CEO Guide to Site Selection

Rhode Island

REACHING HIGH IN LITTLE RHODY

“Little Rhody” has been going to great lengths to shore up its small businesses in the past couple of years. The state has granted more than $51 million in awards to 4,100 small businesses, with up to $30,000 for each company. State officials also announced another program in January 2022 that offers direct financial assistance of up to $5,000 for each qualifying business. Rhode Island’s IT software, cyber systems and data analytics industry concentration is 18% higher than the national average. The state has recently experienced a cluster of patent activities in fields such as e-commerce, data processing, enterprise applications and cybersecurity. Rhode Island continues to be a leading area for innovation-led emerging companies, including GreenBytes, Upserve, Utilidata and ShapeUp.

“Rhode Island has momentum! Our state has one of the best-ranked economic recoveries in the nation according to Moody's, our unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since the current methodology was introduced 46 years ago, and there are still plenty of opportunities ahead.”
Dan McKee
Governor

TAXES

0 %

top corporate income tax

# 0

on the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index ranking

EDUCATION

0 %

of adults 25 years of age and older graduated high school

0 %

of adults age 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

0 %

RIGHT TO WORK STATE

No

QUALITY OF LIFE

# 0

POPULATION GROWTH

0 %

increase between 2010 and 2020

KEY INCENTIVES

Qualified Jobs Incentive Tax Credit: Offers up to $7,500 per job per year for up to 10 years for companies that expand the workforce in or relocate jobs from out of state.

Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credit: Fills financing gaps with redeemable tax credits covering up to 30% of project costs for commercial office, industrial, residential, mixed-use development, ground-up construction or historic rehab for projects of at least $5 million.

Innovation Voucher Program: Offers up to $50,000 for companies with 500 employees or less to support R&D projects that commercialize a new product, process or service, support scale-to-market development or new expertise.

EDCs

Rhode Island Commerce Corp.

commerceri.com

City of Providence Business Portal 

providenceeconomicdevelopment.net/business-portal/index.php

Providence Economic Development

pvdbusiness.com

HIGHLIGHTED PROGRAM OR INITIATIVE

Rhode Island Innovates 2.0, the state’s latest Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy equivalent, calls for policy and investment in new opportunities. Areas of focus for the strategy include: the blue economy, offshore wind as targeted industry cluster, the back office market, creating a minority business accelerator and transition to the future of work via a new Technology Adjustment Initiative.

BIG DEALS

  • Fidelity Investments announced in August 2021 another 350 jobs at its offices in Smithfield.
  • Market Basket opened a $30 million store and created 400 new jobs in Johnston in August 2021.
  • Amazon started construction in December 2021 on a $290 million distribution facility in Johnston.
  • Local company Clarke Valve announced in July 2022 a $5 million Series D funding round to scale its dilating disc valve technology.
  • Bank Rhode Island announced in October 2022 it will build its new headquarters in Providence.
  • Brown University kicked off construction in October 2022 on a 212,000-square-foot lab and biotechnology space.

BIG COMPANIES

Six Fortune 500 companies headquartered in state: 

  • CVS Health
  • United Natural Foods 
  • Textron
  • Citizens Financial Group 
  • FM Global
  • Hasbro
Roundtable

Strategic Planning Workshop

1:00 - 5:00 pm

Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

  1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
  2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
  3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

 

Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

Limited space available.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

Golf Outing

10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS

General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.