CBS NEWS
Groton, Connecticut — At Charles Barnum Elementary School in Groton, Connecticut, a group of fifth graders are learning about submarines.
It’s the beginning of a recruitment effort by General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton’s biggest employer, and the Navy’s biggest submarine builder. The Navy has an order in with Electric Boat for 29 submarines to be delivered over the next 17 years.
“People are sometimes like, ‘Why are you in the elementary schools?’ In 2033, the people we’re hiring, some of them are in the fifth grade right now,” said Courtney Murphy, director of talent management for Electric Boat.
Murphy says trade workers, welders and machinists are currently in demand. And that training is well underway at nearby Ella Grasso Technical High School, where students work with the same state-of-art equipment in use at the shipyard.
The students learn to work in hot, cramped spaces similar to submarines.
“It makes me focus,” said Xiamir Fletcher, a senior, about why he was drawn to welding. “Once you start welding, that’s it, dead set on the welding.”
It’s all part of a national effort by shipyards and the Navy to bring on 100,000 skilled workers over the next 10 years. They’re urgently needed to build a new fleet of nuclear missile submarines and smaller fast-attack subs.
To achieve that, Electric Boat needs to more than double its production.
“It is the Navy’s No. 1 construction priority,” said Adm. William Houston, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. “That’s how important it is.”
Houston says submarines are critical to the Navy’s goals.
“They can go anywhere, any time, and hold an adversary at risk,” Houston explains. “They can just watch what you’re doing, and you don’t even know they’re there.”
The problem, however, is that the Navy doesn’t have enough of them. Electric Boat is ramping up to meet that national security challenge, a challenge Adam Chioccola and Emma Isbell are happy to take on, who joined the company as new welders 18 months ago.
“It’s a lot of stress, but the more you do it, the easier and more natural it gets,” Chioccola said.
“There’s not a lot of people in the world that can say that they build nuclear submarines,” Isbell adds. “Like, it’s pretty cool.”
And as far as the Navy is concerned, there aren’t enough people who can say they build nuclear submarines. The future of the fleet is riding on it.
Leaders from across the region attended seCTer’s 2024 Annual Meeting at the Norwich Inn & Spa in November. Keynote speaker David Steuber, Chief of Staff to Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Daniel O’Keefe, and seCTer Executive Director Paul Whitescarver highlighted state and regional efforts to continue driving the state’s strong economy.
David referenced the state’s sixth consecutive year with a budget surplus and a “rainy day” fund of $4.1 billion as strong evidence of a solid economy. He noted that new business startups increased by 10%, outpacing our neighbors in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.
DECD is especially proud of the Manufacturing Innovation Fund’s results, assisting 4,116 companies and training just over 31,000 current employees. Nationally, Connecticut ranks first in aircraft engine manufacturing, second in shipbuilding and repairs, and second in patents granted to individuals and organizations. David highlighted workforce development efforts in manufacturing, healthcare, IT, construction, clean energy and bioscience, the state’s $300 million in brownfields remediation, and its $875 million Community Investment Fund aimed at underserved communities.
On the regional level, Paul cited seCTer’s $1.4 million in loans and grants provided to small businesses from Stonington to Thompson and Middletown, and its participation in the Eastern Workforce Investment Board’s sector partnerships in Manufacturing and Healthcare.
He singled out seCTer’s work with DECD and Norwich Community Development Corporation in quickly making available more than $100,000 in relief funding to businesses damaged by the Yantic River flooding.
Paul also highlighted seCTer’s assistance in developing the interactive Eastern CT Housing Needs Assessment and accompanying dashboards.
seCTer’s expertise has benefitted many municipalities through its support of the Community Investment Fund. During 2024, seCTer applied for Port Infrastructure Development funding via the Federal Department of Transportation, and pursued grants from the EDA, and Innovation Cluster funding from DECD and NOAA to build on the Blue Economy. To expand diversification of the region’s economy, seCTer became a founding member of the Connecticut Blue Economy Coalition, joining a prestigious roster of members including Mystic Seaport Museum, Climate Haven, ThayerMahan, and Project Oceanology.
A significant diversification effort was seCTer’s assistance in developing the Connecticut Wind Collaborative, which seCTer also supports administratively. seCTer also partnered with CWC to launch a supply chain study to better understand where our region, state and the Northeast can fill in gaps in developing a supply chain and workforce to sustain the growth of offshore wind.
Paul also noted the important work of Marisol Herrera’s statewide APEX Accelerator team, which is supported by seCTer and accounts for more than $85 million in assistance with government contracts just in eastern Connecticut alone.
We send our Congratulations to the town of North Stonington, its taxpayers, and to General Dynamics Electric Boat on the news of EB’s decision to locate a 480,000-square-foot warehouse there.
This project will generate tax revenue and jobs without disrupting any neighboring properties in this rural town given its location on Frontage Road, just off I-95.
This is an ideal example of the Blue Economy we often speak about, which has its core along the banks of the Thames River but extends its economic benefits to towns across the region.
We look forward to seeing EB’s plans for this facility come to fruition, along with the jobs that will keep this long-dormant site humming with three shifts of workers. The plan calls for 13 loading docks and up to 73 workers per shift.
