Archive for March, 2019
Monday, March 25th, 2019
 Ken Cail, left, WTPL-FM; Lorna Colquhoun, Business and Economic Affairs; Geno Marconi, Division of Ports and Harbors We take to the radio waves every month to talk about topics important to business and commerce here in the Granite State.
New Hampshire Business Matters can be heard at 2 p.m., every third Wednesday of the month on WTPL FM107.7
This month, Geno Marconi, director of the Division of Ports and Harbors, talked about the state’s expanded foreign trade zone, which now includes all, or parts of, nine of our 10 counties.
By using the FTZ, businesses can save money on the cost of their imports, increasing their competitiveness and creating new jobs.
Does your business qualify? Tune in and find out.
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Friday, March 15th, 2019
 New Hampshire: Proximity, Partnerships, Possibilities During a brief, but informative, visit to New Hampshire this week, more than 30 Canadian entrepreneurs representing 20 companies that are part of a business accelerator program in Sherbrooke, Que., learned about research, partnerships and the business advantages to considering expansion into the US.
New Hampshire: Proximity, Partnerships, Possibilities was the theme of the Concord event, as Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell moderated panel discussions focusing on academic partnerships for research and collaboration, as well as workforce, business climate, access to capital and the experiences of two Quebec-based businesses that expanded to New Hampshire.
The businesses are part of ACET Banque Nationale at the University of Sherbrooke, a business accelerator, which, since 2011, has seen 300 jobs created by 85 companies. Their stop in Concord was part of a two day swing through Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine to meet with economic development officials and business leaders to foster cross-border relationships.
Sherbrook is located about three hours from Concord.
The event was sponsored by BEA, in partnership with Bernstein Shur. Participating panelists included Plymouth State University President Donald Birx; Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth Director Jamie Coughlin; Varitron Vice President Jon Saunders; Integrim CFO Marc Voyer; Bernstein Shur Attorney Ovide Lamontagne and Community College System of New Hampshire Chancellor Ross Gittell.
Tags: ACET Banque Nationale, International partnerships, Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke
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Monday, March 11th, 2019
For the second year in a row, the value of New Hampshire’s exports reached an all-time high in 2018, according to the latest federal trade data.
The exports totaled over $5.2 billion last year, 2.68 percent higher than 2017. Industrial machinery was the state’s chief export, at $1.2 billion, up 7.82 percent from 2017. Germany nudged out Canada as the state’s top trading partner, with Ireland, Mexico and China rounding out the top five trading partners.
“From aerospace to the life sciences, New Hampshire is home to companies at the pinnacle of innovation,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “Throughout the last two years, we have focused on implementing a pro-growth agenda that opens doors of opportunity for companies not just in New Hampshire, but across the nation and the world – and the new record-setting export numbers prove it’s working!”
“International trade is a growing component of our state’s economy and this trade data reinforces the work we are doing to improve access for New Hampshire businesses in international markets,” said Commissioner Taylor Caswell of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
The third most traded commodity in 2018, at $841 million, was aircraft and spacecraft parts, up over 68 percent from 2017. Pharmaceutical products, which range from bandages to blood plasma, were valued at $411 million, up 22 percent from the previous year.
“We are seeing significant growth in our aerospace and life sciences sectors, which are diverse and innovative, and in demand in the global marketplace,” Caswell said.
In the decade since the recession, Granite State businesses have realized the value and opportunities of international trade as ways to diversify their customer base. Six years ago this month, the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium was created to bring 350 businesses and manufacturers across the state to leverage in overseas markets industries that employ more than 65,000 people, earning an average $91,000.
The Office of International Commerce, an agency within Business and Economic Affairs, works with state and federal partners, including the US Commercial Service, to provide New Hampshire businesses export compliance training and other resources to expand into world markets.
Tags: international trade, Office of International Commerce, record exports
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Thursday, March 7th, 2019
Applications for the Northern Border Regional Commission’s Economic and Infrastructure Development Investment Program are now available. The recent reauthorization of NBRC expands the service area for eligible projects in all or parts Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton and Sullivan Counties.
Created in 2008, the NBRC is a federal-state partnership for economic and community development in New York, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.
The state EID investment program awards grants up to $500,000 for infrastructure projects and $250,000 for other eligible projects. The application deadline is May 10.
Three information sessions regarding the state EID Investment Program are planned across the state this month:
- 2 – 4 pm, March 11; Cheshire County Courthouse, 12 Court St., Keene
- 10 am – noon, March 12; Mountain View Grand, 10 Mountain Rd., Whitefield
- 1 – 3 pm, March 22; Lakes Region Community College, 379 Belmont Rd., Laconia
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 2018, the NRBC awarded 15 grants in New Hampshire, totaling over $2.8 million to projects in Berlin, Bristol, Canaan, Enfield, Laconia, Lancaster, Lebanon, Littleton, Lyme, North Conway, Plymouth, Whitefield and Wolfeboro.
An additional $7 million is also available through NBRC’s new Regional Forest Economy Partnership. This funding opportunity is aimed at revitalizing communities affected by declines in the forest products industry. Eligible applicants may be invited to apply for up to $1 million if they are able to demonstrate that any one of four criteria are met: an industry change in employment due to a decline of the forest industry, a wage reduction in the project area, a mill or forest-based manufacturer closing in the past 20 years, or county population loss. The NBRC encourages applications that have a multi-state benefit.
For more information about applying for the grant programs, 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/.
Tags: economic development, forest industry, infrastructure, NBRC, Northern Border Regional Commission
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