October - Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce

InTouch
Monthly Newsletter· October 2015
2016 Preview: Waterville is growing!
Jen Olsen, executive director, Waterville Main Street
As Waterville makes statewide and national headlines for its
groundbreaking work in education, health care, and downtown
development, I’ve prepared a list of top 5 values that reflect our
intention for progressive growth. Although an opinion and much
more is going on behind the scenes, these themes have risen to
the surface for me and my work here in Waterville.
Historic rehabilitation of existing buildings preserves our cultural heritage and keeps Waterville a unique place.
Colby College’s recent purchase of three historic downtown
properties that have fallen into disrepair is a bold investment that is already increasing the confidence of other
private investors toward downtown Waterville. Be prepared for more properties changing hands and more new
faces on the street. The college’s purchases will add to
the tax rolls, and that’s always good for downtown, where
tax revenue per acre is highest.
Good design for all users of the street yields a very healthy
and welcoming place to be.
We can’t have a conversation about parking without having a
conversation about biking and walking. Anyone who has
ever tried to walk to the grocery store can tell you that
most cities are not designed for people to walk, and
therefore to be healthier naturally. Downtowns were built
for humans, and only is the last century have been
eclipsed by vehicular dominance. Don’t sell your car, but
plan to only have to park once to get all your chores
done!
Civic engagement that also addresses natural assets and the
arts brings about more equity. A shining example of this
is the Rotary Centennial Riverwalk project, which will improve our recreational waterfront and Two-cent Bridge
historic feature for all. Another is our cultural planning
process, funded through the Maine Arts Commission,
which will shape our growth in the creative economy. The
people-centered Healthy Waterville initiative also supports our most vulnerable through food policy improvements.
Joy and curiosity are part of the deal. In order for us to remain
on our “growing edge”, we have to have fun, enjoy each
other, and be hospitable to those who will start to arrive.
Change means uncertainty, and requires an open heart
that risks a little. Thomas College’s recent TRIO work
aims to keep our first generation college students engaged and curious. I am looking forward to witnessing
how all of this shapes our future!
IN THIS ISSUE:
A healthy mix of locally owned and operated businesses creates jobs, and fostering entrepreneurship grows the skills
and resiliency of a city.
As someone who lived in Millinocket during the Great Northern mill closure, I can attest to the devastation that ensues when we put all our eggs in a single employer basket. Communities that have 10 businesses with 10 employees are far better suited to bounce back in the natu-
ral ebb and flow of markets than a single employer with
100. When we can direct policy and incentives to foster
our own residents who want to start their own business,
we create stakeholders who care about this place. While
we can’t ignore trends and market demand (remember
the best buggy whip?), we can also seek out and support
those who invest their savings, their creativity, and make
central Maine their place of choice.
From the President’s Chair ................................. 2
Member Events’ Calendar .................................. 4
Member News .................................................... 7
Member Spotlight: Valley Distributors ….……....... 8
50 ELM STREET, WATERVILLE, ME 04901 • TEL: (207) 873-3315 • FAX: (207) 877-0087
[email protected] • www.midmainechamber.com
Jeff Corey, Chair of the Board • Kimberly N. Lindlof, President & CEO
Page 2
From the
President’s Chair
Mid-Maine
Technical
Center
Students
What a whirlwind this year has been. So many
positive things happening at the Mid-Maine
Chamber and Central Maine Growth Council. Lots of excitement in the air, not the least of
which has been generated by Colby’s recent inBowdoin Photography
vestments in downtown Waterville (see front
page article). To find out more & provide your
feedback to Colby please attend our 7:15 – 9 AM Oct. 8th business
breakfast at Thomas College (see yellow insert).
Two weeks ago, we showcased our area to Fishing University, a program on Outdoor Channel. This half hour program will air in first
quarter 2016; we will be sure to let you know when. We tried to
capture the gems of our region in the minute and a half that we
were permitted to highlight our area – I dragged those gentlemen
around quickly! The two program hosts, Ray Brazier & Charlie Ingram, also spoke at Winslow High School to its students as well as
students from the Mid-Maine Technical Center about careers in the
outdoors & the importance of remaining in school. Locals such as
Corey Vose from Man vs. Maine Bass Trail spoke as well. Those
students will be featured in the program!
