Chamber Updates – Your Chamber In Action!
As your dynamic partner in North Central Massachusetts, we continue to drive initiatives that strengthen our business community and foster regional growth. Our impact spans from direct business support to innovative community development, and we are pleased to share these updates with you that are not covered elsewhere in the newsletter.
SMALL BUSINESS LENDING: Our commitment to small business remains strong. For FY2024 which ended September 30, 2024, the Chamber’s economic development arm, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), approved and closed 27 loans to small businesses for a total of $1,101,500. The loans ranged from $1,000 to $250,000 and helped leverage another $2,424,000 in capital from our banking partners and $158,329 in borrower capital. These loans helped create 19.5 new jobs and retained another 29.5 jobs. We currently have a total of 98 loans in our loan portfolio with a total principal balance of $3,149,392.
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE: Beyond lending, our team also provided a total of 2,175 hours of hands on technical assistance in FY2024 to small businesses in the region. We also connected them with resources available through our partners like NewVue Communities, the Small Business Development Center at Clark University (SBDC), SCORE and the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE). In addition, we continue to connect them as needed with professionals who can provide technical assistance beyond the scope of what we can do directly, including services for marketing, public relations, website/media design, bookkeeping and legal.
INITIATE PROSPERITY: FREE ONLINE RESOURCES: Members have access to Initiate Prosperity, our comprehensive online platform featuring 300+ business resources in English and Spanish. Since launching in October 2023, users have logged 70+ hours accessing interactive tools, templates, videos, and customized technical assistance guides.
Interested in signing up for Initiate? Access is complimentary for members, but pre-registration is required. Contact Sandie Cataldo, Senior Economic Development Manager at or 978.353.7600 ext. 232.
WorkNorthCentral.com: Our online jobs board, WorkNorthCentral.com, continues to be a vital tool for Chamber members. From January 1 to October 31, 2024, we’ve seen impressive engagement with over 1,500 job opportunities posted and more than 22,000 page views. To extend our reach, we also share these listings on our dedicated Work North Central Facebook page.
As a reminder, postings are complimentary for members. You can easily post your employment opportunities directly or email your listings to Sabbra Reyes at .
Take advantage of this powerful platform to connect with top talent in our region. Post your job openings today and tap into our growing network of job seekers!
Lauren Jones, Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, addresses a special joint meeting convened by the Chamber of the Manufacturing Council and the Talent Compact
WORKFORCE & TALENT: The Chamber convened a special joint meeting in September between our Manufacturing Council and North Central Massachusetts Talent Compact. Lauren Jones, Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, shared key insights on the Healey administration’s workforce initiatives and led a discussion on addressing our region’s pressing labor challenges. This strategic dialogue advanced our ongoing efforts to strengthen North Central Massachusetts’ workforce development and enhance regional economic growth.
SOLAR INITIATIVE: Our Pleasant Street solar field, launched in August 2014, continues to deliver significant benefits to participating manufacturers. As of October, 2024 the initiative has produced14,622,546 kWh of Net Metering Credits to the manufacturers participating in the program and a collective savings of $3,106,809 to participants.
This innovative program not only promotes sustainable energy practices but also contributes substantially to cost reduction for local businesses. As we celebrate a decade of operation, these figures underscore the long-term economic and environmental impact of our solar initiative.
SHOP LOCAL GIFT CARD PROGRAM: We currently have 41 member merchants that are participating in the Gift Local eGift Card program. Since January 1, 2024 through the end of October we have sold 59 gift cards valued at $2,600. During the same timeframe, 55 cards valued at $1,787.41 were redeemed at participating small businesses.
As we approach the holiday season—our peak sales period—we invite more businesses to join this free program. Every card redeemed supports our local economy.
Want to participate? Contact Patrick O’Hara: or 978.353.7600 ext. 239.
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM GROWING: Our Chamber Ambassadors—dedicated volunteers who champion member engagement and represent us at key events—continue to expand with two new additions in the last few months. We invite passionate members to join this influential group.
Interested in becoming an Ambassador? Contact Patrick O’Hara: or 978.353.7600 ext. 239.
GATEWAY SIGN INITIATIVE EXPANDS: Our commitment to strengthening regional identity continues with the recent addition of attractive welcome signs in Groton and Lancaster. These new installations complement our existing network of gateway signs in communities across North Central Massachusetts, including Fitchburg, Gardner, Hubbardston, Leominster, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Sterling, and Westminster. Beyond beautification, these signs serve as powerful symbols of community pride, enhance visitor navigation, and contribute to economic development by creating a more cohesive regional brand. We hope to sponsor additional signs for other member communities in North Central Massachusetts as funding becomes available.
Chamber staff showcase the new office furniture at our offices. Special thanks to AIS, Inc. for their donation of the new furniture.
DIGITAL REACH EXPANDS: Our strategic focus on fresh content and enhanced SEO practices continues to drive growth across our digital platforms, creating strong visibility for our members and communities. The Chamber’s main website, northcentralmass.com, demonstrated strong performance for fiscal year 2024 (ending June 30, 2024), attracting over 53,500 visitors and generating 137,700 pageviews—a 19.2% increase from the previous fiscal year.
Even more impressive has been the dramatic growth of our tourism platform, VisitNorthCentral.com. The site recorded more than 112,000 visitors and 207,000 pageviews throughout FY2024, representing a remarkable 50% increase in traffic. This momentum has continued into FY2025, with early metrics showing an extraordinary 89% surge in visitors and a 60% increase in pageviews compared to the same period last year.
These significant gains in digital engagement reflect growing interest in our region and demonstrate the effectiveness of our digital marketing strategies in showcasing North Central Massachusetts.
PODCAST HITS NEW MILESTONES: Our Inside North Central Massachusetts podcast has reached new milestones with 147 episodes and 5,800+ downloads—a 25% increase from last year. The series, sponsored by Franklin Professional Associates, continues to spotlight our region’s business leaders and success stories. Want to share your story? Contact Travis Condon at or 978.353.7600 ext. 224 to book your guest spot.
CHAMBER OFFICE GETS UPGRADE: Thanks to AIS, Inc.’s generous $50,000 furniture donation, we’ve modernized our office space with new staff furniture and cubicles. In keeping with our community-focused mission, we donated our previous furnishings to local non-profits, extending the impact of this upgrade throughout North Central Massachusetts.
Central Massachusetts | Massachusetts | Chamber of Commerce | North Central Massachusetts Chamber | Chamber of Commerce Membership | Chamber of Commerce Member Benefits | Chamber of Commerce near me | Blog | Rural Economy | Massachusetts Industry | Business Growth
