Posts Tagged ‘New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’
Monday, October 20th, 2014
 Dignitaries cut the ribbon at Comcast’s new call center in Hudson.
A great big red ribbon was cut Friday morning in Hudson for the ceremonial opening of Comcast Cable’s brand new, state-of-the-art call center. Already, 122 people are employed here; another 65 are in training. Eventually, 600 people will be hired, providing support to 1.6 million customers in New Hampshire, Maine and eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands.
With the new positions, Comcast will have more than 1,700 employees across the state, and more than 5,000 across its reach from Greater Boston. The call center joins 12 offices in the Granite State and last year, its total employee investment, including payroll, payroll taxes, benefits, healthcare, training and tuition reimbursement, totaled more than $150 million. Comcast also contributed nearly $2 million in community investment across the Granite State.
“The opening of Comcast’s new facility is exciting for the Hudson community and the State of New Hampshire, creating hundreds of good jobs and representing why New Hampshire is as well positioned as any state to lead the country in innovative economic growth,” said Gov. Maggie Hassan.
Since Comcast announced its plans last May to develop the call center, the transformation of the 127,000-square-foot building has been dramatic. Light, bright and open, the center features the latest tools and technologies at the fingertips of its employees.
Company officials say locating the center in New Hampshire puts in the middle of an outstanding pool of talent.
“In addition to being a center for superior customer care, all employees in Hudson will be afforded continuous professional growth opportunities and we’ll add hundreds of new team members in the near future,” said Matthew Cohen, vice president of Customer Care Comcast’s Greater Boston Region. “This is an ideal location with a strong and talented labor market and we’re grateful to once again be growing in the Granite State.”
Congratulations Comcast!
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
NH Division of Economic Development
Tags: call center, Comcast, Hudson NH, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, talent pool
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Comcast Opens Hudson Call Center to Answer Customers Calling
Friday, October 10th, 2014
When it’s employee appreciation day and the company, one of the few remaining automotive light source manufacturers in the US, has a new partnership with Ford (as in the automaker), how do you celebrate?
At OSRAM SYLVANIA in Hillsboro, you donate a 2015 Ford F-150 with LED headlamps made at the plant to the local fire department.
Because the fire department depends on volunteer firefighters, many of whom work at the plant.
According to OSRAM, the Hillsboro Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to a community that covers about 42 square miles, with a population of about 6,000. Last year, it responded to around 1,000 calls.
The new F-150 is equipped with a full LED forward lighting system, a technology made possible by OSRAM, Tier 1 supplier Flex-N-Gate and DBM Reflex. No other light-duty pickup truck on the road today has LED headlamps.
 Cheryl Blackwood and Hillsboro firefighters “Hillsboro counts on the dedicated men and women of our fire department to protect us from harm’s way,” said Cheryl Blackwood, Hillsboro plant manager, “and now they can count on our innovative lighting system to help keep them safe on the roads. We hope Hillsboro residents will be proud to see their local heroes driving around town in the all-new F-150 with the beautiful LED headlight system designed and assembled right here.”
Officials say the new partnership with Ford has enabled OSRAM to make significant investments in the New Hampshire plant and to hire and train new employees.
Great story, OSRAM … thanks for sharing.
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
Division of Economic Development
Tags: Ford, Hillsboro fire department, Hillsboro NH, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, OSRAM SYLVANIA
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Seeing the Light and Shining It in Hillsboro
Wednesday, October 1st, 2014
We’re halfway through New Hampshire Manufacturing Week today and wow … it’s been fantastic. The measure is this: Over 42 manufacturers across the state, joined by our community colleges, opened their doors this week to over 1,000 visitors. Most of these visitors were high school students, who got to see advanced manufacturing up close and hear about the opportunities waiting for them when they graduate.
This is the second year of the initiative and this year is another success, with participation from companies in the North Country, right out to the Seacoast. Thanks to all you manufacturers who took time out to introduce yourselves to the next generation of innovators.
 New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Director Carmen Lorentz at Hitchiner Manufacturing, Milford  Littleton Students Visit New England Wire Technologies, Lisbon  Manchester Central student flexes his strength at Velcro USA/Velcro Americas, Manchester  Students visiting at Velcro USA/Velcro Americas  
 Nute High School Students at Vishay, Dover 
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
NH Division of Economic Development
Tags: New England Wire Technologies, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, New Hampshire Manufacturing Week, NH schools visit manufactures, Velcro, Vishay
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on What a Week for New Hampshire Manufacturing!
Friday, September 12th, 2014
 Mark Godfrey ~ Chairman ~ NH Manufacturing Extension Partnership For over 10 years, there has been a day every October that brings together hundreds of manufacturers from around the state for a day of discussions and education about trends, best practices and the climate of New Hampshire’s top industry.
The 12th annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing and High Technology Summit will be held from 8 am – 2 pm, Oct. 2, at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester. Registration is open and as this is typically a sell-out event, take a moment to sign up today. The conference is presented by the Business and Industry Association; the New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the New Hampshire High Technology Council and the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development.
Dr. Charles Wessner, who teaches global innovation policy at Georgetown University, delivers the keynote address – US Strengths and Challenges in Innovation – and will also discuss state regional innovation initiatives, focusing on state leading those initiatives.
Widely recognized his expertise on innovation policy, such as public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship, early-stage financing for new firms, 21st century manufacturing, cyber security, and the special needs and benefits of high-technology industry, Wessner’s address will be timely for the New Hampshire audience.
 Pinkerton Academy students visited Wirebelt in Londonderry during last year’s Manufacturing Week. Workshops this year include topics on implementing Lean initiatives; how advanced manufacturing industries are collaborating with community colleges and universities; building a workforce for the future and growth strategies.
The manufacturing summit falls during New Hampshire Manufacturing Week. Now in its second year, the event is an opportunity for manufacturers to host visits from high school students and their parents so they can see where things come from and how stuff is made and the career opportunities waiting for them to graduate … right here in the Granite State. Scores of manufacturers and hundreds of students are already signed up.
More information is available on the registration page. Take a minute and register and we’ll see you Oct. 2.
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
Division of Economic Development
Tags: Advanced Manufacturing and High Tech Summit, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, NH Manufacturing Week
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Annual Manufacturing/High Tech Summit Theme: Manufacturing Matters
Monday, August 11th, 2014
Carol Miller is the director of broadband technology here at the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development. She reports on the groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 6, signifying the start of one of the state’s largest developments getting underway. Ed.
Education and investment are alive and well in Durham, as the development of Madbury Commons gets underway in the downtown.
 Jeff Rubin, Golden Goose Capital, developing Madbury Commons. This is a large multi-use project by Durham-based Golden Goose Capital. It will feature 126 apartments housing 525 students and 45,000 square feet of commercial space. The anchor tenant in this $30 million development will be the University of New Hampshire’s InterOperability Lab. UNH officials signed a 20-year lease earlier this year.
The development is one of the largest in motion in New Hampshire and hits the right themes in terms of the state’s economy. As the home to hundreds of college students and the IOL, Madbury Commons is going to be a boon on many fronts. From this, we can expect to see about 1,500 visitors annually, from all over the world.
The IOL is a technology company wholly-owned by UNH, which is dedicated to the testing of wireless products for companies such as Samsung, Google and Apple. The UNH-IOL is dedicated to fostering cooperation within the data communications industry, while providing hands-on experience to future engineers.
This development will require large capacity gigabit broadband to serve the needs of students, the IOL and other commercial tenants
Madbury Commons is the remarkable result of vision, investment and education and I look forward to the ribbon cutting ceremony in about a year’s time, which will signify the opening of this development.
Carol Miller
Director, Broadband Technology
NH Division of Economic Development
Tags: Durham, Madbury Commons, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, nh, NH broadband technology, UNH IOL
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Madbury Commons Transforming Downtown Durham, Technology
Wednesday, August 6th, 2014
The recent article exploring New Hampshire’s exports, while interesting, drew conclusions that diminishes our role in a record-setting year for US exports.
In 2013, the United States set an all-time record – $2.3 trillion – for the value of goods exported around the world. New Hampshire was a part of that success, with strategic growth in some of our higher paying sectors, such as electronics, optics and military/defense components.
The US Department of Commerce uses a complex methodology to measure exports and their growth – methodology that has been in place for decades and which determines the value of each state’s activity in the global marketplace. The data provided is the accepted measure of exports by state and federal agencies, as well as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund.
By using the Origin of Movement (OM) series, the Department of Commerce determines the breakdown of over $2 trillion in exports. The OM can be the location of where the item was produced or the location of a distributor, warehouse or cargo processing facility. New Hampshire export statistics credit the movement of oil into the state, just as another state receives credit for millions of dollars’ worth of components produced in New Hampshire.
The results can, indeed, be curious; such as how much oil the Granite State is credited with exporting or how much gold leaves Massachusetts or how many diamonds from New York. It is important to recognize that New Hampshire is by no means the only state that exports goods not usually associated with its leading industries.
OM is not a perfect system, largely because it was never designed to measure production. But it is the accepted way to calculate the worth of the nation’s exports. Under the definitions and regulations in place, oil is a New Hampshire export.
It is also important to note that there is more to exporting than the merchandise goods the OM series covers. Services, like consulting and financial services, as well as tourism and education, two important sectors in our economy, are considered exports, but they are not calculated in data compiled by the federal agency.
Exporting is a vital part of the state’s economy and every year, more of our companies are tapping into markets around the world with great success. Our record makes our state attractive to foreign investors, companies looking to expand in the US and international students seeking a quality education.
To simply extract the value of oil that flows through New Hampshire and proclaim the total to be credible data is overly simplistic and gives no credit to thousands of companies in New Hampshire contributing to the nation’s exporting success.
Jeffrey Rose
Commissioner
NH Department of Resources and Economic Development
Tags: Commissioner Jeffery Rose, exports, International Trade Resource Center, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Commissioner Rose: Exporting a Vital Part of NH Economy
Wednesday, July 30th, 2014
 The government is an untapped market in need of what New Hampshire businesses produce and there is assistance available for those companies who would like to do business with Uncle Sam.
The New Hampshire Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) offers free training and events to help businesses of all sizes tap into this viable market. (Click on the free training link for upcoming events).
“The US government spent over $100 billion on contracts with small businesses last year,” said David Pease, program manager of NH-PTAP.
The introductory and training seminars PTAP conducts are held in every region of the state, many aimed at the specific types of businesses in those regions that can fill the various needs of the government.
For example, in the Seacoast area, there are contracts for painting, environmental services and more. Around Keene and Claremont, there are companies that could fill the government’s needs for parks maintenance with landscaping, fuel delivery and other project opportunities. In the Manchester area, there is a constant need for companies to handle security contracts, hospitality services and more. The Lakes Region needs caterers and the North Country needs food products for the federal prison in Berlin. In all these areas, the government could do with contracts for commercial real estate.
With all these opportunities available what is holding New Hampshire businesses back from reaching for the government contacts available? For many, it is the intimidating rules and regulations that come with these contracts.
“The reason PTAP exists is because the government is a very large market and it is so different from regular business, that it takes knowledge to be competitive,” Pease said.
This is where NH-PTAP becomes a valuable resource.
NH-PTAP assisted a company in Dover that makes strap-based products in securing a government contract to make seatbelts for shopping carts. In Epping, a fire arms training school won a federal contract to teach various classes. Up north in Dalton, Team O’Neil won a contract to instruct US Special Forces in high level driving skills.
What need can your product fill for the government? Contact NH-PTAP at 603-271-7581 or online. If you have any questions, contact Amanda Duquette or call 603-271-7581.
Alicia Gagne
Intern
NH Division of Economic Development
Tags: free training, government contracting in NH, government procurement, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, NH-PTAP
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Government Contracting: Uncle Sam Needs Your Business
Friday, June 27th, 2014
(Commissioner Jeffrey Rose returns today from Turkey, following a week-long trade mission to that country, led by Gov. Hassan. Also accompanying the governor were representatives of seven New Hampshire businesses – Comptus of Thornton; Conductive Compounds of Hudson; Demers & Blaisdell of Concord; Hinkley Allen of Concord; Mae Consulting of Deerfield; Rokon of Rochester and Ulysses Advisory Group of East Kingston.)
 Gov. Hassan delivered the keynote speech to the Kaza Women and Business Association. Our trade mission to Turkey has been an extraordinary experience. Our companies had over 100 business-to-business meetings and are returning home with dozens of high quality leads. Gov. Hassan went non-stop over the past week, meeting with many of the most senior business people in the country and receiving high praise from the more than 200 businesses she directly connected with during the mission. Some of the most gratifying moments of the trade mission came in her meetings with women business leaders and how inspired they were by her.
Financing being a key factor in international trade and economic development, we met with Garanti Bank, the leading private bank in Turkey. The U.S., through the Overseas Private Investment Corp. (OPIC), has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Turkey, with a particular emphasis on women-owned businesses.
Garanti Bank’s contributions have made a positive impact here and since nearly 20 percent of OPIC’s investments have been projects in Turkey (our long-standing NATO partner), this underscores its importance to the U.S.
During the trade mission, I met with numerous senior level executives representing companies eyeing expansion into the U.S. market – a receptive audience for outlining the benefits of expanding to New Hampshire and to map out potential options for their consideration.
Of note is a fast growing international company seeking a potential warehouse/distribution center here in the Northeast. Its overseas investment director was very interested in our lower cost of doing business, compared to rest of the region. Another company that stood out is a leading forest-products company in Turkey, interested in our timber and mill capacity. The company is very successful in Turkey and looking to grow in markets around the globe.
Thursday was another busy day for Gov. Hassan, the seven New Hampshire businesses taking part in this trade mission, and our team from DRED. Starting with breakfast, joined by a diverse group of Parliament members, it was followed by a robust discussion about government processes in Turkey and U.S, as well as how important international trade is in providing opportunities and benefits for both countries.
The opportunity to talk about New Hampshire’s growing aerospace and defense sectors came in a meeting I, and members of the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium, had with leaders of the OSTIM Defense and Aviation Custer of Turkey. We had a spirited discussion about the important role the sector plays in both our economies and the collective efforts to organize and promote emerging clusters in both countries. It was an opportunity to highlight two New Hampshire companies on the trade mission – Rokon of Rochester and Conductive Compounds of Hudson – and develop networking opportunities for them to engage with the Turkish industry. We also discussed best practices and picked up some dynamic ideas to bring back to our growing NHADEC organization.
To talk more about the opportunities for New Hampshire businesses to make strategic investments into Turkey, I met with Ahmet Erdem, head of Investor Services Department with the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT). We discussed the emerging sectors within the rapidly growing Turkish economy and incentive programs there to help spur international investment. The country’s investment system targets geographic locations, strategic sectors, R&D, and duty/tax reductions. With its growing purchasing power and its location at the cross roads of Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe, Turkey is attracting lots of foreign investment.
I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with Metin Deger, head of the Ministry of Economy for the Republic of Turkey, and speak about the benefits of Turkish companies investing in New Hampshire. He is responsible for counseling Turkish companies on overseas investments and helps identify markets for companies. He was impressed with what the Granite State offers foreign investors, particularly our strategic geographic location, skilled workforce and low tax structure. It was a great discussion and once we provide some more information, he will promote New Hampshire to a variety of industries, associations and business groups.
I need to again thank our hosts – the Turkish Cultural Center and TUSKON – for their efforts in making our trade mission with Turkey so successful. Those efforts, which included months of planning and highly coordinated logistics, were extraordinary.
I am confident this is just the beginning of a long term relationship that will continue to yield fruits for both countries as we seeking opportunities to grow trade between New Hampshire and Turkey.
Jeffrey Rose
Commissioner
New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development
Tags: Commissioner Jeffrey Rose, Gov. Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, New Hampshire International Trade Resource Center, Turkey trade mission
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on NH Turkey Trade Mission: Extraordinary Experience
Thursday, June 26th, 2014
 Cutting the ribbon on EIT’s new location in Salem.
With a snip of the scissors, a red velvet ribbon was cut last Thursday in Salem to mark the opening of one of New Hampshire’s newest companies, Electronic Instrumentation and Technology.
Joined by workers, clients, suppliers and supporters (including our own Cynthia Harrington, who assisted in the relocation from Methuen, Mass.), EIT officials celebrated the Virginia-based electronic manufacturing service provider’s fifth location, an electronic manufacturing facility.
 Employees, customers and vendors celebrated EIT’s move to Salem. “The new EIT Salem facility shows EIT’s commitment to our customers and the entire New England region,” said David Faliskie, EIT president and COO. “In January, EIT will begin our 38th year in business. EIT’s physical resources, along with our dedicated staff, create a situation which allows us to meet our customer’s requirements and keep EIT as a premiere EMS provider.”
