| Following Gov. Chris Sununu’s announcement last week that $100 million of the state’s CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds would be allocated to a second round of the Main Street Relief Fund, the application period for Main Street Relief Fund 2.0 (MSRF 2.0) opened for new and returning applicants this morning. The application is available on the GOFERR grants management portal until 4 pm on Oct. 30. MSRF 2.0 provides continued economic support to New Hampshire small businesses suffering from business interruptions as a result of COVID-19. Specifically, it supports both new applicants; businesses that did not receive grants from the initial round of MSRF or the General Assistance & Preservation (GAP) Fund, and returning applicants – businesses that received grants of less than the maximum $350,000 from the initial round of MSRF or the GAP Fund. Eligibility is similarly defined as under the initial round of the Main Street Relief Fund; those with questions are encouraged to consult the eligibility criteria available here. New Hampshire small businesses seeking assistance are encouraged to contact GOFERR utilizing the inquiry portal or contact the Main Street Relief Fund 2.0 call center by calling (603) 271-7840. The call center is provided, in part, thanks to a partnership with the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. |
Apply Today for Main Street Relief Fund 2.0
October 19th, 2020Local, State Leaders Celebrate Water Project Success for Jaffrey, Peterborough
October 19th, 2020Gov. Chris Sununu on Oct. 16 joined state and local officials to celebrate a groundbreaking collaboration to develop a new water supply serving two communities.
The Cold Stone Springs Water Supply Project is a first project of this kind in New Hampshire, where two municipalities have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement to develop the water supply. The towns of Peterborough and Jaffrey have been working for over two years to secure a combination of grants and loans totaling $12.6 million in funding to begin moving forward to make this project a reality for the communities.
“What you are going to do for the community is unbelievable,” Sununu said. “You are a model of success.”
State Sen. Chuck Morse, chairman of the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Advisory Commission, said the project is becoming a reality because the collaboration, which included the towns, state agencies, and businesses “came together to solve a problem.”
By coming together, he said, the communities were able to secure federal funds for the water project, which will have significant benefits for years to come.
“This project is a model because of the success the communities had ; this is a project that can be studied throughout the country for how businesses, the community and the state can get together to solve a problem,” he said.
By securing the new water supply, the Cold Stone Spring project will enable growth for industries, such as supporting the expansion plans for MilliporeSigma and creation of up to 400 new jobs. MilliporeSigma is one of the area’s largest employers and a leading supplier to the global life science industry.
“What you are going to do for the community is unbelievable. You are a model of success.” – Gov. Chris Sununu
Doiron Named Director of New Hampshire Office of Workforce Opportunity
October 12th, 2020The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs announces that Joseph A. Doiron will serve as the new state workforce development director, overseeing the BEA Office of Workforce Opportunity (OWO).
As director, Doiron will work with BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell to advance state workforce development strategies, a critical component of BEA’s economic development work. He will manage partnerships across multiple agencies and partner with employers to advance state economic development initiatives related to developing, maintaining, and recruiting a world-class workforce to New Hampshire.
Doiron will oversee and administer the staff and programs at OWO, which administers New Hampshire’s federal funding under the US Department of Labor’s Workforce and Innovation Opportunity Act. This includes managing programs in partnership with the state Department of Employment Security, Department of Education, Community College System, and others. He will also work closely with the State Workforce Innovation Board and the state Sector Partnership Initiative.
“The challenge of growing the workforce remains a top issue for our economy,” Caswell said. “Having Joe step into this important role will be a big step forward for advancing those efforts here at BEA.”
Doiron, who most recently served as deputy director of the Governor’s Emergency Relief and Recovery office, said he looks forward to working with stakeholders to develop further a strong and agile workforce.
“In New Hampshire’s expanding economy, employers’ competitiveness depends on their ability to attract and retain workers to fill their needs,” Doiron said. “I look forward to working with Commissioner Caswell and the BEA team to address these issues.”
New Hampshire Manufacturing Month Celebrate Pandemic Efforts to Keep Granite Staters Safe
October 12th, 2020New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Director Will Arvelo gave the following remarks earlier this month during the celebration of Manufacturing Day Oct. 2 at Filtrine Manufacturing Co., in Keene.
Manufacturing Month is New Hampshire’s homage to its rich history of making products that enrich and adds convenience to our lives; gives us better ways to do things, and keeps us safe.
We don’t need to look any further than here, at Filtrine Manufacturing, where, for more than a century, the Hansel family evolved water filtration into modern systems. Along the way, the company set an example for other manufacturers, in reducing their carbon footprint and using Green processes wherever possible.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Hampshire manufacturing was about 70,000 strong; had an output of $10 billion, and represented about 12 percent of our GSP. While there may be a slight dip in those numbers today, I say with confidence that our manufacturers are on the comeback from the pandemic, with innovations and new ways of doing business, ready to shape the future.
One year ago, we could not imagine how much the world would change, and how much New Hampshire industries would make a difference in fighting a global pandemic. Hundreds of our manufacturers quickly pivoted to meet the critical demand in the uncertain early weeks last winter, retooling their production lines and training employees with the singular focus in mind – to keep their communities, and especially frontline workers, safe.
You’re invited to the
18th annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing
and High Technology (Virtual) Summit Oct. 29
Keynote speaker: Douglas K. Woods, president,
The Association for Manufacturing Technology,
Manufacturing the Future: Transformative Technologies’ Role
in Accelerating Out of the COVID Crisis
Information, registration here.
Here in the Monadnock Region, Alene Candles in Milford made face shields; So-Clean in Peterborough made masks; Cole-Tac in Newport made gowns; distilleries and breweries around the state made hand sanitizer. There are too many to name in this short time, but each one of them has the gratitude of the Granite State for their dedication in adapting their systems to keep us all safe.
I urge everyone, when the opportunity arises, to thank their local manufacturers for all they do, and have done, over the past seven months to keep our communities, families, and frontline workers healthy and safe.
We know that most of our nearly 2,000 manufacturers, in all corners of the state, are on their way back to meet, or exceed, pre-pandemic levels of production. Your products are critical to bringing resiliency back to our supply chains.
We know that a trained workforce is critical now and reminds us that the future of manufacturing begins in our schools. We need to work with K-12 and higher education stakeholders to ensure that our future workforce will have the skills necessary to make New Hampshire the shining star of manufacturing in the Northeast.
As we celebrate National Manufacturing Day, and kick off New Hampshire Manufacturing Month, I want to thank all manufacturers for all you do. You are the backbone of our economy, significant employers in our communities, and neighbors we can count on in any situation.
REMINDER to New Hampshire Communities: File Now for COVID-19 related expense reimbursements from GOFERR
September 2nd, 2020| The deadline for communities to submit COVID-19 expenses to the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery is bearing down. Municipalities and counties must submit a grant agreement and reimbursement request form for COVID-19 related expenses incurred from March 1, 2020 through Aug. 31, 2020 by Sept. 15, 2020 to receive funding. Without the form, the expenses will not be paid. More information and all of the required forms are available here. Communities that have not yet reached out are: Acworth Bennington Benton Bethlehem Bradford Bridgewater Brookfield Canaan Carroll Center Harbor Chatham Chichester Clarksville Columbia Croydon Dorchester Dublin Dummer Easton Eaton Ellsworth Gilsum Harts Location Hill Jefferson Landaff Langdon Lempster Milan New Ipswich Newfields Newport Orange Roxbury Sharon Shelburne Stark Stewartstown Stoddard Stratford Surry Troy Warren |
New Hampshire to Massachusetts: Do Not Tax Our Citizens
August 21st, 2020| On Aug. 21, at Gov. Chris Sununu’s direction, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald and Department of Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell sent letters to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the new rule that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is using to tax income earned by non-resident employees who are working remotely. “These comments articulate our serious policy and legal concerns with Granite Staters being taxed in Massachusetts when they have not crossed the state line in months due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sununu said. “It is my hope that this matter can be resolved promptly and in a manner that removes any necessity for New Hampshire to consider legal remedies.” His cover letter to Governor Charlie Baker can be found here. MacDonald’s letter to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue can be found here. BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell’s letter to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue can be found here. Background: The Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Notice of Public Hearing can be found here. |
Eight New Hampshire Projects Share $4.4 Million from Northern Border Regional Commission
August 21st, 2020Communities and organizations across six rural New Hampshire counties will share $4.4 million in federal funds awarded by the Northern Border Regional Commission.
“The $4.4 million in awards to New Hampshire by the Northern Border Regional Commission are critical not only to the projects they fund, but to the infrastructure they’ll help strengthen, the jobs they will create, and the communities across the Granite State that will benefit from this investment,” said Gov. Chris Sununu.
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 works with communities and organizations throughout the year on projects that are eligible for the grants.
“This program fills a major funding gap for a lot of rural communities,” said BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell. “NBRC resources enable those communities to move forward on infrastructure, education, training, and community investments that attract companies and families.”
The following projects received awards:
FIRST New Hampshire, $113,130, to work with North Country schools and businesses to start robotic programs that will help students develop STEM skills;
Hannah Grimes Center, Inc., Keene, $315,298, to advance its entrepreneurial programs and develop its Radically Rural Summit into a self-sustaining event and create a year-round institute;
Laconia Area Community Land Trust, Inc. DBA Lakes Region Community Developers, Belmont, $350,000, to support the Gale School redevelopment project, which expands childcare and creates jobs;
Mascoma Valley Preservation, Grafton, $315,000 to convert the Grafton Center Meetinghouse in to a marketplace and event center;
Monadnock Economic Development Corp., Keene, $1 million to the Keene State College Business Partnership Hub, which will deliver advanced education and training;
New Hampshire Department of Administrative Services/Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission, Laconia, $1 million to complete phase I of the redevelopment master plan involving road, water, sewer, and telecommunication infrastructure;
Sunapee Heritage Alliance, $350,000, to repair the historic livery building and establish non-profit ownership to make it available for community use and programming;
Town of Jaffrey, $1 million to connect three wells and construct a water treatment facility and water distribution system.
New Hampshire Establishes Online Tool to Help Granite Staters Get Back to Work
July 20th, 2020As businesses across New Hampshire continue to reopen, finding employees is a challenge in some major sectors. Connecting those employers with potential employees is the goal of a new online workforce recruitment portal developed by New Hampshire Employment Security.
Launched on Tuesday, www.nhjobs.nh.gov debuted with over 1,000 job openings, the majority of which are in long-term care facilities and manufacturing.
“This really started with the Governor’s stipend program for frontline workers in the long term care sector,” said Richard Lavers, deputy commissioner of NHES. “In working with those employers, we quickly realized there was a significant need for additional assistance with recruitment. We started building this new site and are now growing it beyond long term care to provide opportunities for employers in all sectors across New Hampshire with the ability to connect with Granite Staters looking to get back to work.”
The pandemic has introduced many challenges to the way things were previously done, none more so than large scale recruitment events the state has historically sponsored in the spring and fall, but it did not slow the need key sectors of the state’s economy have for a robust workforce.
“These are employers that are really looking for ways to connect with their potential workforce and they want to do that in a way that is respectful of the public health guidance we continue to need to still be very mindful of. Providing an online recruitment tool accessible to people as they come onto the NHES website to file for unemployment benefits, really makes sense,” he said.
The online tool is a critical component of the state’s reopening effort, said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
“Reopening the economy in a responsible way includes helping employers and employees find opportunity,” he said.
The recruitment portal is interactive. Those searching for a position are able to select from a list of communities, occupations, and titles in which they are interested and are able to submit a form directly to the employer.
“This is not a substitute for the state’s Job Match System,” Lavers said. “This is the right tool for the moment, an easy and effective virtual platform that enables people to connect.”
Lavers said the recruitment portal will grow to include more sectors. Employers with job openings can reach out to NHES at covidrecruit@nhes.nh.gov to get their information posted.
NH Business Help Portal Provides Answers to Reopening Questions
May 15th, 2020Getting the New Hampshire businesses and their employees safely back to work, while minimizing the impact of COVID-19 is the charge of the Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force.
The task force, comprised of bipartisan legislators, private-sector leaders, and state officials, meets daily to develop recommendations for the thoughtful reopening of the state’s economy. In addition to the Universal Guidance for all essential and reopened business sectors, the task force focuses its work on sectors that have specific and unique circumstances. After hearing from industry leaders and experts, the task force develops recommendations and moves them to the state division of public health for its review, and ultimately be presented to Gov. Sununu for any action.
This process understandably creates questions. The Department of Business and Economic Affairs has developed a business help portal, staffed seven days a week, to help businesses get the answers they need.
“Ensuring consistent and timely answer to questions from the business community, municipalities, and all Granite Staters is very important,” said BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell. “Our business help portal is a great tool to get clarity and further information on state-issued industry guidance. Gov. Sununu has made a strong commitment to work collaboratively with the business community and municipalities to ensure that industries are able to reopen in a safe manner, and this is a tool to give them confidence to do so.”
Millions of PPE Delivered to New Hampshire
April 13th, 2020
| NH Gov. Chris Sununu, Dean Kamen, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and state officials unloaded 91,000 pounds of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from a FedEx cargo plane on the tarmac of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Sunday. The FedEx cargo plane departed Shanghai, China, last night, and arrived in New Hampshire at 3:39 pm, after passing through United States Customs in Anchorage, Alaska earlier in the day. By the Numbers: 6,140 boxes of PPE24,000 coveralls and Tyveks suits 50,000 faceshields 6.6 million masks The New Hampshire State Police is escorting FedEx and National Guard trucks loaded with the PPE, purchased by the State of New Hampshire, for assortment and inventory by Health and Human Service officials, ahead of distribution to the areas of greatest need across the state. Officials will distribute the supplies as early as Tuesday. The state will not charge those that receive shipments. “One month ago, New Hampshire wasn’t even in the business of PPE procurement, and today we secured over 91,000 pounds of this critical lifesaving equipment for our state,” Sununu said. “We worked around the clock, scoured the earth, and left no stone unturned to ensure New Hampshire has the resources it needs to combat this pandemic.” “This plane is delivering lifesaving personal protective equipment which will be immediately distributed to the brave Granite Staters who are on the frontlines of this crisis,” Shaheen said. “I congratulate and thank Dean Kamen for spearheading this heroic effort. Our State has not been receiving the PPE it needs and is running dangerously low on supplies. Thanks to Dean Kamen’s leadership, we are all a little safer today. This pandemic will continue to require all of us to sacrifice and think outside the box, and I’m tremendously grateful to all the Granite Staters who are rising to this challenge.” “This major shipment of personal protective equipment will help save lives and make a huge difference for our state,” said U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan. “We passed the CARES Act to ensure that supplies like these could get to the frontlines, and I want to thank Dean Kamen for his round-the-clock efforts to deliver these supplies to New Hampshire. While today’s shipment is great news, it’s essential that the administration addresses ongoing supply chain issues and ramps up the production and distribution of vital medical supplies. I’ll keep working with Gov. Sununu and our Congressional delegation to get our state the supplies that we need to confront this pandemic.” |