An Electronic Publication of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
Inside this edition, you’ll discover the latest Chamber initiatives and success stories from across our region. From economic development projects and upcoming networking events to policy updates and workforce training opportunities, we’re keeping you connected to what matters most for your business and North Central Massachusetts.
June 2026
Not Yet A Member? Join the Chamber
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is here to help – with trusted resources, a strong business network, and a support system to keep your business and the region moving forward
Be a part of something great! Join the ranks of the local restaurants, shops, attractions and other businesses that are currently a part of the Gift Local gift card program. Participating in this community-focused promotional opportunity is a great way to engage new customers and promote your business.
Accepting Gift Local gift cards is hassle-free – no new terminals or software are required.
Unlike coupons, deal sites and discount cards, you are not asked to provide a discount in exchange for customers. Instead, the Gift Local gift cards drive full-priced customers to your business.
Gift Local gift cards do not compete with your own existing gift card or gift certificate program. Instead, Gift Local gift cards help to engage new customers that you can convert into returning customers.
Your business also benefits by being listed on GiftLocal.net and from the ongoing advertising and promotions conducted to encourage the sale of the cards.
“We were an early adopter of the Gift Local gift card program. It just seemed like a no-brainer for us to participate,” said Rick Walton, owner of the Gardner Ale House and Moon Hill Brewing. “I haven’t been disappointed. We’ve seen hundreds of these gift cards redeemed here since the program started just a few years ago.”
Are you a Chamber member and would like to participate in this program? For more information or to sign up, please contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600 ext. 222.
Supply chain disruptions and labor shortages are continuing to hold back economic growth, but index readings released Monday show the Massachusetts economy in expansionary territory for a sixth straight quarter and four straight quarters of growth for the U.S. economy.
Citizens said its national Citizens Business Conditions Index finished the third quarter at 57.1, down from the second quarter reading of 57.4. The state economy’s third quarter reading was 55, up from 53.1 in the second quarter. Readings above 50 reflect an economy in expansionary mode.
“Despite ongoing challenges from the pandemic, the third quarter was a period of strong demand across most sectors of the economy,” Citizens said. “With the continued support of low interest rates and fiscal spending initiatives, most sectors seem to have established a healthy trajectory of growth. Concerns over higher inflation have increased, and the employment sector still has ground to cover to reach pre-COVID status.”
The index draws from a pool of metrics, including manufacturing data, consumer spending, commercial banking data, initial jobless claims, commodity prices, and new business applications.
“Business activity is incredibly strong and confidence levels are quite high,” said Tony Bedikian, head of global markets at Citizens. “We haven’t fully exited the pandemic yet, but at this stage most parts of the economy have established some normalcy given the benefit of vaccines and the fiscal and monetary stimulus that continue to provide support towards full recovery. Many companies are doing well and would be doing even better if it weren’t for headwinds such as supply chain disruption and labor shortages.”
The new index readings were released as House and Senate leaders on Beacon Hill gear up to put $3.65 billion in one-time funds to work across Massachusetts, part of efforts over the next few weeks to allocate large chunks of American Rescue Plan Act funds and the state’s fiscal 2021 budget surplus. – Michael P. Norton/SHNS
Funding to support creation of six job opportunities in Ashby
El Corporación de Desarrollo del Norte Central de Massachusetts (NCMDC) – the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce – recently approved a $75,000 loan to Sean Smith, owner of 873 Café Tavern, located at 873 Main Street in Ashby. The loan, which was referred to NCMDC from NewVue Communities, will support the restaurant’s start-up costs, provide working capital and create six job opportunities in the community.
Smith purchased the business after the previous owners closed the restaurant in May 2020 due to financial hardships amid the pandemic. An experienced chef who worked as the Executive Chief and Culinary Director at The Fay Club in Fitchburg, and at Great Road Kitchen and Oyster Bar in Littleton prior to purchasing the 873 Café Tavern, Smith is optimistic that re-opening the restaurant will be good for the town of Ashby.
“The 873 Café Tavern was a successful restaurant and a local destination for years,” said Smith. “With the financial assistance and support from the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, I was able to fulfill a dream to open my own business and bring new life to the restaurant.”
