Governor Charlie Baker visited AIS, the largest manufacturer of commercial office furniture and seating in New England, on Wednesday as part of National Manufacturing Month celebrations. During his visit to the Leominster-based company, Governor Baker toured the manufacturing floor, met employees and presented a proclamation declaring October to be Manufacturing Month in Massachusetts.
Founded in 1989 and celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, AIS has 800 employees nationwide and annual sales of more than $220 million. With over 600 employees who work in manufacturing jobs at its headquarters location, AIS is one of the largest employers in traditional manufacturing in the state of Massachusetts. More than 250 women work at AIS’s Leominster location, and more than 30 countries are represented in the employee population.
Each year during October, AIS celebrates the importance of manufacturing by honoring government leaders’ commitment to manufacturing, educating students about manufacturing careers, and building community awareness of manufacturing’s positive impacts.
“Manufacturing continues to be an important economic driver of the economy in the Commonwealth,” Governor Baker said. “Massachusetts is home to over 7,000 manufacturing companies and 250,000 manufacturing employees. I am proud to be here at AIS to celebrate Manufacturing Month and all of the continued contributions this company – and so many others throughout the state – make to our economyevery day.”
A recipient of the prestigious Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing – an award dubbed by BusinessWeek as the “Nobel Prize of manufacturing” – AIS leads as an innovator in sustainability, lean manufacturing, lead-time performance and manufacturing flexibility.
AIS is committed to being a MassMade company that prides itself on its role in the local community and in the state. A 2018 “Manufacturer of the Year” as designated by the state for the central Massachusetts region, AIS contributes to the local economy by creating and sustaining manufacturing jobs in Massachusetts as well as through partnerships and continued support of local vendors for goods and services.
“We’re proud of our company and what we’ve built here in Leominster,” AIS President and CEO Bruce Platzman said. “We’re excited to have had Governor Baker join us in celebrating Manufacturing Month. It’s all about honoring the history of manufacturing in our country while recognizing the important role that manufacturing will continue to play in our economy.”