HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that United Steel of East Hartford is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” Ken Corneau founded United Steel in 1974 out of a small garage. Ken has grown the business over the last several decades, and today, United Steel is the largest fabricator and erector of structural steel and other metals in New England. They also manufacture unique metal structures for railings, grand stairways, radial stairs, and fireproof columns. United Steel’s customers include architects, general contractors, design-build firms, and construction managers. 

United Steel has built structures at the University of New Haven, Bass Pro Shops, the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts, Lego, Mohegan Sun, the VA Medical Center in West Haven, the Air National Guard in East Granby, and for countless other private and public organizations. The manufacturer employs 208 workers out of their 165,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, and takes pride in the fact that more than a third of their employees have worked for the company for more than a decade. The manufacturer also tries to recruit family members of existing employees to fill vacant positions. United Steel received a Top Workplace award from the Hartford Courant in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and received the Hartford Business Journal’s 2015 Family Business Award.

“The team at United Steel is hard at work, making sure developers and construction companies across New England have the materials they need to keep business growing,” said Murphy. “We’ve seen Ken and his family grow United Steel into the booming manufacturing company it is today, and I’m here to help them however I can.” 

Ken Corneau, Founder and President of United Steel, said, “In our 40+ year history, United Steel has changed the skylines in many cities in Connecticut and across New England. Of all of our successes I am most proud of our 200+ employees. We have a couple of families who have 2-3 members who work at United Steel, and we have a lot of longevity on our team. United Steel considers safety our top priority, and we strive to make a positive impact in our communities. We take both endeavors very seriously.”  

The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating our state’s economic recovery. Today, Connecticut’s 4,600 manufacturers account for 10% 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.

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