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2 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 24, 2025 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 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. 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Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Tom Curtin | President, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Editorial Greg Bordonaro | Editor, ext. 139 gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com Drew Larson | Web Editor, ext. 121 alarson@hartfordbusiness.com Beat: Energy Michael Puffer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Real Estate, Economic Development, Banking & Finance David Krechevsky | Staff Writer, ext. 702 davidk@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Health Care, Bioscience Harriet Jones | Staff Writer, ext. 145 hjones@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Manufacturing, Cannabis, Professional Services Michael Juliano | Staff Writer mjuliano@hartfordbusiness.com Beat: Fairfield County Stephanie R. Meagher | Research Director Heide Martin | Research Assistant Steve Laschever | Photographer Business Tom Curtin | Publisher, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Jessica M. Quinn | Associate Publisher, ext. 137 jquinn@hartfordbusiness.com Emily Paskind | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 133, epaskind@hartfordbusiness.com Dean Zappalorti | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 101, deanz@hartfordbusiness.com Sadie Bride | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 141, sbride@hartfordbusiness.com Tracy Rodwill | Human Resources Manager trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Brian Durand, Michael Mandell and Duby McDowell. Well-known public affairs, communications firms to merge, establish Hartford HQ Two well-known commu- nications and public affairs firms announced they are merging and will make Hartford their headquarters. Intersect Public Solutions and McDowell Communications Group are combining and will operate as Intersect Public Solutions. The firm will have seven employees and establish its head- quarters in downtown Hartford's State House Square office tower. McDowell Communications Group was founded in 2006 by Duby McDowell, a former Connecticut TV political reporter who has been in the media strategy and executive communications business for nearly two decades. Founded in 2019 by Brian Durand and Michael Mandell, Intersect is a full-service public affairs consul- tancy, specializing in strategic planning, communications, grass- roots advocacy and digital media. Prior to forming Intersect, Durand served as chief of staff to former Gov. Dannel Malloy, and Mandell was executive director of the Connecticut Democratic Party. The newly combined firm said it will serve corporate, nonprofit, trade association and municipal clients in Connecticut and across the country. CT company relocates HQ from Danbury to North Carolina A global logistics provider, Odyssey Logistics, which was based in Danbury for more than two decades, has relocated its headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina. The company's headquarters was located at 100 Reserve Road in Danbury. The company said that 80 employees — including profes- sionals in information technology, sales, finance and human resources — moved into its new headquarters in Charlotte. Odyssey already had a presence in Charlotte, with its managed services division's main office located there. The company said the move "comes as part of Odyssey's accel- erated growth trajectory, positioning the company at the heart of a major supply chain gateway in a region with a robust and skilled talent pool." "Our new home in Charlotte is a mutually beneficial development both for our organization and for the North Carolina business community, a region that is ideal for Odyssey as we embark on our next chapter of growth," CEO Hans Stig Moller said. "Our new location also provides updated facilities and convenient proximity to a key international airport and our clients." Odyssey is the second Danbury- HBJ FILE PHOTO James E. Shmerling has led Connecticut Children's since 2015. CT Children's CEO Shmerling announces retirement J ames E. Shmerling, president and CEO of Connecticut Chil- dren's Medical Center (CCMC) in Hartford, plans to retire at the end of the year after a decade at the helm, officials announced. Since joining CCMC in 2015, Shmerling has led the organization's transformation from a standalone medical center to a pediatric health system across three states. Under his leadership, CCMC has expanded its neonatal intensive care unit network, formed alli- ances with adult health systems, launched initiatives in population health and significantly increased access to specialized pediatric care, the hospital said. He's currently leading CT Children's through a major campus expansion plan. "Jim's leadership has positioned Connecticut Children's as a national leader in pediatric health care," said Jon Rubin, chair of CMCC's board of directors. "His vision, dedication, and strategic foresight have ensured that children and families across our region have access to the very best care." The hospital's board said it will lead the search for the next CEO. Shmerling will remain in his role until the end of the year to support "a thoughtful and strategic handover." area company to move south in recent weeks. In February, battery- maker Duracell announced that it will relocate its North American research and development head- quarters from Bethel to Atlanta by summer 2026. DOL: CT added 16K jobs in 2024, starts off 2025 'in good shape' as changes loom at national level Connecticut employers added 16,000 jobs across industries in 2024, the state Department of Labor said. According to the DOL, the labor force in Connecticut hit a new high of 1.96 million workers, with a labor force participation rate of 65% in 2024. Nationally, the labor force participation rate is 62.6%. Also, the state's unemployment rate was relatively flat, ranging Odyssey Logistics recently held a ribbon- cutting event for its new headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.