Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence North America Hosts Book Signing Event

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence North America hosted an exclusive celebratory event and book signing Aug. 21 to recognize the nearly 185-years of Rhode Island’s rich industrial history. The event showcased Gerald Carbone's new book titled "Brown & Sharpe and the Measure of American Industry,honoring the legacy of Henry D. Sharpe Jr. 

In 2001, Hexagon AB and Hexagon Metrology, Inc. (now Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence) acquired Brown & Sharpe, an influential machine tool and metrology pioneer. The speaker program included Rhode Island Lt. Governor Dan McKee, Douglas Sharpe (son of Henry Sharpe Jr.), Angus Taylor – president of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence North America, and emcee Bridget Benedetti – director of marketing and customer experience.

Keynote speaker and author Gerald Carbone engaged the audience with his story about how Brown & Sharpe changed the world and created the metrology industry. Carbone presented a captivating narrative of how Providence, Rhode Island and a cast of inventors and bold businessmen nurtured Rhode Island‘s unique location and skilled workforce into a global leader in advanced manufacturing. Gerald Carbone is a biographer and a former journalist for 25 years, mostly for the Providence Journal. The new title is Carbone’s third book with St. Martin's Press.

The Rhode Island Historical Society set up three display cases of Brown & Sharpe instrumentation from their extensive archives. Morgan Grefe, executive director, and Dana Munroe, registrar, engaged the crowd with their knowledge of the artifacts and their historical significance. Other special guests included dignitaries from the Rhode Island Manufacturing Association, Polaris MEP, Bryant University, New England Institute of Technology, the Town of North Kingstown, the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce and the Rhode Island press.