THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012
VOL. 20 NO. 185
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
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Presby Steel hoping to start operations soon BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN -- The owner and general manager of Presby Steel LLC were on-site yesterday, one day after Presby reached agreement on the purchase of the assets of Isaacson Steel. David Presby, the head of a variety of companies including Presby Environmental, said he is trying to help the North Country and save jobs. He purchased the assets of the bankrupt steel warehouse business following a hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manchester Tuesday. The amended asset purchase agreement is still subject to the court’s final approval. Presby and Jim McMahon, general manager of Presby Steel, were working yesterday to handle the details of switching the business over to the new company. The 19 full and part time employees of Isaacson Steel, which had continued to operate throughout the court proceedings, were terminated although several were on site yesterday to help in the transition. Presby said Isaacson employees can reapply for their positions tomorrow and he expects to start hiring as soon as Monday. He has committed to hiring as many of the former employees as possible. Presby said he wants to “get up and running as fast as we can.” City Manager Patrick MacQueen said Presby signed a five year lease with the Berlin Industrial Development and Park Authority for 22,000 square feet in the BIDPA-owned building in the city’s Industrial Park. The lease
contains options that allow Presby to lease additional space or to purchase the entire building outright. BIDPA will receive roughly $87,000 from the sale of the assets to release all claims on the equipment in the warehouse. The BIDPA had borrowed about $1 million from the N.H. Business Finance Authority and from its own reserves back in 2006 to renovate the building and purchase equipment for Isaacson Steel. The company was repaying the loans through its lease but still owned the BIDPA $640,000. MacQueen acknowledged that BIDPA is losing “a significant amount’ in the bankruptcy of Isaacson Steel. He pointed out, however, that the sale of the assets to Presby will maintain the business and the jobs. He said the building will also be occupied and continue to generate income for BIDPA. MacQueen also pointed to David Presby’s reputation as successful and innovative businessman who is already talking about expanding Presby Steel. State Senator John Gallus, (R-Berlin) said Presby is recognized as an innovative businessman. “He’s very successful at what he does,” Gallus said. “I think he’s going to be very good in that operation.” Presby has a reputation as an entrepreneur and inventor. His company, Presby Environmental, produces what is described as the world’s “most practical and effective wastewater treatment system” at the plant in Whitefield. He is also affiliated with two other see PRESBY page 7
One day after Presby Steel reached agreement on the purchase of Isaacson Steel, company president David Presby (left) and general manager Jim McMahon were onsite Wednesday working to get the new company up and running as soon as possible. Helping out with the transition were Isaacson Steel employees Bo Lafrancois, Michael Salek,and Moe Aubut. (BARBARA TETREAULT PHOTOS).
Senate passes redistricting plan, Shelburne back in District 1 BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
NORTH COUNTRY -- The town of Shelburne will remain in state Senate District 1 under the latest redistricting proposal which passed the full Senate yesterday. District I Senator John Gallus said he was pleased the Senate agreed to keep the town in the district. “They put Shelburne back in the district,” he said. The initial plan, developed by Senator Russell Prescott, (R-Kingston), moved Shelburne and the unincorporated place of Bean’s Purchase into District 3 which includes North Conway and much of Carroll County.
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Gallus said he felt it made no sense to split Shelburne from the Androscoggin Valley and move into District 3. He said spoke to Senate President Peter Bragdon (R-Milford) about his concerns. He said Bragdon also heard from a number of Shelburne residents after the proposed change was reported in the ‘Berlin Daily Sun’. Under SB 201, which Gallus said passed the Senate largely along party lines, both Shelburne and Bean’s Purchase will remain in District 1 Gallus said he did not oppose the other changes in the make up of the district which would increase in population from 51,713 to 53,728. District 1 currently includes all of Coos County,
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four towns in Carroll County, and eight towns in Grafton County. As passed yesterday, the four towns in Carroll County will be moved to District 3 and District 1 will pick up eight new towns in Grafton County. Specifically, District I will gain the Grafton communities of Bath, Benton, Easton, Landaff, Monroe, Hadley’s Purchase, Thornton, and Woodstock. Those will be added to Bethlehem, Franconia, Lincoln, Lisbon, Littleton, Livermore, Lyman, and Sugar Hill, which are already part of District I. Waterville Valley, currently part of District I, will become part of District 3.
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