MTU Aero Engines North America Inc. celebrated a "Grand Re-Opening" of its newly renovated and expanded engineering office in Rocky Hill. The company added new space of about 4,000 to a total of 12,000 square feet, to be able to employ up to 100 engineers.
"MTU Aero Engines North America (AENA) has been - and continues to be - an important partner in helping Connecticut maintain and strengthen its leadership in the aerospace industry," Gov. M. Jodi Rell said. "I am very pleased that a company of this stature is investing in our state, contributing so much to the local and regional economies. MTU AENA is a valued member of our business community and aerospace supply chain, and I congratulate them on their continued success and 'grand re-opening' in Rocky Hill."
The re-opening was a gathering of 150 people, which included employees, customers, state and municipal officials such as Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, Ronald Angelo, Deputy Commissioner, State Department of Economic and Community Development, Costas Lake, Director of International Affairs, the Deputy Consul General of Germany in Boston, Dr. Bernd Rinnert and professors from University of Connecticut and University of Rhode Island. The guests were able to experience the new environment and explore MTU's expertise, while enjoying typical Bavarian food and drinks.
Offering expert services in the fields of design, structural analysis, project management and repair development, MTU AENA has grown its operation considerably, recently with the participation in the development of a new generation of engines, the Geared TurbofanTM. The company is part of this effort from the early stages of development involved in the design for a demonstrator test engine, through the on site support of the flying test beds on an Boeing 747 and an Airbus A340 and the current detailed design phase for the first commercial series applications, the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and the Bombardier C-Series.
Originally opened in 2000, MTU Aero Engines laid the corner stone with this American operation for closer presence to their US partners. Centrally located in Connecticut, MTU AENA is supporting all partnership engine programs. Together with its manufacturing business unit in Newington, MTU AENA has a unique position in the industry being able to offer engineering services and manufacturing of engine parts as a complete solution under the responsibility of one company.
$100M loan program for Conn. businesses
Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently announced that Connecticut's community and regional banks, working with her administration, are making $100 million in direct loans available to businesses and manufacturers as a key element of a five-point program to ensure the continued free flow of credit in the state's economy.
"Credit is the lifeblood of business," Rell said. "It allows our small- and medium-sized employers to buy inventory or raw materials, to expand or to make investments - and that creates all-important jobs. The national credit crunch is making it difficult for many companies to get the cash they need. My goal is to make sure Connecticut businesses are free of those restrictions to the greatest extent possible."
The $100 million collective loan commitment program is supported by loan guarantees, cash reserves and participation loans from the Connecticut Development Authority. On Oct. 9, Rell met with Connecticut banks and asked them to commit up to $40 million to a loan pool. Since then, banks and state economic development officials have expanded the total commitment to $100 million.
The $100 million direct loan commitment is comprised of $60 million in loans by the banks with support from CDA's Junior Participation Loan Program, and $40 million in loans guaranteed by CDA's URBANK Small Business Loan Guarantee Program.
The $60 million in credit will flow from banks to businesses facing credit challenges. To the extent that a credit gap exists in making these loans, banks will utilize CDA's Junior Participation Loan program, which purchases a subordinated portion of the loan.
CDA'S URBANK Small Business Loan Guarantee Program offers a 30 percent guarantee and cash reserves on small business loans up to $350,000. The guarantees, which will support up to $40 million in small business loans, are provided through automatic enrollment by participating Connecticut banks, meaning no additional paperwork is required.
For more information, visit www.ctcda.com.
AT&T Experience Store unveiled in Newington urges trying before buying
Hiring for 100 jobs throughout the state
AT&T Inc. announced an AT&T Experience Store will open on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington this week. The store, which is only the fourth of its kind in Connecticut and among approximately two dozen in the country, offers customers a new way to experience and shop for a wide array of communications and entertainment services.
"With our long history as a communications provider in the state, we are pleased to unveil this evolution of our retail business in Newington," said Steve Krom, vice president and general manager of AT&T in New England. "Our customers crave new and innovative technology, and there is no cooler showcase for all of our communications and entertainment products and services than an Experience Store. The try-before-you-buy store model allows us to provide a higher level of in-person customer service, particularly with our advanced television solutions, something that our competitors in the state who do not operate in a retail environment simply cannot offer."
"At a time when the economy is tight and consumers are seeking more in-home entertainment options, it is wonderful to see the myriad of options that AT&T can offer the residents of Newington ," said state Sen. Paul Doyle, D-9th District. "We look forward to residents from nearby communities coming to AT&T's Experience Store in Newington to find the latest technology and purchase what they need."
Each AT&T Experience Store features fully integrated multimedia Experience Stations, which encourage customers to see, touch and use the company's extensive portfolio of wireless, Wi-Fi, broadband, video and traditional landline products and services. Experts also will be available to guide consumers through product trials and purchasing decisions.
The Newington store - which will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 14 - will have 15 employees and is located at 3243 Berlin Turnpike near Target, in the space formerly occupied by Atlanta Bread.
In addition to expanding its retail presence in Connecticut, AT&T will be hiring for more than 100 jobs in the state.
Humane Society to expand operations
The Connecticut Humane Society, headquartered in Newington, announces the expansion of its Companion Animal Sanctuary and Waterford Shelter Programs.
Unfortunately, an unstable economy impacts both people and their pets. This need for additional services to the community has set the stage for the next major project on the society´s horizon, the expansion and improvement of the Waterford Shelter and infrastructure, which includes the Companion Animal Sanctuary.
The project will be designed by S/L/A/M Collaborative of Glastonbury and will take between six to seven years to complete. It will include four major construction phases. The Connecticut Humane Society Board of Directors has recently voted to proceed with the architectural design for the first phase of this project.
The first phase will include a complete renovation of the main shelter, additional sanctuary cottages for the Companion Animal Sanctuary program, and improvements to the infrastructure. The main shelter will house the adoption, education and community outreach efforts as well as a new, in-house medical department. The medical department will allow Connecticut Humane Society staff and medical professionals to provide a full examination including vaccinations, spay/neuter and assessment/treatment of existing medical conditions without having to take the animals off-site.
The Connecticut Humane Society Companion Animal Sanctuary program, originally conceived in 1993, is currently available to pets, surrendered to the Society, who are more difficult to place and need a homelike environment to reduce their stress while they await placement. It also serves as a residence to those family pets displaced by the death of their owner.
The second phase of this project will include the establishment of a second Fox Memorial Clinic. The original clinic program in Newington, will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2009. It is a full service veterinary hospital offering reduced fee vaccinations, preventative health care, surgical and spay/neuter services to families who are in financial need and would otherwise forgo veterinary services.
Phase three will include a quarantine facility, a pet cemetery and a nature trail. The quarantine facility will provide an enhanced ability to control infection, which will serve to allow pets to move through the system more quickly. The fourth and last phase will include a second addition of sanctuary cottages, a storage facility and a second nature trail. When this final phase is complete the Companion Animal Sanctuary capacity will be effectively quadrupled.
Overall, these improvements will make it possible to serve more animals and families from southeastern Connecticut, a region that is sorely needs these additional services for homeless pets.
The Connecticut Humane Society continues to be dedicated to a mission that has remained unchanged since it's founding; to promote kindness and humanity toward people, animals and the environment. The progressive improvements that we make to our organization as well as the creation of vanguard programs like the Companion Animal Sanctuary and the Fox Memorial Clinic, are all designed to serve the most needy members of our population, the pets that have no other place to go.