Stratford Organic Foods Company Moving to Orange

Aurora Products, a Stratford-based manufacturer of packaged organic foods, is moving to Orange.

The company's new facility will be on Edison Road, the former home of the Finley Fine Jewelry industrial building.

Aurora received zoning approval May 15 for a 9,000-square-foot addition to the existing structure. This will bring the building's total footprint up to 100,000 square feet.

Ripping out the old vault of the building's former occupant was the latest task in renovations. According to Matthew Blackwell, director of operations at Aurora, it was a "gigantic, walk-in 9,000-square-foot vault," with concrete, reinforced walls.

Blackwell said the company is working with architects and construction engineers but hasn't yet started construction. Aurora purchased the building in September two months after Finley went out of business and filed for bankruptcy.

"It's going to be a full manufacturing facility" with space for offices, Blackwell said.

Aurora purchases bulk quantities of nuts, dried fruits and granola. The foods are then mixed and packaged for grocery store sales.

Peter Gioia, economist for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, said a combination of a skilled work force and good transportation will benefit a business like Aurora.

"They're a business with significant growth opportunities," he said. "I've seen their products widely distributed, they're a significant player in the industry."

Paul J. Grimmer, executive director of the Orange Economic Development Corporation, said Aurora's move to Orange made business sense for the company.

"Orange has the same things to offer any business," he said, citing the proximity to Interstate 95 which runs through the middle of Orange's industrial zone. "We believe they're going to be very successful."