Fall River, a city that decades ago watched its economy shrivel as manufacturing moved down south and overseas, is finding success in diversification.

Using tax incentive packages and touting a dedicated workforce, the city has been able to attract a wide-range of businesses over the last few years including most recently the New Jersey-based Silver Line Building Product Corporation, a company expected to bring 400 new jobs to the city.

The results of diversification have been dramatic for a city that just ten years ago had an unemployment level of almost 20 percent.

According to Kenneth J. Fiola, Jr., executive director of the Fall River Office of Economic Development (FROED), the city has implemented 36 tax increment-financing plans that represent more than $200 million in private investment, and have resulted in more than 2,616 new jobs, as well as the retention of more than 6,000 jobs.

Silver Line Building Product Corporation, a New Jersey-based manufacturer of vinyl windows and doors, announced that it would build a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on a 15-acre parcel in the Fall River Industrial Park.

It's an announcement that could have neighboring communities and states drooling, as luring manufacturers back to the New England marketplace is a challenge where competition is fierce and the stakes are high. More »