Massachusetts: It’s All Here and Associated Industries of Massachusetts Announce Partnership in Online B2B Directory
Massachusetts: It’s All Here, a state wide public-private marketing campaign has announced that it will become the primary supporting partner of a new online business-to-business directory developed by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). The directory, BuyMass.org will foster new job opportunities and business activity throughout the Commonwealth by encouraging Massachusetts companies to invest in the state’s ecosystem.
The BuyMass.org directory is a searchable online marketplace for products and services provided by thousands of companies throughout Massachusetts. Executives at AIM, the largest business association in Massachusetts, and Massachusetts: It’s All Here have partnered on this initiative to support the mission of both organizations – to retain existing employers and attract new jobs, businesses and creative talent to Massachusetts.
"The Patrick Administration, It’s All Here, and AIM share the objective of maximizing business growth and economic opportunity for the citizens of Massachusetts", said Gregory Bialecki, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. "BuyMass.org provides a simple and collaborative way for Massachusetts companies to find new customers, support each other, and stimulate growth in the face of a difficult economy."
"This collaboration will increase the number of Massachusetts businesses investing in each other," said Susan Houston, Executive Director of MassEcon and founding member of Massachusetts: It’s All Here. "It is crucial that we maximize this type of investment in our local economy and raise awareness of the diverse and entrepreneurial quality of our Massachusetts businesses."
Through this partnership with Massachusetts It’s All Here, the BuyMass directory will provide all visitors and members of the directory with direct links to the Massachusetts Business Resource Team, the Commonwealth’s single point of contact for businesses seeking assistance in relocating, expanding, or maintaining their operations in Massachusetts. The directory will also highlight companies who currently have job opportunities through the Massachusetts: It’s All Here "Now Hiring Here" effort.
Richard C. Lord, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIM, said the association created BuyMass.org after an increasing number of employers who once bought products and services overseas began to shift those purchases closer to home.
"The CEO of a company in central Massachusetts told us his company was ready to source a part in China before discovering that a company 20 minutes up the road could supply the same part at a better price with better quality. Those are the kinds of opportunities we want to help employers realize with BuyMass.org," said Lord. "The involvement of the commonwealth in this initiative underscores the urgency of stimulating economic growth and job creation in Massachusetts."
BuyMass.org currently includes more than 8,500 businesses from all sectors of the Massachusetts economy, including manufacturing, biotechnology, services and travel and tourism. The listings also include several thousand certified minority and woman-owned enterprises.
"The power to change starts with us," said Elizabeth A. Williams, President & CEO, Roxbury Technology. "By supporting and doing business with one another locally, we generate the power to change and grow our economy"
The directory allows companies to manage and update their own listings. Employers may:
Select categories that best describe their businesses
Add text, photographs, product images, links and videos
Post special offers and event listings
Post banner ads for additional visibility
Associated Industries of Massachusetts, founded in 1915, is a resource for Massachusetts employers in the areas of public policy, human resources management, education and training, insurance and business development.
In 2003, the Massachusetts: It’s All Here non-profit marketing campaign was launched as a public-partnership between the Commonwealth, MassEcon, MassDevelopment, the Massachusetts International Trade Council (MOITI), and the Massachusetts Department of Business and Technology (DBT) with the goals of retaining existing employers and attracting new jobs, businesses and creative talent to Massachusetts.
