Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • October 19, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com Accounting firm RSM sees new Hartford office as key to Northeast growth By Joe Cooper jcooper@hartfordbusiness.com I t's still too early to measure the outsized impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on downtown Hartford's office realty market. Many companies eyeing an expan- sion or relocation downtown have either delayed or altered those plans as the health crisis forces many com- panies to work from home, pushing the center-city's office vacancy rate to 20.4% at the end of the second quarter, according to CBRE. But not all companies are chang- ing course. Global accounting giant RSM US LLP says it's moving forward with redesign- ing its newly leased, 11,000-square-foot office at downtown's 30-story Goodwin Square tower ahead of its expected move-in date next May. It's not yet clear how much the renovation project will cost, but RSM says its 23rd-floor space on Asylum Street will be large enough to accom- modate at least 60 employees. RSM US LLP isn't new to Connecti- cut. The Chicago-based audit, tax and consulting firm already has about 337 employees located in New Haven, Stamford and Farmington offices. However, once the Hartford loca- tion opens, the firm will close its New Haven outpost and move those em- ployees to the Capital City in order to extend its customer base in the north- ern portion of the state and western Massachusetts, gain better access to Greater Hartford's diverse talent, and offer better amenities and meeting spaces for clients, the firm said. "It strategically aligns to our con- tinued growth in the middle market industry," said RSM Partner Susan A. Martinelli, who will lead the Hartford office. "The location in Hartford really helps to position us to better serve the entire state with our re- sources." RSM, she said, started touring Hartford offices long before the pan- demic hit Connecticut in March, and signed a lease for the Goodwin Square space in May, even as most of its em- ployees in the state were working from home. (Some workers have since been allowed back in the office on a limited basis.) Martinelli didn't name which buildings RSM had toured, but said the search process made it clear that landlords downtown have made significant upgrades in recent years to woo new office tenants. "In the end, Goodwin Square was the best fit for our needs as we con- tinue to grow," she said. In addition to its new office space, RSM is planning to bolster its Con- necticut ranks by hiring about 35 people this fall and another 40 this winter. Martinelli said the firm recruits candidates from colleges across the state, and has beefed up its workforce pipeline in recent years through summer internships in its Pathways Leadership Program. The annual internship program was held virtually this summer due to the pandemic, and connected 1,200 students from the U.S. and Canada to various training and net- working opportunities. Those opportunities will be cru- cial as RSM's recruitment brass will likely be competing with other ma- jor Hartford area accounting firms, including PwC, Marcum LLP, blum- shapiro, Deloitte and CohnReznik LLP, among others. "A lot of the time we have a pipeline of professionals who are interested in joining us," Martinelli said. "It seems that firms start earlier and earlier these days to expose their firms to different students as they progress through what they want to do in their career." RSM, which has about 43,000 employees in more than 800 offices globally, has had a large presence in Connecticut since the late 1980s. Its Connecticut practice alone serves more than 2,200 clients. Across the Northeast, RSM also has offices in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The firm has been collaborating with local designers in recent weeks on the preliminary design of its new Hart- ford office. Martinelli says the office will likely mirror RSM's other spaces, which have all created larger distances between workstations to keep employ- ees safe during the pandemic. "COVID has an impact on how we design the space, but overall I would say it's consistent with what our other spaces look like considering distance between work areas," she said. "We are excited to be a contributor to the Hartford community." THE REAL DEAL Susan A. Martinelli, Partner, RSM US LLP The longtime chief operating officer of one of the state's four licensed medical marijuana growers is now also its president. Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions Inc., which has been based in Portland but plans to soon relocate to a larger space in Rocky Hill and double its workforce, has named Rino Ferrarese both COO and president. The appointment of Ferrarese, who is a co-founder of the company, comes several months after the sudden death of former president and fellow co-founder Tom Schultz. Andre Swanston was appointed to the board of directors at Connecticut Innovations, Connecticut's quasi- public venture capital arm. Swanston is CEO and co-founder of Tru Optik, a data management platform and streaming media marketplace based in Stamford. Brandon Angotti was hired as assistant vice president, wealth management financial planning officer at Union Savings Bank, and will provide customers with financial planning, investment consulting and other services. Angotti previously worked as a fund accountant for Strategic Value Partners in Greenwich. Marie Robert has been appointed to the board of directors at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks. Robert is executive director of group strategy and development at East Hartford jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney. Steve Severino was hired as senior telecommunications specialist at Environmental Systems Corp., a West Hartford-based provider of building technology solutions. Severino previously worked as operations manager at Rocky Hill- based New England Communications. Kristin Giannini was promoted to medical director at Vernon Manor, a Vernon healthcare facility offering post-hospital rehabilitation and long-term care. Giannini previously served as Vernon Manor's assistant medical director. Kimberly Noto was promoted to chief marketing officer at Mohegan Sun, where she will oversee all marketing efforts. Noto previously served as Mohegan Sun's vice president of marketing, and has worked for the casino since 2007. Greater Hartford 2Q leasing deals of note One Digital Health & Benefits 195 Scott Swamp Road, Farmington 17,905 sq. ft. Jam Industries 310 West Newberry Rd., Bloomfield 5,570 sq. ft. Bohler Engineering 65 LaSalle Road, West Hartford 3,013 sq. ft. Solinsky Eye Care LLC 30 West Avon Rd., Avon 2,544 sq. ft. Source: CBRE Research, Q2 2020. Brandon Angotti Marie Robert Kristin Giannini MOVERS & SHAKERS

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