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March 2, 2020

Business Leaders of the Year 2020

When Ed Hyder died unexpectedly in 2018, it could have meant a rough road ahead for the iconic Worcester grocery bearing his name. Fortunately, it didn’t, as Ed’s daughter and son, who were already in the business, and his wife stepped up to make the transition easier. Today, Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace is thriving as Miriam, Gregory and Edna have found a way to keep its longtime charm while adapting to customers’ new needs in an increasingly competitive market.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    Kokkinis grew Table Talk into a $160M community icon

    Zachary Comeau

    Harry Kokkinis was four years old when tagged along with his dad as he visited his company’s facilities and sales routes.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    Page led Abby’s House to new heights

    Jennifer L. Grybowski

    Stephanie Page’s accomplishments this year were enormous, including facilitation of a $16.2-million renovation project of Abby’s House’s 52 High St. building.

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    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    Sellew has changed the agriculture game

    Grant Welker

    In a short time, Paul Sellew has proven lettuce can be grown year-round in Devens, despite cold winters. He’s shown lettuce can be grown without any soil, with a fraction of the water it would normally need, and with little human interaction.

  • Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
    Focus On Business Leaders of the Year

    The Hyders have grown on their unique grocery legacy

    Livia Gershon

    In the age of enormous supermarkets and online specialty markets, running a local family-owned store may seem difficult. Through it all, Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace has remained a community institution.

  • WBJ Hall of Fame
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    WBJ Hall of Fame

    Cavaioli has built hope and fought racism

    Livia Gershon

    For 38 years, Executive Director Linda Cavaioli has helped put the YWCA of Central Massachusetts at the center of the solutions to entrenched difficulties facing Greater Worcester.

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    WBJ Hall of Fame

    Koller has advocated for rural communities

    Zachary Comeau

    People and community have always been in Karen A. Koller’s blood. That has been true throughout her entire career in Central Massachusetts.

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    WBJ Hall of Fame

    Richardson has designed with care

    Livia Gershon

    Scott Richardson knew from an early age he wanted to be an architect. It was what his father did, so he was exposed to design when he was young.

  • Advice
    Advice

    You create your company's culture, so make it a good one

    Renee Diaz

    Unbeknownst to me, I did not realize I spent most of my life being unapproachable in my personal bubble and in my business career.

  • Advice
    Advice

    10 Things I know about ... Building your personal balance sheet

    Ryan M. Kittredge

    10) Plan backward. Get detailed with your vision of what a successful future looks like. Create a financial strategy to serve as a guide, and then outline the steps in an action plan.

  • Advice
    Advice

    Seeking meaningful results in lawsuits

    Jared A. Fiore

    Your business is involved in a lawsuit, or about to be. Have you thought about whether the result of a trial will be meaningful to you?

  • Advice
    Advice

    101: Customized benefits

    Susan Shalhoub

    Attracting the talent looking for work – no matter how scarce – is more important than ever. Customized benefit packages can give your company a competitive edge in hiring, offering new team members what they really want.

  • Opinion
    Opinion

    Climate initiative takes fuel prices too far

    Christopher Carlozzi

    If Gov. Charlie Baker succeeds in his efforts to have Massachusetts join the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a 12-state compact to reduce carbon emissions by imposing fees on fuel distributors, it will be a Pyrrhic victory.

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    Opinion

    A Thousand Words: Cell-phone driving ban

    Don Landgren

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    Editorial: Finding purpose in profits

    It is eye-opening to hear from the world’s leading investor that a singular focus on money isn’t the only bottom line we should be paying attention to.

  • Movers & Shakers
    Movers & Shakers

    Movers & Shakers for March 2, 2020

    MassEcon, the Family Health Center of Worcester, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, Reliant Medical Group, the Mass. Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and Central One Federal Credit Union all saw personnel moves.

Today's Poll

Should Massachusetts implement more private employee whistleblower protections?
Poll Description

Massachusetts whistleblower laws predominantly safeguard public employees from retaliation when they report violations, abuse, or risks to public health and safety. However, private employees have far more restrictions in regards to their state-provided whistleblower protections, but there are still ways they file retaliation complaints, including federally through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Act.

In January, the state agency Cannabis Control Commission suspended a whistleblower featured in a WBJ investigation. Without providing reasoning, the CCC put Business Operations Manager Meghan Dube on paid administrative leave. Dube subsequently resigned from her role.

In May, Carla LeBlanc, a nurse at Saint Vincent Hospital was fired for her appearance on a local podcast in which she spoke out about long-documented concerns regarding working conditions and interpersonal dynamics at the Worcester facility. She then filed a lawsuit against the hospital and its operator under the Massachusetts Healthcare Whistleblower Protection Act, which offers protections to private healthcare workers. 

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