Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 6, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 3 BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer A er nearly four decades in Worcester, International Ceramic Engineering has moved to Lancaster where the manufacturer has more than doubled its square footage. Now located at 851 Sterling Road, the move consolidated its former operations at Brooks Street and Barber Avenue in Worcester, bringing all manufacturing under one roof, said Craig Bovaird, president of International Ceramic. Founded in 1987, International Ceramic manufactures ceramic and plastic parts, including rods, tubes, and screws. e company employs about 60 workers and is looking to hire for more roles, including a mechanical inspector and customer service representative. e move to Lancaster was completed in December. Bovaird owns the building at 851 Sterling Road, and the company decided to relocate aer one of his industrial tenants declared bankruptcy, opening the space for International Ceramic. e manufacturer now occupies 25,000 square feet, up from a combined 10,000 square feet in Worcester. "is is a major league upgrade," said Bovaird. e move included extensive renovations to the facility's infrastructure and operational capabilities. e site's floors and walls were repainted, an upgraded lighting system was installed, and an advanced dust collection system was added. Additionally, the new space offers a major electrical capacity upgrade. International Ceramic now has access to 1,250 amps of service, more than four times the 400 amps at the manufacturer's previous buildings. e upgrade allows the company to operate its kilns throughout the week, instead of just on the weekends. e move "gave us an opportunity to design the layout of the building specifically for our manufacturing process, and here we are," Bovaird said. Bovaird and two of his partners acquired International Ceramic in April 2024, purchasing the business from two of its founding owners, Jay and Andy Higgins. Farmer's market move "Bringing it back downtown, where there's more visibility, there's foot traffic, there's a lot of free street parking on Sunday, the vibrancy is going to take off where we left off last year, and it's only going to expand." Julia Moriconi, director of Market on Exchange, on moving the Worcester farmer's market back to Exchange Street after a $500,000 year on Brussels Street New president "Sean is a trusted and forward- thinking leader who understands what it means to build strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and our communities." Matt Burke, chairman and CEO of Hyannis-based Mutual Bancorp, on Fidelity Bank promoting Sean O'Connell to be the Leominster-based bank's president. Pictured is O'Connell. Community center "This building matters, and so does what happens inside of it. Creative Hub exists because people showed up, believed in it, and invested in it. Now we finally get to open the doors and share it with everyone." Laura Marotta, executive director and co-founder of Creative Hub Worcester, on the organization's new Community Arts Center opening in April Worcester manufacturer doubles space with move to Lancaster W PHOTO | COURTESY OF INTERNATIONAL CERAMIC ENGINEERING International Ceramic Engineering's new headquarters in Lancaster

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