Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 1, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 19 All of our events are available within MA State Guidelines. BOOK A SUMMER COMPANY OUTING TODAY AT WACHUSETT. Call 978.464.2300 x3175 or email sales@wachusett.com Put the "OUT" back in your Company Outing. Bring your colleagues OUT to Wachusett Mountain. Aer a year of working remotely, head OUTside with your team this summer. Enjoy OUTdoor recreation, hiking, fun activities, and our scenic Skyride. Get OUT together, socially distant within our spacious grounds and custom tented areas. Regardless of your group size, time to think OUT-of-the box. We'll create an OUTstanding menu for you, from clambakes to barbecues (as low as $28.50 per person). M A N U F A C T U R I N G P O W E R 5 0 NATALIE FRIEL VICE PRESIDENT, SITE HEAD, AND GENERAL MANAGER RESILIENCE US, INC., IN MARLBOROUGH Residence: Weston Colleges: United States Military Academy West Point, Duke University in North Carolina With 11 sites and 1,700 employees, Resilience is a fast- growing player in the biomanufacturing space. In March, the company signed a new financing agreement for $410 million in long-term loan financing from the U.S. Department of Defense to support the company in its push to establish domestic, end-to-end biomanufacturing capacity and capabilities for biologics, vaccines, and nucleic acids, including the new state-of-the-art facility in Marlborough the company is now building. And it's Friel's responsibility to do that. Resilience purchased an eight-acre property in Marlborough for $11 million in May 2022 and plans for a $9-million renovation. The project is another expansion of the life sciences sector to Central Mass. from Greater Boston, as the San Diego-based firm already has facilities in Allston and Waltham. As of October, the Marlborough facility was 85% complete and due for an opening sometime this year. The goal of Friel's efforts in Marlborough and Resilience's larger plan for which it has raised $1.2 billion is to create a healthier world by using technology to develop simpler and less expensive ways for biopharmaceutical companies to make complex vaccines. As a relative newcomer to Central Massachusetts, Friel – who was born in South America to a Chilean mother and American father and is a U.S. Army veteran who served as a captain in the area of military intelligence – has lived in 10 different states and countries and hopes to bring different perspectives to the community. n How should professionals best use the power they wield? "Quoting Dr. Seuss in The Lorax: 'Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.' People with power can and should invest themselves to make things better for their teams, company. or community, especially when the odds are tough, but the mission is important." n No moments to re-lax: Friel played lacrosse for Army. Go Lady LAX! RITA KAPUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF ATECH TURBINE COMPONENTS, INC., IN AUBURN VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AT AIMTEK, INC., IN AUBURN Residence: Natick College: Bentley University in Waltham Kapur has worked as the CFO of Aimtek since 1993. The company was started by her parents, Amar and Ani Kapur, in a third-floor apartment and a rented garage in Worcester after Amar emigrated from Mumbai, India, to study chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. At the start, the company sold specialty gases to universities, technology, research and development, and life sciences customers. By 1977, it began to grow and acquire other companies like Bay State Oxygen, a welding supply and industrial gas distributor, and others such as Alliance Supply, which distributed industrial, safety, and cleanroom supplies. With the addition of Atech in 2003, Aimtek became a truly multi-faceted operation supplying not only materials and gasses but a certified overhaul and repair facility for Pratt & Whitney Canada aerospace turbine engine components. With all of that comes a lot of employees and plenty of logistical headaches, which Kapur is in charge of as the person responsible for leading the company's operations, financial strategy, and controls. She leads business strategy and revenue growth, as well as, acquisitions, funding, talent management, and product innovation at the family business. Kapur in 2022 joined the board of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership. As a board member, Kapur is now a leading member of the Massahcusetts manufacturing economy and pulls sway across the state as she advocates for and helps small to midsize manufacturers to reach their goals and grow. n How should professionals best use the power they wield? "Business professionals should use their power responsibly, with integrity, empathy, and a long-term perspective. They should prioritize the well-being of their customers, employees, and communities and strive for sustainable and ethical business practices. They should leverage their power to create a positive social impact." n Benefits from working in the family business: Kapur knows how to weld.

• Cover