North Central Development Corporation Launches “A Second Chance” Loan Program

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The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC) today announces the launch of its new “A Second Chance” loan program to assist start-up and existing small businesses that have been declined financing through their bank, credit union or other lending institution.

Under this new program, any business that has had their loan request denied can bring it to the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation to have the request reviewed by its experienced loan officers. The NCMDC will provide a free, no obligation second look at the loan request, thus giving the loan request “a second chance” at receiving approval.  The NCMDC has more flexibility and less stringent guidelines than traditional lenders.  The NCMDC also partners with many financial institutions and may be able to work with the bank to help with funding approval.

The new program was developed to help start-up and existing small businesses that find themselves in a situation where they are having difficulty securing the financing that they need to grow their business.  New banking restrictions put in place during the economic collapse of 2008 and strict underwriting guidelines from banks have made it increasingly more difficult for entrepreneurs and small businesses to secure financing of less than $100,000.  The NCMDC provides loans up to $75,000 that can be used for working capital, leasehold improvements, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures and refinancing of business credit card debt.  Eligible businesses include both start-up and existing businesses such as restaurants, retail shops, service businesses, small manufacturers, home-based businesses or other businesses that would typically meet the definition of a small business.

“Providing additional financing options shows that we are committed to helping small businesses grow and prosper in the region,” said Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation. “Helping small businesses is crucial to growing jobs and advancing North Central Massachusetts.”

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC) is a non-profit corporation with the mission of creating jobs and improving the economy of North Central Massachusetts.  The NCMDC works in partnership with local banks, credit unions, chambers of commerce and area nonprofits to support emerging microenterprises, small businesses, and community projects with loans and business assistance.  The NCMDC is certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) program and is a micro-loan intermediary for the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Since 1996, the NCMDC has granted over $4.3 million in loans to small businesses to help grow jobs and the economy in 26 communities in the North Central Massachusetts region.  In addition, these funds were leveraged with local financial institutions providing $14.8 Million of their funds and local investors and business owners providing another $3.2 Million. Thousands of new jobs have been created in the region as a result of the loans made.

For more information about the “A Second Chance” loan program or the other loan programs available through the NCMDC, please call 978.353.7607 or visit www.choosenorthcentral.com.

Leominster City Council Maintains Single Tax Rate

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Following a long tradition of creating a business friendly environment, the Leominster City Council voted to maintain a single tax rate during a council meeting on December 12ta. The single tax rate bills both commercial property and residential property at the same rate.

“Through a single tax rate, the City of Leominster has a history of embracing growth, and supporting the business community,” said Roy Nascimento, president and CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce “That message to the business community has had a profound impact on the city – and Leominster has been rewarded with new businesses, business expansion and a solid commercial tax base.”

The city council voted unanimously to maintain a single tax rate. The average single family property tax bill will increase by $174, the average industrial property tax bill will increase by $236 and the average commercial property tax bill will increase by $5.

 

Background on Property Tax Classification Hearings

Each year, communities hold a Property Tax Classification Hearing to determine the rates at which residential, commercial, and industrial and personal property are taxed. There are two models for property taxes: single rate and dual rate. The single rate means that both residential properties and commercial properties are taxed at the same rate. A dual rate system means that one group – typically businesses, shoulders more of the tax burden pays a higher rate of taxes based on a property’s assessed value.

A single rate tax system has come to be the best model for business friendly communities. Many argue that a higher tax rate for commercial properties does not create a business friendly environment.

January Edition of Good Morning North Central features new director of MassTech

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The next edition of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s popular Good Morning North Central breakfast series is scheduled for Friday, January 13, 2017 from 6:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton, 99 Erdman Way, Leominster, MA.  The January edition is sponsored by the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.

El 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 speaker for the January edition is Tim Connelly, the new executive director of the Massachusetts Tech Collaborative, or MassTech. The program also includes a presentation by  Charley Valera, author of “My Father’s War: Memories from Our Honored WWII Soldiers”.

Connelly is an experienced leader with distinguished career in financial services, as well as a passion for civic engagement, social impact, workforce development, and regional economic growth.  Prior to his selection to lead MassTech, he was employed at Brown Brothers Harriman, where he spent 30 years working as a managing director, and as a General Partner. At Brown Brothers Harriman, he led service delivery enterprise, innovation and product support, and investor services units. He retired from the firm in December, 2014.

