Governor Chris Sununu and State officials confirmed today that Lonza Biologics, Inc. will move forward with the expansion of its Portsmouth facility, adding up to 1,000 jobs and up to one million square-feet of space. The company currently employs 800 at the facility, which focuses on contract manufacturing.
“We are thrilled that Lonza will be making a major additional investment in New Hampshire and adding more jobs to our local economy,” said Governor Sununu. “This decision by Lonza is a great testament to New Hampshire’s business friendly environment and the skill and commitment of our workforce. I look forward to working closely with our state team and Lonza officials to see this expansion through to completion.”
“Lonza is already a valued member of the New Hampshire business community,” said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “This additional investment will create a more than 40-acre campus for the company and reinforces the vitality of the life sciences sector here in New Hampshire.”
The Governor’s office and the Department of Business and Economic Affairs collaborated with many State and local partners including the Department of Environmental Services, the Business Finance Authority, the City of Portsmouth, and the Pease Development Authority to pitch New Hampshire as a prime location for Lonza’s expansion plans.
New Hampshire’s northern neighbor is also it’s biggest trading partner, so as discussions about the North American Free Trade Agreement continue, Granite State businesses are paying close attention.
More than 70 percent of Canadian exports go to the American market; Canada is the largest export market for more than 30 states.
Trade and investment with Canada supports 39,000 jobs in New Hampshire. Each year, companies and manufacturers export $576 million in goods and $211 in services to Canada.
“Our relationship,” said Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell, “is crucial to our state’s economy.”
This fueled discussion this week, Renegotiating NAFTA: Partners for a Prosperous Economy, featuring industry leaders, state and provincial policy-makers, and economic development representatives from Quebec and New Hampshire, including Caswell; Welch Manufacturing Technologies President Glenn Welch and CEO Robert Bouchard of Rotobec.
Welch is the manufacturer of Biteharder, a snowmobile carbide sharpening unit. Working with our Office of International Trade, Welch has found a thriving market in Canada. He told the audience that without NAFTA, the cost to send his product over the northern border would be almost as much as the unit itself.
Rotobec, which has had a presence in Littleton for over 30 years, is expanding for the second time in two years and expects to grow to 50 employees. Bouchard said international trade agreements enables the company to reach markets efficiently on both sides of the border and to have access to workforce.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed things won’t change,” Welch said.
Tune into this month’s edition of New Hampshire Business Matters and learn about the NH Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium.
What fast-growing industry in New Hampshire is home to about 350 companies involved in the sector; employs about 60,000 people, who earn an average salary of more than $87,000 and comprises about 2 percent of the gross state product?
Aerospace and defense.
That was the topic of this month’s New Hampshire Business Matters radio show on WTPL-FM, with Division of Economic Development Director Will Arvelo and guest Steve Myers, program manager for Southwest Research Institute, located on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.
Register today for NHAD 2018, the annual networking event of the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium.
If you’re involved with one of the thousands of New Hampshire companies exporting goods and services to markets within the European Union, you have, by now, probably heard about the General Data Protection Regulation rules, which go into effect May 25.
GDPR, as it’s better known, is strict protocol on how companies collect and protect data on citizens of the EU and companies must be within compliance next month.
From 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m., on May 4 in the Demoulas Room, Benoit Education Center at Rivier University in Nashua, the New Hampshire Office of International Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service and the Granite State District Export Council present two seminars taking a closer look at the global trends in e-commerce transactions and GDPR.
Morning Session:Cross-Border eCommerce Sales: Practical Guidance for Small & Medium-Sized Businesses
Presented by James Bledsoe, eCommerce Innovation Lab, U.S. Department of Commerce
Global Study – Pulse of the Online Shopper
Presented by John Wakefield, Lorie Schlatterer and Travis Klingseisen, UPS
Cost: $50 per person
Lunch and Learn:Understanding the New General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) When Doing Business in the European Union
Presented by Attorney John Weaver, Associate at McLane Middleton
Cost: $50 per person
Today, Governor Chris Sununu joined Hitchiner Manufacturing CEO John Morison III, BEA Commissioner Taylor Caswell, and state and local officials as Hitchiner announced plans to expand its New Hampshire operation with the construction of a new, 85,000-square-foot facility – a $50 million investment that will create 85 local jobs.
“Expanding in New Hampshire would not have been possible without the support of state and local government. Businesses planning to start-up or expand in the state today face important challenges. The high cost of energy in New Hampshire can be an especially high hurdle, particularly for manufacturing companies,” said Hitchiner Chairman and CEO John H. Morison. “Fortunately, Hitchiner was able to work through these challenges with the Governor’s office, the N.H. Department of Business & Economic Affairs, and the Town of Milford. The Company looks forward to working along with state and local government to continue to improve New Hampshire’s business environment in order to ensure a strong economy for current and future generations.”
