Location, location, location: Rochester makes the short list - by Karen Pollard

Karen Pollard, City of
Rochester, N.H.

“Location, location, location” – We’ve heard it countless times. What puts a location on the shortlist for a major investment or relocation? The number one issue today is skilled and available workforce and a sustainable pipeline for talent acquisition. Real estate bargains are still important and can balance an uneven playing field, but no discount or incentive can cure a talent wasteland. The demand for quality employees has pushed firms to prioritize previously overlooked locations, such as Southern New Hampshire and the city of Rochester, one of the state’s largest and most welcoming cities for business.

Rochester, N.H. is one hour north of Boston and is a long-time favorite of niche manufacturers with research and development components. The classic New England downtown, anchored by a historic 1905 Opera House, is juxtaposed with the nationally recognized advanced technology centers at the middle and high school levels and an elementary magnet school delivering bilingual education, providing a global world-view to the youngest citizens. Affordable housing options and speedy access to the Portsmouth-Boston corridor, a gateway to the year-round recreation opportunities in the Lakes Region and North Country, make Rochester a gem among the highly competitive Boston Metro-North.

World renowned French aerospace firm, Safran USA, selected Rochester for their LEAP engine facility, and to secure partnership advantages with aerospace composites leader Albany International, which chose to relocate their corporate headquarters to the city in 2010. Safran and Albany created a shared enterprise and is co-located in a 345,000 s/f building adjacent to Albany’s Research & Product Development Center in the Granite State Business Park, the 150-acre advanced manufacturing district next to Skyhaven Airport. The two firms plan to employ more than 500 employees in the new facility by the end of the decade, adding to the advanced skill base already working in the region.   

Evaluating the advantages of a business location is one, two, and three:

Talent: Rochester has a well educated population younger than the state average and delivers multiple opportunities for business partnerships with educational institutions. Great Bay Community College invested millions into a state-of-the art Rochester campus with a brand new composite materials lab.  Built in 2013, this Advanced Technology and Academic Center (ATAC) has increased capacity in 2015 by expanding to 30,000 s/f, offering classroom instruction, machine simulations and hands on lab training. Customized programs and state training grants are available. Granite State College also has a Rochester Campus, and focuses on Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in a variety of specialty areas as well as Liberal Arts. The University of New Hampshire (Durham, 12 miles) has direct Wildcat bus access to Rochester, convenient for students and faculty, employers and commuters. The City continues to increase its appeal by constructing new housing units in Downtown, townhomes and single family near the six Spaulding Turnpike exits and in more rural settings for those looking for a country lifestyle with modern amenities.

Access: Rochester industrial and business parks are served by newly expanded infrastructure, including the Spaulding Turnpike. New Hampshire just completed a $135 million expansion of the Turnpike, improving all six Rochester exits, making local travel a breeze. This road connects directly to I-95 and the Northeast transportation network. Rochester is served by active freight rail delivered by N.H. Northcoast, air at Skyhaven and managed by the Pease Development Authority, and employees have access to COAST Bus Service in the state’s most effective regional bus system. Rochester is the regional hub for commercial and industrial activity as well, with eight business parks and seven distinct commercial and entertainment districts, for access to the finest quality of life for employees and executives.

Cost-Effective: How can all of this quality be affordable? New Hampshire is a recognized value leader when it comes to state and local taxes. With no state sales or income tax, limited corporate taxes and new tax incentives, like R&D Tax Credits and Economic Revitalization Zone Credits, the tax burden is ranked as best in New England and 8^th in the nation by the U.S. Tax Foundation. Rochester real estate is some of the most affordable in the seacoast and land locations are available for new construction with significant state and local incentives.  Our streamlined process enable firms to articulate their business needs and the department delivers significant cost savings with a location in this attractive suburban enclave.

While “location, location, location” is still true, today’s market views prime communities like Rochester, New Hampshire, as competing and winning niche and boutique projects, as well as large-scale, advanced manufacturing with a combination of world class talent, unparalleled access to the Northeast markets and highly cost-effective new or existing construction suitable for all types of businesses.   

Karen Pollard, CEcD, is the economic development manager for Rochester, N.H.