Featured Member

Meadow Leasing, Inc. is our November Featured Member

The Chamber recently asked Joseph Depalma and his team to tell us a bit about the company, how it began and where it’s headed. Luckily, Joe grasped at the opportunity to tell his story. He provides us with that story, below.

Meadow Leasing, Inc. is a unique, small, family-owned Littleton business. Meadow Leasing’s goal is to provide superior storage and trucking services, and to be a business that: Customers recommend to their family friends, employees are proud to work at, and the community sees as an asset.

            Meadow Leasing strives to provide affordable and competitive pricing so that we can be a “go to” for all, while solving the storage and trucking needs of our customers.

            Here at Meadow Leasing, we lease and sell storage container units, storage trailers (up to 53’ in length), office trailers of all sizes, and loam/topsoil. We also have the trucks and equipment available for hire to facilitate heavy equipment moves and general trucking services for customers.

            Val Poulsen founded Meadow Leasing some 40 years ago! Back then Meadow Street was a much quieter section of Littleton. Val had a vision for the property and the business. Val built the business through hard work and a “never say no” approach to customer jobs and needs.

            I purchased Meadow Leasing in 2018 and have continued that same approach. There were several potential buyers in contact with Mr. Poulsen when he decided to step away. Mr. Poulsen chose to sell to me due, primarily, I believe due to my established connection to Littleton’s community and my previously established relationships with Meadow Leasing’s long-time employees- I was a long-time customer before I became the owner.

            Meadow Leasing is a good fit for me for many reasons. I raised my family here in Littleton, operated an excavating and trucking business here, and also served as the Director of Public Works in Littleton. My wife Jackie and I love Littleton and feel so very fortunate to be able work right here in Littleton-the community that we truly love. I say this with the utmost sincerity!

            One of the things I enjoy most about working at Meadow Leasing is the daily opportunity to be directly involved with the vibrant North Country economy. It might be the delivery of a storage container to the Bike Shop for an annual sale, Walmart needing space for Christmas lay-aways, a local brewery needing extra space, or the Appalachian Mountain Club seeking specialized trucking, we love being a piece of the North Country economic puzzle!

            Our plans for the future here a Meadow Leasing are simple. We hope to continue the growth of our storage operations, while at the same time offering new services to customers who are moving by offering a storage solution that is transportable. We hope to construct more office container units in the coming years to provide customers with ground-level office solutions. We would also like to expand our retail topsoil sales and delivery operations and possibly venture into similar retail sales, such as sand, stone, mulch, and compost.

            Mr. Poulsen built a solid business-complete with a foundation! I wish to continue along with a very similar approach.

            Since purchasing Meadow Leasing, the business has developed a younger side to it. Young, Joe DePalma, IV works here as he attends Plymouth State University for Business Administration and Toni DePalma assists on a part-time basis as well. In an industry often dominated by an increasingly older demographic, we love having “young-blood” at our company.

            In this day and age, environmental sustainability is a growing trend-and rightfully so. We heat our shop with recycled motor oil, recycle vast amounts of cardboard with the Town of Littleton, and have plans to upgrade our fleet to attain better fuel economy and lower emissions.

            We are so happy to be a part of the Littleton economic scene and are proud to be members of our increasingly busy and awesome chamber! We are so fortunate and honored to be mentioned by Nathan. Thanks to all our loyal customers for their continued support!

Joe DePalma, III — President/Owner, Meadow Leasing Inc.

Meadow Leasing can be reached at 603-444-7026 or at meadowleasinginc.com. Their offices and facilities are located at 1091 Meadow Street in Littleton.

Little Village Toy & Book Shop is our October Featured Member

The Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Little Village Toy & Book Shop as our Featured Member for October 2019.

After a huge effort from both the community and friends, Little Village Toy & Book Shop opened their doors on June 13th 2014 in the hopes of offering a warm and caring place for families to enjoy for years to come. Owner Clare Brooks, and long-time book buyer, Stacey Fish, were the brains, hands, and hearts behind all the hard work and care put into bringing back a toy and book shop to Main Street in Littleton. Both Clare and Stacey were previous employees of the bookstore that was previously located in the same building. Just over 5 years later the store has over 20,000 products and employs both part-time and full-time employees.

The motto at Little Village is, Play…Laugh…Learn. Erin Mae, a staff member at Little Village said “The idea is that children can play with almost anything we have to offer and learn without even realizing it. The selection at Little Village satisfies every age range, skill set, and fun factor. We have everything from classic toys and games to the hottest new award-winning items available.”

“In addition to playing, our community and team believe that reading is at the core of brain development, and local book shops are crucial to sustaining that. Offering our children and ourselves an option away from the screen has been scientifically proven to aid in many areas of health and wellness.”

The team at Little Village finds ways to support others in the community with unique efforts like their Penny Jar Fundraiser, which collects change from customers that is donated to help organizations and individuals in need. The store also plays host to events like their weekly story time on Monday or themed events throughout the year.

Check out Little Village Toy & Book shop at 81 Main Street in Littleton, NH. Follow them on Facebook @littlevillagetoybookshop, find them on the web at littlevillagetoy.com or call 603-444-4869.

The Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization, our mission is to promote economic development in the Littleton area by attracting and growing local business, providing valuable resources to our membership and branding the area for tourists and relocation.

First Congregational Church, Littleton is September 2019 Featured Member

The Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce First Congregational Church, Littleton as our Featured Member for September 2019.

The First Congregational Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ, has been bringing people together in Littleton to build and support the community and to worship for over 200 years. The original church building, including the sanctuary as we know it today, was first occupied and ready for its congregation in 1833. The sanctuary is well known for its seventeen stained glass windows installed in 1901. Fourteen of the windows are memorial windows gifted by or in honor of citizens of Littleton prior to that time. There is so much history in and of this building that church leadership published a church history pamphlet in the early 2000’s which is still available today.

Today the church remains as busy as ever. They host weekly worship services on Sundays, open their doors for community meetings, and host many church-run community events including the Pollyanna Day pancake breakfast and their upcoming 6th Annual RiverWalk for MS to benefit the National MS Society on September 21st as well as their popular Harvest Supper coming up this year on October 5th. The Parish Hall also houses Shining Lights Learning Center, a Christian daycare and learning center for area children ages 1-5 which is a mission of the church that opened in 2006.

In a recent conversation with Pastor David Weddington and members of the church it is clear that, while the physical space is certainly breathtaking and full of history and vibrancy, it is the people of the congregation who keep this strong community thriving.

Estelle LaFleur a member of the church’s community outreach group talked passionately about the committee’s new idea of a “Little Free Pantry” that will soon be opening on the Church grounds. “The premise is so simple” says Estelle “Take what you need, leave what you can.” It is all community driven. Anything from food to socks can be placed in the pantry and those who are in need can simply take what they need. The committee hopes to use Facebook as a method of sharing current needs of the pantry and putting out an “all call” when needs arise. The Little Free Pantry is meant to complement existing food pantries in the area. ”The big thing about the Little Free Pantry is its 24 hours a day, 7 days a week access” says Alice Muh “That’s why we felt that it wouldn’t compete [with other area food pantries] but still fill a community need”.

Another involved member of the church community, Ron Bolt, recently headed up the successful application by the church for grant funds given by the State Homeland Security Program. Seven houses of worship in New Hampshire received funds to upgrade and bolster security at their facilities. Ron worked with a group of congregants and with Littleton Public Safety officials to gather data and information which led to their being awarded funds to make much needed upgrades to the safety and security of the space.

The First Congregational Church welcomes all people into their community. Alice Muh shared that years back “We as a Church wanted to figure out – what are we doing here, sitting here on Main Street?” They concluded that they wanted to be “a loving community within the community,” and from that came their Community Outreach Group.

