Author: Kathleen Callahan

Startup Stories: Ray Pasquale, Unified Office

Unified Office -- a Portsmouth-based startup that helps small businesspeople virtually access their office from anywhere in the world -- recently expanded to the abi Innovation Hub in Manchester

FairPoint readies 90 layoffs in N.H., Maine, Vt.

In the coming months, FairPoint Communications will be laying off about 90 workers in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, though how many of those cuts will happen in the Granite State is not yet known. The communications provider announced the…

Dyn ‘Hackademy’ lures college-aged techies

The deadline is Friday for college-aged tech enthusiasts to apply to attend a four-day ‘Hackademy’ in Manchester, where they can hone their coding skills with like-minded students in a tech environment. Dyn Inc. is hosting the invitation-only program, which is…

Ayotte presses her case against Internet sales tax proposal

A proposed Internet sales tax that just moved a step closer to becoming reality is “unworkable and unfair” and would turn New Hampshire’s e-commerce businesses into tax collectors for cash-strapped states, according to U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who has emerged…

N.H.’s personal income growth slows in ’12

New Hampshire’s personal income growth was among the slowest in the country in 2012, lagging behind the national average and several New England neighbors, according to new federal data. Personal income in the Granite State grew 2.8 percent from 2011…

New report boosts Pettengill Rd. development in Londonderry

The Pettengill Road extension project in Londonderry is the most attractive business park development opportunity in New Hampshire, and if it’s developed, it could create 10,000 jobs in the region and become the next Pease International Tradeport, according to a…

Former Gov. Lynch joins Nashua tech firm’s board

For those wondering what is next for former Gov. John Lynch, here’s one answer. Lynch, who last year decided not to seek a fifth term as governor, has joined the board of Ping4 Inc., the hyperlocal mobile alerts company founded…

N.H. seeks to launch state defense industry consortium

The New Hampshire International Trade Resource Center is launching a consortium next month that aims to unite the roughly 300 New Hampshire companies that work in the aerospace and defense industry. The New Hampshire Aerospace and Defense Export Consortium has the goal of helping defense and aerospace companies from all around the state to increase their foreign exports. "I knew that we had companies in all different points in the supply chain -- I just didn't realize how many there were, just about 300," said Tina Kasim, program manager for the ITRC at the state Department of Resources and Economic Development. "That's a good number for us to start with," she added, saying the timing is right for such a consortium.As domestic sales lag because of cutbacks in the defense industry -- including potential federal cuts related to the so-called sequestration -- "we know there are opportunities internationally, and we want to give our companies the chance to experience that and balance out their business cycles," said Kasim. The consortium will be funded through a $300,000 federal State Trade and Export Promotion program grant that the state received last year to help New Hampshire businesses to begin or to increase their exporting. The consortium will be especially beneficial to small companies that don't have the time or resources to research exporting opportunities by providing them with marketing support, market research and mentorship, said Kasim. "For small companies that haven't even ever exported, we'll have other exporters in the group that will be able to guide them through the process," she said. The trade center is planning two free presentations next week to introduce the consortium: Tuesday, March 5 at 10 a.m. at Great Bay Community College, Portsmouth; and Thursday, March 7 at 1 p.m. at the DRED's offices in Concord. For more information about the consortium, or to RSVP to attend a presentation, contact Kasim at 603-271-8444 or tina.kasim@dred.state.nh.us

Shaheen backs bill to boost H-1B visa cap

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is co-sponsoring new legislation that would nearly double the number of visas and green cards that are set aside annually for highly skilled immigrants who work in science and technology.

RE/MAX report: N.H. home sales rose 21% in 2012

Single-family home sales in New Hampshire increased by more than a fifth in 2012 from the previous year, a sign that buyers were taking advantage of flat prices and historically low interest rates, according to a new report on the New England housing market.

Yankee Publishing buys N.H. Business Review, N.H. Magazine

Dublin-based Yankee Publishing Inc. -- the publisher of Yankee Magazine and the Old Farmer's Almanac -- has purchased the assets of Manchester-based McLean Communications, the parent company of New Hampshire Business Review, New Hampshire Magazine, and other custom publications. Yankee…

E-commerce business conference set for Jan. 18

New Hampshire business owners who sell their products online or would like to learn how to do so are encouraged to attend a conference next month on growing an e-commerce business. The conference -- hosted by the New Hampshire Small…

St. A's makes the most of its social media presence

A humorous three-year-old YouTube video -- in which the president of Saint Anselm College beseeches Stephen Colbert to visit by promising to name various campus landmarks after the star -- is enjoying a social media resurgence, a sign that the…

Q&A with YWCA of N.H. Executive Director Monica Zulauf

Monica Zulauf is executive director of the YWCA of New Hampshire, which -- as the state's largest crisis center for victims of domestic and sexual violence -- aided 2,500 victims last year alone. But the nonprofit, which has been in…

Oct. future construction contracts rise from 2011

In October, the value of future construction contracts in New Hampshire increased $27 million from a year earlier, but they were down about $25 million from September. Future construction contracts for October in New Hampshire had a total value of…

Littleton compounding pharmacy forced to change its name

A compounding pharmacy in Littleton is changing its name next year to avoid being confused with the similarly named Massachusetts firm that has been tied to a deadly multistate fungal meningitis outbreak. Northern New England Compounding Pharmacy, which has been…