The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance is calling attention to the troubling closure of Curia Global’s Burlington manufacturing facility, a move that will eliminate 81 jobs just three months after the company was publicly celebrated by state lawmakers as “Manufacturer of the Year.”
The announcement was quietly made on a Friday heading into a long holiday weekend, according to a filing with the state under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The facility is scheduled to permanently close on March 10.
Curia Global, an international pharmaceutical manufacturing company headquartered in New York with operations across North America, Europe, and India, had been honored in October by the Massachusetts Legislative Manufacturing Caucus during a high-profile ceremony at Gillette Stadium. Numerous state lawmakers participated in the event, praising the company’s Burlington operation and its role in the state’s life sciences sector.
“Three months ago, Beacon Hill politicians were lining up for photos and speeches celebrating this company. Now 81 Massachusetts workers are losing their jobs, and news of the exit of that same company was quietly announced on a Friday afternoon. That contrast says everything about the state of our business climate,” said Paul Diego Craney, the Executive Director for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.
Curia’s Burlington facility specialized in sterile drug manufacturing, including vials and prefilled syringes used for late-stage clinical trials and commercial products. The site had been part of the company’s global network since 2010 and employed technicians, quality assurance specialists, and other skilled workers.
While the company has not publicly detailed why the Massachusetts operation is being shut down, the decision underscores a growing and familiar pattern.
“When companies need to make cuts, Massachusetts always seems to be first on the list. No number of awards or politician’s praises will change the bad business climate. High taxes, NetZero climate mandates, and a lack of competitive business culture at the State House continue to push employers out,” noted Craney.
MassFiscal noted that the closure raises serious questions about the effectiveness of Beacon Hill’s economic strategy, which frequently emphasizes symbolic announcements and ceremonial accolades while failing to address the underlying cost drivers facing employers.
“As much as they would like to, lawmakers can’t attract businesses with selfies, citations, and award ceremonies. If Massachusetts wants to become competitive, it needs to focus on affordability, by repealing the NetZero by 2050 mandate, repealing the income surtax, reducing the state income tax, and reducing state spending. Otherwise, we’ll keep seeing the same story repeated. Celebrations one month, layoffs the next,” concluded Craney.
The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance called on state leaders to reassess policies that make it harder to operate and grow in the Commonwealth, warning that working families ultimately pay the price when good-paying jobs disappear.