Discover the possibilities with English for Mayor 2026

To secure commitments from international manufacturing firms, across a spectrum of industries (from advanced car components to traditional consumer goods), resulting in the creation of at least 2,500 new, high-quality jobs in Rhode Island within five years.

Core Principle: This initiative requires unified execution and funding, leveraging the strengths of the state's agencies, its cities, and specialized private-sector partners.

Pillar 1: Unified Governance and City-State Collaboration
This pillar ensures all relevant state agencies and city economic development offices operate under a single, streamlined strategy for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Collaborator
Role in the Partnership
Rhode Island Commerce Corp. (Commerce RI)
Lead Agency. Manages incentive programs (Qualified Jobs, Rebuild RI), oversees all marketing, and serves as the single point of contact for international firms.

RI Dept. of Labor and Training (DLT)
Workforce Lead. Manages job training grants, apprenticeship tax credits, and custom recruitment for foreign firms.
RI Cities (Providence, Warwick, Central Falls, etc.)
Site Readiness & Expediting. Identifies and zones "shovel-ready" industrial parcels, streamlines permitting (fast-track approvals), and offers local Tax Stabilization Agreements (TSAs).

John H. Chafee Center for International Business
Research & Outreach. Provides market research on target countries/sectors and assists Commerce RI in coordinating trade missions and inbound delegation visits.

Polaris MEP / RIMA
Industry Expertise. Provides technical assessment of potential factory sites and connects foreign firms with local supply chain partners.

Key Action: Inter-Agency Task Force
Establish a monthly "Global Investment Task Force" composed of executives from the five entities listed above to review leads, standardize incentive offers, and resolve site-specific regulatory hurdles.

Pillar 2: Dual-Track Sector Targeting & International Outreach
The plan targets manufacturing in two distinct tiers to ensure both high-wage growth and broad job creation.

Track 1: High-Value, Advanced Manufacturing (Car Components, Med-Tech, Blue Economy)
Target Countries: Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Israel (known for precision engineering, automotive tech, and medical devices).
RI Value Proposition: Access to New England supply chains, proximity to top research institutions (Brown, URI), and talent retention via the Wavemaker Fellowship program for engineers.

Pitch Focus: R&D collaboration utilizing the Manufacturing Innovation Vouchers (up to \$75,000 for university partnerships).
Track 2: Volume & Consumer Goods (Pencils, Packaging, Textiles, Light Assembly)
Target Countries: Mexico, Vietnam, and portions of Eastern Europe (seeking resilient, near-shored or friend-shored supply chains closer to the U.S. market).

RI Value Proposition: Competitive logistics access (Port of Providence, I-95 corridor), streamlined permitting via city partners, and highly flexible workforce training funds.

Pitch Focus: Cost-reduction through the Qualified Jobs Incentive Tax Credit (up to \$7,500 per job/year) and rapid facility establishment via Rebuild RI Tax Credits for construction/rehabilitation.
Pillar 3: Customized Incentives and Site Strategy
Rhode Island must offer a transparent and aggressive incentive stack to compete globally.
Incentive Program
Target Application
Max Benefit/Structure
Qualified Jobs Tax Credit
All new jobs
Up to \$7,500/job/year for 10 years (minimum 10 jobs)
Rebuild RI Tax Credit
Large facility construction/renovation (over \$5M)
Up to 20% of project costs
Manufacturing Equipment Voucher
Small-to-Midsize manufacturers (under 50 employees)
Up to \$25,000 for equipment purchases
Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA)
Local city incentive for large property investments
Negotiated by City; reduces local property taxes for a set term
First Wave Closing Fund
Discretionary Gap Financing
Conditional loan/grant to close the financing gap for high-impact projects

Key Action: Industrial Site Inventory
Cities must contribute a constantly updated inventory of at least ten certified industrial sites (zoned, environmentally clear, and utility-mapped) to the Commerce RI FDI database.

