A Message from our Chairman |
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Dear Chamber Member,
Congratulations to Chet Doheny of We Do Life Together...A Division of ICES, Inc., who will receive the 2022 Lewis A. Dibble Sr. Award on January 19, 2023 at the Crystal Room. You can RSVP to this highly-popular event here. Show your support for Chet and the Chamber by sponsoring the event. Scroll down below to see more information; be sure to respond by December 9 so your company can be featured on the event invitation.
Do you know of a business who has shown interest in becoming a Chamber Member? Invite them to our next, free Wake Up Your Business networking event, which will take place this Friday, November 18 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattress in Waterbury. You can register here.
Our annual Holiday Gathering will take place on Wednesday, December 14 at La Bella Vista in Waterbury from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thank you to the Waterbury Board of Directors for their generous support of this event. This is always an enjoyable and well-attended gathering. We hope to see you there! Scroll down for additional details.
Make sure to read the section below on the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls. This organization helps to provide vital services to one of three residents in our community. Please consider making a donation or having your business participate in the United Way employee payroll deduction program.
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.
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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
- New Member Spotlight
- United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls
- Submit Your News and Social Media Content
- Digital Advertising Opportunities
- Upcoming Events
- HR Corner Corner by Carmody, Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP
- Manufacturing News
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New Member Spotlight: Buckley Bookkeeping, LLC |
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If you are looking for Bookkeeping services, consider Chamber member Buckley Bookkeeping LLC, who also does financial coaching! With over 20 years of experience, Kimberly Buckley offers bookkeeping and consulting services to CPAs, accounting practices and businesses for small and mid-sized companies. You can contact her by visiting her website www.buckleybookkeepingllc.com or by calling (203) 910-3856
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Support the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls |
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In September, the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls, kicked off their annual campaign to raise financial support for the 18 organizations, like the Naugatuck YMCA, Salvation Army, and Naugatuck Youth Services, that receive funding from them on an annual basis. The funding goes toward the United Way's three, main service areas: education, basic needs, and financial stability.
Lisa Schappy, the Executive Director of the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls, says that one of three residents of Naugatuck utilize one of the organizations that is supported by the United Way. "Our needs are increasing, especially in the basic needs area and mental health," she said recently.
Schappy has been making visits to area businesses encouraging them to participate in the employee payroll deduction program, which begins in January. Schappy says they are trying to raise $450,000 in financial commitments by the start of the new year. Between January and April, the organization reviews funding application requests.
We encourage you to support the vital work that the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls does to support the needs of residents in our area. For more information, visit unitedwaynaugatuck.org or call 203-729-1564.
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Submit Your News and Social Media Content |
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Do you have upcoming events, company news, holiday specials, or other-related information you'd like the Chamber to promote in our December 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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Gain Exposure & Credibility: Digital Advertising with the Chamber |
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Across the country and region, individuals use Chambers of Commerce's as a primary resource for visitor, relocation, business, and community information. Advertise your business or organization on one of our four Chamber websites and reach new customers. The waterburychamber.com website, for example, annually receives over 60,000 unique website visitors, amounting to more than 111,000 website views throughout the year.
Three different sized ads will promote your business across a variety of web spaces, including a mobile-optimized version. For a small fee, the Chamber offers banner design services, should your company need them.
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As part of your membership, you have access to stats on referrals from the banner ads, among other items, such as social media links, that are listed on your Chamber profile and accessible through the Member Login portal in the upper right hand corner of each Chamber website. With the more months you advertise, the more money you save! There are also discounted rates available for non-profits. |
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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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November 16: Job Fair in Downtown Waterbury |
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December 14: Holiday Gathering |
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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: HR Corner: DOL Proposes New Rule for Independent Contractor Classification |
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Misclassification of workers as independent contractors has been a long-standing issue for employers, and enforcement priority for various federal and state agencies.
On October 13, 2022, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a new rule that would make it harder to classify a worker as an independent contractor under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposed rule would rescind the more employer-friendly test issued by the DOL in 2021. In proposing this new rule, the DOL stated, “Misclassification is a serious issue that denies workers’ rights and protections under federal labor standards, promotes wage theft, allows certain employers to gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses, and hurts the economy at-large.”
Employers misclassify workers for various reasons. Employers may want to avoid paying certain payroll taxes, prevent the worker from being entitled to employee benefits, or prefer the simplicity of an independent contractor arrangement. And many times, employers are lured into classifying a worker as an independent contractor because that is the worker’s preference.
The determination of whether a worker is truly an independent contractor depends on the facts and circumstances. An agreement by the parties to establish an independent contractor arrangement is not dispositive. The proposed rule would require that the following six non-exhaustive factors be considered in light of the economic reality of the entire work that is to be performed:
1. The worker’s opportunity for profit or loss based on the worker’s use of managerial skill—an independent contractor can make a profit and experience a financial loss;
2. Whether the worker makes capital or entrepreneurial investments related to the performance of work, and if so, whether such investment relative to the employer’s investment indicates the worker is an independent business;
3. Degree of permanence in the work relationship—a worker is likely an employee if the worker’s relationship with the organization is permanent or indefinite;
4. Nature and degree of control exercised over the performance of work—an independent contractor exercises control over important aspects of the work being performed;
5. Extent to which the work performed is an integral part of the employer’s business—if the worker’s role is a fundamental element of the business, the worker is likely economically dependent on the employer whereas an independent contractor’s work is unlikely to be vital to the organization; and
6. Whether a worker uses specialized skills and initiative to perform the work.
The Proposed Rule is unlikely to go into effect until the middle of 2023. In the meantime, employers should closely scrutinize their existing contractor relationships, and exercise caution in classifying workers as independent contractors. The risks of misclassification can be significant including exposure to class action claims, liability for employee injuries, liability for workers’ compensation, back payment of payroll taxes and penalties, benefits lawsuits, and wage and hour claims.
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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On November 4, the Waterbury Regional Chamber, in partnership with the Northwest Regional Investment Board, held a STEM and Advanced Manufacturing Expo at Naugatuck Valley Community College. The event was attended by more than 580 students from the Waterbury area. At the expo, students had an opportunity to meet one-on-one with area manufacturers, tour the advanced manufacturing lab at NVCC, and hear from area workers who are enjoying and finding success in the manufacturing industry today. Thank you to the following companies who had a booth at the expo: |
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Beta Shim Company
Braxton Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Click Bond
Cly-Del Manufacturing
CT Center for Advanced Technology, Inc.
ESI Electronic Products Corp.
Gyre9 LLC
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Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board
Naugatuck Valley Community College
Prospect Machine Products
Schaeffler Group USA Inc.
Silgan Dispensing
Traver IDC
Ward Leonard
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Steve Hintz, a 2021 graduate of Naugatuck Valley Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing program, is speaking with area students today to talk about his experience working as a tool and die maker at Naugatuck's Anomatic Corp, which produces caps used in beauty products for companies like Prada, Victoria’s Secret, and Estée Lauder. Millions of the makeup and perfume caps are made each week at a plant on Rado Drive and then are sent to Ohio for the company’s signature finish. Steve says that Waterbury is the eyelet capital of the world, with nearly 50,000 presses operating in a 10 mile radius.
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Manufacturing Today Supplement Out Now |
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In case you missed it on October 27 in the Republican American newspaper, the Chamber's Manufacturing Today supplement is available in an easy-to-read flipbook online here. Inside, you'll find feature stories, company milestones and news, industry insights, member listings, and more! The publication is overseen by the Chamber's Manufacturing Advisory Council. |
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