Posted on October 23, 2017
Photo (from left to right): Steve Belair, State Representative Mitch Bolinsky, Amy Giordano, Brienne Shepard, and Mike Issagona.
Newtown – On Wednesday, October 18, 2017, State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) visited Tier ONE Machining & Assembly, on Peck’s Lane in Newtown, on the invitation of Amy Giordano, a Tier ONE employee working in their assembly group, through a partnership with Ability Beyond, an organization that helps those with developmental and physical disabilities participate in meaningful, fulfilling employment opportunities.
“Amy, a fellow Newtown resident, the folks at Tier ONE and Ability Beyond invited me to visit her at work today, as part of Ability Beyond’ s 1st annual Take Your Legislator to Work Day. It was a wonderfully eye opening experience. Amy assembles ‘value-added installation and repair kits’, working independently to produce 300 kits a day for sale to Tier ONE customers. She brings a bona fide enthusiasm and devotion to her work that her supervisors love. Ms. Giordano works with her Ability Beyond support coach, Brianne Shepard and receives wonderful accolades from the company’s principal, Newtown’s Mike Iassogna and her direct supervisor, Newtown’s Steve Belair. I applaud her daily efforts and it is quite clear that her impact on the company is a positive one,” stated Rep. Bolinsky.
Bolinsky continued, “Tier ONE is a true Connecticut manufacturing success story, producing highly-engineered, precision instrument parts, assemblies and accessories for customers in the medical and aerospace industries, among others. In addition to their unique, specialized positioning, Tier ONE is a company that invests in people. They are a company with a huge heart. Beyond their relationship with Ability Beyond, they also partner with Newtown High School in a specialized vocational training program and are a leader in the State of Connecticut’s Apprenticeship Training initiatives. They’re more than a successful business, they’re an inspiration!”
Ability Beyond serves Newtown residents with disabilities by partnering with Newtown businesses and Newtown Social Services. In addition to employment programs, they provide around-the-clock residential support across three Newtown group homes to 18 men and women with traumatic brain injuries and developmental disabilities, helping their clients live safe, independent, fulfilling lives with dignity. Ability also provides accessible transportation for these men and women, as well as recreational activities through their day program, clinical supports and more. Business partners within Newtown help Ability Beyond prepare dozens more individuals with disabilities for the workforce, through internships, part and full-time employment. In addition to Tier ONE, Promotion Mechanics, Walgreens, Big Y, and Misty Morning Children’s Center also are active in Ability Beyond programs.
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