About NCIC
NEWS -- Stratford Community Center Open House, July 2010
“Can you hear me now? Can you see me now? Can you understand me now? The people of Stratford can answer with a resounding ‘YES’,” said Molly Lambert, USDA State Director for New Hampshire and Vermont at an Open House held at the state-of-the-art, Stratford Community Center with high-speed broadband access, located in the Stratford Public School, on July 14th.
“The World has come to this school, into the Town Offices, rescue facilities, this community center, and into the homes and businesses of the people of Stratford,” said Ms. Lambert. “Through the efforts of Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC), the Town and School leaders; the $578,000 Community Connect Grant awarded by USDA Rural Utilities Service has resulted in access to high speed internet.”
The Stratford Community Center is part of the larger Wireless Linc project provided by the NCIC and partners. Grants from USDA and Community Development Finance Authority made it possible to create the center for community and school use.
Steve Hoyt, center director and a teacher at the Stratford Public School, said that the center has “already proved invaluable.” Hoyt stated that the school has been able to offer long distance opportunities, including an accounting class, which would not have been available to Stratford students before the completion of the center.
Jon Freeman, President of NCIC, outlined the long-term plan for the construction of an interconnected broadband system, Wireless LINC, that will make high speed internet services available for rural communities along the Connecticut River valley in New Hampshire and Vermont.
“Access to Broadband service is critical for residents and businesses located in northern Vermont and New Hampshire,” said Mr. Freeman. “NCIC is pleased to be a partner in the Stratford Community Center project, and we will continue to work to expand opportunities for improved internet access in rural communities.”
Appearing via video conferencing technology, Kathy Eneguess, President of White Mountain Community College, said that “the Stratford Community Center opens up new opportunities for long distance learning for students, residents, and businesses in the region.”
The Center is the result of a dedicated partnership. Cathy Conway, NCIC Vice President of Economic Development, said that partners include “the school, the town selectboard, regional non-profits, contractors, state development officials, the New Hampshire Congressional delegation, and the USDA. The project would not have been possible without this dedicated team of professionals.”
Participants in the Open House included Richard Lougee, Office of Senator Gregg; Mary Lou Krambeer, Office of Congressman Hodes; Rhonda Shippee, USDA; Veronica Francis, Notch Net and Business Linc; Peter Riviere, Coos Economic Development; Tonya Arnold, Principal Stratford Public School; and Samantha Kenney Maltais, New Hampshire Grand.
-End-
More about us!
NCIC is a jobs-based private non-profit serving Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties of Vermont (Northeast Kingdom) and Carroll, Coos and Grafton Counties of New Hampshire (North Country). We provide capital and professional assistance for a full variety of businesses as well as spearheading community economic development projects.
Our business lending is focused on job-creating-businesses throughout our region. As a US Department of the Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution we offer a full spectrum of economic development based financial products ranging from US Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloans, direct loans primarily funded through USDA Rural Development IRPs and SBA 504 loans. NCIC has provided over $100 million to businesses while leveraging an additional $300 million from other sources and helped to retain in excess of 10,000 jobs while creating more than 5,000 new jobs.
Technical Assistance (TA) is provided to assist businesses have the visibility to manage to their financials, marketing strategies, website designs, patenting ideas and utilizing technology. TA services have tremendous value for small businesses seeking to advance to the next level and are provided through NCIC staff and retained consultants.
NCICs economic development efforts have included helping mid-sized companies expand through CDBG based lending while guiding and participating with communities to develop educational centers, industrial parks and complete feasibility studies for future opportunities. Regionally, NCIC is working to establish an improved business environment to strengthen opportunities for job creation and retention, such as Wireless LINC and New Hampshire Grand.
Enveloping NCICs offerings, Innovation North adds solutions to inspire, draw out and optimize diverse job-creating potential through the commercialization of new products, services and processes. With customized technical services and unique funding mechanisms, Innovation North provides deep support for those whose aspirations and solutions have the greatest potential to create and develop diverse and multiple jobs, ensuring strong business structures are built around quality innovations so as to successfully create enduring new jobs.
NCIC’s Partnerships with like-minded organizations multiply our strength, relationships and reach. Local partners have enhanced visibility of specific local needs and work together with us on achieving solutions where our skill sets make the difference. Regional lending partners expand our capacity, especially when help is needed to share the risk to make higher risk yet quality loans happen. State and Federal partners help coordinate and deliver added strength and funding mechanisms.
