PBN November 26-December 9, 2021

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN pbn.com

CELEBRATING

35 YEARS: 1986-2021

NOV. 26 - DEC. 9, 2021

FOCUS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ONE LAST THING

Elizabeth “Betty” Robson Relationships key to supply chains | 30

Companies on desperate search for warehouses | 19

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 36, NO. 15 | $5

Demand for dental care growing, but funding isn’t

WHO IS A MINORITY?

BY MARC LAROCQUE | Larocque@PBN.com

FOR MORE THAN 13 YEARS, CareLink Inc. has traversed Rhode Island with a mobile dentistry practice, serving elderly, low-income patients in nursing homes who rely on Medicaid plans that only offer partial reimbursements for dental care.

Some funding used to fuel the mobile dentistry clinic comes from the nonprofit’s fundraising efforts and through grants, according to CareLink CEO Christine Gadbois.

But with no updates to the compensation formula for dental services under the Rhode Island Medicaid Program since reimbursement rates were set

HEALTH MATTERS

SEE DENTAL CARE PAGE 8

NEXT GEN: M&G Plumbing Supply Co. owner Richard Correia, left, speaks with stock clerk Alex Knowles. Correia is of Portuguese descent but sees no need to participate in the state Minority Business Enterprise program. His father, John, emigrated from the Azores and started in the business in the 1960s.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Some argue R.I. needs to reexamine groups eligible for MBE program

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

WITH THIS ISSUE

PBN’s 35th Anniversary Commemorative Book

YEARS

1986-2021

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS CELEBRATES 35 YEARS OF PUBLISHING IN RHODE ISLAND

SPONSORS

covers_35th.indd 1

JOHN

Correia’s thick Azorean accent made him an easy target when he immigrated to Rhode Island in 1963.

He was called a “greenhorn” and accused of taking jobs from “more-deserving Americans” when he worked at General Dynamics Electric Boat. Even when he started his own business, M&G Plumbing Supply Co., Correia, who would become a state senator, scraped by only because other Portuguese immigrants frequented his shop.

A generation later, Correia’s son Richard runs the family plumbing supply business that

has become a community fixture spanning two locations in East Providence. No one mentions the younger Correia’s ancestry. In fact, most probably can’t even tell he’s Portuguese American, he says.

Still, his background could afford him an advantage when it comes to getting a share of the millions spent each year in government contracts because of a state program designed to level the playing field for disadvantaged minority business owners. Those of Portuguese descent are on the list.

SEE GROUPS

PAGE 12

10/22/21 4:14 PM

join us

december 2, 2021

CROWNE PLAZA | 9 A.M. for a list of winners turn to page 23

PANELISTS>>

More details on page 23.

GUEST MODERATOR Kevin Matta

Dorca M. Paulino

Peter Rodriguez

Neil Steinberg

Lawrence E. Wilson

CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY WHO IS A MINORITY? Some argue R.I. needs to reexamine groups eligible for MBE program........................................ 1

400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903

FOR STARTERS:

Main Phone: 401-273-2201 Subscription Services: 855-813-5805

Health Matters: Demand for dental care growing, but funding isn’t........... 1 Community Service: Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. and Rhode Island College...........................................................3

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

5Q: Carlos E. Tobon.............................................................4 Dining Out: Committed to serve.........................................5 Spotlight: West Place Animal Sanctuary...........................6

ADVERTISING

5Q | 4

Something New: FABuleuse................................................6 Hot Topic: New strategy to ease bike backlash.................7

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

What’s Happening.............................................................. 10 Another Look: ‘Dorm’ proposal near PC campus rebuffed..................... 16

Marketing, Events & Social Media Coordinator: Tracy Hoyt, 680-4818 | Hoyt@PBN.com Senior Account Managers: Linda Foster, 680-4812 | Foster@PBN.com Jim Hanrahan 680-4816 | Hanrahan@PBN.com Noreen Murray 680-4801 | Murray@PBN.com Advertising Coordinator: Joyce Rylander 680-4810 | Production@PBN.com

Another Look: Study on B.I. water woes downplayed.............................. 16

IT’S PERSONAL: People in the News............................................................24 Mackay’s Moral..................................................................25 Dress for Success: Marc A. Streisand..............................26 Guest Column: Ian O. Williamson.....................................27 Editorials and Opinion.......................................................28 One Last Thing: Elizabeth “Betty” Robson..................... 30

SOMETHING NEW | 6

FOCUS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

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

Deal is sign of interest in E.P. waterfront

Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820 | Mello@PBN.com

Phillipsdale Landing, an industrial complex listed for $9 million in August and now under a sales agreement with a California real estate developer, epitomizes the type of properties being sought for commercial use along the East Providence waterfront............................................... 18

Managing Editor: William Hamilton 680-4826 | Hamilton@PBN.com Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim 680-4886 | Bergenheim@PBN.com

Companies on desperate search for warehouses

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

Supply chain snags slowing the construction of new warehouses and the growth of online retail spurring companies to stock more products has hampered the search for available warehouse space in Rhode Island..19

Lists Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Firms....................... 21 Regional Information Technology Employers..................22

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

FOCUS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE | 18

Staff Writers: Marc Larocque 680-4830 | Larocque@PBN.com (HEALTH CARE, GOVERNMENT, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

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

CORRECTION: In a story on page 3 of the Nov. 12 edition, headlined “Stakes are high as R.I. officials lay groundwork for recreational marijuana,” Rick McAuliffe was misidentified in a photo caption as the Ocean State Cultivation Center’s manager. McAuliffe is chairman of the Mayforth Group, the registered lobbyist for the cultivation center. The center’s location was also incorrect in both the caption and the story. It is located in Warwick.

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

Jacquelyn Voghel 680-4828 | Voghel@PBN.com (WORKFORCE, MANUFACTURING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP)

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES AmeriSigns

14

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

14

R.I. Department of Administration

Ballard’s Inn

16

JPMorgan Chace & Co.

24

R.I. Department of Health

Block Island Chamber of Commerce

16

Marc Allen Fine Clothiers

26

Block Island Water Co.

16

Mentor Rhode Island

29

R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services

Bourne Holdings LLC

18

MG Commercial Real Estate Services Inc.

CareLink Inc.

1

Churchill & Banks Co.

18

Custom House Coffee

5

Eagle Eye Post Construction Services FABuleuse Frog & Toad LLC Galilee Beach Club General Dynamics Electric Boat

M&G Plumbing Supply Co.

18, 19 1

CIRCULATION

24 18

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

Silva Advertising Specialties Inc.

12

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future

29

ADMINISTRATION

16

Providence & Worcester Railroad Co.

18

6

Quonset Development Corp.

19

Strive Realty LLC

7

Rhode Island Association of General Contractors

14

University of Rhode Island

Rhode Island Black Business Association

12

West Place Animal Sanctuary

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS AT PBN.COM/PBNCONNECT/

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

R.I. Office of Rehabilitation Services

16

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

PRODUCTION

R.I. Waterfront Enterprises LLC

24

1

8 14

North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce

24

8

R.I. Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity

Providence College

12

12

The Hungry Monkey

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

2 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

5

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

16 6

©2021 Providence Business News Inc.

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

FOR STARTERS

COMMUNITY SERVICE

RIMI and RIC create scholarship HEALTHY BOOST:

Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. recently worked with Rhode Island College to create the Rhode Island Medical Imaging Endowed Scholarship. The Warwickbased diagnostic imaging organization provided the college with $25,000 to finance the scholarship program. The scholarship will distribute a $2,000 award each fall semester to a RIC student majoring in medical imaging. Emily Vargas, a senior in the Lifespan School of Medical Imaging, was recently named the inaugural scholarship award winner on Nov. 3. Rhode Island Medical Imaging helps with several local organizations through various initiatives.

In November 2020, Rhode Island Medical Imaging donated $3,500 to the Rhode Island chapter of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program. In October of that year, the organization made a $10,000 in-kind donation to the R.I. Department of Health’s Women’s Cancer Screening Program. Pictured, from left, are Frank D. Sánchez, president of Rhode Island College; Ellen Alexandre, administrator of the Lifespan School of Medical Imaging at RIC; Jaillinne Ramirez, medical imaging student, radiography; Siobhain Sullivan, chief operating officer of clinical operations at Rhode Island Medical Imaging; Morgan Head, medical imaging student, sonography; Eric Hall, director of health-related programs at RIC; and Dr. John A. Pezzullo, president of Rhode Island Medical Imaging.

Interested in having your business’s community-service project highlighted? Contact PBN Researcher James Bessette at (401) 680-4838 or Research@PBN.com.

COURTESY RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE

is part of your business.

BankRI.com/Opportunity if your business is ready to meet opportunity, then it’s time to meet with BankRI.

Member FDIC NMLS ID# 410623 Equal Housing Lender

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 3

FOR STARTERS

5Q: Carlos E. Tobon

R.I. state representative, D-Pawtucket Co-chair, R.I. House of Representatives American Rescue Plan Act Task Force

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

1

What should be the primary focus of allocating the $1.1 billion the state has received from the American Rescue Plan Act? Prior to the pandemic, we were dealing with a shortage of housing, food insecurity and mental health issues. The pandemic exacerbated many of these issues and they need to be addressed for the health and well-being of our residents.

2

What do you hope to see that is different in the approach for disbursing the ARPA funds versus the way the state allocated $1.25 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding?

The major difference is that we, the people, will be deciding how the funds will get disbursed versus coming from the executive branch. In order to successfully invest the ARPA funds, we must be strategic and allocate the funding to areas that will save us money and/or increase our revenues.

3

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

At a June budget briefing you asked the House Committee on Finance if ARPA funds could be used as seed capital for projects as part of a revolving fund. What projects that resolve COVID-related issues would be beneficial to R.I.’s economy?

Everybody is talking about housing, and primarily affordable housing.

Also, investing in our growth areas and ensuring that gentrification does not mean displacement while still encouraging and welcoming new

residents to our state. Lastly, creating spaces for areas of growth such as the technology sector, but not completely limited to just that industry.

4

In 2016 you wrote an op-ed in the Providence Business News about the benefits of buying locally to support local small businesses.

What is your assessment today of the state’s approach to “buying locally”?

Many try, but unfortunately with the convenience of buying online, it has become more challenging. However, I believe if we created a system where people could see in real time how their local purchases truly made a difference in our economy that they would be more encouraged to buy ... locally.

5

What should the state be careful about in allocating COVID relief funding and what should be its long-term economic approach?

We need to prioritize and be patient.

More than ever, instant gratification and immediate response is the order of the day – especially because of social media saturation. We need to resist the urge to rack up likes and satisfy followers and think longer term about how to bring lasting benefits to our residents, society and our state. n

We need to … think longer term about how to bring lasting benefits to our residents.

Get Social LIKE us TAG us TWEET us Join our conversation on social media and become an integral part of the news process. Talk to us, recommend us, tell us what we’ve missed and what you think.

4 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOR STARTERS DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

Committed to serve STORIES OF HEROES in food service continue to come to the forefront. Two such incidents happened in the same week.

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Bob Mastin, the proprietor of Custom House Coffee in Middletown, was able to bring back his tradition of honoring his fellow veterans – Mastin served in Vietnam – with complimentary coffee and good fellowship at his coffee house not far from Newport.

The mood was upbeat with guests and staff alike buoyed by being able to come together in person for the first time in over two years. The last time Mastin held his Veterans Open House was Nov. 8, 2019.

Mastin said his business was up over sales volume from two years ago. He attributed it to two factors: a technical upgrade during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown that enabled Custom House to handle online orders more efficiently, which were delivered through a pickup window he installed on the front of his shop; and a loyal, resilient, core staff who, for the most part, kept working throughout the pandemic.

Custom House adopted an employee-owned business model just before the pandemic hit, which contributed to the feeling of empowerment on the part of his staff. They stayed on the job during the depth of the pandemic through 2020.

The next day, a similar story was related by a restaurateur in Newport. At The Hungry Monkey on busy Broadway – one of those “where the locals go” spots with legendary dishes – recently there was a challenge issued by the owner for the restaurant’s famous “Go Bananas French Toast Challenge,” which allows a person an hour to consume an almost 6-pound serving of stuffed Texas French toast filled with cream cheese stuffing and topped with fresh fruits, maple syrup and whipped cream.

Home fries complete the platter-sized meal.

Proprietor Tom Quinn phoned in to my radio

LOYAL STAFF: Tom Quinn, left, proprietor of The Hungry Monkey in Newport, says he’s grateful for his loyal staff who continued to come in to work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Standing with Quinn are wait staff member Leigh Ann Ford, who is holding “Socks The Hungry Monkey,” and chef Shawn Powers.

COURTESY THE HUNGRY MONKEY

show to talk about it. After chatting briefly, he said how grateful he was to his loyal staff who kept coming in day after day through the worst of times in 2020.

My response to both men was that their place clearly is a great place to work – and was two years ago, and five years ago, and as soon as the doors opened. It seems to be a secret of success – in

this time where success is to be kept secret. It is becoming increasingly apparent that places that came through our shared ordeal with their heads held high were good employers before anyone ever heard of COVID-19.

