FROED One Government Center Fall River, MA 02722-7700 Tel 508-324-2620 Fax 508-677-2840 info@froed.org		MEDITECH FOCUSES ON LOCAL GROWTH AT FALL RIVER PLANT Boston Business Journal, Friday, September 12-18, 2008 - Page 10 When Medical Information Technology Inc. completed its $40 million expansion in Fall River earlier this summer, the event represented the culmination of a business pursuing major growth without state or local assistance. The company, more commonly known as Meditech, develops administrative software for hospitals and health care organizations. It made headlines two years ago when it announced it would finance and build the four-story, 122,000-square-foot facility, its sixth in Massachusetts. The project, as announced, would eventually create about 600 jobs there. And CEO A. Neil Pappalardo said he’d hire locally to keep his 2,700-employee business in the Bay State. About 250 jobs have been transferred from other Massachusetts facilities to the new 17-acre site so far, with more new hires expected over the next few years. “We are thrilled with Meditech’s decision to expand its operations in the commonwealth and add hundreds of new jobs in Fall River,” said Kofi Jones, spokeswoman for the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. “This investment will mean new employment opportunities in an area of the state with a skilled and available workforce, including many new college graduates.” Most Meditech employees are from the South Coast region and have shortened their commutes since the new facility opened, said Phil Polimeno, Meditech’s director of corporate technology, recruiting and staff development. “All of the jobs can be done from any of our facilities,” Polimeno said. “And we try to make it convenient for people to work where they live.” Pappalardo, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was traveling this week and could not be reached. He told the Boston Business Journal in 2006 that he preferred to expand in the Bay State, in part because he owes much of his “success and happiness” to the state. Meditech has two complexes in Westwood — including its headquarters — and facilities in Canton, Norwood and on the Framingham/Natick line. In Fall River, jobs are primarily focused on sales and marketing, customer service and product development. All Meditech employees join the company at entry level and are promoted from within. Starting pay typically ranges from the high $30,000 range to low $40,000 range. While the company has traditionally brought on 25 to 60 new employees per month, hiring has slowed to about 20 to 25 people per month, according to Andrea Sinopoli, Meditech’s manager of recruiting. Meditech, which is privately owned, has grown steadily. Revenue reached $376 million in 2007 and net income was roughly $88 million, according to the company. Meditech booked $304.5 million in revenue and $77.6 million in net income during fiscal 2005. Back