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Posts Tagged ‘Made in New Hampshire’

Braid in New Hampshire: Tilton Rug Company Wins Federal Contract

Monday, January 29th, 2018

 

The National Park Service pulled out the rug from under the display in the dining room of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial late last year and replaced it with one replicated by a New Hampshire rug company.

The Country Braid House in Tilton has been in business for close to half a century creating custom braided rugs found all over the country and featured in magazines, from Architectural Digest to Country Living and the New York Times magazine.

There have been a variety of customers over the years, said Jan Jurta, but never the federal government.

“I never in my wildest dreams imagined they would contract for a braided rug,” she said.

When the National Park Service decided to replace the 21.5-foot braided rug that had been in the Nancy Hanks Memorial Hall in Lincoln City, Indiana since 1943, Jurta knew this was a project for the Country Braid House.

She also knew she was going to need some help in preparing the detailed bid, so she connected with the New Hampshire Government Contracting Assistance Center.

“The U.S. government is one of the largest buyers of goods and services in the world,” said Jane Brezosky, who worked with Jurta on the successful bid. “It’s easy to think of it as only needing items related to defense, electronics and medical supplies, but federal and state governments have the same needs as any customer.”

While the contract for the braided rug was very specialized, Country Braid House’s experience illustrates the kind of opportunities there are in government contracting for New Hampshire businesses, from firewood for campgrounds and road repairs in the White Mountain National Forest to flooring and furniture for military bases and government agencies.

NH GovCon’s services are offered to New Hampshire businesses at no cost. Once you sign up as a client, you will receive notifications of bid opportunities and our staff will work with you to guide you through the process. In addition to this specialized assistance, we offer training seminars throughout the state.

Government contracting is a $2.5 billion business in New Hampshire. If you think your business doesn’t have a product the government needs, you probably do.

Just ask the Country Braid House.

Cool Stuff Made in New Hampshire

Friday, April 13th, 2012

 

New Hampshire has given the world a lot of what we can’t do without, like the first potato ever grown in the U.S.  , the latex balloon, and (being that it’s Friday night) the corkscrew. These are items invented by curious minds devoted to finding a better way to make life easier, leaving a legacy of entrepreneurship that thrives in basements, old mills, backyards, sewing rooms and kitchens.

All across our state, that spirit of innovation and passion is alive and well and you can see it this weekend at The Made In NH Try It & Buy It Expo, sponsored by our friends at Business NH Magazine. We stopped by this afternoon and visited with some old friends who amaze us with their creativity, as well as emerging entrepreneurs and downright geniuses.

Two words: Caffeinated Popcorn

The Expo runs Saturday (April 14) from 10 – 8 and Sunday (April 15) from 10 – 4 at the Center of New Hampshire Expo Center at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester.

There are over 160 exhibitors, many of them friends from NH Made, which promotes products and services made right here in the Granite State.

So get over there. It’ll be wicked fun.