EaglePicher® Announces Award for IARPA RESILIENCE Program for Advanced, Innovative Battery Technology Development

EaglePicher Technologies; October 20, 2021

EaglePicher^® Technologies, a leading innovator of battery power and energy storage systems for defense and aerospace announced today that the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) has awarded their team a contract award for innovative battery technology development.

The strategic partnership includes Conamix, a venture-backed battery materials, early stage development company based in Ithaca, NY, Ionic Materials, Inc. an innovator in solid state electrolyte materials based in Woburn, MA and EaglePicher.

The multi-year award is part of IARPA's Robust Energy Sources for Intelligence Logistics in Extreme Novel and Challenging Environments (RESILIENCE) program. The team, led by Conamix, will develop advanced high-energy density, long calendar life, sulfur-based batteries.

EaglePicher will design, model, and optimize the electrochemical cells and integrate them into a full battery system utilizing advanced manufacturing capabilities. Conamix will develop a new, nanostructured sulfur metal sulfide (SMS) hybrid cathode system, and Ionic Materials will incorporate its advanced protected lithium-metal anode (PLA) technology into the cell electrochemistry.

Ret. Navy Capt. Paul Whitescarver named director of seCTer

The Day; October 1, 2021

By Erica Mosher

The Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region board of directors announced Friday it has unanimously selected retired Navy Capt. Paul Whitescarver to serve as executive director of seCTer, effective Monday. Whitescarver is the former commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base in Groton.

Nancy Cowser had served as executive director of seCTer from late 2016 through June 30 of this year, when she left for a role at Mitchell College.

SeCTer is the region's designated nonprofit economic development organization, and its services include giving loans to small businesses, providing assistance to businesses interested in selling goods or services to government entities, and connecting developers with potential sites.

"What really appealed to me is the ability to work with all the municipalities, creating somewhat of a regional strategy," Whitescarver said.

Amy Perry passes leadership of Thames River Heritage Park to Catherine Foley

The Day; September 29, 2021

by Erica Mosher

Amy Perry recalled that when she first became executive director of Thames River Heritage Park and told people about her job, she got a blank stare, and still got a blank stare after adding, "We're the nonprofit that operates the water taxi on the river."

After two years, she got a blank stare at the mention of TRHP but recognition of the water taxi. Now, she said, "When I tell someone I work for the Thames River Heritage Park, I inevitably get the reply, 'I went on one of your boat tours and it was just fantastic.'"

Perry was the first director of the organization, but she is now handing over the reins to Catherine Foley as she retires.

Perry, 63, said she thinks it's time for the park to have a different kind of skill set, noting that her experience in marketing was needed when the park was starting out, but now the focus is on programming and development.

ThayerMahan to Move Forward with Headquarters Project in Groton

CT Examiner, August 25, 2021

by Cate Hewitt

GROTON — ThayerMahan told town council members on Tuesday that the company would move forward with redeveloping the Groton Heights School into the company’s headquarters.  The project had been slowed for more than a year by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Richard Hine, co-founder and chief operating officer of ThayerMahan, told the Town Council Committee of the Whole that the company is rapidly outgrowing its 14,000-square foot space at 120 Leonard Drive in Groton. 

“We’re a company that started in 2016 with two employees, my co-founder, Mike Connor and myself. Over the last five years, we’ve grown to 70 employees,” he said. “Our intent is to hire. Our current projections show us that about 180 employees by the end of next year.”

Hine and Connor, a thirty-five year Navy veteran and former Commander of Submarine Forces, started the company in a spare bedroom in Mystic, creating undersea solar-powered sensors and monitoring systems that gather, analyze and transmit data.