An Electronic Publication of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
Inside this edition, you’ll discover the latest Chamber initiatives and success stories from across our region. From economic development projects and upcoming networking events to policy updates and workforce training opportunities, we’re keeping you connected to what matters most for your business and North Central Massachusetts.
June 2026
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The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is here to help โ with trusted resources, a strong business network, and a support system to keep your business and the region moving forward
Source: State House News Service Author: Chris Lisinski
Massachusetts employers added 13,800 jobs in September, a significant increase after a revision cut down previously reported August gains, while the statewide unemployment rate ticked downward to 3.4 percent, labor officials announced Friday.
The job growth in September was driven by major gains in leisure and hospitality, which added 7,500 positions month-over-month, and education and health services, which added 5,100 positions.
The statewide unemployment rate also shed two-tenths of a percentage point as it fell from 3.6 percent in August to 3.4 percent in September, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. That’s slightly lower than the national rate of 3.5 percent for September.
Labor officials last month announced that the Bay State added 6,400 new jobs in August, but on Friday they said they had revised that figure down to an increase of just 800 jobs.
Job growth has been steady during the recovery from the early upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, but total Massachusetts employment in September 2022 still lagged February 2020 — the final full month before the pandemic hit — by about 48,400 jobs.
Legislation to supercharge the state’s economy with billions of dollars in spending remains in limbo on Beacon Hill after Democrats, flummoxed by the emergence of nearly $3 billion in mandatory tax refunds, hit pause at the end of July.
In recognition of National Manufacturing Month, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and its economic development arm, the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, recently partnered with regional organizations to host a unique manufacturing bus tour as part of the Chamberโs Education Compact Initiative. The initiative is aimed to further partnerships between the regionโs K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and the regionโs employers to collectively work to advance the regionโs workforce.
The tour, which was held on Wednesday, October 19, provided education, civic and community leaders, economic development officials and the media, an opportunity to learn more aboutโand the importance ofโmanufacturing in the region as a way to promote careers in the industry. The regional organizations involved included the MassHire North Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board and Mount Wachusett Community College.
Participants visited several manufacturing companies where they obtained an insiderโs look at how select manufacturers operate, and also learned about the growing job opportunities in manufacturing and the necessary skill-sets for employment.
Tour stops included Solvus Global, an advanced manufacturer located in Leominster that specializes in the areas of additive manufacturing, machine learning, and sustainable materials processing; Burkart Flutes and Piccolos, a company founded in 1982 that specializes in the precision manufacturing of high quality flutes and piccolos; Jabil, a worldwide contract manufacturer of various medical devices and medical equipment; and Mount Wachusett Community Collegeโs Devens Manufacturing Center, which offers technical training in a number of different areas, including advanced manufacturing. The tour also included a lunch presentation and discussion with Branner Stewart, Project Manager for the UMass Donahue Institute. Mr. Stewart highlighted the findings of a recent workforce study commissioned by the Chamber.
North Central Massachusetts boasts the largest concentration of manufacturing in the state, with one-third of all private wages in the region paid from manufacturing jobs. Companies range from the world-class plastics industry cluster of more than 140 companies to pharmaceuticals, photonics and paper as well as biomedical devices
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โThe North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation remain committed to supporting and growing this critical sector of the regionโs economy while also building successful partnerships between businesses and the regionโs schools which are critical to the collective, ongoing efforts of keeping manufacturing alive and well in the region,โ said Roy Nascimento, President and CEO, North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. โManufacturers are some of the most well-paid, highly trained and in demand employees in the workforce, yet despite competitive wages and training, they are still challenged with recruiting the workers they need. We hope this tour provided our local educators, civic and community leaders, and the media, an opportunity to learn more about the jobs available in the region as the need for more young workers and a skills gap exists among the existing and transitioning workforce.โ
โManufacturing continues to be a priority industry in North Central Massachusetts,โ said Jeffrey Roberge, Executive Director, MassHire North Central Workforce Board. โMany thanks to the North Central Chamber for hosting this important event as it brings together our legislators, educators and employers to learn more about this vital sector.โ
โThis tour proves how the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce commits itself to advanced manufacturing in the region,โ said James L. Vander Hooven, Ed.D., President, Mount Wachusett Community College. โMount Wachusett Community College remains dedicated to providing educational training opportunities to meet the growing needs of local business and industry.โ
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce wishes to thank and acknowledge the support and assistance of the following partners who helped make the event possible: MassHire North Central Workforce Board; Solvus Global; Burkart Flutes and Piccolos; Jabil; and Mount Wachusett Community College.
For more information on the manufacturing bus tour or the North Central Massachusetts Education Compact Initiative, please contact the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce at 978.353.7600.
The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, recently approved a $10,000 loan to Magic Treasures, located at 914 Main Street in Fitchburg.
The loan will be utilized toward working capital and creates one full-time and one part-time job at the business. The funding follows a matching loan of $10,000 from the City of Fitchburg, and a small grant for faรงade improvements as part of Fitchburgโs North of Main program.
