New Hampshire leads the Northeast for economic opportunity.
For the second year in a row, New Hampshire landed in the top five ranking of U.S. News and World Report’s Best States, leading the Northeast in a comprehensive review of economic and social criteria.
“New Hampshire is among the best states in the nation to live, work and raise a family,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “Our State’s #1 ranking for opportunity is something that all Granite Staters can be particularly proud of today. We will never stop emphasizing that New Hampshire is open for business, open for workers, and open for opportunity.”
The Granite State also led the nation in economic opportunity for the second straight year, a category that looks at median income, poverty rates and other factors. The state also got high marks in multiple categories: Low crime rate (#1); educational attainment (#3); low unemployment rate (#3); quality of life (#4); patent creation (#6) and low tax burden (#7).
“New Hampshire consistently performs well in these comprehensive rankings because it offers the best combination of financial opportunity, education, and quality of life,” said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “More importantly than rankings, we see it on the ground: New Hampshire’s businesses are expanding, communities are investing.”
Applications are now available for the next round of Northern Border Regional Commission grants.
Applications are now available for the next round of grants available from the Northern Border Regional Commission for projects strengthening infrastructure and promoting economic development in four rural New Hampshire counties.
Information sessions will be held from 1 – 3 pm, March 6 at the Enterprise Center at Plymouth, 1 Bridge St., Plymouth. The deadline for submitting applications is May 11.
The commission, created by Congress 10 years ago, provides funding for projects in 36 rural counties across northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. In New Hampshire, agencies and organizations in Carroll, Coos, Grafton and Sullivan Counties can apply.
Proposals will be accepted for projects related to transportation, telecommunication and basic public infrastructure; workforce development; entrepreneurship, technology, or business development; resource conservation, tourism and recreation, or publicly owned renewable energy development, and projects for basic health care and other public services.
The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs will coordinate applications for the state. When the rankings are complete, Gov. Chris Sununu will put forward the priority projects to the commission.
In 2017, the NRBC awarded 13 grants in New Hampshire, totaling over $2.2 million to projects in Bethlehem, Claremont, Colebrook, Conway, Cornish, Lancaster, Littleton, Lyme, Rumney, Wolfeboro and Whitefield.
For more information about applying for the grant program, contact Mollie Kaylor at the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development at 271-6305 or mollie.kaylor@livefree.nh.gov. The application is available at http://nbrc.gov/.
Canada’s proximity to the Granite State makes it New Hampshire’s largest trading partner.
Canada is the largest single export market for the United States and highly receptive to U.S. goods and services. Proximity affords U.S. firms with a significant advantage to selling in this market.
Are you maximizing your opportunity? Whether you currently export to Canada or are new to exporting, the importance of developing a strategic approach to this market is critical to your success.
Sending Temporary Workers to Canada from the United States
Tuesday, April 10
1-2 pm (EST)
$25 (USD) Register here.
This webinar series, hosted by US Commercial Service, is designed to help businesses strengthen the skills necessary to do business effectively in Canada and is beneficial to U.S. companies, such as architects, engineers, technicians and installers. It will cover the process for temporary travel to Canada for after-sales warranty repairs; business development, and trade show participation.
Some of the questions that will be addressed include:
• What is Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker/International Mobility program?
• Do I need to have a work permit to do temporary work in Canada?
• Can temporary entry under NAFTA apply to my company?
• What documentation is required to send a temporary worker to Canada?
• Asking your own questions to the subject area expert.
The speaker will be Jacqueline Bonisteel, associate with Corporate Immigration Law Firm.
For more information, contact Tracey Ford, Commercial Specialist, +1 (613) 688-5406.
Implications of BREXIT for NH Exporters
The official date for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union is March 29, 2019 – a little more than one year from now. This is a major policy event that will have dramatic implications for New Hampshire exporters to Europe.
Negotiations with the EU as to the terms of the withdrawal are currently focused on the U.K.’s outstanding financial obligation to the EU; the post-Brexit status of the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic; and the status of UK/EU citizens living across the post-Brexit borders.
U.S. Commercial Service webinar on BREXIT updates
Thursday, March 22
Noon – 1:30 pm EST
$50
Register here.
