2014-15 ~ business journal meet our staff

Transcription

Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Journal • Morning Sentinel
Business Journal
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Special advertiSing Supplement
~ 2014-15 ~
BUSINESS
J O U R N A L
M E E T O U R S TA F F
Regional Advertising Director
Cindy Stevens
Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel/Coastal Journal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Augusta business community growing ............................ 6
Mid-Maine Chamber Major League effort ..................... 7
Skowhegan: a romantic destination ................................. 8
Franklin Chamber golf tournament success ................... 9
Thomas College completes expansion ............................ 10
Waterville Business & Career Center ............................ 11
Phone: 621-5651
E-mail: [email protected]
KVCC expands educational opportunities .................... 12
Business Development Manager
Bridget Campbell
Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel
Social media exhibits strength ........................................ 16
Phone: 861-9155
E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising Sales Staff
Marise Anagnost
Barbara Hendsbee
Chuck Barnes
Carla McGuire
Pam Boucher
David Pierce
Lori Gervais
Ron Robbins
Michael Hallee
Augusta CareerCenter .................................................... 14
Central Maine Growth Council efforts.......................... 18
Inland Hospital partners with local agencies
to combat childhood obesity ........................................... 20
Small business is big for Maine ...................................... 22
KVCOG offers resources for local businesses ............... 24
Security and surveillance for businesses ....................... 26
Personal branding necessary part of business .............. 28
Advertising Graphic Artists
Karen Paradis
Dawn Tantum
Alicia Tuttle
Debbie Fuller, Profiles Coordinator
Franklin Community Health Network merge............... 42
Contributors
Darla L. Pickett, Content Editor
Kennebec Behavioral Health promotes wellness .......... 48
John Begin
Tina Chapman
Wanda Curtis
Nancy Gallagher
Jonathan Humphrey
Nancy Marshall
Nancy P. McGinnis
Randy Mosher
Catherine Nadeau
Valerie Tucker
Julie Rabinowitz
Susan Varney
ABOUT THIS SECTION
This special advertising section was produced by the Kennebec
Journal/Morning Sentinel advertising department staff. The
cover was designed by Dawn Tantum, creative services graphic designer. If you would like more information about creating
a section for your business, please call Business Development
Manager Bridget Campbell at (800)537-5508, ext. 9155.
Inland Hospital and Sebasticook
Valley Health collaboration ............................................ 44
MaineGeneral transforms Thayer Center for Health .. 46
CMMC offers minimally invasive heart surgeries ....... 52
Business Journal Profiles ...........................................33-40
State of Maine Dept. of Labor FAQ ............................... 54
Easy ways to drive sales .................................................. 56
Networking tips ................................................................ 58
Benefits of business podcasting....................................... 59
Pros and cons of performance reviews .......................... 60
Avoiding workplace injuries ........................................... 62
Simple ways to connect with your customers ................ 63
Addressing negative online reviews ............................... 64
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Business Journal
Whats Happening •Kennebec
KennebecJournal
Journal•• Morning Sentinel
2014-15
Business Journal
~ Index of Advertisers ~
All Season’s Automotive ........................................ 47
American Glass....................................................... 47
Antique Directory.................................................... 59
Audette’s Ace Hardware ........................................ 49
Augusta Area Businesses ...................................... 61
Augusta Civic Center ............................................. 61
Automobile Services Directory ............................. 47
Bar Harbor Bank and Trust .................................... 16
Bee Line Cable ........................................................ 21
Bob The Plumber, Inc. ............................................ 64
Bouchard’s Cleaning Service ................................ 56
Brennan Insurance Agency ................................... 49
Brown Funeral & Cremation Service .................... 45
Brownie’s Auto Service and Sales ........................ 47
Buddie’s Meat & Groceries .................................... 31
Camden National Bank .......................................... 50
Catholic Schools Directory .................................... 56
Cayer Security Services ......................................... 53
Central Maine Equipment ...................................... 66
Central Maine Heart & Vascular Institute ............. 41
Central Maine Motors Auto Group ........................ 19
Century 21 Land & Lakes Realty ........................... 31
Century 21 Nason Realty ....................................... 66
Collision Plus 2 ....................................................... 47
County Seat Realty ................................................. 30
Credit Union Directory ........................................... 55
Crisis & Counseling Center ................................... 50
Crosby & Neal Funeral Home ................................ 45
D.H. Pinnette & Sons, Inc....................................... 31
Damon’s Pizza & Italians........................................ 61
Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Services....... 45
Dance Unlimited, LLC ............................................ 58
Dave’s Appliance .................................................... 48
Day’s Real Estate .................................................... 31
Delta Ambulance .................................................... 59
Dining Directory ...................................................... 63
Direct Cremation of Maine .................................... 45
Duratherm Window Corporations ......................... 62
Econo Electric......................................................... 64
End of the Rainbow Alternatives........................... 30
Eric’s Restaurant .................................................... 63
European Auto Service .......................................... 46
Evergreen Self Storage .......................................... 51
Eye Care of Maine .................................................. 52
Farmington Area Businesses ................................ 30
Farmington Motel ................................................... 30
Farrin’s Country Auctions Inc. ............................... 59
Farris Law................................................................ 65
Franklin County Chamber of Commerce ............. 30
Franklin Savings Bank ........................................... 18
Franklin Somerset FCU .......................................... 55
Fred’s Coffee Company ......................................... 29
Funeral Alternatives Group .................................... 45
Funeral Services Directory .................................... 45
Gardiner Apothecary .............................................. 65
Gardiner Area Businesses ..................................... 65
Gardiner FCU .......................................................... 55
Generators of Maine .............................................. 31
Gerry’s Used Cars .................................................. 47
GHM Insurance Agency ......................................... 28
Giberson Funeral Home & Cremation Service ..... 45
Gibson LeClair, LLC................................................ 13
Golden Pond Wealth Management ....................... 54
Governor Hill Mansion ........................................... 42
H.T. Winters Flooring .............................................. 66
HairBuilders ............................................................ 24
Hammond Lumber Company ................................ 42
Hammond Tractor Company ................................. 15
Hattie’s Chowder House ........................................ 63
HealthFirst FCU ...................................................... 55
Higgins & Bolduc Agency, Inc. .............................. 31
Home Improvement Directory ............................... 64
Houston-Brooks Auctioneers ................................ 59
Huhtamaki ............................................................... 54
Inland Hospital ........................................................ 68
Jack Skehan & Associates .................................... 65
Jac-N-Tac Antiques ................................................ 59
Joseph’s Fireside Steakhouse............................... 46
Joseph’s Market ..................................................... 46
Joyce’s Restaurant ................................................. 63
Kennebec Behavioral Health ................................. 43
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
2014-15
Business Journal
~ Index of Advertisers ~
Kennebec Eye Care ................................................ 13
Kennebec Federal Savings ................................... 53
Kennebec Medical Consultants ............................ 57
Kennebec Pharmacy & Home Care ...................... 52
Kennebec Savings Bank ........................................ 67
Kennebec Valley Community College................... 60
Kennebec Valley Coucil of Governments ............. 44
Kirkpatrick’s Service, Inc. ...................................... 47
Kodiak Self-Storage ............................................... 51
KSW Federal Credit Union ......................... 23, 55, 64
LaPointe Lumber .................................................... 61
Lawry Brothers Funeral Home .............................. 25
Littlefield’s Gym ...................................................... 31
Longfellow’s Greenhouse ...................................... 49
MacKenzie Landscaping ....................................... 64
Macomber Farr & Whitten ..................................... 27
Main Security Surveillance .................................... 22
Maine Armory Rentals............................................ 61
Maine Natural Gas .................................................. 17
Maine Savings FCU ................................................ 55
Maine State Credit Union................................. 32, 55
MaineGeneral Health................................................ 2
Maine-ly Elder Care ................................................ 22
Maple Leaf Self Storage......................................... 51
Maurice & Son Auto Body Shop Inc...................... 47
McCormack Building Supply ................................. 28
Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce....................... 40
Mid Maine Cremation Services ............................. 44
Mid-Maine Marine, Inc. .......................................... 31
Monmouth FCU ...................................................... 55
Morin, Dr. Brian J. Orthodontics ........................... 18
Mosher’s Meats and Seafood ................................ 30
Mount Merici Academy .......................................... 56
New Dimensions FCU ............................................ 55
Nichol’s Self-Storage ............................................. 51
Northeast Laboratory Services ............................. 25
NS Storage .............................................................. 51
Oakland Area Businesses ...................................... 31
On Top Screen Printing .......................................... 61
Palmer Realty.......................................................... 30
PFBF, CPA’s ............................................................. 60
Pine Tree Orthopedic Lab ...................................... 30
Pine View Mobile Homes ....................................... 20
Pitcher Perfect Tire Service................................... 30
Pleau’s Market ........................................................ 66
Plummer Funeral Home ......................................... 45
Poor Bob’s Storage ................................................ 51
Prime Financial, Inc. ............................................... 44
Randy’s Full Service Auto Repair, LLC ................. 47
Redington-Fairview General Hospital .................. 26
RJ Energy Services ................................................ 61
Sabattus Regional CU ............................................ 55
Sebasticook Valley FCU ......................................... 55
Sebasticook Valley Health ..................................... 68
Self-Sotrage Directory ........................................... 51
Sheridan Corporation............................................. 24
Shiretown Insurance Agency ................................ 30
Skowhegan & Waterville Tire Center .................... 47
Skowhegan 201 Service ......................................... 47
Smart Eyecare Center ............................................ 29
St. John Regional Catholic School ....................... 56
St. Michael School.................................................. 56
Staples Funeral Home ............................................ 45
State Farm Insurance ............................................. 48
Stoney Creek Antiques .......................................... 59
Taconnet FCU ................................................... 55, 66
Thomas College ...................................................... 58
Thompson & Hachey Self Storage ........................ 51
Trademark FCU ....................................................... 55
Ware-Butler, Inc. ..................................................... 64
Waterville, City of .................................................... 16
Wellness Connection of Maine .............................. 20
Wilbur’s Antiques .................................................... 59
Winslow Area Businesses...................................... 66
Winslow Community FCU ...................................... 55
Winslow Supply Inc. ............................................... 66
Winthrop Area Businesses ............................... 48,49
Winthrop Area Federal Credit Union ..................... 48
Winthrop Commerce Center ................................. 48
York Spiral Stair ...................................................... 62
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Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Augusta business community
continues to grow
Peter Thompson reflects on 25 years as CEO of KV Chamber
Over the years, the Marketplace
has been largely responsible for
transforming the image of Augusta
from a place where laws are made
to a venue that is also known for
shopping.”
Peter thOMPSON, PreSIdeNt ANd CeO
KeNNeBeC VAlleY ChAMBer Of COMMerCe
BY NANCY P. MCGINNIS
Correspondent
On many fronts — and in subtle as well
as obvious ways — the economy of the
Kennebec Valley region is thriving.
Peter Thompson, who has now been
at the helm of the Kennebec Valley
Chamber of Commerce for a quarter
of a century, has become known for his
philosophy of looking for and celebrating
the positive, through good times and
lean times. But in assessing the current
state of the region, many would agree
that there is reason to be positive.
Unemployment is one important
measure.
In a recent interview citing the latest
available figures (August 2014), Thompson, CEO, said that while the nationwide
unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, and
the figure for Maine was 5.2 percent,
the Augusta area experienced only 4.8
percent.
Similarly, “our numbers for economic
growth are looking relatively strong,”
Thompson said. Annual regional retail
sales reported at the end of 2013 had
risen to $942 million, an increase of 4
percent over the previous year.
“As in the past, the bulk of these sales
were automobiles and building supplies.
The latter is particularly significant because it indicates construction activity.”
Recent and ongoing new construction
and expansion has included the new
courthouse in Augusta and the new
Department of Transportation facility
under construction as well. NRF Distributors, Inc., has embarked upon an ambitious 50,000 square feet expansion of its
flooring distribution center warehouse.
Pine State Trading has relocated much
of its expanding operation to Gardiner,
he said, “and Pine State being awarded
the State of Maine liquor contract and
marketing contract has certainly boosted our local economy,”
Thompson also pointed to numerous
downtown Augusta improvements,
including new businesses opening up
and, thanks to renovations to existing
buildings, some inviting new secondand third-floor condos and apartments.
Augusta Crossing has become a
popular shopping destination, and on
Western Avenue, Journal Square has established a banking and retail presence
at the former site of the old Kennebec
Journal building.
More than half a dozen additional retail establishments will be opening soon
at the Marketplace at Augusta, which
already draws more than 350,000 visitors
a year.
“Its continued growth has stimulated
other retail economic development,
such as the Augusta Crossing and Journal Square. Over the years, the Marketplace has been largely responsible
for transforming the image of Augusta
from a place where laws are made to a
venue that is also known for shopping,”
Thompson said.
Interest in energy alternatives,
especially natural gas, continues to
grow in the region. MaineGeneral’s
new state-of-the-art consolidated health
care center is in full swing and efforts
to repurpose the old hospital building
have begun.
Beyond these accomplishments
and indicators are the people of the
Kennebec. In fact, Thompson has
helped to launch an ongoing collaborative effort with the Waterville-based
Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, in
collaboration with MaineGeneral, that
is known by that very name: “People of
the Kennebec.” The goal is to spotlight
and encourage individual wellness,
including nutrition and exercise, as a
KV Chamber photo
feast: Laura Benedict, left, proprietor of the Red Barn and a longtime active Chamber of Commerce member, served up a feast of her Red Barn seafood to a record
crowd attending the popular KVCC Business After Hours she hosted in late June.
means to seek community well being
and economic vitality. The focus is on
local, healthy food and lifestyle choices
that include regular exercise and recreational activity.
“A healthy work force is an effective
work force, and the benefits also spill
over to families and entire communities,” Thompson said.
Thompson and his small Chamber
staff are also taking a personal approach to boost the current Chamber
“super-membership drive,” enlisting
some 80 member volunteers to personally recruit 100 or more new members
and boost the total chamber membership to over 700 by the end of October.
Hefty rewards for the recruiters
include a grand prize trip to the Caribbean, and scores of other prizes. As an
incentive, new members are offered a
local media advertising package valued
at up to $5,000.
All Chamber members may take advantage of benefits ranging from educational offerings and health insurance
plans to marketing and networking
opportunities.
The Chamber sponsors some 50
networking events every year, including
Business Insider Breakfasts, brown
bag lunches, Business After Hours
gatherings, Women’s Networking luncheons, the Chamber’s Annual Business EXPO in October and the Annual
Awards Banquet every January.
Planning has been underway for the
Chamber’s upcoming Annual Awards
banquet, to take place on Jan. 23, 2015.
This will surely be a bittersweet occasion for Thompson, who has announced
he will step down from his position
as chamber president and CEO next
February.
“I didn’t invent the Annual Awards
program,” Thompson reflected, “but
helped over 26 years make it one of my
favorite contributions to the Capital
business community. It is a program
which celebrates hard work, success,
employment growth, tax base growth,
community involvement and community betterment by businesses and
community leaders. Each January, we
celebrate organizations and individuals.
As many as 950 attendees help celebrate achievements and share stories
that are both interesting and inspiring.”
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
7
Mid-Maine Chamber Major League
effort reels in tourists
BY NANCY GALLAGHER
Correspondent
As its major economic development
effort for 2014, the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce in April entered into
a confidential plan with Winnercomm,
Inc. to feature central Maine waters on
the Outdoor Channel’s “Major League
Fishing Summit Cup” show.
“Thirty professional anglers fished
central Maine lakes for bass, with the
angler who caught the most bass fish
weight winning a $150,000 grand prize.
It’s like having a PGA Tournament …
the Tiger Woods of professional fishing
in your back yard,” said Chamber
President/CEO Kimberly Lindlof.
“Major League Fishing’s Summit
Cup” showcases the region’s pristine
and plentiful fishing waters and propels Chamber marketing to a national
level, Lindlof said.
Additional and ongoing Chamber
programs focused on economic
development include its partnership
with Jobs for Maine Graduates, a
Workforce Practitioners Team and the
Chamber’s Business Expansion and
Retention Committee.
Rewind to January, 2014. Chamber
Board member Nikki Desjardin spoke
with a member of the Winnercomm
production team, recommending that
it contact the Mid-Maine Chamber
about including mid-Maine in its regional scouting efforts for the site of its
next series. He did.
While the production company
researched a variety of fishing areas
in Maine, Lindlof set about assembling
366 bed nights, at a specific price point,
in a single location that also had a bar/
restaurant.
Big catch: it was for the same
late-August period that students
return to Colby and Thomas Colleges
— and local hotel accommodations
are at a premium. Great solution: Best
Western Plus, on Upper Main Street
in Waterville, agreed to accommodate
the entire group.
“That kind of solidified it right there,
that we were able to do that,” said
Lindlof. “We have great fishing in the
Belgrade Lakes and China Lake, as
well as being able to meet their price
point on the rooms.”
Maintaining secrecy throughout the
negotiation and production periods
demanded creative avoidance, coupled
with sketchy information. In order to
avoid any advance research on the
anglers’ part, they were not told their
destination until a week before production began. Nor were they told which
lake(s) they would fish. They fished
a different lake each day, and this
“Thirty professional anglers fished central Maine lakes for bass, with the angler who
caught the most bass fish weight winning a $150,000 grand prize. It’s like having a PGA
Tournament … the Tiger Woods of professional fishing in your back yard. Major League
Fishing Summit Cup had the greatest number of sponsors come here (of) any another time
they’ve done this series, because people want to come to Maine.” These sponsors hosted
nightly banquets and parties at area restaurants during the week of production.
KIMBERLY LINdLoF, MId-MAINE CHAMBER PRESIdENT/CEo
Contributed photo
GONE FISHING: Professional anglers prepare to launch their bass boats for the final day of fishing on China Lake, hoping their
total catch will win the $150,000 grand prize.
information was so tightly held that
“I couldn’t even tell the food caterer
until the afternoon before, because
we couldn’t risk that getting leaked to
the anglers when they picked up their
lunches that day,” Lindlof said.
Additional contract items required:
• A specific size generator to power a
production set for program outtakes;
• Nearly 400 breakfasts and lunches;
• A production assistant;
• Hotel security.
The Chamber board authorized Lindlof to spend up to $10,000 to secure this
contract, with the intent of bolstering
area tourism through this national
television exposure. She sits on the
Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, but
was prohibited from telling them in
advance of the plan.
Winnercomm representatives
estimated that they pumped about
$150,000 into the local economy during
their week of shooting “Major League
Fishing Summit Cup,” Lindlof said.
This was due in part because, in
addition to the anglers and production
team, “they had the greatest number
of sponsors come here (of)any another
time they’ve done this series,” Lindlof
said, “because people want to come to
Maine.” These sponsors hosted nightly
banquets and parties at area restaurants during the week of production.
In March, and again in June, Lindlof
guided the advance production team
on scouting expeditions to potential
fishing locations and dining venues.
Winslow’s Fort Halifax became the
staging area for the show’s leader
board, with the Waterville-Winslow
Bridge, Hathaway Creative Center and
the iconic Ticonic Falls serving as a
scenic backdrop.
In the show’s final episode, two cast
members tour five area landmarks to
showcase mid-Maine’s comprehensive
tourist appeal. This episode will air
nationally on CBS and will illustrate
not only the superb fishing, but also
the diverse selection of additional
activities available to visitors.
“There are outdoor recreation
opportunities in mid-Maine, but there
are also arts and cultural things to
do while you’re here as well,” Lindlof
said.
Episodes will generally air on the
Outdoor Channel during the first
quarter of 2015, with the Grand Finale
airing on CBS during sports prime
time, which is about 1 p.m. on a Saturday, she said.
The Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday, at 50 Elm
St., Waterville, Maine 04901. To
contact the chamber, call 873-3315,
fax 877-0087, consult the website at
www.midmainechamber.com, or
email Lindlof at [email protected].
8
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Photo by Susan Varney
bridge: Looking toward Skowhegan Island from the Alder Street end of the Swinging Bridge over the Kennebec
River.
Skowhegan:
A romantic destination
An “old guy” tells his tale
BY SUSAN VARNEY
Correspondent
indian: Bernard Langlais’ Skowhegan Indian has
been restored and celebrated with a re-dedication
ceremony in September.
It isn’t Paris and it isn’t Rome, it isn’t even Portland, but
it’s home — and it holds its secrets like star-crossed lovers, like a rusty trunk in the attic, like forgotten journals
in the back of the town library.
Skowhegan is a romantic place. It’s on the mighty
Kennebec River, good for wettin’ a line or paddling about;
it’s on the Canada Road and there are things to see and
places to go . . . if you know where to look,” said the old
guy on the stool at the end of the bar.
“You don’t need my name, but you can call me Mac,”
he continued, “and I like this town. It’s got something
for everyone, even a gawl durn Wal-Maht — but for the
rest of us it has George’s Banana Stand, the Skowhegan
Fair, a farmer’s market, Spice of Life Health food store,
the Heritage House with the best soup around, the Old
Mill Pub for burgers and beer on the deck over the river,
concerts in the Coburn Park and the Indian for meditating on our past.”
The Skowhegan Indian was constructed by Bernard
Langlais in 1969 and its restoration to its 60- plus-feet of
awesomeness was celebrated at the first ever Celebration Of The Arts, featuring a re-dedication ceremony this
past September. The Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce
sponsored a day-long festival with bands, performers, poetry readings, speeches, blessings and traditional tribal
ceremonies, paintings and sculptures.
Downtown Skowhegan is fun with its line-up of interesting shops, from the River Roads Artisan Gallery to used
clothing and a consignment shop, The Bankery for cakes
and pastries, Russakoff Jewelers for fine jewelry, Aubuchon Hardware, Country Crow Primitives and Northern
Mattress Furniture, the Paper Klip for office supplies,
a tattoo parlor, Bloomfield’s Tavern, an authentic Thai
restaurant, Absolutely Graphics, and the Morning Sentinel. Around the corner is Griffin’s and Suzy’s Nails.
Line dancing is held Wednesdays at T&B on U.S. Route
201 North, across from Ken’s Restaurant, and Trivia is
held there on Thursdays. There is a farmer’s market
at the Pick-Up Cafe and, need a car, check out Hight
Chevrolet. Travelers can spend the night at the Belmont,
Towne or Keyes motels. And don’t forget the Haunted
Hayrides every October at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds,
(which by the way, has something going on all the time,
including horse shows) and a Holiday Stroll every December to celebrate downtown, with late night shopping,
a light parade, crafts and Santa Claus!
For a bit of history there is the Benedict Arnold Memorial on the Island Avenue, the Margaret Chase Smith
Library at 56 Norridgewock Ave., The Skowhegan History House at 66 Elm St., and don’t forget the Skowhegan
Drive-In Theater or the Strand Cinema or Lakewood
Theater. And for a little bit of old and new there is the
Skowhegan Free Library at 9 Elm St.
There is even a local brewery, Oak Pond Brewery, Oak
Pond Road off U.S. Route 2 near the Skowhegan-Canaan
town line. And there are also great shoes at New Balance
Shoe Factory Outlet Store at 12 Walnut St.
Looking for antiques or used items? Check out Evelyn’s
Furniture, 217 North Ave. and Hilltop Antiques, 48 Water
St.
For outdoor fun there is Lake George Regional Park,
U.S. Route 2, a fun look at The Great Eddy, off U.S. Route
2, Coburn Park, on the outskirts of town and the Walking
Bridge, which runs between the north Side and south
Side of Skowhegan. There also is the Swinging Bridge,
which runs between the Island Avenue and Alder Street,
the Skowhegan Indian at High Street and Madison Avenue and Walking Trails throughout Skowhegan, including
at the end of the Walking Bridget that travels alongside
the Kennebec River.
Just walking around town, exploring shops or talking
to people on a park bench, enjoying the sun on the river,
running errands, shopping, or admiring the architecture,
meeting up the friends and eating at a local restaurant
are all part of the romance of Skowhegan ,Maine.
“If you can’t find something fun to do in the county seat
of Somerset County, you just aren’t looking hard enough!
I just wonder what happened to that wonderful sign on
the Empire Grill? No one I ask seems to know. I just
haven’t asked the right person yet,” said my friend on the
stool at the end of the bar.
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
9
Photo contributed by Scott Landry
Golf help: The 12th annual Chamber of Commerce/Seth Wescott Golf Classic held at Sugarloaf Golf Club in Carrabassett Valley was the best attended tournament in its
history. Proceeds fund David S. Robie Scholarship Fund and Wescott’s Level Field Fund, which helps young athletes compete who may otherwise not have the chance.
Franklin Chamber’s Sugarloaf Golf Club
tournament has best turnout in years
Proceeds help youth achieve their dreams
BY VALERIE TUCKER
Correspondent
More than 30 teams competed in this
year’s 12th annual Chamber of Commerce/Seth Wescott Golf Classic held
at Sugarloaf Golf Club in Carrabassett
Valley. Despite the cool conditions, this
was the best attended tournament in
its 12-year history.
“What makes this golf tournament so
special, is that 100 percent of the proceeds go toward helping young people
achieve their dreams,” said Mike Blanchet, president of the Franklin County
Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber’s 50 percent portion
from the tournament goes to fund the
David S. Robie Scholarship Fund.
“Mr. Robie was an active member
of the Franklin County Chamber of
Commerce, and he helped create the
scholarship during his time on the
board,” Blanchet said.
Robie, also executive director of the
NorthStar ambulance and emergency
medical services in Franklin County, died in February 2013. He served
on several other boards, including
the Phillips Micro-Loan Committee,
Health Community Coalition, the Phillips Area Community Center, Tri-County EMS and the Hanley Health Leadership Development Alumni Association,
the Sandy River Business Association
and the Madrid Historical Society and
Madrid Cemetery Association.
Each year, the Chamber awards
$2,000 in scholarships to students
from Franklin County. The other half
of the proceeds goes to Seth Wescott’s
nonprofit organization, “Level Field
Fund,” which helps young athletes
compete who may otherwise not have
the chance.
“Helping young people go out and
achieve their dreams, then return to
their roots in Franklin County defines
what Seth Wescott has done and continues to do in his life,” Blanchet said.
“The Chamber of Commerce owes a
special thank you to him for partnering
with us over the past 12 years.”
The Chamber of Commerce also
partnered with the Small Business Administration, and Coastal Enterprises
Inc., to bring together representatives
from lending institutions and service
providers. This first event of a Meet
the Lenders program, on Aug. 26 was
held on the University of Maine at
Farmington’s campus. Lenders were
able to meet one-on-one with small
business owners or those looking to
start their own business, Blanchet
said.
“Franklin Savings Bank provided
a continental breakfast and helped
promote the event,” he said. More
than two dozen representatives from
area financial institutions and service
providers for small businesses met in
what Blanchet described as a “speed
dating” format.
“We had about 13 local business owners in attendance looking for options
and information on financing to start
or expand their businesses,” he said.
Other groups, including the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce,
the Phillips Chamber of Commerce
and the Jay-Livermore-Livermore
Falls Chamber of Commerce promote
similar commercial, industrial, civic
and social interests of their local and
surrounding communities. Franklin
County has developed resources for
businesses and self-employed individuals that expand beyond the Chambers
of Commerce in the western mountains region.
Greater Franklin Development
Corp., www.greaterfranklin.com, a
nonprofit organization started in 1998,
has created employment opportunities
in Franklin County by attracting new
businesses, assisting local employers,
and encouraging entrepreneurship.
The Farmington Downtown Association, www.downtownfarmington.com,
provides a mechanism for businesses
and property owners located in the
downtown district of Farmington to
improve the downtown economy. The
Wilton Group, www.wiltongroup.org,
is a similar organization whose goal is
to preserve, enhance and promote the
unique character of the town.
The Flagstaff Area Business Association, www.maineshighpeaks.com,
provides information and services for
businesses in Kingfield, Carrabassett
Valley, Stratton/Eustis, Rangeley and
other communities in the High Peaks
Region.
The Sandy River Business Association, www.phillipsareabusiness.com,
has done much to revitalize the economy of the region and to promote and
support businesses in the local area.
The association has grown in the past
year to 75 members, reaching Phillips,
Avon, Madrid, Farmington, Wilton and
Rangeley.
Other resources are available through
public and private venues. Coastal
Enterprises Inc, www.ceimaine.org,
specializes in rural business development and financing. The Maine
Department of Economic and Community Development, www.maine.gov/
decd, helps Franklin County towns and
businesses access targeted tax relief
programs, community block grants and
tourism marketing. The Maine Lakes
and Mountains Tourism Council, www.
mainelakesandmountains.com, offers
free guides to western Maine, including
places to stay and things to do, such as
festivals, hikes, canoe trips, skiing and
historical tours.
Maine Small Business Development
Centers, www.mainesbdc.org, provides
services for existing and prospective
small business owners, including business feasibility, business plan development, capital acquisition, financial
management, marketing and sales,
e-commerce, customer service, personnel management and small business
strategic planning.
The U.S. Small Business Administration, www.sba.gov/offices/district/me/
augusta, is an independent agency of
the federal government, and the Maine
Career Center’s Wilton and Somerset
County offices, www.mainecareercenter.com, provide no-cost employment
and training service for workers and
businesses.
10
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Thomas College completes
$18 Million building expansion
Improvements introduce state-of-the-art technology
BY WANDA CURTIS
Correspondent
Thomas College in Waterville recently
completed an $18 million expansion, including a new 36,000 square foot academic
center that doubles the amount of space
used for academics at the college.
Housed within the new Harold Alfond
Academic Center are eight classrooms, a
new library with state-of-the-art technology,
a state-of-the-art finance lab with a full
size stock ticker and live streaming Wall
Street data for business students, a student
services office, Jeanie’s Café where students can buy coffee and pastries between
classes and more office space.
Multiple tall glass windows in the academic center allow for a lot of natural lighting throughout the building. The gleaming
gold and silver flooring in the hallways adds
a touch of elegance to the building, which
has a New York city appearance.
Thomas’ academic dean, Dr. James
Libby, Ph.D., said that the finance lab is set
up to simulate the real work place.
“Each computer has two screens,”
Libby said. “Students are able to conduct
research on one screen and work on
projects on the other screen. It simulates
the way that stockbrokers’ screens are set
up. Students are able to see how well stock
prices are doing.”
Located next to the finance lab is the
student services office where students can
receive tutoring. Libby said that Thomas
College focuses on “high touch.” He said
that with the expansion, they’ve hired six
new professors. He explained that their
goal is to know their students by name and
to personally interact with each of them as
much as possible. He said Thomas keeps
its classes smaller for that purpose.
Thomas College senior Felicity Grant
said that President Laurie Lachance
makes a genuine effort to acquaint herself
with the students. Grant said that since
Lachance has come to the school, the
school gets better all the time.
“I was sitting with a group of my friends
in the cafeteria one day and President
Lachance sat down with us and asked if we
minded if she joined us,” Grant recalled. “I
count that a privilege.”
Grant thinks the new academic center is
great and she’s very excited about Jeanie’s
Café, where students can grab a cup of
coffee between classes. She’s currently
working several part-time jobs to put herself through college and hopes to graduate
soon.
Lachance said that the physical expansion of the college has been in the planning stages for several years because of
Thomas College photos
new Harold alfond academic center: Inside is
a state-of-the-art finance lab with a full size stock ticker and live
streaming Wall Street data for business students, above left, a
new library with state-of-the-art technology, above right, and
Jeanie’s Café, left, where students can buy coffee and pastries
between classes and more office space. There are also eight
classrooms and the student services office.
projected increases in student enrollment.
She said that funds were donated last year,
which made construction possible. She said
the board decided that another residence
hall was also needed. The new Hinman
Hall has increased the college’s housing
capacity by 108 beds.
Academic Programs Also Expanded
Lachance attributes increased student
enrollment to the expansion of the academic programs. The college added the
following new degree programs during the
past five years:
• B. S. Early Childhood Management
• B.S. Hospitality Management
• B.S. Information Technology Management
• B.S. Security and Cyber Defense
• M.S. Ed. Literacy Education
• M.S. Ed. Educational Leadership
• M.B.A. Healthcare Management
• M.B.A. Project Management
• M.B.A. Accelerated
• M.B.A. Accelerated- Accounting
Lachance said that some of the fastest
growing programs are the accelerated
degree programs. Thomas offers a threeyear business-related Bachelor of Science
degree program in which students can
complete a traditional four-year program
within three years. Students are able to
graduate one year earlier, become employable sooner, and save more than 25 percent
on their overall tuition.
“The students take an extra class each
semester and take online classes during
the summer,” Lachance said.
Students who successfully complete
the three-year business degree program
may also enroll in the college’s accelerated MBA program and complete both a
Bachelor of Science degree and a Master
of Business Administration in a total of four
years. Students must maintain a 3.4 grade
point average during the program.
More information regarding those
programs can be viewed at www.thomas.
eduthree-year-program.
Guaranteed Job Program
According to Lachance, another drawing
card at Thomas College is its Guaranteed
Job program.
Students who enroll at Thomas as a firstyear student, or who transfer from another
school but will earn at least 60 credits and
meet the set requirements of the program,
are guaranteed to secure a job within six
months of graduation. For more information regarding the guarantee, contact
Thomas College.
Libby said that the goal of Thomas
College is to equip its students to find jobs
when they graduate. He said the new
academic center, with its finance lab that
simulates a real life working environment,
was designed with that in mind. Libby said
that there is a strong emphasis on student
retention at Thomas and the faculty works
closely with students to help them succeed.
President Lachance added that Thomas
College is partnering with Jobs for Maine
Graduates, a statewide nonprofit that
works within Maine’s public schools to help
high school students graduate. JMG’s website www,jmg.org states that its mission
is “to identify students who face barriers
to education, and to guide each one on to a
successful path toward continued education, a meaningful career, and productive
adulthood.”
Lachance said the college is proud to
have JMG’s very first college level specialist on the campus this year. For more
information regarding Thomas’ partnership with JMG, see the website.
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
11
Business & Career Center at
Waterville library benefits
workers and employers
Resumes, interview techniques,
job fairs are among the offerings
BY SUSAN VARNEY
Correspondent
Are you a job seeker or an employer with a job offer? There is help
for both in preparing for, seeking,
securing, and/or maintaining employment from Tammy Rabideau,
Waterville Public Library Business
& Career Center coordinator.
After the federally-funded, staterun career center in Waterville
closed, the need was filled in 2011 by
a business and career center opened
at the Waterville Public Library. The
program offers workshops for job
seekers in resume writing and interview techniques, as well as services
for entrepreneurs and business
owners.
Federal seed money went for
books, computers, even chairs when
people started using the library for
more than borrowing books; Waterville Public Library was expanding
its physical footprint and community
involvement.
“I collect people and bring them
to the library,” said Tammy Rabideau, the Business & Career Center
Coordinator at the Waterville Public
Library. The library offers a resume
writing lab every Tuesday with writing experts Bettina Cota, China and
Dana Hamilton, Skowhegan.
Job Corps, Mid-Maine Chamber of
Commerce, Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP),
Maine Department of Labor, adult
education programs and job fairs,
along with 10 to 20 participating
employers, are all part of the community support team the program
provides.
Cota works for Waterville Adult Ed,
Job Club, TANF and the homeless
shelter helping people get back on
their feet.
“It can be a lifesaving experience,
especially for young, homeless,
single mothers,” Cota said. “They
are often in need of encouragement
and knowledge in a kind, welcoming atmosphere. They need help in
promoting themselves when they
are lacking confidence and feeling
“Have you traveled the
world? Do you play poker on
a competitive level? Did you
play a Division 1 sport? Do
you have a paper or a book
that got published? Get me
to want to read your cover
letter.”
– ADVicE foR NEw JoB SEEkERS
fRom A SEASoNED iNtERViEwER
BY cARl GiANNoNE, mEmBER, t3
tRADiNG GRoUp llc
overwhelmed or need guidance in
how to dress for an interview.”
A Women Unlimited representative
is available by appointment to provide an overview of the organization
and how Women Unlimited may be
able to serve Maine women, minorities and disadvantaged workers by
giving them access to and career
support. Stop by the information
desk for dates.
The Maine Department of Labor
assists eligible cases, and can provide financial assistance for training programs to meet employment
needs. A MDOL consultant can meet
with people at the Waterville Public
Library to explore their eligibility by
appointment by calling Sharon Labbe at 624-5128 or sharon.a.labbe@
maine.gov.
The Local Veterans’ Employment
representative, Doug Hudson, is
available to help veterans of the U.S.
military with job search activities,
resume writing and interviewing
skills. This service is available
weekly by appointment. Contact
Doug Hudson at 624-5156 or [email protected].
Women, Work and Community is
available to men and women from 1
p.m. to 3 p.m. on the first and third
Wednesdays of every month. Reg-
resume: Sarah Sugden, Waterville Public Library director and Bettina Cota discuss
developments in the resume lab, where Cota guides people through writing their
resumes, cover letters, references, referrals and the best websites to get results.
istration is required. Call 680-2603
or stop by the information services
desk at the Library to sign-up for
the a job search workshop.
Essentials of college planning
information session or JobCorps
information sessions are available
throughout the month, as is a Job
Fair. Call 680-2603 or stop by the
information services desk at the
library to find the schedule or to
sign-up.
The program is more than just
resumes, cover letters and references offered by the people at the
career center, often it is coaching
about attitude and how to dress for
an interview and it is about being
job ready, being creative and finding
a good fit between employer and
employee. The program is about
finding rewarding work, career opportunities, education, guidance and
encouragement. It also is about being good at what you do and getting
better, about growing and learning.
And finally, it is about finding out
who you are, what you want to do,
how to get there and how to make a
difference.
Cota said it is very rewarding
when she gets feedback from her
workshop or lab people saying they
got the job and they thank her for
her help.
The Business & Career Center offers community members of all ages
opportunities to learn more about
what is available and how to get
there from here, whether you are
job seekers or career changers.
For more inFormation:
Tammy Rabideau,
Public Library Business
& Career Center Coordinator
Waterville Public Library
73 Elm St. Waterville ME
207 680-2611, 680-2603
[email protected]
visit www.watervillelibrary.org or
you can find it on Facebook.
12
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
KVCC photo
kitchen: One of the most exciting developments at the Alfond Campus has been the installation of a state-of-the-art culinary kitchen and cooking studio — unique, stylish
facilities placing KVCC’s new degree program in Culinary Arts at the forefront of culinary arts education in Maine.
KVCC dramatically expands
educational opportunities
Hinckley campus becomes a hub for many new programs
BY JONATHAN HUMPHREY
Public Relations and Marketing
Kennebec Valley Community College
Kennebec Valley Community
College (KVCC) has dramatically
expanded opportunities for students
this fall with the soft opening of a
second campus in Hinckley and the
launch of new academic programs in
culinary arts and computer systems
integration.
The Harold Alfond Campus in
Hinckley opened Aug. 25 for the
fall semester, with more than 500
students taking some or all of their
classes at the new location. While
still in development, the campus is
already having an enormous impact
on the College.
The 600-acre Alfond Campus is
located six miles north of KVCC’s
main campus in Fairfield, and is
now the hub for academic programs
in sustainable agriculture, culinary
arts, business, liberal studies, mental
health and early childhood education.
The transformation of the property
has been nothing short of dramatic,
as KVCC began a major overhaul of
what had once been the central campus of the Good Will-Hinckley School,
originally founded in 1889.
Acquired in 2012 thanks to a major
gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation, the property includes the
Averill School building, the Alfond
Recreation Center, Moody Memorial
Chapel, barns at the former Good
Will-Hinckley Farm, sports fields and
numerous smaller structures.
Extensive improvements to buildings, parking and infrastructure began in 2013. Renovation of the Averill
building is now complete, and more
than 20 full-time staff and faculty are
based there as well as adjunct faculty. Most student support services
available at KVCC’s Fairfield campus
are being duplicated at the Alfond
Campus, including registration,
admissions and advising, and library
and media center functions.
The 120-acre farm has also been
revived over the past 12 months.
KVCC students in the sustainable agriculture program now get hands-on
experience with vegetable production and livestock. Barns are being
rehabilitated, greenhouses erected
and a welcome center constructed.
In its first season, the farm has produced more than 30 varieties of vegetables, fruits and herbs, in addition to
organic eggs.
Most striking is the new KVCC
Center for Farm-to-Table Innovation,
a modern classroom and laboratory
building that merges the study of
agriculture, food technology, culinary
arts and food entrepreneurship in a
16,500 square-foot academic facility.
Construction of this new building has proceeded quickly, with an
expected completion date in November. It contains classrooms, faculty
offices, laboratories, a computer
lab, an auditorium, a student lounge
and an informal learning space. It
is designed to take advantage of the
latest advances in renewable energy
technology and building efficiency
practices.
One of the most exciting developments at the Alfond Campus has
been the installation of a state-ofthe-art culinary kitchen and cooking
studio — unique, stylish facilities
placing KVCC’s new degree program
in Culinary Arts at the forefront of
culinary arts education in Maine.
The first class of culinary arts
students has been using the kitchen since early September, and on
a typical day it is filled with savory
smells, bustling students in white
chef apparel, and the noise of pots,
pans and utensils.
Students, staff, and faculty are
excited by the opportunities at the
Alfond Campus.
“I really like it here,” said Luci
Dow, a student in the Business Administration program who is taking
five classes at the new campus this
fall. “I like the campus and this building and the history of it all, and I like
having all my classes in one place.”
Like many in the area, Dow has
a connection to the campus — her
parents lived as foster parents in
one of the Good Will-Hinckley homes
there before she was born, and her
father remembers working to repair
the roof on Moody Memorial Chapel.
Her mother, who grew up in Fairfield,
visited the campus with her recently
and shared many historical facts
with her.
Steve Savoie, a student in the
Sustainable Agriculture program,
was equally positive about the Alfond
Campus and what it means for his
program.
“The acquisition and expansion
of the Alfond Campus by KVCC is a
tremendous leap forward for Maine’s
available higher education in the
field of sustainable agriculture,”
Savoie said. “With this campus and
farm, KVCC is plowing new ground
toward feeding the good people of
this state with local, renewable and
sustainable agricultural practices for
KVCC, PAGE 13
Business Journal
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
KVCC
CoNTINUEd FRoM PAGE 12
today and tomorrow.”
Faculty are also enjoying the new
space afforded by the expansion to
Hinckley.
“We love our classroom,” said Martha Naber, KVCC education program
coordinator, who is now based at the
Alfond Campus. “The natural light,
the dedicated space – it’s wonderful.”
Improvements also are underway in
the Alfond Recreation Center, where
a modern exercise gym, basketball
court and racquetball court are now
available for students.
In spring 2015, there will be two
baseball diamonds and an outdoor
soccer pitch. Partnering with the
Maine Academy of Natural Sciences next door at Good Will-Hinckley,
KVCC students now also have access
to new outdoor tennis courts. Side offices in the historic Moody Memorial
Chapel are also being upgraded and
repurposed. The chapel will continue
to be available for its traditional uses,
including weddings.
Improvements on U.S. Route 201 to
accommodate the increased traffic
associated with the new campus were
completed over the summer, including a new turnout lane and entrance.
Next up in development at the
Alfond Campus is construction of a
family laboratory and nature exploration center for the Early Childhood
Education program. Ground breaking is expected in November with
completion scheduled for April 2015.
This new facility will train the next
generation of preschool teachers,
education technicians, developmental therapists, classroom aides, and
child care providers for mid-Maine
through practical delivery of family-based interventions that integrate
outdoor exploration and healthy
living habits.
While development of the new campus has dominated the last year at
KVCC, advances are also underway
at the Fairfield campus, including the
launch of a new two-year business
program option in Computer Systems Integration, and expansion of
other programs including the Electrical Lineworker Technology program.
The Fairfield campus now has more
space for KVCC’s popular programs
in technical trades and health professions, and to expand business and
industry training, including nationally-recognized renewable energy
programs. For more on KVCC go to
kvcc.me.edu.
KVCC photo
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sustainable: KVCC students in the sustainable agriculture program now get
hands-on experience with vegetable production and livestock. Barns are being rehabilitated, greenhouses erected and a welcome center constructed.
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KennebecJournal
The Augusta CareerCenter:
A business partner that
connects community
Agency delivers services to employers, job seekers alike
BY JULIE D. RABINOWITZ
Director of Communication
Maine Department of Labor
Special to the Business Journal
“I didn’t know you did that” and
“Wow, I had no idea you offered so
many services.”
The staff of the Augusta CareerCenter often hear these comments from
both job seekers and employers they
meet each day.
A service of the Department of
Labor, Maine’s 12 CareerCenters offer
businesses services that complement
the work of the human resource departments and staffing agencies, and
connect employers with other programs and information that can help
their organization grow.
CareerCenter staff have an overall
goal of connecting people with employment, but each may have a special focus. Augusta’s staff includes Information Center personnel who work with
clients in the computer lab as they
search for work. They have Vocational
Rehabilitation Services personnel who
connect people with disabilities with
training and jobs and help employers
accommodate workers with disabilities. Plus they offer CareerCenter
consultants who provide individualized
employment services to Kennebec
County job seekers and employers.
Employers are often surprised by the
breadth of services the CareerCenter
provides. It is not the old “unemployment office.”
Examples of services include:
The Maine Job Bank: a no-charge,
Internet-based job matching portal
offered through the Maine CareerCenter system. Employers can post job
opportunities and reach thousands
of community job seekers. Employer postings are then matched with
qualified candidates whose profiles
employers can review and manage
24/7. Job seekers can enter their profiles detailing their work experience,
educational qualifications and specific
job titles and preferences for employment. The job seeker will then receive
an email notification when their profile
is “matched” with an employer posting
and receive instruction on how to
apply for the posted position.
Recruitments and Job Fairs: The
Center itself is a community hub for
employment activity. The Augusta
Contributed photo
Agency TeAm: Front row from left, Dawn DeBerry, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program consultant; Stacey Hanley,
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families consultant; Sharon Labbe, Adult Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) consultant; Bethanie Mazzarro, Youth Workforce WIA consultant. Back Row, from left, Lisa Woods, Adult WIA
and TAA consultant; Doug Hudson, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program; Peter Diplock, manager; Jeannie Norton, Reemployment Eligibility Assessment consultant; Keith O”Brien, customer service representative. Not pictured: Rich Oberg, Local Veterans
Employment representative; Tom Hagerstrom, Rapid Response consultant; Bob McGorty, Youth Workforce WIA consultant.
CareerCenter hosts Job Fairs and
individualized employer recruitment
events on a regular basis.
Hiring Support: The Center offers
conference rooms for meetings,
interviewing and trainings and
help with background checks, labor
market information, federal bonding,
pre-screening and interviewing.
Training and Hiring Assistance
and Incentives: Staff can assist with
development of on-the-job training and
apprenticeship programming, Work
Opportunity Tax Credit information,
hiring U.S. Veterans or becoming a
welfare-to-work training worksite.
Opportunities to showcase the
hiring process and needs: The Center
hosts multiple, on-going workshops in
areas such as Basic Computer Skills,
Resume Writing, Work Search Skills,
Interview Skills, Career Exploration,
Working with Criminal Histories,
Federal Job Search and CareerCenter
Services and Training Orientation to
name a few. The Center encourages
employer participation in the development and presentation of the content
and delivery of the workshops.
Information Center: Job seekers and
employers can use the computers,
CAREERCEnTER, PAgE 15
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
CareerCenter
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
copiers, fax machine, scanner and
assistive devices (such as a videophone, an Infinity Table, JAWS and
screen readers). The Information
Center offers computerized vocational
batteries, assessments and aptitude
testing. The Center provides resource
materials about Labor Market Information, Post-Secondary Education
and Training programs, resume and
cover letter templates and materials to
assist employers and job seekers alike
in navigating the many employment
resources in our community.
Social Media Visibility: CareerCenters have embraced social media
to assist employment outreach. All
CareerCenters have websites through
mainecareercenter.com where employer recruitments — at the Center
or at the Worksite — are posted, along
with listings of available workshops/
orientations, community links, local
education and training resource links,
special events, contact information
and program enrollment information.
The Center uses Facebook to promote
all job fairs and employer recruitments, as well as to highlight certain
positions. All Facebook posts also post
to the Center’s Twitter and LinkedIn
accounts to generate further exposure.
Business Assistance Team: Center staff contact area businesses
or respond to employer requests to
discuss CareerCenter Services, assess
the employer’s needs and determine
appropriate steps to address those
needs. This may involve connecting
the business with area partners such
as Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Chambers of Commerce, Small
Business Development Center, Kennebec Valley Council of Government,
Maine Center for Women, Work and
Community, Vocational Rehabilitation
or Community Action Programs.
A great team supports all of these
programs, as well as assists job
seekers. The Augusta CareerCenter
employs two consultants who work
specifically with U.S. Veterans and
community employers. One, the local
U.S. Veteran’s employment representative (LVER), works directly with
Kennebec County employers, helping
to identify their specific staffing needs,
including the recruitment of employees, identification of skill gaps and
resources available to address these
needs. The other, the disabled U. S.
Veteran’s outreach program (DVOP)
representative, works directly with
U.S. Veterans encountering barriers
to employment and/or U.S. Veterans
job seekers between the ages of 18 and
24. Together, these two consultants
ensure that U.S. Veterans receive
“priority of service” at the CareerCen-
ter and that the staff members address
employers’ staffing needs.
The CareerCenter employs four
consultants who provide employment
resources including guidance and
counseling to specific job-seeking
populations. The first works with the
Department of Health and Human Services-referred Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) participants. This consultant works with both
area employers and TANF participants
to develop unpaid work experiences,
similar to an internship, where TANF
participants acquire work skills and
experience as they transition back into
the work community.
Another consultant works with individuals receiving food stamps, providing one-on-one guidance in seeking,
securing and maintaining meaningful employment. A third consultant
provides group and individualized
employment assistance through the
Reemployment Eligibility Assessment
Program to people who are receiving
unemployment compensation. Individuals are chosen for this based on their
likelihood to collect all 26 weeks of
benefits, and are mandated to attend
workshops and individualized counseling sessions to assist in reentering the
work force.
A fourth consultant is part of a
“Rapid Response Team” that works
with employers and employees when
a business is scheduled to encounter
layoffs or is closing. Rapid Response
meets with employers and their
employees to ensure that the law
is followed and provides important
information to those being laid off on
unemployment, training resources and
CareerCenter services.
The Augusta CareerCenter also
employs five counselors to assist adult
and youth job seekers encountering
barriers to employment. Adult barriers
might include low income, disabilities,
displaced employment and/or loss
of employment due to downsizing or
other events beyond the employees’
control. Youth barriers might include
a risk of not graduating high school,
disabilities, challenging home settings
and/or geographic and demographic
challenges. These counselors help job
seekers develop viable, achievable employment plans, improve academic and
job-readiness skill sets, obtain training and education necessary to enter
specific job fields and help support the
job seeker throughout the job search
process.
The local CareerCenters have experts and services ready and willing
to help address a person’s business
needs, whether it’s job postings on the
Maine Job Bank, recruitment, interviewing and training, skill assessment
and development, job placement and
support, reassessing career choices
or just someone to talk to who understands. The staff at the Centers are
here to serve and connect the community. Drop by or give them a call.
Because, yes, we do that!
15
16
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Social media exhibits its strength
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is prime example
BY RANDY MOSER
Director of Development
and Communications
Crisis & Counseling Centers, Inc.
According to Nielsen — of the famed TV
Nielsen Ratings — the challenge received
22.5 million social media mentions between
July 1 and Aug. 31. Let’s put that in perspective: Maine’s total population in 2010
was only 1,328,361, according to the Census.
At the end of the day, more than 3 million
people participated in the challenge, raising
more than $100 million dollars for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a charity
that had only raised $2.8 million in the same
period last year. If you needed a wake-up
call about the potential of social media, it
came with the force of a cold bucket of ice
water.
So what is this challenge and how has it
changed how we think about doing business, nearly overnight?
The idea doesn’t seem earth shattering:
The challenge was a viral campaign daring
people to dump buckets of ice water on
their heads to promote awareness of ALS
and raise funds for research.
But for some, the challenge is only the tip
of an iceberg; proof that social media has
finally arrived.
Carrie Arsenault, executive director of
Children’s Discovery Museum in Augusta,
said her team uses Facebook to market
to a broader audience who may not have
heard about the museum or an event it is
hosting. In one case, Arsenault posted a
sponsorship opportunity on Facebook and
ended up “with more money than we had
previously had!”
For Heather Pouliot, resource development and communications manager at
the United Way of Kennebec Valley, social
media allows nonprofits to reach a wider
range of people who might be interested in
the agencies’ services.
“It’s a huge tool for marketing our events
and promoting our organization,” she said.
“It is also a way to stay in touch with donors
and to share information and pictures
about the programs they’re supporting.”
Rebecca Howes agrees. Howes is the
manager of development and public relations at Day One, a South Portland-based
nonprofit that helps adolescents with
substance abuse and mental health issues.
The agency is using social media to engage
the general public, supporters of Day One
and clients themselves.
“We share knowledge about the issues
of substance abuse, let the public know
about Day One events and ways to support
us,” she said, adding that social media is
“another tool to communicate what our
mission is and the great work we’re doing.
“There are so many people on social
media now that we’d be missing a huge
audience if we weren’t on it.”
“The bottom line is, that everyone is on
some form of social media these days,” said
social media guru Rich Brooks, founder
and president of flyte new media, a web
design and Internet marketing firm in
Portland, Maine.
“More than half of Mainers are on
social media. Over a billion people are on
Facebook or YouTube … you always want
to go to where your audience is, and today
they’re online and on social media,” Brooks
said.
Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator Courtney Yeager, of Crisis & Coun-
seling Centers in Augusta, said the agency
uses social media to communicate the
importance of mental health and substance
abuse treatment and recovery. The agency,
which treats individuals with behavioral
health issues, recently organized a 5K road
race to honor recovery, and Yeager said
Facebook was instrumental in promoting
the event.
“For a growing percentage of the population, social media is the preferred vehicle of
communication because it’s a quick, easy
way to stay connected in a casual environment,” she said. “All nonprofits should
capitalize on these free and inexpensive
platforms as much as possible because
social media isn’t a fad — it’s here to stay.”
Brooks said advertising on social media
has a better return on investment than
allocating funds for traditional media, too.
“I believe there’s more value … it costs
less, you can do better tracking and
targeting, and the tools in platforms like
Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter allow you to
target your ads in a way that you can’t with
COUNSELING, PAGE 17
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
17
COUNSELING
ConTInued FRom PAge 16
traditional advertising.”
But there are some drawbacks to
social media. Facebook has come under
scrutiny because it privileges paid
advertising.
“If you’re on Facebook, you know that
your reach has just plummeted from
getting 60 percent to 65 percent to only
5 percent to 10 percent of your fans who
are seeing your posts,” Brooks said.
”You’re going to have to dedicate
money to this … the same way as you
would hire a copy writer or PR professional.”
All the social media professionals
contacted for this story said that
developing a social media presence
does take time. Brooks said that a key
ingredient to success online — in social
media as well as blogs — is consistency
and regular posting, which does take
commitment and time investment.
Arsenault said that she knows she
needs to devote staff time to social
media because “the more we post the
more activity we have in the museum.”
“Being active and consistent in social
media is critical,” Brooks said, adding
that volunteers who can “push” content
helps boost the online reputation.
Contributed photo
presentation: Social media guru Rich Brooks, founder and president of flyte new media, a web design and Internet marketing firm in
Portland, presents at the Agents of Change Digital Marketing Conference, held every year in Portland.
Many small businesses and nonprofits
will likely try to redesign another viral
campaign. Yeager said the challenge
showed a “global phenomenon that
speaks volumes about the power of
social media today” and Pouliot said
it was “a great example of new media
fundraising and using the power of social media to an organization’s benefit.”
Brooks is equally enthusiastic and
suggests that nonprofits and small
businesses look at the strategic logic of
the challenge. “There will be so many
(ALS Ice Bucket Challenge) copycats
and I think that ship may have sailed,”
he said. According to Brooks, the trick
is to tap into some of the elements that
made the ALS challenge a success: It
was a non-controversial topic, the task
was easy to accomplish and simple to
document.
“That’s part of what drives a lot of
virility in the social media space,” he
said.
for more information:
Crisis & Counseling Centers, Inc.
10 Caldwell Road
Augusta ME, 04330-5735
Mailing address: P.O. Box 558
Augusta, Maine 04332
207-626-3448 x 1179
or call 207-213-4556 direct
207-621-6228 (fax)
828-989-5129 (cell)
[email protected]
18
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Grants, developing a skilled work force
and a foreign trade zone lead CMGC efforts
Growth Council is a partnership with a common vision
BY NANCY GALLAGHER
Correspondent
The Central Maine Growth
Council (CMGC) is an economic
development partnership funded
by municipalities and businesses sharing a common vision and
dedication to regional economic
prosperity. It is tasked with pro moting investment, development
and relocation opportunities in
the municipalities of Water ville,
Fairfield and Winslow.
“Central Maine Growth Council is going through a period of
transition where it’s stepping back
and looking at how we deliver eco nomic development regionally,”
said interim Executive Director
Kimberly Lindlof.
In the past year, the Growth
Council was instrumental in
helping to secure a $100,000 grant
for Kennebec Valley Community
College in Fairfield, as well as
a $300,000 CDBG grant for the
Bragdon Farms LLC hay-to -logs
project located in the former
Harris Baking Company facility in
Water ville, Lindlof said.
She expects approval of a Foreign Trade Zone Alternate Site
framework designation in the near
future and has just learned that it
has been docketed. The organization is pursuing leads that might
be a good fit for that. Another
goal is strengthening the CMGC’s
membership base with people invested in seeing this region grow
by virtue of increased economic
activity, Lindlof said.
“The Central Maine Growth
Council is working with specific
businesses to link the strong educational resources that we have in
our region with those businesses
so they can hire qualified workers,” Lindlof said. “It has become
clear people in the region are
turning away contracts because
we don’t have the workers that
can do the specific tasks that need
to be done.”
As part of its renewed effort to
deliver economic development in
the most efficient way, the Growth
Council will ramp up its level of
involvement in linking the work
force needs of businesses with the
training potential of area educational institutions.
The Central Maine Growth Council is located at 50 Elm Street,
Water ville, Maine 04901. Business
hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
more information, call 680-7300,
fax 877-0087, or consult its website
at www.centralmaine.org.
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
19
CENTRAL MAINE
MOTORS AUTO GROUP
Charles Gaunce, Jr.
Central Maine Motors, College Ave., 1935
Charlie Gaunce
Chris Gaunce
Central Maine Collision Center
30 Airport Road, Waterville
Central Maine Chrysler - Dodge - Jeep
300 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Waterville
1935-Charles Gaunce, Jr. and his 2 partners incorporate their business
naming it, Central Maine Motors selling Pontiacs, La Salles and
Cadillacs at 198 College Avenue
1947-A major addition to the existing facility included a modern service
department and body shop
1952-Charles Gaunce, Jr. becomes sole owner of Central Maine Motors
1960-Charlie Gaunce joined his Dad at the dealership
1962-Charlie Gaunce becomes Dealer Principle
1970-Operated Budget Rent-A-Car for the State of Maine
1971-Central Maine Motors began operating a long term leasing company
1975-Peugot was added to the line up
1984-C&G Motors opened in Skowhegan
1985-The existing facility was renovated adding a two story parts
department
1991-Central Maine Motors purchases Northeast Dodge-Toyota, moving
Pontiac, Cadillac franchises to 420 KMD.
1992-Central Maine Motors acquires a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership and
added Dodge combining the 3 nameplates back to the 198 College
Avenue
1994-Central Maine Motors purchases a Buick-Oldsmobile-GMC dealership
and relocates them to the 420 KMD rooftop, now offering Pontiac,
Buick, GMC truck and Toyota at that location
1996-Central Maine Motors purchases a building on 30 Airport Road which
becomes a state of the art collision center and a rental department
1997-Chris Gaunce, after working with GM for 4 years moves back to Maine
to join the company
1997- Jeep was added to the College Avenue rooftop, now housing Chrysler,
Plymouth, Dodge and Jeep
1998-Central Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep was moved to its new locations at
300 KMD.
1998-The Chevrolet franchise was added to the 420 KMD store, now selling
Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and Toyota.
2001-A new building was constructed on 15 Airport Road to house the
Toyota franchise, Operating as Central Maine Toyota
2005-Central Maine Toyota adds the all new Scion franchise to its
line-up
2007-Central Maine Motors Reconditioning Center was opened at 23
Airport Road providing reconditioning services for all of our locations
as well as for the general public
2010-Celebrating 75 years as a family owned business while serving the
automotive needs of the Central Maine area
2011-Company structure change from two operating companies, to 4
operating companies due to large growth from operations.
2013-Service addition at Central Maine Toyota
Complete renovation at Central Maine Motors, including a drive-thru
service area.
Thank you to all
of our customers
and employees
for your loyalty
over the past
80 years.
Central Maine Motors - Chevy - Buick
420 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Waterville
Central Maine Reconditioning Center
Central Maine Toyota Scion
20
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Inland Hospital partners with local
agencies to combat childhood obesity
Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 program creates incentives
BY WANDA CURTIS
Correspondent
Inland Hospital is partnering with
Waterville Parks and Recreation, the
Harold Alfond Youth Center and other
community agencies again this year, to
promote the Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 program
to combat childhood obesity in the
greater Waterville area. The local
program of events kicks off each year
in September.
Sara Dyer, director of community
relations at the hospital, said that
each family that participates receives
a passport with a schedule of events
that will be held throughout the year.
She said that the purpose of the
events, which might include a hike or a
pool party or cross country skiing, is to
teach families healthy lifestyle choices
and make them aware of free and low
cost local resources that make it easier and fun to be physically active.
“The Harold Alfond Youth Center
program is only $20 per year for a
youth,” Dyer said.
According to the hospital’s website,
www.inlandhospital.org, the rate of
children ages 6-11 who are overweight
or obese has nearly tripled. Reports
indicate that, “for the first time in history, children born today are likely to
live a shorter life than their parents,”
she said.
Ellen Wells, community wellness
team leader at Inland Hospital explained that the Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 program stresses the need to eat at least
five servings of fruits and vegetables
each day, spend less than two hours
of recreational screen time each day,
spend at least one hour involved in
physical activity each day and replace
sugary drinks with low fat milk or
water. She said that a survey of local
InLAnD, PAGE 21
Inland photo
sugar: Laura Howell, Let’s Go! Kennebec coordinator with Inland Hospital, shows
a family how much sugar is in most drinks, including vitamin water. She said that it’s
important to learn to read labels.
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Whats
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Inland
CoNtINueD From PAGe 20
people who have already participated
in the series showed that 83 percent
were definitely more physically active
now.
“They’re also eating healthier foods and
drinking more water,” Wells said.
Laura Howell, Let’s Go! Kennebec
coordinator with Inland Hospital, said
that many people are shocked at how
much sugar is in most drinks, including
vitamin water. She said that it’s important
to learn to read labels.
“There are 15 teaspoons of sugar in a 20
ounce coke,” Howell said. Inland stresses
family involvement in the program by
planning events throughout the year in
which entire families are encouraged to
participate. Wells said that it’s important
to educate the entire family regarding the
elements of the 5-2-1-0 program because
parents are responsible for what their
children eat and can play an important
role in making sure that their children
stay active. She said the No. 1 factor that
helps contribute to inactivity among
children today is use of computers.
“If you looked at a graph over the last 20
years regarding the increase in obesity,
you’d see it aligns closely with increased
Internet access and cell phone use.”
Howell said that a sedentary lifestyle,
in general, is what has contributed to
increasing obesity among both adults and
children in America.
“Increased portion sizes and the
increased consumption of high fat and
high calorie foods found in convenience
stores have also contributed to obesity,”
Howell said. “We don’t eat like our grandmothers ate.”
Wells said that many people are just
becoming aware of the impact that obesity has on the work force. She said that
obesity has made a dent in the number
of adults who are physically fit enough to
join the military or to fill various positions
in the workplace.
Dyer said that obesity also has had a
direct impact on health care. She said
that the hospital has had to make special
accommodations and invest in special
lifts to care for patients who are obese in
order to prevent employees from getting
injured.
“In health care, it’s had a huge impact,”
Dyer said.
According to Dyer, Inland has incorporated 5-2-1-0 throughout its health care
system. She said that family practice
physicians conduct a health survey
with pediatric patients during well-child
visits to stimulate discussions regarding
healthy habits that can help families live
a healthier lifestyle.
For more information about Let’s Go!,
visit www.letsgo.org or contact Laura
Howell 861-3293 or [email protected].
21
Contributed photo
exercise: Each family that participates in the Let’s Go! program receives a passport with a schedule of events that will be held throughout the year, which might
include a hike or a pool party or cross country skiing. These are organized to teach
families healthy lifestyle choices and make them aware of free and low cost local
resources that make it easier and fun to be physically active.
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22
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Small business is big for Maine
BY REP. CATHERINE NADEAU, WINSLOW
Special to the Business Journal
Small business is big in Maine. With
a higher number of small businesses
than the national average, Maine can
be proud that a driving force behind its
economy is based on local entrepreneurship. By supporting local small
businesses, we can jump start the
economy by putting money into the
pockets of our hard-working neighbors.
Small businesses also are important
job creators. More than 60 percent
of jobs in rural Maine are created by
small employers. According to the
Maine Center for Economic Policy,
one in seven Mainers is self-employed.
Being a business owner can be an
incredibly rewarding experience, and
a challenging one, too. The Legislature has worked to support the
state’s small business owners, from
providing innovative financing options
through agencies, such as FAME, to
providing resources and technical
assistance, to reducing red tape.
Along with state agencies, many
private groups provide great resourc-
Rep. CatheRine nadeau,
WinsloW
es for small business owners and new
entrepreneurs taking the first step
toward success.
If you’re starting a new business
or need help with one you already
have, be sure to check out these
resources below:
• The Maine Small Business Advocate works with small businesses
to navigate the state’s regulatory
system. In order to make sure that
your business is in compliance with
Maine’s regulatory requirements, you
can contact the Maine Small Business
Advocate by calling 626-8410 or visiting
www.maine.gov/sos/sba.
• For anyone who is starting a new
business or has questions about
licenses or permits, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development can help you find
answers through its Business Answers
Program. By visiting www.maine.gov/
businessanswers or calling 1-800-8723838, you can connect with the various
state departments and agencies for
questions on specific licenses, permits,
rules and regulations.
• The IRS Small Business Advantage can help you stay compliant with
federal tax requirements. Be sure to
check out www.irs.gov/Businesses/
Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/
Small-Business-and-Self-Employedtax-Center-1 to take advantage of its
helpful services.
• New entrepreneurs should also
check out the Maine Small Business Development Center at www.
mainesbdc.org for guidance on cash
flow and marketing to start-up companies. It also has an interesting interactive online start-up course available.
• Women entrepreneurs can get
a head start by using the Women’s
Business Centers. Women, including
those who are socially or economically
challenged, can get business training,
coaching and mentoring by visiting
www.wbcmaine.org.
• The Maine District Office of the
Small Business Administration provides guidance in access to capital,
counseling and government contracting. Contact the Division of Corporations by calling 624-7752 or email cec.
[email protected].
Maine’s economy depends on the
success of our local establishments.
If you have any questions, please
feel free to contact me by emailing
[email protected] or call
873-2025.
Rep. Catherine Nadeau is serving
her first term in the Legislature and
represents Winslow and part of Benton. She serves on the State and Local
Government Committee.
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Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
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23
24
Business Journal
Morning Sentinel
Sentinel
Whats Happening • Kennebec
Kennebec Journal
Journal •• Morning
KVCOG has the whole package:
loans, grant help and resources
Agency seeks private businesses
to help mobilize Kennebec Valley
BY NANCY GALLAGHER
Correspondent
The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments (KVCOG) is a member-driven organization covering Kennebec,
Somerset and western Waldo Counties. It serves both municipalities and
businesses with an extensive array of
services and resources.
Municipalities pay a fee to join
KVCOG. In return, they may request
assistance with planning, ordinance
writing, Geographic Information
mapping, community development,
grant writing, Tax Increment Financing
preparation, and economic development plans and strategies. KVCOG is
growing these services.
“We’re looking at providing some
regional services around code en-
forcement, assessing (and) economic
development,” said KVCOG Executive
Director Rosie Vanadestine.
With regard to assisting businesses,
“We actually have money to lend, and
a lot of people don’t know that about
KVCOG,” Vanadestine said. Sources
include the Economic Development
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Administration, the USDA Revolving
Loan Fund and the Finance Authority
of Maine (FAME).
“We lend to start-up businesses, we
lend to high-risk businesses,” Vanadestine said. “Typically there needs to be
some sort of job creation or job retention involved in the money we lend.”
KVCOG usually partners with a bank
to shoulder a portion of a project’s risk.
It also partners with other funding
agencies such as Coastal Enterprises
Inc. (CEI). KVCOG rarely considers,
but does not categorically preclude 100
percent funding for a project. In addition to an acceptable credit score, loan
eligibility requirements include having
a business plan and collateral.
Job creation opens the door to grant
eligibility, and KVCOG offers grant
writing assistance and administration
to businesses applying for Community
Development Block Grants (CDBG).
The EDA has grants for large scale
job-creation projects.
A benefit of KVCOG’s partnership
with the Small Business Development
KVCOG, PAGE 25
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
KVCOG
COnTInuED FrOM PaGE 24
Center (SBDC) is having an SBDC counselor
onsite.
“We’re able to offer business assistance around
… business planning, marketing plans, startups
and acquisitions, financing and cash flow, operations and personnel management, government
procurement (and) international trade,” Vanadestine said. “We are such a great resource for
businesses, and what I tell everybody is, ‘start at
KVCOG.’ Make us the first call. If we don’t do it, or
it can’t be done here, we know who does it and we
can hook you up,” she said.
KVCOG is responsible for the Comprehensive
Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for this
region. As part of a comprehensive CEDS overhaul, KVCOG will examine and evaluate the data,
numbers, drivers, projects and implementation in
order to better position itself to grow our economy,
according to Vanadestine.
Vanadestine said that KVCOG is currently
reaching out to private businesses for their input in
creating a revitalizing strategy focusing on Maine’s
assets rather than its weaknesses.
In a departure from a traditional SWOTs approach (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities
and Threats) a new plan in underway — “Mobilize
Kennebec Valley,” as part of an ongoing “Mobilize Maine” initiative, is used instead to identify
Maine’s current assets and how to grow them. The
“Mobilize Kennebec Valley” initiative listed the
area’s unique assets and “boiled those assets down
into four categories,” — farms and food production,
the natural and built environment, education and
work force, and innovation and entrepreneurism,
Vanadestine said.
This process “is really only successful when the
private businesses are at the table. This doesn’t
happen through government all the time. We have
to really look at a grassroots effort,” Vanadestine
said. “We’re looking for people to help not just with
the planning and updating of our CEDS, but to also
get to the part where we’re doing projects and implementation.” For example, Vanadestine points to
broadband accessibility and transportation in rural
areas as key drivers to rural business growth.
“If there are innovators or entrepreneurs out
there, we really want to get them to the table. If
there are people that have skills around education
or work force, we want them at the table. We’re
looking for those local food groups — agriculture is
a huge proponent of what we’re focusing on here,”
she said.
While it may sound like “alphabet soup” is on the
menu, KVCOG really wants to set the table with
the tools and ideas leading to building an economically stronger region, according to Vanadestine.
For more information or to join in moving the
regional economy forward, contact the Kennebec
Valley Council of Governments at 17 Main Street,
Fairfield, Maine 04937, by telephone at 453-4258, by
fax at 453-4264, at the website, www.kvcog.org or
by email at [email protected]. Office hours
are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
25
Contributed photo
DIRECTOR: Kennebec Valley Council of Governments
Executive Director Rose Vanadestine.
Serving Families in Central Maine Since 1887
Proud Member Of Our Community • Locally Owned and Operated
Lawry Brothers
Funeral Home
So many times, it seems that the honored tradition of neighbor helping neighbor
becomes lost in daily life. But time and time again, when tragedy occurs in this
community, we help our neighbors. At Lawry Brothers Funeral Homes, that philosophy serves as the basis for everything we do. Our business was founded in
1887. From the very first day, we have been as close and ready to help as a good
neighbor. We offer our services in order to honor a life that has been lived and to
comfort those who grieve.
We are serving Greater Central Maine,
a proud member of our community, locally owned
and operated.
Serving All of Your Analytical
Needs Since 1972
• Metals • Wet Chemistry
• Drinking Water • Radon Water & Air
• Microbiology • Mold & Indoor Air Quality
Tel (207) 873-7711
Fax (207) 873-7022
1-800-244-8378
227 China Road
Winslow, Me
107 Main Street, Fairfield
453-6069 or 800-660-2111
207 Windsor Neck Road, Windsor
445-2076 or 800-660-2111
www.lawrybrothers.com
Answers for a Healthier Environment
www.nelabservices.com
26
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Security and surveillance helps
keep a business in business
Prevention is important
BY NANCY P. MCGINNIS
Correspondent
No business owner likes to think
about the “what-ifs.”
From fire, freezing or flood to robbery, vandalism, shoplifting — or even
dishonest employees — the reality is
that all kinds of unfortunate scenarios
could be costly, even devastating, to a
business.
The question is: what can be done to
avoid such situations?
Down time can be costly. How long
would it take a business to recover, if
indeed it proved possible to even get
back up and running, business owners
may wonder. Now is the time, before
these questions arise in crisis mode, to
consider the alternatives, according to
people knowledgeable about security.
Thanks to technological advances,
many security solutions that used to
be out of reach for most businesses
are now accessible and affordable,
according to Bob Cayer of Cayer
Security.
In business for about three decades,
Cayer estimates that more than half
of local business owners currently use
some level of security system. That
number is higher than it used to be,
but it’s remarkable that as many as
half of Maine business owners are at
risk, with no security in place, he said.
Cayer’s clients include a number of
area banks and credit unions that have
become more at risk for break-ins
and robberies as drug problems have
increased. It used to be that financial
institutions simply had alarm systems
in place to signal an event. These
days, law enforcement is looking for
information from video surveillance to
generate a video verification in order
to apprehend the perpetrators.
SeCurITy, Page 27
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
27
Security
COnTInueD frOM PAge 26
“Images in older, analog systems were often
grainy, blurry or hard to distinguish,” Cayer said.
And simply locating the needed information required poring over hours of videotaped footage. But
nowadays, a sharp, high definition image can be
accessed in a matter of seconds — and what’s more,
it can be copied to a jump drive or DVD in order to
share it immediately with authorities.
Steve Hayden, vice president and general manager
of Main Security Surveillance, agrees that business
owners benefit in the long run by taking a proactive
approach, rather than hoping for the best — and
tempting fate.
His company started out in 1972, offering alarm
systems, motion detectors and similar technology. While these security measures can still play a
role, “our business has evolved into an IT-centric
system,” Hayden said. In its role as a managed IT
(information technology) service provider, Main
Security Surveillance provides a consistent means
of maintaining and managing data, he said.
A good security system, Hayden said, is advantageous for business owners to address their particular challenges on an everyday basis, not just as a
guard against a “what-if.”
This could be climate control — whether that refers to the freezer at an ice cream business, or the
room where any computer server resides — since
optimal temperature and humidity can add years to
the life of a server.
It could mean asset tracking, to improve inventory
control and assist with budget management. The
same digital camera equipment now used in surveillance can also be utilized to monitor and analyze
customer traffic, for example, so that staffing can
perhaps be increased during high volume hours.
And there are still a few Maine businesses using
paper instead of electronic recordkeeping. In these
cases, implementing a simple computer system,
regular backups and virus protection can simplify
and streamline everyday tasks while also providing
security against potential catastrophic loss.
Other business owners may be lulled by a false
sense of security because they have backups in
place. “But have you ever actually checked your
backup to see if the data is really there? Is it readable?” Hayden cautioned.
Businesses such as Cayer Security and Main
Security Surveillance specialize in designing a
customized approach for their clients’ needs — one
that is sensitive to their budget limitations, as well.
They begin with a site visit, to meet the client, assess and discuss the business needs and determine
which solutions will best fit.
“We compare security to owning and driving an
automobile,” Hayden said. “When buying a vehicle, you pay attention to the safety ratings and
crash test results. As an owner, you do preventive
maintenance such as oil changes and tuneups, on a
regular basis.
“And as a driver, you never get behind the wheel
expecting to have an accident. But you always
buckle your seat belt, just in case. Our advice to
Maine businesses: put a seat belt on your server.”
MACOMBER, FARR & WHITTEN
Coverage with a Conscience
Insurance Services Since 1848
Business Owners
Professional Liability
Workers’ Compensation
Employment Practices
Directors and Officers
Bonds and Employee Benefits
One Market Square, Suite 201 • Augusta ME 04330 • 623-4575 • www.maineinsure.com
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow . . . Macomber, Farr & Whitten is Here for You
28
Business Journal
Kennebec Journal
Journal •• Morning Sentinel
Personal branding is a
necessary part of business in
today’s online world
BY NANCY MARSHALL
The PR Maven®
What is a brand? I can tell you what it’s
not.
It’s not a company’s logo or a company’s tagline. It’s not the golden arches
or the Nike swoosh. It’s not the Michelin
man or the Big Green Monster.
It’s actually the way that customers and
the public think and feel about a company, a product, an organization, or even
a person. It’s a visceral feeling, like the
feeling of being in love.
Some businesses have cultivated such
a strong brand attachment with their
customers that the relationship is like
a romance. Think of people who own
Harley Davidson motorcycles. They are
so in love with their bikes that they are
willing to tattoo the logo on their bodies.
When you think about Harley, you think
John B.
Friel
Founder
NaNcy Marshall
INSURING MAINE FAMILIES
AND BUSINESS OWNERS
SINCE 1901
Paul Mitchell
Bill Mitchell
Donna Boutin
Lee Cabana
James Sanborn
Martha Wentworth
Bill Rafuse
Alison Paine
Wendy VanAntwerp
Mindy Noonan
Laura Rowe
Silas Lawry
about “riding on the open road, wild and
free.” If you own a Harley, you think of the
brand as part of your DNA.
Sugarloaf has cultivated the same kind
of brand loyalty with its guests. People
are proud to call themselves “Sugarloafers,” and there is a cult following of skiers
and snowboarders who identify with the
mountain as an indispensable part of
their lives.
Just as companies and organizations
have brands, each of us as individuals
have our own personal brands as well.
We choose whether or not to manage and
leverage our personal brand in order to
make ourselves distinctive and memorable in the marketplace. We need to
think long and hard about what makes
us stand out from others, and stake our
claim to the traits that we want others to
remember about us.
For example, I am known for being en-
thusiastic and passionate about my work,
and for being one of the woman pioneers
in the public relations field in Maine. I
own the registered trademark on the
term “The PR Maven,” and I present
workshops and talks on PR statewide
and nationally. This is part of my identity,
and I have staked my claim on these personality traits throughout my career.
Just like me, you have a personal brand,
whether you are intentional about it or
not. People can get a pretty good idea of
who you are and who you’re connected
to by doing a Google search online and
reading about you on various websites,
including social media networks such as
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
When I meet someone new, I inevitably
Google their name and see how they
show up on websites and on social media.
BRANDING, PAGe 29
...combines exquisite wood
species, expressive door
styles and enduring exteriors to create a unique and
beautiful statement in your
home. Your options include
warm woods like maple,
oak, alder and cherry or a
distinctive wood like quarter sawn red oak or hickory.
Select flat panel or raised
panel doors styled with elegant lines or graceful
curves, understated features
or luxurious details. Choose
from one of the many combinations of glazes, stains
and tinted varnishes that enhance your cabinets’ design and reveal
your taste.
It Would Be Our Pleasure To Provide You With An Insurance Proposal...Thank You
GHM INSURANCE AGENCY
51 Main Street
Waterville, ME 04901
873-5101
1-800-244-9046
Providing 24-Hour
Claim Service
www.ghmagency.com
34 Center Street
Auburn, ME
04210
687-9171
AUTO - HOME - BUSINESS - LIFE - BENEFITS
8 LITHGOW ST. - WINSLOW
Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. - 1 p.m.
1-800-780-6467
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
Branding
ConTInueD From PaGe 28
Have you ever Googled your own name?
It might be a good idea so you can see
what shows up when other people are
searching for information about you.
Consider setting up a Google news alert
so you receive an email every time your
name appears on the Internet. Go to
www.google.com/alerts and set it up for
free. If you haven’t already started, now’s
the time to start thinking about how you
manage and communicate your personal
brand.
Personal branding is all about defining
your own unique story and what differentiates you from others in your field, then
making sure you connect with people who
may want to buy your products and services. The more connections you have in
your network, the stronger your personal
brand will be. This will benefit you when
you are trying to sell products or services,
seeking out a job reference, or looking for
support of a fundraising campaign or political campaign. The stronger your personal
network, the stronger your reputation will
be and the more successful you will be. In
my opinion, a stronger network leads to a
happier life.
In order to establish your own personal
brand and attract the right people into
your personal network, start by asking
yourself these questions:
• If someone is looking to buy what I
have to sell, can they easily and quickly
find me online?
• Is there information on websites and
social media that clearly differentiates me
from the competition?
• Do I have a personal brand that is
compelling and attractive to my targeted
audiences?
• Do I have a large group of followers,
friends and fans, who know, like and trust
me, and who help spread positive word of
mouth about what I am selling?
• What am I doing on a daily basis to
help others in my personal network ?
• Do I and my products or services
show up on more than one website
if someone Googles me? Do I have
a website in addition to a LinkedIn
profile, as well as Facebook, Twitter or
Instagram accounts?
Your brand is a promise you make to
deliver on your unique value proposition. If you are true to your brand, then
others will be more likely to trust you
— it is vital that your brand is authentic. If they don’t trust you, they won’t
do business with you. Without trust,
there can be no business relationship.
As more and more people recognize
and connect with your brand, it grows
stronger and gains brand equity. This
brand equity is your most valuable
asset as you build your professional
career and, in my view, it adds to personal happiness in life.
A brand is a promise that you make
to your family, friends, customers,
clients, peers and everyone you meet.
It is the reason they like you and the
reason people trust you. It helps you
build your personal network of people
who will be there for you when you
need them, throughout your lifetime.
Nancy Marshall, The PR Maven®,
is a graduate of Colby College with
an MBA from Thomas College. She
founded her agency, Nancy Marshall
29
Communications, in 1993 after having
worked at Sugarloaf as director of
communications. Today her agency
employs 12 professionals out of its
Augusta headquarters. She is a past
winner of the Edward L. Bernays
Award from the Maine Public Relations Council, recognizing the top PR
professional in the state of Maine. She
is a certified Personal Brand Strategist through Reach Personal Branding of NYC. Her websites are at www.
marshallpr.com and www.prmaven.
com.
A Family Owned Tradition
of Good Taste Since 1951
Relax and Enjoy
Maine’s
Best Coffee!
Proud
Distributor
of Maine’s
Best Coffee
Flavia Single Cup Brewers and Juice Systems
FRED’S COFFEE
Proud Distributor of Maine’s
Best Coffee & New England Coffee
255 Western Ave.,
Augusta
1-800-459-5800
622-5800
210 Maine Ave.,
Farmingdale
1-877-860-5800
582-5800
www.smarteyecare.com
824 Stillwater Ave.,
Bangor
1-877-427-1291
947-7554
112 Washington St., Oakland
1-800-439-3733
www.fredscoffee.com
30
KennebecJournal
Welcome to
End of the Rainbow
Alternatives
FARMINGTON
Natural Vitality, New Chapter,
Homeopathics, Bach’s Flower
Essences, Isotonix, DermaE,
Giovanni, Teas, Juices,
Cleansers, Proteins
Maine
SOMETHING FOR
EVERYONE!
We offer Massage
Reflexology, basic
Kinesiology, Rebounder
& Inversion as well as other
Old and New Age
Therapies, Tanning
and Full Day Spa
We offer Live and Cooked
Lobsters, Clams, Haddock,
Salmon, Scallops and a variety
of other Seafood
We have an assortment of deli meats and
cheeses as well as wheeled Cabot sharp
cheese, wheeled Danish blue cheese,
wheeled parmesan
595 Farmington Falls Road
We also carry Chicken, Pork,
Farmington • 779-0544
Rib Eyes, Porterhouse, T-Bone, Sirloin,
Mon.-Sat. 9am-7pm, Sun. 10am-6pm
Fresh Ground Hamburger
Farmington Motel
Enjoy “All of Maine” – We’re ideally located
in the western Maine Mountains.
Free wireless high speed internet
Spacious Rooms
Full, Queen and King size Beds
Complimentary coffee
Cable TV
Open
24 Hours
7 Days
Non-smoking rooms
Handicap accessible
Refrigerator and Microwave
Offer 5% Discount to AAA
members, AARP and U.S. Military
489 Farmington Falls Road, US Rt. 2 & 27
207-778-4680 • 1-800-654-1133
www.farmingtonmotel.com
Franklin County
FOR ALL SEASONS
249 Farmington Falls Rd.
Farmington, ME 778-2884
Open 7 Days a Week
Mon - Fri 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat - Sun 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
S HIRETOWN
www.shiretownagency.com
INSURANCE
AGENCY
166 Main St. • P.O. Box 392 | Farmington, Maine 04938
Tel. (207) 778-5282 | 1-888-266-1572
PALMER
REALTY
207-778-4444
380 Wilton Road
Farmington, ME
Residential
•
Thinking of Buying or Selling?
We offer experienced agents
who are willing to work for you.
CALL TODAY!
Commerical
•
Recreational
207-897-5558
Pitcher Perfect Tire Service
“Big, Fat, Tall, Small ~ We do ‘em All”
Full Tire Sales and Service
24 Hour Emergency Road Service
On Site Calcium Pump Available
Monday - Friday
6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
COMFORT SHOE AND FOOTCARE CENTER
Safety Shoes & Boots • Utility & Service Shoes • Hiking Boots & Shoes
Walking Shoes • Dress Shoes • Sandals • Arch Supports
62 Mercer Road, New Sharon
MUCH, MUCH MORE!
207-778-9699
175 Park Street, Livermore Falls • www.pinetreeorthopedic.com
TO VIEW CURRENT LISTINGS VISIT:
www.countyseatrlty.com
OR CONTACT US AT:
207-778-2755 OR [email protected]
www.franklincountymaine.org
207.778.4215
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Welcome to
Belgrade and Oakland
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (MMA)
SIGN
UP
NOW!
COME
IN
Y
TODA
[email protected]
394 Fairfield Street • Oakland • 465.4201
Open 7 Days • Mon. - Thurs. 4:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Fri. 4:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. • Sat. - Sun 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Buddies Meats
& Groceries
&
S O N S ,
I N C
Maine Roofing Service Est. 1976
Near Colby College in Oakland, Maine
We specialize in 24-gauge standing seam, double-locked, metal roofing
specialized colors
Residential & Commercial – all types of roofs
(207) 873-6353 • (800) 924-6353 • Fax (207) 877-7840
www.dhpinette.com
COMPLETE GROCERY STORE
Deli • Bakery • Fresh Meat and Produce
Ice • Stamps • Greeting Cards
...and best of all
FRIENDLY SERVICE!
43 MAIN STREET, OAKLAND, MAINE
TELEPHONE: 465-2621 • FAX: 465-7298
STORE HOURS: OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Mon. - Sat. 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Mid-Maine Marine Inc.
1-800-649-2628
www.midmainemarine.com
885 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Oakland, Maine 04963
1/2 Mile West of Exit 127, I-95
CALL US FOR A QUOTE TODAY!!
56 Main Street, Oakland, ME 04963 • 207-465-2531
www.higginsandbolduc.com
DAY’S REAL ESTATE
“The Waterfront Specialists”
262 Augusta Road
Belgrade, ME 04917
Office: 207-495-3111 • Toll Free 888-495-3111
web: www.daysrealestate.com
email: [email protected]
11 CHURCH STREET
OAKLAND, MAINE
GENERATORS
OF MAINE
(207) 465-3340
Land &
Lakes Realty
www.c21landandlakesrealty.com
EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED
Serving the Belgrade Lakes Region
262 Augusta Road
Belgrade, ME 04917
207-495-2285
KOHLER®
GENERATORS
web: www.generatorsofmaine.com
email: [email protected]
31
32
KennebecJournal
Business Journal
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
33
~ BUSINESS PROFILES ~
BEE LINE CABLE
BAR HARBOR BANK & TRUST
• Contact Information:
227 Water Street
Augusta, ME
(207) 622-0038
• Contact:
James Lacasse
VP/Business Banking
• Founded: 1887
• Employees: 223
368 Route 3
• Hours:
South China, ME
Augusta: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(207) 445-4865
So. China: Mon.-Thurs. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Web: www.BHBT.com
Open until 5:30 p.m. on Friday
Saturday 9 a.m.-12 noon
• About Us: Make Bar Harbor Bank & Trust your bank and lender of choice! For over 125 years
we have been providing financial solutions to businesses in Maine, helping them grow and
succeed! Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is local, listening and lending to businesses in Kennebec
County. Named one of the 2014 Top 200 Community Banks in the Nation by American
Banker magazine. Visit us today, or go online to BHBT.com. Bank with one of the 2014
Best Places to Work in Maine! Member FDIC. What’s on your horizon?
