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Governor Healey Files Legislation Unlocking $800 Million to Compete for Federal Funding

Posted on October 24th/in Chamber News /by northcentralmass

Governor Maura Healey filed legislation and signed an executive order to enhance the administration’s aggressive approach to competing for the historic amounts of federal funding made available to Massachusetts by the Biden Administration. Massachusetts has the chance to compete for and win up to $17.5 billion in federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act.

To support the administration’s federal funds strategy, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is filing An Act to Provide for Competitiveness and Infrastructure in Massachusetts to create a Capital Investment and Debt Reduction Fund that will make $800 million in additional state funding available over the next three years to pursue federal grants. This money will expand the state’s capacity to allocate match funding to satisfy requirements in many federal grant programs for states to cover a portion of proposed project costs and adds to the roughly $2 billion in state matching funds that have already been identified from other funding sources, including through the FY24-FY28 Capital Investment Plan, the FY24 budget, and other appropriations.

The Governor also signed an Executive Order formally establishing the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO) to be led by Director of Federal Funds & Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey. It also establishes the Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership for municipalities and tribes.

“As I’ve been saying since day one, we are here to compete and we are here to win, especially when it comes to these unprecedented federal funding opportunities made available by President Biden and our incredible Congressional delegation,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This blueprint gives our administration and municipalities the tools to compete for and bring home the funding our communities need, and put federal dollars to work advancing economic development, infrastructure and climate resiliency projects all across Massachusetts.”

“Our administration is committed to ensuring that we have federal funding to support the important work of our cities and towns,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “The Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership will play a critical role in keeping our local governments up to date on the federal funding opportunities that are relevant to them, and connecting our municipal and tribal leaders with the resources they need to secure federal dollars.”

“The Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office will be able to effectively leverage the strengths of our state agencies, municipalities, and our Team Massachusetts partners to compete for federal funds,” said Director of Federal Funds & Infrastructure Palfrey. “The tools outlined in this executive order will enable the Commonwealth to capitalize on President Biden’s historic investments of federal money and maximize its impact for Massachusetts. I look forward to continuing our work with local leaders and incredible partners in Senator Warren, Senator Markey, and our congressional delegation to put federal dollars to work all across the Commonwealth.”

The legislation would leverage interest earnings on the state’s Stabilization Fund, which currently stands at an all-time high of roughly $8 billion. By utilizing the interest on the Stabilization Fund without touching the balance of the state’s savings, the state is anticipated to generate a pool of $250 million a year that could be used to strengthen its applications for federal grants and deliver a strong return on investment that will advance infrastructure, climate and other projects around the state. The interest earnings will be combined with $50 million in Fair Share resources already committed for transportation matching funds through the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

The state will dedicate $50 million of this new funding pool to ensuring the competitiveness of local and regional partners through municipal matching grants and a local infrastructure bank. The Fund also includes $12 million for local government technical assistance to help municipalities successfully apply for federal funding opportunities.

The legislation further proposes to make the new fund permanent, establishing a new pay-as-you-go capital fund that would be used once these federal grant opportunities expire. The Capital Investment and Debt Reduction Fund would be used moving forward to support state assets and debt management, relieving some pressure on the state’s traditional debt-financed capital plan with safety mechanisms in place should economic conditions change. This type of fund has existed previously in Massachusetts and would be a valuable tool in helping to address the backlog of deferred maintenance needs across the state.

“We want to ensure that no funding for Massachusetts is left on the table when applying to federal grant programs,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. “The State Matching Funds Pool will ensure the Commonwealth is able to provide the financing necessary to unlock federal money, and immediately put awarded funds to work for our communities. It will also become a flexible tool for us in the future to address an array of needs for our state buildings and other assets without jeopardizing the safety net of our strong Stabilization Fund.”

“This is a fiscally responsible and creative way to leverage the high interest rate environment and historically high stabilization fund balance,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “Providing a dedicated pool of funds will give Massachusetts an advantage when competing for critical federal funding opportunities. We can both protect the stabilization fund balance and put interest earnings to work for Massachusetts.”

The Executive Order will allow the state to maximize its ability to win federal funds through strong coordination between state agencies, municipalities, and other Massachusetts entities, and by providing additional state resources that are critical to unlocking federal dollars.

