Members of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce tour Mass Alternative Care’s cultivation facility at 77 Champion Drive.
Reminder Publishing photos by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — The Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce hosted its third annual “Made in Chicopee Tour” on Oct. 16 to spotlight the city’s manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Commerce members got a behind-the-scenes look at Microtek, Mass Alternative Care’s cultivation facility and Agilent Technologies throughout the event.
The chamber introduced Made in Chicopee as part of its 2024 Member Appreciation event to engage a segment of its membership that doesn’t always have the opportunity to participate in traditional chamber networking.
Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melissa Breor said in 2024, the response was so enthusiastic that the chamber consistently ran over its allotted time, which led to giving the event its own place on the calendar this year, with an extended tour and more opportunities to learn about this sector in the local economy.
“At a time when so much of the narrative around manufacturing focuses on its decline, it’s important to showcase that manufacturing remains a vibrant part of Chicopee’s economy,” Breor stated. “By giving people a firsthand look at the businesses, people, and innovation behind it, we can raise awareness, strengthen connections across our business community, and help ensure that this important sector continues to thrive.”
Microtek
Executive Vice President Erin Weinman and General Manager Jeremy Andrews led the tour of its facility located at 2070 Westover Road.
Microtek has been in business since 1983, starting in Chicopee Falls, relocating to Justin Drive, and moving to its current facility 10 years ago. They make wire and cable harnesses and some electromechanical work, including many customizations based on customers’ needs, according to Weinman.
The business manufactures wireless cable harnesses and components and also has a nonprofit mission to provide employment support and opportunities with people with disabilities.
“So, it makes us, what I think, a really special company, and we serve the community, but we also serve our customers, providing quality products,” Weinman stated.
Mass Alternative Care
MAC Marketing Director Kyle Rego and Operations Director Chantal Henry gave a tour of the cultivation facility at 77 Champion Drive and showed the entire process from planting to harvesting.
MAC CFO Kevin Collins explained that the 55,000-square-foot building was purchased in April 2022. He said that they are blessed to be in Chicopee for two main reasons: affordable electricity and the ability to generate well water.
“They have the cheapest electricity in Western Massachusetts, which is one of our biggest inputs, and secondly, we’re able to generate some well water, which also saves money on our inputs, which allows us to spend money on premium nutrients, which allows us to have the great MAC flower that everyone comes to love,” Collins said.
MAC previously operated on East Main Street, which included growing, processing and a dispensary. That building has been converted into its product manufacturing facility for gummy production and a lab. MAC also has a location in Amherst where it distributes its products.
According to its website, “MAC specializes in producing cannabis products with the highest standards in mind. A focus on flower that is cultivated in small batches, produced with high-quality nutrients, trimmed and packaged by hand. MAC ensures that every plant is grown with care from start to finish. We craft prerolls from high-quality bud only, never shake or trim. In addition to our award-winning flower, we offer multiple product lines: MACart vaporizers, MAC Melts concentrates, and MACs edibles.”
Aligent
Agilent Technologies Site Director Seema Bhatia said the organization hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 85,000-square-foot facility at 711 E. Main St. on May 14.
The company, whose former facility was located at 300 Griffith Road, purchased the new building for its expansion in 2022 and is nearly three times the size of the previous facility,
The business provides advanced instruments, software, services and consumables for laboratories in life sciences, diagnostics and chemical analysis.
Bhatia explained that the instruments help scientists, researchers and healthcare professionals make discoveries and improve quality of life around the world by providing a way to take cells and test them in real time. Microplates can support early drug discovery and other experiments, Bhatia said.
