Hassan Talks Healthcare, Regulations, Education on Business Tour

A rainy Tuesday afternoon was the setting for Gov. Maggie Hassan's latest stop on her "Innovate NH" tour, which found its way to a 43-year-old Salem company on Industrial Way.

Employees from Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI) crowded into a conference room to educate Hassan on their company history, and learn more about the work she is doing to improve their opportunities in the state.

GSSI manufactures ground penetrating radar equipment, which is used for a myriad of purposes.

The technology is applied to utility pipe detection, concrete inspection, bridge or road condition assessments and even to detect survivors in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake.

"It's kind of a niche market and our company is the largest in the world at what it does," said GSSI president Christopher Hawekotte.

He reported to Hassan that the business is doing well, and that they currently employ about 75 people.

During her business tours, Hassan has been stressing specific elements of her jobs plan.

She touched on projects such as the training program partnering Great Bay Community College of Portsmouth with Albany International Corporation of Rochester.

"What we're hoping with that project where the system has put some money into the training effort is that it will then leverage the program so that we can work with other businesses, to say 'what is it you all need that our graduates maybe aren't coming right out of community college or even a tech school with?'"

The college recently opened a satellite in Rochester, allowing students to enroll in a six month program for advanced composites manufacturing.

Hawekotte later stressed that rising healthcare costs and regulatory constraints are some of the biggest challenges facing his company.

Hassan called the healthcare battle a "long haul," but said that she believes the system changes are currently being made to make progress over the next five years.

Offering specifics, she spoke about provisions of the Affordable Care Act on the way providers are reimbursed, so that they are reimbursed for outcomes and not for the number of procedures they are doing.

She also touted the work of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who is working to get a multi-state insurance provider in New Hampshire under Obamacare.

Hassan also breached the topic of international trade assistance, which the bipartisan budget is working to improve.

While exploring the building, Hassan checked out some of the GSSI products, including the $23,000 Utilityscan DF. The product has been on the market for less than five months.

GSSI is becoming a popular stop for politicians. In April, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH) made a similar visit as part of her "Congress at Your Company" tour.