New Hampshire

Joy Lane Farm

Location: Rollinsford, New Hampshire
Website: https://joylanefarm.com/
180% increase in first-time buyers

With goats in the barn and ingenuity in their veins, the Waechter family started Joy Lane Farm as a kitchen table business. “My mom made soap to cover the costs of farm animals and taught me how when she moved overseas to be a nurse,” says Joel Waechter, who grew up in the Granite State. Joel and his wife, Katy, sold their goat milk soap by word of mouth and at farmers’ markets, expanding their product line to include lotions, lip balms, and candles. Soon, they set up shop in an historic mill building and ramped up production, selling products wholesale. In 2016, they quit their jobs to run the business full time. Then, in 2020, they faced what Joel calls “the pandemic scramble”: How to keep business rolling as stores and trade shows shut down? They relaunched their website and began selling products online. Despite challenges, the business grew and steadily gained customers outside the region. “We’d never done paid advertising before,” Joel says, “so we decided to try Google Ads.”

In March 2023, they began running Shopping campaigns on Google Ads. New customers discovered their wholesome, natural brand, intrigued by country air scents like lilac and northern birch. By year’s end, they saw a 180-percent increase in first-time buyers, with nearly 60 percent of engaged sessions coming from Google Shopping Ads. Now, they’re learning how to use the AI capabilities of Google Analytics 4 “to evaluate and grow customer lifetime engagement.” The family supports humanitarian causes, and they’re aiming to fully sponsor one nurse’s salary on Mercy Ships by 2027. They also want to buy a farm to consolidate operations, invest in new machinery, and hire more employees to keep up with demand. The road ahead looks bright. Says Joel, “Google Ads is our path to growth.”

Recordsforce

Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Website: https://recordsforce.com/
140+ employees

Bill Becker co-founded Recordsforce with his wife, CFO Katja Becker, in 2001 to help businesses manage and digitize their documents and records. A microfilm expert, Bill envisioned a future free of paper records, and finding ways to make work easier. The couple’s early adoption of digital tools helped them build a thriving, in-demand business. “We’ve evolved as technologies have evolved,” says Bill. “We help other businesses succeed by eliminating the repetitive and manual tasks that slow them down.” Today, Recordsforce provides compliant, cloud-based document management services to some of New England’s biggest brands.

Recordsforce began using Gmail in 2004, adopting Google Workspace collaboration tools soon after. “Google Docs allows us to share records with each other,” Bill notes. “We use Google Sheets for our company budget and to track project status, Slides for customer presentations, and Forms for internal polls, such as a favorite songs playlist for music in the office.” Putting their message on Google Ads has boosted new business leads from 30 a year to about 30 a month. Google Analytics shows them exactly where these customer inquiries come from. With business booming, the company expanded the Portsmouth operations to a second production facility in Manchester in 2022. Recordsforce provides jobs to 140+ employees, infusing their “work better” philosophy into their own company culture. “We’re really proud of that,” says Bill. “We never envisioned this success when we started the company.” Now, they are expanding their services outside of the region and beyond the U.S. “Google is helping us go global,” says Bill, “...and put little New Hampshire on the map.”

All Real Meal

Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
Website: https://www.allrealmeal.com/
3X increase in business since pandemic started

There’s nothing like when a friend drops off a delicious, home-cooked dish. That’s the idea behind All Real Meal, a women- and minority-owned business delivering fully cooked, organic, farm-to-table meals to over 75 towns in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Founded in 2013 by chef Kasia Lojko, the company has grown from modest beginnings to a thriving operation with eight employees (and spouses and kids pitching in). “Once the meal kit trend started, prepared meal delivery in general became huge,” says Co-owner Sonia Farris, who joined the company a few months after its launch. “Our customers are mothers, professionals, seniors, and other health-conscious eaters. We’ve used Google from day one to grow our business.” Google Ads helps people searching for healthy meals delivered to their door find All Real Meal. Low-carb, gluten-free, and vegetarian dishes are popular, including power bowls and salads.

Their Google Business Profile helps customers stay up-to-date, which became critical when more people opted for meal deliveries due to COVID-19. “Business tripled overnight,” Sonia says. “Our Business Profile helps us communicate with customers on changes to our hours and menus.” Since their start, revenue has doubled year-over-year. With no slowdown in sight, All Real Meal expanded their coverage area and added new offerings, such as gift bags and a “Meal Train” plan that allows customers to support their friends and family with home-cooked meals delivered to their door. And a Google Ads campaign suggests customers “Send food instead of flowers” for special occasions. Their mission to build a company that’s good for the planet includes donating part of every sale to fight food insecurity and help neighbors in need. “Google products help us compete with companies that have billions in advertising dollars,” Sonia says. “In turn, that helps us help our community.”

