PBN December 18-24, 2020

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN pbn.com

DECEMBER 18-24, 2020

SPOTLIGHT

5Q

Holiday Impressions Lighting and Decor | 6

Charles A. Lombardi | 4

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 35, NO. 39 | $5

FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION/INFRASTRUCTURE Tradeswomen look to build their numbers

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

CUTTING-EDGE

CREATION Amgen’s new $200M next-gen biologic plant a first in U.S.

SEE TRADESWOMEN

BY MATTHEW ENRIGHT | Contributing Writer

THE

CARGO THAT ARRIVED IN 2019 AT THE PORT of Davisville in North Kingstown from overseas was something that had never been shipped to the United States: Three shiploads of modular pieces and parts that when fully assembled would create a state-of-the-art “next-generation” biomanufacturing factory.

The 120,000-square-foot structure had been mostly constructed in Shanghai, then dissembled, placed on cargo ships and sent to Rhode Island. Final destination? The Amgen Rhode Island campus in West Greenwich.

DARCHE HOOD WENT TO COLLEGE to earn a degree in finance.

But now the numbers she’s calculating are from a measuring tape stretched between wall studs. Hood is an insulation installer working on an expansion project at Toray Plastics (America) Inc. in North Kingstown.

The 46-year-old Providence resident is typically one of the only female carpenters on the job, part of a small population of Rhode Island women who are finding benefits of going into construction, such as plentiful job opportunities and equal pay. They’re ironworkers, laborers, electricians – and in some cases, new business owners.

But while women accounted for about 10% of the national construction workforce in 2019, Rhode Island saw a dip in the number of women in PAGE 22

R.I. EXPANSION: Rohan Persaud, plant manager and executive director at Amgen Rhode Island, stands outside the company’s new next-generation biomanufacturing plant in West Greenwich. He is overseeing the startup and licensing of the facility.

PBN PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM

ONE LAST THING

SEE AMGEN

C. Morgan Grefe Experiment, collaborate | 30

PAGE 12

2021

January

21 2 0 2 1

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For more information turn to page 27

CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY CUTTING-EDGE CREATION Amgen’s new $200M next-gen biologic plant a first in U.S........ 1

FOR STARTERS From the Publisher: PBN adapting in time of change............. 3 5Q: Charles A. Lombardi............................................................ 4 Dining Out: Gratitude for the guests......................................... 5 Spotlight: Holiday Impressions Lighting and Decor................ 6 Something New: Mavenly Consultants LLC.............................. 6 Hot Topic: Retail sales proving immune to virus...................... 7 Health Matters: Brown team to track vaccine effects on elderly......................................................................... 8 News Briefs................................................................................. 9 What’s Happening......................................................................10

400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903 Main Phone: 401-273-2201

Subscription Services: 855-813-5805

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

PBN.COM

SOMETHING NEW | 4

Another Look: Stepping Up: Very snazzy donation................16 Another Look: United Way of R.I. receives $10M gift.............16

IT’S PERSONAL People in the News................................................................... 24 Mackay’s Moral......................................................................... 25 Guest Column: Scott F. Latham and Beth Humberd.............. 26 Guest Column: Tamara Pearson.............................................. 26 Editorials and Opinion.............................................................. 28 One Last Thing: C. Morgan Grefe............................................ 30

Senior Account Managers: Linda Foster, 680-4812 Jim Hanrahan, 680-4816 Advertising Coordinator: Joyce Rylander, 680-4810

FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION/INFRASTRUCTURE

HEALTH MATTERS | 8

Tradeswomen look to build their numbers

Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim, 680-4886

The 6-10 connector reconstruction is on time and within budget, say officials, but some residents want it halted after learning contaminated soil had to be removed from the job site....................................... 20

Copy Editor: Matt Bower, 680-4824 Special Projects Editor: James Bessette, 680-4838

Lists

(EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

Highway Projects........................................................................21 Rhode Island Coworking Spaces............................................. 23

FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION/ INFRASTRUCTURE | 20

CORRECTION: An article on the reorganization of Eleanor Slater Hospital in the Dec. 11 edition misidentified the number of people in its four-building system. The hospital had less than 200 people in December.

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES

Brown University

20, 22 1 8, 29

Palmer River Grille

5

PB Bistro & Bar

5

Pot au Feu

5

Rhode Island Black Business Association

18

Building Futures

22

Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council

22

Butler Hospital

29

Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council

18

Care New England Health System

29

Rhode Island Foundation

18

Citizens Bank

18

Rhode Island Hospital

29

Coastline Trust Co.

29

Rhode Island Hospitality Association

29

Eagle Eye Post-Construction Services LLC

22

Rhode Island Laborers’ Local 271

22

Frog & Toad LLC

7

R.I. Commerce Corp.

12

Genesis HealthCare LLC

8

R.I. Department of Environmental Management

20

Holiday Impressions Lighting and Decor

6

R.I. Department of Health

8, 20

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

12

R.I. Department of Labor and Training

22

Jewelry District Association

29

R.I. Department of Transportation

20

Kent County Memorial Hospital

29

R.I. Office of the Attorney General

20

Lifespan Corp.

29

South Providence Neighborhood Association

20

Marc Allen Fine Clothiers

16

The Miriam Hospital

29

Mavenly Consultants LLC

6

Toray Plastics (America) Inc.

1

Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island

16

United Way of Rhode Island

16

Newport Hospital

29

Warwick Mall

Newport Restaurant Group Nonviolence Institute North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce

5 24

29

Xaco Taco

29

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS AT PBN.COM/PBNCONNECT/

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2 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Staff Writers: Alexa Gagosz, 680-4828 (HEALTH CARE, HOSPITALITY/TOURISM, WORKFORCE)

Nancy Lavin, 680-4822 (ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCIAL SERVICES)

Mary MacDonald, 680-4830 (GOVERNMENT, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

Researcher: Cassius Shuman, 680-4884

PRODUCTION Production Director: Anne Ewing, 680-4860 Art Director: Lisa Lagreca, 680-4868

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

ADMINISTRATION Fax: 401-274-6580 Business Manager: Tammy D’Antuono, 680-4840

©2020 Providence Business News Inc.

7

Women & Infants Hospital

7

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Editor@PBN.com Fax: 401-274-0670

Managing Editor: William Hamilton, 680-4826

6-10 project on track despite dust-up over soil

Amgen Rhode Island

EDITORIAL Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820

There’s been an industry-led push to recruit more women into construction in Rhode Island, where the number of women in the field has dipped in recent years.......................... 1

Aetna Bridge Co.

Director of Sales and Marketing: Annemarie Brisson, 680-4800

Marketing, Events & Social Media Coordinator: Tracy Hoyt, 680-4818

Panel: Efforts to lower the barriers are lacking.....................18

18

Advertising@PBN.com Fax: 401-274-0270

Marketing and Events Manager: Donna Rofino, 680-4832

PBN SUMMIT: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Advancing Workplace Excellence

ADVERTISING

Providence Business News is published weekly

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.

FROM THE PUBLISHER PBN adapting in time of change DEAR READERS,

W

e have seen sweeping changes in Rhode Island this year in ways we

standing features you’ve come to expect on our

could not have imagined. Many aspects of life will never go back to

pages, and new ones, too.

“normal,” and new ways of doing things will become the norm. But the Ocean State will adapt, recover and become even stronger than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

It continues to be our mission to be the top source of news, analysis, opinion and information to help your business or employer,

As Providence Business News enters its 35th year of publishing, we are

with in-depth stories in Providence Business

also adapting. Starting in January, our primary print product, Providence

News and useful daily news stories on our

Business News, will begin a biweekly schedule. Reading habits have shifted

website.

over the years. PBN readers now have many ways of engaging with us: through our printed product, website, three daily newsletters, social media and the many events we produce annually.

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN pbn.com

DECEMBER 11-17, 2020

SPOTLIGHT

Digital efforts save PMC | 6

SPECIAL SECTION

PBN’s 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Awards

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 35, NO. 38 | $5

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Nursing homes struggle to fill staffing positions

SEE ADMINISTRATORS

PAGE 20

The print portion of our awardWaterFire, other arts groups key to R.I. recovery are under heavy strain

WATERFIRE

ONE LAST THING

many outlets, particularly online, that follow lesser standards.

PBN.com.

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

Laura L. Douglas Connect with coffee hours | 30

in what we are reporting and the context for why it matters to you. There are

issues affecting businesses in Rhode

focused content for our subscribers on

FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

Providence entered 2020 with big plans.

The nonprofit arts organization was preparing to mark the 25th anniversary since the first fires were lit on the rivers in downtown Providence. WaterFire, which years earlier had been a spark for the city’s renaissance, had corporate sponsors committing for what it thought could be as many as 18 lightings for 2020.

Organizers even had planned a gala Fire Ball for the weekend of Halloween, to be held at the WaterFire Arts Center, three years after converting what had been a 40,000-square-foot industrial building into a premier event and exhibition hall.

SEE ARTS

LIGHTING THE LAMP: Barnaby Evans, founder and executive artistic director of WaterFire Providence, lights a luminaria as part of the “Beacon of Hope” display at the WaterFire Arts Center to honor those who lost their lives due to COVID-19.

COURTESY WATERFIRE PROVIDENCE/ELAINE FREDRICK

PAGE 12

2021

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winning news operation will continue its forward-looking, story-focused

In the coming months, we will introduce new features and analysis you can use, along with continuing our extensive news coverage of the pandemic and other timely issues.

As a local owner of a statewide media company, I am proud of the staff we have put together to ensure we are serving you well. I look forward to the next 35 years!

approach to the issues and people that matter most to the region’s business community. You will still find the

January

21

and loosely sourced stories than we are in being accurate and reliable, both

us to dig deeper on a daily basis into

We will publish more immediate, beat-

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

WHILE ATTENDING a nursing home industry event more than a year ago, Jamie Sanford came to a startling realization: Sanford, 37, was the youngest one there. By far.

“It was intimidating – the age gap was so significant,” Sanford said, recalling the room full of nursing home administrators who all appeared to be at least 20 years old than her.

Since attending that meeting, Sanford has become an

being first with attention-grabbing headlines

A biweekly print schedule will allow

Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

KEEPING THE FLAME ALIVE

Another thing that won’t change is our journalistic integrity. We are less interested in

Roger Bergenheim

For more information turn to page 16

Publisher

FROM ALL OF US AT BANK RHODE ISLAND

FOR TRUSTING US WITH YOUR FINANCIAL NEEDS. WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND A NEW YEAR FULL OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY.

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Equal Housing Lender

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 3

FOR STARTERS

5Q: Charles A. Lombardi Mayor, North Providence | President, Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

1

What has been the biggest challenge for R.I. municipalities from COVID-19?

None of Rhode Island’s federal CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act funding [has] been allocated to local communities. At the same time, the state has delayed or even reduced expected aid payments to municipalities, causing cash-flow issues.

2

The pandemic has strained relationships between municipalities and state government over financial aid, enforcement and reopening guidelines. How do you plan to improve communication between the state and cities and towns?

Overall, I think we have worked together to enforce state health and safety orders and guidelines, which has helped protect residents and save lives. The governor’s Municipal Resilience Task Force is an area that I hope can be a venue for clear communication on longer-term issues, [such as] the costly mandates that continue to come down from state agencies and the legislature.

3 PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

What long-term financial ramifications will the pandemic have on municipal budgets?

If businesses are forced to close because of the pandemic, cities and towns will face lower property tax revenues in the coming years, which is the main funding source for local governments. Also, in the last recession the state cut aid to cities and towns by over $200 million, leading to property

tax increases, municipal layoffs and service cuts. We can’t afford to make that mistake again.

4

What is the league’s stance on defunding the police?

I do not support defunding any local police department. We need to provide high-quality training to police officers, and when any public employee acts inappropriately, we need the tools to be able to bring swift action.

The league has been active in efforts to reform the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights to improve accountability and transparency.

5

What are your top three priorities as president of the league?

