N.H. employers get their foreign workers, and the workers get a raise
A dispute over the workers’ prevailing wage led to a court ruling in March that held up visa processing
Author: Bob Sanders
Report: Boat industry helps N.H. economy stay afloat
An industry report says some $321 million was spent on boats in the Granite State, and that spending leaves about the same amount of indirect economic activity in its wake
At public firms, average N.H. CEO’s pay has gone up 64 percent since 2008
The average CEO earned $2.7 million last year
N.H. wood industry’s renewable energy efforts tangled up in legislative wrangling
Attempt to change renewable standards finds itself caught in the tug of war over Obamacare
Connecticut gun manufacturer may be eyeing move to New Hampshire
The Granite State is one of the three finalists for the firearms plant
Judge backs ex-Insurance Department employee in unfair termination suit
Ruling rejects state’s bid to dismiss a suit filed by the state’s former top health policy analyst
Amid losses, longtime ProPhotonix CEO Mark Blodgett steps down from post
Blodgett led the company for nearly 25 years, though its heyday as StockerYale Inc. in the 1990s
A burgeoning robotics industry makes a home in N.H.
Robotics companies are clustering in a corridor that stretches from Boston to Manchester
N.H. House to vote on jobless benefits for startups
Under the bill, would-be entrepreneurs wouldn’t have to show that they are looking for work, but show that they are available for and participating in 'self-employment assistance activities'
State agency offers grants to food, agricultural product exporters
The federal grant products like cosmetics or similar merchandise that are agriculturally based
N.H. already has slot machines –- and lots of them
As the Legislature debates whether to allow a “high-end” casino, New Hampshire residents have been playing slot machines all along
Q&A with State Banking Commissioner Glenn Perlow
An interview with Glenn Perlow, New Hampshire's new banking commissioner
GTAT buys Calif. firm with N.H. facility
Thermal Technology LLC has a facility in Concord
BET tips amendment gets a Senate hearing
The draft amendment to House Bill 520 did not receive a completely warm welcome
N.H. is near-perfect in new small business survey
You can’t get a grade higher than A+
Standex settles ice machine lawsuit; reports 3Q earnings
But the company did not admit fault in the Louisiana lawsuit
Bottomline reports $3.6 million third-quarter loss
So far, the firm’s loss stands at $10.6 million for the first nine months of the fiscal year
Four N.H. businesses file for bankruptcy in April
The 305 total bankruptcy filings was the lowest number filed in April since 2007
NHLRA turns to Senate to block BET tips policy
But the DRA says it’s only enforcing a law that’s already in place
GTAT reports big backlog drop, earnings dip
But the firm did have some good news for investors: a deal to supply Motorola with large sapphire screens
Homebuilders search for reasons to be hopeful
‘It has been so bad for so many years. It doesn’t take much to make people feel better,’ says Kendall Buck, executive president of the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of N.H.
Hooksett firm calls in the cops, then files for bankruptcy, to prevent foreclosure auction
Police blocked bidders from coming onto the property, forcing the auction to take place in the driveway in front of a police cruiser
N.H. homebuilders search for reasons to be hopeful
‘It has been so bad for so many years. It doesn’t take much to make people feel better,’ says Kendall Buck, executive president of the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of N.H.
N.H. foreclosures remain on a downward slide
But 274 foreclosures still took place in March
Ruger looks to open a third gun plant, but not in N.H.
CEO Michael Fifer says the company has no plans to move any existing N.H. jobs to the new facility
Centrix Bank’s first-quarter income rises 9 percent
Loan growth rose 16 percent and profits were up 9 percent in the quarter
Unitil earnings jump 20 percent on cold weather, increased sales
The utility reported $10.8 million in net earnings in the first quarter -- a 20% increase over 2012, which was one of the mildest winters on record
Manchester 7-Eleven franchisee takes on company in payment dispute
So far, the franchise owner has held off an eviction by 7-Eleven Corp. over a disputed $10,000, until he has his date in court
Latest PSNH customer migration report is a mixed bag
The new migration numbers came after the highly publicized default of an alternative residential supplier that also served some commercial customers
N.H.'s liberalized laws lure trusts in droves
Over $300 billion is held in trusts regulated by New Hampshire
N.H. lawmakers mull changes to renewable energy standards
What plants should be included, or excluded, as the Legislature rewrites renewable energy portfolio standards?
Top 3 PC Connection execs raked in $5.6m in 2012
The sharp increase in pay came despite the Merrimack-based computer and software mail order company’s relatively flat year
N.H. Senate takes yet another look at RGGI requirements
Should two natural gas-fired electric generating plants get a special break, and should commercial ratepayers get a bigger rebate under the latest changes to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative?
Did DRA tip the balance on BET calculation?
Are restaurants and other businesses with tipped employees going to have to start factoring their employees’ tips in determining how large their business enterprise tax bill is -- a move that could double that bill for some, particularly those that…
Downward shift in N.H. corporate pay reflects national trend
The average pay of corporate executives among the top public companies nationwide didn’t go up last year, and so far New Hampshire publicly owned firms seem to be reflecting the trend. Indeed, of the latest three proxies to be filed…
Electricity suppliers flock to New Hampshire
Despite alternative supplier’s recent troubles, firms are racing to provide electricity in N.H.
