3. Categories

      Industry Clusters: Aerospace/Defense, Education, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Financial Services, Green Region, Health Care, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Logistics, Manufacturing, Medical Devices, Paper Manufacturing, Plastics, Retail, Tourism, Transportation

  4. Western Mass EDC Board Members in the News

    (13 articles) Dr. Robert C. Holub

    (11 articles) Dr. Evan S. Dobelle

    (5 articles) William J. Wagner

    (5 articles) William F. Messner

    (5 articles) Mark R. Tolosky

    (4 articles) Mary Ellen Scott

    (3 articles) Douglas A Bowen

    (3 articles) Peter Clarke

    (3 articles) Ira Rubenzahl

    (3 articles) Carol T. Christ

  5. Western Mass EDC Staff in the News

    (22 articles) Allan W. Blair

    (18 articles) Michael Graney

    (12 articles) Jeff Ciuffreda

    (6 articles) Mary Kay Wydra

    (3 articles) Kenn Delude

    (2 articles) Ann Burke

    (1 articles) Don Courtemanche

    (1 articles) Lisa McMahon

  6. Companies in the News

    (770 articles) The Republican

    (44 articles) Baystate Health

    (39 articles) Western Massachusetts Electric Company

    (35 articles) MassMutual

    (32 articles) Big Y Foods

    (30 articles) MassMutual Center

    (28 articles) Smith & Wesson Corp.

    (27 articles) Northeast Utilities

    (26 articles) Bradley International Airport

    (17 articles) Peter Pan Bus Lines

    (16 articles) United Bank

    (15 articles) Eastern States Exposition

    (13 articles) Hampden Bank

    (13 articles) Amtrak

    (11 articles) Yankee Candle, Inc.

  7. Business Leaders in the News

    (15 articles) Robert Caret

    (11 articles) Timothy W. Brennan

    (9 articles) Jack Wilson

    (8 articles) Nick Fyntrilakis

    (7 articles) Kevin E. Lynn

    (6 articles) Gerald W. Hayes

    (4 articles) John Majercak

    (4 articles) William Ward

    (4 articles) Robert L. Culver

    (3 articles) Tom Sommer

  8. Government Officials in the News

    (131 articles) Governor Deval L. Patrick

    (67 articles) Domenic J. Sarno

    (35 articles) Congressman Richard E. Neal

    (13 articles) Michael D. Bissonnette

    (12 articles) Dannel Malloy

    (12 articles) Congressman John W. Olver

    (10 articles) Kathleen G. Anderson

    (9 articles) Daniel M. Knapik

    (9 articles) Gregory P. Bialecki

    (8 articles) Edward J. Gibson

  9. Organizations in the News

    (205 articles) University of Massachusetts

    (35 articles) Associated Industries of Massachusetts

    (33 articles) Basketball Hall of Fame

    (32 articles) Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts

    (29 articles) Westfield State University

    (27 articles) Springfield Technical Community College

    (26 articles) Holyoke Community College

    (21 articles) Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield

    (21 articles) Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

    (19 articles) MassDevelopment

  10. Western Mass Cities in the News

    (706 articles) Springfield

    (247 articles) Holyoke

    (209 articles) Amherst

    (156 articles) Westfield

    (138 articles) Northampton

    (132 articles) Chicopee

    (74 articles) Greenfield

    (51 articles) Easthampton

    (41 articles) Palmer

    (40 articles) West Springfield

  11. Recent Quotes

    1. “ We always do an annual breakfast focusing on economic development and because UMass is one of the economic drivers of our region we felt it would be great to have the new president speak. ”
    2. “ They are excited because this is their first venture in Hampden County. ”
    3. “ Things are better in Massachusetts than in most other places. ”
      By Governor Deval L. Patrick

  1. Featured News

    1. Getting Down to Business: Playing Matchmaker

      Explore BusinessWest (Jan 17 2012)

      Getting Down to Business: Playing Matchmaker The full measure of his organization, Allan Blair will tell you, is pretty straightforward. “Three goals,” he began. Blair is president and CEO of the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Western Mass., and he explained that those goals to stimulate the regional economy are quality jobs, public and private investment, and bringing in additional visitors. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Allan W. Blair