He currently serves on the technology advisory board of BDO Consulting. He is a member of the board of directors of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, and chaired the United Way’s 2014-2015 development campaign. Connelly is also a member of the board of trustees of the Carroll School and New England Disabled Sports, a Corporator of Northeastern University, and he serves on the finance and investment committee at the Cotting School.

Charley Valera has always had a fascination with WWII and its effects on the soldiers and their families. Charley knew his father was a WWII veteran and, like most of us, he never asked what life was like during the war. Years after Valera’s father passed away, taking his stories with him, he was determined to document the lives of other veterans. Within the pages are over two years of interviewing dozens of veterans. Charley writes articles and blogs for various media on topics from real estate to aviation. A licensed commercial pilot, realtor, author, public speaker, father of two boys and husband to Cheryl, Charley also owns and runs the FCA Flight Center, a flight training school in central Massachusetts

The cost is just $25 for Chamber members/$40 non-members and includes a breakfast buffet. Season Tickets are also available for purchase.  Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600 ext. 235 or visit www.northcentralmass.com.

The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce welcomed Help For Our Community

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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce welcomed Help For Our Community as a new member in November.

Help For Our Community is a Fitchburg-based non-profit organization that serves the homeless and other disadvantaged populations in 14 North Central Mass communities with a variety of emergency-based programs.

2016 will be the 16ta year that HFOC has been cooking and delivering hot meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas days, anticipating the demand for more than 750 meals this holiday season.  Throughout the year, HFOC also gathers supplies for school back-packs for foster children, kits of necessities for homeless families, and a monthly diaper pantry for struggling moms.  The Fitchburg, Leominster, and Gardner fire departments rely on HFOC when a family may be in need in the event of a house fire.  They are called in to gather information on the individuals to help provide clothing, toiletries, gift cards for grocery stores, and small household items.  All of the resources come from community members who are able to secure items and pass them along through HFOC’s efforts.

People in need may not know where to turn, and HFOC is able to direct them to services in place, in order to maximize the impact of other local organizations such as Meals on Wheels, the VA, and senior centers.  But HFOC is often asked to “fill the gaps” in existing programs.  Many people have come to rely on their work, so HFOC is constantly in need of volunteers, financial support, and donations of important supplies.

While HFOC hopes to open a donation center in future, monetary donations can be made at Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) branches at 350 John Fitch Highway in Fitchburg or 1123 Central Street in Leominster.  To donate food or other goods, please call director Tami Arguelles on (978) 846-6426.  More information is available on their Facebook page.

Shop Local This Holiday Season

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Shop Local This Holiday Season

By Anthony Mercadante

 

With the holiday season before us, there is no doubt we are all thinking about shopping and the gifts we want to buy for the people in our lives. With our busy schedules and holiday parties, it’s easy to consider turning to the internet to get your shopping done. But that type of shopping often has consequences on your community. This holiday season, I encourage you to shop local. Not only does this support your local businesses, but it has profound rewards for your community.

When you buy goods and services from local businesses and merchants, the money you spend stays in our communities.  National research shows that for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $48 stays in our cities and towns.  That’s compared to only $14 of $100 that is spent at a chain and just $1 when spent at large e-commerce retailers.  Those dollars support the essential services that we all rely on, including police, fire, schools, streets and more.

Local and independent small businesses are also more likely to give back to the community, create more jobs and opportunities, and support other small businesses in the community.  Small businesses also work hard to keep your trust each and every day, providing unparalleled products and services.  All of this helps to strengthen our communities and contributes to our quality of life.

On November 26ta, Small Business Saturday was celebrated across the nation. This movement encourages shoppers to support small businesses after the Thanksgiving holiday. There are no stampedes or trampled shoppers on Small Business Saturday, but friendly faces welcoming local shoppers. I think when you start to calculate the economic impact that shopping local has, you’ll realize just what a bargain it is.

