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2 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 29, 2026 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 $150.00. To subscribe, visit HartfordBusiness.com, email circulation@ hartfordbusiness.com, or call (845) 267-3008. Advertising For advertising information, please call (860) 236-9998. Please address all correspondence to: Hartford Business Journal, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103 Stay Connected For breaking and daily Greater Hartford business news go to: www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJ on Twitter: @HartfordBiz HBJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HartfordBiz HBJ on Linkedln:www.linkedin.com/company/the-Hart- ford-Business-Journal Daily e-newsletters: HBJ Today, CT Morning Blend: www.hartfordbusiness.com/enewsletters Hartford Business Journal (ISSN 1083-5245) is published bi-weekly, 27x per year — including two special issues in November and December — by New England Business Media, LLC, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and at additional entry points. Tom Curtin | CEO, 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, State Government Harriet Jones | Staff Writer, ext. 145 hjones@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Manufacturing, Cannabis, Professional Services 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 Sadie Bride | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 141, sbride@hartfordbusiness.com Destiny Cyr | Operations & Administrative Specialist, ext. 138 dcyr@hartfordbusiness.com Tracy Rodwill | Human Resources Manager trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com Events Kathryn Pelletier | Events Manager, ext. 136 kpelletier@hartfordbusiness.com Ulbrich to invest $9M in Wallingford expansion Wallingford-based Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals plans to invest $9 million in a building expan- sion and new manufacturing equip- ment at its headquarters. The project includes a 14,500-square-foot addition that will house a high-precision stretch- bend-leveling line used to process stainless steel and specialty alloys for applications including medical devices and aerospace. The expan- sion is expected to be completed by May 2027. Company officials said the invest- ment will expand Ulbrich's product offerings and support future hiring. The fourth-generation family-owned manufacturer employs about 750 people globally, including 300 in Connecticut. Founded in 1924, Ulbrich is one of Connecticut's largest privately held companies. N augatuck's Ion Bank is expanding its Northeast footprint through a planned merger with Massachusetts-based The Cooperative Bank, a $540 million- asset mutual lender serving the Greater Boston market. The Cooperative Bank's depositors approved the deal on June 17. The merger is expected to close this fall, Two Hartford sites under review for North End grocery store Two Hartford properties have emerged as potential locations for a long-sought full-service grocery store aimed at improving food access in the city's North End. The sites are Arrowhead Gateway, near Albany Avenue and Main Street, and Village at Park River, a mixed-income housing development near the University of Hartford. Both were identified through a city request for expressions of interest issued last year. The city plans to use an $87,800 grant from the Capital Region Development Authority to hire real estate advisory firm Goman + York Property Advisors to conduct a financial analysis of the project. The study is expected to take three to five months. pending regulatory approvals. The merger would increase Ion Bank's assets to about $3.3 billion and provide an entry into the Boston market. The Cooperative Bank operates four branches in the area and would operate as a division of Ion Bank. The move comes as community banks seek new opportunities for City officials said attracting a grocery operator has proven chal- lenging despite years of community engagement, multiple studies and the availability of state-backed funding aimed at bringing a full-service super- market to the North End. Aetna commits $1.2M to CT workforce initiative Hartford health insurer Aetna said it will invest $1.2 million over the next five years in a workforce develop- ment initiative aimed at expanding career pathways in healthcare and insurance. The program, called NextStep at Aetna, includes a new training center at the insurer's Hartford headquarters that will prepare entry-level workers for customer service and operations roles. Aetna said it expects to provide about 76,000 hours of training over the next three years. loan growth and deposits beyond their traditional markets. Ion has pursued a regional expansion strategy in recent years, including its 2025 acquisition of New Jersey- based NVE Bank. Ion currently operates 20 branches in Connecticut and 12 in New Jersey. David Rotatori is Ion Bank's CEO. HBJ File Photo Ion Bank eyes Boston-area expansion through proposed merger Board Chair Chris Ulbrich (left) and President and CEO Jon Ulbrich of Ulbrich Stainless Steels. Contributed Photo The Arrowhead Gateway is one of the potential sites for a new grocery store in Hartford. A sign outside Aetna's headquarters at 151 Farmington Ave., in Hartford. HBJ Photo | Andrew Larson