Business - Marblehead Current

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: ‘Boating is certainly in our blood.’ Get to know Houghton Marine Service

28Feb

By Melissa StaceyNo Comments

Business, Columns, Local News

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: ‘Boating is certainly in our blood.’ Get to know Houghton Marine Service

The following is an interview with Peg Houghton of Houghton Marine Service, conducted by Discover Marblehead. Houghton Marine is a Marblehead-based mooring service company serving the needs of boaters in Marblehead, Salem, Nahant and Swampscott. To learn more about their mooring services, call 781-631-9338 or go to houghtonmarine.com Peg, tell us about Houghton Marine Service and why you and Joe started it. Houghton Marine Service is a mooring service company maintaining moorings for customers in Marblehead, Salem, Nahant and Swampscott harbors. We serve boaters with new installation of moorings and yearly maintenance of their moorings. We have industry-leading equipment that allows us to offer the best service for all types of moorings. Joe and I started our business 45 years ago in ...

22Feb

By Melissa StaceyNo Comments

Business, Columns

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Meet the Gingle-Lerman Realty team

The following is an interview with Roberta Lerman and Marcie Gingle of the Gingle-Lerman Realty Group, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about this award-winning real estate business team, go to bit.ly/3wiwcrk or stop by the William Raveis office at 11 Atlantic Ave. Roberta Lerman, left, and Marcie Gingle, are co-owners of Gingle-Lerman Realty Group. Roberta, tell us about your real estate business partnership. Marcie and I both became realtors in the early 1990s at what was then known as Hunneman Real Estate in Swampscott. We became fast friends and soon realized we had a similar, strong work ethic. We both found it satisfying to match buyers with the right house and help their dreams of owning a home become a reality. With our combined business kn...

19Feb

By Will DowdNo Comments

Business, Local News, Obituaries, Top Stories

IN MEMORIAM: Marblehead mourns passing of Tony’s Pizza owner

Antonio “Tony” Brogna, an icon of the Marblehead community who ran Tony’s Pizza for over 40 years, died Feb. 11 at age 70 after battling dementia. Friends and local officials say he leaves behind a legacy as a hardworking man who treated every customer like his own family. Antonio 'Tony' Brogna, longtime owner of Tony's Pizza, ran his Marblehead pizzeria for over 40 years. COURTESY PHOTO / RICK ASHLEY “The heart of Tony’s was a gentle and generous man,” said Town Moderator Jack Attridge. “The legacy and lessons of family and hard work was felt by generations who gathered with family and friends at Tony’s. A true loss for our town.” Brogna emigrated from Italy to Lynn in 1969 before opening Tony’s Pizza in Marblehead in 1981 with his wife, Patricia. It wasn't smooth sailing. "W...

7Feb

By Melissa StaceyNo Comments

Business, Columns, Local News

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Meet Melissa Sherwood of Panakio Insurance Adjusters, Inc.

The following is an interview with Marblehead resident Melissa Sherwood, co-owner of Panakio Insurance Adjusters, Inc., conducted by Discover Marblehead. Melissa Sherwood, co-owner of Panakio Insurance Adjusters, Inc., shares her journey in the industry. Tell us about Panakio Insurance Adjusters, Inc. and why you started it. Panakio Adjusters Inc. has been my family's business since 1937. Five years ago, I bought the business with my business partner, Joe Caponigro. Panakio isn’t affiliated with any insurance companies. Our role is that of a private adjuster (technically called a “public adjuster”) when a property owner experiences a real estate property loss. We handle losses such as fire, pipe breaks, water damage, etc. The claims process is very complex and overwhelming. Ou...

31Jan

By Will DowdNo Comments

Business, Education, Local News

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Visit the Devereux School

The following is an interview with Paul Baker, head of school at the Devereux School, conducted by Discover Marblehead. Devereux School was founded in 1932 and is located at 44 Smith St. To learn more about the school and its admission process visit DevereuxSchool.org. Tell us about Devereux School. Devereux School is a Montessori-inspired school. We accommodate preschool students from three years old all the way up to the third grade. Our nearly 100 Devereux students are taught in five classrooms/buildings. In addition to teaching traditional school subjects, Devereux inspires a love of nature with daily walks in the woods and yoga, as well as piano, art and chorus. All students receive daily French lessons from our French language directors. The Devereux School was purchased in ...

