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Maine Connections   July 2010
Greetings!
 
Thaxter Trafton Summer in Maine provides all of us lucky enough to live here with a great opportunity to get out and explore the state with friends and family.

Each summer, I always stumble across some wonderful Maine product or place I hadn't known about before; a tasty Maine-Made snack, a B&B with a charming host, a favorite new hike...  One of of our tasks at DECD is to share these special Maine experiences with the world.

If you discover something new to love about Maine, please share it with us. You can simply hit reply to this e-newsletter or become a fan of DECD and The Office of Tourism's Facebook pages.
For the Office of Tourism's page, click here:  Find us on Facebook

DECD's Facebook page, click here: Find us on Facebook

All the best,


Thaxter Trafton signature
Commissioner Thaxter R. Trafton


www.businessinmaine.com

In This Issue
Mark's Business Tip
Boat Yard Days
Portland to Host EnergyOcean
Trade Mission to France
MTI's Development Awards
Upcoming Events
DECD assistance programs
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Mark's Business Tip of the Month:
Mark Ouellette, Office of Business Development Director.
Mark Ouellette

 Maine Made Can Help Your Business Grow!


The Maine Products Marketing Program, or Maine Made, is a great program that builds recognition for thousands of exceptional Maine-made consumer products.

You can leverage Maine's brand equity through this program and there is no fee to join. The Maine Products Marketing Program is open to all
qualified Maine producers.

Check out the Maine Made website
and learn about how to qualify for this program - www.mainemade.com.

In addition, Maine Made members enjoy several program activities which are
available at a very modest cost, including the "Maine Made - America's Best" hand tags or adhesive labels, Kiosk display opportunities and scholarship opportunities for first year exhibitors at the New England Products Trade Show (NEPTS).


 

Maine Boatyard Days


Maine Built Boats will work with boatbuilders, boatyards, and affiliated businesses across the state of Maine to present "Open Boatyard Days," August 16 & 17, 2010. The event will allow people to tour the insides of boatyards and boatbuilding companies across the state.

Boatyard Days

The dates will build upon the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show, held in Rockland August 13th-15th.  People can visit the show and see a very broad array of boats, then go on to visit the boatbuilders, boatyards, and affiliated businesses at their location.Two days are planned to allow time to visit different regions. Tours will be available at all participating businesses every hour, on the hour, between 10 am and 3 pm.  


The following companies have committed to opening their doors, with more to follow (by region):  Kittery to Portland:  Clint Chase Boatbuilder, Kittery Point Yacht Yard, and Portland Yacht Services;  Sebago Lake Region:  Sabre Yachts;  Boothbay Region:  Samoset Boatworks; Mid-Coast:  Artisan Boatworks, Back Cove Yachts, Johanson Boatworks, Lyman Morse , and Rockport Marine;  Brooklin Peninsula:  Brooklin Boatyard and WoodenBoat School; Mount Desert Island: Classic Boat Shop, Great Harbor Boatworks (formerly Ralph W. Stanley, Inc.), Hinckley Yachts, John Williams Boat Company, Morris Yachts, Nautilus Marine, and Wilbur Yachts; Downeast: The Boat School, Husson, Eastport Maine.


Maine to Host EnergyOcean Conference in 2011

EnergyOcean

Maine will once again host the EnergyOcean International Conference, the world's premier event focused on renewable and sustainable energy from the oceans. In June 2011, technologists, financiers and policy makers from around the world will gather in Portland to share and discuss opportunities for the market of renewable, ocean-based energy.

 

"Maine is becoming a leader in renewable energy," said Governor John E. Baldacci. "We have a competitive advantage with our great potential for tidal, wave, and off-shore wind energy and I am excited about sharing our developments with the world once again in 2011."

 

Conference attendees will learn of the latest technological advances, investment opportunities, regulatory issues, and planned and implemented projects around the world.

 

In 2009, the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) was the platinum sponsor of the EnergyOcean International Conference which was hosted at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. The event was deemed a great success by the organizers, exhibitors and attendees. Nearly 600 people attended the event, a 90 percent increase from the year before.

 

"Hosting EnergyOcean 2009 was a tremendous accomplishment for Maine," said DECD Commissioner Thaxter Trafton. "DECD was the responsible for recruiting both the 2009 and 2011 conferences to Maine; our hard work has paid off and we're extremely pleased to have the opportunity to showcase Maine's impressive innovation, R&D and ocean energy potential again at next year's EnergyOcean International Conference."

 

"We are very pleased to return to Maine for the 8th annual EnergyOcean International Conference, which has evolved as a global leader in clean, sustainable ocean energy, and to be joining forces with the State of Maine to create another highly-respected annual event,"  said Laura Couvillon, EnergyOcean International Show Director. "We are confident that this strategic location and worldwide reach will deliver an unmatched value proposition to the fast-growing ocean energy industry."
 
 State of Maine Trade Mission to France
 October 2010
French flag


The Maine International Trade Center is recruiting companies for a Trade Mission to Paris, France from October 2-6, 2010. The focus of the mission will be two-fold: to bring Maine's food and tourism industries to the City of Light and promote Maine's unique culinary products - including lobster, coldwater shrimp, scallops, and other seafood as well as Maine's well-known blueberries, cranberries, specialty foods and beverages.

 

"This falls perfectly into our 'Shop, Dine, and Stay' promotion," explains Pat Eltman, Maine's Director of Tourism. "Maine has made a name for itself as a culinary destination as well as a location to enjoy the beauty and fun that our classic New England villages have to offer. France is our third largest overseas market for attracting visitors."

