Outlook 2023

SURVIVE THRIVE &

Confronting a post-pandemic recession

The global COVID-19 pandemic of the past three years turned our entire world upside down.

Businesses and industry sought new ways to stay afloat and to find job candidates who were up to the challenges of an evolving workplace. Colleges, universities and public schools pursued innovative ways to ensure their students entered the workforce prepared to meet new requirements and demands of employers.

While the pandemic may be ebbing, the potential for a recession looms for our region, state and nation.

It makes the theme “Survive & Thrive: Confronting a post-pandemic recession” all the more timely.

Tested by the pandemic, cities and towns, the state, business and industry, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, colleges and universities, public schools, legislators, chambers of commerce, health-care institutions, arts groups and philanthropists, worked to find ways to not only survive but thrive in the face of the challenges posed by the pandemic and now by the looming recession.

Many of the region’s longtime businesses endure and new businesses are emerging, all proof positive that not only can they survive but they will also thrive.

Forging an economy that works for everyone

On Dec. 7, the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, together with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Springfield WORKS, announced approval of the Cliff Effect Pilot Program. The initiative will incentivize those receiving public assistance to enter or reenter the workforce without losing benefits.

This critical work began several years ago in collaboration with the EDC, the food bank and other community leaders. We recognized a high percentage of our population was not participating in the workplace, including families that have been impacted for generations.

The three-year pilot program will test the use of monetary support to provide 100 households throughout the commonwealth with benefits tailored to fill the gap created by the cliff effect as they work toward economic independence from public benefits programs. It is projected

that the state will, in fact, save money within the three-year timeframe. Fallout of the cliff effect is ultimately an economic development problem, severely impacting the workforce and many businesses struggling to find workers and consistent talent.

Unfortunately, our system places individuals in a tough situation, forcing people to choose between taking a minimum wage job (or perhaps a job promotion) and the sudden loss of critical services that ultimately leads to a decline in the standard of living, keeping individ-

uals and families stuck in a cycle of poverty. Workers are trying to make the best financial decision for themselves and for their families in a system that offers no incentive to work, nor fosters the will to work, resulting in low workforce participation.

MassMutual looks to foster financial resilience

hile there is no shortage of polls and surveys that monitor the pulse of our nation, one telling barometer is our internet search history. What we Google speaks volumes about what’s on our minds. And in 2022, queries for “recession” and “cost of living” reached their highest levels in almost a decade. Clearly, many people thought — or worried — about the economy.

This isn’t surprising. Over the past year, we’ve endured one shockwave after another, from supply chain disruptions and inflation to steep interest rate hikes and downturn in the financial markets. And while we’ve seen some promising economic signs like cooling inflation early in 2023, it’s still likely that we’re in for more volatility this year.

As I look ahead to the coming months, I find myself reflecting on MassMutual’s history and how it has prepared us well for this moment. For more than 172 years, we’ve helped people navigate through even worse periods of turmoil and stress, as we’ve delivered on our purpose to help people secure their future and protect the ones they love. And at a time when a growing number of families are financially strained, we know

Wit’s more important than ever to continue delivering on that purpose. That’s why in the coming year we will aim to bring our solutions to more families across the U.S. to help them achieve financial security, while also fostering financial resilience and opportunity in Western Massachusetts and beyond.

Uncertainty has been a constant in our lives for the past three years, when the global pandemic first surfaced and reminded us of how fragile the future can be. It prompted more Americans than ever to seek the financial security and protection that life insurance provides, and this demand has accelerated efforts to transform our business and meet the needs of our customers in today’s increasingly digital world.

One of the ways we’re doing this is by enhancing and evolving how we connect with people. For us, that begins with our dedicated and passionate network of financial professionals, who have provided trusted advice and guidance to our customers from the moment we issued our first policy right here in Springfield. We provide the tools and solutions to help them excel in their jobs and better serve customers, including the ability to view our customers’ financial holdings so they can develop a thoughtful, holistic plan for the future.

At the same time, we’ve accelerated our efforts to reach people in more ways, so they can work with us whenever and wherever it’s most convenient for them — whether it’s through other financial institutions, or through their employers, banks, or even their phones. We’ve also broadened our suite of solutions so we can fully support customers through life’s changes and

access to the internet

challenges, whether they’ve tragically lost a family breadwinner, are recovering from an illness or disability, or want to fill an income gap in retirement.

Of course, to deliver the most value throughout these long-term relationships, we must provide a superior digital experience — starting with how people purchase life insurance. Fortunately, we’ve made strides in streamlining this historically arduous process, using algorithms that allow us to issue coverage more quickly. And once customers purchase a policy, our enhanced self-service capabilities enable them to manage it on their terms — anywhere, anytime, on any web or mobile device.

While MassMutual is helping more Americans in each corner of the country, we’re also focused on making a difference in our own backyard.

resources

From our earliest beginnings, we’ve been committed to investing in a breadth of charitable causes and nonprofit organizations that help strengthen the communities where we live and work. Through the MassMutual Foundation, we’re proud to support efforts that create equitable access to social and economic opportunities and help deliver better financial outcomes for families in Western Massachusetts, so all of us can thrive.

One of these most recent initiatives is our partnership with the Center for Social Justice at the Western New England University Law School, through which we’re helping expand access to the internet and legal resources for residents who are most disadvantaged by the digital divide. Our joint effort provides computer stations throughout the Springfield area so individuals can easily find free legal information and

Richard K. Sullivan

The Cliff Effect Pilot Program falls within the economic development council’s strategic plan, as a major economic development strategy to stabilize, revitalize, and strengthen the economic vitality of the people and the communities of Massachusetts. The Cliff Effect Pilot will run hand-inhand with the council’s Western

SEE SULLIVAN, PAGE J9

service providers online, as well as attend court sessions virtually. So whether residents are facing debt collection or any other legal matter, they can better understand the law and their rights — and show up for court well prepared.

We’re also supporting disadvantaged individuals by putting them on one of the surest paths to accumulating wealth: home ownership. This year, the MassMutual Foundation is helping to fund Way Finders’ City of Homes pilot program, which gives first-time home buyers in Springfield the opportunity to purchase affordable, rehabilitated homes in neighborhoods where more than half of residents live below the poverty line. Our hope is that this will open the door for upward mobility and help people gain the kind of stability and security that’s passed on from generation to generation, while enhancing

the quality of life in areas that need it most.

The uncertainty and instability of the past three years have given Americans everywhere a more acute understanding of life’s fragility — as well as a renewed sense of clarity. It has instilled in us a more profound appreciation for the comfort that comes from knowing that, above all, you’ve taken care of the people who matter most.

From our perspective at MassMutual, those people are you — our neighbors right here in Western Massachusetts. And just as we have since 1851, we’ll continue to be there for you in 2023 and beyond.

Roger Crandall is chairman, president and CEO of MassMutual. To learn more about Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., go online to massmutual.com

An aerial view of Springfield with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the foreground in October 2022. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Through the MassMutual Foundation, we’re proud to support efforts that create equitable access to social and economic opportunities and help deliver better financial outcomes for families in Western Massachusetts, so all of us can thrive.

Roger Crandall

Western New England University president Robert E. Johnson, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, cut the ribbon on the first of free legal kiosks planned for around the city. The kiosk program, launched in October 2022, grew out of a partnership between MassMutual and the law school’s Center for Social Justice. It looks to expand

and legal

for residents who are most disadvantaged by the digital divide. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

OUTLOOK 2023 DEDICATION

For the past two decades, The Republican’s Outlook editions have been recognized with annual awards by the New England Newspaper & Press Association as outstanding special section and outstanding business section. As with previous years, Outlook 2023 carries the imprint of print design leader Patricia A. Thompson. This year’s edition is dedicated to her memory. Patty died on Jan. 7 after an 18-year battle with breast cancer.

PATRICIA A. THOMPSON

Federal investment helped WMass cope, recover

On March 11, 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, warning that the worst of the novel coronavirus was yet to come. At this point, the new virus had infected over 1,000 people across 40 states and was responsible for at least 31 fatalities on American soil.

“It’s going to get worse,” he said.

And, unfortunately, over the past two years it did. The pandemic’s impact has been unimaginable. Our region lost so many lives, including over 21,000 here in the Bay State, and we endured real economic hardship. But fortunately, with the Biden administration came new, strategic leadership that has helped our nation climb out of the depths of the crisis. As we continue recovering and rebuilding, Democrats in Washington are focused on restructuring our economy to work better for everyone.

I firmly believe that the CARES Act saved the American economy. The $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill signed into law on March 27, 2020, provided immediate emergency assistance to industries that needed it most during this vulnerable time. Amidst unthinkable challenges, we’ve managed to achieve a historic rebound.

The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report showed that our economy remains resilient. Democratic investments continue to spur sustainable job growth, and we’ve defied global headwinds.

The economy has created over 10 million jobs since the president took office, the unemployment rate has plummeted and here in the commonwealth, it is at 3.4%.

We’re seeing the best economy for American workers in decades, with people earning higher wages, receiving better benefits, and obtaining better jobs across the board. This past year we continued our momentum while also addressing new challenges here at home and overseas.

Recently, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged the progress we are making on tackling inflation and said that now is the time for steadiness. A paycheck means stability, and workers finding the best opportunities they can is the strongest building block an economy can have.

As we continue to recoup, Congress addressed a key issue that will strengthen Americans’ financial security and resiliency: retirement policy.

A startling statistic is that half the people who get up and go

TRANSPORTATION

Region gets on board for passenger rail

This is an opportunity that will not avail itself again, and now is the time to move on an east-west rail project that will be transformative for all of Massachusetts.

to work every day are not in a qualified retirement plan.

My bipartisan bill “Secure 2.0” passed through the omnibus legislation in December and will make it easier for more Americans to save for a financially secure retirement. The bill expands automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans and enhances the start-up credit, making it easier for small businesses to sponsor a retirement plan. After a lifetime of hard work, Americans shouldn’t have to wonder how they’ll afford to put food on the table, pay for health care or keep a roof over their heads.

Another investment we made to lower costs while investing in Americans’ health and our future climate security was the Inflation Reduction Act. This bill lowers health care and prescription drug costs for millions as it forces Big Pharma to negotiate lower prices, caps the cost of drugs and insulin for seniors on Medicare, and locks in lower health insurance premiums that will save 13 million Americans an average of $800 a year. And the Inflation Reduction Act’s focus on clean energy, energy efficiency and clean manufacturing will generate 9 million good paying jobs.

As we begin 2023, I look forward to continuing to advance the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to fix our roads and bridges, update our water systems,

Boosters believe expanded service on cusp of reality

By JiM K iNNey jkinney@repub.com

The platform at Greenfield’s John W. Olver Transit Center is unusually busy on a recent Tuesday afternoon.

People are waiting on Amtrak’s southbound Vermonter chatting amongst themselves about destinations — New York’s Penn Station, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station — and about what they’d been up to in Western Massachusetts: skiing, teaching, seeing family, living here but working at an employer at the other end of the rail.

It’s a scene rail boosters and economic developers believe can happen more often if there is more rail service in the area, both east-west and north-south and both on the main line from Boston west to Worcester, Springfield and Pittsfield or on the northern tier through Greenfield and North Adams.

The Western Massachusetts Passenger Rail Commission had already hosted its second meeting in the Olver center earlier that day. The body is tasked with setting up governance and funding for an expansion of rail, particularly east-west rail. The trains will likely be run by Amtrak with Amtrak selling the tickets, doing the marketing and serving the food. But the state needs an entity to do the financing, the oversight and to apply for federal money.

Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner visited Springfield in August, taking a tour of the east-west rail line with U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and thenGov. Charlie Baker in a special theater car outfitted with windows and video technology allowing a view of track that needs repair.

“We need to rediscover the power of passenger rail to make our nation mobile and sustainable for the future,” Gardner said at the time. “Let me tell you, we are well on our way to making this a national intersection again.”

As former state Sen. Eric P. Lesser, still a member of the commission, observed, what was considered a pipe dream six years ago is now, literally, on the desk of rail aficionado and President Joe Biden.

Biden, who famously commuted by Amtrak as senator, made the rounds in late January announcing federal money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for rail

tunnels in New York City and Baltimore.

In December, the state Department of Transportation and Amtrak, with support from CSX, applied for $108 million in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program.

The money will facilitate

two Amtrak Inland Route daily round trips as a first phase of corridor improvements that improve connections within Massachusetts between Boston, Worcester, and Springfield and to communities beyond the commonwealth in Connecticut and New York City. Amtrak has said it will likely, at first, identify some of its Hartford-Springfield trains and send them on to Boston.

The $108 million could also improve speeds on CSX-owned tracks between Worcester and Springfield.

The infrastructure improvements could result in increased train speeds and additional corridor capacity along the 53-mile section of the CSX Boston & Albany, increase the maximum speed to 80 mph and minimize train delays along the 44-mile single-track segment.

In addition, a track siding

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Administrator Sandra Sheehan and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno tour the garage at PVTA headquarters in October on Cottage Street in Springfield. Neal announced a $54 million federal grant to the PVTA that will bolster the agency’s electric bus fleet and infrastructure.

A train carrying Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner visited Springfield in August 2022, taking a tour of the east-west rail line with U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and then-Gov. Charlie Baker. The train included a special theater car outfitted with windows and video technology allowing a view of track that needs repair. At top, passengers get on an Amtrak train at Springfield Union Station last month. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“We need to rediscover the power of passenger rail to make our nation mobile and sustainable for the future. Let me tell you, we are well on our way to making this a national intersection again.”

STEPHEN GARDNER, AMTRAK CEO, VISITING SPRINGFIELD TO TOUR EAST-WEST RAIL LINE

“We’ve Survived… Now Let’s Thrive!”

Under scrutiny from MBTA, CRRC tries to get back on track

“Our vision for 2023 is to continue to: improve our planning, communication, and performance; further develop our workforce; bid and win additional transit contracts; and work with our transit partners to ensure the introduction of modern transit vehicles to the riding public.”

Delays, quality issues put future of plant in question

By JIM K INNEy jkinney@repub.com

Unless there are major changes, about the best anyone can expect from CRRC MA and its massive rail car factory in Springfield is four new cars a month.

That’s about half the production CRRC promised when it first got the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority contract in 2014. That contract is now 17 months to two years behind schedule. And the Springfield plant has not yet restarted shipping new cars to the T after a series of delays and quality control issues are now coming to a head.

Gov. Maura T. Healey, under pressure to fix troubles at the beleaguered T, and the MBTA have hired an independent team to evaluate and possibly improve CRRC’s operations.

Neal

CONTINUES FROM PAGE J4

provide more electric vehicle charging stations, update our airports and, of course, modernize our eastwest rail system across the commonwealth. Because of this legislation, we have the money, the support, and I have secured the commitment from the incoming Healey-Driscoll administration to keep this train literally and metaphorically moving forward.

This is an opportunity that will not avail itself again, and now is the time to move on an east-west rail project that will be transformative for all of Massachusetts. I remain committed to working together as elected leaders, an engaged business community and an involved public. Together, we can create the transportation system that our entire state needs for its economy and people to thrive.

As I reflect on these achievements and look ahead to 2023, I am optimistic for what we can achieve in the 118th session. Thank you for your continued support. It is an honor to represent the people of western and central Massachusetts in the United States Congress.

Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, is the congressman from the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts and chairs the House Ways and Means Committee. You can learn more about the congressman and his work online at neal. house.gov. His district office in Springfield is located at 300 State St., Suite 200, 413785-0325.

But CRRC, the largest railcar maker in the world and an enterprise of the Chinese government, says it’s confident it can get production in Springfield back on track.

“Our vision for 2023 is to continue to: improve our planning, communication, and performance; further develop our workforce; bid and win additional transit contracts; and work with our transit partners to ensure the introduction of modern transit vehicles to the riding public,” said spokeswoman Lydia Rivera.

In 2014, CRRC received a $566 million contract from the MBTA to build the cars for the Orange and Red lines. In December 2016, the MBTA upped the order, requesting another 120 new Red Line cars, with production then set to begin in June 2022 at a cost of $277 million.

The state went without federal aid in that deal so it could mandate that the cars be assembled here in Massachusetts. The idea was to create an industry here that would

outlive the contract.

It’s a revived, not a new, industry. Wason Manufacturing Co., which was one of the largest makers of railroad cars and locomotives in the country, operated here from 1845 to the Great Depression. The Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum has a Wason trolley car.

For CRRC, 78 Orange Line cars have been delivered to Wellington Yard car house, according to a report T management gave its board of directors last month.

All 152 Orange Line car shells have been produced. Seventy-eight are at the MBTA’s Wellington car house, 48 are in the production line in Springfield and 26 are being stored waiting to enter the production line in Springfield.

Twelve Red Line cars are on site at Cabot car house, six are in production in Springfield, 14 are being stored in Springfield waiting to enter the production line, and 12 are in Changchun,

awaiting shipment to Springfield. Two hundred and eight remain to be fabricated in China.

The T said CRRC stopped Red Line car shell production in November 2022 due to a surplus of 40 car shells currently stored in Springfield — 26 Orange and 14 Red waiting to enter production. But the T has asked that CRRC work on both types of cars concurrently.

Also, CRRC said projects for the Los Angeles Metro and the Philadelphia-area’s SEPTA are proceeding with shells for those cars on the way. CRRC in Massachusetts has a current workforce of more than 397 employees.

The manufacturing facility in Springfield employs 348 employees, including 241 union

LYDIA RIVERA, SPOKESWOMAN

production employees made up of Sheet Metal Workers Local 63 and Electrical Workers Local 7. Of these 241, 158 of these employees live in the city of Springfield, with 90% of the staff living in Greater Springfield.

Rivera said the company has been hamstrung by tariffs, import duties imposed after CRRC signed its contracts have cost it $18 million on the MBTA work and are expected to cost CRRC $44 million in total on the T, SEPTA and the Los Angeles work.

Rivera also spoke of CRRC’s new training initiatives and a program of quality control audits that began in January.

The $80 million CRRC factory in East Springfield has a larger problem. CRRC hasn’t booked any jobs after the T, SEPTA and Los Angeles.

Federal law bars transit

agencies from using federal money to buy from CRRC unless they have already established a relationship, said Erik Olson, executive director of the Rail Security Alliance. And with customers unhappy, they likely won’t line up to do more business. Even Los Angeles is rebidding part of its contract with CRRC.

That means the plant might sit empty. “I don’t know what it means for the future,” Olson, who lobbied in favor of the ban, said. “Our purpose is to raise these issues.”

But there are other international players looking for factories. And Springfield is well positioned. Another operator, such as Siemens, Huyndai, Kawasaki, or Alsom, could take over.

“That would be great,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s in the cards.”

Rail

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will be built in Grafton that will improve the efficiency and capacity of freight interchange with Grafton & Upton Railroad while also minimizing the freight impacts to passenger operations.

The application is noteworthy especially because of CSX’s cooperation. CSX, notoriously unwilling to allow passenger expansion on its freight lines, agreed under pressure as it sought federal permission to merge with Pan Am Southern. The Pan Am Southern deal was approved in April.

In June, the state transportation agency received $1.75 million from that same CRISI program for track improvements near Springfield’s Union Station. The state has already purchased property near the station to add more track for train storage.

In October, the state announced that Amtrak’s Valley Flyer, a north-south train from Springfield to Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield,

would be a permanent service.

The train began in 2019 as a pilot project.

The Valley Flyer, which primarily serves passengers traveling from Western Massachusetts to New York City , is on track to provide 24,000 annual trips for fiscal year 2023, Amtrak said.

Springfield Union Station saw 1 million passengers in the second half of 2022, said Nicole Sweeney of Appleton Corp., property manager at Union.

The bulk — 84% — of those passengers were Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus riders. Amtrak saw 70,573 riders in that time period and CTrail 10,845 riders from Union Station for its Hartford Line service.

Passenger volumes vary, but overall among all carriers there were 1,000 more people in Union Station in December 2022 compared with pre-pandemic 2019. But Sweeney said much of that volume might have been driven by a fare-free period of PVTA and the state’s other regional transit bus lines.

Passengers await Amtrak’s southbound Vermonter last month at the John W. Olver Transit Center in Greenfield. (JIM KINNEY / THE REPUBLICAN)

Above, rail cars outside the CRRC MA manufacturing facility in Springfield. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

An Orange Line car, manufactured at CRRC’s Springfield plant, sits inside the Wellington Yard car house in Medford. (CHRIS VAN BUSKIRK / MASSLIVE)

As I reflect on the achievements of the past year - from continued economic recovery, to getting shovels in the ground on pressing infrastructure projects, to making it easier for people to save for retirement, to focusing on clean energy and efficiency – I am optimistic for what we can achieve in the 118th Congress.

Workforce challenges are dire, immediate

What if you created an economy and no one came?

Companies across Massachusetts are urgently seeking workers. Takeda, the state’s largest life sciences employer, is actively working to fill more than 500 open jobs at all skill levels and locations in Massachusetts — and not just jobs for researchers and scientists.

There are a multitude of statistics about the state of the Massachusetts workforce, but here are the two you need to know:

• The state Department of Economic Research projects that the number of jobs in the commonwealth will grow by 21% by 2030; and

• Meanwhile, a new study for the state Department of Transportation finds that the Massachusetts workforce will grow by just 1.5% by 2030. The workforce challenges looming over the Massachusetts economy are dire and immediate.

Massachusetts employers are already struggling with labor shortages and lack of qualified talent — exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 — that have dealt a major blow to day-to-day operations. Companies across all industries, from biotechnology to retail, are unable to fill positions with qualified candidates as the commonwealth loses workers to lower-cost states.

According to the most recent figures, Massachusetts has approximately 160,000 more job openings than un-

John Regan

employed workers (289,000 openings versus 131,300 unemployed workers).

But all that is merely a harbinger of things to come.

The Massachusetts economy is sailing into maelstrom of demographic shift combined with a fundamental change in the way people approach work. The result is an economy that could leave employers gasping for workers at the very time that the commonwealth seeks to solidify its role as a global center of innovation, commerce and technology.

A recent study by MassINC projects that the working-age, college-educated population of Massachusetts will decrease by 192,000 people by 2030. The commonwealth will also lose some 92,500 of the working-age, non-college-educated people who drive manufacturing, the building trades and the hospitality and other service industries.

It is a foreboding landscape that could, in turn, inhibit the ability and responsibility of employers to create economic opportunity for the people of Massachusetts.

Associated Industries of Massachusetts and its members from every sector of the

Beyond Mobility, the Massachusetts 2050 Transportation Plan, held a community outreach event at Union Station in Springfield in September 2022 to get input on what people want to see in public transportation. Noemi Gomez, of Springfield, above, answers survey questions with Claribel Amy. (DON

Resiliency, mobility are planning mantras for ’23

For 2023, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is committed to continuing to work with our partners in envisioning and crafting a region that ensures resiliency, livability and mobility.

Since 1962, the commission has worked with our regional, state and national partners to advance a Hampden- and Hampshire-County region that thrives no matter the ever-changing conditions on the ground. Created in state law to help shape a rapidly evolving valley, we subscribe to the great Maya Angelou’s words: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

PVPC has long been an ardent steward of our valley’s natural world. Our team of dedicated planners spends a

great deal of time and energy working to make our communities more sustainable. Preparing our region to effectively meet the future impacts of climate change is vital to the future of this area.

Our region is already experiencing changing weather patterns, such as unexpected storms, persistent drought and heat waves. The impacts of these shifts are clear to see: For example, large influxes of rainfall and snowmelt can wash away roads and bridges and overwhelm our legacy water and sewer infrastructure, thereby polluting our

With the northsouth Valley Flyer Line now permanent and the Massachusetts state Department of Transportation pursuing federal dollars for expanded eastwest passenger rail service, we believe that the pieces are coming together to realize that economically empowered future for our cities and towns.

local waters. To address these needs, PVPC will continue to partner with our municipalities as well as state and federal officials to bring regional approaches to these very real-world issues. 2023 will also be a critical time in the history of our valley. As a region, we need to reassess the inherent livability of our communities and challenge some existing assumptions. The 2020 Census made it abundantly clear that our towns are getting older. How can we make our communities more welcoming and attractive to all types of new residents and business investments? How do we ensure our housing stock and local economy serves the interests of all our current and future residents?

PVPC spent much of 2022 laying the groundwork for such progress, by working

Kimberly H. Robinson

with our communities to update zoning bylaws and support elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners’ ability to stay safely in place.

We convened diverse stakeholders to better understand what economic empowerment looks like for women and minority businesspeople, and what is required to build vibrant economies in rural settings.

We will further question whether our public infrastructure and human services fully meet the needs of the wide array of residents that call this area home. For example, the Age-Friendly Movement champions communities in

Paul Avery French poet & symbolist

The storms of uncertainty have a way of making many of us uncomfortable about the future. That’s why we’re here. Our history is founded on a disciplined approach that has stood the test of time. And in all that time we’ve heard chapter and verse about market volatility, inflation, deflation and so forth. Proper financial planning helps us deal with the uncertainties of our time. And when those drab clouds fade away, more often than not we’re reminded of positive things that show up.

Empowering women helps unlock prosperity

All of us have been tested these last few years. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, survival was the goal. The pandemic made clear the gap between surviving and thriving was not a new one.

For many women and their families in our region, survival was tenuous long before COVID-19 arrived. From domestic violence to economic insecurity, women, particularly women of color, were already experiencing all of these things. The pandemic just made them worse. We brought together organizations in Hampden County to help us look carefully at why women were economically vulnerable. What we discovered together was a wide lens of the complex issues that affect one woman’s economic engine.

Through 413Cares.org, we created an asset map of organizations focused on addressing issues such as housing, child care, transportation, and more (www.413cares.org/eco nomic-security). We invited some of those community partners to receive grants and undergo training so they could facilitate surveys of 200 economically vulnerable women from Greater Springfield. We compensated the women surveyed for their time and insights. Please visit our website, mywomensfund.org, to see what we learned. While there, consider becoming a women’s fund donor. We have an amazing opportuni-

Robinson

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which people can grow up and grow old with ease.

PVPC has been working extensively with our partners in the last two years on this, and we are excited to serve as lead convener of the Age and Dementia Friendly Pioneer Valley Initiative. Happily, we know many of the improvements stand to benefit individuals and families throughout their lives — from a new mom pushing a stroller down a safe sidewalk, to the adult child of a parent living with dementia finding a more robust network of local resources.

The age-friendly tenets of inclusion and accessibility are also central to assessing and improving our region’s transportation system. In 2023, the PVPC will complete an update to our Regional Transportation Plan, providing a blueprint for investments in our communities. This work is already underway, and we have heard tough but instructive testimonials from drivers, wheelchair users, transit takers, and bike riders who have felt left out and let down by the current transportation offerings. Our job is to lay out a pathway towards a better transportation future.

An integral part of this

Boulevard is ‘Machining the Future’

Aerospace, defense work powers growth

By L ORI STABILE Special to The Republican

hen Susan M. Kasa considered taking over Boulevard Machine, she recognized the company’s potential.

“It was something I was willing to learn,” Kasa, Boulevard Machine’s president, said in a recent interview.

Kasa, who worked in public relations, knew the customer base could grow. She bought the company in 2006, when it had only eight employees. And, she said, Boulevard has been steadily growing ever since she took ownership, noting the company that has been in existence since the 1950s is now a multimillion-dollar company with 25 employees.

WThe past three years were the best yet with double-digit growth. She expects the same sales increases again in 2023.

“I see the coming year as a year for us to blossom,” Kasa said.

Because the company is private, she declined to

ty to unlock up to $50,000 from a humble national foundation if we receive up to $50,000 in new or increased gifts through March 31. Unlocking extra dollars will allow us to provide two-year grants in this year’s grant cycle. A one-year grant is about survival and a multiyear grant provides the conditions to thrive. We trust the organizations we invest in. Trust-based philanthropy encourages us to provide freedom on how the dollars are spent. Our partners know how to best use these grant dollars to make positive change. Receiving $50,000 will allow us to issue a new Status of Women, Girls, and Non-binary People Report in 2023 and, what’s more, it will allow our organization to thrive.

Just over 25 years ago, our

vision is expanded passenger rail in the valley. As we shared during a press conference last year with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Metro Hartford-Springfield stands to gain a nearly 10-to-1 return on investment in regional GDP by reestablishing an inland rail route connecting Boston and New York via our valley.

With the north-south Valley Flyer Line now permanent and the Massachusetts state Department of Transportation pursuing federal dollars for expanded east-west passenger service, we believe that the pieces are coming together to realize that economically empowered future for our cities and towns.

This valley is our home and our mission is to ensure it is a home for everyone, where both needs and dreams can be satisfied. From the Indigenous peoples who first learned to live off this land, to the economic powerhouses of the industrial revolution, our region has a proud history of stewardship, self-sufficiency, and productivity. This year, we will work together to forge a prosperous new future that reflects those deep roots.

Kimberly H. Robinson is executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. To learn more about the commission, go online to pvpc.org.

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Martha Richards, left, and Dianne Fuller Doherty, center, founding members of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, are recognized in 2019 during the Vivid, Vocal, Visionary Celebration for the women’s fund. Joining them is, Mimi Ginsberg, right, who accepted the award for the late founding member Sally Livingston. The three visited China in 1995 for the International Human Rights Conference and returned to Western Massachusetts to start the present-day organization.

IF YOU’RE PART OF THE 76% STRUGGLING TO ATTRACT, ENGAGE, AND RETAIN TALENT, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

release sales numbers.

In 2020, the company moved from Springfield to Westfield. Boulevard had outgrown its space in Springfield — it was spread over three buildings for a total of 9,000 square feet — and Kasa felt the small space was not projecting the image its customers were expecting.

Boulevard was looking into expanding the Springfield location when the Westfield spot — a former manufacturing facility — became available. The company now has just under 21,000 square feet, in a space renovated to suit its specific needs. It also has room to expand, if needed, she said.

“It’s a great fit for us. This was a win-win. It’s highly technical work we are doing. We’re projecting a very different image,” Kasa said. “We finished a year of rebranding because we moved into a new building. We have a new logo and a new tagline that we trademarked, ‘Machining the Future.’”

The company is “aggressively hiring” machinists and has been looking for more employees since it moved into the building, she added.

One of its new customers is SpaceX. Boulevard Machine also does business with General Dynamics Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon Technologies Corp. and Collins Aerospace.

Because Boulevard is a small company, it can offer shorter lead times, quicker turnarounds and can give customers a quality product at a lesser cost, according to Kasa. Products also are shipped all over the world, she said.

Aerospace is one of Boulevard’s main business lines, along with defense, Kasa said,

Sullivan

CONTINUES FROM PAGE J2

Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative. The collaborative will deploy a number of strategies and initiatives to support the business community to create career pathways for various occupations, so that people who enter the workplace can then in turn earn a living wage, gain ongoing professional growth, and can contribute to their respective businesses in Western Massachusetts.

The passage and implementation of this pilot is a major step to helping solve the cliff effect in Massachusetts. Thank you to state Rep. Patricia A. Duffy, D-Holyoke, state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez,

noting it also makes parts for F-35 Lightning II and F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets.

SpaceX, she said, approached Boulevard as it had specific deadlines and needed fast turnarounds. Boulevard had made a sun shaft for the company, which Kasa described as an intricate, large piece with gears for rockets.

Boulevard also makes parts for both manned and unmanned vehicles that go into space, as well as the satellite market, Kasa said.

“Space became very strong for us during COVID which allowed us to grow,” she said.

“Space is a huge market for a lot of us in the area. The U.S. has been behind the eight ball for many years. Now it’s a great area to be in.”

D-Springfield and state Sen. Eric P. Lesser, D-Longmeadow, for sponsoring the bill. Thanks also to state Rep. Michael Finn, D-West Springfield, and state Sen. Adam Gomez, D-Springfield, for their support and advocacy as co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, and, lastly, to former state Reps. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke and Jose Tosado, D-Springfield, and state Sen. James Welch, D-West Springfield, for supporting and filing this legislation at the inception of the program’s creation.

The bill sponsors, the Western Massachusetts delegation and the Economic Pathways Coalition, co-led by Springfield WORKS, an EDC community initiative, and

She added that the military-related business also “is taking off.”

Kasa said Boulevard has been doing a lot of development for new products, including those for SM-6 missiles. “We’ve been fortunate,” she added. “When machinists really hear where the parts are going more excitement is generated.”

Kasa, who described herself as a “woman in a man’s world,” said the customers also appreciate knowing she is a “working owner” of a woman-owned business. She said she is involved in the day-today business and has been growing the management team, noting a new business development manager has recently been hired.

the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, all collaborated for several years to advocate for this important pilot program to demonstrate how public policy can support working families better to become food secure and economically stable. This is a true commitment to create an economy that works for everyone.

Richard K. Sullivan is president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, a private, not-for-profit corporation that provides resources and information to businesses operating in or entering the region by aiding in expansion, relocation and networking. To learn more about the council and its work, go online to westernmassedc. com.

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Recently, the company hosted the machine program from Westfield Technical Academy, the city’s vocational high school, so students could get a firsthand look at how a local precision machining manufacturer operates. She also does outreach to other vocational schools in the area, including Chicopee Comprehensive, Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical, Smith Vocational and Agricultural and William J. Dean Vocational Technical high schools and Springfield Technical Community College.

“They can see what our environment looks like, and it helps educate the parents. Not everyone needs four to eight years of college,” Kasa said. “It’s such

“It’s a great fit for us. This was a win-win. It’s highly technical work we are doing. We’re projecting a very different image.”

Susan M. Kasa, president of Boulevard Machine, on company’s move from Springfield to larger facility in Westfield

a viable market, and they can make a very good wage. We’re always looking for more people. Our machinists can work an average of 60 hours a week. They make anywhere from an

entry level $18 to $20, or up to high $30s, an hour.”

Kasa said the company has been fortunate to receive several grants, including a $95,838 grant in 2022 from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program that was used to purchase new machine tooling equipment to meet demand from the space sector. It’s also a family business. Kasa’s son Kristian is the vice president of operations at the company. She said she is proud to be at the helm of a woman-owned, small manufacturing business, adding small businesses are “the heartbeat of America.”

“As corporate America continues to downsize, we’re here to grow,” Kasa said.

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MGM Springfield Big Y

Davis Foundation CRRC MA

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LLumin

“Space is a huge market for a lot of us in (Western Massachusetts). The U.S. has been behind the eight ball for many years. Now it’s a great area to be in.”

SUSAN M. KASA, PRESIDENT, BOULEVARD MACHINE, WESTFIELD

A part is being manufactured at Boulevard Machine in Westfield. The defense and aerospace industries are among the primary customers of its work. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

Stephen Jeffers works at computer numerical control mill at Boulevard Machine. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

The innovativefun-while-learning spirit of Dr. Seuss is a driving force at the Springfield Museums. Founded in 1857, the museums were considered to be the “People’s College”; our collections shared world cultures and scientific discoveries with the city of Springfield.

Fulfilling dreams together: a celebration in Who-Ville

On June 4, 2022, we kicked off our yearlong Seuss-iversary to celebrate the fifth anniversary of opening the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum and the 20th anniversary of opening the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden with an exuberant family festival. The event featured appearances by some of Dr. Seuss’ most famous characters as well as a plethora of Seuss-inspired art and science activities.

Proud to be in Dr. Seuss’ hometown, the Springfield Museums are dedicated to amplifying his legacy as an innovative thinker and a creative genius for visitors from our community, the region and far beyond.

The innovative-fun-whilelearning spirit of Dr. Seuss is a driving force at the Springfield Museums. Founded in 1857, the museums were considered to be the “People’s College”; our collections shared world cultures and scientific discoveries with the city of Springfield.

Our museums today — free to all Springfield residents — are visitor-centric, dedicated to shared, creative, playful experiences that enhance the lives of children and adults. With five museums plus the sculpture garden, we have something for everyone.

The significance of our Seuss-iversary kickoff was more than the celebration of an institutional milestone. It also marked an important turning point in our recovery from the pandemic. In addition to programming our outdoor grounds, we presented activities throughout our museum galleries. While some visitors still chose to wear masks, we no longer have capacity restrictions and we have fully reopened our facilitated hands-on activities areas.

While we know the pandemic is still part of our everyday lives, we are learning to manage COVID-19 alongside our visitors.

Emerging from the pandemic also means that the museums can now have a laser-focus on meeting the goals of our strategic plan. Approved

by our board of trustees in December 2021, the plan calls for the museums to fulfill their potential as an unparalleled multi-disciplinary museum complex and cultural attraction, establish the Science Museum as a regional hub of STEM/STEAM learning, secure the financial stability of the Museums through a deeper emphasis on philanthropy and intensify our efforts to be more inclusive and accessible museums.

With Dr. Seuss as our inspiration, the museums added literacy to our mission statement during the planning process. Increased literacy acquisition unlocks student success across all fields, but science tells us that learning how to read is difficult. In order to address this critical

need, we will provide literacy skill development opportunities within our five museums. Our multicultural setting and our proven track record with diverse, multigenerational visitors ideally position our museums to create transformative change for visitors, especially children who have been adversely impacted by

the pandemic-induced learning slide.

During the year ahead, the museums will complete key upgrades to the Science Museum that have been delayed by supply-chain issues. The recreation of the International Space Station and its interactive learning exhibits is scheduled to open in March.

With funds from a $750,000 federal earmark, we will install a new state-ofthe-art digital full-dome projection system in our historic planetarium. We have also received state funds to expand and update the museum’s popular dinosaur exhibitions to include a dramatic dinosaur display on the exterior of the

building.

These critical updates, along with other planned improvements, will increase participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning among underserved communities while continuing to transform the Science Museum as a

Above left, visitors could gain a better understanding of the impact of climate change at “Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost,” an exhibit at the Springfield Science Museum during the past year. Above, Omar Alban and Isabella Dangeles dance on the Springfield Museums’ quadrangle during a “Salsa at the Museums” event on Sept. 15, 2022. Key upgrades to the museum, delayed by supply-chain issues, are being completed with the re-creation of the International Space Station and its interactive learning exhibits scheduled to open in March. (AT LEFT: SPRINGFIELD MUSEUMS PHOTO; ABOVE: HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Kay Simpson

Above, The Grinch shows off “The Grinch,” the sleek gray Cadillac author Theodor Seuss Geisel drove in California. The car has come to stay in Geisel’s hometown and is on display in the Wood Museum of Springfield History during the Springfield Museums’ yearlong Seuss-iversary. At right, Esteban Andres, of Rhode Island, shows off his Lorax finger puppet he made at the The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum during a school vacation visit in April 2022. (ABOVE: SPRINGFIELD MUSEUMS PHOTO; AT RIGHT: DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Wagering big on sports betting

Mobile rollout will arrive in time for March Madness

By C HRIS Van BUSKIRK cvanbuskirk@masslive.com

The future of the sports betting industry in Massachusetts remains murky after it kicked into gear last month with the launch of in-person wagering and as mobile betting is expected to start in the spring, experts and state officials said in a series of interviews.

Regulators cleared 11 mobile businesses and three casinos to offer wagers on all types of sporting events. But the promise the industry holds for state coffers appears to be only a fraction of a typical state budget based on the few public tax revenue predictions that have been made.

With inflation continuing to play a role in daily life and fears of a recession persisting, some industry analysts also said smaller wagering businesses could end up leaving Massachusetts as major players like FanDuel and DraftKings eat up large

portions of the market share.

Sports betting consultant Bill Pascrell III, of the Princeton Public Affairs Group, said the future of the industry on a national level looks bleak. He said the way it initially matured through “a land grab for

market acquisition” and luring players in with bonus bets is “not sustainable.”

“The market is not profitable,” he said. “All of these companies are scraping and trying the best they can with potentially a recession on

the horizon. They’re all trying to become profitable, but it’s going to be hard for them.”

In Massachusetts, where six mobile sports betting operators not tied to a casino have been given the initial greenlight to operate later

this year alongside another five tied to casinos, the short- to mid-term outlook is positive.

But Martin Lyka, an executive at the sports betting and gambling company Entain, which helped launch BetMGM, said regulatory decisions in other states have led to higher costs of doing business.

In Massachusetts, he said, mobile-only licensees will have “a goal that they’ll try to make the most of it.”

“But not all of them might be able to sustain the continuous pressure in the long run,” he said.

State regulators heavily scrutinized the financial stability of each sports betting licensee and in giving them the green light to operate here,

“We have not made any kind of public statements about what we expect with respect to revenues over time. We certainly assess the economic impact that each applicant might have, that would maximize the benefit for the commonwealth. And we learned from our financial adviser that there’s no crystal ball to understand this.”

CATHY JUDD-STEIN, CHAIR, MASSACHUSETTS GAMING COMMISSION

The place where the game never ends

Hoop shrine looks to draw families, young people

By RON C HIMELIS rchimelis@repub.com

Any good basketball team knows it’s nice to jump out to an early lead.

John L. Doleva says that’s how the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame finished the 2022 calendar year and began 2023.

“Business is up. We were up 65% in admissions from pre-COVID numbers, and we’ve been continuing to see growth in 2023. It’s early, but that’s really encouraging,” said Doleva, the president and CEO of the Springfield sports museum. With a $30 million capital campaign and a major renovation completed, 2023 will be a year to deliver the fruits of that effort rather than initiating new projects, according to Doleva. But new ideas are always on the table, he added.

“We’ll be delivering more of the same great things. We’re also looking at two new exhibits,” Doleva said. One will be in the form of a vault with an old-fashioned tumble door and the trappings of high security. As fans enter the vault, they’ll be able to look at more than a dozen artifacts supplied from the personal collections of some of the game’s greatest stars. These will be loaned to the hall of fame on a one-year basis, Doleva said.

The other new concept is being developed in conjunction with the NBA Players Association. The theme will focus on the families of the players, which Doleva says will play well with visitors who come to the hoop hall with their own family members.

“We’ll see how Mom and Dad influenced the lives of these players. That fits in with our own demographics of families,” he said.