BOUCHARD CLEANING & RESTORATION, INC.
Augusta: (207) 623-4454
Waterville: (207) 872-6676
Bangor: (207) 947-4454
(800) 479-6676
• Email: norm.bouchardcleaning@
gmail.com
• Web: www.bouchardcleaning.com
• Chief Executive:
Norman Bouchard
• Founded: 1984
• Employees: 16
• Hours:
Office: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
On Call 24/7/365
• About Us: We are a 24/7/365 family-owned business. We provide fire, water and
mold remediation services. We have qualified technicians to provide all of your carpet
and upholserty needs, as well as many other services.
CAYER SECURITY SERVICES, INC.
208 College Ave.
• Phone: (207) 453-9177
Fax: (207) 453-4115
• Web:
www.cayersecurity.com
• Chief Executives:
Robert L. Cayer, President
Cynthia J. Cayer, Vice President
• Founded: 1997
• Employees: 8
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• About Us: We are a locally owned security company providing security services to
residential and commercial customers, as well as banks and credit unions throughout
the state. Our alarm monitoring center provides 24-hour UL listed monitoring. Our mission is to make every customer a priority by providing quality workmanship and superior
customer service. We have over 20 years of experience in the security industry. Our
professional technicians are licensed and insured.
131 Lakewood Road
Madison, Me
• Phone: (207) 474-2727
(207) 474-0966
• Web: www.getbeeline.com
• Founded: 1954, Houlton, ME
President: Paul Hannigan
Vice President and GM: George Allen
• Employees: 22
• Hours:
Office: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
24 hr. service 7 days/week
• About Us: Bee Line Cable is a Maine based company that is proud to serve the towns
of Anson, East Millinocket, Farmington, Industry, Madison, Millinocket, Skowhegan and
Wilton. Bee Line Cable’s network covers over 400 miles using the latest State of the
Art Hybrid Fiber/Coax System technology providing: HD Cable TV services with DVR,
high speed internet, DigiPHONE Service (unlimited long distance), and business data
services. The latest technology with that personal touch!
CAMDEN NATIONAL BANK
Gregory A. Dufour
3 Augusta locations:
• Web: www.CamdenNational.com
21 Armory St.
• Founded: 1875
(207) 622-8742
• Employees: 500
38 Bangor St.
• Hours:
(207) 662-8892
Open Online 24/7 or check our
127 Community Dr., Suite 101
website for specific branch hours.
(207) 622-3804
• About Us: Camden National Bank is an independent, Maine-based community bank that
has been anchoring communities, enriching the lives of Maine people and helping businesses succeed since 1875. With 44 branches from Kennebunk to Jonesport, we provide
online and mobile banking, traditional checking and savings accounts, mortgage options,
financial planning, and investment, brokerage, and insurance services. Visit us online at
CamdenNational.com; 800-860-8821. Member FDIC. Camden National Bank is an
Equal housing lender.
CENTRAL MAINE MEDICAL CENTER
300 Main Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
• Phone: (207) 795-0111
• Web: www.cmmc.org
Tina Legere
• Founded: 1891
• Employees: 2,100
• About Us: Our services include: Cardiac surgery, angioplasty and electrophysiology program• Minimally-invasive vascular surgery • Orthopaedics
Institute of Central Maine; Bariatrics surgery • Maternity, Fertility Center and
Neonatal intermediate care unit • Medical oncology, radiation therapy and
cancer surgery • Inpatient rehabilitation • Trauma program and LifeFlight of
Maine Base • Diabetes • Numerous surgery and medical sub-specialties
34
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
CENTRAL MAINE MOTORS AUTO GROUP
• Email: [email protected]
• Web: www.cmautogroup.com
Charles R. Gaunce
• Founded: 1935
• Employees: 178
• Annual Payroll: $6,500,000
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
GM Store:
420 Kennedy Memorial Drive
(207) 872-5591
• Chrysler Store:
300 KMD
(207) 872-9211
• Toyota Store:
15 Airport Rd.
(207) 872-5444
• About Us: Automobile sales and service. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Chevy, Buick,
Toyota and Scion. 5 locations, new and used car, truck sales; three service depts., three
parts departments, one body shop., reconditioning center and rental department.
D.H. PINNETTE & SONS, INC. d/b/a MAINEROOFING
P.O. Box 307
117 Rice Rips Road
Oakland, ME 04963
• Phone:
(207) 873-6353
(800) 924-6353
• Web: www.dhpinnette.com
Jane L. Pinnette
• Founded: 1976
• Employees: 20
• Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• About Us: We are a traditionally established company that proactively invests
in the specialization of metal residential roofing and all types of commercial
roofing, safety training and other applications for industry. Under full license,
commercial and residential roofing with a specialization in standing seam metal
residential roofing, copper and steel.
DURATHERM WINDOW CORPORATION
720 Main Street
Vassalboro, ME 04989
• Phone: (207) 872-5558
(800) 996-5558
[email protected]
• Web: www.durathermwindow.com
www.yorkspiralstair.com
Timothy P. Downing
• Founded: 1979
• Employees: 74
• Annual Payroll:
$2,500,000
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• About Us: Custom wood windows and doors, wood spiral stairs, and clean burning
fuel from the company’s reclaimed/recycled wood waste. Manufacturer and distributor
of custom wood windows and doors. Also manufactures and markets York Spiral Stairs,
a line of wood spiral stairs with no center post, as well as the Dura-Brique, a clean
burning wood briquette for wood stoves, furnaces and fireplaces.
EYE CARE OF MAINE
325A Kennedy Memorial Dr.
• Phone: (207) 873-2731
(800) 660-3403
• Web: www.Maine2020.com
• Founded: 1922
• Doctors:
Steve R. Witkin, M.D.
Peter C. Kohler, M.D.
James R. Putnam, M.D.
Marc B. Daniels, M.D.
André J. Witkin, M.D.
Helen Bell-Necevski, O.D.
Lorie Lepley Parks, O.D.
Michael C. Parks, O.D.
Ian M. Jones, O.D.
• About Us: Eye Care of Maine is an ophthalmology referral and general eye care
practice. We provide the most current and comprehensive services in eye care.
We also have a stand-alone surgery center.
CRISIS & COUNSELING CENTERS, INC
10 Caldwell Rd.
• Phone: (207) 626-3448
CRISIS RESPONSE
1-888-568-1112 or
(207) 621-2552 from a cell phone
in Kennebec / Somerset counties
• Web: www.crisisandcounseling.org
Lynn Duby, CEO
• Founded: 1970
• Employees: 143
• Hours: Crisis response 24/7
Outpatient and Admin:
Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.,
Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
G.E.A.R. Parent Network, varies
• About Us: Sole provider of 24-hour crisis response in Kennebec and Somerset
counties; outpatient treatment of mental health, substance abuse and co-occurring
disorders (Augusta and Skowhegan); mental health treatment for children and
adolescents (Augusta); G.E.A.R. Parent Network (statewide); medication-assisted
substance abuse treatment (Augusta); and integrated correctional healthcare.
delta ambulance
29 Chase Avenue
Waterville, ME
(207) 861-4244
• Web: www.deltaambulance.org
Timothy A. Beals, MBA, EMTP
• Founded: 1972
• Employees: 140
• Hours: 24 hours a day,
7 days a week.
10 Cony Road
122 Medical Center Parkway
Augusta, ME
(207) 623-4900
• About Us: Delta Ambulance is the leading provider of high quality, compassionate emergency
services, and non-emergency medical transportation in central Maine, as well as an important
regional resource for emergency care, health and safety education and a strong supporter of
the community. Winner: Margaret Chase Smith Maine State Quality Award - 2000;
Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce President’s Award - 2010; Department of
Defense/ESGR Pro Patria Award - 2011; MidMaine Chamber of Commerce - Business
of the Year Award - 2012.
EUROPEAN AUTO SERVICE
514 Brunswick Ave.
Gardiner, ME 04345
• Phone: (207) 582-2302
• Web:
www.easmaine.com
• Chief Executives / Co-owners:
Amy Rees
Aaron Murphy
• Founded: 2007
• Employees: 4
• About Us: We specialize in German car repair including BMW, Audi, VW, Porsche,
Mercedes-Benz and MINI Cooper. We have the factory level diagnostic computers for each
car line we service, and our technicians are extensively trained and experienced. We are
also in the customer service business, and encourage our customers to ask questions,
speak with the technician that is working on their vehicle, and take an active role in
understanding the maintenance and repair requirements of their vehicle. Our low
overhead saves our customers money, and we offer a clean comfortable waiting
room, as well as free loaner vehicles.
FRANKLIN SAVINGS BANK
• Founded: 1868
197-209 Main Street, P.O. Box 825
• Employees: 117
Farmington, ME 04938
• Hours: Lobby and Drive-Up Hours
• Phone: (207) 778-3339
vary depending on branch and day of the
(800) 284-0752
week. Online banking and bill pay with
• Branch Offices: River Valley, Jay,
Franklin eBranch, local and statewide
Rangeley, Wilton, Skowhegan and Mt.
fee-free ATMs with the Maine Cash AcBlue High School
cess system and telephone banking with
• Web: www.FranklinSavings.com
Telebanker are available 24 hours a day.
See our web page at www.FranklinSavPeter L. Judkins, President and CEO
ings.com for current information.
• About Us: Franklin Savings Bank is proud to be ranked as The Strongest Bank in Maine by Weiss
Ratings every year since 1999 and the only “A” rated bank in Northern New England. Full service
banking and financial services through Western Mountain Financial Services. Franklin Savings
Bank is a state-chartered Universal Bank with $342.7 million in assets and seven office locations
serving west central Maine. Franklin eBranch online banking and Franklin Bill Pay are available
free to customers. We are a member of the Maine Cash Access fee-free ATM network.
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FRED’S COFFEE COMPANY
112 Washington Street
Oakland, ME 04963
• Phone: (207) 872-5824
(800) 439-3733
• Web: www.fredscoffee.com
Don Boucher
• Founded: 1951
• Employees: 22
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
• About Us: A family business that has been operating for over sixty years. Fred’s is
Maine’s leading supplier of Maine’s Best Coffee, New England Coffee, Flavia single-cup
brewers, Douwe Egberts on-demand coffee system and other fine brands. Fred’s
provides filtered, point-of-use water coolers for office and workplaces, healthcare and
wholesale accounts. In addition, we offer complete juice and soda service. We supply
equipment, service and quality products to offices, convenience stores, restaurants,
delis, cafeterias, health care facilities and break rooms. We cover the State of Maine
and parts of New Hampshire.
GIBSON LECLAIR, L.L.C.
150 Capitol Street
Suite 3
• Phone: (207) 623-8401
(800) 639-2150
• Web: www.GibsonLeclair.com
• Partners:
Jeanne T. Gibson
Stephen L. LeClair
• Founded: 2003
• Employees: 9
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri.- 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• About Us: We offer audit, financial statements, consulting and tax services.
Certified Public Accountants specializing in:
1) Non-profit auditing and taxation
2) Business and individual taxation
3) Reviews and compilations
4) Closely held business issues
GOVERNOR HILL MANSION
36 State St.
Augusta, me
• Phone: (207) 622-6235
• Web:
www.governorhillmansion.com
Geoff Houghton
• Founded: 2009
• Employees: 10
• Hours:
Open 7 days
• About Us: Beautiful 1901 Federal-style mansion faithfully kept in original condition.
Available for conferences, meetings, weddings, and all other banquets and events.
Accommodates 15-250 people with multiple room flexibility. Modern audio-visual
services. Catering breakfast, lunch or dinner seven days a week.
HAMMOND LUMBER COMPANY
Route 27, P.O. Box 500
Belgrade, ME 04917
(207) 495-3303
1-800-HEY-BELG
• Auburn, Bangor, Boothbay Harbor,
Brunswick, Damariscotta, Fairfield,
Farmington, Greenville, Pemaquid,
Portland, Skowhegan and Wilton.
• Web: www.hammondlumber.com
Donald C. Hammond
• Founded: 1953
• Employees: 430
Saturday 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
• About Us: Family-owned building materials retailer that supplies materials to home
owners and contractors throughout New England. Branch stores in Auburn, Bangor,
Belgrade, Boothbay Harbor, Brunswick, Damariscotta, Fairfield, Farmington, Greenville,
Pemaquid, Portland, Skowhegan and Wilton. Free on-site estimating, computer
design help, kitchen and bath centers, Maine Pine Log Homes, Shoremaster
Docks, free delivery.
GHM INSURANCE AGENCY
51 Main Street
(207) 873-5101
34 Center Street
Auburn, ME 04210
(207) 689-9171
• Web: www.ghmagency.com
Bill and Paul Mitchell
• Founded: 1901
• Employees: 28
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
(24-hour claim service)
Evenings and weekends by
appointment.
• About Us: Personal insurance, business insurance, employee benefits, life, health,
disability, long-term care insurance, and bonding. A family-owned independent
insurance agency providing exceptional service, competitive insurance rates, loss
control and 24-hour claim service to individuals, families and business owners
throughout Central Maine.
GOLDEN POND WEALTH MANAGEMENT
29 Silver Street
• Phone: (207) 873-2200
• Email:
[email protected]
• Web: www.goldenpondwealth.com
Brian Bernatchez, CFP®
• Founded: 1996
• Employees: 7
• Hours:
Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• About Us: Investment Management and Financial Planning. Independent financial
services firm providing comprehensive wealth management services to families and
institutions throughout Maine.
HAIRBUILDERS
653 Oak Grove Rd.
No. Vassalboro, ME
• Phone: (207) 873-3688
• Web: www.hairbuilders.com
• Chief Executive: Beth Morse
• Founded: 1989
• Employees: 2
• Hours:
Tues., Thurs., Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Wed. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m.-?
• About Us: Hair restoration for women and men. Hair loss solutions, free consultations.
Hair salon, cuts, color, perms, style, maincures, pedicures, tanning.
HAMMOND TRACTOR COMPANY
Exit 132 W. off I-95
216 Center Rd
Fairfield, ME 04937
(207) 453-7131
•Route17,Union
•Route121,Auburn
• Email:
[email protected]
• Web: www.hammondtractor.com
• Vice President: Dave Hammond
• Founded: 1983
• Employees: 85
• Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sat. 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
• About Us:JohnDeereandKubotafarm,gardenandturfequipment.
NewEngland’slargestfarmandgardenequipmentdealership.Fullproductsupport
atall3locations.
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HIGGINS & BOLDUC AGENCY, INC.
56 Main St.
Oakland, ME 04963
• Phone: (207) 465-2531
• Web: www.higginsandbolduc.com
Matthew Marquis, President
• Founded: 1940
• Employees: 7
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• About Us: We are a family owned insurance agency offering all lines of personal,
commercial, life and health insurance. We specialize in providing exceptional customer
service.
INLAND HOSPITAL
200 Kennedy Memorial Drive
• Phone: (207) 861-3000
• Web: www.inlandhospital.org
• Provider Finder Service:
1-800-914-1409
John Dalton, President/CEO
• Founded: 1943
• Employees: 750
• About Us: Inland is a dynamic healthcare organization where patients and their
families always come first. Services include: compassionate and respectful care,
primary care providers in Waterville, Fairfield, Oakland, Madison, North Anson and Unity,
private inpatient rooms, a full range of outpatient and diagnostic services, family birthing center, cardiology, neurology, OMT, podiatry, rheumatology, wound care, diabetes
and nutrition services, OB/GYN care, emergency care with on-site helipad, orthopedics,
rehabilitation, and specialty clinics. Lakewood, located on the Inland campus offers
skilled nursing, dementia and long-term care. Inland is a member of EMHS.
HUHTAMAKI
242 College Ave.
• Phone: (207) 873-3351
• Web: www.huhtamaki.com
• About Us: Huhtamaki is one of the world’s largest packaging companies and one
of the few truly global players. Our focus and expertise is in paper, plastic, films and
molded fiber. We offer products from stock, custom designs as well as total packaging
systems and solutions.
JOSEPH’S MARKET
74 Front Street
• Phone: (207) 873-3364
• Email:
[email protected]
• Web:
www.josephsmarket.net
Thomas J. McAdam
• Founded: 1960
• Employees: 400
• Web Address:
www.kbhmaine.org
• About Us: A non-profit organization of mental health and substance abuse
specialists, with facilities in Waterville, Augusta, Skowhegan and Winthrop; provides
mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse services for adults, children
and families in Kennebec, Somerset and Waldo counties. KBH offers adult, child, and
family counseling; psychiatric, home-based and school-based services, community
integration and substance abuse services; independent and supported housing; and
a vocational clubhouse program.
KENNEBEC FEDERAL SAVINGS
• Founded: 1936
70 Main Street
• Employees: 22
• Hours:
• Phone: (207) 873-5151
Main St.: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Branch Office:
Washington St. Drive Up:
11 Washington St., Waterville
Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
(207) 873-3539
Fri. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Sat. 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Web: www.kfsavings.com
Washington St. Lobby:
Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Allan L. Rancourt, President/CEO
Sat. 8:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.
• About Us: Federally chartered mutual savings and loan association, headquartered
in Waterville, Maine. Residential mortgage specialists: VA, MSHA, RD, construction,
conventional, home equity. Unique banking options: KFS Rewards Checking, KFS Tunes
Checking, Easy Saver CDs & IRAs. Safe deposit boxes. Online banking, bill payment,
e-statements, and mobile banking.
Kevin P. Joseph
• Founded: 1925
• Employees: 11
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Closed Sundays
• About Us: We carry ONLY U.S.D.A. Inspected AND Graded Meats along with a
complete line of produce and deli items. We also carry a select line of Grocery items to
compliment all your dinner needs.
kennebec eye care, p.a.
kennebec beHAVIORAL HeALtH
67 Eustis Parkway
• Phone:
(207) 873-2136 or
1-888-322-2136
Ray McMullin, Plant Manager
• Founded: 1903
• Employees: 480
• Hours:
24 hours a day, seven days a week
216 Main Street
• Phone: (207) 872-2797
• Web:
www.kennebeceyecare.com
• Founded: 1955
Dr. Frank Myska, O.D.
• Employees: 11
• Hours: Year round:
Mon., Tues., Thurs, Fri. 8-5
Wed. 9-5
Nov.-May: Saturdays, 8-noon
Evenings: call for appointment
• About Us: Medical and routine eye care, contact lenses, spectacle frame and
lenses. In-house lab makes photochromic, glare-free, high index and aspheric lenses.
One hour service available, some restrictions apply.
kennebec medical consultants
13 Railroad Square
Suite 2
• Phone:
(207) 877-9562
Fax: (207) 877-9560
Jerald E. Hurdle, DO
• Founded: 2011
• Employees: 4
• Hours:
Fridays: 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
• About Us: Dermatological Disease, Acne, Skin Cancer, Psoriasis, Eczema, Atypical
Moles, Hair Disease, Nail Disease, Blu-u Therapy, Botox, Laser Treatment, Seasonal
Allergy Testing, Colorectal Disease, Genital Warts, Rectal Bleeding, Irritable Bowel Disorder, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, Hemorrhoids, Colonoscopy
and Constipation. We accept Medicare and all major insurance plans.
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KENNEBEC PHARMACY & HOME CARE
43 Leighton Road
Augusta ME
• Phone: (207) 626-2726
(888)-463-8083
• Web:
www.kennebecpharmacy.com
Mike Nowak
• Founded: 1995
• Employees: 110
• Hours:
Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (retail store only)
• About Us: Medical supplies, home infusion & respiratory services, compounding,
men’s & women’s health.
KENNEBEC VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Peter G. Thompson
President & CEO
• Founded: 1932
• Employees: 4
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
21 University Drive
P.O. Box 676
Augusta, ME 04332-0676
• Phone: (207) 623-4559
Fax: (207) 626-9342
• Web: www.AugustaMaine.com
• About Us: Business promotion,economic development and public information
services. More than 600 Capital Area businesses and organizations form this
association. Goals are economic and community development, support of a good
business climate and a high quality of life in the southern Kennebec Valley region.
KMD PLAZA
270 Kennedy Memorial Dr.
Waterville, Me 04901
• Phone: (207) 873-5101
• Web: www.kmdplaza.com
• About Us:
Enterprise
Papa John’s Pizza
Dairy Queen
Beltone
Windsor office:
(207) 445-2076
(800) 660-2111
KENNEBEC VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
92 Western Ave.
Fairfield, ME 04937
• Phone: (207) 453-5000
• Web: www.kvcc.me.edu
• President:
Dr. Richard Hopper
• Founded: 1969
• Employees: 237
104 full-time
133 part-time
• Hours:
Fri. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• About Us: Offering two-year associate degrees and one year certificate programs,
unique programs, opportunities to transfer credits to four-year colleges and universities,
online classes, professional development courses.
KSW FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Bill Mitchell
• Founded: 2001
• Hours:
Varies by business
Armed Forces Recruiting
Amcomm/Verizon
Sam’s Italian Foods
Community Oxygen
LAWRY BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME
Main office:
107 Main St.
Fairfield, ME 04937
(207) 453-6049
(800) 660-2111
KENNEBEC SAVINGS BANK
150 State Street
• Web: www.kennebecsavings.com
P.O. Box 50
Augusta, ME 04332
Andrew E. Silsby, President
• Phone: (207) 622-5801
• Founded: 1870
• Branch Offices:
• Employees: 110
226 Main St., Waterville
• Hours:
(207) 872-5563
Lobby: Mon.-Fri.: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
84 Main St., Winthrop
Drive-up: Mon.-Fri.: 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
(207) 377-5801
KSB Anytime: 24-hour electronic
1 Northern Ave., Farmingdale
banking centers in Farmingdale,
(207) 588-5801
Augusta and Manchester.
• About Us: State chartered community bank. Residential mortgages, construction
loans, commercial loans, personal, business checking, regular savings, certificates of
deposit, IRAs, safe deposit boxes, clubs, home equity and personal lines of credit,
installment loans, credit cards, investment management and trust services.
• Web:
www.lawrybrothers.com
Jeffrey A. Forsythe
• Founded: 1887
• Employees: 8
• Hours:
Anytime by appointment 24 / 7 / 365
• About Us: Funeral Services; Cremation Services; Pre-arrangement Services.