AmEx report: N.H. sixth in nation for growth of women-owned businesses
The nearly 40,000 women-owned businesses in New Hampshire are expected to generate $7.6 billion in revenue this year -- more than double the amount 16 years ago. It was a growth rate that was exceeded by only five other states…
N.H. February foreclosures plummet from a year ago
The number of foreclosures recorded in New Hampshire -- perhaps the most stubbornly high statistic in the recession aside from unemployment -- took a nosedive in February. Some 240 foreclosure deeds were filed in February, the lowest number recorded in…
Candlepin ‘headquarters’ Leda Lanes files for Chapter 11
Leda Lanes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month, but the iconic candlepin bowling alley in Nashua fully plans to stay in business. “I want everyone to know that we are going to be stronger than before,” the company’s vice…
Five N.H. businesses file for March bankruptcy
While the number of New Hampshire individuals and businesses filing for bankruptcy was up in March from the five-year monthly low the previous month, the number still marked a big drop from last year. There were 339 New Hampshire bankruptcy…
Ex-employee claims racial taunting in suit against air firm
A former Port City Air Inc. employee claims he was suspended and then fired for complaining about racial taunts -- including a noose hanging from the ceiling in his office -- according to a suit moved last week to U.S.…
Despite skyrocketing sales, Ruger execs’ pay drops 30%
The top five executives at Sturm, Ruger & Co. earned a combined $8.6 million in 2012 -- nearly a 30 percent pay cut, despite a year of explosive growth, according to recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It…
Patent dispute leads Keene firm to file for bankruptcy
Samson Manufacturing Corp., a manufacturer of gun accessories that moved to Keene from Massachusetts last year with a federal grant and the promise of new jobs, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday to forestall a million-dollar judgment awarded in…
Q&A with Insurance agent and former state senator Ray White
Ray White runs Cornerstone Benefits and Retirement Group, a Bedford firm that sells employee benefit packages to businesses. As a Republican state senator last year, he was at the center of the debate over whether New Hampshire should set up its own health insurance exchange and wound up clashing with liberals and conservatives.
Resident Power, PNE Energy win a round against PUC staff
PNE Energy Supply, which in February defaulted on its promise to buy electricity for thousands of New Hampshire customers, told the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission Thursday that it has rectified the situation and was ready to defend itself against…
N.H.’s MTBE settlement cache: $136m and counting
As the ExxonMobil trial winds down, it’s still not clear what the state’s going to do with the windfall
Study: Interest rates on N.H. bank accounts among the nation’s worst
If you think you’re getting next to nothing when you put your money in a New Hampshire savings account, it’s no exaggeration. New Hampshire banks and credit unions have one of the lowest savings interest rates in the nation –…
Unitil CEO 2012 compensation up 24%
Unitil Corp. CEO Robert Schoenberger received $2.16 million in compensation in 2012, a 24 percent increase from the year before, according to the proxy filed by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. That’s slightly half of the…
Contrasting data muddies N.H. home sales picture
The price of homes in New Hampshire won’t bottom out until 2014, lagging behind most of the rest of the country, according to projections by Zillow, a national real estate analysis firm. It’s a gloomy forecast that contrasts with the…
Is natural gas price spike an omen for N.H.?
Resident Power and its sister energy supplier PNE Energy Supply were spunky pioneer challengers to Public Service of New Hampshire, rolling along, buying energy off the spot market, eventually selling it to more than 8,500 households and small businesses across…
More news from NHBR:
Most NH education funding safe from fed shutdown, commissioner says
Key federal funding for New Hampshire schools has not been affected by the shutdown in Washington, Department of Education Commissioner Caitlin Davis said Thursday, Oct. 9 — at least the money that flows through the state Department of Education.
‘Housing as another form of infrastructure’
New Hampshire voters aren’t feeling much relief from their anxieties about the state’s housing crisis. The continued reduced housing inventory, which pushes home prices higher, is also dampening labor market in the Granite State, according to a pair of studies.
Unbottling the Nongfu Spring deal
New Hampshire’s attorney general says no improprieties by state officials preceded the sale of a large Nashua commercial building to China’s largest water bottler. But Attorney General John Formella’s report to Gov. Kelly Ayotte dated Oct. 3 says the provisions of federal law should have taken place prior to the sale of the 337,391-square-foot building at 80 Northwest Blvd. in Nashua by a subsidiary of Nongfu Spring.
A fully wired NH expected by 2026
Despite a shift in policy, New Hampshire officials expect 100% of the households and businesses in the state will have access to broadband internet by 2026.
Trump administration sues NH, seven other states over voter files
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice is suing New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan, arguing he is illegally withholding the state’s voter file from federal officials.
Watchwords for NH economy: ‘Uncertainty rules’
Brian Gottlob uses these words to describe the state’s current economic climate: “Uncertainty rules.” The director of the New Hampshire Employment Security's Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau raised several issues — from immigration and unemployment, to housing prices and consumer spending — as reasons for both hope and concern for the economy into 2026.
NH trade mission to Canada seen as having positive results
Gov. Kelly Ayotte led the visit, which included a selection of policymakers as well as businesspeople representing a wide array of enterprises.
More Chinese-owned property in Nashua comes into focus
Nashua Mayor seeks funds to buy the long-vacant Daniel Webster College site from Chinese-owned Xinhua amid rising debate over foreign property ownership.
NH residential real estate: ‘Still very much a seller’s market’
While home prices might be moderating in other parts of the country, the median price of a single-family house in New Hampshire rose to $550,000 in August, the second highest price point this current year. That price is just $3,000 more than the $547,000 recorded in July, but it is $47,500 more than January’s $502,500. The highest median price in 2025 was $569,450, recorded in June and the most ever recorded in the state.
