Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 20, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 11 Reporter's Notebook Gregory Seay | gseay@HartfordBusiness.com Real Estate, Economic Development/Construction, Banking & Finance and Manufacturing MANUFACTURING Skills gap, 'mechatronics' front of mind for CT manufacturers in 2018 C onnecticut manufacturers continue to fret about the dearth of ap- prenticeship and other training opportunities to produce the next generation of skilled talent, a fresh New Haven Manufacturers Association (NHMA) survey has found. NHMA is the state's leading manufacturers' lobby, counting 180 members, about a third of whom are mostly small- to mid-size produc- tion shops with 50 or fewer employees. The rest are service companies and sup- pliers that support manufacturers, said NHMA member and survey proctor Charles Reese. Reese, a vet- eran of high-tech manufacturing, is president and CEO of Accelerated Achievements LLC, a Madison-based manu- facturing consultancy. Conducted in early October, the survey went to 70 NHMA members, of which 62 re- sponded to a diverse range of questions and issue topics. Reese in October shared the results at a NHMA legislative-issues forum at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. As with NHMA's previous surveys, these latest findings, according to Reese and NHMA Executive Director Edward Fenton, will be used to craft the nonprofit booster's legislative-lobbying agenda for 2018. Not surprisingly, concerns about the ongoing skills gap confronting Connecticut manufacturers, which are faced with an ag- ing workforce, came through loud and clear in the survey responses, Reese said. Eighty-percent of respondents said lack of younger candidates for manufacturing jobs was a concern, while 72 percent said they were worried about the anticipated retire- ment of key personnel. Other survey highlights included: • Sixty-six percent of respondents said they rely on the state's system of vocational- technical (vo-tech) high schools for talent. Even firms that typically seek out older, more experienced workers prefer those who have vo-tech degrees, Reese said. • At least 45 respondents said they hired a graduate of either a vo-tech school or a community college in 2016. • The survey also revealed manufacturers' concerns about high taxes, particularly property and income taxes, which are most painful to small companies. "We can't afford the taxes and the fiscal policy of the state,'' Reese said. The first survey in October led the NHMA to undertake a second survey focused solely on manufacturing technology that is rapidly gaining traction in the U.S. That technology is known as "mechatronics," which combines mechanical systems, such as conveyors, robots and other devices, with sensors and other "intelligent" electronics and computer software for an even greater level of automation and reliability. The second survey, being led by NHMA's paid lobbyist Melissa Biggs, targets manufac- turers anxious about what they see as the state vo-tech education system's slow embrace of mechatronics curricula. The need is growing across Connecticut and the U.S. for talent skilled in installing, configuring with programming and main- taining mechatronics systems, Reese said. However, he said just a handful of Connecti- cut vo-tech high schools and state community colleges offer mechatronics courses. Platt in Milford is one of those. A handful of for-profit educators, such as Porter & Chester Institute, also offer mechatronics training. Reese said the tech survey eventually will be shared with each of the 17 vo-tech high schools and system administrators. By corralling hard data from NHMA members, the second survey aims to discern the number of vo-tech graduates needed in specific locales and corners of the state, Reese said. Vo-tech schools, he said, need to know how many graduates per year they must gener- ate, as well as the technical details of what their mechatronics curricula must cover, to satisfy manufacturers' hiring requirements. "We are still in data-collection mode and our hope is that before the end of the month to get back to the technical high schools with data,'' Reese said. DEAL WATCH $1.3M Cheshire industrial-warehouse sale A 35,300-square-foot Cheshire warehouse building recently sold for $1.3 million, brokers said. Delmic Properties LLC, owner of Target Sports, acquired the building on 4.3 acres at 30 Fieldstone Court from Cheshire Industrial Associates Ltd., said listing broker Godin Property Brokers. Target Sports intends to use the building, which includes 2,200 square feet of offices, five docks and parking for more than 50 vehicles, for its warehouse-distribution operations. The building originally was listed at $1.7 million. $595K Bloomfield industrial sale A 29,886-square-foot Bloomfield industrial building has sold for $595,000, brokers said. Novarr Enterprises LLC sold the 59-year-old manufacturing building on 1.81 acres at 12-14 Tobey Road to 12 Tobey Road LLC, said seller's broker Sentry Commercial. The property originally was listed at $695,000. The building features two dock doors, one drive-in door, 3,750 square feet of office space, and is located in Bloomfield's Enterprise Zone. The designation means the property owner and business tenants qualify for certain state and local property-tax and other incentives. It has parking for 40 vehicles. $780K Hamden sale An 18,500-square-foot Hamden industrial building has sold for $780,000 to serve as another Connecticut location for materials- handling equipment vendor Tri-Lift Inc. Murgo Empire LLC acquired the building at 1050 Sherman Ave. from Olde Ways LLC to house a Tri-Lift installation for selling, renting and servicing forklifts, lift trucks and pallet jacks, according to seller's broker Press | Cuozzo Commercial Services. The New Haven Group represented the buyer. IAT Re's Cheshire renewal Property-casualty insurer IAT Reinsurance Co. Ltd. has renewed and increased its lease in a Cheshire office building. IAT extended its lease another three years through 2024 with landlord RPG Highland on 8,164 square feet at 1154 Highland Ave., plus added an extra 3,147 square feet in the building, said sole broker Reno Properties Group LLC. IAT Reinsurance provides truck liability and inland marine insurance to owner-operators and small fleet owners. Yamazen's Newington space Yamazen Inc. has signed a 10-year lease on 13,500 square feet in a former Newington jet-engine repair facility to house operations for the Japanese distributor of machine tools and other industrial equipment. Yamazen leased the space at 35 Holland Drive from landlord ATR Realty, said listing broker Reno Properties Group LLC. The building's features include high ceilings, heavy power and an air-compressor system. $625K S. Windsor sale Monika Czop has paid $625,000 for the 9,916-square-foot commercial building at 279 Nutmeg Road South, in South Windsor. The seller of the 2-acre property was 9 Nutmeg Road South LLC. Sentry Commercial was the sole broker in this transaction. 12-14 Tobey Road, Bloomfield. 279 Nutmeg Road South, South Windsor. BANKING & FINANCE SBA Lending in Connecticut The U.S. Small Business Administration's Con- necticut district office backed $284 million in loans in fiscal 2017, flat from a year earlier. However, SBA activity has picked up in recent years. Here's a breakdown of the loan volume: 2012 $202M 2013 $226M 2014 $286M 2015 $287M 2016 $284M 2017 $284M Source: CT SBA District Office SBA's Top Lenders in Fiscal '17 TD Bank Webster Bank Berkshire Bank Farmington Bank Liberty Bank Source: CT SBA District Office PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED Charles Reese, CEO, Accelerated Achievements LLC

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