by Stephen Faleski
Staff Writer

FRANKLIN
The Franklin Business Center, formerly known as the Franklin Business Incubator, christened its rebranded identity and recently renovated building with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

According to Business Development Manager Mallory Taylor, the name change and rebranding came about at the request of various clients.

“People didn’t really understand the word ‘incubator’ as it related to us,” Taylor said. “They didn’t know if we were raising chickens or what. What we are is a business incubator to help new businesses have an affordable place to get started.”

The building now features multiple conference rooms on the first and fourth floors, and numerous office spaces, the smallest of which gives startups 150 sq. ft. and can be rented for $82 per month.

“We currently have a home health agency, a research and development company, an IT service, an engineering firm and several others,” Taylor said. “Clients typically stay five to seven years. If they’ve tested the market and found that Franklin isn’t the place for them but Suffolk is, we’ll help them move too.”

The building itself is a historic structure built in 1907, and was first used to manufacture horse and buggy carriages, one of which now hangs from the rafters of the lobby.