Connecticut is home to “Aerospace Alley,” an industrial ecosystem of thousands of advanced manufacturing companies drawing from the fourth most productive workforce in America.
According to a recent article in the Westfair Business Journal, there are nearly 129,000 aerospace and defense jobs in Connecticut, and our manufacturers bring in more than $18 billion in annual defense contracts.
The nutmeg state also holds the distinction of being the only state in America to have a Chief Manufacturing Officer (CM0).
Our CMO, Paul Lavoie, serves as a liaison between CT manufacturers and our state’s government. He routinely meets with manufacturers throughout the state to discuss their needs and challenges, then brings those issues to our state’s policymakers so they can be addressed.
According to Lavoie, Connecticut’s aerospace industry is doing quite well, and he expects things to get even better.
“The backlog of work in the aerospace industry is strong and the projections for growth are robust,” he said. “Commercial aerospace continues to grow at a rapid pace, and with increasing military investment in Russia and China, our military investments will continue to be strong and drive the industry.”
Lavoie says the tight-knit aerospace community in the state also helps businesses thrive. “The highly skilled labor pool for manufacturing is located in Connecticut,” Lavoie said. “The opportunity to gain more work from large OEMs is great for companies that have capacity and capability.”
John Boscia, vice president of business development for Danbury-based Alpha Metalcraft Group (AMG) is equally optimistic.
“I have been involved in Connecticut manufacturing since 1991, and specifically aerospace manufacturing in Connecticut since 1996. I have never seen more involvement and contributions towards Connecticut aerospace manufacturing from industry and the state,” he said.
Boscia attended the Paris Air Show with AMG CEO Alec Searle last June, where AMG was among more than two dozen exhibiting CT manufacturers. He said the number of attendees and exhibitors of Connecticut aerospace manufacturers “was very impressive and inspiring.”
Searle also left the show feeling good about the future of the aerospace industry in Connecticut.
“Analysts believe commercial and defense spending in the aerospace industry is on a growth track, so we feel optimistic about the next 10 years,” he said. “Connecticut aerospace manufacturers who attended the Paris Air Show echo this sentiment – business is good.”
We’re excited by these optimistic outlooks, and we look forward to continuing to help Connecticut’s manufacturing companies grow and prosper.
Contact us to learn more.