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  • Bridging Technological, Generational Divides

    Bridging Technological, Generational Divides
    2025/09/18
    Over the past 10 years, Middletown-based AI Engineers has more than tripled in size. The architecture, construction, and engineering firm has grown from 90 employees to 350 in the U.S., with an additional and 70 employees working overseas. And annual revenue from $18 million to $77 million. Now factor in the speed of technological change, the challenge of finding qualified new employees, and the need to manage a multi-generational workforce. So how does a mid-sized company navigate that much change successfully? “We’re known for agility and rapid decision-making,” Tariq Islam, AI Engineers’ new chief of staff, said during a conversation on the CBIA BizCast. “So we’re able to react a lot quicker than a lot of other organizations, and that kind of sets us apart for a company of our size—our ability satisfy the customer.” “Plus, we’re always looking for new technology to implement quickly. We leverage partnerships to find qualified engineers and we’re very focused on succession planning,” he added. Seven years ago, the company established a group of 15 people to look for new technology from start-ups, pilot programs, and places outside their industry. “We were early investors in drones,” said Tariq’s father Abul Islam, who founded the company in 1993. “We’re always looking for new trends and ways to create operational efficiencies.” With new technology comes a new workforce with new skills, Tariq said. To find qualified civil engineers, the company partners with academic institutions to attract graduate and international students. They also rely on statewide resources, including support from CBIA on immigration licenses. “We have a whole program in place for helping engineers from overseas get their Connecticut licenses, as well as licenses in other states,” Abul Islam said. “It doesn’t matter where they get their degrees from, it’s the war of talent right now.” And as it seeks out new technology, the company tries to recruit employees from startups and pilot programs. “We’ve been successful at recruiting people as we find new technology,” Tariq Islam noted. The challenge of connecting different generations of employees is one that the company has taken head on. “A lot of institutional knowledge comes from the employees of my father’s generation,” Tariq Islam said. “And there’s a collaborative spirit that the younger generation brings—they have different styles of working.” Bridging the knowledge and technology gap is a process that takes time, father and son agreed. But sometimes innovation comes from a simple place. “You basically have to get everybody into a room and let them talk to each other so they can understand different perspectives,” he said. “Then it happens.” Related Links: AI Engineers Website: https://www.aiengineers.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-engineers-inc/ Abul Islam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abulislam/ Tariq Islam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tislam410/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/ The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support! If you have a story to tell, contact Amanda Marlow.
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    33 分
  • Laying a Foundation for Economic Growth

    Laying a Foundation for Economic Growth
    2025/09/04
    Since it was formed in 2023, the CBIA Foundation for Economic Growth & Opportunity has focused on charting a course for sustained economic growth in Connecticut that leads to greater opportunities for all residents. Foundation director Dustin Nord joined the CBIA BizCast to discuss the organization’s mission and growth. Nord joined the foundation in September 2024. “The foundation presented a really cool opportunity to have that platform to look at and see, what are the areas that that Connecticut can be better,” Nord said. “Where can we make tangible recommendations to be a better state?” Nord previously worked at AdvanceCT and has a passion for economic data and research. “It’s a little bit like magic, the things that come out of the data,” he said. “And it's just the opportunity to help other folks see what I see in that data.” Nord joined the foundation around the same time the organization released its Opportunity Connecticut report. The report is a long-term roadmap for boosting the state’s competitiveness, retaining and attracting investment and talent, fostering innovation, expanding career pathway opportunities, and growing a vibrant economy. He said a key to the report's success is ensuring that it’s a living document. “I think that's where previous reports fell short,” he said. “What we're hoping that we can maintain with Opportunity Connecticut is that continual improvement.” Nord said that while