Skip to the story | Text edition home | Full site

Reported by us | South Coast

Somerset shipyard, Westport brewery among South Coast companies honored with state lawmakers' manufacturing awards

Each was nominated by a state legislator for the Manufacturing Caucus's 11th annual awards, handed out at the state's Manufacturing Mash-Up at Gillette Stadium.

By the SC360 Business and Real Estate Desk | Published Oct. 30, 2026 | Last verified Oct. 30, 2026, 11:14 a.m. ET

SOUTH COAST A Somerset shipyard that has built more than 440 vessels, a Westport farm brewery, a Marion boatyard, a New Bedford heating oil company and the Taunton plant of a Swiss motor maker were among 48 companies that state lawmakers honored Tuesday, Oct. 27, with "Making it in Massachusetts" manufacturing awards.

The Massachusetts Legislative Manufacturing Caucus presented the awards at its 11th annual Manufacturing Awards Ceremony, held during the state's Manufacturing Mash-Up at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Each company was selected by a state legislator, according to the list of honorees and their nominating legislators that The Herald News published Friday from an announcement of the awards.

The South Coast winners

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., nominated by state Rep. Justin Thurber, is a family-owned shipyard on 7 acres along the Taunton River in Somerset. George Duclos co-founded the yard in 1955, when he was 22, and bought out his partners in 1983. A second generation of the family runs it now, the company says. It builds steel and aluminum pilot boats, tugs, ferries, fireboats, patrol and research vessels and crew boats for offshore wind farms, and it lists up to 100 employees. In June it delivered a 73-foot pilot boat to the pilots who work out of Cameron, La., and in July it handed back Boston Harbor's Outward Bound ferry, a boat it built in 1995, after a major refit.

Buzzards Bay Brewing, nominated by Rep. Steven Ouellette, brews ales, sours and lagers on a farm at 98 Horseneck Road in Westport that it shares with the Westport Rivers winery. Its first batch was brewed in the summer of 1998, the brewery says, and its beers include Flounder, a golden ale, and Sow and Pigs, a kolsch brewed with the Buzzards Bay Coalition that raises money for the group. The list of honorees names it Buzzards Bay Brewery.

Burr Bros. Boats Inc. of Marion, nominated by Rep. Mark D. Sylvia, has worked on boats since 1947 and traces its name to the original Burr brothers, Carleton and Johnny. The yard does fiberglass, carpentry, paint, varnish, rigging and engine work, sells Boston Whaler boats and rents slips and moorings, the company says.

Luzo Fuel of New Bedford, nominated by Rep. Antonio Cabral, delivers home heating oil and off-road diesel and repairs and cleans furnaces. The company describes itself as local and family-owned, says it has served the area for more than three decades and accepts fuel assistance through programs such as PACE and Citizens for Citizens.

Taunton and Seekonk

In Taunton, Maxon Precision Motors, nominated by Rep. Lisa Field, is the U.S. arm of a privately owned Swiss motor company in business since 1961. When it opened its two-story, 59,000-square-foot building in the Myles Standish Business Park in 2019, the company said the plant would handle design engineering and production and would replace a sales, distribution and assembly operation in Fall River.

In Seekonk, Marzilli Machine Co. was nominated by Sen. Kelly Dooner and Rep. Steven Howitt, the list shows.

Who gives the awards

The caucus, formed in August 2014, is led by Rep. Jeffrey N. Roy of Franklin and Sen. Paul R. Feeney of Foxborough and works on manufacturing job training, help for startups and apprenticeships, The Herald News and the Franklin Observer reported. The Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership sponsors it, Kopin Corp. of Westborough said in a release about its own award.

"Massachusetts has a proud history of manufacturing excellence, and the companies we recognize today are carrying that legacy forward through innovation, grit, and an unwavering commitment to their workforce and communities," Feeney said, as quoted by The Herald News. Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley was quoted in the same report: "Today's honorees show the range of talent and ingenuity in this industry."

