Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1299448
www.HartfordBusiness.com • October 19, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 3 Up Front CT waste hauler pays $1.9M for LEGO's former Enfield HQ By Matt Pilon mpilon@hartfordbusiness.com I t's always tough for a munici- pality when a major employer downsizes or leaves town entirely, something Enfield has experienced a few times in recent years. The northern Hartford County community has seen LEGO, once the town's largest employer, cut hundreds of jobs from its North American head- quarters since 2007; and Hallmark in 2015 closed its local warehouse, shedding about 570 jobs. Meanwhile, MassMutual's relocation to Massachu- setts, spurred by Bay State economic incentives, is nearly complete, reduc- ing Enfield's job count by about 1,500. However, even during an era in which suburban corporate campuses have lost their former luster, certain challenges simply solve themselves. Enfield officials had been worried about what might become of LEGO's 105,000-square-foot office complex at 555 Taylor Rd., but were relieved this month to learn that it had found a buyer. USA Hauling & Recycling, whose trucks and crews pick up waste from across Connecticut as well as in west- ern Massachusetts, paid $1.85 million for the property on Oct. 2, according to the Enfield assessor's office. The seller was Winstanley Enter- prises, a major commercial landlord in Connecticut that bought the LEGO complex in 2017 for $13.1 mil- lion, town records show. Frank Antonacci, USA Hauling's chief operating officer, said the fam- ily-owned business has grown since it first set up its existing Enfield headquarters in an approximately 15,000-square-foot facility on Mullen Road around the turn of the century. "We've out- grown our office space in Enfield," Antonacci said. "So, we've had to set up satellite offices through- out our foot- print." With the purchase of the much larger LEGO property, USA Hauling in- tends to consolidate approximately six satellite locations — including its existing Enfield office — mov- ing customer service, engineering, finance, collections and accounting staffers to Taylor Road. Antonacci expects USA Hauling to nearly double its approximately 75-employee workforce in the com- ing years, as it has continued to grow its customer base. Continued on page 4 >> TOWN PROFILE: ENFIELD What Can We Do For You? 860.871.1111 www.nemsi.com 55 Gerber Road East, South Windsor, CT 06074 For over 50 years, clients have counted on NEMSI for: HVAC, Plumbing and Process Piping | Electrical Services Energy Management Systems | LEED Certification Programs Design-Build Construction | 24/7/365 Emergency Response Comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Programs NEMS's Recent Awards Include: » ABC Platinum Safety Award » ABC Accredited Quality Contractor (ABC-AQC) » ABC Excellence in Construction Award » ABC Specialty Contractor of the Year » Contracting Business First Place Design/Build Award License #s: E1-0125666 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 Offices in: New London | Trumbull | Pawtucket, RI Palmer, MA | Manchester, NH | Albany, NY So You Can Focus On Your Business We focus on your facilities ES_NEMSI HBJ Hlf pg_200106.indd 1 ES_NEMSI HBJ Hlf pg_200106.indd 1 1/16/20 12:53 PM 1/16/20 12:53 PM Lego's former headquarters in Enfield is set for a new life as the home office of USA Hauling & Recycling, which hopes to also establish the campus as a destination for industry events and continuing education. HBJ PHOTO | MATT PILON Frank Antonacci, Chief Operating Officer, USA Hauling