Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com April 25, 2016 • Worcester Business Journal 7 WORCESTER • FRAMINGHAM • MILFORD • WEST YARMOUTH Shepherd & Goldstein is more than a traditional CPA firm. We have industry-specific expertise and offer a range of services to make an impact on your business. Rely on S&G for business process improvement, profit enhancement, regulatory compliance, as well as taking a proactive approach to accounting and tax services. If you are looking to improve the performance of your company, grow profitability and create greater business value, contact us today. 508-757-3311 • www.sgllp.com You Need a Partner that Understands Your Business S&G is part of a nationwide affiliation of independently owned accounting firms who demonstrate expertise and focus in working with manufacturers. We offer a wide array of innovative financial services and solutions including: • Research & Development Credits • Investment Tax Credits • International Taxation & Transfer Pricing • Federal, State & Local Tax Planning • Manufacturing Audit • Budgeting and Cash Flow Management • Review of Fixed and Variable Expenses Manufacturers and Distributors have unique needs. They must rely on partners that truly understand their business. continues in MetroWest, Vigeant said. "We try to get projects done as quickly as possible knowing time is money," he said. This emphasis has paid off for the city. Since 2012, it has filled more than 2 mil- lion square feet of commercial space and brought more than 5,000 jobs to the city. Establishing a vision The job of economic development isn't just about attracting development, but directing it in a sustainable way that works for the entire community, Errickson said. Natick is moving forward with short- and long-term planning, with an effort under- way to get voter approval for a master plan that would lay out desired development throughout every area of the town. "Establishing a vision is the fun part because you get to engage with the com- munity, you get to engage with the prop- erty owners and you get to figure out what you want things to look like 20 years down the road," Errickson said. Once in place, these plans inform zoning changes and serve as a guide for develop- ers, who can quickly find out whether their plans fit with the town's goals for an area. This is extremely important for the communities to figure out, so they can streamline the process and be proactive in determining what is the best use in certain locations, said Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which assists with planning for the region. Not having anyone heading up planning and economic development at the local level can hurt communities, Draisen said. "A lot of communities haven't really decided what they want, so their zoning doesn't actually match their aspirations," Draisen said "Developers may be forced to wait for two to three years until they get a permit or are denied … No developer wants to spend all their money on attor- ney's fees. They want to build something." One area Natick will be looking at spe- cifically is changing the permitted uses in the industrial parks zoned for uses more in keeping with the 1950's and 1960's, not today's research and development. "I just want to make sure we are truly accommodating highest and best uses and market demands," Errickson said. "Zoning is an extremely valuable tool to providing a private property owner or investor a vision for what the ideal use of a certain property is." Avoiding regional competition Even as communities in MetroWest plan for and see growth from companies and developers, it is important for them not to cannibalize from each other, Draisen said. "We are not encouraging [municipali- ties] to take a business from one place into their community," he said. "Most of the time the company will be taken from the community right next door." Vigeant, who is in his fifth year as mayor, has seen his own attitude on this shift. While initially he was pushing entirely for Marlborough specifically, now he recognizes that any growth in MetroWest benefits the city. "Taking a company from Framingham doesn't help the area, but if I can bring someone up here from New York, it does," he said. "If we push it as a region, I think we do a lot better for all of us." n Marlborough has used its natural advantages to entice corporations from across the globe to locate their offices in MetroWest, the highlight being GE Healthcare's planned facility for the city.

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