Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1046888
www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 5, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 5 early as Dec. 26. The operations at 367 Ellington Road will be permanently closed by Dec. 31, the company said in a WARN notice led with the Labor Department. The distributor did not explain the reason for the closure and could not be reached for comment. Builders First Source will lay off several drivers, sales representatives, assemblers and drywall carriers, the ling says. Law fi rm Akin Gump opens in Hartford Renowned New York law rm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has opened its rst Connecticut of ce in downtown Hartford to house its reassembled global debt- nance practice. Ranked by the National Law Journal among the nation's top law rms with a staff of 858, 21 of ces and more than $1 billion in annual revenue, Akin Gump's four Hartford attorneys are housed in Regus' temporary of ce space on the 14th oor of 100 Pearl St. while it searches for about 5,000 square feet of permanent of ce space downtown, a spokesman said. Attorney Renée M. Dailey, who has UConn undergraduate and law degrees, is partner in charge of the new of ce. Joining Dailey are attorneys Thomas F. O'Connor, Christopher E. Lawrence and Chip Fisher. CT marks fi fth decrease in workers comp rates Workers compensation insurance rates will drop nearly 17 percent effective Jan. 1, the Connecticut Insurance Department announced. It's the fth consecutive annual decline in rates, CID said. "The rates re ect an ongoing decrease in the number of workplace injuries and claims led," Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade said in a statement. "We are also seeing, on average, lower medical costs per claim." CID approved the annual rate ling Oct. 29 from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, which tracks workers compensation data and markets. The 2019 decrease follows a 14 percent decrease that took effect at the beginning of this year. Overall, CID said rates have dropped by nearly half in the past ve years. New restaurants eye downtown Hartford Two new restaurants are prepping for a downtown Hartford debut, while a third could be in the works. Wethers eld's El Pollo Guapo restaurant says it leased 2,600 square feet in the city's Front Street entertainment district in space formerly occupied by Qdoba Mexican Grill and Italian eatery Fornarelli's Ristorante & Bar recently announced it closed its New Haven location and will open a "bigger" space in downtown Hartford on Asylum Street. Meantime, Front Street's leasing map shows another New Haven eatery could also be headed to Hartford: seafood restaurant Boiling SOHO. The map shows the restaurant occupying 3,650 square feet in currently vacant space on Prospect Street abutting Barnes & Noble. Travelers, CT tech company test safety benefi ts of wearable devices Property and casualty insurer The Travelers Cos. says it's teaming with a Norwalk technology rm and a Providence building contractor to explore the safety bene ts of wearable devices. Travelers announced it will collaborate with Triax Technologies and Gilbane Building Co. to test contractor- worn devices that aim to provide faster response times to possible injuries. More than 130 workers will be out tted with Triax's clip-on sensors that automatically track worker falls and allow workers to report hazards or incidents, among other uses. Contractors will wear the "Spot-r Clip" devices while working on a six- story, 60,000-square-foot New York City jobsite over the next 20 months. The project will generate data that Travelers said it will use to try to better understand the risks, considerations and safety bene ts of wearable technology. New Country BMW opens expanded $6.5M Hartford showroom New Country Motor Cars Inc. has unveiled a new $6.5 million sales and service center at its North Meadows BMW Center showroom in Hartford. New Country, one of the country's largest domestic-import auto retailers, said it revealed the 39,000-square-foot space to more than 300 guests at its Oct. 24 grand opening. The Hartford dealership at 1 Weston Park Road now has three additional service lanes and features the new 2019 BMW models including BMW X5 and BMW i8 Roadster. New Country operates dealerships in its home state of New York, seven in Connecticut, and others in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. Renée M. Dailey, Partner, Akin Gump PDS has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965. Our dedicated team of design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future customers on their most demanding projects. Siracusa Moving & Storage | New Britain, CT PDS Engineering & Construction served as Design Builder for the construction of a new moving and storage facility. Construction included sitework, concrete, millwork, rough carpentry, insulation, roofi ng, steel erection, HVAC and MEP work. Project Features: • 40' eve height for storage purposes • Front offi ces • Several overhead bays Total Project Size: 60,000 SF 107 Old Windsor Road, Bloomfi eld, CT 06002 (860) 242-8586 | Fax (860) 242-8587 www.pdsec.com DESIGN BUILDERS • GENERAL CONTRACTORS • CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS SPOTLIGHT ON: C PDS ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, INC. THINK • PLAN • BUILD