When Giordano first became involved with this project there was a fine gentleman from the south seeking to convert the building from its former life as the home of a paperboard and carton company. This southerner was into the refurbishing of fluid valves – good for Texas perhaps, not too exotic in Connecticut, I thought. Well, time passes and our friend from the south goes with it.

Then came David Beckerman, an entrepreneurially spirited New Havener who was on the cusp of seeing an amazing success with Starter Sportswear.  Beckerman saw an opportunity to leverage this hulk of a building into the corporate and production headquarters of his flourishing company. And so he did and so it was for several years to come.

The dilemnas of the banking industry recession in the mid 1990's did not escape Starter.  The result was that the Acorn Group was presented with the challenge to yet again revitalize this previously vibrant facility, this time for several occupants.