ROCHESTER, New Hampshire
Population: 29,991
Unemployment: 3.7 percent
Sales Tax: 0 percent
New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte sponsored the Manufacturing Skills Act, which would create a $100 million grant to strengthen manufacturing skills, after seeing what Rochester manufacturers such as Rokon International, maker of all-terrain motorcycles, accomplished with just 15 full-time employees. Rokon’s bikes, used by hunters, rescue workers, even Navy SEALs, are sold all over the U.S., Europe and Korea owing to a skilled workforce no doubt helped by local programs such as AMPedNH, which develops customized training programs for advanced manufacturing.