Fall on the Bog

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Some say fall is the most beautiful time of year in New England, as the forests show their brilliant colors and the crisp air brings with it everything pumpkin and apple. This quintessential New England scene is not to be outdone by the imagery in Southeastern Massachusetts of crimson cranberries floating against the backdrop of blue skies and green pines.

Here at the A.D. Makepeace Companies, we look forward to fall for a number of reasons, the beautiful scenery is just one of them. The middle of September marks the first of our over 1,700 acres of cranberry bogs being flooded, kicking off the 8-week harvest season. The agricultural team will move from bog to bog harvesting cranberries in the communities of Carver, Plymouth, Rochester, and Wareham, based on their variety, color, and readiness. As a member-owner of Ocean Spray, all the company’s fruit is delivered to the cooperative for processing and distribution.

Cranberries can be harvested dry or by utilizing water. Each of the two methods have their own advantages and uses. Traditionally, dry harvested fruit is utilized as fresh fruit and can commonly be found in bags or boxes in farm stands and grocery stores across the country. Wet harvested fruit is most often used for processed products including juice, cranberry sauce, and sweetened dried cranberries.
Dry harvesting involves using walk-behind machines to rake the berries off the vines into boxes or bags. Berries are removed from the bogs by either bog vehicles or helicopters. The fruit is delivered to fresh fruit receiving stations where it is graded and screened based on color and ability to bounce (soft berries will not bounce). Dry harvested cranberries are used to supply the fresh fruit market. These cranberries are most often used for cooking and baking.

All of Makepeace’s cranberries are harvested by the wet harvest method, as are most cranberries these days. There are three stages of water harvest: picking, racking, and loading. Cranberries have pockets of air around the seed chamber. Because of this, cranberries float in water, and thus, the bogs can be flooded to aid in removal of fruit from the vines. Picking machines make a single pass over the bog’s surface. The machines are equipped with either tines that comb through the vine, or water reels, nicknamed “egg-beaters,” that stir up the water enough to dislodge the berries from the vine.

Next, plastic “booms” are used to corral or rack all the berries into one tight circle which is brought to one edge of the bog for loading. The loading process consists of the berries being pushed over a suction pan and pumped up to a wash bay where they are cleaned, separated, and then loaded into the back of a tractor trailer for delivery to the Ocean Spray receiving station for cleaning, sorting, and packaging into large containers which are sent directly to the freezer.

In a typical year, thousands of visitors and locals alike would tour our grounds to view the spectacular harvest scene and learn everything about cranberries from our growers. This year, to ensure the safety of our employees, the public, and the fruit, we are not holding tours or public events. If you are interested in viewing a roadside cranberry harvest this season, visit Makepeace Farms for a daily posting of viewable harvest areas on our property. In addition, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association offers a map and other grower opportunities here.

Carverside
Carver, Massachusetts
September 30, 2020

Rosebrook Blood Drives: More Than Pints

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WAREHAM – Beginning in May, the A.D. Makepeace Company partnered with the American Red Cross and Southcoast Health to host a monthly blood drive series at Rosebrook Place.  Over 130 donations have been collected, with plans to continue the series monthly through the balance of the year.

One recent blood drives included a challenge between the Wareham Fire Department (WFD) and the A.D. Makepeace Company.  The two event partners held a friendly wager to see who could get the most representatives to sign up for the drive.  The “losing” organization agreed to make a $100 donation to a charity of the winner’s choice.

The WFD took advantage of their slight edge and selected the efforts of Don’t Trash Wareham, a group of citizens who coordinate townwide cleanup efforts. Taking it a step further, the WFD team enhanced the donation by matching it.

“This is a win-win situation,” said Jim Kane, president and CEO of the A.D. Makepeace Company and a blood donor. “In these challenging times, we’re all looking for ways we can help those less fortunate than us, and the Red Cross certainly needs our help. Enhancing a sense of camaraderie with the Fire Department and supporting a local organization makes the benefit even better.”

The Rosebrook blood drive series continues this fall, with drives scheduled for October 21, November 17, and December 16 at the Rosebrook Event Center, 50 Rosebrook Place, Wareham. Advance registration is required. Visit admakepeace.com or the A.D. Makepeace Company Facebook page for a schedule of upcoming drives and registration links.

The A.D. Makepeace Company, founded in 1854, is the world’s largest cranberry grower, the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, and an award-winning real estate developer known for sustainable land stewardship.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Burke, Vice President for Marketing and Communication, A.D. Makepeace Company.

