New Currents
Liberty expansion
Liberty Mutual Group has begun construction of a 350,000 square foot office building located on 225 acres of land the company owns in Dover, New Hampshire. The company expects to begin occupying the building in late 2007.
Joining Liberty Mutual Chairman Edmund F. Kelly at a recent ground breaking ceremony were U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, Governor John Lynch, Dover Mayor Scott Myers and other city and state officials.
The building will house approximately 2,050 Liberty Mutual employees. Liberty Mutual will continue to employ more than 1,250 employees in two existing buildings the company built in 1996, which are adjacent to the new facility.
The new office building was designed by Gorman Richardson Architects, and is being built by William A. Berry and Son. The project is providing over 200 jobs for Seacoast-area construction workers.
Taxachusetts no more
Whatever happened to Taxachusetts?
A new study ranks Massachusetts among the states with the lowest tax burdens. Some things don’t change, however. New Hampshire still boasts the lowest tax burden. In New England, Maine residents pay the most — 17.3 percent of their income — while Vermont comes in next, with residents paying 16.2 percent. Rhode Island, where residents pay 15.3 percent of their income, is in the middle. Connecticut, at 13.5 percent, and Massachusetts, at 13.7 percent, were among the 10 states with the lowest tax burdens, ranking at No. 47 and No. 44, respectively
New Hampshire residents pay 12.3 percent of their personal income in taxes, while the national average is 15.1 percent. Alaska residents pay the most, 27.3 percent of their income, followed by Wyoming at 21.3 percent.
Moneyball
Only on Long Island” might best describe a summer promotion that could have a fan leaving a Long Island Ducks baseball game with an extra $10,000 just for throwing a few strikes. The Long Island Ducks and Mercury Insurance have partnered to create the Mercury Insurance Perfect Pitch Skill Challenge, a game within 15 selected Ducks home games this season. The contest will give one lucky participant the chance to throw with the pros and win $10,000 throughout the season. To win the grand prize, each aspiring pitcher will need to throw three strikes through a target from a distance of 60’6″ and do so before throwing four balls.