Mayor John A. Harkins”™ economic development policies are paying off in one of Fairfield County”™s easternmost cities, Stratford officials say.
Since Harkins took office in 2009 and created the town”™s economic development office, dozens of businesses have expanded or moved to Stratford. At minimum, 350 jobs have been created, officials say.
“Prior to Mayor Harkins taking office, there was no place for potential or current businesses to go to get information about Stratford that would be helpful to their decision making,” said Marc Dillon, chief of staff to the mayor.
There was previously no government arm to attract businesses to Stratford or help them navigate the sometimes burdensome regulatory process of state and local governments, Dillon said.
Additionally, the mayor has created a new redevelopment authority to clean up contaminated or unproductive properties.
As a result, there”™s a quiet boom happening in the town of roughly 51,000 people.
AptarGroup Inc., a dispenser manufacturer, added 40,000 square feet to its manufacturing sales office and 30 jobs in 2012. Teavana Holdings Inc., a tea company recently bought by Starbucks Corp., will have expanded its Stratford warehouse by 142,000 square feet and a dozen new employees by the end of the year. And St. Vincent”™s Medical Center plans to build a 20,000-square-foot urgent care center and medical mall on Main Street to replace an existing building from the 1970s.
“There”™s a lot going on right now; the mayor has made economic development his priority,” said Karen Kaiser, the city”™s economic development director. “Stratford is getting a business reputation. The mayor is out meeting with different CEOs, finding out their needs and helping them with the issues they have.”
Kaiser said many businesses don”™t realize what resources are available. Since the department”™s creation, it has helped businesses secure roughly $1 million in grants from the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
“It”™s been great for them, which is why I think we have an influx of companies moving into town,” she said. The department doesn”™t keep track of interacting or businesses they”™ve helped, however.
Frank Scifo, medical director of St. Vincent”™s Medical Center Urgent Care Services, said the Bridgeport-based group was pleased to be opening its fifth urgent care center in Stratford as it attempts to expand its ambulatory footprint. The medical group has a large emphasis on providing care for the underserved, he said.
“It”™s long been our vision to establish a strong presence in the towns of our patients,” Scifo said. “The team reached out to the economic development office and the project was really embraced. I think that had a large impact on our ability to do it.”
The urgent care center will replace an older building with one that is more efficient, green, traffic-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, Scifo said, listing reasons why the town might support it. Additionally, it will create a couple new jobs and positively impact residents”™ access to care.
“People often talk about being more business friendly,” Dillon said. “By employing the resources necessary, Stratford has positioned itself appropriately in order to capitalize on opportunities for additional jobs and commerce in town.”
