Author: NH Business Review Staff

Trendslide’s journey to the app store

If you have not read my first post, an introduction to Trendslide, I would encourage you to do so as this piece will build from there.The Trendslide app officially launched in the app store on April 26of this year, but…

5 N.H. firms file for bankruptcy in May

The number of jobs in New Hampshire may be growing in fits and starts, but there is no doubt that the number of bankruptcy filings continues to shrink steadily.Some 343 households and business filed for bankruptcy in May, 19.5 percent…

Flotsam & Jetsam

Disorder in the BettencourtNo doubt it was a Memorial Day weekend to remember for D. J. Bettencourt.Bettencourt -- the Salem Republican who resigned in disgrace as House majority leader on Sunday, Memorial Day Eve, after published reports that he faked…

Why undo the Circuit Court’s achievements?

Less than one year ago, the court system proposed a dramatic restructuring of its trial courts, adopting a business model that we believed held the promise of increased efficiencies, cost savings and improved service to the residents of our state.The…

School-funding amendment would hurt children with disabilities

The right to public education has been critical to the success and progress of people with disabilities in New Hampshire.A few decades ago, children with disabilities were often institutionalized and refused access to the public schools. Today they are not…

Wetlands protection is important for New Hampshire

New Hampshire was among one of the first states in the nation to pass its own legislation to protect wetlands. Often regarded as wastelands, wetlands are actually very important features of the landscape that provide numerous benefits to people and…

Some actually are willing to make tough budget choices

Elected officials face some big fiscal decisions this year. Should cuts in federal income taxes and Social Security taxes be extended? Should "automatic" spending cuts be allowed to take effect next January? If not, what should take their place?No matter…

When investment incentives are misaligned

How do I get paid? It's a good and fair question. It is also one that every client and investor should ask of their financial adviser, banker, politician, attorney and insurance agent - because it is the key to a…

Prescription drug monitoring nears reality in N.H.

The statistics regarding prescription drug abuse in New Hampshire are startling, and the impact is far-reaching on the abuser's family, his or her workplace, and the physician practice treating - and often unknowingly enabling - the abuser. Prescription pain relievers…

How to cure yourself of micromanaging

I'm working with an individual who was hired eight months ago into an office management role for a small company that has been in business 20 years. She is a young, bright individual bringing a management background and new ideas…

Are smart meters spying on you?

As you may know by now, "smart meters" record consumption of electricity in intervals of an hour or less, communicate that information back to the utility for monitoring and billing purposes and enable two-way communication between the meter and the…

Cloud computing is your IT destiny

In the dystopian movie, "Waterworld," the late Dennis Hopper played the Deacon who was leading his followers aboard the rusting hulk of the Exxon Valdez in search of dry land. During one of his "pep rallies" for the faithful, he…

Remembering Gene Savage and Chester College

Upon learning of the death at age 77 of Eugene Savage of Durham, former University of New Hampshire and University System of New Hampshire administrator, teacher, director of admissions, legislative representative and all-around public citizen, Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, himself in…

Shareholders OK sale of Monadnock Bank to Mass. credit union

Monadnock Community Bank of Peterborough is on its way to being acquired by a Massachusetts credit union -- the first publicly traded bank to do so.Shareholders of Monadnock Bancorp Inc. overwhelmingly approved the $6.4 million sale of the bank to…

N.H. fares well in licensing surveys

Two surveys released this week both give New Hampshire relatively high marks when it comes to its licensing requirements and costs.The Institute for Justice, which describes itself as the nation's "only libertarian public interest law firm" surveyed all states' laws…

State ranks high for business friendliness

Just how friendly is New Hampshire to small businesses? Pretty friendly, according to yet another report that ranks the state's small business climate.New Hampshire is the nation's eighth-friendliest state for doing business and the fifth-friendliest state in which to start…

USA Springs auction set for July 20

Anyone want to buy USA Springs' partially finished water bottling plant on the border of Nottingham and Barrington, along with a number of state permits they may or may not stand up to challenges from residents bent on halting its…

Infrastructure contracts up, other construction down

While the total value of contracts signed in April for future construction in New Hampshire presented a mixed picture, there was a significant bright spot - contracts for highways, bridges and other infrastructure.All told, according to data supplied by McGraw-Hill…

GT Advanced Technologies reports another rise in profits

GT Advanced Technologies' revenue and profits keep on growing, albeit at a slower rate, but there are concerns about the future if economic troubles in the alternative energy field and increasing trade tensions with China continue, according to the firm's…

Realtors: N.H. home sales remain on upswing

Home sales in New Hampshire continued to increase in April, further evidence that the state's residential real estate market may indeed be rebounding.But the median price of those transactions remains on a downward slide, according to data released by the…

Home Depot overtime lawsuit denied class action status

A multi-state lawsuit against Home Depot for allegedly not paying its workers overtime has been split up, meaning the two New Hampshire plaintiffs will have to stand on their own against the Atlanta-based corporation.The original suit, filed in Connecticut June…

BIA plans June business roundtables

The Business and Industry Association's annual policy development process begins June 14, kicking off a series of 10 roundtable discussions with business and opinion leaders around the state.The roundtables are an open forum for business leaders to talk about their…

New Canadian duty-free rule seen as boon to N.H.

