Farmington Company Pledging 287 New Jobs Through State Program

FARMINGTON, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont and executives at Farmington-based WellSpark Health announced plans for the company to "rapidly grow its" local operations, including the creation of 287 new jobs over the next seven years.

The announcement was made at a news conference at the company's headquarters on Scott Swamp Road in Farmington.

WellSpark Health was established in 2013 and is formerly known as Care Management Solutions, Inc.

WellSpark is a wellbeing, disease prevention and management company focused on "economically diverse, multicultural, long-tenured employee populations who struggle with their health." The company’s life-dimensional approach focuses on the "whole person" while addressing "the biopsychosocial factors affecting health."

The company currently employs more than 70 people at its Farmington headquarters and is actively recruiting new hires, Lamont said.

"My administration is laser-focused on doing everything we can to get Connecticut's economy growing again, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic," Lamont said. "We are seeing some encouraging signs, including an increase of 16,500 new households moving into the state over the last year, and a 9 percent increase in new business registrations. Today we celebrate another key to our economic recovery – companies making the strategic decision to invest and grow here. WellSpark is a homegrown company that has shown innovation and rapid growth over the last several years. I thank the WellSpark team for their commitment to our state and their recognition that we have the climate and the resources to support long-term business growth."

WellSpark is not only a Connecticut-born company, but "the State of Connecticut was our first customer,” company president an d University of Connecticut alum Roberta "Bert" Wachtelhausen said.

“We’re now a rapidly growing national company and we chose to stay in Connecticut for many reasons, including the top-notch talent pool of experienced professionals and new college graduates," she said. "As a Connecticut native and UConn graduate myself, I know the state is a great place to live and work."

The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development is supporting the expansion with "earn-as-you-grow" incentives that provide grants in arrears over a seven-year period as job targets are reached, Lamont said.

State officials said the company can earn up to a total of $1,492,100 in grants if 287 jobs are created by the end of 2026 and retained for two years. Funding may be used for capital improvements, computer and production equipment, and other business-related expenses.

"The Department of Economic and Community Development is proud to support WellSpark Health, an innovative, homegrown company that is focused on rapidly growing its operations in Connecticut," Connecticut Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman said. "This expansion project will mean more jobs for our residents and a boost to the local economy for years to come."

Peter Denious, the president and CEO of AdvanceCT, termed WellSpark "a great example of how companies can partner with the state to help with their growth and expansion plans."

He added, "Both DECD and AdvanceCT are committed to working with Connecticut’s companies to ensure they thrive and continue to grow in our state."