The two sides are seeking to conclude agreement on these initial three areas in December 2017, which would pave the way for subsequent negotiations on the post-Brexit trade relationship between the UK and EU. The UK Government has reached an uneasy internal political consensus that a transition period of up to two years will be required after March 2019 to fully implement the exit from the EU – a time period most observers view as insufficient.
In addition to the ongoing Brexit negotiations, the U.S. and the United Kingdom held the second meeting of the U.S. – UK Trade and Investment Working Group in London on November 13-14, to continue discussions on ways to ensure commercial continuity and strengthen two-way trade ahead of Britain’s March 2019 exit from the European Union. The working group is also laying the groundwork for a potential post-Brexit bilateral U.S.-UK free trade agreement.
Webinar Presenters:
John Simmons, Minister Counsellor for Commercial Affairs CS London
U.S. Mission to the European Union, Commercial Specialists Liliana Popescu (Standards); Isabelle Roccia (Digital Economy); Matthew Kopetski (Chemicals); Antonio Dai-Pra (Healthcare), and NOAA Fisheries Representative Stephane Vrignaud.
The Department of Business and Economic Affairs on Feb. 15 issued a Request for Proposals for consulting services for the development of a statewide economic development plan.
The deadline for those proposals is 3 pm, April 2; deadline for questions is March 8.
Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell, joined by Mollie Kaylor, business resource specialist for the Division of Economic Development, visited the Monadnock region last month, with stops in Peterborough and Dublin.
A tour of NH Ball Bearings rounded out the morning, before heading to Dublin and Yankee Publishing for lunch, tour and a wide-ranging discussion about tourism and New Hampshire.
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on On the Road with Business and Economic Affairs: Monadnock Region
Commissioner Taylor Caswell Business and Economic Affairs
On the front page of this week’s New Year, New Job, a special edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader, Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell invited Granite Staters to stay in, or return to, the state and become a part of our vibrant economy.
In case you haven’t noticed, New Hampshire’s economy is red-hot. Like powder hounds headed north on I-93 to ski after a snow storm, we’re outpacing the rest of New England and creating phenomenal opportunities – the kind of opportunities not seen in a generation.
Live in the North Country, work at a law firm or a hospital, and go skiing on a Wednesday afternoon.
If you left after high school or college five or 10 years ago, now’s a good time to come back. If you’re graduating from high school or college this spring and unsure where you want life to take you, think about staying here and joining one of our many growing companies who really want you.
New Hampshire is an employee market. There are thousands of good, high-paying jobs spread out across a state that is routinely ranked near, or at the top, for quality of life.
Live on our Seacoast, work at an international biotech company, and after work go for a kayak on Great Bay. Live in the North Country, work at a law firm or a hospital, and go skiing on a Wednesday afternoon.
Today, national publications are talking about Manchester’s Silicon Millyard, our hotbed of technology and innovation. This is the spot where a whole new biofabrication industry, with over $300 million in funding, is turning science fiction into actual medical science.
New entrepreneurs statewide are taking advantage of our economy, our low business taxes, and zero income and sales tax and settling into our unique communities to grow their dreams, from craft breweries, coffee shops and niche businesses on Main Street to creating and expanding our $8 billion outdoor recreation economy.
These are exciting times to be in New Hampshire; consider joining us and help write the next chapter of the long and successful history of our great state.
Taylor Caswell
Commissioner
Business and Economic Affairs
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.
“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.
Wildolfo (Will) Arvelo was sworn in Jan. 18 as director of the Division of Economic Development by Gov. Chris Sununu.
Arvelo joined the agency earlier this month, following 11 years as president of Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth.
During that time, he oversaw the college’s move from Stratham to the Pease International Tradeport; development of the Advanced Technology and Academic Center in Rochester and a catalyst for creating programs meeting the needs of Seacoast employers and industries.
Taylor Caswell, commissioner of Business and Economic Affairs, said Arvelo’s experience is a great fit for the division, at a time when New Hampshire is growing.
“Our economy demands that we be able to meet the workforce demands of our employer community, and Will’s experience fits perfectly into those strategies,” Caswell said.
