| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

07-21-2003

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 6 months ago

July 21, 2003

ROMNEY UNVEILS NEW INNER CITY INVESTMENT AWARD

First award goes to Lawrence businessman Maurice Ferre

 

Governor Mitt Romney today recognized the importance of business investment and job creation in the Commonwealth’s urban centers by creating the Governor’s Inner City Investment Award.

 

Romney presented the first award to Dr. Maurice Ferre, founder of Lawrence- based Visualization Technology, Inc. The award will be presented monthly to an individual whose leadership and business success have brought new economic investment and jobs to the Bay State’s cities.

 

“Dedication to the community is what distinguishes entrepreneurs like Maurice,” said Romney. “His commitment to professional success is matched only by his concern for the well being of his employees, friends and neighbors.”

 

The award is a component of Romney’s “Jobs First” initiative, and honors the dedication and hard work of those men and women who contribute to the revitalization of the Commonwealth’s cities. Romney also recently created the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to recognize the innovation that drives the state’s economy.

 

“Entrepreneurs take initiatives and risks in areas where success is most likely. Massachusetts is a state with tremendous human capital, advanced medical technology and a strong business infrastructure that make companies like VTI a success,” said Dr. Maurice Ferre. “I was privileged to work with a most resilient and hard working team at VTI. With this recognition my resolve to continue contributing to our diverse community only grows.”

 

Romney noted that, “Over the last decade, the urban crime rate has gone down and urban investment has gone up. This has happened for one simple reason: We now realize that our cities are engines of economic growth. Visualization Technology is a great example of the kind of investment that is bringing the Massachusetts economy back on track.”

 

After graduating from Boston University Medical School, Ferre founded Visualization Technology, Inc., locating the start-up company in Lawrence in 1993.

 

Starting with a staff of just three employees, VTI began designing 3D medical imaging equipment. The equipment, often referred to as a smaller version of the Global Positioning System, allows surgeons to see 3D views of a patient’s brain or knee while maneuvering through delicate tissues. Ferre’s imaging equipment has made countless operations both safer and less invasive for patients. Today, doctors in more than 500 hospitals use VTI’s technology.

 

Last year, General Electric acquired VTI, now known as GE Medical Systems Surgical Navigation. Ferre insisted that the company stay in Lawrence. GE agreed, keeping VTI right where it began – in a converted mill in the heart of the city now employing 170 people. Ferre is now pursuing a new venture in medicine and health care technology.

 

“Maurice Ferre's accomplishments in the fields of medicine and technology illustrate in a dramatic way the extraordinary range of contributions Latinos make to our economy,” said Alvaro Lima, President, Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce. “Tens of thousands of Latinos in Massachusetts perform the basic tasks that support economic growth. Mr. Ferre has demonstrated that Latinos can participate - and, indeed, lead - at the other end of the spectrum, where knowledge and entrepreneurship combine to create jobs and wealth.”

 

Last month, Romney launched a summer long campaign called “Jobs First” to expand job growth. The “Jobs First” program is a component of the Governor’s TOPS program (Tapping Our Potential in the State). The initiative will employ a number of strategies to work with both large and small employers to attract, retain and create jobs in Massachusetts.

 

 

 

###

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.