The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and its economic development arm, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), recognized several small businesses and individuals at the Second Annual Entrepreneur Awards Reception and Resource Showcase, held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Leominster on March 20, 2025.

The awards celebrated entrepreneurship in the region and showcased successful NCMDC clients who are helping to advance the region’s economy and communities.

“Our entrepreneurs represent the true meaning of determination, innovation and success,” said Roy M. Nascimento, president and CEO, North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation. “With numerous nominations for this year’s awards, all of our entrepreneurs are worthy of recognition as their contributions to the community and growth of the region’s economy are invaluable and remarkable, especially when combined with their grit, determination and dedication as successful business owners.”

The Entrepreneurship Success Award recognized Albert Deshler, owner of AD Quality EMS Training, Inc., located in Lancaster. Opening a business during a global pandemic is no small feat, but with perseverance and dedication, Deshler overcame the challenge and has since expanded from a single location to six locations, while also creating 36 jobs. Through his expertise and commitment to high-quality EMS education, he is strengthening communities, training lifesavers, and making a lasting impact in emergency medical services.

The Community Impact Award recognized Nancy Bray, owner of Diamond Hearts Studios, located in Gardner. Bray, with her husband, Sean, recently opened the studio, offering a creative space dedicated to art, community and expression for all ages and skill levels. Since opening just five months ago, Bray has collaborated with community outreach programs, peer recovery groups, school organizations, and nonprofits, all while helping to raise funds for important causes.

The Dream Big Award went to Christine Konich, owner of Simply Sweet by Christine, in Leominster. A self-taught baker and cake artist with nearly 20 years of experience, Konich immigrated from Indonesia, became a U.S. citizen in 2016, and successfully navigated the challenges of being in immigrant, minority and woman entrepreneur toward running a thriving business.

In addition to the recognition, these three small businesses also took home cash awards of $500 each.

During the program, the Chamber also presented its Community Partner of the Year and Banker of the Year awards.

The Small Business Development Center at Clark University was recognized as the Community Partner of the Year for its support and active partnership with the NCMDC in working with startup businesses to provide guidance in the development of business plans and creating projections for future success. Through their work, entrepreneurs can obtain financing and start the business on a positive note.

The Banker of the Year was presented to Austin Brooks of TD Bank. Brooks serves as Small Business Relationship Manager at TD Bank and plays a key role in connecting entrepreneurs with funding, which earned him recognition as the top referral source for NCMDC lending among bankers this past year. In addition to this professional work, Brooks established the Russell Brooks Foundation as part of his community project for the Chamber’s Community Leadership Institute in 2022. The Foundation provides crucial support to families navigating the challenges of cancer treatment to ensure children and loved one can still experience the magic of the holidays.

Special thanks to Premier and Award Recipient Sponsor Fitchburg State University, Corporate Sponsor Fidelity Bank, and Supporting Sponsors bankHometown, Rollstone Bank & Trust, Main Street Bank, Workers’ Credit Union, and TD Bank. The bag sponsor was Fitchburg Rotary East, and XLO 104.5 was Media Sponsor.

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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce actively monitors policy developments at federal, state, and local levels to protect and advance both member interests and critical regional priorities. Our advocacy ensures your voice is heard on issues affecting business operations, regulatory burdens, economic development, and regional competitiveness. Below is our latest update on key government affairs issues.

FEDERAL AFFAIRS

Trade Policy
President Donald Trump continues to utilize increased tariffs as part of his foreign policy, with frequent announcements, retractions, and pauses affecting various industries and countries. In a significant development, the Trump administration recently announced an agreement with China to temporarily suspend most tariffs on each other’s goods. The trade agreement will reduce “reciprocal” tariffs between both countries from 125% to 10%. The Chamber is actively engaging with members to understand tariff impacts on local businesses and monitoring developments through our partnerships with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and our congressional delegation.

Tax Policy
House Republicans passed a framework in early April to align with the Senate on its budget reconciliation bill, enabling congressional committees to begin developing policy details. Current priorities include making the tax credits from President Trump’s first-term Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. The administration has also proposed eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages as well as social security benefits.

Chamber Leadership Council
Our March Leadership Council meeting featured Stephen McAllister, Vice President of the Eastern Region for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who shared insights on Washington’s political landscape and priorities including tax reform, regulatory reform, and tariffs. Jim Whitney of the Whitney Companies also presented a proposal to transform the former Leominster landfill into a horse racing and entertainment complex.

