Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 8, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 13 B E S T P R O F E S S I O N A L S E R V I C E S F O C U S BEST ARCHITECTURAL FIRM Lamoureux Pagano & Associates Worcester, lamoureuxpagano.com Top executive: President Katie Crockett Founded: 1970 Employees: 18 Notable runner-up: Cutler Associates, Inc. Lamoureux Pagano tackles com- plex projects close to home BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor C ertain architecture firms spe- cialize in a project type so specialized – like a casino or power plants – their work can take them all over the country. Lamoureux Pagano has decided instead it would build the best projects it could in and around its longtime home city of Worcester. The firm has done work ranging from historical preservation at the Hanover Theatre and Mechanics Hall to the Worcester Technical High School and the College of the Holy Cross' Contemplative Center in West Boylston, which looks like a contempo- rary ski lodge. "We've chosen to stay in our home base as much as we can," said Katie Crockett, who took over as the firm's president at the start of January, replac- ing the retiring Mike Pagano. A focus on earth-conscious projects isn't new to Lamoureux Pagano. The firm opened in 1970, just before the oil crisis caused a shortage in gasoline and spurred people to think of the environ- ment like they hadn't before. "That's embedded in our approach to design, where appropriate, ever since," Crockett said. Being green in design today more often means using local or recycled materials, planting drought-resistant plants and installing low-flow fixtures. For Nelson Place Elementary School, Lamoureux Pagano added extra insula- tion on walls and windows and covered the roof in solar panels. The school was designed to create as much energy as it uses, which would be Lamoureux Pagano's first energy-neu- tral project. Last year, Lamoureux Pagano finished a 32,000-square-foot addition to Shrewsbury Public Library, with a design balancing operational and aes- thetic needs. As with just about any other public project, funding was tight. Still, the firm came in at $2 million under the project's $23-million budget. "We needed to provide ample space and functionality with a beautiful build- ing that would be accepted and admired by the community," said Ellen Dolan, the library director. "We hear comments about what an amazing transition it is from old to new." A modern wing sits directly behind the original 1903 building, with similar yellow-brick exteriors but a newer look that doesn't try copying the original. "I was concerned about functionality," Dolan said, "and they accomplished more than I could imagine." One of the largest projects Lamoureax Pagano has undertaken is coming up next. The firm is designing a new $215-million, 360,000-square-foot South High Community School in Worcester, with construction slated to start later this year. BEST BANK UniBank* Whitinsville, www.unibank.com Top executive: Sam S. Pepper, Jr., presi- dent & CEO Founded: 1870 Employees: 280 UniBank – which focuses on fast and local decision making, convenient locations and a personalized approach – is on the cut- ting edge of new technology, with its inter- active teller machine now available at its Shrewsbury branch. The bank offers its Invest Worcester program, which keeps deposited money in the city to advance small business development and home ownership. Notable runners-up: Commerce Bank, Cornerstone Bank BEST CREDIT UNION DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union* Marlborough, www.dcu.org Top executive: Jim Regan, president & CEO Founded: 1979 Employees: 1,245 DCU is researches and implements the latest banking technology to better serve its members to help them manage their finances DCU's financial products, servic- es, and resources are designed to help them achieve their financial goals. Notable runners-up: Leominster Credit Union, Central One Federal Credit Union BEST BUSINESS INSURANCE AGENCY Sullivan Insurance Group* Worcester, www.sullivangroup.com Top executive: John T. Andreoli, president & CEO Founded: 1957 Employees: 50 Sullivan strives to set itself apart from the competition with its technical capabilities, attention to detail, business model, and commitment to independence and by pro- W Lamoureux principals (from left) Rick Lamoreux, Jr., Rob Para, Jr., Katie Crockett and Eric Moore UniBank's (back row, from left) Sean O'Connell, Marina Taylor, (front row, from left) Sam S. Pepper, Jr. and Bernard Gagnon

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