PBN October 30-November 5, 2020

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

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OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

PBN 2020 GIVING GUIDE

SPOTLIGHT

Leyden Vineyards & Winery LLC | 6

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 35, NO. 32 | $4

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

FOCUS: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Customer’s always right?

Well, not in a pandemic

BUDGET CRUNCH

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

FOR BILL KITSILIS, owner of Angelo’s Palace Pizza in Cumberland, banning customers from his family restaurant would have been unthinkable a year ago.

But that was before COVID-19 and a few incidences of customers becoming belligerent with young employees after refusing to follow public health guidelines amid the pandemic.

He’s told two customers not to return.

“There were a lot of mixed messages from the government about if we should wear masks SEE TRAINING PAGE 14

WITH THIS ISSUE

STUFF

Revenue is down, deficit is up, and R.I. still lacks plan to deal with it

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

PAWTUCKET

MAYOR DONALD R. GREBIEN NEVER thought he’d have to close down his city on Fridays to save money, but in the absence of a state budget and the rise in financial

uncertainty, it has come to that.

Starting the week of Oct. 19, several hundred public employees started working four days a week, with most city services unavailable on Fridays.

Because the city is participating in the state’s WorkShare program, workers will collect unemployment benefits for the one day a week out of work.

Grebien said the drastic action – which the city estimated will save about $500,000 through December and will prevent layoffs – was driven largely by a reduction in state aid this year under a decision by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s administration to dole out local aid in smaller amounts.

SEE BUDGET

DESIGNED, MADE AND BUILT IN RHODE ISLAND

MISSING THE JACKPOT: State revenue from video slot machines at Rhode Island’s casinos, including Twin River Casino Hotel, above, has plummeted because casino attendance is down during the pandemic and social distancing has forced the closure of many of the slots.

PBN PHOTO/ PAMELA BHATIA

PAGE 11

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CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY BUDGET CRUNCH Revenue is down, deficit is up, and R.I. still lacks plan to deal with it..................................1

FOR STARTERS

400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903

Community Service: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island............................ 3 5Q: Dr. Ashish K. Jha............................................................ 4 Franchisee: Matt Banoub..................................................... 5 Spotlight: Leyden Vineyards & Winery LLC........................ 6 Something New: Get Social Local....................................... 6 Hot Topic: Cost of R.I.’s vaccine effort unclear................... 7 New Construction: Camp Bow Wow, Pawtucket Credit Union, Lincoln Residence Inn Marriott.................... 8 News Briefs........................................................................... 9 What’s Happening............................................................... 10

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

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

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

5Q | 4

Pandemic’s sting fails to stop beekeepers........................ 13

ANOTHER LOOK R.I. issues $3.1M in Take It Outside grants....................... 13

Marketing and Events Manager: Donna Rofino, 680-4832 Marketing, Events & Social Media Coordinator: Tracy Hoyt, 680-4818

IT’S PERSONAL People in the News............................................................. 18 Mackay’s Moral................................................................... 19 Guest Column: Eric Cormier..............................................20 Editorials and Opinion........................................................ 21 One Last Thing: David Almonte......................................... 23

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

EDITORIAL

FOCUS: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

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

Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820

Customer’s always right? Well, not in a pandemic

FRANCHISEE | 5

The Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation has created “Boost Your Service” classes to help restaurant owners and employees navigate difficult situations during the pandemic. ............................1

Managing Editor: William Hamilton, 680-4826 Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim, 680-4886

Crisis not hindering R.I. internship initiative

Copy Editor: Matt Bower, 680-4824

Student participation in the PrepareRI Summer Internship program has exceeded expectations due to additional funding and the flexibility of remote capabilities......................................................... 16

Special Projects Editor: James Bessette, 680-4838 (EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

Staff Writers: Alexa Gagosz, 680-4828

Lists Providence-based Private Employers................................ 15 Rhode Island Employers......................................................17

(HEALTH CARE, HOSPITALITY/TOURISM, WORKFORCE)

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

Mary MacDonald, 680-4830

CORRECTION: In the Something New feature of the Oct. 16 edition, David J. Shepherd CPA LLC owner David Shepherd’s name was misspelled.

(GOVERNMENT, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

SOMETHING NEW | 6

Researcher: Cassius Shuman, 680-4884

PRODUCTION THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES Angelo’s Palace Pizza

1

Providence College

Audubon Society of Rhode Island

9

Providence Revolving Fund

13

7

R.I. Department of Health R.I. Department of Labor and Training

7, 12, 14 16

Bryant University

12

Quonset Business Park

22

R.I. Lottery

11

Festival Ballet Providence

13

Quonset Development Corp.

22

R.I. Office of Management and Budget

9

General Dynamics Electric Boat

22

R & D Technologies Inc.

22

R.I. State Police

Rhode Island Hospitality Association

14

Roger Williams University

12

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future

16

South County Habitat for Humanity

12

Supfina Machine Co.

22

The Avenue Concept

13

Get Social Local Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce Hasbro Inc. Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Metrology Software Inc. Johnson & Wales University

6 13 9

Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation

13, 14

Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns

11

22

Rhode Island Manufacturers Association

22

14

Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School

13

R.I. Commerce Corp.

13

Leyden Vineyards & Winery LLC

6

Lifespan Corp.

7

Meister Abrasives USA

22

Naval Undersea Warfare Center

18

North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce

16

R.I. Department of Administration

7, 12

R.I. Department of Education

16

R.I. Department of Environmental Management

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

9

12

The Nature Conservancy

9

Tiverton Casino Hotel

11

Twin River Casino Hotel

11

Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc.

12

University of Rhode Island

12

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

2 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

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©2020 Providence Business News Inc.

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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

Donation bins help reduce unwanted items at landfill TRASH TALK:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island and Cranston have created a new partnership to help keep the community’s unwanted items out of the landfill.

Mayor Allan W. Fung and the city have granted Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island approval to place its big green donation bins at the Cranston Veterans Memorial Ice Rink, the Cranston Fire Department Station 6 and the Cranston Police Department.

Residents are encouraged to bring bagged clothing, towels, curtains, sheets and shoes to be put in the bins. Items can be dropped off 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, according to the organization’s website. Within one week, residents had filled the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island bins with more than 2,500 pounds of clothing. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island has a partnership with Savers, so the items are collected and delivered to a Savers store. In the photo, from left: Fung meets with Taylor Millspaugh, the business-development manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island, to discuss bin placements.

Interested in having your business’s community-service project highlighted? Contact PBN Researcher Cassius Shuman at (401) 680-4884 or Shuman@PBN.com.

COURTESY STEVEN PAIVA

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Celebrate the best of the best BUSINESS LEADERSHIP DR. JAMES FANALE Care New England

CELEBRATING

YEARS

Virtual Awards Event SAVE THE DATE: November 18th | 4pm

ENTREPRENEURSHIP SquadLocker

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP KIM KECK Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI

EDUCATION & LEARNING William M. Davies, Jr. Career & Technical High School

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SWAP, Inc.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Blount Fine Foods

WOMAN / MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS What Cheer Flower Farm

FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS M.R.T. Jewelers

SOCIAL-SERVICE Rhode Island Free Clinic

NON-PROFIT (SMALL) The Wilbury Theater Group

NON-PROFIT (LARGE) Brown Medicine

ENTERPRISE COMPANY Gilbane Inc.

LARGE COMPANY BankNewport

MID-SIZE COMPANY United Way

SMALL COMPANY Envision Technology Advisors

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For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact 680.4800 or Advertising@PBN.com www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 3

FOR STARTERS

5Q: Dr. Ashish K. Jha Dean, Brown University School of Public Health

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

1

How will you use your new role to shape COVID-19 policy at Brown, and across the state?

I will use my role to provide sciencebased guidance and to advise leaders at the university and other institutions as they continue to use the best evidence available in their decisions on how to navigate the ongoing pandemic. I will also advise on how to best communicate that evidence so people understand why we are doing what we are doing.

2

You have been researching pandemics well before COVID-19.

What lessons can we apply from prior outbreaks?

We have learned … the high price of underestimating the speed and voracity of a novel virus, and of being underprepared. We have played catch-up with this virus from the beginning. The worst move in a pandemic is to do nothing because the virus is always moving.

There is another important lesson in remembering “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We have abandoned our public health infrastructures. Many of our problems with testing enough people, safely opening schools and other challenges stem from a lack of investment in public health.

3 COURTESY HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE/LISA ABITBOL

Share your story

What can be done to contain or mitigate a surge in COVID-19?

There are very basic but critical steps we all can and must continue to take … mask wearing, social distancing, avoiding crowds. And there are steps our government and public and private institutions must take: more testing and tracing, especially in criti-

cal settings such as nursing homes, prisons, and schools and universities.

We also need better coordination of needed supplies … and more modeling of positive behavior that will encourage everyone to take responsibility for keeping each other safe.

4

What should businesses know about the continued public health effects of this crisis as they reopen or plan for the year ahead?

Businesses need to know that the pandemic isn’t over, and that a vaccine, once it becomes available, won’t change things overnight. It is worth it for businesses to invest in doing all they can to keep their employees and their customers safe. Businesses will find they will be able to use the precautions and procedures they develop now to stay resilient in future crises as well.

5

Will COVID-19 improve the communication between public health experts and the general public?

The pandemic has reminded all of us … of the importance of good information and evidence. The majority of people … are paying attention to the public health experts. Polls repeatedly show that Americans know this virus is serious, and that they trust doctors and scientists more than anyone else when it comes to information about the pandemic. n

Many of our problems … stem from a lack of investment in public health.

PROFILES OF SUCCESS Profiles of Success is designed to help you promote: • An anniversary, accomplishment or milestone event • A new product line or service • Uniqueness and competitive edge • Brand and image in the community • Your team of professionals

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PROFILES OF SUCCESS 2020 CELEBRATING MILESTONES & ACHIEVEMENTS

Your company’s profile in this section features a two-page spread of text, photos and an info box highlighting your company’s vital statistics.

To participate in this year’s edition,contact your Account Manager or Advertising@PBN.com | 401-680-4800 MATERIAL DEADLINE: November 20, 2020 PUBLICATION DATE: December 18, 2020

4 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

www.pbn.com | PROFILES OF SUCCESS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 2019

| 1

FOR STARTERS Franchisee: Matt Banoub Germinator Mobile Sanitizing and Disinfecting | 835 School St., Suite 1A, Pawtucket The pitch: Germinator Rhode Island will offer a safe and nontoxic sanitizing and disinfecting service to commercial businesses and residents throughout northern Rhode Island and its surrounding areas. The company says it employs a breakthrough technology scientifically proven to help reduce the threat of harmful bacteria and viruses such as the novel coronavirus.

“It is a new business to me. I purchased a franchise in midMarch that has been in operation for five years.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it has been blowing up all over the country. We are the only franchise in southern New England.

