cups. Implementing a data-warehousing system can not only help a company reduce the need for printed, archival copies of files, but it will also reduce the square-foot cost for storage needs and usually results in quicker retrieval of data.

    There are experts who specialize in sustainability audits who can come into a company, see how it is currently operating and suggest small measures that can really add up. When the price of gas spiked above $4 a gallon, many companies started trying to figure out ways to reduce travel with videoconferencing or by stacking together trips so that multiple clients could be visited in one day. Even though gas is now below $3 a gallon, that strategy of reducing travel not only enhances a company’s sustainability efforts, it will mean less money burned down the tailpipe.

    The Wal-Mart example illustrates the ultimate bottom-line impact. Part of Wal-Mart’s plan is to measure the sustainability of every product it will sell. It is forecasting a day in the next couple of years when it will be able to label all of its products with a ‘sustainability index’ number. Those companies that aren’t currently working to minimize their packaging and quantify the environmental impact of their product and manufacturing processes will find that the large retailer will no longer sell their product. That’s where you can easily see that companies with no sustainability plan won’t be able to sustain their business model.

    What the Future Holds

    There’s no question that companies need to start working on assessing their sustainability efforts. The time is drawing nearer when it will be a necessity to have at least some type of report available that outlines what your company is doing with regard to minimizing its impact on the planet and maximizing its efforts to help members of your community.

    For example, the American Institute of CPAs has set up a task force to figure out best practices around sustainability initiatives. In fact, Prince Charles, a proponent of sustainable farming and other practices, spoke to the group’s annual conference this year to encourage further development of sustainability in the U.S.

    CSR accounting has only been around for a decade, and it’s still evolving. But companies that commit to measuring their sustainability can demonstrate their interest in the environment to their employees and communities, build trust and promote transparency, and show their commitment to their important stakeholders. CSRs are gaining momentum, and companies that aren’t taking action now risk finding themselves on the wrong end of business and consumer sentiment in a few years. n

    Richard Kretz is managing member and Brian Newman is member of the firm at Kostin, Ruffkess & Co., LLC, a certified public accounting and business-advisory firm with offices in Springfield as well as Farmington and New London, Conn. Beyond traditional accounting, auditing and tax consulting, the firm also specializes in employee benefit-plan audits, litigation support, business valuation, succession-planning business consulting, forensic accounting, wealth management, estate planning, fraud prevention, and information technology assurance;www.kostin.com.

    The Power of Imagination

    By
    Cover 11/23/09
    Cover Story
    Computing Center Fuels Speculation, Optimism in Holyoke
    Cover 11/23/09

    Cover

    The high-performance computing center planned for downtown Holyoke will apparently become reality in the next 12 to 18 months. While details of that venture — to involve UMass, MIT, and many other institutions — are starting to emerge, speculation has begun in earnest about what kinds of economic-development opportunities will follow such a project. Those involved in a task force to develop something to be called the “Innovation District” in the heart of the city say much depends on the research agenda that will emerge at the center. But all signs point to an enormous opportunity for this former paper and textiles hub, and the goal moving forward is to fully leverage this asset.

    Jeff Hayden was recalling some of the Holyoke history he’s known since he was a child.

    “When the dam was first built, there were no mills — this was an agrarian community with about 3,000 people,” said Hayden, vice president of Business and Community Services at Holyoke Community College and former director of economic development for the city, as he referenced the engineering project that enabled what was then a small town to take full advantage of a 57-foot drop in the Connecticut River. “Some 35 years later, there were 36 mills, probably close to 40,000 people living here, and an industrial complex that could rival anything in the country. That’s incredible growth in a very short time.”

    He cited the chapter in Holyoke history written between 1850 and 1880 as he discussed the high-performance computing center that will now apparently become reality in the Paper City — and, perhaps more importantly, what could follow that facility in terms of economic-development potential.

    Hayden is not predicting that history will repeat itself with such profound growth, but then again, he’s certainly not ruling it out.

    Such is the power of imagination, and speculation, when it comes to the computing center, a concept that most people in this region, including many of those most-closely involved with it, are struggling to get both hands around. But optimism abounds, and there is widespread sentiment that the $50 million facility could change the landscape in this city that has been trying to reinvent itself since most of the mills closed decades ago.

    What is known is that UMass, MIT, Boston University, CISCO, EMC, and several other partners will come together and build a facility somewhere along the canals in downtown Holyoke. This much was announced at a packed press conference in late October that featured Gov. Deval Patrick. What is also known is that the computing center will be a nonprofit venture that will not pay taxes to Holyoke and will create perhaps only a few dozen jobs to start, by most early estimates.

    What isn’t known is what kind of economic development can follow such a facility. There are other so-called super-computing centers around the country, but most have been in existence only a short time, so there is no real body of evidence to show what can happen in Holyoke.

    But there is widespread speculation that government agencies, private businesses, support services, and perhaps (or probably) all of the above will want to locate around the computing center, said Kathy Anderson, director of the Holyoke Office of Planning and Development. She, like others, said that much will depend on the research agenda that emerges at the center. But there are some common denominators.

    “There is a pattern developing about the kinds of businesses that want to be located near these centers,” she said, noting that her office is conducting research on the subject. And there is ample reason to believe that many companies and institutions will want to be around this particular center, she continued, because of its uniqueness with regard to how it will be powered.

    Indeed, inexpensive hydropower will be the primary source of energy to drive and cool the computers, said Anderson, adding quickly that this is an attractive drawing card at a time when many businesses and institutions want to portray themselves as environmentally conscious. “It’s clean, it’s green, and it’s comparatively cheap,” she noted.

    Anderson will be one of the co-chairs of a task force charged with exploring development opportunities in what will be called the “Innovation District” in downtown Holyoke, where the center will be built, although the exact location isn’t known. She said the group will likely begin meeting next month, and while its specific charge hasn’t been put down on paper, it amounts to devising strategies to help enable Holyoke to leverage, and thus take full advantage of, an incredible opportunity.

    Tim Brennan, director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the other co-chair of the task force, put things a different way.

    “We’re essentially coming up with a re-use plan for a city,” he explained. “Holyoke was the first planned industrial city; now it could become the first re-planned industrial city.”

    For this issue, BusinessWest talked with many who will be directly involved with this Innovation District about what the computing center could mean for Holyoke, and how the city can capitalize on this enormous asset.

    Breaking New Ground

    Brennan acknowledged that, like many who now have ‘high-performance computing center’ as part of their vocabulary, he’s still trying to grasp the concept.

    There’s much that he doesn’t know about these facilities and the economic development that they could spur. What he does know is that nothing will happen overnight, and also that there is no clear model to follow, or anything approaching same.

    “You can’t run to the library and get books on this,” he explained. “There just aren’t any. This is brand-new territory.”

    Therefore, mapping out strategies will be challenging, but also rather exciting, he said, noting that a $50 million facility built by some of the top research institutions in the world is going to be dropped into the middle of an urban center, specifically a low-income community still struggling to gain a new identity after much of its paper and textiles mills closed down or moved south.

    That makes this still-unnamed facility rather unique and potentially attractive, said Anderson, noting that most of the existing super-computing centers are located on or near college campuses (such as Ohio State University, the University of California at San Diego, and the University of Hawaii), or in rural areas such as Rio Rancho, N.M., Fitchburg, Wis., and Butte, Mont.

    Research into existing centers reveals that most have affiliations with both universities and federal agencies or departments, she continued. The Advanced Biomedical Computing Center in Frederick, Md., for example, is affiliated with the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Health. The Maui High Performance Computing Center, meanwhile, has affiliations with the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense, and Research Triangle Park in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., has one with the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Such affiliations are usually determined by the types of research being conducted at the centers, said Anderson, noting that it is far too early in the process to determine what the institutions involved in the Holyoke project will be focused on. The possibilities are seemingly endless, and include everything from work in climate change to new developments in so-called ‘cloud computing,’ or the delivery of hosted services over the Internet, or the ‘cloud.’

    But the likely scenario, no matter the research agenda, is that government agencies will follow the computing center, and then private-sector firms doing business in (or trying to break into) the research areas that develop. There will also be support businesses to provide services to all those constituencies, as well as other businesses that want or need to locate near such a center.

    “Our goal is to essentially create a campus,” Anderson explained. “We’ll see other businesses that are not even related to a high-performance computing center that would like to be around this.

    “As the research agenda unfolds, we’ll see other researchers that will want to be around this,” she continued, “and we’ve already had calls from businesses that are not related to this kind of center but want to be near one.”

    Hayden agreed, and used research and development of cloud computing as one example of what might emerge at Holyoke’s computing center, and how such work might attract businesses and jobs.

    “One of the things they’ve talked about with this center is studying cloud computing itself and how it can be made more efficient, and green, and how it can best be utilized,” he explained. “That also incorporates things like security; if everything’s out there on the cloud, how do you keep it secure and how do you keep it proprietary?

    “There are all kinds of complex computations that will be done in terms of how to do cloud computing in a way that’s effective for business,” he continued, adding that many private businesses could potentially be involved in this research, with the goal of bringing new products to the marketplace — products that could be produced in Holyoke.

    Such scenarios echo Holyoke’s proud past, said Anderson, noting that, in many respects, history will indeed be repeating itself. It was abundant, inexpensive hydropower and an infrastructure to support large manufacturing operations that put Holyoke on the map 150 years ago, she noted, and it is these assets that are collectively bringing the computing center to the city — and fueling speculation about what will follow it.

    Plenty of Dam Attributes

    Indeed, while there are many unknowns when it comes to the computing center and the economic development it may generate, those who spoke with BusinessWest were in general agreement that Holyoke will certainly be well-positioned to capitalize on such opportunities.

    “There are a lot of things happening in this city right now that are going to make it an attractive place for businesses to want to be,” said Anderson, adding that the computing center could be the catalyst that compels business owners, federal agencies, and college presidents to look in Holyoke’s direction.

    Listing attributes and signs of progress, Anderson noted everything from the start of work on Holyoke’s Canal Walk to a large supply of former mill space that can be retrofitted to a number of uses; from an attractive location on or near several major highways to one of the lowest electric rates in the Northeast; from fast-track permitting to a strong fiber-optic backbone.

    All of this and more is captured in a recently released video designed to promote the city as an attractive home for businesses, especially those of the green variety.

    It features several players in business, industry, and economic development, including Anderson, Holyoke G&E General Manager James Lavelle, Universal Plastics President Joe Peters, and Brendan Ciecko, the 22-year-old entrepreneur who has made downtown Holyoke the home for his Web site design business Ten Minute Media.

    “It’s a great strategic location for any business,” Ciecko says in the video. “Being within two hours of New York City and being an hour and a half from Boston is very advantageous for my business. I have the majority of my clients located in New York, so if I want to meet with Mick Jagger, for instance, I can be there in two hours.”

    Summing up the content in the video and the many initiatives involving her office, Anderson said Holyoke has the wherewithal, and the creativity, needed to effectively leverage an asset like the computing center, making this city the proverbial right place at the right time for businesses in many sectors.

    “A lot of things are coming together at the right time,” she told BusinessWest, noting everything from transportation facilities — a new intermodal transportation center downtown and the potential for commuter rail — to fast-track permitting that will expedite the process of bring a business to the city. “The pieces are coming into place for Holyoke to stand out in the market, and the state has recognized that.”

    But perhaps the biggest asset is abundant, green energy, said Lavelle, noting that Holyoke’s hydropower is part of an attractive package, which also includes high-speed fiber-optic services, that is turning heads in the business community and elsewhere.

    It obviously caught the attention of those at UMass, MIT, Boston University, and other colleges, who recognized the need for a high-performance computing center, but also the need to place it a community where the huge amounts of electricity needed for such a facility would be comparatively inexpensive — and green.

    Lavelle noted that the electricity his utility would provide to a large commercial customer like the computing center (which is protected to need anywhere from six to 12 megawatts for its first phase) would currently cost about 8.4 cents per kilowatt. That’s roughly one-third lower than the rates currently charged by Western Mass Electric Co., he said, and about half what large businesses in Cambridge, home to MIT, are paying at present.

    But it’s not just the rates that are attractive, he noted, adding that roughly two-thirds of the power supplied by HG&E is from renewable sources, mostly hydropower, and the utility is currently exploring ways to increase that percentage and also provide ample ‘green’ power for all those who might want to come to Holyoke.

    “More than 80% of our power produces no carbon footprint, and that’s really attractive to entities looking to manage their growth and their carbon footprint at the same time,” said Lavelle. “And that’s not unique to high-tech and education; we’re seeing it across the board. Our challenge is going to be to scale and increase our renewable content with this growth so that we don’t dilute it.

    “We’re trying to build our renewable portfolio so that our carbon footprint is continually declining,” he continued. “We’re looking at the possibility of wind generation on Mount Tom, we’re always looking at the hydro component to get more generation out of that plant, and we’ll look at other renewable sources.”

    But the words ‘green’ and ‘renewable’ refer to more than just energy, said Anderson, referring to Holyoke’s vast inventory of old mill space and, in the larger scheme of things, its downtown as a whole.

    Just as companies and institutions may want to reduce their carbon footprint, she explained, they may also desire to be part of an effort to revitalize and reuse some of the old mills, putting them back to work for economic development.

    “I think a lot of entities would be intrigued by the possibility if reutilizing the existing resources we have here,” she explained, “taking old buildings built for manufacturing, looking at them in a different way and reusing them. That’s part of the whole green initiative, and it could be a real advantage for Holyoke.”

    Powerful Arguments

    Hayden, a Holyoke native, said the high-performance computing center is the hot topic of conversation seemingly everywhere in Holyoke, from HCC, which is already exploring creation of programs to train people who would work at the center, to the Stop & Shop, to the Dam Café on Northampton Street.

    “There’s excitement and a level of energy I’ve never seen before,” he explained. “This has captured the imagination of an entire city.”

    And it has drawn a number of references to Holyoke’s past and its meteoric rise as a manufacturing center, said Hayden, who, like Brennan and others, offered a cautionary note about the progress that could follow the computing center.

    “Things won’t happen overnight,” he said. “It will take m
    ny years for things to come into place.”

    But as he recalled Holyoke’s profound growth after the dam and canal system were constructed, Hayden said, “30 years can go by in the blink of an eye.”

    George O’Brien can be reached

    at[email protected]

    Green Power

    By
    John Laux
    Uncategorized

    Organizers of the Clean Energy Connections Conference and Opportunity Fair staged the second edition of the still-fledgling event earlier this month. The conference provided job seekers with an opportunity to see what the field has to offer, and for business owners to recruit new talent. But for most attendees, the event offered a chance to see, hear, and experience the size and diversity of the region’s ‘green’ sector, and to ponder what the future might hold for this intriguing industry

    On a Tuesday earlier this month at the MassMutual Center, you could find everything from energy-saving window shades to solar power providers; from green energy consultants to pioneering biofuel technology.

    The Clean Energy Connections Conference and Opportunity Fair is in its second year. “Last year was a bit of an experiment, and folks didn’t know what to expect,” said Loren Walker, associate director of Research Liaison and Development at UMass Amherst. “This year it was affirmed that what we’ve organized is truly unique. It’s way more than a job fair. Many connections were made between businesses, between students and colleges, and between businesses and future employees.”

    Walker is the associate director in the Office of Research, and is one of the organizers of the event. This year, he said, the goals for the conference were to create those connections in the business and research communities to advance the ‘green,’ clean-energy technology sector in the region.

    The event was staged on a weekday this year in the hopes of increasing a corporate role at the convention, Walker said. “By keeping it inclusive, for educators, financiers, business leaders and owners, community leaders, and public agencies, we increase the chances that we’ll have an impact on developing the pipeline of trained workers, placing workers locally, and growing clean-energy-related businesses in the Commonwealth that will be socially responsible.”

    Walking through the exhibition hall, the broad scope of the conference was evident: schools, architectural firms, biofuel industries, banks, environmental entrepreneurs, and consulting firms, all representing a commitment to a solid green sector for this region, were in attendance.

    “The clean-energy sector is going to grow by these folks coming together,” Walker continued.  “The green economy touches so many issues — social justice, business development, technology, workforce development. It’s still so broad, but the communication needs to be there, or else we’ll end up with a fragmented economy.”

    BusinessWest talked with some of the event’s exhibitors, some familiar names and some not-so-familiar, to gain some perspective on just where the region’s green sector is, and where a diverse group of players think it can go.

    Onward and Upward

    When JMP Environmental Consulting opened a second office in Springfield, having originally operated in Ware, the move was a perfect example of the role Western Mass. plays for the green sector.

    Exhibiting at the conference for the first time, owner John Prenosil said that his hopes were to raise awareness for land-development issues. “Our goal is to educate and guide our clients interested in alternative energy sources as they relate to site selection,” he told BusinessWest.

    Springfield is important as the largest city in the region, and he said that his decision to locate another office here was based on a lack of others in his field.

    “In our experience, people seem to be more receptive to alternative energy sources and green alternatives,” he said. ”As a business, we strive to be as green as we can. We are involved with more residential and commercial projects that involve alternative energy and greener development techniques this year than in the past, and hope to see this trend continue and increase in the future.”

    Around the corner, Chris Kilfoyle welcomed people to the booth representing his company, Berkshire Photovoltaic Services. Admiring the crowds of students, fellow exhibitors, and interested visitors, he spoke highly of the gathered talent.

    “Number one, we want to make sure that companies who may have come to the conference looking at the region as a place to brand their manufacturing facility, or their service industry, can see that there’s an active educational component here as well as a network of professionals already in place,” he said. “The industry can grow here, and we all would love to be part of that growth.”

    Already a recognized leader in the region’s solar-energy field, Kilfoyle said he did get some good leads for new business at the conference, but the issues the gathering raised were of far greater significance.

    Kilfoyle had high marks for the organizers at UMass, citing them as leaders for the green sectors in the area. He was impressed by the students he’d encountered, whom he spoke of as giving renewed optimism for the future. While the conference gives business owners a chance to look at the region for its role in green initiatives, it can also give rise to enthusiasm for the succeeding generations destined for roles within that economy.

    “For many students,” he said, “we gave them a pep talk. They are asking about what courses of study should they be looking at, what is the job growth, what are the job prospects. We collected résumés from people who are unemployed but highly qualified in electronics and electricity, and in that regard, it’s even better for us than making contacts to sell systems. The main impetus of the conference is to show, ‘hey, there are companies out there that will be hiring, that are hiring, and this is the place to meet them.’”

    Map Quest

    John Laux is the president and CEO of Greendustry Park of Florence, and the creator of the Green Gateway Guides Map, an all-in-one look at the green industry for the four counties of Western Mass. While the Greendustry Park had been a contributor at the earlier convention, the map made its debut this year.

    The map represents a strategic step forward in identifying all things and organizations green, looking at agriculture, building trades, education, energy systems and services, environmental services, manufacturing, organized groups, retail, and support services. Laux said that there had been many other compendiums and guides out there, but usually there is a charge for inclusion in such information banks.

    “We found that there are many Web sites with a smattering of these different companies in the region,” he explained, “but there isn’t one clearinghouse of data, because everyone’s model is about how to make money off of selling positions and listings.

    “That wasn’t accessible to the public or anyone doing research in the region or outside of the region,” he continued. “So we decided that what we needed to do was to build a model that wasn’t money-centric, that was built on a framework of neutrality. We’re not looking for money, we’re looking to be able to put this information together for anyone who needs it.”

    According to Laux, an important aspect in creating the map is to raise awareness of what is green, and how that could be applied to one’s daily life. The map itemizes businesses and services that are green by their nature, offering environmentally minded products, or are green behind the scenes, with practices, systems, or policies that situate them as proponents of the green ethos.

    What Laux plans to do next is use the data compiled to create baseline metrics for the local green community. “What it does,” he explained, “is measure companies based on performance, so that people get rated, above and beyond standard business practices. What we are trying to do is to create a neutral metric, to encourage companies to strive for added status.”

    As one of those people showcasing the green industry from within, Laux said the conference this year highlighted the emergence of a consciousness for the sector outside the region. “Last year the conference was very centered on Western Mass. to show everything that was going on here. This year, the conference pulled in a lot of people from the east.”

    Most important, he said, is a growing recognition of the area for all that it offers. UMass has pioneering laboratories working on biofuels, as reported widely in the media, but also groundbreaking work on agriculture for that energy technology, as well as one of the more important wind-energy laboratories in the world. “It’s been there for 20-plus years. Their technology is being used throughout the world for wind technology, but who really knows that?” he asked.

    “I gave a presentation to the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission recently,” he continued. “I’m on the green strategy group there, and went over all the data that we had compiled for the map, and they were fascinated by it. Their response was, ‘we knew things were going on, but not at this level.’ It really gave them a sense; you could almost see them bubbling over with, ‘wow, this is really happening.’

    “In trying to figure out what ‘green’ is,” he concluded, “you need to stop and look at the data that we’ve compiled, and know that this region is way up there. It was an awakening for the PVPC, and that’s what this conference is about. We’re trying to get the word out that it is happening here, and we are players. And we want the rest of the state and beyond to know that.”

    By
    Departments

    Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield
    (413) 787-1555
    www.myonlinechamber.com

    Nov. 19: ACCGS Government Reception, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield. Tickets: $55, general admission; $45 for members.

    Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
    www.springfieldyps.com

    Nov. 19: YPS Third Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m., hosted by the Museum of Springfield History, 21 Edwards St., Springfield. View museum exhibits that describe Springfield’s development as a manufacturing center, the city’s role in transportation history, the many inventions and firsts that were generated here, the growth of downtown as the region’s commercial center, the effects of urbanization and suburbanization, and the stories of Springfield’s diverse populations. Corporate sponsor: Baystate Medical Practices, part of Baystate Health. Sound and entertainment provided by Jx2 Productions.

    Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
    www.amherstarea.com

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 594-2101
    www.chicopeechamber.org

    Nov. 18: Salute Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by MassMutual Learning & Conference Center, 350 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Tickets: $18 for members; $25 for non-members. Register online at www.chicopeechamber.org .

    Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 773-5463; www.franklincc.org

    Nov. 20: FCCC Breakfast Series, 7:30 to 9 a.m., hosted by Bella Notte, Huckle Hill Road, Bernardston. Program: Engaging an Audience and the Community in New Media. Guest speaker: Jon Abbott, president and CED of WGBH in Boston, a broadcaster with multiple TV and radio services, known for its iconic programming (Nova, Masterpiece, Frontline, Antiques Roadshow, Curious George, The World, etc.). Sponsored by Greenfield Cooperative Bank. Tickets: $12 for members; $14 for non-members. For reservations, call (413) 773-5463 or e-mail
    [email protected]  by Nov. 13.

    Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 527-9414
    www.easthamptonchamber.org

    Nov. 12: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Northeast Center for Youth & Families, 203 East St., Easthampton. Door prizes, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar. Tickets: $5 for members; $15 for non-members.

    Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 534-3376;
    www.holycham.com

    Nov. 18: Chamber After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Eighty Jarvis Restaurant, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Tickets: $5 for members; $10 cash for non-members.

    Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 584-1900
    www.explorenorthampton.com

    Nov. 12: Northampton Area Young Professionals Party with a Purpose, 5 to 8 p.m., hosted by Mama Iguana’s. Free for members; $5 for guests.
    Nov. 13: Northampton Chamber Information Session, 8 to 9:30 a.m., 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Free for those considering membership in the chamber.

    Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 283-2418;
    www.qvcc.biz

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 532-6451; www.shchamber.com

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce
    413-283-6425
    www.threeriverschamber.org

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 568-1618; www.westfieldbiz.org

    Nov. 12: 2009 Annual Meeting and Awards, 6 to 9 p.m., location and cost TBA. For more details, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected] .

    By
    Departments

    Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield
    (413) 787-1555
    www.myonlinechamber.com

    Nov. 4: ACCGS Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by the Cedars, Island Pond Road, Springfield. Tickets: $30, general admission; $20 for members.
    Nov. 4: ACCGS After 5, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Hilton Garden Inn, Springfield. Tickets: $20, general admission; $10 for members.
    Nov. 5: WRC 3rd Annual Food Fest West, 5 to 7:30 p.m., hosted by the Clarion Hotel, West Springfield. Tickets: $25, general admission; $20 for members.
    Nov. 19: ACCGS Government Reception, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield. Tickets: $55, general admission; $45 for members.

    Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
    www.springfieldyps.com

    Nov. 6: November’s installment of the CEO Luncheon Series, hosted by Health New England. Guest speaker: Peter Straley, president and CEO of Health New England.
    Nov. 19: YPS Third Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m., hosted by the Museum of Springfield History, 21 Edwards St., Springfield. View museum exhibits that describe Springfield’s development as a manufacturing center, the city’s role in transportation history, the many inventions and firsts that were generated here, the growth of downtown as the region’s commercial center, the effects of urbanization and suburbanization, and the stories of Springfield’s diverse populations. Corporate sponsor: Baystate Medical Practices, part of Baystate Health. Sound and entertainment provided by Jx2 Productions.

    Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
    www.amherstarea.com

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 594-2101
    www.chicopeechamber.org

    Nov. 18: Salute Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m., hosted by MassMutual Learning & Conference Center, 350 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Tickets: $18 for members; $25 for non-members. Register online at www.chicopeechamber.org.

    Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 773-5463; www.franklincc.org

    Nov. 7-8: Cider Days. Marketplace and workshops in Shelburne Falls and specific locations on Saturday; Cider salon and harvest dinner in Old Deerfield on Saturday; tasting and pairings at Deerfield Inn on Sunday; orchard tours in Deerfield, Colrain, and New Salem both days. Some activities require tickets. Information and tickets available at www.ciderdays.com .
    Nov. 20: FCCC Breakfast Series, 7:30 to 9 a.m., hosted by Bella Notte, Huckle Hill Road, Bernardston. Program: Engaging an Audience and the Community in New Media. Guest speaker: Jon Abbott, president and CED of WGBH in Boston, a broadcaster with multiple TV and radio services, known for its iconic programming (Nova, Masterpiece, Frontline, Antiques Roadshow, Curious George, The World, etc.). Sponsored by Greenfield Cooperative Bank. Tickets: $12 for members; $14 for non-members. For reservations, call (413) 773-5463 or e-mail
    [email protected]  by Nov. 13.

    Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 527-9414
    www.easthamptonchamber.org

    Nov. 7: Holiday Lights Bowl-a-thon, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., hosted by Canal Bowling Lanes, 74 College Highway, Route 10, Southampton. Two sessions of candlepin bowling to raise funds for the chamber’s downtown holiday lighting program. Sponsored by Greater Easthampton Chamber holiday spirit committee. Entry fee: $100 per five-member team. Prizes, raffles, free pizza for bowlers. For more information or to enter, call (413) 527-9414.
    Nov. 12: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted and sponsored by Northeast Center for Youth & Families, 203 East St., Easthampton. Door prizes, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar. Tickets: $5 for members; $15 for non-members.

    Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 534-3376; www.holycham.com

    Nov. 18: Chamber After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by Eighty Jarvis Restaurant, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Tickets: $5 for members; $10 cash for non-members.

    Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 584-1900
    www.explorenorthampton.com
    Nov. 4: Arrive@5, 5 to 7 p.m., the United Way of Hampshire County, hosted by Danish Inspirations, sponsored by Dietz & Company Architects Inc. and Applied Mortgage Services Corp. Tickets: $10 for members; $15 for guests.
    Nov. 12: Northampton Area Young Professionals Party with a Purpose, 5 to 8 p.m., hosted by Mama Iguana’s. Free for members; $5 for guests.
    Nov. 13: Northampton Chamber Information Session, 8 to 9:30 a.m., hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Free for those considering membership in the chamber.

    Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 283-2418; www.qvcc.biz

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 532-6451; www.shchamber.com

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce
    413-283-6425
    www.threeriverschamber.org

    Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

    Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce
    (413) 568-1618; www.westfieldbiz.org

    Nov. 12: 2009 Annual Meeting and Awards, 6 to 9 p.m., location and cost TBA. For more details, call (413) 568-1618 or e-mail [email protected] .

    Making Connections

    By
    MicroTek’s innovative employment model came first, its product second.
    Sections Supplements
    Wire and Harness Maker MicroTek Has Found a Niche in the Nonprofit Industry

    MicroTek’s innovative employment model came first, its product second.

    MicroTek’s innovative employment model came first, its product second.

    MicroTek CEO Anne Paradis is holding up a plywood board. It’s got markings on it every few inches and simple diagrams that show one where to tie and cut wires and add connectors. The straightforward visual system makes it easy for almost anyone to assemble a wire harness — even someone who is learning-disabled.

    Fifteen of MicroTek’s 110 employees have disabilities, and the board is one of the many techniques the company uses to train and integrate those employees into its work environment.

    Based in Chicopee, MicroTek, which makes custom cable and harnesses, is part of the changing manufacturing sector in the Pioneer Valley. The company was founded 26 years ago with the sole purpose of providing a meaningful workplace for people with disabilities.

    “I wish I could tell you it was a story about market research, but it wasn’t,” said Paradis about how the company got its start in the cable business.

    Indeed, it was really by chance that MicroTek ended up making wires instead of, say, protein bars or women’s clothing.

    It all started in 1983 when about a dozen human services advocates got together. They were working in conjunction with the University of Oregon, which was researching models for employing people who were difficult to employ.

    One model was to start a company where one controls the environment, provides the training, and brings in the work. It seemed like a good idea. The group just needed something to produce.

    “Someone at the University of Oregon happened to have a connection to Hewlett-Packard,” said Paradis. “That person approached the company and said, ‘we want to start up this company. Can you help us?’”

    Hewlett-Packard agreed and, to get things rolling, gave the young company its first commercial contracts for wire harnesses. With the business elements in place, the founders went to the Department of Developmental Services to secure additional funding.

    Once out of the gates, MicroTek ran into rough seas. While the company originally hoped to hire more disabled people, it quickly realized that if it wanted commercial success, it needed a broader skill set — people who could solder, read blueprints, and so on — and additional customers.

    For this issue, BusinessWest looks at how it all came together.

    Current Events

    ‘Make this company viable.’

    That was the assignment given to Paradis when she was first brought on board in 1987.

    She started off working for MicroTek as a marketing consultant for a year, but when it was discovered that the company’s problems were worse than anybody realized, the board of directors took her on as general manager.

    “I had a background in human services and a master’s in business administration,” Paradis explained. “I didn’t know anything about cabling.”

    She was about to learn.

    “When you are the general manager of a small business, you are doing everything,” she said. “I was doing the sales, the quoting. I was covering for other managers when they weren’t there. I worked long hours.”

    Getting new business wasn’t easy. Paradis had to prove to potential customers that MicroTek wasn’t simply a sheltered workshop and that it was capable of producing advanced assemblies to a consistent level of quality. A helping hand came again from its number-one customer.

    “Hewlett-Packard lent out engineering support to get us to the next level,” Paradis said. “Literally, engineers would come and spend the day with us troubleshooting problems, or we would go to their facility, and they would provide training. It was a real investment in our success.”

    In the 22 years that Paradis has been with MicroTek, she has helped grow the company from 30 to 110 employees and from $1 million in sales to $6 million. In 2001, after outgrowing the space it occupied in an old mill building in Chicopee Falls, MicroTek moved to its current location: a $1 million, 22,000-square-foot factory at 36 Justin Dr. in Chicopee.

    MicroTek makes wire harnessing, cables, and, more recently, control panels for mainly security and medical companies. It’s sweet spot is low- to medium-volume assemblies, meaning anywhere from five to 25,000 of a particular item.

    “Our costs are competitive,” said Paradis. “Some people would say our nonprofit status gives us an edge, but we actually have to work harder to stay competitive, because a learning-disabled person is only 40% to 60% as productive as someone who is not.”

    Working with people with disabilities has additional challenges as well, such as training. One has to be able to teach skills that a disabled person can generalize over a broad range of products.

    “It’s easy to teach someone a specific job they can do over and over again, but it’s harder to teach them how to use one termination machine and then do that same operation on different types of terminals,” said Paradis, referring to the machines that add connectors to the end of the wires once they’ve been clipped. “Another terminal might look or even feel different.”

    The other challenge is integrating disabled people with the rest of a company. Managers want them to work as productive members of teams and remove the stigma of being disabled, explained Paradis.

    That’s where the layout boards come in. A disabled worker can lay the cables out on the board and follow visual cues to know where to cut without having to continually pull out a ruler to take measurements.

    “We made the layout boards for people with disabilities, but then started using them for everyone,” said Paradis. “Because whether you have a disability or not, the board lets you work with greater efficiency and fewer errors.”

    Slump and Rebound

    Earlier this year, MicroTek began to feel the effects of the sluggish economy, albeit a little later than most manufacturers. It cut capacity and saw sales fall by 20%, and took a temporary workforce reduction in which staff was cut back to four days a week for two months and collected unemployment for the fifth day. Ten workers also volunteered to be laid off.

    But all that has changed, with the company rebounding “like gangbusters,” Paradis said.

    “We experienced a sharp decline in spring, but sales picked right back up in July and August, and we rolled back all of the cost reductions,” she noted. “Now we’re ahead of budget projections for this year” — a turnaround that has her feeling more confident about the health of manufacturing in general.

    Meanwhile, Paradis has taken on a new mission. “Our focus has shifted outward,” she said. Last year, the company launched an employment-demonstration project. It’s now working with several local companies to help them train people with disabilities in-house using all-natural supports.

    Paradis believes that bringing in outside trainers sets up artificial barriers between the disabled person and other people in the company, which keep them from forming relationships and integrating successfully.

    If there is one lesson that MicroTek has to teach, it’s that diversity in the workforce is what makes companies stronger.

    Drawing Inspiration from the Past

    By
    Opinion

    History museums have many functions, from educating visitors to holding up a mirror to society. But mostly, they explain to us how things once were.

    The new Museum of Springfield History does just that, but we hope that it can also inspire us with regard to the way things can be — again.

    The new facility, which opened its doors this past weekend, is a real gem. It is a sparkling addition to the collection of museums and attractions at the Quadrangle, and it holds considerable promise as a drawing card for visitors from across the region and perhaps well beyond.

    But the museum, with its collections of Indian Motocycles, two Rolls Royces built right here in Springfield, Gee-Bee airplanes (one real, one a replica), and countless other symbols of the region’s proud industrial past, can potentially do much more than be a mere tourist attraction.

    Indeed, the displays on the walls and in the cases reflect a time when Springfield was thriving, when its streets were teeming with activity, when its factories were employing tens of thousands, and when the community was known across the country as a center of innovation.

    It can be all of that again. At least, that’s what we hope visitors come away thinking.

    There is much to inspire people at the new history museum, starting with the products that were once produced here. The list includes automobiles, motorcycles (or motocycles, as they were then called), trolley cars, guns (starting at the Springfield Armory and then at Smith & Wesson and other shops), wrenches, toys, and the first practical ice skate, among many others.

    With each display of a product there is usually a corresponding photo of the plant at which it was produced. There’s Everett Barney’s ice-skate-making facility in Springfield’s South End, the massive Indian Motocycle plant in what is now Mason Square, and a complex of buildings along the river in the North End where trolley cars were made and shipped to every corner of the country.

    But what might also inspire people are some of the other pictures on the walls. Two, for example, show a similar scene — the corner of Main and Bridge streets in Springfield — a quarter-century apart, 1916 and 1940.

    They show changed styles in clothing and hats, dramatic evolution in both the automobile and the trolley, and brave police officers directing traffic from the middle of a busy intersection. But they show something else: sidewalks clogged with pedestrians, more women than men, making their way to and from a collection of fine department stores, theaters, restaurants, and other destinations.

    If one didn’t know this was Springfield, they might have guessed it was a section of New York City.

    It would easy to say that things can never again be the way they were in these photos, because that is the logical way of looking at the short- and long-term future not only in Springfield but in other former industrial centers.

    The manufacturing sector in this region will likely never thrive as it did 100 or 200 years ago. Competition is now global, and it simply doesn’t make much economic sense to build large plants in the Northeast sector of the U.S. Meanwhile, retail remains sparse in the nation’s urban centers, having moved years or decades ago to suburban malls, located right off the highways, where parking is plentiful. Now, the sidewalks of Springfield are all but empty. Downtown just isn’t the place to be anymore.

    We can’t turn back the clock and make Springfield and other area cities thrive as they did a century or more ago. But we can, and must, gain inspiration from the past and work to make Springfield and this region more like it was then.

    Downtown in the City of Homes will never look like it did in 1916, but it can, once again, be a place for more people to live, work, and play. As for industry, well, the landscape won’t look like it did in those pictures, but this can once again be a center for innovation in everything from renewable energy to medical device making.

    As we said, the new history museum will likely provide a real spark for the region’s tourism business. But it can, and hopefully will, do much more.

    It could inspire progress for the future with a stunning look at the past.

    Food for Thought

    By
    Cover
    Cover Story
    Friendly’s Is Focused on Branding, Execution
    Cover

    Cover

    Friendly’s President and CEO Ned Lidvall says the current recession is unlike anything that has hit the restaurant industry in recent memory. It has created casualties — individual restaurants and entire chains have failed — and forced all players to examine what they do and how they do it. Friendly’s is responding with some new concepts, including an ‘Express’ model restaurant and a renewed focus on the fundamentals, or what Lidvall calls “blocking and tackling.”

    Ned Lidvall says that, based on their experiences during the two previous economic downturns — the one in the early ’90s and the other one, which came after 9/11 — most in the restaurant industry entered the current slide thinking their sector was all but recession-proof.

    They’ve learned, the hard way, that they were dead wrong.

    Indeed, across the many categories within this broad industry — including fine dining, casual dining, mid-scale family, as it’s called, and even fast food — the numbers are down, said Lidvall, president and CEO of Wilbraham-based Friendly’s. And the reason is quite simple: people are eating at home more and eating out less.

    “Everything that drove this industry over the past few decades, from the two-wage-earner households to people being compressed for time and needing quick food, to the affluence of Baby Boomers — all of those things have been reversed with the recession,” said Lidvall. “We’ve seen people change lifestyle habits and behaviors that we believed were entrenched.”

    This phenomenon has resulted in more intense competition for fewer restaurant visits, said Lidvall, who arrived at Friendly’s roughly a year ago. That means it has also prompted a good deal of introspection and detailed review of how business should be conducted — not merely for the present with the goal of surviving the Great Recession (many restaurants and some chains have not), but also for the future and life after the downturn is over.

    That’s because Lidvall, for one, is rather confident that when better times return, things will not simply go back to the way they were before. Instead, consumers will likely continue to put a strong emphasis on value, meaning not simply the food on the plate, but the overall experience.

    To compete — and potentially thrive — in this environment, restaurants like Friendly’s, founded nearly 75 years ago by Curtis and S. Prestley Blake, must find ways to differentiate themselves, and then continually drive home to the consuming public what makes them different, said Lidvall, adding that, with Friendly’s, that differentiator is ice cream.

    “The family meal occasion, while declining due to the economic conditions, is still a very relevant occasion in America,” he explained. “And we have the benefit of what I call a glaring point of difference, and that’s one of the things we really search for in our business today.

    “As the industry has continued to segment, the lines and the definitions of brands have blurred somewhat, I believe,” he continued. “The fact that the Blakes built this company, and subsequent owners continued operating, around the notion of ice cream as a hero product is a point of difference. There’s not many companies you can point to that have that.”

    To fully leverage that advantage, Friendly’s is focusing on the guest experience, meaning the basics, or what Lidvall, who played football at the University of Kentucky, calls “blocking and tackling,” gridiron fundamentals and terms that many in business have applied to what they do. Elaborating, Lidvall said it’s incumbent upon his company to simply execute better.

    “This is an execution-based business,” he said of food service. “It’s not so much what you do, but how well you do it, because there are so many touch points when you go through a restaurant experience. It’s a matter of being competitive or slightly better with as many of those as you can, and that’s what we have to do to win.”

    As part of this focus on execution, the company has created a new concept, called Friendly’s Express, its first foray into the relatively new food-service realm known as “fast casual.”

    The first of these smaller restaurants opened two months ago in Mansfield, Mass., southwest of Boston. It offers a more condensed menu, with patrons ordering their meals at a window and then waiting, on average, about six minutes for their orders. Some eat on the premesis, but many take their items out.

    In the first few weeks the first ‘Express’ was open, before school started, the venue saw a good number of visits from families, which was encouraging, said Lidvall, but more promising was the business from workers looking for a fast lunch — and finding it at a new face on the block.

    Moving forward, the company plans to chart activity at the Friendly’s Express, refine the concept, and expand it (there are no immediate plans to place any in the 413 area code), said Lidvall, adding that the broader assignment is simply for more of that aforementioned blocking and tacking, and positioning the company for the day when the economy improves — and whatever it might bring.

    Here’s the Scoop

    Lidvall categorizes himself simply as a “career restaurant guy.”

    He told BusinessWest that he got “the bug” soon after graduating from college as a biology major. Not knowing what to do with himself, he took a job at a Steak and Ale restaurant, and has been in food service ever since.

    “Steak and Ale was one of the seminal breeding grounds for restaurant people back then — it sort of invented casual-theme dining,” he said, noting that it gave a solid education to those, like himself, who entered its management program. “In the realm of casual dining and full-service dining, [founder] Norman Brinker is considered one of the real innovators and one of the real creators, with both Steak and Ale and another chain called Bennigan’s.

    “I was lucky to get started in a culture that was very educational,” Lidvall continued, adding that there have been a number of stops during his 35-year career, the last of which was a 12-year stint running the Colorado-based chain Rock Bottom Restaurants, which has locations in 14 states, including a few in Massachusetts.

    He was in the process of leaving that corporation and beginning the search for a new opportunity in the industry when he interviewed with Sun Capital Partners, which acquired Friendly’s in 2007, for the opportunity to succeed George Condos as president and CEO.

    “I guess the stars kind of aligned,” he explained. “I had spent my entire career in casual dining, and thought it would be fun and interesting to join a complex, vertically integrated family-dining, mid-scale chain.

    Explaining that word ‘complex,’ he said it refers to the number of business units at Friendly’s. There are five: manufacturing and distribution, which are both profit centers, as well as a retail component, a franchise division, and 300 company-owned restaurants.

    This complexity appealed to him, as did the company’s life-cycle status, which he said academics would call a realignment.

    “The company’s financially healthy, but there’s work to do and wood to chop around improving the base business, and I wanted to do that,” he explained, adding that word on the street, meaning industry circles, concerning Friendly’s was that it was a strong brand that had let its value proposition weaken somewhat.

    Since arriving, Lidvall and his team have been developing a strategic plan to regain some of that lost ground.

    Perhaps the most noise is being made with the Friendly’s Express, which has earned solid reviews since it opened, and gives the company another way to compete for what Lidvall called “share of stomach.”

    And it provides entry into an emerging segment in the industry known as ‘fast casual,’ or ‘quick casual,’ a progression that makes sense given the direction in which society is moving.

    “It’s a natural development,” Lidvall explained, noting that it blends speed with more high-quality food than what one might encounter at fast-food establishments. “It’s a blend of limited service with better food, and it’s the one segment in the industry that’s been flat or has actually seen some growth over the past 12 months.”

    The current leaders in the fast-casual segment are Panera Bread and Chipotle, and Lidvall expects to soon have Friendly’s on that short list, based on what he’s seeing in Mansfield.

    There, at a 2,200-square-foot facility (just over half the size of a standard Friendly’s restaurant), the company is offering what Lidvall said is the best of its lunch and dinner menus — burgers, salads, and SuperMelt sandwiches — along with a vibrant selection of ice cream and sweet-treat offerings.

    “What we like about the position of the Friendly’s Express is that we think we can play in the premium convenience or quick-casual food occasion,” he explained, “and we also think we can get the sweet-treat occasions, whether it’s sundaes, ice cream cones, or ice cream beverages that the Cold Stones and the Ben & Jerrys are currently getting.”

    Any Given Sundae

    The plan moving forward is to add four or five new ‘express’ locations in the near term, said Lidvall, adding that the company hasn’t yet opened up the concept to franchisees, although he expects this to be its biggest opportunity because of the lower cost of opening and operating such a facility. “It will be a significant piece of a our future growth.”

    But it will be just a part of the equation, he continued, noting that Friendly’s is still in the traditional full-service food business, and will remain there. And as with the ‘express’ model, the assignment with the larger restaurants is to continue refining, improving, and growing that segment.

    Which brings Lidvall back to the recession and how it has prompted all players in this industry to look hard at what they do and how they do it, with an eye toward not simply surviving — although for some, especially those not in Friendly’s strong financial position, that’s a real challenge — but positioning themselves for what happens next.

    Overall, it’s been a long year for most independents and chains, said Lidvall, noting that ice-cream-focused outfits have been hit not only by the downturn, but Mother Nature as well. “To not have a 90-degree day in June or July was certainly tough for us,” he said.

    Friendly’s has seen its revenues decline, but it is running better than most other players, again because of its diversity, said Lidvall, noting quickly that the current conditions are forcing everyone to ramp up their games.

    “There’s been a marketplace retreat in terms of food eaten away from home since the Great Recession began,” he explained. “People are simply eating out less. But there’s also been a trade-down effect, where people have traded down from full service to quick service. All of that means that you have to become more competitive.

    “As a result, we’re doing a lot of innovation around the menu — that’s going to be a big part of our strategy for next year,” he continued. “There will be significant menu work, largely improving the value proposition. People will also see a lot of work on how we execute, meaning speed of service, the cleanliness of our restaurants. And we’re going to continue to go to market aggressively from an advertising and promotional standpoint; we’re fighting for market share.”

    And the fight will go on, in earnest, even when it is clear to all that the recession is over, he continued, reiterating his comments about how consumers will not simply open their wallets again.

    “The rebound will come, but people are spending a lot of time talking about how the marketplace is going to be different, because the rebound will not, in my opinion, mean that things will go back to the way they were,” he said. “I really think that the consumer, in general, will be a lot more value-conscious, and that, in our industry, doesn’t just mean price, because we essentially market and sell experiences.

    “The product is experiential, and for us that involves not only the tangible product,” he continued, “but the emotional product of service, hospitality, and atmospherics — those things that go into the purchase decision other than what I eat and drink.”

    Just Desserts

    As he talked about competition in his chosen industry, for today and the foreseeable future, Lidvall used the words ‘keen’ and ‘intense.’ And then summoned one more: ‘Darwinian.’

    His intent was clear. While success in any business has always been about survival of the fittest, that phrase applies especially to the food-service industry, where, by some accounts, 4% to 5% of the nation’s nearly 1 million restaurants have closed in the past 18 months, with more failures projected.

    Friendly’s is still among those standing, but the goal is not merely survival; instead it’s about fully leveraging a brand and a differentiator — and gaining a bigger share of the stomach.

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

    The Super 60

    By
    Sections Supplements
    Depth and Diversity of the 2009 Winners Offer Some Things to Celebrate

    The Affiliated Chambers’ Super 60 lists have consistently reflected the strength and diversity of the region’s economy, and the Class of 2009 is no exception. The ‘Total Revenue’ and ‘Revenue Growth’ compilations both display well-performing companies in sectors ranging from health care to manufacturing; service to education; retail to technology.

    COMPANIES BY TOTAL REVENUE OMPANIES BY REVENUE GROWTH
    Whalley Computer Associates Inc. R & R Industries Inc.
    Savage Sports Corporation Western New England College
    Springfield College Spectrum Analytical Inc.
    Associated Electro-Mechanics Inc. American Pest Solutions Inc.
    Braman Termite & Pest Elimination Axia Insurance Services Inc.
    Center for Human Development Bern Optics Inc.
    City Tire Co. Inc. Communication Solutions Partners Inc.
    Court Square Group Inc. Custom Carbide Corp.
    The Dennis Group, LLC The Delaney House
    Disability Management Services Inc. Dimauro Carpet & Tile Inc.
    Environmental Compliance Services Inc. Edizen
    Insurance Center of New England Inc. Emergency Medicine Solutions LLC
    Joseph Freedman Co. Inc. FieldEddy Insurance
    Kittredge Equipment Company Footit Surgical Supplies Inc.
    Kleer Lumber, LLC Gandara Center
    The Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House The Gaudreau Group
    Marcotte Ford Sales Inc. Haluch Water Contracting Inc.
    Maybury Material Handling Innovative Business Systems Inc.
    Mental Health Association Inc. Jet Industries Inc.
    Parts Tool & Die Inc. McGill Hose & Coupling Inc.
    Rediker Software Inc. Millrite Machine Inc.
    Rocky’s Hardware Inc. Moriarty & Primack P.C.
    Tighe & Bond Inc. Proshred Security International Inc.
    United Personnel Robert F. Scott Co. Inc.
    University Products Inc. Savage Sports Corporation
    Valley Communications Systems Inc. Sullivan & Associates Inc.
    W.F. Young Inc. Tech Roofing Service Inc.
    West Springfield Auto Parts Wegrzyn Dental Group
    YMCA of Greater Springfield Whalley Computer Associates Inc.

    YWCA of Western Massachusetts

    		 Whalley Precision Inc.

    Russ Denver says the Super 60 recognition program has never been about five dozen companies celebrating their individual success in a given year.

    OK, it’s not just about that, said Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, which oversees the program. He noted that some firms — or the accounting firms that nominate them — want to tout their accomplishments and solid growth rates. From a big-picture perspective, the program, now 20 years old and expanded from what used to be called the Fabulous 50, is a celebration of what the 60 firms collectively represent.

    Specifically, they connote strength and diversity, said Denver, and plenty of that will be on display at the annual Super 60 luncheon and Recognition Program on Oct. 23 at Chez Josef in Agawam.

    Virtually every sector of the economy is represented on this year’s list, from manufacturing to service; financial services to health care; technology to education. A quick look at the list shows companies and institutions ranging from Springfield College to the Rocky’s Hardware Chain; from McGill Hose & Coupling Co. to the YWCA of Western Massachusetts.

    “There’s an old saying about there being strength in numbers,” said Denver. “There’s certainly strength in these numbers — from the list of business sectors represented to the totals for revenue to the average growth rates for the winners in that category.”

    That revenue figure exceeds $1 billion again this year, said Teddy Woeppel, communications director for the AGGCS, noting that average revenues for all applicants was $19 million, while for the top 30, they exceeded $32 million. As for growth, the numbers were again solid, especially given the economic conditions, she said, adding that the average for all participants was 25%, while for the winners, it was more than 40%.

    Breaking down the lists further, Woeppel said two companies, Whalley Computer Associates Inc. in Southwick and Savage Sports Corp. in Westfield, qualified in both categories. Meanwhile, 65% of the winners were ACCGS members, with 22 belonging to the Springfield Chamber, nine to the West of the River Chamber, and eight to the East of the River 5 Town Chamber.

