News

Electric Boat president says $22.2 billion submarine contract provides predictable future for company

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Electric Boat President Kevin Graney hailed the $22.2 billion contract — the largest shipbuilding contract in Navy history — inked Monday for providing predictability for the company's 17,000 employees and the "entire submarine enterprise." The contract between the Navy and EB to build at least nine Virginia-class attack submarines over the next five years "is an important milestone as our nation prepares for a generational increase in submarine production," Graney said Tuesday at a news conference at the company's Groton headquarters.

First local plastics manufacturing training program to launch in January

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Following a multiyear push for a plastics manufacturing training program, and building on the success of the Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board program, Workforce Alliance is launching a free, 10-week Intro to Plastics Manufacturing course through Three Rivers Community College in January. EWIB and Workforce Alliance are among the state’s five regional workforce investment boards, with Workforce Alliance based in New Haven and serving the south-central region. Click here for the full article

Navy inks $22.2 billion contract with Electric Boat for at least nine new submarines

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

The Navy has signed a $22.2 billion contract with Electric Boat to build at least nine Virginia-class attack submarines over the next five years. The contract includes the option to buy a 10th submarine, but that purchase is contingent on a six-month review of submarine production at EB and Newport News Shipbuilding, which together build two Virginia-class submarines per year. With construction starting soon on a new class of ballistic missile submarines, a top priority for the Navy given these submarines will be armed with nuclear weapons, the Navy wants to ensure that EB, Newport News and their suppliers can handle tha...

Outlook for Connecticut’s defense economy is strong, state’s military office says

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Tens of billions of federal defense dollars went to Connecticut last year, and with no sign of that slowing down, the outlook for the state's defense industry is expected to remain strong over the next five years. That was the major takeaway in the most recent report on Connecticut's defense economy released annually by the state's Office of Military Affairs. "That's good news for the industry because that helps companies plan," said Bob Ross, executive director of the office. Click here for the full article

Study finds region has adequate housing for new Electric Boat employees

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

A study looking at the impact of thousands of new residents coming to work at Electric Boat over the next decade has found there will be adequate housing for them in the region but it’s likely that these new employees will rely on cars to get to and from work. The study, which began in 2018 and primarily looked at housing and transportation, is intended to provide guidance to planners as they navigate future development in their municipalities. Click here for the full article

Groton’s excellent Mint Leaf fuses northern Indian cuisine with Nepalese and Chinese touches

Friday, November 22, 2019

As I become increasingly feeble, trying to simplify my life is a top priority. When, for instance, five different organizations remind me via text, Facebook or email that it's time to have the oil changed in my car — and, needless to say, I can't do it myself — there is now the very real possibility that my wife Eileen will look at our credit card statement and say, "Hey, did you just have your oil changed five times?" I'm not losing my memory so much as I'm distracted by the world in general. In that spirit, it was counterproductive for me to hea...

History Revisited: Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton a jewel of the region

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Although games similar to the sport of golf can be traced back to the 12th century, it is generally accepted that the modern version of the game was developed in Scotland in the 1700s and became a popular sport in the United States in the mid to late 1800s. One of Groton’s oldest and most famous landmarks, both past and present, is the Shennecossett Golf Course. Although there is no specific information as to the exact date of when or why the course was built, information does exist to provide possible plausible answers to these questions. Click here for the full article

Vineyard Wind CEO sees both New London and Bridgeport as viable wind hubs

Monday, November 18, 2019

The CEO of Vineyard Wind, one of the companies vying to supply offshore wind power to Connecticut, said, by his estimate, 10 ports need to be developed up and down the Eastern Seaboard to support the industry. And he sees both Bridgeport and New London as viable options. States along the Eastern Seaboard have set goals of buying 25,000 megawatts of offshore wind power over the next 10 years, enough to power 12.5 million homes. Click here for the full article

Groton's ThayerMahan has the world's oceans covered

Friday, November 15, 2019

If ever a local business were operating in a “sweet spot” among current and potential customers, it’s ThayerMahan, a maritime technology firm that specializes in unmanned undersea robotics. With Electric Boat nearby, the U.S. Naval Sub Base up the Thames River, the Coast Guard Academy across the river, and maritime businesses stretching from Long Island Sound to across the 70 percent of the planet covered by oceans, opportunities for this four year-old company abound. In July, it received a four-year, $19.4 million contract from the Office of Naval Research to fund development of its proprietary acoustic and electronic search systems i...

