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Worcester Business Journal www.wbjournal.com 2014 Economic Forecast 11 Top 5 Stories of 2013 2014 I n most cases, businesses take stock of the 12 months past and what they can do better and look forward to in the 12 months that lay ahead. In that spirit, here's our take on what we consider to be the top five business stories of 2013 in Central Massachusetts. As we were deliberating over these, we unanimously agreed on the top story; the rest of this list was open to debate, but the impact of each event was clear. A Year Of Departures, Arrivals & Denials Our list of the top business stories of 2013 begins with a politician's career change and financial challenges at the region's largest employer By rick saia Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer A bout two years ago, Tim Murray had been seen by many as the next governor of Massachusetts. But after a controversial automobile crash on Interstate 190, along with his polit- ical ties to disgraced former Chelsea Housing Authority Executive Director Michael McLaughlin, Murray took himself out of the 2014 race for gover- nor in January. (Murray said he never asked McLaughlin to solicit campaign funds, but accepted responsibility for failing to properly oversee and moni- tor fundraising activity. He paid a $10,000 fine; his campaign paid an additional $70,000 to the state.) Four months later, Murray took himself out of politics, resigning as lieutenant governor to return home as president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, suc- ceeding the retiring Richard Kennedy. In less than seven months, the for- mer Worcester mayor has emerged as a high-profile advocate for business interests in and around the city. Within weeks of his arrival, Murray launched a business development fund, raising close to its $1.2-million goal in less than three months. The chamber also called on the city to support a state program that gives tax incentives to developers who renovate old buildings into housing, arguing the program would boost business. With City Manager Michael O'Brien and Chief Development Officer Tim McGourthy about to leave City Hall for other jobs, Murray will open 2014 as the most prominent business advo- cate in and around the city. n H ealth care reform is putting pressure on the organiza- tions that provide care, and UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest employer in Central Massachusetts, felt that pressure in 2013, ending its fiscal year with a $57-mil- lion operating loss, which led to layoffs earlier this month of some 40 non-medical staff within the three-campus medical center in Worcester — with more to come. On the clinical side, though, UMass said during the summer that it was looking to hire about 80 full-time- equivalent nurses into early 2014, to meet its contact obli- gations with nurses within the medical center system. This followed a year of sparring with the nurses' union over staffing, which came within hours of a one-day walkout by nurses in May before nurses and management reached agreement on a new, three-year labor contract. n Tim Murray resigns as lieutenant governor to become head of the Worcester Regional chamber. UMass Memorial Health Care begins layoffs following a $57-million operating loss, months after nurses almost go out on strike. In February, Dr. Eric Dickson became CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care. Milford puts the "no" in casino; Leominster awaits answer on slots parlor proposal. T racking the movements of casino developers around Massachusetts in 2013 was like watching the path of a die on a craps table. Cordish Cos. of Baltimore found a willing partner in Leominster after three other communities — including Boxborough — said no to siting a slots parlor. And Mass Gaming and Entertainment, which also sought the lone slots license authorized under the state's 2011 gambling-expansion law, came up empty after it couldn't reach a host community agreement with Worcester, then pulled out after facing probable defeat at the ballot box in Millbury. Meanwhile, the owners of the Foxwoods resort casino in Connecticut took over the resort casino proposal for Milford from David Nunes's Crossroads Massachusetts, but came up empty in November when voters in that town resoundingly rejected the $1-billion proposal. That, plus an earlier vote in Palmer that narrowly rejected a proposal by the owners of Mohegan Sun, closed the door to the possibility of a resort casino in or near Central Massachusetts. The Leominster proposal is competing against others from Plainville and Raynham for the slots license. The winner is expected to be announced within weeks. n An artist's rendering of the proposed Milford casino, which voters rejected in November. >> Continued On Page 44