HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that Schwerdtle Stamp Co., a fourth-generation, family- and woman-owned manufacturer in Bridgeport, is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” Founded in 1879, Schwerdtle manufactures tools, dies, and fixtures for marking and embossing plastic, metal, leather, and wood. Schwerdtle tools and dies are used to decorate and mark a variety of products, such as cosmetic containers, industrial tools, medical and research equipment, electronic parts, appliances, and automotive parts. With the help of 20 Connecticut employees, Schwerdtle services a wide range of customers including Rubbermaid, Medtronic, GE, and Gillette. 

Schwerdtle is proud to invest in new technologies in high-speed machining and in CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) software. In an effort to improve their products and expand their workforce, the manufacturing company also maintains strong partnerships with advanced manufacturing programs at research universities and local colleges, including Housatonic Community College. 

Schwerdtle President Kathy Saint also serves on the Trade and Technology Advisory Committees for various vocational and technical high schools in Connecticut, such as Emmett O'Brien Technical High School, Platt Technical High School, Eli Whitney Technical High School, and Bullard-Havens Technical High School. As a member of the Advisory Board for the new Advanced Manufacturing Center at Housatonic Community College and as a member of the Advisory Board for the Materials Science and Engineering school at the University of Connecticut, Kathy regularly speaks to students, teachers and guidance counselors about the importance of a STEM education and how it can be applied at manufacturing companies in Connecticut. 

“Kathy and the team at Schwerdtle are working hard every day to connect talented advanced manufacturing students with the good-paying jobs that Connecticut manufacturers need to fill,” said Murphy. “That’s great news for the students, great news for our manufacturing firms, and great news for our economy.”

The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating our state’s economic recovery. Today, Connecticut’s 4,600 manufacturers account for 10% 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.