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
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The Resiliency “Test”: Will Your Business Survive the Pandemic?
by Tony Fields
Tony Fields, President & Owner of Cleartech Group
Innovative IT solutions hold the answer to capitalizing on the new virtual business landscape.
Companies that, months ago, had booming brick and mortar locations, serving thousands, if not millions, of customers every week, have now become almost invisible. Fortune 500 companies that once were the staples and backbones of our economy are on the brink of closing forever. To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed how we live and work is an understatement. And, as many small, medium, and large businesses alike scramble for online space and for online customers in this new virtual environment, a key factor that will determinewhich businesses thrive during this economic downturn will simply be… technology.
From cloud services, to IT support, to innovative ways of using video conferencing to connect with employees and customers, technology will be essential to growing any (and every) business within this new reality.
That’s why what you do now – investing in technology – will be very important to effectively insulate your business from the extreme uncertainty of the times. Here are three critical ways you should be leveraging technology now to ensure that your business remains resilient and strategically positioned to thrive.
Connect Your Apps to a Team Collaboration Platform. It’s common for companies to be using different types of cloud software in different areas of their operations. The accounting department may use an online accounting program, while the customer support team uses a cloud-based CRM program.When everyone is separated, not only does this slow down your responsiveness internally, but it also can impact your external customer support. A recent survey of companies has shown that now 40% of businesses are struggling to engage what they called “stranded employees.” By using an integrated communication platform such as Microsoft Teams or Slack, you can better support and connect with all of your now virtual employees. In addition, this infrastructure enables you to meet the new level of responsiveness that your customers have now come to expect.
Get Dedicated IT Maintenance in Place. With every business rushing to implement virtual options for both employees and customers, expect there to be a dramatic rise in security breaches and network failures. That’s why having a dedicated and reputable IT support team or vendor is critical to how well you can safely expand your business’ technological capabilities. Studies have shown that each unmanaged computer costs businesses, on average, approximately $5,000 a year. And, security breaches become more common when devices aren’t being kept up to date with security patches and continuous threat monitoring.When employees are no longer working in a single office, they may be lacking some of the IT support you had in place. That lack of help when they need it can be a drain on productivity. If your team of 30 employees struggles with IT issues for just 25 minutes a day each while working from home and your average salary is $20 per hour, that would be a productivity loss of $1,250 every week.
Integrate New Technology to Lower Costs. As working capital becomes strained for most companies, switching to more efficient technologies that enable remote employees to get more done for less is highly recommended. Take VoIP for example. By transitioning to a cloud phone system, companies can lower their phone costs alone by 50-75%. Other exciting new technologies to consider implementing include the Windows Virtual Desktop which gives employees complete remote access to the same systems and databases they would normally use in the office. This can assist in decreasing operating costs by not having to buy additional software licenses for your new virtual workforce.
If your company would benefit from having a complimentary consultation to make the virtual transition as seamless as possible, feel free to contact Cleartech Group’s award-winning IT infrastructure experts at 978-466-1938 or reach out online.
What is a Guest Columnist?
Being a member of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber provides members with many opportunities to gain valuable information and connections. We are always on the lookout for valuable content that would be on interest to our members and communities. In an effort to provide an avenue to more easily access the vast array of the knowledge and expertise that our members possess, we are now offering exclusive Guest Columnist articles for the benefit of our members. As a membership based organization, submissions will only be considered from members at the Business Choice level and above.
This is a great opportunity to position your business as a thought leader and expert. Columns should not be self-promotional or sales oriented ,and should consist of content that would be useful to businesses, including tips, answers to important questions and any insights that would be helpful to fellow members. By participating, members have the chance to better inform, educate and aid in the development of other members and the North Central Massachusetts region.
Please contact David Ginisi, Marketing and Communications Manager, if you are interested in participating: | 978.353.7600 x240
After being closed for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Johnny Appleseed Visitors’ Center officially reopened to the public on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.
