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| November 2003 | |
90th Annual Meeting & Expo November 19thNew Location: Massasoit Conference Center Expo Display Space Sold Out The Metro South Chamber of Commerce will hold its 90th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2003, from 12:00 noon to 1:45 p.m., at the Massasoit Conference Center Rte. 27, Brockton. As part of its Annual Meeting, the Chamber will host a Business-to-Business Expo from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All of the expo display space is sold out. The Annual Meeting will be sponsored by First Federal Savings Bank. FIRSTFED, a full-service financial services Company, offers a wide range of products including deposit accounts, loans, insurance and comprehensive fiduciary services and products. The featured speaker at this year's Annual Meeting is Thomas Menino, Mayor of Boston. Thomas M. Menino is serving his third term as Mayor of the City of Boston. Elected first on November 2, 1993, he was re-elected to a second term without opposition in 1997, and won a third term in a landslide victory in November 2001. He had previously served four months as Acting Mayor and nine years as a District City Councilor from Hyde Park. Mayor Menino serves as President of the United States Conference of Mayors, where he champions homeland security and housing availability. He has been an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 1989. Mayor Menino will discuss many items of interest including the National Democratic Convention Schedule for July 2004 in Boston and his recent initiative to increase awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit. Tickets are $39/person and $390/table of ten. To register, fax the back cover of this Action Report to 508-587-1340 or call 508-586-0500 ext. 221.
Welcome New InvestorsSix new investors have recently joined the Chamber's winning team. They are joining you, the business professional, who has invested in your company and the Metro South economy through Chamber membership.
Advanced Hearing Care, Inc.
Baird Design
Competitive Source/Equipment Financing
Executive Compensation Group, LLC
Goncalves Agency
Rycon Electric To join the Chamber, call Frank Gillooly at 508-586-0500 ext. 229 or join online.
Good News Members are invited to send information for the Good News column to the Chamber office. The Community Bank is pleased to announce the election of Jane E. Callahan as Chair of its Board of Directors. Ms. Callahan became a Board member in January 1998 and has served on the Board's Finance and Real Estate Committees. Upon her election, Ms. Callahan said, "It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I assume this new role on the Board of Directors of The Community Bank". Ms. Callahan who resides in Bridgewater with her husband, Bill, and four daughters, is a principal of Primary Vision Company, a human resources consultancy firm. BC Tent & Awning, the region's leading provider of tents, awnings and accessories, has announced the promotion of David Flynn to the position of Assistant Crew Chief. In his new position, Flynn will assist the Crew Chief at the job sites. He will assist the overseeing crews, ranging in size from 3 to upwards of 10 depending on the scale of the job. Additionally, he will direct the installation team at the site, while the Crew Chief reviews any last minute details with the customer. BC Tent & Awning Company, established in 1980, offers the area's largest inventory of rental tents of all sizes, as well as custom awnings, canopies, tables, chairs, lighting and dance floor setups. Emmanuel House Assisted Living and WBET 1460-AM invite you to attend the 1st anniversary celebration of their "Senior Focus" Radio Show. The event will take place on Tuesday, November 18, 2003, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Emmanuel House Assisted Living, 25 East Nilsson Street in Brockton. Festivities include a live "Senior Focus" broadcast presented by WBET 1460-AM from the lobby of Emmanuel House Assisted Living. Their will be a light lunch, dessert and refreshments served. If you would like to attend the "Senior Focus" Celebration at Emmanuel House Assisted Living, please RSVP to Valerie Lomus by Wednesday, November 12 by calling 508-588-5334. James C. Lively, president and chief executive officer of Bridgewater Savings, has announced the promotion of Glenn R. Sherman to assistant vice president/small business banking manager. Sherman joined Bridgewater Savings as a branch manager in 1999 with over a decade of financial services experience with Compass Bank for Savings and Sandwich Co-Operative Bank, where he managed a number of branch locations on Cape Cod. Bridgewater Savings is a state-chartered bank with offices in Bridgewater, Lakeville, Raynham, and West Bridgewater. Charles N. Robinson, President of Rogers & Gray Insurance Agency, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Account Executive Ryan O'Connell to its Property Casualty Division. Mr. O'Connell holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Johnson State College in Vermont, and a Massachusetts Property/Casualty, Life & Health Broker's License. Mr. O'Connell works out of the South Dennis Office of Rogers & Gray and resides in West Yartmouth. Rogers and Gray has seven offices in Southeastern Massachusetts. Brockton Hospital announced a major $2 million expansion and renovation project in the hospital's Maternal-Newborn Suite. The