StateWays Winter 2024 | Page 12

90 YEARS OF NHLC

90 YEARS OF NHLC

" WE ’ RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ATTRACT THESE

CUSTOMERS INTO OUR STATE .”

- NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica
began asking , ‘ When are you going to change my store ?’, that ’ s when we knew this had worked ,” he adds .
Beyond rebranding , Mollica never lost sight of the licensee dissatisfaction that had led him in the direction of the chairmanship in the first place .
“ All this stemmed from me being a licensee that wasn ’ t able to get the wines I wanted , when I wanted ,” he recalls . “ Now we sell to any consumer in any store anything they want , and in any amount they want .”
GIVING BACK TO THE PUBLIC
NHLC customers during Mollica ’ s tenure have also enjoyed improved communications in how the commission aids state residents .
“ We don ’ t have working capital from the money we make . All our profits go into the general fund ,” Mollica explains .
Educating consumers about this fact is key . For instance : what is a “ general fund ”? Many folks have no idea what this governmental budgeting tool is , or how it helps them . Or another question : Why run a control model versus a privatized alcohol industry ? These are important questions to answer
for the public to make them understand and appreciate what they have in the commission .
Moreover , New Hampshire — particularly for a small state — has an unusually large legislature . The state ’ s House of Representatives seats an astounding 400 members from 203 districts , with tons of turnover . Quickly and efficiently teaching all these politicians about the benefits of the NHLC is critical .
Working with the Manchester-based communications firm Montagne Powers , the NHLC has created a video about the financial advantages of its control model . Education , natural resources and public healthcare all receive funds from the NHLC , for instance .
“ The video provides an amazing visual for people ,” Mollica says . “ That way , people can finally understand where the money goes .”
“ One thing we want people to know is that we take this responsibility seriously ,” he adds . “ We try to run the most efficient business we can run .”
SAFE ALCOHOL PRACTICES
Like any control organization , the NHLC must conduct business while also regulating alcohol and maintaining public safety .
“ It ’ s a delicate business ,” says Mollica . “ We work with local and state police , and have our own great law enforcement team that specializes in liquor enforcement .”
The commission ’ s Division of Enforcement & Licensing has developed an outreach platform to interact with New Hampshire youth . The division attends outreach events throughout the year , including driver ’ s educational classes , college hockey games , baseball games and a variety of other public safety and community events , reaching more than 120,000 people each year .
“ At the same time , we ’ re not heavy handed ,” says Mollica . “ We make sure we try to understand the needs of the licensees . We have great relationships with our licensees . I can ’ t
12 StateWays • Winter 2024 www . stateways . com