Focus - Page 4 of 27 - Providence Business News

A HEARTBEAT AWAY: Elizabeth Kelleher Dwyer, director of R.I. Department of Business Regulation, has been appointed president-elect of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and will take over the top role in 2027. At right is Megan Mihara, DBR principal program manager. PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

Dwyer poised to give R.I. big voice on national level

Financial Services 03/27/2026

For the first time in more than a century, a Rhode Island insurance regulator has stepped into a top national role. Elizabeth Kelleher Dwyer, director...

GOOD OR BAD IDEA? President Donald Trump has proposed capping annual percentage rates for credit cards at 10%, but some in the financial services industry think such a move could have a negative ripple effect. AP FILE PHOTO/STEVE HELBER

Banks, airlines wary of credit card interest cap

Financial Services 03/13/2026

When President Donald Trump announced earlier this year that he planned to order credit card companies to cap the annual percentage rate at 10%...

ADDITIONAL PAYMENT: The 11,579-square-foot home at 626 Bellevue Ave. in Newport, which sold for $30 million in 2021, is now assessed at $21.6 million. That will mean an additional $103,200 annual payment to the state under the “Taylor Swift tax” taking effect in July.  COURTESY GUSTAVE WHITE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

How will ‘Taylor Swift tax’ impact R.I.’s luxury real estate market?

Focus 03/13/2026

As the Ocean State’s so-called “Taylor Swift tax” is poised to go into effect this July, observers agree that for Rhode Island’s wealthiest homeowners,...

NIGHTLIGHT: This is an example of moonlighting along a driveway in Barrington. New England Landscape Lighting Inc. placed lights in the trees so the soft beam filters through the branches.  COURTESY NEW ENGLAND LANDSCAPE LIGHTING INC.

Tech helps spark a boom In landscape lighting

Focus 03/13/2026

From light bulbs to wiring, automation to smartphone-based controls, Christopher Beneduce’s world has changed quite a bit in recent years. When Beneduce, the president of...

ACTION: Composite manufacturer Moore Brothers Co. in Bristol uses social media to market its business. Floor technician and multimedia creator Jacob Rapoza, left, records computer numerical control programmer and operator Benjamin Calssen as he works on the CMS Ares 5 axis CNC Gantry machine. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Factories are finding ways to build a following on social media

Focus 02/27/2026

For Moore Brothers Co., a midsized fabrication and engineering manufacturer in Bristol, the factory floor isn’t just a place to build custom composite parts...

SHINING EXAMPLE: The University of Rhode Island solar carport was erected two years ago over a 400-spot parking lot along Plains Road on the South Kingstown campus.  COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Solar carport projects fueling climate goals

Focus 02/27/2026

There has been a lot of talk these days about net-zero emissions – removing more greenhouse gases than produced – but Jeffrey Hall says...

AN EVOLUTION: Kristen Regine, a Rhode Island College marketing professor, says colleges are adding more data courses with a focus on analytics as social media continues to gain in importance in marketing.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Colleges embrace creator economy curriculum

Education 02/27/2026

Ten years ago, most social media marketing education focused intensely on controlling a brand’s messaging. Today, it’s been reimagined to prepare students for “a creator...

OPEN SPACE: Guests enjoy a meal at Rooftop at Providence G, one of several venues in Rhode Island that offer dining and bar space on a rooftop.  COURTESY PROVIDENCE WARWICK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU/NICK MILLARD

Providence nightlife has gone to new heights

Focus 02/27/2026

The nightlife landscape in Providence is evolving skyward. There is a trend toward rooftop establishments that seek to offer what industry experts call a “differentiated”...