The following is an opinion piece by:   JEFFREY J. ROSE Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development   Later this month, Gov. Hassan and I will accompany representatives of seven New Hampshire companies on a trade mission to Turkey, the first in several years. We are excited about the prospect of making connections in a country whose economy is vibrant and eager to do business with us.   International trade plays a vital role in our state’s economy and the legislature recognized this when it passed the bipartisan budget, which included funding for the state to resume trade missions. The International Trade Resource Center has organized trade missions over the past 15 years, to countries including Brazil, Chile, England, France, India, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. The cumulative result of these trips was tens of millions in contracts to businesses and manufacturers right here at home and relationships that helped to keep our state strong in challenging times.   A key to growth and prosperity for any company is the ability to find new customers. Securing global markets diversifies their bottom line. Trade missions offer connections and opportunities for our companies, which typically don’t have the means to hire export specialists. With a trade mission, we can offer resources to open many doors in a short time, such as partnering with the U.S. Department of Commerce and local business organizations in the host country to find potential partners.   Having the governor lead the mission elevates our companies as they meet with business and government organizations. This would not happen for a business going it alone.   When New Hampshire, and the nation, suffered through the recession a few years ago, we weathered it far better than some of our neighbors. This was, in large part, because our businesses sought out overseas markets to diversify their customer base, gain more orders and, most importantly, keep their employees working. That’s why in 2010, we set a record for exporting, sending $4.4 billion worth of goods around the world.   In 2013, New Hampshire led the nation in export growth, increasing its merchandise exports by more than 22 percent, to $4.3 billion. This demonstrates that our businesses and manufacturers can design, create and make products and components that are in demand around the world.   The...