    The top three finishers in the ‘Total Revenue’ category were Whalley Computer Associates, Savage Sports, and Springfield College. On the ‘Growth’ side of the ledger, the top three finishers were R & R Industries, Western New England College, and Spectrum Analytical. Beginning on page 16, BusinessWest offers brief snapshots of each of the 60 companies on this year’s lists.

    The Oct. 23 luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. It is being sponsored by Health New England, Hampden Bank, Sullivan Hayes & Quinn, Nuvo Bank & Trust Company, and Zasco Productions. The keynote speaker will be author and customer-service expert Dennis Snow, who spent more than 20 years working for the Walt Disney Company in customer service and is now a full-time motivational speaker, trainer, and consultant.

    By
    Departments

    The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

    Ablicki, Jonathan S.
    Ablicki, Jennifer L.
    PO Box 177
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/10/09

    Algozer, Lorraine
    99 3rd St. #1
    Turners Falls, MA 01376
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/27/09

    Andrews, James J.
    Andrews, Debra S.
    42 Homestead Ave.
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/01/09

    Arena, Luis A.
    Arena, Carmen L.
    75 Lyman St.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Arnold, Gary B.
    Arnold, Linda D.
    a/k/a Lewis, Linda D.
    847 South West St.
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/07/09

    Atayan, Svetlana
    a/k/a Mnatsakanyan, Svetlana
    67 Manor Court
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    Auto Test World
    LaPorte, Judy M.
    LaPorte, John J.
    30 Westbrook Ave.
    Ware, MA 01082
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/10/09

    Axas, Theodore D.
    47 Oakwood Dr.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Bailey, Lisa M.
    482 Leyden Road
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Bauer, Robert B.
    11 Anderson Ave.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Bergeron, Adam J.
    36 Charles St.
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/01/09

    Bergeron, Jeremy D.
    32 Lewis St.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/13/09

    Bergeron, Kyle E.
    89 Union Road
    Wales, MA 01081
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Berry Construction
    Berry Transportation
    Berry, David W.
    106 Coes Hill Road
    Southwick, MA 01077
    Chapter: 11
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Bird, Deborah A.
    323 East St., Apt. E
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Blais, Eric C.
    Blais, Tracy L.
    340 Montcalm St.
    Chicopee, MA 01022
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Boothe, Barbara A.
    a/k/a Ruelle, Barbara A.
    297 Morgan Road
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Bouchard, James A.
    Bouchard, Karla A.
    586 Roosevelt Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Bourdeau, Gyslain M.
    Bourdeau, Sheila M.
    20 Sterling St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Bowers, James L.
    Bowers, Tammy A.
    a/k/a McDonald, Tammy A.
    79 Laurel St.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Boyd, Christopher Stephen
    Brown-Boyd, Roxanne
    831 South East St.
    Amherst, MA 01002
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Boyd, Tracie H.
    60 Allen Road
    Sturbridge, MA 01566
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Brown, Eric
    16 West Summit St.
    South Hadley, MA 01075
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/03/09

    Brozo, Nancy Jean
    154 Cutler Road
    Warren, MA 01083
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Bruno, Arianna Koren
    11 Katelyn Way
    Southampton, MA 01073
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Buah-Miezah, Lydia
    a/k/a Ampong, Lydia
    17 Berkshire Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/07/09

    Calderon, Celines
    115 Ranney St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    Calkins, Jennifer L.
    a/k/a Platt, Jennifer L.
    146 Reynolds St.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Camilleri, Richard P.
    14 Upland Road
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Carlson, Paul
    Carlson, Doris L.
    137 Warren Road
    Brimfield, MA 01010
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    Carmon, Paul M.
    Carmon, Michelle L.
    a/k/a Strauch, Michelle
    58 Euclid Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Carnahan-Gavin, Prudence A.
    182 Silver St.
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Carrasquillo, Jr., Roberto
    8 Eddy St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Carrero, Seleida
    a/k/a Candelaria, Seleida
    70 Broadway St., Apt.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Cassella, Albert J.
    172 Windsor St.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Castro, Luis A.
    Santiago, Ruth I.
    a/k/a Castro, Ruth I.
    18 Leyfred Ter.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Cat, Buff Charlie
    Kowaleck, Elizabeth A.
    a/k/a Kowaleck, Becky A.
    42 Park Road
    Sunderland, MA 01375
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/14/09

    Cavanaugh, Dawn M.
    224 Mill St.
    Agawam, MA 01001
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/27/09

    Chandler, Ruth E.
    18 Duclos Dr.
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Charbonneau, Ruthann C.
    8 Ruel St.
    Adams, MA 01220
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Choinski, Stanley R.
    145 Little Alum Road
    Brimfield, MA 01010
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Clapp, Susan Emerson
    Clapp, Brian E.
    109 Pixley Road
    Great Barrington, MA 01245
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Clark, Walter L.
    179 Wells St.
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    CMiel, Jason Luke
    245 Greystone Ave.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Coburn, Kathleen
    102 Ohio Ave.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    Coffey, Ginger
    a/k/a Silva, Ginger
    31 Grove St.
    Wilbraham, MA 01095
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Comiskey, Michael P.
    43 Dickinson St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Connor, Lisa M.
    PO Box 118
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Courchesne, Alan M.
    8 Chudy St.
    Three Rivers, MA 01080
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/25/09

    Cox, Bernard
    PO Box 91211
    Springfield, MA 01139
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Creamer, Guillermo David
    1 Ladd Road
    Sturbridge, MA 01566
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    Cuesta, Ricardo
    140 Union St., Apt. D64
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    Cuevas, Eligio L.
    Cuevas, Aida
    9 Bradford Dr., Apt. B9
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/10/09

    Cusson, Kathleen Ann
    a/k/a Parrott, Kathleen A.
    156 Old Amherst Road
    Sunderland, MA 01375
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Cusson, Paul Edward
    156 Old Amherst Road
    Sunderland, MA 01375
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Damato, Carlo P.
    826 East St., Unit #13
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Davila, Nelson
    44 Governor St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Dawkins, Ann M.
    a/k/a Forrester, Ann M.
    23 Miller St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    DeFlumere, Gloria L.
    125 Silvin Road
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/27/09

    Dellagiustina, Sharon
    253 School St.
    Agawam, MA 01001
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Dolinski, Steven
    Dolinski, Jane
    57 Garfield Ave.
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Doney, Michael George
    Doney, Lisa Ellen
    109 Cottage St.
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Doyle Trucking
    Doyle, Dennis Shawn
    Doyle, April Dawn
    a/k/a Houle, April D.
    1282 1/2 South Main St.
    Palmer, MA 01069
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Duprey, Matthew R.
    Duprey, Laura M.
    114 Brainard St.
    South Hadley, MA 01075
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Duquette, William G.
    91 Mulberry St.
    Springfield, MA 01105
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Dyer, Dana R.
    a/k/a Dyer, Dana Ross
    Dyer, Saramarie H.
    390 Montgomery Road
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/14/09

    Elfman, Jeremy J.
    833 Riceville Road
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/18/09

    Ellis, Donald W.
    Ellis, Roxann
    2 Greystone Ave.
    Granby, MA 01033
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/18/09

    Elmer, Jennifer L.
    25 Westerly Circle
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Emken, Jeffrey
    146 North Longyard Road
    Southwick, MA 01077
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Emken, Julie
    32 Denise Dr.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Ercolino, Richard Joseph
    1139 Westfield St., Apt. 23
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Fabbri, Julie Anne
    108 Washington Road
    Brimfield, MA 01010
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Fellows, Michael J.
    205 State St.
    Northampton, MA 01060
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Finch, Henrietta M.
    21 Bringham St.
    Springfield, MA 01105
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Gagne, Gerard L.
    Gagne, Linda L.
    36 Josephine St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    Gamble-Eddington, Brandi
    42 Thompson St.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Garbiel, Michael J.
    Garbiel, Brenda L.
    28 Newcomb Lane
    Greenfield, MA 01301
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/27/09

    Garcia, Heriberto
    760 Memorial Dr.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Garcia, Tammie J.
    760 Memorial Dr.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Gaudreault, Jeffrey M.
    Gaudreault, Lisa A.
    147 Central St.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Germain, Robert E.
    410 Meadow St.
    Agawam, MA 01001
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Gignac, Maryanne E.
    283 Whitney Ave.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/07/09

    Godere, Tara M.
    15 Felix St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Goodreau, Beth Anne
    1391 Parker St.
    Springfield, MA 01129
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Goyette, Wallace A.
    Goyette, Loretta T.
    582 East Main St.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Green, Shanard M.
    Cordeira, Carlie
    a/k/a Green, Carlie
    a/k/a Cordeira, Carlie A.
    342 Southwick Road #85
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    Greene, James R.
    43-45 Ringgold St.
    Springfield, MA 01107
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Grogan, Doreen Ann
    a/k/a Mallett, Doreen A.
    185 Call Road
    Colrain, MA 01340
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Hahn, Petrina E.
    c/o George R. Hahn
    34 Jefferson St.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    Hall, Nancy Norwood
    383 East River St.
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Hamdan, Sonya Ree
    23 N. River Road
    Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Hanssen, Elizabeth S.
    9 Winter St.
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Hart, Francis J.
    Hart, Cheryl L.
    936 South Athol Road
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/18/09

    Hastings, Jon P.
    3 Mineral Springs Ave.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Hennessey, Michael W.
    140 Chestnut St., Apt. 602
    Springfield, MA 01103
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Hickling, Linda A.
    a/k/a Rosazza, Linda Anne
    321 Wolf Swamp Road
    Longmeadow, MA 01106
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    Hodges, Donna J.
    a/k/a Martin, Donna J.
    61 South Westfield St., Apt. 30
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Hoffman, Yael
    214 Woodlawn St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Houle, Sandra I.
    1439 Worcester St.
    Springfield, MA 01151
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    Howard, Matthew A.
    Howard, Tammy J.
    3 Pine Meadow Dr.
    Southampton, MA 01073
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    Hurley, David J.
    282 Beauchamp Ter.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Ingersoll, Michael R.
    Ingersoll, Melissa L.
    229 B Amherst Road
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Jackson, James R.
    Kuzmeski-Jackson, Joanne M
    PO Box 1463
    Belchertown, MA 01007-1463
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/03/09

    James, Kate Theresa
    2 Childs Cross Road
    Deerfield, MA 01342
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Jeff’s Lawn & Landscaping
    Bellefleur, Jeffrey A.
    Bellefleur, Donna A.
    340 Poplar St.
    Feeding Hills, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/27/09

    Jessie’s Roofing & Siding
    Vazquez, Efrain
    83 Prospect St.
    Springfield, MA 01107
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    JIT Manufacturing, Inc.
    Croteau, Paul Francis
    Croteau, Elizabeth G.
    517 Ideal Lane, Unit 306
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Joubert, Richard H.
    110 Saffron Circle
    Springfield, MA 01129
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    Juda, Thomas E.
    Juda, Mellissa R.
    1085 South Main St.
    Palmer, MA 01069
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Kacoyannakis, Kenneth J.
    Kacoyannakis, Susan A.
    292 Porter Road
    East Longmeadow, MA 01028
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    Kampew Trucking
    Kampew, Jean-Claude
    4 Cypress Road
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Kampew, Albertine T.
    a/k/a Mwandjombi, Albertine T.
    4 Cypress Road
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Kassel, Elizabeth A.
    1450 North St., #404
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/24/09

    Keaton, Amy Theresa
    43 Juliette St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Kendall, Scott M.
    a/k/a Kittredge, Scott M.
    Kendall, Tiffanie V.
    195 Oakham Road
    Barre, MA 01005
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Kenney, John J.
    Kenney, Eleanor M.
    43 Plinn St., Apt. #2
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Kibler, Anthony John
    Kibler, Tammy Ann
    2358 Wilbraham Road
    Springfield, MA 01129
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    King, Sherrie A.
    573 Plumtree Road
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Kingsley, Shawn J.
    Kingsley, Tiffany A.
    1055 Fairview St.
    Lee, MA 01238
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    		  

    Kostanski, Brenda E.
    36 Fabyan St.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Kristek, Stephen P.
    66 Lapa Farm Road
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/10/09

    Kustra Real Estate Trust
    Kustra, Walter E.
    Kustra, Cynthia L.
    121 Washburn Road
    Barre, MA 01005
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/15/09

    Landry, Bonnie
    16 Roy St.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Landry, Paul H.
    Landry, Wanda L.
    17 Sunrise Ter.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Langevin, Robert A.
    64 Shepard Road
    Sturbridge, MA 01566
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    LaPlante, Roberta J.
    169 Bates Road
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/07/09

    Le, John B.
    88 Brunswick St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Levesque, Philip J.
    Bosques-Levesque, Nancy
    653 Roosevelt Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Lewis, Randy J.
    26 1/2 Crown St.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    MacKinnon, William Gordon
    MacKinnon, Maureen Margar
    t
    a/k/a Faust, Maureen M.
    46 Brittany Road
    Indian Orchard, MA 01151
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Maher, William M.
    73 Donna Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/14/09

    Mailloux, Robert J.
    645 Warren Wright St.
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Maio, Ernesto Manuel
    Maio, Christine Marie
    Maid, Christine M.
    Burne, Christine
    9 Clover Ave.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Marini, Heather E.
    87 West Akard St.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Martinez, Jennifer A.
    105 West Main St.
    North Adams, MA 01247
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    McAuliffe, William T.
    18 Water Lane
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/13/09

    McCorkindale, Jeffrey C.
    McCorkindale, Carrie L.
    18 Wareham St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    McCormack, Edward J.
    McCormack, Mary R.
    57 Old Farm Road
    Sturbridge, MA 01566
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    McCoy, Sarah L.
    a/k/a Kunda, Sarah L.
    6 David St.
    Southampton, MA 01073
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    McCullough, Lori A.
    a/k/a Webster, Lori A.
    42 Day St.
    Agawam, MA 01030
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    McDonough, Paul E.
    McDonough, Karen A.
    208 E. Quincy St.
    North Adams, MA 01247
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    McNaughton, Howard D.
    McNaughton, JoAnn
    203 Roosevelt Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/10/09

    Mcneice, Joseph F.
    Mcneice, Jennifer B.
    a/k/a Mangano, Jennifer
    110 Columbia St.
    Adams, MA 01220
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/24/09

    Mello, Kimberly I.
    71 Lincoln Ave.
    South Hadley, MA 01075
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/13/09

    Mendel, Mark H.
    Mendel, Jennifer A.
    26 Reuter Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Mercier, Rachel M.
    PO Box 1125
    Warren, MA 01083
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Messer, Bart Douglas
    Messer, Laurie Marie
    341 Monson Turnpike Road
    Ware, MA 01082
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/13/09

    Mills, Joshua C.
    52 Lindsay Road
    Springfield, MA 01128
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Moreno, Denise L.
    a/k/a Jemenez, Denise
    181 South St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Moresi, Robin T.
    47 Forest Place, Apt. 4
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Murphy, Kevin W.
    Murphy, Patricia A.
    49 Field St.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Nee, Patrick J.
    Nee, Patricia L.
    26 Greensleaves Dr.
    Amherst, MA 01002
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    Nicoletti, Nicholas T.
    Nicoletti, Kathleen S.
    a/k/a Coleman, Kathleen S.
    54 West. River St.
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Nunes, Thomas J.
    54 Saint James Ave.
    Holyoke, MA 01040-2321
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/13/09

    Ocasio, Gilbert Michael
    Ocasio, Candy Lynn
    98 Turkey Hill Road
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    O’Donnell, Peter K.
    O’Donnell, Nancy E.
    32 Chickering St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    On the House Builders
    Van Iderstine, Bruce
    176 Hawk Hill Road
    Charlemont
    Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    Opalenik, Daniel
    108 Camden St.
    S. Hadley, MA 01075
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Pagan, Alba N.
    112 Marble St.
    Springfiled, MA 01105
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/06/09

    Palmer, Christofer A.
    Palmer, Cynthia M.
    a/k/a Palmer, Cindy M.
    a/k/a Marinello, Cynthia
    32 Birch St.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/10/09

    Pape, Kathleen H.
    74 Common St.
    Barre, MA 01005
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    Parker, Jeremiah J.
    Parker, Debra E.
    20 Michigan Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Peirce, Herbert J.
    152 East Road
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Pereira, Candace Ann
    a/k/a Driscoll, Candace Ann
    639 Fuller St.
    Ludlow, MA 01056
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Perez, Lena A.
    Perez, Hector L.
    12 Longwood Court
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Peterson, Kurt E.
    473 Wilder Hill Road
    Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/13/09

    Peterson, Kurt Ernest
    473 Wilder Hill Road
    Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Phommasith, Bounleung
    1448 State St.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Pickard, Elizabeth
    59 Factory St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Placanico, Anthony J.
    131 Breckinridge St.
    Palmer, MA 01069
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/03/09

    Place, Ransom Y.
    94 Summer Dr.
    Southwick, MA 01057
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Powell, Russell M.
    Powell, Jennifer L.
    1954 Main St.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Preston, David
    1159 River Road
    Agawam, MA 01001
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Quick Tan
    Gubala, Mary M.
    311 Hillside Ave.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Rachmaciej, Deborah J.
    a/k/a Hatt, Deborah Jean
    170 Rocky Hill Road
    Florence, MA 01062
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Raines, Patricia A.
    424 Michael Sears Road
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Rapport, Pamela I.
    a/k/a Sutowski, Pamela I.
    10 Sumner Ave.
    Apt. 17
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Rarick, David F.
    Rarick, Grayce E.
    1 Mark Lane
    North Adams, MA 01247
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/24/09

    Raymond, James M.
    3 Cypress Road
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Reynolds, Courtney T.
    95 Creamery Road
    Great Barrington, MA 01230
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Richards, Donna M.
    21 Chantilly Ave.
    North Adams, MA 01247
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Riether, Cathy J.
    59 Mandaley Road
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Rivas, Herlyn Jessica
    a/k/a Simon, Herlyn Jessica
    35 Hadley Road, #205
    Sunderland, MA 01375
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Rizzo, Georgina
    6 Crestwood St.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Robert, Danielle M.
    176 Hampden St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Roberts, Delmore A.
    31A Church St.
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    Robinson, Craig M.
    142 Oak Grove Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Rock, Michael J.
    34 Olmsted Dr.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    Rodriguez, Elier
    124 Westfield Road
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Rood, Thomas J.
    Rood, Diane L.
    41 West Silver St.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Rosa, George J.
    805 East Guinea Road
    Williamsburg, MA 01096
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Roy, Brett G.
    299 Grattan St., #3
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Rupprecht, Delia
    92 Cummings Ave.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Rutherford, Joseph W.
    Rutherford, Marylouise
    202 Gilbert Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01119
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Rydzak, John P.
    Rydzak, Linda L.
    13 Edward Dr.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Sakowicz, Jeffrey M.
    Sakowicz, Angela M.
    350 River Bend St., Unit 8
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/18/09

    Santos, Luz B.
    40 Summit St., Apt. 6
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Saulsberry, Leslie A.
    990 North Pleasant St.
    Amherst, MA 01002
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Shaughnessy, Patrick J.
    170 West King St.
    Holyoke, MA 01040
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    Shephard, Paul James
    Shephard, Stephanie Marie
    31 Eldridge St.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/24/09

    Sierra, Gladys
    112 Pembroke St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Skowera, Paul C.
    28 Riverside Ave.
    Agawam, MA 01001
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/10/09

    Smith, Diane K.
    155 Marble St., Apt 47
    Lee, MA 01238
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Sousse, Heidi Lynn
    a/k/a Kellogg, Heidi L.
    81 Conz St. #628
    Northampton, MA 01060
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Spence, Katherine M.
    22 Lessey St., Apt 102
    Amherst, MA 01002
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Spong, Elizabeth A.
    10 Trumbull Road
    Northampton, MA 01060
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Staton, Phoebe Cherrie
    100 Forest Hills Road
    Springfield, MA 01128
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 08/07/09

    Stephenson, Henry H.
    Stephenson, Kathleen A.
    a/k/a Davenport, Kathleen A.
    26 Westview Ter.
    Easthampton, MA 01027
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Stibolt, Kirsten J.
    36 Buena Vista Plaza
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    Styckiewicz, Sheri L.B.
    955 McKinstry Ave.
    Chicopee, MA 01020
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/18/09

    Sunnyside Up Restaurant
    Nunes, Gerald E.
    Nunes, Karen A.
    179 Carver St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/05/09

    Swanner, James M.
    Swanner, April M.
    37 Apremont St.
    Adams, MA 01220
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Talbot, Vanessa D.
    549 Russell Road, Unit 11-C
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Thompson, Barry S.
    Thompson, Carolyn A.
    46 McClellan Farm Road
    Deerfield, MA 01342
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    Thornton, Carol D.
    45 Washington St.
    Monson, MA 01057
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    Toporowski, Kenneth Lee
    30 Old Holyoke Road
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/04/09

    Torres, Jose E.
    Vazquez, Mariel
    80 Harkness Ave.
    Springfield, MA 01118
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/22/09

    Torres, Rosa
    117 Sanderson St.
    Springfield, MA 01107
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Truong, Thuy
    88 Brunswick St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/31/09

    Vacirca, Joseph W.
    Vacirca, Marsha Y.
    29 Carlton St.
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/03/09

    Vega, Richard
    21 Cyman Dr.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Vennert, Daniel D.
    316 South Main St.
    Monson, MA 01057
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/21/09

    Vera, Jose A.
    421 Nottingham St.
    Springfield, MA 01104
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/24/09

    Wadman, Carol L.
    510 South Barre Road, Apt. 1
    Barre, MA 01005
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/28/09

    Washburn, Trinity Marie
    Washburn, Shimon
    104 Dunphy Dr.
    Northampton, MA 01060
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/11/09

    Waters, Mary A.
    109 Oak Ave.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Watkins, Mark A.
    221 Cloverdale St.
    Pittsfield, MA 01201-8526
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/17/09

    Weaver, Minette C.
    245 Main St.
    PO Box 202
    Ashfield, MA 01330
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Wentworth, Dennis E.
    Wentworth, Kathleen N.
    7 Reed Hill Road
    Wales, MA 01081
    Chapter: 13
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Weselovs, Shannon Leigh
    7 Eddy St.
    Orange, MA 01364
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    White, Bertha L.
    47 Alden St.
    Springfield, MA 01109
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/20/09

    Whittaker, Karen S.
    a/k/a Bergeron, Karen S.
    77 Overlook Dr.
    Florence, MA 01062
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/23/09

    Wilde Bonzek, Jeffrey
    Wilde Bonzek, Andreya
    16 Juckett Hil Dr.
    Belchertown, MA 01007
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Willhite, Gary
    Willhite, Candace
    440 Twichell St.
    Athol, MA 01331
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/16/09

    Wood, Eric S.
    Wood, Elizabeth L.
    a/k/a Popp, Elizabeth L.
    219 Saratoga Ave.
    Chicopee, MA 01013
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/29/09

    Woodward, Cynthia I.
    124 Washington Road
    Springfield, MA 01108
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 08/12/09

    Wright, Regina
    117D Ashley Ave.
    West Springfield, MA 01089
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/30/09

    Yacovone, Leia C.
    28 Orange St.
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Chapter: 7
    Filing Date: 07/24/09

    By
    Departments

    Health Insurers Expect to Raise Rates by 10%

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to $13,375 annually for family coverage this year — with employees on average paying $3,515 and employers paying $9,860, according to the benchmark 2009 Employer Health Benefits Survey recently released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET). Family premiums rose about 5% this year, which is much more than general inflation (which fell 0.7% during the same period, mostly due to falling energy prices). Workers’ wages went up 3.1% during the same period.  Since 1999, premiums have gone up a total of 131%, far more rapidly than workers’ wages (up 38% since 1999) or inflation (up 28% since 1999). For the past few years, the annual rise in premiums has been more moderate than the double-digit growth experienced earlier this decade. As Congress considers health reforms building on the existing employment-based system, the annual Kaiser/HRET survey provides a detailed picture of private health insurance coverage and costs. The survey found that 60% of firms offer health benefits to any of their workers this year. As in the past, the smaller the firm, the less likely it is to offer health benefits — with fewer than half (46%) of the smallest employers (three to nine workers) offering health benefits. Among those firms offering benefits, 21% report they reduced the scope of health benefits or increased cost sharing due to the economic downturn, and 15% report they increased the worker share of the premium. The survey also reveals that a growing number of workers who are covered by their employer are facing high deductibles in their plans in addition to contributing to the premiums for their coverage. In 2009, 22% of covered workers must pay at least $1,000 out of pocket annually for single coverage before their plan generally will start to pay a share of their health care bills, up from 18% last year and 10% in 2006.

    Retail Sales Top Expectations

    WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that retail sales rose 2.7% in August, well above the increase of 2.0% private analysts had expected. Motor vehicle sales jumped 10.6%, while sales excluding motor vehicles increased 1.1%, and sales excluding motor vehicles and gasoline rose 0.6%. Also, the Census Bureau announced that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $351.4 billion, an increase of 2.7% from the previous month, but 5.3% below August 2008. Total sales for the June-through-August 2009 period were down 7.6% from the same period a year ago.

    Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease

    NEW YORK — In the week ending Sept. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 545,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 557,000. The four-week moving average was 563,000, a decrease of 8,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 571,750. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 4.7% for the week ending Sept. 5, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 4.6%. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 5 was 6,230,000, an increase of 129,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 6,101,000. The four-week moving average was 6,180,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the preceding week’s revised average of 6,185,750. The fiscal year-to-date average for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for all programs is 5.636 million. Extended benefits were available in several states, including Massachusetts. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Aug. 29 were in Puerto Rico (6.8%), Oregon (5.7%), Pennsylvania (5.7%), Nevada (5.5%), Michigan (5.2%), Connecticut (5.1%), New Jersey (5.1%), California (5.0%), Wisconsin (5.0%), North Carolina (4.8%), and Rhode Island (4.8%). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Sept. 5 were in Washington (+2,620), Pennsylvania (+2,573), Massachusetts (+1,565), North Carolina (+1,332), and Illinois (+1,218), while the largest decreases were in California (-2,751), New York (-2,479), Wisconsin (-1,149), Texas (-809), and New Jersey (-700).

    Holyoke Establishes Energy Committee

    HOLYOKE — As the city pursues its goal of reduced reliance on fossil fuels, a new Holyoke Energy Committee will work together with Mayor Michael J. Sullivan to further the efforts being done to capitalize on Holyoke’s green assets. A primary goal will be to reduce the energy consumption of the municipality as well as improve the overall level of sustainability of Holyoke through programs to encourage residents and businesses to be more green on a day-to-day basis. Committee members serving on the new board are William Fuqua, superintendent of public works; James Lavelle, director, Holyoke Gas & Electric; Kathleen Anderson, Office of Planning & Development; Fire Chief David Lafond; Melinda Lane, Police Department; and Whitney Anderson, maintenance administrator, Holyoke School Department. The first task of the committee will be to satisfy the requirements of the state’s Green Communities Act to be considered a Green Community. The city was recently awarded a Green Communities Technical Assistance Grant from the Mass. Department of Energy Resources, Green Communities Division, to assist in the completion of these requirements. Once considered a Green Community, Holyoke will qualify for portions of a $10 million grant and have higher priority in some grant rounds in the state.

    Output Figures Give Economists Bright Outlook

    WASHINGTON — Industrial output rose 0.8% in August, following an upwardly revised increase of 1.0% in July. Production in manufacturing expanded 0.6% in August, and the index excluding motor vehicles and parts increased 0.4%. The gain in July for manufacturing was revised up 0.4 percentage point, to 1.4%; in addition, factory output for April through June is now somewhat less weak than reported previously. Production at mines moved up 0.5% in August. The output of utilities gained 1.9%, as temperatures swung from an unseasonably mild July to a slightly warmer-than-usual August. At 97.4% of its 2002 average, total industrial production was 10.7% below its level of a year earlier. In August, the capacity utilization rate for total industry advanced to 69.6%, a level 11.3 percentage points below its average for the period 1972 through 2008.

    Bernanke Sees Difficult Challenges Ahead

    WASHINGTON — A year ago, the expression “systemic risk” became the new clarion call for policy-makers and regulators as they took unprecedented steps to avoid a collapse of the global financial system. On Sept. 15, one year after the Lehman Brothers collapse, the Brookings Institution hosted a forum to explore the tumultuous events of last September, where financial markets stand today and the status of regulatory reforms to prevent the next financial crisis. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave the keynote address, noting that during the past year the world has “been through the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression.” Bernanke added that the crisis in turn sparked a deep global recession from which we are now only beginning to emerge. He noted that although the country has avoided the worst, “difficult challenges” still lie ahead. Bernanke said we must work together to build on the gains already made to secure a sustained economic recovery, as well as to build a new financial regulatory framework that will reflect the lessons of the crisis and prevent an occurrence of the events in the past two years. He concluded that he “hopes and expects” after reviewing developments a year from now, the country will be able to claim substantial progress toward both objectives.

    By
    Departments

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

    AMHERST

    People’s Acupuncture Clinic Inc., 228 Triangle St., Amherst, MA 01002. Benjamin F. Feeley, 222 East St., Amherst, MA 01002. Acupuncture and other health issues.

    CHICOPEE

    Complete Restoration Solutions Inc., 165 Front St., 4th floor, Chicopee, MA 01013. Joseph M Gillette, 6 Shady Lane, West Simsbury, CT 06092. Fire restoration.

    D-N-D Construction Inc., 299 Columba St., Chicopee, MA 01020. George E. Doup, same. Construction.

    SMV Construction Inc., 148 Labelle Dr., Chicopee, MA 01020. Stephen M. Vitorino, Same. General contracting and residential home improvements.

    EAST LONGMEADOW

    New England Mezzanine Inc., 100 Denslow Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. John Maybury, 215 Prospect St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Manufacturing and construction of office parts fabricated from steel or other material.

    GRANBY

    The Granby Firefighter’s Association Inc., 250 State St., Granby, MA 01033. Matthew Bail, 10 Summit Road, Belchertown, MA 01007. To provide entertainment.

    HOLYOKE

    A&B Tax and Bookkeeping Service Inc., 326 Appleton St., Suite 10, Holyoke, MA 01040. Armando Santiago, 80 West St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Tax and bookkeeping services.

    Applied Light Manufacturing Inc., 48 Commercial St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Kathleen M. Macy, same. Manufacturing laser job shop-equipment fabrication.

    NORTHAMPTON

    16 Main Street Inc., 16 Main St., Unit 2, Northampton, MA 01060. Thomas Chow, same. To own and lease rental property and manage real estate.

    		  

    Daley Clinical Research Consulting Inc., 34 Warburton Way, Northampton, MA 01060. Charles Daley, same. Consulting.

    SOUTH HADLEY

    Gestation Miracles Corporation, 62 McKinley Ave., Apt 1 RT, South Hadley, MA 01075. Kelly Marie Mojica-Pozo, Same. To provide financial assistance for in-Vitro Fertilization and certain necessary medications to couples, families, and individuals through the United States.

    SOUTHWICK

    Campari’s Inc., 784 College Highway, Southwick, MA 01077. Tracy V. Mountain, 35 Woodlawn Way, Russell, MA 01071. Restaurant.

    SPRINGFIELD

    El Probocon Restaurant Corporation, 152 Rifle St., Springfield, MA 01105. Maria Celeste Pacheco, 4 Langdong St., Springfield, MA 01104. Selling cooked food, specializing in fried chicken.

    Meche Beauty Salon & Spa Inc., 894 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. Ana M. Cortes, 104 Melha Ave., Springfield, MA 01104. Beauty Salon.

    TNM Enterprises Inc., 1038 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA 01109. Mark Bajek, 118 Lincoln Park, Longmeadow, MA 01106. Retail sales of beer, wine, and spirits.

    WESTFIELD

    Bandjo Enterprises Inc., 571 Granville Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Brian D. Cook, Same. Personal fitness training.

    WILBRAHAM

    Gravel Partners Company, 2660 Boston Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Nancy Schechterle, 14 Rice Dr., Wilbraham MA 01095. Truck and equipment leasing.

    By
    Departments

    Attorney Franklin L. Baxley has joined the Springfield law firm Robinson Donovan, P.C. Baxley specializes in employment-law counseling and litigation.

    •••••

    The Forest Landowners Assoc. has announced the appointment of Cinda Jones as the new Massachusetts State Coordinator. As President of W. D. Cowls Inc., Jones oversees the timberland management, lumber manufacturing, and real-estate divisions of her family’s ninth-generation business in Amherst. State coordinators work with other volunteer leaders from their region to oversee membership and outreach efforts.

    •••••

    Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County has appointed Joel Morse to its newly created position of Director of Partnership Development. In his role, Morse will be responsible for driving strategic growth through cultivation, recruitment, stewardship, and support of corporations, colleges, and other organizations that can provide sustained volunteer resources.

    •••••

    The public accounting firm of Gomes, Dacruz & Tracy, P.C. of Ludlow has named Mark A. Germain, CPA as Manager.

    •••••

    Vanessa Van Stee, M.D., has joined Fred Mudawwar, M.D., and Jonathan Bayuk, M.D., of Hampden County Physician Associates, LLC, Westfield, in the practice of allergy and immunology. Van Stee specializes in the treatment of allergic diseases, asthma, and other diseases of the immune system.

    •••••

    Avon Products Inc. recently recognized Linda Shea for being a top Avon Leadership/Sales Representative during the President’s Recognition Program Celebration on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The annual event brings together the nation’s top-achieving Avon representatives who have distinguished themselves as top performers in sales or leadership.

    •••••

    Samuel J. Nutter has been named New England Business Development Director of the Conservation Services Group in Westborough. He is a native of Longmeadow. He will represent the company’s interests at regulatory proceedings, advisory council meetings, and other industry forums in the region. Nutter will also be responsible for monitoring state energy legislation.

    •••••

    Ashley L. Mickiewicz, a Project Manager at O’Reilly, Talbot and Okun Associates in Springfield, has become a licensed professional Engineer. She specializes in providing geotechnical services including the design of foundation systems, temporary earth-support systems, basements, retaining walls, pavements, vapor-intrusion-mitigation systems, and general earth work. Mickiewicz is also involved in the evaluation of seismic considerations on construction projects.

    •••••

    Juliet Locke of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin recently earned her professional Traffic Operations Engineer certification. She is a Transportation Engineer in the firm’s Springfield office. To earn the designation, engineers must demonstrate knowledge, skill, and ability in the specialized application of traffic operations engineering.

    •••••

    Quality Printing Company Inc. of Pittsfield announced the following winners in its 2010 “A Closer Look at the Berkshires” Photography and Art Contest:
    • Daniel Morgan was awarded the top prize for his image of the Hoosac Tunnel in Florida. Morgan also won the third prize for his image of Outlook Summit in Florida.
    • Ruth Pierce won second prize for her image of a Cheshire lake.
    • Runner-up winners included Anne Kotowicz, Nancy Choquette, Mick Garrold, David Stein, Jane McWhorter, Debbie Storie, and Jerry Christopher.

    •••••

    The Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross announced the following:
    • Brenda Brouillette has been promoted to Deputy Director of Chapter Services.
    • Mary Nathan has been named Director of Disaster.

    •••••

    Lisa K. Baltronis has been appointed a Mortgage Consultant at PeoplesBank.

    •••••

    Wing Memorial Hospital in Palmer announced the following:
    • Dr. Philip Cohen, a board-certified surgeon, now performs general, bariatric and minimally invasive surgeries using the laparoscopic technique.
    • Dr. A. Daniyal Siddiqui now provides oncology and hematology services to cancer patients.
    • Dr. Vijay Kasturi now performs oncology and hematology services to cancer patients.

    Still a Work In Progress

    By
    Mary Ellen Scott, left, and Christine Phillips
    Sections Supplements
    The Employment Picture Is Improving, but It Remains Fuzzy
    Mary Ellen Scott, left, and Christine Phillips

    Mary Ellen Scott, left, and Christine Phillips say business is picking up.

    The July unemployment numbers released by the U.S. Department of Labor were lower than expected. That’s the good news.

    However, the difference between the projected figure and the 9.4% unemployment statistic for that month was a tenth of a percent. That’s … not too bad for news these days.

    Across the nation in July, employers trimmed 247,000 jobs, in contrast to the staggering January losses of 741,000. On the day the unemployment numbers were released, President Obama said that “the worst may be behind us,” and that “we are pointed in the right direction.”

    The Bay State posted a seasonally adjusted 8.6% unemployment rate for the month of June, and while there were other Mass. communities that spiked into double digits, Hampden County edged below, at 9.8%.

    That’s still a large number, and it’s reflected in what Rexene Picard, executive director of FutureWorks in Springfield, one of 37 statewide career centers, observes every day. “The big thing that we’re seeing is increased traffic for job seekers. There’s a line out the door when we open. At the same time, we are seeing fewer job opportunities. Our job postings have gone down from this time last year about 38%. That’s a significant drop.”

    At United Personnel in Springfield, owner Mary Ellen Scott and Executive Vice President Christine Phillips took a positive look at the local job market. Talking about the manufacturing sector, historically one of the backbones of the local economy, Scott said that “our business has definitely been picking up over the last few months.”

    Joe Ascioti, owner of Reliable Temps Inc. in Agawam, feels less buoyant about the government’s predictions. While the latest statistics are better than feared, he said, “let’s face it, we aren’t creating a lot of new jobs yet. There’s still too much uncertainty out there right now.”

    In these days of economic turmoil, a reduction in bad news is good news, most would agree. Massachusetts has consistently been at the lower end of the nation’s unemployment rates, but in talking with area employment professionals, the big question is, when does the good news get good?

    Local Looks

    While the number of job-seekers and the dearth of jobs Picard sees everyday are both somewhat historic, she is confident in programs that are available for area workers.

    “Western Mass. is better in some ways than the Boston area because we don’t see the highs nor the lows that they do,” she said.

    Some new growth in the job market comes from familiar sources, she continued. “Health care is, and continues to be, the leading source of employment for this area and the state.

    “Our largest employer in the area is Baystate Medical Center,” she continued. “They are reaching out to us now, because we know that there is going to be a need to hire around 1,000 people a year for the next several years. Anybody that’s thinking about a new career, or switching gears, I encourage them to look at that field.”

    In the manufacturing and construction sectors, new claims for unemployment in Hampden County totaled more than 3,000, and Picard agreed that the bulk of her June numbers comprised those industries. But with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, one of the largest stimulus packages in history, funds have come through the pipeline to address those losses. Picard said she’s pleased to see substantial money going into both new training and retraining for the manufacturing base of the area.

    “But it’s difficult,” she continued, “because this money essentially is going to replacement jobs. Not a lot of new companies are moving to the area.”

    Manufacturing continues to be an important facet to the regional workforce, despite decades of offshore attrition. Picard said that the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County is involved with numerous initiatives to keep people in those positions.

    “The manufacturing industry constitutes 17% of the area workforce, and those generally are jobs that are well-paying positions,” she said. “The REB is doing a lot of work in the area with manufacturers, asking where the need is for new employees and what they can do to successfully build pipelines into those industries. It’s an aging workforce in many cases.”

    Phillips and Scott say there are signs of some light at the end of the tunnel for the manufacturing sector, and they’re seeing it in the growing number of positions they’re being hired to help fill.

    “I don’t think we were expecting manufacturing to be doing as well as we have seen already this year,” said Scott. Phillips agreed. “It has picked up, and it is definitely where we have seen the biggest trend change. We were not anticipating certain clients to have needs this year; our analysis was that we weren’t planning on having any orders.”

    The improving picture can be attributed in part to what appears to be greater consumer confidence, as reflected in some of the numbers being posted by retailers, said Phillips.

    “I think that if you look at certain other sectors, let’s say retail, their numbers began the year pretty low,” she said. “What they predicted for this quarter has been completely surpassed. There was a real concern about what kind of money would be spent. What retailers are seeing is that people are still spending. Thus, analysts look from this time last year to now, and their orders are far greater than they had anticipated.”

    Phillips and Scott agreed that the numbers these days are not as good as they would like them to be. While some clients are hiring more than they anticipated, many employers are, by and large, holding out for more assurance that the economy will strengthen.

    “Frankly,” said Phillips, “I’d be more nervous if we were making giant leaps in gains in the economy. It is more-steady gains that build people’s confidence. If it goes up in a sharp increase, people think that it could similarly go down in a sharp decline.”

    Ascioti told BusinessWest that he sees government forces sometimes playing a contradictory role with regard to the employment picture. Unemployment taxes can be punishing to small business, and that size employer is one that needs to be given more consideration, he maintained.

    “What I’m worried about right now,” he said, “is where are we going with all this? As the saying goes, Wall Street doesn’t like uncertainty; well, neither does small business. Unemployment costs for many businesses are going to go up 30%. For politicians in Boston to think that they can just raise the sales tax, raise the meals tax, raise this, mandate that, and that businesses are just going to sit there and say, ‘oh yeah, no problem. We’ll just raise our prices’ — well, it’s not an elastic environment. You can’t just do that.”

    In this area, he said, a lot of what he hears is that business is still off 25% to 30%. “We have a couple of clients that are doing better than normal,” he said. “Are they where they were a year and a half ago? No. Are they better than 80% of what their competition is doing? Yes. But can I pick one specific industry? Unfortunately, no.”

    Looking at the larger forces of federal and state regulation, Ascioti said, “what we need to do right now is bring our costs in line. I wish the government would understand that it’s small business that creates the jobs in America. If the climate isn’t positive for them, it’s going to be impossible to hire people.”

    Hire Ground

    The day after the newest unemployment figures were released, the New York Times reported that “employers are no longer in a panic, and the pressure they felt to get rid of workers in a hurry is diminishing.” That seems to be the sentiment in the Pioneer Valley, but the overall employment picture remains fuzzy because there are too many variables to make a clear assessment.

    One thing is fairly certain, however: until the economy gains both momentum and sustained stability enough for employers to take on more workers, the only real good news is that the bad news is getting better.

    Organized Thoughts

    By
    Meredith Wise
    Sections Supplements
    Employee Free Choice Act Opens Fresh Dialogue on the Future of Labor Unions
    Meredith Wise

    Meredith Wise says employers are making a mistake if they underestimate unions.

    As Congress gets set to re-open debate on a bill that will streamline the process by which employees unionize — a measure opposed by many businesses but supported by elected leaders in this time of economic turmoil — there is new discussion about organized labor and the role it will play in the years to come.

    Later this year, a bill to be voted on in Congress will have a significant effect upon the American workforce.

    The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) was originally introduced in February 2007 and gained momentum, but a Republican filibuster kept the bill effectively squashed. In March of this year, Sen. Edward Kennedy and Rep. George Miller of California re-introduced the provision to the 111th Congress.

    EFCA’s role in the workplace is to streamline the process by which employees unionize their workplace. Key proponents of the bill see this as necessary for workers in a time of financial turmoil. However, businesses from Home Depot to FedEx have reacted strongly against the pending legislation.

    While supporters lobby to get some form of the bill passed through Congress, larger questions arise. With such powerful federal assistance to organized labor in America, is it time to re-evaluate the role unions play in the contemporary workforce?

    “Basically union membership has been declining overall for the past 10 to 15 years,” said Meredith Wise, president of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, a membership organization that strives to improve employer-employee relations. “One of the reasons why the unions have declined is because their agenda has been legislated.”

    But Tom Juravich, a professor of Labor Studies at UMass Amherst and former director of the school’s Labor Center, disagrees with that basic premise. “I think it’s important to draw the distinction between how unions operate, and the role unions play in this country, with the workforce of Western Europe,” he explained.

    In contrast with that workforce, which is largely granted much of its benefits and social stability through citizenship, said Juravich, “in many ways, the only opportunity an American worker has is through a union card.”

    With historic change possibly on the docket in Congress, BusinessWest opens a dialogue on what role unions have for the nation’s workforce, what EFCA will mean, and what the future might hold for organized labor.

    The Times They Are a-Changing

    Wise said that with all the attention placed on EFCA these days, “companies, as well as unions, are focusing more on what role unions play in the workplace and whether they’re going to grow or continue to diminish in membership.”

    What seems to be happening, she said, is that both companies and unions are in a holding pattern, basically seeing how the legislation fares. “The sense had been that, until the EFCA passed or was totally shot down, that the unions wouldn’t get active. They wouldn’t do more than they typically do, as far as outreach or trying to unionize workplaces, and a lot of employers I think kind of put the urgency to look at their employee relations on the back burner.

    “The economy being what it is,” she continued, “business might be saying, ‘my plate’s full; I just can’t worry about the possibility of unionization unless something happens with EFCA. Unions can’t come after me anyway, because there’s just no money to give increases, people are being laid off … unions don’t have a platform.’”

    However, quite the opposite of that logic is what appears to be underway. Wise said that over the past several weeks, she sees unions in Western Mass. and Northern Conn. not pulling back, but getting much more active in reaching out to workers. “They don’t appear to be saying, ‘the economy’s not good; we shouldn’t push,’” she said.

    Rather, unions are reaching out to increasing numbers of workers, but aren’t filing petition cards with the National Labor Relations Board, said Wise, adding that she is left with questions concerning their intent. “Part of what we as an employers association, and what businesses are wondering, is whether the unions are getting active to gather signature cards, and then sit on them for a while with the thought that EFCA is going to pass, or some version of it passes, and then they can present these cards and be recognized? Or are they gathering them and they just haven’t gotten to enough of a point yet to get an election?”

    While speculation swirls about EFCA and its fate, there is broader discussion about just how much power unions still possess and what it can or should do with that influence.

    While manufacturing has been the traditional base for organized labor, Wise noted that unions have branched out into many different sectors. The public sector, from the federal government on down to town municipalities, represents fully one-third of the organized workforce in the nation, she noted, adding that growth is significant in both human services such as health care and also finance.

    The big difference for unions these days, she told BusinessWest, is that goals have changed with the times. “I think that one of the main reasons is that, 10 to 15 years ago, unions did a really great job of pushing their agenda into the political arena,” said Wise. “So there had been a lot of laws and regulations that used to be part of union contracts, but now they are regulated.

    “These include things like family and medical leave,” she continued. “At one point in time, something that would have been a big part of the union platform is that you can go out on leave and have your job protected. Well, now that is federally legislated. That’s going to happen regardless if you are union or not.”

    The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is another example of union success for the workplace at large. “I think that the unions have done a pretty good job over time of getting their agendas politicized and put across for all employers to have to do without being unionized.”

    Juravich agreed that union’s message has successfully become part of the American worker’s rights, union or not. However, he noted that there is still work for unions to do. “I still think that what we’re given by law is minimal when contrasted with other industrial societies,” he explained. “For example, there is no federally or state mandated right to a lunch hour. So I think that unions still can provide a lot.”

    EFCA Marks the Spot

    Votes for unionization currently take place when 30% of the workers for a given employer agree to sign authorization cards. Those cards are then filed with the NLRB, which then organizes an election for them.

    Generally within 60 to 90 days there is a secret-ballot election, where the employees that have been identified as a unit have an opportunity to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Those who originally signed those authorization cards may stick with their original vote of pro-union, or they can decide against it.

    If EFCA passes as currently written, there would be no secret-ballot election. If the union voices could get 50% plus one of the workforce originally, the potential bargaining unit that gathered these election cards would present them to both the employer and the NLRB and then they’re in — no further election.

    EFCA, essentially, seeks to safeguard the jobs of employees seeking to organize their workplace. Juravich explained some of the clear and present dangers with the current process and why the legislation has been filed.

    “The problem is that, during the days leading up to the election process, what we know is that they are not very democratic,” he explained. “Employers can do a variety of things to impede the elections. For example, they can bring workers in and meet with them individually for five minutes to three hours to try to dissuade them from voting positively in the election.

    “There is a statistic that in one out of every three union elections, workers are fired illegally for trying to organize,” he continued. “That has an incredibly chilling impact, even though those employees might later be hired back.”

    The possibility for compromise with the EFCA as currently written seems likely, said Wise and Juravich. One of the key revisions already discussed is that the secret-ballot election wouldn’t be abolished; it would just take place with an expedited timeline. Instead of the current waiting period of 60 to 90 days, balloting would have to happen within 10 days. Or, if the election were to take place within 10 to 15 days, there are certain things management can or cannot do regarding campaigning against the union.

    Labor Daze

    While helping employers understand EFCA and potential ramifications, Wise also has some advice for business owners about organized labor in general: Don’t underestimate it.

    She said the card unions are playing today involves respect, or, more to the point, the lack of it being shown to workers during this economic downturn.

    “Businesses are very involved right now in keeping themselves afloat, making it through another payday, making it through the year, and they are neglecting to a large extent those employee-relations pieces,” she continued. “It’s an important thing not to say to an employee, ‘you’re lucky to have a job,’ or, ‘no I don’t have time to listen to your complaint today, and remember, you have a paycheck. You’re not like the other 10% of the workforce that is unemployed.’”

    Wise noted that unions are a business, and are utilizing sound business models these days. “Over the last five to 10 years, the unions have been working so hard at restructuring themselves and re-educating themselves because the workforce that they were accustomed to organizing is no longer the workforce that’s out there,” she said.

    “Now, unions are poised to kind of come back,” she continued, “because they have more technology. They’ve worked really hard at rebuilding their Web sites, updating their methods of communication, and frankly probably done a better job of that than their employers as far as recognizing how tech-savvy a lot of the younger people are, and working that into their campaigns and their outreach.”

    For Juravich, his contrast with the industrialized societies of Western Europe highlights the discrepancies between the two workforces. “As part of the rights one receives there with citizenship, one has the right to earn a living wage, to have health care and pension benefits. Those are their citizenship rights.

    “In this country,” he continued, “the laws provide us with minimum wage, no access to health care, no access to pension programs, with the exception of Social Security. Unions are in many ways for American workers to be a part of a society, to have what workers around the world are offered by law.”

    Speculation on Capitol Hill is that health care is presently on the front burner of Congressional voting, and that EFCA cannot realistically be addressed until at least later this month. Passage of the bill would prove to be a significant victory for organized labor in the U.S., and Wise wants employers to understand the consequences of current actions.

    “My message is that companies need to open their eyes,” she said, “and if they don’t want that union intervention, they need to stop and look at what their employee relations are.

    “That’s what’s going to help them achieve their corporate goals and expectations,” she continued. “Unions have played a role in the economy and environment, but I think that businesses can do a better job of achieving their goals of working with their employees without third-party intervention.”

    Juravich thinks this is a pivotal time for unions. “This is without a doubt the most difficult time that workers will face in over three generations, because of the economy. But also this is the most challenging time for unions to be facing in that same time period.

