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Pembroke motorcycle shop owners talk small business as election nears

  • Isabel Sanel rides her four wheeler in her family's back yard, as her father Nathan walks back to the house after reminding her to wear her helmet properly. <br/><br/>(SAMANTHA GORESH / Monitor Staff)

    Isabel Sanel rides her four wheeler in her family's back yard, as her father Nathan walks back to the house after reminding her to wear her helmet properly.

    (SAMANTHA GORESH / Monitor Staff) Purchase photo reprints at PhotoExtra »

  • Nathan and Amy Sanel, at their home in Bow, started National Powersports out of their garage ten years ago. They now have three buildings and 33 employees. <br/><br/>(SAMANTHA GORESH / Monitor Staff)

    Nathan and Amy Sanel, at their home in Bow, started National Powersports out of their garage ten years ago. They now have three buildings and 33 employees.

    (SAMANTHA GORESH / Monitor Staff) Purchase photo reprints at PhotoExtra »

  • Isabel Sanel rides her four wheeler in her family's back yard, as her father Nathan walks back to the house after reminding her to wear her helmet properly. <br/><br/>(SAMANTHA GORESH / Monitor Staff)
  • Nathan and Amy Sanel, at their home in Bow, started National Powersports out of their garage ten years ago. They now have three buildings and 33 employees. <br/><br/>(SAMANTHA GORESH / Monitor Staff)

By SAMANTHA GORESH

Monitor staff

Friday, November 2, 2012
(Published in print: Saturday, November 3, 2012)

Politicians often talk about small-business owners, and Nathan and Amy Sanel are genuine New Hampshire small business owners.

Ten years ago they started fixing up and selling motorcycles out of their garage. They now have two large showrooms in Pembroke and 33 employees. They pride themselves on providing their employees with full benefits, however they have recently had to ask their employees to contribute to the costs. Sanel says health care costs have been rising steadily for the past five years though he does not attribute the increase to the Affordable Care Act. To view a video about what matters to Sanel as Tuesday’s election approaches, visit concordmonitor.com.

Check the video out at The Small Business Vote.

bikernatezxcv wrote:
05/11/2012

Freezeframe and TTCB, The loans that I took were SBA loans, not government stimulus. I misspoke when I said stimulus on the video. These loans allowed me to purchase the last two buildings that I bought for my business as it grew, without having to put the typical 20% down. My company is doing very well and we are hiring more employees and creating more jobs. Now, as far as health care goes. Since the day I hired my first employee 9 years ago I have paid 100% of health insurance, disability, vision, dental and have a simple IRA account for my employees where I match contributions. For years we have been getting hit with large increases, even before the current administration. This year we were hit with a 24% increase in health insurance cost. I could have continued to pay 100% of the costs if I raised their deductible from $2000 to $5000. I brought it up for a vote with all the employees. They chose to start contributing rather than have such a large deductible. I never said that I didn't blame the Affordable Health Care act for the huge increase. I simply said that I have been facing these types of large increases for years.
freezeframezxcvzxcv wrote:
06/11/2012

several problems now exist in this article. The Monitor would have never run your story without the stimulus comment. Now that we know that was not accurate, the monitor should run a statement mentioning your retraction of the comment or pull the video all together. So it is clear this is an advertisement hidden as a political piece. Your tax structure is do to government regulation. To believe differently is just plain incorrect. So now the real point, for the last nine years you have experienced increases in healthcare costs. Probably do to the beginning of the baby boomers reaching ages where disease occurs. But you refuse to think that in the last year, the largest increase ever is not do to the government gearing up for the application of the Affordable Care Act on January 1????? Your comment about the increase of deductible doesn't make sense. Your employees refused to increase their deductibles from $2000 to $5000 but they elected to pay how much into the plans? They probably are paying close to $3000 towards their plans. So where is the savings???? Bikernate are you a relative of friend of some one who is employed by the Monitor?
freezeframezxcvzxcv wrote:
06/11/2012

last sentence should read: bikernate are you a relative or a friend of someone who is employed by the Concord Monitor?
TakeTheCountryBackzxcv wrote:
05/11/2012

Thank you Nate. $700,000 is a huge nut to crack. I understand health insurance because with my company I see how much we pay for the employee non-contribution side and my company pays 75%. The $2000 to $5000 deductible is not a good deal, you made the right choice. I am not sure what you pay but they should be happy paying a couple hundred per month with a lower deductible. I have to say that you seem to be a fair employer. It sounds like the Monitor came up with the "he does not attribute......to the Affordable Care Act". Seems like they took liberties.
freezeframezxcvzxcv wrote:
05/11/2012

I am a bit confused. Is this a political piece or an advertisement disguised as a political piece? I guess only the Monitor can answer that one. Now let's get into the substance of the article. I watched the video and I am confused as to what the owner is trying to say. He took some $700K in stimulus loans and now he cannot pay them back and turn a profit unless his employees begin to pay something towards their own healthcare benefit coverage. Sounds like he was in the same spot Gov. Walker was in Wisconsin. Why would anyone take $700K loan when those who would be his possible customers had no jobs or facing cut backs in their expendable income? If he thinks that the Affordable care act has no bearing on his current predicament, wait to January 1, 2013 and watch what happens to his tax structure then. Looks like another failed money give away loan by the Obama administration. Sadly, another 33 employees will get on the government healthcare wagon. Just more weight that will cause those wheels to fall off.
TakeTheCountryBackzxcv wrote:
05/11/2012

I love this: " Sanel says health care costs have been rising steadily for the past five years though he does not attribute the increase to the Affordable Care Act." Did the Monitor ask the thousands of other small business owners what they believe increased health insurance costs? I can tell you that my employer was specific about the reason for increased premiums this year, 'due to the Affordable Care Act, health insurance premiums will increase for 2013'. Mr. Sanel can believe what he wants but maybe, just maybe his opinion is formed by the fact that he receive $700,000 in stimulus funds. How do you get $700,000 in stimulus funds anyway for motorized toys? Unbelievable. Nice comments freezeframe!
bikernatezxcv wrote:
03/11/2012

Just in case anybody is wondering...the name of our business in Pembroke is National Powersports! Not sure why the monitor didn't include that... Nate
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