The new North American corporate headquarters of Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc. officially opened Oct. 1 in Monroe, Conn.

In attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Rick Taggart, the company president; Charles and Veronika Elsener, founding family members of the Swiss parent firm; Michael Fedele, Connecticut Lt. governor; Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's attorney general, as well as other state, town and chamber of commerce officials, key retailers and employees.

“We are proud to be a part of Connecticut's strong economy and continued growth and are honored to unveil this state-of-the-art facility,” Taggart said. Charles Elsener, Fedele, and Blumenthal also spoke at the ceremony.

The facility, which has some 200 employees, is both the official North American headquarters and the official distribution center of Victorinox Swiss Army timepieces, multi-tools, and men's and women's apparel. It's also a timepiece and multi-tool repair center. Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Victorinox, A.G., of Switzerland, the exclusive United States, Canadian, and Caribbean marketer of Victorinox Swiss Army timepieces, Victorinox multi-tools, forged cutlery, LED lighting products, and R. H. Forscher by Victorinox cutlery.