STATE AFFAIRS

State Budget Process
The Chamber closely monitors the state budget process to protect business interests and identify opportunities and challenges for our regional economy. The House approved a $61.5 billion FY2026 budget on May 1, rejecting Governor Healey’s proposed tax increases while maintaining level funding for municipal aid. The Senate has now unveiled its competing budget with different priorities in education, housing, and healthcare funding. These variations are significant as they directly impact business costs, workforce development resources, and local economic conditions. Once Senate deliberations conclude, a Conference Committee will negotiate the final budget in June, with the Chamber advocating for provisions that support economic growth in North Central Massachusetts.

Legislative Briefing
In March, we convened our Annual Legislative Briefing with regional legislators to discuss our FY2025 priorities for small business support, tourism, education, and workforce development. The meeting showcased the Chamber’s past year accomplishments and provided updates on our One North Central Initiatives.

Housing
The Healey-Driscoll administration announced Massachusetts’ first comprehensive housing plan in February, targeting an increase of at least 222,000 housing units by 2035. The Devens Housing Production Working Group has been established to address our region’s housing needs, with a focus on the Devens Innovation and Technology Center area including Vicksburg Square. Chamber representatives have been attending their monthly public meetings. In April, Chamber staff were on hand as Governor Maura Healey toured a number of mixed-use developments in downtown Fitchburg, while announcing $18 million in Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) awards to create housing in six gateway cities across the state. Included in the awards is funding for two developments in downtown Fitchburg.

Energy
National Grid and Unitil customers received $50 bill credits in April following a Governor’s executive order that also includes initiatives to eliminate unnecessary charges, expand discount programs, and review existing energy programs. Despite federal policy shifts, Massachusetts continues advancing alternative energy initiatives. In February, Secretary Hao announced the state’s Climatetech Plan at WPI, where Chamber representatives participated in a roundtable discussion on the plan and economic development.

Community Leadership Institute State House Visit

In April, our Community Leadership Institute class participated in an immersive State House experience, including tours of both legislative chambers guided by Senator Cronin and Representatives Higgins, Kilcoyne, and Zlotnik. The class engaged with high-ranking officials including Secretary of State Bill Galvin, former Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, Tourism Director Kate Fox, and former legislator Jen Flanagan during a leadership roundtable discussion.

State Elections
The 2026 Massachusetts gubernatorial race is taking shape with Governor Maura Healey announcing her reelection bid in February. Former Baker administration Secretary Mike Kennealy launched his Republican campaign in April, focusing on affordability, education, and migration issues. Other potential Republican candidates include former MBTA official Brian Shortsleeve, Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, and executive and GOP mega-donor Michael Minogue. State Senator Peter Durant recently announced he will not pursue a gubernatorial run, choosing instead to focus on his current legislative responsibilities.

Citizens’ Legislative Seminar
Our Director of Public Affairs, Travis Condon, participated in the 89th Citizens’ Legislative Seminar at the State House after being nominated by Senator John Cronin. The two-day program covered legislative history, processes, budgeting, and included simulated hearings and Senate sessions.

LOCAL AFFAIRS

Sterling Zoning
Sterling’s town planner and Planning Board have developed updated zoning to enhance economic development, aligned with One North Central priorities. The Chamber has submitted testimony supporting three key changes to streamline permitting and double potential commercial space through updated performance zone regulations. These zoning changes will be presented at Sterling’s Annual Town Meeting on May 5.

Mayor’s Meetings
The Chamber continues productive engagement with regional mayors, recently meeting with Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella. We have a joint meeting scheduled in June with all three mayors from Leominster, Fitchburg, and Gardner.

Regional Advocacy
The Chamber continues to represent business interests across several key regional initiatives, ensuring your voice is heard in critical planning discussions. We’re actively involved in Fitchburg’s Blue/Green Downtown project, serve in leadership for the Montachusett Joint Transportation Committee, participate in the Regional Transportation Council, and monitor city council meetings in Fitchburg and Leominster. These efforts are essential to securing infrastructure improvements, influencing transportation priorities, and protecting tourism funding that directly impacts your business climate and regional economic development.

Government Affairs Committee
The Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee continues to hold hybrid meetings and will soon select a new chair following John DiNapoli’s retirement from Unitil in March.

STAY INFORMED AND ENGAGED

The Chamber’s advocacy work on federal, state, and local levels directly impacts your business environment. We continuously represent member interests in policy discussions to foster economic growth and reduce regulatory burdens. We encourage you to stay engaged with these important issues and share your feedback on how government policies affect your business.

