Firm drops Conn. expansion, raps business climate

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) — A Rhode Island moving company owner who lost a bid to operate in Connecticut says he will expand in Massachusetts, where he said he is more welcome.

The Day of New London reports (http://bit.ly/X4DLEV) that Bob Romano, owner of Warwick, R.I.-based Coutu Bros. Movers, cited bureaucratic mix-ups, paperwork and what he called a poor attitude at the Connecticut Department of Transportation as reasons for deciding against re-applying.

"It was strictly a business decision," Romano said. "I was not going through all that crap again."

A DOT hearing officer denied Romano's application to do business in Connecticut last spring, citing a possible "further negative effect" on other moving businesses in the region. The hearing officer also said the Rhode Island company failed to prove the need for another moving business based on "public convenience and necessity."

Romano and pro-business advocates said the agency's decision was at odds with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's efforts to promote business.

Judd Everhart, a spokesman for the Transportation Department, said the denial was based solely on the merits. The rejection of Romano's application was based on requirements that he demonstrate the need for another household goods-moving service in a particular area.

"It had nothing to do with Connecticut not being 'open for business' as the applicant claimed in the past," Everhart said.

A competitor, Atherton & Sons Moving & Storage in Pawcatuck, questioned Romano's application, owner Charlie Rohde told The Associated Press. The weak real estate market has put pressure on the moving business, he said.

To open a business, "you have to prove a need," Rohde said.

Romano said he spent more than $6,000 to comply with DOT requirements and was shocked that his application was denied in Connecticut, though Massachusetts approved his application for a license in 15 minutes.

"It's a shame that free enterprise is not allowed to flourish in Connecticut," he said. "Massachusetts actually welcomed me and reached out to me to expand my operation there."

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Information from: The Day, http://www.theday.com