Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. Patrick Kennedy get a demonstration of bar code reader from a2b CEO Peter Collins

Sen. Jack Reed and Rep. Patrick Kennedy paid a visit to the Portsmouth Business Park today to announce a $2M appropriation which will help local business a2b Tracking expand its operations here in town and its work with the Department of Defense (DoD).

"This is a place where innovation is beginning and jobs will grow," Reed said, likening the Federal investment in the bar-code tracking company to the public-private partnerships which launched GPS systems and the Internet. The company produces military-spec bar codes, called "Item Unique Identification" (IUID), to assist with inventory management over the entire product lifecycle. Technical staff from a2b demonstrated the printing and reading technologies which will eventually have a place in tracking every piece of US military hardware.

"These are small business people building a big business here on Aquidneck Island," said Kennedy, adding that better tracking would allow the DoD to do more with their budget and ensure "supplies end up where they're needed most" while providing good jobs for the state. Kennedy noted that the new 2D bar-codes are beginning to show up on other devices like healthcare equipment. "Information is where it's at," said Kennedy. "What they do for the defense community will be leveraged in many sectors."

Peter Collins, the president of a2b, said that the funding would allow the company to double in size over the next 18 months, with between 15-20 new technical and manufacturing positions projected to be added here in Portsmouth. Collins said that the company had moved its headquarters here from Massachusetts 7 years ago for the great quality of life and the strong local technical resources.

"With Raytheon down the road and the Navy at the end of the island, this is a great location," said Collins, adding that he hoped to draw on the local talent pool. "We have technical professionals who are going to Massachusetts every day and that isn't necessary — let's keep them here."

Asked for his thoughts about bringing these jobs to Portsmouth, Kennedy said, "This is my community. Here in Portsmouth, we benefit from colocation with NUWC and the defense sector. This is a real growth business," Kennedy added, "And it's positioned in the right place for synergy. People make a lot of how RI is not a good business climate, but it is fantastic when it comes to these intangibles and the business opportunities that only come from human interactions."

Sen. Reed acknowledged the support and work of State Sen. Chuck Levesque, who was also on hand for the event. "The great thing about RI is that you can have a Senator and Representative participate in a growing business," said Levesque. "This is a business that's very ambitious and it's a wise direction to go in. Politicians talk strategy, but generals talk logistics. Knowing where your equipment is, that's what this is all about."

There were Providence TV stations on hand — expect to see it on the local news this evening — and they peppered Reed and Kennedy with questions about the implications of last week's special election in MA. I'm not going to jump their stories, but suffice it to say that both expressed doubts about drawing large conclusions about the Obama agenda or local elections from that one particular event.