Salem Flipbook

S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N

Salem’s Status Update:Creating History with Energy and EnterpriseB Y S T A C E Y M A R C U S

When trying to paint a picture of life in 2012 in Salem, Massachusetts, one has many choices to illustrate the seacoast city that more than 40,000 residents call home. One could showcase the city in many forms. A blueprint of the waterfront redevelopment illuminates Salem’s return to its history as a major maritime port while positioning the city to enjoy a new wave of economic prosperity. A video clip of a roundtable discussion of the community’s business owners talking about how their companies are creating a global impact and incubating ideas locally amplifi es the bandwidth of business power in Salem. A watercolor of

Salem’s monthly festivals, popular farmers’ market and a downtown area brimming with eclectic eateries and charming boutiques shows how a hip new magic is being sprinkled throughout the city. A map of the myriad ways to navigate the diverse neighborhoods of Salem depicts people walking, riding bikes, taking a trolley, and Segwaying through the streets.

However, the best tool to tell the tale of Salem today may not be an artist’s instrument but a simple calculator to crunch the impressive digits that add up to a clear conclusion: Th e city of Salem is a great place to live, work, play, shop, dine, visit, and invest in.

Take a look at the evidence:

$650,000,000Peabody Essex Museum’s $65o million advancement campaign is designed to further the museum’s mission to celebrate outstanding artistic and cultural creativity in ways that transform people’s lives.

$31 ,000,000North Shore Medical Center’s annual payroll is $210 million, of which $31 million is paid to Salem residents who are employed by the North Shore’s largest health care provider.

6,000,000More than six million people have visited the Salem Witch Trial Memorial, which pays tribute to the events of 1692. Th is year marks the 20th anniversary of the Witch Trial Memorial; a rededication will be held September 9th.

$5 ,000,000Th e city of Salem has received $5 million in additional funding for the MBTA parking garage at the Salem Train Station.

40,000More than 40,000 people have attended a Salem Th eatre Company event in its fi rst nine years in operation. Salem Th eatre Company has generated close to $2 million in direct and indirect spending for the local Salem economy through its programming.

10 ,000Ten thousand students study at Salem State University, which just received a $1.9 million grant to support teacher education to help train teachers to instruct English language learners.

4,000When the Farmers’ Market launched its fourth season this year, more than 4,000 people showed up for opening day.

70Since 2007, more than 70 new businesses have opened their doors in Salem.

$0Entrance to the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Museum, and Salem Witch Museum is free for Salem residents.

Derby Lofts is one of the recent residential developments in the heart of downtown Salem. Photo: Andy Wainwright

Check out some insight from Salem’s insiders:

Karen Cady,Karen Cady, senior director of University Relations at Salem State University, has lived in Salem for the last 25 years. One of her favorite slices of Salem life is tending to her garden on Winter Island. Along with planting posies, she loves hearing the sounds of Italian, French, Spanish, and Russian being spoken when tending her garden.

Chris SilvaChris Silva, owner of Front Street Coff ehouse, thinks that Mayor Driscoll has done an outstanding job of retaining businesses, enhancing ferry access and improving the school systems, making Salem a great destination.

Jerry AcariJerry Acari, owner of Landry and Acari, has noticed that the commuter rail has brought in an infl ux of young people and says that Salem has a special place in his heart.

Patricia ZaidoPatricia Zaido, executive director of the Salem Partnership, who was born and brought up in Salem, invites you to learn about what’s in the works, including the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, the Creative Economy Initiative, the Salem Harbor Plan, the Salem Trial Courts and the Salem Station Garage.

Mayor Kimberley DriscollMayor Kimberley Driscoll thinks one of Salem’s fi nest qualities is its receptiveness to diff erent walks of life, its inclusiveness, openness, and eclectic vibe.

When Heidi Feinstein was looking for a location to launch her third organic café, Life Alive, she decided to check out Salem. A North Shore native, Feinstein was attracted to the eclectic vibe in Salem. Having opened cafés in downtown Lowell and Central Square in Cambridge, she has great instincts about the types of locations that will be receptive to her dining concept. “I love to be in the center of a city where people live, work, play, and shop,” says the entrepreneur, whose urban oasis seamlessly fi ts into hip and hopping downtown Salem.

