E. Greenwich firm cited in electrocution death
EAST GREENWICH – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of labor has cited Atlantic Coast Construction Inc. of this community for allegedly serious and willful violations of workplace safety rules in connection with the death by electrocution of a truck driver last March at a North Kingstown construction site. OSHA held Atlantic Construction responsible for the death of a truck driver for Fiore Concrete which had been delivering material to the job site. The driver died when a crane attached to the boom-truck he was driving struck a power line and the driver was electrocuted. OSHA seeks penalties totaling $75,000 for the alleged violations.
GTECH gets Irish pact for Internet gaming
WEST GREENWICH – Hailing what its spokesman called a “stake in the ground,” GTECH Corp. announced that it had won a contract to provide its UWin! Internet gaming system to the An Post National Lottery Company in the Republic of Ireland. Although Internet gaming is illegal in the United States, GTECH formed its UWin! unit last year in anticipation of overseas prospects. GTECH said the contact is worth between $200,000 and $500,000, but the spokesman asserted, “this for us is a stake in the ground. It’s a new era opening up for us,” according to the report in the Providence Journal.
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Textron announces joint venture
PROVIDENCE – Textron, Inc. has announced the formation of a joint venture with Breed Technologies of Lakeland, Florida, and Magneti Marelli of Italy. Their joint venture with the Textron Automotive Co., to be known as Textron Breed Automotive, will supply instrument panels, bumpers and exterior and interior trim to Fiat in Italy and other automakers. The venture will also have a 20 percent ownership of Magneti Marelli Integra, which has a contract to supply parts for a new Fiat car.
Quonset-based company loan guaranteed
NORTH KINGSTOWN – South Eastern New England Ship Building Corp. has been awarded a $4.75 million U.S. loan guarantee. The company which has been located in two former seaplane hangars here since 1996 has been struggling to obtain loans and contracts. With Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s assistance, SENESCO was able to gain a loan guarantee through the United States Department of Agriculture rural business program. The company is seeking contracts to build commercial barges, small ships and rail cars. With the loan guarantee the company is expecting to obtain a loan from the First International Bank of New England, based in Hartford. A company spokesperson said 80 people would be hired over the next year, with more to be hired later as contacts develop.
Travel, tourism revenue up
PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Division of Travel and Tourism reports a steady increase in revenue in the industry over the last three years, from $1.8 billion in 1996 to $2.26 billion in 1997 and $2.5 in 1998. The division cited statistics compiled by University of Rhode Island economics Professor Timothy Tyrell. Tyrell estimates that 14.2 million visitors came to Rhode Island last year. Of those visitors, 9.6 million were day-trippers, compared with the 4.6 million who stayed overnight. Separately the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council reported that the northern region produced $176.4 million in 1997, the most recent year tabulated.
Rhode Island still riding boom wave
KINGSTON – Rhode Island held on to its economic momentum in March, according to Len Lardaro, manager of the New England Economic Project in Rhode Island. Lardaro reported that the state retained its Current Conditions Index of 75 through March, indicating that nine of the index’s 12 indicators improved in that month. With the number of jobless in Rhode Island declining to 15,000, the state’s rate of unemployment fell to its lowest level in this decade, 3 percent. Other positive statistics show sales of existing homes growing at a 14.1 percent annual rate, and retail sales grew at a 6.8 percent annual rate. Meanwhile, new claims for unemployment insurance and exhaustions of benefits both fell by 8 percent. On the negative side, manufacturing man hours maintained their streak of annual declines dating back to August 1998. Also, single unit housing permits fell by 4.5 percent in returning to the 2,500 unit plateau they surpassed last October.
SeaCorp reports Navy contract award
MIDDLETOWN – SeaCorp (Systems Engineering Associates Corporations) has reported its has obtained a Navy contract with an estimated value of $21,593,717 over five years. The contract involving the development of acoustic trainers for the Navy will be performed for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport division. Analysis & Technology of North Stonington, Conn., will support Sea Corps in the project, according to the announcement. The trainers are used both on shore and aboard submarines for training on SONAR and combat systems.