First Congregational Church, Littleton is located at 189 Main Street in Littleton, NH. Find out more about public events and happenings on Facebook at “First Congregational Church of Littleton NH”. They’re on the web at 1stconglittleton.org. The office can be reached at 603-444-3376.

New England Disabled Sports is the August 2019 Featured Member

The Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with New England Disabled Sports as our Featured Member for August 2019.

New England Disabled Sports (NEDS) is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, providing year-round adaptive sports instruction to student-athletes of all ages and abilities.

Headquartered at Loon Mountain Ski Resort in Lincoln, NH and at the Bretton Woods Ski Resort at Omni Mount Washington Resort NEDS has become a nationally recognized program, providing expert adaptive sport instruction to adults and children living with physical and cognitive disabilities.
(NEDS) was started in 1987 with the simple goal of helping people with disabilities enjoy the sports they otherwise might not get to participate in. Since then NEDS has grown to be a year-round program and has over 250 volunteers and around 600 student-athletes. During the spring, summer and fall, NEDS offers instruction in rock climbing, cycling, paddling and golf out of their Loon Mountain location. In the winter months, student-athletes enjoy skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing at both Bretton Woods and Loon Mountain locations.

In a recent conversation with the Chamber, the team at NEDS was excited to highlight the growth their organization has had over the last few years. From members and volunteers to scholarship funding from grants and private donors, these are all aspects that have had tremendous growth. While the NEDS team is excited about this growth they have experienced, they are always looking for new student-athletes and volunteers. Operations Manager Dana Roberts added “we’re always looking to spread the word to get new people involved with our organization”.

When asked about community partners, Administrative Director, Terry MacDonald said “the whole town and community have been very supportive of our organization and mission.” She added that Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods were both key aspects of helping the program operate. The community also comes together when they hold events and fundraisers throughout the year including their upcoming 21st annual Golf Classic and the 32nd annual Winter Challenge Kostick Kup, their largest fundraiser of the year.

New England Disabled Sports has worked hard over the last 32 years to bring together a diverse field of people through sports. They have opened doors for many people throughout New England and are always ready to expand their member base.
New England Disabled Sports has locations in Bretton Woods and Lincoln New Hampshire. More information about the organization and programs they offer is available at nedisabledsports.org

The Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization, our mission is to promote economic development in the Littleton area by attracting and growing local business, providing valuable resources to our membership and branding the area for tourists and relocation.

Feature written by Nick Meachen, Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce Operations & Programs Intern.

Peabody & Smith Realty is July 2019 Featured Member

For the month of July, the Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to showcase Peabody & Smith Realty as our Featured Member of the Month.

Peabody & Smith Realty has been in business for over 25 years. The firm was started by Jere Peabody & Andy Smith in 1993 with a simple goal – to help their clients sell their home or land utilizing a team concept. This was revolutionary in the real estate industry. Since then, the firm has assisted many clients and customers throughout New Hampshire and Vermont and registered gross sales over one-billion dollars. 

“We’ve been in the Littleton market for over twenty years,” said Chrissy Smith, V.P of Sales & Marketing. Their first office was in Franconia and their second was on the Main Street in Littleton. Since then they’ve added three more offices in Bretton Woods, Plymouth, and Holderness NH.

When asked how local community members can benefit from their expertise, Chrissy explained, “We are a full-service real estate firm. We work to market properties and service the seller and assist the buyer in making their real estate visions into reality. We don’t just focus on residential. We have a dedicated commercial team as well to handle commercial real estate – sales, leasing, business opportunities and more.”

Peabody & Smith have been the market share leaders for over 17 years in Northern New Hampshire. They work hard to educate today’s buyers and sellers about the real estate market in the Western White Mountains, the Lakes Region, and Central New Hampshire. “We have been longtime supporters of the Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce and we think it is important to be an active member of the communities we work, live and recreate in. Our chambers work in all our communities to strengthen partnerships between the area business’ and the communities of residents and visitors alike. We are pleased to be a part of the Littleton Area