case study in economic adaptation. The mill district houses over 400 small businesses across nearly one million square feet in five buildings, while the compact industrial park hosts manufacturers serving global markets with hyperspecialized products. “You’ve got a metal fabrication plant that makes the backdrops for fashion shows, but also puts thin pieces of metal in different pieces of equipment,” Mayor LaChapelle details. “You’ve got another one that does high-end precision machining. You’ve got another one that makes a piece of the syringe for vaccines, including for COVID. A lot of key pieces for those syringes that went around the world came from Easthampton, Massachusetts.” The roster of niche manufacturers runs on. One company produces adhesive applications for concert wristbands.Another specializes in precision components for larger machinery. Each business has identified a specific market need and scaled accordingly, avoiding direct competition with mass producers. path as an amenity that attracts workers. The trail transforms what could be isolated commercial zones into connected nodes of activity, demonstrating how transportation infrastructure can serve multiple community needs simultaneously. EASTHAMPTON’S UNIQUE BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM Easthampton’s industrial evolution reads like a 130 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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