The Massachusetts Summit Achievement Award is presented to an employer that has made repeated investments in Massachusetts and demonstrated outstanding corporate citizenship. The 2026 recipient of the Summit Achievement Awards is New Balance Athletics, Inc. Founded in Massachusetts in 1906, New Balance has established a strong presence in Boston and the Commonwealth with its global headquarters, athletic footwear manufacturing facilities, distribution and retail centers. New Balance received one of the first Impact Awards, in 2004, for its investment in its manufacturing facility in Lawrence. The company’s continuing commitment to Massachusetts manufacturing is evident in its operations in Methuen, where a new 80,000 SF factory opened in January 2022. That same year, New Balance opened the TRACK at New Balance, a world-class multi-purpose athletic center that included a state-of-the-art Sports Research Lab. New Balance has also remained strongly committed to giving back to the communities where its associates live and work. Since 1981, New Balance Foundation has invested more than $90 million in local nonprofits serving Metro Boston, Lawrence, and Methuen, focused on driving lifelong health and success for young people. New Balance is the third recipient of the Massachusetts Summit Achievement Award, joining past awardees Bristol Myers Squibb (2023) and Moderna (2025).