Page 51 - BusinessWest August 4, 2025

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Arrha Credit Union to Merge
with BrightBridge Credit Union
SPRINGFIELD — Arrha Credit Union and Bright-
Bridge Credit Union announced their intent to
merge. BrightBridge will be the continuing credit
union following the merger. This strategic partner-
ship is based on a mutual commitment to people-
first values, competitive financial offerings, and
community engagement, credit unions stated. With
this merger, BrightBridge will expand its field of
membership to include Hampden, Hampshire, and
Franklin counties in Massachusetts, and Hartford
and Tolland counties in Connecticut. Pending regu-
latory and member approvals, the combined credit
union will operate 23 branches across Southern
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Eastern Con-
necticut, and provide access to shared branching
nationwide. Together, they will serve approximately
125,000 members and manage nearly $2.4 billion in
assets.
Eastern States Exposition
Reports Economic Impact
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Eastern States Exposition
(ESE) attracts about 3 million people to its grounds
in West Springfield annually, across its bustling
calendar of more than 120 year-round events. This
count includes the 1.6 million fairgoers that attend
the Big E, the fourth-largest fair in North America.
ESE is a not-for-profit organization committed to
providing patrons with quality entertainment and
preserving the agriculture and culture of the region.
A study conducted by Regional Economic Models
Inc. (REMI) of Amherst found that ESE’s economic
impact on Hampden County was $235 million in
gross regional product (GRP), and its larger foot-
print across New England and New York equaled a
record-breaking $1.167 billion in 2024. The study
revealed that ESE creates 8,085 jobs across New
England and New York; 60.8% of all jobs created
went to individuals without a college degree, 5,646
jobs were filled by individuals in the bottom 20% of
income earners, and 1,310 jobs created across the
region supported Hispanic employment. Employ-
ment growth was observed across all races, income
levels, and education groups. Since 1995, when the
Big E first expanded from 12 to 17 days, ESE has
donated 1% of its annual gross revenue to the town
of West Springfield each year to build and bolster
the Eastern States Exposition-West Springfield Trust.
Local organizations are welcome to apply for grants
through the trust for community betterment and
enrichment efforts. In 2024, 26 groups benefited
from the trust, including sports teams, food rescues,
and cultural centers. ESE’s overall contributions,
including a sizable donation of $370,970 made
on June 12 of this year, now total $5,425,220. ESE
receives no state or federal tax revenue to support
its operations and relies upon the support of its
visitors.
Country Bank Opens New
Branch in Longmeadow
LONGMEADOW — Country Bank opened its new-
est banking center, located at 919 Shaker Road in
Longmeadow, on July 28, with grand opening fes-
tivities planned for the week of Sept. 8. Melissa Ste-
fanowich, assistant vice president and Retail Bank-
ing officer, will oversee the new branch. To kick off
the opening of the bank’s 15th location, customers
and community members visiting the Longmeadow
banking center between July 28 and Aug. 15 can
enter a drawing to win four field box tickets to the
Red Sox game on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Fenway Park.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on
Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m.
T-Birds Recognized with
Award for Digital Media
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds
received more recognition during the American
Hockey League’s 2025 Awards Gala on Jul. 10 in
Hilton Head Island, S.C. After previously capturing
league honors for the Marketing Department of the
Year and Most Unique Social Media Content, the
Thunderbirds’ digital media team was recognized as
the Eastern Conference Award of Excellence recipi-
ent for Digital Media. The department has excelled
with a fully in-house strategy blending creativity,
consistency, and a strong brand identity. Each of the
team’s 36 home games features a unique campaign
built around a cohesive, season-long look, incor-
porating bold visuals and local imagery, with efforts
spanning digital, print, radio, billboards, and social
media. The team also unveiled a new-look website
and mobile app to their fans during the 2024-25
season. The Thunderbirds’ Social Media depart-
ment also earned leaguewide recognition during
the 2024-25 season, most noticeably by winning
the award for Most Unique Social Media Content.