We need to make sure that cities and towns are appropriately reimbursed for the financial impacts of COVID-19. Consolidating and regionalizing services between communities is our salvation and also has to be a priority. Finally, we need to make sure that members of the General Assembly follow the advice of local officials when passing legislation. In the last two years, they have passed evergreen contracts and some of the most generous laws in the nation on firefighter overtime and cancer presumption.

These costly mandates make it even harder for local officials to protect taxpayers. n

We need to provide high-quality training to police officers.

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FOR STARTERS DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

Gratitude for the guests IN OTHER TIMES, this space might be holding forth about authentic pizza or barbecue. This time of the year, the Feast of the Seven Fishes would ordinarily make the food headlines.

These, of course, are not other times. This is 2020, or at least what remains of it. Restaurants in the state have been thrust into an unwanted spotlight for the last nine months. The industry was among the first to come under scrutiny and subsequent restrictions in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. But a curious thing happened. The people who depend upon restaurants – which is most of us – turned out to support them.

There was an outpouring of generosity on the part of guests who would not be denied and who would not let their essential source of food, drink, companionship and hospitality go under if they could help it. Tips of hundreds and thousands of dollars were routinely given. And the proprietors, chefs and staffs responded. They “paid it forward,” turning out meals, pizzas, coffee and more to first responders.

Since the spring and summer, restaurant row learned how to pivot. First to takeout, then outdoor, then to family feeding, and these days with holiday customs and traditional dishes. That Feast of the Seven Fishes is going to be a movable feast this year. For example, the new Palmer River Grille in Warren operated by the Gorman family is offering whole turkey breast dinners, roast prime rib or family sized stuffed sole with fixings. The new PB Bistro & Bar in East Greenwich is rolling out a similar program but with vegan and vegetarian items.

This is new ground being covered and it is likely to continue after the pandemic. What is also new, or at least is being made public, is the gratitude being expressed by these business owners to their guests

A FRESH TAKE: PB Bistro & Bar in East Greenwich is offering family-sized vegan and vegetarian dishes for the holidays. Patti Burton, far left, and Dan Hatch, far right, opened the plant-based eatery in the spring. With them are sous chef O’Laro Waite, second from the left, and executive chef Mike Fleury.

COURTESY CAITLIN COSTA

Families who run these [restaurants] have had to do some soul-searching.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW

who have become their hosts. Casey Riley, chief operating officer of the Newport Restaurant Group, while relating the awful news that more associates had to be furloughed, wanted to take time to thank the many guests and friends who have gone above and beyond in their generous tips. Bob Burke of Pot au Feu, in the running for a cash award from a national banking concern, made sure it was understood he was out to sustain his staffers, some of whom face life’s struggles on a daily basis, as well as to express his gratefulness to his guests.

Rhode Island has a predominance of owner-operated independent restaurants. The families who run these places have had to do some soul-searching to rededicate themselves to their commitment to continue. There will be some changes to the landscape. There always has been. Iconic restaurants closed their doors a year ago and the year before that and the decade before that. What is happening just as often but is not as widely reported are stories of silver linings. Friends of a local family-owned restaurant in early December placed a $2,000 take-out order from the casual eatery to be delivered to 100 residents of an assisted-living facility one evening. These friends resided in Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina and Massachusetts. What other business is receiving random acts of kindness in the form of checks and cash from its customers?

The restaurant business model depends on repeat visits for success. If you can, return the kindness and hospitality by making an extra visit to your favorite restaurant to purchase gift cards or merchandise as holiday gifts. And as we try to keep and extend good thoughts, here is a toast to all of our good health in the new year. Merry Christmas and happy holidays. n Bruce Newbury’s radio show and podcast, “Dining Out with Bruce Newbury,” now in its 25th year, is broadcast on WADK 1540 AM and several radio stations throughout New England. Email him at Bruce@BruceNewbury.com. Palmer River Grille is a marketing participant on Newbury’s program.

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FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

FRESH START: Longtime financial consultant Elaine Dickson, principal owner and CEO of Mavenly Consultants LLC, launched the strategy, financial services and bookkeeping firm in Cumberland in July.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Accountant sees clients adding up

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

ELAINE DICKSON grew up wanting to be a journalist. But when her family immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica just before she started college, fear won out over pursuing her dream. She studied accounting, then business administration, and embarked on a career in banking.

Over time, financial strategy grew from a practical way to support herself into a passion in its own right. Now, the Cumberland resident seeks to share that passion with others through Mavenly Consultants LLC, a strategy, financial services and bookkeeping firm that began in July.

Dickson has wasted no time building her company to a fourperson team, with clients from across the country representing a range of for-profit industries and nonprofit causes. She also registered with the state Minority Business Enterprise program as a Black and woman-owned business, opening up new opportunities for government contracts.

While starting a business in a pandemic might seem risky, Dickson cited the increasing attention on shrewd strategy and the wider geographic net afforded by remote work as advantages.

Hourly service rates range from $75 to $300. n

DECORATIONS IN DEMAND: While those hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic may be scaling back their holiday displays this year, Chris Beneduce, owner of Impressions Holiday Lighting and Decor in Warwick, says many people have expressed continued interest in decorating this season.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Making spirits bright Outfitting clients with holiday lighting, decor

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

CHRIS BENEDUCE by no means identifies as a Christmas fanatic.

But as owner of Holiday Impressions Lighting and Decor, he spends the last two months of the year elbow-deep in fake snowflakes, inflatable Santas and icicle lights. The seasonal business in Warwick is one of four that Beneduce owns and grew out of his original landscape lighting company.

Beneduce, who recently retired from a full-time gig running Warwick’s sanitation and recycling department, fell into the landscape lighting business somewhat by accident. He began by helping a friend who owned a sprinkler installation company, picking up the late-night shifts checking on the lighting they had installed during the day.

In 1996, he struck out on his own with New England Landscape Lighting Inc., offering landscape lighting to residential and commercial customers across the state. Requests for holiday-specific installations prompted the serial entrepreneur, who also owns a gift shop and mosquito abatement company, to start a separate business dedicated to all things snowmen, Santa and sparkling lights.

Beneduce’s dozen employees follow him from one seasonal company to the next, allowing him to avoid OWNER: Chris Beneduce

mals to outfit a nativity display arrived before the season debut. And because most of his displays are rentals – customers pay for a twoyear professional installation and removal – he also has a warehouse full of decor from holidays past.

Beneduce, who’s own Warwick home is last on his list to outfit with seasonal lights, draws from his older inventory based on his remaining stock. layoffs and keep revenue steady.

“My house changes every year,” But installing rooftop Christmas he said. “I get whatever is left.” displays requires additional trainDespite the dizzying array of oping, for which Beneduce sends his tions that he adds each year, some workers to the “North Pole” of customers choose the same displays Christmas lighting – a company in year after year, while others opt for Omaha, Neb. the latest trends in holiday lighting.

“In our business, safety is Some choose simple sets of lights paramount, especially when you’re and wreaths for a more modest $600 dealing with wet and icy weather,” price tag, while others spring for Beneduce said, adding that heavy elaborate displays that cost up to rain or snow means jobs get post$20,000. poned.

Many of his jobs are from repeat The COVID-19 pandemic, of customers, both residential and course, threw his usual routine commercial, including restaurants, off-course. In-person training was hotels and other tourism-dependent canceled, and the products that he businesses seeking to spruce up buys primarily from the Nebraska their lobbies or entryways with company were back-ordered for holiday cheer. While those hard-hit several months amid supply-chain by the pandemic may be scaling shortages. Luckily, his newest stock back displays this year, many have of LED lights, ranging from tradiexpressed continued interest this tional icicles and colored strings to season, wanting a little holiday those shaped like candy canes, as magic perhaps now more than ever, well as trees and enough barn aniBeneduce said. n LOCATION: 319 Bald Hill Road, Warwick YEAR FOUNDED: 2008

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Holiday lighting and decor 6 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

EMPLOYEES: 12

ANNUAL SALES: WND

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC

Retail sales proving immune to virus

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

BRAVING LONG LINES, freezing temperatures and swarms of shoppers for the sake of holiday shopping holds even less appeal than usual in the midst of a pandemic, but retailers big and small are reporting strong sales numbers despite a still-raging virus and heightened restrictions.

The National Federation of Retailers predicted a 3.6% to 5.2% yearover-year increase in holiday sales this year. In a statement explaining its forecast, which includes one-third of profits coming from online or non store sales, NRF pointed to the psychological factor of consumers wanting to celebrate after a devastating year. And while the industry was ravaged by mandated shutdowns during the earliest months of the pandemic, numbers have rebounded, with October sales up 10.6% over 2019, the federation said.

Deloitte & Touche LLP in its 2020 holiday retail survey painted a slightly less-rosy picture, projecting a 3.3% decline in year-over-year sales specifically for Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, which fell on Nov. 30.

But experiences across retailer categories and sizes vary widely, includ-

ing in Rhode Island, where a number of small businesses boasted record sales numbers.

Among them is Frog & Toad LLC, which brought in double the revenue through online and curbside pickup sales on Thanksgiving weekend compared with 2019, according to co-owner Asher Schofield. The novelty gift store made a splash early in the pandemic with its “Knock it Off” T-shirts, based on Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s iconic press-briefing admonishment.

Sales have continued to surge, despite the two brick-and-mortar locations

remaining closed. Schofield credited savvy online marketing and an increased “buy local” sentiment among consumers.

“We’ve definitely seen a lot more interest from consumers in supporting local and small businesses this year,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF’s senior director of industry and consumer insights.

Larger national and regional stores with Rhode Island locations are doing well, too. Warwick Mall, which is locally owned but houses big-name retailers such as Target and J.C. Penney, saw significant Black Friday foot traffic, according to Domenic Schiavone, the mall’s general manager.

While Schiavone could not share sales numbers for mall tenants, he named online ordering and curbside pickup as a major revenue source for retailers. Earlier rollouts of holiday

‘We’re all just trying to balance lives with livelihood.’

deals – some as early as October – also helped give businesses a boost this year.

Still, Schiavone said the mall and its tenants were “feeling the impact” of the pandemic, a function of changing consumer behavior and heightened state restrictions.

The three-week “pause” has further limited foot traffic, Schiavone said, though he did not fault the state for imposing additional restrictions.

“We’re all just trying to balance lives with livelihood,” he said.

That retailers have been allowed to remain open during the pause with reduced capacity – as opposed to the state’s first shutdown when all nonessential businesses had to close their doors – reflects the state’s effort to support its small businesses, said Kristin Urbach, executive director for the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce.

But whether strong holiday sales will be enough to offset losses from earlier this year, including among the many major brands that have filed for bankruptcy, it’s too early to tell, said Kate Ferrara, principal in Deloitte’s Risk & Financial Advisory practice. n

DOMENIC SCHIAVONE, Warwick Mall general manager

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FOR STARTERS | HEALTH MATTERS

Brown team to track vaccine effects on elderly

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

AS

federal authorities begin the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine nationwide, local public health leaders are developing ways to track potential side effects.

Brown University’s School of Public Health recently received a supplemental grant of $273,000 from the National Institute of Aging to design and administer a monitoring system to identify side effects after the most frail receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The system is being developed by researchers led by Vincent Mor, a Brown professor of health services who has been conducting research on long-term care facilities for 35 years. Once the planning is complete, the system will be implemented in all Genesis HealthCare LLC facilities, a Pennsylvaniabased nursing home chain that has seven nursing homes in Rhode Island.

The centers themselves will play no role in the process, but data will be automatically transmitted behind the scenes daily, according to Lori Mayer, spokeswoman for Genesis.

While four vaccines have reached Phase 3 trials in the U.S., the drug

trials have rarely included frail, aged subjects with multiple health issues, according to Mor. The two leading vaccines in the U.S. – from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. – have been tested on a combined 73,000 people.

But now that a vaccine has started shipping, nursing home residents and staff will be among the first groups in Rhode Island to receive the vaccine.