The 873 Café Tavern features a lounge, restaurant with fireplace, café, patio for outside seating, and an ice cream bar. Open since late summer, the 873 Café Tavern features a specialized menu of shared plates and comfort foods, all using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Como entidad de microcréditos, NCMDC puede otorgar préstamos a pequeñas empresas de hasta $250,000 para capital de trabajo, bienes inmuebles, equipo, inventario y expansión, además de colaborar con nuestros socios bancarios para proporcionar financiamiento puente para la etapa final de un proyecto.
Para más información sobre los programas de préstamos de NCMDC, llame al 978.353.7607 o visite NorthCentralMass.com o ChooseNorthCentral.com.
Clínica de Golf Fore Then Pore, Juego de 9 Hoyos y Fiesta de Fin de Verano
21 de agosto de 2026
Clínica de Golf, Juego de 9 Hoyos y Gran Final de Verano
21 de agosto de 2026
The Woods of Westminster
Inicio del evento a la 1:00pm View
Event
Sponsors Reception: Old Mill
26 de agosto de 2026
¡Gracias a todos nuestros patrocinadores que ayudaron a patrocinar este pasado año del programa 2025-2026! ¡Nos sentimos verdaderamente honrados por su continuo apoyo y sus esfuerzos para que nuestra comunidad siga prosperando! View
Event
Massachusetts is exploring the future of natural gas used in homes and businesses and by large commercial and industrial customers. We’d like your thoughts.
Whether you live in Massachusetts or run a business here, the future of natural gas impacts us all. That’s why we would like your input on a plan to ensure a safe, reliable, and equitable transition to the future of energy in our state.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) directed the Massachusetts gas companies to explore pathways for a clean energy future – for you and our future generations. This includes the critical goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Our part in achieving “net zero” includes removing the same amount of greenhouse gases we produce or avoiding them altogether through new technologies, to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. These new technologies could impact home appliances like heating systems, boilers, gas stoves, and water heaters and a variety of commercial and industrial equipment that use natural gas. That’s a big job, and one that needs the public’s support and input to succeed.
Here’s how to share ideas and get involved:
Attend a live webinar to learn more and provide your feedback. Please register below for one of the sessions to reserve your spot, attendance is limited.
Pictured L to R: Barbara Mahoney, President & CEO, LCU; Kristen Cote, Marketing Specialist, LCU; Carolyn Read, Executive Director Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts; Craig Madonia, SVP Lending, LCU.
Leominster Credit Union’s recent Shred-a-Thon raised $1,000 for Habitat for Humanity, North Central Mass.
LCU’s Shred-A-Thon is a free event open to the public. Each year LCU partners with Habitat for Humanity, and participants may make a donation to the organization. The event was held at LCU’s North Leominster branch where many members and non-members stopped by to have their sensitive documents shred on site by the secure shredding service, New England Security Shredders.
“This was our most successful Shred-A-Thon to date,” commented Barbara Mahoney, President and CEO. “We were pleased to be able to hold the event this year, where due to COVID had to postpone the events last year and this past spring. LCU’s semi-annual Shred-A-Thons are a great community event and assist in preventing identity theft, by offering a secure venue to shred confidential documents. The generous donations collected went to a great organization, Habitat for Humanity.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last month to celebrate the opening of Solvus Global’s new Center for Scaled Innovation in Manufacturing at 272 Nashua St. in partnership with North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and the city, attracting local and state officials as well as interested parties.
Solvus Global CEO and co-founder Dr. Aaron Birt addresses the attendees of the ribbon cutting ceremony held in October to celebrate the opening of Solvus Global’s new Center for Scaled Innovation in Manufacturing in Leominster. (COURTESY NICOLE BOYSON/SOLVUS GLOBAL)
Solvus Global is a technology-solution provider for materials and manufacturing founded in 2017 specializing in the areas of additive manufacturing, machine learning and sustainable materials processing. Headquartered in Worcester, it now operates out of three locations — research and manufacturing facilities in both Leominster and Worcester and a collaborative center in Webster.
