Natick Business Buzz: Bank of America at Roche Bros. plaza shuttered; Neiman Marcus space turning into lab

April 29, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Bank of America at Roche Bros. plaza shuttered

We’re heartbroken that our go-to Natick ATM, the one in Roche Bros. plaza, has slammed its cash dispensary shut to us forever as of April 26. We noticed during COVID that the full-service bank cut its teller hours drastically, but we never thought it would come to this. As an alternative, the banking public can storm off and do business at the full-service Citizens Bank inside Roche Bros. (with an account, of course). Citizens also has an ATM inside the grocery store, which can be accessed during regular Roche Bros. hours. But 24-hour banking in this much-visited shopping area is officially a thing of the past.

Bank of America, Natick — Lost in my mental to-do list, I didn’t even notice the lack of signage as I approached the former Bank of America branch.

Neiman Marcus space turning into lab

The property manager for the Neiman Marcus space at Natick Mall said at the start of the year it would be repositioning the 94,000 sq. ft., and it wasn’t kidding. High-end fashion retailer Neiman Marcus announced last year it would be bailing on the Mall as part of a companywide meltdown fueled in part by the pandemic.

Natick Planning Board on May 11 will have a public hearing on the latest from the applicant to redevelop the space as a research and development facility.

Natick Business Buzz: Marijuana courier to make its pitch; Vet clinic property sold; IMAX 3D Theater hiring; Town eyes Golden Triangle recovery

April 20, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Marijuana courier Your Green Package to make its pitch

Your Green Package will make its pitch to the Natick Select Board on April 20 to secure a host community agreement that would enable the marijuana courier service to operate from 16 Tech Circle from 8am-9pm.

Since launching in the state in July, the company has increased its deliveries per month to more than 2,600. It says it is delivering cannabis products from partner companies like Garden Remedies and NETA in the areas of Greater Boston, Franklin, and Northampton. It’s not allowed to deliver in communities that have bans in place (so it could deliver in Natick, but not Wellesley, for example).

Recreational marijuana businesses ReLeaf Alternatives (Rte. 9 west) and Cypress Tree Management, aka, Redi, (Cloverleaf Mall) have been given the town’s blessing to open shops in Natick, but are still working toward that end.

A marijuana dispensary called Bountiful Farms is already up and running in Natick. A testing lab called Kaycha has also opened its doors at Tech Circle, the area where Your Green Package plans to operate from.

More on Your Green Package from MetroWest Daily News.

Vet clinic property sold

Worcester Business Journal reports that the Wellesley-Natick Veterinary Hospital’s property on Rte. 9 west has been sold for $2.44M. The 359 Worcester St. property was sold by the clinic’s founder, according to the report, but it’s unclear whether any changes will happen at the veterinary hospital itself. On its website, it continues to welcome new patients.

Jordan’s hiring for IMAX 3D Theater

The IMAX Theaters at Jordan’s Furniture in Natick and Reading have been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are signs the theaters will re-open ahead of the summer based on the fact that hiring fairs are scheduled (Patch reports the opening date will be May 27, in time for Top Gun: Maverick‘s release).

A Natick hiring fair for theater attendants and guest services reps will take place at Jordan’s off of Rte. 9 west on May 4 from 4:30-6:30pm.

Town eyes Golden Triangle recovery

Natick continues its effort to rethink and revamp the Golden Triangle, a 940-acre area in Natick and Framingham known for its shopping malls bordered by major highways and roadways. A 2018 study by the communities and consultants identified challenges such as traffic, and competing vs. online shopping, and now Natick is ready to start implementing changes, according to Director of Community & Economic Development Amanda Loomis, who is promising regular updates to the Select Board.

Areas of focus will include: Rezoning (possibly reduced parking requirements, allowing for expanded uses); addressing infrastructure issues, such as stormwater concerns; transportation issues and opportunities, including leveraging access to the rail trail; and

Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Natick Business Buzz: TCG Network Services acquired; Can’t have too many basketball arcade games; 7 South Bottle + Kitchen serving updates

March 27, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

TCG Network Services acquired by Pittsburgh firm

TCG Network Services, one of those Natick businesses that you maybe, kinda recognize depending upon what you do for a living, has been acquired by a Pittsburgh firm called Magna5. The firms basically do the same thing: they manage IT and offer cybersecurity services to organizations, and TCG is Magna’s second acquisition in the past 12 months.