There is a point of view among New York City food service industry members and writers being exported by Food & Wine magazine: “The idea of true exemplars of hospitality … the ones who unquestioningly surrender themselves to their guests’ desires ... is something we need to think about leaving behind as the industry continues to reel from the ongoing pandemic that has destroyed businesses and put workers under enormous pressure and considerable personal risk – all in the name of guest experience … the last thing that we need … [is to] extoll the virtues of infinitely gracious hospitality no matter the cost.”

Like the pandemic, the principle is spreading – and there are many willing to be exposed – that personal achievement is to be avoided at all costs, that individual excellence is wrong. Under this doctrine, only the institution can provide to the masses. The principle and the doctrine are doomed to fail because the human spirit has an undeniable need to give and receive care and respect. Service is a gesture of both. The simple yet heartfelt affirmation, “Thank you for your service,” benefits both the well-wisher and the intended recipient. It is not possible to thank an institution nor is it possible for it to receive such a wish.

There is nobility in being of service. Thankfully, there are still opportunities to thank those who serve us every day. n “Dining Out With Bruce Newbury” is broadcast locally on WADK 101.1 FM and 1540 AM and is also available as a podcast. Contact Bruce at bruce@ brucenewbury.com.

There is nobility in being of service.

Truly local commercial lending expertise in Providence

With 15 years of experience at Rhode Island banks of all sizes, Jocelyn has extensive expertise in every facet of commercial lending. She digs deep into your business to understand your operations, industry, business cycles, and more. And her previous career in sales gives her valuable insights into the best ways to help you reach your business goals. Talk with Jocelyn, and you’ll be eager to have her as part of your team.

Jocelyn L. Nacci

vp, relationship manager commercial banking 401.827.5225

Providence Loan Office 66 South Main St., Providence EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

NMLS#402947

MEMBER FDIC

Centreville-38799 Jocelyn VeronicaF-975x428_PBN.indd 1

centrevillebank.com 10:29|AM5 www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9/10/21 9, 2021

FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

DESIGN DUO: Fashion curator Sandee Saunders, left, is the founder of FABuleuse in Newport, a boutique offering designer clothing and artwork that she opened with Alecta Rose, co-founder, stylist and model.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Fashion, art in harmony at new shop

BY MARY MACDONALD | Contributing Writer

THE BOUTIQUE FABuleuse in Newport has a simple goal: providing access to one-of-a-kind fashions and artwork.

Opened in May by Sandee Saunders and Alecta Rose, the shop at 106 Williams St. features designer clothing and accessories, which can be hand-tailored to suit the client.

Art is provided by Andrea Keogh Art and Design.

Saunders, a graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology, said she fell in love with the city after attending various galas and functions and witnessing a unique style among women.

“There were a lot of people here with really great taste and they were showing up at these galas,” she said.

After some research, she thought the city needed a boutique.

“I felt there was a little hole in the market as far as luxury … boutiques,” she said. “The concept of the store is art and fashion, living harmoniously in one space.”

The FABuleuse customer is any woman who wants to participate in high-end fashion.

“I want them to feel they ca, on the spur of the moment, run out and get a dress for an evening, dinner, gala, and find it in the shop.” n

HEALING HANDS: Wendy Taylor, owner and executive director of the West Place Animal Sanctuary in Tiverton, brushes one of her ponies. The animal sanctuary, which cares for neglected and abused farm animals and rehabilitates waterfowl and game birds, has helped more than 1,000 animals in its nearly 15 years of operation.

PBN PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

Haven for farm animals Sanctuary also rehabilitates game birds

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

WHEN FARM ANIMALS SUFFER severe neglect and abuse, animal rescue organizations often lack the resources to properly care for them. For almost 15 years, Wendy Taylor has worked to fill this gap.

staff to keep up with demand. For a decade, she continued practicing as a medical malpractice attorney while running the nonprofit without any employees. Within the past year, Taylor has hired two managers to help run the sanctuary, and she also enlists the help of about 60 volunteers.

It’s difficult to say how many animals West Place cares for at a time due to the rapidly changing nature of the work, Taylor said. But since its founding in 2007, the nonprofit has helped more than 1,000 animals.

The sanctuary, which operates on a minimum of $300,000 annually, relies entirely on donations, grants and fundraising, though Taylor said that this funding level is “a shoestring budget” that doesn’t allow the organization to make needed repairs to facilities.

“Whether we like it or not, we keep growing,” Taylor said, “and that’s probably the hardest thing that we do – find the means to keep going.”

But despite these obstacles, Taylor doesn’t see an alternative to moving forward.

“You create something bigger than you,” she said, “and you can’t let it stop, and you can’t walk away.” n

Taylor launched her animal protection nonprofit West Place Animal Sanctuary in 2007 – four years after her nine pets died in a house fire.

After this loss, Taylor wanted to find a way to turn tragedy into a second chance for other animals.

“Humans can be wonderful, and humans can be not so wonderful sometimes,” Taylor said. At West Place, “We feel like we are the stewards of making sure that humans fix those mistakes that they made with farm animals.”

After losing her two dogs, six cats and a goat, Taylor didn’t feel ready to work with house pets. But she soon found that few animalrescue groups have the resources to care for farm animals. With her 8-acre property, Taylor felt she had the resources to make a difference.

West Place usually takes in new rescues when local authorities or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals alerts them of abused and neglected farm animals, such as horses, pigs, goats, donkeys and waterfowl. Few other organizations in the area can offer

the extent of care and resources these animals need, Taylor said.

While West Place does some rehabilitation work, particularly for waterfowl and game birds, most of the animals that come to the sanctuary will remain there for the rest of their lives.

Taylor initially launched the nonprofit expecting it would be more like a hobby than a business, with the opportunity to “save a few farm animals here and there.”

But “there are so many cases of animal neglect, and so many police departments and animal control officers that didn’t know what to do with farm animals,” Taylor said, and demand for the nonprofit’s services swelled. Today, West Place fields calls from around the state and southeastern Massachusetts.

The need for West Place’s resources can outpace demand, Taylor said.

“We’re always running at full capacity, and basically it’s one in, one out,” Taylor said. “So, if we can make the room, we make the room.”

Taylor has also needed to add

OWNER: Wendy Taylor, executive director

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Animal protection nonprofit

ANNUAL REVENUE FROM CONTRIBUTIONS (2019): $118,000

LOCATION: 3198 Main Road, Tiverton

EMPLOYEES: Three employees, about 60 volunteers

YEAR FOUNDED: 2007

6 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC

New strategy to ease bike backlash

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

HOPING TO CURB some of the resistance to bike lanes, street safety and cycling advocates are trying a different approach by offering a preview of what is to come in a busy commercial district on the East Side.

But so far, the 1-mile stretch along Hope Street is the only area that will get temporary “demonstration” bike lanes next spring, even though the city is forging ahead with plans to add another 20 miles of permanent “urban trails” in 2022.

Property owners affected by the ongoing and upcoming bike infrastructure projects – along Manton Avenue, Broad Street and several sections of downtown, for example – were given notice primarily through city mailers, online documents and community forums.

That was the same outreach the city used for the controversial bike lanes along South Water Street, which many businesses, two colleges and even state transportation officials claimed had caught them off guard.

Along Hope Street, even skeptics seem to appreciate the chance to see how the urban trail project would work long before it is scheduled to be installed permanently.

In fact, while the Hope Street lanes are included in Mayor Jorge O. Elorza’s 2020 Great Streets Initiative, there are no immediate plans to build it or money to pay for it. The city only has enough funding to cover the projects planned through the end of 2022, and Hope Street is not on that list, according to Martina Haggerty, director of special projects for the city planning department.

Should the city be doing more to avoid backlash against the bike lanes before they are installed?

“There’s always more we can be doing in terms of community engagement,” Haggerty said.

Elorza pointed to door-to-door conversations with Broad Street businesses, including the food trucks that frequent the area, as an example of nontraditional engagement.

But realistically, city officials say, they don’t have the funds or the manpower to put on a demonstration project in every neighborhood where it wants to add a bike lane.

Even the Hope Street project, which is being organized by Providence Streets Coalition, not the city, using funding from e-scooter company Spin, will take months of planning and volunteers, said Liza Burkin, coalition organizer.

And no matter how many test projects are done, there will always be detractors.

“Regardless of how much outreach you do, right before any major project launches, there are always folks who come out and say they’ve never heard of it,” Elorza said. “At some point you

‘[We need] to make sure we’re hearing all voices.’

NIRVA LAFORTUNE, Providence city councilwoman

just have to balance outreach with getting the work done.”

Still, there could be ways to win over the business community more effectively. Asher Schofield, co-owner of Frog & Toad LLC on Hope Street, said he thought more emphasis on the many studies showing how bikefriendly cities boost area businesses would help.

A better argument might be the economic growth that a walkable, cycle-friendly city can create, Schofield said.

“For me, the potential for increased economic activity stemming from a fluid bike corridor on the East Side is very appealing,” he said. “At the end of the day, I have to ask, ‘Is my business offering a product that my customer might park and walk an extra block for?’ If the answer is no, I have much bigger problems than a bike lane.”

City Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune, a mayoral candidate, stressed the strategy is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Not everybody can attend a weeknight meeting, or they might miss a mailer sent to their business.

“The important thing is to make sure we’re hearing all voices,” she said. “They’re not all going to agree.

But at least then, no one can say we didn’t engage.” n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 7

FOR STARTERS | HEALTH MATTERS DENTAL CARE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

in 1992, the roughly 25% of dental fees covered through the program is proving to be insufficient, even as the nonprofit continues to serve more clients than ever, Gadbois said.

And the impact of inflation and other new costs – including COVID-19-related expenditures – have made the financial situation even worse for Carelink’s mobile dentistry clinic, Gadbois said.

It’s now becoming tough to make ends meet, while still providing adequate pay to retain its skilled team of dental professionals, she said.

“Demand is outpacing our ability to serve everyone who needs mobile dental care right now,” Gadbois said. “The issue becomes one of access for our most vulnerable citizens. It’s a problem for all adults dependent on Medicaid for their dental coverage.”

There’s now a $135.69 gap between the costs incurred for each Medicaid patient seen by the CareLink mobile clinic and the amount that’s reimbursed through Medicaid, marking the largest deficit for dental visits that the nonprofit has ever seen, Gadbois said. This comes as the CareLink mobile clinic caseload has hit a peak, with more than 14,000 visits per year serving 3,000 patients at 53 nursing homes.

Concerns over the compensation rates have been long-standing, causing most dentists in private practice to refuse or severely limit the amount of Medicaid patients they see. And the amount of private practice dentists submitting Medicaid claims has dropped in recent years, with less than 18% of dentists seeing any adults covered by the state’s Medicaid program, down from 29% of all Rhode Island-licensed dentists in 2012, according to R.I. Department of Health records.

The burden has shifted to busy nonprofit dental clinics and federally qualified health centers that are seeing a disproportionately large number of these clients, according to an October 2017 report from the state health department.

“I think it’s just come to a crisis point, where the access has just become more limited,” Gadbois said.

CareLink officials warned that a failure to meet the dental health needs of Medicaid patients could be a much bigger health problem in the future, due to the association between poor oral health and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Preventative dental care pays for itself, warding off more costly Medicaid-covered emergency room visits, CareLink says.

“The rate that was established in 1992 doesn’t reflect the 2021 operation costs of our efficient organization,” said Dr. Jeffrey Dodge, lead dentist with CareLink’s Mobile Dentistry Program. “Investing in this program will save the state money in future health care costs.”

State Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, D-Middletown, had pledged to file legislation supporting in-

CRUCIAL CHECKUP: Margaret Vargas, right, a dental hygienist with nonprofit CareLink Inc.’s mobile dental clinic, conducts an examination of Sister Anne Kelly at The Villa at Saint Antoine in North Smithfield. The clinic serves 3,000 patients at 53 Rhode Island nursing homes.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

creased funding for mobile dentistry programs.

The senator said he also learned of a new proposal by the state Medicaid program that offers greater compensation and covers more dental services.

DiPalma said he is going to support that plan and will still file a bill in the upcoming legislative session urging Gov. Daniel J. McKee to adopt recommended changes.

“We need to address the health and welfare of Rhode Island’s most needy folks,” DiPalma said.

“If we’re not looking out for them, nobody is.”

McKee’s office and the Department of Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The fiscal year 2023 budget request from the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services proposes an injection of $9.2 million to enhance Medicaid-covered dental care, with roughly $3.2 million of that from the state’s general revenue and $5.9 million from federal funds.

Of that, $7.2 million is proposed to boost reimbursement rates. And $746,979 is specifically set aside in the proposal to boost the state’s mobile dental services offered by CareLink, increasing the baseline reimbursement from $102 per encounter to $180 per encounter, enabling mobile dentistry to reach 1,500 additional Rhode Island-

ers per year.

The funding request states that increasing the rate to compensate providers for at least 60% of the costs of providing service to Medicaid patients, rather than the roughly 25% offered now, will lead to better participation among private dental practices and alleviate problems with access to care. Department of Health data provided shows that African Americans and Latinos are three times more likely to visit a hospital emergency room for tooth-related pain or infections.

