| Hew Hampshire car wash market. Well we have | | | | and will probably not face the same fate as cities like |
| visited every city in New Hampshire over the | | | | Bangor Maine, because it is close to other large cities |
| population of 10,000 at least twice, the larger ones four | | | | including Boston, where things cost more due to higher |
| and five times talking to many people in various | | | | costs of living and wages there. It is a good |
| industries. Landscapers, brick layers, Heating and Air, | | | | compromise for those who need to get out of the big |
| Plumbers, Car Dealers, Professional People, Politicians, | | | | city to compete on cost. The Toll Way running through |
| wood be politicians, chamber of Commerce Personal, | | | | the city is not to damaging to Nashua for trade with |
| Economic Development people and just nice folks on | | | | partnering city Manchester, NH because there is a |
| the street. Including skateboarders; Hockey and | | | | short distance and the fees are small and two other |
| Soccer Moms; Canadian Tourists and this last visit | | | | routes, which are easy travel. No charge to drive to |
| mourners for the Old Man of the Mountain who died in | | | | Boston and therefore trade with Boston is |
| vain after a Harsh winter of snow and rain. The | | | | good.Nashua and the governor of NH have been really |
| ceremonies were good and respectful of our fallen | | | | working hard to attract companies in Tech to NH for |
| gentleman. But the world marches on and with more | | | | many years now. It has worked well but now the lay |
| places to go and people to meet including an in depth | | | | offs have been hurting things a little more than |
| look into what makes Nashua tick. One of the major | | | | anticipated. We have seen many top notch companies |
| populated cities in NH and there are not many of them. | | | | come to play in the area here. Such as EDS, Digital |
| Total Population is about 1,272,600 approximately. | | | | Equipment, Raytheon, all of which had lots of layoffs. |
| .Nashua is growing unlike other areas of the states | | | | What the city going was the move towards services |
| that are more Northern which are losing population | | | | and retail to cater to these young up and coming |
| base; According to the Tiger Files associated with the | | | | professionals. But the lay offs were not pretty; but |
| last Census. We are seeing more Canadian Tourism | | | | Nashua has seen it before after the dying of all the |
| as the Dollar has fallen against their currency | | | | mills, Back in the 1600s the colonial town made hay |
| somewhat. A little better than 2/3 as was the previous | | | | due to it's closeness to Boston at which time our |
| known standard that people assumed. Tourism is up a | | | | family in the Silversmith business often traded with the |
| little now finally and mostly because it is an easy drive | | | | population of Nashua. The biggest growth of the city |
| for NY, NJ to get out of the heat. The Winter was a | | | | was from 1960-1980 before the tech bubble, lots of |
| bummer as most admit, but it is hopping now. Weather | | | | growth.The retail sector and upgraded downtown |
| in Nashua is not as bad as one might think. Dec thru | | | | project, they call it "Destination Downtown." has |
| February are a little tough but Nov and March on the | | | | captured the essence of a point of destination, every |
| other side of the cold period are very doable, with the | | | | weekend Boston Suburban Harley Riders drive to |
| typical three day storms which come through, the | | | | Nashua and hang out and spend money. This has |
| issues of doubling up storms or six day bad weather | | | | been very successful with travelers, locals and tourists |
| cold snaps are common in Nov thru March and | | | | alike and it is the answer to fixing these small town |
| occasionally in Oct and also in April. It was a long | | | | areas where urban flight can destroy all hope. Check it |
| winter this year and the worst in six years, but not | | | | out, it is cool; there are the annual events bringing even |
| horrific. Not extremely conducive to car washing and | | | | more people. Also housing and construction are alive |
| mobile detailing and in the rough economy not inviting | | | | and well as Nashua keeps getting high rankings for |
| but doable never the less and better than some | | | | good schools, friendly folks, lower taxes and a really |
| industries as things have been tough. Luckily the | | | | great place to live. This means that it is a nice place to |
| increase in population has helped. Manufacturing has | | | | clean cars too. Just over the border in Mass, is Hudson |
| taken a little bit of a hit like all manufacturing jobs in the | | | | and it too is seeing strong middle class growth. With |
| US, although NH likes to think of this as their secret | | | | Tech slowing what is NH next play for jobs and |
| strength, well we will give them that, it is true, but long | | | | boom? Well it is attempting to re-invent itself again. |
| term that could be dangerous after touring the closed | | | | And if any state can it would be the tenacious people |
| mills across the border in Maine things were not that | | | | of NH, is Biotech the next power play? It could be the |
| great and hopefully their past is no indication of the | | | | jobs market is less costly for companies and the |
| possible future of NH. We see the city of Nashua as a | | | | students are available in bulk and inexpensive and |
| different type of town although surely Manufacturing a | | | | plentiful .There is a little of everything in NH, why not |
| factor too. Since 1990 most of NH has had great | | | | Bio-Tech after all next to Boston it makes a good fit. |
| growth in High Tech manufacturing whereas the other | | | | There are some car washes in the area too and they |
| New England Sates all had net loses. But today that | | | | are well received and thriving proving that the market |
| incredible advantage could prove a liability. In all of NH | | | | there is strong. Gentle Touch car wash has two |
| there was a 4-5% decline in manufacturing which hurt | | | | locations, both are busy every time we have been by. |
| just like in Vermont, which competes for the same | | | | We saw several other car washes but we really liked |
| manufacturing jobs in low tech, but not so much in high | | | | the Gentle Touch and so do customers. Lucky Duck |
| tech. Burlington, VT has also seen a hard time, yet | | | | Car Wash is also good. The is also a really good Detail |
| even with that retail and services have picked up in NH | | | | Shop which were quite good. .They also own body |
| and VT and with both have Universities that do | | | | shops and have a good customer base and dealership |
| research and development, they have been able to | | | | work and they are busy.The local detailing and car |
| find new placement for graduates willing to stay in | | | | wash establishments are doing well in New Hampshire, |
| state and work. Those have been good paying jobs. | | | | not all are breaking speed records but all are making |
| 17% of all jobs in NH up until even the beginning of the | | | | money from what we saw. What type of business |
| year have been manufacturing. Nashua is not as | | | | would you like to establish in NH, there is growth and |
| heavy in manufacturing as the neighboring large cities | | | | room to grow for most any type of small business. |