Client Profile: Leominster, Massachusetts

Leominster, a city with a fascinating history, is the second largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts. It is located north of Worcester and northwest of Boston. Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190, Route 13, and Route 117 all have starting and ending points in Leominster.

After a tumultuous history involving the original settlers and Native American Indians, the settlers legally purchased the land for the town after negotiations with Chief Sholan of the Nashaway tribe. The town was incorporated in 1740 and officially chartered as a city in 1915.

At the beginning of the 19^th century, Leominster transitioned from a farming community to a manufacturing community. The earliest residents were British but Irish, French Canadian and Italian immigrants came to the city to work in its many factories.

The comb industry was predominant and was revolutionized in 1868 by the invention of celluloid. Leonminster was nicknamed “The Comb City.” The Viscoloid Company pioneered making toys out of pyroxylin plastic and was sold to the Dupont Company in 1925.  Injection molding was the next revolutionary invention. The new Foster Grant company began manufacturing plastic sunglasses selling 20 million pairs in 1937. The city began to be called “The Pioneer Plastics City.” Tupperware was invented in Leominster by Earl Tupper who founded his company in 1938. The Whitney Carriage Company was once the largest manufacturer of baby carriages in the world. The pink flamingo lawn ornament was invented in Leominster and a pink flamingo is painted on all crosswalks. Johnny Appleseed was born in Leominster.

Today, Leominster has more than 120 companies related to the manufacturing industry. Production fields range from medical to military, household, and life science.

Leominster has a broad range of economic development resources, which include a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program, Special Tax Assessment (STA) program, Abandoned Building Renovation Tax Deduction (ABRTD), Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) Leominster-based North Central MA Career Center and Workforce Investment Board, Gateway Community Status, and more.

Leominster’s downtown is in the center of the city. Locally owned boutiques, shops, bakeries, art galleries and restaurants are part of this vibrant downtown. The city boasts a self-guided historic tour and year-round events and festivals.

The City of Leominster plans to take a more active role in economic development, with special focus on the downtown area. Using The Retail Coach data will assist them with planning and help investors understand the missing pieces so that the downtown can attract the “right fit.” The city also owns an incubator/flex space and has enlisted the help of The Retail Coach to determine the highest and best use of the space. (www.theleominstermarketplace.com)

The Retail Coach values the partnership with the City of Leominster and looks forward to working towards achieving the goals of this unique and vibrant city.

The Retail Coach is a national retail recruitment and development firm that combines strategy, technology, and more than 35 years of creative retail expertise to develop and deliver high-impact retail recruitment and development plans to local governments, economic development organizations, and private developers.