Quonset: An Economic Powerhouse in Rhode Island

27 Sep, 2019

Lifting All Boats Together

“You wouldn’t think that an oyster farm could work next to an industrial port like the Port of Davisville, but it does,” says Steven DePetrillo (left, pointing at location of his oyster farm), owner of Quonset-based Allen Harbor Oyster.

The two-person operation has been raising oysters alongside the Port of Davisville for over 11 years.

Allen Harbor Oyster harvests 6,000 oysters weekly that are sold both locally and around the country. Their oysters can be found on menus as “Hope Island” Oysters.

The oyster farm also serves a critical biological function for Narragansett Bay. The oysters at Allen Harbor help to repopulate a region that lost its native oyster population from disease years ago. And the arrival of this new population of oysters is making the bay cleaner, each oyster filters 50 gallons of water per day, making the water around the Port of Davisville remarkably clean.

The relationship between the Quonset Business Park and Allen Harbor Oyster is one you won’t see at any other industrial park in the country. With the ongoing renovation underway at the Port, Quonset is relocating Allen Harbor Oyster a mile down Narragansett Bay as to not disrupt their weekly harvest.

“Quonset has been an excellent partner,” says DePetrillo. “Throughout this renovation, they have made sure that our business continues to thrive. We couldn’t be happier with their care of our livelihood.”

QDC values businesses of all sizes, and works to ensure that growth in one sector does not hinder another. This symbiotic relationship is another reason why Quonset continues to attract world class companies.

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