
Marcum Manufacturing Forum
Overview
The Marcum Manufacturing Forum brings together industry leaders and executives from the Connecticut manufacturing community to elevate awareness of funding sources available to manufacturers through various state and federal programs. The Marcum forum is produced in collaboration with the U.S Department of Commerce Connecticut District Office, the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA), and ManufactureCT.
Paul Lavoie, Connecticut’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, will deliver the keynote remarks at this year’s inaugural forum, providing an update on the state of manufacturing in Connecticut. You will also hear from a panel of manufacturing industry leaders, moderated by Compass MSP CEO Ari Santiago, who will discuss investments and opportunities provided by the state to support growth and innovation in 2023 and beyond. The panel will explore resources available to manufacturers and connect you with the tools offered by Connecticut to help grow your business and gain a competitive advantage.
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Agenda
Registration & Breakfast
Introductions and Welcome
Jeff Rossi, New England Consumer & Industrial Products Leader, Marcum LLP
Keynote Presentation
Paul S. Lavoie, Chief Manufacturing Officer, State of Connecticut
Panel Discussion
Moderator
Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP
Panelists
Eileen Candels, Director of Partnerships, CCAT
David Cremin, President, Straton Industries
Brittany Isherwood, President, Burke Aerospace
Jill Mayer, CEO, Bead Industries
Susan White, President & CEO, Atlas Stamping & Manufacturing Corporation
Panel Wrap-up & Closing
Ron Angelo, President & Chief Executive Officer, CCAT
Chris Dipentima, President and CEO of CBIA
Speakers
Keynote

Paul S. Lavoie
Paul S. Lavoie was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont as the Chief Manufacturing Officer for Connecticut in February 2022. The Chief Manufacturing Officer position was created to coordinate efforts from the state and private sector to expand manufacturing in Connecticut.
Paul S. Lavoie
Paul S. Lavoie was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont as the Chief Manufacturing Officer for Connecticut in February 2022. The Chief Manufacturing Officer position was created to coordinate efforts from the state and private sector to expand manufacturing in Connecticut.
Paul has extensive industry experience, most recently as General Manager at Carey Manufacturing in Cromwell, CT. Carey is known for their reshoring efforts, bringing jobs back from China to Connecticut. Prior to Carey, Paul has owned two businesses and served at senior level positions at publicly traded and privately owned businesses.
Paul serves as the Board Chair of the Central CT Chambers of Commerce, Advisory Board Member of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, and Advisory Board Member of the University of Connecticut Engineering School. In 2022, Paul was named as one of the Greater Hartford’s Top 50 Power Players by Hartford Business Journal.
Moderator

Ari Santiago
Ari Santiago is the CEO of CompassMSP, a technology services firm that helps businesses harness the power of technology to achieve their business goals. Ari is also the host of the podcast Made in America with Ari Santiago, which focuses on promoting the manufacturing industry, sharing best practices of industry leaders, and spreading positive news from policymakers affecting the manufacturing industry. Ari speaks both locally and nationally about technology, manufacturing, and business strategy. He is also a relentless advocate for positive engagement in the communities he serves.
Panelists

Eileen Candels
Eileen Candels is the Director of Partnerships at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), where she leads outreach and programs for Manufacturers, and with Trade Associations and Community Partners to connect with CCAT resources. Eileen joined CCAT in late 2020, leading CARES Act, Workforce, and Education programs for the CT Manufacturing ecosystem. Prior to CCAT Eileen had a 35-year career in the staffing industry, as Vice President for Kelly Services for the Greater Hartford and Western MA area, and later as Director for New England for Kelly Educational Staffing. She is involved in several Education-Business partnerships around the State, Million Women Mentors – CT, Hunger Action service and lives with her family in Wethersfield. Eileen holds a BA from Tufts University.

David Cremin
David Cremin is the President of Straton Industries. Establish in 1961, Straton Industries is a certified contract manufacturer of molds, tools, dies and stampings, supplying to the aircraft, aerospace and semi-conductor markets. Straton employs 90 people in Stratford, CT.
Dave Cremin is a journeyman tool & die maker. Dave attended the University of Bridgeport with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management & Industrial Relations. Dave lives in Monroe, Connecticut with his wife Tonya, and two teenage children.

