N.H. Leaders Cite Business-Friendly Climate as SynQor, Other Employers Exit Massachusetts

SALEM, NH — Deputy House Majority Leader Joseph Sweeney said Monday that Massachusetts’ mounting taxes and regulations are making New Hampshire “even more attractive” to relocating employers, as lawmakers and the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance held coordinated press events highlighting what they call a widening competitiveness divide between the two states.

Graphic provided by Rep. Sweeney on NH vs MA taxes.

The dual appearances in Salem and outside the Massachusetts House Chamber followed the latest in a series of high-profile corporate moves. Last week, SynQor announced it will shift its headquarters from Boxboro, Massachusetts, to Salem early next year, bringing roughly 250 jobs with it. That move comes on the heels of Analogic Corp.’s decision earlier this year to relocate 500 jobs from Peabody to Salem.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte welcomed the news, writing: “SynQor is moving its HQ — and 250 jobs — from Massachusetts to New Hampshire! As the #1 state for economic freedom, we're a beacon of opportunity for companies looking to grow. No better place to live, work, or raise a family than the Granite State!”

At Salem's Tuscan Village, Sweeney said these relocations reflect a clear pattern.

“Every time Massachusetts adds another tax or regulation, it makes New Hampshire even more attractive for companies looking for stability,” Sweeney said. “We’re not rooting for Massachusetts to fail, but we’re fully prepared to take advantage of the opportunities their out-of-touch policies are creating for us.”

Paul Diego Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, said Beacon Hill’s decisions are driving employers away at a time when the state can least afford it.

“When employers are choosing to cross the border because they can’t keep up with our taxes, energy costs, and mandates, that should be a wake-up call for every policymaker on Beacon Hill,” Craney said. “If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll keep losing jobs, families, and opportunities.”

“Small businesses are the first to flee when costs spiral and regulations pile up,” said Rep. Brian Labrie, chair of the House Small Business Coalition. “Make no mistake, New Hampshire is open for business, and we will continue to put out policies that attract job growth, wealth, and prosperity.”

Rep. Joe Alexander, who chairs the House Housing Committee, said Massachusetts’ tax structure, climate mandates, and housing regulations are pushing investment out. “New Hampshire offers a stable, pro-business environment, and we’re ready to welcome every company that decides it can no longer operate under Massachusetts’ high costs,” he said.

Ross Connolly, regional director for Americans for Prosperity, said the growing divide is the predictable result of two very different governing philosophies. “Massachusetts keeps passing laws that push jobs out, while New Hampshire continues to prove that low taxes and limited government actually work,” he said.

Participants said they intend to keep pressing the issue and encouraging Massachusetts to adopt the type of pro-growth policies that New Hampshire leaders credit with attracting new jobs and investment.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance advocates for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability in state government, as well as increased economic opportunity within the Commonwealth.