Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal • June 22, 2015 www.wbjournal.com NATICK — Cognex Corp. is selling one of its divisions to a Pennsylvania firm for $160 million, the maker of machine sensors and barcode readers said. The all-cash deal with Ametek Inc. of Berwyn, Pa., for Cognex's surface inspection systems division, or SISD, is subject to regulatory approval and the customary closing conditions, Cognex said in a statement. Company officials said SISD is profitable but doesn't fit Cognex's long-term objectives and business model. "With this sale, we can focus all of our efforts on discrete manufacturing where we see continued strong growth for our vision and ID products," Cognex President and CEO Robert J. Willett said. WEBSTER — Webster Five Cents Savings Bank has asked for the state's approval to move its downtown Worcester branch around the corner from Commercial Street to the former Mechanics Bank tower on Front Street, the bank announced. The bank plans to open the office, at 100 Front St., in early September should the state banking commissioner allow the move. The Front Street space, nearly 2,800 square feet, will provide a larger lobby, new offices and a conference room, the bank said. MARLBOROUGH — IT services firm Versatile Communications has acquired a New Hampshire company that specialized in Microsoft's SharePoint platform, which assists team-based collaboration among businesses. In a statement, Versatile said it has acquired Kiiro Software, based in Amherst, N.H. Kiiro also focuses on business intelligence applications and application development services that Versatile believes will help its clients transition some or all of their information technology assets to cloud-based environments. Kiiro's founder and CEO, Jeff Forsyth, becomes Versatile's vice president and general manager of its application services division. SHREWSBURY/SOUTHBRIDGE — Two printer management companies have become one, they announced. Expert Laser Services Inc., based in Southbridge, and Page After Page Inc. of Shrewsbury each has more than 25 years of experience covering laser printers and managing customers' printers, they said in a statement. "The combining of our resources allows us to provide solutions for maximizing the print environment of every business in central New England," said Michael L. Carpentier, president at Expert Laser Services. "We have more tools in our toolbox now." HOLLISTON — Clinical research company Veristat has opened an office that will house the company's West Coast operations. Veristat, which is expected to move its headquarters from Holliston to Southborough later this year, said the new office, in San Bruno, Calif., will provide a full range of clinical services to clients that are developing therapies in all areas of biotechnolog y, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices. Veristat's service offerings include biostatistics, statistical programming, medical writing, clinical monitoring and data management. WORCESTER — YOU Inc. has tapped longtime local leader David P. Forsberg to head the human services agency while it searches for a new CEO. Forsberg succeeds Beth Folcarelli, who led the multi-program nonprofit for three years, succeeding founder Maurice J. Boisvert. Forsberg will head a staff of more than 600 human service, health care and administrative professionals at nearly two dozen Central Massachusetts locations. YOU Inc. will conduct a nationwide search for a permanent chief executive officer over the course of the next year. WORCESTER — Alumnus John E. Luth and his wife, Dr. Joanne Chouinard-Luth, have donated $32.5 million to the College of the Holy Cross, the school announced. The gift is the largest single donation in the school's history. Luth is a 1974 graduate and a Missouri native. He is founder, CEO and chairman of Seabury Group, a global advisory and investment firm. Some $7.5 million is slated to help revamp the school's aging Field House. The donation was timed to take part in the college's fundraising campaign to renovate both the Field House and the Hart Recreation Center. An anonymous donor gave $15 million and said an additional $5 million would be given if $60 million were raised by September. The Luths' $7.5 million brings the gifts and pledges for the two projects to $59.5 million, the college said. The Hart Center renovation, estimated at $87 million, could begin in spring 2016, the college said. LEOMINSTER — Leominster-based manufacturer PFERD Inc. plans to consolidate its staff and operations at its Wisconsin facility, BizTimes of Milwaukee reported. The move to Milwaukee will be completed by the early third quarter, and then the Leominster location will close, BizTimes reported. The story says that, according to PFERD president REGIONAL BRIEFS >> Continued on next page Verbatim "We require every other vehicle out there to have some level of seat belts and some level of restraints. This is our most precious commodity, our kids." State Rep. Harold Naughton, Democrat of Clinton, on proposals that would add seat belts to school buses. Source: State House News Service, June 12 "I want to person- ally apologize to the artists who put so much into their works, to beautify Elm Park and inspire others." Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, in a statement after vandals damaged several works in Elm Park from the Arts in the Park program. Source: City of Worcester, June 14 >> "I'm just navigating my way at about 2 miles an hour … and this curb ap- pears out of nowhere while I'm focused on the motorcycle. And the bike just freezes." Secretary of State John Kerry, describing the bike accident in France that left him with a broken leg. Source: The Boston Globe, June 14 >> CENTRALMASS In Review >> State transportation officials this month said it's going to take about $3 billion in fiscal year 2016 to keep Massachusetts up to speed with repairs, mainte- nance and upgrades. The spending proposal for the fiscal year, which begins July 1, combines capital investment plans (CIPs) for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). A CIP is separate from an operating budget, which covers such costs as salaries and buildings. Many businesses and business organizations place a high value on investments in transportation infra- structure and public transit to help ease the daily flow of both goods and employees. How will the $3 billion be divided? Roughly $2 billion would go toward MassDOT projects, $1 billion for the MBTA. What's in the MassDOT piece? There are projects throughout the commonwealth. The list includes $10.8 million for ongoing work to widen the Burns Bridge over Lake Quinsigamond, and myriad smaller projects. Among those are reconstruc- tion and improvements on the Route 12/20 overlap in Auburn and Oxford, work on the North Central Multiuse Pathway in Winchendon, and a bridge replacement over Monoosnoc Brook in Leominster. With many projects having spent years in the line- up, there are few surprises in the state's annual trans- portation budget. The vast majority of the MassDOT spending is for existing contracts and to maintain assets, the agency says. Highway and bridge work take up the lion's share of the funding, but money would also be allocated for bus fleets, trains and smaller air- ports. The plan also includes $500,000 for electric- vehicle plug-in charging stations around the state. What's in the MBTA budget? The MBTA is the fifth-largest transit system in the U.S. — and perhaps the most maligned, after last win- ter exposed serious shortcomings in equipment and management. In addition to funds for projects that have been in the works for a while, such as the Fitchburg commuter rail line extension, $83.7 million is designated for les- son-learned "winter resiliency" repairs and upgrades. For instance, $12.7 million will upgrade Red and Orange line tracks, including heaters for the third rails. The plan calls for $235 million for commuter rail operations, which includes track, signal and commu- nication improvements on the Worcester and Fitchburg lines. How can citizens help guide the decisions? A public comment session will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 tonight (June 22) at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission office inside Union Station (2 Washington Sq.), in Worcester. n BRIEFING: TRANSPORTATION SPENDING

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