Fairfield County Business Journal 031813

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FAIRFIELD COUNTY

BUSINESS JOURNAL YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR REGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS | westfaironline.com

State touts new partnership

FCBJ this week

BY JENNIFER BISSELL TWO STATE LAWMAKERS are pushing for a program that would reward college graduates for starting their own businesses … 2 REP. JIM HIMES has proposed a bill aimed at reducing hedging costs for farmers and manufacturers … 5 AS CONNECTICUT CONSIDERS a gun insurance requirement, few insurers have jumped to offer gun liability coverage … 7 DEVELOPERS OF SHIPPAN LANDING in Stamford are investing $40 million in capital improvements … 17

MEDIA PARTNER

March 18, 2013 | VOL. 49, No. 11

jbissell@westfairinc.com

A

public-private venture that provides financial and technical assistance to businesses with 500 or fewer employees will have a significantly expanded presence in Fairfield County as part of a new partnership with the University of Connecticut. UConn will host the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the next five years, taking over from the Connecticut State University System, and will be assisted by economic development officials and chambers of commerce from across the state. Previously, the lead SBDC office was at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, with seven satellite offices,

SHAKE

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Groups learn to overcome barriers on the dance floor. Photo courtesy of Arthur Murray Grande Ballroom.

including one in Bridgeport. Under the new regime, SBDC counselors will be dispersed across 11 service centers, including ones in Bridgeport, Danbury and Stamford. The SBDC, which will be based at UConn’s Storrs campus, is being led on an interim basis by Mary Holz-Clause, vice president of economic development for UConn, and Chris Bruhl, president and CEO of the Business Council of Fairfield County. With more than 23 public and private organizations offering advising services to Connecticut small businesses, those involved in the revamping of the SBDC noted the difficulties business owners face in determining which organization to go to for assistance.

BY JENNIFER BISSELL jbissell@westfairinc.com

LOOKING FOR BETTER TEAMWORK, more efficiency and higher profit margins? For timid employees, nothing breaks the ice quite like group dance classes, says Christine Georgopulo, owner of The Arthur Murray Grande Ballroom of Greenwich. The dance studio is partnering with RSL Consulting Group L.L.C., also based in Greenwich, to offer teambuilding workshops for businesses. “We guide you out of your comfort zone,” said Georgopulo. “Dancing is a great way to break down barriers. You’re physically touching each other.” Since purchasing the Grande Ballroom about two years ago, Georgopulo has offered corporate team-building courses in addition to her regular private lessons » Shake, page 6

But with UConn as host institution, Bruhl said the state hopes to create a more unified network of services. “The hosts now are expected to be and will be active partners,” Bruhl said. “This is a statewide effort and from our perspective, it really is energizing.” In Fairfield County, fulltime SBDC counselors will be at UConn’s Stamford campus, the Danbury Chamber of Commerce and Bridgeport Regional Business Council. A coordinator for the region’s business programs will also be housed at the Business Council’s office. The SBDC program, with more than 900 offices nationwide, was pioneered by the » Partnership, page 6

GE to tackle concussions BY PATRICK GALLAGHER pgallagher@westfairinc.com

THE COUNTRY’S MOST VALUABLE sports league will tap into the medical imaging expertise of General Electric Co. as part of a joint venture aimed at solving the biggest problem facing football today: concussions. The National Football League, rated by Forbes as the most valuable professional sports league in the U.S., will partner with GE and Under Armour Inc. as part of the four-year, $60 million Head Health Initiative to study, develop treatments for and ultimately help prevent sports-related concussions. The initiative was unveiled at a news conference last week at GE’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza offices, with the NFL facing numerous lawsuits from former players over its treatment of on-field head injuries and with more than 175,000 people under the age of 19 treated in U.S. emergency rooms for head trauma each year. » GE, page 6


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