DANBURY, CONN. — Jordan Young, president of Danbury-based Fairfield Processing Corp., will be recognized as the 2018 Macricostas Entrepreneur of the Year by Western Connecticut State University at a ceremony and luncheon on Thursday, March 29, 2018, at the Amber Room Colonnade, 1 Stacey Road in Danbury.
Young, who has served as president of Fairfield Processing since August 2009, has carried on a family tradition of entrepreneurial vision, product innovation and market development as the third generation of his family to lead the company since its founding in 1940. He continues to build on the legacies inherited from his grandfather, founder Samuel Young, and his father, Roy Young, who served as company president from 1980 to 2008 and currently serves as chairman and chief executive officer. He received a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Mandarin Chinese from Lehigh University College of Business and Economics and a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship from San Diego State University.
The reception in his honor will begin with networking at 11:30 a.m., followed by the luncheon and award presentation beginning at noon. The public is invited to attend; the luncheon fee is $60 per person, and reservations are required by Friday, March 23, either online at www.wcsu.edu/eoy or by phone at (203) 837-8486.
Under his leadership since 2009, Fairfield Processing has maintained a focus on its core businesses in craft fiber fills, bead fillers, battings, pillow forms and foams while pursuing development of new products and market opportunities. The Danbury company remains an international industry leader in the manufacture of fiberfill and batting products including its trademarked brand Poly-Fil, a polyester fiberfill that has gained a reputation over half a century for resilience, warmth and durability well suited to use in craft, quilting, doll-making, hobby and sewing projects.
At the same time, Young has guided the continued development of diversified product lines and markets that have broadened the company’s manufacturing base. An example of this diversification is the company’s line under the Nature-Fil trademarked brand name, which includes fiberfills, battings and pillows made from sustainable resources including bamboo, wool, corn and cotton. Introduction of new product lines has given fresh impetus to Fairfield Processing’s sales growth in markets including home decorating; industrial insulation, protection and filtration; audio and acoustic products; pet accessories; and furnishings, pillows and cushions for schools, hospitals and hotels.
Sustainability in product manufacture and distribution also has been emphasized in the strategic location of manufacturing sites throughout the United States, consistent with corporate objectives to provide U.S.-made goods while reducing its carbon footprint by cutting shipping distances, times and costs. Customer loyalty and civic responsibility also are important elements of Fairfield Processing’s corporate mission, reflected in the company website’s showcase for creations by craft makers and designers and in its “We Make for Good” program publicizing stories from crafters, quilters and others across the country who make handmade items and donate them to individuals and families in need.
Fairfield Processing received second place in the HartfordBusiness.com 2014 Connecticut Family Business Awards for firms with more than 170 full-time employees. In response to the HartfordBusiness.com inquiry about the family values that define his business, Young replied, “Our unconditional product guarantee is our commitment to our customers’ supreme satisfaction, and that guarantee is backed by 75 years and three generations of dedication, perseverance, integrity and love that goes into every product. From philanthropy to civic responsibility, our family’s business has embraced the true sense of community.”
The annual Entrepreneur of the Year recognition is made possible through the generosity of Constantine “Deno” Macricostas, the founder of Photronics Inc., in Brookfield, whose endowment also supports entrepreneurial-focused educational projects for students at WCSU.
For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.
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.