Business in Brief - Oct. 21, 2012

Tamela Higgins recently joined Chelsea Groton Bank as Assistant Vice President and Human Resources Manager, with responsibility for employee relations, staffing, and other programs for bank employees.

Prior to joining Chelsea Groton, she spent 10 years as Senior Manager of Employee Relations and as Human Resources Manager for Computer Sciences Corp. Before that Higgins held human resource management positions at American Power Conversion Corporation and Analysis & Technology Inc.

She graduated with a B.S. in Management degree from Post College, earned her M.S. in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Higgins lives in Westerly with her family.

Based in Groton, Chelsea Groton Bank is a mutually owned bank with 14 locations throughout New London County. To learn more, visit chelseagroton.com.

Baubles & Bling has opened at 29 Broadway, Mystic. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Nov. 7. The shop, owned by Phyllis Snow-Sharpe, sells jewelry and accessories. It is open Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays until 7 p.m., and Saturday until 3 p.m. For more information, call 860-460-1103.

Judi Caracausa of Market Realty Inc. LLC represented Snow-Sharpe and the owner of the building, 29-31 Broadway LLC of New York City.

John J. Law, a native of Stonington, has been appointed vice president of light vehicle systems by The Timken Co. of Canton, Ohio. Law will set the global strategic direction for the company's light vehicle systems business unit and lead the unit's global sales activities.

Law joined Timken in 1985 as a sales engineer and took his first field sales assignment in the company's Los Angeles sales office. He subsequently held positions of increasing responsibility in sales and product management, and most recently held the position of director of sales for light vehicle systems.

Law earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut and completed the Edge Executive Development program at the University of Virginia.

Charlotte Geer and Martha Poole of the Norwich office of Prudential Connecticut Realty have achieved the Honor Circle award for excellence in sales during the second quarter of 2012.

"These sales executives continually strive to exceed the expectations of customers and clients," said Peter Helie, Chairman/CEO of Prudential Connecticut Realty. "The Honor Circle Award is about more than results, it's recognition of the hard work and motivation it takes to earn those results."

For more information, visit www.prudentialCT.com.

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut will have a business after hours Tuesday at Raymour & Flanigan, 917 Hartford Tpke., Waterford.

The networking event is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The cost for chamber members is $15 and $25 for non-members. At 5 p.m., the chamber will offer without charge a mini-workshop entitled Mastering Networking.

To register, or obtain additional information call the chamber, 860-701-9113, or visit www.ChamberECT.com and click on programs and events.

The family law firm of Louden Legal Group, with offices in Norwich and Hartford, has named Kristi Hanney, of Salem, as the third partner in the firm.

A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Fordham University School of Law, Hanney has practiced family law with Louden Legal Group since 2006. She has been named as a "Rising Star" in the family law field in Connecticut Magazine, and has been named a leader in the area of divorce law in Connecticut by Ten Leaders Cooperative. She is certified as a divorce mediator by the Connecticut Council on Divorce Mediation.

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce has named ABC PhotoLab, in Olde Mistick Village, as the recipient of the Business of the Month Award for October.

ABC PhotoLab received the Business of the Month Award in recognition of their outstanding customer and community service. Locally owned and operated, the company opened its retail operation in August 2003 and is Mystic's only full-service photo lab. ABC works with many non-profits and local companies providing photo finishing as well as banners and signage while offering competitive pricing.

To nominate a business, contact the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce at (860) 572-9578, or visit mystichamber.org.

Apple Rehab in Watch Hill has won the Annual Quality Award, for 2011. The Directors of Apple Rehab Inc., based in Avon, unanimously chose the Watch Hill facility as the top performing, most improved over all of their 26 sites.

The criteria for winning the Quality Award includes consistent, positive feedback from patients and families, positive state survey results, low staff turnover, and meeting business and clinical goals. Apple Rehab Watch Hill has been, and continues to be involved in community efforts raising funds for the Relay for Life, Walk for Alzheimer's, and consistently meeting fundraising goals for the Arlene Sheehan Memorial Scholarship Fund.

For more information, go to www.apple-rehab.com.

Members of YPECT, the young professionals group at the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, will have a Halloween Social at Antenna Salon in Norwich, Oct. 25. There will be a competition for the best costume.

Also, the salon will be offering four makeovers to those who belong toYP. Members may nominate themselves, or someone else, and Antenna staff will make selections based on criteria described at the chamber's website, www.ChamberECT.com.

YPECT is open to young professionals in the region. Information about joining may be obtained at www.ChamberECT.com/yp.

Kidgits Halloween Party will be held at the Crystal Mall in Waterford on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 5-8 p.m. The event will include mummy wrapping, scary scratch art, foam pumpkin decorating and halloween tattoos.

To become a Kidgit, visit Simon Guest Services or www.Facebook.com/CrystalMall. There is a $5 annual membership fee.

Mall-O-Ween is a mall-wide Trick-or-Treat event that starts at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. Participating retailers will have a Kidgit's sign in their window and hand out treats.

The Hilton Garden Inn hotel brand has achieved the highest ranking in the "Upscale Segment" of the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

The brand has achieved the highest ranking in the study for nine of the past 11 years.

The hotel features a 24-hour Pavilion Pantry, which is open 24 hours and offers snacks, beverages and microwaveable packaged items, and the Great American Grill restaurant.

The Hilton Garden Inn at 224 Gold Star Highway, Groton, features the Garden Sleep System bed, complimentary wired and WiFi Internet access in guestrooms and public spaces, and 24-hour business center. To make a reservation visit www.hgi.com.

Washington Trust has announced that John P. Sullivan of Barrington, R.I., has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Technology. Sullivan is responsible for managing the corporation's technology functions and initiatives, including hardware/software management, network services and help desk services. Additionally, he is responsible for IT vendor management, technology project management, IT risk and security, disaster recovery planning, and systems support. Sullivan joined Washington Trust in January 2012 as Vice President, IT Risk and Security.

For more informatiaon go to www.washtrust.com.