Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 9, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 5 "ere just is no other meat process- ing capacity being built like this in New England. We might end up being the only facility really in New England with this capability," Owner Kate Stillman said. "We're really close and excited." Unlike a slaughter house, Stillman's facility will focus on value-add produc- tion, taking meat from up to 300 small farms in Massachusetts to create prod- ucts such as pot pies, meatballs, jerky, and meat sticks, said Stillman. Located at 3674 Greenwich Road in Hardwick, the facility is set to open by the end of April. Stillman's current facility is licensed under the state as opposed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. is limits who the butchery can sell its products to. "USDA kind of removes all the train- ing wheels off the bike, and it opens up all the sales channels," said Stillman. Stillman is restricted now to a retail-only business, but becoming a USDA facility will enable the company to start wholesaling. e main differ- ences in a state-licensed facility and one under USDA inspection all comes down to an enormous amount of additional food safety requirements, said Stillman. e company's new facility will have several layers of pathogen controls, including specific plumbing structures before the floor is poured, custom-made floor drains, and all custom appliances, such as smokers. e facility will have an extra 6,000 square feet of non-processing space, including USDA offices, bathrooms, laundry, and chemical rooms. "We had to build an entire new facili- ty, and that's really the crux of all of this. is was not easy," said Stillman. e inspiration for the butchery's new facility upgrade came from the immense pressure Stillman and other meat pack- ers were under to expand their services coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this increase in demand, the federal government increased its fund- ing to support businesses in upgrading their facilities. Stillman's facility will cost approxi- mately $2.95 million, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development. In December, the state's Economic Assistance Coor- dinating Council awarded the butchery $375,000 in tax credits in exchange for the company creating 25 jobs. W Stillman Meats' new processing facility 6,400 square feet Newly opened Stoddard Exhibition Hall at the EcoTarium in Worcester, set to attract an estimated 100,000 visitors to its first exhibit Source: EcoTarium $470 million Credit card settlement TJX Cos. in Framingham received after a long battle with credit card providers over fees Source: TJX Cos. $15.1 million Price paid by Karim Jouki of Franklin for a 56-unit apartment complex at 77-79 Arlington St. in Framingham Source: Middlesex South District Registry of Deeds Spots Clark University climbed on Fortune magazine's list of Best Business Schools and MBA Programs for 2026, landing at No. 56 out of 72 Source: Fortune 14 The Clark Online MBA Clarku.edu/MBA Princeton Review: "Best Online MBA Programs" Start This Summer? Correct. No Applica on? $20K? Tariff ruling helps, but uncertainty remains a problem On Feb. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump violated his authority when his administration implemented broad tariffs. The move reversed nearly all of those tariffs imposed last year. The next day, Trump announced he would eventually impose a 15% global tariff, and 10% global rate was put into effect on Feb. 24. When polled online, the plurality of WBJ readers said the ongoing uncertainty is their businesses' main concern around tariffs. Will the Supreme Court's ruling against the 2025 tariffs help your business? W 33% Yes, but ongoing tariff uncertainty makes planning difficult. 23% It's too soon to tell. 20% No, tariffs don't meaningfully impact our business. 17% No, the original tariffs helped protect domestic businesses. 4% No, we've already adjusted operations, so this won't change much. 3% Yes, we expect immediate cost savings.

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