Small Businesses Making News

Whittlesey & Hadley Expands into Western Massachusetts

Last week, Whittlesey & Hadley, P.C., one of the area’s largest regional CPA firms and a CBIA member, announced its plan to diversify geographically and grow in size, services and staff, beginning with a merger with Lester Halpern & Company, P.C., of Holyoke, Massachusetts, a leading regional CPA firm providing a broad range of accounting, audit, tax and management consulting services to closely held business, nonprofit and governmental sectors of western Massachusetts and throughout New England. The merger is effective August 1, 2014.

PCC Launches Campaign Donor App

Bloomfield’s PCC Technology Group, which builds state voter registration databases, said it has launched a mobile app for political campaigns.

Polity, as it’s called, creates private social networks between campaigns and their donors, allowing donors to give money without the need for a checkbook or credit card machine, PCC said. It also allows the campaign to communicate through messages and photos.

The idea for Polity, which is now available on the iTunes store, came from Hartford Startup Weekend, PCC said.

Westfield Bank Announces Additional Expansion in Northern Connecticut

Westfield Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Westfield Financial, Inc. (NasdaqGS:WFD), announced plans this week for further expansion into Connecticut. The Bank plans to open a full service branch in Enfield, Connecticut at 47 Palomba Drive with 7 days-per-week branch services, a 24-hour ATM, and residential and commercial lending. An early October 2014 opening is planned. This is the Bank’s second branch in Connecticut; the Bank opened its Granby branch in June 2013. James C. Hagan, Westfield Bank President and CEO, stated, “The Enfield area provides the additional growth opportunities we are looking for and fits with our planned expansion in the northern Connecticut market.”

The Bank is in the process of obtaining the necessary local, state and regulatory approvals for the branch and will announce a formal opening date upon completion. The Bank plans to utilize the expertise of its Granby residential and commercial lenders, Thomas Glynn and Ted Horan, to grow the Enfield branch. The Bank will conduct a search for a branch manager during the next few weeks.

Connecticut SBA Has New Home

Last week, the Connecticut SBA office announced it had moved from it’s 330 Main Street, Hartford location to 280 Trumbull Street, Hartford. Telephone and fax numbers will stay the same.