NACD New England Chapter Announces 2020 Director of the Year Award Recipients

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Boston, MA — January 22, 2020 — The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) New England Chapter announced today the recipients of its 14th annual Director of the Year Awards.

Each year, using an extensive process involving several member committees, the NACD New England Chapter selects and recognizes independent directors of public, private, and non-­‐profit boards who have embraced high standards of leadership and corporate governance and made valuable contributions to the companies and organizations they serve. To be honored at a formal ceremony on Monday, May 4, 2020, at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel are:

Public Company Board of the Year: Dunkin’ Brands

With more than 21,000 points of distribution in more than 60 countries, Dunkin’ Brands is one of the world’s leading franchisors of quick service restaurants (QSRs) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard-­‐serve ice cream. Dunkin’ Brands’ 100-­‐percent-­‐ franchised business model currently includes more than 12,900 Dunkin’ restaurants and more than 8,000 Baskin-­‐Robbins restaurants. Based in Canton, Mass., the company has set corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals to make continuous progress in the areas of sustainable sourcing, packaging, energy efficiency, waste reduction, nutrition, diversity and inclusion, and other material issues. Dunkin’ franchisees around the world volunteer time and donate product and funds to countless non-­‐profit groups, most notably the Joy In Childhood (JiCF) Foundation.

Private Company Board of the Year: The A.D. Makepeace Company

With a 160-­‐year history in the cranberry business, the A.D. Makepeace Company, based in Wareham, Mass., is the largest private property owner in Eastern Massachusetts and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible real estate development and land and water stewardship. John Makepeace was one of the three original founders of the Ocean Spray Co-­‐ Operative, in 1930. The board embraces a culture of responsible governance, with independent directors holding 40 to 50 percent of the board seats.

Leadership in Corporate Governance Award: Ronald P. O’Hanley

Mr. O’Hanley is chairman and CEO of State Street Corporation. Mr. O’Hanley was previously president and chief operating officer of State Street Corporation, and before that president and chief executive officer of State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. He joined State Street in 2015. Prior to State Street, Mr. O’Hanley held senior positions at Fidelity Investments, BNY Mellon Asset Management, Mellon Financial, and McKinsey & Company, Inc. Mr. O’Hanley currently serves on the boards of Unum Corp., Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, The Boston Foundation, the IYRS School of Technology and Trades, Syracuse University, and WBUR.

Myra H. Kraft Award for Non-­‐Profit Leadership: Benaree Pratt Wiley

Benaree “Bennie” Pratt Wiley is Principal of The Wiley Group and for 15 years served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Partnership, Inc., an organization that strengthened Greater Boston’s capacity to attract, develop, and retain talented professionals of color. Ms. Wiley has worked as a management consultant for Abt Associates, Contract Research Corporation, and Urban Systems Research and Engineering. Ms. Wiley is currently a Director on the boards of the Dreyfus Mutual Funds, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, CBIZ Inc., Dress for Success Boston, Partners Continuing Care, the Black Philanthropy Fund, the Efficacy Institute and Howard University where she serves as Vice Chair. Her many civic honors include honorary doctorates from Boston College, New England School of Law, and Newbury College; the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award for Lifetime Achievement; and the Harvard Business School Distinguished Alumni Award from its African American Student Union.

The NACDNE non-­‐profit leadership award is named in honor of the late Myra H. Kraft, president and director of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and trustee of the Robert K. and Myra H. Kraft Foundation, who also served on the boards of directors of the American Repertory Theatre, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Northeastern University, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, and Brandeis University

Lifetime Achievement Award: Jack O’Brien

Mr. O’Brien was CEO and President of Allmerica Financial Corporation, now known as The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., an insurance and diversified financial services company, from 1995 until his retirement in 2002. He currently serves as lead director of The TJX Companies, Inc., an off-­‐price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the United States and worldwide, and as a director of LKQ Corporation, a nationwide provider of recycled auto parts, and of a family of mutual funds managed by BlackRock, an investment management advisory firm. Previously Mr. O’Brien served as Cabot Corporation’s non-­‐executive chairman of the board from 2008 to 2018 and as chair of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and as a director of ABIOMED and GAM Technology.

NACDNE Gala Chair Ellen Zane, CEO Emeritus of Tufts Medical Center, said: “Dunkin’ and A.D. Makepeace are not only legendary New England business success stories, they also demonstrate every day an unparalleled commitment to corporate social responsibility and community volunteerism. In Ron O’Hanley, Bennie Wiley, and Jack O’Brien, NACD New England is delighted to salute three of our region’s pre-­‐eminent examples of business and civic leadership.’’

