‘Mr. Balsams’ begins a new chapter in his life
Steve Barba can remember a time when The Balsams grand hotel and the beauty of New Hampshire’s northern White Mountains were not a part of his life, but he has to go back a long way. In fact, so much…
Author: NH Business Review Staff
Cook On Concord
I was not sure what analogy to use when describing the legislative victories N.H. Sen. Ted Gatsas of Manchester scored earlier this month. On the one hand, Winston Churchill’s going from exile in the Conservative Party to prime minister after…
Q & A with: Ophthalmologist Randall Brown
Randall Brown, M.D., knew something didn’t make sense with the symptoms one of his patients was presenting with. An ophthalmologist with New Hampshire Eye Associates in Manchester, his patient’s mildly blurred vision didn’t jive with the normal eye exam he…
Subprime home loans grab increasing share of N.H. market
It’s becoming easier to own a home in New Hampshire, but it’s also getting easier to lose one. So-called subprime lenders - those that lend money to borrowers with substandard credit at a higher interest than mainstream lenders - weren’t…
SB 125: freedom versus equality
Health insurance typically gets debated in terms of dollars and cents. Proponents of recently passed “community rating” legislation claim it will not increase the cost of health insurance, while those opposed argue it will. But an issue like health insurance…
New Hampshire film industry ready for “Action!”
More communication and more support - that’s what the majority of filmmakers and film professionals said they wanted from the New Hampshire Film and Television Office at a roundtable held in April at the studios of New Hampshire Public Television…
Nashua Marriott undergoing $4.4 million renovation
The Nashua Marriott hotel is undergoing a $4.4 million renovation project to become a Courtyard by Marriott, the hotel chain’s brand designed for the business traveler. The renovation has already resulted in all 245 guest rooms having new bedding, office…
Partnership puts economic development at center stage
Nine years ago, the Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center opened in Gilford with a three-show season and folding chairs in a field. Today, it is one of the best outdoor entertainment venues in the country, as well as a key contributor…
Seacoast program fills the gap for uninsured residents
Kathleen Crompton sat before the Seabrook Budget Committee last fall representing SeaCare Health Services, as she has at dozens of other town budget committees over the years. Crompton was asking Seabrook to make a $1,900 contribution to the organization that…
Partnerships key to marketing N.H. to Canadian businesses
The location: Toronto, Canada. The mission: Recruit new business and develop relationships with corporate real estate executives and site selection advisers, giving New Hampshire another foothold in a new market. With that goal in mind, representatives of the New Hampshire…
Nashua pharmacist does his bit for affordable medicine
Roger Hebert, owner and operator of Rice’s Pharmacy on Main Street in Nashua, has launched a local program that addresses a national concern: access to affordable prescription medicines. The registered pharmacist has no illusions about resolving the crisis, but he’s…
Pure Barnyard wants you to ‘Doo’ right by your lawn
Like many visionaries, John Packard, founder and president of Portsmouth-based Pure Barnyard, was looking for a better way to do something — in this case, fertilize his lawn without worrying about his grandchildren playing on the grass and chemical run…
Q&A with: Daniel Webster College President Hannah McCarthy
When Hannah McCarthy was an undergraduate at Simmons College in Boston, she gave no thought to a career in education. At the end of June, McCarthy, 58, will retire after 25 years as president of Daniel Webster College in Nashua.…
The Last Word
Let’s face it: Business today is drowning in bull—. We try to impress (or confuse) investors with inflated letters to shareholders. We punish customers with intrusive, hype-filled, self-aggrandizing product literature. We send elephantine progress reports to employees that shed less…
Black Heritage Trail uncovers hidden history
For more information: The city of Portsmouth is steeped in history, spanning from the Colonial era to the high-tech e-Coast. But there are many chapters of history that are almost unknown - including those of the people of African descent…
PR Flashpoint
Andy Warhol once said that everyone will eventually get 15 minutes of fame. So when your time comes, you don’t want to mess it up. If you follow these 10 tips for broadcast success, whether you’re talking to Diane and…
Going metro: Communities unite to push economic development
Thirteen Manchester area communities are joining together in what’s believed to be a first-of-its-kind effort to market the region to businesses. A joint effort of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the state Department of Resources and Economic Development,…
Community health care centers adapt to population changes
The face of New Hampshire has changed dramatically in the last decade, with the state’s minority populations doubling in size - from 30,000 to more than 60,000 - between 1990 and 2000. To meet that changing demographic, the state’s federally…
Brass Tacks
Q. In a previous article, you described the areas of a business plan that get the greatest scrutiny from potential investors or lenders. I’ve heard that most plans don’t even get looked at by their target readers. Is that true?…