Those exhibits won’t be available to the public until late 2023 or early 2024, but in the meantime the shrine will be host to plenty of activity, Doleva said. The Class of 2023 will be enshrined in August.

This year, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours will be held next month in close proximity to each other in Houston and Dallas, respectively. Doleva says the plan is to increase the hall’s profile at the women’s event, this year and beyond.

“We’re thinking of bringing our Class of 2023 to the Women’s Final Four. It’s a tremendous group, and those selected will be introduced

during Final Four weekend, as usual,” he said. Among this year’s nominees are former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Dwayne Wade, along with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who holds the record for most victories by an NBA coach.

The institution has never survived solely by visits from fans, but Doleva said the increase in foot traffic speaks to the vibrancy of the building and the sustained passion for the sport itself.

“They’re coming to see the renovated building, and we’re doing more advertising to get the word out,” he said. “Coming out of the pandemic, people want to resume

If 2023 will be primarily devoted to shining a focus on major upgrades of the past several years, the museum’s leader says it will also be a year to size up what exciting projects can be launched in the years to come.

the activities they had to put on hold. The reception from people coming through our doors has been tremendous.”

Even the area around those doors has been upgraded.

Whereas once the entrance on Hall of Fame Avenue reflected mostly open space, fans are now greeted by a much more decorative set of exhibits and photos that speak to the history of the sport — before visitors enter the museum itself.

Based in Springfield, where basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891, the hall of fame now exerts a national and global reach. It will continue to expand spon-

sorships of major basketball competitions in Springfield, around the nation and overseas.

The Spalding Hoophall Classic, which has become America’s premier in-season high school tournament, played to capacity crowds at Springfield College in January.

One huge event on the upcoming schedule is Hooplandia, which is competing to become the largest 3-on-3 tournament in the country.

Only Hoopfest in Spokane, Washington rivals it.

Postponed twice by COVID-19, the event will be played at the Eastern States

Exposition, which is co-hosting the tournament with the hall of fame.

Hooplandia will have divisions for young girls, boys, women, men, high school elite, college elite, pro-am, older players, wheelchair, Wounded Warrior, Special Olympians, veterans, first responders and more. And this is far more than the old concept of children or teens playing 3-on-3 pickup at the local playground.

It’s taken that very American playground tradition to new heights. About

1,000 teams will come to Springfield with four-person rosters, for a total of 4,000 or more players plus families and friends.

The hall of fame has risen to become a player in the game’s administrative circles. Doleva says a new opportunity in that regard may present itself in 2023.

During Final Four weekend, “maybe we’ll get to meet the new president of the NCAA,” he said. That would be Charlie Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts who took over the sports or-

ganization’s presidency after leaving office in January.

If 2023 will be primarily devoted to shining a focus on major upgrades of the past several years, the museum’s leader says it will also be a year to size up what exciting projects can be launched in the years to come.

“We are enjoying the fruits of our labors and we’re happy our investments have worked,” Doleva said, “but we are also not getting lazy. We’re always looking at new ideas and that will never change.”

“We are enjoying the fruits of our labors and we’re happy our investments have worked, but we are also not getting lazy. We’re always looking at new ideas and that will never change.”

JOHN L. DOLEVA, CEO, NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME

Above left, an exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honors the athletes and those who have fought for racial equality and justice. Above right, one of the exhibits inside of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

TOURISM

Nathaniel Smith, from Alabama, and Wilhelmina Humphries, of Chicopee, tour the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“Kobe: A Basketball Life,” an exhibit that honors Kobe Bryant at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

The center court inside of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

We have accelerated our engagement with the Program Advisory Committee of the graphic communications program at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield.

TigerPress roars through pandemic

Following graduation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1985, my wife and business partner, who I met at UMass, and I decided to open a small copy center in Amherst.

What was then known as Copy Cat is now TigerPress.

The

Cat turned into a Tiger!

Today, TigerPress, based in East Longmeadow, is one of the largest print manufacturers in the region and a leader in green printing technology.

In 2020, as the pandemic slowed our years of steady and measured growth, we made a decision to focus on the safety of our staff, their families and the community at large. We pivoted parts of our operations to the manufacturing of protective masks for health-care workers and first responders and donated the masks throughout the region, stretching as far as Boston and Cape Cod. In those early months of 2020, the safety of our staff, our neighbors and our community became our top priority.

Haghighat

CONTINUES FROM PAGE J8

founders, Dianne Fuller Doherty, the late Sally Livingston, and Martha Richards, had a bold idea to raise money and invest specifically to affect change for women and girls. We have achieved a lot over the last 25 years. The pay gap is narrowing and we see more women leaders than ever before.

In some areas, progress has been stubbornly unattainable, such as advancing

Having the flexibility of a small business with committed and creative employees allowed us to make quick and meaningful decisions to deal with the unexpected challenges presented by the pandemic. We recognized that an appropriately sized, competent and flexible workforce is critical for our success moving forward. To that end, we have accelerated our engagement with the Program Advisory Committee of the graphic communications program at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield. The goal was to ensure that program graduates have the technical competencies and critical employability readiness skills that align with our workforce needs going forward.

women of color. In other areas, advances that we have made have been overturned, as with reproductive justice on the federal level. There is far more work to be done. There is also effort needed to ensure that our organization not only survives but prospers in the future.

Organizational survival is doing what needs doing right now while not having the time and focus to think of what can be done to ensure the organization will thrive over time.

Last year, we set a bold

As we begin to heal from the economic scars caused by the pandemic and look downfield over the next five years, the prevailing economic and business conditions in the printing industry will require us to see change as a positive driver for sustainability, encourage us to maintain ongoing dialogue with our employees, who are our most important asset, and continue to offer our customers cost-effective and timely business solutions.

Additionally, our work during the pandemic has convinced us that we are poised and ready to take a leadership role in our industry. Our ability to make quick decisions and adapt to changes in the economy and in our marketplace is what makes the difference and allows us to

continue to thrive.

Creating a compelling and unselfish corporate vision and being flexible to make the necessary changes in a timely manner is the best strategy for success should the winds of an economic recession begin to blow in our direction.

goal to double the number of friends who join our Joan’s Circle of Friends planned giving circle. We are proud to say we met that goal. In seven months, 25 women (there are men in the circle as well) came forward to say they would make the women’s fund a beneficiary of a retirement asset, add the women’s fund to their will, or make a gift of $10,000

or more to our endowment. Being intentional about this campaign and these bold individual moves will allow the women’s fund to thrive, not just survive into the future.

When we flourish, we can build the capacity of gender equity organizations in the region and thereby move women, girls, and gender expansive folks forward. We can accomplish more like

Our business outlook is bright and laser-focused on the opportunities to be innovative and responsive to change. We see that in every situation there is an opportunity to adapt and change.

After 37 years, the Tiger continues to roar with opti-

our monthly meetings of the Women Heads of Nonprofits and our quarterly gatherings of domestic violence and sexual assault providers in the community. Our work optimizing reentry for women returning from incarceration can continue and we can expand our budding advocacy work.

We can show up better and acknowledge the power we

mism and hope.

Reza Shafii is president of Tiger Press in East Longmeadow. He wrote this column on behalf of the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board. To learn more about the board and its efforts, go online to masshirehcwb.com

hold and the resources we bring. Our strength and our assets will dismantle systems of oppression. We will collectively build a world where all people can have agency over their own bodies and lives and prosper, no matter their identities, their ZIP codes or the systems that were designed to keep them from thriving.

Donna Haghighat is CEO of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts; to learn more about the women’s fund, go online to mywomensfund.org

When we flourish, we can build the capacity of gender equity organizations in the region and thereby move women, girls, and gender expansive folks forward.

A press operator works at TigerPress, a commercial printer operating out of a manufacturing plant in East Longmeadow. TigerPress offers digital printing, commercial printing and

REZA SHAFII

What goes up, must come down

By C ORI U RBAN

Special to The Republican

ASSOCIATED BUILDing Wreckers — a top New England specialty contractor — focuses on relationships, quality work, fair pricing and a timeframe that is acceptable to customers. These core values have helped during recessions, labor shortages, changes in the economy and even a pandemic.

“We have faced numerous challenges in the past and seem to overcome these issues through hard work and dedication from the employees,” said Andrew Mirkin, president. “Associated Building Wreckers has survived for almost 90 years because we constantly look to improve our services for the customers.”

Completed projects in 2022 range from a hotel renovation project on Main Street in North Adams and an elementary school demolition and renovation in Winsted, Connecticut, to demolition of the Goliath Towers at Six Flags New England in Agawam to the demolition and hazardous materials cleanup at the Fairview and Szot Park pools in Chicopee.

In Springfield over the past year, Associated Building Wreckers crews were involved in the demolition of the former Massachusetts Career Development Institute buildings on Wilbraham Avenue.

In recent years Associated Building Wreckers also took down two iconic buildings known to many, the Hu Ke Lau restaurant on Memorial Drive in Chicopee and the Peter Pan Bus terminal in downtown Springfield.

“Both (of those) brought back fond memories of our community. They are sad to let go, but most people understand that some buildings outlive their usefulness and need to be updated, renovated or go in another direction,” Mirkin said. “This helps revitalize the community.”

The mission of the company, established in 1933, is to

serve customers as a one-stop shop with a team of trained, skilled professionals dedicated to safety, quality and dependability in demolition, dismantling, asbestos and lead abatement and recycling.

“Associated Building Wreckers offers a one-stop shop for all our clients’ needs,” Mirkin said. “If you have a problem, we have a solution. From total demolition services, asbestos and/or hazardous material abatement, interior selective demolition/removals, construction and residential roll-off dumpster service, portable concrete crushing, underground and above-ground tank removal, we have experts to assist in any situation related to our industry.”

The business has 65 full-time and 20 part-time employees.

Associated Building Wreckers also has a salvage yard that is open to the public. It is stocked with salvage for sale from various buildings the company has demolished or renovated.

“It is best to call ahead if you’re looking to find specific items,” Mirkin said. “However, (anyone is) welcome to come browse our yard during normal business hours.”

The COVID-19 pandemic changed daily operations for the company’s workforce, most notably the need to wear personal protective equipment as required for COVID-19, Mirkin said.

“We have altered our jobsite activities to meet the PPE requirements. Pre-pandemic all employees reported to the main office in Springfield every day. Currently we meet with foremen to limit unnecessary expose to the office staff,” Mirkin explained. “We also direct our employees with online schedules. This allows all employees to review daily activities and created a smoother transition of job activities.”

The company was able to navigate the pandemic by minimizing the exposure of the field crews and the office staff. The office was able to

Top

review daily activities by staggering meetings with foremen and limiting the meeting area to a single room that was disinfected daily.

“Our field crews are typically operating at a distance and travel to job sites was done by having all employees travel in personal vehicles,” Mirkin added. Though some employees did get COVID, infections occurred in stages, and the company was able to continue operating through the pandemic.

Still, distance did have a negative impact on morale, he noted. “Employees eventually became frustrated with the distant correspondence (and) camaraderie with others and management,” Mirkin said.

As a result, management now hosts monthly meetings to bring the foremen and management together to review concerns and future projects, he added.

The business has also

adapted to changes in technology by investing in estimating and management software, streamlining communications via its

website, new demolition and abatement equipment and expanding its services related to its business as times have changed.

“Our outlook for 2023 is positive,” Mirkin said. “We have several projects ongoing which will give us a nice push into early summer.”

30th Annual WAMDA Live & Virtual 5K Run/Walk

Join us as we race to fight hunger! Proceeds to benefit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Join us as we race to fight hunger! Proceeds to benefit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Above, Andrew Mirkin is the president of his family-owned Associated Building Wreckers based in Springfield. In business for almost 90 years, its offices are filled with salvaged items from demolition jobs over the years. At left, in 1989, the steeple of the Precious Blood Church on Cabot Street in Holyoke hits the ground as it was pulled down by bulldozers from Associated Building Wreckers. (ABOVE: DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN; AT LEFT: THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on food insecurity throughout our nation. The Western Area Massachusetts Dietetic Association (WAMDA) wants to do our part in helping with this problem by making this year's race and donation to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, our biggest yet. Whether

COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on food insecurity throughout our nation. The Western Area Massachusetts Dietetic Association (WAMDA) wants

Top left, Stanley Hilton, a mechanic at Associated Building Wreckers, walks through the company’s Arnold Street yard in Springfield. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

right, from left, Zane Mirkin, Strati Patrakis and Andrew Mirkin of Associated Building Wreckers in 1995. The company has been in business for almost 90 years. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO) A

“Associated Building Wreckers has survived for almost 90 years because we constantly look to improve our services for the customers.”

ANDREW MIRKIN, COMPANY PRESIDENT

Infusion is elementary for pot entrepreneurs

By L ori StabiLE

Special to The Republican

Two Paper City natives are rolling into the cannabis market with their brand of cannabis-infused food products.

Isaias

Element, are literally “home grown,” having met through Entrepreneurship for All, also known as EforAll. The program for entrepreneurs launched four years through the SPARK Holyoke effort under the auspices of Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.

Rosario, the company’s CEO, came up with the business idea at the end of 2020, and the duo graduated from the entrepreneurship program in winter 2021. The nonprofit EforAll’s mission is to help

Ezra R. Bleau, seated, and Isaias A. Rosario are co-founders of Infused Element, a business that will produce cannabis-infused baked goods and beverages. Both are seen in a future event space at the facility they are developing at 1 Cabot St. in Holyoke.

under-represented individuals start and grow a business through intensive training, mentorship and an extensive professional support network.

“I knew that cannabis was legal in Massachusetts, and I wanted to get into the space.

I came up with the company name and started the process of the application,” Rosario,

38, said recently.

Rosario said he recognized the need for a specific product in the market — baked goods and beverages infused with rosin as opposed to distillate. Rosin cannabis extract is solventless, meaning it is made without chemicals.

They explained that the company’s manufacturing

processes eliminate harsh and caustic solvents to make a healthier and better-tasting product for consumers.

Infused Element recently received its provisional license from the state Cannabis Control Commission. The provisional license allows Infused Element to start testing products while the commission considers its application for a final license. They say the process is highly regulated by the commission.

“Securing our provisional license allows us to start testing some of the recipes Isaias and I have been brainstorming about since we decided to combine our respective talents to form Infused Element during our tenure at

EforAll Holyoke,” explained Bleau, 32, chief operating officer. “Health, innovation and quality of product will be the baseline for everything we plan to create, and we will work towards becoming a household name in the cannabis industry for the years to come.”

They plan to make infused artisanal beverages, soda cocktails, pastry-shop-quality edibles and baked goods such as macaroons and brownies, along with rosin cartridges, at their 5,600-square-foot space at 1 Cabot St. “We’re trying to come up with different products to attract a different crowd,” Rosario said.

Infused Element also will be

one of the first fully operational Cannabis Control Commission Social Equity Program members to produce food and beverage items. Participants in this program receive free technical assistance and training. According to the Cannabis Control Commission’s website, the program “creates sustainable pathways into the cannabis industry for individuals most impacted but the war on drugs, marijuana prohibition, disproportionate arrest and incarceration.”

Both men have been personally affected by previous marijuana laws, seeing friends and family arrested for possession.

Bleau said his brother was arrested and incarcerated on marijuana charges, and “it changed his life definitely.” His brother’s experience working in the illegal “gray market” was Bleau’s inspiration for working in the legal cannabis market.

“The worst part is these older people now try it and say (marijuana) has these great benefits,” Bleau said, adding SEE INFUSED, PAGE J18

Starting a business is never easy, but given my experience in cannabis thus far, it is safe to say that being in this industry has led me to spaces and places that I could have never imagined.

Since Massachusetts legalized in 2016, the industry has experienced a pandemic, civil unrest, and most recently prices continuing to plummet in the Massachusetts market. Add in the closing of The Source in Northampton, after only being open eight months and it is enough to make anyone pause and wonder how anyone survives and thrives in this industry.

6 Brick’s was always a dream of mine, acknowledging that there are many things an individual can’t change about themselves, including their hometown, which means I will always be Payton Shubrick, of Springfield, Massachusetts. What I did not realize is that 6 Brick’s would become a calling card to showcase a locally owned dispensary and an opportunity to highlight diversity in an industry that desperately needs it, with the bonus of being led by a Black woman. This venture took three years to create, as 6 Brick’s opened

doors in September 2022, and, while it should be celebrated, it did create a moment of pause and reflection.

Adult-use marijuana establishments in Massachusetts have surpassed $4 billion in gross sales since the advent of recreational sales in 2018, the state’s Cannabis Control Commission announced on Feb. 1. However, women and people of color at all levels in this industry are still severely underrepresented facing the challenges of access to capital, legal and accounting guidance, networks, and the reality of a market that is now saturated in parts of the state.

However, I still clearly recall the talks of social equity and opportunities in communities deemed “disproportionately impacted” as a method to right the wrongs seen when cannabis was illegal. And yet, we have not seen this take shape holistically, although most recently, we have had the moments of joy with companies like the Heritage Club in Charlestown

or Apex Noire in Boston, both independently owned operations opened by people of color in the communities they care about.

But how do we survive and thrive in this industry, when multistate operators are compressing the market maxing out on their allotment of three retail licenses in the state and lowering overhead to squeeze dollars and cents out of communities.

For owners like myself grouped in the non-white and non-big corporation categories, it is simple, we stay focused on what we can control which is our menu, customer service, and how we show up for our community every day.

Cannabis is still in its infancy with customers having questions about products. Our tagline of “People. Plant. Purpose” makes it simple for customers to understand what we are about. With more options in the market the golden rule of “treat others how you would want to be treated” stays at the forefront of my mind. The market maturing means that you can no longer rest on the build it and they will come model, and that is what provides an avenue for independent operators.

Small retailers can’t compete with the budgets of large corporations, it is simple mathematics, add up the cost of billboards, digital ads, etc. and it quickly totals the same amount of money needed for

payroll. However, with each Google review that outlines top tier customer service, negotiating to have the best products on my shelves, and a few dollars devoted to marketing it is my hope that customers will notice 6 Brick’s enough to venture inside and see for themselves why having a local dispensary is not only needed but preferred. I can’t guarantee it will work but I can’t control the market either.

As the saying goes tough times don’t last but tough people do, so I will take the wins

as they come big and small. So, for the customers that finally find the right edibles to help them sleep, to the woman who buys her first pre-roll only to come back to 6 Brick’s to buy another I thrive in knowing that my and many other independent operators’ existence resist the notion of what you should look like to participate in this industry.

It is my ask of everyone reading this that you consider who you are supporting when buying your legal cannabis because no one thrives alone.

Payton Shubrick is the CEO and founder of 6 Brick’s, a cannabis dispensary at 1860 Main St., Springfield. She is also chief of staff for The Block, a collective of business professionals, focused on creating a fair and equitable industry to support the overall success of Black- and brownowned cannabis businesses. She was the first Black woman to own a marijuana business in Western Massachusetts and only the third to do so statewide.

Editor’s note: 6 Brick’s is located on the same property as The Republican.

Social equity, diversity still needed in cannabis

Payton Shubrick, CEO and founder of 6 Brick’s, along with Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, with scissors, and others perform a ribbon-cutting on Sept. 24, 2022, for the grand opening of Springfield’s first Black and woman-owned cannabis retail store located at 1860 Main St. (DAVE ROBACK / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Payton Shubrick

They have received a provisional license from the state Cannabis Control Commission. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

A. Rosario and Ezra R. Bleau, co-founders of Infused

Infused Element will be located in a 5,600-square-foot space at 1 Cabot St. in Holyoke. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

“Health, innovation and quality of product will be the baseline for everything we plan to create, and we will work towards becoming a household name in the cannabis industry for the years to come.”

EZRA R. BLEAU, INFUSED ELEMENT

M.L. Schmitt: century old, keeping current

By C ORI U RBAN Special to The Republican

The success of electrical contractors and engineers M.L.

Schmitt Inc. relies on many factors, including the state of the economy.

“In its 100-year history, M.L. Schmitt has been mostly successful. Our employees are resilient and creative, and M.L. Schmitt continues to find ways to always give customers high-quality installation and service no matter what,” said Peter L. Coppez, owner and president. “Some years have been harder than others, but in the good times and bad we’ve found ways to persevere.”

M.L. Schmitt’s services include commercial and industrial construction and renovations, fire alarm systems, heating-ventilation-air-conditioning power and control wiring, electrical

MANUFACTURING

testing, aerial truck services, electrical maintenance and infrared testing.

The business, founded by M.L. Schmitt, opened in 1923. Coppez and Jean Pierre Crevier, owner and vice president, purchased the business from Thomas A. Schmitt on March 31, 2020, when the world was shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Jean and I were nervous to sign on the dotted line,” said Coppez, a graduate of Springfield Technical Community College and the Local 7 Apprenticeship Program who earned a bachelor’s degree in project management from Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2020. “We knew becoming new business owners was a big responsibility, but it was especially hard to know what was in our near future at the height of the pandemic.”

Soon after they became owners, Massachusetts issued its shelter-in-place order.

“But the pandemic didn’t stop us. Our office employees worked from home for a few weeks before return-

‘A swab for every job’

LEARN MORE

Business: M.L. Schmitt Inc. Where: 371 Taylor St., Springfield

For more info: Online, mlschmittelectric.com; call, 413-733-7868.

ing in-person, and many of our field employees could continue to work on jobs with precautions,” said Crevier, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Local 7 Apprenticeship Program who earned a master’s degree in project management from Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2020.

Both Crevier and Coppez have worked for M.L. Schmitt Inc. for more than 20 years.

“Starting as new business owners during a pandemic is something we will always remember,” Coppez said. “We learned that our M.L. Schmitt employees are top-notch and always eager to work despite the challenges we could face at any time, especially COVID-19.”

M.L. Schmitt has 65 full-time and two part-time employees.

“The pandemic taught us how important it is to be flexible,” Crevier added. “The pandemic made us become

more flexible as far as having to be able to shift and react on the fly. We didn’t know when materials would arrive, who would be able to work, and we had to be more flexible in our approach.”

Most of the construction industry continued to work despite the pandemic. “Some of the biggest challenges were getting our work done on time and on budget with electricians becoming ill from COVID or staying home because they were close contacts,” Crevier said.

One pandemic-related challenge the business continues to face is related to supply.

“It’s very hard to get our electrical supply needs met when deliveries are delayed and prices are unstable,” Coppez

explained.

Looking back on the past three years as an owner, Crevier expresses a sense of gratitude. “We are thankful for the great team of employees we have in the office and on the field — it’s like family,” he said.

“The pandemic made us stronger,” Coppez added.

“In 100 years, our business has experienced the Great Depression, World War II, economic downturns, labor shortages because of too many projects happening elsewhere, weather disasters — the list goes on,” Crevier said. “Not many electrical companies have seen as much as our company has!”

The company has survived by following its business

vision, building relationships, making sure not to overextend to the point where it can’t service its customers and not being afraid to change with the times.

Completed projects range from industrial and commercial construction and renovations to solar construction, installation and maintenance.

Projects have included the Lanesborough Solar Project, the Newman Catholic Center at UMass-Amherst, the Williamsburg Public Safety Complex, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority in Springfield, Springfield’s Union Station, MGM Springfield’s hotel, Springfield Armory Museum, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Pope Francis High School in Springfield.

This year M.L. Schmitt Inc. opened a second office in Ashland. “We’ve built relationships with contractors who work outside of Western Massachusetts, and they asked us to work with them in the Worcester area,” Crevier said. “We followed our relationships that brought us outside of the Springfield market.”

The business owners are optimistic about the future even though the financial markets are unsteady. “Although interest rates are on the rise, there is still a lot of work to bid and chase,” Coppez said.

Super Brush is a leader in foam swab technology with uses in the medical, household, hobby, automotive and firearms industries. At right, Erain Borges holds a handful of injection molds at the Super Brush plant in Springfield. The molds are used in the company’s production of foam swabs used for a wide range of purposes from health care to hobbies.

By L ORI STABILE

Special to The Republican

The COVID pandemic was a boon for Springfield-headquartered foam swab maker Super Brush.

The company, which specializes in making foam swabs and applicators, found its products in demand when the pandemic hit in 2020.

Misty McGinnes, Super Brush’s general manager, said she was asked if the company had a swab that could be used in COVID-19 testing kits. Super Brush answered the call and it led to excessive growth for the manufacturer, boosting sales from 2019 to 2020 by 23%,

LEARN MORE

Business: Super Brush

Where: 800 Worcester St., Springfield

For more info: Online, SuperBrush.com

and 15% from 2020 to 2021.

“I think we did 150 million swabs between 2020 and 2021, then 70 million in 2021,” McGinnes recalled in a recent interview. The demand for the swabs was unexpected, as the kits were something new, McGinnes said.

However, orders for the swabs used in the COVID-19 testing kits started to decline in 2022, when approximately 28 million swabs were made for the kits. “A lot of people were left with a lot of inventory,” Mc-

Ginnes said.

Sales plateaued in 2022, and a recent slowdown in end-of-year and seasonal orders forced management to lay off 35 people in December from its 140-member workforce, McGinnes said. At the company’s peak during the pandemic, it employed 150 people. She hopes to rehire the laid-off employees as soon as next month once orders pick up.

She is projecting a 10% drop in sales for 2023 as business returns to preCOVID numbers.

“We always have ebb and flow,” McGinnes said. “We’re constantly chasing business, going to trade shows, trying to actually grow different types of business.”

The company has come

Employees of the M.L. Schmitt Inc. electrical contracting and engineering company pose for a photo under a bicycle that was the original delivery bike for the 100-year old Springfield company. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Peter Coppez, left, and Jean Pierre Crevier are the owners of M.L. Schmitt Inc. They purchased the company from the Schmitt family in 2020. Each had worked for the company for about 20 years. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

(DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

“We always have ebb and flow. We’re constantly chasing business, going to trade shows, trying to actually grow different types of business.”

MISTY MCGINNES, GENERAL MANAGER, SUPER BRUSH, SPRINGFIELD

By E LIZABETH

L AFOND- C OPPEZ Special to The Republican

Avisit to Holyoke Sporting Goods feels like hitting a home run: Customers always score big with the best service and prices around.

Owned and operated by Betsy Frey, Holyoke Sporting Goods is located at 1584 Dwight St. in the Paper City. This 95-year-old business supplies brand-name sporting merchandise to local teams, schools, organizations and individuals.

“Holyoke is a great place and the people really support us,” Frey said. The store was established in 1928 by James Cleary, and when he passed away in 1954, Frey’s father, Ernest Brunault, purchased the business.

Frey worked in the store when she was in college, but then went back to school to earn a master’s degree in business administration from Western New England University, got married, bought a house and, by then, it was time for her father to retire.

“It made sense for me to purchase the business and continue its legacy in Holyoke,” she explained.

Now, 28 years later, Frey keeps Holyoke Sporting Goods thriving during this post-pandemic age of online shopping and internet price-checking.

She moved the shop from its original location in downtown Holyoke to its current location off Interstate 91 that offers ample parking.

“People assume you can get the best prices at big-box stores and that’s not always true,” Frey said. “I know Holyoke, and I sell for less and give my customers solid, old-fashioned personal service.”

Frey estimates 50% of the shoppers visit her store for a “Holyoke,” “South Hadley,” or “Easthampton” jacket, sweatshirt or hat, or for new soccer cleats or sneakers. The other half of her customers are purchasing merchandise for leagues, high schools, prepschools, baseball, softball, basketball and soccer equipment and apparel for corporate accounts.

Holyoke Sporting Goods is also a member of Sports, Inc., which is a national buying group dedicated to helping independent sporting goods retailers grow and prosper.

“There are several stores like mine that belong, and when we make our purchases together it gives us clout like a big store,” she explained.

Frey said she once thought sports were “recession proof,” as children always grow and continue to need new sports apparel and equipment. But when the pandemic began everything changed that perspective.

“The pandemic was devastating and occurred at the worst time of year,” Frey said. “I sell a lot for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and it was canceled, and I had everything prepared for baseball and softball.

“I’ve never heard of school sports being canceled,” she added. “You just never know what’s ahead, and you have to be prepared to change course.”

Although Frey had to close her doors for about three months, from March through June 2020, with a store full of merchandise, she still went to work every single day.

“It was lonely,” she said. “Each day, I would call customers out of my address book to stay in touch.”

Holyoke Sporting Goods survived the pandemic thanks to its online component for schools and teams to order apparel, and she offered curbside pickup.

Also, Frey was the beneficiary of an unexpected grant for which Frey said she will forever be grateful.

The Marketing Doctor agency in Northampton offered a grant to help small businesses with a rebranding and advertising campaign in the face of supply-chain and pandemic-driven issues.

Frey applied, never thinking she’d receive it.

“After many months of interviews and preparing documents, I learned we were awarded the grant and it helped us tremendously,” she said.

The Marketing Doctor team helped Frey to get the business back to where she was before the pandemic. The effort included redesigning her website, producing a commercial and new logo, advertising on TV and radio, and social media assistance.

“They helped me for one year,” Frey said. “Their team was so responsive and very nice, and I felt like my ideas were important to them. It’s amazing what advertising can do. I had customers come in that I haven’t seen in years.”

Frey is pleased to be past the pandemic, saying she enjoys day-to-day interactions with her customers.

“I have so many great memories and amazing connections in the community,” she said.

Bottoming out?

By JIM K INNEy jkinney@repub.com

When NETA opened in November 2018 it was not only the first legal marijuana shop in Northampton, the first in the Pioneer Valley but one of just two in Massachusetts.

It was also one of only two shops on the entire East Coast and eager consumers lined up around the corner.

Those days are over.

“It is no secret that it is very crowded at this point,” said Matthew Yee, chief operating officer of competitor Enlite Cannabis Dispensary in Northampton. “The whole green rush is over at this point. Everybody knows it.”

That means after a generation of activism, a statewide referendum in 2016 and nearly five years of legal dispensaries, the business of weed is, well, a business.

“It turns into regular retail. Whoever does a better job wins,” Yee said.

But that means doing a better job in an industry facing competition from the black

Swab

CONTINUES FROM PAGE J16

a long way since 1994, the year McGinnes began her career at Super Brush. Back then, the company had approximately $1 million in sales, and its focus was manufacturing swabs for eye shadow.

As the cosmetics business moved overseas to China, Super Brush was forced to look for different industries to serve. Procter & Gamble was its last cosmetics customer, and its last order was in 2003.

The company turned to doing trade shows to find customers who might want swabs, McGinnes said.

“To this day we do 10 to 12 trade shows a year. It’s where we get a lot of work,” McGinnes said.

Today, its customers buy swabs in a wide range of sizes for the aerospace, industrial, medical, printing, electronics and firearm industries. Medical customers comprise 85% of the business, McGinnes said.

In the medical world, Super Brush makes swabs to use in wart medication kits and to clean endoscopes, among other uses. Other swabs are used to clean surgical and laboratory equipment, and there are even swabs that are used to clean a dog’s teeth.

The company also does work for NASA and supplies swabs to labs so they can clean test tubes without leaving traces of lint.

“Q-tips are what we tried to replace because they leave lint behind,” McGinnes explained.

Super Brush swabs are made of polyurethane foam.

Any scrap foam created is sold back to a foam converter which then resells it to the “cheap foam market” where it can be used on the back of a carpet, McGinnes said.

“All of the foam goes back to

Infused

CONTINUES FROM PAGE J15

that the benefits are not new, but they are just now being accepted.

He said there are still many barriers with cannabis, as it is not federally legal. As a result, they could not obtain a bank loan so they had to rely on private investors. With funding from a social equity company, they raised twice the amount they were seeking.

In Holyoke, their space will feature a full production commercial kitchen that will function as both a bakery

market, federal regulations that increase its tax burden and federal regulations that mean that while marijuana companies compete for customers across state lines, they cannot move product across state lines in response to market conditions.

Add to that retailers, including Meg Sanders, CEO and an owner of Canna Provisions with shops in Lee and Holyoke and a growing facility in the Berkshires, see a general economic downturn cutting into consumer’s discretionary spending. Discretionary as in money for cannabis.

“I think ’23 is going to be a tough year for a lot of us,” she said.

In January, Springfield’s dispensaries told a City Council

a use,” she said.

McGinnes said the company builds all of its own equipment at its 50,000-squarefoot facility.

The company used 5,000 square feet of warehouse space for production space in 2021 due to the increased demand for swabs. Prior to that, in 2019, the company

panel of falling prices while also asking for extended retail hours.

Connecticut opened its first licensed shops in January. It’s only nine shops right now and the nearest one to Springfield is in Torrington. But entrepreneurs have set their sights on locations between Hartford and Springfield.

McGinnes. The first year saw $30,000 in sales. Last year, sales were approximately $1.5 million.

Super Brush products are sold on its website, superbrush.com, under the how-to-buy tab, and also are sold through Amazon, which features the company’s hobby kit swabs, cosmetic swabs,

Today, its customers buy swabs in a wide range of sizes for the aerospace, industrial, medical, printing, electronics and firearm industries.

added a new 10,000-squarefoot wing. There have been talks about adding another building to the property, but that is still in the exploratory stages.

Super Brush calls its retail line Swab-its, and “A swab for every job!” is its tagline. It makes reusable swabs to clean firearms through its Bore-tips and Gun-tips brands and for car detailing. The car detailing swabs can clean air vents, cup holders, knobs and buttons, and seat seams.

Eight years ago, the company branched into retail e-commerce, according to

and beverage production area. They are in the beginning stages of the business and currently revamping their facility, a $250,000 project.

The two have strong ties to the city and that’s why they wanted to base their business where they grew up.

The pair say they complement each other, with Bleau’s culinary background teaching culinary arts at South Hadley High School, and Rosario’s experience working in sales and marketing.

They are hoping to receive the final license in the second quarter. They plan to

printer cleaning swabs, and mixed bag of swabs in various shapes and sizes.

Super Brush also benefited from an “open call” with Wal-Mart in which the retail giant asks small- and mid-sized companies to pitch their American-made products. As a result, Super Brush’s firearm cleaning swabs and car care kit can be found in the stores.

“Wal-Mart likes us because we are U.S. made,” she said.

“It was like winning the lottery,” McGinnes said about being picked by WalMart to showcase products in its stores.

hire up to 10 employees, all of whom must be at least 21 years old.

Product will be produced and then dropped off at dispensaries in Massachusetts. They also want to obtain licenses for other states such as Connecticut and New York so they can market their products there.

The Holyoke site will not be open to the public.

Their goal is to have the production facility open before Memorial Day. Their distribution plan is to be in at least 80 to 100 stores by the year’s end.

“It’s been a journey, but very exciting,” Rosario said.

Super Brush is a leader in foam swab technology with uses in the medical, household, hobby, automotive and firearms industries.

Above, the Insa cannabis dispensary on West Columbus Avenue, in Springfield. At left, Meg Sanders, CEO of Canna Provisions cannabis dispensaries, shares a laugh with musician, author and actor Steven Van Zandt during a visit to the Canna Provisions in Holyoke to promote his line of cannabis products on Nov. 18, 2021. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“It is no secret that it is very crowded at this point. The whole green rush is over at this point. Everybody knows it.”

MATTHEW YEE, COO, ENLITE CANNABIS, NORTHAMPTON

Packing tech David Smith, of Super Brush in Springfield, works on an outgoing shipment of brushes. Super Brush is a leader in foam swab technology. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

(DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

And legal sales are expected soon in New York’s capital region around Albany.

In Massachusetts, the marijuana industry recently passed a milestone. Gross sales of all adult-use, that is recreational, cannabis products totaled 4 billion at the end of last month. The state records marijuana sales at a $28 million a week clip. The state has 275 licensed retailers and 156 pending license applications.

But there is trouble. In December, Northampton marijuana shop The Source closed. It was the first shop in the state to close, surrendering its license. Other shops had closed because parent organizations merged and ran up against the threestore ownership limit.

Northampton City Council followed up by passing a limit on the number of cannabis shops, a ban the city’s mayor said she would not sign.

And prices for marijuana products have fallen over the last year. According to stats kept by the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, an ounce of flower — the most commonly purchased form of the product — retailed a few weeks ago for $228.88. That’s up from $219 an ounce earlier in the week. But well off the $388 price recorded a year ago in early 2022. Also, federal tax law penalizes marijuana companies, said Noam Hirschberger, principal in the forensic, litigation and valuation group at PKF O’Connor Davies in New York City. Operators cannot write off

Simpson

CONTINUES FROM PAGE J10

driver of visitation to Western Massachusetts, where tourism serves as the third largest industry.

Other significant changes to our museums in 2023 include establishing an exhibition on the history of the Latino community in Springfield and updating the abolition exhibition in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.

As part of our Seuss-iversary celebration, we launched Grinchmas on Nov. 5 with the opening of the Grinch’s Grotto in the history museum. The museums are the only venue in the country to host this popup interactive display which is surrounded by hands-on activity areas and enlivened

Regan

Massachusetts economy are ready with ideas to address the challenge. We also stand ready to work with elected officials such as Gov. Maura T. Healey on an issue that should unite businesses and workers, Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals and anyone else who cares about the economic future of Massachusetts.

The structural shortage of workers is complex. It grows out of a multitude of factors ranging from a slowly growing overall population to the increasing prevalence of remote work to pressures on the participation of Massachusetts residents in the work force.

Consider the following:

• People are leaving Massachusetts in large numbers. The commonwealth has lost 750,000 more people than it has gained during the past three decades. And that trend is accelerating — 57,292 Massachusetts residents packed their bags between July 2021 and July 2022, the fifth largest outmigration of any state in the country;

• Birth rates in Massachusetts are plummeting. The commonwealth’s birth rate is below the national average — 9.4 births for every 1,000 people in the state between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 compared to 10.8 per 1,000 nationwide, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program;

• Baby boomers are exiting

operating expenses for tax purposes, giving many an effective tax rate of 70%. “You are basically taxed on your gross profit,” he said. “You might even have an operating loss. But still a profit.”

Federal law also prohibits cannabis companies from accessing the banking industry and necessitates workarounds so customers can pay with credit and bank cards. Cannabis companies also can’t trade on the stock exchange. It also means, Hirschberger said, that cannabis companies with shops in multiple states cannot move product across state lines and even out supply with demand.

Brandon Pollock is CEO of Theory Wellness which has locations in Maine, Massachusetts locations in Chicopee, Great Barrington and Bridgewater, as well as a store that opened recently in Brattleboro, Vermont. Vermont laws and the state’s overall philosophy mean its cannabis industry focuses on locally grown, artisan-type cannabis brands. The emphasis is on Vermont farmers. But if one of those brands takes off and gets popular, he cannot just start shipping products to his legal stores in Massachusetts and Maine. Federal law won’t let him ship the product across state lines. Hirschberger said the oversupply means it is less likely big operators will invest in growing facilities in at least the next few years. It also points to the efficiency of the black market, where product moves quickly between jurisdictions without inspections or taxation.

“In cannabis, you are always competing with the illicit market,” he said.

by regular appearances by our Grinch-costumed character. As a result of its popularity, our attendance for November was the highest it has ever been, even before the pandemic.

It is a different Who-ville than before: We still have hand sanitizing stations; and we are committed to meeting the health and safety needs of all our visitors. Perhaps, like the Grinch, all of our hearts grew bigger during the pandemic, and, because we were isolated for so long, we will take every opportunity to make each one of our visitors feel welcome as we exponentially expand our audience and our possibilities for growth in the year ahead.

Kay Simpson is president and CEO of the Springfield Museums. To learn more about the museums, go online to Springfield museums.org.

the labor force. The number of college-educated Massachusetts residents exiting their working-age years will be 30% larger in the 2020s than during the 2010s;

• Fewer people are participating in the labor force. The labor-force participation rate in Massachusetts has declined from 67.1 in May 2019 to 65.6 currently; and

• Women are participating in the labor force the lowest rates since the 1970s. In the spring of 2020, 3.5 million mothers left their jobs, driving the labor force participation rate for working moms from around 70% to 55%. This number is improving — but it has not fully rebounded.

The workforce numbers should give everyone from employers to policymakers pause, because the decisions workers make today will have a dramatic impact of the economy of tomorrow. At AIM, we believe that Massachusetts will thrive only with a commitment to inclusive economic growth that brings as many people as possible into the workforce and leaves no one behind.

Solving the workforce crisis will require a comprehensive effort to address issues on multiple fronts. We must moderate costs for both employers and workers who might otherwise move elsewhere. We must ensure that our education system provides all students — especially those in underserved communities — with the skills needed to share in the commonwealth’s economic prosperity.

gaming commissioners offered their stamp of approval on their financial statuses.

State Gaming Commission chair Cathy Judd-Stein said she does not expect companies to depart the Massachusetts market, which “is not a phenomenon that’s happening around other jurisdictions.” She said she was “personally really pleased” by the variation among the six mobile applicants who were not tied to a casino.

“They offer practices that are some very local and some very global and some new, which might bring innovation which Massachusetts, of course, promotes, right? And with those innovations, might offer something new to our consumers,” Judd-Stein said at the end of January.

“So on balance, I think all six really can offer something that they believe they can absolutely be successful in this market.”

Pascrell III said some of the larger players — BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel, to name a few — already have massive market shares across the country.

“I think there’s going to continue to be a weeding out with the sort of smaller operators, which are challenged,” he said of Massachusetts.

Kevin Conroy, a partner at Foley Hoag who works with a variety of sport betting companies, said those to whom he’s talked, both small and large, feel like they’re going to be able to compete in the market.

“We represent one of the smaller folks who got an untethered license, and they’re excited about Massachusetts, and they’re excited about the opportunity it brings. They think there’s going to be a very good consumer base,” he said. “They’re really happy that they ended up filing an application and going through the process.”

Lawmakers have long projected that the state could see as much as $60 million in tax revenue from sports wagering. It is a small portion of the typical annual state budget, which has run north of $40 billion in recent years.

