Page 43 - BusinessWest May 29, 2023

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Millennium
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“Those two products from the SBA helped jump-start the econ- omy,” she said, adding that, by the fall of that year, Millennium was able to bring back all of its employees. The winter of 2022 brought another slowdown and more “scary” times, she added, but a sec- ond round of PPP enabled the company to retain its workforce and make it through the whitewater.
The company was also able to take advantage of an SBA debt- relief program for its outstanding loans from the agency, Jim said, noting that the SBA made payments on those loans during the pan- demic — payments that did not have to be repaid.
All this support had the company back to “almost normal” by the end of 2021, he went on, adding that he and Kelly again approached the bank that had approved their financing plan but put it on hold because of the pandemic — and this time it was approved, just before interest rates started climbing at a precipitous rate.
Milennium’s involvement in many SBA programs had the effect of “putting us on the agency’s map,” said Kelly, referring to recognition programs such as Small Business Person of the Year.
But what won the Sullivans this honor, in her opinion — and Jim’s — has been its willingness to invest in cutting-edge technology, its commitment to supporting its employees through the many difficult times, and to do everything they had to do keep the company on the track they set in on back in 1989, even through extreme hardship.
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“To do the amount of work we do, we would probably need more than 30 employees — if we didn’t invest in the technologies we have,” Jim said. “And we have technologies that no one in this area has, especially at the small scale that we are; we’re Heidelberg’s most advanced print shop with fewer than 20 employees in the United States.”
Bottom Line
Jim and Kelly’s email now comes with a signature, courtesy of the SBA, identifying the sender as a 2023 Small Business Person of the Year State Winner.
Behind those words, printed on a gold banner above storefronts depicting small businesses, is a compelling story, one that involves sacrifice, perseverance, determination, and, as Nelson noted, a firm commitment not to let go of a dream.
All that has earned the Sullivans those large, glass awards they are keeping safe at home. But it has earned them much more than that — the ability to keep writing new chapters to a remarkable and inspirational success story. BW
“To do the amount of work we do, we would probably need more than 30 employees — if we didn’t invest in the technologies we have. And we have technologies that no one in this area has, especially at the small scale that we are.”
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Hadley
fine restaurants across the globe. According to medi- terraneanliving.com, for many years Queen Elizabeth II served Hadley asparagus at her annual Spring Fest.
New England Public Media (NEPM) sponsors the annual Asparagus Festival, scheduled this year for Saturday, June 3 on the Hadley Town Common. While the event is in its ninth year, the festival was not held for two years during COVID-19. Before the pandemic, the event drew between 6,000 and 7,000 attendees. Last year, an estimated 8,000 people came out on
a sunny Saturday to enjoy the return of the festival. Vanessa Cerillo, NEPM’s senior director of Marketing, Communication, and Events, expects the same kind of crowd this year.
“If we are going to expand our housing, we need to figure out where should it go and what should it look like.”
“The Asparagus Festival is about celebrating the wonderful agricultural heritage of Hadley,” Cerillo said. “We’re excited to produce the event and partner with the town of Hadley for the year-long planning that goes into the event.”
More than 100 local food, crafts, cultural, and agri- cultural vendors will be represented at the festival’s Farmers and Makers Market. Local breweries will set up in the Beers and Spears tent, while food trucks will be on hand with traditional fare as well as fried asparagus and even asparagus ice cream.
For the first time this year, the Massachusetts Bicy- cle Coalition (MassBike) will take part in the festival, offering free bicycle valet service.
“Everyone who rides their bikes to the festival can leave it with a valet, where it will remain secure while
they enjoy the festival,” Cerillo said. “The festival gets so packed with cars that we are encouraging people to ride their bikes to it, if they can.”
Festival attendance is free with a suggested $5 per person (or $20 per family) donation to support public media in Western Mass.
Worth the Wait
In addition to approving a new budget at the Had- ley town meeting held in early May, the community unanimously approved expansion of ambulance ser- vice. Action EMS provides primary ambulance cover- age for Hadley. A second ambulance run by the town will shortly be added due to the call volume, which is affected by those 100,000 drivers who use Route 9 every day.
“We certainly benefit from the entire commercial district along Route 9,” Keegan said. “Because of the high traffic volume, we need to provide services like we are a small city and not a rural hamlet.”
To staff the ambulance, the town will hire two addi- tional firefighters trained as EMTs. Brennan said the ambulance is scheduled to be ready by July 1.
“There’s quite a lot involved when you put an ambulance into service,” she explained. “We spent all of last year outfitting the ambulance, training the staff, getting state approvals, and more.”
One long-term project Brennan discussed involves increased maintenance on the West Street levee along the Connecticut River that plays a vital role in flood control for the town.
“The levee is doing its job, but we are continuing to work with engineers to make sure it provides pro- tection well into the future,” she said, adding that the ultimate goal is to achieve FEMA certification, which is a multi-year process.
More immediate town business involves compen- sation and succession planning. In order to make sure Hadley is paying its employees comparable wages, the
town has hired a consulting firm to study compensa- tion. The firm has also been charged with developing a succession plan.
“We have people in key departments who will be looking to retire soon,” Brennan said. “Like many small towns, we have several one-person depart- ments, so we’re getting ready for the number of retire- ments that are likely to happen in the next few years.”
Another long-term project involves what Keegan called “a big conversation” about housing.
“We are taking a more focused look at our master plan, working with the Pioneer Valley Planning Com- mission and with UMass,” she said. “If we are going to expand our housing, we need to figure out where should it go and what should it look like.”
The old Russell School, located across the street from Town Hall, will undergo a feasibility study to fig- ure out the best options for possible reuse. Like many Western Mass. towns with older buildings, the cost
of rehabilitation to bring it in line with today’s public building codes can exceed millions of dollars.
“The Russell School is a beloved building with a good number of people who want to preserve it and others who don’t want to spend the money to keep
it,” Brennan said, noting that the study will look at options for the town to keep the school, pursue a pub- lic/private partnership, or sell it outright to a private entity.
Meanwhile, Route 9 construction continues, with the work moving along on schedule — even if vehi- cle traffic slows, at times, to a crawl. The project is expected to be completed by 2026.
Despite the current headaches, the investment is necessary, Brennan said, with a wider road and new infrastructure transforming Route 9 in ways that will benefit the town for years to come.
Keegan agreed. “I keep telling people, it will be worth the wait.” BW
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