Electric Boat, Navy agree to a minimum of nine submarines over next five years

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Navy and Electric Boat have come to an agreement on a multi-year contract for the next group of Virginia-class attack submarines the service intends to buy. The value of the contract will not be released until it is finalized, which is expected at the end of this year, but it will include a minimum of nine submarines, yielding $1.8 billion in savings, a Pentagon official said. Click here for the full article

Groton City looks to revitalize ‘cute little’ Thames Street

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Thames Street resident Jennifer Lerz-Arnold enjoys watching large ships and submarines go by on the Thames River, which she can see from her bedroom window or a nearby dock. She said she knows it's summertime by the sound of the party boat Hel-Cat II's three loud horns in the morning. The water is what she loves about living in her apartment in a historic home on Thames Street. Click here for the full article

Out and About: Another success for Sift seems baked in

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Ever wonder what’s happening on the second level of Sift Bakery in Mystic now that they took over the building? I’ll tell you what. They will have a separate outdoor business up there featuring tapas, drinks, live music and, perhaps, yoga. They haven’t decided on a new name, but I am sure it will be fun and appealing. Click here for the full article

Mystic Education Center proposed as mixed-use village for young professionals

Friday, November 08, 2019

Groton — The former Mystic Education Center, at 240 Oral School Road, is proposed to be redeveloped as a mixed-use village designed for young professionals to "live, work and play," according to conceptual plans announced Thursday. Respler Homes LLC is proposing to turn the former Mystic Oral School building into the village's "commercial hub," with co-working and high-tech R&D spaces and amenities such as an organic market, coffeehouse and restaurant, and constructing about 750 market-rate apartments on site. Click here for the full article

State Unveils Business Recruitment Video Promoting “Place People Love to Live”

Wednesday, November 06, 2019

“It’s a state where people wanna be,” exclaims Gov. Ned Lamont in the state’s new business recruitment video. The 7-minute video has an impressive line-up of a dozen co-stars, extolling the state’s virtues and urging corporate decision-makers from elsewhere to “Choose Connecticut.” As the video’s narrator intones “Where you work can determine how successful you can be,” scenes of Connecticut businesses and landscapes appear on-screen, leading to the verbal and visual welcome mat - “welcome to a place people love to live.” Read full article.

Business Contributions to the Economy

Friday, November 01, 2019

Businesses provide numerous benefits to an economy in the form of products and services for use by society, tax revenues to governments, payroll to employees, and innovations, among others. Businesses range in type from sole proprietors to multi-national conglomerates. The figures below show how many companies are located in Connecticut by employee size, and how many people are employed by those different-sized companies. The 2018 data is available from the Connecticut Department of Labor, and refers to worksites, which is a count of firms, excluding government, that have only one location, plus a count of each location of firms that hav...

Governor Lamont Forms Council to Ensure Businesses Have Access to the Best Trained Workers in the Country

Friday, November 01, 2019

Executive Order Focuses on Coordinating the State’s Workforce Training Initiatives to Meet the Needs of 21st Century Jobs Governor Ned Lamont announced that he has signed an executive order directing the creation of the Governor’s Workforce Council, a body that will be responsible for partnering with the business community and knocking down barriers among state government agencies so that Connecticut can have the most aligned, high-quality, and equitable workforce development system in the country. The governor explained that his goal is to “reform a system designed to meet the needs of 20th century jobs and realign it for the 21st century. Connecticut rightly has a nationa...

UConn Avery Point to host art exhibition featuring work by Electric Boat employees

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

An art exhibition at the University of Connecticut Avery Point featuring work by Electric Boat employees will be open to the public and campus community from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 24 through Jan. 5, 2020 (excluding Nov. 28 and 29). Click here for more information

Presidential yacht Sequoia makes stop in New London

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The former presidential yacht Sequoia, a National Historic Landmark that hosted presidential cocktail parties and sit-downs with world leaders under eight presidents, made a surprise visit to the Whaling City on Wednesday. The 104-foot “floating White House” was on its way from Maryland to a boatyard in Belfast, Maine, for a stem-to-stern, museum-quality restoration when it sought refuge from the upcoming storm. Click here for the full article

North Stonington, Groton top list for economic growth in CT

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Farmtrue in North Stonington produces Ghee at its Route 2 studio. “It’s used as a cooking oil,” explained company co-founder Kim Welch. “It’s great for digestion.” The ayurveda lifestyle company founded by Welch, along with Lynn Goodwin, is one of several new businesses including Jovial Foods, which have moved into town and long vacant spaces. “The amount of land that was available and how heavily trafficked the area is, there was a lot of potential here,” said Welch. Click here for the full article

As Electric Boat marks the biggest Groton shipyard expansion in decades, company President Jeffrey Geiger announces his retirement

Friday, October 04, 2019

As Electric Boat celebrated its biggest expansion at its Groton shipyard in more than 45 years, the company announced a major change in leadership with the retirement of company President Jeffrey Geiger. General Dynamics announced that Geiger will retire Sept. 30 after 35 years with the defense contractor. He will be succeeded by Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics NASSCO, which designs and builds auxiliary and support ships for the Navy, oil tankers and dry cargo carriers. Read full article.

