Cook on Concord: Spring reflections
This was a season for a 60th high school reunion and overseas travel
Author: Carl Smith/Governing.com
Employment typically peaks during summer in NH, but 2025 data suggests constraints may slow that growth
As New Hampshire enters another summer tourism season, recent employment data shows how seasonal hiring patterns may be changing across the Granite State.
Driven by defense
New Hampshire’s growing role in military and security related manufacturing was on display June 3 in Nashua. About 200 people, representing advanced manufacturing interests both in the state and regionally, registered for the Northeast National Security Conference that organizer Julie Demers said goes “beyond traditional defense that people would think of.”
Home rules
Landmark legislation that originated in New Hampshire 43 years ago is being put to the test today as for-profit investors snap up manufactured home communities here and across the country.
2026 Leadership Unscripted Event Photos
Thank you for joining us for Leadership Unscripted, held on Thursday, June 4 at the Rex Theatre in Manchester. Photos by Jodie Andruskevich.
The Bottom Line: Allegro, Skillsoft and Itaconix
A roundup of news updates from public companies in NH and nationwide
Nottingham data center proposal withdrawn after backlash
A proposal to build a data center in Nottingham has been withdrawn just hours before it was slated to be discussed by the town’s planning board on Wednesday, May 27.
Take 5: Remote work, skills gap and e-vehicle
NH Business Review's biweekly snapshot of business and industry statistics
Deal reached on open enrollment, but chances appear dim
State lawmakers reached an agreement Thursday, May 28, on a bill that would authorize parents to enroll their children in any public school in New Hampshire, but Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she would not sign the legislation if it reaches her desk.
Alene Candles brings LEADS leadership development program fully in-house
Alene Candles, a full-service contract manufacturer of custom-designed fragranced candles and home fragrance products, is moving its Alene LEADS leadership development program fully in-house, as the company continues to invest in employee growth and workplace culture.
Money and mentorship
NH Community Loan Fund program gives small businesses a boost
Q&A with Chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire Mark Rubinstein
Rubinstein, who has served as the chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire since 2021, announced his plan to retire before the start of the 2026-27 academic year, capping a career in education that spans more than four decades.
Lottery chief: Inflation hurts lottery ticket sales
NH residents are curbing the urge to ‘scratch’
‘Been there, done that’
With his America Skiing Company — which operated from 1994 to 2007 and ran nine resorts in New Hampshire, Maine, Utah, Colorado and…
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.
Private equity firm agrees to acquire a majority stake in Velcro Companies
Arsenal Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Velcro Companies from the Cripps Foundation, which owns the privately held British company, a longtime New Hampshire employer. Under the deal announced May 26, the Cripps Foundation will continue as a minority shareholder of the company, which opened its manufacturing center in Manchester nearly 70 years ago.
Education with an impact
Community College System of NH Chancellor Mark Rubinstein shares insight into the impact post-secondary education has in New Hampshire and beyond
Manufactured home communities in NH targeted by equity investors
Landmark law offers some protection, but it isn’t failsafe
NHBR About Town: Week of May 22, 2026
Business and event happenings around the state of NH
The Latest: Week of May 22, 2026
The Latest is a roundup of the comings and goings of the movers and shakers in NH's business community
NH Preservation Alliance honors four leaders, 10 projects
Awards include properties that remain in active use after restoration
Nonprofit ‘members’ in NH: what statutory membership really means
When a public charity is formed, the focus is often on the organization’s purpose, the application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and board structure.
People and partnerships will shape the future of energy
What ultimately shapes the future will be the people who continue to keep homes, businesses powered
(Opinion) David Krempels’ lifeline for brain injury survivors
His contributions to New Hampshire will continue to leave a lasting impression on the state
(Opinion) A chance to enhance mental health awareness
This Mental Health Awareness Month, which we can’t just celebrate; we need to protect Medicaid
(Opinion) New Hampshire is producing the talent. Now let’s keep it.
NH is getting older, employers need talent; higher ed can help retain, attract more students here
The skilled trades
Graduation season and NH’s biggest opportunity
The lexicon of manufactured home communities
These newer homes aren’t ‘mobile,’ nor are their communities ‘parks,’ NH advocates say
Bucking national projections, some NH colleges report strong fall 2026 enrollment figures
With the number of applications down and a demographic cliff looming over higher education, administrators at the University of New Hampshire projected earlier this year that they would enroll about 100 fewer students this coming fall than last year.
Lead with intentionality
Building emotional resilience and overcoming work stress
Stay Work Play NH signs on as partner for Leadership Unscripted
Stay Work Play NH, a nonprofit that works to attract and retain young people in New Hampshire, has joined with NH Business Review as a partner for Leadership Unscripted, serving as the event’s Emerging Leaders Sponsor. The June 4 event…
Bill allowing employers to skirt 2-hour minimum pay law fails in NH Senate
A bill that would have allowed New Hampshire employers to set their own minimum pay policy for workers, skirting the state’s two-hour requirement, died in the state Senate after passage by the House two months ago.
Smart land development protects agriculture
NH Food Alliance explores how to strengthen housing alongside farmland
Eye on Employment: The legal case for PIPs
When is a performance improvement plan an “adverse employment action”?
The Bottom Line: NBT Bancorp, Secant and Planet Fitness
A roundup of news updates from public companies in NH and nationwide
EPA, environmental advocates face off over PFAS in Manchester’s wastewater treatment plant
Lawyers for the Conservation Law Foundation argued before a federal environmental appeals board Thursday, May 14, that the Environmental Protection Agency had not done its due diligence when creating a new permit for Manchester’s wastewater treatment facility.
Liberty Mutual campus ‘village’ revival: Developer seeks tenants in Dover
The initial redevelopment phase of the former Liberty Mutual campus is under way, which is expected to bring hundreds of residential units and expansive commercial space.
Take 5: Gas price, tourism and health care
NH Business Review's biweekly snapshot of business and industry statistics
New England public advocates file lawsuit over transmission project
Public advocates in several New England states have sued to block a $360 million transmission project through New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
ApprenticeshipNH collaborates with LandVest to develop registered apprenticeship program
ApprenticeshipNH, a workforce training program of the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH), LandVest, a national leader in integrated real estate, land investment and forest management services, have partnered to create a new Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) to meet growing workforce needs for LandVest’s Forest Management division.
Q&A with Kris Puskar & Kelly Mulholland, Eastern Bank
Eastern Bank entered the New Hampshire market in 2015, when it acquired Centrix Bank in Bedford. The Boston-based bank operates seven branches in New Hampshire and more than 125 in its overall footprint in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Cook on Concord: Rethinking NH’s tax policies
Without enough revenue coming in, how will we fix roads and pay for schools?
NH Business Notebook: Get ready for big takeaways
‘Leadership Unscripted’ returns June 4 with a new panel of battle-tested executives
The yin and yang of Friendly Toast ownership
Eric and Tyler Goodwin share their business acumen
Critical care
The Central and Northern New Hampshire nonprofit soon will be expanding to 11 centers statewide
$2,800 a month: Eight stories and a balcony
Luxury apartments connected to the eight-story Grand Central Suites apartment building in downtown Manchester should be available for July move-ins, with a top unit fetching $2,800 a month. Owners of the building, located across Central Street from Veterans Memorial Park and just a few feet from Elm Street, held a ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday with Mayor Jay Ruais and other city officials.
BAE Systems invests $85 million in Hudson, NH, campus
BAE Systems announced Wednesday a $135 million investment for upgrades to its facilities in Hudson, N.H., and Austin, Texas, to further strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base, the company said.
A market demand for nurses boosts NH supply
There is a critical need in the Granite State for nurses, and the market has responded with more supply, with more interest than ever in nursing.
Small Business Month with Eastern Bank
Eastern Bank leaders offer insight into how they work with small businesses in NH and help navigate economic challenges
NHBR About Town: Week of May 8, 2026
Business and event happenings around the state of NH
More news from NHBR:
Cook on Concord: Spring reflections
This was a season for a 60th high school reunion and overseas travel
Employment typically peaks during summer in NH, but 2025 data suggests constraints may slow that growth
As New Hampshire enters another summer tourism season, recent employment data shows how seasonal hiring patterns may be changing across the Granite State.
Driven by defense
New Hampshire’s growing role in military and security related manufacturing was on display June 3 in Nashua. About 200 people, representing advanced manufacturing interests both in the state and regionally, registered for the Northeast National Security Conference that organizer Julie Demers said goes “beyond traditional defense that people would think of.”
Home rules
Landmark legislation that originated in New Hampshire 43 years ago is being put to the test today as for-profit investors snap up manufactured home communities here and across the country.
2026 Leadership Unscripted Event Photos
Thank you for joining us for Leadership Unscripted, held on Thursday, June 4 at the Rex Theatre in Manchester. Photos by Jodie Andruskevich.
The Bottom Line: Allegro, Skillsoft and Itaconix
A roundup of news updates from public companies in NH and nationwide
Nottingham data center proposal withdrawn after backlash
A proposal to build a data center in Nottingham has been withdrawn just hours before it was slated to be discussed by the town’s planning board on Wednesday, May 27.
Take 5: Remote work, skills gap and e-vehicle
NH Business Review's biweekly snapshot of business and industry statistics
Deal reached on open enrollment, but chances appear dim
State lawmakers reached an agreement Thursday, May 28, on a bill that would authorize parents to enroll their children in any public school in New Hampshire, but Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she would not sign the legislation if it reaches her desk.