the foundation is focused on long-term thinking and doesn’t advocate for any specific legislation, nearly two-thirds of the recommendations in Opportunity Connecticut have seen some kind of an update so far. Those include efforts this past session to address critical issues like energy, housing, and regulatory reform. “I feel confident that the Opportunity Connecticut report helped start some of those conversations, and push those conversations in a in a bipartisan, cooperative way,” he said. As part of effort to track and update the foundation’s research, Nord has spent much of the last year diving deeper into the impact of issues including tariffs and the state’s housing shortage on the Connecticut economy. The foundation this month released its new By the Numbers: Tracking Connecticut’s Economic Competitiveness reference guide. The resource tool details key economic data points and trends, highlighting where Connecticut compares with other states in critical areas. And a key area of focus is the state’s labor force. “Everybody has a labor shortage around the country right now, but Connecticut is acute," he said. "I think we're seeing that in the data in terms of persistently high job openings and very low unemployment.” Nord said that while his research is based on data, it’s also important to have anecdotal information. The foundation holds forums and roundtables throughout the year to gain insight from stakeholders including business, nonprofit, and education leaders. “Some of that anecdotal information helps inform where to look,” he said. “It helps inform what, what types of data points do I need to look for. “If there is data to support what people are feeling, then I want to be able to show that.” Nord said that while the research he and the foundation are doing is a critical piece of improving the state’s economy and creating new opportunities for residents, it requires buy-in from everyone. “While we can provide a lot of great research, and I can provide a lot of great forums, and I can give ideas to the advocacy team—ultimately, this requires people to participate in in our processes here in Connecticut.” “If they want to make their voices heard, then I then I encourage them to do that. “And I hope that this helps inspire some people to do that.” Related Links: CBIA Foundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia-foundation/ Dustin Nord LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-nord-ct/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/
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    25 分
  • The Coolest Things Made in Connecticut

    The Coolest Things Made in Connecticut
    2025/08/21
    Voting in the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut challenge is underway! The challenge celebrates the successes of the vital manufacturing industry and highlights the wide range of products produced by our world-class, highly skilled workforce. Featuring 16 Connecticut-made products, the single-elimination, bracket-style competition allows the public to vote on their favorite product.  This special episode of the CBIA BizCast shines a spotlight on these amazing companies, the cool things they make, and their incredible workforces. The companies in this year’s challenge are: • American Woolen Company American Blazer : https://americanwoolen.com/ • Amodex Stain Remover: https://amodexusa.com/ • Beekley Medical Elequil Aromatabs Aromatherapy : https://beekley.com/ • Bic Consumer Products Lighter: https://us.bic.com/en_us • Element 119 System X Max G+ Ceramic Coating : https://www.element119.com/ • Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Frangible Joint : https://ebad.com/ • Fascia’s Chocolates Chocolate Lava Cake: https://faschoc.com/ • Horst Engineering & Manufacturing Co. Horst Dreidel: https://horstengineering.com/   • Munson’s Chocolates Pecan Caramel Patties: https://www.munsonschocolates.com/ • Naiad Dynamics Fin Stabilizer : https://www.naiad.com/ • Oma’s Pride Woof Compete Recipes Dog Food : https://omaspride.com/ • Owl’s BrewOwl’s Brew Boozy Beverage : https://www.theowlsbrew.com/ • Rose Sisters Chips Baked Flour Tortilla Chips: https://www.rosesisterschips.com/ • Thule ReVert Bike Rack: https://www.thule.com/en-us/ • Urban Mining Pozzotive Glass Concrete: https://pozzotive.com/ • ZANEEZ HealthAnkleStone: https://anklestone.com/ The Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut is produced by the CBIA Foundation in partnership with CONNSTEP and made possible through the generous support of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, Image Marketing, Blue Back Square, Medtronic, the Connecticut Office of Manufacturing, and Forge. The winner will be announced at the Oct. 2 Made in Connecticut: 2025 Manufacturing Summit. After the competition, the Connecticut Science Center will open an exhibit Oct. 10 celebrating the 2025 Coolest Things Made in Connecticut.
