Aquiline Drones was heralded as a shining example of Connecticut’s economic growth by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont during his press conference on February 23, 2021 in Hartford. Aquiline Drones (AD) hosted the update on real estate, population and business at its penthouse headquarters located at 750 Main Street. The drone enterprise, founded by Barry Alexander, recently opened the first drone manufacturing and assembly plant in Connecticut.
Governor Lamont began his remarks by saying “If I was making anything today Barry, it would be drones”. He said “We’ve [CT] done helicopters and planes and now we’re doing drones. The takeaway today is the state offers incentives as companies grow and hire. We make sure financing is available for companies that want to grow.”
City of Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin also lauded AD for landing in Hartford while expressing concern about office vacancies in the city of Hartford and the need to attract “growing companies like Aquiline Drones and other startups to make Hartford a hub for innovation.” He believes “businesses in big cities like Boston or New York may assess their cost per square footage and find Hartford offers world class talent while saving an extraordinary amount of money on office space.”
When asked why he chose downtown Hartford for Aquiline Drones, Alexander answered, “I have family here. I also started my aviation career in Connecticut – started flight training to eventually become an airline pilot at Brainard Airport, next to downtown Hartford. I knew that opportunities abound. I wanted to capitalize on Connecticut’s rich aviation, aerospace and manufacturing ecosystem and build upon it.”
Carol Christiansen, the 2021 CT Realtors President and Joanne Breen, Immediate Past President of CT Realtors, shared home sale statistics for the Hartford area, which drew national attention last fall for being among the hottest home sale metros in the country. This January, closed sales climbed nearly 8%, as a cross-section of buyers sought new living spaces in a pandemic that brought work and school into the home. Some of the changes, particularly remote working, may become more permanent even after the pandemic subsides.
Metro Hartford Alliance COO Julie Daly Meehan shared positive news about restaurant openings and expansion.
AD has a team of twenty-five technicians working in its new 7,000 square foot, state-of-the-art drone manufacturing and assembly facility. Amid the pandemic, AD employed several of its new manufacturing employees with the support of Capital Workforce Partners (CWP), a Hartford-based workforce organization that helps adults develop skills and connect with employers, as well as CT Hires.
Aquiline occupies 15,000 square feet in the Stark Building, an historic architectural landmark located in Hartford's financial district. The company is now constructing a street-level showroom and retail store for drones and sensors, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of various drone models. AD’s future expansion plans include adding a second shift of production workers and scaling into larger facilities in Hartford, with the assistance of Mayor Luke Bronin as well as a possible location in Bridgeport, CT.
About Aquiline Drones
Aquiline Drones (AD) is an American drone and cloud solutions company located in the financial district of Hartford, Connecticut. Founded by highly experienced aviators, systems engineers, IT gurus, and business strategists, AD delivers a vertically integrated blend of products and services. Aquiline's ecosystem includes a hybrid aviation cloud with edge capabilities for commercial drones, U.S.-based drone manufacturing, 'maintenance-repair-overhaul' services, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) solutions for large enterprises and governments.
Complimenting the company's technology is its superior line of Spartacus AI drone products, a robust UAS training academy, and the country's first 'drone-on-demand' service, enabling customers to order drone services through a proprietary mobile app. AD's full-spectrum of technological solutions are widely applicable across industries and environments for superior, real-time data processing, modeling, and insight. Visit www.aquilinedrones.com for more information.
PHOTO: (from left) Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont shares the podium with Barry Alexander, Founder and Chairman of Aquiline Drones, during a February 23, 2021 press conference at AD’s headquarters on the positive economic impact of the recent population growth in the state.
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