ANDOVER — FiVO Design, a local furniture designer and manufacturer, has been recognized by the Massachusetts Legislature Manufacturing Caucus for leadership and dedication to sustainable furniture manufacturing in the state.
“It’s humbling to be recognized by the Manufacturing Caucus. It would be easy to send our manufacturing offshore, but we are dedicated to manufacturing in the USA and Massachusetts specifically, contributing to our local community and economy,” said FiVo owner Stewart Junge. “We are grateful for the support of our legislators and organizations like MA MEP and the Center for Advanced Manufacturing.”
The company is located at Andover’s Dundee Park and is also a veteran-owned, family run business. FiVO uses equipment such as CNC routers to make furniture that includes bedroom, dining room and occasional pieces that are pieced together with Baltic birch.
“Sustainability plays a significant role in the design of our furniture. We start our manufacturing process using only FSC certified, responsibly sourced birch and design pieces that can serve multiple purposes, adapting as the user’s space or needs change over time. Our customers love that our furniture easily morphs with the addition of our accessories to serve multiple purposes and potentially live multiple lives, keeping it out of the growing landfills,” said Deanna Junge, director of FiVO.
The company has previously been featured in the Eagle-Tribune, as well as WCVB Channel 25 Chronicle, Home News Now, and businessofhome.com.
Networking Breakfast planned
NORTH ANDOVER — The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold a Networking Breakfast and Ribbon Cutting on Friday, Sept. 29, from 8 to 9:15 a.m. at the North Andover Historical Society, 800 Mass Ave.
Cost is $10 for members and $20 for future members and includes a continental breakfast. A ribbon cutting will be held for the new NAHS Cafe and “Child’s Play Growing Up in North Andover” exhibit.
During the event, the Chamber will introduce its new Cultural and Historic Resources program to promote. Guests could include the state’s tourism director along with confirmed guest, Nancy Gardella, executive director of the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Chamber officials note that tourism is the third largest industry in Massachusetts.
To register or for more information, visit merrimackvalleychamber.com or call 978-686-0900.
Community Co-Working Day at the iHub
HAVERHILL — The UMass Lowell iHub in Haverhill holds Community Co-Working Days on the first Wednesday of every month. The program on Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will include a talk on using LinkedIn to build your brand and your businesses.
Also, Maria DiStefano, regional director with the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, will be available to meet with businesses and will share updates on state programs and how to access resources for your businesses. To register for this free talk using LinkedIn visit online at tinyurl.com/mw6kwun3.
Chamber to hold annual dinner
HAVERHILL — The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m. at Michael’s Function Hall, 12 Alpha St.
Guest speakers is state Auditor Diana DiZoglio. During the event, the Ralph B. Wilkinson Good Citizenship Award will be presented to Michael Sullivan, coordinator for the Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo House; the Emerging Leader Award goes to Bill DeLuca IV of the Bill DeLuca Family of Dealerships; the Nonprofit Award goes to Karen Frederick, CEO of Community Teamwork of Greater Lowell; and the Business Development award goes to Juan and Luis Yepez of Yepez Properties in Lawrence.
Also, the Chamber will present Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini a leadership award for being one of the longest serving mayors in the state.
Tickets are $125 per person or $1,200 per table and include hors d’oeuvers at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
For tickets or for more information visit online at merrimackvalleychamber.com or call 978-686-0900.
Helfrich Brothers get $250K grant LAWRENCE — Helfrich Brothers Boiler Works in Lawrence received a $250,000 grant from MassTech Collaborative’s Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program.
The MMAP grant program is managed by the Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech and helps small to medium-sized manufacturers in Massachusetts scale their businesses to compete in the modern manufacturing economy.
“The MMAP program provides manufacturers with the tools they need to scale, adopt new technologies, and meet customer demands world-wide,” said Executive Office of Economic Development Undersecretary of Economic Strategies Sarah Stanton.
The MMAP program invests in cutting-edge tools at each company, while also building partnerships with key organizations within the Massachusetts manufacturing ecosystem.
“The MMAP grantees show that manufacturing is not relegated to one region of our state or to one type of industry, with production happening in nearly every corner of Massachusetts,” said Carolyn Kirk, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the parent organization for the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and the MMAP initiative.