New Hampshire Business Review back issues from February 2007:
Lawmakers face a slew of labor-related measures.
Feb 02, 2007; ... With Congress likely to approve an increase in the minimum wage in 2007--especially since President Bush has jumped on board with his support--the issue won't be taking its familiar place at or near the top of New Hampshire labor advocates' legislative agenda this year. ...
N.H. retailers join forces with marketing group.(Segway and Bellows House Bakery)
Feb 02, 2007; ... First there was Segway and Smuttynose beer, now it's Smuttynose and Yankee magazine. Soon we may see beer and Bellows House cookies. Smuttynose Brewery, Yankee Publishing, Segway and Bellows House Bakery have joined forces as New Hampshire Partners in Commerce, creating joint ...
Incubator competition deadline nears.
Feb 02, 2007 ... The deadline is Feb. 28 for submitting business plans for the Amoskeag Business Incubator Business Plan Competition, the winner of which receiving a free one-year lease at the Manchester facility. Sponsored by Southern New Hampshire Universe, New Hampshire Business Review, ...
The great outdoors.(Page Three)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Hiking mountain and woodland trails, fishing, enjoying the flesh air are some of the reasons why people come to New Hampshire. But did you know this is not a new phenomenon? People from all over the region have been traveling to the Granite State for vacations since the 1850s. ...
Your old house.(preserving and enhancing your antique property)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Whether you own a historic home, or a house that just looks historic, a series of three special lectures in Hollis may help you learn more about preserving and enhancing your antique property. Sally Zimmerman, a preservation specialist with Historic New England, formerly known ...
Snow much fun!
Feb 02, 2007; ... Whether or not you have enough of the white stuff to make a snowman in your backyard, the Mt. Washington Valley is celebrating the beauty of the season with its fourth annual Winter Carnival, Feb. 24 through March 5. More than 75 events will be held both on and off the slopes, ...
Kittery kitchens.
Feb 02, 2007; ... The Music Hall of Portsmouth is cooking up its 16th Annual Kitchen Tour, Saturday, April 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year, seven kitchens from Kittery and Kittery Point, Maine, will be featured. The kitchen designs run the gamut from sleek and contemporary to cozy ...
The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing 'Peter and the Wolf,' Prokofiev's beoved symphonic story for children, this month in Concord and Portsmouth.(Page Three)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing 'Peter and the Wolf,' Prokofiev's beoved symphonic story for children, this month in Concord and Portsmouth. To get Granite State grade-schoolers involved, schoolchildren were invited by NH Phil to send in illustrations of the ...
Q&A with ... interim UNH President Bonnie Newman.(Interview)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Currently interim president of the University of New Hampshire, J. Bonnie Newman's extensive careers in both the private and public sectors have included management positions over administrative and executive operations at the White House during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and the ...
The hook for Hooters? N.H's Hooters may be an endangered species.(NEWS & ANALYSIS: in brief)(Hooter's of America Inc.'s bankruptcy)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007; ... The state's three Hooters restaurants, located in Salem, Nashua and Manchester, are among the nine Hooters in the Northeast owned by R.J. Fritz L.P., a partnership of 13 investors that filed in October for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and, which, according to reports by the Associated ...
Consumer appeal: bill would add consumer protection appeals process.(Consumer Protection Bureau)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Should the Consumer Protection Bureau of the attorney general's office be able to weigh in about matters involving the Consumer Protection Act currently handled by other regulatory agencies, such as the Banking Department? State Rep. Neil Kurk, R-Weare, says it should, and is ...
Good sports: pro teams launch program to aid developmentally disabled.(NEWS & ANALYSIS: in brief)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... New Hampshire's six professional sports teams and two racetracks are taking part in a program that allows people with developmental disabilities to more easily attend games. The project, called Team N.H., links students from Southern New Hampshire University with people from the ...
Out like Flynn? Lynch won't renominate Safety chief.(NEWS & ANALYSIS: in brief)(Dick Flynn)(John Lynch)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Gov. John Lynch says he will not reappoint the political figure who many observers consider the second most powerful person in state government--longtime Safety Commissioner Dick Flynn. Lynch told reporters last month that he met privately with the 78-year-old Flynn to tell him ...
