PBN August 6-19, 2021

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN pbn.com

CELEBRATING

35 YEARS: 1986-2021

SPECIAL SECTION

PBN’s 2021 Healthiest Employers Awards

AUGUST 6-19, 2021

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS Yewchanang Tan | 15

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 36, NO. 7 | $5

UNCHARTERED TRAINING

Home or office? Worker morale is in the balance

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

FREE PIZZA FOR LUNCH MAY NOT outweigh the conveniences of working at home. But it can, perhaps, sweeten the deal for those reluctant to return to an office environment.

This is the hope at BankNewport. Ahead of an official hybrid model blending in-office and remote work starting after Labor Day, the bank has created summer social events such as “Pizza Wednesdays” to get its work-fromhome staff to see the benefits of a return to the office.

FOCUS: HUMAN RESOURCES

How will the region build workforce for new wind sector?

SEE WORKERS

PAGE 18

BY MARC LAROCQUE | Larocque@PBN.com

TOILING

hundreds of feet above the open ocean, sometimes amid stormy weather and battering waves, technicians in the offshore wind industry need not only be skilled at installing and maintaining turbines. They must be prepared for the worst.

The depth of training required and the potential of the emerging offshore wind sector to pump billions of dollars into the regional economy now has colleges, government agencies, nonprofits and private stakeholders ramping up efforts to prepare the pipeline of skilled workers needed to build and maintain massive wind turbines off the southern New England coast.

But there are also challenges in readying a workforce for an industry that doesn’t yet exist in the U.S. and still may be many more years SEE TRAINING

LOOMING LARGE: A boat carrying a group of Rhode Island high schoolers circles the base of one of the massive turbines of the Block Island Wind Farm. Students have been participating in Wind Win RI, a career pathway program for the offshore wind industry.

COURTESY DOUG LEARNED/LUCKY DAWG PHOTOGRAPHY

PAGE 12

Congratulations Winners

ONE LAST THING

Arnold “Buff” Chace Jr. Focus on the long term | 30

for more information turn to page 21

CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY UNCHARTERED TRAINING How will the region build workforce

400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903

for new wind sector?............................................................. 1

Main Phone: 401-273-2201

FOR STARTERS Trending: Most-read stories on PBN.com, July 2021.........3

Subscription Services: 855-813-5805

5Q: Stephen D. Zubiago.......................................................4 Dining Out: A movement or a mistake?..............................5

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

Spotlight: Be Moore Interpreting LLC................................ 6 Something New: The Diamond Bar LLC............................ 6

5Q | 4

Hot Topic: Is business loan fund too restrictive?...............7 Business Women: Office design was her direct path to success................... 8

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

Another Look: Black business group slams state for lack of minority contracting...................... 9 What’s Happening...............................................................10 Everybody’s Business: A diverse customer base is his new aim........................... 15

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

IT’S PERSONAL People in the News.............................................................24 Mackay’s Moral.................................................................. 25 Guest Column: Donald Nokes........................................... 26 Guest Column: Jennifer A. Jones..................................... 26 Editorials and Opinion....................................................... 28 One Last Thing: Arnold “Buff” Chace Jr.......................... 32

EDITORIAL

SOMETHING NEW | 6

FOCUS: HUMAN RESOURCES

Home or office? Worker morale is in the balance

Editor@PBN.com | Fax: 401-274-0670 Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820 | Mello@PBN.com Managing Editor: William Hamilton 680-4826 | Hamilton@PBN.com

As pandemic restrictions ease, employers must find a way to balance a return to the office with some employees’ desire to continue working remotely, at least part of the time........................................................ 1

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

Teens come to rescue in struggle to find help

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

As the U.S. economy recovers from the pandemic recession faster than expected, teens are filling jobs that older workers can’t or won’t, especially at restaurants, tourism and entertainment businesses....... 20

Special Projects Editor/Researcher: James Bessette 680-4838 | Bessette@PBN.com

Lists

(EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

Executive Recruiters........................................................... 19

Staff Writers:

Executive Compensation................................................... 22

Marc Larocque 680-4830 | Larocque@PBN.com

Staffing Firms..................................................................... 23

BUSINESS WOMEN | 8

(HEALTH CARE, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

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

THIS EDITION’S FEATURED COMPANIES Atlantic Wind Transfers

New Localism Associates LLC

14

BankNewport

1

New Wing Kee Barbeque & Poultry

15

Be Moore Interpreting LLC

6

North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce

14

Boston Energy Wind Power Services Inc.

14

Cassius Shuman 680-4884 | Shuman@PBN.com

12

Office Direct Cannava Design Ltd.

Bristol Community College

12

Rhode Island Black Business Association

Brown University

24

Rhode Island Foundation

Butler & Associates Human Resources Consulting

18

Rhode Island Hospital

Center for Southeast Asians

15

R.I. Commerce Corp.

Community College of Rhode Island

12

R.I. Department of Labor and Training

Dominion Diagnostics LLC

18

Flo’s Clam Shack

5

GEV Wind Power US LLC

12

Good Fortune Supermarket

15

Harrison Law Associates Johnson & Wales University NetCenergy LLC

9 8, 15 26

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

R.I. Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity

8 9 29 8 7, 14 14 9

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future

14

The College Crusade of Rhode Island

18

The Diamond Bar LLC

6

The Farmlink Project

24

The Hire

18

University of Rhode Island

14

www.facebook.com/providencebusinessnews @provbusnews www.linkedin.com/company/providence-business-news

2 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.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.

FOR STARTERS

TRENDING

Most-read stories on PBN.com, June 2021

1

3

RIDE, R.I. Department of Human Services ­announce Summer P-EBT benefits POSTED ONLINE: JULY 6 The R.I. Department of Education and the R.I. Department of Human Services said the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service approved extending the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer program for the summer months. With the state expected to receive $45.1 million for the program, children will have the ability to access food in July and August. bit.ly/2VcemE0

2

Brown University purchases River House for $75M for student housing POSTED ONLINE: JULY 22 Brown University, through a subsidiary named River House Holdings LLC, has purchased River House, a 174-unit residential COURTESY BRUCE T. MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY building located at 1 Point St., Providence.

The building, constructed in 2019, will be used to house Brown graduate students and medical students. Brown paid $75 million for the property. bit.ly/3llSf8V

4

PBN announces Leaders & Achievers honorees POSTED ONLINE: JULY 1 Providence Business News selected 22 honorees for its 2021 Leaders & Achievers Awards program. The honorees for the program – now in its third year – were chosen from nominees based on their leadership, achievements and longstanding commitment to the business community. bit.ly/3lkIhon

5

PBN FILE PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

Young professionals honored at PBN’s 40 Under Forty ceremony POSTED ONLINE: JULY 23 Forty business professionals were honored at Aldrich Mansion in Warwick for their efforts in the workplace and community at Providence Business News’ 17th annual 40 Under Forty Awards program. The 2021 class is made up of 22 women and 18 men representing various industries. bit.ly/3rM0zzS

COURTESY CITY OF PROVIDENCE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

12-story apartment building proposed for Jewelry District POSTED ONLINE: JULY 9 The city of Providence began reviewing plans for a 12-story residential building in the Jewelry District, on a site now occupied by parking lots. The property, at 137-151 Friendship St. and 194 Pine St., is in an area seeing a wave of new residential construction. The building would contain about 225 apartments. bit.ly/3jdJ3Rj

6

R.I. Office of Revenue Analysis: Film tax credit program rife with compliance problems POSTED ONLINE: JULY 15 bit.ly/3C96vI0

7

R.I.’s COVID-19 state of emergency extended through Aug. 6 POSTED ONLINE: JULY 9 bit.ly/3C5o77N

8

R.I. falls short of minority, women contracting requirement POSTED ONLINE: JULY 26 bit.ly/3lqLeUi

9

Green energy developer: Veto could hinder future projects POSTED ONLINE: JULY 16 bit.ly/3C88MDd

10

Downtown Woonsocket getting a higher ed boost PUBLISHED IN PRINT: JULY 23 bit.ly/3rO0fAF

CELEBRATE THE WINNERS SEPTEMBER 23 | OMNI HOTEL

REGISTER AT PBN.COM

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PARTNER SPONSORS

Accounting Tax Advisory

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact 680.4800 or Advertising@PBN.COM www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 3

FOR STARTERS

5Q: Stephen D. Zubiago CEO and managing partner, Nixon Peabody LLP

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

1

In your new role as CEO and managing partner of Nixon Peabody, how do you plan to champion diversity and inclusion?

As CEO and managing partner, I have the privilege of working closely with our firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion director and management committee to expand our firm’s leadership role on this front. For example, our firm is a founder of Diversity Lab’s Move the Needle Fund, a collaborative effort among four law firms, in-house counsel and community leaders aimed at creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession.

attorneys of color, while four of the seven new equity partners are diverse.

About 40% of our leadership roles today are held by women, racially diverse, or LGBTQ+ attorneys, and we have a diverse C-suite.

4

What ways has Nixon Peabody woven diversity and inclusion into the firm’s culture?

In recent months, Nixon Peabody has continued to host widely attended programs on racial equity, unconscious bias and other topics, while encouraging open dialogue among supervisors and their teams. Programs like these … deepen our understanding of these issues and reinforce our culture.

2

How are you attracting diverse talent and promoting equitable leadership?

Our firm’s priority has always been to attract, retain and promote talented individuals who embody an array of racial, ethnic, social, economic, religious and personal backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations. …

We have an active Diversity Recruiting Initiative, in which at least 20% of the candidates interviewed for lateral associate positions must be from an underrepresented group, racially diverse, LGBTQ+, attorneys with disabilities, veterans, or first-generation.

5

How important is it to actively promote diversity and inclusion inside and outside of your organization?

We understand that diversity and inclusion initiatives are hugely important within our firm and the impact they can have on the communities where we work. It isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also good for the future of our organization when our personnel more accurately reflect our clients and our communities. Next, we are willing to take a public stand on issues that relate to our culture and vision.

We have done that recently on matters relating to hate crimes and voting rights. n

3 PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

BOOK OF

LISTS

How has Nixon Peabody shaped the firm to reflect its efforts in becoming more diverse and inclusive?

This year, we promoted nine attorneys to income partner and seven to equity partner. Nearly 60% of this year’s income partner class are women and

We are willing to take a public stand on issues that relate to our culture and vision.

OSURE P X E HS OF T PANY N O M O M C 2 R PUT 1 R YOU O F K R TO WO

2022

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN 2021

BOOK OF LISTS 120+ LISTS | 800+ COMPANIES | 1,500+ EXECUTIVES

Be Seen by Rhode Island’s Business Leaders ALL YEAR LONG ~ BE IN THE BOOK Premium positions still available Publishes January 21, 2022 | Secure ad space by December 10, 2021 Contact your account manager at 401-680-4800 or Advertising@PBN.com

PRESENTING SPONSOR

BOL2021Covers.indd 1

4 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

PARTNER SPONSORS

12/9/20 2:44 PM

FOR STARTERS DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

A movement or a mistake?

A GROUNDSWELL OR GRASSROOTS movement, in most cases, must happen of its own accord. But what if the organizers tried to start a grassroots movement and nobody showed up? Or if the “common people” tried to talk the organizers out of the movement?

That might be how things turn out at Flo’s Clam Shack in Middletown and Portsmouth. On July 21, the proprietor took a bold step and removed the restaurant’s namesake dish from the menu, at least in part.

In his social media post, owner Komes Rozes laid out his case for taking a stand. As he put it, he is facing “the absolute highest price for frying clams anyone in this business has ever seen.” As one observer who is a longtime acquaintance of Rozes said, he was taking out his frustration on the high prices he and other restaurateurs were facing. The immediate reaction was, who isn’t frustrated and outright angry with the crushing burden of exorbitant costs from every corner on every single item in the world? Of course, anger is only a click away for denizens of social media.

The question that should be asked is: when were we not at least a little miffed at the price of clams?

For that matter, when were we ever content with the “market price” of shellfish, lobster and even tuna? We seem to have forgotten the annual summer tradition of “sticker shock” when we would open our menus or walk up to our favorite seafood place and get our first look at the season’s prices for steamers, littlenecks, fried clams, lobster rolls, fisherman’s platters and the like. There is always a reason – the weather here or somewhere else, the

economy, exports, imports. This year, everything can be blamed on the pandemic.

It was probably always the same. In the book, “Lost Restaurants of Providence,” downtown Providence eateries in the 1940s and 1950s charged about $1 for “Ipswich clams.” A restaurant called Armand’s, which served from the 1950s through the 1980s, would do what many places did at that time – cross out the printed menu price and handwrite the increased price. Armand’s increased its price for clams – assumedly fried although not specified on the menu – to 90 cents. A fried seafood platter fetched 95 cents. It is easy to speculate that our grandparents shook their heads at those prices, given a newspaper at the time cost a penny and a gallon of gasoline a dime.

My radio listeners had a different perspective.

No one was happy at the news from Flo’s, but the point of view of those who called in was that the decision to yank the clams from the menu may have been too hasty. One caller, who disclosed that he was an acquaintance of the proprietor, called it a “marketing mistake” and mused, “What is he going to call [the restaurant], Flo’s Grilled Cheese?”

The next caller said he would be willing to pay a little extra and to let the customer make the call.

Hardly the shouting found on social media.

It turns out things are not as dire out at Flo’s as they appear. Other clam dishes are still on the menu – clam strips, chowder and stuffies.

The owner acknowledges that scallops and fried oysters are still being served. The proprietor and his pet plastic shark out front may stand alone in their single-minded quest. Flo’s actual customers

The decision to yank the clams from the menu may have been too hasty.

MENU CHANGE: Flo’s Clam Shack owner Komes Rozes has temporarily stopped selling fried clams in protest of the high prices for clams.

COURTESY FLO’S CLAM SHACK

appear to be willing to show their support by doing a little clam digging of their own – deeper in their pockets to enjoy one of the treats of a Rhode Island summer. 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.

PBN OPTIONS TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR CUSTOMERS ... NOW MORE THAN EVER. PBN BRANDED CONTENT >> A powerful opportunity to leverage the PBN brand and audience.

Content Marketing builds confidence in your brand and accelerates the conversion of leads to sales by creating and publishing content that your customers find valuable.

WE PROVIDE A PLATFORM where you can SHARE original content, SHOWCASE your company’s expertise and CAPTURE prospects by building engagement.

PBN CO-BRANDED EMAILS >> You provide the art, the message, the subject line, and WE DELIVER it to the PBN email database of 25,000+.

This is a great way to deliver your message direct to the inboxes of our highly engaged audience.

Contact your account manager for details or email Advertising@PBN.com for more information

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 5

FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

A NICE PAIRING: The Diamond Bar LLC, a custom design and retail jewelry store that sells engagement diamonds and has an in-store bar, is owned and run by Steve and Zhabrina Maniscalco.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Jewelers shine with new store

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

BUYING A DIAMOND doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience. The Diamond Bar LLC, a newly opened retail jeweler in Providence, is adding cheer to the four-Cs of diamonds – carat, cut, clarity and color – with an in-store bar and relaxed atmosphere.

The business, owned by Steve and Zhabrina Maniscalco, opened in February at 387 Wickenden St. The store features lab-grown, or synthetic, and mined diamonds, as well as jewelry repair, appraisal and design services. In addition to rings, the couple sells necklaces and other gemstones.

As an independent retailer, Steve Maniscalco said he can offer specialized service. And Zhabrina Maniscalco is fluent in Spanish.

“We are the young, fun, hip, bilingual jewelry store, with a bar in the store,” Steve Maniscalco said.

This year, the market for engagement diamonds is predominantly millennial buyers who want a ring that is beautiful and well-crafted but not over-thetop. Stylistically, many want a simple look.

“A thin, classic diamond band with a single stone on top,” Steve Maniscalco said. “Stylistically, it’s about showcasing the diamond.” n

LINGUISTS: Be Moore Interpreting LLC co-founders and owners Zoila Bernal, left, and Shirley Moore stand outside of their office in Pawtucket. Moore, who often accompanied her parents and other adults on their visits to doctors, insurance companies and government offices to act as an interpreter, said the business was started to provide adult interpreters and translators so children wouldn’t have to take on that responsibility.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Getting messages across Interpreting and translation offered

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

SHIRLEY MOORE OPENED HER language interpretation and translation business in 2016, with a friend, Zoila Bernal. But Moore really started that work in childhood, accompanying her parents and other adults on their visits to doctors, insurance companies and government offices.

The business Moore opened in 2016 with Bernal, Be Moore Interpreting LLC, is aimed at making sure doctors, government agencies and school officials have a professional adult who can do the work of translating or interpreting when a client or customer has inadequate English skills.

Five years after the founding, the small company based in Pawtucket has three employees and a cadre of contract interpreters who have broadened the available interpretation and translation services to include French, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Lao and Mandarin.

Translation, which applies to written documents, and interpretation, which is an oral skill, require concentration and attention to detail, as well as an ability to make

all the participants feel confident.

Initially, the business worked most often with schools, including private and traditional public schools, as well as charter schools and universities. It also works with the federal court system, providing interpretation for detainees at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, for example.

More recently, Moore and Bernal have started working more closely with nonprofits, as well as unions that have training sessions for ­employees.

Moore, who was born in Puerto Rico, said she often acted as an interpreter or translator for her mother, who still is not fluent in English. She started working in the interpretation field at 14. She went on to get her bachelor’s degree in human services, from Springfield College, and a master’s degree in

OWNERS: Shirley Moore and Zoila Bernal

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Interpreting and translation services

LOCATION: 33 Summer St., Pawtucket

EMPLOYEES: Three

6 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

organizational leadership.

In 2016, she and Bernal, a native of Chiclayo, Peru, opened their business together. Bernal, who has a degree in psychology from Ricardo Palma University in Peru, came to Rhode Island about 16 years ago and worked as a social worker and a therapist. She manages the finances of the business, as well as translation.

Moore said she was inspired after participating in an entrepreneurship boot camp. The instructor asked her what she did that she could monetize.

“I said interpreting. I had been interpreting since I was 6 years old,” Moore said.

Moore said the goal of their business is to help people be understood, without relying on family members for support or having to expose the challenges of their lives to their own children.

“I was that kid,” she said. “I was the kid whose mother took her out of school to go to doctor’s appointments. The reason why Be Moore is here is because I want kids to be kids.” n

YEAR FOUNDED: 2016 ANNUAL SALES: $120,000 in 2020

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC

Is business loan fund too restrictive?

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

TWO YEARS HAVE PASSED since lawmakers approved a controversial program giving investment firms tax credits in exchange for investing money in local companies, but only one firm has signed on so far and none of the investments have begun flowing yet.

So is the Small Business Development Fund a flop? Many state officials, including those who originally supported the program, say it’s too soon to tell.

Rep. Joseph J. Solomon, D-Warwick, who sponsored the 2019 House legislation, said he would have liked to see more than one investment firm participating by this point. But he was hopeful the program could still achieve its intended goal: helping small businesses secure private funding.

“With COVID, things have changed, so it’s not surprising to see some setbacks,” Solomon said.

Indeed, Enhanced Capital Group LLC, the Louisiana firm that state officials approved to give out $20 million in loans to local small businesses in exchange for credits on its insurance premium taxes, has adapted its program to specifically cater to business-

es hurt by the pandemic, said Gingee Prince, the company’s chief impact officer and managing director.

Enhanced Capital was one of three firms that originally applied for a share of the $42 million in tax credits authorized in the General Assembly in 2019. But the rules set out by lawmakers in the budget were changed by R.I. Commerce Corp., intended to add protections against what some saw as an economic development tool that was too risky.

All three firms’ original applications were rejected, and they had

to reapply under the new rules.

The companies’ leaders at the time criticized the state for burdensome requirements that made it impossible to participate, various news outlets reported.

Of the original three, two reapplied, but only Enhanced Capital was approved to participate, according to R.I. Commerce spokesman Brian Hodge.

Prince acknowledged that the Rhode Island program was more restrictive than other states with similar programs. Ultimately, the Small Business Development Fund fit with the firm’s mission to invest in small and underserved businesses, so it chose to continue.

“I think Commerce may have went a little bit more strict with safeguards than originally intended,” Solomon said.

But he stopped short of criticizing

‘With COVID … it’s not surprising to see some setbacks.’

JOSEPH J. SOLOMON, state representative, D-Warwick

YEARS 1986-2021

these changes, saying he respected a separation of powers.

No other firms have applied to participate, Hodge said, citing “very defined eligibility requirements.”

Gov. Daniel J. McKee called for changes that would have let more types of lenders participate and expanded the taxes for which credits could be applied, McKee spokeswoman Alana O’Hare said in an email.

But that section of his state budget proposal was removed by lawmakers before approval in June. Why? In an emailed statement, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said, “There has not been enough information gathered to know whether the program is working as intended yet.”

