In an introductory video for the Rhode Island pitch to Amazon.com, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo describes Rhode Island as a “small pond in a big ocean.” She goes on to cite state strengths, but the opening begs a question:
How realistic is it for a small state to compete for the massive company’s second North American headquarters, with $5 billion in promised investment?
The company’s employment projection, of a need for 50,000 people, would nearly double the population of Pawtucket, were it to be successful in landing the company, for example.
But interestingly, marketing and relocation specialists say Rhode Island is well-positioned to make a play for Amazon, at least geographically.
The location of Rhode Island, so close to the much-larger, more-educated Boston labor base, is going to help the state’s candidacy, according to John Boyd, principal of site-selection company The Boyd Co., of Princeton, N.J.
In the introductory video, Raimondo appears to emphasize the regional strengths of the Ocean State: “You’d be right in the middle of a multitrillion-dollar regional economy that has global, cultural, financial and political influence.”
Rhode Island did not publicly release its bid for Amazon, including the identification of specific sites within Rhode Island communities that have expressed interest in the headquarters.
The emphasis on a regional economy is shrewd, according to Boyd, as Boston is considered a top contender for and has the labor pool that could fill a second headquarters. Many large companies view the broader geographic area as much as the city or state, he said.
This could make Rhode Island a potential choice.
“Rhode Island is certainly a long shot, but the state is wise to use this platform to make its case about proximity,” Boyd said.
One of the reasons why Boston and other large cities are widely seen as contenders for Amazon is their production of engineers and other highly educated graduates that the company would be targeting for hire within the next 10 to 15 years.
It is seeking a site for what it has called HQ2 that has a metro area of more than 1 million people, with a stable and business-friendly environment, and in either an urban or suburban location with the potential to attract and retain “strong technical talent.”
Rhode Island, while not producing the number of graduates described above, could be expected to attract and retain them, as Amazon itself would be the major draw, according to Boyd and Keith Murray, a professor of marketing at Bryant University.
The state has a reputation for quality of life, and Providence, in particular, has come back to life in recent years, Murray said.
“We’re not graduating executives from all of these universities, but you do have an educated managerial force,” Murray said. “Between attraction and relocation, it would be possible for them to do.”
