Shaheen discusses Milford manufacturer’s sequestration concerns

MILFORD – When it comes to cuts from sequestration, many Granite State businesses are still unsure how they’ll be affected. But that uncertainty, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said while visiting a Milford manufacturer on Friday, can be just as debilitating as the cuts themselves. “The size of these cuts is unprecedented, and the timing is unprecedented, coming in the middle of the year,” she said. “It’s going to affect agencies differently, and at different times. That’s a very big challenge.” Uncertainty, Shaheen said, leads to slower growth and stalled job creation, something the state and country can’t afford during tough economic times. It was a sentiment shared by leaders and employees of Cirtronics, the Milford-based manufacturing firm that Shaheen toured Friday afternoon after a private meeting with company officials. The company, founded in 1979 and owned by Gerardine Ferlins, employs 150 people in its Milford facility, manufacturing products for other companies – from circuit boards and medical equipment to defense and homeland security products. While Cirtronics doesn’t have any direct government contracts, many of its clients do.