Healthcare Leaders Launch Eastern Connecticut Healthcare Partnership
seCTer is bringing the two leading healthcare providers in the state and 28 other regional health agencies together to address common challenges and develop strategies to strengthen the industry as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Eastern Connecticut Healthcare Partnership got underway at the start of the year when more than 30 healthcare executives participated in the inaugural meeting at Backus Hospital in January. The initial mission was to identify critical priorities affecting all members and begin to formulate strategies to grow the healthcare sector.
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seCTer -- the movie: Video highlights our role as a leader in offshore wind
State, regional partners explain resources, opportunities available in ‘A new American Industry’
To highlight seCTer’s efforts to attract primary and secondary business opportunities in the offshore wind industry, we produced a video featuring members of the seCTer Offshore Wind Industry Cluster.
This video, A New American Industry is Born, shows visitors to our website that seCTer is the primary contact for doing business with offshore wind developers. It also enhances our visibility and presentations during outreach efforts ranging from conferences and workshops to meeting with individual businesses interested in locating here.
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seCTerRise offers business guidance, funding, and more to new and existing businesses
Entrepreneurs and existing business owners now have access to free advising services paired with growth funding up to $20,000 from seCTer, the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region, through its seCTerRise business retention and expansion program launched today.
seCTer, the federally designated economic development agency for southeastern Connecticut, is overseeing the use of $4.5 million over the next five years in business resiliency and sustainability funding targeted to this region by the State’s Department of Economic and Community Development.
Industries of focus include childcare, cybersecurity, agriculture, and sustainable energy. Businesses located in economically distressed communities, as determined by state criteria, will also receive priority consideration. Fifty percent of program funds will be awarded to minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.
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Build Back Better program leader addresses Annual Meeting
Says region is well suited to pursue funding through ‘place-based’ economic development
Scott Andes, Program Lead for Build Back Better Regional Challenge at the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce was the keynote speaker during the annual meeting in Winter at the Norwich Inn and Spa.
Andes said the region is well positioned to pursue place-based economic development, an emerging trend in federal economic policy. He explained the concept as “a series of investments that together catalyze all elements of a local economy.”
“You are so much further along than so many other places in this country in a direction we may be going, so double down, focus on it,” Andes told the crowd.
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Working to capture opportunities in a new American industry
The seCTer staff has been immersed in the sustainable energy sector since the end of 2022 with attendance at statewide and national events.
Executive Director Paul Whitescarver attended the Clean Energy Round Table Discussion April 13 hosted by the CT Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and AdvanceCT.
The focus of this energy summit was on the state’s competitiveness in energy transition and economic development and included representatives of nearly 50 businesses. The three agencies have been working to build a unified vision for decarbonization and equitable economic development in Connecticut. Attendees were asked to help develop the vision and opportunities to support the growth of clean energy and transportation industries.
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Staff expansion allows launch of Business Services Team
Addition of Tom Caliento, Joe Violette provides support for RT Brown’s regional competitiveness initiatives
seCTer has established a Business Services Team to strengthen the region’s business community.
The Business Services Team will help entrepreneurs and veteran business owners identify both opportunities and challenges in their sector of the economy. Guidance will be offered across the spectrum, and will include assistance with business plans, financial statements, regulatory requirements, operations, marketing, expansion planning, foreign markets, navigating loan programs, succession planning, and more.
The team also will serve as a resource for new and existing businesses to make connections with third-party experts for additional guidance in specific areas. By helping to make connections with other organizations, particularly local chambers of commerce, the team will enable more efficient networking opportunities as well.
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seCTer gets op-ed placement in The Day to highlight opportunities in offshore wind
Following the successful presentation of the offshore wind industry’s premier supply chain workshop, Foundation 2 Blade, seCTer Executive Director Paul Whitescarver authored an op-ed reinforcing the opportunities presented by the industry.
The op-ed was published by The Day, under the headline ‘A new American industry set to launch from Port of New London.’
The piece describes the realities of the industry, acknowledging that early projects will be largely supplied by European factories, but stressing that enormous opportunities are available across a broad spectrum of businesses. Precision manufacturing will be needed as well as administrative support, skilled construction workers, engineers, operations technicians, and maintenance workers.
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