Commercial Construction
- Manufacturing companies194
- Senior living operators61
- Commercial building owners and developers37
- Auto dealership groups34
- Private K-12 schools25
Commercial trades market · Manchester-Nashua, NH
Appointment setting for commercial contractors in Manchester
Manchester-Nashua has 1,222 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward auto dealerships and manufacturing plants more than the U.S. as a whole. Here is how each trade's market looks, where the buildings are and when to call.
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Trades in Manchester
How each commercial trade's market looks in Manchester-Nashua
Ranked by larger buildings per contractor against up to 100 markets (only markets with 10 or more contractors in a trade are ranked; n/r means not ranked). A higher rank means more buildings worth calling for every competitor working them.
| Trade | Contractors | 1-yr change | Larger buildings | Per contractor | Rank | Eligible targets | Push months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Construction Largest buyer group: manufacturing companies | 52 | -1 | 389 | 7.5 | #13 | 2,747 | Year-round |
| Commercial Electrical Largest buyer group: retail stores | 54 | -4 | 642 | 11.9 | #37 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical Largest buyer group: manufacturing plants | 45 | -1 | 444 | 9.9 | #47 | 1,005 | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Largest buyer group: manufacturing plants | 147 | +1 | 521 | 3.5 | #59 | 802 | Year-round |
| Fire Protection Largest buyer group: restaurants | 27 | 0 | 677 | 25.1 | #85 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Landscaping Largest buyer group: retail stores | 258 | -13 | 617 | 2.4 | #89 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Flooring Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 6 | +1 | 378 | 63.0 | n/r | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings Largest buyer group: retail stores | 7 | -1 | 740 | 105.7 | n/r | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Roofing Largest buyer group: retail stores | 8 | -1 | 686 | 85.8 | n/r | 2,747 | Feb–Apr |
| Paving & Asphalt Largest buyer group: retail stores | 8 | 0 | 605 | 75.6 | n/r | · | Feb–Apr |
Who each program calls
The industries each Manchester trade program prospects into
Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the Manchester-Nashua metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.
Commercial Electrical
- Retail stores286
- Manufacturing plants194
- Senior living and skilled nursing61
- Commercial building owners37
- Auto dealerships34
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- Manufacturing plants194
- Medical and dental office buildings124
- Senior living and skilled nursing61
- Private K-12 schools25
- Commercial property management firms17
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
- Manufacturing plants194
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care124
- Senior living and skilled nursing61
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings37
- Auto dealerships34
Fire Protection
- Restaurants290
- Manufacturing plants194
- Apartment management companies72
- Senior living and skilled nursing61
- Private K-12 schools25
Commercial Landscaping
- Retail stores286
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics124
- Apartment property management firms72
- Senior living and skilled nursing61
- Commercial building owners and lessors37
Commercial Flooring
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care124
- Apartment and multifamily management companies72
- Senior living and skilled nursing61
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings37
- Auto dealerships34
Commercial Painting & Coatings
- Retail stores286
- Manufacturing plants194
- Apartment and multifamily management companies72
- Senior living and skilled nursing61
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings37
Commercial Roofing
- Retail stores286
- Manufacturing plants194
- Apartment property management firms72
- Commercial building owners and lessors37
- Auto dealerships34
Paving & Asphalt
- Retail stores286
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics124
- Apartment property management firms72
- Commercial building owners and lessors37
- Auto dealerships34
Locations with 20 or more employees, U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Property management and similar categories count every company, whatever its size.
What's being built
The projects shaping Manchester-Nashua
Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.
Catholic Medical Center central energy plant
$43 millionUnder construction; broke ground February 2026
A new central energy plant at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, part of a $157 million capital commitment by HCA Healthcare.
A hospital energy plant is mostly boilers, chillers, switchgear and controls, so this is mechanical and electrical work through 2026 and 2027. A further $27 million infrastructure program, phased over five years, will upgrade many of the hospital's windows and roofs.
Business NH Magazine, 2026-07-13 →Manchester School District Priority One middle school program
$306 millionUnder construction; McLaughlin Middle School completed 2026
Renovation and expansion of all four Manchester middle schools and a new Beech Street Elementary School, including a 40,000-square-foot, three-story addition at Southside Middle School.
With McLaughlin open and Southside topped out in April 2026, the remaining schools bring MEP, fire protection, flooring and painting packages over several years, plus new parking and site work. The new Beech Street Elementary School and the three-story Southside addition are new structures that each need a full roof system.
New Hampshire Union Leader, 2026-04-07 →BAE Systems Hudson campus modernization
$85 millionAnnounced 2026
A renovation that will modernize and reconfigure 65,000 square feet of workspace at BAE Systems' defense electronics site in Hudson.
Reconfiguring engineering and test space is interior work: electrical, HVAC, flooring and painting, done inside an operating campus with about 1,052 workers.
NH Business Review, 2026-05-20 →Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel
$360 millionUnder construction; completion 2028
A 2.25-mile, 12-foot-diameter stormwater tunnel under Manchester with seven drop shafts and two vent shafts to cut combined sewer overflows.
Tunnel boring started in 2026, and each shaft site and the street separation projects that feed the tunnel need surface restoration, paving and electrical work through 2028.
Engineering News-Record, 2026-04-15 →Gate City Casino Hotel expansion at Sheraton Nashua
92,860 square feet of gaming spaceApproved August 2026; Phase 1 expected to finish in 2027, Phase 2 to begin in 2030
A two-story addition with Gate City Casino, four restaurants and a five-story parking garage built on the front parking lot of the 357-room Sheraton Nashua at 11 Tara Boulevard in south Nashua, owned by Delaware North.
Phase 1 alone is 65,900 square feet of gaming area and an 865-space garage, so roofing, sprinkler, electrical and garage deck work land in 2026 and 2027, with $5 million in Tara Boulevard road improvements and a second garage phase to follow.
Nashua Ink Link, 2026-08-07 →Revo Casino redevelopment
73,240 sq ftSite plan before the Manchester Planning Board, August 2026
A proposed 73,240-square-foot charitable gaming facility with 1,086 parking spaces on five combined lots at 1279 South Willow Street, John E. Devine Drive and Gold Street in Manchester, Ward 9, replacing the current Revo Casino.
The existing casino stays open until the new building gets occupancy and is then razed to finish the parking field, so the work runs as a new roof and mechanical systems first, then a large lot to pave, stripe and light.
Manchester Ink Link, 2026-08-17 →Manchester high school boiler and roof capital work
Under review by the Board of School Committee
Replacement of failing heating systems at Manchester West and Central high schools, where three of West's five hot water boilers failed within six months and Central is down to one steam boiler, alongside design work and roof replacement at West.
District estimates put a Central steam boiler at about $1.6 million and a full digital controls conversion at about $4.9 million, against about $5.8 million available for capital projects, so boiler, controls and roof replacement work at West and Central is likely to be bid in phases.
Manchester Ink Link, 2026-03-15 → Where the buyers cluster
The owners that anchor Manchester-Nashua
Health systems, campuses, large employers and industrial parks hold the biggest concentrations of commercial buildings here. Each fact links to its source, checked 2026-10.
Elliot Hospital (Elliot Health System)
Manchester, Hillsborough County
Elliot Health System calls itself the largest provider of comprehensive healthcare services in southern New Hampshire; its flagship Elliot Hospital is a 296-bed acute care facility established in 1890.
The flagship hospital plus urgent care, imaging and physician office sites across the region all need HVAC service, cleaning and life-safety upkeep.
Elliot Health System →Catholic Medical Center
Manchester, Hillsborough County
CMC says it is licensed for 330 beds, has more than 3,000 employees and serves more than 180,000 patients each year.
A hospital campus runs mechanical, electrical and fire protection systems around the clock, with daily cleaning and floor care.
Catholic Medical Center →Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, Hillsborough County
SNHU says it has more than 3,000 on-campus students and over 200,000 online students, with a 300-acre campus in Manchester.
Residence halls, academic buildings and athletic fields on the Manchester campus need cleaning, HVAC, grounds and snow-season paving work.
Southern New Hampshire University →BAE Systems, Nashua
Nashua, Hillsborough County
NBC News reported in December 2023 that BAE's Nashua microelectronics center is a 110,000-square-foot building and that the company has a 3,700-person workforce in southern New Hampshire.
Defense electronics plants, clean rooms and engineering offices in and around Nashua depend on precise HVAC, electrical and fire protection systems.
NBC News →Manchester Millyard
Manchester, Hillsborough County
Valley News reported in March 2026 that ARMI, headquartered in the Millyard, broke ground on December 15, 2025 for a biomanufacturing facility and workforce training center at 150 Dow St., slated for completion in 2027.
Former mill buildings converted to labs, offices and light manufacturing carry old roofs, masonry, sprinklers and mechanical systems that need constant work.
Valley News →Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
Manchester, Hillsborough County
WMUR reported that, according to airport data, more than 1.38 million people flew in and out of MHT in 2025 and the airport processed nearly 240 million pounds of cargo, a record.
Terminal, cargo buildings, parking and airfield pavement need cleaning, HVAC, paving and snow-season upkeep.
