NEW BRITAIN – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that B&F Machine Company, Inc. is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” B&F Machine was founded in 1972 by two brother-in-laws, Fred Bragoni and Carl Francalangia – veterans of the manufacturing industry – out of a small, shared facility on Saint Clair Street in New Britain. Today, 43 years later, the company is still family-owned and operated and is still located in New Britain. But after experiencing years of continued growth, the company eventually moved to its current, much larger, 125,000 square foot workspace that spans across four buildings. With the help of their more than 200 employees – 25% of whom have been with the company for more than 25 years – B&F Machine is constantly working to modernize and enhance their technologies and capabilities; they even have plans to add a second 140,000 square foot facility offering additional manufacturing space that could create an another 200 or more jobs for Connecticut’s skilled workforce.

Using state of the art multi-axis Computer Numerical Control equipment, B&F Machine provides precision machining, assembly, and fabrication services to the aviation, nuclear, marine, power generation, and commercial tooling industries. Their products range in type and size from brackets that can fit in the palm of a hand, to giant rings of material measuring more than 12 feet in diameter. Many of their customers are internationally recognized companies like Rolls Royce and Newport News Shipbuilding, and in fact, several of their customers – like General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and Electric Boat, just to name a few – are Connecticut manufacturing icons.

“For four decades, B&F Machine has been creating jobs in Connecticut. They take pride in the skills and abilities of their workforce, and have made it possible for so many of our state’s residents, businesses, and manufacturers to thrive,” said Murphy. “The bottom line is that as homegrown companies like B&F Machine continue to grow and succeed, so will Connecticut’s economy, and I’m thankful to the B&F Machine family for contributing so much to our state.”

Mario Francalangia, General Manager of B&F Machine, said: “In this increasingly global economy, B&F Machine has been able to stay relevant in the industry by working as a team with our customers and our employees.  With more and more work going overseas, this team has been able to successfully continue to grow and help keep both manufacturing and jobs in our state.”

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.