Best Of StateImpact: How NH Poaches Massachusetts Businesses

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StateImpact found that business poaching from Massachusetts is about more than just tax policy

When New Hampshire politicians and business-types talk about “economic development,” they often mean touting the so-called “New Hampshire Advantage.”  Among other things, that’s overall low–or in many cases, no–taxes, an educated workforce, and that amorphous “quality of life” distinction.

But “economic development” in the Granite State also means using the much-vaunted New Hampshire Advantage as a tool for poaching businesses from Massachusetts.

As we’ve noted previously, one of the hazards of soft-launching a business news blog is that some of our earlier coverage just didn’t get the audience that our later pieces have snagged.

So as we look to the New Year, we’d like to re-gift this coverage to you.  We’re scouring our archives for the very best that StateImpact’s had to offer since we went online this past summer.

And today’s news parcel is actually a matching set:

Six Ways To Look At How NH Does — And Doesn’t — Attract Economic Development:  We broke down a number of studies, talked to some sources, and went on a myth-busting quest to determine where the Granite State is succeeding and failing in its efforts to draw Bay State firms.

Seven Essential Questions—And Answers— For The Man Known As New Hampshire’s Business Thief: We followed-up our first economic development piece with a Q&A with the state’s Business Development Manager, Michael Bergeron.  He clued us in on the years-long process of recruiting a company, and the importance of Quebec to the future of the North Country.