12/12/2012
Gov. Malloy Announces New Tenant at Colt Gateway
Foley Carrier Services Creates Jobs in the Historic Colt Building Complex
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that Foley Carrier Services, LLC has relocated its operations from Glastonbury to a 17,000 square foot space in the South Armory of Colt Gateway in Hartford. The move brings 110 jobs to Hartford immediately, with plans to add up to 70 new jobs within three years.
"This is great news for the city and marks a solid step towards transforming the historic Colt complex into a thriving retail, office, and commercial center," said Governor Malloy. "Foley Carrier Services is a Connecticut success story in its own right, and will help us attract additional business and investment to the South Armory building. We welcome Foley Carrier and their employees to the capital city."
Founded in 1992, Foley Carrier Services provides drug and alcohol testing and other services to help transportation providers remain in compliance with Federal Department of Transportation regulations. The company has more than 30,000 clients. In 2010, Foley was acquired by BirdDog Solutions, Inc., a third-party logistics provider.
"Our relocation to Hartford is a textbook example of the good things that can happen when city and state officials work cooperatively with private companies and neighborhood groups," said Joel Sitak, BirdDog and Foley CEO. "This iconic site offers many advantages-including easy access to public transit, and is the ideal location to attract the high-potential people we need, particularly Spanish bilingual applicants to serve our burgeoning Latino customer base. We hope to hire up to 40 new associates over the next 12-15 months."
The state of Connecticut and the city of Hartford have been working with developers to preserve the Colt legacy and revitalize the Colt complex as a gateway to the capital city. The state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) committed to supporting the $2 million project with a $500,000 grant to Colt's developer for leasehold improvements. The City of Hartford entered into a parking license agreement with Colt Gateway to accommodate the parking requirements for Foley and future commercial leases.
"My desire to honor the Colt legacy is no secret. Foley's move to Hartford represents yet another remarkable step forward in converting Hartford into an accessible, sustainable option for businesses. This is another example of effective public/private partnerships that enable economic growth and job creation. I look forward to working with established partners -and new friends-to continue the ongoing renaissance of Connecticut's Capital City," said Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra.
Samuel and Elizabeth Colt and the Colt site hold a special place in the history of Hartford and Connecticut-and more broadly in the economic and technological history of the country. The innovations of the firearms factory and its growth made Hartford a focal point in the industrial revolution. Samuel Colt, the noted industrialist and inventor, was said to be ahead of his time, both for his business practices and for his factory and the precision equipment it housed. A fire destroyed the factory two years after Samuel's death, and it was Elizabeth who rebuilt the factory and ran the company during some of its most prosperous years.
About Colt Gateway
Colt Gateway is a 627,555 square foot adaptive reuse real estate development featuring 10 distinct buildings, all being restored to the National Park Service (NPS) standards. The interior and exterior renovations of the Colt Complex will culminate in a blend of 212 residential units (one- and two-bedroom units, and loft spaces) and nearly 350,000 square feet of commercial, school and retail space.
The Colt Gateway Armories are part of the Coltsville district which, in 2007, was designated a National Historic Landmark, the stepping stone to National Park Designation. In 2011, Congressman Larson introduced a bill to establish Coltsville as a unit of the National Park System to be known as the "Coltsville National Historic Park." This would be only the second National Historic Park in the State of Connecticut.