The closest one is located in Maine.”

Years in business: Opened on July 8, 2020

Employees: One, but five employees

of Banoub’s other business, Aten Energy Conservation, will be engaged in delivering the Germinator product.

Cost to obtain franchise: $35,000

initial fee, which includes a $20,000 franchise fee, a $6,000 fee for equipment and supplies, and a $9,000 fee for working capital/advertising. The qualifying worth is $250,000.

Before opening franchise: Prior to opening his Aten Energy Conservation business in 2009, which uses utility subsidies to fund low-income homeowners, Banoub worked in the high-end residential construction business, performing custom work for wealthy clients. During the housing crash, he decided to retool his career and started Aten Energy Conservation, acquiring skills that he felt would benefit a community in need while also providing income.

Reason for opening: Banoub said he wanted to be part of the solution during the pandemic, maintaining his business and its five employees.

He said opening a Germinator franchise was about “survival.” His wife is an intensive care unit nurse and Banoub wanted to be proactive professionally and have a business that addresses needs related to healthy housing amid the pandemic. Germinator is an extension to his home-weatherization business.

Franchise owners interested in being included in an upcoming Franchisee feature can contact PBN Researcher Cassius Shuman at (401) 680-4884 or Shuman@PBN.com.

STANDING ALONE: Matt Banoub is the new owner of the only Germinator Mobile Sanitizing and Disinfecting franchise in Rhode Island.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

“It’s a two-step process; sanitization and protection.

Our products are backed by a scientific advisory board. We use hypochlorous acid for sanitizing surfaces to remove bacteria, etc. It’s a natural substance that is made inside your white blood cells. It’s completely safe and nontoxic. For step two, we provide a product that is a microbial barrier protective shield. This product will protect surfaces for 90 days. The Shield is a game-changer for Germinator.“

“Like any new business, it is nerve-racking.

But, in this case, having the support of the franchiser, with its training program, resources, as well as a scientific advisory board, makes it easier.

It would take you a long time to put all that together from scratch, and by the time I did all of that, I would have missed the boat.”

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 5

FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

LOCAL ASSIST: Erin Cabral Yarbough opened Get Social Local in January to help local businesses that can’t afford marketing consultants reach their customers.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Sensibly reaching customers

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

ERIN CABRAL YARBOUGH worked with global brands in the baby-products market for nearly 20 years, developing their brand strategy and handling large-scale operations. After doing some volunteer work in some of Rhode Island’s smaller communities, she realized there was a real need for local businesses that can’t afford marketing consultants to be able to reach customers in a way that makes the most sense for that business.

Enter Get Social Local, Yarbough’s new venture, which opened in January and provides clients with a digital strategy, ranging from photography, social media, content creation, email messaging and more. Ten months and a pandemic later, her clients include heating, ventilation and air conditioning companies, real estate offices, law firms, family-owned spas and financial planners.

Her $2,500 to $5,000 packages are billed monthly so her clients have the flexibility to cancel without breaking any contract.

“Our world shifted drastically to digital overnight. It’s going to be harder for you to reach people, even if you’ve been doing it the same way for 35 years,” said Yarbough. “The services are proven to work.” n

FRUITS OF LABOR: About a decade ago, John and Maureen Leyden, owners of Leyden Vineyards and Winery LLC in West Greenwich, began planting seeds for strawberries, blueberries and grapevines on their Christmas tree farm property and in 2011 began making and selling fruit-essence wines.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Wines to help you unwind Vineyard also sells Christmas trees

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

HARVESTED GRAPES ALONG Rhode Island’s coastline may not bolster varieties such as nebbiolo from Piemonte, Italy; mourvédre from Provence, France; or the more than 60 varieties of grapes that are planted throughout Napa Valley that are used to make California’s best-selling wines, but the Leyden family in West Greenwich thinks they’re just as good.

safe way.

“I just would like for it to be a place to relax, enjoy the scenery and have a glass of wine to unwind. I just want people to enjoy the farm, as we do, with everything going on nowadays,” she said, adding she wants her customers to spend long periods of time on the property. “We don’t rush people in and out. We want them to enjoy the area, walk around by going down by the water and just take it all in.”

This past summer, the family hosted wine tastings with reservations, lobster boils with live music and barbecue cookouts.

“We had to add more workers because of the sheer demand that we had,” said Caitlin Leyden, who has helped the farm’s efforts for wine pickup and delivery throughout the mainland during the pandemic.

The colder months are coming. The dining area can only host around 20 people comfortably, and it would cost more than $1,320 to install plexiglass around the bar, which is required by the state for a bar to operate normally during the pandemic. Caitlin Leyden hopes that customers will continue to come for winter wine tastings, bundling up and sitting out on the lawn to sip their spirits while eyeing their next Christmas tree to cut down. n

For four generations, Christmas trees had stretched across the 60 acres that made up Leyden Vineyards & Winery LLC well before owners John and Maureen Leyden became interested in making their own fruit-essence wines.

Since 2010, the couple and their daughter, Caitlin Leyden, started planting the seeds for wine, which included strawberries, blueberries and grapevines. The fruits were eventually bottled into the farm’s signature blends, such as Romeo’s Red, a red table wine, which is a mix of merlot, cabernet franc and sauvignon, landot noir and bright berry flavors for $20.56 per bottle. Or for this past summer’s bestseller, their Lazy Watermelon, which is sweet riesling grapes blended with juice of a watermelon for $19.63 per bottle.

For decades, the business was reliant on November and December sales of plump evergreens that were scattered across its grounds, but now those only account for a portion

of its income.

“Most of our revenue now is from the vineyard,” said Caitlin Leyden, who mostly handles the winery, sales, private parties and the social media at the farm. “We just didn’t think it would take off like it has.”

As the summers get hotter, John Leyden said the grapes of New England may only be getting better.

“Our vines are growing really well, especially with this past summer being very warm,” he said.

“And it’s making the wineries of Rhode Island [produce] better wines.”

The landscape of the farm is spread out, surrounded by trees that seclude the harvest; a small pond that touts a water fountain; barns; stone walls; and a lawn decked with spread-out Adirondack chairs for customers to relax for a socially distanced outing. According to Maureen Leyden, it’s where she hopes her customers can come to forget the stress of the coronavirus in a

OWNER: John and Maureen Leyden

LOCATION: 160 Plain Meeting House Road, West Greenwich

YEAR ESTABLISHED: Christmas tree farm in 1969, winery aspect in 2011

EMPLOYEES: 10

ANNUAL SALES: $250,000

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Winery and Christmas tree farm

6 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC

Cost of R.I.’s vaccine effort unclear

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO said on Oct. 7 that she’s willing to spend “tens of millions of dollars” for the state to evaluate and distribute future COVID-19 vaccines, but uncertainty remains on how those tasks will be divided between state and federal governments and what the price tag will be.

Raimondo has named a panel of 16 advisers that has already started planning for a vaccine, a step that has been taken by neighboring states, too.

The amount of Rhode Island’s portion of federal stimulus funds that Raimondo said she is dedicating to vaccine efforts may have raised some eyebrows, but there is still no set budget, according to R.I. Department of Health spokesman Joseph Wendelken.

Brett Smiley, director of the R.I. Department of Administration, said state officials have been closely monitoring negotiations on a new federal relief package. A recent draft proposed setting aside money for vaccine distribution for states, but Congress has yet to agree on another round of aid.

“The reason [Rhode Island’s vaccine effort] is a little bit undefined

at the moment is we still don’t know what’s going to be the responsibility of the state and the responsibility of the federal government,” Smiley told Providence Business News.

As of yet, there’s no set timeline on the subcommittee or on a vaccine distribution, but Dr. Karen Tashima,

director of clinical trials at Lifespan Corp.’s Immunology Center and member of the advisory panel, thinks that it could start earlier than anticipated.

“I think it may be as early as January that we would have some vaccine to give to the most high-risk people,” said Tashima, noting encouraging data from Moderna Inc.’s vaccine. “I think the state wants to be prepared for January.”

The advisory panel – made up of doctors, pharmacists, epidemiologists, government officials, and community and nonprofit leaders – has been organized as a subcommittee of the state’s established Vaccine Advisory Committee.

An eventual vaccine may come under political scrutiny and RIDOH Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott

‘I think the state wants to be prepared for January.’

DR. KAREN TASHIMA, Lifespan Corp.’s Immunology Center director of clinical trials

said the subcommittee will present clear-cut data during its outreach efforts. The group has already started weekly, virtual meetings.

Forming a committee to review eventual vaccines was a recommendation to states by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dedicating potentially “tens of millions of dollars” of Rhode Island’s $1.25 billion slice of federal relief to prepare and distribute an eventual vaccine doesn’t seem outside normal public health standards, according to Todd Olszewski, a Providence College professor of health policy and management. “[That amount] is very much public health doing its job,” said Olszewski, who recently co-authored a book on vaccination. “This step seems like a natural extension [to the established Vaccine Advisory Committee].”

With a lack of current federal guidelines, Olszewski said he agrees that a local committee for vaccination plans is necessary given the current political climate.

“We don’t want to make the same mistakes there were in the spring with the lack of [personal protection equipment] distribution and testing,” said Olszewski. n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 7

FOR STARTERS | NEW CONSTRUCTION Camp Bow Wow 222 Grand Army of the Republic Highway, Swansea Aimee and Jason Cyr are constructing an 11,000-square-foot facility for their new Camp Bow Wow franchise, which is a dog day care facility. The facility will have five indoor and five outdoor play yards that are designated by dog size and will be equipped with cameras so pet owners can watch their dogs from their mobile devices or computers during business hours. The building will have 75 boarding cabins, four luxury suites with individual cameras, eight teacup-dog-size condominium accommodations and a climatecontrolled atmosphere with a 24-hour monitoring system. The outer exterior architecture was designed by Cornerstone Design/Build Services in Swansea. The site plan was crafted by Pro-Line Engineering, of Swansea. The metal building was created by SpaceBuilding, of Taunton. The general contractor is B Tech Construction, of Fall River.

And the interior design plan was rendered by Interplan LLC, based in California.

COURTESY AIMEE CYR

Pawtucket Credit Union 84 Old Tower Hill Road, South Kingstown This 2,150-square-foot building will be the home to a new Pawtucket Credit Union branch, which will feature four private offices, a conference room, four teller windows, a walk-up ATM, as well as a drivethru ATM and a drive-up teller window under a canopy. The building will house a one-story operation and be constructed at an estimated labor and materials cost of $342,000. The architectural design for the building was rendered by Paul Castellone, of Lincoln-based Castellone Architecture LLC, and the general contractor who constructed the building was Smithfield-based Graham Builders Inc. PBN PHOTO/CASSIUS SHUMAN

Lincoln Residence Inn Marriott 632 George Washington Highway, Lincoln Prior to building the new Residence Inn, the town of Lincoln only had one operating hotel. The new 80,000-square-foot, four-story building, which began construction in late 2018, includes 107 rooms and sits on 8.8 acres of land. The hotel offers studios, as well as one- and two-bedroom suites, which have separate living

and sleeping areas. It also includes a business center, a market, a fitness center, an indoor pool, a barbecue area and a firepit.

