PBN April 2-15, 2021

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

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CELEBRATING

35 YEARS: 1986-2021

APRIL 2-15, 2021

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS

SPECIAL SECTION

PBN’s 2021 Manufacturing Awards

Robert B. Foster ‘Anyone can forge their own path’ | 16

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 35, NO. 47 | $5

FIGHTING

Many nursing schools see spike in applications

FEARS

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

KAYLA AMADO HAS SEEN THE ­horrors of the coronavirus up close as a front-line worker.

Amado worked in a Providence-based rehabilitation facility when COVID-19 cases were skyrocketing a year ago, claiming the lives of many patients.

It was a challenging time, she said, leading to worries that she’d bring the virus home to her husband and two young children.

“The virus ran rampant in our building,” she said of Hallworth House, where she worked as an occupational therapist.

“There were numerous positive cases. We were like sitting ducks.”

FOCUS: EDUCATION

WATCHFUL EYE: Guido Silvestri is the owner of Civil, a skateboard shop with a downtown Providence location that was heavily damaged during a riot on June 2, 2020, forcing him to close the store for several weeks and make several thousand dollars’ worth of upgrades to his security system, including cameras and a TV. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Deserved or not, safety worries an obstacle to downtown Providence’s recovery

AS

SEE NURSING PAGE 19

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

a downtown Providence business owner, Guido Silvestri is no stranger to petty crime.

There has been occasional shoplifting, vandalism and even a brick thrown through the window of his Westminster Street skateboard store, Civil.

But he never felt unsafe.

Not until June 2, 2020. That’s when a Providence protest over the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody became violent. Awakened by a call from his security company that the storefront windows were broken, Silvestri sat up and anxiously began texting a friend who lived downtown for updates as looters smashed windows downtown, stole merchandise and torched a police cruiser outside ­Providence Place mall.

The damage to his store – windows shattered, the front-desk computer destroyed and $50,000 worth of sneakers and skateboards stolen – was quickly cleaned up, and insurance covered the losses.

SEE SAFETY PAGE 12

ONE LAST THING

Rebecca Twitchell Listen to understand | 30

WINNERS LISTED ON PAGE 23

CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY FIGHTING FEARS Deserved or not, safety worries an obstacle to downtown Providence’s recovery......................1

400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903

FOR STARTERS

Main Phone: 401-273-2201

5Q: Michael Sabitoni............................................................ 4 Dining Out: An adventure in poutine................................... 5

Subscription Services: 855-813-5805

Spotlight: Corky’s Reflective Wear LLC............................... 6 Something New: Lazy Dog Antiquities................................ 6

President & Publisher: Roger C. Bergenheim 680-4848 | Publisher@PBN.com

Hot Topic: Sugary beverage tax stirs up debate................. 7 Business Women: Her focus on eye care helped by upbringing...................... 8

SOMETHING NEW | 6

Nonprofit in Action: Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence........... 9

ADVERTISING

Advertising@PBN.com | Fax: 401-274-0270 Director of Sales and Marketing: Annemarie Brisson 680-4800 | Brisson@PBN.com Marketing and Events Manager: Donna Rofino 680-4832 | Rofino@PBN.com

What’s Happening............................................................... 10

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS ‘Anyone can forge their own path’..................................... 16

Marketing, Events & Social Media Coordinator: Tracy Hoyt, 680-4818 | Hoyt@PBN.com Senior Account Managers: Linda Foster, 680-4812 | Foster@PBN.com Jim Hanrahan 680-4816 | Hanrahan@PBN.com Advertising Coordinator: Joyce Rylander 680-4810 | Production@PBN.com

ANOTHER LOOK Controversy grows over medical-waste proposal..............17

IT’S PERSONAL People in the News............................................................. 24 Mackay’s Moral...................................................................25 Guest Column: Mary T. O’Sullivan.....................................26

BUSINESS WOMEN | 8

Guest Column: Beverly Moran........................................... 27 Editorials and Opinion........................................................28 One Last Thing: Rebecca Twitchell...................................30

EDITORIAL Editor@PBN.com | Fax: 401-274-0670 Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820 | Mello@PBN.com

FOCUS: EDUCATION

Many nursing schools see spike in applications

Managing Editor: William Hamilton 680-4826 | Hamilton@PBN.com

Educators believe the increase in applicants for nursing programs at Rhode Island colleges and universities is due to the raised profile of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic............................1

Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim 680-4886 | Bergenheim@PBN.com

Charter school debate rekindled by legislation

Copy Editor: Matt Bower, 680-4824 | Bower@PBN.com

Proposed legislation that would suspend the expansion of charter schools and the addition of new ones in Rhode Island for three years has reignited a long-standing debate................................ 18

Special Projects Editor/Researcher: James Bessette 680-4838 | Bessette@PBN.com (EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

FOCUS: EDUCATION | 18

Lists Adult Education Programs.................................................20 Online Degrees and Programs...........................................22

Staff Writers: Nancy Lavin, 680-4822 | Lavin@PBN.com (ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCIAL SERVICES)

Mary MacDonald 680-4830 | MacDonald@PBN.com

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES Adelines: A Speakeasy Kitchen Bar Barnaby’s Public House Brown University

5 12 7, 21

Bywater

5

Ciro’s Tavern

5

Civil

1

Community College of Rhode Island

19

Corky’s Reflective Wear LLC

6

Dave’s Fresh Marketplace Inc.

7

Downtown Hospitality Group LLC Duquette Family Eye Care Inc. Durk’s Bar-B-Q Free Play Bar Arcade Friskie Fries

12 8 5 12 5

MedRecycler-RI Inc.

12

Museum of Work and Culture

5

Rhode Island Hospital

17

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport

24

PB Bistro and Bar

5

Plant City

5

Providence Coal Fired Pizza

12

Providence Downtown Improvement District

14

Providence Place

1

Rhode Island Medical Society

7

Rhode Island Public Health Institute

7

R.I. Commerce Corp.

17

R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education

18

R.I. Department of Environmental Management

17

R.I. Executive Office of Commerce

29

Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau

14

R.I. Industrial Facilities Corp.

17

RBF Fitness and Nutrition LLC

16

Salve Regina University

19

Regency Plaza

12

Social Enterprise Greenhouse

16

Rhode Island Beverage Association

7

The Colosseum

12

9

The Providence Foundation

14

Union Station Brewery

12

University of Rhode Island

19

WaterFire Providence

12

1

Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Johnson & Wales University

12

Rhode Island College

5

7

Rhode Island Foundation

29

6

Rhode Island Food Dealers Association

5

Hallworth House

Lazy Dog Antiquities

17

Ming’s Asian Street Food

HousingWorksRI KG Kitchen Bar

(HEALTH CARE, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

19

Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals 18

WHAT’S HAPPENING? SUBMIT YOUR NEWS AT PBN.COM/PBNCONNECT/

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2 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Cassius Shuman 680-4884 | Shuman@PBN.com (GOVERNMENT, HOSPITALITY/TOURISM, WORKFORCE)

PRODUCTION

Production Director: Anne Ewing, 680-4860 | Ewing@PBN.com Art Director: Lisa Lagreca, 680-4868 | Lagreca@PBN.com

CIRCULATION

PBN@cambeywest.com | 1-855-813-5805

ADMINISTRATION

Fax: 401-274-6580 Business Manager: Tammy D’Antuono 680-4840 | Dantuono@PBN.com ©2021 Providence Business News Inc.

Providence Business News is published every two weeks by Providence Business News, 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903 (USPS 002-254) (ISSN 0887-8226) Periodical postage paid at Providence, R.I. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.

HELP US LAUNCH A NEW ERA OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RHODE ISLAND.

SUCCESS STORIES EforAll has already helped start over 500 businesses that collectively generated over $25M in 2019.

Here are just two examples:

Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), an innovative nonprofit that partners with communities to help under-represented individuals create and grow their own businesses, is coming to Rhode Island. But we need your support. We are reaching out today to local area business leaders, community leaders and philanthropists who recognize the power of this unique program. We’d appreciate your help in making our Rhode Island launch a huge success.

HOW DOES EFORALL WORK? EforAll is a free and comprehensive program that supports entrepreneurs in the community through their entire business

SWEET GRACE HEAVENLY CAKES

With the $35 her mother gave her for groceries, Danaris Mazara chose instead to buy the ingredients to make flan which she sold to her friends and coworkers. One thing led to another and

journey, from ideation to launch to the ongoing growth of their

with the help of EforAll Danaris opened

venture. This program, offered in both English and Spanish,

her bakery, Sweet Grace Heavenly

utilizes local experienced professionals as mentors and

Cakes, which now employs 14 people.

specialists to guide and encourage these budding entrepreneurs every step of the way. We also offer a program for existing small businesses looking for ongoing support.

HOW YOU CAN HELP. EforAll is all about turning people’s dreams into businesses. In order to turn EforAll into a reality in Rhode Island, we need the support of like-minded business and government leaders who see the impact this empowering program can have.

To find out how you can help, please contact John Esler, Chairman of the EforAll Rhode Island Founding Committee, at rhode-island@eforall.org.

OFFBEET COMPOST

Kesiah Bascom had an idea. Instead of sending food scraps from restaurants to waste facilities, why not turn them into reusable compost? The result of her idea became OffBeet Compost.

Since joining EforAll, Kesiah has grown her customer base from 40 to 500 customers in less than two years.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 3

FOR STARTERS 5Q: Michael Sabitoni President, Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council | Chairman, Providence Rises Together Coalition

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

1

What is the Providence Rises Together Coalition and why was it formed?

The Providence Rises Together Coalition includes a growing number of community groups, janitors, security guards, hotel workers, construction workers and other professionals advocating for reforms to city tax-stabilization agreements.

2

Why is the city’s existing taxstabilization agreement policy a problem? What are the top changes you would like to see made?

One of the key problems with the current TSA policy is developers are ignoring their reporting requirements.

A 2017 audit uncovered a history of “widespread noncompliance” among the 54 developers who were TSA recipients, as well as reporting errors, wage theft, worker misclassification, missed administrative payments and dismal reporting practices.

The proposed reforms will create stronger reporting requirements; require investments in minority and women-owned businesses; start a careerbuilding apprenticeship program; and guarantee livable wage standards during and after c­ onstruction.

3 PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Developers are pushing back against the proposed policy changes as making their projects too costly and say it will dissuade development. What is your response?

Those opposing these common-sense reforms to protect taxpayers and workers want all the benefits of TSAs with

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4 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

little accountability. Profiting at the expense of working families on projects financed with taxpayer money is simply bad public policy.

4

The city has tried several times to reform its TSA policy in recent years without much success. Why do you think this latest effort will be different?

There is strong support on the [City Council] for reforms, a coalition that is broader than ever and the community at large is committed to reform these agreements for the greater good. Practical reforms like those proposed will continue to allow TSA policies to benefit developers but in a more equitable way benefiting the public good.

5

Do you see a need for tax breaks to incentivize development? What is the right balance between incentivizing economic development and protecting taxpayers’ dollars and workers’ rights?

We absolutely support tax breaks to [incentivize] development. However, we need to ensure those tax breaks benefit workers, the community and businesses equally and transparently. We must prioritize the public interest and the public good anytime we issue tax incentives to spur economic development. n

The community at large is committed to reform these agreements.

FOR STARTERS DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

An adventure in poutine COULD ONE OF THE unexpected benefits of this past year we have all endured be that our palates are ready for adventure? It would seem to be the case with new restaurants and concepts opening their doors and existing restaurants and food companies turning out tastes and styles that would have been unheard of a couple of years ago.

Plant-based fare is more popular than ever. This was true even before the pandemic. PB Bistro and Bar in East Greenwich, the original Plant City in Providence and its sibling in Middletown are more than holding their own. Creative specialty items are coming from all corners, including at the grocery store. A hot item is the new Ming’s Bings from the inventive kitchen of celebrity chef Ming Tsai, who created it out of necessity when his wife, recuperating from cancer, changed her diet and he found the non-meat selections lacking.

A quiet food revolution is taking place at several restaurants throughout the state as a mainstay from Canada establishes an outpost here.

Poutine, the dish popular among French Canadians, is showing up on several restaurant menus in Rhode Island. It has become established enough to have its own tasting competition. The Poutine Indulgence is now in its fifth year and benefits the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket.

DISHING IT OUT: Ciro’s Tavern in Woonsocket has participated in The Poutine Indulgence tasting competition in the past. Noah Peloquin, left, and Gina Savini, Ciro Tavern owner, work at the serving station during the 2018 competition at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket.

COURTESY JUDITH POTTER

Between March 15 and April 11, event ticket-holders are sampling poutine (a traditional Québecois dish of French fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds) from seven restaurants via curbside pickup. They then vote online for their favorite. Restaurants include Adelines: A Speakeasy Kitchen Bar in Cumberland, Bywater in Warren, Ciro’s Tavern in Woonsocket, Durk’s Bar-B-Q in Providence, Friskie Fries in Johnston, KG Kitchen Bar in Providence and Ming’s Asian Street Food in Pawtucket.

Poutine has a disputed history,

but it’s generally accepted that it was invented in rural Quebec in the 1950s.

The story goes that in 1957 a customer at Fernand LaChance’s restaurant in Warwick, Quebec, requested a bag of French fries mixed with cheese curds.

LaChance reportedly commented it would be messy to eat, using the Quebec French slang term for “mess” – poutine. The gravy was not added until 1964, in a Quebec restaurant owned by Jean-Paul Roy. Roy sold a dish of gravy-slathered fries, but when he noticed customers ordering a side of cheese curds with it, he combined

A quiet food revolution is taking place at several restaurants.

all three to make the popular dish we know today.

My radio show is carried on Vermont radio stations and I have had an education in poutine. It is as ubiquitous a dish there as clam cakes are in Rhode Island. Just like our local specialty, poutine is found on restaurant menus in every category from fast food to fine dining. Some Rhode Island versions have taken things to the next level. In the Museum of Work and Culture competition, there are special touches such as hand-cut fries, locally sourced cheese, house-made gravy from short ribs, pork and smoked venison, herbs and secret aioli.

Inspiration for the dishes comes from family recipes – as proprietor Phil Giguere of Adeline’s put it: “There are a lot of French folks around here!” – and from restaurants where some of the chefs cut their culinary chops, such as Kevin Gaudreau of KG Kitchen Bar. Ming’s Asian Street Food is serving up a version of poutine with gravy from the Vietnamese comfort food, pho. Yes, they call it “pho-tine.” The Poutine Indulgence will culminate on April 11 with Salute to Spring~Bonjours Printemps.

The event will begin at 3 p.m. with a livestream on Facebook featuring the announcement of the winning restaurant, as well as entertainment for ticket-holders featuring a livestreamed performance by Québecois band Mélisande from Canada. n Bruce Newbury’s radio show and podcast, “Dining Out with Bruce Newbury,” is broadcast on WADK 1540 AM and several radio stations throughout New England. Email him at Bruce@BruceNewbury.com.

When you’re ready to fly again.

We are ready.

PVDairport.com www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 5

FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

COLLECTOR: Lazy Dog Antiquities owner Karen Amann finds most of her wares in yard sales, online auctions and on Facebook Marketplace.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Antiques priced to move

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

REFURBISHED DESKS, chairs and home accessories are finding new life thanks to Lazy Dog Antiquities, an antique store that opened in June just off Hope Street in Providence.

The store is filled with items found and repurposed by Karen Amann and her partners, Kathy and Patty Patterson.

Amann chose the location, at 247 Rochambeau Ave., after moving to Providence and noticing the big windows, the 1920s feel of the building and the location near Hope Street. The shop has a variety of antiques and painted furniture, including mirrors, dressers, tables and dining sets.

Decor includes vintage china, mid-century items such as lamps, and dishes and vases.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, early on, people snapped up work desks and items for the garden, Amann said. Now, buffets and credenzas are the hot items.

“We weren’t really sure what to expect,” she said of her first few months.

She finds the furniture in yard sales, online auctions and on Facebook Marketplace, making her selections primarily based on the condition of the furniture. The mix of products offered for sale tends to be toward the low end on prices.

“We price things to move,” Amann said. n

LAB MODEL: Steven Triedman, co-owner of Corky’s Reflective Wear LLC, which makes highly visible and water-repellent collars and jackets for dogs, with Georgie, a yellow Lab puppy modeling the K-9 reflective wear, flanked by two stuffed models.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Reflective canine coats Vests for women too

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

WHETHER WALKING TINY TEACUP POODLES or large Labs, dog walkers have a common problem. In New England, for much of the fall and winter, it’s dark by 5 p.m.

A business that specializes in reflective wear for dogs would then seem to be a good idea. Steven Triedman and Alan Jacober thought so when they purchased the former Corky’s Collars in 2015 and expanded it to include fashionable vests for dogs and dog walkers.

“The dog business is a $100 billion-a-year business,” said Triedman. “We were both dog lovers.

And these were products that were really safety products.”

The material is waterproof and windproof. The jacket fits over a dog’s head without a breakaway option, eluding canines who are clever enough to figure out how to shed most other jackets. It secures under the belly with an adjustable Velcro strap. The material, most often sold in blaze orange, has striping that can be reflected by automobile headlights for up to 1,000 feet.

Corky’s Reflective Wear LLC also sells a collar surround, which slips over a traditional dog collar and of-

fers the same reflective striping.

The business, located in Cranston, had sales stall initially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the spring, but by the late summer, people were out with their dogs and looking for more visible and durable reflective jackets and collars.

The No. 1 seller, according to Jacober, is the blaze orange dog jacket. In areas used by hunters and hunting dogs, the color is essential for visibility.

One of the design strengths of the product is the over-the-head design. It doesn’t have a Velcro fastener that dogs can wiggle out of.

“The dogs can’t take them off,” Jacober said. “Dogs are like children.

They really don’t like wearing

OWNERS: Steven Triedman and Alan Jacober

LOCATION: 1102 Pontiac Ave., Cranston

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Design, manufacture of reflective wear

EMPLOYEES: Three

6 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

clothing at first.”

For dogs with a little more girth, the fastener under the belly has an extender.

Sizes are available for tiny dogs up to large dogs, from roughly 6 pounds to 80 pounds. Giant breeds may be able to fit the largest jackets if their head fits. There isn’t enough volume to justify carrying the product for those dogs, the owners explained.

The women’s vest, the company’s first foray into active wear, features a large, zippered treat pocket in the back and two side zippered pockets. It has the same material and reflective ability as the dog jackets.

“That’s a big seller for a lot of people walking their dogs,” Triedman said.

The products are sold online primarily, and through independent sales representatives. The company has five sales representatives under contract. The jackets and collars are also sold at several independent pet supply stores in Rhode Island, including Plaid & Stripe in Providence and Critter Hut Aquarium and Pets in South Kingstown. n YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2015 ANNUAL SALES: WND

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC

Sugary beverage tax stirs up debate

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

NEW TAX LEGISLATION could make buying sugary soft drinks costlier in Rhode Island, and it’s stirring up a debate over the measure’s potential positive effects on health and negative effects on the economy.

Matching bills in the House and Senate call for a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on bottled and canned sugary drinks such as soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened teas and coffees.

Supporters of the legislation, including the Rhode Island Public Health Institute, Rhode Island Medical Society and the American Heart Association, say sugary beverages add to the state’s obesity problem, particularly among children, and part of the tax revenue would be used to give Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients a 50% reduction on the cost of fruits and vegetables.

But local food and beverage industry groups argue that the tax will hurt consumers who are already struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it may push some to cross into Massachusetts to do their food shopping, damaging Rhode Island retailers.

While several U.S. cities have enacted taxes on sugary drinks, no state has passed such a measure. In Rhode

Island, similar legislative efforts have failed in the past.

Rep. David Morales, D-Providence, a co-sponsor for the legislation, hopes it will be different this time.

“The main motivation with this legislation is to create a sustainable revenue stream focused on government-sponsored programs that promote public health,” Morales said. “[The] pandemic exacerbated issues that already existed,” he said. “We saw a lot of food insecurity and it became evident it was disproportionately affecting communities of color, working people and low-income people.”

The legislation calls for the tax to be assessed on beverage distributors, which would then likely be passed to retailers and consumers. Drinks that are made by companies with an annual income of less than $2 million would be exempt.

Sen. Valerie J. Lawson, D-East Providence, the primary sponsor of the Senate bill, said it’s estimated the tax would generate $40 million annually, with about $25 million going to SNAP and $15 million going to the state’s general fund.

Amy Nunn, executive director of Rhode Island Public Health Institute and Brown University professor, said the proposed tax is a “market-based solution for changing behavior.” She said businesses that are taxed would likely pivot and sell alternative products.

The food and beverage industry sees it another way.

‘This is a really bad time to do this.’

SARAH KENNEDY, Rhode Island Beverage Association spokesperson

The Rhode Island Food Dealers Association called the tax “regressive,” saying it believes the tax would add $2.40 to the cost of an eight-pack of sports drinks and $1.02 to the price of a 2-liter bottle of soda.

“This is a really bad time to do this,” said Sarah Kennedy, Rhode Island Beverage Association spokesperson. “Many businesses have had to lay off employees, reduce hours or close their doors because of the [pandemic] restrictions.”

Kennedy said a study found a similar tax in Philadelphia caused 1,200 people to lose their jobs.

“The impact on small businesses and grocery stores was seen immediately as consumers crossed the city line to shop for more-affordable goods,” she said.

Sue Budlong, spokeswoman for Rhode Island-based Dave’s Fresh Marketplace Inc., said the tax could hamper the company in a competitive industry. “We have 10 locations. Our competition has thousands. We’re competing against some big, big, heavy hitters in the state,” she said.

Budlong said education, not a tax, is needed. “Dave’s is all about healthy,” she said. “We want that for the state. There has got to be better ways than just continuing to tax people for these gaps in education.” n

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2/12/2021 7:08:17 AM www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 7

FOR STARTERS | BUSINESS WOMEN

Her focus on eye care helped by upbringing

BY SUSAN SHALHOUB | Contributing Writer

THE

word “family” in Duquette Family Eye Care Inc. of North Smithfield means much more than just a business willing to serve families in the community.

That is part of what the business does, of course. But there is also a super-sized family dynamic behind the company that truly differentiates it, according to owner Lori Duquette – and it comes with built-in workplace benefits.

