EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – Highlighting Rhode Island’s vital manufacturing sector, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today convened a roundtable discussion with a host of local businesses that produce Rhode Island-made products to unpack the challenges they face and opportunities ahead for growth and success.

Senator Reed’s annual Manufacturing Month forum included small business leaders, industry experts, and manufacturing assistance organizations. Reed partnered with Polaris MEP and the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association to bring together leaders in Ocean State manufacturing across a number of industries to discuss the challenges they currently face, including President Trump’s tariff taxes, as well as resources and support available to help them grow, thrive, and succeed.

Among the top concerns shared by local business owners was the negative impacts that President Trump’s widespread tariffs are having on their ability to plan for the future and chart a course for success. A recent survey conducted by Polaris MEP, Rhode Island Commerce, and the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association found that over 80 percent of respondents reported that President Trump’s tariff taxes were having a negative impact on their business. The business leaders also discussed the opportunities presented by Rhode Island’s leading role in the Blue Economy and how small businesses and local manufacturers can benefit from the industry’s growth.

“Rhode Island’s small businesses and manufacturers help fuel our economy. Our manufacturers innovate, create jobs and opportunities, and produce a range of well-made products. The success of manufacturing in Rhode Island is critical to the success of our economy. That’s why I will continue working to support our small businesses, boost workforce development initiatives, and strengthen Rhode Island’s manufacturing ecosystem,” said Senator Reed.

Rhode Island is home to over 1,600 manufacturing companies that employ approximately 8.5 percent of the Ocean State’s total workforce. Rhode Island’s manufacturers have a multiplying effect across the state’s economy, with every $1 in pay for manufacturing workers resulting in an income increase of 90 cents for other workers in the state.

According to Rhode Island Commerce, the total economic output from the state’s manufacturers was $5.28 billion in 2021.

Senator Reed says that strengthening and expanding efforts on the federal level to support Rhode Island’s manufacturers will help to increase wages, bolster the state’s economy, and better position the state to be a leader in numerous industries.

This year’s roundtable included business owners and representatives from Deep Blue Composites, a Bristol-based advanced material integration and precision manufacturer; igus, Inc., a global plastics and high-performance polymer manufacturer with North American headquarters in Rumford; Yushin America, Inc., a Cranston-based robotics company; Mearthane Products Corporations, a Cranston-based manufacturer of high-performance polyurethane components; AmeriSewn, a Pawtucket-based high quality custom sewing company for military, industrial, health care, and consumer markets; and Murdock Webbing, a Central Falls-based small family business that manufactures woven products for a wide range of industries.