Manufacturing on the Move: The 2025 CBIA Foundation Manufacturing Tour

October in Connecticut is filled with events celebrating Manufacturing Month. Only one lasts an entire week and aims to bring awareness about the local companies, innovative products, and dedicated people at the heart of the state’s manufacturing communities.

The 2025 CBIA Foundation Manufacturing Tour traveled nearly 600 miles from Seymour to Sandy Hook, Eastford to West Haven, Enfield to New London, and Chester to Shelton, in a big, blue tour bus that was hard to miss as it passed by.

From October 13 to 17, the tour visited 20 manufacturing organizations, comprising 15 companies and four educational programs.

Presented by the CBIA Foundation and CONNSTEP, 2025 marked the tour’s second year.

“To me, this week is about grounding us in our work, really making it real, and honoring the people that do the work,” said Beatriz N. Gutierrez, president and CEO of CONNSTEP.

Following the success seen in 2024, interest was high from those wanting to be featured as one of the stops on the tour, as well as for securing a seat on board.

Each day, the tour bus was filled with industry partners, manufacturers, event sponsors, and team members from affiliates CBIA, CONNSTEP, and ReadyCT.

Connecticut’s new chief manufacturing officer, Kirti Patel, spent all five days on the bus, immersing himself in the state’s unique and diverse manufacturing landscape.

Come along for a recap of the 2025 CBIA Foundation Manufacturing Tour!

Monday, October 13 – West Haven, Wallingford, Seymour, and Cheshire

To kick off the week, day one of the tour headed to West Haven for a visit to the University of New Haven’s Bergami Center for Science, Technology and Innovation, where Paul Lavoie, vice president of innovation and applied technology, said the goal is to bridge the gap between industry, matching students with industry needs, and ensuring graduates are well-prepared to enter the workforce.

UNH is making significant investments to grow its programs with plans for a $25 million Research and Development Park in a reimagined commercial space adjacent to the campus.

From West Haven, it was on to North America’s largest steel producer and recycler, Nucor Steel in Wallingford, for the official tour kickoff press conference.

CBIA president and CEO, Chris DiPentima, spoke to the media, along with Gutierrez, Patel, and NUCOR company president, Joe Padgett.

Gutierrez highlighted the CBIA Manufacturing Coalition, a new initiative launched in October by the CBIA Foundation and CONNSTEP, saying, “This coalition comes at a pivotal moment for Connecticut’s manufacturing industry.”

“Amid ongoing labor shortages and supply chain uncertainty, it is strong partnerships like these that will give manufacturers the tools and voice to position the industry to grow and thrive.”

Speaking about its 82 Connecticut employees, Padgett said “the heart of our business is not machinery, it’s our people—and we’re on a journey to become the safest steel company in the world.”

Microboard Processing, Inc., in Seymour, has been in business since 1983, creating half a million intricate circuit boards a year for the industrial, medical, and telecom industries, as well as making box builds for Automatic External Defibrillators.

The company demonstrates its dedication to global improvement through diverse humanitarian efforts, including education initiatives, building projects, and clean water solutions.

For nearly 80 years, Marion Manufacturing has focused on metal stamping. The company produces automotive, medical, and aerospace parts in its Cheshire facility, and the components made on today’s advanced machinery have come a long way from the clock hands they began producing in the 1940’s.

Marion takes pride in its incumbent worker training and also credits the skill of its younger workforce to the tremendous education they’re receiving in high school.

Tuesday, October 14 – Dayville, Putnam, Danielson, and Eastford

New England’s picturesque fall scenery dominated the drive out to the quiet corner of northeastern Connecticut on day two.

Tucked into tiny towns and surrounded by farmhouses, the landscape is dotted with many manufacturers.

Stop one was Miyoshi America, where they produce pigments for many well-known cosmetic companies.

The different shades found in cc creams, lipsticks, and pressed powders at makeup counters across the United States get their start at a facility in Dayville.

Equally important as creating high-quality products for brands like Estee Lauder and L’oreal is Miyoshi’s commitment to sustainability.

The company’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 was far surpassed in 2025, when they were operating at -57%, thanks in large part to a massive solar array on the property that generates 45% of the company’s energy needs.

The sustainability theme carried through to stop two at Impact Plastics in Putnam.

Its custom extruded plastic sheet materials go on to become packaging for everything from Starbucks cake pops to yogurt cups and medical equipment.

