Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1034678
F a l l 2 0 1 8 • S T U F F 4 1 S T U F F M a d e I n C T . c o m The founders chose to locate their company in Hartford because they all grew up in the area, but they quickly faced a number of challenges, Davis said, such as hefty taxes and rent. Additionally, they've found many Connecticut consumers are not as quick to spend money on premium work clothing as say, those in New York. Hartford Denim Co.'s aprons and restaurant products are selling particularly well, though, partly as a result of restaurant owners who are determined to source everything locally, from ingredients to the aprons their workers wear. "We're able to cater to their needs" with little local competition, Davis said, and Hartford Denim Co.'s small size is an ideal match for the many local restaurants placing only small orders. Given the significant costs associated with founding the company, Davis and his partners have needed to hold jobs in addition to the hours they put in each week at Hartford Denim Co. Getting the business off the ground has been pretty expensive, Davis said. "So the only way to do it is the long, slow, laborious way," he said. "We'd love to grow our business, but we don't want to grow to some crazy size where we will no longer be able to deliver quality." Putting an ancient method to work in modern times Everybody's gotta eat, but the path food takes before it reaches your plate can be circuitous, expensive and harmful to the environment. And in some instances, healthful food is simply hard to come by. At Trifecta Ecosystems in Meriden, vegetables grow via aquaponic methods on an indoor soil-less farm, and are sold directly to consumers. The company provides aquaponic and other urban farming technologies to clients who want to grow food for themselves. It all started when friends Spencer Curry, 29, co-founder and CEO of Trifecta Ecosystems, and Kieran Foran, 28, co-founder and CMO, vowed to improve their lousy eating habits, Curry said. After successfully growing food on a smaller scale, Curry Armada Brewing LOCATION: East Haven FOUNDED: 2017 FOUNDER: John Kraszewski, 31 MAKES: Craft beer LONG-TERM VISION: To create a destination brewery and have multiple locations. Luke Davis, co-founder, Hartford Denim Co.