COLUMBIA – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that Columbia Manufacturing, Inc. – a second generation, family-run manufacturer based out of Columbia, Connecticut – is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” Founded in 1980, Columbia Manufacturing produces precision machined components and fabricated assemblies for turbine engines. Columbia Manufacturing serves a long list of domestic and international customers, including Mitsubishi, the U.S. Government, and Connecticut’s own Pratt & Whitney and General Electric, which use their products in both air and ground applications. Their parts are currently used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Airbus A300, Pratt & Whitney’s Boeing 777, and the U.S. Air Force’s F138.

With the help of over 100 dedicated workers, the Columbia Manufacturing team has completed more than $26 million worth of contracts for the U.S. Government over the last 15 years. Most recently, the manufacturer has invested heavily in the training and hiring of their staff, spending more than $1 million on in-house employee education programs in blueprint, shop math, lean manufacturing, and on new state-of-the-art computer numerical control (CNC) machining equipment. According to the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Columbia Manufacturing is one of Columbia’s largest employers.

“When the Department of Defense awards contracts to manufacturers like Columbia – a homegrown company that invests in their employees and creates top quality products – everybody wins,” said Murphy. “With nearly $30 million in government contracts in just a matter of years, Columbia Manufacturing is proof that Connecticut’s defense manufacturing companies are the most trusted in the nation. I’m proud to fight each and every day for robust investments and Buy American policies that support our Connecticut manufacturers and our hardworking residents.”

Kim Bell, President of Columbia Manufacturing, Inc., said, “I am proud of Columbia Manufacturing Inc. – our management team, our employees and our products. I look eagerly forward to a future where Columbia will grow and strengthen its market position, employ more people, and become the best place to work in Eastern Connecticut!”  

The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating our state’s economic recovery. Today, Connecticut’s 4,602 manufacturers account for 10.2% of the state’s jobs and 87% of the state’s total exports. In order to protect and grow manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Murphy has introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to strengthen existing standards and prioritize the purchase of American-made goods, the 21st Century Buy American Act and the American Jobs Matter Act.