18 Worcester Business Journal | Fact Book 2017 | wbjournal.com
B l a c k s t o n e V a l l e y
R E G I O N S
The Blackstone Valley has modernized its historic
manufacturing roots, while staying true to its mom-
and-pop reputation
The spirit of the
Industrial Revolution
BY LIVIA GERSHON
Special to the Worcester Business Journal
B
uilt in the first half of the 19th
century, when American
industry was in its early years,
the Blackstone Canal carried
goods from Worcester all the way to
Narragansett Bay. Along its sides, mill
towns sprang up, producing things the
world needed.
Today, manufacturers in the region
are filling the world's need for solar-
powered irrigation systems, prosthetic
limbs, precision watch parts, and a
thousand other things making the
modern economy go.
"We're very proud of the manufactur-
ers we have here, the innovative ways
they're meeting the call of the market,"
said Jeannie Hebert, president and CEO
of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of
Commerce. "The Blackstone Valley is a
very innovative place."
Big-city access, small-town life
Liora Stone, president and owner of
Precision Engineering Inc. in
Uxbridge, said, just like during the
Industrial Revolution, part of what
makes the region successful is its
access to markets.
"My customers are large corporate
original equipment manufacturers,"
Liora Stone,
president and
owner of
Precision
Engineering,
which creates
custom products.
Riverdale Mills in Northbridge makes
a wire mesh used in lobster traps
and security fences.
