Author: Bob Sanders

The shifting nature of non-competes

Employee agreements gain scrutiny of lawmakers

Cambridge Trust parent to buy Optima Bank

10-year-old Seacoast-based bank to be acquired for $67 million

White Mountains adds another niche insurer to portfolio

Company’s NSM unit acquires Philadelphia-based firm

One New Hampshire business filed for bankruptcy in November

Number of total filings is lowest in years

Four top Oracle execs’ total compensation tops $400 million

46% of shareholders express disapproval in say-on-pay vote

Bottomline revenues surge as losses shrink

First-quarter results show cloud business continues to grow

Planet Fitness sees a bright future in Generation Z

Revenues continue to rise as membership tops 12 million

A transformed White Mountains Insurance reports 3Q earnings

Out of reinsurance business, company moves to industry-specific coverage

A tale of healthcare transparency

The long, confusing journey to find the actual cost of a medical procedure

Albany International reports big jump in 3Q sales

Net income jumps to $28.3 million in quarter

Study: Christmas season is more important to New Hampshire retailers than others

Analysis finds 26 percent of Granite State retail sales come during holidays – tops in nation

No NH business filed for bankruptcy in October

A first since recession as 141 individuals file for protection

Sturm, Ruger sales rise in third quarter

But year-to-date numbers are off from 2017

Brookstone bankruptcy sale now official

New owners purchase Merrimack-based retailer’s brand, assets for $65 million

Standex puts cooking unit on the market

Sale seen as financing purchase of Concord tech firm, two other businesses

Survey finds NH employees pay fifth-lowest health premium percentage

Average 18% cost reported in national report

Report: China trade deficit sucks jobs out of New Hampshire

Study says state has suffered biggest job loss due to massive imbalance

NH gets mixed reviews on energy efficiency

Residential performance is good, but not when it comes to vehicles

MyMedicalShopper CEO heads to White House to aid health cost-comparison effort

Administration said to eye ‘big bold transparency initiative‘

Ex-president sues Perspecta Trust for discrimination

Alleges he was let go after revealing treatment for anxiety, depression

New Hampshire rep takes aim at ‘zombie foreclosures’

Swanzey rep mulls legislation targeting lender’s responsibility post-foreclosure

iCAD reshuffles board after member’s rebuke

New board chair named, two new members appointed after critical letter

Bankruptcy judge OKs sale of Brookstone

$65 million deal reached after largest creditor agrees to relinquish debt

Monthly bankruptcy filings dropped in September

Only one New Hampshire business sought protection

Details emerge in winning Brookstone bid; fate of Merrimack employees unclear

300 employees will remain, but most of them will be part-timers in airport stores

New Hampshire sand and gravel companies sued over stormwater runoff

Conservation Law Foundation targets Belmont, Laconia firms

Brookstone to remain going concern under bankruptcy deal with N.Y. firm

But Brady Sullivan purchase of Merrimack headquarters raises questions about future of employees

Liberty Utilities unveils renewable gas plan at Bethlehem landfill

Company says project would supply 6% of customers

Health savings by association?

Why association health plans ‘could be a game-changer’

Brookstone bankruptcy auction to be held Wednesday

Fate of New Hampshire-based retailer as a going concern remains in doubt

Eversource lawyer poses a question: Should retail competition end for residential customers?

Suggestion at Energy Summit stirs heated discussion

NH gun industry comes under fire

Even the smallest firearms manufacturers face the same headwinds largest companies do

The future of Brookstone still remains up in the air

Questions surround fate of bankrupt company after stalking horse bid approved

State renewable energy program lotteries come and go

There’s still time for businesses to apply for solar subsidies, but wood pellet grant deadline has already passed

