Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal • March 30, 2015 www.wbjournal.com "There's a long-standing culture in this part of the state and this part of the country for a high level of manufactur- ing, and I think that goes back to the (region's) woodworking and engineering history," Forkey said. Don Irving, whose business, Data Guide Cable Corp., has been in the city since 1983, said many of his first hires were from the furniture industry and other manufacturing firms that were based in Gardner. "We can train them to do anything, but if they don't have the internal desire to make things better for themselves and their families, it is not going to work," he said. Out with the old … There's also plenty of new construc- tion space where businesses can expand. While many of the former manufactur- ing sites were not conducive to reuse, most have been cleared out, leaving a number of "pad ready" sites ripe for development. This has helped manufac- turers such as ACT, which has been able to set aside 12 acres for future expan- sions while creating buildings from the ground-up to their specifications. "If you're looking for a good balance of commerce and space, then Gardner is a really good option," added Sam Massoni, CEO at New England Peptide. "I could have been in Boston, but I chose to come back out here because I like to fish and I like the land." But not everything is positive in Gardner. In fact, many of the biggest complications of doing business in the city are the mirror images of its benefits. There's a lack of adequate infrastructure. Many former manufacturing buildings were not suitable for modern needs, with cramped floor plans and wood con- struction. While businesses like Irving's made use of these inexpensive facilities when they launched their businesses, few of those aging structures remain. That's also an issue for non-manufac- turing businesses, according to Cormier, especially buildings that lack adequate parking space. Gardner's remote location and rural character also carry particular down- sides. While the lifestyle is one of the main benefits business owners cite, the city is not one that customers around the world equate with high-level manufac- turing, Forkey said. The city is actively working on that, with improvement projects such as a new police station on Main Street that has spurred an investment by Cumberland Farms in a 12-pump gas station nearby. Gardner doesn't need a huge explosion of development, said Mayor Mark Hawke, who is content to see steady, incremental growth from businesses already in the city. "I think that's the way Gardner needs to grow," he said. Challenge to the north One of the greatest challenges Gardner may face is its proximity to New Hampshire. With the Granite State just 12 miles up the road, the allure of a more tax-lenient state is enticing to businesses in North Central Massachusetts. That's always been on Irving's mind when he has considered expanding Data Guide Cable. "The question is: Do I do it here in Massachusetts or move 12 miles up the road?" he said. But a responsive local government, helped out by Gardner's size — the city's population is about 22,000 — is a plus, according to business owners. "It's another critical factor, knowing that someone has your back and they are going to work with you to get what needs to be done, done," Massoni said. "It gives you a sense of confidence and a little bit of community … we struggle enough to compete around the world, so you need a supportive government." It's not uncommon for Hawke to drop by at a business as it renovates or expands, Irving said. Being able to have more personal relationships with differ- ent pieces of the local government, including the fire and police depart- ments, can make operations go much smoother than they would otherwise, he said. Irving, meanwhile, developed property adjacent to his business into a shopping plaza, anchored by a Price Chopper. The approval process, which officials of the supermarket chain expected to take more than a year, was completed within months, Irving said. Hawke has actively pushed for this business engagement since he took office in 2006. Whether the city is working with a business on a tax-increment financing deal or an overlay district to allow for a new use of a plot of land, Gardner actively attempts to promote and grow business, he said. Assist from local college Mount Wachusett Community College's continuing education pro- grams are a huge help to get the work- force skills that area businesses need, said Ken Tomasetti, president of ACT. He has found it hard to find employees to make plastics, but is working with the school and the city to promote careers in manufacturing. Gardner has the amenities of a larger city, but with the lower real estate prices befitting its more remote location, while offering a lifestyle many prefer. The more laid-back attitude with affordable housing prices at a median price of $171,242 compared to $323,800 throughout the state in 2012, according to City-Data.com, all lead to the lifestyle they suggest: a more relaxed, small-town way of living. Despite that, the city is still connected, with a number of major roads running through and around Gardner, both ship- ping products and maintaining a physi- cal tie to the eastern part of the state. Forkey, of Precision Optics, said the location is close enough to Boston to maintain a connection with the optics community to draw engineering employees northwest. As Gardner continues its shift from a center for making furniture to a city with a more diverse business base, the city remains a community that's well-con- nected and can offer benefits of a bigger city, with the personal connection of a small town, Hawke said. The city's big- gest selling point continues to be its small-town lifestyle and level of accessi- bility, he said. "One of the biggest things is just lis- tening to people and trying to work with them and if we can't help them, put them in touch with someone who can. That's how Gardner's size helps," Hawke said. "We are big enough to carry a little bit of weight … but it is still that small-town feel where if they want to call me up I will work with them." Q Gardner 's past furnishes its manufacturing future >> Continued from Page 1 Precision Optics, which manufactures optical equipment for the defense and medical fields, has been making all their components in Gardner since 1982. Summit Industrial Park, home of New England Peptide and Advanced Cable Ties, has provided space for ground-up development in Gardner with room for companies to grow. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y M A P / C O U R T E S Y "If you're looking for a good balance of commerce and space, then Gardner is a really good option." Sam Massoni, CEO, New England Peptide

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