Can High Tech Be New Hampshire’s White Knight?

By Laura Knoy on Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

New Hampshire currently ranks 13th in the nation for innovation, but its high tech industry does account for 9% of its total private sector employment. High tech companies have been hit by the current recession, but they seem to be faring better than in other states, and some suggest tech could be the industry that helps the Granite State out of its current economic downturn. We’ll check in with New Hampshire’s high tech sector and look at the role it could play in the state’s economic revitalization.

Guests

  • Ross Gittell, forecast manager at the New England Economic Partnership and Professor of Management at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire
  • Fred Kocher, president of the New Hampshire High Technology Council

Guests

  • Clark Dumont, vice president of communications at BAE Systems
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Contradictory State Policies Hurt NHs Efforts
Bruce Decker - Thu, 03/12/2009 - 21:32

Unfortunately, I cannot listen live to today's program, because I am at my engineering job in Massachusetts. However, let me relate a problem I see with bringing High Tech companies into NH. First, you should know I have 30 years experience as an electrical engineer.

I was employed at a now-defunct high tech company in the late 90's - early 2000's at Pease Tradeport. When I lost my job after 9/11, I attempted to find another engineering job, but none were to be had right away. I applied for unemployment from the Department of Employment Security, and had a miserable experience with them. They did everything they could to keep me from collecting. In fact, I had a DES agent actually tell me that if they paid me, it would cost companies too much to locate to NH. I ended up at Home Depot stocking shelves just to get enough to pay the bills. After 11 months of un- and under-employment, I was hired at my current company down "south" in North Andover.

The net effect of DES policy was to drive high tech workers OUT of NH, while DRED was simultaneously trying to bring companies in. Many companies say they won't site themselves in NH because there's not enough high tech workers. Does anyone else see a problem here? Please explain how these conflicting state policies are going to work!

Bruce Decker
Barrington