Author: NH Business Review Staff

Q&A with Tampa Bay outfielder Sam Fuld

Since he was a young boy, Sam Fuld wanted to be a big league baseball player, but he started with two strikes against him. First, he was from New Hampshire (Durham to be exact), where snow covers the baseball diamond…

NHBR About Town: Manchester Community Health Center

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, third from left, visits with Manchester Community Health Center president Edward George, physician assistant Igbal Mohamed and Dr. Laura Fry, its medical director, to find out about the challenges facing MCHC as a result of budget…

NHBR About Town: New Hampshire Lottery

During a hearing of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade -- where he was testifying about the status of Internet gaming in the U.S. -- Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery,…

NHBR About Town: Hampshire First Bank

James Dunphy, president of Hampshire First Bank, presents a $2,500 donation to Jeanine Tousignant, CEO of the Manchester Community Music School, to support the school's New Hampshire Youth Jazz Ensemble.

NHBR About Town: Elm Grove Apartments

Elm Grove Apartments has donated $10,000 to The Way Home to help with the construction of its Laurel Keys development, which will provide permanent supportive housing to disabled and homeless veterans. Pictured with the donation are, from left, Mary Sliney…

Legislature’s energy plate will be full in 2012

The 2012 New Hampshire legislative session is approaching fast and promises to be a busy one from an energy perspective.Although not all bills have been introduced and issued, based on the titles of bills being drafted, bills from the 2011…

Hedging our citizenship

Deciphering the collective psyche of investors in the current economic climate is a challenge, to say the least. There are no easy answers -- only many complicated questions.To some, including the growing leagues of protesters, such as Occupy Wall Street,…

Leadership is not a solo sport

I have to wonder where all the great leaders are in our presidential politics. Those of a Democratic persuasion are not running because the party has already chosen their candidate, for good or bad. The Republicans seem to have a…

Is there room for ethics as a debate topic?

Since 2008, economic bad news has been the order of the day. As we close the folios of 2011 and enter 2012, along with the euro drama and the U.S. budget deficit debates, what political drama can we expect in…

Employer confidentiality policies may violate law

Q. Jim, vice president of Acme Corp., has seen too many news reports about employees' comments on Facebook and blogs and he wants to put in place a confidentiality policy to control or limit what is acceptable for employees to…

Planning for later years never more necessary

To the editor:Tom Sedoric, managing director of investments of The Sedoric Group in Portsmouth, wrote of "the growing strain of our obligations" in the Nov. 4-17 issue of NHBR.He identified the baby boomer's legacy as one of debt, due to…

Incompetence or criminal?

To the editor:This is an open letter to the government of New Hampshire.As one of the victims of the FRM fraud, I have very strong feelings about the role played -- or, more accurately stated, not played -- by the…

N.H. didn’t do its job

To the editor:FRM exploded two years ago, and the governor and government are still trying to sweep the whole mess under the proverbial carpet. Why?The most recent sweeping is by the governor's office, claiming ex-Banking Commissioner Peter Hildreth resigned his…

National debt threatens our country

To the editor:Our national debt is out of control. The security and prosperity of this nation is being put in jeopardy as a result of government inaction. The federal government must take the steps necessary to balance our budget, and…

Education is failing because of inefficiency

To the editor:J. Bonnie Newman, interim chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire, laments about the ever-rising burden of debt Granite State students carry upon leaving college ("N.H.'s dubious, and dangerous, distinction," Dec. 2-15 NHBR).The hard truth is…

Casinos would bring needed jobs to N.H. families

There seems to be an endless debate in politics about whether government creates jobs. One thing is undeniable: Government certainly can get in the way of job creation by passing bad policy or inaction.One dose of good policy that would…

What were our U.S. senators thinking?

There are not a lot of things about which New Hampshire Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Free Staters agree. But one such cornerstone in the foundation of our identity has to be the sanctity with which we hold our traditional freedoms.Rather…

More losses as 2011 closes

This column is not supposed to be the obituary page for New Hampshire Business Review! However, when significant losses occur in the political or business world in New Hampshire, as part of the documenting of history, I like to note…

Banks, lawyers team up for $28m partnership

Twenty-eight million dollars isn't small change. That's how much has been raised for legal services for the poor and law-related education programs over the past 30 years in New Hampshire through the Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts program.IOLTA is a…

Demographics and the “New Hampshire Advantage”

We're all fairly familiar with the concept of demographics and how important they are to businesses in determining where to locate. Most frequently we hear about retailers looking at population density, age, median income and educational levels, but other types…

Saab bankruptcy sideswipes N.H. dealers, owners, mechanics

[UPDATED]The bankruptcy of Swedish automaker Saab will make it tough for owners of the vehicle who need repairs in New Hampshire and beyond, according to those who own Saab specialty repair shops in the state.The Swedish automaker, long known for…

N.H. third-quarter income grew slowly

In the third quarter of 2011, New Hampshire's personal income grew by 0.2 percent -- not nearly as strong as last quarter's gains but still double the national average.Each quarter, the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes state-by-state…

USA Springs bailout delayed again

Money to bail out USA Springs still has not arrived, forcing creditors to consider alternatives, including liquidation and foreclosure.Malom Group AG -- the bankrupt company's Swiss financier - was supposed to deposit $7 million on Dec. 9 into the account…

2011 future construction deals remain listless

Future construction contracts totaled $1.37 billion in New Hampshire through the end of November, down 28 percent and almost $600 million lower than the $1.92 billion recorded at the same time last year.That's according to industry information service McGraw-Hill Construction,…

Shaheen: SBIR funding ‘good news’ for N.H. businesses

After years of short-term extensions, two popular federal programs that make it easier for innovative small businesses to win federal grants have secured long-term reauthorization.The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which were…