For more information about any of these government affairs updates or to discuss specific policy concerns, please contact Travis Condon, Director of Public Affairs at 978.353.7600 or via email at .

Top Photo Caption: Chamber Member, Paul Tocci Jr., a previous Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) awardee, talks about the impact of the program and plans to build additional housing units in Fitchburg during Governor Maura Healey’s recent tour of downtown Fitchburg and announcement of this year’s HDIP awardees with state and local officials.

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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce today announced support for The Fairgrounds, a proposed development consisting of a new multi-use entertainment venue, a modern sports bar and restaurant with a viewing deck, a racetrack, paddock stables and a pavilion, which will be located on the closed landfill off Mechanic Street and the Crossroads Office Park.

Our support of The Fairgrounds comes following a review of the economic impact analysis, infrastructure improvements, traffic studies, and current project plans, and its alignment with our One North Central Regional economic development plan. We believe the facility will serve as an anchor attraction to support tourism growth, offer economic competitiveness with infrastructure improvements and transportation enhancements, and transform an environmental liability into a community asset while generating economic activity for the North Central Massachusetts region.

The Fairgrounds will create hundreds of jobs, generate millions of dollars in revenue for Leominster, and benefit local businesses throughout the region as visitors seek dining and lodging options when attending one of the races or events at the facility. As the proposal includes development of a comprehensive traffic management plan by transportation engineers, the measures to manage traffic in the area of The Fairgrounds will include implementing infrastructure improvements to benefit the community, and while the Chamber has no formal position on equine sporting events specifically, we recognize that properly regulated activities that adhere to high standards of animal welfare can be consistent with our broader economic development.

The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce believes the Fairgrounds project represents a unique opportunity for our region, and we respectfully encourage the Leominster City Council to support The Fairgrounds to create a new destination for our region and generate significant economic interest for our members and the broader community.

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Here is a recap of efforts over the Winter from the Chamber’s destination marketing arm, Visit North Central Massachusetts (VNCM).

Leveraging MA 250th Anniversary for Regional Growth

We are embracing the region’s revolutionary spirit with a new marketing initiative tied to the Massachusetts 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. Our campaign highlights the innovative spirit of North Central Massachusetts across five vital sectors – Tourism, Culture, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Business.

We’ve secured a grant from MA 250th to fund our “North Central Mass is Revolutionary” campaign, enabling us to maximize exposure through strategic media partnerships with the Boston Business Journal, Worcester Business Journal, Worcester Magazine, Mass Live, and Local IQ. Our advertising campaign provides our members and communities with broad visibility across print, digital, and social media channels. The campaign also features specialized content and curated itineraries on our tourism website – visitnorthcentral.com – that showcase our region and members. Additionally, we’re investing in a digital kiosk at the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center to highlight the region’s history and connect visitors with member businesses and attractions. These coordinated marketing efforts are designed to create sustained economic impact by leveraging this historic anniversary to spotlight North Central Massachusetts as a dynamic destination for business and tourism.

Expanding Youth and Amateur Sports Tourism Through Digital Innovation

Visit North Central has strategically partnered with Playeasy, a leading digital platform that connects youth and amateur sports event organizers with regional venues, to strengthen our position in this growing market. This technology-driven approach streamlines venue discovery and booking while creating significant economic opportunities for our member businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

The platform’s automated lead generation system delivers event opportunities directly to our member venues. Early performance metrics are promising – Playeasy has already identified potential opportunities representing $32 million in economic impact and 189,000 hotel room nights for our region. Our destination’s strong digital presence ranks #32 among 334 destinations, generating 561 profile views, with 101 from event pages and 311 from facility pages in the past 90 days.

While we continue to monitor conversion rates and economic impact during this initial implementation phase, the platform demonstrates strong potential for driving youth and amateur sports tourism revenue to North Central Massachusetts.

Promoting North Central Massachusetts as a Premier Winter Destination

Our winter advertising campaigns successfully promoted North Central Massachusetts as a premier New England destination to drive visitor spending across our business community. The campaigns showcased the region’s authentic experiences, rich cultural offerings, and strategic location advantage. Working with leading media partners including AAA, Boston Spirit, Cumulus, Hearst Story Studio, Local IQ, and MassLive, we implemented a comprehensive media strategy primarily focused on digital platforms, complemented by strategic print placements. The campaign targeted high-value markets including Boston and New England communities within a 250-mile radius, positioning our region as an accessible destination for winter travelers. This targeted approach helped drive visitor traffic to member businesses during traditionally slower winter months.

