Nearly 100 people from around the country converged on Portsmouth at the end of April for the Bureau of Industry and Security’s U.S. Export Controls Training Seminars. Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell and US Rep. Chris Pappas spoke on the importance of exporting to the New Hampshire economy. 
Industry leaders converged in Hanover last week to the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The state’s second largest industry brings 39 million visitors here from around the world, who generated more than $5.5 billion in spending last year. 
The annual New England Matchmaker in Portland, Maine drew scores of New Hampshire small business representatives, taking the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with prime contractors on the goods and services they need to fulfill government contracts. 
A team from New Hampshire traveled to Toronto for a presentation to Canadian businesses about the state’s vibrant life sciences sector, which is 300+ companies strong.
Throughout April, Business was on the Agenda in New Hampshire
May 2nd, 2019Madeira USA Celebrates Expansion in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region
April 18th, 2019An international company with its US headquarters located in New Hampshire celebrated its new 7,600-square-foot manufacturing facility yesterday (4/17).
German-based Madeira, an embroidery thread manufacturing company marking its 100th anniversary this year, is bringing winding operations to Laconia, the headquarters of Medeira USA for 35 years.
“As we have grown over the past three and a half decades, so have the industry and our customers,” said Shirley Clark, president of Madeira USA. “The need to deliver thread quickly and expediently is necessary to help the large contract embroidery companies maintain their constant workflow. Our ability to provide them with our hottest commodity – black and white 100 percent polyester embroidery thread – will keep production purring and improve our ability to support our high volume customers.”
Will Arvelo, director of the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, which worked with the company on its expansion plans, said New Hampshire is a strategic location for Madeira USA to be responsive to its key domestic and global markets. He added that the company is “literally, and figuratively, a strong thread in the fabric of the Lakes Region business community.”
The new facility, according to manufacturing operations manager Roy Wirth, houses a 20-head winding machine, a shrink wrapper and laser writer.
“I suspect that our ability to turn out thousands of black and white, 5,500-yard thread cones will have a very positive affect on those customers who have come to expect quick and quality service from Madeira USA,” he said.
Export Training Event Covers Compliance Controls
April 5th, 2019Program drawing 100 from all over to Portsmouth later this month
It sold out in 2017 and it’s on its way to selling out this week – the Bureau of Industry and Security’s U.S. Export Controls Training Seminars coming to Portsmouth April 23-24 for the only Northeast training this spring.
When it was last held two years ago, people from as far away as Washington attended. This year, the two-day event covers Complying with U.S. Export Controls.
New Hampshire has had two record-setting years for exports, as Granite State businesses look overseas to new markets. Glenn Welch, president of Welch Manufacturing Technologies in Laconia, took part in the 2017 training, which, he said, helped him in continuing to find new international customers for his product, Biteharder.
“This seminar provided me with a wealth of knowledge regarding the importance of complying with U.S. export controls including licensing requirements, regulatory requirements, and all other export administration regulations,” he said. “The presenters were dynamic, entertaining and brought a high level of energy to this hands on learning experience. The information I was exposed to, and the contacts I made, have become invaluable with regards to our companies export compliance program.”
If you make a product here in New Hampshire that you sell to customers around the country, it is more than likely there is untapped potential in markets overseas. Exporting is a great way to diversify (and increase!) your bottom line and, as Welch notes, worth learning all you can about the process.
For more information about the training services and programs the Office of International Commerce offers throughout the year, visit this link.
New Hampshire Business Matters: Catch Up with Foreign Trade Zone #81 and How It Can Benefit Your Business
March 25th, 2019
Ken Cail, left, WTPL-FM; Lorna Colquhoun, Business and Economic Affairs; Geno Marconi, Division of Ports and Harbors
We take to the radio waves every month to talk about topics important to business and commerce here in the Granite State.
New Hampshire Business Matters can be heard at 2 p.m., every third Wednesday of the month on WTPL FM107.7
This month, Geno Marconi, director of the Division of Ports and Harbors, talked about the state’s expanded foreign trade zone, which now includes all, or parts of, nine of our 10 counties.
