North County

The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce announced Monday its economic development affiliate, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp., is launching a new small business loan program. 

Worcester Business Journal began listing the most influential people in the Central Massachusetts economy in 2013, using various iterations of the concept to arrive at the Power 50, which started in 2018.

The Power 50 may not necessarily hold the most power in the region, but they are the people who most effectively wielded their power to have an outsized influence on the economy and the community within the last year.

Lighthouse Biz Solutions, LLC, a cannabis financial services subsidiary of GFA Federal Credit Union in Gardner, appointed Melissa Maranda as its new executive vice president and chief operating officer.

David Nordman, executive editor at the Telegram & Gazette, will step down at the end of May, the Worcester-based newspaper announced Tuesday.

Templeton restaurant Baldwinville Station received a $67,000 loan from the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. to purchase the encompassing real estate of the restaurant, the small business financing organization announced Tuesday. 

Fitchburg has been selected as one of three cities to be included in MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative Creative Cities program, which supports arts and culture partnerships in TDI districts.

Acton company Lyla Beauty Bar was granted a $50,000 loan from the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. to support the purchase of new laser system equipment, the small business financing organization announced Monday.

The City of Gardner announced on Thursday it was receiving $650,000 in grants in order to help small business and economic development, using federal funds meant to provide relief from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The labor force in the Greater Worcester metropolitan area continued to grow in March, with the unemployment rate in the region dropping to 3.9%.