New Hampshire Business Review - Feb. 13, 2026

February 13, 2026

Amanda Andrews

(Opinion) NH businesses: Pay attention to school enrollment

Opinion,

An education public policy change going through the Legislature should be getting business owners’ attention

Slide rule

Ron Bourque,

Are math skills really necessary?

Cook on Concord: Bob Baines was a great friend

Brad Cook,

Former Manchester mayor and West High principal made a lasting impact in the city

Documents confirm ICE plans for Merrimack warehouse

Kate Dario/NH Public Radio,

The federal Department of Homeland Security, which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was in communication with at least one state agency in January about its plans to purchase and modify a vacant warehouse in Merrimack, according to documents obtained by the ACLU of New Hampshire through a public records request and released Tuesday, February 3.

Mass timber boosts industry

Andy Fast,

Innovation is promising for builders, loggers and rural communities

‘Caution and conversion’ was the theme in 2025

Paul Briand,

The conversion of office space to residential units drove the commercial market last year

The Bottom Line: Mill Steel Corp, Albany International and HPM Insurance

Amanda Andrews,

A roundup of news updates from public companies in NH and nationwide

Take 5: skilled talent, tech demand and inflation

Amanda Andrews,

NH Business Review's biweekly snapshot of business and industry statistics

NH housing production reached 20-year high in 2025, but still falls short of demand

Kate Dario/NH Public Radio,

In 2025, more than 5,800 housing units were constructed in New Hampshire, the highest number since 2006, according to a new report from the state Department of Business and Economic Affairs. But despite this recent high, the report said the state has met only about 80% of its building goal between 2020 and 2025, which aims to balance the housing market by 2040.

Home prices slow in some areas, while affordability crisis persists

Jessica Williams/NH Fiscal Policy Institute,

As housing costs continue to climb, homeownership has become out of reach for many New Hampshire families. In 2025, the median price of a single-family house in the Granite State reached a record high of $535,000 after an alarming 122% increase over the past decade.

More news from NHBR:

‘What must remain human?’ Dartmouth AI conference opens without a clear answer

Dartmouth College opened its “AI at 70” conference Thursday morning, Oct. 29, with a session called “The Future Worth Building is Human.”

(Opinion) Utilities learn to communicate through uncertainty

On Nov. 26, 2015, heavy wet snow was falling, with a forecast warning of an impending storm for days. The phone rings, and before I answer it, I already know what the reporter is going to ask.

(Opinion) From mill town to river town

New Hampshire has more than 10,000 miles of rivers, many of which flow through downtowns.

(Opinion) Investing in youth mental health in New Hampshire

The nationwide youth mental health crisis has seen marked improvements in New Hampshire since 2021, but the problem is still far from fixed. Indeed, while the measured outcomes are getting better compared to the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the figures today are still historically concerning compared to a decade ago.

(Opinion) People with disabilities are an untapped resource

New Hampshire employers spend considerable time and resources trying to find dependable employees who want to work. Yet there is a segment of our population that is too often overlooked: adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Come to the table

Reliable, accessible childcare is an economic advantage that helps New Hampshire businesses attract and retain employees, strengthen their workforce and support long-term growth.

Growing with grace

Identifying growing and grace as my top two values helped me focus on who I want to be and how I want to show up. Revisiting these six years later, I am pleased that these ideas still ring true.

Are prediction markets revenue ripe for picking in NH?

To many people, prediction markets and sports gaming are a distinction without a difference. Which begs the question: Should New Hampshire be regulating prediction markets, especially as they apply to sports, the same way it regulates — and draws revenue from — sports betting via DraftKings?

(Market & Main Streets) Employers follow workers

Over the course of my career, I have attended my share of ribbon-cuttings that were the result of a lot of effort to recruit a new company into the state.