August, 2018 - New Hampshire Business Matters

Archive for August, 2018

More Visitors will Cap Off Summer in New Hampshire this Labor Day Weekend

Thursday, August 30th, 2018

What’s there to do over Labor Day Weekend in New Hampshire? Tax-free shopping • 103rd Hopkinton Fair • 148th Lancaster Fair (pictured) • Dive into kayaking • Embark on NH’s Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Trail • Take the kids hiking

New Hampshire tourism officials are projecting an increase in visitation and spending this Labor Day Weekend.

The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development expects 660,000 visitors will spend an estimated $95 million over the three-day weekend, representing a 3.5 percent increase in visitors and a 5 percent increase in spending over last year.

The Labor Day Weekend is typically the state’s second busiest travel weekend.

“New Hampshire has experienced a positive summer travel period and that momentum will carry through the long holiday weekend,” said Victoria Cimino, director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development. “Strong consumer confidence, reasonable gas prices, and a sunny weather forecast, are significant factors in this year’s Labor Day Weekend forecast.”

Labor Day weekend draws visitors to the Granite State for outdoor recreation and attractions, shopping, events, and visiting friends and family.

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Get Your Business in Shape for International Trade with the Export Bootcamp

Thursday, August 30th, 2018

Having trouble fitting in training sessions on international trade? Do bills of lading, export administration regulations and export credit insurance make you sweat?

Get your program in ship-export-shape by enrolling in the second annual Export Boot Camp this fall. It covers the most important aspects of doing business in international markets and can have you outpacing the competition.

For more information and to register, visit our website. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to pump iron into your export plan!

Export Controls and Compliance

Wednesday, Oct. 3
9am – 3 pm EST
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord
Presented by: Evolutions in Business

Export Logistics

Wednesday, Oct. 17
9am – 2 pm EST
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord
Presented by: UPS; Traliance; Middleton & Shrull

Export Finance

Wednesday, Oct. 31
9am – 2 pm EST
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord
Presented by: People’s Bank; Meridian Financial Group; U.S. Small Business Association

International Marketing

Wednesday, Nov. 14
9am – 2 pm EST
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord
Presented by: IBT Online

Tags: export bootcamp, export compliance, export finance, export logistics, international marketing, international trade, Office of International Commerce
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New Hampshire has No Sales Tax: Information for New Hampshire Businesses Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair Decision

Thursday, August 23rd, 2018

Governor Chris Sununu, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, and Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell announced today (8/23/18) further actions by New Hampshire State Government in the wake of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc.

In that decision, the court overturned existing law, which required that a seller be physically present in a state before that state may impose sales and use tax collection obligations upon the seller. As a result, more than 10,000 jurisdictions that have a sales and use tax may seek to impose collection requirements on out-of-state sellers, potentially including New Hampshire businesses.

“The actions announced today are important steps that the Executive Branch can take while we continue to push for legislative action,” Sununu said. “While we remain hopeful that meaningful legislation can be enacted either this fall or next session, I have made clear to my administration that state government must do all it can in the meantime to protect New Hampshire businesses in the weeks and months ahead.”

The specific actions announced today are:

The Department of Justice has prioritized efforts to detect and alert New Hampshire’s citizens to potential scams in which an individual impersonates another jurisdiction’s taxing authority in an attempt to acquire payment or sensitive customer data;
The Department of Justice has dedicated resources to gather information related to actual efforts of other taxing jurisdictions to impose their sales and use tax obligations on New Hampshire businesses.
- To assist the Department of Justice in collecting this information and monitoring for potential scams, the Attorney General requests that any New Hampshire business contacted about sales or use tax collection by an entity purporting to be a taxing authority call the Attorney General’s Consumer Information line at 888-468-4454 or 603-271-3643.
- The Department of Justice cannot represent or give legal or tax advice to individuals or businesses. Therefore, businesses receiving a communication from a governmental entity outside of New Hampshire seeking to impose a sales and use tax obligation should consult a tax professional.
The State has established a single website, https://www.nheconomy.com/nosalestax, which is intended to serve as a central clearinghouse for information about developments in the wake of the Wayfair decision. The website will be updated regularly with content and information provided by all agencies of state government, including the Departments of Justice, Business and Economic Affairs, and Revenue Administration.

Tags: no sales tax, Wayfair decision
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New Hampshire Aerospace Takes Flight at Farnborough International Airshow Last Month: Five Granite State Companies Scored Worldwide Connections

Friday, August 3rd, 2018

New Hampshire’s growing aerospace sector was on display last month at the Farnborough International Airshow, one of the largest industry trade shows in the world. Among the highlights this year: The debut of the F-35 Lightning II, along with nine new aircraft from Boeing, Bombardier, Gulfstream, Hondajet and Embraer.

Six companies – AQYR of Nashua; Corfin Industries of Salem; Northern Composites of Hampton; Transupport of Merrimack and US NanoSolutions of Hampton – were joined by Liquid Measurement Solutions of Georgia, Vt., at the New Hampshire pavilion. This year’s show featured more than 1,500 exhibitors from 52 countries, of which nearly three-quarters were from outside the United Kingdom.

While the latest total is still being calculated, in 2016, $124 billion in orders and commitment were placed at the air show.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen visited the New Hampshire pavilion at the Farnborough International Airshow last month. Photos courtesy NHBR

On the first day of the show, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen visited the New Hampshire pavilion, which drew some great attention to the Granite State and, because of her connections, provided introductions of our businesses to key prime contractors – Boeing, Leonardo and Textron.

