News from our members
Leominster Credit Union Holding Free Mortgage Info Sessions
Leominster, MA – Leominster Credit Union (LCU) is holding free Mortgage Info Sessions at each branch location beginning Wednesday, March 4, – April 1, 2020. Sessions will be held from 6:00pm – 7:00pm. Visit www.leominstercu.com/homes for branch locations and dates.
These LCU Mortgage Info Sessions will address the specific needs of most homebuyers including first-time buyers, buyers moving after owning for several years, or buyers entering the market after having credit issues in the past. Attend the session and meet LCU Loan Officers, local realtors, attorneys, home inspectors and LCU Financing Specialists who will answer questions regarding the home buying process and what to expect. Topics will include: buying, refinancing, downsizing, second homes, investments, the application process, purchase and sales, inspections, and benefits of borrowing locally.
Matt Dufault, AVP Residential Lending commented, “These seminars provide the basics of buying a home, but also the opportunity to establish a plan for home ownership based on your personal situation.”
LCU has programs available for not only for first-time homebuyers, but for any buyer who needs help getting mortgage-ready. Borrowers may be able to qualify for a mortgage much sooner than they expect.
Seating is limited and registration is required. For more information and to register online, please visit leominstercu.com/homes.
Fidelity Bank Graduates Second Group of LifeDesign University Students
(LEOMINSTER, Mass) The second graduating class of Fidelity Bank’s LifeDesign University had reason to celebrate at their graduation January 30 at Oak Hill Country Club in Fitchburg, MA. The class of 13 Fidelity Bank employees met every three weeks for two hours over a year long period to complete the professional development program.
Fidelity Bank teamed up with Nichols College to create LifeDesign University to bring a selected group of employees from a variety of departments out of the bank and into the classroom to develop the essential tools to increase productivity, promote teamwork amongst departments and garner skills for the next steps of their careers with Fidelity Bank. The curriculum included coursework and required hands-on skill practice and implementation in areas such as effective communication, supervisory skills, situational leadership, change management, project management, and negotiation.
About Fidelity Bank:
Founded in 1888, Fidelity Bank is one of the oldest independent community banks in Central Massachusetts. Fidelity Bank’s exclusive LifeDesign approach offers a range of banking, investment and insurance solutions to clients in 12 full-service offices in Leominster, Worcester, Fitchburg, Gardner, Shirley, Barre, Millbury, Paxton, Princeton and Winchendon. The Bank has consistently earned a “5 Star” rating from BauerFinancial, Inc., the nation’s leading independent bank rating and research firm. In 2018, Fidelity Bank was voted Worcester Telegram & Gazette Best Bank in Central Massachusetts and Best Financial Services. It was also named Best Bank by both Leominster Champion and Baystate Parent for 2018. It has been recognized by the Worcester Business Journal as a Top Workplace and in 2019 named to the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work list for the fifth time. As of December 31, 2019, the bank had total assets of approximately $1 billion. For more information, visit www.fidelitybankonline.com or www.facebook.com/fidelitybankma
Rollstone Bank & Trust Gifts Chamber Membership to St. Bernard’s
“The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce continues its mission of building businesses and building communities. It was without hesitation that when Rollstone Bank & Trust was presented the opportunity to gift a membership to a local non-profit organization, we gifted to my alma mater, St. Bernard’s. This is a remarkable opportunity that we, as a Regional Leader member, can give to such a beloved private institution.”
Calling All Central Mass Community Cyclists!
Learn Bike Maintenance at High-Performance Leominster Bike Shop
Leominster’s newest shop serving cyclists in central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire is now bringing the community together with classes in bicycle maintenance.
Tomten boasts a knowledgeable staff, all of them with many years of experience riding, racing and maintaining bikes. They know the makes of bike that riders are looking for, and they know how to keep them rolling at peak performance.
The shop supports area charity rides with mechanic expertise for Bravehearts and the Tully Lake Triathalon. Tomten annually supports PanMass Challenge riders with donations.
The name of the shop has an intriguing origin. Tomtens are part of Swedish folklore…small mythical creatures with long white beards and funny hats and shoes. They are industrious helpers taking care of chores and keeping everything neat and tidy.