    “In the industrial sector,” he continued, “unions have not been able to hold onto their workers. In the auto industry, they are struggling and saying to themselves, ‘how can we still make a difference?’ Unions have always been about wages, pensions, and health care. But they have also always been about more than just that. In these difficult times it’s important to remember that unions are also preserving the larger issues of justice and dignity in the workplace.”

    Cracking the Whip

    By
    Lisa McMahon
    Features
    Westfield Charts Progress Downtown and in Its Industrial Parks
    Lisa McMahon

    Lisa McMahon, seen at Westfield’s Farmers Market, says there is a great deal of interest in downtown real estate.

    Moving like a freight train.

    That’s the speedy-sounding metaphor Westfield Mayor Michael Boulanger used to describe the forces transforming both his city’s downtown and overall immediate future. As he delved into the details, the description doesn’t seem far off.

    A city with a long history evident in three centuries of architecture along its city green, Westfield dates to the 1660s as the westernmost outpost of the Massachusetts Colony. In its heyday, it was a manufacturing center for bricks, cigars, and the buggy whips that give the city its nickname. Today, more than 40,000 people inhabit its 47 square miles, with a median income of around $45,500.

    Westfield has long been free from many of the social ills plaguing its regional peers. It boasts steady home prices, a low crime rate, and a solid middle-class population have made the Whip City something of an anomaly in the Pioneer Valley.

    While other former mill cities strive to shore up their communities from decades of urban blight, Westfield has its eyes on a larger prize, nothing short of transformation into a destination city, not unlike nearby Northampton. In this latest community profile, BusinessWest talks to some of those people with the lofty, yet very real, goals of making that happen.

    Home Court Advantage

    Nationwide, economic development has been as stagnant as the summer’s heat. But Westfield boasts new-business planning that most communities can only dream of. Boulanger sat at the head of his conference table recently to outline the details of that “freight train” he described.

    “Contrary to what the Massachusetts economy, or that of the nation, has shown in terms of a lack of growth, well, there’s a lot of stuff happening here now,” he said. Indeed, there is.

    The undeveloped areas of land around Barnes Airport on the north side of the city are proving to be fertile grounds for significant growth. Home Depot had already operated a regional facility in that section of town, but plans are underway for a $25 million rapid-deployment center in Campanelli Industrial Park.

    “That facility will be the regional distribution facility for all the Home Depots in Eastern New York State, as well as New England,” said Boulanger. “That’s a 675,000-square foot facility, and that to us is huge.”

    Not only did Westfield successfully keep the facility within city limits after sites in Connecticut were considered as potential hosts, but officials estimate that 150 new jobs will be added to the city’s workforce.

    Also scheduled for construction in Campanelli Industrial Park is a $400 million power plant owned by the Pioneer Valley Energy Corp. Boulanger noted that all permitting is in place; phase two of the project, involving gas lines from Southwick, is underway; and the site promises a substantial contribution for the city’s tax coffers. “We’re expecting annual revenues for Westfield to be around $3.2 million,” Boulanger said.

    Why Westfield? Boulanger was happy to expound on the relative strengths of his community. “We had the space available, first and foremost, and not many other places did, really, for facilities of that size,” he explained. “We’ve got the airport right there for corporate needs, we’re at the axis of highways going north-south and east-west, we’re close to a major city, Springfield, as well as a commercial airport. In the case of Home Depot, Westfield is centralized for all the facilities for the stores they need to service.”

    Boulanger noted that new growth is not limited to the industrial park. Barnes & Noble plans to open a 10,000-square-foot facility incorporating a Starbucks café in the city common, with a target date for business beginning in summer 2010. “That will be a huge anchor point for other establishments to build off that brand and its presence,” he said. The retailer’s college-bookstore division also signed an agreement in principle with Westfield State College, with business to begin in October of this year at the campus.

    In a statement, WSC President Evan Dobelle noted that Barnes & Noble was unanimously recommended to be the school’s managing bookseller, adding that “they have been highly successful in communities of all sizes.”

    But the bookstore isn’t all that the city and college will be sharing.

    Head of the Class

    When BusinessWest recently turned its focus on Westfield, the big news was Boulanger and Dobelle agreeing to join forces in using downtown student housing to spur revitalization in the city’s center. The two understand that a college community is dependent on both town and gown for reciprocal strength and vitality. Boulanger said that the plan is moving along, and that he “couldn’t be more pleased.”

    “The college had put out requests for proposals for student quarters in the downtown area a few months ago,” he said; that process has closed and is being reviewed by the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM). “That office will come out with some decisions on those housing locations in a few weeks, so we can use that as a springboard for other projects in downtown.

    “Revitalization of downtown is really college-dependent at this point,” Boulanger continued, adding that “the close partnership with the college is very strong, and I do know that they want to do this as much as we do. This really will serve as the catalyst for commercial and economic growth.”

    Dobelle is no stranger to town-and-gown collaborations, nor, for that matter, the corner office itself. For two terms back in the early 1970s, he served as mayor of Pittsfield. Since then, he has been president at four different colleges; he became the 19th president of WSC in December 2007. While at Trinity College in Hartford, he successfully led efforts to utilize the school’s strengths to strengthen the poor neighborhoods surrounding the school.

    “Westfield has an affluence that you don’t find in a lot of cities,” Dobelle told BusinessWest. “But the reality is that the dollars spent in Westfield are drawn out of the city because there aren’t places for that money to be spent here, be it retail or entertainment.”

    The plan to house students downtown has a definite target date for move-in day for the fall 2010 semester, but Dobelle said it could realistically happen as early as the beginning of next year.

    He sees WSC as an “anchor tenant” for downtown Westfield, and belives that, once people with disposable income start moving into those locations, business can be viable and successful, with a chain reaction taking place whereby the public sector wants to be a part of that vibrant culture. Locally, the turnaround of Northamp-ton’s downtown in the 1980s and ’90s is often cited as an example.

    When the Great River Bridge (Elm Street) construction project is completed, the village green is redone, and the infrastructure of the city is repaired in a couple of years, Dobelle hopes that WSC will have proved to be the catalyst for a bustling city center like that of other college towns across the nation. He sees his role as president of a public college having even more of a place in that collaboration.

    “When a public college is subsidized by the taxpayers, then there is a responsibility,” he said. “I could build dormitories on the campus and then not pay any taxes. But doing this is a more-responsible way to be respectful of the local property owners and the taxpayers subsidizing our institution.”

    Home Improvements

    When WSC successfully integrates into the city’s downtown, it won’t be the first agent of change in the historic center.

    In the summer of 2006, the wheels were set in motion for the third Business Improvement District in the Commonwealth, located in Westfield. Lisa McMahon is executive director of the WBID, noted that, like other small to mid-size American cities, “strip malls took their toll on downtown’s economy. The Chamber of Commerce, the business community, and also City Hall agreed that our downtown was not well-represented.”

    Like most people in the city, McMahon said that the collaboration with WSC puts some planning into a holding pattern. Once DCAM knows where those student-housing units will be, the private sector will follow. More than just director of the BID, McMahon has become a liaison to interested developers.

    “I’ve become a bit of a connector,” she said, adding that “I’m familiar with the real-estate stock in the city, so I’ll get calls from people both here and out of the area, saying, ‘I’m looking for x square feet,’ or ‘I need a storefront or a second floor.’

    “I’ve walked around downtown with developers from all over,” she continued, “from Eastern Mass., from New York, who are all interested in downtown; they’re interested in the potential and the possibilities here.”

    Students’ feet on the streets translates into consumers with money to spend, and the business community knows that. McMahon said that some of the calls she has been fielding reflect that demographic. “We have someone who is interested in opening a fish market, another a clothing store, a chocolatier, all these different people who are really interested and who want to get in on the ground floor here,” she said.

    In fact, McMahon said the response has been so overwhelming that the WBID has pulled back on its advertising of commercial properties due to the sheer volume of calls.

    But the WBID isn’t limited in scope to attracting new blood to the city center. During a well-attended ‘Farmers Market,’ one of the agency’s initiatives, McMahon told of what the BID means for the city. Like others of its kind, the agency strives to make the city, in its words, “a clean, attractive, safe, well-programmed, and aggressively promoted location in which to live, conduct business, shop, and visit.”

    From the Farmers Market to concerts on the Green; from holiday lights and decorating vacant storefronts downtown to programs for youths, seniors, free health care, and adult literacy, the WBID has become a one-stop “New Deal” for Westfield, she said, adding that assistance from the city has been vital to her own successes.

    “All of these things — Summer Sounds, the Farmers Market, and more, we wouldn’t be able to do any of them if we didn’t have the cooperation of the Parks and Recreation commission, the licensing commission, the City Council, the restaurateurs,” she said. “Even here, right now, the church across the street gives us their parking lot.

    “People want to see downtown succeed,” she continued. “From the Gas & Electric linesmen who help us with lights on the common to the Police Department, everyone pitches in. It would never be able to happen if we didn’t have collaborations from everyone in the city. People are community-minded, and they want to see change.”

    As a benchmark of the WBID’s success, McMahon said a number of properties originally opted out of the BID, “but many have since contacted us to say, ‘how do we get in? We want to be part of the BID, we want to be on the Web site, we want to be on the flyers that come out.’”

    Overall, she said the city is responding positively to all that the WBID has done. “People stop you on the street and say, ‘we appreciate what you are doing here.’”

    Summing things up, McMahon said the city is in a holding pattern for further development now, but not for long.

    In just a few weeks, the first wave of college students will find out their new potential addresses in the city center for next year. From students to the new development that follows, it seems clear that Westfield is cracking the whip anew, and is charting a new course for success.

    Breathing Room

    By
    Sections Supplements
    Why Asthmatics Struggle in the Pioneer Valley — and What Can Be Done

    Dr. Matthew Sadof emphasizes something he calls the ‘rule of twos’ to determine when to seek professional help for asthma.

    “If you wake up at night due to asthma more than twice a month, if you need to use your rescue inhaler more than twice a week, or if you need to refill your inhaler more than twice a year, then your asthma is out of control, and you need to get some help,” said Sadof, a pediatrician who runs the asthma intervention program at Baystate Children’s Hospital and chairs the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition (PVAC).

    “If you’re having trouble breathing, call somebody,” he added. “Asthma deaths are preventable for the most part.”

    Deaths?

    It’s true: according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), some 3,500 Americans die from asthma-related causes every year, and up to 250,000 annual deaths worldwide may be attributable to asthma. More than 34 million Americans are living with a diagnosis of asthma at some point in their lives. On an average day, about 30,000 Americans suffer an asthma attack, and 5,000 wind up in the hospital.

    It’s even worse in Western Mass., said Sadof, noting that the incidence of asthma is about 18% — much higher than the state average.

    “It has a lot to do with the geography of the area,” he explained. “We’re in a valley, which is kind of a bowl, and the air coming up from New York and Hartford pools in the area, giving us poor air quality. Plus we have a highway, coal-fired power plants, and a lot of manufacturing in the valley.”

    Those elements are magnified by issues with indoor air quality that are also common to Western Mass. — specifically, a multitude of old houses that don’t feature modern ventilation, allowing mold and other allergens to take hold.

    Considering all these factors, the asthma coalition has launched a series of educational and advocacy programs aimed at improving asthma conditions in homes, schools, and other places in the Pioneer Valley. In this issue, BusinessWest examines this ongoing health problem and why Sadof believes those goals are within reach.

    Gasping for Air

    Asthma is a breathing condition triggered by any number of things, from exercise and cold air to illness and allergies to plants, pets, or dust mites. And it’s on the rise; the prevalence of asthma has roughly doubled over the past quarter-century, according to the AAAAI.

    In technical terms, asthma is a chronic respiratory condition in which the airway occasionally constricts and becomes inflamed. This airway narrowing can cause a number of symptoms, from wheezing and coughing to chest tightness and shortness of breath. It affects all ages, but young children and senior citizens have the highest incidence.

    The Mass. Department of Public Health released a report recently that found that the incidence of adult asthma rose by 29.4% in the Commonwealth between 2000 and 2007. Moreover, total hospital costs related to asthma jumped by 77% over roughly the same period, from $50 million to $89 million annually — and, again, Western Mass. has borne the worst of the increase.

    While noting that homeowners can reduce their own asthma triggers with certain home improvements, such as better ventilation systems, Sadof conceded that this is a bad time economically for people to make those sorts of changes.

    With that in mind, the PVAC continues to partner with organizations that have the resources to make a difference. “We want to increase the capacity of statewide and local partnerships, and address these issues at a community level,” Sadof said. Among the organization’s efforts are:

    • The Springfield Healthy Schools Initiative, a partnership with Springfield’s Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management, which aims to improve indoor air quality in city schools and educate students about asthma;

    • Asthma Education for Kids Like You!, a general asthma-education outreach targeted at grades 3-5, which trains Nursing students from Elms College to deliver the program;

    • A project that educates school nurses in Springfield and Holyoke about asthma management, and provides asthma-related resources and materials, as well as putting together a School Nurse Asthma Conference in collaboration with the American Lung Assoc.; and

    • A project in conjunction with Square One to educate its staff about asthma, improve indoor air quality in its early-education facilities, and implement best practices to manage asthma.

      • Such programs are critical to improving the health of the region’s young people, Sadof said.

      “One school a few years back reported that more than 40% of the students had asthma,” he recalled. “Like other chronic illnesses, asthma requires ongoing medical assessment and self-care, and that happens not only in a medical setting, but in the home, in the community, and at school.”

      Better Living

      PVAC also focuses on healthy housing, with forums teaching people about asthma triggers in their homes, development of community resources to help homeowners minimize these triggers, and public advocacy aimed at reducing asthma triggers in public, subsidized, and private housing. The group also distributes educational material for parents of asthmatic children and pushes for legislation to improve access to medical care for individuals with asthma.

      Educating asthma sufferers about how to properly administer medicine is also important, Sadof said.

      “Many people I see in practice, when they have an asthma attack, are often taking their medicine improperly,” he told BusinessWest. “And it’s not that people don’t listen; it can be extremely complicated. People need to be reminded on a regular basis how to use their medicine properly.”

      Sadof is passionate about each of these points — and the programs the PVAC has set up to address them — because he knows that asthma doesn’t have to kill.

      “The sad thing is, here in 2009, you can live a completely normal life with asthma, but for many people in our community, it’s out of reach,” Sadof said. “For economic reasons, they don’t have access to health care, and they can’t make the changes in their environment that can decrease the triggers for asthma. It’s a crime.

      “Kids with asthma should be able to move around and play without coughing, but too often, that doesn’t happen.”

      So he continues to spread the word, understanding that it’s possible, with a little knowledge and effort, for asthma sufferers — even in the Pioneer Valley — to breathe a little easier.

      Joseph Bednar can be reached at

      [email protected]

      The Next Step…

      By
      Mark Niederpruem
      Sections Supplements
      Shriners Hospital Gets a New Lease on Life
      Mark Niederpruem

      Mark Niederpruem stands in front of a wall decked out with recent letters of support for Shriners Hospital.

      The staff and patients at Shriners Hospital for Children spent a few anxious months wondering whether the facility would survive a proposed closing. But those months were also filled with constant reminders, in the form of letters, petitions, and rallies — of the hospital’s importance to the community. Yes, Shriners is staying open, but financial challenges remain amid the undeniable good feelings.

      When word came down that Shriners Hospital for Children might close its doors in Springfield, what followed felt a little like a family reunion.

      “Former patients told us how much of a difference we’d made in their lives,” said Administrator Mark Niederpruem. “We had somebody about my age — I’m 53 — tell us how much we helped him more than 40 years ago with a brace for his foot.

      “He was only 10 years old then, but he recalled it like it was yesterday,” Niederpruem continued. “Not only was it a positive experience for him, but what they did for him here has improved his life today. That was really humbling and touching, and it shows the impact the hospital has had.”

      It wasn’t an isolated incident. In the weeks following an announcement by the national Shriners organization that it was considering closing six of its 22 children’s hospitals across the country — including the one on Carew Street — former patients, family members of patients past and present, and even community members with no personal connection to the Springfield facility unleashed a deluge of outrage and support.

      “The thing that surprised me most,” said Niederpruem, “was the sheer volume of letters, petitions, phone calls, and fund-raisers. ‘Overwhelming’ is a term that’s often overused, but it was amazing how people stepped up to the plate.”

      In the end, the Shriners board decided against closing any of its specialty children’s hospitals — the one in Springfield focuses on orthopedic care, while others center on spinal-cord injuries, burns, and other niches — even though the organization has struggled in recent years to provide its traditionally free care given rising costs and a shrinking endowment.

      That’s a victory for children like Jared, a local grade-schooler and Shriners patient whose entire class wrote letters asking the hospital not to close. Many such letters and petitions festoon the walls today, and reflect widespread gratitude that the facility will continue to meet critical needs in Western Mass. — and beyond — as it has for the past 84 years.

      This Year’s Model

      “I would rather see you charge my insurance and pay a co-pay than close the facility.”

      That quote, from Albany, N.Y. resident Laytoyia Hardie, is included in a brochure of support prepared recently by a local group called Friends of Shriners Hospital. It’s similar to many such sentiments that poured into Shriners nationally, and it may reflect the children’s hospitals’ best chance for survival.

      “While it brought to light the impact we’ve had on the community for 84 years, through the testimonials of patients, former patients, and families,” said Niederpruem, “this situation also brought into focus the financial challenges we face. The national board decided not to close any hospitals, but they will operate under a different business model so we can afford to do this work and be financially sound.”

      Specifically, in announcing that the six threatened facilities will remain open, the board conceded that the hospitals will have to start accepting third-party payments — from private insurance and government payers such as Medicaid — when possible, although free care will still be provided to all patients without the means to pay.

      “It’ll take some time to ramp up, but it should give some financial stability to the organization long-term,” he added. “We still have an endowment that provides for nice facilities and equipment, and we’re going to make sure patients’ families avoid any financial issues; we have a commitment to people who are uninsured or underinsured, including kids from foreign countries.”

      Specifically, while Shriners Hospital in Springfield treats some 1,000 inpatients annually and logs about 20,000 outpatient visits per year, only about half its young patients hail from Massa-chusetts; the rest are referred from surrounding states and abroad — 31 countries in all last year.

      “Our name has been out there a long time, and various relief organizations, or just well-intentioned individuals, will help a child get here and provide housing and so forth,” said Niederpruem.

      As an orthopedic specialty hospital, the Springfield facility focuses on conditions ranging from scoliosis, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to club foot, chest-wall deformities, cleft lip and palate, and a host of other conditions afflicting the limbs, joints, bones, and extremities.

      The hospital is committed to using the most state-of-the-art equipment within its means. Take, for instance, a surgical treatment for cleft palate that employs computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology. It creates a 3D model of the palate to customize a series of devices that gradually reduce the size of the gap.

      Or consider the hospital’s motion-analysis laboratory, where an array of infrared cameras examine how a child walks and converts that data to a 3D model that gives doctors all they need to know about a child’s progress — cutting-edge technology that originated in the movie and video-game industries.

      “They’re doing pre- and post-operative measurements with it,” Niederpruem explained. “It’s an emerging technology. We’ve collected enough data that there’s very strong research potential here, too.”

      That reflects an ongoing commitment by the Shriners to research and education — in the past 20 years, more than 2,000 physicians have undertaken residency education or postgraduate fellowships at the children’s hospitals — but the organization balances the serious with a palpable sense of fun in the buildings themselves.

      “Being exclusively a children’s hospital allows us to create an environment and culture that caters to children,” Niederpruem said, referencing the playscapes and colorful, kid-oriented sculptures and artwork found within its walls. “It’s appreciated by the families that come here, and even other physicians tell us how much they love coming here. One doctor told me he’d like to do all his work here.”

      Red Ink

      Despite these positive testimonies, the hospital system has been fighting a discouraging financial tide.

      As the stock market tumbled last year, an $8.5 billion endowment fund lost more than $3 million in value. At the same time, the system’s 2009 budget of $859 million was far outpacing the fund’s interest and donations, which normally combine to cover operating costs, and that trend was siphoning $1 million per day from the fund.

      As a result, Shriners proposed closing six hospitals, with Springfield’s facility joined in limbo by those in Spokane, Wash.; Erie, Pa.; Greenville, S.C.; Shreveport, La.; and Galveston, Texas. In the end, the organization decided to become flexible with its business model rather than eliminate critical services from these regions.

      “Accepting money from insurers and finding other ways to cut costs will help Shriners retain their presence in all 22 locations,” Doug Maxwell, newly elected president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals, told CNN after the organization’s convention in San Antonio last month. “Our membership affirmed that, rather than closing any, we want to have that presence and take care of children in all those locations.”

      However, questions remain over whether some of the hospitals might become outpatient-only surgery facilities. Many Shriners hospitals have empty beds — including Springfield, in contrast to its extremely busy outpatient work — in part because they were built during a time when most surgery patients needed to stay overnight, unlike today, when advances in surgical techniques allow many more procedures to be done on a same-day basis.

      Regardless of what changes are in store, staff and patients of Springfield’s Shriners Hospital are gratified by the reprieve. Bernadette White, director of public relations, said the outpouring of community support was an emotional lifeline to the hospital’s employees, whose jobs — and roles within an institution they believe in — were up in the air for several months.

      “It had such a positive impact,” she said of the outcry. “It was a real morale booster for our staff during what has been a very challenging time.”

      Going further, Niederpruem said the crisis and the community’s response to it likely succeeded in bringing the institution a higher level of public awareness, which it will need; after all, Shriners hospitals still rely on donations to cover a large part of their costs.

      “It does give us a renewed commitment to what we do,” he said. “I think we’ve been a silent asset in the community for a number of years. This has brought us to people’s attention, and now we need to continue that awareness and keep it going. We’re still going to need donations. We’re never going to be a truly traditional hospital, and we still serve a great many underinsured kids.”

      White said some patients’ families have wondered why the hospital didn’t accept payments before. “They said, ‘if you have to make a choice, take my insurance. Just don’t close.’”

      Building a Future

      Not only is the hospital not closing, it continues to make improvements, including a renovation of all outpatient facilities and addition of more outpatient rooms — a $2 million renovation that was approved and begun before the recent financial turbulence.

      But outpatient surgery is a key element of the hospital’s work — about 700 surgical procedures were performed there last year — so the project is an important one, Niederpruem said. “We’re plugging along, and we want to be around a lot longer for the betterment of these kids.

      “I just want to thank the community and our elected officials for being so vocal,” he added. “No one had a negative comment about us over the past four months.”

      And now it’s time to get back to work, crafting more of those success stories that people will be talking about 40 years from now.

      By
      Departments

      Ten Points about :forming a new business

      By SEAN WANDREI, CPA

      1. What type of owners will there be? A sole proprietor has one owner (an individual), a partnership/limited liability company (P/LLC) has at least two owners, C-corporations have no restrictions, and S-corps a maximum of 100 owners.

      2. Choice of tax year? A C-corp can have any year-end. A sole proprietor has the individual owner’s calendar year-end. Generally, a P/LLC must have the same year-end as the majority owner, and S-corps must have a calendar year-end.
      3. Who pays the taxes? A C-corp pays the taxes on its own tax return. Sole proprietor, P/LLC, and S-corp income flows through to the owner, and taxes are paid on the owner’s return.
      4. Is there liability protection? Sole proprietors and partnerships have no liability protection, while C-corps, S-corps, and LLCs have certain liability protection.

      5. Availability of fringe benefits to owners? Fringe-benefits exemptions from tax are not available to a sole proprietor or P/LLC owner. Fringe-benefit exemptions are available to owners of C-corps and fewer than 2% owners of S-corps.

      6. Is the contribution of property to the entity by an owner taxable? An owner can contribute property to a SP and P/LLC tax-free, while contribution of property to a C-corp or S-corp by the owner could be a taxable event.
      7. Taxation on the sale of an ownership interest? Disposition of C-corps and S-corps are treated as a sale of stock, while the sale of a SP is treated as a sale of assets. The sale of P/LLC ownership interest is generally treated as a sale of a capital asset.
      8. Can the entity pay its owner wages? A sole proprietor and P/LLC cannot pay its owner’s wages, while a C-corp and S-corp can pay wages to its owners.
      9. Are earnings of the entity subject to self-employment tax on the owner return? Earnings from a trade or business of an SP or P/LLC are subject to self-employment tax. Earnings of an S-corp are not subject to self-employment tax.

      10. What else should be considered? C-corps and S-corps are subject to tax on their inventory and manufacturing equipment at a rate of $2.56 per $1,000 of value on their Mass. Corporate Income Tax Return.

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

      By
      Departments

      Westfield Chamber Teams Up with SCORE

      WESTFIELD — SCORE counselors are now available to work with entrepreneurs through every phase of their entrepreneurial venture through a joint partnership with the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce. Counselors can help generate and assess business ideas, prepare a business plan, help raise capital, and manage the operations and finances of a growing venture. The services will be available on the third Wednesday of every month at the 53 Court St. office. For more information about the program or to make an appointment with a SCORE counselor, call (413) 568-1618 or E-mail [email protected].

      Bay State Sees Consumer, Business Confidence Rise

      BOSTON — Consumer and business confidence continued inching upward in July, providing what many analysts see as more evidence that the state’s economy has in fact hit bottom and begun to turn around. Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) said its business confidence index rose for the fourth time in the past five months, reaching its highest level since November. Meanwhile, Mass. Insight Corp., a Boston consulting firm, reported that its index of consumer confidence rose to its highest level since October 2007. Despite improving confidence, the two surveys suggest a long and difficult recovery, particularly in the labor market. About 60% of Massachusetts consumers surveyed said jobs were “hard to get,” while 65% said they don’t expect the state to add any jobs over the next six months, according to Mass Insight. In AIM’s business confidence survey of employers, only 3% said they expect a quick recovery, and 27% said it was too early to even think about a recovery.

