Page 12 - BusinessWest July 10, 2023

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Westfield
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“Westfield is at the crossroads of the interstates, I-90 and I-91, there’s rail access ... and coupled with that is
an industry- welcoming community.”
the recent airshow at Barnes and will do for perhaps the next 30 or 40 years.
Ready for Takeoff
McCabe said Westfield is a city that has long boasted a number of enviable assets when it comes to business and economic development. And it has taken full advantage of those assets.
That impressive list includes developable land, a commodity lacking in many area communities, especially in its North Side, which, as noted, has become home to a number of manufacturing and distribution facilities, the latter drawn by not only land but a turnpike exit, easy access to other highways, and rail service.
The list of assets also includes the university, the airport, and
a municipal utility, Westfield Gas & Electric, which, through its comparatively low electric rates and expanding fiber-optic network, has become a key contributor to economic development in the city (more on that later).
As for the airport, it has long been a somewhat hidden gem, but it continues to emerge as a force in the local economy as home to not only the 104th, but also companies like Gulfstream Aerospace, where private jets are serviced, and also as a home base for a handful of jets and dozens of other planes.
This will go down as a big year for the airport, which has thrust itself into the limelight in a number of ways.
For starters, it is celebrating its 100th birthday, Willenborg said, adding that this comes on top of the announcement of the F-35s, which brought press coverage locally, regionally, and nationally. There was also the recent Westfield International Air Show, which featured a wide range of aircraft,
including the F-35A, and brought more than 100,000 people to
Westfield
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Tom Flaherty says Whip City Fiber has become a $30-million-a-year business.
12 JULY 10, 2023
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