Impact Plastics is constantly innovating. They offer a scrap buyback program for their customers, and to help further reduce plastic waste, they have created XPP, a fully recyclable alternative to the legacy resins found in most plastics, including single-use water bottles.

Its most unique operational feature is its direct rail access: materials are piped straight from train cars arriving outside their back doors into outdoor silos, saving significant time and shipping costs.

The passion for educating the next generation of manufacturers was on display at CT State Quinebaug Valley, where the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center offers students classroom learning and hands-on experience.

Quinebaug Valley offers certificate and degree programs in Advanced Manufacturing Machine Technology and Mechatronics Automation.

In the six-month Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline Program, students who go through the Eastern Workforce Investment Board (EWIB) can learn skills like welding and shipfitting to help fill the need for workers at Electric Boat and Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (EAMA) companies, at no cost.

Often, many students are working in their fields as early as halfway through the program.

The largest privately owned aerospace manufacturer in the world sits in Putnam, Connecticut.

Pursuit Aerospace is all about treating their people well and having respect for humanity in all that they do, which includes their successful second-chance program, employing active prisoners who work at the facility.

As a leading parts producer for OEM’s like Pratt & Whitney, Pursuit has been able to increase output and revenue by adopting lean strategies like streamlining production cells and custom designing and making its own “right-sized” equipment to fit employees’ specific needs.

Wednesday, October 15 – Enfield, Windsor, Simsbury, and Glastonbury

In 52,000 square feet of manufacturing space, students at CT State Asnuntuck in Enfield learn three main areas of study – Machine Technology, Welding and Fabrication, and Robotics and Mechatronics.

The largest manufacturing program in Connecticut, Asnuntuck offers programs ranging from six weeks to two years with free tuition up to 72 credits.

All of the school’s programs are also offered as dual-credit high school pathway programs, and companies looking to upskill their employees can take advantage of custom incumbent worker training at the college.

Precision gearbox components for the F-16 fighter jet, Blackhawk helicopter, and commercial aircraft are manufactured at Aero Gear in Windsor.

The company’s 180 employees, a third of whom are women, strive to exceed the expectations and demanding requirements of their customers, like Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, and RTX, recognizing that the essential parts they machine must meet exacting standards.

Aero Gear attributes much of its success to the adoption of lean principles, and the company gave a special thank you to the CONNSTEP team for helping them achieve their lean goals.

“It fills me with pride that CONNSTEP and CBIA can be part of this tour, not only engaging with these customers, listening to their stories, but hopefully helping them to work through some of the barriers and issues that they face every day,” said Gutierrez.

The third stop of the day was the home of the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut winner!

The frangible joint, manufactured at Simsbury’s Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Defense Company, is a contained tube of explosives that allows rocket stages to separate during NASA space missions.

EBAD has called Simsbury home since before the Civil War. The company began making detonation fuses for mining in the 1830s, and today, their high-tech, critical components are part of crewed space missions, missile defense, flight termination, and a host of other military and space exploration applications.

Don’t miss your chance to see the frangible joint and all of the 2025 Coolest Thing finalists now on display at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford through early 2026.

Headquartered in the former Hartford Whalers practice rink in Glastonbury, HABCO Industries president and CEO, Brian Montanari, likes to point out that you can’t look up in the sky and see a plane they haven’t touched.

For 55 years, HABCO’s 55-person team has been specializing in the aftermarket aerospace industry, manufacturing commercial and military test and maintenance equipment.

The company has been rapidly expanding over the past several years, growing its partnerships with some of the largest aerospace and airline companies in the world, all while maintaining its “It Matters” mindset in all it does.

Thursday, October 16 – Danbury, Sandy Hook, Shelton, and Oxford

Advancing all learners is the mission in educating 3,500 students across two campuses at Danbury High School. Students are going beyond algebra and English classes, gaining practical skills needed to enter the workforce through eight different pathway academies.

The tour stop focused on the Art, Engineering, and Design Academy, where students are learning through the lens of architecture and engineering professions, including computer-integrated manufacturing and applied engineering.

Recognizing that a traditional four-year college experience is not a reality for all students, providing an opportunity for them to experience different career pathways as high schoolers is setting them up for success upon graduation.

Companies looking to catch the consumer’s eye turn to Curtis Packaging in Sandy Hook.

Innovative printing technology helps bring boxes of Titleist golf balls, Lindt chocolates, and Jack Daniel’s whiskey to life, just to name a few.

Throughout their massive facility, Curtis’ culture of investing in great people is evident.