The good news for Natick is that TCG doesn’t plan to go anywhere and might even be offering more senior engineering opportunities, according to Marketing Director Jonathan Browning, who has been with TCG for four years.

“It really is a partnership – our co-founders, Frank McDonough and John Stone, have an extremely collaborative relationship with the management team at Magna5. The mutual trust they have has set the tone,” he says. TCG touts the expanded resources it will have to offer customers through economies of scale, and new advancement opportunities for employees.

“Our engineers can also rely on additional after-hours technicians that we didn’t have before, which is huge. When it comes to preventing or ending a downtime event, every minute counts,” Browning says.

TCG has done IT work for more than a thousand locally-based organizations over the years, including schools and non-profits. The union with Magna5 will give TCG more geographic reach. The business has operated in MetroWest for 30-plus years, starting in Framingham and moving to Natick a few years later. It has 33 staffers between its Natick and Boston locations, including remote workers.

While TCG offers a wide range of IT services, its cybersecurity offering dubbed CyBlok is its current big draw, supplemented by project management.

While its owner is now in Pittsburgh, TCG plans to keep its local focus. It has a track record of community involvement that includes participation in local business chambers, working with veterans, sponsoring the annual Tour De Natick cycling event and MassBay’s Information Security Summit, and offering e-waste recycling for Earth Day.

Can’t have too many basketball arcade games

Congrats to Skybokx 109 Sports Bar & Grill for getting Natick Select Board approval in March to install a couple of indoor basketball toss arcade games alongside its pool tables.

7 South Bottle + Kitchen serving updates

The 7 South Bottle + Kitchen restaurant readying to open this spring in the former Dolphin space in downtown Natick, has been serving updates on its Facebook page about everything from its new tiles to hardwood floors.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Natick Business Buzz: Mall invites non-profits for Spring Surprises campaign; MassBay partners with ABI-LAB; MathWorks scholarships

March 9, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Natick Mall invites non-profits to take part in Spring Surprises campaign

Local non-profits are invited to take part in Natick Mall’s Spring Surprises campaign that will run Saturdays from March 19-April 23 at the Mall in the Neiman Marcus court.

Here’s the deal:

Non-profits can host giveaway stations at the Mall for four-hour periods, allowing the non-profits to promote their offerings and collect donations. The Mall will include mention of the outfits in their communications.
The Mall will give away dozens of items, ranging in value from about $5-$7, to shoppers just for the fun of it. Or rather, “to celebrate the optimism that comes with the change of seasons.” Giveaways could include things like sunflowers, candles, and spring-themed cookie cutters.

If interested, email Nicole Guglielmucci at nicole.guglielmucci@bpretail.com

MassBay Community College partners with Natick’s ABI-LAB

MassBay Community College and Natick-based ABI-LAB are partnering to provide MassBay science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students access to the scientists, researchers, and other professionals who lease lab space in the ABI-LAB incubator. This collaboration benefits MassBay STEM students with scholarships, networking opportunities, and mentorship.

ABI-LAB was established to support startups ranging from life sciences to biotech. The five ABI-LAB professionals taking part in this program are from Avenge Bio, Cytovia Therapeutics, EverCell Bio, Synspira Therapeutics, and the WuXi AppTec company.

MathWorks scholarship applications open

The MathWorks is funding two $10K scholarships for Natick residents who are high school seniors committed to studying engineering, mathematics, science or related programs at an accredited four-year college or university. The $10,000 is spread out over four years, rising from $1K to $4K over the span.

The Town of Natick administers the scholarships. Interested students must complete the application and provide the required transcript, letters of support, and personal statement. The MathWorks Scholarship Committee may conduct interviews of finalist candidates. All applications are due to the Select Board’s office or must be postmarked if mailed, no later than 5p.m. on Monday, March 28.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

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Young entrepreneurs show their stuff at the Natick Children’s Business Fair

February 24, 2022 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

Natick’s entrepreneurial kids rolled up their sleeves and presented their very own startup business ideas at the Natick Children’s Business Fair marketplace event at the Common Street Spiritual Center last weekend. Customers went from table to table to view the results of participants’ work developing a brand, creating a product or service, building a marketing strategy, and finally opening for business. Items for sale included cupcakes and other baked goods; handcrafted jewelry; bookmarks; knitted hats; and more. Business ideas such as babysitting and athletics classes were represented as well.

Thanks to the Fair’s organizers for the following pics: