Page 35 - BusinessWest July 25, 2022

where FORGE comes in, with critical connections and really specialized knowldege.
Many entrepreneurs have no idea how to
go about looking for a manufacturer, he added. “China is always in the back of their minds. They don’t realize Massachusetts is a powerhouse in manufacturing. There are things we make in Massachusetts that you can only make in a few other parts of the world, because that’s the depth
could represent a new, steady stream of business for them,” he noted. “Those relationships just need a little greasing. We help these two groups that normally wouldn’t encounter each other, and we ease those conversations into something fruitful.”
FORGE’s role is especially relevant these days, Teicher added, specially since the pandemic and the resulting, and still ongoing, disruptions in
costs and carbon footprints, while driving jobs and economic value to the region, Teicher said. “There are so many benefits to making these connections.”
From the Ground Up
Moforte said he has been “completely blown away” by both the manufacturing capacity and innovative ideas emerging from Western Mass.
“We get all the crazy innovators — they come to us because they’re inventing the next solar technology, the next water treatment-technology; they have this new gadget that nobody’s thought of making before, and it has this complicated piece that connects with this little tube, and it’s made of this material, and getting that wrong can really tank their business, but getting it right can represent huge benefits.”
Indeed, the world is full of such ‘crazy’ ideas. With the right manufacturing connection, though, some of those can become the very smart next big thing. Like the UMass student who worked with FORGE to develop his idea for an insulin-delivery device, or the startup that created a new technology to pull toxins out of wastewater.
FORGE has helped hundreds of good ideas like those find fertile manufacturing ground, and only sees more opportunity in the future.
“During the pandemic, everyone was just in their shops, so we were calling and nudging and banging on doors and really re-establishing rela- tionships,” Moforte said. “We want to understand what they do, how they work best, and how we can connect them with local innovators to bring more business into the region.” u
“How you design and manufacture your product can really make or break your product. There are a million pitfalls,” Moforte said. “So getting the right connections, getting
the right advice, getting the right people on your side, is critical.”
global supply chains, which have caused some manufac- turers to bring their produc- tion and material sourcing back home. That’s good for startups looking for a local manufacturing option.
“Global supply-chain dis- ruptions have just been rock- ing the world, and that’s why we’ve seen such acceleration in demand to engage with us,” she said. “Sometimes innova- tors just assume they have
to go overseas, and that may make sense for certain com- modities, but there is such a
KEVIN MOFORTE
of the specialty and expertise we have. Part of our role is showing them that someone 40 minutes down the road may be able to make this for you, and you don’t have to make a 40-hour trip across the world to find a manufacturer.”
On the flip side, Moforte said, the startup world isn’t on the mind of many manufacturers when it comes to procuring business.
“They’re used to working with long-term con- tracts, steady customers, when there’s so much innovation coming out of Massachusetts that
wealth right here.
“On the flip side, the manufacturers that are
thriving and getting creative in terms of new, forward-looking business opportunities are tak- ing a closer look at innovation and realizing, ‘hey, if I work with FORGE, I can work with innova- tors who are prepared to engage with me, they’re right-fit for me, and they’re low-risk because they have this incredible survival rate.’ We are opning doors on both sides in a very timely way.”
Localizing the supply chain also reduces
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