According to Rhode Island’s COVID-19 vaccination draft, a 151-page document that was last updated on Oct. 16, the distribution plan will be broken down into three phases.

Phase 1, when limited doses of a vaccine are available, will be broken down into two parts: The first part will target high-risk health care workers and first responders. The second part will include vaccinating residents and staffers at long-term-care facilities and other older adults in overcrowded settings.

The lack of testing on people of that age group and in frail condition makes it crucial to develop a system to monitor and track elderly nursing home residents who receive a vaccine, in case

LEAD INVESTIGATOR: Vincent Mor, a health services professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health, is overseeing a team of researchers who will be tracking potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines on nursing home residents.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

‘No one as sick as a nursing home resident was enrolled in any of the vaccine trials.’

VINCENT MOR, Brown University professor of health services 8 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

there are adverse effects.

“Residents are in desperate need of protection from the virus, but no one as sick as a nursing home resident was enrolled in any of the vaccine trials,” Mor said.

The work is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s effort to establish Vaccine Adverse Event Monitoring Systems, which focus specifically on the elderly.

Dr. Richard Feifer, chief medical officer of Genesis HealthCare, said that while he is confident that the vaccine development and clinical-trial process has been rigorous, and that the Food and Drug Administration will only approve vaccines with merit, nursing home residents were not a major component during the clinical trials, even though elderly people were affected the most by the virus.

In fact, nursing home residents constitute nearly 40% of all deaths due to COVID-19 in the nation, and more than 65% of COVID-19-related deaths in Rhode Island.

“Given that all therapeutics have some side effects, it is important to monitor for potential issues even after a drug is approved,” said Feifer.

Feifer said that Genesis has previously worked with Brown to analyze data and trends in order to better fight the virus.

“This is no different,” said Feifer.

He said Genesis will share real-time data with Mor’s team each night to identify adverse trends in the elderly.

Mor said he will then update the database each day so that he can monitor the frequency of these events.

Other systems to track symptoms after taking a COVID-19 vaccine have been introduced at both the national and global scale.

V-SAFE is a digital system designed to provide real-time warnings of negative side effects in the first round of Americans vaccinated against COVID-19.

It’s a text-messaging system that will automatically send web-based surveys, asking questions to people who were recently vaccinated how they are feeling. The system will then warn the CDC of early indications of any adverse reactions from a vaccine.

People who have received the shots can report symptoms. In some cases, patients who report adverse symptoms could receive phone calls from CDC staffers.

Rhode Island is not developing its own system to track the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

“V-SAFE is the system people should use,” said Joseph Wendelken, spokesman for the R.I. Department of Health.”

Brown was chosen for the $273,000 National Institute of Aging grant because it was in the position to leverage a larger grant from the institute, according to NIA spokeswoman Melissa McGowan. She said NIA was not aware of another system that is similar to this NIA-supported project to track side effects of the vaccines in nursing homes.

“This is truly a monumental effort to get the vaccine out quickly and safely, and we are proud to be able to assist with that effort,” said Feifer. n

NEWS BRIEFS | FOR STARTERS PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN

PBN to host business forum webcast series PROVIDENCE – Providence Business News will host the “21st Century Business Forum,” a free monthly webcast featuring executives, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and business experts from around the world.

Each conversation will be hosted by Jon Gordon, bestselling author of “The Energy Bus,” “The Carpenter,” “Training Camp” and other business titles.

Guests will share their insights, ideas and experiences of success, as well as other lessons learned in their career.

The first webcast, which will be hosted on Jan. 13, will feature Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Media and former presidential candidate.

Other speakers will include New York Times bestselling author John C. Maxwell; Renee Mauborgne, co-author of “Blue Ocean Strategy” and “Blue Ocean Shift”; and Nick Saban, head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program. The series will continue on the second Wednesday of each month. Registration for the event is free. Visit businessforumusa.jetwebinar. com/forbes to register. n

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Former Mattiello aide Britt acquitted of money-laundering

CollegeBound Saver announces $250 ‘Give Smart’ campaign

PROVIDENCE – Jeffrey Britt, the former aide to House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello, was acquitted Dec. 16

by R.I. Superior Court Judge Daniel Procaccini of money-laundering charges and allegations of violating campaign-finance laws.

The charges were brought forth in an October trial that was tied to Mattiello’s 2016 reelection campaign when Britt worked for the House speaker.

Britt was alleged to have sent a $1,000 contribution through a third party to Shawna Lawton, a defeated Republican primary candidate in 2016, to help finance a mailer endorsing Mattiello, a Democrat, instead of the Republican nominee. Britt allegedly met with Lawton before sending the mailer, suggesting Mattiello would back her anti-vaccination priorities in exchange for her support.

In his ruling, Procaccini said the state’s two witnesses provided “fragile testimony spun through the use of misleading questions” and that “the evidence falls woefully short of establishing the offenses charged.” n

PROVIDENCE – CollegeBound Saver, Rhode Island’s 529 education savings plan, on Dec. 14 announced it is giving $250 to residents who start saving for future education expenses by opening a CollegeBound Saver account this holiday season.

As part of the $250 “Give Smart” campaign, the first 500 Rhode Island residents to open a new CollegeBound Saver account before Jan. 15, 2021, will have $250 added to their account to help boost their savings, according to a news release from NAIL Communications, which CollegeBound Saver has partnered with to promote the campaign.

According to the release, CollegeBound Saver believes saving for college is “one of the smartest and most valuable gifts people can give to their kids or loved ones” and encouraged parents and family members “to look at saving for college as a gift that will outlast the toys and clothing children inevitably get bored with or outgrow.”

More information can be found at collegeboundsaver.com/get250. n

North Attleboro man charged in steroid scheme

Neronha establishes team to address civil rights issues

PROVIDENCE – David M. Esser, 47, of North Attleboro, has been arrested and charged with conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids and money laundering, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Aaron L. Weisman announced Dec. 14.

Esser’s arrest came while he awaitied trial on charges brought in February 2020 that he allegedly led a conspiracy that arranged for the importation and distribution of steroids. Prosecutors allege he resumed arranging for the sale, packaging and distribution of steroids with a Virginia resident he allegedly conspired with in the past.

It is alleged the Virginia resident received, prepared, packaged and shipped steroids to Esser’s customers, at Esser’s direction according to a news release. Payment was made in cash or by cryptocurrency.

Esser’s alleged continued criminal conduct came to light during an unrelated Drug Enforcement Administration drug-trafficking investigation in Virginia, the release stated.

Esser was ordered detained. n

PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha on Dec. 10 announced the creation of a Civil Rights Team, made up of criminal and civil attorneys, as well as the civil rights advocate, to bring a more coordinated approach to the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes and police misconduct in the state.

Neronha also issued guidance to law enforcement recommending that each police department designate a hate crimes and civil rights liaison to serve as a department contact to the team, which will help streamline information-sharing and facilitate training, according to a news release.

“There is no question that reports of hate crimes are on the rise, both nationally and right here in Rhode Island. Additionally, recent police misconduct cases … have led to increased demands for accountability and transparency,” said Neronha in a statement. “Creating this team formalizes our efforts and sends a clear message that this work is a top priority for this office.” n

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Nursing homes struggle to fill staffing positions

KEEPING THE FLAME ALIVE

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

WHILE ATTENDING a nursing home industry event more than a year ago, Jamie Sanford came to a startling realization: Sanford, 37, was the youngest one there. By far.

“It was intimidating – the age gap was so significant,” Sanford said, recalling the room full of nursing home administrators who all appeared to be at least 20 years old than her.

Since attending that meeting, Sanford has become an

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Providence entered 2020 with big plans.

The nonprofit arts organization was preparing to mark the 25th anniversary since the first fires were lit on the rivers in downtown Providence. WaterFire, which years earlier had been a spark for the city’s renaissance, had corporate sponsors committing for what it thought could be as many as 18 lightings for 2020.

Organizers even had planned a gala Fire Ball for the weekend of Halloween, to be held at the WaterFire Arts Center, three years after converting what had been a 40,000-square-foot building into PROVIDENCE industrial BUSINESS NEWS a premier event and exhibition hall.

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For information on reaching YOUR target audience, contact your account manager or Advertising@PBN.com | 401-680-4800 www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 9

FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING Informational walking tour

E-COMMERCE TIPS: Ryan Kelly, vice president of global e-commerce marketing at FedEx, will discuss e-commerce technology solutions during a SCORE webinar on Feb. 18.

COURTESY RYAN KELLY

EDITOR’S CHOICE

E-commerce tech solutions for growing your business SCORE RHODE ISLAND is hosting a webinar to explain how to use e-commerce technology for growing a small-business operation. Ryan Kelly, FedEx vice president of global e-commerce marketing, will break down the steps needed to navigate e-commerce technology options, while highlighting examples of technologies that some small businesses are using to grow their online business. Participants will learn about multi-channel selling and the pros and cons of an online store versus marketplaces; the most important e-commerce platform capabilities to consider; other types of technologies to help grow a business; and when and how to upgrade or add technology solutions.

THURSDAY, FEB. 18, 1-2 P.M. Free Online webinar.

THE WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER Watershed Council will be hosting an informational walking tour of the Woonasquatucket River. Learn about the past and future of this section of the greenway, as Alicia Lehrer, executive director of the council, shares how the river and its banks transformed from a polluted and nearly forgotten waterway to the vibrant heart of a neighborhood. Attendees will learn about the ways the council is restoring native plant and animal populations, as well as using plants and soils to clean the river.

SATURDAY, DEC. 19, 10-11 A.M. Free Farm Fresh Farmers Market, 10 Sims Ave., Providence.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/fq6wxf

An evening with Baker ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce is hosting a webinar featuring a conversation with Mass.

Gov. Charlie Baker, who will field questions and discuss the current situation in the state. This event will be held virtually via Zoom using a secure link and passcode that will be

emailed to participants 24 hours prior to the program.

MONDAY, DEC. 21, 5:30-6:15 P.M. $25, with $10 from each ticket purchased will be donated to local food pantries.

Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/gsm1lg

Using AI for business TECH COLLECTIVE is hosting a webinar to explain how to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning, a branch of AI, to leverage aspects of a business operation. Natalia Modjeska, director of research and advisory for data and analytics at Info-Tech Research Group, will explain what AI is and best practices for using it for business, while touching on how to chart an artificial-intelligence path for a company. This webinar is aimed at businesses that do not have an inhouse technology department or data person, and it will provide an actionable guide for applying the use of AI to a business.

THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 3-5 P.M. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/vesdwc

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The things that make Rhode Island so special — our renowned restaurants, eclectic shops, stellar arts, fun family attractions — need our support now more than ever. Browse through a small shop — online or in-person — for that perfect gift. Try a new restaurant or order dinner to go from your favorite neighborhood spot. Start planning a staycation in the city or by the water.

Visit BuyLocalRI.org for 100 Ways To Buy Local. Find ideas for dining, shopping and things to do throughout the state, including online options.

BuyLocalRI.org

10 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING | FOR STARTERS Maximizing your strengths TECH COLLECTIVE is hosting a webinar to aid participants with maximizing their strengths to achieve their goals. Cindy Scibetta-Butts, founder of Grow with Strengths and a Gallupcertified strengths coach, will discuss how to uncover innate strengths through the Clifton Strengths assessment; discover strengths; help choose goals and get laser-focused about what success looks like; make a first-draft plan with ease to put a top priority into action; learn how to aim strengths to drive outcomes and accelerate impact; and apply a set of new insights and learning into a plan or objective for obtaining a goal.

WEDNESDAYS, JAN. 27-FEB. 10, 1011:30 A.M. $350/members; $450/nonmembers

shippers; custom-branded boxes and other packaging options to market a business; how to understand and calculate dimensional weight to decrease estimated shipping costs; and how to utilize the FedEx Packaging Lab for package, freight and material testing to ensure better protection for shipments and to help reduce customer damage claims.

