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10 Worcester Business Journal | April 26, 2021 | wbjournal.com M A N U F A C T U R I N G E X C E L L E N C E A W A R D S FOCUS Manufacturing Quality Products for the Home Since 1919 Thank You for Recognizing Our Team • Innovative products that make consumers' lives easier • Exceptional customer service • Safe work environment United Solutions ® is a licensed Rubbermaid ® manufacturer. 19apr21_USol's WBJ Ad_final.indd 1 19apr21_USol's WBJ Ad_final.indd 1 4/20/21 3:44 PM 4/20/21 3:44 PM The largest Central Mass. industry I t's difficult to overstate the importance the manufacturing industry plays in the Central Massachusetts economy. At nearly $7 billion in annual gross domestic product, it is the region's largest industry by economic output, accounting for 14% of the local business community's GDP. Since the American Industrial Revolution, the Central Massachusetts region has been built on manufacturing, and that seems unlikely to change any time in the near future. However, aside from the brewing, cannabis and life science subsectors, manufacturers toil away in relative obscurity, as they steadily and consistently produce their products with little fanfare. Manufacturing doesn't have the same buzz as the restaurant industry, the large workforce of the healthcare industry, or the built-in prestige of higher education, but it forms the backbone of the region. Every year since 2016, WBJ has taken occasion to honor a handful of these high-achieving (and oen low-profile) manufacturers in our Manufacturing Excellence Awards. Included among these winners is one overall Manufacturer of the Year (an award previously named Overall Manufacturing Excellence), as well as awards for specific achievements like workforce development, product innovation, and collaboration. In addition to these companies, we honor one person who has been a Manufacturing Champion in the last year, supportive of the industry's needs. On top of this edition, WBJ will further honor the Manufacturing Excellence Award winners at the upcoming virtual Central Mass. Manufacturing Summit & Awards on May 19. You may register at WBJournal.com for this free event, which will also include a panel discussion with industry leaders about the most pressing issues facing manufacturing today. – Brad Kane, editor MANUFACTURING S U M M I T & EXCELLENCE AWARDS WBJ Worcester Business Journal Manufacturer of the Year United Solutions, Leominster .......... 11 Rising Star DetraPel, Inc., Framingham ............. 12 Product Design & Innovation Award United Stretch Design Corp., Hudson ............................................ 13 Collaboration in Manufacturing Award Redemption Rock Brewing Co., Worcester ........................................ 14 Green Manufacturer Award US Pack, Leominster ....................... 15 Workforce Development Award Quabbin Wire & Cable Co., Inc., Ware ................................................ 16 Manufacturing Champion Darcy Cook, Worcester .................... 17 W n All manufacturing award photos are courtesy of the profiled companies.