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6 Worcester Business Journal | June 24, 2024 | wbjournal.com Strategic tax planning Business valuation M&A Cybersecurity Estate planning Consulting Audit & assurance Backoffice transformation Fmerly Paresky Fli & Company Same trusted team in Massachusetts, now with more resources. uhy-us.com 508.650.1122 Contact us in Wayland today! Framingham human services nonprofit to merge with two others to form $100M firm Advocates, a Framingham nonprofit focused on supporting individuals and families facing mental and develop- mental healthcare challenges, is set to merge with two other Massachu- setts-based nonprofits to form a single entity with more than 2,500 employees and $102 million in assets, all operat- ing under the Advocates name. e move will see Advocates merge with the Franklin-based Horace Mann Educational Associates, Inc. and Lawrence-based Family Continuity to form an entity serving more than 40,000 individuals in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. e merger will not result in the elimination or reduction of any services provided by the three orga- nizations, according to a press release issued by Advocates on June 17. HMEA and Family Continuity were already affiliate agencies of Advocates. Advocates provides a broad range of services for individuals impacted by addiction, aging, autism, brain injuries, intellectual or developmental disabili- ties, and other mental health challeng- es. e new unified entity will employ more than 2,500 staff. HMEA serves more than 110 communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and operates e Darnell School, an education institution for people with developmental disabilities in Hudson. Family Continuity provides mental health and substance use services in Eastern and Central Massachusetts. e organization has home-based family support services offices and outpatient behavioral health clinics in Whitinsville and Worcester. Advocates had $68.9 million in total assets in 2022, making the organiza- tion the fourth largest human services nonprofit in Central Massachusetts, according to the WBJ Research De- partment. HMEA had $28.6 million in assets in 2022, while Family Continuity had $4.6 million in assets, according to nonprofit financial tracking service GuideStar. Continued from previous page Ban cooperation with WuXi The BIOSECURE Act, a bipartisan piece of federal legislation under consideration by Congress, seeks to cut off federal funding for biotech companies with close ties to governments considered to be foreign adversaries, including China. The legislation would require American companies to terminate any outsourcing agreements or equipment contracts with foreign companies deemed to be security risks. The most recent version of the legislation specifically targets five entities, including WuXi Biologics, a Chinese company constructing a $300-million, 189,500-square-foot biomanufacturing facility in Worcester expected to be operational in 2025. When polled online, more than two-thirds of WBJ readers said such a ban against WuXi and other China-based firms should proceed. Should the U.S. government ban federal funding and American cooperation with WuXi Biologics and other biotech companies who allegedly have close ties to foreign adversaries? Yes. Companies with ties to foreign adversaries represent a grave national security threat, and we can't afford to take risks. 45% Yes. However, the legislation should take steps to minimize the disruption these bans will have on American companies. 24% No. We need specific proof of nefarious actions by firms before taking any action negatively impacting the life science sector. 23% No. We need global cooperation to find cures and treatments for cancer and other devastating diseases. 9% W