      Report: Supplier Deliveries Slower

      TEMPE, Ariz. — Economic activity in the manufacturing sector failed to grow in July for the 18th consecutive month, while the overall economy grew for the third consecutive month, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Six of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in July. These industries included non-metallic mineral products, paper products, printing and related support activities, electrical equipment, appliances and components, transportation equipment, and chemical products. The nine industries reporting growth in new orders in July included electrical equipment, appliances and components, primary metals, paper products, printing and related support activities, chemical products, transportation equipment, miscellaneous manufacturing, fabricated metal products, and computer and electronic products. The five industries contracting in July were plastics and rubber products; wood products; food, beverage, and tobacco products; machinery; and non-metallic mineral products. The Manufacturing ISM Report on Business is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month.

      Jobless Rate Down for First Time in a Year

      WASHINGTON — The long-battered U.S. job market showed some signs of improvement in July as employers cut far fewer jobs from payrolls and the unemployment rate fell for the first time in more than a year. The Labor Department reported a net loss of 247,000 jobs in July, the fewest job losses since August 2008. Economists had been projecting a loss of 325,000. The job loss in June was also revised lower, to 443,000 from 467,000. The unemployment rate fell to 9.4% from 9.5% in June, the first decline in that closely watched reading since April 2008. Economists had expected unemployment to rise to 9.6%.

      By
      Departments

      Hannoush Jewelers to Open Flagship Store at Eastfield Mall

      SPRINGFIELD — Hannoush Jewelers will open an innovative flagship store at Eastfield Mall this fall, according to Arlene Putnam, the mall’s general manager. The privately owned company is operated by eight Hannoush brothers who opened their first store in 1980 and have grown to more than 70 company-owned and franchised locations throughout the country. Prior to opening their first store, the Hannoush family offered jewelry repairs out of Eastfield Mall. This fall, the 22,000-square-foot flagship store will include a 3,300-square-foot jewelry showroom and a 700-square-foot Pandora store. The location will also house a manufacturing area with a glass wall that will invite shoppers into the world of jewelry craftsmanship where they can view jewelry being repaired and manufactured. The Pandora boutique, which will be located within the store, will offer customers the most extensive selection and variety of 14K gold and silver charms, rings, necklaces, earrings, and more. Additionally, the Hannoush Jewelers corporate offices will move from their current location in West Springfield and be housed within the new flagship store. Hannoush employs more than 600 people across the country, and the new store will bring 60 of those jobs to Springfield. In other mall news, Putnam noted the recent openings of two new merchants, BurgerBaby in the food court and Joli Hair Studio, a full-service salon.

      United Bank Opens Chicopee Branch

      WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Bank’s 16th full-service location recently opened at 445 Montgomery St. in Chicopee. Located next to Exit 5 off the Massachusetts Turnpike, the new Chicopee office will be staffed by personal banker Maureen Buxton, along with an experienced customer-service team. Several grand-opening specials will be offered to celebrate the newest branch, including a free prize drawing for a Red Sox experience. United Bank is headquartered in West Springfield and has been a fixture in the Pioneer Valley since 1826.

      Hall of Fame Site Management Transferred

      SPRINGFIELD — Appleton Corp., a division of the O’Connell Companies, transferred management of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame complex and adjacent riverfront properties to Colebrook Realty Services in early July. Andrew Crystal, vice president at the O’Connell Companies, noted that representatives of Appleton and O’Connell played a key role in advising the board of trustees of the Springfield Riverfront Development Corp., which owns and operates the site, in soliciting and selecting a property management company to succeed Appleton. Crystal added his firm was “pleased” that the property-management will be transferred from one local company to another, and that it has agreed to stay on in a consulting role through September’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement. Jack Dill, president of Colebrook, added that O’Connell set a “very high standard” for the property development and management of the Hall of Fame complex, and Colebrook intends to honor that standard going forward. O’Connell began planning for the new hall in 1995, and the new facility opened in 2002, with Appleton providing property-management services.

      WCA Recognized as Leader, Awards School with Makeover

      SOUTHWICK — Whalley Computer Associates (WCA) was recently ranked by VARBusiness magazine as the 250th-largest computer reseller in North America. The ranking places WCA in the top one-third of 1% of the more than 120,000 solution providers throughout North America, according to Paul Whalley, vice president. WCA was one of 18 members of the top 500 solution providers in North America to also receive additional recognition as a best-practice leader. Whalley noted that the firm was presented with the Top Technology Practices Award for Excellence in Storage. In other company news, WCA chose the Clarke School in Northampton as the winner of its Virtual Technology Makeover Contest. The new computer equipment awarded to Clarke will help to increase its capabilities, refine programs to serve more families, and enhance and expand collaboration among its schools and programs in its mission to help deaf and hard-of-hearing children learn to listen and speak. In addition to the grand-prize winner, computer equipment and services were also awarded to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, Town of Easton, IPT, Town of Weymouth, Noble Hospital, Westborough Public Schools, Dudley-Charlton Regional School District, VNA Care Network, Spencer East Brookfield Schools, and CareerPoint. Winners described in 100 words or less why they deserved to be awarded free computer equipment and services.

      UMass Grant to Create Life Science Masters Programs

      BOSTON — UMass has been awarded a $124,200 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop or adapt existing programs to create up to 10 Life Sciences Professional Science Masters (PSM) degree programs. The programs would span all five of the university’s campuses and combine academic concentrations, industry experience, and practical skills in business and communications. The private funds will be matched by $150,000 from the university and significant in-kind work. The initiative is being developed by a system-wide steering committee led by UMass Lowell Provost Ahmed Abdelal. Under plans being developed by the committee, the UMass PSM degree programs would include traditional face-to-face courses taught by faculty with expertise in the life sciences, and business and communications courses taught by UMass faculty and offered primarily through the internationally recognized UMassOnline, with internships providing a strong connection to the life-sciences industry. As the initiative advances, UMass intends to develop PSM degrees in other areas critical to Massachusetts’ innovation economy.

      Pride Opens Market in Springfield’s North End

      SPRINGFIELD — Pride recently opened its largest facility — 15,000 square feet — on Route 20 at the intersection of Avocado Street. The state-of-the-art facility can fuel 21 cars or trucks simultaneously. Fresh produce, a deli, specialty products, and sandwiches prepared to order are all part of the new market experience, complemented by a large seating area. A full line of Spanish foods and items that cater to the local area are also offered. Rounding out the offerings is a full Subway and Dunkin Donuts, as well as a large traditional convenience store. In addition, the four-acre lot includes a large diesel fueling facility and a large, full-service, discount package store. With this latest endeavor, Pride hired 60 people to fill newly created hourly and management positions. Founded in 1972, Pride has 23 locations throughout Western Mass.

      WNEC Named ‘Great College to Work For’

      SPRINGFIELD — Western New England College (WNEC) has received top marks in three categories in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2009 ‘Great Colleges to Work For’ program. The recognition is based on the results of a survey of nearly 41,000 administrators, faculty members, and staff members at colleges and universities nationwide. The program recognizes colleges for specific best practices and policies. WNEC was recognized as a leader among medium-sized institutions in three categories dealing with pay and benefits: vacation and paid time off, disability insurance, and 403(b) or 401(k) policies. For the purposes of the survey, medium-sized institutions are those enrolling between 3,000 and 9,999 students. Results are available at chronicle. com/indepth/academicworkplace.

      WSC Offers New Master’s Degree in Social Work

      WESTFIELD — The Mass. Department of Higher Education has approved a new master’s degree program at Westfield State College (WSC). Beginning in the fall of 2010, WSC will offer a master of Social Work degree with a concentration in Clinical Practice with Children and Families. The program will prepare students to work in clinical settings with adults, children, and families; for advanced positions in child protective services; for clinical case-management positions in health care and residential settings; and as a school social worker. The college will be hiring faculty and recruiting students over the next year. The degree program is designed to be completed in two years full-time or four years part-time. For more information, call the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education office at (413) 572-8020.

      Andrew Associates Wins Two Awards

      ENFIELD, Conn. — Andrew Associates was recently presented two awards, the Henry Hoke Sr. Award and the John Howie Wright Cup Award, by the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Assoc. (MFSA) at its annual meeting in Chicago. The Henry Hoke Sr. Award, given for the best single direct-mail piece for a client, recognized the firm’s Brightside for Families and Children’s appeal campaign. Brightside challenged Andrews to create a piece that would stand out in crowded mailboxes and test online giving. The John Howie Wright Cup Award, given for the best campaign of two or more mailings for self-promotion, was awarded to Andrew Associates’ Fresh Genius Campaign. The two-part invitation invited recipients to attend a seminar which showcased Andrew’s technology and marketing services. Andrews Associates is a communication and direct-marketing company, founded in 1985 by Judith Knapp, president.

      Hospice Life Care Receives Grant

      HOLYOKE — The Hospice Life Care Program of the Holyoke Visiting Nurse Assoc. Inc. has received a Reaching Out grant from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to improve end-of-life care for rural and homeless veterans. Funding will be provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Hospice Life Care and the Soldiers Home of Holyoke will work collaboratively on the project, which will focus on methods to develop a coordinated network of resources that may identify and assist rural and homeless veterans in need of end-of-life care.

      Tortus Technologies Launches Oxygen 1.0

      WEST SPRINGFIELD — Tortus Technologies recently released Oxygen 1.0, a workflow-management system. Oxygen is the third component of Tortus’ 92Elements Enterprise Resource Planning business solution, a Web-based system used to manage and coordinate all of the resources, information, and functions of a business from one unified database. Other products in Tortus’ 92Elements suite are Hydrogen, a customer relationship management tool; and Mercury, a custom broadcast E-mail marketing solution. Oxygen is a solution for small-to-mid-sized companies and nonprofits, and is designed to be implemented in stages, which allows organizations to purchase and implement technology at a pace and price they can afford.

      Imaging Solutions Earns ISO 9001 Certification

      LONGMEADOW — All of the laser toner cartridges now remanufactured by Imaging Solutions are in compliance with ISO 9001 standards. Those standards include specific requirements for a quality-management system as well as a demonstrated ability to employ production standards that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. All cartridges are post-tested 100% before they are boxed and labeled with the ISO 9001 seal.

      NBA Developmental League Team Unveils Name, Logo, Affiliations

      SPRINGFIELD — The NBA Development League’s team in the city is known as the Armor, which pays tribute to the historic Springfield Armory, which has served as a symbol of strength and stability for Western Mass. and the U.S. since George Washington authorized its creation in 1777. Depicting a strong, armored figure holding a basketball, the logo was developed by Springfield-based Six-Point Creative Works. The five colors featured in the primary logo are red, blue, black, silver, and orange. Both the alternate and extracted logos include four of those colors. The team’s identity was determined following the results of a Name the Team poll, which enabled fans to cast a vote for options including Armor, Colonials, Founders, Spirit, or a write-in candidate. With an emphasis on providing affordable family entertainment and NBA-caliber basketball, the Springfield Armor offers season tickets beginning at $91. For more information, call (413) 746-3263 or visit www.armorhoops.com. In other news, the National Basketball Association recently announced that NBA Springfield will be affiliated with the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Jersey Nets during its inaugural season. NBA Springfield will be one of two NBA Development League teams to have three NBA affiliates during the 2009-10 campaign, increasing the chances for NBA players to be assigned to Springfield and take court at the MassMutual Center. NBA teams are allowed to assign players in their first or second NBA season to their NBA D-League affiliate.

      By
      Departments

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

      AGAWAM

      HOG Wild Cycles Inc., 32 Worthington Brook Circle, Agawam, MA 01001. Mark Soticheck, same. Sales and service of motorcycles to the general public.

      CHICOPEE

      D&H Barrel Corp., 295 James St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Debra Nemiro, 48 Ross Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. The purchase and sale of barrels.

      EAST LONGMEADOW

      Odin Industries Inc., 14 Deer Park Road, PO Box 714, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Joseph A Reale, 31 Lenox Circle, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Import industry supply from China.

      HADLEY

      Hadley Massage Therapy Inc., 215 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Chun Nu Li, same. Personal service: Massage therapy.

      Hampshire Dollar Inc., 367 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Mamta Arora, 13 Regina Dr., Windsor Locks, CT 06096. Dollar store.

      HUNTINGTON

      Blues to Green Inc., 18 Tucker Road, Huntington, MA 01050. Kristin Neville, same. Non-profit to implement programs to educate the general public with respect to the interdependence of human activity and the natural environment and subsequence effects on coastal communities.

      SPRINGFIELD

      Advanced Valuation Services Inc., 51 Taylor St., Springfield, MA 01103. Michael McNulty, 924 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Real estate appraisals and consulting.

      		  

      The Axia Group Inc., 73 Marketplace, Springfield, MA 01103. Michael R. Long, Same. Insurance.

      Bada Bings Bar and Pizzeria Inc., 333 East Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105. James Vanhouten, same. Restaurant and bar.

      Behavioral Health Workforce Leadership Development Institute Inc., 2594 Main St., Springfield, MA 01107. Maria Ligus, 37 Julia Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. Non-profit for charitable, scientific and educational purposes to promote the welfare of Hampden County, and all of its inhabitants by providing direct health and human services.

      Halona Enterprises Inc., 19 Davis St., Springfield, MA 01104. John E. Haley, same. To engage in eCommerce activities.

      Jmangine Company, 79 Mayflower Road, Springfield, MA 01118. John W. Mangine, same. Home remodeling and repairs.

      Wealth Street Corporation, 1655 Main Street, Suite 201, Springfield, MA 01103. Reinaldo Gonzalez, same. Holding entity.

      WESTFIELD

      Grindstone Mountain Trucking Inc., 13 Cleveland Ave., Westfield, MA 01085. Erik Loiko, same. Transportation. Cargo in trucks.

      International Machine Products Inc., 1294 East Mountain Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Michael P. Dupuis, same. Manufacturing.

      Capital Ideas

      By
      Uncategorized

      The concept of the angel investor group is taking hold across the country, with maybe 200 of these organizations now in existence. It’s still a fairly recent phenomenon in Western Mass., but a group called River Valley Investors (RVI) is rapidly making the term part of the local lexicon. Like other angel groups, RVI works to put entrepreneurs with ideas and early-stage companies in front of investors looking to put capital to work. By doing so, the group is contributing to economic-development efforts in the 413 area code.

      “Boring, but profitable.”

      That’s the phrase Paul Silva used on several occasions to describe the kinds of business ventures preferred by River Valley Investors, an angel investing group — this region’s first and now one of a few hundred across the country — that is somewhat quietly making a positive impact on this area and its economic-development activities.

      “That’s a vastly overlooked sector,” joked Silva as he explained what ‘boring but profitable’ is, or, to be more precise, what it isn’t. Generally speaking, it’s not high-tech, or what he called “software and silicon,” a realm once preferred by many angel groups and venture capitalists.

      Instead, it’s more-conservative types of businesses, ones that are usually mature, or at least “early stage,” said Silva, manager of RVI, a serial entrepreneur in his own right, and self-described “conductor of the orchestra” that now includes three dozen investors. The common denominator is generally lower risk, he continued. “We’re more Yankee than Bostonians.”

      The terminology certainly applies to a venture called Pet Angel World Services, or PAWS, a company that provides veterinarians and clients with a complete range of pet death-care services that became part of the RVI portfolio earlier this year, said Silva, and also to Oxford Performance Materials, which provides everything from polymers for long-term human medical implant devices to critical components for the semiconductor manufacturing process to fuel cell components for the space shuttle. And it would apply to iiProperty, which provides Web-based real-estate property-management software for small and medium-sized landlords.

      But it definitely wouldn’t capture the essence of dexrex, an Amherst-based startup venture that provides data-management services for instant messaging and mobile text-messaging services, said Silva, who, in explaining this addition to the portfolio, said simply, “there are exceptions to the rule.”

      The financing provided to dexrex is an example of how RVI, founded in 2003, is contributing to economic-development efforts in the region, said Silva, noting that it is unlikely that the unique company, formed by partners and UMass graduates Derrick Lyman and Richard Tortora, would have come as far, and as quickly, as it has without the group’s support. And while there is a good chance the company may soon leave this market for Cambridge, RVI has played a lead role in keeping it in this area code — and creating several jobs in the process — for the past two years.

      Overall, RVI, which makes investments averaging $250,000 to $500,000, but has made deals for more than $1 million, is closing what Silva and others have called a ‘capital gap’ in the region, and it has done so by providing economies of scale when it comes to linking entrepreneurs with badly needed funding. Through regular monthly meetings staged at the PeoplesBank Building in Holyoke, the group is exposing its members to a number of potential investment opportunities — most in that ‘boring, but profitable’ category. Meanwhile, it is also giving entrepreneurs a chance to tell their stories in an effective way and in a target-rich environment.

      Thus far, the track record is solid, with two ventures recently selling and providing returns of 30% and 24%, respectively. That batting average won’t hold up, said Silva, noting that, traditionally, more angel investments lose money than make money, but the group envisions a winning record through sound, well-researched, and well-thought-out decisions.

      Looking forward, Silva said RVI is looking to become more of a force in this region as it adds both investors and companies’ logos to the portfolio.

      In this issue, BusinessWest takes an indepth look at the concept of the investor group, and how this one in particular is contributing to progress in the Pioneer Valley and well beyond.

      Winging It

      As he talked about RVI and its investors, Silva used the collective ‘we’ early and often.

      When talking about the preponderance of advanced manufacturing companies in the portfolio, he said, “we like things.” Referring to one such company, Optical Alchemy, which creates high-performance, lightweight sensors for the unmanned aerial vehicle market and was added to the portfolio in 2005, he said, “we like widgets.” And when discussing iiProperty, added in 2007, he opined, “we like it because we understand the pain of real estate.”

      But in reality, decisions are not really made as a group, but rather by individual investors within it, who are presented with opportunities at those regular monthly meetings and then decide themselves whether a venture is worthy of their time and capital.

      RVI is essentially bringing a higher level of organization to the business of angel investing, said Silva, adding that its existence represents a nationwide trend toward the angel group model.

      RVI’s nucleus is a core group of initial members, including business leaders such as John Davis, Bill Lyons, Glenn Hanson, Joe Cambi, Joseph Steig, Paul Gelinas, and others, who had been and still are involved in various aspects of economic development in the region, Silva said. “They’re entrepreneurs and successful businessmen and women themselves, and they know what it’s like to build things.

      “They said, ‘we’ve been hearing about this angel-group thing,’ and wondered if they should try it in Springfield,” he continued. “At that time, there was just a smattering of angel groups in the country, maybe a few dozen, but they were growing in popularity because there was a clear need and the concept made a good deal of sense.”

      This need had arisen from a change in focus among most venture-capital groups, Silva explained, noting that VCs that had traditionally funded early-stage companies have essentially moved on, or “upstream” to larger ventures, leaving that capital gap he mentioned.

      “Young companies were dying on the vine,” he said, “and so professional angel groups were able to step into the breach. When the founders saw all the success that groups had in other parts of the country, they said, ‘why not Springfield?’”

      There are now seven angel groups operating inside Route 128, another in Worcester, and the one in Springfield, said Silva, who came onboard in 2004 and brings a diverse background to his current role.

      An entrepreneur, he’s started a number of ventures, including a company called All In Play, which produces video games for the blind. He’s also become a student of the angel-group movement, and an astute evaluator of the qualities necessary to qualify an entrepreneur for some of RVI’s precious time.

      Explaining how the process works, Silva said a large part of his job description involves helping to find deals and screening candidates. There are hundreds of opportunities that come before him, and he chooses only a handful for each monthly meeting.

      Entrepreneurs make a 10-minute presentation on their business, and they are then grilled by the angels. “We ask the hard questions,” said Silva, again using the first-person plural. From there, individual investors will decide amongst themselves whether an opportunity is worthy of some extensive due diligence, he continued, and if that research identifies what would be deemed a solid investment, angels are invited to take part.

      The group, and the process it follows, is yielding dividends for the individual entrepreneurs and the region as a whole, said Paul Doherty, another of the founding angel investors and a principal with the Springfield-based law firm Doherty Wallace Pillsbury & Murphy. He told BusinessWest that 15 years ago, when he was chair of the board of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, he recognized, as others did, there was indeed a ‘capital gap’ in the region, and he helped formulate ways to address it.

      One was the creation of MassVentures, a venture-capital group headed by Tripp Peake that succeeded in helping to close that gap. “But venture capital groups are traditionally very conservative,” said Doherty, “and they don’t do many too deals.”

      So attention was then focused on the local angel community, which, until the formation of RVI, was mostly individuals, almost all of them entrepreneurs themselves, who would find and act upon deals themselves. What RVI has done is to add a large, much-needed layer of organization and efficiency to the process, said Doherty, who has taken part in several of the deals that have expanded the group’s portfolio.

      “It’s terrific for the entrepreneurs and for the angel investors themselves,” he said. “People can pick and choose which deals to take part in, and business owners get some valuable experience in presenting their case and making a pitch for capital.”

      Getting Down to Business

      As he talked about the portfolio and how companies get added to it, Silva said it features diversity, some local companies (he’d like there to be more), and is dominated by that ‘boring, but profitable’ quality, with only about 20% of the companies in the broad tech sector, a statistic that reflects the region.

      “An angel group tends to reflect the industries of the region the group of angels comes from, because you invest in what you know,” he said, adding that most all of RVI’s members have a deep commitment to Western Mass. and want to help entrepreneurs here, even if it sometimes means settling for a lower return on their investment.

      Selecting a few companies in the portfolio as representative of what the group and individual investors are looking for, he mentioned PAWS, now based in Wilbraham. This is a venture that has consolidated several pet death-care service providers, and it really caught the attention of group member Glenn Hanson, who now serves as CEO.

      “It’s a solid company meeting a real need,” Silva explained. “There is great growth potential there.”

      Optical Alchemy is another good example of a solid, relatively low-risk investment opportunity that appealed to many members and represents RVI’s “sweet spot,” he said.

      “They make housings for very fancy cameras that go on unmanned aircraft like predator drones,” he explained. “They started this five years ago when this industry was just starting to gain some momentum, but they said, ‘this unmanned aerial thing is really going to take off.’ They developed products that are one-10th the weight and one-fifth the cost of what was on the market; it’s so dramatically cheaper and lighter that you can make a class of vehicles that you couldn’t before.”

      Oxford Performance Materials, a company that was recently sold, yielding a 24% internal rate of return, is still another example of a low-risk venture. “It’s an advanced materials company — that’s not exactly ‘boring but profitable,’ but it’s more boring than many angel groups will look at.

      “They basically found a fancy plastic that Dupont had no use for; they got the rights to it, and then they started making all these great applications for it,” said Silva. “That 24% return was a little less than we were looking for, but it was a lot better than what the stock market was doing at the time we sold it [last fall]; September changed our perspective on a lot of things.”

      He told BusinessWest that dexrex is that exception to the rule, adding that it was essentially a startup that falls into the broad category of technology. It was started by Lyman and Tortola in 2005 while they were still students at UMass, and was created to meet what was then an unmet need — to help people (and eventually businesses) save and manage their IM and text messages.

      The raw startup didn’t fit the general RVI description, but it did catch the attention of many investors.

      Lyman told BusinessWest there was a good deal of serendipity involved with his company eventually becoming a key addition to RVI’s portfolio.

      Indeed, he and Tortora were late getting their entry in for an executive-summary competition staged as part of the Entrepreneurship Initiative at UMass, and disqualified. But they showed up anyway, and made an impromptu pitch to Hanson, who happened to be one of the judges for the event. He was impressed enough to help get the partners on the schedule for one of the monthly meetings, and, to put it mildly, they made the most of that opportunity.

      The company was first given some seed-stage money by Hanson and others to advance their concept, and it was later awarded some early-stage funding to take the business to the proverbial next level. Both infusions were in the form of equity funding, as nearly all RVI’s investments are, and they represent a sizeable stake in the company, maybe 30%, said Lyman, but the assistance has been invaluable in taking the company to where it is today.

      As for the future, dexrex may be relocating to Cambridge, where it now has a second office, said Lyman, but it might stay in the Valley if the opportunity presents itself.

      “We’re looking hard at Cambridge, primarily because of the proximity of financial firms and technology firms that we do business with, and also because of the proximity to a number of colleges that we could recruit from,” Lyman explained. “But nothing is set in stone; most of us really do like Western Mass. It’s a good working environment, and it has the five-minute commute instead of the two-hour commute. There are many advantages to doing business from here.”

      While losing dexrex to Eastern Mass. would be a loss for the region, the bigger story is that RVI helped get the company off the ground, and it helped bring several jobs to the region, said Silva, adding that he hopes, and expects, that this script will be followed with many more companies in the future.

      On-the-money Analysis

      Summing up his involvement with RVI and his outlook on the need to infuse capital into the region’s business community, Doherty said, “my heart goes out to entrepreneurs; they make it work, but it’s definitely not easy.”

      The region’s first angel-investing group is making it somewhat easier, he continued, by closing the capital gap and enabling business owners to state their cases in front of several potential investors at the same time.

      Time will tell just how big a force the group can become when it comes to creating and retaining jobs, but its impact is already being felt, and in a number of ways.

      Essentially, it is connecting entrepreneurs with angel investors, and the results have been heavenly, thanks in large part to that focus on ‘boring, but profitable.’