“This is great news for New Hampshire,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “Hitchiner Manufacturing’s expansion, is another signal to companies across the Country that the Granite State is open for business. I’d like to thank Hitchiner Chairman and CEO John Morison III for choosing to expand right here at home, and look forward to the many great things to come.”
“Manufacturing is a critical component of New Hampshire’s economy, and we worked hard with the team at Hitchiner and with our partner agencies at the state and local levels to meet their needs and respect their decision to make such a sizeable investment here in New Hampshire,” said Taylor Caswell, Commissioner of the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “This sends a very clear message to our existing manufacturers as well as those from outside the state, New Hampshire is open for business and we will work to earn those investments and the quality jobs they can bring.”
The building represents a multi-phased $50 million capital investment and will house operations to support new growth in markets Hitchiner currently serves. The investment is contingent on securing financing and permits from the town and state. Beyond the jobs that will be created during construction, Hitchiner expects that the investment will also eventually create an estimated 85 local jobs. The expansion will help ensure the future of Hitchiner’s current operations in the state, and its continued contribution to the state and local economies.
The expansion, which is scheduled to begin mid-2018, serves to strengthen Hitchiner’s presence in New Hampshire, as well as its position as an industrial supplier. Hitchiner has been a part of the New Hampshire business community since 1946, when the privately-held company was established in Manchester, N.H.’s Amoskeag Millyard. Today the company employs more than 675 employees in Milford, NH, where it produces investment castings for the aerospace, defense, and automotive industries. It has also become known for its investment in education and workforce development, as well as its collaboration with local charitable organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Club of Soughegan Valley. In 2017, Hitchiner was named the Manufacturing and Business Technology Business of the Year by New Hampshire Business Magazine.
About Hitchiner Manufacturing, Co., Inc.
Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Milford, New Hampshire, Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. is the supplier of choice for investment castings and fully-finished casting-based subassemblies and components. Leading companies in the automotive, aerospace and other industries around the globe use our castings and rely on Hitchiner to provide volume production, reduced lead-times, and just-in-time manufacturing.
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Representatives of two workforce initiatives are hitting the road this spring to connect employers across the state with resources to help retain and attract the talent they need to grow their businesses.
The Sector Partnerships Initiative and ApprenticeshipNH are driving the Connecting Workforce Resources Spring Tour, with stops at Keene State College, April 26; White Mountain Community College in Berlin, May 1; Plymouth State College, May 10 and Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth in early June.
“The Connecting Workforce Resources Spring Tour is a great opportunity for businesses to learn about a range of resources available to them in New Hampshire,” said Phil Przybyszewski, workforce solutions project director for the Sector Partnerships Initiative. “We have created this tour to bring a complete menu of resources into five communities for company representatives to learn and see what might align best with their workforce development plans.”
Each event during the tour offers speed networking, when company representatives can get an overview of the workforce resource programs available. Attendees can then meet with program representatives for further information.
“With New Hampshire’s low unemployment rate and a number of open positions in high growth industries, it can be difficult for businesses to attract and retain talent,” said Anne Banks, workforce development administrator for the Community College System of New Hampshire and ApprenticeshipNH.
The Sector Partnerships Initiative is a new industry-driven state-wide effort to help New Hampshire businesses in targeted industries address workforce needs. Focusing on five core industries – construction, health care, hospitality, manufacturing and technology – SPI assists companies in finding funding and training resources that provide employees with improved skills and career advancement opportunities. SPI also helps companies create a network to convene and collaborate with other companies on a regular basis to identify shared hiring, training and retention needs.
The ApprenticeshipNH program, housed at the Community College System of New Hampshire, is a unique effort that prepares workers as Registered Apprentices to better compete in the modern workforce. Focusing on the advanced manufacturing; healthcare, and information technology sectors, the ApprenticeshipNH program provides workers with invaluable opportunities to pursue highly-skilled, high-paying jobs, and opportunities for employers seeking to build a qualified workforce in NH. The program is funded through a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
Gov. Chris Sununu, before a packed audience last week that included recovery advocates, business leaders and state officials, announced the nationwide launch of his Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative and an invitation to fellow governors to join in the movement.
