The Office of Business Development has announced several new Business Development Specialists (BDS). For more than a decade, OBD has had a decentralized approach to business development. The specialists do not work in the Capital, but are literally out in the streets of their communities. They are the state's economic development experts and are based in different zones to help companies and organizations take advantage of Maine's valuable business resources. This decentralized method provides a local and more convenient way to help businesses grow.

The new group of BDS have gone through an extensive training period and are now out in their respective regions contacting area businesses to review resources available. The new Business Development Specialists and the economic development regions they represent are:

Justin Holmes--Cumberland County (Freeport, Brunswick and Harpswell only), Sagadahoc, Lincoln and Knox Counties

Amy Landry--Androscoggin and Oxford Counties

Chuck Morgan--York County

Caroline Paras--Cumberland County (exclusive of Freeport, Brunswick and Harpswell)

Nate Rudy--Franklin, Somerset and Kennebec Counties

For a complete list of BDS and/or to find one in your region, please click here.

Business Development Specialists
Seated, L-R: Justin Holmes, Ron McKinnon, Bill Osborne and Chuck Morgan
Standing, L-R: Nate Rudy, Caroline Paras, Roxanne Jobe, Marie Hayden, Amy Landry, and Dick Kelso, consultant

Community Development Block Grant Appreciation Day Held

DECD Commissioner Thaxter Trafton and Office of Community Development Director Mike Baran present the 2010 Governor's Community Spirit Award to the Town of Skowhegan for downtown revitalization.

DECD held the annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Appreciation Day on August 20 to celebrate the busiest year in the history of the Maine CDBG program and recognize over 80 community development professionals from across the state who participated in some way in the program.

The CDBG program awarded approximately $13.8 million to Maine communities during the 2010 program year. The CDBG Appreciation Day and award ceremony caps off the busiest ever two-year period in Maine state CDBG program history, during which over $50

Representatives from the Town of Milo accept the 2010 Governor's Project of the Year Award for rebuilding after their downtown fire.

million in federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding was awarded to help finance dozens of projects across the state.

Commissioner Trafton presents the Governor's 2010 Administrator of the Year Award to Judy East, Director of the Washington County Council of Governments, for her efforts on behalf of Washington County communities.

Pine Tree Development Zone Company, Bolduc Technology Group, Announces Partnership with Boeing

DECD staff and other local and state officials, joined Governor John E. Baldacci and statewide media for a press conference on August 26 where Scott Bolduc, President and CEO of Bolduc Technology Group, and officials from Boeing Defense, Space & Security announced a partnership between the two companies. The company officials reported that they will work together to provide remote-operated ground vehicles for commercial or military use.

"First and foremost, this new

Scott Bolduc, President and CEO of Bolduc Technology Group, and Peggy Berry, Director of Boeing's Networks and Tactical Systems division sign the teaming agreement.

relationship speaks to the world-class technology and workforce that exists right here in Maine," said Governor Baldacci at the event at Bolduc's headquarters in Augusta. "Through the work of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and the City of Augusta and State incentives like the Pine Tree Zone program, Scott Bolduc successfully relocated his company from another state to Maine last year. He's providing good jobs here in the region and using other Maine businesses to support his work. This announcement has the promise to grow Scott's business and new jobs."

The Governor said Maine has an aggressive commitment to support new technologies and innovation. "Through incentives such as the Pine Tree Zone program, for example, we are supporting growth in targeted business sectors to support Maine businesses, creating quality jobs for Maine people, strengthening our economy and keeping Maine competitive in the global economy," said the Governor.

For more information on Maine's Pine Tree Zone program, please click here.

Maine-based Ocean Renewable Power Company Unveils Groundbreaking Tidal Power Plant

Maine-based Ocean Renewable Power Company is using the movement of the Cobscook tides to generate renewable power. Funded in part by the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), with use of materials supplied by Maine companies, ORPC has created the Tidal Energy 2, a barge with a turbine generator that generates power from the movement of the water. The turbine generator unit (or TGU) is the first of its kind and allows the company to harness the power of the ocean to generate clean, predictable and affordable energy. Part of the energy created by the turbine generator powers the barge and the rest is stored in batteries to use at the U.S. Coast Guard station in Eastport.

Ocean Renewable Power Company President and CEO Chris Sauer addresses a crowd gathered for the unveiling of Tidal Energy 2.

The company continues to conduct research and will use the data they gather to develop a larger installation of permanent turbines in the bay in order to supply additional power to feed into Bangor Hydro's grid, hopefully by late next year. That system, according to the company, should generate enough electricity to power 50 or 60 homes.  

ORPC President and CEO Chris Sauer says this is the largest tidal power plant ever installed in U.S. waters. The project has garnered ORPC and the state of Maine worldwide attention as countries across the globe look to Maine as the leader on the ocean energy front.

Governor Baldacci congratulated the company and noted that seeing is believing. "I think that those who are still wondering and questioning about what we should be doing as a state or a nation need to come out [here]...because it is actually happening, it is happening with Maine businesspeople, Maine contractors, it is happening with University of Maine students, graduates of the University of Maine, Maine Maritime Academy, the local community," he said. 

For more on this story, please click on the links below:

WCSH6: Energy company using Cobscook tides to power Coast Guard station
MPBN: Groundbreaking tidal power plant officially unveiled in Eastport

The Jackson Laboratory Opens New Facility

The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor cut the ribbon on a new $10 million research building in August. Rob Taft, Director of Reproductive Sciences, says the lab's services have been increasing 20 to 50 percent a year and they were running out of space. This is the 7th new building or major renovation on the Bar Harbor campus in the last twelve years.

Brian Wruble, Chairman of The Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees (at left in photo), and Rick Woychick, CEO (right), joined Dr. Catherine Renault, Director of the Maine Office of Innovation, in cutting the ribbon for the new facility. The project, partially funded by a $4.7 million Maine Technology Asset Fund grant from the Maine Technology Institute, and matched by Jackson Laboratory's own funds, will expand the institution's capacity to conduct R&D and partner with Maine companies in related commercialization activities.

Maine International Trade Center Offers Opportunity to Explore Exporting to Turkey

DECD Manager and Employee of the Year Announced

Commissioner Trafton is pleased to announce DECD's Manager and Employee of the Year. The William Twarog Manager of the Year Award goes to Carolann Ouellette, deputy director of the Office of Tourism. The Employee of the Year award goes to Cheryl Breault, secretary associate of the Office of Business Development. Congratulations to both awardees!