The company is committed to sustainability, creating eco-friendly packaging solutions, operating on 100% renewable energy, and in 2007, becoming the first carbon-neutral packaging facility in North America.

$26 million capital investments in 2017 helped the company grow and enhanced its continued drive for excellence, where everyone from the top down is willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

At OEM Controls in Shelton, brothers Keith and Sam Simons are continuing to build upon the company that their father started more than 50 years ago.

Manufacturing 30 types of industrial joystick controllers, OEM is focused on products that make things move.

From public works and utility vehicles to paving, construction, marine, agriculture, and mining machinery, OEM Controls’ products can be found across a multitude of industries.

Focused on teamwork, OEM custom designs products to meet customer specifications, and its product offerings also include electronic valve driver boards, microprocessor-based logic controllers, and integrated panel systems.

In Oxford, a leading custom plastic injection molding company, PTA Plastics, is run by its 250 employee-owners.

Making employees’ lives easier is the company’s goal, according to executive vice president Michael Rocheleau, and investing in each of those employees is the key to PTA’s future.

Company leadership is committed to upskilling and professional development to help build a path forward for their team members and a strong future for the company.

“You go to a place like PTA, where all of these young engineers are really changing the game and working on new solutions and how to use new technology, it’s so exciting,” said Gutierrez.

Ninety percent of the business is focused on durable medical equipment, including AEDs and glucose monitoring devices, while the remaining portion of their manufacturing is centered around defense and security applications.

Friday, October 17 – New Britain, New London, Chester, and Middletown

For its final day, the tour rolled into New Britain for a visit to Peter Paul Electronics Co., Inc.

Family-owned for over 75 years, four generations of the Mangiafico family make up the team that manufactures solenoid valves in their 77,000-square-foot facility.

Aiming to exceed customer expectations, this boutique valve maker creates its products for diverse applications and industries worldwide.

If you have ever used an automatic faucet, chances are that Peter Paul made the valve controlling the water flow.

Dedicated to ensuring innovation and quality with rapid response, the company is about the smart, talented people who work there, according to company president Mark Magiafico.

Committed to continuous improvement, Peter Paul launched a lean manufacturing initiative in the early 2000s, followed by a major sustainability and modernization effort earlier this decade.

“These companies have invested so many years and so many resources into their businesses, and when they speak to you, it’s like they’re talking about their children. They look at their employees like a family, and they contribute every day to what the state is all about,” said Gutierrez.

Washington Wentworth Sheffield founded Sheffield Pharmaceuticals in 1850.

In the 1870’s he invented modern toothpaste and was the first to put it in collapsible tubes that we still use today.

Along with toothpaste, the New London-based manufacturer produces over-the-counter creams, ointments, and nasal sprays, along with other prescription, beauty, and healthcare products for large drug store and retail chains across the U.S.

A long way from the technology of 175 years ago, Sheffield president and CEO Jeffrey Davis says the company has placed a heavy focus on automation over the past decade.

The 600 employees at Whelen Engineering in Chester are the global leaders in emergency vehicle lighting manufacturing.

Virtually every light bar on a police vehicle, siren on a fire truck, and even the safety lights used by NASCAR are all produced at Whelen’s sprawling campus.

With advanced LED optics and durable construction, tested against the harshest conditions, Whelen’s products are designed to provide high-performance visibility and protection for first responders, DOT workers, and utility crews alike.

With one stop remaining, the bus headed to Middletown for a stop at Vinal Technical High School, part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System.

Operating on 10- to 12-day cycles, 190 students each school year split their time between 94 academic days and 94 shop days.

This structure allows them to gain hands-on experience using state-of-the-art equipment as they prepare to enter the manufacturing workforce after graduation.

As demand for skilled workers continues to grow in the manufacturing, aerospace, and defense sectors, demand is also up from those looking to enroll in Vinal Tech’s machining and manufacturing pathways program.

And while more young people are recognizing manufacturing as a career path, Automated Manufacturing Technology department head Mark Avery says that more buy-in is still needed from both kids and parents.

That’s a wrap on year two of the CBIA Foundation Manufacturing Tour.

A huge thank you to the 20 organizations that opened their doors to share their stories, history, and showcase the contributions they make to Connecticut’s thriving, vibrant manufacturing community.

CONNSTEP was proud to partner on this event with our CBIA colleagues and is already looking forward to seeing where the bus takes us next year!

Organizations interested in joining the tour in 2026 can apply and get more information here.