If you don’t fancy a Crunchy Hippie salad or wheatgrass juice, a smorgasbord of dining options is just steps away downtown and on Pickering Wharf. In just a few blocks, you can enjoy a plethora of ethnic eateries, fi ne dining establishments, indoor and outdoor cafés, coff ee shops, ice cream and candy shops, pubs, and taverns. Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Th ai, Italian, Mediterranean, and Polish cuisine dot the diverse downtown. Mark Malatesta, one of the partners of Salem’s newly opened Red Lulu Cocina and Tequila Bar and Lolita in Boston, set his sights on Salem when eyeing spots to open on the North Shore. “I remember growing up on the North Shore — Salem was the destination to go to for lively nightlife,” says Malatesta. Sounds of music and laughter are part of Salem’s evening soundtrack as people enjoy a glass of wine by the waterfront or toast to good times at a tavern.

Along with a robust roster of restaurants, Salem has added many new boutiques for shoppers who fancy unique items cherry-picked by discerning shopkeepers. Kate Leavy and Jamie Metsch have opened three stores since 2009. In 2009, the couple launched Roost. In 2010, the Beehive was born, and Scrub arrived in 2011. Th e collection of shops sells an original mix of gifts, art, housewares, and body and bath products. “We chose Salem because it felt like it was on the cusp of something great. I feel like we have met half the city. Everyone is friendly and welcoming and loves to shop locally,” says Leavy.

“Salem has a heartbeat all year long,” says Anne Supple Massey, owner of Rouge Cosmetics, which will celebrate its fi fth anniversary this fall. “It is truly a beautiful place to work, live, and play.” Massey is enamored of its historic architecture, lively waterfront, open green spaces, and great energy. So, too, are others — Salem’s assets have attracted scores of young professionals and retired couples who opt for living in cool spaces, including both luxury and aff ordable condos, the renovated apartments in the Salem News building, and the redeveloped Old Salem Jail. Th e ease of commuting via Salem’s ferry or the MBTA’s commuter rail makes Salem the perfect location for people who want to live in a small city but have easy access to Boston and beyond.

Slices OF

Sal em

A Great Place to Live, Shop, and Dine

Downtown retailers set up outside for the annual Essex Street Fair in August. Photo: Jared Charney

continued on page 162


Jennifer Bell, Salem Main Streets Manager, brought the concept of the Farmers’ Market to Salem four years ago and is thrilled with the positive response of the community. More than 4,000 people showed up for the opening of the fourth season this year. “We have a festival every month of the year,” notes Bell, who passionately praises the creative energy pulsing through Salem. Th e energy can be seen in the art boxes downtown painted by local artists, the actors on stage at Salem State

University and Salem Th eatre Company, and initiatives like the Salem Mural project that celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of the Salem Point neighborhood.

You can imagine an aspiring writer penning a modern-day Scarlet Letter when walking along the cobblestone streets once traveled by Salem native Nathaniel Hawthorne. Th e air is perfumed with creative energy, community spirit, and the sense that 01970 is the place to go.

“Salem has an eccentricity and funkiness that is just great,” notes Jay Finney, chief marketing offi cer at the Peabody Essex Museum, where a 2003 $125 million expansion was a major catalyst of change for Salem. Th e museum’s recent announcement of a $650 million advancement campaign will make its endowment the fi fth-largest in North America and place it as the ninth-largest museum in the country, reinforcing the museum’s reputation as a major player in the international arts scene.“

A restuarant hub on the North Shore, al fresco dining—especially waterside—is wildly popular in Salem

Photo: Jared Charney


In the Orient, people used to think that Salem was a country,” notes Kathleen Winn,Salem’s Deputy Director for the Department of Planning and Community Development. While Winn is referencing Salem’s early trade with Asia and China, businesses in Salem today are making a big impact both regionally and globally.

