Hartford Business Journal

18 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 12, 2023 FullStack Modular President Roger Krulak poses at the Port of New Haven, which he said was a key driver in the modular building manufacturer's decision to relocate from New York to Hamden. PHOTO | ROBIN BUCKLEY/RIVERSTONE IMAGES STUDIO Sea Change As New Haven's port grows, it's drawing new companies to the region By Liese Klein I nstead of hosting the media at his new Hamden headquarters, FullStack Modular President Roger Krulak chose another location for a big announcement in April — the Port of New Haven. There, he publicly revealed that he would be moving his company and more than 100 jobs from New York City to Connecticut. With massive bulk cargo ships looming in the background, Krulak and a bevy of state and local officials gath- ered at the port's Gateway Terminal to discuss the motivation and economic impact of FullStack's relocation. The company builds modular components for housing with an eye toward sustainability and efficiency, and requires dependable trans- port for both its raw materials and finished products. "We're super excited about the partnership with Gateway Terminal and the logistics side of our busi- ness," Krulak said. He added that the company had looked at ports up and down the East Coast and chose New Haven for its central location and respon- sive management. "This port is a huge deal for transporting materials and finished products to places all over the United States," Krulak said. "It's such an integral part of moving large pieces of a building, … and so we're super excited that I don't have to worry about it anymore." Gov. Ned Lamont praised the efforts of the port operators in helping FullStack make its decision to move to Hamden, noting the company depends on logistics and "requires easy access in and out for the supply chain." "Gateway made such an enormous difference putting that relationship together," Lamont said. The news event's location at Gateway Terminal reflects the growing importance of the Port of New Haven in the region's economic outlook — and its impact on drawing new companies to the state. Already New England's second- largest commercial port by tonnage, New Haven is expected to grow in importance in tandem with increased manufacturing and construction activity in the region. Ports like New Haven, which handle bulk cargo, have also bene- fited from the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a shift away from the container transport of goods because of the supply-chain crisis, according to the American Journal of Transportation. Breakbulk — or bulk cargo shipped in discrete units like bags or barrels without use of containers — recorded double- and triple-digit growth in volume at ports across the nation in 2022, including at East Coast commercial ports like New Haven, the journal said. The recent growth in demand for timber and breakbulk cargo may offset the drop in shipments of fuel oil and other petroleum products due to recent warm winters as the port tallies its tonnage, said Sally Kruse, executive director of the New Haven Port Authority. TONNAGE PROCESSED AT NEW HAVEN PORT YEAR U.S. RANK TOTAL 2020 58 8,110,776 2019 52 9,308,688 2018 55 8,838,236 2017 53 8,868,274 2016 53 9,780,119 2015 52 10,020,160 2014 60 8,710,812 2013 52 10,020,160 2012 58 7,807,423 Source: Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center Sally Kruse

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