Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 10, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 3 Worcester Business Journal (ISSN#1063-6595) is published bi- weekly, 24x per year, including 4 special issues in May, September, October, and December by New England Business Media. 172 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA 01604. Periodicals postage paid at Worcester, MA. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Worcester Business Journal, PO Box 330, Congers, NY 10920-9894. Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions are available for $84.00. For more information, please email circulation@wbjournal.com or contact our circulation department at 845-267-3008. Advertising: For advertising information, please call Mark Murray at 508-755-8004 ext. 227. Fax: 508-755-8860. Worcester Business Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or materials and in general does not return them to the sender. Worcester Business Journal 172 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA 01604 508-755-8004 tel. • 508-755-8860 fax www.wbjournal.com Worcester Business Journal WBJ A division of: replicated if they are ever torn down for good. Fewer and fewer communities even have such facilities anymore, and the ones remaining need to be preserved. - Brad Kane, editor W hen I was growing up in a small city in Ohio, one of the main com- munity gathering plac- es was a single-screen movie theater on the city's main street. With its ever-changing marquee and settled amid a few blocks of downtown commerce full of owner-operator small businesses, that theater was a fixture of my early childhood. I saw countless mov- ies and the occasional concert there. Even aer a more modern multiplex cinema opened in the city's shopping mall, that downtown theater seemed to hold its own, eventually adding a second movie screen. However, at some point in the 30 years since I le that hometown, the movie business fell by the wayside. Still, the building and the marquee remain to this day. A church occupies the space now, and it even hosts free commu- nity movie nights. I certainly understand the nostalgia Central Massachusetts community offi- cials are trying to hold onto as places like Clinton, Fitchburg, and Worcester attempt to turn century-old downtown theaters into economic development projects, as Staff Writer Eric Casey details in his cover story "Final act?" on page 10. Despite the renovation costs, which can run into the millions of dollars, keeping these old the- aters viable and in use has a certain appeal, as reminders of an era where downtowns were commercial centers and community gathering places. ose marquees, updated weekly, can attract residents' and visitors' attention, sparking the imagination over what lies inside. Of course, the economics behind these efforts are more likely to lean toward more efficient uses of real estate, calling for the theaters to be demolished and replaced with something more modern. e renova- tion of the Fitchburg eatre by Fitchburg State University has been a painstakingly slow process; the good-natured attempts to bring the Olympia eatre in Worcester back from the dead might never get off the ground; and e Strand eatre in Clinton has been closed for nearly four years. Still, such renovation projects – however realistic or far-fetched – are worthy efforts. e architecture, atmosphere, nostalgia, and impact of these old theaters can't be Small town theater nostalgia Making Community Connections for Opportunities to See. Believe. Achieve. On Thursday, May 23, sponsors, golfers, and volunteers Answered the Call to Care at the 36th Annual New Beginnings Charity Golf Tournament. This significant fundraiser for the Community Connections program at Seven Hills supports thousands of people with disabilities who engage in sports, recreation, and leisure activities that develop skills, encourage interests, build friendships, and promote wellness. Seven Hills is profoundly grateful for your participation in New Beginnings and the difference you make for people in need. 36 36 th th You Answered the Call to Care Editor, Brad Kane, bkane@wbjournal.com Staff Writers Eric Casey, ecasey@wbjournal.com (real estate, manufacturing) Mica Kanner-Mascolo, mkannermascolo@wbjournal.com (health care, diversity & inclusion) Editorial Intern Sara Bedigian, sbedigian@wbjournal.com Contributors Sloane M. Perron, Giselle Rivera- Flores, Emily Micucci, Livia Gershon Photgraphers Matt Wright, Edd Cote, Christine Peterson Research Director, Stephanie Meagher, smeagher@nebusinessmedia.com Research Assistant, Heide Martin, hmartin@nebusinessmedia.com Production Director, Kira Beaudoin, kbeaudoin@wbjournal.com Art Director, Mitchell Hayes, mhayes@wbjournal.com General Manager Kris Prosser, kprosser@wbjournal.com Senior Accounts Manager Christine Juetten, cjuetten@wbjournal.com Accounts Manager Timothy Doyle tdoyle@wbjournal.com Human Resources Manager, Tracy Rodwill, trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Director of Finance, Sara Ward, sward@nebusinessmedia.com Accounting Assistant, Rae Rogers, rrogers@nebusinessmedia.com Account Receivable Specialist, Patty Harris, pharris@nebusinessmedia.com Director of Audience Development and Operations, Leah Allen, allen@nebusinessmedia.com Business Office Assistant, Nicole Dunn, ndunn@nebusinessmedia.com Publisher, CEO, Peter Stanton pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Associate Publisher, Mark Murray mmurray@wbjournal.com President, Tom Curtin tcurtin@hartfordbusinessjournal.com W T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 4 Central Mass. In Brief 10 Focus on Architecture, Engineering, & Construction 17 List: Largest commercial contractors 18 List: Largest architectural firms 19 Know How 20 Movers & Shakers 21 Opinion 22 Shop Talk: Farmer Matt 6 The school of business Four decades after its founding, the Clark University School of Management is rebranding, in hopes of attracting students to its mission of business education mixed with societal good. 21 Diversity certification is worth it for your business Viewpoint opinion columnist Julia Becker Collins advises eligible businesses to obtain their certifications for being minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned, as overcoming the many bureaucratic hurdles can lead to significant revenue growth.

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