Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1391138
4 Worcester Business Journal | Book of Lists 2021 | wbjournal.com I f you closely follow the subtle changes in content over the decades Worcester Business Journal has been producing its annual Book of Lists, you'll see the evolution of the Central Massachusetts economy. Contained in the snapshot the few dozen lists each Book of Lists provides every year are the companies and industries driv- ing economic production and capturing the public's attention at any given point in time. The last few years have seen the addi- tion of industries like craft brewers and marijuana businesses, the expansion of the biomedical companies list, and the consoli- dation of players in the healthcare space. Aside from notable movements up and down lists, such as Tree House Brewing Co. in Charlton becoming the largest brew- er in Central Massachusetts, this year's 43 lists are highlighted by three new additions: local restaurants groups, Massachusetts Department of Transportation projects, and temporary staffing companies. Each of these groupings had their own unique jour- ney into 2021, as the whole of the region and the world are still contending with the coronavirus pandemic, with restaurants first needing to close down and then struggling to reopen as their workforces left; staffing agencies helping companies find workers in a difficult labor market; and public transportation construction again proving it can be resilient in a rough economy. But the economic story from the last year is more than just these three, far from it in fact. Having three brand new lists out of 43 is a typical level of turnover in the Book of Lists, as the region's economic profile is marked more by subtle shifts than wholesale change. A $51-billion economy doesn't just turn on a dime. Yet, that small amount of new lists belies just how tumultuous the past 17 months have been. Literally every aspect of every list was impacted in one way or another by the coronavirus pandemic. Tourist attractions are still using 2019 figures to showcase their standing in the region. Hotels have started off 2021 strong, but they still have a lot of ground to make up for. The colleges & universities list has one less entry this year, with Becker College in Worcester fading out of existence. As always, the only constant is change. The coronavirus pandemic took this truth to a whole new level, as the past year was marked by tumult and adaptation. As Central Massachusetts and the world appear on the cusp of entering a post-pandemic economy, we must always keep looking forward, preparing for what the changes may bring. - Brad Kane, editor C O N T E N T S What hasn't changed in the last year? REAL ESTATE ................................................... 11 Commercial sales ........................................... 12 Commercial leases .......................................... 13 Commercial real estate brokers ....................... 14 Largest MassDOT projects* ............................. 15 Commercial contractors .................................. 16 BANKING & FINANCE ....................................... 19 Banks ............................................................. 20 Credit unions .................................................. 24 Mergers & acquisitions .................................... 26 SBA lenders .................................................... 27 SBA loans ....................................................... 28 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ............................... 31 Law firms ....................................................... 32 Accounting firms ............................................. 33 Advertising & marketing firms .......................... 34 Insurance agencies ......................................... 38 Temporary staffing companies* ........................ 40 Incubators ...................................................... 41 Chambers of commerce .................................. 42 IT services providers ....................................... 44 Commercial cleaners....................................... 46 HEALTH CARE ................................................... 49 Hospitals ........................................................ 50 Health insurers................................................ 52 Physician groups ............................................. 53 Addiction treatment centers^ .......................... 54 MANUFACTURING ........................................... 59 Manufacturers^ .............................................. 60 Marijuana businesses ...................................... 66 Breweries ....................................................... 68 Biomedical companies^ .................................. 70 EDUCATION & NONPROFITS ............................ 75 Colleges & universities .................................... 76 Vocational technical high schools ..................... 78 Human services nonprofits .............................. 79 Private foundations ......................................... 80 HOSPITALITY .................................................... 83 Hotels ............................................................. 84 Restaurant groups* ......................................... 85 Tourist attractions ........................................... 86 Golf courses ................................................... 87 Meeting facilities ............................................. 89 GENERAL INTEREST ........................................ 93 Highest-paid state employees .......................... 94 Highest-paid CEOs .......................................... 95 Highest-paid nonprofit leaders^ ...................... 96 Minority-owned businesses^ ........................... 98 Women-owned businesses^ ......................... 100 Veteran-owned businesses ............................ 104 Labor unions ................................................. 105 INDEX ............................................................. 106 *New list created for first time in 2021 ^Longer version of list available in digital edition on WBJournal.com CORRECTION: An item in the Photo Finish section of the June 21 edition misspelled the name of Sader Sleeps, the startup out of the College of the Holy Cross. INDEXED BY INDUSTRY CATEGORY Worcester Business Journal (ISSN#1063-6595) is published bi- weekly, 24x per year, including 4 special issues in May, September, October, and December by New England Business Media. 172 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA 01604. Periodicals postage paid at Worcester, MA. Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Worcester Business Journal, PO Box 330, Congers, NY 10920-9894. Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions are available for $54.95. For more information, please email wbjournal@cambeywest.com or contact our circulation department at 845-267-3008. Fax: 845.267.3478 Advertising: For advertising information, please call Mark Murray at 508-755-8004 ext. 227. Fax: 508-755-8860. Worcester Business Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or materials and in general does not return them to the sender. 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