From the Editor: July 2017
Each edition of Enterprise seems to come together a little bit differently. Truth be told, there often are moments when I’m unsure whether the thing is going to come together at all, but in the end the pieces fall — or are dragged — into place and the magazine hits the streets.
But no matter how different the process — a well-organized march to deadline or a frantic scramble — each issue’s stories usually have something in common: They almost always highlight the enthusiasm, ingenuity and passion for the place we call home that so many members of the Upper Valley business community share.
Our cover story, about Claremont manufacturer New Hampshire Industries, hits all those points.
Growing — it’s added 30 jobs since its move from Lebanon a year ago and plans to add 30 more this year — innovating and putting down deep roots in the city, NHI is a fine counterpoint to much of the legitimately distressing news about the country’s manufacturing base. And while pulleys and sprockets aren’t exactly the most exciting items on the shelf, longtime Valley News correspondent Patrick O’Grady ably captured the passion for the product and the process shared by NHI’s workers and managers.
Correspondent Jaimie Seaton scored a hat trick in this issue with three stories, each of which hits all those points, as well. She touches base with the Windsor Improvement Corp., now doing business as “Distinctly Windsor,” and reveals the organization’s determination to lead the town out of its long period of decline and its innovative approach to helping the flood-threatened Jarvis Street neighborhood. She tells the story of Heather Simpson Blake, great-granddaughter of Angelo Tanzi, who in 1897 opened The Hanover Fruit Co. on Main Street. Blake’s new business, Tanzi’s Salon, occupies a spot directly across the street from where her great-grandfather ran his business. And Seaton’s Exit Interview with Bradford, Vt., native Tammy Taylor describes Taylor’s work — with the help of many volunteers — to revive the Bradford Fair, truly a labor of love.
Need more enthusiasm, ingenuity and passion for place? Look no further than contributor Allison E. Rogers Furbish’s piece about Liza Bernard and the Norwich Bookstore. A longtime “Local First” advocate, Bernard and her business partner, Penny McConnel, have been a positive force in the local economy, and community, since 1994.
Finally, contributor Becka Warren takes a look at how a number of Upper Valley farms are adding value to the crops they grow by installing commercial kitchens at their operations. It’s a major investment — a commercial kitchen can cost upward of $200,000 — but it’s a key trend in the local food movement and a way for these important institutions to stay relevant, and profitable.
Happy reading!