Sununu measure seeks to bolster WBCs.(NEWS & ANALYSIS: in brief)(John Sununu)(Women's Business Centers)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007; ... The U.S. Senate has passed an amendment introduced by U.S. Sen. John Sununu aimed at bolstering support for the nation's Women's Business Centers, including the one in Portsmouth. The amendment to the minimum wage bill was passed unanimously after incorporating changes brought ...
On the agenda: BIA lists '07 policy priorities.(NEWS & ANALYSIS: in brief)(Business and Industry Association )(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Addressing high energy and health-care costs tops the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire's public-policy agenda for 2007. The organization listed five issues on which it will work this year--issues that it says are important to the New Hampshire business ...
Hearings over the city of Nashua's four-year effort to acquire Pennichuck Water Works have halted, as Nashua and utility officials attempt to negotiate a sales-purchase agreement.(Nashua)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Hearings over the city of Nashua's four-year effort to acquire Pennichuck Water Works have halted, as Nashua and utility officials attempt to negotiate a sales-purchase agreement. Pennichuck Corp. and Nashua officials announced last month that they have jointly asked the state's ...
Hanover resident Ray Barrette has taken back the reins at White Mountains Insurance Group, replacing former board Chairman Jack Byrne and Chief Executive Officer Steve Fass, both of whom are retiring from their positions, the company announced.(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Hanover resident Ray Barrette has taken back the reins at White Mountains Insurance Group, replacing former board Chairman Jack Byrne and Chief Executive Officer Steve Fass, both of whom are retiring from their positions, the company announced. The company did not elaborate further on the ...
The state's unemployment rate in December was 3.5 percent, the same as in November and a full point lower than the national unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.(Concord)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The state's unemployment rate in December was 3.5 percent, the same as in ...
Businesses seeking skilled employees have been invited to take part in a pair of job fairs for workers about to be displaced by Collins & Aikman.(Dover)(Collins and Aikman Corp.)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Businesses seeking skilled employees have been invited to take part in a pair of job fairs for workers about to be displaced by Collins & Aikman. The fairs are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 8 at the company's Dover facility at 16 Industrial Park Drive and from 9 a.m. to ...
A Rockingham Superior Court jury has found Dr. Putnam Breed guilty on all counts of fraud and theft in the Bayview Crematory case.(Brentwood)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... A Rockingham Superior Court jury has found Dr. Putnam Breed guilty on all counts of fraud and theft in the Bayview Crematory case. Breed, 68, of Hampton Falls, is a ...
The New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development has begun airing radio ads on Boston radio station WEEI-AM aimed at highlighting New Hampshire's business climate.(Concord)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development has begun airing radio ads on Boston radio station WEEI-AM aimed at highlighting New Hampshire's business climate. The campaign's goal is to attract expanding ...
Wheelabrator Technologies lost in its bid for the waste-to-energy incinerator contract for Pinellas County, Florida.(contracts with Pinellas County )(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Wheelabrator Technologies lost in its bid for the waste-to-energy incinerator contract for Pinellas County, Florida. Pinellas County, which is home to the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, accepted a $615 million bid from ...
The Fitch bond rating agency has given the city of Manchester's 2007 general obligation bonds an "AA+" rating and its school facility revenue bonds "AA.".(Manchester)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The Fitch bond rating agency has given the city of Manchester's 2007 general obligation bonds an "AA+" rating and its school facility revenue bonds "AA." The New York bond rating firm said that the ratings on the $33 million of ...
The Timberland Company has once again been included among the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune magazine.(Stratham)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The Timberland Company has once again been included among the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune magazine. A manufacturer of footwear, clothing and accessories, Timberland was ranked 78th on this year's list, the ninth ...
Sean O'Kane, former commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, has joined Winnipesaukee Flagship Corp., owner and operator of the M/S Mount Washington, as president and co-owner.(Weirs Beach)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Sean O'Kane, former commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, has joined Winnipesaukee Flagship Corp., owner and operator of the M/S Mount Washington, as president and co-owner. Under a leadership change ...
