CONNECTICUT, USA — Gov. Ned Lamont announced a new appointment to the state's chief manufacturing officer position Thursday morning.
Lamont announced Paul Lavoie to take over the position after Colin Cooper, the first CMO when the position was created in 2019, announced his retirement.
The position itself was created by Lamont in an effort to coordinate state and private-sector efforts promoting growth in the state's manufacturing sector.
Lavoie currently serves as general manager of Carey Manufacturing in Cromwell where he has worked since 2017, Lamont said. Carey Manufacturing produces catches, latches, and handles, as well as other electronic hardware.
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Lamont said Carey Manufacturing has gained attention after reshoring manufacturing jobs to Connecticut from China.
“Manufacturing is a key sector of our economy, and having this position of chief manufacturing officer in my administration is important to letting these companies know that they have a seat at the table in my administration,” Lamont said of the appointment. “This sector has a critical role when it comes to jobs, exports, innovation, and productivity. Over the last couple of years, thousands of manufacturing jobs have been added in Connecticut, and I am determined to keep this momentum going. Connecticut has the best educated, best trained, and most productive workforces in the world, and our future success depends on our ability to connect these workers to the businesses that need to fill jobs in highly skilled, good-paying positions. Paul is a friendly face in Connecticut’s manufacturing community, and I am confident that he will be able to hit the ground running.”
Before his position at Carey Manufacturing, Lavoie was vice president of sales, marketing, and human resources at ETTER Engineering Company in Bristol.
Lavoie has also served on several manufacturing-related boards and currently is a member of Connecticut’s Industry 4.0 Working Group and the Governor’s Workforce Council.
“I am honored to be appointed by Governor Lamont to serve as Connecticut’s Chief Manufacturing Officer,” Lavoie said. “I look forward to continuing to build on the foundation created by Colin and working with all manufacturing stakeholders to grow the manufacturing sector. We will continue to engage, educate and enable our manufacturers to take advantage of the market opportunities, grow their businesses and solidify Connecticut’s reputation as the Silicon Valley of Advanced Manufacturing.”
Lavoie will begin serving in the position beginning Feb. 7.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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