Major Expansion at Quonset Business Park

The Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) and J. Goodison Company announced a major expansion today for the full-service marine company’s operations at Quonset Business Park. 

J. Goodison’s expansion will include an $8 million investment by the company, including the addition of an 820-metric-ton mobile boat hoist into a new ship repair facility on roughly six acres along Zarbo Ave.  Once delivered in the spring of 2016, the “Marine Travelift 820 C” will be the largest lift in the Northeast. 

“This development is another sign that Rhode Island is making a comeback,” said Governor Gina Raimondo.   “The federal and QDC resources resulting in J. Goodison’s investments show that our state can help companies succeed here and bring more jobs to the Ocean State. More and more businesses are realizing that they can make it in Rhode Island.”

“The strategic investments we’ve made in Quonset over the years continue to pay off and I am pleased to see the J. Goodison Company expanding.  This is another example of how public-private partnerships can strengthen our infrastructure and create good-paying jobs here in Rhode Island.  We want to ensure Rhode Island’s ports are well-positioned to compete, now and in the future, and I will continue working at the federal level to support sustained growth and investment at Quonset,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, who worked to make the funding available through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in the wake of Hurricane Irene.
 
“Investments in our infrastructure are paying off big for Rhode Island workers and the Ocean State economy.  This new machinery will help a local company expand its operations and hire more Rhode Islanders,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who brought the head of the EDA to Rhode Island this year to meet with marine trades businesses and tour the Quonset Business Park. “Congratulations to the QDC, J. Goodison, and everyone who will benefit from this expansion.”
 
“Quonset Business Park – an anchor of the Rhode Island economy and a force for its recovery - continues to expand, thanks in large part to the high-quality infrastructure in place that puts resident businesses on a path to success. Quonset businesses have the tools they need to grow and attract new jobs, and I will continue to fight for resources that both preserve Quonset’s strength and empower its continued growth,” said Congressman Jim Langevin. “Congratulations to the J. Goodison Company on this exciting announcement, and thank you to their team and the team at Quonset Development Corporation for their tireless commitment to bringing jobs to Rhode Island.”
 
“This expansion is a terrific testament to how collaboration among public agencies can lead to more private investment by Rhode Island companies,” said Stefan Pryor, Rhode Island’s Secretary of Commerce and Chair of the QDC’s Board of Directors. “The marine trade industry is a vital component of our state’s economy and we thank Jack Goodison for helping to advance our economy through his drive, dedication and determination.”
 
Quonset Business Park is already one of the premiere business parks in New England and one of the largest in the Northeast.  It is a main driver of economic growth and job creation in Rhode Island.  The Park is home to more than 200 companies, employing nearly 11,000 people in both full-time and part-time jobs in every sector of the economy. The Port of Davisville is consistently one of the Top Ten auto importers in North America.   The Business Park has added more than 4,000 new jobs since 2005.


A major catalyst for the expanded shipyard was a $6 million grant from the EDA, which was granted in December 2012 to help replace the Zarbo Ave bulkhead. Construction of the new bulkhead is now more than 80 percent complete.


“The new waterfront shipyard will allow us to service our customers better, more efficiently, and at more competitive prices with an expanded portfolio of services, over which we will have direct control,” said Jack Goodison, owner/partner of J. Goodison Company. “We believe our new shipyard will be a tremendous asset to the Quonset Business Park, North Kingstown and the entire State of Rhode Island.”
 
“One of our key priorities at the QDC is to help our tenants grow so they can help move Rhode Island’s economy forward and create more jobs,” said Steven J. King, Managing Director of the QDC.   “Through a joint effort by our federal delegation, the EDA, and various state agencies we were able to improve a major piece of infrastructure at the Park.  This project not only preserved 80 skilled jobs in the marine trades industry but will also help create 30 to 50 additional skilled-labor jobs with J. Goodison’s presence on a once vacant parcel.”
 
J. Goodison Company is a full-service marine operation, offering drydock repairs, dockside services, welding, UHP blasting and painting services, cleaning services, mechanical repairs, 24/7 emergency support, inspection services, and electrical/electronic repairs.  In 2010, Jack Goodison was named the Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the same year the company moved its headquarters to Quonset Business Park. 
The expansion comes at an exciting time for Quonset.  Governor Gina Raimondo announced in October that the Port of Davisville achieved its sixth consecutive record-breaking year for automobiles imported by ship in 2015.   The Port is now approaching 200,000 automobiles imported this year, already shattering last year’s record of 178,215 units.  Recognized this year by the American Journal of Transportation as "the Biggest Small Port in the U.S.," the Port of Davisville accounted for more than half of the import vessel calls arriving in the Narragansett Bay in 2014, and has already broken its record for international vessels arriving in 2015.
Today, there are more than 200 companies at Quonset, nearly 11,000 people working in full and part-time jobs, and just over 265 acres left for development at the 3,200 acre business park.