The hotel sits adjacent to the Lincoln Mall, off Route 116 near the Route 146 interchange. Owners of the property, Brandt Hospitality Group, collaborated with Icon Architecture, DiPrete Engineering Associates Inc., Mancini Carter PC and Pare Corp. to design and construct the hotel. It is scheduled to be completed this fall.

8 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

COURTESY DIPRETE ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES INC.

NEWS BRIEFS | FOR STARTERS Hasbro posts $220M third-quarter profit PAWTUCKET – Hasbro Inc. posted a profit of $220 million in the third quarter, a slight increase from $213 million one year prior, the company announced Oct. 26.

The quarterly earnings of $1.61 per diluted share compares with $1.67 per diluted share the previous year.

On a pro-forma basis, accounting for the acquisition of Entertainment One Ltd., the company said that profit in 2019 would have been $216.5 million, or $1.57 per diluted share.

Revenue for the quarter totaled $1.8 billion, an increase from $1.6 billion one year prior. On a pro-forma basis, revenue declined 4% year over year.

The company said that sales were bolstered by Magic The Gathering, as well as products for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars and The Mandalorian.

Entertainment licensing and digital revenue declined 23% year over year, attributable to the impact of COVID-19. Revenue from eOne properties declined 32% year over year due to lower television and film income, also due to the ­pandemic. n

Mullaney to step down as R.I. budget director

House resolution seeks to limit forest fire damage

PROVIDENCE – Thomas Mullaney, executive director of the R.I. Office of Management and Budget, planned to retire earlier this year but due to COVID-19 remained in his role to help guide the Budget Office during the pandemic.

On Oct. 23 he announced he will step away from day-to-day responsibilities. State lawmakers and Gov. Gina M. Raimondo have delayed making fiscal 2021 budget decisions until after the election in November.

Mullaney said that in order to enable a smooth transition, he will remain in the Budget Office for the next several months to clean out and organize files, document processes, train staff and transition the numerous tasks that he has been responsible for over the past decade.

Joseph Codega, deputy budget officer, will manage the Budget Office and oversee the development of the fiscal year 2022 recommended budget.

Mullaney’s retirement date has not yet been determined. n

PROVIDENCE – R.I. House Republicans on Oct. 23 announced they have joined the R.I. Department of Environmental Management in calling for a comprehensive statewide fuelwood harvesting program as a preemptive measure against costly forest fires.

Minority Whip Michael Chippendale has sponsored a resolution asking Gov. Gina M. Raimondo to reassign personnel to DEM to reinstate a program that will allow the public to remove dead or dying wood from state properties.

An estimated 45,000 to 50,000 dead trees, or 13% of all Rhode Island trees, have fallen and are susceptible to fires, according to a news release. The dead trees pose an even greater fire risk as the state continues to experience “severe to extreme” drought conditions.

Rhode Island has seen more than 80 forest fires in 2020, some of which have required fire-fighting assistance or mutual aid from Connecticut and Massachusetts, the release states. n

DEM buys 12 acres of forestland for public use

New Bedford announces plans for new business park

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management on Oct. 22 announced its purchase of 12.6 acres of forestland in Hopkinton that will be preserved and protected for public recreational use, including hiking, fishing and hunting.

DEM used State Open Space Bond funds to purchase the property for $404,000 from Raymond Marr and E. Lorraine Perry.

The property is within DEM’s Rockville Management Area and adjoins 2,000 acres of contiguous protected land owned by DEM, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and The Nature Conservancy that is open to the public for recreational activities, according to a news release.

The property features 1,850 feet of frontage on the 30-acre Ashville Pond.

The Rockville Management Area includes three additional freshwater ponds, rhododendron forests and supports a habitat capable of providing for a variety of game wildlife, including cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hare, white-tailed deer, fox, coyote, ruffed grouse, wild turkey and woodcock. n

NEW BEDFORD – The city on Oct. 23 unveiled a plan to build a business park on 100 acres of the 275-acre Whaling City Golf Course, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported.

“Roughly 15% of our workforce is in manufacturing and we think there is room to grow there because we have a very skilled workforce,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Mitchell said the location was desirable due to its elevation and proximity to highways and airports.

Rep. Antonio F. D. Cabral, D-New Bedford, said the business park would repurpose golf course land into industrial and commercial space that will provide needed economic growth for the city.

According to city findings, the business park, which could be completed in two to three years, would create an estimated 1 million square feet of new office space, generate $2.7 million in annual property tax revenue and create more than 1,000 new jobs, WPRI-TV reported.

The plans require approval from the state legislature. n

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FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING EDITOR’S CHOICE

Manageable marketing

MARKETING MENTOR: Marketing professional Cheri Bales will unveil her fivestep marketing strategy during a SCORE Rhode Island webinar on Dec. 8.

SCORE RHODE ISLAND is hosting a webinar to explain marketing strategies designed to aid businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Certified SCORE mentor and Marketing Chair Cheri Bales, president of Hannah/Gold Communications, will outline her five-step strategy, including defining a marketing goal, determining a target audience, creating a planned approach, crafting a message and evaluating results.

TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 1-2 P.M. Free Online webinar.

COURTESY CHERI BALES

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/zwrj01

Legalities for entrepreneurs SCORE RHODE ISLAND is hosting a webinar to explain the administrative and legal considerations that are important to starting a business. Participants will be provided with a general overview of starting a business, focusing on all aspects, including the legal requirements and creating an administrative infrastructure.

SATURDAY, OCT. 31, 9 A.M. TO NOON. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/18bjxw

Planning for your business THE SOUTH EASTERN Economic Development Corp. and Bluestone Bank, in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center and SCORE, will host a webinar in which participants will learn the fundamentals of planning, preparing for and financing a small business. Attendees will be provided with a free business plan guide and will be introduced to free and confidential business assistance resources.

THURSDAY, NOV. 5, 10-11 A.M. Free Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/v49rhh

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Online webinar.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: rb.gy/m9thl9 UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The 2020 Business Excellence Awards ceremony will be held virtually on Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.

To register, visit PBN.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

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

• access to live customer service representatives: Mon–Fri 7am–7pm, Sat 9am–1pm

Appointment only

SCORE RHODE ISLAND is hosting a webinar to review the things that are needed to ensure that your business is healthy and operating efficiently.

Participants will create a self-assessment to determine and compare pre- and post-COVID-19 revenues and profitability, cash status, customer and employee safety and engagement, and the impact of Paycheck Protection Program and other loans on their business. The discussion will involve taking stock and reassessing the state of your business.

THURSDAY, NOV. 5, 1-2 P.M. Free

9/3/20 12:16 PM

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

BUDGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

That’s because the state doesn’t have an approved budget yet, now four months into fiscal 2021. To make matters worse, Grebien said, the state has withheld a payment to Pawtucket in lieu of taxes for the largely vacant Memorial Hospital property.

“We are definitely concerned about the impact of the state budget,” Grebien said recently. “We get told, ‘Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.’

But we can’t budget like that.”

In a typical year, the governor unveils a tax-andspending proposal in January that reflects the policies, projects and initiatives the administration endorses for the coming fiscal year. In the months that follow, legislative leaders closely examine that proposal, often tinkering with line items and spitting out their own budget plan for approval before the new fiscal year starts on July 1.

But the effects of COVID-19 and lingering questions about federal aid for the coronavirus crisis have placed that process in disarray and have left the state without a budget for months.

Now communities, social-service advocates, nonprofits and other groups counting on state appropriations are feeling the effects.

Pawtucket’s predicament is being played out in other cities and towns grappling with pandemic-related losses, according to North Providence Mayor Charles A. Lombardi, who is also president of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns.

Without a new spending plan, the state is only paying a portion of the expected aid to municipalities, just when those communities need it the most, Lombardi said. “The wells are running dry,” he said.

WAITING GAME So where is the state budget?

The budget process started on schedule in the spring but was knocked off track by the COVID-19 pandemic. The House and Senate finance committees have met frequently to discuss aspects of the state budget and proposals introduced by Raimondo. But no final votes have been taken.

Deliberations are now expected to resume in November, according to state leaders, but at the same time, Raimondo has held back on releasing a revised budget proposal as the administration waits to see if the federal government will release more stimulus money to the states.

As of late October, that prospect looked dim. Although the Trump administration has negotiated with U.S. House leaders on a new aid package, U.S. Senate Republicans have so far not agreed.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island is one of just four states in the country that haven’t approved a full-year budget for fiscal 2021, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. Under state law, Rhode Island is operating under the parameters of the previous year’s budget.

Rhode Island received a total of $1.25 billion in federal stimulus through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in the spring, but state officials have limited flexibility on how to spend it. The relief money is intended to cover expenses related to the pandemic, not backfill state revenue lost to pandemic-related shutdowns or business slowdowns.

But Raimondo has held on to large portions of the federal funds, hoping to gain more flexibility

CHANGING WORKPLACE: Joe Morais, project leader at the Pawtucket Department of Public Works, is one of hundreds of city workers who will be filing for unemployment one day a week because Pawtucket is shutting down services on Fridays to save money.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

and avoid cuts to personnel and services.

Her original $9.9 billion budget plan, presented in January, is in the process of multiple revisions, she said. She told reporters recently that she is preparing plans that would reflect more federal help and flexibility on using the CARES Act money, as well as plans that would cover the worst scenario: no more help or flexibility.

“Rhode Island needs a stimulus,” she said Oct. 7 at a pandemic briefing. “If we don’t get a stimulus, it’s going to be awful. Layoffs like we’ve never seen before in public service. Cuts to health care. Cuts to education. Horrible choices that no one, including myself, wants to make.”

CRATER AHEAD? The deliberations on a new budget are expected to follow the semiannual revenue and social-service caseload estimating conference that ends in early November. The budget talks will also follow a general election in which both R.I. House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello and R.I. Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio are running for reelection.

The legislative leaders, as well as budget, revenue and workforce-development officials in the Raimondo administration declined requests to be interviewed by Providence Business News.

How much of a deficit is the state facing? The shortfall could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The good news for state officials is that the forecast doesn’t appear to be as dire as it seemed in May, when analysts last sat down to try to estimate future state revenue and expenses for social, human and health services.

At that time, the local economy was only beginning to reopen after a lengthy COVID-19 shutdown, and revenue from taxes and fees had tumbled, making forecasts difficult.