WMUR → The local business base
Who the buyers are in Manchester-Nashua
Compared with the national mix, Manchester-Nashua over-indexes on auto dealerships, manufacturing plants and golf courses and country clubs. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: restaurants (+12), apartment and residential property managers (+4) and private K-12 schools (+3).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All establishments | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 290 | 899 | 1.24x | +12 |
| Retail stores | 286 | 1,488 | 1.32x | -22 |
| Manufacturing plants | 194 | 492 | 1.40x | -1 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 124 | 791 | 1.03x | -14 |
| Wholesale distributors | 84 | 502 | 1.08x | -30 |
| Senior living and nursing | 61 | 128 | 1.30x | -1 |
| Grocery stores | 47 | 184 | 1.11x | -1 |
| Auto dealerships | 34 | 90 | 1.64x | -6 |
| Private K-12 schools | 25 | 45 | 1.14x | +3 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 25 | 205 | 0.97x | -6 |
| Trucking companies | 14 | 105 | 0.46x | -3 |
| Hotels | 10 | 39 | 0.64x | -1 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 7 | 172 | 0.15x | +2 |
| Hosting and data processing companies | 5 | 32 | 0.58x | +2 |
| Apartment and residential property managers | 5 | 72 | 1.10x | +4 |
| Warehousing and distribution | 4 | 26 | 1.08x | +2 |
| Hospitals | 4 | 9 | 1.04x | -2 |
| Golf courses and country clubs | 3 | 18 | 1.38x | -1 |
| Colleges and universities | 0 | 10 | 1.20x | -1 |
| Commercial property managers | 0 | 17 | 1.13x | -1 |
| Nonresidential building owners | 0 | 37 | 0.78x | 0 |
Climate and timing
Manchester's year, month by month
Outdoor trades (roofing, paving, landscaping, exterior painting) work the months with lows of 40°F or above and sell in the months before. HVAC sells ahead of its heating and cooling peaks. Each trade page has its own calendar.
- Jan32° / 14°Off-season
- Feb35° / 15°Off-season
- Mar44° / 23°Off-season
- Apr57° / 33°Off-season
- May68° / 44°Outdoor season
- Jun77° / 54°Outdoor season
- Jul82° / 59°Outdoor season
- Aug80° / 57°Outdoor season
- Sep72° / 49°Outdoor season
- Oct60° / 38°Off-season
- Nov48° / 29°Off-season
- Dec37° / 20°Off-season
Working in New Hampshire
Contractor licensing in New Hampshire
New Hampshire licenses individual trades, such as electricians, plumbers, and fuel gas fitters, through boards administered by the OPLC. State Fire Marshal certification for fire protection technicians is voluntary.
Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). Checked 2026-09-30.
Hiring locally
What an in-house SDR costs in Manchester
Before you hire a sales development rep in Manchester, price the whole job, not just the salary. Here is the local pay for sales representatives, and what a first year really costs once you add commission, payroll taxes and benefits, tools, recruiting and the manager time it takes to coach them.
- $70,930median pay for a sales rep in the Manchester metro
- $49,920 to $99,990middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
- 1,540people in the role locally, all competing for the same hires
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services and travel (SOC 41-3091).
In-house SDR, first year$134,013
Abstrakt Growth program, full-time SDR, 12 months$102,000
In-house adds $15,000 commission, 25% payroll taxes and benefits, $500/month tools, $5,000 recruiting and 4 manager hours a week at $75/hour, before ramp time or turnover. Abstrakt includes the SDR, management, tools and data.
How Abstrakt works in Manchester
Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market
Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a Manchester target list around your trade, service area and ideal buildings, work it by phone, email, LinkedIn and direct mail, and book meetings with the people who sign. We will not run the same program for a direct competitor in your territory.
Selling into New Hampshire? See the New Hampshire outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.
Manchester commercial trades, answered
Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in Manchester?
Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the Manchester-Nashua, NH metro: our U.S.-based business development reps call the buildings, qualify the opportunity and book meetings with the person who signs. We run one program per trade per market.
Which commercial trades have the most room to grow in Manchester?
Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), commercial Construction (#13), commercial Electrical (#37) and commercial HVAC & Mechanical (#47) rank best in Manchester.
What kinds of businesses are concentrated in Manchester?
Compared with the national mix, Manchester-Nashua has more auto dealerships (1.64x), manufacturing plants (1.40x) and golf courses and country clubs (1.38x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.
Sources and method
- Contractors and business-category change and concentration: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2, Manchester-Nashua, NH.
- Business sites by size and county: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Suppressed size classes count as zero.
- Climate: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county monthly series, 1991-2020 averages.
- Projects: sources linked on each project card.
- Anchor owners: sources linked on each card, read 2026-10.
- Eligible targets: Abstrakt territory record counts, 2026-10; estimated decision-maker records Abstrakt can prospect per program, shown for HVAC, roofing, construction and cleaning.
- Photo: Manchester, New Hampshire and the Merrimack River in winter, by Andri Kyrychok on Unsplash.
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