U.S. Rep. Auchincloss tours Mansfield businesses
U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Massachusetts, visited several Mansfield businesses Nov. 24 just before Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26.
At each stop Auchincloss discussed the challenges COVID has placed on business, how federal aid has helped and what more needs to be done to support economic recovery.
“With this holiday season coming up it’s more important than ever to shop local,” Auchincloss said. “It’s dollars back into the local community.”
Auchincloss visited O-D Tool & Cutter, Inc. on Gilbert Street. The family business employees 22 people and has been operating for 62 years. Owner Kevin O’Donnell explained that his business creates tools used by many industries including automotive, aerospace, gun manufacture and medical devices. He said getting employees can be a challenge.
The next stop was a new business in downtown Mansfield, Nadia’s Boutique, on South Main Street. Owner Nadine Rawlins opened her store last year during the pandemic. She said she felt there was a real need for everyday clothing for people in town.
The group then stopped in at the Catman Café to chat with owner Steve Cerullo and enjoy lunch. Cerullo talked about the shock he felt when the governor shut down businesses like his across the state.
“I made it,” he said. “I survived.”
Also taking part in the tour were state Sen. Paul Feeney, D-Foxborough, state Reps. Jay Barrows, R-Mansfield, Adam Scanlon, D-N. Attleboro, and Ted Philips, D-Sharon, and Mansfield Select Board members Neil Rhein, Jess Aptowitz and Michael Trowbridge.
Source:
Donna Whitehead