Hartford Business Journal

HartfordBusiness.com | January 11, 2021 | Hartford Business Journal 17 www.borghesibuilding.com Wittmann Battenfeld, Torrington, CT Napoli Retail, Southington, CT Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT Since 1942, The Single Source Construction Firm Since 1942, our goal has been simple: To provide our clients with complete design, planning and construction services for commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Based on years of experience, we're price competitive and offer high quality. When the strictest attention to detail is critical to your success, you can always count on Borghesi to deliver. From concept to occupancy, Borghesi is your single source. AKDO, Bridgeport, CT Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … www.borghesibuilding.com Wittmann Battenfeld, Torrington, CT Napoli Retail, Southington, CT Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT Since 1942, The Single Source Construction Firm Since 1942, our goal has been simple: To provide our clients with complete design, planning and construction services for commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Based on years of experience, we're price competitive and offer high quality. When the strictest attention to detail is critical to your success, you can always count on Borghesi to deliver. From concept to occupancy, Borghesi is your single source. Contact us at 860-482-7613 or visit us on the web. AKDO, Bridgeport, CT Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … www.borghesibuilding.com Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT 1942, The Single Source Construction Firm Since 1942, our goal has been simple: To provide our clients with complete design, planning and construction services for commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Based on years of experience, we're price competitive and offer high quality. When the strictest attention to detail is critical to your success, you can always count on Borghesi to deliver. From concept to occupancy, Borghesi is your single source. Contact us at 860-482-7613 or visit us on the web. Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … www.borghesibuilding.com © 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. 2155 East Main Street • Torrington, Connecticut 06790 Wittmann Battenfeld, Torrington, CT Napoli Retail, Southington, CT Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT Since 1942, The Single Source Construction Firm Since 1942, our goal has been simple: To provide our clients with complete design, planning and construction services for commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Based on years of experience, we're price competitive and offer high quality. When the strictest attention to detail is critical to your success, you can always count on Borghesi to deliver. From concept to occupancy, Borghesi is your single source. Contact us at 860-482-7613 or visit us on the web. AKDO, Bridgeport, CT Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … www.borghesibuilding.com © 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. 2155 East Main Street • Torrington, Connecticut 06790 Wittmann Battenfeld, Torrington, CT Napoli Retail, Southington, CT Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT Since 1942, The Single Source Construction Firm Since 1942, our goal has been simple: To provide our clients with complete design, planning and construction services for commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Based on years of experience, we're price competitive and offer high quality. When the strictest attention to detail is critical to your success, you can always count on Borghesi to deliver. From concept to occupancy, Borghesi is your single source. Contact us at 860-482-7613 or visit us on the web. AKDO, Bridgeport, CT Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … Wittmann Battenfeld, Torrington, CT Napoli Retail, Southington, CT Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT Since 1942, our goal simple: To provide our complete design, planning construction services industrial and retail on years of experience, competitive and offer When the strictest attention is critical to your success, always count on Borghesi From concept to occupancy, is your single source. AKDO, Bridgeport, CT Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … Wittmann Battenfeld, Torrington, CT Napoli Retail, Southington, CT Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT Since 1942, The Single Source Construction Firm Since 1942, our goal has been simple: To provide our clients with complete design, planning and construction services for commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Based on years of experience, we're price competitive and offer high quality. When the strictest attention to detail is critical to your success, you can always count on Borghesi to deliver. From concept to occupancy, Borghesi is your single source. AKDO, Bridgeport, CT Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … Wittmann Battenfeld, Torrington, CT Napoli Retail, Southington, CT Nufern, East Granby, CT Windsor Marketing Group (WMG), Suffield, CT The Belknap White Group, Hartford, CT Since 1942, The Single Source Construction Firm Since 1942, our goal has been simple: To provide our clients with complete design, planning and construction services for commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Based on years of experience, we're price competitive and offer high quality. When the strictest attention to detail is critical to your success, you can always count on Borghesi to deliver. From concept to occupancy, Borghesi is your single source. AKDO, Bridgeport, CT Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT Building Ideas That Work … policies, or only caring about businesses. He rejects that notion, insisting that CBIA cares about economic growth, which he says can improve life for the broader population, no matter their political leanings. "We care about the business community because it affects every man, woman and child in Connecticut," he said. CBIA has been highlighting positive contributions that businesses make to their communities in its recently launched "Rebuilding Connecticut" marketing campaign. DiPentima points to the recent migration of New York City residents to Connecticut amid the pandemic as evidence that economic growth is the answer to the state's long- running fiscal woes. Those new residents were part of the reason Connecticut's tax revenues held up better than expected over the summer and fall. "It shows you what happens when you have a larger tax base," he said. "The pie grows bigger." There are political realities at play too. Democrats further increased their majorities in both legislative chambers last November, which increases CBIA's urgency to shift perceptions about its identity. CBIA recently beefed up its in- house lobbying team, which could help with those efforts, especially because several new hires have ties to Democrats, including Wyatt Bosworth, a former staff assistant to House Majority Leader Matt Ritter (D-Hartford). DiPentima is a registered Republican, but he said he wants a team with diverse opinions surrounding him. "I don't want a bunch of Chris DiPentima's running around here," he said. "I want different thinkers who bring other perspectives." DiPentima wants to find more common ground at the Capitol in order to produce better outcomes for his membership. To that end, CBIA nixed its legislative election endorsements last year, choosing instead to highlight which candidates had signed its new policy pledge. CBIA also invited House Speaker Ritter and incoming House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) to its December virtual board meeting. Both lawmakers spoke to the board and members, which DiPentima took as a positive sign. He's also pleased that Ritter has announced a number of moderate Democrats as committee co-chairs. "We're trying to hit singles and doubles," DiPentima said. "There's no home-run solution, no silver bullet, if you will. We just want some moderate policies to move the state forward." Narrowing it down CBIA has a diverse membership, with companies ranging from manufacturers and financial services firms to bioscience and healthcare organizations. That's tended to lead to a broad policy agenda, but this year DiPentima has narrowed CBIA's wish list to five categories: Return on investment for taxpayers, small business relief, workforce development, urban renewal and infrastructure investment. Those policy categories are included in CBIA's policy pledge, which had been signed by nearly 60 elected lawmakers as of press time. "For CBIA, that's a tone change," DiPentima said of the narrowed agenda. "We're trying to tell the legislature 'let's focus on these [issues].' " "We don't want to get noisy and lost in the shuffle," he added. DiPentima has also been working to build closer ties with other interest groups, including the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, education groups, and even some housing associations with which CBIA can find common cause on zoning changes and other reforms to spur urban renewal and attract more young residents to the state's workforce. CBIA also doesn't want to be known as a naysayer so it will offer alternative policy ideas to any legislative proposals it opposes. For example, CBIA will oppose efforts to create a public health insurance option for private workers, but instead might recommend a reinsurance program that would use federal and state dollars to lower premiums, among other potential alternatives, DiPentima said. CBIA is also picking its spots in other ways this year. For example, employee payroll deductions for the state's fledgling paid family and medical leave program just took effect, in preparation for benefits to roll out in 2022, while the minimum wage will jump from $12 to $13 an hour this August. CBIA unsuccessfully fought against both policies, and though DiPentima believes they will be unhelpful to employers, he said CBIA isn't going to spend time trying to repeal them. "We have called for delays and it doesn't look like that will happen," he said. "Again, these are some of our tone changes. These things have already passed and they're behind us." Chris DiPentima CEO Connecticut Business & Industry Association

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