What can strategic investments accomplish? Look no further than Quonset.

Rhode Island has seen what can happen when we make sound investments in the infrastructure that businesses need to grow. Over the past two decades, Quonset has become one of the state’s most successful economic engines, supporting thousands of jobs, attracting billions of dollars in private investment and generating economic activity that reaches far beyond the Business Park’s physical footprint.

Just the last month alone saw two ribbon cuttings.

• REGENT Craft officially opened its new 255,000-square-foot factory to produce electric seagliders, which will create 300 new jobs over the next 10 years.
• Edesia Nutrition on Thursday morning celebrated the completion of  a 200,000-square-foot expansion to more than double its operational capacity, allowing the company to reach an additional 10 million children each year in the fight against malnutrition.

That growth didn’t happen overnight. It took long-term planning, consistent investment, and a commitment to making Quonset a place where businesses can grow.

As voters consider Question 3 in the November general election, Rhode Island has an opportunity to build on that progress. 

This year’s economic development bond would allocate $100 million to infrastructure and development projects, including $55 million for land acquisition, site development and project investment for new or existing companies at Quonset and the I-195 District in Providence. Also included is $45 million for infrastructure, facilities and projects that support Rhode Island’s fast-growing life sciences, ocean tech, and defense industries.

Question 3 offers voters the opportunity to invest in places that have already proven their successful ROI, including the Quonset Business Park. 

At Quonset, sustained investment over the last two decades has delivered real results for Rhode Island. Since 2005, the Business Park has grown to house over 15,000 jobs at more than 260 companies, including 25% of the state’s manufacturing jobs.

These jobs pay wages that are 20% higher than the state average and generate $2.2 billion in household income for Rhode Island families. At the same time, companies have invested more than $2.5 billion at Quonset, including nearly $900 million in the last five years alone. 

But this success doesn’t mean our mission is complete. There remains a need to provide new and expanding businesses with suitable locations, reliable utilities, transportation connections and pad-ready sites that can accommodate growth.

At Quonset, we work to anticipate what employers will need next. Our goal is to make it convenient and sensible for existing businesses to expand and for new businesses to choose Rhode Island. That requires us to plan ahead and ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with demand. 

After nearly 20 years at the helm of the Quonset Development Corporation, I have seen how consistent investment and public-private collaboration can turn potential into real economic activity. The success we see at Quonset offers a valuable lesson for Rhode Island: preparation matters.

We cannot wait until employers are ready to expand before we begin preparing the sites and infrastructure that expansion requires. We must make thoughtful investments today to give Rhode Island the best chance to compete tomorrow. 

From Quonset’s perspective, Question 3 positions Rhode Island to do exactly that.