Enhanced Capital began accepting loan applications from eligible Rhode Island businesses earlier this year. So far, none of the $20 million has been loaned, though Prince expected to have deals in the coming weeks once the firm’s own investors close their funding.

The tax credits aren’t issued until years four to six of the six-year program, according to the legislation, which also lets the state recapture credits if participating investment firms don’t spend the money as ­intended. n

CELEBRATE PBN’S 35 YEARS OF BUSINESS JOURNALISM.

BE A PART OF THE COMMEMORATIVE, KEEPSAKE BOOK. RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY. FOR SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT ADVERTISING@PBN.COM 401-680-4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 7

FOR STARTERS | BUSINESS WOMEN

Office design was her direct path to success

BY SUSAN SHALHOUB | Contributing Writer

PHYLLIS

Cannava will be the first to tell you that she’s not one to sit around – on office chairs or any other seating, for that matter.

That’s why the 78-year-old owner of Office Direct Cannava Design Ltd. will remain a sales representative of the company she founded in 1989 when she steps down in a couple of years. She plans to hand the reins to senior designer Meghan Robinson, who joined the company in 2005.

“That way, I will be able to play more tennis, but I’ll still be here, still doing what I love,” Cannava said.

The thought of completely leaving the company she has built for more than three decades isn’t on her radar just yet.

Based in Warwick, with just four employees – “we are small but deadly,” Cannava says – Office Direct is a commercial furniture dealership that offers clients better prices over competitors, as it buys directly from manufacturers. It also purchases materials such as discontinued flooring at deep discounts for clients, along with refurbished, previously owned items, such as workstations.

Cannava finds it especially rewarding to save money for her clients that run nonprofit organizations, where every budget dollar counts.

She started the company after a divorce, and after years of working in the then-male-dominated furniture sales industry when she saw what her employers in the furniture business did wrong. Not appreciating their employees was one mistake. When her final employer went into its fourth bankruptcy and her commission check was not forthcoming, it was a sign that something drastic had to be done. A new business was born.

“I always believe that if you seek, you find,” she said.

In the early days, Office Direct – which she started out of her house after she remortgaged it to finance the business — included client meetings in her living room and sample books spread out in spare bedrooms. From there, the company moved to space in the Pontiac Mills in Cranston, then to its current home on Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick.

Now Office Direct has clients across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. The company works with large institutions

DESIGNING WOMEN: Phyllis Cannava, right, president of Office Direct Cannava Design Ltd., a commercial furniture dealership in Warwick, looks over samples and blueprints with senior designer Meghan Robinson, left, and designer Meghan Ryan.

PBN PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM

‘I see “no” as the beginning of “yes.” ’ PHYLLIS CANNAVA, Office Direct Cannava Design Ltd. owner 8 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

such as Johnson & Wales University and Rhode Island Hospital and smaller organizations in the educational and medical sectors, as well as senior living and hospitality.

Most interior designers are not dealers, she noted, but Office Direct is both focused on design (the colors and tone of a client’s business card make a good starting point for how a space can look, she says) and purchases directly from manufacturers.

“We go directly to purchase artwork, seating, flooring, whatever [the clients] need, and deliver and install,” Cannava said. “We’re a one-stop shop, which is nice for the client. We can bring in contractors if they need to take down walls, or we can bring in architects. We know how to value engineer.”

Maintaining professional relationships and seeing opportunities to start new ones has helped the company offer the full gamut to its clients, whether it is offering services or products directly or outsourcing.

These relationships also came in handy during the pandemic, according to Cannava. Office Direct was already in the process of providing interiors for several large buildings, she said. But far-off arrival dates with items such as refrigerators for office kitchens produced a lot of uncertainty in projects. It helped to have strong bonds with many suppliers.

“I see ‘no’ as the beginning of ‘yes.’

I would look at my options, and if one doesn’t work, I’d look at another, or another,” she said. “I’ve been in business so long that the manufacturing reps are there for us and we’ve built relationships along the way.”

Cannava also fosters connections among reps, clients, contractors and others, introducing them to one another.

“I believe in giving back and introducing people to people,” she said.

“For example, we have a client who owns a dental office who has used us and trusts us. They may relocate, so I just introduced him to a larger construction company that does great work. This way, when he finds a space, he doesn’t have to get different bids. I said, ‘Hey, did you meet so-andso, can I have him call you?’ ” Cannava credited her participation in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program with giving her the educational and support tools she needed to start the Office Direct Branded Interiors offering. It began with a client opening 70 identical offices and sending just blueprints looking for design help.

“It did take a little fieldwork” to get logistics set up, Cannava said. But in the end, the client had identical offices across the country, with branded color schemes so that their customers knew where they were when they entered those locations.

The Goldman Sachs course, she said, showed her it was possible to complete the task.

“We had to call around to find warehouses that would accept the deliveries, but they appreciated the business,” she said. “We were forerunners. You seek, you find.” n

PBN.COM | ANOTHER LOOK Black business group slams state for lack of minority contracting

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on July 29.)

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Black Business Association had harsh words for state officials after a recent report revealed continued noncompliance with the state’s own regulations around contracting with minorityowned businesses.

The association in a statement and press conference on July 29 criticized Gov. Daniel J. McKee and the General Assembly for “sitting on their hands” when it comes to supporting the Black business community. The criticism came after recent data from the R.I. Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity shows the state again fell short of the requisite 10% of contracts spent on certified minority- and womenowned businesses in fiscal 2020. The state previously said the reason why just 7.86% of contracts and purchase orders in fiscal 2020 went to minority and women-owned businesses was due to the pandemic, during which time former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo suspended the requirement to meet minimum standards for minority business contracting.

But previous data shows the state has only made good on its 1986 law twice – in fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

“After six governors, absolutely nothing quantifiable has been done to improve the lives of Black and brown people in Rhode Island,” Lisa Ranglin, executive director for the Rhode Island Black Business Association, said in a statement. “The data we do have provides evidence consistent with a system hell-bent on upholding the pillars of systemic racism and a lack of commitment by state leaders to changing the outcomes of Black and brown Rhode Islanders.”

A recent study commissioned

by ODEO also found that the state statistically discriminated against minority-owned businesses, awarding contracts and purchase orders to them far less frequently then their availability within the state would suggest they could procure. While the report was commissioned to address long-standing problems with compliance on minority-business contracts, the estimated $500,000 cost and delayed release – eight months after it was finished – also prompted criticism from Black business leaders.

Ranglin called the “lack of depth” in the study “unacceptable and reprehensible.”

In an emailed response, ODEO spokesman Derek Gomes said the review of the study “remains ongoing” and that the department “will continue to consult with and solicit feedback from stakeholders to determine what can be done to improve the MBE program, make it more accessible for the

MBE community, and increase the utilization rate.”

Addressing the timing of the report, Gomes said that although a draft was completed in March, the state was working with its consultant to review and finalize the study prior to making it public in July.

Alongside its criticism, association expressed support for the recommendations made in the study, and it offered additional suggestions including better record-keeping of minority subcontractor information, which the report said the state had not tracked.

The association also called for creating a separate contract compliance office outside of state government to monitor and enforce state requirements.

“The real problem is there are so many moving parts to the state of Rhode Island’s procurement process that it is difficult to point the finger at a single person or source of the problem,” Casby Harrison, owner and litigator at Harrison Law Associates, said in a statement. “Without one general, one powerful person that can be held accountable for the program’s success, the program is doomed to failure and without a mandate from the top, there is no incentive to make the MBE program work.”

The association in its statement did not address the efforts the state said it has already made to improve compliance the program, which allowed it to meet and exceed the 10% goal in fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

Ranglin did not respond to inquiries for additional comment. n

Home Equity Line of Credit

1.79

As low as

APR

Intro fixed rate for first 12 billing cycles

2.75

APR

After first 12 billing cycles

No title, application or closing costs.

Learn more at navigantcu.org or by calling 401-233-4700.

Promotional rate effective as of 8/2/21. Advertised Introductory Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 1.79% is the lowest available and is fixed for the first 12 months. Offer based on individual credit worthiness. After initial 12 monthly billing cycles, rate automatically reverts to a variable rate of interest as low as Prime minus 0.50% as published in the Wall Street Journal 30 days before the date of any rate adjustment. As of 7/10/21 Prime Rate was 3.25%. Interest rate and line amount determined by individual creditworthiness and subject to loan-to-value ratio of 80%. Offer limited to 1-4 family owner-occupied primary residence properties only. Property insurance (and flood insurance if applicable) required. Offer and rate is subject to change at any time without notice. Other terms and restrictions may apply. APR will not exceed 18% with a minimum APR of 2.75%. Existing NCU home equity lines/loans are not eligible for refinance with this promotion. Federally insured by NCUA.

WELCOMES PARTNER SPONSOR

STATING HER CASE: Lisa Ranglin, executive director for the Rhode Island Black Business Association, criticized state lawmakers for a continued history of noncompliance with state laws around contracting with minority businesses.

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 9

FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING Building new relationships

Establishing connections

THE SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold a First Friday Coffee networking event, co-hosted by South County Habitat for Humanity and Seaworthy Coffee Roasters. The event is an opportunity for local business professionals to meet and build relationships with one another in a casual setting.

FRIDAY, AUG. 6, 8-9 A.M. $5/members; $10/nonmembers

THE GREATER PROVIDENCE Chamber of Commerce will hold its virtual Chamber Café networking session.

This event is designed for Chamber members to meet and make new connections, and to grow established business relationships. Attendees are encouraged to bring coffee and breakfast to their work or home office.

THURSDAY, AUG. 12, 8:30-9:30 A.M. Free

South County Habitat for Humanity, 1555 Shannock Road, Charlestown.

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/y2u9pmpb

TAKING QUESTIONS: Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell will take questions from the public during the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce’s Quarterly Q&A virtual event on Aug. 10.

COURTESY SHAUNNA O’CONNELL

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Meeting the mayor THE TAUNTON AREA Chamber of Commerce will host a Quarterly Q&A virtual event, featuring Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell. Attendees will receive an update on what’s currently impacting the city and have the opportunity to ask the mayor questions. The city’s economic director, Bill Roth, will also be part of the event taking questions.

TUESDAY, AUG. 10, 10 A.M. Free/members; $10/nonmembers Online.

Work across boundaries THE TRI-TOWN Chamber of Commerce’s Human Resources Council will hold a virtual workshop titled “Cultural Diversity: Working Across Boundaries.” The discussion will center around workplace diversity, considerations for managers and how to grow cultural awareness within your organization. Local corporate trainer Jen Vondenbrink will lead the discussion.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 11, 8-9 A.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/5kzrs85x

Presents

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/d3hwjs6a

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/yjv8kxwx

Construction convention THE JLC LIVE Residential Construction show, which attracts thousands of builders, remodelers and crews from across New England, will return to Providence. The event showcases almost 200 building product manufacturers and six live manufacturer-led building clinics. Additionally, there will be 11 live building clinics and Interested in having your businessrelated event included in What’s Happening? Contact PBN Researcher James Bessette at (401) 680-4838 or Research@PBN.com.

AUGUST 11

12 NOON EST

Patrick Lencioni

Building a Healthy Culture BE OUR GUEST. REGISTER NOW. 10 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Creator of Six Types of Working Genius and author of 12 bestsellers EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE Become an exclusive partner with PBN for this 2021 monthly webcast series.

For information contact your account manager or Advertising@PBN.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING | FOR STARTERS over 40 conference sessions, all led by nationally recognized experts who are available to sharpen both your business and your job site skills. The event is Providence’s first convention since March 2020.

THURSDAY, AUG. 12 THROUGH SATURDAY, AUG. 14, 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M. $35/exhibit hall pass; $350/all-access package R.I. Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/cwbjn96t

Healthy planning

Greenvale Vineyards, 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth.

local business marketing to quickly attract and activate customers that still want your products and services, even in an unpredictable market.

THURSDAY, AUG. 19, 10-11 A.M. Free

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/56nzfa83

Adapt your marketing

Online.

THE GREATER PROVIDENCE Chamber of Commerce will hold a workshop titled “How to Adapt Your Local Business Marketing.” The Chamber, along with Tom Canterino, founder and principal of LevelUp Digital Solutions, will discuss how to adapt your

Exploring resources

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/4vrm7wdd

programs and services that are offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration that can help a person’s 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.

THURSDAY, AUG. 19, NOON TO 1 P.M. Free Online.

THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold a workshop on how entrepreneurs can better understand

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/je3j7jph

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP INC., along with the Center for Women & Enterprise, will hold an online meeting on how to plan for a healthy business. The workshop will help attendees convert an idea into a resource plan, understand how a business plan helps motivate stakeholders to support business ideas, and understand the importance of personal credit and a healthy relationship with lenders.

THURSDAY, AUG. 12, NOON TO 1 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/xvzf257h

Learn basics of trademarks THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold a workshop titled “Trademark Basics.” The workshop will explore the different types of trademarks, including names, designs, logos and trade dress. It also will discuss strategies to perform a trademark search, strengthen descriptive marks, and layout the steps to file a trademark application and all fees associated with trademarks.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18, NOON TO 1 P.M. Free

Jocelyn L. Nacci

vp, relationship manager commercial banking 401.827.5225

Eric S. Lichatin

vp, relationship manager commercial banking 401.827.5286

Nayeli Munrayos

mortgage loan originator NMLS#1207936 401.263.4118 (Hablo Español)

Veronica Martinez

mortgage loan originator NMLS#2134071 401.827.5227 (Hablo Español)

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/pvyravb4

Growing your biz contacts THE GREATER NEWPORT Chamber of Commerce will hold a Yoga After Hours networking event as part of its Women in Business series. The yoga session will be led by Kate Ward of Innerlight Yoga, followed by a wine tasting and networking.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18, 5:30-7:30 P.M. $15/members; $20/nonmembers

UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The 2021 Leaders & Achievers Awards Program will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26, at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick.

For more information, visit PBN.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

Even more local lending expertise in Providence.

We’re expanding our team of experts to help you navigate the changing landscape of residential lending and commercial banking. Whether you need a mortgage or a commercial loan, contact us today to schedule an appointment in our convenient downtown Providence office.

Providence Loan Office

66 South Main St., Providence EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

NMLS#402947

Centreville-38571 New LPO team-727x10_PBN_f.indd 1

MEMBER FDIC

centrevillebank.com

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 6/7/21 2021 4:13| PM11

WIND WORKFORCE TRAINING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

in the making. Murky timelines for wind projects have complicated decisions on how to best offer specialized job training and safety certifications for the masses.

“Clearly, what you don’t want to do is be training someone to be an offshore technician now in 2021, if there’s not going to be a position for him or her until 2023,” said Neil Harvey, vice president of operations for Boston Energy Wind Power Services Inc., an United Kingdom-based company with U.S. headquarters in Providence that recruits and trains turbine technicians. “That person would become ‘deskilled’ if they weren’t kept busy in the industry, or would lose i­ nterest.”

Many are forging ahead despite the uncertainties.

The most recent example of regional training efforts is in New Bedford, where Bristol Community College is preparing to open the National Offshore Wind Institute with a capacity to train up to 100 workers at a time when it opens next year.

The 30,000-square-foot building – a former seafood packaging plant along the waterfront – will include classrooms, laboratories, climbing towers and a 9-foot-deep pool for hands-on lessons and safety exercises, according to Jennifer Menard, Bristol Community College interim vice president of economic and business development who is overseeing the launch of the institute.

Trainees will be taught industrycertified safety practices, activities such as how to disembark from a boat onto a turbine tower and how to climb to dizzying heights while using safety harnesses and a lifeline rope. Lessons will include worst-case scenarios, such as teaching trainees how to escape a submerged helicopter in case of a crash, Menard said.

POWERING UP: Regional officials are prepping the pipeline of workers who are expected to be needed to install and maintain wind turbines like those off Block Island in the coming years.

COURTESY ORSTED U.S. OFFSHORE WIND

‘Offshore wind is here and now.

It will be a reality in just a few years.’

LAURA DOUGLAS, Bristol Community College president In the Ocean State, plans are underway at the Community College of Rhode Island to offer a program that will provide safety certifications that will be required of offshore wind workers of the future. And there’s even an educational program aimed at exposing Rhode Island high schoolers to the career possibilities in the offshore wind sector. In four years, more than 250 students have participated in internships, educational projects and field trips to the Block Island Wind Farm as part of a program established by a local chamber of commerce.

But questions remain about when exactly a full-fledged offshore wind industry can take flight. Regulatory hurdles and legal challenges that have sunk projects in the past, such as the $2.6 billion Cape Wind project proposed in Nantucket Sound that was scrapped in 2017 after more than 15 years of planning. Also, projects still on the drawing boards have faced opposition from fishermen and environmentalists seeking protections for fish, birds and marine mammals, along with a legal challenge from a solar farm operator.

Nevertheless, public officials, educators and business stakeholders say they want to ensure the region is prepared to seize the windfall of wellpaying jobs when the time comes.

Menard said she believes there’s been a sea change on the federal level.

The Biden administration has set a target of establishing 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, which the federal government estimates will trigger more than $12 billion per year in capital investments and create 44,000 new jobs directly in the offshore wind sector. That means jobs such as building wind turbines and installing them at sea, along with operations and maintenance. The industry will also generate 33,000 new indirect jobs, such as the staff hired at hotels or restaurants located near project sites, along with transportation services for wind farm project workers.

“It’s now more of a ‘when’ than an ‘if’ for us,’” said Menard. “When President [Joe] Biden came in, that’s when the switch came on.”

Bristol Community College President Laura Douglas agreed.

12 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

TRAINING HUB: Jennifer Menard, left, interim vice president of economic and business development at Bristol Community College, and Laura Douglas, college president, stand outside the future home of the school’s National Offshore Wind Institute on the New Bedford waterfront.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

“Offshore wind in the U.S. has been kicked down the road for a while,” Douglas said. “Under the Biden administration, offshore wind is here and now. It will be a reality in just a few years.”

And while that lawsuit aims to halt the project, Vineyard Wind recently signed an agreement with Southeastern Massachusetts Building Trades Council for 500 union workers to be part of onshore construction and offshore installation, using the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal ‘FORECAST OF TALENT’ as a staging area.

Of those 44,000 estimated offshore “They can’t wait to recruit those wind jobs, 3,600 are expected by the workers then get them trained,” MeBiden administration to come from a 62-turbine project near Martha’s Vine- nard said. “Certainly, the expectation is we’ll be supporting construction, yard called Vineyard Wind, the U.S. operation and maintenance workers.” wind farm closest to clearing all reguBeyond Vineyard Wind, other latory hurdles. Most of those jobs will large projects are moving through the come from construction and installafederal and state regulatory process. tion. An analysis by the U.S. Bureau There’s the 12-turbine, 132-megawatt of Energy Management shows that just 80 Vineyard Wind jobs will last 25 South Fork Wind and the 88-turbine, 700-megawatt Revolution Wind projyears, before the project is eventually decommissioned. ects in Rhode Island.

A joint venture between a U.S. Also in the works is Sunrise Wind, subsidiary of Spanish energy giant a proposed farm that could eclipse the Iberdrola SA and the Denmark-based size of the Revolution Wind and would Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners feed power to New York. All three P/S, Vineyard Wind is due to start projects are slated to be constructed onshore construction later this year. It in Rhode Island Sound, between Block is expected to produce 800 megawatts Island and Martha’s Vineyard. of electricity – enough to power 400,000 Ahead of those projects, Rhode homes. The project’s timeline calls for Island has offered tax credits to compacable installation to start in 2022 with nies to establish training operations, turbine installation in 2023. including Boston Energy and turbine The 62-turbine Vineyard Wind maintenance company GEV Wind originally called for as many as 108 Power US LLC. But the facilities have turbines and then planned for 84 towyet to open.

GEV Vice President Daniel Boon ers, but project planners opted in late said earlier this year that a plan for a 2020 for an upgraded turbine model ­ ingstown that is able to produce more power per training center in North K was put on hold, and that the company tower with a height of 800 feet above was not confident it could hire 123 the water. wind turbine technicians by 2023, a However, the $2.8 billion project is condition for the company to receive now dealing with a lawsuit filed by a Connecticut solar farm operator claim- $1.9 million state job incentive tax credits. Boon did not respond to recent ing that federal officials overlooked environmental risks posed by the wind requests for comment.

The state is still working to estabfarm when they allegedly rushed the CONTINUES ON PAGE 14 approval of the upgraded turbines.

Building stronger communities in Rhode Island Bank of America is helping to meet the need for more affordable housing in neighborhoods across the country. Through Community Development Banking, we’re deepening our commitment to create more communities for people to call home.

In 2020, we committed $5.87 billion for affordable housing and economic development financing, resulting in over 13,000 housing units for people and families in need — many of which were constructed by diverse developers.

In addition, we’re joining Enterprise Community Partners to invest $60 million in capital to support minority developers and their work to build inclusive communities.

