Worcester Business Journal

Professional Services The entrance to Kevin Labadini Corp.'s Shrewsbury headquarters. IMAGE COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS By Eric Casey July 20, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Kevin Labadini Corp., a commercial landscaping and snow removal firm operating in Massachusetts since 1953, has been acquired by a rapidly growing New Jersey firm backed by private equity.

The terminal at Worcester Regional Airport PHOTO | GRANT WELKER The Worcester Regional Airport served 231,000 passengers in fiscal year 2026, a record high under the Massachusetts Port Authority’s ownership. “We are happy that more and more passengers are taking advantage of the convenience of Worcester Regional Airport, and we are looking forward towards even more growth at the airport,” said Massport spokesperson Benjamin Crawley. Passenger traffic increased 4% from the previous fiscal year.

Banking & FinanceSubscriber Only Grace Lee is back at Buffalo-based M&T Bank. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. MARY'S CREDIT UNION By Eric Casey July 20, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin After leaving as president and CEO of St. Mary’s Credit Union less than a year into the job, Grace Lee has landed a new role. Lee has returned to M&T Bank, this time as executive vice president and chief of staff in the office of bank Chairman and CEO René Jones. She previously served as […] Already a Subscriber?

EconomyHealth Care A Community Healthlink facility at 12 Queen St. in Worcester PHOTO COURTESY OF UMASS MEMORIAL HEALTH By Monica Benevides July 20, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin As UMass Memorial Health affiliate Community Healthlink prepares to close, 104 more positions have been scheduled for layoffs, bringing the projected total to 231. The updated figures were released Friday as part of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act data.

EducationGovernment & PoliticsHealth Care Heywood Hospital in Gardner. PHOTO COURTESY OF HEYWOOD HEALTHCARE By Monica Benevides July 17, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Heywood Healthcare of Gardner will begin offering fully subsidized child care to employees with the greatest financial need, thanks to an $800,000 state grant awarded to United Way of North Central Massachusetts.

Manufacturing Formerly headquartered in Oxford, IPG Photonics is now based in Marlborough. IMAGE COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS By Eric Casey July 17, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Marlborough-based laser manufacturer IPG Photonics plans to acquire France-based Lumibird Medical for $343.06 million, a move IPG will use to grow its medical market portfolio.

Government & PoliticsHospitalityReal EstateSubscriber Only A rendering of Restaurant Depot's proposed Worcester location. RENDERING COURTESY OF WORCESTER PLANNING BOARD By Eric Casey July 17, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Restaurant Depot is looking to open a 50,000-square-foot wholesale warehouse in the Worcester Business Development Corp.’s GreenTech Park. Already a Subscriber?

Government & PoliticsReal Estate Chacharone Properties is seeking to demolish 10 Washington Square (right) to facilitate the conversion of 20 Washington Square into apartments. IMAGE COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS By Eric Casey July 16, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin After purchasing two office buildings near Worcester’s Washington Square in April, Chacharone Properties plans to demolish one building and convert the other into apartments.

Commuter rail passengers prepare for boarding a train to Boston at Worcester's Union Station. PHOTO/GRANT WELKER The MBTA will temporarily suspend four inbound and four outbound off-peak Worcester Line trains beginning July 27. Several remaining midday trains will have travel times extended by about five minutes.

Professional ServicesSubscriber Only John "Jack" Roche. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HANOVER INSURANCE GROUP By Eric Casey July 16, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin After 20 years at The Hanover Insurance Group, John “Jack” Roche will retire as president and CEO at the end of the year. 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.