2008 Jan/Feb

Reviewing and retaining employee personnel records

National Guard troops protect the entry and scrutinize visitor identification. Cement pylons snake around parking lots and line the main buildings’ entrances. Grenade nets and metal body barriers form strategic placements along hallways, while sharpshooters look out from barricaded towers to prevent anyone from scaling fences and walls.

She has taken Granite City Electric to more than $100 million in sales.

The paperless office may be a quest only slightly less ambitious than the Holy Grail. But for John Garner, the concept intrigues him enough to have built a big chunk of his business model around it.

F.W. Davison’s software lets even the smallest business operate its own human resources department.

Comcast’s Adelphia acquisition, its new Plymouth call center and new voice and business services reflect its confidence in the region’s economic growth.

Cape Business spoke with John F. Kennedy, chairman and CEO of Cape Rail Inc., Massachusetts Coastal Railroad and Cape Cod Central Railroad.

Cape Business consultant Beth O'Neal, Esq., of Masterman, Culbert and Tully LLP discusses working through lunch, FMLA leave, and layoff considerations.

Costly bottlenecks and backups have led to road fixes and more bus service. Next on the agenda: Rail and air travel improvements, along with better traveler information.

New for 2008 will be express bus service between Cape Cod and Providence. Starting in April, the Cape Cod Express to Providence, or CAPEX for short, will run from Exit 10, Exit 6 and Sagamore commuter lots to downtown Providence and T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.

When we first met James Canedy – and discovered his talent as a writer – it occurred to us that he was very qualified to articulate the thoughts, emotions, dreams and experiences of all our small business readers.

For years, large companies have relied on Microsoft tools such as Outlook and SharePoint to increase productivity. Using them, employees can access and synchronize e-mail from work, home or via mobile phones and laptops. They also can collaborate among themselves and clients by sharing calendars, documents and even project tasks.

Despite current uncertainties facing the residential market, activity remains strong for the commercial side of the industry. Land that once cost $100,000 an acre is now in the $200,000 to $300,000 range – and rising.

Plymouth, the largest town in Massachusetts, is on the verge of unprecedented development. The biggest question facing the town is: What kind of development?

It’s called 40R; and it’s at the heart of North Plymouth’s renaissance.

Joe and Lou Jannetty’s latest endeavor seems to have all the elements for success – the 3-quarter-mile waterfront, the Old Colony train station, the surrounding infrastructure, Plymouth’s rapidly changing demographics and economy.

This town within a town reflects Plymouth’s rapid transformation – among residents and businesses.

Architect Len Cubellis’ firm is rapidly expanding, with more than 370 colleagues from Chicago to Florida – and beyond.

Saxon Partners built Colony Place with confidence the shoppers will come: It’s not quite a corn patch in Iowa transformed into a magical baseball diamond, but it’s the Plymouth version of a field of dreams.

On one side, a stalled CanalSide Commons; on the other, a fast-tracked Wareham Crossing: Location, location, location – that oft-repeated mantra was never truer than on the shores of the Cape Cod Canal.