Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 2, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 7 800-939-9103 cornerstonebank.com Member FDIC | Member DIF Scan the QR code to learn more. More Than Half of Businesses in the U.S. Reported Fraud in the Past Two Years We Can Help with Positive Pay Positive Pay is the leading fraud-prevention solution designed to help protect your business against altered, forged, or counterfeit checks and ACH debits clearing your account—with the convenience of reviewing and acting on decision items right from online banking or the mobile app. So far this year, we've protected our business customers from over $100,000 in fraudulent transactions, and we're just getting started. $6.9 billion Value of entity to be formed when Hometown Financial Group, the holding company of Oxford-based bankHometown, acquires CFSB Bancorp, the holding company of Quincy-based Colonial Federal Savings Bank Source: Hometown Financial Group and CFSB Bancorp July 17 Date the last article was published to The Leominster Champion's website, as the newspaper shuttered that same month after operating since 2006 Source: CherryRoad Media 4.8% Unemployment rate in Greater Worcester in April, representing a 0.3-percentage-point drop from March Source: Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Purchase price from an unsolicited offer Akoya Biosciences received to buy out the Marborough-based company, as it goes through merger proceedings with Billerica-based Quanterix Source: U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission $70 million $1.4 million Purchase price Marlborough-based ConnectM Technology Solutions paid in May to acquire Cambridge Energy Resources, an India-based clean energy company Source: ConnectM Technology Solutions 460 Homes sold in Worcester County in April, a 5.7% increase from in April 2024 Source: The Warren Group Three New fast casual restaurants opening at Shoppers World on the border of Framingham and Natick, including Atlantic Poké, Playa Bowls, and Sweetgreen Source: The Warren Group Webster location of the new 37,024-square-foot Ocean State Job Lot opened in May Source: Ocean State Job Lot 116 East Main St. "Given Arch's current lack of suffi- cient funding to sustain its operations independently, a Chapter 11 sale rep- resents the optimal and likely only via- ble path to preserving and maximizing the value of the estate for the benefit of creditors and stakeholders," Norchi wrote in the bankruptcy filing. Nativity School of Worcester gifted $3M Nativity School of Worcester has received its second $3-million dollar gi in two years, this time, from an anonymous, long-term supporter of the private Jesuit middle school. "anks to the incredible gi from a dedicated supporter of our community, we'll be able to ensure that our students continue to receive a transformative education for years to come. is gi will help us further empower young men and women to reach their full potential and make a lasting, positive impact on the world," Nativity Presi- dent Tom McKenney said in a May 14 press release. In addition to the $3 million cam- paign gi, the donor conferred with Nativity Worcester to re-name the institution's boys' school as Chick Weiss Boys Division, in honor of Chick Weiss, co-founder and trustee of Nativity Worcester. Apart from his work at the mid- dle school, Weiss is recognized as an associate pro- fessor emeritus at the College of the Holy Cross aer spending a 41- year tenure with the Worcester school as a psychology department faculty member and key administrator. "I was moved to tears to learn that the Boys Division of Nativity School of Worcester will be named for me… While I have been singled out for this honor, I am well aware that there have been so many others who dedicated their efforts and generosity to starting and sustaining this place where mira- cles happen every day for our middle school boys and girls," Weiss said. Continued from previous page Chick Weiss, co- founder of Nativity School of Worcester W

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