A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses.
Business Buzz is sponsored by NBT Bank, and we are very thankful for their support!
By Ronni Newton
I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend, and I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
And by “moms” I also extend that to anyone who has taken on the role of a mother. Sometimes a “mother” can also be a dad, or a grandparent, or an aunt (I always like to give a shout-out to my sister who beyond being “cool aunt” has certainly taken on a “mother” role with my kids at times), or a mother-in-law. And people “mother” their biological children, adopted children, foster children, pets …
A happy first Mother’s Day to my daughter, Katie! My heart swells with pride not only because I love our grandson so much, but also because I love watching her being such an amazing mother to him.
As I write this on Sunday, we are also celebrating Millie’s birthday. Happy 5th Birthday to our wonderful puppy who brings us so much joy every day!
Millie turned 5 on May 12! Photo credit: Ronni Newton
We spent a few days in Nantucket last week doing spring cleaning and visiting my mother-in-law. That’s where the photo of Millie was taken (she had just finished chasing lots of seagulls and trying to drink sea water), and where the food photos from dinner (Thursday night) were taken. If you’re visiting Nantucket, the newly-opened Misogi Noodle Bar (in the former Beet space – same ownership and chef, just a new concept) is excellent!
Tuna poke at Misogi Noodle Bar. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Adobo chicken at Misogi Noodle Bar. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
I was excited to be in a place known for its dark skies for viewing of the Northern Lights – which has been a bucket list item for me since I was a child and first heard about the Aurora Borealis. I got some cool photos with my iPhone even though there were a few clouds, but I’ve seen amazing photos from West Hartford as well. I was ready to go out again on Saturday night but the lights weren’t visible. Maybe Sunday night …
Northern Lights viewed from Surfside, Nantucket. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Welcome to We-Ha.com’s summer 2024 interns! I am very excited that Bridget Bronsdon has returned to We-Ha.com for her second summer after a great year at UConn where she further honed her journalism skills – and has been named sports editor of the Daily Campus for next year! She will be working on a few stories for We-Ha.com beginning this week. I am also looking forward to working with Kaily Martinez (you can see her first byline here in this great story she did on Friday about a helmet donation and bike safety program at Charter Oak International Academy) and Sean Ahern. Both Kaily and Sean are UConn journalism students as well, and both are writers for the Daily Campus.
If you’re looking for news about West Hartford in print please note that many stories from We-Ha.com, as well as other local news, is published in the twice-monthly issues of the West Hartford Press.
If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].
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Here’s this week’s Buzz:
A hat stand has become a symbol for the growth of insurance company Beazley, which just opened an office for more than 200 employees in Blue Back Square. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
- We don’t often feature an office as the lead item in Business Buzz – but this one is definitely feature-worthy! Beazley has relocated from Batterson Park in Farmington to West Hartford where in April they have opened a very large office (roughly 19,000 square feet, and about half the third floor of the Rutherford Building at 65 Memorial Road in Blue Back Square) which houses 234 employees – and it’s such a beautiful and cool office and company that it makes me almost regret having left the insurance industry nearly 30 years ago. Beazley, a large and highly-rated specialty insurance company based in the UK that started in the Lloyd’s market, now has about 40% of its operations in the U.S. – about $2 billion in revenue – and are continuing an ambitious focus on U.S. growth, said Lead Corporate Content and Media Relations Manager Sam Whiteley. Immediately intriguing is the lobby – where there is a pink hat stand with two pink bowler hats, and a slogan painted on the wall that states: “It all started with a hat stand …” The story behind the saying is that when company founders, Andrew Beazley, Nick Furlonge, and Robert Hiscox, launched the company in 1986, it was a tough time in the liability insurance market. “But at Beazley we see every risk as an opportunity to do things differently. So we took the plunge and started our business, with just a couple of second-hand desks and a handsome old hat stand. Insurance is about risk, but it’s also about people,” Beazley’s website states, and as they continue to grow, hiring the industry’s “brightest sparks” and focusing on problem-solving, the company doesn’t want to forget its origins and the ubiquitous hat stand. The space was designed by Munira Hirji, who heads Beazley’s commercial management division in New York, said Elizabeth Zigmont of Image Marketing, who serves as a spokesperson for Blue Back Square’s owner Brand Street Properties. The design extends to the auditory experience, and throughout the office you can hear birds quietly chirping in the background. The space includes focus rooms with red or green lights indicating whether or not the rooms are available, as well as other private spaces for small groups to