Former Lydall offices moving to Glastonbury

Joseph Villanova, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

Nov. 23—The company formerly known as Lydall Inc. plans sell its office building on Colonial Road in Manchester and move the employees there to an office on Glastonbury Boulevard in Glastonbury early next year.

Lydall, a filtration systems and engineered products supplier, agreed to acquisition by New York-based materials supplier Unifrax last year. The two companies merged under a new name, Alkegen, this year.

A sign outside Alkegen's office at 1 Colonial Road in Manchester still bears the Lydall name.

Last year, the Manchester assessor's office put the appraisal of the 20,471-square-foot building at $1.3 million. As with the vast majority of properties, the assessment for tax purposes was 70% of that figure, $909,000.

William Piotrowski, vice president and general counsel for Alkegen, said the company plans to sell the former Lydall headquarters but will maintain a highly skilled employee base in Connecticut.

"Following an extensive search, all of Alkegen's Manchester employees will be relocated to a remodeled space on Glastonbury Boulevard in Glastonbury," Piotrowski said.

He said Alkegen expects the new space will be ready for occupancy in the first quarter of 2023.

"Many of Alkegen's employees reside in Manchester, and we will continue to support the local community, including MACC Charities," Piotrowski said, referring to the Manchester Area Conference of Churches.

He said the old Lydall headquarters would be a "fantastic new home" for a business or medical office, owing to its easy access to Interstate 84 and its substantial parking.

Alkegen's website says Lydall was founded in 1969, following a merger between Colonial Board Co. and Superior Steel Ball Co. Before its acquisition last year, Lydall had been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1989.

In June 2021, Unifrax announced that it would acquire Lydall, with the process completed in October 2021.

In January of this year, Unifrax merged with Lydall, changing its name to Alkegen, and announced the new company would move its headquarters to Texas by year-end.

Alkegen bills itself as a developer and manufacturer of high-performance specialty materials for use in advanced applications including industrial insulation and energy storage.

Joseph covers Manchester and Bolton for the Journal Inquirer.