Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 16, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 5 B R I E FS Optum officially purchases Reliant for $28M Reliant Medical Group is now official- ly part of the international healthcare company Optum, with the $28-million deal receiving necessary state approvals in Massa- chusetts. Reliant Med- ical Group and Southboro Medical Group will both keep their names, and the company said physicians, staff and management will be unchanged as a result of the deal. e deal was first reported by Worces- ter Business Journal last April, with Reli- ant doctors approving the deal in May. Optum is spending $28.35 million to acquire Reliant. Reliant, which was founded in 1929, and Southboro Medi- cal Group, which started in 1972, have a combined 320,000 patients. Electric supplier reform is needed Since late March, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has called for the closure of the competitive electric supply industry, saying ratepayers who make the switch end up paying more money and businesses unfairly target minorities and low-income ratepayers. e state Legislature is now planning oversight hearings to investigate companies cited by Healey. When polled online, WBJ readers said the industry needs to be more heavily regulated, not closed. F L AS H P O L L "It's a real hassle to get people soliciting for the different companies all the time. Very bothersome, sometimes as many as two per week." COMMENTS: Should the competitive electricity supply industry be shut down in Massachusetts? Allegro leaving Worcester after 53 years Allegro MicroSystems will leave its longtime Worcester home for a new facility in Marlborough this summer. Allegro has been in Worcester since it was founded as Sprague Electric in 1965. e maker of computer circuits will leave its facility at 115 Northeast Cutoff in Worcester for a new facility at 100 Crowley Drive in Marlborough. e Marlborough facility is being customized to the company's needs, and includes amenities like onsite food service, a fitness center and adjacent walking trails. e site's location just off Route 85 near I-290 and I-495 makes it attractive to employees and customers. Allegro's Worcester facility is large, at 207,000 square feet. e facility was built in 1975 and is owned by Allegro. e four-story Marlborough facility was built in 2009 and includes about 100,000 square feet. Yes. The benefits are negligible and to fix the industry would require too much oversight. 21% Continued on next page Historic Setting. Modern Amenities. New England Hospitality! CORPORATE EVENTS • CELEBRATIONS • SPECIAL OCCASIONS ASK ABOUT OUR SPECIAL PACKAGES Old Sturbridge Inn & Reeder Family Lodges Located at the crossroads of MA I-90 and CT I-84, the renovated 29-room Reeder Family Lodges and historic 10-room Oliver Wight House provide spacious rooms with curbside parking and private entryways. The Lodges offer the perfect escape for families, tourists and business travelers looking for award-winning accommodations to base a New England visit. 508-347-5056 • www.osv.org/inn "The average consumer needs more information between the supplier and the delivery charges. Some companies appear to be offering a discount, but it's a smoke screen." "Competition improves quality and drives down prices. It would be a mistake to discourage competition. Rather, it needs to be managed and have some oversight." No. But major reform is needed to eliminate shady practices. 49% No. Suppliers offer significant savings if you know what you are doing. 30% Tarek Elsawy, CEO, Reliant Medical Group

• Cover