NH Division of Economic Development
YouTube Facebook Twitter Twitter
Why New Hampshire Move Start Grow About Us

Posts Tagged ‘New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies’

9th Annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing and High Technology Summit to Focus on “Growth Through Collaboration”

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

“Growth Through Collaboration” is the theme of the Ninth Annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing and High Technology Summit to be held Wednesday, December 7th from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Center of New Hampshire Radisson Hotel in Manchester. 

Lynn Tilton, Chief Executive Officer and Principal of Patriarch Partners, LLC will speak on “How to Save American Manufacturing” at the 9th Annual New Hampshire Advanced Manufacturing and High Technology Summit on December 7th at the Center of New Hampshire Radisson Hotel in Manchester.

The annual event is presented by the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the New Hampshire High Technology Council and will bring together state and national leaders of business and industry who, in thought-provoking presentations and workshops, will focus on how New Hampshire’s high tech and manufacturing industries can stimulate growth through collaboration. 

“Manufacturing and high tech sectors continue to be very important to New Hampshire’s economy,” Gov. John Lynch said. “We have a successful economic strategy in place here in New Hampshire that has allowed us to be a national economic leader. That is why it is important we continue to work together to ensure we are making the right investments as a state to strengthen our economy for the future.” 

Speakers at the summit will include Lynn Tilton, Chief Executive Officer and Principal of Patriarch Partners, LLC; economist Dennis Delay of the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies; and Roger Kilmer, Director of Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology. Tilton, whose company bought and reopened the former Fraser Papers paper mill in Gorham in May as Gorham Paper and Tissue, will speak on “How To Save American Manufacturing;” while “Smart Manufacturing/High Technology – NH’s Leading Economic Sector” will be the subject of Delay’s address. Kilmer, the keynote speaker at the summit luncheon, will address “Becoming a Next Generation Manufacturer.”

Three one-hour workshops will be offered concurrently and presented twice during the morning session by a panel of industry experts: “Supply Chain Development and Collaboration,” “Developing the Future Workforce in NH Advanced Manufacturing” and “Technology-Driven Market Intelligence.” 

Sponsors for the event include Citizens Bank, BAE Systems, Chapter #327/Southern New Hampshire of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, New Hampshire Business Review, the New Hampshire Department of Education, Southern New Hampshire Chapter #253 of the Association for Operations Management, TradePort USA and the New Hampshire Machining Association.

Cost for the summit is $95 per person. For more information, contact Zenagui Brahim at 603-226-3200 or email zenaguib@nhmep.org To register online, go to http://www.nhbia.org/CWT/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=92. Phone registrations should be directed to Christine Ducharme at the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire at 224-5388, ext. 113.

Governor Announces First in Nation Partnership for State’s Manufacturers

Monday, April 11th, 2011
Gov. John Lynch today unveiled a new Web site designed to better connect New Hampshire manufacturers with New Hampshire suppliers and buyers. The Web site is an outgrowth of a suggestion Gov. Lynch received from businesses during his Job Cabinet Roundtables.
Governor John Lynch unveils the partnership between the State of New Hampshire and MFG.com.

Governor John Lynch unveils the partnership between the State of New Hampshire and MFG.com.

The State is partnering with MFG.com, the largest global sourcing marketplace for the manufacturing industry, for this first-of-its- kind partnership. The unveiling took place at Burndy LLC, an electronic components manufacturer in Londonderry. Alan Beck, Burndy LLC Vice President of Application Tooling, made the suggestion for a better way for New Hampshire businesses to connect during the Manchester Jobs Cabinet Roundtable.

Gov. John Lynch joined representatives of several Granite State manufacturing firms and state economic development officials in unveiling the new site.

During Gov. Lynch’s Jobs Cabinet Roundtables last year, the Governor heard from business leaders who said it is a challenge for them to easily identify New Hampshire suppliers. A number of companies expressed a desire to contract with New Hampshire suppliers when at all possible rather than contracting out of state. The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development worked with MFG.com to develop this new Web site.

“We want to make it easier for New Hampshire businesses to support and work with other New Hampshire companies. That will help our businesses grow and create jobs here in the Granite State,” Gov. Lynch said. The more New Hampshire manufacturers can work with other New Hampshire companies, the stronger our economy will be.”

