Gary Goldberg | CEO and co-founder, SquadLocker Inc.
Is Rhode Island a good place to grow jobs? Why? In general, Rhode Island has an unfavorable tax structure and unless you want to apply for various incentives, a business begins their journey several yards behind the starting line in comparison with other states.
If government could do one thing to help businesses grow jobs, what would it be and why? Government can’t help businesses grow jobs, that’s a false narrative. Free markets allow for the development of goods and services and a method to buy and sell these goods and services; government plays the role of regulation, by either limiting the flow of certain goods and services or somehow modifying the value of certain providers or the goods and services that are bought and sold to shift the balance of the exchange. The more of a role government plays in the free market, typically the greater the encumbrance on growth.
JOBS
2016: 50
2017: 100
What’s the most important attribute a business leader needs to grow their business and add jobs? Leading a business is a complex mixture of resource allocation and acceptance of risk. In order to grow, one needs to find that right balance whereas each incremental unit of labor that is added, the company benefits and creates more value. It’s a hard formula to perfect. I would argue that the best business leaders are those that attract and retain the best talent available in their industry.
In which industry do you see the greatest potential for job growth in Rhode Island. Why? I believe that the tech industry, specifically software engineering, is a wonderful opportunity for job growth. We have hired men and women in these roles and find it to be the most diverse group of people, with skills that have been gained by nontraditional methods.
What’s your outlook for future job growth at SquadLocker? The company has a bright future as we continue to disrupt the way teams and organizations design and purchase athletic apparel. We hope to grow our employee base here in Rhode Island.
What’s the greatest challenge facing that growth? We are working really hard right now to broadcast our message of customer benefits to leagues and teams across the country. Our biggest challenge is getting the word out, so we are in the process of building out our inside sales team and testing a variety of marketing messages.
