6 S T U F F • 2 0 2 0 • StuffMadeinMA.com
Made & Built in
Central Mass.
e Bay State has a long history as a manufacturing &
construction center, including products impacting your
everyday life
B Y Z AC H A R Y C O M E A U
W
orcester and
Central
Massachusetts have
long been known
for their exports,
ranging from tex-
tile looms in the early-to-mid 1900s to
medical devices and components for air-
planes, rockets and spaceflight.
The Blackstone Canal, built in the 1820s,
first made Worcester a hub of commerce
when it allowed goods to be shipped to the
city and down to Narragansett Bay in
Rhode Island, said Timothy Murray, presi-
dent and CEO of the Worcester Regional
Chamber of Commerce.
Along with the Blackstone River, other
waterways helped provide hydro power to
dozens of factories and mills.
"The combination of geography and uti-
lizing some natural assets in the region
created that manufacturing base that then
just grew," Murray said.
After the canal closed after a few
$81,458
Average annual salary of a Massachusetts
construction worker
35%
Percent more money in salary a Worcester
County manufacturing worker makes vs.
an employee in the healthcare field
Note: Source on all factoids is the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics
P H O T O | M AT T H E W W R I G H T
Assembly line workers package
desserts at Table Talk Pies.
