Happy 50th Birthday, Praxair Surface Technologies

The key to Praxair's longevity can be summed in two words: "Dedicated employees."

That's what Mark Gruninger, president of Praxair Surface Technologies, said today during the company's 50th anniversary celebration at its North Haven facility. Gruninger, a 25-year employee of Praxair, was one of the keynote speakers at the celebration, which drew a crowd of more than 100 for lunch under a tent. The special guest was Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who said a few words and then summed it up like this: "The short form is, happy birthday." (To hear Malloy's remarks, check out the video.)

The overarching message of the celebration was that the plant's dedicated workforce of 72, and their commitment to quality and safety, were the reason that Praxair has been a leading company in the surface technology industry for so long. Among the guests were retired employees, including John Hively of Branford, who retired in 1989 after 27 years on the job, first as a shop foreman and utimately as an engineer.

A company is nothing without customers, though, and so acknowlegement was made to two of Praxair's most important ones in Connecticut: Sikorsky and Pratt and Whitney.

"We only grow if you grow as customers," said one Praxair executive.

First Selectman Michael Freda also offered his congratulations to the company, which is one of the top seven taxpayers in town and is a subsidiary of Danbury-based Praxair, Inc. The parent company netted $10 billion in sales last year, Gruninger said.

"I'm really pleased to have Praxair be a part of North Haven for the past 50 years," Freda said, noting how the company is part of the town's corporate culture but also the "very fabric of the community" with its involvement in athletics and other activities.

"Keep doing what you're doing," Freda said. "We're proud of you."