State officials predicted a nearly $800 million

‘Balancing the budget in a weak economy is inherently destabilizing.’

LEONARD LARDARO, University of Rhode Island economist

deficit between fiscal 2020 and 2021, driven largely by drops in state lottery revenue, as well as income and sales taxes. That crater included a $280.9 million shortfall in fiscal 2020.

But by June 30, a preliminary closing statement by the state auditor revealed general revenue was 3.6% higher than expected in May, by $141.8 million. Expenses were $46.1 million less, mostly because state departments were told to cut spending.

The most recent update of state revenue – covering the first three months of the current fiscal year – show an economy that is regaining its footing.

But it’s still well below projections made last November, before the pandemic.

For July through September, the state general revenue was $104.5 million ahead of the May expectations, up by 12.1%, according to a statement from the state’s revenue director, Mark Furcolo. Sales and use taxes were up by $45.6 million over the May expectations.

Personal income taxes, meanwhile, were up by $42.5 million through August, compared with the May estimates.

What that portends for the November budget deliberations is unclear.

Other crucial numbers haven’t been upbeat.

One of the state’s biggest revenue sources – the gambling revenue from slot machines and table games in the state’s two casinos – is down by about one-third to a half of this fiscal year in part because the casino hasn’t yet returned to full capacity after being closed for nearly three months in the spring.

Social-distance requirements have meant that fewer than half of the 4,100 video slot machines at Twin River Casino Hotel in Lincoln are operating during the week, a casino spokeswoman said. More are available on weekends. And it’s the same at the Tiverton Casino Hotel, where about half of the 1,000 slot machines are open.

As a result, slot-machine profits at both casinos have plummeted. In the most recent R.I. Lottery report, net video lottery income declined from $121 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 to $80 million in the same period this year. Table games saw a net revenue decline of 47%, to $15.4 million.

Adding to the difficulties, the two-week quarantine imposed on Massachusetts residents who visit the Rhode Island casinos and then return to the CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 11

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Bay State, has hurt attendance, said Marc Crisafulli, executive vice president, strategic development and government affairs for Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc., and president of Twin River Casino Hotel and Tiverton Casino Hotel, which are owned

by TRWH. He estimated the loss in attendance at 50% or more.

Crisafulli said he doesn’t have enough traffic to reopen the hotels and many of the restaurants.

“If you look at the past few months, [casino revenue is down] 40%-50%,” Crisafulli said. “If things continue to open up and things improve, you’ll do better, but you’re already a quarter into the year.”

‘GOING TO BE PAIN’ Absent additional federal aid, or a tax increase, economists and political observers say the state will have to make cuts in services and programs, if not personnel.

Up to this point, Raimondo has not laid off or furloughed state employees, explaining when asked by reporters that job cuts could add to the unemployment problem. She has not said whether she will consider a tax increase.

Without additional flexibility, the $1.25 billion initially received by the state from the federal government is tied to the coronavirus response and must be committed by Dec. 31. But the funds can be used now to cover some state salaries that otherwise would come from the general fund, including at the R.I. State Police and the R.I. Department of Health, for state employees who are working on pandemic-related matters, according to budget officials.

Contact tracers, for example, are state employees who were redeployed this spring for that purpose.

University of Rhode Island economist Leonard Lardaro said income taxes and other state revenue will undoubtably slide in an economic downturn, even as the need for government assistance rises.

Add to that the state’s over-reliance on some of the industries hard hit in the pandemic, such as hospitality, and leaders are left with a lot of bad options.

“Balancing the budget in a weak economy is inherently destabilizing,” he said. “Cut government spending or raise taxes – or both.”

Gary Sasse, founding director of the Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership at Bryant University, said the fiscal 2021 budget should have been approved already. The delay gives state leaders

‘The wells are running dry.’

CHARLES A. LOMBARDI, North Providence mayor and Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns president less time to react if they do not get any more help.

Given the K-shaped economic recovery – in which the wealthiest have recovered quickly and the lowest-paid continue to suffer – Rhode Island should make cuts that are socially equitable, said Sasse, who was director of the R.I. Department of Administration under former Gov. Donald L. ­Carcieri.

Education and health care services make up about two-thirds of the state’s spending. State officials should preserve spending in education and social services, then reduce every other department by 15%, he said.

If there’s still a gap, the state should increase income taxes paid by the wealthiest 1% to bring in more revenue, he said.

“There is going to be pain,” Sasse said. “You can’t ignore equity in making these cuts.”

DISCOURAGED Already, advocates for social services, health care and housing are worried their programs will be targeted for cuts.

Because the General Assembly ended its session abruptly, the governor’s requested $269 million in bond initiatives were not placed on the Nov. 3 election ballot.

A special election will now be required, or these issues – including environmental improvements and housing investments – will have to wait until 2022.

Affordable-housing advocates say the year has been a loss.

Before the pandemic, Raimondo made affordable housing a top priority in her budget plan, seeking a $50 million bond for housing creation and, for the first time, a dedicated funding stream

FINISHING TOUCHES: Ron Tremper, center, leads volunteers in laying down sod at a Habitat for Humanity build in South Kingstown. The South County Habitat for Humanity and other housing advocates are concerned that Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s proposals to finance the creation of additional affordable housing will vanish because of the coronavirus crisis.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

12 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

TAKING NO CHANCES: A sign on a table game at Twin River Casino Hotel warns patrons they must follow public health guidelines. The casino closed for three months early in the pandemic and has yet to return to full capacity.

PBN PHOTO/PAMELA BHATIA

to expand housing across the state. The governor proposed a 0.92% fee on luxury real estate and commercial sales above $500,000.

Although real estate groups were opposed, housing advocates were encouraged.

Brenda Clement, the director of HousingWorks RI at Roger Williams University, said the pandemic has only exacerbated the need for affordable housing for Rhode Islanders with modest incomes.

She and others are still pushing for the fee to be included in the final 2021 budget.

“My argument is that even in COVID, the luxury-home market is strong and going well,” Clement said. “And the amount of money we’re talking about, that would be added on to those properties, is so miniscule. It doesn’t slow or prevent that market from happening.”

Colin Penney, executive director of South County Habitat for Humanity, said the nonprofit has received funds from the housing bonds in the past, providing about 40% of the cost of home construction. This month, the organization finished its latest home, in South Kingstown.

The loss of that option in the year ahead means the organization will probably only be able to build two more homes in the next 18 months, instead of six, he said. It’s a critical need, particularly in Washington County. Community donations can’t cover the difference, he said.

“We’re fortunate to have a lot of great community organizations, individuals and corporations who support Habitat,” Penney said. “But everyone is hurting right now.”

In Pawtucket, the city is trying to dull the pain.

More than 200 city workers represented by unions agreed to take part in the state’s WorkShare program, even though it will mean a cut in pay. Only public-safety employees are exempt.

Joe Morais, a project manager in the city’s Department of Public Works, has been here before.

He was laid off from his city job during the Great Recession. This time, the pain has been minor, just one day a week on unemployment.

“The city has to do what it has to do to manage a budget,” he said.

Lombardi argues that state leaders should release the aid to cities and towns as it was approved under the fiscal 2020 budget, not hold some back.

Not all cities and towns are in Pawtucket’s situation, operating four days a week, but Lombardi said it may come to that. “I see it heading in that direction if we continue to operate the way we are,” he said. n

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Pandemic’s sting fails to stop beekeepers

BY MARTHA IRVINE AND CARRIE ANTLFINGER | The Associated Press

IOLA, Wis. – They wrote it right into their business plan – an expectation that, each year, at least half the stock on which their livelihood depends would die.

Building a business around bees is not for the faint-hearted. “You have to be a little crazy,” said James Cook, who, with wife Samantha Jones, started beekeeping eight years ago. They knew well the challenges their bees face – parasites and the impact of pesticides among them.

Even so, they were hopeful. 2020 was to be their year to go off on their own, after working several years for another beekeeper. They and their bees spent the past winter in California’s massive almond orchards, full of white blossoms that turn into nuts, thanks to the many beekeepers who travel extensively with their hives to pollinate many of the nation’s crops.

Then the coronavirus hit and, for a moment, Cook and Jones panicked.

“Do we stay? Do we go?” they asked each other.

By that time, they had packed up their tent and trucked their hives from California’s San Joaquin Valley to another temporary home in the state’s foothills, where the bees could “detox” from the agricultural work.

There, they raised “nucs” – hive starter-kits, of sorts, with new queens – which they sell to other beekeepers to replace bees that inevitably die over the course of a season. This work and the almond pollination each represent about a third of their business.

But they didn’t want to get stuck in California’s pandemic shutdown. The other third of their business was in their permanent base of Wisconsin, where they own a farmhouse and spend the summer honey season.

Deemed essential agricultural workers in a line of work that’s generally quite solitary, they decided to wait it out. Then they and the bees trekked back to Iola, Wis. There, marshaling their

SWEET GIG: Beekeepers James Cook and Samantha Jones stand in front of some of their hives at one of their bee yards near Iola, Wis. The couple has worked with honeybees for several years but started their own business this year.

AP PHOTO/CARRIE ANTLFINGER

750 bee colonies, they would set out to create their brand, Bird and the Bees Honey.

The bird in the title is Kat, their free-ranging parrot who often rides in the cab of their truck and who also happens to like honey.

This summer, Cook and Jones and their small crew worked day and night to build an extraction and bottling facility out of old truck trailers.

They were exhausted and in debt, having taken on loans to get the business up and running – but also excited.

Jones, 38, noted how much of the honey available in grocery stores is blended and cooked. “It would lose all those fine, delicate flavors that honey has,” she said. “And I thought that people

deserved good honey.”

Unlike other agricultural crops, honey also can be stored indefinitely. That’s fortunate since the pandemic has left them fewer outlets for sales; farmers’ markets have been limited and restaurants and breweries have cut back, as well.

Cook, 35, said the experience of starting a business in these challenging times will make them more resilient.

“I think beekeeping sort of taught me [that] inside of this space of sheer chaos and uncertainty and fear and danger, in a lot of ways, you kind of need to look for the optimism and the beauty that you can find,” he said. “Because otherwise, it’s really hard to wake up in the morning.” n

PBN.COM | ANOTHER LOOK R.I. issues $3.1M in Take It Outside grants

BY PBN STAFF

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on Oct. 23) PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and R.I. Commerce Corp. have announced the distribution of $3.1 million in Take It Outside grants.

The grants, which were distributed to intermediary organizations such as municipalities and chambers of commerce, are designed to help cover the cost of producing wintertime events amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to procure items such as heat lamps, tents and tables.

This marks the second round of grants from the program. Grants ranged from $4,200 to $150,000.

There were 68 awarded intermediary organizations in the second round of grants, in addition to the 41 intermediary organizations awarded a combined $3 million in the first round of Take It Outside grants.

