A day-long business forum aimed at strengthening ties between New Hampshire and Canada and encouraging companies there to expand over the border is planned for Oct. 27 at the Mountain View Grand.
The New Hampshire – Canada Business Development Forum is organized by the New Hampshire-Canada Trade Council and the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. With 2016 exports valued at over $500 million, Canada is the state’s largest trading partner.
The forum will include a discussion about North American Free Trade Agreement negotiation, with speakers David Alward, Canadian Consul General to New England, and former representative Mary Estelle Ryckman of the Office of US Trade; US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, member of the Foreign Relations Committee, has also been invited to speak.
Victoria Cimino, director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development; Dr. Katherine Harrington of Plymouth State University’s Bienvenue project and University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Todd Leach head a panel discussion about promoting the state’s cultural and natural resources.
The economic opportunities the state offers to Canadians will be discussed by panelists Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the BEA; Marie-Josee Vaillant of Kheops International, Colebrook, and Michel Pariseau of the Department of Homeland Security.
The event, which is being held at the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield, is free, but space is limited. Register here before Oct. 23.
New Hampshire inventor and innovator Dean Kamen headlines the 15th annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing and High Technology Summit on Oct. 27, capping the state’s first-ever Manufacturing Month that celebrates one of the state’s key economic drivers.
Kamen launched BioFabUSA earlier this summer, which operates under the umbrella of the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute. ARMI’s mission is to develop large-scale manufacturing of engineered tissues and organs to help injured soldiers with extensive injuries. Kamen will speak on Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute – Manufacturing the Future of Biofabrication.
Here is the agenda and registration link for the 15th annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing and High Technology Summit. Register today!
Dr. Phillip Singerman, associate director for Innovation and Industry Services, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, will speak on the topic Manufacturing Technologies for the Future: Industry 4.0, Manufacturing USA. Panel discussions, led by manufacturing leaders in the state, will address challenges and opportunities in the industry, such as workforce development and the state of manufacturing.
On the national Manufacturing Day on Oct. 6, EPTAM Plastics of Northfield will host an event to kick off New Hampshire Manufacturing Month. Throughout the month, manufacturers and community colleges across the state will welcome high school students through their doors so they can learn about the opportunities and career paths available to them.
The summit fills up quickly each year and organizers recommend those wanting to attend to sign-up early.
Nearly 10 million people are expected visit New Hampshire to see the fall colors over the next several weeks and will spend over $1 billion, reflecting an increase over last year’s foliage season.
Tourism is New Hampshire’s second largest industry and the foliage season draws people from around the world. This year, visitation, at 9.75 million people, will be 4 percent over last year and spending, at $1.5 billion, is a 5 percent increase from 2016, according to the Division of Travel and Tourism Development.
DTTD anticipates robust travel over the Columbus Day holiday, the state’s third busiest travel weekend, representing nearly 10 percent of all fall season visitations. Over that holiday weekend, about 710,000 visitors will spend more than $100 million – marking 5 percent increases in both visitation and spending compared to Columbus Day 2016.
Stay connected with New Hampshire tourism on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterestand YouTube, and follow the #livefreeNH tag to see what people are saying about New Hampshire.
“The continued growth in visitation and spending underscores tourism is a critical driver of New Hampshire’s economic infrastructure,” said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “The fall tourism season, particularly viewing foliage and enjoying varied outdoor recreation, is a major contributor to New Hampshire’s tourism businesses and attractions.”
During foliage season, the largest percentage of visitors comes here from outside New England. Research partners point to a number of positive indicators, including consumer spending, consumer confidence, employment growth, wage growth, and travel expenditures, as supporting a strong fall season. Reasonable gas prices and somewhat lower domestic airline ticket prices will also bolster visitation and spending.
DTTD’s blog/video series Live Free with Kris continues through the foliage season highlighting New Hampshire’s hidden gems.
Pierre Harvey, Harvey International, left; Steve Malenfant, founder and CEO, Inter USA Industrial Group
A Quebec businessman chose northern New Hampshire to launch his new company, which he expects to grow over the next few years to include up to 50 employees.
Steve Malenfant, CEO and founder of Groupe Industriel Interprovincial Inc. of Magog, QC, led the ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 26 for his new venture, Inter USA Industrial Group, in Littleton.
The company offers a service, providing teams trained for industrial equipment installation, planned machine maintenance, relocation, re-shoring and outage/shutdown services to a variety of industries such as pulp and paper; wood processing; rubber and plastics; steel and metal; food processing, and more.
