PLAISTOW — In a bid to harness overlooked business opportunities, the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce will open an office at 95 Plaistow Road.
"Plaistow was a good place to start," chamber President Jim Jajuga said.
He said he sees growth potential in Southern New Hampshire, despite the nation's grim economic outlook. For 2009, the chamber will share a suite with the Plaistow Area Commerce Exchange, a group of local businesspeople who meet to network and expand their connections. Wayne Gerety, a former Plaistow Area Commerce Exchange president, will run the chamber's Plaistow office.
"I'm hoping we'll bring in more resources," Gerety said.
Those resources, he said, could include loans and government programs to foster economic development. The chamber will offer seminars on marketing, for example, specifically geared toward New Hampshire.
"I guess I give it a thumbs up," Plaistow Selectman Charles Blinn Jr. said. "But when you first look at it, it doesn't have chemistry."
Blinn is unsure if the New Hampshire office can succeed because Massachusetts and New Hampshire businesses are basically competing for the same customers. But if anyone can find common ground so both can prosper, it would be Jajuga, he said.
Jajuga also has spearheaded the campaign to bring commuter rail to Plaistow.
"That's not my favorite idea either," Blinn said.
He cited the impact on the town and public safety costs if a 24-hour rail station is built. But he credits Jajuga for trying to improve the business climate.
Jajuga said the rail stop would be a "win-win" situation for everyone, but added that the chamber is not opening the office with a political agenda. He wants to find out what New Hampshire business owners need and help them achieve it.
Jajuga also is not sure Plaistow is the right location for the Chamber of Commerce's New Hampshire division, but he will assess the strategy in a year and look at the options.
About 50 members in eight New Hampshire communities — Sandown, Newton, Kingston, East Kingston, Danville, Hampstead, Atkinson and Plaistow — already belong to the chamber.
Located along Route 125, those businesses have not benefited from state and federal government programs on a par with Seacoast businesses along Interstate 95 or Salem, Derry and Londonderry on Interstate 93, Jajuga said.
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