24Jan

By Melissa StaceyNo Comments

Business, Local News

Meet Sheena Nancy Sarles of Growing Younger Gracefully

The following is an interview with Sheena Nancy Sarles, owner of Growing Younger Gracefully, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more about Sarles’ natural, organic and hand-crafted skin serums or her Yoga for Living with Loss classes/sessions, go to growingyoungergracefully.com. Sheena Nancy Sarles, founder of Growing Younger Gracefully, combines her passions for organic skincare and wellness. Tell us about your Growing Younger Gracefully and why you started it. I’ve always been a curious person, which has led me down some interesting paths in my life. Growing Younger Gracefully was one of those paths. There are two sides of the business — GYG Organic Serums and Yoga for Living with Loss. — GYG Organic Serums started because I wanted to brighten and protect my skin. ...

17Jan

By Will Dowd and Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Business, Local News, Municipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories, Town Meeting

Voters to get their say on local meals, room taxes

Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer is proposing a meals and room tax in Marblehead and hopes Town Meeting voters will approve it this May. People staying at the Harborlight Inn could be hit with up to a 6% room tax. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER Kezer discussed the new taxes at a recent Select Board meeting when he previewed several articles he has prepared for Town Meeting. Town departments have until Jan. 26 to submit articles for the Town Meeting warrant. Several of the plans are aimed at creating more income for the town to help close its structural deficit. Kezer is proposing a 0.75% meals tax and up to a 6% tax on rooms. Marblehead could also adopt a short-term rental community impact fee of 3%. “It would generate a really significant amount of revenue that would help ...

17Jan

By Melissa StaceyNo Comments

Business, Local News

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Meet Noelle LeBlanc, owner of Work Loft

The following is an interview with Noelle LeBlanc, owner of Work Loft, conducted by Discover Marblehead. Work Loft provides dedicated desks, private offices, a conference room and daily reservations for your working needs. To learn more about their workspaces and schedule a tour, go to workloftmhd.com Noelle LeBlanc, owner of Work Loft, created the shared workspace to provide professionals an inspiring place to work and collaborate in town. Tell us about Work Loft and why you started it. Work Loft was born from my own experience in work-from-home mode for many years. Working from home can feel isolating and can also be demotivating. It’s hard to show up for work as your best self when the dining room table or sofa is your office. Work Loft is the cure — it gets folks into a pro...

10Jan

By Will DowdNo Comments

Business, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Costly lessons in accessiblity compliance

Meeting accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act has proven challenging for some recent construction projects in Marblehead. Owner Mikael Vienneau says he has made tens of thousands of dollars worth of renovations to The Riptide restaurant on Pleasant Street. A question remains over whether the front entrance needs further changes. CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD A comprehensive audit of public buildings commissioned by the town identified more than $3.6 million in required upgrades, including at newly constructed sites like elementary schools and the recently renovated Fort Sewall. Laurie Blaisdell, chair of the town’s Disabilities Commission, said Marblehead needs stricter enforcement by its Building Department before projects break ground — not after they ...

10Jan

By Melissa StaceyNo Comments

Business, Local News

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: David Bruett Insurance Services

The following is an interview with Dave Bruett, owner of David Bruett Insurance Services, conducted by Discover Marblehead. To learn more, call 978- 594-5308 or go to davebruettinsurance.com Tell us about David Bruett Insurance Services and why you started your business. I’m an independent insurance agent that helps individuals, families and businesses find the best option for their personal and business insurance policies. I work with many different companies to find clients the best fit for their specific insurance needs. I started my own insurance agency five years ago because, after being in the business for 14 years, I noticed too often agencies weren’t putting the customer first. Agencies weren’t calling people back in a timely manner, they weren’t helping clients ...