I can say in all honesty that not a day has gone by in my first eleven months as lieutenant governor that I haven’t spoken about business, thought about business, or visited with a business or business owner in Connecticut.
As lieutenant governor, I have made it my primary responsibility to make sure we create as positive and supportive an environment as possible. I’m proud to say we have made great strides. I have a great partner in Gov. Rell — she understands the challenges. As a business owner myself, I know it firsthand.
It is an exciting time for Hartford and the entire state of Connecticut: expansion at Bradley International Airport is really “taking off” — new flights, new destinations — it is truly a world-class, international airport.
By adding Northwest Airlines’ direct flight to Amsterdam, we can better service the entire Hartford region’s growing international business community. I hope to share some positive economic development announcements in the near future.
Our financial services and insurance industry is growing as well. Stamford will soon be the fourth largest financial center in the world. It is also host to a football field-sized trading floor — the largest in the world. Our pharmaceutical industry is well represented too — Pfizer, based in southeastern Connecticut, has the largest research and development facility in the world.
The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology in East Hartford is helping the region become a center of technology and economic development in order to maintain our leadership in the global market.
I attended a ribbon cutting for CCAT to celebrate their newly expanded facility in East Hartford, where they can further accommodate the demands of Connecticut’s high-tech business community.
I also recently attended a ribbon cutting at a new warehouse for Avant Business Services. Avant is a family-owned business that offers staff leasing, messenger control centers, and delivery services with offices in New York City, Stamford and now Hartford. Avant currently employs 15 people at the Hartford warehouse, but with clients ranging from Stamford to Buffalo to Boston, they anticipate hiring at least 20 more people. That’s 35 more jobs for Hartford.
Connecticut Regional Market is “growing” by leaps and bounds — new distributors are moving in and it is the largest produce distribution center between Boston and New York. Plans are also in place for an expanded Farmers’ Market.
Some have proclaimed our manufacturers as dead. Well, with a nod to Mark Twain, the news of their death is greatly exaggerated. Manufacturing is not dead — it is reinventing itself. Like Connecticut and the city of Hartford, it is adapting — for instance, becoming specialized manufacturers of medical equipment to name one area that is growing and expanding.
The ripples of change and success are moving through our business community.
So, where are we going?
Over the last year, I have stood before numerous business groups and made a promise to support them to do what I could to help grow business not only in the Hartford region but throughout our great state!
I made that promise and I kept my word. Now, as we head into a new year and a new legislative session I make that same promise today. I will continue to make it my responsibility to make sure the right resources are available to our business community.
That being said, Gov. Rell and I still need help. We need to make sure that anti-business legislation which is proposed every year doesn’t change our positive business climate in Connecticut. As business owners, each of us has a stake in this.
Gov. Rell and I are here to support you along with all the state agencies charged with helping business — Connecticut Development Authority, Connecticut Innovations, Department of Economic and Community Development to name a few. Every business is important to us. Business all around the state needs to be made aware of all the resources we as a state have available to help them grow and prosper. Teamwork is what will make us successful as business owners. Teamwork is what will make us successful as a state. Together we mean business.