The company’s success is based on its mission of helping clients and the guiding principle of building the trust that is essential between the client’s inhouse teams and the teams from Inter USA. Inter-USA’s employees go through a thorough technical program before working on job sites, Malenfont said, “to make sure our employees are the best millwrights available and that they are skilled at developing strong relationships with our client’s inhouse teams.
Ribbon cutting of Inter USA Industrial Group in Littleton.
Founded in 2003, its Quebec counterpart employs more than 140 employees and the long term plan for the new US-based company is to hire and train between 25 and 50 employees in Littleton, most of them millwrights, engineering technicians and welders.
“We chose northern New Hampshire because we know that labor is available and because of the close proximity to sawmills, pulp and paper, steel and metal fabricators,” Malenfant said. “We will hire locally and pair the US employees with experienced Quebec millwrights from our head office until they are trained and have integrated the Inter USA business model. We will train them so that they can take over and start doing jobs quickly in New England.”
Beno Lamontagne and Michael Bergeron of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs first connected with the company at a dinner in Quebec hosted by the Division of Economic Development several years ago. Over that time, they worked with Malenfant to help him with his real estate search, obtaining visas, the hiring process and business incorporation.
James Key-Wallace, NH Business and Finance Authority; Chris Way, Business and Economic Affairs
For the past 25 years, the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority has been working with businesses of all sizes get the capital they need to grow and prosper and hire employees. It is also a valued partner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
On this month’s segment, our guest is James Key-Wallace, executive director of the agency.
Tune in and find out the many ways the Business Finance Authority helps – and has helped – companies all around New Hampshire get the money to grow and create jobs.
Time is running out to sign up for the Export Boot Camp series! Registration closes Sept. 22; click here for more information.
The New Hampshire Office of International Commerce received at State Trade Expansion Program award this week that will further its efforts in helping businesses find global markets for their products and services.
The $267,866 grant will be used to encourage export growth in New Hampshire, which totaled about $4.1 billion in 2016 and supports over 18,000 jobs here. The majority – 87 percent – of the more than 2,700 companies that export are small-to-medium-sized enterprises with less than 500 employees, according to the latest statistics.
“This STEP award continues to highlight New Hampshire’s dedication to small business,” said Commissioner Taylor Caswell, of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “Over the years, this funding has provided opportunities for our small businesses to find global markets and we’ve continued to see that the world is very interested in what our companies have to offer. This grant represents the great efforts of our Office of International Commerce and the New Hampshire offices of the SBA and US Commercial Service.”
Sign up for our ExportNH.com newsletter, filled with timely information to help your business go global.
New Hampshire was one of 44 states receiving some of the $18 million set aside for STEP and the amount received represents a 25 percent increase over last year.
“We are happy to continue our partnership with the State of New Hampshire and the Office of International Commerce and commend them for their creative and impactful use of this program to promote greater exporting opportunities for small companies throughout the state,” Greta Johansson, district director of the state’s SBA office.
STEP is designed to increase both the number of small businesses that begin to export and the value of exports for small businesses currently exporting. Expanding the base of small business exporters and making the process as easy as possible is a key component of the SBA’s small business strategy.
A high percentage of Granite Staters who answered recent surveys say they have shopped at a local farmers’ market, mainly to support local farms and have access to high quality products, according to the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food.
Granite Staters head to their local farmers’ markets for quality products and the fun of the experience, according to a recent survey.
Two surveys were conducted from February through April 2017 as part of a collaboration of the agriculture department; the University of New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and the New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association.
The first was conducted via telephone as part of the Granite State Polling program where New Hampshire residents were called at random and asked about their farmers’ market experiences. The second was an online survey offered to existing farmers’ market shoppers from across the state.
Shopping habits at both summer and winter farmers markets were examined. The goal of the project was to obtain information about consumer shopping experiences and attitudes related to farmers’ markets that would then be helpful to farmers and market coordinators in meeting shoppers’ needs.
More than 500 responded to the phone survey, with 84 percent of them reporting they had shopped at a farmers’ market. Product quality, variety, market hours and location were all important to the shopping experience.
For the 16 percent who said they had never shopped at a farmers market, it was because there was not one nearby or did not know of them. Inconvenience and lack of time to shop at a farmers’ market were also among the reasons cited.
The results of the second survey show that 60 percent of the 369 participants said they shopped at both summer and winter markets in 2016 and nearly 40 percent visited a farmers’ market once a week. More than half said they shopped at a farmers’ market in 2016 with the same frequency as 2015, but about 30 percent said they shopped at a farmers’ market more often in 2016.