FRIDAY, FEB. 9, 1-2 P.M. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/t0nmhp

Expanding to new markets SCORE RHODE ISLAND is hosting a webinar to explain how to speed up a business’s growth by expanding into international markets using global shipping methods. Stephen Smith, FedEx marketing director, discusses how to prepare for shipping internationally. Participants will learn how to choose and use international solutions, services and resources; the basics of customs brokerage and clearance activities; getting a rate, filling out documents, finding codes,

customs documents, duties and taxes; and overcoming the common obstacles and preventing delays.

THURSDAY, FEB. 25, 1-2 P.M. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/1tc4qr

Interested in having your business-related event included in What’s Happening? Contact PBN Researcher Cassius Shuman at (401) 680-4884 or Shuman@PBN.com.

Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/dld4k8

Marketing tips THE RHODE ISLAND Small Business Development Center is hosting a three-part webinar series to discuss how to market a business, approach daily planning and manage content calendars. Amanda Basse, a development center marketing counselor, will explain the best methods for marketing a business to create systems to achieve consistent results while being able to measure and assess growth.

Participants will learn how to bridge the gap between future outcomes and present activities of the operation and be provided with a template for managing 30 days of content in their calendars.

THURSDAYS, JAN. 28-FEB. 25, 11 A.M. TO NOON. Free

Packaging to build a brand SCORE RHODE ISLAND is hosting a webinar to discuss how to utilize packaging to build a business’s brand, create visibility, reduce damages and waste, and save money. Kim Dixon, FedEx Office executive vice president and chief operating officer, will discuss key packaging considerations for small-business shippers and share how optimizing packaging can increase customers’ satisfaction. Participants will learn about cost-effective packaging basics for

UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The 2021 Book of Lists Premier Event will be held virtually at 4 p.m. on Jan. 21. For more information, visit PBN.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

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BIOLOGIC PLANT AMGEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

More than a year later and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the $200 million biomanufacturing plant – the first of its kind in the United States – is complete, nearly ready to add to the capabilities of Amgen’s West Greenwich location, where the multinational biopharmaceutical company produces the popular arthritis drug Enbrel and other “biologic” medications.

Amgen Inc., based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., has touted the innovative, modular design of the new facility as highly flexible, enabling Amgen to boost its production of multiple medicines with equipment that is portable, smaller and disposable, allowing the company to quickly respond to changing demand and needs.

Rhode Island economic-development officials are more interested in other benefits.

Amgen has said it will hire about 150 people to staff the new plant, adding to the approximately 675 employees who already work at the West Greenwich campus. And the new jobs will pay well, offering a median annual salary of $77,000, according to state data.

“Amgen has options around the globe as to where to build a next-generation facility such as this,” R.I. Commerce Corp. spokesman Brian Hodge told Providence Business News. “We are proud they chose Rhode Island.”

TIPPING SCALES Indeed, in the initial planning stages, Amgen had looked at other building sites, including some overseas, but changes to the U.S. tax code in recent years made setting up manufacturing facilities in the U.S. more advantageous.

Company executives told state leaders in 2018 that Rhode Island’s educated workforce, training opportunities and the success of the existing Rhode Island facility were factors that tipped the scales toward West Greenwich as they weighed potential locations in the U.S. Rhode Island tipped them further when Commerce officials approved up to $3.5 million in Rebuild Rhode Island tax credits and an additional $6 million in Qualified Jobs tax credits spread over 10 years, with credits only being issued after new employees have paid income tax for a year.

On top of that, Amgen received exemptions on sales and use taxes due on construction materials and furnishings. The value of those exemptions was estimated to be about $3.3 million.

To R.I. Commerce, sweetening the pot was well worth it. The state calculated that the economic impact far outweighed the cost of the incentives – with an estimated $33.5 million increase in the state’s annual gross domestic product by the fourth year of operation and a $16.6 million increase in personal income, sales and business taxes revenue over 12 years, beginning with the construction of the facility.

CLEAN ENVIRONMENT: An Amgen employee works inside the next-generation biomanufacturing plant in West Greenwich. Amgen says the facility is the only one of its kind in the U.S., designed with portable, smaller and disposable equipment that allows Amgen to quickly respond to changing demands.

COURTESY AMGEN RHODE ISLAND/AL WEEMS

‘We never put [construction] schedule over safety.

Safety was always our No. 1 priority.’

ROHAN PERSAUD, Amgen plant manager and executive director LONG JOURNEY Even before Amgen made its final decision on West Greenwich, the plant’s modular construction – a process in which it’s built off-site under controlled conditions in modules that can be pieced together later – allowed for 80% of the structure to be built in Shanghai by Japanese company Morimatsu.

“That gave us some advantage,” said Rohan Persaud, plant manager and executive director of Amgen Rhode Island. “We were able to do the proper due diligence to select a site, but at the same time we were building this plant [overseas].”

Once the company settled on West Greenwich as the location for the new plant in April 2018, the hard work began.

Amgen prepped the site in the northern corner of the Amgen property off Interstate 95 for a year while the modules were constructed in China. The design was based on a “next-generation” biomanufacturing plant the company had constructed in Singapore in 2014.

When it came time to transport the disas-

sembled factory from Shanghai in July 2019, that process came with its own set of challenges.

It took three shipments to get all the parts of the facility to the port in North Kingstown. The last 10-mile leg of the trip to West Greenwich was also tricky, at least initially, Persaud said. It took 150 tractor trailer loads to get the modules to the site, and company officials wanted to ensure expensive technology and components weren’t sitting exposed on trucks in rush-hour traffic.

“There was detail planning around the truck routes,” Persaud said. “We had to ensure full clearance for the routes, then coordinated travel between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.to minimize any disruptions to traffic. Once this was completed, the transport was smooth.”

Construction was overseen by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., in Providence, with about 275 workers assembling the modules. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in March during the final phases of the project, it made construction difficult because of the precautions that had to be implemented, such as taking temperatures of workers as they arrived on the work site.

“Our focus has always been safety for everybody that comes through our gates, so we worked very closely with the construction group,” ­Persaud said. That included ensuring that workers followed social distancing and wore masks.

“We never put schedule over safety. Safety was always our No. 1 priority.”

Now that Amgen has finished the modular construction in West Greenwich, the experience will

‘Amgen has options around the globe.

We are proud they chose Rhode Island.’

BRIAN HODGE, R.I. Commerce Corp. spokesman 12 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

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BIOLOGIC PLANT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

be useful in the future, according to Peter Rodriguez, executive director plant manager at Amgen Rhode Island. “If we want to go somewhere else and build another facility, that design has already been completed, and we’ll compress and every time we do this, we’ll be able to do this faster,” he said.

“Think about a factory that’s built in a way that you can assemble it, then disassemble it and break it into trailer pads,” he said. “So you need to be able to fit those trailers onto the roads, so that’s accounted for, and then when you get to your location, you can actually run these trucks so that they make it to the facility.”

GROWING PRESENCE This is the latest expansion for Amgen Rhode Island since its original West Greenwich plant was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005.

Since then, the company says it has invested more than $1.5 billion in its Rhode Island site, adding manufacturing, administrative and laboratory space. Over the years, the West Greenwich site has gone from producing one product to making about 12 commercial and clinical products.

Amgen says the Rhode Island facility is now one of the world’s largest producers of biologic medicines, which are made from substances found in living things such as mammalian protein instead of chemically synthesized like conventional drugs.

The new plant would produce biologic products, some of which already would be approved for use,

SITE STROLL: From left, Rohan Persaud, plant manager and executive director at Amgen Rhode Island; Brian Britson, vice president of site operations; and Peter Rodriguez, executive director plant manager, walk on a roadway at Amgen’s West Greenwich campus. The new manufacturing facility is visible behind them.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

‘This gives us that diversity here ... to handle a wide [variety] of products that come down the project pipeline.’

BRIAN BRITSON, Amgen Rhode Island vice president of site operations

CHECKUP: Staff members from quality, manufacturing, facility and engineering departments are checking the drug substances produced in the new Amgen plant. The facility is going through initial production runs of biologics.

COURTESY AMGEN RHODE ISLAND/AL WEEMS

14 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

while others would be in the approval pipeline.

Tara Urban, senior manager of corporate affairs, declined to provide more detail.

The facility has been brought online for initial production runs of biologics, the data from which will be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review. Product approval for use by consumers could happen by early 2022.

Features of the modular structure include a 45,000-square-foot clean room and 40,000-square-foot utility room. And its use of portable, smaller and disposable equipment allows the company to be more nimble when it comes to production needs, eliminating expensive and time-consuming retrofitting that happens in standard pharmaceutical plants.

“The goal is to be able to handle anything that comes in, whatever mode of development,” said Brian Britson, Amgen Rhode Island vice president of site operations. “We have multiple … product platforms, and so we want to have the ability to manufacture products. So, this gives us that diversity here in Rhode Island to handle a wide [variety] of products that come down the project pipeline.”

The workers at Amgen also benefit.

“For the team here, it’s an amazing opportunity for them to get trained and cross-trained and develop a truly agile workforce,” said Rodriguez. “It can really help for us to provide for this team training and capabilities that can be unique and definitely help them to continue to grow their careers and figure out different exciting ways to grow.”

West Greenwich Town Administrator Kevin Breene has no complaints about Amgen, one of the town’s largest taxpayers. In fact, the town did its part to persuade Amgen to build its new facility in town by agreeing to a tax-stabilization incentive valued at $180,000.

“They require very few services, and we’ve had a good relationship straight through with them,” Breene said. n

Moving forward as a community The pandemic and humanitarian crisis has brought us together with intensified passion and resilience. At Bank of America, we remain focused on supporting the well-being of our teammates, providing the essential financial services our clients need and helping local communities across the country move forward.

Here in Rhode Island, we’ve donated masks to local partners to distribute to those most at risk.

We’ve provided lending to local small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help strengthen our local economy. And we continue to partner with local nonprofits and organizations that are working to advance racial equality and economic opportunity in the communities we serve.

We’re grateful for our employees, who have worked tirelessly to support our clients. And we are especially grateful to the healthcare and essential workers who have helped Rhode Island recover.

My teammates and I remain fully committed to the work to come in 2021 and beyond.

Bill Hatfield Rhode Island Market President

Working together Grateful for our partners in Rhode Island who gave our community support when it needed it most.

196,000 PPE masks donated 1,658 PPP small business client loans totaling $173 million Bank of America employees

To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. © 2020 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 15

PBN.COM | ANOTHER LOOK Stepping Up: Very snazzy donation

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on Dec. 10.)

PROVIDENCE – Like most businesses across the state, Marc Allen Fine Clothiers could not escape the COVID-19 pandemic.

Owner Marc A. Streisand operated two store locations, his flagship store on South Main Street and the other in Newport. Unfortunately, the profound financial effects the company sustained due to the pandemic forced Streisand to shutter the Newport store after operating it for five years.

He consolidated his operations to Providence.

“It was heartbreaking at the most [to close the Newport store],” Streisand said. “My team worked extremely hard to build this company and, in less than a year, I feel like I’m going back to when I started. It’s definitely disheartening and it keeps me up at night.”

But, as the doors closed in Newport, a window of opportunity opened for Streisand. Being in the high-end clothing business, Streisand understands that the best clothes make a significant difference in how people look and feel.

With the pandemic raging worse now than it did in the spring and summer, plus with the holidays approaching, Streisand realized that the need for clothes for people to have that physical and emotional boost is amplified even more.

So Streisand, who writes an occasional guest column for PBN called Dress for Success, looked at his excess inventory from Newport and came up with a plan to help.

As a result, Marc Allen is donating more than $100,000 worth of brand-new men’s clothing to local

nonprofits in order to help people affected by the pandemic during the holidays.

“It’s important to me,” Streisand said. “I grew up pretty poor. Now that I have had some measure of success, I figured it was a good thing to do ... to give back to the community, especially [at] this time. [People] don’t have the money [for essentials].

We have so much extra inventory that we figured it would make a difference for people.”

