Springfield Regional Chamber Slates Government Reception
After a two-year hiatus, the Springfield regional Chamber’s annual Government Reception will return in person on Jan.13. The event will bring business and community leaders together in one place for the opportunity to meet socially with local, state, and federal officials. Those in attendance will include state representatives, senators, mayors from surrounding communities, and city…
MassDevelopment Awards $330,000 for Local Economic-development Goals
MassDevelopment has awarded up to $330,000 in funding for 14 cities and towns through its Real Estate Services Technical Assistance program to address site-specific and district-wide economic-development challenges. Through a combination of in-house expertise and contracts with consultants, under this program, MassDevelopment works with municipal officials, planners, local stakeholders, and others to address priority planning…
Hazen Paper Captures 2021 International Award for Excellence in Holography
The International Hologram Manufacturers Assoc. (IHMA) honored Hazen Paper for the second year in a row for Best Applied Decorative/Packaging Product at the 2021 Excellence in Holography Awards. The awards, presented at the Holography Conference Online, recognize “outstanding achievement … in holographic products or techniques which represent the best in the industry for innovation and…
Applications for 2022 Local Farmer Awards Open Jan. 1
Starting Jan. 1, farmers in Western Mass. are invited to apply for Local Farmer Awards of up to $2,500. These awards are for capital and infrastructure-improvement projects related to growing, harvesting, and processing that will help farms compete in the marketplace. The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, in partnership with Big Y and with the support…
Baker-Polito Administration Announces COVID-19 Rapid Test Kits Available to Municipalities, Other Entities Direct from Manufacturers
The Baker-Polito Administration today announced contracts with COVID-19 at-home test manufacturers that will allow municipalities and eligible entities to begin the process of placing orders for rapid test kits that utilize the state-negotiated prices. These contracts build on an announcement earlier this month that the Administration secured 2.1 million iHealth Labs over-the-counter at-home rapid antigen…
An Appreciation of Rudi Scherff: He Held Down the Fort – BusinessWest
It’s been a long, very painful year for all those who love the Student Prince and the Fort restaurant in Springfield. First, Andy Yee, who acquired the landmark along with several other investors in 2014, passed away in late May after a lengthy battle with cancer. Then on Monday, Rudi Scherff, who was owner and…
ERC5 After 5 – Jan 5, 2022
ERC5 After Five Virtual Cocktails and Chat with Grace Join us for a cocktail…bring your own of course! Participate with your camera on as we stay connected with each other during this crazy time. Read the source article at business.erc5.com
Greater Northampton Chamber Announces New Gift-card Kiosk
The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce has installed a new, state-of-the-art gift-card kiosk on the second floor of Thornes Marketplace in downtown Northampton. The kiosk allows shoppers to buy a Northampton Gift Card or check the balance on an existing card any time Thornes is open to the public. The Northampton Gift Card program, which…
Original Car Detailing Open for Business in Agawam
Original Car Detailing and its mobile auto-detailing operation recently pulled into shop space at 71 South Ramah Circle in Agawam. The move has allowed owner Nick Riccitelli and his team to expand their operation and provide more services this winter. Original Car Detailing (OCD) has an expanded menu that includes ceramic coatings, remote starters, heated…
Banks and Credit Unions Steer Back Toward Normalcy – BusinessWest
While year one of the pandemic taught banks how to constantly pivot — to remote work, new modes of serving customers, and multiple phases of PPP loans — year two has brought more stability, even normalcy, but also new challenges, particularly inflation and supply-chain disruption that has made it more difficult for customers to save,…
BusinessTalk with Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council – BusinessWest
BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien has a lively, wide-ranging discussion with Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council. The two talk about the year that was … and what the region might expect in 2022 when it comes to everything from the workforce crisis to supply chain issues to attracting individuals…
ArtsHub Virtual Summit to Support Artists and Businesses in Western Mass.
The ArtsHub Virtual Summit: “How to Recover and Thrive” welcomes emerging and established artists, performers, arts managers, and those in creative fields to join in a week-long series of virtual interactive workshops, training, and networking sessions on Jan. 10-14. The ArtsHub Virtual Summit, designed to provide tools to help those working in creative fields recover…