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Archive for October, 2020

Apply Today for Main Street Relief Fund 2.0

Monday, October 19th, 2020
Following Gov. Chris Sununu’s announcement last week that $100 million of the state’s CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds would be allocated to a second round of the Main Street Relief Fund, the application period for Main Street Relief Fund 2.0 (MSRF 2.0) opened for new and returning applicants this morning. The application is available on the GOFERR grants management portal until 4 pm on Oct. 30. 
 
MSRF 2.0 provides continued economic support to New Hampshire small businesses suffering from business interruptions as a result of COVID-19. Specifically, it supports both new applicants; businesses that did not receive grants from the initial round of MSRF or the General Assistance & Preservation (GAP) Fund, and returning applicants – businesses that received grants of less than the maximum $350,000 from the initial round of MSRF or the GAP Fund.

Eligibility is similarly defined as under the initial round of the Main Street Relief Fund; those with questions are encouraged to consult the eligibility criteria available here.
 
New Hampshire small businesses seeking assistance are encouraged to contact GOFERR utilizing the inquiry portal or contact the Main Street Relief Fund 2.0 call center by calling (603) 271-7840. The call center is provided, in part, thanks to a partnership with the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.

Local, State Leaders Celebrate Water Project Success for Jaffrey, Peterborough

Monday, October 19th, 2020

Gov. Chris Sununu on Oct. 16 joined state and local officials to celebrate a groundbreaking collaboration to develop a new water supply serving two communities.

Gov. Sununu speaking in Peterborough about the Cold Stone Spring water treatment plant.

The Cold Stone Springs Water Supply Project is a first project of this kind in New Hampshire, where two municipalities have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement to develop the water supply. The towns of Peterborough and Jaffrey have been working for over two years to secure a combination of grants and loans totaling $12.6 million in funding to begin moving forward to make this project a reality for the communities.

“What you are going to do for the community is unbelievable,” Sununu said. “You are a model of success.”

State Sen. Chuck Morse, chairman of the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Advisory Commission, said the project is becoming a reality because the collaboration, which included the towns, state agencies, and businesses “came together to solve a problem.”

By coming together, he said, the communities were able to secure federal funds for the water project, which will have significant benefits for years to come.

“This project is a model because of the success the communities had ; this is a project that can be studied throughout the country for how businesses, the community and the state can get together to solve a problem,” he said.

David Nichols, MilliporeSigma, left; Gov. Sununu

By securing the new water supply, the Cold Stone Spring project will enable growth for industries, such as supporting the expansion plans for MilliporeSigma and creation of up to 400 new jobs. MilliporeSigma is one of the area’s largest employers and a leading supplier to the global life science industry.

“What you are going to do for the community is unbelievable. You are a model of success.” – Gov. Chris Sununu

Doiron Named Director of New Hampshire Office of Workforce Opportunity

Monday, October 12th, 2020

The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs announces that Joseph A. Doiron will serve as the new state workforce development director, overseeing the BEA Office of Workforce Opportunity (OWO).

Joseph Doiron
Joseph Doiron

As director, Doiron will work with BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell to advance state workforce development strategies, a critical component of BEA’s economic development work.  He will manage partnerships across multiple agencies and partner with employers to advance state economic development initiatives related to developing, maintaining, and recruiting a world-class workforce to New Hampshire. 

Doiron will oversee and administer the staff and programs at OWO, which administers New Hampshire’s federal funding under the US Department of Labor’s Workforce and Innovation Opportunity Act. This includes managing programs in partnership with the state Department of Employment Security, Department of Education, Community College System, and others.  He will also work closely with the State Workforce Innovation Board and the state Sector Partnership Initiative.

“The challenge of growing the workforce remains a top issue for our economy,” Caswell said. “Having Joe step into this important role will be a big step forward for advancing those efforts here at BEA.”

Doiron, who most recently served as deputy director of the Governor’s Emergency Relief and Recovery office, said he looks forward to working with stakeholders to develop further a strong and agile workforce. 

“In New Hampshire’s expanding economy, employers’ competitiveness depends on their ability to attract and retain workers to fill their needs,” Doiron said.  “I look forward to working with Commissioner Caswell and the BEA team to address these issues.”

New Hampshire Manufacturing Month Celebrate Pandemic Efforts to Keep Granite Staters Safe

Monday, October 12th, 2020

New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Director Will Arvelo gave the following remarks earlier this month during the celebration of Manufacturing Day Oct. 2 at Filtrine Manufacturing Co., in Keene.

Manufacturing Day 2020

Manufacturing Month is New Hampshire’s homage to its rich history of making products that enrich and adds convenience to our lives; gives us better ways to do things, and keeps us safe.

We don’t need to look any further than here, at Filtrine Manufacturing, where, for more than a century, the Hansel family evolved water filtration into modern systems. Along the way, the company set an example for other manufacturers, in reducing their carbon footprint and using Green processes wherever possible.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Hampshire manufacturing was about 70,000 strong; had an output of $10 billion, and represented about 12 percent of our GSP. While there may be a slight dip in those numbers today, I say with confidence that our manufacturers are on the comeback from the pandemic, with innovations and new ways of doing business, ready to shape the future.

One year ago, we could not imagine how much the world would change, and how much New Hampshire industries would make a difference in fighting a global pandemic. Hundreds of our manufacturers quickly pivoted to meet the critical demand in the uncertain early weeks last winter, retooling their production lines and training employees with the singular focus in mind – to keep their communities, and especially frontline workers, safe.

You’re invited to the
18th annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing
and High Technology (Virtual) Summit Oct. 29

Keynote speaker: Douglas K. Woods, president,
The Association for Manufacturing Technology,
Manufacturing the Future: Transformative Technologies’ Role
in Accelerating Out of the COVID Crisis

Information, registration here.

Here in the Monadnock Region, Alene Candles in Milford made face shields; So-Clean in Peterborough made masks; Cole-Tac in Newport made gowns; distilleries and breweries around the state made hand sanitizer. There are too many to name in this short time, but each one of them has the gratitude of the Granite State for their dedication in adapting their systems to keep us all safe.

I urge everyone, when the opportunity arises, to thank their local manufacturers for all they do, and have done, over the past seven months to keep our communities, families, and frontline workers healthy and safe.

We know that most of our nearly 2,000 manufacturers, in all corners of the state, are on their way back to meet, or exceed, pre-pandemic levels of production. Your products are critical to bringing resiliency back to our supply chains.

We know that a trained workforce is critical now and reminds us that the future of manufacturing begins in our schools. We need to work with K-12 and higher education stakeholders to ensure that our future workforce will have the skills necessary to make New Hampshire the shining star of manufacturing in the Northeast.

As we celebrate National Manufacturing Day, and kick off New Hampshire Manufacturing Month, I want to thank all manufacturers for all you do. You are the backbone of our economy, significant employers in our communities, and neighbors we can count on in any situation.