Burns faces uphill battle for park land
STRATFORD — A classic case of development vs. neighbors is playing out in the South End of town.
On one side is one of Stratford’s top taxpayers and employers, a sturdy paving business that wants more room and is eyeing a nearby park in which to expand. On the other side are its neighbors, who would like to see things remain pretty much as they are now.
The paving company is Burns Construction. It can be said that every time someone in the area flushes a commode, lights an oven or turns on a tap, Burns played a role in laying at least some of the pipe to make that possible.
“We’ve just drastically outgrown the property and facilities that we have,” said Mitch Flynn, the company’s director of fleet operations, as he stood on Burns’ cramped, 1.3-acre lot on the corner of Access Road and Sperry Avenue. “We wanted to build a new, bigger garage, but because of setback requirements — because we’re on the corner — we have two ‘front yards’ — it’s impossible to put up what we need on a lot this size.”
He said that in addition to setback requirements, new Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations would mean that any new garage would have to be built on ground that’s 6 feet higher than it is now.
“And even the new transformer we’d need from UI — that would have to be set back,” he said. “So we keep getting pushed farther and farther back until there’s no more space for us to push back into. It just goes on and on.”
Many of Burns’ 230 full-time employees — there are more in the summer paving season — have to park along Access Road, something that no one is happy about.
“It’s a real headache when it snows,” Flynn said. “And it’s not safe for our employees, either.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Editorial: Any nation should be able to build, pay for roads, rails
Congress is poised to temporarily patch the country’s transportation funding system — like it has nearly three dozen times over the past several years.
Each time this number ticks up it underscores Congress’s dysfunction. Privately, many members of Congress know that raising the federal gas tax is a ready and reasonable way to pay for the nation’s infrastructure.
Publicly, most lawmakers are too spineless to face up to this reality. The result has been impasse after impasse as Congress has attempted to find money elsewhere — leaving the country’s investment in roads, rails and bridges on short-term and unsustainable footing.
The House was on break last week, and top on the list of priorities when lawmakers return will be choosing a new speaker and avoiding national default by raising the debt limit before Nov. 5. On Oct. 29, however, the federal system that pays for the country’s transportation infrastructure will shut down unless Congress acts. Most likely, lawmakers will authorize the Transportation Department to continue drawing on money it has left to finance several more weeks of highway construction. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
O&G strives for construction excellence
Any conversation about family business has to include Torrington construction services provider O&G Industries and the Oneglia family.
Now in its third generation of leadership — with the fourth eagerly getting more involved every day — the Oneglia name has been synonymous with O&G since the company was founded in 1923 by Andrew Oneglia and Flaviano Gervasini.
Perhaps not unsurprisingly to anyone who knows them, the Oneglias heap much praise and credit beyond those bearing the family name.
"The O&G family extends beyond the Oneglia family," said Gregory Oneglia, vice chairman who has been with the company for 45 years. "Two hundred of our 1,000 employees are related to other members of the O&G family in some way. This includes direct relatives and second-generation O&G households working for the company. That's really a testament to sound family values. You wouldn't ask your son or daughter to work for a company that you didn't truly believe in."
Grace Viera, an accounts-receivable supervisor for the past four years, said working for a family business allows employees to be involved with management and owners on a more personal level.
"You are treated like a valuable asset to the business and not just a number," Viera said. "It's not uncommon to walk down the hall and be personally greeted by an owner, who at times will strike up a conversation and show that they are genuinely interested in what you have to say." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
United Steel expands into new challenges
The story of United Steel — formerly East Hartford Welding — began with Ken Corneau's leap of faith back in 1974.
"I sold my car and motorcycle to purchase a truck and welding machine and began traveling from Vernon to East Hartford repairing dumpsters," said Corneau, now United Steel's president. "Starting a business is like having a baby and watching it grow. Each phase has incredible joys, along with challenges, but you love it each day."
Inside of a year, Corneau was renting an 800-square-foot space on Main Street in East Hartford, where he began fabricating dumpsters, rails, stairs and other metals. Not long after, and with the business growing, Corneau added another 800 square feet of space and hired his first employees.
The company continued to expand, and by 1979 Corneau had brought his brother, Glen Corneau, into the business to work in the field. Today, Glen serves as vice president of field construction.
Looking to expand upon his company's offerings, Ken Corneau decided to build a new facility in Manchester, which started fabricating light structural steel while also increasing its miscellaneous metals operation. By 1987, another move in response to tremendous growth saw the company move to a 30,000-square-foot facility in South Windsor.
"I felt confident that the facility would be sufficient to house the growing business," said Corneau, "and it was, but not for long." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE