Matt Dempsey and Peter Crump | Principals, Site Specific LLC
Is Rhode Island a good place to grow jobs? Why? CRUMP: It’s a great place to grow jobs because it’s what this economy needs, good-paying jobs with opportunities for growth, professional growth. ... The demand for high-performing professionals is great. In the last two years we’ve hired a [chief financial officer], a director of operations, a director of business development, a director of marketing, and a [human resources] manager.
If government could do one thing to help businesses grow jobs, what would it be and why? CRUMP: It’s education and [educational] infrastructure. We have to make it an attractive place for people to bring their families and have their children get an education.
JOBS
2016: 35
2017: 50
Are you hearing feedback that our education system is one of the reasons why we’re not getting certain employers, compared to Connecticut or Massachusetts? CRUMP: I can’t imagine it’s not an issue. If you have top-level people who are sending their kids to private schools, then if you’re trying to attract families, you want to rely on a public-education system. … There is no reason why the state couldn’t have one of the best public-school systems in the country.
What’s the most important attribute a business leader needs to grow their business or add jobs? DEMPSEY: I would say enthusiasm, promoting a positive company culture. It makes us more attractive as an employer, to create an environment that promotes a work-life balance.
CRUMP: You make sure people are taking the time to do what they need to do for their family. You reinforce that we want excellent work quality, and we want people to come here fresh, relaxed.
In which industry do you see the greatest potential for job growth in Rhode Island and why? DEMPSEY: Specifically, we’re doing more work in housing. We’re converting office space to housing. As far as a percentage of our revenue, that’s a dramatic increase from last year.
What interesting project have you worked on recently and why was it challenging? DEMPSEY: We’re in the process of rebuilding the Edgewood Yacht Club. There is the logistics of the construction. Leading up to that it was the permitting through the state, the Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Cranston. There are buildings that are built over the water. We did a financial analysis to make sure we could maximize [the building plan] for the best value.
