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JANUARY 25, 2016
Volume 24, Number 8
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SUMMIT
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's
Hartford's iconic 960 Main
mired in bruising repo flap
By Gregory Seay
gseay@HartfordBusiness.com
F
or generations of downtown Hartford
shoppers, visits to G. Fox & Co. depart-
ment store and the 960 Main St. build-
ing that housed it were special occasions,
akin to a scene right out of the Christmas
film, "Miracle on 34th Street.''
G. Fox closed 22 years ago, but the 11-story
building erected in the early 1900s and now
known simply as 960 Main is the eye of a
stormy, financial melodrama dragging out
mostly behind the scenes the past three years
in Hartford Superior Court.
At the core of the legal dispute are two
Index
■ Week in Review: PG. 6
■ Focus: PG. 8
■ The List: PGS. 10, 11
■ Deal Watch: PG. 12
■ Movers & Shakers: PG. 18
■ Opinion & Commentary: PG. 20
EXECUTIVE PROFILE
Preserving News
Tom Wiley, the new publisher and CEO of the
Hartford Courant Media Group, is an adept media
sales executive and staunch defender of journalism
as the fourth estate. PG. 5
Billion-Dollar Division
Legrand North America, the West Hartford maker of
a raft of mechanical and digital household and
commercial lighting and power switches and
controllers/sensors, is coming off a busy 2015 that
included a wave of acquisitions and a key revenue
milestone was reached. PG. 3
By Matt Pilon
mpilon@HartfordBusiness.com
L
ike a spurned love interest, General Electric is leaving Con-
necticut for what it views as a more attractive mate. Now it's
time for the state to hit the gym to re-shape its competitive
prowess, industry observers say.
"In my mind, let's take the slap to the face, but let's keep mov-
ing and say to ourselves 'what do we need to do?' " said Connecti-
cut Technology Council President and CEO Bruce Carlson, who
speaks for approximately 2,000 companies in the software, advanced
manufacturing and other industries — the overwhelming majority
of which are likely staying in Connecticut despite GE's departure.
Among the recommendations from Carlson and others for the
post-breakup recovery period: Strive to make Connecticut an attrac-
tive place for high-tech talent; improve infrastructure; strengthen
industry-university partnerships; and hone the state's messaging
about its economic aspirations.
Continued on page 14
Fighting
for Talent
In GE's wake,
biz leaders call for
more high-tech
recruitment
Bruce Carlson, who
leads the Connecticut
Technology Council,
wants Connecticut to
strengthen its support
ecosystem for mid-
sized companies.
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960 Main St., once downtown home to G. Fox & Co.
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Continued on page 16
