Worcester Business Journal

6 Worcester Business Journal | February 20, 2023 | wbjournal.com and Xcxeedance, which all have offices in One Mercantile, the former Unum building, a contemporary structure built on the site of the former Worcester Center Galleria. Over at 20 Franklin St., the nonprof- it Worcester Business Development Corp. purchased the former Telegram & Gazette Building in 2011 with the aim of activating the area. In addition to Quinsigamond Community College and WGBH, the building is home to ten24 Digital Solutions, Bluefin Technology Partners, and Blustream. e Printers Building, at 44 Port- land St. was rehabilitated by Davis Publications in 2016, and in addition to a number of cultural nonprofits like ArtsWorcester, makerspace Technocopia, and radio station WICN is home to tech companies BitSpartan and Embue. Downtown lifestyle Joffrey Smith launched his insurtec company Concordia Exchange on Jan. 24 in a 123-year-old downtown building, which he bought for the business and his financial advisory firm, Joffrey Smith Financial Group. Smith, a former Worcester city coun- cilor, wants to bring high-paying jobs to downtown Worcester and give his employees the option to live nearby and make use of the amenities downtown has to offer. e restaurants, bars, and entertain- ment in downtown Worcester are a draw to companies who say employees value having nearby things to do aer work. "Being in the suburbs is not the same," said Kelleher, whose firm also deals with properties in MetroWest. "Employers want that cutting-edge walkable city feel." Machado is impressed by the ameni- ties near his Franklin Street office and said they help to attract talent. "e Hanover e- atre was a great piece that was really great for the city, and then it was some of these restaurants, and then the beer garden opened up," said Machado, who is looking forward to a company event at Far Shot Worcester, an axe-throwing facility opened in 2021 across Worcester Common from his office. "When I first came to Worcester, people would go to college here, and then ship right out," Machado said, "Now, what we're seeing here is more people are staying." Recruiting and retaining talent With 15 colleges and universities in Central Massachusetts, including WPI, the talent being developed in the area is at Kelleher & Sadowsky Associates, a real estate firm in downtown Worcester. e firm has helped lease space to firms like Mustang Bio, ComputerVault, What tech companies like about downtown Worcester PHOTO | EDD COTE BY TIMOTHY DOYLE WBJ Staff Writer W ith its historic buildings lining Main Street and surround- ing its common, downtown Worcester has an old feel to it recalling the days when shoppers and workers crowded the sidewalks. Inside of these century-old structures, and some contemporary ones, businesses from one of the most cutting-edge indus- tries – technology – have been setting up shop. ey have been drawn to the area by nearby amenities, advantageous loca- tion, and access to talent, helping them get the best workers available. With new companies moving in, one of the early adopters of the downtown tech wave would like to see faster internet speeds in the neighborhood, to improve infrastruc- For the past decade, a number technology startups and established firms have filled office buildings Select downtown Worcester tech firms Company Address Founded Concordia Exchange 8 Norwich St. 2023 SideChannel 146 Main St. 2017 BluStream 20 Franklin St. 2015 Mustang Bio 1 Mercantile St. 2015 Bluefin Technology Partners 20 Franklin St. 2013 Xceedance 1 Mercantile St. 2013 ComputerVault 1 Mercantile St. 2010 ten24 Digital Solutions 20 Franklin St. 2008 Embue 44 Portland St. 2007 Machado Consulting 32 Franklin St. 2001 Triton Technologies 35 Harvard St. 2001 Paragus Strategic IT 1 Mercantile St. 1999 Sources: Individual companies ture for the tech companies in town. Something of a trailblazer, in 2010, Helder Machado moved his IT consult- ing firm Machado Consulting to the fih floor of one of those buildings, 32 Frank- lin St., the former Worcester Chamber of Commerce Building, built in 1925. "I remember telling some of my friends, 'I'm starting a business, and I'm going to be headquartered in Worcester.' ey laughed," said Machado, a gradu- ate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. ey suggested he start his business somewhere closer to Boston, like Marl- borough or Westborough. "I said. 'You know what, I really like Worcester.' I saw tremendous potential back then," said Machado. More than a decade later, more tech companies have called downtown Worcester home. "A lot of eyes are on Worcester. It's the place to be," said Will Kelleher, principal Helder Machado of Machado Consulting was an early adopter among this wave of tech companies downtown.

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