BusinessTalk

It’s been a somewhat turbulent start to 2023 for the banking industry, with a few headline-making failures and questions about what will happen in this sector amid interest rate hikes, inflation, and other forces. On the next installment of BusinessTalk, Corey Wrinn, Managing Director of Rivel, who conducts primary research on U.S. banking customers, provides some perspective on the current landsc...

On the next installment of BusinessTalk, Michelle Schutt, president of Greenfield Community College, talks with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien about proposals for ‘free’ community college and what they might mean for area residents, the community colleges, the higher education sector, area employers, and the region’s economy. There’s a lot to unpack, and it’s all must listening, so tune in to...

The sports betting era has begun in Massachusetts, and it’s off to a fast and intriguing start. On the next installment of BusinessTalk, Robert Westerfield, vice president of Casino Operations at MGM Springfield, talks with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien about sports betting, March Madness, and what to expect moving forward. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented...

Steve and Jean Graham have been named Difference Makers by BusinessWest for 2023 for many reasons, from their work within the community to their success in business. It’s a compelling and inspiring story that involves everything from ice cream to wrestling, and one can learn more about as BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien talks with Steve Graham on the next installment of BusinessTalk. It’s must...

Three years after the start of the pandemic, the world looks considerably different, with some of the most profound change coming in the commercial real estate realm. Remote work and hybrid schedules are here to stay. What does that mean for Springfield’s office towers and other places where people work? Evan Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin, discusses all this and much more with BusinessWest edi...

The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade and road race are regional events  steeped in history and tradition. On this next installment of  BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien talks with Kelly  McGiverin, Co-Marketing Director of Fundraising and Sponsorships for  the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, and Matt Bannister, Senior  Vice President Marketing and Co...

It’s only March, but it’s already been quite a year for Gary Rome. Over  the past month, the owner the Gary Rome Auto Group has been named TIME  magazine’s auto dealer of the year and a Difference Maker by BusinessWest — and for all of the same reasons. On the next installment of BusinessTalk, Rome talks with BusinessWest Editor  George O’Brien about his success in business, his wor...

Suzanne Parker, executive director of Girls Inc. of the Valley, is the  guest on the next installment of BusinessTalk. In a lively discussion  with  BusinessWest  Editor George O’Brien, she talks about the  ambitious project to create a new home for the nonprofit in Holyoke and  the many learning experiences it has provided for Girls Inc.  administrators — and me...

Business networking. It’s an art and a science, and a skill that all  those in business need to effectively market themselves and their  venture. On the next installment of BusinessTalk, Emily Leonczyk, executive vice president of the Markens Group, talks at length with BusinessWest  Associate  Publisher and Sales Manager Kate Campiti about networking and how to  thrive as...

Carlo Bonavita, owner of the Springfield Wine Exchange is the guest on  the next installment of BusinessTalk. In a lively discussion with BusinessWest Editor  George O’Brien, he has a lot to say about wine, the business of wine,   what buyers are looking for today, and even some thoughts on a perfect  gift for Valentine’s Day. It’s all must listening, so tune in to  B...

Megan Burke says listening to the BusinessTalk podcast featuring Katie  Allan Zobel, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western  Mass., certainly helped her when she interviewed to succeed Zobel in  that position. Now, she’s in that job, and it’s her turn to be the guest  on the podcast. She talks with BusinessWest Editor George  O’Brien about everything from...

Amy Jamrog is a Holyoke-based financial advisor, coach, and  consultant. And experiences in all of those roles have also inspired her  to write. Her book is called Confetti Moments: 52 Vignettes to Spark Conversation, Connect Deeply and Celebrate the Ordinary, a title that pretty much says it all. Jamrog talks with BusinessWest editor George O’Brien about  her book, what inspired it...

As 2023 begins, there are many question marks —as well as an abundance  of cautious optimism — concerning the region and it’s economy. On the  next installment of BusinessTalk,  BusinessWest  Editor George  O’Brien and his guest, Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western  Mass Economic Development Council, sort through it all, touching on  everything from w...

