Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | Fact Book 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 25 R E G I O N S C e n t r a l M a s s . S o u t h Knowledge + Experience + Trusted Advice. It all adds up. Large enough to serve the needs of most businesses and individuals; small enough to offer the personal attention you expect and deserve. Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, PC Certified Public Accountants 306 Main Street, Suite 400 Worcester, MA 01608 508.791.0901 • www.grkb.com Combined total property value Source: Mass. Department of Revenue Alexandra McNitt, executive director of the Chamber of Central Mass, said one thing making the region unique is its location at the intersection of I-84 and I-90. "We refer to ourselves as being at the crossroads of New England," she said. "Sturbridge is kind of particularly well suited for any New England or Massachusetts 'Association of XYZ' – anyone that needs to kind of be in the center of it." With miles of hiking trails, more than 1,000 campsites at local camp- grounds, and beautiful water attrac- tions – not to mention the unique draw of Old Sturbridge Village – the area has a ready-made customer base for boutique shops and hospitality businesses. The local craft brewing scene in particular has been heating up, with nearly a dozen local breweries either already operating in the area or in the process of setting up shop. Attracting the right workers Meanwhile, the optics industry pro- vides an industrial base for the region. Michael Detarando, president and CEO of Charlton's Incom, which employs about 170 people and serves the defense, medical and scientific markets, said it's generally a good thing to be part of a group of compa- nies doing similar work. He said the sector's concentration in the area rep- resents the legacy of American Optical, which closed in 2005. With the longstanding focus on optics, he said, it's easy to find skilled workers, and the competition among compa- nies is mostly the healthy kind. "We don't really experience losing employees to other companies for any reasons that aren't fair and reason- able," he said. In general, Detarando said, the cul- ture in the Central Mass. South area promotes manufacturing as a good career path, with decent jobs doing worthwhile work. "The opportunities seem to have more intrinsic value to them, based upon the products we make and what, ultimately, the uses of those products are," he said. McNitt said the region is working on attracting more businesses. In par- ticular, she pointed to Southbridge, which hired its first full-time econom- ic development director last year and is working on development projects around town. The town now has its own collaborative business group, the Southbridge Business Partnership, to promote economic development and community enrichment projects. That gives any company wanting to find a place in the heart of New England a good place to begin. Michael Detarando, president and CEO of Incom in Charlton Continued from Page 4 2013 $0 2014 2015 2016 2017 $15B $10B $5B $9.3B $9B $9.1B W

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