Lesser addresses job development, homeless in Chicopee

Date: 10/17/2014

CHICOPEE – State senate candidate Eric Lesser campaigned in Chicopee recently with a tour of Hoppe Technologies.

Lesser also released a statement about the challenges the city faces with the homeless population placed by the Commonwealth in the city’s motels.

Lesser learned about the status of precision manufacturing in the Pioneer Valley through a tour on Oct. 6 and a discussion with Daniel Walker, the vice president of business development at Hoppe Technologies.

Walker told Lesser there is a growing market for the type of precision metal work the company provides, especially in the commercial aerospace industry.

What are giving companies such as Hoppe a competitive edge are several factors, he explained. Companies such as Hoppe offer more than just the fabrication of parts, but development of systems. 

Walker added, “The cost of poor quality is more expensive.”

The company has grown from being a $7 million company in 2001 to a $20 million in 2010, Walker said. There are 90 employees working two shifts. 

Lesser asked about the availability of skilled workers and Walker explained the company has participated with both local vocational high schools and Springfield Technical Community College in workforce development program. During the tour he introduced lesser to two newly hired employees, both of who had come to the company through specific training programs

Walker noted a training program in machine technology at Pathfinder Regional High School has an incoming capacity of 125 students, but more than 30 signed up for it.

Walker said state Sen. Gale Candaras, whose seat Lesser hopes to win, has been very helpful in supporting training programs.

Lesser said there appears to be a “generational shift” that is making these high paying jobs in manufacturing appealing. The median salary is $60,000.

Walker said, “We have all of the cool machines on the planet, but we need the people to run them.”

Walker said the precision manufacturing sector in Western Massachusetts is attracting attention from throughout the country. The reason is the infrastructure that is here. Not only are there shops such as Hoppe, but also there are the other companies that weld and plate, making the area a one-stop destination for manufacturing. He called the area “unique.”

Walker added, “Precision manufacturing is the backbone of our economy.”

On the issue of housing the homeless, Lesser wrote, “So how do we fix this problem? The immediate course of action is to get these families out of motels by creating more affordable housing and helping them find good or better-paying jobs. Chairman [Joseph] Wagner’s work to secure a $43 million increase for family shelters, along with a $12.5 million increase for rental vouchers, is very important progress, and I will work alongside him to ensure that Chicopee receives its fair share. Legislators must also establish a time limit for transitioning families to sustainable housing, and require that hotels receiving state money pay for security and off-duty police.

“However, these temporary measures will only get us so far. To fully alleviate this crisis, we must take on its root cause: an economy that’s failing to provide enough opportunity for our families here in Western Mass. We know that people earning fair wages from stable jobs are, of course, much less likely to become homeless.

“That’s why I’ve been focused on restoring middle class opportunity and creating more jobs in Chicopee and across our region. Investments in high-speed rail, high-tech manufacturing, and improved job training programs will go a long way toward restoring our economy. We also need to take on a political culture on Beacon Hill that leaves Western Massachusetts behind again and again. All these efforts will help create an environment where opportunity and upward mobility is within reach for everyone, and do it in a way that’s fair to Chicopee,” he concluded.