West Mass Rebrand

West Mass Rebrand

Rick Sullivan, President and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, discusses the new branding for region, making the Pioneer Valley known as West...
Retail Business Closings in Western Mass

Retail Business Closings in Western Mass

Over the last few years, we have been seeing some major department stores closing down in our local malls, and other stores going out of business. Carolee McGrath sat down with Dave Ratner, the owner of Dave’s Soda and Pet City, who has seven stores, and member of the...
Rick Sullivan

Rick Sullivan

Rick Sullivan, President and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, discusses hopes for launching an integrated promotional campaign touting the region to new businesses, residents and...
Uber

Uber

Cathy Zhou, General Manager overseeing Uber operations in greater Massachusetts, discusses the growth of the ride-sharing service in western Massachusetts and responds to questions and criticisms that Uber unfairly competes with traditional cab and car service...
Eric Lesser on the Skills Gap

Eric Lesser on the Skills Gap

Imagine there are good-paying jobs available, but no one in that job market with the training or background to fill those positions. That’s not a good recipe for economic health or growth, and that’s exactly the problem currently happening in Massachusetts. State...
South Holyoke Neighborhood Association

South Holyoke Neighborhood Association

Residents who live in South Holyoke have come together to form a new neighborhood association. City Councilor Nelson Roman sat down with Connecting Point’s Carolee McGrath to discuss the goals of this new group, including plans to attract new businesses and home...
Springfield Innovation District

Springfield Innovation District

TDI Fellow Laura Masulis discusses her assignment with Mass Development, the misconceptions about Downtown Springfield, and how she plans to unite business owners and make the Springfield Innovation District more inviting and welcoming to the residents and visitors....
The State We’re In: Rep. Joe Wagner

The State We’re In: Rep. Joe Wagner

State Representative Joe Wagner, (D) Chicopee and the Eighth Hampden District and House Chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, discusses the impact and meaning of the General Electric decision to move its world headquarters to...
Northampton Economy

Northampton Economy

With two iconic city businesses changing ownership and the closure of another, the future of Northampton’s vibrant downtown retail economy has been in question recently. Producer Tony Dunne talked to Mayor David Narkewicz about the state of downtown Northampton and...
Plan for Progress: Business

Plan for Progress: Business

The role of business in the 2015 Plan for Progress from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is examined by Rick Sullivan from the Economic Development Council, Susan Kasa of Boulevard Machine and Gear of Springfield, and Delcie Bean of Paragus Strategic IT in...