June 28, 2021Edition

The loss of hotel rooms was the latest in a string of hospitality industry hits that have come during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the situation is causing anxiety for event overseers, who say the region needs a strong supply of rooms in order to remain competitive for attracting major events, which are key to the local economy.

As we now approach the tail end of the pandemic, those family businesses that have been able to survive the unprecedented challenges of the last year are deserving of recognition.

In capsule form, our Wealthiest list presents a view of the American wealth creation system. A sizable percentage of Connecticut’s billionaires didn’t start out with a boatload of money, and many channeled an entrepreneurial drive to build their fortune.

The Hartford Business Journal spoke with some local CPAs to find out how the wealthy try to reduce their tax bill — and what President Joe Biden’s tax proposals may mean for them.

Experts say a proposed tax on the net worth of the super-rich would be far more costly than the current estate tax.

Connecticut’s got its share of residents in the high-net-worth ranks — generally defined as an individual with at least $1 million in cash and similar liquid assets — but once you’ve made it, there’s another challenge: keeping it and growing your wealth.

A once-in-a-generation pandemic may have tripped up the U.S. economy over the past year, but CEO pay held up pretty well.

Enko Chem’s recent move from Greater Boston to Connecticut raised a few eyebrows, but CEO Jacqueline Heard said the state has advantages for startups, such as proximity to venture capital in New York and Boston and a lower cost of living compared to those locales.

CPA firms have traditionally been known for providing audit and tax services, but increasingly many Greater Hartford accountants have begun to offer, or are growing, tech-centric advisory services.

As Connecticut emerges from the pandemic, clean technology can catapult the state’s economy for years to come.

The rise of the “chief growth officer” title reflects a focus on growth common in the tech industry and other expanding sectors.

An ambitious plan to lure more top-flight researchers to the University of Connecticut and monetize their work via startups and new companies is one step closer to reality.

With nearly $4 trillion in total assets, JPMorgan Chase, the investment bank and financial services company, operator of retail banking brand Chase Bank, is the only national bank that has opened more branches in Connecticut than it has closed between Jan. 2017 and June 2021, according to federal data analyzed by the Hartford Business Journal.

Even after a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic forced beer makers to shift business strategies, new breweries are opening and existing ones are expanding.

East Hartford Brewing Group is bringing back the Ten Penny Ale, a pioneer brew in the modern Connecticut craft beer industry.

Tax increases were kept at bay this year, but policymakers must be cognizant of other policies that may not read like a tax hike but nonetheless make it more expensive or difficult to do business in the state.

Co-ops comprise a fundamental component of our business culture not only because they hold the gold standard of “stakeholder capitalism” but because doing well by doing good makes so much sense financially.