Ted Thibault of Tuf-Line and Charlie Ingram, Fishing University
FYI: this will be the last column from me for a bit. We’re trying
something different – incorporating different perspectives into InTouch so that you can benefit from
hearing from others and their perspectives of the
Mid-Maine Chamber. In November., you’ll hear from
outgoing past chair & director-at-large, Nicole
Desjardins (formerly of Hampton Inn & Waterville
Rotary Club). December will feature outgoing chair,
Jeff Corey (Day’s Jewelers) and January will feature
incoming chair, Dave Roy (Kennebec Savings
Bank). From there, we will feature committee chairs
and volunteers. Stay tuned!
Sponsored by:
Happy Fall,
- Kimberly
Business After Hours
Oct. 21, 2015
Snow Pond Center for the Arts
8 Goldenrod Lane, Sidney
5:30 to 7PM
50/50 Sponsor:
Complimentary hors
d’oeuvres, fabulous door
prizes, 50/50 raffle & more!
WATERVILLE
Page 3
Is a new segment for the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce newsletter. We would like to hear from our Chamber members what your
“Favorite Thing” is regarding another Chamber member. It could be about the new lawnmower you just got, an event or service. Send us an e
-mail and we will put them in this monthly newsletter. E-mail: [email protected]. Send your photo too, if you can!
A Few of Our Favorite Things…
“I am grateful for Joseph’s Meat Market—Everytime I go in the staff is super friendly and very helpful, making each visit wonderful.”
Joe Karter, Jokas Discount Beverages
“I love that everytime I go into Day’s Jewelers the staff is amazing and always takes care of all my needs above & beyond my expectations.”
Alison Paine, GHM Agency
"I am grateful to have Mid-Maine Toyota in our community. I just purchased my second Toyota and had a fantastic sales experience and
know that the service team will continue to provide top-rate attention to my vehicle and make each interaction convenient and friendly. “
Rick Hopper, Kennebec Valley Community College
New Members
Creative Hardwood Floors
Michelle Kingsbury 616-0384
993 Benton Avenue, Fairfield
www.creativehardwoodfloors.net
Father Jimmy’s
Jim Egerton 872-0000
225 Main Street, Waterville
Jorgensen’s Cafe
Steve & Ginny Bolduc 872-8711
103 Main Street, Waterville
www.myhometownmaine.com
Mary’s Massage and Body Work
Mary Patterson 660-5331
By Appointment
www.marysmassageandbodywork.weebl
y.com
Heartland
Karin Warren 877-5030
636 Lang Hill Road, Palmyra
www.heartlandpaymentsystems.com
Robinson PR
Mark Robinson 332-3798
128 Fortunes Rocks Road, Biddeford
www.MainePR.com
Knot Your Average Thread
Michelle Kingsbury 616-0384
26 Augusta Road, Winslow
Seton Holdings, LLC
Candid Hill 213-6503
30 Chase Avenue, Waterville
www.setonwaterville.com
Download
your FREE
Mid-Maine
Chamber
Mobile App
As more and more people use their
smartphones to consume and search for information, it's more important than ever to provide mobile technology.
Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce's free mobile
app is an exciting new tool to connect our members and help your business reach new customers.
Go to your app store, and search for Mid-Maine
Chamber and download. It’s Free.
Available on Google’s Play Store for Android devices and also available on the Apple Store and
Amazon!
Page 4
Oct. 2—9:00AM to 12:00PM, Kennebec Valley
Community College .Open House at its campuses in Fairfield and Hinckley.
FMI: www.kvcc.me.edu
Oct. 3–8:00PM, Waterville Opera House presents Kevin Libby in concert.
FMI: www.operahouse.org
Oct. 3–9:00AM—10:30AM, Quarry Road Ramble, Join Susan MacKenzie, Maine Master
Naturalist, to learn about the natural history of
Quarry Road Recreation Area and how the
area got its name. Rain or shine; meet at the
Information Kiosk (first parking lot).
FMI: www.quarryroadrecarea.org or 861-3292
Oct. 4–10:00AM –4:00PM, Waterville Main
Street, Harvest Fest!
FMI: www.watervillemainstreet.org/events/
Oct. 7--5:30PM-7:00, Thomas College, annual
Violence Awareness: Sexting: A Community
Concern. Panel Discussion & Community Conversation.
Oct. 9—9:00AM—12:00PM, Healthy People of
the Kennebec Valley invites you to The Business of Healthy Employees.
FMI: www.tinyurl.com/p6qpssv
Oct. 10—10:00AM, L.C. Bates Museum, Creating Fall Art. Held outside if weather permits.
FMI: www.gwh.org/lcbates/
MuseumNewsEvents/CalendarofEvents.aspx
Oct. 10–10:00AM –12:00PM, New England
Naturopathic Health, Nutrition Workshop—Fall
Harvest: How to use Maine’s best local produce to eat seasonally.
FMI: www.naturopathicme.com
Oct. 21-5:30-6:30 PM, Redington-Fairview
General Hospital conference rm. 1 Presentation: Breast Cancer FREE Presented by Julia
Moukharskaya, MD, PhD, Oncologist.
FMI: www.rfgh.net
Oct. 11-8:30AM—2:30PM, Quarry Road Recreation Area, Quarry Road Cyclocross Race.
FMI: www.quarryroadrecarea.org
Oct 23-7:30PM, Waterville Opera House presents The Rocky Horror Show.
FMI: www.operahouse.org
Oct. 12—Waterville Police Department Charity
Golf Classic to Benefit the High Hopes Club
House. Contacts are Dan Goss
[email protected] or Kathleen Kenney
[email protected] or 6804700.
FMI: www.waterville-me.gov/
police/2015/08/21/waterville-police-deptcharity-golf-classic/
Oct. 13–7:00PM, Railroad Square Cinema,
One Night Only! NY Film Critics Series Premiere Screening of Meadowland
FMI: www.railroadsquarecinema.com
Oct. 17–9:00AM—3:00PM, New Beginnings
Church of God, Third annual Fall Festival Craft
Fair. Over 60 crafters. 392 Main St., Wtvl.
FMI: Amy Harrington 659-6595
Oct.17-9:00PM, Rustic Overtone performs at
Mainely Brews Restaurant & Brewhouse
FMI: www.mainelybrews.com
Oct. 20—4:00PM—5:30PM—Inland Hospital ,
Insurance Education Session. Join Community
Health Options to get your questions answered
Oct. 10— 5:00PM, Heart Strings of Hope, Char- and learn how to make the most out of your
itable Event hosted by Sullivan Wealth Maninsurance. To register, call Anne Ajayi at 402agement. Dinner, Dessert Auction & Live Mu3330 or email [email protected]
sic.
FMI: [email protected] or 6606637
Oct. 24—5:30PM-8:30PM, L.C. Bates Museum,
creepy, Crawly, Awesome Halloween Flashlight
Tours!
FMI: www.gwh.org/lcbates/
MuseumNewsEvents/CalendarofEvents.aspx
Oct. 25-5:30PM—9:00PM, Cabaret Night at
Riverside Farm Market Restaurant & Wine
Market.
FMI: www.riversidefarmmarket.com
Oct. 25-5:00PM, Waterville Main Street,
Kringleville Auction.
FMI: www.watervillemainstreet.org
Nov. 6—I5, Inland Hospital’s 10th Annual Fall
Pops Concert. Tickets available at 873-7000
or at www.operahouse.org FMI: 861-3377
Business Breakfast Series
Ten Critical Leadership Qualities
David Ciullo
Congratulations to Carol Colson, Jobs For Maine
Grads board member & senior VP of community
relations for Bangor Savings Bank who was recently honored by the Girl Scouts of Maine with the Juliette Award at their 17th annual Pearls of Wisdom
breakfast. This annual award recognizes a woman
who embodies the essence of Juliette Gordon Low,
the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA.
