Page 36 - BusinessWest February 3, 2025

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Chicopee
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Cabotville Industrial Park, formerly home to dozens of various-sized businesses but now mostly vacant, progress has come very slowly, and its fate remains a large question mark.
“There have been a number of owners that have suggested a significant redevelopment project there,” Pouliot said, adding that such talks have been going on for more than 20 years now. “We’ve been stuck in this current round with the current owner, Silverbrick, for two or three years. But it’s a viable project for the right developer with the right experience.”
Housing remains a critical need in the city, he noted, adding that, in addition to the Facemate prop- erty and its 105 units, other, smaller projects are advancing, including plans to develop the site of a former Masonic lodge on East Street and the conver- sion of the former Belcher Elementary School into 24 apartments.
Melissa Breor, executive director of the Chicopee
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“We have some great developments that are in process and at various stages, and with those housing developments, people are going to need services and places to go.”
Chamber of Commerce, said redevelopment of Cabo- tville and other large mills, as well as the smaller projects in and around the downtown area, form one of the keys to continued growth and greater vibrancy in the central business district, which has seen many new businesses open in recent years amid of a spurt of entrepreneurship, which continues today.
“In our fast-paced world, delays
and disruptions can be incredibly frustrating, but maintaining a calm and composed demeanor can make a challenging situation more bearable.”
who, as noted earlier, wanted to create a model for other businesses to follow. And he spared little expense in doing so.
He said the various design elements were spurred by statistics showing that people spend 80% to 90% of their time indoors, putting an exclamation point on the need to improve what’s known as indoor environ- mental quality, or IEQ.
“Every single thing in this office I picked myself with the architect, and it has a story behind it. Wheth- er it helps with health and wellness or it uses recycled materials, everything here helps in some way,” he said, pointing to the carpet in the conference room as just one example.
“It’s made, 100%, from used fishing nets in third- world countries,” he explained. “They would either get thrown away, or they would just leave them in the water, which is really bad for the ecosystem; it’s bad for those nets to stay in the water.”
The carpeting, walls, lights, windows, and more all contribute to improved IEQ and provide a space peo- ple want to work in, he added. “I tasked the interior designer ... I said from the beginning, ‘we are going to tell a story with this space, and we’re going to show people how to create the most beautiful, sustainable, and healthiest office space possible.’”
The space, which is outfitted with Excel products,
She cited the planned redevelopment of a large Victorian home on Grove Street in Chicopee Falls into a mix of housing on the upper floors and a pos- sible wine bar on the first, being undertaken by the owner of nearby Falls Pizza, as an example of this entrepreneurship and the importance of new housing.
“In terms of economic development and workforce development, housing is at the center of all that,” she said. “We have some great developments that are in process and at various stages, and with those hous- ing developments, people are going to need services and places to go. To have a business owner have that vision is really exciting.
“Investments like the one at Falls Pizza show great vision,” she went on, adding that new housing, in general, spurs new business development, which is good news for a city with a rich past and a promising future. BW
importance of patience. In our fast-paced world, delays and disruptions can be incredibly frustrating, but maintaining a calm and composed demeanor can make a challenging situation more bearable.
Again, in the end, we made it to Montana, and
the business conference proved to be productive and insightful. But the journey there was a stark reminder of the importance of effective communication and the value of staying patient in the face of adversity. BW
Sean Hogan is president of Hogan Technology Inc.
also serves as a marketing vehicle, he said, adding that this helped justify the price tag.
Asked to look ahead to 2025, Gagnon started by saying that 2024 was a somewhat slow year as large corporations and small businesses alike waited to see what would happen with interest rates, inflation, the overall economy, and the presidential election. But he is already seeing signs that 2025 will be a much bet- ter year.
“It’s going to bounce back, and it’s going to bounce back fast — we’re starting to see it already,” he said, noting that Walmart has committed $5.5 billion to upgrades in Mexico and $8 billion to upgrades in the U.S. and Canada, with bathrooms bring a primary focus. And he expects other chains to follow suit as construction costs stabilize and even come down slightly, a new administration takes over in Washing- ton, and there is ever-more focus put on the cleanli- ness of facilities, and especially restrooms.
If this bounceback comes as he expects, that will be yet another positive development for a company that has consistently broken new ground in this emerging sector and emerged as one of its clear lead- ers — hands down. BW
CrowdStrike
Eventually, after a grueling 12 hours of delay, we did manage to get to Montana. The relief of finally boarding the plane and taking off was immense, but the day had left a lasting impression on me.
This ordeal taught me several valuable lessons about the customer experience. In moments of uncer- tainty and disruption, clear and consistent communi- cation is paramount. Customers need to feel informed and reassured, even if the news isn’t always positive. The silence from Delta only amplified the stress and frustration of the situation.
Furthermore, the experience underscored the
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Excel
“And this is the short version of that story; I’m call- ing everybody and looking at everything to find some path. And I found a path.”
Indeed, eventually the stickers came off the dryers in Denver, he said, and, through the lobbyist, Gagnon was able connect with then-Vice President Mike Pence’s COVID team, which helped set up a call with the coronavirus team at the CDC it was working with.
“We found a way in, and by the end of the year,
the CDC had updated all its hand-washing pages and its main images to show a paper towel and a hand dryer, and that was a huge win for us,” he said, add- ing that these developments helped save the business, although it was still a very challenging time.
“Every sale became harder, and every single per- son we talked to ... we had to address the health issue,” he went on, adding that these ultra-trying times have ultimately helped put the product, and the company, in what could be called a better place — and give the hand-dryer industry a louder voice.
Net Results
While helping to create this better place and loud- er voice, the team at Excel has been making advances on other fronts as well, including the expansion of the plant on Chestnut Street in East Longmeadow.
This expansion became a labor of love for Gagnon,
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