Tony Sheridan, President and CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT

Eastern CT is a region that has many opportunities for people to secure a bright future.  We have a talent pool that is deep and we have many vibrant business and community organizations dedicated to keeping alive the entrepreneurial spirit and enhancing the quality of life here.

At the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT, we work daily to help promote the region as a good place to grow businesses, and a wonderful place to live and raise a family. It is our 100th year of doing this.

With a national economy that seems to be stuck in low gear and creeping along the road to recovery, it would be easy to be ambivalent about our future, or even pessimistic. I do not share that downcast view.  While we are not immune to the nation’s economic state, and we have challenges, I think eastern CT has what it takes to emerge from the downturn stronger than ever.

There are plenty of reasons to think positively about the future of our region. We have an educated workforce and an enviable quality of life. In that regard there have been some promising signs of late.

The tourism sector of our economy is busy and building upon its long and enviable record of accomplishment. It is a sector that we must pay attention to and support and this is why we have joined with a state-wide coalition to sponsor a jobs rally, September 29, in Hartford.

Certainly, the decision of Electric Boat to relocate a large portion of its workforce to New London was good news for that city and the region. It is a reflection of a strong demand for its product.  It is also important to remind ourselves that Pfizer chose to concentrate its New London operations back in Groton, this preserving a number of high-paying jobs in our area.

Not only that, there are small start-up companies working quietly in a variety of cutting-edge endeavors, harnessing the creative energies of many, from those working in the green industry to those in the bio-sciences.

Another positive note occurred recently in Norwich, where ground was broken for the intermodal transportation center. This is but one step, and others will have to be taken by the state elsewhere in the region. Improved transportation infrastructure will be critical to helping us realize our economic potential in eastern CT.

Later this year, we will celebrate 100 years of working for businesses in eastern CT with an anniversary ball at the Mystic Marriott. I invite you to contact our office and register to attend. You will be with business and community leaders from throughout the region, the very best we have who are working daily to make our part of CT an even better place than it already is. Plus, it will be a fun time.

Sincerely,
Tony Sheridan
President and CEO
Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT

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