Mass Legislative Manufacturing Caucus Leaders and Industry Advocates Champion Future of Advanced Manufacturing at State House Lobby Day

Associated Industries of Massachusetts Honors Franklin's Plansee USA with Excellence in Manufacturing Award Amid Push for $425M Economic Development Package

(L- R) State Representative Jeff Roy,
State Senator Paul Feeney

Industry leaders and state legislators gathered for a packed Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) lobby day at the State House to champion the future of manufacturing in the Commonwealth. Addressing a standing-room-only crowd of manufacturers, State Representative Jeff Roy (D-Franklin) and State Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough), co-chairs of the Legislative Manufacturing Caucus, stood alongside AIM President and CEO Brooke Thomson to push back against the narrative that manufacturing is leaving the state, highlighting a major upcoming economic development bond package instead.

The day's events also featured a major celebration of local industrial achievement, as AIM presented its Excellence in Manufacturing Award to Plansee USA, a Franklin-based leader in powder metallurgy that specializes in producing high-melting refractory metals like molybdenum and tungsten for extreme-condition, high-tech applications. Plansee was specifically recognized for its innovation and proactive leadership in workforce development, notably through the establishment of its Manufacturing Training Center, which combats local CNC machining shortages by combining technical classroom instruction with real-world, hands-on experience.

 

The lobby day took place just hours before the Massachusetts House of Representatives took up a comprehensive end-of-session economic development bill (H5562). The proposed $425 million bond package directly targets the manufacturing sector's growth, including $100 million for the defense sector and national security infrastructure, $25 million for emerging technology and robotics, $25 million for applied artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and $25 million in capital support for expanding companies.

Industry leaders and state legislators gathered for a packed
Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) lobby day at the State House

During the event, manufacturing representatives outlined five key legislative priorities to sustain this momentum: expanding vocational schools, funding the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, aligning state and federal tax codes, increasing capital grants, and scaling existing programs that are already working well.

Speaking to the crowded room of advocates, Rep. Jeff Roy emphasized the critical role state support will play in unlocking the industry's full potential:

"We are not a state that just thinks; we are a state that makes. When people think of Massachusetts, they often think of our incredible universities, our historic cities, and our medical breakthroughs. But what makes those breakthroughs real, what scales them, and what brings them to the world is the grit, precision, and passion of Massachusetts manufacturing."

The Legislature's pending economic development bill aims to directly bolster this vision by prioritizing regional competitiveness, advanced technology, supply chain support, and streamlined regulatory permitting to give Massachusetts manufacturers and award-winning employers like Plansee USA the edge they need in a rapidly evolving global market.

"Investing in industries like clean energy and Al allows our manufacturing sector to adapt, grow, and lead the nation," said Sen. Paul Feeney, addressing the advocates in attendance. "People say to me, 'Feeney, you have this idea, this vision that doesn't exist anymore.' It exists in every single one of you, and it exists in the work that you do in our communities.''

In Massachusetts, there are 228,000 hard-working men and women in manufacturing jobs across this Commonwealth. As Rep. Roy noted, "every single day, they clock in to push the boundaries of what is possible. And their impact is immense: manufacturing drives a massive 7.9% of the total Massachusetts GDP. This isn't just a legacy sector; it is a vital, living engine of our modern economy."