Retirement savers with 401(k) accounts have seen a big bounce since the recession, according to Fidelity Investments, as rising markets pushed the average balance to a record $80,900 at the end of the first quarter of the year. That marks an 8.4 percent increase from a year ago and 75 percent growth since the market’s low during the first quarter of 2009. Back then, the average balance plunged to $46,200. The recent gains are a result of employees continuing to contribute their own money to their accounts, as well as improved investment returns. An analysis of retirement savers age 55 and older, who’ve been with the same employer for a decade, found an average balance of $255,000 – nearly double their average balances in 2009, Fidelity said. As lunch buffs know, there’s nothing like a disappointing sandwich experience to put noontime gourmets off their feed. But thanks to “sophisticated oven technology” and “heat-insulating packaging,” Au Bon Pain claims it has taken “sandwich crafting” to the next level. According to Au Bon Pain, a Boston-based chain that bills itself as a “lunchtime oasis,” the culprit in a “disappointing sandwich experience” is often a sandwich so indifferently heated that it is cold in the middle. Looking to stamp out such culinary atrocities, Au Bon Pain said its restaurants are deploying a “technologically advanced cooking system that delivers an ‘oven-hot-all-the-way-through’ eating experience.” This new system has inspired the chain to officially launch a new line of “made-to-order” hot sandwiches that includes the Chicken Pomodor and the Newport Turkey. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced the appointment of local real estate developer Richard (Dick) Friedman to the company’s board of directors. Friedman, president and chief operating officer of the local real estate development firm Carpenter & Company, has been developing hotels and mixed-use projects since the early 1970s. His projects include the Liberty Hotel in Boston, Charles Square and Charles Hotel, the Brookline Marriott Courtyard, and the Hyatt hotel in Cambridge. In a statement, Friedman said: ‘‘Four Seasons is an iconic brand - a global leader and innovator in luxury hospitality. I look forward to working with the board and executive leadership team to extend this leadership position and realize new opportunities.’’ Biogen Idec Inc., the Weston biotechnology company perhaps best known for its multiple sclerosis drugs, said Thursday that Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas has been appointed to the post of chief scientific officer. Artavanis-Tsakonas had served as interim CSO while on sabbatical from Harvard Medical School, Biogen Idec said. He will now continue in this role in a permanent capacity and will also lead the company’s research strategy, capabilities, and discovery platforms. Artavanis-Tsakonas will also continue to serve as a professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School, where he was the founding director of the Developmental and Regenerative Biology graduate program. Artavanis-Tsakonas said, “It’s a critical time in history for the biopharmaceutical industry where the potential to make a meaningful difference for patients has never been greater.” Starting Thursday, JetBlue Airways will serve Philadelphia International Airport with five daily nonstop flights from Boston’s Logan International Airport. The airline plans to celebrate its 78th destination through May 30 by selling one-way $39 flights between the two cities for travel between June 1 and Sept. 28. (Alert: Blackout dates apply.) In a press release, the airline said: “Adding Philadelphia to its growing route map helps solidify JetBlue’s already strong relevance for the business traveler, particularly at Logan International Airport. JetBlue operates over 100 daily flights from Boston’s Logan International Airport and Philadelphia will be the 48th destination JetBlue serves from Boston.” ‘‘Since it began service at Logan in 2004, JetBlue has shown strong commitment to Boston reflected by the steady growth of service,” Massport’s Edward Freni added. ULTA Beauty, a beauty-store chain whose marketing mantras include, “Dare to be a more fabulous you,” is set to open its newest location Friday at Patriot Place, the entertainment-and-shopping complex next to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Opening weekend festivities include some free makeovers and free consultations from experts in cosmetics, skin, and hairstyling, the chain said. The 10,000-square-foot beauty store, which includes a full-service salon, will be ULTA Beauty’s eighth Massachusetts location. It will offer more than 20,000 products in such categories as cosmetics, fragrance, hair care, skincare, bath, and salon styling tools. ULTA Beauty operates roughly 540 stores across the US. Patriot Place features 17 casual to high-end restaurants and other nightlife venues as well as stores, boutiques, and a 14-screen Showcase Cinema De Lux. The state’s new Health Policy Commission is moving forward with a cost and market impact review of Partners HealthCare System’s plan to acquire South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, the first test of its ability to influence the ongoing hospital consolidation trend in Massachusetts. |
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