Worcester Business Journal

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.

Real EstateSubscriber Only 75 Plain St. in Hopedale. PHOTO COURTESY OF A.P MOLLER - MAERSK By Eric Casey July 15, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin Danish logistics firm A.P. Moller – Maersk is opening a new $100-million fulfillment hub in Hopedale, a project expected to create about 1,000 jobs. 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.

Arts & EntertainmentGovernment & Politics WooSox players (from left) Jarren Duran and Jeter Downs at the team's first game at Polar Park in 2021. PHOTO COURTESY OF WORCESTER RED SOX By Colin Young | State House News Service July 15, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin As the big leaguers approached the All-Star break, the Massachusetts House last week took its own swing at baseball — carving minor league players out of the state’s wage laws.

Real Estate Lakeway Commons in Shrewsbury. PHOTO GRANT WELKER By Eric Casey July 14, 2026 Share Copy URL Email Facebook X Linkedin About four months after hitting the market, the Lakeway Commons plaza in Shrewsbury has been sold for $56.7 million to one of the largest asset management firms in the world. New York-based Nuveen purchased the 90,035-square-foot shopping plaza anchored by a Whole Foods location on Friday, according to real estate data firm CoStar.

Arts & EntertainmentGovernment & PoliticsHospitality As it welcomed international tourists and prepared to board 20,000 passengers onto commuter trains to upcoming World Cup matches in Foxborough, South Station was busier than usual on Wednesday.