Advanced Manufacturing on Display at RI Textile Innovator

Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Representative David Cicilline, RI Commerce Secretary Pryor, RI DLT Director Jensen, Central Falls Mayor James Diossa, representatives from NIST MEP, and local media were on hand to witness advanced manufacturing in action at Murdock Webbing on March 31.

Polaris MEP Center Director, Christian Cowan kicked off the meeting which featured words from Phil Singerman, Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services at NIST, and Greg Pilgrim, Murdock Webbing’s Chief Operating Officer.

Pilgrim and other longtime Murdock Webbing executives, including owner and gracious host, Don DeAngelis, treated attendees to a personal tour highlighting their innovative and varied product lines. Murdock Webbing’s flavor of advanced manufacturing was not missed on those taking the tour.

“Advanced manufacturing is often seen as simply robots and automation,” said Cowan. “We have certainly seen that brand of advance manufacturing successfully implemented in Rhode Island, but many small to medium sized manufacturers in our state take a different approach.”

“Successful manufacturers are utilizing advanced manufacturing techniques to make better products and realize higher factory performance and business improvements,” continued Cowan. “Murdock Webbing is a shining example of what you can accomplish by doing so.”