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

      For more information on Rivervalley investors:www.rivervalleyinvestors.comAngel Catalyst:www.angelcatalyst.com

      By
      Departments

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

      AGAWAM

      HOG Wild Cycles Inc.32 Worthington Brook Circle, Agawam, MA 01001. Mark Soticheck, same. Sales and service of motorcycles to the general public.

      CHICOPEE

      D&H Barrel Corp., 295 James St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Debra Nemiro, 48 Ross Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. The purchase and sale of barrels.

      EAST LONGMEADOW

      Odin Industries Inc., 14 Deer Park Road, PO Box 714, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Joseph A Reale, 31 Lenox Circle, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Import industry supply from China.

      HADLEY

      Hadley Massage Therapy Inc., 215 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Chun Nu Li, same. Personal service: Massage therapy.

      Hampshire Dollar Inc., 367 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035. Mamta Arora, 13 Regina Dr., Windsor Locks, CT 06096. Dollar store.

      HUNTINGTON

      Blues to Green Inc., 18 Tucker Road, Huntington, MA 01050. Kristin Neville, same. Non-profit to implement programs to educate the general public with respect to the interdependence of human activity and the natural environment and subsequent effects on coastal communities.

      SPRINGFIELD

      Advanced Valuation Services Inc., 51 Taylor St., Springfield, MA 01103. Michael McNulty, 924 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham, MA 01095. Real estate appraisals and consulting.

      		  

      The Axia Group Inc., 73 Marketplace, Springfield, MA 01103. Michael R. Long, same. Insurance.

      Bada Bings Bar and Pizzeria Inc., 333 East Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01105. James Vanhouten, same. Restaurant and bar.

      Behavioral Health Workforce Leadership Development Institute Inc., 2594 Main St., Springfield, MA 01107. Maria Ligus, 37 Julia Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. Non-profit for charitable, scientific and educational purposes to promote the welfare of Hampden County, and all of its inhabitants by providing direct health and human services.

      Gaw High-speed Internet Inc., 75 Marketplace, Suite 400, Springfield, MA 01103. Josh Garza, 136 Hillcrest Terrace, Brattleboro, VT 05301.Wireless Internet service provider.

      Halona Enterprises Inc., 19 Davis St., Springfield, MA 01104. John E. Haley, same. To engage in eCommerce activities.

      Jmangine Company, 79 Mayflower Road, Springfield, MA 01118. John W. Mangine, same. Home remodeling and repairs.

      Wealth Street Corporation, 1655 Main Street, Suite 201, Springfield, MA 01103. Reinaldo Gonzalez, same. Holding entity.

      WESTFIELD

      Grindstone Mountain Trucking Inc., 13 Cleveland Ave., Westfield, MA 01085. Erik Loiko, same. Transportation. Cargo in trucks.

      International Machine Products Inc., 1294 East Mountain Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Michael P. Dupuis, same. Manufacturing.

      OPINION

      By
      Opinion
      The Race for Clean-energy Innovation

      On a recent congressional delegation to Hong Kong, I toured a factory that is developing a thin solar cell that can be put on windows to generate electricity from the sun with zero carbon emissions. I thought of 1366 Technologies, a company in Lexington that is also racing to get advanced solar technologies to market.

      It may seem like your typical competition between two companies, but this race is about much more than the solar market. It is about the race for trillions of dollars in clean-energy investments. As President Obama says, “the nation that leads in 21st-century clean energy is the nation that will lead the 21st-century global economy.”

      And if we win the race, it could bring 150,000 new jobs and billions of dollars to Massachusetts.

      American companies would get an edge with passage of the Waxman-Markey bill, the most sweeping energy legislation Congress has considered in a generation. The plan would end America’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil; increase the amount of clean energy we produce; make our buildings, homes, cars, and trucks more efficient; and cut the harmful carbon pollution causing global warming.

      The bill requires that 20% of our electricity in 2020 come from clean-energy sources like solar or wind, or from energy efficiency. It establishes ‘clean-energy innovation hubs’ around the country to help researchers and inventors move their ideas from the lab to the market.

      It also aims to reduce carbon emissions from major U.S. sources 83% by 2050 compared with 2005 levels, and saves consumers money at the pump by investing $20 billion to retool America’s auto manufacturers to produce electric cars that don’t use any gasoline.

      The Waxman-Markey bill would invest more than $190 billion in clean-energy technologies that will go to the companies, research institutions, and entrepreneurs smart enough, agile enough, and innovative enough to devise the next great clean-energy technology.

      Many of these cutting-edge companies will be in Massachusetts.

      The state has always led the way in innovation, but, like the rest of America, our technological dominance is threatened. Germany has emerged as the global photovoltaic market, even though Massachusetts has 30% better solar resources. Korea and Japan are leapfrogging America in battery and electric-vehicle technology, even though we pioneered invention of these technologies.

      Today, only one-fourth of the world’s top renewable-energy companies are American-owned, because we have failed to put in place a set of policies to promote alternative energy sources. China is spending $12.6 million per hour on clean-energy development and is preparing to invest $440 billion to $660 billion this year in clean-energy development.

      As I traveled around China, I saw countless examples of how Chinese investments in clean energy are bearing fruit, from the solar company in Hong Kong to electric-car factories in Tianjin. And I came back thinking that these jobs belong in Massachusetts.

      There are signs of a clean-energy economic recovery sprouting over our region. There is American Superconductor in Devens, a company pioneering wind-turbine designs and working on new power-cable systems to connect sources of renewable energy to the rest of the country. Marlborough’s Evergreen Solar is on track to be manufacturing 160 megawatts of solar panels annually, and recently opened a larger factory. These are only two local examples of the next generation of American entrepreneurs who stand poised to capitalize on the clean-energy revolution.

      The American economy and the American dream have succeeded because we refuse to be shackled to old technologies and business as usual, but instead always look for the newest idea or opportunity.

      In Massachusetts, we have the brain power. We have the potential. What we need are the right policies to unleash this revolution. And with the Waxman-Markey bill, the next great revolution will come to New England, as we shape a new-energy destiny for the nation.

      U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Malden) is chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House.

      By
      Departments

      Survey: Limited Job Market Expected in Area

      SPRINGFIELD — Springfield area employers expect to hire at a cautious pace during the third quarter of 2009, according to the recent Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. From July to September, 14% of the companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while 22% expect to reduce their payrolls. Additionally, 60% expect to maintain their current staff levels, and 4% are not certain of their hiring plans. For the coming quarter, job prospects appear best in professional and business services and leisure/hospitality services. Employers in durable-goods manufacturing, non-durable-goods manufacturing, transportation and utilities, information, financial activities, education and health services, and government plan to reduce staffing levels, while hiring in construction and wholesale and retail trade is expected to remain unchanged. Of the more than 28,000 employers surveyed in the U.S., 15% expect to increase their staff levels during the July-to-September period, while 13% expect to reduce their payrolls, resulting in a net employment outlook of 2%. Also, 67% of employers expect no change in hiring, and 5% are undecided about third-quarter 2009 hiring plans. The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released Sept. 8 to report hiring expectations for the fourth quarter of 2009. The complete survey results can be found at www.us.manpower/com/meos.

      Year-over-year Delinquency Rate Climbs

      NEW YORK — Average bank-card borrower debt inched upward nationally by 0.8% to $5,776 from the previous quarter’s $5,729, and by 4.1% compared to the first quarter of 2008 ($5,548), according to a new report by TransUnion. The highest state-average bank-card debt remains in Alaska at $7,476, followed by Tennessee at $6,869 and Nevada at $6,677. The lowest average bank-card debt was found in Iowa ($4,300), followed by North Dakota ($4,414) and West Virginia ($4,640). Nationally, the bank card delinquency rate increased to 1.32% in the first quarter of 2009, up 9.1% over the previous quarter. Year-over-year, bank-card delinquencies increased 11% to 1.3%. Incidence of bank card delinquency was highest in Nevada (2.4%), followed by Florida (1.9%) and Arizona (1.7%). Information for the analysis is culled quarterly from approximately 27 million anonymous, individual credit files, providing a real-life perspective on how U.S. consumers are managing their credit health.

      Study: Education Reform Has Had Limited Success

      BOSTON — Bold new steps are needed for the state to meet one of the primary goals of education reform, according to a new report recently released by MassINC. Incomplete Grade: Massachusetts Education Reform at 15 assesses the impact of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 (MERA) and compares the relative performance of low-spending school districts with those of high-spending school districts. The study found that, despite producing gains in overall student achievement since its passage, the legislation has not closed the achievement gap that remains between high- and low-spending districts. The report also found that shifting demographics in Massachusetts have increased the percentages of low-income students in the lowest-spending districts, raising questions about the effect of concentrated poverty on student performance. The report’s findings show that the funding levels of low-spending districts have been raised to meet statewide averages, largely through a doubling of state aid to those districts. In terms of overall student performance, it appears the architects of MERA have much to celebrate. At the time of education reform, the proficiency levels of state students were above the national average. But the gains in the performance of Massachusetts students as education reform has been implemented have outpaced those of their national and international peers, as evidenced by leading scores in NAEP and the international TIMSS. Statewide SAT and MCAS scores have consistently improved as well. The report concludes that, despite the gains made, more of the same will not close the achievement gap and that precedent-setting initiatives, particularly those that are focused on cultivating high-performing, low-spending schools, are needed. The report includes recommendations such as placing the most effective teachers in high-poverty schools, rewarding teachers who are effective in raising student achievement, and raising the cap on charter schools and allowing effective charter schools to operate additional schools. The full report is available online at www.massinc.org.

      Opening the Gateway

      By
      Larry Martin
      Sections Supplements
      State Program Will Plant the Seeds for Green Energy Jobs — and Careers
      Larry Martin

      Larry Martin says the Gateway project is expected to lead to careers, not simply jobs.

      It’s called the Springfield-Holyoke ‘Gateway to Green Jobs’ initiative, a state-financed project that has a number of goals — from job creation to helping make the Commonwealth’s homes and business more energy-efficient. The program will fund training that will enable individuals to enter a number of relatively new occupations, from ‘energy auditor’ to ‘solar hot water heating system installer.’ But ultimately, the Gateway initiative wants to place people into careers, not merely jobs.

      Bill Ward calls it “low-hanging fruit.”

      That was his way of describing a Bay State initiative, funded by the Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs, that covers considerable ground in the areas of clean energy and workforce development, and holds great promise for creating some needed momentum in both realms.

      It’s called ‘Springfield-Holyoke Gateway to Green Jobs,” a name that doesn’t say it all, but comes very close, said Ward, executive director of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. ‘Gateway,’ in this case, has multiple connotations — it refers to the term ‘gateway cities,’ now being used by several state agencies to refer to older manufacturing centers in the Commonwealth that are struggling to find new economic identities; there are 11 of them, including Springfield and Holyoke. Meanwhile, the program provides an entry, or gateway, to employment for unemployed or underemployed individuals.

      And ‘green jobs,’ in this case, refers to a growing list of occupations that have arisen out of regional, national, and even international efforts to make homes and commercial buildings more energy-efficient, thus reducing society’s overall carbon footprint. These include ‘weatherization technician,’ ‘energy auditor,’ ‘window insulation customer service/sales representative,’ and even ‘solar hot water heating system installer.’ These would be considered mostly entry-level positions with fairly modest salaries, but they could lead to work higher up the ladder, said Ward.

      The Springfield-Holyoke endeavor is part of a $1 million statewide initiative that encompasses five separate projects, all involving Gateway cities. The local piece is the only one that involves a regional employment board, said Ward, and it will create 51 jobs in those areas described earlier, positions that area companies attempting to capitalize on the clean-energy movement report difficulty in filling.

      But there are possibly more and greater opportunities for the long term, said Ward, noting that the program may help spark interest in this emerging sector, one that would appear to have strong growth potential. In the meantime, Springfield Technical Community College is bidding to become a regional center for programs to train individuals to enter clean-energy occupations, a distinction that would provide more opportunities for the region.

      “There is a lot of talk about whether green energy is going to be an economic driver in this region,” said Ward. “There are a number of factors that will go into determining whether it will, especially the level of private investment in new products and technology. But government investment will also be critical. The potential is definitely there for this to be an important part of the local economy.”

      The term ‘low-hanging fruit’ refers to the relatively simple way in which this program will go about addressing need for qualified workers, said Ward, and also help in the broad efforts to make buildings more energy-efficient in the state’s older urban centers, where the need for such work is great. But the components of the project have the potential to bear more fruit down the road.

      In this issue, BusinessWest looks at the Gateway to Green Jobs program and how it addresses two of the state’s primary economic-development issues at the same time.

      Windows of Opportunity

      Larry Martin, Planning and Employer Services manager for the REB, said the training to be spawned by the Gateway program is employer-driven, and the need is apparently acute.

      This was revealed at a recent focus group, or roundtable discussion, staged in Hatfield that involved 20 area businesses already in or looking to break into the emerging clean-energy sector. The session, similar to others conducted for other industry groups, including health care and precision manufacturing, was designed to gain a consensus on workforce needs and how to address them, he told BusinessWest.

      “That consensus is that there is definitely going to be a need to expand the workforce in this clean-energy field for 2009, 2010, and moving forward from there,” said Martin. “Areas identified included weatherization, insulation, energy auditing, customer sales and service of products, some manufacturing — generally across the board.”

      The Gateway program emerged in part to meet the need for skilled workers, said Ward, and in some respects the Bay State is taking the lead in such endeavors. Other cities or regions have programs — Chicago, New York, and some areas of Texas have launched initiatives, for example — but the Springfield-Holyoke project has the potential to become an effective model.

      “This was a policy decision made by Gov. Patrick, and it arose out of the need to begin to address green-energy initiatives,” said Ward. “It was determined that one of the easiest, low-hanging-fruit ways of getting out of the blocks was to create jobs in the urban areas for low-income people to do entry-level jobs with some level of training.”

      Such jobs would involve work with energy audits, conducted to identify ways to become more energy-efficient, he continued, but also in the manufacturing and installation of new products and technologies.

      “So many of the older houses and apartments, as well as the Section 8 [subsidized] housing buildings, are not up to maximum efficiency by any stretch,” said Ward. “These are properties that can, and should, be modernized and upgraded.”

      And there would be significant return on investment from such initiatives, he continued, noting lower energy bills for individuals and businesses, and, overall, less reliance on fossil fuels.

      Elected officials have recognized the importance of such efforts, said Ward, and stimulus money should put more work in the pipeline. The challenge at hand is creation of a workforce that can handle such projects, and the Gateway initiative, described as a pilot program, addresses that concern, while also creating new career opportunities for several challenged constituencies.

      Powerful Arguments

      Indeed, Martin said the program will provide a pathway out of poverty for many individuals, and will do so by providing high-quality training in the occupations of solar-boiler installation, energy auditing, manufacturing of a new proprietary window-sealing product, and weatherization technician.

      This will be accomplished by creating career ladders and so-called “lattice-training structures,” said Martin, adding that the ultimate goal is to elevate the work of the occupation from a simple job to a career, one with multiple points of entry and that holds opportunities for several constituencies, including women, youths, minorities, non-English-speaking individuals, and economically disadvantaged candidates.

      Both Springfield and Holyoke have large populations of such individuals, said Ward, and the REB put both cities together its response to the state’s request for proposals regarding the grant money, a bid that was ultimately chosen.

      As with most REB initiatives, there were will be a number of players, or partners, in this initiative, said Martin.

      They include Holyoke Community College, which will handle project coordination; other educational institutions and training providers, in this case, HolyokeWorks, Springfield Technical Community College, and the Mass. Career Development Institute; Career Point and FutureWorks, the region’s two one-stop career centers, which will recruit potential candidates for the training; Nuestras Raices, a Holyoke-based community organization that will work to recruit young people for the youth component of the project, solar hot-water heating systems; and other groups such as as the Springfield and Holyoke housing authorities and YouthBuild programs in those two cities.

      Another set of partners will be the employers that will hire the individuals to be trained. These include the Alliance to Develop Power, Alteris Renewables, the Center for Ecological Technology, Co-op Power, Greendustry Park (a green-business incubator), Environmental Compliance Services Inc., and others.

      The Gateway project is expected to create more than 50 jobs over the next 16 months, including 12 weatherization technicians, 16 solar-boiler installers, eight window-treatment installers, five window-treatment assemblers, and one machinist. These positions will carry salaries averaging $12 or $13 per hour to start, but there will be opportunities to move up the ladder to better-paying jobs, such as energy auditor.

      “People can establish their own businesses or become engineers, for example,” said Martin. “There are places to go within this industry.”

      Clean Starts

      Summing up the Gateway program, Ward described it as a common-sense initiative that could address several important needs simultaneously — especially the desire to make the state more energy-efficient and creation of a workforce that can handle that assignment.

      If all goes as planned, the individuals who will eventually take part won’t have jobs, they’ll have careers, he told BusinessWest, meaning that this ambitious project will truly provide windows of opportunity — on a number of levels.

      George O’Brien can be reached at

      [email protected]

      Back in the Q

      By
      The Qteros management team, from left: Jon Gorham, Steve Rogers, Sarad Parekh, Bill Frey, Sarah Matthews, Jeff Housthor, and Jef Sharp.
      Features
      Ethanol Pioneer Qteros Has Designs on a Strong Western Mass. Presence
      The Qteros management team, from left: Jon Gorham, Steve Rogers, Sarad Parekh, Bill Frey, Sarah Matthews, Jeff Housthor, and Jef Sharp.

      The Qteros management team, from left: Jon Gorham, Steve Rogers, Sarad Parekh, Bill Frey, Sarah Matthews, Jeff Housthor, and Jef Sharp.

      As area business writers and economic-development leaders were compiling their top stories of 2008 last December, one near the top of that list was the apparent loss of a green-energy venture called Qteros, which was working with something called the ‘Q microbe’ to revolutionize ethanol production, to the Worcester area. But while the company’s headquarters has in fact moved, Qteros still has plans for a big presence in Western Mass., with a pilot plant it wants to develop in Indian Orchard. The talk now is that Qteros isn’t a loss; instead, it’s a potential spark for clean-energy-sector growth.

      t was only a few months ago that Qteros, the company formerly known as Sun Ethanol, was also referred to as the ‘one that got away.’

      It earned that distinction after company leaders announced last December that the venture, created to take the so-called ‘Q microbe’ and use it to revolutionize production of ethanol, would be moving its headquarters from Hadley to the Worcester area. Many area economic-development leaders referred to that announcement as a sad day for the region.

      But now, Qteros isn’t simply the one that didn’t get away, it’s also the one that could produce a spark with regard to efforts to create ‘green,’ or clean-energy, jobs in the region.

      “We’re Western Mass. people,” Qteros co-founder Jef Sharp told BusinessWest recently. “The company was founded in Western Mass., the technology came from the Quabbin and UMass Amherst, and we still work closely with the university on sponsored research. We live in this area, and we want the pilot facility to be within driving distance to our Marlborough lab.”

      This sudden and dramatic change in fortunes and presence within the community came into focus last month, when the leadership team at Qteros announced their intentions to create a multi-million-dollar pilot facility in Indian Orchard at the sprawling Solutia complex. During and after that press event, attention shifted to the massive potential such a development would have in terms of giving the region some cache as it attempts to become a center for clean-energy jobs.

      Indeed, Qteros isn’t alone in looking to the Springfield area as a home base for pioneering technologies. Mayor Domenic Sarno has a commitment to his city becoming a hub for green industry, and with a multi-million-dollar investment by Qteros, the company sees this as a foundation which will be laid for others.

      Over the next several weeks, Qteros officials will be spending as much time in the nation’s capital as in the lab, with the goal of securing $18 million in Department of Energy grant money, all for advanced stages of development at that Indian Orchard pilot facility.

      Sharp said that the DOE has already been a partner of earlier Qteros projects, “and they’ve given us a couple of smaller Small Business Innovation Research grant awards. We’ve got a relationship with them that we hope will be fruitful as they review the grant applications.”

      In this issue, BusinessWest looks at how and why Qteros is, once again, a Western Mass. business story.

      In the Beginning

      Qteros’ history in the region goes way back before the company came into existence, and it all started with a walk in the woods.

      Dr. Susan Leschine, a microbiologist at UMass Amherst, was looking in the Quabbin Reservoir watershed for a microbe that would break down plant matter. However, what she and her research assistant found one day in 1996 was something of far greater importance.

      From a “spoonful of dirt,” they discovered what was later identified as an incredibly efficient microbial engine for breaking down cellulose, found in all plant and woody matter, into ethanol. The director of the National Renewable Energy Lab has termed this Q microbe (so named for its point of origin) a “holy grail” of cellulosic ethanol production.

      It would take 10 years from that day in 1996 for the company to finally launch into the big leagues of the biofuel industry. SunEthanol Inc. was the first company that Leschine and Sharp began, and before long the world took notice. By late 2008, the company had secured more than $25 million in private funding.

      Ethanol is considered to be one of the best potential replacements for gasoline, what is known as a biofuel, but the common concern heretofore has been the costly means of its production.

      Sharp explained the Q microbe’s process. “It basically consumes plant matter and spits out ethanol. We have so far scaled its productivity up 15-fold, and if we can scale that up another two-fold, there will be no question that it will be the most cost-effective solution for manufacturing ethanol.”

      “It wasn’t hard convincing the investors to invest,” Sharp told an ethanol industry journal recently. “They recognized that the industry has been searching for a microbe that could do this for some time.”

      But with that outside funding came outside influence, and by the end of that year, Qteros officials announced that they were leaving their Hadley offices and taking up residence in Marlborough, in the hot biotech corridor around Worcester.

      At the time, Leschine mentioned that the company’s needs had outstripped the resources in the Pioneer Valley, and that Worcester County had systems in place for their immediate vertical expansion. What had been a great year for Qteros was turning out to be bad news for the company’s Western Mass. roots. The migration meant a loss of both jobs and a benchmark biotech firm, not to mention the stinging blow of another homegrown industry moving east.

      But the big news this past month was that the Q is back.

      Plant Maintenance

      Actually, it never left, said Sharp, who spoke to BusinessWest from Washington D.C., where he and company CEO William Frey have been spending a lot of time recently. Qteros is in the midst of negotiations with the DOE to secure close to $20 million for the company’s expansion into Indian Orchard, at the old Fiberloid factory site on Worcester Street.

      In addition to that lump sum from the DOE, Sharp mentioned a goal for a $4.5 million matching fund requirement that Qteros hopes the Commonwealth will endorse. He said that, with such funding in place, the company can greenlight later phases of operations at the site, currently occupied only by Solutia.

      The company is the only tenant on the 250-acre site, which is the largest chemical manufacturing facility in New England, currently employing more than 700 people. Sharp thinks that the company will make a good neighbor.

      “We have a good relationship with the people at Solutia who have helped us right along,” he said, adding that “we are currently storing some feedstock for the process there.

      “We’ve had conversations with them about the different stages of the pilot programs, and they happen to have a very good location for it,” he continued. “Our engineers have looked at the site, it’s appropriate, we have permits in place there, there’s excess capacity, they have the ability to bring the biomass necessary for the Q microbe in via water and rail, and they have the ability to burn the residuals of the biomass at the power plant there.”

      However, he added, “It’s a relatively small power plant, so it’s not going to have a tremendous amount of emissions or anything like that. It’s very benign. Even if we were running one ton of material a day, which we won’t be right away, that’s like a pickup-truck load of grass. From an industrial scale, it’s a pretty small quantity, so it wouldn’t have any negative impact on the air quality or anything else.”

      There are three phases in the works for the Qteros pilot plant in Indian Orchard. The first is to put the Q microbe to work beginning later this year. Second and third phases will involve a larger, full-scale plant, depending on those all-important DOE grants. “The second phase is a one- to two-ton-per-day pilot plant that will demonstrate our technology in a much larger scale than we currently can at our labs in Marlborough,” said Sharp. He and his colleagues hope to know the future of the federal funding by the end of June.

      If all goes according to plan, the company will soon be a major employer — and perhaps serve as inspiration to other startups in the clean-energy and biotechnology realms.

      “The plant will bring at least several million dollars of a project into the city this year,” said Sharp, “and hopefully it will grow into a much larger pilot, and from there into a manufacturing facility, where instead of employing the tens of people that we do, we could employ 100-plus people. If we are successful beyond that, well, there could be the potential for a bio-ethanol facility which would be an ultimate goal for Qteros and the Commonwealth.”

      Sharp is quick to point out that the company is happy to be back in the area for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to acknowledge the connection and contribution of its partner at UMass Amherst.

      “The university is a great partner to Qteros,” he said. “There’s work being done in a couple of labs there with the Q microbe, and we sponsor some of that research with contractual arrangements, but we also continue to be engaged with the school due to the fact that we’re their partners. We’ve licensed the technology from them, and they will benefit from a royalty stream once we start producing revenue with the product.

      “Obviously you can put a facility in Eastern Mass.,” he continued, “but the UMass campus is very strong, the talent there is impressive, and we want to be able to be closer to that talent.”

      Sarno told BusinessWest that he is thrilled to see this component to green technology coming to his city as part of his initiative to see Springfield become a hub for the green-technology industry. Mentioning the UMass Amherst/Qteros development in Indian Orchard, he said, “the idea is that UMass is really putting its footprint here. We already have great colleges in the city, and don’t want to step on their toes, but I see UMass as an economic engine on the R&D that these other colleges just can’t do.”

