Inductees
Inductees
A.C. Gilbert Company
Athlete, scholar, magician, toymaker, businessman, inventor, marketer, a lifelong advocate for children and learning, Alfred Carlton Gilbert had a remarkable career designing, making, and selling creative, fun, yet educational toys for 50 years with his company, A.C. Gilbert.
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Brewster & Co.
In 1620 Connecticut native James Brewster’s great, great, great grandfather, Elder William Brewster, stepped off the Mayflower into the landing boat that would carry him to the shore of what would become New England. He had no idea the family name would be synonymous in a few short generations with the highest level of American craftsmanship and manufacturing excellence.
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Bridgeport Brass Company
Begun in 1865 as a small regional New England brass mill, Bridgeport Brass became one of the most innovative, original companies in U.S. history.
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Moore Tool Company, Inc.
I n 1915 an 18–year old mechanic named Richard F. Moore walked off a New England hill farm and made his way to Bridgeport, CT, looking for work. Bridgeport was booming with manufacturing. Young Moore settled in and over the following nine years moved from one bustling company to another.
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Sargent Manufacturing Company
In 1810, Joseph Bradford Sargent and his brothers opened a wholesale hardware business in New York City, and obtained part of one of their suppliers, the Peck and Walter Manufacturing Company of New Britain.
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Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company / Singer
In 1846, Allen B. Wilson, an apprentice cabinetmaker working in Michigan, developed a sewing machine independent of other sewing machine inventors in New England. His development of the rotary hook and bobbin combination as well as the four motion feed made his machine design unique; however, he lacked the capital to expand his business. Nathaniel Wheeler’s infusion of capital and his business leadership, along with Wilson’s continued development of new product enhancements, brought Wilson’s sewing machine from a working model to global producer.
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2015 Leadership Award
2015 Leadership Award
Kris Lorch
President, Alloy Engineering
Kris Lorch is the president of Alloy Engineering, a 57 year-old manufacturer of thermowells, fittings, and protective tubes for the process industries in Bridgeport. Ms. Lorch joined the company in 1986, and purchased the business in 1998 with her husband.
Kris is co-chair of the NHMA's Workforce Enhancement Committee, working with middle schools, high schools, and colleges to promote education in manufacturing and engineering to bring a better workforce to the manufacturers in the region.
She is a member of the Housatonic Community College's Regional Advisory Council. The members are supporting the college in its efforts to grow and educate the region's students.
Kris is a board chair and treasurer of the Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises, Inc. (GBCE), which trains and employs low and moderate income residents to achieve financial stability through weatherization, environmental remediation, and deconstruction. GBCE operates Park City Green, an environmentally sustainable mattress deconstruction and material recycling operation and the Next Chapter Books, reselling and recycling of used books.
Kris is a member of Trade and Technology Advisory Committees (TTAC) for Platt Tech, Eli Whitney, and Emmett O'Brien Technical High Schools. She is a member of the CBIA Manufacturer's Advisory Council and CCAT Manufacturers' Council.
2015 Leadership Award
2015 Leadership Award
Katherine Saint
President, Schwedtle Stamp Co., Inc..
Katherine Saint is president of Schwedtle Stamp Co., Inc., in Bridgeport, a 134-year old manufacturer of marking devices. She and her brother are the fourth generation of family members at Schwedtle. She was named president in 2004.
Kathy is president of the Manufacturers Education and Training Alliance (METAL) and a member of the board of directors for the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce. She is co-chair of the education committee of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. She serves on the Manufacturer's Advisory Council influencing state issues on education, tax, and regulatory policy.
Kathy works with the NHMA's Workforce Enhancement Committee on programs to improve students' understanding of the skills needed to enter manufacturing. With METACs business development committee, she helped create a distance-learning program with Housatonic Community College. The program combines classroom instruction and manufacturing training on the shop floor of companies to give students real world experience.
Kathy is on the Advanced Manufacturing Advisory Committee at Housatonic Community College supporting the Advanced Manufacturing Center there, She serves on the Industry Advisory Board of the Materials Science and Engineering School at UConn. She is a dedicated and tireless advocate for STEM education at all levels of the state's education system with an emphasis on getting more women interested in manufacturing careers.
HCC Advanced Manufacturing Program Alumni
HCC Advanced Manufacturing Program Alumni
Kyle Delet-Kanic
A native of Fairfield, Kyle Delet-Kanic graduated Fairfield Ludlowe High School in 2010 and enrolled into HCC fall of that year. He graduated in 2013 on the Dean's list with an Associate' s Degree in General Studies.
During his time at HCC Kyle volunteered for the Advanced Manufacturing Summit held at the college, an event that highlighted the new Manufacturing program. This event made quite an impression on Kyle and he enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing Program the following year.
Prior to the program Kyle had little to no manufacturing experience or knowledge. Before enrolling in the Advanced Manufacturing Program Kyle worked at Holland Hill Elementary School at an after school program while on the weekends waiting tables in Westport in order to pay for his education. During his first few weeks in the program Kyle quickly realized that this was the career path he was looking for. Kyle's natural hands-on style of learning proved to be invaluable while he excelled in the program and ultimately graduated with a 3. 74 GPA.
Kyle's true passion lies with the outdoors, mainly fishing. He spends nearly every moment of his free time on the water or out in the woods. Growing up, his dream was to become a marine biologist and ultimately a marine biology teacher. However, he decided that having a trade skill would be far more valuable to him at this time. Kyle is currently working as a full-time machinist at PEP Lacey and will be starting his Tool & Die apprenticeship in the coming months..