Former Gov. Charlie Baker wrote into several of his proposed state budgets an estimated $35 million in sports gambling revenue before the practice was legalized in an effort to urge lawmakers to

We must find ways to integrate more qualified immigrants and their dreams into Massachusetts’ world-renowned educational institutions and entrepreneurial companies.

And we must re-imagine the entire structure of work in a manner that encourages our employees to interact with our companies.

What ties all these disparate ideas together is a rethinking of the very nature of work and the relationships those jobs create between an employer and an increasingly limited pool of employees.

We are used to thinking about work in terms of jobs. But with the nature and structure of work changing rapidly, this may no longer be helpful. Successful organizations are shifting their thinking towards the capabilities needed to win in their marketplace. Through strategic modeling of future workforce options, they clarify the future roles, skills, and mindsets to deliver their strategy. They then focus on sourcing and developing these through reskilling, upskilling, recruitment or drawing on the wider “gig economy” of flexible workers.

AIM looks forward to working with others who have their own good ideas on how to address the issue. But one thing is certain — there is no time to lose.

John Regan is president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts. To learn more about AIM and its work, go online to aimnet.org

pass a sports betting bill.

At a Gaming Commission hearing in September, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg said with an annual $60 million revenue forecast, about $16.5 million, or 27.5%, would be earmarked for unrestricted local aid.

In a television interview on Jan. 22, Goldberg said she had not studied what sports betting will generate in terms of revenue for the state but had heard estimates between $35 million and $50 million in revenue.

“Sports betting is a for-profit business; they’re in it to make money. So the tax revenue that they’ll pay is merely a drop in the bucket to what they will ultimately make,” she said on WCVB’s “On The Record.”

State law sets a 15% tax rate on in-person sports betting, 20% on mobile or digital betting, and 15% on fantasy sports wagering. The tax rate was a point of contention during legislative negotiations during the summer of 2022, with the Senate originally proposing a higher 20% tax rate on in-person betting and 30% tax rate on mobile or digital wagering.

Judd-Stein said the Gaming Commission is “really careful” when it comes to tax revenue predictions.

“We have not made any kind of public statements about what we expect with respect to revenues over time,” she said. “We certainly assess the economic impact that each applicant might have, that would maximize the benefit for the commonwealth.

And we learned from our financial adviser that there’s no crystal ball to understand this.”

The state’s three casinos pay taxes on their slots and table games. Since casino gaming started nearly 10 years ago, the state has collected nearly $1.3 billion in total taxes, according to data last updated in December.

Experts who follow the sports betting industry nationally suggested the state’s haul for 2023 is not expected to turn any heads, partly because most people bet on their phones, and mobile wagering will only be available for about half the year.

Conroy said 2023 will not be a good indicator of Massachusetts’ sports betting market for a handful of reasons, including the fact that it will take some time for consumers to get used to legalized wagering here.

“Second, we (did) not have mobile sports betting for the biggest sports betting event, the Super Bowl, and we

(didn’t) have it for the January NFL playoff games,” he said. “That’ll cut down on the revenues that come from mobile sports betting in 2023. So, yes, 2024 is the first full year where we will have established retail sports betting operations and established mobile operators, and 2024 will be the year to really measure as to whether the projections were right.” All eyes in Massachusetts are looking toward early March, when mobile betting is expected to launch.

Conroy said the Gaming Commission put mobile sports betting operators on an “aggressive timeline to move from licensing to operating.”

In the coming weeks, wagering companies will need to submit internal controls, or the rules that govern how their betting systems work, and undergo a review period ahead of the launch.

“I think there’s this question about how many will be ready to go in March. I think the bigger guys have circled the date and they will be ready to go,” Conroy said. “This is an aggressive timeline that the commission is moving on. And so I will be interested, on the go-live date that the commission lays out, how many companies are offering their, products on that date.”

The BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge at MGM Springfield opened on Jan. 31. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

THE SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

is the voice of business for our members. We work together to create a shared vision for our region, strengthen and improve our economy, develop the workforce, and provide legislative advocacy. For more than a century, the Chamber has promoted, supported, and enhanced the economic health of the region.

Challenges still ahead, resilience necessary

SINCE 1872 MONSON

Savings Bank has been committed to helping customers contribute to the overall progress of local communities through various economic cycles. Although 2022 ended with a 2.9% GDP growth in the fourth quarter and local economic conditions continued to feel healthy, 2023 looks more challenging.

Please note I claim no distinction as an economist nor mystic with my views.

“Cautious optimism” is an overused phrase that I and many others have used recently. It might have some merit, but regardless of anybody’s outlook, complacency brings failures while initiative, planning and teamwork bring success.

Many challenges lie ahead in 2023; however like the weather in New England, headwinds may change.

OMG holds construction world together

$20M expansion planned for Agawam

By L ORI STABILE Special to The Republican

The construction boom during the pandemic paid off for OMG Inc.

The Agawam company’s two divisions, FastenMaster and OMG Roofing Products, experienced increases in business the last three years. While 2023 is expected to be another good year for both segments, the company is not projecting an increase.

“We’re not projecting a sales increase for next year. We’ve had two very big boom years so maybe for the first time in a long time we won’t really grow (this) year,” said Hubert T. McGovern, president and CEO in a recent interview.

OMG makes fasteners and products for the commercial roofing and residential construction markets.

AIC looks to address workforce needs

Elms nurtures pipeline of teachers to urban schools

Diversity is key in effort to meet growing need

By C AROLyN ROBBINS

UNQUESTIONABLY, THE COVID-19 PANdemic affected organizations, small and large businesses, schools, colleges, universities and, of course, communities, families and individuals.

Naturally, we tend to look at the effects of the pandemic from a personal perspective and how our lives were considerably disrupted. Regrettably, some still are, and it will take time until people feel a sense of normalcy.

In

An unfortunate reality is that some individuals will not be able to fully recover. Many of our family, friends and community members suffered irreparable losses — the lives of loved ones — while others lost everything they had worked for, including lifelong savings.

HUBERT BENITEZ

Sadly, the pandemic exposed the significant inequalities that exist across our communities, with the most vulnerable populations disproportionately affected, primarily as it relates to health outcomes, job losses and economic uncertainty, leading to a very complex and unclear future. However, the impact is not local. It continues to be regional, national and global.

Because the effects of the pandemic cross borders and span multiple domains, reimagining a new economy and visualizing a new normal is the

At top, Hubert T. McGovern, president and CEO of OMG, left, and Russell “Web” Shaffer, senior vice president and general manager of FastenMaster at the company’s plant in Agawam, stand in front of a continuous heat treat furnace. Immediately above, Jorge Lopez and Alexander Archeval work on a process monitor for a cold-forming machine. OMG Inc. produces more than 1 billion fasteners per year.

(DAVE ROBACK PHOTOS)

Special to The Republican Takia Lee, of Springfield, knew in high school that she was destined to become a mathematics teacher but — because, as she put it, “life happens” — it took her two decades to realize her dream.

December, Lee, the mother of five children, ranging in age from 16 to 24, joined three of her

& TRAINING

Elms

“Good teachers have all kinds of positive impacts on their students — including improved academ ic and life outcomes — and happiness.”

RIGHT

Freedom Credit marks century of service

Freedom

Credit Union reached its 100-year milestone in July. Originally chartered as the Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union, it was renamed as Freedom in 2004 and served the four counties of Western Massachusetts.

In early 2020, we received approval to expand our field of membership into Hartford and Tolland counties in Connecticut. In 2022, we opened a new loan production office in Enfield for residential and business lending. COVID-19 forced some immediate but temporary changes while also leading to permanent modifications in our business. Like many businesses, we had to figure out how to serve our members, but keep them and employees safe while doing so. Initially, we had limited staff, drive-up only locations, many remote back-office staff

Bankers ride wave of changing marketplace

Higher rates are boon for savers, not for borrowers

By JIM K Inney jkinney@repub.com

For much of 2022 homes were selling, businesses were borrowing and interest rates were low.

“We had a very nice year all the way around,” said Matthew S. Sosik, president and CEO of Hometown Financial Group, which includes BankESB in Easthampton. “For most of the year the lending side of our business stayed robust. Demand on the home side was robust. We were sort of able to make hay while the sun was shining.”

But 2023 doesn’t look as good. With the Federal Reserve raising interest rates to combat inflation it’s more expensive to borrow. Higher interest rates also make it more expensive for bankers to get money. They have to pay higher interest rates to get it, and it squeezes their profit margin.

“You can see how the net interest margins will shrink in the industry in 2023,” he said.

“All the while, the costs will rise.”

The Federal Reserve increased interest rates by a quarter point on Feb. 1, slowing the pace of interest rate hikes in response to slowing inflation.

That does mean higher interest rates for savers, Sosik said. Competition is growing for depositors. “I would say it’s just now growing,” he said.

Daniel R. Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank, said banks may start

and a multitude of safety precautions in place. As things got better last year, we moved back toward a more “normal” banking model; however, our members have realized the value of using online and mobile services, and we have seen a continued double-digit decline in in-person branch transactions. Freedom has invested significantly in technology and services, giving our members

the flexibility to decide if they want to visit our ninebranch network or utilize our significant online capabilities. We have a very robust online and mobile banking suite of products, which allow individual and business members to make deposits, transfer funds, pay bills and more at any time.

Members can apply for consumer loans 24/7 online or via phone and get instant approval. They can also close on their consumer loan from home with the help of e-sign.

Members can have video calls with our call center or mortgage loan originators and even exchange confidential documents through a secure portal. Going forward, we are looking to install our first ITM and continue to make it quicker and easier to open accounts or get loans. We will improve our deposit product set, offer Freedom credit cards and roll out merchant lending for business members, allowing them to finance their customers’ purchases.

During COVID-19, we had almost half of our staff enabled to work remotely: up from 10 when the epidemic began. We currently have approximately 50-plus-orminus employees with the ability to be remote. Some departments have fixed hybrid schedules, with half the staff remote the first few days of the week and the other half at the end of the week but all staff in on Wednesdays for team meetings, for example. Other remote work is not as

competing again for deposits, advertising rates for CDs and savings accounts instead of loans.

As far as the general economy, while unemployment remains low, “I feel we are on the cusp of change,” Moriarty said. “We are not quite to that place yet.”

Added Kevin O’Connor, executive vice president and chief banking officer at Westfield Bank, the full impact of interest rate changes is difficult to estimate now because winter is typically slow. But he reminds people that a few years ago, a 7% or 8% mortgage was considered normal.

“Then people got very used to those very low numbers,” O’Connor said. “Will people get used to this new norm?”

A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.15% in recent weeks, according to Freddie Mac.com

O’Connor said he predicts

more home equity loans in the next few months. Customers looking to tap home equity in the last few years have been cash-out refinancing — borrowing money while getting a lower interest rate.

“Now no one is going to give up that low interest rate,” he said.

Interest rates are not the only things changing. Bankers are getting used to a new competitive landscape.

In April, M&T Bank completed its $8.3 billion purchase of People’s United Bank, including branches in Western Massachusetts that were once part of either the Bank of Western Massachusetts or of United Bank, which was once headquartered in West Springfield.

Matthew Bannister, PeoplesBank senior vice president for marketing and corporate responsibility, said it is a relief, in a way, to have M&T in the market because it signaled the end of Peoples United and the resulting confusion between

Peoples United and PeoplesBank.

PeoplesBank is continuing its expansion into Connecticut markets, he said. A new branch in South Windsor opens in April and there will likely be another new branch opening in that area later in 2023.

The reason, he said, is that PeoplesBank’s commercial department is doing well in those towns at expanding the base of business customers.

As those businesses do more with PeoplesBank, they ask for offices so they can do things face to face, including cash handling, getting change and other routine transactions.

For PeoplesBank, deposits

are now a concern. All banks amassed deposits during the pandemic, when businesses and people received government aid or earned money and had no way of spending it.

Balances went up. “Now they are trickling away,” he said. But overall, PeoplesBank is optimistic, according to Bannister.

In West Springfield, startup New Valley Bank & Trust Co. moved into an office at 333 Elm St. that was most recently Holyoke Credit Union. Holyoke Credit Union has moved to 85 Elm St., a former People’s United Bank and before that a Farmington Bank. JP Morgan Chase, the largest

bank in the country, will open locations at 391 Main St., Springfield, in March and at 1 King St., Northampton, in April.

Chase is also working on a location near the Hampshire Mall in Hadley, a spokesman confirmed.

Sosik said it’s interesting looking at the strategies employed by the national brands. Chase is opening local branches while Bank of America has closed local offices.

And banks don’t just face competition from banks. They also battle for business with financial technology companies that offer alternative checking and bill-paying products. BankESB is competing in this modern environment using a pretty old-fashioned model of a mutual bank.

It’s part of Hometown Financial, parent company of bankESB, bankHometown, and Abington Bank, with 37 branch offices located throughout Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut.

Judeliz Rodriguez, a universal agent at Freedom Credit Union, covers the front desk at the bank’s main branch on Main Street. Freedom has 10 offices across Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties and, in 2022, opened a loan center in Enfield.

(DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Our trusted economic advisers expect that any recession will be mild and take place during the second half of the year.

Joan Bristol, of Turners Falls, goes over an application with loan interviewer Denise Cordiano in the Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union office space first floor in this file photo. The credit union was renamed Freedom Credit Union in 2004.

(THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

“You can see how the net interest margins will shrink in the industry in 2023. All the while, the costs will rise.”

MATTHEW S. SOSIK, CEO, HOMETOWN FINANCIAL GROUP

Nick Rego, of Philadelphia Signs from Rhode Island, hangs a poster in August 2022 on what will be a new JP Morgan Chase bank branch at the corner of Main Street and Harrison Avenue in downtown Springfield. Chase also plans to open a branch in downtown Northampton and possibly at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

“Then people got very used to those very low numbers. Will people get used to this new norm?”

Kevin O’Connor, executive vice president and chief banking officer, Westfield Bank

LEARN

1 Arch Road, Westfield For more info: Online, Montys Motorsports. com; call, 413-642-8199

/ THE REPUBLICAN)

Getting employers HR resources they need

Member-based group works with 1,000 firms

By C ORI U RBAN

Republican

Special to The

The Employers Association of the NorthEast has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic stronger, more flexible and creative.

That’s because, to thrive and be the resource members need, the agency developed new ways of working and delivering services to meet the changing landscape.

“We’re much more agile in how we approach our work, and this has created new business opportunities and a high level of engagement from our members,” said Meredith F. Wise, president.

For more than 100 years, the association has been the go-to resource for employers seeking practical solutions to help build engaged,

well-managed and low-risk workplaces through human resources and management advice, survey data, readyto-use human resources templates, training and consulting. It is a member-based organization with more than 1,000 member companies of all sizes. With about 17 full- and 15 part-time employees, the association generally works with businesses with under 100 employees but with larger employers as well. Members are from a variety of industries including manufacturing, health care, nonprofit, human services, education, financial services and professional services.

“Our member benefits, services and team are the partners employers can rely on for HR expertise,” Wise said.

Members have unlimited access to experienced, local HR professionals through the agency’s HR Hotline resource. Team members respond to questions ranging from the Family and Medical Leave Act to compensation, terminations to compliance, best practices and HR trends.

“We provide expertise for compensation planning, recruiting, engagement surveys and tools, retention

LEARN MORE

Business: Employers Association of the NorthEast

Where: 67 Hunt St., Agawam For more info: Online, eane.org; call, 877-6626444

tools, sample policies, toolkits, checklists and organizational design, to name just a few,” Wise said.

The Learning & Development options provide skill-building opportunities for leaders, future leaders, individual contributors and HR professionals.

“Every employee in an organization can benefit from the skills development and coaching services we offer,” Wise said.

On an annual basis, the Leadership and Inspire HR full-day conferences expose participants to national and regional keynote and breakout session presenters who motivate and educate. And roundtables — peer networking and learning sessions — take place monthly so members can discuss challenges, best practices and learn from one another.

Like many organizations,

EANE was significantly impacted by the pandemic.

“Knowing that our members, and other employers, were now faced with challenges and questions they hadn’t dealt with before, we doubled down on offering guidance, analysis, resources and tools to assist employers in the region with the information they needed to manage through the pandemic,” Wise said. The employers association opened its resources to all employers, not just members. The focus shifted from providing leadership and personal development learning opportunities to offering weekly webinars to update employers on the ever-changing regulations, public health guidance and employee safety information they needed. “It seemed like, almost daily, we

With about 17 full- and 15 part-time employees, the association generally works with businesses with under 100 employees but with larger employers as well.

Monty’s landed second spot for growth in the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Super 60 Awards for 2022. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

SMALL BUSINESS

Now, in the face of possible recession, owner Monty Greer said there’s nothing to be done but showing up and putting in the work.

“Honestly, there’s nothing I can do about it,” he said.

Located at 1 Arch Road, the business houses a vast storeroom with brands such as Gas Gas, Beta, Suzuki, CFMOTO, SSR, Kayo, One Wheel, and Hisun. It sells dirt bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides and other merchandise.

Prior to owning Monty’s Motorsports, Greer worked at a car dealership as a business manager, but a lack of happiness and desire to spend more time with family led him to shift to power sports vehicles. Greer said he saved enough money to live off of for a year

and said that even if he didn’t make it, that would be one year not being unhappy in the dealership.

He opened the business in March 2017 in a 2,500-square-foot building that once housed a convenience store. That space was so small, Greer recalled, that he had to keep some ATVs in a semi-trailer out back. He had learned that the Westfield area has a huge demand for power sports vehicles, recalling a show he attended with more than 1,000 people. When a 13,000-square-foot site just 2 miles away became available, everything was moved in July 2020, just as the economy was beginning to reopen

rom early days in a repurposed convenience store to a location more than five times as large, Monty’s Motorsports in Westfield has shown that a small, local business can truly succeed even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. SEE RESOURCES, PAGE K18 SEE THROTTLE, PAGE K18 %%SATFOL-%%3MONTH%%2DATE THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19 2023 | K 3 OUTLOOK 2023 It depends! Ask us why, then apply at westfieldbank.com/apply LOAN LINE What better banking’s all about Should I choose a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit? Member FDIC westfieldbank.com 3180920-01

“Knowing that our members, and other employers, were now faced with challenges and questions they hadn’t dealt with before, we doubled down on offering guidance, analysis, resources and tools to assist employers in the region with the information they needed to manage through the pandemic.”

MEREDITH F. WISE, PRESIDENT, EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION OF THE NORTHEAST, AGAWAM

EDUCATION

Greenfield Community College marks 60 years

Responding to workforce needs is essential

By RON C HIMELIS rchimelis@repub.com

As a youth and teen, Daniel Desrochers did not plan on working in college education. For that matter, he didn’t even see himself graduating from a four-year college. Greenfield Community College changed all that, something he says it is doing for countless other students.

“It was my education at GCC that allowed me to write for a literary journal here, and then transfer to the University of Massachusetts for journalism,” said Desrochers, a Chicopee native who is now the communications and marketing and marketing director for his alma mater.

“Without GCC, I would not be where I am today, or for that matter, have a bachelor’s degree.”

Franklin County’s twoyear college is in the midst of marking its 60th anniversary year. From a car show to lectures to alumni gatherings, many related events have taken place, and some were so popular that they’ll be brought back.

For this school of about 1,400 students, though, the focus is less on what’s occurred than what awaits.

“We have our high-quality liberal arts tradition, and we will maintain that,” said Michelle Schutt, who arrived from an administrative position at the College of Southern Idaho to become Greenfield’s president in 2022.

“We will also be providing workforce training, though. The demographics and the needs of the region are changing. The biggest growth is at Franklin County Technical School, so what does that mean, and how does that align with the needs and what we can offer?” she said.

Schutt has an answer for that rhetorical question.

“In a word, relevancy. It’s how we can assure we are answering the needs of our constituencies,” she said.

Those constituencies are changing. Schutt said that nationally as well as regionally, the number of “traditional age” students from 18 to 24 is declining, with rising numbers for students over 25, many with families and jobs. Interest in online education is increasing at all levels, she said. That won’t replace classroom instruction at Greenfield, but it does speak to new approaches and expanded curriculum.

One of GCC’s more notable alumni, Robert Pura, went on to earn a doctorate in community college leadership. The author of a book on community college leadership, Pura said Greenfield is changing while still maintaining what’s been special about it for 60 years.

“One of my favorite quotes is that getting an education at GCC is like getting a tailored suit as opposed to buying one off the rack,” said Pura, who was the college’s president for nearly 18 years before retiring in 2018.

“It’s an aspirational journey at a school committed to excellence which empowers, trusts and holds leadership accountable, to do their jobs and do them well,” Pura said.

As an example, Pura said

he saw staff and faculty often taking more pride in the school’s buildings than their own homes. What he really admired, though, was how personal the school’s approach has always been.

“So much of public higher education is pre-packaged. It may be cheaper and easier, but it is not better,” Pura said.

“GCC has always been very student-centered, with an environment that shouts out to all students that ‘you belong

“I’ve been involved with community colleges for a long time, and these are people who will be taxpayers and real estate owners, and people who shop and live in the area. (Expanding programs) is like a cruise ship, it takes a little time to change direction, but we are trying to stay ahead of the curve in what we do and how we do it.”

here.’ For so many students, and many first-generation in college, walking through those doors for the first time can be scary, but this college makes them feel part of the community,” Pura said.

Desrochers agreed with Schutt that the needs of students are changing. “Liberal arts has been our

linchpin, but we are growing our workforce development programs. And students can get a lifelong education here for a very small cost,” he said.

Schutt is convinced workforce training can continue to expand without compromising the liberal arts tradition.

“It’s not an either-or, it’s an

and-also,” she said. “We just can’t limit ourselves to liberal arts. Our society needs more people with career technical education backgrounds,” she said.

“There is a lot of need in the workforce in nursing, in manufacturing - and these are really good paying, middle-class jobs,” said Hector Toledo, chairman of the college’s trustees. Toledo said GCC plays a critical role as the only community college in Franklin or Hampshire counties.

“I’ve been involved with community colleges for a long time, and these are people who will be taxpayers and real estate owners, and people who shop and live in the area. (Expanding programs) is like a cruise ship, it takes a little

Michelle Schutt is the current president of Greenfield Community College. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“One of my favorite quotes is that getting an education at GCC is like getting a tailored suit as opposed to buying one off the rack.”

ROBERT PURA, FORMER GREENFIELD

COMMUNITY

COLLEGE PRESIDENT

The campus of Greenfield Community College in fall is pictured above. At left, a 1991 photo shows Federal Street North in Greenfield. The building was the first home for Greenfield Community College. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN; THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Greenfield Community College students Jeffrey Ojala, of Shelburne, a human psychology major, left, and Jeff Blake, of Deerfield, an aerospace studies major, work with professor Dan LaRose, right, doing a pre-flight systems check in 1991 for a simulated space project students were involved in. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Hector Toledo, trustee, Greenfield Community College

Michael Lynch Barbara-Jean DeLoria James Montemayor Michael Davey

Henry “Hank” Downey Joe Kulig Doug Gilbert

A Community Kind Lending Team.

Liberty Bank’s Western MA lending team are experienced bankers with a strong commitment to working closely with customers to support their business lending needs.

We’re the kind of bank that helps our community grow.

Established in 1825, Liberty Bank is one of the oldest and largest mutual banks in the country. With more than $7 billion in assets, Liberty has 56 banking offices across Connecticut and Massachusetts. For nearly 200 years, Liberty Bank has improved the lives of our customers, teammates and the communities we serve. As a full-service financial institution, Liberty offers consumer and commercial banking, cash management, home mortgages, business loans, insurance and investment services.

Named ‘Top Workplace’ by the Hartford Courant every year since 2012 and designated as a 2022 Best-In-State Bank in Connecticut by Forbes Magazine, Liberty maintains a longstanding commitment to superior personal service and unparalleled community involvement.

Visit liberty-bank.com/Springfield to contact a local lender.

Insurance agents focus on consumer protection

The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents is a trade association that represents over 1,000 independent insurance agencies across the commonwealth. These smalland medium-sized local businesses employ over 9,000 workers in well-paying jobs and contribute more than $1 billion annually to the Massachusetts economy.

The association is dedicated to strengthening and elevating the independent insurance agency system through advocacy, quality education, key insights and advice, market access and essential products. We do all of this — and more — for one simple reason: to provide unparalleled service to our customers. As independent agents, our members are solely focused on understanding your particular situation and providing you with the right product at the right price to meet your needs.

As we turn the calendar to 2023, our association is working hard to advocate for legislation and policies that ensure all insurance providers are focused on putting the best interests of the consumer first. We have identified two issues that are of particular importance:

First, as health care costs have soared and automobiles have become more technologically advanced and expensive, it has become increasingly clear that our state’s mandatory minimum auto liability limits have become obsolete.

In 1927, Massachusetts became the first state to require the purchase of auto liability insurance. While many states have recently modernized their limits, Massachusetts now ranks near the bottom nationally ($20,000/$40,000 for bodily injury or death and only $5,000 for physical damage). If an at-fault driver causes damage to multiple vehicles, you can see where $5,000 would not go very far. In even a minor accident, an ambulance trip alone can leave little left over for any resulting medical bills. This means the not-atfault party is on the hook for oftentimes overwhelming medical and repair expenses. Our agents recognize the limitations posed by the current statutory minimums and typically recommend higher limits to protect their customers. Many consumers who shop online, however, may focus only on a cheaper rate without understanding the implications. By raising these limits, we would better protect all consumers and ensure that well-informed insurance customers are no longer subsidizing the rest of the insurance-buying public.

The second issue of concern is a nationwide trend of companies attempting to lure in new customers with the promise of free technology, smart gadgets, and other rebates with only a tenuous relationship to auto or home insurance.

The commonwealth has long-established rules around such rebates because it is simply good public policy to ensure that insurance decisions are being made based upon coverage and price, not on which company or policy offers the most expensive gifts or giveaways. These inducements can change the calculus of insurance consumers and, in so doing, risk creating a pool of individuals and businesses with less than adequate coverage- exposing all of us in the process.

As the 2023-2024 legislative session begins in earnest, the association will continue

to oppose attempts to loosen these rebating rules.

As a final point, there is perhaps no more important issue impacting the insurance consumer experience than the availability of welltrained agents and other insurance professionals. Like nearly every other industry, our member agencies currently have or anticipate staff openings and are looking to hire new talent. If you like the idea of working in a local industry that looks out for the customers it serves, then we would invite you to consider a career within the independent agency community.

A career in insurance comes with attractive compensation and benefits that enable our employees thrive and grow. Our industry also offers advancement opportunities. Entry-level agency employees can pursue training and professional designations that pave the way for continuous advancement — with or without a college degree. Insurance agencies also offers work-life balance, with a schedule that can accommodate vacation time, travel, and family needs. Perhaps most importantly, insurance allows you the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives by helping them rebuild when they suffer a loss.

As we look ahead to 2023, MAIA remains committed to fighting for our agencies and their customers. We will continue to identify the issues and challenges they face and advocate for policy solutions that make a meaningful difference in their businesses and daily lives. If you are interested in learning more about a career in insurance, or otherwise joining us in this effort, visit maia.career website.com

Nick Fyntrilakis is president and CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents. To learn more about the association, go online to mass agent.com

Moriarty

CONTINUES FROM PAGE K1

Consumers and businesses in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut have always responded and adapted to address the economic conditions at hand.

I share here some of my views on the economy.

• Inflation: It’s no surprise that inflation is a top of the mind concern. At its basic definition, “inflation is a progressive increase in the price of goods and services within the economy.” Which means as inflation rises, it lowers your ability to buy more things. Whether you believe inflation is good or bad, it is an inevitable part of the economy. Although moderate inflation is a sure sign of a healthy economy, we’ve already seen the negative impact of higher inflation early in 2023 as payment for necessities such as groceries and utility bills has been strained.

In January 2022, inflation was at 7.5% and rose to a 40year high of 9.1% in July 2022, it then decreased to 6.5% by December 2022. With 2022’s trends in mind, I anticipate seeing a continued increase in consumer credit utilization and decreases in personal savings rates and spending in the face of cooling inflation pressures. I’m cautiously optimistic inflation will retreat toward the 2% to 3% level by the year end 2023.

• Employment: Well, with what we will all remember from the “Great Resignation” of 2020-2022, to today’s candidate ghosting and robust

applicant demands, the fears of a recession may change the tide toward employers.

Albeit recent job reports in January were contradictory. America added 517,000 jobs last month despite the consensus estimate among economists that the U.S. economy was likely to add 185,000. As far as the unemployment rate at 3.4%, its lowest since 1969, the Fed is committed to raising interest rates to cool things off, which may lead to layoffs. Some say and most employers hope (although hope is not a strategy) that recent wage increases, hybrid work schedules, and other flexible concessions will continue to help employers attract and retain a capable workforce.

For employers, 2023 presents an opportunity to train and retain their workforce, while remaining flexible to adapt to the economic conditions ahead. For employees and candidates, this could be a time to reflect on the improved working conditions

Over 150 Years of Local, Community Banking

Fed Chair Jerome Powell at a press conference in December. “The worst pain would come from a failure to raise rates high enough and from us allowing inflation to become entrenched in the economy, so that the ultimate cost of getting out would be very high in terms of employment for extended periods of time.”

I believe if the Fed can restore stable prices without a significant increase in unemployment or a sharp slowdown, my outlook for a recession in 2023 will be short and shallow in the third and fourth quarters of this year.

and consider that the grass may be greener than that on the other side of the fence.

• Recession: With the current negative economic concerns including rising inflation and the Federal Reserve Bank increasing rates another .25bps recently, it’s hard to say if the economy will fall into a recession, especially considering the recent jobs report. The effects of previous rate hikes are still being baked into the economy, which when fully realized should push inflation lower as demand and employment falter.

What is a recession? By definition, “recession is a period of temporary economic decline generally identified by a fall in GDP in 2 economic quarters.” This generally occurs when there is a widespread drop in spending. With rumors of an economic recession brewing, it will be difficult to predict one in 2023. However, I will base my projection on what was said recently by

In conclusion, the Fed’s actions, the economy’s response, the consumer’s resilience and Monson Savings Bank’s commitment will all play a part in how 2023 looks in our local communities

Daniel R. Moriarty is CEO and president of Monson Savings Bank. To learn more about Monson Savings, go online to Monsonsavings.bank

As a local community bank that has been in business for over 150 years, we’re proud to support our communities, we understand the local market, and we’re experts at taking care of our personal and business customers. Let us show you the Monson Savings Bank difference. We are here to help.

Monson Savings Bank has been celebrating its 150th anniversary over the past year. At top is an undated image of one of its first offices. Above, in a 1966 file photo, workers are seen inside Monson Savings Bank. (MONSON SAVINGS BANK PHOTOS)

“I believe if the Fed can restore stable prices without a significant increase in unemployment or a sharp slowdown, my outlook for a recession in 2023 will be short and shallow in the third and fourth quarters of this year.”

DANIEL MORIARTY, CEO AND PRESIDENT, MONSON SAVINGS BANK

Nick Fyntrilakis

Dan Moriarty, President & CEO, reads

to preschool children at Educare Springfield.

‘All-in-one’ water treatment

PepsiCo. uses

system

By JEANETTE D EFORGE jdeforge@repub.com

Instead of having a water treatment system with multiple steps, Elateq’s does everything together in one system that also saves energy, water and money.

“It is an all-in-one treatment,” said Anderson, chief executive officer of Elateq. “You don’t need harsh chemicals to clean, you don’t need high-pressure pumps so it reduces your energy costs.”

Anderson and his partner Ljiljana Rajic, the chief science officer, incorporated their company that makes high-tech, low-energy water filtration systems in March 2020. Despite starting the business at the beginning of

the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is now going gangbusters, he said.

The town of Amherst was the first client for Elateq, hiring the company to use its system as a pretreatment to remove heavy metals from groundwater that are causing corrosion in their pumping station. The system, which is tentatively slated to be installed in the summer, will also use solar power to treat thousands of gallons of water a day.

Now the company is essentially jumping in with both feet after PepsiCo., the second largest food and beverage company worldwide, launched its green initiative

and hired Elateq to install its unique filtration systems at all the multinational company’s plants.

“We are the only water treatment company they selected,” he said. “It is a huge opportunity. We are very excited but it took eight or nine months of a grueling vetting process to get to this stage.”

While most think of PepsiCo. as the maker of the signature soda, the company also makes all kinds of other beverages and snack food and creates plenty of wastewater as a consequence, Anderson said.

“We will be turning wastewater into potable water in all of their manufacturing plants

all over the world,” he said. Trials of the water treatment and recovery system will begin at PepsiCo.’s plants in the United States in the spring. After that PepsiCo. will start adding Elateq’s modular units to plants in the United States and Europe and recently added India to its contract, Anderson said. “Elateq’s all-in-one water treatment unit enables PepsiCo to remove pathogens, organic and inorganic contaminants, metals and other materials in water using less energy while recovering more water,” according to a statement from the water filtration company. The contract means Elateq

will have to grow fairly quickly in a short period of time.

“It’s quite an exciting time,” Anderson said.

Elateq, which is now located in the Life Sciences Building at the University of Massachusetts, is planning to move to a vacant manufacturing building in Sunderland at the beginning of the year once final negotiations are completed.

Currently, there are three full-time and five part-time employees, but the staff is also expected to expand, starting with increasing part-time employees’ hours, Anderson said.

“I’m ex-military, Air Force, and I believe in concurrent planning so we are trying to bring extra engineers and technicians on board,” he said.

The idea for the company came together when Anderson and Rajic met at a

conference at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

At the time Anderson had a visiting position teaching international studies at Trinity College, in Hartford, and was studying for his doctorate in anthropology and Rajic, who holds a Ph.D. and is one of the world leaders in electrochemistry, was running the labs at Northeastern University in Boston.

The two started talking about how they could collaborate and eventually decided they would make perfect partners with Anderson’s background in international economics and anthropology and Rajic’s experience in chemistry. Still, it took at least six years for them to get Elateq up and running, he said.

The company has a patent pending for the filtration system that uses low-level

Elateq’s chief science officer Ljiljana Rajic and chief executive officer Roderick Anderson. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Roderick Anderson compares his company’s water treatment to the difference between a cellphone and a rotary phone.

Roderick Anderson, chief executive officer and one of the founders of Elateq, right, attends a meeting with other entrepreneurs of startups inside UMass Amherst’s Life Sciences Laboratories. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“We will be turning wastewater into potable water in all of their (PepsiCo.) manufacturing plants all over the world.”

RODERICK ANDERSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ELATEQ

Working collaboratively for nearly a decade, Bulkley Richardson continues to achieve exceptional results for our clients. We owe much of this success to our dedicated staff and a unique corporate culture that encourages work satisfaction and inclusivity.

Tech Foundry forges pathways to success

IT training hub targets diverse candidates

ROBBINS

By C AROLyN

Special to The Republican

Self-taught computer geek Raven Brantley, who graduated from Springfield Renaissance High School and later attended Holyoke Community College, had already put a hold on his degree plans when his sister told him about Tech Foundry.

The Springfield-headquartered nonprofit organization is dedicated to filling the growing need for workers in information technology.

Last month Brantley was among 32 graduates, who completed Tech Foundry’s tuition-free 18-week workforce training program, putting them on a path to a career in the redhot IT field.

Tech Foundry’s CEO Tricia Canavan said there must be a sense of urgency about training the workforce for jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, noting that a recent study by former Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration predicts the commonwealth will need to retrain 300,000 to 400,000 people to fill STEM jobs in the next decade.

“I already had some computer hardware experience,” Brantley said. ”Tech Foundry gave me a chance to get my feet wet and gain a basic understanding of what IT is all about and the many branches in the field — from networking to cybersecurity.”

Brantley added, “The program opens doors to all kinds of opportunities.” With a certificate from Tech Foundry, he and his cohorts gain hands-on technical training along with internships at local companies.

“Tech Foundry even arranged for us to participate in a mock job interview to help give us confidence in interview settings,” Brantley said. “It was pretty cool. Our interviewers were from India.”

Brantley worked as an intern in the IT department at American International College through the program. After graduation, Brantley said he will continue to seek out other opportunities with the goal of entering the field of cybersecurity. “I’d like to work for a company and one day own my own company,” he said.

Tech Foundry was the brainchild of entrepreneur Delcie Bean, CEO of Paragus IT, and Josh Finkel, then a math teacher at South Hadley High School, who first started Valley Technical Outreach. Out of that grew the plans for Tech Foundry with the hope of creating a tech jobs hub for students in Springfield. “Since it was established founded in 2014, Tech Foundry has trained more than 400 students and engaged 100 employers across sectors contributing to a growing IT eco-system,” Canavan said. The training program is designed for students like Brantley, Canavan said, adding that applicants only need a high school diploma to enroll. “It’s an incredible opportunity for students,” she said, adding that the agency aims to expand its outreach to potential candidates.

“Enrollment has been a bit challenging,” she said. The program is funded for 50. And, despite an aggressive campaign, only 40 enrolled in the fall, with 32 making it to graduation.

“We’re reaching out to high school students and community colleges,” Canavan said. “There is an untapped pool out there,” she said, adding that Tech Foundry is planning to reach out to “gamers” whose skills could be translated to IT work.

Funded by area employers, Canavan said the agency’s $800,000 annual budget supports its mission to support the region’s growing need for a qualified technology workforce while elevating under-represented groups into sustainable careers in IT.

Tech Foundry, which has a staff of seven, receives state and federal workforce development funds and generous support from philanthropic sources such as the Irene & George Davis Foundation, the Beveridge Foundation and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts — as well as support from the health and education sectors and other nonprofits.

Canavan, former CEO of United Personnel Services, said the experience she gained in the employment and recruiting field and her work on a number of boards dedicated to workforce development are an asset to her new job at Tech Foundry.

During an interview in Tech Foundry’s ninth-floor perch in the historic Harrison Building

at 1391 Main St., Canavan’s enthusiasm and passion for her job and the city of Springfield are evident.

“We need to develop equity-based solutions to meet the economic challenges facing the region,” she said.

In the Future of Work Commission study released in mid2021, the state lauded Tech Foundry diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through its outreach, training and career support for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

“Because increasing automation in the workplace will disproportionately displace women, Black and Hispanic workers, reskilling and upskilling for these residents will ensure more opportunities in the increasingly technology-focused economy,” the report said. It added that defined career paths in technology or health care can also counteract the growing wage gap, which has “urgent racial equity implications” for the common-

wealth.

A study published by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation in December says that an aging and declining population is reducing the size of the state’s workforce, putting the state’s economy in jeopardy. That report concluded the Bay State can no longer “passively rely on the reputations of its higher education and health sectors to attract sufficient talent to be proactive in attracting sufficient talent to meet the demand of the elite and expanding economy.”

This looming worker shortage makes the need for technology training even more important, Canavan said. “We are helping people gain access to living wage opportunities that enable them to build economic security for their families,” she said. “It’s imperative that we tap the talent that we have here.”

Tech Foundry’s work is appreciated by its client companies.

Cindy Bisner, vice president

of centralized services for ICS, a managed IT service provider with offices in Raynham and Worcester, said Tech Foundry is a great partner for the company. “We consistently are seeking entry level technicians to join our organization and help grow their careers,” she said.

Bisner said, “Tech Foundry has been a perfect partner in helping us find such IT talent. Their training program is uniquely designed to prepare students with the IT skills we are seeking in our candidates.”

She added that Tech Foundry’s willingness to refine its program based on partner inputs has been a key success factor in the partnership.

“Tech Foundry’s commitment to elevate underrepresented talent groups and provide a pathway to success in IT aligns well with our ICS Cares program mission — giving back to the communities in which we do business – and is exactly one of the ways we can make a difference,” Bisner said.

Tricia Canavan is the CEO of Tech Foundry in Springfield. Since its founding in 2014, it has trained more than 400 students and engaged 100 employers in its programs. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Omar Yussuf, of West Springfield, is a student at the Tech Foundry in Springfield, where students are offered a free 18-week training program in information technology. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“We need to develop equity-based solutions to meet the economic challenges facing the (Western Massachusetts) region.”

TRICIA CANAVAN, CEO, TECH FOUNDRY, SPRINGFIELD, AT LEFT

“I already had some computer hardware experience. Tech Foundry gave me a chance to get my feet wet and gain a basic understanding

Think you can beat the clock?

Do you trust your GPS or do you always assume you can get there just a little bit faster? Arriving to a birthday party a few minutes late isn’t usually a big deal, but overestimating your control as an investor can potentially lead to serious problems for you and your finances.

Think you can beat the clock?

Think you can beat the clock?

Many of us are guilty of overconfidence at one point or another. Say you check directions and see that it will take 17 minutes to get to your destination and think, “Okay, great. I can make it in 15.” Sound familiar?

Do you trust your GPS or do you always assume you can get there just a little bit faster? Arriving to a birthday party a few minutes late isn’t usually a big deal, but overestimating your control as an investor can potentially lead to serious problems for you and your finances.

Think you can beat the clock?

Do you trust your GPS or do you always assume you can get there just a little bit faster? Arriving to a birthday party a few minutes late isn’t usually a big deal, but overestimating your control as an investor can potentially lead to serious problems for you and your finances.

We all have subconscious biases, but that doesn’t mean they need to get in the way of your financial success. As a financial advisor, I can help you set up guardrails against your own biases and give you the tools and education you need to manage your hard-earned wealth with confidence.

Many of us are guilty of overconfidence at one point or another. Say you check directions and see that it will take 17 minutes to get to your destination and think, “Okay, great. I can make it in 15.” Sound familiar?

Sound familiar?

Do you trust your GPS or do you always assume you can get there just a little bit faster? Arriving to a birthday party a few minutes late isn’t usually a big deal, but overestimating your control as an investor can potentially lead to serious problems for you and your finances.

Many of us are guilty of overconfidence at one point or another. Say you check directions and see that it will take 17 minutes to get to your destination and think, “Okay, great. I can make it in 15.”

