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Archive for April, 2018

Lonza Expanding Portsmouth Facility, Adding up to 1,000 Jobs

Friday, April 20th, 2018

Governor Chris Sununu and State officials confirmed today that Lonza Biologics, Inc. will move forward with the expansion of its Portsmouth facility, adding up to 1,000 jobs and up to one million square-feet of space.  The company currently employs 800 at the facility, which focuses on contract manufacturing.

“We are thrilled that Lonza will be making a major additional investment in New Hampshire and adding more jobs to our local economy,” said Governor Sununu. “This decision by Lonza is a great testament to New Hampshire’s business friendly environment and the skill and commitment of our workforce. I look forward to working closely with our state team and Lonza officials to see this expansion through to completion.”


Commissioner Taylor Caswell talks about the Lonza expansion and the New Hampshire economy with InDepthNH’s Roger Wood.


“Lonza is already a valued member of the New Hampshire business community,” said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “This additional investment will create a more than 40-acre campus for the company and reinforces the vitality of the life sciences sector here in New Hampshire.”

The Governor’s office and the Department of Business and Economic Affairs collaborated with many State and local partners including the Department of Environmental Services, the Business Finance Authority, the City of Portsmouth, and the Pease Development Authority to pitch New Hampshire as a prime location for Lonza’s expansion plans.

New Hampshire, Canadian Officials Look at Importance of International Trade

Friday, April 20th, 2018

New Hampshire’s northern neighbor is also it’s biggest trading partner, so as discussions about the North American Free Trade Agreement continue, Granite State businesses are paying close attention.

More than 70 percent of Canadian exports go to the American market; Canada is the largest export market for more than 30 states.

Trade and investment with Canada supports 39,000 jobs in New Hampshire. Each year, companies and manufacturers export $576 million in goods and $211 in services to Canada.

“Our relationship,” said Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell, “is crucial to our state’s economy.”

This fueled discussion this week, Renegotiating NAFTA: Partners for a Prosperous Economy, featuring industry leaders, state and provincial policy-makers, and economic development representatives from Quebec and New Hampshire, including Caswell;  Welch Manufacturing Technologies President Glenn Welch and CEO Robert Bouchard of Rotobec.

Welch is the manufacturer of Biteharder, a snowmobile carbide sharpening unit. Working with our Office of International Trade, Welch has found a thriving market in Canada. He told the audience that without NAFTA, the cost to send his product over the northern border would be almost as much as the unit itself.

Rotobec, which has had a presence in Littleton for over 30 years, is expanding for the second time in two years and expects to grow to 50 employees. Bouchard said international trade agreements enables the company to reach markets efficiently on both sides of the border and to have access to workforce.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed things won’t change,” Welch said.

 

Aerospace/Defense Reaching New Heights in New Hampshire

Thursday, April 19th, 2018

Tune into this month’s edition of New Hampshire Business Matters and learn about the NH Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium.

What fast-growing industry in New Hampshire is home to about 350 companies involved in the sector; employs about 60,000 people, who earn an average salary of more than $87,000 and comprises about 2 percent of the gross state product?

Aerospace and defense.

That was the topic of this month’s New Hampshire Business Matters radio show on WTPL-FM, with Division of Economic Development Director Will Arvelo and guest Steve Myers, program manager for Southwest Research Institute, located on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.


Register today for NHAD 2018, the annual networking event of the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium.


The discussion centered around the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium. Now in its fifth year, this unique organization has about 100 members from around the country and international partnerships with AeroMontreal and the Farnborough (England) Aerospace Association.

Myers spoke about how NHADEC helped save the work SRI does at UNH and the other benefits the organization offers.

Tune in and learn about this dynamic organization and the annual networking event coming up May 17.

GDPR Goes into Effect May 25: Is Your Company Ready to Comply?

Thursday, April 12th, 2018

If you’re involved with one of the thousands of New Hampshire companies exporting goods and services to markets within the European Union, you have, by now, probably heard about the General Data Protection Regulation rules, which go into effect May 25.

