It was by no means in the past! There’s a very strong manufacturing presence in CT, but the sector ebbs and flows. One reason for that is because a large portion of manufacturing in CT is tied to the defense and aerospace industries. When companies in CT win new contracts these companies and their upstream smaller contractors and suppliers that you noticed everywhere, also get a boost. But even if we won all the contracts, the Pentagon operates on a cycle, they’re not going to replace the entire nuclear sub fleet every year, for example, more like every 30 years, so the very nature of the industry is cyclical, nationally.

As it happens though, EB is gearing up for another round of this and hiring like mad, we’re entering a strong cycle again there.

Historically, of course, CT has had other manufacturing as well. Firearms, automobiles (briefly) and consumer goods like clocks and watches, bells, and textiles. Today our manufacturing is high-precision high-tech industries that our highly skilled labor force support.