Tuesday, November 12, 2024

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Spotlight

BRANCHING OUT: After getting their start at Chad Verdi Sr.’s film production company Verdi Productions in East Greenwich, executive producers Paul Luba, left, and Verdi’s son, Chad Verdi Jr., have launched their own affiliate company, Hyperborea Films, and released their first feature in 2021. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Making movies ‘a family thing’ at Verdi Productions

Chad Verdi Jr. is dedicating his life to the venture started by his father 15 years ago when he secured the rights to make...
DYNAMIC DUO: Lita and Matt Bondlow are the owners of Bali Bungalow LLC, a furniture store with a focus on Indonesian décor and sustainability. They have two store locations, one in Providence and one in Stonington, Conn.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Furniture, home décor items exclusively crafted by Indonesian artisans

In their annual visits to Indonesia, wife and husband Lita and Matt Bondlow were struck by the craftsmanship of handmade furniture in Lita’s home...
DYNAMIC DUO: True Music Studios owner Nolan Quartaroli, right, launched the audio production studio in 2011 in Smithfield. He recently promoted audio engineer and producer Nick Lancellotti, left, to business partner after Lancellotti helped him keep the business going during the pandemic.
PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Turning knobs, polishing walls of sound

For Nolan Quartaroli, owner of True Music ­Studios, the music came first. He still recalls his introduction to production years ago while playing in...
CAR CONDO: Bob Gett, left, visits his car condominium at the Newport Car Vaults in Middletown and speaks with company owner Blake Henderson, who launched the venture in 2022 and officially opened the units in June 2023.
PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

Car condos revving up on Aquidneck Island

In one unit resides a Ferrari, a 1962 Corvette ­convertible and a Porsche 911 from the 1980s. A few doors down, there’s a gleaming 1969...
TASTE MASTER: Nectar de la Vida owner Maureen Botelho has more than 100 tanks of olive oil and balsamic vinegars that are of better quality than most products found in larger grocery stores. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

This Warren store gushes oil, vinegars

While traveling in Europe, Maureen Botelho noted a stark contrast in quality between popular olive oils in the U.S. and those she found abroad. Though...
CREATIVE CONFECTIONS: Aura Fajardo Quintero, owner of Aura’s Chocolate Bar in Cranston, says inspiration for a new product can strike her at any moment, which has led to bestselling products using Venezuelan chocolate and locally sourced ingredients such as bee pollen, honey, or whiskey.
PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Chocolatier’s recipe uses ingredients from her two homes, Venezuela and R.I.

Aura Fajardo Quintero did not plan to become a chocolatier. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Fajardo was a graphic designer before moving to Rhode Island and...
FRESH SPIRITS: Grey Sail Brewing Co. LLC co-owners Alan and Jennifer Brinton show off some of the spirits from their newly launched South County Distillers venture , which is housed inside their Grey Sail Brewing facility in Westerly.
PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

Grey Sail Brewing launches second venture focused on distilled spirits

It only took three years for Alan and Jennifer Brinton’s Grey Sail Brewing Co. LLC to become a bona fide triumph. With South County Distillers,...
ALWAYS AVAILABLE: At Marc Allen Fine Clothiers in Providence, one of the team members is always available to help customers. Standing from left are Colin Ward, store manager; Marc Streisand, owner; Will Arvanites, director of operations; and Josh Jacob, director of tailored clothing. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Find rare specialty threads at Marc Allen Fine Clothiers

Call it an origin story. Marc Streisand, owner of Marc Allen Fine Clothiers, was a New York City teenager when an interaction at a ­local...
BUSY BEEKEEPER: In addition to maintaining her own hives, Little Rhody Beekeeping owner Cynthia Holt harvests and sells honey, teaches beekeeping classes, conducts pollen monitoring and works as a contractor for the state’s apiary inspector. 
PBN PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

Beekeeping has her buzzing with excitement

From a young age, Cynthia Holt had a connection with nature, and recalls that her 8-year-old self dreamed of becoming a zookeeper. “I’ve always loved...
WAVE OF GROWTH: Since buying Allegra, a full-service printing, mailing and marketing company in Providence, in 2017, Bud and Karen McCann have quadrupled the revenue and tripled the size of the staff of the more than 50-year-old shop. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Pumping up a print shop

Bud and Karen McCann bought Allegra on ­­­Valentine’s Day in 2017. The date is a fun coincidence for the long-married couple, who were looking for...
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