Warwick’s central location and variety of real estate available for lease or purchase has recently lured two Rhode Island businesses to relocate to our community.
Recently, I joined the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, lieutenant governor Dan McKee, community leaders and clients of Massey and Associates to celebrate the ribbon cutting and grand opening of their new offices at 250 Centerville Rd. in the Summit Office Park. The owner and founder, Jeffrey Massey, relocated his wealth management firm there, doubling the space they had in Cumberland. The mood was festive as some 50 people enjoyed refreshments and conversation after the ribbon was cut.
Massey, who is a certified financial planner, investment advisor, author and host of the “Massey on Money” radio show said the office is more centrally located – a tremendous convenience both for his many clients and his staff of seven. In addition to the professional services they provide their clients, Massey, a U.S. Army veteran and officer in the RI National Guard, encourages his staff to participate in local charitable events and causes. We are pleased to welcome them to Warwick and look forward to their success and future growth here.
The folks at the Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN) were equally enthusiastic about their move to our city – “this is where it’s happening,” RIPIN executive director Samuel Salganik told a reporter – from neighboring Cranston. Their new headquarters, in a suite at 300 Jefferson Blvd., is now home to 70 of their 100 employees.
While they officially moved in September, RIPIN held off on their grand opening ceremony until they were settled. Last month’s event drew U.S. senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with U.S. representative David Cicilline, and other Rhode Island officials, who, like my administration, are supportive of RIPIN’s mission to provide support to parents and caregivers of children with special needs. Their peer-support approach has been the cornerstone of their success since RIPIN’s incorporation in 1991. In fact, parents and caregivers for those with special needs comprise most of the board of directors and the vast majority of RIPIN’s staff.
RIPIN has been the official Parent Training Information Center for special education by the U.S. Department of Education since around the time of its incorporation. The agency, now with an operating budget of some $4.6 million, supports early intervention services for young children with special needs, assists adults in need of free or low-cost wellness and health classes, and serves as Rhode Island’s official place for consumers needing help navigating the often confusing health care system.
RIPIN plays a vitally important role for so many needing support for health or educational special needs, and we are pleased that they now call Warwick home.
Massey and Associates and RIPIN are two great examples of the type of diversity that exists in Warwick’s business and non-profit community. For more information about locating your business here call Karen Jedson, director of Tourism, Culture and Development, at (401) 738-2014.
Joseph Solomon is the mayor of Warwick.