Chamber Evolution Group event
The Newburyport Chamber's Evolution Group will be holding a networking mixer at the Grog Restaurant, 13 Middle St., Newburyport, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on April 8. The Evolution Group was created for the greater Newburyport area's emerging business owners, professionals and leaders and is open to everyone, including young professionals, "old hands" starting out in a new business venture, or an experienced businessperson with skills or services who can help the group's members achieve their goals. Each event features an introductory roundtable, allowing attendees to deliver their elevator speech about themselves and their business.
Matter Communications doubles office space
To support current and projected growth, Matter Communications, Inc., a full-service public relations agency specializing in high-technology and consumer markets, has doubled the size of its offices in both Newburyport and Providence, R.I. A positive fiscal outlook combined with the physical build-out of its facilities has allowed for the near-term hiring of additional public relations professionals to service the agency's expanding client roster.
Named a "Best Place to Work" by the Boston Business Journal, Matter currently employs 36 communications professionals and is anticipating the need for another 12 by the end of 2010. Matter offers outstanding professional growth opportunities, formalized training and development, mentoring in a small, team-oriented environment, competitive compensation and excellent benefits, including liberal health, dental and vision plans; short-term disability insurance; 401(k) plan and company match provision; employee referral program; generous paid time off; and a casual business environment.
Chamber welcomes Coastal Connections
The Amesbury Chamber of Commerce & Industrial Foundation will be welcoming Coastal Connections, 35 Water St., to the Downtown Amesbury area, with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, May 14, at 1 p.m.
Coastal Connections Inc. honors, embraces, supports and celebrates people by creating dynamic programs that maximize abilities, while respecting individual struggles. They seek to create an educational environment that promotes lifelong learning toward achieving full potential, enabling each person to become an essential part of their community.
For more information on the chamber, or how to become a volunteer, visit www.amesburychamber.com.
Fitness Together changes hands
Fitness Together, a one-on-one personal training studio, is under new ownership. Sean Stellmach, a local entrepreneur and lifelong Amesbury resident, purchased the studio at 80 State St. in downtown Newbuyrport. Sean is a graduate of UMass Lowell with a bachelor's degree in community health education and is working toward a Master of Science in epidemiology. Prior to that, he graduated from Amesbury High School, where he was a three-sport athlete. Additionally, he has earned a Performance Enhancement Specialist Certification with the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Fitness Together's certified personal trainers provide customized training sessions in a private setting. Franchising since 1996, Fitness Together has more than 350 operating studios and opens approximately 10 new locations each month.
For more information, contact Sean at 978-961-0335 or seanstellmach@fitnesstogether.com, or visit www.ftnewburyport.com or fitnesstogether.com/newburyport.
Newburyport business to receive assistance
Mass Integrated Systems Inc. of Newburyport will receive $150,000 in technical assistance from the Department of Commerce through the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program. Mass Integrated Systems, Inc., a manufacturer of electronics and circuit boards, currently employs 14 workers. By providing financial assistance to those manufacturers affected by import competition, the TAA for Firms program helps domestic manufacturers compete more effectively with their foreign counterparts.
The funding will help the company cover the cost of the development and implementation of a sales and marketing plan; oversight and expansion of the company's strategic plan; MIS support and upgrade for better company reports and schedules; and upholstering training for new industry standard hours.
Since 1986, the New England Trade Adjustment Assistance Center has helped manufacturers obtain assistance totaling over $30 million from the Department of Commerce. For more information about the program, please visit www.netaac.org.
Photographer wins accolade of excellence
Dawn Norris of Newburyport received special honors in the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International 2010 Awards of Excellence 16x20 Print Competition. Designed to recognize outstanding photographers, the judging was held in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 6 and 7. "Cool Hand Luke" received an Accolade of Excellence in the Children category. The Awards of Excellence 16x20 Print Competition awards are presented each year at the largest trade show, educational platform and convention in the United States for professional photographers. The 2010 competition included 3,388 prints in 18 different categories submitted by photographers from all over the world.
