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34 | HARTFORD BUSINESS JOURNAL • OCTOBER 2, 2017 11 New Haven, CT 06513 203-789-5200; www.nhregister.com 1812 advertising, sales been in operation since 1812. The Register provides strong local and wider news coverage, including sports, entertainment, lifestyle, health, education, breaking news and more. 101 Paul Barbetta 11 Waterbury Button Co. (7) 1855 Peck Lane Cheshire, CT 06410 203-271-9055; www.waterburybutton.com 1812 Buttons for fashion, golf and military uniforms Soldiers and sailors needed uniform buttons for the War of 1812, so Aaron Benedict bought up every brass kettle, pan and pot he could find, established a rolling mill and began making buttons; said to be the oldest manufacturer in the U.S. still making the same product for which it was founded. The company moved from Waterbury to Cheshire in 2002, and the oldest toolmaker in the plant is 84. 38 (8) N/A Sal Geraci 13 Gilman Bros. Co. Gilman Road Bozrah, CT 06336 860-889-8444; www.gilmanbrothers.com 1814 Foamboards for finished art, signage, displays, props, exhibits and more In 1905, Nathan Gilman purchased holdings of the original Bozrahville Manufacturing Co., which was a supplier to his New York-based bedding company. Having adapted to many changes and calamities, the company produced plastic products in the 1960s and returned to foamboard in the 1980s. N/A N/A Bill VanHorn 14 Otis Elevator Co. (United Technologies Corp.) (9) 1 Carrier Place Farmington, CT 06032 860-728-7000; www.otis.com 1818 Marshall Elevator 1853 Otis Elevator Elevator new equipment and service More than 164 years ago, Elisha Graves Otis invented the modern elevator and forever changed the urban landscape. Today, Otis is the world's leading provider of elevators, escalators and moving walkways, moving more than 2 billion people through a world of ever-taller buildings, busy airports and crowded metros, every day. Otis has supplied many iconic buildings, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Empire State Building in New York and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 16,000 (10) 200,000 Gregory J. Hayes Nora LaFreniere (11) Mark George (11) 15 Institute of Living (12) 200 Retreat Ave. Hartford, CT 06106 860-545-7000; instituteofliving.org 1822 Nonprofit, comprehensive patient care, research and education in the fields of behavioral, psychiatric and addiction disorders One of the first mental health centers in the U.S., and the first hospital of any kind in the state; located on 35 acres landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, became a division of Hartford Hospital in 1994; documents, artifacts, items of interest, letters and old photos were gathered from the institute's attics, basements and closed-up offices to form the basis of the public Myths, Minds & Medicine exhibit. 225 662 Harold Schwartz 16 Yale-New Haven Hospital 20 York St. New Haven, CT 06510 203-688-4242; www.ynhh.org 1826 Nonprofit teaching hospital Original 13-bed hospital designed by prominent New Haven architect Ithiel Town, now a 1,541-bed teaching hospital consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. In its early days, sailors from New Haven's busy seaport came to the hospital for care. During the Civil War, more than 25,000 U.S. Army soldiers were brought to the hospital, which temporarily changed its name to the Knight U.S. Army General Hospital. 12,648 24,646 (13) Marna Borgstrom Richard D'Aquila 17 Stamford Advocate 9A Riverbend Drive South, P.O. Box 9307 Stamford, CT 06907 203-324-9799; www.stamfordadvocate.com 1829 Daily newspaper Originally The Intelligencer, but despite some support from the community, closed after a few months for lack of revenue. Several town leaders then helped to finance the publication, this time under the name The Sentinel, which first appeared in 1830. The motto of the newspaper, printed at the top of the front page, was: "Pledged to no party's arbitrary way, we follow Truth wher'er she leads the way." In 1848, Edgar Hoyt and Andrew Smith came into ownership of the newspaper and renamed it The Stamford Advocate. N/A N/A Paul Barbetta 18 Bevin Bros. Bells 17 Watrus St. East Hampton, CT 06424 860-267-4431; www.bevinbells.com 1832 Only dedicated bell manufacturer in the U.S. Crafting high-quality, made-in-America bells in East Hampton for 185 years, Bevin Bros. makes most of the bells that the Salvation Army bell ringers use during the holiday season; a Bevin Gong Bell opened and closed the NYSE for nearly seven decades; a Bevin Ornament Bell gave Clarence his wings in the iconic "It's