In addition to providing personalized financial guidance, I also serve as a knowledgeable resource and accountability partner for my clients, helping them to stay on track for their long-term goals.

How can I help you reach yours?

We all have subconscious biases, but that doesn’t mean they need to get in the way of your financial success. As a financial advisor, I can help you set up guardrails against your own biases and give you the tools and education you need to manage your hard-earned wealth with confidence. In addition to providing personalized financial guidance, I also serve as a knowledgeable resource and accountability partner for my clients, helping them to stay on track for their long-term goals. How can I help you reach yours?

Many of us are guilty of overconfidence at one point or another. Say you check directions and see that it will take 17 minutes to get to your destination and think, “Okay, great. I can make it in 15.” Sound familiar?

We all have subconscious biases, but that doesn’t mean they need to get in the way of your financial success. As a financial advisor, I can help you set up guardrails against your own biases and give you the tools and education you need to manage your hard-earned wealth with confidence.

In addition to providing personalized financial guidance, I also serve as a knowledgeable resource and accountability partner for my clients, helping them to stay on track for their long-term goals.

How can I help you reach yours?

We all have subconscious biases, but that doesn’t mean they need to get in the way of your financial success. As a financial advisor, I can help you set up guardrails against your own biases and give you the tools and education you need to manage your hard-earned wealth with confidence.

In addition to providing personalized financial guidance, I also serve as a knowledgeable resource and accountability partner for my clients, helping them to stay on track for their long-term goals.

I believe in the power of markets to fix problems and turn them into opportunities through constant innovation and visionary thinking.

© 2021 Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. 21-BDMKT-5139 TA 8/21

© 2021 Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. 21-BDMKT-5139 TA 8/21

Its OMG Roofing division specializes in insulation adhesives, technology for installing thermoplastic roofing membranes and technology for commercial roof drains. FastenMaster focuses on fastening solutions for professional contractors including wood-to-wood connections for homes, and fasteners for composite decks and trim.

McGovern said they expect demand for OMG products, which took off during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, to continue at least through the first half of this year. He noted the company still has a strong backlog. It produces more than 1 billion fasteners annually.

Russell “Web” Shaffer, senior vice president and general manager of FastenMaster, noted the pandemic boom is starting to ebb, and McGovern’s caution on the second half of 2023 is related to uncertainty about the economy.

“The first two years (of the pandemic), business exploded. Roofing was on a tear and will continue into (2023), but in the second half of (2023), nobody knows,” Shaffer said. “A lot hinges on inflation, interest rates and what happens with the economy. Because of that, we tend to be more cautious than overly exuberant.”

It helped that OMG was considered an “essential business” during the pandemic, as its products were considered critical to building facilities such as schools and hospitals.

FastenMaster products can be found at retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, hardware stores and independent lumberyards. And while the business boom took off sooner for FastenMaster, it also slowed down quicker, Shaffer said.

Sales increased 12% overall in 2022 for the private company, which is a division of a public company called Steel Partners, a group of industrial firms. From 2019 to 2020, sales bumped up 5%, then jumped 20% from 2020 to 2021. Shaffer said they did not know what to expect in the early days of the pandemic.

“The first couple of months everyone was expecting terrible things to happen. The boom sort of didn’t really happen until the middle of the year. That’s part of the reason why the gross in sales that year wasn’t as strong as it could have been,” Shaffer said.

The company benefited, he said, from people working from home who looked around their surroundings and said, “I need to improve my living space.” That also included their outdoor living spaces because people could not vacation. As a result, some installed swimming pools or built new decks, creating the need for the company’s products, he said.

Added McGovern, “We didn’t expect the home remodeling boom,” noting that FastenMaster “really caters to

residential construction.”

Shaffer said FastenMaster has invented a lot of categories in the home improvement space, such as the LOKLine brand of structural wood fasteners, and Cortex, a hidden fastening system for premium decks. Composite decks now comprise a quarter of the market, according to Shaffer, and the company has had a lot of success with selling fasteners for these decks as they require “less maintenance and last a long time.”

“They’ve turned out to be a great investment. There’s low to no maintenance, and you can get them in great finishes now. They’re very appealing compared to the original plastic decks which were cruder in their finish,” Shaffer said.

FastenMaster’s Cortex Hidden Fastening System used for decks was named an innovation award winner for 2022 by Home Depot.

OMG roofing products have been around since the company’s inception in 1981, according to McGovern. Back then, the company was known as Olympic Fasteners and specialized in adhesives. He described OMG as a leader in flat roofing fasteners for membrane roofs and noted the company also sells insulation adhesives for membrane roofs.

And, while OMG may be texting slang today, it wasn’t back in 2004 when the company’s name changed to OMG. Because the company could not use the word “Olympic” in its name — the Olympic Committee would not allow it — it shortened the previous business name of Olympic Manufacturing Group to OMG.

“People remember it,” Shaffer said about the name OMG.

OMG employs the majority of its employees — 450 — in Agawam, and also has a half dozen employees in China and four in Europe. In addition to its site in the

er 60,000 square feet on Bowles Road in 2021. That led to an increase in head count of about 20 people, he said. According to information from the company, that project brought its footprint to 480,000 square feet across six facilities in the industrial park.

The majority of the company’s products are either made in Agawam or the Midwest, with some imported, McGovern said. Shaffer said they are doing the expansion projects so they no longer have to import.

McGovern said that the roofing division sells through

Agawam Regional Industrial Park, the company has a plant in Addison, Illinois, where 50 people make fasteners, an adhesives plant for the roofing division in Rockford, Minnesota, with 20 employees, and a warehouse and sales office in Charlotte, North Carolina, with approximately 15 people.

The company is “constantly hiring people,” and the executives said they have hired an additional 80 employees since the COVID boom, mostly in Agawam and including some in Illinois. Job openings continue to be advertised on the company website, omgroofing.com

“As a consequence of the demand increase for the last three years, we have felt a critical need to grow and expand our capacity. We’ve managed to overcome supply chain challenges, and came to the conclusion we need to grow our capacity,” Shaffer said.

To that end, an expansion is underway in Illinois, where they are adding a 115,000-square-foot building for more manufacturing and warehousing space. Shaffer said they will have two buildings once the project is completed, noting they invested “millions in manufacturing equipment” at the new leased facility.

He added that they are also planning to expand in Agawam, a project that will cost between $20 million to $30 million. Shaffer said they hope to break ground sometime this year with completion slated for 2024 That will result in a 70,000-squarefoot addition to a building they already own, almost doubling the footprint.

“That creates lots of jobs and opportunities for people,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer noted they also added square footage during the pandemic. McGovern said they leased anoth-

distributors and private-label manufacturers to approximately 10,000 customers all over the world. FastenMaster’s business is primarily in North America, in comparison, Shaffer said.

Jeffrey Gelinas, who was hired last year as manager of sales training for its FastenMaster and roofing products divisions, came from Westfield Middle School, where he was a science teacher and helped develop the science curriculum. Gelinas is developing, and will manage, a sales training program. He also will create a curriculum, role-specific sales training and analytics for measuring program effectiveness, and oversee new hire and advancement training.

McGovern said they are excited for the future, and more growth in Massachusetts and the Midwest.

“We think it’s an exciting place to work,” McGovern

said. “We have a sign out front that says, ‘We make it happen.’”

Shaffer noted the company has had success both domestically and internationally, the latter, he said, “is a bit unusual for a manufacturing company in Massachusetts, and reinforces the success the company’s had and the unique culture here that’s driven that success.”

“The products we make our highly engineered and don’t sound maybe that interesting to some people,” Shaffer said. “But they’re pretty critical in the role they play in our infrastructure, and we see a lot of opportunity both here and (around the world) to grow our business.”

And while fasteners may represent a small portion of the overall construction cost, McGovern said they are “immensely critical because of course they hold it all together.”

“We think it’s an exciting place to work. We have a sign out front that says, ‘We make it happen.’”

HUBERT T. MCGOVERN, PRESIDENT, CEO, OMG INC.

The main manufacturing plant for OMG Inc. is situated in Agawam’s Regional Industrial Park. The company plans to begin a $20 million to $30 million expansion project there later this year. Above, Gyner Nuhia moves screws into a high-volume painting process to enhance screw corrosion resistance at OMG Inc. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTOS)

Glend Sheppard works on the packing line at OMG Inc. in Agawam. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

Innovators in waste and recycling management.

USA is committed to finding waste and recycling management solutions for today and tomorrow. We’re always innovating and adapting as we provide services and opportunities that make a positive impact on the communities where we live and work.

In fact, since 1974, we have been leading the way across all of our operations to meet evolving demands, from building the largest state-of-the-art recycling facility in the country to powering our buildings with solar energy and fueling our trucks with all-American natural gas.

We’re committed to our communities and the planet.

Pandemic inspired, sanitizing business grows

EforAll program helped service plan for future

By JONAH SNOWDEN jsnowden@repub.com

Keeping their family and community safe was the goal of husband-and-wife team of Bruce and Maricruz Richardson, the co-owners of BMC Sanitizing Services, when they began the family-owned cleaning service in September 2021.

“It was a struggle to find stores that were open. Businesses were closing their doors,” Bruce Richardson recalled. “I have friends that own small businesses, and everything was shut down and I’m like, let’s use this opportunity to help these businesses keep their doors open.”

With his background as a custodian, Richardson went to work beginning a business that could not just provide standard cleaning services but also sanitizing, disinfection and preventative services to residential and commercial properties, churches, gyms, schools and dance studios.

Richardson credits BMC’s success not just to his experience as a custodian but also to the Holyoke EforAll program that helps entre-

LEARN MORE

Business: BMC Sanitizing Services

Where: Holyoke

For more info: Online, BMCSanitizing.com; call, 413-561-6227

to ensure all necessary bills and equipment for the business are paid off.

“During my application process, they asked what specific area of concern I have for my business and I answered by saying I needed someone to show me how to keep track of the money so I would be able to pay my bills,” Richardson said. “I never want to make a promise with a client and not follow through because I can’t afford to purchase new equipment.”

Richardson doesn’t necessarily feel his business should be compared to others. Trying to provide the best service possible is all that’s on his mind when he works with his clients.

Until the customer is satisfied, BMC doesn’t take any form of payment,

In face of possible recession, Rosskothen keeps rolling

preneurs start and grow businesses with training, mentorship and an extended professional support network.

The program is free, serves up to 15 entrepreneurs every class and focuses on practical, intense sessions with topic specialists that address important early stage difficulties. Entrepreneurs attend seminars and meet online with their own team of three mentors for the first three months before an in-person demonstration and celebration event.

For the next nine months, entrepreneurs continue to meet online with their mentor teams once a month for 90 minutes at a time, and once a quarter with their cohort teams.

Richardson said the EforAll program gave him the guidance in how to better manage his money

success spreading our business by word of mouth and that is something we strive to maintain so that we can keep going.”

He added, “We have clients with good reviews and I think that speaks volumes about us, but we want to continue to grow. Everybody is not always going to be happy, but that’s why we don’t accept payment until the client is 100% satisfied.”

Richardson’s advice to fellow entrepreneurs who are starting their businesses is to take advantage of as many free resources as possible, such as EforAll and Small Business Alliance.

“I didn’t realize how many opportunities the state of Massachusetts offers to new business owners, such as free seminars,” Richardson said. “If you know someone who has a cleaning business, give them a call.

I don’t think the average cleaning business owner would be offended. That has happened to me. I’ve spoken to business owners from Connecticut.

“That’s the only way we

By

have changed, especially with a new generation of workers seeking a better work-life balance, where in my business we need people who are committed to service, working late hours and on weekends,” Rosskothen said.

The popular restaurateur and business owner has been working diligently in meeting the challenges head-on by creating competitive wage and benefit plans as well as refining their workplace culture.

“Paying minimum wage is irrelevant for us. We start someone around $21 and go from there, and our focus more than ever has been on offering attractive health and

And, Rosskothen added, he’s also had to learn how to say “no,” something contrary to business.

“We are now managing guest counts, something we never did before COVID, when the attitude was to ‘bring it all on.’ Now, with a limited staff, we can only accommodate a certain amount of people, and that is a big adjustment for us, especially in the event world. That adjustment has caused us to charge more, not to make more money, but to compensate for money lost in the process,” Rosskothen said.

When looking to hire new employees as the restau-

Richardson’s

depending on the size of the contract.

“Once the contract is past a certain size, we do take a small deposit,” Richardson.

“However, the full bill is not given until the client is satisfied because our reputation is on the line. We want to maintain connections through our work to bring more people in.

“The only thing that I can attest to is how hard we work,” Richardson said. “It is very important to maintain high standards on our end because that’s another avenue for the business to grow. We have had more

are all going to get better” he added.

Richardson hopes to grow BMC to the point where it produces general wealth for the entirety of his family. His son and niece already work with him in the business.

“I want to keep this thing going and passes through generations to come,” Richardson said. “That would mean a lot to me and is all I can hope and pray for.”

To get in touch with the Richardsons and learn about their business, go online to bmcsanitizing.com, email bruce@bmcsanitizing.com or call 413-561-6227.

That challenge is only compounded for people like entrepreneur Peter Rosskothen, owner of multiple businesses including the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, the Delaney House and its fine dining restaurant, D. Hotel & Suites, Log Rolling (catering) and Delaney’s Market (readymade meals and more to go).

And the challenges are even greater in the hospitality industry.

“Employee expectations

dental coverage and a 401(k) plan,” Rosskothen said.

“We also want to be seen as a fun place to work for our employees, with an emphasis more on a team approach to what we do and on problem solving,” he said. “We are also more tolerant of some things, such as listening to music through earphones while cleaning a hotel room or playing music in the kitchen while prepping, realizing that a happy employee is a productive employee.”

rant industry labor shortage continues, Rosskothen said one of the best approaches is working the “relationship” angle alongside financial incentives.

“I work hard with our employees to identify friends or family members who might be interested in working at our restaurant or one of my other companies,” he said.

The restaurateur is considering a return to a financial incentive of $100 he once

Peter Rosskothen is the owner of the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, D. Hotel & Suites and Delaney House, all in Holyoke, and Delaney’s Market, which has stores in Westfield, Longmeadow and Wilbraham. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Bruce Richardson, founder of BMC Sanitizing Services, demonstrates some of the gear he uses in his cleaning and sanitizing service. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“We have had more success spreading our business by word of mouth and that is something we strive to maintain so that we can keep going.”

BRUCE RICHARDSON, FOUNDER, BMC SANITIZING SERVICES

Bruce Richardson, founder of BMC Sanitizing Services, with some of the gear he uses in his business cleaning and sanitizing residential and commercial properties. The business was created amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

advice to fellow entrepreneurs who are starting their businesses is to take advantage of as many free resources as possible, such as EforAll and Small Business Alliance.

Staffing remains major challenge, ’23 starts strong

K EITH O ’C ONNOR Special to The Republican

Finding and retaining staff in today’s post-pandemic marketplace is a challenge for businesses both large and small.

“The hard part of the economy is that we are charging more and that is concerning when we are looking at the possibility of a recession. We haven’t seen any negative signs, and we entered 2023 with strong bookings.”

PETER ROSSKOTHEN, LOG CABIN BANQUET & MEETING HOUSE, HOLYOKE

BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION

Building a legacy

Keiter Corp. cited for growth, revenue in ’22

By

Scott Keiter started a construction company in Western Massachusetts during the height of the Great Recession in 2009 and incorporated as Keiter Builders a year later. It could have gone all wrong in that historical decline, but a decade in, business is strong, and Keiter is a strong community partner.

A Longmeadow native, Keiter began working in construction in high school and kept it up during the summers in college. After earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics from the University of Rhode Island, he returned to the region to work for area contractors.

When things got tough, Keiter got tougher, starting his own business — simply called Scott Keiter back then — to offer residential home renovations and small additions.

Keiter brought faith and clear direction to his work, and today, he is president and owner of the newly rebranded Keiter Corp., comprised of four divisions: Keiter Builders, the commercial and industrial division; Keiter Homes, offering residential construction;

Hatfield Construction, providing site preparation work; and Keiter Properties, the real estate arm.

The corporation employs roughly 75 people, depending on the season, and they work in roles from administration to accounting and human resources to project managers, site supervisors, carpenters, laborers and operators.

“I did see the growth possibilities even back then,” says Keiter, who also holds a master’s degree in resource economics from the University of Rhode Island and is halfway through his studies for a master’s degree in business administration at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“I have always aspired to build a legacy company, something that is great,”

he says. “I feel that our vision has been consistent, and I think we’re meeting our goals day after day and working hard. We have great people who work for us, and that is the key to our success. We’re really proud of that.”

Keiter says he aspires to be a leading construction company in all of Western Massachusetts, and by many measures, he is off to a good

start. He and his colleagues recently accepted a Super 60 award for growth and revenue from the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. For many years, the firm has also landed Best Building Contractor, Best Local Green Construction Company, Best Home Improvement Contractor, Best Builder and Best Home

Improvement Contractor honors from area media reader’s choice awards.

Recent projects include building the McConnell Rooftop Observatory at Smith College, where the installation of incredibly specialized equipment required a great deal of precision; rebuilding the fountain at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, which features dec-

orative masonry and historical accuracy; and building a new home for pets and their owners at the Easthampton Animal Hospital.

“We’re very proud of what we build and want to continue building structures that bring value to our clients and are fun. We enjoy complicated projects,” Keiter says. He also enjoys giving back to the community.

Keiter sits on boards and committees for area nonprofits, including the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. He’s also a member of an advisory board for Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School. He is a corporator for Florence Bank and serves on the board for the New England Support Team, a group of contractors who are prepared to assist in a local or national disaster.

What got Keiter Corp. noticed in Northampton, though, were two sizable

“Other industries really took it on the chin. Being in construction, we have been very fortunate. We’ve been able to continue to grow our business despite all the challenges that COVID brought.”

SCOTT KEITER, OWNER, KEITER CORP.

Brynn Grant, director of project development, sales and marketing at Keiter Corp. in Northampton, and company president Scott Keiter look over blueprints of an ongoing project, above. At left, a Keiter Corp. sign hangs at one of the firm’s latest projects, a dormitory for Smith College in Northampton. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

The renovation of the historic fountain at the entrance to Look Memorial Park in Northampton is among the projects completed by Keiter Corp. (JIM GIPE / PIVOT MEDIA)

responsibility of all. We are called as a community to think creatively, innovatively, and entrepreneurially on how we will meet the needs of the post-pandemic recession.

The implications and options of how we, as communities, decide to move forward, are vast. It is at these difficult times when our people look to thought leaders, business, industry, community and faith leaders and higher-education leaders to shed light on cooperation, mechanisms and models that could help drive a sustainable future.

What appears to be clear is that it is time to take a proactive approach and collaboratively work to fulfill the new workforce requirements, understanding that occupational needs have shifted dramatically due to job losses, emerging informal employment opportunities, and self-employment. Moreover, some occupations, such as health care, have suffered significant shifts, with growing needs that will likely see increased demand in the future. In addition, we must keep in mind that no one knows if some of the trends we are seeing today will become permanent changes.

Because the preparation of an adaptable and skilled workforce is the responsibility — in part — of technical, community and four-year colleges and universities, now is the time to focus on helping create a workforce that is ready for the new reality by fostering innovative, entrepreneurial and diverse working environments. This is a role that I believe is inherent to the work of higher education institutions and is one that American International College in Springfield has taken to heart.

In early December, AIC co-hosted the fifth International Interdisciplinary Research Conference, “Blazing New Trails in Creativity, Innovation, and Sustainability.” This conference, held in the Philippines, brought together leaders and educators from more than a dozen academic institutions across the world, including representatives from colleges and universities in the United States, Philippines, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, among others.

The conference was developed to explore needs, models and approaches taken across different countries and industries, in response to the continually changing global community and the educational landscape brought about by the pandemic. It focused on how technological advancements and values-centered research and innovations are becoming the transformative forces driving academic and professional communities and how these foster progress and sustainability.

During this international conference, American International College called for action on the part of higher education and proposed that everyone is this industry think in new ways.

At AIC, we believe that everyone has a prominent role in creating innovative, entrepreneurial, diverse, and interdisciplinary environments to foster change and prosperity, and we trust that this is what is needed to help meet, in part, the challenge of the post-pandemic recession. Not only does this mindset and set of shared behaviors drive the work being done at American International College and has become part of AIC’s new strategy, but it is also directly linked to the college’s values of access, opportunity, diversi-

ty, community, and belonging.

The work at AIC is driven by several fundamental elements:

First, a shared understanding that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to the mission of higher education and that colleges and universities should be engines for community and workforce development.

Second, AIC understands and supports the notion that an academic culture, animated by entrepreneurial values, not only enhances innovation, but it also generates an environment for students — the future workforce — that allows them to think

Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal and American International College President Hubert Benitez shake hands on June 23, 2022, after signing an articulation agreement that allows HCC students to transfer more smoothly to AIC, where they would enter as juniors after their two years at the community college. The signing took place at

differently and be creative.

Third, and most importantly, AIC recognizes that students come from very diverse backgrounds and, as a result, bring unique perspectives. Thus, they want to engage with problems in ways where everyone can make a difference. Therefore, creating a sense of belonging matters.

We have repeatedly heard the phrase, “If you change nothing, nothing will change.” At AIC, we believe it is time to embrace the sentiment behind this phrase. We have begun to foster diversity and innovation by making the work of higher education personal and by being nimble because we are aware that the status quo may not be

is) committed to being fully responsive to community and higher education needs by creating academic pipelines for tomorrow’s workforce.

The region’s longest-running food and wine event is back in 2023!

The Tasting — With over 200 wines, beers and ciders curated by our partners at Provisions to enjoy along with specialty foods from local restaurants.

The Wine and Food Lovers’ Dinner —

A six course menu in homage to Julia Child.

It’s all in one fabulous place, MGM Springfield, and co-hosted by Amy Traverso from “Weekends with Yankee.” We invite you to raise a glass in support of your public media organization!

Featured guest speakers:

Amy Traverso

“Weekends with Yankee”

Co-host of “ Talking With My Mouth Full”

Christine Tobin

Food Stylist, “Julia” on HBO Max

David Leite

Founder of “David Leite’s Culinaria” and Co-Host of “Talkiing with My Mouth Full”

Laurie Donnelly

Award-winning Executive Producer for National Lifestyle Programming, GBH Lifestyles

Maria Loi

“The Life of Loi”

Sara Moulton

“Sara’s Weeknight Meals”

To purchase tickets for more information visit nepm.org/wine

classmates, who had also postponed dreams of earning their teachers licenses, to become one of the first four graduates of Center for Equity in Urban Education.

The center at Elms College is named for longtime benefactor Cynthia A. Lyons.

The program was launched in 2019 under the leadership of Tyra Good, who was recruited from Pennsylvania to direct and carry out the center’s mission to help diversify the teacher pipeline in Western Massachusetts to better relate to and reflect the student population of the region’s urban schools.

In partnership with the public school districts in Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee, the program, according to Good, identifies a diverse group of individuals who are already working in the system as paraprofessionals — or as teachers working on waivers — to clears the next hurdles, including the Massachusetts Tests Educator Licensure (MTEL) exam and complete course work.

The program, focused on increasing the number of Black and brown teachers in Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee, initially enrolled seven students. It now has 62 enrollees, 52 of whom are Black and Latino and 10 who are white.

“These are people who typically grew up here,” Good said. “They are already working in our schools and want to take their career a little

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time to change direction, but we are trying to stay ahead of the curve in what we do and how we do it,” Toledo said.

Online education is also expanding. For GCC as elsewhere, the adjustment continues in the post-pandemic age.

“Some of our faculty had been doing online as far back as the 1990s. Others did it during the pandemic and went back to the classroom as quickly as they could. But we all have to continue to be better with online offerings,” Schutt said.

“This could put our college in a front-runner position to build enrollment,” said Schutt, who would like to push that 1,400 number up. “But to do that, we need to look different.”

Why would an administrator move from Idaho to a two-year school in Greenfield?

“The core values here of inclusivity, transparency, creativity — those are words I apply to myself,” Schutt said. “And the people I met here cared deeply about the students. I can’t strong-arm or incentivize that. It has to be intrinsic, and I found that here.” Desrochers said the faculty is on par with those at fouryear institutions, which makes Greenfield CC a bargain.

“There is some financial aid available, but also, the amount of scholarships that people don’t have to pay back is tremendous,” he said.

For Pura, the past 60 years provide a groundwork for coming years.

“We’ve produced wonderful accountants, engineers, firefighters, police chiefs, poets, writers, nurses,” he said.

“Our faculty always sees themselves first and foremost as educators, and study after study points to the power of that environment. What I love most is that GCC has always had a heart, soul and price point. We were able to provide a $70,000-a-year education in a community college environment for less than $7,000,” he said.

Pura said Greenfield has always ranked among the state’s top community colleges in graduation and retention rates, and that when students transferred to elite four-year schools, including Smith College and Mount Holyoke, they tended to outperform many who started there. Rather than enter into an

bit forward. We help them acquire the skills and education they need to become lead teachers where they can earn higher salaries and better benefits.”

Lee, who now works as a fully licensed, sixth grade math intervention teacher at the John J. Duggan Academy, fits the profile of the kind of individual the center is working to identify.

A graduate of city schools, Lee was already working as a math tutor at Duggan and juggling teaching responsibilities with retail jobs to make ends meet.

“Math is an easy subject for me. I have always loved numbers,” she said, adding that math skills are important for everyday life. She said she enjoys the role of educating students about the relevance of math skills — from paying bills, telling time and saving money.

“It took 21 years to get here, but here I am,” she said.

Duggan’s executive principal Michael Calvanese encouraged Lee to apply for the Elms program as a flexible and affordable way to advance her career. Calvanese has referred other teachers from Duggan, John F. Kennedy and Kiley schools, all of which he oversees. Calvanese said the financial assistance paraprofessionals and unlicensed teachers receive from the Elms program offers his education staff an “unbelievable opportunity.”

He said there is a wealth of talented people working in area schools who are missing that all-important piece of paper. “If I see someone who

could be a potential teacher

I refer them to the program,” he said.

According to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the commonwealth is facing an 800-teacher deficit caused in part by COVID-19 and early retirements. Teacher retention is another problem, Calvanese said.

The cost of students to complete the Elms program is $1,000 per 18 credit hours for undergraduate students and $2,500 for graduate students.

It’s made possible with Elms scholarships, philanthropic funds and school district support along with student payment, Good said.

Lee’s fellow graduates — James Brown-Martin, Adriana Rua and Megan Kendrick — are all grateful for the opportunity and the support they received in reaching their goals.

“The people at Elms are like family,” Lee said. “We can always pick up the phone to ask a question of Dr. Good, whether it be about paperwork or financial aid assistance.”

She added that the support of peers in the program is

also a key to success.

Rua, who was thinking of becoming a teacher, was working in the sales department at a local company when she was offered a buyout. The Lyons center paved the way for her.

Rua, who already had a master’s degree in engineering, is now working as an advanced math intervention teacher at Rebecca Johnson Elementary School in Springfield.

“The program helped me become a more well- rounded teacher,” Rua said. “Coming in as a nontraditional teacher, it helped me build the confidence to become the teacher I am today.”

Brown-Martin, who had been working in the Springfield Public Schools for years, said the program gave him the opportunity to earn his master’s degree. He teaches math at the Academy at Kiley middle school.

Kendrick, of Enfield, who teaches at John F. Kennedy, also learned about the Elms center from Calavanese.

“It was a no-brainer to take advantage of the opportunity to earn my master’s degree,” she said, adding that it has

Welch

CONTINUES FROM PAGE K2

structured and happens occasionally with approval by the manager.

Video conferencing with employees for ongoing training and normal meetings will continue. Our locations extend from Enfield to Greenfield, so it is often more efficient to have staff sign on rather than drive to our main office for a meeting. However, we are trying to determine the correct balance of online or in-person meetings to maintain collaborative relations between our staff.

enhanced her teaching skills and enabled her to meet the needs or her students.

The idea for the Center for Equity in Urban Education took shape when Elms president Harry Dumay took office in 2017. He made it a prior-

ity to find ways to serve the needs of the diverse Greater Springfield community that the college serves.

Recognizing teachers of color were underrepresented in urban school districts in Western Massachusetts, the center proved a natural fit for a college that has trained educators since its founding in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Dumay said.

Currently about 68% of the Springfield Public School students, for example, are Hispanic and about 18% are Black, but only 12.2% of teachers are Black and 10.1% are Latino, with 75.2% identifying as white.

Dumay said the widening achievement gap between urban school districts needs to be narrowed. A well-trained diverse teaching staff can help disadvantaged students realize that they, too, have a place at the front of the classroom, he said.

“Good teachers have all kinds of positive impacts on their students — including improved academic and life outcomes — and happiness,” Dumay said, adding that for minority students, having teachers who look like them is an added benefit.

Good believes when students of color in urban schools see someone who looks like them it has an impact. “They begin to think, ‘I can do this,’” she said. “It’s a matter of representation.”

She also believes white teachers benefit from the insight and an expanded world view when they are working with colleagues from diverse communities.

uncertain college world at age 18, and one whose four-year cost inhibited their ability to review goals or change course, “they were able to (first) explore what they wanted to do,” Pura said.

“Some institutions have priced themselves out. Here, students have an opportunity to figure things out as opposed to starting out at $60,000 to $70,000 a year, which makes it harder for them to tell their parents they want to take another year, or change majors or classes.

“Also, at GCC, students haven’t had to make an appointment two weeks in advance to see their professor. It’s become more of a first choice over time, and it’s helped graduates get good jobs,” Pura said.

He pointed to the wealth of graduates who are first responders in the Pioneer Valley, and to Jody D. Kasper, Northampton’s first woman police chief.

Pura, whose father was an immigrant, says community college in general — and

Greenfield in particular — speaks to social and economic mobility that represents the fabled American Dream.

“The image of the community college has changed, especially at price point. As GCC and the other 15 state community colleges go, so goes Massachusetts. And as they go, so goes America,” Pura said.

Now 37, Daniel Desrochers concurs from personal experience.

“I’m a first-generation college student. I failed (at continuing college) my first time,” he said.

“As an emergency medical technician, I saw that GCC offered paramedic training but also a college education. That sparked my interest, because most programs offered training but not college credit,” he said.

“I fell in love with the campus,” Desrochers said, “and I went on from here to get my master’s degree. And now I’m still here, a proud GCC graduate, as so many others are.”

During the last few years there was a lot of isolation in the workplace and less of a sense of team due to the changing environment. In our strategic planning this year, Freedom has determined that improving employee relations is paramount in 2023. We will bring together groups of employees to work as teams on various recognition committees, generate employee retention ideas, and reinvigorate our Volunteer Time Off day to get more employees back out into the community.

We believe there could be a recession looming on the horizon. Higher interest rates and costs are impacting consumers. While Freedom

projected an additional two rate increases of .25% in January and March, we expect that rates could then hold at that level throughout 2023. Our trusted economic advisers expect that any recession will be mild and take place during the second half of the year.

A recession could impact Freedom, as its members may find it difficult to keep current on their loan payments. It could also result in a reduction of deposits as struggling members utilize their savings to pay their bills or keep up with the increased cost of living due to inflation. We have a strong

balance sheet and good loan underwriting so a short-term recession will not have a big impact on Freedom. We do want our membership to know that we will be here to help in any way we can to get them through their financial issues caused by inflation or a future recession.

Freedom Credit Union has been here for 100-plus years, and we will continue to be committed to our members and our community.

Glenn S. Welch is president and CEO of Freedom Credit Union. To learn more about Freedom and its services, go online to freedom.coop

A view of the Freedom Credit Union’s main branch on Main Street in Springfield. Freedom, which began as Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union, celebrated its centennial year in 2022. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Greenfield Community College President Katherine Sloan leads marchers to a tent in May 1988 for academic convocation and her investiture. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

“These are people who typically grew up here. They are already working in our schools and want to take their career a little bit forward. We help them acquire the skills and education they need to become lead teachers where they can earn higher salaries and better benefits.”

TYRA GOOD, DIRECTOR, CYNTHIA A. LYONS CENTER FOR EQUITY IN URBAN EDUCATION, ELMS COLLEGE

“The program helped me become a more wellrounded teacher. Coming in as a nontraditional teacher, it helped me build the confidence to become the teacher I am today.”

Adriana Rua, advanced math intervention teacher, Rebecca Johnson School, Springfield

Conklin Furniture follows ‘circular economy’

By E LIZABETH L AFOND- C OPPEZ

Special to The Republican

The terms

“green,” “sustainability” and “carbon footprint” are not usually associated with office furniture. But for Conklin Office Furniture in Holyoke those terms are deeply rooted in its mission.

Franco and Rosemary Arnold purchased the business 41 years ago and turned it into one of the nation’s pioneers in office furniture recycling and refurbishing. As the company has evolved and moved, it is now one of the Paper City’s largest employers and has earned a regional and national reputation for its business.

“We call ourselves ‘gratifyingly green,’” Franco Arnold said.

Jeremie Kadzik, Conklin’s director of operations, says the company was green ahead of the times. “We are

green just by the nature of what we do,” said Kadzik.

Conklin Office Furniture, located at 75 Appleton St., offers a showroom and an extensive space for transforming pre-owned furniture,

including cubicles, filing cabinets, task chairs, desks, tables and much more. It employs over 50 people, making it one of Holyoke’s largest employers. Conklin Office Furniture began in

Springfield, and, over time, the business outgrew each location. In 2001 it came to Holyoke and occupied a building on Canal Street.

“It was affordable and we said we would never fill that building,” Arnold recalls. “But that didn’t last long and we outgrew it.”

After the downturn of the economy in 2008, Conklin Office Furniture moved to its current location. The building is outfitted with 2,600 solar panels that help power the 231,000-square-foot facility. Each year, it’s estimated that Conklin is powered by 900 KWh of clean energy.

Members of Conklin’s manufacturing team are trained in Eco-Remanufacturing and Eco-Reconditioning, processes that also utilize environmentally friendly materials.

“We take pride in the fact that not only do we sell recycled products, but our company adopted a way of ‘green thinking’ that is much bigger than just a recycled chair,” Kadzik said.

The passionate team at Conklin Office Furniture recognizes there is not an endless supply of natural resources in the world, and, thus, reuse of office furniture helps to decrease landfill waste and decrease use of raw materials.

Alyson Arnold, sustainability coordinator and the second generation of her family in the business, says Conklin follows the principles of a circular economy.

“It’s based on three principles: eliminate waste and pollution; circulate products and materials; and regenerate nature,” she said. “It’s a resilient system that’s good for business, people and the environment.”

Alyson Arnold said she never imagined she would work for the family business. “I went to college to become a veterinarian, then decided to major in science and work in wildlife rehabilitation,” she said. Her path changed when she started a family and came home. “This job is so meaningful,” she said.

Arnold says she’s currently writing an environmental management plan for Conklin to earn its ISO 14001 Certification. It recently earned its HUBZone Certification.

“HUBZone stands for Historically Underutilized Business Zones Program, and it was designed to

Above, from left, furniture refinisher Chris Rosati works on a desk unit at the Conklin Office Furniture plant in Holyoke, and Shauri Batoo disassembles the wall of an office partition before it gets reconditioned at the Conklin Office Furniture showroom. At right, Conklin Office Furniture offers a wide variety of furnishings for many decors.

Alyson Arnold is the sustainability coordinator at the Conklin Office Furniture showroom and plant on Appleton Street in Holyoke. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

were developing and distributing E-Alerts on changing requirements for employers,” Wise said.

They compiled toolkits and newsletters, so employers had the resources to be compliant during this time and to ensure their practices were empathetic and responsive to their workforce’s needs.

Prior to the pandemic, more than 90% of programs and learning opportunities were offered in-person in a variety of locations. Now, more than 90% of the learning and development opportunities are offered virtually. Materials and facilitation styles have been retooled and redeveloped so they can be presented in an engaging and informative way virtually.

Throttle

from the COVID shutdown.

Greer said he had some doubts about opening his own business, but once he got going, he didn’t stop.

The now 5-year-old retail business, Monty’s landed second spot for growth in the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Super 60 Awards for 2022. “I show up to work every day and put my head down and work to become the biggest power sports hub,” he said. “I don’t take days off.”

Facilitators have been

retrained on delivery techniques so programming can be as effective in the virtual environment as it has been in-person.

“We still love to gather participants in an actual training room to help them learn new skills, but the virtual world has opened new opportunities for EANE and our learners,” Wise said. She is optimistic for 2023: “Over the past 2 1/2 years, our members have showed incredible resilience and innovation in the ways that they do business. It’s been inspiring to watch them change and evolve their businesses to meet these challenging times and we feel so much gratitude and pride that our team has played a small part in contributing to their success,” she said. “In the coming year, we look forward to helping our members continue their journey becoming exceptional workplaces.”

Benitez

CONTINUES FROM PAGE K14

sustainable, and that change will be inevitable. Colleges and universities have a responsibility to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. They should recognize and be sensitive to diverse thoughts and must take an aggressive approach to bridging educational gaps.

This work is important to AIC because we believe that diversity and inclusion is a path to innovation. We have

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offered to employees who worked the entire month.

“We recently had five people who called out in one night. In the old days you would have said, ‘OK, you are finished,’ but now you need to think twice and work with them because the labor pool is smaller,” he said. “And the $100 investments are actually less costly than training new employees. But the good news is the average consumer is more sympathetic because they understand the challenges we are going through.”

In general, the hospitality industry when hiring new employees also needs to work with different cultures, Rosskothen noted, especially with the large Latino population in Holyoke, where most of his

When COVID hit, Monty’s had to close its doors temporarily and the owner attempted an online option with two other employees. He said it wasn’t ideal, that his was a brick-and-mortar store, but they did what was needed to pay the bills.

Once they could open, Greer said business surged with a high demand for outdoor recreation. Similarly, bicycle shops were faced with a massive demand that at times was a challenge to meet. Greer said he was able to build “on the back of COVID.” Maintaining an inventory was difficult, but like with other obstacles, he and the team worked through it.

“We did everything we could in order to stay open,” he said.

Moving allowed the business to take on a much wider inventory and create a completely different environment. He’s now working with manufacturers such as KTM, Suzuki, and CF Moto, all of whom Greer described as major names in power

elected to do this by being inspirational and transformational, and we have invited everyone to assist in removing obstacles that hinder moving forward.

AIC strives to be entrepreneurial and academically innovative, while promoting access and inclusion to all demographics of students. We are committed to being fully responsive to community and higher education needs by creating academic pipelines for tomorrow’s workforce.

The college continues to promote opportunities for

businesses are located.

“Not all of the positions we have to offer require speaking English to do a good job, and I would rather have a manager who speaks Spanish to train someone in their native language who is willing to do a good job for us,” Rosskothen said.

As for the predicted recession, Rosskothen noted he is an “optimist.”

“What we do costs money.

The hard part of the economy is that we are charging more and that is concerning when we are looking at the possibility of a recession,” he said.

“We haven’t seen any negative signs and we entered 2023 with strong bookings. However, once the economy crashes, we usually don’t feel it until six months later.

“If and when it does come, it impacts our corporate business which translates

sports. He said this wouldn’t have been possible with the original site.

When it comes to taking on a brand, Greer looks at their own presence and the fans they bring to the table. He described working with the bigger names as an affirmation that the business is succeeding.

“I started this with selling used dirt bikes,” he said. “I’ve met some very interesting people involved in the sport. I kept chugging along, making things happen.”

Part of the success is likely due to a set of puppets that Greer made when he had an idea of starting a come dy show. He described the characters as “straight out of my twisted brain.” They’re used in the commercials, with Greer doing all the voices. The puppets don’t have names, but include a savvy salesman, a dedicated power sports enthusiast and a somewhat nerdy character.

“They just all keep us from taking ourselves too serious ly,” he said. “They’re funny

all students, including those that are low-income and first-generation, because social mobility is important and preparedness to enter the labor market as versatile and resilient individuals will help meet the challenges of the future.

Hubert Benitez is the president of American International College in Springfield. To learn more about the college and its programs, go online to aic.edu. You can read its five-year plan online at aicreimagined.org

into our event business in a radical way and affects our hotel business,” Rosskothen added. Eventually, it will filter down to affect the restaurant business, as people may have less money to spend on dining out, for instance, he explained.

“I haven’t been through a recession with Delaney’s Market, but since people don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a quality, fresh meal to bring home, my instinct is that Delaney’s Market will be more resilient than its sister companies,” he added.

Whatever happens down the road, Rosskothen said he is “up for the challenge.”

“It is fun to be running my businesses under these new circumstances. It reminds us why we are managers, that we need to think out of the box to meet the challenges of these times,” he said.

CONTINUES FROM PAGE K17

promote job growth, capital investment, and economic development in historically underutilized business zones,” she said. “HUBZone will help our small business gain access to federal procurement opportunities.”

At Conklin, employees carefully inspect every piece of furniture that comes to the company and then do what’s necessary to make it sparkle. There is an upholstery shop, wood shop and a specialized area for powder coating, which is a process that creates a high-quality, durable finish on metal surfaces.

“Most of the furniture we acquire through liquidation is from New York City,” Kadzik said. “It’s very expensive and high-end, and by selling it in the secondary market, we’re able to give our customers up to 80% off original prices.”

Some of the brands include

Keiter

CONTINUES FROM PAGE K13

donations to the chamber, made two years in a row. The donations made it possible for area residents to buy a $25 Northampton gift card and receive $50 in actual spending power.

Herman Miller, Knoll, Steelcase and many more. Conklin also has its own line of office furniture through Gateway Office Furniture. The work environment is a very close, family-like atmosphere. “We have a tremendous amount of family members who work here, including many fathers and their sons,” Kadzik said. Conklin also enjoys giving back to the community in Greater Holyoke, making donations to charities, supporting golf tournaments, annual dinners, scholarship funds and much more.

“We love the Holyoke location and being part of Holyoke’s rebirth with the culture coming back,” Arnold said. “It’s wonderful to be a part of this city, because its residents take great pride in living here in this community!”