expansion will result in eight new completely private Recovery/Postpartum rooms in the existing suite. Like the current rooms in the hospital's Maternal-Newborn Suite, each one of the eight new rooms will offer hotel-style comfort and privacy. Construction of the expanded suite and the accompanying electrical, mechanical, and architectural upgrades are expected to be complete by the end of January. New mothers are expected to be using the new rooms by February. Earlier this year, Brockton Hospital celebrated the opening of its new $3 million Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) suite, which offers area physicians access to the latest MRI technology and provides patients with greater privacy and comfort. Robert F. Stoico, Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of FIRSTFED AMERICA BANCORP, INC. announced that Mark T. Walker recently joined FIRSTFED as Vice President/Relationship Manager in Business Banking. In this position he will be responsible for commercial lending and serving business customers in the Greater Boston, Brockton and South Shore regions. Mr. Walker will be located at 73 Belmont Street, in South Easton. Mr. Walker earned his Bachelor's degree from American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. He resides in Mattapan, Massachusetts with his wife and daughter. FIRSTFED AMERICA BANCORP, INC. is a $2.7 billion financial services company offering a wide range of financial products through its subsidiaries. The appointment of Nicholas S. Hill, MD, as Medical Director at New England Sinai Hospital and Rehabilitation Center was recently announced by Lawrence S. Hotes, MD, Sinai Physician-in-Chief. In addition to his new Sinai post, he is the Chief of the Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Division at Tufts-New England Medical Center and a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Before assuming his current appointment at Tufts-NEMC, Dr. Hill served as the Chief of Pulmonary Division at Miriam Hospital, Providence, R.I. He is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary and critical care medicine. Craig McKenzie of Falmouth was recently appointed Direct Credit Manager, Consumer Loan Department, Brockton Credit Union. A MBA graduate of Suffolk University with a BS from Northeastern University, he previously worked at Sovereign Bank in Providence, Rhode Island. In addition, Brian Gilpatric of Boston was appointed Manager of the Brockton Credit Union Plymouth Loan Center. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Association of Bankers in Worcester and Berklee College of Music. He was previously employed with Bay State Savings Bank. He was active in many community organizations within the Worcester area and plans to do the same in Plymouth. Brockton Credit Union is the largest community based credit union in New England with over $1 billion dollars in assets and thirteen locations. The Plymouth Loan Center located in Brigantine Square at 50 Long Pond Road specializes in mortgages, consumer loans and equity loans. The Fuller Museum of Art is pleased to present its annual Fall Gala on November 15, 2003 from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. This year's Gala is entitled "Transformation: Moving into Craft" and celebrates the museum's shift to a contemporary craft focus. The fall Gala is the Fuller's biggest fundraiser of the year with proceeds supporting the museum's educational programs and exhibits. Guests will enjoy a fun-filled evening of dining and dancing. Features this year include a silent auction, Martini Bar, craft artist demonstrations and much more. Tickets are $80 per guest and may be obtained by calling 508-588-6000 ext. 118. On October 20, 2003, Rockland Trust Company presented a check for $10,000 to the 6th annual America's Hometown Celebration. Recognizing the importance of this event to the town of Plymouth, Rockland Trust was the first corporate sponsor of the America's Hometown Celebration. The 2003 America's Hometown Celebration takes place on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving and includes the annual Thanksgiving Parade, the concert series and other related events. For more information on the parade festivities, please visit www.usathanksgiving.com. In addition, Rockland Trust Company presented a check for $35,000 to the Friends of Plymouth Memorial Hall. The funds will be used towards renovations of this historic building. "Rockland Trust has been a long time partner on many projects with the town of Plymouth" said Chris Oddleifson, President and CEO of Rockland Trust Company. Rockland Trust Company is a full-service community bank serving Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Considered one of the all-time greatest composer, Ludwig Beethoven will be the focus of the upcoming Brockton Symphony Concert Sunday, November 16. The guest artist for the concert is pianist Ko-eun Lee who will perform the Piano Concerto No. 5 on a 9-foot Yamaha piano made possible by Boston Organ and Piano. An additional feature of all Brockton Symphony concerts is the free "Beyond the Beat" program notes. Presented by Maestro Jonathan Cohler, the informal presentation is intended to enhance the audiences' musical experience. Following the concert, there will be a reception for season subscribers at Heights Crossing. Brockton High School Auditorium, Rt 123 Belmont Street, Brockton. For tickets call 508-588-3841 or tickets@brocktonsymphony.org.
Without Action Unemployment Insurance Rates to RiseDue to the extended economic downturn, the unwmployment insurance system in Massachusetts is almost insolvent. If the legislature does not act before the legislative session ends on November 14, there will be an automatic $630 million tax increase on employers in January. Taxes for some employers will increase from $143 per employee per year to $357 per employee per year (75% to 157% increases). Increases that many small businesses cannot afford during this economic downturn. And this tax increase will not even solve the underlying problems with the UI system. The Metro South Chamber of Commerce is lobbying the Legislature for comprehensive structural reform of the unemployment insurance system. Governor Mitt Romney has filed legislation (H3807) to reform the system and avert this crisis. The legislation specifically includes the following items, which the Chamber strongly supports; * Modifying the experience-rating table to require companies with negative ratings (as a result of frequent use of the UI system) to pay more while employers with positive ratings pay less. * Narrowing the ratios that trigger annual schedule changes to make the rate schedules more responsive to changes in the trust fund balance and eliminating the need for annual legislative intervention on rates. * Expanding from 15 to 20 the number of weeks of work required for eligibility for UI claims. * Improving the ability of the Division of Employment and Training (DET) to issue fraud penalties. * Enhancing and enforcing tough penalties for employers and employees who abuse and defraud the system. House Bill 3807 calls for much smaller tax increases and true reform of the system. The legislature is now dealing with this important issue, which impacts most of our members. Certain special interest groups are opposed to the Governor's proposal and are aggressively lobbying the State House against this reform. Now is the time to contact your legislator. They need to hear from the business community. Act Now! Contact your legislators and let them know that you support House Bill 3807 and comprehensive reform of the unemployment insurance system. If you have any questions, need assistance in contacting your legislators, or would like a sample letter please contact Roy Nascimento at (508) 586-0500 ext. 225 or roy@metrosouthchamber.com.
Government AffairsNext Committee Meeting: Friday, November 14, 2003 at 7:45 a.m. Metro South Chamber Conference Room 1. The next Government Affairs Committee Meeting will be held on Friday, November 14, at 7:45 a.m., at the Chamber's headquarters located at Sixty School Street in Brockton. Ms. Judith Judson, Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Department of Business and Technology is the scheduled speaker. Ms. Judson will present Governor Romney's "Jobs First" economic development legislation. The monthly Government Affairs meetings provide an opportunity for member businesses to discuss issues important to them with their elected officials. Join other Chamber members for this opportunity to interact with legislators and hear first hand what is in store for the business community on Beacon Hill. If you would like to attend, or if you would like further information on the Chamber's Government Affairs Committee, please contact Roy Nascimento at 508-586-0500 ext. 225 or roy@metrosouthchamber.com.
Downtown Holiday Parade
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Blake Re-Elected Chamber ChairJames Blake, President and CEO of Brockton Credit Union, has been re-elected to the position of Chairman of the Board for the Metro South Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Blake began his career in 1972 with the Atlantic Savings Bank of Chelsea where he was the assistant auditor. Over the years, he held senior management positions at various financial institutions including the Provident Institute for Savings of Boston and Mechanics Bank in Worcester where he was Senior Vice-President of Retail Banking and Marketing. He has served in a number of leadership positions within the financial services industry, including a Member of the Board of Directors of CUNA, which is the National Trade Association representing credit unions throughout the United States. In addition, Mr. Blake is an officer and board member of the Massachusetts Credit Union League representing credit unions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additionally, he is a member of CUNA's Government Affairs Committee representing the legislative interests of credit unions throughout the country. Beyond Mr. Blake's professional affiliations he has served in a number of volunteer positions in the community, including Chairman of the Board of Brockton Hospital, past Chairman of the Brockton Housing Partnership, member of the Bridgewater State College Foundation as well as numerous other organizations. Mr. Blake has served on the Chamber Board since 1995 and has held various positions including Chair of Economic Development, where he played a pivotal role in establishing the Metro South Business Assistance Center. Working with the Board, staff and membership, Blake will lead the Chamber in its mission to serve the interests of member businesses while providing community leadership and ensuring economic advancement within the Metro South region.