The Executive Order formally creates the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO), which is tasked with identifying key federal funding opportunities that will advance Healey-Driscoll Administrations priorities. Those priorities include improved infrastructure, equity, job creation, economic competitiveness, climate resiliency and decarbonization, workforce development, and more. The office is led by Director Quentin Palfrey, who was appointed in March by Governor Healey as the principal advisor on federal funding and infrastructure. FFIO is responsible for continuing bi-weekly meetings of the Advisory Council on Federal Funds and Infrastructure, chaired by Director Palfrey, which facilitates inter-agency coordination and promotes government-wide strategies for maximizing the award of federal funding. FFIO will also maintain a State Clearinghouse responsible for the internal tracking of all federal grant opportunities and agency applications.

FFIO will also be tasked with supporting the work of external partners to apply for federal funding opportunities that further the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s priorities for the Commonwealth. This will involve a coordinated approach to supporting municipalities and tribes across Massachusetts. To do this the executive order creates a working group, which will meet monthly as the Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership, which Lieutenant Governor Driscoll announced last week. The meetings will be open to elected leaders and staff from all 351 cities and towns, as well as the leadership of Massachusetts’ federally recognized tribes. The Federal Funds Partnership will provide targeted updates on relevant federal funding opportunities and connect partners with resources for technical assistance and state matching funds. The first meeting will be kicked off by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll on Wednesday, October 25^th.

This proposal will power the administration’s efforts to build on the progress it has already made in securing federal funding in recent months. This includes awards of $147 million to expand broadband access in Massachusetts, $108 million towards track improvements between Springfield and Worcester to enable additional West-East passenger rail capacity, $22 million for Massachusetts municipalities to combat extreme heat through increased urban tree canopies, and $19.7 million to establish a Department of Defense Microelectronics hub which will further opportunities for advanced manufacturing and technology. The Administration also has more than $3 billion requested in applications currently pending before federal agencies to fund ongoing projects in communities across the state, including for the Cape Cod Bridges.

Policy briefs on the Capital Investment and Debt Reduction Fund can be found here. Read the Governor’s filing letter here.

Statements of Support

Adam Chapdelaine, Executive Director and CEO, Massachusetts Municipal Association:

“We’re deeply grateful for this timely proposal from the Healey-Driscoll Administration, which would ensure that the Commonwealth can maximize the historic funding available from the federal government. This initiative offers an important framework to support cities and towns in developing successful applications and providing matching funds to leverage
all opportunities.”

Phineas Baxandall, Interim President, Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center:

“This is a smart proposal that leverages the state’s strong rainy day fund to secure billions of federal grant dollars in the short-term and to address the Commonwealth’s long-term maintenance and capital needs. In the next three years, this could make the difference in obtaining game-changing federal grants for things like high-speed rail across the state and electric charging infrastructure for the next generation.”

Chrissy Lynch, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO:

“We applaud the Healey Administration’s efforts to fully utilize historic federal funding opportunities. This Executive Order will bolster investments into the communities where working people live, into the infrastructure working people need to get around, and support the creation of union jobs at the same time.”

Rebecca Davis, Chief Operating Officer, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership:

“We congratulate the Healey-Driscoll administration on implementing these critical steps to leverage the many funding opportunities currently available from the federal government. Ensuring that Massachusetts is well positioned to capture this generational opportunity is a priority for Massachusetts business leaders. By working together, we can amplify our impact and secure the necessary resources to drive progress and innovation in the Commonwealth.”

North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation approves financing for Gather Provisions

Posted on October 17th/in Chamber News, NCMDC /by northcentralmass

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, recently granted a loan of $35,000 to Gather Provisions. The loan was done in partnership with TD Bank. The funding supported the creation of four part-time employee positions and will be utilized toward the purchase of equipment, inventory, supplies and additional start-up costs.

Founded in 2021, Gather Provisions specializes in chef services for private, in-home dinners with curated multi-course menus, as well as catering services for up to 75 people. The business recently expanded to include a small café, located at 290 West Main Street, Northborough. Mass. The café provides a casual, chef prepared menu of soups, sandwiches, salads and prepared food for lunch and early dinner patrons.

