Regional Chamber Rallies Business Leaders in Fight to Keep Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Chamber rallies regional civic and business leaders by speaking up about economic impact and jobs
Portsmouth, NH (PRWEB) January 11, 2005 -- Regional economic and civic
leaders are stepping up efforts to protect the economic lifeblood and the proud
tradition of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on the Seacoast of New Hampshire and
Southern Maine. Leading the effort to shore up local and regional support is the
Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, a leading voice of the regional business
community.
“We realized that we as leaders in the community need to do
all we possibly can to fight to keep this valuable and efficient facility not
just alive, but expanding to meet new challenges”, said Dick Ingram, President
of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. Just three months into the job,
Ingram knows the power of rallying the community with grassroots advocacy. “To
sit by and not act to preserve the outstanding quality of life here on the
Seacoast just simply isn’t an option.”
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is
one of roughly 400 facilities undergoing a review for possible closure. “No
disputes that they do the best work of this type in the world and they do it
consistently under budget and ahead of schedule,” says Ingram. “In the private
sector excellence like this is rewarded with more work, not less.”
The
Congressional delegations from New Hampshire and Maine have been united and
unrelenting in their efforts to advance the case for the Shipyard. "Keeping the
Shipyard fully operational is critically important to the Seacoast's economy and
quality of life. We have met with Department of Defense officials about the
Shipyard's record of success, and we remain committed to protecting the Shipyard
in its current capacity and proving its worth to our economy and our nation's
overall defense needs," stated Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), Senator John Sununu
(R-NH), and Representative Jeb Bradley (R-NH).
Over the next several
weeks, the Chamber will be enlisting business and civic leaders to generate
public attention and to explain the impact of the Shipyard on the regional
economy and the social fabric of the community. “Jobs, families, churches, and
everything we do as a regional community all are impacted by the good work done
at the Shipyard and by the folks who have made a career there”, noted Danny
O’Brien, President of Ocean National Bank, headquartered in downtown
Portsmouth—just 5 minutes away from the main gate of the 204 year old Naval
Shipyard. “This is about sustaining all our livelihoods and way of life on the
Seacoast.”
The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce represents the
business, tourism, and employer community in the greater Seacoast region of New
Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. Tirelessly working on behalf of its members
and the community at large, it advocates, represents, and promotes sustainable
regional growth. Bringing together all community stakeholders, the Chamber seeks
solutions to regional quality of life issues that benefit all who call the
picturesque Seacoast home. www.portsmouthchamber.org
Contacts:
Tom Cocchiaro, GPCC
(603) 436-3988 ext. 20
or;
Tom Kelley, Concept Group USA
(207) 423-1993
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb196208.htm
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