My teammates and I remain dedicated to helping more people find a place to live they can both love and afford. What would you like the power to do?®

Working together We’re also collaborating with organizations that are supporting affordable housing options here in Rhode Island.

They include: ONE Neighborhood Builders Pawtucket Central Falls Development NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley

Kevin Tracy President, Bank of America Rhode Island

Go to bankofamerica.com/community to learn more about the work we are doing with our incredible partners.

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender

© 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 13

WIND WORKFORCE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

lish Global Wind Organization-affiliated training facilities, in partnership with GEV and Boston Energy, said Nina Pande, executive director of the job-training nonprofit Skills for Rhode Island’s Future. But she acknowledged that timing the availability of technical training with offshore wind farm construction has been a challenge, and it was made more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Further adding to the challenge: The offshore wind sector is unchartered territory in the U.S. “We have been mapping out what the forecast of talent needs looks like, based on all of the new wind farms that have either been proposed or approved,” Pande said. “Part of the problem of building a workforce for wind energy is that there’s not a lot of context for what this workforce would look like. People don’t know much about what this work entails because it’s a new job type.”

The state does not yet have a reliable estimate for how many jobs will be created here, Pande said. That’s largely due to an unknown variable: the outcome of power-purchasing power – how much utilities such as National Grid will pay for the output from each wind farm.

The goal is that if Rhode Island becomes a major player in offshore wind, it could support more than 500 new jobs, including not just wind farm technicians and construction workers, but also direct support services and product suppliers, Pande said.

“It all depends on where the [installations] are going, how much power is coming to Rhode Island and how that is negotiated,” she said. “We haven’t validated those numbers because these [power purchasing] contracts are still being negotiated.”

A MATTER OF TIMING Business leaders are pushing forward.

Last month, about 40 offshore industry professionals attended breakfast meeting at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Providence, the first time they gathered in person since the pandemic started last year.

The CIC houses more than 10 companies affiliated with the wind sector that employ dozens of people, including the U.S. subsidiary of the Danish company Orsted A/S, which is

MEET AND GREET: A group of about 40 offshore wind professionals gathered last month at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Providence, including, from left, S. Kersey Sturdivant and Annie Murphy, both of Newport-based Inspire Environmental LLC, and Anita Johannessen, of Boston Energy Wind Power Services Inc., which has its U.S. headquarters in Providence.

PBN PHOTO/MARC LAROCQUE

involved with Revolution, South Fork and Sunrise wind projects. (Orsted declined to comment for this story.)

“This shows Rhode Island can compete in the market for talent, and the market for resources to help this field grow,” CIC General Manager Rebecca Webber said of the collection of companies represented at the CIC. Also at the breakfast was R.I. Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor, who touted Rhode Island as a pioneer of the offshore wind sector.

“We have a lot going on those fronts, and there is more being planned,” Pryor said. “It’s definitely the case that the availability of talent – as well as other key factors, like the ability to find local business-tobusiness sales connections – will help make sure we continue to grow this industry. It’s an essential asset.”

Bruce Katz, author of a state report last year that emphasized the importance of developing Rhode Island’s “blue economy,” said he’s confident the state can “connect the dots” between job seekers, education, businesses seeking a skilled labor force and public funding for economic development.

“This is an area where Rhode Island can punch above its weight, assuming the federal government ex-

Nantucket Sound

t ge ke s u

Revolution Wind

Block Island Wind Farm

South Fork Wind Farm

el

nn

Rhode Island Sound

a Ch

M

Vineyard Wind

ON THE DRAWING BOARD: The Revolution Wind, South Fork Wind and Vineyard Wind offshore wind farms in waters off the coast of southern New England are all currently in various stages of the permitting process.

SOURCE: R.I. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT / PBN GRAPHIC/ANNE EWING

14 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

pands investment, which I think is a fair assumption,” said Katz, a consultant and co-founder of New Localism Associates LLC. At the college level, CCRI is launching its Global Wind Organization-approved training initiative by the end of this year, according to Tekla Moquin, executive director of workforce partnerships for the college. Moquin said the college is working closely with R.I. Commerce Corp. to forge partnerships in the private sector.

“We know there is so much more we need to learn and we are ready and listening and partnering with the right folks,” Moquin said. “The college is eager to prepare our students for current and anticipated roles in that industry.”

The University of Rhode Island offers several courses of study and programs related to offshore wind, including its URI Energy Fellows program. And recently researchers from URI were awarded a $1.2 million federal grant to study floating offshore wind turbines.

At the high school level, there’s an initiative called Wind Win RI, created in 2017 by the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce as a way to provide outreach and educational programs to local youth about careers in offshore wind. The Wind Win RI initiative received annual grant funding and support from the state’s Department of Labor, with 250 students participating so far.

Wind Win RI also has an adult training track that provided dozens of potential offshore wind workers with certification on fall arrest systems of ropes and harnesses, and the initiative trained nine employees of Atlantic Wind Transfers, providing cer-

tifications that they could use in the future to ferry offshore wind workers to and from the turbines.

James Halley, North Kingstown Chamber chairman, compared the arrival of offshore wind in the U.S. to the advancement in computer technology four decades ago, requiring a newly trained labor force, with good-paying jobs created through innovation.

“It’s going to be a very bright future for a young person getting into this field, like it was for computers 40 years ago,” said Halley. “We have these jobs that’ll be open, but we don’t have enough skilled people to fill them right now.”

Laura Hastings, director of programs and events for The Business Network for Offshore Wind, a coalition of businesses devoted to furthering offshore wind and its supply chain, called it a “very American thing” to become involved in a new industry as it’s trying to get off the ground. Hastings, former program director of Real Jobs Rhode Island at the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, said it’s important that Rhode Island manufacturers and other businesses become aware of the opportunities to become involved in the supply chain for offshore wind farms.

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Hastings said. “The Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts regional economy can grow exponentially because of this. At this moment, it’s all about marketing, education, explanation and getting businesses to understand how they can fit in and why they would want to fit in. In order to grow an industry that doesn’t exist, you need to attack it from all angles.”

Hastings called Rhode Island’s approach to offshore wind tech training as “cautious in a way that’s healthy,” given its limited resources for funding, along with the permitting delays and other uncertainties surrounding offshore wind projects.

“Some of this is sort of lying in wait,” Hastings said. “It’s like waiting for the flood gates to open.

Rhode Island is doing the best it can with what it has, recognizing you don’t want to get the cart in front of the horse, and then have a lawsuit happen and the industry is delayed a bit.”

Harvey, the Boston Energy executive, said a moving timeline presents challenges for Rhode Island. But he said Boston Energy is ready to mobilize its training specialists from the United Kingdome when the time is right to help Rhode Island develop the labor force needed to become a player in offshore wind energy.

“There’s a lot of timing involved,” said Harvey. “Any wind project is dynamic. It’s a challenging time, but it’s also an exciting time.” n

‘It’s going to be a very bright future ... like it was for computers 40 years ago.’

JAMES HALLEY, North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce chairman

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS A diverse customer base is his new aim

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: This is the 12th installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each is asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for ­success.)

YEWCHANANG TAN HAS ADAPTED to many different environments over the last quarter century.

Tan, who emigrated from Malaysia in the mid-1990s, has a deep passion for cooking. He first began studying in his native country to earn a diploma in hotel management and worked at hotels in Singapore. But then he developed an interest in being in the kitchen and then made his way over to the U.S. to study culinary at Johnson & Wales University.

Tan recalled spending long hours in the kitchen perfecting his craft and knowing that the extra work would one day pay off.

“If you want to learn something, you don’t mind staying longer just to learn it,” Tan said. “I think for any career, it all depends on the passion [that you have].”

While attending JWU, Tan would frequently visit his favorite Asian barbecue restaurant on Central Street in Providence, New Wing Kee Barbeque & Poultry, to feast on the establishment’s signature duck offering in between classes. As fate would have it, Tan managed to digest more at New Wing Kee than just its delicacies.

After the national restaurant chain Panda Express sponsored him to get a working visa and he briefly worked as a local restaurant manager for the company, Tan a few years ago began cooking for New Wing Kee and applying his craft in the meals that he regularly enjoyed as a college student. Near the end of 2019, Tan got a deal of a lifetime, he said. The restaurant’s owner retired, and he took over New Wing Kee as its owner.

With a wife and family, Tan was ready to have his new career as a restaurant owner take off. But then, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020 and left Tan’s future uncertain.

“It was brutal. Sometimes, it was a lot of unknown. You just took it over and don’t have a lot of money. You just try to hang in there. It was just a very worrisome time,” Tan said. “You want to start to have your own business, but this thing happened, and you don’t know how long it’s going to take.”

Business was slow during the pandemic. He recalled some days where he would, at most, sell one duck per day. But Tan said he worked hard to stay open.

He created a Facebook page for the restaurant, informing customers on social media and by word of mouth to advertise that New Wing Kee was still open. Tan said business at New Wing Kee has improved slightly and some customers have returned. Even so, Tan had to dip into some of his savings to keep the restaurant afloat.

Additionally, Good Fortune Supermarket – a market that specializes in Asian foods – opened in Providence in 2018, creating competition for New Wing Kee that had not been there previously, Tan said.

Still, Tan is optimistic about the future. Tan said a growing and diverse customer base is something he hopes can keep New Wing Kee as a neighborhood staple after the pandemic fades.

“The more people get vaccinated, the more people will go out. Also, social media and the website will start to help because we’re starting to have non-Southeast Asian customers,” Tan said.

“Caucasian, Hispanic and others. Other people are trying things out. I have very good hope [for the future].”

Yewchanang Tan New Wing Kee Barbeque & Poultry owner SIGNATURE OFFERING: Yewchanang Tan, owner of the New Wing Kee Barbeque & Poultry restaurant, located at 39 Central St. in Providence, hangs some of the fully cooked ducks for display.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1

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

I don’t see it. I think Rhode Island is pretty good compared to other states. I’ve seen Hispanic stores opening. I think the people in Rhode Island are very open. Every once in a while, you have a bad apple, but generally it’s fine.

2

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

Before COVID-19, we didn’t put on our website and Facebook [about our business], so we relied solely on Southeast Asian customers. Since then, we’ve put our business on a website and Facebook. During COVID-19, all of the Chinese restaurants closed. So, we wanted to let people know that we were opened, so we put the word out on our website and social media.

3

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

I think a little funding will help a bit. We’re trying to hang in there. During this pandemic, a lot of

businesses have been suffering. They have to keep on paying bills, like gas and electricity, but the business has been down so much. It’s been piling up. Maybe some advertisements in a magazine [to help promote us]. We cannot afford those big advertisements as a small business.

4

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

No, I haven’t. I try to not owe so much [money]. I try to hang in there and do it by myself. You borrow and then you don’t know how this pandemic is going to go with all these new variants. As far as places treating minorities fairly, I think they do.

5

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

I think with the Rhode Island Small Business Coalition or the Center for Southeast Asians. The center has always been helpful. They helped me with paperwork stuff and computer things. They helped me understand rules and regulations. They have been very helpful with that. n

I try to not owe so much [money].

I try to hang in there and do it by myself. www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 15

SPONSORED CONTENT BY COX BUSINESS

9 Ways Smart Cities Will Evolve to Shape the Future The global market for smart cities is expected to attract $2.5 trillion in investments by 2025.

Growth is projected to be driven in urban areas that need a better way to manage resources, create environmental sustainability, and create more efficient solutions.

The growth of smart cities is likely to come in three phases, according to analysts at PWC. • Tier One: Relies on public/private partnerships to build infrastructure and deliver digital services. Examples might include the development of public Wi-Fi to power IoT devices, parking management systems for efficient resource use, and the development of base-level digital infrastructure.

• Tier Two: The development of additional services built on top of the digital infrastructure. An example might be a mobile transit payment card system.

• Tier Three: The creation of a more robust digital ecosystem around the infrastructures to create new products, services, and revenue opportunities.

Smart cities deploying digital solutions have been shown to improve the quality of life for residents by as much as 30%.

A study of three cities deploying smart solutions found some promising results: • 8-10% reduction in fatalities • 20-35% faster emergency response times • 15-20% reduction in commute times • 8-15% improvement in health • 10-15% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions Driving much of the growth is more accessible Wi-Fi and faster internet connections from ISPs (Internet Service Providers).

HOW SMART CITIES WILL EVOLVE IN THE FUTURE

In Peachtree Corners, GA, just northwest of Atlanta, a public/ private partnership is putting smart technology to the test.

They’re testing driverless vehicles, drones, and robotics using technology. The area has been evolving since opening in 2019 and has spawned dozens of startups, including GoX, which

16 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

launched a pilot program using remote-operated scooters.

Riders call for the scooter on an app. Teleoperators deliver it to the rider. After the ride is complete, the scooter returns to its home base for sanitation.

In Japan, Toyota’s Woven City project broke ground in February for what the company says will be the prototype for cities of the future. It’s a 175-acre project that will be home to 2,000 residents and feature a fully integrated infrastructure and clean buildings running on AI. From these tests and other emerging technology, here are nine of the ways cities are becoming smarter.

• Crime Prevention: Communities will benefit from networked surveillance cameras, real-time crime mapping, and predictive policing • TrafficMonitoring: Smart intersection, signal controllers, and intelligent traffic management tools will help improve commutes and accident rates • Smart Transportation: Autonomous vehicles, driverless taxis, and predictive parking can help relieve congestion • Quality of Life: Public Wi-Fi infrastructure and a consolidated digital approach can improve the quality of life in a variety of ways • Sustainability: HVAC, lighting, systems, energy, and building operations can be managed efficiently by Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Green Initiatives: Building design and technology can change impact how occupancy use facilities and consume energy.

• Simulation and Modeling: AI and Machine Learning can anticipate events to make buildings and cities smarter.

• IoT: The Internet of Things (IoT) will allow for sensors to capture more data than ever before and make real-time adjustments.

• Public, Private Partnerships: Public, private, and educational partnerships are paving the way for rapid advances.

One of the areas they’re addressing is a consolidated digital approach to managing city services to make life easier for residents. They’ll no longer have to use separate accounts and passwords to pay utility bills, check out library books, submit requests for city services, sign up for recreation programs, or apply for permits. They’re also using data to determine future programs for residents.

Sustainability & Green Initiatives

Advancements in sensors and monitoring are allowing cities to shift energy usage to off-peak hours to save money and conserve resources. New York, for example, uses more than 800,000 sensors to provide real-time monitoring of water usage.

By adjusting water pressure based on usage, the city reported a 25% reduction in water main breaks in 2020.

In Charlotte, NC, the Duke Energy Center has a roof garden to reduce stormwater run-off and make up 80% of the 51-story building’s water needs. It also has “daylight harvesting blinds” that move as the angle of the sun changes.

SMART CITIES ARE ALREADY EMERGING

Boston and Baltimore have deployed smart trash cans that communicate how full they are and create or modify pick-up routes for sanitation workers. Barcelona, Spain, installed fiber optics to provide free high-speed Wi-Fi to enable IoT devices. The city claims smart water, parking, and lighting resulted in $90-million in savings while creating more than 45,000 new jobs.

These are just a few examples of how cities are deploying smart solutions. Here are some of the other smart city projects that are already emerging.

Public Safety

Imagine a world where predictive policing, using real-time crime mapping, and automated gunshot detection, and smart surveillance, could improve staffing and critical response time.

It’s happening now.

Automated gunshot detection in San Diego has been controversial, but the results appear promising. The area being tested averaged four murders a year but has seen none since the system was installed. Over the past few years, 101 activations have been recorded, of which only 28 were reported by community members.

Transportation

Cities in Texas, Arkansas, California, and Colorado are in the process of testing smart intersection solutions using data from sensors and signal controllers to reduce congestion and adjust signal timing. Data collection and automation will allow Austin, TX engineers to retime signal lights 20 times more often, which they project will lead to a 40% reduction in traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4.9 million tons annually.

Moscow implemented a series of intelligent traffic management tools along with public transit and parking investments. In the past decade, an additional million cars have been added to its city, but average travel speeds have improved by 13%.

Singapore has launched driverless taxis and plans to launch similar buses by 2022.

Quality of Life

The Bullitt Center in Seattle bills itself as the greenest commercial building in the world with a project lifespan of 250 years. It uses 82% less energy than comparable facilities. The building’s design encourages employees to use staircases rather than elevators to save energy. 80% of the occupants do exactly that.

Smart Buildings

One of the fastest-growing trends is the integration of smart tech-nologies into buildings. Automation systems provide savings and conserve energy for systems such as: • HVAC: Smart controls limit consumption in unoccupied areas, detect faults and leaks, and reduce levels during peak demand.

• Smart Lighting: Buildings are incorporating daylight, dimming, and occupancy sensors to control lighting. At the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, real-time sensors track patrons as they move between exhibits, turning on lights and video players.

• System Operation: Some buildings are measuring thousands of data points to adjust operations based on utility rates, occupancy patterns, weather, parking, and traffic patterns • Distributed energy: Energy is being captured, stored, and use independent of the power grid.

AI and machine learning mean building get “smarter” over time to optimize operations for even more efficiency.

SMART CITIES SOLVE PROBLEMS

As technology rolls out across the country and cities build robust digital infrastructures, smart building cities will be able to capitalize on the growing body of data and technology. This can be used to solve problems both big and small. Public and private partnerships can create new opportunities for improvements, solutions, and jobs.

From traffic to safety to sustainability, smart cities of the future are poised to create more efficient use of resources and improve the quality of life for residents.

By Lisa Majdi/Executive Director of Marketing at Cox Business This article originally appeared on coxblue.com Contact us for a consultation. smartcomms@cox2m.com

Not many cities have a Chief Innovation Officer but, Carlsbad, California does. They’ve pulled together a coalition to look at a broad range of initiatives to modernize and strengthen the city’s technology infrastructure to provide more efficient services.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 17

FOCUS | HUMAN RESOURCES WORKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Wendy Kagan, the bank’s executive vice president for employee and community engagement, compared the comeback to what new parents experience after family leave.

“Once you reconnect and get over that hump or adjustment period … you get into a routine again, you’ll see it’s not so bad,” she said.

But in workplaces after the COVID-19 pandemic, flexibility will be key, and many employees want the option for remote working at least some of the time, according to many national surveys.

A recent study by Morning Consult found that in addition to the 87% of workers who want some remote work, more than 1 in 4 say they’ll find a new job if their current company doesn’t offer flexibility in remote work.

Wanting to keep employees happy is a major consideration behind employers’ decisions, with many local companies opting for a “soft” return to the office that still incorporates an element of remote working, said Cynthia J. Butler, president of Butler & Associates Human Resources Consulting.

There’s no right answer or one-size-fits-all approach, but feedback from employees, through surveys and more-informal discussions, should be part of the decision, according to Butler.

Indeed, BankNewport surveyed its back-office staff before deciding on its hybrid policy. The results were varied. Some, such as Kagan, were eager to return to a traditional work environment, free from the distraction of a teenager doing distance learning in the next room. Others, especially younger workers, preferred the flexibility of remote work.

At some point, you have to accept that you can’t please everyone. This was the attitude of Andrew Bramson, executive director for The College Crusade of Rhode Island. He announced to the nonprofit’s 50 employees that they would return to their offices on a rotating, hybrid basis at the start of the summer.

“I’m not going to tell you I was greeted with flowers,” Bramson said, noting that many were still unvaccinated when he broke the news in March.

He tried to make the transition as seamless as possible, giving a three-month notice so workers could prepare. But for Bramson, the decision ultimately came down to what was best for the prospective first-generation college students the nonprofit serves.

While College Crusade has applied its policies – remote, then hybrid and potentially, fully in person come fall – to all of its staff, others have taken a different approach.

While back-office staff at BankNewport can continue to work fully remote for now, branch employees returned to their customer-facing jobs

SUMMER SOCIAL: Wendy Kagan, left, executive vice president for employee and community engagement at BankNewport, was eager to return to a traditional work environment once pandemic-related restrictions eased. Employees Lesley Vogt-Behan and Paul Marchetti, right, enjoy pizza and salad during one of the company’s Pizza Wednesdays, which it implemented to entice workers to return to the office.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

when banks reopened last summer.

Dominion Diagnostics LLC also required employees who work in its North Kingstown medical laboratories to come in each day, while the administrative staff were sent home and have not yet been told they have to return.

Denise Driscoll, the company’s vice president of human resources, said she had not heard much pushback from lab workers over having to come in when their administrative co-workers did not.

Even hiring for these specialty medical jobs has not proven overly difficult despite workers’ increased interest in remote jobs. Rather, it’s the administrative job openings that are more challenging to find applicants for, she said.

Erin Pavane, a founding partner for Providence recruiting firm The Hire, echoed that sentiment. Where job candidates were once laserfocused on salary in potential postings, now their attention has turned to whether jobs let them work remotely. She named one candidate who is considering taking a $20,000 pay cut to switch from an in-office job to one that offers remote

work.

