HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that Cooper-Atkins, a woman-owned business headquartered in Middlefield, is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” Founded in 1885, Cooper-Atkins manufactures time, temperature, and humidity instruments for the food service, healthcare, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) industries. Cooper-Atkins’ clients include large restaurant chains, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Yum Brands, and Subway, and leading hospitals, such as Emory University Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, and Veterans Affairs medical centers. Cooper-Atkins employs 104 workers out of their Middlefield facility, as well as an additional 37 workers out of offices in Ohio, Florida, and Singapore.

In 2014, Cooper-Atkins received the President’s “E” Award for growing their exports by 36% and significantly helping to increase America’s overall exports. The Middlefield manufacturer was also recently named “McDonald’s Global Supplier of the Year” for their commitment to quality, food safety, innovation, customer service, and value.

Cooper-Atkins works closely with the Connecticut Technical High School System. The manufacturer donates products so that students can engage in hands-on learning, and several Cooper-Atkins employees serve on the Vinal Technical High School’s Career Technical Education Advisory Committee. Cooper-Atkins is also proud to regularly volunteer and donate to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, United Way’s Day of Caring, Middletown’s Amazing Grace Food Pantry, Wallingford’s Master’s Manna Food Pantry, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, and the Culinary Institute of America.

“Cooper-Atkins is a homegrown Connecticut manufacturer with an impressive track record of exporting their products around the world and making a difference here at home,” said Murphy. “The team is helping to drive Connecticut’s economy by employing our dedicated workers and by making it possible for young students to get the hands-on training they need. Congratulations to Cooper-Atkins on more than 130 years of manufacturing.”  

Gary Sawicki, COO of Cooper-Atkins, said, “We are proud to have been manufacturing in Connecticut since 1885. As technology has advanced through the years we have had to reinvent ourselves by increasing the technology of our product offerings as well as our manufacturing processes. We have also expanded our market penetration through exports, which now represents nearly 20% of our total sales. Having a workforce that is well-prepared and ensuring that trade barriers are mitigated in order to promote sales growth internationally are both significant keys to our future and therefore to manufacturing in Connecticut.”

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