CBIA BizCast

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Mark Boughton, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, about the state’s new tax amnesty program. Boughton says those who owe back taxes can come forward between now and Jan. 30, 2022 and receive a 75% reduction in interest and waived penalties. “Our community always asks how much money is really out there,” said Boughton. “It’s about $500-$800 million going back to about the mid-1970s. I don’t think all of that is collectable, but there are a lot of recent disputes.” The state offered a similar program in 2017 but Boughton said it is unlikely another amnesty will happen again. Those interested in the program can visit the Get Right CT website to learn more. 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Dinesh Wadhwani, president and CEO of ThinkLite LLC about the company’s innovative air purification systems. Right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Wadhwani and his brother were working with Boston Children’s Hospital to install LED lighting that also removes pathogens from the air. Although business was stalled at the height of the pandemic, their air purification light systems became a high demand item. “This is not COVID-centric, this is just detecting viruses in the air in general,” said Wadhwani. “Today it could be covid, tomorrow it could be another mutant of it or it could be anything else. The point is you can detect when there are germs in the air and tackle it.” 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with ConnectiCare president Eric Galvin about the costs small businesses face when offering employees health insurance. Galvin, who has led the company since 2017, says numerous factors, including the cost of care and government mandates impact insurance costs. He said consumers can help drive down costs by, for instance, seeking out where they can get the cheapest prescriptions. Galvin said when it comes to a small business picking a plan for their employees, it’s about striking the right balance for their workforce. “If you have a younger workforce that might be healthier, you might want to think about plans that are leaner in benefits so you get a lower monthly premium,” he said. “If you have a workforce that may have folks with chronic conditions, who might be higher utilizers of care you may want to go with a richer plan.” 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with RSM's Ryan McGurk ahead of the release of the annual Connecticut Manufacturing Report at the Oct. 29 Made in Connecticut: 2021 Manufacturing Summit. RSM partnered with CBIA and affiliates CONNSTEP and ReadyCT on the report, which reviews the state of the sector, examines the impact of state and federal policies, and explores the outlook for the next 12 months, including growth factors, legislative priorities, and hiring and investment trends. McGurk said that just as manufacturers pivoted last year to respond to the pandemic, they are pivoting again to leverage new opportunities and address a number of significant challenges. "A lot of companies had to pivot and pivot very quickly," said McGurk, RSM's senior manager, industrials audit policy leader. “Whether it was opening a third shift or figuring out how to practice and develop social distancing which in the past, wasn't a concept especially on the manufacturing floor where you might have to work closely with other people of the production team or operations.” McGurk said the labor shortage remains one of the biggest obstacles to growth for Connecticut manufacturers. 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with TD Bank’s Mike LaBella about the way the bank helped manufacturers secure PPP loans this past year. LaBella will kick off the Made in Connecticut: 2021 Manufacturing Summit Oct. 29 at the Trumbull Marriott. LaBella said TD Bank helped secure 133,000 loans from Maine to Florida worth a total of $12.5 billion dollars. In Connecticut, they helped manufacturers secure more than 6,000 loans worth a total of $540 million. LaBella said although the pandemic and workplace conditions have improved since March of 2020, manufacturers still face an abundance of challenges. “We aren't out of the woods yet,” said LaBella. “We face an expanding number of issues the pandemic has caused and that's really the effect on the supply chain, the increasing cyber fraud, we have trade conflict with China, changing oil and commodity prices, interest rate risks and political conflicts. “So we are dealing with the manufacturers to alleviate the risks we can.” 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Horst Engineering president and CEO Scott Livingston following the celebration of the company's 75th anniversary and opening of their new East Hartford headquarters. Livingston’s grandfather started the business in 1946 in the second story of a barn in Hartford. Today, it’s a highly regarded manufacturer of precision parts for the aerospace, capital equipment, medical device, naval/marine, and power generation industries. The new facility is an advanced manufacturing showcase, featuring natural light and open spaces and an array of high-tech machines and equipment. “Giving people access to the outdoors through large windows really changed the way we renovated the building,” Livingston says. “I think we hit a home run. It's inspired by factories I visited in Europe in Switzerland, Germany, and also in Japan.” 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Gov. Ned Lamont about a number of issues, including his goal of doubling the amount of manufacturers in Connecticut over the next 10 years. Lamont has been touring the state during manufacturing month, visiting both small and large companies. One of the major issues they are facing is finding skilled workers. Lamont is exploring offering tax credits to Connecticut businesses who hire a graduate from a college in the state and over time, forgive the employee’s student loans. “It gives young people an incentive to stay in Connecticut, it gives Connecticut employers an incentive to hire here Connecticut and to your question it's a tax cut for small business,” he said. 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Gordo Hui and Michael Roy of Hartford Steam Boiler about the new Internet of Things lab the company is sponsoring at the University of Hartford. Hisham Alnajjar, the school’s dean of engineering, technology, and architecture, joins the conversation to explain the doors the lab will open for students. The IoT lab opened in August inside the university's new advanced engineering building. Roy said the lab gives students practical learning experiences related to sensors, connectivity, and data analysis. “This opportunity allows us to expose a whole new generation of engineers to opportunities in engineering beyond what they may have come in with preconceived notions of working designing cars,” said Roy, vice president of engineering at HSB. 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Lisa Miksis of Respond Systems in Branford and Christine Cumming of A Place Called Hope in Killingworth. Cummings has used Respond Systems’ cool laser therapy to help rehabilitate birds at her rescue center for years. Miksis said Respond Systems has manufactured laser therapy for animals for the past 38 years. The non-invasive lasers promote cell regeneration and heals skin tissue and are used by veterinarians, rehabilitation facilities and zoos. Respond Systems offered lasers for Cummings to try. “It's like a magic wand,” said Cummings. “It really is. We used it on this bird and it probably reduced the recovery time we were used to seeing by half.” Miksis said when animal clinics were closed during the pandemic, they received even more requests for their products that pet parents could use at home. Respond Systems’ lasers were used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the equine barn. 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 Ali Warshavsky.

CBIA BizCast host Ali Warshavsky speaks with Eversource Energy CEO Joe Nolan ahead of CBIA’s annual Connecticut Economy Conference. Nolan took over as CEO in May of 2021 and will be the keynote speaker at the Sept. 30 event. Nolan said the company is adapting to more severe weather events in New England due to climate change. He said the energy company continues to work to provide more renewable energy options in Connecticut, including an offshore wind energy partnership with Danish company Ørsted. “The port of New London really is going to be the epicenter of wind and Connecticut is very much at the center of that,” he said. “That port will provide a significant number of opportunities for people in the renewable space to begin to develop that.” 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 Ali Warshavsky.