Manufacturing Stays Alive In North County
New economic council focuses on fostering growth
Contrary to popular perception, North Worcester County hasn't seen as steep a loss of manufacturing jobs over the last five years as either the state or the county as a whole.
Given that 17 percent of the area's manufacturing jobs have still disappeared, that may not sound like terrific news, but Nancy Jackson, director of the new North Central Massachusetts Economic Development Council, is convinced that, with a little support, manufacturing will remain a mainstay of the local economy for years to come.
Growth Despite Setbacks
The council, the youngest of six similar regional groups around the state, was founded in 2006 as a partnership of the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp., Fitchburg State College and Mount Wachusett Community College. Jackson said the group will soon unveil several initiatives designed to "brand" the area and quantify the resources it offers for businesses.
"We have to figure out who we are, and there's no question this region is a manufacturing region," she said.
Jackson said that, despite struggles in the first half of the decade, manufacturing in the area is showing signs of recovery. Over the last five quarters, she said, it has seen a marginal increase in jobs - despite the closing of two major Leominster plants: Union Products Inc. and Holiday Housewares Inc.
"Things are not continuing to slide downhill," she said. "Jobs have been added in this region. It's not a gloom and doom story."
Cheer Up
Jackson said there are several positive signs for the area. For one thing, the weak dollar has helped companies deal with international competition. For another, wages have risen faster in manufacturing than in other sectors, bringing manufacturing wages for the area up to a third of total wages even as the share of total jobs in the sector stays below 25 percent. Meanwhile, some of the loss of jobs reflects an increase in productivity, as it takes fewer workers to operate machinery.
"Those are positive things," she said. "You can't remain competitive and have the one man, one machine model."
And although the recent loss of a Solo Cup Co. factory in Leominster has not yet affected available statistics, Jackson said there are several other companies now looking to do business in the area that could replace those jobs.
Meanwhile, the council is doing its best to get more employers interested in the area. After some delays, it got off to a real start last spring once it received $250,000 in state seed money.
Around the end of January, Jackson expects to present the results of two council studies - one on the availability of broadband and the other on the Fitchburg Municipal Airport as well as a new web site designed by Davis Advertising.
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