This is valuable currency for our companies, who are now connected with the right people to talk about procurement and getting into their supply chains.

This is the second time since 2012 New Hampshire has had a presence at this biennial air show. Since that first show, our state’s aerospace sector has seen impressive growth and increased international acumen.

We returned because of strong business connections our companies, and the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium, have forged since then, including with the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium. The relationship is providing possibilities for trade and business opportunities for Granite State companies.

The United Kingdom is the U.S.’s second largest defense market and a strong market for New Hampshire’s integrated supply chain. We make components that put planes and jets in flight. It makes sense to be there and the companies taking part in our pavilion took advantage of the opportunity to seek new markets, show commitment to customers and make connections.

International trade shows are intense, but are a great way to meet the world halfway. For New Hampshire, Farnborough has again opened doors to possibility for one of its dynamic and growing sectors.

Tina Kasim
Program Manager
Office of International Commerce

Tags: AQYR Technologies, Corfin Industries, Farnborough International Air Show, New Hampshire Office of International Commerce, NHADEC, Northern Composites, Transupport, US NanoSolutions, US Sen. Shaheen
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Northern Border Regional Commission Awards Grants to 15 NH Projects

Wednesday, August 1st, 2018

The Northern Border Regional Commission has awarded more than $2.8 million in federal funds to 15 projects that will boost community development projects in New Hampshire.

Created by the US Congress in 2008, the NBRC is a federal-state partnership whose mission is to help alleviate economic distress and help the region grow throughout 36 northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In New Hampshire, counties eligible for the Economic and Infrastructure Development Investment Program are Carroll, Coos, Grafton and Sullivan.

“Today’s announced Northern Borders Regional Commission grants are great news for Granite State communities,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “These grants are an important tool for local communities to promote opportunity and further strengthen their economic and community development efforts.”

The 15 projects enhance the efforts communities and organizations are advancing to strengthen their local economies, said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.

“Funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission is increasingly important for the towns and cities that are working hard to build communities where people want to live and work,” he said.

Awards were made for the following projects:

The Bridge House; $68,330 to create six units of service-enriched affordable housing that include job training and employment opportunities in Plymouth;

Town of Bristol; $132,157 for a 3-mile, middle mile fiber optic cable telecommunication infrastructure project that will provide high speed internet, voice, data, video, and network backup for cellular and wireless needs;

Coos County Family Health Services; $250,000 for a 2,300-square-foot clinical space addition to expand behavioral health and substance abuse treatment in Berlin;

Coos Economic Development Corp.; $250,000 to Whitefield’s King Square revitalization project, targeting four buildings around the town common for refurbishment;

Dartmouth Regional Technology Center; $250,000 for the purchase and installation of a laboratory-grade air handling system at the DRTC business incubator in Lebanon;

Town of Enfield; $135,397 for the Mascoma Lakeside Park Pavilion, providing an indoor/outdoor community gathering space and enhanced recreation opportunities;

G.A.L.A Community Center; $250,000 for renovations needed to establish a makerspace and business incubator in Wolfeboro;

Laconia Area Community Land Trust; $310,000 for basic public infrastructure for the Harriman Hill Homes development project in Wolfeboro;

Littleton Industrial Development Corp.; $119,500 for site development design and permitting of 42 acres the Town of Littleton donated to expand the industrial park;

Mascoma Community Healthcare Inc.; $154,275 to provide radiography, physical therapy and pharmacy equipment, which is needed to expand an existing community health center, which serves 1,600 patients and will create nine jobs in Canaan;

Mount Washington Valley Trails Association/Town of Conway; $200,000 for the North Conway Recreation Path, a 2.9 mile infrastructure project for non-motorized, off-road transportation and recreation;

Taproot Farm and Environmental Education Center; $156,260 for the retention and expansion of a Lancaster marketplace supporting 88 local farmers and artists/craftsmen;

Weeks Medical Center; $250,000 for installation of an 85Hp biomass boiler in center’s new patient care center in Lancaster;

White Mountains Community College; $240,220 for a training program developed through a collaboration between the college and regional industries to address critical skills gap impeding business retention and expansion;

White Mountain Science; $95,550 for its STEM-Works program, a region-wide STEM workforce training program with a focus on leadership, communications, STEM-tech skills and entrepreneurship.

Tags: federal grants, Northern Border Regional Commission
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Division of Economic Development Staff Earn Awards, Recognition

Wednesday, August 1st, 2018

There may not be a staff as dedicated, knowledgeable, and hardworking as the one at the Division of Economic Development. I am pleased that several team members have been recognized for their work.

Over the past several months:

Michael Power, community outreach coordinator, Office of Workforce Opportunity and Lorna Colquhoun, (top) communications director for the Division of Economic Development, were honored by the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire with its annual Above and Beyond awards, which recognize their outstanding service and commitment to BIA’s mission;

Dave Pease, program manager for the New Hampshire Procurement Technical Assistance Center and chairman of APTAC’s Professional Review Committee, (center) received the Betty McDonald Outstanding Member Achievement Award at the spring Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Center’s training conference;

Tina Kasim, program manager for the Office of International Commerce and a member of the Granite State District Export Council, (bottom) was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for her knowledge of international business and expertise on trade and trade-related matters; U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan presented her with a certificate.

Will Arvelo
Director
Division of Economic Development

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