However, Martha Dellapenna, director of the Center for Quality, Policy and Financing at the Washington, D.C.-based Medicaid/Medicare-CHIP State Dental Association, said she’s skeptical about seeing significant changes in compensation.

Dellapenna, a Warwick resident who previously served as Rhode Island’s dental program manager at the Office of Health and Human Services, said she’s seen failed attempts before.

The sheer amount of state funding required has been a roadblock, she said.

“The rates are so low that it’s going to take a lot [of state funding],” Dellapenna said. “Dental health is considered the bottom of the totem pole. So, there’s not a lot of time and energy spent to solve the problem.” n

‘Investing in this program will save the state money in future health care costs.’

DR. JEFFREY DODGE, CareLink Inc. Mobile Dentistry Program lead dentist

8 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Business Loans Real Estate Equipment Lines of Credit l

l

Easy Access To Experienced Lenders Local Decision Making l SBA Certified Lender

401-729-5754

800-298-2212

pcu.org

Some fees and credit restrictions may apply. Loans subject to credit approval. Equal Housing Lender. Equal Opportunity Lender.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 9

FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING Building new relationships THE TRI-TOWN CHAMBER of Commerce will hold its networking group in a forum setting in which business owners and entrepreneurs can build business relationships with one another. Three one-hour group sessions will be held over two days.

MONDAY, NOV. 29, 8-10 A.M., TUESDAY, NOV. 30, 9-10 A.M. Free Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce, 280 School St., Mansfield.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3kiB1rJ BACK TOGETHER: One SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce will hold its 135th annual meeting and Apex Awards ceremony on Dec. 2 at White’s of Westport in Westport. It’s the first time the meeting and awards ceremony will be held in person since 2019. Above, Chamber members gather during a previous awards ceremony.

COURTESY ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

EDITOR’S CHOICE

One SouthCoast Chamber to host annual Apex Awards ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce will hold its 135th annual meeting and Apex Awards ceremony. The meeting is an opportunity to join other business and community leaders and celebrate businesspeople working together for the future of the southeastern Massachusetts community. The program also includes the election of the Chamber’s board of directors. A breakfast buffet will be offered.

THURSDAY, DEC. 2, 7:30-10 A.M. $40

Chamber Q&A THE TAUNTON AREA Chamber of Commerce will hold its Quarterly Q&A session, featuring Rep. Carol A. Doherty, D-Taunton. Doherty will provide an update on happenings around the state and answer questions submitted by attendees. Questions are to be submitted in advance.

TUESDAY, NOV. 30, 9 A.M. Free/members; $10/nonmembers Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3o905T1

White’s of Westport, 66 State Road, Westport.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3bx2QrH

10 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Discover your brand identity THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold a multi-series workshop titled “Discovering Your Brand Identity.” The course will offer a deep dive into content development from brand identity, sales funnel strategy, writing techniques and core social media branding elements to create a strategic content calendar that drives sales into the future.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 1, 5-6 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3BJSP53

Establishing connections THE NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Holiday Open House, hosted

by Kirkbrae Country Club. The event will invite local business professionals to build connections. There will also be a silent auction, food and cocktails offered. Proceeds raised during the event will benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. The event is for Chamber members only.

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING | FOR STARTERS WEDNESDAY, DEC. 1, 5-8 P.M. $25 Kirkbrae Country Club, 197 Old River Road, Lincoln.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3kav7ZP

Strategic goals THE RHODE ISLAND Small Business Development Center will hold a twopart workshop on strategic goals. The first part will help participants align their vision and strategies for their businesses for 2022. The second part will focus on creating a customized plan with daily actions to execute to realize goals. Amanda Basse, a marketing counselor for the development center, will lead the workshop.

THURSDAY, DEC. 2, AND THURSDAY, DEC. 16, 11 A.M. TO NOON. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3odZyzv

Networking over coffee THE SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold a First Friday Coffee networking event, hosted by the South County Art Association. The event will bring together local business professionals for the opportunity to meet and build connections. Coffee will be served.

FRIDAY, DEC. 3, 8-9 A.M. $5/members; $10/nonmembers South County Art Association, 2587 Kingstown Road, South Kingstown.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3BR0qPh

Meet and mingle with members THE GREATER PROVIDENCE Chamber of Commerce will hold a virtual Chamber Café event. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with other Chamber members in a relaxed setting. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own coffee and breakfast.

TUESDAY, DEC. 7, 8:30-9:30 A.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3bIPXKT

Federal contracts THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold a workshop titled “Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program.” The workshop, presented by a member of the local Small Business Administration

team, will explain the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Certification Program and how that certification can help small businesses grow.

THURSDAY, DEC. 9, NOON TO 1 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2YpYi3m

Holiday party ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce will hold its annual Business After Hours Holiday Party, hosted by White’s of Westport. The event will bring together business professionals from around the area and attendees will have the opportunity to build business connections with one another. Food and entertainment will be provided.

THURSDAY, DEC. 9, 5-7 P.M. Free/members; $25/nonmembers White’s of Westport, 66 State Road, Westport.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3mN1LlD

Economic update THE GREATER NEWPORT Chamber of Commerce will hold an Economic Update Luncheon event, hosted by Atlantic Resort at Wyndam Newport, titled “Rhode Island’s Economy: Recovery, Realignment and Federal Stimulus.” Michael DiBiase, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, will be the guest speaker offering updates on the state’s economic recovery and about the federal stimulus funds that it has received. Lunch will be served.

TUESDAY, DEC. 14, NOON TO 1:30 P.M. $40/members; $45/nonmembers Atlantic Resort at Wyndham Newport, 240 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown.

A good financial planner helps their clients make money.

A great one helps them give it away.

Kerri Anzivino Karen Bacon Jason Bianco Paul Brule Danny Bullock E. Colby Cameron Richard Carolan, Jr. Richard Carriere Kristen Carron Joshua Caswell Nathan Chace Michael Chazan Eric Correira Mark Cruise Karen DelPonte Deborah DiNardo Rebecca Dupras Douglas Emanuel Robert Emerson Renée Evangelista Edward Feldstein John Finn Andrew Gilstein Roger Giraud Nicholas Gorham John Harpootian Patrick O’Neill Hayes, Jr. Katherine Kishfy Holly Knott A. Max Kohlenberg John Leary

Arthur Leonard Alan Litwin Donna Madden Elizabeth Manchester Jason Marshall Patrick McAssey Brendan McCorry Kristen Prull Moonan Bridget Mullaney Arthur Murphy Jay Murphy Marylu Nadeau Robert Oster Joshua Paradis Benjamin Paster Linda Pearson Edward Pieroni Matthew Plain Gregory Porcaro Christopher Ricci Lynn Riley James Sheridan Robert Sherwin Paul Silver Terrence Simpson James Sullivan John Tarantino Amanda Tarzwell Gayle Tarzwell Laura Yalanis Evelyn Weiss Zawatsky

With thanks to the professional advisors who worked closely with the Foundation this year, we appreciate the important role you play in promoting philanthropy within the community.

Neil Steinberg (401) 274-4564

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3qiQtrv

What’s trending THE TRI-TOWN CHAMBER of Commerce will hold a workshop on its annual review of digital trends and the exploration of social media and digital trends for the upcoming new year. Participants will learn about upcoming changes on social media platforms, trends that are important for local businesses and trends that will affect the future of social media marketing.

FRIDAY, DEC. 17, 8:30-10 A.M. Free/members; $10/nonmembers Online.

E-NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for one or all of PBN’S FREE E-NEWSLETTERS at PBN.com

THE NEWS YOU NEED delivered to your inbox daily.

Content straight from the PBN newsroom, plus industry-specific news and insights.

• MORNING CALL: Monday - Friday at 6:30 am.

Summarizing major business items of the day.

• DAILY EDITION: Monday - Friday at 2 pm. The day’s top business news.

• HEALTH CARE: Every Monday

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3Cvc9Da

• BANKING & FINANCE: Every Tuesday

• TECHNOLOGY & MANUFACTURING: Every other Wednesday

UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Summit and Awards Program will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick in Warwick. For more information, visit PBN.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

• NONPROFIT & EDUCATION: Every other Wednesday •REAL ESTATE: Every Thursday

Add Events@PBN.com and Info@PBN.com To advertise in our highly-read daily e-newsletters, to your address book to ensure that our get to your inbox. contact usnewsletters today: 401.680.4800 or Advertising@pbn.com

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 11

MINORITY BUSINESSES GROUPS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

To some critics, it’s the most obvious example of why the state’s Minority Business Enterprise program – and more specifically who qualifies as a minority – is desperately in need of an overhaul for the first time in its 35-year history, ensuring it’s helping the people who need it the most.

“I don’t know if removing Portuguese [from the program] is the answer, but we need to have a real conversation about the fact that Portuguese is not a minority and then figure out what that means in the context of the minority business program,” said Rep. Karen Alzate, D-Pawtucket, who leads the Rhode Island Legislative Black and Latino Caucus.

One Rhode Island lawmaker has for years tried to strike Portuguese from the definition of a minority. In Massachusetts, the matter reached state Superior Court, which ruled Portuguese business owners should be removed from the minority business program after finding no evidence they faced discrimination.

And the scrutiny over the program in Rhode Island extends beyond the Portuguese. The state’s description of Hispanic people, for example, also strikes some as odd, or at least outdated, since it includes descendants from Spain.

Further fueling outrage is the state’s failure to consistently meet the goal of awarding at least 10% of state contract dollars to MBEs of any racial or ethnic group. That mark was finally reached in the two years just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Still, some in the minority business community question why the program has never been revamped.

“With any policy or law, you would think they need to be periodically reviewed to ensure they’re still relevant, especially given how much our demographics have changed,” said Lisa Ranglin, founder and president of the Rhode Island Black Business Association.

But the leader of a national Portuguese American advocacy group insists that deleting certain groups would be the wrong approach.

“Putting resources behind helping Black- and brown-owned businesses grow, and even helping new businesses to open, would be a better, more productive, more unifying approach to solving the disparity problem,” said Angela Simoes, chairwoman of the Manassas, Va.-based Portuguese American Leadership Council of the U.S. “Robbing Peter to pay Paul doesn’t level the playing field.”

DEFINING MOMENT Portuguese business owners weren’t supposed to be one of the qualified minority groups when the Minority Business Enterprise program was first proposed in 1986, said Harold M. Metts.

A freshman state senator at the time, Metts was looking for a way to help Black-owned businesses that were getting passed over for state contracts.

The legislation he crafted was modeled after similar programs established by federal agencies.

On the final night of the 1986 legislative session, Metts was asked to strike a deal with senior legislators to get the bill passed.

One of those legislators: Sen. John Correia, who remembered how he had been treated poorly when starting M&G Plumbing years earlier. He insisted Portuguese be added as a minority group. Metts agreed, and the measure was approved.

“I figured half a loaf was better than none,” Metts said recently.

For 35 years, the state MBE program has included business owners who identify as “a person of

SIGN DESIGN: Pedro Mendez, right, is a Dominican immigrant who started his graphics and printing company AmeriSigns in 2019. As a Hispanic business owner, he recently applied to become certified through Rhode Island’s Minority Business Enterprise program. With Mendez are Luiyi Moreno, left, and Obdalis Csisa, both are welders/channel assembly/LED finishers.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Portuguese, Brazilian or other Portuguese culture, regardless of race.” (Federal disadvantaged business programs also recognize Portuguese business owners, although they’re grouped under Hispanic rather than a separate category.)

Black, Asian American, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and Hispanic are also listed as minority groups. Some of those definitions within the state ordinance raise questions, too.

For example, “Hispanic” includes a “person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race,” according to the law. That means a Rhode Islander whose great-grandfather was born in Spain – and has the documentation to prove it – can qualify.

Decades later, Metts looks back at that lastminute deal as his first bitter lesson in politics.

The way certain minority groups were defined has “diluted” the intent of helping business owners facing racial and ethnic discrimination, Metts said.

Correia saw it differently. His push to add Portuguese wasn’t for himself – he never registered to participate in the program and, under his son, M&G Plumbing still hasn’t signed up – but he said he wanted to help those like him who face the challenges of building a business.

He agreed that Portuguese people are generally no longer the targets of discrimination. But he didn’t see that as a reason to removing them from the minority business program.

“The law is already there. Why take it off?” he said.

‘BIGGER LIGHTS’

David DaSilva, president of Silva Advertising Specialties Inc. and a Portuguese immigrant who moved to the U.S. 50 years ago, also disagrees with removing Portuguese from the state MBE program.

He said his East Providence screen printing and sign-making company has received about a

dozen small state contracts in the six years since he became certified as a minority owner, including a $40,700 contract in fiscal 2020, according to state records.

A review of any kind, even one that looked beyond the Portuguese definition, would be “a waste of time,” he said.

That logic doesn’t make sense to business owner Vennicia Kingston, who says she needs all the help she can get as a woman of color.

The New York City native who moved to Rhode Island 25 years ago has found it difficult to navigate the complex, “I know a guy” web of state contracting.

Some of that is because her business, Eagle Eye Post Construction Services, is new. She founded the staffing company for construction and post-construction jobs in 2018, then applied to be certified as a Black, woman-owned business under the state MBE program.