“When people are climbing the corporate ladder, money is usually the No. 1 driver,” she said.

“Now, it’s more about work-life balance.”

For some, that balance is best achieved working at home. But others found the opposite to be true, that a home office makes the separation between home life and office life a little too blurry.

Driscoll was also eager to return to the office, though she was already accustomed to remote work before the pandemic. In fact, it was her desire for that in-person work interaction that made her change jobs. Ironically, when she started with Dominion in June 2020, she found herself still working from home due to the pandemic.

More than a year later, Driscoll has yet to meet some of her colleagues face to face, something she was hoping would happen sooner rather than later.

“My preference is really to be in a building, with people,” she said. “There’s a lot of informal information you can learn from employees when you see them.” n

‘My preference is really to be in a building, with people.’

DENISE DRISCOLL, Dominion Diagnostics LLC vice president of human resources 18 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOCUS | EXECUTIVE RECRUITERS (ranked by number of local employees) FOCUS | EXECUTIVE RECRUITERS (ranked by number of local amployees) 2021 rank

1 2020: 1

Company | Website Top local official(s)

Address Phone

No. of local employees No. of annual placements

O'Neill Consulting | oneillconsulting.com Kevin O'Neill, founder and managing partner

10 High St. South Kingstown, R.I. 02879 (401) 284-1700

83 50

CLOSER LOOK Industries served

Services offered

Health care, industrial, life sciences, nonprofit, private equity, professional services

Consulting services, executive search, talent solutions

Total number of employees:

252 LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette

1

2020: 1

Acertitude LLC | acertitude.com Kevin O'Neill; Rick DeRose, co-founders and managing partners

1 West Exchange St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (212) 861-0002

83 100

Consumer, financial, health care, industrial, life sciences, nonprofit, private equity, technology

Executive search, talent solutions

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

UPCOMING LISTS Aug. 20: Chief Security Officers, Cybersecurity Companies, Rhode Island CIOs, Rhode Island Law Firms

KLR Executive Search Group LLC | klrsearchgroup.com Michael Tousignant, managing director; Ed Blum, Partner

951 North Main St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 274-2001

60 10

Banking, financial, health care, manufacturing, nonprofit, technology

Executive search

Management Search Inc. | msi1.com Stephen Judge, president

1 State St. Providence, R.I. 02908 401-273-5511

11 85

Finance and accounting, life sciences, manufacturing

Executive search

2020: 5

American Labor Services | americanlaborservices.com Ben Kaplan, CEO

515 Smith St. Providence, R.I. 02908 (844) 967-5257

7 212

Specializes in providing bluecollar, skilled and semi-skilled labor

NA

6 2020: 6

LPA Search Partners | lpasearchpartners.com Willa Perlman, co-CEOs; Anna McCormick Kelch

11 South Angell St., No. 350 Providence, R.I. 02906 (401) 521-3993

2 15

Digital media, health care, nonprofit, professional services, publishing

Interview coaching, executive recruitment, resume critique

6 2020: 6

ESP Global | JewelryExecutive.com Edward Lemire, president

400 Reservoir Ave. Providence, R.I. 02907 (401) 461-5170

2 NA

Jewelry

Jewelry executive recruiting and finders for mergers and acquisitions

6

Corporate Colleague Connections | corporatecolleagueconnectionsinc.com Attracta Pryor, CEO

53 Arcadia Road Hopkinton, R.I. 02832 401-932-9675

2 25

Finance, government contracting, health care, manufacturing, technology

Sourcing, recruiting and placement of executives and technology consultants

6

Standish Executive Search LLC | standishsearch.com Stanley Davis, founding principal

11 South Angell St., No. 319 Providence, R.I. 02906 (617) 895-8588

All industries

Executive recruitment and advisory for organization growth, change and succession

3

2020: 3

4

2020: 4

5

2020: 6

2020: 9

2 12

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.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 19

FOCUS | HUMAN RESOURCES

Teens come to rescue in struggle to find help

BY PAUL WISEMAN AND JOSEPH PISANI | The Associated Press

THE OWNERS OF RESTAURANTS, amusement parks and retail shops, many of them desperate for workers, are sounding an unusual note of gratitude this summer: Thank goodness for teenagers.

As the U.S. economy bounds back with unexpected speed from the pandemic recession and customer demand intensifies, high schoolage kids are filling jobs that older workers can’t – or won’t.

The result is that teens who are willing to bus restaurant tables or serve as water-park lifeguards are commanding $15, $17 or more an hour, plus bonuses in some instances or money to help pay for school classes. The trend marks a shift from the period after the 2007-2009 Great Recession, when older workers often took such jobs and teens were sometimes squeezed out.

This time, an acute labor shortage, especially at restaurants, tourism and entertainment businesses, has made teenage workers highly popular again.

“We’re very thankful they are here,’’ said Akash Kapoor, CEO of Curry Up Now. Fifty teenagers are working this summer at his five San Francisco-area Indian street food restaurants, up from only about a dozen last year.

“We may not be open if they weren’t here.”

The proportion of Americans ages 16-19 who

are working is higher than it’s been in years: In May, 33.2% of them had jobs, the highest such percentage since 2008. Though the figure dipped to 31.9% in June, the U.S. Labor Department reported, that is still higher than it was before the pandemic devastated the economy last spring.

At the Cattivella Italian restaurant in Denver, for instance, Harry Hittle, 16, is earning up to $22.50 an hour, including tips, from his job clearing restaurant tables. He’s used the windfall to buy gas and insurance for his car and has splurged on a road bike and an electric guitar.

“There’s never been a better time to apply for a job if you’re a teen,” said Mathieu Stevenson, CEO of Snagajob, an online job site for hourly work.

Consider the findings of Neeta Fogg, Paul Harrington and Ishwar Khatiwada, researchers at Drexel University’s Center for Labor Markets and Policy who issue an annual forecast for the teenage summer job market. This year, they predict, will be the best summer for teenage lifeguards, ice cream scoopers and sales clerks since 2008; 31.5% of 16- to 19-yearolds will have jobs.

Teenage employment had been on a long slide, leading many analysts to lament the end

HIRE CALLING: Companies have had to increase wages to fill jobs, and a growing number of teens have been the beneficiaries.

AP FILE PHOTO/ NAM Y. HUH

‘There’s never been a better time to apply for a job if you’re a teen.’

MATHIEU STEVENSON, SNAGAJOB CEO 20 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

of summertime jobs that gave teens work experience and a chance to mingle with colleagues and customers from varying backgrounds.

In August 1978, 50% of teenagers were working, according to the Labor Department. Their employment rate hasn’t been that high since. The figure began a long slide in 2000 and fell especially steeply during the Great Recession. The eruption of COVID-19 produced a new low: Only 26.3% of teens had jobs last summer, according to the Drexel researchers.

This summer, things are different. After collapsing last spring, the economy has rebounded much faster than expected. Restaurants, bars, retail shops and amusement parks have been overwhelmed by pent-up demand from consumers who had mostly hunkered down for a year or more.

Now, those businesses need employees to handle the influx and are scrambling to find enough. The vaccine rollout was just starting in April and May, when employers typically start hiring for summer. Some of these businesses delayed their hiring decisions, unsure whether or when the economy would fully reopen.

Compounding the labor squeeze, many older Americans have been slow to respond to a record number of job openings. Some have lingering health concerns or trouble arranging or affording child care at a time when schools are transitioning from remote to in-person learning. Other adults may have been discouraged from seeking work because of generous federal unemployment benefits, though many states have dropped these benefits, and they will end nationwide on Sept. 6.

So businesses are offering signing bonuses and whatever else they can to hire teens in a hurry.

Boomers Parks has raised pay at the eight amusement parks it owns and is offering bonuses of up to $50 a week for some teen workers who stay through the summer, CEO Tim Murphy said. With fewer people seemingly willing to take the jobs, Murphy said, competition for workers is fierce.

At its Sahara Sam’s water park in West Berlin, N.J., the company lowered its minimum working age to 15 from 16 to try to recruit a larger pool of candidates.

Johnathon Miller thought he would need to wait until August, when he turned 16, to start working. But when he heard about a lowered age limit at Sahara Sam’s, he applied. He will soon be a lifeguard, watching over the lazy river for $15 an hour, a couple of bucks more an hour than Sahara Sam’s used to pay.

The revival of teen employment might not last, but Harrington, director of Drexel’s labor markets center, noted that “employers have moved down the labor queue as the labor supply of adults has become more constrained.’’

If the economic recovery continues to reduce unemployment, and if federal policymakers continue to restrict the influx of low-skilled foreign workers, “then the chances for sustained growth in teen employment rates are good,’’ Harrington said. n

Congratulations to the winners

Join us

AUGUST 26TH

at an in-person celebration of their achievements

ALDRICH MANSION 5:30PM

Open bar & food stations

Partner Sponsor

register now at PBN.COM

FOR A LIST OF WINNERS VISIT PBN.COM For sponsorship and advertising opportunities contact Advertising@PBN.com | 401-680-4800 www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 21

FOCUS | |EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVECOMPENSATION COMPENSATIONININPUBLIC PUBLICCOMPANIES COMPANIES (ranked by total fiscal 2020 compensation)

(ranked by total fiscal 2020 compensation) CLOSER LOOK

Stock awards Option awards

Nonequity incentive plan comp.

Change in pension value and deferred comp.

Change in comp.

2020 co. earnings Change in earnings

-37%

$7,179,000,000 8%

Executive | Company Title

2020 total comp.

2019 total comp.

Salary Bonus Other comp.

2020: 1

Larry J. Merlo | CVS Health Corp.

CEO and president 1

$23,043,822 $36,451,749

$1,630,000 NA $658,942

NA $4,185,131

$4,694,000 $11,875,749

2 2020: 3

Scott C. Donnelly | Textron Inc. Chairman, CEO and president

$17,770,781 $18,921,598

$1,903,385 NA $79,114

$10,522,576 $2,493,513

$744,000 $2,838,193

-6%

$309,000,000 -62%

3 2020: 4

Brian Goldner | Hasbro Inc. Chairman and CEO

$16,668,010 $17,960,878

$1,600,000 NA $487,602

$3,735,288 $6,294,872

$4,195,801 $354,447

-7%

$222,519,000 1%

Bruce Van Saun | Citizens Financial Group Inc. Chairman and CEO

$14,335,323 $9,898,442

$1,487,000 $2,268,900 $156,896

$10,422,527 NA

NA NA

45%

$1,057,000,000 -41%

Jonathan C. Roberts | CVS Health Corp.

Executive vice president and chief operating officer

$13,001,121 $15,048,380

$1,200,000 NA $309,699

$6,374,952 $2,092,561

$3,024,000 NA

-14%

$7,179,000,000 8%

Larry J. Merlo, CEO and president, CVS Health Corp.

Salary: $1,630,000

Karen S. Lynch | CVS Health Corp.

CEO and president

$11,307,916 NA

$1,214,615 NA $83,963

$5,624,957 $1,846,381

$2,538,000 NA

NA

$7,179,000,000 8%

3

Eva C. Boratto | CVS Health Corp.

Executive vice president and chief financial officer

$8,921,153 $9,564,223

$962,500 NA $162,589

$4,499,966 $1,477,098

$1,819,000 NA

NA

$7,179,000,000 8%

J. Alexander "Sandy" L. Douglas | United Natural Foods Inc. CEO

$8,864,168 $7,046,400

$1,200,000 NA $29,175

$5,099,987 NA

$2,522,394 $12,612

26%

($274,140,000) NA

Marc A. Crisafulli | Bally's Corp.

Executive vice president of strategy and operations

$8,061,967 NA

$550,000 NA $9,796

$7,502,171 NA

NA NA

NA

($5,487,000) NA

2020: NL

Dr. Alan M. Lotvin | CVS Health Corp.

Executive vice president and president of CVS Caremark

$7,472,175 NA

$831,250 NA $83,035

$3,749,972 $1,230,918

$1,577,000 NA

NA

$7,179,000,000 8%

11 2020: 12

David Maher | Acushnet Holdings Corp.

CEO and president

$6,793,749 $5,909,377

$900,000 NA $55,912

$3,300,025 NA

$1,089,000 $1,448,812

15%

$100,011,000 -20%

Frank T. Connor | Textron Inc. Executive vice president and chief financial officer

$6,516,717 $6,683,605

$942,308 NA $70,671

$3,095,821 $735,242

$652,000 $1,020,675

-2%

$309,000,000 -62%

2020: 9

13

John Frascotti | Hasbro Inc. President and chief operating officer

$6,335,301 $7,068,096

$1,100,000 NA $24,720

$2,384,036 $1,081,948

$1,500,000 $24,720

-10%

$222,519,000 1%

14

Jeffrey J. Cote | Sensata Technologies Inc. CEO and president

$5,918,134 $2,686,898

$643,334 NA $34,833

$4,302,527 NA

$937,440 NA

120%

$164,286,000 -42%

Deborah M. Thomas | Hasbro Inc. Executive vice president and chief financial officer

$5,867,172 $4,419,256

$900,000 NA $199,600

$2,475,571 $737,686

$1,500,000 $54,315

33%

$222,519,000 1%

Donald H. McCree III | Citizens Financial Group Inc. Vice chairman and head of commercial banking

$5,634,836 $4,023,048

$700,000 $864,000 $30,700

$4,040,136 NA

NA NA

40%

$1,057,000,000 -41%

John F. Woods | Citizens Financial Group Inc. Vice chairman and chief financial officer

$5,412,900 $3,771,093

$700,000 $852,000 $35,001

$3,825,899 NA

NA NA

44%

$1,057,000,000 -41%

Dolph L. Johnson | Hasbro Inc. Executive vice president and chief global human resources officer

$4,110,868 NA

$700,000 NA $141,750

$1,833,712 $491,803

$875,000 $68,602

NA

$222,519,000 1%

George Papanier | Bally's Corp.

CEO and president

$3,601,428 $2,623,821

$721,000 NA $31,508

$2,088,281 NA

$760,639 NA

37%

($5,487,000) NA

Stephen H. Capp | Bally's Corp.

Executive vice president and chief financial officer

$3,401,261 $2,216,079

$600,000 NA $20,604

$2,147,690 NA

$632,967 NA

53%

($5,487,000) NA

21 2020: 21

Steven Beringhause | Sensata Technologies Inc. Executive vice president and chief technology officer

$3,339,713 $2,042,662

$486,585 $473,123 $14,910

$1,596,291 NA

$441,000 $327,804

63%

$164,286,000 -42%

22 2020: 23

Paul Chawla | Sensata Technologies Inc. Former executive vice president of performance sensing

$3,218,320 $1,661,068

$494,382 NA $1,273,917

$1,450,021 NA

NA NA

94%

$164,286,000 -42%

23

Julie G. Duffy | Textron Inc. Executive vice president of human resources

$3,194,366 $2,820,453

$567,308 NA $34,065

$957,473 $237,537

$293,000 $1,104,983

13%

$309,000,000 -62%

E. Robert Lupone | Textron Inc. Executive vice president, general counsel and secretary

$2,907,243 $2,953,666

$769,231 NA $91,711

$1,338,582 $316,719

$391,000 $0

-2%

$309,000,000 -62%

$2,731,915 $1,733,522

$505,829 NA $13,921

$1,750,165 NA

$462,000 NA

58%

$164,286,000 -42%

$2,704,720 $2,220,778

$532,692 $596,000 $44,100

$1,531,928 NA

NA NA

22%

$1,057,000,000 -41%

Christopher P. Testa | United Natural Foods Inc. President

$2,259,739 $1,519,861

$605,769 NA $10,942

$899,988 NA

NA $266

49%

($274,140,000) NA

Martha N. Sullivan 2 | Sensata Technologies Inc. Former CEO and president

$1,643,556 $5,795,871

$539,375 NA $11,061

$150,017 NA

NA $943,103

-72%

$164,286,000 -42%

2021 rank

1

4

2020: 7

5

2020: 5

6

2020: NL

7

2020: 8

8

2020: 10

9

2020: NL

10

12

2020: 11

2020: 20

15

2020: 14

16 2020: 15 17

2020: 16

18

2020: NL

19

2020: NL

20

2020: NL

2020: NL

24

2020: 19

25 2020: 22 26

2020: NL

27

2020: NL

28

2020: 13

Paul S. Vasington | Sensata Technologies Inc. Executive vice president and chief financial officer Malcolm Griggs | Citizens Financial Group Inc. Executive vice president and chief risk officer

1 Larry J. Merlo retired from CVS Health Corp. on Feb. 1, 2021.

Re-ranked by salary

1

Scott C. Donnelly, CEO and president, Textron Inc. Salary: $1,903,385

2

Brian Goldner, chairman and CEO, Hasbro Inc. Salary: $1,600,000

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 Aug. 20: Chief Security Officers, Cybersecurity Companies, Rhode Island CIOs, Rhode Island Law Firms 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.

2 Martha N. Sullivan retired on March 1, 2020.

22 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOOTNOTES j Larry J. Merlo retired from CVS Health Corp. on Feb. 1, 2021.  Martha N. Sullivan retired on March 1, 2020.

FOCUS | STAFFING FIRMS (ranked by average number of weekly workers) FOCUS | STAFFING FIRMS (ranked by average number of weekly workers) Avg. weekly workers

R.I. staff

Major services

500 Broad St. Providence, R.I. 02907 (401) 274-9300

370

NA

Permanent and temp-to-permanent for manufacturing and engineering

Express Employment Professionals Warwick | expresspros.com/warwickri Liliana V. Dolan, franchise owner and president

155 Jefferson Blvd.

Warwick, R.I. 02888 (401) 739-8460

175

3

Serving accounting, administrative, customer service, health care, human resource, information technology, law and light industry

2020: 7

R.I. Temps Inc. | ritemps.com Diane Seaback Martin, CEO; Scott F. Seaback, president

56 Maple St. Warwick, R.I. 02888 (401) 781-8400

135

5

Permanent and temporary employees in the administrative, finance, legal, technical and highskilled industrial fields

4 2020: 1

American Labor Services | americanlaborservices.com Ben Kaplan, CEO

515 Smith St. Providence, R.I. 02908 (844) 967-5257

84

7

Specializes in providing blue-collar, skilled, and semi-skilled labor for the light industrial sector

City Personnel | citypersonnel.net Dawn Apajee, president

480 Broadway Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 331-2311

80

2021 rank

1 2020: 7 2

2020: 3

3

5

2020: 7

6 2020: 11 7

Company | Website Principal(s)

Address Phone

Available Staffing Network LLC | availablestaffingnetwork.com Danilo Reyes, president

Silverman McGovern Staffing Inc. | silvermanmcgovern.com Faye Lisa Silverman and Patricia Marie Herron, founders and managing partners

2 Richmond Square, Suite 100 Providence, R.I. 02906 (401) 632-0580

70

6

70

Permanent placements and temporary staffing in the administrative, accounting, customer service, human resources, marketing and legal

Specializing in accounting, account management, administrative, data science, graphic design and financial

Flagship Staffing Services | flagshipstaffing.com Susan A. Fabrizio, founder and president

1045 Warwick Ave., Suite 201 Warwick, R.I. 02888 (401) 277-2266

65

NA

Administrative/office, skilled industrial and professional placements on a direct-hire, temporary or temp-to-hire basis

2020: NL

Bridge Technical Talent | bridge-talent.com James Wright, CEO

650 Ten Rod Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 398-1900

50

26

Contract and permanent staffing of information technology talent

9 2020: NL

SpectraTemps/Tracey Associates Inc. | spectratracey.com Kerry M. Tracey, president

260 West Exchange St., Suite 104 Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 521-4400

44

44

Permanent and temporary corporate staffing, from accountants to executive assistants, legal support, medical and information technology staffing

Delphi-US LLC | delphi-us.com Gregory W. Demos, Sean Condon and Rich Braun, partners

360 Thames St. Newport, R.I. 02840 (401) 619-1777

23

21

Human capital, information technology services and staff augmentation

2020: 6

8

10

2020: NL

FOCUS

LAW 2021 400 Westminster Street, Suite 600 Providence, RI 02903 PBN.com

CLOSER LOOK

Total number of average weekly workers:

1,096 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 Aug. 20: Chief Security Officers, Cybersecurity Companies, Rhode Island CIOs, Rhode Island Law Firms 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.

Providence Business News provides comprehensive reports on the legal profession and laws affecting businesses.

Advertise in these thoughtful, informative focus sections and remind our readers of your law practice expertise and update the community on news at your firm.

IN PRINT AUGUST 20: Focus: Law Review List: Law Firms OCTOBER 29: Focus: Notable Women in Law List: Top Private Companies Contact Linda Foster at 401.680.4812 or email Foster@PBN.com for details.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 23

IT’S PERSONAL Reilly recognized for Farmlink AIDAN REILLY, a senior at Brown University who helped co-found a nonprofit that addresses food insecurity by repurposing produce surplus, was named a 2021 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Citizen Honors awardee in the Service Act category. Reilly co-founded The Farmlink Project with fellow awardee Stanford University student James Kanoff. The team included students from colleges across the U.S. and worked together to help with the food crisis as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020. Riley was recognized by the society on July 14 in a special ceremony.

