FAIRFIELD COUNTY
BUSINESS JOURNAL YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR REGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS | westfaironline.com
November 4, 2013 | VOL. 49, No. 44
THE SOUL OF A NEW ANTIQUE
FCBJ this week PAGING R2D2 Robots increase the allure of American manufacturing … 5
By JEnniFER BiSSEll jbissell@westfairinc.com
I
n the midst of a throwaway culture, one couple seeks to create handcrafted furniture, worthy of keeping. While the home of any millennial is likely furnished with pieces of particle board from big retailers, Sarah Bader and Matt Rink are helping their peers make the upgrade to custom-made furniture, finished with reclaimed wood. “Not to rip on IKEA too much, but it’s like glorified cardboard,” Rink said. “If you could buy something of quality, at the same price, why wouldn’t you?” Made of wood primarily from old Connecticut barns, the furniture is priced in the same range as IKEA or Pottery Barn. But when and if it breaks, the couple says they don’t believe their customers will just throw out their pieces. The couple’s Bethel-based company, New
COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE CBRE releases a raft of leasing data … 8 MAESTROS OF FUNDING A group of finance executives helps float an orchestra … 15 NEWSMAKERS On the rise and on the move … 20
MEDIA PARTNER
matt rink and sarah Bader in their Bethel workshop.
» Wood, page 6
WOMEN RULE THE DAIS
WbdC breAKFAst drAWs 500-Plus
By Bill Fallon bfallon@westfairinc.com
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HR 5050, the federal legislation that remade women’s business finance, was topic A for the state’s treasurer, lieutenant governor and for a lineup of business and civic leaders at the Women’s Business Development Council’s 12th annual Business Breakfast. Even a female race car driver came to praise the law and, notably, to join the host group in praising Nancy Coffey, CEO of KTT Enterprises. » Women, page 7
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HORROR TAILS
Women’s Business Development Council founder and CEO Fran Pastore.
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