New NORAD facility celebrated by officials

OFFICIALS CELEBRATE the opening of North Atlantic Distribution Inc.’s (NORAD) newest auto processing facility at the Port of Davisville on Friday. From left to right, Steven King, managing director of the Quonset Develpment Corp; Michael Miranda, president and CEO of NORAD; U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline; Gov. Gina M. Raimondo; U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse; U.S. Sen. Jack F. Reed; state Sen. William Walaska; and U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin. / COURTESY QUONSET DEVELOPMENT CORP.
OFFICIALS CELEBRATE the opening of North Atlantic Distribution Inc.’s (NORAD) newest auto processing facility at the Port of Davisville on Friday. From left to right, Steven King, managing director of the Quonset Develpment Corp; Michael Miranda, president and CEO of NORAD; U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline; Gov. Gina M. Raimondo; U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse; U.S. Sen. Jack F. Reed; state Sen. William Walaska; and U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin. / COURTESY QUONSET DEVELOPMENT CORP.

NORTH KINGSTOWN – The opening of North Atlantic Distribution Inc.’s newest auto processing facility at the Port of Davisville was celebrated Friday by state and congressional leaders.
The ceremony was supposed to be held Feb. 5, but was rescheduled due to weather.
Officials in attendance included Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, U.S. Sen. Jack F. Reed, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline, state Sen. Bill Walaska and others.
Raimondo included a $90 million proposal in her state budget this year to modernize and upgrade Pier 2, which was built in 1956, at the port.
“The Port of Davisville is one of our state’s most important assets. One of the top 10 auto importers in North America, the port marked its sixth consecutive record breaking year of auto imports in 2015,” Raimondo said in a statement. “Davisville is showing the world that Rhode Island may be small, but we are a major player in the global economy. By leveraging our assets, we can attract more successful companies like NORAD to grow their businesses here, create jobs and invest in Rhode Island.”
Vehicles arriving at the port are processed, finished and distributed across the country by NORAD. NORAD has invested more than $40 million dollars at the park since its arrival in 1986, employs approximately 400 full- and part-time workers, and has 230,000 square feet of building space at Quonset, according to a news release about the event.
“The Port of Davisville has been our home for more than 30 years,” Michael Miranda, president and CEO of NORAD, said. “We are investing here and creating more jobs here because state and federal leaders have done an incredible job in positioning this port for more growth. We recognize their commitment to this unique asset, and we are committed to being here at Quonset and the port for many years to come.”
A total of 227,021 automobiles were imported at the port in 2015, surpassing the previous year’s record by 48,806 vehicles. An additional 42,150 vehicles arrived by rail and truck for a total of 269,171 autos arriving at the port last year.

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