How did you get connected with the farmers to help distribute the food?

We started by simply cold-calling farmers in and around my hometown of Los Angeles. My friends and I would search online for farmers near us, compile a huge list and get dialing. We were hung up on many, many times. Over time and with mounting recognition, we began to develop relationships with farmers not just around Los Angeles but across the United States. Given the culture of necessary personal trust within the farming world, it’s been these relationships that have been our greatest asset over the last year.

quickly and often unpredictably. Millions of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck suddenly had to deal with a host of new complications, layoffs and expenses – all culminating in spiking levels of hunger.

Given that we work on a national scale, the communities we focused immensely on were those outside of the regular food bank network. This means communities of Indigenous people such as Navajo Nation or Siskiyou County. In the Northeast, we focused on areas that have been historically disenfranchised, such as the South Side of Chicago or the Bronx [in New York].

Do you plan to continue with Farmlink after college, and if so, how will it grow?

Yes. I am now working for Farmlink full time. Both food waste and food insecurity existed before the pandemic and will continue to exist after. The past year simply exacerbated the issues. Our mission is for Farmlink to help solve each issue 50 years from now. It will grow by hiring sustainably, being the most simple alternative option for farmers who are looking to throw out their fresh produce, and always keeping the culture and identity of a scrappy, grassroots company started by hundreds of young people during the biggest crisis of the last century. n

How much food did you collect from the farmers and how much of it was distributed locally here in Rhode Island?

We have collected and distributed 28 million pounds of food. Thus far, 98,000 pounds of that has been distributed in Rhode Island. Out of that national total, we collected about 5.6 million pounds of potatoes, 4.2 million pounds of onions and 1.7 million eggs.

Which communities locally were in the most need of the food from Farmlink?

During the pandemic, food insecurity popped up

Reach our region’s most influential business and philanthropic leaders. Share your message with key placement in the 2021 edition.

2021

NT

MISSION STATEME

SKILLS FOR D’S RHOD E ISLAN

FU TU R E RS

BOARD OF DIRECTO

ABOUT SKILLS FOR (SKILLSRI) RHODE ISLAND’S FUTURE

Ronald Arigo Amanda Bailey

REGIONAL PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES

Timothy Byrne Cindy Erickson Jenifer Giroux Susan Hannon David Himsey Jeffrey Lackey

BARRIERS TO BREAKING DOWN

Nina Pande Marie Trzupek Lynch John Sinnott Patricia A. Thompson Vera Tyagi Laurie White Jason Witham

Don’t miss out on the chance to have over 24,000 readers learn more about your mission.

for Rhode The mission of Skills is Island’s Future (SkillsRI) ven to create demand-dri to solutions for employers and get the unemployed to work. underemployed back workforce various Through we development initiatives, of vision our meet strive to transforming lives through t and meaningful employmen economic mobility.

nonprofit Future (SkillsRI) is a unemployed and Skills for Rhode Island’s opportunity by connecting down barriers to economic civic-minded employers. organization that breaks socially responsible, Islanders to jobs with underemployed Rhode the workforce skills gap y, SkillsRI works to close ven workforce intermediar Islanders into open A statewide, demand-dri d/underemployed Rhode ent, contributing growth, and move unemploye empowerm economic in RI, drive business of is a key driver of sustainable wage. SkillsRI that meet the demands positions that pay a of workforce services mobility. vitality through the provision Islanders achieve upward to the state’s economic and helping Rhode talent development local employers, fostering

Rajani Mahadevan Amy T.M. Oakley

C A L L I NG A L L N O N - P ROF I T S I N R H OD E I S L A ND

30 Exchange Terrace Providence, RI 02903 i.com 401-680-5960 ❤ skillsforr

INDUSTRIES SKILLSRI SUPPORT

onal • Administrative/Professi Services l • Customer Service/Cal Center • Financial Services • Food Service & Hospitality • Information Technology • Healthcare • Human Services • Maintenance/Custodial • Manufacturing • Retail

ECONOMIC MOBILIT

Y

opportunity by connecting barriers to economic d Future, we break down responsible, civic-minde At Skills for Rhode Island’s to jobs with socially yed Rhode Islanders their skills, resume and unemployed and underemplo each candidate to assess work one-on-one with team from initial employers. SkillsRI recruiters member of the recruitment partners. are paired with a dedicated than 100 employer career goals. Candidates with one of our more through to a job offer RI initiatives, a phone call all the way for multiple Real Jobs services meet recruitment and placement workers designed to SkillsRI also provides and skills training for provides targeted education statewide initiative that employers. the hiring needs of local and offers enhancement services SkillsRI provides career work a pipeline of talent, individuals to real-world And to further foster designed to expose internship programs l network. SkillsRI services high school and college and develop a professiona skills, technical soft and experiences, build both residents. to eligible Rhode Island are offered at no cost

I SUPPORTING SKILLSR

donations no cost. We rely on and hiring partners at offered to job candidates support of our public SkillsRI services are grateful for the generous and sponsors and are two options: organization, you have from our amazing supporters support our non-profit If you would like to and private donors.

Donate by Mail Future Skills for Rhode Island’s 30 Exchange Terrace Providence, RI 02903

• Sales • Transportation

Donate Online m/donate http://www.skillsforri.co

through meaningful Transforming lives omic mobility employment and econ Oricel M.

Accelerated CNA Training

Program

every guided me through “The SkillsRI staff and they truly cared step of the process, With the help of the about seeing me succeed. on a path to a better SkillsRI team, I’m now and I path of my dreams, future in the career state.” home my in get to make a difference

Honeywell

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 13 FTE 5 AmeriCorps VISTAs

very hands-on through“The recruiters were helped me find a role out the process. They the me, prepared me for that made sense for the notified throughout interview and kept me ly my life has complete process. Since then, changed.”

AAA Northeast

contacting SkillsRI, “If you’re hesitant about them to start by calling my suggestion is . about your concerns and asking questions and they aren’t selling They aren’t pushy, your focus is on turning you anything. Their reality.” a into hopes and dreams

Dana L.

Goetz Composites

William Fitzgerald Board President

Marie Ghazal CEO

Joshua B.

Cheri W.

for a month, and I love “I’ve been working here with a up every morning what I do. I wake with hope for a brighter positive outlook and I’m me that hope, and future. SkillsRI gave I to do something that thankful to be able son proud.” know will make my

Clinic’s mission The Rhode Island Free ive is to provide free, comprehens health medical care and preventive have no services to adults who cannot afford health insurance and serve as an those services; and to site for educational training professionals. aspiring health care

help us provide COVID-19. You can S HARDEST HIT BY s are on the front RHODE ISLANDER PROVIDE CARE FOR of color in urban communitie You can low-income adults. People nately and need healthcare. vital care to uninsured, suffering disproportio labs and pandemic. They are care, specialist services, lines of the COVID-19 a donation. Primary time. and follow-up care with this unprecedented provide COVID-19 Tests are essential during and behavioral health tests, medicine, dental, TO VOLUNTEER NOW. NAL, WE NEED YOU PROFESSIO RE IF YOU ARE A HEALTHCA today!

You can make a difference

GOALS

ANNUAL REVENUE of its The Clinic raises 100% budget $1.3 million operating patients from donations. Our With receive care at no cost.

Clinic this $1.3 million, the leverages over $6 million of goods more in donations year. each and services D YEAR ESTABLISHE The Clinic was established First Lady in 1999 by former The Clinic Stephanie Chafee. anniversary celebrated its 20th in 2019.

R SKILLS FO ND’ S RHO DE ISLA

TOP FUNDING SOURCES 32% Individuals 28% Corporations

FU TU R E 401.680.5960

www.SkillsforRI.com

FUNDRAISING / EVENTS

Test Site to make sure We are operating a COVID-19 volunteers who serve in time for the Clinic. serve and our This is a critical moment a test. The people we about how to pay for more than ever before! no one has to worry need your help now lines of this crisis. They is increasing every day. them are on the front and demand for care THEY NEED! Founders’ Event Fundraiser, TO GET THE CARE We canceled our annual ALLOW MORE PATIENTS WILL NOW DONATING RIGHT

OPPORTUNITIES

to Rhode Island adults effective health care Interpreters ing Clinic provides cost ls. We need Spanish VOLUNTEER: Our award-winn and dental professiona seek volunteer medical 700+ volunteers coordinate who need it most. We patients. Each year our We screen our to Spanish speaking Tests and follow-up. to help provide care and now, COVID-19 demand including medicines, COVID-19 has increased 11,000+ patient visits safety is our priority. at your volunteer, If you contact Sophie Silvia patients for COVID-19. information to volunteer, your help now. For more for care, and we need or 401.274.6347 x203. to deliver ssilvia@rifreeclinic.org and services. Our cost of donated medicine far less $1 donated into $6 per person per year, GIVE: We leverage every Islanders is just $500 by visiting our care to vulnerable Rhode donation go further your comprehensive health Make 47 ext. 329. average of $11,000. than the national estimated rifreeclinic.org or 401.274.63 Sam Lawrence at slawrence@ website or contacting

BOARD

40% Grants

President | Carrie William Fitzgerald, Board Vice President | Jeffrey Bridges Féliz, MPH, | Domenic Chase-Lubitz, Esq., Secretary | Caroline Troise, MD, Delmonico, Treasurer Gim, President Emeritus Medical Director | Mark Bjornebye, Esq. | Andrew MEMBERS: Jehanne | Jerry Fingerut, Dubois Loree | Davis, Esq. | Whitney Clarke | Michele MD | George Greer MD | Philip Rakatansky, Lederberg | Herbert Perroni Rizzuto, MD | Joseph

info@SkillsforRI.com

| OCTOBER 2020 BUSINESS NEWS ■ PROVIDENCE GIVING Guide 2020 www.pbn.com | om Guide 2020 | www.pbn.c NEWS ■ GIVING | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS 16 | OCTOBER 2020

NT

MISSION STATEME

Providence, RI 02907 655 Broad Street ❤ ic.org 401.274.6347 ❤ rifreeclin

| 17

Right on

mothers and babies, Chapter for helping of Dimes Rhode Island better.

Here’s to the March uninsured adults feel Free Clinic for helping and to the Rhode Island 20-326155 © 2020 United HealthCare EI20324405.0 9/20

Services, Inc. All Rights

Reserved.

| OCTOBER 2020 BUSINESS NEWS ■ PROVIDENCE GIVING Guide 2020 www.pbn.com |

TO VIEW THE 2020 EDITION VISIT PBN.COM/GIVING-GUIDE-3/

MATERIALS DUE:

October 1, 2021 PUBLISH DATE:

October 29, 2021 24 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Find out more on how to include your profile in the 2021 edition.

Contact your account manager or Advertising@PBN.com | 401-680-4800

| 15

IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Your word is everything ON THE FIRST DAY his son joined the family firm, the founder took him on to the roof of the factory building and said, “I am going to give you your very first lesson in business. Stand on the edge of the roof.”

Reluctantly, the boy went to stand on the edge of the roof.

“Now,” said his father, “when I say jump, I want you to jump off the roof.”

“But, Dad,” said the boy, “that’s 10 feet down!”

“Do you want to succeed in business?”

“Yes, Dad.” “And you trust me, don’t you?”

“Yes, Dad.” “So do as I say and jump.”

The boy jumped. He crashed to the ground and lay there, winded and bruised.

His father ran up to him and said, “That was your first lesson in business, son. Never trust anyone.”

We would live in a sad world if we couldn’t trust anyone. But trust does take years to build, mere seconds to destroy and forever to repair. Trust is fragile. It’s easy to break, easy to lose and one of the most difficult things to ever get back.

David Horsager, who I consider THE trust expert, has written a follow-

up book to his national bestseller “The Trust Edge.” The new book is called “Trusted Leader: 8 Pillars That Drive Results.”

The book follows CEO Ethan Parker as he discovers the root problem in his company and a way to solve it, even amid the complexities of leading in a quickly changing business and cultural environment.

The plot unfolds as a true-to-life story of a senior leader who thought success was certain. While his fast-growing organization had huge potential, Parker faces a series of unexpected challenges that awaken him to a deeper gap in his business.

The book elaborates on the eight pillars of trust that are key attributes of successful leaders: clarity, compassion, character, competency, commitment, connection, contribution and consistency.

Building on theses eight pillars, Horsager explains that “trust will always increase effectiveness and create results in your organization.” I

can surely attest to that from my own experience.

When you ask for a sale from a customer, they will judge whether your proposal is fair and meets their needs, and if you can be trusted to deliver what you promised. Mess up on one of those points, and you can assume that customer will have a hard time trusting you again. And perhaps even more damaging, that customer could share their experience with others who had considered doing business with you.

Think about how you choose vendors. Have you given repeat business to someone who has broken your trust? Not likely – those transactions tend to be very expensive.

Management guru Peter Drucker said of trust: “In the ethics of interdependence there are only obligations, and all obligations are mutual obligations. Harmony and trust – that is, interdependence – require that each side be obligated to provide what the other side needs to achieve its goals and to fulfill itself.”

Trust is the most important word in business.

“Obligated” is a pretty serious word – and it’s one that needs to be taken quite seriously. When you couch it in those terms, trust assumes the huge responsibility that it is. Your word is everything, not just in business but life in general.

Stephen Covey, author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People,” said: “Trust is the glue of life.

It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication.”

“Everything of value is built on trust,” Horsager writes.

Take it from all these experts: Trust is more than just a word. In fact, in my opinion, trust is the most important word in business.

Never make your customers or colleagues feel like the little fellow who jumped off the roof. His father was wrong – you CAN trust people in business. Establish your reputation as someone who can be trusted.

Mackay’s Moral: Trust is a must, or else you’ll go bust. n Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com. | SPONSORED CONTENT |

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Announce new hires, promotions and special accomplishments to the Rhode Island business community with PBN’s People on the Move.

Standard and Featured options available.

The STANDARD listing includes 1 photo, 90-100 words of text, clickable links to your website, social media sharing and keywords to optimize search, and is: • published on PBN.com within 24 hours and archived on our site.

• printed in PBN. • featured on a PBN Daily Edition newsletter.

The FEATURED listing includes all Standard listing elements, in a larger print format, with company logo and 100 additional words of text (sample above).

SENIOR CARE BlenheimNewport, a Benchmark Senior Living assisted living and Mind & Memory Care community in Middletown, R.I., announced that Sharon O’Sullivan, RN, has joined the community as its executive director. O’Sullivan is responsible for overseeing all aspects of operations using her more than 30 years of nursing and administrative experience working with seniors.

That includes directing an adult day health program, functioning as a health advisor to independent living residents, a nurse manager for a skilled nursing facility and a registered nurse for several hospitals and senior living communities. Most recently, the Tiverton resident worked for The Wesley Community in Saratoga Springs, NY.

For additional information or to submit a Standard listing, go to PBN.com/pbnconnect.

For a Featured listing, contact your account manager or Advertising@PBN.com 401.680.4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 25

IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | DONALD NOKES

Path back to the office AS OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM planned for and rolled out our back-to-work initiative for more than 30 employees at NetCenergy LLC, we recognized we liked to be together in one office. But we wondered what the staff would say.

When the pandemic started, we knew that working from home would be seamless for our staff. As information technology professionals who spend time both in our office and in clients’ physical space, we had the skills and know-how to make that work. In fact, in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, we limited our in-the-office staff to only one person per day. While we all missed the live, real-time collaboration, our video tools and remote access helped us feel like we were together.

In the spring of this year, as signs of the pandemic-designated restrictions were lifting, we began the discussion about bringing employees back to the office. We believed communication was key. The leadership team met one on one and in person with each employee to assess their readiness to return to our workplace.

Given three months of advance notice, could they arrange child care, commuting and other facets of daily

in-office life? Did we need to offer a hybrid schedule?

We were thrilled with the consensus to return to our office, and we put a plan in motion to make that happen on July 6, discontinuing all work from home. (We were also heartened by our teams’ overall confidence in the efficacy of the vaccine.) That first day was marked by lots of COVIDsafe elbow-bumping, a catered reception for our entire crew and a companywide meeting at our Cranston office.

While some of us are resuming pre-pandemic office hours, other companies are still remote and/or moving to a hybrid model. Our pro tip for businesses in these situations is to ensure remote access to your IT systems are secure.

Basically, working remotely isn’t just about gaining access. It has to be secure access. As we saw in the headlines, when Colonial Pipeline was forced to connect its network

to the internet for work-from-home employee access, their sloppy security protocols left the network open to attack and an eventual shutdown. It was a very expensive lesson.

Like many IT providers, we were busy at the start of the crisis securing remote access for our clients’ critical team members, first in a hybrid model … but that quickly escalated. As the pandemic worsened and appeared to be lasting longer than anyone expected, our clients increased the numbers of remote workers requiring additional support.

For our clients, most of whom we work with via a managed service contract which did not cover launching a remote workforce in fire-drill mode, we decided not to charge for this additional work. We felt we were all in this together; we needed to step up and help our clients leverage IT to solve their pandemic-created business challenges. Our employees rose to the challenge and got the job done.

We put a plan in motion … discontinuing all work from home.

Now, as we resume our face-to-face client meetings, it’s been interesting and informative to learn firsthand how our clients have survived this ordeal. We are happy to report no breaches or downtime or other crises in our family of clients.

Those of us in business understand two things: you are only as good as your team and don’t be afraid to go the extra mile for clients.

Your professionals on the front lines who personify your entire organization are key to your success.

We know that demonstrating our heartfelt appreciation for our employees in our return-to-work approach aligns with our overall philosophy and results in a solid team with low turnover.

Our clients have expressed their immense gratitude for our unswerving support amid the fear and crisis of the pandemic. We are happy to be back to work – both to collaborate with our team and to support our clients. Now more than ever, we are all in this together. n Donald Nokes is the president and co-founder of NetCenergy LLC, an information technology support firm in Cranston.

GUEST COLUMN | JENNIFER A. JONES

Your payoff for volunteering MORE THAN 77 MILLION Americans volunteer a total of 6.9 billion hours a year doing everything from fighting fires to raising funds for cancer research. These efforts help others and support communities. But volunteering also tends to benefit the volunteers themselves in at least four different ways.

Boosting your health, especially if you assist others. Volunteering has long been associated with good mental and physical health, particularly for older people. In a long-term study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that volunteering was linked to psychological well-being, and the volunteers themselves said it was good for their own health.

People who are the least connected to others tend to benefit the most. In fact, the benefits are so strong that researchers have suggested public health officials educate the public to consider volunteering as part of a healthy lifestyle.

One study looked into which kind of volunteering may be best for your health. When a team of social scientists combed through data collected in Texas, they found that people who volunteered in ways that benefited others tended to get

a bigger physical health boost than volunteers who were pitching in for their own sake. They also benefited in terms of their mental health, such as by experiencing fewer symptoms of depression and becoming more satisfied with their lives.

Making more connections. Volunteering, especially when it’s done on a regular basis, can help you make new acquaintances. Whether you volunteer for an organization on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, over time you are bound to develop strong relationships, typically with other volunteers and staff members.

Regular volunteers may get these benefits to a greater degree than people who volunteer sporadically.

There are benefits and drawbacks to every type of volunteering. For example, volunteering once in a while is often easy to schedule and is something families or friends can do together. However, volunteers who pitch in occasionally may not feel very connected to the mission of the nonprofits they support or get to

know many other volunteers.

Regularly volunteering, on the other hand, makes it more likely that you will develop a deep relationship with the cause and with other staff and volunteers. However, this kind of volunteering requires a longer-term and bigger time commitment. It can also become frustrating if the volunteer’s duties aren’t a good fit for them.

Preparing for career moves. When volunteers gain and strengthen skills and meet more people, it can help them find new paid work by honing their social and job skills and expanding their professional contacts.

Especially if you’re unemployed or eager to get a new job, you may want to volunteer in ways that are more likely to fill gaps in your resume or help you network with people who can help advance your career. For example, you can learn leadership and governance skills by volunteering on a board of directors at your local food pantry and, at the same time, network with other board members.

Alternatively, you can volunteer

You may want to volunteer in ways that are more likely to fill gaps in your resume.

26 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

for an organization in your field, whether it’s health care, child care or accounting, as a way of staying current and active while looking for work.

Including volunteer work on your resume can also signal to a prospective employer that you’re self-motivated and willing to go above and beyond. Close relationships with nonprofit staff can lead to job referrals and glowing letters of recommendation.

Reducing some risks associated with aging. Older people who engage in mentally stimulating leisure activities on a regular basis may have better memory and executive function than those who don’t, according to an analysis of related studies.

