Michael Skelton
President and CEO of the Business and Industry Association
Year after year, NH lands on numerous “Top 10” lists for its welcoming business climate. It’s not a stretch to give some credit to the Business and Industry Association (BIA). Based in Concord, the BIA advocates for business and manufacturing. It counts 400 members across the Granite State that collectively employ around 100,000 people. The combined annual economic impact of these BIA member firms in NH exceeds $5 billion.
“Our overarching mission is to ensure that New Hampshire is a leading state for business,” says Michael Skelton, the BIA’s president and CEO. “Our business climate is one that is attracting talent and investment from not only all around the country but all around the world.”
The BIA is focused on workforce availability to ensure NH businesses have the talent they need to grow and addressing the state’s ongoing housing shortage. That includes advocating for new workforce training programs at the high school, community college and university levels, and exploring incentives for developers to build more housing.
Neither issue can be solved overnight, or in a single Legislative biennium. The BIA is gathering data to develop short- and long-term blueprints to address issues of workforce development, housing and more. These plans will be shared across multiple partners. “It is all about bringing the business community, the political community and the government and nonprofit sectors together to work on shared challenges,” Skelton says.
Current Issue - May 2024