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wbjournal.com | Fact Book 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 19 R E G I O N S B l a c k s t o n e V a l l e y Commercial & Community residential tax rate % Blackstone Valley property tax rates Northbridge 13.53% Millville 16.11 Grafton 16.40 Millbury 16.43 Sutton 16.50 Douglas 16.72 Uxbridge 16.96 Hopedale 17.29 Mendon 17.75 Upton 18.16 Blackstone 19.26 Sources: Mass. Department of Revenue Blackstone Valley: At a glance Largest employer Alternatives Unlimited Inc., Northbridge 656 local employees Largest chambers Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce 500 members (tie) of commerce The United Regional Chamber of Commerce 500 members (tie) Biggest bank UniBank for Savings $1.4B in deposits Biggest college Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Grafton 442 full-time students, fall 2017 Largest meeting venue Southwick's Zoo, Mendon Accomodates up to 1,000 people in banquet-style Average median age 42.3 Sources: Worcester Business Journal surveys of area businesses, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) as of June 30, 2017, Esri's Updated Demographics, 2017 estimates, Esri Tapestry Segmentation, www.esri.com Community Avg. net worth Residents average net worth Sutton $1,586,434 Mendon $1,355,629 Upton $1,325,502 Hopedale $1,298,038 Grafton $1,175,661 Uxbridge $934,788 Douglas $867,646 Millville $865,149 Millbury $830,143 Northbridge $777,956 Blackstone $734,341 Sources: Esri's Updated Demographics, 2017 estimates, Esri Tapestry Segmentation, www.esri.com Stone said. "Being able to ship quickly and cost-effectively is very important." Stone said the region offers a kind of balance, with easy access to transit, relatively inexpensive real estate, and the benefits of living outside a major metro area. "It's a much calmer, more peaceful area to be living," she said, reflecting on a visit to Milford Regional Medical Center. "Even something as silly as hav- ing a world-class hospital and you don't have to pay for parking. It's just so much easier to live out here." Hebert said the area is a true small- business economy, with manufacturers of 20 or fewer employees and mom- and-pop retailers. "We have a lot of woman-owned small businesses here," she said. "We have craft people here, specialized peo- ple… There's just a lot going on." Many of the area's old mill buildings now house small companies reaching customers all over the world through wholesale and online channels. Perhaps Jeannie Hebert, president and CEO of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce (Top) Bill DiBenedetto of Lampin Corp. in Uxbridge gives a tour of the precision manufacturer to students. (Bottom) Vocational-technical students learn about the trade at places like Lampin. the best-known of these is Vaillancourt Folk Art in Sutton, which distributes products through major department stores but also sells its wares and offers tours of its artists' studios in a historic textile mill building. "Their store is just lovely," Hebert said. "It's just Christmas all year 'round in there." Modern problems, modern solutions For the area's traditional industrial base, making sure enough qualified workers are available can be a chal- lenge. Lucille Ward, human resources manager at Package Industries Inc. in Sutton, said after a tough period when it Community Minutes Average commute Millbury 26.7 Northbridge 29.5 Blackstone 29.9 Sutton 29.9 Millville 30.2 Uxbridge 31.2 Mendon 32.4 Douglas 33.3 Grafton 34.3 Upton 35.4 Hopedale 37.9 Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2011-2015 American Community Survey Continued on Page 21