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Posts Tagged ‘Grafton County’

14 New Hampshire Projects Receive Northern Border Regional Commission Grants

Monday, July 29th, 2019

Communities and organizations across six rural New Hampshire counties will share $3.7 million in federal funds awarded this by the Northern Border Regional Commission.

Created by the US Congress in 2008, the NBRC is a federal-state partnership working to alleviate economic challenges in northern counties across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. In New Hampshire, projects are eligible for the Economic and Infrastructure Development Investment program in all, or portions of, Belknap; Carroll; Cheshire; Coos; Grafton, and Sullivan Counties.

The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs administers the program in New Hampshire and works with eligible communities and organizations throughout the year.

“For the communities in which they are located, these projects have a significant role in enhancing the local economy,” said BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell. “These grants really make a difference for residents want to build a place where people want to live and work.”

The following projects received awards:

Town of Lincoln; $500,000 to improve fireflow by making modifications to an existing booster pump station at Crooked Mountain and a new 234,000-gallon storage tank at Indian Mountain;

Twin State MakerSpaces, Inc., Claremont; $164,800 for installation of rooftop solar power generation, with savings energy operating costs to be invested for education and workforce development programming in the community;

Town of Swanzey; $500,000 to reconstruct and improve a road, sidewalk and drainage in West Swanzey village;

Meriden Village Water District, Plainfield; $376,000 to install a rapid infiltration basin system at the wastewater treatment facility, upgrading surface water discharge to groundwater discharge;

Colebrook Community Child Care; $158,642 to renovate an existing childcare facility; provide teacher training and create new programs;

Community College System of New Hampshire; $199,842 to create a test facility for welders and computer and technical skills training for advanced manufacturers and other businesses;

Belknap Mill Society, Laconia; $250,000 for interior renovation and restoration of the Belknap Mill to expand education programming;

Town of Newport; $354,183 to replace the water intake pipe system at Gilman Pond, Newport’s primary water supply;

Lakes Region Community College, Laconia; $189,825 to create two teaching laboratories and a dining room facility, increasing training opportunities for students interested in hospitality and tourism industries;

Nansen Ski Club, Berlin; $250,000 to redevelop the historic Nansen Ski Jump as a site for US Nordic-sanctioned competitions and the development of a North Country youth jumping program;

Turning Points Network, Claremont; $250,000 to renovate a structure to serve as the main office for Turning Points Network, enabling it  to expand capacity to deliver its economic independence program;

Town of Groton; $250,000 to repair one mile of class V, town-maintained road, from Sculptured Rocks Road to Sculptured Rocks State Park;

Town of Carroll; $250,000 to improve safety at the intersection of School Street and US Route 302, for future construction of public safety and municipal buildings;

Southwest Region Planning Commission; $75,000 for the planning and technical assistance to municipalities, businesses, and other stakeholders adopting policies and implementing strategies addressing economic development challenges, and improving communities’ capacity to attract and retain businesses, jobs and a skilled workforce.

5 Questions: Chris Wellington, Grafton County Economic Development Council

Friday, September 18th, 2015

Regional development corporations are located in each of New Hampshire’s 10 counties and are a valuable resource to businesses. RDCs are another layer of business assistance whose goal is to help companies thrive and prosper. can provide financing for machinery and equipment; business or real estate acquisitions; working capital; gap financing and other business assistance. Today’s 5 Questions’ guest is an old friend of the Division of Economic Development, where he worked for two years before heading up to Grafton County.

Chris Wellington ~ Grafton County EDC

Chris Wellington ~ Grafton County EDC

1. Can you explain a bit about what the GCEDC does for the region, and your role within it?

The Grafton County Economic Development Council is a 501(c)3 economic development organization and is one of 10 regional development corporations (RDCs) in the state. We provide financial solutions and technical assistance to businesses and assist the 39 municipalities in Grafton County with their economic development initiatives and projects.

Over the last five years, GCEDC has provided more than $2.9 million in financing to businesses throughout Grafton County, helping to retain more than 200 full-time jobs and creating 153 additional full-time jobs. All of our work is geared toward job retention and creation, and one of the best ways to create jobs is by supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Most of our initiatives supporting entrepreneurs and the small business community are run through our two business incubators, the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center in Lebanon and the Enterprise Center at Plymouth. GCEDC’s motto is Economic Development through Partnerships and we are very fortunate to partner with Plymouth State University at the ECP and Dartmouth College at the DRTC. Each institution brings so many resources to the table that can be leveraged for the benefit of the business community.

As the CEO of GCEDC, I am responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of the organization. It’s a very rewarding job where no day is ever the same.

 
2. You’ve worked in economic development for a number of years, and across many regions of the state. What is it about Grafton County that makes it uniquely attractive for businesses?

