Grafton County NH Economic Development Council - The GCEDC
Grafton County Economic Development Council
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In the News...

July 17, 2008

2008 Nominations Sought!

The GCEDC is pleased to accept nominations for the second annual 'Grafton County Business of the Year' award.

This is the second year that the GCEDC will offer a business such recognition. Last year’s award went to Canaan Hardware. That company was nominated by local residents impressed by the management’s ability to weather new and strong competition as well as their concern for local aesthetics when they moved to a highly visible location adjacent to Canaan’s village common.

Nominated businesses for this year’s award should be able to show high standards of excellence in three areas: care for their community, commitment to their employees, and a history of corporate success. There are no restrictions on the size of the business, its payroll, or geographic location within Grafton County. Businesses are encouraged to self-nominate and all nominations are due by August 22, 2008

Nomination criteria and forms can be found here or by contacting the GCEDC toll free at 1-888-535-0002. The award will be presented to the successful business during the GCEDC’s Annual Meeting in September.

The GCEDC

Our Mission

Old Man of the MountainAbout our Logo

The GCEDC's logo contains the iconic image of the "Old Man of the Mountain."  This was a rocky prominence within Franconia Notch State Park that, when viewed from the side, had a profile of elderly man's face.  The profile survived as a symbol of New Hampshire and Grafton County until its collapse in 2003.  The Old Man epitomized the rugged Yankee character of New Hampshire residents and was adopted as a monument to mirror the State's motto: Live Free or Die.  Click here for more information on this historic Grafton County monument.
The GCEDC was founded in 1998 as a result of the consolidation of three smaller regional economic development organizations in Grafton County and now ranks as one of eleven recognized Regional Development Corporations (RDC’s) in New Hampshire.  The GCEDC maintains a 501(c)3 IRS tax designation.

The GCEDC's motto is: Economic Development Through Partnerships. We strive to work with other organizations and agencies to promote economic development.  Our strategies for encouraging private sector investment include:
► a growing economic development loan program, 
► engaging in business attraction efforts, 
► creating business incubators in order to assist entrepreneurs, and 
► working one-on-one with businesses to provide them with free and confidential counseling.

Grafton County Business of the Year Award

Canaan Hardware owner John Dow accepts Business of the Year AwardStarting in 2007, the GCEDC created an annual award to celebrate the best within our business community. Nominated businesses must be able to show high standards of excellence in three areas: care for their community, commitment to their employees, and a history of corporate success. There are no restrictions on the size of the business, its payroll, or geographic location within Grafton County.

In 2007, Canaan Hardware was recognized for their dedicated support for downtown revitalization within that community as well as their their strong business acumen in the face of an increasingly competitive hardware market.