New Hampshire bankruptcies rise a bit in August

But filings are still down for the year

Brookstone sends WARN notices to salaried employees

Bankrupt company says it’s ‘business as usual,’ but future of firm is unclear

Airbnb bookings in New Hampshire soared over 50 percent this summer

113,440 guests stayed at 2,800 sites

The tale of Brookstone’s demise

Bankruptcy filing reveals mounting debt, failing mall stores

Second firm seeks to be stalking horse bidder in Brookstone bankruptcy

New offer is $5 million higher for remainder of New Hampshire-based retailer

First bidder emerges in Brookstone bankruptcy

Reviver of troubled brands offers $35 million for remainder of retailer

Unsecured creditors, trustee fault Brookstone bankruptcy plan

$30 million loan, executive bonuses among the targets

iCAD foresees revenue uptick with 3-D mammography

But Nashua-based cancer provider reports another quarterly loss

White supremacists target state’s diversity efforts

Manchester conference stirs ‘NH Nationalist’ threats

Bottomline voices optimism on continued growth

Portsmouth-based financial services firm reports big jump in income for the quarter and year

Planet Fitness reports a very healthy 2nd quarter

Gym franchise sees membership rise to $12.1m; 3 new NH corporate outlets planned

Connection income surges in second quarter

Tax cuts, laptop and smartphone sales fuel Merrimack-based tech firm’s results

Ruger second-quarter sales drop, but income rises

But decline in orders appears to be leveling off

Personal bankruptcies increase slightly in July

152 filings results in 26 percent increase from June

Student loan practices are a big New Hampshire beef

Of the six New Hampshire companies found on the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s complaint database, five are either collection agencies or deal with student loans. That isn’t surprising, for a number of reasons. The CFPB was set up in reaction…

What do NH consumers complain about most?

Though weakened, CFPB still serves as sounding board

More news from NHBR:

Wooden Hammer Judge Against The Background Of Dollars

Manchester and Nashua: Best bang for the buck in NH

Two New Hampshire cities are among the 10 best-run cities in the country, according to a WalletHub analysis of U.S. communities where residents get the most bang for their taxes. Manchester was rated No. 3, while Nashua was close behind at No. 5., based on a “Quality of Services” score that WalletHub developed using 36 metrics across six key service areas — financial stability, education, health, safety, economy and infrastructure/pollution.

While New Hampshire tops child well-being rankings again, overall progress is mixed

For the fourth consecutive year, New Hampshire took the top spot in a national ranking of child well-being.

CMS approves budget for GO-NORTH, the state’s federally funded rural health program

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved New Hampshire’s spending plan for a large tranche of federal money that will go toward rural health initiatives, state officials announced Thursday.

‘Barn Raiser’ celebrates NH’s outdoor industry

Hosted by the Granite Outdoor Alliance, an organization set on uniting and advancing the key players in New Hampshire’s outdoor industry, this year’s sold-out Barn Raiser on June 10 reflected the breadth of the outdoor sector, bringing together public officials, business leaders, recreation providers and nonprofit representatives, among other key figures.

NH welcomes Gen Z’ers — affordability challenges await

A new report says an influx of new Granite Staters is coming primarily from neighboring Massachusetts, and most of them are younger, part of Gen Z, the cohort of people born roughly between 1997 and 2012. But another report says the newbies, like already established residents here, face affordability challenges when it comes to housing and child care.

Bipartisan group seeks discussion and legislation on key NH issues

The recently formed New Hampshire Forum has been whittling down — from 18 to four to one or two — important issues that will be addressed in the 2027 session of the state Legislature.

Promoting NH’s outdoor economy will take better coordination, report says

New Hampshire’s outdoor economy is active and evolving, but the systems that support it have not kept pace, according to a new report by the Granite Outdoor Alliance. “Grounded Growth” was culled from three roundtables hosted by industry businesses around the state where 62 stakeholders from business, manufacturing, conservation, workforce and the public sector discussed challenges and opportunities shaping New Hampshire’s outdoor economy.

Gas prices cause NH economic indigestion

New Hampshire is feeling some economic indigestion at the start of the summer season, and the main culprit is gas. Six in 10 (61%) of respondents to a new University of New Hampshire polls are worried about the current and future price of gas, and a clear majority put the blame on President Donald Trump.