Hartford Business Journal

2014 | Doing Business in Connecticut 3 Connecticut has never looked so good Welcome from the Editor L ike jet engines and Pez, I too am made in Connecticut. I was born and raised here and have decided to raise my family here with my husband (who I lured north from Maryland). I've traveled throughout the state, along its highways and through its forests — even to its highest point of elevation (2,380 feet on Mount Frissell in Salisbury). In short, I know Connecti- cut, and it knows me. Given my history here and my commitment to stay here, I was honored to edit "Doing Busi- ness in Connecticut," which I'm pleased to say hits all the high notes of why this state is fertile ground for innovation and economic growth. But don't take my word for it. Just turn to page 10, and find out why Conor Horrigan chose Fairfield County as the place to start his brewery, or check out page 18 to learn why Eastford-based Whitcraft Aircraft Group continues to find Con- necticut to be globally competitive. We hope that if you are running an existing business in Connecticut, this publication intro- duces you to new opportunities to help grow your business here. And if you're from outside our state's borders, we hope that this magazine explains why Connecticut could be a key ingredient to your business's future success. I'd like to thank all the supporters of this publication, including those business people who took the time to speak with me and the other writers for "Doing Business in Connecticut." I'd also like to acknowledge the hard work of the writers — Aaron Boyd, Daniel Kline, John Lahtinen, Taryn Plumb, Krystal Overmyer and Carol Latter — who spent hours doing interviews with the people who make this state's economy hum. Credit is also due to the design team who worked to make this publication so beautiful — Lynn Mika and Vlada Shelkova. I also want to note that this publication lives on beyond the pages of this magazine. You'll find an interactive digital edition on our website, DoingBusinessinCT.com, that you can share with colleagues and use as a jumping off point for more research into the programs and incen- tives available to businesses in Connecticut. As the cover of this publication says, Connecticut is better positioned than ever before for economic growth. Keep reading to find out why. – Christina H. Davis cdavis@hartfordbusiness.com Editor, Doing Business in Connecticut

• Cover