Year-end passenger numbers at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport fell 10 percent from 2005 due to airline downsizing, bankruptcy and consolidation, said airport officials.(Manchester)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Year-end passenger numbers at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport fell 10 percent from 2005 due to airline downsizing, bankruptcy and consolidation, said ...
Taxpayers around the country will get an extra two days, until April 17, to file 2006 returns and pay taxes owed, the Internal Revenue Service said.(Washington, D.C.)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Taxpayers around the country will get an extra two days, until April 17, to file 2006 returns and pay taxes owed, the Internal Revenue Service said. The two-day reprieve comes about because April 15, the ...
StockerYale.(The week that was)(purchase of Photonic Products Ltd. increases StockerYale Inc. increases equity)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... StockerYale (STKR) is now in compliance with Nasdaq rules that could have resulted in its delisting from the stock exchange. StockerYale's purchase of ...
Chittenden Corp.(The week that was)(increase in company's earnings and share price)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Chittenden Corp. (CHZ) earned $85.5 million in 2006 ($1.83 diluted earnings per share), some $2.5 million more than the previous year. Some ...
Unitil Corp.(The week that was)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Unitil Corp. (UTL) announced a regular quarterly dividend of nearly 35 cents ...
Rock of Ages.(The week that was)(contract with Adams Granite Company )(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Rock of Ages (ROAC) renewed a supply agreement with Barre, Vt.-based Adams Granite Company for $2.025 million. The agreement ...
Stock check.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Statistical data)
Feb 02, 2007 ... <Pre> Stock Check1/29 1/12MARKET SYMBOLNAME CLOSING CLOSINGCAP AIG AMER INTL GROUP INC 68.4 71.07 177.82B AESK.OB AMERICAN SKIING CO 0.32 0.32...
The state of the union, and the presidential field.(Column)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Who was that guy? Watching the State of the Union address on January 23rd, I was struck by the fact that George W. Bush reached out to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic majority and the American people with a rare eloquence. Calling for a bipartisan effort to reduce ...
Canada remains an export mainstay for New Hampshire.(Statistical data)
Feb 02, 2007; ... As domestic demand for goods made by New Hampshire's companies weakened last year, exports became an important source of maintaining strong overall sales and jobs, thus improving statewide economic development. Abroad, economic conditions in 2006 were favorable in most areas. ...
Building relationships with Brazilian business: state's consul for Brazil helps N.H. firms develop commercial ties.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Craig Cassarino)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Craig Cassarino has spent decades focused on the sustainability of resources in both New Hampshire and Brazil, so it's fitting that now, as the Granite State's commercial consul for Brazil, he serves as a resource for businesses interested in doing business in the South American country of ...
Hudson med-tech manufacturer strives to improve lives: Atrium Medical Corp. flourishes by focusing on patients, employees, community.(Company overview)
Feb 02, 2007; ... When Steve Herweck saw a leading medical technology company pass up the opportunity to manufacture and distribute a promising medical device 25 years ago, he knew there was a niche that needed to be filled. So Herweck launched Atrium Medical Corp., a company dedicated to ...
Demand for alternative fuel likely to hurt N.H. farmers.
Feb 02, 2007; ... Creating ethanol fuel from corn--a big part of President Bush's State of the Union address--is a wildly popular idea in the Midwestern grain belt, but for New Hampshire farmers, it's likely to bring only problems. "They're saying that by August they might be out of feed," said ...
Maintain funding for Women's Business Centers.(John Sununu )(Speech)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The following is excerpted from the statement delivered on the floor of the Senate by U.S. Sen. John Sununu in introducing an amendment to minimum wage legislation that would continue funding the nation's Women's Business Centers. There are about 100 Women's Business Centers ...
Finally, it's time for a change.(John Lynch's decision on reappointment of Dick Flynn)(Editorial)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Since taking over as governor of New Hampshire in 2005, Gov. John Lynch has been criticized in many quarters--including this newspaper--for seeming to be afraid of taking bold steps on various policies, especially on education funding, preferring to nibble around the edges of an issue ...
