Chamber takes guests on manufacturing tour

Three of the county's successful manufacturers open their doors to dignitaries and guests

EastBayRI.com ·

Friday, Oct. 7, was National Manufacturing Day, and to celebrate locally the East Bay Chamber of Commerce held a tour of three local businesses and invited educators, dignitaries and other business owners to participate in the day.
On tour were C & C Fiberglass in Bristol and Warren businesses Magnetic Seal Corp. and WaterRower.
The morning started at the Chamber headquarters on Child Street with refreshments and a short video about the history of manufacturing in America.
Christine O’Connor, marketing and communications director for the Chamber, said this was the second year they have sponsored a tour.
“Manufacturing is the third biggest industry in the East Bay and employs 1,683 people,” she said.
About 40 people, including state and local government leaders, then carpooled (some taking transportation provided by the chamber) to the plant tours. Gov. Gina Raimondo joined the tour later in the morning.
The first stop was C and C Fiberglass Components in the Bristol Industrial Park off Tupelo Street. 
The family-owned company that employs 43 people manufactures fiberglass hulls for the marine industry, including Hunter and Hinkley, J Boats and more.
Before the recession in 2008, C & C produced between 400 and 500 boats annually. In 2012, they built about 250 boats, but they are looking for a record year in 2017.
C & C relies on an internship program with local high schools to get young adults interested in a career in the trade.
Brian DeLaire, a technology teacher at Barrington High School, was on tour and said this is the perfect business for students to learn hands-on manufacturing.
“We are always looking to partner with businesses to get students involved at an early age. It’s a fact that not all students will go on to a traditional four-year college and need to learn about technology,” he said.
The next stop was a few miles down the road in Warren.
Magnetic Seal Corp., located on Market Street, is a leader in engineering and manufacturing high quality magnetic and spring seals. Their seals, used by leading manufacturers worldwide, include relationships with every branch of military service in this country with their seals on Apache helicopters and civilian aircraft as well as car manufacturers such as Ferrari and BMW.
Family-owned and started by George Colby in 1954, the business employs 70 people. They have a relationship with New England Tech and the University of Rhode Island School of Engineering to recruit local talent and keep them employed in Rhode Island.
The present plant has room to expand, thanks to a partnership with the Town of Warren.
Council President Joe DePasquale said a parcel of land adjacent to the existing site that had essentially been abandoned was sold to the company.
“The goal was to allow them to expand as needed. The potential is there, and we were forward thinking,” he said.
WaterRower on Metacom Avenue was the last stop on tour, and Gov. Ramondo joined, along with Lt. Gov. Dan McKee. 
WaterRower, the world's leading manufacturer of wooden rowing machines, is expanding its facilities in Warren to include corporate offices and an addition to the existing plant, which will be completed in the spring of 2017. They are proud to be a “green” building, utilizing the space that was a former jewelry factory.
Employing more than 170 people, they offer internships to local high school students and are looking for good people to work on their seven assembly lines on two shifts. They can produce 500 rowers per day if fully staffed. They offer a $400 attendance bonuses monthly as incentive.
Peter King, owner of WaterRower, said they have quite a few employees who are related family members, and they employee many from the East Bay. They have an average payroll of $125,000 each week, he said.
Gov. Raimondo presented Mr. King as well as the Chamber with a proclamation citing the organizations for their participation in National Manufacturing Day and declared the next month Rhode Island Manufacturing Month.
The tour ended back at Chamber headquarters with a debriefing and refreshments.