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Getting Back in the Game
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Business New Haven
10/19/1995
By: BNH
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In recent weeks, the United Technologies Corp. (UTC), based in Hartford and Connecticut's largest employers, announced that it would awake from its recession- and downsizing-induced coma and embark on a major advertising and public-relations effort. Of importance is that the company however indicated that its efforts would include promoting a positive image for both the city of Hartford and the state of Connecticut.
While it's easy to discredit “PR campaigns” off hand, it should be recognized that throughout the 1970s and '80s United Technologies, Aetna, the Travelers, and Hartford Insurance among others led an important and sustained effort to promote and develop greater Hartford, and that the results of the effort were tangible.
The recession and the changing corporate landscape has caused many of the state's largest companies and institutions to turn inward. In doing so, some appear to have forgotten that even with global mobility much of their success stems from the health of their own back yards.
We view UTC's announcement of renewed commitment to Connecticut as a potentially powerful catalyst for change. If a core of Connecticut's most influential companies and institutions get behind the state once again, it will no doubt bring others into playing active roles in their own communities - either again, or for the first time.
Business and community leaders throughout greater New Haven have been struggling with the results of retreating or disappearing corporate partners for the past several years. UTC's renewed efforts, as well as local efforts by companies such as Pilot Pen (whose president now heads the Shubert board and which has assumed title sponsorship of the former Volvo Tennis Tournament) are the wedge needed to bring others along. We are optimistic that with brand names like these pushing Connecticut, more major companies can be brought back into the fight.
Although we certainly didn't care much for the timing of the announcement (which came after related stories in the September 11 BNH had gone to press, but before the issue was distributed to readers), we nevertheless must laud Gov. John G. Rowland's decision to pull the plug on a controversial contract awarded by the state's Department of Economic Development to a company owned by its acting commissioner.
The $300,000-a-year contract to publish the state's annual tourism guide had been awarded to Connecticut Magazine, whose owner and editor-in-chief is Arthur H. Diedrick, now chairman of development in the Rowland administration but acting DED commissioner at the time of the award. Although Diedrick denied influencing the decision, it plainly violated the spirit, if not the letter, of state ethics laws.
The outcry in the state's dailies was unanimous, but the matter was brought to a head when 1994 gubernatorial candidate and now-radio talk show host Tom Scott of Milford filed a formal complaint in the matter.
In announcing the reversal, Rowland stopped short of saying that any wrongdoing had occurred. But in this case, as in much of life, his actions spoke louder than his words.
Rowland characterized proposed changes to ethics laws spurred by the controversy as “a bit of a...bag job.” He also suggested the same ethics standards ought to be applied to members of the legislature.
We heartily agree.
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