a Wonderful Life" movie; Good Humor trucks rang their Bevin Bells throughout neighborhoods; and many legendary prize fights were marked by the gong of a Bevin Bell. 25 25 Matthew G. Bevin 18 Rogers Corp. 1 Technology Drive Rogers, CT 06263 860-774-9605; www.rogerscorp.com 1832 Engineered materials and components Peter Rogers founded the company as a materials manufacturer for the textile industry. In 1954, the village of Goodyear, in the town of Killingly, changed its name to Rogers after the corporation. In Aug. 2016, the company announced it was moving its headquarters and 70 jobs to Arizona. Manufacturing operations continue in Connecticut. N/A 3,100 Bruce Hoechner 20 Ensign-Bickford Industries Inc. 100 Grist Mill Road Simsbury, CT 06070 860-843-2000; www.e-bind.com 1836 Polypropylene yarns, blast- initiation systems and products for aerospace and defense industries William Bickford invented the safety fuse over 180 years ago, and the company has been innovating in the realm of energetics ever since. N/A (14) N/A Brendan Walsh 21 C. Cowles & Co. 126 Bailey Road North Haven, CT 06473 203-865-3117; www.ccowles.com 1838 Heating equipment, burners and controls, precision plastic molding Founded to manufacture carriage hardware and lanterns, the company is listed with 29 others in the country's first telephone book, dated February 21, 1878. Cowles invented the first pluggable switchboard, which became common place in the industry. Twenty employees were awarded stock for this invention, which became known as a PBX system. One of the prototypes is located at the Smithsonian Institute. Recently relocated to the Marlin Firearms facility in North Haven after 178 years in New Haven, it's now comprised of four divisions. 180 180 Lawrence C. Moon Jr. 22 Corbin Russwin (15) 225 Episcopal Road Berlin, CT 06037 860-225-7411; www.corbinrusswin.com 1839 Commercial grade mechanical and electro- mechanical locks and door hardware The story began when Henry Russell and Cornelius Erwin started manufacturing plate locks. In 1902, their company merged with P. and F. Corbin, originally founded in 1849 by Philip and Frank Corbin and Ed Doen, to form The American Hardware Corp. After a series of acquisitions, in 1964 American Hardware was acquired by the Emhart Corp. Later, Black and Decker purchased the company and combined the Corbin and Russwin brands to form Corbin Russwin. 400 400 Dave DeLacey 23 James L. Howard & Co. 10 Britton Drive Bloomfield, CT 06002 860-242-3581; www.jameslhoward.com 1841 Products from aluminum, bronze, white bronze, brass, ductile iron, steel, stainless steel and aluminum alloys Founded as a supplier of fittings for the horse-and-carriage trade, JLH was incorporated in 1876. Very early in its history, the company began the design and manufacture of hardware products for the burgeoning railroad industry. These ties to the rail transportation industry remain strong and James L. Howard & Co. enjoys an unrivaled reputation for innovation and quality within the industry. N/A N/A Fred Rotondo Jr. 24 Stanley Black & Decker Inc. 1000 Stanley Drive New Britain, CT 06053 860-225-5111; www.stanleyblackanddecker.com 1843 Tools and storage, commercial electronic security and engineered fastening systems Frederick Stanley started a small shop in New Britain to manufacture bolts, hinges and other hardware of high quality from wrought iron. In 1910, Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker started their shop in Baltimore, and six years later obtained the world's first patent for a portable power tool. Over the years the two companies amassed an unparalleled family of iconic brands and trusted products. In 2010, they came together as Stanley Black & Decker, a leading global diversified industrial. 1,630 54,000 James M. Loree (16) 25 Republican-American 389 Meadow St., P.O. Box 2090 Waterbury, CT 06722 203-574-3636; www.rep-am.com 1844 News media The Republican-American is a family owned newspaper. It is the result of the combination of two separate newspapers – the Waterbury American, 1844, and the Waterbury Republican, 1866. The newspaper now covers 36 communities in Greater Waterbury. N/A N/A William J. Pape II 26 Lyon & Billard Lumber Co. 38 Gypsy Lane Meriden, CT 06450 203-235-4487; www.lyonbillard.com 1847 Lumber and building supplies retailer Founded as a lumber and coal company in a small Meriden store front, Lyon & Billard was a major coal distributor throughout the 1900s; now one of the largest, independent lumber companies in the state, family owned with five locations statewide. 98 98 Ed-d Goralnik 27 Nassau Reinsurance Group Holdings (The Phoenix Cos. Inc.) 1 American Row Hartford, CT 06102 860-403-5000; www.nsre.com 1851 Insurance, reinsurance, distribution and asset management American Temperance Life Insurance Co., founded by a group of Hartford's business and civic leaders, was the original predecessor of The Phoenix Cos. It was a part-mutual, part-stock company that insured only teetotalers. In 1861, the company changed its name to Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co., accepting all customers. The Phoenix Cos. Inc. merged with Nassau Reinsurance Group Holdings in June 2016, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nassau Re. 300 650 Phillip J. Gass 28 Aetna Inc. 151 Farmington Ave. Hartford, CT 06156 860-273-0123; www.aetna.com 1853 Traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services Aetna Insurance Co. organized an annuity fund to sell life insurance in 1850. In 1853, the Annuity department separated from Aetna Insurance and incorporated as Aetna Life Insurance Co. The "Aetna" name was inspired by an 11,000-foot volcano on the eastern shores of Sicily, Mt. Etna, which was the most active volcano in Europe. 5,618 49,500 Mark T. Bertolini Mark Santos 29 Hartford Hospital (12) 80 Seymour St. Hartford, CT 06102 860-545-5000; www.hartfordhospital.org 1854 Hospital Created due to a tragic steam boiler explosion that occurred in a city then lacking a general hospital, Hartford Hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals and tertiary care centers in New England. It was No. 1 in U.S. News & World Report's latest regional ranking; more than 43,000 discharges, 107,000 emergency visits, 45,000 surgeries and 3,800 babies delivered annually. 5,836 18,430 (17) Bimal Patel (18) 29 Timex Group 555 Christian Road Middlebury, CT 06762 203-346-5000; www.timex.com 1854 Watch manufacturer Founded as the Waterbury Clock Co. with a goal of putting a clock within every American's reach. In 1914, the company then modified a pocket watch into a military wristwatch for use in World War I. The name was formally changed to Timex Corp. in 1969, and continued its legacy of innovation with introductions such as the first triathlon-inspired sports watch, Indiglo night-light and connected technology. Now, Timex's heritage is carried throughout over 500 different designs. 235 3,500 Tobias Reiss- Schmidt 31 Colt Defense Inc. 545 New Park Ave. West Hartford, CT 06110 860-236-6311; www.colt.com 1855 Designer, developer and manufacturer of firearms for military, personal-defense and recreational purposes Units of the U.S. Dragoon forces & Texas Rangers were fighting the natives in Texas, and attributed their success to Colt's firearms. As a result, Captain Samuel H. Walker of the U.S. Army collaborated with Colt in designing a new, more powerful revolver. Dubbed the "Walker," the U.S. Ordinance Department ordered 1,000 of the new pistols. Without a factory, Colt turned to Eli Whitney Jr. who had a factory in Connecticut, to fill the gun order in 1847. Sam's new factory in the South Meadows became operational in 1855, incorporated as Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co. 600 600 Dennis Veilleux 32 Barnes Group Inc. 123 Main St. Bristol, CT 06010 860-583-7070; www.bginc.com 1857 (19) Products used in applications for transportation, manufacturing, health care and technology During the past 160 years, the one constant at Barnes has been change. The organization has repeatedly embraced transformation – from hoopskirts in the late 1850s, to the rapid increase in manufacturing at the turn of the 20th century; from mass production of commercial products, to aircraft airframe and engine components through technically advanced processes. Today, Barnes Group is a global provider of highly engineered products and solutions serving a multitude of end markets, including aerospace, transportation, medical, and packaging. 550 5,000 Patrick J. Dempsey 33 The Travelers Cos. Inc. 1 Tower Square Hartford, CT 06183 860-277-0111; www.travelers.com 1864 Property and casualty insurer The result of a merger of two of the first insurance companies in the United States: St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co., founded in St. Paul, Minn., in 1853, and Travelers, founded in Hartford in 1864. James G. Batterson, the founder of Travelers, started the company with a two-penny transaction that insured a man's four-block walk home. Now the company is a leading provider of property and casualty insurance for auto, home and business. It's a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, with approximately 