Horowitz: Landing GE Demonstrates Raimondo’s National Profile is Good For RI
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Failing to realize that Governor Raimondo’s strongly positive national profile is not only good for her, it is good for Rhode Island, some people have actually criticized her for getting too much national publicity. Last week’s announcement that General Electric(GE) will be opening a Digital Technology Center in Providence and bringing an initial 100 high technology jobs with the potential for hundreds more to our State should put an end to that level of absurd, but all too typical Rhode Island parochialism.
Raimondo’s national reputation is a door opener to Fortune 500 companies like General Electric. And in this case, once her foot was in the door, her persistence in the face of GE choosing Boston over Providence for its corporate headquarters earlier this year ended up paying big dividends. When a company with GE’s outstanding reputation chooses Rhode Island, other companies are bound to take notice.
The sounds last week of GE Executives and spokespeople singing Rhode Island’s praises provide a big boost to efforts to recruit more businesses and entrepreneurs to our State. “It’s really about talent," said, GE-Digital spokeswoman Amy Sarosiek, pointing to the talent at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design. Expanding on this point, Chris Drumgole, vice president and chief Technology officer for GE Information Technology said, "We needed a place that had a strong tech talent pipeline, top-tier university partnership opportunities and great quality of life. With its unique location along the northeast corridor, Rhode Island gives us access to many of the assets we need for success."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe new jobs will be in the high paying areas of engineering, software and applications design. As Governor Raimondo said, "Our top priority is putting people back to work, so I'm thrilled that GE Digital is planning to bring hundreds of new high-paying jobs to Rhode Island over the next several years."
To land GE, the State is supplying about $5,6 million in incentives over about a ten year period. This isn’t exactly chump change, but Commerce Secretary Pryor estimates that at least $12 million in new state revenues will be generated. Far more importantly, it sends a strong message to the new technology sector that Rhode Island is an attractive place to locate a business.
The GE decision adds to the Raimondo Administration’s growing record of economic development success. This includes Wexford-CV Properties commitment to build a life-sciences complex on Providence’s 195 land, the manufacturing firm, Greytstone, choosing to expand in Rhode Island instead of Virgina, two new hotels moving forward in Providence, and Electric Boat adding 4,000 jobs in Quonset and Connecticut close to the RI border.
These results are being generated by a sound economic development strategy—one that is based in large measure on evidence and best practices, drawing on: policy approaches that have succeeded in other states, including targeted tax incentives to encourage businesses to locate here, an overhaul of job training, and long-overdue investments in infrastructure. And Yes, they are also a result of Governor Raimondo’s positive national profile—one we Rhode Islanders should be celebrating, not criticizing.
Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island
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