Economy

ADULTS ONLY: Cumberland Farms has settled charges it sold tobacco to someone younger than 18 at least 134 times from 2004 to mid-2006, the Mass. Attorney General's Office said. Above, a man smokes a Marlboro Light outside his workplace in Denver, Colo. /

Cumberland Farms settles tobacco charges

Business Services 06/13/2007

CANTON, Mass. – Cumberland Farms Inc. has reached a settlement with the Mass. Attorney General’s Office of allegations that the company’s convenience stores “lacked...

Cumberland trucking firm fined $80K on federal hazardous waste charges

Business Services 06/13/2007

PROVIDENCE – Berkeley Transportation Co. yesterday was fined $80,000 in federal court for illegally shipping hazardous waste from a property in East Greenwich to...

Wind energy association honors TPI Composites

Capital Goods 06/13/2007

LOS ANGELES – Warren-based TPI Composites Inc. has been honored by the American Wind Energy Association with the 2007 Commercial Achievement Award for its...

GINNY, one of three African elephants at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, stars in the award-winning public service campaign RDW Group devised to support passage of a ballot question to help finance major upgrades to the zoo. /

Local firms lead way in New England PR awards

Business Services 06/12/2007

RDW Group Inc. tied for first place with the most Bell Ringer Awards, given yesterday evening by The Publicity Club of New England at...

Survey: Local hiring outlook brightens in 3Q

Economic Activity 06/12/2007

PROVIDENCE – Local employers expect hiring to be flat in the third quarter, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today. The outlook...

Providence Warwick CVB moves to new home

Economic Activity 06/12/2007

PROVIDENCE – The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau has moved to a new location, the organization said in announcing the roster for its...

RICK CLARK unloads his shopping cart outside the Costco Wholesale store in Sandy Springs, Ga., last Thursday. Costco, the largest U.S. warehouse club, posted a 7-percent increase in May same-store sales, surprising analysts, who predicted a 5.7-percent gain. /

ICSC: U.S. retail sales rise 1%

Economic Activity 06/12/2007

NEW YORK – Sales at U.S. retail stores open at least one year rose 1.0 percent over the past week, erasing the previous week’s...

MARK S. HAYWARD, district director of the SBA's Rhode Island office since 2000, has been named acting regional director for New England - for the third time. 'His understanding of SBA operations and his commitment to small businesses make him the perfect person to do it again,' said national SBA Administrator Steven Preston. /

R.I. SBA chief tapped as acting director for N.E.

Entrepreneurship 06/12/2007

BOSTON – U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Steven Preston has named Mark S. Hayward, the SBA’s district director for Rhode Island, to serve as...

DESPITE THE SLUMP in the subprime mortgage market, Pianalto told the gathering, other sectors of the economy remain 'solid.' Above, a crane loads containers for onto a ship at the Port of Portland, Ore., on June 8. U.S. exports hit a record high in April. /

Pianalto: ‘Fed cannot afford to be complacent’

Economic Activity 06/12/2007

DUBLIN – U.S. inflation is higher than she would like, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Sandra Pianalto told a conference yesterday at the...