Hartford Business Journal

Biz Briefs Tel: (860) 236-9998 | Fax: (860) 570-2493 Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Hartford Business Journal P.O Box 330 Congers, NY 10920-9894 Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Tom Curtin | President, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Subscriptions Annual subscriptions are $132.00. To subscribe, visit HartfordBusiness.com, email circulation@ hartfordbusiness.com, or call (845) 267-3008. Advertising For advertising information, please call (860) 236-9998. Please address all correspondence to: Hartford Business Journal, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103 Stay Connected For breaking and daily Greater Hartford business news go to: www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJ on Twitter: @HartfordBiz HBJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HartfordBiz HBJ on Linkedln:www.linkedin.com/company/the-Hart- ford-Business-Journal Daily e-newsletters: HBJ Today, CT Morning Blend: www.hartfordbusiness.com/enewsletters Hartford Business Journal (ISSN 1083-5245) is published bi-weekly, 27x per year — including two special issues in November and December — by New England Business Media, LLC, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and at additional entry points. Editorial Greg Bordonaro | Editor, ext. 139 gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com Drew Larson | Web Editor, ext. 121 alarson@hartfordbusiness.com Michael Puffer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Real Estate, Economic Development, Banking & Finance Hanna Snyder Gambini | Staff Writer hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com Beat: Economic Development Robert Storace | Staff Writer, ext. 127 rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Health Care, Higher Education, Arts & Culture Skyler Frazer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 sfrazer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Manufacturing, Cannabis, Technology, Transportation Stephanie R. Meagher | Lead Researcher Heide Martin | Research Assistant Steve Laschever | Photographer Business Tom Curtin | Publisher, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com David Hartley | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 130, dhartley@HartfordBusiness.com Daniel Schilke | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 135, dschilke@HartfordBusiness.com Emily Paskind | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 133, epaskind@hartfordbusiness.com Tracy Rodwill | Human Resources Manager trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com 2 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 9, 2023 CTPharma has room to grow ahead of state's recreational cannabis launch A s Connecticut prepares to begin adult-use recreational cannabis sales Jan. 10, marijuana growers in the state have been expand- ing production in an attempt to allay any supply concerns when the market launches. And some marijuana growers are keeping an eye on the market for additional expansion opportunities. CTPharma, one of the four active cannabis cultivators in the state, has two, 40,000-square-foot rooms within its Rocky Hill property for future expansion. If built across two floors, the company could add 160,000 square feet of grow space in those areas without having to relocate or do exterior add-ons. The company currently has about 110,000 square feet of can- nabis grow space, but the whole facility is 216,000 square feet. "There's a lot of room to expand out here," said Rino Ferrarese, CTPharma's executive vice president for the north region. A CTPharma employee inspects drying cannabis plants. PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Hartford Chowder Pot closing as site is eyed for cannabis business After almost 30 years in business, Chowder Pot of Hartford is closing in 2023, the restaurant announced. Officials from Chowder Pot of Hartford, the seafood restaurant located right off route 91 in the Capi- tal City, said it would be closing in the next several months. Restaurant officials said the age and size of the restaurant building have made it tough to maintain with limited staff. While the restaurant is closing, "pot" could remain at the location in another form. Insa, a Massachusetts-based cannabis company plans to build a large marijuana cultivation facil- ity and retail shop on the Brainard Road property. CT No. 28 in U-Haul's rankings of top destinations for moves The migration to the Southeast and Southwest parts of the United States continued during 2022, as Texas, Florida and the Carolinas saw the largest net gain in one-way U-Haul arrivals. The data is according to the annual U-Haul Growth Index, which was released Jan. 3, and measures the net gain in one-way U-Haul trips arriving in each state, versus those departing. Residents continued to leave the West Coast, Northeast and Mid- west, with California and Illinois seeing the greatest net losses, according to the report. Texas was the state that saw the fastest growth for the second consec- utive year. Florida ranked second. Connecticut ranked 28th in the country, dropping from its 18th place in 2021. Longtime head of Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board announces plans to step down Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board President and CEO Catherine Awwad – long a key player in Waterbury-area politics and economic develop- ment – recently announced plans to step down from the top role at the federally funded jobs training organization. Awwad joined the NRWIB in 2001, when it had a $3-mil- lion budget and provided jobs training and support services for 12 municipali- ties. Today, the organization has a $20-million budget and serves 41 cities and towns. Her notice of resignation letter left her exit open ended, in order to allow the agency flexibility in its search for new leadership. Awwad said she hopes to step down around the end of June. Awwad, 61, said she feels the time is right for her to step back and let someone else lead the agency. CT's real GDP rebounds in third quarter Real GDP in Connecticut in the third quarter of 2022 was 2.5% higher than the same period last year, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. That growth is slower than the national rate of 3.2%, but on par with New York, and ahead of Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire. The increase follows a steep decline during the second quar- ter, during which time the state's real GDP fell 4.7% – the second largest drop in the country. How- ever, the Nutmeg State saw 5.5% growth in the first three months of the year. Real GDP increased in 47 states in the third quarter, and ranged from 8.7% positive in Alaska to a drop of 0.7% in Mississippi, according to the BEA. Lamont names next cannabis Social Equity Council chair Deputy Commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Paul O. Robertson will be the new chair of the Social Equity Council (SEC), the governor announced. Gov. Ned Lam- ont said that he's appointed Robert- son to take over the post, which is being vacated by current Social Equity Council Chair Andrea Comer. Comer has taken on a new state government role as chief of staff for State Treasurer Erick Russell. Robertson has already been working with Comer and the SEC in recent months, Lamont's office said. The DECD is also involved in setting the groundwork for the adult-use cannabis market. In addition to Comer's depar- ture, Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle Seagull announced earlier this year that she'll be leaving the agency in the first quarter of 2023. Catherine Awwad Paul O. Robertson

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