(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he will lead a delegation of Connecticut state officials and business leaders at the Paris Air Show later this month as part of a business recruitment mission intended to strengthen and support the state’s aerospace industry and the thousands of local jobs that it supports.
The Paris Air Show – which runs from June 19 to June 22, 2023 – is considered one of the most important tradeshows of its kind in the world and is attended by world leaders, governors of several states, military officials, and some of the top business executives of the commercial aerospace and defense industry. More than 2,454 aerospace and defense companies from throughout the world will be exhibiting, including 25 companies that have a presence in Connecticut.
The State of Connecticut will sponsor its own booth that will be occupied by 10 local aerospace companies working to secure contracts for their products and services. The booth is supported by a federal STEP grant designed to help smaller companies reach international clients.
Connecticut’s aerospace industry employs more than 34,000 people and contributes $10.4 billion to the state’s gross domestic product.
“The aerospace industry is an important part of Connecticut’s employer base, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing billions to our economy,” Governor Lamont said. “Our goal is to get more products that are made in Connecticut out into the world, and to get more of the world doing business in Connecticut. We are committed to supporting the companies that operate in our state, as well as working with those that are looking to establish operations here and leverage the best workforce in America.”
In addition to Governor Lamont, other members of the Connecticut delegation attending the Air Show will include Economic and Community Development Commissioner Alexandra Daum, Chief Manufacturing Officer Paul Lavoie, and AdvanceCT President John Bourdeaux. Representatives from the University of Connecticut and the Aerospace Component Manufacturers Association will also attend.
“We are here selling Connecticut,” Commissioner Daum said. “This is an important tradeshow for us as we look to grow and diversify our aerospace industry. Connecticut has more than five times the national concentration of aerospace product and parts manufacturing jobs, so supporting our existing companies is another important part of the work we are doing here.”
The following Connecticut companies will be attending and exhibiting at the Air Show:
- Aerospace and Specialty Metals Group
- Alpha Metalcraft Group
- Barnes Aerospace
- Enjet Aero
- First Aviation Services
- Fluid Forming Technologies
- FLYWAT (Chester Facility)
- Forecast International
- HarcoSemco
- Hexcel
- Hygrade Precision Technologies
- Industries Group, Inc.
- Jonal Laboratories
- New England Airfoil Products, Inc.
- OFS Optics
- PCX AeroSystems
- Pratt & Whitney
- Pursuit Aerospace
- Reno Machine Company
- Sikorsky
- SIMTECH, Inc.
- The Lee Company
- UE Precision Sensors
- Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals, Inc.
- Yarde Metals
The state participated at the Farnborough International Air Show in England in 2022 and has been participating at the Farnborough and the Paris Air Show, which are held in alternate years, since 2006. These two tradeshows are considered the two most important events in the aerospace industry.
