Fitchburg

Fitchburg contract manufacturer Micron Solutions decreased its net loss by 16 percent in the first quarter compared to last year despite reporting a slight dip in sales.

New York-based Advance Local is growing its presence in Central Massachusetts. The company is set to open an office for its MassLive Media division near the Worcester Common this month.

Massachusetts has chosen Worcester and Fitchburg among 10 cities to receive help in downtown redevelopment initiatives.

Daily newspapers in Fitchburg and Lowell and a related weekly publication earned a $5-million profit and a 26-percent profit margin in the last budget year.

Worcester could see millions of square feet of new development if it takes better advantage of Union Station's ties by commuter rail to Boston, according to a new report by think tank MassINC.

Fitchburg's growing number of mill renovations in the past decade will allow residents to live in one revitalized mill and work in another just down the street, all clustered west of downtown.

Leominster Credit Union, Reliant Medical Group and law firm Fletcher Tilton are among the firms announcing new hires and promotions.

Neighborhoods in 11 Central Massachusetts communities are in line to be designated as areas encouraging new investment.

Twin Cities Plaza, anchored by a Hannaford supermarket and straddling the Fitchburg-Leominister line, is undergoing an overhaul for a more modern look and landscaping.

The Baker administration and municipal officials across Massachusetts expect to hear from the federal government within 30 days about their newly-submitted request for approval of 138 zones where new federal tax incentives could be used to spark investment in rural and low-income communities.