Mikael Pyrtel Takes Reins at Orange Economic Development and Industrial Corp.
ORANGE — Mikael Pyrtel, until recently the director of Economic Development for the town of Orange, has joined the Orange Economic Development and Industrial Corp. (OEDIC) as executive director.
Pyrtel has a long history of successfully facilitating economic growth and development in key sectors of the economy at the local, regional, state, and federal levels and expects to transition the work he has been doing for the town seamlessly into his new organization.
“We believe Orange is positioned for growth,” Pyrtel said, citing the Orange Municipal Airport, a rail line, access to major roadways, proximity to the Boston and Springfield metropolitan areas, and nearby colleges and universities.
“There’s a proud tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship in manufacturing and agriculture that extends into our emerging sectors such as life sciences and Orange’s creative economy, an economic sector recognized by the United Nations,” he added. “The Rodney Hunt Company has been building sophisticated water control systems for almost 200 years here, and now we have businesses like Impact Nano, a key supplier to the silicon-chip industry. Seaman’s Paper is a leader in the forest products industry, which is a huge part of our local economy. We think our ability to support the growth initiatives of these types of businesses will lead to further success.”
OEDIC operates under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 121C, which empowers local development organizations to implement projects that increase employment and develop disused or dilapidated properties. The citizens of Orange voted last year to expand OEDIC’s footprint beyond industrial areas to include those zoned for business. Recent budget woes in town led to the defunding of Pyrtel’s position but created an opportunity for OEDIC.
“This is a new chapter for OEDIC and for Orange,” said Tom Sexton, chairman of the business group. “With the addition of Mikael, we’re building an organization that will basically be the local partner for business and developers that want to open up or expand here. Our goal is to streamline as much as possible the planning, permitting, financing, and construction of new projects.”
Sexton said OEDIC is building a digital presence to engage the business and development communities and expanding its involvement with partners, and expects to announce more activity soon.
