New Hampshire Business Review - Feb. 28, 2025

February 28, 2025

Mike Cote

Lessons from American history

Brad Cook,

Past leaders were clear and unflinching about our national principles

(Opinion) Don’t let NHVA disappear: Protect children’s vaccines

Opinion,

As a family physician at Amoskeag Health, I am writing to educate the public about HB 524, a bill that, if passed, will eliminate the NH Vaccine Association (NHVA) and jeopardize our public health infrastructure like never before.

Proposed bill targets firearm background checks

Grace Yurish - NH Bar News,

A bipartisan group of New Hampshire lawmakers has introduced House Bill 159, known as the Chief Bradley Haas Mental Health Firearms Reporting Act, following the 2023 fatal shooting of security officer Bradley Haas by a former patient at New Hampshire Hospital.

Applications open for The Brodsky Prize

NH Business Review Staff,

The Brodsky Prize, overseen by the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, was established seven years ago by the late Jeffrey Brodsky and his father, Howard, to encourage innovation by student journalists.

Red Wooden Figure Standing On Wooden Podium For Business Leadership For Team Leader Concept.

‘Courage: The Heart of Leadership’

Annabel Beerel,

We are undoubtedly living in a time of great transition and radical uncertainty, where the old normal has gone and the new normal has not yet emerged.

The Bottom Line: Bar Harbor Bankshares, Connection and Albany International

Contributed to NH Business Review,

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

Take 5: Gen Z Job Seekers Trust TikTok, Americans Divided on Economy, and Household Debt Trends Shift

Trisha Nail,

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

Hidden in plain sight

Sarah Pearson,

New Hampshire is home to more than 600 life science businesses that manufacture pharmaceuticals, create medical devices and equipment, and biotech research and development.

Florida manufacturer acquires Hudson surveillance optics company

Trisha Nail,

A Florida infrared optical components manufacturer recently acquired a Hudson-based thermal imaging and optics business emphasizing surveillance in a move the two companies estimate will create $55 million in revenue for the next year.

More news from NHBR:

Nicole Bluefort, 2026 Outstanding Women in Business Recipient

Nicole Bluefort started her law practice in her hometown of Lynn, Mass., 15 years ago and later expanded to Boston. In July 2024, she opened an office on Elm Street in Manchester, sensing there was a niche for a practice that could better serve people of color in New Hampshire.

Courtney Morin, 2026 Outstanding Women in Business Recipient

Courtney Morin, FSA, MAAA, joined Northeast Delta Dental in 2004 after earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, with majors in mathematics and economics. Courtney is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Laurie Masiello, 2026 Outstanding Women in Business Recipient

While the COVID-19 pandemic left some companies struggling to survive, it delivered a watershed moment for Laurie Masiello’s business.

Lisa Madden, 2026 Outstanding Women in Business Recipient

Lisa Madden was drawn to a mental health career from personal experience. When she was a young child in the ’60s, Lisa would accompany her father to visit her Aunt Peggy, who was developmentally and mentally disabled and had been institutionalized in Massachusetts when family members could no longer care for her.

Crystal Dionne, 2026 Outstanding Women in Business Recipient

Crystal Dionne, CPA, is an experienced finance professional with more than 25 years in leadership roles. She specializes in government finance, financial and strategic planning, treasury management, budgeting and risk management as well as human resources management.

Suzanne Foley, 2026 Outstanding Women in Business Recipient

Suzanne is the founder and president of Port City Pretzels, a Portsmouth-based specialty snack food company she launched in 2015 after a long career in finance, business operations and healthcare administration.

Pease Tradeport continues as NH economic engine

New report cites Tradeport’s ‘uniquely important role in New Hampshire’s economic architecture’ as executive director looks toward ‘retooling’ for life science users

Mission accomplished

After a 14-month construction mission, the “Apollo” landed at the Kelly Falls apartment complex this week with the completion of the Mark Stebbins Community Center, the culmination of a vision by the late Mark Stebbins, a long-time business leader and philanthropist.