Bruce Platzman, AIS president, CEO and co-founder. The company was looking at cheaper locations outside of the area before a tax break helped convince it to stay.

ON THE COVER

Paying for growth: Tax breaks central to Central Mass. economic development

Grant Welker | January 21, 2019 06:00 am

Communities have often used tax deals to help companies in what officials say is the most important tool they can use in economic development.

A for-lease sign is posted along a retail stretch on East Main Street in Webster, part of the town's opportunity zone under a new federal investment program.

Central Mass. officials pushing federal opportunity zones incentive

Grant Welker | January 21, 2019 06:00 am

For neighborhoods in Central Massachusetts overlooked by developers, there's a potential salvation: a new federal tax incentive program.

Focus On Commercial Real Estate

Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant was proactive in getting two large empty office buildings filled, offering tax breaks to Quest Diagnostics and other large companies.

Hits & Misses: For local governments, the potential upside of tax breaks outweighs the risk

Grant Welker

How To

101: Hire better

SUSAN SHALHOUB | January 21, 2019 06:00 am

Here are some expert tips on creating job ads, screening applicants and interviewing candidates, to help ensure whoever you welcome onboard will be the best fit possible – and save you time as...

Use zoning to your development's advantage

MARK A. BORENSTEIN | January 21, 2019 06:00 am

Local zoning ordinances and bylaws are essential to comprehensive municipal planning and are intended to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the public. Yet, they are often times far...

10 Things I Know About ... Retaining staff in the service industry

January 21, 2019 06:00 am

Briefing
Shop Talk
Movers & Shakers
Opinion

Forbes moved Valentin Gapontsev from its Russian billionaires list to its American billionaires list after the U.S. Treasury allegedly used the former to label Gapontsev as a Russian oligarch.

IPG CEO sues U.S. Treasury over Russian oligarch list

Zachary Comeau

The Russian-American billionaire founder and chief executive of Oxford-based IPG Photonics is suing the U.S. Department of the Treasury for listing him as a Russian oligarch.

>> Continue Reading

Julia Becker Collins, chief operating officer, Vision Advertising

After slowly taking over more responsibilities from founder Laura DiBenedetto for 2.5 years, Julia Becker Collins in December assumed control at Vision Advertising, two months after it moved from Worcester to Westborough.

>> Continue Reading

Movers & Shakers

Check out who landed new jobs in Central Massachusetts.

>> Continue Reading

Lists

Ad & marketing communications firms

Ranked by annual gross billings, then no. of local employees

Rank	Firm	Gross billings	Year founded
1	Davis Advertising, Worcester	$25 million	1948
2	Turtle Transit Inc., Hudson	$5 million	2001
3	Wakefly Inc., Marlborough	$4.7 million	2002

Source: Each firm via survey

Top Banks

Ranked by local deposits as of June 30, 2018

Rank	Bank	Local Deposits	No. local branches
1	Bank of America, Worcester	$5.4 billion	36
2	Middlesex Savings Bank, Natick	$2.9 billion	23
3	TD Bank, Worcester	$2.8 billion	26

Source: FDIC

Top clean energy companies

Ranked by total number of employees

Rank	Company	Local employees
1	CLEAResult, Westborough	312
2	AMSC, Ayer	Approximately 300
3	NEC Energy Solutions, Westborough	140
4	Ameresco, Framingham	130
5	NORESCO, Westborough	90

Source: Each company via survey and their websites

Highest-paid nonprofit chief executives

Ranked by total compensation for most recent year available

Rank	Executive	Organization	Total compensation
1	Eric W. Dickson, president & CEO	UMass Memorial Health Care Inc.	$1.8 million
2	Patrick Muldoon, former president	UMass Memorial Medical Center	$1.3 million
3	Stephen Tosi, president & physician	UMass Memorial Medical Group	$1.2 million