A Message from our Chairman |
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Dear Chamber Member,
You should be receiving your invite in the mail shortly to the Chamber's 101st Annual Meeting and Lewis A. Dibble Award Dinner, taking place on January 19, 2023. As you know, the highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Lewis A. Dibble Award, which will be given to Chet Doheny of We Do Life Together...A Division of ICES, Inc. for his outstanding contributions to the business and socioeconomic well-being of Naugatuck. Additionally, we will celebrate the success of the Chamber's 2022 programs and acknowledge members of our Board of Directors. You can register for the event here.
I invite you to show your support for Chet and for this special evening by becoming an event sponsor. For more information, click here.
Is your business hiring? Consider participating in the regional job fair taking place on Tuesday, February 1, 2023 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Waterbury Downtown. Space is limited and will fill up fast. If you are interested in reserving a space for your company at the job fair, email Joe Violette at jviolette@waterburychamber.com.
As always, if you have any leads on businesses or organizations who you think might benefit from being a part of the largest Chamber of commerce network in New Haven County, have them call Membership Director Laura Brown at 203-757-0701 or email her at lbrown@waterburychamber.com. Businesses can join directly online here.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
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Thank you for your continued membership, |
Kevin H. McSherry
McSherry Law Office
Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Board
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- Chairman's Note
- NEDC Update
- New Member Spotlight
- Submit Your News and Social Media Content
- Upcoming Events
- HR Corner Corner by Carmody, Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP
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Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation Update |
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By Ron Pugliese, CEO, Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation
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The Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation have had an excellent year. I will offer to you some of the projects we have worked on in 2022. I will also give you some idea of what we are working on for 2023. |
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I will start on our Annual Meeting in October. We had a great crowd and a great speaker: Charlie Adams of Pennrose, the company that will change a barren Parcel B to a beautiful transit oriented development. We are looking at shovels in the ground sometime in the Spring of 2023. We will see residential and commercial buildings and a new train station. Also, we are still working on Parcel A, which is now the Naugatuck Event Center. We have a group interested in the building, and we continue to deal with them.
As I am sure you know that Amazon is interested in building on land owned by the City of Waterbury. Some of that parcel is also in Naugatuck. The Mayors of Waterbury and Naugatuck worked together, to agree on a major project. It may take several years to build the building.
We did have a great year, but we did lose Drew Marine. We were very excited to bring their Executive Office on Church Street, but executives out of the State decided to consolidate in their building in Waterbury. The owner of the building is looking for another company. We have brought several people to this beautiful building, and will continue with the owner. We have a company that is very interested.
Naugatuck Glass LLC formerly Flabeg Technical Glass, have new owners and continue operating. We are working with them to fill some space. We have a new company ready to move in the open space very soon.
Another excellent project is the former Megin property on New Haven Road. He has cleaned up the Industrial building behind the Plaza. He will continue through the Winter, to also fix the iconic buildings that are right on the road.
Kind Care Assisted Living on North Main Street is another very important project for 2023. We hope to see shovels on that property sometime in the Spring.
Eastern Company on Bridge Street has been sold and soon we will see a change to the building.
NEDC helped the Bird Company to bring scooters to Naugatuck. The scooters have been used quite often. We hope to have them again in the Spring.
The Industrial Park is doing very well. A Litchfield company will be moving in on Great Hill Road, and Stately Stairs will be moving in soon also on Great Hill Road. They bought the building earlier this year, and are now making some renovations. Also in the Industrial Park is the former Hotel space has been cleared. There have been several companies looking at the property. There are also two companies in the park that are considering expansions.
Several new restaurants opened this year, including Garlic Restaurant, Peking Tokyo, on Rubber Avenue are and the Naugy Rubber Ducky. Popeyes’s is still in construction.
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New Member Spotlight: SERVPRO of Shelton/Naugatuck |
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SERVPRO of Shelton, Naugatuck understands the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and the disruption it causes your life and home or business. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption to your life and quickly make it "Like it never even happened."
SERVPRO of Shelton, Naugatuck specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage. SERVPRO of Shelton/Naugatuck can also mitigate mold and mildew from your home or business.
Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property. With a nationwide system of qualified franchises, no damage is too large or too small for SERVPRO of Shelton/Naugatuck.
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Submit Your News and Social Media Content |
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Do you have upcoming events, company news, specials, or other-related information you'd like the Chamber to promote in our January Chamber Member newsletter or on one of our many social media platforms? You can submit your content by emailing Communications Director David Huck or Social Media Associate Amy Wergin. Leverage the Chamber and allow us to spread your message to thousands of individuals. |
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The Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce will present its 2022 Lewis A. Dibble Sr. Award on January 19 to Chet Doheny of We Do Life…Together—A Division of ICES, Inc.
Doheny established the human services agency We Do Life…Together—A Division of ICES, Inc., in 1998, recognizing there was a need for an organization that would provide professional and compassionate care services for adults and children—no matter how challenging the situation. Doheny is also a Vice Chairman at Large for the Waterbury Regional Chamber Board of Directors.