It makes sense to restore the alcohol fund.(STATE GOVERNMENT)(fund for local alcohol prevention and treatment programs)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Alcohol problems and underage drinking are well documented in the research literature, and unfortunately too often on the front page of every newspaper across the Granite State. We have all seen firsthand how the economic, personal and social costs associated with alcohol affect our state: ...
We're committed to an adequate education for all.(Column)
Feb 02, 2007; ... The most recent New Hampshire Supreme Court ruling on education funding directs the Legislature to define an "adequate education" in a way that allows us to identify its cost. Past practice has been to count the money the state had available and find a formula that distributed those ...
Gregg's an expert on wasteful spending.(wasteful expenditure)
Feb 02, 2007; ... It wasn't April Fool's Day, but with the headline, "Gregg: Wasteful Spending Targeted," one had to wonder. Maybe the explanation is that, after serving as W's eager water-carrier for so long, perhaps New Hampshire's lifelong public trough-feeder caught a case of The Decider's ...
MTBE ban is good for N.H. environment.(New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services imposes ban on methyl tertiary butyl ether)
Feb 02, 2007; ... As the new commissioner of New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services, I am happy to be able to report some good news: Starting in January, the state's gasoline supply became cleaner and better for the environment. That is because starting Jan. 1, 2007, gasoline containing MTBE ...
Calendar.(nonprofit organizations)(Calendar)
Feb 02, 2007 ... FEBRUARY 6 5-Minute Networking Event, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 6, The Derryfield Restaurant, Manchester. Join the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce for the fast-paced business networking event. Cost: $20 GMCC members, $30 nonmembers. Contact: Greater Manchester Chamber of ...
Study finds disconnect in managing home mortgage.(RESOURCES: insights & advice)
Feb 02, 2007 ... While 91 percent of homeowners deem equity in their primary home as an important financial asset, a nationwide survey reveals that many overlook their home as a financial management tool--indicating a gap in Americans' understanding of how to make the best use of a new or existing ...
Region's young adult population lags.(RESOURCES: insights & advice)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The population of young adults in New England declined much more sharply than the national average from 1990 to 2004, according to a new fact sheet from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. During that time period, the population of young adults in New ...
Study sees lower self-employment among disabled vets.(RESOURCES: insights & advice)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Service-disabled veterans are self-employed at a rate significantly lower than the veteran population as a whole--as large as 50 percent, according to a study released by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy. The study, "Self-Employment in the Veteran and ...
Send a different message--return your phone calls.(importance of communication skills)
Feb 02, 2007; ... It was one of those events at which the networking was more interesting than the speakers. I was chatting with a group, when a conversation next to us became even more interesting. "Jack, I've been trying to get a hold of you for several weeks! Why haven't you returned any of my ...
Patience, consistency help integrated marketing work.(Column)
Feb 02, 2007; ... A lot of people today talk a good game. What they have to say about branding and image development sounds good. They tell you about logos, taglines, slogans. They talk about advertising and public relations. They say you'll get market penetration. But, where's the proof? More ...
Court decisions alter landscape on FMLA, military service.(Family and Medical Leave Act, Rucker v. Lee Holding Co., Velazquez-Garcia v. Horizon Lines)
Feb 02, 2007; ... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently issued two decisions of importance to employers in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. One, Rucker v. Lee Holding Co., has significant implications in determining family and medical leave eligibility. The other, ...
Emerging issues in electronic record-keeping and discovery: e-discovery is playing an increasingly critical role in many legal proceedings.
Feb 02, 2007; ... As our dependence on information technology in all sectors of life has grown, the type of information stored in electronic form, whether Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and emails--whether on servers, PDAs or even cell phones--has increased tremendously. This information often remains ...
New law helps firms boost employee retirement savings.(EMPLOYEE BENEFITS)
Feb 02, 2007; ... Although the Pension Protection Act of 2006--signed into law last August by President Bush--is best known for enhancing the funding of traditional defined benefit pension plans, it also includes provisions that change 401(k) plans and other types of employer-sponsored defined contribution ...
Lynch opposes leasing Cannon Mountain.(REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Gov. John Lynch is opposed to leasing the Cannon Mountain ski area to a private operator. In a letter to a House committee, Lynch said he has asked state parks officials to compare the ski area to privately run areas to find where financial improvements can be made. ...
Airport area building sold for $9m.(REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION)(New Boston Fund Inc. sells building to Grenier Center LLC)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The Manchester Air Center building at 1050 Perimeter Rd. near Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has been sold for $9.15 million. The one-story, 145,000-square-foot building was sold by a company affiliated with the New Boston Fund Inc., a Boston-based real-estate management ...
Sharp rise in nonresidential construction deals.(REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Contracts for future nonresidential construction rose dramatically in December. According to McGraw Hill Construction, based in Lexington, Mass., contracts for future nonresidential construction increased by 130 percent, to $69.3 million, in December 2006, up from the $30 ...
Portsmouth council scraps chain store ban.(REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The Portsmouth City Council has rejected most of a proposed ordinance regulating chain stores downtown. The proposal would have required that so-called "formula businesses" seek a special exception from the board of adjustment if they wanted to locate downtown. A formula ...
Parade Mall to be razed.(REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION)(Parade Office Mall)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The owners of the Parade Office Mall in Portsmouth plan to raze the property and replace it with a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use development. Details of the project layout will not be available until the city's Historic District Commission meeting Feb. 14, but the Portsmouth ...
Bids sought for Newmarket mill redevelopment.(Newmarket Community Development Corp.)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... The Newmarket Community Development Corp. has issued a request for proposals to redevelop the former Essex Mills complex. Up for bid are two lots totaling about 2-1/2 acres. Two additional parcels, smaller and located across the street from the mills, are also offered for sale and ...
Developer submits Hudson retail center plans.(W/S Development Inc.)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... More than a year after making its intentions public, a Massachusetts developer has submitted a plan to build a massive mixed-use development on the site of Hudson's Green Meadow Golf Club. Ed Vydra, project manager for W/S Development Inc. also said the firm has filed a major ...
Dunn building sold for $2.7m.(REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION)(acquisition of One Dow Court Inc. and Dunn Furniture)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... One Dow Court Inc., an owner and manager of properties in Manchester's Millyard area, has added another: the Dunn Furniture building on Canal Street. The building was sold by Dunn Furniture Inc., which recently ceased operations as a furniture retailer, for $2.7 million. Dunn ...
N.H. firms face OSHA fines.(REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION)(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(New Hampshire )
Feb 02, 2007 ... Powershot Utility Construction Services of Nashua faces $64,700 in proposed fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for alleged cave-in hazards at a North Conway worksite The contractor was cited for four alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of ...
Good properties will be hard to find in 2007.(Column)
Feb 02, 2007; ... I attended a recent 2007 economic outlook breakfast yesterday morning at Derryfield Country Club. As one speaker, a banker, said, 2006 wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. In fact it was more of the same with the economy just bumping along. In a show of hands, the audience ...
West Side glory: joint effort seeks to revitalize historic Manchester neighborhood.
Feb 02, 2007 ... One of the largest neighborhood revitalization initiatives in the history of Manchester has been launched by the city, the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission and St. Mary's Bank. The multimillion-dollar economic revitalization plan will focus on the Rimmon Heights ...
Jewett selected for Laars expansion.(FROM the MARKETPLACE)(contracts of Jewett Construction and Laars Heating Systems)(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Jewett Construction recently began work on an addition for Laars Heating Systems Inc.'s facility located at 20 Industrial Way, Rochester. The project includes a 22,000-square-foot addition for receiving and materials storage ....
Bruss to build 'green' school.(FROM the MARKETPLACE)(Bruss Construction Inc. contracts with Second Nature Academy Elementary School )(Brief article)
Feb 02, 2007 ... Bruss Construction has been named construction manager for the Second Nature Academy Elementary School in Nashua. Bruss will be using a green curriculum model with the goal of being the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green elementary school ...