Events
The Future of the Workplace
Join us as we highlight a newly developed amenities center at Blue Sky Drive, featuring insights from Nordblom and development partners, Newmark, SMMA, and Timberline Construction.
Guided campus tours will offer a firsthand look at the space and its design. Together, the program explores how today’s offices are competing with the couch as remote and hybrid work continue to reshape the future of the workplace.
Speakers will include:
Crosby Nordblom, Executive Vice President at Nordblom
Matthew Malatesta, Senior Managing Director at Newmark
Steven Vincent, Principal/Director of Project Management at SMMA
Alexandrea Tomisman, Project Manager at Timberline Construction
Thank you to Nordblom for hosting this event!
Member Registration | $75 Non-Member Registration
Event Registration, Refund, and Cancellation Policies:
For details on registration deadlines, walk-in policies, refunds, and event cancellations for Middlesex 3 Coalition events, please click here to view our full Terms of Service.
Defense Readiness: An Industry and Congressional Conversation
Join U.S. Representatives Lori Trahan (MA–03) and Seth Moulton (MA–06), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, for a discussion focused on strengthening and supporting growth in the region’s defense sector.
Designed to foster meaningful dialogue among defense industry professionals, business leaders, and regional partners, the program will highlight opportunities to strengthen the regional defense ecosystem, supply chain, and workforce. Attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with Massachusetts-based defense companies and engage with key business and workforce resources.
Agenda:
9:00 AM – Networking
10:00 AM – Meeting Program
11:30 AM – Networking
Thank you to UMass Lowell for hosting this event and to Donovan Strategies, Mainstay Technologies, Markley Group, and PKF O'Connor Davies for sponsoring this event!
Member Registration | $100 Non-Member Registration
Event Registration, Refund, and Cancellation Policies:
For details on registration deadlines, walk-in policies, refunds, and event cancellations for Middlesex 3 Coalition events, please click here to view our full Terms of Service.
Manufacturing in Massachusetts
Find the event photos here.
Find our LinkedIn here.
Find MassMEP's 2025 Manufacturing Landscape Report here.
Learn more about Middlesex 3 Coalition's Tech Hub Designation here.
Learn more about the recently renovated advanced manufacturing facility at 10 Lyberty Way in Westford, MA.
Thank you to our opening speakers:
Kristen Las, Town Manager of Westford, MA
Jason Palitsch, Executive Director of 495/MetroWest Partnership
Thank you to our panel moderator:
Kathie Mahoney, President of the MassMEP (Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership)
Thank you to our panelists:
Charles Garris, VP of Engineering, R&D, and Operations at AM Batteries
Lily Fitzgerald, Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech Collaborative
Jared Broberg, Head of GMP Clinical Manufacturing in Advanced Therapies at Sartorius
Michael Dalton, Principal at Avison Young
Key Takeaways:
Manufacturing Challenges & Trends: MassMEP highlighted that manufacturers were navigating three primary challenges—entering new markets, adopting new technologies, and recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce—while also facing significant upfront capital costs tied to modernization, automation, and AI.
Scaling Innovation in Massachusetts: Speakers noted that many startups emerging from Massachusetts universities felt pressure to leave the state when scaling manufacturing. Organizations like MassTech worked to help companies remain close to their R&D, though workforce availability and retention continued to be key barriers.
Infrastructure, Energy, & Workforce Pressures: Increased regulatory requirements and rising demand placed strain on energy infrastructure, while real-world projects such as Sartorius’ biospace development highlighted ongoing challenges related to power availability, evolving skill sets, and regional housing shortages.
Regional Growth & Outlook: The discussion emphasized a shift toward electric-based manufacturing, the emergence of power-driven hubs like Holyoke, and the need for stronger regional communication and collaboration, with optimism around the Tech Hub initiative and continued growth across Massachusetts in the years ahead.
Thank you to our resource exhibitors: Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD), FORGE, NAMC (Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium), AMTEP (Advanced Manufacturing Training Expansion Program), Nashoba Valley Technical High School (Westford), MassDevelopment, MassMEP (Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership), Maugel DeStefano Architects, Middlesex Community College, Northeastern University, SCS Construction Management, UMass Lowell, U.S Small Business Administration, and Valley Collaborative.
Thank you to the 495/MetroWest Partnership for partnering with us for this event. Check out their Westford community profile here.
Thank you to Avison Young, BTU, Maugel DeStefano Architects, and SCS Construction Management for hosting & sponsoring this meeting!