Jack Healy, longtime MassMEP head, passes away

Jack Healy, retired leader of MassMEP, passed away over the weekend.

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By Laura Finaldi

Jack Healy, considered by many to be the champion of the manufacturing industry in Massachusetts for decades, passed away over the weekend, the state manufacturing advocacy group confirmed Monday.

Healy, who was in his 80s, stepped down from his post as president and CEO of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP) last summer. In his retirement, Healy remained active in the industry.

He helped found MassMEP in 1999, and over his nearly two-decade career there helped guide manufacturers through a transitional time in their industry. When MassMEP was founded, the state had 43 manufacturers with 1,000 employees. As of last summer, it had 10. Last year, about 70 percent of manufacturers in Central Massachusetts had 20 or fewer employees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Healy was continually recognized for his work helping companies navigate their way through the economic shift.

"Jack Healy was a leader and advocate for manufacturing in Massachusetts. His advocacy on behalf of manufacturing improved the state of the manufacturing economy in Massachusetts," MassMEP said in a statement on Monday.

Before he joined MassMEP, Healy held executive-level positions at Presmet Corp., LEGO Systems, and Squibb-Beech-Nut Inc. He was a partner at consulting firm the Wellesley Group before joining MassMEP. He won a business leader of the year award from the Worcester Business Journal in 2010, and a Next century Award for helping manufacturers implement growth opportunities from Associated Industries of Massachusetts in 2016, among other awards. Under his leadership, MassMEP received recognition from groups across Massachusetts.