She still feels she’s being held back by discrimination. “It’s not blatant and upfront and in my face, but it’s a system that keeps us out,” she said.

Black business owners comprise nearly 21% of the 783 businesses certified through the state MBE program as of July. But in fiscal 2020, they got just under 15% of the $29.4 million in prime contract dollars awarded to MBE participants. Hispanicowned businesses fared even worse – getting 6.5% of the dollars when they made up 13.5% of the pool.

White women and Portuguese business owners, in contrast, got higher percentages of dollars than their shares of the pool of available MBEs. The state explained its failure to meet its 10% goal in most years as an availability problem.

Many of the specific purchases and contracts during the pandemic, for example, had few or no certified minority businesses available in those categories, according to Derek Gomes, a spokesman for the R.I. Department of Administration.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

‘The law is already there. Why take it off?’

JOHN CORREIA, former state senator and businessowner 12 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Trim: 9.75" x 13.73"

No-cost energy assessments

Energy-saving upgrades with flexible payment plans

Bleed: N/A

Live: 9” x 13”

4c

Bill payment assistance programs

Every dollar counts in business. That’s why our energy experts have been getting together with small business owners throughout Rhode Island to maximize efficiency and help you save up to 30% on energy costs.

Schedule your no-cost energy assessment today and see all the opportunities there are to save.

1-407-347-2027 | ngrid.com/smallbusiness Incentive offers vary by service territory. These programs are funded by the energy-effi ciency charge on all customers’ gas and electric bills, in accordance with Rhode Island law.

98693_NG_SMB_SalonAd_PBN.indd 1

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 13 11/9/21 2:00 PM

MINORITY BUSINESSES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

But a study released in July that examined disparities in the state MBE program from fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2017 found the percentage of contracts awarded to certified minority businesses was far less than the percentage available to get those jobs.

The state-commissioned report by Oakland, Calif.-based consultant Mason Tillman Associates Ltd. laid out a host of recommendations for how to improve the MBE program. Redefining the minority groups was not among the proposals.

That has not stopped Rep. Anastasia P. Williams, D-Providence, from trying to redefine them anyway.

Williams has for several years introduced legislation to strike Portuguese from the list of minority groups and, in 2021, another bill that would eliminate white women while increasing the percentage of total contract dollars awarded to minority businesses from 10% to 25%. Neither proposal passed, but Williams is optimistic that the Mason Tillman report might drum up more support.

“It was not a surprise,” she said of the report’s findings. “But it has bigger lights on it now.”

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio have been noncommittal thus far. In separate emailed statements, the legislative leaders said they were open to legislation to amend or enhance the MBE program but provided no further details.

Alzate said the 21 members of the Black and Latino caucus are interested in updating the language of the program, including its definitions, which she described as “antiquated” given the state’s changing demographics.

Indeed, when the law was written, people of “Spanish origin” comprised just 2% of the state population, according to the state’s 1980 census data. As of 2020, 16.6% of Rhode Islanders identify as Hispanic or Latino.

The pool of registered MBEs – of any racial group – is small, making it hard for general contractors looking to meet the state 10% goal through subcontracts with minority businesses, said Kerrie Bennett, executive director for the Rhode Island Association of General Contractors. Removing groups such as Portuguese from that pool could make it even harder, she said.

It could also threaten to put companies that have grown to rely on state contracts out of business, warned Simoes, from the Portuguese American Leadership Council.

“During this time of economic crisis, legislators should be focusing their efforts on how to lift all businesses to levels of success and thriving,” she said.

And with more than $78 million on the line -- the

amount awarded in prime and subcontracts to certified MBEs in fiscal year 2020 – the stakes are high. Getting even a small piece of a high-dollar contract could keep a small business afloat.

That was the reason why Pedro Mendez had applied to become certified as a state MBE. Having just opened his commercial painting business, AmeriSigns, months before COVID-19 hit in March 2020, he had a hard time persuading prospects to shell out money for a new sign during a global crisis. Instead, he had to use his personal savings to pay rent for his Pawtucket shop, frantically applying for government aid programs.

He didn’t think his Dominican accent or heritage had much to do with his struggles. It was the same hardships faced by many small-business owners, especially new ones.

He hadn’t faced discrimination or racism, but he also said he’s not one to dwell on those kinds of problems.

“Our culture is happy people,” he said. “We do not complain.”

LAX REVIEWS Others have complained.

In Massachusetts, a female construction company owner sued after she was passed over on a contract in favor of a Portuguese-owned business. The Superior Court sided with her, issuing an injunction that stopped Massachusetts from certifying or awarding contracts to Portuguese business owners unless it could prove they had faced discrimination. Subsequent state analysis did not show this.

Massachusetts has since developed a separate designation for Portuguese business owners that lets them participate only on state transportation bond projects that use federal money.

No legal challenges to Rhode Island’s MBE program categories have emerged, said Dorinda Keene, assistant administrator for the R.I. Department of Administration who oversees the Minority Business Enterprise Compliance Office.

It’s difficult to get a clear picture of how other states have handled updates to their MBE programs, if at all. The National Conference of State Legislatures has not tracked which states had specific set-asides for minority business owners since 2016, when at least 38 states had minority business set-aside programs.

Keene, who declined to comment on whether Rhode Island’s definitions need to be changed, said she didn’t think there was rampant abuse. She had no recollection, for example, of any currently certified MBEs whose owners were descendants of people from Spain or Portugal. More common are direct immigrants, or those from the Azores or Cape Verde, she said.

FAIR SHARE?

The chart on the left breaks down the number and percentage of minority-owned and women-owned businesses certified to participate in Rhode Island’s Minority Business Enterprise program. The chart on the right shows the amount and percentage of prime state contracts awarded to businesses in each group in fiscal 2020.

9.8% 77

6% $1.8M

59% $17.4M

14.7% $4.3M

20% 164

47% 369

6.5% $1.9M 4.6% $1.3M

13.5% 106 7.7% 60

9.2% $2.7M

0.90% 7

Asian ■■■■■■■■■percent ■■■■■■ Native American ■■■■■■■■■■■

Black ■■■■■■■■■■■ Portuguese ■■■■■■■■■■■

Hispanic ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ percent White female ■■■■■■■■■■■

SOURCE: R.I. OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY

14 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

COMPLEX CONTRACTS: Eagle Eye Post Construction Services owner Vennicia Kingston has found it difficult to navigate Rhode Island’s complex, “I know a guy” web of contracting.

PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Official reviews have been limited. The disparity report released by the state in July examined just three years of the program, ending in fiscal 2017. Massachusetts, by contrast, has conducted several disparity studies analyzing the effectiveness of its construction contract program and whether each of the defined groups faces discrimination that merits getting an advantage on state bidding.

Alzate has called for more reviews of Rhode Island’s MBE program. Among her concerns is how the state verifies the identities of minority business owners. She and others have heard stories of male-owned companies who get in by putting their business in a wife’s name or making up a fictional person.

Tomás Ávila, associate director for the R.I. Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity, did not respond directly to allegations about fake identities of MBE businesses. Instead, he listed the financial documents and business filings that potential applicants are required to submit as part of the screening.

The state disparity report called for stringent tracking of participation, particularly among subcontractors.

Indeed, the state reported awarding $78.6 million in direct contracts and subcontracts to MBE participants in fiscal year 2020, but it didn’t track the demographics of minority businesses that received nearly $50 million in subcontractor payments.

Ranglin thinks Portuguese business owners should not be part of the program, but says her priority is on improving the monitoring. She says the program can’t work as intended if it doesn’t consider who suffers from systemic racism and discrimination.

“What a Black business owner faces in terms of barriers and challenges compared to someone who’s Portuguese is very different,” Ranglin said.

“There’s a level of structural racism you experience just walking around with a Black body.”

Oscar Mejias, executive director for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, agrees the data available on how state contract dollars are distributed suggests the need for change. Even how the state program defines “Hispanic” concerns Mejias.

He was surprised to learn nonimmigrant Hispanic business owners, including those whose ancestors came from Spain, were able to take part in the program. He was not sure that was fair.

“Culturally, an American guy who was fifth generation Mexican-American, I don’t know if they should be applying as a minority,” he said. “The real disadvantage is for people who come from another country, who speak another language.” n

Partnering to help create opportunities Last year, Bank of America committed $1.25 billion over five years to advance racial equality and economic opportunity. To date, we’ve directly funded or invested one-third of this amount on top of long-standing efforts to make an impact in our communities and address society’s greatest challenges.

Here are some of the ways we’re working to make a difference: • Investing $300 million in 100 minority-owned and minority-led equity funds, including Visible Hands. This will help diverse entrepreneurs and small business owners create more jobs, financial stability and growth.

• Investing $36 million in 21 Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) banks that support minority-owned businesses. This is in addition to approximately $100 million in deposits to MDIs and our existing CDFI portfolio of more than $2 billion, which helps build pathways to economic vitality in local markets.

• Providing funding and support through innovative programs and partnerships with community colleges, universities and nonprofits that offer training and credentialing programs connecting more people to high-wage, in-demand careers.

We’re doing this work in collaboration with community partners, business leaders, experts and academics across the public and private sectors to ensure that our investments are directed where they’re needed most. Together, we can help drive sustainable progress in Rhode Island.

What would you like the power to do? ®

Kevin Tracy President, Bank of America Rhode Island

Learn more at bankofamerica.com/rhodeisland

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

© 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 15

ANOTHER LOOK | PBN.COM ‘Dorm’ proposal near PC campus rebuffed

BY MARC LAROCQUE | Larocque@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on Nov. 17.)

PROVIDENCE – If it looks like a dormitory, is filled with unrelated students like a dormitory, and is located near a college like a dormitory, then it probably is a dormitory, according to the chairperson of the Providence City Plan Commission.

After hearing a presentation from the owner and developer, who sought master plan approval on Nov. 16 to construct a five-story, mixed-use apartment building in a residential neighborhood near Providence College, City Plan Commission Chairperson Christine West called for a timeout, telling the applicants that they face a “very serious zoning problem.” West said the plans for 43 market rate apartments with ground floor commercial units at 663 Admiral St., as described by Strive Realty LLC and its CEO Joseph Colaluca, would not be allowed under the area’s C-1 neighborhood commercial district zoning since the project meets the definition of a college dormitory.

“These are very serious legal questions,” West said. “I think you have a very serious exposure to challenges. Everything you’ve described defines a dormitory.”

After giving the applicants 10 minutes to think about it, a lawyer for Strive Realty requested a continuance, and the matter was postponed until the commission’s Dec. 14 meeting.

A group of neighborhood residents came out to testify against the project but didn’t get a chance to speak out during the meeting since the meeting was cut short. But West and others encouraged them to participate in the Dec. 14 meeting.

Plans submitted to the City Plan Commission by the applicants stated that the properties would

include common areas on each floor for residents, similar to common areas in on-campus dormitories. Representatives for the applicants said it was natural that the property would gain students as tenants due to its proximity to Providence College, with the campus located less than a half-mile away.

“These are conditions that could cause disturbances when large numbers of individuals congregate,” according to a report prepared for the commission by staff at the Providence Department of Planning and Development, which recommended that the applicant should develop a plan to manage potential nuisances caused by residents.

“The behavior of college students and their effect on neighborhood character has been the subject of citywide discussion and resulted in changes to the zoning ordinance [to exclude dormitories].”

The site of the proposed five-story building was last occupied by Joe’s Sandwich Shop in a two-story property at the site that’s now slated for demolition, according to city officials. The building was the site of a June 25 break-in and murder that claimed the life of Mai Jweinat, 50, leading to the arrest of 20-year-old Isaiah Araujo.

Architect for the project Eric Army said the property would feature controlled access and security technology, and the size of the units and common spaces are limited, with the goal of avoiding gathering areas that would “attract anything beyond reasonable.” Army said the development would help alleviate a housing shortage in the area.

“Overall, we want this to be an asset to the neighborhood,” Army said. “We’re thinking about the local residents in this design.”

Colaluca said his family raised him in the neigh-

COLD RECEPTION: The Providence City Plan Commission says a proposed five-story, mixed-use apartment building in a residential neighborhood near Providence College could be a “very serious zoning problem.”

COURTESY PROVIDENCE CITY PLAN COMMISSION

borhood, he got a master’s degree at Providence College and bought his first house on Admiral Street, giving him a vested interest in the area.

“I’m not an out-of-state developer seeking financial gain,” Colaluca said. “Give me the opportunity to be successful and grow in this neighborhood that is so important to me.” n

Study on B.I. water woes downplayed

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on Nov. 18.)

NEW SHOREHAM – A University of Rhode Island study citing a lack of fresh water on Block Island that could impact the tourism season has raised the eyebrows of New Shoreham officials, who say the town could mitigate such a scenario.

“Almost all of the fresh water on Block Island comes from rain, but if the islanders pump more water than can be recharged by precipitation, they’re going to drain the bathtub. And that’s what’s happening now,” said Thomas Boving, URI professor of geosciences, who has studied aquifers and drinking water supplies in a dozen countries.

Boving is studying how much water is being pumped from the Block Island Water Co.’s six wells, which he says provides half of Block Island’s water needs. He is also assessing how much water is available in area wells, how quickly they are recharged and how likely salt water could intrude the drinking water supply.

“During high-demand days, they’re on the verge of pumping salt water,” he said. “In the aquifer, the available fresh water is floating on a layer of salt water, and if they drill too deep, they’ll be pumping salt water.”

Boving believes the demand for water on Block Island is increasing due to the large number of tourists. On average, tourists who stay overnight use four to five times as much water as the typical resident, he said. During July and August, the water company can barely meet demand.

The assessment is a follow-up to a study conducted 20 years ago by URI professor Anne Veeger,

who concluded that water was available to meet the island’s needs. However, water demand, tourist visits, housing density and standard of living have all increased since then.

John Breunig, superintendent of the Block Island Water Co., said the utility company is working to ensure the water supply will not become a problem by meeting with town officials to formulate infrastructure plans.

“The water company is currently looking at what the build-out capacity is within our boundaries and

TOURIST DEMAND? A University of Rhode Island professor who has studied Block Island’s water supply says the island’s water utility can barely meet the need for water during the summer, when visitors flock to Block Island.

PBN FILE PHOTO/K. CURTIS

16 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

the feasibility of meeting future demand with new infrastructure,” Breunig said. “This is a long-term planning issue – not an immediate concern for the next summer.”

Breunig said the URI “study is in its infancy, and the water company does not want to draw any conclusions early on until they have a chance to collect data and analyze it. The water company’s involvement is to provide data and monitor wells for URI.” Lars Trodson, executive director of the Block Island Chamber of Commerce, said, “We appreciate any effort to study and analyze the finite natural resources on Block Island, but it’s also worthwhile to remember that there are few communities as environmentally conscious as we are. There have been public conversations about how we can continue to protect and use responsibly our community resources, including water, so we look forward to seeing the results of this study. To speculate as to where these discussions will lead, however, is premature at this point.”

Steven Filippi, a member of the Block Island Tourism Council, agreed.

Filippi, who owns Ballard’s Inn, said a more constructive approach would be to create mitigation measures to address any potential water supply issues.

“Any negative impacts on Block Island tourism will be devastating to the fabric of our community,” he said. “Considering there are many ways to minimize water usage without limiting tourism, most people know Mr. Boving’s wanton comments are reckless and irresponsible. It’s disappointing when people make headline-grabbing comments just to promote their own careers.” n

Be Seen by Rhode Island’s Business Leaders ALL YEAR LONG

BE IN THE BOOK

BE WHERE BUSINESS HAPPENS 73% of our readers* reference PBN’s Book of Lists year-round – guaranteeing wherever business happens, you’ll be right there too. *cvc subscriber survey, 2020

PUT 12 MONTHS OF EXPOSURE TO WORK FOR YOUR COMPANY

Premium positions still available

Publishes January 21, 2022 | Secure ad space by December 10, 2021

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

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 17

FOCUS | COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Deal is sign of interest in E.P. waterfront

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

SPRAWLING

expanses of land along the East Providence waterfront that were once used for heavy industrial purposes are now presenting new opportunities for commercial use.

One large complex at the edge of the Seekonk River, symbolic of the industrial revolution that transformed the Phillipsdale section of the city in the 1800s, epitomizes the type of properties being sought by developers for commercial use these days.

Phillipsdale Landing, a 328,623-square-foot industrial complex, became a red-hot property when listed for $9 million in August. The historic property, offering 25 rental units, is under a sales agreement with a California real estate development company, according to the brokerage firm involved in the transaction.

That out-of-state developer, which has not been named because the deal is pending, is not alone in its pursuit of prime real estate along the East Providence shoreline.

Seizing opportunities from Phillips-

dale Landing to Kettle Point, developers are either eyeing or gobbling up existing properties, or land deserted by industry and restored to suit their needs.

That’s according to Chris Martin, executive director of the East Providence Waterfront Commission. Martin said the opportunity to develop property along the Seekonk River to the north and Providence River to the south presents many possibilities.

“There’s opportunity to create better waterfront access for recreational purposes, environmental purposes, and for business and housing purposes,” he said.

Providence developer Churchill & Banks Co., which built apartment complexes, houses and office space at Kettle Point on the Providence River, is constructing a 392-unit residential development called East Point on vacant land along the Seekonk River and Omega Pond immediately south of Phillipsdale Landing.

This site was once the location of the former Ocean State Steel. Other spots along the waterfront were used for large oil tank farms.

“The companies that would store and transport oil from [this area] are no longer doing that,” Martin said. “That

HOT PROPERTY: Michael Giuttari, left, president of Providence-based MG Commercial Real Estate Services Inc., and MG Vice President Julie Freshman outside Phillipsdale Landing in East Providence, which was listed for sale in August at $9 million.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

‘The site was largely vacant ... and needed a lot of work.’

WILLIAM J. FAZIOLI, East Providence director of planning and economic development 18 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

opens huge opportunities to, one, remediate and, two, think about what the new use could be.”

In the case of Phillipsdale Landing, the development of the property from an area polluted by steel dust to a booming commercial space has been extensive.

Eugene Francis Phillips was the entrepreneur who built a steel and copper wire manufacturing plant in the area in 1886. Phillips launched the business, which employed thousands of workers, after experimenting with the production of insulated electrical wire in a small backyard shed at his Providence home.

The 12.6-acre waterfront property sits a few miles north of the Henderson Bridge with approximately 650 feet of riverfront. Its close proximity to Providence, as well as easy highway access, makes it appealing to potential business tenants, according to real estate professionals.

For decades the property had been rundown, as it was under­utilized under the ownership of Philip O’Brien, said William J. Fazioli, East Providence director of planning and economic development. The lone tenant, a mattress recycling company, went out of business.

Fazioli said there was a nice turnaround when the property was purchased in 2014 by Bourne Holdings LLC, an ownership group led by attorney Preston W. Halperin. The new owner instituted a strategic plan for it.

“The site was largely vacant at that time, and needed a lot of work,” Fazioli said. “It was a big sprawling mill complex. Next door used to be Ocean State Steel, and the Washburn Wire Co.” Following the purchase, the city worked with the new owners to adjust the zoning variances for more amenable uses to bring more tenants into the property. “It was a win-win,” he said.

Michael Giuttari, president of Providence-based MG Commercial Real Estate Services Inc., said Bourne Holdings decided after seven years and extensive renovations and upgrades to the property that it was time to sell.

“This is a relatively large deal for Rhode Island,” Giuttari said. “A typical Rhode Island industrial deal may be 20,000 to 40,000 square feet and sell for $1 million to $2 million.”

Giuttari said, by comparison, MG Commercial was recently involved in a commercial property at 1280 Jefferson Blvd. in Warwick that was 60,000 square feet and sold for $3.1 million.

“I’ve been in this business for 35 years – this is the most activity I have seen in this sector,” he said. “It’s a good time for this business.”

Other development along the waterfront involves R.I. Waterfront Enterprises LLC turning a 45-acre vacant property known as South Quay near Bold Point Park, just south of the Washington Bridge, into a concert venue and port for the offshore wind industry. The company purchased the property for $4.5 million in June 2019 from the Providence & Worcester Railroad Co. n

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE | FOCUS Companies on desperate search for warehouses

Our Commercial Real Estate experience builds real value into every project.

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

BUSINESSES LOOKING FOR A WAREHOUSE in Rhode Island might be searching for a long time because the exploding growth of online retail has spurred demand in places to stock products while supply chain snags are slowing the construction of new warehouses.

That’s also the case nationally, too, in which leased warehouse space has outpaced vacancies for 46 consecutive quarters, according to a report by national commercial real estate firm CBRE Inc.. The industrial vacancy rate, meanwhile, has had a historic low of 3.6%.

This soaring demand for warehouse space is driven largely by increased e-commerce activity, according to Michael Giuttari, president and founder of Providence-based MG Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. “Ever since the pandemic hit in March of 2020, there’s just been a huge increase in demand,” Giuttari said. “And it’s all about the direct consumer e-commerce.”

Meanwhile, global supply chain shortages are forcing companies to put more emphasis on keeping “safety stock” at the ready, which requires more storage space. At the same time, the shortages are slowing down warehouse construction projects by months and pushing expenses for building materials higher.

Sourcing delays have led to a shortage of items such as roof fasteners, insulation, dock door rollers and other essential construction supplies, according to CBRE, further hampering developers’ ability to keep up with demand. Curtain wall systems used to clad warehouses, for instance, are booked through 2022 and have a lead time of 10-20 weeks.

‘We’ve had limited vacancy here for quite a long time, but it’s really tight now.’

STEVEN J. KING, Quonset Development Corp. managing director

Rental rates also continue to surge, which has led to some unusual trends that impact warehouse availability, Giuttari said. Because rental rates are rising so rapidly, some landlords are opting to allow their properties to remain vacant, anticipating that months down the line, they can rent their property for an even higher price.

This wait-and-see approach is adding to the warehouse crunch.

“It’s a very strange time right now where it’s almost like that vacancy, to landlords, is a good thing,” Giuttari said. “Because the rents are going up quickly. The thought is now to sit on it and wait three or six months and see what rents are so you’re not leaving money on the table.”

Steven J. King, managing director of Quonset Development Corp., also observed that this shortage of warehouse space extends across the state, noting, “There’s very limited options available for folks who are looking for space.”

QDC recently added new warehouse space at its Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown as part of its “flex industrial campus,” which officially opened its fourth building on Nov. 15. Each of the flex units provides space that can be used for warehouse, manufacturing or production purposes, in addition to office areas.

While all business activity experienced a lull for about a year after the pandemic hit, King said, the flex spaces – three of which were constructed after March 2020 – were fully leased within six to eight months of completion. Across the business park, large spaces are similarly filled.

“We’ve had limited vacancy here for quite a long time, but it’s really tight now,” King said.

The business park has about 12 million square feet of buildings, with warehousing making up about 3 million to 4 million square feet of that space.

Elsewhere, many projects are springing up near the Rhode IslandConnecticut border due to the availability of land and proximity to Route 395 in Connecticut, Giuttari said.

Rather than being built for a specific tenant, these projects are speculative, “which hasn’t happened in a long time,” Giuttari said, ­indicating

Commercial Real Estate – Building Value.

Our Commercial Real Estate Law Group Justin T. Shay | John W. Wolfe Robert A. Migliaccio | Lori J. Lousararian Joseph A. Anesta | W. Thomas Humphries 301 Promenade Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02908 Phone 401.331.5700 | Fax 401.331.5787 | www.cm-law.com

CONTINUES ON PAGE 20

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 19

FOCUS | COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

SNAPPED UP: Warehouse space is hard to come by lately, and that was illustrated by this recently completed flex building at the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown. The space has already been leased by two businesses that will use the building for warehousing and other purposes.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

BESTPLACES TO

landlords’ increased confidence in the real estate market.

But interest is not limited to the Route 395 area, as developers seem to be seizing opportunities wherever they can. The New York-based Bluewater Property Group is working on a $290 million, 3.8 million-square-foot warehouse for Amazon.com Inc. retail distribution at 2120 Hartford Ave. in Johnston.

Amazon expects the warehouse to be operational

by April 2023.

And in late 2020, Milwaukee-based private commercial real estate firm Phoenix Investors LLC acquired the former LEDVANCE LLC plant in Central Falls, with the developer planning to use the site for a new warehouse. A representative from Phoenix did not return a request for comment.

Due to increased costs, smaller companies are largely shut out from building new warehouses spaces.

Over the past decade, construction costs for building a warehouse have likely doubled, Giuttari said.

“To build a 40,000-square-foot warehouse today is going to cost, ground up, probably $6 [million] or $7 million,” Giuttari said. “That’s a substantial amount of money, and either you have it in the bank, or you have to borrow the money, and to borrow $6 million, you need to have incredible money to pay it. Every deal is a big deal in that sense.”

The longer timelines for completing projects also lead to increased interest on loans, Giutarri said, noting that what once could have been a three-month project might now take six months.

With more people than ever ordering products online, Giuttari anticipates the strain on warehouse spaces is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

“Once [customers] figure out all they have to do is hit order on their phone, or on their laptop, they learn how easy it is,” Giuttari said, “so they go from never using it before to first-time users coming back again, ordering more and putting more pressure on the warehousing space.” n

ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN Visit PBN.com for details

WORK★RI 2022 AWARDS

If your company’s culture has successfully adapted to the pandemic and your teams are flourishing, it’s time to get recognized!

SMALL EMPLOYERS

(15 - 49 employees)

CATEGORIES

MEDIUM EMPLOYERS

(50 - 149 employees)

LARGE EMPLOYERS

(150 - 499 employees)

ENTERPRISE EMPLOYERS

(500 or more employees)

All companies in RI and Southern Mass. with at least 15 employees are eligible to apply.

