The office will be awfully quiet next week, as our team heads out in two directions, but with the same mission of telling the world about why New Hampshire, with our industries, our business-friendly climate, our skilled and educated workforce, is a great place for companies abroad to consider partnerships, expansion or relocation.
Kasim
Lorentz
Director Carmen Lorentz and Office of International Commerce Program Manager Tina Kasim head out tomorrow for Hannover Messe 2016, the world’s largest industrial trade fair. More than 200,000 people pass through to visit over 6,500 exhibitors, including New Hampshire. The US is the featured country; President Obama will be there to open the event this weekend. Carmen and Tina have lined up meetings with industry sector and business leaders and we are looking forward to hearing about them throughout the week.
Jewell Instruments of Manchester will also be exhibiting at the show; Brian Ward, director of business development sensor and controls, and Lorentz talked about the event on our monthly New Hampshire Business Matters radio show on WTPL-FM.
On Monday and Tuesday, Michael Bergeron and Beno Lamontagne head over the border to Montreal, where they will attend the Aerospace Innovation Forum. With more than 300 Granite State companies involved in the aerospace and defense industries – which are among our key industries – it makes sense to have a presence and be among companies and leaders of Aero Montreal, one of the largest aerospace clusters in the world.
At the last Aerospace Innovation Forum in 2013, NHADEC signed its first international partnership with Aero Montreal, establishing preferred relations between the organizations collaboration on topics such as training, research, joint trade missions and supplier development initiatives.
We are going to keep up with these two events – and we hope you will, too – via our Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook pages.
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
Division of Economic Development
We’re putting the finishing touches on a busy week here at the Division of Economic Development, which started at the BIO International Convention in Boston on Monday and ended with a presentation in Sherbrooke, Que. on Wednesday and a visit with a manufacturer Thursday, who, by the way, likes our message … a lot.
About 80 people turned out for dinner and a talk about taxes … specifically the lack of thereof … just a short hop from northern New Hampshire. This is a place where there is room for Quebec companies to expand into the U.S. and a skilled and enthusiastic workforce to help them do it successfully.
This is not the first time we’ve done this. Every other year or so, with sponsorship from Public Service of New Hampshire, we visit places like Drummondville, Quebec City and Sherbrooke (this was our second visit) and talk about impôts to a country that knows them well.
That’s taxes. We talk to them about New Hampshire’s lack of them. When we got to the part about aucune taxe de vente, they couldn’t believe we don’t have a sales tax here. There was an audible gasp and buzz, like we were kidding.
We weren’t and we aren’t.
As Beno Lamontagne, our business resource specialist in Carroll, Grafton and Coos Counties, said Thursday night, dinner for 80 this week was the easy part.
Next week, next month, next year and maybe years from now, the possibilities we talked about the night before last will, like a seed, bloom, prosper and grow.
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
Division of Economic Development
COLEBROOK – At least 25 jobs are expected to be created within the next year thanks to a new company opening in Colebrook.
Plastimo Inc., a New Hampshire Corporation created in June, has come to an agreement with Rex Jacobsma to purchase a 14-acre site with a 110,000 square foot industrial building located at 23 Gould Street in Colebrook. The new enterprise is owned by Montreal entrepreneur Mohammed El Fehdi, plastics recycling entrepreneur, Julie Baumier and local businessman, Rick Tillotson. Mr. El Fehdi has business interests in Quebec, Vietnam, and Dubai. Ms. Baumier has a plastics recycling business in Granby, Quebec.
“I decided to locate the expansion of my business in Colebrook in large part because of the outstanding treatment and follow up from the state’s economic development team as well as the facility’s close proximity to our Granby facility and my home in Montréal” said Mohammed. “But for the critical assistance from Beno Lamontagne, Michael Bergeron and even George Bald from the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, I would not have considered making this move to New Hampshire.”
Another important factor in El Fehdi’s decision is the partnership with Rick Tillotson who owns former balloon manufacturer, Tillotson Dipped Products Co., Inc., and with his brother Tom, a former glove and auto parts manufacturer, Healthco, LLC. Both companies formerly operated in the Dixville, NH factory building which belongs to Tillotson Corporation. The Tillotson’s lease for the Dixville facility was canceled by Tillotson Corporation in 2008, in preparation for selling the hotel. Because Ocean Properties planned to demolish the factory, in order to accommodate the prospective buyer, Tillotson Corporation contracted with Healthco to remove all the equipment and materials from the building. Much of the equipment has already been moved to the former Manchester Manufacturing building for storage. A large glove machine and an eyedropper making machine are scheduled to be moved at the end of the month, with a hoped for closing date on the purchase in September.
With some initial orders already in hand from Ms. Baumier’s plastics recycling plant in Granby, the Colebrook factory will start processing plastic material for them with some special equipment due to arrive after the closing. El Fehdi, Baumier and Tillotson will be combining their assets, knowledge and creativity to start and expand this new company in Colebrook.
“I hope this gives our region some optimism for the future, perhaps even a new beginning for this region of the State” said Tillotson. “I can’t say enough about the important help we have received from the NH Economic Development team and how that assistance is allowing us to move ahead and start this exciting new venture.” Mr. Tillotson has not been connected with Tillotson Corporation management or operations since he publicly spoke against the sale of the Balsams to Ocean Properties. He was removed as a director of the company in June. “I feel bad about many of the decisions that have been made in the last year” he said, “but, in my continuing role as a Trustee of the Neil Tillotson Trust, I remain committed to fulfilling his wishes that the assets of his Trust go to benefit the people and communities of this North Country region.”
