Source: Connecticut Post, Friday May 1, 2001

It's being billed as the largest industrial facility built in Bridgeport in the last 25 years and it couldn't come at a better time.

The former Bryant Electric site in the city's West End, vacant for 13 years, will be the new home in 2002 of Prime Resources Corp., cited just last week by Inc. Magazine as one of the nation's 100 fastest growing companies.

Prime Resources is a promotional products company that now has employees scattered at five locations. The new 10-acre West End site will allow the company to put all its operations under one roof.

The good news for Bridgeport is not only the ability to retain Prime Resources in the city, but that company's rising success indicates growth and more employees for the future.

Plaudits also to the Rowland administration, which put together an aid package… which induced the firm to remain in Bridgeport.

That the new facilities will be the largest industrial growth in the city in a quarter century, however, underlines the development dilemma that Bridgeport faces.

As Bridgeport has lost its old line manufacturing companies during the past quarter century, an inequitable tax burden has been placed on residential property owners and the city has been left with many brownfield sites.

Fortunately, there are signs on the economic development front that this may be changing.

In addition to Prime Resources, Derecktor Shipyards, a maker of luxury yachts and ferries, should soon be developing the Car Tech site on the city's East Side and two new proposals for the Steel Point project are now being evaluated.

If Bridgeport is to succeed in the future in rebuilding itself, it must, with the help of state aid, be able to attract industrial entities into the city.