The Buzz Online

In the Spotlight: North Branch Construction of Concord began renovations to two properties in Manchester owned by Families in Transition-New Horizons. Made possible through the CARES Act, the work will help FIT-NH address operational limitations due to the pandemic. A FIT-NH food pantry on Manchester Street will be moved to Lake Avenue across from the organization’s Family Emergency Shelter. Renovations will include asbestos abatement, roof replacement, structural improvements, as well as improvements to safety and accessibility.

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Brookstone Builders in Manchester hired Sean Scales as an assistant project manager. Scales first learned the construction trade at Brookstone Builders during his high school and college years, working his way through the ranks from carpenter to assistant site supervisor.

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The Rowley Agency in Concord hired Holly O’Connor, CPA as the controller. She replaces Bruce Langley who recently retired from the 54-year-old insurance agency after 36 years, serving as treasurer and partner. O’Connor began her career at PricewaterhouseCooper in Boston.

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Red River in Claremont was named the Public Sector Social Impact Partner of the Year by Cisco. More than 500 employees and partners took part in Red River’s annual community service project for children affected by trauma, abuse, and neglect in the state of Texas. Red River also launched the Jeff Sessions Memorial Scholarship, to honor the life and contributions of its late CEO, by supporting veterans pursuing technology careers.

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Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon created the Office of Employee Well-being, which will work to create and sustain a culture where employee wellness, efficiency of practice, and personal/professional fulfillment are valued and supported.

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St. Mary’s Bank in Manchester has opened a Nashua branch on Northwest Boulevard.

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Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Landmark Health, and affiliated medical groups, are extending in-home medical care collaboration into NH’s Rockingham, Merrimack, and Hillsborough counties. Landmark has been serving Harvard Pilgrim’s chronically ill Medicare Advantage members in Massachusetts since 2019.

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Ledyard National Bank in Hanover opened its newest full-service banking branch on South Main Street in Concord, which compliments its first Concord office on Pillsbury Street. 

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Granite Financial Partners in Milford, having completed its merger with Ten Broeck Insurance Group of Pepperell, Mass., has hired three additional full-time employees: Jacob Stewart as chief investment officer; Luciana Reis as an advisor and Kelsey Bailey as client service administrator.

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Portsmouth Regional Hospital will launch a free licensed nursing assistant (LNA) course starting in January 2021. Approved by the NH Board of Nursing, the seven-week course will use a curriculum from the American Red Cross. The course was created, in part, to help address the critical need for LNAs on the Seacoast and across the region.

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SilverCloud in Portsmouth released its inaugural monthly research report, SilverCloud Labs: Conversational Banking Trends, analyzing real-time usage data collected from more than 200 financial institutions and 11.9 million end-user sessions. Each month, the report will provide insights into key digital banking trends including virtual assistants, chatbots, and other self-service support tools spanning the spectrum from sales through transaction processing.