Just as establishing a hockey rink in the middle of a baseball stadium is a tall order of business, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development’s business recruitment team and Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) has set an equally ambitious goal – to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and attract new companies from throughout the country and beyond.
The Division of Economic Development and PSNH have announced that they’ve partnered to purchase a full page ad in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic book to be sold during the historic New Year’s Day game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park.
Last week, the Division of Economic Development, PSNH, WTPL and Northeast Delta Dental joined together to celebrate the State’s Winter Classic business recruitment efforts with “Boston Bruins Alumni Day in NH.” A special event at the Red Blazer featured appearances by Boston Bruins legends Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly and Brad Park as well as Bruins mascot Blades and the Bruins Ice Girls. Middleton, a New Hampshire resident, served as the special ambassador for the day’s happenings.
The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development assists both in-state companies and out of state companies considering doing business in New Hampshire. For more information, visit www.nheconomy.com or call (800) 417-4110.
If your New Year’s Resolution is to find a new job in 2010, you’ll soon be receiving a little help. Unemployed Granite Staters now have the opportunity to start the year off on the right foot thanks to a partnership between the Division of Economic Development and 48HourPrint.com to provide a set of 500 free business cards to the first 25,000 job seekers who access the offer.
State officials announced today that they have joined forces with 48HourPrint.com to support the company’s new Jobs Across America initiative. 48HourPrint.com, a leading online printing services company offering a broad range of printed products and mailing services, recently announced that it would provide free business cards to the unemployed as a way to help out-of-work Americans improve their job prospects. The total estimated value of the donation by the company is $1,375,000.
Job seekers interested in taking advantage of the offer are asked to visit www.48hourprint.com/jobsacrossamerica to order business cards utilizing a unique template developed by 48HourPrint.com. The only cost to be incurred by the job seeker is a nominal $5-$8 shipping charge – depending upon where the cards are shipped. Participants will receive their cards in a few days.
48HourPrint.com, with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts and printing plants in Phoenix, Arizona and Cleveland, Ohio, is a leading online printing services company offering high-quality printing and mailing services to businesses that value quality, speed and low prices. With a streamlined order process that is entirely online, supported by experienced customer service professionals, 48HourPrint.com is setting the standard for quality online printing and service. 48HourPrint.com’s extensive product offerings including business cards, postcards, brochures, banners, booklets, and posters, can be ordered online, 24 hours a day, at www.48HourPrint.com.
Sig Sauer was named “Company of the Year” as part of the “2009 Commissioner’s Awards for Economic Development Excellence” announced Tuesday at the 14th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit held at the Radisson Hotel Nashua.
NH Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald (l.) and Governor John Lynch (r.) congratulate Sig Sauer Counsel Steve Shawver on Sig's designation as "Commissioner's Company of the Year."
The Exeter-based handgun manufacturer and distributor is an ISO 9001 certified company with over 380 employees. Sig Sauer has more than tripled its workforce in the past 30 months, invested $18M U.S. dollars in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and equipment and significantly expanded its engineering base.
“Commissioner’s Special Achievement Award” – The Town of Colebrook for their community commitment to keeping Le Rendez-Vous bakery open when the business was in danger of closing due to a visa issue.
“Commissioner’s Exemplary Effort Award” – New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership Director of Operations Zenagui Brahim for his leadership in spearheading the Governor’s Manufacturing Leadership Series and the New Hampshire Advanced Manufacturing & High Technology Summit.
Pat McDermott (c.) was given a special commendation for his years of exemplary service to the economic development community.
“Commissioner’s Teamwork Award” – WMUR, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Southern New Hampshire University for organizing the two WMUR Project Economy Job Fair & Career Expos that helped to re-employ hundreds of New Hampshire workers.
“Commissioner’s Award for Media Excellence” – Jack Heath of WTPL for his outstanding “New Hampshire Today” program and his “First Class Business” segment which highlights positive business happenings in the state.
“Special Governor’s Commendation” – Public Service of New Hampshire Economic & Community Development Manager Pat McDermott for his support of State business recruitment efforts and ongoing commitment to the New Hampshire business community.
The 14th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit was sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire with support from media sponsor New Hampshire Business Review.
If you happen to see a giant, fearsome looking bear mascot walking down Manchester Street accompanied by a bevy of attractive girls in Boston Bruins gear, it’s to be expected. Boston Bruins mascot Blades and the Bruins Ice Girls have been added to the bill of the Boston Bruins Alumni Day in New Hampshire at the Red Blazer on Thursday, December 17th from 2-5 p.m.
Former Boston Bruins greats Rick Middleton, Terry O’Reilly and Brad Park will be featured at this event which will kick off with an autograph signing from 2-3 p.m. leading into a live radio broadcast of Jack Heath’s “New Hampshire Today” program on WTPL 107.7 FM from 3-5 p.m. The trio of Bruins greats will be appearing in the Granite State in advance of their participation in the Boston Bruins AT&T Legends Classic at Fenway Park in Boston on January 2nd.
Blades the Bruin has been entertaining Bruins fans with his wild antics for years while the Ice Girls, the official on-ice dance team, have been a welcome addition to the rough and tumble team and a staple of Bruins charity events. Together, they will be available for autographs and help coordinate raffles for game tickets, Bruins gear and autographed items.
Boston Bruins Alumni Day in New Hampshire is sponsored by the WTPL, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Public Service of New Hampshire and Northeast Delta Dental. The Division of Economic Development is using the event as a way to promote its full page advertisement in the Bruins Winter Classic Program to be sold at Fenway Park during the New Year’s Day outdoor contest between the Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers.
