SECOND QUARTER 2016

New Hampshire’s Statewide Chamber of Commerce

www.BIAofNH.com

In This Issue

Events

Energy strategy..................... 4

NH Business PAC ................... 5

Enterprise magazine ............ 5

Member News ....................... 6

New BIA officers, directors ... 7

Jun 20-29

2016 Business Roundtable Discussions; info at BIAofNH.com/roundtables

Sept 9 BIA Forum on Workforce Housing in NH; Radisson Hotel, Manchester

Oct 19 103rd Annual Dinner, Lifetime Achievement and NH Advantage Awards Celebration; Radisson Hotel

Nov 13-14 BIA Leadership Summit; Omni Mount Washington Resort

Business Roundtables ComingNew Hampshire business leaders will have the opportunity to shape BIA

legislative priorities during a series of nine roundtable forums in June. These

discussions are held throughout the state, hosted by local chambers of com-

merce, trade associations, and the BIA. They are designed to give the busi-

ness community a voice in establishing a proactive legislative and regulatory

agenda for the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions at the New Hampshire State

House.

“These grassroots gatherings are an important part of BIA’s policy-setting

process,” said Dave Juvet, senior vice-president of public policy. “Employers

of all sizes, from a variety of fields and geographic locations, can voice their

concerns about legislative and regulatory challenges affecting their compa-

nies. Participants will help rank these challenges and recommend action steps

for BIA.”

The roundtables are the first in a four-step process of developing BIA

policy positions for the coming biennium. After input from all the roundtable

Workforce development is essential to NH’s long-term economic health

Thankfully, New Hampshire continues to see economic growth as we make

our way out of the worst recession in decades. Unemployment continues to drop

as demand for labor increases across virtually all business sectors.

Yet economic vitality is not only about whether people can find a job; it’s also

about aligning the competencies required by employers with the skills of the local

and regional labor pool.

The term “workforce development” means creating, sustaining and retain-

ing a viable workforce that can support current and future business and indus-

try needs. Workforce development in New Hampshire is a systemic challenge

that now has the attention of HR professionals all the way up to senior company

leadership and CEOs.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

SECOND QUARTER 2016 BUSINESS ROUNDTABLES

participants has been collated, a survey will be created for all

BIA members to rank their priorities. BIA staff analyzes these

results and brings recommended action steps to its five policy

committees in August (all BIA members are eligible to partici-

pate; see back page for a list of policy committee meetings

times). Lastly, policy committee recommendations are taken

to the Board of Directors, which determines BIA’s proactive

legislative and regulatory agenda for the next two years.

“BIA’s current public policy principles include – among

other priorities –advocating for measures which minimize

onerous permitting or regulation, minimize cost-shifting to the

private sector, and fostering a well-trained workforce. We re-

main opposed to efforts which unfairly impact New Hampshire

businesses or inappropriately or affect their ability to compete

on a level playing field,” said Juvet.

The business roundtables are open to business and

community leaders, and BIA and chamber of commerce

members. There is no charge to participate, but RSVPs are

suggested for planning purposes. You can reserve your spot

by contacting Lucie LaBambard at 603.224.5388 x100 or going

to www.BIAofNH.com/roundtables.

Locations and times for the roundtables are:

Monadnock Region with Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce People’s United Bank, 122 West Street, Keene Mon, June 20, 1 - 2:30 PM

Greater Nashua Area with Greater Hudson, Greater Nashua, Merrimack, & Souhegan chambers of commerce Nashua Community College, Wellness Center Conference Room, 505 Amherst St, Nashua Tues, June 21, 9 -10:30 AM

Upper Valley with Hanover Area & Lebanon Area chamber of commerce Hypertherm, 21 Great Hollow Road, Hanover Wed, June 22, 9 -10:30 AM

Manchester Area with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, & TriTown Chamber of Commerce Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover St, Manchester Wed, June 22, 1 - 2:30 PM

“BUSINESS ROUNDTABLES” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR: Val Zanchuk President Graphicast

CHAIR-ELECT: Linda Fanaras President Millennium Integrated Marketing

PAST CHAIR: Sharron McCarthy President/Publisher McLean Communications

TREASURER: Karl Heafield Principal and Baker Newman Noyes Past Managing Partner

SECRETARY: Scott Ellison Partner Cook Little Rosenblatt and Manson

PRESIDENT/CEO: Jim Roche President Business and Industry Association of NH

DIRECTORS:

Todd Black SVP External Affairs & Unitil Customer Relations

Joseph Carelli President NH/VT Citizens Bank

Patrick Closson Director McLane Middleton

Cheryl Coletti VP Business Development Boston Asset Management

Timothy Dining President Sealite USA

Scott Filion President Velcro Americas

Douglas Folsom General Manager, Hooksett Plant GE Aviation

Suzanne Foster VP & General Manager Medtronic Advanced Energy

Katherine Garfield President Robert R. Keller & Associates

Bryan Granger SVP, Compliance & C&S Wholesale Grocers Administration

Lisa Guertin President & General Manager Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield

Pamela Hall CEO Normandeau Associates

Randall Labnon General Manager Town & Country Inn and Resort

Stephen Lawlor Principal Nathan Wechsler & Co.