Duquette was born into a family in Central Falls with 11 children – seven boys and four girls – that includes two sets of twins and a set of triplets, and parents married for more than 65 years.

Duquette has great memories of being part of such a large tribe. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” she said.

“Growing up in such a loud, active household has really taught me how to focus,” said Duquette, who remembers doing homework and blocking out the noise of many siblings around her. She now sees the benefits of being raised in such a large family and leverages those benefits as she leads her company. “I am able to multitask very well as a result, including listening to multiple conversations at the same time,” she said.

The fact that all family members still live nearby puts resources at the ready when hiring needs to be done and qualifications are in line. For instance, Duquette’s twin sister Linda is the eye care center’s director of operations.

Linda’s daughter handles appointment confirmation calls. Their sister-in-law Kathy Duquette is the resident optician, and niece Meghan Duquette is assistant manager.

In turn, patients who come to Duquette Family Eye Care are treated to a family-oriented, family-centered practice, Lori Duquette said. Its patient roster often includes members within the same extended families, who have unexpectedly met up with another at the office when both have appointments at the same time, she said.

Duquette said her staff is committed to professional development and equipping the practice with the very latest technological advances. Patients have access to highly specialized diagnostic tests such as optic nerve scans, for example.

“We call it old-fashioned care in a state-of-the-art facility,” she said.

STAYING SHARP: Lori Duquette, owner of Duquette Family Eye Care Inc., says her upbringing in a large family taught her skills that have helped her run her own ­business.

PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

‘Growing up in such a loud, active household has really taught me how to focus.’

LORI DUQUETTE, Duquette Family Eye Care Inc. owner 8 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

“That’s our culture.”

Having practiced now for two decades, her educational road to optometry was not a completely straight path.

Duquette started out studying zoology – “a fun major,” she said – at the University of Rhode Island.

She knew she wanted to be either an optometrist or a veterinarian. After earning her bachelor’s degree in zoology – completing pre-med educational requirements such as organic chemistry and anatomy – Duquette decided to change course and go the optometry route, eventually completing her doctorate at Boston’s New England College of Optometry with clinical honors.

She started her own practice in 2010, purchasing an office from an optometrist in Woonsocket before moving to her location on Pound Hill Road in North Smithfield in 2013.

It isn’t the more-routine work, such as exams and fittings for contact lenses, pediatric eye care, emergency eye services or management of patient conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma that make ophthalmology a rewarding career for Duquette. She said she finds great satisfaction in being there for her patients in times it matters most, using her knowledge to make a difference – and saving a life in one case.

She recalled that one Sunday a patient called while Duquette was out for a jog. He was losing vision in one eye, so Duquette immediately met him and his wife at the eye center.

Recognizing the situation as a condition of carotid artery disease, she called ahead to the nearest emergency room. Duquette knew that cholesterol-containing deposits, or plaques, can travel and block blood flow, causing blindness and possibly a stroke. “He had to have a carotid artery procedure,” she said. “After he’d recovered, they came back in to thank me.”

Educating patients on how changes in the eyes can indicate changes in the body is another part of her role, she said.

Since 2000, Duquette has been the Special Olympics Lions’ Club International Opening Eyes Program’s clinical director. The volunteer program offers free eye health exams, vision screenings and eyewear to the athletes who compete at the Rhode Island Special Olympics each summer at URI. “I started with that organization when I first graduated, as I wanted to volunteer in some fashion,” she said.

She said that the work was rewarding, as she was able to see progress in an underserved population realizing the importance of regular vision care.

“As we grew the program, we would see the same athletes, year after year, and we were then able to see that they had been going to an eye doctor year after year,” she said. “So many had said they hadn’t been going at first, but then – over time – they were.”

Giving back to the community is another way Duquette is serving ­others.

“I love what I do,” she said. n

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ALWAYS AVAILABLE: Tonya Harris, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said the group’s shelters remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide people a safe haven if they were fleeing a violent situation, while the organization’s 24-hour hotline remained on call.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Coalition keeps protecting people during the pandemic

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

SADLY, EVEN IN A PANDEMIC, home is not always the safest place to be.

The ongoing COVID-19 health crisis has posed an array of significant challenges for many people. That includes domestic-abuse victims sheltering in place with an abuser who may now have around-the-clock access to said victims, and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence realizes this.

“It may also mean that as children are being homeschooled, they may witness domestic violence more. We know that witnessing domestic abuse has long-lasting effects on children to include anxiety, stress, [post-traumatic stress disorder] and poor academic grades,” said Tonya Harris, the coalition’s executive director.

While many aspects of life stopped due to the pandemic, the coalition’s work did not. Harris said the group’s shelters remained open to provide people a safe haven if they were fleeing a violent situation, and the organization’s 24-hour hotline remained on call.

Harris said the coalition, in some instances, saw more than a 90% increase in the amount of calls to both the helpline and hotline since

March 2020. The coalition served a little less than 6,000 clients through various agencies and provided just under 15,000 emergency shelter beds ­between March and September last year.

The coalition’s advocates also worked to keep the courts open to help provide people with services and needs, such as restraining orders when fleeing a violent relationship, Harris said. Counseling for the abused and for children remained in place but was done remotely, and people could also text 911 to have a first responder assist in a situation.

The various services that the coalition provides are crucial, Harris said, because each situation is different and one path to safety for one person may not work for another. It may take up to seven times before a person leaves an abuser, Harris said, and support must be at the ready at all times.

“Domestic violence is a community issue. Because of this, it needs a community response,” Harris said. “It needs our community to come together, and together we’re stronger and we can end domestic violence.” n

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FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING Google Analytics

Planning for taxes SCORE RHODE ISLAND will hold a workshop titled “Taxes for the Small Business” as part of its upcoming Show Me the Money series. The workshop will help attendees plan for and minimize their tax obligations, which can make a difference between showing a profit and breaking even.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 9:30 A.M. TO NOON. Free

IN ATTENDANCE Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., will be at the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce’s Virtual Eggs & Issues event on April 6.

Online.

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl. com/ProvLibSeriesSpring2021

COURTESY OFFICE OF U.S. SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE

INFO AND REGISTRATION: http://www.risbdc.org/workshop. aspx?ekey=70410020

Financial literacy EDITOR’S CHOICE

Whitehouse to discuss American Rescue Plan SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, D-R.I., will discuss the American Rescue Plan and how it will affect small businesses in Rhode Island. The virtual discussion will be hosted by the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce as part of the Chamber’s Virtual Eggs & Issues monthly series.

TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 3-4 P.M. $25/members; $35/nonmembers Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: members.nrichamber.com/event-calendar/ Details/virtual-eggs-issues-in-the-afternoon-featuring-senator-sheldonwhitehouse-the-american-rescue-plan-319016?sourceTypeId=Hub

THE RHODE ISLAND Small Business Development Center will hold a workshop on Google Analytics. Attendees will learn how to operate the program to better understand the behavior of your visitors to the website and deliver better results. RISBDC Marketing Counselor Amanda Basse will lead the workshop.

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 11 A.M. TO NOON. Free

ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce will hold a seminar titled “What’s in your Cigar box?” as part of the Chamber’s ongoing Small Business Financial Literacy Series.

The seminar will provide attendees a guide to cash flow, understanding it, getting more and keeping more money. Karl Almond, partner for B2B CFO, will be the seminar’s keynote speaker.

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 10-11 A.M. Free

Hospitality training

Online.

EAST BAY COMMUNITY Action Program, the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce will hold a virtual training-to-employment program for local youths ages 18-24. Topics will include first impressions, lasting impressions and hospitality the third language.

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2:30-5:30 P.M. Free

INFO AND REGISTRATION: members. onesouthcoast.com/events/details/ small-business-seminar-series-498215

INFO AND REGISTRATION: (401) 6922695

Online.

Deadline approaching APRIL 7

Honorees will be selected as industry leaders & women-to-watch in these six categories: CREATIVE SERVICES Advertising Design Marketing The Arts PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Hospitality Insurance Legal Real Estate

FINANCIAL SERVICES Accounting Banking Financial Advisors SOCIAL SERVICES Education Government Nonprofits

HEALTH CARE SERVICES Administrators Nurses Physicians TECHNICAL SERVICES Architecture Construction Engineering IT | Manufacturing

Additionally, one woman will be chosen for career achievement & another for being an outstanding mentor to other business women.

Virtual Awards Event MAY 27, 2021 | noon

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WHAT’S HAPPENING | FOR STARTERS Building new relationships

Learning about SBA programs

THE GREATER PROVIDENCE Chamber of Commerce will hold a Zoom Chamber Café in which business professionals and entrepreneurs can connect and build professional relationships in a unique setting.

TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 8:30-9:30 A.M. Free

THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold a workshop on how entrepreneurs can understand programs and services offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration that can help a business grow. Topics to be discussed are the SBA Resource Partner Network, access to capital, loans for emergency preparedness and disaster assistance, and assistance on international trade and exporting.

TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 12:30-1:30 P.M. Free

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: providencechamber.com/events/ details/chamber-café-chatconnect-collaborate-04-13-2021957?calendarMonth=2021-04-01

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: cwewbc. ecenterdirect.com/events/976716

Reignite and reengage

Connecting nonprofits

THE RHODE ISLAND Manufacturers Association will host its first virtual spring Reignite and Reengage Conference. The event’s purpose is to reengage the business and manufacturing community to get out of the pandemic mindset and engage with other companies via a virtual network. R.I. Commerce Corp. Secretary Stefan Pryor will be the event’s keynote speaker.

TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 9 A.M. $50

THE TAUNTON AREA Chamber of Commerce will host a webinar with a new bimonthly group called the Taunton Nonprofit Network. The web­inar will offer a platform for direct dialogue between nonprofit or-

Interested in having your businessrelated event included in What’s Happening? Contact PBN Researcher James Bessette at (401) 680-4838 or Research@PBN.com.

Online.

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: web. tauntonareachamber.org/events/ TauntonNonprofit Network-3322/details

Internet marketing THE RHODE ISLAND Business Acceleration Group will hold a workshop on how to improve internet marketing. The workshop will talk about creating and distributing consistent and share-worthy content to attract a clearly defined audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 12:30-1:30 P.M. Free Brewed Awakenings, 1316 Bald Hill Road, Warwick.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: meetup. com/en-AU/RI-Business-AccelerationGroup/events/vzcthpyccgbsb

Designing your website THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold a discussion on how businesses can build a website with Squarespace 7.1. Attendees will learn

how to design and build a professional website.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 12:30-2 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: cwewbc. ecenterdirect.com/events/976718

Facebook for business THE TRI-TOWN CHAMBER of Commerce will hold a workshop titled “Facebook for Business in 2021.”

The workshop will teach attendees about changes businesses need to be aware of in 2021, how often to post on Facebook and what’s trending, how to leverage Facebook groups and discuss Facebook Live.

FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 8-9:30 A.M. Free/members; $10/nonmembers Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tritownchamber.org/events/details/ facebook-for-business-in-20216833?calendarMonth=2021-04-01

UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The 2021 Spring Health Care Summit will be held virtually from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, April 8. For more information, visit PBN.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYEE HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAM & SEE HOW YOU MEASURE UP. • Measuring success • What’s offered • Why it matters • Employee incentives • Employee participation • Tangible results

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INFO AND REGISTRATION: rimanufacturers.com/event/springreignite-reengage

ganizations serving youths, families and individuals within the Greater Taunton community.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 10-11 A.M. Free

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 11

DOWNTOWN RECOVERY SAFETY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

But Silvestri remains haunted by the memory of that night.

The mob that stormed downtown was a turning point in perceptions of safety in Providence among many residents, business owners and visitors. For some, it confirmed their fears. For others, such as Silvestri, it heightened their awareness of even the slightest threat.

By the numbers, the downtown appears to be safer than it has been in the past.

Crime across the city, including in Police District 1, which covers most of downtown, dropped dramatically from 2019 to 2020 (when far fewer people than normal were on city streets) in nearly every category, including violent crime and property-related crime. Also, arrests and calls for service downtown dropped to one-third of the prior year, according to records released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by Providence Business News.

But often perception trumps data.

“In public safety, perception is reality,” said Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “If people don’t feel safe, then they’re not safe.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to businesses, many downtown owners fear that a worsening public perception of safety has added greatly to the pain and might make it more difficult to recover when the coronavirus crisis passes.

Just how much public perception about the downtown has changed is difficult to quantify.

Most of the evidence is anecdotal, gleaned from customer and social media responses. A PBN.com poll last October found a clear majority of 182 respondents had some concerns about safety in the city. The poll found that 55% of respondents didn’t believe the city was safe enough to visit to shop or eat, and that more police were needed, especially downtown.

In response to such concerns, several organizations have teamed up to develop a marketing campaign touting downtown as a safe destination.

But at the same time, there is friction among business owners about the way forward, specifically about how to react to future threats.

Some property owners have rushed to board up windows when rumors of protests and looming violence have spread. Others argue that the sight of plywood-covered storefronts can leave an indelible

PREPPING FOR THE WORST: Workers install plywood over the windows of the Rhode Island Housing offices on Washington Street in Providence on June 4, 2020, just days after protests over George Floyd’s death devolved into looting.

At the time, property owners and businesses feared more damage.

PBN PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

SAFETY FIRST: Mark Dunbar, general manager of the Providence Place mall in Providence, says safety is the mall’s No. 1 priority and touts a 24/7 camera system and a cellphone app that lets mallgoers communicate with security.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

impression of danger and keep customers away.

“One boarded-up window is all it takes,” said Bradly VanDerStad, president of the Downtown Hospitality Group LLC. “Someone takes a photo, puts it on social media and then all of a sudden, everyone thinks all of Providence is not safe.”

‘SAFETY IN NUMBERS’ The June 2 rioting may have been a turning point in perceptions about downtown safety for some, but concerns over crime began long before that.

When David Bertolini first opened Providence Coal Fired Pizza on Westminster Street eight years ago, the area looked different. It was dimly lit, flanked by parking lots and office buildings that emptied at night, creating an eerie sensation of quiet that may have raised fear in customers.

But by 2019, the lights were bright, the stores were filled, and throngs of diners, theater-goers and shoppers weaved their way along the sidewalks even after the 9-to-5 workday. WaterFire Providence had reached a pinnacle, drawing tens of thousands of people to events and often to businesses throughout downtown.

“It really seemed like 2019 was a peak year for Providence,” said Bertolini, who also co-owns nearby Union Station Brewery and Barnaby’s Public House downtown. “Then COVID happened.”

And with the pandemic, which shuttered offices, banks, entertainment venues and – for much of the year – indoor dining, the downtown became a ghost town.

Fewer people meant less opportunities for criminal activity, which is why crime has declined, according to Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements.

But that quiet may also feed a sense of unease.

Neil D. Steinberg, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Foundation, said he felt like he had to be more aware when walking from the foundation’s Union Station building to the parking lot at night.

“It’s not like I feel there’s danger lurking,” Steinberg said. “But there’s safety in numbers.

When [people are] few and far between, you get the impression you need to be on your toes.”

E. Anthony Santurri, owner of The Colosseum nightclub and Free Play Bar Arcade, noticed immediately how the block around his adult arcade bar emptied of foot traffic after COVID-19 hit. The Pine Street businesses were already separated from other shops and restaurants downtown, but without students from nearby Johnson & Wales University, the isolation was more acute.

Santurri, who lived downtown until this year, boarded up Free Play in late May. The bar was closed at the time anyway, and after seeing protests turning violent in other cities in the wake of George Floyd’s death, he did not want to take chances.

When looting engulfed downtown on June 2, Santurri watched from his apartment window in Regency Plaza. At 5 a.m., he walked the glassstrewn streets, surveying the aftermath. Free Play was safe, having already been boarded up.

By nightfall on June 4, many followed suit.

Downtown appeared encased in a protective layer of plywood that stayed up for days in anticipation of more protests.

Most never turned violent. Of the more than 50 demonstrations in 2020, Clements recalled only a few that could be characterized as “contentious.”

SPREADING RUMORS If violence on June 2 ignited a flicker of anxiety among property owners, downtown businesses and their customers, social media stoked the flames.

“Technology, and social media, has helped law enforcement immensely in carrying out our mission, but it also has increased the ability for criminal groups or those looking to cause fear to round up people in a short amount of time,” Clements said.

Perhaps no better example came than in September when a flier warning of a violent “Providence Purge” circulated on social media. While law enforcement and city leaders characterized it as an annual Halloween prank, others didn’t take CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

‘In public safety, perception is reality.

If people don’t feel safe, then they’re not safe.’

12 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

JORGE O. ELORZA, Providence mayor

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 13

DOWNTOWN RECOVERY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

it lightly.

Joseph R. Paolino Jr., a former mayor and now prominent downtown property owner and chairman of the Providence Downtown Improvement District, issued a press release calling on government leaders and police to safeguard against an attack.

Silvestri, too, was bracing for disaster.

For two nights, he painstakingly removed rows of sneakers, hats and skateboards from Civil’s window display, setting them back up the following morning.

Nothing happened.

Silvestri was relieved. Had there been another attack, he might have abandoned his location downtown for good, he said.

Paolino defended his stance, saying he had no regrets for sounding what turned out to be a false alarm.

“If only police and the National Guard and other people had taken social media seriously on Jan. 6, maybe we wouldn’t have had the Capitol attacked,” he said, referring to a protest against the presidential election results that led to the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Others looked at the reaction to the rumored “purge” differently. VanDerStad said that while he wanted to be sensitive to business owners’ fears, there was also the long-term damage to downtown’s reputation to consider.

Indeed, while there was no physical damage that Halloween weekend, the fear hurt Santurri’s business. After reopening a few months earlier, Free Play was preparing for what is typically a lucrative weekend. But that Halloween, numbers were down – half of what they were even the prior weekend – which he blamed on the “purge” hype.

“I was irritated at that nonsense,” he said. “It seemed like we had turned a corner, were finally coming out of [the pandemic] and then to have that happen.”

Bertolini, too, saw a noticeable drop in business after the June 2 riots.

Before that night, the patio seating at Union Station Brewery had started to fill with outdoor diners. After the images of mobs breaking into Providence Place mall, torching a police car and storming downtown hit TV stations and social media platforms, those crowds vanished.

News coverage about crime in Providence in general often feeds negative safety perceptions, downtown business owners say.

Providence Place, in particular, often gets tied to stories about crime that have nothing to do with the mall itself, said General Manager Mark Dunbar.

Because the mall is a landmark even those unfamiliar with downtown can recognize, it’s often used in news coverage and social media as a point of reference.

Dunbar said when protesters tried to shut down an Interstate 95 on-ramp in September, news stories referred to the event as “next to” the mall, even though the mall was not involved, he said.

While the mall is not without incident – a teenager was fatally stabbed in the third-floor food court in September – Dunbar emphasized that safety is the mall’s No. 1 priority.

As he strode past shoppers flocking to stores on a recent weekday afternoon, Dunbar touted a 24/7 camera system, which includes coverage of every spot in the parking garage; and a cellphone app that lets mall-goers communicate instantly with security to express concerns or even just ask for someone to walk them to their car.

Arrests and calls for police service also dropped at the mall in 2020 compared with 2019 because there were fewer visitors. According to police records, arrests were down 26% and calls for service declined by 41%.

While 2020 crime statistics were an “aberration,” the longer-term trend still suggests crime is decreasing in the city, Clements said. Aside from 18 homicides in 2020, the highest number since 2014, nearly every other category of crime has been on the decline over the last five years, according to crime data.

WHAT TO DO? Some downtown business owners say the police presence downtown seems smaller, less visible, and that more officers would make people feel confident to visit as the weather warms.

Clements acknowledges that manpower has been a problem.

The department has pushed for more foot and bicycle patrols downtown, but to do that, more officers are needed. Plans to start a new police academy to train 50 recruits, with $1.4 million set aside in Elorza’s original fiscal 2021 budget, are at risk because of budget shortfalls.

Calls to “defund the police” don’t get more officers on the streets, though Clements said that

DOWNWARD TREND: Despite a significant decrease in 2020 crime statistics due to less people being on the streets because of COVID-19 quarantines and lockdowns, Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements says the longer-term trend still suggests crime is decreasing in the city.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

14 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

ABERRATION OR TREND?

Providence crime statistics show that calls for police and arrests in the downtown area declined during the pandemic in 2020. Authorities say that’s due, in part, to fewer people visiting the area.

SOURCE: PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT

1,000 800 600 400 200 0

2016 2017 2018 2019 nnnnn Arrests all of downtown

2020

(Providence Police District 1)

nnnnn Arrests Providence Place mall nnnnn Calls for service Providence Place mall 10,000

C

8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0

2016

2017

2018

2019

Calls for service all of downtown (Providence Police District 1)

2020

sentiment doesn’t seem widespread in Providence.

“Community groups, business communities, neighborhood associations, they all want to see and call for greater presence of uniformed police,” he said.

For those who find a bigger police presence intimidating or even unwelcome, there are also the yellow-jacketed “ambassadors” of the Providence Downtown Improvement District. The sight of the street-sweeping and graffiti-cleaning staff can also help people feel more comfortable, said John F. Palmieri, the district’s interim executive director.

“We can be a resource – for directions, for masks, for anything really,” he said.

Palmieri, who was slated to step down on April 1, hoped to double the staff of 15 workers through government grants. He was also eying grants to install surveillance cameras at key street corners.

Palmieri insisted the group, financed by fees paid by businesses, was by no means an alternative to law enforcement, nor a sole solution to safety perceptions.

Aside from the larger police force, Elorza stressed the importance of the city and community to push back on false or inflammatory information spread on social media with “truth and transparency.”

To that end, The Providence Foundation has joined with Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau to market downtown through digital advertising and social media to encourage people to patronize businesses and participate in organized public activities, said Cliff Wood, the foundation’s executive director.

Wood said a unified effort among business owners and community groups aimed at luring crowds back to downtown is the best way to combat safety fears.

“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Wood said. “The busier a place, the more people feel comfortable.” n

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 15

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS ‘Anyone can forge their own path’

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: This is the eighth installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each will be asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success.)

ROBERT B. FOSTER SAYS feeling inferior was never an option for him because his family never allowed it to become one.

The youngest of seven children, Foster and his family briefly lived in public housing in Queens, N.Y., but seeing the bleak surroundings, his parents decided to move to Rhode Island in 1977 when Foster was an infant. It took more than just a change in scenery to obtain that better life, he said.

Foster, a personal trainer and now the owner of RBF Fitness and Nutrition LLC in Warwick, said his parents instilled values that he believes made obstacles few and far between. “They taught us about being responsible and respecting authority,” Foster said. “My parents drilled it into us that you can have whatever you want in life. So, I never grew up with that mentality [of being inferior]. The way I was raised, it was, ‘Be good enough to where they overlook your skin color.’ ” While Foster, who is Black, said that hate takes many forms in society and everyone has obstacles in some form or another, he learned through his upbringing how to block out the negativity that may arise in some situations. If he applied for a job and was treated differently, that was the company’s problem and not Foster’s, he said. He believed he could find a better opportunity elsewhere.

He instills those values – doing whatever it takes to reach your goals, no matter what obstacles you deal with along the way – when working with clients at his gym, as well as with women-empowerment groups.

Foster also spreads that message through his podcast, titled “Shut Up and Grind: How To Get To The Next Level Through Tough Times,” which is posted four times per week. In his first few podcasts, Foster offered advice on how businesses could adjust and reinvent themselves to remain sustainable, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“Everyone on this planet wants to be happy,” Foster said. “The message of hope, determination and perseverance is a global message.”

Foster regularly speaks to students at innercity schools, as well, to get the middle school and high school students in the mindset that they can achieve anything no matter what hands life can deal them. One of his speeches to students is called “Break the Cycle,” because, Foster said, at some point, somebody has to make the decision where they say, “We don’t want this for our family anymore.”

Foster also believes that racism is more generational than systemic. While he says there are systemic flaws in society, Foster, who previously coached youth basketball in Providence for six years, could immediately tell how a child’s household is by just talking with them.

“Just the amount of things I would hear the kids saying, you can tell that comes from upbringing,” he said. “That’s what’s ultimately going to decide their fate. If they have no respect for authority at 10 years old, and there’s no dad in the house, that kid is going to be in and out of jail.”

NO EXCUSES: Robert B. Foster, owner of RBF Fitness and Nutrition LLC, says there are obstacles for minorities who aspire to be business owners, but nothing that can’t be overcome.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Robert B. Foster RBF Fitness and Nutrition LLC owner

1

Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do?

Absolutely not. I feel anyone can forge their own path. Are there going to be obstacles along the way? Absolutely. But, I’ve been Black for 46 years and nothing has ever stopped me from achieving what I want to achieve.

with their vote. Part of his response was, “Even though you have to play eight steps behind.” If we stop indoctrinating our [youths], they will grow up with more confidence as they enter the workforce. The Social Enterprise Greenhouse, where I’m a volunteer business coach, has many free programs to help aspiring/struggling ­entrepreneurs.

2

4

How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model?

Mine is not supported at all [by other minority groups]. I’d say about 98% of my clientele is white. In the gym aspect, my clientele is mostly moms, helping them trying to lose baby weight and helping them try to reclaim themselves.

3

What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success?

Honestly, to stop telling people that they don’t have the same opportunities [as others]. For example, before the election, President [Joe] Biden held a town hall and a young Black male asked him why the Black community should trust him

‘The message of hope, determination and perseverance is a global message.’

16 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions treat minorities fairly?

With my gym, I had two private investors, so I never actually had to go through a bank. I did get some smaller loans, but I didn’t have any trouble getting them. To me, the privilege is economic.

If you come from an economically sound family, you’re going to be treated better by the bank. If you have a history of low credit and bouncing checks, then you’re going to have a hard time getting a loan. But if you don’t have those issues, you wouldn’t have a problem getting a loan.

5

If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn for support for their business, where would you direct them?

I just started volunteering with Social Enterprise Greenhouse in Providence. We actually helped entrepreneurs who are just getting started or looking to scale. Then, you have the local chamber of commerce, which has a ton of free opportunities out there to get business ­guidance. n

PBN.COM | ANOTHER LOOK Controversy grows over medical-waste proposal

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on March 25.)

WEST WARWICK – Jobs, tax dollars and other economic benefits are pitted against potential health, safety and environmental risks tied to a proposed medical-waste treatment plant here in a growing debate that state and local officials must now settle.

For opponents, including dozens who lined up during a March 15 virtual public hearing on MedRecyclerRI Inc.’s proposed 48,000-square-foot medical-waste treatment facility on Division Road, it’s an easy decision.

“We should not let profit motives of an out-of-state developer endanger our communities,” said Sen. Bridget Valverde, D-East Greenwich. “These projects are bad news and don’t belong in our state.”

But the company, owned by New Jersey-based Sun Pacific Holding Corp., has received some initial support from the state and the host community. And its owner insists the fears of local opponents about a largely unproven technology are unwarranted.

Nicholas Campanella, CEO and president of Sun Pacific, insisted in an email that the company is

“determined to be a good and safe neighbor in Rhode Island.” He added the state’s “business-friendly” reputation is a key reason his company chose to locate its project here.

Campanella said the project will bring 100 construction and maintenance positions, plus 30 permanent jobs once the facility is up and running. The company also projects $4.75 million in tax revenue for West Warwick over the course of its 20year lease, mostly through tangible property taxes paid on the equipment.

The company also supplied detailed financial statements and economic-impact projections to the state as part of its 2019 application to the R.I. Industrial Facilities Corp., an arm of R.I. Commerce Corp. that acts as the local development authority for the state, according to Bill Ash, R.I. Commerce’s managing director and treasurer for the industrial facilities corporation.

Ash declined to give details or share copies of the financial statements because he said they are confidential.

But he disputed the suggestion of some project opponents that the project is a similar risk for the state as was the failed 38 Studios LLC

DEBATABLE: Whether the economic benefits of MedRecycler’s proposed medical-waste treatment plant outweigh environmental, health and safety concerns remains in question. Pictured is equipment being stored in the facility on Division Road in West Warwick.

deal. Unlike the $75 million in moral obligation bonds that left the state on the hook when Curt Schilling’s video game company went bankrupt in 2012, the state faces no repercussions for bonds issued for MedRecycler if the business fails. Instead, the bondholders – private investment banks or equity funds – most likely would bear the risk if the project does not pan out, Ash said.

The R.I. Industrial Facilities Corp.’s preliminary approval for $17 million in bond funding has expired, but Campanella said in an email that he plans to reapply, which will start the review process anew, according to Ash. Asked if he considered the project beneficial for the state, Ash said, “Provided the technology is vetted properly and works and is safe, why not?”

The West Warwick Planning Board approved the project’s general concept plan in 2019, though it will weigh in again on a more detailed plan based on the project’s compliance with zoning, usage and town master plans after the R.I. Department of Environmental Management completes its review, said Town Planner Mark Carruolo.

A PBN.com poll on the project posted after the hearing, on March 19, generated nearly 2,000 responses.

The biggest unanswered question is how much review the state has done of the process that would be used to burn up to 70 tons of blood, needles, and other medical human and animal waste that would be shipped in daily. The waste would be shredded, dried and treated at high heat using a process known as pyrolysis, which breaks down the waste into gas that can be burned for electricity.

The DEM has granted the project a “minor source” air permit but has declined comment while it completes its overall review.

Campanella insists the anaerobic treatment of medical waste through pyrolysis is environmentally friendly and does not create the harmful byproducts of typical incineration.

But others remain skeptical. Pyrolysis is common in treating plastic but has only been used to treat medical waste in one other project in the U.S. – a plant in New Mexico that has operated at a smaller scale. It’s unclear if this plant is still operating. The company that has operated it did not immediately respond to several requests for comment.

Kevin Budris, a staff attorney with environmental advocacy group Conservation Law Foundation, sees

no reason for the state to pursue what he sees as an unproven technology.

“Growing the medical profession [in Rhode Island] does not need to result in an increase in medical waste,” Budris said, naming reuse, sterilization and recycling as alternative, safer ways to dispose of medical waste he says the industry is already moving toward.

‘We should not let profit motives of an out-ofstate developer endanger our communities.’

BRIDGET VALVERDE, East Greenwich state senator The state has two other medicalwaste facilities, in Woonsocket and at Rhode Island Hospital’s Providence campus. Both were approved more than two decades ago and don’t use pyrolysis.

Budris also pointed to studies by groups such as Tellus Institute and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance suggesting that composting and recycling create five and 20 times, respectively, as many jobs per ton of waste compared with burning it.

Valverde in March introduced legislation that would stop the state from granting licenses or permits to any high-heat waste processing facilities, including those that use pyrolysis. There’s a companion House bill.

While motivated in large part by MedRecycler’s application, Valverde was unsure the legislation, if approved, could stop this particular project; it depends on when the bill passes related to DEM’s pending decision on the license application, which is expected by mid-July.

“If [Valverde’s] bill was to become law, it would not deprive Rhode Island of any meaningful economic opportunities because zero-waste, truly green alternatives … are far safer and generate more jobs at a lower cost than high-heat facilities,” Budris said. n

COURTESY NEW HARBOR GROUP

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 17

FOCUS | EDUCATION

Charter school debate rekindled by legislation

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

ANGELO

Garcia’s plans to expand Segue Institute for Learning began the day after the school first opened 12 years ago.

Garcia, Segue’s founder and head of school, was excited to see his vision to help city middle school students come to fruition in 2009. But almost immediately, he was thinking of how to expand to younger ages.

In 2015, Segue got approval to add grades three, four and five, but enrollment remained capped at 240 students.

That changed last December when the R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education granted preliminary approval for Segue to become a K-8 school of 360 students in a three-year expansion starting in the fall of 2021. Segue began publicizing the expansion to its long waitlist of families, hiring staff and spending $70,000 on playground upgrades.

But then, those plans were thrown into uncertainty because of legislation introduced this year that would suspend the expansion of charter schools – and the addition of new ones – for three years. That included six schools that had already been given the green light to open or expand.

Segue was among them.

The measure, which passed in the Senate, has touched off a fresh debate over charter schools that has long simmered.

Advocates for the moratorium frame the issue as a zero-sum game in which charter schools take away money from traditional public schools, while opponents point to the racial and socioeconomic-based learning gaps charter schools can help bridge.

Exacerbating the controversy is COVID-19, which has strained state and municipal coffers while laying bare the shortcomings of the education system, particularly for minority, multilingual and low-income students.

About 380 people signed up to testify on the bill before the House Finance Committee on March 23 and a second day of testimony was scheduled for the following week.

State Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, DProvidence, who sponsored the Senate bill, said the moratorium gives the state time to reevaluate its funding formula, including the per-pupil allocation that gets reduced from public school districts when students attend charter schools. The 5,835 seats potentially created by the six new or expanded charter schools would siphon $66.9 million in state aid from public districts, including $6.5 million in the upcoming fiscal 2022 year, according

‘Our children need every penny we can give them.’

MARYELLEN GOODWIN, Providence state senator 18 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

HELPING STUDENTS: Angelo Garcia, founder and head of school at Segue Institute for Learning in Central Falls, with eighth graders, from left: Marvin Gonzalez, Christian Beaton and Kimberly Ortega.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

to the bill. Municipalities, which are also required to contribute to charter schools in their district, would allocate a combined $24.5 million over 10 years, including $2.4 million in fiscal 2022.

“Our children need every penny we can give them,” Goodwin said.

“We know money is tied to achievement of students, and outcome.”

At the top of Goodwin’s mind is the troubled Providence schools.

That a majority of the new or expanded charter schools target Providence students puts the school district even more at risk, according to Francis Flynn, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals.

Flynn described charter schools as “an experiment” that ultimately helps a select few at the expense of the rest.

Garcia sees it differently. Rather than look at state and municipal funding for education as belonging to a certain district, he said money should travel with the student.

He agreed that public school systems needed an overhaul. But to make the 120 families who already submitted applications for new spots at Segue wait was an injustice and a human-rights issue, he said.

In a letter to the Senate, R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica InfanteGreen warned that the bill will “further marginalize the voices of people of color in Rhode Island.”

Infante-Green touted the record of existing charter schools such as Achievement First, where multilingual learners outperform students in that category in all other districts.

Janie Segui Rodriguez, who works for Achievement First and recently started an advocacy group called Stop the Wait seeking to block the bill, has seen how a charter school benefited her daughter, Nyrsalee.

Nyrsalee struggled with academic performance while at her local public elementary school, but she never secured the individualized education plan she needed despite repeated ­testing.

Rodriguez worried that her daughter, unable to write a complete sentence as a then-fifth grader, would struggle to land a job later in life, or even be unable to write an email.

After she transferred to Achievement First Providence Mayoral Academy, Nyrsalee was again tested and at last shown to have a severe arithmetic disability that guaranteed her IEP. In the two years since, the seventh grader has made significant strides, particularly in writing.

“If she had to wait three years, she still wouldn’t have that IEP,” Rodriguez said.

Gov. Daniel J. McKee has made it clear he does not support the bill, voicing his opposition in testimony before the House Finance Committee and at a rally organized by charter school advocates on March 30.

Goodwin was not ready to back down. She was not interested in a “compromise” bill that let alreadyapproved schools continue with their plans. She pointed to the 30-6 Senate vote to indicate that she has support for a veto override. n

EDUCATION | FOCUS NURSING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Financial pressures exacerbated by COVID-19 eventually led to the closure of the facility in 2020.

“It was all very sad,” she said.

Since the age of 16, the Johnston resident had built a career working in health care, first as a certified nursing assistant, and then as an occupational therapist for 11 years Out of a job and unable to find work as a therapist, Amado decided to change course, returning to school to earn a nursing degree, something she had always wanted to do. She applied to the nursing program at the Community College of Rhode Island and recently learned that she’s been accepted to start this fall.

The pandemic played a role in her decision, she said, acknowledging that she likes serving on the front lines “taking care of multiple people.”

Amado is not alone.

CCRI, Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island have seen a jump in the number of people applying to their nursing programs following an immediate decline after the pandemic first arrived last year.

Educators are crediting the raised profile of nurses during the crisis for the uptick in interest.

“More individuals are seeking nursing degrees because there has been significant positive attention from the media, and appreciation from the public,” said Carolynn Masters, dean of RIC’s School of Nursing. “[They’re] realizing that one of the most rewarding aspects of being a nurse is the ability to make a difference. We are the front-line heroes.”

CCRI says its nursing program received 602 applications over the winter for classes that are

slated to begin this fall. That’s an increase from 453 applicants a year earlier. And URI reported 2,457 applicants – the highest number in the last three years – for its College of Nursing for the fall of 2021.

“Nursing has been the consistent No. 1 mostrespected field and the pandemic just illustrates this even more – thus calling many to this wonderful field,” said Dean Libutti, URI’s vice provost for enrollment management.

And at RIC’s School of Nursing, administrators say they’ve seen an increase in the proportion of applicants who already have a degree and are already working in other professions.

Samantha Kaiser falls into that category. The sophomore nursing student at RIC already holds a bachelor’s degree in exotic avian management.

She left a job in the field due to “mild burnout” and a limited opportunity for career advancement.

“I felt like my prior experiences could be useful in my future nursing practice,” said Kaiser. “RIC’s second degree program was exciting because it allowed me to build on the education I have already received.”

Kaiser said the pandemic revealed how integral nurses are to public health care and are deserving of recognition “as heroes on the news.”

CCRI officials have witnessed the same trend, particularly because the school provides a twoyear pathway to a degree, according to Rosemary Costigan, Community College of Rhode Island vice president for academic affairs.

“I think it’s caused a lot of potential candidates that have been working in other professions to reconsider,” she said. “If you have a bachelor’s degree in another area, there are fast-track nursing programs that allow students to graduate in 15 to 18 months.”

Not all nursing programs are reporting significant increases in the applicant pool.

Salve Regina University in Newport has not seen an increase, although interest remains high.

Spokesman Matt Boxler said applicants for the fall 2021 nursing program numbered 944, down from 963 in 2019 and 954 in 2020.

But most nursing schools are seeing an i­ ncrease.

Costigan noted that, according to the American CONTINUES ON PAGE 21

‘It’s wonderful to see people being drawn to the profession.’

ROSEMARY COSTIGAN, Community College of Rhode Island vice president for academic affairs

LEARN TODAY BOOK A PRIVATE TOUR admissions@lasalle-academy.org or 401.351.7750 (ext.122)

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 19

FOCUS | ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS (ranked by number of students) FOCUS | ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS (ranked by number of students) 2021 rank

1

2020: 5

Education center | Website Director

Address Phone

Community College of Rhode Island | ccri.edu Meghan Hughes, president

400 East Ave. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 825-1000

No. of adult education students

Total adult education faculty

1,241

CLOSER LOOK Adult education programs offered

Type of organization

36

English language studies, Bridge and RIBest programs, adult education professional development, GED

Public

35

Citizenship preparation, national external diploma program preparation, GED, job training programs (culinary, certified nursing assistant, medical assistant, pharmacy tech) and ESOL classes

Nonprofit

Total number of adult education students:

7,020 2

The Genesis Center | gencenter.org Shannon Carroll, CEO and president

620 Potters Ave. Providence, R.I. 02907 (401) 781-6110

Community Care Alliance | communitycareri.org Benedict Lessing Jr.

800 Clinton St. Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 235-7000

870

7

Skills building and training programs, job placement assistance and education to support and prepare job seekers.

Programs include Pathways to Adulting, Independence and Dignity (PAID); Project Learn adult education; ESL and GED courses

Aquidneck Island Adult Learning Center Program | newportcommunityschool.org Tracy Shea, executive director, Newport Community School; Kathy Evans, program coordinator, Aquidneck Island Adult Learning Center

740 West Main Road Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-7171

787

18

Citizenship preparation, English language acquisition, GED/high school completion, workplace literacy

Public

5 2020: 11

Progreso Latino | progresolatino.org Mario Bueno, executive director; Rossis Melendez, adult education case manager; Esther Acevedo, GED/adult basic education coordinator

626 Broad St. Central Falls, R.I. 02863 (401) 728-5920

600

20

Adult basic literacy, Bridge to Careers program, digital literacy, English to speakers of other languages, general education development, integrated English literacy and civics education

Nonprofit

6 2020: 3

Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island | diiri.org Kathleen Cloutier, executive director

645 Elmwood Ave. Providence, R.I. 02907 (401) 784-8600

550

NA

Adult basic education/GED classes, Home Builders International credits program with Rhode Island Builders Association, OSHA-10 certification

Nonprofit

7 2020: 9

Rhode Island Regional Adult Learning | riral.org Patricia Bellart, Executive Director

191 Social St., 3rd Floor Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 762-3841

500

30

Adult basic education, English to speakers of other languages, GED preparation, national external diploma program, transitions to college, digital literacy

Nonprofit

7 2020: 2

Providence Public Library | provlib.org Ann Poulos, information services librarian; Jack Martin, executive director

150 Empire St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 455-8005

500

15

Data Navigators data analytics program, GED classes, English as a second language classes, ESL for business owners, ESL Behavioral Health Pathways training

Nonprofit

9 2020: 13

Tri-County Community Action Agency | tritown.org Joseph DeSantis, CEO and president

1126 Hartford Ave. Johnston, R.I. 02919 (401) 351-2750

329

10

Adult basic education, adult job training, certified nursing assistant training program, financial literacy, GED prep classes

Nonprofit

10 2020: 17

Year Up | yearup.org Cathy Doyle, managing director

40 Fountain St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 421-7819

160

6

Intensive training involving corporate internships, coursework eligible for college credit, hands-on skills development, and wraparound support

Nonprofit

2020: 10

Salve Regina University | salve.edu Kelli J. Armstrong, president

100 Ochre Point Ave. Newport, R.I. 02840 (401) 847-6650

126

26

Cybersecurity and intelligence, digital forensics, leadership in justice, health care administration, health care leadership

Nonprofit

12 2020: 16

Cranston Adult Education Programs | cranstonadulteducation.weebly.com Gayle Dzekevich, director

83 Rolfe Square Cranston, R.I. 02920 (401) 270-8166

120

8

Adult basic education, GED preparation, English as a second language classes, official GED testing center, certified nursing assistant training, dental assistant training

Public

Rhode Island College | ric.edu Frank D. Sánchez, president

600 Mount Pleasant Ave. Providence, R.I. 02908 (401) 456-8000

104

NA

For-credit certificates available in areas such as education, health care and nonprofit studies

Public

14 2020: 20

Westbay Community Action Inc. | westbaycap.org Paul Salera, CEO and president; Melanie LaMountain, director, education and workforce development

224 Buttonwoods Ave. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 732-4660

100

NA

Academic course work, including reading, writing, math and computer literacy for employment and training

Nonprofit

15 2020: 17

West Bay Collaborative | westbaycollaborative.org Maryann Struble, executive director

144 Bignall St. Warwick, R.I. 02888 (401) 941-8353

33

NA

Computer literacy, digital literacy, Google suite for business, health care, hospitality, landscaping, Microsoft basics, shop math/ numeracy, Spanish for managers

Nonprofit

2020: 7

3

2020: 6

4

2020: 8

11

13

2020: 12

1,000

20 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Nonprofit

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

UPCOMING LISTS April 16: R.I. Independent Insurance Agencies, Software Development Companies; April 30: Addiction Treatment Centers, Estate Planners, Hospitals WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

EDUCATION | FOCUS

Graduate Professional Studies Online Master’s Degree Programs:

Construction Management Cybersecurity Defense Information Technology Nursing Occupational Therapy Public Health Doctorate Degree:

Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy

NEW ENGL AND

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

neit.edu | 401-467-7744

SIGNING UP: Kayla Amado, an occupational therapist, is one of the growing number of people applying to the Community College of Rhode Island nursing program. She is in the CCRI lab at the Warwick campus.

ON APRIL 15TH

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

WOMEN CHANGE HISTORY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Association of Colleges of Nursing, programs ­nationwide are reporting a 6% increase in applications to fouryear degree programs.

The increased interest in health care education is going beyond nursing.

Brown University recently reported that applications for its Master of Public Health program have more than doubled this year from 437 to 948. And there’s been a dramatic increase in interest from prospective students of color, Brown said.

“I think this shows how many people are truly understanding what public health means and how it plays out in our lives, and how they could apply public health skills to challenges in the real world,” said Annie Gjelsvik, director of the Brown MPH program and an associate professor of epidemiology, in a statement.

The increased interest in the nursing profession apparently has also translated to a sense of commitment.

