Chamber News

The One SouthCoast Chamber is pleased to recognize the significant contributions and achievements of our region’s businesses with the presentation of the 2019 APEX Awards in the categories of Small Business, Large Business, Non-Profit and Educational Institution. The awards ceremony this past Tuesday was an evening cocktail occasion held at Century House in Acushnet.

With over 30 nominees this year, the painstaking task of narrowing down one of the largest turnouts to date was no easy one. Each nominee has played a unique role within the community and contributed to the economic development of the SouthCoast.

Presented with the Large Business of the Year award was Poyant Signs.

For over 80 years, Poyant Signs has maintained a desire to help customers build their business with high quality products by collaborating with local, regional and national companies to help achieve their clients’ goals.

A third generation family business Poyant Signs shows consistent growth in all areas of the organization including their employment, which recently increased their workforce from 58 to 72.

The majority of these employees are hired from local vocational high schools and colleges.   As a pioneer in innovation, Poyant is constantly updating their equipment and business strategies capitalizing on modern technology.

Poyant is committed to the SouthCoast and heavily involved with local organizations and community events including the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the United Way, the New Bedford Military Museum, the New Bedford Girls Softball League, Chowder Festival and the Taste of Southcoast.

The nominees for this year’s Large Business of the Year award included Eastern Bank, Plumbers Supply Co., Vibra Hospital of Southeastern Massachusetts, Toyota of Dartmouth/Check Collision, The Standard-Times, SouthCoast Behavioral Health, Couto Construction and finalists First Citizens Federal Credit Union and Lafrance Hospitality.

Presented with the Small Business of the Year award was Buzzards Bay Brewery Inc.

Buzzards Bay Brewing has been a major player in the local brewing industry for more than twenty years.

The main mission of Buzzard Bay Brewery is to not to just sell beer, but rather to work side by side with local brewers to build a vibrant craft beer community that will prosper and recirculate resources into the local economy.

The early decision to focus on local consumers and retailers has been the key to their success for the past two decades and allowed the local craft beer industry to succeed.

Buzzards Bay Brewing continuously strives to gather people to enjoy life experiences together.  Heavily invested in the community they have significant relationships with The Zeiterion Theatre, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, the Pink Boots Society and are strong advocates for Women in the Brewing Industry.

The nominees for year’s Small Business of the Year award included Best Western Dartmouth Inn, Primerica, Hannah Grace Beyoutiful, Spectrum Marketing Group, Diversified Marketing Group, Capital House Media, Simply Sierra Jewelry, U.S. Party Supply, Couto Construction, Alferes Realty, Mid City Steel and finalists Servpro of New Bedford and Precision Window and Kitchen, Inc.

The Non-Profit of the Year sponsored by First Citizens Federal Credit Union was presented to YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts

The YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts works towards the elimination of racism, the empowerment of women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

With a diverse workforce of more than 20 employees ranging from high school students to personnel over 60, they represent and easily communicate with multiple demographics.

Under their current Leadership, the YWCA has completed a $4.5 million campaign to build a 6,550 square foot addition specifically for a school age childcare program and to provide 8 full units of housing for low-income women.

The YWCA serves over 4,000 local residents annually and offers programming in Adult, Youth and Residential services as well as Health and wellness.

Currently the YWCA’s strategic plan focuses on increasing development, communications and branding while expanding programs and services throughout the SouthCoast.

The nominees for this year’s Non-Profit of the Year award included Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of New Bedford Inc., Realtor Association of Southeastern Massachusetts, Coastal Foodshed, MoLife Inc., PACE and finalists Greater New Bedford Community Health and Leadership SouthCoast.

Presented with the Educational Institution of the Year award was Alma del Mar Charter School

Founded in 2011, Alma del Mar’s mission is to put every child on a path to college, while challenging them to be service-minded leaders.

With hundreds of children on the waiting list and more than 10% of the city’s kindergarteners applying for enrollment, Alma del Mar has seen a demand for expansion.

This demand led to the construction of a two-story school in the North End of New Bedford.  Recently, Alma was approved to open a first-of-its-kind neighborhood-based enrollment Commonwealth Charter school.

This innovative model which works in partnership with the City of New Bedford and New Bedford Public Schools will serve 450 young scholars from grades K-8 by 2022.

Alma del Mar’s result have been amongst the highest in the state and their teachers and administration continue to lead by example encouraging their scholars to excel academically and become contributing member of society through civic engagement.

The nominees for this year’s Educational Institution of the Year award included Lesley University, Nativity Preparatory School New Bedford with finalists Rob Roy Academy and Old Colony Regional Vocational High School.

