BOSTON, Massachusetts, September 15, 2010 – Twenty-seven finalists from across the state gathered at the UMass Club today to compete for the Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards, awarded annually by MassEcon ( the Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development). These finalists, representing companies from Boston to the Berkshires, gave one-minute elevator pitches describing their growth in the Bay State over the past eighteen months. Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki was the featured guest at the event. The awards celebrate companies that have made an outstanding contribution to the Massachusetts economy. The winners from each region will be announced in October and recognized at an awards luncheon on November 23rd in Boston.
The finalist companies range in size and are from many different industries, including medical devices, software, manufacturing, life sciences, and clean energy. MassEcon selected the finalists based on their job growth, facility expansion, and investment since January 1, 2009, as well as other criteria including community involvement.
Finalists compete on a regional basis, defined as West, Central, Southeast, Northeast, and Greater Boston. Out of the finalists, a gold, silver, and bronze winner will be selected from each region.
“We’ve been seeing stories and headlines that indicate that New England is outpacing the rest of the country in economic recovery,” said Bob Brustlin, President and CEO of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin and Chairman of MassEcon. “It’s great to recognize the progress that Massachusetts is
making by honoring the businesses that are contributing to this growth.”
A recent report of the Business Confidence Index by Associated Industries of Massachusetts shows that Massachusetts is ahead of the rest of the nation in recovering, defined by factors such as employment growth, spending, and output. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that 5,300 manufacturing jobs alone have been added in the state in the past six months.
“As we climb out of the recession, it is important to recognize that there are businesses across the state that are expanding,” Susan Houston, Executive Director, MassEcon added. “With these awards we see that growth in the Commonwealth is not limited to one region or one industry. These finalists come from every region of the state and represent a diverse group of industries.”
WEST
Blu Homes Inc, East Longmeadow
Lymtech Scientific, Chicopee
Onyx Specialty Papers, South Lee
Seahorse Bioscience, Chicopee
The Chamberlain Group, Great Barrington
CENTRAL
A123 Systems, Westborough
Conservation Services Group, Westborough
eClinical Works, Westborough
Heywood Hospital, Gardner
Incom Inc., Charlton
Saint Gobain, Worcester
SOUTHEAST
Bluefin Robotics, Quincy
Kopin Corporation, Taunton
NorthEast Electrical Distributors, Brockton
Smith & Nephew, Inc. (Endoscopy Division), Mansfield
Tribe Mediterranean Foods, Inc., Taunton
NORTHEAST
BIOCIUS Life Sciences, Wakefield
Cbeyond, Burlington
Epsilon Data Management, Wakefield
Jessica’s Brick Oven, North Andover
Nexamp, Inc., North Andover
GREATER BOSTON
ABNote, Boston
Autodesk, Waltham
Constant Contact, Waltham
Harpoon Brewery, Boston
Microsoft (NERD), Cambridge
OPK Biotech LLC, Cambridge
