After decades of growth, Wolcott fastener manufacturer adds new facility in $4M expansion

Leland Gaw and John F. Famiglietti Sr., who both joined Wolcott-based rivet maker Edson Manufacturing in 1978 as 16-year-old apprentice toolmakers, have spent decades building the company into a regional force in precision fasteners. Now, as business growth accelerates, the longtime partners are investing roughly $4 million to expand the manufacturer’s Wolcott footprint with a bigger facility. Early in their careers, Gaw and Famiglietti developed a stainless-steel blind rivet line that became a top seller for Edson’s then-owner, Marson Corp. Eighteen years after they joined the company, Marson offered to sell Edson to the pair — along with a 10-year contract to purchase blind rivets. Gaw and Famiglietti were both 35 when they took over the company in 1997. At the time, Edson employed seven people, served a single customer and operated out of a 5,200-square-foot shop at 10 Swiss Lane in Wolcott. Today, Edson and its sister company, Naugatuck-based Howard Engineering, employ 56 people and annually produce about 450 million fasteners, tools, parts and components for thousands of customers across the automotive, defense, firearms, racing, aerospace and medical industries, among others. “It’s really our commitment to quality and customer service and our knowledge of the industry,” said Famiglietti, now 65. “We are toolmakers by trade, and I’m an engineer with a degree, but over the years, we’ve basically grown with blood, sweat, tears, hard work and good relationships — good vendor relationships, good customer relationships, good relationships with employees.” That growth is now driving Edson’s next expansion. Gaw and Famiglietti recently paid $3.5 million for a 33,786-square-foot light industrial building in Wolcott, at 1 Hillside Drive. The two-story, masonry-sided building, built in 2003, features 30-foot wall heights and sits on a 36.5-acre parcel. Famiglietti said the new property will help Edson expand deeper into the aerospace market and strengthen the company’s image for customers who visit the operation. Edson expects to occupy the entire building around mid-year and will outfit it with new technology. Between the purchase price and equipment, Famiglietti said the total investment is expected to reach about $4 million. “It’s absolutely impeccable,” Famiglietti said of the newly purchased building. “It’s got all state-of-the-art facilities. It’s like a brand-new building inside. The grounds are beautiful. It’s got nice curb appeal.” Edson will continue operating from its existing 21,050-square-foot facility at 10 Venus Drive, and also uses warehouse space at 50 Wakelee Road (4,160 square feet) and 9 Venus Drive (12,308 square feet), all in Wolcott. Gaw and Famiglietti own those properties as well. Howard Engineering, a deep-draw and stamping metal-forming operation, will maintain its 33,470-square-foot Naugatuck headquarters at 687 Wooster St. Famiglietti said the partners are considering future construction at the new Hillside Drive site, with the long-term goal of eventually consolidating operations at a single location. The property was sold by a limited liability company tied to Japan-based medical device manufacturer Nissha Co. LTD., whose subsidiary Nissha Medical Technologies has operated there. The building was listed by Toby Brimberg of O,R&L Commercial. John Famiglietti, of Commercial Connection LLC, represented the buyers. To finance the purchase, Famiglietti and Gaw secured a loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 program. Danbury’s Ives Bank partnered on the deal with Hamden-based SBA lender Community Investment Corp. “We are thrilled our SBA loan products are being used to increase manufacturing and to facilitate these types of transactions,” said Catherine Marx, director of the SBA’s Connecticut office.