 

The second focus area of the mission is in the Renewable Energy and Advanced Materials fields. France is home to the largest composites show (JEC) in the world and has a vast network of importers and OEMs for the aeronautics, power generation, automotive, defense and security, and medical products industries. France is also making significant strides in renewable energy and wind power development world-wide with leaders such as Areva, Alstom, GDF Suez, and others that are developing EU, Latin America, and U.S. markets for their products and systems. The U.S. Commercial Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, indicates that there is a great deal of opportunity for U.S. exports and partnerships in the renewable energy industry in France.

 

The France mission features one-on-one matchmaking meetings with potential buyers for Maine exports and tour operators for the tourism industry, networking receptions, a special food/tourism State of Maine event, and an Executive Session for leaders and investors in the French Renewable Energy/Advanced Materials industries.

 

For more information on the trade mission, please contact Trade Mission Coordinator Jeffrey Bennett at jbennett@mitc.com or (207) 990-3161 or visit MITC's website at www.mitc.com.

 
OCD's Mike Baran Lauded as Downtown Visionary

The Maine Development Foundation's Downtown Center presented the 10th annual Downtown Achievement Awards in a ceremony held June 4th during the Revitalizing Maine Communities conference in downtown Augusta.  The top award for Downtown Visionary was presented to Mike Baran, Director of the Maine Office of Community Development. 
Downtown Visionary Award winner, Mike Baran (center) with Roxanne Eflin, Terry Ann Stevens, Bill King and Laurie Lachance.
Mike Baran- award


Bill King, Maine Downtown Center Senior Advisor and prior recipient of the award, said of Mike, "(he) is a visionary leader and a firm believer in the power of a strong community.  Mike appreciates the role that healthy downtowns play in strengthening community vitality."
 
Congratulations, Mike!
MTI Offers Development Awards to 4 Companies


On June 14, the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) Board of Directors approved four MTI Development Awards to three Maine information technology companies and one technology transfer project in the area of forest products technology. This round of investment by MTI totaled $1,083,237 and leveraged $1,117,442 in private and other non-state investment.

 

This 26th round of Development Awards was approved for:

 

University of Maine's Process Development Center in Orono will use its MTI Development Award to conduct initial product certification testing to transfer technology that it has been developing on a cellulose insulation product for use in residential and commercial buildings. The product is made from recycled materials, is flame and mold resistant and satisfies market need for energy efficiency retrofits and new construction. The project brings UMaine's Process Development Center together with two Maine-based companies, Green Comfort Save and Zeomatrix to apply patent-pending technologies and move the technology toward commercialization.

Award: $99,780          Match: $105,280


 

ClaimVantage, Inc., a claims management systemlocated in Portland will use its MTI Development Award to transform four lines of its business, Absence Management, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability and Life Claims, to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.

Award: $395,570        Match: $395,570

 

 

CLYNK , a bottle and can redemption service based in Portland with operations at 24 Hannaford locations from Augusta to York, will use its MTI Development Award to complete design, prototyping and equipment purchase in order to allow expansion into 17 new Hannaford locations statewide.

Award: $500,000        Match: $585,725

 

 

CashStar, Inc., based in Portland, is an interactive gifting and incentives company enabling digitally-based branded and personalized gift card management. CashStar will use their MTI Development Award to develop, test and deploy mobile applications for Blackberry, iPhone and Droid users.

Award: $87,887          Match: $87,887


The application deadline for the next round of Development Awards is November 5, 2010.
 MEP Awards Mathew Brothers Manufacturing Excellence Award

The Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Maine MEP) announced that
Mathews Brothers, a 156-year old window manufacturer with a history of innovation, is the recipient of this year's Maine MEP Manufacturing Excellence Award. The award was presented at a ceremony at the Mathews Brothers manufacturing facility in Belfast on June 15. The award is presented each year to a Maine company that has demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision and manufacturing excellence.
Brian Hodges, Deputy Commissioner of DECD at MEP's award ceremony for the Mathew Brothers.
Mathew Brothers MEP award

"The 2010 Maine MEP Manufacturing Excellence Award reflects updated criteria which were modified this year to reflect changing global circumstances. In a recessionary and highly competitive global economy, manufacturing excellence is no longer the only attribute necessary for success," explained Maine MEP President Rod Rodrigue. "To survive today, American manufacturers must embrace cutting edge management and production techniques that control costs while improving production efficiency, quality and on-time delivery."

"This year's award recipient exemplifies what it takes to succeed in the face of today's global challenges," said Brian Hodges, DECD's Deputy Commissioner, who helped facilitate the ceremony. "In the world of cutting edge manufacturing, these attributes are known as Next Generation Manufacturing."

Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM) refers to a framework of strategies developed by industry leaders and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program that represent the essential strategies for driving growth and achieving competitive world-class performance. The Maine MEP Manufacturing Excellence Award now recognizes manufacturers, such as Mathews Brothers, that have undertaken the necessary strategies to position their operations for growth.

 Ocean Energy Board Member Receives Award
On June 9, EnergyOcean International announced the winners of its 2010 Pioneer Awards. The Education Pioneer Award was presented to Matthew Simmons of Ocean Energy Institute in Rockland.

The Education Pioneer Award is given to an organization (government, not-for-profit, etc.) that has made a recent (in the last 5 years) contribution toward promoting and educating the public about Ocean Energy uses, feasibility, benefits and/or suitable locations for implementation of the technologies.


Congratulations to Matthew and Ocean Energy Institute!

Upcoming Events:

July:

July 10 - Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market. College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine. The festival begins at 10 AM. Free and open to the public, this popular event draws a wide variety of enthusiastic visitors year after year ranging from professional basket collectors to vacationers to local residents. 207-288-3519 for information.

August:

August 13 - Lean Manufacturing event; DECD is a sponsor. http://www.mainemep.org/events.html

August 30 - SBA America East conference; DECD is a sponsor.