gather, and even soundproof booths (think of a modern version of an old fashioned payphone booth) where you can go to have a private conversation. There are plenty of spaces for collaboration, including open workspace areas, a kitchen that also has booths to accommodate working group lunches, a lounge area (with a giant Scrabble game in progress), a pool table, a library, and a terrace. There are also storage lockers for each employee, and shower facilities. “Over time things just evolved,” Whiteley said of the plan to move from Farmington to a new and modern location where they could provide perks associated with coming into the office. Employees are compensated for their travel to the office as well. “Collaboration is important to us,” said Whiteley, and they want employees to be in the office at least two days per week. “We pay for travel to the office, and if you go to lunch, it’s included,” Whiteley said, with employees receiving a $13 voucher for lunch when they are in the office, a program which supports the local economy as well. Lunch vouchers are a feature of other Beazley offices as well, she said, with the amounts differing somewhat depending on the location, but all representing roughly the buying power of 8.5 GBP in London. “Having a great work environment is really important to us,” Whiteley said, as is a work-life balance, diversity, and sustainability. “We think we can deliver profitability and be helpful to the planet and those who do business with us,” she said. And it’s not just corporate-speak; in 2022, as part of a commitment to biodiversity and to give back to the ecosystem, Beazley added four beehives to the roof of the Farmington location, and because there wasn’t a space for them in the more urban Blue Back Square environment, those hives were relocated to West Hartford’s Westmoor Park about 10 days ago. According to Megan Hemingway of Beazley, “Best Bees provides our bees’ honey DNA. The beekeepers analyze samples each year and compile the data from our area/hives to better understand the pollinator habitat. They share it with the scientific community to improve bee health. Our bees pollinate the surrounding environment, improving the biodiversity of our neighborhood.” The bees produce more than 80 pounds of honey per year, which fills slightly more than 200 6-ounce jars, she said. “It’s another thing we think is important to do,” Whiteley said. The West Hartford office has a diversity of corporate operations, including underwriting, Beazley digital for small and medium businesses, a digital media team, and other back-office operations including finance. Beazley plans to continue their growth plan in the U.S., and West Hartford is a major part of it. While the lease terms were not provided, “We’re fully committed to West Hartford. We could not be more excited to be in West Hartford,” Whiteley said. A few photos are directly below, and more are at the end of the column. For more about Beazley, visit their website.
This looks like artwork, but it’s also a living –made of moss – and hangs on the wall at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Kitchen of Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
The bird theme at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office is also auditory, with quiet sounds of birds chirping as background noise. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of workspaces, including areas for privacy. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Employees can unwind, or brainstorm over a game of pool at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Lounge area near the kitchen of Beazley’s new office in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square. On the wall is a giant Scrabble board. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s four beehives were relocated from Batterson Park in Farmington to Westmoor Park in West Hartford. Photo credit: Meredith Longo Photography
- Thanks to the tip from Connecticut Scoop, confirmed by Westfarms management, that China Wok will be taking over the former and long-vacant Au Bon Pain space on the lower level and should be ready to open this summer.
Westfarms main entrance. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)
- Also at Westfarms, Squishable has recently reopened, moving into the former Brighton spot on the upper level of the Nordstrom wing. I can’t help but smile when I see the adorable products in this store, and I can see Westfarms spokesperson Amanda Sirica also smiling as she told me via text: “It’s their Squishiversary, celebrating 17 years of Squishable!”
Squishable is now open in the former Brighton space in the Nordstrom wing at Westfarms. Photo credit: Amanda Sirica
Interior of Squishable. Photo credit: Amanda Sirica
- Happy 5th anniversary to PTSMC West Hartford – which opened its doors on May 6, 2019, at 135 South Main Street. Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Centers, which has its corporate headquarters on North Main Street in West Hartford, now has 32 locations throughout Connecticut, and, according to their website, PTSMC “offers physical therapy services specializing in musculoskeletal, orthopedic and sports-related injuries. Our physical therapists focus on the individual needs of each patient and develop customized, tailored treatment programs that are the safest, most efficient routes to fast recovery.” A doctor’s referral is not needed, and they accept insurance. You can find more information on their website. (Yes, that’s my daughter, Katie Redman – standing, third from left – who is now the director of the West Hartford location.)
