Archive for December, 2011
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
“The Declaration of Inspiration” was the theme of the recent 16th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit held at the Inns at Mill Falls in Meredith and inspired service and innovation led to New England Wire Technologies being named “the Commissioner’s Company of the Year” at the Summit.
 Governor John Lynch joins “Commissioner’s Company of the Year” award winner New England Wire’s Robert Meserve, Mike Alberts and NH Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald at the 16th Annual NH Economic Development Summit. In making the announcement, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald said, “New England Wire Technologies products are used the world-over for a variety of different industries and applications, including medical device components, the automotive industry, defense and aerospace contractors, telecommunications designers, audio/visual component manufacturers, cable assembly houses and more. Its highly regarded team of engineers has been called ‘miracle workers,’ having designed multiconductor cable, multiconductor cord, litz wire, high temperature electronic wire or custom cables to perform in applications that are incredibly demanding. On the business end of things, its sales office makes sure the materials are priced competitively and are shipped in a timely manner. We know of few other companies in the industry that can produce the ‘Big 3’ of Quality, Price and Timeliness like New England Wire Technologies.”
For more than 100 years, New England Wire Technologies has worked hard to earn its reputation for superior quality and service to its customers. The company is especially proud that it continues to serve the children and grandchildren of some of the first people it did business with.
Other category winners included:
“Commissioner’s Teamwork Award” – New Hampshire Talent Team, a cooperative effort of NHWorks and White Mountains Community College, for its efforts in preparing workers and businesses in the North Country for the introduction of the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, which is resulting in new jobs for workers and increased spending at businesses.
“Commissioner’s Exemplary Effort Award” – Commissioner Chris Clement and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation for their efforts following Hurricane Irene in repairing roads and bridges, thereby assisting the state’s tourism economy and ensuring that visitors would be able to access some of the state’s most treasured attractions.
“Commissioner’s Employer Recognition Award” (presented jointly with the New Hampshire Division of Vocational Rehabilitation) – RKM Research and Communication, Inc. for their ongoing commitment to inclusive hiring practices that recognize the contributions that workers with disabilities bring to a productive and profitable workplace.
“Commissioner’s Extra Mile Award” – Jack Donovan of the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority for his efforts in ensuring that New Hampshire companies have the resources that they need to grow, thrive and succeed.
The 16th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit was sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire with support from media sponsor New Hampshire Business Review.
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on New England Wire Captures Top Honors at NH Economic Development Summit
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
There was a time when a vascular surgeon only had flat, two-dimensional CT or MRI scans of a patient to refer to when considering what will be the best approach to surgery. Now, thanks to a West Lebanon-based biotech company, that surgeon can utilize three-dimensional models, created from patient scans, for pre-op planning.
 In recognition of this and other innovative technology it has pioneered, M2S has won the Innovation Rocks! Award from the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’s Business Resource Center and Rock 101 (WGIR-FM).
Founded in 1997, M2S specializes in HIPPA- compliant medical image and data management services for clinical data registries, advanced radiographic image analysis and aortic disease device clinical trials. The goal: to improve patient outcomes.
According M2S President and COO, Greg Lange, “We provide three-dimensional medical imaging to physicians and hospitals all over the U.S. Using digital scans they provide, we create 2D and 3D models, complete with measurement tools that can be used for optimal pre-op planning. For example, our advanced imaging software has been used widely in vascular surgery planning for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA).” By also using M2S’s web-based database system, the physician can track patients over time to determine and refine treatment strategies and achieve better outcomes.”
Customized registries that collect long-term data are another M2S product. One example is the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), established by the Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) in partnership with M2S. VQI provides a a common platform for participating institutions and physicians to analyze outcomes of nine procedures, reinforce best practices, and share quality improvement efforts. More than 85 institutions are taking part in VQI, entering data on an average of 300 procedures a week. Another aspect of the initiative is regional collaboration of program participants. Under the auspices of the SVS Patient Safety Organization, regional quality groups share and analyze data through anonymous, benchmarked reports to initiate quality-improvement projects. There are regional groups all over the U.S., including New England, that meet twice each year.
“M2S has been committed to improving vascular patient outcomes for over ten years with our advanced 3D modeling technology. We believe that the addition of the Vascular Quality Initiative to our scope of services, combined with our standardized pre- and post-operative imaging, will significantly improve patient care,” explains Lang.
“M2S is an example of a biotech start-up with roots in academia—in this case, Dartmouth—that has evolved to become an innovation leader in its industry,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Chris Way in making the announcement that M2S was chosen as the December 2011 Innovation Rocks! winner. “We anticipate they’ll grow their business in other specialty areas in the future while continuing to develop their technology in-house, right here in New Hampshire.”
For more information about M2S, visit www.m2s.com.
“Innovation Rocks!” is an initiative sponsored by the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’s Business Resource Center in coordination with Rock 101 (WGIR-FM) to celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of New Hampshire innovators.
Tags: Business Resource Center, Chris Way, Greg Lange, Innovation Rocks!, M2S, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Rock 101, WGIR-FM
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on M2S Named December “Innovation Rocks!” Winner
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
 CONCORD – Gov. John Lynch and the Executive Council on Wednesday approved a $4 million Business Finance Authority loan to complete a major economic development agreement between the State, Safran USA, and the City of Rochester.
The agreement will enable the construction of a previously announced 275,000 square-foot facility, in which Safran USA and Albany Engineered Composites (AEC) will be co-located. The facility will employ approximately 400 workers. The State, through the Department of Resources and Economic Development, worked with Albany, Safran USA and the City of Rochester to ensure an agreement could be reached.
“We have been working closely with Safran USA and Albany to see the project through to completion. Today’s news is a major economic development win for Rochester and the entire state of New Hampshire, and will result in the creation of hundreds of jobs,” Gov. Lynch said.
As part of the effort to recruit the new facility, the state has also partnered with Great Bay Community College to create a new composite manufacturing curriculum to train workers to fill the new jobs.
“Safran USA and Albany could have located their new facilities anywhere in the country, but they chose New Hampshire because they recognize that we have a strong workforce and a winning economic strategy. We worked intensely with the companies over the past several years to make the construction of this new plant, and the hundreds of jobs that come with it, a reality,” Gov. Lynch said.
“I want to thank (DRED) Commissioner George Bald and his staff, particularly state business recruiter Cindy Harrington, as well as New Hampshire’s Business Finance Authority, under the leadership for Jack Donovan, for getting us to where we are today. I also want to thank Mayor T.J. Jean and Rochester city officials for their work and commitment to this project,” Gov. Lynch said.
“Finally, I want to thank Albany International’s President and CEO Joseph Morone and Safran USA leadership for their commitment to New Hampshire and for working cooperatively to move this critical project forward.”
“This agreement, and the manufacturing plant and new jobs that will result from it, is a reflection of not only the strength of the relationship between the State of New Hampshire, the City of Rochester, Albany International and Safran USA, but also of how tightly our futures are connected. The efforts of Governor John Lynch and his team in this process cannot be overstated, and the new plant and new jobs that will be created are the direct result of his efforts on behalf of State of New Hampshire,” said Albany President and CEO Joseph Morone.
The new facility will manufacture composite engine components.
“We are very pleased to launch the construction of a manufacturing plant in Rochester, where the Safran group and AEC will combine their resources in order to produce advanced composite parts for the LEAP aircraft engines developed by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Safran and GE,” said Peter Lengyel, President and CEO of Safran USA, Washington D.C. Operations.
Albany Engineered Composites is a subsidiary of Albany International, Corp., which employs about 225 workers at its existing Rochester facility. Last year, the company relocated its corporate headquarters from New York to Rochester.
“The City of Rochester is honored to be selected by Safran USA and Albany Engineered Composites to host their new world-class advanced manufacturing facility. This investment demonstrates Rochester’s commitment to attracting and securing sustainable industrial development and providing valuable jobs to our local economy,” said Rochester Mayor T.J. Jean. “Today’s announcement is a milestone for Rochester as we emerge from these difficult economic times.”
