The growing influence of life science businesses in NH

WELCOME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE’S BUSINESS. I’M FRED KOCHER. NEW HAMPSHIRE’S VIBRANT AND GROWING LIFE SCIENCES CALLED THE BIOSCIENCE INDUSTRY IS GROWING. NEW HAMPSHIRE’S ECONOMY IN BIG, NEW WAYS. BUT LIKE OTHER PARTS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S ECONOMY, THERE ARE THE ISSUES OF HOUSING COSTS AND TALENT RETENTION. HERE’S THE INDUSTRY I’M TALKING ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE LIFE SCIENCES OR BIOSCIENCE INDUSTRY GROUPS, MEDICAL MANUFACTURING, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICINE, MANUFACTURING, MEDICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES. NOW, HERE’S THE INDUSTRY BY THE NUMBERS. FROM 2023, THE MOST RECENT, WE HAVE 1048 BUSINESSES, 90,330 EMPLOYEES, 2023 NUMBERS AGAIN, SALES 4.3 BILLION AND AVERAGE WAGE 136 164. WITH ME TO DESCRIBE A VIBRANT BUT UNFAMILIAR PART OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ECONOMY FOR MANY IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NEW HAMPSHIRE LIFE SCIENCES, ANDREA HECHAVARRIA, AND NATE DEMLING, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF HYACK AND MERRIMACK, A CONTRACT DESIGNER AND MANUFACTURER OF MEDICAL DEVICES. WELCOME TO YOU BOTH. THANKS FOR HAVING US. THIS INDUSTRY, PARTS OF IT HAVE BEEN AROUND A WHILE, BUT BASICALLY IT’S AN INDUSTRY WHICH HAS GROWN. IT’S NOW A VIBRANT PART OF THIS ECONOMY, BUT MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT IT. TELL US. THAT’S RIGHT. NEW HAMPSHIRE LIFE SCIENCES WAS CREATED TO INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF OUR INDUSTRY. AND WE REPRESENT, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, AT THE TOP COMPANIES THAT ARE IN MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURING, BIOPHARMACEUTICAL R&D, BIOTECHNOLOGY. AND WE’RE REALLY BRINGING OUR COMPANIES TOGETHER. AND NATE, YOU KNOW, DIAGNOSTICS, THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE IN, RIGHT? YES. CORRECT. TO SUPPORT YOUR POINT EARLIER FRED, WE’VE BEEN MANUFACTURING LIFE SCIENCE LIFE SAVING DIAGNOSTICS PRODUCTS IN MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE, SINCE 1980. YET WE’RE VIRTUALLY AN UNKNOWN ENTITY HERE. HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, I OFTEN DESCRIBE OUR COMPANY AS WE ARE THE BRAND BEHIND THE BRAND. NEVER YOU NEVER HEARD OF US, BUT WE ARE SUPPORTING MOST OF THE LARGE MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY. TO PUT A POINT ON IT, HERE IS SOME OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF WHICH MOST PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT LIFE SCIENCES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE PRODUCTION OF MODERNA VACCINES TO FIGHT AGAINST COVID 19 BY LONZA BIOLOGICS IN PORTSMOUTH, AND THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTION OF HUMAN TISSUE ORGANS AT ADVANCED REGENERATIVE MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE, OR AMI IN MANCHESTER. NATE, YOUR COMPANY HAS ALSO BEEN PART OF THE HISTORY HERE. YOU HAD A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL THAT YOU DURING COVID THAT TREATED MILLIONS. JUST TELL US ABOUT IT. THAT’S RIGHT FRED. DURING THE PEAK OF COVID WE WE MANUFACTURED, DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED A DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN TESTING FOR THE COVID 19 VACCINE. WE QUICKLY RAMPED UP PRODUCTION LITERALLY FROM 0 TO 60 UNITS A WEEK IN A VERY SHORT TIME PERIOD IN AGAIN IN MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN SERVING PATIENTS DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. ON THE BACK OF A NAPKIN, WE CALCULATE THAT WE IMPACTED OVER 100 MILLION LIVES THROUGH THAT DEVICE THAT WAS DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED AGAIN RIGHT HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, RIGHT? RIGHT NOW, HOUSING AND WORKFORCE RETENTION, TWO ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS INDUSTRY HAS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. TALK ABOUT THAT. YES. SIGNIFICANT ISSUES, JUST LIKE THEY ARE FOR A NUMBER OF SECTORS IN THE STATE. WE ARE A PROUD MEMBER OF THE BIA HOUSING SUPPLY COALITION. WE’RE ENGAGING THERE AND BRINGING THE PERSPECTIVES OF OUR LIFE SCIENCE COMPANIES TO THAT ORGANIZATION TO WORK WITH STATE LEADERS. IT’S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE WE NEED TO ADDRESS TO RETAIN YOUNG TALENT. WE WANT TO DEVELOP OUR TALENT PIPELINE FOR THE FUTURE, TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE WORKFORCE AND INDUSTRY WE HAVE TODAY, BUT ALSO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE WANT TO ATTRACT FUTURE COMPANIES TO NEW HAMPSHIRE AS WELL. NATE, HOW ABOUT THAT? YOU YOU USE ENGINEERS. YOU NEED ENGINEERS. ARE YOU GETTING THEM? NO, PROBABLY MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY RIGHT NOW IS IS DEVELOPING AND ACQUIRING NEW TALENT INTO THE COMPANY. WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 150 ENGINEERS THAT ARC. WE’D LIKE TO ADD MANY MORE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, BUT THEY’RE HARD TO FIND NOW. YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN HIGHER EDUCATION. DARTMOUTH UNH SAINT AMES. AND NOT ONLY TO EDUCATE THE TALENT YOU NEED, BUT ARE THEY DOING RESEARCH FOR YOU OR WHAT ARE THEY DOING BECAUSE THEY’RE REALLY PART OF THIS WHOLE LIFE SCIENCES MOVEMENT IN THE STATE. THAT’S RIGHT. EVERY EDUCATION INSTITUTION HERE IN THE STATE PLAYS A HUGE PART FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH OF SCIENCES. AND WE’RE REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE TWO UNIVERSITIES HERE IN THE STATE WITH UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND DARTMOUTH. AND WE’RE WORKING ACROSS THE SPECTRUM ON WORKFORCE ISSUES, MAKING SURE THE INDUSTRY IS ENGAGED WITH OUR ACADEMIC PARTNERS SO WE CAN OFFER THOUGHTFUL AND APPROPRIATE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, INTERNSHIPS THAT OUR COMPANIES CAN USE TO GROW THAT TALENT PIPELINE. LEAVE IT THERE, ANDREA HECHAVARRIA AND LIFE SCIENCES PRESIDENT AND AND NATE DEMLING, WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE HAI HAI COMPANY IN MERRIMACK. THANK YOU. NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING US. AND TO GIVE EVERYBODY A GLIMPSE OF LIFE SCIENCES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, A BIG PART OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ECONOMY. NOW, IF YOU MISS PART OF THIS, YOU CAN GO TO WMUR.COM WHERE IT WILL