Target Industries | Connecticut MetroCOG

Aerospace Manufacturing

Greater Bridgeport is part of the world’s Aerospace Alley.
240+ aerospace manufacturing establishments have made their home in Connecticut.
Connecticut is rated #1 for Aerospace Worker Productivity (Lightcast, 2021; AdvanceCT calculations)

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, now part of Lockheed-Martin Corporation, was established in 1923 and chose Stratford, CT as the location for its manufacturing plant for seaplanes and later, helicopters. Sikorsky now also has operations in Bridgeport, as well as Sikorsky Export Corp. and Sikorsky International Products, Inc., both in Stratford. Manufacturers and machine shops have been choosing to operate in our region for more than 100 years.

Medical Device Manufacturing

Medical device manufacturing is one of the backbones of the regional economy.
More than 1,000 workers are employed in the sector in the Greater Bridgeport Area.
Greater Bridgeport colleges and universities graduated 345+ students in biomedical fields in 2023.
Employers in the sector Include Cooper Surgical and Paragon Medical.

From surgical devices to lab equipment, from advanced polymers to laser welding processes, the Greater Bridgeport Area is home to a globally competitive, diverse, and highly technical medical device industry with precision manufacturing capabilities.

Intermediate Parts Manufacturing

CT State Housatonic Community College serves the
area as a Connecticut State Colleges & Universities Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center.
CT State Housatonic Community College’s 2023 graduating class included students who earned certificates in CNC Machinist Technology.

Industries across Connecticut supply a vast array of intermediate parts to OEM companies across a variety of industries. Companies such as Blasé Manufacturing Co., Glyne Manufacturing and CTI Electronics Corp. in Stratford, and Arcade Metal Stamping in Bridgeport are examples of the types of area companies operating in this sector.

Consumables Manufacturing

Global consumables manufacturers Unilever and Henkel Corp. maintain research & development facilities in Trumbull, Connecticut, employing more than 1,100 people.
Food processing is a sub-category of this sector, with such employers as PepsiCo in Stratford and Bigelow Tea Company in Fairfield.

Innovations in skincare, laundry products, air fresheners, and more have their beginnings with scientists and marketers in the Greater Bridgeport Area.

Healthcare

Healthcare represents the largest sector
among the area’s top 25 employers.
Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent’s each employ more than 6,100 healthcare associates.
Greater Bridgeport colleges and universities graduated 2.800+ students in healthcare fields in 2023.

The Greater Bridgeport Area’s health sector represents a robust infrastructure of practitioners, experts, researchers, educators, manufacturers, employers, providers, and innovators. Two of the area’s largest employers are The Hartford Healthcare St. Vincent’s Medical Center and the Bridgeport Hospital of the Yale-New Haven hospital system. Hospitals, clinics, and pharmaceutical companies offer a range of job opportunities in areas such as nursing, medical technology, administration, and research.

Maritime Industries

The Port of Bridgeport is physically the largest and the second busiest of Connecticut’s three deepwater ports.
More than 5 million tons of cargo flow through the Port annually: fruit, sand, coal, gravel, gasoline, oil, and stone.
Bridgeport Port Authority manages Foreign Trade Zone 76.

The Greater Bridgeport Area’s maritime industry includes, but is not limited to, shipbuilding, commercial fishing, aquaculture, tourism, recreational boating and fishing, marine manufacturing, marine engineering, port services, marine terminal operation, marine construction, marina operation, marine environmental services, and marine transportation.