An industry’s promise, challenges on display

STAYING PUT: Jose Luna Catano clamps wood in the manufacturing line at WaterRower Inc. in Warren. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
STAYING PUT: Jose Luna Catano clamps wood in the manufacturing line at WaterRower Inc. in Warren. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Consumer demand for the high-performance, refined WaterRower Inc. rowing machine keeps two shifts of workers employed daily at its Warren manufacturing plant.

The manufacturing process runs from 7 a.m. to midnight, consisting of computer-driven routing and hand finishing. As many as 400 boxed, disassembled rowing machines, each stamped with an “American Made” logo, are shipped from the facility daily.

WaterRower employs 160 people in Rhode Island, and has seen steady growth since the mid-2000s.

Helping it along has been a demographic trend, the aging of active baby boomers who want to remain vibrant and healthy. (Its rowing machines simulate the resistance of water, using a flywheel that rotates through a water-filled barrel). And the popularity of the Netflix series House of Cards hasn’t hurt either. The political drama has two lead characters who regularly work out on a version of the WaterRower in black walnut. Orders for the black-walnut finish, in particular, have increased, according to CEO and President Peter King.

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The company was among three scheduled to open its doors Oct. 7 for a tour organized by the East Bay Chamber of Commerce. The tour was expected to include Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and state leaders. It was also due to make stops at Magnetic Seal Corp., a manufacturer of mechanical seals, also in Warren, and C&C Fiberglass Components, Inc. a family-owned boat-maker, in Bristol.

The tour was designed to throw some light on the manufacturing that continues to thrive, and employ, in the state, said Christine O’Connor, a spokeswoman for the East Bay Chamber. Bristol County manufacturers employ more than 1,600 people, she said, making the industry the third-largest employer.

C&C Fiberglass, which opened in 1998, ebbed through the lean years of the recession, only to rebound. It now employs more than 30 people, and produces J/Boats, as well as hulls for yachts and fiberglass components for other industries.

The tour allows people, including government officials, to see how modern manufacturing has moved beyond low-skill, low-pay jobs, O’Connor said. “It takes a highly skilled person to operate the CNC [router] and the fabrication machines,” she said, “as well as to engineer new projects in the [Computer Assisted Design] system.”

Aside from the successes, the challenges of manufacturing are evident in Warren too. WaterRower recently completed an expansion of its now- 55,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, at a $2.5 million cost, according to King.

The company fielded several offers from other states to relocate its manufacturing, he said, once news of the expansion hit local media. Among those who enquired: Mississippi. He decided it made better sense to stay put, where the company has a history, and a workforce that mostly lives locally.

WaterRower has a payroll each week of $100,000, he said, “and that’s money that lands not far from here.”

Recruitment remains challenging, he said, particularly for professionals, such as the engineers who help troubleshoot issues with the computerized equipment.

“In manufacturing, it’s finding people with that manufacturing experience,” King said. “It’s really tough.”

Among professionals, the company competes with higher salaries in Massachusetts by emphasizing the lifestyle benefits of Rhode Island, including the commuting advantage compared to Boston.

“That’s a dis-benefit in Massachusetts, depending on where they are,” King said. “If they’re heading up to Boston, it gets tougher and tougher.”

The company is committed to its location, as evidenced by its physical expansions.

On an adjacent site, and without tax incentives, the company is building again: a $5 million showroom for its products, which include seven models of the rowing machine in varying forms and finishes.

The investments are costly and time-consuming, but have allowed the company to maintain a competitive advantage by modernizing its processes. It now has four CNC router machines, which have allowed it to increase volume. The computer-directed, automated machines drill holes and cut sections of wood, which will later be finished by hand, as well as hand-stained and oiled.

On a tour of his plant, the sound of hand sanders held by dozens of workers could be heard through the windows of the production manager’s office. In one room, employees applied various colors of stain to completed sections.

Earlier that morning, more than 400 boxed rowing machines were shipped out in containers, bound for Germany and China, King said. The two countries are among its largest markets.

The tour, he said, is a chance for the company to show what happens behind the doors.

“It’s important that our public representatives see what we do,” King said.

On participating in the tour, Bob Garde, president of Magnetic Seal Corp., said the company hoped to show itself off, as well as attract new interest from government and education partners.

The privately held company, which employs 70 people, is growing into new markets and new products for existing customers, he said. The company participates in an ongoing co-op program with the University of Rhode Island’s College of Engineering, but also hopes to attract more students from technical schools as well.

Most of the firm’s positions require specific skills, but others are trainable, said Garde. Higher-paying positions can be difficult to recruit from Rhode Island, he said, because the skills needed are specific. The loss of manufacturing jobs, over time, has meant the state doesn’t have these workers necessarily. He cited the example of a supplier quality engineer, which has remained open for a few months.

“We’re on a growth strategy,” he said. “To do that, you need good people.” •

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