HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that Prestige Industrial Finishing Co., a family-owned and operated manufacturing business based out of Shelton, is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” Founded in 1981 by husband and wife Ernest and Josephine Osso, Prestige provides powder coating and Military Specification painting services to the commercial, industrial, and military aerospace industries. Prestige is proud to work closely with a long list of renowned customers, including Sikorsky, General Dynamics, Boeing, GE, and Honda Aerospace.

Prestige employs 25 Connecticut residents out of their 15,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The Shelton manufacturer – which will soon be operated by a third-generation of family members – received the 2017 Family Business of the Year award from the Fairfield County Business Journal. Murphy visited the facility and spoke with employees in November 2016.

“Prestige has grown into a multi-million dollar business, and that’s something to celebrate,” said Murphy. “The custom painting and powder coating that they provide on landing gear, swashplates, rotor blades, and other aircraft parts have become integral to defense manufacturers across the country. I was proud to see their work firsthand during my visit to the Shelton facility last year.”

Michele Proto, President & CEO of Prestige Industrial Finishing, Co., said, “Prestige has seen much success in Connecticut over the past 35 years due much in part to the abundant defense and aerospace manufacturers in the state. We are optimistic that the deal made between the State of Connecticut and Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky in 2016 will see an increase in business for us. We are also encouraged that an increase in defense spending will boost not only Prestige, but many of our partners in the state allowing for an increase in hiring in all aspects of manufacturing.”

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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