Joe Reilly Appointed to Board of Directors

Dave Mansfield, CEO of The Provident Bank, announced today the addition of Joe Reilly to The Provident Bank and Provident Bancorp, Inc. Board of Directors.

“I admire Joe’s vision and courage as the founder of Centrix Bank, the first dedicated Commercial Bank in New Hampshire,” comments Mansfield. “He brings to our Board of Directors the expertise of a successful bank CEO, the character of a dedicated community member, and the respect of the entire banking community. It is an honor to introduce Joe Reilly to our Team.”

Reilly co-founded Centrix Bank in 1999 and served as CEO until 2014. Centrix was established to provide NH a true commercial bank that was focused on helping businesses grow and be successful. The bank reached over $1 billon in assets and was acquired by Eastern Bank in 2014. Reilly became the Eastern Bank Regional President. He retired in December 2017.

“I have a deep respect for everything Joe has accomplished throughout his forty-year career in banking,” continues Mansfield. “He is a pioneer in the banking industry and will bring critical insight, sound judgement and hands-on experience to The Provident as we continue to grow and thrive as a commercial bank.”

Reilly was elected to the Boards of The Provident Bank and Provident Bancorp, Inc. on June 21, 2018.

“I have been watching The Provident’s transformation and growth from a small community bank to an innovative commercial bank over the past several years,” comments Reilly. “The Provident has an outstanding reputation in the banking community for being an innovative institution while maintaining financial strength and sound judgement. Its niche markets in international finance, mergers and acquisitions, search fund lending and renewable energy, are unique in that not many banks its size pursue these financing opportunities. But The Provident is doing it successfully.”

Prior to co-founding Centrix Bank, Reilly was Chief Operating Officer and Senior Lending Officer at Centerpoint Bank. When Centerpoint Bank was acquired, Reilly assumed a senior management position as Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking with Bank of New Hampshire. He also worked in various roles at Fleet Bank for twelve years.

“I was particularly intrigued by The Provident’s strategy to pursue a partial IPO in 2015,” continues Reilly. “That kind of well thought out strategy speaks volumes to the great leadership of The Provident’s executive team and board of directors. It is a business model I am comfortable supporting.”

Reilly has been heavily involved in the community throughout his career. He is currently a Trustee and past Chairman of the New Hampshire Institute of Art College, as well as a Trustee of NeighborWorks of Southern New Hampshire. He also serves as the sole independent Director of a newly formed healthcare insurance company in New Hampshire, Tufts Health Freedom Plan. He also serves as Director and Treasurer of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

“Joe Reilly has been an influential member of our community for decades,” comments Arthur Sullivan, Provident Bank Board Member and Principal Partner of Brady Sullivan Properties. “He is known for his leadership in business, his generous philanthropy, and his dedication to our local community. I am thrilled for the opportunity to work with him as a Provident Bank Board member. He is a great addition to our team.”

Reilly’s community involvement has not gone unnoticed. His business and community awards include: 2018 UNH Manchester Granite Award; 2018 NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire David Goodwin Outstanding Neighbor Award; 2016 Granite United Way Live United Award; 2013 Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year Award; 2012 CMC Charles Whittemore Award; and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s 2003 Small Business Person of the Year Award. He was also recognized as one of “NH’s Most influential People” by Business NH Magazine in 2012, as Community Banker of the Year by the New Hampshire Bankers Association in 2000, and was one of New Hampshire’s “Leaders for the 21st Century” by Business NH Magazine in 2000. He also received the 2005 Entrepreneurial Venture/Creations Person of the Year Award from the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics, and was a Moore Center’s 2016 Garden Party Honoree.

“It is an honor to have such an influential member of the banking community join our Board of Directors,” comments Mansfield. “I look forward to working with Joe as The Provident continues to expand its niche markets.”

Reilly earned an MBA from Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. He lives in Ipswich, Massachusetts with his wife, Venetia.

About The Provident
The Provident Bank, a subsidiary of Provident Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PVBC), is an innovative, commercial bank that finds solutions for our business and private clients. We are committed to strengthening the economic development of the regions we serve, by working closely with businesses and private clients and delivering superior products and high-touch services to meet their banking needs. The Provident has offices in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. All deposits are insured in full through a combination of insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF).

Seacoast Helicopters Expands Into Portland

Seacoast Helicopters – which has been flying people on tours of the Seacoast in their trademark red helicopters for six years – is expanding its service to Portland, Maine.