NACDNE President Beth I. Z. Boland, chair of Foley & Lardner’s Securities Enforcement & Litigation Practice and vice chair of the Litigation Department, said: “NACDNE is devoted to improving corporate governance and developing a deep pool of talented prospective directors to serve on boards. Our rigorously researched and highly competitive Director of the Year honors represent one of the most important ways that NACDNE can showcase what high-­‐ impact board service and leadership looks like.”

About NACD New England (NACDNE)

The NACD New England Chapter is part of the larger NACD network, the only not-­‐for-­‐profit membership organization founded by and for corporate directors. With a national headquarters in metropolitan Washington, D.C., NACD has 21 active regional chapters and more than 21,000 director and key executive members around the country. NACD’s resources include an annual leadership conference, fellowships, downloadable publications, and in-­‐boardroom education programs. NACD is also part of the Global Network of Director Institutes, a 100,000-­‐member-­‐ strong international collaboration of directors who share expertise from around the world.

Learn more about NACD New England Chapter membership and general governance information online at www.NACDne.org

Redbrook Nets Seven Prism Awards

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Boston, MA — October 31, 2019 — The Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB) presented Team Redbrook with another seven Prism Awards recently. The annual awards celebrate the best of the best in the region’s residential building industry.

The new village won Gold for Best Rental Community (Redbrook Apartments) and Best Digital Marketing Campaign, and Silver for best detached home 2,000-3,000 SF (The Birch by The Valle Group), Best Attached under 1,800 SF (The Topaz by Whitman Homes), best interior merchandising of an apartment community, best digital ad, and best showroom sales center (Redbrook Apartments).

Three of the prestigious awards went to the Redbrook Apartments, a 184-apartment complex which includes four buildings arrayed around a picturesque courtyard featuring an outdoor pool, firepit and grilling area, and clubhouse. This rental community within Redbrook is a partnership between the A.D. Makepeace Company, Campanelli, and Corcoran Management, exclusive leasing company, and the first building opened last summer. 85 percent of the apartments have been leased in 6 months.

The Gold award for Best Rental Community was especially significant, said Michael P. Hogan, president and CEO of Agawam Development Company, the A.D. Makepeace Company subsidiary responsible for Redbrook’s development.

“This is truly a unique housing option,” said Mr. Hogan. “It combines luxury and affordability, convenience and proximity to nature, in a way that appeals to young professionals, empty nesters, and everyone in between.”

“This is a great partnership of two longtime family companies, and we’re delighted that the Prism judges recognized that,” said Dan DeMarco, partner of the Braintree-based Campanelli.

Redbrook has won a total of 26 of the prestigious awards since the new village welcomed its first homeowners in 2015.

BRAGB, a trade association affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders and Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts, has represented the industry since 1944. BRAGB has evolved into one of the leading trade associations in New England. With over 390 member companies, including single-family, multifamily builders, and commercial builders and remodeling contractors, BRAGB is one of New England’s most prominent and influential trade associations.

The A.D. Makepeace Company is developer of the award-winning Redbrook. The 165-year-old company is the world’s largest cranberry grower, the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible real estate development and stewardship.

Information about the village is available at redbrookplymouth.com

Kane Promoted to Makepeace President

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Wareham, MA — October 21, 2019 — James F. Kane, chief operating officer of the A.D. Makepeace Company, has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of the company.

Mr. Kane will replace Michael P. Hogan, who will shift to direct the company’s award-winning Redbrook operations in Plymouth as President and CEO of Agawam Development Company, LLC. Mr. Hogan will continue to serve on the Ocean Spray Board of Directors.

Mr. Kane has been with the A.D. Makepeace Company since September, 2005, serving in a variety of senior roles before assuming his current responsibilities in 2018. Most recently, he managed the transition of Read Custom Soils into a fully integrated division of the A.D. Makepeace Company.

A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Mr. Kane also holds a master’s degree in public administration from Clark University. He and Mr. Hogan previously worked together at MassDevelopment, where Michael was president and CEO and Jim was chief operating officer. Before that, Mr. Kane served as Chief of Operations for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

He serves as Chairman of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Board of Trustees and is an elected selectman in the town of Shrewsbury, where he resides with his wife, State Rep. Hannah Kane, and their three children.

The management transition occurred on October 1, and was approved by the company’s Board of Directors in July.