Todd Leach Chancellor University System of New Hampshire

Stephen LeBlanc Executive Vice President Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health

Paul Markwardt VP & Deputy General Manager BAE Systems/Electronic Systems Sector

Peter Marsh VP Market Comcast Development-Northeast

Joseph Murray Vice President Fidelity Investments

John Olson Executive Vice President Whelen Engineering Company

William Quinlan President NH Electric Operations Eversource Energy

Timothy Sink President Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce

Steven Shawver Executive VP & Sig Sauer Chief Legal Officer

Alexander Walker Senior Vice President for Catholic Medical Center Operations & Strategic Development

Donald Welch President Globe Manufacturing

Steven Webb Market President-NH TD Bank

Thomas White President New England Wire Technologies

David Worthen President Worthen Industries

2

SECOND QUARTER 2016 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

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Londonderry/ Salem Area with Greater Derry Londonderry & Greater Salem chambers of commerce Searles School and Chapel, 35 Range Road, Windham Thurs, June 23, 9 -10:30 AM

Seacoast Area with Exeter Area, Greater Dover , Greater Portsmouth, Greater Rochester, & Hampton Area chambers of commerce Pierce Atwood, 1 NH Ave, Suite 350, Portsmouth Mon, June 27, 1 - 2:30 PM

Greater Concord Region with Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, 49 S. Main Street, #104, Concord Tues, June 28, 9 – 10:30 AM

Lakes Region with Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce & Lakes Region Tourism Association Community Learning Center, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton Tues, June 28, 1 - 2:30 PM

Littleton Area with Western White Mountains & Littleton Area chambers of commerce

Littleton Opera House, 2 Union Street, Littleton

Wed, June 29, 9 -10:30 AM

development challenge facing these employers, both individually

and collectively, is pronounced, as the pool of suitable entry-level

candidates grows more shallow.

To be sure, workforce development challenges are not

unique to manufacturing. They are present in other important

sectors of the state’s economy including health care, professional

and financial services, high technology, and more.

For decades, businesses have relied on educators to prepare

the next generation for employment; however, as our economy

has evolved and labor availability and competency has become a

critical issue, more frequent and stronger collaborations between

business leaders and educators have emerged in order to pre-

pare younger workers for 21st century jobs.

The imperative that is workforce development explains

why BIA and its members rigorously advocate for high educa-

tion standards and accountability; why we support innovative

programs like Performance Assessment of Competency Educa-

tion that seek to provide students with “real world” learning and

capabilities needed for careers or college; why we’re very active in

the 65x25 initiative, which seeks to ensure that 65 percent of New

Hampshire’s workforce has a postsecondary credential or degree

by 2025 (we’re currently at about 51 percent); and why BIA works

collaboratively with education professionals and business leaders

on numerous efforts intended to produce more workplace-ready

high school, technical/community college, and university gradu-

ates.

When employers are considering expanding operations, high

on their list of requirements is a workplace-ready, available pool

of skilled workers. If New Hampshire falls behind in its commit-

ment to workforce development, we create barriers for employ-

ment growth. Worse, we incentivize employers to consider mov-

ing existing jobs to other parts of the country (or world) where

the needs of business are better aligned with a geographic area’s

commitment to workforce development.

Creating, sustaining and retaining a viable workforce that can

support current and future business and industry needs is critical

to ensuring economic prosperity for all.

While more people are landing jobs, fewer of them enter the

workforce with all the skills required to perform effectively. These

include routine office tasks – like drafting professional letters and

memos or giving and receiving instructions – to tasks requiring

technical proficiency, such as those on today’s sophisticated shop

floor.

Workforce development is one of the Business and Industry

Association’s top concerns, reflecting the challenges it presents to

member companies throughout the state.

