FARMINGTON, Connecticut — The CBIA, or Connecticut Business and Industry Association, has been on a roll as of late, courtesy of a decoratively-wrapped coach bus that is now crisscrossing the state.
Chris Dipentima, president and CEO of the CBIA, said he wanted the bus tour to extol the virtues of just how important manufacturing is in Connecticut.
“It’s to highlight the broad spectrum and the diversity of manufacturing and its importance,” he said.
The bus is traveling across Connecticut for a full week with advocates for manufacturing and some sponsors aboard. They are making five stops to an array of different businesses per day with 20 for the entire week.
One of the stops for Paul Lavoie, Connecticut’s “chief of manufacturing," was at the Farmington business New England Airfoil Products.
“It’s part of an overall marketing strategy to make sure that the people in Connecticut know about the cool things we make in the state and the cool people that make them and the jobs we have and the career opportunities that we have in Connecticut," Lavoie said.
From defense contractors to candymakers, the bus is meant to highlight the different things that are produced in Connecticut.
“[We have] 4,800 manufacturers employing almost 160,000 people, $38 billion to our economy," Dipentima noted. "It’s the second largest sector in Connecticut’s economy, about 12% of our state’s product.”
Before heading back on the bus for another stop, Lavoie said of the manufacturing sector in the state, “It’s just a way for us to highlight the importance of Connecticut but also the importance of Connecticut to the world.”
To learn more about the first CBIA Manufacturing Bus Tour, click here.
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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