The request for proposals for the second round of grants received 124 applications requesting a total of $6.4 million in grant funding.

“This second round of grants represents an investment in the Rhode Island organizations who have thought outside the box to prevent the spread

HELPING HAND: Grants ranging from $4,200 to $150,000 were awarded to 68 organizations as part of the state’s Take It Outside program on Oct. 23.

COURTESY R.I. COMMERCE CORP.

of COVID-19. This new funding will help our businesses, communities and nonprofits in finding even more ways to Take It Outside,” Raimondo said in a statement. “We are grateful to every business owner working to keep their customers and staff safe and healthy, and we’re going to continue to support them at every step of the way.”

The largest grants from this round were: n Providence Revolving Fund – $150,000 to make funds available to restaurants, bakeries and markets to support outdoor dining and expand seating capacity into December. The funds will be used to purchase heaters, plexiglass, tents, tables, chairs and umbrellas. n Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce – $150,000 to procure equipment that would allow businesses to conduct their operations outdoors, with a focus on office-based businesses. n The Avenue Concept – $150,000 to light outdoor spaces and create environments for businesses to conduct their operations outdoors. n Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation – $150,000 to purchase attire that enables servers across the state to operate outdoors. They will also serve as a statewide reimbursement entity for hospitality businesses who are seeking to purchase outdoor equipment. n Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School and Festival Ballet Providence – $150,000 to support the purchase of an outdoor hydraulic lift stage to allow both organizations to produce outdoor performances across the state. n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 13

FOCUS | WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

or not and how effective they really were,” said Kitsilis. “And when we asked guests to wear their masks, they started to argue and even swear at my employees.

“I just can’t have that.”

Kitsilis is just one restaurant owner in a state of many who have gone through this same issue – people not wanting to adhere to public health guidelines that have been made mandatory by the state. If restaurants don’t insist their customers – and employees – comply, they could be at risk of being fined or being shut down by state inspectors.

“We’re taking a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to bars that, by blatantly flaunting Rhode Island’s COVID-19 requirements, are hurting the entire industry, are jeopardizing the safety of customers and communities,” said R.I. Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole-Alexander Scott earlier this month.

The Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation, an industry organization that provides classes for the workforce to maintain standards of professionalism and certification, saw the need early on to help restaurant owners and their employees navigate difficult situations like these.

The foundation created a new series of classes called “Boost Your Service.”

“Customer service is customer service,” said Heather Singleton, chief operating officer of the foundation and the Rhode Island Hospitality Association. “But what we are dealing with right now during the pandemic is that managers, employees and customers all have rising stress levels. The anxiety has risen.”

And de-escalating consumer issues, worries and complaints is one of their latest ventures to tackle during these new training classes.

“It’s almost like we have to figure out a better way to have emotional intelligence with customers while also understanding the new COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions,” said Singleton.

For months, restaurant restrictions were changing weekly – from being limited to curbside pickup, to being able to dine outside. Now indoor dining is allowed at reduced capacity and some bar seats are allowed to be occupied, as long as there are separators between the customers and the bartender.

While some rules are mandatory statewide – such as employees keeping their masks on throughout their shift – some of the rules vary by establishment. One of Kitsilis’ biggest issues is customers not keeping their face masks on while they place an order with a server, a guideline not

MULTITASKING: Jordyn Cruise, manager of Angelo’s Palace Pizza, takes an order over the phone while she runs the restaurant’s takeout window in Cumberland. The restaurant enrolled six managers and key servers in a program to help restaurant owners and their employees navigate difficult situations during the pandemic.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

enforced at some restaurants. Kitsilis tells his servers to back up another 6 feet and encourage customers to keep their masks on while ordering.

“Usually what we hear the most is that employees are interpreting guidelines one way and the consumers are interpreting restrictions another way,” said Singleton.

Kitsilis enrolled six managers and key servers for the “Boost Your Service” course to hit the “reset button” on customer service during pandemic regulations. Not only has it helped his staff navigate potential confrontations with customers but the course has let his staff know that he’s willing to invest in them.

Rummy Pandit, dean of the College of Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University, said training for employees to defuse confrontations is becoming more common across the industry, including in the classrooms at JWU. “It’s not that the customer is always right; it’s that the customer is always key,” said Pandit.

‘Managers, employees and customers all have rising stress levels.’

HEATHER SINGLETON, Rhode Island Hospitality Association and Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation chief operating officer 14 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

“Give the best service, but enforce today’s rules.”

The foundation is also branching out to meet the needs of more workers in the industry.

For a large segment of the state’s hospitality workforce, including business owners, English is a second language, making the de-escalation of confrontation more difficult. To combat this, the foundation has hired a bilingual trainer so that courses are available in Spanish.

“Dealing with food safety is not an easy course as it is,” said Singleton. “And now we’re adding virus information and ways to protect public health. One of the things that prevents [Spanishspeaking employees] from moving up the ladder is their lack of English skills. Now we can give them that same level of certification and education.”

Beyond customer service, Singleton said, the foundation offers courses that could give a leg up to those looking to advance in the hospitality sector. Those courses include food safety, pathways to management, and technical programs for teenagers in Rhode Island’s high schools with culinary classes.

“If I’m an employer and am looking at two students’ applications who both don’t have work experience but one has gone through these classes, I’m always going to choose that student with training,” Singleton said.

At Angelo’s, Kitsilis said the confrontations with customers declined, especially since many of the same rules for restaurants have remained unchanged for months.

“There are flare-ups of when people don’t want to comply, of course,” he said. “But it’s just about having your staff be diligent enough and having the guts to tell customers that they need to follow the rules.” n

| PROVIDENCE-BASED PRIVATE EMPLOYERS FOCUS FOCUS | PROVIDENCE-BASED PRIVATE EMPLOYERS (ranked by number of local full-time equivalents) (ranked by number of local full-time equivalents) Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

No. of local FTEs

Type of business

Parent company

Year founded

1

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

167 Point St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 444-3500

13,001

Health care system

NA

1994

2019: 2

2

Care New England Health System | carenewengland.org Dr. James Fanale

45 Willard Ave. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 453-7900

7,549

Health care system

NA

1996

3 2019: 3

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

4,976

Financial services

Citizens Finanical Group Inc.

1828

Brown University | brown.edu Christina H. Paxson, president

1 Prospect St. Providence, R.I. 02912 (401) 863-1000

4,310

Higher education

NA

1764

International Game Technology PLC | igt.com Marco Sala, CEO; Renato Ascoli, CEO, North America; Robert Vincent, chairman, IGT Global Solutions Corp.

10 Memorial Blvd.

Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 392-1000

1,051

Gaming and lottery services

NA

1981

2019: 8

Providence College | business.providence.edu Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, president 1

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

978

Higher education

NA

1917

7 2019: 14

National Grid | nationalgridus.com Terence Sobolewski, president, National Grid Rhode Island

280 Melrose St. Providence, R.I. 02907 (800) 322-3223

950

Delivery of electricity and natural gas

National Grid PLC

1883

8

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

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

852

Public higher education

NA

1854

9

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority | ripta.com Charles Udimgbe, CEO

705 Elmwood Ave. Providence, R.I. 02907 (401) 781-9400

799

Public transportation

NA

1964

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | bcbsri.com Kim A. Keck

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

763

Health insurer

NA

1939

2019: NL

11

eMoney Advisor LLC | emoneyadvisor.com Ed O'Brien, CEO

100 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (888) 362-8482

700

Financial services

NA

2000

12

Coastal Medical Inc. | coastalmedical.com Dr. G. Alan Kurose

10 Davol Square Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 421-4000

625

Primary health care practice

NA

1995

2019: 21

13

Gilbane Inc. | gilbaneco.com Thomas F. Gilbane, chairman and CEO

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

457

Construction, real estate development

NA

1870

14 2019: NL

Gentle Giant Moving Co. | gentlegiant.com Tom O'Gorman, CEO; Larry O'Toole, founder and president

125 Amaral St. East Providence, R.I. 02915 (401) 453-4400

400

Moving company

NA

1980

15 2019: 20

Children's Friend | cfsri.org David Caprio

153 Summer St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 276-4300

362

Nonprofit specializing in child and family care, and substance-abuse prevention

NA

1834

2019: 24

Family Service of Rhode Island | familyserviceri.org Margaret Holland McDuff, CEO

134 Thurbers Ave. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 331-1350

261

Children's and youth services

NA

1892

17 2019: 23

Dimeo Construction Co. | dimeo.com Bradford S. Dimeo

75 Chapman St. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 781-9800

257

Construction management, design and build, general contracting

NA

1930

NA

1975

NA

1999

2020 rank

2019: 1

4

2019: 4

5

2019: 12

6

2019: 13

2019: NL

CLOSER LOOK

Total employees listed:

39,118

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

UPCOMING LISTS Chief Financial Officers (Nov. 6); Top Private Companies (Nov. 13) WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4884 or write to Shuman@PBN.com.

NL = Not listed last year.

10

2019: 15

2019: 17

16

18

Cybersecurity, cloud accounting, international tax, recruiting, tax and accounting, technology consulting, transaction advisory Bequest management, ERISA and long-term disability insurance litigation, veterans law

Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co. Ltd. | kahnlitwin.com Alan H. Litwin, managing director

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

250

2019: NL

Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick Ltd. | cck-law.com J. Scott Kilpatrick; Robert V. Chisholm, founder and managing partners

321 South Main St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 331-6300

221

20

La Salle Academy | lasalle-academy.org Dennis Malloy, president

612 Academy Ave. Providence, R.I. 02908 (401) 351-7750

155

Private education

De Laslle Christian Brothers

1871

Webster Bank N.A. | websteronline.com John R. Ciulla, chairman, CEO and president; Douglas E. Scala, regional president, southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island

50 Kennedy Plaza Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 228-2000

86

Banking and finance

NA

1935

Pranzi Catering | pranzi.com Lisa Marie Mattiello, co-owner and president; Nick Mattiello, co-owner and general manager

10 Rosario Drive Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 383-3631

70

Catering, party décor, event planning, party rentals

NA

1997

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

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

45

Executive search firm and leadership consultancy

NA

2015

2019: NL

19

2019: NL

21

2019: NL

22 2019: NL 23

2019: NL

1 Rev. Brian J. Shanley stepped down as president on June 30, 2020. Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard assumed the role July 1, 2020.

FOOTNOTE j Rev. Brian J. Shanley stepped down as president on June 30, 2020. Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard assumed the role July 1, 2020.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 15

FOCUS | WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Crisis not hindering R.I. internship initiative

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

RIDA JAWED’S SUMMER JOB was not the standard summer-before-college gig.

Rather than slinging burgers or lifeguarding at a community pool, the 19-year-old Lincoln High School graduate served as a company CEO. She never reported to an office, instead working over Zoom with a group of fellow students tasked by the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce with creating a business plan to raise awareness about jobs in the offshore-wind industry.