Bruce Cultrera, the president, chief executive officer and founder of Seacoast Helicopters, said this week he hopes his company will start flying tours from the Portland JetPort to destinations around Portland by the end of June.

“It’s kind of the same environment in Portland as it was here when we first started in Portsmouth,” he said about the decision to start flying tours up there too. “It’s a beautiful area, there’s lighthouses, islands and a great waterfront.”

“Plus there’s no helicopter service up there. We thought it looked like a good opportunity for us to expand,” he added.

In Portland, Seacoast Helicopters will offer helicopter tours of the city’s historic downtown, Casco Bay and the numerous islands and lighthouses around Portland, Cultrera said in an interview this week.

He has also inked what he describes as “an exclusive” deal with the owner of Halfway Rock Lighthouse, which is nine miles off the coast.

“You fly out to the island by helicopter and you get a guided tour of the lighthouse and if you want to upgrade the experience we can include a gourmet picnic lunch and you can sit there and watch the whales and the seals,” he said.

Cultrera plans to start the Portland operation with one helicopter but is ready to expand “as the interest dictates.”

“We’ll bring in a second or third one if needed,” he said.

Seacoast Helicopters began as a single pilot operation with just one of its trademark red helicopters and has grown over its six-year history to six red helicopters and nine pilots, Cultrera said.

He believes the company has succeeded and grown because of its commitment to customer service and hard work.

“There’s no substitute for hard work. We’re all extremely passionate about aviation, with very few exemptions we’re all pilots and we run the place like a family business,” he said.

But Cultrera acknowledges the company has benefited “tremendously” from being branded as the company with the “little red helicopters.”

“My first helicopter just happened to be red, but it’s turned into a huge branding thing for us,” he said.

The company, which was the target of some noise complaints when it first started operating in Portsmouth, flies charter trips in addition to tours.

“We’ve flown people to New York on several occasions, Vermont, Connecticut, we’ll fly anywhere they want to go,” he said.

The company is also in the process of trying to get approval to build a new headquarters at the Pease International Tradeport, where they’ve operated for six years.

David Mullen, the executive director of the Pease Development Authority, said the PDA’s technical committee will hold a hearing on Cultrera’s request at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Mullen described Seacoast Helicopters as the “little engine that could.”

“He keeps tugging away, tugging away and he’s obviously demonstrated the ability to grow his business,” Mullen said Wednesday. “Obviously something is working if he’s able to do all this and considering adding a second location.”

About Seacoast Helicopters
Seacoast Helicopters brings helicopter services to the New Hampshire Seacoast and its surrounding areas to student pilots, rated pilots, tourists, charter customers, photographers/film makers and utility companies. Located at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth NH, we offer new, well-maintained aircraft for individual rental, scenic tours, aerial photography, FAA Part 133 Utility and Long Line Lift and FAA Part 135 Air Taxi/charter services. Become a pilot by completing our primary and advanced flight instruction by FAA certified flight instructors under FAA Part 61 and Part 141. We are now offering FIXED WING instruction in addition to helicopter training.

Neoscope Ranked Top Provider by Channel Futures

Neoscope Ranked Among Top 501 Global Managed Service Providers by Channel Futures

11th Annual MSP 501 Identifies World’s Most Forward-Thinking MSPs & Leading Trends in Managed Services

Neoscope ranks among the world’s 501 most strategic and innovative managed service providers (MSPs), according to Channel Futures 11th annual MSP 501 Worldwide Company Rankings.

The MSP 501 is the first, largest and most comprehensive ranking of managed service providers worldwide. This year Channel Futures received a record number of submissions. Applications poured in from Europe, Asia, South America and beyond. As it has for the last three years, Channel Futures teamed with Clarity Channel Advisors to evaluate these progressive and forward-leaning companies. MSPs were ranked according to our unique methodology, which recognizes that not all revenue streams are created equal. We weighted revenue figures according to how well the applicant’s business strategy anticipates trends in the fast-evolving channel ecosystem.

“With over 14,000 Managed Services Providers in North America alone it’s a true honor to be recognized in this incredible group,” said Tim Martin of Neoscope. “We share this honor with our amazing clients, staff and business partners.”

Channel Futures is pleased to honor Neoscope For the first time, Channel Futures will also name 10 special award winners, including MSP of the Year, CEO of the Year and one Lifetime Achievement Award
for a career of excellence in the channel. The MSP 501 winners and award recipients will be recognized at a special ceremony at Channel Partners Evolution, held this year October 9-12 in Philadelphia, as well as in the Fall issue of Channel Partners Magazine.

