HARTFORD, Conn., Oct. 19, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The prestigious Connecticut Medal of Technology will be awarded to Gene Banucci, founder and Chairman of the Board of Danbury-based ATMI, Inc. at tonight's Alliance for Connecticut Technology Award Dinner at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
The award, modeled after the national Medal of Technology, was established by the Board of Governors for Higher Education and is the state's highest award for technological achievement in fields crucial to Connecticut's economic competitiveness.
"I truly appreciate being recognized for my work by the State of Connecticut," said Banucci. "Our entire team, however, deserves credit for the entrepreneurial risk-taking and innovation that has made ATMI a success. They have made a tremendous contribution to improving semiconductor manufacturing around the world, especially in the areas of workplace safety and productivity. I am pleased to accept this Medal on their behalf."
Banucci co-founded ATMI in 1986 behind a New Milford garage and has led the manufacturing company ever since. Today, the company employs more than 750 people around the world. ATMI went public on Nasdaq in 1993, and has grown to over $300 million in annualized revenues with a market capitalization exceeding $1 billion.
The key technological advance made by ATMI is a revolutionary method of safely storing hazardous gases as solids so they can be safely transported and efficiently used in semiconductor manufacturing. The resulting product, called SDS(r) (Safe Delivery System), is now used in nearly every semiconductor plant in the world. As noted in a video on Banucci's achievements to be shown during the dinner, semiconductor associations have labeled it "one of the greatest safety, environmental and productivity innovations in the history of the industry."
Banucci holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, and began his career at General Electric where his work earned 21 patents. In 1981, he moved to Connecticut as Director of Discovery Research at American Cyanamid Company in Stamford where he fostered an entrepreneurial culture that was widely recognized for its creativity.
A founding member of the Connecticut Technology Council, Banucci actively promotes technology-based companies in Connecticut. He is a director of Zygo, Inc. (Middlefield, CT), has served as a director of Precision Combustion, Inc. (North Haven, CT) and Wentworth Laboratories (Brookfield, CT) and serves on a board of the National Academy of Sciences. He is also a director of Clean Harbors, Inc. (Norwell, MA), SemEquip, Inc. (Billerica, MA), Primet, Inc. (Ithaca, NY) and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Beloit College in Wisconsin. Banucci, and his wife, Phyllis, reside in Danbury.
The nomination process is conducted by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. The Medal of Technology is awarded in alternate years with the Medal of Science; all winners will be permanently featured in the new Connecticut Science Center.