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Posts Tagged ‘Colebrook’

Lights! Camera! Business Friendly New Hampshire!

Monday, March 25th, 2013

The Radio-Canada film crew at the Le Rendevous Bakery in Colebrook.

A film crew from Canada’s largest network is back at its studio in Montreal this week, after spending two intensive days last week delving into New Hampshire’s tax structure.

Beginning in Concord last Monday, the Radio-Canada team talked with Gov. Hassan and our Beno Lamontagne, business resource specialist for northern New Hampshire. No sales tax? No income tax? How does the state operate?

Then it was back on the road, north to Colebrook, where the group spent the day talking with two businesses with roots in France and Quebec, about doing business here. National reporter Maxime Bertrand conducted the interviews in French and the questions were not softball.

Marie-Josee Vaillant, president of Kheops International, speaks with Radio-Canada reporter Maxime Bertrand, center, and producer Francine Doyon.

The morning was spent filming at Kheops International, a wholesaler of New Age items from the 15,000 square-foot building it opened in 2004. Marie-Josee Vaillant, the company president, spoke at length about the reasons why she, her mother and sister located in Colebrook.

In the afternoon, the crew went downtown to the Le Rendevous Bakery and spoke with owner Verlaine Daeron and her partner, Marc Ounis. On a search through northern New England some years ago, the couple from Paris found their way to Colebrook and never left, setting up their bakery in the old First Colebrook Bank.

In addition to the business questions, there were exchanges about the many things in common New Hampshire has with Canada, especially Quebec, which shares our northern border at Pittsburg. The first immigrants to the Granite State, who came down to work the textile mills in Manchester and in the woods north of Berlin and the mills there that made paper for well over a century left a lasting legacy across the state.

“Between our geography and our culture, there is a real connection,” said Lamontagne.

The exact date when the segment on the Late News isn’t set, but the producer said it will be in late April, coinciding with Quebec’s tax day.

Interest in the New Hampshire tax story began last September, when a delegation from the Division of Economic Development went north to the Aero-Montreal Global Supply Chain Summit.

“This interest is a direct result of the Aero-Montreal summit,” said Lamontagne, who was part of the New Hampshire delegation, led by then-Gov. John Lynch, the only governor who attended the event.

Lamontagne and business recruiter Michael Bergeron have made about half a dozen trips to Canada over the past year, which included a dinner for 80 people in Sherbrooke last June to tell them about the benefits of expanding their business to New Hampshire, especially the North Country. In a province that is highly taxed, once business owners get over being incredulous, they are very interested in talking further about opportunities here.

Getting the word out about the business climate here isn’t easy, largely because unlike New York, Vermont and Maine, New Hampshire doesn’t have a television signal that goes over the border, so residents don’t hear a lot about the things that make us unique, very business friendly and eager to welcome our neighbors to north who want to get established in the US markets.

 

Lorna Colquhoun

Communications Director

Division of Economic Development

 

 

 

 

Sig Sauer Captures Top State Economic Development Honors

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Sig Sauer was named “Company of the Year” as part of the “2009 Commissioner’s Awards for Economic Development Excellence” announced Tuesday at the 14th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit held at the Radisson Hotel Nashua.

NH Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald (l.) and Governor John Lynch (r.) congratulate Sig Sauer Counsel Steve Shawver on Sig's designation as "Commissioner's Company of the Year."

NH Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald (l.) and Governor John Lynch (r.) congratulate Sig Sauer Counsel Steve Shawver on Sig's designation as "Commissioner's Company of the Year."

“Sig Sauer is a company that truly exemplifies the meaning of the word ‘innovation’,” New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald said. “With a skilled workforce that is forward thinking and dedicated to creative product development, Sig Sauer has built a world class firm that New Hampshire can be proud of.”

The Exeter-based handgun manufacturer and distributor is an ISO 9001 certified company with over 380 employees. Sig Sauer has more than tripled its workforce in the past 30 months, invested $18M U.S. dollars in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and equipment and significantly expanded its engineering base.

Other category winners are as follows:

“Commissioner’s Special Achievement Award” – The Town of Colebrook for their community commitment to keeping Le Rendez-Vous bakery open when the business was in danger of closing due to a visa issue.

“Commissioner’s Exemplary Effort Award” – New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership Director of Operations Zenagui Brahim for his leadership in spearheading the Governor’s Manufacturing Leadership Series and the New Hampshire Advanced Manufacturing & High Technology Summit.

Pat McDermott (c.) was given a special commendation for his years of exemplary service to the economic development community.

Pat McDermott (c.) was given a special commendation for his years of exemplary service to the economic development community.

“Commissioner’s Teamwork Award” – WMUR, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Southern New Hampshire University for organizing the two WMUR Project Economy Job Fair & Career Expos that helped to re-employ hundreds of New Hampshire workers.

“Commissioner’s Award for Media Excellence” – Jack Heath of WTPL for his outstanding “New Hampshire Today” program and his “First Class Business” segment which highlights positive business happenings in the state.

“Special Governor’s Commendation” – Public Service of New Hampshire Economic & Community Development Manager Pat McDermott for his support of State business recruitment efforts and ongoing commitment to the New Hampshire business community.

The 14th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit was sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire with support from media sponsor New Hampshire Business Review.

Economic Development Officials “Heroes in Hard Times”

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

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

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

A Recipe for Success

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

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