Ideas for Attracting Employees to Central Massachusetts Discussed at 3rd Annual Business Innovation Summit

Marlborough, MA, October 28, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Gregory Bialecki, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, praised the movement underway by the City of Marlborough and the surrounding communities to enhance the quality of life and options available to the employees who work in the area, during the 3rd Annual Business Innovation Summit held today at The Campus business park. The event was co-sponsored by the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the law firm of Mirick O’Connell, which has sponsored the event every year since its inception.

Today’s invitation-only event focused on the actions businesses and local governments can take to attract and keep a desirable pool of employees in the Boroughs region. “We are here to listen to your needs and support your efforts for future success,” said Mayor Arthur Vigeant before a crowd of nearly 150 people. “By working together, we will ensure that our region is a place where businesses can prosper and where employees have access to the things that make for a better, more productive working environment.”

Over the past year, several companies have expanded their operations in the city or announced plans to move here, including TJX Cos. and Quest Diagnostics, which recently signed a letter of intent to lease space on Forest Street.

Mayor Vigeant, the Marlborough City Council, and the MEDC have been meeting with hundreds of senior executives in Marlborough in recent months. A common theme of those discussions, noted MEDC Chairman and Mirick O’Connell attorney Arthur Bergeron, has been companies’ challenges in recruiting and retaining the right talent.

In response, Marlborough officials held a popular job fair in June and are exploring options for expanding the city’s walking and biking trails. They are also working with commercial property owners to develop properties that offer a mix of local shopping and dining options amid the city’s office parks. Such a development would encourage employees to stay in the city after work hours, ease traffic in more congested areas of the city, and may attract other businesses to Marlborough.

Also at the Summit, Mirick O’Connell presented Optos plc, a medical retinal imaging company, with the 2012 Mirick O’Connell Business Innovation Award. Bergeron praised the company, whose North America headquarters are in Marlborough, for creating a work culture that encourages employees to achieve their personal and professional goals.

At this year’s event, the co-sponsors broadened the list of invitees to corporate leaders and municipal officials who work in the neighboring Boroughs, which are Northborough, Southborough, and Westborough, along with those in nearby Hudson and Hopkinton. Representatives from companies across the area – Micron Products, Xtalic Corp. Emseal Joint Systems, and Davis Cos. – spoke during the event. State Sen. Jamie Eldridge and State Rep. Steven Levy also said a few words.