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Welcomes Artaic to the Boston Marine Industrial Park;
Thanks CreateBoston Initiative for Assisting with Financing & Site Location At 4:00 p.m. today, Mayor Thomas M. Menino will celebrate the arrival of Boston’s newest creative and high tech company, Artaic, at their new home at 21 Drydock Avenue in the Boston Marine Industrial Park (BMIP) on the South Boston Waterfront. At the event, Mayor Menino will present Artaic CEO Ted Acworth with a check for a $50,000 loan from the CreateBoston Loan Fund through the Boston Local Development Corporation. Artaic, an MIT spinout company, is revolutionizing the design and fabrication of the ancient mosaic art form. Through the use of patent-pending robotic precision manufacturing and computer aided design systems, Artaic drives the production of large scale and high volume mosaics with unparalleled speed, ease, flexibility and value. Artaic now designs, manufactures, exhibits, and sells highly artistic, customized mosaic from a 4,400 square-foot studio/factory. “Boston is a great city for creative and high-tech businesses because we have all the ingredients – excellence in technology, a young, highly educated workforce, intellectual capital and a vibrant creative community,” Mayor Menino said. “These types of progressive businesses are critical to Boston’s future. My administration cherishes artistic expression and through our CreateBoston initiative, I’m committed to helping the creative sector grow in Boston.” CreateBoston, launched by Mayor Menino in 2005 and staffed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, began working with Artaic in 2008 for site assistance. After looking at several locations within the BMIP, Artaic moved into temporary space at 21 Drydock Avenue in July 2008 and into permanent space in January 2009. “We are so thankful for the support from the City at a critical stage in the life of our new company,” said Ted Acworth, Founder and CEO of Artaic. “Artaic epitomizes the effort to leverage all that the city of Boston has to offer. We are light manufacturing meets the creative economy. We are high-tech start-up meets design and build. And we intend to grow a highly successful enterprise that will contribute to the city’s vibrant business, creative, technology and professional communities.” About CreateBoston: Mayor Menino launched the CreateBoston program in May 2005. The program helps creative businesses and entrepreneurs grow and reach their full potential for success by providing resources such as workforce development assistance, financing and site finding. The program is supported by a 15-member advisory committee that is representative of the six industries: film, music, media, design, visual arts/crafts and performance and include leaders from academic institutions, cultural non-profits and practitioners. About the Boston Local Development Corporation BLDC is a private 501(c) (3) non-profit Corporation administered by staff of the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The BLDC provides loans for businesses in or relocating to, the City of Boston. These loans can be used when buying a new business property, purchasing equipment and machinery, constructing an addition to an existing plant, making leasehold improvements or providing working capital to grow businesses. The BLDC actively pursues loan participations with local banks. By providing subordinated debt, the BLDC helps small businesses and Boston’s banking community come together. Between fiscal year 1996 and the end of fiscal 2009, the BLDC approved more than $12.9 million in loans to Boston businesses. These funds have leveraged more than $78 million in bank financing; and created or retained close to 2,600 jobs. Press Contact: Jessica Shumaker, BRA, 617.918.4446.
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