Bristol company receives national small business award

For decades, Bauer has made equipment to test products used in aircrafts all over the world.

The company has seen rapid growth in recent years, so Friday it was recognized as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Exporter of the Year.

“There's a lot of great companies doing a lot of great things, and for us to be the one selected is quite an honor,” Bauer President and CEO Lou Auletta said after a tour of his company’s Bristol facility.

The company was also recognized during a ceremony marking the end of National Small Business Week.

“Connecticut's a small state, but we make some really cool stuff here and this allows us to shine a spotlight on us,” SBA District Director Catherine Marx said.

Other winners at Friday’s ceremony included Connecticut small businessperson of the year Michelle Nicholson.

She turned her pandemic-era baking hobby into Hebron-based The Flour Girl Bakery & Cafe.

“Having a restaurant and a bakery win is also a really big deal,” Nicholson said. “I feel like they often get overlooked as small businesses.”

Bauer’s recognition comes as businesses that export or import products are figuring out how to handle new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

Auletta said most of the components for his products are made in the U.S., although some of the raw materials may be subject to the tariffs.

He said the bigger issue for him is uncertainty.

He recently had a China-based client request that he ship equipment early in order to avoid increased tariffs as China and the U.S. engage in a trade war.

The equipment was not quite finished, so now he’s negotiating with the company on how to send workers over to complete construction.

“It's going to be a big distraction, that’s really been the only significant situation we’ve dealt with so far but it’s certainly real,” he said.

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has estimated that in-state companies will face $3.2 billion in additional costs to import items.

CBIA President and CEO Chris DiPentima said the biggest impact to this point has been uncertainty, as many companies are still trying to figure out the impact.

“We're hearing these little stories now about the impact of tariffs,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear more and more real stories that people are being impacted.”

Marx said she has not heard from many companies in Connecticut who have been impacted by the tariffs, but her office is also offering help for those who need it.

“We'll help guide them through, seeing if there’s loan programs that they can utilize, seeing if there’s counseling programs they can utilize,” she said.