The Worcester Business Journal will hold its annual Manufacturing Summit & Excellence Awards on May 19.
The topic for the summit, which will be held remotely this year on Zoom, is “Manufacturing Beyond COVID-19” and will cover the lessons learned and challenges that lie ahead for manufacturing in Massachusetts. Registration is free and available online.
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WBJ Publisher Peter Stanton speaks at last year s Manufacturing Summit.
Manufacturers embraced new tools and strategies helping them to continue to perform at a high level during this time of disruption. This forum will cover the strategies that worked, lessons learned for a more resilient future, what opportunities are on the horizon and the challenges that manufacturers will continue to face. The panel discussion, which will take place from 4 to 5 p.m., will also cover key lessons learned, their approach to crisis leadership, and how innovation and collaboration by their teams helped them respond.
By Zachary Comeau
Around this time last year, America’s manufacturing industry was thrust into the fight against the deadliest pandemic in a century, including a little-known Hudson maker of elastic products.
United Stretch Design Corp., located in an unassuming warehouse in an industrial park off of Route 62, became one of those industrial heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic when the company produced millions of yards of elastic used on facemasks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
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This even came as the company’s core business – the automotive industry – ground to a halt last year.
“Thankfully, we were able to keep everybody employed,” said Eric Chaves, operations manager and son of President and Founder Manuel Chaves. “In fact, we were working Saturdays and Sundays around the clock.”