Keiter Corp., a construction services firm located in Florence since 2008, recently announced it will relocate its executive headquarters to a 6,000-square-foot facility at 1 Interstate Drive in West Springfield later this year.
Keiter is comprised of Keiter Builders, the commercial/institutional division; Keiter Homes, the residential arm; and Keiter Properties, the real estate venture. Its pre-construction, sales and marketing, finance and administration, and operations departments will be located in the new space.
“We have purposely grown our company over the past few years to better serve the needs of our customers and the broader community,” said CEO Scott Keiter. “Keiter needs to continue growing in other ways so we can continue to meet the needs of our customers, employees, partners and communities.”
The new location will also help Keiter better serve clients in Hampden and Berkshire counties while continuing to serve clients in Hampshire and Franklin counties, the company said.
“The move will be phased in,” said Keiter.
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Gary Rome Auto Group has partnered with Suit Up Springfield and Dress for Success to host a clothing drive for community members in need. The “Stuff the Trunk” business clothing drive will be held at Gary Rome Hyundai, 150 Whiting Farms Road in Holyoke, and Gary Rome Kia of Enfield, at 809 Enfield St. in Enfield, Conn. The drive will end on Monday, April 8.
New and gently used men’s and women’s business clothing can be dropped off during regular business hours.
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Gov. Maura T. Healey has declaring March as Massachusetts Maple Month. Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle joined state and local officials and representatives from the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association at Severance Maple Products in Northfield to raise awareness of the state’s maple sugar industry and to encourage residents to visit their local sugar house and purchase locally made maple products.
Massachusetts is one of the top maple-producing states in the country, home to over 300 maple producers that produce more than 70,000 gallons per year. The sector employs over a thousand people, contributing over $15 million to the local economy. Maple sugaring profits allow many Massachusetts farms to stay in business year-round by diversifying their offerings, serving as a supplemental source of income to their other crops.
Since 2018, MDAR has awarded over half a million dollars in Climate Smart Agriculture Program Grants to maple producers throughout the state.
Maple sugarhouses around the state opened their doors to visitors this month. Maple sugaring is one of the few agritourism activities available during the early months of the year.
For a listing of maple sugar houses in the state, visit the MassGrown website.
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The IRS announced that eligible Massachusetts taxpayers can now use IRS Direct File, a new service that provides taxpayers with the choice to electronically file their federal tax return directly with the IRS for free.
Direct File is a mobile-friendly, interview-based service that will work as well on a mobile phone as it does on a laptop, tablet or desktop computer.
People in 12 states, including Massachusetts, are eligible to participate in the 2024 Direct File pilot and will be limited to taxpayers with certain types of income, credits and deductions – taxpayers with relatively simple returns. This new service is available until the tax filing deadline of April 15.
Direct File does not replace existing filing options like tax professionals, IRS Free File, free return preparation sites, commercial software or authorized e-file providers. Taxpayers will continue to have choices, whether they want to use a tax professional, a software product, Free File, free tax preparation services like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly as well as a paper tax return or Direct File.
For more information about Direct File, visit https:// www.irs.gov/about-irs/strategic-plan/irs-direct-file-pilot.
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Holyoke Community College will host an open house at its Center for Health Education & Simulation on Wednesday, March 20, for anyone interested in exploring educational programs and careers in health care, animal care, human services, education, or culinary arts.
Visitors to the Health Careers Open House are welcome to tour HCC’s health education facility from 4 to 6 p.m. and talk to representatives from the college’s programs. The event is free and open to the public.
The building, located at 404 Jarvis Ave., just off the main HCC campus, is home to the college’s nursing and radiologic technology programs, and medical simulation labs.
There will also be representatives attending from the offices of financial aid, admissions, advising, and workforce development to talk to prospective students about their educational options and career pathways.
Contact Dee Westcott at dwestcott@hcc.edu for more information.
