CONNSTEP’s First Manufacturing Meetup a Sweet Success

By: Dean Simmons

As the frenzy of manufacturing month activities came to a close at the end of October, CONNSTEP hosted its inaugural Manufacturing Meetup, celebrating the state’s dynamic and valuable industry with a “Pumpkins & Pies” networking luncheon at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut.

A mix of manufacturers and industry vendors enjoyed a seasonally themed event complete with pumpkins, thanks to insurance agency Tzedakah House and its president and owner, Benjamin Klein, who generously supported the event as the Pumpkin sponsor. Attendees decorated their pumpkins with supplied decorations and savored legendary Lyman Orchards apple pie for dessert.

CONNSTEP President and CEO Beatriz Gutierrez welcomed guests to the luncheon, providing an overview of CONNSTEP, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center for the state of Connecticut. She described how the organization’s mission is to drive success for manufacturers in the state, measuring impacts of our efforts, and establishing the MEP center as trusted advisors.

Bernice Zampano, CONNSTEP’s program manager of CONNEX Connecticut, discussed the ongoing benefits of this supply chain solution and portal. CBIA Engagement Manager Rebecca Nolan highlighted their organization’s longstanding commitment to the state’s manufacturing industry, featuring a video from the recent statewide manufacturing bus tour that highlighted the innovation and integrity of products made here in Connecticut.

Ruan Marinho, Julie Pesce, and Paul Munko from digital marketing agency Develomark impressed the crowd at the event with an introduction to their soon-to-be-released Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform, SplashDash, showcasing AI analytics tools for competitive research and real-time insights that help manufacturers advance their business.

CONNSTEP’s marketing manager Tyler Scott rounded out the networking luncheon event reminding the crowd of the numerous resources and services available from the company. He also presented an introduction to the recently completed help page on the CONNSTEP website – connstep.help – which now features a text option for inquiries, in addition to calling, emailing, or completing an online form.

CONNSTEP recognizes that networking events like the “Pumpkins & Pies” luncheon provide an opportunity to connect and forge business relationships with colleagues in the manufacturing community of the state. Make sure to be on the lookout for the next Manufacturing Meetup event which will soon be announced by CONNSTEP. You won’t want to miss it!