Driving Visitation Through Strategic Partnerships and Media Outreach

Our tourism partnerships continued to generate impact through multiple initiatives. Our collaborative “Shoulder Season” advertising campaign with Discover Central MA and MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau, funded through federal grant support, has successfully promoted off-season visitation to drive year-round business opportunities. This strategic partnership concludes this spring after helping to increase visitor traffic during traditionally slower periods.

To enhance media coverage and destination awareness, we engaged CM Communications, a Boston-based PR agency specializing in destination marketing. Their expertise is helping to generate increased media interest and exposure for North Central Massachusetts businesses and attractions.

Strengthening Digital Presence

We maintained a strong digital presence, delivering compelling website content, including seasonal blog features and an up-to-date events calendar. Our primary goal remained to strategically deploy both print and digital advertising to capture attention in key drive markets, while continuing to drive traffic to the Visit North Central website (www.visitnorthcentral.com) and engage users across our social media platforms. For FY2025 through January 31, 2025, we had 79,660 users, representing a 46% increase over the same time period the previous year. We also had 135,000 pageviews, up 35%; 86,000 sessions, up 37%; and 1,974,892 impressions. These substantial increases indicate growing interest in our region and more potential customers discovering our member businesses online.

Social Media Performance

From July 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, Visit North Central Massachusetts’ Facebook page reached a total 736,660 users, a 36% increase, and had 1,283,965 views. Our Facebook page followers increased 30% to 42,924, and saw 12,741 content interactions. On Instagram, the page achieved a reach of 28,205, a decrease of 39%, and 105,832 views, and had 3,528 followers, a 25% increase. We also saw 2,892 content interactions during the same period. This social engagement translates to increased brand awareness for the region and stronger digital visibility for our business community.

Lodging Market Analysis: Traditional vs. Short-Term Rental Performance

The January 2025 lodging data reveals market shifts affecting our regional hospitality sector. Traditional hotel performance shows continued challenges, while the short-term rental market demonstrates strong growth.

North Central Massachusetts hotels experienced more pronounced declines than the statewide average. Regional hotel demand decreased 8.8% year-over-year, representing 2,634 rooms booked in January 2025. This exceeded the statewide demand decrease of 4.0% (56,364 fewer room nights). Revenue impact was similarly disproportionate, with regional hotel revenue declining 11.9% ($593,447) compared to the state’s 4.0% decrease ($8.3 million). Our regional occupancy rate fell 6.8 percentage points to 65%, while average daily rate (ADR) decreased 10.2% to $160.05. For context, statewide hotel occupancy dropped 3.3 percentage points to 49.2%, with ADR remaining stable at $151.05.

In contrast, the short-term rental market shows remarkable strength. North Central Massachusetts short-term rentals experienced 47% growth in booked nights (2,350 total, an increase of 752 rooms) and 40.8% revenue growth ($230,970) compared to January 2024. This significantly outpaced the strong statewide short-term rental performance, which saw 6.8% growth in bookings (243,100 nights, an increase of 15,573) and 9.9% revenue growth ($31.6 million).

These trends suggest continued market evolution that may present both challenges and opportunities for our regional hospitality businesses.

Email Newsletter Engagement

Our quarterly visitor opt-in electronic newsletter now reaches over 3,470 subscribers, maintaining an impressive 47% open rate and 7% click-through rate above industry standards. This direct communication channel continues to be an effective tool for promoting member businesses and regional events.

Spring/Summer Guide in Production

We are currently printing the Spring/Summer edition of the Guide to North Central Massachusetts, a glossy, full-color magazine designed to inform and inspire. This guide will showcase the region as a prime destination for living, working, and visiting. Once printed, 40,000 copies will be distributed across 350 high-traffic locations throughout New England. In addition to the print version, a digital version will be available on our website and shared via email, social media, and with the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) to extend its reach even further.

What’s Next: Spring Initiatives

Looking ahead to spring, our focus will remain on building awareness and driving visitors to North Central Massachusetts. Key upcoming initiatives include rolling out our new digital kiosks at the visitor center and launching our spring advertising campaign.  We will continue to emphasize the region’s outdoor offerings and the timeless charm of New England, creating itineraries that inspire seasonal adventures for travelers seeking fresh experiences. Digital marketing will remain our primary tool, with strategies that include paid search, social media ads, geofencing along the Route 2 corridor, digital display, sponsored content, print ads, YouTube targeting, and organic engagement. We’re excited to expand our reach, inspire travel, and encourage more visitors to explore North Central Massachusetts.