Studley’s Flower Gardens

Location: Rochester, New Hampshire
Website: https://studleys.com/
15 employees

Founded in 1928, Studley’s Flower Gardens is a family-owned florist, garden center, and landscaping company located in downtown Rochester, New Hampshire. They’ve grown their trusted reputation for nearly 100 years by being a good neighbor, while putting heart into every arrangement. Keeping that legacy alive are current owners, the Meulenbroeks—husband and wife Jeffrey and Molly, and Jeffrey’s brother, David. In 2003, when Studley’s launched their first website, Google Ads helped them expand their reach and compete more effectively with national brands. By the start of 2020, Studley’s had grown their social media presence and developed a robust e-commerce website, supporting all aspects of the business. The site’s wide, visually appealing assortment of flowers and plants helps customers find just the right choice for any occasion.

Cultivating an online presence proved fruitful when COVID-19 forced Studley’s physical storefront to temporarily shut down. Google Analytics provided valuable insights into website traffic—including which photos got the most clicks—giving Studley’s the business intelligence to plan their next moves. Because of their existing e-commerce capabilities, the company quickly transitioned to contactless pickup and delivery. “Easter was one of the busiest in years,” Molly recalls. “And then came Mother’s Day, and our online sales were nearly unprecedented.” In fact, digital sales tripled over the previous year. The company has always believed in giving back to the community that’s supported them for so long, and Molly is an active member of local historical and economic groups. Moving forward, Molly and her team hope to increase Studley’s national reach and implement new digital marketing strategies, using lessons learned during the pandemic. Still, they remain true to their roots. “Connecting with our community has always been what’s set us apart,” Molly says. “Google helps make sure we keep doing that in this rapidly changing digital world.”

Fuller's Sugarhouse

Location: Lancaster, New Hampshire
Website: fullerssugarhouse.com
12 employees

Dave Fuller will admit that he’s a syrup guy first and a businessman second. Dave grew up on a small farm in rural New Hampshire, where he learned about maple syrup from his grandfather, an experienced sugarmaker. Dave would do it all, from tapping trees to gathering sap and boiling syrup. Years later, Dave used his knowledge to open Fuller’s Sugarhouse along with his wife, Patti. “[Producing syrup] really is my passion in life, and I’ve been able to figure out how to make a living at it,” said Dave. Based in Lancaster, Fuller’s Sugarhouse produces up to 9,000 gallons of pure maple syrup each spring. Making syrup isn’t its challenge: “We’re located in an extremely rural area, which means we have a lot of maple trees, but we don’t necessarily have a lot of folks around to buy our product,” said Dave. “We realized we needed to be online to expand our customer base.” With this in mind, the Fullers decided to team up with marketing coordinator Pam Sullivan to reach more potential customers.

Pam steered the Fullers toward Google Ads to connect with syrup lovers around the country. “We use the search and keyword tools to optimize the website so it can be found in organic search. Google Analytics is key for tracking the programs we’re putting out there and informing future decisions,” said Pam. Almost half of the company’s advertising budget is dedicated to digital. Additionally, Fuller’s Sugarhouse uses Google My Business to display its hours and location across Google Maps and Google Search, allowing people to find it more easily.

In the last year, Fuller’s Sugarhouse has seen 22% year-over-year revenue growth and is setting its sights on the wholesale market next. “We’re looking to expand into the ingredient market, with more wholesale inquiries from producers of products that use maple syrup,” said Pam. “That’s a big part of the Google Ads work we do. It’s the only lead generation tool we’re using.” In addition to wholesale expansion, the company is focused on driving visitors to its community by offering tours of the sugarhouse to capitalize on the growing agritourism trend in the region. “It’s a huge potential growth opportunity — if we get tourists here, everybody will do better,” said Pam. For Dave, as long as the company’s future involves the Fuller family, he’s happy. “We want to see this business continue to grow, and we’d love it to stay a family business,” he said. “I have a grandson who seems very interested in it, and for him to someday step in and take over would be one of the most satisfying things I could ever imagine.”

Anchor Line

Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Website: www.anchorline.tv
5 employees

Adam Flaherty and Kenneth Dodge share a passion for telling a compelling story. In 2011, Adam was working as a freelance videographer in New Hampshire's Seacoast region. Kenneth was living in Los Angeles pursuing a filmmaking career. When Kenneth relocated to New Hampshire, he reached out to area videographers. “He was trying to gauge if it was even viable to do professional video production in New Hampshire," Adam recalls. "We hit it off and decided that together we could build something bigger and better for creative video production in the region." The two launched Anchor Line in 2013, offering video production, animation, 360-degree video, and post-production services. Since then, business has "exceeded our expectations," Adam says.

