And the survey says…
It’s time again to share the results of the annual Business Climate Survey with you.
Respondents this year again generally reported improved economic conditions and plans for paced growth in hiring, revenue increases and expansion. But in addition to illustrating the survey highlights beginning on Page 11, I chose to use comments submitted by many of this year’s survey takers as the focus of the accompanying feature. With a few exceptions, people focused squarely on the MetroWest/495 region’s infrastructure needs in sharing their feedback on crucial business issues. Whether you travel by car or public transit, or even private shuttle, I hope you find information about efforts to enhance these commuting options helpful.
I would like to thank our survey partners, Framingham State University and the 495/MetroWest Partnership, who have once again worked diligently to help us make the Business Climate Survey a success. We’re grateful to have the insights of Michael Harrison, associate professor of economics at Framingham State, and Paul Matthews, executive director of the partnership, as part of the survey story.
Other features
We have three more enlightening features to share with you this issue, beginning with Livia Gershon’s story about the June opening of the state’s first gambling facility, Plainridge Park Casino, in Plainville. The town of Plainville was relatively receptive to the idea of a gambling facility during the approval process, perhaps because there was a history of betting in town at the harness racing facility on site, which has been preserved thanks to the project. Find out what the community has to say about it, now that it’s up and running, on Page 16.
Also by Livia is an illuminating look at the defense sector’s smaller side in MetroWest. While big players such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin do the bulk of military contracting in the region, many more small companies are filling important niches for the military, as are bigger defense contractors that serve the military. Learn what they’re up to on Page 18.
Switching gears to the health care sector, our Page 20 feature on the growing medical marijuana industry in MetroWest offers a roundup of who’s doing business or will soon launch in the region as part of the first round of cultivation and retail facilities to receive licenses, plus details on one of the latest proposals to make it through the initial licensing steps with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which could result in a retail location in Millis and a cultivation facility in neighboring Medway.
Finally, every business owner has faced the challenge of finding and keeping good talent. Imagine having to do that hundreds of times over, as GE Healthcare Life Sciences’ division is doing as it builds the team that will power its new headquarters in Marlborough, which is slated to open at the end of the year or in early 2016. Susan Shalhoub reports on the process from GE Healthcare’s perspective, with valuable insights from area recruiters and human resource experts, in our Page 21 feature.
In every issue
And please don’t forget to review our regularly featured content, which includes a look at the future of the renewable energy industry in our “What It Takes” interview with New England Clean Energy President Mark Durrenberger on Page 23; a look at the region’s important recent business headlines on Page 5; a calendar of upcoming events, plus snapshots of two recent business outings in our “Out and About” section on Page 8; and a list of the largest biomedical companies in MetroWest on Page 10. n
Emily Micucci,
Editor
WBJ Web Partners
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