Modern Economic Development with a Focus on Inclusivity

Thursday, October 03, 2019

In years past, economic development focused primarily on job creation and GDP growth as ways to measure progress. While these are still important measures, modern economic development practices have expanded to include a focus on inclusivity—making sure that economic benefits and an improved standard of living accrue to residents across the spectrum, and not just to those in select categories. Similarly, the changing nature of work means that community characteristics such as broadband access, educational networks, and quality healthcare are as important as traditional infrastructure such as roads and railways. As such, many economic development organizations have expanded the benchmarks the...

In National Ranking of School Systems, a New State Is On Top

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Nation earns a grade of C amid mixed state showing New Jersey takes the top spot in the newly released "Quality Counts 2019," the 23rd annual report card of state education systems issued by the Education Week Research Center, while the nation as a whole once again earns a C grade despite some jockeying for position among individual states. The report, the third of three installments, synthesizes 39 indicators that capture a range of school finance, academic achievement, and socioeconomic factors that affect the quality of state school systems. Read full article.

Manufacturing jobs grow in eastern Conn.

Tuesday, October 01, 2019

State and federal investments in eastern Connecticut’s once-struggling manufacturing sector are paying off, according to new data made public by state and nonprofit officials. Studies from the Eastern Workforce Investment Board, an agency operating under the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that oversees workforce development programs, and the Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance placed the region’s manufacturing job growth at 11.3 percent between 2015 and 2019, four times the state’s average and twice the U.S. average. Read full article.

Cooperative Leads with Environmental Stewardship & Provides Delicious Oysters in Groton

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Operating on the docks of Groton’s Noank village, the Noank Aquaculture Cooperative is cultivating oysters and growing the local oyster population. Their sustainable practices are providing East Coast customers with delicious oysters to eat, and locals with the opportunity to continue their traditions. Founded in 2000 by a group of Groton’s oyster farmers, it has since expanded to include members from Long Island, NY. Their goal is to work together to cultivate the finest oysters for the Northeast region. Jim Markow and Karen Rivara, the owners of member-Aeros, created the cooperative so that Groton’s aquaculture businesses would have access to ...

Connecticut: 10th Happiest State in the Nation. Really.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Happy is not often a word associated with residents of Connecticut. So it may come as a surprise to many that Connecticut is the 10th happiest state in the nation, according to a new analysis considering a range of variables. Categories from public safety to suicide rate, divorce rate to adequate sleep, volunteerism to hours worked were included. In order to determine the happiest states in America, the financial website WalletHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Work Environment and 3) Community & Environment. They evaluated those dimensions using 31 relevant metrics. The to...

Having a Baby? Connecticut’s a Great Place, Data Shows

Wednesday, September 04, 2019

If having a baby is on your agenda, Connecticut is among the best places to be. The state ranks in the top ten, as do four other New England states. The financial website WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 30 key measures of cost, health care accessibility, as well as baby- and family-friendliness. The data included in the analysis ranges from hospital conventional-delivery charges to annual average infant-care costs to pediatricians per capita. The top ten: Vermont, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Washington, Colorado, Connecticut and Utah. Read full article.

Oyster companies propose restoring Thames Street pier

Friday, August 16, 2019

Groton — Two oyster companies are proposing to restore a pier and vacant property at Thames Street as a spot to stage their boats for their Thames River operations and safely store vessels during storms. Norm Bloom and Son and Aeros Cultured Oysters, both members of the Noank Aquaculture Cooperative and working to make shellfish beds in the Thames River productive again, are partnering on the plan for the vacant site at 107 Thames St. at the bottom of Broad Street. The site once served as a boatyard with a marine railway for hauling boats and a wooden pier, according to the application filed with the city. The city's Planning and Zoning Commission approved a site pla...

General Dynamics Wins $15.2M Shipbuilding Deal for SSN 787

Monday, August 12, 2019

General Dynamics Corporation’s GD business division, Electric Boat, recently secured a contract worth $15.2 million for planning, material procurement and conducting repair work of USS Washington (SSN 787). The contract was awarded by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Groton, CT. Work related to the deal will be carried out in Groton, CT, and is scheduled to be over by December 2019. Read full article.

