Page 44 - BusinessWest August 3, 2020
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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 par- ties listed, or the court, for more information concern- ing the individual claims.
Court Dockets
HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT COURT
Florence Casket Co. v. Westfield Funeral Home and Cremation, LLC
Allegation: Money owed on sale of caskets delivered and received: $16,049.71
Michael Kenny, PPA and Karen Kenny v. TP Equip- ment Leasing, LLC and Petro Kabysh
Allegation: Motor-vehicle accident causing injuries: $39,372.47
Filed: 5/13/20
DSV Air & Sea Inc. v. GDMC USA, LLC d/b/a Vomax Allegation: Money owed for transportation and/or logistics services: $11,430.86
Filed: 7/17/20
HAMPSHIRE SUPERIOR COURT
University of Massachusetts Building Authority v. All State Construction Inc. and Northern Construc- tion Service, LLC
Allegation: Negligence causing property damage: $1,383,008
Filed: 2/18/20
Alfonso Longobardi v. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. Allegation: Fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress
Filed: 2/20/20
Matthew Howard v. Cooley Dickinson Healthcare, Massachusetts General Hospital Affiliate Allegation: Medical malpractice: $36,900,000
Filed: 3/4/20
Christy Giles v. Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home Inc. Allegation: Negligence causing personal injury: $74,067.08
Filed: 3/12/20
Kimberly Mook v. Belchertown Public Schools, et al Allegation: Wrongful termination, breach of contract: $230,000
Filed: 4/17/20
 Filed: 3/12/20 Auto Sales
Continued from page 19
rupted from an availability standpoint. But the good news is that it’s a pretty resilient industry; they find other sup- pliers and ways to navigate through. But we are a low point of availability.”
Some makers were hit harder than others, he continued, noting that Gen- eral Motors never fully recovered from the strike of last year before the pan- demic hit, and the arrival of COVID-19 further complicated matters, especially when it comes to the production of trucks, one of the more popular items in recent years.
Unlocking Options
Overall, though, and especially as the summer has progressed, buyers have had a better time of trying to find the make, model, and color they want. Mercedes has a sister store in New York that effectively doubles the dealership’s chances of quickly supplying want the buyer wants, and Balise and Tommy- Car have similar relationships within the industry.
Some are settling for maybe their second-favorite color or a model with most but not all the options they were looking for, said those we spoke with, while others chooose to wait for exactly what they want. And the wait is getting slightly shorter.
“We’re lucky that we carried a good days’ supply of inventory before this
WFH
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Laugh a little. Share photos, comments, and videos. Motivate each other to do great work together. Staying connected keeps us together while we’re apart.
Healthy Perspective
Small actions that are taken consis- tently can add up to big results. Focus on the three big rocks and the small wins that can be achieved within them to position yourself for a healthy mind, body, and spirit while working from
happened, so we were in a good posi- tion as far as the number of units we were able to maintain through this, and now, we’re starting to see the manufac- turers supplement the inventory back,” Cosenzi said. “But the biggest hurdle was being able to get the exact speci- fications a customer was looking for when it came to new cars.”
If the new-car market is getting somewhat back to normal, the same can’t really be said for used-car buy- ing, which, as noted earlier, is in what would have to be called uncharted ter- ritory — or at least a place visited very infrequently.
Using words and numbers, those we spoke with said demand for used cars is through the roof — even for convert- ibles — and this is definitely a sellers’ market.
Sullivan knows, because he recently was a seller — if you count trading in as selling.
“I traded my wife’s car in two weeks ago, but it really is the best time you could ever ask for,” he said, adding that prices are up, on average, almost $1,800 per car over the past few months. “With my car, I got $2,000 more than I would have two months previous — or two months from now. It just happens to be that timing in the market — the used- car market has defied every industry analyst’s predictions during COVID.”
Overall, a number of factors are contributing to the bustling used-car
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communicate with your family about boundaries so that
Bottom Line
As for what happens next ... it’s hard to say with any certainty, because there are so many unknowns when it comes to the virus, the economy, additional stimulus, and other factors.
“There’s so much uncertainty, but especially when it comes to where the customer demand will settle in,” said Cosenzi. “And we’re prepared to adjust our operations accordingly. We’re start- ing to see a lot of the manufacturing plants open up and trucks pulling into the dealerships with the cars we’ve been waiting for. I think that the used- car market will fall at some point, but you never know; it’s so hard to pre- dict what’s going to happen given the circumstances.”
Sullivan agreed.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said. “And we’re incredibly grateful for being in as good shape as we are. When we looked at what the analysts were saying, that can really put a lump in your stomach. I’d like to say that we’re wildly optimistic, but we can’t be because we know there’s some choppy waters ahead.”
With that, he spoke for everyone in a business that has fared much better than most could have dreamed, but is still staring at some rather large ques- tion marks. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
nagging feeling of work piling up and following them everywhere.
Create a dedicated space, hours, boundaries, and habits to increase effectiveness and maintain a healthy work/life balance while working from home. u
Sarah Rose Stack is marketing and recruiting manager with Holyoke- based accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka; (413) 322-3401.
  To stay productive and avoid frustration,
market in the 413, Wirth said. For start- ers, this is more of a used-car market than a new-car market, and from all he can gather — he’s been in it for four years — it always has been. What’s more, with the pandemic creating questions about the future and some economic uncertainty for many, used cars are being seen as an attractive, less risky option than buying new — even with all those incentives from the carmakers.
But supply, as it is with new cars, is perhaps the biggest driving force. Sullivan told BusinessWest that
most all of the auction houses where so many used cars are acquired by the dealers were closed for a long stretch early this year, removing those sup- plies. Meanwhile, many leases were extended due to the pandemic, taking those cars out of circulation. And some consumers simply decided that, given the conditions, they would hang onto their car for at least another year.
All this forced dealers to look else- where and explore options ranging from buying some of the suddenly unneeded rental cars cluttering lots across the country to buying cars off the street, a tactic Balise deployed.
And that imagination has been needed, because demand — fueled by cautiousness in the era of COVID- 19 and other factors — has certainly spiked.
    you minimize interruptions and distractions.
”
 home ... and, for that matter, working from anywhere.
As you and your employees navigate this new work-from-home environ- ment, remember that being productive and healthy is good for business and
good for people. Many find that, when they have accomplished their goals during the day, they are able to relax and enjoy their time ‘at home.’ On the contrary, if they have been distracted throughout the day, they may find that
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