CAFTA should be rejected on its demerits
David Carney’s arguments in favor of CAFTA, the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (May 27-June 9, New Hampshire Business Review), bear a striking resemblance to the ones made on behalf of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the…
We can be prosperous without being destructive
How can we be prosperous without being destructive? It’s time for us to take off our ideological blinders and address this simple, yet crucial question for the 21st century. I think there are answers. Economic growth can mean ecological improvement,…
Profiles in capriciousness
Considering its more than 200-year history, the New Hampshire House of Representatives has suffered through a surprisingly small number of low points. That is exactly why calling the utterly incomprehensible handling of the Legislative Ethics Committee’s recommendation to expel Gene…
Ask Mary Lou
Editor’s note: In business, do you second-guess yourself, wishing you had said or done something in a better way? Event organizer and author Mary Lou Wilson’s column, “Ask Mary Lou,” is designed for business professionals who are looking for guidance…
Stem cells a harbinger of dilemmas to come
Charlie Bass is taking serious heat from social conservatives for his leading role in the House vote to relax federal restrictions on stem cell research using new embryonic cell lines. But there’s not a peep about the tens of thousands…
Globe Manufacturing builds on a history of commitment
It took a man with a vision and $350 to begin a legacy that would connect a family, a community and an industry together for generations. That man was Courtland F.H. Freese I, the community is Pittsfield, N.H., and the…
N.H. customers get debt relief in telecom settlement
More than 1,000 small businesses across the country - including some in New Hampshire — have been released from some of their obligations to three leasing companies associated with a now-bankrupt telecomm provider. The settlement — potentially as much as…
Cook On Concord
Life is not simple. Good people sometimes do bad things. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. The issues of guilt, innocence, appropriate sanction and democracy can all get wrapped up in individual cases. All of these factors were evident…
The home team: Lynch names 25 to shipyard panel
The Save the Shipyard Advisory Team — whose goal will be to help remove the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from the Defense Department base closure list - has been formed by Gov. John Lynch. “This is one more step — a…
Griffin takes renewed heat over testimonials
The narrow vote to censure former House Speaker Gene Chandler for his fund-raising mistakes has put a spotlight on Executive Councilor Ruth Griffin, R-Portsmouth, who netted even more money from testimonials without punishment. Opponents of Representative Chandler, R-Bartlett, say he…
New bank in town: Berlin City, Pemi to become Northway Bank
The Berlin City Bank and the Pemigewasset National Bank will soon be things of the past - or at least their names will. Northway Financial Inc., parent company of both banks, has plans to consolidate the two institutions into a…
Virtual business incubator to offer services nationally
A year after its startup, the New Hampshire Virtual Business Incubator is poised to expand across the country by the end of June. Dr. William Osgood, one of the creators of nhVBI, announced the plans last month at the National…
Flotsam & Jetsam
Red whine or white? No sooner had F&J speculated on the apparent political wimpishness of state GOP Chairman Warren Henderson - at least when it came to complaining that New Hampshire Democrats were being mean to Senate Majority Leader and…
Higher ed costs seen as threat to state’s economy
New Hampshire remains near the head of the nation’s class in terms of people getting high school diplomas and college degrees, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, but the high cost of higher education in the state…
On your mark, get set … declare bankruptcy
If you’re considering filing for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 protection before the new, more stringent federal bankruptcy law takes effect on Oct. 17, there’s a song that bankers and other creditors wish you would hear and heed. It…
Give yourself a raise — don’t treat everyone the same
It was a beautiful Sunday, and I decided to take a ride to the beach. I love to watch the water. When our lakes are frozen, I have to go to the Seacoast to get my fix. No doubt there…
Of English usage, education and civility
Maybe it is because my mother and father, both UNH English majors and an English teacher and a magazine editor, respectively, thought proper English usage important that I am irritated by certain trends and contrivances of late. First, I am…
Study: New England power plants cleaner than most
New England’s power plants are cleaner than many others in the country, according to a report issued recently by an environmental advocacy group. According to the report, issued by the Washington-based Environmental Integrity Project, the nation’s dirtiest electrical power plants…
Growth in manufactured exports means more jobs
A slowdown in the growth of consumer and business spending in New Hampshire’s foreign markets outstripped the benefits of a weaker dollar and dampened international sales in March. State companies exported nearly the same amount of made-in-New Hampshire goods as…