Lincoln’s location lures technology companies

They’re known as the three most important things for real estate – location, location, location.

And when it comes to attracting technology firms to Lincoln, the three words have become synonymous with Routes 146, 295 and 95.

With easy access to three key highways, Town Planner Albert Ranaldi Jr. said, the town has been able to attract companies that do business in states across the Northeast and have employees located in nearby Massachusetts.

In the landscape of Northern Rhode Island, the town has arguably been more successful at attracting technology firms than all of its neighbors, perhaps with the exception of Pawtucket.

In a 2004 report by the R.I. Economic Development Corporation titled “High Tech Industries in Rhode Island,” 19 firms located in Lincoln were listed, second in Northern Rhode Island to Pawtucket’s 39.

And according to Thomas Mrva – president of Lincoln-based Lighthouse Computer Services, which had projected revenue of $105 million in 2005 – the location of the town has been a key selling point for companies like his.

“In our case, the sole reason to locate in Lincoln is because it is central to our customer base in the Northeast,” Mrva said in an e-mail. “Lincoln has quick access to the highways running north, south, east and west, and is very close to airports and trains. Our 300 customers are all around the Northeast, and because of the critical nature of the IT services we provide, we like to be an hour or two from any customer.”

Both the town’s location and its existing facilities also have helped attract established Rhode Island technology companies to the area.

MultiCell Technologies, a company known for its liver cell work moved from Warwick to its Lincoln home on George Washington Highway in April 2005.

The move, according to the company, was largely based on the ability to expand in the Northern Rhode Island facility, which had previously served as a home to CytoTherapies Inc. The company signed a three-year lease.

“MultiCell decided to locate in Lincoln from Warwick because of the excellent laboratory facilities we occupy, which give us room for future expansion,” said Barbara Corbett, spokeswoman. “We also like the location and the proximity to the pharmaceutical industry.”

Popper Precision Instruments Inc., moved to Jenkes Hill Road in Lincoln in 1987. Founded in 1960, Popper Precision was originally located in a mill complex in Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood.

Vincent Altruda, vice president, said the new location offered the company a chance to expand, which it did six years ago, when it added 10,000 square feet.

Aside from accommodating Popper Precision’s growth needs, the easily accessible Lincoln facility opened up new markets of customers and employees.

“We were able to bring in employees from different areas of the state,” Altruda said, whereas before they all basically came from the Providence area.

But while Lincoln maintains a steady base of technology companies, others have opted to leave the town, and in some cases, the state.

Spherics, currently located in the same building as MultiCell, announced in August that it would move to Mansfield, Mass, this April. Founded in 1998, the biotech company decided to relocate because of the opportunity to grow and also the help that was offered by Bay State officials.

“The move to Massachusetts will help accelerate our growth,” said Spherics President Ze’ev Shaked in a statement at the time. “The support we received from the state and local officials, and from the biotechnology community, [was a] key factor in our decision.”

Similarly, Lighthouse’s Mrva said Massachusetts has a reputation for being more business-friendly. In his view, the Rhode Island General Assembly has done little to create a pro-business environment, and companies could be persuaded to leave Rhode Island because of incentives offered by Massachusetts.

For Lighthouse, moving to Massachusetts could mean shifting operations to a location as close as five miles from its current one, Mrva said. “We intend to stay in Lincoln at least two more years,” Mrva said. “We have been approached by Massachusetts and Connecticut. … We intend to study all of our options.”

Both Ranaldi and Lincoln Town Administrator Sue Sheppard said the town does not offer tax incentives to attract companies. However, the town has excelled in working with companies wishing to locate in Lincoln to make sure they fit regulations that have become slightly dated.

Sheppard said a recent example of the town’s willingness to work with companies was its communications with Fortune Metals, an East Providence firm that specializes in reselling parts from old computers and machinery.

While the type of business did not fit with the town’s zoning and planning policies, officials met with the company to find a classification for it, she said.

It was the type of business the town was looking to attract because it provided “good, clean” industry, Sheppard said.

The personal touch, Ranaldi said, has helped grow industry sectors within the town. “For the big companies, time is money, and we work to reduce that by putting together a plan,” Ranaldi said.