State explores economic growth in WMass

BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Putting western Massachusetts front and center, the chairs of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, Rep. Joseph Wagner (D-Chicopee) and Sen. Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham), asked state officials how they’re growing the economy in the western part of the state.

Housing and Economic Development Secretary Gregory Bialecki said his office is facilitating relationships between western Massachusetts companies and large companies, like Raytheon, which specializes in military defense products.  “We’re actually going to start by talking with some of our big companies that are here about, first of all, locating some of their business units out in Western Mass or other low costs parts of the state,” said Bialecki.

Wilbraham Chairwoman Gale Candaras said the cost of manufacturing in China is growing and that western Massachusetts should compete for that business.

State officials agreed.

“We’re very unlikely to get [manufacturing] back in Greater Boston, but I think have a great chance to that in Western Mass,” said Bialecki.

“[Western Mass is] almost a perfectly positioned region.  You’ve got tremendous transportation infrastructure between the Mass Pike, Route 2 …and frankly a lower cost base than you might have in Boston or Cambridge,” said Ranch Kimball, a member of Governor Deval Patrick’s Economic Development Planning Council.

State officials praised Western Massachusetts for its world class precision manufacturing factories and its middle-skilled workforce, made possible by its technical and vocational schools.  But as educators pointed out, the challenge in the future will be to keep that workforce within Massachusetts.

“We’re keeping more of those people but we have to work harder to keep them because we’ve made [Massachusetts] an exciting place,” said Harvard Business Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

Educators said a famous example of lost talent is Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook.  On a recent visit to Harvard University, he said if he were starting a company today, he would start it in Massachusetts.

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