By Janice Sina
(January 2, 2026) — As an observer of nature, human and otherwise, I like to watch people as they go about their day, especially on solitary missions. What are they thinking as they walk across a parking lot from their car, or while performing routine tasks at work? Okay, maybe it’s just what’s for lunch, but I often wonder about their aspirations, friendships and work associations, and the unique blend of traits that they lend to a community. And how a kind of synergy forms with others as ideas are shared. You don’t see this side of people in passing, yet there is a wealth of creativity and passion out there.
I saw this passion and creativity in Greg Kozmon. He is a co-founder of the Haddam Business Alliance (HBA), a fledgling group of Haddam business owners whose mission is to promote and support local businesses and serve as a bridge between the business community and town government to create a strong local economy and thriving community.
Kozmon grew up in Haddam. He remembers when Larry’s was the only gas station in town, and watching the trucks leave Rossi during morning and afternoon recess at Haddam Elementary School. He moved away, returned, and is now a small business owner himself, running the Middletown Rug and Carpet Cleaning Company. He wants to see the town reach its potential. “There are so many wonderful businesses in town, but too many are reliant on local traffic only. We need a well-thought-out strategic plan so that not just some but all of Haddam’s businesses will meet their growth potential. We need the town as a whole to grow and develop economically.”
And so, the Haddam Business Association was born. Kozmon started talking to business owners and helped to set up the initial Board, establishing a collaborative working relationship with the Town Office Building and the Economic Development Commission. The Alliance will be the entity that brings everyone together, providing resources, networking opportunities, and increased visibility to the variety of stores, services and industry in Haddam. Board members will be business owners themselves and will lend their areas of expertise to other business owners in the Alliance. “The role of the initial Board,” he says, “is to get the ball rolling – setting up the non-profit status, establishing Board rules and meeting etiquette, accounts, etc.” Succeeding board members will be voted in to keep ideas fresh, and every business that joins will have a voice.
The official kickoff is slated for early 2026. A website and social media connections are also being developed. The HBA will use the website and social media not just to promote Haddam businesses but to serve as a resource for the community as well. The public can find businesses and also stay informed of upcoming special events such as fairs, farmers markets, and yuletide markets. The HBA also envisions pamphlets and maps of businesses and other attractions in Haddam. “Haddam is a gem,” Kozmon says. “There are parks, fishing sites, the Meadows, the Cove, nurseries, gift stores, a variety of services, restaurants, farms, and opportunities for bike trails and hiking and birding trails. We can be a true destination.”
Haddam doesn’t have to be merely a pass-through on the way from the metropolitan Hartford area or the shoreline. It can be a destination in itself – a morning stop for breakfast and a walk through Swan Hill, or an afternoon stop away from the bustle of the shoreline to browse a gift shop, visit a local farm or take a quiet walk along the river, stopping for dinner at a local eatery at day’s end.
Kozmon still relishes the small town, rural atmosphere but acknowledges that growth is important and it is growth that maintains the rural atmosphere. “There are so many collaborative opportunities and townspeople with untapped talent here. In today’s day and age, where it seems division is commonplace, we have a great opportunity to develop a sense of community and town pride with the businesses of Haddam coming together and leading as the Haddam Business Alliance.” And this is the kind of synergy that takes hold when passion and creativity are shared.
