BRISTOL – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that Rowley Spring and Stamping Corp. of Bristol is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” In 1954, Stanley Bitel founded Rowley Spring and Stamping out of his Rowley Street home in Berlin, Connecticut. Today, Rowley manufactures precision springs, stampings, wire forms, sub-assemblies, and reel components for the aerospace, defense, medical, consumer products, and automotive industries. The manufacturer operates out of a 150,000 square foot facility in Bristol, Connecticut where 100 employees use more than 500 machines to manufacture products for over 700 customers worldwide. Some of Rowley’s most well-known customers include Xerox Corporation, Pitney Bowes, and the U.S. military. 

With the help of the Bristol Adult Education Center, Rowley established the Adult Education Diploma and Certification program to provide free, hands-on training (over 120 hours per student) to anyone residing in the city of Bristol. Launched in August 2014, the program is designed to help adults who don’t have the financial means to go back to school get the skills they need to secure jobs in the manufacturing industry. To date, Rowley has hired three students through the program. The manufacturing company is also a dedicated partner of FAVARH – a local chapter of the world’s largest community-based organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – and employs several members of the organization. In an effort to improve efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and cut energy costs, Rowley also participates in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Program.

“Connecticut’s manufacturers make the greatest products in the world, but too many have trouble finding enough skilled workers to build the products their customers demand,” said Murphy. “Rowley is taking this problem head on by providing training and workforce development to men and women across Bristol. On top of that, Rowley even provides $5,000 scholarships to help aspiring manufacturers get education and training they need to launch their careers.”

John Dellalana, President of Rowley Spring and Stamping, said, “Central Connecticut is among the top spring and metal forming capitals of the nation.  With an abundance of raw material suppliers, finishing companies and trained trades people, companies have thrived here for years. Companies like Rowley have also taken advantage of state Department of Economic and Community Development funds to buy new equipment and keep pace with latest technologies.”

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.