GDPR, as it’s better known, is strict protocol on how companies collect and protect data on citizens of the EU and companies must be within compliance next month.

From 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m., on May 4 in the Demoulas Room, Benoit Education Center at Rivier University in Nashua, the New Hampshire Office of International Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service and the Granite State District Export Council present two seminars taking a closer look at the global trends in e-commerce transactions and GDPR.

Morning Session: Cross-Border eCommerce Sales: Practical Guidance for Small & Medium-Sized Businesses
Presented by James Bledsoe, eCommerce Innovation Lab, U.S. Department of Commerce

Global StudyPulse of the Online Shopper
Presented by John Wakefield, Lorie Schlatterer and Travis Klingseisen, UPS
Cost: $50 per person

Lunch and Learn: Understanding the New General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) When Doing Business in the European Union
Presented by Attorney John Weaver, Associate at McLane Middleton
Cost: $50 per person

Cost to attend both sessions: $75 per person

REGISTER TODAY!

Contact Rachel Adams with any questions.  More information about each session and the agenda can be found HERE.

Hitchiner Manufacturing to Make $50 Million Capital Investment, Add 85 Jobs in Milford, N.H.

Wednesday, April 4th, 2018

John Morison III, Hitchiner Manufacturing

Today, Governor Chris Sununu joined Hitchiner Manufacturing CEO John Morison III, BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell, and state and local officials as Hitchiner announced plans to expand its New Hampshire operation with the construction of a new, 85,000-square-foot facility – a $50 million investment that will create 85 local jobs.

“Expanding in New Hampshire would not have been possible without the support of state and local government. Businesses planning to start-up or expand in the state today face important challenges. The high cost of energy in New Hampshire can be an especially high hurdle, particularly for manufacturing companies,” said Hitchiner Chairman and CEO John H. Morison. “Fortunately, Hitchiner was able to work through these challenges with the Governor’s office, the N.H. Department of Business & Economic Affairs, and the Town of Milford. The Company looks forward to working along with state and local government to continue to improve New Hampshire’s business environment in order to ensure a strong economy for current and future generations.”

“This is great news for New Hampshire,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “Hitchiner Manufacturing’s expansion, is another signal to companies across the Country that the Granite State is open for business. I’d like to thank Hitchiner Chairman and CEO John Morison III for choosing to expand right here at home, and look forward to the many great things to come.”

“Manufacturing is a critical component of New Hampshire’s economy, and we worked hard with the team at Hitchiner and with our partner agencies at the state and local levels to meet their needs and respect their decision to make such a sizeable investment here in New Hampshire,” said Taylor Caswell, Commissioner of the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs.  “This sends a very clear message to our existing manufacturers as well as those from outside the state, New Hampshire is open for business and we will work to earn those investments and the quality jobs they can bring.”

The building represents a multi-phased $50 million capital investment and will house operations to support new growth in markets Hitchiner currently serves. The investment is contingent on securing financing and permits from the town and state. Beyond the jobs that will be created during construction, Hitchiner expects that the investment will also eventually create an estimated 85 local jobs. The expansion will help ensure the future of Hitchiner’s current operations in the state, and its continued contribution to the state and local economies.

The expansion, which is scheduled to begin mid-2018, serves to strengthen Hitchiner’s presence in New Hampshire, as well as its position as an industrial supplier. Hitchiner has been a part of the New Hampshire business community since 1946, when the privately-held company was established in Manchester, N.H.’s Amoskeag Millyard. Today the company employs more than 675 employees in Milford, NH, where it produces investment castings for the aerospace, defense, and automotive industries. It has also become known for its investment in education and workforce development, as well as its collaboration with local charitable organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Club of Soughegan Valley. In 2017, Hitchiner was named the Manufacturing and Business Technology Business of the Year by New Hampshire Business Magazine.

 

About Hitchiner Manufacturing, Co., Inc.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Milford, New Hampshire, Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. is the supplier of choice for investment castings and fully-finished casting-based subassemblies and components. Leading companies in the automotive, aerospace and other industries around the globe use our castings and rely on Hitchiner to provide volume production, reduced lead-times, and just-in-time manufacturing.