36 2020 Massachusetts Manufacturing Awards
B
eginning in an abandoned
funeral parlor in Cambridge
from which the company gets
its name, Parlor Skis was founded by
three friends and lifelong skiers who
grew up in New England learning
the sport in youth race leagues,
and later honing their skills through
academy, collegiate and professional
circuits. Noticing a gap in the local
ski market, these friends built
upon their combined decades of
experience and knowledge of New
England slopes to develop a ski
brand that is uniquely New England.
Now located in East Boston, Parlor
Skis has grown to become the largest
ski manufacturing company in New
England.
During the COVID-19 emergency
in 2020, as health care providers
and organizations across the
country faced shortages in personal
protective equipment, the staff at
Parlor Skis looked for a way that they
could give back to the community
they called home. Partnering
with other local businesses for
suppliers, they shut down their
ski manufacturing and dedicated
their shop to the production of
face shields, cutting the plexiglass
covers on the same machines usually
reserved for custom skis. Producing
hundreds of face shields per day at
the peak of the pandemic, the PPE
Parlor Skis produced was utilized by
local frontline health care workers
at locations such as the East Boston
Neighborhood Health Center.
Celebrating their selfless efforts
to support their community during
the COVID-19 pandemic, and their
longtime commitment to high-
quality, custom-designed, and
crafted products, Parlor Skis is
recognized for their excellence in
Massachusetts Manufacturing.
Parlor Skis
City/Town: East Boston
Total Employees: 6
Year Company Founded: 2015
Company Website:
parlorskis.com
Nominated by:
Representative Adrian Madaro
M A S S A C H U S E T T S
Manufacturing Awards 20 20
Pictured:
Left: Mark Wallace, Co-founder
& Manager, Parlor Skis; Center:
Rep. Adrian Madaro, East Boston;
Right: Tyler Grees, Production
Manager/owner, Parlor Skis
