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OCTOBER 2, 2017 • HARTFORD BUSINESS JOURNAL | 33 D D 62.9DacreDparcel D D FrontageDonDDayDHillDRoadD&D GoodwinDDriveD D D ZonedDIndustrialD("I") D D AllDutilitiesDatDsite D D EasyDaccessDtoDBradleyDD InternationalDAirportDandDtheD I-91,D1-84DandDI-90Dcorridors D D ForDsaleDorDbuild-to-suit (860) 286-7660 www.griffinindustrial.com Find out why Amazon, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, FedEx & UPS all chose to locate within central Connecticut's premier market Day Hill Road AmazonDD DistributionDCenter ★ L a r g e i n d u s t r i a L / co m m e r c i a L s i t e ava i L a b L e 11 goodwin drive, Windsor, ct Connecticut's 50 oldest companies (In order of founding year) Rank Company (1) Year founded Type of business History No. of Conn. employees/ Total employees Person(s) in charge 1 Field View Farm 707 Derby Ave. Orange, CT 06477 203-795-0571; N/A 1639 Farming and agricultural equipment 170-acre farm, said to be the third oldest company in the U.S. Milk-trucking business began in 1975; a devastating fire in 1996 brought the farm down to 22 milking cows from 102; six tractor trailers, raw and pasteurized milk, yogurt, kefir and ice cream, hay and sweet corn. 7 7 Walter Hine Dorothy Hine 2 The Lyman Farm Inc. d/b/a Lyman Orchards 32 Reeds Gap Road Middlefield, CT 06455 860-349-1793; www.lymanorchards.com 1741 Orchard, bakery, grocery, event venue, golf club 1,100 acres of scenic farmland, now includes Pick Your Own orchards, corn and sunflower mazes, golf courses (45 holes), Wholesale Pies, and the Apple Barrel Farm Market; the Lyman family has been integral to state history as abolitionists, inventors and leaders in the incorporation of Middlefield. 50 200 (2) John Lyman III Stephen L Ciskowski 3 Hartford Courant 285 Broad St. Hartford, CT 06115 860-241-6200; www.courant.com 1764 News media Said to be the nation's oldest continuously published newspaper. In 1776, it was the "Patriots' leading voice," according to John Bard McNulty's "Older Than the Nation." It was so important that when its paper mill burned down in 1778, the Connecticut Assembly created a state lottery to finance a new mill. It was first to publish Noah Webster's "Blue-Backed Speller," which brought widespread literacy to the new nation. The paper won Pulitzers in 1992 and 1999. N/A N/A Andrew Julien 4 Ahlstrom-Munksjö (3) 2 Elm St. Windsor Locks, CT 06096 860-654-8300; www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com 1767 High-performance, fiber- based materials Dexter Paper Corp., the oldest company listed on the NYSE until 1988, was owned and operated by the Dexter family until that same year. The 1990s saw a series of restructurings until the firm was bought by Finland's Ahlstrom Corp. in 2000. Today, offerings include decor paper, filter media, release liners, abrasive backings, nonwovens, electrotechnical paper, glass fiber materials, food packaging and labeling, tape, medical fiber materials and solutions for diagnostics. 724 6,200 Jan Åström 5 Griswold Inn 36 Main St. Essex, CT 06426 860-767-1776; www.griswoldinn.com 1776 Lodging, hospitality and retail Fine food, spirits and lodging to seafarers and overland travelers since the American Revolution; one of the oldest continuously operating inns in the country, never having closed its doors during wars, recession, Depression and even Prohibition—operating as a speakeasy during those years. N/A (4) N/A Alan Barone 6 Norwich Bulletin 10 Railroad Place Norwich, CT 06360 860-887-9211; www.norwichbulletin.com 1791 Digital and print media Started as the Weekly Register by Ebenezer Bushnell; after a series of name changes and publishing schedules, The Bulletin is prospering in a digital age. The paper has moved from only manufacturing thousands of newspapers daily to one that works on a 24-hour news cycle, consistently updating readers online, as well as offering a monthly magazine and digital marketing tools. 32 32 Nadine D. McBride 7 Cigna Corp. (5) 900 Cottage Grove Road Bloomfield, CT 06002 860-226-6000; www.cigna.com 1792 Global health service, group life, accident and disability insurance The Insurance Co. of North America (INA) was the first marine insurance company in the U.S. In 1865, the governor of Connecticut signed a special law creating Connecticut General Life Insurance Co. In 1982, Cigna was formed through the combination of INA Corp. and Connecticut General Corp. The company now has more than 95 million global customer relationships. 4,400 40,000 (6) David M. Cordani 8 Smith-Worthington Saddlery Co. 275 Homestead Ave. Hartford, CT 06112 860-527-9117; www.smithworthington.com 1794 Custom and in-stock English saddles, full-service alterations, repairs Founded by Normand Smith when Washington was President and always located in Hartford; Smith- Worthington designs, imports, distributes, customizes and repairs saddles, riding equipment and leather goods. 5 5 Curtis Hanks 9 Platt Bros. & Co. 2670 So. Main St., Box 1030 E. Waterbury, CT 06721 203-753-4194; www.plattbros.com 1797 Zinc and zinc-based alloys For $1,700, Nathan Platt bought the original site of the Platt Bros. plant, including 30 acres of land, water rights, sawmill, gristmill, barn and a house alongside the Naugatuck River. Still primarily owned by direct descendants of the founders, now a nationally-recognized producer of zinc base alloys in strip, rod and wire. 83 95 David Mieczkowski 10 The Hartford Financial Services Group 1 Hartford Plaza Hartford, CT 06155 860-547-5000; www.thehartford.com 1810 Property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds Started as a fire insurance company, employing its own fire department to protect customers; wrote the first insurance policy for an institution of higher learning, Yale University. Policyholders have included Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Robert E. Lee, Babe Ruth and construction of the Hoover Dam, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Golden Gate Bridge. 6,800 16,900 Christopher J. Swift 11 New Haven Register 100 Gando Drive New Haven, CT 06513 203-789-5200; www.nhregister.com 1812 News media, video, advertising, sales The Connecticut Gazette founded in 1755 was a precursor to the New Haven Register, which has been in operation since 1812. The Register provides strong local and wider news coverage, including sports, entertainment, lifestyle, health, education, breaking news and more. 101 101 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 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. 235 Tobias Reiss- THE LIST 50 Oldest Companies in Connecticut