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
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.
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 | Economic Development | Economic development | North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce | Fairgrounds Development Leominster | Economic Growth | Entertainment Venue Development Leominster | Job Creation | Infrastructure Improvements | Racetrack Development Massachusetts | Leominster Chamber of Commerce | Economic Impact | Business Support
Pickleball has been taking the sports world by storm, and for residents of Leominster, MA, there’s no better place to play than Pickle-It Pickleball Club. Located at 471 Lancaster Street, this state-of-the-art indoor facility has quickly become a favorite hub among pickleball enthusiasts of all skill levels. With nine high-quality courts, a golf simulator, and a variety of programs, Pickle-It provides an exciting and welcoming environment for both casual and competitive players.
According to Pickle-It’s website, “We are a hub for pickleball, but that’s just the beginning! We’re excited to host a variety of special events, including fundraisers, corporate gatherings, and birthday parties. Our 24,000+ square foot venue is highly versatile, perfect for sports teams, camps, clubs, or any other activity that needs indoor space.”
After opening in December 2024, Pickle-It has turned it’s attention to being a “community-focused business,” said Club spokesperson Valerie Housser. “We’re here for the members and take their suggestions seriously.” Pickle-It Pickleball Club is more than just a place to play, it is a community hub for those who love the sport.
“We are all about the community,” added Housser. They held a tournament in January for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization and 100% of the proceeds were donated to the BBBS. The club regularly hosts events that bring players together, creating a friendly and social atmosphere. Whether you’re looking to make new friends, get a great workout, or compete at a high level, Pickle-It provides the perfect setting.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced player seeking competitive matches, Pickle-It has something for everyone. The club offers:
Open Play Sessions – Perfect for players who want to drop in and enjoy a game without scheduling a match in advance.
Leagues and Tournaments – Competitive players can join leagues or participate in organized tournaments to test their skills against others.
Lessons and Clinics – Whether you’re new to the game or looking to refine your techniques, professional coaching is available.
Private Court Rentals – For those who prefer a more personalized experience, courts can be reserved for private games.
Pickle-It is not only a fun placed to visit it is a fun place to work. When describing the new company’s workplace culture, Housser notes: “We foster a friendly environment for all including our employees and encourage them to join in the fun whenever possible.”
When reflecting on doing business in North Central Massachusetts, Housser notes the people in the region are “amazing!“ She especially loves the “sharing of ideas” which the North Central Massachusetts Chamber provides. One fun fact Housser notes is they have incorporated pink into their courts in homage to the pink flamingo which was created here in Leominster.
When looking towards the future, Housser wants to keep “growing each day.” “We hope to develop youth programs in the near future,” she adds.
She looks at starting the business as her biggest achievement and credits “NewVue” communities as Pickle-It’s strongest influence in their start up. She now relies heavily on social media to help promote the business.
Pickle-It Pickleball Club is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM and weekends from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, making it easy for players to find a time that fits their schedule. One of the standout features of Pickle-It is its top-tier playing environment. The indoor courts ensure that games can be played year-round, regardless of weather conditions. The facility is designed to meet the highest standards, with well-maintained surfaces, ample lighting, and plenty of space for players to move freely.
Located conveniently in Leominster, the club is easily accessible to residents of the city and surrounding areas. Whether you’re planning a cornhole tournament, yoga class, or a strengthening and stretching session, the possibilities are endless! Got a unique idea for an event, reach out to them at —they’d love to hear from you! For those interested in checking out the facility, booking a court, or learning more about membership options, visit https://www.pickleitclub.com or call 978-855-4390. Whether you’re an experienced pickleball player or just getting started, Pickle-It Pickleball Club in Leominster is the place to be!
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 | Business Networking | Massachusetts Business | Business Resources | Pickleball
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.
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 | Tourism | Travel to Massachusetts | Blog
The North Central Golf Tour: Friday on the Fairway at Templewood Golf Course
July 31, 2026
Friday on the Fairway at Templewood Golf Course
July 31, 2026
Templewood Golf Course
Event Start at 1:00pm View
Event
Fore Then Pore: Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
The Woods of Westminster
Event Start at 1:00pm View
Event
Sponsors Reception: Old Mill
August 26, 2026
Thank you to all our sponsors who help sponsor this past 2025-2026 program year! We are truly honored by your continued support and efforts to continue to make our community thrive! View
Event
MassDevelopment’s Biz-M-Power offers matching grants of up to $50,000 to eligible, growth-oriented small businesses. These grants can help offset costs related to acquisitions, expansions, improvements or leasing of facilities, purchasing or leasing equipment, and other capital needs.
To qualify for this funding opportunity, businesses must have fewer than 20 employees and annual revenues not exceeding $2.5 million. Applicants must also demonstrate that they have at least 20% of the required owner’s funds available at the time of application, as shown by business bank account statements.
For fiscal year 2025, the Commonwealth’s Capital Budget has allocated $1,000,000 for this program, which will be administered by MassDevelopment’s Growth Capital Division.
To be considered, applicants must submit a complete application by June 15, which is available exclusively online through Submittable: https://massgcc8.submittable.com/submit
While working with the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation is not required, you are welcome to contact Sandie Cataldo for assistance at .
Join us for an enriching workshop designed to equip you with essential skills, expand your knowledge and understanding. While this workshop is FREE, we would like, if possible, to know who to expect. To pre-register, email and let us know your name, email, and what field your work on or if there are any particular topics you’d like to know about.
This workshop is being offered on 2 different dates and locations
Tuesday, May 20 @ 6pm
Fitchburg Library
610 Main Street, Fitchburg, MA
Or
Tuesday, June 24 @ 6pm
Leominster Library
30 West Street, Leominster, MA
Gardner’s Master Plan Committee and consultant team will be hosting a community workshop next Thursday, May 22 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in Perry Auditorium at City Hall.
Come join us and discuss your vision for Gardner’s future! We will be developing a vision statement that will guide the work of the master plan. The vision statement will inform the project team’s recommendations, which will be designed to help Gardner reach the community’s vision.
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.
From Chamber events and ribbon cuttings to community celebrations and regional highlights, stay connected with what’s happening across North Central Massachusetts. Follow us on social media for the latest photos, updates, and stories.
Looking for your next opportunity? Explore current job openings from employers across North Central Massachusetts on our Jobs Board. Whether you’re starting a new career or making a change, you’ll find a variety of local positions available to help you take the next step.
Got a job you want featured? Click here to submit a job posting to our job board or email . This is a member benefit. Post jobs at no extra cost. No algorithms or budgets to manage!