Christopher Lothridge has been appointed the new
director of sales of the Hampton Inn. Welcome
aboard!
Care & Comfort, one of Maine’s largest healthcare
providers, is pleased to announce Michael G. Stair
has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO),
effective immediately.
Jennifer Olsen, Waterville Main Street, has been
named to the 2015 Mainebiz NEXT list, which honors people at the forefront of the business community. A NEXT List reception and award presentation
is planned for Nov. 5 at The Woodlands Club in
Falmouth. Congratulations!
For shining a spotlight on poverty and the
heartrending inequalities of our era, Katherine Boo
has a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, and a
MacArthur genius grant. On Oct. 5th, she will receive Colby College's Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award
for courageous journalism & an honorary doctoral
degree. She will deliver the Lovejoy Convocation
address in Colby's Lorimer Chapel at 7:30 p.m. It is
free & open to the public.
Redington-Fairview General Hospital welcomes
Miglena Kircheva, MD to it’s Pediatrics practice
and Tracey Reilly, MD to it Emergency dept.
Daniel Spofford, patient experience specialist at
MaineGeneral Medical Center, accepted the 2015
Path to Excellence award Sept. 20.
Join Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce
on Nov. 3, 2015
11:30AM—1:00PM
at Best Western Plus - 375 Main Street, Waterville
WITH GUEST SPEAKER PATRICIA
QUINN
NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND PASSENGER RAIL—
DOWNEASTER
Registration is $20 in advance for members, $25
at the door and for the public, and includes luncheon buffet.
E-mail: [email protected] • PHONE: 873-3315
Want to get your business event or package deal on
the Visit Maine (State’s office tourism Web site) & KV
Tourism Web sites? Here is the link where you will
start to input your business/event/deal into the Visit
Maine database so you will be on both sites: http://
maine.bvk.geoconsensus.com/login/
Constant Contact Discount for Chamber Members
All members of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce are eligible to
receive a 20% off a 6 month prepayment and a 25% off an annual prepayment. In order to receive this discount contact
Tracy O’Clair at TOCmedia: [email protected]
Job Fairs Scheduled
Around the State
Maine Department of Labor
www.mainecareercenter.com/employment/job-fairs/index.shtml
E-mail your events, member news and people news to [email protected] by the 3rd Friday in October for our November InTouch
newsletter.
Don’t forget you can put your events, member news, job postings and Hot Deals on
our Web site at midmainechamber.com.
Page 6
Business After Hours
Hometown Vet—Fairfield
Tues., Oct. 6
8:00 AM
Business Expansion & Retention
Thurs., Oct. 8
12:00 PM
Information Services
Pointe Afta
Fri., Oct. 9
7:30 AM
Public Policy
Wed. Oct. 14
8:30AM
Workforce Practitioners’ Steering
Committee
Fri., Oct. 16
7:30 AM
Executive Committee
Fri., Oct. 23
7:30 AM
Board of Directors Retreat
Kennebec Valley Com. College
Wed., Oct. 28
8:00 AM
Membership
Oct.8 : Business Breakfast Series
Ground Breaking Ceremony at Woodfords Family Services
Catch ‘em on TV……..
Fairfield’s Council meetings are held 2nd & 4th Wednesdays @
6:30 PM at & air W, Th & F at 7 AM/PM, beginning with 7PM the
following Wed. on Time Warner Cable local access channel 7.
Oakland Town Council meetings 2nd & 4th Wednesdays @ 6PM &
are taped. The video can be found on its Web
page: www.oaklandmaine.us
1st
3rd
Waterville’s Council meetings are held the
and
Tuesdays @ 7
PM and can be viewed on T, W, Th at 7 am/pm of the following week
beginning with Tues. at 7PM or anytime at: www.youtube.com/
infowaterville .