NEED MORE REASONS TO APPLY? Energize your team

Drive the engagement & enthusiasm of current employees

Company Affirmation

Position your company along iconic past BPTW in RI honorees

Rise above the Competition

Improve recruiting opportunities with prospective employees

20 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Invaluable Insights

Learn what your employees are really thinking and how to improve workplace environment

RHODEISLAND ISLANDCOMMERCIAL COMMERCIALREAL REALESTATE ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRMS FOCUS ||RHODE (ranked (rankedbybytotal totalsquare squarefootage footagehandled handledinin2020) 2020) 2021 rank

1

2020: 3

2

2020: 1

3 2020: 2 4

2020: 4

5

2020: 5

6

2020: 7

CLOSER LOOK

Company | Website Owners/Principals

Address Phone

Total R.I. SF leased Total R.I. SF sold Total R.I. SF handled

MG Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. | mgcommercial.com Michael Giuttari, president

365 Eddy St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 751-3200

291,988 1,328,698 1,620,686

60 Delta Drive, Pawtucket, 46,400 SF 25 Almeida Ave., East Providence, $4 million

CBRE Inc. | cbre.us/people-and-offices/corporate-offices/ providence Alden M. Anderson, senior vice president and managing broker; Mark Tassinari, managing director, property management

1 Financial Plaza, 15th Floor Providence, R.I. 02903 401-621-4338

685,271 706,906 1,392,177

100 Maple Ridge Drive, Cumberland, 151,351 SF 180-200 Corliss St., and 146, 148 and 303 West Rivers St., Providence, $42.5 million

Hayes & Sherry Real Estate | hayessherry.com Peter C. Hayes and Karl F. Sherry, founders and partners

146 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 273-1980

498,631 494,642 993,273

200 Dupont Drive, Providence, 54,450 SF 1454 South County Trail, East Greenwich, $18.7 million

Sweeney Real Estate & Appraisal | sreari.com Thomas O. Sweeney, principal

1 Turks Head Way, Suite 850 Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 331-9300

72,183 289,266 361,449

151 Ocean State Drive, Unit B, North Kingstown, 16,048 SF 22 Almeida Ave., East Providence, $1.8 million

Capstone Properties | capstone-properties.com Paul E. Griesinger, president and co-owner; Chris Greenman, senior vice president and co-owner

180 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 454-4660

124,292 10,519 134,811

14 Thurber Blvd., Smithfield, 18,989 SF 341 Providence St., Warwick, $600,000

Olympus Group Real Estate | olympusgrouprealestate.com Richard J. Amato, president, principal broker; Ed Webb III and Gregory E. Micallef, principals

151 Broadway Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 751-9606

69,638 26,138 95,776

Largest lease in 2020 Largest sale in 2020

30 India St., Pawtucket, 26,138 SF 30 India St., Pawtucket, $605,000

Total square footage handled in 2020:

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

UPCOMING LISTS Dec. 10: Corporate Givers, Mortgage Bankers and Brokers, Rhode Island CoWorking Spaces; Dec. 24: Energy Companies, Urgent Care Centers WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

FOCUS | BRISTOL COUNTY, MASS., COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FOCUS | BRISTOL COUNTY, MASS., COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRMS FIRMS 7

2020: 6

Jones Lang LaSalle | joneslanglasalle.com James Tierney, market director

1 Post Office Square Boston, Mass. 02109 (617) 531-4100

77,991 NA 77,991

1 Albion Road, Lincoln, 40,116 SF NA

(ranked (rankedbybytotal totalsquare squarefootage footagehandled handledininBristol BristolCounty, County,Mass., Mass.,inin2020) 2020) 2021 rank

1 2020: 1 2

2020: 2

3 2020: NL 4

2020: NL

5

2020: 3

CLOSER LOOK

Company | Website Owners/Principals

Address Phone

Total Bristol County SF leased Total Bristol County SF sold Total Bristol County SF handled

CBRE Inc. | cbre.us/people-and-offices/corporate-offices/ providence Alden M. Anderson, senior vice president and managing broker; Mark Tassinari, managing director, property management

1 Financial Plaza, 15th Floor Providence, R.I. 02903 401-621-4338

661,049 1,566,486 2,227,535

380 South Worcester St., Norton, 138,000 SF 10, 15 and 50 Commerce Way, Norton, $98 million

Jones Lang LaSalle | joneslanglasalle.com James Tierney, market director

1 Post Office Square Boston, Mass. 02109 (617) 531-4100

149,531 352,000 501,531

1133 County St., Taunton, 105,600 SF 1133 County St., Taunton, $35.1 million

Hayes & Sherry Real Estate | hayessherry.com Peter C. Hayes and Karl F. Sherry, founders and partners

Sweeney Real Estate & Appraisal | sreari.com Thomas O. Sweeney, principal

MG Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. | mgcommercial.com Michael Giuttari, president

Largest Bristol County lease 2020 Largest Bristol County sale 2020

146 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 273-1980

4,032 35,690 39,722

450 William S. Canning Blvd., Fall River, 2,213 SF 530 John Dietsch Blvd. and 2 Vaillancourt Drive, North Attleboro, $1.3 million

1 Turks Head Way, Suite 850 Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 331-9300

13,400 NA 13,400

1882 Fall River Ave., Seekonk, 7,200 SF NA

365 Eddy St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 751-3200

8,574 NA 8,574

1895 County St., Attleboro, 6,254 SF NA

Total square footage handled in 2020:

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

UPCOMING LISTS Dec. 10: Corporate Givers, Mortgage Bankers and Brokers, Rhode Island CoWorking Spaces; Dec. 24: Energy Companies, Urgent Care Centers WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

NL = Not listed last year.

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 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 21

FOCUS | |REGIONAL REGIONALINFORMATION INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGYEMPLOYERS EMPLOYERS (ranked by number of local IT workers)

(ranked by number of local IT workers) CLOSER LOOK

Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

Local IT workers Local FTE employees

CVS Health Corp. | cvshealth.com Karen S. Lynch

1 CVS Drive Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 765-1500

1,400 8,600

Pharmacy retail and health insurance services

Re-ranked by total local FTE employees:

Verizon Communications Inc. | verizon.com Hans Vestberg, chairman and CEO; Nia C. Mathis, regional president, New England

234 Washington St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (800) 837-4966

800 1,300

Telecommunications provider

1

Citizens Financial Group Inc. | citizensbank.com Bruce Van Saun, chairman and CEO; Keith Kelly, president, Rhode Island

1 Citizens Plaza Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 456-7000

750 4,571

Financial institution

Fidelity Investments Inc. | fidelity.com Abigail P. Johnson, chairman and CEO

900 Salem St. Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 292-5000

750 3,200

Financial services

FM Global | fmglobal.com Thomas Lawson, chairman and CEO; Malcolm Roberts, president

270 Central Ave. Johnston, R.I. 02919 (401) 275-3000

487 1,346

Commercial property insurer of multinational organizations

Cox Communications Inc. | cox.com Ross L. Nelson, senior vice president and regional manager

9 James P. Murphy Highway West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 383-2000

350 818

Communications and entertainment services, internet service provider

7

Lifespan Corp. | lifespan.org Dr. Timothy J. Babineau

167 Point St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 444-4000

320 16,564

Health care

8

Rite-Solutions Inc. | rite-solutions.com Dennis McLaughlin

1 Corporate Place, 2nd Floor Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-3399

155 227

Innovative software development, cybersecurity, system integration and engineering solutions

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette

KVH Industries Inc. | kvh.com Martin A. Kits van Heyningen, CEO

50 Enterprise Center Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-3327

100 275

Guidance/navigation equipment; inmotion satellite TV and communication systems

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

Ocean State Job Lot | oceanstatejoblot.com Marc Perlman, principal owner and CEO; Alan Perlman and Steve Aronow, principal owners

375 Commerce Park Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 295-2672

78 1,379

Retail

2020: NL

Systems Engineering Associates Corp. 1 | seacorp.com David Lussier, president

62 Johnnycake Hill Road Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-2260

74 361

Engineering services

12 2020: 16

University of Rhode Island | uri.edu Marc B. Parlange, president

35 Campus Ave. South Kingstown, R.I. 02881 (401) 874-2116

73 2,611

Higher education

Gilbane Inc. | gilbaneco.com Thomas F. Gilbane Jr., chairman

7 Jackson Walkway Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 456-5800

68 423

Construction and real estate development

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

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

63 754

Higher education

CAI Software LLC 2 | caisoft.com Brian Rigney, CEO

36 Thurber Blvd.

Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 232-2600

56 56

Industry-specific enterprise resource planning software and services

2020: 22

Vertikal6 | vertikal6.com Rick Norberg, CEO

30 Service Ave. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 825-4400

54 54

Information technology services

17 2020: NL

Custom Computer Specialists Inc. | customonline.com Gregory Galdi

6 Blackstone Valley Place Lincoln, R.I. 02865 (401) 775-1163

50 50

Information technology services

17

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | bcbsri.com Martha L. Wofford

500 Exchange St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 459-1000

50 778

Health insurer

2020: 21

19

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

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

46 797

Higher education

20

Bryant University | bryant.edu Ross Gittell, president

1150 Douglas Pike Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 232-6000

45 803

Higher education

21

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | umassd.edu Mark Fuller, chancellor

285 Old Westport Road Dartmouth, Mass. 02747-2300 (508) 999-8000

44 1,027

Higher education

2020: NL

22

Providence College | providence.edu Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, president

1 Cunningham Square Providence, R.I. 02918 (401) 865-2294

42 942

Higher Education

23

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island | nhpri.org Peter Marino

910 Douglas Pike Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 459-6000

41 600

Nonprofit health insurer

2020: NL

24

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

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

36 406

Higher education

25

Brave River Solutions Inc. | braveriver.com Jim McAssey, president

875 Centerville Road Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 828-6611

29 31

Technology

2021 rank

1

2020: 1

2

2020: 2

3

2020: 4

3

2020: 3

5

2020: 10

6

2020: 5

2020: 8

2020: 14

9

2020: 13

10

2020: NL

11

13

2020: 17

14

2020: 15

15

2020: 18

16

2020: NL

2020: NL

2020: NL

2020: NL

2020: NL

Primary business

Lifespan Corp.

Local FTE employees: 16,564

2

CVS Health Corp.

Local FTE employees: 8,600

3

Citizens Financial Group Inc. Local FTE employees: 4,571

UPCOMING LISTS Dec. 10: Corporate Givers, Mortgage Bankers and Brokers, Rhode Island CoWorking Spaces; Dec. 24: Energy Companies, Urgent Care Centers WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

NL = Not listed last year.

1 Also known as SEA Corp.; was acquired by Roy Kapani, founder of ECS, on March 19, 2021.

2 Also known as Computer Associates.

22 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOOTNOTES j Also known as SEA Corp.; was acquired by Roy Kapani, founder of ECS, on March 19, 2021.  Also known as Computer Associates.

guest moderator Kevin Matta Head of diversity and inclusion for Thielsch Engineering; the DAIP vice president; and director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Society for Human Resource Management

december 2, 2021 summit 9-10am awards presentation 10-11

panel discussion 9-10 am

2021 winners

awards presentation 10-11 am

panelists

• diversity champion RALPH TAVARES

director of diversity and outreach for Roger Williams University School of Law and the board president of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals Inc.

• accounting:

Dorca M. Paulino, MPA Diversity Director, Rhode Island Judiciary

Marcum LLP

• architecture/construction/design: Gilbane Building Co.

• financial services:

Bank of America Corp.

Peter Rodriguez Executive Director/Plant Manager, Amgen

• health care:

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island

• higher education: Wheaton College

• k-12 education:

Neil Steinberg President & CEO, RI Foundation

Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy

• legal:

Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC

• manufacturing: Amgen Inc.

Lawrence E. Wilson Managing Director, The Wilson Organization

• other professional services: AAA Northeast

• retail:

Ocean State Job Lot

• social services:

United Way of Rhode Island

• editor’s choice – Community Impact Award:

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future

presenting sponsor partner sponsor

join us register today Access the application by hovering over the QR code with your phone camera or visit PBN.com/events

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact 680.4800 or Advertising@PBN.COM www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 23

IT’S PERSONAL Walsh lauded for community work AMY WALSH, executive director of commercial banking in Rhode Island for JPMorgan Chace & Co., was recently awarded the Bob Cioe Award from the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce during the “Have a Ball at the Beach” event at the Galilee Beach Club in Narragansett in October. The award recognizes an individual who follows through on a vision that brings great things to the community.

What does it mean to you to be recognized with this award?

I am incredibly honored. [Chamber Executive Director] Kristin Urbach told me this award is a recognition by the community and it’s the Chamber’s highest honor. I’m speechless because … to be recognized by the community I live and work in for the work that I do is really great. I feel so grateful.

In what ways did you help the community this past year, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The award was given for the connections that I made to businesses to employ people with special needs. It’s been incredibly hard for employers to find help. Unfortunately, people who have disabilities, whether they’re invisible or visible, are underemployed. There’s a rebalancing, in my mind, that can happen. What we have done with various state agencies is connect them with a work group and providing resources to businesses through the state in helping the companies who need people to work there. I’ve recognized the businesses that have the need and are willing to hire people who have a disability and connect them with different people in the community, whether it’s a state agency or an employer assistance program.

Which organizations did you work with to help connect businesses with those with disabilities who need

employment?

