A few weeks ago, I penned a column about change. At the time, I was discussing the demolition of the Eastfield Mall and how bittersweet it will be to see the mall go.
Today, I write another column about change – this time, reflecting on Reminder Publishing moving out of our old office on 280 N. Main St. in East Longmeadow.
Before I get too far — don’t fret — our new office remains in East Longmeadow at 443 Shaker Road, Suite B. This building houses Cartamundi — also known as the former Milton Bradley/Hasbro space. Though the address says Shaker, our entrance is on the Denslow Road side of the building. We also continue to operate in our other office in Westfield at 181 Root Rd.
For countless months — actually, I would venture to say for at least a year and a half — management at The Reminder has been discussing moving offices. The Reminder has been in East Longmeadow since the company was founded, and in the North Main location to boot.
Over the years, the North Main building grew and expanded, our space changed countless times, but the address always held our newsroom, circulation, sales and graphics department.
As we began to look for office space around Western Massachusetts, we kept coming back to the same sentiment: it’s important to remain in East Longmeadow. Not only for the sake of our employees, but for the public, too.
Change is easy for very few. Some of our employees have been with the company for over 20 years. Moving 20 years of mementos, keepsakes and — let’s face it — some junk — is no small feat. On top of this, if you are sentimental like me, leaving the memories behind in a physical space can be devastating.
It’s likely not just employees who are feeling uneasy about this change. Over the years, hundreds of members of the public have walked through our doors to place an advertisement or talk with a reporter. Having a mainstay business not where it has always been can be jarring — and driving by the building which has always donned “The Reminder Office Building” to see simply “office building,” was something I had not thought about, and caught me off guard.
But — change is a part of life. There is no progress without change. While the move has been nothing short of daunting, as I write this from my new office, I’m excited for our company’s future.
Our former space was a bit cramped. The new location affords us a large conference room we can host interviews comfortably in. We have a spacious entryway where customers can work with our inside sales staff, and the editorial team has their own room — much to many employees’ pleasure, I’m sure, as we tend to be a bit chatty.
We also have the opportunity to share space in a spacious, sunlit atrium-cafeteria with the folks in Cartamundi. We did not have an area that we could fit all our employees in for a gathering, and this is such a welcoming, warm environment to be in.
For readers who traditionally pick up copies of their paper in the drop boxes in front of the 280 North Main space, you are still more than welcome to continue to do so. Chris and Dan Buendo have graciously kept our boxes in front of the building to continue to serve readers. That said, within the next few weeks drop boxes will be placed in front of our new space, and readers will have another location on the other side of town to pick up papers.
So, readers, if you are looking to place an ad, pick up papers or just want to drop by and say hello – come and visit us in our new location. We look forward to seeing you, serving you and continuing to be your hometown news.
