Berkshire Bank's timing for entering Connecticut at least 18 months ahead of a fresh wave of out-of-state bank investment, including from a Massachusetts competitor, couldn't have been better, its chief says.  The Pittsfield, Mass., bank bought out former Hartford lender, Connecticut Bank & Trust Co., in mid-2012, cementing its beachhead in the Nutmeg State ahead of West Springfield rival United Financial Corp.'s December declaration of its $369 million pending merger with Glastonbury's Rockville Bank.

'We basically relied on NU as a major supporter of the Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership,' said Lyle Wray, executive director of the Connecticut Capital Region Council of Governments. 'We were able to recover from the loss and still keep the partnership going … but the biggest impact they had was eliminating their support.'

Connecticut Light & Power and Western Massachusetts Electric upgraded 39 miles of transmission lines between Bloomfield, Conn. and Ludlow, Mass. with more than 600 new structures, 13 new or rebuilt substations and switching stations.

The developer of Amazon.com's proposed 1.5-million-square-foot fulfillment center in Windsor now has what it needs most to go forward — 90 acres of undeveloped acreage fronting Day Hill Road.

Average airfare at Bradley International Airport was down 3.7 percent in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The Atlanta nonstop is one the many new flights announced at Bradley since the Connecticut Airport Authority was formed in 2011, with the goal of increasing the route structure at New England's second largest airport.

Pratt & Whitney said this morning that it has finalized a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide engines for a sixth batch of F-35 fighter jets.
Though Pratt has yet to state the value of the deal, an anonymously sourced Reuters story that preceded the announcement pegged it at $1 billion or more, similar to contracts for previous batches.

outhwest Airlines will add daily nonstop service from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks to Atlanta, the latest in a string of new flights coming to Connecticut's main airport.  Southwest's wholly owned AirTran Airways subsidiary will begin the nonstop Atlanta service on Nov. 3, and the tickets are on sale now.

Danish toy manufacturer Lego has expanded its North American headquarters in Enfield more than a third to augment its research and development efforts.

Connecticut's promise of a more nimble, market-responsive airport authority has been delayed by the long process of switching authority from the state Department of Transportation.  But the promise may come to fruition soon as ConnDOT will relinquish full control to the Connecticut Airport Authority sometime between mid-April and mid-May.  'Most people are very anxious to see this happen,' said Kevin Dillon, CAA executive director. 'It is a pretty comprehensive undertaking. Most people think that one day you shake hands and the next day you're in charge.'  The state General Assembly created the CAA in June 2011 to change ...

Springfield insurer MassMutual and other investors are buying the music labels of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G and others, along with a rich catalog of classic songs, including ones from soul singer Otis Redding and crooner Tony Bennett.

Wisconsin insurer Northwestern Mutual is ramping up to hire 152 financial-services representatives for its three Connecticut offices and one in Springfield -- 54 alone in its West Hartford depot, authorities say.

West Springfield lender United Financial Bancorp Inc. is closing late this spring two Connecticut branches in East Windsor and Plymouth, and consolidating a third in Southington. All three are former New England Bank locations.

Since top executives of Boston utility parent NStar took over control of Hartford-based Northeast Utilities, industry analysts and investors have taken a more positive view of the Fortune 500 company, hailing the management team as one of the best in the country.  'We have always prided ourselves on our record,' said Tom May, the NU chief executive and president, and the former NStar CEO, president and chairman. 'When you take two teams and put them together based on their individual strengths, you come out with a stronger team.'
London financial services company Barclays picked NU as its top regulated utility ...

Brazilian jet-maker Embraer has chosen Pratt & Whitney Co.'s geared turbofan engine for its newest generation medium-range airliner, authorities say.

Springfield's Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. has finalized its $400 million buyout of the retirement-plans business from The Hartford Financial Services Group

International service is back at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, starting Saturday when Delta Air Lines resumes its seasonal flights to Cancun, Mexico.

hareholders in New England Bancshares Inc. have approved the Enfield thrift's $91 million, mid-November merger with Springfield's United Financial Bancorp.

The action is being led by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy who has taken a significant interest in trying to turn around the city, whose economic fortunes took a major hit following the 2008 financial crisis. Even before the Great Recession, Hartford's attempt to morph itself into a 24/7 city where people come to work, play, and live was stalling.

In eliminating the department, NU laid off three major players in the Connecticut community: David Driver, NU project manager for system recruitment, who had been with the company since 2003; Douglas Fisher, manager of NU economic development and community relations, who had been with the company since 1995; and Thomas Marano, NU business development manager, who had been with the company since 2001.

The Northeast cap-and-trade program Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has generated more than $1 billion for energy efficiency programs in its 10 original member states since its beginning in 2008.

Fitch Ratings gave 'A' ratings to some $154 million in outstanding debt for Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. Fitch gave 'As' to approximately $147 million in outstanding 2011 series A&B general airport revenue refunding bonds, and to some $7 million in outstanding parity 2001 series B general airport revenue bonds.