Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal • February 2, 2015 www.wbjournal.com L et the games about the Games begin! Now that the U.S. Olympic Committee has endorsed Boston's bid to host the 2024 Summer Games, strap yourself in for two years of jockeying and posturing before the International Olympic Committee selects the host city. The result will be either euphoria coupled with the angst of facing seven years of preparation, or disappointment at what might have been: two weeks on the world stage and a poten- tially longer-lasting economic windfall. But the next two years could pose an even tougher hurdle for the Boston organizers than the training and preparation for the thousands of the world's best ath- letes who face off in summer every four years. What are the potential roadblocks to a Boston Olympics? Let's put them in three categories: logistical, fiscal and political. What are the potential logistical roadblocks? The Boston organizers, in their bid for the city to become the U.S. representative, suggested that nearly all events can be held inside the Route 128 belt. Previous Games — including London's in 2012 — held events well beyond their core cities and spread the economic benefits. And two of the state's top political leaders — Senate President Stanley Rosenberg and House Speaker Robert DeLeo — have argued for including the rest of the Bay State. What about the fiscal roadblocks? Boston 2024, the nonprofit that has been backing the city's bid, said hosting the Games would cost $4.7 billion, and would be funded by ticket sales, sponsor- ships and broadcast revenues. But Boston 2024 President Dan O'Connell said the state could fund "infrastructure investments" while federal taxpayers would foot security costs. However, a group that has organized to oppose the Boston bid has pegged the total Olympics budget at $14.3 billion. "The thing that concerns me the most is the finances," said State Rep. Michael Moran, D-Brighton. If there is public investment, it "must not come at the expense of the rest of Massachusetts," Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President Timothy Murray said in a statement right after Boston won the U.S. bid. "It is critical to Central Massachusetts and the other regional economies across the common- wealth that strategic state investments continue." And the political roadblocks? Those may be in the "construction" phase. The opposition group, No Boston Olympics, is building its argument around finances. Also, the head of the new United Independent Party, 2014 gubernatorial candi- date Evan Falchuk, is working on a binding statewide referendum that would put the decision of whether Boston should host the 2024 Games into the hands of the commonwealth's voters. n (Material from State House News Service was used in this report.) MILFORD — Milford-based labora- tory instrument manufacturer Waters Corp. reported a 3-percent bump in sales for the fourth quarter and a 6.8-percent increase in net income as the company cited organic sales growth and demand from pharmaceu- tical companies for its products. Waters reported sales of $584 million, an increase of $19 million over the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the company's net income, $151 million, or $1.82 per share, rose from $141 million, or $1.67 a share. For the full year, Waters took in $1.99 billion in sales, up 4 percent from $1.9 billion last year. Separately, Waters announced it has opened a laboratory in Beijing in conjunction with the Chinese Pharmacopeia Commission (ChP). WORCESTER — Temp Air Inc., which makes and installs temporary HVAC systems, has moved its Massachusetts operations from Marlborough to Worcester. The Minnesota-based company has moved its only Bay State location to 270 Southwest Cutoff, according to a release from O'Brien Commercial Properties Inc., which helped broker the lease deal. Temp Air manufactures and installs temporary HVAC systems for commercial, industrial and emer- gency applications. The company has signed a long-term lease for the entire 13,920-square-foot building in Worcester. WORCESTER — Continuing its efforts to retain young professionals and help launch new businesses, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce has launched an initiative aimed at helping college graduates who want to be entrepreneurs to jump-start their ideas and stay in Central Massachusetts. The new ini- tiative, StartUp Worcester, will award 12 individuals who have innovative business plans with the resources, space and support to develop their ideas and take them to market. The chamber will be working with Running Start and The Venture Forum, both Worcester-based organizations. MARLBOROUGH — Qualtre of Marlborough, a manufacturer of acoustic wave motion sensors, has signed a sales agreement with a Tokyo firm that will help expand Qualtre's market, the company announced. The agreement with Alps Electric will enable it to market and sell Qualtre's gyroscope products. The two compa- nies already have manufacturing and strategic partnerships, Qualtre said. "Channel partnerships such as this one are a key component in our growth strategy," said Edgar Masri, Qualtre's president and CEO, in a statement. WORCESTER — The head of Rotmans Furniture has launched a Boston-based distribution company that aims to sell eco-friendly materials and components for the home fur- nishings, apparel and other markets. Steve Rotman, president and CEO of Rotmans, said the new firm, Nature's Home Solutions, will look for "certi- fied sustainable, high quality, durable materials and materials technologies" that will be both allergy- and eco- friendly. Tomas Eisenberg, the found- er of Global Bedding Connections, a bedding consulting firm, will oversee Nature's Home Solutions. SHREWSBURY — The future of the waterfront restaurant Buca di Beppo is unknown after the restaurant closed its doors Jan. 19. It will be "temporar- ily closed," according to a letter sent to the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen by Marjorie Untalan, licensing manager for Planet Hollywood International. The letter continues: "We are deter- mining business options for this loca- tion." Planet Hollywood International is the parent of Buca Inc., which owns the restaurant chain. The location had previously been a Vinny T's, also owned by Buca Inc. Planet Hollywood purchased the Buca chain in 2008. PAXTON — Anna Maria College will offer a new master's degree program in health emergency management, citing a high demand for the skills to respond to both natural and man-made disas- ters. The program, which will begin in March, is being conducted with the help of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which runs a fellow- ship in disaster medicine. Anna Maria says the program is the first of its kind, providing health professionals with the leadership, organizational and communications skills to take on "ele- vated roles" during health emergen- cies and disaster events. WESTBOROUGH — The Training Associates of Westborough will remain in the family, with Maria Melfa being named CEO, succeeding her father, Vic Melfa. Mr. Melfa will remain with TTA as board chairman, the company announced. President since 2007, Maria Melfa has been driv- ing day-to-day functions including sales, marketing, accounting, opera- tions and recruiting. The Training Associates connects technology and business-skills instructors to organiza- tions that provide training, such as training and outsourcing firms, soft- ware and hardware firms, service pro- viders and universities. REGIONAL BRIEFS >> Continued on next page Verbatim "… We will be in every community in Boston — and in every region of the state — to get the thoughts and input of the public on what a 2024 Games would look like and the kind of legacy it could and should leave for Massachusetts." Former transportation secretary Richard Davey, upon being named chief executive of Boston 2024, the nonprofit Olympic planning group. Source: The Boston Globe, Jan. 23 >> "People will survive without their seltzer for a day. Maybe." Christopher Crowley, executive vice president of Polar Beverages, of the decision to temporarily shutter production during last week's blizzard. Source: Telegram & Gazette, Jan. 26 >> "l am grateful and humbled by Senate President Rosenberg's confi- dence in my ability to help him move the commonwealth ahead …" Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, on being named Senate majority leader. Source: MassLive.com, Jan. 21 >> BRIEFING: OLYMPICS AND POLITICS CENTRALMASS In Review

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