October Business Connection
Board of Directors

Chair of the Board
*Robert Ferrini
McGowanPRO

Treasurer
*James Donellon
Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP

General Counsel 
*Thomas Flaherty
Bacon Flaherty LLC

President/CEO
*Thomas O'Rourke
Neponset River Regional Chamber

Anthony Brown
Dedham Savings

Mary Chetwynd
Rockland Trust

Todd J. Chipman, MST, CPA
John T. Chipman & Co., CPAs

Monica Doyle
Legacy Place

Erin Hooker-Thomas, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane

*Michael Kennedy
Norwood Bank

Paul Kouri
Keller Williams 

Jon Levy
American Holt Corporation

Michelle Llorett
Fairfield Inn & Suites

Ashley Mansfield
Dedham High School

*Tim McCabe
The League School

*Julie Molloy
Compass Real Estate

Sal Perla
Norwood Hospital 

David Scarcella
Bank of Canton

Shonda Sumpter
Brigham and Women's Health Care Center

Nicole Zea
Certainteed

*Member of the Executive Committee
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Let's Get (Re) Engaged
The crisp autumn air has returned, the Red Sox are making a late playoff run (or is it a collapse?) and the Patriots are preparing to welcome back their old tight end and quarterback.

We know that the Delta variant is still causing pandemic concern, but isn't time to re-engage?

It was great to see thousands of people out and about at Norwood Day recently. I know that Westwood Day and Dedham Day had similar success. I'm sure Sharon Day will be no different on Sunday.

We are pleased to welcome back many of our members whom we haven't seen in many months. Our next two events will be held outdoors to ease the concerns of those not ready for indoor events.

We hope that you will make the time to join us next Thursday at our Wine Tasting at Debevino in Walpole. Locally made wine, apps and some inspiration as well!

Our next Noon Networking will take place at the outdoor courtyard at our world headquarters at the Norwood Space Center on October 12.

Later in the month on October 23 we move indoors for a night of bowling, drinks, apps and networking at Splitsville Lanes at Patriot Place.

Then we kickoff November with the fastest event of the year: ChamberTalks. You will hear 7 talks by 7 speakers on 7 different topics, all in 7 minute intervals. Enjoy the luxurious new seating at the Showcase Cinema at Legacy Place (with complimentary popcorn and water of course) to enjoy the presentations. Following the talks, we will head out to the main lobby by the bar for cocktails and hors d' ouevres and an opportunity to meet the speakers, ask questions and network with others.

Sign up for any of these by clicking here.

Let's re-engage!

Tom O'Rourke
President and CEO
Welcome New Members
Chamber Members Do Norwood Day
Like many other community celebrations, Norwood Day returned to Norwood Center on September 18. Thousands of residents came out to enjoy the festivities and many of our members were there to greet them.
Chamber Board Tours Paul Revere Site
The Chamber's Board of Directors met in person for the first time in a year and a half and they took a field trip!

The meeting was held on the outdoor patio at the Northern Spy Restaurant in Canton. The restaurant is in the converted copper rolling mill founded by Paul Revere (yes, that Paul Revere). The second floor of the restaurant houses a preview room for what will later become the Paul Revere Heritage Site in a converted barn next door.

The board was given a tour of the preview site and a sneak preview into the Heritage Site which will be a new tourist and educational attraction in the coming years.
Thank You! The following members have renewed their membership with the NRR Chamber
Accelerated Performance Rehabilitation
MassHire Norwood Career Center
Matt McKee Photography
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP
Printworks
PVI Site Design, LLC
Signarama Walpole
Sunrise Assisted Living Norwood
The Walpole Mall
Trillium Brewing Company
Walpole Cooperative Bank
Member to Member Promotion
Norwood's own award winning craft brewer, Castle Island Brewing Company is joining forces with the nonprofit organization, Friends of Norwood Center for this November 10th celebration of community and small business support. The evening pub crawl kicks off at 7pm at Limey's Pub and our lively group will make their way to Conrad's, Napper Tandy's and finally conclude the night at Lewis'.
Membership Directory Advertising Available
The Neponset River Regional Chamber Annual Membership Directory and Community Guide is currently in production. All members are listed by business category, alphabetically and by contact person.
 
You can also place your ad in the directory for even more exposure and receive a free 30 second video.
 
The directories are posted digitally on the Chamber website, mailed to all members and are also distributed throughout the community in town halls, hotels and other high visibility locations.
 
If you would like to advertise please contact Laurie LeBlanc at Chamber PG at 978-741-3344 or info@chamberpg.com.
News You Can Use From our Partners
Small businesses not only help their community's economy but also affect the national economy directly. Today, a diverse company's survival depends more than ever on its marketing strategy.
Learn how to improve your small business's marketability in this workshop presented by Commonwealth Corporation and the Supplier Diversity Office.

In addition to certifying diverse businesses, the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) administers several programs to help small and diverse businesses be more competitive when bidding on public contracts.
SBA Announces Changes to Disaster Loan Program
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to better serve and support the small business communities still reeling from the pandemic. The SBA is ready to receive new applications immediately from small businesses looking to take advantage of these new policy changes.

Key changes being announced by the SBA include:

  • Increasing the COVID EIDL Cap. The SBA will lift the COVID EIDL cap from $500,000 to $2 million. Loan funds can be used for any normal operating expenses and working capital, including payroll, purchasing equipment, and paying debt.
  • Implementation of a Deferred Payment Period. The SBA will ensure small business owners will not have to begin COVID EIDL repayment until two years after loan origination so that they can get through the pandemic without having to worry about making ends meet.
  • Establishment of a 30-Day Exclusivity Window. To ensure Main Street businesses have additional time to access these funds, the SBA will implement a 30-day exclusivity window of approving and disbursing funds for loans of $500,000 or less. Approval and disbursement of loans over $500,000 will begin after the 30-day period.
  • Expansion of Eligible Use of Funds. COVID EIDL funds will now be eligible to prepay commercial debt and make payments on federal business debt.
  • Simplification of affiliation requirements. To ease the COVID EIDL application process for small businesses, the SBA has established more simplified affiliation requirements to model those of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
Get your message out to more than 1,500 email addresses for just $25. Contact Tom O'Rourke at tom@nrrchamber.com
Member Benefit of the Month
Free Job Postings by Zip Recruiter
Looking to recruit top talent?
 
The Chamber has a free job bank page on its website. Backed by the power of Zip Recruiter, your jobs will be seen throughout the region.
 
Any member can go to our homepage and click the button "Find/Post Jobs" and you will be taken to a page where you can add your job listings.  
Neponset River Regional Chamber | www.nrrchamber.com