Nearly a year ago, EIT acquired a contract manufacturer in nearby Methuen, Mass., and began planning to move operations to New Hampshire. Its new facility at 19 Keewaydin Dr., is double in size, to 30,000 square-feet and features ESD flooring, new energy efficient lighting and new and upgraded equipment. The Salem plant supports both prototype and production builds.
Harrington, business recruiter for the Division of Economic Development, worked with the EIT team as it considered relocating to New Hampshire.
“In terms of distance, the company is just a few miles from its previous location in Massachusetts, but the business climate is vastly different,” she said. “A combination of New Hampshire’s business climate, pool of highly skilled and highly educated workforce and available commercial real estate made this a logical choice for a growing company like EIT.”
Alicia Gagne
Intern
NH Division of Economic Development
Tags: Cynthia Harrington, EIT, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, nh, Relocating to NH, Salem
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Welcome to New Hampshire, EIT!
Monday, June 2nd, 2014
Later this month, Gov. Hassan and I will accompany representatives of seven New Hampshire companies on a trade mission to Turkey, the first in several years. We are excited about the prospect of making connections in a country whose economy is vibrant and eager to do business with us.
International trade plays a vital role in our state’s economy and the legislature recognized this when it passed the bipartisan budget, which included funding for the state to resume trade missions. The International Trade Resource Center has organized trade missions over the past 15 years, to countries including Brazil, Chile, England, France, India, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. The cumulative result of these trips was tens of millions in contracts to businesses and manufacturers right here at home and relationships that helped to keep our state strong in challenging times.
A key to growth and prosperity for any company is the ability to find new customers. Securing global markets diversifies their bottom line. Trade missions offer connections and opportunities for our companies, which typically don’t have the means to hire export specialists. With a trade mission, we can offer resources to open many doors in a short time, such as partnering with the U.S. Department of Commerce and local business organizations in the host country to find potential partners.
Having the governor lead the mission elevates our companies as they meet with business and government organizations. This would not happen for a business going it alone.
When New Hampshire, and the nation, suffered through the recession a few years ago, we weathered it far better than some of our neighbors. This was, in large part, because our businesses sought out overseas markets to diversify their customer base, gain more orders and, most importantly, keep their employees working. That’s why in 2010, we set a record for exporting, sending $4.4 billion worth of goods around the world.
In 2013, New Hampshire led the nation in export growth, increasing its merchandise exports by more than 22 percent, to $4.3 billion. This demonstrates that our businesses and manufacturers can design, create and make products and components that are in demand around the world.
The momentum continues into 2014. Planning began months ago for the state’s first overseas trade mission since 2011 and included months of research, discussion about the needs of our businesses and where the demand is for their products and services.
Turkey quickly emerged as an important market for several reasons: It’s our 12th largest trading partner – last year, we sent $79 million in goods and services there. Its geographical location, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, makes it an attractive hub and there are increasing opportunities for our businesses, especially in areas such as aerospace and defense, health and medical technologies, education and construction machinery.
With the assistance of the Turkish Cultural Center in Manchester and the partnership with TUSKON (representing seven business federations, 202 business associations and over 50,000 entrepreneurs), we have arranged five full days of introductions, meetings and networking for our businesses in Istanbul and Ankara, as well as a news conference providing even wider exposure for the state.
In March, the state was running $25 million ahead of its revenue plan for the year, a solid fiscal position. April revenues fell significantly short of the previous year, although the state continues to run $3.9 million over its projections.
As a precaution in case revenues continue to fall, Gov. Hassan issued an executive order that includes a freeze on out-of-state travel. At that time, the governor and I, our businesses and our partners had discussions about whether to cancel the trade mission.
But the state, the participating companies and our partners in Turkey had already made significant financial investments into this trade mission, months before revenues dropped and the freeze was enacted.
I cannot overstate the value of international trade to New Hampshire’s economy and how eager our businesses are to explore exporting and to send their goods to global markets. The legislature agreed.
To cancel this trade mission would result in significant losses not only to our businesses, but in potential economic growth for New Hampshire.
Jeffrey Rose is the commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development.
Tags: Commissioner Jeffrey Rose, international trade, International Trade Resource Center, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Turkey trade mission
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Commissioner Rose: The Value of Trade Missions to New Hampshire
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