For more information about Conklin’s many furniture options and installations, visit conklinoffice. com or call 800-817-1187.

in the community — three months after we sold out,” Jackson added.

Keiter says his parents raised him and his siblings to show gratitude and not take things for granted.

and people get a kick out of them.”

Greer feels that Monty’s Motorsports has tapped a genuine need in the community. He’s had to teach himself each day and added that he applied what he learned in the car business to this venture. He’s hopeful that a recession won’t happen, but has no plans other than to keep moving forward.

“I can’t just give up and go home,” said Greer. “Put your shoes on and go to work and see how it goes.”

The Keiter Cards sold out within days and the feedback was overwhelming. Chamber executive director Vincent Jackson said he heard from many people who were pleased to be able to buy a card because they could otherwise not afford to shop. Some small-business owners told Jackson they purchased the cards as employee appreciation awards.

“We are still receiving two to three inquiries a week about the Keiter Card, which suggests that it is being talked about by the people using it

“I started the business in my community and that community has been a huge part of our growth,” he says. “I want to give back. I’m committed to doing what I can — and the business can — to give back some of that goodness.”

Despite the pandemic, Keiter says, “There’s no room to complain.

“Other industries really took it on the chin,” he adds. “Being in construction, we have been very fortunate. We’ve been able to continue to grow our business despite all the challenges that COVID brought. We continue to expand and grow. We’re excited about that.”

A look inside of Monty’s Motorsports in Westfield. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

The helmets section at Monty’s Motorsports, located at 1 Arch Road in Westfield. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

The Employers Association of the Northeast office is located in Agawam. It is a member-based organization that includes about 1,000 employers across New England and the Northeast. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

electricity and proprietary carbon material. “Simply put, multiple steps of contaminants removal happen within a single treatment unit as the contaminated water passes through leaving behind heavy metals, nutrients, pathogens, and toxic man-made chemicals,” a company statement said.

Traditional water treatment uses reverse osmosis, but that requires a lot of steps and a large amount of energy. Membranes have to be cleaned with harsh chemicals and replaced frequently. The Elateq system does away with a lot of that in a one-step process, eliminating the need for harsh chemicals and membranes. It uses 90% less energy and 80% savings on total operating costs compared to reverse osmosis, Anderson said.

The company started testing the system with the Amherst and South Hadley Depart-

ment of Public Works for eight months It also worked with the Water, Energy and Technology Center at the University of Massachusetts, Anderson said.

It turned out the timing of beginning the company during the pandemic actually served as a benefit. It started working with a large metal plating company out of Connecticut, which was mostly shut down because of COVID. The owners allowed Elateq to come in and test systems, he said.

“We ran every possible scenario under the harshest of conditions,” Anderson said. Metal plating creates a lot of “nasty water” and a lot of fumes, so the system could really be put through the paces to see how well it worked.

Elateq is continuing to work with the company, which Anderson declined to name.

Elateq has also benefited from receiving multiple grants over the past few years to develop the technology and business. Some of them include a product devel-

opment grant from FORGE, a Western Massachusetts nonprofit that works with startups, an InnovativeMass grant of $67,250 from the state’s Clean Energy Center and a National Science Foundation grant of $236,645. The work being done with Amherst is partially funded with the Clean Energy Center grant, he said.

The company is a participant in the collaborative Western Mass Founders Network, which is a program within the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts.

As word is getting out, there has been increased interest in Elateq’s technology and systems, especially among cities and towns trying to find better and less expensive ways to treat water and wastewater, Anderson said.

“We have had a number of municipalities reach out to us, but right now we are focusing on our execution with Pepsi,” he said. “We won’t want to bite off more than we can handle.”

As word is getting out, there has been increased interest in Elateq’s technology and systems, especially among cities and towns trying to find better and less expensive ways to treat water and wastewater.

AUTO REPAIR/SERVICES

SPARTAN AUTO CARE CENTER 631 State Street, Springfield, MA 01109 865 Memorial Avenue,W. Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 781-2480 / (413) 739-2175

USED TIRE MAXX 519 Front Street, Chicopee, MA 01013 (413) 557-6908

UsedTireMaxx.com

CABINET REFACING

INTERSTATE CUSTOM KITCHEN & BATH

558 Chicopee Street, Chicopee, MA 01013 (413) 532-2727

www.interstatekitchens.com

CARPENTRY

PHILIP BEAULIEU & SON

HOME IMPROVEMENT

217 Grattan Street, Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 592-1498

DRYWALL CONTRACTORS

CHAMPAGNE DRYWALL, INC.

36 Russo Circle, Agawam, MA 01001

(413) 786-4989

GUTTERS AND GUTTER PROTECTION

GUTTER-SHIELD by NESCOR

148 Doty Circle, W. Springfield, MA 01089

(413) 739-4333

www.nescornow.com

HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING/PLUMBING

O’CONNELL OIL

25 Texas Road, Northampton, MA 01060

(413) 568-6800

Oconnelloil.com

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING SERVICES

ALLIED HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

101 Circuit Avenue, W. Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 732-5599

HOME HEALTH CARE

CARING SOLUTIONS, LLC

Stay at home...We can help 131 Elm Street, W. Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 733-5588 www.Caring-Solutions.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT

PHILIP BEAULIEU & SON HOME IMPROVEMENT 217 Grattan Street, Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 592-1498

INSULATION

NESCOR 148 Doty Circle, W. Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 739-4333 www.nescornow.com

INTERSTATE CUSTOM

KITCHEN & BATH 558 Chicopee Street, Chicopee, MA 01013 (413) 532-2727 www.interstatekitchens.com

ON-SITE DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION

PROSHRED SECURITY 75 Post Office Park, Wilbraham, MA 01095 (413) 596-5479 www.proshred.com

PLUMBING & HEATING

S.G. RACETTE PLUMBING & HEATING Southwick, MA 01077 (413) 786-6764 www.sgracetteplumbing.com

PRECISION SHEET METAL

FABRICATION

CUSTOM POWER COATING

R.R. LEDUC CORPORATION 100 Bobala Road, Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 536-4329 www.rrleduc.com

ROOFING

NESCOR 148 Doty Circle, W. Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 739-4333 www.nescornow.com

PHILIP BEAULIEU & SON

HOME IMPROVEMENT 217 Grattan Street, Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 592-1498

SEAMLESS GUTTERS

CLARK & SONS SEAMLESS GUTTERS, INC. Chicopee, MA 01020/ Belchertown, MA 01007 (413) 732-3934

SECURITY SYSTEMS

EASTERN ELECTRONICS & SECURITY, INC. 540 Main Street, W. Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 736-5181 / (800) 536-7328 www.ees-security.com

SHEDS/GAZEBOS/ GARDEN ACCENTS SKIPS OUTDOOR ACCENTS, INC. 1265 Suffield Street, Agawam, MA 01001 (413) 786-0990 www.skipsonline.com

SIDING

PHILIP BEAULIEU & SON HOME IMPROVEMENT 217 Grattan Street, Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 592-1498

TRUCK/MOTORHOME REPAIR

DAVE’S TRUCK REPAIR 649 Cottage St.,, Springfield, MA 01104 (413) 734-8898 www.davestruckrepairinc.net

WINDOWS

NESCOR 148 Doty Circle, W. Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 739-4333 www.nescornow.com

PHILIP BEAULIEU & SON HOME IMPROVEMENT 217 Grattan Street, Chicopee, MA 01020 (413) 592-1498

WINDOW WORLD OF WESTERN MASS., INC. Hampton Ponds Plaza, 1029 North Road, Westfield, MA 01085 (413) 485-7335 www.WindowWorldofSpringfield.com

If you are a member of the Better Business Bureau and would like to be listed on this page call (413) 788-1165.

Ljiljana Rajic is the chief science officer and one of the founders of Elateq, a water purification system, located inside UMass Amherst’s Life Sciences Laboratories. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

For over 45 years, Casella has served local communities. Each year, we recover over a million tons of recyclable material from the waste stream, and over the next decade it is our goal to double that amount.

Throughout our operations in Massachusetts, we have over 228,000 customers and nearly 400 employees who serve their needs providing economically and environmentally sustainable services. Through those efforts we are proud to help keep Massachusetts safe, clean, and thriving.

Here in the Pioneer Valley, we are proud to provide a full range of services to businesses and communities alike. From construction and demolition recycling in Holyoke, to our full service recycling facility in Springfield, and all our hauling infrastructure in between our fully integrated services can help you achieve your sustainability goals.

Visit casella.com/sustainability to learn more about our 2030 goals and how we’re helping others along their own sustainability journey.

FEBRUARY 25

springfieldsymphony.org

Tickets starting at $15

Workforce shortages pose public health crisis

THERE IS MUCH

being said in the media about the current health care workforce shortage, which I believe has the potential to be the next public health crisis.

The numbers are real. The total of open positions at Baystate Health peaked at nearly 2,000 in 2021, but recently leveled off at 1,650, more than double our pre-pandemic state. We are not alone.

The Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association’s recently released survey, “An Acute Crisis: How Workforce Shortages Are Affecting Access and Costs,” estimated 19,000 open positions across Massachusetts, with the highest percentages in nursing, behavioral health, laboratory, radiology technicians, and

clinical support roles. The driving forces for this shortage existed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has only accelerated those conditions. Baystate Health identified concerns with shortages in key staff categories as early as 2016 and forecasted a worsening as a larger portion of its workforce aged

Westfield State nursing program adapts to change

By RON C HIMELIS rchimelis@repub.com

When Linda Thompson travels around Western Massachusetts to talk about nursing, her message is not only consistent, but persistent.

The Westfield State University president says it’s never too early for students to consider a nursing career. Letting students know what to expect and how to get there, she said, is essential to delivering a pipeline of new nurses into the health care field — something virtually every medical professional agrees is urgently needed.

“How do we talk to a student who is still in high school, so that they understand the depth and breadth of the field? So that they know what they need to take in high school?”

‘Launch and Stand Out’

HCC

By JONAH SNOWDEN jsnowden@repub.com

Mychal Connolly acquired the mindset and skillset of a businessman at the age of 9 when he would sell the candy his grandmother would bring back from America to his schoolmates.

for the commitment of his existing staff.

SArAH STEVEN

Innovation tied to mission for Big Y

IJOINED BIG Y IN March 2020. The night before I was planning to head into the office for the first time, I learned that my first meeting would not be in person, but on Zoom. Fast forward almost two-anda-half years, and we are back in the Springfield Store Support Center offices once again, but

Mychal Connolly is the founder of Stand Out Truck, a marketing agency with digital mobile billboard trucks. Above, Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal presents the 2022 Distinguished Service Award to 2004 graduate Connolly during the college’s 75th commencement held at the MassMutual Center in downtown

alum says he simply wants to solve problems

“A true entrepreneur has no problems and finds a way to get things done.”

MYCHAL CONNOLLY, ENTREPRENEUR, STAND OUT TRUCK, SPRINGFIELD

At left is Holyoke Medical Center. Far left, a group of Holyoke Medical Center nurses attend Nurses Rock: Salute to Nurse Heroes, a free nurse appreciation event hosted by Holyoke Medical Center on Jan. 20 at Tower Square in Springfield. (DON

Holyoke Medical’s caring team pulls through all challenges

With a “happy new year” still ringing in our ears, we have entered 2023. The hard work of making it a “happy” and “successful” year begins, on an individual level, with all those New Year’s resolutions, as well as on an organization level, navigating the difficult financial channels of a recession.

Many businesses were hit extremely hard by the lockdowns and restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Our thoughts go out to the many small businesses that did not survive the lockdowns. Health care was no exception to the ill economic effects, even if it was for slightly different reasons. Less routine care was delivered, resulting in less revenue; more expenses were occurred for personal protective equipment and other pandemic-re-

lated supplies; and the new challenge, less available staff, resulting in a huge increase in labor cost. Add to that the galloping inflation and the recession we entered in 2022, and 2023 sure looks like it will be a challenging year.

Allow me, though, before I get to my thoughts on how to meet the challenges in 2023, to say that the health care industry, by and large, received a significant level of financial support from the federal government, and

here in Massachusetts, from the state government as well, and for that we are enormously grateful.

That said, the challenges are not over, and we will look to our state government and legislature to continue supporting the health care sector, especially the smaller independent community hospitals and their affiliates. As a safety net provider, it is vitally important to be able to continue to provide the services we offer to our community.

But we also have to turn to our own abilities to manage difficult situations and find strength within our organization to overcome the challenges ahead. Here at Holyoke Medical Center and our affiliates, we started this work many years ago, ramped it up in 2021 and 2022, and will certainly carry it forward into 2023 and beyond.

All challenges can be met with greater success by an organization that has engaged and dedicated employees. And in order to have engaged and dedicated employees an organization has to care for them, in good times and in bad, in meaningful ways, treating them respectfully and with honesty. This has been our recipe for success, and we think it is the recipe for weathering the recession and beyond.

How do we care for those most in need of support? Do we give employees opportunity for growth and development? Are we a fair employer? Do we listen to the needs of all our employees, and do we respond appropriately? Do we respect their choices, or do we impose our will on them?

I will not list all of the many ways we do that because I have in previous years written extensively about our minimum wage policies, our tuition reimbursement, our no-layoff policy, our respect for individual choice and more. While many of these things are worth repeating, I will focus instead on a few new things we are doing to support our employees:

• This winter we are providing additional financial assistance to our lower income level employees to help them with the increased cost of heating and food;

• We have created a stateof-the-art meditation room and exercise gym for our staff to help them decompress from the stressors at work;

THERAPIST MAKES COMMUNITIES OF COLOR A MISSION

ENTREPRENEURS

Putting wellness focus on culture

By A prELL M ay MUNForD amunford@repub.com

Whitney Dodds is on a mission to encourage good health, reframe the incentive to do well and develop positive mental health awareness in communities of color.

Dodds, the founder of Wellness for the Culture, at 1365 Main St. in downtown Springfield, believes representation in therapy is vital for many reasons.

Wellness for the Culture provides a safe space to heal for people in communities of color by offering a tailor-made approach to encourage engagement in therapy, while dismantling the cultural stigma that often hinders Black and brown people and other marginalized communities from receiving treatment.

Growing up in Springfield, Dodds said the disparity in culturally appropriate mental health services in the area is no secret.

Dodds’ voyage into the mental health field started through reflecting on and learning to talk about her own journey in life. At 12 amid a traumatic childhood, Dodds said she was mandated by a court to attend therapy, which was not effective. Dodds admits the only thing she knew at the time about therapy is what she saw and heard on TV shows.

And while Dodds made it through those sessions as an adolescent, she did not really want to go back. However, a breakthrough happened when Dodds was in college and she realized she was culturally experiencing life differently than some of her peers.

“I grew up needing therapy, but I did not know what it was,” Dodds said. “I noticed that other students did not have the same experiences,

I’ve had.”

Understanding that Black and brown people have different experiences was just a part of the battle, she said.

From then on, she said she knew the real work would be in getting to the root cause of why many people of color don’t seek the treatment they may need and deserve.

“Maybe it is education, maybe advocacy, the cultural stigma and what people can access,” she said.

Dodds said, other factors for mental health treatment disparities are forced therapy by the state, the misunderstandings about stigma that are not recognized or people putting off treatment because therapy or even themselves are not viewed as a priority.

“There is no cultural competency because the system did not include us,” she said.

In addition, there are some who do not see the benefit of mental health treatment and don’t understand how a system of social inequality can cause oppression, Dodds said.

Dodds said she has since discovered through her work that safety and trust are not always a priority when people of color seek treatment and in turn that has a profound effect on the way people seek and view effective treatment.

For example, Dodds explained, people can be misdiagnosed based on their faith, which is directly related in most cases to culture. What some may consider a visit by the holy spirit could be misinterpreted as borderline schizophrenia, she said.

Additionally, the fear of being reported for needing help prevents others in the Black and brown community from seeking help, she added.

According to Dodds, people of color need to know if they speak to a therapist about abuse, hunger or home instability that they won’t be unnecessarily reported to the state Department of Children and Family Services, and if they talk about a spiritual encounter, they won’t be over medicated, she said.

“Black women die because of this narrative; little Black boys are diagnosed and misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder more,” she said. “Some

parents may worry about domestic violence. If they report abuse, will their children be taken away? If I reach out, will they help me? Or will it do more harm than benefit?”

According to Dodds, true change will come with a shift in the narrative of mental health care in Black and brown communities.

Creating pathways for success and cultivating conversations are the beginning steps to dismantling and eradicating the stigma and knocking down the barriers usually seen from the outside as privilege, Dodds told The Republican.

“Half the battle is not having to explain certain things

in your existence,” Dodds said.

Here Wellness for the Culture effort offers safe spaces for people of color to set the terms of their healing without having to disregard their authenticity to fit a white narrative.

“It is like when a conversation is mom to a mom, we got it. Therapy is not monistic, Black people want to heal safely,” she said.

Dodds said she disrupts the notion that there is only one kind of ultimate therapy by building rapport, using trust as a tool to change the minds of Black and brown people who may be hesitant to seek therapy for those reasons.

Whitney Dodds is the founder of Wellness for the Culture, a mental health organization in Springfield that is focused on developing positive mental health awareness in communities of color. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from American International College.

By sharing her own example of success after overcoming adversity, Dodds feels like she can change the narrative one client at a time.

“When my clients come in, I am not just with the therapist but an advocate,” she said. “I will give them homework. If there is something they would like to accomplish, we will work on an action plan together to take steps in the process of learning how to also self-advocate.”

And while Wellness for the Culture is still in a small office, Dodds believes it is doing a lot to shift the negative narrative in the community of color and breakdown the barriers of quality culturally competent mental health care.

As a therapist, workshop facilitator, panelist and author, Dodds is focused on the well-being of the community and approaches treatment in six different ways including cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, mindfulness, multicultural, person-centered and solution-focused treatment.

The roughly 1,900 people who work for us are the people who are going to help us pull through the recession and whatever else lies ahead of us.

(WELLNESS FOR THE CULTURE PHOTO)

“When my clients come in, I am not just with the therapist but an advocate. I will give them homework. If there is something they would like to accomplish, we will work on an action plan together to take steps in the process of learning how to also self-advocate.”

WHITNEY DODDS, WELLNESS FOR THE CULTURE, SPRINGFIELD

Catching the spirit of Mercy Medical

From the very beginning of their healing ministry, the Sisters of Providence displayed great vision and leadership on behalf of the most vulnerable members of society. While Mercy Medical Center is proud to carry on their rich legacy of hope and healing, we also recognize the importance of responding to the changing health care needs of the local community, embracing new innovations, and implementing best practices that support and foster high quality, safety, efficiency, and increased access to services.

As 2023 continues to unfold, our patients, their families and the local community will benefit from several important initiatives that not only further our commitment to improving care delivery, but also reflect the “spirit” of compassionate care unique to Mercy.

Although Mercy’s Emergency Department (ED) is among the busiest in Massachusetts with a volume of over 65,000 patient visits each year, patients want to be seen as soon as possible when they arrive in the ED. With this sense of urgency in mind, we recently completed an expansion project that added 3,100 square feet to the clinical footprint of our ED and features additional Rapid Medical Evaluation space and six additional behavioral health beds in designated areas to provide an enhanced clinical environment to improve patient care delivery.

Caring for our caregivers is also a priority. In addition to new lockers and a lactation room, we have also added a “Zen Room” where ED colleagues can unwind and recharge in a quiet, calming space designed to renew their spirits.

Multiple sclerosis impacts nearly 1 million individuals across the country, and until recently, patients had to travel to a large city to find the services they need. The Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Center for Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research at Mercy offers a comprehensive care model that includes fellowship-trained neurologists to fight disease progression along with a customized approach to treatment, rehabilitation therapy, and support services.

The approach is gaining international attention. In addition to collaborating on research and education, representatives from Oxford University visited the Mandell Centers in Springfield and Hartford to explore opportunities to replicate in the United Kingdom the MS care model we provide throughout the region.

With completion expected by the end of the year, construction continues for the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit. A well-known restaurateur and longtime supporter

of the hospital, Yee spent his final days at Mercy. Grateful for the compassionate care he received, Yee’s family advocated for creation of a palliative care unit to ensure that more people have access to that same level of care and individual attention when they need it most.

Once complete, the unit will provide a comfortable, soothing space for end-of-life care for patients and their families, as well as patients with chronic illnesses requiring pain and symptom management. All clinical staff involved in caring for patients and family members on the new unit will receive specialized training that focuses on palliative care.

In an effort to improve access to the same safe, high-quality care you’ve come to expect at Mercy Medical Center, Trinity Health Of New England has joined Mercy with Johnson Memorial Hospital to create the regional health system’s Springfield market. In addition to sharing resources and leadership, both facilities share the same commitment to excellence in patient care and patient experience.

With inpatient services in Stafford Springs and outpatient services in Enfield, Johnson Memorial Hospital may offer a convenient location for the efficient and effective care you need, right in your own backyard. Along with Johnson’s Emergency Department, in-hospital services include a new Geriatric Wellness Pavilion for geriatric

behavioral health patients that features “pod” style housing and community areas with large windows for plenty of natural light.

At the same time, a $40-million construction project is underway for the expansion and renovation of Johnson’s cancer center, ambulatory care center, and surgery center — creating one convenient destination for many of your outpatient needs.

These are challenging times for the health care industry, but great challenges also bring great opportunity for innovation and strategic growth. Ever cognizant of our mission to serve as a transforming, healing presence in the local community, Mercy Medical Center is committed to placing our patients at the center of everything we do with care that focuses on their mind, body, and spirit.

This holistic approach can be found throughout our facilities where colleagues reflect the spirit of Mercy by quietly and simply providing compassionate care, ever grateful for the privilege of making a tremendous difference in the lives of those they serve.

Dr. Robert Roose is chief administrative officer for the Springfield Market of Trinity Health Of New England, overseeing Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates and Johnson Memorial Hospital and its affiliates. To learn more about Mercy, go online to trinity healthofne.org.

“They’ll need algebra, chemistry, science and math while still in high school. I’ve spoken with superintendents in Springfield, Westfield and Holyoke and I’ve visited high schools hoping we can create a pathway for this career,” she said.

For the 130 students already enrolled in the Westfield State nursing program, their instruction includes a renewed understanding that the caregivers need to be cared for, too. The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted not just the value of nurses to society, but the immense demands confronting them.

“The pandemic illuminated the challenges nurses face in health care. Our curriculum itself hasn’t changed, but there has been a special focus on resiliency,” said Jessica Holden, the university’s executive director of Nursing and Allied Health.

“As horrible as the pandemic was, it made us learn we have to do things differently, in schools and in health care. We want to spread the message that nursing is a field with many opportunities and career choices,” Holden said.

That’s a timely message, but one that must be delivered skillfully. The pandemic put nurses on the front lines of a battle against an invisible and frightening virus.

Understandably, that created reluctance by some potential candidates to enter the field — at a time more nurses, not fewer, are needed.

Holden acknowledges these challenges, but said they also create opportunity.

“Nursing takes a special somebody. I think we can mentor (nurses),” she said.

“Our enrollment is not quite where we’d like to see it, but there is opportunity for growth. We want to spread the message that nursing is a wonderful profession with many career choices and opportunities,” she said.

“As horrible as the pandemic was, it made us learn we have to do things differently, in schools and in health care. We want to spread the message that nursing is a field with many opportunities and career choices.”

Thompson’s interest in nursing is a natural extension of her own background. Prior to Westfield State, she served as dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Massachusetts Boston. She previously held a similar position at West Chester University in Pennsylvania.

She has taught nursing and public health at 10 different institutions of higher education. Wherever she has been, Thompson has stressed the importance of partnerships to promote healthy outcomes.

Developing those collaborations remains a core goal of her strategy to build the Westfield State nursing program. In addition to partnerships, Thompson says better resources are being planned.

“We plan to use funding to get more materials and create more simulation space. We’re seeking to develop more partnerships with schools such as Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College as well,” Thompson said.

“We are trying to streamline the time for people to complete their nursing training. When a student graduates from HCC, for instance, we can offer them course content,” Thompson said.

Thompson has also met with workforce personnel at Baystate Health, with the goal of having students hired while still completing their college studies.

“That would give our students experience and competence. It would also

make Baystate Health an employer of choice for them, as opposed to (graduated students) just searching around,” she said.

The health care field is shifting its emphasis from in-patient to outpatient care, and nurses of the future will have to be nimble. Holden said her university’s academic climate is well suited to prepare nurses for a very personal profession.

“I chose Westfield State for my career because of the support and opportunity I found here. Our students have personal relationships here. They are not just numbers,” she said.

Thompson said Westfield State’s success in training future nurses will be the result of a collective effort. She envisions her school working with high schools, health academies, community colleges and professional health care agencies, creating a network of institutions with the shared goal of developing a trained, adequate workforce.

As that network develops, Thompson said Westfield State will reaffirm its place as a leader. Last summer, the university hosted a meeting with community college, high school and health care leaders, who looked at ways to train nurses that are desperately needed.

“What I like about our program is that students who come into this region are much more likely to work in this region,” she said. “We’re really a good partner, and we want to create a pathway for their careers.”

People sign their names to the final beam as Trinity Health Of New England hosted a topping off ceremony Feb. 2 for the new S. Prestley and Helen Blake Ambulatory Care Center at Johnson Memorial Hospital’s Enfield campus. (DON TREEGER / THE

Trinity Health Of New England is in the midst of constructing the new S. Prestley and Helen Blake Ambulatory Care Center at Johnson Memorial Hospital’s Enfield campus to serve the health system’s Springfield market. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

These are challenging times for the health care industry, but great challenges also bring great opportunity for innovation and strategic growth.

Westfield State University nursing students listen to their instructor during a class. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“I’ve spoken with superintendents in Springfield, Westfield and Holyoke and I’ve visited high schools hoping we can create a pathway for this career.”

LINDA THOMPSON, WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Jessica Holden, Westfield State University’s executive director of Nursing and Allied Health

Cooley Dickinson focuses on patients, community

In October 2022, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association released a report that called attention to an acute crisis in health care. The report suggests the “direct connections between workforce shortages, capacity constraints and financial losses are often misunderstood by those outside of the health care system.”

The pandemic has disrupted operations, supply chains, and staffing across all sectors while seasonal illness, coupled with surges in COVID variants, emerge and retreat. The impact on health care is significant and the challenges are ongoing.

Admittedly, I am a glasshalf-full person. I see the

world from a positive and hopeful mindset, even when times are difficult, as they are now. Navigating through change and thriving through adversity takes commitment and a certain level of grit and perseverance I have seen exhibited by the staff and providers at Cooley Dickinson A patient

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• We are offering new graduate nurses significant upfront financial support (up to $50,000) to offset their student loans and other expenses for choosing a career at Holyoke Medical Center;

• We have provided not only incentives for new staff to join our organization but significant incentives to our existing staff for continuing to work at Holyoke Medical Center;

the certified nurse assistants the recognition and pay they deserve;

The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. began building its 511-megawatt Stony Brook gas- and oil-powered generator in Ludlow in 1978. Here, a group tours the plant after dedication ceremonies in 1981.

Municipal utilities stress service, going green

As the Western Massachusetts region makes its way through pandemic-fueled inflation, the consumer-owned, notfor-profit municipal utilities in the commonwealth and their state-designated joint action agency, the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), forge ahead to continue to provide superior service while doing their part to reduce climate impacts.

After nearly three years of the COVID-19 pandemic and a time period of enormous change, the municipal light plant members (MLPs) and project participants of MMWEC, including the utilities in Holyoke, Chicopee, Russell, South Hadley and Westfield, strive to continue to do what they do best — maintain reliable electric service at a low cost.

Municipal utilities are not immune to the increasing energy costs and supply chain issues affecting the entire electric industry. Many of our members have had to raise their rates over the past several months, but generally, their customers are experiencing smaller increases to their bills.

With long-term planning, the municipal light plant members are able to implement rate stabilization measures to reduce the impacts of power cost volatility. While higher costs across the board affect everyone, their customers tend to have a lower energy cost burden than those served by investor-owned utilities.

Despite economic uncertainty and the ongoing pandemic, MLPs are busy en-

suring that the lights stay on for their customers. They’re doing this with a focus on increasing the carbon-free energy sales in their power portfolios, in alignment with the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard (GGES) that was signed into law in 2021. Even prior to the law, many MLPs were ahead of the curve when it came to incorporating renewable resources, dating back to the first wind turbines constructed by the Princeton light department in the 1980s.

Under the GGES, MLPs must have 50% carbon-free energy sales by 2030, 75% carbon-free energy sales by 2040, and “net zero” carbon emissions energy sales by 2050. MMWEC is helping its member light departments meet or exceed these targets by developing individual “roadmaps” to help guide their future planning, based on the needs and desires of

• We have engaged openly and honestly in dialogue with our nursing staff about appropriate patient-to-nurse ratios and have committed to work collaboratively on recruiting additional nurses in order to reach those ratios consistently, as soon as possible;

• We have provided our nursing team significant additional support with certified nurse assistants, while at the same time given

• We solicit staff input with a yearly survey so that we keep a pulse on what matters to them most; and

• We never forget to have fun when possible, whether it is a summer picnic, a holiday party, our “Nurses Rock” appreciation event, our pumpkin decoration contest or one of the other many creative ways to thank our employees while having some fun. Most importantly, we

listen. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. We listen, and we take their input seriously. The roughly 1,900 people who work for us are the people who are going to help us pull through the recession and whatever else lies ahead of us. I have no doubt of that. Happy new year.

Spiros Hatiras is president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. To learn more about the health systems, go online to holyokehealth.com.

each individual light department.

In 2022, MMWEC developed “pathway reports” for each of its members to highlight all of the steps they are taking to reach each of those milestone targets.

To that end, MMWEC has constructed a 6.9 megawatt solar project on its Ludlow campus — the largest single solar field in the commonwealth. The Master Sgt. Alexander Cotton Memorial Solar Project is named in honor of the late master sergeant Cotton, of the 439th Airlift Wing at neighboring Westover Air Reserve Base.

Built on 35 acres, the project will generate more than 13,800 megawatt hours per year, enough to power over 1,500 homes. It is also expected to displace nearly 13.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from

undergoes radiation oncology treatment at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. (PHOTO COURTESY COOLEY DICKINSON HOSPITAL)

Hatiras

Kelly Lim, left, celebrates receiving the 2022 Valley Health Systems’ HS ACE Award for Best Leader with her director, registered nurse Lynn Garreffi, at the summer salute appreciation event on July 9. (HOLYOKE MEDICAL CENTER PHOTO)

Ronald

Despite

Keroack

into retirement and patient demand increased due to an aging population in Western Massachusetts.

Concerns regarding increased pay, more contemporary benefit offerings, and more flexibility in schedules came to the forefront. Our work to implement competitive wage and benefit programs and flexible work arrangements began several years prior to the pandemic and this work laid the critical groundwork for our efforts to reduce current shortages. If not properly addressed, workforce issues have very real impacts on patient care. Staff shortages in outpatient doctors’ offices and clinics cause care to spill into already stretched hospital emergency departments. Patients requiring professional care after hospitalization may experience delayed discharges and longer stays due to staffing shortages in rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities.

Nationwide, the average hospital stay increased 19% in 2022 compared with pre-pandemic levels and 24% for patients needing discharge to post-acute care facilities, according to the American Hospital Association. The year also saw a shift to patients with medical problems (like COVID-19), who typically have longer stays than surgical patients. Increasing lengths of stay add to overcapacity in the hospital, which in turn leads to backups and waiting in emergency departments.

Because of these factors, our four hospitals ran at 110% to 20% of bed capacity for much

of the year, and all areas of the clinical system were stressed.

To meet our commitment to care for all patients who need us, we have filled staffing gaps with contract workers, whose pay rates far exceed those for employed staff, together with incentive pay for existing employees to work extra shifts. The combination of overcapacity and increasing labor costs led to dramatic and historic financial losses for Baystate Health in 2022. Our system ended the year with an operating loss of $177 million, or negative 6.2%, with approximately 70% of the loss due to unexpected labor costs.

Although the shortage of qualified workers is great, Baystate does have several reasons for optimism as we build back our team. As the region’s largest health care system and only academic medical center, our employees have unique opportunities for professional growth and fulfillment.

Baystate Medical Center has been recognized with the prestigious Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing excellence. We provide training for over 30 different health professions, in collaboration with over a dozen colleges and universities. Many of these trainees choose their first job at Baystate Health.

To meet the current crisis, we have made strengthening these pipelines for new trainees and new employees a top priority. Additionally, we have strengthened our programs in employee safety, health, well-being, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to respond to the needs of our current and future workforce. We are excited to find new ways to support our caregivers to

address workplace stresses and achieve their goals for personal well-being and professional advancement.

Despite the many challenges facing us today, we are thankful for the dedicated team members who make Baystate a workplace of choice and are

the foundation of making our health system the first choice for care in our community. Our employees work as a team to deliver the best possible care to our patients. Many are long-term employees who serve as trainers and mentors for the next genera-

tion of caregivers. Most live in the communities we serve and find great meaning in taking care of their friends and neighbors. Their belief in Baystate Health is demonstrated in the hundreds of new employees they refer through our “Bring It Baystate Campaign.”

Despite all they have been through during the pandemic years, they still appreciate the rewards of a health care career and the role Baystate Health plays as the provider of stateof-the-art care in the region in an environment of teaching and learning.

We have a lot to be proud of at Baystate Health in how we have responded to the challenges of the past two years and for the brilliant and compassionate way our team members have responded to the crises they faced. As the pandemic continues to recede, our focus will be on rebuilding our workforce and restoring our financial stability. The signs of our recovery are already visible. Based on our foundation of learning, innovation, inclusion, and commitment to the communities we serve, I am optimistic we will emerge a stronger and better health system.

Dr. Mark A. Keroack is president and CEO of Baystate Health. To learn more about Baystate Health, go online to Baystatehealth.org

Baystate Health personnel and other elected officials join together on March 8, 2022, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new $72 million Baystate Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

the many challenges facing us today, we are thankful for the dedicated team members who make Baystate a workplace of choice and are the foundation of making our health system the first choice for care in our community.

Above, from left, are four members of the Baystate team, registered nurses Nancy Parrish, Lauren Hooker, Roseanne Leach and Jennie Taylor, who work on South Wing 6 and 7. (BAYSTATE HEALTH PHOTO)

At Baystate Health we know that treating one another with dignity and equity is what elevates respect for our patients and employees. It means we are more than just an organization–we are a community, where you belong.

Farming’s in the family

9th generation tends Hatfield’s Bardwell Farm

By E LIZABETH L AFOND C OPPEZ Special to The Republican

Harrison Bardwell isn’t your typical 26-year-old, working various jobs to find his path. He found his passion at age 10 and today he’s making significant impacts both regionally and globally, one vegetable at a time.

Bardwell is owner and ninth-generation family farmer of Bardwell Farm in Hatfield. He farms over 30 acres and produces more than 100 varieties of crops in some of the most nutrient dense soil of the Connecticut River valley.

Bardwell Farm offers a roadside stand, a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm share program, sells produce at regional farmer’s markets and offers wholesale distribution services.

“Being in the soil and watching the plants grow and develop, and eating this fresh, delicious produce out of your backyard, is an experience like no other,” Bardwell said.

Bardwell recalls that when he was 12 or 13 years old he was bored with his usual fun playing in the dirt. “My grandparents showed me how to pick veggies, what plants looked like and gave me my first physical experience working and being with produce and agriculture,” Bardwell said. “I instantly loved it.”

The next summer, Bardwell continued his apprenticeship.

“My grandparents taught me the fundamentals of planting a seed, establishing the care and maintenance between planting and harvest and I was intrigued more and more,” he said.

By the end of that season, Bardwell had helped to produce a large abundance of vegetables.

“I recall seeing my grandfather sitting at the back porch, and I had brought a large bucket of cucumbers,” he

The new year is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges, lessons and growth of the past year, and to prepare ourselves for and dream about what’s to come. For local farmers, that’s doubly true: Most of them have put their fields to rest and they are budgeting, hiring, and making the crop plans for the growing season to come.

And at Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), it’s triply true: We’re heading into our 30th anniversary year of supporting local farms and building connections between local farmers and their communities. This landmark year is an opportunity for reflection, dreaming and action on a vast, long-term scale.

Local farms, like many small businesses, have been on a roller coaster for the last three years, and 2023 brings many of the same uncertainties. While COVID is still a serious issue, especially for high-risk folks, the urgent response demanded of businesses in the early days of the pandemic has receded. But the many social and financial harms stemming from the pandemic continue to stress businesses of all sorts.

The most visible of these harms, to many of us, is inflation. Farms — along with restaurants, grocery stores and all the other businesses that make up our local food system — are dealing with a massive surge in input costs. For farmers, this is complicated by the seasonal nature of their businesses, where many expenses accrue in the winter months and aren’t recouped until the harvest begins in the summer.

Then, because most of their products are highly perishable, they need to compete on price with products from around the globe with very different economics. This makes it extremely difficult to plan, to set prices, and to enter into contracts with any sense of comfort.

The difficulties of the current inflation cycle are connected to and compounded by the supply chain issues and labor shortages that have dogged businesses for the last year or more.

Climate change, and the increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather it brings, is another huge challenge for local farms. While farmers in the Northeast are accustomed to variable weather, climate scientists predict a range of interconnected changes to come to the Northeast. This includes rising temperatures, including more heatwaves, which stress humans, livestock, and many crops. We’ll see more precipitation, including more extreme rainfall events, resulting in fields that can’t be worked, more localized flooding, more pests, more weed pressure, and more plant disease and rot. The last two years have brought first record-setting rains and then months of drought. As one farmer shared with us, after 40 years of farming, “I now have no idea what I will plant, how much, or where, with the changing weather.”

This picture looks dire, and indeed the last several years have been uniquely challenging. Many small-business owners are just exhausted, and we know that the years to come will bring new and serious difficulties. And still, 30 years into working to build a stronger local food system, we at CISA can see that this is not the whole story.

The first piece of good news is that local farmers

In one of the Bardwell Farm fields, Harrison Bardwell guides workers in how to cultivate a crop of spinach in October. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

A worker at Bardwell Farm in Hatfield leaves a field with freshcut spinach in October. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

“Being in the soil and watching the plants grow and develop, and eating this fresh, delicious produce out of your backyard, is an experience like no other.”

HARRISON BARDWELL, BARDWELL FARM, HATFIELD

At top, the Bardwell Farm at 49 Main St. in Hatfield is now run by the ninth generation of the family whose ancestors helped settle the town in the 1600s. The farmhouse dates to about 1755. Above left, Bardwell Farm maintains a farm stand on Main Street in Hatfield during the growing season. Bardwell also offers a farm share program. Above right, end-of-the-season sweet corn is on sale at the roadside stand in front of the farm. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTOS)

Rosendo Santizo, owner of Winter Moon Farm in Hadley, with a handful of beets he harvested in September. Winter Moon sells through farm-share programs and wholesalers to restaurants and stores like Whole Foods and the River Valley Market Co-op in Northampton and Easthampton. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Collaboration, community drive Health New England

As our community shifts to living with COVID-19 and economic stressors bring different challenges, Health New England recognizes and takes to heart its responsibility to help ensure our members get the health care they need while managing the associated costs. Our commitment to Western Massachusetts is rooted in our mission to improve the health and lives of the people in our communities. To fulfill this mission we are collaborating even more closely with our parent company, Baystate Health, expanding our role of service and support in the community, and caring for our colleagues in and out of the workplace.

Collaboration: As a subsidiary of Baystate Health, Health New England has the unique ability to partner directly with health care professionals. One example of this is the BeHealthy Partnership Accountable Care Partnership Plan. The collaboration enables Health New England and the Baystate Health Care Alliance, which includes Baystate Health Centers and Baystate Medical Practices, to provide patient-centered care to over 50,000 Medicaid recipients in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. This model wraps patients in collabora-

tive care to address not only medical concerns, but also social determinants of health, which are the non-medical factors that influence health, such as the availability of healthy food, places to exercise, stress, social exclusion, and transportation. We continue to find ways to work more closely with the doctors and other health care providers in Western Massachusetts to offer quality care while helping members get the most for their health care dollars.

Community: As the only regional not-for-profit health

Hospital. I recognize that we are in a moment in history when we can and must embrace our resilience while delivering on Cooley Dickinson’s commitment to provide care to our communities, no matter where you are from, who you love, or what you look like.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital is not unlike hospitals across the state and in our region. When I speak with community groups or to Cooley Dickinson employees, I talk about the headwinds — workforce shortages, capacity constraints and financial losses — that we face in the health care field. For doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals, those headwinds are fueling a perfect storm that is playing out as you, our community members, seek care.

As we approach the third anniversary of the global pandemic, we know our workforce is tired, yet I

plan based in Springfield, Health New England continues our tradition of giving back to the communities we serve. Health New England committed approximately $540,000 in investments back to the community in 2022.

Significant funding included a $100,000 grant to improve the health status in communities we serve by addressing racial, ethnic, economic and gender health disparities, and improving health equity for all. We strengthened our community relationships

am heartened every day when I see what our teams accomplish. Cooley Dickinson’s dedicated employees are committed to providing outstanding patient care. This past fall, Cooley Dickinson earned its seventh consecutive ‘A’ letter grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent, national not-for-profit watchdog organization. In the past year, Cooley Dickinson has earned a five-star rating from the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and designations as a “Best Maternity Hospital” from Newsweek magazine and an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Earning awards and recognitions from independent agencies validate that our staff and providers are continuously focused on improving the quality of care we provide.

One way we are supporting our current employees and preparing tomorrow’s health care professionals is by launching workforce pipeline initiatives to engage and build

through existing multiyear commitments to organizations focused on housing, behavioral health, maternal and child health, food insecurity and more through the “Where Health Matters” Grant Program, distributing $250,000 in grant funds to positively influence the health and well-being of community populations most in need. Some of our grant recipients include Clinical & Support Options, Girls on the Run, The Care Center, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Wellspring. These organizations will create and expand

relationships with local and regional colleges and universities to bring students on campus and develop training opportunities.

