8 minute read
business
COMMUNITY BUSINESS
Hudson Trading thrives with strong reputation for serving the community
By Jeff Theodore Contributing Writer HUDSON - What sets Hudson Trading and Loan, LLC apart from other pawnshops?
Stewart Medoff, owner of the popular store since it opened 24 years ago on Main Street, credits his success to continuity and trust.
“We have a homegrown reputation. My manager, Dana, grew up in the area and his father worked here before he did,” Medoff says.
Patrons know they can trust Medoff and his staff.
“We are straight, upfront and consistent,” he says. “We are licensed by the [town] and overseen by the state. If we aren’t honest, we can be shut down. Sometimes people who pawn their items here for $5,000 loans are nervous about getting their stuff back. I tell them to call the police department to ask about our reputation.”
Today, Medoff says Hudson Trading is the largest independent buyer of scrap gold and silver coins and jewelry in MetroWest and the sole pawnshop between Boston and Worcester.
A jewelry salesman for more than four decades, Medoff initially had no intention of entering the pawn business.
“In the mid-90s, a guy who worked for a jewelry store I did business with went to work for his brother-in-law who opened a pawn shop,” Medoff recalls. “I was intrigued because I had never been in a pawn shop before. It was a perfect symmetry for me to open a pawn shop because it was both a source and an outlet for jewelry.”
For the first time in his life, Medoff decided to put together a business plan to open his own pawn shop.
The shop specializes in buying and selling gold and silver coins and bullion as well as karat jewelry. They also make collateral loans. Additionally, Medoff and his staff make house calls to buy and appraise jewelry from estates.
Medoff says he’s noticed an increased interest in buying silver these days.
“It’s more affordable than gold,” he says.
A while ago, Medoff decided to reinvent his retail pawn business and create a larger online presence through his website, hudsonpawnbrokers. com.
“We decided to concentrate on selling silver coins and bullion as well as gold,” Medoff says.
“Our prices are competitive with online dealers,” he says. “We have good stock in coins and bullion. Another advantage is that you can walk out of our pawn shop with the coins or bullion in your hands.”
For Medoff, the pawn business has paid off, just like he planned it.
“Everything is a risk and there are no guarantees for success, but I took a chance and it has worked,” he says. “Oh, and did I mention we have type 1 and type 2 US silver eagles in stock?”
Hudson Trading and Loan, LLC is located at 109 Main St. in Hudson. Individuals can also call at 978-562-1068.
Stewart Medoff, Founder and Owner (l) and Manager Dana Balthazar
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Songbird Dental is expecting to open its new building in March, 2022.
PHOTO/JESSE KUCEWICZ
By Jesse Kucewicz Contributing Writer SHREWSBURY - Songbird Dental, the Shrewsbury dental practice first opened by Dr. Luciana Messina in August of 2016, officially broke ground on its future location at 235/237 Main St. in Shrewsbury last week.
The new building is just a mile and a half from Songbird Dental’s current location in downtown Shrewsbury.
In addition to building a new home for her practice, this will be the first commercial real estate project for Luvin Realty, the group formed by Dr. Messina and her husband, Vincent Messina.
The new build will allow the couple to expand upon Dr. Luciana’s current practice and leave room for continued growth in the future.
“She wanted to grow a little bit, and she really didn’t have a lot of space,” Vincent told the Community Advocate. “The look and feel are going to be slightly different and a little bit more our own.”
In addition to expanding the practice, the Messinas are excited for the opportunity to build equity in their own property, all without the limitations of the current location.
“It’s the simple matter of just owning your own world,” Vincent Messina said. “With this, there is no restriction, and she can basically do what she wants to do.”
Songbird Dental is expecting to officially open in its new building in March of next year.
Massage industry a perfect fit for couple’s business plan
By Jeff Theodore Contributing Writer REGION - Getting a massage is more a necessity than a luxury because it benefits health and wellness, according to 86 percent of respondents in a recent poll conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association.
That theory aligns with Andrew and Jill Dudka’s belief that they are providing a vital community service as owners of Elements massage studios in Shrewsbury and Mansfield.
“We’re helping people who may have chronic or sustained injuries, cancer survivors, pregnancy, and folks who are simply and emotionally stressed out,” says Andrew Dudka, a business executive and entrepreneur..
A decade ago, Andrew and his wife, Jill, a longtime middle school math teacher in Blackstone, Mass., sought out opening a massage franchise as a way to “expand on our knowledge of business, operations, and marketing, the cornerstone to running a successful business.”
“It was exciting to hire staff, build out the store, learn the software and learn about massage,” Andrew Dudka says. “Our goal was to open a therapeutic office.”
Fast forward a decade and the couple has two thriving studios that employ about 40 massage therapists and sales staff, performing up to 1,700 massages a month. The studios operate on a membershipbased model.
Currently, the Dudkas’ studios have about 1,400 members.
“There’s no commitment to become a member but it offers an opportunity for people to have a session with a preferred therapist or skip a month and bank a session that they can use at any time,” Dudka says.
Therapists are licensed by the state and go through rigorous training that requires both written and hands-on testing.
“When we interview therapists, we ask about their backgrounds and what they can bring to the client that they think is unique,” Dudka says. “A good massage therapist must be a good team player, communicate with clients and deliver on their needs. The client must feel better walking out than they did walking in.”
Massage modalities offered at the Elements studios range from deep tissue massages, which relieve pain and reduce muscle stiffness, to Swedish massages, which are painless and designed to increase blood flow while calming the body.
Dudka says deep tissue and Swedish massages are the most popular ones at his studios. He added, though, that an add-on service that calls for applying CBD oil during the massage is becoming increasingly popular.
“Once people try it, they
W. F. Financial Services announces name change
SHREWSBURY - W.F. Financial Services will now be known as Central One Retirement & Investment Center following a name change announced last week.
W.F Financial Services has a more than 25-year history helping customers identify primary financial goals and objectives, analyze their current financial situations and recommend alternative methods to achieve financial security.
“Although their name has changed, the same experienced team is available to work with you,” a press release noted. “The new name reflects their continued commitment to guide individuals and families to plan for their short and longterm financial goals.”
For more information, contact Jeff Singer at jsinger@ centralfcu.com or 508-8410635. Contact Hope Dennis at hdennis@centralfcu.com 508-841-0506.
Singer and Dennis are located at the Shrewsbury branch of Central One Credit Union. Appointments can be scheduled, however, at any Central One location. love it,” Dudka says of the CBD oil. “It tends to provide longer pain relief. People are thrilled that it is now legal in Massachusetts and something we can offer.”
Cupping, a form of alternative medicine where cups are applied to areas of the body to decrease inflammation, is another add-on service in high demand, Dudka says.
“For some clients, deep tissue massages can be painful,” he says. “Cupping can provide similar relief as deep tissue but is less painful and a tremendous option for our clients.”
For the Dudkas, they hope to remain an option that patrons will trust as educators about massage, particularly when it comes to safety.
“We always tell clients and our employees that safety is our top priority,” Dudka says. “That’s in regards to COVID and personal safety.. In the future, I hope to grow our business, but do so in a way that encourages people to know that we will look out for them.”
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