One is called the Business Engagement Specialist Team through the R.I. Office of Rehabilitation Services. They have spearheaded this for all the different agencies in the state. They would come in and provide businesses who need diversity and inclusion training to help folks understand how to be more sensitive to someone who may have autism or be hard of hearing or have a vision impairment. They also go all the way to make accommodations and helping with job coaching. It’s a win-win because the businesses are at a point where they need help in order to grow and continue the momentum they had going into the pandemic. To provide those who are also looking for work and an opportunity is a win for both sides.

What initiatives do you have planned to further bolster the community and the economy?

I don’t have any new initiatives planned just yet. But really, it’s just being an ongoing liaison and advocate for people who don’t really have a voice or [who are] having trouble finding their voice. It’s connecting them to folks who know that they can help them. I don’t think that work is going to ever be done for me. It’s not just gender and ethnicity that is important. It’s also physical and intellectual ability. It’s important for everyone to know that everyone deserves an equal shot, regardless of how they present themselves. n

| SPONSORED CONTENT |

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE NONPROFIT

CONSTRUCTION

Heather Alge was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer for the Fogarty Center, which services children and adults with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities.

Heather’s career started in 2001 as a direct support professional working in a community-based day program supporting individuals who lived at LADD Center. In 2008 she began working for Fogarty’s children’s services providing home-based services. “I’ve had the privilege of several positions including Program Manager, Children’s Services Coordinator, Finance Director, and now my recent promotion. Each position I’ve held collectively strengthened my awareness of this field, but my journey is far from over and I look forward to many more years of professional growth.”

JPS Construction and Design is pleased to announce that Jenna Elmore recently joined the firm’s team of Project Managers.

Jenna has been managing her own job sites for the past 30 years, mainly focused in residential remodeling and new construction. Jenna’s father was a contractor which allowed her to engrain herself early in the business.

She worked for IBM for 9 years in their global IT division, she left the company in 2011 to officially become a licensed construction supervisor. After 3 years in Boston designing and managing construction projects, she moved to Newport. Jenna’s wealth of experience makes her an excellent leader and her passion ensures that every project she takes on is handled with the highest quality of care.

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

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

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

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

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

24 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

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

IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Youth sports lessons WATCHING A KIDS BALLGAME can provide a mini life lesson for observers. The takeaway also applies to business. Astute observers can learn a lot by watching kids play.

My chief of staff, Greg Bailey, told me about his granddaughter’s machine-pitch softball team for 7- and 8-year-olds. He cheered them on for two months, ignoring the fact that they weren’t very good. They didn’t even score a run until the final two weeks of the season.

Then came the state tournament, where they won their first game – by forfeit – when the other team didn’t show up for an early morning game.

They took full advantage of the extra practice time, with a six-on-six ­scrimmage.

They lost their next game by a single run, which sent them to the consolation round of the tournament.

The next day, they shocked everyone and won 6-0. In the consolation championship game, they were behind 4-1 and somehow came back to win 5-4.

This team that struggled mightily all season had won 3 out of 4 games in a state tournament – their only victories all summer. Or were they?

I’m sure there are many scenarios like this around the country, but I

want to focus on attributes that this team showed that can apply to all of us.

Most important is that they maintained a positive attitude all season long, despite repeated losses. I would submit that these little players held on to every hope and kept trying, even when their prospects looked dismal.

They got better as the season went on. Their progress was slow sometimes, but with encouragement from very patient coaches and fans, these kids worked hard toward improving their softball skills and teamwork.

Finally, they always had fun. They cheered each other on and chanted in the dugout regardless of the score.

Every inning was an opportunity.

Every girl was an important part of the team.

They had come together as a team, largely due to the efforts of management (coaches), and the story had a happy ending.

Granted, business tends to be a little more complicated than youth sports. But have you ever heard of a business that was successful while projecting a negative attitude? Businesses would be wise to follow the example of this young team. I know of few organizations that haven’t suffered through slow periods or outright slumps. When you have nowhere to go but up, find a way to dig yourself out of that hole. Positive thinking, when combined with realistic goals, can change outcomes.

Maintaining a positive attitude when things are gliding along is naturally easier, but I would caution against getting so comfortable with success that you let your guard down.

Teams that get used to winning and suddenly suffer a couple losses know that passing up a practice or taking their games less seriously might have contributed to their reversal of fortune.

There’s a lesson for businesses

Astute observers can learn a lot by watching kids play.

in here. Keep doing what you did that made you successful, and don’t neglect the basics. At the same time, find areas that you can improve and make the changes that will take your organization to the next level.

Never give in to the temptation to feel like you can’t fail. The true measure of a successful person is someone who works just as hard – or harder – once they have “made it.”

These young ballplayers probably don’t realize that sports are preparing them for future challenges. They are busy working hard yet having fun, enjoying the social aspects of teamwork and celebrating their small victories.

I give a lot of credit to youth sports coaches who volunteer so much time teaching, encouraging, disciplining and celebrating with their teams. I also value managers who do the same for their professional workers.

Mackay’s Moral: Fun and games are great teachers for success. 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.

Join Rhode Island’s business community leaders in the

PRESIDENTS’ 2022 FORECAST

The inaugural Presidents’ Forecast will appear in PBN’s Economic Forecast issue on January 7.

NAME Title Company

L

orem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

In placerat sit amet est vitae vestibulum. Cras egestas tristique lacus vitae pretium. Duis viverra at mauris sed tempor. Nulla gravida augue non nulla sagittis, dictum tristique dui sollicitudin. Pellentesque faucibus nisi non est lobortis, et ullamcorper mi mollis. Vestibulum id convallis odio. Nunc quam et arcu volutpat. Nullam sit massa in nisi iaculis bibendum. Aenean condimentum consequat sapien et fermentum. Vestibulum in viverra urna.

Suspendisse sagittis dictum diam euismod dapibus. Donec mattis feugiat. Vestibulum eu varius massa, quis scelerisque nisi. Donec lobortis, nulla a elementum pulvinar, est quam dapibus sem, vel semper nisl nisl at magna. Nam tempor et nibh ut convallis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, elit. Proin eu auctor lorem, at euismod felis. Ut pellentesque scelerisque magna, sed ultricies ex dignissim a. Orci varius et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Vestibulum non purus eu risus dignissim pretium. Pellentesque sollicitudin, orci eu pretium facilisis, orci convallis orci, at rhoncus diam nisl in magna. Donec auctor risus at metus tincidunt, in auctor leo vulputate. Quisque velit lectus, tincidunt eget hendrerit. Sed rhoncus rutrum imperdiet. Duis pellentesque odio at tempor rhoncus. Sed dignissim sapien tincidunt, sagittis metus in, suscipit ligula.

CEOs, presidents, owners, partners-in-charge, association directors, heads of companies and local organizations will comment on the region’s economy, their industries or their companies in the coming year.

You’ll have your chance to share your company’s projections and vision for 2022 in this 200-word special advertising section.

Publication Date: January 7, 2022 Advertising Deadline: December 29, 2021

You supply: --200 words of text --Name, job title, company, website -- High resolution head shot

WEBSITE

Reserve your space today!

Contact your Account Manger or Advertising@PBN.com | 401.680.4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 25

IT’S PERSONAL DRESS FOR SUCCESS | MARC A. STREISAND

The tuxedo is timeless ALTHOUGH SOME AMERICANS believe that the tuxedo was originated by financier James Brown Potter, who was one of the many American aristocrats attending the Autumn Ball in New York’s Tuxedo Park in 1866, the magnificent suit was actually created by King Edward VII – when he was still a prince – with his Savile Row tailor in 1865.

You see, the prince found himself tired of wearing traditional formal tails and wanted something dressier than a leisure suit but less complicated than formal tails and could be worn to dinner meetings or in informal settings. He worked with his tailor and thus, the birth of a brand-new garment. Legend has it that the prince sent James Brown Potter to his tailor and asked him to make a similar garment. When Potter brought it back to America, the tuxedo took off in popularity.

For many years, the tuxedo was a staple in aristocratic society, later becoming popular in the world of movies and representing the epitome of elegance and gentlemanly class.

By the early 1900s, the tuxedo was a

black, shawl-collar garment that included matching accessories such as tie and studs. But as time went on, the shawl collar evolved into a peak lapel, and in the 1920s, it was the standard dinner jacket for men.

In the 1930s, designers sought to bring something special to this formal attire, and taking advantage of the fact that more blue wool was being milled than black, the midnight blue tux became all the rage. Following the new color, the tuxedo once again got an update with the slimming doublebreasted jacket.

In the South, the warmer climate gave rise to the popularity of the white dinner jacket, allowing men to wear a contrasting top and bottom, something that hadn’t been done before.

Throughout its evolution, the tuxedo has largely remained true to the prince’s original vision. However, design changes also influenced material variations. Wool gave way to polyester, then silk, and then blends of different fabrics and even patterns.

Today, the tuxedo has made a huge comeback, and I believe it is largely

ALWAYS IN: This single-breasted peak lapel tuxedo is an outfit that would look great on anyone.

COURTESY MARC ALLEN FINE CLOTHIERS INC.

because of the pandemic. Over the last year and a half, men were increasingly content with wearing sweatpants and T-shirts, as business was conducted in living rooms and over video calls. As business has slowly returned to normal, we are more frequently attending meetings, events and formal gatherings. The opportunity to put your best foot forward has partygoers getting dressed up again. We’ve definitely seen the tuxedos return on the social circuit.

Never in the 17-year history of Marc Allen Fine Clothiers have we made as many tuxedos as we have this year.

Whether it’s a peak lapel, a subdued notch lapel with grosgrain accents, or a bold velvet or jacquard silk print with exaggerated lapels, the tuxedo is the one outfit that any man looks great in. Its sleek but strong silhouette provides a commanding and authoritative presence.

Whatever your taste – bold or traditional, a tuxedo is a wise investment, as it will never go out of style. n Marc A. Streisand is the owner of Marc Allen Fine Clothiers in Providence.

A tuxedo is a wise investment, as it will never go out of style.

26 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | IAN O. WILLIAMSON

Managing the quit rate FINDING GOOD EMPLOYEES has always been a challenge – but these days it’s harder than ever. And it is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

The so-called quit rate – the share of workers who voluntarily leave their jobs – hit a new record of 3% in September, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In all, 20.2 million workers left their employers from May through September.

Companies are feeling the effects.

In August, a survey found that 73% of 380 employers in North America were having difficulty attracting employees – three times the share that said so the previous year. And 70% expect this difficulty to persist into 2022.

Observers have blamed a wide variety of factors for all the turnover, from fear of contracting COVID-19 by mixing with co-workers on the job to paltry wages and benefits.

While the current resignation behavior may seem like a new trend, data shows employee turnover has been rising steadily for the past decade and may simply be the new normal employers must get used to.

The U.S. has been moving away from a focus on productive sectors such as manufacturing to a servicebased economy for decades.

A majority of the jobs in servicebased industries require only generalizable occupational skills such as competencies in computing and communications that are often easily transportable across companies.

This is true across a wide range of professions, from accountants and engineers to truck drivers and customer service representatives. As a result, in service-based economies, it is relatively easy for employees to move between companies and maintain their productivity.

And thanks to information technology and social media, it has never been easier for employees to find out about new job opportunities.

The growing prevalence of remote working also means that in some cases employees will no longer need to physically relocate.

Thus, the barriers and transition costs employees incur when switching employers have been reduced.

Greater options and lower costs to move mean that employees can be

more selective and focus on picking jobs that best fit their personal needs and desires. What people want from work is inherently shaped by their cultural values and life situation. Employers that cannot provide greater flexibility and variety in their working environment will struggle to attract and retain workers.

Employers now have a greater obligation than in the past to explain to existing and would-be employees why they should stay or join their organizations. And there is no evidence to suggest this trend will change.

It has been estimated that the cost to the employer of replacing a departing employee is on average 122% of that employee’s annual salary in terms of finding and training a replacement.

There is a large incentive for businesses to adapt to the new labor market conditions and develop innovative approaches to keeping workers happy.

Given the heightened priority employees place on finding a job that

Companies need to adopt a more holistic approach.

fits their preferences, companies need to adopt a more holistic approach to the types of rewards they provide. It’s also important that they tailor the types of financial, social and developmental incentives and opportunities they provide to individual employees’ preferences.

While customizing the package of rewards each employee receives may increase an organization’s administrative costs, this investment can help retain a highly engaged workforce.

Companies should also plan on high employee mobility to be endemic and reframe how they approach managing their workers.

One way to do this is by investing deeply in external relationships that help ensure consistent access to high-quality talent. This can include enhancing the relationships they have with educational institutions and former employees.

The quit rate is likely to stay elevated for some time to come. The sooner employers accept that and adapt, the better they’ll be at managing the new normal. n Ian O. Williamson is dean of the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California Irvine.

Distributed by The Associated Press.

YEARS

Celebrating 35 years

WELCOMES PARTNER SPONSOR

WITH 35% OFF UNLIMITED ACCESS TO PBN AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM LEARN MORE @ PBN.COM/SAVE35 www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 27

OPINION EDITORIALS

R.I. needs to get with the times on minority contracting

GETTING ­CERTIFIED: ­Dominican immigrant Pedro Mendez, right, has applied for his business, AmeriSigns, to be part of the state’s Minority Business Enterprise program.