Brittany Isherwood
Brittany M. Isherwood is the President of Burke Aerospace, headquartered in Farmington, CT. Burke Aerospace has provided Electric Discharge Machining and Milling services to the Aerospace, Industrial Gas Turbine, and Defense Industries for over 60 years. Burke Aerospace also has an additional facility in Greenville, SC supporting both the Aerospace and the Industrial Gas Turbine industries.
Brittany Isherwood
Brittany M. Isherwood is the President of Burke Aerospace, headquartered in Farmington, CT. Burke Aerospace has provided Electric Discharge Machining and Milling services to the Aerospace, Industrial Gas Turbine, and Defense Industries for over 60 years. Burke Aerospace also has an additional facility in Greenville, SC supporting both the Aerospace and the Industrial Gas Turbine industries.
Isherwood has considerable experience within the industry, having spent eight years at GE Aviation in Lynn, Massachusetts as a senior operation leader of large engines combustor manufacturing.
Isherwood joined Burke Aerospace in 2016 to further develop their growing business of the Aerospace and Industrial Gas Turbine markets as Vice President of Business Development. After growing the business’ revenues significantly in four years in the business development role she took over as President in 2020. During her first year as President, she led the company through the challenging times of the pandemic while implementing cost savings and efficient processes that have increased profitability significantly.
Isherwood started her career as a manufacturing quality engineer where she earned her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and implemented numerous process improvements and cost reductions on commercial and military products. She then moved into a production supervisor role where she was the direct interface between the customer and her team, responsible for all the scheduling of material. She also held roles as a Cost Leader and Business Leader where she was able reduce cost, increase inventory turnover, reduce quality escapes, and create a safe culture within her business.
Isherwood has an MBA from Northeastern University focusing on international business and supply chain management. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology where she graduated first in her class.
Isherwood currently serves on board of directors for CONNSTEP & CBIA. She is a member of multiple trade associations including the Aerospace Components Manufacturers, Manufacture CT, and Women in Manufacturing.

Jill Mayer
Jill Mayer started at Bead in 2007 as Financial Controller where she managed HR, financial planning, budget management and financial reporting of both Bead Chain and Bead Electronics divisions. In 2014, she took on the role of Corporate President, responsible for strategic planning and executive leadership. In 2018, she was promoted to CEO to lead the company into the future through growth and innovation. She holds a BS in Business from the University of Vermont and an MS from Champlain College.

Susan White
Goal-focused and task-oriented, Susan White serves as President and CEO. Joining our team in 2017, Susan brings years of experience running small to mid-sized businesses. White is responsible for the day-to-day operations at Atlas, focusing on increasing efficiencies, production, and throughput; providing operational oversight in every department; and planning and executing strategic goals.
Closing Remarks

Ron Angelo
Ron Angelo has over 35 years of experience guiding strategic business planning and operations, fostering financial growth, and steering process improvement in public and private companies, governmental entities, and entrepreneurial organizations. Ron’s expertise in and passion for leading-edge technology and advanced manufacturing led him to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), which he has held since 2013.

