Rhode Island Manufacturers Association - Providence Business News

LOOKING AHEAD: Josh Daly, left, co-founder of Local Return, says the retirement of manufacturers without a succession plan is a “huge economic development issue.” With him is Nancy Forster-Holt, clinical associate professor at the University of Rhode Island’s College of Business.  PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

R.I.’s manufacturing sector braces for owner exits

Economy 06/10/2026

A wave of retiring business owners is about to reshape Rhode Island manufacturing, where 80% are approaching an exit without clear succession plans. At least,...

Melissa Travis in January was named CEO and president of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association. She previously served as president of the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants. / PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

Prepare workforce to win

One Last Thing 03/13/2026

Melissa Travis | Rhode Island Manufacturers Association CEO and president Leadership is not about fitting into a mold – it is about shattering it to...

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...

Most-read stories on PBN.com, January 2026

Print Edition 02/13/2026

1. MEET THE MAKERS: Westerly factory specializes in crucial, mostly concealed, construction components PUBLISHED IN PRINT: JAN. 16. In an 85,000-square-foot brick factory on...

Travis named CEO, president of Rhode Island Manufacturers Association

Industries 01/23/2026

PROVIDENCE – Melissa Travis is the new CEO and president of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association. RIMA spokesperson Dawn Arpin confirmed with Providence Business News...

DRILLING DOWN: Mazinho Palencia, a Community College of Rhode Island graduate, works on a drill press in the school’s Advanced Manufacturing Lab in 2024. COURTESY COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND

CRISIS OF INTEREST: Industry woos next-gen workers

Digital Special Editions 10/10/2025

With a rich industrial history – ranging from shipbuilding and textiles to jewelry, chemicals and metals – the Ocean State’s economy has always been...

LEADING THE WAY: The Rhode Island Manufacturers Association will hold its annual Business Leaders Golf Tournament on Sept. 8 at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln.  COURTESY KIRKBRAE COUNTRY CLUB

Editor’s Choice: R.I. Manufacturers Association to hold Business Leaders Golf Tournament

Print Edition 08/29/2025

EDITOR’S CHOICE R.I. Manufacturers Association to hold golf tournament THE RHODE ISLAND Manufacturers Association will hold its annual Business Leaders Golf Tournament, hosted by...

David M. Chenevert

Economic Activity 08/29/2025

PBN Leaders & Achievers Awards 2025 DAVID M. CHENEVERT Rhode Island Manufacturers Association Executive director DAVID M. CHENEVERT STILL gets excited when he walks into a machine...

PBN’s 2025 Leaders & Achievers celebrated and honored

Business Services 08/22/2025

WARWICK – Twenty-two local business industry leaders were formally recognized Thursday evening for their leadership efforts across multiple sectors in Providence Business News’ 2025...