Honeywell, one of the largest companies in the U.S., has announced that it plans to split into three companies. But it is uncertain how the breakup will affect the conglomerate's operations in Connecticut.
The company’s Notifier fire-alarm business has its U.S. headquarters at 12 Clintonville Road in North Branford, next to Northford Ice Pavilion. But Honeywell leaders and local officials have not commented on the company’s future in the town since Honeywell’s announcement on Feb. 6 of its plan to divide into three publicly traded firms. The new companies would, respectively, focus on automation, aerospace technologies and advanced materials.
“The formation of three independent, industry-leading companies builds on the powerful foundation we have created, positioning each to pursue tailored growth strategies and unlock significant value for shareholders and customers,” Honeywell CEO and Chairman Vimal Kapur said in a written statement included in the company's news release on the new plan.
On its website, Notifier describes itself as “the largest manufacturer of engineered fire alarm systems with over 400 distributors worldwide and regional support operations on every continent helping to ensure we provide the flexibility and options your business needs.”
Notifier would ostensibly be part of the new automation-focused company, whose separation from the aerospace technologies business is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2026. The advanced materials business, whose spin-off plan was announced last October, is expected to complete its transformation into an independent company in late 2025 or early 2026.
Honeywell officials did not respond to messages inquiring about the future of the offices in North Branford.
A 2021 profile for North Branford, for which there is a link on the town’s website, lists Honeywell as one of the town’s “key employers.” But the report does not specify the number of North Branford-based workers employed by the company. At the end of 2023, Honeywell had approximately 95,000 employees, including about 33,000 in the U.S., according to its 2023 annual report.
Messages left for North Branford's mayor, Rose Marie Angeloni, and assistant town manager, Rory Burke, were not returned in time for this story.
Among former connections to Connecticut, Honeywell had taken space at WinBrook Business Park in Rocky Hill before it spun off in 2018 its Homes and Global Distribution business. In 2011, Honeywell sold its Danbury-headquartered Consumer Products Group division for about $950 million.
Even after its sales and spinoffs in recent years, the Charlotte, North Carolina-headquartered Honeywell has remained a huge company. Based on its 2023 revenues, it ranked No. 114 on the 2024 Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations.
Honeywell’s planned breakup is reminiscent of the trajectory of General Electric, which has split into three companies in recent years. Before relocating its headquarters from Fairfield to Boston in 2016, GE had long ranked as the largest company headquartered in Connecticut.
One of GE's successor businesses, GE Aerospace, has offices at The Towers complex in Norwalk. GE’s legacy in the state is also continued by Stamford-based Synchrony, the country’s largest provider of store-brand credit cards, which was spun off from GE in 2015.