Volunteering can also help older people feel valued. For example, nonprofits can encourage older volunteers to become mentors – giving them a chance to impart what they’ve learned from their life and career experiences. n Jennifer A. Jones is an assistant professor of nonprofit management and leadership at the University of Florida. Distributed by The Associated Press.

a guide to

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

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.

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN

& QA

B ECO M I N G A M A K E R

a guide to

CONSUMER PRODUCTS THINGS MADE HERE

designed, made and built in Rhode Island

FALL 2020

ABOUT US

COMPANY INFO American Labor Services Massachusetts Locations 71 Main Street Suite 1100 Taunton, MA 02718 1528 Pleasant Street Fall River, MA 02723

BECOMING A DESIGNER

Rhode Island Location 515 Smith Street Providence, RI 02908

Alaina Mahoney of Providence-based A.M. Design & Fabrication LLC pg. 21

Debra Bedrosian THE STORY: Bill Prichett, while

WHAT’S MADE HERE?

WHO MAKES IT? CAN I WORK THERE? MADE IN RHODE ISLAND pages 26-36

BOND Building Construction Inc.

Rhode Island Spirits

Cooley Group vice president, human resources and social responsibility

› 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.

› During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has seen a notable increase in orders with Lumenate because of the antimicrobial properties.

844.967.5257

COVID-PROOF

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.

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.

› 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.

10 A Guide to

› Hotels and other multibed facilities, such as senior-living facilities and dormitories, use CleanRest products.

401.223.6849 facebook.com/ AmericanLaborS/ linkedin.com/company/ american-labor-services/

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.

› Among the products CleanRest protects are mattresses, box springs, and pillows from spoilage, spills, allergens, bed bugs and regular wear and tear.

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.

americanlaborservices.com

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.

› Lumenate and TransLumenate are offered in more than 100 colors, and the company allows customers to also create and design their own patterns.

Production on the material has not halted during the pandemic.

Presenting Sponsor

Partner Sponsor

G-Form

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.

President & CEO: Benjamin Kaplan

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.

Employees: 11 Founded: 1990

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS The staff of American Labor Services enjoys an extensive benefit package, including: competitive pay, health insurance, supplemental insurance and vacation time.

John A. Lahtinen is a PBN contributing writer.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

designed, made and built in Rhode Island  2020

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.

COVID-BORN 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.

PBN.com  A Guide to

 If you are a manufacturer…

designed, made and built in Rhode Island

38 A Guide to

33

designed, made and built in Rhode Island  2020

 If you are an educational institution…  If you are a business…

...join us today and SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS in the 2021 edition.

EMAIL Advertising @PBN.com

your sp

2021 BER 1, O T C O , 2021 ATE: UST 27 TION D G A U C I A L : B PU ATION ESERV R E C A SP

e

Reserv

ay!

tod f f u t S ot in

PHONE 401-680-4800

2020 Presenting Sponsor

2020 Partner Sponsor

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 27

OPINION EDITORIALS

If wind-energy jobs do come, state must be ready to fill them After years of permitting delays and false starts, there’s again reason for optimism over the job prospects for wind energy in the Ocean State.

A formal federal review of the 88-turbine Revolution Wind project proposed in federal waters off Block Island is finally underway. And several other projects slated to provide electricity to the region and New York are also moving forward, including one off Martha’s Vineyard that hopes to be operational by 2023.

Despite the uncertain timelines for most of those and other planned projects FUTURE WORKFORCE? Rhode Island high school students participating in a career pathway program for offshore wind jobs ride in a boat circling a Block Island Wind Farm turbine.

COURTESY DOUG LEARNED/LUCKY DAWG PHOTOGRAPHY

along the East Coast, they carry the potential of creating tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade. And as this week’s cover story reports, local schools and companies are eager to develop a pipeline of workers to help fill them.

Their efforts, however, remain hampered by uncertainty over not only when the projects will come online but how many permanent jobs they can create.

Revolution Wind, for example, in 2019 was projected to create 800 construction jobs but just 50 permanent operations and maintenance jobs.

Local proponents, however, hope Rhode Island can still position itself to support 10 times that many permanent jobs.

Such local job growth may be wishful thinking, at least in the short term. But Rhode Island at least is doing its part to be ready, including offering tax credits and other support to help develop training programs.

If the industry finally blossoms, the last thing the state that built the nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm in 2016 should be is unprepared to benefit. n

Loan fund needs more support Two years after lawmakers approved a new program giving investment firms tax credits in exchange for investing in local companies, the fund has only one approved applicant.

While COVID-19 has likely dampened interest in the Small Business Development Fund, its failure so far to generate any local investments predates the pandemic to a tug-of-war between lawmakers and the governor’s office. And though the players have changed, disagreement remains over how the program should be focused.

Where former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo successfully pushed for more restrictions on how $42 million in authorized tax credits can be used, her successor wants the program expanded to let more lenders participate.

But lawmakers failed to approve Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s proposal. New House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi told PBN the program hasn’t proven itself enough to warrant expansion.

It’s time lawmakers and the governor’s office finally get on the same page and signal to investors that this is a program the state actually wants to work. n

POLL CENTRAL EXECUTIVE POLL

PBN.COM POLL

Does your company plan to resume holding company outings for employees?

What kind of outings does your company typically hold for employees?

Some economists think the pandemic-fueled national recession lasted just two months, ending in April 2020. Do you believe the recession has ended in Rhode Island? JULY 23-29

Yes: 71.4%

Christmas dinners: 71.4%

No: 14.3%

Summer cookouts: 57.1%

Unsure: 14.3%

Community service projects: 57.1%

Our company has never held company outings: 0%

Drink gatherings: 57.1%

When does your company plan to resume company outings?

Attending live events: 42.9%

Party time

Later this year: 42.9% This summer: 28.6% Next year: 14.3%

Our company has never held company outings: 0%

Will some company outings no longer be offered due to the pandemic?

No: 71.4%

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.

4%

Yes, but some industries are still struggling

41%

Other: 14.3%

Unsure: 14.3% Our company has never held company outings: 0%

Yes, the economy is nearly back to normal

Yes: 14.3% Unsure: 14.3% Our company has never held company outings: 0%

28 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

No, Rhode Island is always first in, last out of recessions

32%

No, the recovery is just beginning here

23%

I’m not sure 0%

Should employees who have been working remotely expect extra perks or pay in exchange for returning to the office?

THIS WEEK’S POLL:

• Yes, if they’ve proven they can do the job from home • Yes, if that’s what competitors are offering • No, but flexibility on remote work should continue at least through the pandemic • No, where employees work is up to the employer • I don’t know To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

OPINION OPINION

It’s perfect time to redevelop the Armory

BRETT SMILEY GUEST COLUMN

As Providence works to rebuild and recover from the pandemic, we are faced with an almost unheard-of problem: What do we spend all this money on?

Thanks to the strong advocacy from Sens.

Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Reps. David N. Cicilline and James R. Langevin, our city and state have over $1 billion in federal aid intended to help us recover while also righting persistent inequalities.

Gov. Daniel J. McKee and Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, along with civic institutions such as the Rhode Island Foundation, have all spoken about community input on where these onetime dollars will be best spent.

Now is the time to come together to finally redevelop the Cranston Street Armory. This iconic landmark is the perfect project for this funding and has already gone through an extensive engagement process with the surrounding community in Providence’s West End. It is shovel-ready, has the support of neighbors, will directly benefit a hard-hit community, and it’s a fiscally responsible investment. We have talked about, planned, solicited proposals and otherwise day-dreamed about what to do with this building since its closure 30 years ago. Now, we finally have the funds. So let’s get it done.

Prior to the vacant structure and bustling

neighborhood park we see today, this area has historically served our community in different ways. During the Civil War, these training grounds served as home to the 14th Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, the first African American company from Rhode Island to serve in the war. It has served as a training space for various regiments, battalions and brigades before becoming our former Providence Civic Center. Since then, it has made it to numerous “Most Endangered Property” lists by preservationists who still see its beauty and its potential.

The armory was declared unsafe by the state fire marshal in 1981. It has been mostly closed ever since. Over the years, there have been many pie-in-the-sky plans. However, a few years ago, the state and a group of community stakeholders restarted a public process that led to a viable, sustainable, competitively selected and community-supported proposal to turn this historic site into soccer fields, affordable office space for local businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits, and a new public space that connects the armory to the adjacent park. We are in the ninth inning of this process, and thanks to this federal aid, we could complete the process and get to work now. The redevelopment would create jobs immediately and invest in a neighbor-

It … will directly benefit a hard-hit community.

hood that was already struggling before the pandemic.

The process run by the state involved robust public engagement involving the neighbors who are impacted by this space the most. A diverse group of West End community stakeholders were leaders in the development of the request for proposals and in the selection of the winner. Further, these leaders will continue to hold the state and the developers accountable throughout the development process. Over the last three years, there were multiple public meetings with hundreds of participants. A transparent public procurement process has ensured competitive prices and a fair selection.

This project requires a one-time capital commitment to save this treasured building and turn it into a self-sustaining, productive part of our local economy. We know these federal dollars are a one-time allocation, and they should be matched with one-time expenses.

Rhode Island has seen treasured places turned into new community assets such as the conversion of Rocky Point into a new park. Let’s finally convert the iconic Cranston Street Armory into a healthy, vibrant, job-creating and communitybuilding neighborhood space. We can get started right now. n Brett Smiley is a candidate for the mayor of Providence. He was formerly the director of the R.I. Department of Administration and chief operating officer for the city of Providence.

Crackdown on bank mergers could help economy JEREMY KRESS GUEST COLUMN

President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order in July that aims to increase competition throughout the U.S. economy.

In one of the order’s most significant provisions, he directed federal regulators to strengthen oversight of bank mergers.

As a former Federal Reserve attorney who is a business law professor, I share Biden’s concern that widespread bank consolidation has hurt consumers and the economy.

If your bank has been acquired by a larger financial institution, you may have noticed that it is now harder for you to obtain a loan or you may be earning less interest in your savings account and paying higher transaction fees.

Biden’s executive order aims to reverse these trends. But with the pace2of bank mergers accelerating as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, putting the brakes on harmful consolidation will not be easy.

From 1934 until the 1980s, the U.S. banking system consisted of more than 18,000 depository institutions. Today, the number has plummeted to fewer than 5,000. And the top four banks hold the same amount of assets as the next 300 combined, about $9 trillion.

A new wave of consolidation may be triggered by Trump-era financial deregulation that made it easier for banks to get bigger.

The Fed responded to the pandemic by setting interest rates near zero, which has made it harder for banks to earn profits off lending and has encouraged more mergers.

The rapid consolidation is concerning because mergers can hurt consumers and the broader economy.

For example, bank mergers increase the cost and reduce the availability of consumer financial services. Bank mergers often lead to branch closures, inconveniencing customers. The negative effects of bank consolidation are especially pronounced in poorer neighborhoods, where predatory financial service providers proliferate following bank mergers.

Small businesses also suffer when banks merge. With fewer banks in a given market, small-business lending declines. For small businesses that are able to get loans, credit becomes more expensive and average loan size shrinks. As a result, fewer entrepreneurs start small businesses after banks consolidate.

Post-merger declines in small-business lending and formation also have detrimental economic effects. Bank mergers have been associated with decreases in commercial real estate development, new construction activity and local property prices.

Big bank mergers also increase the risk of another financial crisis. Numerous empirical studies have demonstrated that large bank mergers threaten financial stability.

When banks grow through mergers, the consequences of their failure become more dire.

Bank consolidation, of course, is not always bad. Some mergers – particularly among community banks – can reduce

banks’ costs without harming consumers or endangering the financial system.

In 1960, the Bank Merger Act directed federal regulators to consider the public interest when deciding whether to approve a merger. It also authorized the Department of Justice to block a merger that substantially lessens competition. From 1972 to 1982, the Federal Reserve denied more than 60 merger proposals.

Over time, however, regulators have become far more deferential to merging banks.

The Federal Reserve has now approved more than 3,500 consecutive merger applications since 2006 without issuing a single denial.

Biden’s executive order seeks to end this rubber-stamping, but it also leaves the details for the regulators to figure out.

The Department of Justice has promised to implement Biden’s executive order in the coming months, and Fed officials have expressed interest in overhauling their framework for bank mergers. In addition, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Jesus G “Chuy” Garcia, D-Ill., have proposed legislation that would significantly strengthen merger oversight.

With a fresh approach, I believe that policymakers can ensure that bank mergers support, rather than impede, the economic recovery. n Jeremy Kress is an assistant professor of business law at the University of Michigan.

Distributed by The Associated Press.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 29

The Aldrich Mansion provided a perfect backdrop for our 40 Under Forty event on July 22.

2021 Honoree Steve Sherman, Bristol County Savings Bank, jokes with CEO Pat Murray.

2021 Honoree Coastal Medical’s Kelsey Ryan.

Thank You to Our Presenting Sponsor

Josh Daly, RI Small Business Development Center, accepts his award.

Thank You to Our Gift Sponsor

Several honorees from the 2020 40 Under Forty class joined us for the evening.

Friends and colleagues congratulate honoree Greg Scorpio, G-Form.

Gilbane’s Danielle Crafford with friends and colleagues.

30 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Lindsey Brickle, Polaris MEP, accepts her award.

2021 Honoree Daniel Procaccini, Adler, Pollock & Sheehan, with his daughter, who accepted the award on his behalf.

Dr. Wilfredo Giordano-Perez, Tri-County Community Action Agency, accepts his award.

Amgen’s Claudia Scotti accepts her award.

Johnson & Wales University’s Mike Raia accepts his award.

2021 Honoree Nick Oliveira, IGT, with Amy Oliveira, CVS Health, and Andrew Vieira, Pearson.

A Wish Come True Honoree Nicole White with her husband Garrick and son Kyrie.

2021 Honorees Danielle Crafford, Gilbane; Marcy Reyes, The Fly Initiative; and Giselle Mahoney, RDW Group.

2021 Honorees Jessica Savoca and Dr. Sean Fine, Brown Medicine, with Dr. Helena Kuhn, Brown Dermatology.

Trailblaze Marketing Honoree Chris Parisi surrounded by friends and colleagues.

2021 Honoree Dr. Vijairam Selvaraj, The Miriam Hospital, with his wife.

DiSanto Priest & Company’s Honoree John Rainone with his wife.

The 2021 40 Under Forty Honorees www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | 31

ONE LAST THING Focus on the long term

WHEN

COVID-19 surfaced, the pandemic cut the ties that bound our communities together.

Overnight, businesses were without customers, and many were left to create survival plans alone. In downtown, with our business tenants facing the unimaginable challenges presented by the pandemic, we knew our efforts would be critical to their survival.

Here’s what we learned:

n Build space to foster community connections. We design

mixed-use properties with homes above businesses, next to offices, in hopes each of these micro-environments overlap to create new connections. This approach builds strong communities. n Amplify the voices of your business community to connect to customers. Long before COVID-19, we formed InDowncity, our neighborhood marketing initiative. This tool was vital

Arnold “Buff” Chace Jr. Cornish Associates LP managing partner In 1986, Arnold “Buff” Chace Jr. founded Cornish Associates LP, the developer and manager of 10 buildings that make up the Westminster Lofts in downtown Providence.

during COVID to reach tens of thousands of people. Through InDowncity, we utilized social media to promote business offerings, be it delivery, curbside, outside or virtual community activities. n Be flexible day to day and keep your focus on the long term.

We helped preserve our retail partners by working together.

Beyond providing the immediate rent relief required for businesses to stay operational, our team informed these businesses about federal and state resources to help keep staff employed and their lights on for the months to come. n Build a team able to bring creative approaches to each business relationship. A one-size-fits-all approach does not benefit our diverse business partners. Business owners and their staffs all have strengths and areas where they need additional support. Our team was responsive and provided solutions to each tenant’s needs. This takes more focus and energy on our part, but the result is healthy, long-term tenancy. n PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

32 | AUGUST 6-19, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

5,000+ EMPLOYEES

U-HAUL INTERNATIONAL INC.

1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES

AAA NORTHEAST

500-1,499 EMPLOYEES

SOUTH COUNTY HEALTH

15-499 EMPLOYEES

GROOV-PIN CORP.

PARTNER SPONSOR

’S

UPCOMING RECOGNITION EVENTS APPLY. NOMINATE. SPONSOR.

AUGUST 26 PBN’s newest award program will recognize leaders over the age of 55 for their notable success and strong leadership, both in their fields and in the community, as well as a sustained demonstration of leading others. #PBNLeadersandAchievers SEPTEMBER 23 Two great programs, one great event. This program celebrates the region’s fastest growing companies and those that are especially innovative in developing new processes, products and services that AWARDS improve competitiveness and spur growth. #PBNFGIC

FASTEST GROWING

&

NOVEMBER 3 Celebrate PBN’s 35 years of business journalism! Join us and mingle with the region’s top business executives, community leaders and others. #PBN35thAnniversary

SUMMIT & AWARDS DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

DECEMBER 2 A panel of experts share best practices in leveraging D&I in the workplace. In addition, companies and leaders will be recognized for their exceptional efforts in promoting D&I in their organization and the community. #PBNDiversitySummit

Learn more at PBN.com/Events For event sponsorship opportunities contact 401.680.4800 | Advertising@PBN.com

2 | AUGUST 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS | www.pbn.com

PARTNER SPONSOR

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

Congratulations to the Rhode Island businesses that have been recognized as one of the 2021 Healthiest Employers by PBN. Tufts Health Plan is honored to be among this impressive group.

At Tufts Health Plan, we are committed to providing access to robust health and wellness programs to help your employees and their families stay healthy.

For more information on how Tufts Health Plan can work with you to create a health benefits package, visit tuftshealthplan.com/wehearyou

FROM THE EDITOR

Holistic wellness programs taking hold INCENTIVIZING EMPLOYEES to curb smoking, eat better and exercise remains a key goal of employee wellness programs of all sizes. But as companies shift to more holistic wellness programs, they’re increasingly turning to outside partners and services.

South County Health, this year ranked first among PBN’s Healthiest Employers in the 500-1,499 employee category, turned to Simplicity Health for a program that focuses on such diverse staff needs as career development, community, financial and emotional well-being, along with nutrition, physical activity and preventative care.

South County Hospital utilizes the Schwartz Center to offer its popular Schwartz Rounds program to employees as an outlet for managing social and emotional issues they face as caregivers. The latter has been especially important during the pandemic, with discussions that include health care ethics and how to help patients and families with difficult health decisions.

AAA Northeast, ranked first among companies with 1,500-4,999 employees, has turned to the Livongo online health platform for a specialized

diabetes program for employees and dependents.

AAA also offers another Livongo program focusing on employee mental health that includes coaching and tools for managing stress and anxiety.

The trend continues with another No. 1-ranked company, U-Haul International Inc. in the 5,000plus employee category. It utilizes Springbuk, a health analytics platform, to help direct services where they’re needed most. One result has been the hiring of a physical therapist to design tailored fitness programs.

When it comes to employee wellness, if you want to be the best, getting help developing specialized programs to meet a range of needs is a great place to start.

Healthiest Employers again surveyed and judged this year’s competition.

And we’d like to give special thanks to partner sponsor Tufts Health Plan for its support of this year’s Healthiest Employers program.

Michael Mello Editor

CONTENTS 5,000+ EMPLOYEES 1. U-Haul International Inc. ......................... 4 2. CVS Health Corp. ..................................... 5 3. Lifespan Corp. .......................................... 5 1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES 1. AAA Northeast......................................... 6 2. CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann PC .........7 3. Gilbane Building Co. .................................7 4. Brightview Senior Living ...........................7

5. Ocean State Job Lot ................................. 8

4. Toray Plastics (America) Inc. ...................11

6. Tufts Health Plan ..................................... 8

5. The Washington Trust Co. .......................11

500-1,499 EMPLOYEES 1. South County Health ..............................10

15-499 EMPLOYEES 1. Groov-Pin Corp. ....................................... 12

2. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island .......................................11

2. Children’s Friend ..................................... 13 3. AstroNova Inc. ........................................ 13

3. Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island .......................................11

4. Pawtucket Credit Union ......................... 13 5. Cooley Group .......................................... 13

6. R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. .........................................14 7. Gentle Giant Moving Co..........................14 8. Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. ........14 HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS LISTS 5,000+ Employees....................................... 9 1,500-4,999 Employees ............................... 9 500-1,499 Employees ................................. 15 15-499 Employees ....................................... 15

Building a healthier future At Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, we are especially proud to be named a Healthiest Employer this year. We rose up from uncertainty to support each other’s well-being. Learning, adapting, and thriving in new circumstances. So we could continue to support our customers when they most needed us.

Now we are working with other businesses to build a healthier future for all Rhode Islanders.

Congratulations to all of the 2021 Healthiest Employers.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

7/21

IER-583050

www.pbn.com | HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 2021 | 3

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

| 5,000+ EMPLOYEES

PUMPING IRON: U-Haul International Inc.’s Travis Ambrose, right, lifts weights while General Manager Corey Perry, left, and Assistant General Manager Will De La Cruz look on.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

U-Haul wellness program gets employees moving

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

1

U-HAUL INTERNATIONAL INC. founded its Healthier You Wellness program in 2016 with absolute determination to not guess about the health and wellness needs of employees.

The national moving and storage company has 120 employees in Rhode Island.

Company organizers wanted a program that measured health needs and met those needs with pinpoint accuracy and individuality. One tool to achieve that goal was to bring on board the services of Springbuk, a health analytics platform.

Springbuk has been leading U-Haul’s wellness programs exactly where managers hoped to go with it, said Monique Harty, wellness program manager for U-Haul International.

There is no shortage of examples. One was when Springbuk data noted a high incidence of health claims pertaining to muscular and skeletal problems – not surprising in a business full of employees doing lots of lifting and hauling.

The company responded to this information by adding a physical therapist to its on-site medical clinic at U-Haul Arizona offices. This person will, over time, visit, shadow and observe workers in every job category, with the goal of designing fitness programs tailored to each type of worker. When the job-specific programs and exercises are created, this information is forwarded to U-Haul employees throughout the United States and Canada, Harty said.

Another example of Springbuk’s usefulness was when it discovered through data analysis that employee expenditures on prescriptions

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

were very high. U-Haul met this news by hiring Rx Savings Solutions. This company disseminates information to U-Haul employees about where to find lower-cost prescriptions and what medicines may be safely replaced by generic drugs.

Harty and Sandra Gardner, marketing company president with U-Haul Rhode Island, emphasized that U-Haul takes the well-being of employees to an individual and personal level.

Harty said top executives at U-Haul have said that health and wellness initiatives should mimic “how you would treat your own family.”

For instance, Gardner said, CEO and President Edward J. “Joe” Shoen has asked that company-provided food served at monthly meetings or occasional in-office celebrations must be healthy food. Cake, muffins, soda, chips and all foods of that ilk have been replaced with salads, fruits and other healthy options.

Gardner said employees were a bit leery when the healthy-food policy landed, but she secured a caterer that served delicious meals without relying on flour, oils and sugar.

“It’s a case of leading by example,” Gardner said of Shoen and his interdiction of sugar.

“And I have seen people changing their eating habits since this began.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns hit in spring 2020, U-Haul quickly

‘We have a totally individualized approach [to wellness]. Team members are reaching out to someone who is truly there to help them.’

...

SANDRA GARDNER, U-Haul Rhode Island marketing company president 4 | AUGUST 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS | www.pbn.com

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Edward J. “Joe” Shoen, CEO and president NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 13,262 revised some of its fitness offerings to make it easy for workers at home to keep going. The company has long offered employees a $75 reimbursement for personal gym memberships, Harty said. During lockdown, the company came up with about 20 apps that offer guided exercise classes that people can do at home.

Cost of using the apps was borne by U-Haul.

The apps were so popular, the company has continued the reimbursement even though most gyms are now open.

Gardner said the company has begun to offer a $400-a-year reimbursement for employees on the company medical plan to use the services of a registered dietician. Thereafter, benefit managers learned that access to a professional dietician was difficult for some workers, depending on where they lived. So, about five months ago, the company extended the $400 benefit to allow workers to apply it to a Weight Watchers app.

In 2019, U-Haul created its employee You Matter program, which offers referrals for help with legal, financial, family relations or other problems, Harty said. Use of the program tripled from its first to its second year. An additional element of the program is one that provides counseling, amounting to five sessions a year for any specific problem.

“These benefits mean more to some people than the paycheck they get,” Gardner said.

“They know they are reaching out to someone who is truly there to help them.” n

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

H

| 5,000+ EMPLOYEES

Plethora of programs available for workers

Partnership provides employee child care

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

2

CVS HEALTH CORP., the national chain of pharmacies and health services based in Woonsocket, with 8,800 workers in Rhode Island, uses a wide lens to envision wellness for its employees. The company’s stated “six dimensions of health” include the words “purpose, social connectedness and character strengths.”

Moreover, CVS employee health programs emphasize variety to accommodate all types of people and needs.

“There is really no silver bullet when it comes to a well-being program,” said Lauri Tenney, senior director of health and welfare benefits.

“What works for me might not work for you.”

One unifying factor during the pandemic was the need to move many employees to remotely work from home. The company shut down its fitness centers but quickly developed live exercise classes with existing center instructors that employees could do online from home.

During the pandemic year, CVS also created telemedicine opportunities for mental health counseling. The offering was so appreciated that it will continue after work life returns to normal. n

VERY SOON AFTER MOST businesses – except health care – shut their doors to the public in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, executives at Lifespan Corp., based in Providence, realized they had to come up with some quick help for doctors, nurses and other health care workers.

Clinical workers on the 12,211-person Lifespan staff could not work remotely, but the parents among them couldn’t leave young children at home alone. So, Lifespan quickly ramped up its relationship with Bright Horizons, a company that vets child care providers and provides referrals to them.

“It was a huge success for us during the pandemic when people were stressed out about having someone to take care of their kids,” said Greg Salgueiro, Lifespan director of well-being.

Online help with wellness remains a priority. Even in the summer of 2021, with many Lifespan employees still working remotely, the company instituted a virtual wellness program. From any location, workers can get guidance on exercise, nutrition, stress reduction and other topics. n

3

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘We know when we come to work, we don’t leave our troubles in the parking lot, and it’s OK to experience that.’

...

LAURI TENNEY

CVS Health Corp. senior director of health and welfare benefits

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Karen S. Lynch

CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

300,000

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘The pandemic has elevated the need to emphasize a culture that supports all employees’ health and well-being.’

...

GREG SALGUEIRO

Lifespan Corp. director of well-being CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Dr. Timothy J. Babineau CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

12,211

We are honored to be chosen as one of the Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island in 2021!

Rhode Island Medical Imaging is proud to be a PBN Healthiest Employers Award winner for four years... and counting...

www.RIHousing.com

rimirad.com

| 401.432.2400

www.pbn.com | HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 2021 | 5 RIMI-38692-2021 PBN Apple Award 441x65_f.indd 1

7/15/21 3:47 PM

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

| 1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES SPECIAL DELIVERY: AAA Northeast driving instructor Sharon O’Brien delivers meals for Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past 15 months, AAA has shifted from holding its wellness challenges to focusing on employees’ mental well-being by supporting the community.

COURTESY AAA NORTHEAST

Financial well-being key part of wellness at AAA

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

1

PHYSICAL PAIN CAN AND DOES keep people awake at night, but another major stressor that keeps many of us thrashing in the wee hours is worrying about money.

Over the past few years, financial well-being has been one of the big elements in the employee health and wellness programs of AAA Northeast, headquartered in Providence.

The Northeastern sector of this national company, comprising about 2,700 employees from New Jersey to New Hampshire, recently has put in place several initiatives that put cash into workers’ pockets for the purpose of enhancing their health, said Gina San Giovanni, supervisor of benefits and human resources services.

For instance, AAA Northeast paid a $125 cash bonus to employees who declared they had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a benefit that about two-thirds of the workforce has claimed, San Giovanni said. Also, the company offers $125 per year toward any costs that support employees’ mental health, including things such as counseling, psychological care, meditation classes and relaxation apps.

“The fun part,” San Giovanni said, “is that the employee doesn’t have to be on the company health plan to claim these cash benefits. You could be a new hire, or on a spouse’s health plan and you can still qualify.”

She said the range of uses to which workers have put the mental health and COVID-19 cash benefits are individual and creative, such as yoga classes, aromatherapy or weighted

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

blankets.

Other ways AAA Northeast is easing workers’ financial strains are by paying a living wage of not less than $15 an hour; hiring a new 401(k) vendor and increasing the company’s 401(k) match to 6% from 4%; and having the company pay all 401(k) administration fees.

Kristen Botelho Pires, director of total rewards and systems, said she had never been in a business where the “mantra” of putting employees first was taken as seriously and actively as at AAA Northeast.

“Our president is very much aware of what employees are asking for,” Botelho Pires said.

“This has made it easy to develop wellness programs. We are listening and we are delivering.”

Many of AAA Northeast’s health and wellness offerings were in planning or in place before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and sent people all over the world online for essential needs.

As if anticipating the retreat to home computers, AAA Northeast initiated two major health offerings using the online health platform Livongo. One of them, the Livongo for Diabetes program, is paid for entirely by the company, for use by employees and their dependents with Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes.

About 41% of employees who have diabetes are using the Livongo diabetes program, San

‘We have to meet employees on all fronts to have a holistic approach to any health program.’

...

GINA SAN GIOVANNI,

AAA Northeast supervisor of benefits and human resources services 6 | AUGUST 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS | www.pbn.com

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

John Galvin, CEO and president NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 2,690 Giovanni said. It offers guided resources, free testing materials, blood glucose meters, test strips, personalized supports, 24/7 expert help and custom alerts.

Second, AAA Northeast is offering employees Livongo’s myStrength unit, a resource for mental health care. MyStrength provides coaching, education and tools to help employees with stress and anxiety, as well as sleep problems and other mental health problems, using any smart device. It is open to all employees, whether they are enrolled in the company’s health insurance plan or not. Eleven percent of employees have used myStrength.

San Giovanni said the company decided to offer help with diabetes and mental health problems after examining the overall employee health claims data.

“That is the smoke that tells us where there is a fire,” she said. “We saw some of this [stress and anxiety] before the pandemic.”

Health and wellness programs are not only beneficial to workers and the business overall, but they can even contribute to loyalty and longevity by workers.

“In these times, it is hard to recruit and retain. But we have a lot of employees who have been here 10, 20, 30 years,” San Giovanni said. “I attribute that to continual improvement” in benefits such as the health and wellness programs. n

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

H

| 1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES

CBIZ rallies team to focus on self-care

Holistic health behaviors rewarded

BY HUGH MINOR | Contributing Writer

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

DURING THE COVID-19 pandemic, the executive team at tax preparer CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann PC in Providence recognized the need to provide additional support to promote the health and well-being of its staff.

With employees facing change and uncertainty, the company focused on developing strategies to enhance their mental health and self-care.

As Elizabeth Newman, chief of staff, explained, “CBIZ is about people, and we view investments that support our team’s health as investments in our business.”

To help staff lead a healthier lifestyle, CBIZ launched Rally, a digital, personalized health experience.

Rally provides customized health and wellness recommendations for each individual, focusing on physical and mental health.

Rally promotes personal responsibility and accountability. As an incentive, employees who participate are given a discount on their health insurance premium each year that they enroll in the program.

With support from Rally, CBIZ employees weathered the pandemic and built healthy habits that will remain with them long into the future. n

WITH 3,240 EMPLOYEES – about 250 of whom are in Rhode Island – Gilbane Building Co., based in Providence, is moving toward a holistic approach to wellness, one that incorporates physical, behavioral, financial and social health.

Working with StayWell, Gilbane created a Wellbeing Champion Network and simplified the requirements to earn the 40% annual medical discount off employees’ medical premiums.

“Almost 70% of eligible employees earned this discount [during each of the last three years],” Gilbane Senior Benefits Manager Lynn Gillis said, “which supports Gilbane’s culture of rewarding behavior as we continue our journey toward holistic health.”

The Wellbeing Champion Network engages employee volunteers who promote wellness initiatives to their colleagues, including financial workshops, a sleep challenge and brief daily brain breaks away from one’s worksite. An executive-led committee is evaluating the overlap between safety and wellness.

“Our goal is for our employees to start thinking of well-being as more than physical,” Gillis said. n

2

3

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘We view investments that support our team’s health as investments in our business.’

...

ELIZABETH NEWMAN CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann PC chief of staff

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Scott A. Wragg

Senior managing director

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

4,691

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘We must take care of ourselves before we can support others.’

...

LYNN GILLIS

Gilbane Building Co. senior benefits manager

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Michael McKelvy CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

3,240

Spicing up wellness for staff, residents

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

BRIGHTVIEW SENIOR LIVING’S wellness program is deeply rooted in the company’s culture.

“Our award-winning culture is based on being a great place to work for our associates so they will create a great place to work for our residents,” said Jessica Sheffield, Brightview’s wellness manager.

Brightview has focused its sights on wellness by having a full-time wellness manager and integrating its wellness efforts into company operations, as well as health plan management. This includes a Manage Your Chronic Condition Program through the company’s navigation vendor, Quantum Health, which also features a Patient Assurance Program for diabetics.

“One word to summarize Brightview’s wellness program is SPICE, which is our model for wellness initiatives and stands for spiritual, physical, intellectual, cultural, and emotional wellness,” Sheffield said. “SPICE represents our holistic approach to well-being and also reflects the integration of associate wellness into company operations, as we use the same SPICE model for both associates and community resident programming.” n

4

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘Brightview recognizes wellness as an opportunity to create a culture that fosters strong associate engagement and retention.’

...

JESSICA SHEFFIELD

Brightview Senior Living wellness manager CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Tom Grape

Founder and CEO

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

2,525

www.pbn.com | HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 2021 | 7

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

Partnerships key to wellness mission

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

THE KEY TO THE WELLNESS program at Ocean State Job Lot lies in community and partnerships.

“The innovative way we tie our philanthropic efforts into our wellness program is special.

When you think of community, you think of partners, and the ability to leverage great partnerships is an example of how we continue to grow and develop our associate-focused wellness mission,” said Bob Selle, Job Lot’s chief human resources officer.

Wellness partners include Care New England Health System, Bradley Hospital and Ocean State Community Wellness, to name a few.

Job Lot further expanded its partnerships in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employees were provided access to free resources such as a benefits hotline, a health care concierge service, telemedicine, a substance abuse and mental health services hotline and a crisis text hotline.

Future goals include partnering with Care New England to open an onsite wellness center at the retailer’s North Kingstown headquarters. n

| 1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES

Helping our employees ourwork/life employees achieveHelping a healthy balance! achieve Helping a healthy ourwork/life employeesbalance! achieve a healthy work/life balance!

5

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘Associates were provided with access to free resources that would personally benefit them during an extremely unpredictable time.’

...

BOB SELLE

Ocean State Job Lot chief human resources officer CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Marc Perlman

Principal owner and CEO

The smarter way to bank

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

The smarter way to bank

3,894

The smarter way to bank HealthyWorkplace_2021_final.indd 1

Activities, challenges get results at Tufts

7/27/2021 9:15:32 AM

HealthyWorkplace_2021_final.indd 1

7/27/2021 9:15:32 AM

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

ONE WORD THAT DESCRIBES Tufts Health Plan’s Wellness Program is “inclusive,” says Jennifer Mangiaratti, senior manager of benefits and wellness.

“Our medical clinicians, wellness coach and fitness center staff work together to develop our robust annual plan, which encompasses all the ongoing activities, challenges and incentive programs to be held in a given calendar year,” she said. “This approach offers employees a holistic, well-rounded way to positively improve their overall health.”

The program provides incentive programs that incorporate more than one service. It also offers on-site and remote offerings for all employees – from younger adults to those over the age of 65 and for people with a variety of physical disabilities – for their physical, mental or emotional health needs.

The positive outcomes of the wellness program are vast. With a more than 95% participation rate, Tufts employees have reported an increased energy level, improved body mass index, and they are embracing healthy lifestyle options. n

7/27/2021 9:15:32 AM

HealthyWorkplace_2021_final.indd 1

6

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘This approach offers employees a holistic, wellrounded way to positively improve their overall health.’

...

JENNIFER MANGIARATTI Tufts Health Plan senior manager of benefits and wellness

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Cain Hayes

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

2,969

8 | AUGUST 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS | www.pbn.com

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND - 5,000-PLUS EMPLOYEES HEALTHIEST OF RHODE ISLAND (based on companies with 5,000 or more employees) (based on companies EMPLOYERS wth 5,000 or more employees) Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

1

U-Haul International Inc. | uhaul.com Edward J. "Joe" Shoen

2

3

2021 rank

Type of business

No. of employees

Top health programs offered

56 Technology Way West Greenwich, R.I. 02817 (401) 623-8509

Moving and transportation

13,262

Encompassing health, fitness, nutritional and financial wellness under single umbrella

CVS Health Corp. | cvshealth.com Karen S. Lynch

1 CVS Drive Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 765-1500

Pharmacy retail and insurance benefits

300,000

Aetna Lifestyle and Condition Coaching, Aetna Maternity Program, MinuteClinic tobacco cessation, MinuteClinic weight management

Lifespan Corp. 1 | lifespan.org Dr. Timothy J. Babineau

167 Point St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 444-3500

Health care

12,211

Virtual Living Well platform provides targeted education along with specific participation incentives

1 Lifespan Corp. includes Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Newport Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children's Hospital and The Miriam Hospital.

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND - 1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND (based on companies with 1,500-4,999 employees) (based on companies wth 1,500-4,999 employees) Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

Type of business

No. of employees

1

AAA Northeast | cluballiance.aaa.com John Galvin

110 Royal Little Drive Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 868 2010

Automobile servicer

2,690

Ergonomic workstations, health programs, on-site catering

2

CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann PC 1 | cbiz.com/ newengland Scott A. Wragg, senior managing director

1 Citizens Plaza Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 626-3200

Accounting

4,691

Personal and professional growth programs

3

Gilbane Buildling Co. | gilbaneco.com Thomas F. Gilbane Jr., chairman; Michael McKelvy, CEO and president

7 Jackson Walkway Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 456-5800

Construction

3,240

Gym membership and equipment reimbursement, mindfulness, stress and yoga programs

4

Brightview Senior Living | brightviewseniorliving.com Tom Grape, founder and CEO

57 Grande Ville Court South Kingstown, R.I. 02873 (401) 789-8777

Senior living facility

2,525

Health, lifestyle and nutrition coaching; meditation classes; wellness programs

5

Ocean State Job Lot | oceanstatejoblot.com Marc Perlman, principal owner and CEO; Alan Perlman, principal owner; Steve Aronow, principal owner

375 Commerce Park Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 295-2672

Retail

3,894

Fitness Thursdays, Wellness Ambassador program

6

Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care 2 | tuftshealthplan.com Cain Hayes, CEO

75 Fountain St. Providence, R.I. 02902 (401) 272-3499

Health insurer

2,969

Co-ed recreational leagues, mindfulness sessions, wellness coaching

2021 rank

Top health programs offered

1 Also known as CBIZ & MHM Inc. 2 Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care became a combined entity in January 2021. The entity will be rebranded as Point32Health.

www.pbn.com | HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 2021 | 9

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

| 500-1,499 EMPLOYEES OUT FOR A RUN: South County Health employees participate in the hospital’s Centennial 5K event in South Kingstown. The charity run benefited cancer care services at South County Hospital.

COURTESY SOUTH COUNTY HEALTH

Incentives allow workers to earn money while keeping fit

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

1

WHILE SOUTH COUNTY HEALTH provides its patients with the highest-quality care, the organization is laser-focused on the health of its employees.

South County Health, based in South Kingstown, is comprised of South County Hospital, South County Home Health, South County Medical Group and South County Surgical Supply.

“Seeing COVID patients in the community [was] extraordinarily stressful, especially in the beginning at a time of uncertainty about the disease and treatment,” SCH Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Maggie Thomas said.

While learning appropriate COVID-19 treatments, putting on gowns to enter isolation rooms and obtaining personal protective equipment were all managed well, those new obligations created tremendous organizational stress, she said.

“We provided additional support to the staff, [including] respite areas, peer support and encouraging time off to avoid burnout and increase resilience,” Thomas said.

The company’s longtime wellness program addresses diverse aspects of health. By engaging with an outside partner, Simplicity Health, SCH’s Well Beyond Program addresses career development; community, financial and emotional well-being; nutrition; physical activity; preventative care; and well-being coaching.

Financial incentives can play a powerful role in strengthening employee engagement. By volunteering for a local nonprofit: participating in biometric screenings – evaluating body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol; visiting their

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

primary care physician; and engaging in physical activity, benefits-eligible employees earn incentive points that top out at $300 annually per person. Serving on the Wellness Council, for example, equals 50 incentive points, while running/walking a 5K or 10K equals 25 incentive points for a benefits-eligible employee.

Employees earn incentive points by working with the Simplicity Health well-being coach to address their goals. Before COVID-19, the coach came on-site regularly. Employees engaged with the coach by telephone during the pandemic.

“We are working hard to make sure this opportunity is sustained … to support [each employee’s] overall wellness journey,” Thomas said.

Employees enrolled in the company’s health insurance plan who obtain their health care through the organization – from routine primary care and diagnostic services to inpatient treatment – incur no out-of-pocket charges.

“We’re really encouraging great medical care for our staff and their enrolled family members with no financial barriers,” Thomas said, adding staff members who are earning less than $50,000 a year have not seen an increase in their employee contributions to the health insurance premiums in 10 years.

Through the Coastline Employee Assistance Program, employees can participate in any of dozens of informational sessions. The sessions range from resilience, communication and con-

‘Employees must care for themselves first to be in the best position to care for the community.’

