news.westernmassedc.comWestern Massachusetts Economic Development Council

Home News Featured Articles All Articles From the EDC Profiles Organization Government Official Western Mass City Western Mass EDC Staff Member Company Business Leader Western Mass EDC Board of Director Comments About Login Register Featured News The Pioneer Valley Labor Market Blueprint Explore From the EDC Nov 30 2018 Workforce As you know, the Workforce Skills Cabinet (WSC) is requiring a Mid-Point Report be submitted to the WSC by December 15, 2018. We have been given a template to follow and are aggressively assembling the required collateral to form our narrative. We are excited about sharing with the WSC the progress that has been made since we began the Implementation phase in the late spring, 2018. As with the Blueprint, we expect the Secretary’s and/or their staff and others will review the Mid-Point Report and share their thoughts with us. We continue to believe that as we begin ... Read Full Article Comment UMass water technology lab could spur new developments Explore masslive.com Oct 15 2018 Education Thirty companies are in the pipeline, waiting to use a $3.9 million water technology demonstration center that could be built at the University of Massachusetts in as soon as two years. About 250 people attended the "Innovations and Opportunities in Water Technologies" conference Monday at the Amherst campus. Now the job is to get the money, already called for in a 2014 state bonding bill, and include it in a state spending budget, said Richard K. Sullivan Jr., president and CEO of the Economic Development of Western Massachusetts. Read Full Article Comment Mentions: University of Massachusetts Amherst Clean Energy Center MassHire: Employment boards, job centers take on new name, statewide brand Explore masslive.com Sep 7 2018 Workforce What used to be the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County is now the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board . The former CareerPoint in Holyoke is now the MassHire Holyoke Career Center , and the former FutureWorks is now the MassHire Springfield Career Center . It is all part of a statewide rebranding of Massachusetts' 29 career centers and 16 workforce boards, which used to go by 45 different names. They're now part of the unified MassHire brand, with a consistent logo and themed website addresses and social media handles. It's statewide, so the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board is now ... Read Full Article Comment Mentions: Domenic J. Sarno Springfield Holyoke Pre-opening VIP party underway as MGM Springfield poised to launch $960 million casino resort Explore masslive.com Aug 23 2018 Tourism Glitzy slot machines, expectations and the chatter of thousands of suited and gowned guests filled the gaming floor Thursday as the "MGM Springfield VIP preview party" got underway. Local officials like Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, the face of the seven-year pitch behind the project, and representatives of international giant MGM attended the celebration before the Friday opening of a $960 million casino resort. The development of 2 million square feet in the South End of the City of Homes is scheduled to open at 11 a.m. Friday. Read Full Article Comment Mentions: Domenic J. Sarno Springfield The Republican See all articles From the EDC Additional Small Business Funding Sources Explore From the EDC Apr 14 2020 by Sba SBA announces additional funding sources: Read Full Article Comment Information from the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development Explore From the EDC Apr 14 2020 by Mike Kennealy I’m sharing a call summary below to recap the key points of our discussion and share some important resources related to the Paycheck Protection Program, new guidance on federal unemployment provisions, and the Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (M-ERT) portal. I’d like to acknowledge the efforts of many individuals and offices to implement the Paycheck Protection Program over the past week or so. District Director Bob Nelson and his team at the SBA MA District Office have worked tirelessly, as have many members of our banking community here in Massachusetts. Together, these stakeholders are working hard to operationalize this ... Read Full Article Comment Association of International Certified Professional Accountants Information on PPP Loans Explore From the EDC Apr 8 2020 by Rick Sullivan The EDC is sharing this information, that several CPA firms provided to their clients. "Clients/businesses should consult their bankers, business advisors, and CPA's, with any specific questions pertaining to their situations." Read Full Article Comment Mentions: Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts SBA's EIDL Grant for Businesses Impacted Explore From the EDC Apr 1 2020 by Samalid Hogan We know you are facing challenging times in this current health crisis. The U.S. Small Business Administration is committed to help bring relief to small businesses and nonprofit organizations suffering because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Read Full Article Comment See all From the EDC articles Western Massachusetts Business News UMass Amherst Engineers Help Baystate Upgrade Control Cables, Power Systems for Ventilators Explore BusinessWest Apr 14 2020 Engineers from UMass Amherst responded to a request from Baystate Health in Springfield for help in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by designing new, longer control cables for ventilators and the elimination of battery power sources. The design changes, developed by a team of electrical and computer engineers, allow medical personnel to control the ventilators at a distance and without using personal protection equipment, and they provide a more reliable source of power. Read Full Article Comment Mentions: University of Massachusetts Baystate Health Springfield Holyoke Company Tools Up to Manufacture Medical Face Shields Explore BusinessWest Apr 14 2020 Walter Drake Inc., a Holyoke manufacturing company, has responded to the urgent need for medical face shields by healthcare systems. In a matter of days, workers have designed, prototyped, built tooling for, and manufactured a medical face shield of the type that is in desperate demand by hospitals, nursing facilities, and other essential workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read Full Article Comment Mentions: Holyoke Amazon to add 1,800 jobs in Massachusetts during coronavirus outbreak Explore masslive.com Apr 14 2020 As many retailers go on hiring sprees to support a surge in demand for their businesses, Amazon Inc. is once again ramping up its staff in Massachusetts. The Seattle-based online retail giant is expecting to add more than 1,800 new jobs across Massachusetts, according to spokesperson Rachael Lighty. The new hires will join more than 5,000 full-time employees already working in Amazon facilities statewide. Read Full Article Comment Mentions: Holyoke Chambers of Commerce Face the Same Challenges as Their Members Explore BusinessWest Apr 13 2020 Kate Phelon says she misses her members. Claudia Pazmany recalls the early days of this crisis, when she was bought to tears on an almost daily basis by the stories related to her by devastated business owners. Nancy Creed says it’s become her mission to provide members with comprehensive and reliable information as they try to navigate their way through a crisis the likes of which they’ve never seen before. Collectively, these chamber of commerce directors — Phelon in Westfield, Pazmany in Amherst, and Creed with the Springfield Regional Chamber — spoke not only for each other, but for colleagues ... Read Full Article Comment Mentions: MassMutual Center Springfield Amherst Coronavirus recovery bill sends $841M to Massachusetts hospitals, Rep. Richard Neal says Explore masslive.com Apr 13 2020 Hospitals across Massachusetts will receive more than $841 million in federal funds under the CARES Act Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund , U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal announced Monday. The $841 million, sent Friday to 8,746 health care provider...