Pillar 4: Dedicated Workforce Pipeline Development
A foreign manufacturer’s greatest concern is labor. Rhode Island must guarantee a supply of trained workers before the factory opens.
Replicate the Success Model: Adapt the Real Jobs Rhode Island successful "Pipeline to Manufacturing Careers in Shipbuilding" model to create a generic "Pipeline to Global Manufacturing" program.

Customized Training: Utilize DLT's Job Training Grants to fully subsidize or co-fund proprietary training programs for the specific processes and machinery required by the incoming international firm (e.g., specific automotive assembly, specialized chemical mixing for pencil lead).

Apprenticeship Expansion: Aggressively market the Apprenticeship Tax Credit (50% of wages, up to \$4,800) to the foreign firms, specifically for tool and die makers, machinists, and industrial maintenance roles, ensuring knowledge transfer from highly skilled international staff to local hires.
Language and Culture: Offer subsidized or free English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses for expatriate leadership staff and cross-cultural training for local managers, ensuring smooth integration.

Pillar 5: High-Impact Marketing and Trade Missions
The state's marketing and direct outreach must convey stability, readiness, and support.

Develop Core Collateral: Create a professionally designed, multi-lingual "Rhode Island: Built for Global Manufacturing" pitch book. This document must clearly outline the incentive stack, labor pipeline guarantee, and available sites.

Trade Mission Execution: The Governor or Commerce Secretary must lead annual, highly publicized trade missions to targeted countries (e.g., Hannover Messe in Germany, major auto shows in Japan). These missions should include a delegation of City Mayors or Economic Directors to demonstrate local commitment.
Ambassador Program: Recruit existing foreign-owned manufacturers in Rhode Island (if any) to serve as "Rhode Island Ambassadors," sharing positive testimonials and success stories with potential investors from their home country.

This unified, five-pillar approach ensures that Rhode Island presents a cohesive front, managing the entire process from initial contact and site selection to employee training and long-term retention.

Strategic Plan: Global Manufacturing Job Attraction (Rhode Island)
Objective: To secure commitments from international manufacturing firms, across a spectrum of industries (from advanced car components to traditional consumer goods), resulting in the creation of at least 2,500 new, high-quality jobs in Rhode Island within five years.

Core Principle: This initiative requires unified execution and funding, leveraging the strengths of the state's agencies, its cities, and specialized private-sector partners.

Pillar 1: Unified Governance and City-State Collaboration
This pillar ensures all relevant state agencies and city economic development offices operate under a single, streamlined strategy for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Collaborator
Role in the Partnership
Rhode Island Commerce Corp. (Commerce RI)
Lead Agency. Manages incentive programs (Qualified Jobs, Rebuild RI), oversees all marketing, and serves as the single point of contact for international firms.

RI Dept. of Labor and Training (DLT)
Workforce Lead. Manages job training grants, apprenticeship tax credits, and custom recruitment for foreign firms.
RI Cities (Providence, Warwick, Central Falls, etc.)
Site Readiness & Expediting. Identifies and zones "shovel-ready" industrial parcels, streamlines permitting (fast-track approvals), and offers local Tax Stabilization Agreements (TSAs).

John H. Chafee Center for International Business
Research & Outreach. Provides market research on target countries/sectors and assists Commerce RI in coordinating trade missions and inbound delegation visits.

Polaris MEP / RIMA
Industry Expertise. Provides technical assessment of potential factory sites and connects foreign firms with local supply chain partners.

Key Action: Inter-Agency Task Force
Establish a monthly "Global Investment Task Force" composed of executives from the five entities listed above to review leads, standardize incentive offers, and resolve site-specific regulatory hurdles.

Pillar 2: Dual-Track Sector Targeting & International Outreach
The plan targets manufacturing in two distinct tiers to ensure both high-wage growth and broad job creation.

Track 1: High-Value, Advanced Manufacturing (Car Components, Med-Tech, Blue Economy)

Target Countries: Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Israel (known for precision engineering, automotive tech, and medical devices).