“As people are being pulled in many directions each and every day, we realized they may not have time to create a healthy, gourmet meal for themselves or their families,” said Erin Anderson, owner and chef, Gather Provisions. “With the support of the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation in partnership with TD Bank, we’re able to provide an opportunity for our community to obtain a quick, fresh and delicious meal for pick-up or to dine in at our a local café.” For more information, visit https://www.gatherprovisions.com/

As a microloan lender, NCMDC can provide loans to small businesses up to $250,000 for working capital, real estate, equipment, inventory, expansion and working with our banking partners to provide gap financing for the final piece of
a project.

For more information about the NCMDC loan programs, please call 978.353.7607 or visit NorthCentralMass.com or ChooseNorthCentral.com.

Chamber member HUB International gives back to the local community

Posted on October 16th/in Chamber News, Member Spotlight /by northcentralmass

As the current largest insurance broker in Massachusetts, Chamber member HUB International isn’t your average insurance brokerage company that you meet or Google online.

With a strong sense of community for every town or city they have an office in, being able to give back to the community is a high standard for HUB International. In 2022, HUB New England donated over $500,000 to over 185 local charities in the area, including a $500 scholarship to a graduating high school senior in each town they have a physical office in.

Based off of the hub and spoke model, they continue to grow across the country, not just through acquisitions, but also through the local community.

“Growing organically through the community is something that is very important to us,” said Shawn McLaughlin, President and Chief Executive Officer of HUB International New England. “This is where organizations like the [North Central Massachusetts] Chamber of Commerce come in. We work with a lot of non-profits, and donate a lot of time to the communities we serve.”

Who is HUB International?

According to their website, HUB International’s company mission is “to protect and support the aspirations of individuals, families and businesses, to empower our employees to learn, grow and make a difference in their communities.”

Although HUB International has over 530 offices across North America and over 100,000 customers in New England alone, they provide the “small town feeling” when it comes to personalized, commercial, employee benefits or retirement and private wealth insurance, taking on the “one stop shop” mentality for insurance and risk management.

Because of the size, scope, and scale of HUB International, there isn’t a lot that they haven’t seen when it comes to protecting customers’ needs and assets.

“We focus on protecting the customer’s assets for themselves. A customer would have a local agent to contact, but also have a really strong resource network behind them. We’re able to take care of our client no matter the size or complexities that may be involved,” said McLaughlin. “The goal is to help people through difficult times, and protect them from risk.”

HUB International works with everyone, from the individual sole proprietor to the bigger, global companies, and all of the different divisions are designed to work with the customers that they service.

Truly being a part of the community

The mission of giving back is two-fold: to create awareness in communities and to give back to the local community.

Every year, HUB International supports and holds two annual golf charity outings, coordinated by Hub employee volunteers, where all of the proceeds go to charities as selected by HUB employees. HUB staff nominate and vote on at least three charities based on those nominations.

Additionally, HUB New England employees are serving on 43 boards in their community with local nonprofits, and 54 insurance boards supporting the industry. McLaughlin himself serves on the board of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF.org). This accounts for 121 HUB employees donating their time outside of work at an estimated 2,926 hours per year for local charities within their area.

Strengthening that bond between businesses, individuals, and the community, HUB International is honored to be a part of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.

“The [North Central Massachusetts] Chamber of Commerce is one of the more robust organizations that we work with,” McLaughlin said. “We like the ability to work with other businesses as well as direct to consumer. The chamber hits both of those areas, and it’s an easy way for us to tap into the community.

We’ve found that the [North Central Massachusetts] Chamber is a good connector for the local community and a really good way for us to stay in touch with other local businesses. It’s been an honor to be a part of the organization.”

Looking forward to a bright future

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the mindset and the way that HUB International does business. Currently, the insurance company has a hybrid environment, where employees will go into the office a few times a week, but are otherwise working from home.

With that being said, HUB has adopted the “first call resolution,” model in their personal lines department, meaning that the issue/situation should be resolved in one call, instead of the hassle of going back and forth with the customer.

“This first call resolution provides more laser focus to ensure our customers receive efficient and effective attention,” McLaughlin stated. “We are now looking at expanding that approach to some of our commercial divisions.”

HUB continues to see growth not only through acquisitions, but organically as well. HUB has a strong focus on niche specialties throughout the local areas, and most recently, the firm added retirement and private wealth management capabilities.

“Our world has gotten far more complicated, and our customers’ needs have shifted so they are much more specific to their business,” McLaughlin said. “As we evolve, instead of being a generalist, our firm developed industry specializations, while retaining our strong local presence.”

