22-05-2025
Chicopee small businesses recognized at Walmart showcase
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – May is Small Business Month, and one local business was recognized Wednesday morning in Chicopee.
A small crew working in the cellar of a mill plant now sells across the country in over 3,600 stores. Super Brush was founded in Chicopee 65 years ago, and now these seemingly simple swabs are available in the largest retailer in the world.
Massachusetts cemetery honors veterans ahead of Memorial Day
The Walmart Supercenter in Chicopee hosted the Small Business Appreciation Showcase with community members and local officials on Wednesday. Chicopee Mayor John Vieau expressed his excitement at seeing the business grow.
'It's exciting to see one of our origins, Super Brush, who started in Chicopee, is now expanded all the way to Springfield on the shelves at Walmart, nationally recognized,' Vieau said. 'So it's really an amazing opportunity for them.'
Walmart hosted events like this all throughout the country during the month of May. Public Affairs Director Chris Buchanan explained why Walmart supports so many small businesses.
'It really goes back to the days of Sam Walton when Walmart was created over 62 years ago,' Buchanan said. 'We've had a very longstanding commitment to small businesses. Walmart itself started off as a small business, and now here we are.'
Over 60% of the products in Walmart are supplied by small businesses like Super Brush. Many of them attend the Walmart Open Call, an event that allows small businesses to pitch their products to the retail giant. Misty McGinnes, who's been with the company for over 30 years, told 22News how Super Brush was able to scale its business.
'Little by little, we got new customers, big customers, little customers, just added all up,' McGinnes said. 'And right now, it's walked us through a whole bunch of bad things, like supply chain and COVID and all kinds of things. We still keep walking.'
Super Brunch not only employs over 100 people in the western Massachusetts area, but products are also made in the U.S.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
