Manufacturers Part of Economic Stimulus, Jan. 30

Would $2 million help Connecticut small manufacturers create and retain jobs? That amount is expected to be approved by the State Bond Commission at its meeting on Jan. 30.

The $2 million is included in the Governor’s $525 million Connecticut Stimulus Package that is part of the Jan. 30 State Bond Commission agenda.

For the way companies outside the state size up potential locations to grow business, see Expansion Management magazine online - state by state the publication lists pros and cons for site selection.

The more than 5,000 manufacturers in Connecticut employ 190,000 people and account for about 12 percent of the gross state product. Manufacturing also accounts for nearly 83 percent of Connecticut exports, one of the strongest and growing economic sectors of the state.

If approved, the stimulus money would fund the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) loans and grants of up to $200,000 to manufacturers through the Governor’s Small Manufacturers Competitiveness Fund. Loans can be used for plant expansion, machinery and equipment purchases, relocation, technical support and financial assistance.

Training Grants to Green Connecticut Brownfields

A "brownfield" is a property where the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S., and because of its industrial past and present, Connecticut has its share, even in rural communities.

Grants have been awarded in 12 states including Connecticut, to share $2.6 million in job training grants to clean up contaminated properties and turn them into productive community assets. The recipients are Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, Waterbury, and The Workplace, Inc., Southwestern Connecticut Regional Workforce, Bridgeport. For details, see this EPA link.

The EPA Brownfields Program, earmarked grants of $200,000 each to non-profit organizations, workforce investment boards, and state and local governments.

The grant money will "teach environmental assessment and cleanup job skills to individuals living in areas near brownfields sites" in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.