• Chief Executive: Deserée A. Gilman
222 College Ave.
• Founded: 1954
• Employees: 21
(207) 872-5602
• Hours:
Drive-Up:
Branch office:
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,
135 Waldo Avenue
(Wtvl. Drive-up is open until 6:30 p.m.
Belfast, ME 04915
on Thursdays)
(207) 338-5160
Both Lobbies:
• Web: www.kswfcu.org
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kswfcu
• About Us: Description of services/products: Founded in 1954, KSW FCU offers convenient
banking solutions for those who live, worship, or attend school in Kennebec and Somerset County
and recently to areas of Waldo County. KSW FCU offers Savings, Checking, Business Products,
Auto Loans, Mortgages, Home Equity, Youth Savings Programs, ATMs, Certificates, IRA’s, Gift &
Travel Cards, Visa Debit & Credit Cards, Home Banking, Mobile Banking, Bill Pay Services,
E-Statements and Mobile Remote Capture. Financial Planning is also available.
MACOMBER FARR & WHITTEN
One Market Square
Suite 201
Augusta, ME 04330
• Phone: (207) 623-4575
• Web: www.maineinsure.com
• Founded: 1848
• Employees: 12
• Partners:
John Finnegan, President
David Gingras, Vice President
Peter Gingras, Vice President
Lynn Quirion, Vice President
Lisa Kneeland, Vice President
• Hours:
8 a.m-5 p.m.
• About Us: Businessowners, professional liability, workers’ compensation, employment practices, directors and officers, bonding. Employee benefits, Medical, Dental,
Life and Disability and all personal lines coverage.
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MAIN SECURITY SURVEILLANCE
36 Anthony Ave.
Suite 102
Augusta, ME 04330
• Phone: (207) 622-8716
(800) 992-8090
• Web: www.mainsecurity.net
Chairman: Rick Rockwell,
Partners: Steve Hayden & Ben Towle
• Founded: 1972
• Employees: 24
• Hours:
Monitoring 24/7
Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• About Us: Complete Residential & Commercial Security and Surveillance Company.
24/7 Monitoring for Burglary, Fire, and Environmental concerns. We also specialize in
camera surveillance & CCTV for remote or local monitoring. MSS also features a full
Computer Security Division for all your IT and Infrastructure needs from servers to
desktop support and protection.
MAINE STATE CREDIT UNION
• 200 Capitol St. Augusta
623-1851
• 162 Hospital St., Augusta
621-6060
• 81 Grove St., Waterville
873-5159
• Web: www.MaineStateCU.org
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MaineStateCU
Normand R. Dubreuil
CCUE, CCE
President/CEO
• Founded: 1935
• Employees: 74
• Hours:
Hours vary by office location
• About Us: Maine State CU was founded in 1935 to provide convenient and affordable
financial services to State employees and their families. Since then, MSCU has expanded
their field of membership and service area to also include those who live, work, worship or
attend school in Kennebec and Somerset Counties. Today they serve over 25,000 members statewide with savings accounts, checking accounts, a rewards checking account,
mortgages, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, personal loans, fuel loans, credit
cards, IRAs, HSAs and Certificates of Deposit.
MAINE-LY ELDER CARE
28 Center St.
Oakland, ME 04963
• Phone: (207) 465-3249
• Web: www.maine-lyeldercare.com
Denise Rogers-Stevens, RN
• Founded: 1999
• Employees: 100
• About Us: Maine-ly Elder Care provides Quality of Life Solutions to the people and
communities we serve. We provide nursing, personal care by Christian caregivers,
homemaking, transportation and home maintenance and repairs.
MID-MAINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
50 Elm St.
• Phone: (207) 873-3315
• Email: customerservice@
midmainechamber.com
• Web: www.midmainechamber.com
Kimberly N. Lindlof
President & CEO
• Founded: 1912
• Employees: 4
• Hours:
• About Us: Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce is dedicated and committed to
promoting, educating and advocating for business prosperity and regional economic
improvement. Annual Payroll: $146,207. Business to business promotional organization
and visitors’ center with public bathroom.
MAINE NATURAL GAS
9 Industrial Parkway
Brunswick, ME 04011
• Phone: (207) 729-0420
Toll free: (877) 867-1642
• Web: www.mainenaturalgas.com
Brian Hawlley
• Founded: 1995
• Employees: 17
• Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
• About Us: We deliver natural gas through our local pipeline networks in Windham,
Gorham, Freeport, Pownal, Brunswick, Topsham, Bath and Augusta.
Mainegeneral HealtH
35 Medical Center Parkway
Augusta, ME 04330
149 North Street
30 Chase Avenue
• Web: www.mainegeneral.org
• Chief Executive: Chuck Hays
• Founded: 1898
• Employees: 4,226
• Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• About Us: Health care services - the state’s third-largest health care system, MaineGeneral is an integrated not-for-profit organization with a range of services that includes:
a 192-bed acute care medical center in Augusta; a comprehensive outpatient center in
Waterville; a cancer treatment center which was the first center in Maine to earn the Quality
Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) certification; primary care and specialty physician
practices; mental health and substance abuse services; long-term care facilities; rehabilitation; home health care and hospice services; special care for patients with memory
loss; community outreach; and retirement living options.
MCCORMACK BUILDING SUPPLY
8 Lithgow Street
Winslow, ME 04901
• Phone: (207) 873-6467
• Email:
[email protected]
Duane Farnham
• Founded: 1979
• Employees: 18
• Hours:
Sat. 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
• About Us: Lumber and building materials retailer. McCormack Building Supply is a full
service lumber yard offering everything you need to complete your construction project no
matter how large or small. We have a full line kitchen and bath center on site. We offer
free estimating, computer aided kitchen and bath design, and free local delivery.
BRIAN J. MORIN, DMD, MMSc, pA
325-D Kennedy Memorial Drive
• Phone: (207) 872-2094
• Web: www.morinorthodontics.com
Brian J. Morin, DMD
• Founded: 1994
• Employees: 4
• About Us: Quality orthodontic treatment for children and adults. Other locations
are Skowhegan and Farmington.
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PFBF, CPAs
NORTHEAST LABORATORY SERVICES
227 China Rd.
Winslow, ME 04901
• Phone: (207) 873-7711
(800) 244-8378
• Branch Office:
999 Forest Ave.
Portland, ME 04103
• Web: www.nelabservices.com
Rodney “Beau” Mears
• Founded: 1972
• Employees: 70
• Hours:
• About Us: Biotechnology, environmental and food analytical services. Provides
microbiological products to pharmaceutical, biotech, food and clinical markets.
Provides comprehensive biological and radiological analysis to individuals, industries
and government agencies.
PENNY HILL PARK
295 Kennedy Memorial Dr.
Waterville, ME
• Phone: (207) 873-5101
• Web: www.295kmd.com
• About Us:
Edward Jones
Goodwill Industries /
Lifeworks
Bill Mitchell
• Founded: 2012
• Hours:
Varies by business
First Choice Pregnancy
Mix 107.9
Inland Hospital
Waterville Women’s Care
PRIME FINANCIAL, INC.
753 West River Rd.
• Phone: (207) 877-9450
• Web:
www.primefinancial.biz
Roland Fournier
• Founded: 1985
• Employees: 6
• Hours:
• About Us: Financial Planning, Investments, Retirement Planning, Life Insurance,
Health Insurance* (*not offered through INVEST).
Registered Representative of INVEST Financial Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC,
and its affiliated insurance agencies offer securities, advisory services, and certain
insurance products and are not affiliated with Prime Financial, Inc.
SEBASTICOOK VALLEY HEALTH
447 N. Main St.
Pittsfield, ME 04967
• Phone: (207) 487-4000
TTY: (207) 487-4590
• Web: www.SebasticookValleyHealth.org
Teresa P. Vieira, SVH President/CEO
and EMHS Senior Vice President
• Founded: 1963
• Employees: 348
• Hours: Hospital - 24/7
• About Us: Not for profit critical access hospital with Surgical Services, including total joint
replacement, Podiatry Services, including foot and ankle surgery, modern private/semi-private
inpatient rooms in a quiet rural setting, Emergency Services (emergency department, ambulance service, helipad), Specialty Physicians, Diagnostic Services, (CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine,
Ultrasound, Digital Mammography, Bone Density Screening), Full Service Laboratory,
Women’s Health Center, Diabetes and Nutrition Clinic, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Sleep Study
Center, Rehabilitation Services in Pittsfield and Newport, Respiratory Services, Transportation Services for outpatients, Occupational Medicine, Community Health and
Education, SVH Family Care in Clinton, Newport, and Pittsfield. EMHS Member.
46 FirstPark Drive
Oakland, ME 04963
(207) 873-1603
259 Front St.
Bath, ME 04530
(207) 371-8002
• Web: www.pfbf.com
James P. Boulette, CPA
• Founded: 1984
• Employees: 18
• Hours:
Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• About Us: Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors, specializing in
business valuations, corporate and individual tax preparation, audited, reviewed and
compiled financial reports, estate and tax planning services, QuickBooks support
and training.
PINE VIEW HOMES, INC.
Augusta Rd., Rte. 201
Winslow, ME 04901
• Phone: (207) 872-6259
(800) 464-7463
• Web: pineview1955.com
• Founded: 1955
Michael S. Ayer
and Tracy J. Ayer
• Employees: 22
• Hours:
Closed Mondays
Tues.-Sat. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Evenings and Sunday by appointment
• About Us: Factory-built homes, modular sales and service; rentals with option to
buy. Pine View Homes provides factory-built and modular homes. Statewide delivery
and set-up. Third generation ownership has provided energy-efficient, affordable
homes throughout Maine.
REDINGTON-FAIRVIEW GENERAL HOSPITAL
P.O. Box 468
46 Fairview Avenue
Skowhegan, Maine 04976
• Phone: (207) 474-5121
• Web: www.rfgh.net
• Chief Executive: Richard Willett
• Founded: 1952
• Employees: 550
• Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• About Us: Provides a full range of health care services including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, neurology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, general surgery, and emergency medical services. RFGH is an independent,
non-profit, critical access community hospital providing quality, comprehensive
health services to Somerset County.
SHERIDAN CORPORATION
33 Sheridan Drive
PO Box 359
Fairfield, ME 04937
• Branch Offices: Portland
• Email:
[email protected]
• Web: www.sheridancorp.com
Mr. Bradley B. Nelson
• Founded: 1947
• Employees: 100
• Annual Payroll:
Over $3 million
• Hours:
• About Us: Construction and engineering services for commercial, institutional
and industrial building projects. Building contractor delivering general contracting,
construction management and design/build construction services. In-house design
capabilities for site design and permitting.
40
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
SMART EYECARE CENTER
255 Western Avenue
Augusta, ME 04330
• Phone: (207) 622-5800
• Web: www.smarteyecare.com
Dr. Richard Smart, O.D.
• Founded: 1990
• Employees: 49
• Hours:
Mon. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tues. 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Wed. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thurs. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. closed
• About Us: Complete eye health and vision examinations. From dress to work, sports
to safety, fashion to function, we have eyewear for every occasion and need. Vision
plans and most major medical insurances accepted. Contact lens services, Cataract and
Lasik evaluations, and emergency eye care also available.
CITY OF WATERVILLE
One Common St.
• Phone: (207) 680-4200
• Web:
www.waterville-me.gov
Michael Roy
City Manager
• Founded: 1802
• Employees: 109
• Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• About Us: Municipal services including: emergency services (police and fire), tax
maps, property records and deeds, general tax information, tax payments, vehicle
registrations, vital records (birth and death certificates, marriage licenses), notary
services, business licensing, management of the Pine Grove Cemetery and Robert
LaFleur Airport, hunting and fishing licenses, dog licensing, planning and zoning, code
enforcement, building and electrical permits, general assistance, road maintenance
and snow removal, rubbish collection, parks maintenance, and recreation programs
and events.
THOMAS COLLEGE
180 West River Road
• Phone: (207) 859-1111
• Web: www.thomas.edu
President Laurie G. Lachance,
M.B.A. ’92
• Founded: 1894
• Employees: 175-200
• About Us: Founded in 1894, Thomas College is at the forefront of affordability, access
to college education, and providing students with a good return on investment. The private,
career-oriented college is committed to preparing its undergraduates for careers in all forms
of business, technology, criminal justice, psychology, and education. On average, 94 percent
of Thomas graduates are employed within 90 days of graduation. The college is accredited
by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and awards a Master of Business
Administration (with concentrations in Accounting, Health Care Management, Human
Resources, and Project Management); a Master of Science in Education, Educational
Leadership, and Literacy Education; a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Arts; an
Associate in Science, and an Associate in Arts.
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• Web: www.mainewellness.org
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• Founded: 2011
• Employees:50
• Hours: Mon.-Fri.10a.m.-7p.m.
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Kennebec
Journal •
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Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
41
42
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Franklin Community Health Network
merges with MaineHealth
Portland-based group expands coverage
BY VALERIE TUCKER
Correspondent
Franklin Community Health Network
has announced a recent merger with
Portland-based MaineHealth. The
move was effective Oct. 1 and increased
the MaineHealth system to 13 members.
The Franklin Community Health Network includes Franklin Memorial Hospital, Evergreen Behavioral Services,
NorthStar ambulance service, Healthy
Community Coalition of Greater
Franklin County and several affiliated
medical practices. These practices include 50 physicians and clinicians who
provide much of the county’s primary
care and specialty services.
The merger itself involved much planning and effort behind the scenes.
In April 2013, the Franklin Community Health Network board of directors
started the discussion and announced
in December they would seek the
necessary approval from the Maine
Department of Health and Human
Services. Both organizations prepared
a lengthy application to the state’s
Certificate of Need unit.
“MaineHealth and Franklin Community Health Network share the same
values and mission and, by joining
MaineHealth, we will be able to partner
with the system and other members to
improve health care in our community,”
said Rebecca Arsenault, president and
CEO of Franklin Community Health
Network.
Arsenault said the trend for smaller hospitals to merge with larger
networks offers solutions to reduced
government reimbursement, more
mandated regulations and continued
level of quality care. Patients who are
not able to pay for their care have
Contributed photo
merge: Franklin Memorial Hospital, Farmington, part of Franklin Community Health
FRANklIN MEMORIAl, Page 43 Network, has recently merged with Portland-based MaineHealth.
The Governor
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Franklin Memorial
“MaineHealth and Franklin Community Health Network share
the same values and mission and, by joining MaineHealth,
we will be able to partner with the system and other
members to improve health care in our community.”
CONTINuED FROM PaGE 42
increased the amount of charity care
costs by $2 million.
Overall, there will be few changes and
more improvements. MaineHealth will
give the Franklin Community Health
Network additional administrative and
clinical support. It also will provide
access to a broader range of specialties
for patients.
Jill Gray, communications spokeswoman for Franklin Community Health
Network, said the hospital will change
its logo and marketing material to
match MaineHealth. Before joining
MaineHealth, Franklin Memorial Hospital had worked with other members
and affiliates of MaineHealth.
Patients used Maine Medical Center
for cardiology and cardiovascular care;
neonatal care was provided at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine
Medical Center and MaineGeneral
Health was used for cancer treatment.
“Our health system has enjoyed a
long-standing clinical collaboration
with Franklin Community Health Network and its providers,” MaineHealth
President Bill Caron said in a news
RebeCCa aRseNault, pResideNt aNd CeO OF
FRaNkliN COMMuNity HealtH NetwORk
release.
MaineHealth works on behalf of its
members to write “single signature”
contracts, relieving members of the
need to negotiate contracts on their
own — and members may realize better terms than they could negotiate as
a single entity.
MaineHealth provides direct support
to system-wide information projects,
such as the Shared Health Record.
This investment provides a significant
opportunity for members to improve
patient care — an opportunity that
would not be available to many smaller
members without the benefit of a large
system.
MaineHealth legal services include
“one signature” contracts that cover all
member organizations, and the audit
and compliance team helps members
prepare for audits and conform to regulatory requirements faced by healthcare organizations.
The MaineHealth marketing de-
partment develops marketing plans,
preserves brand standards and creates
system-wide materials, including the
annual community benefit report,
community health impact series and
advertising campaigns.
Many hospitals, especially smaller
organizations, would be unable to
conduct large-scale, regular market
research without the benefit of several
hospitals pitching in to bring the costs
within reach.
MaineHealth’s supply chain team
helps keep the cost of goods and services down for member organizations.
For example, Synernet provides outsourced administrative services that
help save money and employees’ time,
improve quality and allow organizations to redeploy resources to core care
activities. Boards and management
teams benefit from sharing advice and
best practices across the system.
The depth of the system allows
MaineHealth members to meet chal-
Improving lives with effective,
innovative care
The agency provides a continuum of high quality,
innovative, community-based prevention,
education, treatment and rehabilitation services.
Programs include:
• Psychiatric Medication Services
• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Outpatient Psychiatry and Mental Health Care
• Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
• School-Based Services
• Vocational Clubhouses
• Housing Services
• Children’s Home- and CommunityBased Treatment (HCT)
• Community Integration Services
1-888-322-2136
Two-dozen programs. Hundreds of people who care. Clinics in Augusta, Waterville, Skowhegan
and Winthrop. Vocational clubhouses in Augusta, Waterville and Lewiston.
www.kbhmaine.org
43
lenges — such as healthcare reform
and the transition to an accountable
care model — as a highly competent
and experienced team. MaineHealth
will provide better access to population health data and programs to
enhance population wellness initiatives
(community health programs) in the
community.
For example, the Health Index Initiative tracks progress on six key health
indicators: child immunization rates,
tobacco use, prevalence of obesity,
preventable hospitalizations, cardiovascular mortality and cancer mortality.
MaineHealth Educational Services
delivers educational opportunities
to healthcare providers and professional staff on topics pertaining to
the delivery of high-quality, efficient,
evidence-based, patient-centered care.
Representing hospitals and healthcare
providers throughout most of the state,
MaineHealth includes Maine Medical
Center, Lincoln County Healthcare,
Western Maine Health, Southern
Maine Health Care, Pen Bay Healthcare, Waldo County Health Care, Maine
Mental Health Partners, Home Health
Visiting Nurses, NorDx, Synernet and
the Maine Physician Hospital Organization. Affiliates of MaineHealth include MaineGeneral Health, Mid Coast
Health Services, St. Mary’s Health
System, and New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland.
Kennebec Behavioral Health’s
mission is to promote the wellbeing of children, adults and
families who experience mental
illness, emotional difficulties or
behavioral challenges.
44
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Inland Hospital and Sebasticook Valley
Health collaborate for improved care
Together they can provide more, say administrators
BY VALERIE TUCKER
Correspondent
inlAnd vp OperAtiOns
dAn bOOth
Smaller rural hospitals are challenged
to reduce costs while continuing to offer
high-quality care. Two regional hospitals
have decided that collaboration, rather
than competition, can provide a win-win
solution for their budgets and their rural
patients.
The Sebasticook Valley Health service
area covers roughly a 15-mile radius
around Pittsfield. Inland Hospital has a
similar radius around Waterville.
Both of central Maine’s hospitals found
recruiting specialists a difficult task, though
the need is there. Both could often support
part-time medical specialist positions on
their own, but many health care professionals want full-time hours and industry-competitive salaries. Many of the new doctors
from top medical schools might prefer the
rural setting, but can’t find hospitals that
KVCOG provides financing
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KVCOG’s loan program serves all businesses in Kennebec, Somerset and western Waldo
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offer a full spectrum of services.
Sebasticook Valley Health’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Peterson said both Sebasticook Valley Health and Inland Hospital
were looking at the same problems and
searching for similar solutions.
“The old model was us competing against
each other, but that isn’t the most responsible use of our community resources,”
Peterson said. “As individual providers, we
don’t carry a lot of clout when recruiting
specialty doctors because we may not keep
them busy enough. Together, our combined
service areas cover plenty of patients, as
well as the appeal of being part of a larger
health care team.”
Patients who have required specialized
services, including neurology, rheumatology, endocrinology and wound care,
have had to travel to larger metropolitan
areas for treatment. Sebasticook Valley
svh CAO
MiChAel petersOn
Inland/SVH, Page 45
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Kennebec
Journal •
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Morning Sentinel
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Inland/SVH
CoNTINued From Page 44
Health’s goal is to provide quality care close
to home, according to Peterson. He and
Dan Booth, vice president of operations
at Inland Hospital, decided to work with
their respective staffs to develop creative
alternatives.
The two hospitals took the first step
by jointly hiring a neurologist. Dr. Gloria
Simms, a neurologist, provides both hospitals with highly-specialized skills. Simms
treats patients who have had strokes,
have seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis,
neuropathy, headaches, radiculopathy,
myasthenia gravis, myopathy, Parkinson’s
disease and memory loss.
Another area of collaboration is around
diabetes care.
“Co-managing our diabetes care between
the two hospitals gives us the chance to
provide more advanced care in addition to
what is already occurring in our primary
care offices,” Booth said. “For both Inland
and SVH, improving the health status of
our diabetics is a major focus.”
Sharing wound care providers is also being planned, an opportunity to help patients
reduce travel time to receive expert care.
Inland Hospital offers rheumatology care
and treatment for those with arthritis or
other diseases characterized by inflammation of the body’s connective tissue.
That includes treatment for rheumatoid
arthritis, psoriasis and psoriotic arthritis,
osteoarthritis, lupus and related autoimmune conditions, osteoporosis, gout, soft
tissue rheumatism, bursitis and tendinitis.
“We’ve recruited two rheumatologists to
Inland, so SVH patients don’t have to drive
to Bangor for their care.” Booth said.
Both hospitals are part of EMHS
(Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems). The
Affordable Care Act requires all medical
service providers to manage costs more
efficiently, and rural hospitals have to meet
unique challenges. Terri Vieira, president
and CEO of Sebasticook Valley Health,
and John Dalton, president and CEO of
Inland Hospital, share their support for
more ongoing collaborations between the
two health care organizations, saying that
improving the level of service to the people
in Kennebec and Somerset counties is furthering the goal to provide the right care, at
the right time, in the right place.
Inland’s network includes a 48-bed
community hospital, Lakewood, a 105-bed
continuing care center on the Waterville
campus and 18 primary and specialty care
physician offices in Waterville and five
surrounding communities. Inland has been
a member of EMHS since 1998.
Established in 1963 by a group of community leaders, Sebasticook Valley Health includes a progressive 25-bed critical access
hospital in Pittsfield, with a wide range of
outpatient services and three primary care
locations. SVH offers both inpatient and
outpatient services, including a surgical
unit, medical-surgical and special care unit,
a swing bed unit, women’s health center,
rehabilitation centers in Newport and Pitts-
45
field, primary and walk-in-care medical
offices in Clinton, Newport and Pittsfield,
and more than 20 specialty services.
