Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, working with Congressman Richard E. Neal, met today with MassMEDIC President Brian Johnson and Director of Government Relations for ML Strategies Anthony DeMaio to discuss re-employment efforts for Smith & Wesson employees and expanding their industry right here in Springfield. Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan, MassHire Executive Director David Cruise and Chief of Staff Tom Ashe were also in attendance.
Mayor Sarno states, “I am very appreciative of Congressman Neal’s efforts to facilitate this meeting – he’s always here for us in Springfield and his district. Besides discussing Smith & Wesson plant reduction situation of displaced skilled workforce employees, we also discussed how we can ‘build a bench – farm system’ towards these good paying manufacturing jobs right here in Springfield by introducing the industry to our workforce and educational institutions. These are very good paying jobs with good benefits and their companies need talent ASAP. In turn, we will be setting up meetings with Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Daniel Warwick and Putnam Vocational Technical Academy Principal George Johnson, STCC President Dr. John Cook and WNEU President Dr. Robert Johnson to explore these new workforce opportunities and needs. We will also look to do a job/career fair for this high tech field in the very near future.”
Mayor Sarno continues, “On the heels of Smith & Wesson breaking ground in Tennessee, I am not going to sit back. We are going to continue to look to expand, cultivate and reinvent our manufacturing base and workforce development opportunities, while preserving our history too.”
MassMEDIC, the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council, has been a leader and voice of the groundbreaking medical technology industry in New England, advocating for sound public policy that supports innovation, and fostering a community built on a shared purpose: Saving and improving the lives of patients everywhere through medical technology. For more information, please visit their website at: www.massmedic.com