New health and sanitization protocols have been implemented to assure the safety of all guests, volunteers and staff. Highlights of the new protocols include:
Masks will be required at all times for everyone entering the facility – including staff and the public;
One Way Entry/Exit – guests will enter only through the front doors facing Route 2, and exit through the back entrance;
Hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout the building;
New touchless paper towels dispensers, faucets and soap dispensers have been installed;
Restrooms will be professionally cleaned to sanitation protocols twice daily;
Countertop shield guards have been installed;
The front counter and the “touchless” credit card machine will be wiped after each customer service interaction;
All “touch” surfaces will be cleaned frequently throughout the day by staff;
Signs and floor markers have been added throughout the building to mark social distancing of at least six feet.
Visit North Central Massachusetts hopes the increased safety measures will inspire confidence in visitors, speeding the recovery process for the local travel and hospitality industry.
“Reopening the Johnny Appleseed Visitors’ Center is an important step forward for our region,” said Diane Burnette, manager of the center. “We are being very careful and taking the necessary precautions to protect the traveling public, so they feel more comfortable in getting out to support our local restaurants, hotels, shops and attractions.
Since 1997, the Johnny Appleseed Center has showcased the twenty-seven communities of North Central Massachusetts and is home to the Big Apple of New England (which is nearing it’s one-year anniversary of its unveiling). The visitors’ center also proudly displays historical artifacts including a bronze sculpture of the young Johnny Appleseed that greets visitors outside the doors of the Visitors Center and 91 apple trees located on the premises, including three Rambo trees that are direct descendants of the last remaining tree known to be planted by Johnny Appleseed. Each year the Johnny Appleseed Visitors’ Center sees upwards of 165,000 visitors from all over and plays a significant role in the tourism efforts of North Central Massachusetts.
You can visit the Johnny Appleseed Center Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. It is located 1000 RT. 2 W, Lancaster, MA 01523.
Fidelity Bank hasn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic stop them from serving customers with care and safety.
Sheila King-Goodwin
While operations may look and feel different now and for the foreseeable future, Sheila King-Goodwin, Senior Vice President and Chief Retail Banking Officer with Fidelity, said the financial institution has learned to adapt quickly.
And she said many of those changes will likely continue as the Massachusetts economy starts to reopen.
“We’re finding new ways to be flexible and innovative so clients can receive a caring service that provides clarity and confidence regarding their banking,’’ she said. “We’re taking a thoughtful but forward-thinking approach to the short term and long term.’’
She said that this may mean continuing to offer drive-up services for client needs like obtaining a new debit card or closing quickly on a loan. It also may mean scheduling more appointments as opposed to walk-ins to enable clients to have a designated time to meet with a Life Design Banker. We’re also finding that many of our clients are using our convenient digital banking services such as mobile and online banking which provides bank access at any time or anywhere.
Gov. Charlie Baker announced a four-phase reopening plan on May 18 that outlined how and when Massachusetts businesses can reopen.
While there is still much uncertainty about the future, local leaders are hopeful.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,’’ said Roy Nascimento, president and chief executive officer of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “I think the region is well positioned because it has a very diverse regional economy.’’
Nascimento said the chamber has been working to help businesses manage the crisis with guidance, loans, and resources. He said the chamber had already hired a consultant to develop an economic development plan for the region, which will now serve as a blueprint for recovery.
“We’re being proactive and working tirelessly to support our businesses,’’ he said. “Recovery will be front and center to help those hit the hardest.’’
The chamber has formed a committee of 30 business and municipal leaders to help guide the development of the recovery plan.
Nascimento said he’s hopeful the region’s manufacturing and health care base will survive and even thrive as there becomes a greater need for some of the products and services they provide.
The sectors he’s most concerned about are those that have been most devastated by the pandemic – retail, hospitality and tourism.
“Those are the ones I worry about,’’ he said. “Those are the hardest hit and will be the last to recover.’’
The chamber hired RKG Associates, Inc. earlier this year to complete an economic development plan for North Central Massachusetts. And while it will still look at areas of growth for the region, a large component will now focus on recovery.
