BUSINESS BRIEFS: Family Fest & Home Show, Metal Theft, Gig Economy, Waters

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The chamber serves the communities of Bellingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Milford, Mendon, Millis, and Upton. More information is available at https://www.tricountychamberma.org

Family Fest & Home Show

Saturday, March 23, from 10-2. the place to be will by the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, which happens to be where the Tri-County Regional Chamber of Commerce is holding their Family Fest & Home Show. The Chamber promises `a fantastic array of activities lined up that everyone, young and old, will enjoy. For the kids, there's a variety of fun activities to keep them entertained. Meanwhile, adults can explore the offerings from 100 plus vendors, featuring a wide selection of products and services for your homes and businesses. Don't forget to join in on the fun by voting for your favorite Mac & Cheese! Keep an eye on this webpage, as we'll be updating it regularly with new and exciting additions to our event. Make sure to check back often to see what's new!

Preacher Prosecuted in Precious Metals Diversion

A manufacturing supervisor for a luxury jewelry company was arrested yesterday and charged with money laundering in connection with his alleged theft of gold, silver and platinum from the company over a period of more than three years. Benjamin Preacher, 54, of North Attleboro, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. Preacher was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today. According to the charging documents, since 2018, Preacher worked fulltime in a supervisory position at a Rhode Island manufacturing facility operated by the company, which manufactures and sells luxury items, including jewelry made from gold, silver and platinum. It is alleged that Preacher used his position to steal precious metals from the company’s facility in Rhode Island and then sell the metals to various businesses in Massachusetts.

Teamster Criticize ‘Gig Economy’ Bill

The Teamsters are calling on Massachusetts lawmakers to vote against H.1099/S.666, legislation that paves the way for the expansion of worker misclassification throughout the Commonwealth. “We should not be changing our laws in support of greedy corporations that want to deny full employment rights to workers in a so-called ‘gig economy,’” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “FedEx, Amazon, Uber, Lyft, and so many other wealthy companies intentionally misclassify workers as independent contractors to sustain business models rooted in wage theft. Workers are either employed by a company or they aren’t. There is no ‘third way.’ Silicon Valley CEOs believe they don’t have to comply with the law, that they can deny rights to workers in the name of freedom and flexibility. Our laws must reinforce their responsibility to their employees.”

Waters Boosts Battery Tech

Waters Corporation, Milford, hasannounced a new accessory for its TA Instruments Discovery Hybrid Rheometers (HR) designed to enable simultaneous electrical impedance and rheological measurements, a critical capability for scientists working on new battery formulations.

Rheo-IS accessory lets scientists assess quality of battery materials under real-world and process-relevant conditions.

"Battery innovators that are focused on optimizing performance and scale-up require sensitive tools to characterize electrode slurry composition and ensure quality," said Jianqing Bennett, Senior Vice President of the TA Instruments™ Division at Waters Corporation. "With the Rheo-IS accessory, we now offer uncompromised rheometric sensitivity with a full range of impedance measurements for slurry formulation analysis in one versatile, easy-to-use platform – the Discovery Hybrid Rheometer." When used with Discovery HR, the Rheo-IS accessory enables battery scientists to evaluate the conductive structure within electrode slurries using impedance spectroscopy measurements under real-world and process-relevant conditions. This includes characterizing changes in particle distribution that mimic the effects of mixing, storage, and coating processes. This can accelerate electrode material development and lead to more efficient battery production.