Study: Belknap County No. 3 in state in business growth

LACONIA — Belknap County had business growth of 2.4 percent over the past four years, ranking it No. 3 in the state for business growth, according to a national study.

Strafford County, with 3.3 percent growth, was first in the state, and Rockingham County was second, with 2.6 percent, according to the study by financial technology company SmartAsset.

Karmen Gifford, president of the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, reviewed the study and said it tracks with what her organization has witnessed.

“We are seeing many new businesses opening as well as growing,” she said. “We recognize many of these businesses at our annual meeting each January based on not only their investment in their business, but the impact the investment makes on our economy.”

She listed items of economic growth:

Laconia

— Madeira moving from Lakeport to a new facility on Hounsell Avenue.

— Renovation at Best Western Plus Landmark Inn, Melcher & Prescott Insurance, N.H. Housing Authority.

— Lakes Region Community College with its new culinary and automotive programs as well as residential housing.

Tilton

— ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care's new facility/new construction opened in Tilton.

— The growth AutoServ has seen.

— Wrap City, Taco Bell, Starbucks, Five Guys (all new construction).

— Kettlehead Brewery.

— Highland Mountain Bike Park.

Meredith

— Meredith Insurance Agency’s move to its new building across from the Town Docks.

— Real estate growth in and around the Wine'ing Butcher.

— Twin Barns Brewing.

Belmont

— ConvenientMD’s new facility.

Franklin

— Growth in and around the downtown area, including Vulgar Brewing Company, Outdoor New England's vision.

“There are many more and these new businesses generated new jobs,” Gifford said. “With jobs comes housing challenges, and Lakes Region Community Developers has completed several projects across the region to address housing needs.”

No. 4 in the study was Carroll County (2.3 percent), followed by Hillsborough County (1.7 percent) and Merrimack (0.5 percent). Counties with negative growth in the state were Coos (-0.2 percent), Cheshire (-0.3 percent), Grafton (-0.8 percent) and Sullivan (-2.3 percent).

The study was based on the number of businesses established, GDP growth adjusted for inflation, investment and development in real estate measured by the number of new building permits and per capita federal funding in the form of contracts awarded to businesses.

Sources of information were the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey and USAspending.gov.

On the Web:

— SmartAsset business growth study: https://tinyurl.com/uzgwpuv