The dearth of qualified labor particularly affects advanced

manufacturing, New Hampshire’s most important economic

sector by nearly every measure. Employees meeting manufactur-

ing’s demand for higher-end skills are rewarded with the best

compensation of any economic sector in the state. The workforce

“WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

SECOND QUARTER 2016 ENERGY STRATEGY

4

We need an all-resource energy strategy

The latest in a long line of studies looking at energy

technologies again highlights the need to expand New England’s

ability to secure and deliver lower cost energy.

This latest study by the University of Delaware’s Special

Initiative on Offshore Wind has a solution. Not surprisingly, the

solution it offers is development of offshore wind in the decades

ahead. But offshore wind development, while very promising,

does little to meet the needs of New Hampshire businesses and

industry over the next five to 10 years.

The US Energy Information Administration reminds us that

despite the relatively mild winter, New Hampshire households

continue to pay well in excess of 50 percent more than the

national average for electricity and almost 70 percent more for

natural gas.

The University of Delaware report follows a variety of other

technology or project-focused studies from advocates for

natural gas pipelines, other renewable energy resources, electric

transmission lines and new power plants.

The abundance of such studies with competing views has

stymied decision-making and has further polarized energy

project supporters and opponents who, in most cases, have

similar laudable goals – more affordable energy and a cleaner

environment.

Not often mentioned is system reliability, which is likely to

become a growing concern as ISO New England, the organization

that oversees the region’s interconnected bulk electric power

system, warns about future power plant shutdowns (such as the

Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Massachusetts) and integration of

intermittent renewable resources, such as solar and wind, into the

power system.

ISO recently reported that by 2019, 4,200 megawatts of

electricity generation will retire, with another 6,000 at risk of

retirement by 2020. Alarmingly, this represents nearly one-third of

the region’s electricity supply.

Among the plants ISO identifies as “at risk” are three in New

Hampshire: Merrimack, Newington and Schiller.

Renewables and energy efficiency, which the region is

already pursuing aggressively, will help fill this gap. But they

alone are not enough to meet the needs of businesses and

institutions that depend on reliable power around the clock

with prices that are affordable, predictable and stable. New

England will still need new natural gas-fired power plants to

make up for the impeding supply deficit.

The problem is that the region’s natural gas pipeline

system is maxed out. ISO recently noted that over 4,000

megawatts of existing natural gas generation are at risk of

not being able to get fuel during the winter when natural

gas electricity generation competes with space heating.

Fortunately, this winter has been unseasonably warm, which

masks the longer-range outlook.

A study conducted last year for the New England

Coalition for Affordable Energy took an all-resource

approach. It assumed aggressive energy efficiency and

solar initiatives would continue and a combination of new

transmission lines, onshore wind, new gas pipelines and new

natural gas-fired power plants would be built over the next

few years. These steps, the study found, could help the region

avoid $5.4 billion in higher energy costs, with most of those

costs hitting consumers in 2019 and 2020.

Many projects have been proposed and are under

review that would meet, and even exceed, those levels. But all

face strong opposition.

New Hampshire officials are working with officials in

other states to address these issues. Governors have noted

the need for new pipelines, transmission lines, wind projects

and the pursuit of efficiency and solar. Ultimately, the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission will determine if pipeline

projects are in the public interest and meet safety and

environmental requirements. Similar reviews are taking place

for transmission lines, such as Northern Pass, which is subject

to both federal and state approvals.

To avoid the consequences of inaction, the region needs

to pursue an all-resource strategy if the region’s energy

prices are to become more affordable and energy supplies

more reliable.

by Carl Gustin, New England Coalition for Affordable Energy

SECOND QUARTER 2016 BUSINESS PAC | ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE

5

NH Business PACThe New Hampshire Business Political Action Committee

(PAC) is designed to generate stronger business participation in

the political process. The nonpartisan New Hampshire Business

PAC, launched by BIA in 2006, financially supports pro-business

legislative incumbents and candidates. It does not contribute to

candidates for federal office.

Through financial contributions, the New Hampshire

Business PAC supports candidates for the legislature who hold

public policy positions compatible with BIA’s. The PAC fosters

and encourages the highest quality public sector leadership and

participation of the business community in the political process

to promote a favorable climate for job creation and a strong New

Hampshire economy.

If you have questions about the New Hampshire Business

PAC, contact BIA President Jim Roche, jroche@BIAofNH.com or

603.224.5388 x111. To make a voluntary contribution to the PAC,

more information is available at BIAofNH.com/nh-business-pac.

Enterprise magazine highlights BIA membership, impact

BIA’s new full-color annual magazine, Enterprise, highlights

the many ways the Business and Industry Association – New

Hampshire’s statewide chamber of commerce and its members –

helps a business improve New Hampshire’s economy. In addition

to providing valuable member information, the publication

contains feature articles on small businesses, profiles several

women business leaders, highlights New Hampshire’s energy

crisis, and more.

