By Jack Krampitz
Gov. Ned Lamont, visiting Bristol on Wednesday to announce a new manufacturing initiative for startups, recalled the state’s renowned history and said that Connecticut is where people looked for manufacturing leadership and now can look for the same leadership from a new partnership.
The partnership brings together the state, CTNext, Connecticut’s resource organization for entrepreneurial support, and the Department of Community Development (DECD) with FORGE, a nonprofit organization that connects startups with the resources they need to grow and succeed.
“We know the crucial role manufacturing plays in our economy, and connecting the right resources to the startups that are driving innovation will keep Connecticut a leader,” Lamont said. “FORGE’s presence in Connecticut will set the stage for long-term manufacturing and business innovation.”
The governor cited the rich manufacturing legacy of Connecticut manufacturers, including Pratt and Whitney, Sikorsky and Stanley Tools, not only at the forefront of manufacturing in United States but also of the world.
The purpose of the partnership is to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of Connecticut’s manufacturing sector. The announcement was made at press conference at Novo Precision at Dolphin Road.
With joint funding from CTNext and the DECD’s Manufacturing Innovation Fund, FORGE’s presence will set the stage manufacturing growth in the state and business innovation.
Onyeka Obiocha, executive director of CTNext, said that bringing FORGE to Connecticut allows the state to have “a stronger connection between our entrepreneurs and our manufacturing base here in the state, allowing our entrepreneurs to create next generation products… to be built, developed. and launched in the state of Connecticut, utilizing our in-house talent and health workforce and resources.”
Paul Lavoie, chief manufacturing officer for the State of Connecticut, told a story of how difficult it is for an entrepreneur to take something from the design stage to actual production.
“We’re going to put our arms around our entrepreneurial network…and we’re going to watch them grow,” he said, stressing that FORGE was being brought in to make sure that entrepreneurs stay in Connecticut and succeed here.
Laura Teicher, executive director of FORGE, said that FORGE believes in localizing the production of new products.
“It is a powerful way to drive regional job creation, economic health, and resiliency,” she said referring to local production.
Teicher added that since FORGE was started in 2015, they have helped almost 600 innovative companies on the path from prototype to production at scale. As a result, they have supported over 5,000 jobs in innovation and manufacturing.
“Nearly two-thirds of the contracts to manufacture can be attributed to our introductions between companies within 60 miles of each other,” she said.
William Hazard, CEO of Novo, spoke on the focus of his company, which is “finding strategic new products and strategic new customers who we want to work with.”
Hazard said that he thought his company was the perfect site for the Forge announcement.
“We are moving product back within a mile of here,” he said, in reference to “localizing our supply chain.”
“And then we are constantly focused on improving how we do things,” he said. “The way we describe our business or mission is simply to solve our customers’ problems.”
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