Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com • Worcester Business Journal • 2 018 Economic Forecast 13 An evolving industry A lthough biomanufacturing has been a bit slow to take hold in the region, there's only optimism for the budding industry. Longtime manufacturers are still going strong and reporting strong reve- nues, and new and exciting players are champing at the bit to be part of the area's strong manufacturing history. The biomanufacturing industry will increase its presence in Central Massachusetts Perhaps on the momentum created Table Talk Pies to open 50,000-sf facility A nearly century-old Worcester com- pany expanded with the opening of a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the South Worcester Industrial Park. Table Talk Pies, Inc., known for its four-inch snack pies in operation since 1924, opened its new facility on Sept. 28. Construction on the facility began last October. The facility will allow for the produc- tion of four million snack pies per week. More than 50 jobs will be added in addition to the 300 full-time and sea- sonal employees at the company's cur- rent 150,000-square-foot Washington Street location. The Canal District manufacturing facility will feature new cooking equip- ment from Massachusetts manufactur- er BABBCO, according to Table Talk. The company reopened the Table Talk retail store at the location, too. The retail complements the other retail des- tinations in the area, including Crompton Collective, Seed to Stem and Allen Fletcher's planned public market. W Top manufacturing and technology stories of 2017 Continued on Page 14 Biomanufacturing, recreational cannabis and beer will highlight a big year for manufacturing M A N U F A C T U R I N G & T E C H N O L O G Y BY ZACHARY COMEAU Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer by Insulet's coming $100-million manu- facturing facility in Acton, the region should see more biomanufacturing com- panies locate in Central Massachusetts. The industry hasn't quite taken hold like we once thought it would, as many companies making news are closer to larger cities like Boston. A planned 44-acre biotech campus at the former Worcester State Hospital should gain some ground in 2018 after a prospective anchor tenant, LakePharma, pulled out of the project this year. There are a litany of public and pri- vate programs aimed at addressing the critical need of manufacturing employ- ment, and with biomanufacturing becoming increasingly important in today's world, that sector should con- tinue its slow but steady growth. An increasing amount of higher edu- cation programs should help grow the employee and business base, including a new master of business administra- tion program with a concentration in biotechnology at Framingham State University. Longtime Worcester-area traditional manufacturers will continue to thrive Traditional manufacturers in Greater Worcester have been able to sustain as profitable companies even as they face a shortage of workers. The impressive list includes Table Talk Pies, Rand- Whitney Container, MTD Micro Molding, Security Engineered Machinery and Riverdale Mills. These companies have shown manu- facturing is no longer a dirty, labor- intensive job. It's now an industry full of highly technical machines requiring extensive training and education. Like craft beer making, the legal marijuana industry will find its way into Central Massachusetts When recreational marijuana estab- lishments are allowed to apply for licenses in April, Central Massachusetts will be a landing spot. Probably due to red tape and the abundance of residential neighbor- hoods, the medical marijuana industry has been slow to realize Central Massachusetts as a destination, with just one dispensary currently open. A number of vacant mill buildings are just waiting to be utilized and breathe life back into neighborhoods, restoring the manufacturing history of Central Massachusetts. We've similarly seen craft beer take hold in the region, with some breweries pumping out an enormous amount of product, like Tree House Brewing Co. and Wormtown Brewing. If 2017 was any indicator, 2018 should be another huge year for beer, and probably weed. The now closed Worcester State Hospital is set to become a biomanufacturing campus. MTD Micro Molding in Charlton has found success by specializing in small parts for the medical device industry. Chuck and Cindy Hartwell are hopeful to fill the nearly vacant Union Twist Drill building in Athol with a marijuana grow facility. Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb built a $1-billion facility in Devens. Harry Kokkinis, president of Table Talk Pies, at the groundbreaking of the company's 50,000-square-foot facility in October 2016.

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