SENATOR MCKINNEY JOINS LOCAL MANUFACTURERS AT INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE

February 17, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Rebecca Mead, 860.513.3217 (o); 860.539.4915 (m)

(Newtown, Connecticut) - Senator John McKinney (CT-28) joined representatives from ten Connecticut manufacturers at a Newtown manufacturer this morning to learn more about the business issues the companies are facing.

The roundtable was hosted by Tier ONE, LLC, a contract manufacturer providing machining and assembly solutions for function critical, highly engineered parts and assemblies, and specializing in medical products. The company employs 67 people in their Newtown facility and participates in the monthly roundtable and plant tours to learn from and share with their peers in the industry.

Senator McKinney focused his discussion around the state budget proposal and the tax increases that will affect businesses and individuals alike, stating that he supports several initiatives to support a pro-business environment and job growth in Connecticut, including expanding job creation tax credits; repealing the 10% corporate tax surcharge and eliminating outdated, redundant and counterproductive state business regulations, "the legislature must be mindful during budget negotiations to improve our competitive advantage, not only with neighboring states, but also nationally and internationally. We need to solve our state's fiscal crisis in a way that improves the business climate in Connecticut and helps our state capitalize on one of its greatest strengths - our highly skilled and educated workforce."

The roundtable attracted operations and executive level representatives from companies across the state including Orange Research of Milford, Amphenol RF of Danbury, RC Bigelow of Fairfield, Flame Treating and Engineering of West Hartford, and Oxley, Inc. of Branford. Bonnie Del Conte, President of CONNSTEP explained the genesis of the roundtable program, "CONNSTEP, along with our Connecticut Manufacturing Coalition partners, organizes the monthly roundtable series to facilitate solution generating conversations for the manufacturers who attend. Now in its fifth year, a core group of manufactures has developed - they embrace the opportunity to tour each others' facilities and see innovative ways to solve problems, implement continuous improvement tools and strengthen their organizations.

The coalition has an open invitation to legislators and town officials to attend any of the upcoming roundtables. We welcome their participation and look forward to continuing the open dialogue that builds stronger relationships between industry and policy makers."

The Connecticut Manufacturing Coalition is a is a working group of organizations including the Manufacturing Alliance of Connecticut (MAC), Smaller Manufacturers Association of CT (SMA), the New Haven Manufacturers Association (NHMA) and CONNSTEP, formed to better serve the needs of the Connecticut manufacturing community. Through joint resources, the coalition will provide educational and networking opportunities and speak with one voice on legislative matters vital to the health and vitality of the manufacturing industry within the state. For more information, please visit http://www.connstep.org/page/29-roundtables.

About CONNSTEP
CONNSTEP's mission is to help Connecticut manufacturers apply advanced technology and modern management methodologies to become more competitive. Since 1994, CONNSTEP's innovative programs have helped hundreds of manufacturers annually, and have assisted in the creation or retention of thousands of jobs. CONNSTEP's team of manufacturing specialists provides business growth, technical and process improvement assistance. Core service areas include Lean Solutions, Enterprise Growth Services, Environmental Management/Clean Manufacturing, Quality Management Systems, Business Assessments and Culture and Change Management Solutions. CONNSTEP is sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce through the national Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program in the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  

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