...

MAGGIE THOMAS,

South County Health vice president and chief human resources officer

10 | AUGUST 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS | www.pbn.com

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Aaron Robinson, CEO and president NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 814 flict management, to managing change, mastering Medicare, and humor in the workplace.

Recognizing that busy medical professionals often feel they lack the time they need to address their own health care needs, South County Health brings many of its health and wellness programs on-site, such as the employee assistance programs, biometric screenings and Schwartz Center Rounds.

South County Hospital is one of hundreds of hospitals hosting Schwartz Center Rounds, which offer health care professionals regular opportunities to “openly and honestly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients and families,” according to The Schwartz Center website.

Thomas said SCH’s Schwartz Center Rounds focus on employees’ emotional and mental health, which has been especially meaningful during the pandemic. Topics have included health care ethics and accessing help for difficult decisions; compassion matters and the challenges of alcohol use treatment; care and self-determination; and pandemic perspectives and COVID-19 stories. The programs are open to all employees, include lunch and provide incentive points for participation.

Sixty-seven percent of benefit-eligible employees participate in SCH’s Well Beyond Program, which is 11% above the national benchmark, according to the National Business Group on Health, Thomas said.

“Our commitment to our staff [health] is unparalleled,” Thomas said. “We are so proud of [our] committed and incredible employees.” n

H

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

| 500-1,499 EMPLOYEES

Virtual resources integral to wellness

Health care tailored to unique needs

BY KIMBERLEY EDGAR | Contributing Writer

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

BLUE CROSS & BLUE SHIELD of Rhode Island boasts that it “passionately leads a state of health and well-being across Rhode Island.”

That begins with helping its own 750 employees access better health across physical, emotional and other areas.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Cross leaned heavily on virtual resources, equipping associates with custom personal training, live strength and conditioning workouts and other remote fitness classes, ergonomic evaluations, and coaching in nutrition, exercise, stress management and more.

Blue Cross’ partnership with global health leader Virgin Pulse meant associates could access award-winning content on digital well-being platform Whil to develop skills to calm and focus their minds and relax their nerves.

Virtual programming will continue at Blue Cross as part of a holistic hybrid approach to employee health care.

“We are in a unique position to support our associates as they work to achieve and maintain their health and well-being,” said Hillary McCurley, chief human resources officer. n

NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH PLAN of Rhode Island’s wellness program is tailored to fit the unique needs of its employees. Its key feature is its flexibility.

Employees can set realistic, longterm goals and personalize them based on their health needs. Some perks ‘[Our] mission is include free wearable electronic devices that track steps and sleep, a new fully to promote health, equipped fitness center and a Bevi water wellness and machine. quality of life for Neighborhood Health also offers employees and their monthly wellness webinars for its emloved ones so they ployees on a variety of topics, including nutrition, work-life balance, physical ac- can be at their best.’ tivity and financial wellness. Additionally, the program provides a solid focus on NICOLE VOLLER mental well-being with webinars on chair Neighborhood Health Plan of yoga, meditation and stress management, Rhode Island compensation and benefits manager as well as a premium subscription to the Calm app.

“Our goal is to have as many employees as possible touch at least one aspect CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Peter Marino of our wellness program,” Compensation CEO and president and Benefits Manager Nicole Voller said.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: “Having an engaged population will ulti580 mately lead to overall job satisfaction and a happier workforce.” n

2

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘Being flexible, innovative and putting employee health and wellness first leads to a stronger, healthier and more effective workforce.’

...

HILLARY MCCURLEY

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island chief human resources officer

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Martha L. Wofford CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

750

3

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

...

Engaged employees compete to stay fit

WashTrust is invested in workers’ well-being

BY HUGH MINOR | Contributing Writer

BY HUGH MINOR | Contributing Writer

TO MAINTAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE in the plastic fabrication industry, the leadership team at Toray Plastics (America) Inc., based in North Kingstown, is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees.

“We feel that in order for employees to be satisfied and grow in their roles, health and wellness is a critical tool for our overall success,” said Lisa Ahart, Toray’s vice president of corporate human resources and environment, health and safety.

That attitude is championed throughout the organization. CEO and President Michael Brandmeier leads companywide Health & Wellness Challenges in which employees compete by keeping track of activities on their Virgin Pulse app. Contests range from tracking steps daily to developing better sleep habits.

Brandmeier spices it up with his own “Brando Bucks” so employees can earn rewards for their participation.

Having Toray’s employees more engaged in their own health and wellness helps build a sense of loyalty that leads to everyone’s success. n

THE WASHINGTON TRUST CO. is committed to the financial health of its customers, but the wellness of its employees is critical to its success as the oldest community bank in the nation.

According to Dianne Morrone, assistant vice president of corporate training, “Washington Trust’s Wellness Program encourages a healthy lifestyle by supporting employees with fun wellness challenges, webinars and a reimbursement program.”

To keep its employees focused and energized, the Westerly-based bank’s wellness teams create weekly challenges and urge everyone to participate. Activities include sending in a photo of their favorite hiking location or a special place where they like to sit and meditate.

During the holidays, Washington Trust created a cookbook featuring healthy desserts submitted by employees. It was a way to promote better eating and connect staff by sharing some of their favorite recipes.

Also, employees can earn wellness points by joining in volunteer opportunities that involve physical activity. n

4

5

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘For employees to be satisfied and grow in their roles, health and wellness is a critical tool.’

...

LISA AHART

Toray Plastics (America) Inc. vice president of corporate human resources and environment, health and safety

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Michael Brandmeier CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

700

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘Our mantra has been to take care of yourself, and make a conscious decision to be proactive about your health.’

...

DIANNE MORRONE

The Washington Trust Co. assistant vice president of corporate training

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Edward O. Handy III Chairman and CEO

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

617

www.pbn.com | HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 2021 | 11

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

| 15-499 EMPLOYEES

PICTURE PERFECT: Groov-Pin Corp.’s Susan Smith, executive assistant and manager of human resources, takes a group selfie with her fellow employees at the company's Smithfield facility.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Wellness programs unite employees at Groov-Pin

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

1

EMPLOYEES WALKING THE GROUNDS of Groov-Pin Corp. in Smithfield during work hours aren’t goofing off. Rather, they are participating in the company’s Walk to Wellness Program.

Not only have some employees lost weight and a couple are no longer insulin dependent, “the program is good for the team; it’s brought employees together and has a positive impact on their physical, mental, fiscal and social health,” said Susan Smith, executive assistant and manager of human resources. “It’s now the culture of the company.”

Of Groov-Pin’s 85 employees, 47 are in Rhode Island.

After evaluating whether the manufacturing company could operate as a social enterprise – a business that addresses social needs through its products and services while maximizing profits, CEO Scot Jones brought the company together to examine and evaluate Groov-Pin’s values.

“I heard an employee say, ‘It’s great to be of service to the community, but we need to take care of ourselves first.’ We took that message to heart and brought that back to our values … and from there, we developed our wellness program,” Jones said.

After developing the program seven years ago, Groov-Pin began participating with UnitedHealthCare Corp.’s Motion Program, in which exercise trackers monitor participants’ physical activity.

Incentives to participate in Walk to Wellness have included contributions to Groov-Pin employees’ health savings accounts, massage gift certificates, paid days off, subsidized gym

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

memberships and exercise items such as water bottles, T-shirts and gym bags.

“Before COVID-19, we’d hold yoga classes every other week – weather dependent – for an hour each morning,” Smith said.

“One woman told me, ‘It if it weren’t for Groov-Pin, I never would have tried yoga.’

Those are some of my favorite times – when I see people get excited about healthy choices like yoga or our nutrition classes,” Smith said.

The company, which experienced no cases of COVID-19, is being cautious about bringing back such programs for the time being.

Employees’ financial well-being is an important component of Groov-Pin’s program, as management recognized that financial worries and anxieties can impact the well-being of otherwise-healthy individuals. To that end, Groov-Pin sponsors workshops and information sessions related to finance and investing.

During the pandemic, Smith said, “We saw how important our employees’ social health was; people felt disconnected. Our wellness program already included programs to address employees’ physical, mental and financial health, so we decided that connecting employees to the community was an important fourth element.”

Getting employees out walking, burning calories, relieving stress, building muscles and developing healthy habits, all while raising money for nonprofit organizations, including Cross-

‘We recognize if our employees struggle with health, it is difficult to be productive.’

...

SUSAN SMITH,

Groov-Pin Corp. executive assistant and manager of human resources

12 | AUGUST 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS | www.pbn.com

GROOV-PIN CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Scot Jones

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 85

roads Rhode Island, American Lung Association and Black Mountain of Maine, is part and parcel of Groov-Pin’s wellness focus. Donations to these nonprofits, Smith says, represent contributions from employees and the company.

Groov-Pin has held mindfulness programs, self-defense, acupuncture and more. If people ask for and are interested in a program, the company will look for people to lead it.

“On average, slightly more than 80% of employees participate in our [wellness] initiatives,” Smith said.

The broad-based participation is paying off.

Smith said she has seen more wellness visits and fewer sick-patient visits.

“While we have an older population, our [health-related] numbers are going in the right direction,” she said.

Being present, being part of the group and listening is why Jones fully embraces Groov-Pin’s myriad exercise initiatives.

“I was one of the first to get acupuncture, I did yoga and I participate in walks,” Jones said. “The message is – in real terms – that the employees are one of the most important parts of the business.”

In addition to the walking initiatives, GroovPin this year established monthly health and wellness challenges, all with incentives to participate. August’s will encourage employees to try healthy new foods.

“Our wellness programs are created for all of us – we’re a family here,” Smith said. n

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

H

| 15-499 EMPLOYEES

Healthy choices lead to fatter wallets

Virtual wellness options here to stay

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

AT CHILDREN’S FRIEND, Rhode Island’s oldest child-centric nonprofit, employees can save up to $1,500 in deductible health insurance expenses by taking part in the Providence organization’s annual voluntary Health Insurance Waiver of the Deductible Incentive Program, says benefits and wellness specialist Julie Colangeli.

“The goal is for employees to complete five basic health and wellness steps that lead to healthier lifestyles and engagement with health care providers,” Colangeli said. “In 2021, 74% of employees enrolled in our health plan earned that waiver.”

Last year, 34 employees collectively lost some 300 pounds through a virtual yearlong program. Other initiatives include a Healthy Eating Program, a Healthy Lifestyle Program, free access to the Headspace app and, this summer, $10 farmers market vouchers.

“We look for community partners who want to work with us,” Colangeli said, including the R.I. Department of Health and Farm Fresh Rhode Island.

Children’s Friend’s volunteer Wellness Committee works to develop health and wellness programs. n

INNOVATION, RESPONSIVENESS and technical support propelled AstroNova Inc. to lead each of its global markets.

Similar qualities have helped the data-visualization-technology manufacturer engage, educate and empower employees worldwide to healthier living since 2014, which has stabilized company health care costs for the past three years.

One of the first private, nonmedical businesses certified for on-site COVID-19 testing, AstroNova will run its weekly test lab for employees through summer’s end. The company also hosted a public vaccine clinic.

During the pandemic, myriad online initiatives such as telemedicine and virtual 5K races – a company running-club favorite – boosted wellness, especially among employees working remotely, including half of the workforce at AstroNova’s West Warwick headquarters.

This virtual wellness programming has become a more permanent part of AstroNova’s health care hybrid.

“Every year we strive to add or create more options for people – more choice at lower cost,” said Matt Cook, vice president of human resources and organizational development. n

2

3

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘The goal is for employees to complete five basic health and wellness steps that lead to healthier lifestyles.’

...

JULIE COLANGELI

Children’s Friend benefits and wellness specialist CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

David Caprio

CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

375

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘We focus on education and not mandates, as we offer employees, their spouses and families custom health care, including plenty of social options, for their well-being.’

...

MATT COOK

AstroNova Inc. vice president of human resources and organizational development CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Gregory A. Woods CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

232

PCU challenges staff to step up fitness

Workers walking toward wellness

BY KIMBERLEY EDGAR | Contributing Writer

BY WENDY PIERMAN MITZEL | Contributing Writer

PAWTUCKET CREDIT UNION took its first steps toward companywide wellness at about the turn of the millennium.

When PCU opened its new headquarters at 1200 Central Ave. in Pawtucket, it also launched an in-house fitness center.

Since then, PCU has made strides toward employee health and wellness success, including a fiercely competitive app-based step challenge that saw 13 teams log almost 3.5 million steps in one week earlier this spring.

As the COVID-19 viral threat subsides, 93-year-old PCU plans to continue offering its 263 employees more of these challenges and other virtual programming such as health webinars that helped employees stay physically and mentally on track during the pandemic.

In June, the gym reopened, and a cardio class – an employee favorite since 2014 – was back up and running.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten so many emails from so many people happy to work out again,” said Heather Thurber, assistant vice president of human resources. n

COOLEY GROUP may have faced new challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but one thing stayed the same: the success of its Wellness Walking Competition, now 12 years strong.

Cooley provides step trackers to all employees and twice a year runs a challenge coordinated through the Virgin Pulse app.

At Cooley, reaching 10,000 steps in the challenge earns a vacation day, a prize that employees, or the 85% of the workforce w/ c 090ho regularly participate, have come to really value.

“It works out to nearly 300 eighthour vacation days a year. We call it a wellness vacation day,” said Debra Bedrosian, vice president of human resources and social responsibility at the Pawtucket-based manufacturer of engineered membranes. “We’re just so pleased that in the middle of all this with COVID, we kept everyone safe and healthy. It’s been a struggle.” n

4

5

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘We want our employees to know we care about them and their families, and we’re trying to … support their health and wellness.’’

...

HEATHER THURBER

Pawtucket Credit Union assistant vice president of human resources CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Brian Azar

CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

263

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘For the past 12-plus years, we have conducted biannual walking challenges for all our employees, with at least an 85% participation rate.’

...

DEBRA BEDROSIAN

Cooley Group director of human resources

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Daniel Dwight

CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

195

www.pbn.com | HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 2021 | 13

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS®of Rhode Island 2021 AWARDS

| 15-499 EMPLOYEES

Strengthening those who help others

Leading wellness charge in big way

BY SUSAN SHALHOUB | Contributing Writer

BY SUSAN SHALHOUB | Contributing Writer

THE R.I. HOUSING and Mortgage Finance Corp. ensures that the 220 employees who help get folks into homes and rentals via mortgage and rental assistance are themselves well-cared for. Throughout the year, the agency, on Washington Street in Providence, hosts seminars for its team members on topics such as quitting smoking, managing diabetes, eating healthfully and fighting stress.

Karen Ramieri, payroll and benefits generalist, said the busy agency encourages employees to take time to focus on better health and learn how they can take preventative actions to be healthier. Ask A Nurse is one example, in which R.I. Housing team members can bring their questions to a health expert in a private session.

Flu clinics are also offered.

“We also have an EAP [Employee Assistance Program] that is for our employees, plus their families,” Ramieri said.

Going beyond physical health, these programs offer help with personal problems that may be impacting employees at work or at home. n

GENTLE GIANT MOVING CO., which has a location in East Providence, supports employee health – both body and mind.

Company health benefits include three mental health therapy sessions a year. The company coordinates onsite meditation sessions as well. Team members have a gym right in the warehouse, complete with guided exercise sessions, says company public relations and marketing specialist Jen Flanagan. She said that equipment is constantly updated due to the nature of relocation work.

“Sometimes we will go to customers’ houses, and they will have very gently used exercise equipment they want to dispose of – we sometimes offer to take those items to the warehouse and know people will use them here,” she said, with the workplace gym offerings having grown as a result.

Themed summertime wellness weeks introduce new disciplines, such as yoga. Gentle Giant also offers free or reduced gym memberships for those who prefer to lift or sweat it out outside of work. n

6

7

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘We’ve had chair yoga and chair massage sessions for them, so they can decompress and unwind.’

...

KAREN RAMIERI

R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. payroll and benefits generalist

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Carol Ventura

CEO and executive director

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

220

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘Employees have access to a gym right at work – we have people here who lead classes, or they can work out on their own.’

...

JEN FLANAGAN

Gentle Giant Moving Co. public relations and marketing specialist

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Tom O̕Gorman

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

350

Taking pride in employee care

BY SUSAN SHALHOUB | Contributing Writer

8

ENGAGING THE 324 employees at Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. across the company’s 12 locations is a challenge, said human resources benefits and wellness specialist Sarah Beaulieu, but one Rhode Island Medical Imaging prides itself in achieving.

“We had a walking challenge in May with lots of engagement. It was outdoors, and whichever teams or individuals got the most steps, got prizes, such as sneakers,” she said, with each employee getting a RIMI-branded pedometer.

The company has a fitness center at its administrative location in Warwick as well. Employee financial health is also a focus. Rhode Island Medical Imaging recently offered a free webinar on 401(k)s, Beaulieu said. To drive home the importance of maintaining mental health, RIMI has offered scavenger hunts for fun, chair massages and spots to relax around the main building. n 14 | AUGUST 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS | www.pbn.com

A HEALTHY THOUGHT ‘We had a walking challenge in May with lots of engagement. …

Whichever teams or individuals got the most steps, got prizes.’

...

SARAH BEAULIEU

Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. human resources and benefits wellness specialist CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Dr. John Pezzullo President

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

324

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND - 500-1,499 EMPLOYEES

HEALTHIEST OF RHODE ISLAND (based on companiesEMPLOYERS with 500-1,499 employees)

(based on companies with 500-1,499 employees)

Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

Type of business

No. of employees

Top health programs offered

1

South County Health | southcountyhealth.com Aaron Robinson

100 Kenyon Ave. South Kingstown, R.I. 02879 (401) 788-1405

Health care

814

Community 5K, weight loss programming

2

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | bcbsri.com Martha L. Wofford

500 Exchange St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 459-1000

Health insurer

750

Charity walks, health challenge programs, mental health awareness, stress management

3

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island | nhpri.org Peter Marino

910 Douglas Pike Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 459-6000

Health insurer

580

Flu clinics, free on-site gym, meditation and yoga programs, Weight Watchers program

4

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

Manufacturer

700

Company fitness center and monthly wellness days

5

The Washington Trust Co. | washtrust.com Edward O. Handy III, chairman and CEO

23 Broad St. Westerly, R.I. 02891 (401) 348-1200

Financial services

617

Weekly challenges to promote exercise, healthy habits, mindfulness and stress reduction

2021 rank

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND - 15-499 EMPLOYEES

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND (based on companies with 15-499 employees) Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

1

Groov-Pin Corp. | groov-pin.com Scot Jones, CEO

2

(based on companies with 15-499 employees) Type of business

No. of employees

331 Farnum Pike Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 232-3377

Manufacturer

85

Acupuncture sessions, mindfulness programs, monthly on-site or virtual yoga sessions, self-defense sessions

Children's Friend | cfsri.org David Caprio

153 Summer St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 276-4300

Nonprofit

375

Employee assistance program, on-site yoga flow classes, team-based physical activity challenges

3

AstroNova Inc. | astronovainc.com Gregory A. Woods

600 East Greenwich Ave. West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 828-4000

Manufacturer

232

Wellness premium rewards program

4

Pawtucket Credit Union | pcu.org Brian Azar

1200 Central Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02861 (401) 722-2212

Financial services

263

Cardio conditioning class, chair massages, on-site walking groups, yoga class

5

Cooley Group 1 | cooleygroup.com Daniel Dwight

350 Esten Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 724-9000

Manufacturer

195

Annual physical campaigns/challenge, gym reimbursement programs

6

R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. | rihousing.com Carol Ventura, CEO and executive director

44 Washington St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 457-1234

Financial services

220

On-site/virtual programming for diabetes, depression, heart disease, nutrition and other health issues

7

Gentle Giant Moving Co. | gentlegiant.com Tom O'Gorman, CEO; Larry O'Toole, founder and president

125 Amaral St. East Providence, R.I. 02915 (401) 453-4400

Moving and storage service

350

Acupuncture sessions, chair massages, free gym memberships, on-site gym, yoga classes

8

Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. | rimirad.com Dr. John Pezzullo, president

125 Metro Center Blvd.

Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 432-2400

Health care

324

Nonprofit walk events, on-site gym

2021 rank

Top health programs offered

1 Cooley Group was acquired by its executive leadership in collaboration with J.H. Witney Capital Partners, a private-equity firm, on Jan. 4.

www.pbn.com | HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | AUGUST 2021 | 15

S:10 in

Benefits for your mind, body, and business.

We’re proud to be recognized as one of Rhode Island’s Healthiest Employers, and congratulate all 2021 Providence Business News Healthiest Employers Award recipients on putting health and well-being at the center of their company culture.

At Tufts Health Plan, we are committed to providing access to robust health and wellness programs to help your employees and their families stay healthy. For more information on how Tufts Health Plan can work with you to create a health benefits package, visit tuftshealthplan.com/wehearyou

S:14 in