Monica Benevides

It is impossible to extricate the history of Hopedale, a town which is home to just shy of 6,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, from the Draper Corp., which most locals refer to as the “Draper mill,” or, simply, “Drapers.”

15-40 Connection of Westborough, a national education and advocacy nonprofit teaching people how to detect cancer earlier, is rebranding as DetecTogether and expanding its work to people of all ages, the organization announced on Thursday.

IT managed services provider AKUITY Technologies, of Auburn, has been acquired by ICS of New York, the businesses announced on Thursday.

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced on Friday the Paycheck Protection Program would re-open on Jan. 11 to new borrowers and certain previous recipients who want to apply for a second coronavirus relief loan.

More than $700,000 has been funneled into Central Mass. cultural nonprofit organizations as part of a $10-million funding package disbursed to 183 groups across the state through the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development, the groups announced on Thursday. 

As the nation reels in the wake of a violent and deadly mob breaking into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in response to President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, leadership in and around the Central Mass. business community condemned the violence and called for healing.

In the midst of a pro-Trump mob’s riot at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, the National Association of Manufacturers released a statement condemning the attack, and urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment, which allows for the vice president and cabinet members to remove presidential powers from Donald Trump and place the vice president in charge of the nation.

The owners of Worcester’s newest incoming minor league sports team are soliciting community input to help name them, the American Basketball Association team’s president and general manager announced on Tuesday.

Rotmans in Worcester, a longtime furniture retailer, is holding a store closing sale, but Rotmans is not going out of business, the company has clarified in an FAQ on its website. 

Industrial Packaging of Webster has been designated as the first U.S.-based company to achieve pandemic preparedness certification through AIB International, a food supply chain support group based in Kansas.