You can contact HUB International through their website at www.hubinternational.com to speak with an agent in your local area.

Chamber of Commerce | North Central Massachusetts | North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce | HUB International New England | Insurance Broker in Massachusetts

Fitchburg artist donates painting to Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center

Posted on October 16th/in Chamber News /by northcentralmass

Visit North Central Massachusetts, the tourism and destination marketing arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, today announced the addition of new artwork painted by Fitchburg resident Ann Howe to its Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center.

Howe, 86, a longtime resident of Fitchburg and local artist, joined her family, Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale, Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella and members of the Visit North Central Massachusetts and Chamber staff on October 16, to donate the artwork.

“Through a connection with a member of Mrs. Howe’s family, we learned they were looking to find a home for the painting so the community could enjoy it,” said Roy M. Nascimento, president and CEO, Visit North Central Massachusetts. “We thought what better way to share the talent of one of our local artists with the more than 165,000 people who visit our Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center than to have the painting call our visitor center home.”

The painting, which is inspired by the characters of the movie, “Wizard of Oz,” was completed more than three decades ago in June 1992 as a fun, family photo opportunity for the Saint Anthony’s Church Annual Italian Festival. Since then, people of all ages have enjoyed the painting, including Howe’s seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

“When I heard, my painting was going to the Johnny Appleseed Visitors Center, I got so excited,” said Howe. “I just moved to the Highlands and this painting was something I wanted to make sure my community and the children could enjoy for many more years. I’m so glad we found such a wonderful home for it and thank you to Roy and my family for all their help to get my painting here.”

Following installation at the visitor’s center, the painting will be on display during regular business hours.

Highlights of New Tax Reform Package

Posted on October 5th/in Chamber News /by northcentralmass

After close to two years of discussion and a lengthy negotiation process in the current session, H4104, the State’s first significant tax relief in well over a decade, was signed by Governor Maura Healey into law earlier this week. In its first year, the tax package will provide about $561 million in relief for the current fiscal year. Several other provisions will be phased in over time providing more than $1 billion in relief by fiscal year 2027 according to reports. The legislation contains a number of provisions aimed at providing relief to individuals as well as businesses including:

Child Tax Credits: The new law features an overhauled child and dependent tax credit. This will provide parents and caregivers with $310 per dependent this year and $440 per dependent next year and beyond. Additionally, the current credit’s limit of two qualifying dependents has been eliminated.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): The law increases the EITC for low-income residents to 40% of the federal EITC, up from the previous 30% Senior Circuit Breaker: The maximum credit that lower-income residents aged 65 and older can claim is being doubled from $1,200 to $2,400.Rental Deductions: While Massachusetts allows renters to write off up to 50% of their rent from their taxes, the maximum deduction is being raised to $4,000, up from $3,000.

Short-Term Capital Gains: The new law slashes the short-term capital gains from 12% to 8.5%.

Single Sales Factor: Under the new law, the state is abandoning the three-factor test for determining sales tax for corporations which previously took into account (I) property (2) payroll and (3) sales. The transition to a single sales factor apportionment formula will begin on January 1, 2025.

The Estate Tax: The new law raises the Estate Tax floor from $1 million to $2 million, exempting all estates below $2 million from the tax. A $99,600 credit that can be used to reduce the overall tax burden will now be issued to all estates.

Joint Filing: All married couples who file taxes jointly at the federal level will now be required to file jointly at the state level. Previously couples could elect to file separately at the state level regardless of how they filed at the federal level. This move is aimed at preventing high-earning couples from avoiding the new surtax on $1 million by filing separate tax returns.

Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP): In an effort to spur much needed housing development across the Commonwealth, the legislation makes significant new investments in the state’s HDIP program, providing Gateway cities with a tool to develop market rate housing and providing tax credits to developers building housing projects. The new law allocates $57 million to clear the backlog on eligible projects awaiting the credit and raises the cap on HDIP spending to $30 million per year.

Advertise in the 40th Anniversary Edition of the Chamber Report

Posted on October 3rd/in Chamber News /by northcentralmass

2024 will mark the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s 40th Anniversary! To help mark the occasion, the Chamber will be releasing a special edition of the Chamber Report in January celebrating this milestone. A limited number of advertising opportunities will be available. Members interested in advertising in this commemorative edition should contact Yasmin Loft at to reserve your spot!

