News

HP sues two N.H. resellers

Hewlett-Packard is suing two small New Hampshire high-tech resellers, charging that they are selling products with the HP trademark that were actually not made by Hewlett-Packard. The suits, filed Jan. 6 in federal district court in Concord, named Netria Corp.…

Lynch, Leavitt to meet on avian flu

Gov. John Lynch and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt will discuss state and national efforts to prepare ior a possible avian flu pandemic with health-care professionals, community and business leaders, and state officials next week in…

Brookstone sales fall 2.3 percent

Struggling Merrimack-based specialty retailer Brookstone announced its preliminary sales figures for the nine weeks ending Dec. 31, 2005, were down $199.6 million, or 2.3 percent, from the same period a year ago, despite divesting its unprofitable Gardeners Eden brand. Same-store…

SkillSoft speeds up vesting of stock

Nashua-based SkillSoft announced Friday that it would accelerate the vesting of all of its employee-owned outstanding unvested stock options, not including the stock owned by executive officers or directors. The decision by the firm’s board of directors makes 1.7 million…

TD Banknorth closes up in 4Q

TD Banknorth more than doubled its quarter-on-quarter net income in the fourth quarter that ended December 31, 2005. The company announced that fourth-quarter 2005 earnings were $55.6 million over $20.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2004. On a per-diluted-share…

Lawmakers put spotlight on health care

Health-care costs - specifically, lowering them for small businesses - are at the top of some lawmakers’ agendas as the 2006 session begins. A group of New Hampshire lawmakers wants to study whether businesses should receive refunds if their health…

Wal-Mart’s unhealthy attitude

Whether we like it or not, employers are at the heart of the American system of health care. The entire system rests on the simple premise that most Americans with health coverage have it because the business for which they…

StockerYale plans 14% workforce cut

Salem-based StockerYale plans to reduce its workforce by 14 percent as part of a realignment into three core businesses, the company announced Jan. 10. It is unclear whether the reduction would be achieved through attrition or layoffs or whether it…