Jawed was among the record 480 high school students around the state who participated in the PrepareRI Summer Internship program. Now in its third year, the paid, six-week summer internship matches high school students with employer partners to foster career exploration and give them the skills they need to succeed.

Scaling up participation among students and employers was always part of the plan as the program matured, said Nina Pande, executive director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, which runs the internship component of the larger PrepareRI program, a joint initiative of several state agencies.

But when the pandemic hit, taking what had previously been in-person internships off the table, she worried students and employers would back out.

Instead, student participation exceeded expectations thanks to additional funding and the flexibility that a remote internship allowed. Rather than reporting to an office each day, the nearly 500 students were split into small teams, each with their own appointed set of students as C-suite executives and tasked with solving problems set forth by participating companies.

Jawed, who also participated in the paid internship program working at a Smithfield day care the year prior, had contemplated finding a “normal” summer job this year instead. But she found that seasonal, minimum-wage gigs were hard to come by.

And the opportunity to explore her interest in entrepreneurship while getting paid was too good to pass up. The economic and employment consequences of COVID-19 made her all the more motivated.

Indeed, young adults ages 18 to 24 continue to face higher levels of unemployment, nationally and in Rhode Island. When the pandemic hit, unemployment among Rhode Island young adults more than quadrupled from 7% to a peak 34% in April and May, according to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training.

The entire PrepareRI career-readiness program costs about $2.7 million, funded by state and federal appropriations and private grants. About $1.7 million is dedicated to the internship program.

Pande said the PrepareRI internship program brings benefits not just for students but for the 107 employer partners who can have a role in shaping

IT’S PAID OFF: Rida Jawed, left, a 2020 Lincoln High School graduate, participated in PrepareRI’s Summer Internship program for two summers. The first year, she served as a paid social media intern for Dr. Day Care in Smithfield with fellow student intern Kenzi Gilmore, right.

COURTESY REBECCA COMPTON

the education and training for their future workers.

“Our pitch to employers is that it is very much a way to get to know the younger generation of talent and start building those pipelines now,” Pande said.

Well before COVID-19 was a part of common vernacular, PrepareRI recognized the barriers and skills gaps that were keeping students from succeeding in school and in the workforce. Founded in 2016 as a partnership between state government, the public education system, universities, private employers and nonprofits, the program laid out an ambitious five-year plan aimed at giving students the vocational and career training, educational supports and professional experience needed to fill workforce needs.

Whether the program is on track to meet its 2020 goals – which range from creating career and technical education programs at all state high schools to ensuring that half of high school seniors graduate with college credits or industry credentials – is unclear. The R.I. Department of Education is still running the numbers on most of those metrics, according to Steve Osborn, RIDE’s chief for innovation.

Anecdotally, however, Osborn said the pandemic has not hampered efforts to meet the 2020 bench-

‘It is very much a way to get to know the younger generation of talent.’

NINA PANDE, Skills for Rhode Island’s Future executive director 16 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

marks. At least one metric – creating individualized learning programs for all students beginning in middle school – has already been achieved, and all but two of the state high schools have career and technical education programs, he said.

While distance learning and continued socialdistancing practices have forced changes to some aspects of the program – the internship going virtual, and hands-on elements of vocational training programs not always feasible – the continued success and participation by students, schools and employers has been a “bright spot” in the pandemic, Osborn said.

If anything, uncertainty around plans for attending college may have increased interest among high school upperclassmen in taking a gap year and pursuing vocational careers, he added.

Take North Providence High School, which has roughly 260 students participating in career and technical education programs this year, including its P-Tech program that allows participants to graduate with an associate degree in health science, according to Melissa Caffrey, the high school P-Tech director.

“The pandemic has not scared them off,” she said of student participants in the program. “If anything, it has motivated them to want to pursue these careers in health fields even more so.”

While Jawed, now a freshman at Northeastern University, didn’t go the vocational route, the skills she learned through the program – team communication, familiarity with software such as Microsoft Teams – are proving useful in her college studies, too. n

FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND EMPLOYERS (ranked by number of FTE employees 2020) FOCUS | RHODE ISLANDin EMPLOYERS (ranked by number of FTE employees in 2020) Employer | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

Employees, 2020 Employees, 2019

Amgen Inc. | amgen.com Brian Britson, Rhode Island site vice president of operations

40 Technology Way West Greenwich, R.I. 02817 (401) 392-1200

2019: 1

2

Rhode Island | ri.gov Gina M. Raimondo, governor

2019: 2

3

4 2019: 3

CLOSER LOOK Type of business/entity

Year founded

20,000 1,000

Biotechnology manufacturer

1980

1 Capitol Hill Providence, R.I. 02908 (401) 222-2280

13,695 13,720

State government and public colleges

1636

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

167 Point St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 444-3500

13,001 13,177

Health care system

1994

CVS Health Corp. | cvshealth.com Larry J. Merlo

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

8,600 NA

Retail pharmacy and pharmacy benefit chain

1962

Care New England Health System | carenewengland.org Dr. James E. Fanale

45 Willard Ave. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 453-7900

7,549 6,295

Health care system

1996

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

4,976 5,100

Financial institution

1828

2019: 7

City of Providence | providenceri.gov Jorge O. Elorza, mayor

25 Dorrance St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 680-5000

4,758 4,243

Municipal government services, public safety and public schools

1636

8 2019: 6

General Dynamics Electric Boat | gdeb.com Kevin Graney, president

165 Dillabur Ave. North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 268-2300

4,595 4,595

Submarine construction, design and life cycle maintenance

1899

2019: 8

Brown University | brown.edu Christina H. Paxson, president

1 Prospect St. Providence, R.I. 02912 (401) 863-1000

4,310 4,147

Higher education

1764

10 2019: 9

Naval Undersea Warfare Center | navsea.navy.mil/nuwc/newport Capt. Chad Hennings, commanding officer

1176 Howell St. Newport, R.I. 02841 (401) 832-7742

3,481 3,373

U.S. Navy development, engineering and fleet support for submarines, and undersea weapon systems

1869

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

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

3,100 3,200

Financial services

1946

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

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

2,673 2,592

Higher education

1892

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

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

2,333 1,395

Retail

2004

Twin River Casino Hotel/Tiverton Casino Hotel | twinriver.com Soohyung Kim, chairman, Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc.; George Papanier, CEO and president, Twin River Management Group; Marc Crisafulli, executive vice president, strategic development and government affairs, and president of Twin River Casino Hotel and Tiverton Casino Hotel

100 Twin River Road and 777 Tiverton Casino Blvd.

Lincoln and Tiverton, R.I. 02865 and 02878 (401) 723-3200 and (401) 816-6000

1,930 1,930

Gaming and entertainment complex

1947

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging 1 | nelipak.com Roger Prevot, chairman and CEO; Pat Chambliss, chief operating officer

21 Amflex Drive Cranston, R.I. 02921 (401) 946-2699

1,400 NA

Medical trays and pharmaceutical packaging

1953

16

FM Global | fmglobal.com Thomas A. Lawson, chairman and CEO

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

1,281 1,204

Commercial property insurer of multinational organizations

1835

17

Blount Fine Foods Corp. | blountfinefoods.com Todd Blount, president

630 Currant Road Fall River, Mass. 02720 (774) 888-1300

1,081 754

Manufacturing

1946

Providence College | business.providence.edu Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, president 2

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

978 949

Higher education

1917

2019: NL

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

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

852 859

Higher education

1854

20

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | bcbsri.com Kim A. Keck

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

763 761

Health insurer

1939

2019: NL

21

Bryant University | bryant.edu Ross Gittell, president

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

743 727

Higher education

1863

2019: NL

22

Toray Plastics (America) Inc. | toraytpa.com Michael Brandmeier

50 Belver Ave. North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 294-4511

705 724

Manufacturer of polyester and polypropylene films

1985

23

eMoney Advisor LLC | emoneyadvisor.com Ed O'Brien, CEO

100 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (888) 362-8482

700 NA

Financial planning software

2000

2019: NL

24

Saint Elizabeth Community | stelizabethcommunity.org Matthew Trimble

2364 Post Road, Suite 100 Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 773-7400

650 650

Home health services, adult day health centers, apartments for seniors and mobility-impaired adults, assisted living, rehab and nursing care

1882

25 2019: NL

Tiffany & Co. 3 | tiffany.com Alessandro Bogliolo, CEO

300 Maple Ridge Drive Cumberland, R.I. 02864 (401) 288-0100

540 548

Luxury jewelry and silverware manufacturer and retailer

1837

25 2019: NL

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

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

540 548

Not-for-profit health maintenance organization offering Medicaid, MedicareMedicaid and commercial plans

1993

2020 rank

1 2019: NL

5

2019: 4

6

2019: 5

7

9

11

2019: 10

12

2019: 13

13

2019: 22

14

2019: 16

15 2019: NL 2019: 24

2019: NL

18

2019: 21

19

2019: NL

2019: NL

1 Nelipak Healthcare Packaging was acquired by Kohlberg & Co. LLC of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., on July 3, 2019. The company merged with Bemis Healthcare Packaging Europe on www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER Aug. 8, 2019, and the combined company will operate under the Nelipak Healthcare Packaging brand.

2 Rev. Brian J. Shanley stepped down as president on June 30, 2020. Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard assumed the role July 1, 2020.

3 Tiffany & Co. was acquired by Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Societe Europeenne, also known as LVMH, on Nov. 25, 2019.

Just missed the list:

1

Gilbane Inc. No. of employees: 457

2

Navigant Credit Union No. of employees: 340

3

BankNewport No. of employees: 332

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

UPCOMING LISTS Chief Financial Officers (Nov. 6); Top Private Companies (Nov. 13) WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4884 or write to Shuman@PBN.com.

NL = Not listed last year.

FOOTNOTES j Nelipak Healthcare Packaging was acquired by Kohlberg & Co. LLC of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., on July 3, 2019. The company merged with Bemis Healthcare Packaging Europe on Aug. 8, 2019, and the combined company will operate under the Nelipak Healthcare Packaging brand.  Rev. Brian J. Shanley stepped down as president on June 30, 2020. Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard assumed the role July 1, 2020.  Tiffany & Co. was acquired

by Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Societe Europeenne, also known as LVMH, on Nov. 25, 2019.

30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 17

IT’S PERSONAL Gomez awarded for defense work JASON GOMEZ, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s chief technology officer, is the recipient of the 2020 National Defense Industrial Association Bronze Medal. The annual award recognizes outstanding individual achievements in science or engineering in the field of undersea warfare. Gomez began his 28-year career at Division Newport in 1992 as a mechanical engineer. He managed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Underwater Express program and helped develop the world’s fastest electric underwater vehicle and the first controlled super-cavitating vehicle in the U.S. This success led to the Blue Wolf program, where his work enabled significant improvements in long-range torpedo and other unmanned underwater vehicle capabilities.

