W.S. Badger Co., in Gilsum, NH, worked with the Office of International Commerce to research potential export markets.
Like many small business owners, Kathleen Johnson juggles everything from overseeing the manufacturing process to marketing her product, Lickity Bits.
Located up in the North Country town of Columbia, it caters to owners of horses by encouraging horses to accept bits. She has a niche product, but knows that she could grow … well … unbridled … especially outside the U.S.
“As a small business owner, it is a daunting task trying to navigate through international markets that may be available,” Kathleen said.
That’s where the Office of International Commerce stepped in and provided her with comprehensive information about a possible export market.
“We learned that Brazil is a potentially key market for us, since it has the third highest horse market worldwide and prospering economy,” she said.
The OIC received a grant from the Eastern Trade Council to provide market research about the Brazilian market to her and several other businesses.
Why Brazil? The South American country has the seventh largest economy in the world, which is weathering the global economic challenges better than other parts of the globe. With a diversified economy and an expected surge in infrastructure improvements from now until the 2016 Summer Olympics being held there, U.S.exports are increasing rapidly.
“In a very competitive market, (the research) located one company interested in receiving information from WMI,” said Frank Morabito, the company’s international sales product manager.
Out in the Monadnock region, W.S. Badger Co. makes organic body care products, employing about 40 people at its new Gilsum plant. No stranger to the OIC, it has worked several times with the staff, most recently to help find a distribution partner in Russia.
“This service proved itself very valuable, as it allowed us to enter the market with a company that is screened and trusted,” said Stephanie Ritchie, Badger’s international accounts manager. “Our sales have grown slowly, but steadily, and we look forward to continuing to expand our business inRussia.”
If your company is considering exporting, you may be eligible for a grant that will pay for market research. The funds are part of the State Trade Export Promotion grant, which will, for qualifying businesses, provide these services at no cost. Available through the U.S. Commercial Service, the research usually costs between $500 and $750.
Orders for the services must be placed by mid-September. For more information, contact Kasim at 603-271-8444 or email Tina.Kasim@dred.state.nh.us.
After 13 years at the helm of the Department of Resources and Economic Development, Commissioner George Bald will retire, effective Nov. 1.
In his letter tendering his resignation, the Commissioner wrote to Gov. John Lynch, “I can’t thank you enough for your support and encouragement over the past six years … The opportunity to work with the DRED Team has been a wonderful experience. They are some of the hardest working people I have ever met.”
Before joining DRED in 1998, Commissioner Bald was with the Pease Development Authority, assisting with the redevelopment of the Pease Air Base.
Elected mayor of Somersworth at the age of 27, Commissioner Bald was, at the time, the youngest mayor in New Hampshire. Six years later, he became the director of economic development in Rochester and later became its city manager.
Commissioner Bald is married to Candace Small and they have one son, Casey Bald.
Happy retirement, Commissioner. You will be missed.
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
Division of Economic Development
Statement from Gov. Lynch
“George Bald has dedicated his life to public service and has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people ofNew Hampshire. He is one of the most highly respected people in state government and in the state’s business community.
George’s hands-on leadership has helped bring new companies toNew Hampshire, and allowed existing businesses to grow and thrive.
Because of George’s hard work and dedication to the North Country, the mill continues to operate in Gorham and a new wood to energy power plant is being constructed inBerlin. And under George’s guidance,New Hampshire’s State Parks remain jewels enjoyed by our citizens and visitors and our tourism industry continues to be a vibrant part of our economy.
George’s focus on our state’s economic development, as well as his leadership of all of the dedicated employees of DRED, has contributed much to improve and expandNew Hampshire’s economy and its high quality of life.
I want to thank George for his service to the state and to the people. His leadership at DRED will be missed.”
The value of the relationship between the Granite State and its neighbor to the north was discussed Monday at the New Hampshire-Canada Trade Council forum.
Depending on where you may be in New Hampshire, the Canadian border can be just a stone’s throw away in far northern New Hampshire or less than 200 miles if you are at the border of Massachusetts. That makes Canada our neighbor and, according to speakers today at the New Hampshire-Canada Trade Council forum, a valuable one.
The daylong conference brought together officials from both sides of the 58-mile border, who talked about everything from the longstanding friendship there is between the two countries, to opportunities for small and women-owned businesses; the importance of student exchange and development of alternative energy. Speakers included Gov. John Lynch, US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Canada Consul General Patrick Binns.
How important is Canada? Nearly 40,000 jobs in the Granite State are dependent on trade with Canada. In 2011, New Hampshire sold $650 million worth of goods over the border. As of May, the total value of our exports was $288 million, making it our largest export market this year. The primary goods sent north include industrial machinery, wood and wood products, electrical machinery and medical-related instruments.
“We may have slowed down because of the turmoil of the economy in the past few years, but this is a good time for us to renew this relationship,” he said. “We need to understand what we both need. This won’t happen in just a few months, but it will take time.”
Cindy Harrington, one of New Hampshire’s two business recruiters, remembers the day Frank Cummings called her. It was back in 2007 and there was traffic noise in the background.
Fast forward to the other day, one of those warm August days. Except for the sound of fingers flying over computer keyboards, there was little other noise in the Franklin Business Center, where AML Partners opened for business in May.
AML is short for Anti-Money Laundering and Frank is the company’s CEO. Previously located in New Jersey, it is a software development center that was founded after the 9/11 attacks and is dedicated to detecting and preventing terrorist financing and money laundering. AML is at the forefront of creating and developing tools that help banks look for patterns and behaviors that would indicate possible crime.
AML — sounds like it might be more at home in a place like New York or some other place heavy on financial interests. But Frank is a fellow who likes the outdoors, doesn’t like the rat race and saw real potential to fight fiscal crime from New Hampshire.
Which is why he called Cindy all those years ago.
Cynthia Harrington, business recruiter for the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, congratulates Frank Cummings, right, on moving AML Partners from New Jersey to Franklin, NH. AML Partners has created 21st century tools to fight global financial crime. The company opened its New Hampshire office in May and "raided," says Cummings, the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord for its 11 employees.
Frank might have arrived sooner with the business, but “everyone knows what happened in 2008 – the economy took a bad turn and we had to delay” the move.
AML Partners opened on May 7 with a capable complement of employees “raided from the New Hampshire Technical Institute,” as Frank says.
Being able to find these educated employees was key to opening. One of the great parts of this story is how Frank reached out the NHTI, first seeking recommendations from professors of their promising students and now, as the business grows, from those students he hired.
“The average age of my workforce is 24-years-old,” he said. “I don’t have any jobs open because as soon as one becomes available, one of my people knows someone who can do the work.”
Those workers commute from as far away as Exeter and Manchester. Several we talked to feared they would be spending the summer – or longer – out of their chosen field. They are ecstatic to put their skills to work on the serious matter of fighting global financial crime.
We are glad that these young people did not have to leave New Hampshire to find their dream jobs.
Right now, AML Partners serves 32 international banking institutions in the U.S. and four other countries and about a dozen employees. Frank expects that to climb to 20 by the end of the year. On the day we visited, he’d secured a contract that would require him to immediately hire two more people.
In addition to just being an all-around great business story, it is illustrative of the process of recruitment. It doesn’t happen within days or weeks or months. It takes years and, as Cindy will tell you, lots of patience and persistence.
This is an all-around win for Frank,Franklin, NHTI and New Hampshire.
And Cindy has some more businesses coming our way.
By the close of the 5-day event, orders were placed for 758 aircraft for a total of $72 billion, representing a 53 percent increase from the 2010 show. (The Paris Air Show is the sister event and is held in odd number years.)
NH aerospace companies can soar at Aero Montreal event next month.
The aerospace industry is hot.
Next month, there’s another opportunity for Granite State aerospace-related businesses and it’s closer to home – just north of the border, in Montreal.
Gov. John Lynch will lead the delegation of company representatives Sept. 26 to Sept. 28 to the Aero Montreal Global Supply Chain Summit. Funding from SBA’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant is available to underwrite the $500 cost for qualifying companies, which includes bus transportation to and from Concord to Montreal. The cost to companies that do not fall within the grant guidelines is $750.
Topics and seminars include development of the supply chain for both aerospace and defense and how companies can position themselves; growth management; plant access and transportation to aerospace Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and preferential access to supply chain/procurement representatives.
The deadline to register is this week. For more information, contact Tina Kasim here at the Office of International Commerce, at 271-8444, or email tina.kasim@dred.state.nh.us.