Daunting health care tax credit finds few takers

The federal health care tax credit for small employers -- part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act designed to help small businesses -- appears not to be helping many businesses at all.In Keene, The Monadnock Conservancy did receive…

N.H. exports continue their 2011 slide

With the world economy slowing down amid the financial crisis in Europe and weakening growth in Asia, we see a fading trend in the foreign demand for goods made in New Hampshire.According to the latest export numbers, shipments abroad from…

NHBR About Town: St. Joseph Hospital

David Ross, left, president of St. Joseph Hospital, and Kathie Rice Orshak, right, the hospital's vice president of mission integration, award patient service representative Jessica Caruso with the 2011 St. Marguerite d'Youville Award, which is given annually to a St.…

NHBR About Town: Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Nancy Formella of Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock presents the hospital's 2011 Outstanding Community Ambassador Award to John Xiggoros, who has raised more than $1 million through Kristen's Gift, CHaD's pediatric oncology fund that he founded and named in honor of…

NHBR About Town: Big Brothers Big Sisters

Volunteer NH recently honored Joe Kennerson, left, a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast, with a Volunteer Service Award at its Spirit of New Hampshire Awards. Matched with his 'Little Brother' Jacob since January 2009, Kennerson…

NHBR About Town: Northeast Delta Dental

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England and NHBR recently honored Northeast Delta Dental with the latest Health Innovator Award for its long-standing commitment to employee wellness. Pictured with the award are, from left, Sharron McCarthy, publisher of NHBR; Beth…

NHBR About Town: Birch Heights

Birch Heights has donated $2,000 to support the Greater Derry/Londonderry Chamber of Commerce's annual holiday parade. Shown with Santa Claus are, from left, Ralph Valentine, The Valentine Group; Scott Ramsay, Birch Heights; and Steve Dente, Simpson's Painting.

NHBR About Town: The World Academy

Attending the ground-breaking ceremony at The World Academy in Nashua -- which is nearly doubling in size with the construction of a new middle school and gymnasium -- are, from left, Matthew Ladd, principal, Sakonnet Associates; Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau;…

Anti-gambling activist Jim Rubens

In the days and weeks leading up to the expected January vote by the New Hampshire House on the latest expanded gaming proposal, former Republican state Sen. Jim Rubens, chair of the Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling, says he…

NHBR About Town: Kriss Cosmetics

Chef Robert Irvine, host of the Food Network show 'Restaurant Impossible,' stands with Kriss Soterion, owner of Kriss Cosmetics in Manchester, who did makeup for the show while it filmed an episode at The Chatterbox Café in Windham.

NHBR About Town: Bonneville and Son

Through its Test Drives for Turkeys promotion, Bonneville and Son has donated 162 turkeys to New Horizons for New Hampshire, a Manchester homeless shelter and soup kitchen.

About Town with NHBR: NeighborWorks Greater Manchester

NeighborWorks Greater Manchester hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of The Townhomes at Mallard Place, a $3 million development project that created 16 affordable rental units in Hooksett. Pictured at the ceremony are Robert Tourigny, NeighborWorks executive director;…

On the cutting edge of employee wellness

Hypertherm Inc., the Hanover-based manufacturer of metal and fiber laser cutting systems, started more than 40 years ago in a two-car garage. Today, the company is one of New Hampshire's largest, employing nearly 1,300 people in 24 different countries.Recognized as…

The cost-effectiveness of webcasting

It's no secret that running a business these days is challenging. Costs are rising, lower margins are becoming a fact of life, and the public doesn't seem to be buying as much as they once did.In any environment, companies need…

Why positioning your brand matters more than ever

A young professional posted a question for The Brand Strategy Discussion Group on LinkedIn. She's a lifestyle and brand communications intern at Daimler (Mercedes Benz). She asks: "Does positioning still matter in today's fast-growing market environment? Are the alternative communication…

Landing a job by meeting the employers’ needs

When searching for any new employment opportunity, many of us have a tendency to view the process as one focused solely on what is best for us as individuals.It certainly makes sense that we would want what is best for…

Yes, honesty is the best policy

Q. Even though I believe I have done a good job in my position over the last year and deserve a raise, I'm afraid to ask for one in my upcoming performance review. How do you ask for a raise…

Flotsam & Jetsam

Reupholstered chairThere was plenty of hoo-ha over the forced-resignation-replaced-by-wrist-slapping of three members of the House Republican leadership team immediately after the three Republicans dissed House Speaker Bill O'Brien in voting to sustain Governor Lynch's veto of the speaker's highly coveted…

The urgent need to save community health centers

To the editor:The budget debate on Capitol Hill is now not which programs to cut, but how much to cut. This is the wrong approach, especially for programs like community health centers.Many working families are turning to health centers like…

Ballot Law Commission was just plain wrong

To the editor:We are appalled at the "Cook on Concord" column appearing in the Dec. 2 edition of NHBR ("Ballot Law Commission hearing was a wake-up call", Dec. 2-15 NHBR).We were under the apparently mistaken impression that the Ballot Law…

Tobacco tax reduction still the right answer

A recent editorial by the Portsmouth Herald suggests that the state should continue forward with a policy of near annual tobacco tax increases. The liberal editorial page of that paper suggested that the reduction in the tax is "costing the…

Fluoridation is effective and a smart investment

Few public health measures over the last half-century have worked as well as fluoridating water. Not only does the New Hampshire Dental Society agree, so do most other respected health organizations worldwide.Fluoridation of community water supplies is the single most…

N.H. workplace deaths lowest in U.S. in 2010

New Hampshire had the fewest number of workplace deaths in the country in 2010, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.Five people -- all men -- died on the job in New Hampshire last year, which was the fewest…