Many respondents said that in addition to their desire to support local agriculture and buy fresh and high-quality products, they came to farmers’ markets because the experience was fun and they enjoyed seeing and interacting with people in those places.
The full survey report will be available soon and found on the partner organizations’ websites. For more information contact Gail McWilliam Jellie at 603-271-3788, gail.mcwilliam.jellie@agr.nh.gov, or visit the Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food at www.agriculture.nh.gov
When one of the world’s foremost security and equipment exhibition opens in London next week, New Hampshire will be a part of the action.
Held every other year, DSEI (short for Defence and Security Equipment International) features over 1,500 exhibitors and attracts about 35,000 people during the four-day event, Sept. 12 – 15. This is the first time New Hampshire will be represented there and we’re one of three states exhibiting.
“Over the next decade, global defense spending is projected to have steady growth and New Hampshire companies are well-positioned to meet the demand,” said Gov. Chris Sununu. “The DSEI provides a great opportunity to forge valuable global partnerships and showcase New Hampshire’s specialized defense and security manufacturing industry.”
According to industry analysts, New Hampshire’s aerospace and defense sector exports grew nearly 26 percent between 2010 and 2015 and employs about 10,000 people.
If you break out in a sweat when you hear words like incoterms, bill of lading and carnet, it may be time get your export plan into shape.
Our Office of International Commerce developed an Export Boot Camp that’s kicking off this fall to help strengthen the core of your company’s export goals. Designed for businesses ready to leap into the global market or those looking to pick up the pace of their plan, the Export Boot Camp shapes you up so you can ship out to customers around the world.
These seminars are filling up fast and the deadline to register is Sept. 22, so run – don’t walk! – to this link for more information.
Ready?
Set? GO! EXPORT CONTROLS AND COMPLIANCE
8:30am – 4:30pm, Wednesday, Oct. 4
Department of Business and Economic Affairs (formerly DRED)
172 Pembroke Rd., Concord
Cost: FREE*
Presented by Mike Allocca, Allocca Enterprises
EXPORT LOGISTICS
9:30 am – 2:30 pm, Wednesday, Oct. 18
Portsmouth Public Library
175 Parrott Ave., Portsmouth
Cost: FREE*
Presented by Radek Maley and Nicole Dunbar, Highland Forwarding USA
EXPORT FINANCE
9:30am – 2 pm Wednesday, Nov. 1
Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce
49 South Main St., Suite 104, Concord
Cost: FREE*
Presented by Joe Kenney, The Provident Bank; Leanne Spees, The Provident Bank; Greta Johansson, U.S. Small Business Administration; John Joyce, U.S. Small Business Administration
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
9:30 am – 3 pm, Wednesday, Nov. 15
Portsmouth Public Library
175 Parrott Ave., Portsmouth
Cost: FREE*
Presented by Wendy Pease, Rapport International
Click here for more information about each seminar
*The Export Boot Camp is supported through a State Trade Export Promotion grant and partially funded by The Provident Bank. Contact Rachel Adams to confirm your eligibility for these sessions.
It’s one of several offices located around New England and with funding in part from the Small Business Administration, it’s a terrific resource for women entrepreneurs, whether they are just starting out, or growing their businesses.
If that describes you, or a woman you know, tune in to this month’s show.
As an entrepreneur, your ability to persuade your audience through a concise and compelling presentation is a key factor to your business success. This interactive workshop focuses on the basics of developing a strong presentation and more
Do you have an idea for a business that you want to launch or explore more deeply? Have you always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, but were never sure just where to start?
This workshop provides a high-level overview of a range of legal issues that entrepreneurs should be aware of when starting a new company. Attend this workshop to learn how to avoid common mistakes and employ preventative measures and more.
Branding goes beyond a mere color palette and logo—it’s your reputation, and is essential to keep your customers returning. However, many small business owners struggle in developing a strong, solid brand. In this workshop, you will gain a better understanding of the importance of good branding and more.
Competition for a spot in the marketplace and in the media is tough. Learn how to maximize your resources to gain visibility for your products and services. Find out how to market your product, determine and refine your target audience, and reach customers with the right message and the right media.
The forum will include a discussion about North American Free Trade Agreement negotiation, with speakers David Alward, Canadian Consul General to New England, and former representative Mary Estelle Ryckman of the Office of US Trade; US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, member of the Foreign Relations Committee, has also been invited to speak.
