Rhode Island is still a good place for innovation and expansion in the jewelry industry, said Marcos Fountoulakis, president and CEO of Johnston-based Dama. more

Orders for U.S. durable goods increased more than forecast in April, pointing to gains in business investment that will help manufacturing rebound in the second half of the year. more

Exports from the Ocean State fell 5.1 percent in March to $183.1 million on a month-to-month, seasonally adjusted basis after falling 15.3 percent in February, according to an international trade statistics report from e-forecasting.com. more

Astro-Med Inc., maker of specialty printers and data-acquisition systems, posted a net loss of $449,000, or 6 cents per diluted share, during the first quarter of its 2014 fiscal year. more

Using data mined from more than a thousand manufacturers from across the state, leaders of the Rhode Island Manufacturing Renaissance Project will unveil its findings on Wednesday, along with the state’s first comprehensive database of manufacturers in the state. more

Elected officials and others representing the region’s defense industry recently crowded around the cockpit of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, waiting their turns to hop in the pilot’s seat, taxi the fighter jet down the runway and launch into the skies on a government mission – all without leaving the confines of the R.I. Department of Administration building, that is. more

Though diminished in size, manufacturing still exhibits a strong presence in the regional economy and in the job-growth policies of political leaders. more

Toray Plastics (America) Inc. on May 2 unveiled new $15 million coating equipment at a ribbon-cutting at its North Kingstown campus. The technology will allow the company to better meet global customer demand for industrial and packaging films made with advanced specialty layers. The investment is part of a technology-integration plan the company, which employs more than 600, expects will create 20 jobs. From left: Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee; Rick Schloesser, president and CEO of Toray Plastics (America); Senate President M.Teresa Paiva Weed and House Speaker Gordon D. Fox. more

The 2013 edition of the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition announced its winners Tuesday afternoon at The Garage, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce’s exposition dedicated to identifying and inspiring high-growth companies in the Ocean State. more

Juvenile health, safety and wellness product maker Summer Infant Inc. posted decreases in first-quarter net revenue, net income and gross margins as it worked to phase out products and licensing agreements, and endured an increase in interest expense, according to quarterly results released Wednesday. more