LOWELL
CITY COUNCIL
James L. Milinazzo
MAYOR
Kevin P. Broderick
VICE MAYOR
Edward "Bud" Caulfield
Franky D. Descoteaux
Rodney M. Elliott
William F. Martin
Joseph M. Mendonça
Rita M. Mercier
Patrick O. Murphy
OFFICE OF THE
CITY MANAGER
Bernard F. Lynch
CITY MANAGER
Adam Baacke
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER/
DPD DIRECTOR
Theresa Park
DIRECTOR OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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MARK YOUR
CALENDAR
| | November 4, 2010
Regional Strategic Plan Visioning SessionNorthern Middlesex Council of Governments 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center 50 Warren Street Lowell, MA November 5, 20103rd Annual Made in Lowell12:00 PM - 2:00 PM UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center 50 Warren Street Lowell, MA November 16, 2010Public Speaking Mastery9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 201 Jones Road Waltham, MA November 17, 2010New England Economic Partnership Fall Outlook Conference10:00 AM - 5:30 PM Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 600 Atlantic Avenue Boston, MA November 17, 2010 Yes, the Leadership Shortage is Approaching, How Should You Prepare?7:30 AM - 9:30 AM Nashua Country Club 25 Fairway Street Nashua, NH November 17, 2010Medical Device Company Showcase in collaboration with M2D25:00 PM - 8:00 M UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center 50 Warren Street Lowell, MA Admission: $25 register online www.mvvf.orgDecember 1, 2010TCN Women's Entrepreneurship Breakfast7:30 AM - 9:30 AM The Capital Network 1 Memorial Drive, Floor 1 Cambridge, MA December 1, 2010Innovation and Invention - MVVF Monthly Meeting5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Holiday Inn Tewksbury, MA Admission: MVVF Members $25, Non-members $45 Online registration: www.mvvf.org  Do you have
an event coming up
that would be of interest to our readers?Let Us Know!Send an email with your event and contact information toNewsletter@LowellMA.Govto be included in our next issue. |
| Join our list |  | | | | GETTING THEIR MOJO WORKING | | In the U.S., the number of children in single-mother families has risen dramatically over the past four decades, with nearly 24 percent of the 75 million children under the age of 18 living in a single-mother family. The poverty rate for people in single-mother households is significantly higher than the overall poverty rate. Moms and Jobs, Inc. (MoJo) is a newly formed social venture, headquartered at 100 Phoenix Ave in Lowell, whose objective is to address the issues of these single-mother families who find themselves poverty-stricken.
RIGHT: Left to Right: Darr Aley, Tom Aley, Rebecca Abbot, Cara Aley, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, Kathy Skala and Allon Cohne
Open in January 2010, MoJo was created to allow for sustainable employment opportunities for women who are struggling to make ends meet. These women sew and embroider jackets, vests, scarves, and other apparel for corporate clients and consumers. The true advantage of working at MoJo is the value-added benefit not typically offered by employers. MoJo provides better than minimum wage salaries, retirement fund matching, employee stock options, and in the future free healthcare. Most importantly MoJo provides daycare free of charge to their employees, with the understanding that one of the biggest financial challenges is the cost of daycare. MoJo has already launched their corporate line with companies such as Morgan Stanley, Accenture, and Ernst &Young being their first clients. In the upcoming months MoJo plans to launch their consumer line.
On September 24th, 2010 MoJo owner's and employees, city and state officials, and residents of Lowell joined together to celebrate the opening of MoJo's 8,000-square-foot warehouse in Lowell. The event highlighted MoJo's goal of not just creating jobs for these single-mothers but building career paths that will ultimately create a better life for these woman and children. To date 12 moms are currently employed at MoJo with that number expected to grow to 21 in November. To learn more about MoJo's mission and to shop MoJo visit www.momsandjobs.com.
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LIFE SCIENCES ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
| | The Massachusetts Life Science Center has announced the launch of the third round of their Accelerator Loan Program. The Accelerator has been a successful loan program that has supported start-up life sciences companies by providing working capital while they are further developing their science/technology. The hope is that through this support these companies will create employment opportunities and stimulate innovation in the Commonwealth.
A total investment of 3.775M is available in this round through the Massachusetts Life Science Center with a $750,000 loan cap for any company. The MLSC is looking to loan money to companies that have potential for commercialization, rapid growth, and private equity financing. Information sessions on the program are being held in Worcester on November 4th, in Waltham on November 17th, and in Springfield with a date to be determined. To learn more visit www.masslifesciences.com.
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| MADE IN LOWELL 2010 | |  Please join us on Friday, November 5th 2010 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM as we celebrate the 3rd annual Made in Lowell event. This year the City will be recognizing local companies that are committed to sustainable principles in its business practices. For the last two years we have had over 30 local companies exhibiting their products and services to over 200 attendees! To learn more information visit Made in Lowell 2010 or call 978-446-7200. |
| ENERGY FUNDING FOR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN | | The buildings in which we live, work, and play protect us from nature's extremes but vary greatly in terms of comfort, operating cost and environmental impact. Recognizing this, the City of Lowell successfully proposed and has now launched a pioneering BetterBuildings grant that will enable businesses, building owners, and residents in the Lowell's Downtown Historic District (DLHD) to seek up to $500,000 in combined grant and loan incentives for energy efficiency improvements to their building. This exciting program is an opportunity to retrofit buildings in accordance with historic preservation guidelines and to improve comfort, save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobs for the greater Lowell community.