Streisand said he’s done similar initiatives in previous years, noting he donates between $15,000 to $100,000 a year in clothing to Year Up, a national nonprofit with a Providence location that teaches professional skills to young adults.

But Streisand said now he wanted to open up his philanthropic clothing initiative “to a broader community.”

The company, Streisand said, has about 200 shirts, 150 pairs of trousers and pants, 100 sweaters, 50 sports coats and other men’s accessories that are slated to be given to nonprofits.

Those organizations answered an online survey to qualify for the clothing. Streisand said the clothing will be distributed the week before Christmas.

“I [wanted the nonprofits] to be a little bit more strategic in their donations,” said Streisand. “Maybe [someone’s] husband was a CEO of a company and their company is now out of business but the guy still appreciates and likes to dress.

It’s for that guy. It’s also for the guy who was incarcerated and going for a job interview. It’s for everybody. I want [the organizations] to give it to people who have lost their opportunities that they had if we weren’t in this COVID recession.”

IT’S GOT TO GO: Marc A. Streisand, owner of Providence-based Marc Allen Fine Clothiers, is donating $100,000 in clothes to nonprofits to distribute to people in need during the holidays.

COURTESY MARC ALLEN FINE CLOTHIERS

As far as Marc Allen itself, Streisand hopes his operation can fully recover once the pandemic ends.

While he may not reopen another Newport location, Streisand said Marc Allen did revamp its business plan at the start of last summer to look at “what’s next.”

One idea, he said, is offering customers mobile service, in which Marc Allen will bring its clothing to

a client’s home for them to peruse.

“We’re working to get a businessadaptation grant so that we can do that a little more efficiently,” Streisand said, “so that we can have new software programs that allow us to have real-time inventory on a tablet.

So, when we go to someone’s home, we’re trying to make up an elaborate assembly book so a client can actually shop.” n

United Way of R.I. receives $10M gift

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on Dec. 15.)

PROVIDENCE – The United Way of Rhode Island received an eight-figure gift from a nationally prominent philanthropist that will help the nonprofit’s upcoming goals to promote racial equality in the Ocean State.

The organization announced on Dec. 15 that it is the beneficiary of a $10 million gift from philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon.com Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos. The gift United Way received is part of Scott’s Giving Pledge initiative in which she is giving the majority of her fortune to organizations that are focused on racial equality, meeting basic needs, LGBTQ+ equality and climate change, United

BIG BOOST: Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott says she is giving $10 million to the United Way of Rhode Island, one of 384 donations Scott announced on Dec. 15.

16 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Way said.

“Beyond being an incredible and generous act of philanthropy, this gift further validates the critical importance of the work we have in front of us to reverse the root causes of the racial inequities that hold back our state,” United Way of Rhode Island CEO and President Cortney Nicolato said in a statement.

Nicolato also said the $10 million gift will be applied to long-term support for goals that United Way has set for the next five years and part of a larger initiative that will be announced by the organization in January 2021.

The gift was one of 384 donations con­sti­tuting a total $4.2 billion announced Dec. 15 by Scott.

Scott also indicated that she had granted a gift to Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, but the donation amount was not immediately ­available. n

PANEL DISCUSSION Local business experts from various industry sectors providing thoughts on the Ocean State’s economic trends and forecasts for 2021, as well as industryspecific viewpoints.

TOPICS TO INCLUDE (not limited to):

• A second round of stimulus is predicted but not yet materialized. What is the impact to the markets with or without another stimulus package?

• The growing strain in the commercial real estate markets.

• What is the tone of the current bond market? What should we expect near-term? And how will the results of the presidential race influence fixed income in 2021 and beyond?

KEYNOTE SPEAKER PBN’s 2021 Economic Trends Summit will feature a keynote address by Thomas Tzitouris, Head of Fixed Income Research, Strategas.

SAVE THE DATE

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

VIRTUAL SUMMIT | 9AM

• What are some of the notable provisions from the proposed Biden tax plan and what could be the impact be to companies and individuals?

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PARTNER SPONSOR

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com | 401.680.4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 17

PBN SUMMIT | DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Panel: Efforts to lower the barriers are lacking

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

PROGRESS

toward more diversity and inclusion in the workplace has been slow in Rhode Island, with more of it confined to plans on paper than to actual people welcomed and exerting influence in the office, on the shop floor and in the boardroom.

That was the assessment of panelists at Providence Business News’ virtual Diversity & Inclusion Summit and Awards event on Dec. 10.

Possibly complicating the move forward: in recent years the definition of diversity has expanded from gender and race to encompass ethnicity; sexual identity; age; religion; disability; and differences of generation, personal and thinking styles.

The four panelists at the summit tried to remain upbeat, but they presented few real examples of progress in bringing minorities onto the staffs and into the C-suites of Rhode Island companies.

“Racism is ingrained,” said Neil D. Steinberg, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Foundation. “Companies hire a director of diversity and say, ‘We’re going to have a policy.’ We’ve been doing that for decades and it has not worked. It is who we actually hire that makes a difference. There is still too much of checking off boxes.”

Lisa Ranglin, founder, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Black Business Association and a vice president at Citizens Bank, noted that, according to Business Insider, only three Black men are CEOs at Fortune 500 companies. She also said that 59% of Black women say they have never had an informal conversation of any kind with a senior leader in their companies, according to data from Lean In, an organization that supports women in the workplace.

Adding to the problem is ­COVID-19, quarantines and the frightening loss of business activity and sales in many Rhode Island industries this year. Steinberg said he has heard 2020 described as a mashup of three of the hardest periods in American history – the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the Great Depression of the 1930s and the racial unrest of the 1960s.

One panelist expressed a positive note about efforts to bring different faces and voices to the workplace.

“People are seeking more answers; there is more conversation, more thought about how society affects the workplace,” said Steve Sublett, CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services Inc. senior vice president. “People want companies to be more mindful. There

AN INCLUSIVE GROUP: Panelists take part in the virtual Diversity & Inclusion Summit on Dec. 10. Clockwise from top left are Kevin Matta, director of client engagement and inclusion for Advancing Workplace Excellence; Kevin Nerney, executive director of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council; Lisa Ranglin, founder, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Black Business Association; Neil D. Steinberg, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Foundation; and Steve Sublett, senior vice president of CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services Inc.

is evolution in a positive direction.”

One specific bright spot in the diversity picture was a 2014 consent decree between Rhode Island and the U.S. Department of Justice to close sheltered workshops for people with intellectual disabilities. Six workshops and a segregated program in a basement of a Providence high school were closed as a result of the 10-year decree, and many participants are now in or moving toward regular jobs at market pay levels, said Kevin Nerney, executive director of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council.

But the tone of the conversation and most comments leaned toward a view that Rhode Island employers are doing too little and doing it too slowly.

Diversity is usually defined as facts about a person, such as race and gender. Inclusion pertains to intangibles, such as whether a person in a workplace is appreciated, consulted and welcomed as a voice in decisions.

Asked to define equality in the workplace, Ranglin said it means “ensuring that people can participate on an equal and level playing field and that all people can gain the same level

of access.”

Ranglin said she, representing RIBA, has had deep conversations with 40 R.I. companies that “are looking at this in an urgent way.”

She said the important question is not how many companies have diversity programs underway, but how effective and intentional those programs are. “Most of these programs are underfunded and they do not have the full support of leadership,” she said.

“Far too often we design a program that does not work for the people it is designed for,” Ranglin said. Diversity efforts “should not be superficial.

Make sure what you are doing actually reflects the environment you are in.”

She advised the summit attendees to “go back to your workplaces and see what you are doing; acknowledge the gap [in minority faces and voices]; develop an action plan; and talk and listen to your people.”

A well-known sticking point in many corporate efforts to bring minorities onto any staff is the hiring process. “Many jobs are not necessarily posted and usually the organization

‘Far too often we design a program that does not work for the people it is designed for.’

LISA RANGLIN, Rhode Island Black Business Association founder, CEO and president, and Citizens Bank vice president

18 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

goes to its referral base” – or pipeline – of former colleagues, old classmates, mentors and acquaintances, most of whom are likely to look and think like the people doing the candidate search, said Ranglin.

“People go to people they know,” she said. “We’ve got to be intentional about going to different places [for job candidates]. We’ve got to shake it up.”

Panel moderator Kevin Matta, director of client engagement and inclusion for Advancing Workplace Excellence, concurred. “We always go back to the well we know the best” for job applicants, he said. “Diversity is about changing that process.”

Steinberg was asked to describe the Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Leadership Initiative, an $8.5 million project announced in the fall. One goal of the initiative is to “identify, cultivate, mentor and seek access and opportunity for individuals who identify as Black, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous and Asian from across sectors to help build a pipeline of future leaders in established positions of influence throughout the state,” according to the foundation.

Steinberg said the dollar amount of the grants under the initiative, to be spent over three years, is not large, but it is intended to spur other major organizations in the state into similar efforts.

“We are leaving people behind,” Steinberg said.

He rejected the notion that the pandemic laid bare inequities. “COVID didn’t reveal anything that we didn’t already know,” Steinberg said. “We are not going to come out of this recession any better than we went in if we don’t address these root causes.” n

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 19

FOCUS | CONSTRUCTION/INFRASTRUCTURE

6-10 project on track despite dust-up over soil

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

THE

$410 million reconstruction of the Route 6-10 connector in Providence is on time and within budget, with one of the project’s major features – a “flyover” bridge to allow traffic to bypass Olneyville Square – expected to open by the end of 2021.

But the massive public works project hasn’t come without controversy in its first two years.

The contractor managing the project, Barletta Heavy Division Inc., of Massachusetts, was told to remove 1,600 cubic yards of soil it had transported to the site from another project location in Massachusetts after the state determined the fill soil had contaminants.

The incident is under investigation by the R.I. Department of Environmental Management and the R.I. Office of the Attorney General, according to Peter Alviti Jr., director of the R.I. Department of Transportation.

And some residents who live near the project work site say they remain concerned about the lack of communication from the DOT. The group Fix the 6/10 Coalition, which began when the state was considering how to overhaul the exchange, asked the state to halt construction until the health ramifica-

tions of the contamination could be determined.

“Excessive dust from hazardous material has been an express concern of workers on the site, but undoubtedly poses a long-term and serious risk to our neighbors, many already at risk of asthma, cancer and other health issues,” the coalition stated on Oct. 16, after the public disclosure that the soil pile brought into the 6-10 project site had levels of toxins that required the pile to be removed and disposed of in a licensed facility.

The R.I. Department of Health issued an information sheet on the project and the chemicals by email and said the amount of exposure from the contaminated fill was not anticipated to cause health effects.

But residents are still concerned about how site-related issues are being communicated through email messages that don’t provide enough details, said Dwayne Keys, president of the South Providence Neighborhood Association and a spokesman for the Fix the 6/10 Coalition.

“Please be upfront, direct, honest and open to any additional questions we may have about the actual impacts to

‘It will open up neighborhoods that are blocked by higher viaducts.’

PETER ALVITI JR., R.I. Department of Transportation director 20 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

UP-ROUTED: Construction workers are on-site at the Westminster Street overpass, part of the Route 6-10 connector project in Providence. Visible in the background is the “flyover” bridge, a major feature of the new design for the busy exchange.

PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

that area. And what they are actually doing to address it. And we want specific answers,” he said.

Alviti countered that the state has been communicating regularly with the neighborhood associations and 1,100 people on an email list, which residents can sign up for on the RIDOT website.

On the whole, Alviti said, the 6-10 work has been progressing smoothly since it started two years ago. The project, which involves the repair or replacement of nine bridges that carry travelers on Routes 6 and 10 on the west side of Providence, is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2023, according to RIDOT. Seven of those bridges had been deemed “structurally deficient” by the federal government.

“It’s on budget and we expect it to finish on budget,” said Alviti. The project, the largest in state public works history, is being financed with 80% federal dollars and a 20% state match.

