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8 40 UNDER FORTY | 2025 AWARDS HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 11, 2025 Public Relations Creative Digital Marketing Web Design Social Media Videography Media Training Brand Development Media Strategy Congratulations, Katherine! We are incredibly proud to celebrate our Vice President, Katherine Bolas, a Hartford Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree! Her dedication, transformative leadership, and unwavering passion not only inspire us daily, but also drive remarkable success for our clients and community. Congratulations, Katherine! As vice president of Southington-based Image Marketing, Katherine Bolas drives the agency's success by overseeing client relationships and leading daily opera- tions. She works with a national roster of clients, primarily in the retail real estate, lifestyle and nonprofit sectors. Her strategic vision has fueled significant internal growth, doubling the team's size and diversifying the agency's core service offerings. This leadership has directly contributed to the company's impressive Matthew Bruton is a regional man- ager and principal at BL Companies, a full-service engineering consulting firm. Bruton oversees the land devel- opment group for the Northeast region. He joined BL as a project engineer 12 years ago, and quickly rose to his cur- rent position as regional manager. Bruton's key success has been the rela- tionships he builds with his team and 600% total revenue growth in five years. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? My greatest professional pride comes from the strong, lasting relationships I've helped build — both with our clients and within our team. At our agency, we cultivate long-tenured client partner - ships rooted in trust, and I'm proud to contribute to a culture where every voice is heard and talent can flourish. Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • Spearheads agency operations, dou- bling the team's size and contributing to the company's impressive 600% total revenue growth in five years. • Expanded the agency's core service offerings, creating new avenues for client success and increasing per- project billings by 30%. • Serves as a recognized retail and lifestyle expert on local broadcast television with over a decade of on-air experience, significantly boosting visibility and credibility for both the agency and its diverse clientele. What do you like to do outside of work? I recharge outside of work by trying new recipes, getting lost in a good book, staying active and spending quality time with my family. I also love to travel and make it a point to visit a new destina - tion each year. clients. He handles a diverse portfolio of projects that include multifamily residential, medical offices, retail establishments, quick-service restau- rants and industrial developments. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? As a Connecticut native, it is special to be a part of designing projects that are reinvesting in the community where I am now raising a family. I've managed more than 150 projects that have cre- ated new places to live, brought retail services to underserved communities and designed industrial complexes that make getting goods and services easier for the community. Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • Built and mentored a talented engineering team of 25 individuals. Together we have permitted millions of square feet of new development in New England. • Named a principal in our consulting firm. As principal, I have an impact on our business growth and the ability to make a financial impact on our business and community. • Management of key projects like Life Star helipad at MidState Medical Center, 60-acre mixed-use develop- ment in West Hartford and multiple Amazon delivery stations throughout Connecticut. Katherine Bolas Company: Image Marketing Title: Vice President Number of years with current company: 5 Town where I live: Southington Town where I work: Southington College: Fordham University Highest degree: Bachelor's degree in communication and media studies Age: 36 Matthew J. Bruton Company: BL Companies Inc. Title: Regional Manager/Principal Number of years with current company: 12 Town where I live: Suffield Town where I work: Hartford College: University of New Hampshire Highest degree: Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, University of New Hampshire Age: 38