Jim Sabatino, one of the spinning instructors at Expert Fitness

WESTFIELD – Upon setting foot in Expert Fitness’ East Main Street location, one will now come across a new arsenal of state -of-the-art equipment aimed at improving the health and fitness of all Whip City residents, athlete and average Joe alike.
Through an exclusive deal with Performance IQ, a fitness software company based out of Chicago, Expert Fitness has implemented PIQ programing into several recently purchased Schwinn AC Sport Performance bicycles, a move which has employees and clients of the club’s spinning classes excited.
“The bikes are a lot smoother and use magnetic resistance rather than brake pads,” said Jim Sabatino, one of seven spinning instructors on the Expert Fitness roster, “(the software) is better to monitor progress and target improvement.”
According to the Performance IQ website, the software is capable of using several display modes, including an individual mode that enables riders to compete against one another based on total energy output, a sprint mode modeled after the individual mode where riders compete for a shorter amount of time, and a heart rate mode which tracks heart rate based on the rider’s maximum heart rate.

Schwinn AC Sport Performance bicycle

These modes are what Dina Lancour, a fitness coordinator at Expert Fitness, believes will take the club to the next level.
“(The improved technology) will be able to bring in non-members and athletes alike,” the Feeding Hills native said, “People training for the Rugged Maniac and triathlons, or people who are just looking to lose weight and improve their health, this software and these machines are for everyone.”
Lancour also cited increased class sizes as evidence that local fitness enthusiasts are receiving this improved technology quite well.
“We’re getting lots of non-members coming in now,” she said, referencing the club’s client-friendly fee-based policy.
Regarding Expert’s exclusive deal with PIQ, Lancour said that this is a sign of the times in the fitness industry.
“Any health club wants to improve their technology,” she said, “15 years ago, if you wanted a spinning bike, you had to get a Schwinn. Now everyone makes them.”
As a testament to Expert’s faith in the new systems, Lancour mentioned her fellow staff members at the club, including Sabatino, as well as Julie and Nabil Hannoush, the club’s owners, praising their enthusiasm over the PIQ/ Schwinn AC combination.
Sabatino, who estimates he gets between 18-20 people participating in each of his classes, believes that the technology “goes beyond the standard spinning class.”
“Anytime you can give people feedback on their heart rate, calories burned, that’s great.” he said, mentioning local athletic squads who are set to conduct some of their off-season training regimens at Expert Fitness.
However, if one is looking for a fitness club catering to strictly the athletes among us, they won’t find such a facility at Expert, as the club is dedicated to all patrons, said Lancour.
“De-conditioned people are able to use these machines and this program for weight loss and just improving their general health, she said, “Even people who are just looking to get a different work out can find it here. For example, a runner who takes a spinning class will notice an incredible difference, for it’s going to use lots of muscles you don’t use when running.”
If recent increases in spinning class enrollment are any indication, Whip City residents will start running in droves to bike at Expert Fitness.

The post Expert Fitness improving technology, health appeared first on The Westfield News.

LT. GOVERNOR TIM MURRAY

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray this week participated in EASTEC, the largest annual manufacturing event in the Northeast, and highlighted how the advanced manufacturing industry is growing in western Massachusetts by embracing innovation and creating strong workforce development ties.
“Advanced manufacturing in western Massachusetts and throughout the Commonwealth has embraced new technology and workforce training initiatives, building a stronger industry than it was before the Great Recession,” said Murray. “At EASTEC, companies from up and down the East Coast can see and hear first-hand how advanced manufacturing has been able to innovate and become a key part of our economy.”
EASTEC is an annual event being held this year at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. Organizers anticipate 14,000 attendees and more than 500 exhibitors at the conference. The conference includes tours of manufacturing facilities, like B&E Precision Aircraft Components in Southwick, and a focus on the importance of workplace development as a key driver for future growth in the industry.
During today’s conference, Lieutenant Governor Murray met with manufacturers who are exhibiting at EASTEC in the Manufacturing Brilliance Theater and discussed issues related to workforce development, the manufacturing skills gap and the administration’s support of the industry. The conference includes a keynote presentation, “Challenges and Solutions for a Qualified Workforce Pipeline” that will include a panel of officials and industry leaders moderated by Edward Leyden, the President of Massachusetts-based Ben Franklin Design & Manufacturing. The panel will include Housing and Economic Development Assistant Secretary for Innovation Policy Eric Nakajima and representatives from Westfield Vocational-Technical High School and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County.
The Patrick administration has been committed to supporting the growth of advanced manufacturing in Massachusetts, an industry that is expected to fill 100,000 jobs in the next decade and offers good jobs and careers in a sector with an average annual salary of $75,000.
In western Massachusetts, the Patrick administration has supported the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project which helps veterans, Gateway City residents and others learn the skills they need to thrive in manufacturing. The administration’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget recommendation includes funding for similar programs in other regions of the state, along with funding for small-to-medium enterprise lending and competitive grants to facilitate growth and competitiveness.
The administration is also committed to improving the workforce pipeline between workers, training institutions and the industry. Regional programs in central and northeastern Massachusetts are strengthening connections between manufacturers and schools. The Amp It Up! program announced in October 2012 by Murray and operated by MassDevelopment was created to increase awareness among young adults and their families on the opportunities for good jobs and solid careers in manufacturing.
In 2010, Governor Deval Patrick created the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative, which brings together government, academia and industry leaders to lead the sector forward. The Collaborative will hold the first statewide Advanced Manufacturing Summit on June 25 in Foxboro, which will bring together hundreds of leading executives and managers from the manufacturing industry to share best practices, network and discuss future opportunities and challenges.

The post Murray highlights manufacturing appeared first on The Westfield News.

BOSTON – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts’ total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent and the Commonwealth lost 1,400 jobs in April.
Professional, Scientific, and Business Services, Information, and the Education and Health Services sectors added jobs in April. In the first four months of 2013, Massachusetts added 12,900 jobs. Over the year, Massachusetts added 46,200 jobs, 43,600 of which were in the private sector.
Over the year, the unemployment rate was down 0.2 of a percentage point from the April 2012 rate of 6.6 percent. Revised numbers from the BLS estimate Massachusetts lost 3,800 jobs in March rather than 5,500 jobs as was reported last month.
April 2013 Employment Overview
Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 4,500 (+0.9%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 16,200 (+3.3%) jobs.
Information gained 900 (+1.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Information gained 2,700 (+3.1%) jobs.
Education and Health Services added 700 (+0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Education and Health Services gained 15,600 (+2.3%) jobs.
Other Services gained 200 (+0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Other Services added 2,300 (+1.9%) jobs.
Leisure and Hospitality lost 1,900 (-0.6%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality added 4,900 jobs (+1.5%).
Financial Activities lost 1,400 (-0.7%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Financial Activities shed 1,300 (-0.6%) jobs.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 1,400 (-0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 3,500 (+0.6%) jobs.
Construction lost 600 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction added 2,700 (+2.4%) jobs.
Manufacturing lost 300 jobs (-0.1%) over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing lost 2,900 (-1.1%) jobs.
Government lost 2,000 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government gained 2,600 (+0.6%) jobs.
Labor Force Overview
The April 2013 estimates show 3,250,300 Massachusetts residents were employed and 222,800 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,473,200. The April labor force increased by 2,500 from 3,470,700 in March 2013, as 2,900 more residents were employed and 500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force was an estimated 3,200 below the 3,476,400 April 2012 estimate, with 5,000 more residents employed and 8,300 fewer residents unemployed.
The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends.

The post State unemployment rate at 6.4 percent appeared first on The Westfield News.

The post ATK acquires Savage Sports parent company appeared first on The Westfield News.

The post YouthWorks lends helping hand to Westfield appeared first on The Westfield News.

Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray is flanked by Scott Laprade, marketing manager at Genevieve Swiss Industries, and Scott Barbanel, the company’s controller, as he examines one of the company’s products during a tour of the Westfield business yesterday. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)

WESTFIELD – Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray came to the city to visit a local company yesterday during a swing through western Massachusetts in support of the Patrick administration’s efforts to promote manufacturing in the Bay State.
Genevieve Swiss Industries, a distributor of precision tool holders for use on Swiss type CNC metal working machines located on Old Stage Road, was founded in 2002 in Southampton and moved to a facility near Barnes Airport in the Whip City six years ago.
The company originally was a distributor of machining tool holders selling products mostly made in Switzerland but, two years ago, was the recipient of a state grant which allowed them to make the transition to manufacturing so they could make their own products with a high degree of precision.

Jake Hagelstein, a CNC machinist at Genevieve Swiss Industries, shows Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray one of the company’s products during a tour of the Westfield business yesterday as Scott Barbanel, the company’s controller, looks on. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)

Murray was greeted by the company’s controller, Scott Barbanel, in the absence of company owner Jim Gosselin, who explained that the impetus to manufacture their own products was due in part to the strength of the Swiss franc during the economic downturn which made products made there significantly more expensive for their American customers.
Barbanel said that the company used the state grant “to push us into manufacturing” and expand the company.
Murray toured the company’s manufacturing facility and said that the current state administration is “promoting manufacturing anywhere and everywhere we can.” He called manufacturing “exciting and dynamic fields (with) wages that can sustain families and build futures.”
Barbanel said that both his company, and his customers, find it “a struggle” to find qualified machinists and Murray said that projections show that, over the next ten years, there will be 100,000 vacancies in the field due to attrition “even if we don’t create another new job.”

Gateway Regional High School freshmen students, John Rooney, left, and Brendan MacKechnie, right, explain how to safely bend a piece of steel in a 55-ton press to Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, background, during a tour of the school’s welding class yesterday. Murray plans to visit 64 vocational schools to promote workforce training, technology, engineering and math. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

He said that parents and educators have to “get educated about today’s modern manufacturing” which can offer opportunities for “meaningful careers” he said.
“Companies want quality and that’s something we can provide here in Massachusetts” he said and that starts with education.
With that in mind, Murray said that his next stop was planned for Gateway Regional High School which would be, he said, the 63rd vocational-technical high school program he has visited to encourage education for manufacturing fields.
At the regional high school in Huntington, Murray was met by the district’s superintendent of schools, David Hopson, the high school principal Jason Finnie, State Rep. Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington) who represents Huntington and several other towns in the district and Wendy Long who coordinates grants for the school and also serves as the community relations specialist.
The Gateway high school has vocational programs in welding and woodworking to prepare students for manufacturing careers and the school officials introduced Murray to the instructors in those classrooms who explained their programs.
Long said that Murray asked if the school had applied for a vocational education grant currently offered by the administration and said that she was able to explain that the grant the school is hoping for would fund a virtual welding program to help teach the students in the program he was visiting.
Murray was able to speak with some of the students working in the welding program who briefly explained their projects to give him a better idea of how they are being prepared to join the workforce.
“The welding students, especially, were honored to explain their projects to the lieutenant governor” Long said.

The post Murray visits city company, Gateway appeared first on The Westfield News.

The post Report recommends ways to bridge gap appeared first on The Westfield News.

The post Keeping New England Ahead of the Curve appeared first on The Westfield News.

The post Local banks make community investment appeared first on The Westfield News.

Matthew D. Puntin, of S-K Design Group of Pittsfield, explains a site plan of the new 1.83 megawatt solar array to members of the Southwick Planning Board Tuesday. The new array will be ground mounted and cover 2.7 acres of land south of the Big-Y Supermarket in Southwick. (Photo by Frederick Gore)

SOUTHWICK – A ground mounted photovoltaic solar array is moving forward at 187 College Highway.
The property, owned by Big Y, is adjacent to the Big Y plaza and is approximately 15 acres. The solar panels, if laid next to each other, would take up about three acres.
Design Consultant Matthew Pantin and Project Manager Elizabeth Driscoll presented the project to the Southwick Planning Board this week. The board approved the site plan review, and approved a stormwater management plan contingent on submission of an updated drawing featuring a 50-foot track pad at the driveway to keep constuction dirt from reaching the road as much as possible.
Pantin said the project received approval of the Conservation Commission prior to the Planning Board presentation.
The array would be owned by Hudson Energy and Big Y would be the off-taker.
“They can net meter several stores with this,” Driscoll said.
The project would be set back much more than the 50 feet a new bylaw – pending approval of Town Meeting – would require.
While there is no bylaw governing solar arrays now, the one proposed by the board on the Town Meeting warrant would allow existing installations to remain intact. It also allows home rooftop panels without restrictions. Any commercial or ground-mounted installations would need site reviews by the board, a plan for abandonment, and bonding in place for removal, among other items.
Members of the board expressed their pleasure that Pantin’s plans almost identically mirrored what the bylaw would require.
“I think this project would be okay with the bylaw,” said Chairman Douglas Moglin. “The only thing we would really ask for is a bond for removal of the panels.”
Vice Chairperson Roz Terry added that she would like to see contact information given to the Southwick police and fire departments in case of an emergency.
“We actually go over a shutdown plan with the fire department,” said Driscoll.
Pantin said most of the parcel is wooded and there would be clearing of much of the land, leaving a buffer of wooded area between the installation and residences to the south.
“Under the panels, vegetation will vontinue to grow,” said Pantin. “We’re clearing trees but leaving brush.”
Water would run off the panels under adjacent panels, and a five-foot wide by three-foot deep stone trench would surround the perimeter of the installation. A six-foot chain link fence is also planned around the panels.
Pantin said the trench would act as a detention basin.
“This allows the water to perc back into the ground,” he said.
Driscoll said the nearly two megawatt array would connect directly to the grid and Big Y would receives discounts on electricity. Driscoll said she was not sure of the cost of the project, which was a number decided between Big Y and Hudson Energy. Her firm, RGS Design, is the project designer.
The board questioned whether or not there was a plan in place for removal.
Pantin said while he did not know the details of that plan, he vouched for Big Y’s care of their property.
“Big Y is very protective of their properties,” he said. “They’ve been on top of everything.”
Driscoll said construction is on track to begin this summer.

The post Big Y solar array moving forward appeared first on The Westfield News.