PTSMC opened in May 2019 at 135 South Main Street and is now celebrating their 5th anniversary. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
- The West Hartford Chamber of Commerce and Blue Back Square have partnered to bring a health and wellness event to West Hartford. On Tuesday, May 14, from 4 until 7 p.m., the public is invited to attend a FREE event called WeHa Wellness – A Health and Wellness Fair. (The rain date is Thursday, May 16). Guests will receive information from health and wellness organizations throughout the area, vendors, and more! Area businesses have been invited to participate in this program by hosting a booth at the event, which will take place on Isham Road and in the Webster Walk Square at Blue Back Square. The event will feature a variety of businesses and nonprofits in our community, such as Gold Sponsor Hartford HealthCare and Silver Sponsor Studio 310. For more information, click here.
The WeHa Wellness Fair will return on Tuesday, May 14. (Rain date, May 16)
- Congratulations to West Hartford Town Clerk Leon Davidoff, who has been named to the 2024 Municipal Clerks Honor Roll, the town announced last week. The Municipal Clerks Honor Roll is a special recognition program from the General Code that has existed since 2001. It allows municipal officials, private citizens, and other colleagues to acknowledge and pay tribute to the municipal clerks who give so much to their communities every day. The program originally ran from 2001 to 2010. In 2019, it was reintroduced to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of Municipal Clerks Week. Davidoff is one of 311 municipal clerks from 38 states who made this year’s list. A full list of 2024 honorees can be found at www.MunicipalClerksHonorRoll.com. A proclamation recognizing Municipal Clerk’s Week will be read at the May 14 Town Council meeting.
Sylvia Urbanski (left) senior staff assistant, and Town Clerk Leon Davidoff holding the proclamation inside the vault where all the records are kept. Photo credit: Renee McCue
- Congratulations to West Hartford attorney Brooke Goff, who has been named a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” by the National Trial Lawyers Association. The law firm, located at Corporate Center West, 450 South Main Street, West Hartford, is is the “largest woman-owned, operated, and managed, personal injury law firm in Connecticut” with 11 female attorneys on staff. The following is from a news release announcing the honor: For most companies, achieving the highest accolades within their respective industry can become a lifetime quest. For Attorney Brooke Goff of Goff Law Group; however, national recognition has arrived after only seven short years of establishing her business. The National Trial Lawyers association recently announced the selection of Attorney Goff as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Connecticut, a distinction bestowed upon a select group of attorneys who exhibit superior qualifications, exemplary trial results and exceptional leadership in the realms of criminal defense and/or civil plaintiff law. “In the business world, people often say, build it and they will come, but I completely disagree with that statement,” said Goff, founder and managing partner of Goff Law Group. “I reframe it as build it, work it like a dog, nurture it like it’s your child, and invest in and promote it so that they will have no choice but to come at some point! Following this mantra has enabled my firm to enjoy a 99% resolution success rate and has allowed me to grow my one-unit 800-square foot office to a 15,000 square-foot with a fully equipped video studio, gym, and other state-of-the-art furnishings.” Tia Lehr, Membership Director of The National Trial Lawyers, noted, “Membership in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 not only recognizes legal professionals, like Attorney Goff for her stellar achievements, but also, offers invaluable legal news, information and continuing education resources so that she can continue her upward trajectory.” Goff added, “I use my position as a female CEO to educate the Connecticut public on anything and everything related to personal injury law. I take profits from the firm and directly invest it into major educational campaigns on billboards, TV and social media sites so that all residents understand their rights when injured. As long as I keep that focus, my firm will continue to be successful!”