EB purchased the 55-acre site from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation for $5.5 million. The Tribe has owned the site since 1995.
Connecticut Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Dan O’Keefe will be the keynote speaker during seCTer’s Annual Meeting luncheon, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 20, at Norwich Inn & Spa.
Commissioner O’Keefe will update us on the status of statewide economic development initiatives and how they relate to eastern Connecticut.
A video presentation will let Board members and other seCTer supporters hear directly from business owners who have been able to expand with help from seCTerRise grants and our Small Business Lending programs. This production will feature testimonials from a diverse group of entrepreneurs representing a broad spectrum of businesses across eastern Connecticut.
The business meeting and acknowledgment of Board members whose terms are expiring will follow Commissioner O’Keefe’s remarks.
The seCTer team is helping Twyon Martin provide a better life for his 12-year-old son than he had growing up in a tough area of South Florida.
“He’s my pride and joy and the whole point of this is to have something to offer my son, to give him a better start than I had,” Twyon said as he described his decision to start Martin & Son Services in Groton about a year ago.
Twyon started the business with just a roadside service truck, assisting motorists in need of a tire change, an emergency dose of fuel, oil, or coolant, or getting them back into a locked car.
He knew he needed to grow his business and a seCTer loan helped him double his services by allowing him to purchase a tow truck this past summer.
“Joe Violette and the seCTer guys have been very helpful and I thank them for the success I’m having today. They worked hand-in-hand with me to get my business situated to where it needed to be to apply for this loan,” he said. He also received help from the local SCORE office.
“It was about a five-month process to get me set up to work with the bank. If I tried this on my own I wouldn’t have been prepared for all that was involved,” he said.
With a tow truck and more equipment financed by the seCTer loan, he has been able to get referrals from motor clubs and other organizations that now send business his way. A former football player for UConn who spent one season with the Philadelphia Eagles – on the practice squad he readily admits – Twyon is an imposing figure with a gentle personality, speaking respectfully of others in his field and noting there is enough business to satisfy all.
“I’m a sole proprietor and it’s a 24/7 operation, so it’s a grind every day, but when your mind is on the goal you take that call at 2 in the morning. My next goal is to hire someone next spring and to keep making as much as I can,” he said. Any future goals will be in support of his original goal.
“I named the business Martin & Son for a reason. I wanted to start something that’s generational,” he said.
Executive Director Paul Whitescarver has added another title to his impressive resume – Chairman of the Connecticut Port Authority Board of Directors.
Paul was elected in August by his peers following former Chairman David Kooris’ announcement that he was stepping back from the leadership post but would remain on the Board.
“A key element of the Connecticut Port Authority mission is to drive the maritime economy of the state, a mission similar to that of seCTer’s,” Paul said. “While this new post comes with added responsibility, it fits well with my daily objective to drive the overall economy of this region, an economy largely reliant on the maritime industry which directly or indirectly supports a significant portion of our workers and their families.”
Paul, a highly decorated retired U.S. Navy officer who was Commanding Officer of the submarine Scranton and Commanding Officer of U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London – in Groton – was appointed to the Port Authority Board by Gov. Ned Lamont in 2023. Paul is well versed in the workings of the CPA, having been asked to step in on an emergency basis in July 2019 as senior executive consultant in charge of daily operations and management following the forced departure of the Chairman of the Board amid controversy.
Paul takes the helm from Kooris, who oversaw the transition of New London’s State Pier from an underutilized state asset into an advanced maritime terminal. State Pier currently serves as the East Coast’s premier marshaling and assembly hub for offshore wind farms being developed off the coast, including Connecticut’s first offshore wind farm, Revolution Wind, and two New York offshore wind farms. Kooris, recently appointed as the first Executive Director of the Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority, remains a member of the CPA Board.
Revenue generated by offshore wind activity at State Pier will help fund the CPA’s Small Harbors Improvement Projects Program, (SHIPP) which provides grants to improve maritime infrastructure, increase public access to the waterfront, and strengthen the economic viability of harbors and marinas across the state. “The offshore wind industry is a new economic driver in the region and now, revenue from one of our three large harbors, New London, will in turn help drive our recreational maritime economy by supporting projects in small harbors through the SHIPP,” Paul said. “I think many people underestimate the jobs and revenue generated in small harbors through the recreational boating industry and I look forward to enhancing these harbors.”
seCTer played a leading role during the May 14 tour of South Fork Wind Farm, the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, developed by the Ørsted-Eversource joint venture.
In support of this event, which provided a first-hand look at the 12 turbines and marine substation comprising South Fork Wind, seCTer chartered the high-speed ‘Cecilia Ann’ from Cross Sound Ferry in New London.
State lawmakers, leaders in Gov. Lamont’s administration, municipal and business leaders, and other stakeholders from across the state enjoyed a sunny and, thankfully, calm day at sea to learn about and record their own photos and video of this historic energy infrastructure project.
Departing from the Cross Sound Ferry terminal adjacent to the rebuilt State Pier, where turbine towers, blades, and nacelles were partially assembled before being shipped to the wind farm, all attendees could witness Connecticut’s role at the forefront of this new American industry.