We are fortunate to collaborate with the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to expand nursing and technical clinician rotations. Another partnership, with the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, part of the Mass General Brigham family, aims to provide training to the next generation of physician assistants.

We are here for our community and ready to serve all who need us. Yet the headwinds we currently face – either as an employer or as patients in our community – are real. There are often significant Emergency Department wait times. Finding a new primary care provider or specialist may also mean an extended delay. And for patients who need care in a skilled nursing facility or assisted living, they often remain in the hospital for longer than needed as these post-acute

services to help the most vulnerable among us thrive.

We also partnered with PeoplesBank to fund Gardening the Community, a food justice organization engaged in youth development, urban agriculture and sustainable living to build healthy and equitable communities.

These investments bring our five-year total to more than $3.6 million in support of area nonprofit organizations.

Colleagues: Our ability to serve both members and the local community would

settings themselves face significant staff vacancy rates. Central to our mission are our patients: your experiences matter, and we take all feedback as opportunities to continuously improve.

In the meantime, it has taken the health care system many years to arrive at the place we are now. There will be no easy solutions or quick fixes. Cooley Dickinson is adapting to our ”new normal,” one where the effects of previous pandemic surges and uncertainty of new ones loom large. In the face of those headwinds – we continue to focus on the patients and community that we serve. Cooley Dickinson is fortunate to be part of Mass General Brigham, a world class, integrated health care system with patients at the center. When we combine our resources and talents, we provide a powerful impact for patients and the communities we serve. What does meeting the challenges of this uncertain economic time mean for the health care industry? Expanding the workforce pipeline

and investing in training and educational advancement for our team are among our key priorities. It also means approaching our work to care for the community with vigor and determination, kindness and resolve. Cooley Dickinson Hospital is focused on being the place of choice to give care, receive care and work. As Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s president and CEO, I continue to be humbled by how far we have come as an organization. I look ahead with appreciation to those who choose to turn to us for care. We also remain steadfast in our commitment to serving our communities with exceptional, high quality, compassionate care. Despite the challenges, I am optimistic. Our patients need and deserve the best care, and we are committed to providing it, now and into the future.

Dr. Lynnette M. Watkins is president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton. To learn more about Cooley, go online to Cooley dickinson.org.

Let’s grow together.

At Health New England, our mission is to improve the health and lives of the people in our communities by providing outstanding service, delivering superior value, and acting as a leading corporate citizen. This mission is the foundation that guides us every day, especially during these challenging times.

As your local health plan, we pride ourselves on the meaningful difference we have made in the lives of our members for more than 35 years. We look forward to another 35 years of being here for you every step of the way.

We continue to find ways to work more closely with the doctors and other health care providers in Western Massachusetts to offer quality care while helping members get the most for their health care dollars.

Watkins

Main Street

By JANICE B EETLE

Special to The Republican

It makes Richard Madowitz feel hopeful when he walks down Main Street in Northampton and sees bright red Cedar Chest bags swinging in the hands of shoppers.

That’s because Madowitz is the shop’s owner, and he is particularly proud of the anchor store in Thornes Marketplace that turned 75 in 2022.

One of three co-owners of Thornes as well, Madowitz says Cedar Chest had record-breaking sales in 2021 and 2022, and he credits the community for those statistics.

“Many people wanted to support Main Street and downtown retailing and restaurants, and there was an understanding that if everyone bought everything from Amazon there would be no downtown left, which is accurate,” he says.

“We are entirely dependent on local community support. Without that, Cedar Chest and Thornes do not exist.”

As Madowitz says, Cedar Chest is more than a gift shop. Its tagline is “Home. Body. Heart.” The products on its two floors speak to that.

The store stocks everything from a selection of curated soaps to toys, kitchen and bar wares, cozy loungewear, seasonal gift items and collectibles, along with what Madowitz believes is the largest card and stationery collection in the region.

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are experts at resilience. They have ridden the waves caused by COVID, figuring out how to safely provide food to our communities during the darkest days of the pandemic and continually changing circumstances ever since.

They have jumped in as partners in the fight against hunger, which has only grown more urgent throughout the pandemic. And they are making changes to their crop plans, growing practices, and business plans so they

In 2010, when Madowitz purchased the store with the late Douglas Kohl, of Kohl Construction, though, there was little to no inventory at all.

Originally situated across Main Street beginning in 1947, Cedar Chest moved into Thornes in 1977. That was when Brinkley and Gordon Thorne, and their wives, Mazie Cox and Annie Woodhull, purchased the McCallum’s department store building and launched Thornes Marketplace.

The store changed hands briefly during the ThornesCox ownership era and was troubled and deeply in need of rescue when Madowitz and Kohl stepped in.

“The inventory had been sold out,” Madowitz recalls.

“We immediately injected capital, bought a lot of inventory and started hiring additional staff to broaden the level of customer service.”

The vision back then was to create a one-of-a-kind, local and compelling gift shop with health and body departments and home décor. The kitchen department came later, along with several expansions that added over 2,000 square feet to the upper floor of the shop.

“We’re always innovating,” Madowitz says. “We have an excellent buying department.”

Merchandise manager Lauren Gunther has been selecting merchandise for Cedar Chest since 2010. She says she always veers away from typical products you see on many shop shelves and hunts instead for special items you can’t find anywhere else.

Window displays by Carrie Lenard, of Lenard Design

can be more resilient in the face of a changing climate. The second piece of good news is that they are not alone. There’s a web of support for local farms, including the state, local nonprofits, and the thousands of consumers who choose local. CISA works every day to strengthen the threads of that web by helping farmers secure grants and providing them with expert advice, building relationships between local businesses, and helping shoppers connect to local farms. Our work happens alongside, and often in partnership with, efforts that are focused on land pres-

“Our staff are personable and have creative ideas on how to help each customer, and the scale of the store allows shoppers lots of gift-buying options.”

Group, rival those you see on Fifth Avenue, Madowitz adds, and have given Cedar Chest an edge, drawing shoppers inside to explore.

Once in the door, high-quality customer service, staff with long histories and a deep understanding of products and clientele set the store apart.

“Our staff are personable and have creative ideas on how to help each customer,” Madowitz says. “And the scale of the store allows shoppers lots of gift-buying options.”

Posts on social media lend credence to this theory: “This

ervation, fighting hunger, environmental action, and food justice.

Local farms are at the center of a healthy local food system, and a big part of why many of us love to call this place home. CISA is committed to supporting them, and we hope you’ll join us! Learn more about local farms and where you can find them, advocacy efforts, and more, at buylocalfood.org

Claire Morenon is communications manager at Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA); to learn more about CISA and its mission, go online to Buylocalfood.org

shop is your no-fail solution for personal gifts for even the hardest humans to shop for;” and “THE best place to find a gift for basically anyone! This store has no problem letting you feel luxurious without destroying your wallet.”

Jody Doele, Thornes marketing manager and co-owner, says Cedar Chest has about a 4.5 overall rating on Google, and, like those who post on social media, she has a Cedar Chest story — and “review.”

“What haven’t I bought at Cedar Chest? Table linens, Christmas crackers, loungewear, things for the garden, socks, barware, and about 1,000 cards,” she says. “Being in close proximity to it (and all the other stores here) is one of the perks of my job. After 75 years, Cedar Chest is an institution, and we are grateful its home is here in Thornes.”

Both Thornes Marketplace and Cedar Chest’s leaders give

back to the community as part of their core mission. Cedar Chest donates items to the Northampton Senior Center and Cancer Connection thrift shop, and it also raised significant funds for Grow Food Northampton’s SNAP Match program. Madowitz — and Thornes — are also supporters of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and have long been the largest private business supporter of the Downtown Northampton Association. “A strong, vibrant retail offering on Main Street is helpful to Thornes,” he says, adding with a smile, “The more shopping the better.”

RETAIL

Cedar Chest merchandise manager Lauren Gunther and Thornes Marketplace co-owner Richard Madowitz inside the Cedar Chest located in Thornes Marketplace in Northampton. The store is marking 75 years in business. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

Richard Madowitz, owner, Cedar Chest, Northampton

is a display by the second floor window of the Cedar Chest. At left is the Noteworthy section of the store. Below, a look inside the store. The Cedar Chest at Thornes Marketplace in Northampton offers an eclectic collection of items for “Home. Body. Heart. “ The store has been in business for

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His sense of marketing developed through this entrepreneurial effort by managing to sell something he and his classmates did not have access to in the Bahamas.

“Marketing is telling people about things they would love to have if they knew it existed,” Connolly said. “This is what happens when you are an entrepreneur. You start to assess and see how you can move them down the path you want them to take.”

However, this small, yet innovative business effort was just the start of Connolly’s journey into becoming the owner of multiple enterprises and the community asset that he is known as today.

Connolly’s definition of an entrepreneur is someone who identifies a problem and builds a system to solve it.

With this strategy in mind, Connolly and his wife, Adrienne Connolly, co-founded Stinky Cakes in 2006 to assist parents of newborn babies in having a bundle of diapers on hand when they bring their children home. The business also serves as a way to make gift-giving fun.

Stand Out Truck, which launched in March 2020 a few days before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns hit, assists people, business owners, politicians and fellow entrepreneurs in getting their message out with digital mobile billboard trucks. Because several businesses and schools shut down during the pandemic, Connolly used this opportunity to help high school students in the region celebrate their accomplishments properly and safely.

Connolly managed to raise money for the new business while providing a solution to several graduates and families who were worried they would be unable to properly celebrate this milestone.

“A true entrepreneur has no problems and finds a way to get things done,” he said. Fast forward to the present, and Stand Out Truck currently takes clients in Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut and New York.

On Stand Out Truck’s website, Connolly’s book, “Launch and Stand Out,” is another resource entrepreneurs can use for information and tips on how to kill procrastination and build their home-based business

Connolly is aided by his design team, which helps him create the advertisement that will be placed on the truck before it hits the road, and an editorial team, which crafts a

story about the client and their business and posts it online.

Stand Out Truck employee

Justin Peritore, who operates one of the two trucks, said he is pleased to be working alongside Connolly.

“I’m just grateful to actually have the opportunity to sit in the seat and watch this business develop as I’m there to help support it,” he said.

“Not too many people get the opportunity to sit next to somebody that’s ready to take over the world.”

An alumnus of Holyoke Community College who received his associate’s degree in visual arts from the school in 2004, Connolly not only regularly visits the school’s marketing and business classes to speak about entrepreneurship but also has a scholarship with the college’s foundation.

The official title of the annual scholarship is the StandOutTruck Celeste Berger Annual Scholarship, which provides $800 to students majoring in business management, marketing, graphic arts or communications and have demonstrated a strong work ethic through community service or employment.

Connolly met Celeste Berger, an admissions counselor at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, when he first arrived in the United States. Berger managed to help him take a class focusing on the elements of design at the school, which costs $800. Because of this kind gesture, which has stuck with him, Connolly named the scholarship in her honor.

“I know that’s not a lot to some, but I know it’s a game changer to many,” he said.

“HCC was the first place that I felt at home and was the first place that I belonged. My heart is tied to HCC.”

Connolly also met the late Michael Kittredge II, the founder of the Yankee Candle Co. in Massachusetts, during his time at Holyoke Com-

munity College. Connolly considers Kittredge a major inspiration in his own business ambitions. “He served as a mentor,” Connolly said.

“Any time I had a question, I would call him. I still have his number on my phone.”

HCC President Christina Royal thanks Connolly for his ongoing support, describing him as a kind-hearted guy with a smile on his face.

“He shares his story of growth and success, including highs and lows, in the most authentic way and genuinely cares about helping others,” she said. “As an alumnus of HCC, he believes strongly in ‘paying it forward’ and gives his time and talents to those who can benefit from his support. Myke is truly an asset to our region.”

Royal’s remarks came after she awarded Connolly with the 2022 Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes those who have performed remarkable service to HCC and have enriched the value of the student experience, during the college’s 75th commencement last June.

Connolly intends to continue running Stand Out Truck and to conduct Marketing and Cupcakes, a networking event that teaches marketing methods to 30 to 50 prospective businesses each month in order to help them get more clients.

However, for someone like Connolly, there is always a fresh concept on the horizon that the public will benefit from.

“As long as I am on this planet, I am going to be an entrepreneur,” Connolly said. “There is always going to be a problem that needs to be solved. I am here to make an impact and part of that is showing people that they can be their true authentic selves and building an audience that believes they can do well.”

His advice to other entrepreneurs is, “Create Dope Stuff and Stay Sucka Free.”

“What dope means is to deliver others positive energy experiences, so something that’s going to make people feel good,” Connolly said. “As for the suckers, you’ll want to stay away from the negative people.”

FOR 90 YEARS

Celebrating our 90 th year as a fourth-generation, familyowned business — and one of the state’s original “green” builders Fontaine has constructed and renovated some of Springfield’s most historic landmarks and state-of-the-art facilities. We are proud to have helped shape the face of the city and look forward to building on that legacy.

“As an alumnus of HCC, he believes strongly in ‘paying it forward’ and gives his time and talents to those who can benefit from his support. Myke is truly an asset to our region.”

HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENT CHRISTINA ROYAL ON SUCCESS OF MYCHAL CONNOLLY

Mychal Connolly, founder of Stand Out Truck, is pictured surrounded by a collage of digital mobile truck billboards. At right, in a photo from 2009, Adrienne J. Connolly, left, and her husband, Mychal, right, hold some of their products for their business Stinky Cakes, which features diapers as a gift. It was the first business launched by Connolly. (HOANG’ LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN; MARK M. MURRAY / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno with keynote speaker and owner of Stand Out Truck Mychal Connolly at the Super 60 Awards luncheon held at the MassMutual Center on Nov. 10, 2022. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Mychal Connolly, stands with Justin Peritore, who operates one of the trucks for Stand Out Truck. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“As long as I am on this planet, I am going to be an entrepreneur. There is always going to be a problem that needs to be solved.”

Mychal Connolly

It’s all about the juice

Passion for health drove business success

By A PRELL M Ay MUNFORD amunford@repub.com

Each day between 5 and 6 a.m., cold fruit hits a blade at Cellf Juices before the morning hustle and bustle begins.

Jazlinda Navarro, the owner of Springfield’s first coldpressed juice bar, located at 1026 Bay St., believes her passion for health and nutrition is what has led to the success of the business.

Navarro said Cellf began as part of her individual self-love and healing journey. Armed with the inspiration for health, fasting and nutrition, she now hopes to support others in reaching their best self, or Cellf.

“The journey to self-love is a selfish journey. I am sharing that with the community and I want to make sure people are supported in their own journey,” she said.

With no loans, Navarro invested her own funds in the juice bar and it paid off, she said. Investment in the right equipment is what Navarro said is the first thing that makes her juice bar different

Farming

CONTINUES FROM PAGE L8

said. “My grandfather told me: We have so many cucumbers, more than enough to feed our family — how can we give these a new home?”

The next season, Bardwell Farm opened its first stand in front of the family homestead.

“At that time, I believe Bardwell Farm established a new chapter in its history,” Bardwell added.

Bardwell’s grandparents encouraged his father not to become a farmer, so he explored other interests and became a carpenter. But the love for farming was undeniable for Harrison Bardwell, so he learned as much as he could at home and, after graduating from high school, attended the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“I started my official work on this farm in 11th grade and worked and managed Bardwell Farm as I continued my education,” he said.

He is the ninth generation of the family to run the farm that dates to 1685, and Bardwell

from others.

“It is not a regular machine; the fruit only hits the blade one time and then it is pressed,” she said.

According to Navarro, the average machine creates heat and oxidizes the cold-pressed juice. The twin gears in the juicer at Cellf provide a greater

can track his ancestry back to the early 1600s when members of his family settled in Hampshire County after arriving from England.

“It’s really neat to still have Bardwells in the town where they first settled,” he added.

At the Stockbridge school, Bardwell pursued an associate degree. “Going to Stockbridge gave me scientific background and broadened my mind immensely,” he said.

Although Hatfield’s soil is some of the best in the world, Bardwell takes good care to ensure it stays rich with nutrients.

“Any type of soil thrives off diversity, so when you rotate crops it gives the life of the soil so much more energy,” he said. “You need to help the life in the soil to help plants to grow their best.”

Bardwell has adopted the no-till and limited-till practices in his fields.

“Research shows the less you disturb the soil, the more vibrant and healthier the microbes are to be able to thrive,” he explained.

The crops include everything from kale and cabbage, tomatoes and peppers, to sweet corn and squash. “I love

growing pickling cucumbers because it’s my favorite veggie to eat,” he added.

Bardwell also utilizes greenhouses and high tunnels on his farm, with efforts to harvest vegetables year-round. High tunnels are temporary, tall, covered structures that help protect crops from harsh weather.

“We’re able to harvest spinach, arugula, kale, lettuce mixes, and Swiss chard in the middle of February, allowing us to keep more staff and obtain more revenue,” Bardwell said.

This year, Bardwell and his team grew colored bell peppers in a high tunnel, and they harvested a much better-quality crop.

“My grandfather always said, ‘You’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,’ and this is 100 percent true,” Bardwell said. “Weather dictates what you do every single hour, every single day of your life.” Bardwell has noticed firsthand how climate change has impacted farming.

“When I started seven years ago, we had normal rainfall, and it would get cold in late October or early November,” he said. “Over the years we’ve

lost that nice steady rain, and it’s been replaced with heavy, harsh thunderstorms causing a lot of rain in a short amount of time.

“A drought for three weeks and a heavy thunderstorm scares me more because it can drastically affect a condition of a crop or field,” he said. Weather changes also impact diseases and pests that can hurt crops. “Farmers must still be able to produce a high-quality crop, but it takes twice the work that it used too,” he added. Reflecting on his short yet gratifying farming career thus

far, Bardwell expressed appreciation for what he’s learned from the region’s farming community, and, in turn, works to share that knowledge. He welcomes elementary schools for field trips to Bardwell Farm, and students in the Stockbridge School of Agriculture also visit for tours or work study programs. He tells others that farmers must be quick on their feet and sleeping past 8 a.m. on the weekend isn’t an option. “You need to be good at making quick decisions for the best solution in the moment,” he said.

Bardwell is excited for what the future will bring and has a feeling his grandparents would be proud of what he’s created for the Bardwell Farm in the 21st century.

“It’s taken countless hours and dedication from other farmers in this town, along with friends, family and my mom and dad who have been able to help me get to where I am today,” he said. “If every person on Earth could spend one day on a farm doing hands-on manual labor, it would allow people to see its importance, as we wouldn’t be able to survive.”

Winter squash on sale at the farm stand in front of Bardwell Farm in Hatfield in October.

“My grandfather always said, ‘You’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,’ and this is 100 percent true.”

HARRISON BARDWELL

A smoothie is poured for a customer at Cellf Juices in Springfield. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“The journey to self-love is a selfish journey. I am sharing that with the community and I want to make sure people are supported in their own journey.”

JAZLINDA NAVARRO, OWNER, CELLF JUICES, SPRINGFIELD

Janel Torres, at left,

our teams have learned to embrace more flexible work arrangements.

We lean more on technology to bridge some of the gaps that emerge when we are not all able to be in the same place at the same time. We also recognize that the way people choose to shop at Big Y has irrevocably changed during this time, and we have had to rethink our go-to-market strategies to effectively reach our shoppers.

We are, however, adapting and evolving thoughtfully, adopting only the innovations and technologies that fit within our company mission to deliver a personal connection that benefits our customers and communities with every product, service, and solution we provide.

Convenience and choice are of the utmost importance universally — but what is convenient and the preferred way to shop for one person isn’t necessarily the same as for another.

For some, what brings them through our doors is the promise of seeing a familiar face at the end of the aisle, checking out their groceries, bagging them expertly and loading them into their cart. For others, the independence of self-checkout is preferred, minimizing contact and still allowing shoppers to select their own groceries. We now offer self-checkout as an option in the majority of our supermarkets.

For others still, we offer contact-free curbside pickup through our Big Y myPicks online ordering service, leveraging the speed and efficiency of our state-of-theart micro-fulfillment center in Chicopee to pick and pack orders quickly, but still completing each order with the human touch of a Big Y employee, checking orders for accuracy and providing best-in-class customer

service.

We offer myPicks sameday, curbside pickup and now delivery for 11 of our stores in and around the Springfield metro area in addition to Instacart delivery that is available to all 73 Big Y supermarkets across Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The pandemic inspired our team to push beyond the known and familiar and to embrace new areas of technological innovation. For example, we now offer a mobile scan and go app, myExpress Checkout, that delivers the fastest way to get in and out of our stores — to grab a quick lunch or to bypass the lines that inevitably form at the end of a long work day.

These days our phones are almost always in our hands, so we are working tirelessly toward a goal of providing our shoppers with best-inclass mobile experience on our website, on our app, and in our stores. We offer our weekly flyer digitally every week so you may browse the sales and load myBigY offers into your digital account before you shop, saving you valuable time and helping to better plan your trip. We still have work to do to make this digital experience as seamless

as possible, but we are proud of our accomplishments thus far, and of the collaboration of our teams working together to reach this goal.

The interesting thing about all of this is that, despite how “techie” it all might sound for a supermarket that has been serving your community for over 85 years, our mission at Big Y remains unchanged.

We are people working together to provide exceptional value and a personal shopping experience that makes daily life easier, more healthful and more enjoyable for our shoppers. Big Y is poised to take on the challenges of the future, and we will do so with our eyes and ears open, listening and responding to our employees and our shoppers whose feedback and ideas help guide our way forward.

We sell groceries, yes, but we are a people company, so innovation and new solutions are explored and adopted if and only if they make shopping at Big Y more convenient and enjoyable for our shoppers.

Sarah Steven is vice president of marketing at Big Y Foods; to learn more about Big Y, go online to BigY.com.

Big Y employee Jonny Swan oversees the myExpress Checkout stations at his store. Big Y says it is the fastest way to get in and out of its stores. (BIG Y FOODS PHOTO) Big Y employee Jonathan Mendoza, left, at the myPicks online ordering service fulfillment center in Chicopee. Big Y myPicks provides contact-free curbside pickup to customers, a service launched amid the pandemic that continues.

“Innovation and new solutions are explored and adopted if and only if they make shopping at Big Y more convenient and enjoyable for our shoppers.”

SARAH

STEVEN, VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING, BIG Y FOODS

Big Y’s Start Shopping app is among technological innovations launched by Big Y Foods for its customers. (BIG Y FOODS PHOTO)

Samble family keeps things clean, green in 21st century

Business dates to 1907, founded by immigrant

By K EITH O ’C ONNOR Special to The Republican

A leader in the fast-changing dry-cleaning industry, Belmont Laundry & Custom Dry Cleaners since 1907 has been helping to make people in the Pioneer Valley look good, while saving them time from cleaning and pressing their own clothes.

“My great-grandfather Harry Samble moved here from Glasgow, Scotland, and built a business on Belmont Street,” said Derek Samble, company president.

Textile cleaning has come a long way since the Roman Empire when “fullers,” regarded as professional cleaners, made a living for themselves.

Jump forward to the 20th

century when Harry Samble first began his business and the process still looked primitive compared to today.

In the early days, a bicycle, then a horse and wagon, and eventually a truck would travel throughout Springfield picking up laundry to be cleaned. Clothes were washed in big tubs and hung on lines — all this before machines entered the picture to do the cleaning.

What has set Belmont Laundry apart from the rest over the years is the fact that, “We are creators, innovators,” Derek Samble said.

At one time Belmont was the only cleaner in New England using radio frequency identification chips with bar codes in their garments and entrance mats. It was also the first in the Northeast to put in spot cooling for their employees and a leader in filtration systems.

Today many dry cleaners in the U.S. are struggling to keep their doors open for a variety of reasons, or to put it bluntly, as Samble stated, “The dry cleaning business has gone down the drain. And COVID didn’t help.

“Suddenly people were working from home, they never got out of their pajamas, and there wasn’t a need any longer to continuously bring in their business attire for cleaning. Unfortunately, the pandemic took 75% of our business away, but thankfully we’ve come back 90%. With other cleaners closing, the volume had to go somewhere,” he added about their turnaround.

But the pandemic isn’t solely to blame. It started long before, primarily as a result of the introduction of washand-wear clothing and new materials like polyester that didn’t require dry cleaning, Samble noted.

“The trend over the years has been toward a more casual wear lifestyle. As Baby Boomers retire, Gen X and the Millennials aren’t dressing up,” he said. “So, there isn’t as much of a market to clean those suits once usually worn to a wedding or funeral.”

WINERIES

Wine to ‘please all palates’

’Hamp couple turns dream into reality

By JANICE B EETLE

Special to The Republican

Larry Godard grew up in a big Italian family in Springfield, surrounded by lots of aunts and uncles. Every Sunday, they gathered at his grandparents’ home on Orchard Street, where his grandfather made wine and stocked it in barrels in the cellar. Godard developed a deep appreciation for the tradition — and the tastings. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst on the GI Bill in 1979, Godard and his wife,

Sue, moved to the Hudson Valley of New York, where vineyards were plentiful.

“That’s where the germ of the idea started,” says the owner and inspiration for Mineral Hills Winery in Northampton. “We thought wineries were pretty cool. You go on a tour. You end up in the tasting room. You get a glass of wine. We liked it a real lot.”

That many years ago, “No way did we think we were ever

going to go for it,” Godard says.

But in 2009 the couple began pressing wine made from the blueberries and apples on their property.

Now their own winery is pretty cool. You can go on a tour. You can do some tasting, sitting outside under the pavilion, at a high-top table, in an Adirondack chair or around the fire pit. People say they like it a real lot.

“We set ourselves up to not be pretentious,” Godard says. “We want to please everyone. We have 15 different wines.”

For two years in New York state, Godard worked as a systems programmer for

Belmont Laundry owner Robert Samble Jr. sorts through newly cleaned clothes at the laundry in 1982. Today, his son, Derek Samble, oversees the family-run business that dates to 1907. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Melissa Rabideau is the manager of Belmont Laundry’s flagship store in Springfield. She is hanging freshly laundered shirts. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“The Springfield area has less than half of the laundries it did two decades ago. Today it’s a volume business, and smaller cleaners who don’t have the customer base we do are finding it tough to keep their doors open. And that’s on top of overhead, which is driving up prices at the counter for good dry cleaning.”

DEREK SAMBLE, PRESIDENT, BELMONT LAUNDRY & CUSTOM DRY CLEANERS, SPRINGFIELD

Table & Vine at the Big Y Store in Northampton carries a selection of Mineral Hills Wines from Northampton.

(DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

Sue and Larry

“We set ourselves up to not be pretentious. We want to please everyone. We have 15 different wines.”

‘Lip-smackin’ good’ sauces

stir 30-year success story

Marinades, rubs and more allow business to grow

By M AX B OWEN Special to The Republican

From making sauce for $2 a bottle for friends to starting up a page on Amazon, Chubby’s Sauces has come a long way.

Owner Steve Norwood started the business in 1996 with a recipe handed down from his great-grandfather. That recipe later became known as Chubby’s Grillmaster and, after hearing great things from family, he began making it for friends and co-workers, averaging 4 or 5 gallons every two weeks.

“I charged two bucks and when I went up to three bucks, they’d complain, but they’d still hand me the money,” said Norwood with a laugh.

Norwood describes himself as a “six-day-a-week worker” and always had a day job along with developing the Chubby brand. After working his day job he’d hit the kitchen with his then-wife and two daughters to make the sauce that had become so popular, and credits them with being a strong part of the business’ success.

Chubby’s first location was in Northfield at a former golf course. A few years later, he rented space at the Franklin County Community Development Corp. office in Greenfield. His current location, at

11-B Deacon Parker Road in Bernardston, has been the business’ home for the last 14 years. Norwood’s business got its start with the Great American Steak Sauce, Grillmaster and Firemaster sauces in mild, medium, and hot. There’s also the Old 45, a bourbon steak sauce named in honor of the Harley Davidson 45-degree engine. Norwood’s a motorcycle rider and said the tech side of him came out when it came to the name. He said Old 45 only sees a couple batches a year and has grown in popularity, with new distributors helping get into areas such as the Berkshires. Chubby’s also offers salsa, meat rubs and Big Mama’s pasta sauce.

All this success hasn’t gone without a few bumps in the road. Norwood recalled a time when he had installed a new filler for the sauces. His wife left to get lunch and when she returned, found him staring at the ceiling 12 feet above his head, which was covered in sauce when the equipment malfunctioned.

“We’ve had some interesting stuff happen,” he said.

Another aspect of the busi-

ness is the different contracts

Norwood has secured over the years to package sauces, hot sauces and salad dressings for other companies. It’s been part of the business for the last decade and accounts for approximately 60% of its work. The idea came from chef Drew Starkweather, who packaged for Norwood at his Vermont plant.

Norwood said it was a challenge expanding the business this way since different sauces tax the equipment, and he estimates that 3,000 containers are done a day.

“I’m proud of what we’ve done,” Norwood said. “We’ve grown and pushed quite a bit.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered many businesses, Norwood said his wife hoped this meant he could take a break. But since they processed food, Chubby’s was named a “necessary business,” so it could remain open.

Norwood said he kept the employees — three full-time and two part-time — going, but getting materials was a challenge. Most of its sales are in gallon jugs, but since so many were being bought to store hand sanitizer, Norwood found the shelves at his usual suppliers — such as Hillside Plastics — were bare.

“It was difficult not getting the work done, difficult getting the materials,” Norwood said.

This time period forced the staff to be “on your toes” as Norwood put it. Material shortages forced staffers

to order from outside New England, and sickness and factory closures were always a problem. Price increases were also a challenge. Norwood sources his tomatoes from Italy, the price for which quadrupled. Though Chubby’s saw a 20% increase in sales, a lot of that went back into keeping stocked on supplies.

“The availability, that made

it difficult,” he said. “There’d be so much demand and then there’d be company shutdowns for lack of personnel.”

Though a recession in 2023 is all but certain, Norwood hasn’t paid it much mind. Over the course of his career, he’s only spent $5,000 on advertising, relying more on his custom van and word of mouth.

He said he keeps his ears open for potential cost in-

creases and makes sure there is plenty of inventory in stock. Instead, he’s focused on the future — growing his business online, expanding the co-packing part of the business and trying out new products, such as meat rubs.

“We do small steps, but those steps happen every month,” Norwood said. “Slow growth has kept us solid in the marketplace.”

Steve Norwood is the owner of Chubby’s Sauces in Bernardston, founded almost 30 years ago. Norwood has added marinades, rubs and other condiments to his line. (HOANG ‘LEON’

/ THE REPUBLICAN)

“We do small steps, but those steps happen every month. Slow growth has kept us solid in the marketplace.”

STEVE NORWOOD, OWNER, CHUBBY’S SAUCES, BERNARDSTON

Samble isn’t the only fourth-generation family member involved with the business.

“My sister April (McCarthy) began working in the store when she was just 14 at our retail dry cleaning division. Today she oversees our entire pickup and delivery operation and handles every customer’s garments,” Samble said. That segment of the company’s service also takes the environment into consideration by using eco-friendly Ford Transits.

“It’s a time-saver for people, costs the same as bringing them into our store and is an important part of our business today,” Samble said. “We pick up on Monday and have them back to customers on Thursday ready for an additional pickup if needed.”

Over the years, the dry cleaning industry has weathered many storms. Perhaps the biggest has been the controversy over using what some at the time called a “miracle” cleaning solvent called perchloroethylene, also referred to as PERC. It was developed as far back as the 19th century and went on to become the primary cleaning agent in the dry cleaning business before it was discovered to be a probable human carcinogen as well as an environmental pollutant. Today local and state policies have been established regulating its use and paving the way to identifying safer and more sustainable solvents.

It was Samble — in another example of the leadership and ingenuity that had become synonymous with the Belmont name — who encouraged his now retired father, Robert Samble Jr., who was president of the company at the time, to consider green cleaning as “the only way to go.”

By 2009, Belmont was “PERC-free” and the transition to an eco-friendly business was complete. Today all of their cleaning materials, detergents and starches are organic in nature, biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

“Dermatologist tested and approved, the solvent used in

the Eco-Cleanse system is safe on the skin,” Samble said.

Among the many benefits of Eco-Cleanse dry cleaning as listed on the Belmont website include carcinogen-free and halogen-free cleaning, zero “dry cleaner” smell, pollutant-free clothing, safer garments to wear, softer garment feel and a longer garment lifespan.

Today the number of dry cleaning establishments in the United States is drastically falling. From the first quarter of 2001, to the first quarter of 2022, the number of dry-cleaning and laundry service establishments, excluding those that are coin-operated, decreased from 27,204 to 16,497, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Even Belmont Cleaners has needed to consolidate its operations, which is now 80% commercial, into three current locations. In addition to its flagship on Belmont Avenue, there are two additional locations, one on Wilbraham Road in Springfield and the other on Westfield Street in West

Springfield.

“The Springfield area has less than half of the laundries it did two decades ago. Today it’s a volume business, and smaller cleaners who don’t have the customer base we do are finding it tough to keep their doors open. And that’s on top of overhead, which is driving up prices at the counter for good dry cleaning,” Samble said.

“A box of hangers was $18.99 before COVID, now they are $65 and we use 10,000 a week. Then there is the cost of utilities, which is through the roof, and we have a lot of equipment,” Samble said.

But Belmont Cleaners isn’t going anywhere soon.

“Belmont is always going to be here as a dry cleaner. We are committed to service with a really great team who have been with us for many years,” Samble said. “We have over 100 years of textile cleaning knowledge, and we do the right thing for our customers and when it comes to running our business.”

Production manager Rodney Fisher, above, takes items out of a commercial dry cleaning machine at Belmont Laundry & Custom Dry Cleaners in Springfield. Caroline Duncan, at left, is a press operator for the company. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Lisa Ashline hangs shirts in the uniform division of Belmont Laundry & Custom Dry Cleaners in Springfield. Ashline has been with the company for 36 years. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“Belmont is always going

We

who

many years.”

DEREK SAMBLE, PRESIDENT, BELMONT LAUNDRY & CUSTOM DRY CLEANERS

IBM, and in 1981, he and Sue moved to the Sylvester Road property in Florence where she had grown up.

They settled in, clearing some land on the multi-acre parcel and building a house. Godard started work as a programmer at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance. Subscribers of Mother Earth News, they began beekeeping, raising lamb and sheep, growing apples and blueberries and making honey.

As they raised their five children, they launched a roadside stand in 1985.

“We called it Godard’s Red Hen Farm after the book ‘Little Red Hen’ because we did it ourselves,” Godard says.

Godard was still working in 2008 as an assistant vice president in charge of various engineering teams and had retirement in mind not too long down the road. Then, MassMutual handed him a retirement package and made things clear and easy.

“We got to make the dream a reality,” he says.

The couple began developing the building that would house the winery and put their farm wares under the awning. They started making wine in 2009 and opened the doors in 2010 with 50 cases of wine.

Over the years, they have invested in the business only with earned capital — no loans. As they needed them, they’d buy more and larger stainless steel tanks, barrels, heating and chilling and filtering units, pumps, hoses and clamps.

“That’s how we went from 50 cases to making 1,500 to 1,800 year,” Godard says.

Early on, most of the wines served up by Mineral Hills were on the dry side, the way Godard likes them.

“When people started coming, many asked for sweet wine. It occurred to me that our moniker had to change: ‘Wines to please all palates,’” he says. “Now, we span the gamut from dry to sweet. We try to

please everyone.”

The Godards import the grapes for their cabernet sauvignon because they can’t be grown in the Connecticut River valley, but raise their own Cayuga, itasca, frontenac and petite pearl grapes on their own land and on parcels in Easthampton and Williamsburg.

While the business is closed for a winter break through March, you can buy their wines — from the popular Red Hen Red, frontenac and cabernet sauvignon to May wine and NOHO Blush — online with pre-arranged pick-up at the winery, or from wholesalers such as Big Y, Liquors 44 and Atkins Farm anytime. Doors reopen in April.

Godard is 70 now, and both husband and wife are looking to do less work. They have no interest

in clearing any more land on the property to grow and develop. But they have a succession plan: daughter Anna Pearlman, of South Hadley. The 39-year-old Pearlman quit her job in July and is on the payroll in a transition process that will conclude in 2024, when her parents will step down, and she will take the lead. The Godards will keep an eye on the business, though, as they will still live there on the land.

At right, some of Mineral Hills Winery’s wines have

We continue to investigate various technologies – both established and emerging – in an effort to continue to green their power portfolios. This includes offshore wind, energy storage, green hydrogen and advanced nuclear technology.

DeCurzio

CONTINUES FROM PAGE L6

Massachusetts power plants per year.

Six MMWEC member utilities are participating in the project, which will come online this year. The project is ideal for MLPs looking to increase their carbon-free generation, but may not have adequate space within their own service territories to build a solar array.

Despite all of their progress, MMWEC and the MLPs are not resting on their laurels. They continue to investigate various technologies — both established and emerging — in an effort to continue to green their power portfolios. This includes offshore wind, energy storage, green hydrogen and advanced nuclear technology. At the same time, the MLPs are increasing opportunities and incentives for forward-thinking customers looking to decarbonize and electrify. In 2022, MMWEC launched the NextZero program, a rebranded energy efficiency program with a focus on decarbonization and electrification for residential and commercial customers.

In 2023, several MMWEC member light departments will participate in a new residential battery incentive program in an effort to encourage more residents to reduce their carbon footprints at home. MMWEC

will continue to investigate and develop programs under the NextZero umbrella that support the MLPs’ objectives of decarbonization.

The economy and the pandemic continue to present

challenges to our industry, but MMWEC and the commonwealth’s municipal light departments will forge ahead in our mission today while keeping an eye on the future.

Swift

CONTINUES FROM PAGE L9

simply not be possible without our associates. At Health New England, we take care of our employees so they can better serve you. We have many programs and services available to help with physical and emotional health, and wellness incentives to encourage employees to reach their best health.

Health New England is actively increasing diversity within our associate population. We value the experiences that each one of our associates brings to the workplace and this helps us continue to serve the unique needs of members of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic statuses, religions and other diverse backgrounds.

Many of our colleagues are your neighbors, your friends

and your customers. They care greatly for the people in the communities in which we live, work and play. In 2023, we look forward to reinvigorating and expanding upon our company’s commitment to volunteering with local organizations, efforts that took a hit during the depths of the pandemic. You can expect to see more Health New England employees working with our nonprofit partners to provide basic needs, improve our communities, and help kids get a great start.

Whatever 2023 brings, Health New England remains committed to putting our members and our community first as we adapt to an ever-changing health care landscape.

Richard Swift is president and CEO of Health New England. To learn more about Health New England, visit healthnewengland.org

Ronald C. DeCurzio is the CEO of Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co., based in Ludlow. To learn more about MMWEC, go online to mmwec.org

The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. in Ludlow dedicates the largest single solar field in the state on Oct. 17, 2022, to the late Master Sgt. Alexander Cotton who served with the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Anna Pearlman extracts a sample to perform a test in the back room of the Mineral Hills Winery in Florence.

(DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

“When people started coming, many asked for sweet wine. It occurred to me that our moniker had to change: ‘Wines to please all palates.’ Now, we span the gamut from dry to sweet. We try to please everyone.”

LARRY GODARD

‘Food that is medicine’

Herbalist shares ghee made on Full Moon

By C ORI U RBAN Special to The

Republican

Full Moon Ghee really is made during the full moon.

Ghee is clarified butter that is lactose-free and shelf stable for up to a year. Its many health benefits include: its full-spectrum short, medium and longchain fatty acids; omega-3 and omega-9 essential fatty acids; vitamins A, D, E and K; and nine phenolic antioxidants and numerous other minerals.

But what makes Full

Moon Ghee, produced in Franklin County, of special interest is its production during the full moon.

“We make it on the full moon because the moon has deep connections to Ayurvedic medicine and healing with herbs,” explained owner Hannah L. Jacobson-Hardy, of Ashfield. “The energy of the full moon is a time of dream becoming manifested, upward

movement, vitality, yang, expansiveness and full-oflife force.”

Jacobson-Hardy is an herbalist by training who has studied Ayurvedic medicine, which is from India.

“We want our ghee to be infused with the fullness of life on Earth as we gaze into the moon,” she said. “Milk that is harvested from cows who eat grass that is growing during a waxing moon also contains this level of energy.”

Ghee is used in healing modalities, cooking and body care products because it is nourishing and sattvic, calming to the mind and body.

Jacobson-Hardy began

Some of the products produced by Full Moon Ghee in Franklin County. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Hannah L. Jacobson-Hardy, founder of Full Moon Ghee, checks on a batch of boiling ghee at the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center in Greenfield, where her products are produced. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“I hope for a fruitful year ahead that nourishes my customers, my family and staff while also honoring the cows, farmers and bountiful Earth which provides for all of us.”

Hannah L. Jacobson-Hardy, Full

Moon

Ghee

Hot ghee is filtered through cheesecloth before canning at the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center in Greenfield where they produce products for Full Moon Ghee. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Ghee

CONTINUES FROM PAGE L18

the business after receiving a jar of ghee as a birthday gift.

“I could not get over how amazing it made me feel so I started making my own for home use,” she said.

She enjoys sharing food, especially “food that is medicine,” so she asked her friend who introduced her to ghee to make small jars for her to sell at the farmers market where she brings her herbal products in Northampton.

“People loved the ghee. So we ramped up production,” and she quickly grew the business that sells ghee in more than 100 stores and farm stands throughout the Northeast.

The ghee is made at the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center in Greenfield. JacobsonHardy has three part-time employees. Full Moon Ghee produces about 5,000 pounds of ghee per year, using butter from farms in the Northeast. There are many sizes of ghee available, ranging from 4-ounce jars at $11.99 to gallon tubs for $119.99. The most popular size is the 16-ounce for $21.99.

Besides the original, Full Moon Ghee flavors include rosemary garlic, turmeric spiced, chocolate and maple.

The savory flavors are delicious cooked into stir fries, curries, rice and sweet potatoes. The sweet flavors

are best used as spreads for pancakes, muffins, bread and even blended into coffee or hot cocoa.

“Ghee was super popular about five years ago with the paleo and keto movement, when eating healthy fats became recognized as beneficial and necessary for our bodies and brains,”

Jacobson-Hardy said. “It has been a steady upswing since then and especially with our brand recognition, which speaks to the supportive community we have here for local food.”

She is not interested in exponential growth of her business: “I believe in having my needs met, paying my employees livable wages and sharing the medicine of ghee.”

Yet the cost of production has increased in the past two years with supply-chain issues and the rise of butter’s price per pound. Full Moon Ghee has not increased its prices since then and doesn’t plan to, “but we want our customers to know why the cost of our ghee is often more than other ghee on the shelf,” Jacobson-Hardy said: livable wages, farmer livelihoods, local butter with a small carbon footprint, healthy cows and community kitchens.

“I hope for a fruitful year ahead that nourishes my customers, my family and staff while also honoring the cows, farmers and bountiful Earth which provides for all of us,” she said.

leafy green yield, have two magnets that separate ions which eliminates the actual press so the fruit or vegetables don’t sit.

“The process is unique and different because it is less oxidation and that gives the best results,” she said.

Amy Brennan, a Springfield College student, was at the juice bar for the first time.

Brennan said she usually goes to different places to try out acai bowls and she had been considering trying Cellf for a while. “I have never been here before,” Brennan said, “It’s good. I like it. The size and price is good.”

Navarro, a Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy and University of Massachusetts graduate, continued her education in Honduras, where she studied the benefits of fasting, proper nutrition and juicing.

Navarro’s health and nutrition journey has taken on a new life since then. Currently, she teaches a spin class, just finished the Philadelphia Marathon and is in the process of getting her registered dietitian nutrition certification from Cornell University.

“I have a plant-based nutrition certification from Cornell and just currently got accepted into a RDN program (registered dietitian nutrition) for master’s,” she said.

What started out as a side business around fasting and juicing by selling fresh juice in the hair salon circuit has branched out into niche health and nutritional campaigns.

“I just want to help our people in Springfield change by talking to them about juice fasting and letting them know they are in control,” Navarro said.

Navarro admits that it is difficult to find something healthy to eat and committing to change after working eight to 12 hours daily, but people can come to Cellf juice to take control over their nutrition and fasting in addition to joining a community of support.

“It is hard to cook and do what needs to get done. Everything in our day is moving fast and it becomes easy to put something in the microwave, but we can slow down. By fasting, we can take control of our nutrition and breath,” she said.

She said being open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. helps reach customers with busy schedules and in turn, Cellf is selling more alkaline juice and sorbet bowls than ever.

There was an unexpected boom in sales that started with the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was intense,” Navarro said. “Fasting was a hit and in January and February we had lines through the door. Online ordering went from 20 to 50 deliveries within three weeks.”

With all the juicing the pulp had to go somewhere,

so Navarro has been recycling juice pulp into compost.

“I graduated in 2015 with a biology and horticulture degree,” she said. “So, naturally, I started composting. I have a big yard and I wanted to start a kale garden.”

Navarro said she creates her own mix of compost and topsoil and although there is no fertilizer in it, her compost mix has the same nutrient rich properties to sustain a healthy garden.

“Nitrogen, phosphorus,

potassium and magnesium are all needed for a healthy garden,” she said. “You can tell it is good by the color.”

The compost mix is used to support kale, tomato and pepper gardens and many more fruit and vegetables.

Cellf Juices donates the rest of the pulp to be turned into compost at community gardens and farms.

“We have tons of pulp, more than any other juicer in the city. I partnered with Grow your City, Gardening

the Community a nonprofit on Walnut Street, and Commonwealth Sustainability, a chicken farm in Hadley, for composting,” she said. Local farm owners and customers can come in and ask for compost. According to Navarro, the staff will hand over a burlap bag full of freshly pressed goodies created for the garden you have in mind.

And if asked, Navarro said can she go to customers’ homes and test the mix to make sure it is right.

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IMPROVE RESTROOM HYGIENE TODAY.

Jazlinda Navarro, owner of Cellf Juices on Bay Street in Springfield, stands while holding her 1-year-old mini goldendoodle Bomar in her arms. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Chef Gregory Gomes chats with Hannah Jacobson-Hardy, founder of Full Moon Ghee, as they wait for giant batches of ghee to finish cooking in the vats to the right. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Chef Gregory Gomes, shift leader at the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center in Greenfield, gets ready to set out jars for filling as he produces products for Full Moon Ghee. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Small businesses continue to be the backbone of the North American business community. According to the career resource Zippia, there are 33.2 million small businesses in the United States. Those organizations employ around 62 million people. The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly harsh on small businesses. However, many of them survived through digitization that they plan to continue to utilize even when the pandemic is long gone.

Consumers are the driving forces behind the success of small businesses. Here are some effective ways for consumers to help small businesses grow.

■ Shop local. Shopping local means becoming repeat patrons at the independent businesses that comprise Main Street as opposed to the chain stores that dominate strip malls.

■ Share on social. Utilizing social media platforms to highlight the positive attributes of a business can help that business grow.

■ Call direct for take-out orders. Those ubiquitous third-party food delivery services may be convenient, but businesses have to share the profit from your

purchase with the delivery service, cutting into their bottom lines. Pick up your order or rely on the restaurants’ own delivery teams.

■ Engage with the business online. Complicated algorithms and other factors determine how a business’ website or social media page gets seen by the public. You can help things along by liking pages, visiting the website frequently and sharing any posts.

■ Speak about a business in person. When out and about, whether you’re dining with friends or chatting with a stranger, try to push and recommend businesses you support. If someone compliments your lawn, shoes or haircut, mention the businesses that did the work or sold you the products.

■ Suggest opportunities for exposure. If you know about a school or organization looking for vendors, make the suggestion to a small business you use frequently. They may get new customers from participating in the event.

Small businesses are driving forces in the economy. Consumers can do their part to keep them thriving and profitable.

ENTERTAINMENT

Thunderbirds use ’21-22 momentum to keep surging

By RON C HIMELIS rchimelis@repub.com

Ahockey season like the Springfield Thunderbirds’ 2021-22 campaign doesn’t come along every year. The city’s American Hockey League franchise is still making sure its success is lasting, not fleeting.

Community partnerships feed food bank mission

AT TIMES, IT CAN feel overwhelming to reflect on the many crises occurring around the world. While we can’t solve them all, we can solve the crisis of food insecurity in our own backyard.

In the 40 years since the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ founding and during the last 17 years as its executive director, I’ve witnessed state and federal govern-

LEGACY BUSINESS

ments, as well as the community, rally to the cause. This was most evident during the recent spike in food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and during the Great Recession (December 2007 through 2009). In both cases, it took time for government to enact policies and increase funding to provide critical relief to households, businesses, and municipalities.

Vocational school grads among shop’s mainstays

By JANICE B EETLE

Special to The Republican

Great customer service and a special guarantee on workmanship for the life of a car fueled the popularity and growth of Rick’s Auto Body in Springfield over the years.

But it was a sharp wit that also proved a stellar marketing tool for Raymond “Rick” Recor. The owner’s warranty and wordsmithing began in the mid-1990s. Recor was working

In both cases, our community partners responded immediately, providing vital food assistance. Entire communities stepped up and acted, including donors of funds and food, volunteers and our network of 160-plus local nonprofit and faith-based food pantries and meal sites.

For 40 years, community partnerships have demonstrated the essential role we all play in solving food insecu-

SUCCESS STORIES Crave is dream turned reality

rity when households face this grim and unjust reality. For many, this reality is temporary, for others it is chronic.

Over the years, I’ve had some deep, personal conversations about why and how

By E LIZABETH L AFOND- C OPPEZ Special to The Republican

Ortiz, owner of Crave.

ANDREW MOREHOUSE

Above, fans cheer during Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals on June 24, 2022, between the Springfield Thunderbirds and Chicago Wolves at the MassMutual Center. Top left, Springfield Thunderbirds’ mascot Boomer reads a storybook to 2-year-old Calliope Cody in January at the East Springfield library branch as part of Anthony’s Book Club, in partnership with the Springfield City Library and the T-Birds Foundation. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN, FILE)

“Last season gave us a lot of momentum for what we’re doing now. And the people have been behind us.”

THUNDERBIRDS PRESIDENT NATHAN COSTA

of faith, you will get Holyoke entrepreneur Nicole

Nicole Ortiz, pictured, prepares pork plantain fries, one of her favorite offerings at her Crave restaurant in Holyoke. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

‘Pick Rick’s’: 50 years of dents, dings and more

“We take our customer service very seriously and always have. We’re one shop, under one roof.”

RAYMOND “RICK” RECOR, RICK’S

AUTO BODY

Edwin Morales, a body man at Rick’s Auto Body in Springfield, sands a car door in the shop. (STEVEN E. NANTON PHOTO) SEE RICK’S, PAGE M18

Byron Stripling Conductor, Trumpet & Vocals

Mary Kay Wydra

Johnny Smith, of Springfield, has a good time at the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival kickoff on Aug. 12, 2022. The festival last year drew thousands of visitors to downtown Springfield over the course of two days in mid-August.

Western Mass. ready to roll out red carpet

The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau’s outlook for the Western Massachusetts tourism industry in 2023 is largely positive but will ultimately depend upon one major new factor: the state of inflation.

Numerous economists are suggesting that this year’s dramatic inflation may have already reached its peak. US Travel is suggesting the projected recession, if it comes to pass, will be of short duration, with a recovery beginning in early summer. Time will tell if those are accurate predictions, and the key the question is: Will people travel?

While vacation costs are rising and vacationers may cut back on distance or duration of trips, our region will typically experience solid demand for leisure travel. Travel has been incredibly resilient, despite the uncertain economic situation — with strong pent-up demand and momentum — and has so far shown no significant signs

of weakness.

Most Americans regard their vacation as a non-negotiable part of life. Many simply couldn’t spend time away from home during the depth of the pandemic due to work furloughs, travel restrictions or family situations, leaving significant pent-up demand. Plenty of families were also able to bank their unspent

vacation dollars, and those funds are projected to help fuel leisure-related expenditures in 2023.

Given the effects of inflation, some consumers’ choices might change (selecting value accommodations with free breakfasts, cutting out an attraction or two, or shortening the length of a

AUTOMOTIVE

Car sales flourish amid ‘demand problem’

E-cars on rise; used cars remain rare commodity

By K EITH J O ’C ONNOr

Special to The Republican

As the new year began, the Cox Automotive forecast was for U.S. auto sales to finish 2022 down 8% year over year, closing with the lowest sales volume in a decade.

“In what started as a year with a supply problem, 2022 is ending with a demand problem,” the report noted, citing aggressive interest rates as the culprit pushing consumers out of the market for a new vehicle.

Looking ahead to 2023, Cox Automotive’s many predictions include new vehicle inventories continuing to climb, new vehicle sales growing

as used sales decline, sales of electric vehicles surpassing 1 million units in the U.S. for the first time and dealership service operation volumes and revenue climbing.

Affordability may well be the greatest challenge following a year when elevated retail prices and high auto loan interest rates combined to produce record monthly payments in 2022 — when average car payments were about $840 for a SUV and $1,000 for a truck.

But, 2022 sales weren’t all doom and gloom for some area dealerships, although they faced the same unwelcome challenges as many others across the country.

At Marcotte Ford in Holyoke, overall sales were up and that was “a big accomplishment,” said Mike Filomeno, general manager.

“While we still went through supply and chip issues in our industry,

“We are proud to be one of those dealers recognizing the role electric vehicles will play in the future. On our part it involves a huge investment to build an infrastructure to deal with the sales and servicing of electric vehicles.”

Streaks of light from cars visiting Bright Nights at Forest Park on Dec. 29, 2022, as the holiday lighting extravaganza wrapped up another successful season in Springfield. Bright Nights is among the leading tourist attractions in Western Massachusetts. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Todd Volk, left, president, and Edward O’Grady, sales manager, in the showroom at Central Chevrolet in West Springfield, above. Central reports being the leading volume Chevrolet dealer in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. At right, Mike Aubrey, right, parts and service director at Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke, talks with service technician Javier Santiago in a service bay. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“We’ve had our best year in history — up 36% over the previous year — which I attribute to having a product that is very desirable and that has received many accolades.”

GARY ROME, OWNER, GARY ROME AUTO GROUP

MICHAEL MARCOTTE, OWNER, MARCOTTE FORD, HOLYOKE

Michael Marcotte is the president of Marcotte Ford in Holyoke. He said his family-owned dealership is adding infrastructure for the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

SEE CAR, PAGE M20

MGM: ‘Renewed commitment’ to Springfield, WMass

As we look back at 2022, I am incredibly proud of the city of Springfield, the community and our dedicated team members, all of whom showed such resilience as we worked together to revitalize our community.

The pandemic presented every business with a unique and challenging set of uncharted circumstances. This was certainly true for our business — MGM Springfield lost more than $100 million in revenue directly due to the pandemic — and I know we were not alone.

But collectively we have all not only persevered but pulled together to come out on the other side with a renewed sense of optimism as we look forward to 2023. We are moving ahead with our primary focus centered on our guests and the continued renaissance of the city of Springfield, the Comeback City!

MGM Springfield recently celebrated the official launch of our BetMGM Sportsbook, which opened to great fanfare on Jan. 31. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, state Sen. Adam Gomez, state Rep. Carlos González and Boston hockey legend Ray Bourque placed the first bets in the state of Massachusetts, signifying a new era for the commonwealth.

We are incredibly grateful for the tireless work of our state delegation for pushing this historic bill over the finish line, paving the way for opening day.

It is exhilarating to see our downtown buzzing again!

MGM Springfield is a big part of that story, and we are committed to keeping foot traffic flowing through a variety of

events this year, including Red Sox Winter Weekend, cheering on our own Springfield Thunderbirds (Go TBirds!) and other world-class performances in the lineup at the MassMutual Center, Symphony Hall, ROAR Comedy Club and MGM Springfield.

Giving back to our community is critically important to us at MGM Springfield.

To date we have given more than $600,000 in aid to local organizations and our team members have contributed thousands of volunteer hours. We are already off to a great start in 2023, with several impactful community and volunteer events on deck in the coming weeks.

The new year also brings with it a renewed commitment to growing our team, our amenities and expanding our dining and venue hours to meet demand.

MGM Springfield will continue to develop and thrive, supporting area businesses and the downtown economy, as the commonwealth emerges post pandemic.

We’re thrilled to see so many locals and out-of-town guests visiting us at MGM

Springfield, and we look forward to welcoming you in 2023. Thank you. Chris Kelley is president and chief operating officer of MGM Springfield. To learn more about MGM Springfield, go online to mgmspringfield. mgmresorts.com

Wydra

CONTINUES FROM PAGE M2

trip); the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau is still expecting to see many leisure visitors coming to Western Massachusetts in the year ahead.

Our region has long offered leisure travelers an enticing list of one-of-a-kind attractions, including Yankee Candle Village, MGM Springfield, Six Flags New England, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, to name a few. Some large-scale events that are unique to Western Massachusetts include the Big E, Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Brimfield Flea Markets and the Jazz & Roots Festival.

Add to all that our easy access from major Northeast feeder markets and abundant outdoor recreation options. None of these factors are going to change in 2023, and, taken together, they greatly strengthen our tourism offerings.

What is changing is that as we leave the pandemic behind, we’re seeing the payoff of our continued sports marketing efforts. Early in this year, we were hosting major events such as the Red Sox Winter Weekend and the Hoop Hall Classic, both of which took place in January, as well as AHL Springfield Thunderbirds hockey, local college sports and perennial

winter shows such as the Camping and Outdoor and Sportsman’s shows at the Eastern States Exposition grounds.

Later, we’ll welcome large new events like Ironman 70.3 Western Mass on June 11 and Hooplandia June 23 through 25. We are increasingly using sports as a lure to create purpose-driven trips that we know will include pre- and post-event activities that benefit our other attractions, accommodations, and eateries as well and have a tremendous positive impact on our local economy.

We’re also finally seeing a renewed interest by business groups in hosting conventions in our region. This sector was the among the most hard-hit segments during the pandemic, with large gatherings effectively not allowed. Since mid-October 2022 we’ve fielded a rising number of inquiries from planners looking hard at Greater Springfield and Western Massachusetts. As a result, we have several new site inspections on our calendar, some of which will potentially turn into formal booked conventions with attendees coming here by the many thousands in future years.

A final factor that could play an as-yet unknown role in the 2023 visitor economy is the continuing tight labor market. The hospitality sector is traditionally a strong labor gateway, with many jobs not requiring degrees or advanced training. Despite

this, many local hospitality businesses are experiencing challenges in recruiting and retaining workers. If these trends continue, employers may face difficulty in operating at full capacity, even if the demand from consumers is robust.

Since 1996, the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau has recognized the vital difference that dedicated, customer-service oriented employees can make in providing high-quality visitor outcomes and return trips. We celebrate these outstanding individuals each May as we present the Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence.

In 2019, Western Massachusetts enjoyed one of its strongest travel years on record before 2020 showed us how quickly everything can change. As we peer ahead now, we are anticipating potentially slower growth at the start of the year, with an accelerating recovery.

Our regional tourism businesses have learned much, developed greater resiliency and know how to pivot if conditions demand. But more than anything, they’re looking forward to rolling out the red carpet to welcome back visitors to Western Massachusetts in a big way!

Mary Kay Wydra is president of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. To learn more, go online to ExploreWesternMass. com.

Above, Cathy Judd-Stein, center, chair of the state Gaming Commission, joins Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, state Sen. Adam Gomez, D-Springfield, MGM Springfield president Chris Kelley, state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, and other elected officials and staff members for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge on Jan. 31. At top, young fans have fun at the Town Hall event held as part of the Boston Red Sox Winter Weekend at MGM Springfield and the MassMutual Center on Jan. 20. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

MGM Springfield will continue to develop and thrive, supporting area businesses and the downtown economy, as the commonwealth emerges post pandemic.

the July run of the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets, a shopper finds

The Brimfield markets, offered each May, July and September, remain a perennial favorite among tourists to the Western Massachusetts region. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

Our regional tourism businesses have learned much, developed greater resiliency and know how to pivot if conditions demand.

For 40 years, community partnerships have demonstrated the essential role we all play in solving food insecurity when households face this grim and unjust reality. For many, this reality is temporary, for others it is chronic.

Morehouse

so many people live with food insecurity. I met a person the other day who described how he works two jobs to keep a roof over his head and pay essential bills, yet still needs food assistance to feed his family. Every day is a struggle for him, with no end in sight.

Only by opening our hearts and minds can we learn from the reality of people who live with food insecurity and hunger. Far too often it is easy to assume we know why they do and judge them accordingly. As with all things, life is more complicated and complex. While emergency food assistance may always be necessary at some level, our goal must be to end hunger and food insecurity. To achieve this goal, we must solve the systemic underlying causes of hunger, like low wages and the lack of affordable housing, transportation, child care and health care. Only through greater

awareness of these and many more causes can public policy change the rules to create a level playing field, enabling everyone to lead a healthy and productive life with food security and economic stability.

Here’s a case in point: For decades the prevailing public sentiment was to blame the public welfare system and the households who rely on it for becoming trapped in a cycle of poverty. The response was to “reform” welfare by slashing public assistance and imposing work requirements. This sentiment lingers, even though we have learned this failed approach only exacerbates the cycle of poverty because it disincentivizes work.

Individuals who enter the workforce, get promoted with more hours or earn even a little more pay suddenly become ineligible for public assistance. They fall off a “cliff,” losing essential support to make it through this tenuous transition to gainful employment. Abruptly, these households confront having less, not more,

income to keep a roof over their heads, pay for child care, and put food on the table. Facing the “cliff effect,” households often are forced to turn down work to survive. They become trapped in poverty.

Late last year, the commonwealth passed a firstof-its-kind national pilot program to demonstrate that a “glide path” rather than a

cliff is a smarter and more cost-effective approach to supporting households who want to escape the poverty trap. A statewide coalition of businesses and nonprofit organizations led by the food bank and the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts advocated for the successful passage of this pilot program.

The three-year pilot will utilize monetary support to provide 100 households throughout the commonwealth with benefits tailored to fill the gap created by the cliff effect as they work toward economic independence from public assistance. We are hopeful it will chart a new direction to strengthen families and communities.

In the meantime, high inflation is causing food insecurity to rise again. We must double down on our efforts and deepen our community partnerships, drawing from the hard lessons learned and the incredible creativity, adaptation and innovation of our region’s emergency food network over the last few years. At the food bank, we know we must be ready for the next crisis. For this reason, we are building our future, larger and greener food distribution center and headquarters in Chicopee to be able to carry out our mission for decades to come.

Together, we are building community for a common purpose — to create a Western Massachusetts where no one faces food insecurity and everyone has access to nutritious food.

Andrew Morehouse is executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. To learn more about the food bank and its work, go online to food bankwma.org

Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, above, stands on the second floor overlooking the warehouse of the new food bank headquarters being built on East Main Street in Chicopee. At left, U.S. Rep. Silvio O. Conte, R-Pittsfield, speaks during the dedication of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts headquarters in Hatfield on May 31, 1987.

anniversary in

The Food Bank of

‘No Farms. No Food.’

Don’t forget our farmers

Greater Springfield, you and I, and the rest of the world are progressing through the after-age of the pandemic. We are all in it together. Every continent, country, region, business and person is finding his or her way past COVID-19.

Things have changed in more ways than can be quantified. Each of us has a different reaction as we move forward. Those of us of a certain age will recall Lee Iacocca’s admonition, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” It remains good advice.

The pandemic was a challenge for some, devastating for some others and every gradient in-between for most. The virus and ensuing events are leading us into an economic recession that couldn’t have been imagined three years ago.

One can point fingers in a myriad of directions, but the fact remains, the economy has not only receded, it has changed. Working circumstances have changed, and the physical location of our work performance has changed for many.

The workforce has evolved as older employees have left the arena, and younger workers are entering it at a slower pace, often with expec-

tations that are wildly different than the norms we have been comfortable with for generations.

From my perch, I see the New England agriculturists and their reaction to all things, not just the pandemic, in the light of Iacocca’s words. There is something to his mindset we can all benefit from.

The agriculturists must be flexible. They must be forward-focused. There is no other option. Well, there is actually a singular “other option” — they can quit. In the simplest terms, if they quit, there is no milk. No eggs. No meat. No vegetables. No food. Here I’m reminded of the ubiq-

uitous bumper-sticker: No Farms. No Food. That is a truth. Though our farms have changed, and many have disappeared, thank God and the American way of life, the U.S. remains a powerhouse of food production, entrepreneurial thinking and efficiency. In normal times, pre-2020, I would have written that differently. I would have confidently stated that the U.S. produces so much food that we are a net exporter. Unfortunately, currently, that is not true. These days we are net importer. And from a variety of sources, including those who may not be our friends on the world stage. But those

facts are for another article. Today, we want to talk about resiliency and meeting challenges. And that is precisely what the American agriculturist does, setting a path we should follow.

Most of all, the Northeastern farmers have served as the world’s agricultural innovator since America’s founding. In the current age, they manage stifling regulation that hobbles him. They also deal with seasons and the weather they impose. They work on a topography that is not conducive to the scale farming required in modern times.

To survive, the New England farmer must be diverse, adjusting from

season to season, milking, and perhaps making ice cream or cheeses from cow’s and-or goat’s milk. They will sell beef, vegetables, pick-yourown fruits, maple syrup, Christmas trees, or a host of other products, all in an effort to progress, to make a living, to provide for their families, to add to our culture, our economy and society.

Most of us pay little attention to what goes on behind the scenes. We visit our friends at the Big Y who do all the work to assemble our favorite products in the market. We simply do not have to give any consideration to how it got there, where

Above, Osborne West, of Hartsbrook Farm in Hadley, congratulates Brett Yerins, right, 17, of Madison, N.Y., as Yerins’ Sterling Dale Valiant Mindy took first place in the Junior Dairy Cattle Show at the 1988 Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. West entered livestock competition at the Big E since 1916 and again entered the 1988 show. He died in 1991. Top left, contented sheep in the Mallory Arena during the Eastern States Exposition on Sept. 19, 2022. Agriculture is the foundation upon which the exposition was born more than a century ago, and support for New England’s farmers is a critical focus of its continuing mission, according to president and CEO Eugene J. Cassidy. Bottom left, fairgoers visit the Big E fair on opening day Sept. 16, 2022. (VINCENT

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Crave, now located at 285 High St., is a restaurant, catering business and mobile food truck offering modern Puerto Rican cuisine that uses fresh, local ingredients.

“We opened our brickand-mortar restaurant while managing our food truck and catering orders,” Ortiz said. “It’s been wild and a bit of a learning curve, but we’re so happy we’ve been able to expand.”

Creating Crave was Ortiz’s dream, and it became her reality quickly thanks to the MGM Culinary Arts Institute at Holyoke Community College and Holyoke’s EforAll (Entrepreneurship for All) program. Ortiz attended a pitch contest for her business idea in the summer of 2019 and won first prize. With her $1,000 prize money, she created a “pop-up” restaurant at Holyoke Community College.

“It was highly successful and a surreal experience,” she recalled. “We knew we had a winning idea and food that people wanted, loved, and supported, so I signed up for the business accelerator program from EforAll Holyoke, and they helped me go from idea to a legitimate business.”

In February 2020, Ortiz purchased her food truck and moved full steam ahead despite the world soon shutting down from the pandemic. Her food truck was fully open by that August, and its success led her to expand.

John Grossman, of the Holyoke Hummus Co., offered Ortiz the opportunity to share space with him on High Street to prepare her menu items so she would no longer need to use a commercial kitchen in Southwick. “The space was right here in downtown Holyoke, so it was perfect,” she added.

In June 2021, Crave took over the entire lease and the storefront increased her business. “We didn’t have the intention of opening a brickand-mortar, but it was silly for us not to serve food, so we ran with it,” enthused Ortiz.

The offerings at Crave are

vibrant, ranging from tropical tacos and loaded baked potato soup to homemade lemonades in mango passionfruit or blueberry lavender.

“I’m always trying to keep up-to-date with food magazines and new cookbooks and expand my knowledge,” Ortiz

said. “I love playing around with ingredients and offering specials that our customers really enjoy.”

Ortiz says her favorite thing on her menu are the plantain fries: “I think we are the only place in the area that sells them with mango salsa and other colorful ingredients.”

Ortiz’s future plans include getting her liquor license for the restaurant and hopes to offer more outdoor dining. “We hope to expand our food truck operation, too,” she added.

Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, executive director of EforAll/ EParaTodos, says Ortiz came to the entrepreneurship mentoring program with an idea, incredible skill for cooking and she used every opportunity to help her bring her dreams to fruition.

“Launching and growing a business despite a pandemic, a hiring crisis and rising costs just shows Nicole’s tenacity,” Murphy-Romboletti said.

“We’re so proud of her and the way she has become a leader in our community, and we’ll continue to support

her.”

Ortiz’s advice for other entrepreneurs is to stay focused, plan and strategize: “Really understand what you’re getting into, gain experience and take time to learn your craft and business.”

Crave is open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., offering lunch and dinner menus, and specials for Taco Tuesdays. The Crave Food Truck travels around Western Massachusetts and catering is available for events. Visit cravetruckma.com for more information.

“Launching and growing a business despite a pandemic, a hiring crisis and rising costs just shows Nicole’s tenacity. We’re so proud of her and the way she has become a leader in our community, and we’ll continue to support her.”

TESSA MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EFORALL/EPARATODOS, HOLYOKE

Above, Nicole Ortiz stands inside the Crave restaurant at 285 High St. in Holyoke. Oritz is an alumna of the Holyoke EforAll entrepreneurship mentoring program. At right, pork plantain fries are one of the offerings at Crave. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTOS)

Home sales market becomes ‘more realistic’

ROBERT MOLTA, CEO, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES, EAST LONGMEADOW

Rising interest rates, reduced inventory at play

It’s the American dream — owning your own home.

But for some that dream may take a little longer, as rising mortgage rates put their dreams on hold in a market that is low on inventory as fewer people put their homes up for sale — all resulting in falling home sales.

The numbers from the National Association of Realtors have not been encouraging.

“In essence, the residential real estate market was frozen in November, resembling the sales activity seen during the COVID-19 economic lockdowns in 2020,” said the association’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun. “The principal factor was the rapid increase in mortgage rates, which hurt housing affordability and reduced incentives for homeowners to list their homes. Plus, available housing inventory remains near historic lows.”

To put the local market into perspective, the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley, in its mid-January report of single-family home sales for December showed a 36.8% drop year-over-year from 601 sales in December 2021 to 380 in 2022.

“Condos are also selling well, as seniors are looking to sell their homes and move into smaller properties.”

Pat Wheway, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Longmeadow, agrees, saying, “Condos are selling like hotcakes.”

“Baby boomers are trading in their big colonials and moving into beautiful new condos, which no longer carry the distinction as places where ‘only their grandma lives,’” she said.

High interest rates are taking many first-time buyers out of the market, as well as those looking to move up, Molta said. As a result, adjustable rate mortgages, where you get a lower interest rate for a set number of years, are becoming more popular, he added.

‘for informational purposes only.’”

Without waiving inspection, “for informational purposes only” allows the buyer an opportunity to see the home, identify things that are wrong without requiring the seller to fix them, and they can still walk away from the transaction.

Offering additional tips for those in the marketplace, Molta recommends that those considering buying a home should start saving as soon as possible in order to place a good down payment and to be pre-approved and have as high a credit score as possible.

Sellers, added Molta, should price their homes correctly and they will “likely get very close to their asking price if not the

normally, and that interest rates will increase some. So, get pre-approved so you are ready to jump when you find the house you want.” What it all comes down to is that “ownership is important” and brings pride and enjoyment into your life as well as financial stability, said Lori Beth Chase, president of the Realtors Association of Pioneer Valley.

PIONEER VALLEY HOME SALES

Here are key details from the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley’s single family home sales report for December 2022:

• Sales: Down 36.8%, 601 in December 2021 to 380 in December 2022;

• Median price: Up 11.9%, $279,950 in December 2021 to $313,250 in December 2022;

• Inventory: Down 19.1%, 592 homes for sale in December 2021 to 479 homes in December 2022;

• Days on market : Up 14.2%, 37 average days in December 2021 to 42 days in December 2022

“Everyone dreams of owning their own home. You are building your own wealth for your family and future generations,” said Chase. “When sitting with new buyers who are renting, I always tell them the interest rate may be 6% or 7% right now, but you are paying 100% in interest with your rent. I explain to them that all of the money they are

paying to the landlord is going into their pocket and they are gaining wealth, not you.”

Chase added, “You can take that income, the rent you are paying, and put it into something you are going to build equity in, something you are going to own, and that is so important for the financial wealth of every human being.”

“2022 started off as an overheated market, where people would put their house up for sale and expect multiple offers, some having over the asking price, resulting in the home selling quickly. But the second half of the year was like a light switch flipping off and it became more challenging,” said Robert Molta, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in East Longmeadow. “I think 2023 will enter us into a slower period, a more balanced market.”

Over the past decade, Molta noted, the average price of a home in Western Massachusetts has gone from about $175,000 to a little over $300,000.

“Multifamily homes are hot. We’ve seen for a while single-family homes going way over asking price, but I don’t see that happening as much as inventory has increased a little, but is still quite low,” said John Brunelle, broker-owner of B & B Real Estate in Holyoke.

All three Realtors note that the interest rates need to be put into perspective.

“Interest rates remained low for so many years so the market could recover from the housing crash of 2008,” Wheway said, referring to the period when property values collapsed and foreclosures spiked.

“Back in the 1980s, mortgage rates were about 18% but are now at a more realistic 6 to 7% and are not going back to a time when they were at 3%,” she said, adding that the market has endured “a crazy two years” during the pandemic.

“We’ve seen some buyers offering as much as $30,000 over asking price, but also waiving inspections. If they decide they want to waive inspection, I tell them to find another Realtor,” Wheway said. “There were sellers who wouldn’t take an offer if there was going to be an inspection. What I have suggested is that they do an inspection

actual asking price.”

Brunelle recommends that sellers go through their property to make sure there are not any structural problems and that the mechanical components of the home are in good working order.

In addition, Brunell said, sellers should make sure the house is “clean and presentable” so when the potential buyer walks in they can “envision moving right onto the home.”

“If there is a wet mark on the ceiling, for example, get it fixed,” said Wheway. “We always go in, no matter what the price of the home, to stage it. We move things around ... make it look more presentable.”

Wheway urges both sellers and buyers move forward with their plans.

“I hear from others that it is such a bad time to buy, but it’s not. Don’t wait,” she said. “I believe that we will continue to see home prices increase, but slowly and

Above, Robert Molta, owner of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, stands at a new development, Longhi Farm Estates, being built on Nicole Terrace in Agawam. At right, John Brunelle of B & B Real Estate stands in front of one of his listings for Ernest Lane in Holyoke. He reports the inventory of single-family homes is declining, while multifamily houses are hot properties in the market in early 2023. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“I think 2023 will enter us into a slower period, a more balanced market.”

“Baby boomers are trading in their big colonials and moving into beautiful new condos, which no longer carry the distinction as places where ‘only their grandma lives.’”

PAT WHEWAY, COLDWELL BANKER REALTY, LONGMEADOW

By K EITH O ’C ONNOR Special to The Republican

Here’s some food for thought: Everyone needs to eat. The question is, are they eating at home or out in a restaurant?

“The restaurant industry is ending the year in an environment that’s the most typical since 2019,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of Research for the National Restaurant Association. “Moderate but positive employment growth across the economy and elevated consumer spending in restaurants will allow the restaurant industry to kick off 2023 on a more optimistic note than the

last few years, but operators remain braced for potential challenges in the new year.”

Multi-restaurant owner Federico Mendiola, of Frontera Grill — with locations in Springfield, Chicopee, and Manchester, Connecticut, as well as Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant in Amherst — agrees with Riehle’s assessment, noting he considers business to be “almost back to normal levels prior to COVID-19.”

“The overwhelming majority of the public have decided they would like to return to restaurant dining as part of their life and to be as much as it was prior to the pandemic,” said Daniel Gonya, business development manager for Table 3 Restaurant Group. Table 3 includes Avellino, The Duck, Cedar Street Grille, Cedar Street Café and The Barn at Wright Farm banquet facility,

all in Sturbridge. The pandemic continues to have some influence on customers, though, according to Karen Anderson, owner of Tucker’s Restaurant in Southwick.

“We still have customers who come in asking if they can sit at a table away from everyone else, which is hard to do on a busy Friday or Saturday night,” Anderson said.

“And we’ve had bookings last year where some would call three days prior to their event and cancel because people were afraid of COVID.”

Indeed, 2022 started off

anything but normal.

“2022 felt like several different years in one. In January and February, there were still COVID restrictions in some places. Fast forward some nine months later and we had a robust holiday season,” said Stephen Clark, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.

“People wanted to get out and reconnect with friends and family.

“And what we’re seeing now is that grocery store prices are up, menu prices too. But the delta, which is the amount of the percentage they have gone up, is the biggest difference in 50 years, where it is that much more expensive to go

to the grocery store, relatively speaking, than going out to dinner.”

As consumers returned to restaurants, challenges such as labor shortages, supply chain issues and inflation all impacted the bottom line.

Anderson’s husband, Michael Anderson, chef and

Students from the Ohio Future Farmers of America have fun inside the Massachusetts building at the Eastern States Exposition on Sept. 16, 2022. For decades, the Big E has welcomed thousands of young farmers from across the country to the exposition each September. (HOANG ‘LEON’

NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Cassidy

CONTINUES FROM PAGE M6

it came from and how during the pandemic when schools were closed and the New England milk market shut down in an instant, how the producer of that product survived. In this age there is a movement toward food awareness — a conscious understanding that an item was locally grown. This is a good thing for our regional food producers. They have much to be boastful about and any increase in demand driven by local interest is beneficial to them, and, importantly, to the next generation that follows. Because that is how farmers are made — they are procreated on their homesteads. There is zero likelihood of a kid from a Greater Springfield neighborhood becoming our next dairy farmer. Supporting our regional agriculturists falls on us. Helping them through the post-pandemic recession should be our priority.

We have a responsibility to not be complacent, overlooking the value and importance of our regional agriculture. I wrote on these pages several years ago (2017) that because of our disconnect from agriculture and the sinister activities of some who veil themselves as protectors of animals and agriculture, we would face a destructive increase in the price of eggs beginning in 2022. That increase was driven by a referendum question that was permitted on our ballot in November 2016. At the time, you could buy a dozen eggs at the friendly Big Y for 99 cents. Thanks to media such as The Republican and efforts by agriculture professionals, including Eastern States Exposition, awareness was raised regarding the impact of that bill. The legislature and former Gov. Charlie Baker approved a modified version of the original bill in December 2021. Still, today, the cost for eggs has been driven by that refer-

endum and, at $5.99 a dozen, the most efficient protein delivery system conceived is now a luxury item leading to ever-increasing food insecurity in our region. That ballot question was designed by its authors to put Massachusetts’ commercial poultry growers out of business — an effort that extends to other states today. While we still have several boutique producers raising cage-free eggs, at $6.79 per dozen, not many can afford them.

We have an expression at Eastern States Exposition: “Agriculture is Our Culture.” We try to make it fun. We know it can get lost in the translation of the fair, but in these changing times, we hope agriculture becomes your culture, too. Support local agriculture. It is so important.

Eugene J. Cassidy is president and CEO of the Eastern States Exposition. To learn more about the exposition, go online to thebige.com

‘Everyone has to eat’

Above, Michael and Karen Anderson are the owners of Tucker’s Restaurant in Southwick. They are among area restaurateurs who say they have adjusted their hours to deal with the challenges of both the pandemic and inflation. At left, Short Rib Mac & Cheese at the Cedar Street Grille in Sturbridge, part of the Table 3 Restaurant Group. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

A platter of chicken fajitas is ready to leave the kitchen at Frontera Grill in Chicopee.

Restaurateurs stay positive, still need staff

“My wife and I go out to dinner ourselves and notice menu prices are up, but we understand. For the most part, I think customers are coming around. They are beginning to understand what is going on.”

MICHAEL ANDERSON, OWNER-CHEF, TUCKER’S RESTAURANT, SOUTHWICK

Bradley aims high with new

Ireland flights return, ground center opens

By JIM K INNEy jkinney@repub.com

Bradley International Airport can grow to be a 10-million-passenger-a-year airport, says Kevin A. Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority. But that will take the recovery of an airline industry still staggering from the impact of COVID. And it will mean that Bradley continues to compete for new routes and service. The airport re

corded 5.8 million passenger enplanements and deplanements in 2022, up 26% from the 4.7 million boardings in 2021 as the industry continues to recover from COVID 19 shutdowns.

“This is the first year we’ve gotten back on that growth trajectory,” Dillon said, But to hit 10 million, Bradley will need more flights to more places — something it had success with lately from Breeze Airways expansion and the expected March return of nonstop Aer Lingus service to Ireland. But for Bradley to keep growing it’s going to need to compete for planes, air crew and resources from airlines still recovering themselves from COVID shutdowns.

“We are competing with every airport in the country,” Dillon said. But there is hope.

“Every airline I talk to sees opportunities here,” he said.

Dillon and a host of dignitaries, including both of Connecticut’s U.S. senators, opened Bradley’s $210 million ground transportation center in June.

Funded with a surcharge on auto rental

Music, theater are back on WMass stages

By G EORGE L ENKER

Special to The Republican

It won’t be too long until we will mark the three-year anniversary of the first COVID lockdowns in the U.S. And, while the majority of the most restrictive measures have been lifted in the entertainment world, the specter of the coronavirus

Requirements such as proof of vaccination and mandatory masking have pretty much disappeared at shows. While some communities and venues still strongly suggest people to wear face coverings at shows, compliance is often at a minimum. Despite new variants mutating every few months or so, people who frequent concerts, theater and other art installations seem to be fine with reverting to pre-pandemic behavior.

How this will all play out is anyone’s guess, but across Western Massachusetts arts promoters speak confidently yet cautiously about how

“The recovery has been slow but steady,” said John Sanders, a partner with DSP Shows, which books music and comedy up and down the Pioneer Valley. “The second half of 2022 was much better than the first half, and we are optimistic 2023 will continue along that trajectory.” Sanders is a veteran of the regional arts community, having booked numerous shows for years with the Iron Horse Entertainment Group before moving on to DSP. He said that while COVID still plays a role in the direction DSP moves, it hasn’t been a major one lately.

“Generally if we have an oppor

really many decisions that have been impacted by the pandemic in the last few months,” he said.

Sanders is upbeat about the coming year.

“Our outdoor series at the Pines is always a highlight of the year for me.

I’m excited for what we have lined up in what should be a busy summer at Look Park,” he said. “We are very pleased with how our first shows at the Drake are doing in Amherst and look forward to continuing to work with them on more shows. And, as a music fan, I’m always excited about the Green River Festival. What a gem of a festival to have in our backyard.”

Speaking of the Green River Festival, its founder and director, Jim Olsen, is also feeling positive about

“Things are finally almost back to normal. After almost three years of lockdown and then unpredictable conditions, we’re finally feeling confident about the success of live music again,” he said. “While we still have about a 10% no-show rate among our ticket holders, it’s trending in the right direction. We’re also experiencing far fewer artist cancellations due to COVID.” Olsen, who also runs the record label Signature Sounds and the Parlor Room in Northampton, said although there is still an element of caution when booking shows, he was pleasantly surprised by a local trend over the past year.