Eric Halvorsen
RKG had already started work and spent the last few months documenting the existing conditions in the region. This included identifying trends in the different industry sectors, such as which were growing, shrinking and had the potential for expansion; surveying commercial space and lease prices; and analyzing housing stock and prices, said RKG’s Eric Halvorsen.
Upcoming phases of the plan will compare North Central Massachusetts to other regions in the state in areas like housing, schools, safety, transportation, development potential and existing jobs.
The report will also identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and try to identify what sectors the region should be trying to attract.
“They want to spend their time and money in a strategic way,’’ Halvorsen said. “We want the rifle shot, not the buck shot.’’
Other aspects of the plan will look at the workforce and determine what skills it must have to meet future job demand.
The plan will also look at some key sites in the region, such parcels of land or areas that could support future development and potential obstacles like zoning or infrastructure. And then outline specific strategies and recommendations.
“The overall goal is to provide the chamber with a roadmap for the next five to 10 years for what they should focus on from an economic development standpoint and how to best use the resources they have to advance economic development goals in the region,’’ Halvorsen said. “To some degree, some of this will pivot more to recovery – how do you ensure you don’t take five steps backwards?’’
The plan is expected to be done this fall.
Halvorsen is hopeful that a good portion of the jobs in North Central Massachusetts may be insulated from the pandemic to some degree. These include manufacturing, health care, social services, and possibly local and state government and education.
One other potential benefit for North Central Massachusetts is its location outside of Boston.
“If more people switch to working from home and don’t need to live so close to Boston, places like Fitchburg that have lower housing costs but access to commuter rail may start to see some activity,’’ he said.
On the flip side, there are also many jobs in restaurants, retail and hospitality, which may be the hardest to get back. Outdoor seating, for example, is a great option but the New England weather makes that challenging in the long term. Those employees also tend to make less, he said.
“The impact is compounded for those employees,’’ he said.
Henry Tessman
The Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg is a business that falls into several categories of hard hit industries – entertainment, lodging, retail and food service – making it a challenge to plan for reopening.
The Fitchburg-Boston lodge, one of 18 nationwide, features water parks, an arcade, rock wall, bowling, miniature golf, shops and restaurants, all sectors that have specific reopening guidelines.
But reopening plans are now in full swing, said Henry Tessman, general manager of Great Wolf Lodge New England.
Tessman said lodges throughout the country are working together to develop a reopening playbook. The company has also hired an industrial engineering firm that is assisting to develop policies for physical separation, personal protective equipment and flow patterns.
“We’re working with all directors at all properties and building best practices,’’ he said. “We have multiple states opening so we can see the good, bad and ugly of what states are doing and pull the best practices where we can.’’
Tessman said the Fitchburg location will be among the last in the country to reopen with a tentative target date of late June. Tessman said the lodge falls under Phase 3 of Baker’s reopening plan, similar to that of a casino.
“With the amount of time, money and work everyone’s put into these plans, I feel comfortable we will be in a good spot when we reopen,’’ Tessman said.
Among the changes –all employees will have temperatures checked each day and they will wear masks and gloves. The company is developing training videos for employees that will explain all new protocols.
“When we do open up, we will be very prepared to run what the new normal will be,’’ Tessman said.
Initially, Great Wolf will operate at 25 percent capacity, Tessman said, later ramping up to 50 percent and hopefully 100 percent by the end of September.
He said new technology is being installed in the Waterparks to track the number of people so he will know at all times how many people are in each park.
What the experience will be guests is still under consideration and will be dictated by state and company guidelines, Tessman said. However, the number of people allowed on towers and in pools will be limited. Some areas may be off limits, such as the hot tub.
“The biggest thing we have to focus on is social distancing in the pools, seating areas and towers,’’ he said.
Tessman said they won’t be issuing day passes this summer and the buffet will not be open. New policies will also be in place for payment in the restaurants.
