Lawrence company receives $1.1 million advance manufacturing grant

Mar. 10—LAWRENCE — Just nine years ago Brenna Schneider started her company 99Degrees Custom with just two sewing machines.

Today, the performance activewear and wearable tech manufacturing company straddles 90,000-square-feet at Sal's Riverwalk and boasts 375 employees and counting.

Lt. Gov Karyn Polito noted by year's end 99Degrees hopes to employ 500 people at 360 Merrimack St.

"In this new, old space," said Polito during a ceremony at 99Degrees — a company located in what was a textile mill during the industrial revolution.

Polito, along with Mike Kenneally, Housing and Economic Development secretary, came to the city Tuesday to announce 99Degrees received a $1.1 million grant from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative also known as M2I2.

"Since its launch in 2016, M2I2 has impacted over 150 companies across the state and created hundreds of jobs at manufacturers like these," said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

For grantees such as 99Degrees, "the addition of new tools will help them grow their businesses, add jobs, and bring new products to market, further boosting our economy and growing our manufacturing sector," Polito said.

The M2I2 program, co-managed by the Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) at the MassTech Collaborative and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, aims to foster and grow sectors such as this to spur innovation and job growth within the state.

To date, the program has invested over $80 million in direct grants to growing companies, universities, and research labs across the state, officials said.

Salvatore Lupoli, owner and developer of Sal's Riverwalk, state Rep. Marcos Devers (D-Lawrence) and George Ramirez, executive director of The Lawrence Partnership, were among those who attended the grant award ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

According to grant award information, 99Degrees "incubates, designs for manufacture, and produces technical performance activewear and wearable technology-integrated apparel for medical device, technology, and apparel retail companies."

Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.