By using the FTZ, businesses can save money on the cost of their imports, increasing their competitiveness and creating new jobs.
Does your business qualify? Tune in and find out.
Fostering Cross Border Partnerships with Visit by ACET Banque Nationale to New Hampshire
March 15th, 2019
New Hampshire: Proximity, Partnerships, Possibilities
During a brief, but informative, visit to New Hampshire this week, more than 30 Canadian entrepreneurs representing 20 companies that are part of a business accelerator program in Sherbrooke, Que., learned about research, partnerships and the business advantages to considering expansion into the US.
New Hampshire: Proximity, Partnerships, Possibilities was the theme of the Concord event, as Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell moderated panel discussions focusing on academic partnerships for research and collaboration, as well as workforce, business climate, access to capital and the experiences of two Quebec-based businesses that expanded to New Hampshire.
The businesses are part of ACET Banque Nationale at the University of Sherbrooke, a business accelerator, which, since 2011, has seen 300 jobs created by 85 companies. Their stop in Concord was part of a two day swing through Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine to meet with economic development officials and business leaders to foster cross-border relationships.
Sherbrook is located about three hours from Concord.
The event was sponsored by BEA, in partnership with Bernstein Shur. Participating panelists included Plymouth State University President Donald Birx; Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth Director Jamie Coughlin; Varitron Vice President Jon Saunders; Integrim CFO Marc Voyer; Bernstein Shur Attorney Ovide Lamontagne and Community College System of New Hampshire Chancellor Ross Gittell.
New Hampshire Exports Set Record for Second Straight Year
March 11th, 2019
For the second year in a row, the value of New Hampshire’s exports reached an all-time high in 2018, according to the latest federal trade data.
The exports totaled over $5.2 billion last year, 2.68 percent higher than 2017. Industrial machinery was the state’s chief export, at $1.2 billion, up 7.82 percent from 2017. Germany nudged out Canada as the state’s top trading partner, with Ireland, Mexico and China rounding out the top five trading partners.
“From aerospace to the life sciences, New Hampshire is home to companies at the pinnacle of innovation,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “Throughout the last two years, we have focused on implementing a pro-growth agenda that opens doors of opportunity for companies not just in New Hampshire, but across the nation and the world – and the new record-setting export numbers prove it’s working!”
“International trade is a growing component of our state’s economy and this trade data reinforces the work we are doing to improve access for New Hampshire businesses in international markets,” said Commissioner Taylor Caswell of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
The third most traded commodity in 2018, at $841 million, was aircraft and spacecraft parts, up over 68 percent from 2017. Pharmaceutical products, which range from bandages to blood plasma, were valued at $411 million, up 22 percent from the previous year.
“We are seeing significant growth in our aerospace and life sciences sectors, which are diverse and innovative, and in demand in the global marketplace,” Caswell said.
In the decade since the recession, Granite State businesses have realized the value and opportunities of international trade as ways to diversify their customer base. Six years ago this month, the New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium was created to bring 350 businesses and manufacturers across the state to leverage in overseas markets industries that employ more than 65,000 people, earning an average $91,000.
The Office of International Commerce, an agency within Business and Economic Affairs, works with state and federal partners, including the US Commercial Service, to provide New Hampshire businesses export compliance training and other resources to expand into world markets.
Northern Border Regional Commission Grant Applications Now Available
March 7th, 2019
Applications for the Northern Border Regional Commission’s Economic and Infrastructure Development Investment Program are now available. The recent reauthorization of NBRC expands the service area for eligible projects in all or parts Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton and Sullivan Counties.
Created in 2008, the NBRC is a federal-state partnership for economic and community development in New York, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.
The state EID investment program awards grants up to $500,000 for infrastructure projects and $250,000 for other eligible projects. The application deadline is May 10.