      U.S. Rep. Richard Neal has also been supportive of Qteros and its work in both Western and Central Mass. “Obviously I’m delighted that this is a homegrown technology, once again reminding all of us once again of just how important UMass is as a research institute,” he said. “I think that, based upon the visits I’ve had with Qteros, there’s promise here.”

      Neal said he has been active with Qteros both in Massachusetts and in Washington, and he’s confident that the company will spearhead a birth of similar ventures in the city. “I think that, for any start-up, they need a bit of a floor from which to build, and the federal government helped out here in the past and hopefully will continue to with the DOE grant.”

      Center of Energy

      Sharp sees Qteros, and Springfield, being at the beginning of something big. “We’re thinking that there’s potential for a tremendous impact for the city and the state, not to mention the entire country. We’re pretty convinced of the importance of this technology and the impact it could have.”

      He looked past the walls of his new pilot plant, though, saying, “Springfield has the potential to become a bioenergy center and a technology center. I think that Qteros siting the first pilot plant there will be the first phase of what could be a facility that could work with a lot of spin-off technologies from UMass. There are some great bioenergy technologies that are being developed in the labs there now. We’re hoping that this will encourage and accelerate those technologies.”

      Sharp said he sees no reason why Western Mass. can’t start to create the momentum needed to build upon one success and to have multiple companies, or an industry cluster. “When you have one company in a hot field, then you have more technologies coming out of the University that are in that hot area.

      “Before you know it,” he continued, “you’ve got companies that are supporting each other and having a cumulative effect of people wanting to live there, wanting to do business there.”

      The Indian Orchard plant is still a ways from becoming reality, but it already looks like a remarkable turnaround for the company known just a few months ago as the “one that got away.”

      Space Exploration

      By
      Bob Greeley
      Sections Supplements
      A Time of Challenge, Opportunity for STCC’s Technology Park
      Bob Greeley

      Bob Greeley says Building 104 at the Technology Park is unique space that should catch the attention of the market.

      After an unsuccessful bid to land the state’s backup data center and the departure of long-time tenant Springboard Technologies, managers of the Technology Park at Springfield Technical Community College have a 116,000-square-foot challenge on their hands. Re-tenanting the property known as Building 104 won’t happen quickly or easily given the current state of the economy, but those charged with that task see an opportunity to add new jobs and bring stronger fiscal health to the park for the long term.

      When the Assistance Corporation that administers the Technology Park at Springfield Technical Community College commissioned a feasibility study on what’s known as Building 104 last fall, there were several possible scenarios in play for the structure built at the start of World War II.

      Plan A, if it could be called that, would see the 116,000-square-foot facility become home to the state’s backup data center, an $80 million operation that would store and transfer information on everything from traffic tickets to tax collection and employ hundreds of people. But the tech park site was one of two being considered for the center, and the competition, the former Technical High School, or what’s left of it, on Elliott Street eventually got the nod from the state in January.

      Knowing this was a possible eventuality, the Springfield-based architectural firm Dietz & Co., which handled the feasibility study, considered other options, including a consolidation of Building 104’s long-time occupant, Springboard Technology, into a portion of that structure and subdividing what remained for new tenants.

      But when Springboard, which handled contract work maintaining and repairing computer components, and had been struggling for some time, eventually fell victim to the faltering economy earlier this year and informed the Assistance Corp. that it couldn’t remain in the park in any capacity, that essentially brought the board to Plan C. This amounts to starting with a clean slate in a building that comprises roughly one-third of the space in the ambitious, 13-year-old technology park created out of several manufacturing complexes in the old Springfield Armory.

      The timing could obviously be better for starting anew, said Bob Greeley, president of R.J. Greeley Co., which will be tasked with leasing out the space, noting that the economy has made many companies cautious about moving or expanding. But the space in Building 104 is unique, he said, in that it can handle heavy loads and features redundant power and heavy-fiber connectivity.

      This combination should make it attractive to data-center-like facilities and also some manufacturers, he said, noting that, while it may take some time to fill the space, the tech park may likely emerge fiscally stronger from Springboard’s departure. Indeed, while that company took one-third of the space in the park, it certainly wasn’t providing one-third of the revenue, said Greeley, adding that new tenants taking advantage of the building’s highest and best use — data storage and high-tech manufacturing — could yield substantially higher revenues for the long term.

      Paul Stelzer, president of Holyoke-based Appleton Corp., which manages the complex, agreed. He said that, while Springboard was a solid, long-time tenant, it was essentially underutilizing much of the space it occupied.

      “Looking forward, we see an opportunity for the technology park,” he said, adding quickly that seizing on that opportunity won’t be easy given the current economy.

      In this issue, BusinessWest looks at what will certainly be an intriguing next chapter for the tech park, which was created with the help of the state Legislature to house technology-related businesses and startups, and thus bring new jobs to the region.

      Park Place

      While giving BusinessWest a tour of Building 104, Greeley stopped at what was a $5 million clean room built by Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) when it occupied most of what is now the technology park in the 1980s.

      The clean room, later converted for general assembly work by Springboard, is part of the facility’s long history, which dates back to the early ’40s, when the Springfield Armory used it for some manufacturing, but mostly warehousing operations. It has held that role for most of the past 70 or so years for the Armory, then Milton Bradley and General Electric, which both occupied the site for many years after the Armory closed in 1967, and later Digital, from which the Springboard operation was spawned.

      But it won’t be a warehouse in the future, said Greeley, noting that it has much more to offer than high ceilings and several loading docks. Indeed, the building’s redundant power and what’s called ‘heavy fiber’ will make it ideal for technology-related ventures, especially data storage.

      “There’s a lot of warehouse space on the market in this region,” said Greeley, “but there isn’t any other space like this.”

      And it this uniqueness that provides a measure of optimism for park administrators as they go about the task of trying to re-tenant Building 104 in the middle of the worst recession in decades.

      Tracing the history of Springboard and its influence on the evolution of the park, Greeley said the company, founded by long-time Digital plant manager Tony Dolphin, originally occupied much more space in the park, including part of what’s known as Building 111. In the late ’90s, park administrators consolidated Springboard’s operations into 104, thus opening up space to be used as a call center by RCN and, later, by current occupant Liberty Mutual, which arrived last summer.

      Springboard has struggled for the past several years, said Stelzer, but the Assistance Corp. and park managers remained committed to helping it remain viable — and in the park, albeit in much smaller space.

      Springboard’s difficulties and the increasingly pressing need to find a new, more-stable tenant for 104 prompted the Assistance Corp. to propose that space as a suitable home for the state’s data center, he continued. When that two-year-long battle was lost, and when Springboard made its departure official a few months ago, park administrators quickly launched an ambitious effort to market the space.

      Until a few weeks ago, however, they didn’t have much to show prospective tenants, said Greeley, noting that Springboard was still in the process of moving out. With that work now completed, he continued, “we can expose the space to the marketplace.”

      Getting more specific, he said the target audience will be operations that store, process, and transfer information. There are already a few smaller ventures of this ilk in the park, he said. As one example, he cited Crocker Communications, which occupies 5,000 square feet, in which it operates what would be considered a small co-location facility.

      Such operations run 24/7/365 and require high levels of redundancy that doesn’t exist in most facilities, especially in Western Mass., said Greeley, adding that he’s already had some informal inquiries about the site, despite limited marketing to date.

      Stelzer told BusinessWest that, while one large tenant is a possibility for the site, it is far more likely that the space will be subdivided into four and possibly more smaller spaces.

      “There just aren’t that many 100,000-square-foot tenants out there,” he said, adding that the feasibility study indicates that the property can, and probably should, be divided into spaces ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet.

      There are some potential tenants currently doing business in the 413 area code, Stelzer continued, but the property will likely be filled with a mix of businesses from this area and other regions, meaning the potential for additional new jobs for the region.

      The wild card in the equation, of course, is the economy, which is currently defined by question marks, said Greeley. “People don’t know what things are going to look like in a few months, let alone a year,” he said. “This recession is not like other recessions I’ve seen; no one can say with any degree of certainty what’s going to happen, and this has left many businesses unsure of what to do.”

      New Lease on Life

      One thing is for certain: filling the space in Building 104 is critical to the long-term success of the technology park, say those charged with re-tenanting the property.

      Yet, the assignment isn’t simply to fill the space, but to find tenants that can make the most of its unique properties, and thus provide better, more-reliable revenue streams for the park.

      Time will tell how successful Greeley and others will be in completing their mission, but they’re cautiously optimistic that they can make the most of what they ultimately view as a stern challenge and a unique opportunity.

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

      By
      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

      Bank of America v. Westover Greenhouses Inc.
      Allegation: Non-payment of money loaned: $24,382.03
      Filed: 3/16/09

      GREENFIELD DISTRICT COURT

      Five Point Farm v. Cape Cod Stove Co.
      Allegation: Non-payment of 24 tons of corn purchased and delivered: $5,846
      Filed: 3/18/09

      HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

      Berkshire-Westwood Graphics Group Inc. v. Lavigne Inc.
      Allegation: Non-payment of goods sold and delivered: $142,729.88
      Filed: 3/26/09

      City of Springfield v. Comcast Cable Communications Inc. et al
      Allegation: Breach of contract and implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, and breach of warranty: $12.9 million

      Michelle Sherman v. The Salty Dog Saloon Inc.
      Allegation: Negligent maintenance of property causing injury: $37,497.10
      Filed: 3/27/09

      Valley Management Inc. v. Boston Road Mobile Home Park Tenants Assoc.
      Allegation: Employment discrimination and termination based on race: $100,000+
      Filed: 3/23/09

      HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT

      Andre Mercier v. Morse Manufacturing Inc.
      Allegation: Breach of warranty, negligence, and product liability causing injury: $650,000
      Filed: 3/23/09

      NORTHAMPTON DISTRICT COURT

      Dax Transportation Inc. v. PrideK Inc.
      Allegation: Plaintiff purchased diesel gas but was given regular gas, causing damage to vehicle’s fuel pump and injectors: $3,843.99
      Filed: 4/02/09

      Ralph’s Blacksmith Shop v. Monaco Restorations Inc.
      Allegation: Non-payment of monies owed: $24,517.50
      Filed: 3/24/09

      SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT COURT

      Bank of America v. Computer Ambulance and Michael Smith
      Allegation: Non-payment of money loaned: $12,063.47
      Filed: 3/10/09
      Carolina Eastern-Vail Inc. v. G. K. Mood & Co.
      Allegation: Non-payment of promissory note: $15,370.11
      Filed: 3/18/09

      Comcast Spotlight Inc. v. Unique Expressions by Gallagher’s Inc.
      Allegation: Non-payment of advertising services rendered: $4,390.78
      Filed: 3/27/09

      Thomas D. Lesperance v. Leonard E. Belcher Inc.
      Allegation: Breach of contract and unfair and deceptive practices: $20,000
      Filed: 3/18/09

      David Clark, D.C. v. Clark Family Chiropractic, P.C.
      Allegation: Non-payment of promissory note: $18,948.50
      Filed: 3/18/09

      WESTFIELD DISTRICT COURT

      David C. Brooks v. MJDB Construction Services, LLC
      Allegation: Non-payment of monies loaned: $200,000
      Filed: 3/18/09

      Lashco Tree Service, LLC v. Carr Landscaping, LLC
      Allegation: Non-payment for tree removal services rendered: $2,800
      Filed: 4/03/09

      Moving Forward

      By
      Cover
      Uncategorized

      From a sheer numbers perspective, the work of Springfield’s Finance Control Board — which winds down its work this month — has been impressive, guiding the city from a $41 million deficit several years ago to $50 million in reserve today. But Springfield still faces a daunting list of challenges, from poverty and neglected neighborhoods to high dropout rates and image problems centered on public safety. Overall, there is confidence that the city is on the rebound.

      It’s a day that many people have looked forward to for some time. It’s also a day that some have quietly, or not so quietly, dreaded.

      At the end of this month, the Finance Control Board — put in place roughly five years ago to guide Springfield out of an economic quagmire — will end its tour of duty, with all those involved with it believing that the primary mission has indeed been accomplished: maneuvering the city onto sound financial footing while also putting in place new systems that should prevent it falling into disarray again.

      “I believe the Control Board has been successful in the major task that it had before it, to create a system to better manage our financial resources,” said Mayor Domenic Sarno. “We’ve been able to make personnel changes and to put systems in place. We have been able to reaffirm that key people were in place who were the best people to be in those positions. We’ve brought in some people who have been able to enhance our abilities to do that work well.

      “All in all,” he continued, “the bottom line to all of these different strategies is that we’ve gone from a deficit of $41 million before the control board got here, and from a situation where we hadn’t set aside money in reserves from 1987 to 2004, to a situation where we have more than $50 million in reserve today.”

      Despite this more-stable financial picture, Springfield still faces a laundry list of challenges, from image issues and a perception that the streets still are not safe to persistent poverty and alarmingly high dropout rates. Meanwhile, the city’s central business district remains in need of a spark, and many neighborhoods, especially the South End, face a long road back to prosperity.

      All these issues and challenges are reflected in the comments made by civic and business leaders when they were asked about where they believe Springfield is in the process of revitalization and what remains to be done. Those asked to comment expressed general confidence and optimism, but also the feeling that, while the control board is leaving, much work remains.

      “We are the model city at this moment,” said Nancy Urbschat, a principal with TSM Design, located in the city’s downtown. “What the control board has been able to do, in conjunction with city government, is to turn an inefficient, broken system into … well, we have spare cash, we have systems in place, systems are automated now … apparently we’re a bit of a poster child for successful cities in the Commonwealth.

      “We have an opportunity now to prove we can do this without a benign dictator,” she continued. “There are some glimmers — there are young people moving to the city because it’s affordable, they are bringing fresh ideas and enthusiasm, and there are some new community initiatives springing up.”

      Jack Dill, president and CEO of Colebrook Reality Services, agreed, while acknowledging that the city still has work to do to convince people that its problems are mostly behind it.

      “There are some real challenges here, and I think the solutions are simple, but not easy,” he said. “In a broad sense, I think our issues are public safety and education.

      “As far as downtown is concerned, security, cleanliness, and parking are the issues. But I think those things are manageable, and to a great extent are being managed. The building owners downtown spend a lot of time on those issues. However, if there’s a perception that there’s a problem, then that itself becomes a problem. Safety is a threshold, and there’s no level of rent concession or parking rates that offset security concerns. But, again, if people look carefully at the situation, or they talk to people who are here every day, they see that it’s really not an issue.”

      In this issue, BusinessWest gathers a number of perspectives on Springfield, what’s been accomplished over the past several years, and what still must be done to bring the City of Homes all the way back.

      First Things First

      As he talked with BusinessWest, Sarno recounted a trip he and his financial team took to Wall Street recently. The issue was the city’s bond rating and whether it was worthy of being upgraded.

      “Springfield was in a junk-bond status just a few years ago,” he said. “We went to Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s just a week ago, and took three hours of grilling. When you’re before these financial individuals on Wall Street, sound bites don’t cut it. You have to be on your game. I was very proud of my financial team. In this unheard-of challenging economic environment, we received a full upgrade, moving up to triple B grade plus.”

      This development is one of many that would seem to confirm that the control board has succeeded in putting the city on a course to better fiscal health — not good, necessarily, but better.

      “The future will be the gauge by which our work will be most appropriately viewed,” said Stephen Lisauskas, executive director of the control board. “One of the board’s goals was stabilizing the city’s finances. Even at that point in time, the goal wasn’t stemming the bleeding and then leaving, but rather working with the city to develop the tools, systems, processes, and structures which can succeed into the future.”

      Sarno told BusinessWest that, in addition to those systems and processes, the city also has officials in place — specifically Police Commissioner William Fitchet and School Superintendent Alan Ingram — to address current problems and perception issues and generate more momentum for Springfield.

      “When we hired both of these fine gentlemen,” he said, “and I do believe they are the absolute best people possible for their jobs, we’ve created a process, so we can now trust the process to be successful in the future. That same process will be used to hire a chief administrative officer for the city, to assist the municipal government, to ensure that we will use the practices and policies that we put into place in the control board.”

      Sarno said both Fitchet and Ingram understand the importance of their work to not only improving the city’s image, but also generating economic development. As one example, he cited the city’s new Flex Squad, created with the broad goal of addressing quality-of-life issues before they become problems.

      “That’s unheard of,” the mayor told BusinessWest. “Something like this has never been done before in the city’s history. What we’re doing here is dealing with nuisance issues before they become larger problems.”

      Fiscal Fitness

      James Morton echoed the mayor’s sentiments on how the city’s critical issues, especially public safety, education, and economic development, are all interconnected. He’s seen this phenomenon at the various stops in his career — as a lawyer, schoolteacher, director of the Mass. Career Development Institute, and in his current roles as director of the Greater Springfield YMCA and control board member.

      He told BusinessWest that, moving forward, what the city needs most are a clear vision of what it wants for the future and the leadership it will take to make this vision become reality,

      “Where are we going? What do we want our city to become? What kind of city do we want to be? What is going to be the economy that we want to foster? We lack that vision right now,” he said.

      “We have an abundance of individuals in our city who want to be involved in the renaissance of the city of Springfield; they want to help,” he continued. “But without a vision, we don’t have a way to plug them in to the strategy for the renaissance. So the greatest challenge that I believe will confront city government, and Mayor Sarno, will be the creation of that vision. His job, his major job moving forward, is to be a visionary, and to provide our city with a road map and a strategy for its future. That is both an enormous responsibility and an enormous opportunity.”

      Summing up his thoughts as a man who has been both at the control board desk as well as in the trenches with the city’s population, Morton said, “we want that strategy to be an inclusive process where everyone can feel a part of it. If we are ever going to be successful as a city, there has to be city-wide ownership of that process. There are a lot of talented people who want to participate in that renewal.”

      Russell Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, agreed. Springfield has come a long way over the past five years, in terms of everything from financial stability to small-business development, he said, adding that one area it must focus on moving forward is to make Springfield more competitive in what has become a more-global economy.

      “The one thing that people need to know now more than ever is that Springfield is affected by global change,” he explained. “One needs to look only at the number of manufacturing companies that have left to realize the global impact on the city. Another thing that people should realize is that we are a community of small businesses, with about 80% of our companies having fewer than 20 employees. There has been a great deal of small-business creation in the city recently.”

      To generate more growth, and jobs, the city must make itself more attractive to both those already doing business here and those looking for a place to start, he continued, and this will be one of the objectives of a two-phase initiative called Springfield 20/30, which involves the chamber and MassInc, and will develop an economic vision for the city for the next 20 years.

      “Phase two will take where we currently stand and compare us with other communities that were in similar situations and then worked their way out of those situations,” said Denver. “Specifically, I think the city needs to be more business-friendly; the zoning code needs to be revised, and we need to reduce the commercial real-estate tax rate in Springfield because, unfortunately, it is the highest one in the state. When developers look around, and they can choose many different places all over Massachusetts, and they see Springfield as having the highest rate … well, it’s not desirable.”

      The Long View

      From what she sees outside her window on Bridge Street, Urbschat believes Springfield has become more desirable, in some ways, and that the city and its leaders must seize the moment and capitalize on the momentum she believes has been created.

      “It feels like this is the time, and I’ve been waiting a long time; for the past 14 years I’ve waited for this to happen. I thought there would be a trail of businesses following us downtown, but they never materialized,” she said of her company’s move from East Longmeadow to Springfield.

      “We have this incredible history in Springfield, and for most of that time, this was a successful city,” she continued. “It has only been since the 1960s, when the city didn’t respond well, like all industrial cities, that we didn’t get around to redefining the city.

      “It feels like this is the moment when that could happen.”

      Joe Frigo, owner of Frigo’s Gourmet Foods, located in the South End, believes the city hit bottom some time ago and has begun moving its way back up — slowly, but surely.

      “There’s a lot of stuff on the drawing board that’s supposed to come about here in the South End; we’re seeing Columbus Avenue come alive with construction, new offices … a few buildings have been cleaned up or renovated. That’s a key artery into the South End. There are a lot of us that run specialty markets that still exist. It still seems to be a draw,” he said.

      “We draw people from all different communities, whether it’s the Berkshires, the Northampton area, Connecticut. Some of us are still hanging in there — myself, Milano’s Fine Foods on Main Street, Mercolino’s Bakery, all the beautiful pastry shops. That’s a draw, that ethnic feeling that made this area vibrant at one time. People are still coming here for that. That’s a good aura that presides over us all, and I think we need to expand upon that.”

      Overall, he said, Main Street needs some additional drawing cards, or anchor stores that will bring more people in to downtown Springfield and perhaps more retailers as well. “Main Street definitely needs better economic development as far as the city helping us come forward enforcing better signage, better store frontage, putting the proper businesses where they belong.”

      Thomas Walsh, communications director for Sarno and a lifelong resident of Springfield, said the city has to take better advantage of its location and amenities.

      “I see Springfield as a great city with a lot more potential for a lot better things, even though there are already great things now,” he said. “We’re located at the crossroads of New England, which makes easy access to New York, Boston, Hartford, the major cities of the Northeast, New Hampshire, Vermont … it makes us a hub, really, and a vital place for business investment because of that — all that would make the city more marketable and a more lucrative business climate.

      “I think that one of the major challenges facing us right now is the perception of the city,” he continued. “I know some of the surrounding communities look at us as not necessarily being a safe place. I feel very safe here, very comfortable here, regardless of what time of day or night. The local media sensationalizes what crime that does take place here. When the headlines say that there was a shooting or some other crime like that … when you actually read past the headlines, it doesn’t report the time of day that it transpired. Crime like that happens at 4 in the morning, not at 9 or 10 o’clock on a Friday or Saturday during the dinner and theater hours. It’s at times when most people are home sleeping.”

      Angela Oyola, a victim witness advocate with the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, agreed. “I think that what deters most people from wanting to settle here is what they see on the news. People who are familiar with the city understand that this isn’t necessarily the reality of day-to-day life,” she said.

      “Whether it be crime or financial instability … unless you live here, you wouldn’t know the quality of people that actually do live here. Those people don’t always make it onto the news — the schoolteachers, the people who add to the community. For the news, unfortunately, they aren’t as exciting as a shooting. The 5 o’clock news is not the best perspective on what the city has to offer.”

      Under Control

      There are no celebrations planned for the day the control board packs up and departs Springfield. There will be some deep breaths, though, and maybe some sighs of relief.

      What Mayor Sarno would like to see is acknowledgement that progress has been achieved, but that the end of the control board’s work is not the end of the story when it comes to the work necessary to bring Springfield back to prosperity.

      And also some acknowledgement that, as Urbschat said, now is certainly the time.

      OPINION

      By
      Opinion
      JA: It’s Not Just About Building Birdhouses

      Junior Achievement has changed over the years, but the mission is as vital today as it was in 1919.

      A report from the Mass. Business Alliance for Education, released in October 2008, noted, “students in the 21st century must master skills that include: global awareness; financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy; civic literacy … creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem-solving; communication; and collaboration skills.” JA provides skills to our young people through the financial and volunteer support of local businesses.

      Nearly one in every four children in Springfield Public Schools is involved in JA this year, but there are more children who need the JA experience, and you can help by investing in JA. It’s good business.

      In 1919, JA’s founders wanted to teach children between the ages 8 and 12 about this country’s economic way of life and give them the skills to succeed in an economy that was changing from an agrarian base to a manufacturing base.

      The students were organized into clubs that had adult leaders and operated like a business. With the adults overseeing the program, the students developed an enterprise, made articles for sale, and learned how to operate their own company. The clubs were supported financially by local businesses. In the mid-1920s, the Junior Achievement Training Institute was built on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition, where Achievement Hall still stands today.

      For nearly eight decades, JA remained an after-school program, where groups of high-school students, mentored by adult volunteers, formed a company, sold stock, made a product, and sold it with the goal of returning a profit to the shareholders. For more than 400,000 people in Western Mass., JA brings back fond memories of making birdhouses, aprons, wire hangers, hair products, or electrical gadgets.

      Today, 90 years later, JA is part of a worldwide organization where more than 3 million volunteers serve 9.2 million students in 137 JA areas in the U.S. and in 97 other countries. Despite the tremendous growth, JA remains true to its mission “to prepare and inspire young people to succeed in a global economy.” However, while our mission is the same, our approach to providing economic and entrepreneurial education has changed.

      Junior Achievement offers a wide variety of programs for students in grades K-12 that focus on business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy, and career exploration. The three pillars of JA’s foundation continue to be financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship.

      Junior Achievement has continued to grow over the years because it delivers relevant programs and, like business, adapts to the needs of the community.

      Today, JA programs are still delivered by local volunteers. The programs are found in schools, after-school programs, community youth organizations, and summer programs. JA’s programs can take place in one-day or in a series of weekly classroom visits. The program and the delivery method depend on the needs of the school or organization. The age-appropriate, interactive JA activities are correlated to the state frameworks in mathematics, language arts, reading, social studies, economics, and civics, as well as to the Mass. Comprehensive Assessment System.

      Today, a Junior Achiever might be a first-grader who learned the difference between a need and a want; a fourth-grader who knows about human, natural, and capital resources; or a middle-grader who knows about budgeting, how to use credit wisely, and the importance of insurance. A Junior Achiever can also be a high-school student who has completed JA Success Skills and four hours of JA volunteer training and can be found teaching JA to students in grades K-3, learning first-hand the importance of teamwork, time management, communication skills, and service. –

      Jennifer Connelly is president of Junior Achievement of Western Mass.; (413) 747-7670.