Best Practices in Land Use & Economic Development Certification Launched

Thursday, August 01, 2019

‘Best Practices in Land Use and Economic Development’ by municipalities in Connecticut will soon be able to earn recognition through a new industry certification program aimed at highlighting outstanding practices. The Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) is launching the program, in collaboration with Connecticut Economic Development Association, Connecticut Economic Resource Center, the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association, and the University of Connecticut-Department of Extension, and sponsors Eversource, UI, CNG, SCG, Pullman & Comley, and STV/DPM. The new accreditation is a strategy for sharing information on planning policies and aims to serve as a catalyst for economic development in Connecticut. Rea...

Groton launches efforts for complete count in 2020 Census

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Groton — Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz stood alongside local officials and community members to share the message that every person should be counted in the 2020 Census and that local efforts will be vital in getting the word out that the census is important and safe. At the event at the Groton Town Hall Annex, Groton officials announced that the town and city each are forming a Complete Count Committee that will partner with local constituencies and reach out to the community about the importance of completing the census. Bysiewicz said the state's Complete Count Committee, which launched in February, includes more than 100 organizations that are partnering in the effort to ensure the state is participatin...

LBI Corp: Making Waves in Groton!

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Groton has many unique businesses thriving in the community. LBI Corp is one of them and unique doesn’t begin to do them justice. LBI Corp is an Engineering and Manufacturing company that specializes in research and product development for marine systems. Founded in May 1971 by Peter Legnos, the company has over 48 years of experience in the development of autonomous marine systems, specifically developing marine systems that can handle harsh marine environments. With decades of experience, they have valuable knowledge about materials, composites, mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems to emerging technologies. They provide these valuable services to the United States Department of Defense, th...

MW Coastal Goods is a Local Groton Gem!

Friday, June 07, 2019

For Mike and Wendy Hille life has taken some interesting turns to lead them to their dream business. Currently located dockside in the Noank region of Groton, Connecticut, this business has become a local favorite. But interestingly enough, this serene dockside business started out as a simple idea between the two. According to his wife, Wendy, Mike Hille has a talent for manufacturing, making furniture, and other artisan work. Being an avid fisherman, Mike had the idea to handcraft his own fishing lures. Wendy then had the idea to turn them into bottle openers and in 2012, MW Coastal Good...

Quality of Life is Back

Thursday, June 06, 2019

In today's world, multi-family development and residential housing options across the United States are becoming as important in the corporate site selection process as workforce availability and incentives. There was a period in time when multi-family communal area amenities may have consisted of a small fitness center, a laundry room, and maybe a pool; and that would've been sufficient for prospective tenants. This is no longer the case in 2019. To attract prospective tenants (which will mostly consist of members from the millennial and baby-boomer generations) to market rate residential options, developers are having to design projects with resident communal expectations i...

Santa, Miss America and a boat parade: Christmas comes to Mystic

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Santa showed up in fashion on Saturday, riding into town on a tugboat. He arrived without Mrs. Claus, but with a different icon: Miss America. The 2019 pageant winner Nia Franklin was this year's special guest for Mystic's annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade. The event began with Santa's entrance, exiting the boat onto the Mystic River Park green and making his way through the parting crowd while waving and wearing a warm smile. Later in the evening, Santa and Franklin lit the Christmas tree and joined thousands of people watching the festive boats float by. Click here for the full article

Groton bowling alley now under local ownership

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Rich and Bethany Hurne are pumping the brakes on their ownership of Rich's Service Center at Five Corners, as they shift from starters and steering wheels to strikes and spares. They purchased Spare Time Groton for $3.5 million at the end of August, bringing the 32-lane bowling alley from corporate ownership into the hands of two Groton residents who respectively grew up in Montville and Norwich. Click here for the full article

North Stonington, Groton again top Connecticut list for economic growth

Friday, October 11, 2019

North Stonington and Groton saw the fastest economic growth from 2010 to 2018 in their respective size categories, according to the recently updated Connecticut Town Economic Indexes from the state Department of Labor. Click here for the full article

Navy’s newest attack submarine is christened as crowd of 6,000 looks on

Wednesday, October 09, 2019

The christening of the future Navy attack submarine Oregon drew about 6,000 people Saturday to Electric Boat's shipyard, which is about to undergo a major expansion to accommodate a buildup in submarine construction. Attendees packed the big green construction bay on the Groton waterfront, where five different submarines are under construction, to watch ship sponsor Dana Richardson crack a bottle of sparkling wine from Dayton, Oregon, chilled in a bucket of water from the state's Crater Lake, across the bow of the submarine. Click here for the full article

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