“Recovery Friendly Workplaces are an opportunity for the governors across the country to help change the culture around addiction in their states by engaging employers in being a proactive part of the conversation,” Sununu said. “We can provide tools and resources to open access to treatment. Importantly, businesses increase productivity and profitability by promoting evidence based practices that reduce the health and safety consequences associated with unaddressed substance use in the workplace.”
In calling on other states to join New Hampshire in this groundbreaking effort, interested states will have website domains, logos, and regulatory framework guidance provided to them. Rhode Island is the first state to join New Hampshire in creating a Recovery Friendly Workplace structure.
From the original launch on March 1, the list of early adopters has more than doubled in New Hampshire. Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare and the New Hampshire Hospital Association are a part of 16 additional companies who have signed on as early adopters, joining the 12 original organizations like the State of New Hampshire, Walmart and Turbocam. With these 28 early adopters, the total number of employees who work for a Recovery Friendly Workplace is about 26,000 people.
Foreign direct investment is present in all 10 New Hampshire counties, with more than 450 subsidiaries owned by 186 companies from 24 countries, according to research presented today by Plymouth State University.
The New Hampshire Foreign Direct Investment Report, the first of its kind analysis, was conducted by PSU professors Chen Wu, Ph.D., and Roxana Wright, DBA, with a goal to provide a complete picture of foreign business presence in New Hampshire, and analysis of the countries of origin of foreign subsidiaries represented across the state’s counties and industries.
Dr. Wu and Dr. Wright created innovative indices to help state policy-makers strategically allocate resources to attract FDI from various countries, and to estimate the New Hampshire jobs that could potentially be created by companies headquartered in other countries.
View the New Hampshire Foreign Direct Investment Report here.
“Plymouth State University’s comprehensive analysis of foreign direct investment in New Hampshire is substantial and important,” said Taylor Caswell, Commissioner, Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “This work will be highly useful as part of our department’s growing concentration on key geographic areas and sector emphasis as we refocus New Hampshire’s international commerce activities. The relationship between BEA and our state’s innovative academic centers is crucial to the advancement of our economy. The work that went into this report and the action that it will inevitably lead to is an excellent example of New Hampshire’s competitive edge.”
According to Dr. Wu and Dr. Wright, East Asia (Japan, Korea, and China), Australia and the Middle East show the possibility of strong FDI growth for New Hampshire. However, the Report’s FDI Origin Index shows that European and Canadian companies lead all others in current and potential FDI in New Hampshire. European countries such as Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy and the Netherlands show strong desire to invest here.
“Today’s report is a shining example of why public universities exist and is at the heart of our commitment to this region, all New Hampshire residents and the entire state of New Hampshire,” said Donald L. Birx, Ph.D., President, Plymouth State University. “This report highlights the kind of work our faculty and students do every day, important, cutting-edge research that provides businesses, residents and government entities insight into challenges and opportunities that can increase business, job opportunities and spur economic growth.”
For the second year in a row, a team from the Londonderry Middle School won the annual What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? video contest and the $1,000 top prize.
The contest, coordinated by the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and the New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership, pairs middle school students with local manufacturers for a look into the manufacturing process. Sponsors are BAE Systems and Hitchiner Manufacturing.
Gov. Chris Sununu announced the winning teams via video on Thursday morning.
“Advanced manufacturing is an important driver of our economy and it’s important for students to know what 21st century manufacturing looks like in New Hampshire,” Sununu said. “Over the past four years, the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? video contest has introduced scores of middle school students around the state to the opportunities there are right here.”
The Londonderry team worked with BirdsEyeView Aerobotics of Andover to produce its video. Second place South Meadow School in Peterborough worked with Vicuña Chocolate; Winnisquam Regional Middle School in Tilton paired with Freudenberg NOK for its video and Kingswood Regional Middle School in Wolfeboro partnered with Crystal Geyser.
“New Hampshire’s economy is booming and advanced manufacturing contributes greatly to that,” said Commissioner Taylor Caswell of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “As the growth of this industry continues, we need to be sure students know that manufacturing offers them a rewarding career path.”
Gov. Sununu’s announcement and the winning videos can be seen on the Division of Economic Development’s 2018 What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? video contest YouTube channel.
Talk to just about any business across New Hampshire and we hear about workforce challenges.
On the latest edition of our monthly radio show, New Hampshire Business Matters, Division of Economic Development Director Will Arvelo talks with Todd Fahey, state director of AARP New Hampshire about older workers and what they bring to today’s workforce.
Tune into NH Business Matters at 2:05 pm on the third Wednesday of the month on WTPL – 107.7FM
The trend, he says, is that people are living longer, working longer, retiring later and still have a lot to offer to companies.