30,000 employees and operations in the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Ireland and the U.K. 7,400 (20) 30,000 (20) Alan D. Schnitzer 34 The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co. 1 State St. Hartford, CT 06102 800-472-1866; www.munichre.com/HSB/home 1866 Insurance, inspection services, engineering- based risk management Founded in response to deadly boiler explosions nationwide, including the sinking of the steam boat Sultana carrying over 2,000 Union prisoners at the end of the Civil War, HSB provided boiler standards, inspections and insurance. Today, HSB is one of the world's leading providers of equipment breakdown and other specialty insurance, inspections and loss prevention for businesses, homes and farms. Products and services range from commercial and home systems, to cyber and the Internet of Things. 490 2,525 Greg Barats 34 Veeder-Root 125 Powder Forest Drive Simsbury, CT 06070 860-651-2700; www.veeder.com 1866 Automated tank gauges The Root Co., maker of hinges and counting equipment, was founded in Bristol. In 1895, Curtis Veeder invented the cyclometer to record miles traveled on a bicycle, which gave many customers their first measurement of distance traveled. The Root and Veeder companies merged in 1928. Voting machines, cash registers and gasoline dispensers are among the processes that have depended on Veeder-Root counters. N/A N/A Andrew Robinson 36 Acme United Corp. 55 Walls Drive, Suite 201 Fairfield, CT 06284 800-835-2263; www.acmeunited.com 1867 Supplier of innovative cutting, measuring, first aid and sharpening products Leo Renz founded the Renz Shear shop in Naugatuck, specializing in the making of cast iron shears and scissors; the company was incorporated in 1882 as The Acme Shear Co. The company expanded into Europe in the 1960s and went public during its 100th-anniversary year in 1967. A series of acquisitions over the past 20-plus years has helped to grow the company into a globally- recognized leader. 55 400 Walter C. Johnsen 36 Record-Journal 11 Crown St. Meriden, CT 06450 203-235-1661; www.myrecordjournal.com 1867 Print and digital daily newspaper Dates back to a weekly newspaper called the Weekly Visitor. Thomas Warnock was editor of the paper for almost half a century. E.E. Smith was the first of four generations to lead the Record- Journal as publisher. E.E. Smith was followed by his son, Wayne C. Smith, who served as publisher until his death in 1966. Carter White took over for his stepfather and was publisher until his retirement in 1988. Carter's son Eliot is the current Record-Journal president and publisher, and Liz White, a member of the family's fifth generation, is the executive vice president and assistant publisher. 90 125 Eliot White 38 Adkins Printing Inc. 40 South St. New Britain, CT 06051 860-229-1673; www.adkinsinc.net 1871 General printing, products and services to municipalities Founded by the three Adkins brothers with $700 they borrowed from their mother. Shortly after its incorporation in 1880 as a job printer and publisher of the New Britain Herald newspaper, the company began to offer products specific to municipalities in addition to general stationary products. Adkins survived the Great Depression and with the help of the women of the area kept operating during two World Wars. In the original plant, all of the machinery was driven by belts powered by one steam engine. The technology has changed, but the company's focus has remained the same. N/A N/A Scott Pechout 38 Bristol Press 188 Main St. Bristol, CT 06010 860-584-0501; http://www.bristolpress.com 1871 Daily newspaper Founded during the Golden Era of Newspapers. N/A N/A Michael E. Schroeder 38 Brown's Harvest Farm 1911 Poquonock Ave. Windsor, CT 06095 860-683-0266; www.brownsharvest.com 1871 Sixth-generation, family owned farm over 175 acres Tobacco is one of the state's most valuable crops and, the Browns began by manufacturing cigars and selling them throughout the region by horse and buggy. Eventually, they began growing the prized leaf on their farm. The family has diversified into growing other crops such as asparagus, strawberries and 40 varieties of pumpkins. In 2010, the Browns earned the State's Century Farm Award, and 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of their popular fall festival. 20 20 Stanton Brown 38 New Britain Herald 1 Court St. New Britain, CT 06051 860-255-4601; www.centralctcommunications.com/ newbritainherald 1871 Daily newspaper Founded during the Golden Era of Newspapers. N/A N/A Michael E. Schroeder THE LIST 50 Oldest Companies in Connecticut