Chamber of Commerce | North Central Massachusetts | North Central Massachusetts Chamber | Chamber 40th Anniversary Advertise | Chamber Report

Chamber Updates

Posted on October 2nd/in Chamber News /by northcentralmass

SMALL BUSINESS ENERGY RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM: The Chamber is offering one-time energy grants of $1,000 to small businesses to help to off-set high energy prices and financial obstacles. Thank you to National Grid for contributing $100,000 to the Chamber to help make this grant program possible. Since launching the grant in July, we have already awarded $49,000 in grants to 49 small businesses. There are still grants available, so we encourage members to reach out to us to see if they are eligible. We are prioritizing chamber members for the grants.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT: In August, Travis Condon, the Chamber’s Public Affairs Manager, and Kat Deal, the Chamber’s Programs & Events Manager, completed their second year of the US Chamber’s Northeast Institute for Organization Management (IOM). IOM is a four-year national professional development program geared towards chamber of commerce and association professionals. Participants complete a week-long intensive session each year taught by university professors, industry experts, and leading practitioners in the chamber industry. Courses included advocacy, media training, membership, finance, legal issues, human resources to name just a few. They also had an opportunity to reconnect with other Chamber and Association professionals from all over the country.

ACCE CONVENTION: Chamber President & CEO Roy Nascimento was invited to present at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives National Convention in Salt Lake City in August. He spoke at two sessions titled “Data-Driven Workforce & Economic Growth Strategies” and “Overcoming Barriers to Upskilling Workers” where he shared our experiences and efforts with chamber and economic development leaders from throughout the country.

NASCIMENTO ELECTED TO ACCE FOUNDATION: In related news, Chamber President & CEO Roy Nascimento was elected recently to serve on the board of directors for the ACCE Foundation, a 501(c)3 that supports the work of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. ACCE’s Foundation was established to fund programming, peer-to-peer learning, and leadership development for chamber professionals seeking to create positive change by addressing the issues that challenge the long-term economic health and quality of life in our country’s cities and towns. Directors bring their knowledge and expertise to help the ACCE Foundation understand industry trends and the needs of members working in the priority areas of the Foundation. Those include education and talent; diversity, equity and inclusion; and economic and community development.

NEW LOANS: The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), the Chamber’s economic development arm, has approved and closed on a total of twenty-three small business loans totaling $1,145,000 to date for FY23. The smallest loan was just $5,000 while the largest was $216,000. Our loans helped to leverage an additional $1,066,579 in capital from banks, public entities and from the borrowers. The majority of the loans helped fund start-up businesses as well as some existing small businesses that were expanding. Two of the loans were made under our new Regional Business Investment Fund and are helping with real estate development projects in two of our communities that have been prioritized for economic development. These loans resulted in the creation of 63 new jobs and the retention of 35 jobs.

MINI-GRANTS: The NCMDC continues to offer mini-grants between $500 – $5,000 to our borrowers to assist with technical assistance. For FY2023, we have approved a total of ten mini-grants totaling $35,288.93 for bookkeeping, marketing, signage and other professional assistance. Prioritization is given to existing loan clients but we will consider other small businesses in North Central Massachusetts with a demonstrated need.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Our economic development team has provided a total of 2052 hours of direct technical assistance to existing and start-up businesses in the region. During the last quarter, our team also worked with the Massachusetts Export Center to help several businesses with questions around certificates of origin. In addition, the Small Business Development Center at Clark University has resumed holding office hours at the Chamber to help support start-ups and expanding small businesses in the region.

NORTH CENTRAL COMPACT: In June, the members of the Compact met again to continue to explore collaborative strategies to the workforce challenges in the region. The North Central Talent Compact is a collective impact coalition convened by the Chamber and other major stakeholders to address the complex talent and workforce challenges facing the region. The group consists of a group of prominent business, education, workforce and community leaders who are committed to collective action and leadership. An outgrowth of the Compact meeting is an expanded Career and Hiring Event in October, with more schools participating and bringing students to connect with employers to learn about available careers.

WEBSITE: The Chamber has started a project to redesign the Chamber website to make it a more dynamic and valuable resource for our members and communities. As part of the process, we plan to consolidate our Chamber website – northcentralmass.com – and our economic development website – choosenorthcentral.com – to make it easier to manage and avoid duplication. We also recently completed a homepage redesign of our tourism website – visitnorthcentral.com. We are excited about the project and look forward to launching the redesigned site in the coming months!

ONLINE TRAINING: In conjunction with the Chamber website redesign project, we are also launching a new online training platform called Initiate. Initiate is a comprehensive online training resource that will be integrated with our redesigned website and offers several modules around starting a business, marketing, operations, bookkeeping and more that many small businesses need.

LATINX OUTREACH: The Chamber and NCMDC continue to prioritize efforts to engage more with Latinx business owners/entrepreneurs and connect them with financial resources, programs and business networks. Latinos are the largest minority group in the region and increasingly playing a larger role in our economy. We are currently in the process of interviewing candidates for the bi-lingual Community Business Advisor role to help with these efforts.

PODCAST: We continue to trend upwards with our Inside North Central podcast series. Over the last year we have had 2,549 plays on the major podcast services, which reflects a 300% increase over the previous year. Our podcasts are currently available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and Google. Thank you to all the members who have participated in interviews and/or listened to the new Podcast series.

SOLAR: From its inception in August 2014 through July 2023 the solar field on Pleasant St. has produced 12,843,986 kWh of Net Metering Credits to the manufacturers participating in the program. Total value of these credits is $3,015,926 and the collective savings to participants totals $2,563,537. As one of the participants, the Chamber has received $241,274 in energy savings to-date.

CHAMBER GIFT CARDS: In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, we encourage member merchants interested in accepting the new revamped Gift Local E-Gift Cards to contact the Chamber. We are approaching the one-year anniversary since the transition to the new platform for processing the gift cards. Feedback from participating members and gift card recipients has been positive so far. There is no charge to participate and the new cards are easy to process via the Mastercard network, however participating merchants must run an activation card from the Chamber in order to be able to accept the cards.

Local Supporting Local: ECI Stores to celebrate 25 years in business

Posted on October 1st/in Chamber News, Member Spotlight /by northcentralmass

When it comes to supporting the local community, you can look no further than Cassandra and Neil Abramson, owners of ECI Stores.

ECI Stores is the parent company of four local consignment shops in Leominster, Ma: Cutie Patuties, CP & Company, Cutiques, and Q for Teens. Established in October 1998, ECI Stores has grown into four locations that are conveniently right near each other.

“You can do all of your shopping in one day!” Abramson said.

Cutie Patuties specializes in gently used items, sized for newborns to preteens, which can be anything from clothing, toys, and baby equipment like strollers. Q for Teens is everything you can imagine that’s fashionable for a teenager and young adult, including clothing, bags, shoes, accessories, and more. According to the website, “Q is You! Q can be whatever style your young adult is all about: retro, vintage, hip, modern, romantic, or rustic – we’ve got it all!”

CP & Company provides a large selection of misses, petites, and plus size clothing for women and adults, which also includes bags, accessories, clothing, and more. Cutiques just recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary with their ribbon cutting this past March 2023. This division of consignment focuses on home décor and furniture, with everything from a kitchen table to lamps and lighting, wall hangings and more.

“One of the things that we really try to do is community involvement,” Abramson said. “More than most businesses, your local consignment store is your community, because that’s how we source our inventory – there’s no truck pulling up that has inventory in it. It all comes in from your neighbors: things that they’ve outgrown, things that they don’t need, and things that they are ready to move on from. It’s all community driven.”

When their daughter was approximately six months old, Abramson would visit her favorite consignment shop in Worcester and do all her shopping there for her newborn, until one day, that shop decided to go out of business. Disheartened, Abramson thought about where she was going to shop next. She decided right then and there that she was going to open her own store instead.

“I went to the car to call my husband and said, ‘I’m opening a consignment store!’”

As their child grew, her needs grew and expanded into the next size range, ECI Stores also expanded into the next steps: teen clothing, shoes, accessories, and more to what you see today.

With a focus on local, consignment stores live and breathe from the local community. Everything that you see in consignment stores is brought in by neighbors, family, and friends who have outgrown the item. These items could be useful for someone else and their family.

“We price it, make descriptions, put it on our website, and we can even ship directly to you if needed,” Abramson said. “There’s hardly any other business, especially a small business, that has about 3,500 unique, individual items on the website.”

And although it may be a lot of work, the Abramsons make it look easy, especially since after the COVID-19 pandemic nearly three years ago.

