The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Ray Allen to speak at next Chamber breakfast
MIDDLETOWN — A busy summer continues in Middlesex County as we enter the month of August.
This week’s chamber column will continue its tour throughout Middlesex County, and the outstanding economic development activity that is taking place. However, before getting to that, I want to take a moment to preview some of the upcoming chamber events and activities.
A key pillar of the Middlesex County economy is, of course, tourism. One of the key tourist attractions in our region is Goodspeed Musicals. The Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam and The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester continue to attract outstanding shows and talent to our region on an annual basis. I look forward to attending the Goodspeed Executive Committee meeting this afternoon, and will continue to stress the importance of tourism to our economy.
We look forward to welcoming former UConn and NBA star Ray Allen as guest speaker at our member breakfast meeting Thursday at the Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell. We are all so proud that Ray is part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018, which will be officially inducted in September in Springfield, Mass. This is a well-deserved honor for Ray, who had a fantastic career with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Seattle Supersonics, the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
He has also supported a variety of charities and community causes throughout his life and career. At the event, pre-signed copies of Ray’s book, “From the Outside: My Journey through Life and the Game I Love,” will be available for a pre-sale price of $24, and will be sold on the day of the event for $30. I would like to again thank Ray Allen for taking the time out of his busy schedule to visit with our membership. I also want to thank DATTCO, led by President and chamber Vice Chairman Don DeVivo, for sponsoring the meeting.
Switching gears to the workforce development front, week three of the 2018 Middletown Summer Youth Employment Program continues today at a number of locations throughout the city of Middletown. In all, 70 Middletown youngsters have been placed into this six-week program, which provides valuable work experience in a wide variety of professional fields.
Our funding partners are: Workforce Alliance, the city of Middletown, Peach Pit Foundation, Community Foundation of Middlesex County/Chuck and Rachel Wiltsie Fund, Howard and Yvonne McAuliffe Fund, Elizabeth Swaim Middletown Fund, Liberty Bank Foundation, Jarvis Products Corporation, MiddleOak;, Pegasus Manufacturing, Greenwald Industries, Stone Investment Properties, Guilmartin, DiPiro & Sokolowski and Middlesex United Way. I will continue to provide updates as this important program progresses through the summer.
Planning for the 13th Annual Middletown Motorcycle Mania is entering its final phase. This major annual event, presented by Hunter’s Ambulance, Hunter Limousines Ltd. and the Hunter Family, and driven by Haymond Law Office, will be held Aug. 15 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Middletown Motorcycle Mania is held in memory of Dan M. Hunter, one of the event’s founding sponsors.
Over 6,000 bikes are expected to converge on Main Street for this 13th annual city event which will showcase custom and vintage motorcycles. All bikes are welcome to come out for what has become the largest one-day summer motorcycle event in New England, and this year’s version is sure to be a fantastic time for everyone involved. There is a $10 entry donation for motorcycles and a $15 donation for motorcycles entering the antique and vintage or show bike judging. Information can be found at MiddletownMotor cycleMania.com.
I ask everyone please save Oct. 24 for the Connecticut Connections Business Expo. The committee is working hard to prepare a program of great ideas for this year’s show, but we are always looking for suggestions from members and other interested parties.
We will host seminars and workshops targeted to your business needs, as well as the Middlesex County Health & Wellness Fair, the Fall Middlesex County Career Fair, and the annual Small Business Awards Luncheon.
Before closing with the latest installment of our economic development tour, I want to note that I, along with Jeff Pugliese and Jennifer De Kine from the chamber team, had a great meeting with Cromwell Superintendent of Schools John Maloney and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Krista Karch last week at the chamber office. John and Krista are doing a great job, and we had a productive discussion on how we can work together to strategically connect our local students to the many industry sectors in Middlesex County.
This week’s installment of the economic development tour will cover the wonderful Middlesex County towns of Durham and Middlefield.
