Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Will use her experience creating jobs to put Rhode Islanders back to work
PROVIDENCE, RI - Today, the Raimondo for Governor campaign begins airing a new commercial about Gina's role in bringing back Narragansett Beer. This comes on the heels of a WPRI-Providence Journal poll showing Gina with a five-point lead in the Democratic primary, proving that Gina's positive jobs message is resonating with Rhode Island voters.1
“This election is about which candidate is best equipped to create jobs and get Rhode Islanders back to work,” Gina says. “That's what I helped do with Narragansett Beer and numerous other companies. Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.2 It's a governor's job to work every day to build an economy that leaves nobody behind, and that is exactly what I'll do.”
“Without Gina Raimondo, Narragansett Beer would not be what it is today,” Narragansett Beer CEO Mark Hellendrung said. “Her advice and support allowed us to rebuild the company and keep a great Rhode Island tradition alive. She knows what it takes to grow a business and create jobs -- and that's exactly the experience we need from our next governor.”
From the 1950s to early 70s, Narragansett Beer was the official beer of the Boston Red Sox and in that time period reached 65 percent market share in New England. In the 1970s, Narragansett Beer fell from prominence.3
In 2005, Point Judith Capital invested in Narragansett Beer to help get it back on its feet and headquartered in Rhode Island, where some of its employees are based.4 Today, Narragansett is back on track and it's now a growing company.5
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1. WPRI, 8/20/14
2. BLS, Unemployment Rates for States, July 2014
3. Seacoast Online, 11/3/10
4. Rhode Island Monthly, February 2007
5. Brewers Association press release, 3/27/14