“The most surprising thing has been the addition of several great venues to the scene. It’s so nice to

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra performs with pianist Artina McCain at its concert “Audacity of Hope” that took place at Springfield Symphony Hall on Jan. 14, above. Top left, Janet Ryan performs at the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival kickoff on the evening of Aug. 12, 2022. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTOS)

Falcettis keep tune with times

65 years young, company adapts to challenges

By C ORI U RBAN

Special to The Republican

The Falcetti Companies — born 65 years ago — have been keeping tune with the times, expanding and diversifying as needed to adapt to market changes, recession and even pandemic.

“We’ve never been complacent, always open to exploring changes and (always) attentive to customer service at the highest levels,” said owner Tony J. Falcetti.

Falcetti Music has been sharing the joy of music with thousands of people throughout the Northeast for more than six decades; it all began as a small retail store and

place to learn and play music. His father, Anselmo “Sam” Falcetti, a musician and music educator, began his Falcetti Music business in 1957 in Westfield with 12 students. He taught and sold instruments, and the business grew.

By 1963 he had three teaching locations: Westfield, Springfield, and Enfield. In 1979 the first retail store opened at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside. Today, the Falcetti business includes Falcetti Music-Falcetti School of Music, Falcetti Piano-Northeast Piano Service and Northeast Piano Movers. The three companies and their subdivisions operate out of corporate offices in Springfield.

Falcetti Piano also has stores in Natick and in Nashua, New Hampshire, while the Falcetti School of Music is in Simsbury, Connecticut.

The Falcetti Companies have 70 full- and part-time employees.

Sam Falcetti and his wife, Peggy, instilled in their family and their employees a solid work ethic that “kept the engine running,” Tony Falcetti said. Both parents are now retired, and Sam still teaches accordion and has an accordion performing group.

The pandemic had a noticeable effect on the music industry as music venues closed and school-based instruction was put on hiatus while students engaged in remote learning.

“The industry hadn’t adapted well to taking lessons online,” Tony Falcetti said. Software and tools needed for remote music lessons were not available, and “we lost music students we are never going to get back. … I think time is going to heal that.”

sic,” Falcetti said. “The music industry is resilient. … People want to play music. We need it in our souls whether it is listened to or played.”

The future of the Falcetti

Falcetti Music has been sharing the joy of music with thousands of people throughout the Northeast for more than six decades; it all began as a small retail store and place to learn and play music.

of growth going forward,” Falcetti said.

Companies looks “amazingly bright,” he said, because of its smart, forward-looking staff that is fueling growth and because of an increasing online presence. “We see lots

To learn more about the Falcettis’ business, go online to falcettimusic.com, falcet tipianos.com or northeast pianomovers.com

“The essence of this company is to make sure music happens,” Tony Falcetti said. “We do more than sell instruments and provide lessons. We create pathways for people to enjoy playing, listening to and performing music.”

But, “The good news is the pandemic created a new industry,” he said, referring to online music lessons, which made learning to play an instrument easily accessible and convenient.

“I think 2023 is going to be a real growth year with people coming back to mu-

LEGACY BUSINESS

The Falcetti Music business includes Falcetti Music-Falcetti School of Music, Falcetti Piano-Northeast Piano Service and Northeast Piano Movers. The three companies and their subdivisions operate out of corporate offices in Springfield at 1755 Boston Road. At right, Ryan Kerns, sales associate at Falcetti Music in Springfield, has a good laugh while greeting a customer. Along with its businesses in Springfield, Falcetti Piano also has stores in Natick and in Nashua, New Hampshire, while the Falcetti School of Music is in Simsbury, Connecticut.

(HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“The essence of this company is to make sure music happens. We do more than sell instruments and provide lessons. We create pathways for people to enjoy playing, listening to and performing music.”

TONY J. FALCETTI, OWNER, FALCETTI COMPANIES

Sam and Peggy Falcetti at the Music Center during the grand opening. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

The books section at Falcetti Music in Springfield. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Still rolling on the river

Brunelle family keeps expanding marina business

By JANICE B EETLE

Fire dictates change.

So says Lucien “Luke” Brunelle, owner of Brunelle’s Marina in South Hadley, and he would surely know.

In 1944, a man ran across the ice-bound Connecticut River from Holyoke to South Hadley to alert his grandparents that their home on the riverbank was on fire, saving the family and their farm animals.

In 2013, another fire destroyed the Brunelle family’s marina, built along that same stretch of riverbank. The Brunelles are like phoenixes, though. They keep rising from the ashes.

In the 1940s, after a few years, the family had rebuilt their farm. Eleven months after the 21st century fire, the Brunelles were back in business with a bigger and better marina.

Brunelle is a junior to his father, the late Lucien “Luke” A. Brunelle, and the son knows the history of the marina well and has repeated it often recently, given that the business turned 60 in 2019.

The senior Brunelle was a mason by trade, and his brother, Richard, was a master carpenter. Together with their parents, Beatrice and Alphonse, the family launched

LEARN MORE Business: Brunelle’s Marina Where: 1 Alvord St., South Hadley For more info: Online, brunelles.com; call, 413536-3132

On Sept. 24, 2013, two months after a devastating fire, Lucien “Luke” Brunelle, center, flanked by his parents, Lucien and Josie, unveils plans for the new Brunelle’s Marina during a Beyond Business gathering to support the rebuilding of the marina. (DAVE

/ THE

Lucien “Luke” Brunelle Jr. oversees his family-run Brunelle’s Marina in South Hadley. The business was started in 1959. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

“The (Connecticut) river, for many years in the ’70s, was known as a dirty place. Now, people are realizing it’s really clean. ... It’s a hidden secret. Come enjoy.” LUCIEN ‘LUKE” BRUNELLE, BRUNELLE’S MARINA, SOUTH HADLEY

Live theater is ‘Majestic’

West Side company marks 25 years on stage

By G EORGE L ENKER Special to The Republican

Live music venues come and go, but the best of them seem to stick around. No matter what, it seems there will always be venues for live music somewhere in their local area.

Live theater, however, seems to be in a much more precarious position. While smaller community theater groups survive, primarily because of relatively low overhead costs, larger troupes and theaters have to deal with bigger budgets, sets and actors’ equity.

So the fact that the Majestic Theater in West Springfield has been around since 1997 is quite remarkable.

Danny Eaton, producing director for the theater, said there is a combination of reasons that the Majestic has survived — and even thrived — for so long.

“There are a number of reasons for our survival, I suppose,” Eaton shared. “I would start with the plays that we produce. If I have a mantra, it’s ‘do not waste people’s time.’”

Also, said Eaton, factor in “our ticket prices, which are

Stages

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see Amherst finally get a first rate music venue in The Drake,” he said. “The addition of Bombyx in Florence and the Marigold in Easthampton has been great, too.”

Those new venues mentioned by Olsen have helped fill the gap left by the Iron Horse Entertainment Group’s lack of shows at its venues the Calvin, Pearl Street Night Club and, of course, the longstanding Iron Horse Music Hall, all in Northampton.

(Iron Horse owner Eric Suher could not be reached for comment.)

very affordable, particularly given the quality of our productions.”

And, finally, he added, “I would also say that we stress customer service — our box office people are the first customer contacts before we even open the doors.”

Eaton also mentioned that the theater’s café, which opens one hour before any performance, is a somewhat “charming and comfortable space and our customers most every night fully occupy it.”

Eaton recalled that years ago a big New York City consulting firm was hired to survey the health of the arts in the Pioneer Valley. One of the things they discovered was that 80% of the population had never attended a live theater production.

“We’ve managed over the years to bring new people into the theater,” he said. “I’ve also maintained that if we could by hook or crook get 10 new people to come to the theater

There also seems to be greater hope in Springfield, as MGM Springfield looks as though it is booking more shows beyond the tribute bands that have made up much of its calendar recently.

Chris Isaak played the ARIA Ballroom there in November and the Commodores are slated to play in May.

The regional theater scene also took a broadside from COVID. But Danny Eaton, director of the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, said a combination of a loyal fan base, a grant and a loan kept the theater afloat. He is also hoping for a brighter 2023.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to present great stories and rebuilding our

— assuming, of course, a good production — that I’d get eight to come back, and more than that, I’d get five of them to become subscribers. We’ve been able to grow a really dedicated audience base because of that.”

Those subscribers have been the lifeblood of the Majestic over the years. The first major sponsor Eaton had was Ted Hebert. Hebert, of West Springfield, a successful businessman who is founder and president of Teddy Bear Pools, says he “was never a big theater guy.”

“It just didn’t mean that much to me, but then my wife Barb and I heard about this new theater opening up in West Springfield,” he said.

The Heberts decided to check it out, and, although he wasn’t expecting much, he was blown away, Ted Hebert said. He was even more impressed that the actors were in many cases local to Western

audience base back to what it was pre-pandemic, with the hope that enough people are vaccinated so that COVID, RSV, the flu will become just very common illnesses with little impact,” he said.

Earlier this month, the Chester Theatre Group, which began back in 1990, announced plans for a four-production season (plus a workshop presentation) that begins in mid-July and runs through August at the Town Hall theater. Most performances will be mask optional but encouraged, according to the announcement. Two performances of each show’s run will require everyone in the audience to be fully masked.

Majestic has endured now for 25 years, and, while the pandemic certainly cast a temporary pall over the future, it has not dampened audiences’ thirst for live theater.

Massachusetts.

After the first show Hebert introduced himself to Eaton and told him he wanted to sponsor the theater. Eaton proceeded to take out a booklet and said ads werenavailable for either $25 or $50 in the program

“I said, ‘No, no no, I want to be your major sponsor,’ but Danny said that they didn’t have that sort of thing. I said, ‘Yes you do. I am now your major sponsor,’” Hebert recalled with a laugh. Majestic has endured now for 25 years, and, while the pandemic certainly cast a tem-

porary pall over the future, it has not dampened audiences’ thirst for live theater.

“Of course, we were completely shut down for over a year. Grants kept us financially viable,” Eaton said. “And we’ve been very protective of our audiences with vax requirements and masking, although things are loosening up slowly.”

This season’s debut production of “Mama Mia” recorded

sold-out shows.

While Eaton could recall any number of highlights, he mentioned one aspect of his career as a special one.

“I’d say developing and presenting new plays — several of them my own,” he said. “I’ve often mentioned to customers that every play they have ever seen, no matter when or where, was at one time brandnew.”

The Majestic Theater, located at 131 Elm St. in West Springfield, is in the midst of its 25th season. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

“We’ve managed over the years to bring new people into the theater. I’ve also maintained that if we could by hook or crook get 10 new people to come to the theater — assuming, of course, a good production — that I’d get eight to come back.”

DANNY EATON, PRODUCING DIRECTOR, MAJESTIC THEATER

On the Majestic Theater stage in the recently completed run of “Native Gardens” are, from left, Peter Evangelista as Pablo Del Valle, Sara Linares as Tania Del Valle, John Thomas Waite as Frank Butley, and Ellen Barry as Virginia Butley. The season continues later this week with performances of “The Glass Menagerie.” (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Ever the consummate host, Danny Eaton, producing director at Majestic Theater, greets patrons before a recent show. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Majestic Theater patrons enjoy meals and drinks before a recent show. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Magic Wings aflutter with success

2 million visitors, 2 decades later, new owners sought

By C ORI U RBAN Special to The Republican

about butterflies: They are colorful. They are quiet. They flutter about.

For more than 20 years, Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens in Deerfield has been hosting visitors who delight to see butterflies from throughout the world.

“I think Magic Wings has been successful for so many years because people love butterflies and nature in general,” said Kathy A. Fiore, general manager and co-owner. “You would literally have to take a trip around the world to see all of the different creatures we have here. Whether it is Janu-

ary or July, you will also find an amazing tropical ecosystem at Magic Wings.”

She noted that there are a handful of butterfly conservatories in the United States, but Magic Wings has more butterflies per square foot than any other.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens opened in 2000. Today, it has an 18,400-square-foot facility that includes an 8,000-squarefoot glass conservatory filled with butterflies, moths and tropical vegetation.

There are some 4,000 butterflies of all colors, shapes, sizes and varieties. Seventy percent of the butterflies are propagated on-site, while 30% are imported from outside livestock providers.

“When people enter the conservatory, there are many different reactions. Some people tear up, some people are mesmerized, some people

There’s just something delightful

“You would literally have to take a trip around the world to see all of the different creatures we have here. Whether it is January or July, you will also find an amazing tropical ecosystem at Magic Wings.”

KATHY FIORE, CO-OWNER, MAGIC WINGS BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY & GARDENS, DEERFIELD

Fred Gagnon, curator at the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens in Deerfield, enjoys a visit with resident Senegal parrot Akbar, above. Top right, a butterfly comes in for a landing at Magic Wings. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

Summer Cleveland of Amherst, a “flight attendant” at the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens in Deerfield, mists plants with water as part of her daily work.

the marina in 1959 simply because Luke senior’s friends had boats and he created a ramp for them to access the waterfront.

Pretty quickly, the ramp became popular, so the brothers built a snack bar that their mother ran. Then, Luke acquired an Evinrude franchise and began selling boats. That upgrade required him to travel by bus to Milwaukee and stay at a YMCA for two weeks to learn how to repair boat motors.

“My father, being a mason, was built like a block wall—solid and stocky. I always tell people he was a mason by trade, a boat guy by time and a farmer at heart,” his son says.

The marina became quite popular in the 1960s. “People were discovering boating, and we had Westover Air Force Base close by,” Luke Brunelle says, “and, the river became the playground for the active base.”

Over time, the snack bar evolved into a restaurant. The building that housed it grew to also include a boat repair shop and showroom. The space redeveloped after the 2013 fire holds a larger shop and showroom as well as a restaurant that now seats 300. The eatery is leased and operated by the

Rondeau and Yee families that once ran the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee.

Brunelle says the building was built so it can be expanded upwards. He is currently working on plans for the next phase: creating a venue for weddings, anniversaries and business meetings.

“We want to share the river view with the valley,” he says.

The Lady Bea, a riverboat that can take groups out on the Connecticut River, was an idea Luke junior floated in 2003 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the town of South Hadley. Initially, it was called the Spirit of South Hadley, but Brunelle had to change the name after learning the “Spirit” reference was registered to someone else.

This year marks the 20th anniversary for Lady Bea, and she has been a driver of business as well.

“People had no idea about the river until they took a ride on the Lady Bea,” Brunelle says. “Many ended up buying boats and getting into boating.”

Perseverance, location and the ability to adapt to a changing market are the key reasons Brunelle’s has thrived and survived. “The diversity of the location as well,” Brunelle says. “We have a lot to offer.”

And the business keeps offering more. New in recent years are opportunities to paddle board, kayak or

bicycle with a pontoon bike at Brunelle’s through paddlen party.com. And, Brunelle has signed on with freedom boatclub.com, through which people can pay a one-time membership fee and a monthly fee to have access to a boat 247, at over 300 locations.

Someday, the family business may become simply a local business. Luke Brunelle is an only child, and his younger

Bradley

CONTINUES FROM PAGE M10

fees, the facility now hosts auto-rental counters and covered parking, eliminating the need for people to ride shuttles to pick up rental cars and providing more space for travelers to leave their cars.

Today, the center provides passengers with direct access to their rental cars.

“Both have been well received and I think are working very well,” Dillon said.

The airport is working with the Connecticut Department of Transportation to enhance transit service to the ground transportation facility with more bus service and route maps with real-time bus information.

“The ultimate thing that we are trying to do, although it is years off, is to bring a light-rail connection into that facility,” he said.

Construction projects are still in the offing.

Workers began in January installing new scanning equipment at the Bradley security checkpoint on behalf of the Transportation Security Administration. The new Analogic Mid-Size Computed Tomography (CT) scanners are part of a national upgrade by the TSA of its equipment.

Bradley also begins work this spring on a $185 million checked baggage screening facility on the airport grounds.

Bradley is one of the few remaining airports that still requires passengers to carry their own checked bags from the ticket counter to large screening machines in the ticketing area. This creates congestion and disruption to the passenger experience.

It also takes up space Bradley would rather convert into a new ticket counter and

queuing space.

Using conveyors, Bradley will move the checked baggage screening process move out of the passenger check-in area, Dillon said.

There is also a $54 million rehab that will change the way people circulate through the terminal.

“What we are trying to do is forestall the need for a new terminal,” he said. “We want to be able to accommodate growth, but put off building a new terminal for as long as we can into the future.”

A new terminal would cost $1 billion or more.

Startup Breeze Airways announced in April 2022 that Bradley would be a hub in its expanding network. Breeze promised to create more than 200 new jobs and add eight new nonstop destinations for a total of 12 cities served from Bradley.

On Tuesday Breeze and the Connecticut Airport Authority announced four new flights from Hartford-Springfield beginning in May. The flights are nonstop service to Fort Myers and to Tampa, Florida, and to New Orleans, as well as one-stop/no plane change flights to Los Angeles.

With this announcement, Breeze has surpassed its original goal and will connect

nonstop to 14 destinations.

The other destinations, in addition to the ones announced Tuesday, are: Vero Beach, Florida; Phoenix; and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida, Las Vegas; Norfolk, Virginia; Pittsburgh; Richmond, Virginia; Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida; and Savannah, Georgia.

Along with the one-stop flights to Los Angeles announced Tuesday the airline offers one-stop/no plane change service to Orlando, Florida, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“They’ve been a real bright spot in terms of adding new locations,” Dillon said.

In December, Spirit Airlines started new nonstop service to Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The flights will be yearround, four times weekly. This is the first time Bradley has offered a nonstop flight to Jamaica. “That is something we’ve been after for a long, long time here at Bradley,” Dillon said.

There are a high number of Jamaicans living in Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut lawmakers included an allocation of $2 million in the state budget for the service.

daughter, Madeleine, who worked in the business with him, has moved to South Carolina to work in shipping. Middle son, Evan, passed away in recent years, and the oldest, Tiffany, runs her own hardscape business.

In the meantime, Luke Brunelle keeps himself plenty busy. COVID brought a huge boon to the boating industry, but that rise has leveled off.

“We’re starting to turn the corner and go the other way,” he says. “I’ve seen some people who bought boats during the pandemic starting to get out of boating.”

Brunelle is a steadfast river enthusiast. He assists with channel marking each year, is a past president of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association and a lover of the Connecticut River.

“It’s a beautiful location,” he says, adding that the developer who rebuilt the marina building in 2013 lives in Westfield and didn’t know boating existed on the river until he worked at Brunelle’s. “He fell in love with the river and owns a couple of boats now.

He adds, “The river, for many years in the ’70s, was known as a dirty place. Now people are realizing it’s really clean and we’re a grade below drinking water. Above the Holyoke dam, there are nice, sandy beaches. It’s a hidden secret. Come enjoy.”

“We are competing with every airport in the country.”

KEVIN DILLON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CONNECTICUT AIRPORT AUTHORITY

A look inside the ground transportation center at Bradley International Airport. At right, cars pass through the airport. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

One of the departure boards at Bradley International Airport. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)

Above, an architectural drawing shows the design for the Boathouse restaurant at Brunelle’s Marina in South Hadley. After a 2013 fire, the building was rebuilt with a design to allow possible expansion upwards. (DAVE ROBACK / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO)

The Lady Bea South Hadley cruises the Connecticut River during the boating season from Brunelle’s Marina in South Hadley. The marina was started in 1959 by the Brunelle family. (DAVE ROBACK PHOTO)

Perseverance, location and the ability to adapt to a changing market are the key reasons Brunelle’s has thrived and survived.

“Last season gave us a lot of momentum for what we’re doing now. And the people have been behind us,” Thunderbirds president Nathan Costa said. In the 2021-22 season, the Thunderbirds captured the imagination of the local sporting public. Not only did they reach the Calder Cup Finals for the first time in 31 years, they finished 12th among 31 AHL teams in attendance, even as one of the smallest markets in the league.

Capacity crowds were frequent and, as the playoffs continued, were the rule. For the final five home games, there wasn’t an empty seat at the MassMutual Center.

Seizing the momentum, the team’s sales and marketing staff launched its 2022-23 ticket campaign. The result was a foundation of more than 1,400 season ticket packages, about 400 above the 2021-22 total — and four times the level of 355 they inherited when the Portland, Maine, franchise was moved to Springfield as the Thunderbirds in 2016.

Counting partial packages, more than 2,000 ticket plans have been sold.

That’s not all the team has been able to accomplish.

“We’re getting back out in the community, which we could not do during the COVID-19 pandemic. We had players make more than 50 personal appearances by the end of December alone, and they’re excited to do it,” Costa said.

“Coming out of COVID-19, we didn’t know what to expect. We hadn’t been able to do group sales. Now those are back, too,” he said.

Their team’s community commitment continues to grow. The Thunderbirds are involved in a “Stick to Reading” program with many local schools.

They also collected and distributed 6,000 teddy bears during the Christmas season.

The public has responded in kind.

Minor league teams play most of their games on weekends, but the Thunderbirds play some Wednesday night home games as well.

That was once a brutal night for attendance, but on Dec. 28, they drew 6,475 fans for a 7-4 win over Hartford. “That was the best Wednesday night regular season crowd we’ve had

since the team came here — by far,” Costa said.

“We had some things going for us. We staged a youth hockey jamboree during the day and tickets were sold. We were playing Hartford, always a good draw, and it was school vacation week.

“But all of that was part of our strategic plan, too,” he said.

Costa says the team is grateful for the support of MGM Springfield, a major sponsor for events ranging from a Friday night concert series and having live music to providing free parking for fans — a godsend at a time the downtown parking garage is closed and being replaced by a modern facility.

Costa said the casino’s support goes beyond the parking, though.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship that has really helped us. MGM is our biggest partner, and we’re involved with them in a lot of projects,” he said.

“Their connection with entertainment goes hand-in-hand with us. They don’t have to do what they do, but with everything we do, we try to include MGM. They’re a true partner, which is necessary (for a franchise) at this level, and I don’t know how we would have done what we’ve done without them,” Costa said.

He cited the team’s hosting of the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic as an example.

“We’re happy to do what we do. It’s

incredible that (in 2016), we almost lost hockey here altogether,” says Beth Ward, MGM Springfield community affairs manager.

“(MGM Springfield) knew we couldn’t afford to have the MassMutual Center go dark 40 nights a year. We’ve been proud to help, from the Opening Weekend block party to our other partnerships with the Thunderbirds,” Ward said.

On the ice, the Thunderbirds dealt with an unusually high number of key injuries. Unlike 2021-22, when they began the season with a long winning streak, they did well just to keep their record around .500, which makes a late-season playoff surge possible.

Costa says winning always helps, but the sales and marketing staff knows that’s something it cannot control.

“We’ve established ourselves in the team as a team that knows how to promote. We’re always going to do our job on the marketing side, to make this a great fun and family experience,” he said.

The results are tangible. The first three months of the season are the most difficult to sell, but Springfield’s home attendance average of 5,886 was 11th in the AHL — one slot higher than in 2021-22 — and nearly 500 per game ahead of the previous year’s 5,375.

The attendance level was 86.64% of capacity for the MassMutual Center,

which holds 6,793 for hockey. Among the top 13 AHL teams in total attendance, that was the highest percent toward capacity.

The 2021-22 season firmly established Springfield as a model for others. The city that is home to AHL headquarters, but which nearly lost its franchise until local investors purchased the Portland club in 2016, was named “Team of the Year” by the league Board of Governors.

The prestigious award takes into account on-ice performance but also sales, marketing, community involvement and other factors.

The Thunderbirds continue to draw large crowds, despite the transition in downtown parking availability that leaves the MassMutual Center without a main garage. A new parking garage is under construction, but in the meantime Costa is grateful that fans are willing to find alternative parking sources to support their team.

“People feel safe downtown. That’s a big change in attitude from a few years ago,” he said.

“The parking situation hasn’t hurt our attendance, and we appreciate our fans for that,” Costa said.

The team continues to enjoy its affiliation with the St. Louis Blues, its National Hockey League affiliate. Costa said the Blues prioritize putting a competitive team on the ice, giving players a winning environment and a chance to compete in important games.

“I’m a firm believer that those experiences help players when they get to the next level (the NHL), and a number of our players have shown that with the Blues,” he said.

The team captain is Tommy Cross, a 33-year-old defenseman from Simsbury, Connecticut, who wanted to play near his home.

“I couldn’t ask for a better captain. Not only is he a good player, but he’s a leader in the locker room and understands the importance of being involved in the community,” Costa said.

“That attitude permeates to the group as a whole.”

The Thunderbirds are preparing for another playoff run, but the off-ice questions have long been answered. The city’s AHL hockey team, so much a part of Springfield’s fabric since 1936, is here to stay — and beyond that, poised for a major role in the growth of a downtown, city and region that has rallied to support it.

laugh,” Fiore said. “Many people believe that butterflies represent growth and change and connect with them in memory of a loved one — ‘When butterflies are near, angels are here.’”

Magic Wings is open to the public year-round and welcomes about 90,000 visitors annually. The sun shines through the glass walls and heats up the conservatory to an 80-degree, tropical-like environment all year. There is a heart-shaped pond with Japanese koi at the center of the conservatory.

There also are exhibits and a display area with videos and exhibits about the history and evolution of butterflies.

Magic Wings has about 10 fulltime and 10 part-time employees. Summer can bring three or four more part-timers.

“Over the past 22 years, we have had generations of families visit us. Many families make it a yearly stop. We try to introduce new and different creatures for people to enjoy,” Fiore said.

In accordance with the state’s COVID-19 regulations, Magic Wings closed its doors to the public on March 17, 2020, and reopened as allowed, fully reopening as of June 8, 2021.

During the shutdown, Magic Wings operated with a core staff of seven employees to maintain the butterfly conservatory and greenhouses.

In order to generate income during the closure, the business utilized its online shopping option on its website magicwings. com; customers placed more than 1,000 orders through the website during the closure.

More than 2 million people have visited Magic Wings over the course of its history. But now Fiore and her brother, George Miller, are searching for new owners to take Magic Wings into the future. “Magic Wings’ future is a bright one,” she said.

The business includes a gift shop, food court and several function rooms for hosting weddings, showers, parties and other special events.

Mackenzie MacEachern (19) of the Thunderbirds breaks away from the Chicago Wolves’ defense during the Calder Cup Finals Game 4 on June 24, 2022. (HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN, FILE)

Rick’s Auto Body has been located at 375 Pasco Road in Springfield since 1997.

Rick’s

out of a shop on Verge Street then and was embroiled in conflict with insurance providers over reimbursements.

His response to the conflict was the creation of one hand-painted billboard. It featured a blue 1957 Chevrolet with the words, “Classic Quality. Lifetime Warranty.” Recor also ran a full-page advertisement in the Sunday Republican to address the insurance issue and his position on it.

The messaging propelled Rick’s to instant popularity. Over time, the business released new messaging frequently, and at one time, had 25 billboards from Springfield to West Springfield to Ludlow.

Recor came up with some of the one-liners and also ran contests and offered cash awards for cleverness, like:

“We fixed Abe’s Lincoln.”

“Love me fender.” (Complete with a caricature of Elvis.)

And most recently, “Make America Gracious Again,” a popular one.

Along with the telephone number that Recor secured — 413-543-DENT, the billboards set the auto body shop apart.

Says Recor, “The phone began to ring. To this day, 30 years later, people still talk about our billboards.”

Rick’s Auto Body has been located at 375 Pasco Road in Springfield since 1997. “I’m still here every day, morning ’til night,” he says. “It’s not absentee ownership.”

Rick’s has roughly 50 bays for repairs within nearly 45,000 square feet of space and repairs over 3,000 vehicles each year.

Recor and Rick’s wife and co-owner, Mari Tarpinian, are especially proud and grateful for their 49 loyal employees, many of whom were once interns from Putnam Vocational Technical Academy. After being hired, many of these students were promoted over time into management and leadership roles.

Tarpinian, adds, “We have the best employees.”

Recor says, “We have been blessed with the finest management team—the heart and soul of Rick’s. Mike Haniffy, our production manager; Chuck Laprade, our operations manager; and Susan Tarpinian, our office manager, share a combined tenure of over 75 years here.”

Recor’s interns aren’t much older than he was when he got started in the business at 18. The Ludlow native quit school

in the 10th grade and learned the trade, working alongside his father in a business someone else owned. In 1969, Recor went to work for other industry professionals in Springfield, opening his own place in 1972.

That first shop, in Chicopee, was modest, with one bay and a dirt floor. “I had to wet the dirt and hose it down and walk around carefully so I didn’t splash the mud up on the car while I was painting,” Recor recalls.

In 1973, Rick’s moved to a six-bay shop, but a fire in 1978 deemed it was a total loss. He soon acquired the 10-bay shop on Verge Street and started over.

Back then, Tarpinian says, it was a male-dominated business. Men came in with their wives’, sisters’ or daughters’ vehicles. “It’s not like that anymore,” she says. This, in part because Rick’s made an intentional effort to make women feel welcome and comfortable.

Recor says his customers range in age from 16 to 99.

“The demographics of our customers is huge,” he adds.

Rick’s is certified in 13 vehicle brands, Mercedes-Benz among them, and these vehicles require specialized tools, equipment and training. “We really feel as though we are an asset to our community,” Recor says. “We’re here, doing a service for people, assisting them to navigate through the repair process. We take our customer service very seriously and always have. We’re one shop, under one roof. We’re really proud of that.”

MORE INFO

Business: Rick’s Auto Body

Where: 375 Pasco Road, Springfield

For

The exterior of Rick’s Auto Body, 375 Pasco Road in Springfield. Rick’s is marking 50 years in business, beginning in Chicopee and moving through several locations in Springfield. (STEVEN E. NANTON PHOTO)

The staff at Rick’s Auto Body in Springfield poses for a photo, above. Rick’s has roughly 50 bays for repairs within nearly 45,000 square feet of space and repairs over 3,000 vehicles each year. At right, Reinaldo Nieves, a frame technician, works on a car.

(STEVEN E. NANTON PHOTOS)

Eat

co-owner, noted when it comes to staffing, “We have a good core of people. I tell them when I win the Megabucks, they will all be millionaires.”

That doesn’t mean Tucker’s hasn’t faced issues with staffing, especially. “Karen has reached high and low at times for help, even calling workers from two years ago who are still loyal to help in a pinch, or even her matron of honor,” Michael Anderson said.

Mendiola said he’s seeing staffing issues being resolved with the passage of time.

“I have my best kitchen since 2018,” he said. “Six months ago, I took out ads at several different times to recruit servers and other workers, and no one applied. Now people are coming in and looking for a job and leaving their phone numbers. I have a decent staff now to meet our volume of customers, but I will hire if we get busier.”

At Table 3, Gonya said staffing has been “a continued fight,” but notes it has eased up somewhat. “The front of house is easier to manage and to attract servers compared to the kitchen,” he said. To deal with staffing shortages, many restaurants have reduced their operating hours. According to a recent report from Datassential, restaurants nationwide have trimmed their hours by 7.5% or 6.4 hours compared to pre-pandemic schedules.

Tucker’s once offered lunch from Tuesday through Saturday, but to deal with staffing issues, lunch is only offered on Thursdays and Fridays, Karen Anderson said.

Gonya says Table 3 looked at operating hours as a means to address its issues with staffing.

“We found that one thing that helped us with labor costs and the shortage of workers was flipping to opening five days instead of six. We were able by doing that to maintain a healthy sales level ... but it only works if sales remain strong,” Gonya said.

According to the National Restaurant Association, food and labor costs are the two most significant line items for a restaurant, each accounting for approximately 33 cents of every dollar in sales. Other expenses — such as utilities, occupancy, supplies, general-administrative and repairs-maintenance — combine to represent about 29% of sales. Supply chain issues, which remain a challenge for some, have also eased up for Mendiola. He said he finds it easier now when he goes to Restaurant Depot to get avocados — which at one time were in short supply — and other products and needed items to run his restaurants.

“There are enough suppliers to find the items I want. However, I’ve had difficulty getting the brands of liquor I want from my supplier,” Michael Anderson said.

For Table 3 Restaurant Group, 2022 was a year of improving supply chain issues.

“It wasn’t pothole free and from time to time there was difficulty getting an item or two,” Gonya explained. “We are a sizable restaurant group with our different operations and the ability to keep ourselves supplied took a little more work, but we were able to do it.”

At Tucker’s, the Andersons revamped the menu in October to address rising food prices.

“My wife and I go out to dinner ourselves and notice menu prices are up, but we understand,” Michael Anderson said. “For the most part, I think customers are coming around. They are beginning to understand what is going on.”

“I had a banquet customer the other day who looked at the prices and I had to remind them that we are paying higher prices, too. I tell them, ‘This is actually reasonable, have you been to the grocery store lately?’”

Karen Anderson said.

Mendiola said he, too, raised some menu prices in October at Frontera Grill.

“You have to raise prices fairly so people don’t get scared and not come back. But I do think they realize that grocery prices are higher,” he said. “For us, everything has gone up, in some cases 400%, not just the cost of food, but straws, paper bags, everything. For example, at one point I was buying chicken at $42 per case, now it is $162. It helps to also minimize waste in the kitchen. Despite everything, our meals are fresh and portions are the same.”

Gonya called it “a balancing act” which doesn’t always result in raising prices and can keep costs down.

“You do what is called menu engineering. If there is an item that you just can’t have on the menu because it doesn’t present good value to the customer, then you replace it with something else,” he explained. “You also have to look at consolidating your purchases with larger vendors to take advantage of incentives. For us, it takes looking at our entire organization ... where we can share synergies ... to waste less and utilize similar products across our operations on different menu items,” he said about keeping prices down for the customer.

Also, outdoor dining, a popular alternative for customers during the height of the pandemic when indoor dining wasn’t available, has taken a different turn for some restaurants.

Mendiola ended outdoor dining at his Chicopee restaurant as customers returned to indoor dining. If he had kept tables outdoors, the city wanted him to add more

parking spaces, which wasn’t viable.

“Outdoor dining served its purpose when that is all that you could do. It wasn’t realistic for us because it was in the back of the restaurant on pavement where no one

could see it,” added Michael Anderson. “Also, when it was really hot, no one wanted to sit outdoors.” Some restaurateurs are being a little imaginative to get diners through the doors.

At Tucker’s, the Andersons’ daughter, Payton, a college student, put together what they called an “envelope program.” Customers who dined at the restaurant during December received an envelope that said “Do Not Open.”

“The idea was they would have to come back in January, open the envelope in front of the waitress, and inside they would find something for a free appetizer, free dessert, or even 20% off their bill,” Michael Anderson said. At the state association,

the view ahead into 2023 is a positive one:

“Operators are optimistic that the restaurant industry will continue to come back in 2023,” said Clark. “There is always the question of a recession and its impact, but for right now consumers continue to spend at restaurants even with prices up. Will that last forever? That’s the unknown question.”

Mendioloa remains one of the very optimistic operators who has always been bullish on the restaurant industry. He’s ready to make his next move.

“Everyone has to eat, and I’m trying to be positive about the market, so much so that I’m thinking about looking for another location to open my next restaurant,” he said.

AUTO CARE PAGE

Did you know?

Vehicle maintenance is often viewed through the lens of keeping cars safe and running smoothly. That impression is accurate, but in addition to potentially saving lives, vehicle maintenance can save drivers money. The summer of 2022 was marked by rapid inflation that affected prices of just about everything, including fuel, which rose to such heights that many drivers sought any way to save money at the pump.

Vehicle maintenance is one simple way to reduce fuel costs, sometimes by a significant margin. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that fixing a faulty oxygen sensor could improve gas mileage by as much as 40 percent. Smaller measures also can save drivers money at the pump, as the U.S. DOE estimates that keeping tires properly inflated can increase fuel efficiency by as much as 3 percent while using the motor oil recommended in a vehicle owner’s manual can improve gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent.

Brad Arcoite, left, is the general manager of the Table 3 Restaurant Group and Daniel Gonya is the business development manager of the group. They are in the lounge of the Cedar Street Grille in Sturbridge, one of their properties. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“We found that one thing that helped us with labor costs and the shortage of workers was flipping to opening five days instead of six. We were able by doing that to maintain a healthy sales level ... but it only works if sales remain strong.”

DANIEL GONYA, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, TABLE 3 RESTAURANT GROUP, STURBRIDGE

Federico Mendiola, owner of Frontera Grill in Chicopee, Springfield and Manchester, Connecticut, greets customers at his Chicopee location. In late 2021 in the midst of the pandemic, he opened Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant & Bar in Amherst, and is now contemplating adding a new restaurant later this year. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN)

“Everyone has to eat, and I’m trying to be positive about the market, so much so that I’m thinking about looking for another location to open my next restaurant.”

FEDERICO MENDIOLA, FRONTERA GRILL, CHICOPEE

we were lucky to grow over 20% year over year in our new vehicle sales,” added owner Mike Marcotte. “Customers were more apt to factory order during these times and customize their new vehicle purchases, which we equated to over half of our sales.

“A lot of our growth was fueled by our new product line which included the all-new Bronco, Bronco Sport, and Maverick,” Marcotte added. “Also, we had tremendous interest in retail sales in our Mustang MachE and the allnew Ford F-150 Lightning, both electric vehicles.”

Always with an eye toward the future, Marcotte is one of only 1,920 Ford dealers (out of almost 3,000 total) in the country to sign up to become a Model e Certified Elite dealer which becomes effective Jan 1, 2024.

“We are proud to be one of those dealers recognizing the role electric vehicles will play in the future. On our part it involves a huge investment to build an infrastructure to deal

with the sales and servicing of electric vehicles. Those who did not sign up will not be able to sell them,” he said.

It was also a banner year for Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke, where the owner was named the TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year at the National Automobile Dealers convention in Dallas last month.

“We’ve had our best year in history — up 36% over the previous year — which I attribute to having a product that is very desirable and that has received many accolades by Motor Trend and Car and Driver magazines,” said Gary Rome, president and CEO of the Gary Rome Auto Group that also includes his Kia dealership in Enfield.

“Another factor has been our adoption of electric vehicles,” Rome noted. “Our Hyundai IONIQ 5 all-electric crossover was named MotorTrend’s 2023 SUV of the Year, and won the triple crown at the prestigious New York Auto Show last April where it won World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle of the Year and World Car Design of the Year.”

And there was more good news for Rome. Hyundai, the

South Korean automaker that sells cars under the Hyundai and Kia brands, was lauded for only dropping 2% in sales while gaining additional market share.

Rome sees 2023 as a banner year once again.

“There’s always a need for someone to buy a new car and with our popular leasing program, there will be a definite need this year for customers to replace their three-year leases with a new vehicle,” he said, adding that he believes consumers will see dealers stepping up with more competitive leasing programs.

At Central Chevrolet in West Springfield, where the best-selling vehicle is the fullsize Silverado truck, the story is a little different.

“I wouldn’t say we were up in sales (as) we didn’t have that kind of inventory. But we are the number one volume Chevrolet dealer in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut,” sales manager Ed O’Grady said. “The reward is that we do get more inventory than others. Where we once sold about 200 vehicles each month, that number is now 140.”

The good news for the dealership is that General Motors has reclaimed its long-held position as top in U.S. sales, reporting a 2.5% increase in sales last year, to 2.3 million vehicles. Its electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt rose 50% in sales nationwide, and O’Grady said within the next year they are expecting electric versions of the Blazer, Equinox and Silverado.

O’Grady noted, “Incentives are great” when it comes to boosting sales. “We are currently offering $6,500 off select Silverados. And with the prime rate increasing, the manufacturer is offering subsidized loans,” he said.

The sales manager noted he doesn’t overly worry about the recession, but said it will affect them “to some extent.”

“People will always have the need to buy a car, whether their vehicle isn’t safe on the road any longer, was in an accident, or they want to keep up with the neighbor who just bought a new car,” he said.

Whether that car is new or used remains to be seen.

“Used cars are scarce. I can’t buy a used car at an auction any longer,” O’Grady

said. “They are selling more at a retail price, so we end up selling more at an auction than buying. Also, many people are selling their cars on their own. So the best place for me to get a used car is as a trade-in.”

If having to deal with the challenges of a post-pandemic auto industry weren’t enough for Robert “Bob” Artioli Jr., owner of Artioli Chrysler Dodge Ram in Enfield, his dealership was dealt a devastating blow last year on the morning of May 20.

A fire broke out in their service bays and quickly spread to the showroom, resulting in a total loss of the building.

“We were back in operation several days later. At first, we were working out of tents while it was warm, but now we have trailers and there were other buildings available to us for things like parts and service. Right now we are in the middle of the engineering process for a new building and are hopeful to break ground in early spring,” Artioli said.

In addition to stocking plenty of its flagship Ram trucks, both new and Chrysler certified pre-owned, Artioli said

the dealership has managed to keep about 100 new and used vehicles at all times on their lot for customers. And despite a difficult year with the financial loss of the building and more, he said they never went over sticker price to make up for the difference, as some dealers have done simply to put more money in their pockets.

In fact, none of the other dealers interviewed went over sticker price in loyalty to customers they consider as “family” and to new customers who they want to feel are being treated fairly, so they become return customers.

Looking ahead to a possible recession, Artioli recognized that when and if it happens, consumers usually pull back on big spending.

“There comes a time, however, when you are going to need a new car. But instead of shopping for a new car off the showroom floor, people tend for the value switching to purchasing a used car,” Artioli said. “Also, some people decide to hang on to their cars longer, investing in servicing it as needed. So I see our service and parts business becoming even busier than usual.”

“People will always have the need to buy a car, whether their vehicle isn’t safe on the road any longer, was in an accident, or they want to keep up with the neighbor who just bought a new car.”

ED GRADY, SALES MANAGER, CENTRAL CHEVROLET, WEST SPRINGFIELD

Above, the cockpit of a Chevrolet Camaro in the showroom of Central Chevrolet in West Springfield.

Right, customers order lunch at LugNutz Cafe inside Marcotte Ford in Holyoke. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN; HOANG ‘LEON’ NGUYEN / THE REPUBLICAN)