Christina Royal, president of Holyoke Community College, is the guest  on the next installment of BusinessTalk. In a wide-ranging discussion   with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien, she talks about what  might come next for her — she announced last fall that she will moving  on to the next stage of her career later this year — and what will  likely come next for the...

Susan Kasa, president of Boulevard Machine in Westfield, is the guest on  the next installment of BusinessTalk, and she does a great job of  drilling down and assessing the state of the manufacturing sector in  Western Mass. and ongoing efforts to ensure that there are talented  workers in the pipeline for years — and decades — to come. It’s all must  listening, so tune in...

On this installment of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor  George O’Brien has a lively discussion with Claudia Pazmany, executive  director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. The two talk about  everything from Amherst’s strong comeback from the pandemic, which hit  its hospitality, college-town economy very hard, to the prospects for  chambers of commerce in the post...

BusinessWest editor George O’Brien has a lively discussion  with Mike Fenton, Springfield city councilor and chairman of the city’s  Casino Oversight Committee. The two talk about recently voiced concerns  about MGM Springfield not delivering what was promised when it was  granted a gaming license, and what actions are expected from the parent  company in the weeks and mon...

Meg Sanders, CEO of Canna Provisions in Holyoke and Lee, is the guest  on the latest installment of BusinessTalk, and she gives an candid,  eye-opening appraisal of the state of the cannabis business in Western  Mass. and where this intriguing industry can, and probably will, go  moving forward. In her talk with BusinessWest Editor George  O’Brien, she touches on everythin...

The economy. Inflation. Interest rates. Quiet quitting. The housing  market. The outlook for 2023. These are just a few of the subjects that  BusinessWest Editor and PeoplesBank President and CEO Tom Senecal touch  on in a wide-ranging installment of BusinessTalk. It’s all must  listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by  BusinessWest in partnership with...

It’s called the Hope for Youth & Families Foundation. That’s the  next chapter in the life and career of entrepreneur and philanthropist  Bob Bolduc, founder of Pride Stations and Stores. On the next  installment of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien  talks with Bolduc about his new foundation and its broad goal of helping  individuals and families achiev...

‘Burnout.’ It’s a term we hear often and in many contexts. But it has a  specific meaning and tell-tale symptoms. That’s just a few things we  learn in an intriguing, eye-opening conversation with Jim Young, the  ‘Centered Coach’ an expert on this subject, and author of a new book —   ‘Expanding Intimacy: How Tough Guys Defeat Burnout.’ It’s all must  listening, so tu...

“Is  Victory at hand?’ That’s the question Donald Sanders, executive  artistic director of MIFA Victory Theatre attempts to answer on the next  installment of BusinessTalk. The downtown Holyoke landmark has  been dark for more than 40 years, but Sanders explains that the  requisite momentum — and funding — exists to turn the lights back on  soon. It’s all must listeni...

Mark Paglia, COO of Mira Vista Behavioral Health Center — and a  Healthcare Hero for 2022 — is the guest on BusinessTalk this week, and  there was a lot to discuss with BusinessWest Editor George  O’Brien. Topics include the opening of Mira Vista in the middle of a  pandemic, the behavioral health crisis that accompanied COVID, the  ongoing, and  now often overlooked,...

Serial entrepreneur Peter Rosskothen has seen just about everything  there is to see in business over the past four decades. But he admits  that the past few years have been something altogether different. They  have changed the way business is done, and these changes are likely  permanent. These are just some of his observations in a hard-hitting  discussion with Business...

Cybersecurity: It’s not a matter for large companies, public utilities,  and government agencies to consider. It’s a critical matter that should  be a priority for businesses of all sizes. That’s the message delivered  by Ivan Shefrin, executive director for Comcast Business Managed  Security Services on the latest installment of BusinessTalk. In a  wide-ranging discussion...