State Council formed to Investigate Merged Market & Small Business Premiums

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Last Fall, Governor Charlie Baker established the Merged Market Advisory Council in an effort to examine the individual and small group insurance market, or “merged market,” and underlying trends that have driven insurance costs up for small and mid-size employers. This group is comprised of 13 appointed members and chaired by Gary Anderson, the Commissioner of Insurance. Its membership includes various experts with knowledge of the insurance industry, including actuaries, brokers, insurance carriers and representatives from employers and the small business community.

The creation of this market can be traced to the Commonwealth’s enactment of RomneyCare in 2006. The reforms included merging the “non-group” risk pool, comprised of individuals, with the “small group” risk pool, comprised of small business with 50 or less employees (including the self-employed). This was intended to reduce premiums for those in the non-group market- which faced elevated costs due to a higher utilization on services – by spreading the risk over a larger population. The Chamber and many business groups were opposed at the time, fearing that rates would increase for small businesses. Vermont is the only other state where the individual and small group risk pools were merged into a single merged market.

While it is true that the merged market has led to premium reductions for individuals, it has also resulted in dramatic increases for small businesses and their employees. According to the Center for Insurance Information and Analysis, Massachusetts has amongst the highest small business health care premiums in the country. Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise to the Chamber or our members who have struggled with increasing premiums for years.

The Governor’s Merged Market Advisory Council is expected to make recommendations to the Baker Administration, which may include separating the merged groups as a way to reduce costs for small businesses. Some have argued that since passage of the national Affordable Care Act, the merged market is no longer necessary due to the incentives and subsidies provided to individuals.

The Advisory Council has scheduled a series of sessions where the public may share their input and concerns. The closest session to North Central Massachusetts is scheduled for Wednesday, February 26, 2020 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Room S-1-123 at UMass Medical Center, 55 Lake Avenue North in Worcester. The Chamber will be in attendance and encourages its members to participate and share any concerns they have as well. If you are unable to attend, please consider submitting written comments to the Merged Market Advisory Council via email at .

For more information, please feel free to contact Christopher McDermott, Public Affairs Manager at 978.353.7600 ext. 224 or via email at

March Edition of Good Morning North Central features Executive Director of MassTech and New Owner of the Mall at Whitney Field

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The next edition of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s popular Good Morning North Central breakfast series is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 6:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton, 99 Erdman Way, Leominster, MA.  The March edition is sponsored by the DoubleTree by Hilton.

The Good Morning North Central series is a high-profile, fast-paced and educational breakfast program geared towards executives, senior managers, professionals and business owners.  Each of the programs has a business-oriented focus and features popular speakers to present on topics of interest to local businesses.

The featured speakers for the month of March are Carolyn Kirk, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and Jim Hull, Owner and Managing Principal of the Hull Property Group.

Carolyn A. Kirk was selected by the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative as the agency’s new executive director in February, 2019.  

From January 2015 to early February 2019, she served as the Deputy Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED), a role she held since the beginning of the Baker-Polito Administration. As Deputy Secretary, Kirk supported the management of HED’s $1.4 billion dollar budget and approximately 1,000 employees.  In addition, Kirk’s portfolio includes serving alongside Lt. Governor Karyn Polito on the Seaport Economic Council. She is extremely familiar with MassTech’s work, having chaired the agency’s Board on behalf of EOHED, and has been a leader on the effort to bring broadband to 44 unserved towns, working closely with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech.

Prior to her appointment to the Administration, Kirk as the first woman popularly elected as Mayor of the City of Gloucester. Her professional career spans more than 25 years and includes time as a management consultant, working with clients that included many of the Top 20 banks in the U.S. along with Fortune 500 companies.

Jim Hull is the founder and managing principal of Hull Property Group- who recently acquired the Mall at Whitney Field in Leominster. He has led the acquisition, development and redevelopment in excess of 70 big-box retail, neighborhood and regional shopping centers, including the acquisition of 32 enclosed regional malls, many of which comprise the Company’s approximate 15 million plus square feet of owned retail portfolio located in 13 states.

Jim is a lifelong resident of Augusta, Georgia and is an active communicant of the Church of the Good Shepherd. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.  He is also on the boards of the Medical College of Georgia Foundation, Board of Visitors of Augusta University, AU Health System, State of Georgia’s REACH Scholarship Program, the Georgia Research Alliance, the Community Foundation of the CSRA, America’s Warrior Partnership and is the past Chair of the University System of Georgia Foundation.  

He is a long-standing member of the United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society and has been honored with the United Way’s Founders Award. Jim received the President’s Award from Augusta University, the Liberty Bell Award from the Augusta Bar Association and the Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Society of Fundraising Professionals. He is a Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow, past president of the Augusta Assembly, and has been inducted in Junior Achievement’s Business Hall of Fame and Beta Gamma Sigma’s Honor Society. Jim is a recipient of an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Augusta University.

The cost is just $25 for Chamber members/$40 non-members and includes a breakfast buffet.  Pre-registration is required. To register please click here.

Visit North Central Massachusetts Participating in SkiMass Collaboration

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Visit North Central Massachusetts is proud to participate in a #SkiMass collaboration in partnership with the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, The Massachusetts Ski Resort Association, The Berkshires and Franklin County. This is in an effort to bring more ski and snowboarding travelers to North Central Massachusetts and support our partners at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area.

A mix of targeted digital media on Facebook and Instagram platforms are set in place to target key markets in Greater Boston, New Hampshire, New York and Connecticut.

 

For more information on North Central Massachusetts, please go to:

www.VisitNorthCentral.com 

Spring/Summer 2020 Guide To North Central Massachusetts Cover Reveal

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Revealing your Spring/Summer 2020 Guide To North Central Massachusetts Cover!

Interested in advertising in the guide? Please contact Diane Burnette |

2020 Legislative Briefing

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On January 10th, the Chamber hosted a legislative briefing with the region’s state house delegation to discuss our budget and policy priorities for the coming year. The presentation touched on economic development priorities, including tourism, manufacturing, education, workforce development and transportation infrastructure.

Thank you to the North Central Massachusetts Delegation for helping secure a $100,000 grant in the FY19 budget to help our efforts to develop a comprehensive economic development plan for the region. Special thanks to Senator Dean Tran for sponsoring the item in the budget.

CHAMBER RELEASES STUDY PROFILING NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS ECONOMY

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A new report released today by the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce provides an in-depth look at the twenty-seven communities that comprise North Central Massachusetts.  The Regional Economic Profile was compiled by a research team at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute and combines detailed economic, labor market and socioeconomic data, as well as analysis on the economic conditions within the region. The Chamber commissioned the Economic Profile report to support economic development efforts and serve as a resource for local businesses to make evidence based decisions.

 

“Our top priority is to advance the economy of North Central Massachusetts,” said Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation. “This research validates what we already know – that North Central Massachusetts is a great place to live, work, visit and grow a business.  We envision using the report to showcase the region, answer queries and support ongoing economic development efforts.”

 

“We are very excited to have worked with the Chamber on this report, and accompanying online data tool, highlighting the competitive advantages and issues facing North Central Massachusetts.  It provides extensive benchmarking indicators comparing the region to other places around the state” said Mark Melnik, Director of Economic and Public Policy Research at the UMass Donahue Institute. “We hope this report will be a useful resource to help support economic development in the region and can serve as a model for other regions around the state.”

 

Some key highlights of the Economic Profile research include:

 

  • Proximity to Boston, Worcester and Southern New Hampshire benefits North Central businesses in terms of labor and market access. Commercial leasing rates that are a fraction of Boston’s and significantly lower than those found in the MetroWest area also boost the appeal of North Central Massachusetts.

 

  • The availability of large parcels of land with high capacity infrastructure in combination with proximity to highways, rail lines and airports also constitutes an advantage for the region. Large parcels with access to both transportation and infrastructure are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive in and around the fast-growing Boston-Cambridge area.

 

  • North Central Massachusetts has a diverse economy with notable strengths in healthcare and manufacturing (led by plastics products, pharmaceuticals, and electronics). Manufacturing is nearly twice as concentrated in North Central Massachusetts compared to national averages. Since 2010, most major sectors in the region have seen job growth.

