Page 27 - BusinessWest December 22, 2021

Drew DiGiorgio, president
and CEO of Wellfleet
Lessons Learned from COVID
They Will Reshape the Office in Many Ways Moving Forward
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or hybrid work opportunities just as many com- panies are now demanding that employees return to in-person work,” she explained. “Some have even pre-emptively started seeking flexible work opportunities out of fear that their current
remote-work situation might change. Many are expressing that the ability to work from home and have more flexible work schedules in gen- eral have helped to prevent burnout. People have enjoyed ditching the morning commute and 5 p.m. rush hour. The returned pockets of time have come with myriad benefits, including more sleep, more time with family before and after work, less wear and tear on vehicles, more time with pets, and an overall more comfortable environment.”
“If 2020 was the year of remote work, then 2021 was the year
of deciding if, when, and under what circumstances people would continue to work remotely. And for many businesses, deciding
just what to do became a stern challenge.”
But while remote work presents challenges, there are opportunities for businesses as well; managers in many different sectors told Busi-
nessWest that remote work gives them the oppor- tunity to recruit talent from across the country, not simply from within the 413. That same oppor- tunity could be a boon for this region and, espe- cially, rural areas like the Berkshires and Franklin
County, which offer quality of life, lower cost of living, and, now, an opportunity to live there and work almost anywhere. Like many of the stories on our list, this one will take some time to play out.
Smith & Wesson Heads to Tennessee
The press release found its way into the inbox of area media outlets early in the morning of Sept. 30. And it was a bombshell. Smith & Wesson Pres- ident Mark Smith was announcing that the com- pany was moving its corporate headquarters — and roughly 500 jobs — from Springfield, where the company was launched more than 150 years ago, to Blount County, Tennessee.
The stated reason was that the company did not want to remain headquartered in a state where legislation had been filed that would ban the manufacturing of more than half the products (specifically assault weapons) made by the com- pany. Smith & Wesson’s new home is a county that bills itself as a ‘Second Amendment sanctuary.’
While the stated case for leaving was greeted with significant skepticism — many elected offi- cials stated that the company was simply taking advantage of huge tax breaks and other incentives — there was considerable discussion about just what Springfield and this region would be losing. The 500 jobs were at the top of that list, obviously, but some were saying the city was also losing some of its business and manufacturing heritage (even if 1,000 of the company’s jobs were staying in the city) and some bragging rights, given that S&W is among the most recognizable brands in the world.
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