Solvus Global co-founder and CEO Aaron Birt said the goal of cSIM is to create a place where innovative manufacturing solutions can be scaled from their research and development facility in Worcester and demonstrated in full production environments.
“It’s really a showcase of how government, industry and academia can come together to solve major supply chain challenges that we face as a country today,” he said.
Birt said two primary products will be coming out of the cSIM facility.
“One will be specialty powder materials that serve the cold spray industry, a growing community that specializes in both 3D printing and repair of legacy parts that are worn out or damaged,” he said. “The second is what we call production of large format additive components, which are parts at least one foot by one foot by one foot that are typically made of specialty materials like Inconel or titanium. We will be fabricating, treating and finishing these parts for our customers across the defense and industry sectors.”
Christine Nolan, director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at the MassTech Collaborative based in Westborough, said cSIM is important for the greater community, as it will benefit those beyond Leominster as well.
Christine Nolan, Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech, speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony held last month for Solvus Global’s new Center for Scaled Innovation in Manufacturing in Leominster. (COURTESY NICOLE BOYSON/SOLVUS GLOBAL)
“Companies like Solvus show local students that today’s manufacturing jobs are not the repetitive or dirty jobs of the past but are high-tech careers that call for teamwork, an interest in cutting-edge digital tools, and critical thinking,” she said. “North Central Massachusetts is full of innovative, high-tech manufacturers like Solvus, places where Massachusetts students can find rewarding career opportunities once they graduate.”
MassTech Collaborative jointly manages the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative, or M2I2, grant program along with the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. During the ribbon-cutting, Nolan announced a new $1.6 million M212 grant to Solvus Global and its partner, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which will support both an infrastructure investment, establishing a first-of-its-kind, fully automated robotic Arc-DED (Direct Energy Deposition) manufacturing line, along with an apprenticeship program spearheaded by Solvus and partners WPI and the national manufacturing institute ARM Robotics.
As part of the award, Solvus will establish an apprenticeship program with local technical schools such as Worcester Technical High School and Mount Wachusett Community College, and program curriculum facilitated by WPI will be established which highlights key skills needed by the advanced manufacturing workforce.
“The commonwealth’s support for this program is investing in infrastructure but also in a training program, which taps into educational institutions that have strong ties to the manufacturing sector including schools like WPI, Mount Wachusett Community College, and Worcester Tech,” Nolan said.
Solvus Global CEO and co-founder Dr. Aaron Birt addresses the attendees of the ribbon cutting ceremony held in October to celebrate the opening of Solvus Global’s new Center for Scaled Innovation in Manufacturing in Leominster. (COURTESY NICOLE BOYSON/SOLVUS GLOBAL)
She said Solvus Global’s cSIM and the apprenticeship program aligns well with the region’s historical manufacturing roots.
“Massachusetts and the North Central region in particular have a long history of manufacturing leadership,” she said. “We’re now leading when it comes to advanced manufacturing, where manufacturing meets high-tech innovation. Through the M2I2 grant program we’re making critical investments in the tools, training programs and partnerships that will help keep our ‘Made in Mass.’ manufacturing sector in this leadership role for decades to come.”
As CEO of Solvus Global, Birt said much of his job “is setting up the vision for our future and helping to pull together the high-level people and resources necessary to make those visions a reality” through projects such as cSIM.
“Our goal is to be in full production with these innovative manufacturing solutions by the end of 2022 while at the same time serving as a resource for the region to support reskilling our workforce for the next era of manufacturing,” he said. “It’s something that we and many of our partners are passionate about and so we’re looking for ways to work together to create an environment that’s supportive of both the people and the industry.”
Miembro Destacado
Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody
When the workday ends and the lights go down, Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody, Inc. gets to work. “We operate as our clients’ silent partner after business hours,” says Adam Paicos, of Templeton, who now serves as Director of Operations and oversees the company’s expansion into North Central MA. “We are not often seen, but we ensure facilities are clean, secure, and ready for business each day while serving as the eyes and ears for our clients when they are not on site.”
Discover local business stories through our Inside North Central Massachusetts Podcast series. Listen as Chamber members share their journeys, insights, and contributions to our thriving regional business community.
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