South Fork Wind provides 130MW of energy to about 70,000 homes and businesses on Long Island and is located about 35 miles east of Montauk Point, Long Island, NY, and 20 miles southeast of Block Island, RI. Another 65 turbines for Revolution Wind, to serve some 350,000 homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island, are now being assembled at State Pier. That project will be followed by the 84-turbine Sunrise Wind, to deliver energy to nearly 600,000 homes in New York.
seCTer Executive Director Paul Whitescarver served as host and emcee for the tour, pointing out opportunities represented by a new supply chain and careers required to support this new American industry.
Bill Quinlan, President of Transmission and Offshore Wind Projects at Eversource, and David Ortiz, Head of Government Affairs for Ørsted’s New England portfolio, each spoke about their company’s role in this historic project and their continuing work to help states meet their climate change goals by transitioning to clean, domestic, sustainable energy.
The tour resulted in significant traditional and social media coverage, enhancing efforts by seCTer and all stakeholders to educate the public and policymakers about the benefits of offshore wind energy, and Connecticut’s role in providing the infrastructure, workers, and technology bringing it to fruition.
seCTer’s work was on full display in front of a large crowd of state and regional leaders, statewide media and the general public during the June 6 opening celebration of the renovated Riverbank Building in the heart of downtown New London on Bank Street.
The event was held on the first-floor, where Tox Brewing has relocated from outside downtown to the heart of the waterfront commercial district. Tox expanded into a 14,000-square-foot space from its original 1,400-square-foot space and purchased new equipment with the help of a $300,000 Boost loan from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development administered by seCTer and a $20,000 seCTerRise grant.
The Riverbank was renovated by High Tide Capital using historic renovation tax credits. The 1886 building now features 32 mixed-income apartments on the upper floors, all of which are already claimed by people seeking to live in downtown New London.
High Tide Capital invested several million dollars to complete the renovation, a commitment highlighted during the event.
With Tox Brewing anchoring the retail aspect of the project, seCTer Executive Director Paul Whitescarver was invited to speak and said the project represented a “pivot point” in the City’s efforts to get empty buildings filled again after the COVID-19 pandemic stalled many projects that had been underway. Mayor Passero called it a “big, big day for the City and especially downtown.”
The headline in The Day boasted “The Riverbank completion heralds Bank Street revival.”
And seCTer was at the heart of it!
Connecticut leaders turned to seCTer when it came time to act on recommendations from Connecticut’s Offshore Wind Strategic Roadmap.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced last October creation of the Connecticut Wind Collaborative as the body that would put the Roadmap strategies and goals into action. His Department of Economic and Community Development tasked seCTer with serving as an incubator for this non-profit entity, providing fiduciary and administrative support through the early stages.
The initial Board of Directors was established in January under the leadership of Chairman Paul Lavoie, the state’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, and included seCTer Executive Director Paul Whitescarver. In April, the Board expanded from the original five members to 15, including representatives from academia, business, and leaders in the offshore wind industry nationally and internationally.
Lamont’s vision is for the Connecticut Wind Collaborative to create a regional industry cluster based on the existing skilled maritime and high-tech workforce. The Collaborative’s work will focus on four strategic pillars identified in the Offshore Wind Strategic Roadmap: infrastructure and real estate, supply chain, workforce, and research and development.
Initial efforts are focused on collaboration with Rhode Island, which, like Connecticut, is already well established in the offshore wind sector. Rhode Island is home to the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm, the nation’s first offshore wind farm. Additionally, Ocean State workers produce advanced foundation components for offshore wind turbines and some of the first U.S.-built vessels for operations and maintenance crews. The Community College of Rhode Island will soon be home to a Global Wind Organization training certificate program providing workers with skills in working at heights, sea survival, first aid, fire awareness and more.
Rhode Island is also home to WindWinRI, an offshore wind energy career pathway training program for students and adults. WindWinRI was established through the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce under the leadership of former Executive Director Kristin Urbach, who is now the first Executive Director of the CT Wind Collaborative. North Kingstown shares a distinction with New London in that both are considered hubs for the offshore wind industry in the Northeast, with New London’s State Pier providing the premier marshaling and assembly facility for offshore wind turbines
The groundwork for this two-state collaboration is based on the decades of experience that business leaders and tradesmen have in working together to manufacture submarines for the U.S. Navy.
The combination of this two-state, skilled maritime workforce and infrastructure improvements to rebuild State Pier provides a solid foundation for a larger collaborative in New England.
seCTer staff in May presented the owner of Moromi, producer of a handcrafted, Japanese-style soy sauce, miso and hot sauces, a check for $9,912 from the seCTerRise grant program.
The funding will be used to upgrade equipment and hire staff, which will allow co-owner Bob Florence to spend more time marketing the high-end sauces to premiuoer chefs and specialy shops around the country.
Florence is in partnership with his wife, Debbi Michiko Florence and local restaurateur James Wayman, who is akso a partner in the popular local eateries, Nana’s Bakery and Pizza, Nana’s Westerly,and Stonemill Bakery.