It hasn’t been impacted significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic because construction activity was deemed an essential activity.

Some workers were infected with the virus, but the work continued, Alviti said. The pandemic did result in some delayed shipment of supplies, specifically the steel girders on the flyover bridge that will carry Route 10 to Route 6.

In some areas of the massive work site, projects have slipped behind by as much as 100 days mostly because of the delayed shipment of materials, but the length of the contract means that that can be made up over time.

The flyover bridge itself, initially intended to come online in 2023, is now scheduled to be finished by the end of 2021, according to a RIDOT spokesman. The 940-foot bridge will carry about 15,400 vehicles a day.

That’s one of the new aspects of the design, which will create a so-called “missing link” that will allow traffic to bypass local streets when heading from Route 10 north to Route 6 west.

Now, that traffic has to move through local roads to reach the highway entrance ramp.

The design-build contract for the work was awarded to a joint venture of Barletta and contractors O&G Industries Inc., D.W. White Construction Inc. and Aetna Bridge Co., of Warwick, according to the state.

The biggest challenge has been managing traffic flow through the work site, Alviti said, because the bridges are being replaced roughly within the original footprint, requiring workers to work alongside traffic.

When the work is completed, the most significant change people will see is a new system that is expected to reduce congestion both on the highways and in Olneyville and increase safety because the design incorporates current highway standards, such as longer exit and entrance ramps.

“Generally the infrastructure is going to be smaller,” Alviti said. “It will open up neighborhoods that are blocked by higher viaducts. It will create a more pleasant ­neighborhood.” n

| FOCUS HIGHWAY PROJECTS IN RHODE ISLAND (ranked by project cost) FOCUS | HIGHWAY PROJECTS IN RHODE ISLAND (ranked by project cost) CLOSER LOOK

Project name 1

Project location

Project description

Project cost

Completion date

1

Route 6/10 Interchange Reconstruction

West of Providence between Interstates 95, 195 and 295

Reconstruction of entire interchange, including replacing seven bridges, adding new bicycle/pedestrian paths, a flyover ramp and landscaping improvements

$410 mil.

2023

Total cost of projects listed:

2

I-95 Northbound Viaduct

Providence

Replacement of the structurally deficient northbound section of the Providence Viaduct Bridge

$265 mil.

2025

$1.2 billion

3

Route 146 Reconstruction Project

North Smithfield

Improvements to the Route 146 corridor, replacing multiple bridges, repaving 8 miles of roadway and correcting numerous safety and congestion problems

$150 mil.

NA

4

Henderson Bridge No. 600 & Henderson Expressway

East Providence

RIDOT will demolish it and build a narrower structure with two lanes of travel in the westbound direction and one lane of travel in the eastbound direction

$88.5 mil.

2024

5

Route 37 Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

Route 37 Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Cranston and Warwick

Significant rehabilitation and reconstruction of multiple bridge structures; areas include Boston Post Road, Jefferson Boulevard, Lincoln Park and Pontiac Avenue

$75.9 mil.

Newport

Connection for pedestrians and bicyclists along rail corridor between America's Cup Avenue and Admiral Kalbfus Road, consolidation and removal of existing highway structure, reconnecting JT Connell Highway

$69.5 mil.

2024

Warwick

Rebuilding of the superstructures, substructures and approaches for the Centerville Road Bridge and the Toll Gate Bridge, which carry I-95 over those respective roads

$25.3 mil.

2020

Central Falls, Cumberland and Pawtucket

Paving new road surface, curbs and sidewalks, ADA improvements, new bike lanes, upgraded drainage systems and traffic signals, and a number of other pedestrian and streetscape improvements for safety purposes

$18.2 mil.

2022

2020 rank

6 7 8

Newport Pell Bridge Approaches

Centerville Road and Toll Gate Road Bridges

Broad Street Regeneration

2021

9

Division Street Bridge Replacement

Division Street near Route 4, East Greenwich

Full bridge replacement and rehabilitation work

$15.7 mil.

2022

10

Kingston Road Bridge Replacement

Kingston Road near Interstate 95, Richmond

Full bridge replacement and rehabilitation work

$14.6 mil.

2022

11

Louisquisset Pike Bridge Replacement

Route 146 over George Washington Highway, Lincoln

Demolition and full replacement of bridge deemed structurally deficient

$14.5 mil.

2021

12

I-95 Bridge Project

Interstate 95, Providence

Repairing of five overpasses; repairs include full deck replacements, concrete repairs, steel beam repairs and underside repairs

$12.7 mil.

2022

13

Woonasquatucket River Bridge Replacement

West of Hartford Avenue, Providence

Replacement of the bridge's superstructure

$10.8 mil.

2021

13

I-95 Oxford Street Bridge Reconstruction

Providence

Deck replacement of Oxford Street Bridge

$10.8 mil.

2020

15

Baker Pines Bridge Reconstruction

Interstate 95 over Nooseneck Hill Road, Richmond

Replacing the bridge's superstructure and rehabilitation of substructure; stormwater improvements and roadway paving included

$9.4 mil.

2020

15

Carolina Bridges Improvements

Charlestown and Richmond

Modification of existing abutments with new bridge seats, new pier footing installations, new sidewalks and railings

$9.4 mil.

2021

17

Silver Creek Bridge Replacement

Hope Street over Silver Creek, Bristol

Bridge replacement, rehabilitation of existing stone walls and granite curbing, utility relocation

$4.9 mil.

2021

18

Hawkins Street Bridge Replacement

Hawkins Street over West River between Branch Avenue and Corliss Park, Providence

Full demolition and reconstruction of bridge deemed structurally deficient

$4.7 mil.

2021

1 Projects are part of the R.I. Department of Transportation's RhodeWorks infrastructure repair initiative.

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

UPCOMING LISTS Employee Benefits Administrators, Stock Brokerage Firms, Wealth Managers (Jan. 22); Health Care Educators, College Technology Programs, Physician Group Practices, Diagnostic Imaging Centers (Feb. 5) WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4884 or write to Shuman@PBN.com.

FOOTNOTE j Projects are part of the R.I. Department of Transportation’s RhodeWorks infrastructure repair initiative.

YEARS

130

PROMOTING THE MECHANICAL CONTRACTING www.nemca.org www.nemca.org 617.405.4221 617.405.4221 INDUSTRY FOR OVER @NewEnglandMCA @NewEnglandMCA

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 21

FOCUS | CONSTRUCTION/INFRASTRUCTURE TRADESWOMEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the field – from 3.4% in 2017 to just 2.2% in 2018, according to figures provided by the R.I. Department of Labor and Training.

“For a long time, people looked down at us, putting on work boots instead of loafers and a tie,” said Michael Sabitoni, president of Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council and business manager for the Rhode Island Laborers’ Local 271. “But it’s one of the few industries where you get the same pay if you do the work. There’s absolutely more opportunity for women.”

In Rhode Island, there’s been an industry-led push to recruit more women into construction, led by nonprofits such as Building Futures and the Building & Construction Trades Council’s Women’s Caucus, which officially started organizing last January.

Hood, vice president of the caucus, said before the group was formed, there was no support system for women going into the construction field and to retrain them in the industry.

“Some men still feel like there’s no place for a woman on a job site,” Hood said. “This caucus is going to help mitigate those issues.”

Caucus members are aiming to start lobbying lawmakers and companies themselves for stricter mandates on the percentages of women and people of color on construction sites.

“There’s been some pressure for the industry to be better,” Hood said. “I don’t think there’s enough.”

And recruiting women for careers in construction is only half the battle, according to Vennicia Kingston, the Women’s Caucus president. Retaining them after they have experienced work at a job site is key.

It was difficult for Kingston, 43, of Johnston, when she started out. Early on, she was surrounded by men on work sites, which often made her feel like an outsider. She was seven years into her career before she worked with another female construction worker.

Even after she had a decade of experience, she walked onto a project site and saw a new male apprentice using power tools while she was told to sweep up dirt.

“That gets to me. Even with all the knowledge I have, I still get treated like I’m at the bottom of the totem pole,” Kingston said.

That kind of treatment motivated her to start Eagle Eye Post-Construction Services LLC in Johnston in 2018. She said she wanted to show other women that they not only can handle working on construction sites, but they can own the construction companies themselves.

Lisa Silvio is an ironworker for Warwick-based Aetna Bridge Co. and is in the second year of her apprenticeship. The 34-year-old single mom said that while working on the Route 6-10 interchange reconstruction highway project in Providence, she didn’t ever feel as though she was treated differently on the site.

On other projects, however, she felt as though

PIECING IT TOGETHER: Aetna Bridge Co. ironworker Lisa Silvio helps install bolts on a bridge under construction above the Route 6-10 connector in Providence.

COURTESY LISA SILVIO

there were more eyes watching her.

“You never want to show even a little weakness. You never want them to think you can’t do the job,” said Silvio, who lives in Providence with her two sons, ages 10 and 14. “Sometimes it weighs heavy on my mind – being the only female.”

The lobbying efforts of the Women’s Caucus have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But Kington is determined to make an impact, voicing the concerns of why many women are not staying in the industry.

Other programs, such as Building Futures, are looking to make the presence of women on construction sites commonplace. In a five-week, pre-apprenticeship program, Building Futures connects low-income adults to careers in construction, specifically large-scale projects such as heavy, highway and commercial jobs.

‘You never want to show even a little weakness.’

LISA SILVIO, Aetna Bridge Co. ironworker 22 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

The training, which Silvio described as “construction boot camp,” provides hands-on instruction that would be valuable in any trade, but also offers trade-specific courses such as masonry and bricklaying, welding and others.

Kingston, Hood and Silvio graduated from the Building Futures program.

Since 2007, 309 pre-apprentice graduates have begun careers in the field, including 30 women, according to Rachel Miller, the program’s spokesperson. Miller is also a Providence city councilwoman.

“Women are leaving money on the table by not going into construction,” Miller said, noting that there is virtually no gender-based pay gap compared with other fields.

But Andrew Cortés, executive director of Building Futures, said many women aren’t aware of the opportunities in the trades. He said women are the only population the program actively recruits. Some at the program are hopeful that the Women’s Caucus will be able to help with community outreach and retainment.

“It is always my goal to show that us women are capable, that we have strong backs, that we have the smarts,” Kingston said. “But it’s breaking a culture. And it’s still a man’s world.” n

FOCUS ||RHODE RHODEISLAND ISLANDCOWORKING CO-WORK SPACES FOCUS SPACES (ranked (rankedbybytotal totalsquare squarefootage) footage) 2020 rank

Company name | Website

Address Phone

Total square footage

1

CIC Providence | cic.com/providence

225 Dyer St. Providence, R.I. 20903 (401) 854-4567

62,000

2

Innovate Newport | innovatenewport.org

513 Broadway Newport, R.I. 02840 (401) 302-3370

33,000

Varies

NA

3

Sprout CoWorking Cumberland | sproutcoworking.com

30 Martin St., Suite 3A Cumberland, R.I. 02864 (401) 742-6105

12,500

Individuals, nonprofits, local companies, and businesses currently from 26 states and five countries

2020

4

Sprout CoWorking Providence | sproutcoworking.com

166 Valley St. Building 6M Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 536-9336

12,000

Individuals, nonprofits, local companies, and businesses currently from 26 states and five countries

2016

5

Westwey Club | westweyclub.com

One Turks Head Place Providence, R.I. 02903 (410) 244-7093

10,000

Consultants, creative economy, freelancers, professional services, software, state associations, startups

2020

6

CoLab | visitcolab.com

2206 Broad St. Cranston, R.I. 02905 (401) 473-0431

9,800

Varies

2018

7

Social Enterprise Greenhouse | segreenhouse.org

10 Davol Square, Suite 100 Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 272-2558

6,720

Communications, education, engineering, environment, finance, manufacturing, nonprofit, retail, social enterprise, technology, workforce development

2014

8

Regus Providence | regus.com

10 Dorrance St., 7th Floor Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 519-3600

5,000

Varies

NA

9

Sprout CoWorking Warren | sproutcoworking.com

489 Main St. Warren, R.I. 02885 (401) 247-2000

4,000

Individuals, nonprofits, local companies, and businesses currently from 26 states and five countries

2018

Elevate - a cowork spot | elevatecowork.com

3769 Old Post Road Charlestown, R.I. 02813 (401) 287-2919

3,600

Engineers, financial auditors, marketing consultants, videographers, web developers

2017

3,000

Varies

2007

10

Year founded

Representative occupants Arts, business, education, energy/ environment, finance, life sciences/health, manufacturing/design, marketing/media/ communications, public sector/policy, service providers, software/web/mobile, venture capital/angel

1999

11

The Design Office | thedesignoffice.org

12

The Hive RI | thehiveri.com

650 Ten Rod Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 295-5941

2,400

All industries/sectors

2013

13

The Rail | therailpawtucket.com

33 Summer St. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 727-0907

2,200

Varies

2019

204 Westminster St., 3rd Floor Providence, R.I. 02903

CLOSER LOOK

Total square footage listed:

166,220 sq. ft.

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

UPCOMING LISTS Employee Benefits Administrators, Stock Brokerage Firms, Wealth Managers (Jan. 22); Health Care Educators, College Technology Programs, Physician Group Practices, Diagnostic Imaging Centers (Feb. 5)

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 23

IT’S PERSONAL Clements receives NVI award HUGH CLEMENTS, chief of the Providence Police Department, recently received the Sister Ann Keefe Award from the Nonviolence Institute. The award is given to an individual who supports and fosters nonviolence in the community. The mission of the Providence-based nonprofit is to teach the principles and practices of nonviolence. Clements was appointed to the Providence Police Department on May 5, 1985, as a night patrol officer in the uniform division.

What was your reaction to being selected as the recipient of this year’s Sister Ann Keefe Award?

I had known and worked alongside of Sister Ann Keefe for many years. She truly was an iconic figure and a legend in the city and state for the passion and drive she had in improving our community. She wore her heart on her sleeve, evident by her approach. I am genuinely humbled and honored to receive an award in her name from an organization that I have become closely aligned with and truly value the work of. Her style and influence on me have been inspirational to me and my work in the community, and I know to so many others.

How are you actively supporting the campaign for nonviolence in the community?

The mission of the Providence Police Department and Nonviolence Institute are very similar when you break it down. Our basic mission is to reduce crime, fear and disorder, while protecting human rights and constitutional rights. It sounds simplistic, but it is extremely complicated. There are so many interconnecting layers and intricate parts to what we deal with. Again, it is a community-oriented posture with a trauma-informed approach. Both the NVI and leadership of the PPD grasp the different roles that we play in addressing violence and we work cooperatively together within those boundaries.

What challenges have you faced regarding violence, and how have you addressed them?

We can never shy away from the fact that we have a problem with gun violence, young members in our community prone to targeting each other or other groups. For the most part, they are loose-knit groups of young men; however, some certainly have some hierarchal organization to their gang activity in the city. We are also challenged by a vibrant nightlife with club activity, which we all know brings unwanted activity to the city. We have done an outstanding job both reacting and proactively addressing these issues. The old downtown neighborhood district has been completely transformed. The college underage nightclub drinking has been wiped out.

What does it mean to you to lead the effort for nonviolence as the Providence chief of police?

I am blessed and honored. I love this city and the police department that I have led for the last several years.

Clearly, this is a very tough assignment with massive challenges that are constantly changing. Everything is fluid, the nightlife, violence game, drugs and perspectives from the community. It really is all about relationships and listening to people, those that we serve. It is really a very complicated but rewarding profession. n

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IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Create a winning mindset LIKE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, I watched the 10-part ESPN documentary “The Last Dance” about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. His mental toughness and mindset really stood out throughout the series.

Jordan was an extremely gifted athlete who worked tirelessly at his craft and was 100% committed to do whatever it took to overcome his competition. Nothing was going to deter him from winning. And he has a handful of championship rings to prove it.

He understood that so much of sport and business is a mental game.

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus was not the longest driver, the best iron player or even the best putter, but he said, “I never missed a putt in my mind.” Golf is 50% mental, and no one mastered the mental part of winning major golf tournaments like Nicklaus.

No matter what your occupation, you need to create a winning mindset. You have to set goals and then prepare to achieve them.

You need dedication to your craft, focus and discipline, plus what I call the three Cs: confidence, commitment and competition. Michael Jordan welcomed competition. He knew competition made you better.

Mindset even extends to body language. You need to show people that you are confident in what you are doing.

Having the right mindset is having the right attitude. Your mindset shapes your attitude, and your attitude reinforces your mindset. A positive attitude enables you to look for or create opportunities. If you take advantage of them, opportunities multiply.

As an eternal optimist, I firmly believe that there is virtually nothing that I can’t do if I set my mind to it, but I am realistic enough to know I am never going to pitch in the World Series. However, I can be a player/ manager of a top-notch company. I took a big gamble buying a failing envelope-manufacturing company and getting it off the ground, and I’ve never looked back.

While mindset seems to be a current term, it originated in the early 1900s; however, it didn’t become a household term until this century.

One of the key influencers was American psychologist Carol S. Dweck, a professor at Stanford University who wrote the 2006 landmark book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.”

Dweck believes there are two distinct types of mindset – fixed and growth. In a fixed mindset, you believe your abilities are unchangeable.

She explains: “You were born with certain traits and a certain amount of intelligence and that’s that. Many people are trained in this mindset from an early age – for instance, by a teacher who believes your IQ determines everything. You’re either smart or you’re dumb; you can learn or you can’t. If people get a set amount of intelligence, you want to prove you have a lot, although you secretly worry you were shortchanged.”

Fortunately, I have what Dweck calls a growth mindset, where you believe the abilities you were born with are just a starting point. A growth mindset helps you unleash your potential.

A growth mindset helps you unleash your potential.

She writes: “You can get smarter and grow with hard work, persistence and the right learning strategies.

You have a passion for learning, welcome mistakes as opportunities to learn and seek challenges so you can stretch.”

I’ve also studied negative mindsets.

It’s not easy to overcome because negative thoughts can quickly become habit. It takes a lot of positive thinking to pull people out of this rut.

“Never let your mind talk you out of your dreams, trick you into giving up. Never let your mind become the greatest obstacle to success,” writes Roy T. Bennett, author of “The Light in the Heart.”

He reminds us: “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.”

Mackay’s Moral: Set a course for success with a positive mindset. 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.

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | SCOTT F. LATHAM AND BETH HUMBERD

Time to get a plan, any plan OVER EIGHT MONTHS AGO, with haste and necessity, workers and organizations across the globe were thrown into “the great remote work experiment.”

What was arguably an adequate short-term solution is now showing signs of wear and tear: Remote workers are burning out, organizational cultures are under threat, and leaders are fretting about the loss of creativity and collaboration.

While some companies are beginning to forge ahead with longer-term plans – such as proclaiming that remote work will go on indefinitely or bringing at least some employees back to the office in a COVID-19-safe way – most organizations remain in a holding pattern.

This is understandable, given the amount of uncertainty about the pandemic.

But the consequences of just continuing to wing it are piling up.

This doesn’t mean the only solution is an immediate return to the office.

Based on research in our field and lessons we’ve learned from our work with companies during the pandemic, we believe there’s a way to make the best of a tough situation. It requires acknowledging the real costs of the remote-work experiment – and chart-

ing a path forward.

The remote-work experiment seemed to offer an initial boost in productivity. But sustaining such productivity has been difficult, in part because the home wasn’t designed for work and the consequences of Zoom fatigue are real.

Yet managing employee burnout is particularly difficult during a pandemic, when people are asked to mostly isolate at home, away from colleagues whose mere presence can often ease work-related stress.

Even if re-creations of after-work rituals help in the short term, poor communication from company leaders is a primary cause of burnout. Without some sense of direction, burned out employees simply can’t be reengaged via another virtual happy hour.

Another downside of the lack of interaction with colleagues is the impact on organizational culture.

We know from research that orga-

nizational culture is a key contributor to job satisfaction and organizational performance. Initial hopes of strengthened cultures as employees navigated the unprecedented shift together are dwindling.

What’s worse, corporate policies meant to monitor and control employee behavior risk eroding worker trust and undermining cultural norms.

And the impact of these policies will likely endure long after the crisis subsides, making it very important for companies to think carefully about the lasting impact and strategies for dealing with COVID-19.

A third major cost of this sustained remote period of work is the lack of collaboration and its disruptive impact on innovation.

Sure, some collaborations and idea generation can take place via Zoom meetings, but innovation still largely happens in physical spaces.

When workers can’t get into their

Even the most imperfect plan can have positive effects.

labs and research centers, they can’t plant the seeds for future innovations.

Overall, patents have fallen almost 10% year to date, with patents in the life sciences down 20%.

Though the pandemic is still with us, organizations and workers need a plan now – and can’t wait for a vaccine to allow everyone to come back to the office.

To us, this isn’t simply about logistics, such as deciding whether, when and how to return to the office, but starting to address the downsides of this sustained remote-work experiment by reengaging workers around a sense of organizational purpose.

It really doesn’t matter all that much what goes into the plan. A long history of scholarship on organizations emphasizes that even the most imperfect plan can have positive effects. When conditions are uncertain, a plan provides direction, a sense of purpose and foundation for unity.

Moreover, it’s a great way to turn a crisis into an opportunity. n Scott F. Latham is an associate professor of strategic management and Beth Humberd is an associate professor of management, both at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Distributed

by The Associated Press.

GUEST COLUMN | TAMARA PEARSON

The wide computer science divide WHEN IT COMES TO the digital divide, often the focus is on how lack of internet service and basic technology will hurt students’ academic ­performance.

But as an educator at one of the nation’s elite historically Black colleges, I see another negative effect of the digital divide: racial disparities in the field of computer science.

Computer science is one of the fastest-growing and highest-paying fields.

But when you look at computer science, just 8.9% of the more than 71,000 bachelor’s degrees awarded in this field in 2017 went to Black students, and only 10.1% went to Latino students, federal data shows. This is significantly less than the percentage of Black and Latino people in the United States: 13.4% and 18.5%, respectively.

The disparities begin in elementary, middle and high school.

This is why, in 2016, then-President Barack Obama launched Computer Science for All. That same year, the College Board launched a new Advanced Placement course – AP Computer Science Principles. The number of students taking the end-of-course exam more than doubled over the first three years, from 43,780 in 2017 to 94,360 in 2019. However, the data

also shows that the course has done little to shrink the gap between Black and Latino students and their white and Asian peers.

In 2019, research shows, only 7% of students taking the AP Computer Science Principles exam were Black and only 20% were Latino, compared with 66% for white and Asian students.

What follows are five things that I believe are critical to changing the situation. n High-quality teachers. It is important that all students are taught by someone with a strong foundation in, and passion for, the content being taught. Hiring teachers with a background can be difficult since they have so many other job options, typically with higher pay.

In Georgia, when state legislators passed a law that requires computer science to be taught in all middle and high schools, the state allocated money for grants to recruit and train

more computer science teachers. n Culturally authentic classrooms.

For students to truly connect with computer science, they must see themselves and their community reflected in the class material. This could be done through creating more culturally relevant lessons.

That is one of the aims of a computer science curriculum called CAPaCITY. The curriculum uses computer science to teach students how to advocate for themselves and their communities by allowing them to select and solve problems of their own choosing. n A computer and high-speed internet at home. To be successful in a computer science class, a student must have access to a computer and highspeed internet at home. Unfortunately, many do not. This limits their ability to develop the educational foundation necessary for long-term success in the field. n Access to diverse industry men-

The [racial] disparities begin in elementary, middle and high school.

26 | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

tors. Since people of color are woefully underrepresented in the tech industry, employees of color at some tech companies have created affinity groups, such as the Black Googlers Network and Hispanic Googlers Network, that seek to encourage students of color to pursue careers in the tech industry.

This extra work often goes unpaid and can lead to executives believing that the “diversity problem” is solved.

A better approach would be to place more money behind the design and implementation of these programs. n Inclusive after-school and summer programs. Extracurricular programs are a great way to get students interested in computer science. Unfortunately, these summer camps may cost more than some students can afford. Plus, a lot of kids would rather not be the only Black or Latino kid in the room. Although there are programs focused on diversifying computer science through specialty programs for Black and Latino students, all programs should be ­inclusive. n

Tamara Pearson is director of the Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM at Spelman College.

Distributed by The Associated Press.

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OPINION EDITORIALS

New Amgen plant shows potential of targeted tax incentives It’s hard to find economic success stories in a pandemic that aren’t somehow a result of the crisis, but there’s one standing on Amgen Rhode Island’s West Greenwich campus.

A $200 million biomanufacturing plant – the first of its modular design in the United States – was finished this year. When it becomes fully operational in 2022, it will lead to the hiring of about 150 people to high-paying jobs that will be desperately needed in the state postJOBS COMING: Amgen Rhode Island’s new biomanufacturing plant in West Greenwich is expected to add 150 high-paying jobs there. Pictured is Rohan Persaud, Amgen’s plant manager and executive director.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM

pandemic.

As this week’s cover story reports, the story of the company’s decision to build in Rhode Island is one in which both the state and Amgen can take pride.

The California-based company could have built the plant just about anywhere but chose Rhode Island, in part because it has been successful here. What helped persuade the company to expand locally was a competitive incentive package from the state. That included up to $9.5 million in tax credits and another $3.3 million in exemptions from sales and use taxes tied to the construction and furnishings.

And the 120,000-square-foot facility itself is something of a modern marvel of efficiency and ingenuity in modular construction.

It was constructed in China, then disassembled and shipped to Rhode Island for reassembly. It will feature portable equipment that will allow the company cutting-edge flexibility in shifting production among different medicines to meet changing demands.

While the proof will be in the expected job growth, the plant is an example of the promise of targeted tax incentives that benefit both the company and state. n

Follow state on holiday gatherings The number 300,000 almost jumps out of the recent Associated Press story on the results of a study on the role a two-day biotech conference in Boston played in the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s the potential number of cases that can be traced from 29 states and overseas to that meeting last February of Biogen managers, according to the study published by the journal Science.

It’s both shocking and sad, but also something we can still learn from, with the pandemic again raging and the holidays upon us.

None of those Biogen managers can be blamed for the early spread of the virus from that meeting. But that’s not the case for those going out of their way to ignore state restrictions and urgings on holiday gatherings.

We all know better now. State officials urged residents to limit Thanksgiving gatherings to those they live with.

Expect similar pleas for Christmas and New Year’s, as we await widespread availability of vaccines.

Learn from history or risk repeating it. When it comes to this coronavirus, the choice should be obvious. n

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Holiday profits Does your company see increased By how much is the pandemic likely to dampen sales? profits during the Christmas and Hanukkah season (November to Moderately: 37% January)?

No: 87%

A little: 25%

Yes: 13%

Not at all: 25%

What is the reason for the spike in profits? (Select any that apply)

Substantially: 13%

Does the $100M Rhode Island on Pause grant program target funding where it is most needed? DEC. 4-DEC. 10 No, businesses at risk of permanent shutdown deserve more aid

79%

What growth percentage does your company usually see during Greater demand for our products/services: this quarter?

We do not see increased profits: 87% 13%

We see no major growth: 75%

Dependency on services/supplies we provide: 13%

About 11%-25%: 13% About 1%-10%: 13%

Our business is geared toward holiday sales: 13%

More than 50%: 0% About 26%-50%: 0%

The Providence Business News Executive Poll is a weekly survey of 70 business leaders throughout the state, representing small and large companies in a variety of industries.

No, the unemployed should be the priority 3% Yes, businesses and the unemployed have equal access

5%

Yes, but even more federal aid should be made available to both

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OPINION OPINION

A crossroads for R.I.’s hospitals

ROBERT B. HACKEY AND JESSICA HOULE GUEST COLUMN

Rhode Island’s health care system is on the cusp of unprecedented changes in 2021.

COVID-19 buffeted the financial health of the state’s not-for-profit hospitals. Care New England Health System, the state’s second-largest nonprofit hospital system that includes Butler Hospital, Kent County Memorial Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital, reported a $13 million net loss and a $28 million loss on patient care operations during its 2019-20 fiscal year.

CNE now is at a crossroads. In September, Lifespan Corp. and Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School proposed a merger with CNE, which would consolidate eight of the state’s nonprofit hospitals into an integrated academic health care system. Most recently, StoneBridge Healthcare, a for-profit company whose mission is “to buy, save and turn around deeply distressed hospitals,” offered to purchase CNE for $250 million and promised to fully fund CNE’s pension program and make substantial investments in its member hospitals.

State officials responsible for evaluating different merger proposals must prioritize our community’s most vulnerable residents in evaluating these competing offers. A close examination of the community benefits provided by the acute care hospitals in the CNE and Lifespan systems underscores the importance of uncompensated care for uninsured and underinsured Rhode Islanders.

Uncompensated care – the sum of financial assistance, bad debt and Medicaid losses – is

reported on each hospital’s Form 990, an annual tax form filed by nonprofits to the IRS. We analyzed publicly available data from Guidestar, an information service specializing in tax filings for nonprofit organizations, to compare uncompensated care at acute care hospitals affiliated with Lifespan and CNE from 2015 to 2017.

A 2020 study in JAMA Network Open found that the volume of financial assistance and bad debt decreased in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility after the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Notably, Rhode Island’s two largest hospital systems continue to provide high levels of uncompensated care after the state expanded Medicaid.

The relative proportion of financial assistance, bad debt and Medicaid losses varies among hospitals and often changes from one year to the next.

Financial assistance is free or reducedcost care that hospitals provide to indigent patients. At The Miriam Hospital – a Lifespan member – financial assistance as a percentage of program service revenue increased from 1.43% in 2015 to 1.5% in 2017. Women & Infants – a CNE institution – saw its financial assistance increase from 0.46% of program service revenue to 0.49% during the same period. Other CNE and Lifespan hospitals reported a modest decline in financial assistance as a proportion of program service revenues.

Bad debt, or care provided to patients who cannot pay their outstanding bills, is a

State officials … must prioritize our community’s most vulnerable residents.

growing challenge for hospitals as a result of the growing popularity of high-deductible health insurance plans. At Kent Hospital, for example, bad debt increased from 4.16% of program service revenue in 2015 to 4.39% in 2017. Miriam also saw an increase during the same period, from 0.72% to 0.76%. Other institutions – including Newport Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, and Women & Infants – reported a reduction in bad debt during this period.

Financial losses associated with publicly insured (Medicaid) patients are the largest component of uncompensated hospital care.

The Medicaid shortfall in 2017 ranged from 2.55% of program service revenues at Rhode Island Hospital to 5.59% at Women & Infants.

At a time when many small businesses are struggling – or have closed altogether – and thousands of Rhode Islanders find themselves unemployed, the demand for uncompensated hospital care is likely to increase significantly in 2021. As Ben Teasdale and Kevin Schulman argued in a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, the “increasing prevalence of high-cost sharing plans and the widening gap between private and public payers each threaten access and create cracks in a previously recession-proof industry.” In 2017, the acute care hospitals in the CNE and Lifespan networks provided a total of $168.6 million in uncompensated care to patients in Rhode Island. In this context, any merger or acquisition plan for Care New England must preserve nonprofit hospitals’ ability to care for uninsured and underinsured patients. n Robert B. Hackey is a professor of health policy and management at Providence College.

Jessica Houle is a PC senior majoring in health policy and management.

A few simple ‘asks’ for small businesses

JENNIFER FREITAS GUEST COLUMN

As the owner of a Providence restaurant, The District, I can say that this has been a year unlike any other. As we continue to navigate uncharted waters, I am so grateful for the support of Rhode Islanders who make a conscious choice to support small businesses, particularly women-owned small businesses. In order to stay afloat, I took advantage of every program and opportunity that was available to a woman-owned small business. Since our political and business leaders have been vocal about their support for small businesses, we connected with Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor, Sharon Steele of the Jewelry District Association, Robert Gaumont of Coastline Trust Co., and the Rhode Island Hospitality Association multiple times. They were all very responsive and reassured us that we were not in this alone because sustaining small businesses was a primary priority.

We are all struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it’s the death or illness of a loved one, or whether it’s a job layoff, lost income or simply the disruption caused by social distancing, every one of us is facing challenges. As we consider how we move through these difficult days, I ask all Rhode Islanders to consider ways that they can intentionally support each other and

support small businesses all year long.

When I started my restaurant on South Street in Providence more than three years ago, I wanted to have a restaurant that reflected the changing dynamics within the Jewelry District. I also wanted a place where newcomers would quickly become regulars.

I’m so proud of how we have grown and thrived as the neighborhood has changed around us.

When COVID-19 first hit, we closed for two months. Since we couldn’t see each other in person, I knew that we needed to keep our customer base informed and engaged.

I took to Facebook and Instagram to keep customers updated on what we were doing, when we were reopening and, most importantly, to thank them for their support. Our ability to reach our customers and friends directly was critical then and remains critical today.

To continue our success, we have a few asks for our fellow small-business owners and the Rhode Island community.

To my fellow small-business owners: Work together! I am so grateful for my neighbor at Xaco Taco for their support and advocacy. Xaco Taco supported our initiative to close the street on weekends so we could provide outside live music during

weekend dining hours. Those extra tables made a difference for us, our employees, as well as the local musicians that we employed. Buy local products! Contract with local tradespeople and recommend them both in person and via online reviews! If you are hiring, try to hire within your neighborhood! Mentor those employees so they understand and appreciate the value of local businesses. Every dollar that we can keep locally benefits our businesses, our families and our communities.

To my fellow Rhode Islanders: Please buy from small businesses! Dine in our restaurants! Shop in our stores! Contract for our services! You can target your spending by using tools such as “Businesses Nearby” on Facebook. Share your experiences! Post positive reviews and photos on social media!

Since we cannot afford additional expenses toward advertising, you are our marketing team!

COVID-19 isn’t going away any time soon.

We need local businesses to survive and thrive. On behalf of the thousands of small business that struggle every day, thank you for your continued support. n Jennifer Freitas is the owner of The District, located at 54 South St. in Providence.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 | 29

ONE LAST THING C. Morgan Grefe Rhode Island Historical Society executive director C. Morgan Grefe became executive director of the Rhode Island Historical Society in 2011, after serving as director of its Goff Center for Education and Public Programs for six years. She is the author of “The World in One Square Mile: Central Falls,” a children’s historical fiction book.

RHODE

Island’s more than 450 history and heritage organizations preserve the very things that embody the stories of our state. Now, when our students, teachers and communities need us most, we sometimes can’t access our own collections, let alone welcome people into our buildings. So, what are we to do?

This year is an ideal time to try “small experiments” and to hold our expectations a little more lightly than before.

These mission-based experiments might involve new technology, different venues and more questions than statements. A hands-on museum activity might become a Google classroom. A walking tour can be transformed into an evening virtual program with time for crowdsourcing new “stops.” A holiday open house could now include an online holiday decorating class, virtual house tour and cooking demonstration.

Many successful experiments have one thing in common: collaboration. Before the pandemic, collaboration was important, but in 2020 it is essential. Our audiences need more, and we’re often not only working with less, but also in uncharted territory. By partnering, we become greater than the sum of our parts. We expand our reach, and often the best ideas arise when distinct organizations start sharing their disparate approaches and experiences. An ancillary benefit is that working with partners is exhilarating and helps energize us on even the most dispiriting of days.

History teaches us that the hardest times can offer us opportunities for profound learning and growth. Let’s take advantage of these chances and support each other while we do it. n

Experiment, collaborate COURTESY GAGE M. PRENTISS

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