BARKHAMSTED – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that Sterling Engineering, a third-generation, family-operated manufacturer based in Barkhamsted, is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” Sterling was founded out of the Lavieri family’s cow barn in 1941 as a small tool and die shop where they served the Vought Sikorsky Company and supported the development of the Corsair fighter plane. Today, the manufacturer is a subsidiary of the $80-million aerospace and defense company, Air Industries Group, and operates out of a 75,000 square foot facility on the same plot of land – with the old cow barn currently holding its administrative offices. 

With the help of fifty hardworking employees, many of whom are second- and third-generation machinists, Sterling manufactures and assembles parts for jet engines, helicopters, and land-based gas and steam turbines for the aerospace and power generation industries. Sterling serves many world-renowned customers in the aerospace and power generation industries – including Pratt & Whitney, General Electric Aviation, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens – and is proud to serve numerous loyal clients who have relied on the Barkhamsted manufacturer for decades. 

“Time and time again, Sterling Engineering has met the changing demands of the defense industry. By partnering with Air Industries Group, Sterling will be well-positioned to continue delivering for their customers in Connecticut and across the country,” said Murphy. “Through decades of changes in the industry, the Lavieri family has stood by the Connecticut men and women they employ and continued to serve their community. I look forward to collaborating closely with the Lavieri’s as they continue to grow their business in Connecticut.”

The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating our state’s economic recovery. Today, Connecticut’s 4,602 manufacturers account for 10.2% of the state’s jobs and 87% of the state’s total exports. In order to protect and grow manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Murphy has introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to strengthen existing standards and prioritize the purchase of American-made goods, the 21st Century Buy American Act and the American Jobs Matter Act.