Hartford Business Journal

4 Hartford Business Journal • December 4, 2017 • www.HartfordBusiness.com Briefs Brackets For Good nonprofit tourney expanding statewide in 2018 After raising more than $216,000 in the Hartford region earlier this year, the Brackets for Good nonprofit fundraiser tournament is expanding next year across Connecticut, organizers announced. Last March, Hartford-area nonprofits raised $216,348 in the month-long competition, with 33.2 percent of those donations coming from first-time donors. Based on this success, organizers and sponsor Stanley Black & Decker are asking nonprofits across the state to participate in next year's competition that starts March 2, said Reid McDowell, partnerships and marketing director of Brackets For Good. The charitable organization is based in Indianapolis and hosts online, bracket- style fundraising tournaments every March in communities around the United States. Nationally, the organization has raised more than $6.4 million for charitable nonprofits since 2012. To participate in 2018, charities in Connecticut must register at https:// connecticut.bfg.org. Nonprofits have until Dec. 31 to complete the five-minute registration. CT's Oct. homebuilding permits up Connecticut's construction of houses, condos and apartments gained steam in October, but remain well off last year's pace, new data shows. There were 507 permits issued in 104 sampled communities last month vs. 462 issued in Oct. 2016, the state Department of Economic and Community Development said, citing the latest Census Bureau permit tally. Through the first 10 months of this year, 3,198 permits were issued vs. 3,696 issued the same period last year, DECD data shows. Single-family dwellings and buildings with five or more living units continue to dominate the state home-building scene. Norwalk leads all sampled communities, with 238 housing permits granted in October, and 426 issued through the first 10 months of 2017. SCA Pharma plant opens in Windsor Little Rock, Ark.-based SCA Pharmaceuticals opened last week its new manufacturing facility in Windsor, where it expects to employ about 361 workers by 2021. As of Nov. 27, the company began employing 135 people "with the goal of getting to 150 before the end of the year. Then we'll be adding significantly in 2018 and 2019," said Brenden Roche, SCA's senior marketing coordinator. In May, SCA announced it would build the new manufacturing plant at 755 Rainbow Road. The company makes injectable pharmaceuticals and pre-filled syringes in ready-to-administer dosages for use at hospitals and healthcare facilities. SCA Pharmaceuticals already has an $8.5 million loan from the state of Connecticut for the project, and is receiving an undisclosed amount of financial assistance for the 90,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. E. Hartford healthcare data processing facility eliminating 102 jobs A New Jersey-based automation and analytics services provider said it is laying off 102 workers at its East Hartford office due to the expiration of a major contract with an undisclosed customer. Conduent Inc. is the parent company of East Hartford's Conduent State Healthcare LLC, which is eliminating the positions at its East Hartford office at 77 Hartland St. Conduent, which was spun off from Norwalk- based Xerox in 2016, manages data for insured patients and people who travel through toll systems in the U.S., handling digital payments, claims processing, benefit administration, automated tolling and customer care. Its healthcare division provides healthcare data processing and other related services, according to the company's website. The layoffs will occur by Jan. 16. Larson promotes pollution tax to fund infrastructure investment U.S. Rep. John Larson took to the national stage last week to tout his plan to invest $1 trillion in the nation's infrastructure paid for by a pollution tax. Larson, who represents Connecticut's 1st Congressional District, gave a keynote address Nov. 28 at a Brookings Institution panel discussion entitled "Can Tax Reform Include A Carbon Tax?" He talked about a recent bill he introduced, the American Wins Act, which proposes to raise $1.8 trillion over 10 years through an upstream tax on the carbon-content of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. "This fully-paid for proposal would be an investment that would target our roads, bridges, levees, tunnels and rail lines so we can improve commerce, provide jobs, and ultimately improve the economy," Larson said. Week in Review TOP STORY ESPN begins layoffs; cuts studio production, digital content staff B ristol sports entertainment giant ESPN began last week its planned layoffs of 150 workers. Most of the affected jobs were in studio production, digital content and technology, ESPN President John Skipper told staff on Nov. 29. "We appreciate their contributions, and will assist them as much as possible in this difficult moment with severance, a 2017 bonus, the continuation of health benefits and outplacement services," Skipper said in a memo posted online by the network. The cuts represent about 2 percent of ESPN's workforce. Rich Hanley, associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University, said the expected layoffs reinforce the idea that the network has already peaked "and is seeking more so to manage the decline in overall cable subscriptions than it is to promote growth at this point." Mike Soltys, ESPN's vice president of corporate communications, countered that view. "The notion we're not growing is a little ill informed," he said. He cited the expected addition of 70 jobs with the launch of ESPN's ACC network in Bristol and the launch of "Get Up," a new morning show debuting next spring in New York City. He also cited the introduction of ESPN Plus, a direct-to-consumer product that will provide more sports coverage this spring through BAMTech, a company ESPN's parent Disney recently acquired. The most recent layoffs come as ESPN tries to shift its focus to digital programming as growing numbers of viewers unsubscribe from cable. BY THE NUMBERS 150 The number of employees ESPN laid off on Nov. 29. $40M The amount the state Bond Commis- sion approved to renovate and prepare the aging XL Center for a potential sale. 3,198 The number of housing permits issued during the first 10 months of 2017, which was down 13.5 percent from the year-ago period, according to the state Department of Economic and Commu- nity Development. $1T The amount Congressman John Larson wants to invest in U.S. infrastructure to be paid for by a new carbon tax. TOP 5 MOST READ On HartfordBusiness.com • 1. E. Hartford healthcare data processing facility eliminating 102 jobs • 2. AG Jepsen says he won't run for re-election • 3. ESPN begins layoffs; cuts studio production, digital content staff • 4. SCA Pharma plant opens in Windsor • 5. 3 seated to Municipal Accountability Review Board STAY CONNECTED For breaking and daily Greater Hartford business news go to www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJ on Twitter: @HartfordBiz HBJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HartfordBiz HBJ on Linkedln: www.linkedin.com/company/ the-Hartford-Business-Journal Daily e-newsletters: HBJ Today, CT Morning Blend www.HartfordBusiness.com/subscribe Weekly e-newsletters: CT Green Guide Weekly, CT Health Care Weekly www.HartfordBusiness.com/subscribe In recent years, ESPN opened a new studio (shown above) in Bristol with state support. U.S. Rep. John Larson PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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