In just under five years Jamarcus Strahan has managed to relocate from Houston, Texas; start his own business; buy a home, and integrate into local life in Gorham, New Hampshire.

Crossing over from transplant to local is no easy feat, and Jamarcus has done it with ease.

He first came to the Gorham area on family vacations. His family loved the juxtaposition of the trees, and mountains, and slower pace of life compared to the big city of Houston. And after many a family vacation here, they decided to make a more permanent move, and bought a house in Gorham, where the family now lives full-time.

4.5 years later, Jamarcus now owns his own home, and Royalty Cleans; a commercial and residential cleaning company. One of the most pleasant surprises he’s found in living in and running a business out of Gorham, is the ease in which he can start and run his own business. Hearing from friends still based in the Houston area, they struggle to carve out a successful niche for themselves in the highly competitive market of the city.

Building a business in Gorham offers the opposite. It offers a market that’s open to new ideas, new faces, and new businesses.

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He has the space to build something from scratch, and see it grow in a market that’s not overly saturated. And because of this he’s been able to grow his business steadily over the last two years. He joins a group of many successful small businesses that have set-up shop in Gorham, and add to the charm of the town center; including Gorham House Florist, Northeast ATV and Snowmobile Rental, and North Country Dental.

One of the biggest markers of his success is in his employees. He’s been able to treat his employees well when it comes to wages and he’s found that for every extra dollar he’s invested in his crew, they turn around and invest even more in Royalty Cleans, and by extension, him.

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He’s found that one of the most rewarding aspects of owning his own business is his ability to treat his people well.

His business also allows him to support initiatives that have grown near and dear to his heart, such as trail maintenance and the Town of Gorham’s Parks and Rec department. Having had access to nature over the last 4.5 years, he has grown to take ownership of the cleanliness and health of the area’s trails. Which means supporting trail maintenance organizations like White Mountain Trail Collective.

So, when Jamarcus isn’t busy running around, managing his company, he spends his precious free time with friends and family.

• On a typical day off, he’ll grab coffee, and play tennis with friends. The valley’s tennis scene is steadily growing with options at Bridgton Highlands Golf & Tennis, at public rec centers, and at private gyms speckled throughout the area. Pickle Ball is also fast growing in popularity, and one can find groups and tournaments to play at mainly in the Jackson area.
• Inevitably his friends will convince him to hike or bike, two activities that Jamarcus is slowly learning to love. And it’s a good thing, because living in Gorham situates him perfectly to the Presidential Rail Trail; a 32 mile stretch of gravel roads that take one on a tour of Gorham to Whitefield, NH. He also has access to many trails that offer friendly hikes off of the Mahoosuc Trail System, that begins just outside of Gorham’s town center.
• He’ll typically end his day at Cigar Shennanigans, in North Conway, just a forty-minute drive south. A bar, lounge, and cigar bar, it features a humidor repping over thirty-two brands of cigars. It’s a place for laid-back fun and to unwind after a long day.

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For complete trip planning resources and information, explore this site, visitmwv.com, or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) to talk to a Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce rep.  To learn more about New Hampshire vacations, go to www.VisitNH.gov.