“It is interesting when you recall that trade with Asia and China put Salem on the map,” says Jeff Nestel-Patt, Director of Marketing for GT Advanced Technologies, which has worldwide operations located in Hong Kong, worldwide headquarters in Merrimack Valley and its GT Crystal Systems division located in Shetland Park in Salem.

Th e company bought Salem-based Crystal Solutions last year and added 60 advanced sapphire furnaces to the existing 20, making it a global leader in the production of sapphire crystals. Along with being an important component in the LED market, sapphire crystals have applications in science, the

military, and industry around the world. “We have truly enjoyed the civic and commercial partnership with Salem,” says Nestel-Patt. “We love visiting the Salem facility and looking out at the harbor.”

Todd Fitz, co-owner of new media company Fuel Media, agrees that the views from his Shetland Park window are mesmerizing. “Th ere’s nothing like looking out our conference room window and seeing the Fame and Friendship sitting in the harbor,” says Fitz. When he and his business partner Savash Kalay were looking for space for their new media company, Fuel Media, they had two requirements: both did not want to drive into Boston, and both wanted to work someplace on the North Shore that off ered culture and inspiration. Shetland Park in Salem fi t the bill.

Rose Displays, a leading provider of sign-hanging solutions to retailers nationally, moved to Salem from Marblehead in 2000 and has tripled its space to a 50,000-square-foot facility. “Salem has a vibrancy that is

Jackie KingJackie King, of A & J King Artisans Bakers, thinks it’s important to use locally grown products when baking her artisanal sourdough bread and hand-rolled croissants.

One of the best parts of Shelley Shelley Matthews’Matthews’ weekend is when her husband stops by her shop, re-fi nd, with her two children en route to Salem Common and ice cream.

Joy RoyJoy Roy, a fourth-grade teacher in neighboring Marblehead, has lived in Salem for the past 12 years. On a recent Thursday, she enjoyed the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum, followed by a visit to the Farmers’ Market, where she picked up fresh salsa and guacamole.

Slices OF

Sal em


infectious. When employees move about town at lunchtime or during their commutes, they ‘feel’ the energy,” says Dean Rubin, Rose Display CEO. “As an owner, I particularly like the strong city government that has implemented a growth plan that is working, makes sensitive decisions to meet the balanced needs of both business and residential, and that is accessible by owners and residents alike. Taxes are moderate, and city services are stable and reliable.”

Marc Hazel, president of Jacqueline’s Gourmet Cookies, is sweet on doing business in Salem. “Mayor Driscoll has been very supportive, helpful and accommodating to us,” says Hazel, whose facility on Swampscott Road produces 1.5 to 2 million cookies a day that are then sold to grocery chains, in-store bakeries, hotels, cruise lines, restaurants and cafés, and catering operations across the country. Jacqueline’s Gourmet Cookies creates 400 distinct cookies and employs 85 people.

Many businesses have deep roots in Salem, including, Harbor Sweets and its owner Phyllis LeBlanc. Her relationship with the company started in 1977 when she was a student at Salem State College (now Salem State University) and joined Harbor Sweets as a part-time employee dipping chocolates. Fast forward 23 years when LeBlanc bought the company but still maintains its tradition of making handcrafted gourmet chocolates in copper kettles and molds.

Reviewing architectual designs in one of Salem’s downtown businesses Photo: Winter Street Architects


A Business Class All Its OwnThe city of Salem has a rich history of enterprise and innovation circling back The city of Salem has a rich history of enterprise and innovation circling back to its history, which is full of generations of entrepreneurs, according to Tom to its history, which is full of generations of entrepreneurs, according to Tom Daniel, Economic Development Manager for Salem’s Department of Planning and Daniel, Economic Development Manager for Salem’s Department of Planning and Community Development. Community Development.

Test your knowledge to see if you are buttoned up on business in Salem.

WHO CREATES CHOCOLATES FOR THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AND BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA?

Harbor Sweets

WHAT COMPANY WILL POWER SAILS IN THE 2012 OLYMPICS?

