DeWALT Commences Cordless Tool Production in the USA

Leading Toolmaker Ramps up Production in Carolinas for Power Tools to Be Built in America.   

Continuing its commitment to build America, DeWALT, a leading manufacturer of high-quality industrial power tools, is proud to expand its product offerings built in the USA using global materials to include more than 600 different cordless power tools, hand tools and accessories.

Given a choice between a product made in the United States and an identical one made abroad, 78 percent of Americans would rather buy the American product, according to a 2013 survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

“Our users are professional contractors and builders themselves. When given the option, most prefer to spend their money on a product that is built in the USA because it’s in line with what they do on a daily basis—building America,” said Frank Mannarino, president of DeWALT Professional Tools. “There’s a great deal of pride that goes into making things at home—we’re thrilled to bring some jobs back to the US and reconnect with our users.”

DeWALT began production of its first line of American-built cordless power tools in its Charlotte Manufacturing Operations facility in early October, using global materials, which will be fully up and running in November. The 75,000-square-foot facility straddles the border of the Carolinas. DeWALT’s investment in the revamped facility will help boost the local economy and create more than 250 new jobs.

The facility will allow DeWALT to deliver products with greater efficiency, while keeping the same Guaranteed Tough quality customers have come to know and expect from the brand. The new line of products built in the USA with global materials includes 32 different hand tools, 48 power tool products and 562 types of accessories.

The impact of DeWALT’s products that are built in the USA with global materials will be felt beyond the Carolinas. The brand has committed to donating a minimum of $250,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project from a portion of the sales of these products. Additionally, this year alone DeWALT has committed to hiring more than 100 veterans.

“DeWALT is a global brand with American roots,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president of retail operations. “We are committed to rebuilding the American economy through job creation for those who continue to build our country—US Veterans—and through our participation with the Wounded Warrior Project. Our goal is for the impact of our products that are built in the USA with materials from around the globe to be felt beyond the Charlotte Manufacturing Operations facility.”

For more information on DeWALT’s initiative to build products in the USA using global materials, and to view a full list of product offerings, visit www.toolsofthebrave.com.

For more information, visit www.dewalt.com

Massive $500 Million Boston Landing Mixed-Use Project

Footwear giant New Balance has partnered with Boston-based HYM Investment Group to co-develop the massive $500 million Boston Landing complex in Brighton. The 1.45 million square foot mega-development will include: a 250,000-square-foot headquarters for New Balance, a 345,000-square-foot sports complex with an NHL-regulation arena, a 175-room hotel and 65,000-square-feet of retail space. The project, which includes a new MBTA commuter rail station, will also build three office buildings totaling 650,000-square-feet and have parking for 1,750 vehicles.

The mixed-use project, which broke ground in September 2013, will serve as the world headquarters for New Balance, and will include a new MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Framingham and Worcester line, shuttle buses to and from Harvard and Kenmore Squares, MBTA buses that go into the city, and Hubway bike stands and designated bike lanes into Boston.

Contractors have already started work on the six-story headquarters for New Balance. That building, designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, will take 18 to 24 months to complete.

The Boston Landing master plan calls for 1.45 million square feet of development which will be completed in six phases over the next four years.

The $500 million complex will be situated next to New Balance’s current offices and the WGBH building on a 14-acre industrial property located at 38-180 Guest Street.The development site was once part of the Brighton Stockyards, the largest stockyard in the region.

Apart from New Balance’s headquarters building, the project also calls for three Class-A LEED-certified office buildings totaling 650,000 square feet, which are expected to be built by 2017.

Plans also include a 140,000-square-foot hotel with 175 guest rooms, dedicated parking for 1,750 cars and ground floor retail and restaurant space.

The developers are seeking city approval to build 295,000-square-feet of residential space on a 2-acre parcel it purchased in February at 125 Guest Street. 

A state-of-the-art, 325,000-square-foot sports complex is planned for 77 Guest Street that will feature a hydraulic-banked track, a NHL-regulation ice hockey rink, two basketball courts, as well as a fitness center and spa.

NHL’s Boston Bruins recently signed a long-term lease to use the hockey rink to prepare for games. Currently, the Bruins practice at the Ristuccia Memorial Arena in Wilmington.

The practice facility will include a large locker room and office space for the team. Construction of the sports arena is slated to begin the spring of 2015, and should be completed by the fall of 2016.

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New England’s Tallest Residential Tower, 691 Feet

Construction will soon get underway on a $700 million, 60-story tower, to be built on the edge of Christian Science Plaza, at Belvidere and Dalton streets. The new 691-foot skyscraper, which will include 250 hotel rooms and 180 luxury condominiums, will be the tallest residential tower in New England. The 950,000-square-foot plaza redevelopment project, which is expected to begin later this year, will also include a 26-story residential tower with 255 apartments.

The 60-story tower, located at 1 Dalton Street in the Back Bay, will be designed by Henry Cobb, the same architect who designed the John Hancock Tower in the 1970s.

His firm, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners of New York, also designed the Christian Science Plaza and its signature reflecting pool.

The 712,500 square foot Back Bay tower, along with the adjacent 237,500 square foot residential building, will be located at the corner of Belvidere and Dalton Streets.

The 691-foot building is crafted in the shape of an equilateral triangle with rounded corners, a form designed to complement the adjacent Christian Science Church, which was built in 1896.

The Christian Science Tower will stand 99 feet shorter than the city's tallest structure, but will surpass the Millennium Tower and the tower set to rise at 5 Copley Square - both slated for 625 feet - as the city’s tallest residential building.

Overall, the skyscraper will be the third-tallest structure in Boston, behind the750-foot Prudential Tower and the John Hancock Tower, which stands 790 feet.

The 250-room Four Seasons will occupy the first 20 floors of the building, and 180 ultra high-end condominiums will be spread across the upper 40. The Four Seasons will continue to manage its existing hotel on Boylston Street.

The new Four Seasons is designed to complement the existing hotel on Boylston Street. It will have smaller ballrooms and conference spaces, offering more of a boutique luxury product

The tower will include two restaurants, two lounges, and a health club and spa.

Its residences are certain to be among the most expensive in the city, challenging the Mandarin Oriental and new units under construction at Fan Pier.

The Four Seasons is designed to complement the existing hotel on Boylston Street. It will have smaller ballrooms and conference spaces, offering more of a boutique luxury product

The project’s master developer is Cambridge-based Carpenter & Co., which also developed Boston’s Liberty Hotel and the Charles Hotel in Cambridge.

The project will fill a void between some of the Back Bay’s most significant properties.

“Right now, the Christian Science Plaza and the Prudential Center sit next to each other, but don’t talk to each other,” said Cobb, a Boston native.

“This project will be a new connection and bring this very important part of the city to life.”

The First Church of Christ, Scientist has been lobbying for a redesign for years.

Much of the reason is financial: Profitable real estate would make the site self-sustaining, so that donations to the church can be put more directly toward its mission.

The church also aims to bring its plaza up to date with a 21st-century approach to urban design, in which active public spaces are key.

The site attracts plenty of sightseers as the Christian Science faith’s international headquarters and a major Boston landmark, but it has not lived up to its potential.

The new project is expected to bring thousands of new residents and visitors to one of the city’s most celebrated landmarks.