Newsbriefs

Development

Marlboro gets loan to upgrade sewer plant

MARLBORO – The Westerly Waste Water Treatment plant will undergo upgrades with funding coming from a $21.1 million low-interest loan. Another $50 million will be required to complete the project, and to make improvements on the city’s east-side treatment plan. The loan is one of 80 water and sewer improvement loans to communities awarded by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Marlboro needs the upgrades because it has no additional growth capacity on the city’s west side, as wastewater from businesses there is being diverted to the Easterly plant. The current design process will continue through the middle of 2008, with construction taking about 30 months.

Worcester seeks $30M to improve DCU area

WORCESTER – City Manager Michael O’Brien is seeking permission from the City Council to issue up to $30 million in bonds for improvements in and around the DCU Center, including construction of a sky bridge connecting the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel with the convention center and the public parking garage. Former Gov. Mitt Romney had signed a bill to establish the DCU Special District Finance Zone to undertake capital reinvestments in the DCU Center area. Under that law, hotel, meals and sales taxes generated in that district and collected by the state will be redirected back to the city to finance the bonds for the project.

Fitchburg landlords oppose inspection proposal

FITCHBURG – City councilors are advocating a proposal that would require annual registration and inspection of all residential rental property. Landlords would have to pay a registration fee, and allow inspectors to make sure their units are up to the city’s standards. Landlords oppose the idea, but councilors argue the move is intended to target absentee landlords whose properties are unhealthful living spaces. The city has 5,218 rented residential units in 1,129 buildings.

Town to seek control affordable housing developments

SHREWSBURY – Selectmen have voted unanimously to authorize a 40B development in town, under a competitive bid process for potential developers that would give the town some control in the process. The town could direct Chapter 40B development to residential land or to an area it chooses. Shrewsbury is under a two-year exemption from 40B development because of a 251-unit project, Avalon Shrewsbury, currently under development on Route 20. But that exemption ends in October. The town could get another one- to two-year reprieve from 40B if it could bring in between 95 and 190 additional units.

Biomedical

Vision-Sciences sells assets for $34M

NATICK – Endoscope maker Vision-Sciences Inc. will sell assets related to the production of its ENT sheath products to Medtronic Xomed Inc. for $34 million. It will transfer production lines from Natick to Medtronic’s Jacksonville, FL facility. Vision-Sciences also granted Medtronic an exclusive royalty-free license to EndoSheath intellectual property, allowing Medtronic to sell the ENT sheath products worldwide. Medtronic had been selling Vision-Science products in the U.S. and Canada since 2004. Vision-Sciences employs 89 people.

State forms biotech caucus

BOSTON – A special caucus to advance biotech-critical legislation has been formed to help promote biotechnology R&D throughout the state. The caucus, headed by state Sen. Jack Hart (D-Boston) and state Rep. Michael Rodriques (D-Westport), will promote the retention and further development of Mass.-based biotechnology companies, as many other states have increased their efforts to attract Massachusetts-based companies. Several Central Massachusetts lawmakers have joined the caucus including state Rep. Jennifer Callahan (D-Sutton), state Sen. Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester) and state Rep. Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster). The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council will work closely with the caucus.

Boynton Angels to invest in Worcester-area business

WORCESTER – A new "angel" investment group, founded by ECI Executive Vice President Mitchell Sanders, will target investments in early-stage businesses within a two-hour drive of Worcester. The Boynton Angels will invest in regionally-based companies in such diverse industries as life sciences, energy, transportation, communications and software, that would otherwise be overlooked by venture capitalists. The group has 13 members, and could make its first investment before the end of June, of between $1 million and $2 million.

High tech

AMSC subsidiary license sale could bring $30M

WESTBORO – American Superconductor Corp.’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Windtec, has sold a wind energy system license to a Chinese firm, Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Research Institute, a division of China-Southern-Loric. The sale carries an upfront fee of $2 million to AMSC and potentially $30 million from royalties and sales as the systems are manufactured and installed.

Acton firm closes $1.6M funding round

ACTON – Neuroptix, which develops technology to detect Alzheimer’s through laser eye scanning, announced that they have successfully closed its Series A funding round for a total of $1.6 million. The funding will help the company further commercialize its diagnostic platform, which consists of a laser eye scanning device combined with an eye drop that ID’s Alzheimer’s-related proteins found in the lens of the eye. The investment was led by Launchpad Venture Group, a Boston-based angel investment group that provides funding to early-stage companies. Participants in the financing included Launchpad Ventures, Maine Angels, and Quan Ventures (Geneva, Switzerland), a group of international investors.

Finance

Progressive to offer commercial coverage in Mass.

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OH – The Progressive Group of Insurance Cos. announced that its commercial auto division, Drive Commercial Auto, will be made available to Bay State business owners through its network of independent agents. Progressive specializes in insuring small fleets for new and established businesses, and provides coverage for most commercial drivers and vehicle types including delivery vans, passenger cars, tow trucks, and dump trucks. Drive Commercial Auto’s presence in Massachusetts now makes it available in every state except Hawaii. The group’s commercial auto business has grown an average of about 18 percent a year over the past four years, according to a release issued by Progressive.

Health care

AdCare Hospital expands Worcester campus

WORCESTER – AdCare Hospital, a provider of alcohol and drug abuse treatment, has expanded its campus to include 95 Lincoln Street. That property currently houses AdCare Outpatient Services - Worcester. The building offers 22,000 square-feet of professional medical office space, and has been updated with new paint, carpeting, and a ceramic-tiled atrium. The Worcester outpatient clinic will continue to offer alcohol and drug abuse treatment at 95 Lincoln St., which includes day treatment, intensive outpatient programs, individual and family counseling, and early recovery group and specialty services.

