A Message From Mayor Tom Bernard On Crane

The Crane Paper story has been part of the history of Massachusetts and the nation for nearly 220 years, with the most recent chapters of that story written proudly in North Adams. Owned by its employees from 2015-2018, and by Mohawk Paper for the past two years, Crane Stationery is a brand with an unsurpassed reputation for quality.

Crane’s global reputation rests on the dedication, loyalty, and professionalism of their workforce here in North Adams. Crane employees are our neighbors, friends, and family members. The news that Crane Stationery leadership informed most of their 229 employees yesterday that they will be laid off in June is devastating for Crane’s employees, and for our community. On behalf of the City of North Adams I offer my support to the Crane Stationery employees at this incredibly difficult time.

The leadership team at Crane has made it clear that the company will remain open. I have spoken with them to understand more about how they came to this decision, how they intend to keep the company operating in North Adams, and their plan to keep as many of their employees working as possible.

 I also have been in contact with the Governor's Office, Senator Hinds, Representative Barrett, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Economic Development, and our local economic development and workforce teams to ensure that we bring every resource to bear to support Crane's employees and the company’s continuing operations in the weeks and months to come.

 It would be inaccurate to say that this decision by Crane management and their parent company, Mohawk Paper, was entirely the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the economic effects of this public health crisis contributed to this difficult news. Protecting our community from the COVID-19 virus must remain our top priority. At the same time, we also need to continue to work with our local and state partners on plans for the reopening of businesses, and the rebuilding of our economy to ensure our friends and neighbors at Crane and other businesses have the opportunity to pursue new employment opportunities or return to work.