Chris DiPentima
Chris DiPentima is president and CEO of CBIA, Connecticut’s leading business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, representing a diverse range of industries from every part of the state.
The organization includes two critical affiliates—the business consulting firm CONNSTEP and the nonprofit education policy and program group ReadyCT.
Chris DiPentima
Chris DiPentima is president and CEO of CBIA, Connecticut’s leading business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, representing a diverse range of industries from every part of the state.
The organization includes two critical affiliates—the business consulting firm CONNSTEP and the nonprofit education policy and program group ReadyCT.
DiPentima previously was division president of Leggett & Platt Aerospace, a unit of S&P 500 company Leggett & Platt, leading operations at the company’s Middletown-based Pegasus Manufacturing facility and locations in Washington, California, and France.
He joined Pegasus, then family-owned, in 2002 as general counsel and was named president in 2006.
Prior to joining Pegasus, DiPentima spent eight years as an attorney representing corporations and individuals on a broad range of issues, including labor and employment, contracts, workers’ compensation, and mergers and acquisitions.
A former chair of CBIA’s board of directors, he chairs the Connecticut Manufacturers’ Collaborative and serves on the board of the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund and the Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Council.
He is a past president of the Aerospace Components Manufacturers and served on the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission, the National Governor’s Policy Academy for Best Practices in Manufacturing, and the board of the Connecticut Technical High School System.
DiPentima has a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and received his juris doctorate from Quinnipiac Law School. He is admitted to the bar in Connecticut, New York, and the District of Columbia.
He lives in Durham with his wife and three daughters.
Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
KeyBank
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $181.2 billion at March 31, 2022. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
Breakfast Sponsors
Bank Of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATM and award-winning digital banking with approximately 56 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Robinson+Cole
Supporting Sponsors
Financial Network Limited
Financial Network Limited, a Prime Capital Investment Advisors Company, was founded to provide personalized investment strategies for individuals and families and distinctive employee benefit programs for employers. Today, the firm embodies the same mission and commitment: to provide comprehensive and innovative client solutions with the highest levels of professionalism and integrity. The Prime Capital Investment Advisors network currently has 62 locations throughout the United States, with investment advisor representatives serving clients across the nation.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $3.7 trillion in assets and $292 billion in stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2022. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally.
M&T Bank
PNC Bank
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, with assets of $554 billion as of Sept. 30, 2021. PNC has a presence in 48 of the largest U.S. markets; a retail branch network spanning the mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast and Southwest; products and services provided nationally; and four strategic international offices. Through its regional president model, PNC is organized around its customers and communities for building strong relationships and is engaged in retail banking, including residential mortgage, corporate and institutional banking, and asset management.
Prophix Software
To empower mid-market companies to achieve their goals, Prophix provides an integrated, cloud-based platform to the Office of Finance; one that delivers planning, budgeting, reporting, forecasting and consolidation solutions. With Prophix, finance leaders improve profitability, minimize risk, and put the focus back on what matters most – uncovering business opportunities. Prophix supports the future with AI innovations that adapt to meet the strategic realities of more than 2,800 active customers, globally, who rely on Prophix to deliver tangible business outcomes and transform the way they work.
Touchstone Advisors
Touchstone Advisors is a boutique merger and acquisition advisory firm focused on helping business owners in the lower middle market. We utilize decades of experience to provide the best possible outcome for each owner and family business we represent. We customize our services based on your unique story and we work closely with our clients to achieve their goals. For over 15 years Touchstone Advisors has provided a combination of hands-leadership, experienced banker attention and smooth transactional execution. We fully understand the unique dynamics of closely held and family businesses and the importance of their legacies. Quite simply, our goal is to maximize the value of our client’s life’s work.
Webster Bank
Webster is a leading commercial bank that delivers financial solutions to businesses, individuals, families and partners. With over $70 billion in assets, we offer digital and traditional service delivery through our differentiated lines of business: Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking and HSA Bank, one of the country’s largest providers of employee benefits solutions.
Woodbridge International
Founded in 1993, Woodbridge International is an M&A firm headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. The firm provides sell-side M&A advisory focused on lower middle-market companies. Woodbridge advises entrepreneurially privately owned companies with revenue from $5M-150M. The company closed 32 deals in 2022 and generated $619M of liquidity for our clients.
Universal Strategies Unlimited
Sponsorships
To secure your sponsorship or inquire about other sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Kristin Bodner, Senior Marketing Manager, Marcum LLP
[email protected] or 860.760.0714
Presenting Sponsor $5,000
(SOLD)
- Company logo prominently displayed on all event promotional materials as the “Presenting Sponsor”(email, website, social media)
- Opportunity to give welcome remarks and introduce panel
- Individual Sponsorship signage with logo prominently displayed during event
- Tabletop Display at Event
- Verbal acknowledgment of company
- Receipt of attendee list
- Company message and link to website displayed on post event follow-up “Thank you”
- Full page advertisement in program book
Breakfast Sponsor $2,500
(SOLD)
- Company logo prominently displayed on all event promotional materials as the “Breakfast Sponsor” (email, website, social media)
- Verbal acknowledgment of company
- Sponsorship signage with logo displayed during breakfast networking opportunity
- Tabletop Display at Event
- Half page advertisement in program book
Supporting Sponsor $1,200
- Company logo prominently displayed on all event promotional materials as the “Supporting Sponsor” (email, website, social media)
- Verbal acknowledgment of company
- Logo on shared signage displayed during event
- Quarter page advertisement in program book
Morning Pick-Me-Up Sponsor $1,200
- Company logo displayed on individual packets of Chocolate Covered Espresso beans, and placed on all tables in conference room
- Company logo prominently displayed on all event promotional materials as the “Supporting Sponsor” (email, website, social media)
- Verbal acknowledgment of company
- Logo on shared signage
Coffee Sponsor $1,000
- Company logo prominently displayed on all event promotional materials as the “Supporting Sponsor” (email, website, social media)
- Company Logo displayed at coffee station
- Verbal acknowledgment of company
- Logo on shared signage displayed during event
Other Advertising Options
ADS DUE DATE: Please submit all ads by April 28, 2023 to Kristin Bodner.
Quarter Page Ad $300
2.375″W x 3.875″H
Half Page Ad $500
5″W x 3.875″H
Full Page Ad $750
5″W x 8″H
CPE
Program Description | Money For Manufacturers |
Important Notice Regarding CPE: | |
Learning Objectives |
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Instruction Delivery Method | Live In-Person |
Recommended CPE Credit | 1 Credit |
Recommended Field of Study | Economics |
Prerequisites | None |
Program Level | Update |
Advance Preparation | None |
Cancellation Policy | You may cancel your registration at any time prior to the event. |
Complaint Resolution Policy | For more information regarding refund, concerns and program cancellation policies, please contact our offices at [email protected]. |
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Marcum LLP is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.NASBARegistry.org. |