There are many tools to shopping local – and even gifts that help support local businesses. In North Central Massachusetts, we recently developed a gift card called “Gift Local” to encourage shopping local. With nearly 50 businesses currently participating, consumers are given a choice when deciding on where and how they want to spend their money. We have made it easy for you to shop local, and we hope you take us up on our offer.

I’m passionate about shopping local because investing in local business is good for our regional economy. The many business owners in our region who work hard to keep their doors open, create jobs, and fill needs in our community deserve our business.

For more information on how to shop local, visit www.GiftLocalMass.com o www.NorthCentralMass.com.

Anthony J. Mercadante, CPA is Managing Partner of Mercadante & Mercadante, PC, a certified public accounting firm based in Fitchburg. Mr. Mercadante is also the Chairman of the Board for the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.

Getting to Know Your Chamber Scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, 2016

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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce will host “Getting to Know Your Chamber” on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Chamber’s headquarters located at 860 South Street, Fitchburg, MA. This presentation is designed to help new members navigate the perks and programs of Chamber membership, but is equally valuable for current members who want to get the most value from their membership, or those interested in learning if chamber membership is right for them.

Chamber staff will explain the many benefits and programs of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce including networking events, government affairs, educational workshops and seminars, advertising opportunities and health insurance, to name just a few.  There is no cost to attend the “Getting to Know Your Chamber” meeting, but pre-registration is required.  Register online at www.NorthCentralMass.com/news/calendar-of-events/.

Business owners unable to attend but interested in learning more about Chamber membership may contact Jeff Ardis, Manager of Member Services and Business Development at 978.353.7600 ext. 234 or by sending an email to to schedule a one-to-one meeting.

 

November Edition of Good Morning North Central features new director of state tourism office and the CEO of Recovery Centers of America – Westminster

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The next edition of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s popular Good Morning North Central breakfast series is scheduled for Friday, November 18, 2016 from 6:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton, 99 Erdman Way, Leominster, MA.  The November edition is sponsored by the DoubleTree by Hilton – Leominster.

El 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.

francois-nivaudThe featured speaker for the November edition is Francois-Laurent Nivaud, the new executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.  The program also includes a presentation by Jack Maroney, CEO of the new Recovery Centers of America – Westminster, which opened in October.

Mr. Nivaud was appointed to his position in April, 2016.  A native of France, Nivaud brings decades of experience in the hospitality and tourism industries to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.  In 1998 he created New England Management Services (NEMS), a think tank for the hospitality industry that has been involved in consulting projects around the country and was instrumental in developing a Hotel & Residences complex at Battery Wharf in Boston in 2008.  He was the Managing Director of the Boston Harbor Hotel from 1988-1999, helping to position it as an industry-leading hotel property.  He founded the Boston Wine Festival, now in its 27th year, and the Boston Wine Expo, the first wine symposium in the Northeast. Nivaud also served as the Dean of the Roger A. Saunders School of Business & Hospitality Management at Newbury College.  He is a Director Emeritus of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau and served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce from 1995-2013.  He co-founded the Massachusetts Visitor Industry Council and created the Massachusetts Lodging Association.jack-maroney

Mr. Maroney, co-author of “The East Side of Addiction,” and founder of Spring Hill Recovery Center, was named CEO of the new Westminster facility in July, 2016.  With 26 years of experience in substance use disorder, Maroney will lead a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and offer a broad continuum of care at RCA at Westminster.  RCA supports addiction recovery through various avenues and a lifestyle change approach. While most stays range from 4 to 6 weeks, RCA can support longer stays.

The cost is just $25 for Chamber members/$40 non-members and includes a breakfast buffet. Season Tickets are also available for purchase.  Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600 ext. 235 or visit www.northcentralmass.com.

Export Counseling & Technical Assistance Available to Local Businesses

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Businesses in North Central Massachusetts that are interested in expanding into developing markets overseas have the opportunity to take advantage of export assistance through a partnership between the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and the Massachusetts Export Center, part of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network.

The Massachusetts Export Center – the state’s leading provider of export development services – operates a satellite office at the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. A Senior International Trade Advisor from the Mass Export Center is available by appointment to meet with local companies interested in exporting.

