Quonset’s tremendous growth continued in 2018. The Business Park is now home to over 200 companies providing nearly 12,000 full and part-time jobs, including one out of every seven manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island.
Pictured above (L-R): QDC Managing Director Steven J. King; Gov. Gina Raimondo; CEO of Finlays USA Steve Olyha; RI Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor; and North Kingstown Town Councilor Richard A. Welch.
This year we welcomed new business to Quonset including Finlays USA and Infinity Meat Solutions, while Electric Boat announced a major expansion of their Quonset facility and a total of 500 new full and part-time jobs were added to the Park.
Finlays, a global leader in tea and coffee extracts, cut the ribbon along with Gov. Raimondo on their new 28,800 s/f, state-of-the-art research and development center. The company has committed to hiring Rhode Islanders and maintaining these jobs in the state for a minimum of 12 years. Meanwhile, Infinity Meat Solutions, a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize, broke ground on their new site at the Business Park this fall. Their 200,000 s/f state-of-the-art protein packaging plant will bring 700 new jobs to the state.
Quonset’s largest company, Electric Boat, also broke ground on a major expansion to their Quonset facility this past fall. The expansion will create and support 1,300 new jobs in Rhode Island.
We were proud to accommodate more business at the Park in the first building of our new Flex Industrial Campus this year. The first building, with three units each offering around 10,000 s/f of space, is now fully leased. Construction of the second flex space is currently underway. The Flex Industrial Campus will allow companies to establish a footing at Quonset without having to invest in and build out their own facilities.
Quonset Business Park’s continued success is truly a testament to the over 200 diverse companies that make their home here. We are committed to continuing this year’s momentum and leading the charge in economic development and job growth in 2019 and beyond. We are grateful to our many partners in government, our federal delegation, state leadership and Commerce RI and local officials for their support.
