299: Inside Connecticut's Manufacturing Ecosystem: Innovation, Workforce Development, and Industrial Leadership, Live from Hartford, CT

We're not beating the drum this week… we're ringing Cici's bell.

Filmed live at Trinity College's Innovation Hub - our first time in Connecticut, and our first ever 9:30am taping. Not quite our usual ‘happy hour’, but our guests and the “small-but-mighty" state of Connecticut brought the energy all the same.

Chris sits down with Cici Bevin, sixth-generation President of Bevin Brothers Manufacturing and leader of the only remaining bell maker in the U.S, Andrew Gibson, CEO of AlphaQ, who came out of retirement to run a precision aerospace supplier for names like Sikorsky and Rolls-Royce, and Dustin Nord, Foundation Director at CBIA, tracking the trends shaping Connecticut's manufacturing future.

Together, they get into what keeps a 200-year-old manufacturer relevant, how a turnaround can make you a top global supplier almost overnight, and why one of the priciest states to manufacture in has built such a strong industrial cluster. Expect a state role you've probably never heard of, a centuries-old invention with surprising staying power, and what it takes to grow tomorrow's manufacturing workforce.

In this episode, find out:

• How Andrew Gibson turned a failing aerospace supplier with 0% on-time delivery into Rolls-Royce's #1 global supplier
• What surprising products are actually made in Connecticut, from Wiffle balls to Black Hawk helicopters
• Why Connecticut created a Chief Manufacturing Officer role, and why other states might want one too
• How a vicar from Wethersfield, Connecticut ended up inventing the first machine mill, and why that still matters today
• How Connecticut manufacturers collaborate with neighboring states like Massachusetts and Rhode Island
• Why Dustin believes no state has fully figured out manufacturing competitiveness, and what that means for the industry

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Tweetable Quotes:

• "I don't think any state has the answer. That's what I learn the most when I look up what other states are doing. Everybody's experimenting." - Dustin Nord, Foundation Director at CBIA
• “When you make a change, you have to follow through. You've got to keep your word, even if it's adding a water cooler." - Andrew Gibson, CEO at AlphaQ
• "You have to have a vision. You've got to throw a rock out there tied to a string, and every day you want to make sure you can see that string." - Andrew Gibson, CEO at AlphaQ

Links & mentions:

• CLA exists to create opportunities for clients, people, and communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, outsourcing, audit, tax, and consulting services.
• MaintainX is one platform for maintenance, repair, and operations keeping the physical world running.

Make sure to visit https://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Mentioned in this episode:

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