 

  • Agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing have seen growth in North Central Massachusetts and now employ about 3,500 people. Agriculture is more concentrated in the region than the national average.

 

  • Thirty-two percent of the residents in North Central Massachusetts have a bachelor’s degree or higher and fully 61 percent of adults have some level of college or higher, indicating that the region possesses a varied and skilled workforce.

 

  • On standardized tests, students in North Central Massachusetts score higher than the state in science and English. SAT scores are on par or slightly higher than the state while the region’s dropout rate is lower.

 

  • Quality homes in good school districts are a draw for North Central Massachusetts. The average home values in affluent towns like Groton, Harvard, and Princeton are well below those in comparable MetroWest towns like Natick and Sudbury.

 

A full copy of the Economic Profile study can be found here.

 

The Economic and Public Policy Research (EPPR) group at the UMass Donahue Institute is a leading provider of applied research, helping clients make more informed decisions about strategic economic and public policy issues. EPPR produces in-depth economic impact and industry studies that help clients build credibility, gain visibility, educate constituents, plan economic development initiatives, and prioritize investments.  For more information on the group, please visit www.donahue.umassp.edu/EPPR.

 

This research is part of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s continuing efforts to help promote the region and advance the economy of North Central Massachusetts.  For more information on the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate organizations, please visit NorthCentralMass.com or contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600.

Scholarships Available through the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation

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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation is pleased to announce that applications for its 2020 Scholarship program are now being accepted. Each year, the Chamber Foundation distributes approximately 25 scholarships to local high-achieving high school students in North Central Massachusetts. Since the establishment of its scholarship program, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation has awarded over a million dollars in scholarships.

Students interested in applying for a 2020 scholarship through the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation should contact their high school guidance department to submit an application. Deadline for applications is Friday, February 28, 2020. A limited number of scholarship applicants are submitted by each school in the Chamber’s service area each year and then reviewed by a committee of Chamber members.

Many of these awards are made possible through contributions from members of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. Scholarships endowed through the Chamber Foundation are often named in honor of prominent members of the North Central Massachusetts business community whose philanthropy and commitment to the community have helped shape North Central Massachusetts.

The Chamber’s Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization focused on assisting in the betterment of the region through charitable activities. Funds raised by the Foundation are utilized primarily for education/workforce development initiatives and charitable activities in North Central Massachusetts, including scholarships to eligible applicants pursuing education and grants to support economic and community development projects.

For more information on the North Central Massachusetts Chamber Foundation’s scholarship program or a list of the named scholarships, please visit northcentralmass.com or call 978.353.7600 ext. 222

Advertising Opportunities in the 2020 Manufacturers Directory

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Don’t get left out! The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation is getting ready to publish the 2020 edition of the Manufacturers Directory and Industrial Parks Guide for North Central Massachusetts. 

This publication is the region’s most comprehensive collection of this specialized information, outlining available industrial sites and local manufacturing related businesses, describing products, contact information and more. The directory is designed to promote and connect manufacturers with suppliers as well as serve as a resource for companies looking to relocate or expand throughout the region. Ad rates start at just $350. Please email Yasmin Loft at  for more information or to reserve your advertisement.

Fitchburg Moves to Single Tax Rate; Clinton Narrows Split

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In a momentous week, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce was on hand to testify before elected officials in Clinton and Fitchburg this week as the two communities reviewed their tax shifts for the year. In a major win for local business, Fitchburg councilors elected to move to a single rate, eliminating what remained of a six point shift! A night later, Clinton’s selectmen voted unanimously to move to a 1.52 tax shift, narrowing their split by two points and committing to moving towards a single rate over time.

Massachusetts allows two models for property taxes: single and dual rates. The single rate means that both residential and commercial/industrial properties are taxed at the same level. Meanwhile, a dual rate system dictates that commercial and industrial property taxpayers shoulder more of the burden and pays a higher share of taxes based on a property’s assessed value. A dual tax system increases costs for businesses, disincentivizes business investment and puts a community at a competitive disadvantage compared with neighboring communities that maintain a single rate.

“Your decision to gradually move towards a single tax rate is the right decision long term for the City” stated Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the Chamber during the Fitchburg’s City Council tax hearing. “Making the commercial tax burden more competitive will position Fitchburg to attract new business investment, retain existing businesses, increase tax revenues and change outdated perceptions that the City is unfriendly to business.”

Tax shifts became a common tool to alleviate the tax burden on residents- at the expense of businesses- in the 1980s. Since then, many communities have come to recognize that imposing a split tax rate places them at a competitive disadvantage, incentivizing businesses to locate in other communities with more equitable tax policies. For that reason, only a handful of communities within the region still maintain a tax split. In smaller communities, where a greater share of real estate is zoned as residential, a tax shift is particularly frustrating as the share of the levy is transferred over to a smaller collection of stakeholders. As such, a 1.50 shift can sometimes increase a commercial ratepayers bill by as much as double in absolute terms.

This week’s votes are significant as the tax shift is perhaps the most immediate and direct manner in which municipal officials can impact businesses within their communities. “We recognize that tax rates are only one factor in an economy – energy costs, workforce, health care costs, and many other things also play a role”, Nascimento stated while speaking before Clinton’s Selectmen. “But there is nothing you can do about health care costs, energy costs, and so on. Adopting a more competitive tax rate and working towards a single rate is something that you can do something about.”

The Chamber applauds the actions of the Fitchburg City Council and the Clinton Board of Selectmen. The adoption of the single tax rate passed by an 8-2 margin at the Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Fitchburg City Council meeting with Councilors Marcus DiNatale; E. Thomas Donnelly; Marisa Fleming; Amy Green; Joel

R. Kaddy; Michael Kushmerek; Elizabeth Walsh; and Anthony Zarrella voting in favor and Councilors Samantha Squailia and Paul Beauchemin voting against. The reduction in the property tax shift from 154% to 152% passed unanimously at the Wednesday, December 4, 2019 Board of Selectmen meeting with select board members William F. Connolly, Jr.; Sean J. Kerrigan; Edward J. Devault; Michael J. Dziokonski; and John J. Boisoneau all voting to adopt the reduction.

Chamber Convenes Education Compact

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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce recently convened a meeting of the inaugural North Central Massachusetts Education Compact. The Education Compact is an outgrowth of the Chamber’s report published earlier in the year called Build North Central: Promoting the Industrial Heart of Massachusetts. Among the recommendations in the report was strengthening the relationship between employers and schools throughout the region through a group of this nature that could serve as an ongoing channel of communication between stakeholders. This high-level leadership group is intended to help facilitate partnerships around the shared goals of improving college and career pathways for students. The group is comprised of leaders in education, business and workforce development.

“We are excited to convene this group of decision makers from throughout North Central Massachusetts to continue the conversation about how we can work together to shape the educational experience for students and ultimately better prepare them for college and careers,” said Roy M. Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “Through the Education Compact we are unified under a collective commitment to action and leadership!”

During the meeting, Chamber President Roy Nascimento presented data on the region, economic trends and the current and future workforce challenges faced by employers and school leaders. The group also examined several successful initiatives that were developed from similar collaborative models in other parts of the country. The Education Compact plans to meet periodically to continue the dialogue and action needed to advance schools in the region.

“In many ways, our schools are the best in the country- the world”, stated Steve Rocheleau, owner and operator of Rocheleau Tool and Die. “Conversations between educators and business are vital to be sure we close any gaps between curriculum and needs of business so together we can help our region develop opportunities for our youth to succeed here in North Central Massachusetts and provide a strong workforce for global competitiveness.”

Convening the Education Compact is part of the Chamber’s continuing efforts to advance the economy of North Central Massachusetts. The Chamber has long been a champion of education and has been actively engaged in supporting schools and students. The Chamber recognizes that the quality and accessibility of our educational institutions is critical to the health and prosperity of the state and regional economy. For more information on the North Central Massachusetts Education Compact or to inquire about joining the group, please contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600.