History

Attleboro Enterprises traces its roots to a sheltered workshop program initiated by the Attleboro Area Association for Retared Citizens in the latter half of the 1960’s. Known as “The Workshop”, the goal of this program was to provide work training and employment for adults with mental retardation. “The Workshops” trainees, who were paid on a piece rate system for their labor, completed jobs subcontracted from local companies. In the early 1970’s, the State of Massachusetts by court order began purchasing residential and day program services for the disabled from community provides as opposed to relying on institutional settings. This shift in rehabilitation philosophy led to “The Workshop” engaging in contracts for employment related services with the State. “The Workshop” emerged as a professional vocational rehabilitation facility.

The challenges created by operating a growing business in the mid-1970’s at times conflicted with the advocacy role of the Association. In order to address both concerns, the Association divested itself of “The Workshop” in 1978, and several parents of mentally retarded children along with a few local businessmen founded Attleboro Enterprises, Incorporated (AEI) in October of 1978. After an extensive fund raising campaign, the organization purchased property and built its current headquarters in North Attleboro, moving into the new premises in January of 1980.

Through the provision of high quality professional service and willingness to adapt to the needs of the disabled community, AEI has become an organization that provides programs serving over 200 individuals every day not only in the Greater Attleboro Area, but also throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.