Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

F a l l 2 0 1 7 • S T U F F 2 3 C O O L S T U F F General Dynamics Electric Boat built the first nuclear ballistic missile submarine in 1959 and its Ohio Class submarines currently comprise the sea- based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad – a defense system that distributes nuclear weapons on land, air and sea to prevent the nation's nuclear forces from being destroyed in the event of a first-strike attack. "Each ballistic missile submarine is armed with up to 24 Trident II missiles. They are our nation's most secure and survivable nuclear deterrent," says Director of Communications Liz Power. Stanley Black & Decker is famous for innovation, introducing the world's first retractable tape measure in 1931. It was called a push-pull tape and had a spring clip to hold the tape in position. This convenience was crucial for astronauts whose mobility was limited by their space suits. "The PowerLock tape was included in Apollo 11's lunar landing gear in 1969 and today we sell millions of tape measures a year, with many of them manufactured in New Britain," says Chirag Kamani, Director of Engineering, Stanley Black & Decker. COOL STUFF Submarines Who builds it: General Dynamics Electric Boat Where: Groton Founded: 1899 Employees: Over 15,000 with 10,000 in Connecticut How they make it: Large portions of prebuilt and tested equipment assemblies called rafts are constructed outside of the hull and then inserted into hull sections to form modules. Modules are then joined together to form the finished submarine. How much it costs: $5 billion for a Columbia Class submarine, $1.7 billion for a Virginia Class submarine Who uses the product: The U.S. Navy Electric Boat's USS Holland, commissioned in 1900, was the first modern U.S. Navy submarine. The company provided more submarines to the U.S. fleet than any other shipyard during World War II. "In the Pacific Campaign, submarines sank 55 percent of all enemy vessels while comprising just 1.6 percent of Navy ships," says Director of Communications Liz Power. COOL STUFF Tape Measures Who makes it: Stanley Black & Decker Where: New Britain Founded: 1843 How they make it: Steel is cut to exacting specifications, painted, printed and rolled. Springs are attached to automatic winding mechanisms then combined with the tape in a casing. Employees: Over 1,500 in Connecticut, more than 54,000 worldwide How much it costs: $7 for a 16-foot long, quarter-inch wide tape Who uses the product: DIYers to professional tradespeople Founded in 1843 by Frederick Stanley, New Britain's Stanley Works manufactured bolts, hinges and other hardware out of an armory used in the War of 1812. It merged with Black & Decker in 2010 and continues to grow. Today, it is the world's largest tools and storage company, the second largest commercial electronic security company, and a leading provider of engineered fastening systems. FactOId $79,022 Entry-level pay for an industrial production manager, the highest- paying entry-level manufacturing job for a non-engineer in Connecticut

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