Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1052339
8 Worcester Business Journal | Fact Book 2018 | wbjournal.com M e t r o W e s t R E G I O N S MetroWest: At a glance Largest employer Dell Technologies (EMC Corp.), Hopkinton 8,000 local employees Largest chamber of commerce MetroWest Chamber of Commerce 558 members Biggest bank Middlesex Savings Bank, Natick $4,092,021,000 in deposits Biggest college Framingham State University 3,580 full-time students, fall 2018 Largest meeting venue Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center Accommodates 1,500 guests banquet style Average median age 43.2 Sources: Worcester Business Journal surveys of area businesses, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) as of June 30, 2018, Esri's Updated Demographics, 2018 estimates, Esri Tapestry Segmentation, www.esri.com MetroWest has benefitted from the Greater Boston expansion, with several tech companies leading the economy Diverse tech industries Continued on Page 10 BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to the Worcester Business Journal F or years, an important buzz- word in regional develop- ment has been "clusters." Having a number of compa- nies and research institu- tions focused on a specific field helps attract a strong workforce and bring entrepreneurs, funders and comple- mentary businesses together in a mutually beneficial way. The MetroWest area doesn't just have a cluster – it has several of them. "We're seeing our regional success in IT continue and go to a new level," said Paul Matthews, executive director of the 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership. At the same time, Matthews said, life science companies including medical device manufacturers and biopharma- ceutical firms have a strong presence. "What that means is we're well-posi- tioned for a wave from digital health companies," he said. Entrepreneur hot spot So the region isn't just good for tech companies like IBM in Littleton and CISCO in Boxborough, and for life science ones like Boston Scientific in Marlborough and Waters Corp. in Milford. It's a great place for entrepre- neurs who combine an understanding of health issues and data. eClinicalWorks, the Westborough electronic medical records company, has been expanding its physical foot- print and its employee count. And RXAdvance in Southborough, which works to transform the pharmacy ben- efits management industry and reduce healthcare costs, is thriving in the area. "They are very well positioned for the next wave of growth in this In order to make transportation around Marlborough easier once tech workers arrive to their jobs, the city partnered with a bike- share company.