Following a career as a dental assistant, Keila Jardim, owner of Magic Treasures, decided to pursue her passion in mystical arts and open a business focusing on the health benefits of crystals. With this in mind, Magic Treasures sells specialty gift items with a focus on crystal sales and other novelty gift items for the alternative health care, and the mystical and spiritual niche market. The company was established September 2020, and recently relocated from Leominster to Main Street in Fitchburg. Keila received assistance with her business plan from NewVue Communities.
Jardim emigrated to America from Brazil when she was 16 years old. In Brazil, she resided in an area known for significant mining. โIt was through this association that I developed a life-long passion and knowledge of crystals and their uses for health and mindful well-being,โ she said.
โMany thanks to the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation for their support of helping me achieve my dream of being a business owner,โ said Jardim. โWith this support, I am able to hire staff and continue to grow my business in downtown Fitchburg.โ
As a microloan lender, NCMDC can provide loans to small businesses up to $250,000 for working capital, real estate, equipment, inventory, expansion and working with our banking partners to provide gap financing for the final piece of a project.
For more information about the NCMDC loan programs, please call 978.353.7607 or visit NorthCentralMass.com or ChooseNorthCentral.com.
Fore Then Pore: Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
Golf Clinic, 9 Hole Play & End of Summer Bash
August 21, 2026
The Woods of Westminster
Event Start at 1:00pm View
Event
Sponsors Reception: Old Mill
August 26, 2026
Thank you to all our sponsors who help sponsor this past 2025-2026 program year! We are truly honored by your continued support and efforts to continue to make our community thrive! View
Event
The City of Fitchburg announces the Fitchburg Public Library will complete a robust renovation and expansion in a continuation of the next phase of the cityโs redevelopment of the Main Street corridor.ย
The project is expected to begin later this year and will serve the city in new and traditional ways by providing a more flexible, welcoming, and sustainable facility for people to build a sense of community.ย
โThe Fitchburg Public Library is the centerpiece of Main Street providing free enrichment to our residents for generations,โ said Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale. โThis project is ambitious and essential to the future of our city as a learning and innovation hub while drawing people downtown and providing economic, social, and cultural benefits to enhance the quality of life for all in the city.โย
โPublic libraries are recognized as the most trusted of institutions and are a key resource for enabling people to work and learn more efficiently while narrowing the digital divide by providing essential computer and electronic resources,โ said Fitchburg Public Library Executive Director Deborah Hinkle. โThe renovations and expansion will create an environment where programming for children, teens, and adults can take place simultaneously in a bright, comfortable, and safe space.โย
The project will encompass two major changes, including the renovation of the existing Wallace Building, which was first built in 1967, and the creation of an entirely new and enlarged Youth Library and meeting room wing. The library will offer a Teen Room, a new Community Room to replace the current auditorium, several smaller meeting rooms, a Learning Lab, a Makerspace, improved access to the library collections, various seating areas throughout the building to study and engage, and more accessible, improved parking.ย
Funding for the $40 million project will be provided through a variety of funds, including a $12.5 million total grant award from the Massachusetts Board of License Commissioners (MBLC) through the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program. Additional funding will come from a combination of the City of Fitchburgโs American Rescue Plan Act funding, which will provide $12 million, and the City of Fitchburg will provide $12 million as part of the cityโs capital budget of which the library is included. The final $3.5 million will be provided via an upcoming capital campaignย
Join Northern Worcester County Landlord Association for our monthly meeting, this month we will hear from sponsor Attorney Mark Burrell, and explain what you need to know about 30-day non-payment regulations.
Mark Burrell is a seasoned Landlord/Tenant attorney and has the unique perspective to look at your situation from the eyes of the defendantโs attorney. In addition to knowing the ins and outs of what to look for in possible glitches to your legal process and documents that may trip us up as landlords; Attorney Burrell is a great storyteller and we are sure you will be entertained at this event.
Meetings are open to the public! Zoom tickets are $10. Zoom meeting information will be provided the day of the event. First-time in-person visitors can attend for $20 per person to โcheck us out,โ with dinner included. If they decide to join, the $20 will be applied to an NWCLA membership, or sponsorship of choice, that night. Become a member and the annual dues pay for all 10 meetings a year!
Member Spotlight
Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody
When the workday ends and the lights go down, Custom Cleaning Service of Peabody, Inc. gets to work. โWe operate as our clientsโ silent partner after business hours,โ says Adam Paicos, of Templeton, who now serves as Director of Operations and oversees the companyโs expansion into North Central MA. โWe are not often seen, but we ensure facilities are clean, secure, and ready for business each day while serving as the eyes and ears for our clients when they are not on site.โ
Discover local business stories through our Inside North Central Massachusetts Podcast series. Listen as Chamber members share their journeys, insights, and contributions to our thriving regional business community.
From Chamber events and ribbon cuttings to community celebrations and regional highlights, stay connected with whatโs happening across North Central Massachusetts. Follow us on social media for the latest photos, updates, and stories.
Looking for your next opportunity? Explore current job openings from employers across North Central Massachusetts on our Jobs Board. Whether youโre starting a new career or making a change, youโll find a variety of local positions available to help you take the next step.
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