Governor Lincoln D. Chafee joined with state officials and local business leaders today to announce that the Port of Davisville at Quonset Business Park had a record breaking year for automobiles imported by ship. In 2012, more than 172,000 automobiles were imported at the Port, with another 41,000 autos coming by rail and 2,300 coming by truck. Vehicles arriving at the Port of Davisville are processed, finished and distributed across the country by North Atlantic Distribution, Inc. (NORAD), a long-time Quonset tenant.
Today's figures reflected a 14 percent increase over 2011's record-breaking numbers. That year, the Port of Davisville was ranked as the seventh largest auto-importer in North America. The Port is a key component of the Quonset Business Park, which is already considered one of the premiere business parks in New England and one of the largest in the Northeast. Quonset is now home to more than 175 companies, employing approximately 9,100 people in full-time and part-time jobs across several industries.
"I am pleased to be here today to announce another success story at Quonset," Governor Chafee said. "It's not only an important achievement for our state, but one made possible by NORAD – a long-standing Rhode Island company that employs more than 300 people at the Park."
"NORAD and the QDC are working in tandem to help spur greater job growth and economic development. Today's news is an excellent example of the public and private sectors working together and succeeding," Chafee concluded.
"For more than 25 years we have seen tremendous growth at the Port of Davisville and we are thrilled to call it our home," said Michael Miranda, president and CEO of NORAD. "The state and our federal leaders have done an incredible job in positioning the Port for more business, and we intend to capitalize on those efforts in the months and years ahead."
In 2012, the Port imported 172,448 autos, a 14.6 percent increase from 2011 and the third consecutive year of double digit percentage growth. The amount of cars imported is now more than five times the volume seen at the Port just 15 years ago. An additional 41,352 autos were brought to the Port to be finished by rail and 2,389 by truck.
"This is another great milestone for NORAD and the QDC, but we believe there is much more growth still to come for Quonset and the companies at the Business Park," said Steven J. King, PE, the managing director of the QDC. "We are dedicated to helping move Rhode Island forward and building on the momentum that we are seeing today."
Governor Chafee made today's announcement while welcoming Leadership Rhode Island, one of the state's oldest community leadership programs, to Quonset. This year's class has chosen to focus their curriculum on the recent economic growth at Quonset and the large number of jobs created at the Park in recent years. The group's focus is to learn what elements of Quonset's recent success can be taken and implemented more broadly across the rest of Rhode Island, hopefully with similar results.
About Quonset Development Corporation: The Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) is a real estate development and property management company. Formed in 2005 it is responsible for the development and management of the 3,207 acre Quonset Business Park®. Quonset Business Park is home to over 175 companies, employing more than 9,100 people full- and part-time in a variety of industries. The Port of Davisville at Quonset Business Park is the 7th largest auto importer in North America.