Brooke Goff. Courtesy photo
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West Hartford’s Ben Bronz Academy (11 Wampanoag Drive) has announced the hiring of Ana Maria Alvarez as the school’s Chief Financial Officer and Business Manager. She will lead the business operations for the state-approved, private, special education school in West Hartford, the school announced in a news release. As a school administrator, Alvarez said she is always student focused. “The key to unlocking your potential lies in believing in yourself and the unique abilities you possess.” As school leaders, we hold the power to instill in our students a belief in their own abilities,” she said. “Each of us is unique, with our own distinct learning styles, yet we all possess the capability to achieve what we set our minds to. Before joining Ben Bronz, Alvarez was the Director of Finance and Human Resources at Intensive Education Academy (IEA). She played a pivotal role in organizational growth, overseeing financial operations and facilitating significant infrastructure enhancements. Alvarez earned a Business Administration degree from Charter Oak State College and later completed a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from UConn, focusing on diversity and employment law. BBA serves students grades 2nd through 12th grade from around the state who have struggled to learn in other settings. The students have been identified with various learning disabilities, including: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Executive Function Difficulties, ADHD, CAPD, and ASD (mild/Asperger’s). The goal at Ben Bronz is to help students correct their functional weaknesses and to develop strong, spontaneous thinking habits that build self-confidence, foster curiosity and an enthusiasm for learning. BBA was founded in 1985 with the belief that every student deserves to succeed. Since then, BBA has prepared hundreds of students for academic success. Their individualized learning program enables students to master learning skills, achieve academic success and enhance self-confidence. Ben Bronz Executive Director and CEO Gail Lanza said Alvarez is a perfect fit. “Ana Maria is deeply committed to ensuring that every child receives the love, respect, and educational opportunities they deserve. With profound appreciation for the dedicated efforts of educators and school personnel, Ana Maria recognizes the pivotal role they play in shaping young minds,” Lanza said. As a mother of two boys, Alvarez values the transformative power of education in preparing children for future success and shares in Ben Bronz’ philosophy that all children can succeed academically and personally.
Ana Maria Alvarez. Courtesy photo
- ICYMI, We-Ha.com broke the news Tuesday morning about Coracora moving into Blue Back Square, opening a flagship location where Rosa Mexicano had just closed a few days earlier. It’s been one of the most popular stories on this site in recent months, and you can read the complete article here.
- Also, ICYMI, a wetlands application for 1800 Asylum Avenue – the west side of the former UConn campus – has now been submitted and a public hearing has been set. Complete details can be found here.
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Advertiser Spotlight!
Keating Agency Insurance is a third-generation family business founded in 1969 by Mike Keating Sr. Mike Keating Jr. joined in 1981 and family ownership perpetuated in 1999 with Ryan Keating joining in 2016 and Maura Keating in 2019. We believe what separates the Keating Agency from our competitors is our extensive product knowledge and applying that knowledge, proactively, for our policy holders.
Both Ryan and Maura have continued our community involvement in both town and the region with FLOW, The West Hartford Chamber, Leadership Greater Hartford, and Insure Tech Hartford. Also, they provide ongoing support of our Conard and Hall sports teams, Safe Grad, WHYBL, WHYHL, and various nonprofits within the community including Noah Webster House, Journey Home, Playhouse on Park, Dog Star Rescue, West Hartford Dog Park Coalition, Bike West Hartford, HARC, the Junior League and Friends of Feeney – to name a few.
Life happens and our agency has seen the impacts of Ice Storm Felix, the Hartford Civic Center collapse, Windsor Locks tornado, Hurricane Gloria, the 2011 Halloween storm, Superstorm Sandy, Tropical Storm Irene, auto fatalities, house fires, and other big events over the years that can affect our day-to-day lives and financial well-being.
At the end of the day, what separates one agency from another is their ability to proactively service their policy holders, and their knowledge of the insurance industry, products, and different situations that may present themselves to their clients. As Mike Keating Sr. said on day one: “It doesn’t matter til it matters so get it right.”
If you are a long term, regular advertiser on We-Ha.com and have a 60 to 75 word submission for a future Business Buzz please send to Bob Carr at [email protected].
Remember, if you have any business news to share, add it in the comments section below or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].
Coffee station at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Workspace at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s four beehives were relocated from Batterson Park in Farmington to Westmoor Park in West Hartford. Photo credit: Meredith Longo Photography
Beazley’s four beehives were relocated from Batterson Park in Farmington to Westmoor Park in West Hartford. Photo credit: Meredith Longo Photography
Floor plan of Beazley’s Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley provides shower facilities for the employees of their new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
The workspace of Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes living artwork. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Workspace at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Open workspace at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of workspaces, including areas for privacy. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Terrace at Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration – or for meeting over lunch. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Kitchen of Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Beazley’s new Blue Back Square office includes a variety of spaces for collaboration. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Elevator lobby at 65 Memorial Road, where Beazley has just relocated 234 people who formerly worked in Farmington. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
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