“The magazine is a visual way to illustrate how BIA members

contribute to a healthy economic climate and to learn more

about how BIA is helping them achieve their goals,” said Kevin

Flynn, director of communications and public policy. “It’s different

from anything else we’ve done and we hope current and future

members will enjoy flipping through the pages.”

This issue contains stories on unique products manufactured

in the state, the economic impact of high commercial and

residential energy costs, and a look at some of BIA’s smaller

businesses.

Make it your businessto be in the NOW.

BIAofNH.com

SECOND QUARTER 2016 MEMBER NEWS

Member NewsBrewster to lead Harvard Pilgrim’s New Hampshire office

Harvard Pilgrim has promoted William Brewster, MD, to vice

president, responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of

the company’s New Hampshire regional market. Beth Roberts,

former head of the New Hampshire office, was named senior

vice president of enterprise sales & marketing, with oversight of

regional markets in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and

Connecticut, and also sales, marketing and product development.

Goldberg joins Rath Young and Pignatelli

Rath, Young and Pignatelli, P.C. has an-

nounced that Attorney Olga Goldberg has

joined the firm. She will be a member of the

firm’s Tax Practice Group, focusing on state

and local tax matters. Prior to joining the firm,

Goldberg practiced tax law in Houston and in

Austin, Texas.

6

Lawson Group’s Bowler named to National

Safety Council

Melissa Bowler of the Lawson Group has

been named to the Executive Board for the

National Safety Council of Northern New

England. She is currently the chairperson for

the NSCNNE 2016 Conference Committee.

She is also active with the Greater Concord Chamber of

Commerce, where she serves as part of the Ambassador program.

SECOND QUARTER 2016 NEW OFFICERS

BIA elects new officers, directorsOn May 12, the Business and Industry Association elected a new

board of directors at its annual business meeting. The new officers

include Chair Val Zanchuk of Graphicast, Chair-elect Linda Fanaras

of Millennium Integrated Marketing, and Past-Chair Sharron

McCarthy of McLean Communications. They join Treasurer Karl

Heafield from Baker Newman Noyes, Secretary Scott Ellison from

Cook Little Rosenblatt and Manson, and BIA President Jim Roche.

There are a total of 34 members on the BIA Board of Directors (see

page two for complete list). New directors elected are Patrick

Closson, director, McLane Middleton, PA; Scott Filion, president,

Velcro; Douglas Folsom, general manager – Hooksett plant, GE

Aviation; Stephen Lawlor, principal, Nathan Wechsler & Co; Peter

Marsh, VP market development – Northeast, Comcast; Steven

Shawver, executive vp & chief legal officer, Sig Sauer, Inc; and

Thomas White, president, New England Wire Technologies Corp.

7

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EventsFor information or to register,

go to web.BIAofNH.com/events.

2016 Business Roundtable Discus-

sions. June 20-29; information at

BIAofNH.com/roundtables

2016 BIA Forum on Workforce Housing

in NH. Sept 9; Radisson Hotel, Man-

chester

103rd Annual Dinner, Lifetime

Achievement and NH Advantage

Awards Celebration. Oct 19; Radisson,

Manchester

BIA Leadership Summit. Nov 13-14;

Omni Mount Washington Resort

Policy Committee MeetingsPolicy committee meetings are held

monthly at the BIA office in Concord

and are open to all BIA members.

Energy and Telecommunications

(2nd Tuesday – 8:30 AM)

> August 9

> September 13

Economic Development and

Fiscal Policy (2nd Friday – 8AM)

> August 12

> September 9

Environmental Affairs

(3rd Tuesday– 8:30AM)

> August 15

> September TBA

Human Resources, Health Care,

and Workforce Development

(3rd Friday – 8AM)

> August 19

> September 16

VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.BIAofNH.com

The BIA Report is published quarterly.

Please call 603.224.5388 x114 for advertising rates.

Any part of this publication that is reproduced must list BIA Report as its source.

BIA officers: Val Zanchuk, chair, Graphicast; Linda Fanaras, chair-elect, Millennium Integrated Marketing;

Sharron McCarthy, past chair, McLean Communications; Karl Heafield, treasurer, Baker Newman Noyes; Scott

Ellison, secretary, Cook Little Rosenblatt and Manson; Jim Roche, president, Business and Industry Association

PRSRT STD MAILU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLaconia, N.H.

Permit No. 200

BIA 122 N. MAIN STREET CONCORD, NH 03301