Haverhill’s Broco Oil Owner Robert Brown Receives First Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo Memorial Award

Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Joseph J. Bevilacqua; former Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Francisco Urena; U.S. Navy Seabee veteran Robert Brown, owner of Broco Oil; and a family representative of U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo. (Courtesy photograph.)

The first “U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo Memorial Award” was presented yesterday to U.S. Navy Seabee veteran Robert Brown, owner of Haverhill’s Broco Oil.

Former Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Francisco Urena, speaking during the Merrimack Valley Chamber Veterans Assistance Program, presented the award to Brown with the family of Sgt. Pichardo present.

“This memorial award will be presented annually to a veteran entrepreneur who has gone above and beyond service and in the memory of Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo will be continued by the Chamber in future years,” the Chamber said in a statement.

Urena, who has also served as veterans service officer for the cities of Boston and Lawrence, spoke of opportunities for veterans in the business community. The program also featured a panel discussion of veteran entrepreneurs, including Salvatore DeFranco, former U.S. Navy Seal and co-owner of Battle Grounds Coffee Co.; Cal Williams, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Merrimack Valley director of United Way; and Luis Yepez, Navy commander, retired, and COO of Mainstream Global.

The free program was attended by more than 100 veterans.

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