HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that The Platt Brothers and Company of Waterbury is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” The Platt family founded the company in Waterbury in 1797 as a grist mill. Over time, the company expanded their capabilities and services, and today, the business manufactures zinc wires, strips, and rods, as well as deep drawn metal stampings, eyelets, and custom terrazzo flooring for the lighting accessories, communications, aerospace, sensing devices, control valves, automotive, and electronics industries.
The Platt Brothers and Company is proud to employ approximately 85 workers in Waterbury, many of whom have been with the company for several decades. The manufacturer offers internships, paid pre-apprenticeships to high school students, and paid apprenticeship programs to individuals looking to earn their certifications. The Platt Brothers and Company even offers individuals in their apprenticeship program full health and retirement benefits. The Waterbury manufacturer works with local schools, such as the Waterbury Career Academy, to help students interested in entering the manufacturing workforce get the skills they need to be hired.
“My visit to the Platt facility back in 2008 originally inspired my efforts to expand and strengthen our Buy American requirements. I visited the team in Waterbury again last week, and they made it clear how important the law is now, perhaps more than ever before, to Connecticut manufacturers,” said Murphy. “My job as U.S. senator is to make Connecticut residents’ lives better. That means creating jobs and protecting our manufacturers.”
Dave Berardinelli, Sales Manager and Technical Manager at The Platt Brothers and Company, said, “Platt Brothers has a long and proud history in manufacturing here in Connecticut and has continually evolved with the times to remain relevant, successful and competitive. We are intently supportive of Senator Murphy’s drive and passion to secure Buy American efforts to stimulate and keep American jobs and products viable. Platt has supported many U.S. military efforts including producing buttons and grommets used for tents and uniforms during the Civil War, to blasting caps, bomb and weapons coatings, and many other applications used today. Platt also produces products used to protect and secure our infrastructure, from bridges to pipelines. Our Zinc Mill’s motto is we make ‘Products that Protect.’”
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.
