Hartford Business Journal

November 11, 2019

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www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 11, 2019 • Hartford Business Journal 23 MEMBER FDIC EQUAL HOUSING LENDER NMLS #459028 Business loans of all sizes. If your business has a capital need of almost any size, Liberty Bank is your local lender, with the rates and products to match. y Loans, lines of credit, owner-occupied and investment mortgages up to $50,000,000. y Customized loan structures to meet your business's needs. We also offer services to better manage and protect your deposits, including: y Remote Deposit Capture allowing you to make deposits from your office. y Fraud Protection services to keep your money safe. Start growing your business today. Contact Renee Cote at 860-344-7224. the state, they're clean, they're well organized … and they're just chock full of high-tech equipment." That's why messaging will play an important role, as the industry and state try to encourage more students to consider a manufacturing career. While leading Whitcraft, Cooper said he provided training to many employ- ees who came in with no post-second- ary education, so he can speak from experience about developing talent. Some of what the state needs to do in regards to job training is already being done, Cooper said, just on a smaller scale than what's needed. For example, apprenticeship programs have been successful; cities and towns are increasing technical high school resourc- es; and eight of Connecticut's 12 community col- leges now offer manufacturing programs. "We need to continue that outreach and education so that we con- tinue to have a flow of qualified candidates into those pro- grams," Cooper said. "Making sure that we have the re- sources behind [workforce-de- velopment pro- grams] and that they're coordi- nated so they compliment each other, is one of my main objectives." Selling CT Another hurdle the industry grapples with is struggling to sell Connecticut to out-of-state com- panies, Scott said. While he's seen a recent uptick in international interest in the state as a locus for manufacturing business, Scott said criticism painting Connecticut as anti-business has largely gone un- answered by the state and manu- facturing sector. "It's just as much our fault," Scott said. "We have not done a good enough job [promoting Connecticut]." Cooper said highlighting the state's assets will be a priority in his out-of-state recruitment ef- forts. The sales pitch will include: Connecticut's proximity to major markets, including Boston and New York; ready access to capital; and a state government making efforts to bolster the industry. "We need to get the word out about the strengths of Connecticut," he said. With his posi- tion helping es- tablish a line of communication between state government and manufacturers, Cooper said he thinks public/ private partner- ships will play a large role in revamping the industry. That's in keeping with the Lamont administration, which has tout- ed partnerships between private industry and government. And the way Cooper is ap- proaching the position, he'll be a nexus between government and a host of indus- try stakeholders, taking stock of what efforts are working, which ones are not and what programs should be expanded. "I think having somebody in this position can work as a clear- inghouse for all those different initiatives," Cooper said. "It's just a matter of knowing what's going on, having a full inventory of the differ- ent initiatives going on, and then putting our resources behind the ones that are most effective." BY THE NUMBERS Connecticut's manufacturing industry 4,011 The number of manufacturing companies in Connecticut. 160,900 The number of manufacturing employees in the state. $96,279 The average manufacturing wage in Connecticut. $1.48B The amount manufacturers spend annually in capital expenditures. $30.8B The amount manufacturing contributed to Connecticut's Gross State Product in 2018. Green Designs is pleased to offer its expert design team to assist you with your Holiday Décor. From small jobs to large, we have the experience to tailor a unique design that is customized to your business needs. We offer design, installation, removal and storage of trees, wreaths, swags, garlands, centerpieces and so much more! Please visit our website www.greendesignsct.com to view our work. P. O. Box 7192, Berlin, CT 06037 860.729.8276 Complimentary Holiday Design Consultation Green Designs LLC Green Designs LLC

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