September Business Connection
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Board of Directors
Chair of the Board
*Alisia St. Florian
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane
Chair-Elect
*Robert Ferrini
McGowanPRO
Past Chair of the Board
*Cynthia Peterson
Brigham and Women's/Mass General Health Care Center
Treasurer
*James Donellon
Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP
General Counsel
*Thomas Flaherty
Bacon Flaherty LLC
President/CEO
*Thomas O'Rourke
Neponset River Regional Chamber
Anthony Brown
Dedham Savings
Mary Chetwynd
Rockland Trust
Todd J. Chipman, MST, CPA
John T. Chipman & Co., CPAs
Steve Forrest
CertainTeed
Rhonda Kale
Bank of Canton
Michael Kennedy
Norwood Bank
Paul Kouri
Keller Williams
Jon Levy
American Holt Corporation
Mark LoVuolo
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Ashley Mansfield
Dedham High School
Tim McCabe
The League School
Sal Perla
Norwood Hospital
*Member of the Executive Committee
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Member News
Legacy Place Turns 10
Legacy Place in Dedham was recently featured in a front page story in the
Boston Business Journal
. The BBJ highlighted Legacy's success as a retail, entertainment and dining destination after 10 years in business.
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From the President:
Employer Survey on Education Results Released
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The school buses are rolling again and so is the Chamber's Education and Business Committee.
Last spring we asked members to participate in a survey of Massachusetts businesses to provide information about the business community’s views on education, workforce and skill.
The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Associated Industries of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable sponsored the survey and the MassINC Polling Group, prepared the report.
Thank you to those who participated from our Chamber. The results of the survey are in and we wanted share them with you.
Here are some of the key findings:
• Employers are struggling fill positions in their companies, in part because of fierce competition in a hot economy, and in part because candidates lack the skills needed for open jobs.
• Education matters to the business climate. “Access to a talented workforce” is the single most important factor in evaluating the state’s business climate.
• Employers continue to see a gap between the overall performance of schools and the job the schools are doing preparing students for the workforce.
• Business leaders want to focus their advocacy on improving the applied skills taught to students, hiring better teachers, increasing hands-on and vocational/technical education, and forging business partnerships with schools.
The Chamber along other business groups throughout the state will be using results in our engagement with the legislature on a variety of issues including education funding reform, increasing student access to in-demand industry skills, and expanding opportunities for students to earn credentials and benefit from work-based learning opportunities.
The Chamber's Education and Business Committee meets next on Tuesday, September 10th at 8:30 am at the Chamber office. All are welcome.
Tom O'Rourke
President and CEO
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Join Us at our
125th Anniversary Celebration
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Click the image below to hear from Board Chair, Alisia St. Florian, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP talk about our upcoming 125th Anniversary Celebration.
A delicious menu of heavy hors d' oeuvres will be served by Northern Spy Restaurant, which will soon be opening at the Paul Revere Site. Northern Spy is operated by the owners of Loyal Nine in Cambridge. A full cash bar will be available and entertainment will be provided by our local high school students.
An evening of fun, food, drinks and a little history is planned.
Now is the time to get your tickets to this once in a generation event.
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125th Anniversary Fun Fact!
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The Neponset River Regional Chamber began in 1894. What other notable milestones occurred that year? Hint: They both involved lots of sugar.
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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Regional Business & Home Expo
Wednesday, October 30 at Gillette Stadium
Make plans now to showcase your business at the 2019 REGIONAL BUSINESS & HOME EXPO!
Combining all the best elements of a home show and a business-to-business expo by bringing together home specialists, customers and regional businesses all at one great location: Gillette Stadium.
Click the Patriot to see a video preview
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Paid Family and Medical Leave Updates
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Over the last several months, the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has issued a number of updates to its website. These updates clarify questions received from the stakeholder community and aim to provide employers and employees with greater certainty in understanding the operations of the program. Below are a couple of examples.
- The definition of wages for the PFML program has been aligned with the MA Unemployment Statute's definition of wages. There are numerous types of employment that are excluded under the Massachusetts Unemployment Statute. Consistent with the Massachusetts Unemployment Statute, DFML will apply those same exclusions with respect to determining whether an employer is required to remit contributions on behalf of its employees.
- Withholdings apply to any wages paid on or after October 1st and are not dependent on the date when the wages were earned.
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REN Group Openings
Looking for a new way to network? Consider joining a Referral Exchange Network (REN)
REN 3: 2nd and 4th Thursday of month, 8:00 a.m.
REN 7W: 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 7:45 a.m.
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New Bus Service in Foxborough/Mansfield/Plainville
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The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Agency (GATRA) is excited to announce the launch of GO GATRA a flexible and dynamic on-demand microtransit shuttle service to operate in a specified corridor, within the towns of Mansfield, Foxboro, Plainville.
Similar to ride-hailing services GO GATRA uses a smartphone app for riders to schedule customized curb-to-curb microtransit trips. A small neighborhood shuttle bus will pick up riders and drop them off wherever they wish to travel within the service boundaries. Along the way, the shuttle may pick up other passengers who also request a ride. This service is wheelchair accessible and all drivers are trained and certified with state and federal regulations. This pilot program will operate within the Routes 1, 140 and 106 corridors which will include portions of the towns of Mansfield, Plainville, and Foxboro, connecting employment locations, medical facilities, and recreational locales.
This service will be operated on a pilot basis. It will be free through the month of September. The service area map can be found once the app is downloaded or on their website
www.GATRA.org
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Massachusetts STEP Grant Program
The Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment ("MOITI"), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network ("MSBDC"), the Massachusetts Export Center, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, is pleased to announce the Massachusetts State Trade Expansion Program ("STEP").
The Massachusetts STEP Program is intended to help offset international business development and related marketing costs for small businesses. Grant proceeds may be used for specific international business development and marketing costs, including:
• Overseas trade show or conference exhibition and directly related expenses;
• U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Key and other in-country services;
• Government-organized foreign trade missions with a business matchmaking element;
• Cost of compliance testing an existing product for entry into an export market;
• Design of export market-specific marketing media; and
• Localization of websites for target export markets.
The Massachusetts Export Center will offer a free webinar about the STEP program on Friday, September 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The webinar will discuss the parameters of the Massachusetts STEP program and walk participants through the STEP application process. Click here for further details and registration.
The STEP application deadline is Monday, September 30 at 5:00 p.m. For further information or to apply, visit:
www.mass.gov/export/step
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Member Benefit of the Month
Save $ on Office Supplies at Staples
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1894 was the first year that Coca Cola was packaged in its iconic bottles. If that wasn't sweet enough, Hershey Chocolate was also established in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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BE SURE TO UPDATE OUR EMAIL ADDRESSES
Tom O'Rourke - tom@nrrchamber.com
Denise Flynne - denise@nrrchamber.com
Stephanie Coyne - Stephanie@nrrchamber.com
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