Fans planning to attend the event are urged to bring their own items (one item per attendee) to be signed. For more details, listen to Jack Heath’s “New Hampshire Today” show Monday-Friday from 3-5 p.m. or visit the Division of Economic Development’s No Bull Business Blog at http://blog.nheconomy.com/.
The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development has announced the hiring of Carol Miller as Director of Broadband Technology.
In her new position, Miller will direct and coordinate state telecommunications policy planning initiatives as well as encourage and facilitate collaboration between public and private research development efforts. She will develop a high technology plan and act as an agent in helping the State’s business recruitment team to attract and retain high tech companies in New Hampshire. Miller will also serve as a resource for state policy makers and seek resources from government and non-profit entities to promote the State’s technology development and telecommunications planning initiatives.
Miller, a native of northern New Hampshire, previously served as Vice President, Fiscal Director and co-founder of NCIA, an entrepreneurial Internet company for 16 years. She has served as President of the New Hampshire Internet Service Providers and Chair of the Androscoggin Valley Economic Recovery Corp. in addition to being a board member of the State of NH Telecommunications Advisory Board. Miller is also an adjunct faculty member of the Community College System of New Hampshire teaching Financial Software.
Gov. John Lynch signed an agreement Wednesday with a Brazilian governor to share new sustainable technologies.
Lynch welcomed Carlos Henrique Amorim, governor of Tocantins, Brazil, and a group of Brazilian officials to the Statehouse to collaborate on the “Sister States” deal.
The deal means Tocantins and New Hampshire will share work on sustainability and serve as a ground to put into practice several environmental projects envisioned by Milford resident Craig Cassarino.
“As everybody gets an understanding of what Tocantins is, we will figure out how we can take the hard work of New Hampshire people and transfer it as projects that can create jobs here, too,” said Cassarino, an environmental businessman who works at Leonardo Technologies Inc. in Bedford.
Cassarino said one of the projects is assisting the mayor of Pedro Afonso, Jose Julio Eduardo Chagas, with development of an integrated waste management plant in the city. Cassarino will provide Chagas with American technology to help Pedro Afonso, a city with about 10,000 habitants close to the Amazon jungle, grow in a self-sustainable fashion. For Chagas, improving waste management is a high priority.
“Transferring recycling technology is fundamental because trash collecting is a serious municipal problem not only in our city but all over the state,” Chagas said.
The mayor also highlighted the academic arm of the Sister States partnership, as his own city is introducing a new elementary school course on environmental education.
“The world is breathing the environmental debates. When we add an environmental course to the curricula, we’re helping to educate a more conscious citizen,” he said.
The Tocantins committee will meet with University of Massachusetts officials this morning to talk about an “EcoTourism” course UNH is creating, which will include visits to Tocantins by American students.
“Today, the ecotourism is a major source of job creation, and partnering it with academia will help us develop a more responsible resident, who will also watch for the self-sustainable growth of their state,” said Julio Cesar Rezende, owner of Origene, a 100,000-acre farm in Brazil that, under his leadership, developed a self-sustainable model.
For Rezende, New Hampshire and Tocantins are complimentary states. For instance, Origene already utilizes solar panels and local biomass to power the farm’s machinery, which are some of the reasons why Cassarino picked the farm to be the breathing ground for many of his projects.
“We can minimize men’s impact on nature, while stimulating the use of new technologies. On the biotechnology field, Tocantins has a lot to offer New Hampshire, and the economic gains will be plenty for both sides,” Rezende said.
The Tocantins committee also toured the Statehouse, and first lady Roseane Rodrigues Pereira Amorim was surprised to learn New Hampshire has 400 state representatives and each makes $100 a year.
“We can feel that the New Hampshire people love their own soil, and their slogan ‘Live free or Die’ would fit to our state. Because all we want is to offer the chance of prosperity to all the people who picked Tocantins as their home,” he said.
Great news from the good folks over at the Community Development Finance Authority!
New Hampshire businesses and non-profit organizations can access new funds for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy projects. The Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) was recently awarded $3.5 million by the Office of Energy and Planning‘s State Energy Program, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to develop and implement a low-interest loan and grant program to help finance energy improvements in buildings owned by small, medium, and large businesses and non-profit organizations statewide.
Low-interest loans will be available for comprehensive energy improvements, which could include air sealing, insulation, replacing heating and cooling systems, renewable energy alternatives, and heat recovery systems. Grant funds are available for fuel blind energy audits and some other purposes.
Of the $3.5 million in funds, $2.5 million will be for large commercial and industrial businesses and non-profit organizations. The remaining $1 million will be administered by the Community Loan Fund and for micro- and small commercial and industrial businesses and non-profit organizations. All businesses, large or small, seeking energy-reduction financing will apply through CDFA’s on-line system.
The Energy Reduction Fund is currently being developed. It is anticipated that the application for funds will be available on CDFA’s website, www.nhcdfa.org, early in 2010. All funds need to be awarded by April 2012.
CDFA, created by legislation in 1983, is a nonprofit public instrumentality of the State of New Hampshire. CDFA administers nearly $40 million in funding resources, which includes a combination of state tax credits and federal Community Development Block Grant, Neighborhood Stabilization, and Energy Reduction Funds. CDFA supports the development of vibrant and resilient communities by providing resources for community development efforts. For more information about CDFA and its programs, visit www.nhcdfa.org or call 603.226.2170.
The Community Loan Fund turns investments into loans and education to create opportunity and transform lives across New Hampshire. It collaborates with a wide range of donors and lenders, and with business, nonprofit and government partners, to provide the financing and support people need to own homes, have quality jobs and child care, and become financially independent. Established in 1983, the Community Loan Fund was one of the first Community Development Financial Institutions in the nation, and has received industry awards and recognition for social impact, financial strength and performance. For more information, visit www.communityloanfund.org or call 800.432.4110.