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    24 分
  • Understanding Release-Based Regulations

    Understanding Release-Based Regulations
    2025/08/08
    State lawmakers approved sweeping regulatory changes during the 2025 legislative session to replace the antiquated Transfer Act with new release-based cleanup regulations. When the new regulations take effect March 2026, it will be the culmination of years of collaboration between key stakeholders, including CBIA member companies, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and Department of Economic and Community Development. “It had to be a partnership between the business community and state agencies to get this done,” says CBIA’s Pete Myers. Myers and Robinson+Cole’s Emilee Mooney Scott joined the CBIA BizCast to break down the regulations and why the shift will have a positive impact on the state’s economy. Mooney Scott said conversations around replacing the Transfer Act have been ongoing since she joined Robinson+Cole in 2011. She said the Transfer Act required filings and costly environmental investigations when owners tried to transfer ownership of their property. “An enormous amount of time and money goes into that evaluation,” she said. She added that the process is onerous and inefficient and “chills economic development and real estate transactions.” Under the new regulations, Mooney Scott said contamination must be investigated and remediated when a release occurs. “So, if you kick over a drum—it occurs today, or when a past release is discovered,” she said. “There’s no particular requirement to go out and prove a negative.” Connecticut based the new regulations in part on a similar system already in place in Massachusetts. “We’re a different state than Massachusetts,” Myers said. “But it was certainly a roadmap that we wanted to follow. “How can we be similar to states around us, but yet still be more competitive in those states around us?” Myers said the updated regulations will help promote economic development, particularly in cities and downtown areas. “You’re going to see a tremendous amount of sites become available in our downtowns, like Waterbury and Danbury, that are now available for economic development,” he said. Myers and Mooney Scott said it was important that the state and the regulated community keep making the program better. Because of that, the working group that’s been part of the effort to create the new regulations will continue to provide input into the program. “We’ve been building this shiny new vehicle, but we won’t really know how it drives until we take it for a spin,” Mooney Scott said. “And we’re not taking it for a spin until March 1. So, it is a huge relief that there is this feedback mechanism in place to evaluate how it drives.” As businesses prepare for the new system, Mooney Scott plans to do a video series with Robinson+Cole to help them understand the regulations. Mooney Scott and Myers encouraged businesses who are either working through the Transfer Act or planning to use the new release-based cleanup regulations to share their feedback through CBIA’s E2: Energy & Environment Council. “Members of the business community can be a bit reluctant to raise their own hands and say, I am having this problem,” Mooney Scott said. “E2 can take that feedback and pass it up in a way that helps the individual members.” “It’s a tremendous resource to have access to people like Emily and the rest of our members,” Myers added. Related Links: Robinson+Cole Website: https://www.rc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robinson-cole-llp/ Emilee Mooney Scott LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilee-mooney-scott-1091266/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/ Pete Myers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-myers-9623871ab/ ________________________________________ The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support!
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    30 分
  • Adventurer Rohan Freeman Gives Back

    Adventurer Rohan Freeman Gives Back
    2025/07/24
    As president and CEO of Freeman Companies, Rohan Freeman runs three successful engineering, construction, and real estate firms. He’s also an accomplished mountain climber and the first African-American to climb the Seven Summits—the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. And he’s completed the so-called “explorers grand slam” which includes treks to the North and South Pole. “Sometimes I pinch myself, I feel pretty fortunate to get here and for some of the things I've accomplished,” Freeman told the CBIA BizCast. Freeman grew up in Jamaica, moving to Hartford after high school and graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in civil engineering. He said he started his firm in Hartford because it was home and his mother and brother both worked for the city. “I started my firm, and then starting to get more into the fabric of Hartford and the community and understanding some of the major issues that were impacting the city and realized that maybe I could help in some small way,” he said. Since then, the Freeman Companies has been involved in major projects in the city including Dunkin’ Park and a number school, housing, and redevelopment projects. He also founded Seven Summits Construction, which centers on nonprofits, schools, and community based work and Seven Summits Realty, which develops housing to provide access to those less fortunate. “I felt feel so connected to the city, and that's why I also want to give back,” Freman said. “I lived here, my mom lived here. So it's important to me to give back, especially with the way my career has been shaped by the city.” So how does someone who grew up on the island of Jamaica end up becoming a mountain climber? “Good question,” Freeman said. He said winter in Connecticut was a culture shock, but instead of moving somewhere warmer, he decided to embrace it and learn to snowboard. “I'm like, ‘okay, so this is how you enjoy winter,’” he said. “I'm like, ‘okay, I gotta do something else.’ And then my friends got me into ice climbing, and cross-country skiing.” Eventually, one of his friends asked him if he wanted to climb Kilimanjaro. “When I was a kid, we would talk about Kilimanjaro as some mythical place,” he said. "I'm like, 'Yeah, I want to go.'" He said after doing his research and training, they successfully climbed the mountain. And that got him excited for more. “I wanted to replicate that challenge,” Freeman said. “My mind always goes to, ‘am I saying I can't do it because I'm afraid? And also physically, could I accomplish this?’ “So I have to prove those things to myself.” Over the years he achieved the feat of climbing the Seven Summits. “It's knowing that I could break through these barriers,” he said. “Sometimes you find yourself in some really challenging situation where you feel like you have your last ounce of energy to give, but you really have more. “Going through these situations let me know that no matter how bad things are, there's always a little bit more to give.” Freeman said the lessons he’s learned through mountain climbing have helped him as as a leader as he’s grown Freeman Companies. “You may say, ‘physically climbing Denali, climbing Everest doesn't relate professionally,’” he said. “But I would disagree with you." “When we climb, we climb in a rope team,” he said. “So, when we move, we move together.” “It doesn't matter how strong you are as a leader. You cannot move faster than the weakest guy is capable of moving.” Freeman said that it’s the same in business and everybody on the team has equal importance. “You need everybody to be contributing, and so you have to find that balance for your team," he said. Related Links: Freeman Companies Website: https://freemancos.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freeman-companies-llc/ Rohan Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohanfreeman/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/
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    34 分
  • Reflecting on a Bioscience Career

    Reflecting on a Bioscience Career
    2025/07/10
    He’s not calling it retirement. But after a successful career as CBIA senior counsel and executive director of the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council, Paul Pescatello is ready for “a little bit of rebalancing.” Pescatello joined the CBIA BizCast to reflect on his career and the state of the biotech industry. Pescatello started his career as a banking and insurance regulatory lawyer with Shipman and Goodwin. “They needed somebody to do some lobbying to start a new bank,” he said. “There was actually legislation needed to make it happen. “So, I volunteered and that's sort of how I learned how to lobby in Connecticut.” Pescatello’s interest in the bioscience and pharmaceutical industry arose from a family crisis. “My oldest brother, who I was really close to, came down with glioblastoma, which is a really, really terrible form of brain cancer,” he said. “I think when something like that happens to you or to somebody you know really well— you want to do something. “You want to channel your energies into something that would help this person or help people in the future.” He said being involved in his brother’s care and treatment drew him to the research that pharmaceutical companies were doing. “I really love the industry. It was such a fascinating industry,” he said. Pescatello started doing pro bono work in the area and ran a bioscience advocacy organization. He joined CBIA in 2014, and started managing the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council. Pescatello said his goal was to educate people that the innovation and research done by the pharmaceutical industry was key to solving the healthcare crisis. “People here at CBIA have heard me talk about it over and over again—as costly as some drugs are, they really are a cost saver to the overall health system,” he said. Pescatello said that a major expense in the cost of drugs is the vast amount of research and development that goes into the process. “It's just hard to wrap your mind around the really unique research and development arc of bringing a drug from idea to FDA approved products,” Pescatello said. It takes $2.7 billion and about 10-12 years to bring a drug from idea to product. “When legislators ask, ‘why are drug prices so high here?’ It’s true, we really do pay the world’s R&D.” Pescatello credited the buy-in from legislatures and administrations to understand the importance the industry carries in the state. That buy-in has led to Connecticut being at the forefront of research and development tax credits for biotech companies. “They're spending tons and tons of money, but they have no income coming in,” Pescatello said. “So those research and development tax credits—they can carry them forward into the future.” He said it’s critical for the state to stay competitive to support and grow the industry. “Things like the research and development tax credits—other states have copied that,” he said. “We have to keep in the game on that.” Pescatello said it’s been satisfying to see the growth of the industry in Connecticut. “I drive a lot of satisfaction from the range of companies that are here and the range of products that come out of Connecticut,” he said. “We should all really take a victory lap for how big the industry is in Connecticut and how sustainable it is.” As he “rebalances,” Pescatello said he's looking forward to spending more time with his five grandchildren. But he said he plans to continue his advocacy for the bioscience industry. “I love the industry,” he said. “I really care about it in terms of its effect on all of us and on patients and disease—understanding the mechanisms of disease and finding treatments and cures for disease.” ________________________________________ The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support!
