Professional Services

MAPFRE Insurance in Webster will acquire as much as $127 million of business from an insurance company - MiddleOak Insurance of Middletown, Conn., and Salem - to expand its insurance offerings in New England.

Worcester-based Hanover Insurance Group reported a profit of $89.9 million for the fourth quarter, ending what president and CEO Frederick H. Eppinger called “a strong year for our company.”

Tennessee-based Unum Group has promoted its chief financial officer, Richard McKenney, to succeed retiring CEO Thomas Watjen, the employee-benefits provider announced Tuesday.

A former Telegram and Gazette employee is looking to online fundraiser KickStarter to fund a Worcester newspaper that will be available online and in print.

In its quest to run a publishing business based on a “zero-inventory model” that prints products on demand, Wisconsin-based printing giant Quad/Graphics Inc. plans to scoop up Chelmsford-based book manufacturer Courier Corp. Courier, according to Quad/Graphics President and CEO Joel Quadracci, “has a legacy of superior quality and exceptional customer service, and is a well-known innovator in every aspect of book production.” Quadracci's comments were made in a company statement Jan. 16, when Quad/Graphics announced plans to acquire Courier in a deal valued at $260 million.

As the Jan. 23 deadline to enroll in health insurance plans through the Massachusetts Health Connector nears, the state and local insurers are boosting efforts to reach people in need of coverage.

State employees in Massachusetts could see increases in their health insurance co-payments and deductibles under one option being considered by a state commission grappling with a growing deficit in state and municipal employee health insurance budgets.

The Grafton News and its website are being bought by the Holden Landmark Corp., publisher of several Central Massachusetts newspapers and websites. The sale is expected to close at the end of January.

The average viewer has little concept of how the content they're watching on television—and, increasingly, on a tablet or iPhone—is delivered. But they expect a seamless viewing experience. That's the paradigm of media consumption today, and it's one that SeaChange International of Acton is counting on as it positions itself to maintain an edge delivering custom video software to video content producers all over the world.

The law firm of Fletcher Tilton, with offices in Worcester and Framingham, began the new year by absorbing Hudson-based Yates Law Offices into its operations.