Governor Chafee recently toured three Rhode Island businesses as part of his continued effort to make it easier to do business in the state. The Governor visited The Farmer’s Daughter, the Education Exchange, and Pier Cleaners, all located in South Kingstown.
Each of the three small businesses offers unique services for Rhode Islanders. The Farmer’s Daughter is a revolutionary garden center located on a 15 acre farm and is part of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association. The Education Exchange provides GED preparation, literacy, and work readiness programs to adult students. Pier Cleaners is an environmentally-friendly dry cleaner that recycles hangers and plastic bags and bans the use of Perchloroethylene, a cancer-causing agent.
These companies represent the diverse, innovative spirit of Rhode Island small businesses. The Governor has emphasized the importance of small business to Rhode Island’s economy. Over the past several months, he has hosted numerous community forums designed to promote the tools available at the state level to help businesses and to give owners an opportunity to voice their concerns. He has also taken steps to make it easier to do business in the state by eliminating excessive red tape through his role as chair of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.
During each visit, the Governor took a tour of the business to see its daily operations. Following the tour, the Governor spoke with owners and staff and listened to their questions and concerns about doing business in Rhode Island. Each business owner relayed to the Governor the adjustments they made to adapt to the changing economy and their continued commitment to provide important services to their community.