So far, Tessman said bookings show customers are eager to get back.
“We’re seeing very good demand up front,’’ he said. “I think local travel will be quicker to return that cruises or airline travel so we may see better demand than other traditional vacation spots.’’
One area of uncertainty is education. North Central Massachusetts is home to both Fitchburg State University and Mount Wachusett Community College.
Dr. Jim Vander Hooven
MWCC President James Vander Hooven said there is no way to predict if colleges will allow students back on campus and how students will respond to those decisions.
But he said MWCC has and will continue to do everything it can to provide a safe environment for students and staff.
He said the Mount quickly moved all its classes online for the spring semester and continues to hold remote classes for the summer. Plans for summer camps and the fall are still uncertain.
Vander Hooven said many of the Mount’s students have been hit hard by the pandemic.
Many of their students have children at home and work in places like the restaurant industry but were laid off.
“Our students are already challenged in many ways and everywhere we turned, it was another hit for them,’’ he said.
Even in the best case scenario, he said the Mount is not rolling back into normal operation.
“It’s going to be a while before we’re back to our typical normal and we’ll have to redefine our normal,’’ he said.
One of the biggest difficulties facing the school is trying to plan for uncertainty. He said many colleges won’t know for a while whether classes will be held in person.
“We could find out as late as Aug. 1 whether we end up with a bunch of students who decided to come to the Mount or we could be down 15 percent,’’ he said. “I’m not even looking at current enrollment projections because it’s not worth the stress. It’s a great unknown.’’
But he too is confident.
“We’ll get through this,’’ Vander Hooven said. “The community here really has a strong backbone. I’m seeing interconnected communities supporting one another. When you can approach a crisis of this magnitude from that perspective, you have a good shot of getting through it together.’’
Dr. Mark Melnik
In the past, Massachusetts has been able to weather downturns because the state was insulated by some anchor institutions – hospitals and universities, said Mark Melnik, director of economic and public policy research at the UMass Donahue Institute.
But this time, those sectors may be hit, making the state more vulnerable this time around.
In the short term, Melnik said his biggest concerns are retail, tourism, entertainment and restaurants. Those sectors have a high percentage of small businesses that aren’t able to easily weather a downturn.
Unemployment numbers for North Central Massachusetts showed the largest spike in claims from those in the construction, food services and administrative support sectors.
But the manufacturing base in North Central Massachusetts may give the region an advantage, Melnik said.
“They have a really strong manufacturing sector,’’ Melnik said. “It’s one of the most significant manufacturing industries in the state.’’
Melnik said communities can’t sit back but need to be proactive in planning, seeking out state and federal planning dollars and working together.
That’s where the chamber can play a role, Nascimento said.
“We have several advantages that will help us weather this better than other regions,’’ Roy said. “We have a diverse economy, strong partnerships in the business community and with our municipal leaders, and the development of a recovery plan already in the works.’’
Nascimento also said he has confident in the region’s businesses.
“There will be some negative consequences for a while but our business community is resilient and will continue to be creative and adapt,’’ Nascimento said. “We’ve been through recessions before and this will pass over time.’’
In her role at the bank, King-Goodwin deals with many sectors of the economy. And while she acknowledges that there will be significant hardships in the short term, she is hopeful about the future.
“Businesses are redefining their operating model in new and creative ways she said, “It’s certainly causing angst and concern but I do have confidence that looking back, we will find there were innovative ideas that came out of this crisis that makes our businesses and communities better.’’ We were fortunate to support over 400 businesses most recently with needed Paycheck Protection Program funds and this has helped businesses bring employees back to work and provide them the confidence and capital needed to run their businesses.
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
An “art tour” is a sort of voyage of discovery for art lovers. The idea is for patrons to be able to see what the arts have to offer in a particular city or region. Artists and art gallery owners come together for a day (or two) to show off the artwork being created in that area, sometimes to witness even the very act of creation itself. Such will be the exciting goings-on over the weekend of October 27 and 28 in Fitchburg, Mass., and vicinity.