What was your reaction to being selected as the 2020 National Defense Industrial Association Bronze Medal recipient?

Ron Vien, our technical director, announced the award at the end of our weekly leadership board meeting, and it was a great surprise. In going to NDIA through the years, I would see the award winners as leaders in our community. Being recognized as one of them now is an honor and truly humbling. All of the efforts I’ve been able to accomplish here at NUWC were only possible through teamwork. I have been extremely lucky to work with great people and hope I have been able to affect them as positively as they have affected me.

What inspired you to work in your field of technology?

I went to Bishop Stang High School, and one year we had a retired [U.S.] Navy pilot, Mr. Robert Prehn, as our physics teacher. We would talk about the old Volkswagen bus I drove and how my father and I had to continually fix it. Mr. Prehn asked me to bring in a bunch of old VW engine parts and explain to the class how an internal combustion engine works. This experience showed me the deeper level of understanding needed to really explain things to others in a way that makes sense and

FOCUS

LAW 2020/2021 400 Westminster Street, Suite 600 Providence, RI 02903 PBN.com

set me on a path towards engineering and physics.

How has the coronavirus impacted your life personally and professionally?

Through these strange and uncertain times, my family and I have been very fortunate. For me, professionally, the reduction in travel just after starting as the chief technology officer has delayed the growth of personal relationships and collaboration with our sponsors and other Warfare Center peers. However, the dedicated time has allowed me to concentrate on reconnecting the CTO office to the S&T [science and technology] community at NUWC and grow some initiatives to help foster innovation and technology transition.

What do you hope to have accomplished and leave as your legacy at NUWC? For my entire career, and specifically now as CTO, I strive to develop technology solutions to increase our warfighting capability and get them to the fleet. I hope my dedication and hard work to that end will set an example for those to come, and I leave a culture in place that values innovation and creativity. n

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

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18 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Getting creative IN THE BEGINNING, it was the button. Then came the zipper. And then came Velcro. The ubiquitous “touch fastener” was invented about 60 years ago by a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral, who based his idea on his observation of the way burrs stuck to the fur of his hunting dogs after a walk in the woods.

Many good ideas have been discovered because someone poked around in an outside industry or discipline and applied what they found to their own field.

Dan Bricklin took the “spreadsheet” concept from accounting and turned it into VisiCalc, the program that helped create the microcomputer software industry.

World War I military designers borrowed from the cubist art of Picasso and Braque to create more-effective camouflage patterns for tanks and guns.

Mathematician John von Neumann analyzed poker-table behavior and developed the “game theory” model of economics.

The “unbreakable” U.S. military code used in World War II was based on the Navajo language.

“I’ve known advertising people who got ideas from biology, software programmers who got inspiration

from songwriters, and investors who spotted new opportunities by going to junkyards,” said Roger von Oech in his book, “A Kick in the Seat of the Pants.”

In my experience, listening to customers is a tremendous source of inspiration. Hearing what their specific needs are often turns out not to be exclusive to that customer and can benefit other accounts that our company services.

Some problems require fresh, innovative thinking. One way to search for creative solutions is to SCAMPER toward a better result: Substitute. Replace an element that’s part of the problem. Use a different material, ingredient or person and see what happens.

Combine. Put elements together. Do you have two departments working on related problems? Plan some joint sessions so they can brainstorm a better solution.

Adapt. Look outside the problem for something you can use to address

it. Refer to the Velcro example: De Mestral wasn’t actively seeking a new fastener, but he recognized the potential use of such an accidental discovery. Be open to possibilities.

Minimize/maximize. Make something smaller or larger. Instead of targeting the mass market with a new product, for example, maybe you can find a small niche to sell it to. Conversely, maybe a specialized tool has wider potential. Internet marketing is the ideal tool for specialized products.

Put things to a different purpose.

Look for a different application. Are people in their most productive roles, or are they looking for other opportunities to shine? Encourage hidden talents to surface.

Eliminate. Look for elements you don’t need. Often, we include steps in a process out of habit, for example, whether they still serve the original purpose or not. Analyze as you go along to see where you could streamline or improve.

Rearrange. Put the elements in

Creativity goes hand in hand with being curious.

a different order or reverse them completely. It’s easier to spot what’s missing in a new arrangement.

I tend to agree with the wisdom of Carl Ally, founder of the Ally and Gargano ad agency, who said: “The creative person wants to be a know-itall. He wants to know about all kinds of things: ancient history, 19th-century mathematics, current manufacturing techniques, flower arranging and hog futures. Because he never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six months or six years down the road. But he has faith that it will happen.”

Creativity goes hand in hand with being curious. It isn’t necessary to become an expert on opera or baseball or auto mechanics to be successful in business, but it will expand your horizons. You just might be amazed what you find at the edge of your universe.

Mackay’s Moral: Creativity is a marathon that creates value in the long run. n Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.

An announcement in PBN PEOPLE ON THE MOVE gets your name in front of the influential business leaders who you want to do business with.

Announce promotions, new hires, board appointments and award recipients to the RI business community.

This PBN weekly feature is seen by over 25,000 print readers, 7,000 e-newsletter subscribers and 64,000 monthly PBN.com visitors.

Announcements appear in the weekly paper, in one Daily Edition e-newsletter and on PBN.com.

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | ERIC CORMIER

Prevent PTO stockpiling WHEN EMPLOYEES STOCKPILE their paid-time-off hours, it can lead to a host of negative implications, including low employee morale, decreased productivity and a burden on the business at numerous levels. With more employees working longer hours and taking less time off due to the pandemic, the stage is set for even greater long-term negative effects on employees’ mental and physical health, as well as the success of a company.

Although it is difficult to plan trips and travel is limited right now, business leaders should encourage employees to use their PTO and recharge during these stressful times. It is not only good for employees but it’s good for the business.

Here are five tips for business leaders to help prevent employees amassing PTO and encourage time off.

Review PTO policies. The employee handbook should have a section that outlines the company’s PTO program and policies. Most companies require advance notice for taking time off, which helps groups and departments balance the workload. In addition, there is typically a maximum number of hours that can be carried over to the next year, which has an impact on the company’s financial situation.

Employers should review and update their PTO policies for 2021 and consider implementing minimum levels of quarterly PTO usage, which will help to encourage employees to use their time off and distribute it more evenly throughout the year. Also, the more generous the program, the more likely employees are to use their hours. Planning for 2021 offers an opportunity for a thorough review of a company’s program.

Encourage time off. Leaders should encourage employees to take time off by stressing the importance of mental and physical health. Some workers may feel guilty using PTO during a pandemic. However, without taking time to disconnect and recharge, it can lead to low employee morale and decreased productivity that can snowball to co-workers and family members. Managers can ask team

members to submit their desired days off for the remainder of the year in an effort to gently encourage usage, assess the number of carryover hours and effectively manage workloads to finish the year strong.

Set an example. Managers and supervisors who set an example by using their PTO not only have an opportunity to recharge but they also send a message to employees that it is OK to take time off. If comfortable, they should share their plans in advance with excitement no matter the activity, helping to ease any fears employees might have about using their PTO. In addition, when leaders use their PTO, it helps to demonstrate that there are no concerns about the health of an organization.

Distribute reminders. Companies should utilize all communication avenues to remind workers to use their

Employers should review and update their PTO policies for 2021.

MARKETPLACE

Eric Cormier is a manager of human resource services in Rhode Island for Texas-based Insperity Inc., which provides human resources and administrative services.

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Amgen Inc.; Senior Associate Quality Assurance; West Greenwich, RI: Regulate sequence of operations to assemble and accumulate parts or products, author/review quality documents, such as SOPs, user requirements, risk assessments, training materials, engineering, automation, commissioning, environmental qualification, validation in accordance with cGMP, GDP and other applicable regulations. MAINTAINING AND IMPLEMENTING CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE (CGMP) AND, GOOD DOCUMENTATION PRACTICE (GDP) ENVIRONMENTS AS QUALITY; CONDUCTING DEVIATIONS, AND CORRECTIVE AND PREVENTIVE ACTION IMPLEMENTATION (CAPA); UTILIZING ELECTRONIC QUALITY SYSTEMS: TRACKWISE, SAP/ERP, MAXIMO, LIMS, WERUM PAS-X MES, EDMQ/DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, ALARM MONITORING SYSTEM AND GDMS; UTILIZING MICROSOFT TOOLS: MS EXCEL, MS WORD, SHARE POINT AND DATABASE APPLICATIONS FOR OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES; AND IMPLEMENTING MASTER BATCH RECORDS (MBR) AND BILL OF MATERIALS (BOM) CREATION, TESTING, AND REVIEW PROCESSES. Interested candidates mail resume to: HR Connect c/o TM Review @ Amgen Inc. 2202 N. Westshore Blvd., Suite 650, Tampa, FL 33607 Attn. Job #20516.718

PTO. For example, distributing an all-employee or departmental email that reminds employees to check their number of remaining PTO hours and plan to use them accordingly; posting relevant information on the intranet weekly; and conducting brief discussions on the matter during group and company meetings demonstrate leadership’s concern for the health and welfare of their employees.

Be creative. Developing creative ways to encourage employees to take time off can have a positive impact and help to prevent stockpiling. For instance, organizing a contest in which employees share how they used their time off; encouraging employees to vote on the most unique entries; and rewarding the top three with gift cards.

Employers that take care of their people by providing a generous PTO program and encouraging them to use their time off will have a happier and more productive workforce, leading to increased business success. n

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OPINION EDITORIALS

No more waiting: Time for hard decisions on the state budget

WAITING GAME: Local communities are growing frustrated waiting for a new state budget.

Above, Joe Morais, project leader at the Pawtucket Department of Public Works, is among hundreds of city workers forced to file for unemployment one day each week.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM

State leaders are about to finally get to work – several months too late – determining the near-term fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic on the state budget.

About all that’s certain is, “There is going to be pain,” as Gary Sasse, the founding director of the Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership at Bryant University, tells PBN in this week’s cover story.

But Democratic legislative leaders, who control both chambers in the General Assembly, already knew that when they announced on Sept. 11 that they would further delay making tough decisions on spending cuts until after the Nov. 3 election. They and Gov. Gina M. Raimondo chose to wait for a federal bailout rather than decide on layoffs and other spending cuts needed to pass a balanced budget.

Though all states could use such a bailout, Rhode Island is one of only four to put off fiscal 2021 budget decisions waiting for one.

One of the unfortunate results is that the uncertainty surrounding state spending has trickled down to local communities.

“The wells are running dry,” warns North Providence Mayor Charles A. Lombardi, president of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns.

