Over the past 36  years, Attorney Kenneth Fiola, Jr., Executive Vice President of the private, nonprofit corporation, Jobs for Fall River, Inc. d/b/a the Bristol County Economic Development Consulting Group (BC EDC) has worked with his Board of Directors to develop and implement a broad range of economic development policies to chart an economic development course for the future that is consistent with the strength of the social and business assets of the community and help prepare the foundation for growth in new and emerging industries.

 

Since he first began with the office in 1986 and 25 years as its Executive Vice President, Mr. Fiola has devoted his professional career to the implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy that has helped Fall River strengthen and diversify its traditional manufacturing industrial base and create jobs in the life science, medical device manufacturing, health care and distribution sectors so as to create and retain jobs for Fall River residents and expand the municipal tax base.  In addition, Mr. Fiola oversees the FROED’s Low Interest Revolving Loan Fund which has provided more than $84,000,000 in low-interest gap financing loans to over 800 Fall River businesses which has leveraged more than $330 million in private investment and helped to create more than 7,000 new jobs and retain more than 13,000 existing jobs.

 

Throughout the course of his tenure at BC EDC, Mr. Fiola, working closely with the BC EDC Board of Directors and elected officials, has helped leverage more than an additional $500 million in private investment and secured more than $260 million dollars in grant funds and/or Tax Increment Financing to facilitate such projects as:

 

• The Expansion of the Fall River Industrial Park and the Creation of the Commerce and Technology Parks;
• Route 24 Innovation Way Interchange;
• Route 79/Davol Street Corridor Improvement Project;
• Waterfront Board Walk Extension;
• Removal of RT 79 Spaghetti Ramps;
• Streetscape Improvements to Main, Water and Davol Streets:
• Development of two Housing Development, Improvement Zones;
• Development and Implementation of four Urban Renewal Plans;
• The 1 million square foot Amazon Fulfillment Center;
• The creation of South Coast Market Place and Market Basket;
• The development of more than 350 new market rate housing units;
• City Pier Redevelopment;
• Meditech recruitment and expansion;
• Blount Seafood and Raw Seafood recruitment and expansion;
• Matouk Luxury Linens recruitment and expansion;
• UMass Center for Entrepreneurship;
• Steward Health Care, SouthCoast Hospital and Prima Care expansions; and
• Whirlpool, Andersen Window, InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, Mass Biologics relocations.

 

Most recently, in addition to working with the legislative delegation, the Chamber of Commerce and other business community leaders and organizations Mr. Fiola had been at the forefront of helping to secure the re-establishment of the South Coast Rail.