Also pictured are workers Luiyi Moreno, left, and Obdalis Csisa.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

The state historically has failed miserably in ensuring minority-owned businesses get their fair share of tens of millions of dollars in state contracts.

That looked to finally be changing when, for the first time in more than 30 years, Rhode Island met the 10% target for state contracts in fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

But then-Gov. Gina M. Raimondo waived the requirements for contracting with minority and women-owned businesses for the last 3½ months of fiscal 2020, contributing to the state again falling short of the requirement.

Pandemic-related contracting needs may well have constituted enough of an emergency to temporarily shelve minority-contracting requirements.

But given the history, the growing frustration of minority-business advocates is understandable. And as this week’s cover story reports, the lack of oversight of the program’s effectiveness runs much deeper than just falling short of the 10% contracting target.

The state, for example, can’t say which minority groups received nearly $50 million in subcontracts in fiscal 2020.

Nor does the state have a system to evaluate whether the minority groups receiving the contracts actually suffer from discrimination in contracting.

Changing demographics alone over the program’s 35-year history demand the state regularly ensures its contracting is in step with the population and business community.

It’s time lawmakers conduct a comprehensive review, with a focus both on consistently meeting minority contracting goals and ensuring the work goes to businesses that most deserve it. n

Don’t allow state workers a money grab On the surface, a tentative contract agreement allowing unionized state workers up to $3,000 if they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 appears to be a money grab.

Why Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s administration agreed to the incentive is unclear because his office has declined to comment. The union, AFSCME Council 94, is expected to vote on the four-year contract Dec. 2.

Perhaps it’s a coincidence that the contract approved this past summer by the Providence Teachers Union also included a $3,000 incentive payment agreed to by the R.I. Department of Education.

It’s not surprising though that another union would then ask for something similar.

That Gov. McKee’s administration would agree to it might be an indication tying the bonuses to vaccinations means they can be paid for with federal pandemic aid. But even if true, political expedience should not trump basic fairness.

It’s wrong to offer bonuses to some but not others.

And there are myriad better ways to spend that money than lining the pockets of state workers in exchange for quick ratification of a new contract. n

POLL CENTRAL EXECUTIVE POLL

PBN.COM POLL

Being diverse?

Does your company offer any diversity and inclusion programs to your employees?

What diversity and inclusion programs does your company offer employees (Select multiple)

Yes: 40%

Support, guidance and counseling: 40%

No: 40%

Our company does not offer such programs: 40%

No, but our company is currently developing diversity and inclusion programming: 20%

Professional development workshops: 20%

Has your company established corporate diversity and inclusion programs in the past year?

No, our company has not established such programs: 60% Yes: 40% No, our company already has such programs established: 0%

Yes, it is a safety issue in several industries

52%

I’m not sure

2%

Community-based educational forums: 0%

Has your company’s overall culture improved as a result of having diversity and inclusion programs?

Yes: 40% Our company does not offer such programs: 40%

Unsure: 0%

No, employers shouldn’t control what employees legally do outside the workplace

46%

Business resource and mentoring groups: 0%

No: 20% 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.

If recreational marijuana is legalized in Rhode Island, should some employers still be allowed to prohibit employees from using it outside of the workplace? NOV. 12-18

Do you support a proposed bonus program for state workers that would pay them up to $3,000 if they have been vaccinated against COVID-19?

THIS WEEK’S POLL:

• Yes, state workers deserve the extra financial support • Yes, but only if it goes to workers not previously vaccinated • No, taxpayer-financed vaccination bonuses should be available to everyone • No, the state already has a high enough percentage of adults vaccinated • I’m not sure To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

28 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

OPINION OPINION

The advantages of offering internships

NINA PANDE AND JULIE LAMMERS GUEST COLUMN

There has never been a better time for employers to recruit and develop a broader, more diverse talent pool than now. The new reality of remote work and the accelerated pace of digital transformation across industries has made it easier for businesses of all sizes to engage with the millions of high school and college students looking to explore future work opportunities. Rhode Island’s business community should take advantage of this unique time in our history by opening the doors to the youth workforce through high school internships, including virtual internships.

Internships provide students the type of real-world experience needed to develop insights into careers and critical skills for successfully navigating the workplace. And Rhode Island’s high school students are deeply interested in these opportunities.

When the pandemic accelerated in the U.S. last year, many summer internships were no longer offered to high school students. Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, the statewide workforce intermediary that runs the PrepareRI high school internship program through support from the Governor’s Workforce Board, shifted internship programs to present a virtual “COVID Innovation Challenge” to nearly 500 students who wanted to gain experience. Despite the challenges of virtual learning, the students excelled and highlighted an important workforce trait – adaptability.

Participating employers identified challenges they faced because of the pandemic and asked students to develop solutions that could mitigate the fallout, such as pivoting to remote work, reopening hospitals to visitation and helping the medical community detect COVID-19 symptoms. Students then presented their solutions during a competition. The proposals were impressive, but the practical results for our students and future workforce were even better.

Nearly 90% of students reported gaining skills such as leadership, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving. More than half of employers said the program was valuable in preparing their business’s or industry’s future pipeline of workers.

What we learned about Rhode Island students and employers can

Rhode Island’s business community should take advantage of this unique time in our history.

be carried into planning internships next summer and beyond: Building in support systems for students is critical to their success.

Students from different backgrounds have different needs. Consider access to technology, language barriers, transportation and other challenges to ensure participants can succeed in these critical opportunities. At least 50% of SkillsRI’s participating students come from high-poverty communities or under-resourced schools, many with no reliable broadband internet access or device access. This was an obstacle that taught us a powerful lesson on ensuring equity in access.

Mentors are critical. Whether internships are in person or virtual, high school students need designated, trained mentors who can guide them and teach them to navigate the workplace. We’ve partnered with Mentor Rhode Island to provide technical support, office hours and professional development to our coaches and teach students about the importance of effective mentoring.

Virtual internships can be meaningful. Students are already gravitating toward greater use of technology. We heard from students loud and clear that they wanted to be held accountable to the same expectations as adult workers who had shifted to remote work. With funding from American Student Assistance, SkillsRI will be able to continue offering students work-based learning opportunities throughout the school year, both in person and virtually.

In addition, SkillsRI recently launched the Work-based Learning Navigator, an online platform to better connect educators to yearround, work-based learning resources for students. The navigator asks questions about capacity, resources, time, quality and educational standards and serves as a matchmaker for educators and employers to post and find opportunities.

If Rhode Island’s employers and educators can commit to internship opportunities for high schoolers, whether in-person or virtual experiences, we can work toward equity, accessibility and economic mobility for every student across the state. There’s no better victory to strengthen our education system, meet families where they are and make sure students are prepared for the next steps in their education, career and life. n Nina Pande is executive director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, a nonprofit matching businesses with qualified, unemployed and underemployed job seekers. Julie Lammers is the senior vice president of government relations and advocacy at American Student Assistance, a national nonprofit committed to helping students discover educational and career opportunities.

More homes won’t solve affordability crisis ALEX SCHWARTZ AND KIRK MCCLURE GUEST COLUMN

Even before 2020, the U.S. faced an acute housing affordability dilemma. The COVID-19 pandemic made it a whole lot worse after millions of people who lost their jobs fell behind on rent. While eviction bans forestalled mass homelessness – and emergency rental assistance has helped some – most moratoriums have now been lifted, putting a lot of people at risk of losing their homes.

One solution pushed by the White House, state and local lawmakers and others is to increase the supply of affordable housing, such as by reforming zoning and other land-use regulations.

We agree that increasing the supply of homes is necessary in areas with rapidly rising housing costs. But this won’t, by itself, make a significant dent in the country’s affordability problems.

In part that’s because in much of the country, there is actually no shortage of rental housing. The problem is that millions of people lack the income to afford what’s on the market.

Nationally, about 45% of all renter households spend more than 30% of their pretax income on rent – the widely recognized threshold of affordability. About half of these renters, 9.7 million in total, spend more than 50% of their income on housing.

Nearly two-thirds of renters paying at least half of their income on housing earn less than $20,000.

For a household earning $20,000, $500 per month is the highest affordable rent. In contrast, the median rent in the U.S. in 2019 was $1,097, a level that’s affordable to households earning no less than $43,880.

And homes that rent for $500 or less are exceedingly scarce. Fewer than 10% of all occupied and vacant housing units rent for that price, and 31% are occupied by households earning more than $20,000, pushing low-income renters into housing they cannot afford.

The problem of housing affordability is pervasive throughout the nation, even in the least-expensive markets with high vacancy rates.

For example, in Cleveland, with a median rent of $725, 27% of all renters spend more than half of their income on rent.

In fact, there is not a single state, metropolitan area or county in which a full-time minimum wage worker can afford the “fair market rent” for a two-bedroom home.

At the heart of the nation’s affordability crisis is the fact that the cost to build and operate housing simply exceeds what low-income renters can afford. Nationally, the average monthly operating cost for a rental unit in 2018 was $439.

In other words, even if landlords set rents at the bare minimum needed to cover costs – with no profit – housing would remain unaffordable to most very-low-income households.

Covering the difference between what these renters can afford and the actual cost of the housing, then, is the only solution for the 9 million households that pay at least half their income on rent.

The U.S. already has a program designed to help these people afford homes. With Housing Choice Vouchers, also known as Section 8, recipients pay 30% of their income on rent, and the program covers the balance.

The $26 billion program serves about 2.5 million households, or only 1 in 4 of all eligible households. The current version of Democrats’ social spending bill would gradually expand the program by about 300,000 over five years at a total cost of $24 billion.

While this would be the single largest increase in the program’s nearly 50-year history, it would still leave millions of low-income renters unable to afford a home. And that’s not a problem more supply can solve. n Alex Schwartz is a professor of public and urban policy at the New School. Kirk McClure is a professor of urban planning at the University of Kansas. Distributed by The Associated Press.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 29

ONE LAST THING

BEFORE

the pandemic, most consumers and many businesses were blissfully unaware of the steps involved in getting toilet paper into the supermarket. Today, everyone is talking about supply chain disruptions as they forecast and plan their upcoming purchases, closely following news of container backups as they plot out their buying strategies.

Even local businesses for whom talk of international shipping and port congestion did not seem to apply came to realize that their operations were affected by shortages of packing materials, display cases and machinery parts. It seems like everyone is feeling the effects of the supply chain disruptions. Here are some tips on best practices in international shipping, especially for those who until recently had never considered themselves importers or exporters. n If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Look critically at

promises of cheaper rates and faster delivery times. Bait-andswitch tactics are running rampant, so choose providers who you can trust to quote you realistic freight prices, transit times and service. n Bigger is not always better. There are pros and cons to utiliz-

ing the services of international shipping companies over local freight forwarders. Working with partners who are actively rooting for your success means your shipments won’t fall off the grid. n Remember the phone? Make sure your logistics partners do,

Elizabeth “Betty” Robson J.F. Moran Co. CEO and president Betty Robson was named CEO and president of J.F. Moran Co. in 2015. She has more than 40 years of experience in international trade working in the family-owned and operated Smithfield business.

too! Choose companies that you can reach personally if a shipment goes awry. All the technology in the world cannot help you if your shipment has been selected for a customs exam or has been bumped from its flight. n

Relationships key to supply chains PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

30 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

35

YEARS

AN N IVE R SARY GALA 1986-2021

Kristin Anastasiades, President of Marketing Disrupted, Lysa Teal, Peter Marino, Neighborhood Health Plan of RI and Diane Caine, Link RI

Barnaby Evans, WaterFire Providence

Thank you

to all who attended PBN’s 35th anniversary gala on November 18 at Aldrich Mansion

Rick Metters, Fidelity Investments with Neil Steinberg, RI Foundation

Brian Britson, Vice President of Operations at Amgen RI with Tamara Osychny

PBN Driving Force Dale Venturini, President/CEO of RI Hospitality Association with Tony DeFusco

Daniel Charland and Donald Nokes, NetCenegy with Jeffery Diehl, RI Infrastructure Bank (center)

Cortney Nicolato, President & CEO United Way of Rhode Island

Chris and Karen Santilli, President of Crossroads Rhode Island

Sara Ryan, Sara Larrabee, Burr Tomlinson and Brittany Grenier, Rhode Island Medical Imaging

Publisher, Roger Bergenheim (center) with PBN’s Advertising and Events team

GALA SPONSORS

Christian Cowan, Executive Director of 401 Tech Bridge

Dane Kane, Hyland Equipment/ Adventure Powersports with Chris Harkness, Gallo|Thomas

DESSERT SPONSOR

For additional photos, visit PBN.com or PBN’s Facebook page www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | 31

Managed cloud services that are actually managed It’s not fantasy. It’s Cox Business Cloud Solutions.

Co-management included. Funny thing about some managed cloud service providers – they may not even offer co-management. Crazy, right? With Cox Business Cloud Solutions, co-management is included with all of our solutions. We even offer full management if you prefer. And whichever configuration you choose, we make it easy to monitor and control everything with our single-pane portal. Also included free. Of course.

Let’s Talk Reality coxbusiness.com/cloud | 866-961-1075

Seamless Migration | End-User Help Desk | Included Co-Management | All-In Pricing PAD107503-0017

32 | NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 9, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com