2nd
Winslow's monthly Council meeting is held the
Monday at 7:30
PM & the rebroadcast airs the following M, T & W at 7:30 PM on the
Time Warner Cable local access channel 7.
Leveraging College Assets to Grow the Local Economy
Presidents Laurie Lachance (Thomas College) and
David Greene (Colby College) will speak about their
respective investments that are positively changing
the landscape of our region, growing jobs and our
economy.
To register: 873-3315 or
[email protected]
Held at Thomas College Spann Student Commons in the Summit
Room 7:15AM to 9AM
Oct. 21 : Business After Hours
Snow Pond Center for the Arts
8 Goldenrod Lane, Sidney
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
A great opportunity to mix and mingle with other business professionals and community leaders. Remember to bring plenty of business
cards!
Page 7
Bangor International Airport officials reported this week that a total of 168,072 passengers utilized the facility in June, July &
Aug. up 4.8% from the same period last
year breaking records set in the mid-‘90s,
according to Airport Director Anthony Caruso. In Aug. alone, nearly 62,000 passengers passed through the airport, up 10%
from the prior year.
The REM Craft Fair will feature talented
crafters from all over Maine. The two day
event will be held again this year at Champion’s Fitness Club, 30 Elm Plaza, Waterville on Sat., Oct. 31st from 10am to 5pm
and on Sunday, Nov. 1st from 10am to
3pm. The craft fair will showcase the work
of high-quality Me. artisans so you can find
that perfect, unique gift at the same
time! And while you're there, be sure to
enjoy a bowl of one of the great homemade
soups available.
Oxford Networks has completed its merger
with Portsmouth, NH-based Bay Ring Communications, which Oxford said in June
upon announcing the merger plans would
make it the largest competitive telecommunications provider headquartered in northern NE. They’ve received ME PUC & FCC
approval. Its new organization operates
about 2,000 route miles of high-capacity,
fiber optic network providing access to
nearly 50,000 commercial buildings, 4 Service Organization Control data centers &
direct access to all other major hub data
centers in ME, NH & MA.
Kennebec Federal Savings has added an
innovative service which lets KFS Debit
Card customers protect and control their
debit card. CardValet™ is a mobile app
that lets you set how, when, and where
your debit card can be used: Lock and unlock your card with one touch; Set transaction controls; Get instant transaction
National Rural Health Asso. named Reding- alerts. All from your smartphone. Setup is
ton-Fairview General Hospital (RFGH) in the easy - Download CardValet from Google
Play™ or the App StoreSM. Call 873-5151
top 20 Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) out
or
visit kfsavings.com to learn more.
of 1,300 nationwide. It has achieved to
(CardValet
is powered by Fiserv, Inc. but is
100 status the last 5 yrs., 1 of only 16 hosactivated
through
specific financial institupitals to do so. Congratulations!
tions.)
AT&T Inc. has completed its acquisition of
DIRECTV. The newly combined company —
the largest pay TV provider in the US & the
world — will offer millions of people more
choices for video entertainment on any
screen from almost anywhere, any
time. Current customers of either don’t
need to do anything in order to continue to
receive their same services, channel
lineups & customer care. Customer acct
info, online access & billing arrangements
remain the same.
Community Action Program (KVCAP) partnered to collect school supplies for children
in need. The goal was to fill 500 backpacks
with the donated items, which would then
be distributed to students throughout
Kennebec and Somerset counties.
They surpassed their goal, filling 550 backpacks!
RFGH announced that its patient experience partner, Avatar Solutions has recognized it with 3 awards for its 2014 patient
experience accomplishments: Best Overall
Performer, Exceeding Patient Expectations
& Most Improved—Pain Mgmt.—Sm. Hospital. Way to go!
On Aug. 22, Loyal Biscuit Co. hosted a nail
clipping clinic at their Waterville location to
benefit the Humane Society Waterville Area. Ten pets had their nails trimmed and
clipped down by professional groomer
Michelle Gerald and her daughter Melissa
Lemik of Primp My Paws Mobile Pet Grooming. In total, $100 was raised.
