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4 n e w h a v e n B I Z | A p r i l 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m Paul Lemmo is the president of Sikorsky Aircraft. NHB FILE PHOTO Lamont reaches $75M agreement to keep Sikorsky in CT; deal will need to clear state legislature e administration of Gov. Ned Lamont has put forward a ra of incentives worth up to $75 million in a bid to ensure that Sikorsky Aircra will continue to manufacture helicopters in Connecticut. State officials announced that Lamont and Sikorsky parent company Lockheed Martin had reached an agreement that would sustain over 7,000 jobs and keep the manufacturer's headquarters — currently in Stratford — in the state through at least 2042. Sikorsky is in the process of bidding for federal helicopter production contracts that will ultimately replace several existing helicopter programs, including Sikorsky's own Black Hawk. e agreement would provide up to $75 million in incentives depending on the level of work the company secures, A r o u n d t h e R e g i o n as long as production remains in Connecticut. e pact would need to be approved by the General Assembly before coming into effect. New Chase Bank retail branch opens in Madison JPMorgan Chase & Co. recently celebrated the opening of its first retail branch in Madison, located at 634 Boston Post Rd., part of its ongoing expansion plan. Chase has indicated it is bringing 12 new branches to Connecticut and hiring approximately 100 employees to support them, including bankers, branch managers, business bankers and financial advisors. JP Morgan Chase Bank bought the Madison property in the spring of 2021 for $3.1 million. e site had previously been home to a Guilford Savings Bank branch. PHOTO | COURTESY CHASE BANK Housatonic Community College manufacturing program gets $1M boost Bridgeport's Housatonic Community College (HCC) was awarded $1 million to support its Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center, the school recently announced. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes chose Housatonic's program from among 80 applicants to be funded in the omnibus appropriations bill, signed into law on March 15. e funds will pay for expanding the program. e college's Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center has prepared more than 400 students for jobs in Connecticut's manufacturing sector, which faces a dire labor shortage. Union Savings adds Zelle access to mobile banking app Danbury-based Union Savings Bank (USB) has added the Zelle digital payment system to its mobile app, the company announced. USB's 23,000 mobile customers can now use the digital network served by Zelle, which claims more than 150 million users at institutions of all sizes. Users of Zelle can instantly send money to other users with a few clicks. Wolcott, Cheshire brewery openings cheer battered beer industry In a sign there's still some fizz in the local cra beer industry, two New Haven area breweries celebrated openings recently and a third neared completion. In Wolcott, new brewery Velvet Libations celebrated its grand opening in March with green-clad beer drinkers fueling up in the taproom for St. Patrick's Day festivities. e Brewery Collective, a company with cra operations in Connecticut and Rhode Island, runs the new brewery. In Cheshire, Counter Weight Brewing Co. recently celebrated the grand opening of its new 20,000-square-foot facility, which includes a taproom and beer hall at 9 Diana Ct. in Cheshire. In New Haven, Armada Brewing is finishing up renovations to its new taproom and brewery at 190 River St., in the Fair Haven neighborhood, part of the former Bigelow Boiler factory complex. PHOTO | LIESE KLEIN Velvet Libations Taproom Manager Deb Stanclift pours a beer at the grand opening on March 17, 2022. Special tax district unlocks large, mixed-use development in Cheshire Headline-grabbing proposals for a mall and outlets on an undeveloped, 107-acre piece of Cheshire's north end came and went in recent decades. Recently, bulldozers, excavators and other equipment are pushing into the wooded area, preparing utilities that will unlock the land for a large development of housing, retail and commercial uses. e key to the project finally getting off the ground is a series of agreements by the town to repay the developers of "Stone Bridge Crossing" up to $7 million in costs for sewer, water and other infrastructure investment. e property owners – Tri-Star Development and Miller Napolitano Wolff – have an approved master plan allowing development in three phases, including up to 140 homes, 300 apartments or condos, a 5,500-square- foot gas station/convenience store, 90 age-restricted multifamily units, 19,500 square feet of medical offices, a 150-room hotel and three free-standing restaurants. PHOTO | MICHAEL PUFFER A bulldozer on the western edge of the Stone Bridge Crossing development site, just west of Route 10 and north of Interstate 691 in Cheshire. Edgewell's Schick rebrand shaves away the artifice Shelton-based Edgewell Personal Care unveiled a rebranding campaign for its Schick grooming products to focus on real people and individuality. e campaign's "Be You. No One Else Can" branding effort "celebrates men as they are and encourages them to embrace their individuality," the company said. With the rebrand, Schick gets a new logo, revamped website and new minimalist packaging. e rebrand was prompted by a survey that found 81% of men want brands to celebrate them for who they are instead of asking them to change, and 85% of men prefer to see everyday people in ads. Liberty Bank launches BankSmart affordable option Liberty Bank recently unveiled a new product called BankSmart, a deposit banking account featuring no overdra fees. According to the Middletown- based bank, its goal is to connect underbanked and unbanked consumers to affordable banking accounts to help them build savings. BankSmart includes free, 24-hour in-network ATM and online banking access; free monthly e-statements; a debit MasterCard enabling customers to spend and access their cash anytime; and a mobile banking app to send BRIEFS Cynthia Merkle MADISON GUILFORD CHESHIRE BETHANY WOODBRIDGE ORANGE MILFORD SHELTON DERBY ANSONIA OXFORD SEYMOUR HAMDEN NORTH HAVEN NEW HAVEN WEST HAVEN BRANFORD NORTH BRANFORD WALLINGFORD EAST HAVEN MADISON GUILFORD CHESHIRE BETHANY WOODBRIDGE ORANGE MILFORD SHELTON DERBY ANSONIA OXFORD SEYMOUR HAMDEN NORTH HAVEN NEW HAVEN WEST HAVEN BRANFORD NORTH BRANFORD WALLINGFORD EAST HAVEN Become a Sponsor in 2022 Matches • Match sponsors can choose one or more nonprofits • Matches drive donors to help nonprofits raise more $ and meet the match • Donors are grateful to match sponsors Prizes • Prize sponsors can choose a group of nonprofits by geography and/or cause • Prizes drive donors to help nonprofits raise more $ and win the prize amount • Donors are grateful to prize sponsors Interested? Contact Jackie at jdowning@cfgnh.org. Visit TheGreatGive.org for more informa on about the event. Show your commitment to our local community, enhance goodwill, grow your business… and have fun doing it! Last year The Great Give a racted over 15,000 donors and raised more than $3.3 million for hundreds of nonprofits serving Greater New Haven. Since The Great Give began in 2010, more than $17 million has been raised for 450+ nonprofits. The Community Founda on and its partner in philanthropy, the Valley Commu- nity Founda on, will once again contribute approximately $175,000 in matching gi s and prizes to encourage giving in 2022. You can join us by becoming a spon- sor ($1,000 min.) and increase visibility for your business. Sponsor a match or prize to help the nonprofits you choose leverage more donor dollars.

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