Contributed photo
team: Lorien Winslow, RD, LD, left, and
Ev Jackson, RD, LD, right, are part of
the Inland Hospital/Sebasticook Valley
Health diabetes care and management
team in a new partnership that offers a
larger pool of staff and multiple locations
in central Maine. The collaboration allows
the two hospitals to better serve their local communities, giving patients a higher
level of care with less travel and cost.
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46
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
MaineGeneral’s $16M investment
transforms outpatient health care
Future generations will benefit from Thayer Center for Health
BY JOHN BEGIN
Comm. Specialist, Marketing
& Communications
MaineGeneral Health
MaineGeneral Health committed $16
million to transform its Thayer Center
for Health (TCH) into Maine’s most
comprehensive outpatient health care
facility.
Contractors worked 11 months to extensively remodel the building’s interior,
parking lots and main entrance.
Ten physician practices and services
relocated to the building from sites in
Waterville, Oakland and Fairfield —
joining practices already at Thayer — to
provide easier access to care.
And, at an Oct. 25 open house, MaineGeneral staff welcomed the public to the
re-born Thayer to celebrate a new model
of health care for the greater Kennebec
Valley region.
“We were excited for people to see the
new Thayer, one that now embodies the
vision we had before its transformation,”
said Thayer Director of Operations Buffy
Higgins.
Higgins said the facility offers a “onestop shopping model” to make accessing
health care easier for patients who won’t
have to travel to different sites for physician office visits and related services.
“For weeks, people have been telling
me daily how easy it will now be for them
to not have to make multiple stops with
their loved ones,” she said.
MaineGeneral Medical Center CEO
Paul Stein agrees with Higgins’ assessment of the Center’s benefits.
“I’m excited to have primary care,
specialty care, diagnostic services and a
24/7 Emergency Department all under
one roof,” Stein said.
Contributed p hoto
MAInEGEnErAl, PAGE 47 Waterville: MaineGeneral Thayer Center for Health.
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Kennebec
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MaineGeneral
ConTinued FroM Page 46
“The TCH is a key part of our overall strategic plan, in concert with the
Alfond Center for Health in Augusta, to
provide the best-quality care with the
most convenient access to services for
our region,” he said. “Our patients will
benefit from these efforts for generations
to come.”
Thayer opened in 1951 as a stand-alone
inpatient hospital and was modified
many times in the decades that followed.
Extensive renovation work started at
Thayer on Nov.10, 2013 — the day after
the Alfond Center for Health opened —
and was substantially completed in late
September.
Led by general contracting firm J. F.
Scott Construction Company of Winthrop, the work was completed almost
exclusively by Maine contractors.
Space formerly used for inpatient care
was reclaimed and remodeled to house a
primary care practice and collaborative
care clinic; general, vascular, thoracic,
plastic and ear, nose and throat surgical
practices; and gastroenterology and
neurology practices.
Thayer remained open for business
throughout the project, which required
staff and patients to be accommodating
as they worked or received care in a
At Your
Service
construction environment. Higgins said
she thinks the end result makes up for
any inconveniences experienced along
the way, however.
“Now we have a wonderful facility
that’s equipped to provide an improved
overall experience for our patients and
their families and caregivers.”
J.F. Scott Construction Project Manager Nick Morgan, who was heavily
involved in the construction of the Alfond
Center for Health, the Harold Alfond
Center for Cancer Care and several
other noteworthy MaineGeneral projects
over the years, said the effort to transform the building was not without its
challenges, despite extensive planning,
coordination and communication.
“Typically a project of this size is an
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addition to a building. With this one, all of
the renovations were to the building’s interior so we had to work in, around, over
and under practices and departments,
which added to the complexity.”
Morgan praised the patience and
flexibility of Thayer’s staff, patients and
visitors during construction.
“It was quite a feat to complete the
amount of work we did in about 11
months under those conditions, but
everyone was really great,” he said.
Morgan said he has been pleased
to see the positive reactions of staff,
patients and visitors to the redesigned
Thayer Center for Health.
“The excitement has been very real
and great to see,” he said.
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48
Business Journal
Kennebec Journal
Journal •• Morning Sentinel
Kennebec Behavioral Health
promotes wellness in the workplace
Employers and workers benefit
BY ELIZABETH KEANE
Kennebec Behavioral Health
The “Winter Blues” are coming and
Kennebec Behavioral Health (KBH) is
ready to promote mental health wellness in the workplace with some tips
every employer may want to consider.
Employers can help lower the
estimated $80 to $100 billion in costs
anually for mental illness and substance abuse by creating a healthy and
psychologically safe workplace that
will stimulate productivity.
In order to create an environment
conducive to mental health wellness
in the workplace, an employer needs
MARION L. HEALEY BUILDING,
94 HIGHLAND AVE., WINTHROP, ME 04364
(207) 377-2124 • FAX: (207) 377-2767
www.winthropcreditunion.org
Email: [email protected]
All-Purpose Clubs
AskAuto Mobile Application
Bill-payer (via Online &
Mobile Banking)
Christmas Clubs
Deposit Insurance (NCUSIF)
Drive-Up Window
Email Statements
Handicap Accessible
Home Equity Loans
IRA Accounts
Merchant Services
Mortgage Disability
Insurance
“Operated BY it’s members FOR it’s members!”
ATM Machine
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Credit Life and Disability
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GAP Insurance
Hi-Yield Accounts
Instant Issue Debit & ATM
Cards
Member Overdraft Privilege
Mobile Banking
Mobile Deposit Capture
Mortgage Life Insurance
Dr. KArEN MosHEr, PHD,
CLINICAL DIrECTor,
KENNEBEC BEHAvIorAL HEALTH
KBH, PagE 49
Winthrop
Manchester
SERVICES
“Psychological safety is a primary
driver for high performing teams,
created in situations where all team
members trust and respect all other
members, value their input, do not
pull positional power trips on others,
and understand their responsibility
to problem solve in a way that
everyone can contribute.”
to establish structures that create and
maintain a sense, as well as a reality,
of psychological safety.
Dr. Karen Mosher, PhD, the KBH’s
clinical director, said teamwork is
important.
“Psychological safety is a primary
driver for high performing teams,
created in situations where all team
members trust and respect all other
members, value their input, do not
pull positional power trips on others,
and understand their responsibility to
problem solve in a way that everyone
can contribute.”
Motorcycle Loans
Notary Public Service
Online Check Images
Personal Loans
RV, Snowmobile & ATV Loans
Safe Deposit Boxes
School Savings Program
Shared Branching
Teller-phone
Traveler’s Cheques
Visa Credit Cards
Visa Gift Cards
Visa Travel Cards
ATM Cards
Mortgage Payment Protection
(Secure 12)
Night Deposit Box
Online Banking
Overdraft Protection
Real Estate Loans
(Up to 30 years)
Savings Accounts
Self-Service Coin Center
Share Draft (Checking)
Signature Guarantees
Text Banking
Vehicle Loans
Visa Debit Cards
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Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-6pm, Sat. 8am-2pm
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Winthrop Commerce Center
Winthrop Commerce Center, the
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and 110,000 square feet of
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on 10.5 acres of land in downtown
Winthrop. Will subdivide.
16 Commerce Plaza, Winthrop, ME 04364
377-2277
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
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Business Journal
KBH
COnTinuEd FrOM PAgE 48
Mosher states that employers have a
responsibility to be consistent and generous in their treatment and supervision so that staff will know what to
expect and feel safe. Every workplace
is different, but one way employers can
boost staff morale is to receive their
input whether through staff evaluations or with active listening sessions
between managers and employees.
Opening the line of communication
will present staff with an opportunity
to give their feedback that employers
can then use to assess how they could
improve the work environment, she
said.
Mainers especially need to recognize that seasonal changes can cause
a decrease in mental well-being and
efficiency.
“Physical activity and good nutrition
are an important part of a healthier work environment and can help
49
promote mental well-being as well,”
said Tina Chapman, KBH’s communications director. There are many
no-cost/low-cost programs and activities that employers can implement at
their work sites. Local hospitals and
healthy community coalitions are a
great resource for ideas, support and
information.
For example, employers can educate
staff on healthier choices by recruiting
speakers and having break-time seminars on nutrition and exercise. They
can also develop a stress management program that will aim to reduce
stress related absences by counseling
individuals on how to work through depression, financial troubles and excess
stress. Simple steps may be to offer a
personal day or to allow several breaks
a day for chatting or getting a breath of
fresh air.
Another option is an employee
incentive program that offer rewards
for employees who engage in healthy
behavior, such as having a healthy
body mass index, blood pressure or
seasonal changes: Mainers especially need to recognize that seasonal changKBH, PAgE 50 es can cause a decrease in mental well-being and efficiency.
Winthrop
Manchester
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(207) 377-2239
[email protected]
168A Main St. • P.O. Box 57 • Winthrop, Maine
Maine’s Largest
Poinsettia
Greenhouse
81 Puddledock Road, Manchester
207-622-5965
www.longfellowsgreenhouses.com
Open Daily
AUDETTE’S ACE
HARDWARE
22 Peck Farm Road, Winthrop, ME • 207-377-2711
Open: Monday-Saturday 8:00-5:30, Sunday 9:00-2:00
50
KBH
COntInuEd fROM PAgE 49
blood sugar reading. Recognizing
individuals’ efforts and achievements
will stimulate a stronger and more
productive work team, according to
the directors.
Kennebec Behavioral Health stimulates wellness with an Employee
Assistance Program (EAP), which provides a proactive approach to healthy
living, mandatory 40 hours leave,
stretch breaks, weight watchers and
gym reimbursement, and ergonomic
evaluations to ensure that employees
are comfortable in their work settings.
EAPs and Comprehensive Workplace
Health and Safety Programs are one
way in which employers can promote a
healthier environment.
KBH also lowers insurance costs by
offering discounts for health benefits
through smoking cessation and nutritional counseling programs. Increasing the healthiness of employees often
leads to lower costs for employers.
However there can be difficulties
that even Kennebec Behavioral Health
finds challenging with 400 employees.
“Size can be a disadvantage, espe-
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
cially when there is a large diversity of
employees. It can be difficult to engage
staff and implement wellness activities
unless supervisors follow through and
adapt,” said Cherie Champe, KBH’s
human resource manager.
“One way in which KBH is trying to
improve is developing activities for
staff, such as a walking club,” Champe
said. “Our intent is to send out a
staff survey so we can hear from our
employees the types of activities they
would be most interested in supporting.”
Since every business is different with
various work settings and positions,
any approach employers consider
should be both multi-faceted and relevant to the work environment. Simple
steps may be enough to promote a
physiologically safe workplace, but
every employer may want to consider
developing a comprehensive plan to
ensure that every employee has a
healthier mental well-being.
Kennebec Behavioral Health continues to evaluate and improve its
own wellness programs in the hope
that improving the well-being of staff
will also improve the experiences of
clients. KBH provided services and
supported more than 15,000 individuals last year by offering mental health
and substance abuse care throughout
mid-Maine.
walking club: Businesses can allow several breaks a day for chatting or getting
a breath of fresh air.
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
51
Peer suPPort: Every workplace is different, but one way
employers can boost staff morale is to receive their input,
whether through staff evaluations or with active listening
sessions between managers and employees. Opening the line
of communication will present staff with an opportunity to give
their feedback which employers can then use to assess how
they could improve the work environment, said Karen Moser,
Ph.D., Clinical Director of Kennebec Behavioral Health.
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52
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Minimally invasive heart
surgeries performed at CMMC
BY WANDA CURTIS
Correspondent
At Central Maine Medical Center in
Lewiston, some types of heart surgeries
are now performed as minimally invasive
surgeries — such procedures are among
current trends in medicine.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Paul Weldner, who performs minimally invasive
heart surgeries, joined CMCC’s staff last
year. He came to CMMC from Maine Medical Center. He spent 18 years in practice
at Maine Heart Surgical Associates in
Portland.
According to CMMC, Weldner performs
minimally invasive mitral repair, which he
describes as “a cardiac surgery innovation
used to treat a heart valve through tiny
incisions in the chest.”
Weldner also provides right anterior
thoracotomy aortic valve repair and
replacement surgery,which he said is “a
procedure for treating the thoracic aortic
valve, located in the body’s largest artery.”
WebMD refers to the use of “minimally
invasive” or endoscopic surgeries as
a national craze. Though endoscopic
procedures have been used for a number
of years, this type of surgery is becoming
more popular nationwide. Minimally
invasive surgeries usually require smaller
incisions, are often associated with shorter
hospital stays and quicker healing, as well
as less bleeding, scarring and pain.
The laparoscopy — surgery performed
through one or more tiny incisions using
small tubes, tiny video cameras and
surgical instruments, was one of the first
types of minimally invasive surgeries.
Robotic surgery, in which instruments are
attached to robotic arms allowing greater
precision, is another type of minimally
invasive surgery.
Weldner explained that the major benefit
of these minimally invasive procedures,
Contributed photo
compared to open-chest procedures, is
that there is no incision made through the CMMC: Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Paul Weldner, left, recently joined the staff at
CMMC in Lewiston. Dr. Carmine Frumiento, right, is a cardiovascular surgeon who
has been on staff at CMMC for a number of years.
CMMC, PAge 53
Since 1995 we have been fulfilling the pharmaceutical,
durable medical equipment and home health care needs of
residents throughout Central
and Southern Maine from
our locations in Augusta,
Rockport and Brunswick.
Our quality services include:
• Home infusion
• Respiratory therapy
• Home medical equipment
• Compounding prescriptions
We also have an on-call-service providing 24-hour coverage, 7 days a
week. This valuable service includes our delivery drivers, respiratory
therapist, pharmacists and registered nurses.
AUGUSTA
43 Leighton Road
Phone: (207) 626-2726
Toll-Free: (888) 463-8083
Fax: (207) 626-8163
Store Hours
Mon.-Friday: 8am – 5pm
Sat. 9am – 1pm
(Retail Store Only)
Sunday: Closed
ROCKPORT
839 Commercial Street
Rockport, Maine 04856
Phone: (207) 594-0888
Toll-Free: (888) 463-8083
Fax: (207) 594-0889
Store Hours
Mon.-Fri. 9am – 6pm
Sat. 9am – 12pm
Sun. Closed
BRUNSWICK
121 Medical Center Dr
Brunswick, Maine 04011
Phone: (207) 729-3642
Toll-Free: (888) 463-8083
Fax: (207) 729-2704
Store Hours
Mon.-Friday: 8am – 6pm
Sat. & Sun. Closed
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
“The surgeries are performed with high-tech thin
instruments, miniature cameras, and hybrid techniques.
Minimally invasive valve surgeries for adults are performed in
surgical suites featuring sophisticated diagnostics, leadingedge technologies and state-of-the-art imaging capabilities.”
CMMC CardioThoraCiC surgeon dr. Paul Weldner Md
CMMC
CoNTiNued froM PAge 52
breastbone.
“The surgeries are performed with hightech thin instruments, miniature cameras,
and hybrid techniques,” said Weldner.
“Minimally invasive valve surgeries for
adults are performed in surgical suites
featuring sophisticated diagnostics, leading-edge technologies and state-of-the-art
imaging capabilities. This environment
combines the capabilities of an operating
room and cardiac catheterization lab.”
Weldner was the guest speaker at a
luncheon in Auburn earlier this year, when
he talked about heart disease in women.
He talked to raise awareness of the fact
that 8.6 million women die worldwide from
heart disease each year. He said that most
women and even some health care providers aren’t aware how prevalent heart
disease is among women. He said that
lack of knowledge may prevent women
from receiving the prompt and aggressive
treatment necessary to prevent permanent heart damage.
According to Weldner, the general public
(including some health care providers)
are still of the mindset that heart disease
is a “man’s disease.” However, he said
that since 1984 more women die of heart
disease each year than men. He said that
a 2005 study by the American Heart Association revealed only 8 percent of primary
care physicians and only 17 percent of
cardiologists were aware of that fact.
“Not only are more women dying from
heart disease,” said Weldner, “but the
gap has been getting progressively worse
through the 90s and the improvements
seen in caring for men with heart disease
hasn’t been seen in women.”
Weldner reported, however, that the tide
is beginning to turn. He said that more
emphasis is being placed on educating
women and physicians regarding the
prevalence of heart disease among women. He said that, through education and
lifestyle changes, the lives of many women
can be saved.
53
54
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
State of Maine Department of Labor
Frequently Asked Questions
The frequently asked questions section addresses topics and specific questions that are
often asked of the Department of Labor. Many
additional answers to questions not addressed
here may be obtained from other materials on
this website or by calling the Department at
207-623-7900. Depending on the nature of your
inquiry, you may need to seek legal guidance
from private counsel on questions of your obligations under the law.
What is the minimum wage?
The minimum wage in Maine is $7.50 per
hour. Maine does not have a training wage or
subminimum wage for students. Tipped service employees can be paid one-half the minimum hourly wage. However, if this rate plus
tips does not average at least the minimum
wage, the employer must pay the difference.
I feel that I have been unfairly discharged.
What can I do?
Maine is an “At-Will State,” which means that
if there is no union agreement, an employer
may legally fire an employee without notice
and without cause. However, an employer may
not discriminate against an employee because
of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age,
242 College Avenue • Waterville, ME
207-873-3351
www.huhtamaki.com
physical or mental disability, genetic pre-disposition, religion, ancestry or national origin. If
you feel your employer discriminated against
you, you can contact the Maine Human Rights
Commission at 624-6290. If you feel you have
been unfairly terminated, you can apply for
unemployment compensation.
Who can be placed on salary?
Only people who are working in an executive,
administrative or professional capacity may be
placed on salary and exempted from overtime.
This includes managers, supervisors and
directors. Also, certain individuals who have
a college degree for the work they do may be
exempted.
Is there a minimum amount salaried workers must be paid?
Salaried employees must be paid at least $455
per week.
My employer has changed my schedule/
hours/rate of pay -- is this legal?
Maine labor laws do not prohibit changing
schedules or hours. The rate of pay can be
LAbOR LAWS, Page 55
Kennebec
Journal • Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats Happening
Business Journal
Labor Laws
CoNTINUED FRoM PAGE 54
dropped, but no lower than minimum
wage.
Does my employer have to provide
me with paid vacation, paid holidays,
paid sick leave or paid health insurance?
Paid holidays, sick leave, vacation and
health insurance are not required. Upon
termination of employment only, the
employer must follow its own established
vacation policy.
Does my employer have to provide
me with breaks?
Employers must give employees the
opportunity to take an unpaid rest break
of 30 consecutive minutes after six hours
worked if three or more people are on
duty. An employee and employer may
negotiate for more or less breaks, but
both must agree (this should be put in
writing). No coffee, bathroom or smoking
breaks are required.
Can my employer require me to take
the 30 minute rest break?
Yes.
At what age can a child work?
Fourteen for most jobs with an
approved work permit. Sixteen in most
jobs in hotels, motels, manufacturing,
bakeries, laundries, dry cleaners, garages, amusements and theaters. Guide
to Maine Laws Governing the Employment of Minors has more information.
How does a minor obtain a work
permit?A work permit is required for
anyone under 16. To get a work permit,
the minor takes proof of age to his/her
own superintendent of schools. The
superintendent sends the application
to the Wage and Hour Division of the
Bureau of Labor Standards for approval.
The minor cannot work until the permit
is approved. A separate work permit is
required for each place of employment.
Minors can have one active permit
during the school year and two during
the summer.
My employer is holding my paycheck. What can I do?
All earned wages, including vacation,
are due on the next normal payday after
termination. The employee must make
the demand in person at the business.
An employee who is denied payment,
can call 623-7900 (TTY: Maine relay 711)
to talk with a wage and hour representative.
My employer has told me that any
cash mistakes I make must be paid
back. Can she do that?
An employer cannot allow or require
an employee to pay back for shortages,
damages, customer walkouts or credit
card errors.
My employer is verbally abusing/harassing me. Who should I contact?
If there is sexual harassment or illegal
discrimination, contact the Maine Human Rights Commission at 624-6290.
Area Credit
Unions
55
I work as an independent contractor.
What do I need to know about labor
laws?
The website Independent Contractors
in Maine will help. It includes questions
and answers as well as numbers to call
for more information.
What posters must be displayed at
work?
The Maine Department of Labor
Wage and Hour Division requires three
posters — Minimum Wage Summary,
Labor Law Notice, and Whistleblower
Protection. Employers can download
and print copies of required state and
federal labor posters at no charge. List
of Required Posters
How can workers find out more about
their rights on the job?
The Maine Employee Rights Guide
may be of help, or call the Maine Department of Labor at 207-623-7900 (TTY:
Maine relay 711).
For more information visit www.
maine.gov/labor/labor_laws/faqs.html.
Franklin
Somerset FCU
485 Wilton Rd., Farmington, 778-4452
476 Main St., Kingfield, 265-4027
26 Leavitt St., Skowhegan, 474-3331
20 Main St., Madison, 696-3691
www.f-sfcu.com
Maine
Gardiner HealthFirst KSW FCU
222 College Ave.
Savings FCU
FCU
FCU
Waterville, 872-5602
10 Old Brunswick Rd.
Gardiner, 582-2676
www.gardinerfcu.org
9 Quarry Rd.
Waterville, 877-9474
www.healthfirstfcu.org
135 Waldo Ave.
Belfast, 338-5160
www.kswfcu.org
912 Main St.
Vassalboro, 800-273-6700
www.mainesavings.com
Maine
State CU
Monmouth
FCU
New
Dimensions FCU
Sabattus
Regional
CU
200 Capitol St., Augusta, 623-1851
162 Hospital St., Augusta, 621-6060
81 Grove St., Waterville, 873-5159
800-540-8707
www.mainestatecu.org
1176 Main St.
Monmouth, 933-2667
19A Patten Rd.
