‘Not Your Grandfather’s Manufacturing’

“It’s not your grandfather’s manufacturing anymore—it’s a very, very different industry,” state Comptroller Sean Scanlon told a crowd gathered at Carey Manufacturing in Cromwell Oct. 7 as Connecticut kicked off Manufacturing Month.  

Scanlon’s words capture the reality that modern manufacturing isn’t about assembly lines and repetitive tasks.

It’s about advanced robotics, precision engineering, and high-skilled careers that offer real pathways to economic opportunity.

Yet as state leaders gathered to celebrate the industry’s contributions, they also confronted hard truths about workforce shortages and rising costs that could undermine everything Connecticut manufacturing has built. 

The Manufacturing Economy 

The numbers tell a compelling story. Manufacturing contributed $34.21 billion to Connecticut’s GDP in 2024—representing 11.6% of the state’s total output and ranking third among major industry sectors.

The state’s 4,500-plus manufacturers employed 153,600 workers as of August, roughly 9% of overall employment.

That’s higher than the national average of 8%, reflecting manufacturing’s outsized role in Connecticut’s economy. 

These jobs represent careers that provide genuine upward mobility. Manufacturing positions in Connecticut pay an average salary of $100,745, a full 15% higher than the state’s overall average wage.

More importantly, each manufacturing job creates an additional five jobs in the economy and generates $230.79 of value added per hour worked, ranking sixth nationally.

This multiplier effect means that manufacturing drives the flywheel of economic activity throughout Connecticut communities. 

“We’re here to celebrate this great industry today and to recognize an industry that I don’t think gets enough attention in Connecticut for the great work that they do and the significance they have to our state,” Scanlon said.

Connecticut’s manufacturing strength centers on high-value, precision work in aerospace, defense, and transportation equipment, with companies like General Dynamics Electric Boat, Sikorsky, and Pratt & Whitney anchoring an ecosystem of smaller suppliers and specialists. 

Headwinds Ahead 

Yet beneath these impressive numbers, Connecticut manufacturers face mounting pressures that threaten this economic engine.

Manufacturing Month this year arrives at a moment of particular uncertainty, with federal tariff policies creating ripple effects throughout the supply chain. 

Two-thirds of Connecticut manufacturers surveyed this year reported that their business was being negatively impacted by tariffs, compared to only 5% who said tariffs were helping their operations.

“We’re going to have to make things like healthcare and energy more affordable for small businesses in our state.”

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon

The damage is about uncertainty, perhaps even more so than it is about cost, limiting a business’ ability to plan for the future. 

The broader cost environment compounds these pressures.

Ninety-five percent of Connecticut manufacturers report that the cost of doing business is increasing, with labor, healthcare, and energy the key cost drivers.

“We’re going to have to make things like healthcare and energy more affordable for small businesses in our state,” Scanlon acknowledged, recognizing that while the state can’t control federal trade policy, it can address the cost drivers within its reach. 

Collaborating on Solutions 

While manufacturers wait for clarity on tariffs and federal policy, they face a more immediate crisis that state leaders and industry can tackle together: workforce. 

The top challenge for Connecticut businesses continues to be finding and retaining the right people. 82% of manufacturers report difficulty attracting skilled workers, leaving more than 7,000 positions unfilled across the state.

The challenge is driven by new demand, in addition to replacing an aging workforce that ranks among the oldest in the nation. 

We see this challenge in the data. Despite strong employer demand, total manufacturing employment in Connecticut declined 1.1% over the past year.

“As our business grows, we face challenges we don’t always have the resources to tackle alone.”

Carey Manufacturing’s Alison Carey Lynch

While this problem isn’t unique to Connecticut—the nation overall saw a 0.6% decline—the state’s steeper drop is particularly concerning given the critical role manufacturing plays in the local economy.  

The skills gap represents the top barrier, identified by 45% of manufacturers as their primary workforce challenge.

As Alison Carey Lynch, vice president at Carey Manufacturing, put it: “Often running a small business can feel like operating without a safety net.”

“As our business grows, we face challenges we don’t always have the resources to tackle alone,” she said.

“That’s why it’s so important for manufacturers to come together to share knowledge, collaborate and support each other.” 

Path Forward 

Rather than waiting for federal relief or demographic trends to shift, Connecticut manufacturers and state leaders are leveraging what the state does best: collaboration.

“This is what we do well in Connecticut—we collaborate, we’re a small state that’s about deep relationships,” said CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima.

“And when we collaborate together, we innovate together.” 

That collaborative spirit is taking concrete form.

The newly launched CBIA Manufacturing Coalition—a collaboration with CONNSTEP—brings manufacturers together monthly to share best practices and coordinate workforce strategies. 

The CBIA Foundation’s Manufacturing Bus Tour will visit facilities across Connecticut from Oct. 13 through Oct. 17, highlighting both the advanced technology in today’s factories and the workforce programs helping to staff them. 

“This is what we do well in Connecticut—we collaborate.”

CBIA’s Chris DiPentima

“There’s a lot of talent out there, but in order to find that talent, you have to look in maybe untraditional places,” said Connecticut chief workforce officer Kelli Vallieres.

“Placing an ad is not necessarily going to get you the talent that you need … you’ve got to build your own.” 

The optimism is cautious but real.

Sixty-six percent of manufacturers expect to be profitable in 2025, and 63% plan to add employees in 2026.

The state’s Make It Here 2030 initiative aims to increase manufacturing’s GDP share to 20% while achieving full employment in the sector.

Reaching these goals will require sustaining the collaborative approach on display at Carey Manufacturing, where industry leaders, state officials, and small business owners committed to solving workforce challenges together rather than hoping for external solutions to arrive.