Services available to local companies include export counseling, export regulatory compliance assistance, international market research and assessment, international business development assistance, linkages to trade promotion opportunities (such as overseas trade shows and offices), export publications, and export training programs.  Most of the services provided by the Mass Export Center are free and are available to businesses of all sizes, ranging from experienced exporters to small businesses just considering exporting.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a counselor, please contact the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce at 978.353.7600 ext. 222, the Massachusetts Export Center at 617.973.8664.

Tourism Industry Continues to Thrive in North Central

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By, Suzanne Farias Chair of the Board Johnny Appleseed Trail Association

As the third largest industry in Massachusetts, it’s no doubt that tourism has a major impact on the economy.  In North Central Massachusetts, tourism has had a profound economic impact – and throughout the last year, tourism related revenue has continued to grow.

Tourism can be looked at in many different lights: family vacations, sports and recreation, corporate travel, group tours– all things we actively see here in North Central. These travelers spend money at gas stations, restaurants, shops and stay overnight at our local hotels. Local room tax revenue is a valuable resource for municipalities. Over the last few years, North Central Massachusetts has seen tremendous growth in room tax revenue – validating that North Central Massachusetts is growing as a popular destination.

Communities use the room tax revenue to help fund parts of their budget, as well as re-investing those dollars in tourism marketing. The Johnny Appleseed Trail Association – an affiliate of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce – is a state recognized regional tourism council. Through investments by business owners, regional attractions and local and state government, the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association works to aggressively promote and market North Central Massachusetts as a tourism destination.

The addition of Great Wolf Lodge has been a boon to Fitchburg. The hotel, water park and conference spaces are an asset to Fitchburg’s growth and economic development. With that hotel online, room tax revenue spiked for Fitchburg in fiscal year 2015 to $937,000. That growth continued in fiscal year 2016, with an 8% increase bringing revenue to over one million dollars. Fitchburg continues to lead the region’s tourism economy with the help of Great Wolf.

In Leominster, room tax revenue growth is more aggressive than ever before. By maintaining a competitive environment for lodging and conference space, Leominster saw an unprecedented 27.5% growth in tourism revenue for fiscal year 2016. Gardner has also seen steady growth in their room tax revenue – climbing 12.4% over the previous year.

The tourism industry is not only alive and well in North Central Massachusetts – it’s thriving. In order to continue that growth, we need to continue to work regionally and collaboratively to promote North Central Massachusetts, continue investments in tourism marketing, and maintain competitive tax rates that attract travelers of all kind.

 Suzanne Farias is the general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton in Leominster and serves as the Chair of the Board for the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association.

Member Spotlight: J.U.M.P.

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JUMP – or “Just Understand My Potential” is youth outdoor educational organization that connects youth with the outdoors and teaches skills that can not only be used in nature – but in life.

Founded by Bill Spacciapoli – an avid outdoorsman – in 2010, JUMP uses mountain skills such as hiking and backpacking as an outlet for kids ages 11 and above to enjoy and appreciate nature, while teaching valuable life skills like accountability and cooperation.

JUMP counselors have led more than 400 participants on 50 trips in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and in central Massachusetts, including Fall and Spring day hikes to give kids a taste of the program; Summer weekend trips and short winter programs with an annual cross-country ski day at Windblown Cross-Country Ski Area in New Ipswich, New Hampshire.

Training sessions help participants learn and practice mountain skills in comfortable surroundings close to home, so there are no consequences to getting things wrong the first time -or the first few times.

While founded as a non-profit serving disadvantaged populations, growth plans include offering fee-based programs for schools and similar groups.  Partners and donors include the Appalachian Mountain Club and Chamber members such as the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg & Leominster and Rollstone Bank & Trust.

“We teach hiking and backpacking as ‘cooperative sports.’ That means that we cultivate fitness, skills, understandings, and values, just as those who coach competitive sports do. But mountain travel is not a game. The object is not to defeat some identically motivated opponent, but to thrive in an exciting and demanding environment. The rewards are adventure, accomplishment, great memories,

the joy of high places” said Bill Spacciapoli.

JUMP seeks Chamber members well-networked in the community to join their advisory board; help with specific functions such as marketing, bookkeeping, and social media; and of course volunteer leaders to manage a group of kids for a day hike.  To volunteer or donate, please call Bill on (978) 621-7286, or email .