The Mash-Up, run by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Center for Advanced Manufacturing, was scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday under the theme "Celebrating 250 Years: Manufacturing What Matters," which the center said honors the nation's 250th anniversary.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.

Notes

What each company does comes from its own website or releases. The list of honorees, each company's nominating legislator and the Feeney and Paley quotes come from an announcement of the awards as The Herald News published it Friday; the Franklin Observer's report and Kopin Corp.'s release confirm the Oct. 27 ceremony, its number and the count of 48. The Mash-Up's date, hours and theme come from the Center for Advanced Manufacturing's event page. We read them on Oct. 30. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar.

Corrections

No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.

Sources (14)

  1. SouthCoast manufacturers win 'Making it in Massachusetts' awards (The Herald News, syndicated on Yahoo News)Beth McDermott, The Herald News, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, 8:01 a.m. UTC. Source of the honoree list (48 companies, each with its nominating legislator), the caucus description and the Feeney and Paley quotes, which the paper says came from a community announcement of the awards. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  2. Medway Company Named a Manufacturer of the Year (Franklin Observer)Page stamped Oct. 28, 2026. Confirms the 11th Annual Manufacturing Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Gillette Stadium, the count of 48 manufacturers, and the caucus founding and chairs. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  3. Kopin Corporation Receives Two Major Honors at 2026 Massachusetts Manufacturing Mash-Up (Business Wire)Company release, Oct. 28, 2026, 8:31 a.m. EDT. Names the 11th Annual Manufacturing Awards Ceremony and says the caucus is sponsored by MassMEP and was established in 2014. Refers to the company facility in Westborough, Mass. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  4. Massachusetts Manufacturing Mash-Up (Center for Advanced Manufacturing)Event page: Tues., Oct. 27, 2026, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Gillette Stadium; theme Celebrating 250 Years: Manufacturing What Matters. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  5. History, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos CorporationCompany page: family-owned yard on the Taunton River in Somerset; more than 446 vessels built; George Duclos co-founded it in 1955 at 22, bought out his partners in 1983; second generation leads it; vessel types. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  6. Infrastructure, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos CorporationCompany page: 7 acres on the Taunton River; up to 100 employees. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  7. Gladding-Hearn Delivers Fourth Launch to Cameron, La. PilotsCompany release dated June 19, 2026: 73-foot pilot boat for the Lake Charles pilots. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  8. Ferry to Boston Harbor's Outward Bound School Refitted at Gladding-HearnCompany release dated July 30, 2026: MV Outward Bound redelivered after a major mid-life refit; built by the shipyard in 1995. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  9. Buzzards Bay Brewing (home page)Company page: farm at 98 Horseneck Rd., Westport, shared with Westport Rivers; ales, sours and lagers; taproom hours. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  10. Buzzards Bay BrewsCompany page: Flounder golden ale; Sow and Pigs, a Buzzards Bay Coalition collaborative brew that raises funds for the coalition; first batch in the summer of 1998. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  11. Burr Brothers Boats, Marion (home page)Company page: since 1947; repair, repower, renovate (fiberglass, carpentry, paint, varnish, rigging, mechanics); Boston Whaler sales; slips and moorings. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  12. History, Burr Brothers BoatsCompany page: the original Burr brothers, Carleton and Johnny Burr. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  13. Luzo Fuel, New Bedford (home page)Company page: home heating oil, off-road diesel, furnace repair and cleaning; local and family-owned; serving the community for more than three decades; accepts PACE and Citizens for Citizens. Read Oct. 30, 2026.
  14. maxon motor Opens Manufacturing Facility in Taunton, Massachusettsmaxon company release, posted 2019: two-story, 59,000-square-foot facility in the Myles Standish Business Park; design engineering and production; replaces a sales, distribution and assembly operation in Fall River; privately owned Swiss company in business since 1961. Read Oct. 30, 2026.

This story on the full site