RI Value Proposition: Access to New England supply chains, proximity to top research institutions (Brown, URI), and talent retention via the Wavemaker Fellowship program for engineers.

Pitch Focus: R&D collaboration utilizing the Manufacturing Innovation Vouchers (up to \$75,000 for university partnerships).
Track 2: Volume & Consumer Goods (Pencils, Packaging, Textiles, Light Assembly)
Target Countries: Mexico, Vietnam, and portions of Eastern Europe (seeking resilient, near-shored or friend-shored supply chains closer to the U.S. market).
RI Value Proposition: Competitive logistics access (Port of Providence, I-95 corridor), streamlined permitting via city partners, and highly flexible workforce training funds.

Pitch Focus: Cost-reduction through the Qualified Jobs Incentive Tax Credit (up to \$7,500 per job/year) and rapid facility establishment via Rebuild RI Tax Credits for construction/rehabilitation.
Pillar 3: Customized Incentives and Site Strategy
Rhode Island must offer a transparent and aggressive incentive stack to compete globally.

Incentive Program
Target Application
Max Benefit/Structure
Qualified Jobs Tax Credit
All new jobs
Up to \$7,500/job/year for 10 years (minimum 10 jobs)
Rebuild RI Tax Credit
Large facility construction/renovation (over \$5M)
Up to 20% of project costs
Manufacturing Equipment Voucher
Small-to-Midsize manufacturers (under 50 employees)
Up to \$25,000 for equipment purchases
Tax Stabilization Agreement (TSA)
Local city incentive for large property investments
Negotiated by City; reduces local property taxes for a set term
First Wave Closing Fund
Discretionary Gap Financing
Conditional loan/grant to close the financing gap for high-impact projects

Key Action: Industrial Site Inventory
Cities must contribute a constantly updated inventory of at least ten certified industrial sites (zoned, environmentally clear, and utility-mapped) to the Commerce RI FDI database.
Pillar 4: Dedicated Workforce Pipeline Development
A foreign manufacturer’s greatest concern is labor. Rhode Island must guarantee a supply of trained workers before the factory opens.
Replicate the Success Model: Adapt the Real Jobs Rhode Island successful "Pipeline to Manufacturing Careers in Shipbuilding" model to create a generic "Pipeline to Global Manufacturing" program.

Customized Training: Utilize DLT's Job Training Grants to fully subsidize or co-fund proprietary training programs for the specific processes and machinery required by the incoming international firm (e.g., specific automotive assembly, specialized chemical mixing for pencil lead).
Apprenticeship Expansion: Aggressively market the Apprenticeship Tax Credit (50% of wages, up to \$4,800) to the foreign firms, specifically for tool and die makers, machinists, and industrial maintenance roles, ensuring knowledge transfer from highly skilled international staff to local hires.
Language and Culture: Offer subsidized or free English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses for expatriate leadership staff and cross-cultural training for local managers, ensuring smooth integration.

Pillar 5: High-Impact Marketing and Trade Missions
The state's marketing and direct outreach must convey stability, readiness, and support.

Develop Core Collateral: Create a professionally designed, multi-lingual "Rhode Island: Built for Global Manufacturing" pitch book. This document must clearly outline the incentive stack, labor pipeline guarantee, and available sites.

Trade Mission Execution: The Governor or Commerce Secretary must lead annual, highly publicized trade missions to targeted countries (e.g., Hannover Messe in Germany, major auto shows in Japan). These missions should include a delegation of City Mayors or Economic Directors to demonstrate local commitment.

Ambassador Program: Recruit existing foreign-owned manufacturers in Rhode Island (if any) to serve as "Rhode Island Ambassadors," sharing positive testimonials and success stories with potential investors from their home country.

This unified, five-pillar approach ensures that Rhode Island presents a cohesive front, managing the entire process from initial contact and site selection to employee training and long-term retention.