In his new role, Arvelo will oversee the division charged with business retention; business recruitment; international commerce; government contracting; workforce development, and marketing.
“I am honored and overjoyed to be joining Governor Sununu, Commissioner Caswell, and the Business and Economic Affairs team as we focus on building the economic landscape and workforce that will carry New Hampshire into the future and make it a top destination for new companies, workers and visitors,” he said. “I’m excited about, and looking forward to, working with entities and the many talented people across the state interested in collaborating as we explore new directions for how we think about and implement economic and workforce development strategies and initiatives.”
Using the networks and established relationships of the Division of Economic Development to help connect businesses with state agencies and community partners is one of the roles of our agency. So when the opportunity to connect Intelitek, a company with which we have worked, and the state Department of Education, we jumped at it.
From there, they formed a partnership to strengthen STEM education within our schools, which led to New Hampshire’s first-ever coding competition, leading up to the finals on Dec. 19 at Pinkerton Academy.
This was an exciting conclusion to six weeks of coding challenges, which drew over 40 middle and high schools; 100 teachers, and more than 2,600 students. Finalists, representing 16 schools, made their way to the top of the leader board and attended the 2017 NH Cyber Robotics Coding Competition.
We join Intelitek, the Department of Education, Oracle Academy, and CTE Education Foundation ISCEF in congratulating the teachers, mentors, parents and students participating in the competition. Together, they are inspiring students about an important aspect of STEM education and getting them to think about pursuing a STEM career.
Jimmie Hinson
Business Resource Specialist
Division of Economic Development
New Hampshire employers will receive much-needed investments in workforce skills training as a result of grants announced by the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
The public-private Job Training Fund investments will result in over $400,000 to be used for skills enhancement training for over 800 New Hampshire workers.
Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said the grants signify new efforts, coupled with smart investments, to engage businesses in education and training to enhance workforce development in New Hampshire.
Employers, he said, are aware of the state’s workforce challenges and responding by increasing their investment in skills training.
“While we are certainly happy with the state’s low unemployment rate, it also means we need to have useful strategies to attract new talent and train our current workforce,” he said. “The Job Training Fund is a great example of the types of public/private partnership we are developing and we know work best for New Hampshire. These efforts include high growth sector-based initiatives, apprenticeships, and On-The-Job training. All awards under the Job Training Fund are matched by the employer, which makes this program a true public-private partnership in New Hampshire and gets everyone a great bang for the buck.”
Caswell also noted that this year’s demand for training programs is approximately twice that of last year.
“Our employers need this program, and I think it’s fair to say based on the demand, it’s working,” he said.
Grants were awarded to:
D. Bean & Sons Co., of Jaffrey; $1,940 to train 10 employees in intermediate and advanced Quickbooks, and intermediate/ddvanced Microsoft Excel, at Nashua Community College;
L. King & Associates of Nashua; $982.50 for one employee to obtain a construction superintendent certification from the New Hampshire/Vermont Association of Builders and Contractors;
WH Bagshaw of Nashua; $1,500 to train 10 employees in GDT/blueprint reading at Nashua Community College;
Benchmark Senior Living LLC, with five facilities in New Hampshire; $46,900 for 45 workers to receive LNA training from LNA Health Careers; medication nursing assistant training from Manchester Community College, and training in quality service, quality excellence and business excellence from the Disney Institute;
Northeast Delta Dental of Concord, $7,500; Red River Computer Co., of Claremont, $7,500, and Mascoma Bank, $9,750, for training a total of 10 employees in the University of New Hampshire’s New Level Leadership Consortium Program.
Vapotherm Inc., of Exeter; $60,000 for training 100 employees at Nashua Community College in Lean Process Improvement; injection molding; quality-risk project management; customer service, and management and leadership practices;
Lindt & Sprungli USA of Stratham; $65,950 for 626 workers to participate in the Train the Trainer program and English as a Second Language, both at Great Bay Community College; the mechanics training program at Scientific Management Technologies; Ametrol eLearning with Technical Education Products Inc., and power lift training by Safe Lifting Techniques.
For more information about the New Hampshire Job Training Fund, visit nhjobtrainingfund.org.