“Fitchburg Open Studios” was organized by four stars of the Fitchburg art scene: gallery owner Tamar Russell Brown, pastel painter Lisa Regopoulos, and gallery owners Peter and Ann Capodagli. More than 20 artists responded to a call for artwork to be shown over the big weekend at many different sites, including the Fitchburg Art Museum and the various studios of participating artists. The 40,000 or so residents of the city of Fitchburg are about to find out just how much artistic talent the area has to offer.
Art lovers may need a full tank of gas or the equivalent energy on a bicycle for the entire weekend. The epicenter of the activities will be Fitchburg, of course, but the surrounding communities of Gardner, Leominster, Princeton and Townsend will be sites of studios where artists will be exhibiting.
“I had a dream to do this gallery,” says Tamar Russell Brown of Gallery Sitka at 454 Main Street in Fitchburg. The dream became a reality in May 2014 when Ms. Russell Brown started up a gallery at the Phoenix Park Mill in Shirley, and culminated with the grand opening of Gallery Sitka in downtown Fitchburg in July 2016. Some 40 area artists are represented by Sitka, and that gallery has an email list of over 100.
Art is a family affair for Tamar. “My father is an artist,” she reports, and her great aunt and great uncle were both painters. Though her father tried to warn her about the difficulty of making a living in the arts, she followed that dream anyway. The story goes all the way back to her teens, growing up in Tennessee. “I was collecting art at 15,” she recalls. Apparently she was destined for this calling in the art world from an early age.
Lisa Regopoulos paints pastels and considers herself an impressionistic artist. “I’m often trying to catch an image as if you had just caught a glimpse of it,” she says of her working methods. “You put more of yourself into the work,” she says, if you are working under that urgency of catching not just the visual fireworks of the images she paints en plein air (in the great outdoors) but also the mood, the feeling created while observing her subject matter. She’s out to capture, of course, an impression, and to communicate the excitement of a fleeting moment of beauty. The pastels are pigments held together by binders that allow tremendously vibrant colors to live on the paper surface, perhaps more strikingly than is possible with other materials.
Lisa will be opening her entire house to art lovers, hanging many recent paintings and working at the easel on a picture while her visitors look on. Some of the other artists who answered the call will be doing the same kind of demonstrations.
Ann and Peter Capodaglia made their own dreams come true in 2008 when they opened the Boulder Art Gallery at 960 Main Street, in the shadow of the Rollstone Boulder, one of Fitchburg’s proudest landmarks and the inspiration for the name of the gallery. The lovely Upper Common area is the backdrop for the gallery, which also serves as Ann’s studio.
The Capodaglias were both teachers. Ann enjoyed 36 years as a Visual Arts instructor at Fitchburg High School, while Peter is a retired middle school science teacher who worked for 35 years in the Shirley school system. Ann is a watercolorist. Along with her watercolors, Ann will also be offering giclee prints and note cards at Boulder on both days of the art tour. Peter has been a collector of vintage art for many years. They are both dedicated to promoting and supporting local and regional artists.
Most of Boulder’s art is representational, Ms. Russell Brown says, with beautiful landscapes predominating. Sitka focuses more on abstract works that provide exciting interactions of pure color and texture.
Among the artists participating will be Doreen M. LaScola of Gardner, Ellen Schneeflock of Ashburnham, Pam Short of Lancaster, Linda Williams of Ashby, Leonard A. Haug of Princeton, Therese R. Blood of Westminster, as well as Brian G. Beaudoin, Randy LeSage, Christopher Di Nunzio, Kathryn Swantee, Iphigenia Burg, Jennifer Jones, Jen Hemenway, Gail Bloom, Sally Sargent, Kate Shaffer, Priscilla Mavrikis Walker, Keven McCarthy and Wil Darcangelo.
Ms. Russell Brown has created a special map to guide art lovers to all the participating studios and galleries. Go to fitchburgopenstudios.com for the map and more information about the big weekend.
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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