Bill # 1980: Bad For Business, Jobs, and the Economy!The issue of increasing business property taxes has come up again. House Bill 1980, supported by Mayor Menino of Boston and Mayor Lambert of Fall River, would allow municipalities to increase their tax differential limit from 175% to 200%. Currently under the 1978 Classification Law, Massachusetts cities and towns with split tax rates for businesses and homeowners can impose a tax rate on businesses that equals 175% of what the rate would be if there were a single rate for homeowners and businesses. The law gives those cities and towns the flexibility to adjust the rate and shift the burden to protect homeowners, as long as they stay under the 175 percent ceiling. House Bill 1980 proposes increasing the limit to 200 percent, allowing cities and towns to place a greater burden on businesses. Due to the advocacy efforts of the Chamber and opposition from the state's business community, we were able to defeat efforts in June to include this as an amendment to the budget and as part of the municipal relief package. However, municipalities and special interest groups are placing more pressure on the legislature for passage of this legislation before the November 19 end of the legislative session. If this legislation passes it would shift additional property tax burden to commercial and industrial taxpayers - potentially resulting in massive property tax rate increases for business owners. (Please note that this legislation would affect all municipalities in Massachusetts and not just the City of Boston and Fall River) Action is needed! Please contact your State Legislators to express your opposition. If you have any questions or need assistance in contacting your legislators, please call Roy Nascimento at the Chamber at (508) 586-0500 Ext. 225 or email at roy@metrosouthchamber.com.
November 2003
December 2003
Note: All meetings are held at the Metro South Chamber office or Metro South Business Assistance Center (BAC) unless otherwise indicated.
Chamber Leadership for 2003The Chamber's Board of Directors is made up of thirty business and community leaders from throughout the Metro South region. Presently, the Board consists of Frederick Adami, Reed, Adami & Kaiser; James Blake, Brockton Credit Union; Leland Brockington, New Brock International; Pat Ciaramella, Old Colony Planning Council; Jack Conway, Conway Real Estate; Stephen Hall, Massachusetts Electric Company; Walter Herlihy, Bristol Investment Management; John Hopkins, Brockton Plastics, Inc.; Christine Karavites, UMASS Donahue Institute; Kelly Carney Kelly, Raynham Taunton Greyhound Park; Robert Kenworthy, Fleet Bank; Paul LaBreche, The Enterprise; Reinald Ledoux, Brockton Area Transit Authority; Stephen McDuffy, Holmes-McDuffy Florists; John McGovern, Rodman & Rodman, P.C.,CPA; Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, Bridgewater State College; Gerard Nadeau, Rockland Trust Company; David Orloff, Sharkansky & Company; Paula Peterson, The Children's Museum in Easton; Lou Russo, Comcast; Scott Sanborn, Sovereign Bank; Carmel Shields, Shields Health Care Group, Inc.; James S. Troup, LeBaron Foundry, Inc; John Vlaco, Brophy & Phillips Company, Inc. and Charles Wall, Massasoit Community College. On Wednesday, November 19, 2003, at the Chamber's Annual Meeting and Business-to-Business Expo, five new Board members will be presented. They are James Burns, Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc.; John Costa, B C Tent & Awning Company, Inc.; Jeff Dukess, Frenette & Dukess, PC; Linda Faria Braun, Adult Learning Center; and Gary Oman, Gary R. Oman, P.C. Together the Chamber achieves what no one business can alone. To learn more about the Metro South Chamber, contact President and CEO Christopher Cooney at 508-586-0500 ext. 223. The December issue will feature the new Board members who were elected at the Chamber's 90th Annual Meeting.
BSC Students Gain Sales Experience at ChamberThree marketing students from Bridgewater State College are presently working for the Metro South Chamber. As part of their Sales Management course, Jennifer Chopchitz, Melissa Kemlage, and Alyson Putignano are selling ads for the 2004 Metro South Book for Business. Under the leadership of Professor Sylvia Keyes, the students are gaining first-hand experience with business-to-business sales. The students are learning how to work as a team, manage their time effectively and use what they are learning in the classroom in a professional atmosphere. They are following up on leads, making cold calls, developing prospects, and selling advertisements for the Chamber's Book for Business. The Metro South Book for Business is a 100-page, four-color publication featuring a complete membership directory and guide to the Metro South region. This year, 5,000 copies of the Book for Business will be distributed throughout the region to banks, real estate offices, hotels, town offices, all Chamber members and sent to all relocating businesses and families interested in the Metro South area. To advertise in the 2004 Book for Business, call Kerrie Blake at 508-586-0500 ext. 222 or e-mail kerrie@metrosouthchamber.com.
