Business Summit Will Be Held in Farmington

The Farmington Chamber of Commerce will gather a long list of key experts at The Business Summit, Wednesday, Jan. 23, to provide large, midsized and small businesses with valuable information about financing, exporting, how to work profitably with each other and how to manage business growth.

“We’re very excited about this first-time event,” said Chamber President Carol Presutti. “It’s a terrific opportunity for Central Connecticut businesses to get detailed information about strategies that will help them thrive in 2013.”

Slated for 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Farmington Marriott, 15 Farm Spring Road, Farmington, the event will feature three panel discussions by experts from business, government and not-for-profit organizations.

The keynote speaker will be Anne S. Evans, director of the Connecticut office of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. Speaking from her own experience as someone who transformed a local tire company into a global tire recycler, Evans will tell the audience how companies of any size can become product exporters.

Andreas Kapetanopoulos, a Farmington Bank senior vice president, is excited that Farmington Bank is planning a major role as the Gold Sponsor of this great event along with participating in the panel discussion on Challenges and Opportunities in the Current Climate. 

Presutti, meanwhile, noted that several other organizations have stepped up to be sponsors of The Business Summit as well, though there are still opportunities for additional sponsors and vendors. Current sponsors in addition to Farmington Bank are Simsbury Bank, and the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Real Estate and Urban Development, while area vendors that will participate include CONNSTEP, the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), the Town of Farmington, and the Connecticut Procurement Technical Assistance Program.

Registration for The Business Summit, which includes a continental breakfast and a buffet lunch, is $20 for chamber members and $30 for non-members. Pre-registration is required by Monday, Jan. 21. For additional information, or to register for the event, please visit www.farmingtonchamber.com.

The panel discussions will focus on:

• Financing – challenges and opportunities in the current economic climate;
• Connecting small, midsized and large firms; and
• The challenges of growing your business.

Panelists in addition to Kapetanopoulos will include:

• Peter Lent, assistant executive director of the Connecticut DECD’s Office of Business Development;
• Richard V. Kretz, CPA, a partner with the accounting firm of Cohn & Reznick;
• Atty. Thomas Gugliotti, a partner with the law firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy;
• Brien J. Robertson, director of the Connecticut Procurement Technical Assistance Program;
• Peter Diclimente, owner of Beacon Electric;
• Lori Acomb, procurement director of the UConn Health Center;
• Sharon Norfleet-Reynolds, a commodity management specialist with the United Technologies Corp.;
• Tom York, co-principal of Goman+York Property Advisors;
• John Glascock, director of the UConn School of Real Estate and Urban Development;
• Courtney Hendricson, economic development director for the Town of Farmington; and
• David B. Rosenthal, CPA, chairman of the accounting firm of BlumShapiro.

The Farmington Chamber of Commerce represents both large and small businesses that are primarily located in Farmington. It is affiliated with the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce and is a strategic partner of MetroHartford Alliance. For information about the Farmington Chamber’s programs or how to become a member, please go the www.farmingtonchamber.com.

Submitted by the Farmington Chamber of Commerce.