State of New Hampshire Quietly Helped Chinese Bottling Giant Secure Nashua Facility

Newly obtained records show that New Hampshire officials actively recruited Chinese
beverage giant Nongfu Spring before the company purchased a 338,000-square-foot
facility in Nashua, guiding executives through permitting, utility negotiations, and
regulatory hurdles with little public notice.

The never-before-seen documents trace a year-long effort that began with direct
outreach to Nongfu’s billionaire chairman Zhong Shanshan and culminated with
Nongfu’s acquisition of 80 Northwest Boulevard in early 2025. Nongfu, one of China’s
largest bottled water and tea companies, is owned by one of the country’s wealthiest
men and was ushered into New Hampshire as part of a state-led economic
development push.

In September 2024, state economic development officials wrote directly to Zhong
following his tour of New Hampshire earlier that year. The letter pitched Nashua as a
prime site, highlighting “lowest taxes in the Northeast, tax credits, talent attraction
services, and rail access”.

Ten days later, an internal email confirmed that Zhong had not yet replied but officials
were pressing forward with outreach. It’s clear they wanted to land this deal and bring
Nongfu to New Hampshire.

By mid-November, Nongfu executives had arrived in New Hampshire. State-arranged
tours brought them to Liberty Utilities’ gas division along with city departments covering
sewer, fire, and traffic.

The visiting team included senior leaders from China: Advisor Hermann Liu, CFO
Katherine Wu, Engineering Head Yuan Liao, Production Head Jigang Zhong, and
Engineering Manager Steve Jiang.

State notes from the visit show the company “knows the city permit time frames and
what they have to do in order to begin production in May”.

Meanwhile, Nongfu’s engineers pressed Pennichuck and Nashua Wastewater for
technical details on water chemistry and wastewater discharges, even asking whether
reverse osmosis reject water could be released into storm drains.

Pennichuck confirmed its system could meet Nongfu’s initial demand but warned that
expansion would require a new $2.5 million pump and 1,500 feet of water main, with
completion projected for 2026.

By January 2025, the Nashua property was sold to Nongfu. Two months later, records
confirm a plant manager was hired and sent to China for training. I wonder what they
learned there?

In April 2025, Nongfu’s U.S. advisor suggested using the Nashua project as a marketing
tool in China, comparing it to how the film Finding Mr. Right boosted Seattle’s visibility
with Chinese investors.

By June 2025, state officials listed “Nongfu Water Nashua – 338K sq. ft.” among their
economic development successes alongside companies like New Balance and Albany
International. Recruiting a Chinese company into New Hampshire is definitely
something you should be proud of (hint of sarcasm).

The documents reveal Nongfu projected annual water usage of 840 million gallons,
placing it among the state’s heaviest industrial consumers. The company sought
preferential water rates and was informed that expensive infrastructure upgrades would
be required.

Officials also facilitated Nongfu’s discussions with Liberty Utilities for new gas boilers
and traffic consultants for required impact studies. Throughout the correspondence, the
project was described as “confidential,” with repeated reminders that Nongfu was
owned by the “second wealthiest person in China” and that Nashua would host the
company’s first U.S. plant.

Security analysts warn that large-scale acquisitions by Chinese firms can present risks,
especially when they involve water resources and other critical infrastructure. Nongfu,
while publicly traded, operates in industries closely monitored by Beijin and raises
obvious questions about oversight.

This situation should scare every New Hampshire resident and every U.S. citizen. How
is it possible that people employed by the State of New Hampshire helped facilitate
bringing a Chinese water company to New Hampshire? Is this a company the
community really needs? What other ulterior motives are behind their desire to start a
bottling plant in Nashua, NH.

I also have to question those who knew about this deal and kept it quiet until the sale
was announced. I find it very hard to believe that people at the highest levels of
government did not know this was happening. The people of New Hampshire deserve
better, and everyone should be appalled.