Greater Worcester

Her hiring was one for the history books: the first woman to become president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. But self-proclaimed “space nerd” Laurie Leshin came to Worcester one year ago next week with a well-established resume.

With most consumer markets populated by mass-produced items that are cookie-cutter images of each other, entrepreneurs in Worcester are capitalizing on goods that emphasize customization and craftsmanship through the use of time-honored skills in a 21st-century marketplace.

Former State Treasurer Steven Grossman, now CEO for a Boston-based nonprofit organization that aims to revitalize urban economies through business and job development, is leading the charge for business training in Massachusetts' 26 Gateway Cities, which include Worcester, Fitchburg and Leominster.

Some of the most dynamic cities in the United States rely on a strong core of artists...

Worcester should continue pressing its case to bring the Boston Red Sox's top farm club to Central Massachusetts following the death of that club's principal owner last week.

The transition from military to civilian life is a notoriously tough one, but many veterans have a set of skills that's well suited to running a business. And there are a number of public- and private-sector resources devoted to helping ex-military people move into the business world.

Gov. Charlie Baker stressed the importance of collaboration Thursday when he addressed the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Worcester Business Development Corp. (WBDC) and the Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC).

University of Massachusetts Lowell Chancellor Martin Meehan has agreed to a five-year contract to lead the UMass system as its next president with an annual base salary that escalates from $525,000 starting in July to $602,500 in the final year.

Allstate Insurance, which did not do business in Massachusetts for 25 years before returning in 2012, is expanding its Bay State market, and looking to line up a few Central Massachusetts agents and licensed sales professionals as part of those plans.

After 12 years as chief executive of Unum Group, Thomas R. Watjen retired at the insurance company's annual shareholder meeting today in Chattanooga, Tenn. Richard P. McKenney, Unum's former chief financial officer, assumed the role of CEO.