2025 Manufacturing Excellence Awards

The manufacturing industry remains the elusive powerhouse of the Central Massachusetts economy.

When measured strictly by economic output, no industry is more important to the region than manufacturing. It generates about $6.5 billion in annual gross domestic product, representing about 14% of the region’s total GDP and just eking out the real estate industry (13.5%) as the biggest contributor to the Central Massachusetts economy, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Yet, when compared to higher-profile industries like health care and higher education, manufacturing is often pushed into the background. Sure, certain subsectors like life sciences, cannabis, and breweries get a lot of attention, but the companies comprising the backbone of local manufacturing rarely get the attention they deserve.

This is the main reason WBJ launched the Manufacturing Excellence Awards back in 2016, to shine the spotlight on companies making a difference and breaking new ground. Over the past 10 years, WBJ has honored manufacturers and their executives more than 70 times with awards ranging from overall excellence to workforce development to product innovation.

– Brad Kane, editor