Anchor Line is in a highly visual and competitive industry, “so it's important that we do everything we can to stand out online,” Kenneth explains. The two have been using AdWords, Google’s advertising program, from day one. “Even before Anchor Line, AdWords is what helped me grow my freelance business into a brick-and-mortar shop. When we started this company, it was a no-brainer to me that we would advertise it on Google as well,” shares Adam. Now about 50 percent of Anchor Line’s new clients come through Google. The team also uses YouTube to showcase their work to potential clients, and G Suite tools, such as Gmail, Calendar, and Docs, to power their business operations from client communications to project management. And with insights from Google Analytics, “we can better shape how we market ourselves and how we acquire new business," says Kenneth.

Today, Anchor Line services a growing number of clients, from local organizations to multinational brands. They are also growing business outside of the U.S., all from their home base in the Granite State. “It’s crazy when you realize that we’re a small film community within New Hampshire,” Adam muses. “When people began referring to us as the premier production company in the area, that's when we knew we had created something really special. Now we just strive to keep growing, improving, and creating video content that inspires.”

GourmetGiftBaskets.com

Location: Exeter, New Hampshire
Website: www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com
GourmetGiftBaskets.com is celebrating their 15 year anniversary in 2017

In 1976, David and Trudy Abood opened a flower shop in Manchester, New Hampshire. The business thrived, with David eventually bringing on son Ryan as president and CEO. Ryan had a hunch that the family's side business—making gift baskets in the store basement—could grow beyond the local community, so he launched GourmetGiftBaskets.com in 2002. "We provide a variety of products for all the major occasions in people's lives," says Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jason Bergeron. They work with select vendors to procure fine chocolates and candies, baked goods, snacks, coffees and teas, and other gift basket goodies. They also manufacture their signature product, which pops up in many orders—handcrafted gourmet popcorn. "We're an aggregator of the world's best gourmet foods," Jason says, “and what sets us apart is that we assemble all of our products ourselves right here in New Hampshire.”

Since their founding, the e-commerce operation has exploded with $20 million in annual sales. They rely on AdWords, Google's advertising program, to attract the right customers during specific times of the year and drive sales. “It accounts for 30 percent of our sales and is a key part of our growth,” Jason remarks. Google Analytics provides critical data to help them compete in a highly saturated marketspace. "We analyze everything," he adds, noting that 85 percent of their marketing budget is spent online. "By tracking every facet of customer interactions on our website, we can really dive in deeper and focus on areas where we find success."

GourmetGiftBaskets.com has been recognized by national publications for their rapid growth. Their affiliate and marketplace channels have a strong presence, and the company is busy expanding to other online marketplaces, entering the wholesale industry, and working to increase international sales. To accommodate their sweet success, they moved into a 107,000-square-foot facility in Exeter. They employ 50 people full-time and add temporary employees during peak holiday seasons. GourmetGiftBaskets.com supports the local food bank and offers an online donation request portal to share their goodwill with organizations across the U.S. "Working with Google has helped us grow in every channel," Jason says. "The digital world changes quickly, but because of the tools at our disposal, we are always ready to adapt."

Amherst Label

Location: Milford, New Hampshire
Website: www.amherstlabel.com
50 employees

Since 1978, the Calvetti family has owned and operated Amherst Label, a custom label printing company serving businesses in the Northeast and beyond. If it needs a label, they've got it covered—from custom food and beverage labels, to industrial labeling and window decals. The advent of the Internet presented an opportunity for this traditional print company. "I used to go out and bang on doors and drop off literature," says Vice President Nye Hornor. But in 1998 they launched their first website. "We've grown with the Internet in our marketing mix. Our website keeps us in front of customers and makes us look relevant and professional."

The Amherst Label team now depends on their website to make it easy for customers to explore the wide variety of products they offer. Google Analytics provides them with insights into how users are interacting with their site and subsequently they’ve made changes to the site that have resulted in more qualified leads. They’ve also started creating content that tells their brand story by sharing YouTube videos with customers via email and on social media. "The feedback has been extraordinary," Nye says. "If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video is worth 10,000. Our videos brought us to life and featured our company in a genuine, positive way.”

They are achieving nearly $1 million annual sales growth, thanks in part to the Internet. They have also expanded their customer base to nearly 500 businesses, with 24% of new customers coming from the Internet. “Our steady business growth shows the importance of web-based marketing," Nye says. "It's a trend we're just starting to capitalize on. We’re learning about how Google tools can take us to the next level.” Still, they remain a "made in New Hampshire" company at heart and invest in their local community through supporting charities and creating seasonal jobs. They are also committed to being an environmentally-friendly company by reducing their carbon footprint, removing harmful chemicals from their workplace, and installing solar panels on their building. Amherst Label is one of only 19 companies in North America to receive the LIFE® certification from TLMI, the professional association for tag and label manufacturers and suppliers. The certification recognizes their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing—a label that they’re very proud of.