FAIRFIELD COUNTY
BUSINESS JOURNAL February 22, 2016 | VOL. 52, No. 8
9 | CEO EVOLUTION
24 | GOOD THINGS HAPPENING
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Malloy eyes cuts, not more taxes A DEFENSE OF POLICIES AT UCONN STAMFORD
BY REECE ALVAREZ ralvarez@westfairink.com
S
peaking to a room of more than 200 community members at the UConn Stamford campus Feb. 11, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy fielded a flurry of questions regarding his budget proposal to cut nearly $600 million in spending from the state’s $20 billion annual budget. Facing a budget deficit of at least $7 million for this fiscal year and approximately $550 million in the next, plus billiondollar deficits in funding for state employee retirement benefits, Malloy’s $19.87 billion budget revision would cut 5.75 percent
from all agency discretionary budgets and reduce overall state spending by $570 million in the next fiscal year. Members of the public, including advocates for affordable housing and at-risk children and representatives of community health services and the state education system, sought answers as to why a range of services and organizations would lose their funding. Throughout the more than hour-long town hall forum, Malloy stuck to the theme that hard times call for hard decisions and shared sacrifice. “We are living in a different dynamic, one that is unlike any» MALLOY, page 6
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy speaks with constituents at UConn. Photo by Reece Alvarez
Family-owned Business Awards to honor 20 BY DANIELLE BRODY dbrody@westfairinc.com
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or the third year, Westfair Communications is recognizing outstanding family-owned businesses in Westchester and Fairfield counties. The 20 winners, chosen by a
panel of judges, will be celebrated at a formal event Feb. 25 at 1133 Westchester Ave. in White Plains. The event includes networking with hors d’oeuvres and spirits, entertainment and an award ceremony opened by two different types of family-owned business. Michael Harney, vice presi-
dent and tea taster at Harney & Sons Teas, headquartered in Millerton, N.Y., will speak about his experience working at his family-owned business. Bryan Mellick, the president and CEO of Norwalk-based Hatch & Bailey Co., a lumberyard with a second location in Stamford, will offer the perspective of a non-relative at the top level of a family-owned business. The event sponsors include gold sponsor, Entergy; silver sponsor, Sterling National Bank; and bronze sponsors, Ben’s Deli, Citrin Cooperman and Indeed. Supporters include Buzz
Creators, The Bristal Assisted Living, Val’s Putnam Wines & Liquors, New York Life Insurance Co. and A.G. Williams Painting Co., a 2015 winner.
The winners are: FAIRFIELD COUNTY
ABERCROMBIE, BURNS, MCKIERNAN & CO. INSURANCE INC. is a full-service, independent insurance agency offering personal, business, life and health insurance services on both a local and national level. Owner Thomas McKiernan was joined by sons Christopher and Kevin in
1992 and Patrick in 2004. A-QUICK PICK CRANE SERVICE was founded in 1984 by brothers George and Bill Schrade. The company provides cranewith-operator and rigging service to Connecticut, Massachusetts and Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties and can deliver a bare rental crane anywhere on the East Coast. George’s wife, two sons and daughter have all joined the company. AGABHUMI, founded by Regina and Michael Kirshbaum in 2002, is a store with locations in » FAMILY, page 15