Page 47 - BusinessWest October 17, 2022
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UMass Amherst Breaks Ground on New Computer Sciences Building
AMHERST — UMass Amherst and state officials broke ground on Thursday for the new, $125 million Manning College of Information and Computer Sci- ences building, designed to respond to enormous growth in the college’s enrollment over the past five years and provide talent to fuel business growth and research collaborations that benefit the entire Com- monwealth. The new facility is substantially funded by a $75 million state capital commitment from
the Baker-Polito administration. The building will expand facilities by creating approximately 90,000 gross square feet in new space devoted to the col- lege’s community-building, research, and teaching missions. Speakers at the groundbreaking included UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, UMass President Marty Meehan, board of trustees Chair Robert Manning, trustees Steve Karam and Mary Burns, Provost Tricia Serio, Manning CICS Dean Laura Haas, and Distinguished Professor Prashant Shenoy.
The Big E Sets Single-day
Attendance Records
WEST SPRINGFIELD — A total of 1,603,354 visitors attended the 2022 Big E in West Springfield. During the fair’s 17-day run, an all-time single-day atten- dance record was set when 177,789 visitors arrived on Saturday, Sept. 24. Five additional daily attendance records were also set. The event featured a diverse concert lineup of more than 80 individual perfor- mances, plenty of fair foods, rides, and unique shop- ping experiences. The tradition continues next fall from Sept. 15 through Oct. 1, 2023.
Whittlesey Named a 2022
Best of the Best Firm
HARTFORD, Conn. — Whittlesey, an accounting, advisory, and technology firm, has been named a Best of the Best Firm by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA), an award-winning newsletter for the public- accounting profession. It is one of only 50 firms in the nation to receive this accolade. IPA’s annual Best of the Best list ranks top accounting firms that have delivered superior financial and operational perfor- mance in the most recent fiscal year. The firms are selected from nearly 600 firms across the U.S. and Canada. Selections for the list are based on more than 50 metrics related to firm growth, productivity, staff development, and more. Along with being named a Best of the Best Firm, Whittlesey was also named a 2022 Top 200 Accounting Firm in the nation. There are more than 46,000 public accounting firms in the U.S.
Endowed Professorship Established
to Honor UMass Amherst Chancellor
AMHERST — Massachusetts businessman and phi- lanthropist Robert Epstein has made a commitment of $1.5 million to establish the Robert L. Epstein Endowed Professorship in UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. The gift honors Epstein’s friendship with UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and the chancellor’s decade of service to the university. The Epstein Endowed Professor- ship will help attract or retain an outstanding faculty member, with a preference for faculty in hospitality and tourism management, who will strengthen the academic excellence of the Isenberg School of Man- agement and advance industry knowledge through research, scholarship, and inspired teaching. The fund will cover costs such as salary supplementation, education and travel expenses, graduate assistant-
ships, research expenses, and support services for the faculty member’s program. Epstein, who earned a degree in marketing from the Isenberg School of Management in 1967, has been an ambassador for the university and an ardent supporter of Isenberg faculty and students. He has served as a member of the UMass Amherst Foundation board since 2010 and was appointed to the UMass board of trustees
in 2015. In addition, he co-chaired UMass Rising,
the largest fundraising campaign in UMass Amherst history; served as a guest lecturer at Isenberg; estab- lished the Robert L. Epstein Endowed Scholarship; and supported Isenberg’s Business Innovation Hub, among other university priorities. For years, Epstein has been a leader in the beverage and alcohol indus- try. As co-owner and president of the Horizon Bever- age Group and former chairman of Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, he has worked with producers, unions, legislators, and more than
15,000 retail and restaurant customers. With
his gift, he aims to enhance the reputation of
UMass Amherst and Isenberg within the hos-
pitality industry and provide the university
with the resources it needs to retain world-class fac- ulty to mold the next generation of industry leaders. The university hopes to appoint a faculty member to the Epstein Endowed Chair by July 1, 2025, when the fund will have been invested with the endowment for a full year.
UPS Stores Accepting Donations for JA of Western Massachusetts
SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM) will be the recipient of dona- tions made through the UPS Store’s “Start Small, Grow Big” initiative. Customers who shop at one
of the UPS Store’s more than 5,100 locations will
have the opportunity to donate to their local Junior Achievement chapter at checkout now through the end of the year. At UPS Stores here in Western Mass. and Vermont, donations will go directly to benefit JAWM’s efforts in the community. JAWM is dedicated to providing economic-education and financial- literacy programs to the youth of Western Mass. and Vermont, opening their minds to their potential and preparing them for life after graduation. The orga- nizaion’s age‐appropriate, academically challenging programs are offered to local schools and community groups free of charge because of the financial sup- port they receive from hundreds of local businesses, individuals, and foundations, in addition to special events.
Big Y’s Online Ordering
Marks One Year of Growth
SPRINGFIELD — This fall marks the one-year anni- versary for myPicks Online Ordering, Big Y’s e-com- merce platform. In recent years, Big Y has seen an explosion of online ordering and an increased cus- tomer demand for another way to shop. These fac- tors led Big Y to enter the e-commerce realm and launch its myPicks Online Ordering platform. The chain is continuing to gather valuable feedback from customers and is working hard to develop
new ways to improve customers’ online experience. Recently, myPicks launched an upgraded website with improved functionality that will make pos- sible services like home delivery powered by Insta- cart and the ability to accept payments via EBT and SNAP benefits. It has expanded pick-up windows to include same-day order and pick up, and continuew to expand its offerings of fresh and local products. Currently, Big Y offers myPicks in 11 store locations: Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, South Hadley, West Springfield, Wilbraham, two in
Springfield, and two in Westfield.
Country Bank Recognized for Charitable Giving
WARE — Country Bank, a full-service financial insti- tution serving Central and Western Mass., announced that the Boston Business Journal has once again named Country Bank an honoree in its annual
2022 Corporate Citizenship Awards, recognizing the region’s top corporate charitable contributors. The magazine annually publishes this list to highlight companies that promote and prioritize giving back to their communities — a feat that is even more important during times of turmoil and crisis. Dur- ing this year’s celebration held on Sept. 8, 95 compa- nies were honored for qualifying for the distinction
Company Notebook
by reporting at least $100,000 in cash contributions
to Massachusetts-based charities and social-service nonprofits last year. This year, the honorees include companies from healthcare, technology, financial and professional services, retail, professional sports, and more. Country Bank, which ranked 44th, employs
215 staff members within Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties. Staff members actively promoted the bank’s mission of giving back to the communities they serve by volunteering to a variety of nonprofits.
HCC Joins Pickleball Craze by
Opening Seven Indoor Courts
HOLYOKE — The Bartley Center for Athletics & Rec- reation at Holyoke Community College (HCC) is now open five days a week for pickleball after the col- lege recently installed seven indoor courts. Now, for a $5 per visit fee, any member of the general public can come to HCC to play what has been touted as the fastest-growing sport in America. The pickleball courts at the Bartley Center are available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Courts cannot be reserved in advance but instead are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no fee for HCC students and other Bartley Center members. Pickleball, which is like a hybrid of tennis, table tennis, and badmin- ton, became possible at HCC after the floor in the Bartley Center gym was redone over the summer. Inserts for existing indoor tennis nets were removed, and inserts for pickleball nets were installed along with permanent pickleball court lines.
Yankee Mattress Factory Raising Funds for American Cancer Society
AGAWAM — Yankee Mattress Factory, a manufac- turer of handcrafted mattresses locally in its Agawam factory, with showrooms in Agawam, Springfield, Northampton, and Greenfield, is raising money to benefit the American Cancer Society now through Oct. 31. In the past three years, the wives of two employee-owners were diagnosed with breast can- cer. Both women are now in remission, and in their honor, Yankee Mattress Factory has set a goal to raise $10,000 for cancer research and support for patients going through treatment in the Western Mass. region. Through Oct. 31, Yankee Mattress Factory will donate $25 for every Silver Collection mattress and $50 for every Gold or Black Collection mattress purchased at its four stores. The company is also accepting dona-
Notebook
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