Infotech

Raytheon launches communications program

MARLBORO – Raytheon Co., which has operations in Marlboro, will launch a six-month pilot program in the Midwest that will provide first responders and public safety officials with improved communications services. The program will be conducted in the Quad Cities region of Illinois and Iowa, providing remote broadband access and other new capabilities like mobile situational awareness. The public-private partnership will be led by Raytheon and several partners, including Nortel Government Solutions, New Era Wireless, and NexPort Solutions Group, among others. Raytheon is increasing its focus on the civil communications market, targeting first responders and public safety officials.

Applix opens Netherlands office

WESTBORO – Applix Inc. will open an office in the Netherlands, establishing Applix B.V., helping the management software provider expand its global presence. Martin Richmond-Coggan, vice president of Applix EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), will oversee the new office. The office in Den Bosch, a town in the southern portion of the Netherlands, will assist enterprises in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands in managing their business strategies. Applix specializes in management software applications allowing users to monitor performance across the financial, operational, sales, and marketing aspects of the enterprise.

Environment

Millbury profits from trash control

MILLBURY – The town has received more than $300,000 in fees and rebates for not exceeding its annual tonnage agreement with the Wheelabrator plant. The policy limits the amount of trash local haulers can bring to Wheelabrator, keeping the majority of the free annual tonnage open for the town transfer station. The town got a check for $230,075 after nearly a full year under the new policy for unused free tonnage, and $92,000 for the per-ton fee for local haulers, totalling about $322,000. The town is allowed to process 11,315 tons, but during calendar year 2006, only 5,015 tons were delivered.

Rizzo Associates becomes Tetra Tech Rizzo

FRAMINGHAM – Rizzo Associates has changed its name to Tetra Tech Rizzo, after joining Tetra Tech, a $1.4 billion consulting firm and the eighth largest environmental engineering design firm in the U.S. Locally, Tetra Tech Rizzo provides engineering services for the Lowe’s Companies’ northeast expansion, New Hampshire DOT’s new Traffic Management Center, and the redevelopment of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station. Tetra Tech Rizzo employs about 180 people. TetraTech is a worldwide engineering firm with over 7,500 associates in 250 offices worldwide.

Manufacturing

Iron Age files for Chapter 11

WESTBORO – Iron Age Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Worcester, while it reorganizes its business. The filing included a separate bankruptcy petition from the company’s Canadian subsidiary, Iron Age Canada Ltd. In its filing, Iron Age reported between $1 million and $100 million in assets, and the same amount in liabilities. The privately held company sells safety shoes and employs 460 people.

Pepperell Braiding buys Holgate Toy

PEPPERELL – Pepperell Braiding Co. has acquired Holgate Toy Co. of Kane, PA. Pepperell Braiding makes consumer arts and crafts products in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and China. Holgate makes and markets wooden toys for pre-schoolers. The new company, Holgate Toys, LLC will be based at Peperell’s Bradford, Pennsylvania facility. Holgate President Richard Bly will stay on. William Slivinski, president of Pepperell, says the company expects to expand the Holgate line and its licensed "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" products.

Small Business

Natick creative services agency launches

NATICK – Steve Ratner, a former executive at WLVI-TV (Channel 56), has launched Ivy Creative LLC, which specializes in branding, promotion, commercial and corporate production and strategy. Ratner, who served as creative services and programming director at the station, lost his job last year after WLVI was sold by the Tribune Co. to Sunbeam Television Corp.

Photography studio opens in Spencer

SPENCER – Photographer Amy Yanover is opening a portrait studio in downtown Spencer at 174 Main Street. She specializes in portraiture of children, families, students and professionals. She also photographs on location at clients’ home, business, or outdoors. A Feb. 10 open house will be held at the new studio from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Yanover has more than 20 years’ business experience and is active with the Center for Women & Enterprise of Central Massachusetts.

Retail

Class action filed against TJX in data breach

FRAMINGHAM – A class action suit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Boston against The TJX Cos. Inc., alleging the big retailer was negligent in protecting customer credit and debit card data. The suit, filed by two law firms, seeks credit monitoring services and damages by affected customers, who could number in the millions, according to bank and retail experts. The suit was filed after TJX Chair Ben Cammarata appeared in a Jan. 29 video on the company web site, addressing how TJX would respond to a mid-December data breach by a computer hacker who accessed information on customer credit cards, debit cards, checking accounts and driver’s licenses from its computer system. The company says it will not offer credit monitoring for affected customers because such monitoring doesn’t detect fraudulent charges on credit or debit cards. The data breach involved the information from customers at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and A.J. Wright stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and Winners and HomeSense stores in Canada. Customers of TJX’s division Bob’s Stores, and customers using debit cards issued by Canadian banks, were not part of the breach, according to TJX.

Midstate Auto Group expanding to Worcester

AUBURN – Midstate Auto Group, a used car dealership in Auburn, has signed a lease agreement to expand to 442 Park Ave. in Worcester. Agents Mike Jacobs and Jim Glickman oversaw the transaction for 5,600 square-feet of showroom space and adjacent parking lot on Park Ave. Steve Sewell, Raymond Butler, and John Freitas recently opened the dealership in Auburn, which sells used cars primarily from its new car franchise stores.

Some of the material in the News Briefs and Small Business sections was originally reported by Banker & Tradesman, The Boston Business Journal, The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, The Clinton Courier and Lancaster Times, The Griffin Report of Food Marketing, IndUS Business Journal, Mass High Tech, The MetroWest Daily News, New England Real Estate Journal, Sentinel & Enterprise, Southbridge Evening News, Telegram & Gazette, and/or Worcester Magazine. If you have a news tip, please call 508-755-8004 ext. 256, fax it to 508-755-4734, or e-mail it to coneill@wbjournal.com.