Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/688926
Manufacturing INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT › 56 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2016 manufacturing is highly-technical. Although suffering a decided loss with the announced relocation of General Electric's headquarters from Fairfield to the Boston area — expected to take place in stages and be complete by 2018 — the sector has several other milestones and achievements to celebrate and be optimistic about, according to Del Conte and others. For starters, projections indicate that the aerospace industry will double over the next decade, Del Conte said. Similarly, Electric Boat announced earlier this year that it will be adding hundreds of jobs to its state workforce to meet the U.S. Navy's expected demand for its new class of nuclear submarines. Inevitably, it's expected that the effects of that infusion will flow down the food chain to the numerous smaller companies scattered across Connecti- cut that support its needs. Nutmeg roots In addition, many other companies have made strong commitments to the state. For instance, Horst Engineering and Manufacturing Co., with locations in East Hartford and South Windsor, is re-shoring jobs from a plant it closed last year in Mexico. Serta Simmons Bedding LLC, the country's largest mattress manufacturer, announced in December that it would be moving its Massachusetts operations to Connecticut — resulting in at least 200 new or relocated jobs — aer inking a multi-year loan deal with the state Department of Eco- nomic and Community Development. "e area offers a talented workforce and tremendous geographical advantages for some of our most valued customers," Serta's executive vice president of operations Mark Baron said in a statement. Meanwhile, other companies, includ- ing Dutch-headquartered ASML's plant in Wilton, have experienced steady, continuous growth and expansion. Providing lithography (or elaborate printing) systems for the semiconductor industry, the southwestern Connecticut location has added roughly 5 percent to its headcount, and has expanded its clean room space, one of the most crucial ele- ments required in its manufacturing process, by about 5,000 square feet. Wilton creates a portion of ASML's complex lithography machines, a process that requires the utmost in precision and cleanliness, as explained by factory head Bill Amalfitano. "Particles are contamination — they can kill the product that our customers try to produce," he said. "We have to try to assemble these products in a clean environment, and keep it clean." e plant en- compasses roughly 290,000 square feet and employs 980; other future plans are to implement a new office area layout, renovate optical manufacturing capabilities, and expand lean manufacturing, Amalfitano said. All told, the world's second-largest maker of semicon- ductor equipment, which is publicly traded, announced that it could double its sales to $12 billion by 2020. Amalfitano noted that Wilton is working on a multi-year plan to prepare for and support that growth. In the end, it's an ongoing process. "We keep coming out with new improvements" when it comes to both the physical plant and its regularly upgradable equipment, he said. But, he and many others agree that manufacturing's greatest tool isn't its brick and mortar or machines — but rather its human capital. "For us, our employees are the assets," said Amalfitano, describing ASML's work- force as highly-educated (roughly 80 percent have certifications or college degrees) with an average length of service of 12 years. "It's a highly technical field, a very sophisticated type of manufacturing." And one that continues to grow in Con- necticut, and thus requires a steady influx of highly-skilled workers. Retaining and attracting workers is one of the industry's biggest concerns, and is one that requires a concerted and collaborative effort. For example, the University of Hartford has had a longstanding relationship with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technol- ogy Inc., in East Hartford. at partnership has allowed the economic development non- profit and the school's College of Engineer- ing, Technology, and Architecture to share talent, expertise and equipment, and keep an open dialogue with state manufacturers, A manufacturing engineer at ASML inspects one of the lithography systems the company makes in Connecticut. Christine Benz, training manager at TRUMPF, meets with participants in the company's apprentice program. > Continued from page 53 PHOTO/ASML PHOTO/TRUMPF