PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s federal delegates announced a $125,000 grant to support job creation and economic growth in the state’s composites industry.
U.S. Sens. Jack F. Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined U.S. Reps. David N. Cicilline and James R. Langevin on July 18 along with Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and industry representatives to announce the U.S. Economic Development Administration grant, awarded to the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association and the town of Bristol to develop a strategic plan for the composites industry in the East Bay communities.
The federal grant was matched by funding from the Rhode Island Foundation and $25,000 from Raimondo’s Real Jobs Rhode Island program.
A release about the federal grant announcement said the planning process facilitated by the grant money will bring together the public and private sectors to examine the East Bay’s resources – including infrastructure, workforce-development programs and manufacturing expertise – to develop an “economic-development roadmap” for local composites manufacturing.
“The composites industry in Rhode Island’s East Bay is leading the nation in the development of this cutting-edge technology, and this award provides an incredible opportunity to continue to grow and put more Rhode Islanders to work,” said Cicilline, who advocated to the Economic Development Administration on behalf of the grant application. “This investment will make a real difference in the lives of working men and women who will find good-paying jobs in composites, and I am committed to doing everything I can to promote this exciting industry.”
According to a release about the federal grant announcement, more than 45 composites companies are headquartered in the East Bay, which includes the communities of Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Little Compton, Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth and Tiverton.
“We are excited to partner with the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association and the Composites Alliance of Rhode Island in support of local business owners and entrepreneurs through this U.S. EDA project to develop a composites innovation cluster,” said Steven Contente, town administrator of Bristol. “The town of Bristol has a long history of innovative, leading-edge manufacturing, and that spirit is still evident today. We look forward to providing assistance through this project to ensure a healthy environment for the composites industry to grow and thrive.”
Kaylen Auer is a PBN contributing writer.
