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NEWMARKET NEWS
11/19/09 Boston Area Council CEO Jim Brett speaks at Newmarket Annual Meeting
Close to 125 members and friends gathered at Anthony’s Pier IV Restaurant on November 19th to vote in the new Officers and Directors for 2009/2010, name the NBA “Person of the Year” and to proudly continue our long-standing commitment to the less fortunate citizens of our area.
The keynote speaker for the event was Jim Brett, President and CEO of the New England Council which has been New England's voice on Capitol Hill for more than 80 years.
While highlighting many successes the New England area has achieved in the past several years in terms of economic development, Mr. Brett was very forthright in pointing out the stark realities of the economic outlook for the upcoming year. In other words, while the economy is beginning to grow ever slightly, the road back to prosperity will indeed be slow-going.
Honoring a special tradition at the Annual Meeting, the Association named Herb Clifford, President of Clifford Marketing as its “Person of the Year” for 2009. Over the past several years, Herb has worked tirelessly to promote the NBA through marketing efforts, has coordinated the success of many NBA annual fundraisers, has served as a long-time director of the Association and, most recently, oversaw the complete renovation of the Association’s website.
Adding to the excitement of the evening was the huge success of our fundraiser, as many of our companies came through in their generous sponsorship of the event. Kudos, in particular, to Eastern Bank, our largest event sponsor! For a list of event sponsors and donors, please see the listing below. The participation and support of all of our members and friends enabled us to raise almost $15,000. to fund our charitable endeavors in the Newmarket community during the upcoming year.
If you missed this chance to get together with your fellow business owners, don’t worry. We will have another networking event soon and we promise, as always, that it will be a memorable time.
7/1/09 NBA Roundtable Discussion focuses on Parking Enforcement of Delivery Vehicles in the City
Over the past month, the NBA has held two Roundtable Discussions regarding the difficulties and costs of delivering product to businesses in downtown Boston. This issue is very important to many of our member companies, both big and small and a number of Newmarket business owners attended and voiced their concerns.
At the heart of the issue for business owners is the perceived excessive enforcement of parking regulations focused on delivery vehicles. Some larger Newmarket companies indicated that their yearly cost for parking tickets for their fleets are in excess of $10,000.00 and is severely limiting their ability to do business in Boston.
An added factor, and perhaps central to the problem, is the question of whether there is a lack of adequate “loading zone” spaces in certain areas of downtown Boston, at certain times, which is causing the need for double-parking and illegal parking when deliveries are being made.
Representatives of the Boston Transportation Department, including Assistant Commissioner Jim Gilooly while understanding the importance of the issue to the business community, were dismissive of concerns relating to excessive enforcement, stating unequivocally that there is no incentive system in place for meter attendants to write more tickets and that it is not possible for attendants to target certain trucks because they are rotated to different areas frequently and they are monitored regularly by supervisors. At the same time, they did agree that it is important to look at whether changes could and should be made to the loading zone inventory in particular areas of the City. They additionally indicated that some large companies have successfully reduced their parking ticket costs through driver training offered by the Transportation Dept. that teaches the drivers how to optimize their delivery options. While the businesses present were somewhat skeptical of the effectiveness of the driver training, the general belief was that a study regarding the increasing of loading zone areas/times would be beneficial.
The details of this study are being worked on with the Transportation Dept. and the businesses involved.
The NBA is also looking for input from any other Newmarket business regarding problems finding adequate parking in certain delivery areas. To weigh in with your concerns about a particular area, email suesullivan@newmarketboston.org
6/10/09 Newmarket Business Resource Expo draws crowd of area business owners
On Thursday June 4, 2009, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, in partnership with the Department of Neighborhood Development, held the Business Resource Expo for Boston's manufacturing and industrial businesses.
The event allowed Newmarket businesses to meet directly with the following business assistance organizations:
NStar - (helping businesses to save money through energy efficiency)
Boston Connects – (showing Newmarket businesses how being in the Emplowerment Zone qualifies them for large amounts of federal tax credits)
Boston Buying Power – (combining the purchasing efficiency of Boston’s businesses to reduce their utility costs and give them long-term rate stability)
BIDFA – (the Boston Industrial Development Financing Authority issues bonds to finance the capital needs of Boston’s businesses. Bonds may be used to finance construction, capital expenses and working capital needs resulting from expansion.)
Microloan Boston - (A $350,000. loan pool designed to support entrepreneurs and existing small businesses in Boston’s Empowerment Zone. Eligible businesses can apply for loans between $5,000. and $25,000. to assist with working capital needs such as inventory and leasehold improvements)
BLDC – (the Boston Local Development Corp. provides loans of up to $150,000. for businesses in or relocating to the City of Boston. These loans can be used when buying a new business property, purchasing equipment and machinery, constructing an addition to an existing plant, making leasehold improvements or providing working capital to grow your business.)
Backstreets Backup Loan Program – (This program provides favorable financing up to $250,000. to eligible Backstreets businesses within the City of Boston. The Program provides favorable and flexible terms and conditions on loans that vary based on the size of the loan request and the strength of the company’s finances.)
GreenTech Initiative - (developed in 2008 to assist businesses in implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies)
DND-Office of Business Development – (This City department provides entrepreneurs and existing businesses with access to financial and technical resources.)
Many Newmarket businesses attended the Expo, taking advantage of this opportunity to forge relationships and begin the process for essential business improvements.
The enthusiasm of those that attended including many who commented that it was “one of the most productive events they have ever been to” has led the BRA and the Newmarket Business Association to begin the planning process for a second Expo to take place in the fall.
If you missed the first one, be sure to keep an eye out for the scheduling of the next. In the meantime, for more information on any of the programs mentioned, please contact Sal DiStefano, BRA Senior Manager for the Industrial/Commercial Sector at 617-918-4338.
4/1/09 Boston Redevelopment Authority Presents Exciting Newmarket Facts & Figures
11/20/08 City Announces Major Initiatives at NBA Annual Meeting!
A perfect fall evening, with Boston Harbor as our backdrop, provided the setting for this year’s Newmarket Business Association Annual Meeting. As always, members had a great time sharing laughs, networking with each other and with govt. officials, and celebrating the strength of our Association.
More than 100 members and friends gathered at The Exchange Conference Center on the Fish Pier on October14th to vote in the new Officers and Directors for 2008/2009 and to witness the unveiling of Boston Mayor Tom Menino’s plan to strengthen and preserve the industrial base of the Newmarket Industrial District. While Mayor Menino was scheduled to unveil the plan personally, illness prevented him from doing so that evening. John Palmeiri, Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, spoke in his place.
The City’s plan outlined a number of initiatives in three important areas designed to strengthen the Newmarket Industrial District, with an infusion of City services and infrastructure improvements.
These initiatives, in the areas of Business Services/Greening Newmarket, Transportation, and Land Use, are designed to insure that the industrial businesses of the area remain successful and able to compete in their current locations. The industrial businesses of the Newmarket District, often referred to as the backbone of the area economy, provide thousands of good jobs at sustainable wages and are vital to the strength of the surrounding neighborhoods.
Mayor Menino has been a good friend of the Newmarket Industrial District and to the NBA over the years. We look forward to his continued support and assistance.
If you missed this chance to get together with your fellow business owners, don’t worry. We will have another networking event soon and we promise, as always, that it will be a memorable time.
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