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More than 30 years ago, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce published its first regional economic development plan, first identifying tourism as a promising avenue to diversify the economy with a strong potential for economic and job growth.

To promote North Central Massachusetts as an area where visitors can take advantage of the region’s character and hospitality while fostering economic development and raising awareness through collaborative efforts, the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association, or what is commonly known to our members as Visit North Central Massachusetts, was established as the region’s official destination marketing organization.

In those days, our region had simple pleasures—visitors could ride the Flyer Comet at Whalom Park, skate at Roll-On America, watch a movie under the stars at Tri-Town Drive-In, dine at the Victorian House and The Brass Pineapple, and end the day with an ice cream cone at Sheldon Farms. While these beloved businesses are now cherished memories, they planted the seeds for what has blossomed into a thriving tourism industry. In the three decades since, North Central Massachusetts has transformed its visitor experience from these scattered local attractions into a dynamic destination drawing people from across New England and beyond. Today, tourism stands as one of our region’s fastest-growing economic sectors, generating sustainable jobs and revenue streams that strengthen the many communities in our region.

“Looking back, it was remarkably forward-thinking to recognize tourism’s potential when our visitor economy was in its early stages,” said Barbara Mahoney, CEO, All One Credit Union, and chair, board of directors, North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “That early vision has paid off! What started as a promising opportunity has grown into one of our region’s priority industries, not only driving direct economic growth but strengthening our retail, hospitality, real estate, and other key sectors as well.”

“North Central checks a lot of boxes for tourism right now,” said Kate Fox, executive director, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT). “The region offers a great diversity of products with wonderful museums, outdoor recreation and sports opportunities. You also have the Devens film industry and events, so there is a lot of opportunity for growth.”

The Chamber’s commitment to growing tourism extends far beyond that early vision more than three decades ago. Through its tourism arm, Visit North Central Massachusetts, the Chamber leads a comprehensive effort to promote the region and support its members in the visitor economy. From managing the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center that welcomes more than 120,000 travelers annually, to publishing and distributing the region’s official visitor guide across New England, to orchestrating targeted marketing campaigns and representing the region at travel industry trade shows, the Chamber works continuously to establish North Central Massachusetts as a premier destination.

“What sets North Central apart is how the Chamber orchestrates all the pieces of our tourism ecosystem,” said Julie Povall, general manager of the Doubletree by Hilton in Leominster. “From their visitor center operations to their integrated marketing campaigns, the Chamber is constantly creating new opportunities for businesses to connect with visitors. This comprehensive approach doesn’t just benefit hotels and attractions—it creates a ripple effect that strengthens retail, restaurants, and virtually every business sector in our region.”

Povell and Fox are not the only ones who see North Central Massachusetts as a growing hub for visitors.

In late 2024, MOTT published “The Economic Impact of Visitors in Massachusetts for CY2023” report, which captured state and regional data related to direct and secondary spending, earnings, and employment attributed to visitor spending. Direct spending refers to all spending on goods and services by visitors, while secondary spending is the result of re-spending from visitor-related revenues.

The report indicated statewide numbers for tourism on spending was $23.6 billion, which generated $2.3 billion in state and local taxes, with direct visitor expenditures in North Central Massachusetts coming in at $496.9 million, of which $41 million was provided in state and local taxes.

“To put these numbers in perspective, our region’s direct visitor spending has grown more than fourfold from $118 million in 2014 to nearly $500 million in 2023—a remarkable transformation that reflects the increasing strength of our tourism economy,” said Roy Nascimento, president and CEO, North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “And these figures capture only direct spending, not the significant multiplier effect that reverberates throughout our local economy.”

Fox said the connection between the tourism industry and other industries presents a ripple effect. “When you think about it, 154,000 people across Massachusetts are employed by the tourism industry and of those, 4,300 are in North Central. Those people are going to the region’s department stores, restaurants and home improvement stores, so the ripple effect supports and benefits the entire community.”

While tourism employment was at its peak in North Central Massachusetts in 2019 with 4,550 jobs, the job market was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in 2020, the number of tourism jobs dwindled to 3,090, but has continued to steadily climb since, with more than 4,300 jobs reported in 2023.

“Tourism is so important for our region,” said John Amaral, partner, Omni Properties LLC, the company that owns Forge and Vine and the Groton Inn. “We are on the easterly side of the [North Central] region, but we host events and are an active destination for Leominster, Fitchburg, Lowell and everyplace in between.”