In April it was announced that the City of Lowell would receive $5 million through the federal Recovery Act BetterBuildings grant (formerly called Retrofit Ramp-Up) to implement energy efficiency retrofit projects compatible with historic preservation in the DLHD. The grant is being administered by the City in partnership with National Grid, the National Park Service, and the Lowell Development and Financial Corporation (LDFC), which will be working with several local financial institutions to offer loans for larger projects. All project proponents are asked to first participate in National Grid's free energy assessments and/or audits to identify cost-effective steps that will make your business more energy efficient and comfortable. National Grid offers attractive discounts on equipment and rebates for certain energy efficiency measures, with small businesses offered on-bill repayment at 0% interest for two years to cover their share of retrofits. The City's BetterBuildings grant program is offering a rebate of up to $1500 for small businesses that can reduce your cost even further.
If your business is interested, please fill out the one-page Letter of Interest form ASAP. To receive a copy or learn more information about the BetterBuildings grant call 978-446-7200, ext. 1205. |
| SMALL BUSINESS JOBS ACT OF 2010 | | On September 27, 2010 President Barack Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act into law in recognition of how important small businesses are in driving this economic recovery and creating jobs for America. This new law, through the SBA, will extend the successful SBA Recovery loans and offer a variety of tax breaks and lending support to small business owners and entrepreneurs, including $14 billion more in lending support to small businesses; increasing the loan limits from $2 million to $5 million; and also increasing the alternative size standard of the small businesses eligible. In addition, the Treasury will administer $30 billion for Small Business Lending through smaller community banks and establishing a state Small Business Credit Initiative where they will provide $1.5 billion to states to provide small business lending programs.
The new law will also allow for small businesses to compete for federal contracts by: - Establishing a $25 million Small Business Teaming Pilot Program, this will promote federal contracting opportunities for joint ventures and small businesses.
- Encouraging small businesses to expand their business internationally by becoming exporters and increase their export activities; the SBA is creating a $90 million, three-year trade and export promotion program that will make grants to states to carry out export programs that will assist eligible small businesses.
- Expanding training and counseling programs for small businesses through $50 million in grants to small business development centers.
- Providing $12 billion in tax reliefs to help small businesses invest in their firms and create jobs. The tax cuts will include everything from the highest small business expensing limit ever of $500,000 to deductions on health insurance costs for the self-employed.
To learn more about what the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 can do for you visit http://www.sba.gov/jobsact/ or speak with your local SBA representative at 617-565-5590. |
BUSINESSES IN THE NEWS
| |  Litle & Co., located at the Cross Point towers, has nearly doubled their footprint at the towers to 60,000 square feet. Litle & Co., a provider of merchant-payment technologies and services, has grown significantly since 2007 with the company going from 70 employees to about 170 and doubling their revenue figure to $200 million. To learn more about Litle & Co. visit www.litle.com.
 On October 1, 2010 the former Prince Spaghetti Factory will have a new tenant with Northeast Materials Handling, a liquidation and recycling firm. Northeast Materials Handling will be moving from Chelmsford to their new 44,000 square feet space in Lowell. The business buys, sells, and leases office furniture, home furnishings, warehouse equipment, and a variety of home and office goods. To learn more about Northeast Materials visit www.liquidatedstuff.com.
 Over the last few months Cobham Sensor Systems has been working in close partnership with city and state officials from the MA Office of Business Development on their Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) proposal to occupy and make significant private investment to 277,000 square feet of space at 1001 Pawtucket Boulevard, the former MA/COM site. The EDIP is a tax incentive program designed to foster job creation and stimulate business growth in the Commonwealth by offering companies like Cobham, state and local tax incentives in exchange for job creation, manufacturing job retention, and private investment commitments.
The approval of a "tax increment financing" agreement under the EDIP for Cobham will result in the retention of 400 high-paying jobs, the creation of 20 news jobs and an estimated $13 million dollars in private investment. In return, Cobham will receive property tax relief on the incremental increase in value from the City and investment tax credit from the State. To learn more about Cobham Sensor systems visit www.cobham.com and to find out more about the state's EDIP visit www.ma.gov.
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CITY OFFERS ONE-STEP PERMITTING
| | The City of Lowell improved city user services over the summer months with the opening of the Development Services Office. Located on the second floor of City Hall (375 Merrimack Street), the Development Services Office is a one-stop permit and code enforcement center for businesses and residents in the City.
Consolidation of the Permitting and Code Enforcement, Zoning, Health, Inspectional Services, Electrical, Historic, and Conservation offices was approved by the City Council in June and allows for businesses and residents to visit just one office in the city instead of five.
The new Development Services Office will mean improved customer service for project developers, builders, and residents; simplify the process for obtaining required permits which will improve public safety; streamline the permit process to support economic development, and allow for more communication with the public about permitting and code enforcements. To learn more about the Development Services Office call their main number at 978-674-4144. |
COMING ATTRACTION - THE FIGHTER
| | While walking the streets of Lowell last summer you might have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale or Amy Adams filming the highly anticipated Micky Ward biopic, The Fighter.
In December, The Fighter will hit the big screen and will feature shots of the Highlands neighborhood, Cupples Square, Tsongas Center, and many other prominent locations throughout Lowell. The film is a look at the life of Lowell boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward and his trainer/half-brother Dicky Eklund and their remarkable rise to making Mickey into a lightweight title winner.
You can watch the movie's trailer at: www.thefightermovie.com.
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