Page 10 - BusinessWest October 26, 2020

Community Spotlight
Optimism Abounds in East Longmeadow
By Mark Morris
Despite all the challenges a pandemic brings, Mary McNally says, town officials and business leaders in East
Longmeadow are looking forward with a sense of optimism.
After serving in an interim role, McNally became East Longmeadow’s permanent town manager in December 2019 — just before every
“All of our Planning Department functions, such as petitions and site-plan reviews, are being conducted — business as usual. That is, if you accept Zoom meetings as business as usual.”
town in America began dealing with the effects of COVID-19.
Even though Town Hall has been closed to the public since mid-March, McNally said the staff has worked hard to maintain town services to the
public and keep projects moving.
“All of our Planning Department functions,
such as petitions and site-plan reviews, are being conducted — business as usual,” McNally said. “That is, if you accept Zoom meetings as busi- ness as usual.”
According to Charlie Christianson, those types of adjustments have enabled the town and its businesses to find their way during these difficult times. Christianson, board president of the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, said COVID-19 forced a number of companies to pivot and find new ways to stay viable. He cited Go Graphix, maker of signs, vehicle wraps, and other marketing materials, as an example of an East Longmeadow company that made a big adjustment and found success by doing so.
“When business fell off at the beginning of the pandemic, Go Graphix pivoted early to make plexiglass partitions as well as signs to help com- municate social distancing and mask wearing. Now, it’s a big part of their business.”
In addition to his work with the chamber, Christianson runs CMD Technology Group, a provider of IT solutions and support. With so many people working from home, his business was able to pivot to set up workers who needed remote connections.
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10 OCTOBER 26, 2020
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
BusinessWest
East Longmeadow at a glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1894
POPULATION: 15,720
AREA: 13.0 square miles
COUNTY: Hampden
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $20.84 COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $20.84
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $62,680 MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $70,571
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Town Council, Town Manager
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Cartamundi; Lenox; CareOne at Redstone; East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center * Latest information available