Worcester Business Journal

Banking & FinanceProfessional Services Tom Bartholomew, founder and chairman (left), and Alex Bartholomew, CEO and chief investment officer, of Bartholomew & Co. IMAGE COURTESY OF BARTHOLOMEW & CO By Eric Casey July 7, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Fresh off a leadership transition, Worcester-based financial advisory firm Bartholomew & Co. is reshaping how it does business through its launch as a registered investment adviser.

Government & PoliticsTechnology The Massachusetts State House PHOTO COURTESY OF STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE By Sam Drysdale | State House News Service July 7, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin House and Senate negotiators began talks Tuesday to establish the state’s first comprehensive consumer data privacy law, kicking off what is expected to be a closely watched effort to reconcile competing approaches to regulating the collection, sale and use of personal information.

Banking & FinanceSubscriber Only Matt Sosik, CEO and chairman of Hometown Financial Group. PHOTO COURTESY OF HOMETOWN FINANCIAL GROUP By Eric Casey July 7, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Oxford-based bankHometown will be rebranded as TruNorth Bank along with Hometown Financial Group’s other subsidiaries as the parent company prepares to become publicly traded. Already a Subscriber?

Professional Services Sarah LaLiberte, CEO of Rainer Communications, and Steve Schuster, the company's founder. IMAGE COURTESY OF RAINIER COMMUNICATIONS By Monica Benevides July 6, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Technology public relations firm Rainier Communications in Westborough has named Sarah LaLiberte its next CEO, marking the first CEO shift at the company in 33 years.

Real Estate Poet Hill Place in Worcester PHOTO | ERIC CASEY By Eric Casey July 6, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Residents are now moving into a newly completed apartment community in Worcester’s Poet Hill neighborhood, which added 210 units to the city’s housing stock. Poet Hill Place opened to its first residents in December, said Kenneth Andino, senior property manager at the site.

Real EstateSubscriber Only Centech Park North in Shrewsbury. IMAGE COURTESY OF GOOGLE EARTH By Eric Casey July 6, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Tenants at Centech Park North include Westborough-based manufacturer Columbia Tech and SGPS ShowRig. Already a Subscriber? Log in Get Instant Access to This Article Subscribe to Worcester Business Journal and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Real EstateSubscriber Only A rendering of GoVenture's planned Chandler Street apartment building. IMAGE COURTESY OF WORCESTER ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS By Eric Casey July 2, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin GoVenture Capital Group is looking to develop the former site of a warehouse near Downtown Worcester into a 74-unit apartment building. Already a Subscriber?

EnergyGovernment & PoliticsReal Estate Massachusetts State House PHOTO COURTESY OF MASSACHUSETTS By Colin Young | State House News Service and Alison Kuznitz | State House News Service July 2, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Lawmakers have been coy about when Bay Staters can expect to start seeing meaningful savings on their utility bills as a result of the energy legislation that’s been talked about on Beacon Hill for nearly a year.

Banking & Finance Jim Petkewich, president and CEO of St. Mary's Credit Union. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAINT MARY'S CREDIT UNION By Eric Casey July 2, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Marlborough-based St. Mary’s Credit Union has completed its merger with Framingham’s MetroWest Community Federal Credit Union, creating an entity with about $1.15 billion in assets and 60,000 members. First announced in August, the merger will see the two entities operate under the SMCU name and charter.

Health CareSubscriber Only UMass Memorial Health Care and Reliant Medical Group of Worcester say a new platform that links patients to needed social services will help bridge the gap between clinical and community-based health care. The University Campus of UMass Memorial's flagship hospital in Worcester is shown here.