The American Manufacturing Hall of Fame(AMHoF) is pleased to announce that four Connecticut companies will be inducted at the Fifth Annual Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, October 9th at the Trumbull Marriot.
This year’s honorees were selected based on their achievements and contributions as follows:
Cheney Brothers (Manchester) was the first American company to refine techniques for properly raising silkworms and processing silk, beginning in 1838. Frank Cheney patented the Rixford Roller, which revolutionized silk manufacturing by replacing the direct drives found in older-style silk rollers with a new friction-powered drive that wound raw silk into hardier, double-twisted threads.
Farrel Corporation (Ansonia) enjoys a rich history dating back to the 1840’s during the Industrial Revolution in the United States when Farrel distinguished itself as a foundry and equipment manufacturer for the rubber industry. Today, Farrel Corporation is a global leader in the research, design and manufacturing of continuous mixing systems for the polymer processing industry covering an extensive range of applications.
Handy & Harman (Fairfield) leveraged an early market advantage in silver bullion through acquisitions to provide not only bullion but alloys and prefabricated silver bands, wires, and moldings, as well as reclamation services to leading jewelers. Today, as a part of Steel Partners Holdings L.P., Handy & Harman is focused on the manufacturing of building products, joining materials, and composite reinforced ballistic and high strength specialty fabrics.
Timex Group USA (Middlebury) was founded as Waterbury Clock Company in 1854. The company added American ingenuity to European clock making by building a mass-production platform, 40 years before the Model T. This ingenuity created the foundation for innovations which have driven Timex’s continued success. Today Timex remains true to its intent to provide quality timepieces at an affordable price.
The American Manufacturing Hall of Fame celebrates the innovative history of American manufacturing, raises funds for educational programs, and promotes awareness of advanced manufacturing which is critical to the economy.
One of the primary ways AMHoF provides opportunities for the next generation of manufacturing professionals through its partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center at Housatonic Community College (HCC) in Bridgeport, by providing scholarships for tuition and textbooks, funding for supplies, and other manufacturing related programs.
According to the 2017 Survey of Connecticut Manufacturing Workforce Needs, Connecticut’s 4,011 manufacturers anticipate a need to fill 13,601 jobs in the coming year. Ninety-eight percent of respondents acknowledged that they would primarily fill these jobs with full-time workers. The Advanced Manufacturing Training Center at Housatonic Community College prepares students for advanced manufacturing jobs through a rigorous certification program. Last year the Center placed 100% of its certificate students in advanced manufacturing jobs.
The American Manufacturing Hall of Fame is sponsored by BlumShapiro, a Founding Platinum Sponsor since the the Hall of Fame's inception. Based in New England with Connecticut offices in West Hartford and Shelton, BlumShapiro is the largest regional accounting, tax and business advisory firm.
The American Manufacturing Hall of Fame is affiliated with the Housatonic Community College Foundation, which serves as the fiduciary for the AMHoF. The HCC Foundation was founded in 1990 to provide financial assistance to the students and the college beyond the fundamentals provided by the State of Connecticut. For more information about the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center at HCC contact Richard Dupont at