“This year’s applicant pool was the largest and most diverse in the history of the survey, and our winners represent the health and progressivity of the managed services market,” says Kris Blackmon, Channel Futures content director and editor of the MSP 501. “They’re growing their revenue, expanding their customer influence and exploring new technology that will propel them for years to come.”

The full MSP 501 report, available this fall, will leverage applicant responses, interviews and historical data to identify business and technology trends in the IT channel. Highlights will include:

  • Revenue growth and business models
  • Hiring trends and workforce dynamics
  • Business strategies
  • Service deliverables
  • Business tools and automation investments

The complete 2018 MSP 501 list is available at Channel Futures.

Background
The 2018 MSP 501 list is based on data collected by Channel Futures and its sister site, Channel Partners. Data was collected online from Feb. 28 through May 31, 2018. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, growth and other factors.

About Neoscope
Neoscope acts as your entire IT department or supports your existing IT team across a range of IT services at a predictable, affordable monthly fee. We work within every major vertical industry to provide managed services, security support, customized solutions and products. Neoscope is locally focused with clients from Boston, MA to Portland ME and inland to Manchester, NH but has a national reach for many of our clients. Our certified senior IT professionals understand how vital IT is to your core business functions. Neoscope’s staff consists of certified senior IT professionals who understand that IT is a vital component of core business functions. We work collaboratively to align your critical business objectives with your IT strategy and solutions. Our distinctive proactive IT support keeps your essential IT systems up and running to maximize productivity, reduce costs, and improve your cybersecurity.

Runnymede Investments purchases Smuttynose

Runnymede Investments of North Hampton will buy Smuttynose Brewing Company from The Provident Bank for an undisclosed amount and intends to revitalize the struggling craft beer staple, the brewery announced Friday.

Chris Broom Jr., of Runnymede said he was excited to invest in New Hampshire’s largest craft brewery, crediting founder Peter Egelston and his partner Joanne Francis for assembling “a great team and an impressive production facility,” a press release from Smuttynose stated.

“We’re taking a long view and plan on making immediate investments to strengthen the brand and return to growth,” Broom said.

The Provident Bank bought back the company in a March 9 foreclosure auction for $8.25 million and began talks with potential buyers shortly after. Egelston will remain president of the brewery and work closely with Rich Lindsay, an experience brewery industry executive whom Runnymede plans to put in place as Smuttynose’s CEO, according to Smuttynose.

Smuttynose spokewoman Barbara MacLeod said it was unclear whether Egelston will remain president for the long-term or leave after overseeing a smooth transition.

Lindsay has held executive roles at Samuel Adams, Tuthilltown Spirits and Night Shift Brewing, according to Smuttynose. He has had close ties with Egelston, the company said, and has also been a consultant for numerous startups in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Egelston, who opened Smuttynose on Heritage Avenue in Portsmouth in 1994, announced the sale in January, citing industry changes like the recent boom of microbreweries as key factors in Smuttynose’s financial struggles. He and Francis said in statements Friday they were pleased with Runnymede as Smuttynose’s new buyer. Francis said she was grateful their future was no longer “in limbo.”

“All of us here at Smuttynose are eager to turn the page and start our next chapter,” Egelston said. “We are pleased to know that we’ll be working with investors from within our own community, people who are familiar with our brand and appreciate what we’ve built here.”

MacLeod said Runnymede declined to give an interview Friday. The company is a family-owned investment firm headquartered in North Hampton about five miles from the Smuttynose location, according to the press release. Runnymede specializes in real estate, private equity and venture capital.

Lindsay said he looks forward to “building upon the Smuttynose brand’s legacy.” To improve growth, he said the hope is to hire new sales staff and equip them with “resources to make them effective in this competitive market.”

He also said the brewery plans to add a canning line, as Egelston said the rise in popularity of cans contributed to Smuttynose’s financial struggles. The Towle Farm facility has a bottling line, installed when bottling was still considered the favored container for craft beer by consumers. Brewing industry members say the shift to cans occurred over just a few years, catching companies like Smuttynose by surprise.

Lindsay said a canning line allows Smuttynose to “participate in a growing segment of the craft beer market.”

The sale included the brand as well as the brewery’s $24 million state-of-the-art, LEED-Gold certified facility and adjacent Hayseed Restaurant at Smuttynose’s 13-acre campus at 105 Towle Farm Road in Hampton.

