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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 24, 2026 B9 2026 C T BUSINE S S E XCELLENCE AWARDS The BILCO Company HEADQUARTERS: New Haven YEAR FOUNDED: 1926 INDUSTRY: Building and Construction TOP EXECUTIVE: Mike Toohey, General Manager EMPLOYEES: 300 WEBSITE: www.bilco.com FOUNDER: George Lyons B ILCO manufactures specialty access equipment for commercial and resi- dential projects. Founded in 1926, BILCO now has manufacturing sites in Arkansas, Ohio and Mexico and maintains its corporate offices in New Haven. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. BILCO was acquired in 2024 by Quanex and has substantially improved its manu- facturing processes while simultaneously maintaining its core focus on innovation and engineering excellence. Its most recent innovations include new equipment to help prevent flooding in commercial environments. What are your plans for future growth? With Quanex, BILCO is poised to expand its manufacturing capabilities while continuing to innovate and manufacture new specialty access equipment for archi- tects and construction specifiers. How is your organization involved in the community? BILCO has remained rooted in the New Haven community and has donated prod- ucts to many causes. As a recent example, BILCO donated a basement door through House of Heroes Connecticut to a U.S. Air Force Veteran. AWARD CATEGORY: FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS, 250+ EMPLOYEES Hartford Promise HEADQUARTERS: Hartford YEAR FOUNDED: 2015 INDUSTRY: Nonprofit – Education and Workforce Development TOP EXECUTIVE: Sivan Hines, President EMPLOYEES: 15 WEBSITE: www.hartfordpromise.org ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GOAL: $3 million HIGHEST FUNDRAISING AMOUNT ACHIEVED: $4.4 million, FY 2026 H artford Promise is a college success and workforce development orga- nization that helps Hartford Public Schools graduates earn college degrees and launch successful careers. Through large scholarships, individualized coaching, career development and employer partnerships, Hartford Promise supports more than 450 college students annually and has celebrated more than 500 college graduates since 2020. By connecting higher education to employ- ment, Hartford Promise is developing Hartford's next generation of business, healthcare, engi- neering, education and public service leaders. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. Over the past year, we have continued to evolve from a college scholarship organization into one of Connecticut's leading college- to-career organizations. We launched and expanded Reaching Beyond, our workforce development initiative, helping our Scholars secure internships and early career roles through partnerships with corporate, nonprofit, healthcare and government employers. In 2026, we also announced the $1 million Patricelli Scholars Leadership Program, the largest philanthropic gift in our organization's history. This transformational, endowed program will help develop Hartford's next generation of business, civic, nonprofit and community leaders for decades to come. We are especially proud that our partnership with the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation has expanded our scholarship to up to $100,000 per student and was recently recognized by Fast Company as the fourth most innovative economic development initiative in the United States. It highlights the powerful connection between higher education, workforce devel- opment and economic mobility. What are your plans for future growth? Our focus is to strengthen Hartford's workforce pipeline by deepening our college support services and expanding employer partnerships, internship opportunities and career pathways for our scholars. We will continue scaling Reaching Beyond, forge stronger collaborations with Connecticut businesses and help more graduates secure careers aligned with their degrees. AWARD CATEGORY: NONPROFIT, 1-50 EMPLOYEES Congratulations to the HBJ Winners! Meghan Rickard meghan@compumail.net 860-628-2770 298 Captain Lewis Dr. Southington, CT 06489 compumail.net