Gov. Raimondo and state lawmakers have the same choices before them today as they did in September: Decide on a combination of spending cuts, potential tax increases, furloughs and layoffs of state employees, while hoping additional federal aid eventually comes.

After months of waiting, it’s time to show local communities and others who will be affected some leadership, so they can start preparing for the cold winter months. n

Read even MORE business news on PBN.com

EXECUTIVE POLL

Has the economic landscape this year been the most challenging your business has had to navigate?

Yes: 57% No: 43%

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While state leaders have unnecessarily delayed fiscal 2021 budget decisions, they are thankfully taking aggressive steps in preparing for the eventual availability of a vaccine for COVID-19.

Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has set up a 16-member panel of advisers to start planning for the evaluation, storage and distribution of vaccines, which some experts think may be available as soon as January.

Getting out ahead of federal decisions with a state plan that can be adjusted as guidelines are handed down is smart and will help inspire confidence and buy-in from health providers and residents once a vaccine is available.

Rhode Island’s small size and population give it a potentially significant advantage over most other states in ensuring approved vaccines are safely and efficiently distributed across the state.

Gov. Raimondo’s subcommittee – also being created in other states – is a good step toward ensuring that opportunity is not derailed by political divisions or federal delays. n

POLL CENTRAL

Trick-or-treat economy

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Don’t lose edge on vaccines

In what ways has your business benefited? (Select any that apply) We have received funding, financial aid, etc.: 43% We have found new markets and demand: 29%

In what ways has your business suffered? (Select any that apply) We have suffered financial setbacks: 43% We have had to juggle unexpected challenges: 29% We have faced decreased sales, demand, etc.: 29% We have had to restructure and/or downsize: 29% We have not received any tricks: 29%

Have the negatives outweighed the positives?

We have discovered new ways to do business: 14%

No: 57%

We have not benefited: 14%

Yes: 29%

We have revitalized through innovation: 0%

Unsure: 14%

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.

PBN.COM POLL

Are you satisfied with Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic? OCT. 16-22 Yes, her administration has handled the health and economic challenges as well as could be expected

No, businesses need more help than they have received

48%

49%

I don’t know

3%

THIS WEEK’S POLL: Do you feel Providence is safe enough to come to the city to shop or eat?

• Yes, I would do so without hesitation • Yes, but not at night •N o, there needs to be a bigger police presence, especially downtown • No, primarily because of COVID-19 • I don’t know To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 21

OPINION OPINION

Quonset displays its manufacturing side

STEVEN KING GUEST COLUMN

With over 12,000 jobs at more than 200 companies, Quonset Business Park is the leading engine of economic development and job creation in Rhode Island. Despite the economic uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the strength of Quonset’s manufacturing sector has ensured stable jobs for thousands of Rhode Islanders, and the sector is primed to continue growing.

The Rhode Island Manufacturers Association hosted a vitural Manufacturing Week Kick-Off Conference on Oct. 6. The conference connected manufacturers with one another to leverage resources, products and services, and promote information-sharing on industry trends and challenges. Quonset businesses were active at this conference, including Meister Abrasives USA Inc., which offered its unique perspective in the manufacturer showcase session.

RIMA Executive Director Dave Chenevert noted major contributions that Quonset has made to the state’s manufacturing sector, naming companies located in the business park, such as Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Metrology Software Inc., R & D Technologies Inc. and Supfina Machine Co. The Quonset Development Corp. has maintained a strong focus on fostering the manufacturing industry at the business park throughout the pandemic. Here are some statistics that show the health of Quonset’s

manufacturing base: n Quonset businesses employ nearly 7,000 Rhode Islanders in manufacturing jobs. n Manufacturing jobs account for 59% of the employment at the park. n 17% of all manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island are at Quonset. n The average salary for manufacturing workers at Quonset is 11% higher than the statewide average.

RIMA’s advocacy and the manufacturing week conference are great resources for the industry. QDC is glad to partner with the association, and our companies are available as a resource for any manufacturer facing challenges during these difficult times.

Looking to the future, there are promising signs of continued manufacturing growth across Quonset: n General Dynamics Electric Boat, Quonset’s largest employer, has started an aggressive hiring campaign to support the construction of the Columbia Class submarines, the next generation nuclear sub for the U.S. Navy. The company has onboarded 100 people in the past several weeks and expects to add nearly 1,000 more employees by next summer. n Two Quonset manufacturers have teamed up to help their customers achieve outstanding quality. As a company specializing in advanced abrasive solutions, Meister

Manufacturing will be an important part of our continued success.

Abrasives has collaborated frequently with next-door neighbor Supfina Machine, which offers a range of abrasive machining solutions for manufacturers that need precise and fine surface finishes. In recent years, the companies have had success with their collaboration in developing specialized machines to help manufacture high-volume parts ranging from ceramic bearings for aerospace manufacturers to steel pump components for fuel-injection manufacturers.

Both companies say their partnership has played a big role in their respective successes. n Hexagon introduced a metal binder jetting simulation this fall that helps manufacturers reduce costs and lead times for production of complex metabolic parts such as gears and turbine wheels. Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions that use data to boost efficiency, productivity and quality across the industrial and manufacturing industries.

The QDC team is excited to see additional hiring, collaboration and new innovative products coming from our manufacturing companies.

No matter the economic realities, manufacturing will be an important part of our continued success at Quonset Business Park. As one of the leading industrial parks in the region, the QDC team is committed to creating a climate in which manufacturing employment continues to grow at the park and across Rhode Island. n Steven King is the managing director of the Quonset Development Corp., which manages the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown.

This much is certain: president’s term ends Jan. 20 DONALD NIEMAN GUEST COLUMN

With so much unclear about the upcoming presidential election, it’s nice to know that there is one absolute certainty.

Mail-in ballots may take a long time to count. Many states will have recounts, either statewide or in specific areas. President Donald Trump has signaled he may not like the outcome – and it remains to be seen if he or others will accept the result.

As a historian who has taught and written about the Constitution for over 40 years, however, I know that one thing is certain. Trump’s term will end at noon on Jan. 20. At that same instant, either he will begin a second term, or the country will have a new chief executive.

The framers of the Constitution were very clear that the president “shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years.”

There is nothing magical about that number. The framers debated whether the president’s term should be four, six or seven years, whether the president might serve only one term, or might serve for life.

Ultimately, they settled on four years and allowed reelection.

However, they were emphatic that the president would serve for a defined period.

Why? Because kings didn’t.

In September 1788, after the Constitution was ratified, the Confederation Congress directed that the new government would begin on March 4, 1789, although George Washington took the oath of office on April

30.

Every four years thereafter, for more than 140 years, presidents began their term on March 4 because Congress established it as Inauguration Day in 1792 and never changed it.

Electoral crises – a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr in 1800, the secession crisis in 1860-61 and a contested election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden in 1876 – did not prevent one term from ending and another beginning on March 4.

The 20th Amendment, adopted in 1933, changed the day and time of presidential inaugurations to noon on Jan. 20.

The amendment was the result of a 16year crusade by Sen. George W. Norris of Nebraska. Norris believed that lame-duck congresses that met between November and March following elections did not reflect the people’s will and should not legislate.

Equally a problem were defeated presidents who served for months after voters had declined to reelect them.

The Constitution set the term lengths for presidents, senators and representatives.

So the 20th Amendment changed the date and also offered a path forward if things didn’t go smoothly in the runup to Inauguration Day. If the president-elect died between the election and Jan. 20, the vice presidentelect would become president. The amend-

22 | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

ment also declared what should happen if Congress couldn’t agree on who had won the presidential election, either because of deadlock over counting electoral votes or the House’s failure to declare a winner when no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

If that happened, or if the person chosen wasn’t at least 35 years old and what the Constitution calls a “natural born citizen” of the country, the vice president-elect would serve until Congress picked someone else. If there wasn’t a vice president-elect or that person didn’t meet the Constitution’s criteria either, then Congress could determine who would serve as acting president until it decided how a new president would be chosen.

These provisions have never been tested.

One thing is clear, however. The 20th Amendment creates a hard stop. The sitting president’s term ends at noon on Jan. 20. If Congress can’t determine a winner, the Presidential Succession Act, adopted in 1947, would make the speaker of the House of Representatives the new chief executive – at least for a time.

Whether he likes it or not, and whether he wins reelection or not, Trump’s current term as president will end Jan. 20. n Donald Nieman is executive vice president of academic affairs and provost at Binghamton University State University of New York.

Distributed by The Associated Press.

ONE LAST THING Lead from the balcony

“WE’RE

living in a world of uncertainty” might be the understatement of the century. We hear this all the time. During these tough times it’s paramount that we find ways to move ourselves, our people and our organizations forward.

David Almonte

But how is this possible amid so much uncertainty?

FountainHead RI co-founder and president

I’m reminded of a leadership skill taught to me early in my career: “Lead from the balcony, not the dance floor.”

David Almonte co-founded FountainHead RI in 2016. The Exeter-based nonprofit helps future business and community leaders identify ways to lead, innovate and collaborate.

Sometimes in life we get so wrapped up in what’s going on around us that we lose sight of what’s right in front of us. Close your eyes for a moment. Seriously.

Imagine you’re in the middle of a dance floor with music playing and a crowd of people all around you. What do you see? On the dance floor, it’s impossible to notice everything around us because our view is obstructed, and the music makes it hard to hear.

But what if we viewed our surroundings from the balcony? We could see out beyond the people dancing. We might notice the lights, the DJ, the food table, the bar. When we’re able to zoom out, the details become much clearer.

It’s important in life to step out of the weeds and view the world more holistically, now more than ever. Block out the noise, assess the real risks, make sound decisions and execute flawlessly. Remember, leadership is a privilege, not a right, and you don’t need a fancy title to demonstrate it – just some perspective. n

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2020 | 23

SUMMIT & AWARDS DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

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PANEL DISCUSSION

The dramatic economic disruption resulting from the COVID-19 global pandemic and the unprecedented level of protests linked to racial injustice place greater pressure on companies to use Diversity & Inclusion initiatives to deliver meaningful cultural change and positive business results.

A panel of experts will share their personal stories of struggles and successes in implementing successful Diversity & Inclusion programs within their organizations.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Defining & leveraging Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging in the corporate work environment • Effective workplace conversations on racism vs discrimination • The importance of community engagement in an overall D&I strategy • Opportunities for people with developmental disabilities in the RI workforce

AWARDS RECOGNITION

PBN will recognize companies and leaders who have made strides in leveraging Diversity & Inclusion to bring Workplace Excellence to their organizations.

• Education • Financial Services • Health Care • Insurance Services • Legal Services • Nonprofit • Social Service Agency REGISTER NOW AT PBN.COM • Diversity Champion FOR SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT 680.4800 OR ADVERTISING@PBN.COM

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