Sen. Len Fasano: A bright spot in New Haven’s business scene [NHRegister]

New Haven Register Op-ed

It’s no secret that Connecticut’s business environment has more than its fair share of challenges. Succeeding as a business in our state takes an incredible amount of hard work and commitment.

One company that has found such success is Frontier Communications. Their new local presence in New Haven is a bright spot in business development and job growth. Their relationship with the state and local communities also demonstrates how strategic partnerships with private companies can advance Connecticut forward. Their growth and their impact are clear examples of what we should strive for and keep in mind when crafting any state policy.

Frontier took over AT&T in Connecticut last October and within their first year of operation in Connecticut they created hundreds of jobs in state, took steps to connect with local communities, and committed to a huge investment in Connecticut’s future.

With nearly 3,000 Frontier employees throughout the state, more than 1,000 of them are based in New Haven. Frontier has already created over 300 new jobs in the state and is currently recruiting for more than 100 positions, including for their bilingual call center. Two out of the 11 nationwide call centers for Frontier are found in Connecticut and the company has a 100 percent U.S. based workforce, refusing to outsource jobs. Frontier is running a campaign, appropriately titled “We Are Hiring,” to recruit new employees. They’ve held local job fairs across the state and have also been in touch with local community colleges recruiting offices to make sure students are aware of potential opportunities.

The company has also demonstrated a commitment to improving access to their services. They have pledged to spend $480 million in Connecticut over the next three years to improve their network and expand into underserved areas, upgrade Internet services, increase speeds, and enhance Internet access for people across our state.

In addition, they’ve committed to help the state Department of Veterans Affairs with three $50,000 donations to support subsidized broadband Internet service for veterans and to help improve veterans’ access to technology so they can utilize online telehealth and employment services. Approximately 13 percentof Frontier’s employees are veterans and the company offers digital tools to help veterans apply for jobs. The company is now working with the state to make these tools, including a video job application, available to other companies who want to recruit veterans.

Local community involvement is also a major focus for Frontier. They’ve partnered with large organizations and businesses such as the University of Connecticut, Mohegan Sun, Webster Bank Arena, Beardsley Zoo, Girl Scouts of Connecticut, The American Heart Association, The Connecticut Forum, and the Connecticut Open. They also have a formal initiative to sponsor and participate in local community parades, fairs and festivals. Employees at Frontier are also encouraged to serve within their own local communities.

Connecticut businesses like Frontier provide our state with vital services, jobs, and community support. When lawmakers talk about improving Connecticut’s business environment, we are talking about much more than big Wall Street corporations. We are talking about the ripple effect of each business’ role in the community, no matter their size, as well as their contributions to economic advancement, job growth and community development.

Frontier is doing a great job paving its own path to success and helping local communities along the way. If Connecticut wants to see more success stories like this, we have to recognize the need for change and improvements. Increasing taxes and making Connecticut less competitive with other states is not the direction we should be moving.

When businesses succeed, so do people. When jobs grow, so does our economy. When we’re realistic about our successes and our shortcomings, then and only then can we improve.