“We’ve been doing more online since the pandemic. It really provided us the time and necessity to be able to focus back on the business,” she said. “Businesses had the opportunity to either shut down and wait, or use the time productively and say, ‘what can we do for after?’ And that’s what we did, every single day.”

Abramson now provides online sales through their website, as well as Facebook and social media sales. “We reach our customers however they need it.”

Being able to think on their feet and find a solution for not just themselves, but for their customers as well is what makes ECI Stores unique, and providing sales online shows diversity in what they can offer as a consignment store.

“We try to keep everything locally driven – insurance, banking, office supplies, coffee…you name it. We do everything we can to support the North Central area and support local businesses,” she said.

As a long time member of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, ECI Stores loves the ongoing educational opportunities. The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce keep their members updated on everything that you need when it comes to business. They also make sure that you have everything that you need to ensure that your business succeeds. Additionally, ECI Stores has an appreciation for the business connections with other local businesses and Chamber members.

“Everything that you do makes an impact, and the local store needs your help and support as well because they’re employing your neighbors and the people around you. You get a better product and a better relationship with local. If you can keep it local, it makes a difference.”

You can find out more about ECI Stores and their four locations on their website at www.ecistores.com or giving them a call at 978-534-6604.

“Essential” Tax Relief And Reform Reaches Healey’s Desk

Posted on September 29th/in Chamber News /by northcentralmass

Source: State House News Service
Author: Sam Doran, Alison Kuznitz, Colin A. Young

Guv Has Until Oct. 8 To Act on Compromise

Senate President Karen Spilka (right) speaks to reporters outside her office Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 joined by Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues

After nearly two years of fits and starts, a long-awaited tax relief and reform package made it to the governor’s desk Thursday after senators overwhelmingly approved the legislative agreement.

The roughly $1 billion tax bill is among the most significant pieces of legislation to reach Gov. Maura Healey since she took office in January. The Arlington Democrat has been prodding lawmakers to finish their tax talks since she was a candidate last year.

In a statement Thursday, Healey called the Legislature’s product “comprehensive” and said she would be looking it over. She has until Sunday, Oct. 8 to act on the bill, which she could choose to amend and send back to lawmakers.

“As I’ve said on the campaign trail and from day one of this administration — tax cuts are essential for making Massachusetts more affordable, competitive and equitable. I thank Senate President Spilka, Speaker Mariano, Chairs Rodrigues and Michlewitz and the Legislature for taking this important step,” the governor wrote. “This is a comprehensive package that delivers relief to families and businesses, including through our proposed Child and Family Tax Credit, and I look forward to reviewing the details and delivering for Massachusetts.”

The child tax credit was one of Healey’s signature pledges on the campaign trail last fall. The governor sought a $600-per-dependent credit, though House and Senate leaders landed on an eventual credit of $440 in their compromise agreement.

Sen. Walter Timilty, a Milton Democrat, said he agreed with the governor’s initial $600 credit proposal and expressed hope the Legislature could work on that “in the future.”

“I’m very happy with what we did today. I would have liked to have gone with more, but today is a great day for all of us, I believe,” Timilty told the News Service.

Sen. Susan Moran, who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Revenue, also signaled a pathway for expanded tax relief when asked about the governor’s $600 child and family tax credit.

“I appreciate the governor always shooting for the heights and really giving some kind of wind beneath the wings of the Legislature to really do something important,” Moran told the News Service. “And I look forward to continuing to work with the administration on that as we see where this step takes us — and maybe after that, reach even higher heights.”

The Senate accepted the conference report 38-1, with Sen. Jamie Eldridge of Marlborough casting the lone vote of dissent. President Karen Spilka of Ashland voted “yes,” which can sometimes be an emphatic sign of support from the chamber’s leader, who generally does not vote in roll calls.

Democrats then rebuffed a Republican attempt to suspend a rule and introduce amendments to the House-Senate compromise, before taking a final enactment vote and sending the paper to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk at 1:30 p.m.

Other components of the package include raising the estate tax threshold from $1 million to $2 million while eliminating the so-called cliff effect by imposing a credit of $99,600; increasing the earned income tax credit from 30 percent to 40 percent of the federal credit; doubling the senior circuit breaker tax credit from $1,200 to $2,400; and increasing the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $4,000. The package also slashes the short-term capital gains tax rate from 12 percent to 8.5 percent and overhauls how Massachusetts calculates taxes owed by multistate companies.

“With inflation the way it is, every dollar goes a long way, and this will help people meet their daily needs,” Timilty said after adjournment. “It’s very important for all of us.”

The House approved the package 155-1 on Wednesday and kept its informal session open Thursday so that it could take its final enactment vote, ensuring that the bill could reach the governor’s desk by the afternoon.

The compromise between the House and Senate was crafted since June by a six-member squad of reps and senators led by the chambers’ budget chairmen — Sen. Michael Rodrigues, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Sen. Susan Moran, Rep. Mark Cusack, Sen. Bruce Tarr, and Rep. Michael Soter.

Gov. Charlie Baker kicked off the tax relief discussion in January 2022 when he filed his own proposal. To Sen. Patrick O’Connor, the ranking minority member of the Ways and Means Committee, the 2022-2023 tax relief talks represented something “very uniquely Massachusetts.”

“And that’s the fact that in January of 2022 we had a Republican governor file a bill with his administration, and they looked at, how can we make Massachusetts competitive and how can we make Massachusetts a more affordable place to live? And then that governor decided not to run for reelection, and 14 months later, a Democratic governor, with her administration, took a hard look at how to make Massachusetts competitive and how to make Massachusetts a more affordable place to live. And they filed almost an identical bill,” the Weymouth Republican said.

On the chamber floor, Tarr, O’Connor, and Sen. Rebecca Rausch all expressed notes of discontent with some elements of the compromise. But when the roll was called, Eldridge, who did not speak during the session, was the lone dissenter.

Tarr, the branch’s Republican leader, labeled three sections as “poison pills” — a new requirement that taxpayers who file jointly at the federal level also file their state income taxes jointly; an alteration to the state’s tax cap law, known as Chapter 62F, that would spread excess tax revenues back to taxpayers in equal shares rather than proportional to the taxes they paid; and a change to the cap on money going into the state’s rainy day fund.

Rausch said she “wish[ed] we could have done more” with the proposal, such as by including teenagers in the child and dependent tax credit, but called it a “good compromise.”

The only Democrat during the brief debate to cast a negative light on some aspects of the bill, Rausch looked ahead to next budget season and wondered aloud what services may be cut as a result of a smaller tax haul.

“[W]ith this bill, we’re cutting $1 billion from our coffers, wiping out the new revenues of Fair Share almost to the penny,” the Needham Democrat said. “If we don’t increase our revenues, whether through ultra-high-earning corporate taxation or otherwise, then the only other option for us is to put services on the chopping block. So come budget time next year, what are we gonna cut?”

Referring to “revenue that we’re losing today,” Rausch called for a future “debate in this chamber, on this floor, about revenue.”

As Tarr and Rodrigues collegially sparred during multiple budget and tax debates this year, the bipartisan duo enlisted the use of a prop — a large paper “I.O.U.” they exchanged, representing the promise of future tax relief measures.

Rodrigues presented the note back to the Republican leader with a handshake Thursday, and Tarr “marked the I.O.U. paid.”

North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation approves financing for Rise & Grind Café and Smoothie Bar

Posted on September 28th/in Chamber News, NCMDC /by northcentralmass

Funding supports purchase of new equipment, working capital

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, recently granted a $32,000 loan to Rise & Grind Café and Smoothie Bar. A matching loan of $32,500 was provided by the City of Fitchburg, with NewVue Communities providing guidance on business projections.

Funding will support the purchase of equipment, leasehold improvements and supplies at the business’ second location at 805 Main Street, Fitchburg, Mass. The loans enabled the business to create four new jobs.

Managers Mark P. McCaffrey and Alexander C. Schinas opened Rise and Grind Café and Smoothie Bar in 2021 located at 507 R Lancaster Street, Leominster, Mass. Upon the success of their first location, the duo decided to open a second location in downtown Fitchburg earlier this year.

“We are grateful to the community for supporting our business over the years and enjoying our smoothies at Empire Athletics,” said McCaffery. “With the support our community, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, NewVue Communities and the City of Fitchburg, we were able to expand our offerings of delicious smoothies, coffee, and a variety of café foods and desserts to a second location in the heart of downtown Fitchburg.”

For more information about Rise and Grind Café and Smoothie Bar, visit www.riseandgrindcafema.com