    2. Thing5 LLC moves to downtown Springfield with plans to hire up to 500 workers

      Explore masslive.com (Jan 12 2012)

      Thing5 LLC moves to downtown Springfield with plans to hire up to 500 workers Thing5 LLC, a telecommunications company that provides call center services in the hospitality field, has opened a new, expanded location at the One Financial Plaza building in downtown Springfield and plans to create up to 500 jobs. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Domenic J. Sarno   Springfield   The Republican

    3. The Casino Era Begins

      Explore BusinessWest (Dec 6 2011)

      The Casino Era Begins Indeed, only a few seconds in, Blair, president of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., said that, while he had no official determination on the matter, he thought it quite fair to say that the resort casino due to be built over the next several years somewhere within the 413 area code will easily be the region’s largest development project ever. And he wasn’t just talking about dollars and cents, although the projected $500 million (minimum) project — at least twice the cost of Baystate Health’s $250 million Hospital of the Future — will certainly cover that aspect of ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Domenic J. Sarno   Governor Deval L. Patrick   Mohegan Sun

    4. See all articles >>

  2. From the EDC

    1. Final Rebuild Springfield Meeting Slated for January 31

      Explore From the EDC (Jan 25 2012)
      by Michael Graney (mike)

      Final Rebuild Springfield Meeting Slated for January 31 The EDC would like to encourage everyone to attend the final meeting of Rebuild Springfield, scheduled for Tuesday, January 31 from 6:30-8:00 PM at St. Anthony’s Social Center, 375 Island Pond Road. Rebuild Springfield has been an extensive process coordinated by Develop Springfield and the Springfield Redevelopment Authority. The initial focus was on rebuilding neighborhoods that were devastated by the June 1 tornado, but the process has morphed into a city-wide development strategy. If you want more information, please visit the Rebuild Springfield website -- http://rebuildspringfield.com/ (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Springfield   Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts

    2. EDC to Host Industry Sector Series

      Explore From the EDC (Jan 12 2012) Manufacturing
      by Michael Graney (mike)

      The EDC will host “New Market Opportunities for Photonics and Fiber Optics Companies” on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, at 4:00 at the Springfield Technology Park. This will be the first in a series of presentations to be scheduled over the next several months focused on opportunities for manufacturing clusters we have identified as having growth potential for the region. Here is a link to the invitation, including RSVP information -- http://www.westernmassedc.com/photonics2012/ The series was spawned by the “Economic Development and Business Attraction Planning” report completed by CWS Consulting Group -- http://www.westernmassedc.com/cwsreport/ -- with the support of Western Mass Electric Co. ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Springfield   Chicopee   Western Massachusetts Electric Company

    3. European Business Prospects

      Explore From the EDC (Jan 8 2012) Medical Devices
      by Michael Graney (mike)

      For the last few years, I have represented the EDC and the region on business development trips to Europe, typically with the support and participation of Northeast Utilities/Western Mass Electric Co and as part of delegations representing the Commonwealth and New England’s Knowledge Corridor©. My most recent visit was during November 2011. The headlines about the sovereign debt crisis and related banking sector issues gave me pause that this visit might not be productive. But the reality was exactly the opposite, as I met with more total, as well as higher quality, prospects than any other year. Part of the ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Northeast Utilities   Knowledge Corridor   Allan W. Blair

    4. See all From the EDC articles >>

  3. Western Massachusetts Business News

    1. Early Childhood Education: Springfield Tackles a Benchmark

      Explore bos.frb.org (7 hours, 37 min ago) Education

      Early Childhood Education: Springfield Tackles a Benchmark The old industrial city of Springfield, Massachusetts, has a long history with the written word. Dr. Seuss, whose rhymes made learning to read fun, was born here. This is the birthplace, too, of Merriam-Webster Inc., the famed dictionary company. Yet for many Springfield children, learning to read is a challenge. Sixty percent of the city's third graders read below grade level, according to the 2011 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), thus missing a critical benchmark that strongly predicts later success. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   MassMutual   Springfield   Hasbro, Inc.

