Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • April 6, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 5 LATEST HEADLINES Bristol Health's Barwis is first CT hospital CEO to test positive for coronavirus Bristol Hospital CEO Kurt Barwis has tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, making him the first hospital chief executive in Connecticut known to have the virus. Bristol Health announced the test results to employees March 31. Barwis has been working remotely since March 27, after coming down with cold-like symptoms. He doesn't know how he contracted the virus. UTC-Raytheon complete $180B mega-merger United Technologies Corp. has completed its planned $180-billion mega-merger with Massachusetts defense giant Raytheon. UTC and Raytheon recently received all federal regulatory approvals to close the deal, which it did prior to the start of trading on the New York Stock Exchange April 3. The deal was completed as UTC subsidiaries Otis Elevator, of Farmington, and Carrier Corp., of Florida, also begin to operate as two independent companies. The combined company will be known as Raytheon Technologies Corp., headquartered in Waltham, Mass., and it will trade under the "RTX" stock ticker. YMCA of Greater Hartford furloughs 952 employees due to COVID-19 crisis The YMCA of Greater Hartford, headquartered in downtown Hartford, has placed 952 of its part-time employees on furlough as nearly all its locations have closed across the region because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Based at 50 State House Square, YMCA informed the state Department of Labor that it expects the furloughs to be temporary, and does not anticipate they will last longer than six months. Travelers makes largest- ever crisis donation to COVID-19 relief Property-casualty insurer Travelers Cos., which has a major presence in downtown Hartford, announced it's pledged $5 million to COVID-19 coronavirus relief efforts. That represents Travelers' largest- ever charitable donation to a crisis, and the money will support families and communities impacted by the global pandemic in North America, the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. East Hartford co. begins making face shields for medical use An East Hartford packaging company is answering the increasingly urgent call for face masks as supplies of personal protection equipment at area hospitals dwindle due to the coronavirus outbreak. Officials at Ardent Display Group say they hope to be producing daily up to 32,000 disposable plastic face shields. About 10,000 will be donated to local hospitals where the need is greatest, and the rest will be sold at a cost for as long as the company is able to continue making them, or until the COVID-19 crisis ends. By Zachary F. Vasile | Journal Inquirer Horizon Group acquires Glastonbury marketing firm Cronin Southport marketing agency Horizon Group of North America says it's acquired Glastonbury digital- marketing firm Cronin and its visual content production company, Off Leash Studios. The three firms have combined to create a new organization called Cronin Group Holdings, but each will continue operating under their current names. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cronin principals Kimberly Manning and Steven Wolfberg will continue in their roles as CEO and chief creative and growth officer, respectively. Cronin's headquarters will remain in Glastonbury. SINGLE SOURCE DESIGN/BUILD EFFICIENT. QUALITY. COST-EFFECIVE. The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over 50 years, our clients have trusted us to provide sustainable, more efficient, greener facilities. Experts in: Design/Build, Pre-Construction Service LEED Capabilities 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com MECHANICAL | ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | SHEET METAL | BUILDING AUTOMATION | FACILITIES SERVICES License #'s: E1-0125666 S1-302974 P1-203519 F1-10498 SM1-192 MC-1134 NEMSI HBJ_QtrPg Ads_200117.indd 2 1/17/20 1:31 PM perceives broader worries for the coronavirus and local development across the state. "I'm very hopeful that towns and cities will take into consideration their inspectors and people issuing permits and ap- provals and not completely shut down," Wood said. If builders want to build during the crisis, especially outdoors, they should be allowed to, assuming everyone keeps a safe distance from each other and adheres to disease-safety protocols, Wood said. If a recession is indeed coming or here, as many now predict, it will be that much harder to recover if new construction revenue and the jobs associated with the projects are lost. "If projects are in the pipeline and we delay, it just means those tax dol- lars aren't coming in," Wood said. The coronavirus is striking Con- necticut at a time when the building season traditionally gathers steam. Depending on how long the outbreak lasts, Wood worries about a lost year. She's seen a mix of reactions so far among her commercial retail clientele. "We are still talking about new deals, we are still moving negotia- tions forward," she said. However, for some, particularly smaller businesses, she has seen un- certainty over continuing to pursue planned investments. For projects in the letter-of-intent or leasing phases, investors and de- velopers are wondering whether they can get permits in a timely fashion. Others who have had to shut down businesses are worried whether they can still afford a new project. "I have seen some signs of nervous- ness or pullback," she said. State Rep. Kerry Wood (D-Rocky Hill) Continued on page 6 >> Kurt Barwis, CEO, Bristol Hospital PHOTO | HBJ FILE Pictured (left to right) are: Steve Wolfberg, chief creative and growth officer; Mark Demuro, chairman; Kim Manning, CEO. PHOTO | HBJ FILE

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