Page 21 - BusinessWest January 9, 2023

may not be the cheapest in terms of power or the cheapest in terms of taxation, we are the best when it comes to workforce.”
D’Amour agreed, and said another aspect of the local economy that is often overlooked is agriculture.
“We’re the garden of New England here in Connecticut River Val- ley, and there are a lot of young farmers in this region that are doing great stuff,” he said. “Agriculture and food products are an impor- tant part of our economy, and it adds to the diversity of the economy in our region. Having fields and orchards is also why many people like to live here; it leads to the whole genus of our community and what makes Western Mass. so special.”
Another priority for the region, Sullivan said, is to better leverage its many assets in higher education.
“Many of the other parts of the country, and even the eastern end of this state, really market the presence of higher ed,” he said. “And we have world-class institutions here; whether it’s the flagship cam- pus for UMass or Smith or Mount Holyoke or Bay Path, the cohort of higher education we have here is really significant. And when we talk about workforce, the students that are sitting in the classrooms at the Elms and AIC and the other institutions are the workforce that everyone is looking for, and I really believe that economic vital- ity and higher ed are entwined tighter than they ever have been before.”
Work to Be Done
While there are reasons for optimism, there are also some con- cerns and priorities for the months and years to come, said those we spoke with.
Sullivan noted, for example, that the region — known in the banking sector and many others as a ‘no-growth’ area — certainly needs a growth strategy.
“Our population has basically been flat, and in some areas, it’s declining,” he told BusinessWest. “If we’re going to be vibrant, there has to be some growth; you need to grow to survive. We can abso- lutely sell our cost of living and quality of life here, but we need
to have the housing for people to move into, and they need to be
able to work from home or do their coursework from home, which means, again, that we have to make that investment in broadband and the internet across our region so we can take advantage of that opportunity.
“When people discuss work/life balance and what they want for their families, this lands in a sweet spot for us,” he went on. “That’s who we are; we can sell work/life balance and quality of life, as long as we have all the components. They’re not all going to happen in
a month or a year, but there needs to a positive trajectory on all of those things.”
D’Amour agreed, noting that the region has a number of sellable assets, from location to transportation infrastructure to relatively inexpensive (and often green) power, as well as higher education. One priority moving forward is to more aggressively sell these assets and market the region.
“Our challenge has always been telling our story,” he said. “We have not participated as fully as we could have or should have in the economic boom that Eastern Mass. has had. How do we get some of the business community in Eastern Mass. to focus on us instead of going to Southern New Hampshire, or Rhode Island, or wherever?”
Canavan agreed. “We are, in some ways, our own worst enemy when it comes to not telling our story — or appreciating where we live,” she said. “And we do have a lot of assets here, starting with diversity; we’re very lucky to have people from all over the world here, people with different perspectives — that is a real asset. I also think we’re small enough to be agile and to pilot things ... we’re like the scrappy player who can try new things, and that’s very exciting.”
Lastly, Sullivan said he is hopeful, and confident, that the state’s new governor, Maura Healey, will not just “talk about how we care about Western Mass.,” but make some significant investments in the region.
“And I think you’ll see them, whether it’s vocational education or community colleges, or broadband or cyber or clean energy,”
he said. “I think that there’s an opportunity to make very strategic, intentional investments in Western Massachusetts that will allow it to grow.” BW
“Our population has basically been flat, and
in some areas, it’s declining. If we’re going to be vibrant, there has to be some growth; you need to grow to survive.”
RICK SULLIVAN
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