Business Leaders, Legislators Connect at State Capitol

Bill Neale, President of the New Haven Manufacturer’s Association (left) chats with Sen. Art Linares (R- Westbrook) during Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) Day at the State Capitol on March 6.

Business leaders from across the state spent the day at the State Capitol, meeting with state legislators and discussing policies aimed at improving the state’s business climate.

The New Haven Manufacturer’s Association ( www.newhavenmanufacturers.com) promotes and advocates causes important to the manufacturing community in both the Greater New Haven region and beyond, educates members on business, and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and issues.

Neale, a resident of Westbrook, is chief operating officer and plant manager of New Haven’s Radiall, formerly Applied Engineering Products (AEP). Radiall is a global manufacturer of interconnect components for numerous industries including Aerospace, Defense, Industrial, Medical, and Telecommunications. Radiall does about $300 million in annual sales and has facilities and customers around the world. New Haven is home to its only U.S. plant.

Sen. Linares, who co-founded his own business at age 19, plans to reach out to high schools and vocational-technical schools throughout the area to raise awareness about the rewards of choosing manufacturing careers. He has proposed a variety of pro-business legislation, including the elimination of the state’s business entity tax.

Sen. Linares (www.senatorlinares.com) can be reached at [email protected] or at (800) 842 1421. He represents Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook.