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G R E AT E R H A R T F O R D ' S B U S I N E S S N E W S w w w. H a r t f o rd B u s i n e s s . c o m For more B2B news visit OCTOBER 12, 2015 Volume 23, Number 46 $3.00 Subscribe online Reinvented and reinvigorated. Book of Lists 2 0 1 5 / 2 0 1 6 Reserve Your Space Today! Ad Space Closing: 11/30/15 Release Date: 12/28/15 Index ■ Week in Review: PG. 6 ■ The List: PG. 9 ■ Deal Watch: PG. 10 ■ Nonprofit Notebook: PG. 15 ■ Movers and Shakers: PG. 16 ■ Opinion & Commentary: PG. 20 EXECUTIVE PROFILE 'Main Street's Mr. Fix-It' Rheo Brouillard, president and CEO of Willimantic- based Savings Institute Bank and Trust Co., has gained a national reputation for advocating on behalf of community banks and reasonable regulations. PG. 5 New millennium thinker Stan Valencis is the CEO of a growing digital marketing firm in Farmington, a career he didn't envision during his humble upbringing in Terryville. PG. 3 Manufacturing looks to inner-city schools for workforce By Brad Kane bkane@HartfordBusiness.com T o replace its aging and retiring work- force, Connecticut manufacturers must find an untapped cache of younger work- ers, and workforce development profession- als say urban schools offer the best solution. Connecticut's cities — Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, New London and Bridgeport — have significantly younger populations than the suburbs or rural areas, offering a potentially large supply of workers to fill in gaps left by an industry with one of the oldest workforces in the state, said Thomas Phillips, president and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners in Hartford. "We are just not leveraging it as a concert- ed effort, and we should start," Phillips said. Manufacturing takes top priority because UNAMI SILVER S Connecticut's Continued on page 13 Anthony Byers (right), co-executive director of Hartford Youth Scholars, works with Trinity College student Francisco Chang, on his coursework, as part of the nonprofit's program to prepare Hartford students for success in college and their careers. Urban Connection P H O T O | P A B L O R O B L E S Occupancy of newest downtown apts. outpaces expectations By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com T he first batch of downtown office build- ings converted to apartments are fill- ing faster than expected, according to the state-supported financier that co-funded them and their developer-landlords. According to a lease-up survey as of mid- September from the Capital Region Develop- ment Authority, the quasi-public agency that co- invested in the four conversions completed so far, 353 of their combined 565 apartment units — 64 percent — are occupied. One, 179 Allyn St., with 63 units above Black Bear Saloon and Club NV, is 100 percent leased, CRDA Execu- tive Director Michael Freimuth told area com- mercial and residential brokers, developers, appraisers and other realty professionals at a recent real estate conference downtown. Although no guarantee that fill-up of down- town's newest residences will continue at the current pace, even for the other 600 or so units still under construction or on the drawing Continued on page 14 Downtown Hartford's 179 Allyn St. has filled all 63 of its newly created apartments. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D