Are you undecided about hiring youth for the summer? Listen to an employer who did.

Congratulations to APEX Award nominees. Come join us to celebrate the accomplishments of all the nominees at the April 9th awards ceremony at Century House in Acushnet. Register here.

Large Business

Small Business

Education

Non Profit

Submitted by JMR & Company, LLC

Congress has passed tax reform that will take effect in 2018, ushering in some of the most significant tax changes in three decades. There are a lot of changes in the new bill, which was signed into law on Dec. 22, 2017.

Key changes for individuals:

Here are some of the key items in the tax reform bill that affect individuals:

• Reduces income tax brackets: The bill retains seven brackets, but at reduced rates, with the highest tax bracket dropping to 37 percent from 39.6 percent. The individual income brackets are also expanded to expose more income to lower rates (see charts below).
• Doubles standard deductions: The standard deduction nearly doubles to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married filing jointly. To help cover the cost, personal exemptions and most additional standard deductions are suspended.
• Limits itemized deductions: Many itemized deductions are no longer available, or are now limited. Here are some of the major examples:
  • Caps state and local tax deductions: State and local tax deductions are limited to $10,000 total for all property, income and sales taxes.
  • Caps mortgage interest deductions: For newly acquired homes, mortgage interest will be deductible only for mortgage indebtedness of no more than $750,000. Existing homeowners are unaffected by the new cap. The bill also suspends the deductibility of interest on equity debt.
  • Limit of theft and casualty losses: Deductions are now available only for federally declared disaster areas.
  • No more 2 percent miscellaneous deductions: Most miscellaneous deductions subject to the 2 percent of adjusted gross income threshold are now gone.
  • Tip: If you’re used to itemizing your return, that may change in coming years as the doubled standard deduction and reduced deductions make itemizing less attractive. To the extent you can, make any remaining itemizable expenditures before the end of 2017.
• Cuts some above-the-line deductions: Moving expense deductions get eliminated except for active-duty military personnel, along with alimony deductions beginning in 2019.
• Personal exemptions have been eliminated with the new tax bill.
• Weakens the alternative minimum tax (AMT): The bill retains the alternative minimum tax but changes the exemption to $109,400 for joint filers and the phaseout threshold to $1 million. The changes mean the AMT will affect far fewer people than before.
• Bumps up child tax credit, adds family tax credit: The child tax credit increases to $2,000 from $1,000, with $1,400 of it being refundable even if no tax is owed. The phaseout threshold increases sharply to $400,000 from $110,000 for joint filers, making it available to more taxpayers. Also, dependents ineligible for the child tax credit can qualify for a new $500-per-person family tax credit.
• Expands use of 529 education savings plans: Tax-deductible contributions to 529 education savings plans can now be used to pay tuition for students in K-12 private schools.
• Doubles estate tax exemption: Estate taxes will apply to even fewer people, with the exemption doubled to $11.2 million ($22.4 million for married couples).

What stays the same for individuals:

• Itemized charitable deductions: Remain largely the same.
• Itemized medical expense deductions: Remain largely the same. The deduction threshold drops back to 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income for 2017 and 2018, but reverts to 10 percent in the following years.
• Some above-the-line deductions: Remain the same, including educator expenses and student loan interest.
• Gift tax deduction: Remains and increases to $15,000 from $14,000 for 2018.
• Kiddie tax threshold: Remains at $2,100 (amount of unearned income that can be taxed at your child’s lower tax rate).

Farewell to the healthcare individual mandate penalty

One of the changes in the tax bill is the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (also known as “Obamacare”) individual mandate penalty. The penalty is set to zero starting in 2019, but remains in place for 2018 and prior years.

• Tip: Retain your Form 1095s this year, which will provide evidence of your healthcare coverage. Without it, you may have to pay the higher of $695 or 2.5 percent of income, though 2018 may be the last year you’ll need to worry about it.

For more information contact:

JMR & Company, LLC
Fall River Ph: 508-679-6079,
Fairhaven Ph: 508-993-2255
New Bedford Ph: 508-997-5556
Web: www.jmrcpas.com

The interview is both the most elusive and the most stressful part of the job-hunting process. You can spend weeks desperately looking for one, and then when you have it, you can spend days worrying about it. However, interviews don’t have to be an absolute nightmare. Being smart about your applications and doing the correct research will ensure you arrive at your interview confident, positive, and well-prepared.