The honor stemmed from the team’s inventive
response to a shipping mishap that sent their Teddy
Bear Toss jerseys to Germany by mistake. Turning an
unfortunate situation into an opportunity, the social
media team showcased that agility and creativity are
sometimes the most powerful tools in a successful
strategy.
AIC Designated Early College
Program with Duggan, SEZP
SPRINGFIELD — American International College
(AIC), in partnership with the Springfield Empower-
ment Zone Partnership (SEZP), has been designated
as a Massachusetts Early College Program by the
state’s joint Early College Committee. The AIC-SEZP
partnership is one of 18 new Early College programs
announced by the Healey-Driscoll administration.
AIC is the only private college west of Worcester
to receive this designation. Beginning this fall, the
program will launch in partnership with Duggan
Academy in Springfield with a wall-to-wall model
in which every student participates. Students will
have the opportunity to earn up to 60 college cred-
its at no cost before graduating from high school.
Courses will include MassTransfer-eligible credits
and focus on high-growth, high-wage fields such
as health sciences, education, and criminal justice.
Early College programs are a central element of the
administration’s Reimagining High School initia-
tive to prepare students for college or careers and
expand access for those historically underrepre-
sented in higher education. The new AIC-Duggan
Academy program builds on a long-standing part-
nership between the two institutions. Through ear-
lier collaborations, Duggan students have already
earned AIC college credits with strong pass rates,
and college matriculation among participants has
continued to grow. The new program is designed to
build on that success and help even more students
access college by removing common barriers. Key
program features include personalized support,
including small cohorts, academic coaching, and
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dedicated advisors for multi-lingual and exceptional
learners; advising to promote executive functioning
and college readiness; culturally responsive teach-
ing and staffing to reflect and support the student
population; and universal access, with 100% of
Duggan students participating regardless of prior
academic performance.
WNE Awarded Grant to Help
Families Reduce Energy Costs
SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield families will ben-
efit from a new partnership between Western New
England University (WNE) College of Engineer-
ing and Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity
(GSHFH) that uses drone and AI technology to
identify heat loss and implement energy-saving
home retrofits — at no cost to qualifying residents.
This partnership is possible thanks to a $149,700
EmPower Massachusetts grant from the Massachu-
setts Clean Energy Center. Through this initiative,
the team will conduct thermographic assessments
to detect heat loss in the homes of low-income
families in West Springfield. Principal investigator
(PI) Yu Hou and co-PI Steven Li will lead efforts
using drones equipped with thermal cameras to
create thermographic models. They will apply
artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyze
and quantify heat loss, simulate building energy
consumption, and generate automated retrofitting
plans. WNE will work with GSHFH to implement
these plans for selected families. Students can use
local homes as case studies, integrating building
energy simulation and tools like building informa-
tion modeling into their coursework.
Bulkley Richardson
Named a Legacy Law Firm
SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
released its inaugural list of Legacy Law Firms,
spotlighting firms that have not merely survived but
thrived for 25 years or more years. According to
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, “Firms range in size
from three lawyers to hundreds of attorneys, but
all have weathered economic shifts, technological
transformations, and an evolving legal landscape
while maintaining a core commitment to client ser-
vice.” Bulkley Richardson’s profile, as prepared by
a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly staff writer, noted
the firm’s size (39 attorneys) and commitment to
talent acquisition, workplace culture, and commit-
ment to the local community. The publication also
praised the firm’s longevity and strategic position-
ing, delivering service quality comparable to major
national practices, but also the personalized atten-
tion and long-term relationships characteristic of
boutique practices.
HCC Awarded $423,190 for
TRIO Student Support Program
HOLYOKE — The U.S. Department of Education
has awarded Holyoke Community College (HCC) a
TRIO Student Support Services grant of $423,190
to improve college retention and graduation rates
among low-income, first-generation students, and
students with disabilities. This award, which runs
through June 2026, marks the continuation of more
Notebook
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