Hartford Business Journal

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. HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 20, 2023 3 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 Matthew Anzolletti | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 136 manzolletti@Hartfordbusiness.com Tracy Rodwill | Human Resources Manager trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com Walgreens-backed physician group buys Starling Physicians O ne of central Connecticut's largest physician groups has been acquired by a company backed by pharmacy giant Walgreens. VillageMD announced it has acquired Rocky Hill-based Starling Physicians, which offers primary, specialty and urgent care services across 30 Greater Hartford locations. Its service areas include cardiology, ophthalmology, endocrinology, nephrology and geriatric care. Terms of the deal, which closed March 1, weren't disclosed. VillageMD employs 20,000 people nationwide at 680 practice locations in 26 markets. The deal represents VillageMD's first Connecticut presence. CT added 8,700 jobs in Jan.; unemployment rate drops to 3.9% Connecticut's labor market had a strong month in January, posting 8,700 new jobs, which shrunk the unemployment rate to 3.9%, according to the Connecticut Depart- ment of Labor. The DOL also announced that Connecticut added 35,300 jobs in 2022. Overall, the state has now recov- ered 94.6% (273,400) of the 289,100 jobs lost during the 2020 COVID lockdowns, DOL officials said. The state's unemployment rate is down from 4.8% a year ago. However, the labor pool has shrunk by 25,000 workers compared to before the pandemic. Connecticut businesses have roughly 100,000 job vacancies. CT's adult-use cannabis sales topped $7M in February The state's adult-use recreational marijuana market saw more than $7 million in sales in February, the first full month of operations. The state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced that Connecticut's adult-use cannabis market has generated $12.12 million overall since it debuted Jan. 10. In February, adult-use customers purchased 168,565 products at an average price of $41.82, DCP data shows. Meanwhile, medical cannabis sales continue to outpace the adult-use recreational market. The medical market recorded $11.4 million in marijuana sales in February after $8.2 million from Jan. 10 to the end of the month. CBIA opposes bills expanding sick leave requirements for employers The Connecticut Business & Industry Association is opposing proposed bills that would expand paid sick leave benefits to employees, saying they would create a new burden for small busi- nesses, which are already strug- gling amid the threat of a recession. State lawmakers are considering two bills — SB 1178 and HB 6668 — that would increase the amount of sick time employees are entitled to receive. HB 6668 requires employers with 11 or more employees to provide up to 40 hours of annual paid sick leave. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees must provide up to 40 hours of unpaid leave each year. SB 1178 requires all employers to double the annual leave allot- ment from 40 hours to 80 hours. Both bills would apply to all private sector employers. Hartford HealthCare pays $14.25M for Farmington office building Hartford HealthCare has paid $14.25 million for a roughly 133,500-square-foot Farmington office building. The growing health system bought 9 Farm Springs Road where it plans to consolidate several other office locations and reduce its overall footprint by 60%, it said. "Hartford HealthCare is constantly evaluating its real estate strategy. As part of that ongoing process, Hartford HealthCare has worked to bring together many different offices and leases into strategically located system support offices across the state," HHC said in a statement. "Moving different offices to one location at 9 Farm Springs creates a more engaging work environ- ment, lowers operating and utility costs and generates millions in savings in overhead, while freeing up important clinical space for patients." HHC bought the property from Milton 9 Farm Springs LLC. The seller is based in White Plains, New York, although its principal, Michael Shabsels, lists a Long Island address. The three-story, concrete building at 9 Farm Springs Road was built in 1980 and sits on 13.3 acres. M&T Bank opens two new branches in CT M&T Bank has opened new branches in Waterford and Newington, the company announced. The branches are in previously empty storefronts at 1095 Main St. in Newington and 124 Boston Post Road in Waterford. Each branch will have at least six employees, M&T said. M&T Bank, headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., acquired Bridge- port-based People's United Bank in April 2022. Law firm Robinson+Cole formally establishes gov't relations subsidiary Hartford-based law firm Robin- son+Cole has launched a new subsidiary to formalize its govern- ment relations group. The CT Government Relations Group of Robinson+Cole LLC will continue to be led by lobby- ists Susan Halpin and Brooks Campion, who are co-principals of the new subsidiary. Halpin has responsibility for health care and insurance issues. Campion's specialties include energy, telecommunications, taxation, economic development, environmental permitting and employment issues. Starling Physicians' New Britain campus on Kensington Avenue. PHOTO | COSTAR 9 Farm Springs Road, Farmington. PHOTO | COSTAR Susan Halpin and Brooks Campion. Biz Briefs

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