Tomten Biketown opens its doors at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Group rides are posted on the Facebook page, as are other events and promotions. A short cyber-hop to Instagram will reward cyclists with stories and feature articles on the subject of their favorite pastime.
Riders anxious to join in with the maintenance classes can contact Tomten Biketown at 978.840.3221 and at .
Leominster AIS team members fight hunger, support community causes
As Reported by the Sentinel & Enterprise
The meal-packing event was held in conjunction with AIS’s annual sales meeting, which brings national sales leaders together at AIS’s headquarters each December. This was the third year that AIS participated in the Combat Hunger event, and the second year AIS devoted a portion of the annual meeting to packing meals for people served by the United Way of North Central Massachusetts.
“As a board member of UWNCM, my eyes are continually opened to how so many community members are struggling to make ends meet. We’re proud to partner with the United Way and support the work they do to help local families in need,” AIS President and CEO Bruce Platzman said.
According to 2019 statistics compiled by the Worcester County Food Bank in Massachusetts, one in 12 people and one in nine children face food insecurity in the region. The USDA’s 2019 Household Food Insecurity Report states that more than 37 million people in the U.S. struggle with hunger and live in poverty.
In addition to being part of the United Way Combat Hunger initiative, AIS supports the UWNCM’s Partnering for Literacy program, with seven AIS employees volunteering in the program.
Partnering for Literacy was established in 2017 with a focus on academic mentoring to support the United Way’s Early Childhood Initiative. School administrators and teachers work hand-in-hand with the academic mentors who are assigned to one or two mentees and then work with these students throughout the year to help improve their reading and socialization skills.
The Leominster Public Schools became the first community partner, and AIS became the first corporate partner. AIS continues to be instrumental in volunteer engagement and program success.
AIS supports a number of other local organizations. This past holiday season, AIS spearheaded a toy donation drive for Team Thiago. Thiago Molinari is a friend of AIS and a leukemia survivor. He and his family organize local charity events and toy drives for children who are battling life-threatening illnesses. The toys were donated to children who are receiving treatment at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
Some of the other non-profit organizations that AIS supports include Make-A-Wish™ of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the American Red Cross, Catie’s Closet and the Worcester Animal Rescue League.
In 2019, AIS received the Boston Business Journal’s Corporate Citizenship Award for its work in supporting charitable organizations and community causes.
AIS, headquartered in Leominster, is a leading manufacturer of commercial office furniture and boasts one of the most impressive stories of growth and success in the furniture industry. Founded in 1989, the company is known for offering market-relevant, feature-rich product lines that entice designers and support the diverse needs of end-users while offering exceptional value.
AIS has permanent showrooms at its Leominster headquarters and also in Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.ais-inc.com.
Workers Credit Union Announces Plan for Fitchburg Operations Center
HQ expansion project includes critical operations and branch in Fitchburg
The Main Street Fitchburg facility will continue to be a hub of activity housing Workers’ mortgage division, operations department, training staff, and full-service branch. Over the past few years Workers has upgraded the building with energy efficiencies, renovations and structural repairs to make it a pleasant and safe environment for its staff.
“Workers Credit Union continues to demonstrate a solid collaborative partnership with the City of Fitchburg and the region,” said Mayor Steven DiNatale. “The Fitchburg Operations Center exemplifies the ever changing banking model and Workers’ ability to evolve and meet the needs of its customers.”
Workers Credit Union has experienced unprecedented growth and is preparing for its future with the opening of a new headquarters in Littleton. The Fitchburg and Littleton locations will allow the credit union to consolidate operations, which are now spread across five locations, to just two.
“Our commitment to the Fitchburg community goes beyond our physical location,” said Workers Credit Union CEO Doug Petersen. “We will remain steadfast in our support of local organizations, events and nonprofits that improve the quality of life in Fitchburg and the surrounding area. We have many employees and thousands of members who call Fitchburg home so this location will remain an integral part of our operational network.”
The expansion office space will allow the credit union to accommodate its rapid growth well into the future while freeing space in the Fitchburg office for operational departments to expand. Workers has owned the Fitchburg building since 1979.
Workers Credit Union, home of the $3 million GiveBack program, is headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. With assets of $1.8 billion, the credit union serves over 103,000 members from 15 offices in Athol, Chelmsford, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Orange, Townsend, Westford and Workers Online at www.workerscu.com.
