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November 13, 2017 VIEWPOINT

DiNatale energizes Fitchburg's economy

Salvatore Emma Jr.

Fitchburg has a rich and vibrant history fueled by a hard-working middle class and cultural diversity.

When my grandparents came to the United States, Fitchburg was a thriving middle-class town buzzing with downtown factories, mills, markets and retail stores attracting people from every walk of life. Immigrants and tradesmen from Ireland, Italy, Greece and Canada filled Fitchburg's businesses with talent and provided people willing to work hard with a chance to make life better for their families. The people who grew up here and work here understand this history and know Fitchburg has great potential.

It is a great privilege for me to be the president and CEO of a company employing 100 people in Fitchburg. My dad worked as a tradesman, and my mom walked to work in a factory in downtown Fitchburg, not unlike the one I work in today. I grew up here, and I am connected to the people and community in a special way. I'd like to share my impressions of the new mayor of Fitchburg, who understands the struggles of an aspiring middle class of workers and the importance of providing a good and dignified job.

This kind of connection to the community is precisely why Mayor Stephen DiNatale has been so successful in his first years serving the community of Fitchburg. DiNatale grew up in the Fitchburg/Leominster area and wields his vast political influence and connections as a former Massachusetts state representative. He has a unique and intimate view of the city and its issues. He is an extremely hard worker who is always on the job. He relentlessly advocates for the residents of Fitchburg on a 24/7 basis. DiNatale has assembled a very talented team of people who are laser-focused on reviving Fitchburg's economic engine.

I've had firsthand experience with the mayor and his team when we started working with a developer to bring market-rate housing to the Monument Square area. Micron Products has entered into an agreement to sell the former Harper Furniture Building and Summer Street Firehouse to a developer who will bring more working families to Fitchburg. This plan will change the Monument Square area to a stunning new gateway to downtown Fitchburg. The project will undoubtedly help to stimulate the local economy. These families will spend money at local businesses, which will need to hire more people. Projects like this are typically very difficult to get started, but the mayor and his team understand the simple formula bringing more business to Fitchburg is the way to improve the community and services available to the city's residents.

Fitchburg has come a long way under DiNatale's watch, as evidenced by the many new and exciting improvement projects being started and completed. The city has great potential and the mayor is leading the charge for the city's revival. As a community member and business leader in Fitchburg, I am very confident in DiNatale and his team are catalysts for transformational change.

Salvatore Emma, Jr. is president and CEO of Micron Products, Inc. in Fitchburg.

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