Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com July 11, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 7 WHAT'S AHEAD: ■ 7/18 Focus: Manufacturing ■ The List: Largest Manufacturers ■ Nonprofit Profile: CRIS Radio CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 Benefit Trends The Connecticut Business & Industry Association will be hosting a free webinar on employee-benefit trends. The webinar will take place July 20 from 11 a.m. to noon and help employers hone their understanding of employee benefits and rediscover their value in the recruitment arena. Areas that will be covered include: • Paid time off: The trends, norms, and structure for a solid program. • Medical and other insurances: Plan design examples, and strategies for managing expenses. • Voluntary benefits: A review of the wide array of no- and low-cost options you can provide your employees. • Remote work programs: How they can increase the available talent pool and how you can structure them. • Other perks and benefits with minimal costs and solid returns. The webinar is free. For more information go to: http://www.cbia.com/. F O R A C O M P L E T E L I S T O F G R E A T E R H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S E V E N T S , G O T O W W W . H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S . C O M A N D C L I C K O N ' C A L E N D A R . ' REAL ESTATE CT home prices drop while they rise nationally Single-home sale prices in Connecticut dropped nine-tenths of a percent in May compared to a year earlier. That puts Connecti- cut's real estate market well behind the national average. Property analytics firm CoreLogic said home sale prices nation- ally were up 5.9 percent in May. It's a trend that looks to continue, on the national front, as sale prices are projected to increase another 5.3 percent by May 2017. Transaction prices, including distressed home sales, increased 1.3 percent from April 2016 to May 2016. "Housing remained an oasis of stability in May with home prices rising year over year between 5 percent and 6 percent for 22 consecutive months," said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. "The consistently solid growth in home prices has been driven by the highest resale activity in nine years and a still- tight housing inventory." Downtown New Britain added to National Register Downtown New Britain has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The mayor's office said the designation will help preserve the city's mix of historical architectural styles and open up more opportunities for property owners to have access to historical tax credits. The main corridors in the approximately 80-acre district include Main Street, West Main Street, Arch Street, Glen Street and Franklin Square. Significant historic structures in the district date between the 1860s and 1960s; the most prominent architectural styles include Italianate (74 Whiting St.), Beaux Arts (191 Arch St.), Queen Anne (94 Glen St.), and Art Deco (24 Washington St.). The historic preservation designation brings eco- nomic benefits to property owners, including eligibility for federal and state tax incentives. Financial services firm moves corporate office to Hartford Futurity First Financial Corp. has relocated its corporate office to downtown Hartford from Rocky Hill, where it had been since its founding eight years ago. The independent insurance distribution company is moving 10 employees into 1,900 square feet at 190 Trumbull Street, suite 203. Overall the company employs 90 people. It is relocating from 500 Enterprise Drive in Rocky Hill, a spokesperson said. The company's CEO, Mike Kalen, said the move downtown was driven by a desire to attract talent. Kalen also said the move allows the company to add employ- ees and increase the corporate support to its four sales offices across the country. www.kelsercorp.com/cybercrime www.kelsercorp.com 111 Roberts St, Suite D East Hartford, CT 06108 860 610 2200 Patients trust you with their medical records. Secure them. Subscribe online: HartfordBusiness.com/subscribe Delivering Business. When you need information to grow your business, we deliver! Subscribe today to receive weekly issues in print and digital, plus special publications and full online access! GreenGuide C O N N E C T I C U T S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 BUILDING MOMENTUM Big deals, new potential markets push FuelCell Energy toward profitability A s u p p l e m e n t o f TRASH-T0-ENERGY'S CHALLENGE ECOMPANY: LACK OF ROOF SPACE NO PROBLEM FOR JCC P H O T O | H B J F I L E

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