Hooksett may instantly bring to mind its I-93 tollbooth, but the town is worth much more to the state than those dollar tolls. With more than 700 companies, according to the Southern NH Planning Commission, the town has one of the largest business communities in the state. As such, Hooksett business leaders banded together a year ago to form a chamber of commerce for their community.
The Hooksett Chamber of Commerce launched in August 2010. Five Hooksett businesses are already members of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, but Richard J. Sullivan, founder of the Hooksett Chamber of Commerce and owner of Suburban Real Estate News, says he felt the community needed its own organization. Sullivan says he does not want to replace the Greater Manchester Chamber but simply wants more cross-pollination within the town.
It's up to folks like ourselves and the Manchester [Chamber] to show [that] members get value for their money, Sullivan says, adding that he expects the Hooksett Chamber to have 90 to 100 members within the next year. Currently, the chamber has 43 members and its events consistently draw 20 to 40 people.
Along with evening networking events, the Chamber held two events this past year: Brown Bag Lunches and the SCORE-run workshop How to Start Your Own Business. The Brown Bag Lunches, held once a month through the summer, gave members the opportunity to conduct presentations about their businesses and network. The Chamber plans to continue this event, and is currently working with SCORE to bring another seminar, Taxes for Small Businesses, to town in November.
Sullivan hopes that while the Chamber helps to support businesses and encourages business leaders to become more involved in the community, it will also develop more leaders in the town.