Here’s a round-up of the latest Wellesley business news:
Aetna adding Wellesley jobs
Aetna said this week that it’s expanding its Consumer Health and Services Organization (a.k.a., innovation hub) in Wellesley, and that will mean 250 jobs by 2020. This innovation hub focuses on building new products and services.
The health insurer had considered moving its headquarters from Hartford to Boston, but this will at least serve as a consolation prize.
Aetna will build out 80,000 sq. ft. at its current location at 93 Worcester St. on Rte. 9 to accommodate additional employees.
“This project reflects our ongoing commitment to the Boston area, a hotbed of talent for critical roles in consumer products, digital health, data science, analytics and marketing,” said Alex Vannoni, vice president of operations and strategy, CH&S, in a statement.
Bertucci’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
The recent closing of the Wellesley Bertucci’s restaurant wasn’t the chain’s first closing of late and apparently it won’t be its last. The company this week filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it looks to retrench and remain in business.
“The transaction is intended to maximize value for all stakeholders through a fair, open Bankruptcy Court-approved sale process in which Bertucci’s will consider all bids for a sale or restructuring of the company,” the company said in a statement. Bertucci’s still has 59 restaurants open, but closed 15 others in announcing the Chapter 11 filing.
When did Grossman’s close?
A reader “with a family need” wrote to us asking when the old Grossman’s hardware store, with its familiar orange and white exterior, closed in Wellesley lower falls. We knew the Grossman’s sign was torn down in 2010, making way for what would become the existing Waterstone senior living facility, but couldn’t find the actual store closing date.
So we went to Ted Tye of National Development, the property management outfit that worked on the Waterstone project, for the info and he says Grossman’s closed in 1994.
Babson starts family business center
Babson College has launched a new teaching and research hub called the Institute for Family Entrepreneurship, and named Lauri Union as its executive director. Union led the turnaround of a family manufacturing business while in her 20’s.
A pilot program at Babson this coming fall will support incoming and current students whose families run businesses.
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I worked at Grossman’s circa 1975