Hartford Business Journal

18 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2014 Connecticut's prime locale provides companies with a globally strategic location ›Proximity By Carol Latter T here are many reasons why major companies like General Electric, United Technologies, Pitney Bowes and Xerox choose to be located in Connecticut. Chief among them is the state's strategic location between New York and Boston. One-third of America's manufacturing facilities and buying population are located within 500 miles of Central Connecticut — and a third of U.S. retail sales take place within that circumference. at same radius includes access to two-thirds of Canada's manufacturing base, population and retail activity. In fact, exports are big business in Connecticut, where more than $16 billion in goods was exported in 2012. e state serves world markets through five seaports on its southern coast — Norwalk, Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven and New London, which together handle roughly 13 million short tons of freight each year. All of this makes Connecticut one of the most strategic locations in the country. Prime real estate "We're centered in, and part of, the backbone of America's powerful northeast economic corridor," said Sandra B. Johnson, vice president and director of business devel- opment, domestic and international business for the MetroHartford Alliance. In contrast to a place like Los Angeles, where gridlock traffic is the norm rather than the exception, Connecticut has a network of relatively uncongested interstates — 91, 84, 95 and 395 — which makes trips within Con- necticut and to neighboring states quick and convenient, Johnson said. eir connection to Massachusetts' I-90, meanwhile, makes round- trip runs to Boston in the course of a business day very common. And it looks like Connecticut's trans- portation system is only going to get better. Department of Transportation Commis- sioner James P. Redeker said his agency is currently undertaking the largest construc- tion program in its history, with a capital program that will pump $135 billion into transportation improvements and related jobs in fiscal year 2014. Improvements are also underway on Connecticut's rail system, which offers con- nections to New York and Boston through Metro-North and Amtrak. e state has also been hard at work on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) rail line, having already spent $250 million on signal systems, train controls and grade crossing work. For the first time in many years, Rede- ker noted, the state has put together a grant program for freight rail, with the goal of providing businesses with expanded ship- ping options and reducing truck traffic on roadways. e state's rail system currently carries 7.5 million tons of cargo annually. Meanwhile, work is progressing on CT Fastrak, a dedicated express bus system that will provide new ways for people to travel within Greater Hartford and beyond. Hybrid diesel-electric buses will use a converted rail right-of-way to whisk passengers from downtown New Britain to downtown Hart- ford, with 11 transit stations along the way. e state's transportation network also includes Bradley International Airport. Locat- ed just off I-91, it was used by more than 5.2 million passengers in 2012, and is a regional hub for USPS, FedEx, UPS and DHL. Kevin A. Dillon is executive director and CEO of the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), which oversees Bradley and the state's five general aviation airports. He said the CAA is working diligently to attract new airlines and improve customer service, while pursuing other strategic improvements that will make Bradley more attractive to business and leisure travelers. "is is a healthy airline market," Dil- lon said. "We are convinced that so long as we are able to persuade our carriers to add capacity, we can fill those extra seats." e CAA has also been working with carriers to introduce new routes as a way to spur ad- ditional competition, and was successful in restoring service between Bradley and LAX. Johnson of the MetroHartford Alliance said the airport area is already a magnet for quite a few large companies that benefit from an abundance of available land and easy ac- cess to the airport and highways. One of the most recent is Amazon, which opted to lease a 1 million-square-foot distribution facility just down I-91 from the airport in Windsor. ❑ bradley International Airport is a hassle-free airport that provides access across the U.S. and the globe for business travelers. PHOTO/COURTESY TOP REASONS ›

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