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COMMUNITY BUSINESS
Creative solutions, passion for craftsmanship are top priorities for Valois Home Improvements
By Vicki Greene Contributing Writer
SHREWSBURY - Raymond Valois has been in the home improvement business honing his craft for over 20 years. Whether it is replacing windows, remodeling kitchens, bathrooms or building a fourseasons room or deck, Valois lives by a mantra he always heard from his father, “If you’re not going to do some-
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Raymond Valois
thing well…don’t do it.”
Valois’ passion for problem-solving and detailed craftsmanship is palpable.
He started out his career in photography and, after college and a stint working as a photography assistant on advertising shoots around Boston, he used his eye for detail and his ability to work with his hands to take on handyman projects for added income.
As he took on more and more remodeling and repair jobs to help people fix problems, he realized that was something he took pride in and wanted to pursue on a full-time basis.
It’s about trust and relationships
At the start of any project, no matter the size or scope, Valois is keenly aware that he is entering someone’s home, “their castle,” as he said. He is aware that construction and repair projects can be a bit disruptive for clients living in their homes while work is being done, and, as a result, he develops trusting relationships with everyone by clearly defining the scope of work, cost and timeline from the start of any job. Valois also makes sure he is on-site every step of the way to ensure that client questions or concerns are answered quickly.
Valois admits he is a perfectionist and, if he is not happy with any piece of a project, he isn’t afraid to change it, so it lives up to both the client’s - and his own - very high standards of craftsmanship.
Many of his repair work gigs come from existing clients because they know Valois will get work done on time and on budget. For larger projects, he only works with subcontractors, including plumbers and electricians that he has developed strong relationships with over his years of working in the region.
He sets a “high bar” every day and expects the same from everyone who works with him, no matter what the project may be.
Taking someone’s dream and making it a reality
Valois said he welcomes a challenge.
When a potential client calls with an idea, he asks some pre-qualification questions over the phone and then goes to the client’s home for a free consultation. His background in photography has led him to look at the aesthetics as much as the functionality.
“It is my job to make their living situation better,” he said.
Over his more than 20 years in the business, there isn’t much Raymond Valois hasn’t encountered on a home improvement job.
His projects range from installing or repairing detailed crown molding to remodeling a kitchen to the true craftsmanship involved in building a custom entertainment center.
A business owner, Valois said he will never stop learning and aspiring to be better at his craft than he was the day before.
When he’s not working or spending time with his wife and twins, he can be found mountain biking and continuing to challenge himself on the trails with as much passion as he does his work.
For more information, please visit www.valoishomeimprovements.com or call for a consultation 508-8451107.
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F45 Hudson offers unique workouts and much more
By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor
HUDSON - The international chain F45 Fitness is coming to Hudson this year thanks in part to one lifelong health care professional’s want to help people develop healthier lifestyles and reduce the chances of developing chronic medical issues.
Indeed, says Principal and Operator Linda Belsanti, F45 is as much a health and wellness community as it is a fitness studio.
“Our goal is to give a heart pumping workout,” she said in a recent interview. “But we are much more than that.”
F45 was founded in 2011 in Australia. Since then, its network has grown to include close to 2,000 fitness studios in roughly a dozen countries.
Belsanti’s Hudson location comes as one of two new locations in Massachusetts, joining eight other studios already in operation here.
Likewise, this growing brand arrives in town after getting a recent star power boost from beloved Boston actor Mark Wahlberg, whose investment company bought a
Flaherty PT to host workshop
HUDSON/NORTHBOROUGH - Kevin Flaherty, owner of Flaherty Physical Therapy, will be hosting a free in-person educational workshop on orthopedic surgical and non-surgical Kevin Flaherty management of shoulder dysfunction.
Dr. Wayne Chan, assistant professor of Orthopedics from UMASS Memorial Health Care, will be joining him. The discussion will be on arthritis & shoulder pain and physical therapy management of rotator cuff issues.
Workshops will be held on Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m. in the Hudson office, located at 43 Broad St. and on Saturday, June 19 at 11 a.m. in the Northborough office, located at 411 West Main St. Seating is limited to 15 and masks are required. Please call 508-3939000 to reserve your seat.
Potential F45 customers work out at a recent open house in Hudson.
stake in F45 back in 2019.
Belsanti believes in the brand she’s now happy to join.
“Classes are geared towards all levels of fitness from the, from the beginner to the advanced,” she said, touting the presence of nationally certified personal trainers in F45 studios.
“It’s like getting personalized training in a group setting.”
Prior to this new entrepreneurial chapter in her life, Belsanti spent 20 years as a nurse at Mass General Hospital in Boston.
Through that work, she said, she saw room for society at large to improve patterns of preventative care and general best practices for health.
“When I started toying with the idea of opening a fitness studio, it was because I really felt that there needs to be more resources and outlets and support to help people to improve and maintain their health before it results in something else,” she said.
“The doctor will say ‘Go exercise more,’” she added. “Well, that’s not really prescriptive.”
F45 gives customers concrete ways to get that exercise, breaking classes down into a series of accessible but challenging workouts.
“Some people are looking to lose body fat,” Belsanti said. “Some people are looking to gain muscle mass. Really based on what your goal is, we help you along your fitness journey.”
F45 Hudson isn’t open yet. But Belsanti is excited for the day that she gets to fling open the doors of her new studio for customers and her elite team of trainers alike.
A local resident and a longtime nurse, all this is personal.
“I thought that bringing this to the community of Hudson, into my community, would help give people the resources to live a better life and take charge of their health,” she said.
F45 Hudson is located at 2 Highland Commons East in Hudson. Individuals can learn more at F45Training.com/ Hudson.
“Our goal is to give a heart pumping workout. But we are much more than that.
Linda Belsanti
Principal and Operator
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