6 | Consolidated Industries Inc.
EVOLVING EFFICIENCY
When it was established in 1948, Consolidated was initial-
ly tasked with serving interests in agriculture, particularly
by providing components for tractors, which stands to rea-
son since its home community, Cheshire, has enjoyed his-
toric distinction as the leading capitol of bedding plants in
the state of Connecticut. A small family-owned enterprise,
Consolidated prospered by serving larger companies that
were expanding their own respective product lines and ser-
vice offerings. The growth of Pratt &Whitney, for example,
contributed to the growth of Consolidated. Another signif-
icant development occurred when the ship building compa-
ny of Newport News determined to cease its in-house forg-
ing operations and outsourced the job to Consolidated. In
fulfilling demand for these major accounts, Consolidated
routinely invested in new equipment and further expanded
its capabilities, all along growing its reputation as an inte-
gral partner in the supply chain of leading manufacturers.
The company endured through eras of varied cor-
porate ownership before a leveraged buy-out saw it ac-
quired by a team of financiers collaborating as the Consoli-
dated Industries Acquisition Group. This occurred in 1999
and the new CEO, John Wilbur, instinctively realized that
for Consolidated to move beyond the new millennium, the
company would have to be more aggressive in securing new
clients. Over the next decade of his leadership, annual sales
went from $8 million to more than $30 million. Business
planning, performance monitoring & mea`suring, and the
demanding drive to achieve objectives would prove signifi-
cant to advancing Consolidated Industries over the years
that followed. Staff development was equally important