Durham is probably best known as being the home of The Durham Fair, the largest fair in North America managed entirely by unpaid volunteers. The 99th annual Durham Fair will be held from Sept. 27 to 30 on the famous fairgrounds in the heart of Durham. We will have much more on the fair in the coming weeks.
The Durham Economic Development Commission has spent the last year and a half tackling some of the smaller tasks set forth in the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development adopted in 2016. The town has also been working on an economic strategies plan to compile an inventory of existing local businesses, and plans to reach out to its many homebased businesses to offer support and assistance should they decide to expand to a commercial or industrial location.
The EDC has been creating a list of available commercial and industrial properties, and has been working with local farmers to draft regulations that will offer more opportunities for agritourism. This initiative is a very exciting opportunity for farmers to think outside the box of traditional farming, and to stay current with the rest of the farming communities in the country.
Furthermore, the Durham EDC and Planning and Zoning Commission will be working with the Sustainable Durham team to create a buy local campaign, as well as a plan to accentuate the town’s tourism attractions. Durham is also working to strategically pair tenants with empty industrial and commercial properties, and is in the process of targeting more ambitious projects for Durham’s available, undeveloped commercial properties.
Finally, the town has recently entered into an agreement with Mary Dickerson of Dickerson Development Consulting LLC, who will work to complete more tasks set forth in the Plan of Conservation and Development.
Additional economic development opportunities in Durham will be available after the recent installation of water and natural gas utilities. I continue to appreciate the longtime friendship and support of Durham First Selectwoman Laura Francis, and also thank the EDC and all of the town’s stakeholders for their great work.
Next door in Middlefield, the local economy continues to be strong thanks to good leadership and the presence of key tourism anchors and terrific manufacturers. Owned and operated by the Lyman Family since 1741, Lyman Orchards is recognized as the 12th oldest family-owned business in America. For generations of Connecticut families and visitors, it has been a year-round destination for great food, family fun and championship golf.
Lyman Orchards also continues to develop new attractions and events to the delight of each visitor that comes into Middlefield. It is a key regional employer, a strong corporate citizen, and one of our top tourist attractions. For these reasons and more, it is indeed Connecticut’s sweet spot. Golf in Middlefield is of course not restricted to the Lyman courses. Indian Springs Golf Course has been serving the golf community with its scenic, challenging, nine-hole public golf course in town for over 50 years. From leagues to special events, the great course is enjoyed by many players of all skill levels throughout the season.
Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort is the first full-service year-round urban mountain sports park and resort featuring skiing, snowboarding, tubing, mountain biking and synthetic snow adventures for all its visitors. The newly renovated lodge includes the Marketplace for casual dining and large events. On the second floor of the lodge is the Ridgeside Tavern, Fire at The Ridge Restaurant, and 10 hotel rooms. Among many other awards and recognitions, Powder Ridge received the chamber’s 2017 Business Growth & Expansion Business of the Year Award. In addition to being another key local employer, Powder Ridge also continues to create additional tourism buzz for our region.
In addition to these tourist hot spots, Middlefield is home to a strong manufacturing base anchored by Zygo Corp., Cooper Atkins Corp., Rogers Manufacturing and R.E.F Machine Co. Zygo is a worldwide supplier of optical metrology instruments, high-precision optical components, and complex electro-optical system design and manufacturing services. The company is packed with hundreds of high-performing employees who are doing amazing things in metrology.
Cooper Atkins Corporation, a customer-centric technology leader in monitoring solutions for the global food service, health care and industrial markets, is another key local anchor. Recently acquired by Emerson, Cooper Atkins has over 150 employees doing terrific work in their industry.
Our friends at Rogers Manufacturing continue to build their brand and their terrific company, which specializes in all aspects of plastics manufacturing. Bob Fowler and his team at R.E.F. Machine Company have been producing results in the precision machining field since 1964, all while employing local individuals. All of this, combined with the work of Mickey Fowler, who is doing a great job filling the commercial spaces at 6 Way Road, means that Middlefield is truly on the move.
The sun always shines in Middlesex County!