Tailor Your Applications

Yes, it’s tempting to send every job you see the same resume and cover letter, but what you gain in speed you lose in value. The first mistake people make is applying for jobs they are only vaguely qualified for (if at all). This is a waste of time for everyone involved. While irrelevant applications are useless, generic applications are usually boring and unremarkable. Have a template resume and cover letter for the formatting and formalities, but tailor each one to the specific job. This includes clearly referring to the job’s requirements as listed in the advert and showing that you understand the company and its goals. Check for basic mistakes like typos, a lack of focus, and unjustified periods of inactivity in your resume.

Follow Up

You don’t have to send a follow-up email to every job application you send out, but it’s definitely worth it for a job you genuinely think you are perfect for. It’s easy for an application to be lost in the crowd, so anything that makes you stand out is a plus. Make sure you keep it to only one phone call or email — you don’t want to come off as annoying.

Do Your Homework

So you’ve got your interview — what’s next? The single most important thing you need to do is your homework. Look up potential job interview questions they are likely to ask you, and don’t forget to have a few questions of your own. Find out about the industry and company, and print out your resume and/or portfolio just in case.

Arrive Early

Make sure you know exactly how you are getting to your interview, and if possible, do a trial run of the journey. Give yourself ample time to arrive there early — about 10 to 15 minutes is ideal, as anything more can be an inconvenience to them. Use this time wisely to make a good impression and put your mind in the right place.

Dress Up

When in doubt, overdress. For the vast majority of jobs, a suit for men and office wear for women is the way to go. If you are interviewing for a young and casual company, you can dress down somewhat, but you should still look neat and presentable. Indeed.com has advice on how to dress for every type of interview, including tips for business casual environments.

Smile And Chat

Professional but stiff is generally not a good look. We know interviews are stressful, but you should still do your best to seem personable and friendly — after all, managers hire people they like. Focus on maintaining a (genuine) smile throughout the conversation and work on your small talk to form a quick connection with the interviewer.

Follow Up (Again)

Very few interviewees do this, but it is always appreciated. A quick follow-up email when you get home from the interview (or the following day) shows good manners, reinforces your interest, and keeps communication open between you and the employer.

An interview may sound like an elaborate form of social torture, but it’s really just a conversation. The employer is trying to find out if you’re the person for the job, and convincing them shouldn’t be that hard if you are the person for the job. As long as you know what you can bring to the table and do your basic prep, everything should go smoothly.

Ulshoeffer CPAs, PLLC was established in July 2018, by husband and wife Mike and Ashley Ulshoeffer. Located at 6 Water Street, Mattapoisett, MA, Ashley and Mike are dedicated in providing closely held businesses, families, and individuals a full range of advisory, accounting, and assurance services, alongside tax planning and tax compliance services. Together they have over 25 years of public accounting experience with time spent at both the large Boston-based public accounting firms as well as the local and regional firm level. Whether it be the preparation of annual tax returns or financial statements to sophisticated tax planning and advisory services, Ashley and Mike are able to offer the same high quality of services you and your business would get from a large national CPA firm but with the personal service and attention you’d find and deserve at a local CPA firm.

Today many local and regional CPA firm owners and advisors are moving into a stage of life where they are retiring and considering a more viable retirement option, which is to sell their practice to a larger CPA firm that has the ability to acquire and absorb such an acquisition. This however sometimes leaves closely held businesses, families, and individuals caught up in a bigger CPA firm setting where they don’t necessarily receive the attention and help they once had 100% of the time. Ulshoeffer CPAs, PLLC is uniquely positioned as your next generation of hardworking and enthusiastic advisors providing proactive, respectable, and complete solutions for your accounting and tax needs, 100% of the time.

Mike and Ashley grew up in small Massachusetts communities and decided to move to the South Coast to raise their family, closer to family and the ocean. Mike and Ashley both volunteer time to the Mariner Youth Soccer program.

To find out more information you can visit their website at ulshoeffercpas.com or email info@ulshcpas.com. They look forward to hearing from you!

In late June 2018, Massachusetts’ Governor, Charlie Baker, signed “An Act Relative to Minimum
Wage, Paid Family Medical Leave, and the Sales Tax Holiday,” more commonly known as the “Grand
Bargain.” As the Act’s long name suggests, the law raises minimum wage while eliminating
mandatory Sunday and holiday pay, introduces paid family medical leave, and establishes an annual
statewide sales tax holiday.

Read the full update here.

At meetings held separately of the Boards of Directors of the Bristol County Chamber and The One SouthCoast Chamber, on December 19 and December 20 respectively, the Boards of both organizations agreed to establish a task force to explore and provide due diligence on the integration of the two organizations.

