Hartford Business Journal

20 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 24, 2025 FOCUS | MANUFACTURING connstep.org For More Information: Optimize Your Operations Develop Top Talent Mitigate Risks Drive Sustainable Growth Maximize Profitability CONNSTEP IS HERE TO HELP: Trusted Manufacturing Advisors Barnes Group to close Bristol headquarters, cut 28 jobs A prominent name in Connecticut manufacturing, Barnes Group, will close its corporate headquarters in Bristol, cutting about 28 jobs, the company said in a filing with the state Department of Labor. Barnes Group's headquarters, at 123 Main St., is set to close by the end of 2025, the company announced this month. The layoffs are expected to occur on March 31, June 30 and Sept. 30, the filing states. The news comes several months after private equity firm Apollo Global Management acquired Barnes Group in a $3.6 billion deal, which took the Bristol-based manufacturer private. Barnes Group makes precision components for the aerospace and a range of other industries. Barnes Group and its predecessor, Associated Spring, have been located in Bristol since 1857. Under its new owner, the company has been shedding local ties. Recently, it sold its 15-acre, two-building former Bristol manufac- turing campus, at 18 Main St. The company did not state a reason for closing the Bristol head- quarters, nor did it say where its new main office will be located. Sikorsky's rotor blown wing in helicopter mode. Barnes Group does have a main- tenance, repair and overhaul facility in East Granby, at 7 Connecticut South Dr., which it recently expanded to 84,000 square feet. It also has a presence in Windsor, at 169 Kennedy Road. According to its 2023 annual report, Barnes Group employed about 6,500 people worldwide. Roughly 25% were in the Asia-Pacific region; 45% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and about 30% in the Americas. Andrew Larson | Web Editor. Sikorsky demonstrates hybrid helicopter/airplane system Sikorsky, the Stratford-based helicopter maker, says it has successfully demonstrated a new type of technology that can take an aircraft from a helicopter-like vertical take off to wing flight like a conventional airplane. A prototype powered by the "rotor blown wing" successfully completed more than 40 take-offs and landings, according to the company, and performed 30 transitions between helicopter and airplane modes, the most complex maneuver demanded of the design. In horizontal flight mode, the aircraft reached a top cruise speed of 86 knots, or nearly 99 mph. The milestone was achieved in January when flying the vertical take-off and landing aircraft from Naval Air Station Patuxent River's Webster Field in Maryland. Sikorsky said it has taken just over a year for its innovations division to progress through preliminary design, simulation, tethered and untethered flight to gather aerodynamic, flight control and quality data. "Our rotor blown wing has demon- strated the control power and unique handling qualities necessary to transition repeatedly and predict- ably from a hover to high-speed, wing-borne cruise flight, and back again," said Sikorsky Innovations Director Igor Cherepinsky. Sikorsky says future applications for the technology include search and rescue, firefighting moni- toring, humanitarian response and pipeline surveillance. "Our rotor blown wing platform is a prime example of how we are lever- aging the breadth of our 102-year aviation heritage to develop new designs that meet the emerging missions of commercial and mili- tary operators," said Sikorsky Vice President and General Manager Rich Benton. The rotor blown wing design is part of a family of future systems Sikorsky is developing. Also in development is a 1.2 mega- watt hybrid-electric demonstrator (HEX) with a tilt wing and fuselage to carry passengers or cargo across long distances. A HEX power system test bed is expected to demonstrate hover capability in 2027, the company said. Harriet Jones | HBJ Staff Writer. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Connect with us today! 860-448-4295 NMLS #402928 ChelseaGroton.com/GrowThatBiz We work tirelessly to offer innovative business products, services, and digital tools - all with a hands on approach and commitment to the community! Doesn't your business deserve the best?

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