Dear New Hampshire Highways Readers:
Greetings. I hope everyone's summer is going well. I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Equipment Showcase Open on July 28.
As I step into my term as NHGRA president, I’ve been thinking a lot about where this organization needs to focus energy and resources in the year ahead. Larry Major's work with the Workforce Development Committee — and all the learning that has resulted from this endeavor — is one of the most important accomplishments of this organization.
Take a look at Larry's update on page 19. How can we use our mission-driven experience as a “convener” to keep growing and learning in this area? Why is this so important?
Contractors are, by nature, a community of optimists. Most of us are confident in figuring out all kinds of problems on the fly and making quick decisions. We understand the mechanics of our industry. We know how to build and fix things. We're not used to feeling stuck or struggling with a problem and not knowing what to do.
The workforce crisis is an example of a challenge that's beyond most of us to fix on our own. It challenges our New Hampshire community and the entire industry to re-think and reshape just about everything. We're changing how we hire, communicate, embrace technology, build career paths, and reach out to young people. We are exploring, learning about, and embracing new ways of thinking. Our industry is developing a new self-image, and I want more of us to participate in how this evolution happens. I invite all our members to join us in this work sometime in the year ahead. Contact Larry Major, Chair of the Workforce Development Committee, at lmajor@pikeindustries.com or Brenda Clemons at bclemons@nhgoodroads. org to be added to the email list for updates about the committee’s activities. Let us know your ideas. We welcome your voice at the table.
Despite all the challenges we face as an industry — supply chain bottlenecks, inflation, and workforce issues — we always have been able to pull together and make it work. Nowhere is this truer than in New Hampshire, where the NH Good Roads Association has been bringing our industry together for 119 years.
Looking ahead, please mark your calendar now and plan to join us for the Fall Social on November 4 at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel. We’re planning a fantastic luau-themed evening you will not want to miss.
Sincerely,
Jason Riley
President