Framingham kicks off "Choose Framingham for Business" campaign

The town of Framingham has officially kicked off its "Choose Framingham for Business" campaign with a launch event on June 11 at Genzyme, Inc.'s Mountain Way campus. "This signals a new day for Framingham and its approach to attracting companies and creating economic growth," said Bob Halpin, town manager. "Our new campaign is meant to send a clear message to the town, the region and all of Greater Boston that Framingham is open for business." The launch event caps a year-long internal effort to overhaul the town's approach to economic development, including establishing economic development zones, streamlining permitting processes, and hiring a director of economic development. "Framingham is already one of the region's leading innovation hubs but we're committed to making it an even greater place to do business," said Halpin, noting that the town is home to some of the country's best known brands, including Genzyme, Staples, TJX, and Bose. "Going forward, we want to expand and attract companies across the spectrum - from large, established firms to small entrepreneurial ones." The launch event included a reception and remarks by town officials and companies that have already "chosen Framingham for business." Among the speakers were Halpin, Charles Sisitsky, chairman of the Framingham board of selectman and Paul Logue, vice president and general manager at Genzyme, which employs 2,300 people in town. "Genzyme is happy to host this launch event because we enjoy a terrific working partnership with the Town of Framingham," said Paul Logue. "In addition to this great collaborative spirit, Framingham has other assets that are essential to a company like ours - a talented workforce throughout the region combined with incredible access." Additional speakers for the event included Peter McAree, senior vice president and chief financial officer of HeartWare Inc; Justin Krebs, partner at Normandy Real Estate Partners; Garry Holmes, president of R. W. Holmes Realty; and Ian Barrett, creative boss for MediaBoss Television.