New Brockton Street Map Available at ChamberThe Metro South Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with The Map Guys recently produced a Brockton Street Map. The four color map features the best Brockton has to offer. Whether eating in one of the many ethnic restaurants, listening to the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, or catching a minor league baseball game at Campanelli Stadium, Brockton is the only city on the south shore with so much to offer. Nowhere south of Boston is there such a concentration of history, architecture, recreation, culture, food and fun. The map encourages visitors to take a closer look and discover Brockton anew. For your free Brockton Street Map stop by the Metro South Chamber of Commerce, 60 School Street in Brockton or order your map online at www.metrosouthchamber.com.
Queset on the Pond Celebrates Opening at Business After HoursOver one hundred business people from throughout the Metro South area attended a Business After Hours at the recently opened Queset on the Pond. Queset on the Pond is an over 55 adult community built by Douglas A. King Builders. The facility has 99 state of the art units offering comfortable and carefree living in beautiful Easton.
UMASS Provides Assistance In Meeting ISO StandardsSlade's Ferry Bank Center for Business Research, located within the Charlton College of Business at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, is widely known for its superior quality of service coupled with affordability. Consequently, it has become the favored source of market and customer feedback research for a large array of businesses and organizations throughout the nation. Under the leadership of Marketing Professor, Dr. Nora Barnes, the Center is positioned to assist organizations seeking certification in the revised ISO standard 9001:2000 that required emphasis on satisfying customer requirements. The Center is prepared to conduct and analyze market research and customer satisfaction surveys that will determine if your product/service satisfies customer needs and expectations. The Center provides statistically reliable data and analysis at a very affordable price and is eager to serve your needs. For more information go to www.umassd.edu/cbr.
Do You Have an HR Question? Human Resource HotlineDoes your Business have Human Resource questions? Do you know where to turn for answers? The Metro South Chamber of Commerce has developed a hotline for your business to receive professional advice from experts in the HR field. Simply e-mail your question to the HR hotline at hrhotline@metrosouthchamber.com or log onto to www.metrosouthchamber.com. For more information contact Lisa Keene, Program Director at 508-586-0500 ext. 231.
Thank You Renewing Members
Abington Savings Bank Our Chamber continues to grow stronger through referrals from our members. Please refer a member today. Call Frank Gillooly at 508-586-0500 ext. 229 or e-mail info@metrosouthchamber.com.
Local Students Make Connection Between Work and LearningStory Provided by Meghan Abella-Bowen Litecontrol, a manufacturer of architectural fluorescent lighting systems in Hanson, MA has participated in School to Career (STC) activities for over ten years. They began as a member of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School's (WHRHS) business advisory board and today participate in the high school's Partners in Business internship program. As a participating company, Litecontol hosts three WHRHS seniors each semester. The students work in a variety of departments including accounting, engineering and marketing. Like many companies, Litecontrol became involved in STC activities as a way to give back to the community, while addressing the company's needs. Julie Miglietta, Litecontrol's Human Resources Manager explained, "We originally became involved in the internship program because it made sense to us from a business perspective. As a small business we are able to take advantage of the interns. Because today's students are more technically inclined they are capable of doing more than entry level jobs. Therefore, we are able to have them work on projects that our staff would have to complete if the students were not here." At Litecontrol, students are given "real" projects to work on during their internship. The objective is for the student to take the project from beginning to end, thereby learning about all the aspects of the job. Ron Arsenault, an intern supervisor in the marketing department, explains that the internship program allows students to work on projects for customers, not classroom projects designed only as a teaching tool. For students, this access to real projects helps them answer the question "why do I need to know this stuff"? That point was confirmed by Andrew Ferland, a senior at WHRHS working in the engineering department. Ferland, who was working on a CAD program for a customer explained that in school the work they have us do is tedious, busy work, but here, I work on projects for clients and I see the value of the project. When asked how the internship program has benefited the company, Miglietta is not short on answers. The first benefit is obvious, by utilizing student interns it helps us get our work done. For every hour of supervision we put into a student we get four hours of work back. Other benefits have been more subtle. For example, employees who work with interns are gaining supervisory skills including mentoring, teaching, and training. Having students in the office also helps to break up the monotony of our day to day work, and increases employee moral. Finally, our participation in the program has lead to the recruitment of new employees. For those companies interested in participating in student internship programs, Miglietta has some basic advice:
If you would like to learn more about the STC Partnership or participate in STC activities please contact Meghan Abella-Bowen, Youth Services Coordinator at the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board at 508-584-3234.
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