As part of the partnership, local companies registered on a special “New Hampshire only” page on MFG.com, will be able to purchase goods and services from each other, creating a heightened awareness of resources within the state.

MFG.Com Senior Vice President Adam Oaks describes the many services that his company provides to the manufacturing community.

MFG.Com Senior Vice President Adam Oaks describes the many services that his company provides to the manufacturing community.

Adam Oaks, Senior Vice President and General Manager of MFG.com, stated that he believes this new partnership will open new doors for New Hampshire suppliers and buyers to engage in locally-based matchmaking. 

“We are extremely excited to be part of this initiative that essentially enables the local New Hampshire manufacturing community,” he said. “The sourcing portal will effectively promote economic development within New Hampshire through intelligently connecting local manufacturing buyers and suppliers at the exact moment they need each other.”

The link for the specially designed page will be housed on NHEconomy.com, the State’s economic development Web site. Those suppliers who complete a registration for the MFG.com service through the New Hampshire landing page will receive an optimized profile, Atlas listing and projects from all Granite State buyers for $99 a month. Buyers registering via the landing page will have access to the New Hampshire information for free.

“What a wonderful way to stimulate commerce and build new relationships among New Hampshire manufacturers and prospective buyers,” said New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Director George Bald. “This first-in-the-nation pilot program gives our state an incredible edge as we further develop and strengthen our manufacturing sector.”

“A local supply base can provide a very competitive advantage particularly for developing new product and processes,” added Alan Beck, Burndy LLC Vice President of Application Tooling. Burndy has offered high quality, competitively priced connectors, wiring accessories and installation tooling that have solved connection problems for over 85 years. “The application that the Division of Economic Development and MFG.com have facilitated was created expressly for New Hampshire businesses and is a powerful tool that allows companies to easily find the core competencies that exist locally. This will create healthier businesses and a stronger local economy.”

 “The New Hampshire page is of tremendous value to Granite State manufacturers,” Zenagui Brahim, director of operations for the New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) said. “By giving us a new and innovative addition to our toolkit, we have improved the prospects for all engaged in this vital industry.”

A recent New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies report sponsored by the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire High Tech Council noted that Smart Manufacturing/High Technology (SMHT) is the single largest sector of New Hampshire’s economy (19 percent). In 2009 alone, the SMHT sector encompassed 3,700 New Hampshire companies employing almost 80,000 people and paying out $6.4 billion in wages and benefits. Exports from the state’s manufacturers directly support more than 77,000 jobs, compared to about 52,000 jobs in travel and tourism.

The “New Hampshire only” MFG.com page can be accessed at www.mfg.com/nheconomy.

About MFG.com
MFG.com is the largest global sourcing marketplace for the manufacturing industry. MFG.com’s platform enables companies to intelligently connect, source, collaborate and perform due diligence with transparency and intellectual property protection. It supports virtually all manufacturing process and industrial components, is in seven major languages, more than 50 currencies and has more than 200,000 members on five continents. MFG.com is based in Atlanta and has offices in Shanghai and Paris. For more information: www.MFG.com.

Manufacturing/High Tech Driving State’s Economy

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

The smart manufacturing/high technology (SMHT) sector is New Hampshire’s economic engine, bringing more wealth into New Hampshire than any other sector-including tourism and retail-according to a recent New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies report sponsored by the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire (BIA), in collaboration with the New Hampshire High Technology Council (NHHTC) and several BIA members. Results of the study also show that New Hampshire’s business costs are high relative to other states and countries with which the state competes for SMHT companies and employment. 

According to the center’s study, in 2009 the SMHT sector, which includes 3,700 companies in New Hampshire employing almost 80,000 people, paid out $6.4 billion in wages and benefits, making it the largest single sector of New Hampshire’s economy (19 percent). The next largest sector is government and government enterprises (15 percent), followed by healthcare and social assistance (14 percent). 

manufacturing-study“As important as other sectors are, there is no question that the smart manufacturing/high technology sector drives New Hampshire’s economy and is absolutely critical to the state’s long-term economic prosperity,” said BIA President Jim Roche. “SMHT companies generate more wealth for New Hampshire, pay more in compensation to employees, export more and pay more in state taxes than any other sector.” 

Economic Impact

SMHT is defined as manufacturers engaged in the transformation of materials into new products using advanced technology and skilled labor, as well as high technology companies engaged in software publishing, computer systems design and scientific research. 

