New N.H. manufacturing site links suppliers, buyers

A first-of-its-kind website designed to better connect New Hampshire manufacturers with New Hampshire suppliers and buyers was unveiled Monday at a Londonderry manufacturer.The site — an outgrowth of a suggestion made to Gov. John Lynch during his meetings with business leaders as part of his Job Cabinet Roundtables — was launched at a press conference held at Burndy LLC, an electronic components manufacturer in Londonderry. It was Alan Beck, vice president of application tooling at Burndy, who made the suggestion about the website.Beck and Governor Lynch were joined by representatives of several New Hampshire manufacturing firms and state economic development officials at the Londonderry announcement.”A local supply base can provide a very competitive advantage particularly for developing new product and processes,” said Alan Beck, who called the website a “powerful tool that allows companies to easily find the core competencies that exist locally.”The state is partnering with Atlanta-based MFG.com, a global sourcing marketplace for the manufacturing industry, what it says is a first-of-its-kind partnership.As part of the partnership, local companies registered on a special “New Hampshire only” page on MFG.com, will be able to purchase goods and services from each other, creating a better awareness of resources within the state.Adam Oaks, senior vice president and general manager of MFG.com, said he thought the website will open new doors for New Hampshire suppliers and buyers to engage in locally-based matchmaking. “We are extremely excited to be part of this initiative that essentially enables the local New Hampshire manufacturing community,” he said. “The sourcing portal will effectively promote economic development within New Hampshire through intelligently connecting local manufacturing buyers and suppliers at the exact moment they need each other.”The link for the specially designed page will be housed at NHEconomy.com. Those suppliers that complete a registration for the MFG.com service through the New Hampshire landing page will receive an optimized profile, Atlas listing and projects from all Granite State buyers for $99 a month. Buyers registering via the landing page will have access to the New Hampshire information for free.”What a wonderful way to stimulate commerce and build new relationships among New Hampshire manufacturers and prospective buyers,” said New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development Director George Bald, who added that the site “gives our state an incredible edge as we further develop and strengthen our manufacturing sector.”The “New Hampshire only” MFG.com page can be accessed at mfg.com/nheconomy. — JEFF FEINGOLD/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW