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Unassuming Bridgeport Firm Fuels Freedom Tower And More

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Phillips Fuel Systems, which has built fuel transfer solutions for the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower and many U.S. embassies in its modest Holland Avenue manufacturing space, welcomed a special visitor Friday — Gov. Dannel Mallloy.

Jeff Jarosz, left, an engineer at Phillips Fuel Systems, explains a system to Gov. Dannel Malloy, Bridgeport City Council member Scott Burns and state Rep. Steve Stafstrom.

Jeff Jarosz, left, an engineer at Phillips Fuel Systems, explains a system to Gov. Dannel Malloy, Bridgeport City Council member Scott Burns and state Rep. Steve Stafstrom.

Photo Credit: Meredith Guinness
Jeff Jarosz, left, an engineer at Phillips Fuel Systems, explains a system to Gov. Dannel Malloy, City Council member Scott Burns, state Rep. Steve Stafstrom and Phillips owner Peg Crossin.

Jeff Jarosz, left, an engineer at Phillips Fuel Systems, explains a system to Gov. Dannel Malloy, City Council member Scott Burns, state Rep. Steve Stafstrom and Phillips owner Peg Crossin.

Photo Credit: Meredith Guinness

Malloy took a brief tour of the site between appearances in southwestern Connecticut, saying he was happy to see successful manufacturing is still alive and well in Bridgeport, an industrial giant in its heyday.

“Bridgeport was the second largest producer of munitions in World War II,” the governor said. “It’s an important manufacturing place still — maybe not as big.”

Owner Peg Crossin walked Malloy through the small factory space where engineers and other staff create solutions for fuel transfer, monitoring and control big and small. The group, including state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, who organized the visit, and City Council members Scott Burns and Tom McCarthy, stepped around crates bound for Mexico and Chad.

Crossin inherited the chief executive officer spot when her husband, Pat, died in 2015. He purchased the 50-year-old business several years ago when it was known as Phillips Electric of Norwalk.

“He never changed the name,” Crossin said.

He did change the location and the focus, making Phillips Fuel Systems one of only four or five U.S. firms offering the sales and services it does.

As a result, the company has outfitted more than 40 embassies in just the last eight years, said engineer Jeff Jarosz. Phillips has also provided systems for many Connecticut schools and companies around the globe.

“Everything’s made from scratch here,” Crossin said, pointing to pipes and controls that will soon safely bring fuel from a tank to a furnace in a school in Des Moines, Iowa.

Earlier in the day, Pratt and Whitney announced it would hire about 8,000 new employees in Connecticut.

“Um, we have eight,” said Crossin with a laugh. “But it’s growing and we’re hoping to grow.”

Malloy said his administration has created a small business economic development “toolbox,” working with about 2,000 companies since he took office six years ago. He said he hoped those hit by the recession will continue to believe in what the state has to offer.

“Manufacturing has finally turned around, as we said it would,” he told Crossin and her staff. “Small business is important. You’re not building the whole system, but you’re part of the supply chain.”

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