Paying an average wage of $1,200 per week, which is 40 percent higher than the average weekly wage for all private sector employees working in New Hampshire, SMHT companies account for 9 percent of New Hampshire’s private sector employers, but they employ more than 15 percent of New Hampshire’s private sector workers. 

According to the report’s author, Dennis Delay, an economist with the center, SMHT employers are an important source of high-wage jobs for New Hampshire workers. “The average compensation per SMHT employee has exceeded average wages and benefits paid in every other industry sector, including construction, healthcare, education, retail trade and even financial services. This is important to note because it demonstrates that New Hampshire’s affluence, high standard of living and quality of life are in large part attributable to the state’s SMHT sector.” 

Exports Generate Wealth

Manufacturing is New Hampshire’s most important export industry. Exports from the state’s manufacturers directly support more than 77,000 jobs, compared to about 52,000 jobs in travel and tourism. New Hampshire imports four times as much wealth from in-state manufacturing facilities as from tourism – manufacturing supports $18.5 billion in GSP while tourism supports $4.2 billion. Notably, in FY2008 manufacturing companies represented 8 percent of the companies paying business profits and business enterprise taxes; however, those same companies accounted for 23 percent of total business tax revenue. 

The Value of an SMHT Job

Economic modeling shows that for every 100 new manufacturing jobs, the state would see an additional 138 indirect and induced jobs, which would generate $11 million in earnings, $18 million in gross domestic product, and $1.2 million in state and local tax revenue. Compare this to healthcare (55 indirect and induced jobs per 100 new jobs) and tourism (32 indirect and induced per 100 new jobs) and one can see the value of investing in New Hampshire’s SMHT sector. 

New Hampshire High Technology Council President Fred Kocher agrees. “One of the most important findings in our study is that SMHT employers are the largest source of high-wage jobs for New Hampshire. That one fact has implications for the public policies we enact, the workforce development we undertake, the education we promote and the collaborations we forge on job-related issues facing the SMHT sector. The state’s economic health depends on it.” 

Competitiveness and the Future of SMHT in New Hampshire

The center’s study also compared New Hampshire’s cost of doing business relative to top competitor states and countries, including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Mexico, India, China and Malaysia. Among the findings:

Wages in New Hampshire are slightly higher than in competitor states and dramatically higher than in competitor countries

Healthcare costs are higher in New Hampshire than in most states and 10 times higher than in the nearest competitor country

Electric rates in New Hampshire are almost twice as high as in competitor states and about even with Mexico and China

New Hampshire’s corporate income tax rate is highest among the state’s competitors and highest compared to competitor countries when the U.S. corporate tax rate is included

BIA and NHHTC Recommendations for Promoting SMHT in New Hampshire

As a companion to the study, the BIA and NHHTC released a set of recommendations to policy makers to promote smart manufacturing/high technology growth in New Hampshire. Roche of the BIA and Kocher of the NHHTC feel that the future of New Hampshire’s SMHT sector depends upon policy makers’ willingness to embrace policies and initiatives that will spur growth and innovation in this economic sector. 

Among BIA and NHHTC recommendations are:

Work to lower healthcare costs by opposing new or expanded healthcare benefit mandates and supporting adequate Medicaid reimbursements to healthcare providers

Lower the business profits and business enterprise taxes, increase the R&D tax credit, improve net operating loss and BET credit carry-forward provisions, and adopt single sales factor BPT apportionment

Improve New Hampshire’s labor and environmental regulatory environment

Work to lower energy costs by supporting policies that promote energy efficiency, preserve dedicated funds for business energy needs, leverage regional strengths and help ratepayers access competitive supply options

Support policies and initiatives aimed at developing and maintaining an educated, skilled workforce in New Hampshire and that ensure businesses have access to talent and resources 

“We realize these recommendations will not be embraced or implemented by lawmakers overnight, especially given the state’s dire fiscal condition,” said Roche. “Nonetheless, we believe these are attainable goals-goals we will be working toward for the next several years.”

The complete SMHT study may be viewed on the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies’ Web site at http://www.nhpolicy.org/reports/smrtmfgfinal.pdf. The recommendations to legislators for promoting SMHT growth in New Hampshire may be viewed on the BIA’s Web site at http://bianhassoc.weblinkconnect.com/cwt/external/wcpages/newsroom/SMHT_Report.aspx.