The company intends to apply for a community development block grant to assist in the purchase of capital equipment and hopes to begin production this Fall.
Congratulations are in order for New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald and New Hampshire Division of Economic Development North Country Business Resource Specialist Beno Lamontagne for their role in the state being mentioned in People Magazine’s “Heroes in Hard Times” section (9/14/09 issue).
Both Commissioner Bald and Beno were instrumental in saving a Colebrook eatery by helping the owner work through visa issues, and though the Commissioner wasn’t named in the article, everyone “in the know” recognizes his vital role in the effort. Here’s the text of the article:
Bonding Over Baguettes
Every morning for the past eight years, French-born couple Verlaine Daeron, 51, and Marc Ounis, 62, have risen at 3 a.m. to roll dough and mold madelines for customers of their bakery Le Rendez-Vous Cafe. But their American dream came crashing down in March, when Verlaine went to Paris to renew her U.S. visa and was denied because her business was deemed “marginal.”
Beno Lamontagne
Not to residents of Colebrook (pop. 2,600) who loved their little piece of Paris and considered its French proprietors their own. “They’re good, decent people, and there’s not too many of those left,” says Caleb Skousen, a Rendez-Vous regular.
After the couple’s friend Beno Lamontagne persuaded the local paper to do a story on their plight, hundreds of people sent letters of support; Verlaine forwarded a 2-lb. stack of testimonials to the U.S. Embassy in Paris. Her visa renewal was granted in May and she and Marc are back to baking. The publicity has led to a flood of tourists and much-needed business for the town.
“In a small town,” Verlaine says, “everyone’s behind you.”
Great job by Commissioner Bald, Beno, the citizens of Colebrook and the Rendez-Vous Cafe!
– Steve Boucher, Communications & Legislative Director
The Division of Economic Development recently ventured north of the border to Drummondville, Quebec to hold a private dinner for 53 Canadian companies interested in learning more about doing business in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald was the host of the event along with State Business Development Manager Michael Bergeron and North Country Business Services Specialist Beno Lamontagne. Marie-Josee Vaillant and Marie-Soleil Gueymard of Colebrook-based Kheops International were also on hand, sharing their valuable experience of moving their company from Canada to New Hampshire.
“We were overwhelmed by the great response we received from the Canadian companies in attendance,” Bergeron said. “They were thrilled that we conducted the business portion of the dinner in their native language and that we had so much to offer in terms of valuable information. I’m very hopeful that we were able to plant the seed that will result in a few companies taking a much closer look at Coos County as they plan a business expansion or relocation.”
The sales presentation was sponsored through a federal grant coordinated through the North Country Council.
– Steve Boucher, Communications & Legislative Director
Yes, add a pinch of hope, a sprinkling of care and a dash of optimism and you can basically make any dream a reality.
I’ve always considered Colebrook, NH “the little town that could” and once again, they’ve reaffirmed my faith in their tenacity, resolve and spirit. When word came down in April that area landmark Le Rendez-Vous was shutting down because the U.S. Embassy refused to renew the visa of owner Verlaine Daeron, the community could have accepted the news as just another blow to the local economy. Fat chance…..
Instead, they wrote letters, they lobbied their congressmen and pulled together a petition to be sent to the the U.S. Embassy in Paris. How dare the team of bureaucrats at the Embassy decide that the little bakery that had provided so much joy to Colebrook residents wasn’t turning enough of a profit to merit a visa renewal?
Last week, thanks to the determination of “the little town that could,” the Embassy reversed their decision – Verlaine would be allowed to return to the U.S., Le Rendez-Vous would remain open and Colebrook residents would be able to enjoy the freshly baked breads and chocolate madelines they’ve come to expect over the past eight years.
Congratulations to Le Rendez-Vous, congratulations to New Hampshire’s Congressional delegation, congratulations to the Division of Economic Development (especially Beno Lamontagne for his efforts to save the bakery) and most of all, congratulations to the citizens of Colebrook for a job well done. This little town’s spirit is a tasty recipe for success and community pride indeed.
– Steve Boucher, Communications & Legislative Director
The office will be awfully quiet next week, as our team heads out in two directions, but with the same mission of telling the world about why New Hampshire, with our industries, our business-friendly climate, our skilled and educated workforce, is a great place for companies abroad to consider partnerships, expansion or relocation.
On Monday and Tuesday, Michael Bergeron and Beno Lamontagne head over the border to Montreal, where they will attend the Aerospace Innovation Forum. With more than 300 Granite State companies involved in the aerospace and defense industries – which are among our key industries – it makes sense to have a presence and be among companies and leaders of Aero Montreal, one of the largest aerospace clusters in the world.
COLEBROOK – At least 25 jobs are expected to be created within the next year thanks to a new company opening in Colebrook.
The Division of Economic Development recently ventured north of the border to Drummondville, Quebec to hold a private dinner for 53 Canadian companies interested in learning more about doing business in New Hampshire.
“We were overwhelmed by the great response we received from the Canadian companies in attendance,” Bergeron said. “They were thrilled that we conducted the business portion of the dinner in their native language and that we had so much to offer in terms of valuable information. I’m very hopeful that we were able to plant the seed that will result in a few companies taking a much closer look at Coos County as they plan a business expansion or relocation.”