Honoring Manufacturing Excellence

And the winner is …

After more than 30,000 votes across multiple rounds of the competition, The Lee Company’s Satellite Propellant Isolation Valve is the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut.

The announcement—revealed Oct. 1 at the Made in Connecticut: 2026 Manufacturing Summit—was the culmination of a weeks-long bracket-style competition celebrating Connecticut’s manufacturing industry.

“We make tiny valves, so we often don’t get accused of being cool, so this is exciting,” The Lee Company president and CEO Marietta Lee said accepting the award.

“On behalf of our 1,100-plus employees, we’re proud to call Connecticut home, proud to make our parts right here in Connecticut, and we’re especially proud to be Connecticut’s coolest.”

Tiny Products, Big Jobs

The Lee Company is a third-generation manufacturer founded in Connecticut in 1948. 

The company is a global leader in miniature precision fluid control products serving industries, including aerospace and defense, automotive, diagnostics, and medical technology. 

“We’ve been manufacturing in this state for more than 78 years and while our products are tiny, they do some pretty big jobs,” Lee said.

The satellite propellant isolation valve is designed for specific space and satellite applications supporting GPS, global communications, and weather forecasting. 

The Lee Company beat out Waterbury Button Company’s Santa Claus Brass Button in the championship round.

“To get this recognition within the state, within such a great manufacturing community has been really empowering for our workforce,” Lee added the next day during a segment on  WTNH News 8’s CT Buzz with Natasha Lubczenko.

Manufacturing Buzz

The annual CBIA Foundation-led competition, now in its third year, featured 16 Connecticut-made products ranging from aerospace and defense technologies to medical devices, consumer goods, and food products, showcasing the diversity and innovation of Connecticut manufacturing. 

“This competition has got so much energy behind it,” CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima said on CT Buzz.

“It really highlights not only the importance of manufacturing to Connecticut and the rich legacy, but also the diversity of it, and that’s what was really cool about this year’s bracket.”

“It’s been great to learn about all the amazing products being made here in Connecticut,” Lee added.

Legislative Champions

The summit celebrated manufacturing excellence in many forms, honoring legislative advocates, educators, innovators, and exporters alongside the Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut competition.

CBIA’s 2026 Connecticut Manufacturing Champion Awards honored Connecticut lawmakers who have gone above and beyond to support the state’s manufacturing industry.

“This is the first year that CBIA is recognizing legislators for their advocacy and their support for the manufacturing community,” CBIA senior vice president of public policy Chris Davis said to introduce the awards.

“As key legislators across different districts across the state and committees in the legislature, each one of these individuals really were your champion at the state legislature.”

The honorees are:

• State Rep. Chris Aniskovich (R-Clinton) 
• State Rep. Jill Barry (D-Glastonbury) 
• State Sen. Henri Martin (R-Bristol) 
• State Rep. Stephen Meskers (D-Greenwich) 
• State Rep. Steve Weir (R-Hebron) 

Technology and Innovation

Each year, the summit celebrates leaders who create new opportunities and who help shape the future of Connecticut manufacturing.

The Technology & Innovation, presented by CONNSTEP, recognizes a manufacturer that is innovating through creativity, technology, and continuous improvement.

This year’s honoree is Bristol-based Novo Precision and its president Bill Hazard.

The company evolved its own continuous improvement efforts into Novo Lean Solutions, a new business helping manufacturers improve everything from workstations and material flow to ergonomics, production tracking, and operator efficiency.

“Novo identified real problems on its own manufacturing floor, developed and continuously improved solutions, and turned its own Lean manufacturing experience into a new opportunity to help others improve efficiency, quality, and performance,” said CONNSTEP president and CEO Beatriz Gutierrez.

Pathways Educator

The Pathways Educator Award for Excellence in Manufacturing, presented by ReadyCT, recognizes an educator that creates opportunities for students and helps nurture the state’s future manufacturing workforce

This year’s awardee is Dr. Jesse Glaude of Westhill High School.

Glaude developed Stamford Public Schools’ advanced manufacturing curriculum—which creates a pathway that includes industry-recognized credentials and prepares students for careers in the field.

“Jesse has spent more than two decades connecting classroom learning with real-world experience,” said ReadyCT director of STEM and manufacturing initiatives, Christine Lawlor-King. 

“He understands that the best way to prepare students for the future is to let them experience it today.”

Connecticut Export Awards

The summit also highlighted Connecticut’s critical export industry.

The U.S. Commercial Service’s Connecticut District Export Council celebrated Connecticut companies for their achievements in expanding market reach.

“Made in Connecticut is a powerful brand,” said Shipman & Goodwin’s Alfredo Fernández as he introduced the awards. “That means something—to the tune of more than $17 billion.”

The awards honored 29 companies who expanded their sales into new markets around the world or expanded sales in international markets.

“Today we celebrate more than a new export market,” said U.S. Commercial Service Connecticut office director Melissa Grosso.

“We celebrate the people behind it. We celebrate the people behind it and the willingness to look beyond our borders to see opportunity.”

The awardees are:

• ACMT
• Bauer
• Beekley Corporation
• Bio-Med Devices
• BMS Aerospace
• Burke Aerospace
• CertaScan Technologies
• Control Station
• Current, Inc.
• Element 119
• Environics Inc
• Finacity Corporation
• FuelCell Energy
• Greenmont Healthcare Products
• Hockey Twig
• JT Automation
• Kub Technologies
• Lyman Products Corporation
• Novo Precision
• OSF Flavors
• Papichulo Style
• QTL
• Russell Organics
• Specialty Cable Corporation
• ThayerMahan
• The Beer Bat
• Vaidio, Inc.
• Vortex Systems
• Whelen Engineering Company