Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1511885
3 0 C T I N N O V A T O R S , 2 0 2 3 Nogelo also points to the emphasis Murphy and Electric Boat have placed on diversity in hiring. Women with interest in technical fields have new access to jobs and to advancement into supervisory roles, he said. In that presentation to the CBIA last year, Graney, the Electric Boat CEO, made much the same point, saying minority hiring has increased 11%, and women hold 16% of the senior-level jobs. Regional impacts e combination of infrastructure work, hiring, increased work for suppliers and at Electric Boat's own facilities are sending a ripple through the region's economy. Tony Sheridan, who leads the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, sees the "dramatic impact" wherever he looks. He points to the construction of apartments and condos going on across the ames River valley. And the explosion of interest in opening small businesses. In October, the chamber opened an innovation center — part incubator, part coworking space — in New London to help. ere's also the arrival of Genesys Diagnostics, a blood-testing firm that's taken over two buildings in New London. Sheridan welcomes the 50 or so new jobs and acknowledges the business acumen of betting on an uptick in employee drug testing in a high-security field. e influx of young, educated, well-paid professionals spell an economic boom for the area, he notes. But Sheridan also sees the potential challenges of another decade of accelerated growth. Parking has already become a problem in the region's commercial areas. And the school districts are deep in discussions of how they'll handle the expected influx of school-age children. He'd like to share the wealth a bit, pushing some of the growth toward New Haven and Hartford. But the key to that is improved transportation, including regional train service. Talks are underway, he said, but it's a solution that may not arrive until aer the hiring wave has crested. ose are issues for tomorrow. Today, the future looks bright for chamber members. And the economic ripples will be felt across the state. "We will be hiring around that rate for the next several years, and once we get to the peak demand, replacing for attrition will likely keep us hiring over 2,000 people each year." – Courtney Murphy Continued from previous page I Growing up in East Lyme, Courtney Murphy was acutely aware of Electric Boat. Both her grandfathers had worked there. Her parents met while working there.