Business View Magazine | October 2019

333 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019 then, as surplus accumulated, by mule and wagon, traveling all over America and into Canada. During the years from 1700-1750, farms, mills, and blacksmith shops sprang up, and a small ironworks was established near the Mattabessett River. In addition to tinware, ammunition was made from the local lead mines during the Revolutionary War. The East Berlin Milling Co. produced cotton and woolen yarn which was spun into clothing and blankets. Simeon North, manufacturer of pistols, became the first official pistol maker for the United States Government when he developed a system of interchangeable parts for pistols. The town was incorporated in 1785, and by the 1800s, business of all sorts thrived in Berlin. Makers of wagons, tableware, hats, clocks, books, combs, woolen clothes and blankets, cabinet and coffin makers, sleighs, muffs, and suits, were all local industries. Berlin was on the direct route from New Haven to Hartford, with taverns and inns, which were regular stagecoach stops for fresh horses, meals and sleeping accommodations. The mid 1800s brought competition from mass- produced products, forcing the peddlers out of business. It also brought the establishment of the local brick-making industry, which eventually produced 90,000 bricks daily until the 1960s. Today, Berlin is largely a residential community with several major employers, including the western New England headquarters for Comcast; the Connecticut headquarters for Eversource Energy, which is the area’s major utility; and hardware manufacturer, Abloy USA. “We also have another 20-30 aerospace and medical device manufacturers with anywhere from 75 to 300 employees,” adds Berlin’s Director of Economic Development, Chris Edge. “Because of our location - we’re in the middle between Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford and Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut - many of our companies work directly with those companies.” In June 2018, Berlin became a stop on the CTrail commuter service on the Hartford Line that connects New Haven, CT to Springfield, MA. This has given the town the opportunity to pursue the BERL IN, CONNECT I CUT