“This is a great day for Rochester and for the state of New Hampshire as a whole,” said Commissioner George Bald. “We thank Safran USA for making the decision to locate their facility in New Hampshire and commend the City of Rochester for its hard work in bringing in a quality company that will create new jobs and add to the economic vitality of our state.”
Construction of the new plant, near the existing Albany facility, will begin in the spring of 2012.
Tags: Albany Engineered Composites, Albany International, Business Finance Authority, CFM International, Cindy Harrington, City of Rochester, Community College System of New Hampshire, Corp., Granite State Business Park, Great Bay Community College, Jack Donovan, Joseph Morone, Karen Pollard, LEAP Aircraft Engines, New Hampshire, nh, NH Department of Resources and Economic Development, Peter Lengyel, Rochester Economic Development Corporation, Rochester Housing Authority, Safran Group, Safran USA, T.J. Jean
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on 400 New Advanced Manufacturing Jobs to Be Created in Rochester, NH
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
Last week, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development was fortunate enough to host a great “Secrets of Mobile Marketing” seminar featuring Mike Dolpies of Cyberspace to Your Place. Right on the heels of that, we thought that the following blog post would be of great use to small business owners throughout the state. Thanks for sharing this great info Mike!
Five Pillars of Mobile Marketing
When it comes to Mobile Marketing for small business owners the easiest way to get started is to focus on a couple or all of these simple Mobile Marketing “Pillars.” I call them…
“The Five Pillars of Mobile Marketing”
 Mike Dolpies of Cyberspace to Your Place As you learn and apply mobile marketing you realize it’s a pretty simple and flexible marketing media. And these pillars are no different. So let’s explore…
Pillar 1) Mobile Websites:
The best practice is to have a real “Mobile Version” of your site that gets shown to mobile visitors. I have tracked several opt-in leads to the “mobile version” of one of my websites. So have clients! The key with your mobile site is to keep in mind three important rules…
• Use a vertical navigation and be “one with the thumb.” Remember people will be moving around your site with their thumb and not a mouse.
• Have your click to call number really clear so a prospect can call you with the touch of a finger.
• Lead with your best three products/services/content. Ask yourself: “What is most relevant to the on the move visitor.?”
The fact is Mobile traffic is constantly increasing so a mobile site is not a luxury anymore – it’s a must.
Pillar 2) Mobile Lead/Landing pages:
Easiest way to put it…You’re doing an event or running a promotion. You want to give prospects a quick way to respond or register. You add a mobile landing page with lead capture to your campaign. Mobile landing pages are a great compliment to any form of print marketing.
That leads me to pillar three…
Pillar 3) QR Codes:
“Those bar-code thingies” you’re now seeing everywhere. But the key is to link them to a mobile page. QR codes bring print marketing to life! More and more business owners are claiming to “know about” QR codes, but too many are still committing the number one QR code sin… Linking them to NON-Mobile pages/websites. If you’re going to use QR codes please use them properly.
Pillar 4: Text Message Marketing:
Think email marketing but shorter and less frequent. If you hustle to slowly (or quickly) build a list of folks who have given you permission to send them text messages you’ll be way ahead of your competition. To get prospects to opt-in to your text marketing list you need to be sure you give them some “instant gratification” as an incentive.
Pillar 5: Mobile Pay Per Click
Do you use Google Adwords, Facebook Ads, or Bing’s Pay Per Click program? No matter which one is your favorite – Pay Per Click or Pay Per Impressions is a must if you’re going to exploit every angle in your internet marketing efforts.
So it only makes sense that Mobile Pay Per Click is on the rise. Mobile Pay Per Click (MPPC from now on) is simply targeting only mobile devices for your key words and terms. If you log in to your Google Adwords account you can see the option to target smartphones and devices. You’ll also note in Google’s instructional video about MPPC they want you to send the searcher to your mobile website. Duh! The good news about MPPC right now is cost per clicks are still pretty low so you can really increase your ROI.
Pick one or all of these five pillars and make your marketing mobile. Don’t just read, implement!
Mike Dolpies (AKA: Mike D.) is Co-Owner of the Internet and Mobile Marketing company, http://www.cyberspacetoyourplace.com/ He’s also the co-creator of “Mobile Marketing CMS,” a Do it Yourself Mobile Website, Landing Page & QR Code Generator Software. For more Mobile Marketing tips visit: http://mobilemarketingtips.tv/
Tags: Cyberpace to Your Place, Mike Dolphies, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Five Pillars of Mobile Marketing
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Jobs give people an opportunity to not only earn money, but to gain self confidence, improve their skills and chart a course for a better life. That’s why we at the “No Bull Business Blog” get so jazzed up about initiatives that encourage people to find great jobs and keep them.
With that in mind, thanks to our friend Chris Purington at Granite State Independent Living for sending along this great press release about a new initiative his organization has undertaken to motivate job seekers and help them afford the commute to work. Way to go!!
GSIL is Fueling Up the Tanks of NH Citizens
Gas isn’t cheap and driving to work or sharing a ride requires dipping into a paycheck before it’s ever deposited or cashed. Here’s where Granite State Independent Living (GSIL) comes in with its new NH at WORK economic development efforts. Adapting to a new job is enough responsibility, and every NH citizen has enough financial responsibilities besides commuting to work. Therefore, GSIL wants to fill up the gas tanks of NH workers, eliminating an added expense of a new job.
 Here’s how to access this great benefit. Eligible participants must be between the ages of 18 and 64 and be receiving Social Security benefits. Then they can choose to work with GSIL for assistance with a finding a job through the Ticket to Work services. GSIL has more than 25 years of experience making successful job placements and puts this experience to work making qualified employment matches throughout NH. These services include the evaluation of work environments, job search navigation, networking and interviewing guidance, resume and cover letter preparation, and skills and interest assessments to ensure each person is qualified and matched with the best available job positions. GSIL also assists job seekers with the financial planning necessary to manage increasing income while receiving Social Security benefits.
Once a successful job placement has been made, it’s time for GSIL to start paying at the pump. A $50 gas card will be the monthly reward the first nine months someone earns at least $720 each month, but it doesn’t stop there. Next, a $100 gas card will be awarded every 3 consecutive months that someone earns at least $1,010 each month, and this could continue on for up to three years. This means that over four years up to $1,650 can be saved in commuting costs. NH citizens will now be able to use this extra money for personal and family needs. Stay tuned for further NH at Work developments, as this is only one of many upcoming ways that GSIL’s economic development efforts will be making NH employment work better for all citizens or New Hampshire.
For more information about the initiative, visit www.nhatwork.com.
NH at WORK is a Granite State Independent Living (GSIL) led economic development effort to create access to economic opportunities for NH citizens with disabilities and to diversify NH employment to better meet the staffing needs of NH business. Founded in 1980, GSIL is an award-winning, statewide nonprofit organization that recognizes the fact that all of us will need some type of support in the course of our lives. GSIL’s mission is to promote life with independence for people with disabilities and seniors through advocacy, information, education and support.
Tags: Chris Purington, Granite State Independent Living, GSIL, NH at WORK, Ticket to Work
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on New Initiative Helps Job Seekers Put the Pedal to the Metal
Friday, December 2nd, 2011
Tis the season…….to hire seasonal employees. Recruiting and training employees is always of paramount importance, but perhaps never more so than in times of peak activity like the holidays. Guest blogger and HR Analyst Kyle Lagunas of Software Advice (http://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/) has been gracious enough to supply us with this great post about “onboarding” seasonal employees. Enjoy!
Five Tips for Onboarding Seasonal Employees
by Kyle Lagunas of Software Advice
From recruiting and training to offboarding, seasonal employees can put your human resources software and processes to the test. Not only do you have to find and hire the right people, you have a very short time to get them up to speed.
 Some people may assume I’m focused on training when I say “onboarding,” but the fact is that the employee experience starts in the recruiting stage. With this in mind, here are a few key strategies to help you throughout every phase of the process:
Know your capacity upfront. Whether you have a general human resources management system or a hodgepodge of spreadsheets and checklists – it’s important to know your capacity. Can your back-office system efficiently handle an increased volume in applicants and new hires?
Tailor your recruiting strategies. Your recruiting efforts should be tailored to meet the specific needs of a seasonal workforce. It’s important to make the details of the opportunity clear from the get-go. Also, be wary of how you communicate potential for further employment, as you don’t want folks making assumptions.
Perform due diligence. Don’t skimp on due diligence in collecting legal papers and monitoring employees’ schedules. “A lot of people short-circuit processes like verifying work eligibility or tracking hours correctly. It should go without saying, but you really need to be sure you’re following the law,” says John Rossheim, a senior contributing writer at Monster.com.
Provide proper training. Rossheim suggests designing your seasonal workforce “to accomplish the task at hand, rather than haphazardly training everyone to do everything they may possibly have to do. Specialize rather than throwing everyone into the same bucket.” Forbes Woman columnist and onboarding expert Emily Bennington, suggest that onboarding should focus on integrating new employees in three areas:
● Technical Skills: To what depth of expertise do seasonal employees need to be trained to perform their jobs?
● Company Culture: How thoroughly do seasonal hires need to understand company policies and values?
● Social Integration: In what ways can you connect seasonal employees to your organization so they feel like they are part of the team?
End Things on a Good Note. Bennington says “there’s definitely an opportunity to establish brand ambassadors.” Offboarding provides a chance to make a lasting positive impression, while gaining insight into the worker’s experience. Standard offboarding practices include surveying workers on their experience. Bennington suggests going beyond surveying, and having one-on-one exit interviews with select employees to get more candid responses.
About the Author
Kyle Lagunas is the HR Analyst at Software Advice. On the surface, it’s his job to contribute to the ongoing conversation on all things HR. Beyond that, he makes sure his audience is keeping up with important trends and hot topics in the industry. Focused on offering a fresh take on points of interest in his market, he’s not your typical HR guy.
Tags: Emily Bennington, Forbes Woman, John Rossheim, Kyle Lagunas, Monster.com, Software Advice
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Five Tips for Onboarding Seasonal Employees
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
Shelburne Plastics has relocated its New Hampshire manufacturing operations from Manchester to Londonderry where it expanded its operation to 35,000 square feet at 27 Industrial Drive.
 New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Business Development Manager Michael Bergeron assisted Shelburne in evaluating the benefits of staying and growing in New Hampshire and connected them with NH Business Finance Authority (BFA) Director Jack Donovan. The BFA provided a $750,000 energy efficiency loan for the purchase of new capital equipment.
Shelburne Plastics has been in business over twenty-five years and supplies high quality HDPE and Polypropylene bottles and containers to the dairy, water, juice, chemical and food markets throughout the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada.
Shelburne Plastics has its corporate office in South Burlington, Vermont and has manufacturing sites in South Burlington, Londonderry, New Hampshire and Jessup, Maryland.
“Michael Bergeron and Jack Donovan provided excellent service to me in this important decision to expand in New Hampshire,” said Shelburne Plastics President and CEO Eugene Torvend. “With a loan from the NH Business Finance Authority, we were able to move two production lines from our Maryland facility to New Hampshire, purchase new equipment and retain 25 jobs.”
Shelburne supplies high quality HDPE and Polypropylene bottles and containers to the dairy, water, juice, chemical and food markets throughout the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada.
Shelburne plans an open house for the first quarter of 2012. For further information on the company, visit www.shelburneplastics.com.
Tags: Eugene Torvend, Jack Donovan, Michael Bergeron, New Hampshire Business Finance Authority, Shelburne Plastics
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Shelburne Plastics Relocates to Londonderry
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