Norris, a graduate of the University of Vermont, has worked with renown professional photographers like John Isaac, Nevada Weir, Vicki Taufer, Brianna Graham, Joe McNally and Roy Toft. She is a member of the Professional Photographers of America, Wedding & Portrait Photographers International, National Association of Professional Child Photographers, Graduate of Maine Photographic Workshops 2005, Graduate of the Sundance Photographic Workshops 2007, and the Better Business Bureau.
Norris is a mother, wife and the proud guardian of two rescued shelter dogs named Honeycomb (Save a Dog) and Ruby Lou (MSPCA - Nevins Farm). She was born and raised in New England and Florida, and now lives in Newburyport.
LocalGinger named finalist in competition
LocalGinger has been named a finalist in the 2010 North of Boston Business Plan Competition. The newly launched business based in Newburyport provides a new marketing channel for local businesses to offer special deals to local residents. Deals are posted on their Web site and promoted via Facebook and e-mail and require a certain number of purchases to kick in. Once enough customers have committed to an offer, the offer goes live.
The North of Boston Business Plan Competition is put on by the Enterprise Center, a small business growth center for entrepreneurs. The competition is designed to find companies that are less than 3 years old and plan to grow to at least five employees in the next two years. In order to be eligible, the business must commit to locate in Essex County or the Merrimack Valley. The majority of judges in the competition are early stage investors and bankers.
A $5,000 Grand Prize will be awarded for the best business plan, as well as a second place prize of $3,000, and third place prize of $2,000 after the finalists present their plans at the competition finale on April 12.
Port executive earns top health care credential
Robert A. Aurilio, FACHE, a resident of Newburyport, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation's leading professional society for health care leaders.
Aurilio is the chief executive officer of the Northeast Health Care Quality Foundation, headquartered in Dover, N.H. NHCQF serves as the federally designated Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Fellow status signifies Board Certification in Healthcare Management and represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. Only 7,500 health care executives hold this distinction. The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 30,000 health care executives who lead the nation's hospitals, health care systems and other health care organizations.
For more information, contact Aurilio at Northeast Health Care Quality Foundation at 603-842-8240 or e-mail raurilio@nhqio.sdps.org.
Three Institution for Savings employees promoted
The Institution for Savings recently promoted three employees. Melissa W. LeBel was promoted to vice president of Branch Administration and training. In this new position, she will supervise the bank's five busy retail offices as well as manage the in-house training program. Melissa joined the Institution for Savings in 2004 to manage the main office after 19 years at TD Bank North, where she was vice president of business development and retail management. In 2006, LeBel became the first-ever manager of the bank's new office in Salisbury Square. Prior to her promotion to vice president, she managed the bank's Storey Avenue, Newburyport office. Melissa grew up in Rowley and holds an associate degree from Essex Agriculture and Technical Institute. Active in a number of local organizations, she resides in Rowley with her husband Rick and two daughters.
Also, Wesley R. Barry was promoted to vice president of retail banking, where he will work closely with the senior vice president of retail banking to manage the day-to-day operation and oversight of retail banking services, as well as the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) department. Barry joined the Institution for Savings in 2004 as assistant manager and new accounts representative in the Storey Avenue office. He became the bank's personal banker in 2005, and in 2007 was promoted to assistant vice president of retail banking. Barry attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is on the Board of Directors of the Firehouse Center for the Performing Arts and performs with the Newburyport Choral Society. Barry lives in Kingston, N.H. with his fiance Erika.
Michelle Mahair was also promoted to assistant vice president and manager of the bank's Storey Avenue, Newburyport office. Michelle joined the Institution for Savings in 1998 as a teller and was later promoted to assistant branch manager in 2005. Earlier in her career, she was with the former Amesbury Cooperative Bank. She resides in Amesbury.
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