Mr. Hogan’s focus on Redbrook comes at a time when the new village in South Plymouth achieves significant milestones, with the opening of 184 rental apartments and the village’s second commercial building, and the sale of 300 homes. Ultimately, Redbrook will include some 1,200 residences in a variety of styles and price points, along with up to 90,000 square feet of commercial space.

The 165-year-old A.D. Makepeace Company is the world’s largest cranberry grower, the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible real estate development and stewardship. In addition to Redbrook, the company is developing the mixed-use Rosebrook in Wareham, is a leader in the development and production of engineered soils, and has installed solar fields generating more than 70 MW of power.

Ierardi Named Read Custom Soils General Manager

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Wareham, MA — August 22, 2019 — Christopher Ierardi has been promoted to General Manager of the Read Custom Soils (RCS) Division of the A.D. Makepeace Company.

Ierardi, 50, joined the company in 2005 as a property manager and was assigned to the Custom Soils Division in 2016. Under his leadership, Read sales increased by some 20 percent in 2018.

Mr. Ierardi holds a bachelor of science degree in landscape architecture from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He lives in Bourne with his wife Kristina, and son.

RCS is New England’s most experienced precision blenders. It operates from a state-of-the-art blending facility in Carver, Mass., located in the heart of enormous reserves of USGA-quality sand, and from a Westford, Mass. wash plant and blending yard. It is New England’s leading provider of lightweight planting soil for green roof installations, stabilized stonedust for nature paths and pedestrian walkways, bioretention/raingarden soils, a proprietary blend for challenging urban tree planting, specialized soils for sports fields, and golf course materials, serving more than 300 golf courses throughout New England.

The A.D. Makepeace Company is the world’s largest cranberry grower, a founding member of the Ocean Spray co-op, the largest private property owner in Massachusetts, and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible land development and stewardship. The company acquired Read Custom Soils in 2011 and has maintained the highly respected RCS brand.

Phelan Elected

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Wareham, MA — June 13, 2019 — Kevin Phelan of Colliers International, a real estate professional with more than four decades of experience in the Boston/New England market, was elected to the A.D. Makepeace Company Board of Directors at the annual shareholders’ meeting in May.

Mr. Phelan is co-chairman of the Colliers’ Boston office, which provides brokerage, development and consulting services, valuation and advisory services, capital markets, and real estate management services to a broad range of clients.

He joined the firm in 1978 to create the Capital Markets group, which is now one of the largest in the region.  He was appointed president in 2007 and then co-chairman in 2010.  Over the course of his career, Mr. Phelan has been involved in several billion dollars in financings across the United States, representing all property types.

The A.D. Makepeace Company Board of Directors is chaired by real estate investor Robert S. Karam of Fall River, principal of Karam Financial Group and former Chair of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees. The Board oversees the company’s diverse activities including development of Redbrook in Plymouth and Rosebrook in Wareham; producing the world’s largest cranberry crop; and designing and producing a variety of engineered soils.

Other board members are Abigail Gilmore Anderson, Richard Canning, James “Jeff” Crowley, Samuel Makepeace Coxe, Christopher Makepeace, Eric Strand, and company President/CEO Michael P. Hogan.

Farmers Market Coming to 35 Rosebrook

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Wareham, MA — June 12, 2019 — Get your fresh veggies and more at Rosebrook this year!

Southcoast Health, in partnership with the A.D. Makepeace Company, will sponsor a Farmers Market at 35 Rosebrook weekly on Thursday afternoons beginning June 20.

Featured farmers are Steven’s Farm Stand of Rochester and Back Azimuth Farm of Middleboro. An assortment of additional vendors will be available, and vendor applications are still being accepted.

The market will run from 3 to 6:30 p.m. each week (except Independence Day). All methods of payment will be accepted, including WIC and SNAP benefits. It will be located in front of the apartments at 35 Rosebrook, just off Route 28, and will move inside the apartment lobby in the event of severe weather.

Official Ribbon Cutting for Southcoast’s Newest Luxury Rental Community

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Wareham, MA — May 2, 2019 — Dignitaries and residents joined the A.D. Makepeace Company Tuesday at a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of 35 Rosebrook, the region’s newest luxury apartment community.

Company President and CEO Michael P. Hogan described the 65 apartments, located at I-495/I-195, as the most recent addition to “a new entryway and a new economic engine” for Wareham.

Rosebrook is a mixed-use village featuring the Lafrance Hospitality Company’s 88-unit TownePlace Suites by Marriott and conference space, Southcoast Health’s 68,000-square-foot medical office building, the 58-unit All American Assisted Living, and 27,000 square feet of retail, office, and restaurants. One building site remains.

