Page 36 - BusinessWest Macrh 6, 2023

HOLYOKE HISTORY TIMELINE >>
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1978
The Volleyball Hall of Fame Inc. is formed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a living memorial to the sport of volleyball.
1979
Holyoke Hall at Ingleside is built, with anchor tenants including G. Fox, JCPenney, Sears, and Steiger’s.
1979
Michael Kittredge opens his first factory in Holyoke for Yankee Candle.
1980
William Skinner Mill burns to the ground in one of the largest fires in the city’s history.
1982
Nueva Esperanza Inc. is founded in Holyoke to facilitate economic development.
1984
The first annual
Holyoke Puerto Rican Parade is held in South Holyoke.
1987
Mountain Park closes after 92 years in operation.
1987
Ribbon-cutting ceremonies are held for the opening of the Children’s Museum at Holyoke and the Volleyball Hall of Fame at Holyoke Heritage State Park.
1993
Mountain Park’s historic carousel is moved to Heritage State Park.
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“There’s a lot of old players in Holyoke — there are many established businesses in many sectors, including manufacturing, which
has traditionally been our foundation. But we’re seeing a lot of young, new faces
as well, people who are investing in our downtown.”
was hidden by carpeting.
“It’s really cool to be able to restore
some of that historical perspective,” said Cattell, adding that it’s also cool to be part of a changing dynamic in down- town Holyoke, which is seeing new businesses across many sectors.
Meanwhile, the chamber, EforAll, and other agencies, such as Nuestras Raices, a grassroots urban-agriculture organization, are working collectively to not only create a pipeline of new busi- nesses like these, but help those busi- nesses survive, thrive, and get to the proverbial next level.
For example, EforAll has, in addi- tion to accelerator programs, a number of virtual programs it calls Deep Dives.
In recent months, such dives have been taken into subjects ranging from “Making It in the Food Business” to “Are You Getting All You Can Out of QuickBooks?” to “How to Use LinkedIn to Grow Your Small Business.”
Meanwhile, the chamber, through its many networking programs, is enabling these new small businesses to make the connections they need to grow their portfolios, while also learning from oth- ers facing the same challenges.
Indeed, Jordan told BusinessWest that the chamber has an attractive rate for solopreneurs and small businesses, enabling these ventures to be part of a full slate of events that provide invalu- able opportunities to not only hand out business cards but also be an active
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Murphy-Romboletti, who is also an at- large city councilor in Holyoke. “That’s one of the great things about the Holy- oke chamber now — you go to one of its monthly networking events, and it looks like the community of Holyoke; it’s very diverse, and Jordan has created a very welcoming environment.”
Food for Thought
Juan Uribe was driving a truck when he and other members of his family decided to pool their talents and resources and open El Paraiso Colombiano.
And he still drives a truck in the morning and sometimes during the day depending on how business it is at the restaurant, because ... well, because he needs two jobs at this stage in his life, especially as the restaurant continues to emerge and build its brand.
But, like other members of his fam- ily, Uribe desired to be in business for himself, and with some encouragement and learning while doing from EforAll, the dream became a reality.
Like many such ventures, it started with a passion that would become a business.
“We were born and raised here
in Holyoke, and friends would come around; we’d have little events — my grandmother would make empanadas, and my father would cook, my mother would cook, everyone would just love to be in our house,” he recalled. “So we decided to make it a business; we all love to cook, and this is a family business.”
A restaurant operating at 351
High St. had to shut down because of COVID, he went on, adding that, while the timing may not have been perfect for launching a new eatery, the family took the plunge.
“We knew we had a good idea going, so we decided to take everything we had and move ahead,” he said. “We knew that, even though there was a pandemic, people still had to eat, and we thought they would come out and support something new.”
That’s the quick version of the story, he said, adding that many pieces to the
Tessa Murphy-Romboletti (left) and Jordan Hart say a surge in entrepreneurship has helped Holyoke’s business community become as diverse as the city itself.
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Joseph Charles, left, and Jeff Cattell, owners of Paper City Fabrics, are part of a changing scene on High Street.
puzzle had to come together, obviously, as well as a business plan for bring- ing that ‘something new’ — authentic Colombian cuisine — to Holyoke and the region.
And the learning while doing con- tinues, he said, adding that working for himself is “a lot of work, but it’s some- thing that I love, something that my brother loves. It’s challenging, and it’s hard, but it doesn’t get any better than this.”
Cattell and Charles offered similar sentiments and similar excitement when it comes to being part of the scene on High Street, which is the logi- cal next step for their venture.
Staff Photos
“Shopping for fabric is a tactile experience,” Charles said. “Touching and seeing the colors in person and the textures of the fabric is an important part of the buying process.”
The two had been looking for a storefront for more than a year and eventually settled on 330 High St., across the road from El Paraiso Colom- biano, a location that affords them the space they need for their retail opera- tion as well as to process donations and create a classroom for sewing les- sons. The space has some history — it was once a popular lunch counter — and some intriguing features, such as tin ceilings and a mosaic tile floor that
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