Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

28 Hartford Business Journal • October 28, 2019 • www.HartfordBusiness.com FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS 2019 1 ST PLACE — 76-plus full-time employees category CT Spring & Stamping Corp.'s family focus engenders employee loyalty By Matthew Broderick Special to the Hartford Business Journal W hen Larry Minor retired in Sept. 2017, he reached an employee- loyalty mile- stone few people achieve: 50 years of service to his employer. However, at Farmington-based Connecticut Spring & Stamping Corp. (CSS) — a family owned, advanced-manufacturing supplier for industry giants including Pfizer, Lockheed Martin and Gillette — Minor is hardly an outlier. In fact, since 2000, more than 12 employees have celebrated a half- century at CSS, which was founded by the Youmans family in 1939, employs more than 400 people cur- rently and generates $65 million in annual revenue. "The Youmans family cared deeply for their employees," Minor said. "And I felt that and gave 100 percent to the company." That sense of family is a big part of the culture at CSS, according to Steve Dicke, who was named the company's president last year. But family is more than a buzzword at CSS; it's fre- quently a reality. Dicke's father-in-law, Peter Youmans, is the com- pany's CEO, and wife, Veronica — a Youmans family mem- ber — works in marketing. Dicke's nephew Jake recently joined the company, whose family focus has helped build employee loyalty. "My father-in-law really set the standard," Dicke explained. "He's always had an open-door policy and employees could speak to him about business and personal issues, which made them feel like part of a family, not just a company." Even the company's internal newsletter is more about employee news than the company's. "We feature recipes, pictures of employees' pets, and [employee] events coming up," Dicke said. "It's more about personal things." It's an approach and a culture that's not only driven employee loyalty, but bottom-line results, too. During Dicke's nearly two decades with the company before ascending to his current role, CSS' revenue has more than tripled. Today, the com- pany, which employs 415 full-timers, works with more than 800 clients in 60 countries across a broad spec- trum of industries, including medi- cal surgical devices, defense and firearms, aerospace, automotive, drug delivery systems, consumer electronics and transportation. That diversification has helped the company weather downturns in par- ticular industries — Dicke notes, for instance, that growth in the gun in- dustry, which uses CSS-manufactured parts, has slowed during the Trump administration. The company's growth has also been fueled by consistent invest- ment, Dicke says, in new machin- ery, including a recent $1.7 million purchase of new equipment to expand manufac- turing capabili- ties and quality. While Dicke remains bull- ish about his company's future — CSS has strong growth plans in medical markets and is eyeing acquisi- tions to expand its capabilities — he said there are headwinds from dual challenges: finding the next gen- eration of advanced-manufacturing talent and navigating a competitive landscape from lower-tax states. He says the state has helped sub- sidize apprenticeships at CSS, but more is needed. "We are trying hard to find skilled or semi-skilled workers with technical skills or mechanical aptitude," Dicke explained, noting the company has offered bonuses to attract the right candidates. Connecticut Spring & Stamping has been fortunate, Dicke says, to have employees who have moved up within the company, but also brought rela- tives into the fold. It's not uncommon to find multiple generations of fami- lies working across various depart- ments at CSS, and many employees have met their spouse at the company. The company's employees-first philosophy around promotions has also helped it retain employees, Dicke says. Connecticut Spring & Stamping Corp. Headquarters: Farmington Industry: Manufacturing Year Founded: 1939 Founder: Bertram E. Youmans Generation Currently Running Company: 2nd No. of Full-Time Employees: 415 No. of Part-Time Employees: 10 Family Members Employed: Peter Youmans, CEO; Steve Dicke, President, Son-In-Law; Jake Youmans, Management Apprentice, Grandson; Veronica Dicke, Management Consultant, Daughter. Company Website: https://www.ctspring.com/ Steve Dicke is president of Connecticut Spring & Stamping Corp. (Right) A historic photo of Founder Bertram Youmans and current CEO Peter Youmans.

• Cover