Five German Companies Announce Expansions in Connecticut

Connecticut Sees Jump in Corporate Expansions as Five German Companies Grow Their Operations

New Haven, Connecticut – June 8, 2023 – AdvanceCT today announced that several German companies recently expanded their business or started expansion projects in Connecticut, including TRUMPF, BioMed X, Roehm, BYK North America and Eppendorf North America.

Farmington-based TRUMPF Inc. will add a 55,800 sq. ft. smart factory to their existing facility and invest an additional $40M as part of the project. This project will be TRUMPF’s seventh expansion in Connecticut since the company first set up operations in 1969.

“Smart factories are critical to the next generation of manufacturing. Not only do smart factories keep manufacturers efficient, productive and competitive in the market, these advanced facilities create technology-oriented jobs where people want to work today, and in the future,” said TRUMPF Inc. President & CEO Lutz Labisch. “We hope the TRUMPF Inc. Smart Factory that will be housed in this expansion will serve as model for manufacturers in Connecticut and across the United States by highlighting what can be achieved in automated and connected precision sheet metal production. It will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that our employees are proud to work in and present to the thousands of guests who visit our campus here in Farmington each year.”

Heidelberg-based BioMed X, a biomedical research institute, recently announced its first U.S. location in New Haven, which will focus on immunology and tissue engineering research. The initial phase of their operations will employ 6 researchers and be located in close proximity to Yale University, one of the life sciences industry’s most valued research partners.

Roehm, a German manufacturing company producing specialty chemicals, announced a 15,000 sq. ft. Innovation Center located nearby its existing production facility in Wallingford. Roehm’s newly built “Center of Excellence” is home to development of molding compound technology for the medical, automotive, lighting, and household goods industries. The company will employ an additional 8 people and focus on CYROLITE® and ACRYLITE® molding compound solutions.

Eppendorf North America, a manufacturer of laboratory equipment and supplies and subsidiary of the Hamburg-based Eppendorf Group, opened a 238,000 sq ft state-of-the-art distribution facility in Enfield, Connecticut, adding to their already considerable presence in the state.

Aside from its German locations, Eppendorf officials tout the Enfield operation as one of their most critical locations globally, representing about 30% of their manufacturing efforts and 90% of North American distribution.

Additionally, chemical and measuring instrument manufacturer BYK North America, subsidiary of Wesel, Germany-based BYK, has committed to expanding at their Wallingford headquarters adding to the rapid corporate growth that the company has experienced over the last year.

“German companies have always had an affinity for Connecticut”, said Peter Denious, CEO of AdvanceCT. “Companies find the talent and expertise they need, particularly in advanced manufacturing and life sciences.   Connecticut’s economy is in many ways a mirror image of the German economy: a deep focus on engineering, R&D and innovation.   Our costs are significantly lower than our neighbors and we have the experienced highly trained and educated workforce that German companies need.”

“The TRUMPF, BioMed X, BYK North America, Eppendorf North America and Roehm expansions are in good company with many other German companies in Connecticut, such as Boehringer Ingelheim, and Henkel”, said John Bourdeaux, President of AdvanceCT. “Connecticut has a strong research and development infrastructure underpinned by Yale and the University of Connecticut. Connecticut is an excellent place for German Mittelstand companies to locate and grow. We expect to see more German pharmaceutical and medical device companies enter the North American market through Connecticut.”

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Connecticut, the third smallest state in the U.S. by area, is home to over 98 German companies.

About AdvanceCT

AdvanceCT is a business-driven nonprofit that works to engage, retain, and recruit businesses to Connecticut. AdvanceCT collaborates with the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and our partners to implement high impact, equitable economic development. Our team advocates for and promotes Connecticut as a location for companies to compete and grow. www.advancect.org

Press Contact:

Shirar O’Connor

646-496-7668

soconnor@advancect.org