“Rosebrook is a place to live, work, and play, and we put our own special spin on that smart growth theme with farming,” Mr. Hogan said, referring to the cranberry bogs that are the uniquely picturesque view from 35 Rosebrook. The A.D. Makepeace Company is the world’s largest cranberry grower and a founder of the Ocean Spray cooperative.

The company began development of Rosebrook in 2010, following acquisition of numerous substandard properties located along Cranberry Highway. Since then, new property tax base to the town has been approximately $35 million.

“This is another wonderful addition to the Town of Wareham,” said State Rep. Susan Williams Gifford, referring to the company’s “vision” for high quality development, at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“It’s amazing how much has gone on here,” agreed Marie Oliva, president of the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce.

Assisting with the formal ribbon cutting were Robert S. Karam, chairman of the A.D. Makepeace Company Board of Directors, and Abigail Gilmore Anderson, who was named to the Board last year.

A.D. Makepeace Company Senior Vice President James F. Kane gave special recognition to Stephen J. Spitz, V.P. Regional Manager of Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank. The bank not only loaned money for the construction of 35 Rosebrook, but it also operates its first full-service branch off-Cape at Rosebrook.

Also recognized was the team from Jack Conway and Co., including President Carol Bulman. The company is the exclusive leasing agent for the Rosebrook apartments.

The apartments opened last winter, and the building is more than 70 percent occupied. The one- and two-bedroom apartments’ spacious floor plan, high ceilings, expansive windows, and state-of-the-art kitchens have attracted a variety of tenants ranging from a young couple with a newborn to senior citizens. About a third of residents are from the Wareham area, and the balance are from as far away as Florida and Alabama.

The A.D. Makepeace Company is the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible real estate development and stewardship.

Information about the apartments is available at 35rosebrook.com

Ground Broken for BID, Long Pond Physical Therapy Building at Redbrook

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Plymouth, MA — March 6, 2019 — Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Plymouth and Long Pond Physical Therapy will soon be a part of the Redbrook community, as ground was broken Tuesday for a new building that will house both.

The 6,300-square-foot building is a joint effort of the A.D. Makepeace Company, developer of the new village known as Redbrook, and A.P. Whitaker & Sons, Inc., the West Bridgewater builder who recently completed the first phase of the Redbrook YMCA.

“We describe Redbrook as ‘the New England village reimagined,’ and having medical offices here is an important element of the community,” said Michael Hogan, president and CEO of the A.D. Makepeace Company. “But here, our family doctor’s office is backed by one of the world’s most renowned medical institutions.”

Mr. Hogan was joined at groundbreaking festivities Tuesday morning by state Sen. Vinny deMacedo, Town Manager Melissa Arrighi, and Michael Kennealy, newly appointed secretary of housing and economic development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“At Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Plymouth, we are committed to improving the health and wellness of our community,” said Kevin Coughlin, president and CEO of the hospital, who also attended.  “As a member hospital of the newly formed Beth Israel Lahey Health System, we continue to partner with our neighbors in making healthcare more accessible.  We are honored to be a member of the Redbrook community and to bring quality healthcare close to home.”

The building, designed by Saltonstall Architects of Marion, has been in the planning stages for several years, and has space for two additional tenants.

“By breaking ground on our third location, Long Pond Physical Therapy is looking forward to continuing its exceptional quality of care to the people of Plymouth and its surrounding areas,” said Brian Faghan, PTA, owner and president of Long Pond Physical Therapy.  “We’re looking forward to working with BID and the Redbrook community to continue to bring exceptional quality rehabilitative care to the people of Plymouth closer to home.”

The building, located on the west side of the village green, is scheduled for completion this fall.

Redbrook also currently features a full-service YMCA, and The Meeting House which also contains the Redbrook sales and management offices as well as The Farmers Table, a café-style restaurant with a menu designed around their farm-to-table culinary philosophy.

At buildout, which will occur over a decade, Redbrook will include up to 1,200 homes, all within easy walking distance of the village center with some 60,000 square feet of commercial space. The village features more than 1,400 acres of preserved forest, with walking trails, kayak launches, ponds for fishing, swimming, and more. Five neighborhoods are complete now, and 184 apartments are under construction, with occupancy starting this summer.

The A.D. Makepeace Company is developer of the award-winning Redbrook. The 165-year-old company is the world’s largest cranberry grower, the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible real estate development and stewardship.

Information about the village is available at redbrookplymouth.com