In March, the Chamber hosted a Good Day Metro South luncheon highlighting Women in Leadership with guest speaker, Secretary of Economic Development – Yvonne Hao.
Andrea Brule, President of Sugar Foods, (who recently purchased Concord Foods) spoke about the history of the two companies and how Concord is a complimentary addition to the Sugar Foods operation. “(The acquisition) marks a pivotal moment in Sugar Foods’ growth journey – Concord and Sugar Foods share a long and successful history of customer-led innovation and service, and, with our complementary capabilities, I am confident that, together, we will maximize customer value and unlock new growth opportunities. This transition combines the best of both organizations, and I look forward to welcoming the talented Brockton team to our Sugar Foods family.” said Andrea Brule, President of Sugar Foods. Read the full press release at www.sugarfoods.com/sugar-foods-acquires-concord-foods/
Secretary Hao presented many resources for businesses, including Mass Growth Capital, emphasizing the importance of servicing businesses in both city and rural areas, especially focusing on Gateway Cities. Hao states, “There are many things we should be proud of in our state. One statistic is we’re the highest income per capita state, we surpassed Connecticut recently, so that means we’re the wealthiest state. We’re also the highest educated state and the best state for women! A statistic I’m not proud of – we are the third most unequal state in terms of income inequality. The gap in income inequality is by ethnicity, educational background, and by largely by region. The gap between Boston/Cambridge and other parts of the state is big; in some cases 30, 40, $50,000 difference per year in income. That’s crazy for a smaller state with amazing schools and companies everywhere; we need to close this income gap by helping every region rise! We can’t be successful in our state if Boston’s not successful, of course we need Boston to win for the state to win. However, we also can’t be successful if only Boston wins. We need every region to rise along with Boston.” The Secretary answered many questions and concerns submitted by the audience during a live Q&A session.
Thank you to our Program Sponsor: South Shore Bank
Couldn’t make the event? Don’t worry – we recorded it for you. Thanks BCA!
View more photos on flickr! PC: Rich Morgan Photography
