In brief

Sikorsky flies under UTC restructuring

United Technologies Corp. is leaving its Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Otis Elevator Co. units outside a larger restructuring from what UTC initially articulated following its $18.4 billion acquisition of Goodrich Corp.

Days after stating plans to merge Goodrich and Farmington-based Hamilton Sundstrand in a new aerospace division based in Charlotte, N.C., UTC said it would combine Hamilton Sundstrand and Pratt & Whitney into a new UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems unit led by Alain Bellemare, with UTC not immediately specifying a headquarters locations.

UTC also plans to fuse its Farmington-based Carrier Corp. and UTC Fire & Security divisions into a new UTC Climate, Controls and Security Systems unit led by Geraud Darnis.

 

Another big step for Mannkind

Months after revealing plans to lay off 130 workers in Danbury, Mannkind Pharmaceuticals Inc. is raising $370 million with plans to use some of the funds to build out its Danbury factory.

Valencia, Calif.-based Mannkind is completing phase 3 trials for Afrezza, a drug candidate for diabetes. The company also has a location in Paramus, N.J.

 

Finch wins Bridgeport primary

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch fended off a Democratic primary challenge from Mary Jane Foster, who failed to win over voters with attacks on Finch”™s record on schools and economic development, among other issues.

Foster is vice president of university relations for the University of Bridgeport and formerly an owner of the Bridgeport Bluefish minor league baseball team.

In the general election, Finch faces challenges from Republican Rick Torres, owner of Harborview Market, and independent Jeff Kohut, a community activist.

 

Hubble Telescope supplier sets sights on Oxford

Machining company Gen-El-Mec Associates Inc. is leaving Bridgeport for Oxford, where it plans to construct a 30,000-square-foot building for its some 25 employees.

Gen-El-Mec, which is at 1073 State St. in Bridgeport, makes components for various industries, including aerospace. Founder Zenon Mocarski supplied parts for the Lunar Orbiter program in the 1960s, and the company would later work as well on the Hubble Telescope.

 

Urban Outfitters eyes more Westport terrain

Urban Outfitters Inc. reportedly wants to convert the former Curran Cadillac site in Westport to a Terrain home and garden center.

The property at 561 Post Road E. has been idle the past few years, save for accommodating overflow vehicles from an adjacent dealer.

According to the Westport News, the 16,000-square-foot building would also include a small restaurant with outdoor seating and a second building there could house another retail store to be determined.

Urban Outfitters plans to open a clothing store in downtown Westport next year. It also owns Anthropologie, which has a location at 1365 Post Road.

 

Data center approved for Norwalk

Norwalk”™s zoning commission reportedly approved construction of a two-story building at Norden Park, intended for a data center to be operated by Shelton-based Cervalis L.L.C.

The Norwalk Hour reported Cervalis will employ some 25 people at the 168,000-square-foot facility.

 

GE touts job gains in N.Y., other states

General Electric Co. said it has created 8,000 jobs in 15 states in the past 18 months, including 1,150 in New York covering energy, health care and transportation.

Connecticut, where GE and GE Capital are based in Fairfield and Norwalk respectively, was not included on the map. Michigan has gained 1,100 corporate jobs from GE, while GE Capital has boosted its Illinois workforce by 1,000 positions.

In 2010, GE downsized its U.S. workforce by 1,000 positions from the year before, while trimming its international operations by 16,000 jobs. In reports in September, GE CEO Jeff Immelt said the company plans to hire 6,000 additional workers in India over the next five years and GE reportedly plans to add 1,000 engineers in China through next year.

 

Company offers polling app

Woodbridge-based Floop Inc. has more than 10,000 registered users to date for its app that allows people to pose a question to friends or others and visually graph real-time votes and responses.

Founded by Richard Schultz and Patrick Shields, Floop said it is working on a new version for businesses, including those in television, entertainment and the media industry.

 

SBA doles out export funding

The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded $550,000 to the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to increase state exports and the number of small businesses that sell abroad, of $30 million awarded nationally.

The SBA created the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) pilot grant initiative earlier this year to provide grants to state export offices over the next three years. The program was authorized under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. States can apply for additional funding in the following two years.

 

Grubel out at UBS

UBS AG”™s new CEO vowed not to sell off the company”™s wealth management business in North America, following the resignation of former CEO Oswald Grubel.

Zurich-based UBS maintains a large wealth-management operation in Fairfield County, with offices in Stamford, Greenwich and Westport.

UBS named Sergio Ermotti as interim CEO following the departure of Grubel, who led the bank as it secured a bailout from the Swiss government during the financial panic of 2008. Gruber”™s resignation came in the wake of the arrest of a rogue UBS trader in London accused of fraudulently covering up $2.3 billion in losses.