A Message from our President |
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Dear Chamber Member,
I hope your summer has been treating you well and you and your family are in good health.
Joining us this month for our newsletter is Ron Pugliese, the CEO of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation. Ron has generously shared with us the inside scoop on new projects in town, as well as an overview of new businesses who have recently selected Naugatuck as their home. Scroll down to read his column.
At the Chamber, we are busy working on a variety of upcoming events and programming. Our next Out for Business will take place at The Golf Club at Oxford Greens in Oxford on Tuesday, October 19. You can register here.
As you may have seen, our 26th Annual Malcolm Baldrige Chamber Awards Evening will take place on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at the Aqua Turf. The recipients of the three awards are forthcoming; for sponsorship opportunities please contact Chamber Events Director Chris Caulfield or call (203)-757-0701. It is sure to be another memorable evening!
Last month I mentioned that we are publishing our Manufacturing Today supplement, which will be produced in partnership with the Republican American newspaper and will be distributed to more than 30,000 households. If you are a business or manufacturer who'd like to advertise in this unique publication, click here to learn more. Some of the ad reservation spots are due by Sept. 29. Please call the Chamber for more information.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to me and share how we can support your business at [email protected] or (203) 757-0701.
Thank you for your continued membership,
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- President's Note
- Chamber Member Legacy Spotlight
- From the Desk of Ron Pugliese
- MyCTSavings
- Upcoming Opportunities
- Enrolling: Leadership Greater Waterbury
- Thank You to our Renewing Members
- Hiring and Training Programs Available
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Chamber Legacy Member Spotlight
46 Years: Diversified Financial Solutions, PC
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The Experience of a Large Firm with the Personal Attention of a Small Firm |
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Areas of Specialty:
Small Business Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Advisory Services for a variety of industries including:
- Construction
- Retail
- Personal Services
- Manufacturing
- Real Estate
Estate and Gift Tax Services:
- Executor Trustee Services
- Estate Administration
- Fiduciary and Estate Income Tax Preparation
- Final Accountings
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Diversified Financial Solutions, PC, formerly known as T.J. Fitzpatrick and Company began in 1949 by Paul Fitzpatrick's father as a traditional CPA firm offering accounting, auditing, and tax services. They have been servicing the surrounding Greater Waterbury area from their offices in Naugatuck and Southbury since Paul took over in 1984. The firm has developed over the years by adding business consulting, Estate and Probate accounting and tax services, and live and after-the-fact bookkeeping services.
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Meet Paul Fitzpatrick, CPA
In 1980 Paul graduated from Fairfield University with a BS degree in Accounting. While working for the Ernst and Whinney Accounting Group in New Haven, he completed the necessary requirements for his CPA license which he obtained in 1982. He joined the firm of T.J. Fitzpatrick and Company in 1984. The firm has been growing and expanding ever since, including a name change in 2006 to Diversified Financial Solutions, PC.
Paul is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CTCPA).
Paul specializes in tax planning and compliance services for individuals and small businesses.
He has served as a member and officer of the Naugatuck Exchange Club and the Tribury Rotary. He is a board member and past president of the Naugatuck YMCA and currently volunteers as their Capital Campaign Chairman. Paul was born and raised in Naugatuck and currently resides in Cheshire with his family.
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From the Desk of Ron Pugliese
President & CEO - Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation
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Even through the Covid pandemic, Naugatuck has been able to bring in new companies in the last couple of years, including 2020. I will list some of the companies that have brought their business to Naugatuck and will discuss some very serious possibilities of other companies moving to Naugatuck in late 2021, or early 2022.
The Naugatuck Industrial Park is among the best Parks in Connecticut, and quite frankly I feel our Industrial Park is the best. We have been able to almost immediately find a new business to move into a vacant property. At this point the Industrial Park has one building, and we have two companies trying to buy the building. I am hopeful to close on that building soon.
The Park has welcomed several new businesses in the last several years, including Blackwater Services Group; Bobbex moving in from Monroe; Fastcomp/Precision Hardware moving in from Beacon Falls; Kammetal Incorporated moving in from Brooklyn New York; P2 Science moving in from Hamden; and Reliable Corporation moving in from Waterbury. I am also proud of Coca-Cola coming back to the Industrial Park, after moving to a building in Waterbury that did not fit their needs. We told them that their original building in Naugatuck would be available, after the company left the building to move to Texas. We are working with two possible occupants to a vacant building in the Industrial Park, which needs a lot of work. Both companies are working with the owner, and hopefully one of them can make an appropriate offer.
In other parts of town, including downtown on Church Street, we have welcomed several new businesses that have helped lower Church Street revitalize to become a place that people are interested in visiting downtown. These businesses include 66 Church, the Loaded Goat, Hub Wood Burning Pizza Bar, Bronko Real Estate, La Casita Cantina, and Naugatuck Gateway Financial Partners. At upper Church Street, Drew Marine moved in at the Liberty Bank building, occupying two upper floors above the Bank, bringing 12-18 new employees working downtown. In other parts of town, including in neighborhoods, we have attracted Luna Pizza and a very popular bagel shop on Quinn Street. In other parts of Town, we have added Culture Fresh Foods on Spring Street, Black Rock Canine, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Concentric Tool, and Zeller Tire on Rubber Avenue.
We helped an Industrial Park occupant who wished to move his company downtown to find a spot on central Church Street, bringing his staff and adding 15 employees downtown. We also helped him bring in a company to move into the Industrial Park, helped him keep the building, and worked out a long-term lease for the new business. We also worked with a long-term occupant in the Industrial Park who next year is planning to move their business to Florida. They sold their building to a Waterbury company; they agreed on a lease and the Waterbury company will move into that building after the company that is in the Industrial Park moves to Florida.
We continue to look toward the future. We are working on land that has been vacant mostly from environmental issues and are in the process of being cleaned with the help of the State of Connecticut. We will soon put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a piece of property owned by the town, adjacent to the rail line, requesting interest for a developer to create a Transit Oriented Development. It is a perfect spot for such a project.
Mayor Pete Hess has worked extremely hard to create a Port of Naugatuck, on a piece of property on the former Uniroyal Chemical Company. It will become an excellent spot for companies to bring their goods by rail from upper New England and Canada to the Port of Naugatuck, taking hundreds of tractor trailers off Connecticut highways. It will be easier to get their products to New York and New Jersey ports.
Another project we are working on includes the Hershey property on New Haven Road. We are working with R&L Carriers to build on the former Hershey property. There is an agreement, but the deal has yet to close. If it all works out, R&L will put $11,000,00 on the project, adding to the the property a 67,600 square foot building, a 4,000 square foot office building, a 48,000 square foot dock, a 10,800 square foot shop, and a 4,800 square foot wash facility. The company would bring 70 to 75 employees immediately after construction.
We are also working with Kind Care Assisted Living and Memory Care to construct a 59,289 square foot building with a building height of 62 feet. The building will be right off Route 8, on North Main Street in Naugatuck to assist older citizens in a beautiful, new building. Hopefully they will break ground soon. The Covid pandemic has slowed down their plans but did close on the property. This will be another great Naugatuck economic project.
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MyCTSavings Pilot Retirement Savings Program |
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MyCTSavings, is a new retirement savings program created by the state of Connecticut’s Retirement Security Authority. MyCTSavings gives small businesses an easy way to help employees save and plan for their future, and it helps businesses compete with businesses that do offer retirement savings plans.
Employers with more than 5 employees who do not provide a qualified retirement savings plan are eligible to participate in the program. Employees must be at least 19 years old, have earned income, are employed in Connecticut, and have been employed for at least 120 days. There is no cost to participate in the pilot or the program.
Before the full MyCTSavings program rolls out across the state in 2022, Administrators of the initiative are looking for interested employers to participate in an exclusive pilot of the program. The pilot is your chance to be one of the first to offer this great new program to your employees and help influence the program for other business owners. They will provide dedicated support to help guide you through enrollment.
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Out for Business: October 19, 2021 |
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Register Your Business for a week in October!
Perks are scheduled first come, first serve.
Since the launch of the Chamber Perks program in November, more than two dozen Chamber Members have taken advantage of this exclusive member initiative that allows you a unique and creative way to market your business.
Some of the benefits include:
- Social media marketing to more than 5,000 followers
- Personalized eblasts to 1,000s of recipients
- Live video and highlights posted to social media
- Earned media in area press (front page placement on the business section in the Rep-Am)
- Marketing on the Chamber website & more!
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This week's Chamber Perk: $50 off a Live Saxophone Music Session |
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Enrolling Now: Leadership Greater Waterbury |
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We are now enrolling for our Leadership Greater Waterbury personal and career development program, which will begin in the fall. If you or someone you know might be interested in learning more about this program, where participants will get the opportunity to meet regional leaders, build lifelong partnerships, and develop a wide variety of leadership skills, please visit this page for more information. The deadline to apply is November 11. Orientation is November 17; the first class kicks off on December 15; and a graduation and alumni reception is planned for June 21, 2022.
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Thank You To Our Naugatuck Renewing Members in August |
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All About You Home Care Services
CW Resources Inc. Greater Waterbury
Stutsky Law, LLC
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The Station Restaurant
Universal Copy
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Share your business events, news and announcements with your fellow Chamber members! |
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Hiring & Training Programs Available |
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Do you need help finding qualified workers for your business? Could you use some financial assistance to offset the cost of hiring and training new workers, or training your existing workforce?
The Waterbury Regional Chamber is working with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investments Board to help businesses in Greater Waterbury learn more about the available hiring and training programs and whether they qualify for them. This includes providing information on posting jobs on the states CThires.com website, as well as information about Manufacturing Innovation Fund Incumbent Worker Training, the apprenticeship program, hiring veterans and on-the-job training programs.
For more information, contact Joseph Violette, the Chamber's Director of Public Policy and Economic Development, at [email protected]
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PLUS: Need a Job Now?
NeedAJobNow.usNLx.com contains over 400,000 job openings and continues to grow daily. While many employers are downsizing their staff, others are significantly increasing their hiring efforts due to current demands. Through this initiative, DirectEmployers and National Association of State Workforce Agencies offers a way to bridge the gap between job supply and demand by offering an easy way for job seekers to gain access to current open positions and for employers to fill positions quickly and efficiently during these difficult times.
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Connecticut Hospitality Awareness Training
Connecticut Hospitality Awareness Training, or CHAT for short, is an innovative, educational program developed by the Connecticut Tourism Coalition to train frontline personnel who work at attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that make up the Connecticut tourism industry.
The CHAT program features an introductory video and seven interactive, online modules. The program takes under 90 minutes to complete, although participants can learn the material at their own pace. Once a participant receives a score of 70% or better, they have successfully completed the CHAT program. A Certificate of Achievement will be awarded from the Connecticut Tourism Coalition at a future tourism event.
CHAT's core curriculum features training on guest service and insight on why tourism matters. With greater knowledge, employees will understand how to best serve our valued guests. It is essential that Connecticut personnel are educated in their field to best represent our tourism industry.
Companies can sign up their employees to take the CHAT program for a package price of $10 per participant. Contact Frank Burns at the Connecticut Tourism Coalition at [email protected]. You will then be assigned a promo code to enroll your team in CHAT at chatcertificate.com
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