At CCRI, nursing students were given

an option to “opt out” during the pandemic, but a vast majority chose to stick with the program.

“It’s wonderful to see people being drawn to the profession,” said Costigan. “The challenges are providing motivation for those that want to be a part of it.”

Costigan, a 20-year nursing veteran, said the motivation is borne out of deep-rooted eagerness to assist those in need.

“Nursing is a discipline that is truly an art and a science,” she said, noting that “the driver is coming from the art side. It is a person who can do advanced calculations while holding a person’s hand when they are dying. It is a very unique person who wants to do that.”

Amado is cut from that cloth.

“It’s in you,” said Amado, who has been accepted into CCRI’s nursing program. “The bottom line is we’re in this profession to take care of people.

It is our job. We’re there for the ­patients.” n

‘Nursing has been the consistent No. 1 mostrespected field.’

DEAN LIBUTTI, University of Rhode Island vice provost for enrollment management

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| FOCUS ONLINEDEGREES DEGREESAND ANDPROGRAMS PROGRAMS(ranked (ranked by number of students enrolled) FOCUS | ONLINE by number of students enrolled) College/university | Website Program director(s)

Address Phone

No. of students enrolled in online programs Total online staff

1 2020: 1

Johnson & Wales Univeristy | jwu.edu David Cartwright, dean, College of Online Education

8 Abbott Park Place Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 598-1000

2,152 NA

Bachelor's, master's, doctoral degrees offered in various programs at the university

2 2020: 2

Salve Regina University | salve.edu Tobias M. Stapleton, dean of graduate studies and continuing education programs

100 Ochre Point Ave. Newport, R.I. 02840 (401) 847-6650

648 101

Administration of justice and homeland security, business administration, health care administration, humanities, innovation and strategic management, international relations, nursing

2021 rank

3 2020: 6 4

2020: 4

5

2020: 3

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | umassd.edu David Pedro, assistant vice chancellor for online and continuing education

285 Old Westport Road Dartmouth, Mass. 02747 (508) 999-8000

245 137

Roger Williams University | rwu.edu Gena Bianco, dean of University College

1 Old Ferry Road Bristol, R.I. 02809 (401) 253-1040

150 NA

35 Campus Ave. South Kingstown, R.I. 02881 (401) 874-1000

University of Rhode Island | uri.edu David M. Dooley, president 1

124 17

CLOSER LOOK Online degree programs offered

Bachelor’s and master’s degrees for various programs, including accounting, business management, business administration, computer science, crime and justice studies, economics, English literature, history

Total number of online students:

3,532 LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

Applied psychology, emergency medical services, health care administration, health services administration and other programs

UPCOMING LISTS April 16: R.I. Independent Insurance Agencies, Software Development Companies; April 30: Addiction Treatment Centers, Estate Planners, Hospitals

Cybersecurity, dietetics, digital forensics, digital literacy, nursing, teaching English to speakers of other languages/bilingual and dual language

WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

FOOTNOTE j David M. Dooley will retire in June of 2021.

6

2020: 5

7 2020: 7

New England Institute of Technology | neit.edu Douglas H. Sherman, senior vice president and provost

Community College of Rhode Island | ccri.edu Meghan L. Hughes, president

1 New England Tech Blvd.

East Greenwich, R.I. 02818 (401) 739-5000

113 NA

Bachelor of science degree in criminal justice; Master of Science degrees in cybersecurity defense, construction management, information technology

400 East Ave. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 825-1000

100 NA

Business administration, with a concentration in general business

1 David M. Dooley will retire in June of 2021.

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e ?

IT’S PERSONAL NUWC scientist lauded for work DONALD STEINBRECHER, chief scientist in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department, was awarded the 2019 Office of Naval Research Fred E. Saalfeld Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Science. This award, announced in December 2020, recognizes naval research scientists for their achievements that have contributed substantially to the knowledge and capabilities of the U.S. Department of the Navy and Department of Defense.

What was your reaction to being awarded the 2019 Office of Naval Research Fred E. Saalfeld Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Science?

I think my reaction could be measured as surprise. It had been over a year since we submitted the application and had received no indications from the Office of Naval Research regarding the application. Internally, it was decided to resubmit the application and so we updated the former application and resubmitted up the chain of command. Within days, I received the announcement that I had been selected for the award. There was a little confusion until we realized it was the 2019 award, which had been submitted more than a year ago.

What projects have been the most rewarding to work on at NUWC? At NUWC, we developed an HF [high frequency] radio called pChannel for a government agency that exceeded the performance of all available HF radios and is still being selectively manufactured for certain applications that require the high performance.

What inspired you to pursue a career as a scientist?

Really good grades in math and science and a passion for building radios, which began when I was about 8 years old. As a senior at the University of Florida, I conducted electronic research with the chemistry department, which led to my first publication, which appeared in the Journal of Analytic Chemistry, highest honors at graduation and admission to the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] Department of Electrical Engineering.

After MIT, I started Steinbrecher Corp. in 1973. I sold the company in 1996. The principal focus of the company was software-defined radios that supported several U.S. Navy

What do you hope to leave behind as your legacy at NUWC? I have engineered the development of what I believe to be the world’s finest radio signals acquisition systems for future Navy applications. I think it will be several years before the value of these next-generation signals acquisition systems will be recognized for the applications for which they were designed. I was teleworking for several years before the pandemic and continue to work primarily with the legal department on the development of patents that will become a part of the legacy I leave at NUWC when I retire. n

missions. After selling Steinbrecher, retirement was short lived and a close friend and sailing partner, Fred Allard, who worked for NUWC, encouraged me to join NUWC and continue work on wideband digital radios for Navy applications, where I remain to this day.

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IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Landing a job A RECRUITER ASKED a job candidate, “Why did you leave your last job?”

The job applicant replied, “It was something my boss said.”

“What did he say?”

“You’re fired.”

This person needs a copy of my new book, “Getting a Job Is a Job.” In it, I focus on bouncing back after being fired, dealing with rejection and the emotions people feel after losing a job. And I explain why you can’t take it personally.

The book is chockful of helpful hints on not only getting a job but landing the job you want. Job hunting is a contact sport. You might have to work eight days a week. Networking is very important, and it’s even harder during a pandemic. But there are still effective ways to get out there.

Be visible. With LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media platforms, networking has never been easier. The key is to use social media properly.

I would highly recommend you check out Sam Richter, president of SBR Worldwide, at samrichter.com.

He has taught me how to take the cold out of cold calling by using the internet to find important information on the people you might be interviewing with or the decision-makers at

companies.

The Mackay 66 Customer Profile, which I wrote about in my first book, “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,” has never been more important. You need to learn about what your prospective employers are interested in and what turns them on.

If you can do this well, your odds of landing a job will go up dramatically.

The Mackay 66 is available free on my website, www.harveymackay.com.

And don’t overlook the importance of gatekeepers, the assistants who control access to the people you need to connect with. Getting through the fence to the top dog is easy if you know the gatekeeper.

I share helpful information on resumes that help you resume employment, such as what terminology to use to describe your experiences that makes sense to both applicant-screening software and human readers.

Because many people have a sec-

tion in their resume that is constantly questioned, there’s also a chapter on addressing chinks in your armor – because flaws scar you the worst when you can’t or won’t explain them.

Do you have an elevator pitch?

If not, you need to develop one that sizzles, and is dead accurate and crystal clear.

I also devote a lot of space to prepping for job interviews – what questions to ask and what to listen for. Be perceptive, not contentious. Read the walls and desks. Even though you are not interviewing for a sales job, you are always selling yourself.

Second interviews are even more important. You should prepare rigorously. Recall topic threads from your earlier conversation to identify themes you can build on.

If you get a job offer, know what you can and cannot negotiate. Do your homework to get superior information. Stay calm. Anticipate questions.

Flaws scar you ... when you can’t or won’t explain them.

Learn to be a spin doctor and finesse certain queries.

Many people have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this situation may present new opportunities. The famous British author W. Somerset Maugham told this story about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London, who was fired when it was discovered he was illiterate.

Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he immediately prospered. He then opened another shop and another and soon owned a large chain of tobacco stores all over Britain.

One day he was dining in a fancy club with his banker who observed, “You’ve done quite well for an illiterate man. I wonder where you would be today if you could read and write.”

“That’s easy,” replied the man.

“I’d still be the janitor in St. Peter’s Church.”

Mackay’s Moral: It bears repeating: Getting a job is a job. n Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com. | SPONSORED CONTENT |

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Announce new hires, promotions and special accomplishments to the Rhode Island business community.

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | MARY T. O’SULLIVAN

Signs of a micromanager IT CAN BE HARD for managers to maintain their employees’ motivation. But it gets even more difficult when managers constantly and mistakenly think people need their “help.” Workers can get disheartened and manifest anxiousness, anxiety and fear. The resulting lack of motivation can directly hurt productivity and the bottom line.

Recognizing the symptoms of a micromanager is the first step to overcoming this leadership pitfall. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to see if you’re committing micromanaging mistakes: n Do you focus on everyone else’s job but yours? A manager’s main job is growing their people. When you express interest in developing employees, rather than leaning over their shoulders, you and your entire department benefit. When you spend more time overseeing what workers are doing, you fail to expand their skills and capabilities. n Do you make frequent unannounced employee checks? I once had a boss who would stand at my door “just to check” on me. It made me wonder why I was hired there in the

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

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first place. One time, I was working well into the morning. At 4 a.m., he showed up, much to my surprise.

When I asked him what he was doing at work in the early morning, he nervously chuckled that he “couldn’t sleep.” This work area was off-limits to him, so he couldn’t walk in to assess the situation. He pushed the boundaries and didn’t engender any confidence. n Do you take work away from an employee and do it yourself? What’s wrong with this picture? You don’t know what hindered the employee because you likely didn’t ask. If an employee is stuck on a problem or has trouble completing assignments, maybe they have a “skills gap.” If you spend more time mentoring people instead of meddling, you’d know where those gaps are. When you decide that you can do it better, the person won’t feel appreciated. Wouldn’t it be better

A manager’s main job is growing their people.

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to be patient and give people a chance to acquire the level of proficiency you expect? Maybe there’s a great training class to investigate, and the whole team can improve their skills.

What steps can managers take to keep their micromanaging ways in check? Here are three tips: n Ask a mentor or coach to conduct an anonymous 360-degree leadership survey. The coach will be sensitive to the anonymity of the reviewers and will spare you the negative comments. You’ll receive a summary report with a synopsis of the comments highlighting your strengths and areas in need of development. You can use these as a springboard to your professional and personal growth. n Develop stress-relief strategies such as vigorous exercise, meditation, yoga and spending more time in nature. When you’re overly frustrated or feel you’ve had a bad start to the day,

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get outside of the office for some fresh air. Take a walk. Science has proven that exercise and being surrounded by nature are good for your health and your mood. When you return, you’ll see things from a new angle.

Maybe you’ll be more inclined to coach your team rather than castigate them. n Do not read or react to emails until you get into the office. I knew a manager who was so ill-tempered, he was on the edge with his employer.

He responded to every text and email instead of sleeping, and he arrived at work so overly upset about work issues, he failed to greet people as he came in the door. He realized his problem and trained himself to shut off his cellphone between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

He started listening to audiobooks until he arrived at work. This new habit made him a calmer person. n Mary T. O’Sullivan is a Rhode Islandbased executive coach, public speaker and author of the book “The Leader You Don’t Want to Be: Transform Your Leadership Style from ‘Command and Control’ to ‘Transformational Visionary.’ ”

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | BEVERLY MORAN

Do we really need tax returns?

THE IRS HAS POSTPONED the April 15 tax filing deadline to May 17, and that announcement may be welcome news for many. But it also raises a question: Why should taxpayers have to navigate the tedious, costly tax filing system at all?

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan promised a “return-free” tax system in which half of all Americans would never fill out a tax return again.

Taxpayers with simple returns would automatically receive a refund or a letter detailing any tax owed.

In 2006, President Barack Obama’s chief economist, Austan Goolsbee, premiered the “simple return,” where taxpayers would receive already completed tax forms for their review or correction. Goolsbee estimated his system would save taxpayers more than $2 billion a year in tax-preparation fees, but the system was never implemented.

At least 30 countries permit return-free filing. Furthermore, 95% of American taxpayers receive more than 30 types of information returns that let the government know their

exact income. These information returns give the government everything it needs in order to fill out most taxpayers’ returns.

The U.S. system is 10 times more expensive than tax systems in 36 other countries with robust economies. But those costs vanish in a return-free system, as would the 2.6 billion hours Americans spend on tax preparation each year.

As an expert on the U.S. tax system, I see America’s costly and time-consuming tax-reporting system as a consequence of its relationship with the commercial tax-preparation industry, which lobbies Congress.

Almost 20 years ago, Congress directed the IRS to provide low-income taxpayers with free tax preparation.

The agency responded in 2002 with “Free File,” a public-private partnership with the tax-preparation industry. As part of the deal, the IRS agreed to not compete with the private sector in the free tax-preparation market.

In 2007, the House of Representatives rejected legislation to provide free, government tax preparation.

And in 2019, Congress tried to legally bar the IRS from ever providing free online tax-preparation services.

The public part of Free File consists of the IRS herding taxpayers to commercial tax-preparation websites.

The private part consists of those commercial entities diverting taxpayers toward costly alternatives.

According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, private partners use computer code to hide the free websites and take unsuspecting taxpayers to paid sites.

Should a taxpayer discover a free preparation alternative, the private preparers impose various restrictions as an excuse to kick taxpayers back to paid preparation.

Instead of 70% of Americans receiving free tax preparation, commercial companies whittle that percentage down to 3%.

Are there valid policy justifications for avoiding government and empowering the private sector?

One argument is that taxpayers will miss out on valuable tax savings if they rely on free government

Only public outcry can change the system.

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preparation.

In fact, the government software would reflect the same laws used by the paid preparers with the same access to tax-saving deductions or credits. Further, tax preparers such as H & R Block Inc. promise to pay all taxes and interest resulting from a failed audit. As a result, these services have incentives to take conservative, progovernment tax positions.

Another argument is that government-prepared tax returns encourage tax evasion.

In a no-return system, the government reveals its knowledge of the taxpayer’s income before the taxpayer files. Thus, the argument goes, the taxpayer knows if the government has missed something and has reason to let the mistake stand.

Finally, there is the anti-tax argument for onerous tax preparation: Keep the process unpleasant to fuel anti-tax sentiment.

To date, the tax-preparation industry has successfully lobbied to keep the system complicated. Only public outcry can change the system. n Beverly Moran is a professor emerita of law at Vanderbilt University.

Distributed by The Associated Press.

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OPINION EDITORIALS

Business, city leaders must work together to bring visitors back

SECURITY BOOST: Civil owner Guido Silvestri upgraded security for his downtown Providence business following a night of rioting last June that heavily damaged the skateboard shop.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

Crime is still trending down in the capital city – and in 2020 dramatically so. Yet downtown business and community leaders are more concerned than they have been in years about public perception of how safe the city is to visit.

Alleviating their fears – and the public’s – will be crucial if the downtown is to quickly rebound from the economic crisis created by the ongoing pandemic.

As this week’s cover story reports, the major challenge lies in changing what facts suggest may be false perceptions that the downtown has suddenly become less safe.

Nearly every category of crime has been declining in the city over the last five years, according to statistics reviewed by PBN. Police say last year’s steep drops were due to far fewer people being in the city because of the pandemic.

Ironically, that same dynamic that led to a drop in most crimes also helped fuel concerns about safety. Empty city streets, especially at night, make many people less comfortable than the bustle of a thriving community.

But the downtown and some of its business owners are also still suffering from safety fears fueled by one night of rioting last June that followed national protests over police brutality.

Adding more police to downtown patrols will help fight those negative perceptions, as will a concerted campaign to remind everyone what the restaurants, shops and other attractions have to offer.

COVID-19 vaccines will make more people willing to venture out again this spring. It’s up to business and community leaders to work together on bringing them back downtown. n

R.I. an offshore wind follower Offshore wind supporters were heartened by the Biden administration’s March 29 commitment to the industry, including the environmental review of at least three Atlantic Coast projects.

These include Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts, South Fork off Long Island, N.Y., and a massive wind farm off the New Jersey coast. Vineyard Wind is due to become operational in 2023, with the New Jersey project targeting the following year.

Whither Rhode Island’s long-sought Revolution Wind?

The project was once expected to be one of the first built off the East Coast, after the state supported the nation’s first demonstration project off Block Island. Revolution Wind was supposed to position the state as a primary staging ground for support services for other projects expected to follow.

Danish owner Orsted A/S is still pursuing Revolution Wind, but its planned 2023 completion date has been pushed back. Orsted, meanwhile, is leading the South Fork and New Jersey projects.

That leaves Rhode Island a follower in a rapidly evolving U.S. industry it once hoped to lead. n

POLL CENTRAL PBN.COM POLL

EXECUTIVE POLL

Returning to normal Are you optimistic that some sense of normalcy will return by the end of 2021?

When do you feel some sense of normalcy could return?

Yes: 90%

By the summer: 50%

Unsure: 10%

By the fall: 40%

No: 0%

Early 2022: 10%

What do you want to see back in full operation this year? (Select multiple)

By the end of the year: 0%

Restaurants: 100%

What do you feel it will take for normalcy to return?

Tourism: 90% Hospitality industries: 70% In-person education: 60% Large-scale events: 50% My business: 40% Other: 0%

Increased vaccinations: 80%

Do promised benefits from a proposed medical-waste treatment plant in West Warwick outweigh potential negatives?

MARCH 19-25 Yes, the green jobs, tax revenue and energy generation would be welcomed

35%

Yes, because any health and safety concerns will be addressed during permitting

No, it should only be sited in a community that wants it

15%

No, more research needs to be done on the health effects and safety of this type of facility

38%

12%

Easing business restrictions: 10%

I don’t know 0%

Public willingness to gather: 10%

THIS WEEK’S POLL: Are you comfortable visiting Providence to shop, eat or explore the city?

Decreased virus spread and hospitalizations: 0% Consistent government oversight: 0% Other: 0% The Providence Business News Executive Poll is a weekly survey of 70 business leaders throughout the state, representing small and large companies in a variety of industries.

28 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

• Yes, without hesitation • Yes, but not at night • No, there needs to be more of a police presence, especially downtown • No, primarily because of COVID-19 • I am not sure To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

OPINION OPINION

Get started fixing R.I.’s housing problem

BARBARA FIELDS GUEST COLUMN

When it comes to addressing Rhode Island’s housing crisis, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

In March, Rhode Islanders got two good pieces of housing news. First, voters approved a $65 million bond issue to invest in building desperately needed housing here.

Second, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and several of his colleagues introduced a historic package of bills designed to make it easier and faster to build housing.

Here’s the bad news: There’s a lot more work to do. With millions of dollars in federal stimulus aid on the way, there could be no better time to get started.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. A lack of supply of housing doesn’t just impact the vulnerable – it makes it hard for Rhode Islanders of all backgrounds and incomes to find housing. Most think of the housing crisis in terms of the evicted family sleeping in a car, the spouse leaving an abusive relationship living in a shelter, or the panhandler on the street.

But the harm of a housing market with too much demand and much too little supply goes further. Rhode Island’s housing crisis strangles our economic future by preventing new, young talent from moving here and forcing college students and other young people to move to somewhere with an abundant and affordable supply.

How bad is it? According to Housing­

WorksRI, there are only three communities in the state where a household with an income of $50,000 can afford a fair-market, two-bedroom apartment. Thousands of families who earn well below that amount cannot afford an apartment in any of our 39 cities and towns.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, but it has been years in the making. Rhode Island has never come close to matching the peak level of building permits issued in the 1980s. The resulting lack of supply puts rents and new homes out of reach for average-income families and even for some making six figures.

The seven bills introduced by Speaker Shekarchi are the beginning of an attempt to put us on the right path. Here’s what those measures do: n There is a bill to prohibit housing discrimination against those who receive government assistance to pay their rent. It would help over 10,000 of our friends and neighbors, and it is long overdue. n Legislation would make it easier for local planning boards to establish a quorum for votes, preventing delays in matters before them. A similar measure recently passed in Massachusetts with strong bipartisan support. n A measure would extend for three years a tax exemption to encourage the development of affordable housing. The current law,

A lack of supply of housing doesn’t just impact the vulnerable.

which allows a tax exemption for properties under development until they are occupied, is set to expire on Dec. 31. n A bill would require towns and cities to allow so-called “tiny homes” (the small accessory apartments that many build on their property) to be counted as affordable housing. n Legislation would create a deputy secretary of commerce and housing within the R.I. Executive Office of Commerce. This person will be responsible for overseeing housing initiatives and developing a state housing plan that will include affordable housing, strong community building and neighborhood revitalization. n Two bills would authorize studies into ways to address obstacles to increasing the supply of housing. One study would examine all aspects of land use, preservation, development, production, regulation, zoning, housing and the environment, making recommendations to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth while supporting efforts to achieve the state’s housing goals.

Another study would review the Rhode Island Low and Moderate Income Housing Act, finding ways to update it to respond to today’s economic realities.

All of this is a good, serious start – but it is only a start – and the stakes are nothing less than the future of the Rhode Island economy. Let’s get to work. n Barbara Fields is a former executive director of R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp.

She also served as administrator of Region 1 of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

New era of college admission: It’s about character

SOPHIE GLENN LAU AND BETH ELLIS GUEST COLUMN

The modern approach to college admission is perhaps best summed up in the words of a Lincoln School senior at a recent virtual college counseling event. She was asked: “What was a pleasant surprise from the college process?”

Her answer: “Getting to know myself. Not just what I want, but who I am.”

No matter where a student is in the college process, college admission can be highly competitive and the process can be daunting.

We frequently hear stories of students racking up extracurriculars and leadership roles as though quantity of accomplishments was the deciding factor. That has always been a falsehood, but in a pandemic when students are under pressure to master new ways of learning and engaging with the world, the added stress of that misconception can be crippling.

This is why we believe a focus on the process is the best path to acceptance. At Lincoln, we have long believed that filling out an application is both a privilege and an opportunity. There are few points in life for such pointed reflection, few chances so ripe for self-exploration.

