Quonset was one of only two sites in the entire nation highlighted at this year’s U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) annual conference in Washington, D.C. With more than 200 companies, nearly 11,000 jobs and one of the Top 10 auto importing sites in North America, the Park is a major driver of Rhode Island’s economy. EDA has invested $11 million in Quonset for four different projects since 2009. This has resulted in a significant return on investment in both jobs and economic growth. You can click here to watch the video that was seen by the more than 850 attendees at Thursday’s opening plenary session. Some of the VIPs in attendance included U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx; Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Jay Williams, and; Chief Operating Officer for the Economic Development Administration, Matt Erskine. Both Senator Jack Reed and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse appear in the video. Public investments at Quonset, including grants from the EDA, have attracted more than $2 billion in private investment to the Park. Later this year, the J. Goodison Company will open a new shipyard with the largest lift in the Northeast on-site, investing more than $8 million in the property after a grant from the EDA was used to repair a dilapidated seawall on the site.