Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com July 20, 2015 • Worcester Business Journal 7 not pursue a cost and market review of the medical center's plan to buy a nearly 19-percent ownership share in the subsidiary, Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC. That essentially clears the way for the Worcester-based hospital, part of UMass Memorial Health Care, to make the deal, he said. Documents filed with the commission in May said the deal would allow the medical center to nominate one of the subsidiary's five directors. A separate statement from UMass Memorial at the time said the organization expect- ed the transaction to be completed this summer. The Quest subsidiary con- ducts "substantially all" of the clinical diagnostics testing for the hospital, the document filed by UMass Memorial said. Single -family homes put under agreement in June were up 37 percent over June 2014, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. It was the 27th time in the last 28 months that pending sales were higher than they were a year earlier. There were 7,316 pending single-family home sales this June, compared with 5,349 in June 2014. Meanwhile, the median price was $375,000, up almost 3 percent from $364,900 in June 2014. A new poll is showing lackluster sup- port for a Boston Olympics bid. A WBUR poll showed 42 percent of those surveyed statewide support hosting the games in the Boston area, with 50 per- cent opposed. That's barely up from the 39-49 split in June. "It doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of movement right now" on public support, said Steve Koczela, with The MassINC Polling Group, which conducted the survey for WBUR. Richard Davey, CEO of the local Olympic organizing group Boston 2024, told WBUR that it's "fair to say that we've got some work to do." But, he added, "I think it has moved a bit and we've got time to continue to get our message out," WBUR reported. (State House News Service) After peaking in March, confidence among Massachusetts business leaders slipped for the fourth straight month in June, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). The organization's Business Confidence Index lost a point, falling from 57.3 in May to 56.3. (A reading above 50 on the 1-to-100 scale repre- sents more confidence.). The index reached 60.2 in March, a 10-year high. As 2015 so far has shown, confidence and the economy do not always move in lockstep, Raymond G. Torto, chair- man of AIM's Board of Economic Advisors said in a statement. "The first quarter of 2015 was a very weak one for the economy, but a strong one for the AIM Index, which gained each month; whereas the second quarter, though much better in terms of economic growth, has seen three monthly losses," he said. Massachusetts is experiencing its stron- gest economic expansion since the late 1990s, but growth remains concen- trated in the Greater Boston region, and inadequate housing production is causing home prices to rise and exacer- bating long-standing cost-of-living challenges, according to economists. The conclusions represent a summary of the views of members of the MassBenchmarks Editorial Board, which held its quarterly meeting June 25 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Board members include offi- cials from the Federal Reserve, State Street Bank, the University of Massachusetts and some private uni- versities in the Bay State. (State House News Service) n REGIONAL BRIEFS >> Continued from Page 5 Your business needs aren't small. Luckily, our business team isn't either. Whether you're just starting out, looking to refinance, or simply wanting to get more from your business banking partners, our commercial banking team is here to help. With specialists in every area of commercial banking – from business loans to cash management to credit and everything in between – we have the knowledge, expertise and commitment to help you grow your business. And with local decisions made right in Worcester, business banking has never been simpler or more convenient. Talk to us today. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender 866.959.BANK bankatunited.com BANKING THAT'S ALL ABOUT ONE BUSINESS: YOURS. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y Westborough-based nonprofit 15-40 Connection is partnering with Peter Pan Bus Lines to promote early cancer detection. A "wrapped" bus, introduced recently at Union Station in Worcester, poses the question "Would you recognize a cancer symptom?" The bus is being used on bus routes across the Northeast, 15-40 said in a statement. The outside of the bus features photos and stories of young adult cancer survivors, including the two men pictured here: Dave McGrath, left, and Rich Carr.

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