Bernstein Shur has partnered with Granite Outdoor Alliance (GOA) to support the continued growth of New Hampshire’s outdoor economy. Through the firm’s Strategic Economic Solutions group, the collaboration will focus on policy insight, economic development strategy, and workforce initiatives affecting outdoor businesses statewide.
Manchester, NH — Bernstein Shur has announced a strategic partnership with Granite Outdoor Alliance (GOA), New Hampshire’s statewide outdoor industry association, to enhance policy insight, advocacy capacity, and economic development strategy for the state’s outdoor economy.
The partnership comes as GOA enters a strategic planning year focused on strengthening industry coordination, advancing workforce development initiatives, and elevating the outdoor sector’s role in New Hampshire’s broader economic landscape. Recent federal data underscores the sector’s growing importance: outdoor recreation supports more than 33,000 jobs statewide, generates approximately $1.8 billion in wages and compensation, and contributed $4.2 billion in value added in 2024—representing 3.5 percent of New Hampshire’s GDP. The sector also grew 5.3 percent in 2024, doubling the national rate and reinforcing its role as a key driver of economic activity across the state.
Through the collaboration, Bernstein Shur’s Strategic Economic Solutions (SES) group will support GOA with policy analysis, awareness, and strategic economic insight while engaging directly with GOA’s growing membership network.
Founded in 2020, Granite Outdoor Alliance is a cross-sector, business-to-business association representing more than 130 outdoor-related businesses and nonprofits spanning manufacturing, recreation, conservation, tourism, and services.
“New Hampshire’s outdoor economy sits at the intersection of rural and urban communities, workforce opportunity, and place-based economic growth,” said Taylor Caswell, managing director of Bernstein Shur’s Strategic Economic Solutions group and former commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “GOA has built a strong foundation in a short period of time, and this partnership is about helping the organization take its next step—connecting industry insight with policy awareness and long-term economic strategy.”
Bernstein Shur’s Strategic Economic Solutions group brings deep experience in economic development, government relations, and cross-sector coalition building, advising organizations navigating complex policy environments and growth initiatives throughout New England.
According to GOA, the partnership is designed to be capacity-building rather than transactional, positioning the organization to engage more effectively on issues such as workforce challenges, land use and access, stewardship, and business climate considerations affecting outdoor enterprises statewide.
“As GOA enters its next phase, we’re focused on building the right partnerships to elevate the outdoor industry’s voice and impact,” said Tyler Ray, executive director of Granite Outdoor Alliance. “Taylor’s experience and Bernstein Shur’s Strategic Economic Solutions team bring credibility, perspective, and practical insight that will help GOA mature its policy engagement and better support our members as economic contributors across New Hampshire.”
The partnership will integrate SES into GOA programming throughout the year, including roundtables, working groups, and policy briefings, while supporting GOA’s broader efforts to align outdoor recreation, workforce development, conservation, and economic growth.
Additional details about the partnership will be shared with GOA members throughout the year as collaborative initiatives advance.
What This Partnership Means
Through this collaboration, Bernstein Shur’s Strategic Economic Solutions team will work alongside Granite Outdoor Alliance and its members to:
- Support policy awareness affecting outdoor businesses
- Provide economic development insight and strategic analysis
- Participate in industry roundtables and policy briefings
- Help strengthen connections between outdoor recreation, workforce development, conservation, and economic growth in New Hampshire
About Granite Outdoor Alliance
Granite Outdoor Alliance is New Hampshire’s outdoor industry association, working to strengthen the state’s outdoor economy through business support, workforce development, collaboration, and stewardship. GOA represents a diverse network of businesses and nonprofits connected to outdoor recreation, manufacturing, education, conservation, and tourism.
About Bernstein Shur – Strategic Economic Solutions
Bernstein Shur is a New England–based law firm advising clients across the United States and internationally. The firm’s attorneys and professionals provide practical, sophisticated counsel across more than two dozen practice areas and industries. Bernstein Shur’s Strategic Economic Solutions group provides integrated economic development and strategic advisory services to organizations navigating policy environments, growth initiatives, and public-private collaboration.