Grafton County has all the features and amenities needed for a company in any industry to succeed. The pharmaceutical, high tech and healthcare industries are thriving in the Upper Valley. Northern Grafton County has a strong and growing manufacturing base and the tourism industry reigns supreme in the Pemi Valley. Grafton County’s business landscape is very diverse and no matter what business you’re in, there’s a place for you in the county.

Grafton County is also home to Dartmouth College, Plymouth State University, River Valley Community College and White Mountain Community College, which provide unparalleled access to a skilled and educated workforce. This is all in addition to the county’s scenic beauty and the ability to truly play where you work.

 
3. You’ve been nominated for Young Professional of the Year for Stay Work Play’s Rising Stars Awards. How are young professionals playing a role in the success of Grafton County’s economy?

Young professionals are making a huge difference throughout the state of New Hampshire and especially in Grafton County. In northern Grafton County, you have young professionals like Lauren Anderson, executive director of the Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce and Courtney Wrigley of NH Listens transforming Littleton into a destination for young professionals.

In the Upper Valley, you have young professionals like Jamie Coughlin, director of entrepreneurship at Dartmouth College; Erikk Anderson, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Compass Therapeutics and Todd Boucher, founder of Leading Edge Design Group, building businesses, creating jobs and supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

And in the Pemi Valley area, you have PSU graduates Chad Johansen, owner of NH iPhone Repair, and Spirit Seeker, owner of Affirm Community Accounting, taking the leap into entrepreurship and building their businesses at the ECP. At every corner of Grafton County there are young professionals supporting the community and economy. I am very excited for the opportunity to work with these individuals and the many others who support our young professional community.

 
4. Putting yourself in the shoes of a business considering moving or expanding to Grafton County from out of state, what are two or three things they should consider, or for which they should plan, to make the transition easy? And how does the GCEDC help with those things?

I always encourage businesses to connect with local leadership and the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development. Beno Lamontagne, Michael Bergeron and Cindy Harrington are excellent resources and can help a business in a number of ways, including helping them navigate through the permitting process at the state level. It is also critical to meet with local leaders to make sure you understand the process for operating a business in that particular community. I am fortunate to work in an area of the state where all the communities welcome businesses with open arms, which isn’t always the case in more urban communities.

GCEDC has played a role in helping a number of businesses move or expand into Grafton County and we can provide a wide range of services. Since we provide financing options, we can work with the business to help them access the capital they need to expand. The recruitment and retention of a business is a team effort and GCEDC can’t act alone and be successful when assisting a business looking to relocate or expand. Each business’ needs are different and we would find out what those needs are and with the assistance of our partners, develop a plan that’s unique to those needs so their chances of success are greatly increased.

 
5. What’s new or exciting on the horizon for GCEDC?

Change is the only constant. Like in business, if you are not moving forward, you are moving backwards and GCEDC is moving forward with force. My predecessor, Mark Scarano, left the organization in a very strong place and my goal is to build on that foundation and provide a greater array of services to municipalities and our small business community.

I am really excited to share that we will soon be undertaking a rebranding effort that includes a new logo and redesigned website. We will also be creating a monthly newsletter to stay more connected to our stakeholders. We can’t help a business if they don’t know about the services we provide. If we can increase our profile throughout Grafton County we will be able to help support more businesses, which is what it’s all about.

Connect with Chris Wellington:

cwellington@graftoncountyedc.org
603-536-2011 x10
or toll free at
1-888-535-0002

 

“Real World” Learning Opportunities Expanded in Grafton County

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Gov. John Lynch and the Executive Council have approved the use of federal Workforce Investment Act funds to expand a successful program in Grafton County that offers real world learning opportunities and high school credit for students.

The $234,678 contract with the Grafton County Economic Development Council will help to expand the existing North Country Workplace Education Project.

real-world“We must continue to create new opportunities for real-world learning, where students can gain on-the-job training and the basic skills they need to graduate from high school and get a good job. These funds will allow us to expand a successful program, where students are learning valuable lessons, as well as high school credits,” said Gov. Lynch. “This program represents the state’s growing efforts to provide greater alternative education programs that are helping more of our young people graduate from high school.”

Gov. Lynch has made increasing New Hampshire’s high school graduation rate a priority, by increasing the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 and expanding alternative education programs. In just the last year, New Hampshire’s high school dropout rate decreased by 30 percent. This initiative builds on those efforts.

The current program matches students from the Lisbon Regional School and Profile High School, with companies such as Garnet Hill and New England Wire. Funding from the Workforce Investment Act will fund an expansion to other North Country high schools and businesses.

“Providing students with the opportunity to gain new job readiness skills is of paramount importance to building the workforce of tomorrow,” said Department of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner George Bald. “I’m thrilled that more and more young people will be able to access this first class project and to take advantage of this excellent public/private partnership.”

“The Governor and Executive Council’s support for this public/private partnership represents the solid support for innovative solutions to the problems in the North Country,” said Mark Scarano, executive director of the Grafton County Economic Development Council.