DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University will honor Branson Ultrasonics Corp., a business of Emerson, and its employees on Friday, June 3, 2016, to acknowledge the company’s long-standing commitment to the university.

In 2003, when the Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University was in the planning stages, Branson made a substantial financial commitment to the project.  In recognition of that commitment, Western and the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education named the building’s central lobby for Branson.

The 130,000-square-foot center, which opened in August of 2014, features three distinct wings: Theatre Arts, Music and Visual Arts — all connecting in the Branson Lobby. The facility has been ranked No. 9 on a list of the 25 Most Amazing Campus Arts Centers in the country, complementing another survey that lists Western’s Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts program as one of the 10 best in the nation.

“At Branson, a lot of the welding technology that we create is focused on the challenge of bringing disparate pieces together into a strong and unified whole,” said Joe Dillon, president of Branson Ultrasonics Corporation. “So it is a special honor to inaugurate the Branson Lobby at the WCSU Visual and Performing Arts Center. This gathering area not only connects the pieces of this marvelous center, but also brings together diverse people from our community — artists, musicians, students, instructors and audiences — to learn, to enjoy and to be challenged and enlightened,” he continued.

“As Branson marks its 70th year as a business and a corporate citizen of Danbury, I can’t think of a more appropriate symbol of our community involvement than the lobby of this wonderful facility. There’s no more important job for educators or employers than to bring diverse people and ideas together and use that energy and creativity for the advancement of the community,” Dillon concluded.

“Branson’s support was very important to Western as we started on this journey, and we are happy to acknowledge the contributions of the company and its employees in the grand lobby space,” said WCSU President Dr. John B. Clark. “Involvement by corporations and the people who live in our community sustains this university and its students. We couldn’t do our work without it.” Among Branson Ultrasonics’ other contributions to WCSU are its support of student scholarships and a program that will result in student artwork permanently displayed in the company’s Danbury headquarters.

A ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. in the Branson Ultrasonics Lobby of the building, which is on the WCSU Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. The unveiling of the naming plaque by Clark and Dillon will be followed by a reception.

For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets around the world.  The company is comprised of five business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions.  Sales in fiscal 2015 were $22.3 billion.  For more information, visit Emerson.com.

 About Branson          
Headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, Branson (www.BransonUltrasonics.com) is the leading worldwide manufacturer of plastics joining, ultrasonic metal joining and precision processing equipment. Branson’s goal is to create value in customers’ manufacturing processes, serve as a long-term strategic partner, and provide a high return on investment to customers. With more than 1,800 employees and 70 sales and support offices worldwide, Branson is committed to leading the industry in products, solutions, service and support. Branson was founded in 1946 and is a business of Emerson.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.