Success Stories

Small Business Exporter of the Year: Mearthane is Exporting Rhode Island to World

Founded in 1965, Mearthane Products Corporation (MPC) is an internationally known leader in the development and manufacture of innovative polyurethane based parts and components for challenging markets worldwide. Their patented formulations and versatile manufacturing provide unmatched performance in Office Automation, Banking, Postal Systems, and a wide variety of other applications worldwide. This profile caught the attention of Kevin Redmond, who invested in the company in 1998. In 2008, Kevin became owner and CEO of MPC, and began implementing a new strategy to grow Mearthane in a rapidly-changing marketplace.

The onset of globalization in manufacturing had an immense effect on MPC, as the relocation of large Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to assembly points outside the United States presented new challenges, but also opportunities. This trend put MPC, a dedicated Rhode Island manufacturer, in a more difficult position to service their traditional markets. As a... Read More

Small Business Person of the Year: Blue Moon Industries; a Pillar of Technological Excellence in Rhode Island

Gary Palardy, President and CEO of Blue Moon Industries, began his journey into business at the age of 17 where he started as a co-op student working for the computer division of Raytheon (Data Systems). Gary credits much of his success to the mentors he encountered there and the success driven mindset instilled in him. He began working in minicomputer design, writing machine-level diagnostic software and software to stress test various peripheral equipment. Gary soon moved into working with operating systems design and development but with the introduction of the microprocessor the market changed. An explosion of opportunity presented itself and required a new way of thinking towards; in was an environment in which Gary would thrive.

By 1991, an opportunity to create his business for selling, implementing, and supporting Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems presented itself and he created Blue Moon Industries. Blue Moon was created to provide business software and... Read More

At ProjectEngin, “E” is the Key

Ann Kaiser is the CEO of ProjectEngin, a STEM education consulting firm specifically focused on the inclusion of engineering design in the K-12 classroom. At ProjectEngin they believe there is no “right” answer, they believe in the idea that every student can define a problem, evaluate solutions, modify them, and reach an optimized final product. No problem or project is ever necessarily finished, but creates an education path to create a way of learning for the rest of their lives.

Ann drives her curricular and pedagogical efforts with the idea that innovative solutions to current and future challenges will require the combined efforts and talents of diverse thinkers. By educating the educators, ProjectEngin is creating a classroom culture of “engineers” who are not afraid to fail, an environment where a student’s imagination and vision is bolstered, promoting respect for each other’s divergent opinions; a brewing pot of collaboration... Read More