Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 2, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 5 B R I E F S Staples lays off 177 after new owner takes over Staples laid off 177 workers in January who are eligible for financial benefits because their jobs were deemed lost because of increased imports, according to a legal notice. The layoffs came about four months after the Framingham office retailer was taken private in a $6.9-billion sale. It is now part of Sycamore Partners, a New York City private equity company taking a contrarian bet on retail at a time when the industry has struggled. Those who were laid off supplied internal information-technology data, according to a U.S. Department of Labor ruling. Mark Cautela, the direc- tor of corporate communications at Staples, said the company would not comment on the layoffs. The layoffs appear to have taken place under the radar. Staples apparent- ly has not filed a notice to the state of the layoffs through a legal requirement called the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act. Staples is not listed among companies who triggered a response from job retaining officials on the state's website, and the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development confirmed it hadn't received such a notice. The WARN Act has complex guidelines for when com- panies are required to file notices. Sycamore also owns Hot Topic, Coldwater Creek and Nine West. Balancing risk management and your bottom line takes focus. Risk Strategies expertise makes it easy for organizations and individuals to cost- effectively protect assets, offer quality employee benefits and minimize liability. Connect today and learn more. www.RiskStrategies.com Craft brewery market getting oversaturated Medusa Brewing Co. in Hudson is planning to expand with a 10,000-square-foot production brewery, Wormtown Brewery is wrapping up an expansion, and Greater Good Imperial Brewing Co. just opened its first taproom in Worcester. According to the Mass. Brewers Guild, there are now 154 commercial breweries in the state, including 39 opened last year, and 104 have taprooms. When polled online, WBJ readers said the craft beer industry is nearing a critical mass. F L A S H P O L L Is the craft beer market in Massachusetts becoming oversaturated? No. You must be kidding. There's no such thing as too much beer. 20% "As in any major industry expansion (automobiles, computers, oil and gas) there will be winners and losers in the craft beer movement. Brand differentiation and ability to scale your product to increase market penetration will be key to the success of some while others will carve out a local niche for their product. It will make for an interesting case study in the future, no doubt." COMMENTS: Continued on next page Not yet. But the market growth rate is slowing, and the poorly positioned breweries will fall by the wayside. 51% Yes. Their major competition is no longer major brewers like Anheuser Busch, but other craft breweries. 29% Sandy Douglas will take over for departed Staples CEO Shira Goodman on April 2.

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