While tourism is a competitive industry, Amaral said the strength of the region is its unique collaborative environment where businesses are welcomed and encouraged to speak with elected officials, participate in advocacy and know they can have a meaningful impact. “The Chamber, for one, has done a great job establishing good relationships with elected officials, and by supporting the Chamber and their efforts, we can bring more dollars here,” added Amaral. “Tourism is a multiplier effect, and we all benefit when tourism dollars come into our region’s front door.”

And it hasn’t been easy to bring those dollars into the tourism industry over the past few years. In addition to the decline in jobs, the COVID-19 pandemic brought economic disruption to almost all sectors of the U.S. economy, but none as devastating as the impact it had on tourism. The report indicates total travel spending declined by 47% in 2020.

One of the largest attractions in North Central didn’t take such a huge hit during the pandemic. Wachusett Mountain, located in Princeton, which averages around a million annual visitors, offered something people desired during a time when social distancing and indoor dining were the buzzwords of the day: outdoor recreation in a safe environment.

“There were very few activities people could actually participate in during the pandemic, but we were able to offer recreational activities that were safe because [the activities] were in the open air and people could keep a good distance from each other,” said Chris Stimpson, public relations manager, Wachusett Mountain. “We were very happy to be open and offer that to our skiers, hikers and others, and because of that, we were very busy. Since then, we have remained steady and are even a little ahead of our [visitor] numbers when compared to last year.”

Although Amaral was forced to close his businesses during the pandemic, which resulted in 110 people being laid off, the business has come back strong and now employs over 130 people. “We’ve had our challenges,” he added. “Our Groton Inn burned down in 2011 as the longest continuing inn in the country, but what we found during that time was a lot of opportunity.”

Amaral built a new inn and a restaurant, and worked with local businesses to grow, thrive and prosper, resulting in dozens of new relationships. “We buy produce, flowers and work with gift shops all within a 20-mile radius,” he said. “While tourism plays into a good chunk of our business, by supporting these other local businesses they are able to grow and employ more people, so everyone wins.”

Those partnerships and relationships are key for the team at Wachusett Mountain, too. Stimpson said one of the biggest partnerships the mountain has is with the MBTA, which offers train service from Boston to the Wachusett station, with a shuttle transporting skiers and snowboarders to and from the mountain. “What’s wonderful is that someone can get from Boston to the mountain entirely on public transportation,” he added.

In addition to a partnership with the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, which offers its famous cider donuts and cider at the main and Bullock Lodges, Wachusett Mountain also works with businesses to bring visitors to North Central. “Our local hotels offer overnight packages, and we partner with non-profit youth enrichment programs to give kids an opportunity to ski,” Stimpson added. “We also host an adaptive program for those with disabilities to get them on the hill.”

In fact, Wachusett Mountain hosted a ski race on March 1, to raise money for the Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital Frontal Temporal Dementia Unit in honor of David Crowley, co-owner and operator of Wachusett Mountain, who passed away in November 2024. “David was a ski guy and was often seen on the slopes on a sit-ski with aid from the Wachusett Adaptive Program as long as he could,” added Stimpson.

And those opportunities abound for everyone in North Central, including the region’s business owners who can bring clients, customers and employees out of the office and into an experience that puts the region center stage.

“There are so many things, events and experiences to be found here, but for our fellow business owners, we want them to bring out their clients and employees,” said Amaral. “When you bring a client out to dinner, call the manager before you arrive because they can help create something special that your clients will remember.”

Stimpson agrees. “Our local businesses can bring in teams of all sizes for a unique event in one of our private suites with s’mores by the fire in the winter, and then in the summer, utilize the entire outdoor area,” he said. “But the winter is especially fun with group lessons, lift tickets and to just have fun on the mountain.”

And when visitors enter the region, they will be welcomed with open arms.

“The visitor center on Route 2 is a wonderful way to welcome visitors to the region,” said Fox. “It offers a well thought out strategy and helps to drive the market with travelers coming in.”

And this is where Mahoney and the Chamber’s board of directors can play a key role to ensure tourism is top of mind for its members.

“Our One North Central Plan proved that our region continues to be a top destination for recreation and outdoor activities and entertainment, all supported by strong tourism coalitions,” Mahoney said. “As a financial industry leader, I know the importance tourism has on our local economy and it continues to be just as important to our region today as it did more than 30 years ago.”

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