WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced family-owned manufacturer Sonics & Materials, Inc. in Newtown is this week's "Murphy's Monday Manufacturer." Sonics specializes in the manufacturing of ultrasonic liquid processing and ultrasonic plastics assembly equipment, which includes welding, cutting and sealing systems, and ultrasonic metal welding systems for bonding conductive materials. 

Robert Soloff, the founder and CEO of Sonics, discovered the process of welding rigid plastics with ultrasonics while working in a laboratory in 1963. In 1965, he was awarded a patent by the U.S. government for the "Sonic Method of Welding Thermoplastic Parts," a groundbreaking technique that is now used universally across many sectors, including the automotive, medical device, life science, and electronics industries. Robert founded Sonics & Materials, Inc. four years later in 1969. Over the past fifty years, Sonics & Materials has been a pioneer of ultrasonic technology, acquiring over 30 patents for technological innovations. Their customers include companies in the automotive, biotechnology, nanotechnology, agriculture, electronics, life sciences, medical device, food cutting and cannabis sectors. 

Sonics employs 85 people and work out of a 55,000 square foot headquarters with full machine shop capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment in Newtown. The company is a privately-held family business still run by Robert and his daughter Lauren Soloff. Sonics has continued to grow its company and interest in the ultrasonic technology sector by providing work study programs to students at Henry Abbott Technical High School and Emmett O'Brien Technical High School, and recruiting students from Naugatuck Valley Community College and the UConn School of Engineering. 

“I’m happy to highlight Sonics & Materials’ 50 years of service to the manufacturing sector in Connecticut and their commitment to training the next generation of students in the ultrasonics field. Their hard work goes a long way in ensuring Connecticut manufacturing remains competitive,” said Murphy. 

"We are extremely proud of our fifty year record of success and proud of our commitment to growing our company in Connecticut," said Lauren Soloff, Executive Vice President of Sonics & Materials, Inc. 

The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating the 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 BuyAmerican.gov Act and the American Jobs Matter Act. 

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