Newsletter: Creating Jobs in New Hampshire

Statement

Dear Friends,

Making sure New Hampshire citizens have good jobs is one of my top priorities, and recently I've worked on several ways to encourage job growth in our state.

During a recent meeting with the Business and Industry Association in Manchester, I had a great discussion with business leaders about the value of growing our exports. With 95 percent of the world's customers living overseas, there is tremendous potential for New Hampshire's small firms to expand into international markets. In August, Senator Kelly Ayotte and I hosted a field hearing in Manchester to examine some of the barriers to small business exporting and how government programs can help. Earlier this year, I held a pair of roundtable discussions with business owners and Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg. And just last week, we learned that the state has won a federal grant to help our small businesses prepare for new markets.

One great example of the power of exports is Innovative FOTO in Salem, which I visited recently. A photo booth manufacturer and supplier, the company does nearly $2 million in annual overseas business and has already added four new full-time jobs this year, thanks in part to its international sales. We need to make it as easy as possible for New Hampshire companies like Innovative FOTO to succeed in international markets and create jobs in our state.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

While we pursue new job creation, it's imperative that we also take advantage of those jobs at hand, which is why it's critical we open the dormant federal prison in Berlin. Completed in 2010 at a total cost of $276 million, the prison has been vacant for months due to budget cuts. Maintaining the empty prison has been costing taxpayers an additional $4 million a year. Recently, however, we had some good news when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a 2012 government funding bill that would open the prison. Opening the prison would mean $40 million for the local economy and more than 300 jobs. The prison funding now goes to the Senate floor for consideration, and I will do all I can to see that it passes.

In addition to helping employers create jobs, another component critical to full economic recovery is preparing our workers for today's high-tech global economy. Under the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program (TAA), New Hampshire's community colleges recently won a grant to create new job training programs in advanced manufacturing. Last Thursday, I had a great visit to Albany Engineered Composites in Rochester, an employer-partner in the program, where I talked about how the grant will benefit our state's workers and manufacturers, and keep our economy competitive.

Read about my visit to Albany Engineered Composites in Foster's Daily Democrat

Watch a video of my speech on the Senate floor in support of TAA

As Congress returns to work this fall, I will continue to focus on American jobs. As always, I'm honored to serve our great state and look forward to hearing from you.

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