Central Mass. South

VERC Enterprises, a convenience store and gas station chain, has opened a new location at 137 E. Main St. in Webster, the company announced in a press release on Tuesday.

During an interview on the WBJ podcast, the business partners working on a Worcester location of Sturbridge BBQ restaurant B.T.'s Smokehouse said they are hoping to open by mid-May and can do so even if Massachusetts' non-essential business shutdown over the coronavirus remains in effect until then.

Brian Treitman, the founder of B.T.'s Smokehouse in Sturbridge, and his business partner, Billy Nemeroff, join The Weekly Business Report to discuss the new B.T.'s location in Worcester and why barbecue restaurants have fared better during the coronavirus shutdown than most other eateries.

Essential manufacturing includes a wide spectrum of workers, ranging from those who produce medical supplies to those who support the agricultural market, and everything in between.

The Gov. Charlie Baker Administration has leaned on the state’s manufacturers, creating the Manufacturing Emergency Response Team under the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to coordinate manufacturers’ move toward pandemic-related materials.

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and Harrington HealthCare's location in Webster are receiving part of a $2.3-million donation toward Massachusetts coronavirus relief efforts made by the MAPFRE Foundation.

New hires and promotions at companies like AAFCPAs in Westborough, Bryley Sytems in Clinton, Concierge Physical Therapy in Sutton, Reliant Medical Group and Framingham State University.

The Public House Historic Inn in Sturbridge is closed until April 6 to keep employees and guests safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Spencer manufacturer FLEXcon donated emergency supplies to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester on Wednesday, joining ranks with other Central Massachusetts businesses who are stepping up to support local hospitals dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

Gov. Baker on Monday outlined a stay-at-home advisory and also ordered all non-essential businesses to close their physical operations to workers and customers, taking a step he has resisted for days as other states like New York have implemented similar measures.