Dear New Hampshire Highways Readers:
As we enter the final quarter of 2023 — after a hectic summer — I am reflecting on our industry’s rollercoaster ride of the past few years. As we wrestle with workforce challenges and inflation, the demand for what we do grows steadily. Isn’t that good news?
As the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act stimulates significant transportation projects throughout the country, there are obviously opportunities for our industry. These opportunities exist for large construction firms as well as for smaller contractors and construction companies who can create joint ventures to tackle larger projects. Yet this growing demand for our services prompts other challenges — like the training and “up-skilling” of new employees — requiring us to re-think our traditional approaches to various human resource issues. It is good to know that we are not facing these challenges alone.
Bringing people together is at the core of the Good Roads mission, and the ongoing work of Larry Major from Pike Industries and the Workforce Development Committee (see pages 20 and 23) is an excellent example of our organization's commitment to addressing problems as a community. The New Hampshire Good Roads Association is a significant voice in this critical statewide discussion — and the work of this Committee demonstrates the unique role we can play for our industry in New Hampshire. I encourage anyone interested in getting involved to contact Larry or Brenda and attend a meeting.
Wasn't it just a couple of months ago when I saw so many of you at the Equipment Showcase Open (see page 7)? Thank you to all our members and sponsors who helped make this event one that everyone looks forward to each year. A special thank you goes to all the contest and raffle participants. Through your generosity, over $2,000 was raised for the New Hampshire Good Roads Construction Scholarship, and over $2,000 was raised to support the work of the Workforce Development Committee.
The Fall Social is on the near horizon, on November 4, at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel. This is always a great time to network with colleagues and friends — and the setting is spectacular. Additional information and registration details are available at nhgoodroads.org or call Brenda at the NHGRA office: 603.224.1823.
And to close out the year, we will be hosting a holiday social on December 13 that is open to all our members! We will let you know the details soon. I look forward to seeing many of you in the months ahead, and in the meantime, let’s all be good to each other.
Sincerely,
Jason Riley
President