Doyle Sailmakers’ Florian Raudaschl will represent Austria in the Finn class at the 2012 Olympics. Doyle Sails will also proudly power Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih in the 2012 Olympics.

WHAT COMPANY’S BIOCHEMICALS, ANTIBODIES, RECOMBINANT PROTEINS, CELL CULTURE MEDIA AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY KITS ARE USED IN GENOMIC RESEARCH, BIOTECHNOLOGY, PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE DIAGNOSIS OF DISEASE?

United States Biological

WHAT WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS IS RECOGNIZED AS A PIONEER IN THE FIELD OF ECOLOGICAL RESTORATIONS AND WHOSE CLIENT ROSTER INCLUDES THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION?

Bioengineering Group

WHAT COMPANY IS PRODUCING SAPPHIRE CRYSTALS THAT ARE BEING USED IN EMERGING LED TECHNOLOGY?

GT Crystal Systems

WHERE ARE 1.5 MILLION TO 2 MILLION COOKIES PRODUCED EVERY DAY?

Jacqueline’s Gourmet Cookies

WHAT 139-YEAR-OLD HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION HOUSES ONE OF ONLY THREE MASSACHUSETTS COMMUNITY HOSPITALS TO PERFORM CARDIAC SURGERIES?

North Shore Medical Center

WHAT SALEM INSTITUTION RECENTLY BECAME A UNIVERSITY AND PARTNERS WITH THE CITY AS AN EXPANDED CLASSROOM?

Salem State University


Salem’sWaterfront Creates a Wave of ExcitementCreates a Wave of Excitement

Crowds of residents gathered on Derby and Central Wharves early this summer to welcome home Salem’s beloved tall ship, Friendship, which returned to Salem after undergoing maintenance and renovation since the fall. Th e waterfront was brimming with hundreds of people waving white handkerchiefs and expressing their joy at the arrival of Friendship. Th e scene, which could have been from a history book in the early 1800s when Salem’s trade with East Indies was at its height, was symbolic of the vibrancy of the town’s harbor and the promise of plans for the redevelopment of the waterfront.

Mayor Kimberley Driscoll sees the waterfront redevelopment project as a major focus for Salem, one that is an important part of not only the city’s rich maritime history but also its future economic growth. Plans to construct a state-of-the-art commercial industrial public dock facility and cruise terminal are underway. Th e port facility will include a permanent terminal building, harborwalk and dock facilities for the Salem Ferry and cruise ships and commercial and pleasure boats. Th e new port facility will be able to service the Salem-to-Boston

The Salem Fast Ferry connects Salem and Boston in under an hour Photo: Joe Higgins


ferry, cruise lines, excursion boats, marine industrial companies, and local fi shermen.

It is exciting to imagine cruise ships docking in Salem and bringing tourists to enjoy its treasures. It seems quite serendipitous that the waterfront redevelopment project aligns with Salem’s next wave of revitalization. One could say that there is magic in the air, but upon closer inspection, it looks as though the winds of change have been strategically blown by smart leadership, creative enterprise, community spirit, and good old-fashioned hard work.

THE SALEM WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT WILL BE THE CATALYST FOR: A signifi cant boost to tourism Long term job opportunities Direct spending to the region New transportation options for commuters and tourists A new maritime industry in the region

Historic replicas, tou rboats, and private vessels can all be found in Salem Harbor Photo: Richard Scott

For more information on living and working in Salem, visit Salem.com and Salem-Chamber.org


The Salem Fast Ferry connects Salem and Boston in under an hour

Still making history.

City of Salem Planning Department

Economic development in Salem

978.745.9595 | Salem.com

Destination Salem

For visitor and travel information

978.741.3252 | Salem.org

Salem Chamber of Commerce

For all of your business needs

978.744.0004 | Salem-Chamber.com

Salem Main Streets

Enhancing Salem’s downtown

978.744.0004 ext. 15 | SalemMainStreets.org

Documents

Salem Flipbook