The task force, with appointed members from the Boards of each chamber, will spend six months reviewing opportunities for integration. Among stated goals of the task force are to maintain the identity and preserve the jobs of the current employees of each organization while providing members the resources and expertise of one organization that seeks to unite the South Coast region through effective advocacy, strong support for economic growth and workforce preparation, enhanced member value and ultimately efficiencies that derive from scale.

Brian LeComte, Chair of the Board of the Bristol County Chamber and a senior executive at Gold Medal Bakery, said, “Each Chamber brings definable and complementary strengths to the table. The goals of the exploration are to see how those strengths can potentially lead to a structure that provides the best possible service to all members, especially the small members that make up the vast majority of each chamber.” LeComte added, “There is no predetermined outcome to this examination by the task force. We are searching for the best possible outcomes and impacts for our members by executing the due diligence required.”

The task force will be reviewing financial information, member benefits, major and smaller events, governance and efficient use of existing staff. The goal is that the task force analysis will be complete by June 15, 2019 after which a single recommendation will come forward from the task force to each Board for consideration.

Kim Perry, Chair of The One SouthCoast Chamber and a senior executive with Waring-Sullivan and Rock Funeral Homes, said, “This task force is perfectly timed. Both organizations are financially strong and have effective and committed volunteer and paid leadership. There has never been a better time to approach this discussion. At the end of the day, any decision is about what is best for the members of the Bristol County Chamber and The One SouthCoast Chamber.”

The task force will be co-chaired by Mike O’Sullivan and Rick Kidder, CEOs of the two chambers and will include the following members – Rose Lopes of the Sylvia Group, Doug Glassman of ServPro (New Bedford and Fall River), Ron Ellis of Edward Jones, Doug Rodrigues of JMR Accounting, Catherine Dillon of BankFive, Carl Sawejko of Sawejko Communications and Bill Perkins of People Incorporated.

If you’ve been by the Chamber office recently it’s plain to see that The One SouthCoast Chamber is in moving mode. We will be moving to our new offices this week which are also located in downtown New Bedford.

New Address:

227 Union Street

Mezzanine 2

New Bedford, MA 02740

 We appreciate your patience during this time, as we will have limited access to internet on Dec. 13th & 14th. Our website will still be up, and access to your member profile and event registration will be available during this time.

The One SouthCoast Chamber and SouthCoast Media Group are thrilled to be Neighborhood Champions, promoting the American Express “Shop Small” initiative on Small Business Saturday, November 24th.

FREE Bus Fares with SRTA
As part of Small Business Saturday, SRTA is offering free fares all day long, as a way to encourage people to shop on the South Coast.

Numerous businesses in the region will be taking part by opening their locations that day to promote shopping local. Check back frequently as we will continue to add retail and business partners to the list of participants, and be sure to look our for special sales, deals, and promotions that many of the retailers will be offering.

Cindy Irving Photography
$55 print credit when you book a session.

Mellisa’s Pet Depot
30% off a non-food item (excludes flea/tick products).
A free treat & goodie bag for the first 25 customers who make a purchase.

Mike’s Restaurant
Get a $10 gift card with a purchase of a $100 gift card.

Salon En Vogue Organic
$100 off holiday gift sets, 20% off haircuts and $18 blow outs

The Barre
Receive $15 off the monthly membership rate ($115, normally $130), deals on class packs and enjoy 15% or more on all retail clothing.

Brewer Banner
20% off stock sewn decorative flags and banners

Ritual Sweat Society

New Bedford Harbor Hotel
20% off dining in our Restaurant (Excludes alcohol, tax & gratuity, Cannot be combined with any other offer)

Come in on Small Business Saturday to book an overnight stay and receive 20% off (Must stay  before 12/31/18, Cannot be combined with any other rate offer.)

New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
Free hot chocolate and a free gift with any purchase of $25 or more.  We are open 10-4 on Saturdays.

Found Treasures

Spend $50 and be entered in for a chance to win a decorative wreath.

Savage Advertising Solutions
20% Off any purchase over $150 (not to be combined with other offers)

Waterfront Grille, Bittersweet Farm, Ten Cousins Brick Oven, The Galley Grille
For every $50 in gift cards purchased, receive $20 bonus card.

Moby Dick Brewing Co.
For every $50 in gift cards purchased, receive $10 bonus card.

Boutique Fitness, Inc.

Davol Grooves & Nutrition on Davol
15% off a 10 class pass $85.00 or 15% off membership packages
10 shakes & teas $76.00, $93.00 or $110.00.
20% off all your product orders/direct ship to the location of your choice.

Sagres Vacations
Discounts on package deals to Lisbon, Madeira and the Azores.