    2. Tax credit expiration jeopardizes jobs in state - Boston Business Journal

      Explore bizjournals (9 hours, 10 min ago) Financial Services

      Tax credit expiration jeopardizes jobs in state - Boston Business Journal Congress didn’t renew the federal New Markets Tax Credit program at the end of last year, threatening a program that supporters say has added several thousand jobs. (Read Full Article)

      Comment

    3. Faculty innovation earns UMass 13th spot on Association of University of Technology Managers list

      Explore masslive.com (23 hours, 10 min ago) Education , Information Technology

      Faculty innovation earns UMass 13th spot on Association of University of Technology Managers list According to the statement, Caret told the Board of Trustees Committee on Science, Technology and Research that the university was able to generate $40 million from faculty discovery and innovation and “is a testament to the great quality of the UMass faculty on all five campuses and also shows that the university is extremely focused on obtaining its fair share of the proceeds when products reach the marketplace." (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   University of Massachusetts   Amherst   The Republican

    4. Springfield officials to release post-tornado master plan for rebuilding city

      Explore masslive.com (Jan 26 2012)

      Springfield officials to release post-tornado master plan for rebuilding city City residents are encouraged to attend the “Rebuild Springfield” meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the St. Anthony’s Social Center, 375 Island Pond Road (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Domenic J. Sarno   Springfield   The Republican

    5. UMass president Robert Caret discusses economic development with businesses in Holyoke, Springfield

      Explore masslive.com (Jan 26 2012) Education

      UMass president Robert Caret discusses economic development with businesses in Holyoke, Springfield “We always do an annual breakfast focusing on economic development and because UMass is one of the economic drivers of our region we felt it would be great to have the new president speak,” said Doris Ransford, president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   University of Massachusetts   Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce   Springfield

    6. Regional increase in state gasoline tax eyed as way to fund transportation projects in Bay State

      Explore masslive.com (Jan 25 2012) Transportation

      Regional increase in state gasoline tax eyed as way to fund transportation projects in Bay State A 1-cent per gallon gasoline tax could generate $50 million a year for transportation projects in the region, according to the executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Pioneer Valley Planning Commission   West Springfield   Springfield

    7. Pioneer Valley Regional School students attend 72nd Model Congress at American International College

      Explore masslive.com (Jan 25 2012) Education

      Pioneer Valley Regional School students attend 72nd Model Congress at American International College The three-day event is the longest running event of its kind in the country. The students submitted the legislation prior to the start of Model Congress, and each bill was then debated, amended and voted on during committee meetings. Bills that were approved in committee were taken up the next day in House and Senate sessions. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   American International College   Springfield City Council   Springfield

    8. Bialecki: Manufacturing jobs not coming back to Mass. - Boston Business Journal

      Explore bizjournals (Jan 25 2012) Manufacturing

      “If you promised me that 20 years from now we'd only have the same number of people working in manufacturing as we did today I would take your offer in a second,” Bialecki said. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Gregory P. Bialecki

    9. Ameristar Casinos completes purchase of former Westinghouse site in Springfield for casino resort

      Explore masslive.com (Jan 25 2012)

      Ameristar Casinos completes purchase of former Westinghouse site in Springfield for casino resort A Nevada company today said that it has closed on a deal to buy 41 acres off Page Boulevard in Springfield for a possible $500 million casino resort. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Palmer   Springfield   Holyoke

    10. Norwest Equity Partners Invests in Leading Sporting Firearms Manufacturer ...

      Explore businesswire.com (Jan 25 2012) Financial Services , Manufacturing

      Coburn stated, “This new investment partnership with NEP marks an exciting time for Savage. On behalf of our management team and employees, we look forward to working with the NEP team, exploring new business opportunities and advancing our business potential together.” Savage is headquartered in Westfield, Massachusetts, and has over 600 dedicated employees. Manufacturing facilities are located in Westfield; Lakefield, Ontario; and Eugene, Oregon. (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Bank of America   Westfield

    11. See all articles >>

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  5. Western Massachusetts- It's Your Move