“Chet heads a company that has tremendous impact not only right here in the Borough, but also throughout the state of Connecticut,” said Kevin McSherry of the McSherry Law Firm, and the Chairman of the Naugatuck Chamber Board of Directors. “He believes that ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ for the adults, children, and families that benefit through his assistance and help in improving their lives. He is a leader in giving generously of his time and resources. We are grateful to Chet and his organization for all the lives that have been enhanced, improved, and supported for 25 years.”
ICES, Inc. is licensed by the state of Connecticut Department of Developmental Services and works in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, local school systems, and other service providers. They are a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed, and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
The prestigious award is named after Lewis Acker Dibble Sr., who lived in Naugatuck his entire life, played an influential role in founding the Chamber during the 1920s, and served as its first president. Born in 1895, Dibble was educated at Yale University and later served in leadership positions at a variety of area manufacturers, including the former Naugatuck-based Risdon Manufacturing, which was a leader in producing eyelet machine tools, cigarette lighters, and most notably, lipstick cases. He retired from the Eastern Malleable Iron Co., now The Eastern Company, in 1968.
In addition to honoring Doheny, the Chamber will look back on the successes it had in 2022, acknowledge members of its board of directors, and will provide a preview of what’s to come in 2023, including Duck Day, which will take place Sunday, June 4 in downtown Naugatuck.
Since 1976, the Chamber has honored Dibble’s leadership by recognizing a key leader in the local community. Past recipients have included Attorney Carlos A. Santos of Fitzpatrick | Santos | Sousa | Perugini P.C.; Marcelo R. Martins of Luso Cleaning Services LLC; Kathleen A. McPadden of Ion Bank; Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess; Naugatuck Economic Development Corp. CEO Ronald Pugliese; Laurie Yelding of Yelding Inc., and Rebecca Zandvliet of Coldwell Banker Realty 2000.
To register, visit www.naugatuckchamber.com or call 203-757-0701. Businesses interested in showing support for the Chamber and the local business community can sponsor the event; those wishing to have their company represented on the event invitation should respond by Dec. 2, 2022. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Events Director Chris Caulfield at ccaulfield@waterburychamber.com
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Share your business events, news and announcements with your fellow Chamber members! Email David Huck with your latest news to share in an upcoming newsletter or on social media.
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HR Corner: Unlimited Paid Time Off Policy: Is It Right for Your Business? |
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In a tight labor market, employers are searching for ways to enhance their employee benefits to attract new employees and retain current ones. Some employers are considering unlimited paid time off (PTO) for their employees. Sound like a crazy idea? Well, some large companies, like Netflix, Oracle and LinkedIn, have adopted such policies.
What is Unlimited PTO?
Unlimited PTO is what its name suggests. Employees neither accrue nor are they assigned a fixed number of PTO. Instead, employees can take paid time off when needed provided employees keep up with their workload and their absences do not disrupt business operations. This provides employees significant flexibility.
Why Do Some Employers Adopt an Unlimited PTO Policy?
A primary reason why employers adopt an unlimited PTO policy is because employees like it. A survey conducted by MetLife in 2019 found that 72% of employees favored an unlimited PTO policy. Therefore, such a policy can be a real morale booster and an important benefit to offer prospective employees. Employers who adopt unlimited PTO also strive to build a culture of trust by allowing employees to use their discretion as to when and how much leave they can take while still fulfilling their job duties and responsibilities.
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
- Reduces the administrative burden of tracking paid time off, carryover, and payment upon separation of employment
- Can build trust between an employer and its employees
- Promotes a work-life balance, thereby serving as a strong recruitment and retention benefit
- There are some studies showing that employees who take time off and prioritize a work-life balance are more productive
- Employees may be less inclined to come to work when they are sick
Cons
- There are many laws that require employers to provide unpaid time off, such as military leave, leave for victims of domestic violence and disability leave. An unlimited PTO policy must address whether employees can use their unlimited PTO while taking these legally protected leaves. An unlimited PTO policy must also address whether employees can use their PTO to supplement their paid Connecticut FMLA leave up to their full wages. These restrictions can undermine the concept of “unlimited” PTO and create administrative burdens.
- Employees may abuse the amount of PTO they take, resulting in morale issues among other employees who use less PTO
- It may be more difficult to discipline employees for “excessive absenteeism” and, therefore, supervisors and managers must be vigilant in managing performance
- Without a standard for how much PTO employees can take, supervisors and managers may have different tolerances for employees absences resulting in perceptions of unfairness
- Scheduling issues if many employees take time off around certain popular times, such as holidays and summer months
Although unlimited PTO policies have gained some traction, a vast majority of employers continue to provide a fixed amount of PTO. Employers considering an unlimited PTO policy must understand and weigh the pros and cons. While an unlimited PTO policy may sound enticing, there can be complications.
This information is for educational purposes only to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.
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