Three information sessions regarding the state EID Investment Program are planned across the state this month:
- 2 – 4 pm, March 11; Cheshire County Courthouse, 12 Court St., Keene
- 10 am – noon, March 12; Mountain View Grand, 10 Mountain Rd., Whitefield
- 1 – 3 pm, March 22; Lakes Region Community College, 379 Belmont Rd., Laconia
Proposals will be accepted for projects related to transportation, telecommunication and basic public infrastructure; workforce development; entrepreneurship, technology, or business development; resource conservation, tourism and recreation, or publicly owned renewable energy development, and projects for basic health care and other public services.
The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs will coordinate applications for the state. When the rankings are complete, Gov. Chris Sununu will put forward the priority projects to the commission.
In 2018, the NRBC awarded 15 grants in New Hampshire, totaling over $2.8 million to projects in Berlin, Bristol, Canaan, Enfield, Laconia, Lancaster, Lebanon, Littleton, Lyme, North Conway, Plymouth, Whitefield and Wolfeboro.
An additional $7 million is also available through NBRC’s new Regional Forest Economy Partnership. This funding opportunity is aimed at revitalizing communities affected by declines in the forest products industry. Eligible applicants may be invited to apply for up to $1 million if they are able to demonstrate that any one of four criteria are met: an industry change in employment due to a decline of the forest industry, a wage reduction in the project area, a mill or forest-based manufacturer closing in the past 20 years, or county population loss. The NBRC encourages applications that have a multi-state benefit.
For more information about applying for the grant programs, contact Mollie Kaylor at the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development at 271-6305 or mollie.kaylor@livefree.nh.gov. The application is available at http://nbrc.gov/.
What’s Ahead for NH Businesses this Legislative Session
January 23rd, 2019
Ken Cail, left; Chris Way, NH BEA; Bruce Berke, NFIB
The New Hampshire Legislature is back in session and in this month’s New Hampshire Business Matters segment on WTPL-FM107.7, our guest is Bruce Berke, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.
New Hampshire Business Matters airs at 2 pm, every third Wednesday of the month on WTPL-FM107.7
The topic? Legislation this session affecting businesses in New Hampshire.
New Round of Job-Creating Business Tax Cuts Take Effect in 2019
January 2nd, 2019
The New Year means further reductions to New Hampshire’s business taxes, which take effect on Jan. 4.
“New Hampshire’s economy is booming like never before, thanks to strategic investments and tax cuts made by my administration,” said Gov. Chris Sununu. “Our commitment to creating a business-friendly climate in the Granite State continues into the New Year, with a 2.5 percent reduction in the Business Profits Tax and 11 percent reduction in the Business Enterprise Tax.
“I’m incredibly proud that our management has led to more Granite Staters working than ever before, an increase in the number of young people moving to New Hampshire, and consumer confidence is at an all-time high. New Hampshire’s economy is roaring – and with this new round of job-creating tax cuts, we continue to move in the right direction. We remain committed to a further 2.5 percent reduction of the Business Profits Tax and 16.6 percent reduction of the Business Enterprise Tax in 2021. The economic successes we create for individuals will continue to drive opportunity for the state.”
New Hampshire’s Unemployment Rate Reaches 30 Year Low
December 18th, 2018
The most recent state jobs report notes that 763,040 New Hampshire residents are employed in the Granite State, and unemployment rates had reached 2.5 percent – a low that has not been reached since August of 1988.
“Thanks to the strategic initiatives that New Hampshire has made, and our pro-growth, pro-jobs focus, more Granite Staters are working than ever before in the state’s history,” said Gov. Chris Sununu. “As New Hampshire’s unemployment rate remains well below the national average, it’s clear that we continue to set the gold standard for the rest of the country. Our strong, thriving workforce will serve as a solid foundation for further economic development.”
Department of Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell added, “Today’s economic news continues the positive trends of the past few years relating to the labor force; demographics; migration; exports; unemployment, and capital investment.
“We can say with confidence that New Hampshire’s economy remains highly competitive and will continue to attract top talent and world class employers.”