Manufacturing Picks up in Southern New England
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
1. Runtal North America
Location: Ward Hill, Massachusetts
Products: Decorative radiators for hydronic (hot water), electric, and steam-heating systems.
Founded: 1987
Employees: 97
Price range: $$
2. Chemetal
Location: Easthampton, Massachusetts
Products: Metal designs and laminates for interiors in brushed, aged, and patinated aluminum, copper, and brass.
Founded: 1963
Employees: 42
Price range: $-$$
3. Excel Dryer
Location: East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Products: XLERATOR®, XLERATOReco®, and ThinAir® hand dryers.
Founded: 1963
Employees: 48
Price range: $$
4. East Coast Lightning Equipment Inc.
Location: Winsted, Connecticut
Products: Lightning Protection Systems
Founded: 1984
Employees: 25
Price range: $$
5. Laticrete
Location: Bethany, Connecticut
Products: Latapoxy 300 adhesive and Latapoxy Biogreen 300 adhesive
Founded: 1956
Employees: 1,500
Price range: $-$$$
6. Accurate Lock and Hardware
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Products: Custom solutions for high-end residences, commercial buildings, institutional facilities, and landmarks like the White House, Ellis Island,and state capitols.
Founded: 1972
Employees: 112
Price range: $$$
7. Dryvit Systems
Location: West Warwick, Rhode Island
Products: Insulated wall systems and high-performance interior and exterior coatings.
Founded: 1969
Employees: 75 statewide; 280 worldwide
Price range: $$
Slow to pull out of the Great Recession of 2008, manufacturing in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts is picking up a head of steam.
That’s especially true in Stamford, Connecticut, home to Accurate Lock and Hardware. “On a revenue basis we’ve probably doubled compared to five years ago,” says Ron Salvatore, chairman at the firm.
Business is booming too at Laticrete, in Bethany, Connecticut. “A year ago—2016—was a record year,” says Sean Boyle, vice president of marketing.
Ira Moscowitz, director of advanced manufacturing programs at Mass Technology Collaborative, says manufacturing employment in Massachusetts has stabilized over the past five years, with compensation rising. “The average salary is about $20,000 higher than the state average,” he says.
At Excel Dryer in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where the XLERATOR® Hand Dryer is made, the slowdown never even happened. “We’ve had 10 years of double-digit growth,” says Bill Gagnon, vice president of marketing.
Manufacturers are taking a second look and relocating to Rhode Island, according to Stefan Pryor, secretary at the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. “We have new packages for smaller manufacturers: incentives like tax credits, job training, and innovation vouchers,” he says.
Business is thriving at Dryvit Systems in West Warwick, Rhode Island, as automation changes the way products are made. “The materials are being measured and inserted into blenders controlled by computers,” says Barbara Catlow, director of marketing communication, “so we don’t need someone to pour and scoop or measure raw material.”
For southern New England, 2017 is looking like the year of the comeback.
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