Shrewsbury

Pier 1 has announced it will close all of its stores as soon as it is able to open them as part of its bankruptcy proceeding. In Central Mass., this will impact the company’s Shrewsbury and Bellingham locations.

MassHousing has granted $700,000 in COVID-19 relief funding to 31 nonprofit providers of affordable sober housing, the agency announced on Thursday, including six recipients in Worcester and one in both Shrewsbury and Oakham.

Adjacent commercial buildings in downtown Shrewsbury are headed to foreclosure auction Tuesday.

Melissa Cote had planned to expand her beauty salon, but as the construction was wrapping up on her new Shrewsbury location, Gov. Charlie Baker put out his order on March 24 for non-essential businesses in Massachusetts to shut down in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Companies like Worcester Fitness, Centage Corp., Anna Maria College and Clinton Savings Bank all have had recent hires and promotions.

A Sutton construction contractor has agreed to pay $120,000 to reimburse the state for the cost of responding to a 2017 explosion and fire of a backyard shed at a Shrewsbury residential property, which released hazardous chemicals and fumes, causing workers and a neighbor to develop respiratory problems.

Shrewsbury’s Oak Tree Insurance Agency has joined the New England network of Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services.

Worcester Sand & Gravel has sold its Shrewsbury property for $7.45 million but will continue operating at the site.

A 2019 WBJ investigation into the gender breakdown of the leadership at 75 Central Massachusetts prominent business organizations found 35% were women, an increase from 33% in 2018. This year, the percentage went backward.

Advantage Truck Group, the Shrewsbury dealer and service provider for tractor-trailers and other transportation equipment, plans to open a new full-service dealership in Raynham, the firm announced Thursday.