1620 Workwear, led by chief executive De Innocentis, is reshaping its manufacturing strategy by transitioning production to its East Boston plant. The company aims to produce all its clothing lines, including popular items like $200 work pants, $150 hoodies, and $300 cold-weather jackets, in-house over the next 12 to 18 months. De Innocentis cites the recent bankruptcies of two factories as a stark reminder of the benefits of managing manufacturing internally. “It’s important to secure our own destiny,” he explained.
1620 Workwear continues to see steady revenue growth at around 20 percent annually, a solid figure though not matching the surge experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a bid for efficiency, the company has streamlined its product offerings while still ensuring lifelong workmanship guarantees and offering free repairs. Manufacturing locally allows for quicker design turnarounds and enhances product quality, distinguishing 1620 from its competitors.
De Innocentis noted, “Making better, longer-lasting products takes time for that reputation to come to fruition. The consumer who seeks out an American-made product is more committed than ever. Have we reached the riches we thought we would? Definitely not. But has the product exceeded expectations? 100 percent.”
In a different sector, Needham-based SharkNinja is initiating its own version of the popular reality TV show, Shark Tank, through an entrepreneurship contest aimed at young innovators. The SharkNinja Innovation Challenge invites participants aged 18 to 24 to pitch ideas that could help address consumer challenges, such as enhancing product accessibility or environmental sustainability.
Entries are due on October 24, with six to ten finalists selected to present their ideas in a pitch meeting scheduled for March. The top three participants stand to earn cash prizes of up to $25,000, while all finalists will gain access to mentorship from SharkNinja and MassChallenge, including assistance with patent preparations.
Mark Barrocas, SharkNinja’s CEO, emphasized the contest as a method to position the company as a hub for innovation where engineers and designers aspire to work. “I want SharkNinja to be known as a Boston innovation powerhouse,” Barrocas stated. The initiative also provides SharkNinja with the opportunity to discover fresh ideas that could be developed in partnership with young entrepreneurs.
Barrocas commented, “We could partner with these entrepreneurs to commercialize these ideas. That is definitely the hope behind the contest, although not its exclusive reason.”
Cait Brumme, CEO of MassChallenge, highlighted the importance of SharkNinja’s sponsorship in fostering a new generation of entrepreneurs. “We believe this will support an entirely new category of inventors,” Brumme said, indicating that local startups will think of both MassChallenge and SharkNinja as integral to their journey to success.
Meanwhile, in the realm of health care lobbying, uncertainty reigns supreme but has proven profitable for lobbying firms. Massachusetts’ top four lobbying spenders during the first half of 2025 were health care trade groups. According to new data from Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association topped the list with $578,000, closely followed by the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans at $550,000. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council and the Association for Behavioral Healthcare rounded out the top four.
Keolis, the commuter rail operator, was the leading corporate spender in lobbying with $225,000, followed by simulcasting operator Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, and the hospital systems Beth Israel Lahey Health and Mass General Brigham.
Jim Smith, founder of Smith, Costello & Crawford, noted that health care is a primary growth driver for lobbying efforts. His firm generated $3.7 million in lobbying fees for state matters in the first half of 2025, compared to $2.9 million the previous year, significantly widening its lead over competitors like Tremont Strategies Group.
The firm has also increased its clientele significantly, taking over many of the late Phil Johnston’s clients after his passing, and recently welcoming Danielle Fleury, a former deputy administrator with the federal Health Resources and Services Administration who faced layoffs due to budget cuts. Smith’s firm now employs ten full-time staff and several consultants.
While dropping federal reimbursements under President Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress have contributed to uncertainties in the health care sector, Smith, Costello & Crawford has diversified its focus, working in areas like energy and marijuana, although the cannabis market has become oversaturated.
Among the notable figures in Boston, John Nucci, a former city councilor celebrated for his contributions to Suffolk University, recently honored his retirement. The event attracted a wide range of political and business figures, including former mayors Ray Flynn, Marty Walsh, and Kim Janey, as well as city councilors. Mayor Michelle Wu recognized Nucci by proclaiming September 30 as “John Nucci Day.”
Suffolk University president Marisa Kelly expressed gratitude for Nucci’s role in transitioning the university’s campus focus with developments in Downtown Crossing. Walsh reminisced about their collaboration to refurbish East Boston’s park for local youth and Suffolk athletes, commending Nucci’s humanitarian efforts, including opening university dormitories to homeless individuals during the early pandemic days.
Amid the celebrations, humor arose when state representative Aaron Michlewitz highlighted Nucci’s talent for exiting events early, with his son Daniel joking about his father’s skills at crafting the perfect
image source from：bostonglobe