A first-ever cooking competition at
MaineGeneral held in Sept. drew about
200 people. The cook-off showed how delicious healthy and locally sourced food can
be by having two of Maine’s top chefs creIn its annual guide to the best US colleges ating their own dishes from farm-fresh inreleased today, US News & World Report
gredients. The free event highlighted the
ranked Unity College No. 28 on its national talents of Blaine House executive chef
“Best Regional Colleges” list and No. 9 on Chris Hart and MaineGeneral Medical Cenits national “Best Value Colleges” list
ter’s Food & Nutrition Services director
among regional colleges. Unity College also Conrad Olin. The event resulted in a close
was ranked No. 22 best school among U.S. win by Blaine House chef Chris Hart.
regional colleges for veterans.
“This friendly competition was a unique
way for MaineGeneral to continue to get
To help children have a successful start to the word out about the health benefits of
food sourced in our state,” said MaineGentheir school year, the United Way of Mideral CEO Chuck Hays .”
Maine (UWMM) and the Kennebec Valley
50 Elm Street
Waterville, ME 04901
PRE-SORTED STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #146
Waterville, ME 04901
Change Service Requested
Page 8
Valley Distributors, Inc. is proud to be a family
-owned and-operated business dating back to
1974. The company was originally founded by
Bernard “Buck” Runser with a distribution facility in Waterville, Maine and served only two
Anheuser-Busch products, Budweiser and Michelob. For more than 40 years, the distributor
has expanded its variety of products and grown
the business, highlighted by the recent completion of a multi-million dollar expansion project
at their current facility in Oakland, Maine.
While the company started under the leadership of Bernard Runser, his son Michael grew
up in the family business, as well. Michael
worked part time in all of Valley Distributor's
departments while attending high school and
during his college years at the University of
New Hampshire.
The company moved their facilities in 1980 to
their current location on the Belgrade Road in
Oakland, Maine. In 1982, Budweiser Light
was introduced and was later renamed Bud
Light. Today, Bud Light is America’s and Central Maine’s favorite beer.
By 1984,
Michael
Runser
was working full
time in
the sales
department as a merchandiser and eventually
worked his way up to sales manager. In 2001,
he became president of Valley Distributors and
Bernard Runser moved to his current position
of CEO.
In the mid 80's, Controlled Environment Warehousing was added to the distribution center to
ensure that consumers would receive the
freshest beer possible.
During the 1990’s, numerous products were
introduced. Today, Anheuser-Busch products
represent about 60% of the beer sold in Central Maine. In addition to ABInBev, Valley Distributors delivers a variety of local craft beers
and a large variety of nonalcoholic products.
In 2000, Anheuser-Busch named Valley Distrib-
utors the New England Wholesaler of the Year.
Valley has continued to live up to the expectations by increasing their volume and portfolio
on a consistent basis. In 2009 Valley Distributors was featured in the August edition of
“Beverage World” as one of the most up-andcoming distributors in Maine.
As part of its responsibility campaign, Valley
Distributors has sponsored many speakers
over the years at our local high schools and
colleges reaching thousands of students. Employees at Valley Distributors volunteer their
time to participate in community organizations
such as the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce,
the Alfond Youth Center, the Central Maine
Growth Council and many local sports organizations to name a few. Valley also makes charitable donations to the community on a regular
basis.
In addition to Valley's local contributions, Anheuser-Busch and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation have established a legacy of giving back
through charitable donations and corporate
sponsorships. www.valley-dist.com
Have some news you would like to share? Submit a short announcement to the Chamber office by the 3rd Friday of the prior month. Inserts are also available for $150 per
month. Call 873-3315 or email [email protected]. Disclaimer: Mid-Maine Chamber’s InTouch newsletter is published monthly as a benefit to members
and affiliates. All member news is compiled and submitted solely by our members; therefore, we reserve the right to omit and/or edit as appropriate and cannot guarantee complete accuracy of all announcements. Sponsorship inserts do not necessarily reflect the position of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.