Greene, 949-2463
www.monmouthfcu.com
Sebasticook Taconnet FCU
316 Benton Ave.
Valley FCU
Winslow, 872-7909
505 Somerset Ave.
Pittsfield, 487-5576
87 Moosehead Trail
Newport, 368-4940
www.svfcume.com
1112 Waterville Rd.
Skowhegan, 474-2254
Serving Kennebec and Somerset Counties
www.Taconnet.com
61 Grove St., Waterville
72 Cony Street, Augusta
1-800-326-6190
www.newdimensionsfcu.com
Trademark
FCU
44 Edison Dr.
Augusta, 207-623-1134
www.trademarkfcu.org
2 Middle Rd.
Sebattus, 375-6538
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Winslow
Community
FCU
12 Monument St.
Winslow, 872-2636
www.wcfcu.com
56
Business Journal
KennebecJournal
Easy ways to drive sales
Sales play a significant role in how
successful a business becomes. Without a skilled sales staff or proven sales
strategy, businesses will struggle to stay
afloat no matter how impressive their
products or services are. The following
are a few easy ways to drive sales and
improve your business’ bottom line.
• Don’t give up. Salespeople who fail
to follow up with prospective customers
likely won’t produce stellar results. When
training salespeople, emphasize the importance that they be persistent without
pestering potential customers. Sales
are rarely made on the first contact with
a potential customer, so it’s important
that salespeople recognize the role that
follow-up calls and emails play in driving
sales.
• Ask customers what they want.
Another way to drive sales is to ask
potential customers what they want and
then work as hard as possible to provide
that product or service to them. Soliciting input from customers and potential
customers can help you recalibrate your
offerings so they are up-to-date and capable of filling a need. Asking customers
what they want also indicates you value
their input, and such efforts can inspire
customer and brand loyalty.
• Give products away. Many people
prefer to try a product before they buy
it. Don’t be afraid to provide samples to
potential customers so they can see if
what you’re offering is what they want
or something they had not considered
but want after experiencing the product
firsthand. When giving free samples,
you can even ask that recipients provide
feedback, which you can then use to
make your product even more attractive.
• Sell more than just the product.
Thanks to the Internet, consumers can
now learn all about a product before
they begin shopping. Savvy shoppers
compare models and offerings before
they visit a store, so focusing on the
product may not be enough to drive
sales. Instead, sell the benefits of owning
your product, which can help you stand
out among a crowded field of businesses
offering similar products and services.
• Know who you want to sell to.
Salespeople can make their pitches
until they are blue in the face, but if they
are targeting the wrong potential customers, then they are not likely to make
a sale. Use your resources to research
who is most likely to need and/or use
your product or services, and then focus
your sales efforts on potential customers who fall into those categories.
• Ask for referrals. Satisfied customers make great salespeople, especially
when they are willing to offer referrals
on your business’ behalf. Don’t be
afraid to ask happy customers to refer
your business to friends and family
or share their experiences with your
business on online review websites.
Many customers will recognize the
competitive nature of business and be
happy to provide positive feedback. All
many such customers need is to be
asked or directed to where to share that
feedback.
• Make the customer happy. The
best way to drive sales is to do your
best to ensure every customer who
deals with your business is better off for
having done so. Customers and other
businesses want to know their money
is being well spent, and making sure
customers get everything they need
and want is a great way to reassure
them that they made the right choice
and increase the chances that they will
become repeat customers you can rely
on for years to come.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
In partnership with families, Catholic schools are committed to providing students
the opportunity to learn in a creative, Christian, caring and safe environment.
St. John Regional Catholic School
“The Future of Corpus Christi Parish”
Bonnie McGann, Principal
15 So. Garand St., Winslow, ME 04901-7018 • (207) 872-7115
Email: [email protected] • www.stjohnschoolwinslow.org
Pastor: Fr. Dan Baillargeon
Norm says, “Keep It Simple.”
Having your carpets and upholstery cleaned should not be so complicated.
We . . .
• Pre-Treat spots and heavily soiled areas
• Move furniture and block/tab furniture legs
• Use a truck mounted steam extraction
• All our technicians are certified professionals
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL
CARPET CLEANING
If you have any questions, we are
happy to answer when you call.
We Specialize In Fire, Water
and Mold Remediation
TOLL FREE
1-800-479-6676
www.bouchardcleaning.com
AUGUSTA • 207-623-4454 ~ WATERVILLE • 207-872-6676
152 Western Avenue, Waterville, ME 04901
207-873-3773 • www.mountmerici.org
Vicki Duguay, Principal • [email protected]
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
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We cover a wide range of
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Office (207) 877-9562 • Fax (207) 877-9560
Monday - Thursday 8:00 to 3:00 p.m. • Friday 8:00 to 12:00
www.kennebecmedical.com
57
58
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KennebecJournal
Networking tips for working professionals
NETWORKING: When done correctly,
networking can benefit businesses, their
employees and even those employees’
contacts.
Networking plays an integral role in
professional growth. Men and women
who can nurture relationships within
their fields are more likely to be in
tune with what’s going on in their
professions, and a network of fellow
professionals can help men and women advance their careers.
But networking often falls by the
wayside for today’s busy professionals,
many of whom simply can’t find the
time in their hectic schedules to foster
relationships with professional colleagues. But the benefits of networking are numerous, and it behooves
men and women to make an effort to
build and maintain strong professional
networks.
• Recognize the benefits of networking. Networking not only benefits
individuals but also the companies
those individuals own or work for.
While many people view networking
as a means to one day finding a new
job, networking is much more than
that. When you foster a professional
relationship, the other person in that
relationship will be quick to think of
you when they need a given service or
are asked for a referral. That can benefit business owners’ bottom lines, but
even men and women who don’t own
a business can benefit, as their bosses
will no doubt recognize the role they
played in bringing in new business.
• Make networking a priority. Once
professionals recognize that networking is about more than just building
a web of contacts who can help them
find their next job, they can begin to
prioritize networking so it can help
them in their existing jobs. Make an effort to keep in touch with current and
previous clients and any other contacts made over the years. Something
as simple as an email to catch up or an
inquiry to see if there’s anything fellow
professionals need will help you stay
on their minds, which can help you
bring in new business or learn about
new opportunities down the road.
Maintaining and building a professional network does not always require a
lot of work, as even seemingly small
gestures can pay big dividends if men
and women prioritize such efforts.
• Revisit your network from time
to time. A network is only beneficial if
it remains current. Keep track of the
professionals in your network so you
know when and where to reach them
should you need to do so. A professional networking site such as LinkedIn
is a great way to stay on top of what
your network is up to, and such a site
also is a valuable tool when you want
to update your network with any new
information about yourself. Revisit
your network a few times each year,
updating with any new information so
you aren’t left scrambling for email
addresses or phone numbers when the
time comes to get back in touch with
your contacts.
• Avoid networking only when you
need something. You can likely name
a few of your fellow professionals who
only seem to contact you when they
want something. You don’t want to
earn a similar reputation among your
own contacts, so don’t forget to make
periodic contact with your colleagues
even when you don’t need anything. A
simple email to catch up and to offer
some unsolicited help if any is needed
can be enough to prevent you from
earning a reputation as a me-first
contact and put you in a positive light
that can benefit you throughout your
career.
Networking can easily be seen in a
negative light. But professionals who
network the right way will find that
their efforts pay dividends for themselves, their companies and even their
professional colleagues.
!
e
c
n
a
D
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
59
The benefits of business podcasting
Businesses, particularly small
businesses, understand the importance of establishing an online
presence. Identifying new content
strategies can help keep a company’s name and business motto fresh
in the minds of consumers. Search
engine optimization, or SEO, and social media use can greatly improve
a business’ online visibility.
Podcasting is another tool small
businesses have at their disposal.
Podcasts, often referred to as on-demand audio content or audiocasts,
are usually short audio or video
clips. Typically they’re episodic
and are released at key intervals.
Podcasting enables listeners to determine when and where they would
like to receive content. Podcasts
can be informative, entertaining
or a combination of both. All that’s
needed to tune in is a mobile device
or Internet access.
Although podcasting was once a
way to present on-demand radio
and other audio programming,
businesses have redesigned podcasting to use them for training and
marketing and as another avenue
to disseminate marketing materials
to the public and a target market.
As opposed to visiting a website or
reading newsletters and emails,
podcasts are often described as
more customer-friendly and accessible.
There are several ways businesses can benefit from podcasting,
including:
• Businesses can distribute valuable content to increase customer
loyalty.
• Podcasts enable you to be an
industry and news trend provider,
which can set you apart from the
competition.
• Audio and video are very engaging media and can keep customers
engaged for longer periods of time.
• Podcasts increase marketing
reach and online visibility and can
strengthen SEO.
• Syndication and repeat scheduling gives listeners a reason to keep
coming back for more content.
• Podcasts can be promoted
through social media channels to
make online marketing efforts even
more cohesive.
• Downloads of podcasts and transcripts can be offered directly from
your company’s website to drive
even more traffic to the location.
• It’s possible to measure the
success of digital audio because it
can be tracked by the number of
downloads and the number of social
interactions with the content.
• Podcasts work with the consumer’s schedule. If they are unable to
listen to a podcast immediately, they
can download content and enjoy it
on their own time.
• Podcasts reach anyone around
the world with an Internet connection, dramatically increasing your
potential customer base.
• Content that is creative and fun
shows an entirely new side of your
business.
Consistent podcasts can be a great
way to share information about
your business and improve your
online presence. A 20- or 30-minute
podcast may be better received than
a barrage of marketing emails or a
monthly newsletter.
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Business Journal
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Pros and cons of annual performance reviews
Employers use several different
tactics to gauge employee performance.
Performance reviews can be a valuable means to measuring employee
performance, especially with regard to
assessing pay increases or other compensation, including upward mobility.
Staff members have strong views
on performance evaluations. At their
best, these periodic reviews can weed
out the hard-working employees from
those doing the bare minimum. At their
worst, performance reviews can create
a hostile working environment. The
following are some other pros and cons
to consider before performance reviews
become required by etiquette at an
organization.
Pros
Performance reviews are a great
way to bring employees and managers
together face to face. In the hectic environment of a successful business, managers often do not have the opportunity
to meet with employees one-on-one
for extended periods of time. Reviews
make that one-on-one time possible.
The review process also can be an
opportunity for employees to figure out
their strengths and where they may
need a little help. At this point, extra
training may be suggested or employees can enroll in specific courses or
schooling that will work to promote their
upward mobility in the company. This is
perhaps the best time for supervisors
and employees to agree on how best to
improve employee performance going
forward.
Supervisors who do not maintain a direct connection with subordinates may
not realize any deficits in the business
operation. Performance reviews also
can help managers get a better idea of
what’s going on in their departments.
Cons
Reviews that take place only once per
year can lull employees into a sense
of complacency, thinking everything
is going fine. Then a performance
review may blindside them as to how a
manager truly feels about their work.
Failure to communicate with employees
throughout the year and then surprising
an employee with a long list of complaints can negatively affect esteem and
productivity.
Employers who tie pay increases to
annual reviews may find this practice
counterproductive. Employees may not
be motivated to improve their performance, particularly if annual reviews
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are insincere or rote. Pay increases
can be based on many different factors
and should not be directly correlated to
the findings of performance reviews as
a reward or punishment system.
Reviews are conducted by individuals, so they are not foolproof. Managers
and employees may clash from time
to time, so the review process may
be affected by past disagreements.
Employers can avoid this by asking
managers from other departments
to review employees to get a more
accurate assessment of their thoughts
about the business and any changes
they might want to instill.
Reviews also tend to cause unnecessary anxiety among employees. Some
workers may get extremely nervous
about their reviews, while others
may become overly competitive with
other employees in an effort to earn
higher salaries. This can greatly affect
employee morale and camaraderie in
the workplace.
Some employers feel that annual
performance reviews have a place in
their organizations. Others provide
more consistent feedback periodically
through the year to keep employees
on target. There are advantages and
disadvantages to both approaches.
Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
61
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KennebecJournal
Common workplace injuries
and how to avoid them
Workers spend roughly eight hours
at their workplaces each day, and
many workers must be careful to
avoid injury over the course of a typical workday.
According to a recent FindLaw
survey, workplace injuries are common, with one in five American adults
saying they have suffered an injury
while on the job. Statistics Canada
notes that an estimated 4.27 million
Canadians aged 12 or older suffered
an injury severe enough to limit their
usual activities in 2009 and 2010.
Although many of these injuries were
attributed to adolescents and seniors,
working-age adults see their share of
injuries as well.
The employees most susceptible
to injury are those working in dangerous areas, such as construction
sites and factories, but just about any
worker can suffer an injury on the job.
Knowing the most common injuries
can help individuals take preemptive
steps to limit behaviors that may lead
to injuries on the job. The following
are some of the most common and
disabling workplace injuries, according to the Workplace Safety Index.
• Overexertion: Overexertion can
lead to various musculoskeletal injuries, including sprains, muscle pulls
and tears. Heavy lifting and lowering
of items affects the back, which is the
part of the body most often injured
on the job. Workers should not push
their bodies to extremes. Braces
and other supports can protect the
back, shoulders and other vulnerable
body parts from injury. Lifting should
always be done with the legs and not
the back.
• Slips and falls: Falling on wet
and slippery floors or tripping over
something on a floor is another common workplace injury. While many
falls occur on level surfaces, falls
from elevated areas, such as ladders
and stairways, also can occur. Spills
should be mopped up promptly and
caution signage should be used on
slippery surfaces. Workers should
wear the right footwear for the job
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and environment.
• Reaction injuries: These involve
trauma to the body from slipping and
tripping without actually falling. It
can be difficult to prevent these types
of injuries, but always being aware of
your surroundings can reduce your
risk for reaction injuries.
• Falling object injuries: Workers
can be injured by falling objects.
These injuries are most common in
warehouses or construction sites.
Proper protective gear, such as
helmets and hard hats, can keep
employees safe, as can maintaining a
hazard-free environment.
• Vehicular accidents: Automotive accidents can lead to injuries
for workers who must drive as part
of their job. Employers can ask that
all employees who drive routinely
enroll in safe driving courses and can
monitor any health conditions that
can lead to impaired driving.
• Machine entanglement: Injuries can occur when employees get
caught in or compressed by large
and dangerous equipment, which
is common in factories. All employees should be trained in machinery
operation to avoid these types of
accidents.
• Repetitive motion injuries:
Repetitive motions, such as typing,
pushing buttons, pulling levers, or
bending and squatting can strain
muscles and tendons. Although these
conditions are not as obvious as
others at the onset, over time they
can be harmful and painful. Vision
problems from staring at a computer and carpal tunnel syndrome are
some common repetitive motion
injuries. Take frequent breaks and
use ergonomic equipment to alleviate
these conditions.
Many companies have workers’
compensation programs in place to
help employees stay afloat after suffering workplace injuries. Should an
injury occur at work, employees are
advised to follow the proper protocol
for reporting the injury and getting
treatment.
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Kennebec
Journal •
• Kennebec
Morning Sentinel
Whats
Happening
Business Journal
63
Simple ways to connect with your customers
Establishing and maintaining a
lasting connection with customers is
a goal for businesses big and small.
Nowadays, accomplishing that goal is
easier than ever before, as businesses
can take advantage of the Internet
and social media to keep in touch
with their customers and keep those
customers abreast of sales or special
offers.
But as effortless as it can seem to
maintain a connection with customers, establishing the initial connection
that makes customers want to bring
their business to you time and again
can be more difficult. While a great
product or service is at the core of
every successful business, savvy
business owners know the value of
connecting with their customers on a
deeper level. The following are some
simple ways businesses big and small
can connect with their customers.
• Share your history. Sharing the
history of your business is a simple
yet effective way to establish a personal connection with your customers,
many of whom may enjoy learning
how your business started, especially
if you overcame difficult odds before
ultimately becoming successful.
Sharing the history of a business that
has withstood the test of time also
inspires customer confidence, as
many consumers correctly feel that a
company that has been around a long
time must be doing something right to
keep its doors open. Share your story
on the company website, whether
it’s the first thing customers see on
your homepage or under its own tab
labeled “Our Story” or “About Us.”
A story also can be shared via social
media outlets.
• Survey the troops. Surveys are
another valuable tool you can use to
engage and connect with customers.
Surveys allow businesses to learn
what’s working and what’s not working with regard to pleasing their customers, and customers will appreciate
that you value their feedback and
want to know how you can make their
experiences more enjoyable. Surveys
can be administered in person when
customers visit your store. In such instances, ask customers to return the
surveys on their next visit. Surveys
also can be administered via email or
social media platforms. When designing the surveys, include a section
for comments where customers can
include any suggestions or concerns
they did not have a chance to address
when completing the original survey.
• Promptly respond to emails and
other feedback. Customers willing
to take the time to email a business
to share their experiences or provide
feedback, be it positive or negative,
appreciate when those businesses
respond in a timely fashion. A timely
response to such feedback indicates
that your business values its customers and their input. When responding
to negative feedback, investigate any
incidents or problems before responding so you are in a better position to
address the customer’s concerns.
• Make it personal. Whenever
possible, personally respond to new
customers to thank them for their
business and encourage them to
return. As valuable as online customer surveys can be to your business,
responding personally to survey
participants, customers or others
who provide feedback, be it through a
personal card or note sent via the mail
or a personal message sent through
social media, is a great way to foster a
lasting and positive relationship with
clients and customers, many of whom
will likely spread the word about your
thoughtful gesture to friends and
family members.
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How businesses can address
negative online reviews
Online retailer comment sections and
review sites have become very popular
over the last half decade. More and
more consumers now rely heavily on
product and business reviews to inform
their decisions and purchases. Some
consumers may scan individual product
reviews prior to purchasing a big-ticket
item, while others may visit review
sites to find the right restaurant.
Savvy business owners recognize the
influence that such reviews can have on
their businesses. For example, a 2011
study of Yelp.com, an online business
review sit that allows users to comment
on and rate businesses employing a
five-star rating system (five being the
highest rating a business can receive),
from researchers at Harvard University found that a one-star increase among
reviews of Seattle restaurants led to
a growth in revenue between 5 and 9
percent. Yelp reports it had an average
of approximately 132 million monthly
unique visitors in the first fiscal quarter
of 2014, and those figures illustrate
just how much consumers have grown
to rely on review sites to inform their
purchases.
As the Harvard study indicated, positive reviews can dramatically improve a
business owner’s bottom line. But what
about negative reviews? The best way
to address negative reviews is to cater
to customers’ needs in such a way that
no such reviews are ever written. But
issues, including negative reviews, are
bound to arise, and business owners who work long hours may find it
difficult to reconcile poor reviews of a
company they put their heart and soul
into. That compels some to overreact
to negative reviews or immediately go
on the defensive. But there are more
productive ways to address negative
online reviews and even turn them into
a positive experience for all parties
involved.
• Pay attention to your online reputation. In recognition of the influence
online review sites wield, many larger
companies employ brand management professionals or firms whose job
includes monitoring review sites and
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investigating and, in some cases, rectifying negative reviews. Small business
owners can take the same approach,
even if it means monitoring such sites
on their own. Routinely scan popular
review sites in an attempt to manage
your online reputation. Such monitoring can not only shed light on any
disgruntled customers but also provide
insight to business owners with regards
to which aspects of their businesses are
most popular among their customers
and which may need more work.
• Investigate any issues. Many people
take to the Internet, and review sites
in particular, just to vent. But that does
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Journal •
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Morning Sentinel
Whats
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Business Journal
Reviews
ContInuEd fRom PAgE 64
not mean business owners should
ignore bad reviews as isolated incidents with customers looking to start
trouble. Do your best to investigate
any poor reviews (and, if you have the
time, thank those reviewers who have
left glowing reviews), first conducting
an internal investigation of an incident
with your employees before contacting
customers to reassure them that you
are addressing their concerns. When
speaking with customers, express your
willingness to compromise and your
desire to make the situation better. Customers appreciate such gestures, and
many will likely edit an existing review
to reflect your positive response to their
initial critique.
• Respond to the review publicly. If
the issue has been addressed and the
customer has been satisfied but has
not changed their initial review, you
might want to issue a public response
to their review, admitting that there
was an issue but it has since been
rectified and that you were more
than willing and happy to address the
65
problem.
But not all issues can be resolved.
If your investigation of the issue
found that the initial review contained
inaccuracies and these inaccuracies
prevented you from rectifying the situation with the customer, you can then
write a brief response to the review
that corrects the inaccuracies. Keep
this type of response short and sweet,
as you don’t want potential customers
to see your response as hostile.
• Encourage additional reviews. A
savvy business owner won’t shy away
from review sites, but rather embrace
them for the opportunities they present. Positive word-of-mouth has long
been a friend to business owners, and
online review sites facilitate this way
of sharing positive experiences of a
business. Encourage your customers
to write online reviews of their experiences with your business. This can
offset negative reviews, help to steer
future customers to your business and
provide some valuable insight into how
customers view your business. Include
links to your page on review sites on
your website or send emails encouraging customers to provide feedback.
Many customers will be happy to provide such feedback and be glad to hear
that you want to hear from them.
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Welcome to
Winslow
We’re The Family Credit Union.
Make the right choice. Make us your choice.
We have products and services for every member of your family, including
Business Lending and Merchant Services.
Mortgages and Refinancing ~ 10 - 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgages
Home Equity Lines of Credit & Second Mortgages ~ Competitive Rates
Mortgage Loan Officer, Lisa Violette, has the expertise to make certain your
home buying experience is designed for your needs.
We Serve All of Kennebec & Somerset Counties
316 Benton Avenue,
Winslow
Tel. 872-7909 or
1-800-339-7909
Skowhegan Branch
1112 Waterville Rd., Skowhegan
474-2254 or
1-800-339-2254
Your savings federally insured to a least $250,000 and backed by the full faith of the United States government. NCUA a U.S. government agency.
For more Information and Services: www.Taconnet.com.
Celebrating Our 44nd Year!
PLUMBING, HEATING & ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES
57 Bay Street
Winslow, ME 04901
Tel: 872-5566 • Fax: 872-5562
www.htwintersflooring.com
Residential & Commercial
Ceramic - Vinyl - Carpet
Hardwood - Slate
CENTRAL Mike
MAINE
EQUIPMENT
Shuckrow, Owner
56 Garland Rd., Winslow, ME 04901
873-4945 • Fax 872-8416
Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5
Sat. 7:30-12
SUPPLY INC.
567 Benton Avenue • Winslow • 873-5608
Mon.-Fri. 7-5, Sat. 7-Noon
873-4612
CORNER OF
CHINA RD.
OPEN 7 DAYS
8 A.M. - 8 P.M.
Nason Realty
873-2119
888-540-8618
11 Bay St.,
Winslow
Web: www.C21Nason.com
“View Our Visual Tours Online”
Full
Service
Deli
Agency
Liquor
Store
“The Best Pizza In Town”
Flooring
Division
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

2014-15 ~ business journal meet our staff

Transcription

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