Product design company

What began with two Rhode Island School of Design graduates and a dream has evolved into a company with nearly 100 employees and one of the most diverse work forces in the state.

Stephen Lane, co-founder and president of Item Group, says his Providence product design and development firm relies on workers from many backgrounds to support its steady growth.

“We’re constantly looking for best-in-class for our core competency of engineering and design,” said Lane, 44, in an interview last week. In a market that depends on creativity, he added, talented employees attract repeat business.

That’s why Item’s Web site has an entire page calling for applicants in electrical engineering, industrial design, mechanical engineering and graphic design. Lane noted that he has recruited talented people even at times when Item was at full staff.

The company now consists of two subsidiaries: Item New Product Development and Ximedica, a firm established in January long after Item had acquired a reputation for its design work in the medical devices market.

With business booming in Ximedica, Lane expects to hire 12 more people this year to boost its manufacturing capability. Those new hires will range from skilled assembly workers to managers with manufacturing experience.

Still, the medical devices group already employs about 50 workers with an array of skill sets. One is Bill Mussig – a longtime employee of Hasbro Inc. before joining Ximedica – who applies skills from his toy-making days to help the firm craft medical instruments. Lane said Mussig divides his time between using milling machines and modern software in order to fashion medical products. “He is a true product development mind,” Lane said, “so he’s gone from the bench top to working with more sophisticated tools.”

Item’s emphasis on enhancing workers’ skills was underscored with its recent award of a $25,000 matching grant from the Governor’s Workforce Board–R.I. The company plans to spend the funds on leadership development and skills training for a cross section of its work force, according to a spokeswoman.

For hiring talented workers, Lane said, Providence has been an ideal location. Item recruits creative people from nearby RISD, where Lane teaches industrial design. The city also attracts professionals from larger metro areas who like the lower living costs, he said.

However, many of the cars in the company’s parking lot have Massachusetts license plates. Lane said that is because Item has hired engineers and designers from medical device companies in the Boston area, and they now commute from their homes in the Bay State.

Trish Wadley, who moved from London to Rhode Island almost two years ago, said she recently accepted a position as Item’s director of business development for reasons that include the open leadership style.

“It’s not hierarchical in any way,” said Wadley, 44, who had handled marketing at the Providence Children’s Museum before taking the job at Item. “There’s a real appreciation for everyone’s talents.”

Item plans to close later this month on a new 80,000-square-foot building on Providence’s West Side to facilitate growth from the two subsidiaries, which currently operate in the city’s Jewelry District. Both operations will be housed in the 55 Dupont St. facility, Lane said, and Ximedica is slated to be the first to move in, next month.