And there are few times in history as critical as the present. Given the ways the pandemic is impacting how students are living, learning and socializing, it’s even more important than ever that we help students find balance and allow them the time and

space to get to know themselves well so that they confidently say: “This is who I am; this is what I like to do; and, most importantly, this is why I like to do these things.”

That is what high school is for. It’s an opportunity for young people to take advantage of the here and now. Of course, they should have hopes and dreams for their futures.

By refocusing the purpose of grades nine through 12 on joy and growth, this time can be transformed from a perceived necessary step on a predetermined path to an exciting opportunity to learn and discover within a supportive community.

The truth is that colleges are not only interested in what students’ interests are, or in how many of them they have. They are interested in how students engage with whatever it is that they love. Colleges are building community, so whether you’re a bass player, a scientist, a writer, or a three-sport athlete, focus on the why, not the what.

It’s a crucial difference, especially if students are interested in colleges and universities where razor-thin admission margins have steadily shrunk over recent years.

COVID-19 has only further squeezed the percentages among the most selective colleges.

The key to standing out? Students standing up for what they believe in. Picture yourself in the shoes of the admissions officers, tired of reviewing countless applications that read like laundry lists plucked out

of a how-to book. They are searching for a different kind of person – one who showcases strength of character, knowledge of self, kindness to others and a true love of learning. They don’t just want proof that students will do well in school. They’re looking for applicants who will make a difference.

Though many colleges and universities have stated that this is what they look for, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the issues. The realities of test-optional policies, limited access to activities and extracurriculars, and an entirely new educational format have changed the game. Test scores and other metrics are no longer king – this is the era of character.

When students can tap into the joy of learning to figure out what is important to them and what they love, they will shine.

The real key to college acceptance? Accepting and showcasing your authentic self. The pandemic turned many things upside down in schools – how learning works, what classrooms look like, how students connect with their community and experience the world.

But one thing that has remained a stronghold is how to best prepare students for the collegiate academic experience and a love of learning that will last a lifetime. n Sophie Glenn Lau is head of school at Lincoln School in Providence. Beth Ellis is Lincoln School director of college counseling.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | 29

ONE LAST THING

Rebecca Twitchell

JUST

like no two snowflakes are the same, no two people are the same either. If we did not already know that before the COVID-19 pandemic, we know it now. There is absolutely no way that any one person can understand what the next person just went through and how she or he is currently doing.

half full llc Founder, president In 2005, Rebecca Twitchell started Providence-based half full llc, a consulting business focused on helping groups and individuals with team building, retreats and event planning.

One thing I was especially reminded of over the last year was to truly listen to understand. This is one of our core values at half full llc.

Listening to understand allows you to be present instead of thinking ahead. It allows you to avoid making assumptions. And it can open your mind to asking thoughtful, clarifying questions, which ultimately can allow you to avoid casting judgment.

Listen to understand your team. As you make plans to reenter into an in-person workplace, give everyone on your team an opportunity to share thoughts about what worked well for them over this last year and what they think would help them moving forward.

Listen to understand your clients. Planning intentional time to check in with clients to see how they are doing outside of the “scope of work” demonstrates that you value their partnership.

Listen to understand what YOU are going through. Give yourself permission to listen to what you have learned about yourself over the last year. Embrace your strengths.

Recharge. Refocus.

Cheers to listening!

n

Listen to understand PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

30 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

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Working together to create

jobs for our community At Bank of America, we continue to invest in our local communities to help create jobs and fuel economic opportunity.

We’re doing this by collaborating with other companies, identifying needs and working with skill-building partners.

This effort also includes our recent $25 million investment in 21 higher education institutions including community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanicserving institutions.

Our shared focus is on education, reskilling and up-skilling to build a pipeline of talent — and on increased commitment to hiring by major employers across the country.

We’re supporting local organizations that are expanding access to skill-building programs and resources, including:

Here in Rhode Island, my teammates and I are excited to be a part of creating more opportunities for members of our community.

• Skills for Rhode Island’s Future

What would you like the power to do?®

• Year Up Rhode Island • Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence

Bill Hatfield Rhode Island Market President

To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

32 | APRIL 2-15, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

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2 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

12/16/14 11:33 AM

2021 PARTNER SPONSOR MESSAGES

Amgen congratulates the winners of the 2021 Manufacturing Awards. We are proud to join you.

It is hard work, innovation and dedication to manufacturing that brings us all together.

We applaud your pursuit of excellence especially during this challenging time – as your contributions and commitment make the state of Rhode Island and our communities stronger.

Cox Business is proud to continue our sponsorship of the Providence Business News’ Manufacturing Awards and we’re excited to celebrate all of the honorees this year.

Cox Business, a division of Cox Communications, is a family and American owned company providing competitive voice, video, data, premise based security and cloud services in Rhode Island and across the United States.

Gallo|Thomas is proud to sponsor the 2021 Manufacturing Awards.

We congratulate the outstanding group of 2021 honorees and salute your unique attributes and business acumen.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Manufacturing Awards!

In uncertain times, your commitment to excellence was constant. Polaris MEP salutes this year’s Honorees for your leadership and creativity.

Gallo|Thomas is passionate about serving our clients, our employees, and our local community – and delighted to share this special evening with the companies and individuals honored this year.

As a partner to Rhode Island’s manufacturing community, we are proud of all who pivoted, partnered and persevered throughout an extraordinary year. It is a privilege to support your growth and journey to success.

CONTENTS Strategic Leadership | Stuart Benton, CEO and president, Bradford Soap Works Inc...................................4 Overall Excellence at an Enterprise Manufacturer | Amgen Rhode Island .....................................................6 Overall Excellence at a Midsize Manufacturer | National Marker Co. ...........................................................8 Overall Excellence at a Small Manufacturer | Lumetta Inc. ......................................................................... 10 Excellence in Exporting | AVTECH Software Inc. ...........................................................................................12 Excellence in Green Manufacturing | Bradford Soap Works Inc. ................................................................. 14 Excellence in Lean Management | Colonial Mills Inc. ................................................................................... 16 Excellence in Safety Performance & Records | Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA Inc. ................................17 Excellence at a Family-Owned Business | Eco Global Manufacturing LLC .................................................. 18 Collaboration in Manufacturing | William M. Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School .......................... 19 Emerging Manufacturer | Vitae Industries Inc. .............................................................................................20 Excellence in Product Innovation & Design | Alcor Scientific Inc. .................................................................21

FROM THE EDITOR

Making the commonplace extraordinary IN THE RIGHT HANDS

and circumstances, the commonplace can become extraordinary.

Like soap during a pandemic.

“The impact a bar of soap can have on a life is significant,” said Stuart Benton, Bradford Soap Works Inc.’s CEO and president. Indeed, handwashing, with soap, was quickly identified by national health leaders early in 2020 as one of the best ways to limit the spread of COVID-19.

That thrust the 350-employee company and its leader into crucial support roles in the global response.

Neither disappointed. Benton, this year’s manufacturing awards winner for strategic leadership, says his biggest challenge was implementing an effective safety plan, to ensure the West Warwick facility continued operating and workers stayed safe.

He succeeded. And the company, also being recognized for excellence in green manufacturing, remained an industry leader, donating 547 tons of scrap soap to the global response to the pandemic and more than 100,000 bars locally.

But Benton and his company were not alone in helping ubiquitous products rise to the moment during a global crisis.

Take signs, for example.

National Marker Co. has been making safety signs and products since 1934. During the pandemic, demand skyrocketed.

The North Smithfield company, this year’s winner for overall excellence at a midsize manufacturer, created 4,500 new products last year in response.

How about lights? Warwick-based Lumetta Inc.’s creative lighting designs are everywhere, including hotels, offices and colleges.

But few people know who made them or how.

This year’s winner for overall excellence at a small manufacturer took a patented material designed for shades and created suspended dividers to help keep people from spreading germs.

And there are other examples in this special section of the commonplace standing out amid a crisis, under the direction of our state’s talented manufacturers. We salute them all and the rest of this year’s winners.

We’d also like to thank our returning sponsors, including partners Amgen, Cox Business, Gallo|Thomas Insurance Agency Inc. and Polaris MEP.

Excellence in Workforce Development & Productivity | Amerisewn ............................................................ 22 Publisher’s Choice Award for Innovative Adaptation | G-Form LLC ............................................................ 23 Manufacturing Champion | Karl Wadensten, CEO and president, VIBCO Inc. ............................................24

Manufacturers Lists ...................................................................................................................................25-26

Michael Mello Editor Providence Business News

www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

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STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

STUART BENTON, CEO AND PRESIDENT, BRADFORD SOAP WORKS INC. ALWAYS IMPROVING: Bradford Soap Works Inc. machine operator Paula Panizza holds a bar of soap while CEO and President Stuart Benton looks on. Benton says he tries to get everyone to focus on incremental improvement every day.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

CEO’s small-change approach has big impact at Bradford Soap

BY JOHN A. LAHTINEN | Contributing Writer

A BAR OF SOAP has taken on a whole new importance during the CO-

VID-19 pandemic.

“The impact a bar of soap can have on a life is significant,” said Stuart Benton, Bradford Soap Works Inc.’s CEO and president since 2016. “This impact has never been more apparent than during this year of COVID. We have kept our team safe and working, we have made a product that is key in keeping the virus in check, and we have made donations in R.I. and throughout the world that have reduced sickness, enabled people to earn a living and instilled hope.”

After determining how the coronavirus crisis could affect the West Warwick-based company, its customers and the state, Benton said the decision was made early on to go all in on safety.

“The biggest challenge … is keeping the people and the facility – the Bradford community – safe and healthy,” said Benton, who was recently named a finalist as a Leader of Change-Pandemic Response by INNOCOS, a cosmetics industry group. “We implemented multiple changes and policy decisions, but in particular physical distancing, changing production speeds, spacing, barriers and added additional cleaning.”

Benton knows directing and guiding the Bradford team is his responsibility and a big part of moving the company forward. To that end, he strives to empower everyone to be leaders, regardless of title.

“I try to get everyone to focus on incremental improvement each and every day,” Benton

said. “It is challenging to make a big-step improvement, but if you can make small, in some instances minute, changes each day, by the time you realize it, the change is significant and measurable. We can learn from everyone and everyone can make a change.”

Bradford has been busy over the past two years, with Benton leading the charge.

First, the company took an underutilized space in its facility and turned it into a stateof-the-art production area for Johnson & Johnson-Neutrogena.

“The company was closing a manufacturing facility in California that was part of a recently purchased brand,” Benton said. “We already manufactured part of the line, but there was a significant piece of production that is not a typical production process; it is more of what is called a hot-poured process. The company turned to Bradford, and over 12 months we were able to convert the space into manufacturing, staff up and start production.”

Bradford also worked with Unilever in developing products for its Love Beauty & Planet brand, which included a bar soap, bath fizz and shampoo bar. Additionally, Bradford developed a first-of-its-kind recyclable paper wrap for Tom’s of Maine.

Reflective of the momentum Bradford has experienced is the fact that it has added nearly 150 employees to its team in the past three years under Benton’s leadership.

Melissa Travis, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants, has known Benton, who serves on the RISCPA board, for years and says the Ocean State is lucky to have him.

“I don’t use the word visionary often, but Stu really is the quintessential visionary,” she said. “I am fairly certain that most Rhode Islanders are not aware that a company in their own backyard has had such an impact on our local economy and our community.”

Travis called Benton the “epitome of a strategic leader,” whose leadership extends beyond manufacturing to Bradford’s supply chain and commitment to sustainable sourcing.

“In 2012, when Bradford had no reliable source of sustainable palm oil in the U.S., Stu took the initiative to work directly with the Rainforest Alliance to have one certified,” Travis said. “He moved Bradford towards zero waste by donating all soap scraps to worldwide health and hygiene initiatives through World Vision and Eco-Soap Bank. You won’t find a leadership book that teaches any of this – it’s embedded in Stu’s DNA.” n

‘[Stu] moved Bradford towards zero waste by donating all soap scraps to worldwide health and hygiene initiatives.’

MELISSA TRAVIS, Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants CEO and president 4 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

PROUD OF THE COMPANY WE KEEP. At Amgen, we are proud to be recognized by the Providence Business News for Overall Excellence at an Enterprise Manufacturer.

Congratulations to this year’s winners for their excellence in each category.

This challenging year didn’t stop any of us and our successes are an indicator of our top talent and commitment to excellence.

Together, we help strengthen and reinvent Rhode Island’s manufacturing industry.

Congratulations to this year’s winners.

www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

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OVERALL EXCELLENCE AT AN ENTERPRISE MANUFACTURER | AMGEN RHODE ISLAND

CLOSE EYE: From left, associate manufacturer Adeline Lamothe, manufacturing process technician contract worker Austin White and associate manufacturer David Folco check the single-use bioreactors, which are used to control the conditions for generating protein cells at Amgen Rhode Island in West Greenwich.

COURTESY AMGEN INC.

Team approach allows Amgen to complete new plant

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

AMGEN INC. develops medications for oncology/hematology, cardiovascu-

lar disease, inflammation, bone health, nephrology and neuroscience conditions for which treatment options are often limited.

The company has invested more than $1.5 billion in its 75-acre Amgen Rhode Island complex in West Greenwich, including just over $200 million in its next-generation biomanufacturing plant. The company, which did not disclose Amgen Rhode Island financials, reported $23.4 billion in total revenue, $22.1 billion in sales and $4.1 billion in research and development investments for Amgen worldwide in 2019.

The West Greenwich plant was completed in 2020 and houses one of the world’s largest mammalian protein manufacturing facilities.

Rhode Island Site Vice President of Operations Brian Britson said West Greenwich was chosen as the location because Amgen Rhode Island has a “proven track record for innovation and operational excellence, a robust infrastructure due to strategic investments, a highly talented staff and robust recruiting base, and strong partnerships with the state of Rhode Island and many local educational institutions.”

Amgen, whose corporate headquarters is in Thousand Oaks, Calif., hopes to begin producing drugs in the new plant for human consumption by early 2022, assuming it receives full licensure and approvals from the Food and Drug Administration. In the interim, engineering runs are underway to ensure strict quality control.

“One year into COVID, we’ve learned to adjust as we go. [With COVID-19], there are not a lot of [options for] long-term planning,” said

Plant Manager Peter Rodriguez.

During the pandemic, Amgen Rhode Island welcomed 107 new employees, representing a 13% increase in the number of workers over 2019, and achieved process efficiencies that led to 13,000 hours of found time. With some employees working remotely, others working on-site and still others splitting their work locales, the company saw a 50% reduction in staff injuries, a 20% reduction in contractor injuries and had no cases of on-site COVID-19 transmission. The company also created an on-site training center where employees can practice using materials, equipment and instruments used in production.

Amgen Rhode Island has a strong focus on workforce development, in which 50% of its 903 employees have tenure of 15 years or more.

Committed to recruit, hire and retain a diverse talent pool, the company has developed partnerships with local high schools and higher education institutions to ensure appropriate certificates or degree programs and provide coop and internship opportunities for prospective employees.

New hires receive orientation and an introduction to biopharmaceutical manufacturing training at the University of Rhode Island.

They also participate in a two-week Foundational Skills for Manufacturing training program. Job rotation programs, tuition reimbursement, lean manufacturing and Sigma-Six training, mentorship and coaching are also

offered to a wide array of employees.

“Innovation is part of our DNA,” Britson said, so the facility employed technology to effectively implement pandemic-driven changes.

Relocating from Singapore with his family to lead Amgen Rhode Island during the pandemic, Britson has yet to meet most of his senior leadership team in person. While the company anticipated bringing in subject matter experts to help support the startup of the new biomanufacturing plant, the pandemic required a new approach. “We leveraged technology to collaborate with experts [from Singapore, the site of Amgen’s first such plant].

That really accelerated the new plant’s startup success,” Britson said.

Through 2021, Amgen Rhode Island is continuing its COVID-19 accommodations, which include routine testing, mandatory masking and contact tracing systems for on-site employees, contractors and visitors to virtually assessing ergonomic conditions, providing free ergonomic equipment and scheduling free time to encourage exercise and breaks for employees working remotely.

Amgen Rhode Island has kept communication lines open. By incorporating other Amgen sites’ COVID-19-related knowledge, holding frequent virtual meetings with teams that include significant time for questions, answers and feedback, Britson said the company makes course corrections as needed and focuses on maintaining a safe environment and addressing employees’ well-being.

Amgen Rhode Island, Rodriguez said, “is value-centered, with a strong mission to serve patients with staff and teams that work crossfunctionally together as one team.” n

‘We leveraged technology to collaborate with experts.

That really accelerated the new plant’s startup success.’

BRIAN BRITSON, Amgen Rhode Island site vice president of operations 6 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

Congratulations to all the honorees of the 2021 PBN Manufacturing Awards.

www.CoxBusiness.com

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3/11/21 10:55 AM

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OVERALL EXCELLENCE AT A MIDSIZE MANUFACTURER | NATIONAL MARKER CO. SIGNS OF THE TIMES: National Marker Co., creator of safety identification signs and products, increased its sales by more than 25% in 2020, as its products were in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. At right, manufacturing technician Tim Egan looks over some signs.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Company buy-in allows NMC to adapt on the fly

BY MATTHEW ENRIGHT | Contributing Writer

NATIONAL MARKER CO. has been creating safety identification

signs and products since 1934. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the North Smithfield-based company was ready to begin helping others create signs and identification for an unprecedented time.

“We recognized very quickly at the end of February that we had to pivot very quickly in the organization and what the needs were going to be from a communication standpoint,” former CEO Michael Black said.

Black sold the company in December to Deerfield, Ill.-based Justrite Safety Group for an undisclosed amount. The company will continue to operate under the National Marker name.

Director of Operations Andrew Ellison remembers a meeting with Black in the early stages of the pandemic, in which Black said he refused to participate in any recession.

“We called a meeting with the executive leadership group, which included marketing, sales, myself, and we talked about the changes in business that we saw coming, and Michael basically turned to the [vice president] of business development and said, ‘You guys are going to have to do something different,’ ” Ellison said.

NMC then formed a rapid response team, which created 4,500 new products geared toward the pandemic over the course of the year and launched more than 500 products over two months.

“You go to a grocery store and there [are]

signs on the floor reminding you to socially distance or go one way with the traffic patterns, and NMC led that way,” Ellison said. “We were first to market with a lot of those signage opportunities, and we jumped in front of the market and never looked back.”

In 2020, the company grew more than 25% in sales, which came with its own set of challenges. Nonessential employees worked from home; only the operations team was in the building every day to turn out products. Temperature checks and new protocols were frequent, and wearing masks was enforced.

Ellison credits the employees of NMC for its success.

“From the top to the bottom, it was amazing the response that people had. We walked in the door one day and said, ‘We have to make changes,’ and nobody said, ‘I don’t want to.’ Nobody said, ‘I’m not gonna,’ or ‘That’s not fair,’ ” Ellison said. Employees volunteered to move to a later night shift, and when production needs required a print center to be run 24 hours a day, employees would work 12-hour shifts.

“What they did was they stepped up and said, ‘OK. Tell us where to go, what to do and we’ll

do it.’ And I thought that part was just remarkable … the amount of buy-in from the group,” Ellison said.

Black also praised the work of NMC’s employees, highlighting that Ellison had needed to adjust quickly after being hired as director of operations in late 2019.

“They were able to pivot, change the floor on multiple occasions. We used to sell maybe 100 banners a year, and then we were selling 200 banners a day, and you had to set the floor up in a different way to flow, and they were able to pivot with that,” Black said. “It was just an exceptional team win.”

Among the changes the production team needed to learn was how to create 4,500 new products on the fly with increased demand.

Ellison said NMC was 92% above its normal revenue in June, and at times it was getting orders that were 200 to 300 times the size of an average order.

“We didn’t have time to think. We had time to make product and to shed product,” Ellison said.

With the growth in 2020, Ellison said NMC is working on how to keep its momentum going as the pandemic begins to wind down. The response team still meets twice a day to talk about the market, changes and the projects they’ve been working on.

“Coming out of this, there’s going to be a greater need for products that don’t exist today, as people try to return to work, as people try to get back to normal,” Ellison said. n

‘We didn’t have time to think.

We had time to make product and to shed product.’

ANDREW ELLISON, National Marker Co. director of operations 8 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

Rhode Island Manufacturers Association and Rhode Island Society of CPAs/RI Business Forum extend warm congratulations to all the 2021 PBN Manufacturing Award winners!!

Special congratulations to RIMA Advisory Council Members: Karl Wadensten, VIBCO - Manufacturing Champion Stu Benton, Bradford Soap Works Inc. – Strategic Leadership* *Rhode Island Society of CPAs/RI Business Forum Board of Directors The hard work, commitment and dedication shown by these manufacturing leaders throughout the crisis is inspiring.

RIMA and RISCPA are honored to work with these individuals and thrilled to see their peers recognize their accomplishments: ✥ Overall Excellence Enterprise Manufacturer – Amgen ✥ Overall Excellence Mid-size Manufacturer – National Marker ✥ Overall Excellence Small Manufacturer – Lumetta Inc. ✥ Excellence in Exporting – AVTECH Software ✥ Lean Management Excellence – Colonial Mills Inc. ✥ Excellence in Safety Performance – Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA, Inc. ✥ Emerging Manufacturer - Vitae Industries ✥ Collaboration between Manufacturers – William M. Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School ✥ Workforce Development & Productivity – Amerisewn ✥ Product Innovation & Design – Alcor Scientific ✥ Green Manufacturing Excellence – Bradford Soap Works ✥ Family-Owned Business – Eco Global Manufacturing ✥ Publisher’s Choice Award for Innovation Adaptation - G-Form

RIMA

2 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917 401.751.0160 | rima@mfgri.com

RISCPA/RI Business Forum

40 Sharpe Dr., Unit 5, Cranston, RI 02920 401.331.5720 | info@riscpa.org

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

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2021

OVERALL EXCELLENCE AT A SMALL MANUFACTURER | LUMETTA INC. LIGHT TOUCH: Zoila Delacruz, left, and Mirna Delacruz attach Lumetta Inc.’s proprietary antimicrobial and washable Lumenate shade to a frame for a handcrafted, decorative light at the Cranston Public Library.

COURTESY LUMETTA INC.

Lumetta adapts light shade material for germ barriers

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

A PHOTO GALLERY of artful products by Lumetta Inc., a Warwick-based lighting designer and manufacturer, shows a company that clearly prizes creative thinking and innovation.

Lumetta’s one-of-a-kind lighting designs, such as wall sconces or hanging “pendant” lights of many geometric shapes and colors, show a delight in the personality of place.

Those qualities were clearly utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the 29-year-old company’s 35 to 45 employees adapting and working.

When the health crisis hit the U.S. and quarantine measures began about a year ago, the manufacturing plant in Warwick stayed open and established many of the now-common protocols, said Laura Wistow, Lumetta’s marketing manager.

Work hours are staggered; employee health is monitored every day; masks, social distancing and constant handwashing and sanitizing are required; workspaces are well-ventilated; management regularly sends out COVID-19 updates; and any employee who feels ill is required to self-quarantine and visit a doctor.

After securing its workforce, Lumetta realized it had a patented material that could become a tool for public health care. The company’s Lumenate is a material designed and used exclusively for lighting shades. It is washable, it can display custom graphics and it has antimicrobial properties. The company is now using the material to create suspended dividers that can be used in almost any setting as a germ barrier between people.

Lumetta is an amalgam of art, science and manufacturing. Bill Prichett, founder and president, is the son of an engineer and an artist, according to the company’s website. In college, Pritchett studied engineering, mathematics and biology. He became a science teacher while staying involved in art through architectural projects that involved welding, drafting, carpentry and photography. This mixture of interests led to his founding Lumetta in 1992.

Bowen Wheatley, the company’s lead product designer, said Lumetta is represented by sales professionals across North America, and it is known for its custom and unique lighting and for service that is attentive and responsive.

The lighting often is single, grouped or stacked structures in square, circular, conical or cylindrical shapes hanging from the ceiling by a single stem or multiple cables. The shades can be printed with text or images. Along with high-end houses, Lumetta lights can be found in hotels, restaurants, colleges, hospitals, offices, banks and retail spaces.

Like any manufacturer, Lumetta must keep up with a constant treadmill of evolving trends in products, Wheatley said. Long ago, lighting was incandescent and florescent, followed by a transition to LED technology. Coming up now, Wheatley said, is “tunable” lighting – a modernized upgrade of the old dimmer switch

– which allows brighter or dimmer light for different settings.

Wheatley said Lumetta worked recently with a performing arts center in New Jersey to develop lighting that allowed the adjustment of different color chips within an LED light.

“We don’t want to be playing catch-up,” Wheatley said. “We want to be on the leading edge. We want to get better and better at what we do.”

Lumetta also has been working with BIOS Lighting to create SkyBlue LED technology.

This is designed to mimic the changes in natural sunlight throughout the day. This is beneficial to people who spend much of the day indoors, disconnected from outdoor lighting.

“It complements your biorhythms and helps with mental health and well-being,” Wistow said.

The pandemic year brought to Lumetta a fresh and useful collaboration with Sutherland Felt Co., a producer of felt products for industrial uses. In addition to lighting, Lumetta’s hanging lights also are made to perform as a sound absorber.

In the past year, Lumetta and Sutherland Felt created a joint marketing venture, part of which was a physical swatch book celebrating both companies’ products. Lumetta designed the book and graphics; Suntherland Felt inserted display boards of felt and assembled the books.

“Materials samples are a key part of any new product,” Wheatley said. “This ended up being something that benefitted everyone.” n

‘We want to be on the leading edge.

We want to get better and better at what we do.’

BOWEN WHEATLEY, Lumetta Inc. lead product designer 10 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

2021 PBN Award Winner

IT’S AN HONOR TO PROTECT YOU At G-Form, we protect athletes and outdoor enthusiasts from injury with our revolutionary SmartFlex™ protective pads.

In 2020, we had the privilege to protect those on the front lines of COVID-19 by pivoting our manufacturing to produce face shields.

Thank you PBN for recognizing G-Form as its Publisher’s Choice Award for Innovation Adaptation.

Excellence in Green Manufacturing

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CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS. *Every SmartFlex pad is made in North Smithfield, RI. Other materials may be made/sourced elsewhere.

Over 140 years of helping companies build great brands. www.bradfordsoap.com

STAY INFORMED. STAY COMPETITIVE. Your go-to source of in-depth and breaking news covering the Rhode Island and Southeastern MA business community.

VISIT PBN.COM/SUBSCRIBE TODAY

www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

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EXCELLENCE IN EXPORTING | AVTECH SOFTWARE INC. FLEXIBLE TEAM: Richard Grundy, left, president and chief operating officer for AVTECH Software Inc. in Warren, speaks with Jonathan Foltz, fulfillment manager. Grundy said the COVID-19 pandemic allowed AVTECH to reimagine a more agile team structure, which helped it prevent downtime.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Room Alert sales outside U.S. keep AVTECH on its toes

BY JENNIFER L. GRYBOWSKI | Contributing Writer

WHILE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC posed a challenge for most

companies in 2020, AVTECH Software Inc. was well-prepared for an emergency and has seen business increase over the past year.

“Our focus is about business continuity and resilience, and never has that been more important than in the aftermath of COVID-19,” President and Chief Operating Officer Richard Grundy said. “We were in a unique position to provide the capability to prevent downtime.”

AVTECH is a Warren-based computer hardware and software developer and manufacturer. The company’s Room Alert products proactively monitor critical facilities and assets for conditions such as temperature, humidity, power, leaks, smoke/fire, air flow, room entry, motion, cameras and more. Room Alert is in use in more than 185 countries and can be found in over 80% of Fortune 1000 companies, as well as most state and federal agencies and all branches of the U.S. military.

“We didn’t lose any productivity,” Marketing and Channel Communications Manager Russell Benoit said, referring to AVTECH’s pandemic response. “We knew we could work from home; we knew we’d be able to keep going. A lot of our customers weren’t able to do that.”

Grundy said AVTECH heard from customers who left their offices, leaving no one to monitor the buildings. If something went wrong, it would slow down or stop business.

“Historically, customers may have looked

at our products as nice-to-haves,” Grundy said. “We had the same challenges with no one being in our building, so we started to use our own products to prove ourselves and give a greater visibility to conditions that could cause our business to be negatively impacted.”

AVTECH decided to provide the highest level of product access to its customers free for six months, which included the ability to get advanced alert customized messages and collaborate with team members. The company also published a business continuity checklist so customers could plan to protect their assets.

“We were not only protecting our business but trying to be compassionate to our customers and provide them with the tools they need,” Grundy said.

The response from the customers was overwhelming.

“We had customers emailing and calling to say thank you and tell us how much they loved having access to these tools,” Benoit said.

Once things started to stabilize and companies started to settle into remote work, AVTECH started to see business bounce back.

“More businesses started to take the approach of continuity and resilience planning and planning for the unexpected, and our products fit that mold very well,” Grundy said.

“We are fortunate to be in a position of being in tech that provides customers with the opportunity to have better awareness and protect their business and make them more resilient, and that resonated during COVID-19.”

AVTECH has become a leader in the Rhode Island exporting community during its 30-plusyear tenure. But its international business has seen exponential growth in the past year.

“The strong relationships we’ve built with our vendors that sell for us overseas are leading the charge about getting the word out about what we can do for customers,” Benoit said.

AVTECH has manufacturing facilities in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, an international sales office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and an international distribution facility in Shannon, Ireland. In 2020, sales outside of North America grew by 70% compared with 2019, mainly due to AVTECH’s ability to deliver Room Alert quickly and much more affordably since products are shipping from the European Union instead of Rhode Island.

“We can reach our customers in ways most convenient for them better than our competition,” Grundy said. “The pandemic has allowed us to reimagine a more agile team structure and we will continue to try and leverage the most advantageous tools and adaptations.

To start 2021 seeing incredible growth in all corners of the world as businesses come back to work and people recover … we are proud to be able to have the reach in the world to provide these services.” n

‘We were in a unique position to provide the capability to prevent downtime.’

RICHARD GRUNDY, AVTECH Software Inc. president and chief operating officer 12 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

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At many colleges, tour deleted from sales pitch

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

USING SMARTPHONES AND livestreaming, colleges and universities in Rhode Island have been able to bypass the COVID-19 pandemic to connect with prospective students, showing them around the campus, introducing them to key faculty members.

But they can’t replicate the smell of waffles in the dining hall or allow students to experience the rustling of autumn leaves on campus.

Virtual strategies have limitations. And across Rhode Island,

FOCUS: EDUCATION

SEE COLLEGES

PAGE 26

ONE LAST THING

Lars Trodson Virtual sales lure visitors | 38

CLOUDED HORIZON T.F. Green leader says recovery could take years

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

CONSTANZA

ROSAS STEPPED OUT OF T.F. GREEN Airport in mid-January, exhausted from a series of flights. She carried two suitcases, a bright-pink neck pillow and the trappings of the pandemic-era traveler. In addition to a full-face shield, she wore a surgical face mask over an N95 mask.

Her flight from Charlotte, N.C., was the last leg of a three-stop journey that had started with an eight-hour flight from Santiago, Chile, to Miami.

Tested and found negative for COVID-19 three days prior, she was nervous throughout the journey. “I was afraid of COVID,” she said. “I was like this on the plane because I was scared,” she said, tightly tucking in her arms.

Rosas overcame the fear and had made it to Rhode Island, ready to begin a two-week quarantine and then an au pair job in Barrington. A member of her host family picked her up at the Warwick airport.

SEE AIRPORT

LONG HAUL: A JetBlue Airways flight leaves from the main runway at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.

JetBlue’s operations resumed last summer after a brief suspension in the spring when the coronavirus hit the U.S. PBN FILE PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

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2021

EXCELLENCE IN GREEN MANUFACTURING | BRADFORD SOAP WORKS INC. OVERSEEING SOAPS: Robin Brown, group leader at Bradford Soap Works Inc., works on the production line at the West Warwick factory.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Sustainability key part of soap maker’s formula

BY JOHN A. LAHTINEN | Contributing Writer

SUSTAINABILITY IS AT THE VERY HEART of Bradford Soap

Works Inc.’s strategic planning.

The West Warwick-based company has been creating and promoting sustainable formulations for more than 140 years since its founding in 1876. Bradford launched its Committed to Clean program in 2010 as a basis for its green manufacturing initiatives, with a comprehensive approach to responsible manufacturing in the areas of product, packaging, supply chain, energy, waste and emissions.

“We operate under the tenet ‘people, planet and profit,’ so we consider it a core pillar of our planning and operations,” said Deb McDonough, Bradford’s marketing vice president.

“Sustainability is the foundation of our decisions, from sourcing to formulation development to waste management. We understand that sustainability goes beyond the product itself to encompass the entire product life cycle.”

The commitment to making products that are good for both consumers and the environment carries over into everything Bradford does. While many soap manufacturers expand into liquid product lines, Bradford made the strategic decision to focus on solid formulations that use little to no water, including shampoo bars, solid moisturizers, cleansers and deodorants.

The company’s core products are developed using ingredients with Environmental Working Group ratings of 3 or below. Bradford continues to work with manufacturers on innovation in sustainable ingredients and multiuse and recyclable packaging.

“We see green manufacturing as a competitive advantage,” McDonough said. “Bradford

knows that the brands we serve have aggressive sustainability goals, and we see ourselves as their partner to help achieve them. For example, many of our customers, including Unilever, L’Oreal, Henkel, and Colgate-Palmolive, have signed the U.S. Plastics Pact, which calls for eliminating all unnecessary packaging by 2025 and mandates that plastic packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Many of Bradford’s products, including our shampoo bars, allow companies to eliminate plastic for that item altogether.”

Assisting local and global communities not only helps Bradford move toward zero-waste but it also serves as a morale booster for its more than 350 employees. In 2020, the company donated 547 tons of scrap soap through Eco-Soap Bank and World Vision to help fight COVID-19 in the world’s poorest communities.

It also donated more than 100,000 bars of soap to local charities.

“Receiving thank-you letters and videos from the organizations we donated to makes us appreciate the value of the products we create, reminds us of our work’s importance and brings smiles to our faces,” McDonough said.

Of course, such a commitment to sustainability does not come without its share of challenges.

“Sustainable-sourcing is complex and there are often not established supply chains to support specific ingredients,” said Stuart Benton, Bradford’s CEO and president who is also this year’s strategic leadership award winner. “We have learned that we often need to take the lead to help establish them.”

A perfect example, he said, is palm oil.

There have long been concerns around the sourcing of palm oil, a core ingredient used in soap production, due to deforestation and the destruction of orangutan habitats. With no reliable supply chain in the U.S. to source identity-preserved palm oil, Bradford worked with the Rainforest Alliance to help certify a family-owned plantation in South America that grows sustainable palm oil.

Bradford figured out the logistics required to bring the palm oil directly to its West Warwick facility and has since launched more than 240 bar soaps using 100% traceable, Rainforest Alliance-certified sustainable palm oil, resulting in nearly 3 million pounds of sustainably sourced palm oil per year.

“Everyone has a role to play,” Benton said.

“We rely on our suppliers to bring us clean, sustainable ingredient options, and brands rely on us to develop products using sustainable formulations and packaging. Consumers look to the brands to provide products they feel good about that reflect their values. If everyone contributes where they can, it is much less daunting than trying to solve the entire equation yourself.” n

‘Many of Bradford’s products … allow companies to eliminate plastic for that item altogether.’

DEB MCDONOUGH, Bradford Soap Works Inc. marketing vice president 14 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

a guide to

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PBN

designed, made and built in Rhode Island

2021

WHO’S HELPING recruit tomorrow’s MANUFACTURING, CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN workforce in Rhode Island?

WE ARE.

With compelling stories and profiles of area companies, A Guide to Stuff, designed, made and built in Rhode Island, showcases the cool stuff made right here in our state, and the job opportunities associated with them.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS THINGS MADE HERE

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a guide to

ABOUT US

& QA

B ECO M I N G A M A K E R

COMPANY INFO American Labor Services Massachusetts Locations 71 Main Street Suite 1100 Taunton, MA 02718 1528 Pleasant Street Fall River, MA 02723 Rhode Island Location 515 Smith Street Providence, RI 02908

designed, made and built in Rhode Island

FALL 2020

President & CEO: Benjamin Kaplan americanlaborservices.com › Lumetta’s Lumenate and TransLumenate material installed in its light fixtures is made with antimicrobial protection to prevent various growths that could potentially cause illnesses and infections.

THE STORY: Bill Prichett, while

simultaneously doing architectural projects, had also painted and made sculptures for close to 20 years. It was combining those two passions that laid the groundwork for a brighter future when in 1992 he founded Lumetta.

Since then, the Warwick-based manufacturer has produced many decorative commercial luminaires with various materials, including with antimicrobial protection technology.

BECOMING A DESIGNER

Alaina Mahoney of Providence-based A.M. Design & Fabrication LLC pg. 21

844.967.5257 401.223.6849

› Lumenate and TransLumenate are offered in more than 100 colors, and the company allows customers to also create and design their own patterns.

facebook.com/ AmericanLaborS/

› During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has seen a notable increase in orders with Lumenate because of the antimicrobial properties.

linkedin.com/company/ american-labor-services/ Employees: 11

COVID-PROOF

Debra Bedrosian

Production on the material has not halted during the pandemic.

WHAT’S MADE HERE?

THE STORY: Being free of allergies and other toxins is key to having a good night’s sleep. Clean Brands LLC, based in Warwick, designs and makes beddingprotection fabric, such as the MicronOne and Zip-N-Click closures to keep people free from allergens, as well as from stains and wetness.

MADE IN RHODE ISLAND pages 26-36

BOND Building Construction Inc.

› Mattress encasements cost between $50 and $70, depending on size. › CleanRest products are designed with a patented MicronOne waterproof polyester fabric, which is 100% waterproof and more breathable than other such fabrics on the market. › More than 500,000 CleanRest products are made annually.

COVID-BORN

PBN.com  A Guide to

2. What challenges have you had to overcome to accommodate the interviewing and hiring process? Cooley has focused its hiring process on video interviews with potential candidates. The team has selectively conducted nonexempt interviews outdoors with the interviewer and interviewee wearing appropriate face masks and maintaining the required physical distancing.

designed, made and built in Rhode Island

33

Partner Sponsor

G-Form

We maintain an extensive pool of qualified and motivated individuals to provide top-notch employee support on demand.

STAFFING SOLUTIONS FOR EMPLOYERS OF EVERY SIZE American Labor specializes in providing quality staffing for companies involved in light manufacturing and industrial warehouse operations. Our industry-specific expertise, along with an understanding of business and operational complexities, enables us to efficiently evaluate and effectively fulfill a company’s needs. Whether your company is a small, medium, or large business, we have a diversely skilled workforce on hand to support your business goals. We take pride in our excellent reputation for dependability, professionalism, and outstanding customer service.

Having serviced clients for two decades in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, we have wideranging industry knowledge and the infrastructure necessary to fulfill the needs of your company. Our staff is able to speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Creole, allowing our recruiters to work with a diversity of prospective employees. Our screening process includes background checks, E-Verify and drug testing.

AMERICAN LABOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS The staff of American Labor Services enjoys an extensive benefit package, including: competitive pay, health insurance, supplemental insurance and vacation time.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

1. As an essential business, what impact has the pandemic had on your regular hiring practices? Cooley’s hiring practices have not changed. Cooley has remained fully operational during the pandemic, with all our employees healthy and safe. Three employees have tested positive for COVID-19 but [were] asymptomatic.

In April, the MicronOne waterproof fabric passed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Level 4 standard for virus protection. The fabric is made to block all virus and bacteria down to 32 nanometers in size, and the list includes COVID-19.

Presenting Sponsor

Our industry reputation is based on the ability to consistently meet the needs of employers by providing qualified employees on a timely basis. We provide trusted and customized staffing solutions for our clients including: temporary employment, temporary-to-permanent employment, and permanent employee solutions.

American Labor is always looking for experienced recruiters to help connect qualified job seekers with quality employment opportunities. Workforce development is key to getting our economy back on track, and our team is committed to doing our part. Recruiters work closely with some of the largest companies in the region and are dedicated to ensuring that all client needs are met and that the employee is satisfied in their career choice. American Labor has placed thousands of employees throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and that would not be possible without the hard work and knowledge of our extensive recruiting team.

Technical textile and geomembrane manufacturer Cooley Group has worked throughout the pandemic, including adding gowns to its portfolio of medical products. Debra Bedrosian, the Pawtucketbased manufacturer’s vice president, human resources and social responsibility, says hiring has continued too, and that operationalline workers remain in demand throughout the industry.

› Hotels and other multibed facilities, such as senior-living facilities and dormitories, use CleanRest products.

WHO MAKES IT? CAN I WORK THERE?

Founded: 1990

Cooley Group vice president, human resources and social responsibility

› Among the products CleanRest protects are mattresses, box springs, and pillows from spoilage, spills, allergens, bed bugs and regular wear and tear.

American Labor has 30+ years of combined experience in the employee staffing industry. We provide temporary staffing solutions to employers throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, from small local businesses to some of the largest companies in America.

Rhode Island Spirits

3. Has the pandemic forced you to create new positions internally? How have you handled ongoing pandemic challenges with existing staff? Because Cooley has always placed a priority on employee health and safety, the company’s practices under COVID-19 only needed to be modified to include social distancing and mask wearing, which the employees readily accepted. Employees have also stepped up their work-area cleaning protocols to include regular disinfection. These modifications were implemented using existing staff.

10 A Guide to

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

4. What lessons have you learned during the pandemic that will strengthen you as a company? Cooley’s expansion of its collaborative culture, including the implementation of videoconferencing during the pandemic, will continue to benefit the company. Also, during the pandemic, the company began publishing an internal newsletter to keep employees up to date on the latest company developments. The newsletter will continue post-pandemic.

Support of the local communities in which we serve has always been of the utmost importance to American Labor Services. Whether hosting a coat drive or supporting families of our employees during the holidays, we strive to assist our friends and neighbors however we can.

5. What impact do you think the pandemic will have on the industry as a whole, particularly from a hiring perspective?

Regardless of the pandemic, the U.S. continues to face a shortage of willing and able operational-line workers in the manufacturing sector.

6. What should company human resources departments be doing now in order to be best prepared for life after the pandemic? Cooley looks to ensure that the structured health and safety practices embedded in the company’s culture will be maintained post-pandemic, along with the ongoing open communication and dialogue across the entire workforce.

38 A Guide to

designed, made and built in Rhode Island  2020

John A. Lahtinen is a PBN contributing writer.

designed, made and built in Rhode Island  2020

 If you are a manufacturer…  If you are an educational institution…  If you are a business…

...join us today and SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS AND RECRUIT YOUR WORKFORCE in the 2021 edition.

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2021

EXCELLENCE IN LEAN MANAGEMENT | COLONIAL MILLS INC. MEANINGFUL MOVE: Gregg Scarlata, president and chief operating officer of Colonial Mills Inc., says increased efficiencies have helped grow the company’s gross margins by more than 8% in the last three years.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

Home décor demand sews success for Colonial Mills

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

ARE YOU SHOPPING ONLINE to make your “nest” cozier and more comfortable while you’re housebound due to the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, you may have purchased some of Colonial Mills Inc.’s home décor items, which include decorative storage baskets, ottomans and oval braided rugs.

Originally manufacturing only oval braided rugs, the second-generation family-owned business now makes additional items and has amassed some 25,000 stock-keeping units, or SKUs, which President and Chief Operating Officer Gregg Scarlata anticipates eventually increasing to 100,000.

“We lived in a small niche in the oval braided rug market,” said Scarlata, whose father, Donald, co-founded the company in 1977 and remains CEO and board chair.

Previously located in Pawtucket, Colonial Mills now operates in a 72,000-square-foot building that the company purchased in East Providence.

As the braided process offers additional applications, Colonial Mills works with designers to create custom products, which are sold to wholesalers, including Room and Board and Wayfair, and to consumers via its website.

With higher costs associated with domestic sourcing and production, Colonial Mills is a rarity in the rug manufacturing industry, which is dominated by imports from China and India. The company competes by offering a vast array of customized products, finding efficiencies and maximizing improvements, said Scarlata.

“We’re never going to win … on volume,

but on manufacturing profitably,” Scarlata said, which is why lean manufacturing processes, which began with Donald Scarlata, are so meaningful. With efficiencies and overall processes increased tenfold due to lean manufacturing, Colonial Mills has grown its gross margins by more than 8% in the last three years.

“Just-in-time inventory gives us better, faster output, and we streamline the flow of process operations by striving for less waste, minimizing the distance each product has to move and shortening the walk times between different processes,” said Director of Manufacturing Operations William Guzman. “Every year, each department has a continuous improvement process analysis.”

From teaching lean manufacturing improvements, continuous improvement processes and a technique to train sewing machine operators faster, consulting firm Polaris MEP has been very valuable, Scarlata said.

“They taught us a World War II-era training technique … that reduced our six-month training time for our sewing machine operators to four months,” added Guzman.

Beyond assistance from Polaris MEP, Colonial Mills received federal aid in the form of Paycheck Protection Program loan fund-

ing. Although Scarlata declined to disclose the amount, he said, “I can’t explain how important it was to have the cash on hand to continue to produce. We were at 50% capacity at one point, with an extremely high 28-day backlog,” with some employees staying home for family obligations or due to COVID-19 exposure.

Colonial Mills can employ up to 100 people and currently has 85 employees, who represent 16 different nationalities.

“Our employees are the lifeblood of this company,” Scarlata said. “All the manufacturing staff received pay increases last year, and we offered extended leave and financial assistance for those in need. We’re paying attention to people’s needs; lots of our employees have children. We told employees: ‘We understand that you have to take care of your life at home.

If you need to take any time to be with your family, your job is not in jeopardy.’ ” Scarlata gave credit to the company’s employees for how well Colonial performed last year. “The company’s success – even amidst COVID-19 – was all due to the unbelievable effort and heart our employees bring … all the credit goes to our employees,” he wrote in the PBN Manufacturing Awards application.

Before 2020, about 90% of the company’s sales were in the wholesale market. Having more than doubled its direct-to-consumer sales to 25% of overall business last year, Colonial Mills has a goal of doubling that yet again in 2021, while continuing to capitalize on increased wholesale orders such as the ones it has received in the past several months. n

‘The company’s success – even amidst COVID-19 – was all due to the unbelievable effort and heart our employees bring.’

GREGG SCARLATA, Colonial Mills Inc. president and chief operating officer 16 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

2021

EXCELLENCE IN SAFETY PERFORMANCE & RECORDS FINLAY EXTRACTS & INGREDIENTS USA INC. EARLY ADOPTER: Miguel Rosario on the assembly line at Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA Inc. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Adherence to health and safety keeps Finlays incident-free

BY JOHN A. LAHTINEN | Contributing Writer

FINDING THE BALANCE between running a business in a COVID-

19-clouded world and protecting its employees is of critical importance to Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA Inc., doing business as Finlays, a privately owned business-to-business supplier of tea, coffee and botanical solutions to beverage brand owners worldwide.

Finlays operates across the U.S., with locations in Rhode Island, Texas and New Jersey. The company has campuses in Lincoln, Cranston and North Kingstown at the Quonset Business Park, as well as a global commercial network covering the United Kingdom and Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In addition to its coffee and tea extracts being used within food and beverages as a base ingredient, Finlays also sources and provides soluble coffee, roasted coffee bean, green bean, leaf tea and soluble tea.

In the ongoing effort to reduce the risk of the coronavirus being brought into its facilities, Finlays’ administrative personnel have all worked remotely since March 2020. In addition to implementing a pre-entry health screening process and building barriers to separate screeners from individuals entering the workplace, Finlays halted domestic and international business travel for the bulk of 2020.

“The health, well-being and safety of Finlays’ workforce, both at home and in the workplace, is a vital component to the success of our business,” said Shaun Galligan, Finlay’s head of environmental, health and safety for the Americas. “An employee who feels their safety

and health are of importance to the business is more likely to be motivated and engaged in ... [environment, health and safety] programs.

“It is the responsibility of each employee to report unsafe work acts, occupational hazards, near-miss incidents, major or minor injuries, and instances where the air, water or soil could be adversely impacted due to our operations,” Galligan said.

The company’s manufacturing employees meet on a daily basis as part of the Operations Visual Management Board to discuss occupational health, safety and environmental issues.

Additionally, employees are empowered to stop any work process in which an occupational hazard cannot be controlled or eliminated.

“The culture and climate at Finlays is such that we promote all employees to speak up with regards to issues they may have of a health and safety nature,” said Julian Davies, chief operating officer for the Americas. “We aim to listen and respond accordingly and make investment where required. The health and safety of our employees is fundamental to our business. Our business is operated in accordance with a set of our core values, and our health and safety policies and procedures directly reflect those values.”

The effort appears to be working. As of March 2021, the company’s Rhode Island facilities have gone more than two years without an Occupational Safety and Health Administration recordable incident or an incident resulting in lost time, job transfer or restriction.

Finlays recently announced that its Rhode Island operations are now recognized by the International Organization for Standardization for certifying its ISO 45001 standard.

Businesses that receive this certification can ensure that their organization operates free of recognized occupational-related health and safety hazards. This assurance is validated by certifying that the business’s occupational health and safety management systems are upheld to the 45001 standards and maintaining that certification year after year.

“Finlays’ Rhode Island facilities are one of the first in the food and beverage industry to certify to the new ISO 45001 standard,” Galligan said. “We are extremely proud of this, our performance at the Rhode Island sites, our aggressive management of COVID-19 and the organization’s continued commitment to occupational health and safety.”

In addition to keeping its highly trained and skilled operators working and producing, the company’s focus on environment, health and safety brings with it an increase in customers.

“When an organization has a stellar safety record, it provides prospective customers the assurance that we operate in a compliant manner and are a socially responsible business,” Galligan said. “Naturally, this contributes to our sales revenue.” n

‘We promote all employees to speak up with regards to issues they may have of a health and safety nature.’

JULIAN DAVIES, Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA Inc. chief operating officer for the Americas www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

| 17

2021

EXCELLENCE AT A FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS | ECO GLOBAL MANUFACTURING LLC

Eco Global brings PPE production back to U.S.

SWITCHING GEARS: Felis Franco, left, and Juan Arrojo load a sealer at Eco Global Manufacturing LLC in Providence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the product design company switched gears to produce face shields and isolation gowns.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

BY ANDY SMITH | Contributing Writer

ECO GLOBAL MANUFACTURING LLC is a third-generation

product design and manufacturing company in Providence that started out as an upholstery company. It has since expanded into everything from pillows to chew toys for dogs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Eco Global pivoted swiftly into the production of face shields and isolation gowns, using new production techniques and even creating custom machinery. The face shields have removable parts that allow for longer life and permit users to sanitize the areas that come into contact with the skin.

Eco Global President James Stallman said the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was dependent on China for the manufacture of personal protective equipment. The U.S. government was looking to bring that industry back to the U.S. and support small business at the same time. Eco Global fit the bill.

Continuing production during a pandemic has not been easy. Stallman said safety measures include socially distanced workspaces, temperature checks, questionnaires on health and symptoms, readily available PPE for employees, and lots of Zoom calls.

Eco Global has always been a believer in keeping manufacturing in the United States, and particularly Rhode Island.

“Our roots are deep in Rhode Island,” Stallman said. “We’re eternally hopeful that we will develop a more business-friendly climate for manufacturing … it’s a challenging place to do business. Costs are very high – taxes, utilities.

But there are so many resources here, and access to such good people. It’s a question of our figuring out a way to control costs and be competitive.”

Eco Global’s story began with Stallman’s grandfather, Jack Stallman, an immigrant from Austria who started the American Upholstery Co. in Providence after World War I. After World War II, James Stallman’s father, Milton Harris Stallman, began M.H. Stallman Co., an upholstery supply company.

Its expertise with foam products led to work with Hasbro Inc. on its Nerf line of toys, as well as more high-tech and medical applications.

Now Eco Global Manufacturing’s capabilities run to a wide gamut of products, including packing and packaging, medical devices, sports equipment, gaskets and seals and shoe insoles.

Stallman said the company is shifting its business model from supplying other businesses with equipment and parts to making and marketing its own products.

One enterprise Eco Global has been involved with is called Imagination Playground, a series of blue foam blocks and shapes, conceived by noted architect David Rockwell, that can be used in different configurations for kids to play. At first, Eco Global just manufactured the blocks, but it eventually acquired Rockwell’s

interest in the company.

With an expertise in foam, making pillows was a logical step for Eco Global. The foam is made from renewable resources, and the pillows were developed for Hope Lodges, the residential centers for cancer patients and families established by the American Cancer Society.

The pillows are also sold to consumers.

Jason Riccardi, chief marketing officer for Eco Global, said the company is always looking to use its expertise to develop new ideas and products.

“We’re thinking about new products that make sense for us,” he said. “What can we do?

What are we good at? Can we do this at a competitive price?”

Riccardi’s background is in the pet industry, and Eco Global makes a line of nylon chewable dog toys. A portion of the sales will go toward making women’s shelters pet friendly because research has found many women who need the shelters won’t leave their pets at home.

Social responsibility is a key value at Eco Global. The company has joined with similar corporations around the world to become a B-Corp., part of a group of more than 2,100 companies from 50 countries.

For Eco Global, being a B-Corp. means making environmentally friendly products in America. It’s also about providing jobs, training and workforce development to underserved local communities.

“We want to be here and do well in Rhode Island,” said Stallman when asked about the company’s long-term goals. n

‘Our roots are deep in Rhode Island. … There are so many resources here, and access to such good people.’

JAMES STALLMAN, Eco Global Manufacturing LLC president 18 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

2021

COLLABORATION IN MANUFACTURING

WILLIAM M. DAVIES JR. CAREER & TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL IN-CLASS INSTRUCTION: Briar Dacier, machine technology instructor at William M. Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School in Lincoln, with students Angel DeLaCruz and Mariama Barry in the machine lab.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

Hands-on learning continues for Davies students during pandemic

BY JENNA PELLETIER | Contributing Writer

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC hasn’t stopped students at William M.

Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School in Lincoln from gaining hands-on, workbased learning experiences at manufacturing sites throughout Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts.

The graduating seniors in Davies’ nine career-based concentration areas have already logged more than 20,000 hours of off-site work experience so far this school year, according to Susan Votto, the school’s supervisor of career and technical education.

“It’s about building relationships with industry people and listening to what their needs are and adapting our curriculum so we’re meeting those needs,” Votto said.

Since 2017, the school’s number of workbased learning partnerships has increased by 60%, she said.

The school’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing includes shops in electrical and renewable energy, biomanufacturing technology, machine technology and pre-engineering technology.

Students focusing on manufacturing have worked at West Warwick-based data visualization technology company AstroNova Inc., Lincoln-based grinding and cutting tool maker Bullard Abrasives and Providence-based badge and insignia producer Hook Fast Specialties.

Students were also placed at Tracey Gear, Arch Global Precision, and Yushin America Inc. Davies also has a strong ongoing partnership with the Rhode Island Manufacturers As-

sociation, which has helped its administrators connect with employers throughout the state.

“Davies has always placed students off-site into companies,” Votto said. “We feel that’s the most authentic way of students experiencing workplace learning.”

Students are required to complete at least 80 hours of work-based learning before they graduate. Many of the jobs are paid, with rates ranging from $12 to $16 per hour. And it’s not uncommon for students to receive a full-time job offer from their employer once they’ve graduated.

Zion Xavier, a senior studying machine technology, typically works from 3 to 9 p.m. at High Tech Stamping in Attleboro. His job involves performing quality control-related tasks for the company’s earring parts manufacturing.

Xavier, who lives in Central Falls, typically works about 30 hours a week and makes $16 per hour. His work-based learning experience has allowed him to apply concepts he has studied in the classroom and confirm that the field is a good fit for him, he said.

“It’s great because it gets you started off with a real job early, rather than figuring out what you want to do after you graduate,” he said.

At least 94% of the high school’s graduates leave with industry certifications, Votto said. Non-manufacturing concentration areas include health careers, automotive, hospitality, and graphics and interactive media.

The many industry partners that work with Davies, including those on its advisory board, help shape the curriculum. In recent years, the school has started placing more emphasis on “work-readiness skills,” including professionalism, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

Students also receive industry-specific safety training to prepare for work outside of the classroom. For instance, sophomores studying biomanufacturing, electrical and renewable energy, and machine technology can become certified in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Outreach Training Program.

Strong COVID-19 protocols have allowed students to remain in Davies’ classrooms and participate in its work-based learning programs this school year. The high school reopened in September with various measures, including the required use of a symptom-screening app, thermal cameras at each entrance of the school and strict social-distancing guidelines.

Students currently receive distance learning instruction on Mondays, attend in-person classes two days a week and complete asynchronous work the other two weekdays. For many students, that’s in addition to working part-time businesses throughout the state.

“The companies have been really flexible this year, which we are grateful for,” Votto said. n

‘It’s about building relationships with industry people and ... adapting our curriculum so we’re meeting [their] needs.’

SUSAN VOTTO, William M. Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School supervisor of career and technical education www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

| 19

2021

EMERGING MANUFACTURER

| VITAE INDUSTRIES INC. PHARMACIST ASSIST: Jeanine Sinanan-Singh, co-founder and CEO of Vitae Industries Inc. in Providence, says the company’s AutoCompounder, which allows pharmacists to mix ingredients to create the proper dose of medication for an individual patient, was the first product of its kind to market.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

Increasing efficiencies in personalized medicine

BY MATTHEW ENRIGHT | Contributing Writer

VITAE INDUSTRIES INC. works to promote efficiency in pharmacies

with the assistance of its AutoCompounder product.

Drug compounding refers to “the process of combining, mixing or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient,” according to the Food and Drug Administration.

“Right now, most prescription medicines are one or a few sizes fits all, and while that might be right for some people, it’s also wrong for a large segment of the population,” said Daniel DeCiccio, co-founder and director of operations for the Providence-based manufacturer.

An example of this is the drug Ambien, which DeCiccio said was approved in the early 1990s and the FDA said there’s no gender bias, recommending both men and women should start at about 10 milligrams.

“And the problem is if you have a man and a woman of the same height, age, you control for every variable but gender, she gets two and a half times the amount of drug per that pill that he gets,” DeCiccio said. “It sends 5,000 women a year to the ER and more than doubled a woman’s mortality rate by simply taking the prescribed amount.”

Jeanine Sinanan-Singh, Vitae’s co-founder and CEO, said she was shocked that no one was tackling the problem.

“And as a result, we’ve been the first to market and there’s not really a better option available to these pharmacies to help improve this process to scale to personalized medications,” she said.

Personalized medication is the way forward for many drugs, including pediatric medications and hormone replacement therapies. The AutoCompounder helps pharmacists make individualized medications faster by automating the process of individualization.

“We wanted to take our backgrounds in computer science … and bioengineering … and bring those insights into the manual practice of making individualized medications for patients,” DeCiccio said. “When you talk about emerging, it’s emerging for us because we’re creating a high-quality production environment in a box that can function in a pharmacy or at a point of care.”

After a doctor forms the prescribed dosage through testing the patient, a pharmacist will program the AutoCompounder to create the actual dose. The 3D printer will print the dosage in the form of gummies, lozenges, suppositories or capsules, depending on the medication.

After assembling a team to test the prototype AutoCompounder from 2016-2018, Vitae began to sell it through trade shows and on-site visits in 2019. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult and a challenge for everyone, DeCiccio noted that pharmacies have increasingly

turned to automation as demand increased.

“We’ve been doing our best to serve our customers, but little steps, I think, go a long way too,” DeCiccio said, “making sure we maintain social distancing in the office, making sure our supply chain is robust and won’t shut down because of the pandemic.”

Vitae has AutoCompounders in over 13,000 compound pharmacies in more than 15 states, including Rhode Island. Compound pharmacies personalize medications for their patients.

DeCiccio said Vitae is looking to continue its expansion and capitalize on the momentum built over the past few years.

“We see ourselves as the first one to provide personal, safe, affordable medications at the point of care. So, we see ourselves building off what we’ve learned over the past few years,” he said. “It took a lot of research in this industry, learning about our customers’ workflow, their needs, patient needs along the way, making sure we have a product addressing those needs.”

Among the obstacles Vitae has overcome is funding. DeCiccio said the company has received both grant funding and private investing, including from the state of Rhode Island and the National Institutes of Health.

“It was a year of great change, and we met that change and we’ve been working with our customers to help get the right drugs to patients during this crazy time,” DeCiccio said. “When you really look at it, prescriptions should be personalized for patients. You get better outcomes, better patient satisfaction.” n

‘We’re creating a high-quality production environment in a box that can function in a pharmacy or at a point of care.’

DANIEL DECICCIO, Vitae Industries Inc. co-founder and director of operations 20 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

2021

ALCOR SCIENTIFIC INC. |

EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCT INNOVATION & DESIGN

Medical devices assisting in fight against COVID-19

PUMPED UP: ALCOR Scientific Inc. employee Jeinmy Veloz assembles the main miniiSED pumps prior to packaging at the Smithfield-based medical equipment manufacturer.

COURTESY ALCOR SCIENTIFIC INC.

BY ANDY SMITH | Contributing Writer

ALCOR SCIENTIFIC INC. in Smithfield has managed to weather the

COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a combination of product innovation, scrupulous safety practices and a product line that meets current medical needs.

“We’ve had a pretty successful year,” said ALCOR CEO and President Karla Ruggeri said.

The company, which has about 60 employees, designs and manufactures two different lines of medical equipment, both of which have been experiencing robust demand.

One is feeding pumps for people who are unable to feed themselves but still have functioning digestive systems. They can be used to provide nutrition when people are on ventilators.

The other is advanced analyzers for testing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in blood, a key marker for inflammation. Although ESR testing is used in a wide variety of diagnoses, it can also monitor inflammation that can be associated with COVID-19.

The company, founded by Ruggeri’s father, Carlo, was formed in 2010 from the merger of OST Medical Inc. and Diagnostic Systems Inc. ALCOR essentially sells to two different sets of customers. The feeding pumps are used in institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes and rehab centers that treat patients who require external nutritional support. The ESR testing units go to labs at hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices.

Donna Woodall, head of sales and marketing for ALCOR, said product innovation is a key part of the company’s philosophy.

In 2020, for example, ALCOR came out with a mini version of its ESR analyzer called the miniiSED. The device’s smaller size makes it ideal for physician offices, small labs and emergency clinics.

Ruggeri said the company is now working on a new feeding pump that can provide nutritional formula and water at the same time. The two can’t be mixed, so right now patients either get their water through a syringe in their IV lines, or via a dual-pump system.

Of course the COVID-19 pandemic has meant extra precautions have been necessary to keep the ALCOR operation running. Masking, social distancing and sanitizing procedures are rigorously followed, employee temperatures are monitored twice a day, and ALCOR has hired a professional cleaning service. ALCOR can also provide its own COVID-19 testing.

Robert Lupo, chief financial officer for ALCOR, said employees in certain departments, such as sales, marketing, human resources, finance and administration, worked at home for about four months during the pandemic.

Luposa said now everyone is back at the Smithfield headquarters, unless special circumstances, such as COVID-19 exposure, make working from home necessary.

Ruggeri said another change involved over-

seas sales. Because ALCOR sells to international markets, corporate representatives used to travel overseas to speak to distributors.

That became impossible, so ALCOR had to adapt to using virtual platforms. While it took some getting used to, she said, it’s been working well. When the pandemic wanes, though, company officials plan to resume overseas travel.

While the company is aware of the state’s reputation as a tough place to do business, company officials point to some advantages.

Woodall said ALCOR has received a lot of encouragement and help from the R.I. Commerce Corp. and from Bryant University’s John H. Chafee Center for International Business. “I’ve been very impressed with the way we are being engaged by different entities in the state,” she said.

Woodall said ALCOR has been able to take advantage of some federally funded grants administered through Bryant to help support business activities.

Lupo said ALCOR has also been impressed by the quality of the people it has been able to hire in Rhode Island, including some Bryant graduates.

Ruggeri said ALCOR will continue its product innovations, and plans to grow over the next few years, including expanding the workforce. She said that even as the immediate threat of COVID-19 fades, medical facilities are now very aware of potential dangers and will want to be prepared for whatever may come. n

‘I’ve been very impressed with the way we are being engaged by different entities in the state.’

DONNA WOODALL, ALCOR Scientific Inc. head of sales and marketing www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

| 21

2021

EXCELLENCE IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTIVITY

| AMERISEWN

IN CONTROL: From left, Jennifer Lyons, operations; John Caito III, founder and president; and Layne Mayer, director of growth, at Amerisewn in Cranston.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

Amerisewn teams with We Make RI on training program for sewers

BY JENNA PELLETIER | Contributing Writer

RIOT SUITS, MATERNITY BELTS, boat seats. Those are just a few

of the many products manufactured by Cranston-based Amerisewn.

Founded by John Caito III in 1982, the sewing company uses textiles, foams and gels to manufacture stitched products for military, law enforcement, medical and industrial customers.

“People come to us because they want USAmade,” said Layne Mayer, Amerisewn’s director of growth.

Military-related items, including combat training gear, packs and pouches, account for at least half of the company’s business. It also makes protective vests for law enforcement officers, safety pads used in mental health care settings and consumer goods such as protective cases.

This year Amerisewn expanded its manufacturing space by 8,500 square feet and added new digital cutting capabilities. Digital cutting allows the company to digitize its own patterns and keep all cutting in-house, giving it more control over costs and timing.

But the past year has also brought some challenges. “[It] was a struggle with a drop in revenue from some of our existing large customers, while at the same time growing with new customers and adding equipment and people,” Mayer said.

It can be difficult to find qualified sewers, she added. “It’s sort of like a dying art,” she said.

To solve the problem, Amerisewn recently

teamed up with the nonprofit organization We Make RI to create a sewing training program.

Together, the organizations designed a threeweek course of study.

“We source the students, train them and spend the last week getting them up to production speed,” said Rachel Menard, director of marketing communications for We Make RI. “In their final stages, John from Amerisewn comes in to meet with the candidates and by the time they’re done with training, they have a job.”

So far, Amerisewn has hired four employees through the program.

“Working with We Make RI just made sense,” said Caito, president of Amerisewn.

“We are continuously growing and looking for employees that want to grow in our organization. By helping We Make RI craft a program to train stitchers, it gives us, and other contract sewers in Rhode Island, a pipeline of vetted employees.”

Amerisewn employees typically work in teams, also known as pods. A new hire usually starts in the company’s hernia belt program.

Once their skills are up to speed, they are assigned to another project-based pod.

“Each pod has a team leader that guides and supports each employee to success,” Mayer said. “We work hard to funnel people into teams where they fit in with the people and projects that match their skill set.”

Such flexibility has helped Amerisewn retain employees, some of whom have been with the company for more than a decade. In all, the company employs 58 people.

“We have a great culture,” Mayer said. “People generally want to work hard and grow.”

Amerisewn has implemented several measures to keep its workforce safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone must wear a mask while working and machines have been spread out to accommodate for social distancing. The company also moved to offering employees multiple break and lunch times to reduce the number of people sitting in an area at once.

In addition, the company regularly checks employees’ temperatures and offers in-house COVID-19 testing, provided by the state. Working in a pod structure has helped Amerisewn employees keep track of their close work contacts as well.

“We have made sure that our staff feels that their safety is paramount and make sure that all employees follow the guidelines to the benefit and respect of all,” Mayer said.

Some of the company’s competitors have shut down during the pandemic, she added.

“That’s actually been a huge opportunity for us,” Mayer said. “Because we’ve handled things well, we’ve not only been able to stay open but add a few new brands as well.” n

‘We work hard to funnel people into teams where they fit in with the people and projects that match their skill set.’

LAYNE MAYER, Amerisewn director of growth 22 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

2021

G-FORM LLC |

PUBLISHER’S CHOICE AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE ADAPTATION WRAPPING UP: Will Thomas, machine operator at athletic protective gear manufacturer G-Form LLC in North Smithfield, performs the final step in the machine process by applying the backer material just before the station will be closed and molded.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Pivot to PPE keeps G-Form competing

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

WHEN PUBLIC LIFE and most commerce slammed shut in March 2020 be-

cause of COVID-19, the message for G-Form LLC, a manufacturer of athletic protective gear such as knee and elbow pads, was stark and unambiguous.

Team sports shut down overnight, orders stopped and it looked like the North Smithfield factory could go dark.

The first thought for CEO Glen Giovanucci and G-Form’s managers in Providence was how to keep the company’s 70 employees working and earning. The company came up with a plan to keep production rolling, while also serving the medical community, by making personal protective equipment. But G-Form’s options were limited, as it lacked the sewing capabilities needed for masks, and making hand sanitizer would have been problematic.

Giovanucci recalled seeing a TV news report in which a nurse was being interviewed. “She pulled her mask up onto her head and I could see the lines that the face mask had creased into her skin,” he said. “I thought, ‘We have to help these people.’ ” The company decided to recalibrate its production methods, supply lines and customer base to make face shields. G-Form has made and sold about 2 million face shields since last April, Giovanucci said.

The work to retool the factory and to find supplies and customers moved quickly. An article by The Associated Press as early as April 17 described how G-Form was already making and shipping face shields.

Soon, the revised enterprise expanded to

include five partner companies, all of them nearby manufacturers, logistics or supplychain experts whose executives had heard about G-Form’s retrofit and offered to be part of the work. They included Atlantic Footcare, Ocean State Book Binding, The Beck Cos., VPI and Larsen.

Giovanucci said those companies approached G-Form offering workers and production space, hoping to keep more of their own people employed. The collaboration made higher levels of production possible, he said.

Giovanucci estimated that the face shield production ultimately saved 225 to 250 jobs across all the partner companies. “We contributed to helping them stay alive,” he said of the partner businesses.

Revising the company’s production from sports gear to face shields was not a snap. GForm did not have supply chains in place for some needs, such as elastic and certain rivets.

The company eventually developed a relationship with 3M as a source for plastic, but “we didn’t have experience with them; we were at the bottom of their list, and it was cash upfront” at first, Giovanucci said.

He said the company’s movement into

making face shields did not create a financial windfall. “We offset what we would have done [in production and sales] in our normal protective gear business. We didn’t take advantage of the situation and jack up our prices. We maintained normal margins. Our motive was to keep going and to keep our employees working.”

Rob Kelley, G-Form’s vice president of global marketing, said once the decision was made to manufacture face shields, the staff had to jump into some unfamiliar terrain. “It took a lot of research; it was a quick study for all of us,” Kelley said. “It was an incredible teambuilding exercise.”

The most difficult piece was building a new supply chain for some materials, especially since some manufacturers of raw materials had shut down. “It was all hands on deck,” Kelley said. “We had to find labels for the face shields.

We had people driving to printing plants and bringing labels back in their cars.”

Both Giovanucci and Kelley expect the company to return to its core business of protective sports equipment after the pandemic ends.

However, new relationships and developments have come about for the company because of its pivot in 2020. G-Form is working with Pyramid Manufacturing, a Rhode Island textile operation, to make heavy-duty gloves for industrial use. That development, Giovanucci said, could lead to more initiatives in creating protective gear for military, industrial and law enforcement needs.

“We look back on 2020 with pride,” Kelley said. “It really tested our resiliency.” n

‘We offset what we would have done [in production and sales] in our normal protective gear business.’

GLEN GIOVANUCCI, G-Form LLC CEO www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

| 23

2021

MANUFACTURING CHAMPION

| KARL WADENSTEN, CEO AND PRESIDENT, VIBCO INC. TRAILBLAZER: Karl Wadensten, CEO and president of VIBCO Inc. in Richmond, was one of the first to create the blueprints for how to safely operate a manufacturing facility during COVID-19 and conduct employee and visitor screening.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Wadensten gives helping hand to companies, communities

BY JENNIFER L. GRYBOWSKI | Contributing Writer

VIBCO INC. CEO and President Karl Wadensten is a well-known name

throughout the manufacturing industry in Rhode Island, and beyond.

He was nominated by the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association Advisory Council and the RIMA board of directors for the PBN manufacturing champion award after they received numerous letters, calls and emails of support from companies in all kinds of industries for his efforts.

“Karl is the poster child for what the manufacturing sector stands for,” said David M. Chenevert, RIMA executive director. “He was just outstanding through the pandemic; he embraced taking care of his employees with the COVID-19 programs he implemented.”

The manufacturers association credits Wadensten with keeping more than 1,600 manufacturers in the state open during the pandemic by using the guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the state, providing the template for the Manufacturing Pledge.

Wadensten was also one of the first to create the blueprints for how to safely operate a manufacturing facility during COVID-19 and conduct employee and visitor screening. He also sourced personal protective equipment for every industry, including hospitals.

“He’s a real strong, vocal individual,” Chenevert said. “He’s not afraid of speaking out and exhibiting that support for our industry.”

Wadensten said he knew he had to do whatever he could to keep his employees safe

and getting a paycheck during the crisis last spring.

“To be a true servant leader – our company, myself, our people – you are here to serve customers outside and people inside,” Wadensten said. “Whatever we can do, teach, share, learn, give and see people excel at and do better with that knowledge and information makes me feel full. We help inform them and give them a piece of our DNA.” Part of Wadensten’s magnetism is that he is excited to share what he’s learned with anyone who wants to know about it. During the pandemic, hundreds of companies reached out to Richmond-based VIBCO to ask about its processes and how it was staying open.

“We stop what we are doing and help them,” Wadensten said. “The highest currency of letting us know we are doing a good job is a ‘thank you’ and watching them implement something we’ve taught them.”

Wadensten also stopped what he was doing and delivered food to people who needed it during the pandemic, as well as drove supplies where they needed to be. Chenevert said he

wasn’t at all surprised to find Wadensten helping others.

“He led the charge in helping out smaller companies,” Chenevert said. “He reached out and gave direct assistance. That’s the kind of guy he is. He goes above and beyond what others are doing.”

Wadensten is a prolific supporter of lean manufacturing, a methodology to reduce waste in a manufacturing system while bolstering productivity. He uses lean concepts to motivate and manage his team.

“We are trying to make things operationally better and that permeates through the whole organization,” Wadensten said. “When you walk through the door, your job is to improve.

If I don’t ooze that out of my body, then it’s just baloney. You want to follow someone like that.

I learn from people all the time. We feed off of each other, so we get better every day.”

Wadensten also credits lean processes to keeping his business successful.

“We’d be so out of business if we weren’t [lean],” he said. “There are so many pressures to make things at higher quality and faster, and we wouldn’t be able to do that without understanding the process. We have happy customers because we don’t have long wait times. If we weren’t efficient, we’d need double the people.

We’ve been able to hold our prices for our customers for the past two or three years, and through the pandemic, because we cut out the waste of things and reinvest in equipment and people.” n

‘He’s a real strong, vocal individual. He’s not afraid of speaking out and exhibiting that support for our industry.’

DAVID M. CHENEVERT, Rhode Island Manufacturers Association executive director 24 | APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n MANUFACTURING AWARDS | www.pbn.com

MANUFACTURERS (ranked by number of local employees) MANUFACTURERS (ranked by number of local employees)

CLOSER LOOK

Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

No. of local employees

Products

General Dynamics Electric Boat | gdeb.com Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO; Kevin M. Graney, president

165 Dillabur Ave. North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 268-2300

4,200

Design, construction and life cycle support of submarines for the U.S. Navy

2020: 2

Raytheon IDS | raytheon.com Thomas Kennedy, chairman and CEO, Raytheon Co.; Wesley Kremer, president, IDS

1847 West Main Road Portsmouth, R.I. 02871 (401) 842-5438

1,039

Electronic and weapons systems integrator for the U.S. Navy and international navies

3 2020: 6

Blount Fine Foods Corp. | blountfinefoods.com Todd Blount, president

630 Currant Road Fall River, Mass. 02720 (774) 888-1300

946

Manufacturing and marketing of gourmet soups and sides, and meals

4 2020: 8

Amgen Inc. | amgen.com Robert Bradway, chairman and CEO; Brian Britson, Rhode Island site vice president of operations

40 Technology Way West Greenwich, R.I. 02817 (401) 392-1200

903

Developer and manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette

5 2020: 3

Sensata Technologies Inc. | sensata.com Jeffrey Cote, president, sensing solutions, and chief operating officer 1

529 Pleasant St. Attleboro, Mass. 02703 (508) 236-3800

900

Custom-engineered sensors and controls, including Airpax, DeltaTech, Dimensions, Klixon, Qinex, Schrader and Sensor-NITE

NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

6 2020: 4

Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Corp. | josephabboud.com Joseph Bahena, senior vice president

689 Belleville Ave. New Bedford, Mass. 02745 (508) 999-1301

837

Joseph Abboud sportcoats, suits and trousers

Toray Plastics (America) Inc. | toraytpa.com Akihiro Nikkaku, CEO, president and chief operating officer, Toray Industries Inc.; Michael Brandmeier, CEO and president, Toray Plastics (America) Inc.

50 Belver Ave. North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 294-4511

705

Polyester and polypropylene film manufacturing

Schneider Electric | schneider-electric.com Annette Clayton, North America CEO and president

132 Fairgrounds Road South Kingstown, R.I. 02892 (401) 789-5735

578

Energy-management and efficiency technologies

FOOTNOTES j Replaced Martha Sullivan on March 1, 2020.

2020: 9

Tiffany & Co. 2 | tiffany.com Alessandro Bogliolo, CEO

300 Maple Ridge Drive Cumberland, R.I. 02864 (401) 288-0100

548

Bracelets, charms, engagement rings, home accessories, necklaces, NFL Vince Lombardi Trophy, watches

10 2020: 11

Taco Inc. 3 | taco-hvac.com John Hazen White Jr., chairman and CEO; Cheryl Merchant, president

1160 Cranston St. Cranston, R.I. 02920 (401) 942-8000

 Tiffany & Co. was acquired

by Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Societe Europeenne, also known as LVMH, on Nov. 25, 2019.

500

Circulators, controls, pumps and valves for HVAC systems

11 2020: 10

Teknor Apex Co. | teknorapex.com Jonathan D. Fain, Chairman and CEO; Suresh Swaminathan, President

505 Central Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02861 (401) 725-8000

496

Custom compounder of advanced polymer materials

2020: 13

12

LeachGarner | leachgarner.com Tom Kimble, president

49 Pearl St. Attleboro, Mass. 02703 (800) 225-2706

460

Precious-metal raw materials (Stern Metals), chain (Excell) and jewelry products (General Findings)

13

Amtrol Inc. | amtrol.com Greg Shakley, general manager

1400 Division Road West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 884-6300

396

HVAC: Extrols, Therm-x-Trols, pressure-rated cylinders; water systems: well-water systems, water treatment

Systems Engineering Associates Corp. 4 | seacorp.com Brian Gilligan, owner and CEO; David Lussier, president

62 Johnnycake Hill Road Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-2260

384

Systems and software engineering, program and financial management, research and development

15

AstroNova Inc. | astronovainc.com Gregory Woods

600 East Greenwich Ave. West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 828-4000

380

Manufacturer of associated software and consumables, data-acquisition systems, specialty printers

16

Technic Inc. | technic.com David Weisberg

47 Molter St. Cranston, R.I. 02910 (401) 781-6100

372

Analytical control systems, custom finishing equipment, engineered powders, specialty chemicals

17

KVH Industries Inc. | kvh.com Martin A. Kits van Heyningen, CEO

50 Enterprise Center Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-3327

275

Mobile satellite communications, TV antenna systems, precision navigation products for defense and commercial applications

18

Bradford Soap Works Inc. | bradfordsoap.com Stuart Benton

200 Providence St. West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 821-2141

267

Bar soap and other solid cleansing products, including shampoos/conditioners, shave and shower poufs

19

igus inc. | igus.com Richard Abbate, vice president

257 Ferris Ave. East Providence, R.I. 02916 (800) 521-2747

261

Adapter plates, custom cables, custom and standard metal brackets, and energy chain components

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence | hexagonmi.com Angus Taylor, president, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, North America

250 Circuit Drive North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 886-2000

260

3D laser scanners, computer-aided engineering/ manufacturing software

2020: 20

Brookwood Finishing 5 | brookwoodcos.com Amber Brookman, chairman and CEO; Regina Gallo Marquart, president

36 Sherman Ave. Richmond, R.I. 02836 (401) 364-3400

260

Commission finisher of woven synthetic fabrics for consumer, industrial and military markets

2020: 22

22

Herff Jones Inc. | herffjones.com Jeff Webb, chairman and CEO

150 Herff Jones Way Warwick, R.I. 02888 (401) 331-1240

250

Customized emblematic awards, plaques and trophies, championship and commercial awards, high school and college class rings

22

Infinity Fresh Kitchen | retailbusinessservices.com Roger Wheeler, president, retail business services

320 Commerce Park Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (617) 770-6996

250

Food products

2021 rank

1

2020: 1

2

7

2020: 7

8

2020: NL

9

2020: 15

14

2020: 14

2020: 16

2020: 17

2020: 18

2020: 26

2020: 19

20

2020: 20

20

2020: 23

Total number of local employees:

20,469

WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

NL = Not listed last year.

 Also known as Taco Comfort Solutions.  Also known as SEA Corp.  Previously listed as Kenyon Industries Inc.

www.pbn.com | MANUFACTURING AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | APRIL 2021

1 Replaced Martha Sullivan on March 1, 2020.

2 Tiffany & Co. was acquired by Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Societe Europeenne, also known as LVMH, on Nov. 25, 2019.

3 Also known as Taco Comfort Solutions.

| 25

MANUFACTURERS (ranked by number of local employees) MANUFACTURERS (ranked by number of local employees) Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

No. of local employees

Products

Nordson EFD | nordsonefd.com Sundaram Nagarajan, CEO and president, Nordson Corp.; Srinivas Subramanian, vice president and general manager, Nordson EFD

40 Catamore Blvd.

East Providence, R.I. 02914 (800) 556-3484

248

Precision fluid-dispensing solutions

2020: NL

25

Ahead LLC | aheadweb.com Anne Broholm, CEO

270 Samuel Barnet Blvd.

New Bedford, Mass. 02745 (508) 985-9898

238

Branded golf apparel, headwear and accessories

26

Becton, Dickinson and Co. 1 | bd.com Michael Garrison

100 Crossings Blvd.

Warwick, R.I. 02886 (800) 556-6275

27 2020: 27

International Packaging Corp. | interpak.com John Kilmartin, owner and CEO

2020: 27

27

29

2021 rank

24 2020: 24

228

Medical devices

517 Mineral Spring Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 724-1600

200

Custom-made branded presentation boxes, displays and packaging

V.H. Blackinton & Co. | blackinton.com Peter Roque, CEO and chief operating officer

221 John L. Dietsch Blvd.

Attleboro, Mass. 02763 (800) 699-4436

200

Custom metal badges, commendation bars, FlexBadge metallic emblems, medals

Tanury Industries | tanury.com Michael Akkaoui

6 New England Way Lincoln, R.I. 02865 (401) 333-9400

190

Electroplating, PVD and Cerakote coatings

2020: 25

Hope Global | hopeglobal.com Marcelino De Santiago, president and chief operating officer

50 Martin St. Cumberland, R.I. 02864 (401) 753-7800

185

Manufacturer of automotive, apparel and industrial products

31 2020: 30

Arnold Lumber Co. | arnoldlumber.com Allison Arnold and Kate Arnold Carret, co-presidents

251 Fairgrounds Road South Kingstown, R.I. 02892 (401) 783-2266

175

Sales and distribution of building materials, primarily to residential and commercial contractors

2020: 31

General Cable Corp. | prysmiangroup.com Valerio Battista, CEO, Prysmian Group; Paulo Gabrielli, Lincoln plant manager

3 Carol Drive Lincoln, R.I. 02865 (401) 333-4848

172

Wire and cable manufacturer

33 2020: 32

Mahr Inc. | mahr.com Bryan Orr, vice president of sales for the Americas, executive director

1144 Eddy St. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 784-3100

170

Dimensional metrology equipment and gauges; provides calibration and contract measurement services

2020: 33

Nye Lubricants Inc. 2 | nyelubricants.com George Mock

12 Howland Road Fairhaven, Mass. 02719 (508) 996-6721

165

Damping greases, NyeClean, NyeMed, NyeTorr, RheoLube, UniFlor-PFPE lubricants

35

Tri-Mack Plastics Manufacturing Corp. | trimack.com Ed Mack, CEO

55 Broadcommon Road, Unit 1 Bristol, R.I. 02809 (401) 253-2140

160

Components for the aerospace, chemical processing, electronics and industrial equipment markets; engineered thermoplastics

36

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging 3 | nelipak.com Roger Prevot, chairman and CEO; Pat Chambliss, chief operating officer

21 Amflex Drive Cranston, R.I. 02921 (401) 946-2699

151

Medical trays and pharmaceutical packaging

37

Safe Harbor New England Boatworks LLC | shmarinas.com Baxter Underwood, CEO; Rives Potts, president

1 Lagoon Road Portsmouth, R.I. 02871 (401) 683-4000

150

Boats

2020: 35

37

WaterRower | waterrower.com Peter King, CEO

520 Metacom Ave. Warren, R.I. 02885 (401) 247-7742

150

Indoor rowing fitness machines

2020: NL

39

Ximedica | ximedica.com Robert Brown, CEO

55 Dupont Drive Providence, R.I. 02907 (401) 330-3163

145

Product-development services for medical device and health care companies

2020: 39

40

John Matouk & Co. | matouk.com George Matouk Jr., CEO

925 Airport Road Fall River, Mass. 02720 (508) 997-3444

135

Fine bed and bath linens

40 2020: 37

Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA Inc. | finlays.net Michele Abo, CEO

10 Blackstone Valley Place and 81 Ocean State Drive Lincoln and North Kingstown, R.I. 02865 and 02852 (401) 333-3300

135

Coffee, syrups, coffee extracts, tea extracts, coffee on demand

2020: 37

Cooley Group 4 | cooleygroup.com Daniel Dwight

50 Esten Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 724-9000

130

Manufacturer of coated fabrics and polymer membranes

43

Anvil & Smith-Cooper International | anvileps.com Tom Fish, board chairman; Jason Hild, CEO

160 Frenchtown Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 886-3000

125

Engineered pipe supports for the power industry, both nuclear and commercial

2020: 41

44

Contech Medical | contechmedical.com Raymond Byrnes, CEO; Christopher Byrnes, president

99 Hartford Ave. Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 351-4890

110

Medical-device manufacturer

2020: 41

44

NFI Corp. | nficorp.com Renaud Megard

213 Theodore Rice Blvd.

New Bedford, Mass. 02745 (508) 998-9021

110

Graphic overlays, labels, membrane switches, sleeves

44 2020: 41

Dryvit Systems Inc. | dryvit.com R. Michael Murphy

1 Energy Way and 200 Frenchtown Road West Warwick and North Kingstown, R.I. 02893 and 02852 (800) 556-7752

110

Adhesives and base coats, air/vapor/water barriers, metallic coating, NewBrick, primers and sealers accessories, textured finishes

2020: 12

2020: 29

30

32

34

2020: 34

2020: 40

2020: 35

42

2020: NL

1 Also known as BD. 2 Nye Lubricants Inc. was acquired by the FUCHS Group of Dissen, Germany, on Dec. 31, 2019.

3 Nelipak Healthcare Packaging was acquired by Kohlberg & Co. LLC of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., on July 3, 2019. The company merged with Bemis Healthcare Packaging Europe on

Aug. 8,| 2019, and the combined company will operate under the Nelipak Packaging brand. n MANUFACTURING 26 APRIL 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWSHealthcare AWARDS | www.pbn.com 4 Cooley Group was acquired by its executive leadership in collaboration with J.H. Witney Capital Partners, a private-equity firm, on Jan. 4.

CLOSER LOOK

Just missed the list:

1 (tie)

VIBCO Inc. No. of employees: 100

1 (tie)

Yushin America Inc. No. of employees: 100

3

Swarovski Optik North America Ltd. No. of employees: 99

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

NL = Not listed last year.

FOOTNOTES j Also known as BD.  Nye Lubricants Inc. was acquired by the FUCHS Group of Dissen, Germany, on Dec. 31, 2019.  Nelipak Healthcare Packaging was acquired by Kohlberg & Co. LLC of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., on July 3, 2019.

The company merged with Bemis Healthcare Packaging Europe on Aug. 8, 2019, and the combined company will operate under the Nelipak Healthcare Packaging brand.

4 Cooley Group was acquired by its executive leadership in collaboration with J.H. Witney Capital Partners, a privateequity firm, on Jan. 4.

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