Loftware Acquires Gap Systems

Loftware, Inc., the global leader in Enterprise Labeling Solutions, with over 5,000 customers in 100 countries, announced today that it has acquired Gap Systems, a leading provider of SaaS based artwork management solutions headquartered in the United Kingdom. Loftware extends its global presence and offers a new cloud-based digital platform with solutions that redefine how enterprises create, manage and print complex labeling and packaging artwork, and scale across their operations.

With this acquisition, Loftware unites complementary companies, teams and solutions. Loftware dynamically addresses a complete range of customer and regulatory mandates by producing mission-critical barcode labels and documents across the supply chain, while Gap Systems controls complex packaging artwork processes throughout the product lifecycle. Together they uniquely address the full spectrum of labeling and packaging artwork requirements across a broad range of industries with a special focus on Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Chemical, Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods. The combined platform—whether used for labeling, artwork management or both—enables customers to improve time to market, mitigate risk, reduce supply chain complexity, optimize costs and increase agility.

“Several years ago, Loftware pioneered the Enterprise Labeling market by recognizing the need to focus on complex, high volume labeling for large organizations. Now we are transforming the Label and Artwork Management space by delivering this unprecedented platform,” commented Loftware President and CEO, Robert O’Connor, Jr. “Our customers and the market will greatly benefit from our strategic vision, broader and deeper solutions, global scale and continued world-class services and support,” he added.

This acquisition provides customers with complete range of capabilities all in one scalable, highly configurable set of solutions. Available for SaaS, cloud-based or on premise deployment, the platform integrates with existing business processes and empowers business users to manage variability with dynamic, data-driven printing to ensure greater consistency and accuracy. Organizations can now manage content (including images, artworks, warnings, translations and phrases) used for both labeling and packaging with an advanced yet easy-to-use workflow that supports the broadest range of labels and artworks. This is especially important for customers in validated environments, enabling them to minimize what have traditionally been lengthy approval and review cycles.

“Loftware and Gap offer truly complementary solutions that the market needs, especially as companies look to standardize on a single platform that can create, manage and print labels and packaging artwork across worldwide operations,” stated Gap Systems Founder and CEO, Paul Goldberg. “Now internal and external stakeholders in packaging, regulatory, quality, operations, manufacturing, supply chain and marketing can address a more extensive set of requirements,” he added.

Loftware’s cloud-based digital platform combines its Enterprise Labeling Solution, Loftware Spectrum, which was designed to meet complex, ever-changing labeling requirements with Smartflow, Gap Systems’ flagship product. Smartflow manages complex packaging artwork processes to maintain control, simplify processes and obtain visibility throughout the product lifecycle. Depending on their specific needs, customers can choose from a wide range of features including label and artwork design, advanced workflow, content management, certified integration, business rules, proofing, printing, and analytics.

“Over the years, Gap Systems has demonstrated its leadership in the Artwork Management space by meeting difficult and evolving challenges for some of the world’s most successful companies,” noted Robert O’Connor, Jr. “We look forward to welcoming Gap Systems’ talented team to our award winning corporate culture and to offering our customers this revolutionary new platform,” he added.

Loftware is hosting a webinar on March 22th at 11am EST featuring Robert O’Connor Jr, who will discuss the acquisition and how combined Loftware and Gap Systems solutions will fundamentally transform the Enterprise Labeling and Artwork Management market. You can also check out our video announcement at www.loftware.com.

About Loftware
Loftware, Inc. is the global market leader in Enterprise Labeling Solutions with more than 5,000 customers in over 100 countries. Offering the industry’s most comprehensive labeling solution, Loftware’s enterprise software integrates SAP®, Oracle® and other enterprise applications to produce mission-critical barcode labels, documents, and RFID Smart tags across the supply chain. Loftware’s design, native print, and built-in business rules functionality drives topline revenue, increases customer satisfaction, and maximizes supply chain efficiency for customers. With over 30 years of industry leadership, Loftware’s Enterprise Labeling Solutions and best practices enable leading companies to meet their customer-specific and regulatory requirements with unprecedented speed and agility.

About Gap Systems
Based in Leeds, UK, Gap Systems has been a noted leader in Artwork Management for over 15 years, providing solutions to leading companies in consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals and other industries. With a focus on helping companies in regulated industries achieve compliance, Gap Systems offers solutions designed to support complex packaging artwork processes throughout the product lifecycle and across a range of stakeholders.