NH Businesses Embark on Trade Mission to Poland

From left: Developer Steven Lewis; Adam Dominski, president of Lech Walesa Institute in Poland, and Dawn Wivell of Firebrand International LLC are organizing a trade mission for NH businesses to Poland. Courtesy of Scott Merrill.

Almost 30 year after a group of NH businesses embarked on the state’s first trade mission to Poland, more than 30 NH companies and associations—including Rokon International, a manufacturer of all-wheel-drive motorcycles in Rochester, and ArgenTech Solutions, a drone systems company in Newmarket—will be traveling there Sept. 21-30.

Poland is one of the largest markets in Europe as well as one of the most economically stable, technology-focused and fastest developing in the world, according to Dawn Wivell, who is one of the organizers of the mission along with Steven Lewis, a NH developer with ties to Poland, and Lech Walesa Institute in Poland. Wivell, CEO of Firebrand International LLC, an international trade consulting firm, served as NH’s international trade director for more than 20 years starting in the early 1990s and organized the original trip as well.

Poland, Wivell says, is a strategic market for businesses that would like to do business in central and eastern Europe and the rest of Europe, especially since Brexit. “The cost of labor in Poland is much less than other European countries,” she says, adding that Poland was NH’s 15th largest trading partner in 2022 out of  about 190 countries in which NH does business. About 80% of that business was in aerospace and aviation products, she adds.   

Gov. Chris Sununu expressed his support for the trade mission in June, citing growing global sales from more than 2,100 NH companies, 87% of which are small and medium enterprises, supporting more than 21,000 jobs. “Poland is a high performing market and is a top and quickly growing trade partner for New Hampshire. I look forward to the outcome and extend my appreciation to former President Lech Walesa for his support.”