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    29 分
  • Improving Operational Excellence

    Improving Operational Excellence
    2025/06/26
    For many warehouse companies and distribution centers, dealing with logistics, and facilities, and workforce development can be a challenge. That’s where The TAC Group comes in. “We’re a supply chain operations consulting firm,” Grace Napolitano, the company’s principal and business development executive, told the CBIA BizCast. “We are focused on operational excellence within distribution and fulfillment centers.” Napolitano and her husband Zack started the company in 2023 after he spent his career working with FedEx and other distribution companies. That experience included working with companies to implement new management systems. “He really kind of fell in love with that area and working with different companies to help with their operational excellence,” Napolitano said. “He had so much care for the people that worked for him. He really cared about what their life story was, not just how they could perform for him and for the operation.” Napolitano had a background in business operations, sales and marketing. She previously worked in the media industry including as publisher and lead national ad director for the Chicago Sun Times. “So, I said, ‘If you trust what I can do, I trust what you can do,’ and The TAC Group was born,” she said. Napolitano said the company focuses on helping businesses with third-party logistics, facility layout and design, leadership development. But she said they are most proud of their labor optimization programs. “We’re very passionate about making sure people enjoy coming to work and not just being kind of like a racehorse being whipped go faster, go faster,” she said. She added their goal is to give them “the why behind what we’re doing.” She highlighted the high-paced environment of working in a distribution center. “Distribution is a grind,” she said. “It’s 24/7—it’s multiple shifts. There are reports coming in at 3 am, there are holidays being missed, there’s birthdays being missed. “With The TAC group, it’s really our focus to connect with the frontline workers on a personal level.” Napolitano said that workforce retention is a significant challenge for distribution centers. She said when workers leave for a different company, it costs an average of $8,000 to replace and train them. “If we could just put that investment into coaching and training the managers to work with their frontline workers, to make them feel like they’re part of the organization, that they’re valued and that they matter—that really will help the businesses keep jobs here in Connecticut,” Napolitano said. Napolitano said a big part of their work is to train managers to work with and support their employees. She added many of those managers were previously frontline workers themselves, and don’t necessarily know how to coach and guide other workers. “We’re giving them that skill set to be great leaders and great managers of the next generation of managers and executives,” she said. Related Links: The TAC Group Website: http://thetacgrp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tacgroupconsulting/ Grace Napolitano on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracenapolitano/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/
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    24 分
  • 2025 Legislative Session Review

    2025 Legislative Session Review
    2025/06/12
    More than 4,000 bills were introduced during the 2025 General Assembly session, with only 286 gaining final legislative approval. The CBIA BizCast team sat down with CBIA vice president of public policy Chris Davis to break down the session and some of the important bills that will impact the business community. “There were a lot of long nights right at the end of session, especially in those last few days,” Davis said. Much of the focus in the last days of the session centered on the state budget. The $55.8 billion budget adopted by the state legislature uses fiscal guardrail workarounds and business tax hikes to increase state spending by $2.6 billion over the next two years. Davis said the workarounds to the fiscal guardrails are troubling for businesses. “For us in the business community, they’re not just talking points these caps,” he said. “They are truly what gives us predictability, sustainability, and stability. “Boosting up that spending beyond what we can really afford is what gives us a lot of pause, because that’s going to lead to future tax increases, something that we know that businesses simply can’t afford here in Connecticut.” The budget did create a new endowment that will pay for early childhood development programs. “We’re happy to see that this expansion happens because getting more people back into the workforce, having them have the ability to afford that childcare in order to go back to work is very important,” Davis said. “We just felt like there was much better ways that we could have funded it and be more sustainable over a longer period of time.” Davis said the session did feature some important “wins” for the business community and state economy. Those bills include reforming the apprenticeship hiring ratios for trades industries, raising the R&D tax credit for bioscience companies, and addressing potentially costly changes to the workers’ compensation system. Davis also highlighted the importance of key permitting reforms and replacing the outdated Transfer Act with new release-based cleanup regulations. “We really see this as one of the biggest economic wins that we’ve had in decades here,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to working with our partners in state government in order to implement them.” Davis did note that there was a lot of focus on preventing costly labor mandates and healthcare policies from being enacted. While the 2025 session may be over, that does not mean the work ends for CBIA’s policy team. They’re working with state agencies to implement the new regulations and other bills. And the team will also spend the coming months engaging with members and legislators. That includes coordinating legislator visits at businesses around the state, listening tours, and reviewing CBIA’s annual Survey of Connecticut Businesses. Those conversations and feedback will help inform CBIA’s policy solutions for the 2026 legislative session. “It’s important for businesses to know that we are here getting your feedback, not only from things that just passed this past session, but also things that you would like to see change going forward,” Davis said. Related Links: CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/ Chris Davis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-c-davis/
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    25 分