An increase in duty-free allowances for Canadian visitors to the United States could help boost cross-border shopping in New Hampshire and other border states this summer to levels not seen in two decades, according to a top Canadian economist."Canadians will…

Brookstone names new CEO

Stephen Bebis, founder of the Golf Town retail chain in Canada, has been named the new CEO of Merrimack-based specialty retailer Brookstone.Bebis replaces Ron Boire, who recently stepped from the post to become chief merchandising officer of Sears Holdings Corp.Bebis…

Patent infringement suit filed against iCAD

Nashua-based iCAD Inc. is the target of a patent infringement suit filed by an Israeli corporation that markets and commercializes technology emerging from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science.Yeda Research and Development Company alleges that iCAD -- which makes cancer-detection systems…

CDFA awards $500k to aid Smuttynose expansion

A $500,000 grant has been approved by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority to help fund Smuttynose Brewing Company's expansion into a larger facility in Hampton.Pending confirmation of the grant by the Executive Council, Smuttynose is expected to double…

NHBR About Town: The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank

Pictured at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Nashua branch of The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank are, from left, bank President David E. Wallace, Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, Robert A. Caruso, chairman of the bank, and Colleen Beaumont, Nashua…

NHBR About Town: American Bar Association

L. Jonathan Ross, a shareholder at Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer in Manchester, was recently honored by the American Bar Association with its Grassroots Advocacy Awards for his work on making the legal system more accessible to low-income people. Pictured…

NHBR About Town: New Hampshire Electric Co-op Foundation

The New Hampshire Electric Co-op Foundation has granted $7,500 to the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council Inc., which will underwrite the cost of delivering home-cooked meals to more than 800 elderly or disabled residents in Grafton County. Volunteers of GCSCC…

NHBR About Town: Palace Theatre & Northeast Delta Dental

On the opening night of Legally Blonde, the Musical, Palace Theatre President Peter Ramsey accepts a $10,000 check from Betty Andrews, manager of community relations for Northeast Delta Dental, which is the first installment of Northeast Delta Dental's three-year pledge…

NHBR About Town: Child Advocacy Center of Hillsborough County

The sixth-annual gala for the Child Advocacy Center of Hillsborough County, a program of the Granite State Children's Alliance, was recently held at Manchester Country Club in Bedford. More than 260 guests attended the event, themed "Springtime in Paris," which…

NHBR About Town: Bellwether Community Credit Union & UNHM

Bellwether Community Credit Union has underwritten University of New Hampshire Manchester's Undergraduate Research Conference, a weeklong event running May 24 to 27 that highlights the scholarly and artistic work across all disciplines of more than 90 students at the Manchester…

A Ponzi scheme’s legal legacy

On May 21, when a "test case" of Financial Resources Mortgage Inc.'s massive bankruptcy mess is likely to be settled, the fate of dozens, if not hundreds, of victims of the multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme will still remain very much up…

Nominees sought for Employment Leadership Awards

Nominations are being sought for the 2012 Employment Leadership Awards, which recognize organizations for their commitment to employing workers with disabilities.Presented by the New Hampshire Development Disabilities Council, the state Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Department of Health and…

Deadlines loom on new retirement plan rules

Businesses of all shapes and sizes share many common objectives. High on that list is the pursuit and retention of top-notch employees.Employee benefit programs, such as 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans, can often be the key to landing an attractive…

A man is not a financial plan

Many Americans continue to be unprepared financially when it comes to retirement planning, as evidenced by one of the lowest savings rates (4.9 percent) in the developed world, according to data from the Federal Reserve.This is despite the government's latest…

Preventing employee retaliation claims

Q. Susan, the HR director of Smith Corp., has just received a complaint of gender discrimination from an employee. Susan has heard that retaliation complaints often accompany such complaints, and is concerned about preventing a retaliation claim. What can Susan…

‘Old-school’ direct mail can still be effective

Have you checked your email inbox lately?It's hardly headline news that for more than a decade more businesses than ever are adapting email marketing, because it's cheap, interactive and fast. This is why our email boxes fill up daily with…

Businesses honored for support of N.H. arts

The New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts recognized four businesses and one individual at a May 14 ceremony, honoring them for their outstanding support of the arts in New Hampshire. TD Bank, The Provident Bank, Boothby Therapy Services and…

Concerned about Medicaid managed care

To the editor:I just wanted to drop a line and say: Great Job with your article ("Managed care under the microscope, May 4-17 NHBR). Please keep the info coming as this moves along. I'm glad to see you are looking…

Despite the headlines, college is still necessary

You've heard it all before: New Hampshire has the lowest level of state support for higher education in the nation.Students in New Hampshire borrow more to go to school than students in any other state.Our costs for public colleges and…

At least keep the RGGI safety net

A critical source of cash to help low-income households weatherize their homes will be lost if the New Hampshire Legislature continues to hobble or kill RGGI, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The House has voted to kill RGGI altogether and…

Legislature should reassert itself

While many in Concord are clamoring over language for an educational-funding constitutional amendment (CACR 12), what's being lost in the final debate of the 2011-2012 session is a constitutional amendment proposal far more important to the people of New Hampshire…

Breast cancer: a truly bipartisan issue

We all know the staggering statistics: One in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, and breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States.Chances are most of us…

Will 2012 Legislature’s legacy be unfinished business?

When you read this, shortly before Memorial Day, the Legislature will either have finished its business or figured out what it is not going to accomplish or, probably in rare instances, will continue to work on final legislation.At this writing,…

Q&A with SBA District Director Greta Johansson

If anybody can help New Hampshire's small businesses grow and flourish, it's Greta Johansson. Named the New Hampshire district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration a year ago -- succeeding longtime director Witmer Jones -- the former Connecticut resident…